Digital Commons Network^™

Freshwater Turtle Assemblages And Densities In Agricultural Ditches And Aquaculture Ponds Of Eastern Arkansas, Andrhea D. Massey, John D. Willson, Brett A. Degregorio

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Mississippi Alluvial Plain (MAP) of Arkansas is a landscape where many wetlands have been altered for use as aquaculture ponds or agricultural ditches. Commercial harvest of freshwater turtles within the MAP is not restricted or limited, with reported harvest numbers for 2019 alone exceeding 4000 for spiny softshell turtles (Apalone spinifera) and 39,000 for red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans). Herein, we attempt to provide baseline estimates of freshwater turtle densities and community composition in aquaculture ponds and agricultural ditches of eastern Arkansas, the habitat types most frequently trapped by commercial harvesters. We used a capture-mark-recapture approach over 3 summers …

Course Registration And Student Success: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Closed Classes, Student Enrollment, And Graduation, Stacie Grisham

Masters Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore if closed classes related to credit hour enrollment and graduation for undergraduate students at a mid-size public institution. A mixed-methods study was guided by four research questions: • Research Question 1 (RQ1): How, if at all, do closed class encounters predict credit hour enrollment while controlling for student demographics and academic preparation for first-time, full-time students at a public university? • Research Question 2 (RQ2): How, if at all, do closed class encounters predict time to graduation while controlling for student demographics and academic preparation for first-time, full-time students at a public …

Improving Intimate Partner Violence Screening In Telehealth Mental Health Settings, Marina Oliynyk

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive yet frequently underrecognized public health concern, particularly within telehealth psychiatric care, where nonverbal cues may be absent. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to improve the identification and response to IPV by implementing a standardized, evidence-based screening protocol in a private telepsychiatry practice. Guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework, the validated E-HITS screening tool was introduced, along with structured trauma-informed care training, to six psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs). Six PMHNPs completed pre/post-confidence surveys (5-point Likert) and tracked screening activity across 100 telehealth encounters (98 of 100 visit were eligible). Over a three-month …

Breakwater Phase Iii: Results For Encorafenib And Cetuximab Plus Mfolfox6 In First-Line Braf V600e-Mutant Metastatic Colorectal Cancer, Scott Kopetz, Josep Tabernero, Elena Élez

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The BREAKWATER Phase III study investigated encorafenib and cetuximab plus mFOLFOX6 versus chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab for the treatment of patients with previously untreated BRAF V600E – mutant metastatic colorectal cancer. The study showed significantly improved objective response rate by blinded independent central review, and significantly longer progression-free survival by blinded independent central review and overall survival in patients treated with first-line encorafenib and cetuximab plus mFOLFOX6 compared with chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab. The safety profiles were consistent with those known for each agent. These results led to the approval of encorafenib and cetuximab plus mFOLFOX6 for the …

Chemotherapy Alone For Stage Ii-Iva Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A 20-Year Follow-Up, Mateus Trinconi Cunha, Matheus Sewastjanow-Silva, F Christopher Holsinger, Adam S Garden, Adel K El-Naggar, Jeffrey N Myers, Jan Lewin, Ann M Gillenwater, J Jack Lee, Fadlo R Khuri, Eduardo M Diaz, Renata Ferrarotto

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Current treatment options for nonmetastatic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma include radiotherapy, chemoradiotherapy, and surgery, which can result in significant morbidity. This study reports the 20-year outcomes of a single-modality chemotherapy as a larynx preservation strategy in patients with stage II-IVa laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC).

Methods: In this single-institution, single-arm, prospective clinical trial, 31 patients with stage II-IVa LSCC received three or four cycles of paclitaxel, ifosfamide, and a platinum agent (TIP). Patients with a pathologic complete response (pCR) by biopsy assessment received three additional cycles without local therapy. Patients with a partial response underwent conservation laryngeal surgery (CLS). …

Pancreatic Cancer-Related Diabetes And Type 2 Diabetes Differ In Multiple Aspects Of Glucose Homeostasis, Frederico G S Toledo, Yisheng Li, Fuchenchu Wang, Melena D Bellin, Randall Brand, Kenneth Cusi, William Fisher, Yogish C Kudva, Walter G Park, Zeb I Saeed, Dhiraj Yadav, Robert V Considine, Sarah C Graham, Dana K Andersen, Jose Serrano, Mark O Goodarzi, Phil A Hart

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Aims/hypothesis: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma-related diabetes mellitus (PDAC-DM) is a paraneoplastic syndrome with a poorly understood pathophysiology. PDAC-DM is often clinically confused with type 2 diabetes, resulting in delayed cancer detection and poorly individualised hyperglycaemia treatment. We investigated whether these forms of diabetes can be distinguished at the metabolic level.

Methods: Adults with either cancer treatment-naive PDAC-DM (n=28) or type 2 diabetes (n=97), and with diabetes onset within 3 years, underwent mixed-meal tolerance tests to investigate glucose metabolism. Outcomes included insulin sensitivity (Matsuda index), insulin secretion (insulinogenic index), beta cell function (oral disposition index), insulin clearance, and postprandial glucagon, glucagon-like peptide-1 …

Study Protocol For Project Shine (Sleep Health Initiative For Equity): A Community-Based Pilot Rct To Promote Sleep And Physical Activity Among Black/African American Adults, Ivan Hc Wu, Lorna Mcneill, Kristen Knutson, Yisheng Li, Diwakar Balachandran, Rhonda Jones-Webb, Pamela L Lutsey, Darin Erikson, Shikha Bista, Rachel Price, Vanessa Anyanso, Taylor Smith, Rev Melvin Miller

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Black/African American (AA) adults experience shorter sleep duration and poorer sleep quality compared to White counterparts, contributing to higher risks of chronic diseases. Project SHINE (Sleep Health INitiative for Equity) aims to address these sleep disparities by evaluating the feasibility, satisfaction, and plausibility (i.e., preliminary efficacy) of a culturally tailored sleep intervention designed to improve sleep duration and physical activity among AA adults with body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 not meeting physical activity and sleep guideline recommendations.

Methods: This pilot community-based randomized controlled trial (RCT) includes two phases. Phase 1 involves qualitative interviews with AA adults to explore …

Impact Of Boarding Time On In-Hospital Mortality In Patients Presenting To An Oncologic Emergency Department Of A Comprehensive Cancer Center, Patricia A Brock, Denise M Langabeer, Valda D Page, Ziyi Li, Aiham Qdaisat

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Longer boarding time in emergency departments (EDs) has been associated with negative clinical outcomes, including higher mortality rates. Studies of boarding to date have been conducted in the general population but not in the cancer population. In this study, we evaluated the association between mortality and boarding time in patients presenting at an oncologic ED.

Methods: This retrospective study included all ED visits for patients aged ≥19 years who presented to The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center ED between March 3, 2016 and December 31, 2022, with a disposition of hospital admission. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression …

Bayesian Integrated Learning Of Longitudinal Dose-Response Relationships Via Decentralized Clinical Trials, Jingyi Zhang, Tuo Wang, Yongming Qu, Fangrong Yan, Suyu Liu, Ruitao Lin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Decentralized clinical trials (DCTs) extend trial activities beyond traditional sites, enhancing access, convenience, efficiency, and result generalizability. They are particularly promising for chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity, which require longer study durations to evaluate drug effects. However, decentralized data collection raises concerns about increased variability and potential biases. This paper presents a novel Bayesian integrated learning procedure to analyze dose-response relationships using longitudinal data from a phase II DCT that combines centralized and decentralized data collection. We generalize a parametric exponential decay model to handle mixed data sources and apply Bayesian spike-and-slab priors to address biases and uncertainties from …

International Norms For Adult Handgrip Strength: A Systematic Review Of Data On 24 Million Adults Aged 20 To 100+ Years From 69 Countries And Regions, Grant R Tomkinson, Justin J Lang, Lukáš Rubín, Ryan Mcgrath, Bethany Gower, Terry Boyle, Marilyn G Klug, Alexandra J Mayhew, Henry T Blake, Francisco B Ortega, Cristina Cadenas-Sanchez, Costan G Magnussen, Brooklyn J Fraser, Tetsuhiro Kidokoro, Yang Liu, Kaare Christensen, Darryl P Leong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Muscular strength is a powerful marker of current health status and robust predictor of age-related disease and disability. Handgrip strength (HGS) using isometric dynamometry is a convenient, feasible, and widely used method of assessing muscular strength among people of all ages. While adult HGS norms have been published for many countries, no study has yet synthesized available data to produce international norms. The objective of this study was to generate international sex- and age-specific norms for absolute and body size-normalized HGS across the adult lifespan.

Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in 6 databases/web search engines (MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, Embase, Web …

Benzodioxane-Benzamides Targeting Bacterial Cell Division Protein Ftsz Potentially Disrupt Slma-Mediated Nucleoid Occlusion And Reversible Biomolecular Condensation, Marta Sobrinos-Sanguino, Inés Barros-Medina, Lorenzo Suigo, Alessia Lanzini, Ermanno Valoti, William Margolin, Valentina Straniero, Begoña Monterroso, Silvia Zorrilla

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

New strategies are urgently needed against antimicrobial resistance, a major health threat, and the different mechanisms regulating the bacterial cell division machinery offer multiple opportunities for developing novel therapeutics. FtsZ, an essential protein of this process, is targeted by multiple small molecules, and benzodioxane-benzamides (BDOBs) are among the most potent inhibitors in several bacterial species. BDOBs mechanisms are however poorly understood, particularly their impact on FtsZ's interplay with partners and ability to assemble phase-separated biomolecular condensates potentially involved in stress sensing. We show that certain BDOBs shielded FtsZ against depolymerization induced by the nucleoprotein complexes of SlmA, which inhibit Z-ring …

Relative Biological Effectiveness-Clinical Practice At Us Proton Therapy Centers, Armin Lühr, Radhe Mohan, Anita Mahajan, Helen A Shih, Harald Paganetti

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Proton therapy, with its high conformality and superior dose distribution, is becoming an increasingly prevalent modality in radiation oncology. Although a generic relative biological effectiveness (RBE) value of 1.1 for treatment planning has been adopted, evidence suggests that RBE varies with dose, linear energy transfer (LET), and biological endpoints. This variation raises concerns about underestimating the RBE-weighted dose, which may significantly impact treatment outcomes. To assess the awareness and management of RBE variability in clinical practice, we conducted a survey among US proton therapy centers.

Materials and methods: The survey consisted of 32 questions grouped into subtopics, such as …

Personalized Risk Prediction For Cancer Survivors: A Generalized Bayesian Semi-Parametric Model Of Recurrent Events With Competing Outcomes, Nam Hoai Nguyen, Seung Jun Shin, Elissa Dodd-Eaton, Jing Ning, Wenyi Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Multiple primary cancers are increasingly more frequent due to improved survival of cancer patients. Characteristics of the first primary cancer largely impact the risk of developing subsequent primary cancers. Hence, model-based risk characterization of cancer survivors that captures patient-specific variables is needed for healthcare policy making. We propose a Bayesian semi-parametric framework, where the occurrence processes of the competing cancer types follow independent non-homogeneous Poisson processes and adjust for covariates including the type and age at diagnosis of the first primary. Applying this framework to a historically collected cohort with families presenting a highly enriched history of multiple primary tumors …

Evaluation Of Renal Masses With Cest Mri: Protocol Optimization And Preliminary Results, Xiaojing Wang, Jochen Keupp, Ivan E Dimitrov, Ananth Madhuranthakam, Durga Udayakumar, Mahsa Taherzadeh, Emin Albayrak, Orson W Moe, Payal Kapur, Robert E Lenkinski, Ivan Pedrosa, Elena Vinogradov

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: This study investigates the application of CEST MRI in human kidneys, with the overarching goal of developing CEST MRI for renal mass characterization. Here, the focus is on the development of a protocol and the proof-of-principle evaluation of CEST for the characterization of clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

Methods: Ten healthy volunteers and five patients diagnosed with ccRCC underwent CEST MRI scans at 3 T. The sequence performance was characterized in healthy volunteers and tested using three saturation power levels, B1rms = 0.7, 1.2, and 1.6 μT. We compared the magnetization transfer ratio asymmetry (MTRasym) values at 1.0, …

Differential Effects Of Murine Stroke Models On Dopaminergic Neurons, Glial Responses, And Neurobehavioral Outcomes, Sidra Tabassum, Heng Hu, Silin Wu, Shuning Huang, Bosco Seong Kyu Yang, Chang-Hun Lee, Aaron W Gusdon, Xuefang S Ren

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Stroke is a leading cause of disability worldwide, often resulting in persistent motor, cognitive, and emotional impairments. While the hippocampus and amygdala play critical roles in post-stroke behavioral changes, specific neuronal alterations and prolonged glial responses within these regions across different stroke types remain unclear. This study investigates the behavioral, neuronal, and glial effects of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO), and photothrombotic stimulation (PTS) in mice. SAH and tMCAO models exhibited significant motor deficits, spatial and recognition memory impairments, and increased anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors, whereas the PTS model showed similar motor and cognitive impairments but …

Representation Of Neuro-Oncology In American Neurology Departments: An Analysis Of Grand Rounds And Perspectives From Faculty And Residents, Elizabeth C Neil, Aubree Bruhnding, Zubair A Ahmed, Priya U Kumthekar, Nicholas A Blondin, Christian Grommes, Chirag B Patel, Sigmund Hsu, Feng Wang, Hongyu Miao, Noah L Rosen, Rashmi B Halker Singh, Mark J Burish, Zachary A Corbin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Neuro-oncology education in American neurology departments is highly variable, with no clear guidelines on appropriate practices. To better understand its current state, we focus on the perspective of departmental Grand Rounds (GR), views of adult neurology residency program directors (ANRPD), neuro-oncologists, and residents.

Methods: First, we obtained GR series from academic years 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 via an online search and direct emails to neurology residency programs. Second, two online surveys were dispensed to ANRPD and neuro-oncologists. Third, a cohort of neurology residents completed surveys with pre/post-didactic tests.

Results: Neuro-oncology consisted of 7% (28/ 411) GR in 2017-2018 and 6% …

What's Appealing In Mississippi?, Virginia C. Carlton

MC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Fifth Circuit And Mississippi Law: Asked And Answered (Or Not), Caroline B. Smith, Emily K. Lindsay, Jim Rosenblatt

MC Law Review

No abstract provided.

Liening On The Court: Examining Loblolly Properties, Llc V. Le Papillon Homeowner's Association, Inc. And The Future Of Lien Priority In Mississippi, Thomas C. Jones

MC Law Review

The Mississippi Supreme Court in Loblolly Properties, LLC v. Le Papillon Homeowner’s Association, Inc. held that the nonjudicial foreclosure of a deed of trust does not extinguish restrictive covenants to pay HOA fees that were filed after the recording of the deed of trust.  In doing so, the Court blatantly disregarded the fundamental understanding of lien priority in Mississippi, and also failed to explain how the policy behind lien priority would further be upheld in the future. This decision by the Supreme Court is incorrect and places Mississippi in a “super-minority” of jurisdictions on this issue.  The overwhelming majority of …

Perception Of School Climate And Its Impact On The Language Acquisition Of El Students, John A. Starr Iii

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Educators are grappling with the best way to support the influx of English Learners enrolling in schools. As the numbers of EL students continues to rise, school administrators are seeking the best approaches to address the needs of this subset of students. Additionally, research has shown the impact that school bonding has on the academic performance of native language students. Specifically, research has shown that students with a positive emotional connection to the teachers, peers, and the institution outperform those with less attachment to the school. The purpose of this study is to see if school climate and school bonding …

Learning-Assisted Schedulability Analysis: Opportunities And Limitations, Sanjoy Baruah, Pontus Ekberg, Marion Sudvarg

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

We present the first (to our knowledge) Deep-Learning based framework for real-time schedulability-analysis that guarantees to never incorrectly mis-classify an unschedulable system as being schedulable, and is hence suitable for use in safety-critical scenarios. We relate applicability of this framework to well-understood concepts in computational complexity theory: membership in the complexity class NP. We apply the framework upon the widely-studied schedulability analysis problems of determining whether a given constrained-deadline sporadic task system is schedulable on a preemptive uniprocessor under both Deadline-Monotonic and EDF scheduling. As a proof-of-concept, we implement our framework for Deadline-Monotonic scheduling, and demonstrate that it has a …

Esteban Salinas: Reworking Mono-Epistemological Thought In The Borderlands Through Local Leadership And Legacy, Jose M. Escobedo, Juan Salinas Jr., Griselda Salinas

Organization and School Leadership Faculty Publications

This article examines an ethnographic case study of Esteban Salinas, a local teacher beloved by communities across the mid-Rio Grande Valley. By reconstructing his story and critically examining his legacy, we can achieve a better understanding of the monocultural narratives imposed on the borderlands in his time and seek to challenge them through the examples and legacies of individuals like Esteban Salinas. We also seek to further add contextualization over the Western colonial institutions implemented in the 20th century in the borderlands through which we are still confined, and which require reevaluation and rework and how aspects of his legacy …

A Study On The Impact Of Ceos’ Financial And Technical Backgrounds On The Innovation Strategy Of The Enterprise, Jianyu Cheng

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Amid regional economic integration and market competition, innovation has become a key driver for enterprises to gain competitive advantages and ensure sustainable development. As primary decision-makers in corporate strategy and resource allocation, chief executive officers (CEOs) impact the selection and implementation of innovation strategies through their financial and technical backgrounds, which influence their strategic cognition and risk preferences, leading to heterogeneous innovation behaviors. While existing research has examined the relationship between CEOs and corporate innovation, studies have inadequately explored CEOs’ diverse background characteristics, particularly the interaction between financial and technical backgrounds. Given the rising trend of CFOs and CTOs advancing …

Corporate Strategic Changes In Response To Negative Performance Gaps: The Role Of Listing Board In China, Lei Yu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation investigates how Chinese listed companies respond strategically to negative performance gaps under different institutional environments defined by the Main Board and ChiNext Board of China’s capital market. Drawing on Performance Feedback Theory and New Institutional Theory, it explores whether and how listing board heterogeneity moderates the relation between performance shortfalls and corporate strategic transformation, and further examines the boundary effects of internal governance factors including ownership type, CEO power, and resource slack.

Using panel data of A-share listed companies from 2009 to 2019 obtained from the CSMAR database, this study employs multiple regression analysis and interaction modeling to …

From Discrete Manufacturing To Continuous Manufacturing: Examining The Relationship Among Digital Capability, Organizational Learning, And Enterprise Performance, Demu Chen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

In 2018, Company J launched its intelligent drive digital transformation project, which was completed and entered operation in 2021. That December, the project obtained certification under Zhejiang Province's "1353" system for the future factory enterprises, marking a successful transition from discrete to continuous manufacturing. To address the asynchronous flows of logistics, information, personnel, capital, and value indiscrete manufacturing enterprises, as well as pain points such as lowper capita output, long product delivery cycles, and low annual inventory turnover rates, this study, based on organizational learning theory, constructs ananalytical model encompassing digital capability (independent variable X), organizational learning (mediating variable Z), …

The Impact Of Value Co-Creation On Organizational Resilience In Small And Medium-Sized Traditional Foreign Trade Enterprises, Dan Yan

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Against the backdrop of increasing uncertainty in the global business environment, international scholarly attention to individual, group, and organizational resilience has risen significantly. Chinese export trading enterprises—especially small and medium-sized export trading enterprises(SMETEs)—face disadvantages such as small scale, weak financing capacity, limited access to information, and low brand strength. After experiencing shocks from digital transformation, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia–Ukraine war, and the European energy crisis, these firms have been compelled to reconsider how to enhance their organizational resilience in order to adapt to an increasingly turbulent external environment.

First, this study selects Company H as a representative case of …

Striking A Balance Between Personal Data Protection And Transactional Efficiency In The Context Of Data-Driven Mergers, Jun Hu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

The proliferation of data-driven mergers and acquisitions (M&A) has created a critical tension between the commercial value of integrated data assets and the fundamental privacy rights of users. This dissertation addresses the underexplored micro-foundations of user consent when personal data is transferred wholesale to an acquiring firm. It develops and empirically tests a sequential mediation model, anchored in Privacy Calculus and Signaling Theory, to explain how users' perceptions and intentions are shaped by different corporate data protection strategies.

A between-subjects experimental design was employed (N=532), exposing participants to one of three distinct protection mechanisms: procedural safeguards (emphasizing fairness and control), …

The Influence Of Culture + Technology On Night-Time Economy, Jianping Xu

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

As a vital component of modern urban economies, the night-time economy has emerged as a crucial pathway for stimulating domestic demand and promoting consumption upgrading. With the rapid development of digital technologies and increasingly diversified cultural demands, the deep integration of 'Culture + Technology' has provided new momentum for the innovative development of the night-time economy. This study focuses on how 'Culture + Technology' empowers the night-time economy, exploring its impact mechanisms, current status, and development pathways through theoretical analysis, case studies, and empirical surveys.

First, this paper constructs a theoretical framework for 'Culture + Technology' empowering the night-time economy …

The Impact Of Top Management Team Heterogeneity On Corporate Green Innovation, Xueyan Luo

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

At present, green innovation has become a key path for enterprises to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. However, existing research pays limited attention to how internal governance factors—especially top management team (TMT) heterogeneity—affect green innovation. Based on Upper Echelons Theory, managerial cognition theory, and institutional theory, this paper constructs a framework of “TMT heterogeneity–green strategic orientation–green innovation,” and explores the impact of different types of heterogeneity and the moderating role of regional innovation environments. Heterogeneity is categorized into conflict-type (gender, age, financial background) and complementary-type (educational, professional, overseas background) to better explain its mechanisms.

Using a sample of Chinese A-share listed …

A Study On The Influence Of Entity Internet Hospital Platforms And Health Literacy Facilitation On Postoperative Patients’ Platform Usage, Hong Ye

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Entity Internet Hospital (EIH) is emerging online medical service platforms in China. Currently, while EIHs in China are developing rapidly, their usage rates remain low. However, postoperative patients have substantial follow-up consultation needs. Consequently, incentivizing postoperative patients to use EIH from the demand side is a highly challenging proposition in the current era. Grounded in Technology Acceptance Model and Health Belief Model, this study examined the impacts of platform and health literacy facilitation on platform usage (including intention and frequency) among 631 postoperative patients with cardiovascular disease from four medical institutions in Wuhan, and explored the moderating role of literacy …