Marian University - Indiana

This paper examines the synectics model developed by William J. J. Gordon in 1961, a framework for understanding and teaching creativity that has been alternately celebrated, neglected, and rediscovered over the past six decades. Gordon’s central claim that creative processes are not mysterious gifts but describable and teachable cognitive operations challenged the romantic mystification of genius that characterized mid-twentieth-century psychology and continues to remain relevant today. The study traces Gordon’s intellectual influences, including Gestalt psychology, pragmatism, and Arthur Koestler’s theory of bisociation. It also explores the four analogical mechanisms that form the core of the synectics method and evaluates their application in English language and literature classrooms, with particular reference to recent work by Yohannan and Thamarasseri on innovative teaching models. While acknowledging the limitations of the synectics approach, the paper argues that it should not be viewed as a simple formula for producing creativity. Rather, it represents one of the more carefully theorized and practically useful pedagogical tools available to educators seeking to move beyond rote instruction while maintaining an element of structured learning.

Post-baccalaureate (post-bac) programs can be instrumental in strengthening science training and expanding STEM career opportunities for junior trainees. Many of these sponsored programs are designed to increase research exposure for underrepresented minorities, including African American, Hispanic, Native American, and first-generation college students, among others. Recruiting trainees to post-bac programs can be challenging for reasons including a lack of awareness about available programs. To address this gap, an Open House event was created with the goal of raising awareness and generating interest among potential students for future post-bac programs. Students were recruited from partnering Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) to attend a 2-day event at a Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) and a Research-Intensive (R1) institution. During the visit, students toured both campuses, learned about various post-bac programs and research opportunities, and interacted with faculty, current graduate students, and a former post-bac scholar. Transportation, lodging, and meals were provided. Participants completed voluntary pre- and post-surveys. Results indicated that attendees, the majority of whom were underrepresented minorities in STEM, left with a stronger understanding of post-bac programs and how these experiences could support their future careers in STEM and that students' attendance at the event made it more likely they would apply to available post-bac programs. Mentor and MSI faculty survey responses highlighted their strong support for participating in future recruitment events. These findings demonstrate that in-person Open House events, built on collaborative partnerships across institutions, are an effective strategy for increasing awareness and encouraging participation in post-bac training programs-particularly among underrepresented student populations.

In this paper, a conceptual framework for AI-enabled digital poverty mapping is formulated to promote Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG 1), which aims at eliminating poverty. The framework combines various data sources—satellite imagery, telecom data, household surveys, and administrative data—with the latest AI tools, representation learning, multimodal machine learning, geospatial analysis, and large language models to generate fine-resolution and multidimensional poverty maps and predictive indices. Comprising recent policy changes, such as UNDP programs and the UN Pact of the Future, and case studies of India and Kenya, the framework targets both economic and digital deprivation. It also provides ways of inclusive monitoring of poverty and focusing on ethical protection. The next step to be made in the future is pilot-testing, comparative research, and incorporation of this method into the UN system of monitoring poverty to track it globally and allow fair development.

Prolonged radiation exposure remains a critical occupational hazard in the catheterization lab, typically mitigated by lead aprons, which contribute to orthopedic injury. Recent innovations like the Rampart M1128 enhanced radiation protection system (Rampart IC) aim to reduce these risks, but their impact on door-to-balloon (D2B) time in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) has not been evaluated. We conducted a single-center retrospective cohort study comparing D2B times among 174 STEMI patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: 87 treated using lead aprons and 87 treated utilizing the Rampart M1128 system. Patients were randomly selected from a pool of 298. Analyses were adjusted for potential confounders, including bleeding, use of vasopressors, intubation, mechanical support, electrical instability, access type, and prior revascularization. Unadjusted median D2B time was 31.0 minutes in the Rampart group vs 31.1 minutes in the lead apron group. Adjusted analysis yielded a mean D2B difference of 1.51 minutes (95% CI, -0.86 to 3.87; P = .21), well within the prespecified 5-minute noninferiority margin. No statistically significant differences were observed across expanded models or one-at-a-time covariate models. The presence of shock or respiratory failure did not prolong D2B times in the Rampart group. Implementation of an enhanced radiation protection system was noninferior to standard lead apron use regarding D2B time in STEMI patients. This suggests such systems can enhance operator safety without compromising the quality of patient care. Broader adoption may be justified to reduce occupational harm while maintaining high-quality cardiovascular outcomes.

Despite the growing abundance of sequenced animal genomes, we only have detailed knowledge of regulatory organization for a handful of lineages, particularly flies and vertebrates. These two taxa show contrasting trends in the molecular mechanisms of 3D chromatin organization and long-term evolutionary dynamics of cis-regulatory element (CRE) conservation. Here we study the evolution and organization of the regulatory genome of echinoderms, a lineage whose phylogenetic position and relatively slow molecular evolution have proven particularly useful for evolutionary studies. We generated new reference genome assemblies for two species belonging to two different echinoderm classes: the purple sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and the bat sea star Patiria miniata using PacBio and HiC data and characterize their 3D chromatin architecture. We show that these echinoderms have TAD-like domains that, such as in flies, do not seem to be associated with CTCF motif orientation. We systematically profiled CREs during sea star and sea urchin development using ATAC-seq, comparing their regulatory logic and dynamics over multiple developmental stages. Finally, our analysis of sea urchin and sea star CRE evolution across multiple evolutionary distances and timescales showed several thousand elements conserved for hundreds of millions of years, revealing a vertebrate-like pattern of CRE evolution that probably constitutes an ancestral property of the regulatory evolution of animals.

As Nigeria advances toward the elimination of soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH), updated endemicity maps are essential for guiding programmatic decisions. A cross-sectional study was conducted to update the STH endemicity maps in ten local government areas (LGAs) of Ondo State from July to August 2024. LGAs were stratified into three categories (C1–C3) based on the history of preventive chemotherapy (PC), with C1 being endemic LGAs with ≥5 effective rounds of PC, C2 being endemic LGAs with <5 effective rounds of PC, and C3 being low-endemicity (STH prevalence <20%; PC not required). A total of 4507 school-aged children (5–14 years) from 151 systematically selected communities (15 per LGA) provided fresh stool samples to assess the prevalence and intensity of STH. Stool samples were examined using the Kato-Katz technique. Prevalence of STH was aggregated at the LGA level and compared with World Health Organization thresholds. In the first category (C1), the baseline prevalence was reduced significantly by 60–96%, with specific prevalence in Akoko Southwest (from 28.2% to 0.4%, Risk Ratio (RR): 0.01), Akure North (from 39% to 1.5%, RR = 0.04), Ifedore (from 25% to 2.5%, RR = 0.10), and Ondo East (from 45.2% to 8.2%, RR = 0.18). In the second category (C2), the baseline was reduced significantly by 66–100%, with Akure South (from 29% to 1.2%, RR = 0.04), Ose (from 20% to 2.2%, RR = 0.11), Owo (~100% reduction), and Odigbo (38% to 12.8%, RR = 0.34). In the C3 LGAs, infection was significantly below the baseline threshold, with Akoko Northwest (5.2% to 0.9%, RR = 0.17) and Idanre (from 14.2% to 1.8%, RR = 0.13). Overall, significant reductions in STH prevalence were observed across the surveyed LGAs, with risk ratios ranging from 0.04 to 0.40. These findings updated the endemicity map for the ten LGAs in Ondo State, demonstrating significant progress toward STH elimination following PC implementation.

Abstract The present work portraits the high temperature thermoelectric performance of CaMnO3 perovskite and its rare earth doped derivatives via trivalent substitutions on Ca – site. Rare-earth (RE) dopants such as, Yttrium(Y), Samarium (Sm) and Lanthanum (La) were chosen to investigate the effect of atomic masses and ionic radii on the thermoelectric properties. The concentration of rare earth (RE) elements were varied from 0.025 to 0.1 with an interval of 0.025. All the samples confirmed to be of orthorhombic structure with no traceable secondary phase or impurity. RExCa1-xMnO3 causes Jahn- Teller distortion in the system by inducing Mn3+ in the Mn4+ matrix as result of charge compensation, which was absent in CMO due to the absence of Mn3+. A substantial change in lattice volume was also observed supporting the fact. The substitution of different rare earth ions has a similar effect on the thermoelectric properties of the system. The structural, transport and high temperature thermoelectric properties of n-type CaMnO3 systems are described in detail La0.1Ca0.9MnO3 showed the best zT among the samples prepared, approx. 0.13 around 1073 K.&amp;#xD;

Manganese (ii, iii) oxide (Mn3O4) is one of the promising materials in the realm of high-performance supercapacitors. The high theoretical specific capacitance, low cost, non-toxicity, environmental compatibility, and natural abundance made it significant in the research field. A low-temperature hydrothermal synthesis method was adopted to prepare Mn3O4 (hausmannite) nanoparticles with a tetragonal spinel structure. The as-prepared nanoparticles were assessed for the structural, elemental, electrical, optical and nitrogen adsorption-desorption studies through XRD, FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, XPS, DC conductivity, UV-vis absorption and BET analyses. Morphological studies were done using FESEM and TEM and a mixture of nanorods and nanocubes were observed. The electrochemical performances of the as-prepared Mn3O4 nanoparticles were investigated by cyclic voltammetry (CV), galvanostatic charge/discharge (GCD) method and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in a three-electrode system. The present work reports the fabrication of a prototype aqueous symmetric supercapacitor device for the first time. The electrochemical studies were performed in 0.5 M Na2SO4 electrolyte on the separator with a potential window of 0 V to 1 V. A specific capacitance of 68 Fg-1 at a current density of 1 Ag-1 was observed from the constant charge/discharge method. It exhibited a cyclic stability of 72% with a coulombic efficiency of 100% after 1000 cycles. This underscores the noteworthy role of manganese oxide nanoparticles as electrode materials in supercapacitors.

This study evaluates the association between strategic management practices and financial performance in medium and large enterprises across multiple industries in emerging economies, integrating accounting-related practices and marketing strategies into the analysis. Utilizing data and an exploratory approach from 368 firms in six emerging economies, both survey-based measures and secondary financial data were employed. Hierarchical multiple regression models tested three hypotheses: the direct effect of strategic management, the regulating role of macroeconomic conditions, and the amplifying effect of marketing integration. Results indicate that strategic management practices significantly improve the financial results determined by ROA, ROE, and net return margin especially when combined with high-quality accounting practices and marketing integration. Positive macroeconomic environments strengthen these effects, while sectoral differences highlight the varying benefits of accounting versus marketing emphasis. Robustness checks using alternative performance metrics, lagged effects, and industry-fixed models confirm the stability of findings. The study advances the accounting–economics–marketing nexus literature, offering theoretical insights into capability alignment and practical guidance for managers in emerging markets to optimize strategic and functional integration under diverse economic conditions.