Digital Commons Network^™

The Interplay Between Pulse Width And Activation Depth In Tens: A Computational Study, Alexander Guillen, Dennis Q Truong, Yusuf O Cakmak, Sheng Li, Abhishek Datta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) has been a commonly used modality to relieve aches and pain for over 40 years. Commercially available devices provide multiple therapy modes involving a different combination of frequency and pulse width with intensity. While frequency sets sensation, intensity helps determine tolerability, longer pulse width is reported to induce a feeling of deeper stimulation. In fact, longer pulse width has been empirically shown to deliver current into deeper tissues, but in context of other electrical stimulation modalities. The goal of this study was to unpack the relationship between pulse width and activation depth in TENS. …

Suicide Phenotyping From Clinical Notes In Safety-Net Psychiatric Hospital Using Multi-Label Classification With Pre-Trained Language Models, Zehan Li, Yan Hu, Scott Lane, Salih Selek, Lokesh Shahani, Rodrigo Machado-Vieira, Jair Soares, Hua Xu, Hongfang Liu, Ming Huang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Accurate identification and categorization of suicidal events can yield better suicide precautions, reducing operational burden, and improving care quality in high-acuity psychiatric settings. Pre-trained language models offer promise for identifying suicidality from unstructured clinical narratives. We evaluated the performance of four BERT-based models using two fine-tuning strategies (multiple single-label and single multi-label) for detecting coexisting suicidal events from 500 annotated psychiatric evaluation notes. The notes were labeled for suicidal ideation (SI), suicide attempts (SA), exposure to suicide (ES), and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). RoBERTa outperformed other models using binary relevance (acc=0.86, F1=0.78). MentalBERT (F1=0.74) also exceeded BioClinicalBERT (F1=0.72). RoBERTa fine-tuned with …

Yale School Of Medicine Facts & Figures 2025-2026, Yale School Of Medicine Office Of Communications

Facts & Figures – annual Yale School of Medicine numbers

Provided by the Office of Communications, the Facts and Figures brochure is produced annually as a way to provide a snapshot of key facts and data related to the School of Medicine as well as the Medical Campus. This includes enrollment data, research activity, financial summaries, and more.

Administration Of Anti-Gfap Antibodies Increases Cgrp Expression And Increases Pain Hypersensitivity In Spinal Cord Injured Animals, Georgene W Hergenroeder, Samuel T Molina, Juan J Herrera

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in a multitude of cellular and pathological changes including neuronal loss, axonal damage, gliosis, and loss of motor and sensory function. In 40%-70% of patients, SCI can also trigger the development of neuropathic pain. Our previous study demonstrated that SCI patients who developed autoantibodies to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were at increased risk for the subsequent development of neuropathic pain. However, whether GFAP autoantibodies (GFAPab) contribute to the development of neuropathic pain after SCI had yet to be examined.

Objective: Using a mid-thoracic contusion model of SCI in male Sprague-Dawley rats, we examined …

Measurement Of Oxygen Consumption Rate In Mouse Aortic Tissue, Zhen Zhou, Ripon Sarkar, Jose Emiliano Esparza Pinelo, Alexis Richard, Jay Dunn, Zhao Ren, Callie S Kwartler, Dianna M Milewicz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection (TAD) is a life-threatening vascular disorder, and smooth muscle cell mitochondrial dysfunction leads to cell death, contributing to TAD. Accurate measurements of metabolic processes are essential for understanding cellular homeostasis in both healthy and diseased states. While assays for evaluating mitochondrial respiration have been well established for cultured cells and isolated mitochondria, no optimized application has been developed for aortic tissue. In this study, we generate an optimized protocol using the Agilent Seahorse XFe24 analyzer to measure mitochondrial respiration in mouse aortic tissue. This method allows for precise measurement of mitochondrial oxygen consumption in mouse …

Helping Everyone Achieve A Lifetime Of Health - Future Addiction Scientist Training Program Outcomes, Asfand B Moosa, Christina M Segura, Ammar D Siddiqi, Hinal Patel, Tzuan A Chen, Anastasia Rogova, Marcy Zere, Ezemenari M Obasi, Lorraine R Reitzel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Addiction to alcohol, tobacco, and/or other drugs (ATOD) remains a leading cause of cancer and a contributor to diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, disproportionately affecting marginalized and minoritized groups. Social and structural inequities including limited healthcare access, employment instability, inadequate housing, and environmental stressors increase these risks. A diverse scientific workforce is necessary to mitigate ATOD-related health disparities; yet underrepresentation persists in ATOD research. Helping Everyone Achieve a LifeTime of Health-Future Addiction Scientist Training (HEALTH-FAST) is a NIDA funded research education program that aims to reduce ATOD-related disparities by training future scholars in addiction science and health equity.

Methods: From …

Rates Of Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections In Hospitalized Non-Immunocompromised Pediatric Patients: A 9-Year Retrospective Study At A Lebanese Tertiary Medical Center, Ramia Zakhour, Sarah Khafaja, Rawan Korman, Celina F Boutros, Zeinab El Zein, Ahmad Chmaisse, Magda Haj, Amani Haddara, Zeina El-Houry, Malak Jbahi, Sarah Chamseddine, Samer Bou Karroum, Dana Al Oweini, Yolla Salama Youssef, Nour Youssef, Mayse Nasser, Danielle Fayad, Farida Abi Farraj, Clara El Nakib, Imad Isaac, Mireille Lteif, George F Araj, Ghassan S Dbaibo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacterial infections are considered a major public health threat. The objectives of this study were to describe the epidemiology, potential contributing factors, and antimicrobial resistance patterns associated with infections caused by MDR Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) in non-immunocompromised children and adolescents.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational study conducted at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) from 2009 to 2017. The study included non-immunocompromised patients 18 years of age or younger with infections caused by GNB isolated from a sterile site or nonsterile site in the setting of clinical infection.

Results: A total of …

Information Seeking Behaviors And Attitudes Of Wives Of Former Football Players Regarding Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Summer D Ott, Sukhnandan K Cheema, Alexa Ryder, Philip Schatz, Lorie A Gonzalez, Jecenia Duran, Paul E Schulz

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study examines CTE-related knowledge and information-seeking behaviors of caregivers of persons who are at high risk of CTE. Online survey responses were collected from 64 females, ages 18-74, who were married to former college, semiprofessional, or professional football players and were fluent in English. Ranging from 0 to 18, a score was calculated to represent level of CTE knowledge. Participants were classified into groups based on their spouse's reported symptoms and diagnosis. Approximately 87% of participants reported that their spouses have been diagnosed with a football-related concussion and were significantly more likely to seek out information from a healthcare …

Editorial: Surface Emg And Other Measurement Techniques In Rehabilitation Research And Practice: Are New Educational Programs Needed?, Marco Tramontano, Sheng Li, Roberto Merletti

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Mic60/Mitofilin Inhibitor, Miclxin, Induces Rat H9c2 Cardiomyoblast Death By Inhibiting The Removal Of Damaged Mitochondria, Muhammad S Khan, Somayyeh Nasiripour, Michele Oyarzabal, Swati Banerjee, Kumar Sharma, Manzoor A Bhat, Jean C Bopassa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of various pathologic conditions, including ischemia/reperfusion injury, stroke, myocardial infarction, neurodegeneration and metabolic syndrome. As with all biological organelles, the function of mitochondria is tightly linked to their structure. The inner mitochondrial membrane is a highly regulated membrane with a large surface area that hosts the electron transport chain machinery, generates the membrane potential necessary for ATP generation, and forms the signature cristae folds of mitochondria. The mitochondrial inner membrane protein (Mitofilin/Mic60) is part of a large complex that constitutes the mitochondrial inner membrane organizing system, which is critical in maintaining mitochondrial architecture and function. …

Rho/Rock Pathway As A Therapeutic Target In Multiple Diseases, Zixiu Cheng, Shannon Erhardt, Jun Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The Rho/ROCK (Rho-associated coiled-coil-containing protein kinase) signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in regulating diverse cellular processes, including cytoskeletal organization, cell migration, proliferation, and apoptosis. Dysregulation of this pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of various diseases, such as cardiovascular disorders, cancer, neurological conditions, and fibrotic diseases. Accumulating evidence supports the therapeutic potential of targeting Rho/ROCK, with several inhibitors currently under investigation or in clinical use. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms underlying Rho/ROCK signaling, explores its involvement in disease progression, and discusses recent advances in the development of and the clinical application of ROCK inhibitors as promising therapeutic …

Safety Of Indocyanine Green Microdosing For Clinical Imaging Of Csf Ventricular Dynamics And Extracranial Outflow, Miriam Zamorano, Banghe Zhu, Ahmed T Massoud, Jonathan Hendricks, H Alex Choi, Pedram Peesh, Brandon A Miller, Xinhai Robert Zhang, Manish N Shah, Eva M Sevick-Muraca

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and purpose: Intravenous administration of indocyanine green (ICG) has been approved in brain surgeries for decades, yet concerns about neurotoxicity prevent its direct administration into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Armed with prior animal studies demonstrating the feasibility of using ICG microdosing into the CSF, we sought to evaluate its nonclinical safety profile and obtain surrogate measures in adults prior to its use in human neonates.

Methods: Evaluation of ICG toxicity was conducted in mixed primary CNS cell cultures and in an extended safety study of juvenile rat pups deploying intraventricular injections of saline (as control) or ICG. Analysis of …

Between Pixels And Predators: The Landscape Of Sexual Assault And Rape In The Metaverse, Natalia Rydzewski

FIU Law Review

This article explores the potential expansion of criminal prosecution in virtual reality spaces as it relates to sexual assault.

Survival Mode: Navigating The First Five Years Of Teaching Performing Arts In Neoliberal Education Assemblages, Kirsten Lambert, Christina Gray

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper shares data from a longitudinal study into secondary performing arts teachers’ perceptions of their first five years of teaching. Utilising Deleuze and Guattari’s concept of rhizomatic becomings and Braidotti’s posthuman knowing subject, our research explores the embodied, relational, and fluid identities of early career teachers. This is important when exploring nascent teacher becomings because it takes into consideration the configuration of bodies and hyper-performative expectations in neoliberal educational assemblages. Our longitudinal qualitative research in Western Australia revealed that early career teachers (ECTs) experienced concerning levels of mental ill-health in response to insecure employment, high stress, long hours, performative …

Addressing ‘Wicked Complex Problems’: Qualitative Understandings Of Sexual Violence Prevention In Male-Dominated Industries, Sarah Vrankovich, Sharyn Burns, Giselle Woodley, Jacqueline Hendriks

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Globally there has been increased focus on the prevalence of sexual violence in workplaces, including the mining industry. In Western Australia, where this study is situated, this industry is a significant employer, predominantly male-dominated, and the prevalent use of fly-in-fly-out schedules can blur work and social life. Consequently, efforts to prevent and manage workplace sexual violence have become a priority, leading to the development and implementation of various strategies and resources. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 34 participants, including sexual violence prevention professionals (n = 16) and mining industry workers (n = 18). Reflexive thematic analysis identified systemic and behavioural …

Australian Fathers’ Experiences Of Caring For Their Preterm Infants, Esther Adama, Eric Adua, Evalotte Mörelius, Annie Chang, Ravisha Srinivasjois, Sara Bayes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Fathers and/or non-birthing partners are now actively involved in child-rearing globally; however some experience emotional difficulties during the perinatal period. With the birth of a preterm infant, parents experience additional stress beyond that normally engendered by having a baby, which can impact on parent-infant relationship and infant development. In Australia, there is limited evidence on fathers’ experiences of preterm birth. Thus, this study aimed to explore the experiences of Australian fathers of preterm infants including their emotional and physical wellbeing when they have a preterm infant. Narrative inquiry guided the study; 13 fathers whose preterm infant was admitted to Australian …

Conservative Opposition To Climate Policy May Be Partially Threat-Based: A Test And Critique Of The Integrated Threat Model Of Climate Attitudes, Samantha K. Stanley, Zoe Leviston, Kirsti M. Jylhä, Iain Walker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

One explanation for the link between political conservatism and rejection of the science and solutions of climate change is based on perceived threats. Yet, until recently, this claim has not been studied by simultaneously considering the different levels at which individuals may experience a sense of threat (i.e., threat of climate change or climate policy, at personal or collective level, on economic or cultural domains). A recent theoretical advance integrated the existing threat-based explanations for conservatives' lower acceptance of climate change and support for pro-climate policy. We aimed to subject aspects of this integrated threat model of climate change attitudes …

Children’S ‘Playbour’ As Influencers On Social Media: An Investigation Into The Legal And Ethical Issues Surrounding Kidfluencers, Catherine J. Archer, Kate Mirandilla Delmo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The legal and ethical concerns around children performing as social media influencers (SMIs) on various social media platforms have been in the spotlight, with the recent world-first decision by the Australian Government to ban social media for those under 16. Social media influence is big business across the globe, with organisations investing in working with influencers to promote their brands and/or ideas. Some children now ‘work’, often managed by their parents, to produce posts that promote brands and ideas on behalf of organisations–not only to other children but also to adults. This paper presents findings of two case studies of …

Good Arts, Good Mental Health®: The Effectiveness Of An Australian Health Promotion Media Campaign In Promoting Community Mental Wellbeing Via The Arts, Christina R. Davies, Melanie T. Pescud, Rhonda Clifford, Richard Mcgrath, Annie Thomson, Mia Jeffrey, Melissa Stoneham, Terri Pikora, Peter Wright, Sonya Girdler, Loretta Baldassar, Stephen Clift

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: This study describes and evaluates Good Arts, Good Mental Health^® (GAGMH), a groundbreaking, population-level, arts-mental health promotion media campaign. The objectives of the campaign (Wave 1) were to increase brand awareness, comprehension, and agreement with the tagline Good Arts, Good Mental Health^® and empower the general population to form an intention to engage in the Arts for their mental wellbeing. Methods: The campaign ran from August to September 2024 (4 weeks), cost AUD$198,965 (23% creative and 77% media/advertising distribution), and targeted the Western Australian (WA) general population aged 18–65 years, all genders, in both metropolitan and regional …

Global Patterns And Drivers Of Seagrass Biomass, Net Primary Production And Meadow Structure, Nicole R. Foster, Enric Gomis, Diana I. Montemayor, Simone Strydom, Miguel Angel Mateo, Eduard Serrano, Aurora M. Ricart, Martin Dahl, Ines Mazarrasa, Paulina Cisternas, Harry Whiteley, Elliott J. Bates, Viena Puigcorbé, Uxue Moreda, Mar Truc, Karina Inostroza, Rafael Huertas, Roisin Mccallum, Anna Lafratta, Chanelle L. Webster, Caitlyn M. O'Dea, Nicole E. Said, Carlos M. Duarte, Paul S. Lavery, Oscar Serrano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aim: We decipher global patterns in seagrass growth and structure to advance seagrass science, facilitate multidisciplinary research, and promote effective management strategies and policy development for seagrass habitats. Location: Global. Time period: 1975 to 2024. Major taxa studied: Seagrasses—marine angiosperms. Methods: A global data set on seagrass total biomass, total net primary productivity (NPP), shoot density, and percent cover was compiled across 11 genera. We tested how these variables change across seagrass genera, life-history strategy, and geographic location; and then modelled the environmental drivers (temperature, nutrients, light availability) of the patterns observed. Results: The mean (±SE) total biomass of seagrasses …

The Impact Of Due Diligence Legislation On International Trade And Business: Analysis Of Potential Trade-Offs, Peter Draper, Andreas Freytag, Naoise Mcdonagh, Matthias Menter

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As countries increasingly adopt due diligence legislation to promote human rights, labor standards, and environmental sustainability in global value chains, a complex dilemma arises. While these laws commendably aim to address moral and political issues in international trade, they may also impose significant costs on companies, potentially disincentivizing investment and trade. This study examines the impact of due diligence laws on international trade and business, analyzing some 60 cases. We explore their unintended consequences, including the potential withdrawal of investors from partner countries, reduced trade, including strategic commodities, and increased costs of compliance leading to competitiveness concerns. Our research categorizes …

Creation And Use Of Sbs’S The Boat; Principles For The Co-Creation Of Online Interactive Learning Environments For Innovative Digital Pedagogy, Prue Miles, Kylie Boltin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Teachers and students rely more on online-learning environments than ever before, including open, trusted and high-quality online learning resources produced by public broadcasters. For educators, this represents both an inspiration and challenge in the wake of new techologies and online learning environments. This article is a case study of one such online learning environment created by Australia’s multicultural broadcaster, the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), an adaptation of Nam Le’s award-winning short story, “The Boat” (2008). SBS’s The Boat (2015) is an immersive online experience that explores a refugee perspective and is accompanied by SBSLearn online learning materials. The Boat (2015) …

The Csr Practices Of Western Australian Mining Based On Innovation Ecosystems: Pathways To Collaborative Innovation And Sustainable Development, Jiawei Sun

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study investigates the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices of Western Australian mining companies, focusing on their integration of innovation ecosystems to promote sustainable development. Through case studies of BHP Group, Rio Tinto, FMG, and South32, the research examines how these companies reduce carbon emissions, enhance community development, and foster collaborative innovation. The findings highlight the significant role of innovation ecosystems in enabling these companies to adopt cleaner technologies, improve social outcomes, and maintain a competitive edge in a sustainability-conscious global market. The study also explores the challenges and opportunities faced by mining companies in leveraging collaborative innovation to address …

Ai Agents And Agentic Systems: A Multi-Expert Analysis, Laurie Hughes, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Tegwen Malik, Mazen Shawosh, Mousa Ahmed Albashrawi, Il Jeon, Vincent Dutot, Mandanna Appanderanda, Tom Crick, Rahul De’, Mark Fenwick, Senali Madugoda Gunaratnege, Paulius Jurcys, Arpan Kumar Kar, Nir Kshetri, Keyao Li, Sashah Mutasa, Spyridon Samothrakis, Michael Wade, Paul Walton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The emergence of AI agents and agentic systems represents a significant milestone in artificial intelligence, enabling autonomous systems to operate, learn, and collaborate in complex environments with minimal human intervention. This paper, drawing on multi-expert perspectives, examines the potential of AI agents and agentic systems to reshape industries by decentralizing decision-making, redefining organizational structures, and enhancing cross-functional collaboration. Specific applications include healthcare systems capable of creating adaptive treatment plans, supply chain agents that predict and address disruptions in real-time, and business process automation that reallocates tasks from humans to AI, improving efficiency and innovation. However, the integration of these systems …

Ecological Grief: How Can We Bear This Together?, Susan Bailey, Nicholas Gerrish

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The impacts of human activity on ecosystems are increasingly evident through ecological degradation and climate change. Despite this, in many jurisdictions across the world, action to address and curtail destructive human activities is slow and resisted at all levels. In this article, we suggest that this resistance is connected to deep ecological grief. We introduce a dual approach to understanding ecological grief, using concepts of unprecedented and unacknowledged grief. Unprecedented grief is felt in response to the loss of our ecosystems and unacknowledged grief connected to the anticipated loss of lifestyle necessary to curtail destructive human behaviour. Drawing upon an …

Doing The Nutbush: How Australia Got Its Very Own Line Dance, Panizza Allmark, Jon Stratton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Nutbush dance is unique to Australia. It is danced to the Ike and Tina Turner track Nutbush City Limits released in 1973. It is a line dance. Anybody can join the line. This article explores the history and reception of the Nutbush. The Nutbush seems have been developed around 1975 in Sydney as a part of modernizing the physical education and creative arts curricula for state primary and secondary schools. The Nutbush is relatively simple and is danced on the beat, a characteristic of dancing to rock music. Nutbush City Limits has a driving beat. This is no doubt …

Mothers, Social Capital And Children’S Physical Literacy Journeys In Rural Australia, Kate Mccreery, Dawn Penney, Ruth Jeanes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In rural communities in Australia, the provision of sport and physical activities for children almost exclusively relies upon parents and their ability to access and contribute to facilities, funding, volunteers, and administration. This paper brings Putnam’s social capital framework to Whitehead’s conceptualisation of physical literacy as a journey to offer original insight into children’s sport participation and the opportunities arising for physical literacy development in rural communities in Australia. Changes in sport participation in Australia and directions in sport policy set an important context for the project, which is located in a small rural community in Western Australia. It was …

Adolescent Parent Perceptions On Sustainable Career Opportunities And Building Employability Capitals For Future Work, Denise Jackson, Claire Lambert

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

As primary career influencers, parents must support adolescent children in navigating evolving and increasingly challenging employment landscapes. Using a capitals lens, this study explores secondary school parents’ capacity to provide informed career advice and their perceptions on factors known to enhance youth employability and employment prospects. Survey data were collected from 301 Australian secondary school parents to examine their understanding of sustainable youth career opportunities, what can aid youth’s employment prospects, and their utilisation of available resources to support career advice for adolescents. While parents’ perceptions of opportunities by sector and industry aligned with wider thinking, many lacked awareness of …

Physiological Plateaus During Normal Labor And Birth: A Novel Definition, Marina Weckend, Kylie Mccullough, Christine Duffield, Sara Bayes, Clare Davison

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Diagnoses of labor dystocia, and subsequent labor augmentation, make one of the biggest contributions to childbirth medicalization, which remains a key challenge in contemporary maternity care. However, labor dystocia is poorly defined, and the antithetical concept of physiological plateaus remains insufficiently explored. Aim: To generate a definition of physiological plateaus as a basis for further research. Methods: This qualitative study applied grounded theory methods and comprised interviews with 20 midwives across Australia, conducted between September 2020 and February 2022. Data were coded in a three-phase approach, starting with inductive line-by-line coding, which generated themes and subthemes, and finally, through …

Abusing The International Solidarity Principle: Human Rights, International Solidarity, And The Eu's Bilateral Migration Deals, Jamal Barnes, Samuel M. Makinda

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The international solidarity principle is a crucial legal norm of international society. It helps guide state conduct and facilitate cooperation among international actors to respond to global challenges and uphold human rights. The European Union (EU) and its Member States have argued that their bilateral agreements with non-EU countries to prevent irregular migration to Europe is a demonstration of international solidarity that fulfils their obligations to asylum seekers and refugees. However, the EU's interpretation of international solidarity in these arrangements has been contested. This article argues that the EU has strategically interpreted the international solidarity principle to fit in with, …