Digital Commons Network^™

The Next Four Years: Geographical Reflections On The Second Trump Administration, Caroline R. Nagel, Peter Hopkins

Faculty Publications

In this introductory essay, we reflect on the significance of the re-election of Donald Trump to the presidency in the United States, and we provide some context for interpreting Trump's second term. Two of Trump's early policy moves—the release of billions of gallons of water from reservoirs in California and the granting of refugee status to Afrikaners—portend four years of politics based on alternative facts, conspiracy theories, and racial grievances. Trump's political agenda has received a significant boost from Silicon Valley billionaires, who are keen to eliminate regulatory bureaucracy. Paradoxically, while allied with high-tech futurists, Trump's policies hearken to an …

Against Attorney General Self-Referral In Immigration Law, Stella Burch Elias, Paul Gowder

Minnesota Law Review Vols. 106:2 onward (2021-present)

This Article advances a rule-of-law-based critique of the Attorney General’s immigration self-referral power. We argue that the Attorney General’s self-referral and review power over pending immigration proceedings allows an appointed Executive Branch official to engage in unchecked and unilateral lawmaking and, therefore, should be abolished. Scholars have typically understood legal stability, prospectivity, and the separation of policymaking from adjudication as requirements of the Anglo-American rule of law regime which protect individual freedom and equality. It is traditionally believed that by limiting policy-driven legislation to prospective, general laws which are enacted through an explicitly legislative process, individuals may be secure against …

No Escape From Microplastics: Contamination Of Reef Manta Ray Feeding Areas In A Remote, Protected Archipelago, Jessica Savage, Joanna Harris, Heather J. Koldewey, Tom B. Letessier, M Rowcliffe, D Morritt

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Remote islands receive plastic debris from elsewhere, ranging from microplastics (>5 mm) to macroplastics, which can further breakdown into microplastics. The ingestion of microplastics by marine species has been linked to decreased fitness. Reef manta rays, Mobula alfredi, are liable to ingest microplastics due to their filter-feeding strategy and habitat overlap with plastic hotspots. Their population is in decline due to unsustainable fishing pressures and a slow life history, with potential additional demographic pressure from plastic pollution. This study investigates the concentration and characteristics of microplastics in the top 0.5 m of the water column in reef manta rays …

Ammonia Regulation In Aedes Taeniorhynchus, A Salt-Water Mosquito, Joseph Edmonds

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The salt tolerant mosquito species Aedes taeniorhynchus has been observed in high salinity and ammonia conditions. Previous studies indicate Na+/K+ ATPase (NKA), the proton pump vacuolar-type H+ ATPase (VHA) and sodium-dependent cation-chloride cotransporters (NKCC’s) in sodium secretion in larval Aedes taeniorhynchus. However ammonia transporter such as Rh-protein, Amt1, and Amt2 have only been characterized in Aedes taeniorhynchus’s fresh water relative Aedes aegypti. Our research exhibits the expression of these transporters in A.taeniorhynchus using immunohistochemistry techniques. Evidence of VHA and NKA function in ammonia transport was characterized in vivo using drug antagonists in varying saline and ammonia concentrations. Ammonia flux rates …

Volume 123, Number 2 - Sunday, May 25th, 2025, Saint Mary's College Of California

The Collegian

No abstract provided.

Course Portfolio: Csce 478/878 Introduction To Machine Learning, Hongzhi Guo

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

This course portfolio was developed for CSCE 478/878: Introduction to Machine Learning, offered by the School of Computing at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, as part of the Faculty-led Inquiry into Reflective and Scholarly Teaching (FIRST) project. The course provides an introduction to foundational machine learning concepts, models, and programming tools. It enrolls both undergraduate and graduate students from a wide range of academic backgrounds, including computer science, computer engineering, software engineering, biological systems engineering, chemical engineering, business-related fields, etc. Offered in Spring 2025, the course was peer-reviewed to support continuous improvement in teaching. The primary goals of this portfolio are …

Coos County Advisory Council Meeting Minutes, William Hastings, Heidi Barker

Advisory Council

No abstract provided.

The Cgas/Sting Pathway: Friend Or Foe In Regulating Cardiomyopathy, Weiyue Wang, Yuanxu Gao, Hyun Kyoung Lee, Albert Cheung-Hoi Yu, Markus Kipp, Hannes Kaddatz, Jiangshan Zhan

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Inflammation is a central hallmark of cardiomyopathy, where misdirected immune responses contribute to chronic myocardial dysfunction. Among the emerging molecular mechanisms implicated in this process, the cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS)/stimulator of interferon genes (STING) signaling pathway has garnered increasing attention. Acting as a key cytosolic DNA sensor, the cGAS/STING pathway orchestrates inflammatory responses triggered by microbial infections or endogenous cellular stressors such as autophagy and apoptosis. Despite its pivotal role, the precise molecular mechanisms regulating this pathway and its role in cardiomyopathy-associated inflammation remain poorly understood and subject to ongoing debate. To address this scientific gap, we first reviewed key …

Mpox 2022 To 2025 Update: A Comprehensive Review On Its Complications, Transmission, Diagnosis, And Treatment, Rajesh Yadav, Anis Ahmad Chaudhary, Ujjwal Srivastava, Saurabh Gupta, Sarvesh Rustagi, Hassan Ahmed Rudayni, Vivek Kashyap, Sanjay Kumar

School of Medicine Publications

Monkeypox virus (Mpox virus) is a zoonotic orthopoxvirus that has gained increased global attention due to recent outbreaks. The current review reports the latest update of Mpox cases from 25 February 2022 to 29 April 2025. It also evaluates the possible major complications in human life caused by Mpox. In early 2022, more than 40 countries reported Mpox outbreaks. As of 12 June 2024, the global case count for the 2022–2023 Mpox outbreak was 97,281 confirmed cases, in 118 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Mpox virus, a zoonotic disease, a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) …

The Sauce To Meat Is Ceremony: Cannibalism And Hospitality Serve As Horror And Culture Tropes In Hannibal And Macbeth, Shay Williams

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

When examining Macbeth (1623) as a case study within Shakespeare’s canon, we see all the obvious horror tropes - murder, witches, a ghost, bodies, blood and gore. What is less pronounced is the horror that lies within eating, drinking, feasting, and the ceremony of banquets. On the other side of the spectrum, and unlike the character of Macbeth, we have a figure that epitomizes all things horror, and has been read about in novels, watched on film, and as of late (2013-2015) has been the subject of a Television show, aptly named: Hannibal. In both works, we encounter men/monsters/killers …

"The Way It Comes—Through Nature:" Christian Realism, Rural Landscapes, And Divine Confrontations In Flannery O'Connor's Farm Fiction, Ashton Bailey Thomas

Master's Theses

Flannery O’Connor, though often labeled a Southern Gothic writer, preferred to place herself in the genre of “Christian Realism.” For her, the grotesque nature of her stories’ endings reflects not grace itself but the culmination of repeated rejections of grace. In her essays and letters, O’Connor argues that grace should be depicted “the way it comes—through nature,” equating the spiritual with the natural world. In her stories’ farm landscapes, O’Connor presents an ever-present grace through nature that, though often ignored or rejected, serves as a catalyst for spiritual confrontations. When this grace is continually denied, violence becomes the only force …

Detection And Mitigation Of Out-Of-Band Channel Wormhole Attack In Wireless Network Using Propagation Delay, Harry May

Doctoral Dissertations

Wireless networks, susceptible to a range of attacks due to their simplicity and ease of evasion, face a significant threat from control data attacks, notably the elusive wormhole attack. Detecting and mitigating such attacks poses challenges, particularly in the absence of a digital signature. This dissertation introduces an innovative approach that utilizes the propagation delay associated with malicious nodes’ timing characteristics for detection, employing the Ad-hoc On-Demand Distance Vector (AODV) algorithm as its foundation. The inherent propagation delay in the AODV protocol is calculated for each node link along the entire communication path, offering a distinctive timing method that provides …

Targeting Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase (Nnos) As A Novel Approach To Enhancing The Anti-Melanoma Activity Of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Anika R. Patel, Shirley Tong, Kate Alison Lozada, Amardeep Awasthi, Richard B. Silverman, Jennifer Totonchy, Sun Yang

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background and Objectives: Neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) overexpressed in melanoma plays a critical role in disease progression. Our previous studies demonstrated that nNOS inhibitors exhibited potent anti-melanoma activity and regulated PD-L1 expressions in the presence of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). However, the role of nNOS in the melanoma immune response has not been well defined. Methods: Changes in gene expression profiles after nNOS inhibitor treatment were determined by transcriptomic analysis. A melanoma mouse model was used to determine the effects of nNOS inhibition on peripheral T cells and the in vivo anti-tumor activity of combining nNOS inhibitors with immune …

Studying The Effect Of Some Additives To The Borosilicate Glass On The Neutron Shielding Properties, Saddam Jamel Abd-Noor, Ahmed Fadhil Mkhaiber

Baghdad Science Journal

The development of radiation shielding material is important since radioactive sources are used in industry, medicine, and agriculture. As a result, more research and development has been put into looking into different glass systems based on their unique qualities for protecting against neutron radiation. This study focuses on investigating glass-based materials for neutron shielding purposes. This investigation delves into the neutron shielding properties of a mixture comprising Sodium Aluminum borosilicate glass (SiB₂Na₂Al₂O₉)_X, with added reinforcement materials (SiC)_100-X, (TiB₂)_100-X, and (BiClO)_100-X (X = 95, …

Time For Change: The Importance Of Copyright For Manga And Anime, Simone Schroff

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Copyright law is key to the creative industries and plays a vital role in shaping the relationships between authors, commercial intermediaries, and audiences. However, the law significantly deviates from the social norms and expectations prevalent in the creative industries, leading to under-researched but key areas of misunderstanding and conflict.This article seeks to address this gap by providing a copyright law starting-point for those interested in the creative industries. First, this article provides a basic overview of copyright law and its features; in particular, how it applies to manga and anime. Second, the effect of copyright on the marketization and exploitation …

Theoretical Calculation Of Radiation Shielding Properties Of B2O3–Bi2O3–Al2O3–Mgo Glasses Alloyed With Mno, Shlair Ibrahim Mohammed, Zainab Qahtan Mosa

Baghdad Science Journal

The current work aims to calculate the gamma-ray shielding coefficients for six samples. The samples were 65B₂O₃.20Bi₂O₃.10Al₂O₃. (5-x) MgO. xMnO (0 ≤ x ≤ 1 mol%). prepared these samples by using the melt quenching method. The study measures MAC (mass attenuation coefficient) and linear attenuation coefficient (μ_m, μ). It also calculates the halve-value layer, ten-value layer (TVL), and mean free path (MFP). The calculation was conducted using the Phy-X/PSD and XCOM programs, in an energy range 1 keV–100 GeV. The study discusses comparing the …

Cenobamate Use In Pregnancy: A Case Report, Tiara Paul, Maromi Nei

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Redefining The Photic Zone: Beyond The Autotroph-Centric View Of Light In The Ocean, Thomas Davies, Tim Smyth

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Traditional measures of the photic zone have remained focused on autotrophs, limiting understanding of how changing marine lightscapes impact heterotrophs that use light as a resource or an environmental cue. We propose a new photic zone definition that encompasses all biological processes influenced by celestial light, and a new measure of photic zone depth, the minimum light intensity that elicits biological responses. This approach allows photic zone measures to be inclusive of all marine photobiology driven by sunlight, moonlight, or starlight, and enables urgently needed exploration of the nature, extent and ecological implications of changing marine lightscapes.

Thsd1 Is A Multifaceted Regulator In Health And Disease, Mengjun Dai, Kuizhi Qu, Sophie Liu, Zhen Xu, Yan-Ning Rui

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Thrombospondin Type 1 Domain-Containing Protein 1 (THSD1) is a transmembrane protein increasingly recognized for its critical roles in vascular biology and disease pathogenesis. Initially identified as a marker of hematopoietic stem and endothelial cells during embryogenesis, THSD1 has since been implicated in a wide spectrum of physiological and pathological processes. This paper consolidates current knowledge on THSD1, with a focus on its roles in vascular integrity, perinatal disorders, and tumorigenesis. In vascular systems, THSD1 promotes focal adhesion assembly and suppresses autophagy-mediated adhesion turnover, thereby stabilizing endothelial attachment and maintaining barrier function. Genetic and functional studies support its protective role against …

Control Of Alveolar Bone Development, Homeostasis, And Socket Healing By Salt-Inducible Kinases, Nicha Tokavanich, Byron Chan, Katelyn Strauss, Christian D Castro Andrade, Yuki Arai, Mizuki Nagata, Marc Foretz, Daniel J Brooks, Noriaki Ono, Wanida Ono, Marc N Wein

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alveolar bone supports and anchors teeth. The parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) pathway plays a key role in alveolar bone biology. Salt-inducible kinases (SIKs) are important downstream regulators of PTH/PTHrP signaling in the appendicular skeleton, where SIK inhibition increases bone formation and trabecular bone mass. However, the function of these kinases in alveolar bone remains unknown. Here, we report a critical role for SIK2/SIK3 in alveolar bone development, homeostasis, and socket healing after tooth extraction. Inducible SIK2/SIK3 (Ubq-creERt;Sik2f/f;Sik3f/f) deletion led to dramatic alveolar bone defects without changes in tooth eruption. Ablating these kinases impairs alveolar bone formation due to disrupted osteoblast …

Photocatalytic Degradation Of Methylene Blue Dye Using Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Prepared By Green Synthesized, Anwar Ali Baqer, Nadia Jasim Ghdeeb, Nedal Ali Hussain

Baghdad Science Journal

This study describes the environmentally friendly synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) using cinnamon extract, bay leaf extract, and chemical techniques. Due to its cost-effectiveness and avoidance of harmful ingredients, the green synthesis strategy for producing nanoparticles has significant advantages over physical and chemical procedures. The XRD data demonstrated the production of a hexagonal wurtzite structure, while the SEM investigations demonstrated a spherical shape and average size (21.49, 25.26) nm for ZnO NPs synthesized by cinnamon extract, bay leaf extract, and chemical techniques, respectively. The synthesized ZnO NPs demonstrate noteworthy photocatalytic efficacy in the breakdown of methylene blue dye under …

Detection Lung Nodules Using Medical Ct Images Based On Deep Learning Techniques, Ali Abdulwahhab Mohammed, Ali H. Abdulwahhab, Ibraheem Kasim Ibraheem

Baghdad Science Journal

Lung nodule cancer detection is a critical and complex medical challenge. Accuracy in detecting lung nodules can significantly improve patient prognosis and care. The main challenge is to develop a detection method that can accurately distinguish between benign and malignant nodules and perform effectively under various imaging conditions. The development of technology and investment in deep learning techniques in the medical field make it easy to use Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computed Tomography (CT). Thus, this paper presents lung cancer detection by filtering the PET-CT image, obtaining the lung region of interest (ROI), and training using Convolution neural network …

Analysis Of Thermal Conductivity, Surface Roughness, And Hardness Of Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Three-Dimensional Printed Acrylic Resin, Ranin Raad Khalid, Abdalbseet A Fatalla, Matheel Al-Rawas, Yanti Johari, Yew Hin Beh, Johari Yap Abdullah

Baghdad Science Journal

The dentistry field is in continuously developing, especially with three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. This study aims to analyze how resin 3D-printed denture bases affect the thermal conductivity, surface roughness, and surface hardness when carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are added at various weight percentages. 3D-printed denture base acrylic resin has been enhanced with CNTs. The samples were divided into three groups (0.5% and 0.7% of CNTs by weight, and a control group with no added CNTs). All samples underwent thermal conductivity, surface roughness, and surface hardness tests. In addition to conducting analyses using Fourier transforms, infrared spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron …

Parent’S Health Literacy And Stress Level In The Inpatient Pediatric Setting, Tina C. Smith

Dissertations

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between parent health literacy and stress levels during their child’s inpatient hospitalization.

Background: In 2019, over five million pediatric hospitalizations occurred in the United States. Parents are central to their child’s care, but stress and sociodemographic factors may hinder their ability to understand and apply health information. This study explored how stress and other variables impact parent health literacy during hospitalization.

Methods: A cross-sectional design included a demographic survey, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). Bivariate analyses (Chi-square, t-tests) and logistic regression were used to assess …

Prayer And Gunpowder, Muhammad Saqif Maqsud

Dissertations and Theses

Prayer and Gunpowder is the opening movement of a larger novel that reimagines piracy in the Mughal Empire through a lyrical, historically inflected narrative. Set in a fictional coastal city haunted by imperial fragility and foreign encroachment, the story follows a young boy, Adam, whose life is ruptured by colonial violence. What begins in the rhythms of everyday life--scarves in the market, whispered prayers, the jovial defiance of youth--erupts into loss, enlistment, and conscription into a crumbling navy that can no longer protect its shores.

The novel explores themes of grief, rupture, inheritance, and spiritual reckoning, filtered through the consciousness …

Diagnostic Significance Of Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio (Nlr) In Dogs With Chronic Enteropathy: A Meta-Analytical Study, Mohamed Marzok, Mahmoud Kandeel, Mohamed Tharwat, Sabry El-Khodery

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

This meta-analysis aimed to determine the diagnostic significance of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in dogs with chronic enteropathy (CE). This meta-analysis was constructed according to the PRISMA statement guidelines. The Web of Science, Sage, EBESCO, Ovid, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases were searched. Standardized mean difference (SMD) and odds ratio (OR) were calculated. Heterogenicity and publication bias were evaluated in this study. Five studies were found to be eligible for the assessment of the diagnostic significance of the NLR in dogs with CE. In total, 570 dogs (263 with CE and 307 healthy controls) were included in this study. NLR …

Personas Issue 3, 2025, Jonathan Maiullo

Personas: Multilingual Creative Writing Journal

No abstract provided.

Vampyres Reimagined, Madison Marie Strand

Masters Theses

This thesis explores the intricate interplay between imagination and reality in fantasy literature, encapsulated within the first ninety pages of my novel, A Ruin of Memories. It is an explorative contribution to the genre, with themes of mental health, loss, and belonging in an environment that morphs reality with the supernatural.

The artist statement serves as a reflective insight into my creative process and personal journey as a writer. It outlines my motivations for crafting A Ruin of Memories, rooted in my desire to paint a picture of spiritual warfare through the lens of vampyres, werewolves, and witches. Through this …

Character Dialogue And How It Works In Cinema, Janet Best

Masters Theses

BEYOND THE DOOR is a psychological thriller screenplay about an abandoned house and two sixth-grade girls with a shared trauma.

Science And The Humanities: Are They Two Polar Entities?, Elizabeth Mckenna Silvey

Masters Theses

Science and the humanities are often perceived as being separate entities. In academic settings, there is little to no overlap in these courses of study. One can obtain a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts degree, but there are no academic majors that allow for the study of both the humanities and the sciences. Despite the seemingly different courses of study, it is through careful examination of literature and thoroughly delving into pieces of literature in order to excavate the meaning and purpose behind the work, that one is able to see the distinct connections between the two …