Digital Commons Network^™

New Host And Distributional Records For Helminth Parasites (Monogenoidea, Trematoda, Cestoda, Nematoda) Of Arkansas Reptiles (Testudines, Ophidia), C. T. Mcallister, C. R. Bursey, T. J. Fayton, S. E. Trauth, H. W. Robison

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

Over the last decade or more, our collaborative research has provided noteworthy information on the helminth parasites of reptiles of Arkansas. Because several species still need to be surveyed from the state, some for the first time, there has been a general void of information on their parasites. We therefore examined 10 reptiles, including seven species/subspecies of turtles, as well as three species/subspecies of snakes for helminth parasites. Found were 24 taxa of parasites, including two monogeneans, 14 digeneans, one tapeworm, and seven nematodes. We document several new host and distributional records for these parasites from some reptiles of the …

The Heart’S Hidden Influencer: Epicardial Adipose Tissue In The Pathogenesis Of Heart Failure, Aobo Li, Avilash Mondal, Jianli Zhao, John Zhang, Xin-Liang Ma

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Abstract – Heart failure (HF) is a complex, multifactorial clinical syndrome with diverse etiologies and phenotypic manifestations, affecting millions of people globally. HF is broadly classified into 3 subtypes: HF with reduced ejection fraction, HF with mildly reduced ejection fraction, and HF with preserved ejection fraction. Each subtype exhibits distinct pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical trajectories, and therapeutic responses, posing significant challenges in terms of diagnosis and management. Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT), a metabolically active visceral fat depot situated in close proximity to the myocardium, plays a dual role in physiological and pathological states, offering potential utility as a biomarker and therapeutic …

Staff Education To Clinical Staff Within An Outpatient Psychiatric Practice, Ivy Dzifa Dzivenu

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

Improving Follow-Up And Continuity Of Care Protocols Through Staff Education In An Outpatient Mental Health Clinic, Bimpe Omobolade Adedo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this DNP staff education project, I aimed to solve two main issues which disrupted patient treatment continuity: better documentation and follow-up care practices. The existing gaps in knowledge have led to missing scheduled appointments, missing medical information, and weak communication between hospital staff and clinic staff resulting in disorganized patient care. The main goal of the project was to improve staff understanding of post treatment procedures, maintenance systems, and medical recordkeeping requirements. Ten clinical staff members participated in education. Pre- and post-knowledge assessments were used to evaluate knowledge change. The normalized learning gain formula served to measure the extent …

Agricultural Water Management In A Changing Maryland: Stakeholder Experiences And Attitudes Towards Weather Variability, Alternative Water Sources, And Related Factors, Michele Romolini, Alexa C. Siglar, Paul T. Leisnham, Amanda K. Rockler, Masoud Negahban-Azar, Adel Shirmohammadi

Center for Urban Resilience Scholarship

The state of Maryland has experienced significant but commonly overlooked impacts on water quality and quantity. Future climate change is predicted to further reduce water availability, with nontraditional water sources such as treated recycled wastewater (TRW) as one potential way to mitigate impacts. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 Maryland stakeholders—including farmers, extension agents, state agency personnel, and academics—to explore their perceptions and experiences with 1) past, existing and future weather variability; 2) freshwater and reusable water use and management in agriculture; and 3) related factors impacting agricultural water management. Qualitative coding of interview transcripts produced 27 categories containing 291 …

Infectious Causes Of Acute Febrile Illness In Belize, 2020-2022, Adrianna Maliga, Shannon E Ronca, Russell Manzanero, Roberto Melendez, Sarah M Gunter, Allison Lino, Joy Mackey, Andres Espinosa-Bode, Beatriz Lopez, Rafael Chacon-Fuentes, Freedom M Green, Oluwadara Okeremi, Sarah Strobel, Daniel P Rehm, Flor M Muñoz, Loren Cadena, Melissa Diaz-Musa, Francis Morey, Emily Zielinski-Gutierrez, Gerhaldine Morazan, Kristy O Murray

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Acute febrile illness (AFI) surveillance networks can play a key role in identifying emerging pathogens and promoting global health security, especially for vulnerable populations in low- and middle-income countries. In January 2020, the Belize AFI Surveillance network was formed, and 5,643 participants were enrolled over the first 3-year period across 11 participating public hospitals. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction testing for vector-borne pathogen detection and BioFire® diagnostic testing for respiratory and gastrointestinal pathogens, the causes of illness were examined in relation to 54 pathogens in these participants. In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, surveillance was expanded to detect …

Gene Regulatory Programs Of Nk Cells Show That Ncam1 (Cd56) And Kirs Are Controlled By Genetically Polymorphic Distal Regulatory Elements, Mariam A. Salem, Aditi Varkey, Matthew D. Estrada, Kruthika Sharma, Caprice D. Eisele, Nitin Chakravarti, Dean A. Lee, Aharon G. Freud, Bethany L. Mundy-Bosse, Patrick L. Collins

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Owing to their immunoprotective properties, natural killer (NK) cells are critical for the innate immune response to pathogens, as well as a new wave of cancer immunotherapy that harnesses natural cytotoxicity. We sought to study the genetic and epigenetic drivers behind human-specific NK cell receptors, so that we can better understand the underlying cellular function. Here, we present a transcriptomic, proteomic (CITE-seq), and chromatin (single nuclei ATAC-seq) profiling of human peripheral NK cell subsets, which was then compared with genomic databases. Through integrative multi-omics, we demonstrate that CD56^bright versus CD56^dim NK cell subsets have differential distal regulatory element …

Job Stress, Emotional Exhaustion, And Work-Family Conflict: A Moderated Mediation Model, Sina Eslamdoust, Jeeyoon Jeong, Ji Hoon Lee, Ye Dai

Business Analytics Faculty Publications

Despite extensive research on work-family conflict (WFC), questions remain about when and why job stress translates into family domain interference. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory (Hobfoll, 1989), this study examines whether emotional exhaustion mediates the relationship between job stress and WFC, and whether authoritarian leadership moderates this process. Using data from 1,095 U.S. employees, we find that emotional exhaustion serves as a key mediating mechanism, consistent with resource depletion arguments. More importantly, we demonstrate that authoritarian leadership significantly amplifies the stress-exhaustion relationship through mechanisms identified in prior research: reduced autonomy, increased monitoring, and blocked recovery. These findings extend …

Newsletter 2026.02.04, Fcrh Honors Program

What's Going On, Honors? (2025-26)

No abstract provided.

Prevention, Consultation, And Advocacy, Terrance Mcclellan

Selected Social Change Portfolios in Prevention, Intervention, and Consultation

Goal Statement

My goal is to prevent depression among single mothers ages 20–30 in low-income areas of Southeast Missouri by expanding access to community-based emotional support, parenting resources, and skills training that strengthen coping and resilience.

Significant Findings

Young single mothers in Southeast Missouri, especially those in their twenties, often carry the emotional and financial weight of raising children on their own, which puts them at higher risk for long-term stress and depression when support is limited (Tafet & Nemeroff, 2016; NAMI Missouri, 2025). Many face persistent barriers such as high childcare costs, reduced access to mental health providers, transportation …

Doctrinal Intent Versus Institutional Reality: The Gulf Countries' Antitrust Objectives, Nora Memeti

Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

This paper examines the intriguing contrast between the ambitious goals of antitrust laws in the Gulf countries and the reality of their enforcement. While this region seeks to protect competition and curb monopolistic practices, only Kuwait and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) have made significant strides in achieving these ideals.

Through a comparative legal analysis, this paper examines how the statutory objectives of competition law in Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, and the UAE often remain more rhetorical than substantive, with enforcement primarily symbolic. In contrast, Saudi Arabia demonstrates some enforcement activity, although its alignment with legislative objectives remains uncertain. Kuwait's …

The Parthenon, February 04, 2026, Baylee Parsons, Kaitlyn Fleming, Abby Ayes, Ella Hatfield, Davina Synder, Scott Price, Lilli Ross, Trista Honaker

The Parthenon

No abstract provided.

Multiparent Recombinant Inbred Lines Crossed To A Tester Provide Novel Insights Into Sources Of Cis And Trans Regulation Of Gene Expression, Fabio Marroni, Alison M Morse, Adalena V Nanni, Nadja Nolte, Patricka Williams-Simon, Luis G León-Novelo, Rita M Graze, Paul Schmidt, Elizabeth King, Lauren M Mcintyre

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

To understand the relative importance of cis and trans effects on regulation, we crossed multi-parent recombinant-inbred lines (RILs) to a common tester and measured allele-specific gene expression in the offspring. Testing the difference of allelic imbalance between two RIL × Tester crosses is a test of cis or trans, depending on the RIL alleles compared. The study design also enables to separation of two sources of trans variation, genetic and environmental, detected via interactions with cis effects. We demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach in a long-read RNA-seq experiment in female abdominal tissue at two time points in Drosophila melanogaster. …

Staff Education On Standardized Appointment Reminder & Follow-Up Protocol, Sambila V. Zangre Congo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Inconsistent staff performance in making appointment reminders and follow-up calls contributed to workflow variability and reduced patient engagement in outpatient primary care settings. This DNP Quality Improvement Project intended to enhance staff knowledge, confidence, and consistency in implementing standardized reminder and follow-up call protocols using an evidence-based educational intervention. A quantitative pre/posttest design was used to evaluate changes in staff competency, supported by descriptive and comparative analyses of test scores, percentage changes, and qualitative feedback. Seven clinic staff members attended the PowerPoint education session, and pretest and posttest data were used to address a practice-focused question about standardized communication workflows. …

Engaging Clinical Teams Through Leadership, Workplace Culture, And Job Satisfaction, Garidanielle Matsey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current literature does not adequately address the factors that lead to and prevent burnout and poor work performance among inexperienced clinicians and clinical supervisors working in group private practice. Exploring supervision experiences, specifically leadership style, employee engagement, and internal communication, may provide insight into the experiences of novice mental health professionals and their supervisors in addressing burnout and enhancing work performance. Through a qualitative single-case study design informed by interpretative phenomenological principles, data were collected in semistructured interviews with five behavioral health leaders from a two-location group private practice who hold dual roles as clinicians and supervisors. The interview data …

Staff Education On Implementing Exercise For The Management Of Depression In Adults In A Comprehensive Mental Health Facility, Afolasade Jarrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a comprehensive mental health facility, patients diagnosed with major depression continue to experience depressive symptoms despite treatment. Despite using standard treatment with antidepressants and psychotherapy, facility data showed that 40% of these patients are still experiencing depression symptoms that negatively impact their overall functioning and quality of life. There is evidence supporting exercise as an effective strategy for depression treatment. Therefore, a staff education project was proposed to educate staff about exercise for depression management in adults. A thorough literature search in four databases yielded 12 articles with high quality evidence supporting educating staff to use exercise for depression …

Relationship Between Perceived Leadership Styles And Millennial Membership Growth In Nonprofit Churches, Larry Latham

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Despite the widespread decline in church membership and attendance among all mainline denominations, there was a particular concern about retaining the millennial generation. Church leaders need to understand this concern as a key indicator of millennial retention in nonprofit churches. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship between millennial membership growth and perceived leadership styles, including authoritative, partnership, democratic, team oriented, relationship oriented, serving, people oriented, task oriented, and goal oriented leadership. The social exchange theory and resource-based view theory grounded this study. The archival data from 2011 to 2022 comprised 17,012 Millennial participants from 665 …

Staff Education To Enhance Nursing Knowledge Of Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection Prevention Bundles On A Solid Organ Transplant Unit, Amina Cole-Kangbai

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

I conducted this staff education quality improvement project to develop and implement an education program addressing nurses’ knowledge gaps on evidence-based, central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) prevention bundles on a solid organ transplant unit. CLABSIs are preventable infections disproportionately affecting immunocompromised transplant patients, increasing morbidity, mortality, and costs. Addressing this issue is critical because nurses provide frontline central line care, and their knowledge directly influences patient safety.

Comparing Community-Based Monitoring To Hospital-Based Care Of Patients With Quiescent Age-Related Macular Degeneration: A Qualitative Study Of Patient And Practitioner Perspectives On Acceptability And Access, Sofia Vougioukalou, Simon M Read, Judit Katalin Csontos, Aled Jones, Alijazy Jaber, Anitta Sharma, Konstantinos Balaskas

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Objectives This process evaluation explores patient and healthcare professional acceptability of community-based monitoring versus hospital-based care for patients with quiescent neovascular age-related macular degeneration (QnAMD). Design Qualitative process evaluation was conducted as part of a randomised controlled trial. Setting Six hospitals and six community-based practices. Participants 25 patients and 16 healthcare professionals (ophthalmologists and optometrists). This approach helped differentiate between common issues and those specific to community-based monitoring. Intervention The Quality-Assured Follow-Up of QnAMD by non-medical practitioners trial aimed to examine whether non-medical practitioners follow-up patients with QnAMD in the community in a safe and clinically and cost-effective way. The …

Control-By-Interconnection Beyond Casimirs And Connections To Ida-Pbc, Joel Ferguson, Pablo Borja

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Control by Interconnection (CbI) and Interconnection and Damping Assignment Passivity-Based Control (IDA-PBC) are two nonlinear design methodologies that exploit passivity to construct stabilising controllers. While CbI is known to be a subset of IDA-PBC, the converse link has remained open. This paper revisits CbI by utilising dynamic invariants beyond Casimirs and a more general control structure. Using this more general structure we show a one-to-one correspondence between IDA-PBC and CbI controllers for the class of mechanical systems without friction.

Exploring Leadership Strategies To Foster Effective Employee Engagement, Antonwaun Johnson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee disengagement is an organizational disruption that erodes trust, weakens culture, and undermines the performance systems leaders depend on to drive results. Functional leaders are concerned with employee disengagement because it can lead to poor organizational performance and affect organizational success. Grounded in leader–member exchange (LMX) theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore effective strategies functional leaders use to foster employee engagement in a working environment to enhance organizational success. The project participants were six functional leaders working in an e-commerce order fulfillment center in the southeastern United States. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and …

Staff Education On Vital Sign Assessment And Electronic Health Record Documentation For Acute And Critical Care Nurses And Patient Care Technicians, Natalie Brock

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A staff educational quality improvement initiative aimed at enhancing the knowledge and accuracy of acute care nurses and patient care technicians (PCTs) in vital sign documentation was the focus of the doctoral project. Gaps in vital sign obtainment and electronic health record (EHR) documentation were identified through organizational serious safety event reviews, highlighting risks to patient safety and clinical decision-making. The project addressed the question of whether, in the inpatient hospital setting, a staff educational training program for acute and critical care nurses improves their knowledge of accurate vital sign documentation in the EHR. I analyzed pre- and posttest assessments …

Education To Nursing Staff On Evidence-Based Lifestyle Interventions For Hypertension, Meagan Deese

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was a staff education project that addressed a practice gap in a primary care setting related to limited nursing knowledge of evidence-based lifestyle interventions for hypertension management. Hypertension is a prevalent chronic condition and a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although clinical guidelines recommend lifestyle modification as first-line management, nurses may receive limited formal training in nonpharmacologic interventions. The practice-focused question was, in a primary care setting, does a nursing education program on evidence-based lifestyle interventions for hypertension improve nursing knowledge as measured pre- to post education? The purpose of the …

Tumor Radiosensitization With Gold Nanoparticles: Evolving Strategies To Improve Tumoral Gold Uptake And Catalyze Future Clinical Translation, Prapannajeet Biswal, Geraldine V Vijay, Gabrielle Krouse, Phuoc Minh Quan Mai, Bhoomika Muruvekere Lakshmisha, Sanaz Keshavarz Shahbaz, Mahdieh Yousefi Taba, Aria Sabbagh, Lydia Wt Cheung, Yuri Mackeyev, Khadijeh Koushki, Sunil Krishnan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Radiation therapy is integral to the treatment regimens of over 50% of cancer patients. However, it is not biologically targeted to just the tumor, leading to adverse effects in peritumoral normal tissue. Selective uptake of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) by tumors realizes tumor-specific radiosensitization via increased secondary electron release from high atomic number gold atoms. Here, we review AuNP-mediated radiosensitization and outline strategies to optimize tumor-targeted AuNP delivery. Modifying the physicochemical characteristics of AuNPs, including size, shape, charge, and surface chemistry, can increase their ability to evade the reticuloendothelial system (RES) and penetrate the dense tumor stromal architecture, thereby promoting tumor …

Repurposing Of The Macrolide Antibiotic Clarithromycin For The Prevention Of Lung Cancer, Shanshan Deng, Tabish Hussain, Thais F Bartelli, Manu M Sebastian, Melody Zarghooni, Walter V Velasco, Brandon Somerville, Linda Phan, Michelle I Savage, Yurong Song, John L Clifford, Humam Kadara, Florencia Mcallister, Powel H Brown, Seyed Javad Moghaddam, C Marcelo Aldaz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Drug repurposing is the process of reusing existing pharmaceuticals for novel clinical purposes, which offers advantages such as streamlined clinical trial access and reduced drug development costs. Clarithromycin (CAM), a member of the macrolide antibiotics family, is a promising candidate for repurposing in cancer therapy due to its known preclinical and clinical immunomodulatory and anticancer properties. In the current study, we investigated whether CAM could be repurposed as a preventive treatment for KRAS-mutant lung cancer, a subtype of lung adenocarcinoma that is strongly associated with heavy smoking. CCSPCre; LSL-KrasG12D mice at an early stage of tumor development were treated with …

Social, Environmental And Policy Contexts Affecting The Feasibility And Acceptability Of Improving Household Flooring For Better Health In Rural Kenya, Ulrike Fillinger, Victoria A. Ochwal, Hugo Legge, Sharon Muli, Karisa Kazungu, Carlos Mcharo, Jacinta Mwongeli, Charles Mwandawiro, Katherine Halliday, Doris Njomo, Rachel Pullan, Lynne Elson, Stella Kepha

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

BACKGROUND: Homes with unimproved floors (earth, sand, or clay) are associated with increased risks of soil-transmitted parasites and enteric infections, leading to higher morbidity and reduced quality of life. This study explored the enablers and barriers to adopting improved flooring (sealed, washable, and durable) in three culturally diverse regions of Kenya - Narok, Bungoma, and Kwale - to mitigate disease burdens. METHODS: Between August 2021 and July 2022, we conducted 24 focus group discussions with homeowners, stratified by age, gender, and floor type. Additionally, 28 key informant interviews with local government officials, microfinance representatives, and masonry trainers in Kwale and …

Seeing Beyond The Words: What Interdisciplinary Methodologies Reveal About International Law, Matthew S. Erie, Mark Pollack, Wolfgang Alschner, Beth Simmons, Katerina Linos

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

INTRODUCTION: On April 24, 2025, the International Law and Social Science Interest Group debuted at the ASIL Annual Meeting with a panel that posed a deceptively simple question: how can social science tools advance the work of international lawyers? Chaired by Chantal Thomas, the session brought together Matthew Erie, Wolfgang Alschner, Beth Simmons, and Katerina Linos— scholars who bridge doctrinal and empirical inquiry—to show how ethnography, computational text analysis, counterfactual inference, and mixed-method design can illuminate legal puzzles that doctrine alone cannot solve. The four short essays in this symposium provide parallel illustrations of this core theme: Erie’s ethnographic approach …

Geochemical Fate Of Lead In Contaminated Residential Soils Following Application Of Amendments For Lead Immobilization, Hadeer Saleh, Washington Braida, Zhiming Zhang, Rupali Datta, Dibyendu Sarkar

Michigan Tech Publications

Background: Lead (Pb) persists in urban soils, where its partitioning among geochemical fractions governs mobility, bioavailability, and human health risk. These fractions are strongly controlled by soil physicochemical properties, necessitating site-specific remediation strategies. Methods: This study developed a site-specific Pb immobilization framework linking amendment selection to soil geochemistry and sustainability considerations. Pb-contaminated residential soils from three U.S. cities, San Antonio (alkaline), Baltimore (acidic), and Detroit (near-neutral), were treated with gypsum, biochar + lime, and alum, respectively. Changes in Pb speciation were tracked using sequential extraction over 7, 30, and 90 days. Results: All amendments significantly reduced exchangeable Pb (F1) and …

Associations Between Big Five Personality Traits, Facets, And Sexual Fantasies, Emily Cannoot, Amy C. Moors, Wiliam J. Chopik

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

The present study investigated associations between Big Five personality traits, their facets, and the frequency and variety of sexual fantasies in a sample of 5,225 adults (M = 58.30 years old; 56.5% men). People high in conscientiousness and agreeableness report fewer sexual fantasies across exploratory, intimate, impersonal, and sadomasochistic domains; these effects were primarily driven by respectfulness and responsibility facets. Negative emotionality, particularly the depression facet, was associated with more frequent sexual fantasizing. Extraversion and open-mindedness showed minimal relationships with sexual fantasy frequency. These results underscore the importance of personality dimensions in understanding sexual thoughts, emphasizing the heterogeneity of …

Passed Down Like Prayer: The Burden And Inheritance Of The Superwoman Schema, Keyishi Shante Peters

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative phenomenological study examined how Black Baby Boomer and Millennial women perceive and internalize the Superwoman Schema (SWS), a cultural expectation emphasizing strength, emotional restraint, and self-sacrifice. Grounded in Black feminist thought, the analysis explored how the SWS is passed down like prayer, quietly inherited, spiritually charged, and embedded in the everyday practices of survival. Four themes emerged: Being Everything to Everybody, Carrying It All Until It Breaks You, We Were Taught Not to Say No, and Learning to Put the Cape Down. Baby Boomers often described the SWS as a necessary legacy forged through historical struggle, while Millennials …