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An Overview Of The Current Scientific Evidence On The Biological Properties Of Abelmoschus Esculentus (L.) Moench (Okra), Shun Wan Chan, Hei Tung, Lydia Chan, Tsun Ka, Carten Kwok, Yam Fung Ng

Department of Food and Health Sciences

Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench, commonly known as okra or lady’s finger, is an annual flowering plant belonging to the Malvaceae family. Okra is a native plant in Africa as well as a traditional medicine in Africa and India for treating different diseases and conditions. Today, okra is widely consumed as a vegetable and is increasingly recognized as a superfood due to its rich nutritional profile and potential pharmacological benefits. Research indicates that okra exhibits a range of biological activities, including antidiabetic, antihyperlipidemic, antifatigue, vasoprotective, hepatoprotective, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects. Despite its promising therapeutic potential, research on the active compounds …

Hybrid Quantum-Assisted Deep Learning Model For Early-Stage Alzheimer’S Disease Classification Based On Mri Images, Eman A. Radhi, Mohammed Y. Kamil, Mazin Abed Mohammed

Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data

Alzheimer's disease (AD) presents significant diagnostic challenges owing to the subtle morphological similarities observed in the early stages, with traditional deep learning approaches often struggling to distinguish between the various stages of disease progression via structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data. Quantum computing offers unique advantages for medical image analysis, leveraging superposition and entanglement capabilities to process high-dimensional feature spaces beyond the limits of classical computation. This study introduces a hybrid quantum-classical neural network architecture (HQC-Net) for accurate four-class Alzheimer's disease classification, which uses quantum processing to detect patterns that are often invisible to classical spatial analysis methods. The proposed …

Shared Generator-Based Serverless Multimodal Federated Learning For Medical Image Analysis, Mohammed Adel Al-Shahe, Ahmed Saihood, Mustafa Asaad Hasan

Mesopotamian Journal of Big Data

Medical image analysis constitutes the foundation of the diagnosis of potential life-threatening conditions such as lung cancer. Nevertheless, AI model construction in this context is hindered by strict privacy regulations (e.g., HIPAA, GDPR), the variability of imaging protocols, and the paucity of large annotated datasets. These barriers constrain centralised machine learning and dampen interdisciplinary research. To overcome such barriers, this paper introduces shared generator-serverless federated learning (SGS-FL), a decentralised multimodal medical imaging framework. By employing a shared generator and multidiscriminator architecture, SGS-FL eliminates centralised dependency via cross-modal synthesis, while the communication burden is reduced by embedding a sharing protocol. By …

Teacher Retention In The Wake Of The Inclusion Movement: A Mixed Methods Study On Teachers’ Perceptions Of Self-Efficacy, Tessa Vasquez

Theses and Dissertations

This applied dissertation studied the problem of the national teacher shortage by considering the impact of the inclusion movement on general education teachers’ self efficacy. This mixed-methods study sought to contribute to the body of literature examining factors responsible for poor teacher retention and factors responsible for low teacher self-efficacy. Nine participants were interviewed and administered the Teacher Effective Inclusion Self-Efficacy, Knowledge, and Attitudes Measure. The researcher conducted coding and thematic analysis of the interview transcripts and six themes emerged. The researcher scored the questionnaires and compared the scores to the responses provided in the interviews.

Themes revealed that the …

Vcu's Yellow Brick Road: Connection, Safety, & Navigation, Karen Bjork, Robert Chisley, Samuel Kessler, Taylor Mackillop, Sarah Midkiff

The Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute Publications

Yellow Brick Road is an initiative designed to strengthen the connection between Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and downtown Richmond by promoting outdoor activity, sustainable mobility, and shared community experiences. The project aims to enhance the health and well-being of students, faculty, and staff through walking meetings and a proposed VCU-branded e-bike fleet, while also deepening VCU’s engagement with the urban community through events such as the UNCOMMON Street Festival. Together, these efforts reflect VCU’s vision as a university fully embedded in the city, guided by the question: How can VCU thrive with Richmond, not apart from it?

Introduction To Hydroponics- 2025-2026 Workshop Handbook, Stacy A. Adams

Department of Agronomy and Horticulture: Faculty Publications

Hydroponically grown plants grow faster than traditional production systems, with greater productivity, greater palatability, and having optimal visual character. Three principal components of a system include the plant support platform, a nutrient solution reservoir, and an interface for the root-solution. This publication provides in-depth explanation to system design, evaluation of water quality, nutrient formulation, and prototype systems that can be easily constructed for those wanting to explore hydroponics, such as educators, organizational leaders, or home enthusiasts.

The Entrepreneurs Handbook: A Practical Meets Academic Guide For Both Current And Budding Business Owners And Risk Takers, Howard J. Friedman

Open Educational Resources

This work has been created with the intention of being used as a practical guide for the budding entrepreneur. The concepts are presented to optimize creative thinking and find a path to a fully realized business. From idea through funding, the company life cycle. This work is meant to provide the reader with all the materials that will be needed to make a real-world decision. Effort has been made to combine academic and practical data to offer a straightforward guide to finding, funding, and realizing your dream.

Female Brain And Endocrinological Research–Veteran (Fember-Vet) Study: A Study Protocol For Identifying Endocrinological, Lifestyle And Psychosocial Determinants Of Brain Health Outcomes In Female Veterans For Future Intervention Success, Tamlyn Watermeyer, Elliott Atkinson, Glyn Howatson, Gill Mcgill, Christina Dodds, Paul Ansdell, Chinedu Momoh

Brain and Mind Institute

Background: Recent studies have demonstrated a greater risk of dementia in female veterans compared to civilians; with the highest prevalence noted for former service women with a diagnosis of psychiatric (trauma, alcoholism, depression), and/or a physical health condition (brain injury, insomnia, diabetes). Such findings highlight the need for increased and early screening of medical and psychiatric conditions, and indeed dementia, in the female veteran population. Further, they call for a better understanding of the underlying biopsychosocial mechanisms that might confer heightened risk for female veterans, to tailor preventative and interventional strategies that support brain health across the lifespan.

Methods …

Investing In Equitable Healthy Aging: Why Africa Must Reform Social Pension Schemes To Improve Alzheimer's Disease And Dementia Outcomes, Cyprian Mostert, Najat El Mekkaoui, Shehzad Ali, Chinedu Momoh, Olivera Nesic, Karen Blackmon, Thomas Thesen, David Andai, Zul Merali, Mary Karanja

Brain and Mind Institute

The eligibility criteria for social pension schemes in Africa hinder equitable and healthy aging. In 2019, women in 14 sub-Saharan African countries had an average life expectancy of 67 years but a healthy life expectancy of only 57 years, leaving them 5 years in poor health before receiving a pension at age 62. Men had a similar situation—a life expectancy of 62 years and a healthy life expectancy of 53 years, spending 10 years in poor health before becoming eligible for pensions at age 63. Many men do not receive pensions due to early death. Delays and low pension payouts …

Patterns Of Self-Harm Presentations At A Tertiary Urban Hospital In Kenya: A Retrospective 5-Year Study (2018–2022), Willie Njoroge, Catherine Gitau, Everline Onchari, Linnet Ongeri, Linda Khakali, Murad Khan, Zul Merali, Lukoye Atwoli, Jasmit Shah

Brain and Mind Institute

Introduction Self-harm represents a complex and multifaceted public health issue of global significance, exerting profound effects on individuals and communities alike. It involves intentional self-poisoning or self-injury with or without the motivation to die. Although self-harm is highly prevalent, limited research has focused on the patterns and trends of self-harm among hospital populations in low- and middle-income countries, particularly within Africa. This study aims to explore the socio-demographic and clinical profile of patients presenting with self-harm and determine the common self-harm patterns at a tertiary facility in Kenya.

Methodology We carried out a descriptive retrospective study and included patients from …

The Female Brain Health And Endocrine Research In Africa Study (Fember-Africa): Identifying Endocrinological, Lifestyle, Psychosocial And Socio-Cultural Targets For Alzheimer’S Disease Prevention In Women Of African Ancestry, Chinedu Momoh, Rachel Maina, Edna Bosire, Linda Khakali, Sarah Gregory, Karen Blackmon, Thomas Thesen, Samuel Gitau, Anne Njogu, Cynthia Smith, Sylvia Mbugua, Sheila Waa, Jasmit Shah, Kendi Muchungi, Zul Merali

Brain and Mind Institute

Background The Global Dementia Action Plan 2017-2025 specifies key targets, with an emphasis on building research infrastructure and capability across the Global South. However, to date, only 0.1% of total research in Africa constitutes dementia research, the lowest volume of all LMIC regions. Several biomarker and risk models of the preclinical and prodromal stages of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are proposed as optimal junctures for disease prevention, yet they ignore the influence of biological sex/gender on cognitive and disease processes, despite female sex/gender constituting a major AD modifier. Similarly, the application of these models in ethno-racial and culturally diverse cohorts is …

Energy, Exergy, Economic, And Environmental Analyses (4e) Of Geothermal Power Plant With Double Flash System For Power And Heat Production, Mamdouh El Haj Assad, Yashar Aryanfar, Imen Ben Salem, Shek Atiqure Rahman, Laveet Kumar, Ahmad K. Sleiti, Mohammad Alhuyi Nazri

All Works

Geothermal energy is a reliable and sustainable renewable energy source due to its continuous availability and eliminating the need for energy storage systems. Among various types of geothermal power plants, double flash (DF) geothermal plants are among the most widely utilized. This paper presents a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of a DF geothermal power plant, integrating energy, exergy, economic, and exergoenvironmental (4E) evaluations. The study examines the influence of key parameters, including the high-pressure separator and geothermal production well temperature, on the system performance. The results indicate that the expansion valve of the high pressure separator exhibits the highest exergy destruction …

Effect Of Forage Allocation On Steer Performance When Grazing Cereal Rye, Shelby L. Davies-Jenkins, Abigail M. Sartin, Daren D. Redfearn, Mary E. Drewnoski

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

Cereal rye is the most common cover crop planted today. With its good winter tolerance and rapid spring growth during a gap in perennial pasture productivity, it is an attractive forage source in early spring. Unfortunately, optimum stocking rates and how they are related to forage biomass availability are unknown. The study objective was to understand the effect of forage allowance on steer performance when rotationally grazing fall-planted cereal rye in spring. Stocking rate was negatively correlated with pounds of forage offered. Surprisingly, amount of forage offered related to average daily gain. Growing steers grazing cereal rye …

Strategies Affecting Performance And Profitability Of May-Born Steers, Dempster M. Christenson, Jacki A. Musgrave, Richard N. Funston

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

This study compared the performance and economic outcomes of differing backgrounding and feedlot systems in May-born yearling steers. We hypothesized reduced supplementation with adequate forage availability while backgrounding weaned steers will yield a similar carcass with greater profitability. It was hypothesized yearling steers backgrounded on pasture before finishing in feedlot would have a more valuable carcass that is more profitable than steers that enter the feedlot immediately. Weaned steer calves were backgrounded with ad libitum hay and 4 lb/d supplement in drylot or on pasture with 1 lb/d supplement. As yearlings, half of each backgrounding group immediately …

Impact Of Feeding Distillers Grains Compared To New Fractionated Distillers Grains (Solbran) On Feedlot Cattle Performance And Enteric Methane, Debora G. Sousa, Rebecca L. Mcdermott, Mitchell M. Norman, James C. Macdonald, Rick Stock, Ryan A. Mass, Galen E. Erickson

Nebraska Beef Cattle Reports

Summary with Implications

This study evaluated feeding wet or dry traditional distillers grains with wet and dry fractionated distillers (Solbran) fed at 40% of diet DM compared to a corn control diet on enteric methane emissions and performance. Compared to the control, there was no difference in carbon dioxide production, but there was an increase in methane production in the steers fed fractionated distillers compared to conventional distillers. Feeding steers traditional or fractionated distillers grains increased consumption, increased gain, but improved conversions only for steers fed WDGS, while steers fed the other distillers grains had worse or the same feed …

Nutrient Fate, Mass Balance, Species Selection, And Plant Management Strategies With Floating Treatment Wetlands, Carla Campbell

Doctoral Dissertations

Excess nutrients in shallow urban ponds can lead to harmful algal blooms, low dissolved oxygen, and internal phosphorus cycling. These effects can compromise municipal water supplies and cause negative impacts on fisheries and recreation. Floating treatment wetlands (FTWs) show promise to mitigate surface water nutrient pollution. However, despite recent research, many aspects of FTWs remain poorly characterized. The contribution of FTW components to nutrient removal, local species selection, and plant management strategies were the focus of this dissertation. Mesocosm experiments revealed that the combination of plants and coir fiber growth media in FTWs appeared to positively affect plant biomass gain …

Enhanced Audio Encryption Scheme: Integrating Blowfish, Hmac-Sha256, And Md5 For Secure Communication, Jenan Ayad, Noor Qaddoori, Hasanain Maytham

Mesopotamian Journal of CyberSecurity

In today's communications, it is vital to protect audio data privacy before and after transfer. This work therefore introduces the enhanced audio encryption scheme (EAES), which employs the most effective techniques of cryptography and processes them to make it impossible for unauthorized persons or programs to access or change the contents of audio files. This method uses RSA to encrypt the Blowfish key, which is used for data encryption, the HMAC-SHA256 algorithm for integrity checks, and the Message-Digest algorithm (MD5) for the checking phase. The performance of the EAES is measured statistically via the MSE, PSNR, and correlation coefficient. For …

Enhancing Traffic Data Security In Smart Cities Using Optimized Quantum-Based Digital Signatures And Privacy-Preserving Techniques, Tuqa Ghani Tregi, Mishall Al-Zubaidie

Mesopotamian Journal of CyberSecurity

Securing big data in power plants is an important and fundamental step in the infrastructure of smart cities. In addition, it becomes a barrier if it is not controlled from the beginning. Security must be a combination of fast and robust properties. This research presents a traffic security system (TSS) in a smart city (SC). It is a novel paradigm meant to improve data security and integrity by means of a multilayered method. Advanced fault analysis, dual-stage pseudonymizing, quantum key distribution via the BB84 protocol, and Falcon signatures (FS) are combined in the proposed system. TSS enhances data security by …

Development And Pilot-Testing Of Remote Counseling Treatment Manual And Protocol For 15-Year-Old And Above Osaec Survivors, Maria Caridad Tarroja, Ma. Araceli Balajadia-Alcala, Patricia D. Simon, Agnes B. Villegas

SDRC Projects

This mixed-method action research developed and pilot-tested a brief, evidence-based remote counseling program for victim-survivors of online sexual abuse or exploitation of children (OSAEC) aged 15 years and older. Building on evidence and stakeholder consultations from Phase 1, the research team developed a treatment manual and remote counseling protocol guided by the Multimodal Social Ecological Framework. The program followed trauma-informed, culturally and developmentally appropriate, and empowerment-focused principles. Three experts with extensive experience in counseling children reviewed the manual before its pilot implementation.

The program comprised eight counseling sessions organized into three modules. Nine registered psychologists trained in the use of …

Assessment On The Capacity Of Local Government Units In Implementing The Rules And Regulations Of Republic Act No. 11930 And A Cost Study Of Implementing An Anti-Osaec Program, Ma. Divina Gracia Roldan, Ador R. Torneo, Maria Caridad Tarroja, Marites M. Tiongco, Ma. Ella C. Oplas

SDRC Projects

This study assessed the capacity of selected local government units (LGUs) to implement Republic Act No. 11930, or the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act, and its Implementing Rules and Regulations. It examined four dimensions of local capacity: legal, administrative, relational, and fiscal. It also assessed the costs and investments required to implement and sustain local anti-OSAEC programs.

The study employed a mixed-method approach in Manila, Dasmariñas City in Cavite, and Llorente in Eastern Samar. The qualitative component comprised 15 key informant interviews and 10 focus group discussions with representatives from …

Analysis Of Health Promoting Lifestyle And Associated Factors On Collegiate Aviation Pilots, Bill Deng Pan, Flavio A. C. Mendonca

Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research

A health-promoting lifestyle is an important determinant of physical and mental health status. Collegiate aviation pilots face unique challenges in balancing a healthy lifestyle with academic and physical demands. The schedule and expectations required of collegiate aviation pilots can make it difficult to practice a health-promoting lifestyle. Enhancing comprehension of the lifestyles of these students can yield valuable insights into the challenges they encounter, and how institutions can enhance their support for them. An online survey using the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II questionnaire was utilized to investigate collegiate aviation pilots’ health promoting lifestyle and behaviors. Overall health promoting lifestyle and …

In Re N.D., 312 A.3d 438 (R.I. 2024), Alexandria Snyders Dykeman

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

For The Reasons Elucidated Above: Lessons From Judge Selya On Law, Writing, And Life, Stefanie D. Fischer, Colten H. Erickson

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Banding Together To Block The Ban: Rhode Island's Need To Protect The Freedom To Read In Its Libraries, Rachel Lesinski

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

State V. Ortiz, 317 A.3d 737 (R.I. 2024), Samantha Barnes

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Practicing Justice: A Critical Self- Reflection On The Role Of Trauma In Legal Practice, Sarah Katz

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Rhode Island Troopers Ass’N V. Division Of The State Police, 316 A.3d 1140 (R.I. 2024), Alexis N. Reed

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Knudsen V. Dejean, 311 A.3d 102 (R.I. 2024), Ma Camille Briones

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

In Re N.B., 312 A.3d 428 (R.I. 2024), Olivia F. Johnson

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Wellness Connection January 2025, Roger Williams University School Law Office Of Student Life

Life of the Law School (1993- )

No abstract provided.