Digital Commons Network^™

The Rise Of Private Military Companies, Kaelinn Sabline-Mccullough

[Archive] Belmont University Research Symposium (BURS)

Why has the use of Private Military Companies "PMCs" increased since the global war on terrorism? What services are PMC contracted to perform? Since the global war on terrorism, there has been an increased use of PMCs. Scholars have attempted to understand the increased use of PMCs by examining the economic relationship between PMCs and the government and have attributed their cost-effectiveness to their increased use. Other analyses focus on the period of downsizing militaries that followed the Cold War's conclusion and contributed the policies that embraced the outsourcing of contractors to perform certain tasks that allow the limit personal …

Investigation Of Corrosion Mechanism Of Ribbed Mild Steel Bars Coated With Magnesium Potassium Phosphate Cement Paste, Fan Zhang, John J. Myers, Wenyu Liao, Cun Hui, Hongyan Ma

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This Study Investigated the Anti-Corrosion Performance of Magnesium Potassium Phosphate Cement (MKPC) Paste Applied to the Surface of Ribbed Mild Steel Bars – Which Was Exposed to Simulated Accelerated Corrosive Environment. Four Electrochemical Approaches Were Used Including Open-Circuit Potential (OCP), Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscope (EIS), Polarization Resistance (PR) and Potentiodynamic Polarization (PDP) over a Period of 5376 H (224 Days). Moreover, Visual Inspection, Optical Microscope, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) Were Used to Assess the Extent of Corrosion on the Samples. to Understand the Mechanism of Corrosion Protection of the Coating System, X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) …

In Re: Ltl Management Llc

2023 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

In Re: Ltl Management Llc

2023 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Usa V. Marshall Onuorah

2023 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Emilio Romero V. Township Of Tobyhanna

2023 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Are Deficit Perspectives Thriving In Trauma-Informed Schools? A Historical And Anti-Racist Reflection, Cora Palma, Annmary S. Abdou, Scot Danforth, Amy Jane Griffiths

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Mental health research concerning adverse childhood experiences and neurocognitive trauma has prompted many school districts to pursue the development of trauma-informed schools that attend specifically to the emotional and instructional needs of affected students. Researchers and practitioners are fast proliferating trauma-informed professional practices. Given research findings indicating disproportionate impacts of trauma on students of color and those living in poverty, in this article, we examine the risks of trauma-informed educational programs reanimating cultural deficit theories from the 1960s about marginalized students and families. Educators are challenged to thoughtfully fortify trauma-informed schooling by increasing awareness of deficit perspectives and incorporating critical …

Manual Therapy And Exercise For The Management Of Chronic Neck Pain With Multiple Neurovascular Comorbidities: A Case Report, Zach Mayo, Christopher Keating

Department of Physical Therapy Faculty Papers

This case describes the clinical decision-making behind the conservative clinical management of an individual presenting with chronic neck pain with myriad neuromuscular comorbidities. The focus of this case report is to support the safe utilization of manual therapy and describe the tolerable prescription of strength and endurance exercise in a patient with numerous complications to improve self-efficacy. A 22-year-old female college student presented with a chief complaint of chronic, non-specific neck pain with comorbid Chiari malformation, migraines, upper cervical spinal fusion, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) to an outpatient physical therapy clinic for evaluation and treatment. …

Finding Harmony: Social Tags And Name Authority Records In The Popular Music Domain, Kabel Nathan Stanwicks, Hemalata Iyer

University Libraries Faculty Scholarship

Libraries and cultural institutions use cataloging and metadata standards to describe works and those responsible for creating them. These standards are used to create name authority records (NAR) to collocate creators’ works under single, authorized versions of their names. NARs employ controlled vocabulary to describe individuals and disambiguate names. NAR production is costly; therefore, few are updated when standards are revised, and controlled vocabularies are slow to adapt to a rapidly changing information landscape. Artificial intelligence provides opportunities to leverage social tagging to update and enhance NARs, while simultaneously improving user search and discovery. Our research demonstrates that social tags …

"It's All In Your Head": Abnormal Visual Processing During Magnetoencephalography Is Associated With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury In Us Veterans, David Quinn, Megan Schendel, Adam Littleton, Marcus Sterling, Joel Upston, Thomas Jones, Lindsay Worth, Kevin Wilson, Jude Chavez, Jessica Richardson, Chang Yaramothu, Tara Alvarez, Michael Hoffer, Stacey Harris-Carriman, Andrew Mayer, Julia Stephen

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

No abstract provided.

20230331_Transgender Day Of Visibility, Varina Kosovich

HSLIC Blog Post

No abstract provided.

Depression Severity Relates To Lower Information Encoding In The Rewp Following High Positive-Affect Feedback, Garima Singh, Trevor Cj Jackson, Mark Lavelle, Darin R. Brown, James F. Cavanagh

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

The Reward Positivity (RewP) is a positive deflection in the EEG sensitive to reward receipt. Recent evidence suggests that the RewP is modulated by both reward probability as well as affective valuation (“liking”). We hypothesize that this latter “liking” feature is specifically affected in major depression. We recruited 69 participants (MDD =35, Control= 34) who completed a reinforcement learning task (green or red screen feedback) with concurrent affective images. We specifically examined the modulation of the RewP when paired with hedonically preferred images (puppies) vs. less-preferred images (cows). There was no group difference in “liking” ratings of puppy or cow …

Third-Wave Treatments For Impulsivity In Addictive Disorders: A Narrative Review Of The Active Ingredients And Overall Efficacy, David Ik Moniz-Lewis, Hannah A. Carlon, Hanna Hebden, Felicia R. Tuchman, Victoria R. Votaw, Elena R. Stein, Katie Witkiewitz

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Purpose of Review: The goal of this review was to (1) synthesize recent studies that have examined impulsive behaviors in third-wave behavioral treatments, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Interventions, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and (2) examine the efficacy of these third-wave treatments in modifying impulsivity among individuals with addictive disorders.

Recent Findings: Recent studies indicate the potential for third-wave treatments in both treating addictive disorders and targeting the underlying neurocognitive mechanisms of impulsivity. Concerns around the conceptualization of impulsivity as a construct warrant the use of improved measurement of impulsive behaviors in future work.

Summary of Results: Through shared …

Apoptosis-Associated Speck-Like Protein Containing A Card (Asc) As A Potential Biomarker Of Dementia In Cerebrospinal Fluid, Kathryn Sánchez, Shanya Jiang, Sasha Hobson, Jeff E. Thompson, Sharina P. Desai, Gary A. Rosenberg, Kiran Bhaskar

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Dementia impacts about fifty-five million individuals world-wide, and this number is expected to double every twenty years according to the World Health Organization. Though amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles comprised of the hyperphosphorylated microtubule-associated protein tau are established hallmarks of dementia, inflammation is critical to its pathology. In a pathological state, microglia, which are the innate immune cells of the brain, assemble a multiprotein complex called the inflammasome. The inflammasome is composed of the NACHT, LRR, and PYD domain-containing protein 3 (NLRP3); the adaptor protein apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a CARD (ASC); and inflammatory caspase 1 (cysteine-dependent aspartate-directed protease …

Deficiency In Interleukin-1 Receptor Accessory Protein (Il-1rap) Alleviates Tau Pathology, Somayeh Dadras, Kiran Bhaskar

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Neuroinflammation is associated with hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of tau, which results in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles in tauopathy brains. However, the precise mechanisms of how brain inflammation drives this process remains unclear. Previously, we have reported that tau pathology is induced in neurons through microglia-derived IL-1. It is unclear how IL-1 signaling is regulated in a cell-specific manner and at the receptor level. An important factor in IL-1/IL-1R1 signaling is IL-1 receptor accessory protein (IL-1RAP). In response to IL-1β, IL-1R1 engages IL-1RAP and activates NF-kB or p38 MAPK leading to downstream effects. In this study, we aimed to determine …

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure Exaggerates Nlrp3 Inflammasome-Dependent Immune Interactions Following Morphine Treatment That Paradoxically Increases The Chronicity Of Pathological Pain In Mice, A A. Pasmay, A A. Pritha, J R. Carter, M S. Sun, A Kf Oropeza, L Fauzi, D C. Jimenez, M Murphy, D D. Savage, C F. Valenzuela, E D. Milligan, S Noor

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

In utero alcohol exposure can lead to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) which can result in a range of neurobehavioral deficits. Prenatal Alcohol exposure (PAE) can lead to chronic central nervous system (CNS) immune dysfunction during adulthood. Our prior work has demonstrated that adult PAE rat offspring with minimal nerve injury develop pathological light touch sensitivity or allodynia due to aberrant peripheral and spinal glial-immune interactions resulting in increased levels of pain inducing proinflammatory cytokine, IL-1β. We suspect that PAE-related adaptations may “prime” CNS glial-immune cells to over-respond to subtle immune challenges through innate immune receptors, TLR4 and Nod-like receptor …

Investigating Mechanisms Of Covid-19 Neuropsychological Dysfunction, Jude Chavez, Kevin Wilson, Karen Luo, Sarah Ward, Marcus Sterling, Adam Littleton, Ethan Campbell, John Romero, Richard Campbell, Darbi Gill, Jeremy Hogeveen, Jessica Richardson, David K. Quinn

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Background Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a highly pathogenic human coronavirus that typically causes respiratory infection. Evidence suggests that 10-15% of patients experience chronic neurologic symptoms, such as fatigue, headaches, and cognitive impairment.10 SARS-CoV-2 is thought to invade neural tissue, triggering immune system response, which may lead to brain dysfunction.7 The resulting brain dysfunction may be demonstrated through abnormal MRI and electroencephalography (EEG).4,8,9

Objective This study aims to establish foundational knowledge about the subacute and chronic neurocognitive effects of COVID-19, determine the pathologic mechanisms associated, and develop effective tools to guide and enhance treatment.

Hypothesis Neuro-positive COVID patients …

Enrichment-Mediated Neurogenesis Is Impaired In The Ventral Hippocampus In A Mouse Model Of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (Fasd) And Potential Therapeutic Intervention, A M. Rodriguez, L Li, L A. Cunningham

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is a leading cause of preventable intellectual disability and neural developmental disorders. Depression and anxiety are the most common mental illness in people with FASD. These disorders are related to ventral hippocampus function. The hippocampus is unique in its ability to produce new neurons throughout life. In fact, part of the therapeutic effect of some common antidepressants is to increase neurogenesis. Previous research conducted by our lab has shown that in a mouse model of FASD, enriched-environment (EE) mediated neurogenesis in the dorsal hippocampus is inhibited, this correlates with impaired pattern discrimination learning (Gustus et …

The Risk Analysis Index Has Superior Discrimination Compared To The Modified Frailty Index-5 In Predicting Worse Postoperative Outcomes For The Octogenarian Neurosurgical Patient, Alyssa Yocky, Oluwafemi Owodunni, Evan Courville, Syed Faraz Kazim, Meic Schmidt, Susan Gearhart, Naomi George, Diana Green-Chandos, Christian Bowers

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Background

Healthcare systems continuously strive to improve quality and value of the care. Advances in surgical technologies, enhanced perioperative surgical planning, and multidisciplinary care strategies are increasing the number of elective procedures in the geriatric population. However, frail older adults are more still likely to have poor postoperative outcomes. We examined the discriminative thresholds for the risk analysis index (RAI), modified frailty index-5 (mFI-5) and increasing patient age for predicting adverse postoperative outcomes.

Methods

Octogenarian neurosurgery patients undergoing spine, cranial, and other procedures, captured in the ACS-NSQIP between 2012-2020 were included. We employed receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to examine …

The Effects Of Moderate Prenatal Alcohol Exposure On Navigation In A Delayed Non-Match-To-Place Spatial Alternation Task By Adult Male And Female Rats, Gabriela Acosta, Suzy Davies, Daniel D. Savage, Benjamin J. Clark

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure (PAE) has been found to result in structural alterations to regions of the brain involved in spatial memory, including the thalamus and hippocampus. Previous studies have shown that spatial memory is impaired after moderate PAE (mPAE; ~60-80 mg/dL) and damage to the limbic thalamus and hippocampus. Recent work has shown that visual-spatial discrimination memory is impaired after mPAE in a sex-specific manner such that female mice exhibit greater deficits after 15sec retention intervals. It is unclear whether similar-sex specific deficits would be observed in tests of spatial memory or in a rat model of mPAE. Thus, the …

Health Literacy Is Linked To Executive Functioning In Older American Indians, Alexis Burks, Anastacia Romero, Macaiah Shendo, Steven P. Verney

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Objective: Health literacy (HL), the ability to understand healthcare information and navigate the healthcare system, is strongly associated with both educational achievement and executive functioning. Many American Indians (AIs) experienced traumatic early education, such as harsh boarding schools, which may impact their educational achievement, and subsequently, HL. Further, AIs disproportionately experience many chronic diseases. This study investigates the relationship between HL and executive functioning in older AIs.

Participants and Methods: Participants were recruited from a southwestern urban area who self-identified as AIs aged 55 to 80 (N=43). Participants were asked to complete questionnaires, interviews, and neuropsychological tests over two sessions. …

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Is An Empirically Supported Treatment For Substance Use Disorder, Cassandra L. Boness, Victoria R. Votaw, Frank J. Schwebel, David Ik Moniz-Lewis, Kathryn Mchugh, Katie Witkiewitz

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a commonly used treatment for a variety of substance use disorders (SUD) but has not been evaluated using the American Psychological Association’s “Tolin Criteria” which serves as the current standard for determining the empirical basis of psychological treatments. The current systematic review of reviews evaluated five meta-analyses of CBT for SUD. One meta-analysis had sufficient quality to be considered in the evaluation of effect sizes. CBT produced small to moderate effects on substance use, including quantity and frequency, when compared to inactive treatment and was most effective at early follow-up (1-6 months post-treatment; g_{range …}

Creating A Quality Of Life For People With Brain Injuries, Ken Collins

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Ken Collins has lived with his brain injury for over 46 years and has worked with people with brain injuries and other disabilities to live independently since 1983: http://www.educationviews.org/ken-collins-reflections-recovery-head-injury/ He is an advocate of developing home and community-based services for people with brain injuries. In 1986-88 he was a VISTA Volunteer and helped develop the first independent living program for people with brain injuries in the U.S. http://www.sheltercare.org/2016/03/uhlhorn-beginnings/ Ken has participated in indigenous healing practices in the treatment of brain injury (Sweat Lodge, Hogan Ceremonies, NAC) and promotes the use of mindfulness-based stress reduction, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) tapping, Tai …

The Littlest Thinkers: Neonatal Cognitive Development Investigation Using Eeg, Katy Cody-Cavanagh, Aaron Cardon, Jessie Maxwell, Dawn Novak, Neurodiagnostics Lab

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

This is an ongoing research study investigating neonatal cognitive development using EEG (electroencephalogram) and auditory event-related potentials (AERPs). Very little is known about the cognitive brain development in neonates, and even less is known about neonates who have neurologic concerns, as they are often excluded from participation in other developmental studies. We used a non invasive and non participatory method for analyzing cognition by way of the mismatched negativity (MMN) event related potential. This is a cortically evoked electrophysiological response to the brain’s awareness of a change in auditory stimuli. The negative EEG deflection that occurs between 150-400ms after a …

Quality Of Education & Level Of Education In Association With Executive Functioning In Older American Indians, Eunice Kim, Alexis Burks, Katherine Edwards, Maria Mccready, Emily Kuehn, Jezreel Romero, Steven P. Verney

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Objective: Level of educational achievement is often associated with executive functioning (EF) and overall health. However, education level does not account for the quality of education, which may be a better educational index for older American Indians (AIs). Many older AIs have suffered traumatic educational experiences, such as forced boarding schools and relocation focused on cultural assimilation rather than subject knowledge. This study investigated the relationship between EF and quality of education in older AIs.

Participants and Methods: Participants were recruited from a southwestern urban area who self-identified as AI aged 55 to 80 years (N=42). Participants completed questionnaires, interviews, …

Urine Anxiety Chronic Pain Model, Alexis Gravelle, Karin High, Sascha Alles, Marena Montera

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Chronic stress is linked closely with mood disorders such as anxiety and depression. These behaviors can be measured to understand chronic pain more effectively. Previous studies have shown that similar pathways are used to treat both chronic pain and chronic anxiety. In this study a predatory stress model offers a non-physical pain stimulus as an avenue to invoke an anxiety response. To mimic a predatory situation, the behavior of BALB/c mice in response to regular exposure to coyote urine was analyzed. The use of a non-physical stressor elicits a similar response to the stress that an adult experiences daily. This …

Moderate Pae-Induced Deficits In Ltp And Glutamate Levels In The Dentate Gyrus: Enhancement In Ltp With The Histamine H3 Receptor Inverse Agonist Sar153954, Monica Goncalves-Garcia, Gabriela Acosta, Suzy Davies, Daniel D. Savage, D A. Hamilton

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

The hippocampus is susceptible to the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) which can result in persistent cognitive impairments.

The hippocampus is susceptible to the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) which can result in persistent cognitive impairments. Although there have been many investigations, deficits in synaptic plasticity remain poorly understood. Previous studies have identified deficits in long-term potentiation (LTP) in the perforant pathway(PP) to dentate gyrus synapses as a robust consequence of PAE. Currently, there are no known, clinically effective pharmacotherapeutic interventions for these deficits. This study sought to investigate the effects of PAE on the pre-synaptic mechanisms involved …

Striving Towards Universal Treatment: The Novel "Full Spectrum People-With-Opioid-Use-Disorder Care Model", Richard Gadomski, Snehal Bhatt, Jessica Gross, Tony Dixon, Phillip Fiuty, Max Sharpiro, Rafael Fernandez-Manacha, Julie Salvador

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Background:

People with Opioid Use Disorder (PWOUD) represent an underserved and marginalized population. Low-barrier programs like mobile care units and street outreach programs have yielded increased access to buprenorphine and social services, however OUD pertinent co-occurring behavioral health and medical conditions are frequently left unaddressed. A novel, tailored, comprehensive care delivery model may reduce disparities and improve access to care across a range of pathologies in this historically difficult to reach population and enhance efforts to provide universal treatment access.

Methods:

Descriptive data was collected and analyzed regarding patient demographics, retention in treatment and services rendered at a new, wrap-around, …

A Novel Methodological Approach Of Collecting Mri In Newborns And Infants Without Sedation In A Multi-Site Consortium Pilot Study, Lidia Enriquez Marquez, Tracey Wick, Crystal Almeida, Alexandria Wiesel, Arvind Caprihan, Ludmila Bakhireva, Andrew R. Mayer

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Background: The HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) is a multi-site research study (25 sites) designed to prospectively examine brain and behavioral development beginning prenatally through mid-childhood. The study will determine the impacts of a variety of risk and resilience environmental factors, including prenatal exposure to substances, from a diverse sample of pregnant individuals and their live-born children. The study incorporates repeated neuroimaging and neurophysiological measures (magnetic resonance imaging, MRI). One aspect of the HBCD pilot phase focuses on optimizing non-sedation techniques to facilitate MRI data acquisition in newborns (<1 month) and infants (≤9 months).

Methods: Concerted efforts were devoted to maximize scanning rates …

Effect Of Recorded Maternal Voice On Quantitative Eeg In The Preterm Newborn, Meghan Groghan, Aaron Cardon, Kate Cavanaugh, Dawn Novak

Brain & Behavioral Health Research Day

Background: Despite continued advances in quality medical care for premature infants, neurodevelopmental delay remains one of the most common complications of prematurity. It is also known that early diagnosis and intervention for developmental delays leads to improved outcomes. More recently, quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) has shown potential as a prognostic tool for identifying delays in preterm infants but remains an underutilized assessment. Maternal voice exposure has positive effects on autonomic stability and feeding vigor/tolerance in preterm infants. This novel study aims to investigate the effects of recorded maternal voice on qEEG patterns in preterm neonates.

Methods: Prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial …