Digital Commons Network^™

The Valley Of The Wind And Buddhism, Grace Aulicino

CAFE Symposium 2025

Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a philosophical exploration of fulfillment, rooted in Buddhist and Taoist principles. The film contrasts the destructive forces of greed and individualism, embodied by Kushana and the Tolmekians, with the harmonious collectivism of the People of the Valley of the Wind. Nausicaä, the film’s heroine, challenges traditional gender norms by being a strong, selfless leader who seeks peace and balance rather than power. Her journey reflects the Taoist ideal of surrender as a path to enlightenment, ultimately sacrificing herself to unite humanity and nature. Through stunning visuals and rich storytelling, Miyazaki …

Ethical Problems Of Enforcing Justice In Death Note And Psycho-Pass Anime, Aldiyar Alen

CAFE Symposium 2025

What happens when justice is controlled by a single person or a powerful system? This research explores how Death Note and Psycho-Pass show the dangers of extreme justice. In Death Note, Light Yagami takes the law into his own hands, believing he can create a perfect world by eliminating criminals. In Psycho-Pass, an advanced AI system judges people before they even commit crimes, deciding their fate based on predictions. Both systems aim to reduce crime but end up threatening personal freedom and fairness. By comparing these stories, this study highlights the risks of justice without balance, questioning how …

Pom Poko: When Nature Speaks Out Against Urbanization, Sabrina Huynh

CAFE Symposium 2025

Pom Poko highlights the correlation between the survival of nature and the progress of humanity. Therefore, by showing different dynamic relationships like Gonta’s aggressive way of fighting against or peaceful co-existence of Shoukichi, Pom Poko suggests viewers may feel that humans should find a way to live harmoniously with the environment.

Isekai: Discovering Factors That Contributed To Its Success And Diving Into The Mentality Of Contemporary Japanese Citizens, Anh Duc Nguyen

CAFE Symposium 2025

Isekai, an anime and manga genre where characters are transported to another world, has become popular in recent years. This paper examines the factors contributing to this phenomenon, exploring how isekai works resonate with contemporary Japanese citizens. It argues that the genre's appeal lies in its ability to offer escapism from societal pressures, particularly those stemming from economic hardship and a lack of perceived agency. By analyzing important and known isekai works, including Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken, this paper demonstrates how the genre fulfills a desire of the Japanese for fulfillment and sense of agency. Furthermore, it explores …

Common Threads In Monsters Across Time And Space, Jade Gladue

CAFE Symposium 2025

Fear is an undeniable human emotion, and monsters have always been a way for human societies to grapple with and explain our fears. In this project, common aspects and groupings of monsters across different indigenous cultures and folklores are discussed and dissected to determine inherent human reactions to fear. The project identifies and analyzes types of monsters and what the hidden meaning behind the existence and endurance of these creatures might be.

How To Conduct Serious Affairs Like Reasonable People, Yakov Malkiel

St. Mary's Law Journal

No abstract provided.

The Bg News February 12, 2025, Bowling Green State University

BG News (Student Newspaper)

The BGSU campus student newspaper. February 12, 2025. Volume 104-Issue 17.

The Core Circadian Clock Factor, Bmal1, Transduces Sex-Specific Differences In Both Rhythmic And Nonrhythmic Gene Expression In The Mouse Heart, Xiping Zhang, Spencer B. Procopio, Haocheng Ding, Maya G. Semel, Elizabeth A. Schroder, Mark R. Viggars, Tanya S. Seward, Ping Du, Kevin Wu, Sidney R. Johnson, Abhilash Prabhat, David J. Schneider, Isabel G. Stumpf, Ezekiel R. Rozmus, Zhiguang Huo, Brian P. Delisle, Karyn A. Esser

Physiology Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Jamaican Tertiary Education Lecturers’ Perceptions Of Repurposing Paper Instructional Materials For Blended Learning, Bobsie Sophia Levy

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Transitioning from paper-based instructional methods to blended learning has rapidly been implemented across higher education institutions in Jamaica. The problem that was addressed through this study was that little is known about the perceptions of Jamaican lecturers regarding their experiences towards repurposing instructional materials for blended learning. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of Jamaican tertiary education lecturers regarding the experience of repurposing paper instructional materials into digital form for blended learning. The framework for the study was Davis’s technology acceptance model. For this basic qualitative study, seven semistructured interviews were conducted, and a thematic …

Exploring Experience Of Autism Among School Staff And Parents Of Autistic Children, And The Relevance Of Totalising And Non-Totalising Approaches To Facilitate Understandings., Emin Cetinbas

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences Theses

This thesis explored how the parents and school staff (teachers and teaching assistants) of primary aged autistic children understand and experience autism, including observation of the children they care for and educate. Totalising was used as a framework for conceptualising their understanding and use of non-totalising approaches such as externalising was also explored. Specific questions centred on a) how parents and teaching staff understand and experience autism in terms of the child being similar or different to other children, b) how relevant totalising is as a concept to aid in understanding of how the parents and teaching staff view autistic …

The Mir-290 And Mir-302 Clusters Are Essential For Reprogramming Of Fibroblasts To Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells, Julia Ye, Ryan M Boileau, Ronald J Parchem, Robert L Judson-Torres, Robert Blelloch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The miR-290 and miR-302 clusters of microRNAs are highly expressed in naïve and primed pluripotent stem cells, respectively. Ectopic expression of the embryonic stem cell (ESC)-specific cell cycle regulating family of microRNAs arising from these two clusters dramatically enhances the reprogramming of both mouse and human somatic cells to induced pluripotency. Here, we used genetic knockouts to dissect the requirement for the miR-290 and miR-302 clusters during the reprogramming of mouse fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with retrovirally introduced Oct4, Sox2, and Klf4. Knockout of either cluster alone did not negatively impact the efficiency of reprogramming. Resulting cells …

Phgdh Inhibition And Foxo3 Modulation Drives Puma-Dependent Apoptosis In Osteosarcoma, Toshinao Oyama, Caitlyn B Brashears, Richa Rathore, Heather Benect-Hamilton, Katharine E Caldwell, Naomi Dirckx, William G Hawkins, Brian A Van Tine

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Osteosarcoma is a bone cancer that has been found to be metabolically dependent on the conversion of glucose to serine through the rate-limiting enzyme 3-phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH). The upregulation of PHGDH has been correlated with poor patient survival, and the inhibition of the serine synthesis pathway using targeted small-molecule inhibition of PHGDH induces a rapid metabolic adaptation that prevents cell death due to pro-survival signaling through the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway. Here, PHGDH inhibition in combination with mTORC1 signaling modulation for the treatment of osteosarcoma was evaluated. When combined with PHGDH inhibition, several non-rapalog inhibitors of …

Fiber- And Acetate-Mediated Modulation Of Mhc-Ii Expression On Intestinal Epithelium Protects From Clostridioides Difficile Infection, José L Fachi, Tihana Trsan, Silvia Penati, Susan Gilfillan, Siyan Cao, Krzysztof L Hyrc, Xiuli Liu, Patrick Fernandes Rodrigues, Bishan Bhattarai, Marco Colonna, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Here, we explore the relationship between dietary fibers, colonic epithelium major histocompatibility complex class II (MHC-II) expression, and immune cell interactions in regulating susceptibility to Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). We find that a low-fiber diet increases MHC-II expression in the colonic epithelium, which, in turn, worsens CDI by promoting the development of pathogenic CD4

An Improved Process For The Preparation Of Polysaccharide, Anonymous

Defensive Publications Series

The present disclosure relates to an improved process for preparing polysaccharide.

Book Review: After Sex, Anya Metzer

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

The Ethical Quandaries Of Commercialized Surrogacy In India And Its Representation In Bollywood Films, Shruti Das, Deepshikha Routray

Journal of International Women's Studies

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) has been seen as a blessing for couples and individuals who desire to have children and who do not want to adopt. A common technique of ART is surrogacy—the process by which a woman agrees to carry and give birth to another individual’s or couple’s child, often as an act of philanthropy. Because of the costly medical expenses for this process in high-income countries, many clients have sought surrogates in lower-income countries, such as Nepal, Thailand, and India, to lessen the cost. This has contributed to what is known as “surrogacy consumerism,” in which women are …

Motherhood, Infertility, And Femininity In Fadia Faqir’S Pillars Of Salt, Fozia Sheikh, Munejah Khan

Journal of International Women's Studies

In the patriarchal tradition of the Arab world, women are often treated as commodities, and their autonomy and choices are disregarded. Family honour is tied to women’s virginity, leading to strict control over their desires and sexuality (Khan 3). Moreover, women are confined to roles as biological and cultural procreators, reinforcing a narrow understanding of femininity (Chouiten and Khireddine 40) and tightly weaving womanhood with motherhood. This essay examines Fadia Faqir’s novel Pillars of Salt (1996) by using a feminist framework, particularly Adrienne Rich’s theory of motherhood. The narrative reveals the brutal realities faced by Arab women, particularly those incapable …

Clinical Effectiveness Of Biodentine In Adult Pulpotomy Procedures: A Systematic Review, Aditya Deshpande, Shilpa Bhandi, Shankargouda Patil, Frank W. Licari

Annual Research Symposium

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the evidence from randomised clinical trials for the effectiveness of pulpotomy using Biodentine in adult humans, focusing on clinical outcomes of pain after the procedure and radiographic evaluations.

Chemical Composition And Larvicidal Toxicity Of Ricinus Communis L. (Euphorbiaceae) Extracts Against Larvae Of Thaumetopoea Pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae), Memi̇ş Kesdek, Şaban Kordali, Selçuk Küçükaydin

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

In this study, the toxicities of extracts obtained from the seeds and leaves of castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) (Euphorbiaceae) plant against five larval stages of the pine processionary moth (PPM) (Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae)) were investigated under laboratory conditions. Petroleum ether, acetone, and methanol extracts were prepared at various concentrations (0.25, 0.5, and 1 mg/mL) and sprayed on each larval stage. Each test was performed with three replications and two repetitions. Sterile water + ethanol was used as a negative control and the commercial chemical Kormilin 25 WP (25% diflubenzuron) was used as a positive …

Phytochemical Analysis And In Vitro And In Vivo Pharmacological Activities Of Cordia Myxa Extracts, Tatheer Fatima, Mirza Imran Shahzad, Adnan Noor Shah, Zhang Yi, Bushra Gillani, Iqra Hussain, Adina Gillani, Zeli̇ha Çi̇ftçi̇, Marcello Locatelli, Ashraf Atef Hatamleh, Munirah Abdullah Al-Dosary

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Cordia myxa is found in tropical regions of Pakistan, where it is commonly known as lasura. This study aimed to assess the preliminary results of phytochemical analysis and the pharmacological activities of C. myxa. After pulverizing the fresh plant, extracts were prepared using different solvents, including aqueous, methanol, ethanol, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane extracts. These extracts were examined for total phenolic contents using standard biochemical tests and high performance liquid chromatography with a photodiode array. In further evaluations, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, hen’s egg test on chorioallantoic membrane (HETCAM) assay, antipyretic, antiinflammatory, and antidiabetic activities were monitored. Using ferric reducing …

Experimental Investigation And Operating Characteristics Of Lhr Engine Using Bio-Fuel Blends With Additives, Suresh R

Theses and Dissertations

The huge energy demand and environmental anxiety are the reasons for the focus on the interest in alternative fuels for diesel engines. This has resulted in a worldwide search for renewable, less pollutant and agricultural-based alternate fuels. Also, attention is given to increasing the efficiency of a conventional diesel engine when operating on alternative fuels. The bio-fuel derived from non-edible oil such as Pongamia oil and Neem seed oil are suggested alternative fuels for this LHR engine.

Diesel engine combustion components viz., the piston crown and liner were coated with Aluminium Titanate thermal barrier coating material. The objective of this …

Swine Origin Probiotics That Promote Health And Growth Performance In Pigs, Jiangchao Zhao, Xiaofan Wang, Tsung Cheng Tsai, Charles V. Maxwell

Patents Granted

The present invention provides probiotic compositions comprising isolated bacterial strains, referred to herein as LactX, StrepX1 and StrepX3. Methods of using the compositions to increase growth rate in pigs and enhance pig production are also provided.

Exploring Genetic Diversity: The Inheritance Of Protein And Mineral Contents In Dwarf Common Beans, Ercan Ceyhan, Ayşegül Korkmaz, Amjad Ali̇, Serdar Karadaş, Mustafa Harmankaya, Duran Şi̇mşek, Tolga Karaköy

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

Beans are a vital plant-based protein, containing essential minerals that are necessary for human health. Their protein and mineral compositions vary due to factors including cultivar or variety, growth conditions, and processing methods. Global deficiencies in protein and minerals necessitate fortification, supplementation, and dietary diversification. The present study focuses on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars, aiming to understand their genetic variation and inheritance of protein and mineral contents. Five dwarf common bean cultivars (Lida, Beyzade, Ribera, Albeni, and Garrafol) were used in a full-diallel hybridization method and the experiment was conducted in Konya, Türkiye. The diallel analysis assessed both general …

Nutritional And Microbiological Properties Of Cheese With Dried Elderberry And Red Grape Pomace, Andreea Dodan, Romina Alina Marc, Crina Carmen Mureşan, Carmen Rodica Pop, Delia Michiu, Miuța Rafila Filip, Roxana Nicoleta Rațu, Florina Stoica, Ioana Cristina Crivei, Alina Narcisa Postolache, Melinda Kovacs, Rodica Maria Sima, Mircea Valentin Muntean

Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry

This study aimed to explore the use of grape byproducts such as red grape pomace and elderberry, in the form of bioactive powders to obtain three-month old cheese assortments. Grape pomace powder (GPP) and elderberry fruit powder (EFP) contain antioxidant components such as phenols, anthocyanins and flavonoids, and compounds characterized by high bioactivity. This study investigated not only the potential of incorporating different percentages (1%, 2%, and 3%) of GPP and EFP in cheese, to increase its nutritional value, but also the changes that occur during the 2 months of ripening. The results indicated that the incorporation of GPP and …

Thrombocytopenia In Sepsis, Alireza Setarehaseman, Robert W. Maitta

Faculty Scholarship

Platelets, traditionally known for their role in hemostasis, have emerged as key players in immune response and inflammation. Sepsis, a life-threatening condition characterized by systemic inflammation, often presents with thrombocytopenia, which at times, can be significant. Platelets contribute to the inflammatory response by interacting with leukocytes, endothelial cells, and the innate immune system. However, excessive platelet activation and consumption can lead to thrombocytopenia and exacerbate the severity of sepsis. Understanding the multifaceted roles of platelets in sepsis is crucial for developing effective therapeutic strategies. Targeting platelet-mediated inflammatory responses and promoting platelet production may offer potential avenues for improving outcomes in …

Repeat Expansion In A Fragile X Model Is Independent Of Double Strand Break Repair Mediated By Pol Θ, Rad52, Rad54 Or Rad54b, Bruce E Hayward, Geum-Yi Kim, Carson J Miller, Cai Mccann, Megan G Lowery, Richard D Wood, Karen Usdin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Microsatellite instability is responsible for the human repeat expansion diseases (REDs). The mutagenic process differs from classical cancer-associated microsatellite instability (MSI) in that it requires the mismatch repair proteins that normally protect against MSI. LIG4, an enzyme essential for non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ), the major pathway for double-strand break repair (DSBR) in mammalian cells, protects against expansion in mouse models. Thus, NHEJ may compete with the expansion pathway for access to a common intermediate. This raises the possibility that expansion involves an NHEJ-independent form of DSBR. Pol θ, a polymerase involved in the theta-mediated end joining (TMEJ) DSBR pathway, has been …

Nprl2 Gene Therapy Induces Effective Antitumor Immunity In Kras/Stk11 Mutant Anti-Pd1 Resistant Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Nsclc) In A Humanized Mouse Model, Ismail M Meraz, Mourad Majidi, Renduo Song, Feng Meng, Lihui Gao, Qi Wang, Jing Wang, Elizabeth J Shpall, Jack A Roth

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Expression of NPRL2/TUSC4, a tumor-suppressor gene, is reduced in many cancers including NSCLC. Restoration of NPRL2 induces DNA damage, apoptosis, and cell-cycle arrest. We investigated NPRL2 antitumor immune responses in aPD1R/KRAS/STK11^mt NSCLC in humanized-mice. Humanized-mice were generated by transplanting fresh human cord blood-derived CD34 stem cells into sub-lethally irradiated NSG mice. Lung-metastases were developed from KRAS/STK11^mt/aPD1R A549 cells and treated with NPRL2 w/wo pembrolizumab. NPRL2-treatment reduced lung metastases significantly, whereas pembrolizumab was ineffective. Antitumor effect was greater in humanized than non-humanized-mice. NPRL2 + pembrolizumab was not synergistic in KRAS/STK11^mt/aPD1R tumors but was …

Bbox1 Restrains Tbk1-Mtorc1 Oncogenic Signaling In Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Chengheng Liao, Lianxin Hu, Liwei Jia, Jin Zhou, Tao Wang, Kangsan Kim, Hua Zhong, Hongwei Yao, Lei Dong, Lei Guo, Qian Liang, Cheng Zhang, Fangzhou Zhao, Jun Fang, Hongyi Liu, Shina Li, Lin Xu, Jeremy M Simon, Srinivas Malladi, Payal Kapur, James Brugarolas, Ralph J Deberardinis, Qing Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), a metabolic disease originating from renal proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) epithelial cells, remains incompletely understood in terms of its initiating signaling events. Here, we identify γ-butyrobetaine hydroxylase 1 (BBOX1), a key enzyme in carnitine synthesis predominantly expressed in PCT cells, as a tumor suppressor in ccRCC. BBOX1 expression is lost during ccRCC malignant transformation, and its restoration reduces cell viability in physiological medium and inhibits xenograft tumor growth. Transcriptomic analyses reveal that BBOX1 suppresses critical metabolic pathways including mTORC1 signaling and glycolysis in ccRCC. Further, we identify TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) as an essential …

Engineered Immunomodulatory Extracellular Vesicles From Epithelial Cells With The Capacity For Stimulation Of Innate And Adaptive Immunity In Cancer And Autoimmunity, Xin Luo, Fernanda G Kugeratski, Dara P Dowlatshahi, Hikaru Sugimoto, Kent A Arian, Yibo Fan, Li Huang, Danielle Wills, Sergio Lilla, Kelly Hodge, Sara R Zanivan, Valerie S Lebleu, Kathleen M Mcandrews, Raghu Kalluri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are generated by all cells. Systemic administration of allogenic EVs derived from epithelial and mesenchymal cells have been shown to be safe, despite carrying an array of functional molecules, including thousands of proteins. To address whether epithelial cells derived EVs can be modified to acquire the capacity to induce immune response, we engineered 293T EVs to harbor the immunomodulatory molecules CD80, OX40L and PD-L1. We demonstrated abundant levels of these proteins on the engineered cells and EVs. Functionally, the engineered EVs efficiently elicited positive and negative co-stimulation of human and murine T cells. In the setting of …

Complete Genome Sequence Of A Penicillin-Resistant Fusobacterium Necrophorum Subsp Funduliforme Isolate From A Tonsillitis Patient, Bibek G C, Anders Jensen, Chenggang Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We report the complete genome sequence of a penicillin-resistant Fusobacterium necrophorum subsp. funduliforme isolate, AJ79, from a tonsillitis patient. The AJ79 genome consists of a chromosome (2,440,359 bp) and plasmid (9,887 bp), providing insights into the genetic basis of penicillin resistance in F. necrophorum and its implications for treating tonsillitis.