Digital Commons Network^™

Machine-Learning Driven Strategies For Adapting Immunotherapy In Metastatic Nsclc, Maliazurina B Saad, Qasem Al-Tashi, Lingzhi Hong, Vivek Verma, Wentao Li, Daniel Boiarsky, Shenduo Li, Milena Petranovic, Carol C Wu, Brett W Carter, Girish S Shroff, Tina Cascone, Xiuning Le, Yasir Y Elamin, Mehmet Altan, Simon Heeke, Ajay Sheshadri, Joe Y Chang, Percy P Lee, Zhongxing Liao, Don L Gibbons, Ara A Vaporciyan, J Jack Lee, Ignacio I Wistuba, Cara Haymaker, Seyedali Mirjalili, David Jaffray, Justin F Gainor, Yanyan Lou, Alessandro Di Federico, Federica Pecci, Mark Awad, Biagio Ricciuti, John V Heymach, Natalie I Vokes, Jianjun Zhang, Jia Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), either as monotherapy (ICI-Mono) or combined with chemotherapy (ICI-Chemo), improves survival in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, prospective guidance for choosing between these options remains limited, and single-feature biomarkers like PD-L1 prove inadequate. We develop a machine learning model using clinicogenomic data from four cohorts (MD Anderson n = 750; Mayo Clinic n = 80; Dana-Farber n = 1077; Stand Up To Cancer n = 393) to predict individual benefit from adding chemotherapy. Benefit scores are calculated using five distinct functions derived from 28 genomic and 6 clinical features. Our integrated model, A-STEP (Attention-based …

Scarna1 Expression Levels Affect Alternative Splicing Of Mrna, Madeleine Brown, Brittnei Earl, Michael Filla, Nataliya Kibiryeva, James E. O'Brien Jr., Douglas C. Bittel

Student Publications

Our previous research identified 12 small Cajal body-specific RNAs (scaRNAs) with reduced expression in the right ventricle in infant patients with tetralogy of Fallot. Likewise, we showed that there were significant changes in mRNA processing in the RV in these patients. ScaRNAs play a crucial role in the biochemical maturation of spliceosomal RNAs (pseudouridylation and 2′-O-methylation). We showed that variations in scaRNA1 levels resulted in changes in alternative splicing in human cells. To investigate further the role that scaRNAs play in mRNA processing, we examine here the impact of knocking down scaRNA1 in quail myoblast cells (Coturnix japonica, a well-established …

The Sodium-Glutamate Antagonist Riluzole Improves Outcome After Acute Spinal Cord Injury: Results From The Riscis Randomised Controlled Trial Analysed Using A Global Statistical Analytic Technique, Michael G. Fehlings, Karlo M. Pedro, Mohammed Ali Alvi, Ali Moghaddamjou, James S. Harrop, Ralph Stanford, Jonathon Ball, Bizhan Aarabi, Paul M. Arnold, James D. Guest, Shekar N. Kurpad, James M. Schuster, Ahmad N. Nassr, Karl M. Schmitt, Jefferson R. Wilson, Darrel S. Brodke, Faiz U. Ahmad, Albert Yee, Wilson Z. Ray, Nathaniel P. Brooks, Jason Wilson, Diana S-L Chow, Elizabeth G. Toups, Kevin E. Thorpe, Jiaxin Huang, Peng Huang

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Spinal cord injury (SCI) clinical trials typically rely on a single primary endpoint to assess drug efficacy. This strategy fails to adequately capture the full impact of treatment in heterogenous neurological conditions like SCI. A more patient-centric analysis requires assessment of neurological function, functional capacity, and quality of life, incorporating meaningful patient-reported outcomes. The global statistical test (GST) addresses this challenge using a unified statistical conclusion regarding the superiority of a treatment strategy over another by evaluating multiple trial endpoints simultaneously.

METHODS: The RISCIS trial (Safety and Efficacy of Riluzole in Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study) data was analysed …

Abalone And Seaweed Co-Culture: Growth And Shell Biomineralization Of An Iconic California Gastropod, Noah R. Kolander

Master's Theses

Climate change threatens shellfish aquaculture worldwide, with ocean acidification (OA) accelerating shell dissolution and reducing calcification, hindering growth. This study addressed the negative impacts of OA on juvenile red abalone (Haliotis rufescens), a life stage that is particularly susceptible to climate stressors, and the ability of the red seaweed, dulse (Devaleraea mollis), to mitigate these effects. I tested the hypothesis that Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA), with abalone and seaweed grown in co-culture, can raise seawater pH through photosynthesis to yield more favorable conditions for abalone growth and shell construction. A 5-month experiment was conducted to determine the benefits of IMTA …

Using Facial Recognition For Selective Pose Detection, William J. Parker

Master's Theses

Pose detection involves locating and identifying key body points for all individuals within a frame. This enables the ability to convert the pose into a digital format, which can then be recorded and analyzed for a variety of purposes. Advancements in the field have already opened applications in areas such as digital fitness coaches, fall detection, and virtual reality. Existing approaches primarily focus on tracking all detected individuals, which limits the practical applications when attempting to analyze a single or specific subject when there are other people in frame. Previous work has discussed integrating identification, but these approaches use identification …

Sirilla: Predicting Traffic Flow Via Stacked Decentralized Federated Learning, Andrew Selvia

Master's Theses

Billions of people today rely on traffic predictions to optimize their travels. Digital mapping services deliver accurate predictions by learning from vast troves of historical data. Impressive as these systems are, their assumptions do not always apply. They depend on an endless flow of sensitive user data to a central authority, a stable Internet connection, and trustworthiness on both sides of the traditional client-server model. This thesis explores a novel architecture which bucks those assumptions. In the proposed model, traffic data remains on edge devices which individually train models via federated learning. Beyond the obvious privacy benefits, this architecture enables …

Genotoxicity Assessment Of Conventional And Cad/Cam Denture Base Materials, Alanood Aldubayan

Master's Theses (2009 -)

Aim: In prosthodontics, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) has been widely used. Their biocompatibility and potential genotoxicity remain a concern due to the residual monomer release. Computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) denture base materials have emerged and offered some improved mechanical and physical properties compared to the standard conventional heat-cured denture base material. However, their long-term biocompatibility remains unstudied. Therefore, this study evaluates the genotoxicity effects of conventional and CAD/CAM denture base materials on human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs). Methodology: Disk-shaped samples were fabricated of six denture base resins, including heat-cured PMMA, milled PMMA, and four 3D-printed resins. HGFs were exposed to the …

A Genetically-Engineered Thyroid Gland Built For Selective Triiodothyronine Secretion, Cintia E. Citterio, Berenice Morales-Rodriguez, Xiao-Hui Liao, Catherine Vu, Rachel Nguyen, Jessie Tsai, Jennifer Le, Ibrahim Metawea, Ming Liu, David P. Olson, Samuel Refetoff, Peter Arvan

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Thyroid hormones (thyroxine, T₄, and triiodothyronine, T₃) are indispensable for sustaining vertebrate life, and their deficiency gives rise to a wide range of symptoms characteristic of hypothyroidism, affecting 5–10% of the world’s population. The precursor for thyroid hormone synthesis is thyroglobulin (Tg), a large iodoglycoprotein consisting of upstream regions I-II-III (responsible for synthesis of most T₄) and the C-terminal CholinEsterase-Like (ChEL) domain (responsible for synthesis of most T₃, which can also be generated extrathyroidally by T₄ deiodination). Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis, we engineered a knock-in of secretory ChEL into the endogenous TG …

Anxious Traits Intensify The Impact Of Depressive Symptoms On Stigma In People Living With Hiv, Alexia Koukopoulos, Antonio Maria D'Onofrio, Alessio Simonetti, Delfina Janiri, Flavio Cherubini, Paolo Vassalini, Letizia Santinelli, Gabriella D'Ettorre, Gabriele Sani, Giovanni Camardese

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background/Objectives: Despite medical advances, stigma remains a major challenge for people living with HIV (PLWH). This study examined clinical, sociodemographic, and psychological predictors of HIV-related stigma, and explored whether affective temperament moderates the impact of depression on stigma.

Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 97 PLWH attending a tertiary infectious disease unit in Rome, Italy. Participants completed a battery of validated psychometric instruments assessing depressive symptoms, anxiety, manic symptoms, mixed affective states, general psychopathology, impulsivity, and affective temperament. HIV-related stigma was evaluated using the Berger HIV Stigma Scale, which measures personalized stigma, disclosure concerns, negative self-image, and concerns …

Optimizing Thermal Performance Of Ag-Mgo/H2O Hybrid Nanofluid Flow In A Quarter-Circular Cavity Using Response Surface Methodology And Artificial Neural Network, M.S. Alam, M.N. Huda, M.M. Rahman, M. Al-Lawati

Sultan Qaboos University Journal For Science

This research analyzes the optimization of the thermal performance of the natural convective flow of Ag-MgO/H2O hybrid nanofluid within a quarter-circular cavity utilizing response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) techniques through a non-homogeneous dynamic mathematical model. The Galerkin-weighted residual finite element method numerically solves the governing dimensionless equations and boundary conditions. The numerical results are then used to train ANN and RSM models and evaluate their performance. The results indicated that both models are dependable for this investigation, exhibiting a notably high coefficient of determination for the performance control variable, the average Nusselt number. In addition, the …

The Reluctant Heroes: How To Teach Younger Generations Every-Day Heroism Through Pedagogical Imagination, Jarema Drozdowicz

Heroism Science

This article explores the notion of pedagogical imagination in the context of its practical use in teaching young learners today. The idea of imagination is being presented through the lens of the existing concepts such as ethnographic, historical, and sociological imagination introduced in the social sciences and humanities by various authors. The educational setting of today’s digitalized reality is being understood here as a sociocultural sphere where different generations clash in their diverse abilities to learn and form specific skills that might help them to cope with difficult real life situations. The process of forming heroic behavior patterns is thus …

Semantic Policy Summaries And Semantic Explanations For Explainable Ai In Networking, Dennis Lanov

Defensive Publications Series

Proposed herein is an explainability technique, referred to herein as a "Semantic Policy Summaries and Semantic Explanations" technique, for artificial intelligence (AI) -driven networking that translates complex model decisions into clear, human-readable explanations grounded in real-world network concepts. Instead of abstract outputs like feature scores, the proposed technique delivers goal-oriented justifications for AI network-related decisions/actions. The proposed technique integrates directly into a control loop, supports policy-based triggering, and logs explanations with decision metadata for audit and regulatory review. Further, the proposed technique aligns with requirements from the European Union (EU) AI Act and the proposed United States (U.S.) SAFE Innovation …

Kids Exploring The World With Chatbots, Maggie Mckay, Mark Connelly

Parent-ish Podcast

Are your kids chatting away with AI? In this episode, we provide parents with the tools they need to understand the implications of children's interactions with chatbots. Find out what signs to look for and how to set healthy boundaries to protect your child from potential pitfalls of digital companionship.

Click here to stream the podcast episode.

Mapping The Literature On Short-Selling In Financial Markets: A Lexicometric Analysis, Nitika Sharma, Sridhar Manohar, Bruce A. Huhmann, Yam B. Limbu

Department of Marketing Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This study provides a comprehensive assessment and synthesis of the literature on short-selling. It performs a lexicometric analysis, providing a quantitative review of 1093 peer-reviewed journal articles to identify and illustrate the main themes in short-selling research. Almost half the published literature on short-selling is thematically clustered around portfolio management techniques. Other key themes involve short-selling as it relates to risk management, strategic management, and market irregularities. Descending hierarchical classification examines the overall structure of the textual corpus of the short-selling literature and the relationships between its key terms. Similarity analysis reveals that the short-selling literature is highly concentrated, with …

Comparing Monophasic Vs. Biphasic Hyaluronic Acid Filler For Facial Enhancement, Kaitlyn M. Carr

Summer Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

This capstone project aims to compare the efficacy, patient satisfaction, side effects, and longevity of results between monophasic and biphasic hyaluronic acid fillers over a 12-month period. A systematic literature review was conducted using three databases: Google Scholar, PubMed, and the library of Valparaiso University. Keywords included “comparison between hyaluronic acid fillers” and “monophasic and biphasic hyaluronic acid filler.” The search returned approximately 30,300 results on Google Scholar, 2 results on PubMed, and 365 results from Valpo’s database, with results filtered to include studies published in English since 2019 and with full-text availability. Exclusion criteria included studies involving participants under …

Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy For Treatment Refractory Mental Illness, Mackenzie R. Ketterhagen

Summer Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

This project explores the potential of Ketogenic Metabolic Therapy (KMT) as adjunctive therapy for refractory mental illness. Evidence suggests that ketogenesis can reverse mitochondrial dysfunction, a pathophysiological feature commonly associated with major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia disorder (SD), leading to measurable improvements in psychiatric symptoms, metabolic biomarkers, and body composition. While preliminary results are promising, current data are based on small sample sizes and short study durations, limiting the generalizability of findings. Therefore, KMT cannot yet be considered a broadly validated adjunctive treatment for severe mental illness. Continued research, particularly longitudinal studies, is essential to determine …

Identifying And Characterizing The Binary Central Star Of The Planetary Nebula Phr J1040-5417, Hunter Wood

Summer Interdisciplinary Research Symposium

Planetary nebulae occur towards the end of the life cycles of stars with a mass less than about eight times the mass of the Sun. As the star expands at the end of its life, it ejects its outer layers, and the high temperature of the leftover core causes the ejected gas to ionize and glow. At the centers of some of these planetary nebulae, there can be two stars present instead of one. These binary stars can be detected through a variety of ways, with the most common being photometric variability, or a change in the brightness of the …

Impedance Reshaping Strategy For Grid‑Connected Inverter Based On Grid Impedance Identification Via Dual Harmonic Injection, Zhijun Li, Yaxin Wang

Journal of Electric Power Science and Technology

Under weak grid conditions, the interaction between the control function of the grid-connected inverter and the grid impedance will reduce the phase margin of the inverter, aggravate the harmonic oscillations, and even lead to instability of the grid-connected systems. Traditional impedance reshaping strategies for grid-connected inverters can improve the stable operation of the grid-connected system. However, with the growing integration of large shares of new energy sources and new types of loads, the grid impedance presents random variations, which undermines the effectiveness of traditional impedance reshaping strategies designed for fixed scenarios. To solve this problem, an impedance reshaping strategy based …

The Parthenon, July 23, 2025, Baylee Parsons, Kaitlyn Fleming, Ashton Pack, Nate Harrah, Soleil Woolard

The Parthenon

No abstract provided.

Math Information Retrieval From Images Via Formula Extraction, Vector Embedding, And Multimodal Llm-Based Question Answering, Angel Wheelwright Crawford

Theses and Dissertations

Math Information Retrieval (MIR) aims to revolutionize the retrieval of math information by addressing the challenges in representing, retrieving, and producing highly specialized math content. In order to develop a robust MIR system, designers must be able to process math equations (MEs) to a format that different systems can use, which is difficult due to various formats math information are stored in, including visual images and document texts. To improve the usage of math information in varied forms for people who are learning and utilizing math, we propose three different methods of handling ME data. The first method is a …

Usa V. Antuane Gregory

2025 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

The Influence Of Underwriter Reputation And Firm Age On Ipo Pricing Decision: A Study On Companies Conducting Ipos On The Indonesia Stock Exchange In 2021–2024, Daniel Nathan, Prima Yusi Sari

Journal of Accounting Auditing and Business

This study aims to analyze the effect of underwriter’s reputation and firm age on IPO pricing decision among companies that went public on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) during the period 2021 to 2024. A quantitative approach was employed using multiple linear regression to examine the relationships between variables. The study’s sample consists of 229 companies that conducted IPOs within the specified period. The independent variables include underwriter’s reputation, categorized based on transaction volume rankings, and firm age, calculated as the difference between the year of establishment and the IPO year. The dependent variable is IPO pricing decision, represented by …

Investigating The Impact Of Agent Openness On Planning In Multi-Agent Systems, Bala Subramanyam Duggirala

School of Computing: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Multi-agent systems (MAS) possess significant potential for modeling real-world scenarios requiring coordinated actions (like wildfire fighting or ridesharing) among autonomous entities or agents (e.g., wildfire fighting agents) in complex, dynamic environments. Effective decision-theoretic planning (where each agent must carefully consider both the immediate and the future situations or states, and coordinate with the other agents (neighbors) to evaluate what needs to be done at present) within MAS, especially multiagent planning, where the planning agent directly models its neighbors in order to estimate their optimal actions, is critical, yet challenged by factors like partial observability, openness, and diverse agent types with …

An Ai-Driven Framework For Real-Time Fake News Detection: Developing A Machine Learning-Based Filter For News Platforms In The United States, Umma Twaha, Yeasin Arfin

Engineering and Technology

The proliferation of fake news across digital platforms poses a significant threat to democratic processes, public health, and social cohesion in the United States. Manual fact-checking and traditional moderation approaches are increasingly inadequate due to the scale, speed, and sophistication of misinformation campaigns. This presents an AI-driven framework for real-time fake news detection, designed to serve as an intelligent filter for news platforms operating within the US media ecosystem. Leveraging natural language processing (NLP) techniques and machine learning algorithms—including supervised classifiers and deep learning models such as BERT and LSTM—the framework identifies deceptive content with high precision and low latency. …

Zero Trust Architecture For Electric Transportation Systems: A Systematic Survey And Deep Learning Framework For Replay Attack Detection, Grace Muriithi, Behnaz Papari, Ali Arsalan, Laxman Timilsina, Alex Muriithi, Elutunji Buraimoh, Asif Khan, Gokhan Ozkan, Christopher Edrington, Akram Papari

Montclair State University Scholarship & Creative Works

Modern and autonomous hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), as complex cyber-physical systems, represent a key innovation in the future of transportation. However, the increasing interconnectivity and reliance on digital components expose these vehicles to significant cybersecurity risks. To address these challenges, Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) has emerged as a promising security framework. Operating on the principle of ‘never trust, always verify,’ ZTA offers a comprehensive approach to ensuring continuous trust verification in HEV systems. Despite its potential, the application of ZTA within cyber-physical vehicular systems remains underexplored, and its practical benefits and limitations are not yet fully understood by the engineering …

Online Modeling Method Of Comprehensive Load Model For New Power System Based On Measurement Information, Guihua Qiu, Zijia Kuang, Shuhong Wu

Journal of Electric Power Science and Technology

The load model has an important influence on the simulation analysis results of the power system, but the current load modeling methods are difficult to adapt to the diversity and time-varying characteristics of the new power system load in terms of model accuracy and computational efficiency. To address this issue, an online modeling method of the comprehensive load model for the new power system based on measurement information is proposed. Firstly, the dominant factors affecting the comprehensive load model are analyzed based on the activation subspace of parameter space. Then, according to the characteristics of the daily output curve of …

Research On Coordinated Control Strategy Employing D‑Statcom Based On Voltage Transient Rate Of Change, Wenglong Li, Xiu Yang, Xiaoli Zhao, Danzhen Gu, Xuejun Xiong, Yajun Zhang, Yuyao Feng

Journal of Electric Power Science and Technology

To solve serious problems such as equipment shutdown caused by voltage dips due to short-circuit faults in distribution networks, a coordinated control strategy employing a distribution network static synchronous compensator (D-STATCOM) based on the voltage transient rate of change is proposed. Firstly, the control of voltage by the traditional control strategy is improved. An undervoltage module is activated when a short-circuit fault occurs in the distribution network, increasing the reactive power output of D-STATCOM to suppress the voltage dip during the fault. At the end of the fault, an overvoltage module is activated to decrease the reactive power output of …

New York City Housing Authority, Red Hook West Houses V. Mercado

All Decisions

The court granted a tenant's motion to vacate a final judgment and dismiss the non-payment petition without prejudice. The landlord, a housing authority, failed to use the mandatory Notice of Petition form prescribed by court rules, which resulted in a defective notice. The court found this was not a minor error but caused prejudice to the pro se tenant, as it omitted crucial information about available legal and financial resources. As a result, the final judgment and warrant of eviction were vacated, and the case was dismissed.

Discourse Analysis Of Partner-Focus In Intimate Partner Violence, Maureen Theresa Lowell

Dissertations and Theses

Intimate partner violence (IPV) involves behaviors that harm or threaten to harm an intimate partner; but more importantly, it involves the production of power and control in an intimate relationship that threatens a partner's liberty and wellbeing. As a wicked problem, IPV is challenging to unpack without reducing the complexities that give it its power. This study seeks to explore the complex nature of how abusive men's focus on their partner functions as a mechanism of abuse. To develop the concept of other-focus I draw on constructs of coercive control, power, and dominance. To investigate partner-focus, I conducted a discourse …

The Influence Of Sociodemographic Factors On Opioid Mortalities In The U.S. State Of Georgia, Theresa Highsmith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the late 1990s, the United States has been in the midst of an opioid epidemic that continues to present significant public health challenges. Opioid-related mortality, particularly involving fentanyl, has disproportionately affected vulnerable populations. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the associations between educational level, homelessness, and alcohol use with opioid-related overdose deaths involving fentanyl, while controlling for age, gender, and marital status, among Black and White populations in the U.S. state of Georgia. The theoretical framework was Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological model, which recognizes that individual behavior is influenced by multiple levels of factors, including interpersonal, community, and …