Digital Commons Network^™

Listen Up! Perspectives Of People Of Color Who Use Augmentative And Alternative Communication In The United States, Shelley Lund, Yoosun Chung, Tracy Rackensperger, Alison Pentland, Adriana Castillo, Gracie Williams, Wendy Quach

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Every individual has a fundamental right to communicate and access equal opportunities to fully participate in society. However, this right may not be fully manifested for individuals with communication access needs especially those from underrepresented groups. This project had two aims, to determine 1) the specific experiences, challenges, and aspirations related to the cultural identities of people of color (POC) who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and 2) how AAC service providers and manufacturers can support POC AAC users in a culturally and linguistically responsive manner. We conducted an online, asynchronous focus group with seven participants over eight weeks. …

How Do Parents Decide On Genetic Testing In Pediatrics? A Systematic Review, Hadley Stevens Smith, Bethany Zettler, Casie A Genetti, Madison R Hickingbotham, Tanner F Coleman, Matthew Lebo, Anna Nagy, Hana Zouk, Lisa Mahanta, Kurt D Christensen, Stacey Pereira, Nidhi D Shah, Nina B Gold, Sheyenne Walmsley, Sarita Edwards, Ramin Homayouni, Graham P Krasan, Hakon Hakonarson, Carol R Horowitz, Bruce D Gelb, Bruce R Korf, Amy L Mcguire, Ingrid A Holm, Robert C Green

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Efforts to implement and evaluate genome sequencing (GS) as a screening tool for newborns and infants are expanding worldwide. The first iteration of the BabySeq Project (2015-2019), a randomized controlled trial of newborn sequencing, produced novel evidence on medical, behavioral, and economic outcomes. The second iteration of BabySeq, which began participant recruitment in January 2023, examines GS outcomes in a larger, more diverse cohort of more than 500 infants up to one year of age recruited from pediatric clinics at several sites across the United States. The trial aims for families who self-identify as Black/African American or Hispanic/Latino to make …

The Babyseq Project: A Clinical Trial Of Genome Sequencing In A Diverse Cohort Of Infants, Hadley Stevens Smith, Bethany Zettler, Casie A Genetti, Madison R Hickingbotham, Tanner F Coleman, Matthew Lebo, Anna Nagy, Hana Zouk, Lisa Mahanta, Kurt D Christensen, Stacey Pereira, Nidhi D Shah, Nina B Gold, Sheyenne Walmsley, Sarita Edwards, Ramin Homayouni, Graham P Krasan, Hakon Hakonarson, Carol R Horowitz, Bruce D Gelb, Bruce R Korf, Amy L Mcguire, Ingrid A Holm, Robert C Green

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Efforts to implement and evaluate genome sequencing (GS) as a screening tool for newborns and infants are expanding worldwide. The first iteration of the BabySeq Project (2015-2019), a randomized controlled trial of newborn sequencing, produced novel evidence on medical, behavioral, and economic outcomes. The second iteration of BabySeq, which began participant recruitment in January 2023, examines GS outcomes in a larger, more diverse cohort of more than 500 infants up to one year of age recruited from pediatric clinics at several sites across the United States. The trial aims for families who self-identify as Black/African American or Hispanic/Latino to make …

Inflammation-Induced Epigenetic Imprinting Regulates Intestinal Stem Cells, Dongchang Zhao, Visweswaran Ravikumar, Tyler J Leach, Daniel Kraushaar, Emma Lauder, Lu Li, Yaping Sun, Katherine Oravecz-Wilson, Evan T Keller, Fengju Chen, Laure Maneix, Robert R Jenq, Robert Britton, Katherine Y King, Ana E Santibanez, Chad J Creighton, Arvind Rao, Pavan Reddy

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

It remains unknown whether, and how intestinal stem cells (ISC) adapt to inflammatory exposure, and if the adaptation leaves scars will affect their subsequent regeneration. We investigated the consequences of inflammation on Lgr5+ISCs in well-defined clinically relevant models of gastrointestinal acute graft-versus-host disease (GI GVHD). Utilizing single cell transcriptomics, organoid, metabolic, epigenomic and in vivo models we found that Lgr5+ISCs undergo metabolic changes that lead to accumulation of succinate, which reprograms its epigenome. These changes reduced the ability of ISCs to differentiate and regenerate ex vivo in serial organoid cultures and also in vivo following serial transplantation. Furthermore, ISCs demonstrated …

Default Mode Network Electrophysiological Dynamics And Causal Role In Creative Thinking, Eleonora Bartoli, Ethan Devara, Huy Q Dang, Rikki Rabinovich, Raissa K Mathura, Adrish Anand, Bailey R Pascuzzi, Joshua Adkinson, Yoed N Kenett, Kelly R Bijanki, Sameer A Sheth, Ben Shofty

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The default mode network (DMN) is a widely distributed, intrinsic brain network thought to play a crucial role in internally directed cognition. The present study employs stereo-EEG in 13 human patients, obtaining high resolution neural recordings across multiple canonical DMN regions during two processes that have been associated with creative thinking: spontaneous and divergent thought. We probe these two DMN-associated higher cognitive functions through mind wandering and alternate uses tasks, respectively. Our results reveal DMN recruitment during both tasks, as well as a task-specific dissociation in spatiotemporal response dynamics. When compared to the fronto-parietal network, DMN activity was characterized by …

Linfield Digest, Linfield Magazine Staff

Linfield Magazine

Brief articles and photos of events and news about Linfield University

Quality Improvement Of Breast And Cervical Cancer Screening Satisfaction Rate At A Utrgv Resident-Led Clinic., Eunbee Cho, Diana Othon Martinez, Jian Garcia Cruz, Nestor Gerardo Astorga, Martha Solis, Oliverio Abarca Guzman, Elimar Gonzalez Morales, Fatimah Bello

Research Colloquium

Background: In the US, 77.3% of women aged 21-65 years have had a Pap smear within the past three years and around 75.9% of women aged 50-74 years reported having a mammogram within the past two years as recommended according to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). In UTRGV Resident-led Clinic located in Hidalgo County, the quality metrics data demonstrated screening satisfactory rate for cervical and breast cancer to be 18% in August 2023. This Quality Improvement project is aimed at enhancing the screening satisfactory rate of breast and cervical cancer by 20% at UTRGV Knapp IM Clinic by …

Called: A Pentecostal Theology Of Vocation, Martin W. Mittelstadt

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

In this essay, I propose a Pentecostal theology of vocation that extends out of the Full Gospel and prophethood of all believers. Though Pentecostals devote considerable attention to church-related/religious vocations, Pentecostals must reimagine vocational implications for fullness of the Spirit on all believers. All Pentecostals are called to embody the dual impulses of the Fivefold Gospel. They are being saved, sanctified, baptized in the Spirit, healed, and living in eager anticipation of Jesus’ return. At the same time, all Pentecostals become saving agents with Christ; they perform holy love; they engage in Spirit-inspired witness; they offer healing balm for a …

Lex Orandi, Lex Serviendi: Roman Catholic Theology Of Ordained Ministry In Select Texts From The Rites Of Ordination, Leonardo J. Gajardo

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article will explore the understanding of ordained ministry within the Roman Catholic Church. The article proceeds by examining the prayer and homily from the rites of ordination for Bishops, Priests, and Deacons in order to observe the biblical foundations of ordained ministry, the role of ordained ministry within salvation history, the functional and ontological dimensions of ordained ministry, the living out of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and the role of the Holy Spirit in ordained ministry.

Initiation Sacraments And Directions For Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue: An Essay For The Exploratory Usccb/Pccna Dialogue, Kimberly H. Belcher

Spiritus: ORU Journal of Theology

This article surveys Roman Catholic understandings of initiation sacraments. It traces historical developments and current practices for the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Holy Communion. Throughout attention is paid to the areas where convergences and issues for further discussion between Roman Catholics and Pentecostals emerge.

Diversity Of Fishes Along The Coast Of Türkiye, Murat Bi̇lecenoğlu

Turkish Journal of Zoology

The Turkish marine fish diversity was revised and updated in this study based on data published in the last decade. There arecurrently 552 species in the inventory, reflecting an increase of 7.8% since the previous checklist and belonging to the classes of Teleostei(479 spp.), Elasmobranchii (68 spp.), Chondrostei (3 spp.), Petromyzonti (1 sp.), and Holocephali (1 sp.). Twelve species were excludedfrom the faunal list due to the lack of valid proof of their presence, the distribution ranges of an additional 12 species were corrected, twonew records (Istiompax indica (Cuvier, 1832) and Mola alexandrini (Ranzani, 1839)) previously unknown from Türkiye were …

Building A Better Security Force Assistance Brigade, William Bittner

Venture: The University of Mississippi Undergraduate Research Journal

This paper examines the effectiveness of United States Army Security Force Assistance Brigades (SFABs) in training and advising partner militaries while preserving conventional force readiness. A shortage of volunteers, the manpower demands of embedded security, and lack of a Congressional funding authority have made SFABs and the conventional force less ready for operations. These challenges will be analyzed through the lens of institutional theory to identify systemic threats to the viability of SFABs. This paper posits that an advisor career field should be created in response to an institutional aversion to non-combat roles. Further, the Army should eliminate or shrink …

The Chatgpt Dilemma: Opportunities Vs. Risks In Engineering Education, Ramiz Assaf, Amjad El-Qanni, Ihab H. Alsurakji, Mahmoud Assad

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Objective: This research aims at exploring ChatGPT's features and benefits in engineering education, while presenting suggested best practices, potential challenges, and ethical considerations for its use in this field. Methodology: Descriptive analysis of ChatGPT applications in engineering education, focusing on benefits, challenges, and limitations. Key Findings: ChatGPT has diverse applications across various domains, with unprecedented attention in media, industry, and academia. ChatGPT can help enhance students' problem-solving and soft skills (21st century skills). There is a need to change the teaching and assignment approach in engineering to better harness ChatGPT's capabilities. Conclusions: Educators in the engineering field should emphasize the …

Online Education And Its Impact On University Students’ Mental Health In The West Bank And Gaza Strip: A Cross-Sectional Study, Bilal Hamamra, Abdelkareem Daragmeh, Oqab Jabali, Guido Veronese, Fayez Mahamid

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Background: The educational performance stress during the pandemic outbreak has added to the many factors of pressure that students are exposed in Palestine. In addition to economic distress, mobility and access restrictions, lack of digital literacy and competence, and constant internet interruptions have added new burdens and significantly impacted university students' mental health. Objectives: This research examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of students in Palestinian universities. Methods: Using qualitative and quantitative methods, we identified the economic and political factors, access to educational portals, academic demands, and the general lack of interest …

Coyotes Can Do ‘Puppy Dog Eyes’ Too: Comparing Interspecific Variation In Canis Facial Expression Muscles, Patrick Cunningham, Mahita Shankar, Bridgett Vonholdt, Kristin Brzeski, Sarah S. Kienle

Michigan Tech Publications

Facial expressions are critical for non-verbal communication. The Canis genus epitomizes the interplay between behaviour and morphology in the evolution of non-verbal communication. Recent work suggests that the levator anguli oculi medialis (LAOM) muscle is unique to dogs (Canis familiaris) within the Canis genus and evolved due to domestication. The LAOM raises the inner eyebrows, resulting in the ‘puppy dog eyes’ expression. Here, we test whether the LAOM is a derived trait in dogs by (i) examining the facial expression muscles of a closely related and ancestral wild Canis species, the coyote (C. latrans) and (ii) comparing our results with …

Commonwealth Times 2024-10-02

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Zoology

No abstract provided.

Virtual Bonds And Transformed Homes: Diaspora And Ict In Inaam Kachachi’S The Dispersal, Asmaa S. Altalafeeh, Yousef Abu Amrieh

An-Najah University Journal for Research - B (Humanities)

Objective: This research aims to explore the significant impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on literary representations of diasporic experiences, particularly focusing on its role in connecting immigrants worldwide. Methodology: The study employs an analytical approach to examine the influence of ICT on diasporic literature. Key Findings: The findings reveal that ICT has played a crucial role in reshaping the concept and portrayal of diasporic experiences in literature. In Inaam Kachachi’s novel The Dispersal (2023), Iskander’s technological skills highlight ICT's potential to maintain family connections. He uses technology to preserve his family’s history by creating a virtual graveyard, allowing …

The College Voice, Vol. 63, No. 2 [October 2, 2024], Connecticut College

2024-2025

No abstract provided.

Diversifying Skin Tone Representation In Medical School Dermatology Curriculum, Devin Barzallo, Afua A. Ofori-Darko, Ashley M. Perez, Katherine Disano

Student Scholarship

The lack of diversity in medical education contributes to disparities in dermatologic health outcomes, particularly for patients of color. This study evaluates second-year medical students’ comfort in diagnosing conditions in skin of color (SOC) and explores strategies to improve their confidence. We hypothesize that a curriculum enriched with SOC representation will enhance diagnostic skills. Surveys from Fall 2020 and Fall 2022 showed increased student comfort in diagnosing SOC. Fall 2022 students, exposed to more diverse dermatologic photos, demonstrated greater confidence. These findings underscore the necessity of integrating SOC content into medical curricula to address healthcare disparities.

More Than Memory: Can Memory Spaces Really Prevent Mass Atrocities?, Kerry E. Whigham

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

As transitional justice has grown as a field and as an international mandate in post-atrocity contexts over the past several decades, the memorialization of past atrocities through the construction of physical spaces of memory has increasingly been recognized as an essential aspect of this complex process. Often, these spaces of memory are touted not only as honoring past victims, but also as important tools for preventing future violence. To date, there has yet to emerge a clear way to measure exactly how sites of memory contribute to atrocity prevention. Can a site of memory really help prevent further acts of …

Full Issue 18.1

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

No abstract provided.

The Use Of Geospatial Imagery In Myanmar For Mass Atrocity Prevention, Elisenda Calvet-Martínez

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This paper aims to explore to what extent the usage of geospatial imagery can serve as a tool for atrocity prevention in a context of armed conflict and post-conflict. While most attention has been paid to the use of geospatial imagery to document mass atrocities for advocacy and accountability purposes, less attention has attracted the potential of this technology as a preventive tool. In the case of Myanmar, a special interest is on how to advance in the use of geospatial imagery to guarantee the safe return of the Rohingya refugees and how to prevent acts of genocide after the …

Failing To End Genocide: Structural Factors, Triggers, And Ineffective Responses, Tutku Ayhan

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Why do ongoing genocides persist despite global condemnation? This paper examines the challenge of ending ongoing genocides and argues that the persistence of genocides can be largely attributed to the interaction of structural factors and triggers with inadequate responses at the national, regional, and international levels. The analysis focuses on the genocidal experiences of the Yezidi and Rohingya communities, which were triggered by the 2014 attacks in Sinjar, Iraq, and the 2017 actions in Rakhine State, Myanmar. By viewing genocide as a process rather than an isolated act of violence and recognizing cultural genocide as genocide, this study aims to …

Conceptualizing Great Power Perpetrators, Federica D'Alessandra

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

For over a decade, shifting geopolitics, a changed global security environment, and countless failures of diplomacy have raised important questions on how to collectively grapple with a widely-perceived “crisis of multilateralism,” and reignited debate on the fitness of the UN Security Council to deliver on its mandate under these circumstances. Among other issues, ongoing polarization when not outright “gridlock” among the Permanent Members (P5) has fueled the Council’s apparent inability to respond to threats to civilian life and to countless mass atrocities around the world. Even worse, as this article argues, some P5 today possess both the willingness and unprecedented …

Bridging The Atrocity Prevention Gap Between The International And The Local: Lessons Learned From Meso-Level Leadership In Ukraine And Syria, Kristina Hook, Jamie D. Wise

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

This paper explores meso-level approaches to atrocity prevention that incorporate a wider array of local expertise at all stages, from early warning to transitional justice. Specifically, we treat meso-level approaches as encompassing local leadership and advocacy across bottom-up processes, grassroots efforts, victim-led activism, and civil society mobilization. We draw from two contemporary cases of mass atrocities, Ukraine and Syria, which exemplify such efforts, using primary interview data with meso-level actors. First, we examine atrocity risk early warning in Ukraine, where prescient local expertise at the meso-level failed to influence international responses, asking what went wrong and what more could be …

Pig Butchering In Cybersecurity: A Modern Social Engineering Threat, Sharon L. Burton, Pamela D. Moore

Publications

Pig butchering is an escalating cybersecurity threat that exploits social engineering to build trust and execute financial fraud. The relevance of this research problem lies in the growing incidence and sophistication of these scams, which have severe financial and psychological impacts on victims. The main purpose of this research is to uncover the methods used in pig butchering scams and their impact on individuals and businesses. The research focuses on digital platforms such as social media, dating apps, and professional networking sites, chosen for their wide user bases and the ease of establishing personal connections. The study period encompasses recent …

Examining The Relationship Between Ethnocentrism, Perspective-Taking And Cultural Competence In Medical-Surgical Nurses, Lori Ann Palmieri

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This descriptive correlational study explored the relationships between cultural competence, ethnocentrism, and perspective-taking in practicing medical-surgical nurses living in the United States (US). Participants (N=111) were recruited from the New Jersey Board of Nursing (NJBON) and from the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses (AMSN). The survey consisted of three validated instruments a) the cultural competence assessment instrument (CCA-I); b) the generalized ethnocentrism scale (GENE); c) the perspective-taking (PT) subscale of the interpersonal reactivity index (IRI), and d) demographic profile questions. Data were collected via Qualtrics and analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 28/29). Ethnocentrism and perspective-taking explained 30.2% of the variance …

Health Literacy And Cumulative Social Disadvantage Are Associated With Survival And Transplant In Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Prospective Study, Lauren D Nephew, Susan M Rawl, Allie Carter, Nicole Garcia, Patrick O Monahan, John Holden, Marwan Ghabril, Eleazar Montalvan-Sanchez, Kavish Patidar, Archita P Desai, Eric Orman, Naga Chalasani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how individual social determinants of health (SDOH) and cumulative social disadvantage (CSD) affect survival and receipt of liver transplant (LT) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODS: We enrolled 139 adult patients from two Indianapolis hospital systems between June 2019 and April 2022. Structured questionnaires collected SDOH and social risk factor data. We compared SDOH and CSD by race, gender and disease aetiology, assigning one point per adverse SDOH. Multivariable competing risk survival analysis assessed associations between SDOH, CSD, survival and LT receipt.

RESULTS: Black patients experienced higher CSD than white patients in the cohort (5.4±2.5 vs …

Dangerous Speech As An Atrocity Early Warning Indicator: Measuring Changing Conflict Dynamics, Catherine Buerger, Susan Benesch

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal

Dangerous speech, any expression that can increase the likelihood that someone will commit or condone violence against members of another group, can be a powerful early warning signal of impending mass violence. However, one cannot make a list of words that are dangerous, since the effect of the message depends not only on its content, but also on how it is communicated: by whom, to whom, and under what circumstances. What may be benign in one context may be extremely inflammatory in another. Thus, effective monitoring requires deep knowledge of the local setting and structural factors. The spread of dangerous …