Digital Commons Network^™

Episteme Vol. 36

Episteme

No abstract provided.

Cv: Philip Blankenship (Behavioral Neuroscience), Philip Blankenship

Psychology Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

Anonymity And Social Pressure: A Sociological Analysis Of Lolcows On Kiwifarms, Mary R. Smith

Honors Theses

This research assesses the website KiwiFarms using a mixed-methods approach, including content analysis and descriptive statistics, to determine whether demographic factors, such as weight, disability, and sexuality, influence an individual’s susceptibility to online trolling for others' entertainment.

The study found that most disproportionately targeted group was found to be overweight females. Meanwhile, Kiwi Farms users were found to be predominantly male, aged 18-24, and reside in the United States. The study's results indicate that the expressions of anomie on KiwiFarms are predominantly disciplinary, suggesting that KiwiFarms users mainly focus their criticism on rule violations rather than targeting individuals based on …

Exploring Counselor Perspectives On The Role Of Ecotherapy In Mental Health Treatment: A Qualitative Study, Kimberly Seid

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This grounded qualitative study explored the common themes of ecotherapy in practice. The research problem was the limited understanding of how counselors implement ecotherapy in clinical practice, hindering the field’s ability to fully integrate nature-based approaches into mental health treatment. The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore counselor perspectives on ecotherapy using the biophilia hypothesis and Swarbrick’s wellness model. The research questions focused on how licensed mental health counselors understood, implemented, and evaluated the impact of ecotherapy. Qualitative data were collected through an online survey with open-ended questions from 15 licensed counselors across the United States who …

Bridging Reason And Perception: Searching For The Arguments Of Ptolemaïs Of Cyrene In Works On Music Theory From The Italian Renaissance, Sean Robert Denby

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Ptolemaïs of Cyrene is the earliest known female music theorist from antiquity. Her lost work, Pythagorean Elements of Music, is a substantive addition to the debate on the differences in approaches to reason and perception in harmonic science from Pythagorean and Aristoxenian doctrines. It only survives in three quotations in Porphyry of Tyre’s Commentary on Ptolemy’s Harmonics, a work known and used by humanists and music theorists alike in the Italian Renaissance. Considering that numerous individuals in Renaissance Italy—in particular, Franchino Gaffurio, Gioseffo Zarlino, and Vincenzo Galilei—had access to Porphyry’s Commentary, it is a mystery as to why she does …

Cgas-Agonistic Spherical Nucleic Acids Reprogram The Glioblastoma Immune Microenvironment And Promote Antitumor Immunity, Akanksha S Mahajan, Corey Dussold, Seunghyun Kim, Rachel Jarvis, Lisa A Hurley, Serena Tommasini-Ghelfi, Jungsoo Park, Connor M Forsyth, Bin Zhang, Jason Miska, Amy B Heimberger, Chad A Mirkin, Alexander H Stegh

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The cyclic GMP-AMP synthase-Stimulator of Interferon Genes (cGAS-STING) pathway is an important DNA-sensing mechanism that increases T cell trafficking and activation in tumors and reverses the immunosuppressive phenotype of myeloid cells. Therefore, direct STING targeting using synthetic cyclic dinucleotides (CDNs) is an attractive strategy for treating lymphocyte-depleted and myeloid cell-enriched tumors, such as glioblastoma (GBM). However, inadequate bioavailability and poor cellular accumulation limit the clinical development of CDNs, particularly for noninvasive administration strategies. Spherical nucleic acids (SNAs) have emerged as promising modular constructs for creating therapeutic lead compounds for many diseases, including different forms of cancer. Here, we report the …

The Ontological Is Political, The Philosophical Discussion Group

The Philosopher's Stone

• The Ontological is Political

The State Of Our Streams: A Land Trust's Approach To Monitoring The Health Of Three Headwater Streams, Lauren Mcgrath

Sustainability Research & Practice Seminar Presentations

Lauren McGrath, Director of Watershed Protection Program, Willistown Conservation Trust, presents "The State of Our Streams: a land trust's approach to monitoring the health of three headwater streams."

Heritage-Based City Branding Case Study Of Fayoum City, Menna Mounir, Sameir Hammad

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Uniqueness and distinction have become fundamental requirements in promoting and branding cities. Influencing people's perceptions is best achieved by reinforcing the city's identity. This identity is the main component that can transform any ‘space’ into a ‘place’. Promoting a city should extend to highlighting the Heritage, landscape, religious sites, pathways, cuisine, inhabitants, activities, and personal experiences. These elements collectively express the city spirit and enrich visitors’ experience.

This study aims to enhance the image of heritage-based cities by exploring the potential for city branding and leveraging heritage to boost the national economy.

Fayoum was selected as a case study for …

Cardiac Sr-Mitochondria Contacts-Impact On Cardiac Physiology And Mitochondrial Fitness, Celia Fernandez-Sanz, Shey-Shing Sheu, Sergio De La Fuente

Center for Translational Medicine Faculty Papers

In adult cardiomyocytes, within the Mitochondrial Associated Membranes (MAMs), the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and mitochondria juxtapose each other, forming a unique and highly repetitive functional structure throughout the cells. These SR-mitochondria contact sites have emerged as critical structures that regulate various physiological processes, including lipid exchange, calcium (Ca²⁺) communication, control of excitation-contraction bioenergetics coupling, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Over the years, several scientific studies have reported the accumulation of diverse proteins within these SR-mitochondria close contacts. Some proteins strategically accumulate in these areas to enhance their function, such as the mitochondrial Ca²⁺ uniporter, while others …

Spartan Daily, November 11, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 165, Issue 34

Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: Underlying Mechanisms And Concepts In Liver Surgery And Liver Transplantation, Jie Zhao, Lidan Hou, Kenneth J Dery, Xiaoyi Yuan, Kang Ho Kim, Jerzy W Kupiec-Weglinski, David R Hall, Caitlin J Thornley, Mark J Hobeika, Holger K Eltzschig, Cynthia Ju

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (H-IRI) is a critical complication in liver surgery and liver transplantation, contributing to graft dysfunction and poor clinical outcomes. When hepatocyte protective mechanisms are insufficient to counteract energy depletion and oxidative stress during ischemia, cell death occurs. Tissue damage during H-IRI leads to the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), which recruit and activate immune cells such as neutrophils and monocytes, orchestrating the initiation, progression, and eventual resolution of sterile inflammation. Extended criteria donor (ECD) livers, particularly steatotic ones, are more vulnerable to H-IRI, leading to poorer outcomes and limiting expansion of the donor pool. However, the …

Reprogramming Tumor Microenvironment Via Systemic Delivery Of Tlr3 Agonist And Manganese Nanoparticle, Young Seok Cho, Xingwu Zhou, Xiaoqi Sun, Ziye Wan, Julia Crowther, Mariko Takahashi, Swetha Kodamasimham, Qi Wu, May Thazin Phoo, Youngseo Na, Kai Han, Zaiye Li, Anna Schwendeman, Steven P Schwendeman, Yu Leo Lei, James J Moon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists, as potent immunostimulatory adjuvants, play a critical role in linking the innate and adaptive immune responses. However, their antitumor effects as cancer immunotherapeutic agents have been limited. Here, we report our finding that manganese ion (Mn2+) potentiates various TLR agonists, leading to robust activation of the TLR pathway and the stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway among innate immune cells. In particular, we have observed robust antitumor efficacy after intratumoral administration of a TLR3 agonist and Mn2+. To achieve systemic codelivery of TLR3 agonist and Mn2+, we have developed a low-molecular-weight poly(inosinic:cytidylic acid)-Mn2+ coordination lipid nanoparticle …

Epigenetic Landscape In Lysosomal Storage Disorders: Mechanisms And Modulation, Andrés Felipe Leal, Harry Pachajoa, Shunji Tomatsu

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) are rare substrate-accumulating diseases primarily characterized by mutations in genes encoding proteins involved in lysosomal function, most of which have enzymatic activity. Resulting lysosomal dysfunction leads to the overaccumulation of non- or partially degraded substrates. While it is true that enzyme deficiency is the primary cause of LSDs, the epigenetic alterations in DNA methylation, miRNA expression, and histone modifications appear to be critical mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of LSDs. As epigenetic marks are, in most cases, reversible, their study becomes vital to developing strategies aimed at reversing epigenome alterations. Although classical therapeutic alternatives aim to …

Postmortem Vitreous Humor As An Alternative Matrix To Peripheral Blood For Benzodiazepine Detection, Sara Bussey

Honors Theses

Benzodiazepines are commonly prescribed secondary drugs of abuse that cause Central Nervous System depression through the neurotransmitter gamma aminobutyric acid. While not commonly fatal on their own, benzodiazepines have a minor risk for physical dependence and abuse. They also can have cumulative effects with other medications that can lead to overdose situations; thus, they are considered secondary drugs of abuse. While peripheral blood is considered the standard for xenobiotic detection in postmortem forensic toxicology, it is important to consider the validity of alternative matrices that could be analyzed in the event that blood was not available due to circumstances like …

Preclinical Efficacy Of Tasquinimod-Based Combinations In Advanced Myeloproliferative Neoplasms In Blastic Phase, Warren Fiskus, Lucia Masarova, Christopher P Mill, Christine E Birdwell, Kaberi Das, Hanxi Hou, John A Davis, Antrix Jain, Anna Malovannaya, Taghi Manshouri, Andrew Dunbar, Surbhi Sharma, Tapan M Kadia, Courtney D Dinardo, Prithviraj Bose, Naveen Pemmaraju, Sanam Loghavi, Xiaoping Su, Raajit K Rampal, Marie Törngren, Kapil N Bhalla

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The alarmins, S100A8 (A8) and S100A9 (A9), are low molecular weight proteins belonging to the S100 protein family. A8 and A9 are secreted into the extracellular space and plasma, in which they interact with Toll-like receptor 4, receptor for advanced glycation end products, and CD33. In these studies, we determined the preclinical efficacy of tasquinimod (TQ) against advanced myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) cell lines and patient-derived (PD) CD34+ blastic phase (BP; >5% blasts in the peripheral blood) MPN cells. TQ induced loss of viability in cell lines and PD MPN-BP cells, but not in normal CD34+ progenitor cells. In TQ-treated PD …

From Sensibility To Critical Engagement: Sympathy, Animality, And Subjecthood In Wollstonecraft’S Maria And Vindication, Yingnan Shang

Comparative Woman

This paper examines Mary Wollstonecraft’s strategic use of sentimental animal tropes alongside rationalist critique in Maria, or The Wrongs of Woman (1798) and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792), arguing that she mobilizes sensibility not as an end in itself, but as a pedagogical instrument within a broader project of aesthetic education—one intended to move readers from affective sympathy toward political and philosophical judgment. Focusing in particular on animal metaphors—especially in the character of Jemima, who repeatedly figures herself as a domesticated and brutalized creature—I trace how Wollstonecraft employs tropes of animality to illuminate the processes by which …

Driving Together: The Necessity Of A Comprehensive Federal Response For The Success Of Autonomous Vehicles, Timothy Buff

Fordham Intellectual Property, Media and Entertainment Law Journal

Today’s world is full of promising yet controversial new technologies. Large Language Models (LLMs), such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, have both promised fantastic results and generated a range of critiques. Quantum computing claims to be able to complete computations that would take traditional computers, even supercomputers, longer than the lifespan of the universe to complete. With such advancements, the future dreamed of in science fiction stories of the twentieth century seems to be becoming reality. Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) are another notable technology, which promise to ultimately remove any human responsibility, and hence any human error, from the process of driving a …

The Rider (2025-11-10), Daniela Martinez Salazar

The Rider Archives

Vol. 11, No. 11

Bonita - Euthynnus Alletteratus Neurocranium, Daniella M. Acosta Reyes, Matthew Mcmanus, Morgan Michalek, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

The Resonance Of Desire: A Sonic Exploration And Guide To Recreating Disney’S Signature ‘I Want’ Songs, Aiyanna E. Riley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the sonic architecture of Disney’s Renaissance-era “I Want” songs and develops a framework for recreating their signature production style. This study analyzes how vocal timbre, microphone choices, layering, stereo placement, and mixing strategies contribute to the immersive qualities that define the Disney sound. Drawing from historical accounts, interviews with industry professionals, and technical literature, the thesis documents production practices unexamined in scholarly work. Inspired by David Gibson’s The Art of Mixing, my analyses prioritize spatial and textural qualities in Disney mixes, highlighting how sound design shapes narrative impact. The study culminates in two original compositions modeled …

Correcting Class Imbalance Through Synthetic Training Data And 3d Modeling For Carabid Pitfall Trap Sampling, Blair Mirka

Geography ETDs

Crowdsourced biodiversity data provide an accessible foundation for large-scale ecological monitoring, but class imbalance limits automated species identification, particularly for rare taxa. This research explores the use of synthetic training data generated from 3D models of carabid beetle museum specimens to improve detection and classification performance for underrepresented species in crowdsourced datasets. High-resolution 3D models were created to simulate variation in lighting, orientation, and background. These synthetic images were incorporated into convolutional neural network training datasets at varying synthetic-to-real ratios to assess their impact on classification accuracy. Models were evaluated using controlled pitfall-trap imagery to examine the influence of scene …

Tales From The Crypt: Margaret Thatcher's Industrial Policy And Its Afterlife, James Silverwood, Richard Woodward

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

No abstract provided.

The Echo: November 10, 2025, Taylor University

2025-2026 (Volume 113)

No abstract provided.

Chain Continuity & Multi-Master Keyframe Coverage- Two Methods For Edit-Ready Ai Filmmaking, John Trevino

Theatre Faculty Publications

Current AI video models generate short clips with inconsistent visual details across shots, preventing traditional film editing. A character may change clothing, lighting may shift, and spatial relationships may drift between angles—all of which break cinematic continuity (Bordwell, Thompson, & Smith, 2020). This paper formalizes Chain Continuity, a reproducible four-step method that eliminates these discontinuities by separating camera construction from performance generation. The method requires locking a single Master Key Frame taken from the first frame of the Master Shot, building all other camera angles as static Setup Frames derived only from that first-frame key, and then generating performances solely …

Tackling The Burden Of Envenomation In Africa: Advances, Challenges, And Strategic Priorities For Enhanced Diagnosis And Treatment, Khawla Ammouch, Nihal Mesmoudi, Noureddine Hammani, Jacob Galan, Abdellah Moustaghfir, Reto Stöcklin, Naoual Oukkache

Human Genetics Publications

Venomous animal envenomation remains a significant but neglected public health problem worldwide, with an estimated 5.4 million cases and up to 138,000 deaths annually. The burden is particularly acute in tropical and subtropical regions, especially sub-Saharan Africa, where rural and vulnerable populations face limited access to effective antivenoms and healthcare. Despite this, comprehensive data on envenomation incidence, clinical management, and outcomes remain scarce, hampering efforts to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies. This review synthesizes current knowledge on venomous animal diversity, epidemiology, and clinical manifestations globally, with a focus on Africa’s unique challenges. We examine critical gaps in antivenom production, …

Nanofiber-Enabled Rapid And Non-Destructive Sensors For Meat Quality And Shelf-Life Monitoring: A Review, Karna Ramachandraiah, Elizabeth M. Martin, Alya Limayem

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The meat industry faces significant economic losses and environmental impacts due to spoilage and waste, much of which results from inadequate, delayed, or inefficient quality assessment. Traditional methods used for assessing meat quality are often time-consuming, labor-intensive, and lack the ability to provide real-time information, making them insufficient for modern supply chains that demand safety, freshness, and minimal waste. Recent advances in nanotechnology position nanofibers (NFs) as promising materials for addressing these challenges through smart sensing and active packaging. NFs, characterized by their high surface-to-volume ratio, tunable porosity, and small diameter, enable superior encapsulation and immobilization of sensing agents. These …

Genome-Wide Crispr Screens Identify Critical Targets To Enhance Car-Nk Cell Antitumor Potency, Alexander Biederstädt, Rafet Basar, Jeong-Min Park, Nadima Uprety, Rejeena Shrestha, Francia Reyes Silva, Merve Dede, John Watts, Sunil Acharya, Donghai Xiong, Bin Liu, May Daher, Hind Rafei, Pinaki Banerjee, Ping Li, Sanjida Islam, Huihui Fan, Mayra Shanley, Jingling Jin, Bijender Kumar, Vernikka Woods, Paul Lin, Silvia Tiberti, Ana Karen Nunez Cortes, Xin Ru Jiang, Inci Biederstädt, Patrick Zhang, Ye Li, Seema Rawal, Enli Liu, Luis Muniz-Feliciano, Gary M Deyter, Elizabeth J Shpall, Natalie Wall Fowlkes, Ken Chen, Katayoun Rezvani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Adoptive cell therapy using engineered natural killer (NK) cells is a promising approach for cancer treatment, with targeted gene editing offering the potential to further enhance their therapeutic efficacy. However, the spectrum of actionable genetic targets to overcome tumor and microenvironment-mediated immunosuppression remains largely unexplored. We performed multiple genome-wide CRISPR screens in primary human NK cells and identified critical checkpoints regulating resistance to immunosuppressive pressures. Ablation of MED12, ARIH2, and CCNC significantly improved NK cell antitumor activity against multiple treatment-refractory human cancers in vitro and in vivo. CRISPR editing augmented both innate and CAR-mediated NK cell function, associated with enhanced …

Development Of A Targeted Bioprotac Degrader Selective For Misfolded Sod1, Christen G Chisholm, Rachael Bartlett, Mikayla L Brown, Emma-Jayne Proctor, Natalie E Farrawell, Jody Gorman, Fabien Delerue, Lars M Ittner, Kara L Vine-Perrow, Heath Ecroyd, Neil R Cashman, Darren N Saunders, Luke Mcalary, Jeremy S Lum, Justin J Yerbury

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The accumulation of misfolded proteins underlies a broad range of neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Due to their dynamic nature, these misfolded proteins have proven challenging to target therapeutically. Here, we specifically target misfolded disease variants of the ALS-associated protein superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), using a biological proteolysis targeting chimera (BioPROTAC) composed of a SOD1-specific intrabody and an E3 ubiquitin ligase. Screening of intrabodies and E3 ligases for optimal BioPROTAC construction reveals a candidate capable of degrading multiple disease variants of SOD1, preventing their aggregation in cells. Using CRISPR/Cas9 technology to develop a BioPROTAC transgenic mouse line, we …

Spots, Stripes, And Strains: A Case Report Of Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Newport In Exotic Felids, Brianna L S Stenger, Daniel R. Evans, Sarah J. Gefroh, Alyssa Breuer, Heidi L. Pecoraro, Kelli J. Maddock

APC Fund Awardees

Background

Shedding of Salmonella is not unusual in captive exotic animals; however, few cases link Salmonella to chronic disease or death of exotic felids.

Case Summary

We report a multidrug-resistant (MDR) Salmonella enterica serovar Newport, persisting strain REPJJP01, isolated from exotic felids from two separate regional zoos and potentially contributing to the death of a snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and a Pallas’s cat (Otocolobus manul). REPJJP01 strains of S. Newport are a recurring cause of human enteric disease outbreaks associated with travel to Mexico and beef products.

Conclusion

This case highlights the value of genotypic and phenotypic techniques to identify …