Digital Commons Network^™

Seen And Heard: A Visual Testimony Of Purity Culture Using Qualitative Photovoice Methodology, Amanda Brown

Dissertations

Purity culture, rooted in Christian teachings, has profoundly shaped individuals’ identities, relationships, and perceptions of sexuality, gender, and faith. While popular culture is talking about the effects of purity culture, scholarly literature is lacking. This study employed photovoice methodology to center the voices of those who grew up in purity culture, using photography and personal narratives to explore its long-term effects. The study focused on how individuals who have experienced purity culture articulate and visualize their stories, revealing nuanced insights across seven thematic domains: gender expectations, romantic relationships, faith, mental health, identity formation, sex and sexuality, and healing and …

Agricultural Research Facilities And Equipment, Brad Joyce, Purdue University Office Of Research

University General Facility Boilerplate Descriptions

This overview document describes Purdue University’s on and off-campus research facilities and key equipment related to agriculture, air and water quality, agronomy, and environmental regulation.

Crafting Literary Haiku: Inspiration, Aesthetics, And Season Words, John J. Han

KAUPA Letters

Though deceptively simple in form, haiku is a deeply complex and evocative poetic genre that demands more than just brevity—it requires aesthetic sensitivity, seasonal awareness, and authentic inspiration. This chapter offers a comprehensive guide to crafting literary haiku, beginning with the core characteristics of high-quality poems and the subtle distinctions that separate polished haiku from shallow or incomplete efforts. It also highlights the importance of seasonal words (kigo), which ground the poem in the natural world and connect it to the larger rhythms of life. Finally, the chapter explores eleven diverse sources of inspiration—from daily walks and nature documentaries to …

Catalyzed Chemical Recycling Of Poly(Ethylene Terephthalate) For Enhanced Sustainability, Gilberto J. Hernandez-Leypon Jr.

Master's Theses

Plastics are ubiquitous in the production of consumer and industrial products; their chemical stability, low cost of production, and performance versatility make them the best option for many industries. Their inherent benefits, specifically durability, is the basis for the negative environmental impact of polymers. Improper containment of endof-life polymer products causes unintentional migration into the environment. The monomers for many common polymer types are also fossil fuel based further increasing the environmental impact of the plastic lifecycle. Recycling is a possible method of closing the loop of the plastic lifecycle. Currently most recycling is physical, thermally reprocessing used plastics into …

The Lesson Of Confucius For Today’S America: Education In Ethics Is The Road To Building A Just And Peaceful Society, Yeomin Yoon

KAUPA Letters

According to Confucius, what confers humans their special status and dignity among beings in nature is the moral virtues they can achieve. Humans should build good character, for which they need education to acquire values. He found no correlation between the ability to learn and the socio-economic status. He believed that people with the ability to learn deserved an opportunity to learn. Confucius would not approve of the prevalent American conception of education as transmitting technical knowledge and skills to students without an education in the values to promote by their use. Purely technical education would be an oxymoron for …

West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource Recovery Support Package: 2023-24 Report, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Fisheries Published Reports

The West Coast Demersal Scalefish Resource (WCDSR) includes over 100 species in inshore (20–250 m deep) and offshore ( > 250 m) demersal habitats of the West Coast Bioregion. These species are caught by charter, commercial and recreational fishers.

The WCDSR is in recovery and managed under a 20-year recovery plan (2010–2030). DPIRD tracks recovery progress through scientific stock assessments of the indicator species (snapper, WA dhufish, and baldchin groper) every 3 years.

The 2021 WCDSR stock assessment showed limited recovery and additional management action was required.

In December 2022, the Minister for Fisheries announced commercial and recreational (including charter) sector …

Assessing Illegal Take Of Sea Turtle In Bocas Del Toro, Panamanian Caribbean, Daniela Carolina Rojas-Cañizales

Theses and Dissertations

In Bocas del Toro, Panama, sea turtles were exploited for generations to supply local, national, and international markets. Today, sea turtle species are globally protected by different laws, and Panama is no exception. However, the use of sea turtles in Bocas del Toro and local perceptions regarding the consumption of these reptiles are unknown. Accordingly, during May of 2024, I conducted twenty-five semi-structured interviews with key informants selected by targeted and snowball sampling. Sea turtle consumption persists, and there is a clandestine network to sell turtle meat and derived products in Bocas del Toro. This study provides the first assessment …

Ideal Query Expansion Using Reinforcement Learning, Madhuchchhanda Das

Master’s Dissertations

Information retrieval (IR) systems often struggle with short, ambiguous, or underspecified queries, leading to suboptimal document retrieval. Traditional query reformulation methods, such as those based on the Rocchio algorithm, rely on heuristic term selection and relevance feedback but typically apply fixed or manually tuned weights to expanded terms. This limits their adaptability and generalization across diverse query-document contexts. In this thesis, we propose a novel reinforcement learning (RL)-based framework to dynamically optimize term weighting in reformulated queries. We model the problem as a Markov Decision Process (MDP), where each state represents a query as a vector of term weights. An …

Addressing Class Imbalance Problems To Improve Animal Detection Through Aerial Image Data, Suryang Koushal

Master’s Dissertations

Monitoring animal populations in wildlife reserves is essential for conservation, especially for endangered species, but manual censuses are costly, risky, and logistically challenging due to vast, inaccessible terrains. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with digital cameras provide a safer, scalable solution for collecting aerial imagery to estimate animal populations. However, semi-automated processing of these images faces significant challenges due to class imbalance in datasets, including foreground-background disparities, where background terrain dominates over sparse animal instances, and inter-class imbalances from uneven species representation and varied visual appearances (e.g., species, sizes, fur patterns) against diverse backgrounds like deserts or forests. These imbalances hinder …

Theatricality Of The Ephemeral: Media Of Surplus And Spectatorship In Liang Dynasty (南朝梁, 502-557) Palace-Style Poetry And Hou Hsiao-Hsien’S A City Of Sadness (1989), Yingyi Wang

Comparative Literature M.A. Essays

This essay focuses on the mediation of spectatorship experience by “ephemeral media” in Liang Dynasty (南朝梁, 502-557) palace-style poetry and Hou Hsiao-hsien’s film A City of Sadness (1989). Drawing from Alexander Galloway’s “the interface effects” in new media studies, I investigate how the diegetic “ephemeral media” in these two texts, such as dust, candlelight, silence, and writing, function as opaque interfaces that complicate spectatorship. I examine spectatorship experience from the angle of ephemeral media by looking at how they direct spectators’ attention from the world of representations to processes of mediation. Transplanting Xiaofei Tian’s notion of the “surplus” in her …

Physical Activity Levels Among College Students In Saudi Arabia, Sarah S. Bajuaifer, Naif Z. Alrashdi

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To synthesize the literature on Saudi college students physical activity (PA) levels, barriers, and facilitators, as well as the proportion of college students meeting WHO-recommended PA guidelines Methods: A comprehensive search strategy was developed, and the databases PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus were searched for relevant studies. The systematic review protocol was registered in PROSPERO and the PRISMA reporting guidelines were followed. Studies that enrolled Saudi college students and reported PA levels, barriers to PA, facilitators of PA, or adherence to WHO PA recommendations were included. Reviews, animal studies, and conference proceedings were excluded. The quality of the studies …

Could Strawberry Tree Extract Prevent And Treat Gastrointestinal Disorders?

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Linear Systems Over Pura Vida Neutrosophic Algebra, Rayyanu Abdullahi Muhammad, Abdulhadi Aminu

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Neutrosophic numbers offers a strong foundation for representing uncertainty, indeterminacy, and imprecision within mathematical systems. Pura Vida Neutrosophic Algebra (PVNA) expands upon max-plus algebra (also known as tropical algebra or path algebra) using neutrosophic numbers. In this study, we propose a novel extension of the Pura Vida Neutrosophic Algebra (PVNA) by formulating and analyzing linear systems within this algebraic context–an area that, to the best of our knowledge, has not been previously examined. Specifically, we introduce the concept of Neutrosophic Max-Plus Linear Systems, develop an algebraic methodology for their representation, and establish the necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence …

Evaluating Disaster Relief In Supply Chains Using A Neutrosophic Mcdm Approach, Nada A. Nabeeh

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Disaster-prone regions and affected areas encounter persistent challenges in maintaining supply chain continuity due to environmental uncertainties and infrastructure disruptions. Effective supply chain disaster management (SCDM) is essential for relief disaster disruptions, specifically in upstream processes and functions within the humanitarian supply chain. The integration of advanced technologies like the metaverse and Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods supports strategic planning and enhances resilience. This study presents a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) proposed approach for disaster relief evaluation in supply chain management. The proposed model integrates Interval-Valued Neutrosophic Numbers (IVNNs) to manage uncertainty and ambiguity inherent in disaster various criteria which are often …

How “Green” Are Green Acquisitions Really?, Sri V Srinivasan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Our study finds that 43.14% of global green mergers & acquisitions (GMAs) from 2001 to 2020 may be susceptible to Green Embellishment—the gap between corporate environmental representations and actual performance, regardless of intent. Using a multi-criteria theoretical framework, we show that financial constraints strongly drive Green Embellishment in GMAs, with regulatory stringency and national culture moderating this effect. GMAs in weak regulatory environments are especially vulnerable, particularly under high stakeholder pressure. We further provide empirical evidence that financially constrained GMAs with lower green profiles and those in “browner” industries exhibit a higher propensity for Green Embellishment. Even in stringent …

The Frequency, Type, And Function Of Visual Displays In Upper Elementary Standardized Science Tests, Daibao Guo, Katherine Landau Wright, Lianne Josbacher, Eun Hye Son

Boise State University Publications and Presentations

Limited research has explored the use of visual displays (ViDis) in science tests, making it challenging to know how these tests align with classroom instruction and what skills students need to be successful on these tests. Therefore, the current study aims to describe the use of ViDis in upper elementary grade standardized science tests. We quantified the frequency, types, and functions of ViDis in science tests in 23 states and Washington, DC. Findings show that in the 741 test items examined, 74.5% included ViDis. Tables, diagrams, and images are the most common ViDis. Importantly, 42.1% of the ViDis in the …

A Concise Formalization Of Partial Falsifiability, Water Logic, And Neither Nor Logic With Neutrosophic Logic, Takaaki Fujita, Florentin Smarandache, Victor Christianto

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Application Of Interval Neutrosophic Logic Model For Diagnosis Of Cattle Disease, Lola Safarova, Dilnoz Muhamediyeva, Sokhibjan Muminov, Seyyed Ahmad Edalatpanah

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Narratives Of Jewish American Public School Educators Amid Rising Antisemitism Post October 7, 2023, Cassandra Schwartz

Dissertations

This study investigated how Jewish American public school educators are responding to rising antisemitism post-October 7, 2023. While research exists on global antisemitism, the experiences of Jewish educators within the unique context of American public schools represent a significant and under-explored gap in academic literature. A qualitative narrative research approach, grounded in critical theory, was employed. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eight Jewish American public school educators and analyzed thematically. The findings revealed participants’ experiences of a heightened sense of fear and silence from colleagues and institutions, leading to feelings of isolation and being unsupported. Critically, this study …

Phl 110e.50: Introduction To Ethics, Charles B. Hayes

University of Montana Course Syllabi, 2021-2025

No abstract provided.

Impact Of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors On Thyroid Function In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia: A Systematic Review, Nana Sardarova, Tirath Patel, Tahani M. Abugoukh, Daniel Kim, Samad Yousuf, Mohammed Hammoude

Student Publications

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have significantly improved outcomes in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), shifting it from a fatal to a manageable chronic condition. Despite their clinical benefits, TKIs have been increasingly associated with endocrine-related adverse effects, most notably thyroid dysfunction. This systematic review explores the prevalence, clinical features, underlying mechanisms, and prognostic implications of TKI-induced thyroid abnormalities in CML patients. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted across four databases, namely, PubMed, Excerpta Medica database (Embase), ClinicalKey, and Google Scholar, yielding 4,803 records. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria …

Synthesis Of Publications On The Anomalous June 2021 Heat Wave In The Pacific Northwest Of The United States And Canada, Erica Fleishman, David E. Rupp, Paul C. Loikith, Karin A. Bumbaco, Larry W. O'Neill

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

We synthesized more than 70 articles, most peer reviewed, that addressed the heat wave that occurred across the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada in late June 2021, breaking hundreds of daily and all-time daily maximum temperature records across the region. A persistent, extraordinarily strong ridge of high pressure was a primary driver of the heat wave. Contributing mechanisms were moisture originating in the tropical western Pacific Ocean, high solar radiation, low pressure offshore, large-scale subsidence over land, and unusually dry soils. Climate change contributed to the heat wave’s magnitude by increasing mean temperature, although it is unclear …

Comparative Genotoxicological Analysis Of Occupational Pesticide Exposures: An Experimental Approach And Systematic Review, Moustafa Samy Sherif

Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of pesticide exposure through three complementary research components: a systematic review of occupational pesticide exposure in Arab countries (AraSys), a systematic review on encapsulated versus conventional pesticide formulations (Encap-Sys), and experimental toxicological assessments of various pesticide formulations in human cell lines (Pyr-Ex). This experimental component includes cytotoxicity assays using propidium iodide and DNA damage assessments via alkaline comet assays in HL60 and HepG2 cell lines exposed to pyrethroid insecticides and glyphosate-based formulations.

The AraSys systematic review revealed a critical positive association between occupational pesticide exposure and DNA damage in agricultural workers in …

Utilizing Date Fruit Pomace As A Corrosion Green Inhibitor For Non Ferrous Alloys, Sardor Rustam Odilov

Theses

This thesis explores a novel green corrosion inhibitor derived from date fruit pomace extract (DFPE) for the protection of aluminum alloy 3003 in highly corrosive environments, specifically hydrochloric acid (HCl) and natural seawater. The central aim is to promote the sustainable reuse of agro-waste as an effective and eco-friendly alternative to conventional toxic inhibitors, aligning with environmental and industrial safety goals.

A comprehensive methodology was employed, including Soxhlet extraction (using both non-polar n-hexane and polar methanol-water solvents), rotary evaporation, and FTIR analysis to identify the active functional groups responsible for inhibition. Corrosion behavior was systematically evaluated using both mechanical (weight …

Unsupervised Recognition Of Unknown Objects For Open-World Object Detection, Ruohuan Fang, Guansong Pang, Wenjun Miao, Xiao Bai, Jin Zheng, Xin Ning

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Open-world object detection (OWOD) extends object detection problem to a realistic and dynamic scenario, where a detection model is required to be capable of detecting both known and unknown objects and incrementally learning newly introduced knowledge. Current OWOD models detect the unknowns that exhibit similar features to the known objects, but they suffer from a severe label bias problem, i.e., they tend to detect all regions (including unknown object regions) that are dissimilar to the known objects as part of the background. To eliminate the label bias, this article proposes a novel module, namely reconstruction error-based Weibull (REW) model, that …

Does Pollination By Non-Flying Mammals Contribute Substantially To Fruit Set Of Banksia (Proteaceae)? A Test In Four Species With Contrasting Floral Traits, Stanislaw K. Wawrzyczek, Robert A. Davis, Siegfried L. Krauss, Susan E. Hoebee, Ryan D. Phillips

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Pollination by non-flying mammals (NFMs) is thought to be associated with cryptic, dull coloured, strongly scented flowers. In Western Australia, various Banksia species exhibit these traits, suggesting adaptation to primary pollination by NFMs, particularly the marsupial honey possum (Tarsipes rostratus). Here, we compare floral visitation rates and assess contribution to fruit set of NFMs and other pollinators in four species of Banksia with contrasting floral traits. Camera trap-based surveys revealed that honeyeater birds visited all species equally and were more frequent visitors than NFMs to the brightly coloured, unscented flowers of B. sessilis and B. splendida. By contrast, NFMs were …

Vitamin K: Metabolism, Genetic Influences, And Chronic Disease Outcomes, Montana Dupuy, Nicola P. Bondonno, Pratik Pokharel, Allan Linneberg, Itamar Levinger, Carl Schultz, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Marc Sim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Vitamin K refers to a group of lipid-soluble vitamins that exist in two natural isoforms; phylloquinone (PK, vitamin K1) and menaquinones (MKs, vitamin K2). Phylloquinone, the primary dietary source, is found abundantly in green vegetables and plant oils. Menaquinones (MK-4 through MK-13) are synthesized by anaerobic bacteria and may be obtained through the diet from fermented foods and animal products (e.g., meats, dairy and eggs). Originally recognized for its role in blood coagulation, vitamin K is an essential cofactor for the posttranslational carboxylation of vitamin K-dependent proteins (VKDPs), which are implicated in various physiological processes including; blood coagulation, calcium homeostasis, …

June 2025 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Associations Between Vitamin D Deficiency And Sociodemographic Factors, Lifestyle Behaviors, And Metabolic Conditions: A Cross-Sectional Study From The Hnnhs In Greece, Asmae Mohamad Sadek

Theses

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is a widespread global health concern associated with various sociodemographic, lifestyle, dietary, and metabolic factors. While previous studies examined VDD in Greece, few provided a comprehensive analysis across multiple determinants using representative national data. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and predictors of VDD among Greek adults and to examine its associations with sociodemographic, dietary, behavioral, and metabolic variables using data from the Hellenic National Nutrition and Health Survey (HNNHS). A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 978 adults (≥19 years) from the HNNHS. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations < 20 ng/mL were defined as deficient and ≥20 ng/mL as normal. The median age of participants was 40.2 years, and 62.0% were female. The overall prevalence of VDD was 46.0%, with the highest rate observed among adults aged ≥60 years (62.2%). VDD was significantly associated with older age (p < 0.001), retirement status (62.9% among retired; p < 0.001), low and sedentary physical activity (32.7% and 32.6% vs. 50.8% among highly active; p < 0.001), higher HDL (median 52.0 vs. 49.0 mg/dL among VDD vs Normal; p = 0.001), elevated serum calcium (median 9.4 vs. 9.2 mg/dL among VDD vs Normal; p = 0.020), and lower insulin levels (median 7.5 vs. 8.0 μIU/mL among VDD vs Normal; p = 0.044). Dietary intake (total energy and macronutrients) and body composition were not significantly associated with VDD. In the multivariate model, significant independent predictors of VDD included being retired (AOR = 2.383; 95% CI: 1.596–3.558; p < 0.001), having higher serum calcium levels (AOR = 1.563; 95% CI: 1.078–2.266; p = 0.019), and higher HDL levels (AOR = 1.016; 95% CI: 1.005–1.027; p = 0.001). Physical activity level was also a key determinant; participants classified as sedentary or low active had significantly higher odds of deficiency compared to highly active individuals (AOR = 0.468; 95% CI: 0.319–0.690; p < 0.001). This counterintuitive result may be influenced by factors such as increased indoor physical activity, and warrants further investigation. Dietary intake and body composition were not significantly associated with VDD. The findings underscore the importance of incorporating sociodemographic and lifestyle factors into prevention strategies. Interventions should particularly focus on older adults, retired individuals, even if they have higher HDL and calcium levels, and are physically active.

Exposure To Different Motives Of Scientists Moderates Responses To Scientific Consensus: The Case Of Cultured Meat, Kimin Eom, Bryan Kwok Cheng Choy

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This research examines how exposure to different motives of scientists affects the impact of scientific consensus on public attitudes toward cultured meat. While scientific consensus on the safety of cultured meat generally increased positive attitudes toward it, this effect depended on information about scientists’ motives. Exposure to information about scientists’ financial motives weakened the positive effect of scientific consensus because it undermined trust in scientists. Information about scientists’ prosocial motives did not influence the scientific consensus effect. These findings suggest that perceived motives can shift trust in experts, thereby affecting the influence of experts on public attitudes.