Digital Commons Network^™

Insulinemic And Inflammatory Dietary Patterns And Colorectal Cancer Risk: A Dietary Data Harmonization Study Of One Million Participants In The Consortium Of Metabolomics Studies (Comets), Ni Shi, Rachel Hoobler, Rhea Harewood, Amanda E Toland, Demetrius Albanes, Emmanouil Bouras, Marc J Gunter, Linda M Liao, Steven C Moore, Fulvio Ricceri, Jerome I Rotter, Rashmi Sinha, Rachael Stolzenberg-Solomon, Anne Tjønneland, Alexis C Wood, Danxia Yu, Mary C Playdon, Fred K Tabung

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Inflammatory and insulinemic dietary patterns have been associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) risk, but generalizability across diverse populations with heterogeneous food supplies and dietary behaviors has not been established.

Objectives: We harmonized disparate dietary and covariate data on a large scale to compute the reverse Empirical Dietary Index for Hyperinsulinemia (rEDIH), reverse Empirical Dietary Inflammatory Pattern (rEDIP), and Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 scores, and tested their associations with CRC risk.

Methods: We leveraged data among 501,892 women and 407,390 men from 6 cohorts across the United States (NIH-AARP, Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian, SCCS) and …

Smart Cities Beyond Methodological Cityism: Foregrounding Developmentalism, Scalar Flexing And The Rebranding Of The 'Urban', Prerona Das, Orlando Woods, Lily Kong

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

In this paper we show that in Southeast Asia, smart city development has become a type of digital urban transformation that is not targeted towards any particular territorial formation or settlement. Instead, development-oriented states in the region leverage the smart city rhetoric as a nationwide branding strategy to leapfrog development stages. Such smart city policies are infused with a scalar logic – which we call ‘scalar flexing’ – that captures the enmeshing of local and national scales, causing local scale smart city initiatives to be stretched across wide-ranging, national-scale urban transformation agendas. We examine the nationwide 100 smart cities policies …

How Do You Fix Knowledge In Place? Digital Nomads And Infrastructural Stickiness, Emma Grimley, Prerona Das, Orlando Woods, Lily Kong

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Remote work has become increasingly accessible due to the growing acceptance of remote work arrangements following the COVID-19 pandemic. Some state actors, especially in countries which face a shortage of digital talent and have reputations as leisure-tourism destinations, have begun considering the opportunities for digital transformation or workforce upskilling that highly skilled remote workers may offer. This paper develops the case of remote workers in Thailand to argue that infrastructural stickiness is a critical determinant for effective knowledge transfer to occur. By infrastructural stickiness we refer to the regulatory and socio-material infrastructures that both attract and retain international remote workers …

Addressing Algorithmic Bias In Ai Journalism: A Toolkit For More Equitable Coverage Of Marginalized Communitie, Sierra Monet Worden

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project addresses a critical gap in journalism reporting concerning the use of artificial intelligence (AI) when covering stories on marginalized communities. Partially as it relates to the bias that exists in artificial intelligence algorithms, and the lack of training that exists for the implementation of these tools. Journalists play a crucial role in providing accurate and fair information on marginalized communities, yet the implementation of AI presents a set of all new challenges and allows opportunities for more bias to make its way into news coverage. Existing resources for reporting focus more on ethics and less on how to …

Machine Learning-Based Prediction Of Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Emissions And Comparative Analysis Against Statistical Models, Abdullah Ahmad Khan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The increasing stringency of emissions regulations for heavy-duty (HD) diesel engines necessitates the development of accurate, efficient, and general predictive models for engine-out emissions under steady-state operating conditions. Traditional statistical approaches, while computationally efficient, often fail to capture the inherent nonlinear relationships between the engine operating parameters and emissions formation. In contrast, machine learning (ML) techniques offer a promising alternative by learning the complex patterns directly from experimental data. The present thesis summarizes a comprehensive study on the prediction of steady-state, HD diesel engine emissions using ML models, along with a comparative analysis against conventional statistical modeling approaches.

A high-quality …

Public Perception Of Using Public Lands For Climate Change Mitigation, Casey Marie Zaitzew

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Biological carbon sequestration provides a way to integrate carbon initiatives while meeting sustainable forestry management needs. In the United States, woody plants capture about 13% of annual carbon emissions, highlighting the importance of forests and other ecosystems in national climate strategies.With over 640 million acres of public land, management strategies that incorporate carbon sequestration could significantly influence national carbon storage. Because public lands are taxpayer-funded, public acceptance is critical in carbon-focused policies. While prior studies have examined public attitudes toward carbon capture and storage techniques, fewer studies have focused on biological sequestration within federally managed lands.

This study analyzes public …

Exploring The Role Of Occupational Therapy In A Pediatric Specialty Care Office, Sierra Leigh Hays

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Introduction: The role of OT in primary and specialty care clinics is a rising area of interest in the field. There are also many multidisciplinary clinics that OTs can be or are apart of. This study aims to evaluate the consulting role of OT in primary and specialty care clinics, as well as to evaluate data collected by an OT in a pediatric brachial plexus and peripheral nerve clinic. Methods: The first objective was focused on analyzing functional outcomes, using the Active Movement Scale (AMS), of children following neurosurgery or onabotulinum toxin A injections. This was a retrospective study with …

Data-Driven Methodologies For Mapping Cultural Heritage: The Case Of The National Coal Heritage Area, West Virginia, Usa, Hossain Mohammad Nahyan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The objective of this dissertation was to develop a comprehensive, data-driven spatial framework for characterizing the complex cultural landscape of the National Coal Heritage Area (NCHA) in West Virginia. By transitioning away from traditional, heuristic spatial mapping, this research integrates advanced spatial statistics, machine learning, and GIS-based methodologies to objectively quantify the physical, visual, and cultural dimensions of the post-mining environment. The research is structured around three interconnected empirical studies, each addressing a specific scale of the Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) framework to support heritage conservation and sustainable spatial planning. The first paper focused on landform classification, developing an automated …

Caring For The Caregiver: Implementing An Occupational Therapy-Tailored Educational Program To Alleviate Caregiver Burden, Lura Elizabeth Simons

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Caregivers of traumatic brain injury (TBI) survivors experience caregiver burden, which is a prevalent issue. The most significant concern is for symptoms of burden affecting mental health and sleep quality. This doctoral capstone project addressed the knowledge gap regarding programs that alleviate these signs and symptoms through evidence-based interventions. The objective was to create an educational program with modules that demonstrated improvement in satisfaction and content understanding through in-person sessions and individualized interviews with staff members. This project aimed to reduce perceived burden by conducting in-person sessions to implement interventions through an occupational therapy (OT) lens and by using educational …

Three Essays In Cpi Bias And Health Economics, Auderta Amoako-Nuamah

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The first essay estimates bias in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for elderly individuals in the United States using Engel curve methodology and household-level data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (1999–2023). The analysis focuses on how well the CPI reflects changes in the cost of living for older Americans, with particular attention to differences by gender and marital status. Results show that from 1999–2011, the CPI overstated the increase in the cost of living for both elderly and non-elderly households. In contrast, from 1999–2023, the CPI understated cost increases, with the bias generally larger for non-elderly households. Within …

Back To The Office Or Out The Door: The Impact Of Return-To-Office Mandates On Employee Well-Being And Turnover Intention, Charlotte Renee Nelson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The widespread adoption of remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly altered traditional workplace arrangements. As organizations increasingly implement RTO mandates, questions have emerged about how these changes affect employee well-being and turnover intentions. Guided by the Job Demands–Resources framework, this study examined the relationship between RTO mandates and two employee outcomes: employee well-being and turnover intention. The study also tested whether work engagement mediated these relationships and whether perceived organizational support and work stressors moderated the relationship between RTO mandates and work engagement.

A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional survey design was employed. Data were collected from 229 U.S. employees working …

Enhancing Occupational Engagement And Wellness In Middle-Aged And Retired Adults Through Movement And Mindfulness Program Development, Erin J. Harvey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Occupational imbalance and a diminished sense of purpose are common challenges faced during middle age and the transition into retirement. These issues can contribute to increased burnout, decreased participation in meaningful activities, and an overall decline in health and well-being. Occupational therapy is well-equipped to address these concerns through comprehensive and holistic, occupation-based wellness programs that promote healthy routines and engagement in meaningful roles. This doctoral capstone project involved developing and implementing two community-based wellness programs tailored to different populations. The first program included self-paced wellness modules for middle-aged adults, aiming to encourage healthy lifestyle habits, enhance coping skills, and …

A Quality Improvement Initiative To Decrease The Length Of Stay In The Post-Anesthesia Care Unit For Children Undergoing Iv Anesthetic Inductions For Gastrointestinal Procedures, Kaylee Bahret Bangs

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: Pediatric patients at WVU Medicine Children’s (WVU-CH) are emerging slowly from anesthetics during diagnostic gastrointestinal procedures which delays discharge from the post-anesthesia care unit. The cumulative effect is an increased length of hospital stay and the associated increases in costs. This project explores a novel method to reduce the amount of medication pediatric patients receive by using virtual reality goggles as a nonpharmacologic intervention to reduce preprocedural anxiety.

Purpose: This quality improvement project seeks to reduce time spent in PACU for children undergoing IV induction GI procedures by using preoperative virtual reality (VR) headsets during IV placement …

Workforce Development Academy For Youth, Hassan Hashemian

Mineta Transportation Institute

To address the need for a diverse workforce in the 21st century and create an awareness of the career paths and opportunities that exist in the transportation industry, the College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology at the California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA) has created the Workforce Development Academy for Youth (WDAY). The goal of this program is to build a pipeline of diverse, well-qualified young professionals for the transportation industry. The program works with high school students and teachers to offer academic courses, basic skills, workforce readiness training, internships, extracurricular activities, and career placements to prepare students and …

South Asians And Renal Disease: Traditional Food Lists For Management Of Chronic Kidney Disease, Ashwini Wagle

Open Educational Resources

The renal food list is a culturally tailored nutrition education tool designed to address the specific dietary needs of the South Asian population. It is an original intellectual work created by Ashwini Wagle, Ed.D., MS, RD, FAND, Chair and Professor, Department of Nutrition, Food Science, and Packaging at San José State University (SJSU).

An earlier version of this tool was published in 2011 with the assistance of graduate student Kalpana Balasubramanian. The development of this renal food list was strengthened by the encouragement and support of the registered dietitian community, whose contributions included verifying the accuracy of the nutritional information …

Knowledge, Interest, And Willingness Of Hematologists And Oncologists To Care For Adults With Vascular Anomalies, Bryan A Sisk, Anna M Kerr, Sally Cohen-Cutler, Margaret T Lee, Katie Harmoney, Alexandra Borst, Shelley E Crary, Shelbie Fishman, Stephanie Chen, Danielle Cicka, Stephanie Milam, Christine Bereitschaft, Kristen M Sanfilippo

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Vascular anomalies (VAs) are rare diseases that cause significant morbidity. Adults with VAs struggle to access expert care. Hematologists and oncologists in adult medicine are positioned to provide expert care, but no prior studies have characterized their openness to this role.

OBJECTIVES: This study characterized the experience, confidence, willingness, and motivating factors for hematologists/oncologists to care for adults with VAs.

METHODS: We surveyed United States hematologists and oncologists in adult medicine between October 2024 and March 2025. The questionnaire assessed knowledge, experience, confidence, and willingness to care for adults with VAs, as well as open-ended questions assessing factors influencing …

Call Off The Dogs: Rethinking Sniffer Dog Searches In Canadian Criminal Law, Sara Gordon

All Faculty Publications

The Supreme Court of Canada has repeatedly held that police sniffer dog searches are Charter-compliant based on a low standard of reasonable suspicion because they are minimally intrusive, narrowly targeted, and can be highly accurate. Since the Court last considered their constitutionality, however, extensive empirical research has fundamentally challenged assumptions about the reliability and accuracy of police sniffer dogs, as well as the harm to individuals subjected to these searches. Moreover, the phenomenon of handler cueing can operate to transmit a police officer’s unconscious biases—even those they would consciously reject—to their dogs, further reducing accuracy and leading to false alerts …

Race And Racism In Canada’S Immigration Detention System, Efrat Arbel, Prasanna Balasundaram, Hanna Gros, Nana Yanful

All Faculty Publications

Race and Racism in Canada's Immigration Detention System is the first comprehensive, independent study to examine race and racism in Canada's immigration detention system. Grounded in rigorous legal analysis and qualitative research, the study draws on interviews with 50 participants, including people with lived experience of immigration detention, as well as lawyers, paralegals, and service providers who work in immigration detention. The research was guided by an advisory board of people with lived-experience in immigration detention and co-led by a collaborative research team.

Model Law? Template Legal Culture And The Global Production Of Environmental Law, Natasha Affolder

All Faculty Publications

Lawyers build from templates. Accounts of how law is made rarely mention them. New legislation tends to present itself as original. It is almost never made from scratch. This article makes the hidden process visible. It does so through a study of the near-global spread of environmental impact assessment (EIA) legislation since 1969, using computer-assisted textual similarity analysis to trace what I expected to be identifiable model laws and clear lines of legal inheritance. The search yielded instead a transnational repertoire of legal fragments, repeatedly recombined into new legislative forms across different legal traditions, languages and decades. EIA's legislative spread …

2024 Annual Operations And Maintenance Report 2024 Bres Annual Summary Report For Work Completed In Quadrant 4, Butte-Silver Bow Department Of Reclamation And Environmental Services

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Empowering Students To Engage With Climate Change Action: A Project-Based Module For Artificial Intelligence Literacy And Sustainability Thinking, Gabriel Granco, Yu Chen, Heather Macias, Yunfei Hou, Frank A. Gomez

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

There is a growing need to prepare students to address complex environmental challenges, particularly climate change and the expanding role of artificial intelligence (AI). This article examines the adaptation of the Artificial Intelligence for Social Good (AI4SG) Ideation module, a pitch- and project-based teaching framework designed to integrate AI literacy and sustainability education. Implemented in an upper division climate change course, the module combines project-based learning, culturally responsive pedagogy, and geographic thinking to guide students in developing community-oriented AI proposals aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Students were encouraged to approach their communities not through deficit lenses, …

Federal Protections For Farmworker Health In The United States: A Scoping Review Of Three Decades Of Research, Kaitlyn Alvarez Noli, Stephane Labossiere, Becca Berkey, Joseph G. Grzywacz

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Objectives: This scoping review characterizes the scope, methods, and framing of empirical research evaluating the Field Sanitation Standard (FSS) and Worker Protection Standard (WPS) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Labor respectively. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we identified empirical studies (1990–2024) assessing elements of either the FSS or WPS. Two reviewers screened and extracted study characteristics, designs, populations, and regulatory elements. Framing analysis of 1226 segments, identified using a large language model, from the studies' abstracts and introductions examined how authors conceptualized farmworkers' need for protection. …

Supporting Latine Older Adults’ Nutrition And Physical Health Goals In Counseling, Zachary P. Mcniece, Jacqueline J. Bergman

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Latine older adults face disproportionate risk of chronic nutrition-related conditions and food insecurity, which can exacerbate or contribute to the development of mental health-related concerns. Cultural stigma toward mental illness can result in Latine clients, especially older adults, somatizing symptoms and focusing on physical health goals in counseling. Despite these intersecting needs, counselors often overlook clients’ physical health goals due to limited training and the assumption that medical providers alone should address them. This article advocates integrating basic, culturally responsive nutrition information into counseling practice to support client well-being while staying within the scope of practice. We offer practical recommendations …

The Ideological Work Of Penal Reform: How Reformers Justify Penal-Welfare Hybridization, John Halushka, Brandon Miller

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This article uses the Santa Clara County Reentry Resource Center (RRC) as a case study to explore the cultural content of penal reform. Specifically, we explore the discourses that officials use to publicly justify projects of penal-welfare hybridization, or the linking of state systems of punishment and welfare to manage criminalized populations. Our qualitative analysis draws on a dataset consisting of county planning documents, budgets, videos, press releases, and newsletters published online between 2011 and 2023. By examining these materials over time, we are able to chart patterns of consistency and variation in how officials justify hybridization. We find that …

Social Justice In The Implementation Of Section 504 Accommodation Plans For High School Students In Low-Socioeconomic Situations, Jonas Asamoah Boateng

Educational and Organizational Learning and Leadership Dissertations

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was designed to eliminate disability-based discrimination in federally funded educational institutions. However, its practical application remains inconsistent, often resulting in systemic inequities for students in low-socioeconomic situations. This dissertation study critically examines how social justice issues manifest in the implementation of Section 504 plans for high school students in low-socioeconomic situations and was conducted in one school district located within Washington State. The study is grounded in an integrated framework comprised of the Social Justice Approach, Disability Justice Framework, Critical Race Theory and Dis/ability Critical Race Studies (DisCrit), and Transformative Leadership Theory. …

Levonorgestrel Intrauterine System Use And The Risk Of Cervical Cancer In Women With Human Papillomavirus, Britney Margheim, Lauren Zakshorn, Sadie Wiens

Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Healthcare Provider Perspectives On A Clinical Decision Tool To Support Individualized Exercise Prescriptions And Discussions For Breast Cancer Survivors, Jinani Jayasekera, Oliver W. A. Wilson, Kaitlyn M. Wojcik, Eleanor M. Kerr, Rachelle Brick, David Berrigan, Jennifer Yeong-Shin Sheng, Takeo Fujii, Kathleen Thomas, Henri K. Parson, Padma Sheila Rajagopal, Richard L. Street Jr.

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose: We evaluated healthcare providers' current knowledge, practices, and perspectives on a novel clinical decision tool (beta-version) to facilitate individualized exercise prescriptions and discussions in clinical settings.

Methods: We recruited healthcare providers who had treated or provided care to breast cancer survivors aged >= 35-years in the past 12 months. The participants were presented with a tool to provide individualized exercise recommendations considering women's individual, clinical, and contextual characteristics. Validated and reliable pre-existing instruments were used to survey providers' current knowledge, practices regarding exercise discussions, and perspectives on the beta-version (paper-draft) of the novel tool.

Results: The sample consisted of …

Chronobiology Of Meal Timing In Early-Stage Hypertension: A Controlled Feeding Pilot Study Investigating The Effects On Renal And Vascular Function, Natalie J. Bohmke, Brittany Barton, Patrice Wiecek, Paula Rodriguez-Miguelez, Dave L. Dixon, Youngdeok Kim, Salvatore Carbone, Danielle L. Kirkman

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Lifestyle intervention is critical for young adults with early-stage hypertension. A Western diet has negative effects on kidney function and blood pressure; however, time-of-day effects are understudied. We hypothesized that consumption of a Western-style meal that is misaligned with the endogenous circadian rhythm would have adverse effects on blood pressure, kidney function, and vascular function. Ten young adults with elevated blood pressure or stage 1 hypertension (means ± SD: 26 ± 8 yr, 50% female) underwent a randomized crossover, isocaloric controlled feeding intervention. Participants were allocated to receive a Western-style meal high in sodium, sugar, and saturated fat in the …

The Treatment Of Obesity In The Context Of The Obesity Paradox In Patients With Heart Failure: A Narrative Review, Pamela L. Alebna, Sarah Martey, Anurag Mehta, Carl J. Lavie, Salvatore Carbone

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

Purpose of review

While excess adiposity is a known risk factor for incident heart failure ( HF), once the condition is established, observational data suggest that increased body mass index (BMI) may confer a survival advantage. This paradox has emphasized the underlying roles of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), and body composition, particularly lean mass (LM), in influencing clinical outcomes.

Recent findings

In this review, we explore the multifaceted nature of the obesity paradox in HF, with a focus on emerging anti-obesity incretin-mimetic therapies, such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) and dual GLP-1/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor agonists. These agents …

Fill The Void - An Introductory Guide For Learning Medical Imaging, Reid Faith, Peter Gahan, Adam Trusty, Aleksandr Zyskin, Chukwuka Ukekwe, Denise Nchinda, Amanda K. Burbage, Alberto E. Musto

EVMS School of Health Professions Faculty Publications

No standardized, comprehensive approach for radiological image interpretation exists among medical schools in the United States of America. In order to rectify this, we outline a model aimed to help improve how medical imaging can be taught in medical schools. The VOID (Visualization, Orientation/Observation, Identification, Description) guide is a proposed universal, stepwise approach to medical image identification, interpretation, and communication. This structured guideline is aimed at building a foundation for students in early medical education. The VOID was applied to CT (Computed Tomography), MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), and x-ray modalities as integrated sessions for medical students during human anatomy laboratory. …