Digital Commons Network^™

“So They Know The Library Is A Space For Them”: School Librarians’ Understandings And Perspectives On The Significance Of Diverse Representation In Book Collections, Kim R. Krutka

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This exploratory survey distributed to Texas school librarians was designed to gain insight into the significance of diverse representation in school libraries based on school librarians’ understandings and perceptions. Rudine Sims Bishop’s metaphor of books as “mirrors and windows” was a foundation for this study. Foundational and critical literature related to this metaphor and diverse representation as well as an interpretivist approach were used to guide the methods and analysis. Conclusions from this study support a narrative of school libraries related to diverse representation through four themes: librarians center students in practices and decision-making; librarians believe in the power of …

Students-Generative Ai Interaction Patterns And Its Impact On Academic Writing, Jinhee Kim, Sang-Soog Lee, Rita Detrick, Jialin Wang, Na Li

STEMPS Faculty Publications

Considering both the transformative opportunities and challenges presented by generative AI (GenAI) in academic writing, effectively integrating GenAI into the academic setting becomes a significant need requiring prioritization. Yet, there is limited understanding regarding the nature of interactions between different types of students, what behavioral patterns students exhibit during a student-GenAI interaction (SAI) on a given task, and how these different SAI patterns relate to the actual writing task performance. This study, therefore, aimed to identify SAI patterns of academic writing tasks depending on students’ level of AI literacy and examine the differences in academic writing performance between the identified …

A Comparison Of Conversational Chatbots And The Internet For Consumer Information Search, Wondwesen Tafesse, Yoseph Mamo

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This study compares consumer perceptions of conversational chatbots and the internet for information search. While the internet is a mature platform, conversational chatbots represent an emerging technology, and insight into how consumers view them in relation to the internet for information search is lacking. Drawing on the information source utility perspective, the study builds a comparative model based on four key dimensions: information currency, information customisation, information trustworthiness, and media richness. Additionally, the study investigates consumers’ prior experience with conversational chatbots as a moderating factor. Data was collected from 191 respondents recruited through MTurk. Paired sample t-tests assessed mean differences …

Crossing The Theory Threshold: The Pedagogical Potential Of Generative Artificial Intelligence In Educational Research, Amanda Burbage, Jennifer L. Styron

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Purpose

This paper presents findings from an educational research graduate course in which generative artificial intelligence (AI) was incorporated to strengthen learners' understanding of threshold concepts related to theoretical frameworks. Medical and health professionals often struggle with the transition from a clinical role into the educational research role.

Methods

The study posits that the use of generative AI will help learners understand and apply theoretical frameworks beyond a superficial level, furthering their understanding, constructing new knowledge, and strengthening their ability to develop sound educational research studies. Journal and AI transcripts were analyzed for 37 participants.

Results

Open-ended codes were grouped …

Senescent Fibroblasts In Aging And Pulmonary Fibrosis, Sara B. Palega, Aiwei Y. Borengasser, Yan Y. Sanders

Microbiology & Molecular Cell Biology Faculty Publications

Aging is a major risk factor for many chronic lung diseases, including Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a fatal and incurable disease characterized by progressive fibrotic remodeling. Age-associated structural alterations, impaired regenerative capacity, and dysregulated cellular signaling collectively create a pro-fibrotic microenvironment. A central driver of this pathological shift is the accumulation of senescent cells, which undergo irreversible growth arrest and develop a robust pro-inflammatory senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP). Emerging evidence identifies senescent lung fibroblasts as critical mediators of IPF pathogenesis. These cells promote excessive extracellular matrix deposition, myofibroblast differentiation, and tissue stiffening, while simultaneously impairing epithelial regeneration. Together, these effects …

Lessons Learned From Clinical Trials Of Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin (Tslp) Inhibition, Jonathan Corren, Larry Borish, Christopher Brightling, Joseph K. Han, Emma Guttman-Yassky, Steven Ziegler, Jean Publicover, Jyotsna Gulati, Nestor Molfino, Christopher S. Ambrose, Jean-Pierre Llanos, Lang Chen, Jane R. Parnes, Joseph Spahn, Andrew Lindsley

Department of Otolaryngology (ENT) Faculty Publications

Type 2 (T2) immune–mediated epithelial-driven diseases are characterized by dysregulated immune responses at epithelial barrier surfaces. A key mediator of these diseases is thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), an epithelial cytokine that acts as a regulator of both T2 and non-T2 inflammation. TSLP activates dendritic cells and other immune cells, promoting the release of proinflammatory cytokines, including IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13. Given its central role in initiating and amplifying T2 inflammation, TSLP has emerged as a promising therapeutic target in multiple epithelial-driven inflammatory diseases. Tezepelumab is a human monoclonal antibody that selectively blocks TSLP from interacting with its receptor complex, thereby …

The Psychiatric Burden Of Hidradenitis Suppurativa: A Trinetx Analysis Of Sex-Specific Disparities In Mental Health And Medication Use, Emily Sheetz, Julia Feord, Collette Sholi, Parker Adams, Tamas Gal, Susan G. Kornstein, Arturo Saavedra

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background:

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory skin condition associated with physical and psychological burden. Prior research has shown increased rates of depression and anxiety among individuals with HS; however, sex-based disparities in the prevalence of these mental health conditions in patients with HS remain underexplored.

Objective:

To evaluate sex-based differences in the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and the prescribing of antidepressants and anxiolytics among patients with HS.

Methods:

Using the TriNetX database, we identified patients over the age of 18 who had a recorded diagnosis of HS. Propensity score matching based on …

Thyroid Storm At Sea: A Case Report Of Algae-Induced Thyrotoxicosis, Alynna Knaub, Amanda Cecchini, John Janousek, Laura Strojny, Jairo Noreña, Zachary Pawlikowski

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Iodine-induced thyrotoxicosis (IIT), also known as the Jod-Basedow phenomenon, is a rare yet recognized cause of hyperthyroidism. While iodinated contrast is the most frequent trigger, iodine-rich supplements such as seaweed products or supplements can also precipitate thyrotoxicosis, particularly in individuals with prior chronic iodine deficiency or preexisting thyroid nodular disease. We present a case of thyroid storm following short-term ingestion of Irish sea moss as part of a “crash diet.” A 37-year-old woman with type 1 diabetes mellitus, well controlled on subcutaneous insulin therapy, presented with nausea and vomiting after 6 days of following a restrictive diet consisting solely of …

Defining Clinically Meaningful Within-Patient Changes In Heart Failure: Jacc Heart Failure Position Statement, Amin Yehya, Rebecca Hahn, Barry Borlaug, Victoria Delgado, Andrew Ambrosy, Ross Arena, Nosheen Reza, Gregory Lewis, Natalie Tapaskar, Salvatore Carbone, Cynthia Chauhan, Mitchell A. Psotka, Norman Stockbridge, James Januzzi, Javed Butler, Jennifer Cowger, Biykem Bozkurt, John Spertus

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Heart failure (HF) clinical trials increasingly rely on diverse endpoints beyond mortality, including hospitalizations, imaging, hemodynamic status, biomarkers, functional capacity, and patient-reported outcomes. Although statistically significant differences between treatment groups are commonly reported, interpreting whether these changes are clinically meaningful for individual patients remains challenging. This JACC: Heart Failure position statement proposes a pragmatic framework for defining clinically meaningful within-patient change across commonly used HF outcomes by integrating measurement variability, prognostic associations, and patient-anchored evidence where available. Relative and absolute risk reductions should both inform interpretation of clinical events, while imaging, hemodynamic, biomarker, and functional measures require changes exceeding measurement …

Fill The Void - An Introductory Guide For Learning Medical Imaging, Reid Faith, Peter Gahan, Adam Trusty, Aleksandr Zyskin, Chukwuka Ukekwe, Denise Nchinda, Amanda K. Burbage, Alberto E. Musto

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

No standardized, comprehensive approach for radiological image interpretation exists among medical schools in the United States of America. In order to rectify this, we outline a model aimed to help improve how medical imaging can be taught in medical schools. The VOID (Visualization, Orientation/Observation, Identification, Description) guide is a proposed universal, stepwise approach to medical image identification, interpretation, and communication. This structured guideline is aimed at building a foundation for students in early medical education. The VOID was applied to CT (Computed Tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), and x-ray modalities as integrated sessions for medical students during human anatomy laboratory. …

Mechanism-Driven Therapy For Diabetic Cardiovascular Disease, Fabian Sanchis-Gomar, Carl J. Lavie, Salvatore Carbone, Ian J. Neeland

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Diabetic cardiovascular disease is a network disorder, not a glucose-only complication

Diabetes accelerates cardiovascular (CV) target-organ damage through multiple interacting biological modules that amplify risk even when glycemia is modestly controlled^[1]. These modules include (i) adipose tissue dysfunction with altered adipokine secretion and immune-cell infiltration; (ii) ectopic lipid deposition in liver, myocardium, and perivascular/epicardial fat (iii) endothelial dysfunction with impaired nitric oxide bioavailability and heightened oxidative stress (iv) chronic kidney disease (CKD)-mediated volume, pressure, and uremic-toxin stress, and (v) autonomic and neurohormonal activation that promotes hypertension, arrhythmias, and remodeling^[1]. The clinical spectrum includes macrovascular disease …

Turnover Time In Neuroangiography Suites: Comparison Between Cases Performed At An Ambulatory Neurosurgery Center Versus A Tertiary Hospital, Pui Man Rosalind Lai, Vinay Jaikumar, Erika L. Leasher, Varun Sridhar, Gustavo M. Cortez, Aimee C. Degaetano, Elad I. Levy

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Background:

Efficient turnover time (TOT) and adherence to first-start time (FST) in operating and angiography suites are critical for optimizing workflow, reducing costs, and maximizing patient satisfaction. Hospitals face challenges in maintaining these metrics due to operational constraints and unexpected emergent cases. Our goal was to compare TOT, FST, and total admission time for elective cases performed in angiography suites at an ambulatory neurosurgery center (ANSC) versus a tertiary hospital (TH).

Methods:

We conducted a retrospective analysis of data for patients who underwent elective diagnostic or interventional neuroendovascular procedures at the TH or ANSC from January 2024 through October 2024. …

Automation And Autonomy In The Ivf Laboratory: Concepts And Implications For Embryologists, Jacques Cohen, Gerardo Mendizabal-Ruiz, Giles Anthony Palmer, Giuseppe Silvestri, Mina Alikani

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Automation is regarded as the next phase in the evolution of laboratory IVF. Despite technological advances, most laboratory procedures remain operator-dependent, contributing to variability in performance and outcomes. While automation has improved reproducibility and efficiency in many areas of medicine, its adoption in IVF has been slow. This review examines how automation may be integrated into IVF laboratories through a set of conceptual distinctions. Automation refers to the execution of procedural steps by machine-controlled systems, whereas autonomy describes the degree to which such systems can operate without human intervention. This review distinguishes between static automation, which maintains or monitors the …

A Cross-Sectional Study Investigating The Relationship Between The Fto Gene Polymorphism In Relation To Obesity Traits And Vitamin D Status In Adolescence, Ahmad Al-Serri, Rabeah A. Al-Temaimi, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Lemia Shaban, Reem Al-Sabah, Abdur Rahman, Ali H. Ziyab

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background and Objective: Obesity affects 18%-25% of adolescents globally and represents a major public health challenge. Genetic factors contribute to obesity susceptibility, with the FTO gene variant rs9939609 consistently associated with obesity in adults; however, evidence in adolescents is limited. This study examined the association between FTO and obesity traits in adolescents and explored potential interactions with vitamin D status.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 509 adolescents aged 10-15 years were genotyped for FTO rs9939609. Obesity traits, including BMI, BMI z-score, and waist circumference, were assessed. Associations with genotype were analyzed using an additive genetic model, and potential interactions with …

Examining The Association Of Maternal Oral Health Experiences With Adverse Birth Outcomes: Findings From Virginia's Prams Survey, May Salama, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Denise C. Mckinney, Li-Wu Chen, Anwar T. Merchant

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

Preterm birth (PTB) and low birth weight (LBW) are significant public health challenges globally, contributing to neonatal morbidity, mortality, and long-term complications. Maternal oral health has been increasingly recognized as a potential contributor to PTB and LBW, yet there is inconclusive evidence about the effectiveness of dental cleaning in preventing PTB and LBW. This study examined the association between dental cleaning during pregnancy and the prevalence of PTB and LBW using data from the Virginia Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS).

Methods

We analyzed data from Virginia PRAMS Phases 7 and 8, spanning a 10-year period from 2012 to …

Characteristics Of Women Who Fast During Pregnancy: Findings From The Kuwait Birth Cohort Study, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Ali H. Ziyab, Reem Al Sabah, Ahmed N. Albatineh, James Blando, Majeda S. Hammoud

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Fasting during pregnancy is a widespread practice in Muslim communities, yet its health implications remain poorly understood. A lack of conceptual frameworks and limited understanding of the characteristics of women who fast during pregnancy have hindered research in this area. This study examines the differences in several nutritional biomarkers between women who fasted and those who did not and identifies factors associated with fasting behaviour. We analysed data from the Kuwait Birth Cohort in which information on fasting, sociodemographic characteristics and health behaviours was collected via structured interviews between 2017 and 2021. Clinical and laboratory data were extracted from medical …

Gaze Transition Entropy And Automation Trust In Multitasking Workspace, Yusuke Yamani, Austin Jackson, Tetsuya Sato, Feyishola Ashimi, Michael S. Politowicz, Eric T. Chancey, Makoto Itoh

Psychology Faculty Publications

Safe flight operation requires visual scanning across multiple displays in a cockpit, which collectively represent the state of the aircraft and supporting automation. Trust is a crucial factor that drives human-automation interaction, and recent work has suggested a relationship between an operator's visual attention and automation trust. One index that captures predictability of eye movements between different areas of interest is gaze transition entropy. The current work reanalyzed data from Sato et al., which examined eye movement patterns and trust in automation associated with the system monitoring task of the Multi-Attribute Task Battery. Results showed credible positive correlations between the …

Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning In Smart Vaginal Formulation Development, Deborah A. Ogundemuren, Vivek Agrahari, Andrew P. Wong, Carolina Herrera, Margaret O. Ilomuanya, Gustavo F. Doncel

CONRAD Publications

Vaginal drug delivery in women's health remains underutilized and insufficiently studied, largely due to the complexity and dynamic nature of the vaginal microenvironment. Variations in vaginal pH, hormonal levels, and microbiota composition introduce significant biological variability, complicating formulation design and contributing to inconsistent therapeutic outcomes and poor patient adherence. Conventional vaginal formulations often fail to account for these individual differences, highlighting the need for more adaptive and predictive approaches. Emerging advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) offer promising strategies to address these challenges by enabling multi-parameter, data-driven formulation development that explicitly considers biological variability. Despite their transformative …

Micrornas Regulated By Pregnancy Target Antiviral And Cancer Immunity Overlapping With The Hiv Interactome, Paula F. T. Cezar-De-Mello, Jonathan M. Dreyfuss, Pai-Lien Chen, Hidemi Yamamoto, Xiaoming Gao, Hui Pan, Charles Morrison, Gustavo F. Doncel, Robert L. Barbieri, Raina N. Fichorova

CONRAD Publications

Innate immunity predictors of HIV-1 risk and pathogenesis vary with reproductive hormones, pregnancy, and lactation, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesized that pregnancy-associated physiological adaptations alter systemic microRNA (miRNA) expression, thereby regulating immunity, pathogenesis and susceptibility to infection. We analyzed 174 serum samples from 88 participants in a longitudinal cohort from Uganda and Zimbabwe across pre-pregnancy (PP), pregnancy (P), and postpartum breastfeeding (BF). Cell-free peripheral blood miRNAs (n = 2083) were profiled using HTG EdgeSeq. Pregnancy-specific miRNAs were identified by intersecting differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs from P vs. PP and P vs. BF comparisons. miRNA targets and pathways …

Large Language Model-Assisted Research Question Development In Public Health: A Case Study In The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants, And Children (Wic), Qi Zhang, Bidusha Neupane, Priyanka Patel, Futun N. Alkhalifah, Yi He, Leslie Hodges

Health Behavior, Policy & Management Faculty Publications

Objective:

To assess the feasibility of using large language models (LLMs) to develop research questions about changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food packages.

Design:

We conducted a controlled experiment using ChatGPT-4 and its plugin, MixerBox Scholarly, to generate research questions based on a section of the USDA summary of the final public comments on the WIC revision. Five questions weekly for three weeks were generated using LLMs under two conditions: fed with or without relevant literature. The experiment generated 90 questions, which were evaluated using the FINER criteria (Feasibility, Innovation, Novelty, Ethics, …

Pilot Study On The Use Of Multimorbidity Index In Patients Receiving Home Parenteral Nutrition, Michael M. Rothkopf, Mohan Pant, Zachary Rothkopf, Rebecca Brown Rdn, Jaime Haselhorst Rdn, Debbie L. Stevenson Rdn, Andrew Depalma Mba, Michael Saracco

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background

Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) patients often have multiple comorbidities. A validated multimorbidity index (MMI) could help determine resource needs and risks with HPN. We evaluated MMI scoring to determine if it predicted HPN resource use and outcomes.

Methods

We performed a secondary analysis of 60 HPN patients from a previous study based on Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS) scoring. We examined three variables: PN formula changes, hospitalizations, and hospital length of stay (LOS). Density plots were produced to select a CIRS score cutoff value. Spearman correlations among the three variables of interest were computed. The data were then subjected …

A Critical Perspective On The Society Of Environmental Toxicology And Chemistry's Adherence To Founding Principles— Opportunities For The Future, Barnett A. Rattner, Annegaaike Leopold, Carys L. Mitchelmore, Glenn W. Suter, Mark S. Johnson, Adriana C. Bejarano, Lawrence A. Kapustka, Niranjana Krishnan, Derek C. G. Muir, Beatrice O. Opeolu, Martha Georgina Orozco-Medina, April Reed, Bruce W. Vigon, Adam R. Wronski

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) is a global organization whose mission is the advancement of environmental science and management through collaboration, leadership, communication and education. On SETAC's 45th anniversary, the following question was raised: Are the 1979 founding principles of SETAC, multidisciplinary approaches to solving environmental problems, multisector engagement and scientific objectivity, still useful, adequate and effective in fulfilling its mission? In a special session held at the 45th Annual Meeting in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, a critical evaluation of the founding principles was initiated by reviewing SETAC's history and ongoing activities, and recommendations were made …

Vitamin D Status During Pregnancy Modulates The Effect Of Pre-Pregnancy Obesity On Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Risk: A Birth Cohort Study, Ali H. Ziyab, Abdullah Al-Taiar, Reem Al-Sabah, Majeda S. Hammoud, Saeed Akhtar

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Objective:

To determine whether gestational vitamin D status modulates the effect of pre-pregnancy obesity on gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) risk while stratifying by maternal age.

Design:

Birth cohort.

Setting:

A major maternity hospital in Kuwait.

Participants:

Pregnant women in their second/third trimester of gestation were enrolled. Pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI, kg/m²) was categorized as under/normal weight (< 25.0), overweight (25.0 to < 30.0), and obesity (≥30.0). Gestational 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations were categorized as deficiency (< 50 nmol/L) or insufficiency/sufficiency (≥50 nmol/L). GDM status was ascertained according to international guidelines. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using logistic regression.

Results:

Data from 957 pregnant women were analyzed, with GDM affecting 166 (17.4%) pregnancies. Pre-pregnancy obesity and gestational vitamin D deficiency was ascertained in 275 (28.7%) and 533 (55.7%) pregnant women, respectively. The association between pre-pregnancy obesity and GDM risk differed according …

The Crucial Role Of Machine Learning Models In Predicting Current Childhood Asthma: Model Comparison, Calibration, And Shap-Based Interpretation, Aditya Chakraborty, A. K.M. Raquibul Bashar

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Asthma is one of the most prominent chronic diseases in children and one of the most challenging ailments to diagnose in infants and preschoolers in the United States. Predictive models can be instrumental in improving early diagnosis, personalized treatment strategies, and disease progression. By utilizing nationalized data, this study focuses on building and comparing high-performing analytical predictive models based on the relevant risk factors and identifying the most influential predictors.

Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional BRFSS Asthma Call-Back Survey data (2011-2020; N = 9,813) and randomly split participants into training and testing sets. An XGBoost model (hyperparameters tuned via grid …

Multiple Changepoint Detection For Non-Gaussian Time Series, Robert Lund, Thomas J. Fisher, Norou Diawara, Michael Wehner

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

This article combines methods from existing techniques to identify multiple changepoints in non‐Gaussian autocorrelated time series. A transformation is used to convert a Gaussian series into a non‐Gaussian series, enabling penalized likelihood methods to handle non‐Gaussian scenarios. When the marginal distribution of the data is continuous, the methods essentially reduce to the change of variables formula for probability densities. When the marginal distribution is count‐oriented, Hermite expansions and particle filtering techniques are used to quantify the scenario. Simulations demonstrating the efficacy of the methods are given and two data sets are analyzed: 1) the proportion of home runs hit by …

Adaptive Multi-Grade Deep Learning For Highly Oscillatory Fredholm Integral Equations Of The Second Kind, Jie Jiang, Yuesheng Xu

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

This paper studies the use of Multi-Grade Deep Learning (MGDL) for solving highly oscillatory Fredholm integral equations of the second kind. We provide rigorous error analyses of continuous and discrete MGDL models, showing that the discrete model retains the convergence and stability of its continuous counterpart under sufficiently small quadrature error. We identify the DNN training error as the primary source of approximation error, motivating a novel adaptive MGDL algorithm that selects the network grade based on training performance. Numerical experiments with highly oscillatory (including wavenumber 500) and singular solutions confirm the accuracy, effectiveness and robustness of the proposed approach.

Changepoint Analyses Confirms Global Tropical Cyclone Frequency Decline, Michael Wehner, Thomas Fisher, Norou Diawara, Robert Lund

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Changes in tropical cyclone frequencies as the climate warms is a topic of significant current debate [1, 2]. There is no accepted theory of how tropical cyclogenesis might respond to a warmer ocean-atmosphere system as multiple controlling factors exist [3–7]. Anthropogenic warming of surface ocean temperatures due to increased greenhouse gas concentrations [8] increases the potential for tropical cyclogenesis [9–11]; however, realized cyclogenesis also requires an initial local disturbance [12–16] to develop. Most multi-decadal tropical cyclone permitting climate models (i.e. resolutions of 15-50km) exhibit frequency decreases in warmer climates, despite the increase in tropical cyclogenesis potential [17–25]. In this paper, …

From Screens To Stress: Public Health Implications Of Cancer Worry In A Digitally Connected World, Shreya Mathur, Ethan Burns, Michael Pokojovy, Tzu-Liang Bill Tseng, Sunil Mathur

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Aims:

This study examines how digital information environments, genetic testing experiences, health behaviors, and psychological distress influence cancer-related worry among adults in the United States. It further considers the public health implications of elevated or reduced cancer worry for prevention and risk communication.

Methods:

Data were drawn from a nationally representative survey of 6,252 U.S. adults. Measures included reliance on social media for health decision-making, smoking status, history of genetic testing, and psychological distress. Multivariable analyses assessed associations between these factors and levels of cancer worry.

Results/Findings:

Reliance on social media for health decisions was associated with greater cancer worry, …

A Composite Narxnn Approach To Photovoltaic Power Forecasting With Integrated Weather Inputs And Uncertainty Quantification, Denisse Urenda Castañeda, Sharmin Abdullah, Jackson Morgan, Honglun Xu, Michael Pokojovy, Tzu-Liang Tseng

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Solar photovoltaics (PV) are a major source of sustainable energy. Yet, their power output is highly sensitive to environmental variability, particularly solar irradiance, cloud cover, wind, and temperature. Accurate forecasting of PV power is essential for efficient grid integration and energy planning, especially in applications requiring reliable longer-term forecasting rather than one-step-ahead predictions. This study presents a PV power forecasting approach using Nonlinear Autoregressive models with Exogenous Inputs (NARX), integrating large-scale numerical weather historical data as exogenous variables. Although NARX models effectively capture temporal dependencies, they can become overly dependent on historical power values, reducing responsiveness to real-time weather changes. …

A New Parallel-In-Time Direct Inverse Method For Nonlinear Differential Equations, Nail K. Yamaleev, Subhash Paudel

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

We propose a new method for parallelization of the first-order backward difference discretization (BDF1) of the first-order time derivative in nonlinear partial differential equations, such as conservation law equations. The time derivative term is discretized by using the method of lines based on the implicit BDF1 scheme, while the inviscid and viscous terms are approximated by conventional 2nd-order central discretizations of the 1st- and 2nd-order derivatives in each spatial direction. The global system of nonlinear discrete equations in the space-time domain is solved by the Newton method for all time levels simultaneously. For the BDF1 discretization, this all-at-once system at …