Digital Commons Network^™

Functional Foods For Older Adults: Comparing The Bioactive Properties Of Cheese To Identify Products That Promote Healthy Ageing, Aimee Plante

Theses

Functional foods for the elderly: comparing the bioactive properties of cheese to identify products that promote healthy ageing.

People are living longer, and a healthy ageing population is a key goal of our National Positive Ageing Strategy. One approach to support this initiative is to promote and develop functional foods that can support healthy ageing by reducing age-related conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer. Cheese particularly aged and fermented varieties like cheddar show great potential as a functional food with inherent and established health properties. It naturally contains bioactive peptides, vitamins, minerals, protein and possible cultures that confer …

Vulnerability Of Blue Carbon In Coastal Freshwater Ecosystems To Sea-Level Rise, Suvrajit Ghosh, Jonathan Obrist-Farner, Jeffery R. Stone, Marta Wojewodka-Przybyt, Ryan Smith, Mark Brenner, Jason H. Curtis, Susan R. H. Zimmerman, Alex Correa-Metrio, Paula Gabriela Echeverrio Galinda, Madeline J. Brosky, Liseth Perez

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Coastal freshwater ecosystems are economically and ecologically important and provide multiple environmental services worldwide. They sequester carbon at rates ten times faster, and store five times more carbon per unit area than do mature tropical forests. Vulnerability of these carbon sinks to marine inundation, however, is expected to increase in response to global sea-level rise (GSLR). To better understand the implications of future GSLR, we investigated the geochemical and biological consequences of episodic Holocene marine incursions into Lake Izabal, a large coastal freshwater ecosystem on the Caribbean coast of Central America. About 8300 cal yr BP, marine incursion transformed Lake …

Detection Of Serotypes And Knockdown-Resistance Mutations In Dengue And Other Flavivirus Samples Collected From Mengare Island, Indonesia, Tasya Amalia Dwiyanti, Teguh Hari Sucipto, Khoirunnisa Suhandarini, Azizia Kanya Fathiarachman, Helena Putri Nastiti, Anika Rahma Putri, Shifa Fauziyah, Prihartini Widiyanti, Hariyono Hariyono, Saifur Rehman

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Dengue fever, caused by the dengue virus (DENV), poses a significant public health challenge, particularly in tropical regions. This study aimed to detect flavivirus presence, DENV serotypes, and knockdown-resistance (kdr) mutations in mosquito samples collected from Mengare Island, Gresik, Indonesia. A cross-sectional experimental design was employed, utilizing reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for flavivirus detection and serotyping, as well as for identifying kdr mutations. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) extraction was performed using the Quick-RNA\texttrademark Miniprep Plus Kit (Zymo Research, Irvine, CA, USA), followed by RT-PCR with specific primers for DENV serotypes 1–4 and kdr mutations (V1016G and F1534C). …

Impact Of Microplastics Contaminated Food And Beverages On Reproductive And Mental Health, Lala Opeyemi Titilayo, Adisa Ayomide Funmilayo, Adelowo Joy Motunrayo, Oladapo Jesutomi Eniola, Oyekanmi Bolape Adeola, Lala Olusegun Gbenga, Afolabi Opeyemi Olanike, Ajayeoba Titilayo Adenike, Morakinyo Adetoun Elizabeth, Oladipo Elijah Kolawole, Oyowvi Mega Obukohwo, Oyedepo Temitope Adenike

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Microplastics, defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, have emerged as a global environmental pollutant resulting from widespread plastic waste. Increasing concerns have been raised regarding their potential contamination of food and beverages, which may pose health risks to humans. This review aimed to evaluate current literature focusing on potential reproductive and mental health risks associated with the consumption of microplastic-contaminated food and beverages. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using multiple databases and Boolean operators to identify peer-reviewed English-language articles published within the past thirteen years. The review included studies that addressed microplastics in food and beverages, their …

The Effect Of Astaxanthin On Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (Tnf-Α) And Interleukin 10 (Il-10) Expression In Uv-B-Induced Rats Model, Akhmad Setyo Rahman, Theresia Indah Budhy, Jusak Nugraha, Nur Lailatul Fadhilah

Folia Medica Indonesiana

The skin, the largest organ in the human body, serves as a protective barrier against external factors. Exposure to UV-B radiation accounts for approximately 90% of skin damage, leading to aging characterized by dryness and wrinkles. Proper nutrition has been associated with skin repair and delayed aging. Astaxanthin, known for its pharmacological properties including anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities has garnered attention for its ability to improve damaged skin when administered as a daily supplement. This study investigated the roles of TNF-α and IL-10 as inflammatory markers in skin damage and repair, which remain underexplored. A true experimental randomized …

The Bison, October, 03, 2025

The Bison Newspapers

No abstract provided.

Pathlength, Altitude And Angle Of Incidence Dependence Of Remote Water Raman Scattering, Whitney E. Schuler, Paige K. Williams, Zechariah B. Kitzhaber, Caitlyn M. English, Tammi L. Richardson, Nikos Vitzilaios, Michael L. Myrick

Faculty Publications

A small remote Raman sensor was used to measure the Raman scattering signal from clear, still water as a function of water depth (12 cm and 396 cm depth), sensor distance above the water surface (20–300 cm), and angle of incidence (0–80°) to the normal of the water surface. Under thick- and thin-sample conditions, the signal depends on either the inverse, or the inverse square, of sensor distance from the water surface, respectively. A model is derived that fits data for different sensor distances, water depths, and angles of incidence. Fits to the measured data are consistent with the known …

Promotion Of Religious Tourism In Pakistan Through Destination Marketing Strategies, Noor-Ul- Huda, Musa Khan, Noman Ahmed Ansari

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

The aim of this study is to identify the key factors that attract religious tourists to Pakistan and the strategies that are effective in promoting religious tourism. The paper takes a comprehensive approach to guide Pakistan’s development by evaluating international literature, focusing on religious tourism as a pivotal source of revenue. The study explores diversification prospects, aiming to equip policymakers and tourism authorities with actionable insights. This research establishes the groundwork for realising the economic, social, and cultural potential of religious tourism in Pakistan by studying marketing techniques using a qualitative methodology, examining revival approaches, and investigating cutting-edge communication technologies. …

The Antimicrobial And Antibiofilm Effects Of Marine-Derived Crude Extracts, Monica Murphy

Theses

Marine-derived compounds are promising candidates in the search for new antimicrobials. This thesis explores their potential against a suite of clinically relevant bacterial strains. Saltwater environments were screened for antimicrobial compounds, leading to the identification of two lead bacterial strains, Bacillus subtilis_MTUA2 and Bacillus velezensis_MTUC2. Cell-free supernatant (CFS) of these strains significantly reduced the growth of MRSA and clinical S. aureus isolates (50%), inhibited biofilms by 99% and 90%, respectively, and reduced E. coli biofilms by 90%. To expand the scope of bioactive marine sources, crude extracts from two seaweeds, Codium fragile and Fucus vesiculosus, obtained using methanol and water …

Impact Of Irrigation And Micronutrient Treatments On Insect Herbivore Population Dynamics In Soybean, Rahul Debnath, Justin George, Ammar B. Bhandari, Rupesh Kariyat, Gadi V.P. Reddy, James P. Glover, Tulsi P. Kharel, Krishna N. Reddy

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Soybean production is substantially affected by insect pests, necessitating the implementation of appropriate management strategies. Effective irrigation and fertilizer regimes have been found to affect pest populations in agroecosystems. However, their interactive effects on herbivore incidence are less understood. This study reports the abundance and diversity of insect pests, especially hemipteran, lepidopteran, and stink bug species complexes, encountered on soybeans throughout their vegetative and reproductive growth stages under varying irrigation and micronutrient treatments. First, we compared total and major insect pest population densities in irrigated and rainfed conditions. Afterwards, we evaluated how the frequency of insect pests on soybean was …

Volume Cxlv, Number 2, October 3, 2025, Lawrence University

The Lawrentian

No abstract provided.

Addressing Training Challenges Of Generative Adversarial Networks For Biomedical Image Synthesis, Muhammad Muneeb Saad

Theses

Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a pivotal role in computer-aided diagnosis. In image-based diagnosis, AI systems rely on biomedical images containing sensitive disease-oriented information. AI systems utilize machine learning models to automate this diagnosis. Machine learning models such as deep neural networks require large training datasets to enhance the diagnostic precision of these models. Models can underperform when they are trained on imbalanced datasets. Imbalance in datasets refers to the skewed numbers of images per image class. There is a need to enhance the training of these models via data augmentation. In the context of biomedical imagery, where acquiring large, balanced …

Generation And Detection Of Photo-Thermal And Photo-Acoustic Waves In Solids For Advanced Near-Field Ir Imaging, Yide Zhang

Theses

Atomic force microscopy-infrared (AFM-IR) spectroscopy has become an essential tool for nanoscale chemical imaging, offering spatial resolution beyond the diffraction limit of conventional infrared spectroscopy. A typical AFM-IR setup directs a pulsed IR laser onto the sample, precisely at the tip of an AFM cantilever, detecting local absorption indirectly as photothermal expansion via the tip. This combination of AFM’s high spatial resolution and infrared spectroscopy’s chemical specificity enables detailed studies of a wide range of materials, from polymers and biological tissues to nanomaterials. However, the factors influencing AFM-IR signal generation and spatial resolution-especially in complex and inhomogeneous samples-remain challenging to …

Draft Final 2025 Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Butte Koa Playground Soil Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Alternative And Traditional Schooling On Sexual Risk Behaviors Among Alaska Native Youth In The Lower Kuskokwim, Nathaniel Hebert

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Alaska Native youth experience disproportionately high rates of sexual risk, yet disaggregated data and school-contextual analyses remain limited. Understanding how school type (alternative vs. traditional) and individual factors influence sexual risk among Alaska Native youth is essential for informing targeted, culturally responsive health interventions and addressing ongoing health disparities. This quantitative study aimed to examine the association between three behaviors (condom use, multiple sexual partners, and substance use) by school type, controlling for gender, grade level, body mass index, and afterschool activity. Guided by the social-ecological model, this cross-sectional study provided new insights into the relationship between school type and …

Vaccine Value Profile For Schistosomiasis, Gavin Yamey, Kaci Kennedy Mcdade, Roy M Anderson, Sarah M Bartsch, Maria Elena Bottazzi, David Diemert, Peter J Hotez, Bruce Y Lee, Donald Mcmanus, Adebayo J Molehin, Meta Roestenberg, David Rollinson, Afzal A Siddiqui, Miriam Tendler, Joanne P Webster, Hong You, Raphaël M Zellweger, Caroline Marshall

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Schistosomiasis is caused by parasitic flatworms (Schistosoma). The disease in humans can be caused by seven different species of Schistosoma: S. mansoni, S. japonicum, S. haematobium, S. malayensis, S. mekongi, S. guineensis and S. intercalatum, as well as by hybrids between species, including livestock schistosome species. People are infected when exposed to infested water and the parasite larvae penetrate the skin. Poor and rural communities are typically the most affected, and the general population who lives in affected areas and is exposed to contaminated water is at risk. Areas with poor access to safe water and adequate sanitation are also …

All-Optical Voltage Interrogation For Probing Synaptic Plasticity In Vivo, Jacques Carolan, Michelle A Land, Xiaoyu Lu, Maxime Beau, Dimitar Kostadinov, François St-Pierre, Beverley A Clark, Michael Häusser

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Measuring synaptic efficacy and defining the rules for induction of synaptic plasticity at identified connections in the mammalian brain is essential for understanding how synapses contribute to learning and memory. This requires new approaches to selectively evoke presynaptic activity and measure postsynaptic responses with high spatiotemporal resolution and high sensitivity over long periods in vivo. Here we develop an all-optical approach to probe synaptic plasticity at identified cerebellar synapses in awake, behaving mice. We developed and applied JEDI-2Psub, a genetically encoded voltage indicator with increased sensitivity around resting membrane potentials, to record subthreshold and suprathreshold activity in Purkinje cell (PC) …

Lived Experiences Of Obese Women In Mississippi Concerning The Role Of Psychosocial Factors In The Development Of Obesity, Temitope Olabode

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

One of the highest rates of obesity in the United States is in Mississippi, where middle- aged obese women deal with a variety of social, cultural, and personal issues, including shame, discrimination, and stigma based on weight, mental anguish, cultural norms, financial limitations, and restricted access to healthcare. This study investigated the psychosocial factors that contribute to obesity in women aged 40- 60 years, and the effects of obesity on body image, self-esteem, health behaviors, and quality of life. A qualitative phenomenological study using the social ecological model (SEM) framework looked at the individual, interpersonal, and policy levels of the …

Assessment And Identification Of Bacteria In Sagu Lempeng Sold In Ambon City, Indonesia, Dilya Maghfirah Taher, Melda Yunita, Yuniasih Mulyani Jubeliene Taihuttu, Siti Nur Azizah

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Maluku Province in Indonesia is known for its diverse traditional foods, including sagu lempeng, which is widely consumed across different social groups. However, poor hygiene during its preparation, packaging, and sale in traditional markets can serve as a medium for microbial contamination, posing potential health risks. In Ambon City, the capital of Maluku, no research had been conducted concerning the total plate count (TPC) analysis and identification of food-contaminating bacteria in sagu lempeng, which are crucial for ensuring its microbiological safety. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the microbiological quality of sagu lempeng according to Indonesian National Standards …

Citytech Algebra Based Physics Exam1 (Brightspace Quiz), Vasiliy S. Znamenskiy, Rafael Niyazov

Open Educational Resources

This Brightspace-based Exam 1 assesses foundational concepts in algebra-based physics through short, auto-graded items designed to provide clear feedback. The exam targets core learning outcomes from the opening units of the course: measurement and unit analysis, significant figures, one-dimensional kinematics with constant acceleration (relationships among 𝑥, 𝑣, 𝑎, 𝑡), and basic problem-solving with proportional reasoning. Question formats include numerical entry multiple choice focused on common misconceptions, and brief conceptual prompts that test qualitative understanding before calculation. The item set emphasizes translating among verbal descriptions, diagrams, formulas, and graphs; checking the reasonableness of results; and communicating precision. Randomized parameters and pooled …

The Great Escape: A Case Series On Ddx3x Craniofacial Phenotypes In Females, Ellen Wang, Kylie Swiekatowski, Danielle Sobol, Matthew Greives, Emily Hansen-Kiss

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction

Case Description

Digging Deeper With Deep Ram Networks, Andrew J. Wagner

Dissertations and Theses

While Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) have driven major breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, their internal complexity often makes their behavior hard to explain, resulting in the well-known “black box” dilemma. This thesis addresses the challenge of interpretability in DNNs and deep reinforcement learning (DRL) through two main contributions.

In Part I, we revisit and extend the use of Deep RAM Networks (DRNs) within the Arcade Learning Environment (ALE), showing that, with modern architectures and careful hyperparameter tuning, RAM-based agents can achieve performance competitive with established pixel-based baselines on Atari 2600 games, while offering additional advantages for research and analysis. We also …

The George-Anne Deep Dive, Georgia Southern University

George-Anne Media Group: Newsletters & Magazines

No abstract provided.

Sga 57 Senate 2025-10-03 Minutes, Niu Student Government Association Senate

Student Government Association Archives

No abstract provided.

Covid-19 Resilience In Indigenous Communities: A Community Capitals Approach, Kristin A. Drexler, Michelle Watts, Casey Skvorc, Bridget Kimsey

Journal of Indigenous Research

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on rural American Indian/Alaska Native communities. During our multi-year study, in-depth interview data was collected in Indigenous communities from over 160 Tribal leaders and members in Alaska, New Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. In interviews, participants shared their lived experience during the pandemic, both negative impacts and factors of resilience. This article focuses on the methodology and theoretical framework of Community Capitals Framework (CCF). Using CCF, interview data was coded and analyzed using a modified CCF model. Our study aims to better understand how Indigenous communities and leaders drew on human and socio-cultural …

Spiritual Grounding In Sacred Soil: The Picuris/Peñasco Valley As A Model For Catholic Unity Across Cultures, Gabriel Antonio Gonzales

Master of Theological Studies Honors Theses

This thesis examines the Picuris/Peñasco Valley of Northern New Mexico as a unique case study for understanding Catholic unity amidst cultural plurality and historical tension. The study investigates how the confluence of Picuris Pueblo (Tiwa) Indigenous spirituality and Hispano/Spanish Colonial Catholic traditions has forged a profoundly localized and resilient faith community. Drawing upon historical analysis of colonial resistance, cultural anthropology, and theological reflection, this work argues that the concept of sacred land (sacred soil) functions as the central unifying principle. It reveals how the shared commitment to the land facilitated a process of religious and cultural syncretism, creating a form …

The Indiana Statesman, October 2, 2025, Indiana State University

Student Newspaper

20th annual Bat Festival; Student Market coming to the fountain

Oncopacket: Integration Of Cancer Research Data Using Ga4gh Phenopackets., Michael Sierk, Daniel Danis, Sujay Patil, Nobal Kishor, Rajdeep Mondal, Abhishek Jha, Qingrong Chen, Chunhua Yan, Monica Munoz-Torres, Daoud Meerzaman, Peter N Robinson, Justin T Reese

Faculty Research 2025

SUMMARY: Lack of data integration remains a significant impediment to cancer research, and many analyses still require customized software to transform and prepare cancer data. We describe a software package to harmonize genetic and clinical cancer data into the GA4GH Phenopacket schema, an ISO standard for representing clinical case data. We integrated demographic, mutation, morphology, diagnosis, intervention, and survival data using case data from the National Cancer Institute for 12 cancer types. The Phenopacket standard provides a foundation for downstream use, including sophisticated statistical and AI/ML analyses. We demonstrate fitness for purpose by using the integrated data to recapitulate a …

Automating Candidate Gene Prioritization With Large Language Models: From Naive Scoring To Literature-Grounded Validation., Taushif Khan, Mohammed Toufiq, Marina Yurieva, Nitaya Indrawattana, Akanitt Jittmittraphap, Nathamon Kosoltanapiwat, Pornpan Pumirat, Passanesh Sukphopetch, Muthita Vanaporn, Karolina Palucka, Basirudeen Syed Ahamed Kabeer, Darawan Rinchai, Damien Chaussabel

Faculty Research 2025

MOTIVATION: Identifying promising therapeutic targets from thousands of genes in transcriptomic studies remains a major bottleneck in biomedical research. While large language models (LLMs) show potential for gene prioritization, they suffer from hallucination and lack systematic validation against expert knowledge.

RESULTS: The framework identified 609 sepsis-relevant genes with >94% filtering efficiency, demonstrating strong enrichment for inflammatory pathways including TNF-α signaling, complement activation, and interferon responses. Literature validation yielded 30 ultra-high confidence therapeutic candidates, including both established sepsis genes (IL10, TREM1, S100A9, NLRP3) and novel targets warranting investigation. Benchmark validation against expert-curated databases achieved 71.2% recall, with systematic correlation between computational …

October 2, 2025, Caa

Minutes

No abstract provided.