Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Factors Associated With The Use Of Community Food Resources: An Application Of The Andersen Model To Inform Future Interventions, Abiodun T. Atoloye, Oluyemisi Akinsola, Melissa Murillo

Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

The role of the food environment in shaping nutrition and health has gained substantial attention from policymakers, public health researchers, and advocacy groups. To promote equities in food access and nutrition outcomes, understanding factors linked with the utilization of local community food resources is crucial. Using Andersen’s service utilization model, we explained how adults use their neighborhood food resources. In a cross-sectional study design, an online survey was conducted in REDCap Version 13.4.0 via the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) involving 1830 adults with a mean age of 37.9 ± 12.1 years. Participants answered questions on predisposing, enabling, and need factors …

Artificial Intelligence And Legal Malpractice Liability, Vincent R. Johnson

St. Mary's Journal on Legal Malpractice & Ethics

No abstract provided.

The Link January 9, 2024, Access To Justice Institute

The Link Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Immune System And Metabolic Products In Epilepsy And Glioma-Associated Epilepsy: Emerging Therapeutic Directions, Shashwat Tripathi, Cody L Nathan, Matthew C Tate, Craig M Horbinski, Jessica W Templer, Joshua M Rosenow, Timothy L Sita, Charles D James, Benjamin Deneen, Stephen D Miller, Amy B Heimberger

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Epilepsy has a profound impact on quality of life. Despite the development of new antiseizure medications (ASMs), approximately one-third of affected patients have drug-refractory epilepsy and are nonresponsive to medical treatment. Nearly all currently approved ASMs target neuronal activity through ion channel modulation. Recent human and animal model studies have implicated new immunotherapeutic and metabolomic approaches that may benefit patients with epilepsy. In this Review, we detail the proinflammatory immune landscape of epilepsy and contrast this with the immunosuppressive microenvironment in patients with glioma-related epilepsy. In the tumor setting, excessive neuronal activity facilitates immunosuppression, thereby contributing to subsequent glioma progression. …

Cell Membrane-Anchored And Tumor-Targeted Il-12 T-Cell Therapy Destroys Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts And Disrupts Extracellular Matrix In Heterogenous Osteosarcoma Xenograft Models, Jiemiao Hu, Alexander J Lazar, Davis Ingram, Wei-Lien Wang, Wendong Zhang, Zhiliang Jia, Dristhi Ragoonanan, Jian Wang, Xueqing Xia, Kris Mahadeo, Richard Gorlick, Shulin Li

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The extracellular matrix (ECM) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play major roles in tumor progression, metastasis, and the poor response of many solid tumors to immunotherapy. CAF-targeted chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy cannot infiltrate ECM-rich tumors such as osteosarcoma.

Method: In this study, we used RNA sequencing to assess whether the recently invented membrane-anchored and tumor-targeted IL-12-armed (attIL12) T cells, which bind cell-surface vimentin (CSV) on tumor cells, could destroy CAFs to disrupt the ECM. We established an in vitro model of the interaction between osteosarcoma CAFs and attIL12-T cells to uncover the underlying mechanism by which attIL12-T cells penetrate …

Arsenic In Victorian Britain: A Primary Source Analysis, Izzi Howard

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

What’S Behind A Budget? An Analysis Of Municipal Use Of Arpa, Tom Vodrey

Student Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Debtor's Objection To Committee's Motion Re: Priest Personnel Records

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

The Essential Roles Of Forensic Linguists And Expert Interrogators In National Security, Alan Saquella

Publications

Language is a multifaceted element intricately woven into the tapestry of human behavior, serving as a pivotal medium for comprehending and deterring crime. Within this realm, forensic linguists and expert interrogators emerge as distinct yet interconnected professions, playing vital roles in unraveling the complexities of language to ensure public safety and national security. This article sheds light on the shared responsibilities and significance of these professionals in crime prevention and explores why their expertise is crucial for Executive Protection and Security Professionals.

Steeper Size Spectra With Decreasing Phytoplankton Biomass Indicate Strong Trophic Amplification And Future Fish Declines, Angus Atkinson, Axel G. Rossberg, Ursula Gaedke, Gary Sprules, Ryan F. Heneghan, Stratos Batziakas, Maria Grigoratou, Elaine Fileman, Katrin Schmidt, Constantin Frangoulis

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Under climate change, model ensembles suggest that declines in phytoplankton biomass amplify into greater reductions at higher trophic levels, with serious implications for fisheries and carbon storage. However, the extent and mechanisms of this trophic amplification vary greatly among models, and validation is problematic. In situ size spectra offer a novel alternative, comparing biomass of small and larger organisms to quantify the net efficiency of energy transfer through natural food webs that are already challenged with multiple climate change stressors. Our global compilation of pelagic size spectrum slopes supports trophic amplification empirically, independently from model simulations. Thus, even a modest …

Trump & Biden Lead Comfortably In Vermont Primary Races; Majority Agree With Ballot Exclusion Of Trump In Me 1/9/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

More than half of likely Republican primary voters in Vermont support former President Donald Trump and most of his supporters say that they have definitely decided to vote for him. Trump is followed distantly by former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. On the Democratic side, which most likely primary voters plan to participate in, three-quarters support President Joe Biden while Minnesota Representative Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson garner very little support. Six in ten Vermonters agree with the decision to disqualify Trump from the primary ballot in Maine.

Haley Within Striking Distance Of Trump In New Hampshire 1/9/2024, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Former President Donald Trump continues to lead the 2024 New Hampshire Republican Primary but former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley has reduced Trump's lead to single digits. Haley would likely move even closer to Trump if former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie were to withdraw, as two-thirds of Christie's supporters select Haley as their second choice. Undeclared voters who plan to vote in the Republican primary favor Haley over Trump by more than two to one, while Trump holds a large lead among registered Republicans. On the Democratic side, President Joe Biden continues to hold a commanding lead despite not being …

Embracing Racial Diversity In The Workplace, Iris J. Kugmeh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The United States’ equality law system policy has mandated ethnic equality in securing employment and job prospects. According to current national workplace racial equity guideline figures, substantially all companies in the United States have difficulty recruiting multiethnic candidates with comparable qualifications and credentials as their white counterparts. This is a problem because businesses that place a high priority on equal opportunity are considerably more likely to enjoy long-term prosperity since there are many more advantages than disadvantages associated with diverse workplaces. This study seeks to identify institutional or structural hurdles to employment and advancement for African Americans to better understand …

Differences In Out-Of-School Suspensions Between Black And White High School Students When Controlling For Student Factors, School Factors, And Delinquency, Steven Craig Davidson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative, correlational study aims to determine how accurately out-of-school suspensions can be predicted from a linear combination of student delinquency, in-school delinquency, and prior suspensions for Black and White high school students. Further, a causal-comparative design is used to determine if there is a statically significant difference in out-of-school suspensions between Black and White high school students when controlling for student factors, school factors, and student delinquency factors. The study consists of five guiding theories that inform two general hypotheses. The first hypothesis, referred to as the differential selection hypothesis, is guided by critical race theory (CRT) and implicit …

Effects Of Kras Genetic Interactions On Outcomes In Cancers Of The Lung, Pancreas, And Colorectum, Isabella N Grabski, John V Heymach, Kenneth L Kehl, Scott Kopetz, Ken S Lau, Gregory J Riely, Deborah Schrag, Rona Yaeger, Rafael A Irizarry, Kevin M Haigis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: KRAS is among the most commonly mutated oncogenes in cancer, and previous studies have shown associations with survival in many cancer contexts. Evidence from both clinical observations and mouse experiments further suggests that these associations are allele- and tissue-specific. These findings motivate using clinical data to understand gene interactions and clinical covariates within different alleles and tissues.

Methods: We analyze genomic and clinical data from the AACR Project GENIE Biopharma Collaborative for samples from lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancers. For each of these cancer types, we report epidemiological associations for different KRAS alleles, apply principal component analysis (PCA) to …

Arab Journalists Have No Place: Authorities Use Digital Surveillance To Control Investigative Reporting, Miral Sabry Alashry

Faculty Journal Articles

The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent of digital surveillance by Arab authorities, who face risks and threats of surveillance, and how journalists seeking press freedom use tools and techniques to communicate securely, such as open source in journalism. These journalists share and rely heavily on an opensource data ideology. With novel methods and tools, they integrate a new set of actors, competencies, and technologies into journalistic practice, renegotiating and transcending professional boundaries. The methodology of the study was based on in-depth interviews from Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Libya, and Tunisia with a selection of journalists …

Pearls & Oy-Sters: Cacna1a-Related Paroxysmal Tonic Upgaze With Ataxia Responsive To Acetazolamide, Steven M Lazar, Farida Abid

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

A 9-month-old male infant was evaluated for sudden onset of paroxysmal episodes of forced, conjugate upward eye deviation. Extensive in-hospital evaluation including electrophysiology and neuroimaging studies were reassuring against seizures or a structural abnormality. Given the clinical presentation of sudden onset intermittent upward eye deviations, downbeating saccades, associated ataxia, and typical development, a clinical diagnosis of paroxysmal tonic upgaze (PTU) with ataxia was made. Targeted genetic testing of CACNA1A was performed, which revealed a variant of undetermined significance, which was later classified as a de novo pathogenic variant after protein modeling and parental testing performed. Off-label use of oral acetazolamide …

Exploring The Relationship Between Staffing And Long-Term Care Worker Mental Health, Matthew R. Trombley

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research delves into the relationship between staffing levels during a crisis in the healthcare workforce and the mental well-being of long-term care workers, with a specific focus on variables such as burnout, compassion fatigue, and compassion satisfaction. With increasing workforce shortages, the attention to providing quality care during this tumultuous period has become increasingly urgent. There has been scarce empirical research that has explicitly sought to comprehend the connection between staffing levels and the mental health of long-term care professionals. This study was designed as a non-experimental, quantitative correlational investigation, aiming to understand the intricate dynamics between patient-to-staff ratios …

Impact Of The Increased Use Of Telehealth On Health Care Management And Administration: The Case Of New Care Management Practices, Immacula Pierre

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to healthcare systems worldwide, forcing them to adapt and implement alternative modes of healthcare delivery quickly. Telehealth, the delivery of healthcare services through telecommunication technologies, has become crucial in providing continuous care while reducing the risk of virus transmission. This qualitative study aimed to explore healthcare managers' perceptions of the use of telehealth and its impact on healthcare practices during the pandemic, particularly in terms of provision and quality control. A purposive sample of 10 healthcare managers from different healthcare settings in the United States participated in semi-structured interviews conducted via video conferencing. …

Parameters Of Need For Loved Ones Of Addicts Following Overdose Bereavement, Adrienne Nichole Weiss

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research pairs past evaluation of aid for friends and families throughout the life of a loved one suffering opioid addiction and seeks to elicit the potential for further considerations for after-math care in the wake of overdose bereavement. Traumatic grief and secondary trauma in relation to individuals having suffered the loss of a loved one to opioid-related circumstances will be the framework focus to prove the need to engage a forgotten population of people. Considering the vast review of literature engaging the discussion of addiction as well as traumatic grief, this qualitative analysis takes on a newly woven perspective …

Burnout Triggers In The Novice Registered Nurse, Sharon K. Nguyen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Nurse burnout has been strongly associated with decreased patient satisfaction and reduced retention rates in the novice registered nurse. This phenomenon is exacerbating the already rising global nursing shortage. A strong correlation is established between novice registered nurses who endure repeated or multiple triggers, such as unsafe staffing ratios, inadequate preceptorship, and ineffective leadership to those who succumb to burnout. Burnout is a significant problem in the United States, impacting how healthcare is perceived by the public. In 2019 there were more than six million nurses, making up the largest segment of the healthcare population and directly affecting the safety …

Medication Errors In Hospitals, Isata Jalloh

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

In hospitals, the issue of medication errors poses a serious problem, often leading to substantial health complications and, in some cases, even deaths among hospitalized as well as discharged patients. This health challenge not only imposes a substantial financial burden on patients, insurance providers, and Federal/State governments but also contributes to elevated healthcare expenses, hindering the effective allocation of resources to address other healthcare issues. Understanding the triggers of medication errors in hospitals is critical in solving this problem. The purpose of this integrative review is to determine the causes/triggers of medication errors in hospitals. This review will highlight the …

The Effects Of Social Gratitude On Anxiety, Depression, And Persistence To Graduate Among College Students, Terrie L. Hilbun

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Anxiety and depression have become increasingly prevalent among college students, leading to negative consequences such as decreased persistence to graduate. This study’s goal was to research the effects of a two-week gratitude intervention on attitude health, focusing on gratitude, depression, anxiety, and persistence of college students. The participants were drawn from a convenience sample of community college students located in northeast Alabama. A single pre-and post-test design was utilized, to compare the effects of a social gratitude intervention on gratitude, anxiety, depression, and persistence. A total of 25 volunteers, aged 18 or older, participated. It was hypothesized that there would …

Choral Educators’ Perspectives On Block Scheduling In Middle Schools, Heather Anderson Perryman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study is to identify how common the practice of block scheduling is currently among American public middle schools. This study also determines the perspectives of choral music educators working in public middle schools with existing block schedules. More extant literature is needed to examine block scheduling practices at the middle school level and the possible effects of block scheduling on middle school choral programs. Such an examination is essential for ascertaining curriculum needs, staffing issues, scheduling challenges, and choral music education advocacy initiatives. A qualitative design and case study approach are utilized to infer connections between …

Philosophies Of Empirical And Habitual Teaching: Healthy Vocal Methodologies In Higher Education For The Twenty-First Century, Katie Denise Osuamkpe

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Despite research done on healthy vocal methodologies, there are continuous changes in how best to prepare collegiate music students, relating to their emotional health through empirical and habitual teachings. This study will show how healthy vocal methodologies can influence higher education vocal students of the twenty-first century. This qualitative study can build a bridge to related topics in an exploratory framework with perspectives on: Dr. William Hettler’s Emotional Well-Being and its seven dimensions, Jean Piaget's Cognitive Construction Theory, Peter Salovey and John Mayer's Emotional Intelligence Theory, Daniel Goleman’s Social Emotional Learning Methodology, Susan Brookhart’s “Classroometrics” Theory, Howard Gardner’s Theory of …

Experience Of Clinical Judgment Among Senior Associate Degree Nursing Students: A Transcendental Phenomenological Study, Hollie Bell Elmore

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This transcendental phenomenological study aimed to understand the experience of clinical judgment for senior associate degree nursing students at a rural community college. The students completed a 60-minute simulation involving the cardiac system and debriefed after the active simulation. The theory that guided this study was David Kolb’s experiential learning theory, which defines the learning process as creating knowledge through transforming experience. Because the experiential learning theory is flexible, it can be readily applied to many disciplines such as nursing. This theory also helped to incorporate Tanner’s Clinical Judgment Model. Data for this transcendental qualitative study were collected using semi-structured …

The Degradation Effects Of Targeted Drone Killings Against Al-Qaeda In The Arabian Peninsula, Isaac Oeltjen

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One of the most significant national security threats of the 21st century is international terrorism from groups associated with the Global Jihadist Movement (GJM). Since the terrorist attacks on 9/11, this threat has been confronted through various counterterrorism measures accompanying the Global War on Terror (GWOT). One of the most widely used and controversial counterterrorism tactics that has been implemented is the targeted killing of terrorist leaders and facilitators using unmanned aerial drones. Often occurring outside legitimate theaters of war, targeted drone killings are heralded as an effective way to degrade the operational capability of terrorist organizations with minimal risk …

The Mental Health Effects Of Vicarious Trauma, Moral Injury, And Positive Religious Coping With Canine Comfort Handlers, Terri Jeanne O'Brien-Cross

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The intention of this study was to examine whether positive religious coping buffered the mental health effects of vicarious trauma and moral injuries in canine comfort handlers. By examining whether positive religious coping would reduce symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a better understanding of the mental, emotional, and spiritual effects of volunteer handlers was discovered. Handlers work throughout their communities and deploy to crisis events such as mass shootings and natural disasters. By partnering with highly trained canines, they provide support and comfort to those in need. During these interactions, handlers are often exposed to traumatic situations and may …

Redefining American Interests: Analyzing Us Policy Shifts During The Space Race With China (2011-2021), Alika Septiani Eka Yatin, Benni Yusriza Hasbiyalloh, Djayadi Hanan

Jurnal Wacana Politik

This research delves into the changing patterns of identity and anarchy culture experienced by the United States in the chronology of the space race with China from 2011 to 2021. Utilizing Alexander Wendt’s constructivist theory, this study explores the transformation in US space policy as a response to China’s growing presence in space exploration. The qualitative methodology employed involves thematic analysis of secondary data sources, including congressional minutes, official statements, media coverage, and public speeches. The findings reveal a dynamic shift in the US’s identity, influenced by its interactions on the international stage. During the Cold War, the US’s identity, …

A Proposed Technique Using Machine Learning For The Prediction Of Diabetes Disease Through A Mobile App, Hosam El-Sofany, M. Samir Abou El-Seoud, Omar Karam Bue, Yasser Abd El-Latif

Computer Science

With the increasing prevalence of diabetes in Saudi Arabia, there is a critical need for early detection and prediction of the disease to prevent long-term health complications. This study addresses this need by using machine learning (ML) techniques applied to the Pima Indians dataset and private diabetes datasets through the implementation of a computerized system for predicting diabetes. In contrast to prior research, this study employs a semisupervised model combined with strong gradient boosting, effectively predicting diabetes-related features of the dataset. Additionally, the researchers employ the SMOTE technique to deal with the problem of imbalanced classes. Ten ML classification techniques, …