Digital Commons Network^™

Patient Preferences When Selecting Their Total Joint Arthroplasty Surgeon: A Multicenter Survey Study, Jake Laverdiere, Danielle Lonati, Swaroopa Vaidya, Gregory Panza, Antonia Chen, Mary Morcos, Yale Fillingham, Jessica Leipman, Molly Hartzler, Jenna Bernstein

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: Surgeon selection can influence patient satisfaction, outcomes, and access in total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Awareness of patient preferences enables practices to enhance trust, optimize communication, and improve adherence. While referrals and word-of-mouth recommendations often outweigh online marketing, prospective multicenter research exploring how patients choose their TJA surgeon is limited. The aim of this study was to identify key decision-making factors and how they vary by demographics.

METHODS: This prospective, multicenter cross-sectional survey study included patients undergoing elective total joint arthroplasty at 4 high-volume institutions from January 2024 to 2025. Participants completed a survey on surgeon selection, including how they …

Healthcare Access, Economic Stability, And Food Security And Inflammatory Bowel Disease In Hispanic Adults Living In The United States, Jennifer Rodriguez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Hispanic adults in the United States experience disparities in chronic disease detection and outcomes, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Social determinants of health (SDoH), including economic stability, healthcare access, and food security, play a crucial role in shaping health risks and diagnostic opportunities in this population. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between selected SDoH factors and self-reported IBD diagnosis among U.S. Hispanic adults. This study utilized survey data from the 2023 National Health Interview Survey (n = 29,457). Weighted descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to analyze the relationships between variables while …

Time Series Modeling Of Land Use And Land Cover Classification Using Remote Sensing, Ahmed A. F. Abd El Hamed, Fawzi H. Zarzoura, Mahmoud El-Mewafi

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Understanding land use / land cover changes is essential for planning sustainable development. It represents the transformation of the land due to human activities, which is related to sustainable development that aims to achieve the needs of the present generations without affecting the future. Land use / Land cover is studied in Al Alamein region, northern Egypt, with supervised classification methods using satellite images from Landsat 8 and Sentinel - 2A in 2023 and analyzes the accuracy assessment, which shows Maximum likelihood is better in both sensors achieving overall accuracy (91.80% and 91.02%) and kappa coefficient (0.814 and 0.8799). Then …

Disentangling Complex Relationships And Disjunctions In Western Camassia: Integrating Multiple Criteria To Resolve Taxonomic Boundaries, Susan R. Kephart, Theresa M. Culley, Jenny K. Archibald, Robert Tunison, Kathryn E. Theiss, James E. Kephart

Michigan Tech Publications

Premise: Understanding genetic and morphological variability helps efforts to sustain landscapes and develop effective species concepts for resolving difficult groups. To unravel puzzling relationships and range disjunctions, we applied morphometrics, phenology, phylogenetics and population genetics in Camassia species with cultural, ecological, and conservation value, asking: Do the unusual Camassia populations in northeastern California represent previously unrecognized, disjunct C. howellii? Do C. howellii, C. leichtlinii, and C. quamash maintain diagnostic features in allopatry or sympatry? Are C. quamash subsp. breviflora and subsp. linearis taxonomically distinct?. Methods: We evaluated 34 Camassia populations in situ for morphometric traits, phenology, and habitat type, collecting …

A Sedimentary Source Of Rare Earth Elements In The North Atlantic, Rylee D. Lindner

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individually and as a series, the Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are powerful geochemical tracers of environmental processes. However, ambiguities in the oceanic budgets of the REEs hamper their application. Growing evidence suggests a sedimentary benthic flux via the pore water is the major source of REEs to the ocean, with extrapolated estimates of this flux being equivalent in magnitude to that “missing” from modern budgets. However, existing pore water REE data are available from only a few locations globally with no representative dataset from the open North Atlantic. This data scarcity limits our ability to constrain flux estimates and understand …

From Liahona To Talk: An Inspired Method 1, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

If our past series, Actionable Insights from the Liahona, laid out essential principles like a detailed instruction manual, this time, I'm shifting gears into a softer narrative.

The core question is: "How do we make sure these essential principles stick?"

To answer that, I've sprinkled in approachable metaphors and a bit of humor that will make you want to slap your knee and exclaim, "That's exactly my story!" My goal is that, once you've finished reading or listening, these vital principles will adhere to your mind like a magnet on a refrigerator door.

Reading Between The Lines: The Influence Of Financial News On Investor Decision-Making, Kalia Noble

Honors College Theses

This thesis investigates how financial media narratives shape investor sentiment and short-term market behavior. Drawing on behavioral finance and narrative economics, it examines whether the framing and tone of market news correlate with intraday volatility in the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average. By pairing quantitative price data with contemporaneous headlines from major outlets such as Bloomberg, Yahoo! Finance, and CNBC, the study shows that emotionally charged or speculative narratives are closely associated with sharp market swings, even when fundamentals remain unchanged. These findings highlight the influence of media framing on investor decision-making and underscore the importance of financial …

Review Of Lifespan Development, Esmeralda Rivera

Open Educational Resources - Reviews

No abstract provided.

Value Creation For Target Firms In M&A Transactions, Joshua D. Amaru

Senior Honors Theses

This thesis explores the means by which mergers and acquisitions (M&A) create value for target, or acquired, firms in the transaction. This contradicts the commonly held belief that M&A deals harbor disproportionate benefits for acquiring firms, with the general assumption being that the acquirer gains the most created value from the formed synergies. Seeking to combat this belief, a comprehensive framework for assessing target firm value creation is established, built upon research of corporate strategy concerning market expansion, economies of scale and scope, and enhanced competitive advantage. Most importantly, the formation and valuation of synergies is covered extensively, expanding on …

Effective Corporate Social Responsibility Strategies That Small Business Leaders Use To Improve Brand Reputation, William Cativo

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices in small businesses can damage brand reputation, reduce employee retention, and hinder sustainability. Small business leaders are concerned about these risks, as a large majority of consumers expect companies to act on environmental, social, and governance issues. Grounded in Carroll’s CSR pyramid, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore strategies small business leaders in the Western United States use to enhance brand reputation. The participants were six small business leaders with effective strategies to enhance brand reputation. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of 10 CSR reports. Thematic …

The Experience Of Social Isolation In Older Adults Moving To Assisted Living Facilities, Soniya Ottayil, Bryn Benzing, Alyssa Gonzalez, Adalynn Harper, Ariel Farrar, Riley Gaskill, Becca Haller, Terry Kessler, Constance Sheets, Lynette Rayman, Eugene Airhiagbonkpa, Giselle Nava Contreras, Ellie Schuck, Rachel Fischer, Theresa A. Kessler

Biennial Convention (CONV)

Background: Social isolation of the older adult has become a global issue. Social isolation describes the objective state of being lonely, whereas loneliness is a subjective feeling based on relationships (Rohr et al., 2022). In a meta-analysis, 33% of an elderly population experienced social isolation (Ran et al., 2024). Based on the framework of loneliness, social isolation, and associated health outcomes (Barnes et al., 2020), the purpose of this study was to describe experiences of social isolation, loneliness, and strategies that decreased these experiences in older adults following a move to assisted living.

Methods: Using qualitative and quantitative approaches, residents …

Comparative Evaluation Of Microtensile Bond Strength Of Different Generations Of Bonding Agents Using Composite Resin Bonded To Dentin: An In Vitro Study, Roy Yammine, Louis Hardan, Georges El Najjar, Aline Issa, Cynthia Kassis

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the microtensile bond strength (µSBS) of 5th-generation bonding agents to universal (one-bottle) bonding agents on dentin of posterior teeth.

Methods: Three different 5th-generation and three universal bonding agents from Charisma (Kulzer GmbH, Germany), 3M (3M ESPE, United States), and Tokuyama (Tokuyama Corporation, Japan) were tested using the microtensile bond strength (μ-SBS). Each adhesive system was applied to dentin surfaces bonded to composite resin, with ten samples per group (n=10). All six groups underwent μ-SBS testing.

Results:The generation of bonding agent significantly influenced µSBS (p

Conclusions: This study confirms that 5th-generation bonding agents provide …

From Liahona To Talk: An Inspired Method 2, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

In my previous series, Actionable Insights from the Liahona, I introduced many principles that felt like tightly cut jewels. This time, I'm changing the tempo and delivering those same principles set to a heart-stirring melody. I've set aside the rigid outlining and repackaged the principles with relatable stories and humorous metaphors that I hope will make you chuckle and think, "Oh, I know that feeling!" My wish is that this new approach helps these vital principles to gently drop anchor deep within your heart.

When Knowing Isn’T Enough: Advancing Clinical Judgment In Nursing Education, Rachael Frija

Biennial Convention (CONV)

This session explores how academic programs can strengthen clinical judgment through competency-based assessment and AI-enabled learning tools. Using data from new graduate clinical judgment assessments, participants will discover how HealthStream’s Competency Suite Student Edition supports earlier identification of judgment gaps, personalized development, and smoother transitions from the classroom to practice.

The Use Of Storytelling In Covid-19 Vaccine Promotion: A Scoping Review Of Interventions And Campaigns, Suha Ballout, Sabreen A. Darwish, Patricia J. Kelly, Teresa Keller, Ross Shegog, Basil H. Aboul-Enein

College of Nursing Faculty Papers & Presentations

BACKGROUND: The development of the COVID-19 vaccine, a groundbreaking scientific advancement, also fueled vaccine hesitancy mainly due to vaccine misinformation and the limited public understanding of the new technology and its rapid pace of development and deployment. A variety of public health communication strategies have been used that include engaging the community in identifying and developing messages, using culturally appropriate communication methods, applying behavioral health principles, and storytelling. The purpose of this scoping review was to assess the most relevant evidence from the research literature on storytelling interventions to mitigate COVID vaccine hesitancy during the pandemic.

METHODS: A scoping review …

Challenges In Engineering Machine Learning (Software) Systems, Raffi T. Khatchadourian Ph.D.

Open Educational Resources

Lecture slides on the software engineering challenges unique to machine learning systems, for an undergraduate software engineering course. After contrasting traditional programming with machine learning, the deck examines why the usual tools for managing complexity—abstraction, reuse, and composition—are harder to apply to ML, given the lack of clear specifications and modularity. It covers concept drift, feedback loops (illustrated with crime-prediction and recommendation examples), and the accumulation of technical debt in ML systems, including the role and pitfalls of notebooks in moving from experimentation to production. Based on "Machine Learning in Production/AI Engineering" by Christian Kaestner and Eunsuk Kang (Carnegie Mellon …

Gene Expression Profile–Based Test To Predict Melanoma Sentinel Node Status, Tina J. Hieken, Michael E. Egger, Christina V. Angeles, John R. Hyngstrom, Erin E. Burke, Michael C. Lowe, Georgia M. Beasley, Edmund K. Bartlett, Scott C. Bresler, Kelly L. Harms, Jonathan S. Zager, Julia S. Lehman, Nabil Wasif, Sanjay P. Bagaria, Kelly M. Mcmasters, David A. Wada, Prakash Pandalai, Keith A. Delman, Jay Lee, Klaus J. Busam, Jane L. Messina, Vernon K. Sondak

Surgery Faculty Publications

Importance Contemporary guidelines recommend sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for patients with melanoma with predicted risk of SLN metastasis greater than 10% and consideration of SLNB when the risk is 5% to 10%. A gene expression profile (GEP)–based test that can accurately identify patients with a low risk of SLN metastasis would refine selection for SLNB. Objective To establish the predictive capability of the combined clinicopathological factors and GEP (CP-GEP) test to identify patients with primary cutaneous melanoma who can safely forgo SLNB and to investigate the prognostic value of CP-GEP regarding the outcome in patients with cutaneous melanoma after …

Elementary Teachers’ Use Of Sphero Robots To Teach Computational Thinking, Marquita Jackson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The power of play has often been used in K–5 classrooms, but it has not always been implemented as a way to teach computational thinking skills. The use of educational robots such as Sphero have been explored, but not with young learners. The research problem addressed through this study was the lack of understanding of K–5 teachers’ experiences in using Sphero robots to teach computational thinking. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore K-5 teachers’ experiences in implementing Sphero robot activities and specifically to teach computational thinking. The conceptual framework included Magana’s T3 model and Angeli’s computational …

Osibodu V. Fehintola

All Decisions

In this holdover-lease expiration proceeding, the tenant moved to reargue and renew a prior denied motion to dismiss, citing new facts. The tenant argued that the landlord's subsequent filing of a new holdover proceeding for the same unit, but with a contradictory description of the premises (basement unit vs. first floor unit), constituted an admission of the original petition's inadequacy. The court granted the tenant's motion, finding the new description contradicted the landlord's earlier representations and rendered the original premises description deficient under RPAPL § 741(3) for a marshal to execute a warrant with certainty. The proceeding was dismissed without …

Hot Ground State Cooling Following Ultrafast Photoisomerization: Time-Resolved Infrared Spectroscopy, James N. Bull, Mark H. Stockett, Pratip Chakraborty, Eleanor K. Ashworth, Anam Fatima, Vincent J. Esposito, Gregory M. Greetham, Partha Malakar, Stephen R. Meech

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The ultrafast photophysics of many isomerizing molecules involves subpicosecond formation of a twisted hot ground state, which transfers energy to the environment through vibrational relaxation (cooling) over several picoseconds. In time-resolved infrared (TR-IR) spectroscopy, hot ground state transients show frequency shifts and band reshapings, which cannot be described through kinetic models that assume static spectral functions. We report a simple anharmonic cascade framework, which uses a single adjustable parameter associated with scaling the probability of vibrational energy transfer to the environment, for describing hot ground state cooling (HGSC) in TR-IR spectroscopy. The model is demonstrated against measurements on the cyan …

The Effect Of Cultural Myths On Oceanic Art, Derek Mcfarland

Honors Projects

Oceanic artworks are interesting in their purpose of connecting with and influencing the spiritual world. As such, Oceanic artworks are largely affected by the spiritual beliefs of the cultures producing them. Outsiders may have trouble understanding and tastefully depicting artworks from these cultures, as information about them is largely limited or misrepresented. This Honors Project aims to develop a clearer understanding of northern Melanesian artwork by investigating how the spiritual and societal beliefs of certain cultures affect the artwork they produce, with the intention of appropriately depicting them in an independent artwork. Through my research, I find that northern Melanesian …

Development Of Microcrystalline Tests For Fentanyl, Clonazepam, And Diazepam Identification, Karis French

Honors Projects

Microcrystalline tests are chemical tests that involve the mixing of a substance with a specific reagent resulting in the formation of a crystal structure. Currently, microcrystalline tests are used as presumptive tests in forensic drug chemistry laboratories to provide the suspected identity of unknown substances. There is, however, a limited amount of research on this use of microcrystalline structures. Additionally, this existing research is outdated and does not include some of the newer commonly encountered controlled substances including fentanyl, clonazepam, and diazepam. This literature-based review attempts to identify reagents that could be used in microcrystalline tests for the identification of …

The Impact Of Discontinuation And Non-Publishing Of Osteoporosis Clinical Trials, Daxton Kennington, Andrew Simonsen, Whitney Shae, Catherine L. Satterwhite

Student Publications

Context: Osteoporosis is a prevalent chronic disease associated with fractures, reduced quality of life, and substantial healthcare costs. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are essential for developing effective treatments, but when trials are discontinued or unpublished, valuable data are lost. This results in unnecessary costs and exposes thousands of participants to interventions without contributing to clinical care.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the rates and characteristics of discontinuation and nonpublication among US-registered phase 3 and 4 RCTs investigating osteoporosis therapies from 2000 to 2022.

Methods: Phase 3 and 4 osteoporosis-related RCTs were identified through ClinicalTrials.gov. Trial completion and publication status …

Real-World Impact Of Metformin On Outcomes In Patients With Deficient Dna Mismatch Repair And Microsatellite Instability (Dmmr/Msi) Colorectal Cancer Treated With Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors, Garima Gupta, Negar Sadeghipour, Fuat Bicer, Andrew Elliott, Andrew Hinton, Emil Lou, Ari M Vanderwalde, Ahmet Anil Ozluk, Moh'd M Khushman, Midhun Malla, Darryl Outlaw, Syed Qasim Hussaini, Bassel F El-Rayes, Mehmet Akce

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Actionable Insights From The Liahona 2, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Spiritual Proficiency

The original data exceeded 350 pages of Japanese text, resulting in a total of 37 different summarized principle/action plan sets. What is fascinating is that, while a certain amount of conceptual overlap is expected, intriguing new perspectives constantly emerge. Therefore, I highly recommend reviewing all 37 sets repeatedly (only a portion of which is included in this document). You will find countless hints for spiritual growth hidden throughout, often leading to significant breakthroughs.

This 63-page article is filled with treasures. Towards the end, you will also find shorter supplementary articles on techniques such as how to "zoom out" (gain an …

High-Resolution Lidar Observations Of Sedimentation-Induced Size Sorting Of Droplets Near A Laboratory Cloud Top, Fan Yang, Yong Meng Sua, Zipei Zheng, Jesse Anderson, Hamed F. Sadi, Jae Min Yeom, Suryadev Pratap Singh, Pei Hou, Will Cantrell, Ernie Lewis, Alex Kostinski, Raymond Shaw

Michigan Tech Publications

No abstract provided.

An Exploratory Study Of Machine Learning-Based Open-Angle Glaucoma Detection Using Specific Autoantibodies, Naoko Takada, Yukitoshi Izumi, Charles F Zorumski, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Same-Day Hiv Treatment Initiation (Sdi) On 1-Year Outcomes In Low-And Middle -Income Countries: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomised Trials, Nikita Sass, Hanna Havrylenko, Felix Gerber, Alain Amstutz, Sydney Rosen, Alana Brennan, Mhairi Maskew, Serena Koenig, Nancy Dorvil, Elvin H Geng, Tracy Glass, Nathan P Ford, Niklaus Daniel Labhardt, Stefan Schandelmaier

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Same-day initiation (SDI) of antiretroviral therapy is recommended for people presenting with HIV who have no contraindications. We reviewed the evidence on SDI interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials of SDI in adults diagnosed with HIV in LMICs. We searched MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library up to December 2024. Primary outcomes were viral suppression and retention in care 6-12 months after enrolment. Based on a qualitative assessment of the complex trial interventions, we considered two subgroups: (1) interventions newly introducing SDI and (2) interventions improving …

Review Of Trouble In Goshen: Plain Folk, Roosevelt, Jesus, And Marx In The Great Depression South, Robert Hunt Ferguson

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.

Ananda And The World Brotherhood Communities Movement, Prisha Kirby

Communal Societies

No abstract provided.