Joel Bartsch: Exploring The Diversity Of Texas Wildlife

Texas wildlife

Key Takeaways

  • Texas is home to diverse wildlife species adapted to varied biomes across the state.
  • The Texas longhorn is a historically significant breed that adapted naturally to North America.
  • Bald eagles inhabit Texas year-round, with distinct breeding and wintering populations.
  • Large predators such as mountain lions and American alligators occupy specific regional habitats.
  • Conservation efforts have played a critical role in protecting iconic and vulnerable species.
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Edgar Gonzalez: How Combat Sports Boxing and MMA Compare

Combat sports

photo credit: Bruno Bueno / Pexels

Key Takeaways

  • Boxing focuses exclusively on punching technique, while MMA incorporates striking, grappling, and submissions under a broader rule set.
  • Training in boxing emphasizes footwork, timing, and defensive movement, whereas MMA requires cross-training across multiple combat disciplines.
  • Fight pacing differs significantly, with boxing centered on rhythm and distance control, and MMA shaped by constant threats of takedowns and submissions.
  • Scoring criteria vary, as boxing prioritizes clean strikes and ring control, while MMA evaluates striking, grappling, and overall dominance.
  • Career progression and financial structures differ, with boxing following a traditional ranking ladder and MMA operating under centralized promotional organizations.
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Danielle Kurin: Tracing Past Movement Using Isotopes in Teeth and Bone

Archaeologist

Key Takeaways

  • Isotope analysis helps archaeologists and forensic experts determine whether an individual grew up locally or migrated from another region.
  • Tooth enamel preserves early-life chemical signals, while bone reflects more recent years due to natural remodeling.
  • Researchers compare isotope values to regional baselines, known as isoscapes, built from environmental sampling.
  • Diet, trade, environmental overlap, and post-burial changes can complicate geographic interpretation.
  • Ethical guidelines require careful sampling, preservation checks, and consultation with descendant communities.
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Joshua Gallaudet: The Founding and Early Establishment of Gallaudet University

Gallaudet University Chapel Halls and College Halls

photo credit: Sdkb / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

Key Takeaways

  • Gallaudet University began in 1856 as a small school for deaf and blind students in Washington, D.C.
  • Amos Kendall’s land donation and congressional incorporation established the institution’s legal and physical foundation.
  • Edward Miner Gallaudet expanded the school’s mission and led its transition into a degree-granting college in 1864.
  • Presidential signatures on diplomas became a lasting tradition beginning with Ulysses S. Grant.
  • The institution evolved into a federally supported center for deaf education, later renamed Gallaudet College in 1894.
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Adithan Arunachalam: An Examination Of Soviet Espionage In The United States

Espionage

Key Takeaways

  • Soviet intelligence agencies such as the NKVD, KGB, and GRU infiltrated American institutions to gather political, military, and technological intelligence.
  • The Manhattan Project was penetrated by operatives who accelerated the Soviet Union’s development of nuclear weapons.
  • Espionage networks extended into journalism, federal agencies, and high-level economic policy circles.
  • The Venona Project uncovered Soviet codebreaking vulnerabilities and revealed numerous covert agents.
  • Defections and investigative breakthroughs significantly weakened Soviet spy operations in the United States.
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Jeremy Orgel: Understanding Why and How the Houston Psychoanalytic Society Offers Public Events

HPS seminar

photo credit: Matheus Bertelli / Pexels

Key Takeaways

  • The Houston Psychoanalytic Society (HPS) publicly offers educational events to extend psychoanalytic learning beyond closed professional circles.
  • HPS programming includes lectures, study groups, and conferences with clear agendas and continuing education credits.
  • Topics range from clinical concepts like dissociation and shame to developmental research and cultural analysis.
  • Many events are accessible via Zoom, making psychoanalytic education available to both local and global audiences.
  • Jeremy Orgel’s background in psychiatry and psychoanalysis reflects the type of professional engagement HPS programming supports.
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Bryan Hackleman: Tips for Avoiding Watercolor Mistakes

Watercolor artist

Key Takeaways

  • Watercolor is translucent and fast-drying, making mistakes harder to correct than with opaque mediums like oil paint.
  • Overworking a painting can damage the paper and reduce vibrancy, so planning layers in advance is essential.
  • Using a larger brush can minimize excessive strokes and help prevent overworking detailed areas.
  • Proper paint-to-water balance is critical, as over-dilution reduces control and affects color intensity.
  • Patience during drying and thoughtful correction techniques, such as lifting or light sanding, can help manage unavoidable errors.
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David Horovitz, MD: A Clinical Overview of Urinary System Cancer Types and Risks

Bladder cancer awareness

Key Takeaways

  • More than 90% of urinary tract cancers are urothelial carcinomas arising from transitional cells lining the urinary system.
  • Cigarette smoking is the leading risk factor for bladder cancer, significantly increasing risk compared to nonsmokers.
  • Hematuria (blood in the urine) is the most common warning sign and requires prompt medical evaluation.
  • Treatment varies by stage and type, ranging from endoscopic tumor removal to intravesical therapy, radical surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation.
  • Recurrence rates are high in certain bladder cancers, making long-term surveillance such as regular cystoscopy essential.
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Alp De Waal: A Clear Guide To Understanding ADHD In Children And Families

ADHD

photo credit: Tara Winstead / Pexels

Key Takeaways

  • ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting more than 11% of children worldwide, with symptoms typically appearing before age 12.
  • The condition impacts attention regulation rather than overall attention span and may include hyperfocus alongside inattention or impulsivity.
  • There are multiple ADHD presentations – inattentive, hyperactive-impulsive, combined, and unspecified – each with distinct symptom patterns.
  • Genetics play a central role in ADHD, though prenatal exposures and birth factors may increase likelihood.
  • Early diagnosis and comprehensive treatment plans can significantly improve academic, behavioral, and emotional outcomes.
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Haden Kirkpatrick: Understanding How Modern Insurance Pricing Works

Insurance pricing

Key Takeaways

  • Modern insurance pricing combines actuarial science, human expertise, and artificial intelligence to balance fairness with financial solvency.
  • Actuaries, underwriters, and adjusters work together to create and refine rates using data, probability modeling, and real-world claims feedback.
  • Usage-based insurance (UBI) and IoT technologies enable granular, behavior-driven pricing rather than broad demographic assumptions.
  • Dynamic pricing engines powered by AI allow insurers to adjust rates in real time based on market shifts, inflation, and claims trends.
  • Policyholders can actively lower premiums by adopting measurable risk-reduction strategies such as safety upgrades and cybersecurity protections.
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