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Evaluation Of Antibacterial Activity For Aqueous Exteracted Combination Of Triphala And Aloe-Vera Against Streptoccocus Oralis: (In Vitro Study), Abbas Hussein Irrihaim, Maha Abdul-Aziz Ahmed

Muthanna Medical Journal

Background: Streptoccocus Oralis is an early colonizer in dental biofilm and contributes to plaque formation and periodontal inflammation. The search for safe, natural antimicrobial alternatives has increased interest in herbal agents such as Triphala and Aloe vera. However, their combined activity against S. oralis has not been fully assessed alongside phytochemical profiling.

Aim: To evaluate the antibacterial activity of aqueous-extracted Triphala, Aloe vera, and their combination against S. oralis, including inhibition zone measurement, MIC, MBC, and HPLC characterization. Materials and Methods: Aloe vera gel and Triphala powder were extracted using aqueous extraction and freeze-drying. Antibacterial activity was assessed using …

Proportion Of Uti And Associated Risk Factors Among Young Female Medical Students In The Age Group 17-25 Years In An Educational Institution In South Kerala, Maria Thomas Tressa, Prasanand S, Ajas Sn

Muthanna Medical Journal

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common infection in women and frequently recur in young hostel-dwelling females. This study aims to estimate the Proportion of UTI and identify associated behavioural and hygiene-related risk factors among female medical students aged 17–25 years. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional analytical study was conducted from August to October 2024 at Dr. Somervell Memorial C.S.I. Medical College, Karakonam. Sample size of 139 was calculated using Proportion of 40.8% with 8% precision. All eligible female students were included after written informed consent. A pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire was used. Data were analysed using …

Immune Checkpoint Inhibition In Relapsed Or Refractory Hodgkin Lymphoma: A U.S. Cohort Analysis, Daniel R. Whitman, Emily K. Patterson, Jonathan M. Reyes, Laura B. Chen

Muthanna Medical Journal

Background: Relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) remains a therapeutic challenge, particularly in patients who progress after multiple lines of therapy or autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting the programmed death-1 (PD-1) pathway have demonstrated substantial activity in clinical trials; however, real-world outcomes in routine clinical practice across heterogeneous patient populations in the United States remain limited. This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of PD-1 blockade in patients with relapsed or refractory cHL treated in a U.S. cohort. Methods: We conducted a retrospective multicenter cohort study including adult patients (≥ 18 years) with histologically confirmed …

Honor Everyone, Nicholas Wolterstorff

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The CPI is a joint project of Calvin University and Calvin Theological Seminary. The project is a five-year program of courses offered in the prison by Calvin professors, culminating in a Bachelor’s or Associate degree from Calvin. Each year, a cohort of twenty new students is admitted from applicants around the state prison system.

Sars-Cov-2 Nonspike Structural Proteins Hijack Mucosa Epithelial Cell Fate, Yan Gao, Lucas Lacerda Souza, Hong Soon Kang, Zehan Li, Juan Carlos Hernandez-Guerrero, Fábio Abreu Alves, Wei Zhang, Vikram Sharma, Sally Hanks, Jinhua Yu, Christopher Tredwin, Anton M. Jetten, Ciro Dantas Soares, Bing Hu

Peninsula Dental School

COVID-19 patients readily present with severe epithelial damage, such as tissue ulceration and erosion, along with disrupted tissue repair, in multiple organs. The mucous membranes of the lung alveoli [1, 2], gastrointestinal tract [3, 4], nasal [5] and oral cavity [6, 7] are the primary targets of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The infected epithelium triggers a dysregulated immune response that further damages tissues and organs [8, 9–10]. Increasing evidence suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can cause direct damage to epithelial cells and fibroblasts [11, 12–13]. Here, we report that the mucosa epithelia of COVID-19 patients can undergo cellular dedifferentiation before any …

Arid: Agglomerative Regionalization Via Information Divergence, A Novel Clustering Algorithm For Geo-Spatial Data, Joshua David Sills

Dissertations and Theses

Regionalization is a clustering problem that seeks to partition geospatial data into geographically contiguous regions while remaining internally homogeneous in their attributes. It has been successfully applied towards the development of urban planning, natural resource discovery, and ecological analysis. Existing popular approaches optimize homogeneity using Euclidean or variance-based criteria, which ignore distributional differences such as variance shifts, multimodality, and higher-order dependence. This thesis introduces ARID (Agglomerative Regionalization via Information Divergence), a spatially constrained agglomerative clustering framework that replaces distance-based merging with an information-theoretic, Ward-like criterion that utilizes the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence. ARID constructs a neighborhood graph from coordinate space and …

Paternal Behavior Is Controlled By Preoptic Trpc5 Neurons, Kristine M Mcdermott, Mengjie Wang, Yue Deng, Yuxue Yang, Yutian Liu, Jingjing Cheng, Meixin Sun, Xinming Liu, Jinjing Jian, Jiamin Qiu, Xi Wu, Lamei Xue, Tong Zhou, Yongjie Yang, Hailan Liu, Longlong Tu, Benjamin R Arenkiel, I Sadaf Farooqi, Yong Xu

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Male parenting behavior is highly conserved and activated only after offspring are born. Here we show that the behavioral switch from infanticide in virgin male mice to caregiving in wild-type sires is associated with enhanced expression and activation of Transient receptor potential channel 5 (Trpc5) in estrogen receptor α (Esr1)-expressing neurons in the hypothalamic medial preoptic area (MPOA). While selective deletion of Trpc5 from Esr1MPOA neurons diminishes paternal behavior in sires, overexpression of Trpc5 in these neurons converts the otherwise infanticidal virgin males to exhibit care to pups. Mechanistically, Trpc5-dependent changes in neuronal excitability underlie fatherhood-associated Esr1MPOA neuron plasticity. Notably, …

Human Intelligence Or Artificial Intelligence? A Few Questions About Literary Narratives In The Ai Age, Ying Zhang, Xiangyu Wu

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Although artificial intelligence increasingly rivals the data processing capacity of the human brain, its intelligence can never equal that of humans, especially in the literary realm. Language, narration, and empathy serve as three key dimensions that distinguish human “storytelling” from that of artificial intelligence. First, is language merely a description and representation of the external world or an expression and manifestation of the speaker's individual perception? Second, is storytelling an inorganic assemblage of heterogeneous materials, or an organic synthesis of the storyteller's embodied memory and associations? Third, do humans understand the world through self—understanding, or understand themselves through understanding of …

Rewriting Spectrality: On Bernard Stiegler's Critique Of The Analogic Gramme, Chen Yang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Bernard Stiegler's critical analysis of the analogic gramme begins with the phonogramme produced by the phonograph, proceeds through the cinematogramme represented by cinema, and culminates in the comprehensive analogic gramme presented by television. From a media—theoretical perspective, he reinterprets Jacque Derrida's concept of spectrality, exposing the inevitable existential crisis under posthumanist conditions. Through the third retention as the technology of the analogic gramme, the human subject can “recall” and adopt the “specter” of “already there”, realize the différance of self—identity, and open up a future full of uncertain possibilities. However, due to the temporally discrete modality of the analogic gramme, …

Embodiment, Brain, And Intuition: On Hubert Dreyfus And The Cognitive Generation Of Ai Films, Wencan Xianyu

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Regarding the question of how intelligent agents cognize things, Hubert Dreyfus, a phenomenologist positioned against symbolic AI, opposes the programmed artificial intelligence identified by mediation theory. Instead, he advocates for a “novice—to—mastery” skill acquisition model grounded in embodied action. By applying contact theory to reconstruct an AI agent's intuitive perception of objects, Dreyfus establishes a cognitive triad of “Embodiment—Brain—Intuition.” Dreyfus's highly prescient arguments fill the gap in current research on AI cognition in artificial intelligence films. Through the “embodied agent” in Gestalt holism, the certainty of agent cognition is realized in the form of “brain montage,” which, ultimately under the …

Lost In Perception?: Digital Hallucination And Memory Projection In Transmedia Images, Xiao Cai

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Since the 1990s, memory has been regarded as a process of dynamic reconstruction rather than the mere preservation and reproduction of images in formal practice. While all memories originate from past events, they are shaped by the gaps between the past and the present. This temporal tension endows all texts concerning memory construction with a distinctive vitality that differentiates them from static archives. The “vitality” of memory resides in its present condition and in the enchantment produced by media through which it is revisited. Digital images, however, dissolve the material presence of real objects and render imagination absolute, thereby raising …

The Formation Of Hegel's Aesthetics: A Study Centered On The Jena Manuscripts, Yuyang Zhu

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Although Hegel's systematic aesthetic theory reaches full maturity in his relatively later works, its origins can be traced back to his Jena period. During this time, Hegel's acute awareness of the problem of modernity led him to conceive of aesthetics as a reflective framework for through which to confront the fragmentation of modern society. With the establishment of his Jena philosophical project, Hegel began to incorporate art—understood as an autonomous domain—into the structure of his philosophical system. Consequently, the relation between art and philosophy was transformed into an internal articulation among the system's various components. Within this framework, the relations …

How To Investigate The Contemporary?—Conceptions For Cultural Studies Of Modernology, Ling Yu Ling Yu

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Modernology studies human behavior and customary changes through on—site investigation of the social slices of the here and now, focusing on universal human affairs in universal environments. In the 20th century, the academic community proposed that literature was a theory of linguistics and human studies. In the 21st century, it further suggests that literature engages with spatial studies, thing theory, ecology, and cosmology. Modernology incorporates theories from various schools and is expected to evolve from the modern to postmodernity and post—classical narratology. It is also expected to develop into a narrative method that integrates scientificity, visuality, and interdisciplinarity. Exploring elements …

Free Quale: The Aesthetic Object Under The Purview Of New Phenomenology, Yinghan Sheng

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Hermann Schmitz, a representative figure of new phenomenology, proposes the concept “free quale”— as a felt phenomenon detached from the object yet directly perceptible. It constitutes an independent aesthetic object that frees the quale from the constraints of situation and things through a special mode of “out—from—the—felt—body” perception. The free quale is neither the result of abstract analysis nor merely inherent in the subject's consciousness; rather, it arises from the joint activity of subject and object. It can evoke an infinite sense of space, underscore the immediacy of time dimension and generate the ecstasy of selflessness. The appearance of the …

The Cinematic Representation Of Leukemia And The Politics Of Exoneration: Japanese “Pure Love” Dramas As Traumatic Memory, Wei Jia

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Japanese pure love films and TV dramas have a particular preference for incurable diseases, such as leukemia. To view these illnesses merely as a means to preserve the beauty of the characters is not only inconsistent with the plot but also obscures the cultural—political implications of this obsessive fixation, which clearly exhibits compulsive traits. In fact, by repeatedly emphasizing leukemia, Japanese pure love films and TV dramas complete a higher—order symbolic identification with the victims of the atomic bombings, thereby perpetuating the victim logic upheld in Japanese atomic bomb literature. As a unique trauma narrative, these works skillfully evade both …

A Common Measure: The Legitimacy Of Applying The “Paradigm” Research Framework To Literary Theory, Sanda Li

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Thomas Kuhn developed a theoretical system centered on the concept of “paradigm” to explain scientific revolutions. As this concept gained popularity, it has also influenced the Chinese literary theory studies. However, scholars have barely reflected on the legitimacy of applying this interdisciplinary concept. Among the many interdisciplinary interpreters of the paradigm theory, Edgar Morin and Giorgio Agamben are the most representative, each constructing a distinct framework of interpretation based on one aspect of the concept. There is a clear difference between Chinese and Western academia in terms of applying the concept of paradigm in literary and art studies. Scholars in …

Title: Aestheticism And Christianity: Walter Pater's Cultural Theory, Li Chen

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

This article examines Walter Pater's cultural theory by exploring the relationship between his aesthetic and religious thought. Building upon Friedrich Shiller's theory of aesthetic education and Matthew Arnold's cultural theory, Pater seeks to cultivate an ideal culture grounded in the completeness of humanity through a reevaluation of Greek culture and early Christianity. Epicureanism embodies Pater's aesthetic theory. Epicurean aestheticism promotes openness and inclusivity, encouraging the pursuit of diverse experiences and the embrace of all excellent ideas, including those of Christianity. Epicurean devotion to beauty is elevated to a form of sacred religiousness. At the same time, Pater praises second—century Christianity …

Reconstituting “Place”: Experiential Perspective, Emotional Configuration And The Lifeworld, Jun Zhu

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

With the re—discovery of “place” and the ontological turn towards spatiality, spatial studies, postmodern geography, and cultural studies have increasingly integrated Marxism, phenomenology and ontology. The major contribution of the “spatial turn” lies in revealing the revolutionary potential of “space,” “place” and “locale,” thereby transforming the notion of “locale as a site of existence” into both a poetics and a political economy of spatial construction. “Place” becomes a convergence of human thoughts, memories and dreams, with “home” serving as the aggregation of this supreme existence. The poetics of space aims to uncover the richness of this imagined existence. Rooted in …

“Jinshi Flavor”: The Historical Evolution And Cultural Construction Of An Aesthetic Concept, Yilin Wang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The emergence and evolution of the aesthetic concept of jinshi (epigraphy) flavor are bound up with social and cultural transitions, shifts in aesthetic concepts, changes in political configurations, the historical development of the aesthetics of calligraphy itself, and influences from related artistic genres. Of particular importance is its complex interaction and entanglement with the development of epigraphy and stele studies. The rise of “jinshi flavor” represents the process by which an epigraphic sensibility gradually evolved into the ontology of calligraphic aesthetics. Examining the conceptual formation of “jinshi flavor” and its historical development as an aesthetic practice offers an …

Evolving Symbols: A Study Of The Triple Implications Of The Weiqi Iconography In The Song Dynasty, Peichong Xi

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Playing weiqi, as a unique mode of communication for the ancients, has historically developed into a metaphorical behavioral gesture or visual image. By the Song dynasty, playing weiqi had become an important element in painting. Inheriting the conceptual heritage and iconographic conventions of predecessors, the visual image of playing weiqi in the Song dynasty continued to develop, which showcased people's value pursuit at that time. The weiqi game, as a symbol of “holistic form,” conveys meaning through non—linear spatial layouts and comprehensive sensory experiences in the Song cultural context. Based on the operational characteristics of the game itself and the …

Depiction Of The “Recluse” In Chinese Painting: An Examination Centered On The Wu School Of The Ming Dynasty, Xianpo Yuan

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The figure of the “recluse” has possessed cultural features of eremitism since its inception. As the image of seclusion was incorporated into Chinese painting, the Wu School of painting in the Ming dynasty played a crucial role. They changed the style of Yuan painting and employed the image of the “recluse” in their paintings, which consequently became both realistic and symbolic. In portraying the beauty of the “recluse,” the Wu School placed the figure at the center and the focal point of the painting, blending it with the surrounding landscape and highlighting its noble and classically elegant spiritual qualities. The …

Construction And Definition: The Textual Nature Of Shi Fu Lüe (Summary Of Songs And Fu) And Its Significance In Literary History, Zhiyuan Yin

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The study of the origin and genre of fu is a significant field in academic history. However, its conclusions are closely related to the documentary records found in The Book of Han: Summary of Songs and Fu. An examination of the fu entries in Summary of Songs and Fu reveals certain problems with the collected texts and their generic styles. Summary of Songs and Fu attempts to construct the origin of fu within the discourse system of The Book of Songs scholarship to create a cultural continuity with the Zhou dynasty. Although the collection in Summary of Songs and Fu …

Recovering And Rewriting The Scene Of Suzhou Xiqu Circle In The Early Qing Dynasty And Its Significance, Ren Gang Ren Gang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The Suzhou xiqu circle in the early Qing dynasty developed a distinctive style characterized by the simultaneous flourishing of creation and performance. This phenomenon was shaped by traditional xiqu heritage, dynastic transition, economic growth, and the internal dynamics of xiqu development. In terms of creation, the emergence of numerous playwrights and works reflected, for the first time, the symbiotic relationship between literati and folk xiqu, achieving a closer integration between literature and the stage. In terms of performances, a vibrant scene arose in which professional folk troupes and gentry family troupes complemented one another, demonstrating diverse modes of xiqu …

Innovation Within Tradition: Competitive Strategies Of Late Ming Taige (Court) Literature And Their Significance, Xiaolu Xiaolu, Huan Zhang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Amid the politically changed literary landscape of the lat Ming dynasty, the taige school—comprising primarily of Hanlin officials and Grand Secretariat ministers—adopted a strategy of active engagement while maintaining its traditional foundations. From the early Wanli period to the Tianqi and Chongzhen riegns, the taige writers consistently asserted that literary authority should be restored to their own ranks. In response to challenges from the School of the Seven Masters (qizi pai), taige scholars developed three major competitive strategies. The first was a dialectical strategy of offense and defense, through which they defended their professional identity as court literati …

The Origin Of The Stylistic Form And Knowledge System Of Han—Dynasty Fengshi On Disasters And Anomalies, Runzhong Zhang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Fengshi (sealed memorials) was a common type of memorial writing in the Han dynasty. Its emergence was closely related to the technique of observing qi during the Qin and Han periods. In the mid—to—late Western Han, as political conflicts intensified, fengshi became an important vehicle for the theories of Yin—Yang and the discourse of catastrophes and anomalies. Compared to other memorial writings, Han—dynasty fengshi exhibited a distinctive rhetorical style that maintained righteousness but harnessed the unusual. These texts embody a specialized system of knowledge and reflect the Confucian scholars' synthesis of classical studies, historiography, and the learning of Yin—Yang. Often …

The Sinicization Of “Contradiction And Overdetermination”: A Study Centered On The 1964 Translation, Yichen Wang

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

In 1964, the seventh issue of Philosophical Translation Series (Zhexue Yicong), a special issue on dialectical problems, featured “Contradiction and Overdetermination”—the first Chinese translation of Louis Althusser's seminal essay “Contradiction et Surdétermination”. This seemingly incidental translation is closely linked to the distinctive modes of translation practices within “New China's Literary Theory” and the global discourse on the “Young Karl Marx” in the 1960s. In his concise yet scholarly translator's note, Ding Xianggong introduces the debates sparked by “Contradiction and Overdetermination” in French theoretical circles and offers insights into the rationale behind the translation of the French term surdétermination into …

Analyzing “Emotion” And Interpreting “Expression”: On The Inheritance And Development Of The Concept Of “Literature” Of Chinese Nation, Bohai Chen

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

Throughout its long historical evolution, the Chinese nation has cultivated a profound and enduring cultural tradition, many elements of which retain remarkable vitality today. The traditional concept of “literature” of Chinese nation exemplifies this contrituity. Rooted in the principle that literary creation originates from the emotional stirrings arising between the mind and external phenomena, this tradition upholds “shaping expression according to emotion” (yin qing she cai) as a fundamental tenet governing the formation of writing norms. This emotion—centered literary philosophy differs significantly from the Western tradition, which often privileges the construction of “images” as the core aesthetic task. …

Reflections On “Upon The Gardens Of Epicurus”: The Transmission Of Chinese Garden Aesthetics To The West, Yang Lu

Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art

The transmission of Chinese art and aesthetics to the West can be traced back to Matteo Ricci. The biases towards Chinese art evident in Ricci's journal reflect the intellectual and cultural conditions of his time. However, with the growing contact between China and Europe through missionaries and merchants in the seventeenth century, China gradually came to be perceived as a mysterious “Other” in Europe. In 1685, the British writer William Temple completed the long essay “Upon the Gardens of Epicurus”, in which he regarded the garden as a practical embodiment of the Epicurean philosophy of happiness. Temple proposed that, in …

Beyond The Loop: Accountability And The Legal Abyss Of Autonomous Weapon Systems, Ahmad Khalil, Anandha Krishna Raj S

Indonesian Journal of International Law

The emergence of autonomous weapon systems (AWS) poses unprecedented challenges to international humanitarian law (IHL), particularly in relation to criminal responsibility. This article critically examines the existing legal vacuum concerning accountability for violations committed by AWS in the context of armed conflict. By analyzing the fluid and evolving nature of military autonomy and the consequences of removing human oversight from lethal decision-making processes, the article undertakes an in-depth assessment of international criminal law (ICL) mechanisms, including direct and command responsibility. It demonstrates the inadequacy of established legal doctrines to attribute criminal liability to designers, programmers, operators, or commanders when AWS …

Navigating Reintegration: A Qualitative Exploration Of The Challenges And Success Factors For Women Offenders In Society, Arabella Grace A. Velasquez, Beatrice Gabrielle Z. Dyquiangco, Vylet Xummer E. Pimpinio, Tamachi Agnesia Varent, Lander James Luke T. Villanueva, Alfonso B. Astudillo Iii

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

This study explores the different challenges and success factors women ex-offenders face during their reintegration into society after being incarcerated. With the help of 11 women on parole and probation in Baguio City from interviews, the researchers were able to examine their experiences and perspectives. A qualitative research design with descriptive phenomenology was used to gather in-depth insights through face-to-face interviews. Participants were selected through purposive sampling with the assistance of the local Chief Probation and Parole Officer. Data were collected through voice recordings and observations, then transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Superordinate themes emerged, namely Reintegration Struggles and …