Digital Commons Network^™

Gpcr-Mediated Mechanisms In Obesity: The Role Of Ghrelin And Glp-1 Receptors​, Ryan Singh, Tuana Cenberoglu, Jonathan Budlong, Jaclyn Alejandro, Andrea Weitoschova, Libin Ye

OneUSF Undergraduate Research Conference

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) regulate metabolism and transmit appetite cues throughout the brain and digestive system. Binding to GPCRs, ghrelin, and GLP-1 are ligands that influence hunger, energy balance, and insulin secretion. Understanding the relationship between GPCRs and ligands such as ghrelin and GLP-1 offers critical insights into treating metabolic disorders such as obesity, a growing issue in America. Our methodology involved a literature review using USF, NIH, and JSTOR databases. Search terms like “GPCR obesity,” “GLP-1 obesity,” and related keywords identified articles from 2000 onward, yielding 59 studies on GLP-1 and ghrelin in obesity. GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), initially …

Book Review: Coexistence: Stories, Gabrielle Velazquez

History in the Making

No abstract provided.

A Familiar Taste: Considerations On Honey In California’S Historical Record, Ahlys Gandara

History in the Making

No abstract provided.

Revolutionary Sisters: The Rise Of Chicana Feminism, Christian Rodriguez

History in the Making

This essay examines the rise of Chicana feminism during the Chicano Rights Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. It covers the reasons why women felt the need to create an organization outside of the movement that focused on specific women’s issues and the importance of building sisterhood with Chicanas. As great as it was for women to have a space where they could organize and discuss the advancement of Chicanas, there were other women who did not feel that feminism should even be a topic for discussion. The essay also touches on queer liberation, the importance of art, …

Reverberations Of The 1950s Puerto Rico Nationalist Independence Movement, Gustavo Alonso Chamu

History in the Making

In the first half of the twentieth century, the nationalist movement in Puerto Rico, led by Harvard Law School graduate Pedro Albizu Campos (1893–1965), firmly called for the independence of the island. Its supporters made vociferous calls against the exploitation of the island by the United States government, its military and multinational corporations. Their campaign for independence culminated on October 30, 1950, with small-scale armed insurgencies across Puerto Rico, the Governor’s residence in San Juan, and the attacks against then President Harry S. Truman (1884–1972) at Blair House, Washington D.C. While a combination of domestic and foreign actors played significant …

The Black Curse: The Curse Of Ham And The Mark Of Cain As Justification For Black Subjugation, Margaret Phillips

History in the Making

The concept of race, particularly the construction of blackness and anti-blackness, emerged during the Medieval and Early Modern periods around the Mediterranean and its surrounding cultures. It is a concept of religious origin, in that it first depended on the worldview of the Abrahamic faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam— and their interpretations of the narratives surrounding the Biblical figures Cain and Ham. This established the “mark” of black skin as a curse placed by the Abrahamic God that made up the foundational justifications for racial hierarchies and the subjugation of black Africans. The convenient narrative framed blackness as inherently inferior and …

Issue 472: September 18-October 2, 2025, The Local Voice

The Local Voice

No abstract provided.

Molecular Analysis And Biochemical Profiling Of Bacteria From Domestics Dogs Saliva: A Pilot Study, Hadba Al-Amrah, Asseel Alotiby, Badriyah Aljuhani, Hadeel Huri, Noha Al Garni, Reem Aljedani, Zeina W. Sharawi

The Journal of King Abdulaziz University: Science

Microbiota is the collection of microorganisms living in a particular environment, such as the dog’s saliva. The aim of the present work was the detection of bacteriome that plays a crucial role in various ecological processes and has a significant impact on the health and functioning of their host organisms. We collected saliva samples from five dogs. After that, identify the unknown bacterial species by inoculating samples into the Swapped Mannitol Salt Agar (MSA) and MacConkey (MAC). In addition, These bacterial isolates were identified by using morphological characteristics, biochemical tests, and partial sequencing of their 16S rRNA gene.Results] appeared in …

Alternative Multilingual Paradigms Using Translanguaging: Decolonizing Strategies For Blacks And Indigenous Literacies In The Global South, Mercia Santana Flannery, Oseas Bezerra Viana Júnior (Universidade Federal Do Agreste De Pernmabuco, Brazil),, Kleber Aparecido Da Silva (Universidade De Brasília, Brazil).

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

The Contemporary Tax Journal Volume 13, No. 2 – Winter 2024

The Contemporary Tax Journal

No abstract provided.

The Contemporary Tax Journal’S Interview With Mr. David Forst, Shuang Zhang

The Contemporary Tax Journal

No abstract provided.

Can Handoffs Bridge The Interprofessional Divide To Build A Team?, Aubrey Samost-Williams, Eric J Thomas

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Education And Fertility: Evidence From An Instrumental Variable Approach Using Higher Education Expansions In Turkey, Badi H. Baltagi, Haci M. Karatas

Center for Policy Research

This paper examines the impact of higher education on women’s fertility behavior in Turkey. To address the endogeneity of education we use the plausibly exogenous variation in college availability in Turkey between 1983 and 2000. We find that increased education of women in Turkey significantly reduced the number of children and increased the probability of childlessness at the end of the fecund period. The effect of education on fertility worked through a postponement in first births at ages following college graduation until the age of 35, an improvement in women’s labor market outcomes, better marriage market outcomes, and use of …

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi As Key Drivers Of Plant Resilience: Mechanisms Of Stress Adaptation In Saline Environments, Rayna Elizabeth Koberstein

Dissertations and Theses

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a critical role in mediating plant responses to environmental stress, yet their ecological significance in saline wetland restoration remains underexplored. This greenhouse experiment investigated the effects of salinity, root-zone barrier type (solid, mesh, none), and neighboring species identity on AMF colonization and physiological responses in three native estuarine plants: Carex densa, Juncus patens, and Scirpus microcarpus. Results demonstrated species-specific physiological responses to salinity, with Juncus patens showing greater resilience in maintaining photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) and percent cover at higher salinity levels, while Scirpus microcarpus exhibited a significant decline. Mesh barriers, which permitted …

The Impact Of Foraminotomy On Patient-Reported Outcomes Following 3+ Level Posterior Cervical Decompression And Fusion For Myeloradiculopathy, Robert J. Oris, Jonathan Dalton, Joydeep Baidya, Tariq Z. Issa, Tyler D. Alexander, Jarod Olson, Rachel Huang, Chloe Herczeg, Omar Tarawneh, Rajkishen Narayanan, Michael Carter, Jonah Hammerstedt, Sebastian Quiana, Mark Kurd, Barrett I. Woods, I David Kaye, Thomas Cha, Jose A Canseco, Alan S. Hilibrand, Alex R. Vaccaro, Christopher K. Kepler, Gregory D. Schroeder

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether patients with myeloradiculopathy experience better improvement in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) from the addition of foraminotomy in the setting of posterior cervical decompression and fusion (PCDF).

METHODS: Adult patients who underwent ≥≥ 3-level PCDF (2017-2022) at a single tertiary center were retrospectively identified. Patients were included if their indication was myeloradiculopathy - patients were excluded if they had a combined anterior/posterior approach, an indication of infection/tumor/trauma, or incomplete 1-year PROMs. Operative notes were evaluated to identify the patients who had a foraminotomy specifically for neuro-decompression. Patients with or without foraminotomy were evaluated for demographic/surgical variables, surgical …

The Need For Alternative Pedagogies, Mercia Santana Flannery, Oseas Bezerra Viana Júnior (Universidade Federal Do Agreste De Pernmabuco, Brazil), Kleber Aparecido Da Silva (Universidade De Brasília, Brazil)

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Our ever-evolving societies have faced a myriad of changes in a relatively short span of time. From a heavy focus on globalization to its undesired effects in education across the Global South, from migratory movements, shifting political and ideological landscapes to technological innovations, the impacts on how our students learn and engage with the world has also been in flux. Considering these complexities, this chapter highlights the urgent need for alternative practices and perspectives in language education, and for adaptation in light of the context specific contingencies that teachers and learners face.

Teacher Educators’ Languaging For More Just English Language Education In Ecuador, Adeline De Angelis

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This article describes how English language teacher educators in Ecuador envision their languaging practices contributing to more just English language education in a Global South context. The study took a capabilities approach informed by Latin American decolonial theory. Findings are based on a qualitative thematic analysis of focus group interviews conducted with 37 instructors teaching English language teacher education content courses at 18 universities. The findings illustrate two distinct theories of change: through best practices and through contextualization. Teacher educators linked English-only practices with developing teacher English proficiency, holding teachers accountable to standards, and preparing them to ultimately enact global …

Aprender Inglés En La U-Diversidad: The Case Of Colombian University Students With Multiple Marginalized Identities Disrupting Colonial Language Policies And Curricula, Maure Aguirre-Ortega, Yenny Chavarría, Claudia Gutiérrez

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

Required to learn English, Black, Indigenous, Migrant and Rural Colombian university students often find themselves oppressed by a colonial curriculum that overlooks their intersecting marginalized identities. Drawing from decoloniality and intersectionality, this paper discusses how coloniality and students’ plethora of identities converge in the English classroom and engage in a dance of oppression and resistance. Mediated by participatory dialogues, results of this (case) study indicate that engaging these minoritized students in a collective initiative to decolonize the English classroom enabled them to a) value the social, cultural, and linguistic identities of their territories b) reflect on the implication of colonial …

The (In)Effect Of Trump-Era Anti-Immigrant Policies And Rhetoric On International Students: Perceptions Of And Experiences In Us Higher Education, Odunayo O. Omotilewa, Kayla M. Johnson (University Of Arizona)

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This exploratory study investigates international graduate students’ experiences studying in the US during the years of the Trump Administration, its influence on their mental health, and how their experiences have been different since. We surveyed international graduate students at a large public research institution in the Southeastern US who started their degrees in the US between 2017 and 2020, using a mixed-methods approach. The findings reveal that students had a negative perception of Trump Administration policies and rhetoric and were most negatively affected by those relating to visa status during the pandemic, travel bans, and student work authorization (OPT, CPT). …

An Autoethnographic Study: Perspectives And Insights Of A Cross-Cultural Educator On Curriculum And Pedagogical Variation In Internationalization Of Higher Education, L. Ge

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This auto-ethnographic inquiry utilizes autobiographical narrative to delve into my experiences and narratives as a cross-cultural educator simultaneously teaching at a Chinese and Canadian university. The aim is to ponder the interconnections, differences, and challenges within formal cross-cultural curriculum design and pedagogy, informal curriculum, and hidden curriculum and engage with academic environments and broader communities. Specifically, the study will examine the content, teaching methodologies, student learning, assessment practices, and the learning environment based on my experiences in an intercultural educational setting, as well as my coping strategies. The constructivist paradigm serves as the theoretical framework to explore my perceptions and …

The Grizzly, September 18, 2025, Renee Washart, Sidney D. Belleroche, Sophia Kumar, Adam Denn, Hadley Whitman, Jesse Cherone

Ursinus College Grizzly Newspaper, 1978 to Present

Talking Greek Life With Maggie Diaz '28 • Best Booth in Sports? Ursinus's! • Are Ursinus Bears Going Extinct? An Enrollment Analysis • APEX Hub Spotlight: Sports! • The Making of Out! Just Over the Line • Ursinus Does Got Talent • Place and Chase: The Ursinus Field Hockey Ball Boys • A Fanatical Visit to 97.5

Rapid Mapping Of Spinal And Supraspinal Connectome Via Self-Targeting Glucose-Based Carbon Dots, Yasin B. Seven, Elif S. Seven, Emel Kirbas Cilingir, Komal Parikh, Mehmet Aydin, Edward K. Luca, Jayakrishnan Nair, Roger M. Leblanc

Department of Physical Therapy Faculty Papers

The spinal cord is a highly dynamic network, playing significant roles in the vital functions of the brain. Disorders of the spinal cord, such as spinal cord injury and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are associated with neurodegeneration, often resulting in morbidity and mortality. The blood-brain barrier (BBB) poses a major challenge to imaging and therapeutic agents because less than 2% of small-molecule drugs and almost no large-molecule drugs can cross the BBB. Furthermore, spatial spectroscopy studies have shown highly heterogeneous BBB crossing with significant accumulation at the unintended brain regions. Thus, targeting systems that can cross the BBB at the …

Early Blood Pressure Targets In Acute Spinal Cord Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Ruba Sajdeya, N. David Yanez, Michael Kampp, Michael D. Goodman, David Zonies, Brandon Togioka, Andrew Nunn, Robert D. Winfield, Niels D. Martin, Anirudh Kohli, Toan T. Huynh, David O. Okonkwo, Roy A. Poblete, Emily J. Gilmore, Randall M. Chesnut, Aaron E. Bunnell, Tetsu Ohnuma, Mona Hashemaghaie, Miriam M. Treggiari

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

IMPORTANCE: Early blood pressure management is central to neurologic resuscitation of spinal cord injury; however, the role of augmented blood pressure is unclear.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy and safety of augmented vs conventional blood pressure on 6-month neurologic outcomes after acute spinal cord injury.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This multicenter randomized clinical trial took place from October 3, 2017, to July 26, 2023, and assessed patients 18 years or older with spinal cord injury followed up for 6 months at 13 large US trauma centers.

INTERVENTIONS: Patients were equally randomized to augmented (>85-90 mm Hg) or conventional ( …

The Impact Of Cage Position, Radiographic Parameters, And Hounsfield Units On Subsidence Rate After One To Three Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy And Fusion, Jarod Olson, Jonathan Dalton, Omar H. Tarawneh, Rajkishen Narayanan, Alec Giakas, Rachel Huang, Joydeep Baidya, Robert J. Oris, Joshua Mathew, William A. Green, Nicholas B. Pohl, Anthony Labarbiera, Benjamin Crain, Nathaniel Pineda, Joseph Rajasekaran, Gordon Hua, Mark F. Kurd, Jeffrey A. Rihn, Jose A. Canseco, Alan S. Hilibrand, Alex R. Vaccaro, Christopher K Kepler, Gregory D. Schroeder

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

STUDY DESIGN: The study design was a retrospective cohort.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to validate the relationship between Hounsfield units (HU) and subsidence, including multilevel anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Cage/graft subsidence commonly occurs after ACDF. Prior work on 1-level ACDF found increased subsidence rates in patients with lower HUs.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adults who underwent 1-3 level ACDF at a tertiary center and had preoperative computed tomography scans were included (2018-2022). HUs were assessed ~5 mm caudal to the superior endplate. Six-month postoperative radiographs were evaluated for cage/graft positioning, screw loosening, and subsidence. Receiver operating …

Differential Effects Of Macrophage Subtype-Specific Cytokines On Fibroblast Proliferation And Endothelial Cell Function In Co-Culture System, Phillip Mcclellan, Thomas R. Wong, Sara Hijaz, David R. Fletcher, Ozan Akkus, Tracey L. Bonfield, James M. Anderson, Adonis Hijaz

Faculty Scholarship

Macrophages are involved in several critical activities associated with tissue repair and regeneration. Current approaches in regenerative medicine are focusing on leveraging the innate immune response to accelerate tissue regeneration and improve long-term healing outcomes. Of particular interest in this regard are the currently known, four main M2 macrophage subtypes: M2interleukin (IL)-4,IL-13, M2IC, M2IL-10, M2non-selective adenosine receptor agonists (NECA) (M2IL-4,IL-13 → M2(NECA). In this study, rat bone marrow-derived macrophages (M₀) were polarized to each of the four subtypes M2IL-4,IL-13 → M2NECA and cultured for 72 h in vitro. Luminex assay results highlighted increased production of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1 (TIMP-1) …

Dementia As A Critical Lens On The Role Of Narrative In Medical Training And Practice, Erin Gentry Lamb

Faculty Scholarship

Narrative holds an important place within medicine and medical education, but an uncritical use of narrative can have troubling consequences for the care of patients who have limited or no capacity for self-narration, such as those living with dementia. We argue that the guiding principles in the use of narrative within medicine and medical education must be inclusivity and opportunity. We illustrate how medical training can benefit from a more inclusive definition of narrative, and we present a selection of innovative approaches to narrative coming out of literary studies, narrative gerontology, and medical and health humanities that focus on metaphor, …

Decolonizing Colombian Foreign-Language Classroom Assessments: A Meaningful Framework, Patricia Grillet Rodriguez

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

In Colombia, foreign-language evaluation validity appears to be mainly related to the analysis of instruments, leaving aside students’ characteristics, affective schemata and expectations. Drawing from critical pedagogy, this study aimed at raising authenticity and meaningfulness in the development of valid foreign-language assessments in a higher education classroom. Framed in the sociocultural perspective, the teacher/researcher and her students obtained substantial gains by adapting a syllabus and evaluation system to better respond to the needs of their context. It was a collaborative process that implied contextualizing contents, establishing a concept of language ability, and including students’ voices in the design of assessments, …

Introduction, Rosalind Latiner Raby

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Do Micro-Level Support Areas Impact International Students’ Perceived Academic Success?, Taiwo O. Soetan

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

This study examined the micro-level support areas for international students at a higher education institution (polytechnic) in Canada to determine their perceived academic success using the Bronfenbrenner theory of human development at the micro-level. A quantitative study was conducted to measure the impact of micro-level support areas on international student’s perceived academic success. A target sample of 399 international students was recruited to participate in a hard copy, one on one survey in the 2019 winter semester. The results of this study show that international students’ support areas at the micro-level were strongly related to their perceived academic success. The …

The Cowl - V. 89 N. 1 - September 18, 2025

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 89 No. 1 - September 18, 2025. 20 pages.