Digital Commons Network^™

Examining Yourself: The Effect Of Reflective Thinking Strategies On Public Servants' Communication Abilities, Rasheda Jamillah Cummings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Practicing communication with the process of reflecting thinking can help improve public servants’ communication and create positive interactions. Reflective thinking transpires when individuals think about past experiences and events, then analyze and recapture them to enhance future experiences and skills. In other words, reflection thinking is a manifestation of reflection, which is a purposeful and recursive contemplation of one’s practice experiences. However, public servants may lose the confidence to express themselves with effective communication abilities which prevail over the standard of expectation that has been rooted in public trust within the field of public administration. The study is a quasi-experimental …

College Females With A History Of Childhood Sexual Abuse: The Impact Of Birth Order And Religious Commitment On Resilience, Courtney Elizabeth Walraven

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Traumatology is defined and expanded on concerning the common outcomes and sequela. The short- or long-term effects of trauma are discussed including the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A description was given of the history and progression of the formal diagnosis of PTSD. A thorough explanation of PTSD diagnostic criteria, risk factors, cultural considerations, and protective factors were provided. A detailed explanation of sexual assault and the implications of this specific trauma on survivors/victims were provided. The impact of child sexual abuse in survivors was reviewed. Commonly used measurements of psychological resilience were reviewed. The impact of religiosity on …

The Efficacy Of Suboxone As Mat Therapy For Women: A Phenomenological Study, Sara C. Swepston

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The Opioid Epidemic has plagued the nation for decades, with little success in treating patients for long-term sobriety. Billions of dollars are spent annually treating patients with opiate use disorder, most popularly with the pharmaceutical drug, Suboxone. However, evidence and research are lacking to truly understand if the synthetic opiate medication works in treating women with OUD. The purpose of this phenomenological study is to know from the women who have been treated using Suboxone if the medication works. The participants are all women, aged 18-45 who used Suboxone for Medically Assisted Treatment for a minimum of 90 days. The …

A Case Study Of The Perceived Pedagogical Strategies Used To Increase Student Motivation And Effective Technology Use In The Secondary Classroom, Adam Herring

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this single-instrument case study is to understand the strategies that educators perceive to be effective in successfully increasing student motivation when using personal technology in the high school classroom at River Valley High School in the Southeast United States. The theory guiding this study is Ryan and Deci’s theory on self-determination as it examines the relationship between motivation and academic achievement. The central research question in this study, that is, how can relatedness, competency, and autonomy support the use of personal technology in the secondary education classroom, explores how personal technology could influence the perceived motivation of …

Feasibility Of Technical Solutions For The Detection Of Falsified Images In Research, Phill Jones, Hylke Koers

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

In this report, we discuss the findings of an investigation into the feasibility of developing a research image integrity system. The focus was primarily on immunohistochemistry blots and microscopy images, although the findings are relevant to other types of research images such as gel blots and spectroscopy, geophysical, or astronomical images, as well as to any digital data type. The investigation comprised a mix of desk research and semi-structured (anonymized) interviews with nine stakeholders representing publishers, researchers, technologists, and microscopy companies.

We found that it would be possible to implement a system to assert image integrity and that the technology …

Championing Open Research: Lessons From The Lab, Guillaume Thibault

Singapore Open Research Conference 2024

Lightning talk “Championing Open Research: Lessons from the Lab” by Winner of the Singapore Open Research Awards 2024, Associate Professor Guillaume THIBAULT from Nanyang Technological University. Abstract: As a strong advocate for open research, my motivation stems from the belief that transparency and accessibility are fundamental to advancing biological sciences. By making all data, methods, and code related to my research publicly available, I ensure that my work is reproducible, reusable, and accessible to the global research community. While these practices may take additional time, they are essential for ensuring the integrity and long-term value of my findings. My laboratory …

Vol. 39, No. 7 - Whole No. 244, Eleanor M. Farrell

Mythprint

Mythprint is the monthly bulletin of the Mythopoeic Society, a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the study, discussion, and enjoyment of myth and fantasy literature, especially the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. To promote these interests, the Society publishes three magazines, maintains a World Wide Web site, and sponsors the annual Mythopoeic Conference and awards for fiction and scholarship, as well as local and written discussion groups.

Rediscovering Publicly Available Single-Cell Data With The Disco Platform, Jinmiao Chen

Singapore Open Research Conference 2024

Since its inception in 2009, single-cell RNA-seq techniques have evolved, increasing throughput and reducing costs. With a growing number of published studies, efficient data retrieval is crucial. DISCO was created as a comprehensive database of single-cell RNA-seq data, enabling exploration of cell types and gene expressions in various tissues. Now, DISCO hosts over 100 million single-cell profiles from 16,734 samples, reflecting a fivefold increase since its first version. We have curated metadata, categorized samples, and refined cell type annotations using a harmonized reference. DISCO platform provides online tools for data integration, cell type annotation, projecting query dataset to atlases, and …

Vitamin D Clinical Relevance In The Recovery From Traumatic Brain Injury Among The Military Population, Yuisa Mariceli Colón

Theses

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) still remains a difficult disorder to treat. TBI has been associated to chronic neuroinflammation and a high risk for neurodegenerative disorders. Since 2001 between ten to twenty percent of all deployed military members have suffered a combat-related TBI. Nearly twenty to thirty percent of those will experience chronic cognitive, behavioral and somatic symptoms after suffering a TBI. This review found compelling evidence to support that the pathology of TBI is closely associated with neuroprotective mechanisms of vitamin D.

Assessment Of Heavy Metal Concentration In Orange-Spotted Trevally (Flavocaranx Bajad) From Two Coastal Locations In Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Kholood Khaled Aljaberi

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This study investigates concentration of heavy metals in the Orange-spotted Trevally (Flavocaranx bajad) from two distinct coastal location in Abu Dhabi Emirate, Sila and Abu Dhabi. Heavy metal pollution poses a significant risk to both marine ecosystems and human health, thus it is vital to conduct comprehensive assessments to heavy metal contaminations in aquatic life. The main aim of this study is to quantify the levels of heavy metals and assess the extent of metal pollution in samples from both sites. The samples were prepared and analyzed using microwave digestion system and ICP Optical Emission Spectrometer to determine metal concentrations. …

Truly Open Research With Biospecimens: Can Research With Non-Identified Biospecimens Be Conducted Without Consent?, Jerry Menikoff

Singapore Open Research Conference 2024

Is it ethical to conduct secondary research with non-identified biospecimens without consent? Being able to do that would indeed be true to the concept of open research with biospecimens. In trying to answer this question, recent history in the U.S. will be examined, since an effort to revise the applicable regulations in that country generated a heated debate over this very question.

Opening Address: Open Science And Singapore, Subodh Mhaisalkar

Singapore Open Research Conference 2024

This is the Opening Address given by our Guest of Honour, Prof Subodh MHAISALKAR, Executive Director for Academic Research at National Research Foundation (NRF).

Improve Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates Through Early Breastfeeding Initiation, Camille Chua

Dissertations

Exclusive breastfeeding can be challenging to maintain. At the project site there was an inconsistent process for breastfeeding support, so an evidence-based solution was sought. The purpose of this quantitative, quasi-experimental quality improvement project was to determine if or to what degree the implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) Guideline’s Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) Step Four would impact exclusive breastfeeding rates (EBFRs) when compared to current practice among adult postpartum patients in an acute care hospital in Southern California over four weeks. Nola Pender’s middle-range nursing theory utilizing the health promotion model (HPM), and Kurt Lewin’s change theory provided …

Adopting A Heroic Persona To Manage A Traumatic Life Event: "The Face In The Mirror", Peter Bray

Heroism Science

This article applies a critical autoethnographic approach and a positive transformational stance to an experience of a choiceless traumatic loss. It considers how in a crisis of grief individuals may consciously choose to adopt a more agentic ‘heroic’ persona that enables them to survive the psychological disintegration of their assumptive world. Selecting a persona that serves their immediate survival needs, liberates individuals from those sociocultural expectations that dictate the conduct and positioning of the bereaved. In this new persona, the bereaved accesses a higher level of self-consciousness and autonomy, and an internal locus of control more suited to a survivor. …

Wolves Across Borders, Ilse Storch, Aimee Tallian, Luigi Boitani, Cecilia Di Bernardi, Josip Kusak, Çağan Şekercioğlu, Douglas Smith, John Vucetich, Barbara Zimmermann

Michigan Tech Publications

No abstract provided.

The Great Lakes Winter Grab: Limnological Data From A Multi-Institutional Winter Sampling Campaign On The Laurentian Great Lakes, Ge Pu, Krill Shchapov, Nolan J.T. Pearce, Kelly Bowen, Andrew Bramburger, Andrew Camilleri, Maci Quintanilla, Trista Vick-Majors, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

Interest in winter limnology is growing rapidly, but progress is hindered by a shortage of standardized multivariate datasets on winter conditions. Addressing the winter data gap will enhance our understanding of winter ecosystem function and of lake response to environmental change. Here, we describe a dataset generated by a multi-institutional winter sampling campaign across all five Laurentian Great Lakes and some of their connecting waters (the Great Lakes Winter Grab). The objective of Winter Grab was to characterize mid-winter limnological conditions in the Great Lakes using standard sample collection and analysis methods. Nineteen research groups sampled 49 locations varying widely …

Contributions Of Mirror-Image Hair Cell Orientation To Mouse Otolith Organ And Zebrafish Neuromast Function., Kazuya Ono, Amandine Jarysta, Natasha C Hughes, Alma Jukic, Hui Ho Vanessa Chang, Michael R Deans, Ruth Anne Eatock, Kathleen E Cullen, Katie S Kindt, Basile Tarchini

Faculty Research 2024

Otolith organs in the inner ear and neuromasts in the fish lateral-line harbor two popu- lations of hair cells oriented to detect stimuli in opposing directions. The underlying mechanism is highly conserved: the transcription factor EMX2 is regionally expressed in just one hair cell popu- lation and acts through the receptor GPR156 to reverse cell orientation relative to the other popu- lation. In mouse and zebrafish, loss of Emx2 results in sensory organs that harbor only one hair cell orientation and are not innervated properly. In zebrafish, Emx2 also confers hair cells with reduced mechanosensory properties. Here, we leverage mouse …

Genetic Associations Of Il-2 (Rs2069762) And Egr3 (Rs3750192) Polymorphisms With Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis, Anu Shibi Anilkumar, Sheena Mariam Thomas, Ramakrishnan Veerabathiran

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights:
1.The novelty of this study lies in its thorough examination of gene polymorphisms and their associations with schizophrenia risk across different populations.
2.This meta-analysis provides new insights by highlighting the lack of reliable association for interleukin-2 (IL-2) rs2069762 and revealing a substantial protective effect of early growth response 3 (EGR3) rs3750192 in specific ethnic groups, particularly among Polish and Chinese.

Abstract
Although genome-wide association studies have identified numerous genes linked to schizophrenia, their specific roles remain unclear. This meta-analysis sought to explore the association of polymorphisms in the interleukin-2 (IL-2) rs2069762 and early growth response 3 (EGR3) rs3750192 with …

Gatekeeper Competition Policy, Herbert Hovenkamp

Michigan Technology Law Review

Antitrust policy in the United States has always had special rules for dominant firms. As Justice Scalia once observed:

Where a defendant maintains substantial market power, his activities are examined through a special lens: Behavior that might otherwise not be of concern to the antitrust laws—or that might even be viewed as procompetitive—can take on exclusionary connotations when practiced by a monopolist.

The Unfairness Of Fair Machine Learning: Leveling Down And Strict Egalitarianism By Default, Brent Mittelstadt, Sandra Wachter, Chris Russell

Michigan Technology Law Review

In recent years, fairness in machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), and algorithmic decision-making systems has emerged as a highly active area of research and development. To date, most measures and methods to mitigate bias and improve fairness in algorithmic systems have been built in isolation from policymaking and civil societal contexts and lack serious engagement with philosophical, political, legal, and economic theories of equality and distributive justice. Many current measures define “fairness” in simple terms to mean narrowing gaps in performance or outcomes between demographic groups while preserving as much of the original system’s accuracy as possible. This oversimplified …

Concealed Cognitive Disabilities, Bullying In The Workplace, And The Americans With Disabilities Act, Craig Darrell Taylor

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study uniquely explores the perceptions of individuals with concealable cognitive disabilities (CCDs) regarding Titles I–III of the Americans with Disabilities Act and its amendments (ADAAA). The research addresses a significant gap in understanding this population’s views on workplace experiences, particularly in the context of harassment, privacy, self-identification, and labeling. Using Schneider and Ingram’s social construction framework to examine societal power dynamics, the study analyzed interviews with eight participants, employing rigorous thematic coding. The analysis revealed four key themes: social construction (perception in the workplace and the power of employment protections), disability (cognitive disabilities and the challenges of disclosure …

Ksu Concert Choirs | "We Shall Overcome"

Bailey School of Music Concert Programs

KSU Concert Choirs

Things Fall(Ing) Apart: Deconstructing Humanism For History Teaching In A Posthumanist Society, Lou Ellis Brassington

Language, Literacy, and Sociocultural Studies ETDs

Abstract

This study is a reflective analysis of the discursive construction of the social studies and the teaching of history from medieval scholasticism, through Enlightenment humanism, and into our posthumanist landscape. As an exploration of the foundations of Western thought, with an emphasis on humanism as it has historically affected construction of the social studies, this investigation focuses on theorists, praxis, curriculum development, and teacher identity. My research examined the pedagogical and curriculum choices for the teaching of history along with the intersection of the humanities and humanism from the Enlightenment through the criticalities of the 20th century, and into …

Crosslinked Colloidal Cellulose Nanocrystals And Methods Of Preparation And Use Thereof, Jin-Woo Kim, Joseph N. Batta-Mpouma, Joshua Sakon

Patents Granted

This invention relates generally to covalently crosslinked colloidal cellulose nanocrystals (xCNC) and methods of preparation and use thereof. The colloidal cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are covalently crosslinked in aqueous suspension to generate a network showing tunable physicochemical properties. The xCNC structures are tunable in terms of their physicochemical properties and arrangement within the hydrogel network. The covalent crosslinking of solitary sulfonated (—OSO.sub.3) CNCs can be accomplished without prior hydroxyl replacement or functionalization.

Investigating Secondary Metabolites Of Streptomyces And Bacillus Bacteria That Inhibit Colony Growth Of Pathogenic Potato Fungi (Colletotrichum Coccodes, Pythium Ultimum), Jacob R. Henrie

Theses and Dissertations

Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a crucial global food crop, yet its production is threatened by fungal pathogens such as Pythium ultimum and Colletotrichum coccodes, which cause significant yield losses and impact tuber quality. In this study, we investigated the antifungal properties of various Streptomyces and Bacillus isolates against these pathogens. The Streptomyces isolates, known for their prolific secondary metabolite production, were selected for their varying efficacy against these fungi. Despite the anticipated potential, Streptomyces isolates exhibited limited antifungal activity against Pythium ultimum and only moderate activity against Colletotrichum coccodes. In contrast, Bacillus isolates, particularly B1, demonstrated strong inhibition of C. …

Efficacy And Safety Of Ozoralizumab Versus Moxibustion For Rheumatoid Arthritis, Luthfiana Rofhani Susanti, Arifa Mustika, Lita Diah Rahmawati, Citrawati Dyah Kencono Wungu

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease that symmetrically damages the synovial membrane, affecting approximately 13% of the global population. Systemic complications and substantial declines in quality of life may result from untreated rheumatoid arthritis. This study investigated the safety and efficacy of moxibustion and ozoralizumab in reducing disease activity scores in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Between July 2023 and February 2025, we conducted a thorough search on four online databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Scopus, and ProQuest) using keywords, reference searches, and other methods following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The obtained randomized controlled trials (RCTs) …

Identification And Characterization Of The Lipoprotein N-Acyltransferase In Bacteroides, Krista M Armbruster, Jiawen Jiang, Mariana G Sartorio, Nichollas E Scott, Jenna M Peterson, Jonathan Z Sexton, Mario F Feldman, Nicole M Koropatkin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Members of the Bacteroidota compose a large portion of the human gut microbiota, contributing to overall gut health via the degradation of various polysaccharides. This process is facilitated by lipoproteins, globular proteins anchored to the cell surface by a lipidated N-terminal cysteine. Despite their importance, lipoprotein synthesis by these bacteria is understudied. In

A Contemporary Review Of Robotic Resection For Hepatocellular Carcinoma, William A. Preston, Nina R. Spitofsky, Adam S. Bodzin

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Background: Robotic hepatectomy represents an appealing treatment modality for resectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A contemporary review of robotic hepatectomy compared to laparo- scopic/open hepatectomy is necessary. Methods: We performed a literature review to identify studies between 2018–2024 comparing robotic to laparoscopic/open hepatectomy for HCC with measurable outcomes. Results: A total of 10 studies were identified, including 943 patients undergoing robotic hepatectomy compared to 1678 patients undergoing laparoscopic/open hepatectomy. Generally, while similar short/long-term survival was noted across all resection modalities, robotic hepatectomy was associated with longer operative time, shorter length of stay, and less post-operative compli- cations. An additional 4 studies …

What Motivates The Choice To Custom Hire Pest Management Spraying Services?, Braeden Van Deye, Trey Malone

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND

This article presents a model of how farmers choose to custom hire for pest control. The decision-making process is illustrated through a discrete choice experiment conducted via a pilot survey of soybean growers in Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana. Farmers responded to a hypothetical pest infestation by choosing between custom operators, spraying on their own, or leaving the field to its fate.

RESULTS

Among farmers who choose to spray, the mean willingness to pay for marginal increases in timeliness (as defined as the chance of late spraying) ranges from 37 to 52 cents per acre. We also find that farmers …

Hypnopressure As A Non-Invasive Method For Anxiety And Pain Management In Primigravidae During Active Labor, Yeni Fitrianingsih, Hanung Prasetya, Rani Widiyanti

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Highlights:
1. This study applied hypnopressure, an innovative method that combines auditory hypnosis with acupressure on effective uterine points, namely the Hegu (LI4) and Sanyinjiao (Sp6) points.
2. This innovation offers an effective method for managing labor pain in primigravidae during the active phase of the first labor stage compared to hypnotherapy and acupressure administered separately.

Abstract
Psychological factors, such as fear and anxiety, are often responsible for prolonged labor. Anxiety affects 58% of primigravidae, while 2–4% experience pain with scores ranging from 30 to 40 out of 50. Hypnopressure is an innovative combination of hypnotherapy and acupressure applied on …