Digital Commons Network^™

Analyzing Flexible Fillers For Enhanced Protection In Post-Tensioned Bridges, Amanda Armudi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Florida’s extensive coastline, dense network of bridges, and highly aggressive environmental conditions make corrosion a critical concern for the durability of bridges infrastructure. To minimize corrosion in bridge structures that use unbonded post-tension tendons, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) is using flexible fillers as an alternative material to cementitious grout. This study evaluated the performance of five flexible fillers under sodium chloride (NaCl) exposure using NaCl solutions at concentrations of 10mM, 100mM and 1M over an 8-month period. Visual inspections revealed that filler composition and pre-existing cracks and voids in the filler samples significantly influenced degradation behavior. The samples …

Use Of Growing Degree Days To Model The Dynamics Of Aboveground Biomass And Nitrogen Accumulation Of Winter Cover Crops, M. Pessotto, Trenton Roberts, C. Dos Santos, K. A. Hoegenauer, M. Bertucci, W. J. Ross, M. Savin

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Cover cropping is an important management practice that can benefit the cash crop and the environment. Plant species, weather, and cover crop termination influence biomass production and N fixation potential. This study was conducted to determine optimal termination dates for production systems in Arkansas based on growing degree days (GDD) for eight different cover crop species: Austrian winter pea (AWP) (Pisum sativum), balansa clover (Trifolium michelianum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), black-seeded oats (Avena sativa), common vetch (Vicia sativa var. Cahaba), cereal rye (Secale cereale), crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum), and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa). Field studies were conducted at three research stations …

Brca2 Deficiency And Replication Stress Drive Apobec3-Mediated Genomic Instability, Kathy Situ, Abby M Green, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BRCA2 plays a critical role in stabilizing stalled replication forks, yet critical gaps remain in understanding how BRCA2 deficiency triggers fork collapse and drives genomic instability. Here, we identify cytidine deaminase APOBEC3B as a key driver of this process. Using a unique uracil-in-DNA probe, we show that BRCA2 loss promotes APOBEC3B-mediated uracil accumulation in single-stranded DNA (U-ssDNA) at stalled forks. These lesions when processed by UNG2 and APE1, trigger fork collapse and release ssDNA fragments into the cytoplasm, activating NF-κB signaling. This in turn upregulates APOBEC3B expression, establishing a self-reinforcing loop that amplifies cytidine deamination at stalled forks and exacerbates …

Chromatin Profiling Identifies Putative Dual Roles For H3k27me3 In Regulating Cell Type-Specific Genes And Transposable Elements In Choanoflagellates, James M Gahan, Lily W Helfrich, Laura A Wetzel, Natarajan V Bhanu, Zuo-Fei Yuan, Benjamin A Garcia, Robert J Klose, Alex De Mendoza, David S Booth

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Chromatin-based mechanisms contribute to the exquisite regulation of gene expression during animal development. But how those mechanisms evolved remains elusive. Here we investigate chromatin regulatory features in the closest relatives of animals, choanoflagellates. In a model choanoflagellate Salpingoeca rosetta, we compare chromatin accessibility and histone modifications to gene expression. Accessible genomic regions in S. rosetta primarily correspond to gene promoters, and we find no evidence of distal gene regulatory elements that resemble enhancers deployed to regulate developmental genes in animals. Remarkably, the histone modification H3K27me3 decorates genes with cell type-specific expression, revealing a functional similarity in S. rosetta and animals. …

Biofilm Formation Of A Strain Of Bovine Escherichia Coli And Analysis Of Its Influencing Factors, Xin Zhang, Yunjiao Chen, Weijuan Jia, Zhilin Liu, Zelin Jia, Jiayu Cui, Huisheng Xiong, Yuhang Zhang, Xueli Wang

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

This study investigated the biofilm (BF) formation of a bovine-derived Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain (designated DL1907) and analyzed the factors influencing its formation. The BF-forming capacity, optimal formation time and temperature, as well as the effects of different culture media, pH levels, NaCl concentrations, and glucose concentrations, were assessed using the crystal violet method. The results demonstrated that the strain had a strong BF-forming capacity, achieving the most intact BF structure after 36 h of culture at 37°C. Trypticase Soy Broth (TSB) medium promoted the strongest BF formation compared to Luria-Bertani (LB) and Müller-Hinton Broth (MH) media. …

Molecular Identification Of Cryptosporidium Spp. Isolated From Dairy Calves In The Northern Region Of Algeria, Dadda Anes, Abdellah Mohamed Cherif, Aoun Leila, Chatanun Eamudomkarn, Khelef Djamel, Keeseon S Eom, Dongmin Lee, Barakaeli Abdieli Ndosi, Mohammed Mebarek Bia

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Cryptosporidium spp. is the most frequent agent in Algeria that causes neonatal diarrhea in calves, with high symptomatic diarrhea in pre-weaned dairy calves. The study aims to measure the prevalence, distribution, and genotype of Cryptosporidium-infected calves in one of Algeria's high milk production areas (North Central and Northeast). From 35 dairy cattle farms were selected 172 (77 with diarrheic and 95 without diarrheic symptoms) calves aged less than 60 days. Twenty-three farms (65.71%) were detected with cryptosporidiosis using a modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain, whereby 68 calves (39.53%) were obtained positive. The Copro-ELISA test gave an individual prevalence of (37.66%, 22.11%) …

Drivers Of Policy Support And Political Consumerism Behavior Among Water Recreationists, Mina Kim

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

Individuals who engage in water-based recreation share a distinct bond with water quality due to their direct contact with aquatic environments during leisure activities. Increasing concerns about water quality have led to a rise in research exploring how environmental conditions and perceived risks shape environmental attitudes and conservation actions. However, it remains uncertain whether water recreationists extend their conservation efforts beyond those directly tied to their activities. To explore this issue, the present study investigates whether water-based recreationists in South Carolina support more stringent water management policies and engage in political consumerism behaviors, such as boycotting and buycotting. Data were …

From The Field To The Future: How Experiential Learning Supports Student Success, Joshua Carroll, Ph.D.

Proceedings of the Recreation Experience Community Network Research Symposium

Field Experiences are often considered extracurricular, and not always a part of traditional college programs. However, these experiences can provide unique opportunities for learning, increase student confidence, broaden student perspectives of their chosen profession, and connect students with their environments, professors, and classmates. Because these programs often require a deep commitment from faculty, administrators, and the students, it is sometimes difficult to justify the resources required to successfully implement these courses. This project sought to identify several of the impacts that a field course may have on students, and to summarize these findings into sharable data for potential college and …

Fall 2025 Full Issue, Undergraduate Research

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

No abstract provided.

Spiny Orb Weaver, Jasmine M. Roncevic

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

This scientific illustration depicts the spiny orb weaver spider (Gasteracantha cancriformis), a distinctive arachnid known for its characteristic hardened, spiny abdomen. Spiny orb weaver spiders enjoy warm, tropical, and subtropical environments and are primarily found in the Southeastern U.S., the Caribbean, and South America. They live in wooded areas, citrus groves, and shrubby gardens. I’ve encountered spiny orb weaver spiders in my food forest where they like to set up their orb-shaped webs and feast on flies, mosquitoes, and moths.

This scientific illustration depicts the spiny orb weaver spider (Gasteracantha cancriformis), a distinctive arachnid known for its characteristic …

Darkling Beetle, Jasmine M. Roncevic

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Darkling beetles (Tenebrio molitor) are holometabolic insects. Darkling beetle is the common name of the large family of beetles Tenebrionidae which has more than 20,000 species. The T. molitor species gets its name from the yellowish appearance of the larvae. During its lifespan, a darkling beetle experiences a complete metamorphosis in four distinct stages: Egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The eggs hatch within 4 to 19 days after the female oviposits. It takes about 3 – 4 months for an egg to develop into an adult, or the beetle stage.

During the adult stage, the beetles are initially whitish and …

Horseshoe Crabs, Jessie M. Roncevic

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) are fascinating animals known as “living fossils.” Older than dinosaurs, horseshoe crabs are arthropods, closely related to spiders and scorpions. Many shorebirds, including red knot, depend on the eggs of horseshoe crabs during migration. Horseshoe crabs are captured and bled alive for their blue blood. Rich in limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL), their blood is used for the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) test, which is used worldwide to detect bacterial toxins in pharmaceuticals and medical devices.

Horseshoe crabs have an intricate anatomy, so I spent a lot of time researching it before I started drawing them. When …

Probiotic Intervention In Managing Chronic Stress, Bianca Opdenbosch

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Chronic stress can induce gut dysbiosis which contributes to the dysregulation of the gut-brain axis and leads to anxiety and depressive-like symptoms. The gut-brain axis relies on nervous, immune, and endocrine interactions. Gut dysbiosis, an imbalance within the gut microbiome, disrupts gut-brain communication, impairing gut barrier integrity, inflammation regulation, and hormonal and neurotransmitter production. These gut changes contribute to mood disorders resulting from stress, and thus it is important to implement dietary interventions, like probiotics, to help mitigate these effects. Research highlights the potential of probiotics to act as an intervention to combat stress-induced gut dysbiosis and replenish beneficial bacteria …

Rewilding The Built Environment: Navigating Economic, Political, And Social Barriers To Urban Ecological Restoration, Carly E. Smith

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Urban rewilding offers a nature-based approach to restoring ecological processes in cities while advancing climate resilience, biodiversity, and public well-being. Unlike conventional green infrastructure, rewilding allows ecosystems to develop with minimal intervention, emphasizing succession, complexity, and long-term adaptability. This paper examines the political, economic, and social factors that frame how rewilding is understood and implemented in urban planning. Governmental frameworks often prioritize order, predictability, and short-term results, making it difficult to accommodate the uncertainty and ecological complexity that rewilding requires. Economic models struggle to capture its long-term value, frequently overlooking ecosystem services or reconciling competing land uses. Social perceptions of …

Listening To Wrong Beliefs: Being A Virtuous Agent In Contexts Of Disparity, Madison K. Mendiola

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Using the concept of intellectual humility (IH) described by Whitcomb et al. (2021) and their application of IH in contexts of disparity, I will be furthering the discussion of the importance of IH when engaging with the other side. Although there are intellectual harms associated with being too open-minded, and moral concerns about being a listener to harmful ideas, I argue that epistemic agents risk committing an intellectual error when they don’t try to understand the beliefs of the in-the-wrong party. Even in contexts of disparity, you should be able to understand the other party’s belief-forming methodologies, which is compatible …

Analysis Of Mct-1 Expression In Mouse Neural Retina In Response To Chronic Inflammation, Ian W. Ronson

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Chronic inflammation is a current public health concern as it is linked to the etiology and symptoms of numerous diseases, for example diabetic retinopathy (DR). In the case of DR, inflammation leads to dysregulation of the blood retina barrier causing retinal hemorrhage and macular edema leading ultimately to irreversible vision loss. MCT-1 is critical for the survival of photoreceptor cells because MCT-1 forms protein complexes with Basigin, a cell-cell adhesion protein, that enables Müller glial cells to efficiently provide lactate as a high energy fuel source. Previous studies have shown chronic inflammation reduces Basigin expression in the retina and that …

A Note From The Executive Editor, Judith D. Ochrietor

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

No abstract provided.

Enzymes Of Calendula Officinalis L. As Affected By Foliar Application Of Nano-Nitrogen And Potassium Fertilizers, Under Water Stress Conditions, Aqeel Abdulabbas Alsudani, Qais Hussain Abbas Al-Semmak

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Water stress is a major environmental factor that limits the growth and productivity of Calendula officinalis L. To alleviate its negative effects, recent approaches have increasingly focused on nano-fertilizers that enhance plant antioxidant defenses. This study therefore aimed to evaluate the effect of foliar application of nano-nitrogen (0, 2, and 4 mL L⁻¹) and nano-potassium (0, 2, and 4 g L⁻¹) fertilizers under two irrigation regimes (100% and 50% of field capacity) on the activity of key antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD). The results revealed that irrigation at 50% field capacity significantly increased CAT, …

“A Place, A Spirit, A Ministry”: The Persistence Of Koinonia Farm In The Post-Jordan Years, Ryan Geockner

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Narrative, Type And Emotion: Middle-Level Approach In Noel Carroll's Philosophy Of Art, Youxiang Gong

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Noel Carroll's multidisciplinary research on philosophy of film, aesthetics and philosophy of art combines philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, ethics, cognitive science and biology, revealing the new trend of analytical aesthetics and philosophy of art in the late twentieth century. Carroll adopts an eclectic strategy in his middle-level approach to the philosophy of art. His method of historical narrative incorporates historical and narrative dimensions, complementing the history-intention theory and the institutional theory of art. He examines the traditional concept of mass art from a neutral position, attempting to construct the philosophy of mass art. He also relies on the …

Assessment Of Peripheral Neuropathy In Hypothyroidism In Relation To Serum Neurofilament Light Chain, Arwa Raid Hammodat, Hanan Luay Al-Omary, Omar Farooq Nafea Al-Azzawi

Al-Farahidi Biomedical Journal

Background: Hypothyroidism is an endocrine disorder characterized by reduced thyroid hormone production. Beyond its systemic effects, it can involve the peripheral nervous system. This can be assessed through electrodiagnostic testing and by measuring serum neurofilament light chain (NfL), a marker of neuronal damage.

Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate peripheral neuropathy in patients with hypothyroidism and to examine its relationship with serum NfL concentrations.

Materials and Methods: A case–control study was carried out at Ghazi Al-Hariri Hospital, Baghdad, between September 2024 and May 2025. It included 40 patients with hypothyroidism and 40 healthy controls. All subjects underwent sensory and …

Italian Mathematics Prison Teachers’ Perspective On The Teaching/Learning Of Mathematics In Prison School, Andrea Maffia, Luca Decembrotto, Chiara Giberti, Federica Mennuni, Gabriella Pocalana, Silvia Regola, Agnese Telloni

Journal of Prison Education Research

Teaching in the prison context is characterized by a high complexity level; it is a multifaced activity influenced by several factors depending on the specific context. We present a preliminary but overall picture of schooling in Italian prisons by considering teachers’ reflections regarding their experiences in teaching mathematics in correctional facilities. To address the gap in the current literature on this issue, we conducted a SWOT analysis on the reflection provided by a group of nine Italian mathematics teachers who teach in different prisons and with different experiences and backgrounds. Their reflection allowed us to identify and describe six theory-driven …

The Origins, History, And Mythology Of The 1925 Scopes Trial, Edward J. Larson

Rondel V. Davidson Endowed Lecture Series

One hundred years is a long time in politics, less so in science, and even less so in religion. 2025 marks 100 years since the best-known intersection of those three forces in American society: the legendary 1925 trial of John Scopes for teaching evolution in a Tennessee public school. The lecture examines the cultural origins, strange history, and enduring mythology surrounding that seminal episode that continues to resonate in American life.

Development Trends And Priority Research Fields Of Electrochemical Discipline In The 15th Five Year Plan Period, Lin Zhuang, Wen-Bin Cai, Heng-Xing Ji, Qing Li, Gong-Wei Wang, Sen Xin, Qing Zhao, Fang-Yi Cheng, Yu-Guo Guo, Lan-Qun Mao, Yang Tian, Fei Wu, Li-Min Zhang, Yan Xiang, Jin-Song Hu, Rui Cao, Li Xiao, Hua-Bing Tao, Wei Xing, Dong-Ping Zhan, Hong-Gang Liao, Mei-Ling Xiao, Bin Ren, Zhang-Quan Peng, Rui Wen, Xiang Wang, Yue-Feng Song, Hou-Fu Lv, Bao-Yu Xia, Guo-Xiong Wang, Jun Cheng, Zhi-Pan Liu, Min Zhou, Bing Huang, Cun-Pu Li, Yu-Qin Zou, Shuang-Yin Wang, Hai-Bo Lin, Zi-Dong Wei

Journal of Electrochemistry

In fulfillment of the national science-and-technology development agenda, the Department of Chemical Sciences of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) convened the Strategic Symposium on the Fifteenth Five-Year (2026–2030) Development Plan for Electrochemistry held in Xiamen on 29 August, 2025—the culminating year of the Fourteenth Five-Year (2021–2025) Development Plan. More than forty leading experts in the field of electrochemistry participated with spanning nine thematic fronts: Interfacial Electrocatalysis, Interfacial Electrochemistry for Energy Storage, Bioelectrochemistry, Electrochemistry of Hydrogen Energy, Electrochemical Micro-/Nano-Manufacturing, Operando Electrochemical Characterization, Electro-Thermal Coupling Catalysis, Theoretical and Computational Electrochemistry, and Electrochemical Synthesis. The forum assembled China’s foremost electrochemical …

Tumor-Specific Cytotoxicity Of Pyrazole-Based Chalcone Derivatives In Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Cell Lines, Mehtap Tuğrak Sakarya, Hali̇se İnci̇ Gül, Hiroshi Sakagami, Junko Nagai, Yoshihiro Uesawa, Kenjiro Bandow

Turkish Journal of Biology

Background/aim: Pyrazole-based chalcone hybrids are notable in medicinal chemistry for their potential biological activity, although their tumor-specific cytotoxicity and mechanisms remain unknown in OSCC cells. This first study of pyrazole-chalcone hybrids in OSCC cells explores the tumor-selective cytotoxic effects and underlying cell death mechanisms triggered by a series of 10 newly synthesized pyrazole-based compounds (MS1MS10) in OSCC cell lines. Material and methods: The cytotoxic effects of the compounds were assessed using the MTT assay on four human OSCC cell lines and three types of normal human oral cells. The tumor-selectivity index (TS) and potency-selectivity expression (PSE) were calculated, and active …

Cross-Linked Cellulose Ester/Linseed Oil Composites For Controlled Release Fertilizers, Ian Stark

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food scarcity is an ever-present concern for a growing population but can be mitigated through innovations in agriculture. Fertilizers are required to produce a sufficient amount of food, and while they contain key nutrients for crop growth, these nutrients can leech into the surrounding environment. Controlled release fertilizers slow the release of nutrients, encasing the prills in a semi permeable coating. Current coatings are non-biodegradable, causing microplastic soil contamination, which is very difficult to remove. Cellulose esters offer a compelling alternative, with an ability to cross-link into thin films that can be applied as coatings. The cellulose esterification was completed …

Investigating Characteristic Droplet Size Distributions In Large Eddy Simulations Of Stratocumulus Clouds, Nithin Allwayin, Daniel J. Miller, Kamal Kant Chandrakar, Michael L. Larsen, Raymond A. Shaw

Michigan Tech Publications

Cloud processes relevant to radiative and precipitation properties depend on the shape of the cloud droplet size distribution. Recent holographic observations revealed that cloud droplet populations do not have the same size distribution shapes throughout but form regions of characteristic distributions with similar microphysical properties. We investigate the existence and properties of these characteristic distributions within Large-Eddy Simulations of stratocumulus clouds using Lagrangian and bin microphysics schemes. Distribution types are identified, revealing localized characteristic distributions that vary on the scale of the largest convective cell for simulations with bin microphysics. The results from the Lagrangian microphysics scheme hint at similar …

Assessment Of Tumour Control Probability And Equivalent Uniform Dose In Conventional 3d-Crt Vs. Hypo-Fractionated Imrt, Jumaa D. Kisukari, Mwingereza J. Kumwenda, Khamis O. Amour, Ehab M. Attalla, Emmanuel Lugina

Tanzania Journal of Science

Hypo-fractionated (HF) radiotherapy offers a promising solution to improve access to cancer treatment in resource-limited settings, such as developing countries, by reducing the number of treatment sessions compared to conventional fractionation (CF). For effective implementation, evaluating Equivalent Uniform Dose (EUD) and Tumour Control Probability (TCP) is essential to ensure treatment efficacy across different radiotherapy techniques. This study compares treatment plans generated using Three-Dimensional Conformal Radiation Therapy with Conventional Fractionation (3D-CRT CF) and Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy with Hypo-fractionation (IMRT HF) in patients with localized prostate cancer. A total of 50 patients were CT-simulated, and their images were imported into a …

Modeling The Effects Of Screening, Vaccination, Treatment, And Non-Pharmaceutical Controls On Leptospirosis Transmission Dynamics, Janeth Michael, Herieth Rwezaura, Goodluck Mlay, Nyimvua Shaban Mbare

Tanzania Journal of Science

Leptospirosis is the world’s most common zoonotic disease and remains a significant public health challenge, particularly in regions with poor sanitation and high exposure risks. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of combined interventions: screening, vaccination, treatment, and non-pharmaceutical controls in reducing leptospirosis transmission in human and domestic animal populations. The study develops and analyzes a deterministic compartmental model with eleven compartments representing human, domestic animal, and bacterial populations. Stability analysis reveals that the Disease-Free Equilibrium (DEF) is globally asymptotically stable when the effective reproduction number is less than a unit ( < 1), ensuring disease eradication under these conditions, whereas the Endemic Equilibrium Point (EEP) remains stable when > 1. The study employs the normalized forward …

Mathematical Analysis Of Toxicants And Diseases Impact On A Prey-Predator System With Control Interventions, Nuru Yazidi Juma, Thadei Damas Sagamiko, James Philbert Mpele

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study developed a generic prey-predator mathematical model incorporating logistic growth for prey and a Holling Type I functional response for predator consumption. Prey-predator interactions form the foundation of ecological balance, but in recent decades these systems have been increasingly threatened by toxicants and infectious diseases. The combined effect of these challenges can lead to severe population declines, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem instability, making their study important for conservation and environmental management. The model includes the effects of diseases and toxicants on prey and toxicants only on predators, and explores optimal control strategies to mitigate these threats. Without considering time …