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Agrp Neurons Are Not Indispensable For Body Weight Maintenance In Adult Mice, Jing Cai, Jing Chen, Joshua Ortiz-Guzman, Jessica Huang, Benjamin R Arenkiel, Yan Zhang, Qingchun Tong, Cheng Zhan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In addition to their role in promoting feeding and obesity development, hypothalamic arcuate agouti-related protein/neuropeptide Y (AgRP/NPY) neurons are widely perceived to be indispensable for maintaining normal feeding and body weight in adults, and consistently, acute inhibition of AgRP neurons is known to reduce short-term food intake. Here, we adopted complementary methods to achieve nearly complete ablation of arcuate AgRP/NPY neurons in adult mice and report that lesioning arcuate AgRP/NPY neurons in adult mice causes no apparent alterations in ad libitum feeding or body weight. Consistent with previous studies, loss of AgRP/NPY neurons blunts fasting refeeding. Thus, our studies show …

Deep Learning-Based Tem Image Analysis For Fully Automated Detection Of Gold Nanoparticles Internalized Within Tumor Cell, Amrit Kaphle, Sandun Jayarathna, Hem Moktan, Maureen Aliru, Subhiksha Raghuram, Sang Hyun Cho

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging can be used for detection/localization of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) within tumor cells. However, quantitative analysis of GNP-containing cellular TEM images typically relies on conventional/thresholding-based methods, which are manual, time-consuming, and prone to human errors. In this study, therefore, deep learning (DL)-based methods were developed for fully automated detection of GNPs from cellular TEM images. Several models of "you only look once (YOLO)" v5 were implemented, with a few adjustments to enhance the model's performance by applying the transfer learning approach, adjusting the size of the input image, and choosing the best optimization algorithm. Seventy-eight original …

Criminalization Of Community-Based Ecotourism (Cbet) In Indonesia: The Cases Of Pari Island, Kepulauan Seribu, Janthi Dharma Shanty, Bono Budi Priambodo

Journal of Indonesian Tourism and Policy Studies

Pari islanders have revamped their island into cultural ecotourism destination since 2010. It has been successful because the activities have diverted the islanders’ dependence on the hard-pressed local coastal and fisheries resources and supplemented their income. This is a win-win situation the Indonesian government seeks to create with the 2007 Coastal Zone and Small Islands Management Law where natural conservation benefits local populace economically. The Law stipulates, among others, that community participation is one of the integrated coastal zone management principles. The Law also prioritizes coastal zones for conservation and tourism activities. Pari islanders thus have already implemented the imperatives …

The Role Of Stakeholders: Implications For Continuous Improvement In Principal Preparation, Ethel M. Arzu, Tia Agan, Gary J. Miller, Kevin Badgett

School Leadership Review

Research conducted in partnership with the Wallace Foundation and the Education Development Center revealed the importance of school principals on the success of student achievement and attendance, as well as on teacher efficacy and retention. The implications of this research reveal the importance of stronger and more focused principal preparation programs. Therefore, the Wallace Foundation established a continuous improvement process that engages teams of program faculty and stakeholders in conducting evidence-based assessments of program quality. In this article, three programs document their experiences with the self-study process. Readers will gain a deeper appreciation for the collaborative role that stakeholders play …

Potential For Shared Vision: What Gt Middle School Teachers Say They Need In Times Of Transition, Michelle L. Leverette

School Leadership Review

"Potential for shared vision: What GT middle school teachers say they need in times of transition" aims to provide relevant data that speaks to current campus needs in a time of pandemic-affected era transitional learning in PK-12 public education. As current educational leaders seek to address the academic and behavioral needs of students, the findings from this research study taken during Covid protocols express three areas of need: (a) a need for open lines of communication between teachers and parents of GT students, (b) a need for clarification of the definition of GT middle school student “success”, and (c) a …

Prioritizing Regional Wildlife Conservation By Rejuvenating The Western Hemisphere Convention On Nature Protection, Shade Streeter, David Hunter, William Snape Iii

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

Last year, parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (“CBD”), representing nearly every nation, signed a milestone agreement committing, among other things, to conserve thirty percent of Earth’s lands and oceans to stave off the rapid diminution of the planet’s biodiversity. Implementing these global commitments will require not only strong domestic measures, but also enhanced regional cooperation targeting the conservation of the region’s migratory wildlife and shared resources. Although the United States is the sole major holdout from the CBD, it can still reassert its leadership in regional wildlife conservation by rejuvenating the Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation …

Unclos, Undrip & Tartupaluk: The Grim Tale Of Hans Isle And Graense, Christopher Mark Macneill

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

“Inuit have lived in the Arctic from time immemorial.” The Arctic, in the face of climate change, has become a hot spot for exploration, resource extraction, and increased shipping and scientific activity. “[The] Inuit . . . have had a common and shared use of the sea area and the adjacent coasts” among their own communities, and contemporaneously with the world. This vast circumpolar Inuit Arctic region includes land, sea, and ice stretching from eastern Russia (Chukotka region) across the Berring Strait, to Alaska, the Canadian Arctic, and Greenland, representing an Inuit homeland known as Nunaat. Hans Isle, a small …

The Great Climate Migration: A Critique Of Global Legal Standards Of Climate-Change Caused Harm, Mariah Stephens

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

Approximately 2.4 billion people, or about forty percent of the global population, live within sixty miles (one hundred kilometers) of a coastline. The United Nations (“U.N.”) determined that “a sea level rise of half a meter could displace 1.2 million people from low-lying islands in the Caribbean Sea and the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with that number almost doubling if the sea level rises by two metres.” The U.N. also reports that “sudden weather-related hazards” have internally displaced an annual average of 21.5 million people since 2008. Within the next few decades, this number is likely to continue to increase. …

The Future Of Crypto-Asset Mining: The Inflation Reduction Act And The Need For Uniform Federal Regulation, Liz Guinan

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

Crypto-asset mining is energy-intensive and environmentally harmful, presenting challenges and opportunities for federal, state and local governments, regulators, and society as a whole. As of December 2021, the United States has thirty-eight percent of the global crypto network hash rate, which is the total amount of computational power used to mine and process crypto transactions, making the United States the world’s largest crypto-asset mining industry. The total electricity consumption of crypto-asset mining in the United States is estimated to be around 121.36 terawatt-hours (“TWh”) per year, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of approximately 10.9 million households in the …

Editors' Note, Rachel Keylon, Meghen Sullivan

Sustainable Development Law & Policy

For more than two decades, the Sustainable Development Law and Policy Brief (“SDLP”) has published works analyzing emerging legal and policy issues within the fields of environmental, energy, sustainable development, and natural resources law. SDLP has also prioritized making space for law students in the conversation. We are honored to continue this tradition in Volume XXIII.

Test-Retest Reliability Of A 4-Minute All-Out Critical Force Test In Rock Climbers, Zachary J. Mcclean, Keenan Macdougall, Jared R. Fletcher, Saied J. Aboodarda, Brian R. Macintosh

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 16(4): 912-923, 2023. The purpose of this study was to assess the test-retest reliability of a 4-minute all-out critical force test in well-trained rock climbers. Thirteen rock climbers (n=4 females) completed a familiarization session and two all-out critical force tests on different days. During each trial, participants completed 24 repetitions of 7s right-handed, maximal effort hangs from a 20mm edge interspersed with 3 s rest. The end-test force (EF; i.e., critical force), impulse above EF (IEF), and peak force achieved durin g the test were analyzed with paired t-tests to determine differences between trials. Intraclass …

The Impact Of The Mexican Drug War Upon The Lives Of Mexican Citizens, Samanta Flores Velazquez

Ursidae: The Undergraduate Research Journal at the University of Northern Colorado

El Chapo and Felix Gallardo, both prominent leaders within the illicit drug business, caused an uprising in drug manufacturing within Mexico. The demand for narcotics paved the way for drug trade operations to overrule the way of life of impoverished communities. The Drug War, a term officially developed to describe the excruciating battle between cartels and their presence in society, has caused chaos within communities and politics. These effects have been a challenging obstacle for many governments, especially the Mexican government. The solutions that helped the Drug War are now far from becoming a reality. Drug Trafficking Organizations (DTOs) have …

How Many Trans People Get Abortions? An Introduction To Critical Data Studies, Derek P. Siegel

Feminist Pedagogy

As abortion restrictions escalate, scholars and activists have struggled to incorporate transgender individuals into their organizing efforts. On one hand, most people recognize that not everyone who needs an abortion identifies as a woman. On the other hand, many are reluctant to abandon or complicate the rallying cry of abortion as a "woman's issue." Caught at a perceived crossroad, stakeholders wonder, "how many transgender people actually get abortions?" in the hopes that this number might guide their social movement strategies. In this assignment, students will use the concept of critical data studies to examine the politics of how we collect …

The Journal Of International Relations, Peace And Development Studies 8th Edition Introduction, The Ags Conference Team

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

Our 8th annual edition of The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies & Development, presents the following papers for their unique and valuable contribution to the broader discussion. Olivier Sempiga’s The impact of geopolitical risks on price variation and political trust in France: analyzing the Ukraine-Russia conflict, provides a geopolitical analysis demonstrating the far-reaching consequences of the conflict far from the Ukraine-Russian border. Camilla Gironi’s Decolonizing Kyiv’s politics of memory: current and potential implications of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine on Ukrainian monuments and toponyms, presents an insightful examination of the conflict’s influenced Ukraine’s politics of memory, in the process …

The Impact Of Geopolitical Risks On Price Variation And Political Trust In France: Analyzing The Ukraine-Russia Conflict, Olivier Sempiga

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

Geopolitical risks (GPRs) have varied consequences over countries and over time. COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine are some of the recent GPRs. The conflict in Ukraine has had far-reaching economic consequences, not only for the countries directly involved in it but also for their trading partners and allies, and on the global economy in general. France, as one of Ukraine and Russia's major trading partners, has also felt the impact of the conflict on its economy. Using data from the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE), the paper investigates the impact of GPRs caused by the …

Decolonizing Kyiv’S Politics Of Memory: Current And Potential Implications Of Russia’S 2022 Invasion Of Ukraine On Ukrainian Monuments And Toponyms., Camilla Gironi

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

History is the basis of our identity, but it sometimes represents a trap. As well explained by Keith Lowe, monuments are representative of our values, and every society deludes itself that its values will be everlasting. However, in a world changing at an unprecedented pace while we move on, urban furnishment such as monuments or streets’ names remain frozen in time. Statues and toponyms that were erected and chosen a long time ago may no longer be representative of the values we now treasure. While Russia’s aggression is still raging, a lot has been written on the potential implications of …

Bring On The Heat, Renée Stoute

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

According to the World Economic Forum, in retaliation to European Union sanctions and embargoes, Russia cut EU gas flows by around 80% between May and October 2022 (WEF, 2022). The EU, in turn, has had to not only reduce energy consumption within the public and private sectors but has also scrambled to find energy alternatives to compensate for its energy shortcomings. However, due to the EU’s rejection of Russian oil and gas, there are now opportunities to embrace more sustainable energy alternatives quicker than previously expected. This could lead to a faster transition towards the use of cleaner and more …

Never Enough: Eu Military Spending Challenges In The Face Of Open Conflict, Katherine Wallentine

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 sent a jolt of tension and anxiety throughout the European Union, as well as the rest of the world. Lawmakers and strategists scrambled to find a suitable response in the immediate aftermath and now, a year later, the conversation continues as to what the best course of action is for the EU. Should it amplify and radically increase its supranational defense budget and if so, how should it accomplish this monumental task? How much of it should fall on the Member States to meet the two percent threshold as laid out by …

Is The Impact Of The Refugee Crisis More Detrimental To Women And Children? A Case Study Of Ukraine Women In Poland, Carmaniola Benjamin

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has made the European refugee dilemma, even more challenging. Many individuals specifically women and children have been displaced as a result of the conflict between these two nations. Because of the conflict many Ukrainians seek safety and stability in nearby nations like Poland. But this surge of Ukrainian migrants, has also brought forward several difficulties.

Territorial Autonomies In International Relations: Political Spaces For Participation, Nika Dvali

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

In the terms of internal self-determination, autonomous regimes can shape internal policies in different fields. In this point of view, autonomy looks like a real alternative of secession. However, The centre is always responsible for international relations. This research investigates a political space for territorial autonomy regimes to have, or, advocate their own foreign affairs.

Book Review: Greta Lynn Uehling. Everyday War: The Conflict Over Donbas, Ukraine. Cornell University Press (2023), Patrick Clairzier

The Journal of International Relations, Peace Studies, and Development

Greta Lynn Uehling’s book offers a fresh perspective on the ongoing conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government backed forces over the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. Begun in March 2014, the conflict was partly due to the events following the Maiden Movement or Revolution of Dignity, which ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. Given the escalation of the conflict with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Uehling’s multiyear study of the war in the Donbas region represents a valuable addition to the broader discourse on the ongoing Ukraine-Russian war.

Reducing Access Barriers: Exploring Student Smartphone Use Across Higher Education Institutions, Alex Rockey, Jenae Cohn, Samantha Eastman

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

With near ubiquitous smartphone ownership among 18–29-year-olds, many students carry mobile technology everywhere they go, yet little is known about how students use mobile devices for learning. For historically marginalized students, in particular, their phone may be an important tool for learning—especially if it is the primary device used to access the internet. This study explores student perceptions of using mobile devices for learning in focus groups with students from a California community college, a California state university, and a California university. Findings suggest that students often rely on their mobile devices as both an emergency bridge and to make …

From Rivals To Partners: The Evolution Of Environmental Cooperation Among China, Japan, And Korea, Changrui Yuan, Brice Tseen Fu Lee

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

This study analyses the trilateral cooperation among China, Japan, and Korea in the realm of environmental issues, focusing on the Trilateral Environment Ministers Meeting (TEMM) as the representative institution. Through a theoretical perspective based on rational design theory, this paper examines the rationality of TEMM's design and how it has addressed the enforcement problems and asymmetry of control among the three countries. The study also suggests some strategies for further deepening and empowering the trilateral cooperation, such as developing the environmental protection industry and carbon trading market, involving funds and non-state actors, and improving institutionalization. While acknowledging the achievements and …

The Perception Of Army Counselors On The Impact Of Emotional Intelligence Training On Army Non-Commissioned Officer Leadership Decision-Making Effectiveness, Geraldine Turituri

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the perception of Army counselors in the Military Family and Life Counselor (MFLC) program about the impact of emotional intelligence (EI) training on Army non-commissioned officer (NCO) leadership decision-making effectiveness in their supervision of the soldiers they are responsible for. This study also researched the perception of these counselors about the benefits and challenges of incorporating EI leadership preparation with traditional Army training for NCOs.

Methodology: This qualitative phenomenological study explored Army counselors’ perceptions about the need for EI training for Army NCOs to perform as effective decision-makers. Since …

Prompt-Based Tuning Of Transformer Models For Multi-Center Medical Image Segmentation Of Head And Neck Cancer, Numan Saeed, Muhammad Ridzuan, Roba Al Majzoub, Mohammad Yaqub

Computer Vision Faculty Publications

Medical image segmentation is a vital healthcare endeavor requiring precise and efficient models for appropriate diagnosis and treatment. Vision transformer (ViT)-based segmentation models have shown great performance in accomplishing this task. However, to build a powerful backbone, the self-attention block of ViT requires large-scale pre-training data. The present method of modifying pre-trained models entails updating all or some of the backbone parameters. This paper proposes a novel fine-tuning strategy for adapting a pretrained transformer-based segmentation model on data from a new medical center. This method introduces a small number of learnable parameters, termed prompts, into the input space (less than …

An Analysis Of Patterns Of Distribution Of Buprenorphine In The United States Using Arcos, Medicaid, And Medicare Databases, Zhi-Shan Hsu, Justina A. Warnick, Tice R. Harkins, Briana E. Sylvester, Neal K. Bharati, Letausjua B. Eley, Stephanie D. Nichols, Kenneth Mccall, Brian J. Piper

Pharmacy Faculty Scholarship

Opioid overdose remains a problem in the United States despite pharmacotherapies, such as buprenorphine, in the treatment of opioid use disorder. This study characterized changes in buprenorphine use. Using the Drug Enforcement Administration's ARCOS, Medicaid, and Medicare claims databases, patterns in buprenorphine usage in the United States from 2018 to 2020 were analyzed by examining percentage changes in total grams distributed and changes in grams per 100 K people in year-to-year usage based on ZIP code and state levels. For ARCOS from 2018 to 2019 and 2019 to 2020, total buprenorphine distribution in grams increased by 16.2% and 12.6%, respectively. …

The Impact Of Aspectss-Based Design Intervention In Autism School Design: A Case Study, Magda Mostafa, Marlene Sotelo, Toby Honsberger, Christine Honsberger

Faculty Journal Articles

No abstract provided.

Understanding Political Polarization Using Language Models: A Dataset And Method, Samiran Gode, Supreeth Bare, Bhiksha Raj, Hyungon Yoo

Natural Language Processing Faculty Publications

Our paper aims to analyze political polarization in US political system using language models, and thereby help candidates make an informed decision. The availability of this information will help voters understand their candidates' views on the economy, healthcare, education, and other social issues. Our main contributions are a dataset extracted from Wikipedia that spans the past 120 years and a language model-based method that helps analyze how polarized a candidate is. Our data are divided into two parts, background information and political information about a candidate, since our hypothesis is that the political views of a candidate should be based …

Living Apart After Adoption Or Guardianship: Perspectives Of Adoptive Parents And Guardians, Nancy Rolock, Amy E. Korsch-Williams, Chelsea Flanigan

Faculty Scholarship

Background: For children who are not reunified with their biological family members, the child welfare system promotes legal permanence through adoption or guardianship. The intent of adoption and guardianship is a safe home where children develop familial relationships that last a lifetime. However, issues may arise that result in children or youth living apart (LA) from their families after adoption or guardianship. In this study, LA is defined as a youth living outside the home after adoption or guardianship for two weeks or longer because the youth was receiving treatment in a residential or hospital setting, in a juvenile justice …

The Utah Statesman, July 24, 2023, Utah State University

The Utah Statesman

Weekly student newspaper of Utah State University in Logan.