Digital Commons Network^™

Inter-Rater Reliability Of Muscle Ultrasonography Performed By Multidisciplinary Novice Sonographers In The Evaluation Of Critically Ill Patients With Acute Kidney Injury Requiring Continuous Kidney Replacement Therapy, Felipe González-Seguel, Vinh Q. Tran, Chaitanya Anil Pal, Zan T. Shareef, Hayley P. Israel, Arimitsu Horikawa-Strakovsky, Yuan Wen, Benjamin R. Griffin, Javier A. Neyra, J. Pedro Teixeira, Kirby P. Mayer

Physiology Faculty Publications

Early diagnosis of muscle wasting in critically ill patients with acute kidney injury requiring continuous kidney replacement therapy (AKI-CKRT) may improve outcomes via timely rehabilitation and nutrition. Muscle ultrasound (MUS) has recently gained traction for assessing muscle atrophy in the intensive care unit (ICU) but requires training to achieve reproducibility. We evaluated the inter-rater reliability of MUS in patients with AKI-CKRT performed by multidisciplinary raters including nephrologists. Two blinded independent raters used portable ultrasound to acquire images of the rectus femoris (RF). All raters were clinicians routinely caring for patients with CKRT in the ICU and were initially novices in …

S6k1 Is A Targetable Vulnerability In Tumors Exhibiting Plasticity And Therapy Resistance, Saptadwipa Ganguly, Ravshan Burikhanov, Vitaliy M. Sviripa, Sally Ellingson, Jieyun Jiang, Christian M. Gosser, David Orren, Eva M. Goellner, Gautham G. Shenoy, Mahadev Rao, John D’Orazio, Christine F. Brainson, Chang Guo Zhan, Peter H. Spielmann, David S. Watt, Vivek M. Rangnekar

Physiology Faculty Publications

Background: Most tumors initially respond to treatment, yet refractory clones subsequently develop owing to resistance mechanisms associated with cancer cell plasticity and heterogeneity. Methods: We used a chemical biology approach to identify protein targets in cancer cells exhibiting diverse driver mutations and representing models of tumor lineage plasticity and therapy resistance. An unbiased screen of a drug library was performed against cancer cells followed by synthesis of chemical analogs of the most effective drug. The cancer subtype target range of the leading drug was determined by PRISM analysis of over 900 cancer cell lines at the Broad Institute, MA. RNA-sequencing …

Sex-Based Differences In The Long-Term Fate Of Hippocampal Neurons Born After A Traumatic Brain Injury, Hannah C. Downing, Ashley B. Glover, Jessica E. Gebhardt, Katherine L. Thompson, Kathryn E. Saatman

Physiology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) results in an early loss of immature hippocampal granule cells and the activation of typically quiescent neural stem cells (NSCs) in the dentate gyrus. Activation of NSCs leads to a robust increase in proliferation and generation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs), supporting restoration of the immature neuron population of over a period of 1–2 weeks. However, it is unclear if neurons born early after injury develop normally, survive long-term and functionally integrate into the hippocampal network. Although adult hippocampal neurogenesis is regulated in a sex-dependent manner, the majority of pre-clinical TBI studies lack the …

Skeletal Muscle Stem Cell Mitochondria Are Transferred To Muscle Fibers In Response To A Hypertrophic Stimulus, Jensen Goh, Julia G. Williams, Sarah E. Ogle, Jai K. Joshi, Logan N. Scott, Benjamin Burke, Alex R. Keeble, Nicholas T. Thomas, Christopher S. Fry, Ahmed Ismaeel, John J. Mccarthy

Physiology Faculty Publications

The fusion of skeletal muscle stem cell (MuSC) to myofibers during hypertrophy has exclusively focused on the transfer of the MuSC nucleus, leaving the fate of other MuSC organelles, such as mitochondria, largely unexplored. The objective of this study was to determine whether MuSCs transfer their mitochondria upon myofiber fusion in response to a hypertrophic stimulus. To achieve this goal, we specifically labeled MuSC mitochondria with Dendra2 fluorescence by crossing the MuSC-specific CreER (Pax7^CreER/CreER) mouse with the Rosa26-Dendra2 mouse to generate the Pax7-Dendra2 mouse. To induce the fusion of MuSC to myofibers, Pax7-Dendra2 mice underwent synergist ablation surgery …

Assessing Attitudes Towards Plagiarism Among Health Professionals: The Impact Of Scientific Writing Training, Humera Adeeb, Brekhna Jamil, Ihsan . Ullah

Health Professions Education

Purpose. Plagiarism is a common form of academic misconduct with damaging consequences to researchers and science. There is a need to explore attitudes towards plagiarism and adopt strategies to mitigate its effects.

Method. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted among health professionals attending a course at Khyber Medical University. Data were collected from 1st September 2022 to 31st January 2023. Attitudes towards plagiarism questionnaire, with 29 items on a five-point Likert scale, was distributed on google forms to 240 participants. Age, gender, qualification, previously attended course on scientific writing and authoring an article were described as proportions. The unpaired t-test …

Lights, Camera, Action: A Student's Perspective On Reimagining Film Production Opportunities, Ma'lon I. Lane

Theses and Dissertations

The pursuit of a crew job in the film industry is a multifaceted endeavor, offering various pathways that cater to diverse aspirations and circumstances. Central to this exploration is the question of whether attending a university and obtaining a degree in film is essential for success. I was determined to answer the following: What is the likelihood that a higher education in Film Production leads to more efficient job acquisition in the film industry? The project is considered narrative, originating from the personal quality of the research questions. I used my resources to gather qualitative data through interviews of film …

Online Parameter Adaptation Of Lqr Controllers Via Rls For Prosthetic Joint Control: Experimental Validation On A Quanser Qube-Servo 2 Platform, Cynthia Lopez-Jordan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis develops and experimentally validates an online adaptive Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) control method for prosthetic joint systems using Recursive Least Squares (RLS)-based real-time parameter estimation on the Quanser QUBE-Servo 2 platform. Traditional LQR controllers assume a fxed system model, which limits adaptability and results in reduced tracking accuracy, poor robustness, and loss of optimal performance when applied to dynamically changing prosthetic joints, infuenced by load variations, user gait changes, and mechanical wear. Limited experimental validation exists for combining RLS with online LQR adaptation in prosthetic-like systems.

To address these limitations, an RLS-driven Adaptive LQR framework was implemented to …

From Curiosity To Controversy: American Perception Of Japanese Immigrants, 1853-1924, Chloe Elizabeth Curbelo

Theses and Dissertations

In the mid-nineteenth century, as the United States reached the Pacific through westward expansion, Asia emerged as a new stage for commerce and power. Japan, long isolated under the Tokugawa shogunate, became an object of American fascination when forced into relations. While early depictions cast Japan as an exotic yet uncivilized nation in need of Western guidance, Japan’s rapid modernization and the growing number of Japanese immigrants on the West Coast transformed curiosity into anxiety. My paper traces this evolution of perception from 1850 to 1924, arguing that shifting views of Japan and its people reflected America’s ethnocentric notions of …

Evaluating Uas & Als Lidar’S Ability To Detect Understory Shrubs In Rhode Island Forests, Noah Henkenius

Open Access Master's Theses

Understory shrubs provide important habitat for wildlife and assist with nutrient cycling in forests. The use of remote sensing to map shrubs in forest understories is challenging due to the obscuring effect of the forest overstory. We tested the effectiveness of leaf-off aerial LiDAR and uncrewed aerial system (UAS) (point densities of 8+ pts/m² and 250+ pts/m², respectively) to map shrub cover in a mixed deciduous forest in Rhode Island (USA). We used a terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) and field vegetation surveys to provide validation data. We found that UAS and aerial LiDAR had average omission errors …

“Democracy,” Usa, Marc Edelman

Publications and Research

What does it mean to be an effective citizen in a democracy? Answering this question requires unpacking “democracy” and an analysis of institutions that systematically disempower and alienate citizens. This paper briefly examines the contributions of psychoanalysis to understanding democracy and authoritarianism. It scrutinizes U.S. governance institutions and points to democratic deficits and backsliding present even before Trump 1.0 and 2.0. These range from the Electoral College, the Senate, and the Supreme Court to the Federal Communications Commission. All contributed to institutionalizing minority rule and elite capture. Governance institutions failed to deliver what the American people tell opinion pollsters they …

Masc Affect: Affective Masculinity In Video Games Research, Joshua Foust

Media Studies - Open-Access Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Source Attribution And Detection Strategies For Ai-Era Journalism, Regina Luttrell, Jason Davis, Carrie Welch

Media Studies - Open-Access Faculty Scholarship

Continued access to genuine, verified news is important in providing news audiences with information about events of social importance. Sophisticated methods of detection and attribution must be applied to counter the proliferation of AI-generated mis- and disinformation and uphold journalistic values. This study examines the complexities of transparency in journalism and AI in relation to source attribution. While various AI analytics claim performance capabilities on specific tasks related to media detection, there remains a need for a standard evaluative framework that can comparatively measure the success of these various analytics. This paper explores how the Theory of Content Consistency (ToCC) …

Toward A Combine-Style Approach To Predicting Future Esports Success, Nicholas David Bowman, Kevin Sweeney, Aaron R. Seitz, C. Shawn Green

Media Studies - Open-Access Faculty Scholarship

Historically, there has been a great deal of interest in using basicmeasures of individual difference factors to predict future success in traditional sports. For instance, the National Football League (NFL) holds a scouting combine each year prior to the NFL draft during which a host of attributes about players are measured, from basic height and weight, to sprint speed, to jumping capacity, to strength. Even among an already highly selected group of individuals (i.e., individuals skilled enough to even be considered for the NFL), such measures have been seen to have some degree of utility in predicting future performance. The …

Evaluation And Treatment Of Baseball Pitchers: There’S More To Assess Than The Arm, Matthew L. Gauthier, Casey A. Unverzagt, George J. Davies

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Injuries are commonplace in the overhead athlete, with many occurring to the shoulder and elbow. The increasing prevalence of injuries to the shoulder and elbow has been discussed at length in recent years, with increased research focus being placed on arm care for rehabilitation and prevention strategies. Even though the pitching motion is well-established as a whole-body kinetic chain movement, most attention in rehabilitation and prevention efforts is often placed on the upper extremity. The purpose of this clinical commentary is to highlight the impact the lower extremity and trunk have on the upper extremity during the throwing motion, better …

Cultural Coordinates Of Credibility And Sticky Scripts: Womaning Versus Lawyering In The Indian Legal System, Bhumika Billa

Socio-Legal Review

Based on a multimodal and empirical analysis, the article presents Indian women (identifying) lawyers’ lived experiences of epistemic injustice at the sites of legal work in Delhi. The analysis brings a painting, a short film, and 15 semi-structured interviews in conversation with each other to understand women lawyers’ shared experiences of being perceived as “less credible,” and the strategies they have been adopting to assert credibility. The theoretical contribution can be captured by three key arguments. First, using Arpita Singh’s painting, ‘My Lollipop City: Gemini Rising, 2005,’ I argue that the Indian legal system has a “sense of” Delhi. …

Themed Experience & Attractions Academic Symposium 2025 Proceedings, Themed Experience & Attractions Academic Society

Proceedings of the Annual Themed Experience & Attractions Academic Symposium

No abstract provided.

Arts-Integrated Mindfulness: Social-Emotional Learning For Elementary Education, Ashley J. M. Canny, Katherine A. Taylor Clausen, Amanda K. Cox, Bryce D. Cox

Graduate Research Papers

This action research investigates the impact of arts-integrated mindfulness practices on elementary students’ ability to self-regulate. In response to a significant rise in emotional dysregulation and mental health concerns among young learners - exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic - this study explores how combining mindfulness techniques with artistic expression can enhance emotional awareness, focus, and resilience. Through classroom activities such as breathing exercises, movement, music, and visual arts, students were guided to engage in self-reflection and emotion regulation in creative, accessible ways. Data collected through student surveys and observational records indicated that most participants experienced improved calmness, engagement, and readiness …

On Marriage, Children, And Other Expectations: The Feminist Absurd In Rachel Cusk’S Outline, Nadine Koochou

Helene Lafrance Library Undergraduate Research Award

This article is a literary analysis of Rachel Cusk's Outline. In it, Koochou argues that all of the characters in the novel are grappling with the absurdist idea that life lacks any inherent meaning, that the universe is God-less and without empathy. Thus, the characters try, to varying degrees of success, to create their own sense of meaning in life. This philosophical questioning is especially exemplified by the ambivalent stance the characters take towards supposedly sacred structures in society, such as marriage and childrearing. In doing so, Cusk writes a novel that joins theories of feminism and absurdism, suggesting that …

Improved Performance Of Catalysts Containing Pt, Pt-Sn, And V In The Dehydrogenation Of N-Butane By Radio-Frequency Induction Heating, Cameron L. Roman, Jonathan Lucas, James A. Dorman, Kerry M. Dooley

Faculty Publications

Due to an abundance of shale gas, manufacturers are interested in meeting increased demands for alkenes, especially n-alkenes, by the dehydrogenation of light alkanes. While the catalysts for these reactions have been studied for many years, alkene selectivity and deactivation remain challenging problems. This work addresses these problems by the substitution of a localized indirect heating method (radio-frequency induction heating, RF-IH) for more traditional process heating employing steam or burners (e.g., natural gas combustion). RF-IH has been applied to the dehydrogenation of n-butane to C4 alkenes by utilizing magnetically susceptible catalysts based on Fe/Fe3O4 susceptors. Magnetic core-shell catalysts with either …

Bridging Digital Literacy Gaps With Ai-Driven Semantic Search Technologies, Bin Hu, Hong Xie, Ifrah Malik, Noman Sohail, Qiyang Chen, Razaz Waheeb Attar

Department of Information Management and Business Analytics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study examined how digital literacy influences user interactions with artificial intelligence–driven semantic search engines compared with traditional keyword-based search systems. The authors assessed whether an artificial intelligence–driven search enhances efficiency, query quality, and user satisfaction across varying digital literacy levels, in particular complex information retrieval tasks. Sixty participants, categorized into three digital literacy groups (beginner, intermediate, and advanced) on the basis of the European Commission’s Digital Competence Framework, completed six search tasks (three simple, three complex) using both traditional and artificial intelligence–driven search engines. Performance was measured by task completion time, query quality, and user satisfaction. Statistical analyses (analysis …

Toward Sustainable Innovation: Digital Transformation With Ai Strategy, Yoshimasa Masuda, Taishi Sassano, Rashmi Jain

Department of Information Management and Business Analytics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Sustainable innovation is one of most crucial and important elements for digital transformation in the alignment with artificial intelligence (AI) strategies these days. In this paper, the pathways of digital transformation with several case studies are explained and analyzed. On the basis of case studies with digital transformation and innovation, the AIDAF for promoting sustainable innovation is evaluated with efficient pathways of digital transformation and proposed for the near future.

Poromechanical Solution For One-Dimensional Large Strain Consolidation Of Modified Cam-Clay Soil, Sheng Li Chen, Hai Sui Yu, Younane N. Abousleiman, Christopher E. Kees

Faculty Publications

A theoretical model describing the one-dimensional large strain consolidation of the modified Cam-Clay soil is presented in this paper. The model is based on the Lagrangian formulation and is capable of featuring the variability of soil compressibility (inherently due to the direct incorporation of the specific Cam-Clay plasticity model) and permeability, as well as the impact of the overconsolidation ratio (OCR). The derivation starts from the establishment of the incremental stress–strain relations for both purely elastic and elastoplastic deformations under one-dimensional compression conditions, and thereafter the coefficients of compressibility/volume change that are essential to the consolidation analysis. The governing partial …

Occupying All Sides Of The Desk: A Feminist Methodological Approach To Teaching, Research, And Mentoring, David Powers Corwin, Siri Lalukota, Angelica Lovelace, Lindsay Lowry

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

This article focuses on a curriculum research collaboration among students (high school, undergraduate and graduate) and faculty to create college-level courses that focus on feminist media studies. As a reflection and extension of our work, we tell our polyvocal story of this collaboration while arguing that this work is a feminist methodology that could be used in pedagogical and other academic and public contexts.

‘Preventing Births’ As A Gender-Neutral Harm: Making Sense Of Reproductive Violence In South Africa’S Genocide Case Against Israel, Heidi Matthews

Articles & Book Chapters

Abstract In its genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, South Africa alleges that, in the period since October 7, 2023, Israel has imposed measures intended to prevent births within the Palestinian group in Gaza. To the extent that South Africa’s case for ‘preventing births’ relies on the traditional framing of reproductive justice, wherein violations are conceptualized in terms of restrictions on reproductive (read: women’s) health and capacity, it risks advancing the human rights of ‘women and children’ at the expense of a more progressive development of the law of genocide. This article uses the ongoing genocidal …

A Conversation On Feminist Digital Humanities, Jessica Frazier, Tamar Carroll, Shweta Sachdeva Jha, Leandra Zarnow

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

The forum below came into being out of a curiosity to learn more about feminist scholars’ creation and use of digital humanities projects, platforms, and media to forward their research and teaching. Participants discussed the possibilities and perils of feminist digital humanities projects as they shared their unique experiences and perspectives. Larger trends in the conception, design, and operation of feminist digital humanities are visible in the conversation that follows—notably all three participants expressed a desire to work with digital media as a means of producing and sharing feminist knowledge and resistance narratives with broader audiences.

Feminist Digital Center: Building An Online Hub For Undergraduate Feminist Scholarship, Julie Shayne, Tessa Denton, Denise Hattwig

Journal of Feminist Scholarship

This paper is about The Feminist Digital Center (FDC). We begin by briefly theoretically situating our project in discussions of feminist and open pedagogy, high impact practices, and digital scholarship. Next, we discuss how the FDC came to be, institutionally and digitally, with particular emphasis on the assignments students did to fill the site. We close with why the site matters. We hope readers will attempt some version of this project at your institutions and find value in the model we share.

Lacy's Blue Summer, Josephine Maguire

Celebrating Writers and Writing in our Communities

No abstract provided.

Bruen: The Court's Announcement Of The Historical Analogy Test And The Aftermath Thereof, Michael Partrick

Wyoming Law Review

The United States Supreme Court’s history of analyzing firearms restrictions has seemingly always led to ambiguities and confusion in lower courts. This was especially true after 2008, when the Court decided District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008). In the years following Heller, lower courts across the country applied different standards to determine the constitutionality of firearms restrictions. The Court granted certiorari in New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022) to establish the proper test for determining whether a firearm regulation is constitutional. This test is based on U.S. …

Legislating Morality: The Historical Consequences Of The Mann Act On The American Public, Chance J. Harper

Wyoming Law Review

The Mann Act, officially titled the “White Slave Traffic Act of June 25 1910,” was a product of a time of immense social, ethnic, and political change. The Mann Act was presented as the solution to “white slavery”— an imagined crisis where white-American girls were forced into prostitution. This crisis was attributed to the influx of traditionally “othered” ethnic groups, which shocked the nation and prompted sweeping action by politicians to protect white-American values and culture in the name of stopping forced prostitution. In addition to perceived threats to American values, fears of immigrant power as a voting block and …

Author Biographies

Obsculta

No abstract provided.