Digital Commons Network^™

Wellness, Transhumanism, And The Death Of Health Law, Leah Fowler

UMKC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Collagen Gene Expression Is Linked To Aging And Lifespan Extension In C. Elegans, Archer J. Wang, Blake M. Geppert, Daniel Beck, Yanqing Ji, Yiyong Liu

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Scholarship

Collagens, long regarded as structural molecules, also regulate stress responses and longevity. In this study, we analyzed our RNA sequencing data and publicly available gene expression data to define their role in Caenorhabditis elegans aging. Collagen expression broadly declined with age, with 16 collagen genes consistently downregulated across independent studies, establishing collagen downregulation as a genetic hallmark of aging. In contrast, meta-analysis of 66 datasets (128 comparisons between normal and long-lived animals) showed collagen upregulation in 84% of long-lived conditions, identifying collagen induction as a conserved signature of lifespan extension. Using π-values to integrate fold change and significance of …

Mapping The Tar Vrna Interaction With Hiv-1 Integrase, Jian Sun, Rahul Yadav, Tolga Catmakas, Luke Fisher, Nicholas C. Fitzkee, Jacques J. Kessl

Faculty Publications

A series of critical interactions within the viral core between viral RNA (vRNA) and HIV-1 Integrase (IN) has previously been reported. In these studies, contact points between vRNA and IN were identified using RNA-seq and MS-based protein foot-printing approaches. Several IN amino acids located in its C-terminal domain (CTD) were found to be essential for vRNA binding, and their alanine substitution severely impacted the correct morphogenesis of the mature viral core. Here, we have used the TAR element to extend these studies by performing a comprehensive mapping of the interaction by deploying RNA crosslinking and NMR methodologies. Together, these approaches …

Centering Well-Being And Wholeness: Exploring Racial Battle Fatigue Among Black 3-K To Twelfth-Grade Teachers, Olubunmi Fashusi

Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative case study, with some descriptive statistics, examined Black 3-K through 12th- grade teachers’ experiences with racial battle fatigue (RBF), the psychological and behavioral stress responses they perceived most accurately convey how RBF manifests for them, and the strategies they used to disrupt RBF’s impact. Participants experienced compounded RBF due to advocating for students (i.e., speaking out, supporting, or intervening). Participants’ most perceived psychological stress response to RBF was racism awareness, and most perceived behavioral stress response was spirituality or religion. Participants disrupted the impact of RBF through intrinsic care (i.e., purpose or why, managing emotions, and self-care) and …

June 2026 Library News, University Libraries

Library News

No abstract provided.

Returning With The Elixir: Transformation In Two Young Adult Novels, April Vázquez

Language Arts Journal of Michigan

The narrative structure of the Hero’s Journey, first elaborated by Joseph Campbell in 1949, is employed in Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani and Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay. In these two works for young people, the protagonists travel to their parents’ native countries, encountering systems of oppression that fundamentally transform their perspectives and alter the trajectories of their lives. Each character follows the same narrative pattern: before the Hero’s Journey, they have led mostly unremarkable lives, have an encounter with the supernatural or the divine, confront systemic oppression in their parents’ native countries on a scale beyond what they …

Updates To The Caniform Fauna (Carnivora, Caniformia) Of The John Day Formation, Oregon, Usa, John D. Orcutt, Kevin C. Talbott, Michael J. Monroe, Nicholas A. Famoso

Biology Faculty Scholarship

The John Day Formation of central Oregon preserves a diversity of Oligo-Miocene caniform carnivorans, many of which were first described from the formation. However, many historically important specimens lack detailed locality or stratigraphic information, complicating any analysis of faunal change through time. Here, we describe 16 new specimens of caniforms from the John Day Formation, most with precise stratigraphic information. We report multiple specimens of the amphicyonids Daphoenus Leidy, 1853, Paradaphoenus cuspigerus (Cope, 1878), and Temnocyon altigenis (Cope, 1878), all previously known from the formation. We also report the first definitive occurrence of the hesperocyonine canid Osbornodon Wang, 1994 from …

Effect Of Leaf Harvesting Frequency On Cassava Leaf Production And Tuber Yield Of Binulak, Lakan 1 (Upl Cv-2), And Sultan 6 (Nsic 2003 Cv-25), Fides Marciana Z. Tambalo, Rosa Buena A. Capuno, Hiyasmin Rose L. Benzon, Jayson F. Garcia, Lizette Sahar N. Arcillas, Rona Joy C. Tud

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a vital staple crop in many developing countries, valued for its adaptability and dual-purpose use of roots and leaves. This study investigated the effects of leaf harvesting frequency on the leaf and tuber yields of 3 locally grown cassava varieties: Binulak, Lakan 1, and Sultan 6. The experiment followed a split plot in a Randomized Complete Block Design with 4 treatments varying in leaf harvesting frequency and initiation. Cassava leaves were harvested at 4, 6, 8, or 10 mo after planting (MAP), and tubers were harvested at 10 MAP. Results indicated that leaf yield …

In Vitro Assessment Of The Reproductive Biology Of Sweet Potato Weevil, Cylas Formicarius (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Brentidae) Among Commonly Grown Sweet Potato Cultivars, Jerah Mystica Novenario, Flor A. Ceballo-Alcantara

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

The sweet potato weevil, Cylas formicarius (Fabricius), is a devastating pest of sweet potato, Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., with a specific point of damage at the tuber where eggs are oviposited, and voracious larvae feed. Farmers in Tarlac province in the Philippines claim that a specific cultivar is highly infested by the pest, suggesting that other cultivars may not be susceptible to the pest damage. This study aimed to determine the reproductive biology of the weevil across 3 sweet potato cultivars (Inubi, Super Bureau, and Bureau) frequently grown in Central Luzon. Since the weevils are nocturnal, behavioral observations were conducted …

Filtered Genome Of Commercial Philippine Varieties Of Sugarcane (Saccharum Officinarum L.) For The Characterization And Identification Of Ssrs Associated With Resistance To Philippine Downy Mildew (Peronosclerospora Philippinensis), Antonio G. Lalusin, Jhun Lawrence S. Rasco

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Sugarcane is a major global source of sugar, with total production reaching 1.89 billion t. Although the Philippines produces about 1.85 million t of sugarcane annually, yields are limited by downy mildew and smut. Developing varieties resistant to these pathogens is the most economical and practical approach to mitigating losses from these biotic stresses. In this study, SSRs related to disease resistance were developed through Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) of the filtered genomes of sugarcane varieties with known phenotypic responses to downy mildew. Two assemblies based on minimum contig lengths (450 and 900 bp) were performed using SoapDeNovo2. The 900-bp assembly …

Marker-Assisted Identification Of Hybrids In Polyembryonic ‘Carabao’ Mango (Mangifera Indica L.) Breeding In The Philippines, John Edward L. Felipe, Kyla Andrea G. Mendoza, Benjamin Christian J. Esguerra, Carolyn E. Alcasid, Gino R. Hernandez, Eureka Teresa M. Ocampo

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Varietal improvement of the Philippine ‘Carabao’ mango (Mangifera indica L.) through conventional breeding is constrained by polyembryony, which makes it difficult to distinguish zygotic hybrids from nucellar seedlings at early developmental stages. This study evaluated the utility of simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers for early and accurate identification of hybrids in polyembryonic ‘Carabao’ mango crosses. Genomic DNA was isolated from 24 parental accessions and 61 putative hybrid seedlings using a modified CTAB protocol that yielded DNA suitable for PCR-based marker analysis. Eighty-one SSR markers were screened across 29 parental combinations, of which 64 markers (79.0%) were polymorphic in at …

Spatial Variation In Soil Quality Across Selected Fruit Tree Plantations In Bacnotan, La Union, Philippines, Jay Mark G. Cortado, Roberto G. Visco, Jenielyn T. Padrones, Pastor L. Malabrigo Jr

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Sustaining soil quality on any plantation is critical to increasing productivity and responsible land use. However, spatial variation in soil quality across fruit tree plantations under existing field and management conditions remains insufficiently documented. This study aimed to assess the soil quality of monocropped plantations of banana, calamansi, coffee, and rambutan in northern Luzon, Philippines, evaluate the extent of degradation or improvement relative to a reference forest using the Soil Quality Index (SQI) approach, and identify the soil indicators that significantly influence soil quality in these plantations. The objectives were to determine which fruit tree plantations could enhance soil quality …

Postharvest Response Of Jute Mallow (Corchorus Olitorius L.) Tops To Different Storage Temperatures, Wella L. Absulio-Morales, James L. Tababa, Daphne Cassandra H. Gonzales, Genesis M. Banawa, Angelo C. Castro, Arlan James D. Rodeo

The Philippine Agricultural Scientist

Jute mallow (Corchorus olitorius L.), locally known as saluyot, is a nutrient-rich leafy vegetable, but its potential remains underutilized due to its high perishability. This study determined the postharvest behavior of jute tops stored at 4 different temperatures (5, 13, 20, and 28 °C). Key quality parameters were measured at specific time intervals. The marketable shelf life of jute tops was 7 d at 5 and 13 °C, but only 2 and 3 d at 28 and 20 °C, respectively. This shorter shelf life was mainly due to wilting caused by high weight loss, especially at higher temperatures. …

Evaluation Of Alternative Solvents For Electrospinning Occluded Scaffolds To Model Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease In Blood Vessel Mimics, Olivia D. Rankin

Master's Theses

Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is characterized by a buildup of fatty plaque within the walls of arteries supplying the brain, resulting in vessel narrowing, restricted blood flow, and increased risk of ischemic stroke. While various treatments exist for ICAD, most are accompanied by high recurrent stroke rates and other adverse events, highlighting the need for further investigation and models for pre-clinical testing. Tissue engineered Blood Vessel Mimics (BVMs), consisting of a polymer scaffold sodded with human vascular cells, serve as physiologically relevant in vitro models for vascular device testing. This thesis focused on the application of alternative solvents to a …

Off-Label Neuroimaging, Jane C. Moriarty

Law Faculty Publications

The growth of neuroimaging evidence in the courtroom is consistent with the increased reliance on technical and machine-based specialties at trial. Litigants routinely seek to introduce neuroimaging evidence in both civil and criminal trials to supplement traditional medical, psychiatric, and psychological opinion testimony. A substantial portion of neuroimaging evidence is still in the developmental stage—what I term “off-label neuroimaging.” Unsurprisingly, evaluating the reliability of developing neuroimaging poses challenging questions for gatekeeping courts. Among the complex evidentiary issues neuroimaging presents for courts and litigants, this Article considers one foundational question: How should courts determine whether neuroimaging evidence is sufficiently reliable for …

Response To Kodali Et Al., “Hailey-Hailey Disease: A Review And An Approach To Management”, Christina Tolete, Teresa Duong, Adam Friedman, Leonardo Tjahjono

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Electrically Evoked Emg Decomposition Using The Perturbative Generalized Series Expansion, William R. Walker

Master's Theses

Electrically evoked electromyography records the muscle's response to nerve stimulation and has been used for clinical assessment of neuromuscular function, as well as treatments such as functional electrical stimulation or stroke rehabilitation. In every muscular contraction, an electrical signal is generated. These signals come from the summation of simultaneously recruited motor units, enabling decomposition techniques to reveal information about motor unit recruitment.  By improving the ability to decompose and analyze these signals, clinical treatments involving neuromuscular electrical stimulation can be optimized and better understood. Much of the research on EMG analysis focuses on voluntary EMG, leaving a gap in the …

Foreword, Allison M. Whelan

Georgia State University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Addressing Homelessness And Hunger Through A Human Rights Approach Focused On Collective Responses, R. Denisse Córdova Montes, Tamar Ezer

Georgia State University Law Review

The United States is experiencing unprecedented levels of homelessness and food insecurity. In 2024, the number of unhoused persons on a single night reached the highest ever recorded, and in 2023, 13.5% of the population lived in food insecure households, including 7.2 million children. Both homelessness and food insecurity disproportionately impact individuals based on race and gender.

In this context, community-led tools, such as community kitchen events and public feedings, have played an important role in providing those experiencing extreme hardship with access to adequate food and safe community spaces.

However, rather than supporting these efforts or addressing the root …

Shared Language For Responsible Ai Integration, Asa B. Stone, Mark C. Stone, Alisha Bevins, Jean Claude Niyomugabo, Irene Magara, Jacob Abaare, Derek M. Heeren, Mubarak Abu Zouriq

PRAIRIE: Pioneering Responsible AI for Research, Innovation, and Education

As AI rapidly reshapes how we work and learn, employers increasingly seek graduates who can think before they prompt, exercising judgment under pressure rather than merely producing output. Yet students are praised for AI use in one course and penalized for it in the next, and faculty are left to lead responsibly on shifting ground, with no shared language to guide them.

This paper introduces the PRAIRIE Framework for AI Integration, a shift from reactive gatekeeping toward proactive stewardship. It emerged from a qualitative sentiment analysis of three communities (students, faculty, and industry partners) whose concerns converged on one need: …

Teaching Learning Newsletter Vol 6 Issue 1, Sastra Deemed To Be University

TLC Newsletter

No abstract provided.

One Assay To Rule Them All: Development Of A Global Environmental Dna Tool To Support Range-Wide Surveys Of An Imperiled Sawfish And Its Application In The Eastern Tropical Pacific, Juan C. Cubillos-M, Annmarie Fearing, Demian D. Chapman, Peter M. Kyne, P. Joana Dias, Cindy Gonzalez, Ryan N. Lehman, Yaliana Chichaco, Bryan L. Huerta-Beltrán, Kayla L. Mcculloch, Sarah M. Toepfer, John K. Carlson, Nicole M. Phillips

Faculty Publications

Environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a powerful tool to support the conservation of threatened species. The sawfishes are one of the most imperiled vertebrate groups, with all five species classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Owing to their toothy rostra, sawfishes are easily entangled in a wide range of fishing gear, with mortalities in fisheries and loss of habitat driving global declines. The Largetooth Sawfish, Pristis pristis, historically had a circumtropical range, but has experienced severe declines in geographic range and abundance. Viable populations are thought to be confined to northern Australia, but …

Emerging Biomaterials For Next-Generation Wound Healing: From Infection Control To Tissue Regeneration, Unqa Mustafa, Aiman Kaleem, Syeda Zunaira Bukhari, Hamna Riaz, Maryam Iftikhar, Muhammad Usman Munir, Xianghao Xiao, Mingwu Shen, Xiangyang Shi, Mostafa Yazdi, Ayesha Ihsan

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Wound healing is a multifactorial biological process that regenerates damaged tissues through a series of molecular and cellular events in a coordinated manner. An interruption in this cascade can lead to impaired healing, especially in diabetic complications, where effective treatment is crucial for controlling infections and promoting tissue regeneration. Recent advances in bioengineering and digital health have catalyzed the development of next-generation wound therapies capable of actively modulating the wound microenvironment, promoting regeneration, and enabling real-time clinical assessment. This review summarizes the fundamentals of physiological wound healing and highlights the significant developments in biomaterial dressings and scaffolds, 3D bioprinting, as …

June 2026 News Releases, University Of Montana--Missoula. Office Of University Relations

University of Montana News Releases, 1928, 1956-present

No abstract provided.

Fluency ≠ Literacy: Practical Strategies To Scaffold, Not Offload, Rachel Rupprecht, Heidi Keller, Vanessa Hörmann

Teaching & Learning with AI

This open-access resource kit helps faculty transition students from passive AI outsourcing to critical evaluation and essential skill cultivation. It includes 11 Assignment Templates & Rubrics, a Template Selector Gem, an AI Literacy Coach Gem, a Mindset Shifts & Expert Blind Spots visual guide, and student-facing resources.

Inverse Modeling The Geo-Spread Of Covid-19 In Brazil, Cameron Keith Mills

ETDs from 2020-2029

In 2021 Fitzgibbon, Morgan, Webb, and Wu used a modified SEIR (susceptible, exposed, infected, and recovered) model to predict how COVID-19 spread through Brazil [12]. For their model, six constant coefficients were used that were fitted, referenced, or assumed. In this thesis, we geo-spatially modify their SEIR model and formulate an inverse problem to recover the now spatial coefficients of the model. We first show there exists a unique solution to the modified model. To solve the inverse problem, we modify an inverse method [17] that focused on minimizing convex functionals. These recovered spatial coefficients can be used with Matlab’s …

Neuroinflammation And Neuropathology In A Novel Tau, Amyloid-Beta And Alpha-Synuclein Co-Pathology Model, Jhodi Mickayla Webster

ETDs from 2020-2029

Neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson disease (PD) often present with overlapping proteinopathies rather than aggregated proteins in isolation. Amyloid-β (Aβ) and phosphorylated tau are found in a substantial proportion of idiopathic PD cases, while α-synuclein (α-syn) pathology is present in over half of AD cases. The presence of these co-pathologies is associated with accelerated cognitive decline and increase mortality in these patients. In parallel, neurodegenerative diseases are increasingly recognized as being shaped by interactions between central nervous system (CNS) pathology and the immune system. Despite this, most experimental animal models of neurodegenerative disease examine single pathologies in …

Biomedical Applications Of Structurally Defined Natural And Semi-Synthetic Saponins, Chaeeun Lim-Paik

ETDs from 2020-2029

Triterpenoid saponins are amphiphilic glycosides that exhibit a wide range of biological and pharmacological properties, including antifungal, antiviral, molluscicidal, hypoglycemic, and hypocholesterolemic effects. These biological and pharmacological properties make saponins attractive for diverse applications. In this work, we demonstrate three biological applications: (i) immunostimulant vaccine adjuvant, (ii) protein delivery enhancement, and (iii) gene transfection enhancement. In light of the strong structure dependence of saponin activity, expanding the structural diversity of available scaffolds is essential for establishing structure-activity relationships (SAR) across these applications. Here, we expanded our saponin collection through semi-synthetic derivatization and the isolation of new saponins from distinct natural …

With A Love So Hard And Filled With Defeat:' A Queer Reading Of Bruce Springsteen, Samuel Tucker Carden

ETDs from 2020-2029

Long an open, yet misinterpreted political artist, Bruce Springsteen has never shied away from calling out injustices through his songs. Over the course of his long career, he has used his platform to lyrically speak out against war, the brutality of American capitalism, and the struggles of marginalized people of all backgrounds. However, the potential queerness of his lyrics has remained an underdiscussed political aspect of his artistry for decades, especially in academic settings. Many of the themes that Springsteen returns to in his writing – the need to hide one’s true self, struggles with self-identity, the desperate desire to …

Phosphogypsum-Based Road Materials: A Review Of Practicality, Longevity, And Safety In The United States, Catesby Elisabeth Mallard

ETDs from 2020-2029

The development of the phosphate fertilizer industry, while integral to the success of modern-day agriculture, continues to produce staggering amounts of phosphogypsum (PG), an acidic and hazardous waste byproduct concentrated with heavy metals, technologically enhanced naturally occurring materials (TENORM), and other toxic elements. Due to the potentially harmful emission of radon from PG, the United States (US) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has regulated the disposal of PG in engineered stacks under the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for nearly four decades. However, with roughly five tons of PG produced per single ton of phosphoric acid, and a …