Digital Commons Network^™

Youth Experiences In Gender–Sexuality Alliances Predict Academic Engagement But Not Disaffection Through Social–Emotional Wellbeing, V. Paul Poteat, Jerel P. Calzo, Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Daniel Kellogg, Robert A. Marx, Abigail Richburg, Arthur Lipkin

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Experiences in gender–sexuality alliances (GSAs) could predict youth's academic engagement through improved social–emotional wellbeing (indicated by school belonging, hope, and positive and negative affect). This study utilized three waves of data, each spaced 2–3 months apart, among 627 youth (87% LGBQ+, 45% trans/nonbinary, 48% youth of color) ages 11–22 (Mage = 15.13) in 51 GSAs in the United States in 2021–2022. Greater peer responsiveness in the GSA predicted increased academic engagement through increased wellbeing overall and specifically through hope and decreased negative affect. Advisor responsiveness and GSA leadership correlated with wellbeing and academic engagement in bivariate analyses but were not …

Florescence, Evan D. Jaccodine

Theses

Florescence is a photographic project that provokes conversation between mediums, methods, and attitudes in art and design. Starting as grainy, screened Risograph prints mounted into custom wood frames, the uniformity of mechanical reproduction is distorted by handmade craft elements. The images examine the materiality of making as part of the message they produce; they are both eclectic handmade objects and mass-produced products. These pictures intend to communicate an idea like an advertisement, except the message, meaning, or intention isn’t clear. I am interested in the moment when the viewer comes close enough to the image to see the prints' poor …

Erratum To: Reconfigurations In Brain Networks Upon Awakening From Slow Wave Sleep: Interventions And Implications In Neural Communication (Network Neuroscience), Cassie J. Hilditch, Kanika Bansal, Ravi Chachad, Lily R. Wong, Nicholas G. Bathurst, Nathan H. Feick, Amanda Santamaria, Nita L. Shattuck, Javier O. Garcia, Erin E. Flynn-Evans

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

After publication of our paper Reconfigurations in brain networks upon awakening from slow wave sleep: Interventions and implications in neural communication, we noticed an error in our condition labels that required some revision of figures and text and some new interpretations throughout the manuscript. The error was a consequence of the double-blind nature of the original experimentation which contained two interventions: (1) a blue-enriched light intervention, as originally mentioned; and (2) an olfactory odorant condition. In review of previous analyses and presentations of the data, there was a time when non-descriptive labels (e.g., “A”, “B”) were accidentally swapped, indicating the …

Fpdclustering: A Comprehensive R Package For Probabilistic Distance Clustering Based Methods, Cristina Tortora, Francesco Palumbo

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Data clustering has a long history and refers to a vast range of models and methods that exploit the ever-more-performing numerical optimization algorithms and are designed to find homogeneous groups of observations in data. In this framework, the probability distance clustering (PDC) family methods offer a numerically effective alternative to model-based clustering methods and a more flexible opportunity in the framework of geometric data clustering. Given nJ-dimensional data vectors arranged in a data matrix and the number K of clusters, PDC maximizes the joint density function that is defined as the sum of the products between the distance and the …

Algorithmic Embeddedness And The ‘Gig’ Characteristics Model: Examining The Interplay Between Technology And Work Design In Crowdwork, Francesca Bellesia, Elisa Mattarelli, Fabiola Bertolotti, Maurizio Sobrero

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This article systematically reviews the literature on online task crowdwork to investigate the complex relationship between technology and work design on crowdwork platforms. We highlight the diverse interpretations and uses of technology, specifically platform features and algorithms, in relation to work design. Our review reveals that platform features serve as antecedents to work design characteristics, while algorithms are so intertwined with job execution that a new work characteristic is needed to model this interplay. We introduce this new work characteristic as algorithmic embeddedness and show that it varies in degree. When high, algorithmic embeddedness can be perceived as either an …

Anti-Trafficking And Humanitarian Operations: Transferring Learnings For A Better World, Kezban Yagci Sokat, Maria Besiou

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Purpose: The purpose of this study is twofold: first, to draw insights from the rich literature on humanitarian operations efforts to combat human trafficking; second, to inspire humanitarian operations researchers to work more on human anti-trafficking. Design/methodology/approach: This is a conceptual paper inspired by recent relevant reports, the academic literature and the authors’ years of involvement in both humanitarian operations and anti-trafficking. Findings: Humanitarian supply chains and human trafficking supply chains very often operate in the same environments and hence face similar challenges. The paper highlights the overlaps between the two domains and demonstrates how two decades of learnings from …

Covid-19 Vaccination-Related Tinnitus Is Associated With Pre-Vaccination Metabolic Disorders, Weihua Wang, Anusha Yellamsetty, Robert M. Edmonds, Shaun R. Barcavage, Shaowen Bao

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Cases of tinnitus have been reported following administration of COVID-19 vaccines. The aim of this study was to characterize COVID-19 vaccination-related tinnitus to assess whether there is a causal relationship, and to examine potential risk factors for COVID-19 vaccination-related tinnitus. We analyzed a survey on 398 cases of COVID-19 vaccination-related tinnitus, and 699,839 COVID-19 vaccine-related reports in the Vaccine Adverse Effect Reporting System (VAERS) database that was retrieved on 4 December 2021. We found that following COVID-19 vaccination, 1) tinnitus report frequencies for Pfizer, Moderna and Janssen vaccines in VAERS are 47, 51 and 70 cases per million full vaccination; …

Graduate Public Health Student Learning Experiences, Social Connectedness, And Mental Health During Covid-19: Pedagogical Implications For Public Health Academic Departments, Harit Agroia, Rachel Berkowitz, Andrew Carter, Vicky Gomez, Monica Allen

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted college student learning both globally and nationally. Current literature points to decreases in social connectedness, adverse mental health outcomes, and decreased overall learning outcomes; however, there are limited findings from higher education institutions within the Bay Area, California. There are also limited studies that examine the COVID-19 impact among public health graduate students, especially to understand how the pandemic renewed their interest in the field. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of COVID-19 on graduate student learning experiences, social connectedness and mental health within the Master of Public Health program at …

Chronic Pelvic Pain Among Transgender Men And Gender Diverse Adults Assigned Female At Birth, Diana M. Tordoff, Mitchell R. Lunn, Annesa Flentje, Diana Atashroo, Bertha Chen, Zubin Dastur, Micah E. Lubensky, Matthew Capriotti, Juno Obedin-Maliver

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: There are limited data on pelvic pain among transgender men and gender diverse people, and the impact of testosterone on pelvic pain is poorly understood. Objective: Characterize the prevalence and correlates of chronic pelvic pain (CPP) among transgender men and gender diverse people and examine the association between testosterone use and CPP. Materials and methods: We used 2020–2022 data from The Population Research in Identity and Disparities for Equality (PRIDE) Study, an online prospective cohort study of sexual and gender minority adults in the United States, to conduct complementary cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Our primary outcome was self-reported CPP …

Awareness, Access, And Communication: Provider Perspectives On Early Intervention Services For Children With Sickle Cell Disease, Andrew M Heitzer, Erin Macarthur, Mollie Tamboli, Ashley Wilson, Jane S Hankins, Catherine R Hoyt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify determinants influencing the utilization of early intervention services among young children with sickle cell disease (SCD) based on perspectives from medical and early intervention providers.

DESIGN AND METHODS: Early intervention and medical providers from the catchment area surrounding St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Washington University were recruited (20 total providers). Interviews were completed over the phone and audio recorded. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

RESULTS: Three overarching themes were identified from both groups: Awareness (e.g., lack of awareness about the EI system and SCD), Access (e.g., …

The Future Of Unfair Terms Regulation In Commercial Contracts, Marcus Moore

All Faculty Publications

What is the future of unfair contract terms regulation? To date, regimes of unfair terms regulation have shared several key operational features, but have diverged on the question of the scope of regulation: some regimes focus on consumer contracts or exemption clauses, while other regimes include all commercial standard form contracts. Both domestic and transnational commerce would be well served by broader harmonisation of unfair terms regulation. But divergence on the basic question of the scope of regulation has hindered such harmonisation. Some important recent developments suggest a possible trend towards regulation of a scope which includes all standard form …

Glacial Deposits, Vol. 48, 2024, Department Of Geography, Geology, And The Environment

Glacial Deposits

Newsletter of the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment

Interest In Over-The-Counter Progestin-Only Pills Among Transgender, Nonbinary, And Gender-Expansive Individuals In The United States, Kate Grindlay, Juno Obedin-Maliver, Sachiko Ragosta, Jen Hastings, Mitchell R. Lunn, Annesa Flentje, Matthew R. Capriotti, Zubin Dastur, Micah E. Lubensky, Heidi Moseson

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: In July 2023, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first nonprescription oral contraceptive, a progestin-only pill, in the United States. Transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive people assigned female or intersex at birth face substantial contraceptive access barriers and may benefit from over-the-counter oral contraceptive access. However, no previous research has explored their perspectives on this topic. Objective: This study aimed to measure interest in over-the-counter progestin-only pill use among transgender, nonbinary, and gender-expansive individuals assigned female or intersex at birth. Study Design: We conducted an online, cross-sectional survey from May to September 2019 (before the US Food and …

Effects Of The Sacramento Neighborhood Alcohol Prevention Project On Rates Of Child Abuse And Neglect 7 Years Post-Implementation (1999–2010), Bridget Freisthler, Jennifer Price Wolf

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Introduction: Evaluations of alcohol environmental prevention efforts examine short-term effects of these interventions on alcohol-related problems. We examine whether the effects of the Sacramento Neighborhood Alcohol Prevention Project (SNAPP), an alcohol environmental intervention aimed to reduce alcohol-related problems in two neighbourhoods, on child abuse and neglect remained 7 years post-implementation. Methods: SNAPP used a quasi-experimental non-equivalent control group design, where intervention activities occurred in the South area, followed by those in the North area 2 years later. Our sample size is 3912 space–time units (326 census block groups × 12 years [1999–2010]). Outcomes were measured at the household level and …

Emergency And Disaster Preparedness For Individuals Who Use Augmentative And Alternative Communication: A Pilot Study On Supported Planning Using A Toolkit, Andrea Barton-Hulsey, Miriam C. Boesch, Yoosun Chung, Tina Caswell, Amy Miller Sonntag, Wendy Quach

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Purpose: When emergencies or disasters arise, individuals who use augmenta-tive and alternative communication (AAC) are particularly vulnerable. It is critical that individuals who use AAC are supported to make decisions that impact their own lives and are able to communicate during such a crisis. Preparedness efforts that include a plan around communication needs and supports are necessary for ensuring that individuals who use AAC are able to understand options that ensure personal safety and express their needs during a time of crisis. Method: Qualitative methods were used to identify and describe the experi-ences of two young adults who use AAC …

Review Of Literature On Efficacy And Safety Of Birthing Positions With Emphasis On International Cultural Influences On Obstetric Care, Ava E. Retsch

Theses

• Background: When examining most non-Westernized societies, parturients hold all the power in the birthing space with traditional birth attendants and medical staff serving as guiding forces and protectors, not directors of the process. Social media in Western countries is filled with stories from birthing people who felt unsupported, ignored, or discriminated against by their healthcare providers; this is particularly prevalent in parturients who express a preference for non-supine birthing positions. Methods: This work is a review of the existing body of literature on quantitative and qualitative outcome measures of alternative birthing positions. In total, 44 articles were analyzed …

The Impact Of Banning Confidential Settlements On Discrimination Dispute Resolutio, Blair D. Bullock, Joni Hersch -- Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor Of Law And Economics

Vanderbilt Law Review

The #MeToo movement exposed how workplace harassment plagues employment in the United States. Several states responded by passing legislation aimed at curbing harassment and employment discrimination in the workplace. One of the most common legislative efforts was to ban confidentiality provisions in certain settlement agreements. These bans, in part, attempted to stop "secret settlements" by shining light on workplace discrimination and exposing serial harassers as a means to motivate firms to actively deter workplace discrimination.

But do bans on confidentiality agreements deter the bad act? For these laws to have a deterrent effect, claims must be revealed in a public …

Do Dyslexia Laws Help Students With Visual Impairments Receive Needed Reading Supports? A Mixed-Methods Approach., Lindsay N. Harris, Johnnie Jones, Molly Pasley, Lisa Liberty, Tiffany Puckett

CISLL Publications

Teachers of students with visual impairments (TSVIs) have long expressed frustrations about the difficulty of getting a dyslexia diagnosis for students with visual impairments, but there is limited data to validate their concerns. Moreover, although most U.S. states have passed dyslexia laws that require universal screening and/or intervention for students with dyslexia, the laws may not be applied equally across all populations of students. A mixed-methods approach can validate TSVIs’ perspectives by revealing whether dyslexia legislation is associated with TSVIs’ perceptions of how their students’ needs are being met. To this end, we conducted a qualitative analysis of TSVI survey …

Consortium Building As Determinants Of Perceived Quality Service Delivery By Personnel In University Libraries In Benue State, Nigeria, Doocivir Faith Annune, Olalekan Abiola Awujoola Dr.

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The university library is the educational nerve of the university that ensures that information resources are made available and that quality information services are delivered. Providing information services that are of quality in university libraries can however be influenced by a number of factors including consortium building. Thus, the study investigates consortium building as determinants of perceived quality service delivery by personnel in university libraries in Benue State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study, population comprised all 262 library personnel in four university libraries in Benue State, Nigeria. Total enumeration method was used. A structured …

Machine Learning Based Solutions For Detecting Social Media Spam And Phishing Incidents, Ahmed Al Shehhi

Theses

The growing digital interactions across various social media platforms increases the risks of phishing schemes and spam messages that compromise personal and organisational security. This thesis tackles such threats with the aid of machine learning and natural processing techniques that are utilized for detecting malicious communications with high accuracy. A total of three datasets were used in this study, two for phishing and one for spam. The research aims to explore the performance of classification models, including Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, Naïve Bayes, and Linear Discriminant Analysis, as well as a hybrid model combining Logistic Regression and Naïve Bayes. …

Full Issue: Volume 17, Number 2, Spring 2024

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Complete .pdf file of Volume 17, Number 2 of The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences. Published Spring 2024.

Non-Surgical Treatment Options For Male-Pattern Baldness, Robert Schiffer

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Male pattern baldness affects nearly 50% of the world’s male population. It is associated with physiological conditions such as cardiovascular disease as well as psychological issues with self-image and self-esteem. Although surgical treatments exist, they are associated with risks and complications. Various non-surgical treatment modalities for male pattern baldness are available for patients. Topical and oral formulations of minoxidil, finasteride, and dutasteride can be used, in addition to low level light therapy (LLLT) and platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy. As many treatment options exist, it may be challenging for patients to decide which to choose. Although there have been few …

What Is Aphthous Stomatitis? What Are The Possible Causes And Treatments?, Shirah Balakhane

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

The historical understanding of Recurrent Aphthous Stomatitis (RAS), also known as canker sores, has evolved. This paper aims to collect data that determines the underlying factors that can cause RAS and highlights treatments or preventive measures one should take. RAS is a common mucosal disease of the mouth that affects healthy people and presents atypically in immunocompromised people. Geographical, age, and gender-related factors can all affect the prevalence. RAS still has no known cause; however, several systemic, local, immunologic, genetic, dietary, allergy, and microbiological factors—including immunosuppressive medications and stress—have been suggested as potential culprits. Using topical and systemic medicines, the …

Is Manual Therapy An Effective Modality Of Physical Therapy?, Caryn Karfunkel

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Physical therapy provides relief to patients with musculoskeletal disorders who experience pain and have difficulty functioning. Manual therapy is one of the therapeutic modalities of physical therapy, and helps treat patients through utilizing human touch and pressure. This paper analyzes studies that aim to understand the reasoning behind manual therapy’s effectiveness as a physical therapy modality, questioning whether its benefits are primarily biomechanical or psychological. The research was conducted by analyzing relevant literature on academic databases on topics such as pain, physical therapy, manual therapy, and human touch. The findings reveal that manual therapy is an effective modality of physical …

Ethanol-Containing Mouthwash: Is It Safe? Exploring The Potential Risks And Benefits, Michoel Adler

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

This thesis investigates the safety of ethanol-containing mouthwash, focusing on the risks and benefits associated with the ethanol in mouthwash and its metabolic product, acetaldehyde. While ethanol is an effective antimicrobial agent, its carcinogenic and cytotoxic effects raise some concerns. This paper examines ethanol and acetaldehyde exposure, its toxicity, and its effects on oral health. Existing studies have found risks associated with ethanol exposure and have not found decreased effectiveness in ethanol-free mouthwash controlling oral bacteria. Further research is needed to determine the exact risks associated with ethanol-containing mouthwash and should focus on identifying the most effective and safest combination …

Overview Of Weight Loss Medications, Malky Mandel

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Obesity is a complex medical condition that is multifactorial in origin. About one-third of adults in the United States are obese, and another third are overweight (Ogden et al., 2007). Obesity is associated with a multitude of comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and osteoarthritis (Lim, Boster, 2023). Additionally, obesity may cause psychological disorders due to social prejudice and discrimination toward obese people (Wadden et al. 2002). Economically, obesity is also a tremendous financial burden (Tremmel et al. 2017). It is estimated that the overall cost of obesity-related illness in the US is nearly $500 billion (Cawley et al., …

Extraordinary Punishment: Conditions Of Confinement And Compassionate Release, Meredith B. Esser

Scholarly Works

People experience severe forms of harm while incarcerated, including medical neglect, prolonged solitary confinement, sexual and physical violence, and a host of other ills. But civil rights litigation under the Eighth Amendment the most common vehicle through which people seek to redress these harms presents significant practical and doctrinal barriers to incarcerated plaintiffs. Most notably, the Eighth Amendment's "deliberate indifference" standard asks not whether a person has been harmed, but instead requires plaintiffs to demonstrate a criminally reckless mental state on the part of prison officials. Further, Eighth Amendment remedies are limited to damages or injunctions, which may not adequately …

Who Bears The Burden When Prison Guards Rape?, Meredith B. Esser

Scholarly Works

Several recent scandals have highlighted the continued problem of institutional sexual abuse within the federal Bureau of Prisons ("BOP"). Most notoriously, the rampant sexual abuse of women incarcerated at Federal Correctional Institution ("FCI") Dublin, also known as the "rape club," resulted in the prosecution and conviction of several high-ranking officials within FCI Dublin, including both the former Warden and former Chaplain who worked there for several years. In response to these patterns of misconduct, the Federal Sentencing Commission's new guidelines, which went into effect on November 1, 2023, now allow for victims of custodial sexual assault to apply for early …

Cffdna Screening For Niemann-Pick Disease, Type C1: A Case Series, Sydney A Lau, Romy I Fawaz, Robert Rigobello, Shahad Bawazeer, Nouf M Alajaji, Eissa Faqeih, Yanchun Li, Yanming Feng, Fan Xia, Christine M Eng, Malak Abedalthagafi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) screening is a valuable tool in clinical practice for detecting chromosomal abnormalities and autosomal dominant (AD) conditions. This study introduces a novel proof-of-concept assay designed for autosomal recessive (AR) cffDNA screening, focusing on cases involving the NPC1 gene. We aim to illustrate the significant benefits of AR cffDNA screening in managing high-risk pregnancies, specifically where biallelic pathogenic variants in NPC1 cause Niemann-Pick disease, type C1 (NPC), a disorder marked by progressive neurodegeneration. Three participants for this study were recruited and gave consent to a hospital in Saudi Arabia. These participants were either carriers of NPC or …

Persistent Elevation Of Plasma Markers Of Cellular Senescence After Hip Fracture: A Pilot Longitudinal Study, Eric J Lenze, Ginger E Nicol, George A Kuchel, Michael S Avidan, Breno S Diniz

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Hip fractures may result from and contribute to accelerated biological aging. We aimed to evaluate the impact of hip fracture and its surgery on the senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) index, a composite of peripheral protein markers where higher scores are thought to indicate greater levels of cellular senescence and accelerated aging.

METHODS: We examined the SASP index in plasma over 12 weeks post-surgery and its prediction of long-term post-surgical functional outcomes. We included 60 older adults: 20 recruited immediately after hip fracture surgery, and 40 comparison individuals who were either healthy or suffering chronic psychosocial stress (caregiving). We assessed …