Digital Commons Network^™

Forbear That Wicked Cant: Malthusian ‘Zero Sum’ Theory, Eugenics, And World Population Control, Aidan Grogan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation traces the history of an idea: the “zero-sum” theory of human nature and humanity’s relationship with the natural world that lies at the core of the Malthusian worldview. Grounded in the belief that life is a ruthless struggle over scarce resources and that human beings are destined to reproduce beyond the earth’s “carrying capacity,” Malthusianism provided the key intellectual foundations for Darwin’s theory of evolution, which later informed the rise of eugenics. Although eugenics lost much of its scientific legitimacy and moral authority after the Holocaust and the Nuremberg Trials, many American eugenicists and eugenics organizations remained committed …

Comparative Analysis Of Metabolic Vulnerability In The Standard American And Carnivore Diets Using The Mvx Plus Biomarker Panel, Susan E. Fitzgerald

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Poor diet is a leading cause of mortality, contributing to an estimated one million deaths in the United States and eleven million deaths annually worldwide, with diet-related chronic disease accounting for approximately 85% of U.S. healthcare spending. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is widely recognized as causing systemic inflammation, while the carnivore diet is under-researched with unknown long-term effects. The purpose of this cross-sectional secondary analysis was to examine the impact of these two dietary patterns on metabolic vulnerability using the Metabolic Vulnerability Index Plus (MVX Plus), a multidimensional biomarker panel that quantifies systemic inflammation, metabolic malnutrition, and metabolic resilience …

Cells And Networks In Flux: Rethinking Ontogenesis And Pathogenesis, Mark L. Tykocinski

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Organ and tissue functions emerge from the coordinated activity of cell networks. Therapeutics that act on pathogenic cell networks, modulating their cellular interplay, follow naturally. Over several decades, our laboratory has developed a series of approaches for rewiring cell networks, culminating in a class of cell surface-directed signal converter proteins (SCPs) that do so by modulating juxtacrine and autocrine signaling in and among their nodal cells. A first such SCP has now produced encouraging clinical data for cancer immunotherapy. Yet, these early network-directed fusion proteins rest on a deliberately simplified picture: discrete end-cell types plugged into graphically tractable networks. That …

The Giant Antarctic Amphipod Paraceradocus Miersi Will Not Fare Well If Freshening Continues In The Southern Ocean, John I. Spicer, Simon A. Morley, Katie N.G. Thiessen, Lloyd S. Peck

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Sea water provides a stable environment for marine animals. Most oceanic invertebrates have body fluids similar in ionic composition to sea water. However, Antarctic coastal ecosystems are increasingly exposed to freshening—a reduction in salinity driven by glacial melt, increased precipitation, and extreme weather events. Such changes can cause mortality in Antarctic invertebrates, which generally are intolerant to reduced salinity. This study investigated osmotic and ionic regulation of the Antarctic amphipod Paraceradocus miersi exposed to simulated freshening. When salinity was reduced (from S = 34.6 to 28.0) for 12–48 h, haemolymph osmolality and sodium concentration declined, while calcium remained stable; magnesium …

The Magis Ministry Model - Building Sustainable Sports And Performing Arts Ministries, Drew J. Vilinsky

Journal of Catholic Education

The Magis Ministry Model addresses the documented decline in youth religious practice by leveraging the high participation rates in secondary school athletics and performing arts. Recognizing that many students struggle to connect faith with what they value, the model embeds lay adult chaplains within teams and troupes to provide a "ministry of accompaniment". Key to this framework are chapel talks—weekly, 15- to 20-minute reflections that invite students to encounter God through their specific craft. Longitudinal data from Saint Ignatius High School demonstrates significant impact:  over 74% of surveyed participants strongly advocate for the program's continuation, and successful head coaches now …

Sporting Educational Pedagogy In Catholic Western Europe In The 19th And 20th Centuries: What We Can Learn From The Past, Dries Vanysacker

Journal of Catholic Education

This article presents a historiographical overview of the development of the role of sport within the Western European Catholic education in the 20th century. Since the late 19th century, combining gymnastics with new sport disciplines was a huge challenge for Catholic schools. Within the 20th century, changing political situations and educational policies by governments continuously influenced the Catholic education theories and practice. Catholic schools also depended on the Holy See’s policy concerning education and its attitude toward sport. As the Catholic pedagogy is part of a broader theological concept of the human being, and the latter changed in the 1950s/1960’s, …

Investigating The Effects Of Urbanization On Winter Avian Diversity In Tennessee: A Community Science And Gis Approach, Caryn D. Ross, David A. Aborn, Mark S. Schorr, Azad Hossain

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

As the human population increases, habitat transformation due to urban expansion is inevitable, affecting many wildlife species. Birds are frequently used as model species to study the effects of urbanization on wildlife populations due to their environmental sensitivity and ease of observation. While previous studies have investigated changes in species richness and abundance related to urbanization, there is a need for broader-scale, geographically explicit studies associating changes in bird diversity with urban expansion. Using extensive bird census data and high-resolution digitized land use data, this study revealed that species richness, diversity, and evenness within count areas all showed significant positive …

The Effect Of Anthropogenic Food Subsidies On Coyote (Canis Latrans) Territory Size, Numi Mitchell, Kyle R. Hess, Michael W. Strohbach, Ralph Pratt

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Context. Coyotes have confounded lethal-control efforts for over a century, initially as they preyed on livestock the Midwest rangelands in the early 1900s. In the past century, coyotes have expanded their range across the US into rural, suburban, even urban areas in the eastern US where populations are increasing along with calls for management from communities.  Here we examine anthropogenic food subsidy reduction as a possible management tool for coyotes. Compelling explanations for coyote territory-size variation have both a food-availability component and a contender pressure, or competition, component. These factors also influence pack group-size. Ultimately, competition for limited food resources …

Anthropogenic Food Subsidies And Pack Counts Of Coyotes (Canis Latrans) In Rhode Island: Implications For Long-Term And Non-Lethal Population Control, Numi Mitchell, Kyle R. Hess, Michael W. Strohbach

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Coyotes regulate fertility, population recruitment, and territory size, based on food competition, all characteristics that might be leveraged for population management initiatives. In Rhode Island, US, anthropogenic food subsidies provide important resources for coyotes. Prior work has shown that when large reliable subsidies are absent or removed, resident coyotes increase territory size. This is potentially significant to management if the expansion does not cause increases in pack size.

We used video camera traps, opportunistic photography, and observation, to make group-size counts. We looked at the influence of levels of anthropogenic food subsidization on pack size. Adult group sizes were smaller …

Draft Hybrid Assembly And Annotation Of The Drosophila Palustris And Drosophila Subpalustris Genomes, William A. Dion, Emily Washeleski, Tessa Steenwinkel, Emily Taylor, Prajakta P. Kokate, Aidan Vandrie, Thomas Werner, Paul Goetsch

Michigan Tech Publications

Species within the quinaria group of the genus Drosophila are models for ecological genetic studies on topics that include morphological diversity, color pattern development, and feeding behavior. Drosophila palustris and Drosophila subpalustris are closely related members within the quinaria species group that differ primarily in subtle morphological and behavioral traits. To support future evolutionary genomic studies in drosophilids, we completed new draft hybrid assemblies and annotations of the D. palustris and D. subpalustris genomes. We obtained a fragmented assembly for D. palustris (N50 = 874 Kb) and a near chromosome-scale D. subpalustris assembly (N50 = 27.5 Mbp). Assembly contiguity, repeat …

The Invisible Crop: Harnessing Root System Architecture In Heirloom Collards For Climate-Resilient Urban Agriculture, Vincent Antonio Brazelton

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Growing food in urban spaces often means working within variable, resource-limited environments, creating a need for crops that can withstand heterogeneous growing conditions. Heirloom collards (Brassica oleracea var. viridis) are known for their aboveground diversity and cultural importance, but much less is known about the variation that exists belowground. This dissertation examines root system architecture (RSA) diversity across 19 historically underutilized heirloom collard accessions using a multi-scale phenotyping approach that includes controlled gel-based imaging of seedlings and 2D imaging of mature field-grown root systems. Across both seedling and mature stages, heirloom collards showed substantial variation in RSA. These differences revealed …

The Influence Of Circadian Rhythm Disruption And Apoe4 On The Prognosis And Progression Of Alzheimer’S Disease, Kayla Bradby

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by cognitive decline and memory loss and is the most common form of dementia. Genetic factors such as apolipoprotein E have been significantly associated with AD development and progression, most specifically the APOE4 isoform. Emerging evidence has shown that when the body’s circadian rhythm, the 24-hour dark/light cycle, is disrupted, the potential to develop a neurodegenerative disease such as AD increases. The purpose of this literature review is to examine the relationship between AD, circadian rhythm, and the APOE isoforms. This review puts a particular emphasis on the APOE4 isoform, as it has been shown to …

Wille Zum Wald: Nietzsche’S Discovery Of Forest Bathing, Gary Shapiro

Philosophy Faculty Publications

In the fourth part of our “The Forest as a Living Foundation” series, the distinguished American Nietzsche scholar Gary Shapiro investigates new angles on Nietzsche’s bonds to the woods: the philosopher’s personal enthusiasm for what is increasingly called “forest bathing,” the science behind how this practice benefits body, mind, and spirit, and the sheer pleasure of breathing fresh air, in woodland and wherever else we can find it. Shapiro’s essay showcases why this particular Lebensraum matters, not just for our individual well-being, but for the health of the entire planet.

Anthropogenic Actions, Inactions, Outcomes And Threats To Green Infrastructure And Environmental Conservation In Port Harcourt City, Ibama Brown, Tari Eyenghe

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Urban areas are assets to human existence; they also face several challenges. Port Harcourt has abundant green infrastructure and requires environmental conservation practices to protect and manage its environmental resources. The study assessed anthropogenic actions, inactions, outcomes and threats to green infrastructure and environmental conservation in Port Harcourt City. The adopted mixed-methods research approach used a sequential exploratory design. The study employed a judgmental sampling technique to select and interview six (6) key informants from the Rivers State Ministries of Physical Planning and Urban Development, and Environment. Also, an official of Port Harcourt City Local Government Council and a Town …

Nascent Adam17 Synthesis Potentiates Gpibα Cleavage In Resting And Stimulated Stored Platelets, Shayan Askari, Harriet Ghansah, Christopher D. Mansi, Timothy J. Stalker, Lawrence E. Goldfinger

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Platelet concentrates stored at room temperature have a shelf life of 5 to 7 days. During storage, platelets undergo glycoprotein cleavage by metalloproteases, notably cleavage of glycoprotein Ibα (GPIbα) by a disintegrin and metalloprotease 17 (ADAM17), which leads to decreased posttransfusion reactivity and recovery. To investigate the putative roles of nascent synthesis of ADAM17 in GPIbα shedding and platelet function during room temperature platelet storage. Human platelets maintained in autologous plasma were treated with naked endonuclease-resistant ADAM17 or control short inhibitory RNA (siRNA) and monitored for molecular and cellular effects during storage. Platelet-specific Adam17-deleted mice were generated, and the dynamics …

Assessment Of The Radionuclide Concentration Levels Of Water And Sediments Along The Mara River, Gasper Kachenge, Abubakary Salama, Abdalah Kileo, Furaha Chuma

Tanzania Journal of Science

For many years, several factors have impacted the water quality of the Mara River, including population growth, agricultural expansion, livestock keeping, mining, and industrial activities. These factors have intensified water pollution and climate change effects around the river. While previous studies have mainly focused on assessing heavy metal pollution risks on the Mara River, this study evaluates the concentration levels of radionuclides in boreholes, water, and sediments along the river and its tributaries. Naturally occurring radioactive materials, including 226Ra, ²³²Th, and ⁴⁰K, were evaluated. A high-purity germanium radiation detector (HPGe) with a coaxial detector system coupled with Gamma Vision software …

Spartan Daily, August 19, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 167, Issue 01

Research And Innovation Update, July 22, 2026, Office Of The Vice President For Research And Innovation

Office of Research, Economic Engagement and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Denaturalization's Missing Limit, Cassandra Burke Robertson, Irina D. Manta

NULR Online

No abstract provided.

Measure By Measure: Reflections On Building A Quiz Map For Critical Caribbean Digital Pedagogy, Ra Bacchus, Medardo G. Rosario, Alexander S. Butler

archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis

This article reflects on the web development of a digital quiz map designed to help students critically engage with the representation of the Caribbean in digital space. Emerging from workshops organized by Visiones del Caribe—a digital humanities initiative using digitized maps and archives to teach Caribbean history, culture, and cartography—this tool responds to students’ inquiries about the region’s spatial boundaries. The quiz invites students to select on a map those countries and territories they consider part of the Caribbean, prompting reflection on the diversity of perspectives shaping Caribbean identity. Drawing from the discourse of critical cartography and digital pedagogy, we …

Tun Up: Building Digital Dancehall Fashion Archives From An Artist’S Perspective, Grayson Chong

archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis

This article investigates the opportunities and challenges of building a dancehall fashion archive with particular emphasis on the transition from the material to the digital. As an artist-scholar, I use my own dancehall fashion collection as a case study to explore the process of digitizing material artifacts (in this case, fashion and textiles). I focus on dancehall fashion in particular because it speaks to themes of resistance, self-fashioning, and creativity in the global fashion market. Throughout the article, I highlight what the transition between material and digital affords scholars and public audiences. In particular, I ask: "How do we retain …

Acervos Documentales De Puerto Rico Y El Caribe @ Upr-Río Piedras: On Designing Digital Strategies For Preservation And Access Of Unique Puerto Rican And Caribbean Studies Collections, Mirerza González-Vélez, Mila Aponte-González

archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis

This paper documents Acervos Digitales de Puerto Rico y el Caribe @ UPR-Río Piedras, its origins, goals, activities and participants. It reflects on the team engagement with fundamental discussions regarding the use of Omeka in a Caribbean context, that resulted in the articulation and enactment of ethical principles for digital curation, as well as in its commitment for fundamental digital preservation efforts based on minimal technology requirements. The paper also provides an assessment of its continuity as a DH initiative committed to preserving, improving open access, and building capacity for the effective use of unique digitized humanities collections, and poses …

A Metadata Analysis Of Anthropological Scholarship About Haiti And The Dominican Republic, Tess Kulstad González, Pauline Kulstad González, Zoe Grubbs, Hongyuan Zhang

archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis

This article presents the results of a metadata and content analysis of anthropological research about Haiti and the Dominican Republic available in the Anthropological Literature database and in the Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Anthropology. This analysis shows that anthropological knowledge about Haiti and/or the Dominican Republic, produced in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, is included less than scholarship published outside the island. In addition, our analysis indicates that research that pertains to both countries, or that considers transnational and/or inter-island processes has been infrequent. Furthermore, that which exists is not as discoverable or visible as research that focuses …

“Un Compromiso Con La Tierra”: Digital Placemaking In The Art Of Rosaura Rodríguez’'S Instagram Stories, Jeannine Murray-Román

archipelagos: a journal of Caribbean digital praxis

From a recording of a hot pink flower on a foggy hillside, its leaves trembling slightly in the wind, to the ink made from its petals pooling onto white cardstock, Puerto Rican artist Rosaura Rodríguez shares her experimental processes on Instagram stories, fifteen seconds at a time. Instagram is a fraught platform that encourages aesthetic homogeneity, and yet, continues to function as a site for developing micro-poetic techniques. This article focuses on Rodríguez’s in-process Instagram Stories, and particularly the “Highlights” feature which allows her to archive her working processes for two of her projects: 1. Temporada, a self-published comic that …

Alterations In Intracellular Pathways By Structured Acoustics Across Mammalian Model Systems, Mary B. Holahan, A'Niya Jackson, Jose Rumbaut-Clark, Elaina Schuler, Arnav Chavda, Thanh Mai Nguyen, Junaina Nazneen, Ana Beatriz-Melgar, Sarah Hedenstad, Emily Hernandez

OneUSF Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium

Music can be defined as structured sound that serves as a “universal language” capable of influencing emotion, cognition, and social connectivity in humans. Its formal application into the medical profession began in the 20th century, following World War I and II.  Human subject research involving music therapy has since reported a myriad of health benefits such as those on emotional (e.g., anxiety, depression, and stress), neurological (e.g., cognitive impairment, sleep issues, and dementia), and physical well-being (e.g., pain, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia). However, the impact of such structured acoustics on biological processes at the cellular and molecular level remains unclear. Towards …

Memory-Based Lock-Free Inter-Process Communication, Vlad Popa, Andy Hung, Atneya Nair, Mikhail Naganov, Shunkai Yao, Eric Laurent, Jean-Michel Trivi

Defensive Publications Series

A lock-free inter-process communication (IPC) system can utilize shared memory to broadcast system events from a single writer process to multiple reader processes. The system employs a shared memory circular queue and an atomic sequence counter that increments before and after write operations, allowing readers to determine if an active write is occurring. By calculating an active queue index using the sequence counter, reader processes can safely access previously committed historical state data without blocking or busy-waiting. This non-blocking architecture prevents IPC message queue overflows for frozen or suspended background applications, eliminates priority inversion, and avoids the thundering herd problem …

Generative Synthesis Of Context-Aware Media Recaps And Alternative Narratives, Dev Daftari, Akash Verma

Defensive Publications Series

Systems and methods can use generative artificial intelligence to synthesize personalized media content. For example, when a user returns to a series, a system can generate a dynamic recap designed to be spoiler-free based on a user's last-viewed point, for instance, by retrieving relevant plot information from a media knowledge graph. The technology could also generate alternative narrative scenes based on user prompts, for example, by using system guardrails to promote stylistic consistency with the source material. These techniques may provide personalized user interactions, potentially improving viewer re-engagement with serialized content and extending interaction with media franchises within a media …

Natural Language Navigation Of Media Via Generative Ai And A Multimodal Index, Dev Daftari, Akash Verma

Defensive Publications Series

Finding specific moments in media can be challenging, as certain methods like timeline scrubbing or keyword searches may not align with a user's descriptive memory of a scene. A system can facilitate media navigation through natural language queries. For example, a system may create a time-stamped, multimodal index of a media asset by analyzing its visual, auditory, and textual content. When a user provides a descriptive query, a generative artificial intelligence model can semantically evaluate the request against the index to identify a corresponding media segment and its timecode. The system could then provide the timecode to a media player …

Electrochemical Determination Of Terbutaline Using A Sno2 Nanoparticle-Modified Carbon Paste Electrode, Rauf Gulamov, Şenol Alpat, Si̇bel Kilinç Alpat

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Terbutaline hemisulfate (THS), a selective beta-2 agonist, is preferred as a bronchodilator for the treatment of asthma and bronchitis, as well as a tocolytic agent to delay labor in acute situations during premature birth. The use of beta-2 agonists above a certain dose is considered doping in sports competitions. Therefore, it is important that they be determined with high sensitivity and selectivity within a short analysis time. In this study, a SnO2 nanoparticle-modified carbon paste electrode was developed for the determination of THS. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry were employed as electrochemical methods. The operating conditions of the developed …

Chitosan Microparticle-Based Antibacterial Nasal Barrier Formulation And In Vivo Evaluations, Güli̇z Ak, Ayça Erek, Tuğba Karakayali, Şadi̇ye Çeti̇n, Şenay Şanlier

Turkish Journal of Chemistry

Microorganisms remain a major cause of infectious diseases, emphasizing the need for alternative and complementary antimicrobial strategies. In this context, plant-derived materials have attracted increasing attention for their antimicrobial and protective properties. Chitosan, a biocompatible and cationic biopolymer, has emerged as an effective carrier system for encapsulating such plant-derived components. In this study, chitosan microparticles were prepared through ionic gelation followed by spray drying and loaded with thyme oil and olive leaf extract. The resulting microparticles exhibited an average size of approximately 1.8 μm and a total phenolic content of 23 mg GAE/g. These microparticles were incorporated into a glycerin–starch …