Digital Commons Network^™

Effects Of Novel Fire Regimes On Plant And Animal Communities, Ryan Pienaar

Theses and Dissertations

Human actions are threatening global biodiversity through changes to ecosystems to which species are not well adapted. One of the main pathways by which humans affect change is through altered disturbance regimes. This includes changes in the size, frequency, and severity of wildfires. The impact of wildfires on native plant and animal communities varies across ecosystems as species in a community have adapted relatively predictable fire patterns over time. Changing fire patterns alters successional dynamics that can favor certain species over others and thus have a negative impact on biodiversity. This dissertation evaluates responses of different plant and animal species …

Spartan Daily, April 23, 2025, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2025

Volume 164, Issue 36

Demography Of Bluff View Cemetery Vermillion, Sd, Ellie E. Schwartz

Honors Thesis

Cemeteries offer accessible, rich data for research on demographic reconstruction of past populations. Gravestones can give vital information such as date of birth, date of death, sex/gender, occupation, religious affiliation, and, implicitly, social and cultural values of the community at large (Dethlefsen and Deetz, 1966; Sattenspiel and Stoops, 2010). One of the drawbacks of cemetery data are that they more often than not do not provide details of the cause of death for an individual or in some rare occasions cause of death is on the gravestones (e.g., colonial graves during the tuberculosis outbreak in New England would often list …

Impact Of Antidiabetic Medication Type On A New Episode Of Depression: A Retrospective Cohort Study In Texas, Usa, Lin-Na Chou, Mukaila A Raji, Holly M Holmes, Yong-Fang Kuo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: To examine the associations between antidiabetic medication type and a new episode of depression using 100% Texas Medicare database during 2009 and 2018.

Design: A retrospective cohort study.

Setting: A population-based study using the Texas Medicare data.

Interventions: 11 common antihyperglycaemic medication types, alone and in combinations: metformin-only, five non-metformin-containing regimens (dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor (DPP4i) only, sulfonylureas (SU) only, thiazolidinediones (TZD) only, SU/DPP4i and SU/TZD) and five metformin-containing combination treatments (metformin/DPP4i, metformin/SU, metformin/TZD, metformin/SU/DPP4i and metformin/SU/TZD).

Participants: This study included 59 057 type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients from a cohort of Texas Medicare beneficiaries who were aged ≥66 years, …

Retrospective Analysis Of Cement Extravasation Rates In Vertebroplasty, Kyphoplasty, And Bone Tumor Radiofrequency Ablation, Soun Sheen, Prit Hasan, Xiaowen Sun, Jian Wang, Claudio Tatsui, Kent Nouri, Saba Javed

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Percutaneous vertebral augmentation techniques, including vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, and bone tumor radiofrequency ablation (BT-RFA), are commonly used to treat painful vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). While generally safe and effective, they carry risks, including cement extravasation, which can lead to pulmonary embolism or spinal cord compression. This study aims to compare the rate of cement extravasation across different vertebral augmentation techniques and identify potential risk factors.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a comprehensive cancer center on 1002 procedure encounters in 888 patients who underwent vertebral augmentation for painful VCFs. Data were collected on patient demographics, fracture pathology, procedure …

Minimizing The Total Waiting Time For Fuzzy Two-Machine Flow Shop Scheduling Problem With Uncertain Processing Time, K. Ranjith, K. Karthikeyan

Baghdad Science Journal

Scheduling involves assigning resources to jobs within specified constraints over time. Traditionally, the processing time for each job was considered a constant value. However, in practical scenarios, job processing times can dynamically fluctuate based on prevailing circumstances. In this article, a novel approach is presented for the two-machine fuzzy Flow-Shop Scheduling Problem (FSSP) in a fuzzy environment, where job processing times are represented by trapezoidal fuzzy numbers. Additionally, a novel algorithm based on Goyal's approach for the two-machine FSSP with fuzzy processing times has been proposed and developed. Simultaneously, an existing algorithm has been enhanced to improve its performance in …

Verification And Demonstration Of The Ability Of Plasma Generated From Dielectric Barrier Discharge To Oxidize, N. Yasoob A.

Baghdad Science Journal

The oxidation ability of cold plasma is a major influence on bacterial inactivation, lipid oxidation, medical equipment sterilization, and applications in air and wastewater purification, for this reason, the ability of cold plasma to oxidize materials is an important factor that must be studied. In this study, the ability of cold plasma generated by a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) to oxidize materials was revealed and proven by using different exposure times (5, 10, 15, 20 min) and several measurements: the decolonization of indigo carmine from dark blue to yellow, the significant reduction in pH, and the increase in oxidation reduction …

A Novel Approach To CExp Average Assignments On Chain Graphs, A. Rajesh Kannan

Baghdad Science Journal

In general, the exponential average of two positive numbers does not have to be an integer. Because of this, the exponential average needs to be an integer that takes into consideration the flooring or ceiling function. It has been defined that graphs can be labeled with an exponential average, where the flooring function or the ceiling function can apply labels to the edges. To establish the exponential average assignment on graphs, consider the edge labels that arise from the ceiling function alone. The vertex assignment function 𝛿 and edge assignment function 𝛿∗ are called a Cexp average assignment of the …

Review Of Mechanoreceptors And The Neural Processing Of Touch Sensations, Tatiana Kardashina

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

This report provides an overview of mechanoreceptors and their role in the somatosensory system, emphasizing their structural characteristics, response properties, and functional specialization. Four major types of mechanoreceptors—Pacinian corpuscles, Meissner’s corpuscles, Merkel’s disks, and Ruffini endings—are described. The report includes the neural pathways from the skin to the brain, focusing on the dorsal column–medial lemniscus pathway and its precise somatotopic organization. Cortical processing in the primary and secondary somatosensory cortices is discussed, alongside competing models of serial and parallel tactile information flow.

Responsible Research Impact: Ethics For Making A Difference, Eric Allen Jensen, Mark S. Reed, James Daybell, Louise Rutt, Aaron M. Jensen, Gabriella Arrigoni, Marta Ballesteros, Sadiq Bhanbhro, Bethann G. Merkle, Caitlin Hafferty, Philly Iglehart, Sawsan Khuri, Andrzej Klimczuk, Ian D. Marder, Daniel Milosavljevic, Josmel Pacheco-Mendoza, Ursula Pool, Simon Robinson, Lindsay C. Stringer, Steve Taylor, Anne H. Toomey, Daniela Martin, Lisa Louise Taylor-Sayles, Andrew N. Makohon-George, Russell T. Rodrigo

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

The need for ethical guidelines that support and empower researchers who aim to enhance the societal impact of research has become critical. Recognizing the growing emphasis on research impact by governments and funding bodies worldwide, this article investigates the often overlooked ethical dimensions of generating and evaluating research impact. We focus on ethical issues and practices that are specific to the process of intentionally working to develop societal impacts from research. We highlight the complexities and ethical dilemmas encountered when researchers engage with non-academic groups, such as policymakers, industries, and local communities. Through a combination of literature review and insights …

Environmental Exposures And Familial Background Alter The Induction Of Neuropathology And Inflammation After Sars-Cov-2 Infection, Debotri Chatterjee, Drishya Kurup, Richard Jay Smeyne

Department of Neuroscience Faculty Papers

Post-infection sequela of several viruses have been linked with Parkinson's disease (PD). Here, we investigated whether mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 alone or in combination with two putative Parkinsonian toxins, MPTP and paraquat, increased the susceptibility to develop Parkinsonian pathology. We also examined if G2019S LRRK2 mice had any change in sensitivity to SARS-CoV-2 as well as if vaccination against this virus altered any neuropathology. Infection with WA-1/2020 or Omicron B1.1.529 strains sensitized both WT and G2019S LRRK2 mice to the neuropathological effects of a subtoxic exposure to MPTP, but not paraquat. These neuropathologies were rescued in WT mice vaccinated with …

Inhibition Of Soluble Epoxide Hydrolase Confers Neuroprotection And Restores Microglial Homeostasis In A Tauopathy Mouse Model, Shuo Wang, Chuangye Qi, Chetan Rajpurohit, Baijayanti Ghosh, Wen Xiong, Baiping Wang, Yanyan Qi, Sung Hee Hwang, Bruce D Hammock, Hongjie Li, Li Gan, Hui Zheng

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Background: The epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) are derivatives of the arachidonic acid metabolism with anti-inflammatory activities. However, their efficacy is limited due to the rapid hydrolysis by soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH). Inhibition of sEH has been shown to stabilize the EETs and reduce neuroinflammation in Aβ mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the role of the sEH-EET signaling pathway in other CNS cell types and neurodegenerative conditions are less understood.

Methods: Here we investigated the mechanisms and functional role of the sEH-EET axis in tauopathy by treating PS19 mice with a small molecule sEH inhibitor TPPU and by crossing the …

Fulani Herdsmen-Farmers Conflicts And Governance In Nigeria, Andrew Ewoh, George Kieh, Ponmile Olonilua

African Social Science Review

No abstract provided.

2025 Program, Kate Votaw

Undergraduate Research Symposium

University of Missouri-St. Louis Undergraduate Research Symposium Program 2025

Crossword: Test Your Biology!, Sukie Weinger

Osmosis Magazine

Biology themed Crossword Puzzle.

Intelligence Without An 'I': "I Think, Therefore I Am", Darshan Shah

Osmosis Magazine

From Billie Eilish hits to corny Pinterest tattoos, Rene Descartes’ famous dictum is embedded in modern Western consciousness. But, like all philosophy, it operates within a paradigm of assumptions about the world that remain open to challenge. Over centuries of Cartesian influence, these assumptions have become invisible in our philosophies and sciences, informing the very questions we ask about intelligence and where we search for it in the world.

A New Centruroides Species And First Record Of C. Tapachulaensis Hoffmann, 1932 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Honduras, Luis F. De Armas, Alex M. Cubas-Rodríguez

Euscorpius

A new species of striped bark scorpions, Centruroides lenca sp. n. is described, based on both sexes, from the Pacayita Volcano Biological Reserve (2,385 m a. s. l.), Ocotepeque Department, in the southwestern Honduras. By its general pattern, the new species resembles C. thorellii (Kraepelin, 1891), from which it clearly differs by having stronger and very darker pedipalp chelae, minute subaculear tubercle and basal pectinal plate with a large central pit in the female, among other diagnostic characters. Also, Centruroides tapachulaensis Hoffmann, 1932 is recorded for the first time from Honduras, on the basis of two observed or collected specimens …

Visualizing Krewe: A Photographic Archive, Elsa Askelson

Honors Capstone Projects and Theses

No abstract provided.

Campus Assembly Minutes 04/22 & 04/24/2025, Campus Assembly

Campus Assembly

No abstract provided.

Inhibition Of Mif With An Allosteric Inhibitor Triggers Cell Cycle Arrest In Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Georgios Pantouris, Leepakshi Khurana, Pathricia Tilstam, Alison Benner, Thomas Yoonsang Cho, Martin Lelaidier, Mathieu Perrée, Zoe Rosenbaum, Lin Leng, Francine Foss, Vineet Bhandari, Amit Verma, Richard Bucala, Elias J. Lolis

Pacific Faculty Work

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a key modulator of innate and adaptive immunity that has been extensively reported to promote tumor cell survival, proliferation, and metastasis. A recent study focusing on the microenvironment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) showed that pharmacological inhibition of MIF signaling, in vitro as well as in vivo, reduces AML cell survival. Such data highlights the crucial role of MIF in AML pathogenesis and support the efforts for developing selective MIF modulators. Here, we report the identification and crystallographic characterization of a MIF inhibitor (compound 1) with an allosteric binding motif. Single point screening of …

Nature’S Menu: The Science Behind The Raw Dog Food Movement And How To Safely Add Raw Meat To Your Dog’S Diet, Finn Bush, Kate Padilla, Grace Mynatt

The Agora

The raw dog food movement has become increasingly popular among the dog owner community, gaining attention primarily on social media platforms. This article discusses the motivations, ethics, and proper food safety involved in feeding canines raw meat. Despite common belief, dogs have deviating needs from their wolf ancestors, therefore, while feeding a raw meat diet looks more “natural” there are serious unintended consequences of improperly utilizing raw meat. This article takes a comprehensive look into what the benefits and drawbacks of raw feeding may be, how to be responsible if choosing to convert to the raw feed method, and overall …

Methamphetamine Effects On The Striatal Neuroimmune System, Hillary Adelaide Wadsworth

Theses and Dissertations

Dopamine is thought of as the reward molecule of the brain, and while it does deal with reward, it is also associated with motivation and crucial for controlled movement. There are two main dopaminergic systems in the brain, the nigrostriatal system, which originates in the substantia nigra compacta and projects dopamine into the dorsal striatum; and the mesolimbic system, which originates in the ventral tegmental area and projects dopamine into the nucleus accumbens. While the mesolimbic dopamine system deals with motivation and reward, the nigrostriatal pathway underlies movement. Microglia are the immune cells of the brain and are incredibly dynamic. …

Hand1, Partially Mediated Through Ape-Specific Ltr Binding, Is Essential For Human Extra-Embryonic Mesenchyme Derivation From Ipscs., Zukai Liu, Yuliana Tan, William F Flynn, Lili Sun, Ponthip Pratumkaew, Juliana Alcoforado Diniz, Nélio A J Oliveira, Justin A Mcdonough, William C Skarnes, Paul Robson

Faculty Research 2025

The specification of extra-embryonic mesenchyme (ExMC) is a prime example of developmental divergence between mouse and human. Derived from definitive mesoderm during mouse gastrulation, the human ExMC first appears at peri-implantation prior to gastrulation and therefore its human cellular origin, still unknown, must differ. In a human pluripotent stem cell model, we report that ExMC shares progenitor cells with trophoblast, suggesting a trophectoderm origin. This ability to form ExMC appears to extend to human trophoblast stem cell lines. We define HAND1 as an essential regulator of ExMC specification, with null cells remaining in the trophoblast lineage. Bound by HAND1, ape-specific, …

Structural, Electrical And Sensing Properties Of Znfe2O4 Nanoceramics Synthesized By Solid-State Reaction Method, Enass Ahmad, Rasha Yousef, Abla Alzoubi, Nasser Saad Aldin

Baghdad Science Journal

Metal ferrite nanomaterials have emerged as promising materials for gas sensor fabrication due to their high surface area, which provides a large number of adsorption sites for gas molecules. In this research, a zinc ferrite nanoparticle-based gas sensor was prepared using the solid-state reaction method to achieve high sensitivity and a fast response time. The powder zinc ferrite was annealed at different temperatures within the range (500-700) °C for six hours. The optimum temperature for synthesis was 675°C. The structural properties of the prepared compound were studied using X-ray diffraction. The results showed that the compound crystallizes in a cubic …

Assessing The Efficacy Of Soil Amendments On Water Use Efficiency And Wheat Productivity For Different Soil Textures, Saadi Sattar Shahadha, Ammar Al-Zubade, Mahmood Raam Sh., Mohamed Ahmed Youssef

Baghdad Science Journal

Irrigation practices on agricultural fields use more water than any other human activity. As a result, the sustainability of water use and food output is intimately tied to how fields are managed. This research was conducted to enhance the long-term viability of water and agricultural production. Soil amendments of compost and perlite were applied in an experiment to investigate the possibility of enhancing soil textures (sandy clay and silty clay) and, consequently, improving the production of crops and water sustainably. The Root Zone Water Quality Model (RZWQM2) was utilized to simulate the water dynamics and water requirement for wheat production …

A Comparison Of Anti-Citrullniated Peptide Antibody, Lactate Dehydrogenase, Zinc And Copper In Sera Of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis And Healthy Control: A Cross Sectional Study, Fatima Qasim Al-Obaidy, Abdulnasser M. Al-Gebori, Mohammed Hadi Munshed Alosami

Baghdad Science Journal

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic, systemic autoimmune disease associated with synovial tissue proliferation, cartilage destruction and pannus formation. The study aimed to determine the link among each anticyvlic anti-citrullinated peptide antibody (ACPA), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) levels in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy control. Across sectional study was carried out at the Baghdad Teaching Hospital in Baghdad Iraq, and involved 110 patients (95 females and 15 men), who were matched for age and sex with 40 healthy controls (28 females and 12 males). Patients with RA were diagnosed by a specialist rheumatologist utilizing ACR/EULAR …

Jadriyah And Umm Al-Khanazeer Island Sites, Baghdad, Iraq: Status And Eligibility As An Important Bird Area, Aya Yaqoob Jasim, Nadheer Abod Fazaa

Baghdad Science Journal

In Baghdad, the site of Jadriyah and Umm Al-Khanazeer Island (JUKI) was the only IBA nominated by the Birdlife International in 1994 (based on data from 1984). Unfortunately, the JUKI site was deleted from the IBA list in 2017 without proper investigation. We compared our 2022 data with two previous surveys and successfully calculated the trend of the site for the first time. JUKI, as compared to 1984 as baseline data, has currently a medium level of threats (land use change and climate change). Status assessment shows that the site in 2022 has 58.9 % of its 1984 potential habitat …

Characterization And Enzymatic Evaluation Of Ecoenzyme Derived From Fruit And Vegetable Waste: An Effort To Achieve Zero Waste Concept, Gun Gun Gumilar, Asep Kadarohman, Muhammad Fauzan Fakhrurozi, Nahadi, Florentina Maria Titin Supriyanti, Heli Siti Halimatul Munawaroh

Baghdad Science Journal

Food waste has accounted for 44% of the total amount of waste produced in Indonesia. From that total, fruits and vegetables waste constitute the main dominant contributors. Production of ecoenzyme has the potential to reduce the environmental waste problem and convert as well the waste into valuable products. This study was employed to characterize and evaluate the enzymatic activity of ecoenzymes produced from the fruit and vegetable waste. The fruits used to produce these ecoenzymes were pineapple, avocado, and orange, while the vegetables-ecoenzymes were generated from lettuce, Chinese cabbage, and broccoli. The ecoenzyme was produced through a fermentation process for …

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Therapy And Substance Use Disorders, Rachel J. Brunsell

Nursing Capstones

Background: Treatment options for SUDs fail to address the neurobiological underpinnings of addiction. Recent studies suggest that GLP-1s, including semaglutide, liraglutide, and exenatide, offer therapeutic benefits by reducing cravings, improving treatment adherence, and decreasing relapse rates across a range of SUDs, including alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, nicotine, and opioid use disorders.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to explore studies that highlight the potential benefits of GLP-1 receptor agonists in reducing substance cravings, improving treatment adherence, and decreasing relapse rates for patients with various SUDs.

Methods: A comprehensive review of recent studies examining the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists, including …

“Home Is Here!”– Or Is It?: Exploring The Influence Of Place And Politics On Identity, Belonging, And The Dreamer Consciousness, Anna Paula Della Rosa

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

For more than a decade, migrant childhood arrivals have been identified as “dreamers” due to immigration policy initiatives such as the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act and the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). While navigating various identities, including U.S. immigrant, their native nationality, and being socialized simultaneously within their native and American cultures, they must also reckon with what their future identities will be thanks to politics around “undocumentedness.” This is especially true for undocumented Latines in the United States. Today, their livelihoods are in far greater jeopardy than ever before with DACA's uncertainty, calls …