Digital Commons Network^™

Genetic Variation In Vegfa Gene (Rs2010963) And Its Association With Psoriasis: A Case-Control Study In Baghdad, Iraq, Mohammed Subhi Mohammed, Salam Adil Ahmed, Haider Ali Alnaji

NJF Biomedicine Journal

Psoriasis is a crucial skin condition, and the role of genes in the disease progression revealed some degree of association worldwide. This study aims to investigate the association of the genotypes linked to rs2010963 with the progression of psoriasis. Patients enrolled in the study were 50 subjects with moderate to severe psoriasis lesions. The genotyping of rs2010963 was done by using tetra primers ARMS PCR. The results of genotyping of rs2010963 show that there was a significant association between genotypes CC, CG, and GG and the psoriasis group and control; p < 0.05. Also, the logistic regression results revealed that the genotype GG was associated with lowering psoriasis, and the CC was higher in the psoriasis patients. Moreover, the allele frequency was statistically significant between the cases and the control group. In conclusion, the genotype GG of the rs2010963 is suggested to be associated with lowering the risk of psoriasis, and the genotype CC is linked with the presence of psoriasis in our population.

Gingival Inflammation And Microbial Load In Iraqi Patients Fitted With Fixed Orthodontic Appliances: A Longitudinal Study, Maryam Aljbouri, Thaer Jaber Al-Khafaji, Nebras N. Al-Dabbagh

NJF Biomedicine Journal

Background: Fixed orthodontic appliances are widely used to correct malocclusions and improve dental aesthetics and function. However, their placement can significantly alter the oral microenvironment, promoting plaque accumulation and microbial colonization, which may lead to gingival inflammation and periodontal complications. In particular, opportunistic pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans have been reported to proliferate in orthodontic patients. Methods: A total of 40 (20 males, 20 females) patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment were enrolled in this longitudinal study. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected by passive drooling method (Navazesh, 1993) at three intervals: baseline (T0), two weeks (T1), and four …

Primary School Teachers’ Perceptions On The Implementation Of Positive Behavioral Interventions And Supports, Heather Page

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Student disruptive behaviors are a growing problem affecting schools and teachers. Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS) is designed to help educators reduce disruptive students. The problem at a southeastern primary school was, despite implementing PBIS, teachers were concerned the model was ineffective in terms of managing students’ disruptive behaviors. Framed using the PBIS model by Sugai and Horner, the purpose of this qualitative study was to examine teachers’ perceptions regarding implementing the PBIS model for behavior modification and what was needed to improve the program. Data were collected from 11 primary school teachers in grades K-3 using semistructured interviews. …

Attrition Experiences Among Officers In A Texas Correctional Organization, Dewanou Frejus Aisse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) faces employee retention challenges, and recruiting and retaining correctional officers remains TDCJ’s most significant challenge and highest priority. Correctional facility leaders need to understand these challenges as indicators of workforce sustainability. Grounded in job embeddedness theory, the purpose of this general qualitative study was to explore the turnover experiences of Texas correctional officers, to understand why officers left their jobs, and the factors that contributed to their decisions to stay in their jobs. Participants comprised 11 former correctional officers who had worked between 5 months and 6 years for the TDCJ. Data were …

Neuroadaptive Return On Investment In Education: A Critical Review Of Eeg And Eye-Tracking For Decision Optimization, Piper Hutson, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This article advances a critical synthesis of a proposed neuroadaptive return on investment framework that integrates electroencephalography and eye-tracking into educational decision systems. The analysis situates neuroadaptive ROI within scholarship on neurodiversity, engagement, and adaptive learning, arguing that process-level indicators of attention, cognitive load, and persistence merit inclusion alongside conventional outcome metrics in investment models. Methodological scrutiny examines construct validity for neural and gaze indices, requirements for multimodal fusion, calibration across heterogeneous learner profiles, and threats to internal and external validity in classroom contexts. Evidence from pilot implementations suggests feasibility for real-time pacing, friction-point detection, and targeted resource triage, although …

Improving Palliative Care Knowledge And Intentions Among Great Plains American Indians: Efficacy Results From A Randomized Clinical Trial Testing A Culture-Centric Palliative Care Message, Mary J. Isaacson, Kah Meng (Charlie) Soh, Christopher S. Wichman, Gina Johnson, Kelly Le Beaux, Semhar Michael, Lisa Sparks, Karla M. Hunter

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Methods

Results

How Gen Z Makes Sense Of Csr Communication: The Role Of Perceived Altruism And Cultural Ideology In Responses To Internal And External Csr, Yezi Hu, Yanni Ma, Di Mu

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study aims to examine how Generation Z consumers respond to internal and external corporate social responsibility (CSR) posts on social media. By exploring the mediating role of perceived altruism and the moderating role of cultural ideology, this research seeks to provide a nuanced understanding of how ideological orientations shape CSR communication effectiveness.

This study conducted an online experiment (N = 509) to examine how Gen Z, an emerging powerhouse of consumers, responds to corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication. Participants were randomly assigned to view a social media post highlighting either internal CSR, external CSR, or a neutral control message. …

Improving Palliative Care Knowledge And Intentions Among Great Plains American Indians: Efficacy Results From A Randomized Clinical Trial Testing A Culture-Centric Palliative Care Message, Mary J. Isaacson, Kah Meng (Charlie) Soh, Christopher S. Wichman, Gina Johnson, Kelly Le Beaux, Semhar Michael, Lisa Sparks, Karla M. Hunter

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Methods

Results

Genomic Annotation And Biological Characterization Of Three Novel Gordonia Rubripertincta Bacteriophages, Sri Rishitha Nannapaneni

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global crisis, with 1 in 6 bacterial infections being resistant to antibiotics and causing 40 million deaths between 1990 and 2021 worldwide. This threat has resulted in the demand for alternative therapies, like bacteriophage therapy which uses viruses to treat bacterial infections by killing them. Gordonia rubripertincta is a gram-positive bacterium that is found in various habitats: water, soil, and on the exterior of plants. Gordonia species are rare, however, they are emerging as opportunistic human pathogens that may cause various infections in any individual. G. rubripertincta infections occur from surgical complications with a catheter …

December 3, 2025 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Viability Of Widely Used Encryption Schemes In Drone Transmission, Emanuel Yasir Nelson

Cybersecurity Undergraduate Research Showcase

This paper presents throughout research on the security issues related to drone transmission. These topics were addressed and explained, in particular the aspects relating to cybersecurity, for utmost clarity. These include threats and vulnerabilities, drone transmission the impact of encryption on latency, and the details of the encryption methods AES-128, AES-256, and ChaCha20 that were used in the experiment described in the paper. Each encryption method performance was measured and outputted by the Python code developed and used in the experiment. Afterwards, the performance of each method was analyzed in relation to their decryption time, encryption time, end to end …

Social Thinking And Me: Effectiveness For A Middle School Student, Grace Vetter

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

This project explored the effects of the Social Thinking and Me intervention curriculum with an eighth-grade male student diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anger aggression. The student engaged in disruptive behaviors such as stomping, growling, and refusal, which interfered with student learning. The student was taught using the Social Thinking and Me curriculum, which targets self-regulation, self-awareness, social problem-solving, and empathetic communication. The intervention was delivered in one-on-one sessions for nine weeks, supplemented by classroom support. The student’s goal was to increase his use of social thinking strategies when frustrated. …

Commonwealth Times 2025-12-03

Commonwealth Times, 1969-

No abstract provided.

Talinghaga At/Ng Pakikibaka: Pagsusuri Sa Mga Pahayag Ng All Up Academic Employees Union - Los Baños, 2019-2020, Cris Lanzaderas, Jennifer Cruz Delfin, Rowell Madula

Dalumat: Multikultural at Multidisiplinaryong E-Journal sa Araling Filipino

Mahalaga sa anomang organisasyong panlipunan ang mabisang pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga pinagsisilbihan nito. Sa kaso ng mga unyon, tungkulin nito ang regular na pakikipagkomunikasyon sa mga miyembro at hindi miyembro nito hinggil sa iba’t ibang usaping may kaugnayan sa sariling kagalingan at kagalingan ng mga kapwa manggagawa. Isa na sa mga paraang ito ang paglalabas ng mga pahayag o statement. Nagagamit din ang pahayag bilang isang kasangkapan sa paglalatag ng tindig at paniniwala ng mga kasapi nito sa isang partikular na isyu. Para sa papel na ito, sinuri ng mga mananaliksik ang dalawampu’t anim (26) na pahayag o statement ng All …

Spring Creek Rehabilitation And Nursing Center Llc V. Nlrb

2025 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

The Lumberjack, December 03, 2025

Cal Poly Humboldt's Student Newspaper

The student newspaper of Humboldt State University.

Presenteeism Among Health Care Personnel With Covid-19, James C. Crosby, Eliezer Santos Leon, Brian Chinnock, Karisa K. Harland, Anusha Krishnadasan, Nicholas M. Mohr, Ian D. Plumb, Melissa Briggs Hagen, Kelli Wallace, David A. Talan, Project Prevent Network, Anne Zepeski, Tracy Young, Howard A. Smithline, Lilly C. Lee, Stephen C. Lim, Et Al

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE: Presenteeism-defined as continuing to work during an illness-poses a public health risk in the workplace and is especially hazardous within health care institutions where vulnerable patients may be exposed to nosocomial infections. Understanding the frequency and characteristics of health care personnel (HCP) who report presenteeism while ill with COVID-19 may help mitigate SARS-CoV-2 spread in hospitals and other health care institutions. OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of presenteeism among HCP with symptomatic COVID-19, and to evaluate the demographic, occupational, and clinical factors associated with it. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This is an observational cohort study that uses data from …

The College Voice, Vol. 62, No. 7 [December 3, 2025], Connecticut College

2025-2026

No abstract provided.

How Does The Intersectionality Of Race, Gender, And Organizational Culture Influence The Utilization And Consequences Of Code-Switching Among Black Men In Executive-Level Positions Within Nonprofit Settings?, Lepra George

Dissertations (1934 -)

Black men in executive roles within U.S. nonprofit organizations lead under racialized and gendered expectations that shape when and how they are perceived as leader-like. This qualitative study examines how these leaders interpret their lived experiences of code-switching, across speech and broader self-presentation, within White-normed nonprofit cultures. Guided by intersectionality and informed by impression-management theory, the study employed an interpretivist, phenomenological design and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with six Black male executives. Four themes emerged: (1) Black Male Leaders Consciously Navigate Authentic Identity, balancing cultural self-expression with perceived professionalism; (2) Confronting the Race–Gender Double Bind in …

Dopaminergic Regulation Of Aversive Motivation, Elaine M. Grafelman

Dissertations (1934 -)

We all experience adversity in our lives, and we must be able to effectively respond to these challenges in order to thrive. One way to respond to stressors is to change one’s behavior to cope with the stress. This can include escaping or avoiding the stressor, focusing effort to diminish the effect of the stressor, or other coping strategies such as drug use. In fact, stress is one of the principal triggers of relapse for those in the abstinence phase of a substance use disorder and it exacerbates a variety of other disorders. Therefore, it is critical to understand the …

Building A Data-Driven Security Ai Framework Using Machine Learning Models, Christopher Chan Vi

Master's Theses

This research project explores a modern approach to Intrusion Detection System (IDS) anomaly detection by leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Large Language Models (LLM), and Explainable AI (XAI). The purpose is to assess the effectiveness of these technologies in enhancing the understanding of intrusion events. This research study addresses the challenges of threshold determination and the interpretability of anomaly detection results. The proposed solution involves an LLM-based framework with XAI capabilities, integrated with a Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture, to provide clear explanations for detected anomalies, utilizing both custom and pre-trained datasets. The study navigated inherent challenges, including …

Towards Resilient Data Governance: An Industry Study On Practitioner Perspectives On The Current State Of Data Governance, Anthony Mazzarella Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Experts agree that data governance is crucial for managing data as an asset, yet in practice, it remains inconsistently defined, unevenly implemented, and poorly understood. Earlier industry studies offered valuable descriptive benchmarks of governance adoption and professional roles, but provided limited theoretical insight and little empirical evidence explaining how governance functions within organizations. Building on this foundation, the current research offers a more substantial and analytically rigorous contribution by transforming descriptive observations into empirical explanations. Through a collaborative academic–industry partnership, the study utilizes a global survey of 565 respondents (348 valid cases) to analyze governance structures, motivations, challenges, and the …

Understanding Medical Information And Emotional Support Needs In Mental Health Questions With Large Language Models, Chen Liu, William Yu Chung Wang, Gohar Khan

All Works

Purpose – This study seeks to bridge the gap between users’ multidimensional needs and the single-task capabilities of existing Mental Health Question Answering (MHQA) systems by tackling the underexplored challenge of jointly understanding medical informational needs and emotional support needs within complex consumer mental health inquiries. Design/methodology/approach – Grounded in Rhetorical Structure Theory (RST), the proposed Multi-Needs and Context Recognition (MNCR) framework decomposes mental health question understanding task into four interrelated subtasks: Medical Needs Recognition (MNR), Medical Needs-related Context Extraction (MNCE), Emotional Needs Recognition (ENR) and Emotional Needs-related Context Extraction (ENCE). A new benchmark dataset, MHQ-MedEmo, was constructed through multi-layered …

A Harmonious Equation: How To Facilitate The Interdisciplinary Nature Of The Arts In A High School Math Classroom, Myah Medendorp

Honors Theses

The education system is constantly evolving and advancing, and the teaching methods should advance along with it. Musical involvement has long been cited as having a positive effect on mathematical proficiency and being an easy way to boost mathematical performance but is most often used in an elementary school setting and the early learning years. Are there ways to use this scientific relationship to boost performance and engagement in a secondary school environment?

This literature review functionalization takes a closer look at this relationship and how it can be implemented effectively in a high school math classroom beyond the young …

Identifying Draft-Worthy Pitchers: A Statistical Analysis Of Northwoods League Performance Metrics, Stephen Tyrpak

Honors Theses

The Northwoods League (NWL) is a collegiate summer wooden-bat baseball league that provides college athletes with an opportunity to maintain and enhance their skills during the offseason while competing in game-like conditions. Although prior research has explored player performance in other summer leagues, such as the Cape Cod Baseball League, academic investigation into predictors of draft outcomes in the NWL remains limited. This study addresses this gap by evaluating whether pitch-tracking metrics collected via Trackman systems can predict a pitcher’s likelihood of selection in the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft and by identifying which performance characteristics are most strongly associated …

Travel Time To Treating Facility And Mortality In Men With Prostate Cancer, Stephan M. Korn, Filippo Dagnino, Danesha Daniels, Zhiyu Qian, Hanna Zurl, Klara K. Pohl, Mei Chin Hsieh, Brenda Y. Hernandez, Andrea Piccolini, Alexander P. Cole, Amanda J. Reich, Joel S. Weissman, Quoc Dien Trinh, Hari S. Iyer

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

IMPORTANCE Geographic access to prostate cancer care may influence outcomes but is often measured using straight-line distance, which may not accurately capture the travel burden experienced by patients. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association between estimated travel time from patients’ residence to treatment facilities and all-cause and prostate cancer–specific mortality. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective cohort study used data from the Multilevel Epidemiologic Tumor Registry for Oncology, a nationally representative, investigatorinitiated, population-based cancer registry that integrates geomasked residential and treatment facility information from multiple US state cancer registries. The study included patients aged 40 to 99 years from Hawaii, Louisiana, …

Examining The Impact Of Social Media On The Nutrition Decisions Of College Students And Their Attitudes Toward Nutritional Guidelines, Katlyn Neibaur

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Social media is becoming an increasingly popular platform used by young people to garner information, but this information is not always accurate. Understanding the degree of influence social media has on college students’ dietary habits and attitudes toward nutritional guidelines is vital for improving nutrition literacy efforts and creating policies to protect against nutritional misinformation. This study examined the associations between the social media habits of college students, their attitudes toward nutritional guidelines, and their ability to detect nutritional misinformation. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 457 undergraduate students at Brigham Young University. The content validity of the survey was …

Imaging Of Dynamic Processes In Materials With A Laser-Wakefield Accelerator, J. Kang, R. J. Shalloo, M. J. Higgins, S. J.D. Dann, J. N. Gruse, C. I.D. Underwood, A. F. Antoine, C. Arran, C. D. Baird, M. D. Balcazar, N. Bourgeois, J. A. Cardarelli, K. Krushelnick, S. P.D. Mangles, C. D. Murphy, N. Lu, P. P. Rajeev, M. P. Selwood, D. R. Symes, C. P. Ridgers, A. G.R. Thomas, C. Thornton, Z. Najmudin, P. G. Sanders, P. D. Staublin, A. J. Shahani, M. J.V. Streeter

Michigan Tech Publications

Betatron x rays generated from laser-wakefield accelerators are a promising source for imaging dynamic processes in materials. Here, we present proof-of-concept imaging of microstructural evolution in a hypermonotectic Al-Bi alloy, which consists of liquid Bi particles in a solid Al matrix. The images capture the elongation and fragmentation of Bi particles upon isothermal annealing. Because of the femtosecond time scale of the betatron source, the images are not subject to motion blur, whereas the accessibility of the source allows for studies of long-term processes such as annealing. The high-resolution data reveal that the evolution of Bi particles is mediated by …

Emerging Tools In Plant Genome Editing, Shilpi Sharma, Naveen Kumar Saroha, Abhilasha Sehrawat, Guiliang Tang, Deepali Singh, Sachin Teotia

Michigan Tech Publications

Plant genome editing has undergone a transformative shift with the advent of advanced molecular tools, offering unprecedented levels of precision, flexibility and efficiency in modifying genetic material. While classical site-directed nucleases such as ZFNs, TALENs and CRISPR-Cas9 have revolutionized genome engineering by enabling targeted mutagenesis and gene knockouts, the landscape is now rapidly evolving with the emergence of novel systems that go beyond the conventional double strand break (DSB)-mediated approaches. Advanced and recent tools include LEAPER, SATI, RESTORE, RESCUE, ARCUT, SPARDA, helicase-based approaches like HACE and Type IV-A CRISPR system, and transposon-based techniques like TATSI and piggyBac. These tools unlock …

Bridging The Gap: Designing A Vertically Aligned 5–12 Instrumental Music Curriculum For Comprehensive Literacy And Musicianship, Philip D. Deyoung

Masters Projects

This project aims to address the widespread issue of vertically misaligned curriculum in secondary instrumental music programs. Students frequently encounter inconsistent expectations, repeated or skipped content, and uneven literacy development when transitioning from one ensemble to another. These gaps can reduce achievement, hinder persistence, and heighten inequities for students with fewer resources. To solve this problem, the project develops a vertically aligned 5–12 instrumental music curriculum grounded in constructivist learning theory and self-regulated learning, emphasizing active knowledge building and student independence. The framework includes ten Priority Standards, grade-band proficiency scales, rehearsal routines aligned with the National Core Arts Standards (NCAS), …