Digital Commons Network^™

Informal Caregivers Connecting On The Web: Content Analysis Of Posts On Discussion Forums, Michelle L. Foster, Chinenye Egwuonwu, Erin Vernon, Mohammad Alarifi, M. Courtney Hughes

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Background: About 53 million adults in the United States offer informal care to family and friends with disease or disability. Such care has an estimated economic value of US $600 million. Most informal caregivers are not paid nor trained in caregiving, with many experiencing higher-than-average levels of stress and depression and lower levels of physical health. Some informal caregivers participate in web-based forums related to their caregiving role.

Objective: This study aimed to explore how informal caregivers use easy-to-access caregiving web-based forums, including the types of information they share and seek from others. It also aimed to gain insights into …

Aestheticizing And Engendering Disease: The Case Of Tuberculosis, Abigail Dollries

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

This thesis examines how tuberculosis, known in the nineteenth century as “consumption,” was aestheticized in American cultural and medical discourse, particularly in industrial cities of the North between 1830 and 1850. It addresses the paradox at the heart of the disease’s representation: while tuberculosis was medically pathologized, it was simultaneously romanticized, especially when afflicting elite white women. The central problem explored is how this aestheticization of illness functioned to reinforce gender, class, and racial hierarchies by transforming suffering into a symbol of virtue, refinement, and social status. Using a cultural-historical methodology, this project analyzes a range of sources, including medical …

Heat Stress Prevention And Management In The Construction Industry: A Gap Analysis, Muinat Abolore Idris, Kristina D Mena, Christine Markham, William B Perkison

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Despite decades of efforts to prevent heat stress, it remains a major health risk to workers in the construction industry. This health risk has been exacerbated by the rising ambient temperatures from climate change, as well as the increased susceptibility to heat stress in an aging workforce.

Objective: To develop a tailored occupational safety management framework for heat stress prevention in construction, advancing workers’ health, safety, and well-being.

Methods: We built on the findings of a systematic review and analyzed a large industrial company’s current heat stress prevention program through stakeholder engagement, evidence-based practices, and gap analysis. We reviewed …

Diversity In United States Dementia Prevention Trials: An Updated Systematic Review Of Eligibility Criteria And Recruitment Strategies, Najoua Lazaar, Sabine E Van Beek, Awaale F Rirash, Janne M Papma, Jaime Perales-Puchalt, Ashley R Shaw, Eric D Vidoni, Sanne Franzen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Given the elevated dementia risk in underrepresented demographic groups in the USA - particularly in Latino and Non-Latino Black individuals compared to Non-Latino White individuals - it is vital that these groups are well-represented in dementia prevention research. Eligibility criteria and recruitment strategies may play a key role in promoting participant diversity. The aim of this review was to examine eligibility criteria and recruitment strategies in US dementia prevention trials in light of participant diversity.

Methods: A systematic review was conducted using Medline (including PubMed), Embase, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL. We explored the percent White participants for trials using …

Confidence In Elections Among U.S. Local Officials: Effects Of Social Trust, Partisanship And Political Ambition, Rebecca Sager, Eric Plutzer, Gary Adler, Jonathan S. Coley, Damon Maryl

Sociology Faculty Works

The U.S. public’s confidence in elections is intensively studied in the last decade but little is known about election confidence among locally elected officials, whose roles and community status may influence public opinion. Using a nationally representative survey of local election officials, we compare election confidence among local elected officials with that of the general public. Local elected officials are more likely to trust both local and national elections. We theorize factors that affect local officials’ trust in elections, including partisan context, state leadership election denial levels, and political ambition. We show how social trust, partisan identity, and ambition significantly …

Copyright And Artificial Intelligence, Part 2: Copyrightability

Copyright, Fair Use, Scholarly Communication, etc.

This report by the United States Copyright Office addresses the legal and policy issues related to artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright as outlined in the Office’s August 2023 Notice of Inquiry (NOI).

The report will be published in several parts each one addressing a different topic. This part addresses the copyrightability of works created using generative AI. The first part, published in 2024, addresses the topic of digital replicas—the use of digital technology to realistically replicate an individual’s voice or appearance. A subsequent part will turn to the training of AI models on copyrighted works, licensing considerations, and allocation of …

Shattering The Glass Ceiling: Comparative Narratives Of Women Leaders In Public Relations In Ghana And The United States Of America, Adriana Kukuwaa Adu

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study explores the lived experiences of women in public relations (PR) leadership roles in both Ghana and the United States, focusing on the cultural, institutional, and societal barriers that shape their professional journeys. Employing a qualitative research design, the study involved ten women in senior PR positions, five from each country, through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis identified six key themes: institutional barriers and gendered expectations; double standards in leadership communication; the influence of stereotypes; mentorship and support; intra-gender competition; and leadership agency and optimism. Guided by Social Role Theory, Glass Ceiling Theory, Feminist Standpoint Theory, and Transformational Leadership …

Exploring Gaps In Hiv Prevention: Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Awareness, Attitudes, Utilization, Coverage, Hiv Testing And Risk Perception Among Sub-Saharan African College Students In The United States, Ikenna Obasi Odii

All ETDs from UAB

This dissertation focuses on increasing HIV awareness and contributing to efforts at reducing new HIV infections among Sub-Saharan African (SSA) college students. It begins with an introductory chapter one and ends in the concluding chapter five. Chapter two presents a systematic review identifying key gaps in HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) knowledge, attitudes, and utilization among Black college students in the United States (U.S). The review synthesizes findings from four studies, revealing that a third of participants demonstrated adequate PrEP knowledge, while PrEP utilization remained under-utilized at three percent. Key barriers to PrEP uptake included fear, low self-perceived HIV risk, infrequent …

Motherhood: An Orphan Of American Politics A Comparative Analysis Of State Actors As Institutions, Kristina Ramskyte-Juszczak

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

The political geography of America is relatively unique in the world: the United States is a powerful and wealthy country, but also consists of sub-national actors that retain significant legal powers within their own borders. The political actors in America, at both this smaller level and at the larger Federal level, have uniquely strong institutional power to shape the social and civic life of their citizens. Despite their absolute significance to the survival of their societies, mothers and mothers’ rights have largely been ignored or taken second place to other political issues. As many countries in Europe and other regions …

Trends In Contacts Made By Immigrants To The National Domestic Violence Hotline, Before And During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sarah Treves-Kagan, Vi D Le, Liris S Berra, Colleen M Ray, Yanet Ruvalcaba, Leila Wood, Denise V D'Angelo, Tatiana M Vera, Lianne Fuino Estefan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Immigrants in the United States are more likely than nonimmigrants to experience risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) and problems in getting support. The COVID-19 pandemic and recent incidents of xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment may have exacerbated exposure to IPV risk factors. We examined immigrant experiences of IPV before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This study identified changes in characteristics of abuse, services used, referrals, and barriers to services among those who contacted the National Domestic Violence Hotline (NDVH) and identified as immigrants, reported immigration status as a concern, needed immigration support, and/or identified immigration status as …

Debt Decisions: The Effects Of Paying For College In The United States With Student Loans, Kim E. Bullington, David J. Thomas, Minghui Hou, William L. Nuckols, Dennis E. Gregory, Joshua L. Howell, Kaycee L. Bills, Amy-Leah Joaquim

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Student loans have increasingly become a burden on individuals. This qualitative analysis explores how structural inequities and financial literacy gaps influence U.S. student loan borrowers’ decisions to finance postsecondary education. The study highlights racial and economic disparities examining participants’ reflections on debt aversion and systemic barriers to equitable access. We asked why participants took out Federal student loans, asked about their decision processes when taking on debt, whether participants took any action to reduce accumulated debt, and if they’d made any discoveries about their decisions to take on student loan debt. After coding and a thematic analysis, five themes and …

Psychosocial Determinants Of Public Transportation Use Among Brazilian And American Users: An Integrated Modeling Approach, Ingrid Luiza Neto, Hartmut Günther, Bryan E. Porter, Taciano L. Milfont, Pastor Willy Gonzales Taco, Caroline Cardoso Machado

Psychology Faculty Publications

Overreliance on cars can promote individual, environmental, economic and social problems, requiring the development of measures to reduce car use and encourage the use of more sustainable transport options. Contributing to this call, here we report a cross-cultural study conducted in Brazil (n = 312) and the United States (n = 518) investigating the applicability of the model of Bamberg and Möser in predicting the use of public transport. Results indicated the model is equivalent across samples, regarding both the measures and the relations between the variables of the model. Intention strongly predicted self-reported public transport behaviour, explaining 70% of …

Investigative Genetic Genealogy Practices Warranting Policy Attention: Results Of A Modified Policy Delphi, Christi J Guerrini, Louiza Kalokairinou, Jill O Robinson, Whitney Bash Brooks, Stephanie M Fullerton, Sara Huston, Jacklyn Dahlquist, Diana Madden, Norah Crossnohere, Nicola Campoamor, John F P Bridges, Amy L Mcguire

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

A technique known as investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) was first introduced to criminal investigations in 2018, and it has since been used by U.S. law enforcement to help identify hundreds of criminal perpetrators and unidentified human remains. As expertise in IGG grows, policymakers have shown interest in regulating it. To help inform these efforts and to promote coherence in IGG governance as it expands, we recruited experts representing a spectrum of IGG-relevant professions and perspectives to identify and prioritize IGG practices for policy attention and to develop policy options for addressing them. In two rounds of a modified policy Delphi, …

Research For All: Building A Diverse Researcher Community For The All Of Us Research Program, Rubin Baskir, Minnkyong Lee, Sydney J Mcmaster, Jessica Lee, Faith Blackburne-Proctor, Romuladus Azuine, Nakia Mack, Sheri D Schully, Martin Mendoza, Janeth Sanchez, Yong Crosby, Erica Zumba, Michael Hahn, Naomi Aspaas, Ahmed Elmi, Shanté Alerté, Elizabeth Stewart, Danielle Wilfong, Meag Doherty, Margaret M Farrell, Grace B Hébert, Sula Hood, Cheryl M Thomas, Debra D Murray, Brendan Lee, Louisa A Stark, Megan A Lewis, Jen D Uhrig, Laura R Bartlett, Edgar Gil Rico, Adolph Falcón, Elizabeth Cohn, Mitchell R Lunn, Juno Obedin-Maliver, Linda Cottler, Milton Eder, Fornessa T Randal, Jason Karnes, Kitani Lemieux, Nelson Lemieux, Nelson Lemieux, Lilanta Bradley, Ronnie Tepp, Meredith Wilson, Monica Rodriguez, Chris Lunt, Karriem Watson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OBJECTIVES: The NIH All of Us Research Program (All of Us) is engaging a diverse community of more than 10 000 registered researchers using a robust engagement ecosystem model. We describe strategies used to build an ecosystem that attracts and supports a diverse and inclusive researcher community to use the All of Us dataset and provide metrics on All of Us researcher usage growth.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Researcher audiences and diversity categories were defined to guide a strategy. A researcher engagement strategy was codeveloped with program partners to support a researcher engagement ecosystem. An adapted ecological model guided the ecosystem …

Recognition And Management Of Persistent Chylomicronemia: A Joint Expert Clinical Consensus By The National Lipid Association And The American Society For Preventive Cardiology, Seyedmohammad Saadatagah, Miriam Larouche, Mohammadreza Naderian, Vijay Nambi, Diane Brisson, Iftikhar J Kullo, P Barton Duell, Erin D Michos, Michael D Shapiro, Gerald F Watts, Daniel Gaudet, Christie M Ballantyne

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Extreme hypertriglyceridemia, defined as triglyceride (TG) levels ≥1000 mg/dL, is almost always indicative of chylomicronemia. The current diagnostic approach categorizes individuals with chylomicronemia into familial chylomicronemia syndrome (FCS; prevalence 1-10 per million), caused by the biallelic combination of pathogenic variants that impair the lipolytic action of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), or multifactorial chylomicronemia syndrome (MCS, 1 in 500). A pragmatic framework should emphasize the severity of the phenotype and the risk of complications. Therefore, we endorse the term "persistent chylomicronemia (PC)" defined as TG ≥1000 mg/dL in more than half of the measurements to encompass patients with the highest risk for …

Cervical Cancer Prevention Behaviors In Young Black Women, Angela J Johnson, Monica J Johnson, Juinell B Williams, Emma Muscari, Laura Palmo, Michelle Ruiz, Brianna Bush, Lisa C Campbell

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: In the United States, Black women have the second highest incidence of cervical cancer (CC) due to high incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV), slow HPV clearance rates, and low receipt of preventive pap smears and vaccines.

Objective: A Black Feminist Thought framework was used to examine how the media portrayal of Black women, racial identity, and familial factors impact CC prevention behaviors among young Black women.

Design: Black women enrolled at a large southeastern university consented and participated in an online mixed-methods survey examining facilitators and barriers to CC prevention behaviors. Quantitative items were analyzed via descriptive statistics, and …

Deceased Donor Renal Allograft Utility In Adult Single And Multi-Organ Transplantation In The United States, Peter J. Altshuler, Adam S. Bodzin, Kenneth A. Andreoni, Pooja Singh, Anju Yadav, Jaime M. Glorioso, Ashesh P. Shah, Carlo B. Ramirez, Warren R. Maley, Adam M. Frank

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Deceased donor multiorgan transplants utilizing kidneys (MOTs) can improve outcomes for multiorgan recipients but reduces kidneys for chronic renal failure patients.

METHODS: We reviewed the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network database from 2015 through 2019, for adult deceased donor kidney transplants. Recipients were classified as kidney transplant alone (KTA) (n = 62,252) or MOTs pancreas-kidney, simultaneous pancreas-kidney (n = 3,976), liver-kidney, simultaneous liver-kidney (n = 3,212), heart-kidney, simultaneous heart-kidney (n = 808), and "other"-kidney, simultaneous "other" kidney (n = 73).

RESULTS: Liver, heart, and lung-alone transplants were at least 7 times more frequent than their MOT correlate, whereas the …

Pathways From Socioeconomic Factors To Major Cardiovascular Events Among Postmenopausal Veteran And Nonveteran Women: Findings From The Women's Health Initiative, Hind A Beydoun, May A Beydoun, Rebecca L Kinney, Simin Liu, Rona Yu, Matthew Allison, Robert B Wallace, Qian Xiao, Longjian Liu, Philippe Gradidge, Su Yon Jung, Hilary A Tindle, Shawna Follis, Robert Brunner, Jack Tsai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of death for women in the United States, with veterans being at potentially higher risk than their nonveteran counterparts due to accelerated aging and distinct biopsychosocial mechanisms. We examined pathways between selected indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) such as education, occupation, household income, and neighborhood SES and major CVD events through lifestyle and health characteristics among veteran and nonveteran postmenopausal women.

METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 121 286 study-eligible WHI (Women's Health Initiative) participants (3091 veterans and 118 195 nonveterans) were prospectively followed for an average of 17 years, during which …

Changes In Reproductive Health Information-Seeking Behaviors After The Dobbs Decision: Systematic Search Of The Wikimedia Database, Mackenzie Lemieux, Cyrus Zhou, Caroline Cary, Jeannie Kelly

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: After the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, confusion followed regarding the legality of abortion in different states across the country. Recent studies found increased Google searches for abortion-related terms in restricted states after the Dobbsv. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision was leaked. As patients and providers use Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation) as a predominant medical information source, we hypothesized that changes in reproductive health information-seeking behavior could be better understood by examining Wikipedia article traffic.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine trends in Wikipedia usage for abortion and contraception information before and after the Dobbs decision.

METHODS: Page …

Partisan Rhetoric And Polarization: The Year In C-Span Archives Research, Volume 10

The Year in C-SPAN Archives Research

Partisan Rhetoric and Polarization: The Year in C-SPAN Archives Research, Volume 10 features chapters written from a variety of perspectives that address divisions in American politics. The topics range widely, including TikTok, abortion, the middle class, the January 6 riot, and partisan rhetoric in Congress. The unifying theme of the volume is that each author uses C-SPAN videos to examine how members of Congress and other elites speak and act on these issues. Two other thoughtful pieces examine Supreme Court justices speaking off the bench and emotional reactions in presidential debates. Partisan Rhetoric and Polarization provides context to understand how …

The Erosion Of Democratic Norms: A Comparative Case Study Of The Rise Of The Authoritarian Right In The United States And Germany, Derya Aydin

Undergraduate Scholarly Works

Liberal democratic norms have eroded over the 21st century, driven by the rise of right-wing authoritarianism in Western democracies. This study examines the role of anti-immigrant attitudes and shifting social capital structures in fostering right-wing authoritarian values utilizing quantitative data from the United States and Germany. Findings reveal that in the United States, social capital and anti-immigrant attitudes exhibit moderate positive correlations with right-wing authoritarian values, explaining a moderate percentage of the variance. In Germany, the correlations are weaker, with these variables explaining around 5% of the variance. Statistical analyses, including regression and ANOVA, demonstrate that while both independent variables …

Re-Examining Fries-Britt’S Learning Race In A U.S. Context Emergent Framework Drawing On The Micro-Level Narratives Of International Students In The Us, Mianmian Fei

Journal of Comparative & International Higher Education

No abstract provided.

Healthcare Disparities, Screening, And Molecular Testing In The Changing Landscape Of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer In The United States: A Review, Razelle Kurzrock, Aadel A Chaudhuri, David Feller-Kopman, Narjust Florez, Jed Gorden, Ignacio I Wistuba

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Inequitable access to care continues to hinder improvements in diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer. This review describes healthcare disparities in the changing landscape of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the United States, focusing on racial, ethnic, sex-based, and socioeconomic trends. Furthermore, strategies to address disparities, overcome challenges, and improve patient outcomes are proposed. Barriers exist across lung cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment regimens, varying by sex, age, race and ethnicity, geography, and socioeconomic status. Incidence and mortality rates of lung cancer are higher among Black men than White men, and incidences in young women are substantially greater than …

The Feminist Cultural Exchange Between Japan And The United States: A Study Of Articles 14 And 24 In The Japanese Constitution, Kiara Adams

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This paper explores the feminist cultural exchange between the United States and Japan, focusing on how this exchange has shaped each country’s respective feminist movement. A central component of the paper is its examination of the histories of women’s rights in both nations, shaped by key historical events such as war, economic crises, and feminist activism, and how these histories have influenced current gender policies. It also explores how cultural narratives, including the creation myths of Japan and the U.S., have defined gender roles and women’s rights in each country. Through historical analysis, the paper examines the reciprocal influence between …

Implementation Of Delirium Screening In The Emergency Department: A Qualitative Study With Early Adopters, Anita N Chary, Annika R Bhananker, Elise Brickhouse, Beatrice Torres, Ilianna Santangelo, Kyler M Godwin, Aanand D Naik, Christopher R Carpenter, Shan W Liu, Maura Kennedy

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Delirium affects 15% of older adults presenting to emergency departments (EDs) but is detected in only one-third of cases. Evidence-based guidelines for ED delirium screening exist, but are underutilized. Frontline staff perceptions about delirium and time and resource constraints are known barriers to ED delirium screening uptake. Early adopters of ED delirium screening can offer valuable lessons about successful implementation.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with clinician-administrators leading ED delirium screening initiatives from 20 EDs in the United States and Canada. Interviews focused on experiences of planning and implementing ED delirium screening. Interviews lasted 15 to 50 minutes and …

Parameters Winter 2024-25, Usawc Press

The US Army War College Quarterly: Parameters

Welcome to the Winter 2024–25 issue of Parameters. This issue consists of an In Focus special commentary, three forums (Indo-Pacific, Security Cooperation, and Historical Studies), and the regular Civil-Military Relations Corner installment.

Preferences For Starting Daily, On-Demand, And Long-Acting Injectable Hiv Preexposure Prophylaxis Among Men Who Have Sex With Men In The United States (2021-2022): Nationwide Online Cross-Sectional Study, Duygu Islek, Travis Sanchez, Jennifer L. Glick, Jeb Jones, Keith Rawlings, Supriya Sarkar, Patrick S. Sullivan, Vani Vannappagari

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Long-acting (LA) injectable preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and on-demand PrEP may improve overall PrEP uptake among men who have sex with men (MSM), but little is understood about the PrEP option preferences of MSM in practical scenarios where they may choose between various PrEP options. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine the preferences for starting various PrEP options among a US nationwide online convenience sample of MSM from September 2021 to February 2022. METHODS: Participants reporting no prior HIV diagnosis were provided brief descriptions of each PrEP option and were asked, "If [PrEP option] were available from your local doctor …

Human Sacrifice And Propaganda In Popular Media: More Than Morbid Curiosity, Jason Tatlock

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Representations of human sacrifice, whether based upon real or fictitious events, powerfully demonstrate societal norms and fascinations related to the acceptability of slaying humans for religious or national interests, particularly given the divisive and bloody nature of the topic. Readers of eye-witness accounts, newspaper reports, and historical narratives, and viewers of cinematic productions, war posters, and political cartoons come face to face with the beliefs and agendas of the creators of popular media. Such sources represent the slaying of victims in sacred rituals, as individuals attempt to demarcate societal boundaries along the etic/ emic spectrum, be they commentaries on their …

A Field Guide To Teaching Agency And Ethics: The West Wing And American Foreign Policy, Kayce Mobley, Sarah Fisher

Dialogue: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Popular Culture and Pedagogy

Though political science undergraduate courses reflect a rich theoretical tradition, they typically lack opportunities for students to express intangible concepts through the interpretation of creative works, a standard exercise of critical analysis. Educators can address this dearth in many ways, such as through utilization of popular culture texts. We employ the television series The West Wing to ground debates in American politics, specifically American foreign policy. Although this show has been on air since 2006, Netflix and Amazon have recently released the entire series for streaming, significantly reducing the hassle and monetary cost of using this source in the classroom. …

Federally Qualified Health Centers And Performance Of Medicare Accountable Care Organizations, Kun Li, Yucheng Hou, Frank Mcstay, Jonathan Gonzalez-Smith, Robert S Saunders

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IMPORTANCE: Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) have increasingly participated in the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) accountable care organizations (ACOs), one of the most widespread value-based programs. Although FQHCs may strengthen ACOs' ability to provide affordable care to diverse Medicare beneficiaries, evidence on ACOs' performance by FQHC participation is limited.

OBJECTIVES: To compare beneficiary characteristics, utilization, expenditure, and quality between ACOs with and without FQHC participation and assess changes in ACO performance after including first FQHCs.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Using MSSP public use files, this cross-sectional study compared performance of ACOs that always had FQHC participation with ACOs that …