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Book Reviews, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

No abstract provided.

Restoring The Primacy Of Army Mobilization Planning: Lessons From The Interwar Period (1919–41), Tim Devine

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

This article argues that the US Army must restore the primacy of mobilization planning to prepare for the growing likelihood of a protracted large-scale war involving the United States. While the Army’s transformation initiatives have emphasized important tactical matters, this piece calls attention to critical strategic vulnerabilities associated with mobilization—one of the Army’s enduring core functions. The article identifies insights, challenges, and recommendations for contemporary leaders and practitioners by analyzing the body of thought on mobilization planning during the interwar period (1919–41) and drawing connections to the present day.

Self-Assessment In Educational Makerspaces: Exploring Self-Regulated Learning As A Formative Assessment Tool, Sarah Margalus

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

This study explores the role of self-assessment in makerspaces, examining how students engage in metacognitive reflection and self-regulation within these creative environments. Although self-assessment is the most popular assessment strategy in educational makerspaces, little research has been done on how to best support teachers and students in their attempts at self-assessment. Self-regulated learning was chosen as a theoretical framework since it is well-researched in educational psychology, leads to positive learning outcomes, and is one example of self-assessment. This study employed a qualitative approach, using concept content analysis to evaluate the presence of self-regulated learning phases in blogs written as part …

Evaluating The Chemical Composition And Sensory Attributes Of Japanese And U.S. Sake, Rahul Sen, Katie Hope, Ben Bell, Scott Robert Lafontaine

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Sake, a traditional rice beverage from Japan, is brewed using four key ingredients: rice, water, a koji mold, and yeast. While sake is gaining popularity in the US market, there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding the best practices for sake production and how different methods impact the chemical and sensory aspects of American sake as well as its resemblance to traditional Japanese sake. This study compared 21 sake samples from Japan and the U.S., covering grades such as ginjo, diaginjo, junmai, and nigori. Out of total 209 features, 120 were significant aromatic compounds with esters (e.g., ethyl decanoate, hexyl …

Microglial Phagocytosis In Epilepsy: Mechanisms And Impact, Abhijeet S Barath, Long-Jun Wu

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Microglia are resident immune cells critical in maintaining brain homeostasis via their surveillance and phagocytosis function. Under disease contexts such as seizures and epilepsy, microglial phagocytic signalling is activated in response to both inflammatory and non-inflammatory cell death. This process involves a range of well-characterized 'find me' and 'eat me' signals, phagocytic receptors, and less well-characterized intracellular signalling pathways. In addition, epigenetic and transcriptional regulators orchestrate microglial responses to seizures, including the integration of phagocytic and inflammatory pathways. Interestingly, although inhibiting phagocytosis has been shown to improve neuronal survival and cognitive performance after seizures, it paradoxically increases the risk of …

Effective Strategies Nursing Home Leaders Use To Implement Changes And Increase Staff Retention And The Quality Of Patient Care, Evaristus C. Chu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective retention strategies for nursing home staff can negatively affect the continuity of patient care, employee morale, and patient outcomes. Nursing home leaders who struggle to implement changes and increase staff retention and quality of patient care are at high risk of business instability. Grounded in Greenleaf’s servant leadership conceptualization and Kotter’s eight-step change model, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies nursing home leaders use to implement change, retain staff, and enhance the quality of patient care. Data sources consisted of semistructured interviews, public websites, and current and archival public documents. Thematic analysis yielded five …

Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives Regarding Children’S Lack Of Social Skills Needed For Success In Preschool And Kindergarten, Janet S. Grigg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed through this study was many preschool students in the United States lack the social skills needed to be successful in kindergarten. The study’s purpose was to explore preschool teachers’ perspective regarding some children’s lack of social skills needed for success in kindergarten and the efforts teachers made to promote development of these skills. Using Flavell’s theoretical framework of metacognition and cognitive monitoring, 2 research questions were developed to address teachers’ perspectives and efforts to improve children’s social skills. Twelve preschool teachers from Louisiana with one to twenty years of experience in early childhood were interviewed via Zoom, …

Secure Composite Digital Twin For Collaborative Ecosystems, Pasindu Kuruppuarachchi

Theses

The rise of collaborative digital ecosystems and the growing adoption of Digital Twins (DTs) in sectors like smart manufacturing, energy, and autonomous sys- tems underscore the need for secure, interoperable frameworks. This research proposes a Secure Composite Digital Twin Architecture (CDT) that enables seam- less integration and collaboration among DTs, addressing key challenges in trust, interoperability, and governance. The architecture features a trust analyser to assess DT behaviour and a repu- tation model to enhance security as the ecosystem scales. It supports centralised, decentralised, and hybrid governance via distributed ledger technology, enabling dynamic policies and secure, token-based asset management. For …

Advancements In Fabry-Pérot Cavity Fabrication And Its Applications In Photothermal Spectroscopy For Trace Gas Sensing., Giulia Malvicini

Theses

The detection of trace gases is essential in various applications, from environmental monitoring and industrial process control to medical diagnostics. The need for high-sensitivity, compact, and costeffective gas sensing systems drives continuous advancements in sensor technology. Among optical sensors, photothermal spectroscopy (PTS) offers distinct advantages, detecting the indirect effects of thermal waves induced in the sample by exciting the molecules with a laser. More particularly, photothermal interferometry (PTI) uses interferometric methods, such as the Fabry-Pérot (FP) interferometer for the read-out.

Examining The Impact Of Single-Case Design Graph Characteristics On Decision-Making For School-Based Professionals Within An Mtss Context, Jessica L. Andrews

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research investigating the display of single-case design (SCD) data has demonstrated that graphing characteristics can influence visual analysis and rater interpretations regarding the effect of an intervention. Data-based decision making within school settings, particularly within the framework of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), commonly includes the use of SCD’s to support this process. Despite the push for adherence to a standard assembly for linear graphs, there is no requirement as to how these graphs should be constructed. MTSS team members are often required to make decisions about whether an intervention should be continued (or not), and thus it is important …

The 29th Scientific Conference Of The Society On Neuroimmune Pharmacology In Omaha, Ne, June 8–12, 2025, Allison M. Andrews, Linda Chang, Rosemarie M. Booze, Sabita Roy, Santhi Gorantla, Iiker K. Sariyer, Jerel Fields, Eliseo Eugenin, Howard E. Gendelman

Faculty Publications

The 29th Scientific Conference of the Society on Neuroimmune Pharmacology (SNIP) in Omaha, NE, will occur from June 8th to 11th, 2025. This four-day conference showcases world-renowned biomedical research, providing insights into the latest advancements in the intersecting fields of neuroscience, immunology, pharmacology, and virology. Presentation abstracts are organized into sections that include early career development investigators, mouse models, neurodegenerative diseases, therapeutics, substance use disorders, counseling, drug targeting, disease pathobiology, Blood-Brain Barrier integrity, educational opportunities, young investigator talks, and translational medicine. SNIP remains the sole global meeting dedicated to neuroimmune pharmacology. The focus of research centers on how the neuroimmune …

Osteopathic Graduates In Plastic Surgery: How Can We Improve The Pipeline?, Kristof S. Gutowski, Irene Yau, Ariel E. Figueroa, Alice Yau, Marina A. Lentskevich, Kristyn N. Kraus, Jordan E. Wiebe, Gregory A. Greco, Arun K. Gosain

Student Publications

Background: Integrated plastic surgery residency is one of the most competitive specialties for medical students to match into. This study was performed to identify trends in osteopathic applicants to plastic surgery and current osteopathic trainees within the field. Furthermore, we explore osteopathic students’ perception of plastic surgery and identify methods that our national societies can utilize to foster exposure to the field.

Methods: All integrated and independent plastic surgery training programs were identified from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. Trainees’ medical education was obtained via program websites and public profiles. An anonymous survey was distributed to Student Affairs …

Integrating Endocannabinoid Signaling, Cck Interneurons, And Hippocampal Circuit Dynamics In Behaving Animals, Barna Dudok, Attila Losonczy, Ivan Soltesz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The brain's endocannabinoid signaling system modulates a diverse range of physiological phenomena and is also involved in various psychiatric and neurological disorders. The basic components of the molecular machinery underlying endocannabinoid-mediated synaptic signaling have been known for decades. However, limitations associated with the short-lived nature of endocannabinoid lipid signals had made it challenging to determine the spatiotemporal specificity and dynamics of endocannabinoid signaling in vivo. Here, we discuss how novel technologies have recently enabled unprecedented insights into endocannabinoid signaling taking place at specific synapses in behaving animals. In this review, we primarily focus on cannabinoid-sensitive inhibition in the hippocampus in …

Treatment Outcomes Of Successful M1 Versus M2 Thrombectomy For Low-Aspects Stroke Patients, Conor Cunningham, Ilko Maier, Pascal Jabbour, Joon-Tae Kim, Stacey Quintero Wolfe, Ansaar Rai, Robert M Starke, Marios-Nikos Psychogios, Amir Shaban, Nitin Goyal, Shinichi Yoshimura, Hugo Cuellar, Brian Howard, Ali Alawieh, Ali Alaraj, Mohamad Ezzeldin, Daniele G Romano, Omar Tanweer, Justin Mascitelli, Isabel Fragata, Adam Polifka, Fazeel Siddiqui, Joshua Osbun, Roberto Crosa, Ramesh Grandhi, Charles Matouk, Min S Park, Michael R Levitt, Waleed Brinjikji, Mark Moss, Ergun Daglioglu, Richard Williamson, Pedro Navia, Shakeel Chowdhry, David J Altschul, Alejandro M Spiotta, Peter Kan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background

The effectiveness of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for low Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score (ASPECTS) stroke patients with occlusion of the second segment of the middle cerebral artery (M2) is unclear.

Methods

This was a multicenter retrospective study. Patients with M1 or M2 occlusions and low ASPECTS (< 6) who underwent successful EVT (modified treatment in cerebral ischemia score of 2b or higher) were included. Primary outcome was futile EVT reperfusion (defined as 90-day modified Rankin scale of 5 or 6). Other outcomes of interest include acceptable outcomes (modified Rankin scale of 3 or less) and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and all-cause 90-day mortality. Outcomes for M1 patients were compared to M2 patients with multivariable logistic regression models accounting for potential confounders.

Results

173 patients with M1 or M2 occlusions and low ASPECTS (< 6) who underwent successful EVT were identified. After multivariable adjustments, M2 patients had significantly higher odds of futile reperfusion (OR 5.48 [95%CI 1.91 to 15.7], p = 0.002), lower odds of acceptable outcomes (OR 0.33 [95%CI 0.12 to 0.89], p = 0.028), and higher odds of all-cause mortality (OR 4.90 [95%CI 1.65 to 14.5], p = 0.004). These findings suggest that EVT's efficacy for low-ASPECTS stroke patients may be diminished for patients with M2 occlusions. M2 occlusion was not significantly associated with ICH.

Conclusions

Among low-ASEPCTS stroke patients who underwent successful EVT, those with M2 occlusions had significantly higher odds of poor outcome compared to those with M1 occlusions.

When Access Is Not Enough: The Role Of Utilization Barriers In Nutrition Security And Cardiometabolic Risk, Eric E Calloway

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Food and nutrition security are key social determinants of cardiometabolic health. While food security reflects access to sufficient food, nutrition security incorporates the quality, consistency, and usability of food that supports long-term health. However, few studies have examined how household-level barriers to food utilization shape these relationships. Objective: This study assessed whether tangible (e.g., equipment, storage) and intangible (e.g., time, knowledge) food utilization barriers modify the associations between food and nutrition security and cardiometabolic outcomes in low-income adults.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 486 low-income adults across five U.S. states. Participants reported household food security (USDA …

Future Of Work: Implication Of Green Economy On Employment Dynamics In Egypt, Sarah Adel Elgohary

Theses and Dissertations

Is Egypt's green economy a reality or just a policy-level aspiration? This thesis explores the tangible impact of the green economy on Egypt's labor market by examining key sectors—automotive, agriculture, and renewable energy. Through qualitative interviews and focus group discussions with private sector representatives, the study assesses the true implications of the green transition from a business-level perspective, beyond the propaganda and hype surrounding climate policies. What is the current scale of the green economy in Egypt's labor market? What existing policies and regulatory frameworks are in place to support the green economy transition? how urgent is the transition to …

Finding Meaning In Loss: The Role Of Attachment Styles, Coping Strategies, And Resilience, Salma Seyam

Theses and Dissertations

Grief is a deeply personal yet universal experience impacted by personal, social, and cultural factors. The present study examines how attachment styles, coping mechanisms, and resilience impact both grief intensity and the ability to find meaning after a loss, within an Egyptian sample. While previous studies have explored the experience of grief, few have looked at these factors within a Middle Eastern cultural context. A total of 140 bereaved Egyptians who experienced the loss of a loved one within the past three years completed standardized measures assessing grief intensity (Prolonged Grief Disorder-Revised; PG-13-R), coping strategies (Brief COPE), meaning-making (Grief and …

The Impact Of Currency Depreciation On Egyptian Exports: A Firm-Level Study, Noor Elghorab

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the impact of real exchange rate depreciations of the Egyptian Pound on the intensive and extensive margins of firm-level exports in the years 2008, 2013, 2016, and 2020 using a comprehensive dataset of over 7,000 firms from the World Bank Enterprise Survey. Employing a firm-level fixed effects model, the study finds that real depreciation boosts export performance by 5.7 percentage points and 6.2 percentage points at the intensive and extensive margins respectively. Results also indicate a positive relationship between firm exports and firm size, foreign ownership, and firms with greater reliance on imports in their inputs. Additionally, …

Heightened Risk: Childhood Trauma And Anticipatory Grief Exacerbate The Impact Of Loneliness On Depressive Symptoms And Lps-Stimulated Cytokines In Dementia Caregivers, Kelly N. Brice, Jensine Paoletti-Hatcher, E Lydia Wu-Chung, Vincent D. Lai, Daniel L. Argueta, Michelle A. Chen, Itee Mahant, Bryan T. Denny, Charles Green, Luis D. Medina, Multiple Additional Authors

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Dementia spousal caregivers are at a disproportionate risk for adverse mental and physical health outcomes. Loneliness is associated with depressive symptoms and proinflammatory cytokine production among caregivers. Additionally, childhood trauma, anticipatory grief, and poor sleep quality are all associated with enhanced stress reactivity. This study used a cross-sectional design to investigate whether loneliness is associated with proinflammatory cytokine production and depressive symptoms in caregivers, and whether these relationships are strongest among caregivers who report high levels of childhood trauma, high amounts of anticipatory grief, or poor sleep quality. A sample of 111 dementia spousal caregivers provided blood samples and completed …

Nepaliness As Assemblage: Diasporic Belonging, Colorism, And Caste In The Associational Life Of Nepali Migrants In Florida, Shuvechha Ghimire Sharma

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The research fundamentally challenges romanticized ideas of migration—shedding older inequalities, idealizing “leveling up,” and being a part of “unified diasporic communities”—and unmasks a rather uneasy, far more intricate reality: the preexisting sociocultural and political structures and identities are not shed, rather actively reproduced and rigorously, often consciously, reconfigured within the transnational diasporic spaces. As such, the research reveals that Nepali diasporic associations in Florida play a vital role in perpetuating and reshaping social inequalities and contested national identities, significantly impacting transnational dynamics. The work contends that caste hierarchies persist in structuring associational life, influencing participation and resource distribution. Concurrently, colorism …

Community Garden's Second Growing Season Is Underway, Communications And Marketing

Campus News Archive

No abstract provided.

Exploring Leadership's Role In Improving Completion Rates In Substance Use Disorder Programs, Benjamin John Hoppie

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this study was the influence of leadership on low treatment completion rates in a nonprofit outpatient substance use disorder program in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The purpose of this case study was to examine how leadership styles, decision-making processes, and supervisory alignment affected client engagement and treatment outcomes at the program. The study was grounded in the Baldrige Excellence Framework, which provided a systems-thinking lens to assess leadership behavior and organizational performance. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with two senior leaders and a review of limited internal documents, including the organization’s …

Alaska Educator Survey: Instrument Development Report, Dayna Jean Defeo, Staci Corey, Trang C. Tran

CAEPR Reports

This report details the survey development methodology for a statewide survey of in-service K-12 educators in Alaska. It describes the comprehensive literature review, document analysis, shareholder listening sessions, and cognitive interviewing activities that went into survey development.

Ways Of Living And Knowing, Reem El Hassan Mohamed

Theses and Dissertations

After decades of sedentarization, the Muzeina tribe in South Sinai now has new generations born into sedentary lifestyles, never experiencing nomadism like their ancestors once did. This shift has impacted their knowledge system, traditionally shaped by interactions and kinship with nature. Exposure to social media is influencing younger generations' ways of living, raising the older generations’ concerns about their Bedouin identity. Despite being one of the largest tribes in South Sinai, the Muzeina are rarely represented in literature.

This ethnography explores the impact of sedentarization and contextual developments on the Muzeina's knowledge system, inherited from their ancestors. Muzeina’s relationship, and …

Exploring The Role Of Religious Media In Shaping Public Perceptions Towards Climate Change In Egypt, Hebatullah Ashour Abdel Fatah Ibrahim Ashour

Theses and Dissertations

Climate change poses significant threats globally, with particular vulnerability noted in developing nations like Egypt. While effective communication is crucial for societal engagement, the role of influential actors like religious media within specific cultural contexts remains under-explored. This thesis investigates the role and communication practices of religious media (Islamic and Coptic Christian) concerning climate change in Egypt, a country where religious institutions command significant public trust and influence. Existing literature highlights gaps in understanding how these specific media outlets navigate and frame climate change discourse.

Employing Framing Theory and Communication for Development (DevCom) Theory as a combined framework, this study …

The Instrumentalization Of The Unprivileged Combatants By Western Countries Aimed To Oppress National Liberation Wars, Fares Mahmoud Def-Allah Abdelhamid

Theses and Dissertations

The goal of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is purported to be the humanization of wars. Nonetheless, the atrocities committed in wars and the war criminals’ impunity suggest the failure of IHL. Notwithstanding, some voices call for reforming and developing IHL. In contrast, this thesis argues that IHL should be rejected entirely since the distinction between privileged and unprivileged combatants indicates that IHL is biased against anti-colonizers. It is biased in three senses. Firstly, IHL, particularly the distinction between privileged and unprivileged combatants, is dominated by Western rationality, which can be noticed in the domination of the civilization concept with its …

“Perfect Hearts And Pure Pages”: The Transmission And Recitation Of The Qur’An In Mamluk Cairo—The Shāṭibiyya As A Case Study, Jonathan Hearn

Theses and Dissertations

The Ḥirz al-Amānī wa-Wajh al-Tahānī of Abū al-Qāsim b. Fīrruh al-Shāṭibī (d. 590/1193) became one of the most widely studied texts associated with the recitation of the Qur’an. A didactic versification of Abū ʿAmr al-Dānī’s (d. 444/1053) Kitāb al-Taysīr fī al-Qirāʾāt al-Sabaʿ, the Shāṭibiyya was composed in Ayyubid Egypt and transformed the discipline of the variant readings (qirāʾāt). Despite its popularity and acknowledged impact upon the discipline, the Shāṭibiyya remains a relatively untapped resource for understanding the Qur’an in its recited form. This thesis studies the recitation of the Qur’an in Mamluk Cairo through the Shāṭibiyya, …

In-Service Teachers’ Awareness And Professional Development In Egyptian Public Schools, Hanan Mohamed Metawea

Theses and Dissertations

Neuroscience is an emergent field that focuses on studying brain structure and understanding its significance in the learning process. There has been a recent movement in how to bridge the gap between neuroscience concepts and education by incorporating neuroscience principles into the teaching process. However, there have been limited studies in Egypt on how educators understand and utilize neuroscience principles in the classroom. This qualitative exploratory case study examines Egyptian teachers’ understanding of neuroscience concepts and how they apply them in their teaching practices. This case study was carried out in two government schools, including interviews with 11 teachers representing …

The Social Standing Versus The Mind Standing Of Older Adults In Egypt: Cross-Sectional Analysis Of The Relationship Between Social Capital And Cognitive Functions, Shaza H. Shinaishen Dr

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Egypt's population, much like that of other countries, is expected to age considerably over the course of the coming decades. Although biological and socioeconomic predictors of cognitive function have been studied widely, personal level social capital remains unexplored, especially in LMICs.

Purpose: This study primarily investigates the relationship between individual social capital and cognitive functioning among older adults aged 65 years and older in Egypt using the structural and cognitive components of social capital, including group membership, civic engagements, and caregiving roles.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey on 363 older individuals in different geographical and demographic segments of Egypt using …

Assessing The Impact Of Digital Transformation On Regulatory Processes And Systems Compared To Traditional Paper-Based Processes At The Egyptian Drug Authority, Rania Aa Soliman

Theses and Dissertations

In the past several decades, the rate of scientific and technological advancements in drug development and digital fields have been extraordinary. Internet of Things and block chain technologies are currently viable in the mature cloud computing industry, these transformative examples contrast starkly with the current pharmaceutical regulatory submission, review, and approval process of the EDA. However, with the emergence of initiatives that aim to improve and expedite regulatory decision-making, there is a promising future ahead. These initiatives, if successful, will not only transform the current transactional structure but also leverage scientific and technological advances to deliver patient-centric therapies. This radical …