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To Be Conscious Or Not To Be, Bjørn Grinde

Animal Sentience

Carolyn Ristau has done a fine job summarizing the work and life of the zoologist Donald Griffin. Most scientists now accept the existence of animal sentience, but identifying which species possess consciousness remains controversial. Griffin defined consciousness as "the subjective state of feeling or thinking about objects and events.” Nonconscious processes are faster and more energy-efficient, however, and often drive behavior. Consciousness probably evolved for complex decision-making, shaped by evolutionary continuity, with feelings as a common currency for evaluating outcomes. Its survival advantage may be limited, and its presence across species varies depending on evolutionary trajectories.

Effects Of Sex And Estrous Cycle On Extended-Access Oxycodone Self-Administration And Cue-Induced Drug Seeking Behavior, Bhumiben P Patel, Jessica A Loweth

Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine Departmental Research

INTRODUCTION: Increasing evidence indicates that sex is a factor that impacts the abuse liability and relapse vulnerability of prescription opioids like oxycodone. However, while women are more likely than men to be prescribed and to use these drugs, the impact of sex and ovarian hormones on prescription opioid use and relapse vulnerability remains unclear. Accurately assessing these measures is complicated by the fact that chronic opioid exposure can lower ovarian hormone levels and cause cycle irregularities.

METHODS: Adult male and female Sprague-Dawley rats self-administered oxycodone (0.1 mg/kg/infusion) under extended-access conditions (6 h/day, 10 days) followed by forced abstinence. Separate groups …

Editorial: Leveraging Multi-Omics Approaches To Understand And Manage Gastrointestinal And Hepatic Diseases, Isis Trujillo-Gonzalez, Paul G. Thomes, Isin Tuna Sakallioglu, Kusum K. Kharbanda

Department of Chemistry: Faculty Publications

The Research Topic “Leveraging multi-omics approaches to understand and manage gastrointestinal and hepatic diseases” proposed by the Frontiers in Pharmacology has attracted a total of four articles on preclinical studies that were covered in three original research manuscripts and one review article. Two research articles were on metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), previously named non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which is now recognized as a predominant cause of chronic liver disease worldwide, affecting over 30% of the adult population (Teng et al., 2023; Miao et al., 2024). Current pharmacological treatments for MASLD are limited and, until a recent FDA-approved …

November 13, 2024 (Vol. 109, No. 12), Daily Eastern News

Daily Eastern News: 2024-2025

No abstract provided.

Video Label Refinement And Temporal Localization Using Motion Signal Patterns, Jennifer Piane

College of Computing and Digital Media Dissertations

Performing video analysis for activity recognition presents challenges beyond classification, including obtaining class labels and performing temporal localization. One such challenge is precisely labeling a video with class labels having the exact start and end frames of an activity - a difficult task for a human to perform. Moreover, the task of annotating a video at any level of precision can quickly become tedious, impacting the attentiveness of the annotator and resulting in class label errors. Temporally localizing an activity within a video presents a second challenge. This dissertation investigates novel signal and image processing methods for motion features extracted …

University Philharmonic Orchestra & Chamber Ensembles

Bailey School of Music Concert Programs

Nancy Conley, Conductor

Black Grouper Neurocranium, Grace K. Triplett, Katelyn A. Mckimmy, Lacey Adamik, David Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Investigating Mechanical Properties For Developing A Human Infant Cranial Bone Surrogate In Pediatric Craniofacial Surgery, Devansh Saini

All Faculty Scholarship

Beyond the surgeon’s feedback on bone behavior in the operating room, there is a paucity of data present in the literature on the mechanical properties of pediatric calvarial bone. The present study tested the calvarial bone of four species (Adult Humans, Dog, Pig, and Monkey) to find the mechanical properties. Three types of tests were performed; flexural, compression, and torsion to mimic how bone is handled during the surgery and the results were further compared with the existing published data for human pediatric calvarium. Test results indicated a significant difference between the modulus (p = 0.006 for flexural, 0.0002 for …

Hors-Piste Universal Anxiety Prevention Program In American High Schools: A One Group Pre-Test/Post-Test Quantitative Study, Lucia Poole

Dissertations

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common types of psychiatric disorders and have been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic. Anxiety disorders disrupt the daily lives of young people and are associated with a risk of anxiety and depression in adulthood. Anxiety disorders in adolescents interfere with the daily lives of students and often result in a decline in academic performance. There is a pressing need to implement universal anxiety prevention programs in students' main environment, the school. Along with academics, student mental health should be a top priority for school leaders. School leaders are tasked with implementing …

November 13, 2024 Blazer Weekly, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

Blazer Weekly (student newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Predictors Of Study Dropout In Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy With A Trauma Focus For Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder In Adults: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis, Simonne Wright, Eirini Karyotaki, Pim Cuijpers, Jonathan Bisson, Davide Papola, Anke B Witteveen, Sudie E Back, Dana Bichescu-Burian, Liuva Capezzani, Marylene Cloitre, Grant J Devilly, Thomas Elbert, Marcelo Mello, Julian D Ford, Damion Grasso, Pedro Gamito, Richard Gray, Moira Haller, Nigel Hunt, Rolf J Kleber, Julia König, Claire Kullack, Jonathan Laugharne, Rachel Liebman, Christopher William Lee, Jeannette Lely, John C Markowitz, Candice Monson, Mirjam J Nijdam, Sonya B Norman, Miranda Olff, Tahereh Mina Orang, Luca Ostacoli, Nenad Paunovic, Eva Petkova, Patricia Resick, Rita Rosner, Maggie Schauer, Joy M Schmitz, Ulrich Schnyder, Brian N Smith, Anka A Vujanovic, Yinyin Zang, Érica Panzani Duran, Francisco Lotufo Neto, Soraya Seedat, Marit Sijbrandij

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Available empirical evidence on participant-level factors associated with dropout from psychotherapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is both limited and inconclusive. More comprehensive understanding of the various factors that contribute to study dropout from cognitive-behavioural therapy with a trauma focus (CBT-TF) is crucial for enhancing treatment outcomes.

Objective: Using an individual participant data meta-analysis (IPD-MA) design, we examined participant-level predictors of study dropout from CBT-TF interventions for PTSD.

Methods: A comprehensive systematic literature search was undertaken to identify randomised controlled trials comparing CBT-TF with waitlist control, treatment-as-usual or another therapy. Academic databases were screened from conception until 11 January …

A Multidirectional Study On Chemical Fingerprints And Biological Activities Of Three Cistus Extracts (C. Creticus, C. Laurifolius, And C. Salviifolius) With Ethnomedicinal Uses, Sakina Yagi, Gökhan Zengi̇n, Selami̇ Selvi̇, Güneş Ak, Zoltán Cziáky, József Jekő, Maria J. Rodrigues, Luisa Custodio, Roberto Venanzoni, Giancarlo Angeles Flores, Gaia Cusumano, Paola Angelini

Turkish Journal of Botany

Humans have used medicinal plants to treat various diseases for thousands of years. Cistus species are also widely used in traditional medicine and have various medicinal applications; therefore, they deserve more in-depth research. The present study evaluated the chemical profile, antioxidant, enzyme inhibition, and cytotoxic properties of the twigs and leaves of C. creticus L., C. laurifolius L., and C. salviifolius L. grown in Türkiye. Methanolic extracts of the three species were rich in phenolics, mainly flavonoids, and exerted potent antioxidant activity with methanolic extract from the leaves of C. salviifolius displayed the highest total phenolic (97.08 mg GAE (gallic …

Morpho-Environmental Variability For Scilla L. The Biogeographic Dynamism Under Climate Change Scenarios, João Rocha, Rubén Ramírez-Rodríguez, Francisco Amich, Darinka Gonzalez, Mário Santos, Reinaldo Cajaiba, António L. Crespí

Turkish Journal of Botany

This paper explores the correlations between morphological variability and range dynamics in western Eurasian-Mediterranean flora through a fluctuating asymmetry (FA) perspective across ten climate scenarios. We investigate the potential distribution of Scilla L. and its thermopluviometric correlations, and compare them with other three genera analysed previously, for western Eurasia and northern Africa (Baldellia Parl., Jasione L., and Ononis L. -Viscosae and Natrix sections-), considering past (22 Kyrs), present, and future conditions (2081-2100). By comparing "overlapped areas" (OA) with "non-overlapped areas" (NOA), we found two distinct groups of responses among genera: Scilla show higher morphological variability in NOAs, while Baldellia concentrate …

The Relationship Between Moral Courage And Professional Confidence And Academic Achievement Among Precertification Radiologic Sciences Students In The United States: A Cross-Sectional Quantitative Study, Kristin M. Beinschroth

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Moral courage and professional confidence are traits that benefit healthcare professionals and students in practice but have yet to be explored in the radiologic science population. This study aimed to discern if relationships exist among moral courage, professional confidence, and academic achievement factors in pre-certification radiologic sciences students in the United States. This cross-sectional, nonexperimental quantitative study employed correlation and regression analyses using abridged versions of the Nurses’ Moral Courage Scale (NMCS) (Numminen et al., 2019) and the Confidence in Managing Challenging Situations Scale (CMCS) (Walsh et al., 2021). Participants exhibited high moral courage and high professional confidence, and both …

Cultural Competence And Cultural Humility Among Healthcare Students Related To Community Engagement And Service Learning: A Multiple Regression And Confirmatory Factor Analysis Study, Maryanne Koech Gathambo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, hierarchical multiple regression and confirmatory factor analysis study was to investigate the cultural humility and cultural competence (competemility) of healthcare students and examine the strongest predictor of cultural competemility based on demographic and experiential learning factors. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to investigate the degree to which the predictor variables age, gender, and community engagement/service hours (i.e., CEL/SL) could be forecasted by their competemility score (criterion variable) as measured by The Inventory for Assessing The Process Of Cultural Competemility Among Healthcare Professionals (IAPCC-HCP). Data were obtained from a criterion-based purposive sample of 70 survey participants …

A Proposal For A Biblical School Of Thought On The Value Of Aggressive Disordered Behavior And Why It Exists, James Samuel Doyle

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Disordered behavior, within this research, is defined as rigid or inflexible behavior deemed destructive toward self and/or others. Examined further, predatorial disordered behavior describes and is defined as behavior benefiting the actor at the expense of others, even when the benefit is small and may only serve to enhance the ego of the predator. Nonetheless, the cost to the recipient of this behavior is generally severe manifesting itself in many maladaptive ways including without limitation a lack of self-worth, a need to control, and the presence of chronic anger or strong emotional reaction to perceived injustices. Due to a mask …

A Phenomenological Study Of The Lived Experiences Of K-12 Teachers In Delaware County Facilitating Communal Trauma Processing, Geena Flores

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to analyze the lived experiences of K-12 teachers in Delaware County, PA to understand how they perceive the processing of student trauma that has been passed down through generations in the community. The theory guiding this study was Intergenerational Trauma (IT) as this study seeks to understand the perceptions and intentionality of the teachers working in a community impacted by trauma passed down through generations. Teachers elucidated their experiences and perspectives via interviews, participant journaling, and a focus group. The data collected was analyzed and common themes emerged including the importance of safety …

The Impact Of Teacher-Student Relationships And Self-Efficacy On The Engagement Of Secondary Special Education Students: A Predictive Correlational Study, Lora S. Davis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, predictive correlational study was to investigate the predictive ability of student perception of teacher-student relationships and student-reported self-efficacy on student-reported engagement, specifically regarding secondary special education students. Given the well-documented impact of teacher-student relationships on the educational experience of students, this study had the potential to provide meaningful guidance for staff in secondary schools when they seek to support special education students with disabilities. The participants in this study were 108 high school students receiving special education services from four different high schools located in rural areas of a single southeastern state. Participants anonymously completed …

The Implications Of Adverse Childhood Experiences On Adult Health Perceptions, Angela Cleshette Revis

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are traumatic incidents or circumstances children face before age 18 that often manifest as physical and mental health illnesses in adulthood, disproportionately affecting survivors from lower socioeconomic classes, specifically communities of color. This study examines the prevalence and type of illnesses stemming from ACEs in adult patients sampled from a North Carolina public health center, where patients are of lower socioeconomic classes, including those from communities of color. Semi structured interviews among 14 participants were conducted using the Zoom meetings platform to obtain responses from the participants. The results show significant mental health consequences, including early …

Impact Of Disruptive Behavior On Academic Performance, Annie R. Franklin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study examined the impact of disruptive behavior on academic performance among high school students in the southeastern United States, a critical area of research given the well-documented connection between behavioral issues and educational outcomes. Disruptive behaviors, including absenteeism, fighting, and misconduct, are linked to significant student Grade Point Average (GPA) declines. This study aimed to explore how these behaviors influence academic performance while also investigating the moderating roles of factors such as gender, race, grade level, and English learner (EL) status. Utilizing a correlational research design, the study employed linear regression analysis and the Hayes Process Macro Model to …

Analysis Of Forensic Crime Gun Data As A Predictive Tool For Crime Gun Intelligence And The Disruption Of The Shooting Cycle, Michael P. Garvey

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Gun violence is a national issue; however, major cities account for most recovered crime guns and shootings. Various efforts to address gun violence by identifying shooters and sources of crime guns, enhancing intervention efforts, improving social services, and prosecuting prolific offenders have been offered over the last twenty years. However, large urban cities continue to observe high homicides and non-fatal shooting rates. Forensic techniques have been used to generate leads to solve crimes. In addition, group violence intervention programs, such as Operation Ceasefire, are used to identify potential groups associated with gun violence to provide social alternatives or enhanced prosecution. …

Investigation On The Impact Of Loading Effect Of Fruit Juices On The Performance Of Pulsed Electric Field Generators, Devi S

Theses and Dissertations

Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) treatment is one of the efficient non-thermal food processing techniques which is being preferred as a replacement for thermal pasteurization methods. The effectiveness of PEF treatment was measured in terms of reduction in the microbial load in the food, extension of shelf life of the food and retention of nutritional properties of the food. The successful implementation of the PEF treatment depends upon various aspects such as design of pulse generator, parameters of pulse generator, shape and size of the treatment chamber and most importantly the characteristics of each food items. Design and fabrication of a …

Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase Regulated By The Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway Is An Actionable Vulnerability In Cutaneous Melanoma, Neel Jasani

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Metabolic alterations play a critical role in shaping tumor growth and development. Many metabolic enzymes are shown to play an important role in different aspects of tumor development, growth, and metastasis. One such enzyme that we are investigating in this project is the Phosphoglycerate Dehydrogenase (PHGDH). The PHGDH gene, encoding the rate-limiting enzyme of the serine synthesis pathway, is located at chromosome locus 1p12 and frequently amplified in melanoma. PHGDH is required for the proliferation of melanoma cells with chromosome 1p12 amplification. However, the role of PHGDH in chromosome 1p12 non-amplified melanoma is poorly understood. In this project, we sought …

Analyzing And Extending Machine Learning Frameworks On High Risk Domains, Chengbin Hu

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Machine learning (ML) has become a transformative force in high-risk domains such as genomics and cybersecurity, where accurate predictions and robust defenses are essential. This dissertation advances ML frameworks in these areas by developing methods to enhance predictive power in health applications and assess vulnerabilities in machine learning systems.

In the genomics field, the work addresses challenges in Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) of monogenic disorders by proposing a deep learning model that reconstructs the fetal genome using maternal plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) and parental whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data. This model achieves high accuracy in single nucleotide variation (SNV) prediction, surpassing …

Fundamentalism And Religious Art At Bob Jones University: Is There A Problem?, Cheryl Sanders Mims

Masters Theses

Bob Jones Sr. founded Bob Jones College in 1927 in Florida with educational, spiritual, and cultural goals for its students in the belief that Christians should be well-rounded - making them better equipped to both witness for Christ and succeed in their chosen professions. Programs were offered in drama and music. The campus moved to Greenville, South Carolina in 1947 where the institution became Bob Jones University and Bob Jones Jr., son of the founder, became its second president. In 1951 he founded an art museum – a natural extension of the Fine Arts programs – and assembled a large …

The Lumberjack, November 13, 2024

Cal Poly Humboldt's Student Newspaper

The student newspaper of Humboldt State University.

Indigenous Use And Conservation Of Harbor Seals (Phoca Vitulina) At Yakutat, Alaska Since The Sixteenth Century, Aron L. Crowell, Judith Dax̱Ootsú Ramos, Michael A. Etnier

Faculty, Staff, and Students

Sustainable Indigenous resource use reflects balance between animal populations and levels of human consumption, influenced by natural cycles of faunal abundance, community size and subsistence needs, procurement technologies, and the requirements of trade or commodity production. Sustainability is “epiphenomenal” when animal populations are preserved, and community needs met, without deliberate measures to prevent overharvesting. Alternatively, Indigenous conservation—cultural practices that moderate use of a resource to prevent its depletion—may play a determinative role. In this study from the Tlingit community of Yakutat, Alaska in the Northwest Coast cultural region, we interweave Indigenous and scientific perspectives to trace the use and conservation …

Two Um Students, One Graduate Named Rhodes And Marshall Finalists, Clara Turnage

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – A University of Mississippi student and one recent graduate have been named as finalists for the renowned Rhodes scholarships. Another student was also selected as a finalist for the Marshall Scholarship.

Bird Flu Infections In U.S. Dairy Herds Raise Human Health Concerns As Cases Rise, Andrew N. Rowan

WellBeing News

A recent CDC study highlights human bird flu infections among U.S. dairy workers, signaling broader transmission risks. With outbreaks across 15 states, experts warn that the bird flu virus, H5N1, could evolve, increasing potential human-to-human transmission risks.

Animals In Conflict – Part 1: Conscripts And Victims, Janice H. Cox Mba, Jackson Zee

WellBeing News

Animals are often overlooked victims in war, suffering abuse, injury, and death alongside human combatants. Explore the roles animals have played in warfare, the impact on wildlife and companion animals, and the urgent need for better protections for these vulnerable populations.