Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of The Effect Of Starch Content On The Water Absorption Of Pva/Starch Blends, Bushra H. Musa, Nahida J. Hameed

Engineering and Technology Journal

The present work aims to study physical tests such as the water absorption tests of PVA; PVA/corn starch blends at different mass percent (25, 30, 35, 40, and 50%) of corn starch after immersion in distilled water for ten minutes. The blends were also characterized by FTIR analysis, and an optical microscope. Casting method used to prepare samples. The results of water absorption exhibited that the weight losses of the sample increases the starch content rises in the PVA matrix. Also, it was found the highest value of the swelling ratio % at (50% PVA /50% Starch) blend, while minimum …

The Effect Of The Number Of Key-Frames On The Facial Emotion Recognition Accuracy, Suhaila N. Mohammed, Alia K. Abdul Hassan

Engineering and Technology Journal

Key-frame selection plays an important role in facial expression recognition systems. It helps in selecting the most representative frames that capture the different poses of the face. The effect of the number of selected keyframes has been studied in this paper to find its impact on the final accuracy of the emotion recognition system. Dynamic and static information is employed to select the most effective key-frames of the facial video with a short response time. Firstly, the absolute difference between the successive frames is used to reduce the number of frames and select the candidate ones which then contribute to …

Determination Efficient Classification Algorithm For Credit Card Owners: Comparative Study, Raghad A. Azeez

Engineering and Technology Journal

Today in the business world, significant loss can happen when the borrowers ignore paying their loans. Convenient credit-risk management represents a necessity for lending institutions. In most times, some persons prefer to late their monthly payments, otherwise, they may face difficulties in the loan payment process to the financial institution. Mainly, most fiscal organizations are considered managed and refined client classification systems, scanning a valid client from invalid ones. This paper produces the data mining idea, specifically the classification technique of data mining and builds a system of data mining process structure. The credit scoring problem will be applied using …

Treatment Of Iraqi Municipal Wastewater By Up-Flow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Reactor Uasb, Khairi R. Kalash, Majid A. Dixon, Hussein Ir. Sultan, Raad A. Ali

Engineering and Technology Journal

In this work, the Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket “UASB” reactor treated effluent wastewater to investigate the process performance on a pilot plant scale. Municipal wastewater at high and medium strength with different organic load rate OLR (0.6-9) kg COD m-3day-1 with the flow of 20 l/h, up-flow velocity 0.4 m/h, hydraulic retention time HRT 9 h at a temperature of (20-30 ºC) was evaluated. The wastewater concentration, including TSS, COD was measured, and the removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total suspended solid TSS were calculated and summarized as 45-85% and 70-75%, respectively, depending on organic load rate …

Effect Of Pulse Electric Field On Water Characteristics As A Disinfection Function In Filtration Unit, Ghassan Abukhanafer, Alaa H. Al-Fatlawi, Hassan H. Joni

Engineering and Technology Journal

This paper studied the impact of the addition of pulse electric-filed low voltage (PEF-LV) in the filtration process by designing, constructing, and operating a pilot-scale. The Disinfectant process (DP) demonstrated several benefits in terms of efficiency and ease of application, without the use of any chemical additive. This system contains two pairs of silver mesh electrodes inside the filtration column test with a low pulse voltage for killing microorganisms. The parametric effects of DP performance, such as alternating current pulse frequency and the voltage applied were investigated. The effect of PEF-LV on the biological, physical, and chemical characteristic of water …

A Review On Microbial Fuel Cells, Baidaa A. Kitafa, Afaf J. Obaid Al-Saned

Engineering and Technology Journal

The Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) is a bioreactor with which the chemical energy in chemical bonds of organic compounds are converted to electricity under anaerobic conditions through catalytic reactions of micro-organisms. It has been familiar for a long time that electricity can be generated directly through using bacteria to break organic matter. A microbial fuel cell can also serve in different wastewater treatment to destroy organic matter. The development of MFC technology requires a greater understanding of the microbial processes for MFCs, and their components, limitations, factors and design this system, to be simpler and large scale system developed; so …

Topical Enrofloxacin Solution Delays Tympanic Membrane Epithelial Migration In Healthy Dogs, Jinseo Oh, Seulgi Bae

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Tympanic membrane epithelial migration (TMEM) is essential for homeostasis and self-cleaning function of the tympanic membrane and external ear canal. Otitis externa is common in small animal practice, and topical preparations are widely used for management. Although several treatments have been reported to alter TMEM rates in dogs, evidence on the effects of topical antibiotics on TMEM is limited. This study evaluated the effect of topical enrofloxacin on TMEM in healthy dogs. TMEM was assessed in both tympanic membranes of three healthy dogs (six ears) using a within-subject design with control and experimental conditions. In the experimental condition, enrofloxacin (5 …

Exploring University Nursing Students’ Experiences Of Cross-Disciplinary Courses: A Qualitative Study, Hsueh-Wen Chung, Li-Yin Chien

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Cross-disciplinary education is increasingly emphasized in nursing programs to prepare students for complex professional roles, yet little is known about their actual learning experiences. This study aimed to evaluate the learning outcomes of cross-disciplinary education among undergraduate nursing students and explore how such experiences influence their professional perspectives and career development.

Methods: Using a semi-structured, in-depth interview design, this study purposively recruited 13 nursing students who had participated in cross-disciplinary programs at a top research university in Taiwan. Only those students with a GPA of >3.38 were allowed to apply for cross-disciplinary programs. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. …

Normal Isn’T Neutral: How Health Education Shapes Body Bias In Future Nurses, Megan Spurlock

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Pre-health and health students’ understanding of the human body is shaped by the curriculum used in anatomy and health education courses. These materials often present a narrow, idealized depiction of health and normalcy that does not reflect the diversity of real patient populations. Such portrayals can influence students’ perceptions of health, illness, and professional expectations in healthcare. Examining how educational materials construct the concept of a “normal” body is critical for fostering inclusive, equitable education and preparing providers to serve diverse populations effectively.

This study explores how pre-health and health education shape students’ perceptions of a healthy, normal body, focusing …

Solvent-Dependent Cytotoxicity Of Peperomia Pellucida Leaf Extracts Against Mcf-7 Breast Cancer Cells, Ade Arsianti, Rafael Erlangga Bagas Pratama, Steven Gill, Diyah Kristanty

Indonesian Journal of Medical Chemistry and Bioinformatics

Background: Breast cancer remains a major global health burden. Particularly in Indonesia, limitations of conventional chemotherapy, such as severe side effect, toxicity, and high cost, indicating the necessitate the development of alternative therapeutic agents. Peperomia pellucida, a medicinal plant rich in bioactive phytochemicals, has shown promising anticancer potential; however, its cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 breast cancer cells and the influence of solvent polarity remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic effects of P. pellucida leaf extracts which are prepared using different polarity of solvents (ethanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane).

Method: Dried leaf powder of P. pellucida was …

Unplanned Public Nature Interiority, Kendra Locklear Ordia

Interiority

This paper advances a theory of urban interiority through the concept of public nature interiority, integrating ecological thinking into the spatial, sensory, and temporal conditions of exterior spaces that feel interior. Drawing on works by Tine Poot, Richard Sennett, Liz Teston, and Suzie Attiwill, it challenges binary distinctions between interior and exterior, emphasising relational and dynamic urban conditions. Using Attiwill's notions of collective individuation and an ecology of subjectivity, interiority is reframed as being shaped not only by human perception and experience with nature but also by biotic relations and multispecies interactions. The theory is situated within terrain vague—indeterminate, overlooked …

A Data-Driven Framework For Mitigating Breast Cancer Overdiagnosis: From Estimation To Risk-Adjusted Computer-Aided Diagnosis, William M. Brown Jr.

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) of cancer, standard cost metrics (false-positives and false-negatives) fundamentally fail to account for overdiagnosis. Overdiagnosis is a critical scenario where a disease is correctly detected (true-positive) but is biologically indolent and would never have caused the patient harm or symptoms. While widely recognized in the medical community as a major healthcare crisis driving stressful and invasive overtreatment, overdiagnosis remains severely under-researched within computer science and engineering. This dissertation addresses this interdisciplinary gap by defining the three key computational challenges of overdiagnosis: (i) accurate estimation, (ii) harm quantification, and (iii) algorithmic mitigation. To overcome the estimation challenge, …

Modeling Nonequilibrium Community Dynamics Of Bivalves In The Indian River Lagoon, Jada Lee Brown

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Benthic infaunal communities are widely-used indicators for assessing estuarine health, especially in systems that experience frequent disturbances and hydrological fluctuations. However, using benthic infauna to predict ecosystem responses to future disturbances remains a challenge. The Indian River Lagoon (IRL), spanning 40% of Florida's east coast, is a prime example of a complex estuary that has experienced decades of hydrological alterations leading to reduced water quality, sediment composition, and biodiversity. To assess benthic bivalve community dynamics in response to disturbances, an emerging Empirical Dynamic Modeling (EDM) approach was applied to a large test dataset comprising 17 years of benthic bivalve abundances …

Predictive Modeling Of Readmission, Mortality, And Resource Utilization After Surgical And Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement, Raymond J. Martin

LSU Master's Theses

Aortic stenosis is the most prevalent valvular heart disease in North America. Its definitive treatments—surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)—carry a substantial burden of unplanned hospital readmission, which worsens patient outcomes, strains hospital capacity, and creates financial risk under value-based payment programs. Prior predictive work has largely focused on binary classification of 30-day readmission after TAVR. Such studies typically report predictor effects as odds or hazard ratios without validating patient-level probabilities, and neglect both the timing of readmission and the resources it consumes. To address these gaps, this thesis develops and empirically validates a unified, …

Spae: Deciphering Cell Cycle Dynamics And Cell States In Single-Cell Rna-Seq Data, Jiahao Yi, Jiajia Liu, Peng Guo, Yuan-Nong Ye, Xiaobo Zhou

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Rapid advances in single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology have enabled the investigation of gene expression changes at the single-cell level, particularly for elucidating the heterogeneity among cells and complex biological processes. This technique reveals subtle molecular differences within individual cells, thereby offering a unique viewpoint for the investigation of cell cycle progression, cellular differentiation, and disease pathogenesis. However, accurately identifying and analyzing cell cycle dynamics in scRNA-seq data remains challenging due to the complexity of the data and the subtle differences between cell states. To address this challenge, we developed the integrated Sinusoidal and Piecewise AutoEncoder (SPAE), an autoencoder-based piecewise …

Acquisitions Unit Annual Report 2025-2026, Andrée J. Rathemacher

Technical Services Reports and Statistics

Annual Report of the Acquisitions Unit, University Libraries, University of Rhode Island for FY2026. Covers personnel, work flow, special projects, and serial, monograph, and e-resource acquisitions. Supplemental files include data on library materials expenditures by a number of variables as well as important working documents from the year.

From Anaerobic Digesters To The Human Gut: Ecological Responses Of Microbiomes To Environmental And Biological Perturbations, Maliea Annholden Nipko

Theses and Dissertations

Microbial communities regulate essential ecological and metabolic processes across both engineered and host-associated ecosystems. Although these systems differ substantially in composition and function, they are governed by common ecological principles including community succession, resilience, species interactions, and responses to environmental and biological perturbations. This dissertation investigates how perturbations influence microbiome structure, function, and stability through three complementary studies spanning anaerobic digestion and the human gut microbiome. First, the effects of an extremophilic biological pretreatment using Caldicellulosiruptor bescii were evaluated in industrial-scale anaerobic digesters treating dairy manure. High- temperature pretreatment substantially altered microbial community composition, with bacterial populations remaining metabolically active …

Acute Opioid Responses Are Modulated By Dynamic Interactions Of Oprm1 And Fgf12, Paige M Lemen, Alexander S Hatoum, Arpana Agrawal, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

We generated time-series data for 105 morphine- and naloxone-related traits across ~700 BXD mice (64 diverse strains for both sexes) for 3 hr after a single morphine injection. Variations in responses were mapped using genome sequencing-based genotypes. The locomotor responses to morphine mapped to the µ opioid receptor gene (

Bridging The Gap In Science Research: Preparing Students For College- Level Research In The Sciences, Victoria Helwig, Yaoguang Li

UConn Library Presentations

Many first-year students enter college unprepared to fully engage with scientific literature and academic library resources. Drawing on experiences from academic librarians working with STEM students, this session explores common gaps in science research skills, including navigating databases, identifying scholarly sources, and understanding the structure of scientific literature. Participants will be introduced to practical strategies and classroom-ready activities to better prepare students for college-level research. Discussion questions: What science research skills do students struggle with most when entering college? How can high school instruction better support these skills? Where can librarians and educators collaborate to support student success?

Temporal Dynamics Of Sleep Value: How Momentary States And Individual Differences Shape The Valuation Of Sleep, Brandon Pattillo

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Objectives Sleep value is the relative worth individuals place on sleep. Although previous work has validated trait-level measures of sleep value, little is known about the valuation process that determines sleep’s value over time. This study examined hourly fluctuations in sleep value and identified predictors of these changes.

Methods Ninety undergraduates completed baseline questionnaires assessing demographic, sleep, and health variables, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Values Inventory (VI), and Monetary Sleep Value Questionnaire (MSVQ). Participants completed hourly 24-hour surveys assessing activity, activity value/pleasure, sleepiness, sleep ability, sleep/wake desires and intentions, and willingness-to-pay (WTP) for sleep. Confirmatory factor analyses …

From Fields To Flu: Mapping H5n1 Zoonotic Risk In California Rice Fields, Mariati Messinger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 threatens agriculture, wildlife, and public health in California, where flooded rice fields in the Central Valley provide surrogate wetland habitat for migratory waterfowl and may create ecological interfaces for viral spillover into poultry systems. This quantitative ecological study examined whether county-level rice acreage, Lesser Snow Goose activity, and their interaction were associated with poultry HPAI H5N1 outbreak incidence during complete winter seasons available for analysis. Guided by One Health and disease ecology frameworks, secondary data from USDA, eBird, PRISM, and public surveillance sources were analyzed for 36 county-winter observations using negative binomial regression, logistic …

Analysis Of The Atypical Temperature Dependence And Conformational Changes During Turnover Of A Lactobacillus Chlorogenic Acid Esterase, Nathaniel Carl, Yianni Tsigaris, Dan Ji, Nora K. Anpree, Kellie K. Omori, Cedric P. Owens

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Many bacterial chlorogenic acid esterases (ChlEs) exhibit atypical temperature behavior, featuring activities that barely change with temperature and activity maxima that fall below the thermal denaturation point. This work focuses on a ChlE from Lactobacillus helveticus (Lh–ChlE), which has a flat temperature dependence. First, it was determined that conformational changes during Lh–ChlE turnover are not rate-limiting and that the overall rate depends on the chemical step at all temperatures. Next, Lh–ChlE’s temperature dependence was investigated using a conformational equilibrium model that assumes the existence of a temperature-dependent equilibrium between an active and an inactive conformation and an activation heat capacity …

Integration Of Media Pedagogy In Teacher Education Classrooms, Author Information Removed

JMLE Submissions Open for Review

In an era where classrooms are increasingly influenced by media and socio-cultural dynamics, teacher education must evolve to incorporate critical dimensions like gender sensitization and media literacy. This study explores the role of media pedagogy in developing gender awareness among pre-service teachers in India. The study focuses on conceptualization of media pedagogy, intersectionality and teacher education classrooms and adopts an interdisciplinary approach for media and gender. A module was developed and then implemented with 30 preservice teachers, followed by focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with 10 teacher educators. The research study is guided by Methodology for Interdisciplinary Research (MIR) …

Stability Of The Apogee Galvanic Cell Sensors In The Utah State University Biological Oxygen Demand System, Tia Lawrence, Carson Richards, Bruce Bugbee

Techniques and Instruments

The Utah State University Crop Physiology Laboratory has developed a six-chamber biological oxygen demand (BOD) system to quantify respiration (Kusuma & Bugbee, 2020). Like all instruments, accuracy depends on the ability to get a zero in empty containers. Here we report the signal output and zero stability in empty containers over a five-day interval.

Incretin-Based Medications In Women And Reproduction: A Systematic Scoping Review And Consensus Guidelines For Clinical Practice, Kate Maslin, Jill Shawe, Sinead Blowers, Michael Ceulemans, Kathryn Hart

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Introduction: Pregnancy concurrent with incretin-based medications is contraindicated due to unknown risk of teratogenicity, as is breastfeeding. The aim of this systematic scoping review was to investigate potential risks and benefits of incretin-based medications in relation to preconception, pregnancy, and postnatal health, and to propose expert guidelines for clinical practice.Methods: An international expert multidisciplinary group was formed. Research questions relevant to women's reproductive health and incretin-based medications were refined collaboratively, utilizing a lifecourse approach. A systematic search was undertaken on July 23, 2025, across several databases and grey literature sources. Primary data from human studies were prioritized above animal studies. …

Environmental Dna For Endangered Freshwater Mussel Monitoring: A Review On Global Synthesis Of Edna Methods, Challenges, And Innovative Strategies, Mizanur Rahman, Md. Saydur Rahman, Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Freshwater mussels (family Unionidae) are among the most endangered aquatic species worldwide, making effective monitoring vital for their conservation. Traditional surveys are laborious, time-consuming, and often miss rare or low-density populations. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a highly sensitive, non-invasive approach for freshwater mussel detection and monitoring; however, uncertainties in ecological interpretation continue to limit its broader application in freshwater biodiversity monitoring. We conducted a systematic review of 49 peer-reviewed studies, identified through an extensive literature search, to assess temporal research trends, methodological advancements, ecological contexts, and regulatory readiness of freshwater mussel eDNA monitoring. Findings show that freshwater mussel eDNA research …

Investigating Tumor-Stromal Interactions That Drive Breast Cancer Angiogenesis And Metastasis, Alessandra Dimauro

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Metastatic breast cancer remains one of the most difficult cancers to treat, with a five-year survival rate that drops from 99% for localized disease to just 33% once distant metastases are present. This disparity reflects a fundamental gap in our understanding of how breast tumors spread and highlights the urgent need to improve our understanding of breast cancer metastasis to aid in development of novel therapeutics. Emerging evidence establishes that metastasis requires interactions between tumor cells and non-tumor stromal cells within the tumor microenvironment. The first aim of this dissertation investigates the role of Discoidin Domain Receptor 2 (DDR2), a …

A Review Of International Surrogacy Arrangements From A Private International Law Prespective And China's Policy Response, Yingying Wu

Florida Journal of International Law

Surrogacy has risen on a global scale due to the development of medical technology. International surrogacy is intensive as a result of forum shopping out of the variety of national policies on surrogacy and laws on legal parentage, resulting in some private international law issues. For instance, the complexity of parentage in many international surrogacy cases in recent years often leads to parentless surrogate born children. To that end, the Hague Conference on Private International Law has been working on this affair in order to protect children and women in international surrogacy from a private international law perspective.

In light …

The Calculation Debate In A New Century: A Conversation Between An Austrian School Economist And A Socialist Philosopher, Tegan L. Truitt, Larry Alan Busk

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

No abstract provided.

Planification Against Extractivism: Towards A Democratic Agroecological Planification Against Agrarian Capitalism In A Estrada (Galicia, Spain), Jacobo Rivas Sanmartín, Rubén Camilo Lois González, Paula Noya Vázquez

Emancipations: A Journal of Critical Social Analysis

This article analyses the expansion of vineyards in the parish of San Xiao de Vea, in the municipality of A Estrada (Galicia, Spain), as a concrete manifestation of extractive agrarian restructuring under contemporary capitalism. Drawing on land-use data, socio-metabolic indicators, and qualitative testimonies, it shows how financialization, speculative land practices, and state selectivity reorganize rural space, degrade mixed farming systems, and intensify contradictions between capital accumulation and the ecological and social conditions of reproduction. The article argues that existing green planning frameworks, shaped by market logics and technocratic indicators, are structurally incapable of confronting these dynamics. As an alternative, it …