Digital Commons Network^™

Approaching The End Of The Dialogue: Could A Land Swap Between Kosovo And Serbia (Un)Lock Their Way Into The Eu?, Albana Krasniqi

European Union Policy Studies Graduate Symposium

Following a long and intense series of negotiations aspiring the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, recent developments have shown that representatives of both parties may now be looking forward to concluding the dialogue process though a bilateral agreement. With the European Union as the mediator and the dialogue as a path towards the parties’ integration thereto, many would expect for the final agreement to be funded in EU values and principles. Nevertheless, a potential deal recently set forth by the presidents of Kosovo and Serbia triggered a torrid debate in both the local and international community for its …

Synthesis And Evaluation Of 1,2,4-Oxadiazolidinones: The Search For Potential Non-Β-Lactam Β-Lactamase Inhibitors., Chimdi E. Kalu, Noah Lyons, Abbas G. Shilabin, Chimdi Kalu

Appalachian Student Research Forum

β-lactam antibiotics have been the most widely used drug of choice to combat infectious disease caused by bacteria. Unfortunately, the effectiveness of these antibiotics is drastically threatened by bacterial β-lactamases. β-lactamases are currently responsible for the resistance to most β-lactam antibiotic drugs. For decades, β-lactam β-lactamases inhibitors have been used to reduce bacterial resistance, however, in this study, we will employ the use of 1,2,4-oxadiazolidinone derivatives as a non-β-lactam β-lactamases inhibitor against TEM-1 and P99 β-lactamases. The significance of oxadiazolidinone is the prominent five-membered ring in its structure, which is configurationally stable and present in other biologically active compounds such …

Monetary Policy In China: A Factor Augmented Var Approach, Boniface Yemba, Biyan Tang, Erick Kitenge

Faculty Research Day

We use a Factor-Augmented VAR (FAVAR) model to investigate the effectiveness of monetary policy in China. As the Chinese economy is an open economy, our FAVAR model divides the macroeconomic variables into three groups. The first group contains measures of external shock to Chinese economy while others groups contain the measure of output and price. This approach allows factors to have an economic interpretation. We estimate our model with the maximum likelihood technique and that an increase in the change of money supply "Divisia M2"has substantial and direct impact on Chinese economic activity and inflation. Our results also find that …

Present Staffing- Sub Units Within Organizational Unit Report, Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Florida, Inc.

Florida Blue Archives Printed Materials

Present Staffing- Sub Units Within Organizational Unit Report.

Supranational Or Compartmental: Applying The Question Of European Union Identity To The Topic Of Disinformation, Eric Myhre

European Union Policy Studies Graduate Symposium

The proliferation of disinformation is not a new phenomenon. However, the increasingly interconnected nature of the global environment means that disinformation is more effective now than ever before. Western societies are simultaneously experiencing a growing political stratification and third-party intervention in their respective democratic processes and institutions. State actors have utilized social media, hybrid warfare tactics, and automated disinformation tools to exacerbate divisions in society. Therefore, it is crucial that such societies develop sufficient capabilities to proportionately counter third-party interventionism. This paper aims to examine the relative counterdisinformation measures taken by the European Union (EU) in order to draw comparisons …

Power Output In Rugby Players Comparing Unilateral And Bilateral Isotonic Upper-Body Resistance Exercise, Evan Nakachi, James D. George, Allen Parcell, Dennis Eggett, Brent Feland

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 12(6): 691-700, 2019. Bilateral deficit (BLD) occurs when the internal muscular force generated during simultaneous bilateral limb exercise is lower than the sum of internal muscular forces generated during separate right limb and left limb unilateral exercise, while attempting to oppose the same total external load. Numerous BLD studies have evaluated force output differences during exercise; however, no study has determined whether BLD exists when generating power during isotonic upper-body exercise. To address this, we measured and compared power output across unilateral and bilateral isotonic upper-body exercise. Seventeen college male rugby players (age = 21.8 …

Business Card-Frank Ryan, Vp Of Corporate Communications, Blue Cross And Blue Shield Of Florida, Inc.

Florida Blue Archives Printed Materials

Business Card-Frank Ryan, VP of Corporate Communications.

Religiosity, Parental Support, And Formal Volunteering Among Teenagers, Isaac Paintsil

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Few countries can boast of having the culture of volunteering seen in the United States. In explaining this phenomenon, many empirical studies have found religiosity significant in predicting volunteering behaviors among young adults, adults, and the elderly. However, teens (13 – 17 years) have not attracted much attention from researchers, though they possess the time and resources most needed to volunteer. Using data from the National Study on Youth and Religion (NSYR) Wave 1, this study examines the relationship between volunteering and teens’ private (religious salience and religious experience) and collective religiosity (religious tradition, church attendance, and youth group participation). …

Exploring Cancer Health Disparities Among Formerly Incarcerated African Americans, Vickii Coffey, Tera Ivy, Brittany Harding, Mary Muse, Carolyn Rodgers, Lori Crowder, Shirley Spencer, Joseph Strickland, Giesela Grumbach, Linda Campos-Moreira, Delawnia Comer-Hagans, Alicia Matthews

Research Days

Incarcerated populations have a higher burden of chronic disease and elevated risk factors for cancer (BJS, 2012). In 2013, cancer (31%) and heart disease (26%) accounted for over half of all prisoner deaths. The Genomics Research Program of the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (2016) identified incarcerated persons as an understudied population about which there is limited data regarding cancer risks and outcomes. A majority of studies on corrections populations focus on health issues associated with reduction of infectious diseases such as HIV, Tuberculosis, and Hepatitis. Scant research has been conducted on issues associated with …

Automated Root Cause Analysis For Mitigating Risk To Application Programming Interfaces In Internet Of Things Infrastructure, Sai Kiran Reddy Malikireddy, Lalit Jain, Bipin Algubelli, Chandra Veluru, Vivek Parekh, Dileep Kumar, Vimal Suba

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described herein for detecting anomalies in Application Programming Interface (API) request/response/payloads and determining probable root causes by analyzing the log, request payload, response payload, and metric data of the hosts serving the API in the Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure. The API response time is captured in the log messages and the anomalies are detected using machine learning and statistical techniques. Given the anomalies in API response time and the probable root cause in real time, the IoT administrator may identify the root cause without manual effort and remediate the anomaly by taking appropriate action. Thus, the techniques …

An Improved Method For Intelligent Screen Layout, Robert Barton, Jerome Henry, Maik Seewald, Mojan Mobasser

Defensive Publications Series

Techniques are described for a mechanism to intelligently change layouts of a video conference or other collaborative meeting based on a variety of possible inputs (e.g., age of the shared screen, user preference, use of white boards, audience gaze, word matching, etc.). The mechanism resizes the shared screen for a collaborative meeting using an algorithm that estimates the current attention to the screen versus meeting participant intercommunications. The goal of the mechanism is to right-size the shared content so that it does not interfere with the live video conversation and to optimize the overall experience for meeting participants.

Benefits And Constraints Of Telepsychiatry And Rural Healthcare In The United States And West Virginia, Alberto Coustasse

Faculty Research Day

About 60 million individuals, or 19.3% of the U.S population, lived in rural areas. Rural areas have encountered a higher than average shortage of mental health services, transportation, number of providers, poverty, and lack of insurance. The purpose of this research was to analyze the quality of care with the utilization of telemedicine in psychiatric care as well as its potential cost-saving benefits to both the payers and patients in the US and West Virginia. Tele psychiatric has been a successfully integrated program into psychiatric facilities reaching rural, prisons or city facilities based on that it has increased the volume …

A Promise-Ing Change? West Virginia’S Merit Aid Program And College Enrollment, Nabaneeta Biswas

Faculty Research Day

Merit-based aid is known to increase college attendance and completion. By altering the economic costs of higher education and providing incentives for academic excellence such programs increase the educational attainment of student populations. In a similar vein, West Virginia’s college scholarship program, PROMISE has been found to improve educational outcomes of college attendees and facilitate on-time degree completion among scholarship recipients. However, little is known about the scholarship’s impact on college-going rates. For a state with historically low rates of college attendance this is a pertinent question. This paper examines the effects of PROMISE on enrollments at post-secondary institutes. Using …

An Analysis Of Job Application Method Preference: Comparing Online And Traditional Recruitment Systems, Uyi Lawani

Faculty Research Day

The use of the internet has become pervasive in the recruitment process involving both hirers and job seekers. Prior to this era, firms relied on traditional methods for recruitment. Presently, organizations try to balance the combination of electronic hiring tools and various other traditional methods for recruitment but they differ in the extent to which they adopt a mix of these systems. While some can be found at the extremes, others situated in between have adopted hybrid forms that combine both methods in varying proportions. Candidates who are mainly the targets of these recruitment approaches are the consumers of what …

The Impact Of Fictive Kin Relationships On The Development Of Attributional Styles, Megan Rodgers, David Swanson

Research Days

The term fictive kin is used to describe social ties that are based on neither blood ties, nor by marriage. Fictive kin are granted many of the same rights as family members and are expected to participate in the roles of the extended family. Research on fictive kin relationships often examines the African-American community and focuses on the effects of building strong social bonds outside the family. The constructive role fictive kin play in a person’s life suggests that these relationships serve as an important foundation in engaging in helping behavior. Helping behavior refers to actions intended to benefit another …

50 Years Of Student Research At Governors State University, Shailendra Kumar

Research Days

The three pillars that provide the foundations for the excellent education at GSU are teaching, research, and service. Faculty and students have engaged in myriad of research activities since the inception of GSU in 1969. This presentation highlights the efforts, successes, and triumphs of students research in the last fifty years. Prior to 1995, students engaged in research, published in journals, and presented their work in professional conferences. A formal forum in the form of an Annual GSU Student Research Conference was introduced in 1995 by the Provost Office to provide students to present their research work before an audience …

Microbial Abundance And The Pattern Of Escherichia Coli Antibiotic Sensitivity And Resistance In Deer Creek And The Potential Impact Of A Veterinarian Hospital’S Input, Sarah Boxer, Tim Gsell

Research Days

The gram-negative bacteria, E. coli, is an indicator of fecal input for both point and non-point source origin. The veterinarian hospital located on Deer Creek may contribute to high antibiotic levels, which are known to select for resistant strains of bacteria living in impacted waters. The water running north of the veterinarian hospital was considered potentially antibiotic influenced as it was downstream of the site. The origin of the stream and sites upstream from the hospital were considered influent water. Sediments were also collected from these sites to determine if more long term resident E. coli were present with elevated …

The Impact Of Gsu Faculty Research: A Review Of The First 50 Years, Paul Blobaum

Research Days

Background: Since its founding in 1969, Governors State University Faculty and staff have created new knowledge and disseminated research results, impacting knowledge globally.

Objective: This study seeks to measure the impact of GSU faculty and staff research. Who are the most productive authors, and what are the top most cited publications? What is GSU's impact on our region, state, and beyond?

Methods: A descriptive study to identify methods for reviewing primary sources and research tools for reviewing faculty research outputs retrospectively for a 50 year period. Tools available to GSU such as Web of Science, Digital Commons, were utilized and …

Systematic Review On Tobacco Marketing In Vulnerable Populations, Brittney Harding, Lisa Aponte-Soto, Phd, Mha

Research Days

Introduction: Tobacco use is the most common preventable cause of death and it increases one’s risk for numerous diseases, associated illness, and death. Unfortunately, certain populations are disproportionality burdened by tobacco-related morbidity and death. These populations consist of individuals from low-income areas, people with mental illnesses, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, African-Americans, and Hispanics/Latinos.

Methods: Articles were retrieved using Google Scholar, University of Illinois at Chicago Library (UIC) search engine, and PubMed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website was used as source to find information about certain demographics. Articles were chosen if they were published between the years …

Analyzing The Concept Of Human Security And R2p As A Part Of Eu Foreign Policy., Chelsea Jones

European Union Policy Studies Graduate Symposium

The traditional notion of security has changed significantly since the end of the Cold War. We now live in a world where war is no longer being fought primarily against nations but within nations. The concept of human security put forward by the United Nations is viewed through the lens of the individual rather than the state. By having a right to the “freedom from fear” and “freedom from want”, this paper examines how EU foreign and defense policies have evolved since human security and the Responsibility to Protect have emerged. This paper analyzes both concepts against the five main …

The Political Intervention And Public Policy Influencing High Tuition Rates At South Carolina Colleges And Universities, Zuri Anderson

Showcase of Undergraduate Research and Creative Endeavors (SOURCE)

Winthrop University students often ask why the institution’s tuition rates are so high. This is an important question for students, who wonder why they pay higher tuition and fees to Winthrop compared to other universities with similar services. This investigative journalism project informs people, especially curious Winthrop students, about the complex reasons for Winthrop’s tuition rates. Open records, government documents, primary and secondary sources, public sources, news articles, in-depth interviews, and statistical research were utilized and analyzed for the research. Following the 2007 recession, which changed the financial landscape for colleges and universities, postsecondary and higher education faced funding issues. …

Stabilization And Association Agreement Between Kosovo And The European Union, Alba Jakupi

European Union Policy Studies Graduate Symposium

The collapse of Yugoslavia resulted in tremendous conflicts across Western Balkans territories. Since the mid 2000s, the EU has become a key security and stability provider in these countries in order to help in the process of reconciliation and prosperity, while also offering annexation to the EU, upon the condition of the fulfillment of basic criteria. Hence, in 2005 the EU's relations with the Western Balkans states and territories transformed from the "External Relations" to the "Enlargement" policy segment. As of 2015, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia are officially recognized as state candidates for membership, whereas Kosovo and Bosnia …

A Poisoned Well: An Analysis Of Divergent Narratives And Their Consequences In Turkish Accession From 2013 To Present., Jonathan Hatter

European Union Policy Studies Graduate Symposium

Since being accepted as a candidate in 2005, the Republic of Turkey has been part of erratic accession negotiations with the European Union. While initially hopeful, EU and Turkish narratives around this process have oscillated wildly between three separate states: convergence, cooperation, and divergence. This paper explores the steady changes in these themes and what they mean for Turkey’s public opinion and its future accession negotiations. Through its analysis of these themes, this paper concludes that institutional narratives on accession have a substantial impact on the way accession is viewed by the Turkish public. With this in mind, an exploration …

The Unique Interplay Of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy And Preeclampsia In An Appalachian Obstetric Patient., Oluwafisayo Sunkanmi Fasanmi, Racine Nita Edwards-Silva

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Introduction: Peripartum Cardiomyopathy (PPCM) affects 1 in 3,000 pregnancies and accounts for 5% of heart transplants in US women. Preeclampsia is one of the Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy (HDOP) that has been epidemiologically associated with PPCM which is a form of dilated cardiomyopathy. This concurrent clinical presentation of PPCM with associated Preeclampsia appears to be increasing in rural Northeast Tennessee. The diagnosis of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy is made by echocardiographic criteria of left ventricular dysfunction with LVEF

Case Presentation: A 22 year old G2P0010 @ 33 weeks and 1 day gestation was accepted as a transfer of care from an outside …

The Protection Of Cultural Heritage Sites As A Mechanism For Further European Union Foreign Policy Integration: An Analysis Of Language And Objectives, Katherine Hayes

European Union Policy Studies Graduate Symposium

Culture and cultural heritage have long been ignored or pushed into the background when it comes to being considered in foreign and security policy decisions by major world players, including the European Union. However, as the EU’s desired Common Foreign and Security Policy continues to face large hurdles due to indifference and even repulsion towards continued integration and a larger focus on national sovereignty, the governing bodies of the EU have sought new ways to further integration in this field without relying on solely military action or policy. One such way they have found to do this has been through …

Cardiovirology Clinic For Primary Prevention In Hiv Patients: A Quality Improvement Assessment, Jae G. Maeng, Stephen A. Geraci

Appalachian Student Research Forum

INTRODUCTION

With effective highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection now enjoy life expectancies approaching those of uninfected individuals. Prolonged longevity has increased the prevalence of non-communicable comorbidities within the HIV patient population. HIV is a known independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), imparting a 1.5-2 -fold higher incidence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) on infected patients. Deaths from ASCVD have increased as a result, despite a decline in total mortality. The Center of Excellence for HIV/AIDS care established a Cardiovirology Clinic (CvC) focused on providing primary and secondary preventative cardiovascular care …

The Influence Of Diabetes On Peripheral Arterial Disease Comorbidities In The Central Appalachian Region Between 2008 And 2018., Moboni Mokikan, Sylvester Olubolu Orimaye, Adeola Olubukola Awujoola, Olufeyisayo Opeyemi Odebunmi, Adekunle Olumide Oke, Arsham Alamian, David Stewart, Liang Wang, Amy Poole, Terrie Walker, Gerald Blackwell, Hadii Mamudu

Appalachian Student Research Forum

Abstract

Background: Over 100 million people in the United States (U.S.) have diagnosed diabetes or pre-diabetes. People with this condition are at an increased risk of Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD). There is a high prevalence of people with risk factors of diabetes especially in the rural Central Appalachia region. People with diabetes are at a higher risk of developing atherosclerosis, which is the most common cause of PAD. Although about 20–30% of 12 million people affected with PAD in the U.S. have diabetes, little is known about diabetes in PAD patients in Central Appalachia. Therefore, this study aimed to …

Assessing Learning Orientation To Maximize Academic Achievement, Megan Rodgers

Research Days

The Student Behavior Checklist (SBC) is a tool which helps teachers monitor how students approach learning by measuring the constructs of learned helplessness and mastery orientation. Learned helplessness is a passive behavior that is characterized by an inability to learn, often displayed in students who are frequently subjected to stressful events. Individuals who develop learned helplessness attribute failures to personal inadequacy, which lead to negative attitudes towards tasks, becoming overwhelmed with frustration, and developing less effective strategies after failure. A concept of behavior in contrast to learned helplessness is mastery orientation. Mastery orientated students believe that they effort they put …

Surveying Prevalence Of Cryptosporidium In Fecal Material Of Rural And Suburban Canis Latrans Of Illinois, Emily E. Metzger

Research Days

Cryptosporidium is a microparasite that infects the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals. This microparasite can cause waterborne disease and can be in any type of water source. In natural areas, animals, such as coyotes, drink from different water sources, such as streams, ponds, and stagnant pools. These water sources tend to have an abundance of fecal material run off from the surrounding areas. Because humans are slowly taking over natural land, they are having more frequent contact with wildlife. As coyotes are very pliable in using a diversity of habitats, they are slowing roaming into areas with …

2018 Guide Summer Research - Breast Cancer, Qur'annah Jones, Delawnia Comer-Hagans

Research Days

This research poster details the relationship between cancer treatments and alternative approaches, such as mindfulness. The purpose of this study was to determine the methodology used by doctors to treat breast cancer and their willingness to try a holistic approach. This study was conducted on site at the UIC Cancer Center as well as remotely within hospitals around the Chicagoland area. We determined that mindfulness is in fact a worthwhile asset to breast cancer patients and that the field of oncology could support further research.