Digital Commons Network^™

Prevalence And Risk Factors Of Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis Among A Ghanaian Clinical Cohort: A Case-Control Study, Samuel Kyei, Mary Nkansah, Kofi Asiedu, Randy Asiamah, Ebenezer Zaabaar, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) has been determined to be highly prevalent in countries within the tropical climate region. However, little evidence from studies conducted within this region has been put forward to support this claim. Aim: To determine the prevalence and risk factors of VKC among a Ghanaian clinical cohort. Methods: A 3-year case-control study was conducted in a tertiary eye care institution, and medical records of patients who had been diagnosed of VKC between 2018 and 2021 were reviewed. Results: Medical records of 3800 patients were reviewed. Some (Formula presented.) cases of VKC were identified, with a population prevalence …

Systems Thinking: Fostering Collaboration And Connections To Strengthen The Field: A Conversation With Umberta Telfener, Deisy Amorin-Woods, Umberta Telfener

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Umberta Telfener is a highly respected figure known for her diverse contributions to various facets of family and systemic therapy. Her leadership style has earned her a reputation as somewhat of a ‘cultural anthropologist,’ reflecting her aptitude for creating connections, establishing relationships, and developing partnerships. Her unique ‘Umberta style’ is known for boundless energy, active leadership, and fierce commitment to challenging the status quo. Despite being in office for just a year at the European Family Therapy Association (EFTA), Umberta has conceived and developed numerous projects, establishing networks with practitioners, and systemic thinkers across the world. Rooted in classical philosophical …

The Impact Of Final-Year Clinical Placements On Nursing Students' Career Planning For The Graduate Year And Beyond, Edah Anyango, Esther Adama, Janie Brown, Irene Ngune

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aims: This study had three objectives: 1) to determine final-year nursing students' career preferences and long-term career plans; 2) to investigate factors influencing nursing students' specialty choices following their final-year clinical placement(s); and 3) to understand how final-year clinical placements can be used to develop the career interests of nursing students to different nursing specialties. Background: Clinical placement provides an insightful experience that may influence students to feel inclined to work in certain specialties. Therefore, each clinical placement should promote students' learning and enhance positive experiences that could develop their career interests and encourage them to seek employment in the …

Ethics Of Alterity And Corporeal Pneumatology For A Climate-Stricken World, Jojo M. Fung

Loyola Papers

This paper presents a post-pandemic theological reflection through the lens of the ethics of alterity. Drawing from Levinasian thought, it develops an “alterity pneumatology” that emphasizes relational co-creativity with others and the natural world. The article outlines five transformative “alterity shifts” that move individuals and societies beyond self-centeredness toward ecological responsibility and interconnectedness. In dialogue with contemporary Church teachings on the environment, this work contributes a constructive theological response to the global climate crisis.

A Review Of Gerd Lüdemann’S Methodology In “The Resurrection Of Christ: A Historical Inquiry”, Kelvin Ruel G. Novabos

Loyola Papers

This article critically evaluates Gerd Lüdemann’s historical methodology in his study of the resurrection of Jesus. Situating Lüdemann’s work within the broader context of the quests for the historical Jesus, this paper identifies both its methodological strengths and its limitations, particularly its reliance on a strictly historical-critical approach. It argues that a more integrative methodology—drawing from developments in the third quest—would yield a more balanced and credible interpretation of the resurrection accounts.

Enablers, Barriers And Strategies For Adopting New Technology In Accounting, Denise Jackson, Christina Allen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Although the benefits of technological innovation are widely recognised, the accounting profession continues to undervalue and inadequately leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and blockchain. This study builds on earlier work on the antecedents and barriers to technology adoption and considers the role of technological, organisational and environmental factors in the accounting context. The mixed methods design involved surveying 585 accounting managers in Australia and parts of South-East Asia and interviewing 20 Australian accounting managers. Using the Technology–Organisation–Environment model, the study explored differences in the importance of factors by region and organisational type and investigated manager perspectives …

Erosion Wear Characterisation Of An Open Ductile Iron Butterfly Valve Subjected To Aluminium Oxide Particle Slurry Flow, Prashan Perera, Kevin Hayward, Ferdinando Guzzomi, Ana Vafadar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study attempts to identify the most erosion-sensitive valve locations due to aluminium oxide particle impingement under various pressure drops and valve closing angles, utilising the Ansys discrete phase model (DPM). Additionally, this research explores the feasibility of integrating laser scanning technology into the fields of tribology and particle erosion analysis. The results indicate higher erosion damage on the top valve surface due to the direct effects of particle velocity and impingement angles compared to the underside of the valve, where particle trajectories are highly affected by turbulence. Moreover, smaller closing angles proved to be detrimental to valve service life, …

Rosiglitazone Improves Insulin Resistance But Does Not Improve Exercise Capacity In Individuals With Impaired Glucose Tolerance: A Randomized Clinical Study, Layla A Abushamat, Irene E Schauer, Cecilia C Low Wang, Stacey Mitchell, Leah Herlache, Mark Bridenstine, Roy Durbin, Janet K Snell-Bergeon, Judith G Regensteiner, Jane Eb Reusch

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Dysmetabolic states, such as type 2 diabetes (T2D), characterized by insulin resistance (IR), are associated with fatty liver, increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, and decreased functional exercise capacity (FEC). Rosiglitazone (RO) improves exercise capacity and IR in T2D. However, the effects of RO on FEC and other markers of CVD risk in prediabetes are unknown. We hypothesized that insulin sensitization with RO would improve exercise capacity and markers of CVD risk in participants with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Exercise performance (peak oxygen consumption and oxygen uptake kinetics), IR (homeostasis model assessment of IR and quantitative insulin sensitivity check index), and …

Case Report: Contralateral Progression Of A Vestibular Schwannoma After Resection In A Patient With Neurofibromatosis Type 2, Ihika Rampalli, Collin William English, Tyler Lazaro, Benjamin Daniel Lovin, Sungho Lee, Andrew Tsao Huang, Ali Jalali, Kathleen Kelly Gallagher, Jacob J Mandel, Alex Daniel Sweeney, Akash J Patel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: Bilateral vestibular schwannomas (VS) are a distinctive feature of neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) that result in a serious reduction in the quality of life for patients. The growth rates of these schwannomas are variable, and the early detection of increased growth is fundamental for improving outcomes.

CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 17-year-old man with NF2 and bilateral VS presented with complete right facial paralysis and sudden right hearing loss less than 1 month after resection of a left VS. Imaging revealed rapid growth of the right VS with intratumoral hemorrhage, and the patient underwent urgent surgical resection with some …

Validation Of Distinct Bladder Pain Phenotypes Utilizing The Mapp Research Network Cohort, Oluwarotimi Sewedo Nettey, Cindy Gu, Nicholas James Jackson, A Lenore Ackerman

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction and hypothesis: As interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) likely represents multiple pathophysiologies, we sought to validate three clinical phenotypes of IC/BPS patients in a large, multi-center cohort using unsupervised machine learning (ML) analysis.

Methods: Using the female Genitourinary Pain Index and O'Leary-Sant Indices, k-means unsupervised clustering was utilized to define symptomatic phenotypes in 130 premenopausal IC/BPS participants recruited through the Multidisciplinary Approach to the Study of Chronic Pelvic Pain (MAPP) research network. Patient-reported symptoms were directly compared between MAPP ML-derived phenotypic clusters to previously defined phenotypes from a single center (SC) cohort.

Results: Unsupervised ML categorized IC/BPS participants into …

Front Matter, The Tennessee Ornithological Society

The Migrant - Tennessee Ornithological Society

No abstract provided.

The Migrant Moves To Fully Digital Format, Bob Ford

The Migrant - Tennessee Ornithological Society

No abstract provided.

Instructions To Authors, The Tennessee Ornithological Society

The Migrant - Tennessee Ornithological Society

No abstract provided.

Solvability Of The Inverse Spectral Problem For Sturm-Liouville Operator With Spectral Parameter In The Boundary Condition, Azerbaijan State Oil And Industry University (Asoiu), Leyla Mammadova, Ibrahim Nabiev, Baku State University

Baku Mathematical Journal

This paper deals with an inverse problem for the Sturm-Liouville operator with non-separated boundary conditions, one of which linearly depends on a spectral parameter. Uniqueness theorem is proved, solution algorithm is constructed and sufficient conditions for solvability of inverse problem are obtained. As spectral data, we only use the spectrum of one boundary value problem and some sequence of signs, and some number.

Convergence Of Iterates Of Probability Measures On Locally Compact Groups, Azerbaijan State Oil And Industry University (Asoiu), Heybetkulu Mustafayev

Baku Mathematical Journal

Some related problems are also discussed

A Socio-Ecological Approach To A Community-Based Health Promotion Intervention On The U.S.-Mexico Border: Insights And Lessons Learned During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Yok-Fong Paat, Elizabeth Camacho, Sarah L. Ruiz, Diego Garcia Tovar, Guillermina Gina Núñez-Mchiri, Maria O. Duarte-Gardea, Guadalupe Corral, Sandra Oviedo Ramirez, Christine Markham, Luis R. Torres-Hostos

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The Healthy Families Healthy Kids Initiative (HFHKI) is a community-based initiative developed based on the socio-ecological model to address preventive health care needs in El Paso County, Texas, one of the most economically and health-challenged border communities in the United States. HFHKI’s three main goals are to increase access to experiential learning and health education, service delivery, and sustainable systems/linkages of care. These were accomplished through seven critical activities. We present the rationale, background, setting, and conceptual framework for the initiative, followed by the methods used to develop and assess the success of the activities and results of our project …

Insen 2023 Yearly Updates, Walid Metwally, Matteo Gerlini, Cristen Ford, João Claudio Batista Fiel J.C.B.F., Dr. Alpana Goel

International Journal of Nuclear Security

The International Nuclear Security Education Network (INSEN) is the primary international network for nuclear security educational initiatives. INSEN plays a central role in fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among nuclear security education experts worldwide. In the wake of the global pandemic, INSEN remained committed to strengthening nuclear security education and resumed in-person activities. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed its continued dedication and support to the network’s mission and presented new activities aimed at elevating global nuclear security efforts.

Throughout the year and during the annual and leadership meetings, working groups showcased their vibrant work and presented innovative ideas, invigorating …

Engaging The Base: Using Veterans Treatment Courts In Missouri To Address Core Issues, Evan Rodriguez

UMKC Law Review

With a per capita veteran population surpassing the national average, Missouri presents its veterans with unique challenges in their day-to-day lives. For example, nearly one-third of Missouri veterans are disabled, compared to one-sixth of civilians. The State established the Missouri Veterans Commission, which supports veterans and their families with the veteran-specific obstacles they face. To that end, Missouri offers the second highest number of veteran benefits of any state in the country.

Like all groups of people, some veterans will unfortunately enter the criminal justice system due to varying factors. Veterans Treatment Courts ("VTCs") originated to address veteran-specific reasons for …

Claudin-1 As A Novel Target Gene Induced In Obesity And Associated To Inflammation, Fibrosis, And Cell Differentiation, Pablo Fernández-García, Siri D. Taxerås, Marjorie Reyes-Farias, Lorena González, Andrea Soria-Gondek, Silvia Pellitero, Jordi Tarascó, Pau Moreno, Lauro Sumoy, Jacqueline M. Stephens, Lindsey G. Yoo, María Galán, Adriana Izquierdo, Gema Medina-Gómez, Laura Herrero, Patricia Corrales, Francesc Villarroya, Rubén Cereijo, David Sánchez-Infantes

Division of Basic Science Faculty Publications

Objective: T lymphocytes from visceral and subcutaneous white adipose tissues (vWAT and sWAT, respectively) can have opposing roles in the systemic metabolic changes associated with obesity. However, few studies have focused on this subject. Claudin-1 (CLDN1) is a protein involved canonically in tight junctions and tissue paracellular permeability. We evaluated T-lymphocyte gene expression in vWAT and sWAT and in the whole adipose depots in human samples. Methods: A Clariom D-based transcriptomic analysis was performed on T lymphocytes magnetically separated from vWAT and sWAT from patients with obesity (Cohort 1; N = 11). Expression of candidate genes resulting from that analysis …

Exploring Successful Implementation Of Organizational Supports At The Worksite Environment: A Mixed Methods Approach, Renee A. Underwood, Ralph J. Wood, Alexandra D. Tomchek, Michael D. Celestin, Richard Culbertson, Stephen Phillippi, Stephanie T. Broyles

Population and Public Health Science Faculty Publications

While there is evidence that organizational supports may lead to better employee health, research on implementing such organizational supports is lacking. This research sought to understand organizational supports and implementation of those supports using an Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods design approach. Employee survey responses (n = 202) were used to classify organizations into “high” and “low” categories for employee-reported health behavior improvement, agreement, and readiness for implementing change. For the qualitative phase of research (organization-level), semi-structured interviews were conducted with organization leads, and data were analyzed through constant comparative analysis procedure. Analyses sought to identify differences between “high” versus “low” …

Disrupting Neoliberal Diversity Discourse With Critical Race College Transition Stories, Giselle Laiduc, Ian Slattery, Rebecca Covarrubias

Psychology

The college transition can challenge students’ sense-making of diversity, race, and oppression. Yet prevailing neoliberal discourses touting the market value of diversity can thwart this potential by promoting color-evasive messaging that avoids reckoning with racism. Guided by Critical Race Theory, we explored incoming students’ sense-making of diversity (n = 421) after being exposed to either color-evasive transition stories or more critical stories that discussed intersecting experiences with oppression. Using discourse analysis, we observed that Black, Latinx, and Native students and their Asian and white counterparts reproduced common neoliberal logics emphasizing the educational benefits of diversity. However, critical stories reminded …

Endosteal Stem Cells At The Bone-Blood Interface: A Double-Edged Sword For Rapid Bone Formation: Bone Marrow Endosteal Stem Cells Provide A Robust Source Of Bone-Making Osteoblasts Both In Normal And Abnormal Bone Formation, Yuki Matsushita, Jialin Liu, Angel Ka Yan Chu, Wanida Ono, Joshua D Welch, Noriaki Ono

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Endosteal stem cells are a subclass of bone marrow skeletal stem cell populations that are particularly important for rapid bone formation occurring in growth and regeneration. These stem cells are strategically located near the bone surface in a specialized microenvironment of the endosteal niche. These stem cells are abundant in young stages but eventually depleted and replaced by other stem cell types residing in a non-endosteal perisinusoidal niche. Single-cell molecular profiling and in vivo cell lineage analyses play key roles in discovering endosteal stem cells. Importantly, endosteal stem cells can transform into bone tumor-making cells when deleterious mutations occur in …

Good Grief: Emotional Symbolism In Kate Dicamillo's The Tiger Rising, Sadie Barham

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis analyzes the symbol of the tiger in Kate DiCamillo’s children’s book The Tiger Rising. It deals primarily with each character’s response to the tiger and what this shows about his or her way of dealing with grief. Rob and Sistine, two children exhibiting signs of childhood depression, respond to their pain (and, consequently, to the tiger) in opposite ways: Rob internalizes his grief and anger, keeping it repressed, while Sistine covers for her grief with anger, lashing out at the people around her. When Rob finds a tiger caged in the woods, he responds with fear, leaving …

Legacy Of Colonialism And Post-Colonial Transition: The Algerian Conflict Of Identity, Judith Papineau

Social Sciences

Algeria was brutally taken and colonized by France for over 130 years, altering the structure of their society, cultural artifacts, heritage, and languages. Algerians fought and reclaimed their independence, but the consequences and adverse outcomes have seeped into the fabric of society long after the Independence War of 1954-1962. Building on the available literature on colonialism and post-colonial societies and theories, this paper examines, from a sociological perspective, the relationship between Algerians, language plurality, and how the country’s education system and its language education policies, maintained by the power, play a crucial role in systemically perpetuating a deeply rooted conflict …

“There Are People Who Will Not Like You Because Of The Skin You Were Born In”: Content And Impact Of Socialization Messages About Racism In Black Families, Natasha Malinovsky

Communication Studies

Guided by Critical Race Theory (Crenshaw, 1995; Delgado & Stefancic, 2017), the current study explored how Black adults made sense of their own racial identity through family messaging about racism and what it means to be a Black person in America, as well as how participant’s experiences with racism counter the dominant narrative that the U.S. is a “post-racial” society. We conducted retrospective interviews with 19 self-identifying Black adults. In our first research question, three primary themes emerged from participants’ recollections of conversations with parents about what it means to Black in the U.S.: (1) Black people are considered “others” …

Art From Scrap: Rebranding & Marketing, Lexanna Schultz

Graphic Communication

Art from Scrap is a creative reuse store that provides low-cost supplies for all kinds of craft-related hobbies (Explore Ecology, 2024). In general, art supply thrift stores help divert thousands of pounds of usable materials from landfills, and makes creative hobbies more accessible in terms of cost (Remainders, 2024). Art from Scrap’s initiative to extend the life cycle of craft supplies helps reduce unnecessary waste, however they currently do not have strong branding, and their limited marketing materials are inconsistent.

To&From Cards, Rachel S. Matatyaou

Graphic Communication

The goal of my senior project is to create a greeting card business from scratch, utilizing the design and marketing skills acquired through my Graphic Communication courses. The initial phase involves designing 20 cards spanning various topics and messages. The card categories will include but are not limited to birthday, get well soon, thank you, graduation, congratulations, condolence, special events or holidays, and customizable options. The project as a whole encompasses designing, branding, physical production, establishing a platform for sales, and lastly executing the sales process. Despite the ambitious nature of this project, it presents a unique opportunity to apply …

Ux/Ui Hub: User Experience/User Interface Information Hub For Navigating College, Sydney Yae-Rhee Leia Kong

Graphic Communication

The User Experience, User Interface (UX/UI) industry has grown exponentially in the last couple of years. According to a PubMed Central journal article, Understanding UX Better, UX has attracted an increasing interest in recent years, extending the views on usability. This growth exists both in academic institutions and the technology industry, evidenced by increasing numbers of UX-related degrees at undergraduate and graduate levels and also by high job demand (Marques). With this new emergence, the Graphic Communication (GrC) major, specifically the concentration in UX/UI, has caught the attention of numerous prospective Cal Poly SLO students interested in front-end design and …

Grc: A Mustang Quest, Jackson T. Alexander

Graphic Communication

The main purpose of this study is to define the overall effectiveness of visual marketing through animation and storytelling narration. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo has dozens of potential majors that interest students, thus leading to specific programs such as Graphic Communication (GRC) gaining fewer numbers compared to other College of Liberal Arts (CLA) fields. By analyzing what key elements are necessary for gaining outside attention and intrigue about a college program, I can better understand what information needs to be presented in my video project. This video will focus on defining what Graphic Communication is as a …

Sappling: An Interactive Platform For Creative Expression And Collaboration, Alex Aquino

Graphic Communication

Sappling is a new application that aims to tackle some of the shortcomings of traditional social media, which currently dominates the way we interact with friends and other users online. In its initial phase, we plan to target a certain demographic of people that we feel would benefit most from the platform, such as engineers or musicians. As a part of my project, I plan to help identify which group we want to target in this development stage, using survey data and other metrics to measure different groups and their likelihood to benefit from this new platform. As some research …