University of Scranton

There is a current call for nursing programs to undergo curricular changes to ensure graduates are practice ready. A repeating simulation experience can help educators begin to engage in the competency-based education (CBE) process to meet that goal. A quasiexperi-mental study with a data collection design was used to determine the effect of a repeating simulation experience on students' clinical judgment and satisfaction while describing the implementation of engaging in CBE. There was a statistically significant increase in clinical judgment from the first simulation experience to the second simulation experience. Participants also reported high levels of satisfaction and self-confidence with the experience. A repeating simulation experience can be a catalyst for change in nursing curricula and is an opportunity for educators to engage in evidence-based education that increases student clinical judgment.

Topological structures in condensed matter systems unlock new possibilities for the development of nanoelectronic devices. However, the potential of antiferroelectrics to host topological features remains largely unexplored, constrained by significant energy barriers from antiparallel dipole coupling that suppress polarization rotation and challenges in high-quality film fabrication. Here for the first time, we find that, dislocations, the most common one-dimensional topological structures in crystals, exhibit unexpectedly strong couplings with polar topologies and induce ordered polar antihedgehog lattices in antiferroelectric PbZrO3 driven by the interplay of electrostrictive effect and the flexoelectric field. Combined atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy and phase-field simulations, it is revealed that the polarizations converging at dislocation cores and diverging between dislocations define lattices characterized by checkerboard-like antihedgehogs, respectively. Unexpected interplay between polar and structural topologies establishes a new paradigm for topology design.

Microhabitats require robust characterization to assess species and habitat conservation needs effectively. Because climate and other abiotic environmental data are typically measured at a resolution of 1 km2 or greater, quantifying microhabitat heterogeneity is especially relevant for species limited to small geographic scales (<1 km2). However, species with small home ranges can have expansive species distributions. For example, Plethodon cinereus is geographically widespread (>1 million km2), whereas microendemics such as P. hubrichti and P. sherando have relatively small distributions (<100 km2), yet all three species have small home ranges tightly linked to microhabitats. Although studies have examined mechanisms that maintain these distributions such as the effects of interspecific competition and thermal and hydric preferences, the role of soil characteristics on salamander habitat selection in terrestrial environments is unclear. Soil has many functional traits that can influence its floral, faunal, and microbial inhabitants. Here, we quantified soil properties (density, porosity, particle size, pH, and organic matter) as well as bacterial community composition within the range of the two microendemic species of salamanders and compared those to the same microhabitat characteristics in nearby populations of P. cinereus. Our results suggest that soil texture and bacterial communities vary across the range of both widespread and microendemic species. However, soil properties did not significantly predict the differences in bacterial composition among sites. The pH was also lower at microendemic sites compared to adjacent P. cinereus sites. Because salamanders are critical components of forest floor food webs and contribute to a large proportion of vertebrate biomass, our findings highlight the importance of soil structure and composition as these factors may play a role in determining salamander's activity, behavior, and physiological processes and should be considered in ecological studies of plethodontids.

Estimating derivatives from noisy discrete-time measurements is a classical ill-posed inverse problem. Regularization-based approaches, particularly those inspired by total variation principles, have been widely employed to stabilize the solution. Man

International trade is the purchase and sale of goods by companies in different countries. Consumer goods, raw materials, food, agricultural products, pharmaceutical products, medical equipment, iron and steel, plastics, chemicals, clothes, energy, vehicles, electrical and electronic equipment, nuclear reactors, aircrafts, machinery, wind turbines, rare earth minerals, weapons, military materials, all are bought and sold in the international marketplace. Ethics has become a big issue in the last decades, due to globalization, where they try to harmonize hundreds of different cultures, customs, traditions, and values to a uniform one, but it is impossible and unachievable. International trade allows countries to expand their markets and access goods and services by importing them, otherwise it may not be available domestically; but there are many cases which cause serious problems with domestic production. As a result of international trade (exports and imports), the markets become more competitive, however ethical and fair trade is necessary for countries to maximize the wellbeing of their citizens, given their income constraints. International fair-trade policies and trade restrictions are the set of agreements, regulations, and practices by a government that affect trade with foreign countries, which is a combination of standards, laws, and practices that influence imports and exports. Trade policies can include regulations, devaluation of currencies, dumping, tariffs, and quotas, subsidies, with which they want to restrict trade and set policies that protect local industries from foreign competition. Fair and ethical trade policies must have a number of benefits, including economic growth, employment, attracting domestic firms that operate abroad to produce locally more efficiently at lower costs of production, and to lead countries to autarky, prosperity, and to maximize their social welfare. These ethical and fair-trade policies are effective if the price elasticities of demand for imports and supply of exports are high (elastic). The empirical results show that most of these elasticities are small (inelastic). JEL classification numbers: D6, F10, F13, F42, I38, J38, L40, C52. Keywords: Ethics and Economic Welfare, International Trade, Commercial policy: Protection, Promotion, Trade Negotiations, International Policy Coordination, Provision and Effects of Welfare Program, Labor: Public Policy, Antitrust Policy, Model Evaluation and Testing.

Enzymes within the cholesterol biosynthesis pathway, particularly those in post-squalene biosynthesis, have been linked to abnormal neurodevelopment. Alterations of individual enzymes manifest unique brain phenotypes, suggesting each enzyme has distinct roles within the mammalian neural cell. However, a comprehensive characterization of cholesterol biosynthesis enzymes to understand these differences has yet to be fully obtained. Therefore, this study aimed to contribute to this growing body of knowledge by characterizing the subcellular localization of the cholesterol biosynthesis enzyme Hydroxysteroid-17-beta7 (Hsd17b7) within a mammalian neural cell line. Using mouse Neuro2a cells, we compared expression patterns between both endogenous Hsd17b7 and GFP-tagged constructs. Using confocal microscopy, we noted Hsd17b7 absence in the Golgi and lysosomes while confirming its presence in the endoplasmic reticulum. Of interest, we also observed co-localization with the nuclear membrane, which had not been established. Upon 24-hour serum deprivation, patterns of Hsd17b7-GFP in differentiated cells were still observed in the cell body, as seen in the undifferentiated cells. However, we also observed evidence of GFP-positive protein localization within MAP2-positive neurites. Co-staining with Hsd17b7 antibody and conjugated Phalloidin further supported the localization of Hsd17b7 within developing neurites. Together, this suggests a potential role for Hsd17b7 within early axons and dendrites, however, further investigation is needed to determine potential implications on neural differentiation.

Review of Kenneth R. Himes, Sacred and Social: Theological Foundations for Catholic Social Teaching

In this paper, a new formulation for numerical differentiation of noisy signals based on Total Variation Minimization (TVM) is presented. The main existing approach for this task is to minimize a functional using the Euler-Lagrange equation. This method leads to a nonlinear second-order partial differential equation that must be solved using iterative numerical techniques. Whereas in the method proposed in this paper, instead of using a functional, the cost function is expressed directly in terms of a vector that contains the unknown samples of the numerical derivative. This difference in the definition of cost function leads to a significant simplification in solving the problem. In fact, since the proposed cost function is convex and quadratic, it can be effectively solved with high accuracy using available software.

The decarbonization of cementitious materials has accelerated interest in hybrid binders that reduce clinker content while maintaining mechanical performance and durability. This study examines the combined use of Class F fly ash (FA) and Arundo donax–derived biochar (BC) as partial cement replacements in mortar and concrete, integrating experimental testing with predictive modeling of strength development. Nine mortar mixtures containing 0–25 % FA and 0–10 % BC were evaluated for workability, setting time, and compressive strength up to 60 days. Based on statistical performance rankings, selected mixtures with 15 % FA and varying BC contents were scaled up for concrete testing, including compressive strength, surface electrical resistivity, and microstructural analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results identify 15 % FA combined with approximately 5 % BC as the most effective composition, providing a favorable balance between mechanical performance, durability indicators, cost efficiency, and carbon reduction. This mixture achieved compressive strength comparable to the control at later ages while limiting the early-age strength penalties associated with higher biochar dosages. The observed synergy arises from FA-driven pozzolanic densification and BC-induced internal curing that supports sustained hydration. Predictive modeling confirmed this composition as an optimal region within the FA–BC design space, yielding up to 11 % material cost savings and 160–180 kg CO₂/m³ reduction without compromising structural performance. Overall, moderate biochar incorporation in conjunction with optimized fly ash replacement offers a practical and scalable pathway for low-carbon cementitious materials. • Investigated the combined use of fly ash and Arundo donax biochar as partial cement replacements in mortar and concrete. • Biochar at 5–10 % reduced workability and accelerated setting, while enhancing later-age hydration via internal curing. • A 15 % FA replacement optimized compressive strength, achieving 42 MPa at 60 days, comparable to the control mixture. • Concrete with 15 % FA and 5 % BC reduced material cost by up to 11 % and CO₂ by ∼160 kg/m³ while maintaining performance. • Microstructural analysis showed dense C–S–H near FA particles and localized hydration in biochar pores, indicating synergy.