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The Beacon, January 3, 2026, Beacon Staff

The Beacon, 2025-2026

Northwestern history: Pursuing the Light; Raiders stand out all over the world; Preview of Northwestern’s “Defying Gravity”; The ‘Avatar’ franchise gets another movie; Zach Bryan’s new album raw and vulnerable; Northwestern holds MLK day chapel; Club spotlight: the Black V performers; Theater department welcomes new professor; Dogs and cats: man’s best friends; Disproving Bobby Fischer’s famous quote; Rocky but promising return for 2026; Raider track & field making big strides early; Setting the record straight on tennis rumors; Men’s retreat: an event for growth; 40 Northwestern students invited to ACTF

The Knowledge And Perceptions Of Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Among Agricultural Education Students, Madyson Hufstedler

Student Theses and Dissertations

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is a preventable yet widespread occupational hazard, especially among agricultural workers who are regularly exposed to high levels of noise from equipment, machinery, and firearms (Lander et al., 2007; Milz et al., 2008). Young and future farmers may be particularly vulnerable due to early and prolonged exposure combined with limited awareness about the risks of noise and the importance of hearing protection (Balanay & Kearney, 2015; Martin et al., 2006). This study examined the perceptions and knowledge of NIHL among 83 students (76 high school and 7 college) in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. A pretest–posttest …

Direct Solar-Energy Powered Hydrothermal Treatment To Promote Biomethane Production From Anaerobic Digestion Of Rice Processing Waste, Kainat Rahnuma

Student Theses and Dissertations

Hydrolysis is a slow and energy-intensive process and a rate-limiting step in anaerobic digestion (AD). This research investigates performance strategies for integrating hydrothermal treatment (HT) with AD. HT-AD systems were less economically viable than AD-only options because of the high energy consumption of HT. Therefore, we used solar energy to conduct HT via either solar cookers or solar panels. The HT method significantly improved digestion performance, reducing the lag phase from 60 to 24 h, and increasing overall yield. Hydrothermally treated rice, rice bran, and rice hulls produced 22,932 mL, 13,136 mL, and 1283 mL, respectively. However, untreated rice, rice …

Volume Cxlv, Number 10, January 23, 2026, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

A Universal Of Human Social Cognition: Children From 17 Communities Process Gaze In Similar Ways, Manuel Bohn, Julia Christin Prein, Agnes Ayikoru, Florian M. Bednarski, Ardain Dzabatou, Michael C. Frank, Annette M.E. Henderson, Joan Isabella, Josefine Kalbitz, Patricia Kanngiesser, Dilara Keşşafoğlu, Bahar Köymen, Maira V. Manrique-Hernandez, Shirley Magazi, Lizbeth Mújica-Manrique, Julia Ohlendorf, Damilola Olaoba, Wesley R. Pieters, Sarah Pope-Caldwell, Katie Slocombe, Robert Z. Sparks, Jahnavi Sunderarajan, Wilson Vieira, Zhen Zhang, Yufei Zong, Roman Stengelin, Daniel B.M. Haun

School of Psychology

Theoretical accounts typically assume that key features of human socio-cognitive development are universal. This paper reports a large-scale cross-cultural study (17 communities, diverse ethnicities, N = 1,377, 709 female, mean = 5.50 years, -collected March 2022 to January 2024) on gaze following in early childhood. To test for universality, cognitive processing signatures were derived from a computational model treating gaze following as social vector estimation. Results showed substantial variation between communities and individuals. Yet, the processing signature was found in all communities. Individual differences in performance were related to children's familiarity with the data-collection device but not opportunities for social …

Communication Disorders Graduate Student: Perspective Of Voice, Maycie Brentney Terrell / Blankenship

Student Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the influence of training in SPEAK OUT!® on the perceptual ratings of voice and speech made by communication disorders (CD) graduate students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of SPEAK OUT!® training by comparing those who have undergone SPEAK OUT!® training with those who have not. To address this, 36 participants who attend communication disorders graduate programs within the United States were recruited. Data were collected through a Qualtrics survey distributed via email and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings indicate that perceptual ratings across most voice …

The Influx Of Public-School Students In Private Schools And The Effects On The Classroom Management Strategies Used By Private School Teachers, James Moore

Student Theses and Dissertations

In the current climate of expanding school choice, epitomized by Arkansas’s LEARNS Act, a significant number of students are transitioning from public to private schools. With policy debates centering on access and funding streams, the impact of this demographic shift remains critically underexplored by researchers. This interpretive phenomenological study addresses the significant gap that exists in examining the classroom management strategies and lived experiences of 12 private school teachers in Central Arkansas. The common misconception is that behavior may be the biggest challenge for teachers; however, findings indicate that the most significant challenge for students transitioning is the academic rigor. …

Black Swans And Safety Nets: Food Aid, Dispersal, And Eugenics In Corbin Hollow, Glenn Davis Stone, Richard K. Robinson

Southern Anthropologist

No abstract provided.

Community And Individual Risk Factors Associated With Tuberculosis Treatment Outcomes: Ca, Md, And Oh, [2017-2021]., Kadiatu Banjoko

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There are unsuccessful treatment outcomes with Tuberculosis (TB) disease, although effective therapies exist. This study aimed to identify predictors of unsuccessful treatment using the socioecological model. A quantitative cross-sectional study and multinomial logistic regression analysis were used to measure the associations between long-term care (LTC), homelessness, correctional facility, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), diabetes, excess alcohol, illicit drug use, and TB treatment outcomes of death, lost to follow-up, and treatment refusal. The sample consisted of 7,589 individuals aged 15 and older with pulmonary TB between 2017 and 2021, residing in California, Ohio, and Maryland. Findings indicated a correlation between community factors …

From Forest Aversion To Pro-Environmental Attitudes And Behaviors: Impacts Of A 3-Day Culturally Informed Camp, Candace Jones, Xiangyou Shen

ACA National Camp Research Forum Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Creative Arts To Enhance Cervical Cancer Awareness Using Art-Based Messages From A Nigerian Crowdsourcing Open Call: Qualitative Thematic Analysis, Abdulhammed O Babatunde, Olufunto A Olusanya, Peter Kalulu, Temitope Ojo, Onyekachukwu Anikamadu, Juliet Iwelunmor, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Nigeria, yet awareness is low. Historically, art has served as a medium for processing emotions and sharing experiences, which can be effective in promoting health and behavior change.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine art submissions and social media engagement from a Nigerian crowdsourcing open call to inform co-designed strategies for cervical cancer prevention among women.

METHODS: This study reported following the SRQR (Standard Reporting for Qualitative Research) guideline. From October to November 2023, we launched an open call for art on social media, inviting adult women …

Intestinal Epithelial Tlr5 Signaling Promotes Barrier-Supportive Macrophages, Ming-Ting Tsai, Ryann Callaghan, Charles Ng, Lisette Peres-Tintin, Dean B Matthews, Nikketa Stanford, Karuna Ganesh, Mary K Estes, Gretchen E Diehl

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Intestinal macrophages are essential for epithelial barrier repair. In homeostasis, macrophages are continuously replenished by recruitment of circulating CCR2+ monocytes into the intestinal lamina propria. This requires the commensal microbiota, however, the specific microbial factors and downstream host pathways that coordinate macrophage replenishment are inadequately understood. Here, we show that colonization with an E. coli isolate increased CCR2+ macrophages in the intestine and ameliorated pathology in a colitis model. Using human colonic organoids, we showed E. coli colonization induced CCL2 secretion by intestinal epithelial stem cells which promoted monocyte migration. In vivo, protection was abolished in the absence of epithelial …

Clinical Workflow Of Spine Stereotactic Radiotherapy And Radiosurgery: Insights From A Single-Institution Physics Perspective, Dennis Mackin, Gizem Cifter, Yana Zlateva, Jihong Wang, Yao Ding, Muhammad Shafiq Ul Hassan, Zhiheng Wang, Parmeswaran Diagaradjane, Fada Guan, Travis C Salzillo, Shane Krafft, Jing Li, Martin C Tom, Amol J Ghia, Tina Marie Briere

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spine stereotactic radiotherapy and radiosurgery (SSRS) techniques, encompassing both fractionated stereotactic treatments and single-fraction radiosurgery, are widely used for the management of spinal metastases due to their ability to deliver highly conformal radiation while limiting dose to adjacent critical structures. Clinical outcomes following SSRS, including durable local control and acceptable toxicity, have been reported previously in multiple institutional series. In this manuscript, we describe the clinical workflow used to deliver SSRS at a high-volume academic center, with emphasis on the medical physics processes that support routine clinical practice. Key elements of the workflow include patient selection, treatment region-specific immobilization, CT …

Saga/Atac Complexes Sustain Aberrant Chromatin Regulation And Promote Tumorigenesis In Diffuse Midline Glioma, Rosemary U Richard, Caitlin Bagnetto, Rebecca L Murdaugh, Brittany R Eberl, Alan L Jiao, Adam F Kebede, Barry M Zee, Margaret M Harrington, Mariella G Filbin, Akdes Serin-Harmanci, Yang Shi, Jamie N Anastas

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Diffuse midline gliomas (DMG) are aggressive pediatric brain tumors characterized by chromatin and transcriptional dysregulation induced by H3K27M mutations. Strategies for overcoming epigenetic dysfunction to reduce DMG tumorigenesis remain limited. We identified multiple components of the SAGA and ATAC chromatin regulatory complexes as DMG genetic dependencies and found that genetic or pharmacological inhibition of the SAGA/ATAC-associated chromatin reader SGF29 reduces DMG proliferation. Small molecules targeting SAGA/ATAC-associated histone acetylation, ubiquitination, and methylation similarly suppressed DMG growth. Further chromatin profiling and RNAseq analyses reveal that SGF29 controls H3K9ac and H3K4me3 dynamics at both H3K27M-bound and H3K27M-independent target genes linked to proliferation, differentiation, …

Tead-Independent Mechanisms Of Yap Function In Cardiomyocyte Cell Cycle Reentry, Bing Xie, Jeffrey Steimle, Vaibhav Deshmukh, Lin Liu, Chang-Ru Tsai, Todd R Heallen, Wyatt Paltzer, Yuka Morikawa, Fansen Meng, Jun Wang, James F Martin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Adult mammalian hearts exhibit limited regenerative capacity because of the restricted renewal of cardiomyocytes. Recent studies reveal that mammalian hearts exhibit transient regenerative potential within a short time frame after birth, suggesting a regulatory mechanism that prevents adult hearts from initiating a regenerative response to cardiac injury. Here, we discovered that an active form of YAP, named YAP6SA, which is not inhibited by the Hippo signaling pathway and does not interact with TEADs, induces cardiomyocyte cell cycle reentry. In addition, YAP6SA interacts with scaffold protein MPDZ to regulate Rho GTPases and promote cell cycle progression in cardiomyocytes (CMs). Importantly, YAP6SA …

Nighttime Or Daytime? How Milk Melatonin Levels Relate To Differential And Somatic Cell Count In Dairy Cow Milk, Eleonora Dall'olio, Claudio Cipolat-Gotet, Melania Andrani, Valeria Cavalli, Giovanni Ferri, Mario Baratta, Roberta Saleri, Fabio De Rensis

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

This study investigates the impact of winter nighttime versus daytime milking on melatonin concentration in milk and explores its relationship with somatic cell count (SCC) and differential somatic cell count (DSCC). Milk samples were collected from 40 Holstein cows at 12-hour intervals (04:00 AM Night samples and 04:00 PM Day samples) during the winter season (11 h of light and 13 h of darkness). The relationship between melatonin content, SCC and DSCC was assessed. Night milk had significantly higher melatonin levels (15.63 ± 1.90 pg/mL) compared to day milk (6.80 ± 0.75 pg/mL). SCC was significantly lower in night milk …

Effect Of Dietary Chitosan Oligosaccharide Levels And Molecular Weight With Deacetylation Degree Characteristics On Peptide Transporter 1 Gene Expression In Weaning Pig’S Small Intestine, Boonrit Thongsong, Sarinee Kalandakanond-Thongsong, Rath Pichyangkura

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The present study aimed to assess the expression response of peptide transporter1 (PepT1) mRNA (SLC15A1) in weaning pig’s small intestine to the effect of dietary chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) supplement level, molecular weight (MW) and deacetylation degree (DD) characteristics. On days 28 and 56 of the experiments, small intestine samples obtained from our previous two experiments on weaned pigs were used to study the PepT1 mRNA expression. In experiment 1, pigs received either a basal diet or a basal diet supplemented with 75, 150, or 225 mg/kg COS. In experiment 2, pigs received either a basal diet or a basal diet …

Collaboration Of Economic Institutions Based On Empowerment Programs To Strengthen Food Security: The Case Of Laying Hens In North Gorontalo, Karin Safitri

Jurnal Administrasi Bisnis Terapan

This study analyzes the role of economic institutional cooperation in strengthening food security through the development of laying hen farming in North Gorontalo Regency. Eggs are positioned as a strategic animal food due to their nutrient density and affordability for households, while also being relevant to the agenda of improving nutritional status through government programs. This study examines how the synergy of village and community institutions (e.g., Village-Owned Enterprises, cooperatives, and livestock groups) with regional livestock empowerment programs (e.g., the 2 Goats 10 Chickens/G2-10 Movement) and the national Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program can strengthen production capacity, expand the farmer …

2019u_Sm15_Approved_Cr_Bio-4412-Herpetology, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2020u_Lac17_Approved_Cr_Stcm-4023-Public-Opinion-Propaganda-And-The-Mass-Media, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2020u_Lac22_Approved_Cr_Grfx-3703-Intermediate-Web-Design, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2020u_Lac15_Approved_Cr_Grfx-3713-3d-Digital-And-Game-Design, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2020u_Ecs04_Approved_Lon_Electrical-Engineering-New-Minor-Revision1, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2020u_Ecs01_Approved_Lon_Technology-Name-Change-Revision2, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2019g_Sm06_Approved_Cr_Bio-5412-Herpetology-Revision2, Graduate Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2021g_Sm05_Approved_Nc_Bio-5354-Mammalogy, Graduate Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2021g_Sm03_Approved_Cd_Bio-5392-Laboratory-For-Parasitology, Graduate Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2021g_Sm04_Approved_Nc_Bio-5384-Parasitology, Graduate Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2021g_Sm02_Approved_Cd_Bio-5351-Laboratory-For-Mammalogy, Graduate Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2020g_Sm01_Approved_Nc_Bio-6043-Anatomy-Of-A-Grant, Graduate Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.