Digital Commons Network^™

Parental Experiences With Financial Toxicity In The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: A Phenomenological Research, Sohrab Alexander Sardual

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Parents of children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) encounter multiple stressors; however, there is a need to further understand their experiences with financial toxicity. Understanding parents’ experiences and perspectives on how they can be assisted is a critical first step to formulating interventions to help parents deal with financial toxicity.

Aims: The aims of this study are (a) to describe the experiences with financial toxicity of parents with critically ill children admitted to the PICU and (b) to explore parents’ perspectives on how they can be assisted in dealing with financial toxicity.

Methods: A phenomenological qualitative …

University Of Nebraska At Omaha Commencement: December 2025, University Of Nebraska At Omaha

Commencement Programs

No abstract provided.

Of The Freedom Famine In Palestine, Ibtisam Barakat

International Dialogue

In this searing essay, poet and author Ibtisam Barakat bears witness to what she names the “Freedom Famine” in Gaza—a deliberate, decades-long deprivation of basic human rights culminating in the catastrophic conditions of 2025. Writing from the United States while in conversation with Gazan author Omar Hammash, Barakat juxtaposes their drastically unequal realities: her safety and his daily encounters with death, displacement, and starvation. Through Hammash’s testimony—delivered amid constant bombardment and interrupted by news of a friend’s killing—Barakat documents the collapse of Gaza’s infrastructure, the mass targeting of aid workers, the lethal failures of international relief, and the killing of …

Dear Belvedere, Rabbya Naseer

International Dialogue

In this powerful open letter—originally delivered as a video message—artist Rabbya Naseer explains her decision to cancel her 2025 solo exhibition at Belvedere 21 after the museum refused to allow her proposed works addressing Palestine, colonialism, and contemporary violence. Framed as both personal testimony and institutional critique, the letter meditates on the ethics of waiting, perseverance (sabr), and the responsibility of artists amid geopolitical crisis. Naseer recounts months of stalled communication and escalating curatorial restrictions that ultimately rendered any engagement with the Israel–Palestine conflict “not possible.” Rejecting the museum’s demands for neutrality, depoliticization, and the substitution of existing …

Editorial – Dec 2025, Edwin Van Teijlingen, Rafat Jan

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

No abstract provided.

A Scoping Review Of Maternal Active Smoking During Pregnancy And Low-Birth Weight, Naomi Sondang, Nindi Oktavia, Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah Adnani, Lani Gumilang, Hadi Susiarno, Victor Abiola Adepoju

Journal of Asian Midwives (JAM)

Background: Low-birth weight (LBW; < 2.5 kg) infants are at increased risk of early mortality, impaired growth, neuro-developmental delay and chronic disease later in life. Maternal behavior, especially cigarette smoking, remains one of the most modifiable determinants of birth weight. We therefore synthesized recent evidence on the association between active maternal smoking during pregnancy and LBW.
Methods: Following PRISMA guidance, we systematically searched PubMed, Scopus and ScienceDirect for the period January 2020 to 31 January 2025 for English-language observational studies that quantified the relationship between active prenatal smoking and LBW. Risk of bias was appraised, and findings were summarized narratively.
Results: In total 26,650 papers were found and eight eligible studies (four cohort, three cross-sectional, one case-control) from Asia, Europe and the Middle East were included. Across all designs and exposure metrics—self-report, exhaled carbon-monoxide, urinary cotinine, and cord-blood DNA-methylation, active smoking was consistently associated with …

Dancing With Logic: The Impact Of Integrating Dance In Teaching Introductory Computer Science Concepts On Student Understanding And Engagement, April Monk

Master's Theses

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of dance-integrated pedagogical methods in enhancing the learning experiences of students in an introductory computer science course. In particular, the research aimed to measure the impact of creative movement on student comprehension, engagement, and perceptions of computer science. To guide this investigation, the study explored three research questions: Does integrating dance into lessons impact students’ comprehension of fundamental computer science concepts? How does dance integration affect student perceptions of both dance and computer science? And what elements of dance contribute to differences in comprehension between dance-integrated and traditional lessons? A …

N-Aryl Phenoxazines As Polymer Supported Photocatalysts, Mary Kathryn Hall

Master's Theses

In photosynthesis, the energy of sunlight is perfectly harnessed to facilitate the production of small molecules that are essential for plant life on earth. Inspired by this model of energy efficiency and simplicity, this work seeks to mimic that ability to use the energy in visible light to perform new and more efficient chemistries. Just like in photosynthesis, photocatalysts can act as chromophores absorbing light to excite electrons opening new pathways for previously untapped reactivity. Recent research has provided a wide range of small molecule reactions that are made possible or easier by the use of a photocatalyst. However, these …

Indexing A Spanish Choir Book To Trace Its Provenance, Amelia Lutz

Honors College Theses

A choir book from the rare books collection at Saint Meinrad Archabbey has little established about it beyond its dimensions and its label “Spanish Gradual.” By first exploring the historical context of liturgical books created after the Council of Trent for use in Spain, implementing a paleographical analysis, and indexing the chants included in the choir book (cantorale), I have established evidence to suggest its dates and likely origin. Following Fr. Columba Kelly’s framework for analyzing chant, I have begun a comprehensive index of the chant melodies and feast days included in the Spanish Gradual for Cantus Database.

Prevalence And Characterization Of Post-Acute Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection (Pasc) In Rwanda, Fernand Rwamwejo, Vivianne Umuhire Niyonkuru, Gilbert Rukundo, Eric Remera, Edson Rwagasore, Les Sztandera, Ruranga Charles, Elizabeth Krebs

School of Business Faculty Papers

Objectives

Reliable, population-level estimates of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) remain scarce for sub-Saharan Africa. We aimed to quantify PASC prevalence and identify associated factors among adult COVID-19 survivors in Rwanda.

Methods

A nationally representative cross-sectional telephone survey (August-October 2024) sampled 3143 adults from the national COVID-19 registry. PASC was defined as new or persisting symptoms ≥3 months after acute illness and lasting ≥2 months. The prevalence was calculated, and multivariable logistic regression identified factors independently associated with PASC.

Results

Overall, PASC prevalence was 34%. Leading symptoms were back pain, headache, dizziness, fatigue, and reduced sexual desire. Higher odds …

Integrating Spot-Scanning Proton Arc Therapy With Functional Avoidance Strategies To Reduce Pulmonary Toxicity, Yingxuan Chen, Peilin Liu, Xiaoda Cong, Edward Castillo, Richard Castillo, Inga Grills, Craig Stevens, Xiangkun Xu, Xiaoqiang Li, Yevgeniy Vinogradskiy, Xuanfeng Ding

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Background and purpose: Functional avoidance radiotherapy has emerged as a promising technique using functional imaging to minimize pulmonary toxicity by reducing doses to functional lung. This study aims to investigate the potential dose-volume advantages of a novel spot-scanning proton arc (SPArc) therapy for functional avoidance radiotherapy with four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT)-based ventilation imaging.

Material and methods: Twenty-five patients from a prospective functional avoidance clinical trial treated with intensity-modulated photon radiotherapy were included. Robustly optimized intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) and SPArc plans were generated in RayStation. Functional lung contour was derived from the 4DCT-based ventilation imaging and utilized as an …

The Finite Fourier Transform: Realizing The Irreducible Complex Representations Of The Special Linear Group Over A Finite Field, Kelly Jane Lyle

Master's Theses

Classically, one of the central methods of understanding an abstract group has been through its representations in other structures, such as permutations of sets or linear transformations of vector spaces. As a detailed illustration of this method, we will focus on the matrix group SL(2,q), which consists of all invertible 2x2 matrices with entries in a finite field with q elements. We will outline the explicit construction of every (irreducible) complex representation of this group. Along the way we will also touch on foundational concepts in representation theory, such as characters and induced representations.

Do Need For Cognition And Need For Affect Moderate The Relationship Between Lecture Style, Learning Strategies, And Retention?, Mary Chapman

Dissertations

Boredom is detrimental to academic achievement. Using shallow learning strategies such as rote memorization is similarly unfavorable for success in academic settings compared to using deep learning strategies such as generating examples. Such is the consensus among scholars, but research conducted in both constructs reveals inconsistencies. The purpose of this study was to experimentally manipulate boredom and learning strategies to determine how boredom and learning strategies impact achievement, as well as to investigate whether certain individual differences, need for cognition and need for affect, change the relationships between boredom, learning strategies, and retention. In an online study, I recruited 131 …

Stayin’ Alive: Examining The Moderating Effect Of Suicide Resilience On The Relationship Between Sexual Minority Stress And Subjective Well-Being, Natalie A. Sachs

Dissertations

Suicidality among sexual minorities is concerning and results from increased social stress, societal stigma, and experiences of discrimination. The effects of sexual minority stress (SMS) lead to negative outcomes for sexual minority college students. The purpose of the current study was to better understand the role of suicide resilience in moderating the adverse effects of SMS among sexual minority college students. The following research questions and hypotheses guided this study: Q1 Does SMS have any effect on subjective well-being among college-student sexual minority individuals (SMIs)? Q2 Does SMS have any effect on suicide resilience among college student SMIs? Q3 To …

Does Social Media Undermine Trust? Institutional Trust In Civil Society And Governance Institutions, Christianna Sirindah Parr

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

What is the relationship between social media use and trust in civil society and governance institutions? In many parts of Asia, trust in government remains high despite limited political accountability and civil liberties. This study examines whether online political expression reshapes institutional trust in governance institutions and civil society organizations. The analysis considers the dual role of social media as a site for civic engagement and a channel for disaffection with formal authority. Using data from the Asian Barometer, the findings show that political expression on social media is associated with lower trust in governance institutions and higher trust in …

The Persistence Of Homophobia In Men’S Friendship Norms, Sherrie Y. Xue, Stephanie C. Lin, Christilene Du Plessis

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Across five studies and one supplementary study (five preregistered; N = 3,215 adults), we found that men, more than women, avoided shared experiences (e.g., going to the movies, sharing food) with individuals of the same gender. Furthermore, persistent societal expectations that men should be unambiguously heterosexual underpinned this pattern: Men felt more apprehensive about signaling same-gender romance in platonic relationships than women did. In turn, romantic prototypicality drove the pattern of men (more than women) avoiding shared activities, above and beyond differences in how hedonic, enjoyable, and feminine the activities were; our findings further suggested that men’s reluctance to share …

Broilertrack: Automatic Multi-Camera Multi-Broiler Tracking, Thinh Phan, Hoang Kim Tran, Andrew Lockett, Isaac Philips, Hao Vo, Duy Le, Michael T. Kidd, James Mason, Santiago Avendano, Ngan Le

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Efficient and continuous tracking of individual broilers is critical for improving poultry management, welfare, and breeding decisions in commercial settings. However, standard Multi-Object Tracking (MOT) techniques face significant challenges in poultry environments due to occlusions, high object similarity, and dense flocks. In this work, we introduce BroilerTrack, a novel multi-camera multi-broiler tracking framework tailored for the poultry industry. Unlike traditional approaches that rely heavily on appearance features, BroilerTrack employs a position-based tracking strategy in a unified coordinate system (unified plane), thereby circumventing identity ambiguity caused by the homogeneous appearance of broilers. Our proposed BroilerTrack system comprises three key modules: Top-view …

Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography And Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: A Retrospective Study Of A High-Volume Program, Kristel Leung, Michael Youssef, Yasi Xiao, Catherine Streutker, Aliya Gulamhusein, Bettina Hansen, Natalia Calo, Gary May, Jeffrey Mosko, Gideon Hirschfield

Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is valuable in management of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Herein, we characterize individuals with PSC who underwent ERCP on-demand at a high-volume quaternary centre, with evaluation of pathology results and short-term postprocedural outcomes.

METHODS: This retrospective cohort study evaluated patients with PSC who underwent ERCP at St Michael's Hospital between April 2011 and July 2021. Chart review was conducted to collect clinical, procedural, and pathology data, and reported post-ERCP complications within 90 days. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to evaluate factors associated with post-ERCP complications and placement of a biliary stent.

RESULTS: One hundred and …

Benefits Of Animal Assisted Therapy In Pediatric Inpatient Units: A Literature Review, Logan M. Shiflett

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this systematic review of literature was to establish if animal assisted therapy (AAT) is helpful in the reduction of stress for patients on pediatric inpatient floors. The PICOT question that led this review was: In pediatric patients, how does animal assisted therapy affect patient outcomes related to increased hospitalizations? The EBSCOhost database, as well as the Web of Science and CINAHL Complete information sources, were used to find relevant studies for this review that assessed the benefits and contraindications for AAT. Key terms such as “animal assisted therapy,” “pediatrics,” and “inpatient” were used to narrow down the …

Enabling Injustice: Slapps, Democratic Values, And The Price Of Truth, Costantino Grasso

Buffalo Law Review

Conventional analysis of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) often focuses on the promise of recent procedural reforms, including recent U.S. state-level reforms, the 2024 E.U. Anti-SLAPP Directive, the U.K. government’s 2025 SLAPP Bill, and related measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act. This Article argues that these legislative responses, introduced amid growing international concern, still leave structural vulnerabilities, have limited focus, and do not address the deep-seated inadequacies of substantive law that allow powerful actors to chill public-interest speech through abusive lawfare.

Adopting an interdisciplinary “new legal realist” approach, this Article decodes the anatomy of this modern …

Suspending The Truancy Paradigm, Barbara Fedders, Lucy Carlson, Max Parker

Buffalo Law Review

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, school absences have skyrocketed. While racially minoritized, disabled, and low-income students have historically been, and remain, most likely to experience absence, white and affluent students’ rates of attendance have also declined. To respond to this new universality of student absenteeism, some policymakers have begun to seek alternatives to what we term “the truancy paradigm.”

We define the truancy paradigm as the range of coercive and often punitive interventions deployed by states and school districts to enforce compulsory attendance statutes. This paradigm, we argue, wrongly assumes (a) that strict enforcement of compulsory attendance laws …

Incidence And Management Of Adverse Events Associated With Tebentafusp Treatment In Metastatic Uveal Melanoma: Pooled Safety Analysis Of 410 Patients, Takami Sato, Marcus O. Butler, Sophie Piperno-Neumann, Jessica C. Hassel, Paul Nathan, Alexander N. Shoushtari, Piotr Rutkowski, Richard D. Carvajal, Jean-Francois Baurain, Max Schlaak, Josep M. Piulats, Ryan J. Sullivan, Sebastian Ochsenreither, Reinhard Dummer, John M. Kirkwood, Alexandra Ikeguchi, Anthony M. Joshua, Mark R. Middleton, Ramakrishna Edukulla, Constance Pfeiffer, Joseph J. Sacco

Kimmel Cancer Center Papers, Presentations, and Grand Rounds

PURPOSE: We conducted an integrated safety analysis from three clinical studies of tebentafusp, a first-in-class ImmTAC bispecific T-cell engager, which can redirect T cells to target glycoprotein 100-positive cells, in metastatic uveal melanoma.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: HLA-A*02:01-positive patients with unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma enrolled in three clinical trials (IMCgp100-01, IMCgp100-102, and IMCgp100-202) who received ≥1 dose of tebentafusp were included. Safety data were pooled to evaluate the profile, onset, and management of treatment-related adverse events (TRAE). Adverse events of special interest included cytokine release syndrome (CRS), acute skin reactions (ASR), and liver function test elevations. Primary prophylaxis with medications was …

Driving Complex Thinking And Technological Entrepreneurship With Artificial Intelligence: A Mixed Methods Study, Inés Alvarez-Icaza, J. Miranda, A Martínez-Arboleda, P Suarez-Brito, María Soledad Ramírez-Montoya

Artículos científicos

AI technologies offer unique capabilities that enhance collaboration and creativity among students by providing novel insights, generating diverse perspectives, and triggering the development of innovative thinking as a subcompetency of the mega-competency of complex thinking. Regarding entrepreneurial skills development, applying AI-powered tools, such as natural language processing on digital educational platforms, allows students to engage in dynamic ideation processes for entrepreneurial projects with social, technological, and scientific approaches. This article explores the application of artificial intelligence (AI) as a valuable resource for fostering creative idea generation within co-creation strategies for university students. In a mixed-method analysis, we obtained valuable information …

Issue 477 December 2025, The Local Voice

The Local Voice

Featured Articles: "Proud Larry’s Owners Support Southern Culture."; "Families Anonymous Established in Water Valley."; "The View From The Balcony: The Worst Christmas Ever."

Gender Differences In Psychological Strengths Among Rural Adolescents, Angela Preston, Jodi Bullard, Rachel Smith, Ashlyn Peppler

Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose: Rural adolescents often lack access to mental health care along with increased rates of depression and suicide completion. While psychological strengths have been associated with positive outcomes globally, little is known regarding the prevalence of these indicators (hope, self‐efficacy, resilience, optimism, and gratitude) among adolescents living in rural Texas. The purpose of this study was to describe how rural adolescents report their psychological strengths and examine the data for potential gender differences.

Design and Methods: A secondary analysis of cross‐sectional data was performed on the RStudio platform using tests of central tendency and inferential statistics. Results: There were 425 …

Understanding Hepatitis C Risk And Harm Reduction Needs Among People Who Smoke Drugs: A Client-Centered Qualitative Inquiry, Maxwell Gustin

Anthropology

The spread of Hepatitis C virus (HCV) via non-injectable equipment is plausible, making people who smoke drugs (PWSD) at-risk for possible infection and transmission. While much research has been conducted into injection drug use (IDU), likely due to the rising opioid epidemic, limited studies focus on the risks PWSD face. Currently, state-funded syringe service programs (SSPs) provide harm reduction education and materials to combat these risks. Safer smoking initiatives have been created and are widely used by PWSD, and have access to SSPs. To gain better insight into the HCV and non-HCV-related risks and burdens PWSD face, a qualitative study …

Assessing Patient Experiences And Priorities In Traumatic Brain Injury Health Care, Temitayo R. Okusanya, Madeline D. Furie, Sergey Tarima, Courtney O. Barry, Terri Deroon-Cassini, Yuka Kobayashi, Michael A. Mccrea, Kathleen S. Williams, Staci A. Young, Lindsay D. Nelson

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Improving patient experiences and outcomes of traumatic brain injury (TBI) will require understanding patient perspectives of current care systems. Experts have called for building more integrated, patient-centered systems of care to better support patients through stages of TBI recovery. Informed by an earlier qualitative study, we conducted a survey to quantify patient perspectives on discharge and post-discharge experiences across seven hospitals in a single southeastern Wisconsin health system. Eligible participants were English or Spanish speakers and received TBI care between February 2023 and June 2024 at one level I trauma center emergency department (ED) and inpatient unit, two level III …

Development Of Novel Small Molecule Therapeutics For Myotonic Dystrophy, Xhesika Azis

Biological Sciences

Myotonic Dystrophy type 1 (DM1) results from expanded CUG repeat RNA that sequesters MBNL proteins and disrupts alternative splicing. Small molecules that bind toxic repeat RNA and release MBNL proteins represent a promising therapeutic strategy. This thesis examines newly synthesized modified polycyclic compounds (MPCs) engineered to target CUG RNA with enhanced specificity and efficacy. Through Suzuki–Miyaura coupling and benzoquinone-mediated cyclization, MPC03 was synthesized and characterized by NMR and LC–MS.

The biological activity of these compounds was assessed in DM1 patient-derived myotubes and fibroblasts. MPC03 consistently produced dose-dependent rescue of multiple MBNL-regulated exons, restoring splicing patterns toward those observed in healthy …

Pfos And Lung Injury: A Review Of Human And Experimental Evidence, Farzana Hakim

Theses and Dissertations

Human epidemiological research has shown the adverse health consequences of long-term accumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human tissue. Specifically, this review will examine the relationship between PFAS exposure, impaired immune system functioning, and an elevated risk of respiratory disease using both human and experimental data. Research on human populations indicates that children exposed to PFAS have lower levels of antibodies to vaccines; those children prenatally exposed to PFAS are more susceptible to upper respiratory infections; and that adult humans have a higher incidence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Additionally, experimental studies demonstrate that PFOS and PFOA …

Faculty Perceptions Of Student Mental Health And Real-World Readiness, Allison A. Maloney, Meghan Pontz

Biennial Convention (CONV)

The mental health of students is a cornerstone for achieving global goals of quality education & good health and well-being. These priorities are urgent calls to action for educators and policymakers to foster sustainable economic development. The COVID-19 pandemic has magnified the vulnerabilities of educational and health systems worldwide, redefining how students are educated and prepared for the workforce. This challenge is pertinent in higher education, where faculty play a role in equipping students for professional environments while addressing their mental health needs—a determinant of future workforce resilience and productivity.

This study examines faculty perceptions of student mental health and …