Digital Commons Network^™

Religious Festivals In The Age Of ‘Lockdown’ And ‘Social Distancing’: A Comparative Study Of Easter, Eid, Passover, Rama Navami, And Vaisakhi., Irfan Raja, Rev. Ruth Dowson, Abdul Basit Shaikh, Ivan Cohen, Nasser N. Alotaibi

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religious practices can conjure distinctive ideas and images for different groups of people, especially religious festivals, which are signs of congregations, celebrations, and contentment, usually to mark the completion of religious obligations. All major religions celebrate notable festivals to mark important events and religious obligations that bring together followers of that faith. The year 2020 will be remembered as unique in the history of all faiths. As a result of the COVID-19 crisis, governments across the world announced compulsory measures such as ‘social distancing’ and ‘lockdown’ to avoid the spread of Coronavirus. Thus, all major religions either cancelled or reduced …

Analysis Of Pilgrimage To The Evangelical Lutheran Church In Zimbabwe (Elcz) Mission Centres, Rabson Hove

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

A pilgrimage is usually a sacred journey undertaken by religious adherents to holy places associated with their own traditions. As religions grow, religious pilgrimage also expands as the members of the religious traditions continue to influence each other. These holy religious centres influence religious enrichment, enhancement, strength and growth. Members get in touch with their origins and the history of the expansion of their religion as they encounter their holy sites or centres. In the case of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ), their important holy sites are missionary centres which are commonly located in rural Zimbabwe. The majority …

Vulnerability Of Blue Carbon In Coastal Freshwater Ecosystems To Sea-Level Rise, Suvrajit Ghosh, Jonathan Obrist-Farner, Jeffery R. Stone, Marta Wojewodka-Przybyt, Ryan Smith, Mark Brenner, Jason H. Curtis, Susan R. H. Zimmerman, Alex Correa-Metrio, Paula Gabriela Echeverrio Galinda, Madeline J. Brosky, Liseth Perez

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Coastal freshwater ecosystems are economically and ecologically important and provide multiple environmental services worldwide. They sequester carbon at rates ten times faster, and store five times more carbon per unit area than do mature tropical forests. Vulnerability of these carbon sinks to marine inundation, however, is expected to increase in response to global sea-level rise (GSLR). To better understand the implications of future GSLR, we investigated the geochemical and biological consequences of episodic Holocene marine incursions into Lake Izabal, a large coastal freshwater ecosystem on the Caribbean coast of Central America. About 8300 cal yr BP, marine incursion transformed Lake …

Vaccine Value Profile For Schistosomiasis, Gavin Yamey, Kaci Kennedy Mcdade, Roy M Anderson, Sarah M Bartsch, Maria Elena Bottazzi, David Diemert, Peter J Hotez, Bruce Y Lee, Donald Mcmanus, Adebayo J Molehin, Meta Roestenberg, David Rollinson, Afzal A Siddiqui, Miriam Tendler, Joanne P Webster, Hong You, Raphaël M Zellweger, Caroline Marshall

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Schistosomiasis is caused by parasitic flatworms (Schistosoma). The disease in humans can be caused by seven different species of Schistosoma: S. mansoni, S. japonicum, S. haematobium, S. malayensis, S. mekongi, S. guineensis and S. intercalatum, as well as by hybrids between species, including livestock schistosome species. People are infected when exposed to infested water and the parasite larvae penetrate the skin. Poor and rural communities are typically the most affected, and the general population who lives in affected areas and is exposed to contaminated water is at risk. Areas with poor access to safe water and adequate sanitation are also …

Digging Deeper With Deep Ram Networks, Andrew J. Wagner

Dissertations and Theses

While Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have driven major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, their internal complexity often makes their behavior hard to explain, resulting in the well-known “black box” dilemma. This thesis addresses the challenge of interpretability in DNNs and deep reinforcement learning (DRL) through two main contributions.

In Part I, we revisit and extend the use of Deep RAM Networks (DRNs) within the Arcade Learning Environment (ALE), showing that, with modern architectures and careful hyperparameter tuning, RAM-based agents can achieve performance competitive with established pixel-based baselines on Atari 2600 games, while offering additional advantages for research and analysis. We also …

All-Optical Voltage Interrogation For Probing Synaptic Plasticity In Vivo, Jacques Carolan, Michelle A Land, Xiaoyu Lu, Maxime Beau, Dimitar Kostadinov, François St-Pierre, Beverley A Clark, Michael Häusser

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Measuring synaptic efficacy and defining the rules for induction of synaptic plasticity at identified connections in the mammalian brain is essential for understanding how synapses contribute to learning and memory. This requires new approaches to selectively evoke presynaptic activity and measure postsynaptic responses with high spatiotemporal resolution and high sensitivity over long periods in vivo. Here we develop an all-optical approach to probe synaptic plasticity at identified cerebellar synapses in awake, behaving mice. We developed and applied JEDI-2Psub, a genetically encoded voltage indicator with increased sensitivity around resting membrane potentials, to record subthreshold and suprathreshold activity in Purkinje cell (PC) …

Ambient Fine Particulate Matter, Residential Greenness, And Childhood Cancer Risk By Trimester Of Exposure In Minnesota 2000 To 2014: A Case-Control Study, Cassandra J Clark, David Haynes, Zhanni Lu, Jeannette M Sample, Laura A Mcguinn, Thanh T Hoang, Philip J Lupo, Michael E Scheurer, Erin L Marcotte, Lindsay A Williams

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Outdoor air pollution is a suspected risk factor for childhood cancer, and there is some evidence that greenness may reduce cancer risk. We examined relationships between prenatal exposure to ambient fine particle air pollution [particulate matter < 2.5 µg/m3 (PM2.5)], greenness, and childhood cancer risk in Minnesota.

Methods: Cases included individuals born in the state of Minnesota and reported to the Minnesota Cancer Reporting System between 2000 and 2014 (n = 1272, ages 0-14 years at diagnosis) and birth year-matched cancer-free controls (n = 5245). We used Network Common Data Form to estimate monthly PM2.5 exposure and the normalized difference vegetation index for census tract-level greenness. We estimated ORs and …

Peña-Rodriguez V. Colorado And The Racial Animus Exception To The No-Impeachment Rule: Extending And Exception To Suspect Classes That Experience Pervasive Bias In The Jury System, Taariq Lewis

Florida Law Review

During an inquiry into the validity of a verdict, Federal Rule of Evidence 606(b) prohibits jurors from testifying about statements made or incidents that occurred during jury deliberations, including jurors' subjective mental processes used in reaching the verdict. This rule is often called the "no-impeachment" rule. The no-impeachment rule promotes the finality of verdicts, facilitates free and vibrant discussion by jurors without fear their verdict will be questioned, and ensures that jurors are not harassed by litigants seeking to challenge their verdict. However, in a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Pena-Rodriguez v. Colorado, the Court held that a defendant's …

"Cold Words, Heartless And Miserable": Tolkien's Approach To Supernatural Horror, Dylan L. Henderson

Journal of Tolkien Research

For the most part, scholars of supernatural horror do not consider J. R. R. Tolkien a contributor to that genre, a conclusion supported by many Tolkien specialists. And yet, horror plays a major role in many of Tolkien’s works, specifically The Lord of the Rings. Indeed, “Fog on the Barrow-downs” is basically a tale of supernatural horror that Tolkien has incorporated into his epic. This article examines that chapter in that context, comparing it to a similar short story by E. F. Benson, and this approach not only highlights the links between Tolkien and contemporaneous supernatural horror—the shares themes …

Review Of Music On The Prairies: The Janssonist Tune-Book, Carol Medlicott

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Review Of Holy Food: How Cults, Communes, And Religious Movements Influenced What We Eat, An American History, Mitchell K. Jones

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Issue 473: October 2-16, 2025, The Local Voice

The Local Voice

No abstract provided.

Educational Policies Committee Agenda October 2, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - September 4, 2025
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

4 Of 4: Impact Of Policy And Technological Factors On Ai Innovation And Investment: The 2b Model Service Industry, Siyuan Ma, Mengyu Wang, Tianyi Zhang

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

This case explores AI investment opportunities in 2B model services, particularly in sectors that intrinsically benefit from the reduction in human error. We will analyse applications in the legal industry as an example of overarching 2B model service trends.

3 Of 4: Analysis Of Innovation Applications And Value Driven By Aigc Technology: An Early Investment Perspective In The Chinese Market, Siyuan Ma, Mengyu Wang, Tianyi Zhang

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

This case series explores the innovative applications and value analysis driven by AIGC (AI-generated content) technology from the perspective of early-stage investments in the Chinese market. We analyse the influence of core factors such as technology progression, market demand, policy environment, industry cycles and data on AIGC-driven value creation; case studies are provided to illustrate how AIGC has varying applications across different industries depending on market conditions. This series contains four cases: first, we first explore the investment opportunities of AIGC by combining the core technological value and industrial application status of generative AI, using China’s energy industry as a …

2 Of 4: Impact Of Human Resource Factors On Ai Investment: Ai In The Human Resource Market, Siyuan Ma, Mengyu Wang, Tianyi Zhang

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

This case will explore the implications that AIGC trends have on the development of the Chinese Human Resource (HR) market. While previous generation internet products were based on common needs and provided standardized products, the development of large AI models has opened doors to personalized custom products and services. Take AI applications in online education as an example: AI education models are developing to tailor to individual needs, since almost everything is not only digitalised but also based on dynamic database analysis for each user, including traffic distribution, sales conversion and service evaluation.

1 Of 4: Aigc Technology And Applications: Policy And Industry Development, Siyuan Ma, Mengyu Wang, Tianyi Zhang

Sim Kee Boon Institute for Financial Economics

This case explores the investment opportunities of AIGC by combining the core technological value and industrial application status of generative AI. We then analyse the impacts of these large-scale sectoral changes in a study of AI in China’s energy industry. We are currently in the early stage of the generative AI industry, thus it is analysed more from the perspective of early value investment, including trend investment opportunities brought by macro cycles, inflection point investment opportunities brought by industry transformation and application, and value creation brought by disruptive innovation. The early investment in the Chinese market is also at a …

October 2025 General Education Council Minutes, University Of Nebraska At Kearney General Education Council

General Education Council

No abstract provided.

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes October 2, 2025, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - September 4, 2025
• Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 3:00 pm

Vista: October 2, 2025, University Of San Diego

USD Vista (1965-)

No abstract provided.

Faculty Senate Chronicle October 2, 2025, Heather Loughney

The University of Akron Faculty Senate Chronicle

Minutes for the regular meeting of The University of Akron Faculty Senate on October 2, 2025

The World Of Balenciaga: Reconstructing The Spanish Contribution To The 1974 Exhibition [Ponencia] Ii Congreso Internacional Sobre Cristóbal Balenciaga, Daniele Gennaioli, Tomasso Mozzati

Congresos y Conferencias

This publication contains the abstracts of the papers which will be presented at the Second International Cristóbal Balenciaga Conference, to take place at the Cristobal Balenciaga Museum (Getaria) on 2 and 3 October 2025. These papers represent a selection of 24 proposals, from among the 63 received, made by a Scientific Committee of recognized experts in the field according to the double blind method. The objective was to guarantee the presentation of rigorous, quality papers and to place the study of Cristóbal Balenciaga in the field of academic research. Given the importance of Balenciaga, the selected proposals come not only …

Performing Dual Glucose Clamp Experiments In Sedated Farm Swine: A Practical Method, Marc Torjman, Winston Hamilton, Katherine Dillon, Channy Loeum, Jeffrey Joseph

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

The hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp technique is considered the gold standard for measuring insulin sensitivity in large animals. We developed a practical method for conducting concurrent glucose clamp experiments in a pair of sedated farm swine positioned in a sling. Descriptions of customized equipment and central venous access surgical procedures for blood collection are provided. Personnel functions are described for execution of the clamp protocol. A total of 24 hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp studies were performed over 6 weeks. Infusaports remained functional for 1454 blood samples. There were three CSII catheter occlusions during bolus administration, and the swine showed no signs of infection or …

I Knew You Were Trouble: Deepfakes, Misinformation, And The Threat To Elections, Rachael Youngblood

Louisiana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Leadership And Advocacy In Technical Services: A Conversation With Melanie Mcgurr, Christina Beis, Jessica Morales

University Libraries Faculty Publications and Presentations

Technical services in academic libraries are often misunderstood or not widely known, yet they play a critical role in supporting research, teaching, and discovery. As libraries evolve to meet the demands of digital collections, AI-assisted metadata, and inclusive cataloging practices, technical services professionals are at the forefront of these challenges and opportunities. In this interview, Melanie McGurr, Associate Dean of Collections and Technical Services at Michigan State University, shares insights from her career journey, discusses the most pressing issues in technical services, and offers advice for those considering a leadership role.

The Current - Volume 36 Issue 3, Nova Southeastern University

Student Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Reimagining Civic Education In The United States: Integrating Research, Policy, And Practice For Democratic Renewal, Delante Clark

Graduate Scholarship and Creative Works

Civic education in the United States faces persistent challenges, including inequitable access, curricular fragmentation, and reluctance to address controversial social and political issues. This paper presents a comprehensive synthesis of research, policy analysis, and practice-based case studies to reimagine civic education for the 21st century. Drawing on core scholarship supplemented with additional peer-reviewed studies on school segregation, charter school demographics, and race-conscious student assignment policies, the study examines the historical evolution of civic education, structural inequities, political avoidance, and promising innovations. Using a qualitative synthesis approach, the findings highlight five thematic areas: structural inequities, curricular misalignment, sanitized narratives, limits of …

The Cowl - V. 89 N. 3 - October 2, 2025

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 89 No. 3 - October 2, 2025. 20 pages.

The Colby Echo (2025-10-02), Colby College

The Colby Echo

Published by the students of Colby College since 1877, The Colby Echo is the weekly, editorially independent student-run newspaper of Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Published monthly, 1877-1886; semi-monthly, 1886-1897; and weekly during the academic year, 1898-present.