Digital Commons Network^™

A New Visual Index For Assessing Zooplankton Biomass And Its Utility In Assessing Prey Availability For Megaplanktivores’, Hannah Moloney, Asia O. Armstrong, Guy M.W. Stevens, Christine L. Dudgeon, Joanna Harris, Kathy A. Townsend, Anthony J. Richardson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Zooplankton are vital links in marine food webs, yet their biomass remains challenging to quantify across broad spatial and temporal scales.This study introduces the Zooplankton Visual Index–a simple, rapid and scalable semi-quantitative method for evaluating zooplankton biomassthrough underwater observations. Following the establishment of a standardized protocol, validation against in situ net samples demonstratedthat indexlevels increased consistently with measured biomass and predictable shifts in community composition. We then applied the validatedindexto a 9-year dataset of reef manta ray (Mobula alfredi) sightings in the Maldives. Increased M. alfredi abundance significantly correlated withhigher index levels, confirming that the index effectively captures the food …

Evaluating Soil Health And Crop Yield In Louisiana Agricultural Systems: Impacts Of Best Management Practices And Prediction Models, Hector J. Mendoza Lagos

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

The adoption of conservation management practices is critical for improving soil health, enhancing nutrient use efficiency, and sustaining crop productivity in row crop systems in Louisiana. This study evaluated the role of conservation agronomic practices, soil biochemical indicators, and machine learning predictive models to improve soil nutrient dynamics, soil health indicators, microbial communities (MC), and crop productivity on a corn (Zea mays L.) research plot scale and in a commercial forty-hectare cotton (Gassypium hirsutum L.)-corn-soybean (Glycine max L.) rotation system in northeast Louisiana. The objectives of the study were to evaluate soil nutrient dynamics and MCs under …

Long Panel Studies Of Small-Scale Rural Societies In The Global South: What Is Their Value, Why Are They Rare, And Suggestions To Make Them Happen, Jonathan Bauchet, Ricardo Godoy, William R. Leonard, Victoria Reyes-Garcia, Asher Y. Rosinger, Susan Tanner, Eduardo A. Undurraga

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

Many topics in the behavioral sciences and epidemiology require researchers to directly observe entities (e.g., individuals, households) over a long time to identify lasting effects. Long-term panel data collection is more common in high-income countries than in small-scale rural societies (SSRS) of low-income countries. SSRS are mobile, nature-dependent, linguistic minorities, and highly autarkic. Analyzing such data using a life-course perspective can help uncover patterns that align or upend what we know from high-income countries. This study a) reviews long (>∼10 year) panels in SSRS (n = 9), b) extends the analysis to cover somewhat comparable societies of smallholders (n …

“Our Culture Is Larger / Than The Life Of The Chick Pea”: A Thematic Analysis Of Food And Foodways In Palestinian Poetry From The Twentieth To The Twenty-First Century, Basmah Arshad

Dublin Gastronomy Symposium

Since the early twentieth century, Palestinians have used poetry as a means of remembering and celebrating their homeland amid its occupation and colonization. Naomi Shihab Nye, Rashid Husayn, and Zeina Azzam are understudied poets of Palestinian heritage. All three experiment with varying depictions of Palestinian food and foodways, and placing their poetry into conversation enables a greater understanding of how and why food is an enduring metaphorical vehicle for mourning, soothing, or surviving the Palestinian poet’s physical and emotional alienation from Palestine. There is a generational distinction in how poets identify said alienation. Husayn, who comes from an older generation …

A Sisyphean Carrot In Waiting For Godot, Thierry Dubost

Dublin Gastronomy Symposium

In Waiting for Godot, Beckett employs a variety of strategies to expose what it means to be human. Among them, one notes a recurring emphasis on eating scenes that reflect a lurking existential crisis illustrated by the characters’ failure to follow expected standards of commensality. In this respect, if one refers to Brillat-Savarin’s maxim “Tell me what kind of food you eat and I will tell you what kind of man you are,” one could start from physiological features that are given pride of place in the play to ponder over the importance of unexpected forms of nourishment as revealing …

“It’S The End Of The World As We Know It” And I Feel Hungry: Food In Dystopian And Utopian Fictional Futures, Deirdre Murphy, Maureen Costura

Dublin Gastronomy Symposium

In dystopian fantasy fiction and the more recent subgenre of hopepunk, representations of food—growing and scavenging it, preparing and eating it—reveal distinct but evolving perspectives on the collapse of human societies facing environmental, political, and economic disasters. As we examine these bodies of literature, contrasts abound. There is never enough food in dystopian fantasy. What is available is bland, repetitive, and dubiously nutritious. Trauma around food is ongoing. Scavenging highlights the anxiety of diminishing resources, while consumption is either solitary and lonely, or shared among small and struggling groups where meals only contribute to abiding grief. In all, food insecurity …

Changing Right Before Our Eyes: Landscape Transformation In New Mexico, Laura Mccarthy

Natural Resources Journal

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Anticipatory, Preparatory, And Transformative Governance In Wildfire And Watershed Resilience Strategies, Robin Kundis Craig, Melinda Morgan

Natural Resources Journal

Wildfire is a game-changer for both communities and ecosystems throughout the West, including in New Mexico. Building resilience to increasing numbers of wildfire events, especially when wildfires can shift communities, ecosystems, and combined social ecological systems (“SESs”) past tipping points and into new regimes requires new approaches to governance. Focusing on the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire and New Mexico residents’ ongoing response, this Article examines post-fire needs before surveying new modes of governance that can help to address those needs in a climate change era. It ends with a summary of our engagement with the participants in the “Life After …

Forever Is Too Long: Rethinking Consent And Genetic Privacy Under The Fourth Amendment, Abigail Oberbeck

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

Enemies To Lovers: An Unsuspecting Friendship In The Journey To Save The Endangerment Finding, Sophie Ballah

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

Violent White Exclusionary Destruction Of Black Property Is A Public Nuisance: The Tulsa Race Massacre And Beyond, Eric Miller

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Rubble Of Words: Food As A Device For Silence In A Time Of Polycrisis, Jennie Moran

Dublin Gastronomy Symposium

On the night of 03 August 2024, Adam Kelwick, the imam from the Abdullah Quillian Society Mosque in Liverpool crossed police lines and presented anti-immigration protesters with burgers and chips prepared in the mosque kitchen. This took place in the aftermath of the Southport stabbings and the worst outbreak of civil disorder in Britain for more than a decade. “We decided to deal with those people who came to protest against us in a way which we hoped could open up hearts and minds. We wanted to cook food for them.” This paper will examine the power of food to …

Oxo Made With Milk: The Trials Of The Colonial Housewife, Igor Cusack

Dublin Gastronomy Symposium

Colonisation may be seen as an essentially male process, imposing Western notions of household organization and gender on native women and on the colonial housewife. This is all part of the ideology of domesticity which permeated British colonial societies from the late nineteenth century until the independence of African states in the mid twentieth century. In this paper I will examine how food was used to combat various medical crises in British colonial Africa. The paper considers cookery books from South Africa, Rhodesia, Bechuanaland, Kenya, Nyasaland, Ghana and West Africa, focussing on sections entitled “for the invalid,” “invalid dishes” or …

Hospitality In Crisis: Deciphering Food Insecurity Among Migrants From A Derridean Perspective, Alexandra Constantinescu, Naz Ali

Dublin Gastronomy Symposium

Food insecurity faced by disadvantaged groups of migrants (i.e., voluntary migrants living in low-income households and forced migrants – namely asylum seekers) undermines the nature of hospitality, creating conditions of inhospitableness associated with hunger, injustice, insecurity, and poverty. This study presents a critical interpretation of hospitality in crisis by concentrating on food insecurity resulting from government and non-government food policies in England, that are inhospitable towards forced migrants – contributing to an area of enquiry with limited research in food and hospitality studies. The study draws on the teachings of Jacques Derrida, particularly his philosophical perspective on (in)hospitality/hostipitality, with conceptualisations …

Planting Oak Seedlings For Forest Regeneration, Ryan Bohannon

Forestry and Natural Resources

Oaks are an important component of forests across the Southeast and are favored for a variety of objectives, including the provision of wildlife habitat and timber. Planting oak seedlings can be an effective practice for promoting successful oak regeneration in managed forests. This publication provides forest landowners and managers with practical recommendations for oak enrichment planting, including species and seedling selection, seedling care, planting techniques, and post-planting practices to promote survival and growth.

Host Range And Characterization Of Phytophthora Species That Cause Plant Diseases In California, Dinh Hieu Pham

Natural Sciences and Mathematics | Biological Sciences Master's Theses

Phytophthora is one of the most destructive genera of plant pathogens in California, posing significant threats to both nursery production and natural ecosystems. Phytophthora ramorum, the causal agent of Sudden Oak Death (SOD), has expanded its host range to include more than 100 plant species. In addition, Phytophthora elongata, previously isolated in Western Australia from Eucalyptus marginata in 2013, has recently been detected for the first time in the United States on Rhododendron species. This naturally raises concern that a new etiological species has entered the country. Therefore, the goal of this thesis study was three-fold:  i) to …

Early Life Exposure To Antibiotics Increases The Risk Of Myopia: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Peng-Tai Tien, Chang-Ching Wei, Sheng-Chun Lin, Ping Ping Meng, Yu-Te Huang, Jamie Jiin-Yi Chen, Ming-Yen Wu, Ying-Hsiu Shih, Tzu-Ju Hsu, Fuu-Jen Tsai, Yao-Chien Wang, Hui-Ju Lin, Lei Wan

BioMedicine

Background

Myopia is a growing health issue, expected to affect nearly half of the global population by 2050. Genetic predisposition and early environmental influences both play crucial roles in the development of myopia. Identifying modifiable risks and early interventions is critical. Antibiotics, commonly given to young children, may disrupt gut microbiota, which has been linked to ocular diseases in humans and animals.

Aim We aimed to investigate the association between antibiotic use in early life and the risk of developing myopia.

Methods Retrospective cohort study using data from a national health insurance database examined children aged three years or younger, …

Unveiling Immune-Related Gene Signatures In Triple Negative Breast Cancer Through Integrated Transcriptomic Analysis, Priyanga Paranthaman, Ramanathan Karuppasamy, Shanthi Veerappapillai

BioMedicine

Background: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype with limited treatment options and poor prognosis. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms, particularly immune-related gene networks, is critical for identifying novel therapeutic targets. Aim: This study aimed to identify immune-related hub genes involved in TNBC progression by integrating microarray and RNA sequencing data. Methods: We integrated microarray and RNA sequencing datasets from five Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) studies (GSE36295, GSE37751, GSE61724, GSE38959, and GSE58135) to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed using the STRING database. Key modules and hub genes were identified through network analysis. …

Evaluation Of Bai-Zhu (Atractylodes Macrocephala)-Based Herbal Formulae In Breast Cancer: Implications For Metastasis Via Zeb1 And Slug Modulation, Yen Shen Lu, Pei Yen Yeh, Ling-Chun Yeh, Chia-Lin Lee, Ying-Chyi Song

BioMedicine

Background: Bai-Zhu (Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz. [Asteraceae]) is classified in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as an herb that targets the gastric and pancreatic meridians to support normal nutrient uptake. As such, Bai-Zhu is commonly included in herbal formulations for treating gastrointestinal dysfunction and alleviating pain and swelling. Formulae containing Bai-Zhu are also frequently used as complementary or alternative therapies to mitigate the side effects of tumor treatments. However, their direct effects on cancer cells remain inadequately understood in modern biomedical science. This study aims to characterize the impact of Bai-Zhu-containing formulae on breast cancer cells using contemporary molecular and cellular …

Impacts Of Dna Ligase I Genotypes On Taiwan Parkinson’S Disease, Chao-Hsuan Chen, Wen-Shin Chang, Chia-Wen Tsai, Da-Tian Bau, Shih-Wei Hsu, Kun-Ting Hong, Chon-Haw Tsai, Fuu-Jen Tsai, Ming-Kuei Lu, Jai-Sing Yang

BioMedicine

Introduction: Genetic polymorphisms in DNA repair pathways can modulate

DNA repair capacity and influence susceptibility to aging-related disorders, including Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study evaluated the association between the DNA ligase I rs20579 polymorphism and PD risk.

Materials and Methods: Genotyping of DNA ligase I rs20579 was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in

123 PD patients and 492 age- and sex-matched controls of Taiwanese Han ethnicity.

Associations between rs20579 genotypes and PD risk were analyzed.

Results: Among controls, the genotype distribution of rs20579 was 78.7% GG, 19.3% AG, and 2.0% AA, compared with 75.6%, 21.1%, and …

Hepatoprotective Evaluation Of Benzoylated Emodin Derivatives: Integrating Bioinformatics And In Vitro Studies, Firdayani Firdayani, Putri Hawa Syaifie, Siska Andrina Kusumastuti, Muthia Rahayu Iresha, Wirawan Adikusuma, Dhecella Winy Cintya Ningrum, Etik Mardliyati, Ayu Masyita, Ariza Yandwiputra Besari, Fathir Azzaki Iradata, Lucy Arianie

BioMedicine

Background: Emodin exhibits various pharmacological activities, including hepatoprotective effects. However, its clinical application is limited by poor absorption and low oral bioavailability. This study aimed to optimize emodin through benzoylation and to assess the hepatoprotective potential of the resulting derivatives integrating bioinformatics and in vitro methods.

Methods: We conducted network pharmacology, molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to predict potential targets and interactions of benzoylated emodin derivatives. The derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for cytotoxicity using the MTT assay. The hepatoprotective effects were assessed in vitro using a paracetamol-induced HepG2 cell injury model.

Results: Network pharmacology analysis and gene …

High-Throughput Robotic Ethanol Inhibition Assays For Engineered Thermophilic Biofuel Strains, Kevin He, Daniel Olson, Marybeth Maloney, Anthony Lanahan

Wetterhahn Science Symposium Posters

Ethanol stress assays are commonly used to evaluate microbial tolerance, metabolic adaptation, and fermentation performance. However, manual liquid handling introduces variability across replicate wells and small-volume pipetting steps, limiting reproducibility and throughput. This study developed an automated OT-2 robotic workflow to generate replicated ethanol concentration gradients for high-throughput inhibition assays in engineered thermophilic biofuel strains. Kinetic plate-reader measurements were used to quantify ethanol-dependent growth responses under anaerobic fermentation conditions. The reasearch question is: How do engineered thermophilic biofuel strains differ in ethanol-dependent growth inhibition under anaerobic fermentation conditions, and can automated robotic assays improve the reproducibility of these measurements? Can …

Recognizing Early Eating Disorder Signs In Pediatrics, Sarah Gubara, Sara R. Gould

Pediatrics in Practice: A CME Podcast

A concise guide for frontline clinicians on early physical and behavioral red flags — changes in growth trajectory, micronutrient concerns, exam‑time anxiety or sudden “healthy” eating shifts. Dr. Sara Gould emphasizes practical 24‑hour recalls, when to order labs/EKG and how to use longitudinal data from well visits to detect problems sooner.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

The Correlation Between Perceptual Abilities And The Acquisition Of Non-Native Consonant Clusters, Hope Emma Nielson

Theses and Dissertations

A common approach in the study of speech motor learning is to have speakers learn to produce clusters of consonants that do not occur in their native language. This study investigated the relationship between auditory or speech perceptual abilities and the initial acquisition of non-native stop-stop consonant clusters. Sixty young adult participants (56 female, four male) were administered a gap detection test and a speech-in-noise test to assess their innate perceptual skills. The participants then performed a nonsense-word repetition task featuring non-native consonant clusters in the initial position. The participants' spoken productions of the nonwords were recorded and analyzed acoustically …

Expert Recommendations To Strengthen Chikungunya Outbreak Surveillance And Reporting For Traveler Health Protection, Daniel C. Payne, Karoun H. Bagamian, Jeffery Goad, Nathan D. Grubaugh, Michael A. Johansson, Moritz U. G. Kraemer, Eyal Leshem, Francesca F. Norman, Alfonso J. Rodríguez-Morales, Henrik Salje, Stephen Thomas, Scott C. Weaver, Lindsey A. Laytner, Rebecca Sturgis, Suzanne K. Scheele, Davidson H. Hamer

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Chikungunya, a debilitating mosquito-borne disease caused by chikungunya virus, has surged dramatically in the past two decades. Chikungunya outbreaks can intensify rapidly, with infections posing a significant endemic health burden in tropical/subtropical areas and for travelers. Health professionals require timely and accurate outbreak information to adequately protect travelers and assess chikungunya risk. However, detection is often insufficient in the areas most susceptible to outbreaks, leading to diagnostic and reporting delays. Consequently, travelers are often unaware of increased chikungunya infection risk at their destination. We assessed chikungunya surveillance and reporting resources, and we developed expert recommendations for traveler health protection. Because …

If You’Re Doing This Correctly, There Is A Cost: An Exploration Of The Work–Family Trade-Off Of Female Academics In Australia, Fleur Sharafizad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: This paper aims to explore how the gendered structures and expectations of neoliberal academic institutions inform and shape work–family trade-off considerations for women academics in Australia. It also sheds light on how these negotiations, and at times, the ensuing career or family gap, are experienced. In doing so, the paper deepens our understanding of the systematic barriers which do not only lead to gender inequalities in academia but also have broader individual and social implications. Design/methodology/approach: This exploratory study is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews, which were thematically analysed to identify how female academics navigate the expectations associated with …

Full Issue - 53.1

New England Classical Journal

No abstract provided.

The Bloom Of Atē: Women's Lives, Pain, And Metaphor In Sophocles' Trachinian Women, Casey Dué, Mary Ebbott

New England Classical Journal

This essay explores recurring metaphors for pain in the Trachinian Women and argues that they gain their meaning from the experiences of the women Deianeira and Iole, to later express the physical pain of Herakles, which is further conceptualized as atē. These metaphors employ imagery associated with natural cycles, such as blooming flowers and ocean waves. The metaphorical connections between the women’s emotional pain and Herakles’ physical agony helps us to arrive at a fuller understanding of what is meant when Herakles concludes that he is “like a parthenos” and has been found to be female (1071 and …

The Constitutional Dimension Of Ai: A Phenomenology Of Cybernetic Power, Andrea Simoncini

Maryland Law Review Online

No abstract provided.

Mother Knows Best? Mahmoud V. Mcknight And The Question Of Parental Free Speech In Public School Curriculum Selection, Natalie Wren

Maryland Law Review Online

No abstract provided.