Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding How Emotional Intelligence Training And Awareness Can Enhance The Effectiveness Of Campus Discipleship Activities, Scott R. Ward, Natasha Richards, Sara C. Ward

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Different Starting Point: Youth Discipleship For A New Generation, Rogelio Paquini

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Rise, Lead, Thrive: A Young Feminist's Path To Leadership, Population Council Kenya, Nawiri Project

Adolescents and Young People

Information Education and Communication graphic created for the Young Feminist Organizing (YFO) project.

Going On Vocation, Rodney Palmer

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Faculty Fellowships: River Dolphins In Bangladesh., Daniel Gonzalez-Socoloske

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Modern Research Tools Supporting Science At Andrews University, Peter Lyons, Henry Navarro

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Datasets And Models For Offensive Language Identification, Skye Deson Morgan

Theses

Social media platforms enable people to easily communicate with one another, share ideas and express their opinions. Unfortunately, the anonymity provided by platforms such as Twitter and Facebook is more than enough to foster the spread of harmful content. Government agencies, as well as technology companies, are actively working towards finding better means of curbing offensive and objectionable content in social media and contributing to a more welcoming online environment. In this study, I first present a critical literature review on offensive language identification, exploring offensive language datasets and computational models using both machine learning and deep learning. Next, I …

Statistical Optimization And Anfis Modeling Of Process And Heat Treatment Effects In Gmaw-Waam 316l Stainless Steel, Joel Sam John

Theses

Additive manufacturing has evolved from the concept of merely rapid prototyping tools to that of a viable technology capable of manufacturing industrial grade parts and components. As a result, the use of metal additive manufacturing techniques has expanded in recent years, fueled by the rapid growth of manufacturing sectors amidst the 4.0 industrial revolution. Within the metal-AM domain, the concept of gas metal arc welding – wire arc additive manufacturing (GMAW-WAAM) has gained increasing traction due to its low operational costs, high deposition rates, and its ability for large scale manufacturing.  The demand of stainless-steel parts has increased owing to …

Real-Time Defect Detection In Ceramic Additive Manufacturing Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks, Dylan Doan, Amir Armani, Marcia Golmohamadi

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Although ceramic additive manufacturing technologies have greatly advanced over the past decade, they are still far from perfect. Even small printing defects can have a severe impact on the mechanical properties of additively manufactured ceramic parts due to their low fracture toughness. The objective of this study was to detect these defects during the printing process for a new ceramic additive manufacturing technique, called ceramic on-demand extrusion (CODE). Images were collected, pre-processed, augmented, and separated based on their distinctive classes (i.e., type of defects). Deep convolutional neural networks were developed to identify multiple types of defects in real-time.

Re-Evaluating Virtual Reality Manipulation Techniques For Precise Alignment Of Complex 3d Objects, Cherelle Connor, Alexander Giovannelli, Leonardo Pavanatto, Francielly Rodrigues, Haichao Miao, Vuthea Chheang, Brian Giera, Peer Timo Bremer, Doug A. Bowman

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Prior research has developed a number of manipulation techniques that can achieve precise object placement in virtual reality, but studies of these techniques typically use simple objects. We conducted a study comparing two existing techniques, (AMP-IT and WISDOM), during alignment of objects with complex geometry to evaluate the potential influence of geometric complexity on performance, usability, workload and preference. Our findings indicate that participants had faster completion times and higher trial completion rates with AMP-IT on high-precision alignment tasks, contrary to earlier findings that used simple objects. Yet WISDOM is still preferred and considered more usable, despite increased workload and …

Frontline Aspiration Versus Stent Retriever Thrombectomy For M2 Occlusions: Insights From The Star Registry, Michael Gaub, Joshua Osbun, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Recent trials have furthered uncertainty regarding the endovascular benefit for medium vessel occlusions (MeVO). Stent retrievers (SR) were employed in the first attempt in most interventional arm participants. We sought to compare outcomes in acute MCA M2 occlusions between frontline aspiration and SR, and to delineate procedural and anatomical covariates associated with differential treatment effect.

METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a multicenter stroke thrombectomy cohort identified cases of MT for M2 occlusions. Unmatched and propensity score-matched (PSM) cohorts were generated comparing frontline aspiration to standalone and combined SR. The primary outcome was functional independence (mRS 0-2) at 90 days. Recanalization, …

Pattern-Aware Graph Neural Networks For Handling Missing Data, Minett Tran, Taehee Jeong

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Missing data is ubiquitous in real-world datasets. Traditional methods either discard incomplete samples or apply imputation techniques that ignore potentially informative missingness patterns, implicitly assuming that missingness occurs randomly. However, missingness patterns might provide additional information. We propose pattern-aware graph neural networks that explicitly encode which features are missing alongside observed values. We used four encoding strategies-learned embeddings, frozen random embeddings, statistical features, and hierarchical representations-across seven UCI datasets with naturally occurring missingness. Our Pattern-aware methods achieve substantial improvements over baselines, with an average improvement of 17% in balanced accuracy and 22% in F1-macro across all datasets. Our code and …

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 …

Key To Spartina Of The West Coast Based On Vegetative Characteristics, Mary Pfauth, Mark D. Sytsma, Mitchell Kloer, Jennifer Riddle, Jacob Rose, Gabriel E. Campbell

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

In their natural condition, Pacific Coast estuaries have extensive open mudflats in the intertidal area that are important shorebird feeding habitat and are used for oystering and recreational fishing. Several non-native cordgrass species are invading Pacific estuaries and damaging these functions and uses. Early detection is critical to effective management of cordgrass infestation. This key is intended to provide an easy-to-use reference for quick identification of Spartina (synonym: Sporobolus) species on the Pacific coast. We choose to focus on vegetative characteristics here, since flowers are not always visible when it can be advantageous to survey.

This publication is intended to …

The Energy Change Of Graphs Under Some Edges Deletions, Huan Lei Shi, Wen Huan Wang, Wasin So

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

The energy ε(G) of a graph G is the sum of the absolute values of all the eigenvalues of its adjacency matrix. Gutman (2001) pointed out a problem to characterize the graph G and the edge e of G such that ε(G − e) ⩽ ε(G). Tang et al. (2023) gave a sufficient condition for ε(G − e) ⩽ ε(G), where e is not necessarily a cut-edge set or a cut edge. We deduce here a stronger conclusion than the results obtained by Tang et al. (2023). Our findings cover some known conclusions, such as the results obtained by Gutman …

Statistical Cryogenic Characterization Of Commercial 14nm Finfets For Analog Applications, Wesley Xi, Le Minh Long Nguyen, Vikram Magendar, Hiu Yung Wong

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Cryogenic devices at 4.2K are indispensable in the control electronics for large-scale quantum computers. Due to its small manufacturing volume, a standard commercial foundry process is likely to be used in the near and medium terms. Moreover, 77K electronics are promising for high-speed server applications. Besides digital circuits, analog circuits with non-minimal channel length are particularly important in quantum computing control. In this paper, special structures are designed to characterize the device properties of medium- and long-channel length devices at 292K, 77K, and 4.2K in a commercial 14nm FinFET process. About 100 structures were measured for both NMOS and PMOS. …

Inferential Statistics For Industrial Organizational Psychologists: A Practical Guide For Testing Hypotheses Using R, Caitlin Lapine

Open Touro Created

2026

This text aims to provide a practical guide for students in industrial organizational psychology or related fields to complete inferential statistics using R open-source programming language. It provides information about when to use particular statistical analyses and how to perform those with statistical software.

Engage & Empower Vol. 2, Elhanan Marvit

Open Touro Created

2026

Engage & Empower, Volume 2 is the second installment in the “Engage & Empower” OER series by Elhanan Marvit LCSW. It serves as the logical next step following Volume 1 (Spring 2025). While the first volume introduced foundational concepts in social work practice, ethics, and generalist skills This volume guides students and readers deeper into the applied, interpersonal, and reflective dimensions of becoming a competent practitioner.

Students begin their reading journey as they strengthen their understanding of professional competence. They achieve this by learning how to navigate field placements, engage in supervision, manage boundaries, and integrate feedback. The text …

Multi-Omics To Study Chronic Respiratory Diseases And Viral Infections, Sobia Idrees, Hao Chen, Tayyaba Sadaf, Saima Firdous Rehman, Matt D Johansen, Keshav Raj Paudel, Gang Liu, Yuting Wang, Malte D Luecken, Elinor Hortle, Ashleigh S Philp, Kurtis F Budden, Matthew O'Rourke, Gerard E Kaiko, Sionne E M Lucas, Joanne L Dickinson, Peter C Allen, Joseph E Powell, Lai-Ying Zhang, Daniel C Chambers, Tamera Corte, Gaetano Caramori, Maor Sauler, Peter A Wark, Janine Gote-Schniering, Mareike Lehmann, Thomas M Conlon, Theodore S Kapellos, Ali Önder Yildirim, Rosa Faner, Shyamali C Dharmage, Craig E Wheelock, Maarten Van Den Berge, Martijn C Nawijn, Francesca Polverino, Gabrielle T Belz, Sanjay H Chotirmall, Leopoldo N Segal, Alen Faiz, Philip M Hansbro

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Integrating omics layers reveals complex biological systems, unveiling vital insights into chronic respiratory diseases and COVID-19. This holistic approach is crucial for developing more effective treatments and understanding intricate relationships. https://bit.ly/3VKFzJH

Surface Marker Identification To Capture Live Circulating Tumor Cells In Metastatic Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Bree M Lege, Khushali J Patel, Brendan Panici, Ping Gong, Michael T Lewis, Matthew J Ellis, Chonghui Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is highly aggressive and lacks targeted therapies. Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are invaluable for monitoring metastatic tumor progression and treatment response but are difficult to capture because of their rarity and heterogeneity. Surface-based staining for live CTCs is essential to preserve RNA quality in single cells, but current markers tend to perform poorly on more mesenchymal tumor cells such as TNBCs. To enhance live TNBC CTC detection, we developed a workflow for live CTC capture and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Using a mouse model of metastatic TNBC, we identified four new CTC surface markers, AHNAK2, …

Empowering Through Structured Boundaries: An Integral Model For Fostering Balanced Eating And Nutritional Well-Being, Citrine Elatrash, Colleen Macke, Jenna Shi, Theresa Wilson, Sarah H Elsea, Stephanie Sisley

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Treating obesity in complex disorders requires individualized health management plans. Effective obesity management in the Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) population has multiple inherent barriers related to their cognitive impairments, anxiety, behavioral disturbances, and sleep disorders. However, to date, no research exists related to strategies caregivers successfully employ to help individuals with SMS manage their food intake and mitigate associated behaviors.

Methods: We performed a qualitative thematic analysis of group interviews from 23 caregivers representing 21 individuals with SMS. Hybrid thematic analysis revealed that successful strategies employed by caregivers in this unique population revolved around a global theme of Empowering Through …

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 …

Highly Effective Combination Of Brg1/Brm Inhibitor With Bet Inhibitor Or Decitabine For High-Risk Mecom-Rearranged Aml, Warren Fiskus, Christopher P Mill, Jessica Piel, Mike Collins, Murphy Hentemann, Branko Cuglievan, Christine E Birdwell, Kaberi Das, John A Davis, Hanxi Hou, Antrix Jain, Anna Malovannaya, Lauren B Flores, Tapan M Kadia, Naval Daver, Koji Sasaki, Koichi Takahashi, Danielle Hammond, Jian Wang, Sanam Loghavi, Xiaoping Su, Courtney D Dinardo, Ruud Delwel, Kapil N Bhalla

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In AML with 3q26.2 rearrangements (r) the distal GATA2 hematopoietic enhancer becomes aberrantly relocated leading to activation of EVI1 expression. EVI1 is a transcriptional regulator that plays a role in proliferation and maintenance of a stem cell-like phenotype in AML. BRG1 (SMARCA4) and BRM (SMARCA2) are the mutually exclusive ATPases of the BAF (BRG1/BRM-associated factor) chromatin remodeling complexes. They regulate access to enhancers/promoters and gene-expressions orchestrating AML stem/progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation. AML with 3q26.2 rearrangements are clinically challenging and prognosis remains very poor. FHD-286 is an orally bioavailable, selective inhibitor of BRG1/BRM under clinical development in AML. Present studies …

School-Level Gaps In Mmr Coverage As The Fuel For Measles Outbreaks, Meagan C Fitzpatrick, Chad R Wells, Abhishek Pandey, Lamia Ayaz, Peter J Hotez, Seyed M Moghadas, Alison P Galvani

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Priced Out Of Treatment: The Exorbitant Cost Of Antiparasitic Drugs In The United States, Cora Alperin, Nhi Nguyen, Megan Duffey, Eva H Clark

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Parasitic infections are often perceived as diseases of low-resource countries, yet they impose a significant and overlooked burden in the United States—especially among immigrants, low-income individuals, and other marginalized populations. This perspectives article examines the case of Mr. X, a landscaper in Houston diagnosed with neurocysticercosis, who faced unaffordable drug costs despite the availability of effective, off-patent treatments. Through his story, we explore the broader issue of pricing for commonly and not-so-commonly prescribed antiparasitic medications, highlighting the role of systemic market failures, regulatory hurdles, and restrictive assistance programs in limiting access to care. The consequences of incomplete treatment include long-term …

A Practical Approach To The Management Of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Complications, Tanawat Attachaipanich, Hafeez Ul Hassan Virk, Muzamil Khawaja, Mahboob Alam, Ravi S Hira, Jacob A Doll, Chayakrit Krittanawong

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Despite advances in stent design, pharmacotherapy, and procedural techniques that have improved percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) outcomes and reduced PCI-related complications, these events still occur and are associated with adverse outcomes. Moreover, complex PCI procedures, which predispose to increased risk of complications, are increasingly performed. Understanding risk factors, underlying mechanisms, evidence-based management, and preventive strategies are essential to optimize procedural outcomes. This review aims to summarize current evidence and highlight gaps in knowledge related to PCI-associated complications.

Methods: This narrative review used a focused PubMed search through October 2025, prioritizing randomized trials, large observational studies, guidelines, and consensus statements. …

Left Atrial Appendage Closure Devices: A Contemporary Review Of Techniques, Tips And Tricks, Kamran Namjouyan, Hafeez Ul Hassan Virk, Affan Rizwan, Muzamil Khawaja, Mahboob Alam, Markus Strauss, Chayakrit Krittanawong

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Atrial fibrillation (AF) affects approximately 3%-5% of adults and is projected to double in prevalence by 2060, significantly increasing the burden of thromboembolic stroke. This risk is largely attributed to thrombus formation within the left atrial appendage (LAA), particularly in nonvalvular AF, where the LAA's trabeculated anatomy, diverse morphologies (e.g., chicken wing, windsock, cactus, cauliflower), and impaired contractility allows for blood stasis and thrombogenesis. As a result, the LAA has become a focus for stroke prevention strategies. This review demonstrates current evidence on LAA closure by discussing patient selection, anatomical feasibility, procedural workflow, imaging guidance (transesophageal echocardiography vs. intracardiac echocardiography), …

Duration Of Antimicrobial Therapy In Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Device Associated Systemic Infections: A Retrospective Analysis, Emily Y Xiao, Patrick T Lynch, Sarwat Khalil, Derrick A Draeger, Alexandra M Lewis, Faiz M Baqai, Mihail G Chelu, M Rizwan Sohail

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: While the need for complete device removal is well-established for cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infections, there is insufficient evidence on the optimal duration of antimicrobial therapy.

Objectives: To examine how antimicrobial duration affects clinical outcomes of patients presenting with CIED-associated bacteremia and lead endocarditis.

Design: This is a retrospective cohort study conducted at a quaternary care hospital in Houston, TX, USA.

Methods: Patients who underwent device removal for a primary indication of bacteremia or lead endocarditis over a 10-year period were stratified by prescribed duration of antibiotics as ⩽2 weeks or >2 weeks post-extraction. Measured outcomes included all-cause …

Midterm Outcomes Of The Self-Expanding Navitor Transcatheter Heart Valve: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis., Sahar Samimi, Chloe Kharsa, Mangesh Kritya, Joe Aoun, Syed Zaid, Nadeen N Faza, Stephen H Little, Neal S Kleiman, Michael J Reardon, Sachin S Goel

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

• A 19-study meta-analysis (7743 patients) found high Navitor technical/device success.
• ≥Moderate PVL was low: 1.3% at 30 days and 0.6% at 1 year.
• Pacemaker implantation was 16.7% at 30 days and 20.4% at 1 year.
• Thirty-day outcomes were favorable: all-cause mortality 1.5% and stroke 1.7%.

Assessment Of In-Frame Indel Variants In An Unsolved Cohort Of Inherited Retinal Diseases Using Machine Learning, David E Rauch, Meng Wang, Muhammad Jafar Hussain Hafiz, Daniel C Brock, Yumei Li, Molly Marra, Mark E Pennesi, Paul Yang, Everett Lesley, Irma Lopez, Robert Koenekoop, Edward Ryan Collantes, Joanne Bolinao, Rui Chen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The standard for in silico pathogenicity prediction of in-frame insertions and deletions (indels) is less established compared to other types of variations. We aimed to systematically assess the performance of in silico machine learning (ML) tools on a patient cohort with inherited retinal diseases (IRDs). The performance of four ML tools (CADD, FATHMM-indel, VEST4, and MetaRNN-indel) was compared. Among them, MetaRNN-indel showed the best overall results. MetaRNN-indel was then applied to 1013 unsolved IRD patients, identifying two likely pathogenic causal variants in two unrelated IRD patients by confirming clinical phenotypes. Hence, our findings indicate that reliable prediction of the pathogenicity …