Digital Commons Network^™

Does Government Efficiency Mitigate The Effect Of Natural Disasters On Tourist Arrivals, Yang Yang, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Wei Li, Fangyu Zhong, Tian Lan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Global tourism suffered its worst year in 2020 due to the widespread of COVID-19, and tourism industry-related professionals are looking for efficient measures to help tourism recover. Government efficiency was mentioned as an important factor for inbound tourism; however, its mitigating effect on the performance of inbound tourism in the context of natural disasters has not been empirically researched. This study attempts to address the gap through the analysis of a panel data set of 158 countries from 2002 to 2018. The results illustrate the mitigating effect of government efficiency on the negative impact of natural disasters on inbound tourist …

Independent And Interactive Associations Of Dietary Nitrate And Salt Intake With Blood Pressure And Cognitive Function: A Cross-Sectional Analysis In The Inchianti Study, Andrea M. Mcgrattan, Blossom C. M. Stephan, Oliver M. Shannon, Mohsen Mazidi, Mark Gilchrist, Miranda Smallwood, Paul Winyard, Nicholas Mcmahon, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Devi Mohan, Stefania Bandinelli, Louise Robinson, Luigi Ferrucci, Mario Siervo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Blood pressure (BP) control is a key target for interventions to reduce cognitive decline. This cross-sectional study explored associations between objective (24-hour urine excretion) and subjective (food frequency questionnaire [FFQ]) measures of dietary sodium and nitrate intakes with cognitive function and resting BP in the InCHIANTI cohort. Baseline data from 989 participants aged >50 years were included. In fully adjusted models, participants with concurrent high nitrate and low sodium (Odds Ratio (OR)=0.49, 95%CI 0.32–0.76, p = 0.001) and high nitrate and high sodium (OR = 0.49, 95%CI 0.32–0.77, p = 0.002) 24-hour urinary concentrations had lower odds of high BP …

Myokine Expression And Tumor-Suppressive Effect Of Serum Following 12 Weeks Of Exercise In Prostate Cancer Patients On Adt, Jin-Soo Kim, Rebekah Louise Wilson, Dennis Taaffe, Daniel A. Galvao, Elin S. Gray, Robert Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose:

Although several mechanisms have been proposed for the tumor-suppressive effect of exercise, little attention has been given to myokines, even though skeletal muscle is heavily recruited during exercise resulting in myokine surges. We measured resting serum myokine levels before and after an exercise-based intervention and the effect of this serum on prostate cancer cell growth.

Methods:

Ten prostate cancer patients undertaking androgen deprivation therapy (age, 73.3 ± 5.6 yr) undertook a 12-wk exercise-based intervention including supervised resistance training, self-directed aerobic exercise, and protein supplementation. Body composition was assessed by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and muscle strength by the one-repetition maximum …

Urinary Metabotype Of Severe Asthma Evidences Decreased Carnitine Metabolism Independent Of Oral Corticosteroid Treatment In The U-Biopred Study, Stacey N. Reinke, Shama Naz, Romanas Chaleckis, Hector Gallart-Ayala, Johan Kolmert, Nazanin Z. Kermani, Angelica Tiotiu, David I. Broadhurst, Anders Lundqvist, Henric Olsson, Marika Strom, Asa M. Wheelock, Cristina Gómez, Magnus Ericsson, Ana R. Sousa, John H. Riley, Stewart Bates, James Scholfield, Matthew Loza, Frederic Baribaud, Per S. Bakke, Massimo Caruso, Pascal Chanez, Stephen J. Fowler, Thomas Geiser, Peter Howarth, Ildiko Horvath, Norbert Krug, Paolo Montuschi, Annelie Behndig, Florian Singer, Jacek Musial, Dominick E. Shaw, Barbro Dahlén, Sile Hu, Jessica Lasky-Su, Peter J. Sterk, Kian Fan Chung, Ratko Djukanovic, Sven Erik Dahlé, Ian M. Adcock, Craig E. Wheelock

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease with poorly defined phenotypes. Severe asthmatics often receive multiple treatments including oral corticosteroids (OCS). Treatment may modify the observed metabotype, rendering it challenging to investigate underlying disease mechanisms. Here, we aimed to identify dysregulated metabolic processes in relation to asthma severity and medication. Methods: Baseline urine was collected prospectively from healthy participants (n=100), mild-to-moderate asthmatics (n=87) and severe asthmatics (n=418) in the cross-sectional U-BIOPRED cohort; 12–18-month longitudinal samples were collected from severe asthmatics (n=305). Metabolomics data were acquired using high-resolution mass spectrometry and analysed using univariate and multivariate methods. Results: Ninety metabolites were identified, …

Seasonal Niche Differentiation Among Closely Related Marine Bacteria, Adrià Auladell, Albert Barberán, Ramiro Logares, Esther Garcés, Josep M. Gasol, Isabel Ferrera

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Bacteria display dynamic abundance fluctuations over time in marine environments, where they play key biogeochemical roles. Here, we characterized the seasonal dynamics of marine bacteria in a coastal oligotrophic time series station, tested how similar the temporal niche of closely related taxa is, and what are the environmental parameters modulating their seasonal abundance patterns. We further explored how conserved the niche is at higher taxonomic levels. The community presented recurrent patterns of seasonality for 297 out of 6825 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), which constituted almost half of the total relative abundance (47%). For certain genera, niche similarity decreased as nucleotide …

Perception Of Narcissism In College Professors, Harry M. Wallace, A. Carrillo, Jack Kelley

Psychology Faculty Research

We conducted three studies to examine perceptions of grandiose narcissism in college professors. Narcissism might appear incompatible with the profession if professors are viewed fundamentally as helpers or as introverted bookworms. Then again, people might expect professors to display big egos congruent with the prestige of their profession and their privileged public platforms. Our research indicates that professors are generally not seen as highly narcissistic according to the criteria of the Narcissistic Personality Inventory and the Narcissistic Admiration and Rivalry Questionnaire, though they are viewed as more narcissistic than elementary school teachers. More professor narcissism was expected at colleges that …

Studying Vulnerable Populations Through An Epigenetics Lens: Proceed With Caution, Katie Saulnier, Alison Berner, Stamatina Liosi, Brian Earp, Courtney D. Berrios, Stephanie O.M. Dyke, Charles Dupras, Yann Joly

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Epigenetics – the study of mechanisms that influence and modify gene expression – is providing unique insights into how an individual’s social and physical environment impact the body at a molecular level, particularly in populations that experience stigmatization and trauma. Researchers are employing epigenetic studies to illuminate how epigenetic modifications lead to imbalances in health outcomes for vulnerable populations. However, the investigation of factors that render a population epigenetically vulnerable present particular ethical and methodological challenges. Here we are concerned with demonstrating how, in targeting certain populations for epigenetic research, this research may be pathologizing socio-cultural and medical practices in …

A Review On Security Issues And Solutions Of The Internet Of Drones, Wencheng Yang, Song Wang, Xuefei Yin, Xu Wang, Jiankun Hu

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Internet of Drones (IoD) has attracted increasing attention in recent years because of its portability and automation, and is being deployed in a wide range of fields (e.g., military, rescue and entertainment). Nevertheless, as a result of the inherently open nature of radio transmission paths in the IoD, data collected, generated or handled by drones is plagued by many security concerns. Since security and privacy are among the foremost challenges for the IoD, in this paper we conduct a comprehensive review on security issues and solutions for IoD security, discussing IoD-related security requirements and identifying the latest advancement in …

Artificial Intelligence-Based Material Discovery For Clean Energy Future, Reza Maleki, Mohsen Asadnia, Amir Razmjou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted materials design and discovery methods can come to the aid of global concerns for introducing new efficient materials in different applications. Also, a sustainable clean future requires a transition to a low-carbon economy that is material-intensive. AI-assisted methods advent as inexpensive and accelerated methods in the design of new materials for clean energies. Herein, the emerging research area of AI-assisted material discovery with a focus on developing clean energies is discussed. The applications, advantages, and challenges of using AI in material discovery are discussed and the future perspective of using AI in clean energy is studied. This …

Gut Microbiota Diversity And Composition In Predicting Immunotherapy Response And Immunotherapy-Related Colitis In Melanoma Patients: A Systematic Review, Oliver Oey, Yu-Yang Liu, Angela F. Sunjaya, Daniel M. Simadibrata, Muhammad A. Khattak, Elin Gray

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Gut microbiome (GM) composition and diversity have recently been studied as a biomarker of response to immune checkpoint blockade therapy (ICB) and of ICB-related colitis. Aim: To conduct a systematic review on the role of GM composition and diversity in predicting response and colitis in patients with melanoma treated with ICB. Methods: The review protocol was registered in PROSPERO: CRD42021228018. From a total of 300 studies, nine studies met inclusion criteria. Two studies were phase I clinical trials, while the remainder were prospective observational studies. All but one study has moderate risk of bias. In addition, we conducted a …

Blood Meal Analysis And Arbovirus Detection In A Sylvatic Aedes Chaussieri At Oloolua Forest, Kenya, Robinson Okoth Kisero Okiro

All Master’s Theses

Arboviral pathogens are a growing public health problem especially in Africa. Bridge vectors facilitate virus transmission to humans from forest or sylvatic environments although the species involved are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the role of Aedes chaussieri in sylvatic arboviral transmission cycle. Archived samples collected from the Oloolua Forest in the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, were analyzed in pools for viruses by cell culture in Vero Cells followed by RT-PCR and sequencing. Blood-fed specimens were processed for host meal sources by PCR and sequencing of a portion of the mitochondrial 12S ribosomal RNA gene. Viral screening …

The Potential Of Peatlands As Nature-Based Climate Solutions, Maria Strack, Scott J. Davidson, Takashi Hirano, Christian Dunn

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Purpose of ReviewDespite covering only 3% of the land surface, peatlands represent the largest terrestrial organic carbon stock on the planet and continue to act as a carbon sink. Managing ecosystems to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and protect carbon stocks provide nature-based climate solutions that can play an important role in emission reduction strategies, particularly over the next decade. This review provides an overview of peatland management pathways that can contribute to natural climate solutions and compiles regional and global estimates for the size of potential GHG emission reductions.Recent FindingsDegraded peatlands may account for 5% of current anthropogenic GHG …

Policy Making For Sharks And The Role And Contribution Of Non-Governmental Organisations In The Fulfilment Of International Legal Obligations, Lydia Koehler, Jason Lowther

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

We propose a policy cycle for elasmobranch conservation and management and assessed the role and contribution of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) within this cycle on a case study basis for the Mediterranean region. Following a review of shark-related and relevant legal obligations under international and regional instruments, we classified them into ten focus areas: Capacity building, Conservation measures, Cooperation, Education and Awareness, Monitoring, Policy development and integration, Regulation, Reporting, Research, and Sustainable Management. Based on surveys and a supplementary, web-based research, we found that NGOs contribute substantially to the implementation stage of the proposed policy cycle and fulfil obligations under various …

Water Table Depth Modulates Productivity And Biomass Across Amazonian Forests, Thaiane R. Sousa, Juliana Schietti, Io Ribeiro, Thaise Emílio, Rafael Herrera Fernández, Steege H Ter, Carolina V. Castilho, A Esquivel‐Muelbert, Timothy Baker, A Pontes‐Lopes, Cvj Silva, Jm Silveira, Géraldine Derroire, Wendeson Castro, Am Mendoza, Ademir Ruschel, Adriana Prieto, Adriano José Nogueira Lima, Agustín Rudas, A Araujo‐Murakami, Alexander Parada Gutierrez, Ana Andrade, Anand Roopsind, Angelo Gilberto Manzatto, Fiore A Di, A Torres‐Lezama, Aurélie Dourdain, B Marimon, Bh Marimon, Benoit Burban

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Aim: Water availability is the major driver of tropical forest structure and dynamics. Most research has focused on the impacts of climatic water availability, whereas remarkably little is known about the influence of water table depth and excess soil water on forest processes. Nevertheless, given that plants take up water from the soil, the impacts of climatic water supply on plants are likely to be modulated by soil water conditions. Location: Lowland Amazonian forests. Time period: 1971–2019. Methods: We used 344 long-term inventory plots distributed across Amazonia to analyse the effects of long-term climatic and edaphic water supply on forest …

Modern Authorities From Brandies To Brnovich: For Jurists Who Have Considered Social Science / When Doctrine Was Not Enough, Jeremiah Chin

Articles

While the Supreme Court is the final authority on the Constitution, its interpretations increasingly turn to outside, non-legal sources to authoritatively support its conclusions of law and fact. Particularly in cases involving racial discrimination, the Court relies on social science data presented by the trial record, amicus curiae, or its own research. However, the Court lacks explicit rules or methods of analysis for these data. To remedy this gap in analysis, this article proposes a critical methodology for analyzing the use of social science data in cases involving race. By outlining a historiography of the Court's invocation of extrinsic data, …

Terrified By Technology: How Systemic Bias Distorts U.S. Legal And Regulatory Responses To Emerging Technology, Steve Calandrillo, Nolan Kobuke Anderson

Articles

Americans are becoming increasingly aware of the systemic biases we possess and how those biases preclude us from collectively living out the true meaning of our national creed. But to fully understand systemic bias we must acknowledge that it is pervasive and extends beyond the contexts of race, privilege, and economic status. Understanding all forms of systemic bias helps us to better understand ourselves and our shortcomings. At first glance, a human bias against emerging technology caused by systemic risk misperception might seem uninteresting or unimportant. But this Article demonstrates how the presence of systemic bias anywhere, even in an …

The Supreme Court’S Chief Justice Of Intellectual Property Law, Bob Gomulkiewicz

Articles

Justice Clarence Thomas is one of the most recognizable members of the United States Supreme Court. Many people recall his stormy Senate confirmation hearing and notice his fiery dissenting opinions that call on the Court to reflect the original public meaning of the Constitution. Yet observers have missed one of Justice Thomas’s most significant contributions to the Court—his intellectual property law jurisprudence. Justice Thomas has authored more majority opinions in intellectual property cases than any other Justice in the Roberts Court era and now ranks as the most prolific author of patent law opinions in the history of the Supreme …

Unravelling Inventorship, Toshiko Takenaka

Articles

Inventorship, who made an invention, is one of the most important concepts under the U.S. patent system. Incorrect inventorship determinations result in patent invalidity not only because U.S. Constitution requires granting patents to true inventors, but also first-inventorto- file novelty inherited many aspects of first-to-invent novelty which depended on inventorship whether to include prior inventions as prior art. Correcting inventorship may result in sharing patent exclusivity with competitors, which forfeits profits necessary to recover expensive development costs. However, the standard to determine inventorship has been called muddy by judges and commentators because neither the Patent Act nor case law provide …

Revitalizing Conservation And Management Of The American Crocodile (Crocodylus Acutus) In The Dominican Republic, Robert Greco

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Crocodilian populations declined globally during the 20^th century because of overhunting and habitat loss. Some crocodilian populations have recovered recently through legal protections and habitat restoration, but the status of many crocodilian populations are still unknown because of a lack of recent data. The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) population in the Dominican Republic (DR) is one of these data-deficient populations, with country-wide surveys not carried out since the 1980s. From May through July 2021 we surveyed areas within DR where C. acutus is still likely residing. Our surveys yielded no crocodile sightings in Monte Cristi, suggesting that …

A Two-Day Virtual Workshop On The Micronutrient-Directed Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam For Ghanaian Nutrition Professionals: Examining Perceived Self-Efficacy And Innovation, Leah Anne Qubty

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Micronutrients are key components of various physiological processes. Therefore, in the setting of deficiency, poor health outcomes ensue. In Ghana, micronutrient deficiencies are common and medical resources are limited. The Ghanaian dietetics profession is growing, and this growth is propitiously timed to address micronutrient deficiencies. Biochemical markers of nutrition status are considered the gold standard to detect micronutrient deficiencies, but are costly and require specialized medical equipment. In the absence of available biochemical markers of nutrition status, the micronutrient-directed nutrition-focused physical exam is a viable tool. Nutrition professionals such as Registered Dietitians are qualified to conduct this exam, but feel …

Gender Differences In Academic Self-Concept, Perfectionism, And Math Performance Among First-Year Stem And Non-Stem Students, Jessica Lewis

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary goal of this research was to compare academic self-concepts and adaptive and maladaptive perfectionistic tendencies as they relate to differences in mathematics performance of first-year undergraduate students’ gender and major (STEM or non-STEM). One hundred and ninety-nine first-year undergraduate students completed self-reported questionnaires including the Frost Multidimensions Perfectionism Scale, the academic self-concept scale of the Personal and Academic Self-Concept Scale (PASCI), and a math performance measure consisting of practice SAT questions. This study utilized correlational, multivariate analyses of variances (MANOVA), and multiple regression techniques. MANOVA results revealed a main effect of gender on all variables and a marginally …

Identification And Characterization Of The Tssk6 Activating Co-Chaperone (Tsacc) Gene In Skeletal Muscle, Tala Shourbagi Tello

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Skeletal muscle atrophy is defined as a decrease in muscle size and occurs due to disparate physiological conditions, including aging, immobilization, and corticosteroid exposure. TSSK6 activating co-chaperone (TSACC) was identified as a gene that is significantly upregulated in skeletal muscle in response to denervation. To confirm Tsacc expression in skeletal muscle, the Tsacc cDNA was cloned from cultured myoblast cells leading to the discovery of a novel alternative splice-variant that is 49 amino acids shorter than the known full-length transcript. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) confirmed that Tsacc is expressed in skeletal muscle with expression increasing as muscle cells undergo differentiation. Characterization …

Incorporating Recess Into The Ecosystem Of The School, Ellen Wheeler

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Unstructured outdoor play is critical to a child’s healthy development. Often the only outdoor unstructured play opportunities occur during recess. Unstructured play and recess are supported as childhood necessities and human rights by the American Pediatric Association and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child. These pronouncements and grass roots support have fueled the creation of legislation that requires recess during the elementary school day. As of 2022, Florida was one of 10 states enacting legislation requiring recess. However, the maximization of the recess experience is largely dependent on the quality of the space and facilities that …

Histological Comparison Of Shark Dermis Across Various Ecomorphologies, Olivia Schuitema

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The integument plays essential roles in the structural support, protection, and hydrodynamic capability among fishes. Most shark skin research has been done on the external epidermal layer containing the dermal denticles, while the larger dermis layer has been mostly ignored. The dermis layer in sharks is composed of two layers, the upper stratum laxum and the lower stratum compactum, holding supportive collagen and elastin fibers. There may be morphological and compositional differences in the dermis layers across various species of sharks, although the extent of such is unknown. These potential differences may be represented by various dermal thicknesses and different …

The Impact Of Extracurricular Activities And Attendance On Student Achievement At A Mississippi Community College, Amanda Hyde Marbury

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine the impact of extracurricular activities and class attendance on student achievement in science courses at a Mississippi community college. Public colleges are dependent on state funding for survival, with one main criterion for determining that funding being the number of students enrolled. Students need to be successful in courses to keep up the retention and enrollment rates. Student success is potentially linked to class attendance and student involvement in extracurricular activities. Schools need to look at factors that might be affecting students’ performance in the classroom such as participation in extracurricular …

"Woman In The Mirror; Precious Child Of God Or Just A Rib?", Bonnie M. Orth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This thesis entitled, “Woman in the Mirror: Precious Child of God, or Just a Rib?” is based on a request from colleagues to create a curriculum as a companion piece to the Rev. Dr. Kevin Frederick’s curriculum, “Men in the Mirror: Orienting Our Lives Toward a Christ-Centered Masculinity.” The curriculum will be used by pastors and pastoral counselors working with women who struggle with self-esteem and/or are victims of domestic violence. This thesis explores the problem that some women seem to lack a clear understanding of their position in the kingdom of God. Looking at how women understood God, their …

Fifth Graders’ Use Of Gesture And Models When Translanguaging During A Content And Language Integrated Science Class In Hong Kong, Melanie Williams

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Translanguaging in science includes the use of semiotic repertoires complete with non-linguistic modes of meaning (e.g. gesture, tactile) that until recently have gone unnoticed in research into content language integrated learning (CLIL). Currently, there are calls for classroom research in CLIL settings that examines the semiotic processes in the spontaneous translanguaging of emergent bilinguals. In response, this study aims to expand bilingualism research by investigating the ways in which fifth-grade emergent bilinguals’ draw from their semiotic repertoires when translanguaging in content-based science lessons. Multimodal transcriptions made from video recordings of the lessons allow a cross-case analysis of the emergent bilinguals’ …

Voicing Derbarl Yerrigan As A Feminist Anti-Colonial Methodology, Vanessa Wintoneak, Mindy Blaise

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The paper voices Derbarl Yerrigan, a significant river in Western Australia, through three imperfect, non-innocent, and necessary river-child stories. These stories highlight the emergence of a feminist anti-colonial methodology that is attentive to settler response-abilities to Derbarl Yerrigan through situated, relational, active, and generative research methods. Voicing Derbarl Yerrigan influences the methodological practices used as part of an ongoing river-child walking inquiry that is concerned with generating climate change pedagogies in response to the global climate crises and calls for new ways of thinking and producing knowledge. In particular, the authors found that voicing as a methodology includes listening and …

Systems Of Oppression: The Impact Of Discrimination On Latinx Immigrant Adolescents’ Well-Being And Development, Stephanie A. Torres, Susana Sosa Phd, Roxanna Flores Tousaint Phd, Sarah Alicia Jolie Phd, Yvita Bustos Phd

Psychology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

With over 400 harmful immigration policy changes in the past 4 years, Latinx adolescents and families nationwide are developing within a context of extreme anti-immigrant sentiment (Dismantling and reconstructing the U.S. immigration system: A catalog of changes under the Trump presidency, Migration Policy Institute, 2020). This paper introduces the Multitiered Model of Oppression and Discrimination (MMOD), a conceptual model for understanding the impacts of multiple levels of discrimination on the well-being and development of Latinx immigrant adolescents. Interpersonal discrimination (Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, 2010, 32, 259), community-held stereotypes (Social Psychology of Education, 2001, 5, 201), institutional policies (Children and …

Worth Writing! Worth Reading! Edition Vii (Winter 2022), New York Law School

New York Law School Community Newsletter

No abstract provided.