Digital Commons Network^™

Presence And Impact Of Herbicides On Intertidal Benthic Communities, Marco Sanderson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The growing reliance and widespread use of herbicides on a global scale is negatively affecting non-targeted biota and, consequently, their ecosystems. Herbicide levels and their impacts have been extensively researched around the world in riverine and lacustrine ecosystems. However, studies of the levels and effects of herbicides on coastal intertidal benthic communities have been lacking. This study focused on testing spectrophotometric methodologies for herbicides (atrazine and glyphosate) and documenting their presence and levels in sediment, water, and biotic tissue of intertidal coastal beaches and marshes of Waties Island and Singleton Swash, Horry County, South Carolina. A laboratory microcosm was employed …

Trophic Ecology Of A South Carolina Estuarine Predator Guild, Shane John Molander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Estuaries are among the world’s most productive ecosystems in the world and are characterized by the convergence of two distinct habitats, creating a mosaic of environmental conditions from inland rivers to the nearshore ocean. Many fishes occupy estuaries during various life stages for growth, reproduction, or foraging, and may reside in them seasonally. The co-occurrence of species, particularly upper-trophic level carnivores, can result in competitive interactions for prey resources within a shared environment. Identifying the degree of these interactions as well as understanding basal energy consumption can inform food web dynamics and how overlapping species use shared spaces. I used …

Mentor Evaluation Of A Black Male Youth Mentoring Program, Kenneth Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study was an exploration of how Black male mentors perceived organizational practices, culturally responsive mentoring, relational safety, and systems level barriers shaping their effectiveness and continued participation. The purpose was to examine early mentor-mentee match dissolution and low mentor retention in a nonprofit youth mentoring through the lens of the ecological systems theory and program evaluation framework. The practice-focused research questions were: How do volunteer mentors and program staff perceive the organizational practices and culturally responsive strategies that influence mentor effectiveness and retention in youth mentoring programs, and what organizational and systemic challenges do Black male mentors encounter in …

Psychosis Among Justice-Involved Youth, Muhubo Y. Alinur

Master of Arts in Human Services

Abstract

Justice-involved youth face considerable mental health challenges, yet psychotic symptoms are frequently overlooked or misclassified as behavioral problems. This capstone critically reviews peer-reviewed literature on the prevalence, risk factors, assessment strategies, clinical needs, and systemic responses related to psychosis in justice-involved adolescents. Literature was sourced from Concordia University, St. Paul Library, Google Scholar, and PubMed. Research indicates that these youth often experience complex, overlapping issues such as trauma, substance use, mood disorders, neurodevelopmental difficulties, and barriers to accessing appropriate mental health care. Unaddressed, these co-occurring needs can result in punitive or unsuitable responses from justice and related systems when …

The Underlying Connections Between Drug Abuse And Criminal Involvement, Jessica Sedor

Master of Arts in Human Services

In this composition, an analysis about the relationship between substance abuse and criminal engagement within specific types of crimes is explored. While examining this relationship, the importance of forensic rehabilitation within the criminal justice system is approached through advocacy of identifying risk factors and intergenerational patterns amongst the youth to reduce the abusive cycle of crime and addiction. This paper reflects the evident significance that it is imperative that human services professionals are aware of this relationship and how it can influence and impact one’s judgment, personality, decision making, and other criminogenic behaviors and attitudes. It is critical that the …

Breaking The Cycle: From Victimization To Offending Through The Lens Of Human Services, Colette R. Penalosa

Master of Arts in Human Services

The victim-offender overlap challenges the common view that victims and offenders are separately labeled by recognizing that both groups have experienced significant childhood trauma, physical, emotional, and psychological abuse, neglect, and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Current research implies these experiences can increase the risk of offending as they all influence cognitive and behavioral development while leaving criminal behavior undetermined. The purpose of this capstone is to analyze the relationship between childhood victimization and offending from a human service perspective; analyzing the pathways a victim takes on the road to offending. Research conducted will focus on exploring the victim-offender overlap, …

How Does The Science Of Reading Approach Enhance Small Reading Group Instruction?, Destiny M. Morman

Graduate Teacher Education

This paper examined how the Science of Reading (SOR) practices enhance student success in small-group reading. Specifically, the purpose of this research is to analyze which SOR-aligned instructional practices are the most beneficial for promoting student success in small-group settings and to examine practices that may be less effective. Effective reading practices are crucial for small-group instruction (Smith et al., 2022). When instruction is strategically designed around students’ specific reading needs, educators can provide a more targeted and personalized support that may be difficult to achieve during whole-group instruction. During small-group learning, teachers can differentiate instruction by aligning lessons with …

Translational Initiative To Minimize Childhood Hemiparesis After Asymmetrical Perinatal Brain Injury, Susan V. Duff, Emily Garavatti, Terrie Inder

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

The purpose of this perspective paper is to present a translational approach aimed at identifying the critical periods in brain development during which to provide neuroprotective and neurorestorative strategies, followed by prehensile training, to minimize hemiparesis and foster skill acquisition after asymmetrical perinatal brain injury (APBI). We contend that hemiparesis could be minimized after APBI through a multimodal sequential approach based on timely implementation of evidence-based intervention strategies. If APBI is identified early, neuroprotective techniques can be used in the first 10 days of life to minimize cell death. This can be followed in the next 3 months by the …

Gli Weekly, August 26, 2026, Franke Global Leadership Initiative

GLI Weekly

Welcome, Frank Fellows! -- Meet the GLI Staff -- GLI Starts Fall Semester Strong -- Fall Semester Advising -- Beyond the Classroom (BTC) Corner -- GLI Leadership Retreat -- Capstone Corner -- GLI Volunteer Opportunities

Who Decides The Dead? Interpreting Washington’S Disposition Of Remains Statute, Wyatt Young

Seattle University Law Review

Washington’s disposition-of-remains statute, RCW 68.50.160, is designed to honor a decedent’s expressed wishes regarding the control and disposition of their body after death. Yet recent litigation reveals a critical gap between the statute’s intent-centered design and its practical enforceability. In Larotonda v. Blackburn, a trial court acknowledged that irreparable harm would occur if a decedent’s burial wishes were ignored but nonetheless denied relief on the grounds that the individual designated to carry out those wishes lacked standing. The result was a legal paradox: a statute that recognizes decedent autonomy in theory but withholds any meaningful mechanism for its enforcement …

The Rider (2026-08-26), Daniela Chapa-Reyes

The Rider Archives

Vol. 12, No. 1

Insights Into Longevity And Virus-Driven Adaptation From Myotis Bat Genomes, Juan M. Vazquez, M. Elise Lauterbur, Saba Mottaghinia, Léa Gaucherand, Sarah Maesen, Michael Singer, Sarah Villa, Melanie Bucci, Devaughn Fraser, Genavieve Gray-Sandoval, Zeinab R. Haidar, Melissa Han, William Kohler, Tanya Lama, Et Al

Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

The genus Myotis is one of the largest clades of bats, and it exhibits some of the most extreme variation in lifespans among mammals, alongside unique adaptations to viral tolerance and immune defence^1–3. Here, to study the evolution of these phenotypes, we generated cell lines and near-complete genome assemblies for eight closely related Myotis species. Using genome-wide screens of positive selection, analyses of structural variation and functional experiments in primary cells, we identify patterns of adaptation contributing to longevity, cancer resistance and viral interactions. We demonstrate distinct modes of adaptation to DNA and RNA viruses compared with all …

‘Passing’ The Baton Of Trauma: Queer Failure Of The Women’S Sport Policy Working Group’S Anti-Trans ‘Position’, Meredith M. Bagley, Mary Anne Taylor, Sarah F. Price

Publications and Research

Engaging in critical rhetorical theory and methodology, we interrogate the contemporary landscape of anti-trans backlash in women’s sport. Specifically, we read the ‘TERF wars’ (Pearce et al.) across critiques of biofeminism (Pape) and whiteness (Fischer) while drawing upon critical social science research into trauma-bonding, bullying, and the structural impacts of gender verification policies. Our analysis focuses on the Women’s Sports Policy Working Group (WSPWG), offering a trauma-informed reading of the WSPWG’s ‘Position’ statement to illuminate how lesbian female athletes who were previously slandered for failing to meet femininity norms in sport are unable to overcome that trauma to recognize and …

Endothelin Receptor Antagonists In Resistant Hypertension And Proteinuric Kidney Disease: Receptor Strategy And Volume Management, Corey Keith Goldman, Jesse M. Goldman

Division of Nephrology Faculty Papers

This narrative review examines how endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs) can be used at the intersection of difficult-to-control hypertension, chronic kidney disease (CKD), and albuminuria or proteinuria. For clinicians, the central question is not receptor selectivity alone, but whether a specific agent, indication, dose, background therapy, and monitoring plan can deliver meaningful blood-pressure or kidney benefit without unacceptable fluid retention. Pulmonary arterial hypertension established the pharmacology and major safety liabilities of the class; the current implementation questions for hypertension and kidney specialists arise in systemic hypertension and proteinuric kidney disease. Aprocitentan is the first and only ERA approved for hypertension; in …

Informing The In-Water Humpback Whale (Megaptera Novaeangliae) Interaction Management Program In The Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia, Julian A. Tyne, Holly Raudino, Lyn Irvine, Chandra Salgado Kent, Kelly Waples

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Whale and dolphin watching tourism continues to expand globally, generating substantial economic benefits for coastal communities. However, ensuring that tourism activities remain safe, sustainable, and do not adversely affect cetacean populations remains a significant management challenge. This study evaluated humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) distribution in relation to the intensity of commercial in-water interactions at the commencement of a tourism program off Ningaloo Marine Park (NMP), Western Australia.

Methods: Aerial surveys were conducted in 2016, 2017, and annually from 2022 to 2024 to assess humpback whale distribution and abundance, while vessel-based Electronic Monitoring System data were used to quantify commercial …

Spartan Daily, August, 26, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 167, Issue 03

Circadian Temperature Compensation Is Intrinsically Linked With Metabolism And Redox Signaling, Yao Xu, Tetsuya Mori, Himanshu Mehra, Alessandro Ustione, Kenya Tanaka, Yuta Kitaguchi, Koichiro Uriu, Shuji Nakanishi, David W Piston, David Vinyard, Carl Hirschie Johnson

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Circadian rhythms are a universal property of organisms, and a defining property of these oscillators is the ability to maintain a precise period at different temperatures. Indeed, the discovery in the 1950s of this property, known as "temperature compensation," was a watershed event in our understanding of biological timekeeping. Since that time, however, almost no general principles have emerged that uncover the mechanistic basis of how circadian timekeepers defy the "rules" of temperature dependence of biochemical reactions. A genetic investigation of circadian temperature compensation reveals that the sensing of metabolism and ensuing modulation of the core mechanism preserves a constant …

Altered Postnatal Chromatin Development In The Nucleus Accumbens Primes Enduring Stress Sensitivity, Rebekah L Rashford, Lisa Z Fang, Michael Deberardine, Hye Ji J Kim, Laura W Hirschfield, Ella Cervi, Mason R Barrett, Jeremy M Thompson, Meaghan C Creed, Catherine Jensen Peña

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Early life stress (ELS) sensitizes individuals to subsequent stressors to increase lifetime risk for psychiatric disorders. Within the nucleus accumbens (NAc)-a key limbic and reward-associated brain region-ELS sensitizes both cellular and transcriptional response to later stress, which are programmed by enduring epigenetic changes. Among the histone modifications persistently enriched by ELS in NAc is H3K4me1, which is associated with open chromatin and epigenetic priming of genomic enhancers. Here, we sought to determine whether H3K4me1 enrichment in NAc was sufficient to prime cellular and behavioral responses to adult stress. Viral-mediated overexpression of the histone H3 monomethyltransferase

Heritable Transgenic Schistosomes As A Living Platform For Sars-Cov-2 Neutralizing Antibody Secretion, Wannaporn Ittiprasert, Bruce A Rosa, Sergej Djuranovic, Makedonka Mitreva, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

We report the generation and propagation of not only the first heritable transgenic schistosome line but also a line that secretes a functional therapeutic protein in vivo. Using multiplexed CRISPR/Cas-mediated homology-directed knock-in targeted to a predicted genomic safe-harbor, we inserted a VHH-IgG1 Fc (termed C5-Fc) transgene into Schistosoma mansoni eggs. Single-miracidium infections of Biomphalaria glabrata yielded parental P0 lines; serial passage through snail and mouse hosts produced an F2 cohort in which all parasites carried the C5-Fc transgene and secreted C5-Fc into the murine venous circulation. Molecular assays confirmed chromosomal insertion, germline transmission and systemic secretion. Sera from mice harboring …

Heritable Transgenic Schistosomes As A Living Platform For Sars-Cov-2 Neutralizing Antibody Secretion, Wannaporn Ittiprasert, Michael J Smout, Victoria H Mann, Matthew Moyle, Sean M Kinahan, Daniel N Ackerman, Danielle N Rivera, Joshua L Santarpia, Eric C Carnes, Margaret M Mentink-Kane, Marina Reis Costa, Cornelis H Hokke, Meta Roestenberg, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Bethany K Bracken, Bruce A Rosa, Sergej Djuranovic, Darren A Pickering, Paul R Giacomin, Daniel Watterson, Naphak Modhiran, Max F Moescheid, Christoph G Grevelding, Makedonka Mitreva, Alex Loukas, Paul J Brindley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

We report the generation and propagation of not only the first heritable transgenic schistosome line but also a line that secretes a functional therapeutic protein in vivo. Using multiplexed CRISPR/Cas-mediated homology-directed knock-in targeted to a predicted genomic safe-harbor, we inserted a VHH-IgG1 Fc (termed C5-Fc) transgene into Schistosoma mansoni eggs. Single-miracidium infections of Biomphalaria glabrata yielded parental P0 lines; serial passage through snail and mouse hosts produced an F2 cohort in which all parasites carried the C5-Fc transgene and secreted C5-Fc into the murine venous circulation. Molecular assays confirmed chromosomal insertion, germline transmission and systemic secretion. Sera from mice harboring …

Neuronal Expression Of Bromodomain Proteins Alters Neuronal Health And Peripheral Protein Homeostasis To Promote Longevity, Anna Entin, Priyadharshini Vijayakumar, Caitlin M Lange, Tripti Nair, Elijah A Roditi, Athena Alcala, Maxim Averbukh, Matthew Vega, Rebecca Aviles Barahona, Caitlin Mctygue, Veronica Kuo, Juri Kim, Herbert Anson, Aeowynn J Coakley, George Wang, Steven E Pilley, Max A Thorwald, Whitaker Cohn, Sean P Curran, Nicolas Brouilly, Caroline Kumsta, Rachel N Arey, Peter J Mullen, Gilberto Garcia, Ryo Higuchi-Sanabria

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Longevity and stress resilience require precise coordination of gene expression programs across tissues. Here, we demonstrate that overexpression of the chromatin reader bet-1 specifically in neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans promotes organismal longevity and stress resistance via cell-nonautonomous signaling. Neuronal bet-1 elicits a neurotransmitter-dependent signal that activates the conserved stress-responsive transcription factor HSF-1 in the intestine, enhancing proteostasis, oxidative stress resistance, metabolic remodeling, and immune defense. Life span extension by neuronal bet-1 requires both hsf-1 and daf-16 in neurons but only requires hsf-1 in peripheral tissues. Using bulk RNA sequencing, we reveal distinct prolongevity pathways that include enhanced heat-shock response, proteostasis, …

Acquisition Of A Gene Cluster In Clostridioides Difficile Pcr Ribotype 023 Strains Enables Xylitol Utilization, Katherine J Wozniak, Lei Pan, Duolong Zhu, Jeroen Corver, Ed J Kuijper, Wiep Klaas Smits, Robert A Britton

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Hundreds of ribotypes of the gastrointestinal pathogen Clostridioides difficile have emerged over the last three decades, yet the factors driving their emergence are poorly understood. Recently, there has been an increase in infections caused by PCR ribotype 023 (RT023) strains in Europe. We profiled the growth of seven RT023 strains in 190 unique carbon sources and found they were able to grow in xylitol, a sugar alcohol used as a food additive in humans and animals. Other ribotypes of C. difficile tested (n = 19) displayed little to no growth in 0.5% xylitol and were growth-inhibited in higher …

Inclusive Leadership And Employee Engagement In Multigenerational Nigeria’S Public Sector, Monday Kohwo Unurhiere

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective leadership continues to engender disengaged employees whose work ethics contribute to inefficient and ineffective public service delivery across several African countries. The specific research problem is the inadequacy of knowledge about leadership behaviors that foster a sense of being valued among employees of different generational cohorts, leading to intellectual, social, and emotional engagement at work. The purpose of this quantitative correlational cross-sectional study was to investigate the influence of inclusive leadership (openness, availability, and accessibility) on employee engagement (intellectual, social, and affective) in the multigenerational Nigerian public sector. The theoretical framework included the constructs of inclusive leadership, employee engagement, …

Stable Isotope-Based Origin Identification And Enrichment Zone Division Of Medium- To Low-Rank Coalbed Methane, Wang Qiong, Xu Fengyin, Ren Pengfei, Xu Hao, Lu Pengda, Hu Han, Zhou Siyuan

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Medium-to low-rank coalbed methane (CBM) exhibits complex origins with significant vertical differentiation, leading to unclear origin identification and enrichment patterns. This study aims to determine the genetic mechanisms, enrichment patterns, and efficient exploitation pathways of medium- to low-rank CBM. This will help improve the theoretical system for the exploration and exploitation of such CBM. Methods CBM data from 14 typical low- to medium-rank coalfields and coal-bearing basins across the world were comprehensively analyzed, including CBM compositions C₁/(C₂+C₃), carbon and hydrogen isotopes of CH₄ (δ¹³C-CH₄ and δD-CH_{4 …}

Selection And Verification Of Optimal Key Parameters Of Ultra-Wideband Radars For Life Detection In Coal-Rock Shielding Environments In Coal Mines, Huang Yuan, Zheng Xuezhao, Wen Hu, Jin Feiyang, Xu Chengyu, Liu Yin, Ding Wen

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective and Methods Ultra-wideband (UWB) radars can transmit electromagnetic waves that penetrate coal and rock media, thereby addressing the challenge of detecting and localizing personnel trapped in shielding environments during mine collapse. However, key parameters for UWB radar detection are difficult to determine due to complex mine environments, diverse media, and unclear dispersion characteristics. To deal with this issue, this study determined the frequency-dependent dielectric properties of various coal and rock media, as well as human tissues, through experiments and fitting. In combination with actual rescue scenarios, this study established the electromagnetic equivalent model of shielding environments in coal mines. …

Experiences Of Nurses Managing Traumatic Hemorrhagic Shock At A Tertiary Hospital In Ghana, Gloria Achempim-Ansong, Princilla Mensah

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Traumatic hemorrhagic shock is a life-threatening condition requiring immediate and effective management by emergency department nurses. Globally, trauma accounts for approximately 5.8 million deaths annually, with hemorrhagic shock contributing to 30-40% of these fatalities. The management of traumatic hemorrhagic shock in the emergency department is a complex and challenging task that requires a multidisciplinary approach and specialized nursing care. Nurses play a critical role in the early recognition, assessment, and stabilization of patients with traumatic hemorrhagic shock, as they are often the first healthcare professionals to encounter these patients in the emergency department.

The incidence of traumatic injuries and …

Fast-Track Ode: A Student-Centered, Game-Based Summer Differential Equations Course, Chamila D. Malagoda Gamage

CODEE Journal

This article describes a student-centered and game-based redesign of an Elementary Differential Equations course taught during a six-week summer session. In this compressed setting, students had to move through the standard course content quickly while still developing procedural fluency, conceptual understanding, and confidence with applications. To support these goals, the course used real-time feedback tools, collaborative problem solving, applications connected to students' fields, and mathematical games. The paper describes the course context, major activities, implementation details, and student feedback. Student responses suggest that the activities were well received and helped students stay engaged, participate regularly, prepare for exams, and see …

Advancing Paternal Perinatal Mental Health: Integrating Qualitative Evidence, Theory, And Measurement Science, Rachael Elizabeth Schmitz

Nursing and Health Sciences

Aim: To advance understanding of paternal perinatal mental health through the integration of qualitative evidence, mid-range theory, and conceptual framework development.

Background: Existing scholarship largely emphasizes prevalence and symptom identification of paternal post partum depression, with limited integration of fathers lived experiences into theory development and assessment frameworks, and mental health nursing practice. Greater integration of qualitative evidence, theory, and measurement science may strengthen the recognition and assessment of paternal distress.

Methods & results: This integrative paper synthesizes findings from a phenomenological study of fathers with postpartum depression, the Reciprocal Adaptation in Postpartum Fathers mid-range nursing theory, and the P- …

Current And Emerging Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria Diagnostic Technologies: Performance, Feasibility, And Future Prospects, Vincent Obino Orucho

Polytechnic Journal

Introduction and Objectives: Malaria remains a life-threatening medical emergency, particularly in Plasmodium falciparum infections, with 282 million cases and approximately 610,000 deaths recorded globally in 2024. Accurate laboratory diagnosis is critical, yet conventional methods including microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests are constrained by operator dependency, low sensitivity, and emerging HRP2/HRP3 gene deletions. This scoping review maps current and emerging malaria diagnostic technologies, evaluates their performance, and identifies implementation challenges and knowledge gaps.

Methodology: Following the Arksey and O'Malley framework and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for publications from 2000 to 2026. Eligible studies involved human …

Probe Cytotoxic And Oxidative Stress Effects Of Nanoplastics On Caco-2 Cells: Insights From Raman Spectroscopy And Machine Learning, Bryan Gustafson, Negar Kosari, Emily Brothersen, Morgan Mosher, Anhong Zhou

Biological Engineering Student Research

Nanoplastics and microplastics have become an increasing ecological and health concern due to their widespread presence in the environment and food chain. In this study, Caco-2 cells were used as an in vitro model of the human intestinal epithelium to investigate the cytotoxic effects of polystyrene nanoparticles and microparticles of varying sizes, concentrations, and surface modification. Oxidative stress and apoptosis were evaluated following particle exposure. Raman spectroscopy, combined with machine learning analysis, was employed to detect and characterize biochemical alterations in the cells. Several peak ratios were selected to cluster data depending on size. A correlation between apoptosis and both …