Digital Commons Network^™

The Experience Of Modern Day Marriages For Women Who Identify As Strong Black Women, Arielle Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Strong Black Woman (SBW) schema has been explored during the past two decades; however, limited research has been conducted on the phenomenological experiences of Black women who identify with the characteristics of the SBW schema and their impact on Black and African American marriages. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of married African American women in modern day marriages who endorse the characteristics of the superwoman schema. This qualitative study was an interpretative phenomenological analysis and focused on the lived experiences of this population. Individual interviews of 12 married African American women who identified …

Aqueous Humor Biomarkers In Ocular Oncology: Insights And Advances, Lara Cheslow, Signe Caksa, Rachel E. Cain, Scott A. Waldman, Andrew A. Aplin

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Ocular malignancies, though relatively rare, pose significant risks to patients' vision, quality of life, and potential for developing metastatic disease. Due to the eye's complicated and delicate anatomy, diagnosing ocular malignancy and monitoring its progression can be technically challenging. Current approaches include direct tumor biopsy, vitreous humor sampling, and imaging. However, these techniques are associated with rare, yet potentially severe, side effects and can be invasive or limited in detecting microscopic disease. Recent studies have introduced aqueous humor sampling as a promising, minimally invasive alternative to diagnose ocular malignancy, guide therapeutic management, monitor response to treatment, and track early recurrence. …

Convergent Critical Technologies Part 1: The Integrative Transformation Of Warfighting, James Giordano

Strategic Insights

This commentary examines how the Department of War’s six designated Critical Technology Areas: Applied Artificial Intelligence, Biomanufacturing, Contested Logistics Technologies, Quantum and Battlefield Information Dominance, Scaled Directed Energy, and Scaled Hypersonics are collectively transforming military operations. Rather than focusing only on the individual capabilities of these technologies, the author argues that their most strategic value lies in convergent integration across domains and conflict phases. When combined, these technologies can accelerate decision-making, sustain forces in contested environments, enhance sensing and strike capabilities, and optimize operational logistics. The article highlights how integrated technology effects can reshape both kinetic and non-kinetic warfare, challenge …

A Multi-Case Study Of Peer Tutoring Programs: Program Structure, Faculty-Tutor Partnerships, And Access To Instructional Knowledge, Becky W. Packard, Amanda Xu, Teah Shi

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Peer tutors make important contributions within higher education institutions, yet the tutoring program structures vary widely with regard to how tutors are positioned, which in turn, affords and constrains access to instructional knowledge. Using a multi-case method, this study contrasts the structures of four tutoring programs: two programs within a private four-year college and two programs within a public two-year college. Two primary factors, the nature of faculty-tutor partnership and connection to a peer mentoring community, were examined and found to shape access to instructional knowledge. In addition, the results suggested that tutor prior experience as students in courses, experience …

Community College Students' Experiences With The Syllabus: A Qualitative Study, Diego Pliego, Abby Kaplan

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

Most existing literature on college students’ use of the course syllabus has been conducted in artificial settings, collected a limited range of data, or both. This study addresses this gap in the literature with a series of in-depth qualitative interviews with students at a community college about how they interact with a syllabus from one of their current classes. We find that most students report reading at least part of the syllabus, most often the calendar and information on grading. Students are most likely to read information specific to the class and are least likely to read general college information …

Beyond The Mic: Fostering Critical Consciousness Through Podcasting In A Social Foundations Of Education Course, Jacob Kelley

International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning

This article contributes to the scholarship of teaching and learning by examining the ways in which a podcast project facilitated the development of critical consciousness among pre-service teachers in an undergraduate social foundations of education course at a research university in the southeastern United States. It draws on data generated using semi-structured interviews with 10 pre-service teachers across two semesters of the course who completed the podcast project. Using inductive thematic analysis, I identified four themes in this case study: (1) Personal Experiences as Catalysts for Critical Consciousness, (2) Dialogical Learning as a Pathway to Critical Consciousness, (3) Grappling with …

Colorectal Cancer: Differential Gene Expression And In Vitro Response To 5-Fluorouracil, Novel Fluoropyrimidine F10, And Potential Synergy With Lupeol, Shrey D. Thaker, Jenny Paredes, Jone Garai, Laura A. Martello, William H. Gmeiner, Jovanny Zabaleta, Jennie Williams

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the most lethal malignancies in the United States, with African American (AA) patients experiencing disproportionately higher incidence and mortality compared to Caucasian Americans (CAs). These disparities have been linked to tumor-intrinsic genomic differences, including microsatellite instability (MSI) and p53 mutation status, which may influence chemotherapeutic response, particularly to the standard-of-care agent 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). However, mechanistic insights have been limited by the lack of racially diverse preclinical models. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of F10 (a novel fluoropyrimidine polymer) vs. 5-FU using AA- and CA-derived CRC cell lines with distinct MSI and p53 profiles. MTT …

Estimated Impact Of 2022–2023 Influenza Vaccines On Annual Hospital Burden In The United States, Kaiming Bi, Shraddha Ramdas Bandekar, Anass Bouchnita, Annalise Cramer, Spencer J Fox, Rebecca K Borchering, Matthew Biggerstaff, Lauren Ancel Meyers

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

During the COVID-19 pandemic early years, infection prevention measures suppressed transmission of seasonal influenza and other respiratory viruses. The early onset and moderate severity of the US 2022-2023 influenza season may have resulted from reduced use of nonpharmaceutical interventions or lower population immunity after 2 y of limited influenza virus circulation. We used a mathematical model of influenza virus transmission that incorporates vaccine-derived protection against both infection and severe disease to estimate the impact of influenza vaccines on healthcare burden. Assuming reported levels of past vaccine effectiveness (VE) against infection and hospitalization, we estimate that influenza vaccines prevented 69,886 (95% …

Advancing Herbal Medicine: The Role Of Nanosomal Technology In Treating Skin Diseases, Pedro Anugerah Aswan, Baitha Palanggatan Maggadani, Wilzar Fachri, Raditya Iswandana

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Herbal medicine has become popular worldwide, especially in developing countries, with around 80% of the population opting for herbal treatments. The perceived benefits of natural remedies, such as affordability and fewer side effects, drive this trend. Herbal therapies effectively manage skin diseases, infections, and common ailments. However, the absorption of bioactive compounds in herbal extracts is often limited. Recent developments in nano-based herbal delivery systems, like nanosomal, show promise in enhancing the efficacy of herbal remedies for topical applications, providing improved solubility, stability, and skin penetration. This review describes various nanosomal studies developed and successfully used to enhance the topical …

Humeral Head Retroversion On A Contemporary Skeletal Population With Known Physical Activity To Investigate The Differential Expressions Of Biological Sex, Elizabeth Hightower

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Retroversion is an angled measurement of the humerus that is indicative of habitual overhand activity. Elevated retroversion measurements (in degrees) indicate overhand activity. Overhand activity indicates subsistence gathering from spear or atlatl throwing. Most retroversion research is conducted in populations where men perform more physically demanding labor. Therefore, bioarchaeologists are producing the same data over and over. Additionally, contemporary retroversion data is used as comparative figures. These subjects range from youth to professional baseball players, but the data on women is nearly obsolete. Bioarchaeology needs contemporary female retroversion data. Research was conducted at the University of Tennessee Knoxville where humeral …

Retinol Tracing Within Murine Neural Retina Reveals Cell Type-Specific Retinol Transport And Distribution, Zachary J Engfer, Grazyna Palczewska, Samuel W Du, Jianye Zhang, Zhiqian Dong, Carolline Rodrigues Menezes, Jun Wang, Jianming Shao, Budd A Tucker, Robert F Mullins, Rui Chen, Philip D Kiser, Krzysztof Palczewski

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

11-cis-Retinal is essential for light perception in mammalian photoreceptors (PRs), and aberrations in retinoid transformations cause severe retinal diseases. Understanding these processes is crucial for combating blinding diseases. The visual cycle, operating within PRs and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), regenerates 11-cis-retinal to sustain light sensitivity. Retinoids are also present in Müller glia (MG), hypothesized to supply 11-cis-retinol to cone PRs and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). To trace retinoid movement through retinal cell types, we used cell-specific knock-in of lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT), which converts retinols into stable retinyl esters (REs). Ectopic LRAT expression in murine PRs, MG, and RGCs resulted …

Sex Differences In Atherosclerotic Coronary Artery Disease Patterns, Kazumasa Ikeda, Daniel Munhoz, Sofie Brouwers, Jeroen Sonck, Hitoshi Matsuo, Toshiro Shinke, Hirohiko Ando, Brian Ko, Simone Biscaglia, Fernando Rivero, Thomas Engstrøm, Ketina Arslani, Antonio Maria Leone, Domenico Galante, Lokien X Van Nunen, William F Fearon, Evald Høj Christiansen, Stephane Fournier, Liyew Desta, Andy Yong, Julien Adjedj, Javier Escaned, Masafumi Nakayama, Ashkan Eftekhari, Frederik M Zimmermann, Koshiro Sakai, Tatyana Storozhenko, Bruno R Da Costa, Gianluca Campo, Colin Berry, Damien Collison, Thomas Johnson, Tetsuya Amano, Divaka Perera, Allen Jeremias, Ziad Ali, Bernard De Bruyne, Frederic Bouisset, Takashi Kubo, Nobuhiro Tanaka, Kazuhiro Satomi, Nils P Johnson, Carlos Collet, Takuya Mizukami

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Sex differences in coronary artery disease (CAD) have been increasingly recognized, as women present with distinct clinical characteristics and outcomes compared with men. This study investigated the impact of sex on pathophysiological CAD patterns (focal versus diffuse) in stable patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI).

Methods: We conducted a subanalysis of the PPG Global (Pullback Pressure Gradient Global Registry) study, a multicenter, prospective trial including 993 patients (236 [23.8%] women and 757 [76.2%] men) with hemodynamically significant CAD, defined as fractional flow reserve ≤0.80. The pullback pressure gradient metric categorized CAD patterns as focal or diffuse. Patient-reported outcomes were …

Role Of Endoscopy In The Diagnosis And Management Of Esophageal Cancer, Jennifer Ma, Sharon Pan, Rachel Mortan, Faisal Shaukat Ali, Nirav Thosani, Vaibhav Wadhwa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Esophageal cancer cases are predicted to reach 957,000 by 2040. Prior mortality rates average 6.5% in men and 2.2% in women, with a poor 5-year prognosis of 20%. A deficiency in screening guidelines, an incomplete understanding of pathophysiology, and limited treatment options contributed to this poor prognosis. Now, as technology and knowledge evolve, endoscopy serves a primary role in improving morbidity and mortality around esophageal cancer, in which early detection and treatment play a profound role. Advances in diagnostic modalities, including higher frequency ultrasound, acquisition of larger specimens, and nodal characterization, all improve esophageal cancer diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning. …

Elastic Cytomatrix Dynamics Influences Metabolic Rate And Tumor Microenvironment Formation, Tattym E Shaiken, Tulendy T Nurkenov, Meruyert S Kurmanbayeva, David Y Graham

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In healthy cells, the cytomatrix mechanics utilize mitochondrial respiration to control cytosolic motion and fine-tune the chemical processes. In cancer, the cytosolic motion is energized by glycolytic fermentation (the Warburg effect), which provides additional energy to supply the needs of the cytomatrix. Here, we describe the physical and chemical processes of the integrated and cooperative cytomatrix cytoarchitecture, in which structure and function are inseparable. The extracellular matrix is interconnected with the intracellular cytomatrix and functions as two integrated elastic solid phases. This finding led us to propose mechanisms of tumor microenvironment formation resulting from the mutational burden, in which altered …

Spatial And Temporal Variation In Wave Overtopping Across A Coastal Structure Based On One Year Of Field Observations, Jennifer Brown, Gerd Masselink, Margaret Yelland, Christopher Stokes, Timothy Poate, Robin Pascal, David Jones, John Walk, Christopher Cardwell, Barry Martin, Peter Ganderton, Julie Gregory, Ruth Adams, Joseff Saunders

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Coastal managers worldwide must prepare for changes in annual wave overtopping events due to climate change and sea-level rise. Research often assesses overtopping discharges by extreme events at a sea wall crest, typically using data from physical models or empirical rules based on scaled experiments. Here, we analyse a unique 1-year field dataset of coastal wave overtopping, from SW England, to determine the number of individual waves, regardless of their size, overtopping two locations across a coastal structure. The coastal conditions causing the most frequent overtopping differ from those driving it landward, complicating hazard communications for multiuse infrastructure. These data …

Prognosis And Treatment Response Stratification According To Loss Of Proofreading (Lop), Giulia Maddalena, Fadl A Zeineddine, Saikat Chowdhury, Mohammad A Zeineddine, Abdelrahman M Yousef, Francesca Bergamo, Sara Lonardi, Timothy A Yap, Michael Geoffrey White, Michael J Overman, Scott Kopetz, John Paul Shen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Only a subset of polymerase epsilon (POLE) mutations is associated with hypermutant phenotype; we hypothesized that only loss-of-proofreading (LOP) POLE mutations are associated with favorable immunotherapy response.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included a pan-cancer cohort of 69,223 patients from cBioPortal and a cohort of patients with 41 POLE mutant metastatic colorectal (CRC) treated with immunotherapy at the MD Anderson Cancer Center between January 2017 and May 2023. We evaluated prognosis according to POLE mutation functionality.

Results: In the pan-cancer cBioPortal cohort (n=69,223) POLE was mutated in 2.8% (1,965) of tumors; of these, only 7.5% (n=148) had …

Effects Of Photo-Oxidized Crude Oil On Gulf Killifish Early Life Stages, Charles Campbell

LSU Master's Theses

Photo-oxidation of spilled crude oil generates polar compounds that can heighten toxicity to marine fish embryos. We investigated the effects of photo-oxidized crude oil on early life stages of Gulf killifish (Fundulus grandis) by exposing embryos under flow-through conditions to water-accommodated fractions of four oil treatments: fresh oil unexposed to either sunlight or weathering referred to as dark control (DC), a UV-light oxidized whole oil (LT), the polar fraction extracted from LT (Pol) and the remnants after extracting the Pol from LT (NP). Oil loadings of 0.38–3.00 g oil/kg water were tested. Total PAH concentrations and chemical profiles …

Two Unrelated Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Phages Require The Exopolysaccharide Psl For Infection, Kristen Amyx-Sherer, Leila C Awasthi, Amanda Zheng, Anna Johannesman, Michele Leroux, Courtney Reichhardt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Bacteria commonly protect themselves from a variety of threats by forming biofilms, which are communities of bacteria that are tightly packed together within an extracellular matrix. Biofilm formation has generally been thought to protect bacteria from phage infection. The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa produces biofilm matrices that can contain three distinct exopolysaccharides that contribute to the difficulty in treating infected patients. Here, we demonstrate that two diverse P. aeruginosa phages have evolved to exploit this biofilm matrix to access the bacterial cells by both binding to and degrading a major biofilm exopolysaccharide, Psl. We examined the effect of these phages …

Depth-Variant Deconvolution Applied To Widefield Microscopy For Rapid Large-Volume Tissue Imaging, Daniel D Lee, Kevin A Telfer, Mark A J Koenis, Yim K Lee, Kevin W Namink, Brian T Saunders, Heyun Lee, Hailey Kelley, Heather S Ruiz, Joseph P Gaut, Gwendalyn J Randolph, Bernd H Zinselmeyer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Innovations in 3D tissue imaging have revolutionized research, but limitations stemming from lengthy protocols and equipment accessibility persist. Widefield microscopy is fast and accessible but often excluded from 3D imaging workflows due to its lack of optical sectioning. Here we combine tissue clearing with a commercial depth-variant deconvolution approach that we optimized for large-volume widefield imaging. By implementing prefiltering with z-brick splitting, we achieve subnuclear axial resolution in tissues to a depth of 500 µm in multi-tile scan images. We illustrate the utility of this method in a model of ileitis and to gain a 3D perspective in thick brain …

Indigenous And Tribal Nation Scientists And Universities, Elizabeth A. Sumida Huaman, Stephen J. Smith

Critical Internationalization Studies Review

No abstract provided.

Belonging Without Borders: A Missionary Kid Reflects On Nursing School, Julia Beth Stamp

Wisdom & Compassion: The LUSON Journal

This reflective essay examines the experience of pursuing a nursing degree while living far from home as a Missionary Kid. It explores how the absence of close family ties during nursing school intensified feelings of loneliness, challenged motivation, and strained emotional well-being. Interwoven with personal narrative and supported by recent literature, the reflection highlights the way that community— through peers, mentors, and faculty— emerged as a vital source of resilience. The essay argues that resilience in nursing education is not the product of individual grit alone but grows from interdependence and the willingness to seek and receive support. Through recounting …

The Role Of Native And Non-Native Teachers In Selecting Children’S Literature By Native Authors, Trisha Moquino, Katie Kitchens, Laini Szostkowski, Tiffany Jewell, Debbie Reese

Occasional Paper Series

Our contribution to the Occasional Paper Series is driven by the editors request for articles that will provide readers with an opportunity to learn how to use Indigenous Children’s and Young Adult Literature (ICYAL) texts responsibly. In our experience, children encounter far too much anti-Indigeneity in literature, and therefore the classroom.. Before using a book, a teacher must select the book they plan to use in the classroom. If the teacher is seeking to “provide opportunities for students to develop interpersonal relationships between real live kids and those who live only on the page,” (Leitich Smith, 2020) we think it …

Why Indigenous Children’S Literature Matters: A Native Hawaiian Perspective, Julie Kaomea

Occasional Paper Series

No abstract provided.

Vitamin D Deficiency And Cardiovascular Health Disparities In High-Melanin Populations: A Scoping Review, Jalen K. Luter, Silver R. Kaylor, Michael S. Boyer

Doctoral Projects

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of mortality and disproportionately affect individuals with darker skin tones, partly due to vitamin D deficiency (Sabzmakan et al., 2014). This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project uses a scoping review methodology to examine the relationship between vitamin D deficiency and cardiovascular outcomes, with an emphasis on high-melanin populations. Guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute Framework, the review synthesizes existing evidence, identifies gaps in representation and biomarker use, and highlights social and biological contributors to disparity. Databases including PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched, and studies were screened using standardized inclusion criteria: …

Faculty Senate Executive Committee Agenda November 17, 2025, Utah State University

Faculty Senate & Faculty Senate Executive Committee

• 3:00 Call to Order
• Approval of Minutes October 20, 2025
• 3:05 University Business
• 3:20 Faculty Senate Business
• 3:35 Information
• EPC Report - November 6, 2025
• 3:40 Report
• Honors Program Annual Report
• USUSA Annual Report
• Faculty Evaluation Committee
• 4:05 Old Business
• 4:10 New Business
• Adjourn: 4:30 pm

Cv: Eleftheria Karapas (Nursing), Eleftheria Karapas

Nursing Department Faculty Curricula Vitae

No abstract provided.

"We Blink With One Eye Open. They Sleep With One Eye Close": A Qualitative Analysis Of Conflict And Resolution From The Perspective Of Correctional Staff, Staci M. Richardson

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Caudill College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Staci M. Richardson on November 17, 2025.

From Urban Models To Rural Realities: Adapting Hepatitis C (Hcv) Care For Underserved Communities, Caitlin A. Mccain

2025 Fall Honors Capstones Projects - Archive

This literature review examines how Hepatitis C (HCV) screening and care programs can better serve underserved populations, particularly Spanish-speaking rural communities in border states. The research supports the Hep C- Colonias Advancing & Restoring Esperanza (C.A.R.E) program’s mission by incorporating recent findings from 32 studies gathered through PubMed, Medline and Google Scholar. Hep C C.A.R.E expanded from the HepVISTA expansion project provides HCV screening, education, vaccination and linkage to care for uninsured patients at partner sites in Laredo and Maverick County. Results indicate that while HCV elimination is feasible, significant gaps persist among rural uninsured and minority populations. Effective strategies …

Intouch Week Of November 17, 2025, New York Medical College

InTouch

• NYMC Celebrated Among 2025 Doctors of Distinction Honorees
• NYMC Receives Vibrant Mural Collection from Biagio “Gino” Civale
• Siqi You Selected as NYS Representative in the State of the States and AUCD Data Ambassador Program
• Graduate Student Association Welcomes a New Executive Board
• NYMC Public Health Students and Alumni Shine at APHA Conference
• EHS Hosts Multi-Agency Biosafety and WMD Tabletop Exercise
• NYMC and TU Set to Host Webinar Series: “Ninety Minutes: The Medical Magazine of the Web”
• Touro Dental Health’s 8th Annual Smiles for Veterans Day Sees More Veterans This Year Than Ever Before
• Student Spotlight: Rahim Hirani is the Recipient …

Week Of November 17, 2025, Student Life

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