Digital Commons Network^™

Nbcot First-Time Pass Rates At A Hispanic-Serving Institution: The Role Of Academic Metrics And Primary Language, Timothy Tu

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

This retrospective study examined academic and demographic predictors of first-time success on the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) exam among graduates (N = 82) from the classes of 2019 through 2022 at a Hispanic-Serving Institution. Despite demographic growth, Hispanic and linguistically diverse practitioners remain underrepresented in the profession. Analyzed variables included self-reported primary language, undergraduate GPA (UGPA), prerequisite GPA (PGPA), Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, and Occupational Therapy Knowledge Exam (OTKE) performance. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted using SPSS 31. Three factors significantly predicted first-time NBCOT pass status: UGPA (p = .010), OTKE scores …

Boosting Visibility And Engagement: How Social Media Transforms Recruitment For A Doctorate-Level Occupational Therapy Program, Rebecca Ozelie, Ashley Hong, Rachel Lowenthal, Ava M. Robinson, Grace Steffen

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Social media use has become an essential strategy for university recruitment and admissions to attract prospective students and influence their graduate school acceptance decisions. Platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook play a significant role in shaping students’ perceptions and research about universities. While other allied health professions have benefited from increased social media use for recruitment, the impact on occupational therapy programs remains underexplored. Research indicates that social media advertising strategies can enhance program visibility and outreach, yet systemic barriers, financial challenges, and post-coronavirus disease enrollment declines continue to affect admissions. This study examines the influence of social media …

Perceived Applicant Experiences Applying To Hybrid Doctor Of Occupational Therapy Programs, Jackson M. Miller, Melissa Yeung, Jason Hughes, Noah Zebrak

Journal of Occupational Therapy Education

Hybrid Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) programs have expanded rapidly across the United States, yet little is known about how applicants experience the admissions process or what influences their decisions to apply and enroll. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore enrolled students’ retrospective accounts of applying to hybrid OTD programs, with particular attention to the factors influencing their decision-making, the support systems they relied upon throughout the admissions process, and the barriers they encountered. Eight students enrolled in hybrid OTD programs across the United States participated in semi-structured interviews conducted via Zoom. Interview transcripts were member …

Health Truth To Power: Professional Collaboration To Bolster Trust Against Misinformation, William M. Sage, Keegan D. Warren

Faculty Scholarship

This Article is about health, leaving aside more general challenges to shared civic information today. The Article begins by surveying the principal challenges for health information in post-pandemic, arguably post-truth America, and then describes briefly the sources and limits of medical professional authority. Noting the double-edged sword of free speech guarantees under the U.S. Constitution, the Article continues by commenting on speaking truth to government, to industry, and to the crowd. Next, the Article considers the physicians’ role in speaking truth to power from the perspective of standard medical professional ethics and identity, comparing it to that of lawyers. Finally, …

Proliferative Glomerulonephritis With Monoclonal Immunoglobulin Deposits With Severe Acute Kidney Injury Successfully Managed By Clone-Directed Therapy: A Case Report, Shohei Maekawa, Shinya Yamamoto, Tatsuaki Kosaka, Hisashi Kamido, Yasuyuki Arai, Yayoi Ogawa, Naoka Murakami, Yuki Teramoto, Motoko Yanagita

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction

Proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits (PGNMID) is a form of monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance, characterized by kidney injury caused by monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition in the glomeruli. While detectable clones are only found in 20–30% of PGNMID, plasma cell- or B-cell-targeting therapies are suggested to be effective. Recent case reports suggested immune dysregulation, such as viral infections or vaccinations, could potentially trigger the onset or relapse of PGNMID. Here, we report a case of PGNMID without detectable clones, which relapsed after viral enteritis, presenting with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) and nephrotic syndrome.

Case Presentation

A 60-year-old man, …

Lysine Demethylase 4a Is A Centrosome-Associated Protein Required For Centrosome Integrity And Genomic Stability, Pratim Chowdhury, Xiaoli Wang, Richard I Han, Manga Motrapu, Ashley G Boice, Yuya Nakatani, Sofia Vargas-Hernandez, Julia F Love, Claude Chew, Sandra L Grimm, Dereck Mezquita, Frank M Mason, Elisabeth D Martinez, Cristian Coarfa, Cheryl L Walker, Anna-Karin Gustavsson, Ruhee Dere

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Centrosomes play a fundamental role in nucleating and organizing microtubules in the cell and are vital for faithful chromosome segregation and maintenance of genomic stability. Loss of structural or functional integrity of centrosomes causes genomic instability and is a driver of oncogenesis. Here we identify lysine demethylase 4A (KDM4A), an epigenetic 'eraser' of chromatin methyl marks, as a centrosome-localized protein, visualized at the nanometer-scale resolution. We additionally uncovered that KDM4A demethylase enzymatic activity is required to maintain centrosome homeostasis and integrity; a previously unknown functionality unlinked to altered expression of genes regulating centrosome number. We find that KDM4A interacts with …

Genetic Variants Associated With Sjögren’S Disease Subtypes Stratified By Clinical Feature, Nitesh Enduru, Chihiro Iwaya, Akiko Suzuki, Zhongming Zhao, Junichi Iwata

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Sjögren's disease (SjD) is a chronic autoimmune disorder characterized by dry mouth (xerostomia) and dry eyes (xerophthalmia) due to inflammation in exocrine glands, particularly the salivary and lacrimal glands. The condition presents a wide variety of clinical features, suggesting that it may involve heterogeneous conditions without a clear boundary. Although genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several genetic variants associated with SjD, their roles in SjD pathogenesis remain unclear.

Methods: In this study, we aimed to identify single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with SjD by categorizing patients based on four diagnostic markers: anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies, IgG levels, and lymphocyte …

Enhancing Traffic State Estimation At Bottlenecks Through Improved Demand Modeling: A Greenshields-Grounded Approach, Yuyan Annie Pan, Xianbiao Hu, Qing Tang, Yanyan Chen, Xuesong (Simon) Zhou

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Accurate estimation of traffic state under oversaturated conditions is fundamental to a wide range of transportation applications. While intuitive, volume-to-capacity (q/qc) ratio-based link performance functions (LPF) are challenged by the U-shaped pattern of real-world speed-flow plots, which contradict the monotonic assumptions of link performance models such as the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) function, particularly when q/q_c ≥ 1. This study addresses this critical gap by proposing an enhanced demand estimation method grounded in the Greenshields model, incorporating a real-time inflow correction factor to more accurately capture traffic demand at bottlenecks. In parallel, a modified LPF is introduced, replacing …

Performance Assessment And Design Improvements For An Urban Coastal Detention Basin Under Intensifying Rainfall Extremes, Imiya Mudiyanselage Chathuranika, Agyare Asante, Faeghe Borhani, Xixi Wang, Mujde Erten-Unal, Dalya Ismael

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Coastal urban areas are increasingly exposed to flooding driven by more frequent and intense rainfall events, rising sea levels, and expanding impervious surfaces. Norfolk, Virginia, a low-lying coastal city with aging stormwater infrastructure, faces heightened vulnerability to these hydrologic pressures. This study evaluates the hydraulic performance of an existing urban detention basin within the Edgewater–Larchmont catchment under 10-, 50-, and 100-year, 2-h design storms using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Storm Water Management Model (SWMM). Simulations were conducted for both pre- and post-development conditions to assess changes in peak discharge, storage capacity, and water level dynamics. Results show that urbanization, …

Optimizing Maintenance Routes For Highway Infrastructure Using Leader-Follower Autonomous Vehicles, Qing Tang, Chenxi Chen, Xianbiao Hu, Yuxin Ding, Tianjia Yang

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The Autonomous Truck Mounted Attenuator (ATMA), a leader–follower style connected and automated vehicle system, enhances safety during transportation infrastructure maintenance in work zones. However, the significantly lower speed of ATMA, compared to regular vehicles, causes moving bottlenecks that reduce roadway capacity and prolong queuing, leading to further delays. Different ATMA routes lead to varying patterns of time-dependent capacity drop, affecting the user equilibrium traffic assignment and resulting in differing system costs. This study aims to optimize ATMA routing within a network to minimize the system cost associated with its slow-moving operation. To this end, a queuing-based traffic assignment approach is …

Short-Term Response Mechanisms Of Water Quantity And Quality Of Daihai Lake Under Temperature-Driven Changes, Hao Zhang, Xiaohong Shi, Xianhua Li, Junping Lu, Ruizhong Gao, Xixi Wang, Shuhao Zhang, Longmei Xie, Yu Liu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Temperature-driven mechanisms involving complex feedback and lag that affect the evolution of hydrological processes and ecological functions in cold- and arid-region lakes represent a core scientific issue in current hydrology and lake ecology research. In this study, based on month-scale temperature and environmental factor data from Daihai Lake in Inner Mongolia from January to December 2023, statistical methods (redundancy analysis, Tukey's test analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling), time series analysis methods (dynamic time warping), and machine learning methods (random forest) were combined. A hierarchical and phased response framework was constructed that encompassed driver identification, path tracing, lag characterization, and …

Modeling Hepa Filter Media Performance And Evaluation Of Filtration Leak Test Success, Daniel M. Abraham, Steven J. Eckels, Shahin N. Amiri

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

This research presents a cost-effective microscale modeling analysis of high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter media. We analyzed leak-free and leaking media with known leak sizes. A three-dimensional fibrous model with non-homogeneous fiber diameters (0.2–2 µm) and a packing density of 7.5% was developed to replicate a HEPA filter sheet (H14) microstructure. The objective was to simulate and analyze the pressure drop and collection efficiency of nanofibrous media for aerosol particles with a diameter of d_p ≤ 0.5 µm. The results were compared to prior experimental and theoretical models, exhibiting a high level of agreement with pressure drop and efficiency …

Good Forestry In The Granite State - 3rd Edition, Cooperative Extension

UNH Cooperative Extension

No abstract provided.

Early Drowsiness Detection Via Second-Order Derivative Analysis Of Heart Rate Variability: A Non-Contact Ecg Approach With Machine Learning, Fabrice Vaussenat, Abhiroop Bhattacharya, Julie Payette, Alireza Saidi, Victor Bellemin, Geordi-Gabriel Renaud-Dumoulin, Sylvain G. Cloutier, Ghislain Gagnon

Études primaires

Drowsy driving contributes to roughly 20% of traffic fatalities, yet most detection systems rely on behavioral cues that appear only after impairment has set in. Here we ask whether first and second derivatives of heart rate variability (HRV) can detect pre-crash states earlier than conventional approaches. Twenty-five participants completed 49 driving simulator sessions while we recorded cardiac activity through capacitive ECG electrodes embedded in the seat backrest—a non-contact method that avoids the privacy concerns of camera-based monitoring. To prevent circular evaluation, ground truth labels were based solely on crash proximity rather than HRV-derived scores. The combined HRV feature set (conventional …

Occupational Exposure To Pesticides Increases The Risk Of Amyotrophyc Lateral Sclerosis: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, France Labrèche, Pamela Prudhomme, Maryse Gagnon, Nicolas Dupré, Sabrina Gravel

Études primaires

Objective To systematically review the evidence on the association between occupational exposure to pesticides and the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods A systematic search, conducted in eight bibliographic databases for publications between 1990 and 2025, identified observational studies estimating the risk of ALS after occupational pesticide exposure. Study quality was assessed using the WHO Risk of Bias (RoB) assessment instrument for systematic reviews, with the ROBINS-E (RoB in non-randomised studies of exposure) tool domains of bias. Pooled risk estimates were produced using random-effects models with restricted maximum likelihood, heterogeneity was assessed with I² statistics, and meta-regressions and publication …

On The Use Of Hearing Aid Algorithms In Industrial Noise: Balancing Speech Intelligibility And Hearing Protection, Solenn Ollivier, Fabien Bonnet, Alexis Pinsonnault-Skvarenina, Christian Giguère, Jérémie Voix, Hugues Nélisse

Études primaires

Hearing protection devices (HPDs) are widely used to mitigate the risks of noise-induced hearing loss in industrial environments. However, conventional HPDs can often hinder communication for workers with hearing loss. While those workers may rely on hearing aids in their daily lives, the potential benefits and associated risks of using such devices in noisy workplaces remain unexplored. This study evaluated the effects of different hearing aid signal processing algorithms on speech intelligibility and estimated noise exposure under industrial noise conditions to characterize the balance between communication and protection needed to develop solutions for workers with hearing loss. A digital hearing …

Tracking Vigilance While Driving: Pilot Study Of Heart Rate Variability Classification Under A Controlled Sleep-Deprivation Protocol, James Elber Duverger, Eli Moser, Philippe Boudreau, Marie Claude Ouimet, Diane B. Boivin, Alireza Saidi

Études primaires

Decreased vigilance associated with drowsiness is a major cause of motor vehicle crashes, but its physiological characterization and detection remain difficult due to behavioral and environmental confounding factors. This study presents an original experimental framework combining a highly controlled sleep-deprivation protocol, repeated driving simulations, and a machine-learning-based heart rate variability (HRV) analysis to study the physiological and behavioral changes in vigilance during a prolonged period of wakefulness while driving. Twelve healthy young adults participated in a 30-h sleep-deprivation constant routine protocol that included driving simulations every two hours, with data collection: electrocardiography (ECG), subjective ratings of drowsiness, psychomotor vigilance test, …

Computer Vision-Based Collision Prevention In Construction: Bridging Academic Advances And Industrial Requirements, Marwa Ziadia, François Gauthier, Damien Burlet-Vienney

Études primaires

Computer vision (CV) technologies have emerged as promising tools for real-time collision risk management. This paper examines CV-based collision-prevention systems from academic and industrial perspectives with a focus on identifying technical and implementation challenges affecting their deployment on construction sites. A scoping review of 158 publications was conducted, alongside an assessment of commercial CV-based collision-prevention systems currently used in construction. The analysis focused on five key functions: object detection, distance measurement and proximity estimation, tracking, worker re-identification (ReID), and deployment robustness. Academic studies demonstrate substantial progress in detection accuracy, real-time processing, trajectory tracking, and predictive risk assessment through deep learning …

In Dire Straits: Los Camaroneros Of Deep South Texas, Manuel F. Medrano

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Mickey Mantle, Chata, And The Case Of The Missing Baseball Cards, Manuel F. Medrano

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

So, You Wanna Be A Vaquero, Manuel F. Medrano

History Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Discipline With Due Process: Constitutional Safeguards For Student Speech After Plaintiff A, Sarah Stich

Missouri Law Review

When fifteen-year-old Louie posted a TikTok video criticizing his school’s disciplinary policies from his bedroom, he faced a month-long suspension despite having no notice of which policies he had violated. Across the country, Kaitlin shared a Snapchat criticizing her chemistry teacher with friends at a local coffee shop and faced expulsion with minimal opportunity to explain the context. In both cases, students received limited procedural protections before suffering severe academic consequences.

Bridging Divides In The Twin Transition: Governance For Equity And Inclusion, Olga Kolotouchkina, Paloma Piqueiras, Sara Clavero

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This thematic issue critically engages with the complexities and challenges of the governance of the twin transition through the lens of inclusion and social justice. Scholars and practitioners from Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Taiwan examine the origins, determinants, and dynamics of inequalities associated with the twin transition process across different contexts and policy domains. The contributions highlight key governance challenges, identify emerging forms of vulnerability, and bring into focus opportunities to ensure that no one is left behind in the ongoing technological and sustainable transformation.

From Clinic To Code: Using Clinician Insights To Develop A Framework For Fair And Representative Datasets In Women’S Health Ai, Andrea Heaney, Emma Murphy, Eugene Hickey

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare is largely dependent on the quality of medical datasets. However, these datasets often fail to accurately represent women (and those seen as women) due to historic, implicit and biological biases. This under-representation can lead to biased, inequitable and even harmful models. Building upon the findings of previously conducted qualitative semi-structured semantic interviews with clinicians on their perceptions of women’s health, this paper presents a framework for translating qualitative findings to dataset characteristics via operationalisation. This framework outlines the key characteristics and considerations a dataset should include or consider to more accurately represent …

Blood Flow Regulates Metabolism In Hematopoietic Development, Pamela L Wenzel

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Blood flow modifies oxygen availability and biomechanical forces within the vasculature of the embryo as the hematopoietic system develops. The aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) envelops the largest artery in the body and is a critical site for the emergence of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Herein, I discuss the role of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs) and force as determinants of metabolism and fate determination. To address the effects of blood flow on hematopoietic development, I employ mouse embryo models and biomimetic culture. Real-time cell metabolic analyses show that oxygen consumption rates (OCR) and extracellular acidification rates (ECAR) are altered by flow in cultures of …

Scripture Spotlight: What Was The Role Of The Scapegoat?, Roy Gane

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Effect Of Density Irregularities On Radio Frequency Wave Propagation In Ionospheric Plasmas, Eun-Hwa Kim, Jay Johnson, Syun'ichi Shiraiwa, Nicola Bertelli, Masayuki Ono, Simon Wing

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Causal Relationships Of The Cross-Scale Wave Coupling Through Information Theoretical Approach, Elmer Rivera, J. Johnson, Simon Wing, Eun-Hwa Kim, Khan-Hyuk Kim, Katariina Nykyri

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Prophetic Preaching As A Tool For Social Justice, Trevor A. O'Reggio

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

“I Don’T Always See A Future For Me Here”: Oppressive Political Pressures On Lgbtq+ College Students’ Well-Being, Jodi Linley, Olivia M. Copeland, Kathleen J. Buell, Cindy Ann Kilgo, Megan Pendleton, Alex C. Lange, N F. Tennessen

Journal of Queer and Trans Studies in Education

In recent decades, colleges have broadly supported LGBTQ+ students. Now, institutions have shuttered LGBTQ+ initiatives in response to political pressures, with little consideration for the effects on students. This study answers the question, what current policy factors do LGBTQ+ college students describe as affecting their well-being, and in what ways? We analyzed 426 responses from a multi-institution study of LGBTQ+ students. By and large, students feel anxious and fearful as they navigate the current climate. Our analysis illustrated numerous factors, from the President and his administration to states and general emboldened violence, and the real and potential consequences of those …