Digital Commons Network^™

Associations Between Neurological Correlates Of Reading And Learning Disability Profiles Among Children, Jessica Luedke

Theses and Dissertations

Early reading skills are vital for child development. Children with specific reading learning disabilities (SLD-R) display persistent difficulties acquiring reading skills. They are at an increased risk for adverse life outcomes, including mental health concerns, low educational attainment, and low academic motivation. Progress in neurobiological research provides opportunities to enhance the assessment and identification of learning disabilities by revealing distinct neurological patterns of learning. However, the integration of this progress with school psychology research is rare. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate brain network connectivity as a biomarker of reading using resting-state quantitative electroencephalography (QEEG) coherence. Fronto-central …

Antioxidant And Anti-Inflammatory Potential Of Engineered Ceria Nanoparticles In The Management Of Alzheimer's Disease, Shanshan Shi

Theses and Dissertations

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that affects millions worldwide. Unfortunately, there are currently no effective therapies available to prevent or cure the disease. While current therapies aim to change AD progression, there is a growing need for novel therapeutic strategies that can effectively penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to target the underlying pathology of the disease. The BBB is a highly selective semipermeable barrier that separates circulating blood from the brain. It plays a crucial role in amyloid-β (Aβ) homeostasis and clearance dynamics, as Aβ accumulation is a key factor in the pathogenesis of AD. Aβ aggregation …

Preregistration And Registration As A New Method For Transparency Of External Validation In Artificial Intelligence And Machine Learning Applications To Address Overfitting, Underspecification, And Shortcut Learning, Marilyn Elaine Gartley

Theses and Dissertations

Statistics has been defined as the study of how information should be employed to reflect on and give guidance for action in a practical situation involving uncertainty. The essence of uncertainty is that there is more than one possible outcome, and the actual outcome is unknown in advance; it is indeterminate. The goal of statistical methods is inference: namely, statistical inference—reaching conclusions about populations or deriving scientific insights from data which are collected from a representative sample of that population through providing a mathematical understanding of inference, quantifying the degree of support that data offer for assertions of knowledge, as …

Initial Evaluation Of A Peer Supervision Program For Health Service Psychology Doctoral Students, William Bradley

Theses and Dissertations

Clinical supervision has long been utilized as the primary method of clinical training and evaluation for health service psychology doctoral students. Despite the central role that supervision has played and continues to play in the training of psychologists, little scholarly attention has been given to identifying effective methods for fostering competency in providing supervision. The lack of research in this area is concerning, given the accumulating evidence that negative supervision experiences, such as ineffective or inadequate supervision, are reported by a substantial proportion of trainees (21-92% across studies). Moreover, these experiences are associated with important proximal and distal training outcomes, …

Nonverbal Iq Test Performance In Preschool-Age Children With Varying Language, Sandra Danelle Irvin

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the impact of two types of factors on IQ test performance in children with variation in language ability. The two types of factors studied here are: a) test characteristics (i.e., complexity of test directions) and test-taker characteristics (i.e., language ability). Method – Four participants, ages 4-7, completed norm referenced assessments for language and intelligence. Results – Descriptive results suggest no discernable trends between performance on language assessments and nonverbal IQ measures. The results demonstrated a discernable negative trend between performance on nonverbal IQ measures and linguistic complexity of instructions. Implications – While the …

Hardening Interpretable Deep Learning Systems: Investigating Adversarial Threats And Defenses, Eldor Abdukhamidov, Mohammed Abuhamad, Simon S. Woo, Eric Chan-Tin, Tamer Abuhmed

Computer Science: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Deep learning methods have gained increasing attention in various applications due to their outstanding performance. For exploring how this high performance relates to the proper use of data artifacts and the accurate problem formulation of a given task, interpretation models have become a crucial component in developing deep learning-based systems. Interpretation models enable the understanding of the inner workings of deep learning models and offer a sense of security in detecting the misuse of artifacts in the input data. Similar to prediction models, interpretation models are also susceptible to adversarial inputs. This work introduces two attacks, AdvEdge and AdvEdge + …

Insights Into Personalized Care Strategies For Wilms Tumor: A Narrative Literature Review, Salma Karam, Ahmad Gebreil, Ahmed Alksas, Hossam Magdy Balaha, Ashraf Khalil, Mohammed Ghazal, Sohail Contractor, Ayman El-Baz

All Works

Wilms tumor (WT), or nephroblastoma, is the predominant renal malignancy in the pediatric population. This narrative review explores the evolution of personalized care strategies for WT, synthesizing critical developments in molecular diagnostics and treatment approaches to enhance patient-specific outcomes. We surveyed recent literature from the last five years, focusing on high-impact research across major databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Diagnostic advancements, including liquid biopsies and diffusion-weighted MRI, have improved early detection precision. The prognostic significance of genetic markers, particularly WT1 mutations and miRNA profiles, is discussed. Novel predictive tools integrating genetic and clinical data to anticipate …

Uldp-Fl: Federated Learning With Across-Silo User-Level Differential Privacy, Fumiyuki Kato, Li Xiong, Shun Takagi, Yang Cao, Masatoshi Yoshikawa

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Differentially Private Federated Learning (DP-FL) has garnered attention as a collaborative machine learning approach that ensures formal privacy. Most DP-FL approaches ensure DP at the record-level within each silo for cross-silo FL. However, a single user's data may extend across multiple silos, and the desired user-level DP guarantee for such a setting remains unknown. In this study, we present Uldp-FL, a novel FL framework designed to guarantee user-level DP in cross-silo FL where a single user's data may belong to multiple silos. Our proposed algorithm directly ensures user-level DP through per-user weighted clipping, departing from group-privacy approaches. We provide a …

Ccr2+ Monocytes Promote White Matter Injury And Cognitive Dysfunction After Myocardial Infarction, Edward B Thorp, Mallory Filipp, Maria Dima, Chunfeng Tan, Matthew Feinstein, Brian Popko, Matthew Deberge

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Survivors of myocardial infarction are at increased risk for vascular dementia. Neuroinflammation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of vascular dementia, yet little is known about the cellular and molecular mediators of neuroinflammation after myocardial infarction. Using a mouse model of myocardial infarction coupled with flow cytometric analyses and immunohistochemistry, we discovered increased monocyte abundance in the brain after myocardial infarction, which was associated with increases in brain-resident perivascular macrophages and microglia. Myeloid cell recruitment and activation was also observed in post-mortem brains of humans that died after myocardial infarction. Spatial and single cell transcriptomic profiling of brain-resident myeloid cells …

Author Correction: The Evolution Of Lung Cancer And Impact Of Subclonal Selection In Tracerx, Alexander M Frankell, Michelle Dietzen, Maise Al Bakir, Emilia L Lim, Takahiro Karasaki, Sophia Ward, Selvaraju Veeriah, Emma Colliver, Ariana Huebner, Abigail Bunkum, Mark S Hill, Kristiana Grigoriadis, David A Moore, James R M Black, Wing Kin Liu, Kerstin Thol, Oriol Pich, Thomas B K Watkins, Cristina Naceur-Lombardelli, Daniel E Cook, Roberto Salgado, Gareth A Wilson, Chris Bailey, Mihaela Angelova, Robert Bentham, Carlos Martínez-Ruiz, Christopher Abbosh, Andrew G Nicholson, John Le Quesne, Dhruva Biswas, Rachel Rosenthal, Clare Puttick, Sonya Hessey, Claudia Lee, Paulina Prymas, Antonia Toncheva, Jon Smith, Wei Xing, Jerome Nicod, Gillian Price, Keith M Kerr, Babu Naidu, Gary Middleton, Kevin G Blyth, Dean A Fennell, Martin D Forster, Siow Ming Lee, Mary Falzon, Madeleine Hewish, Michael J Shackcloth, Eric Lim, Sarah Benafif, Peter Russell, Ekaterini Boleti, Matthew G Krebs, Jason F Lester, Dionysis Papadatos-Pastos, Tanya Ahmad, Ricky M Thakrar, David Lawrence, Neal Navani, Sam M Janes, Caroline Dive, Fiona H Blackhall, Yvonne Summers, Judith Cave, Teresa Marafioti, Javier Herrero, Sergio A Quezada, Karl S Peggs, Roland F Schwarz, Peter Van Loo, Daniël M Miedema, Nicolai J Birkbak, Crispin T Hiley, Allan Hackshaw, Simone Zaccaria, Tracerx Consortium, Mariam Jamal-Hanjani, Nicholas Mcgranahan, Charles Swanton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Response-Adapted Ultra-Low-Dose 4 Gy Radiation As Definitive Therapy Of Gastric Malt Lymphoma: A Single-Centre, Pilot Trial, Jillian R Gunther, Jie Xu, Manoop S Bhutani, Paolo Strati, Penny Q Fang, Susan Y Wu, Bouthaina S Dabaja, Wenli Dong, Priya R Bhosale, Christopher R Flowers, Ranjit Nair, Luis Malpica Castillo, Luis Fayad, Swaminathan P Iyer, Simrit Parmer, Michael Wang, Hun Ju Lee, Felipe Samaniego, Jason Westin, Sairah Ahmed, Chijioke C Nze, Preetesh Jain, Sattva S Neelapu, Maria A Rodriguez, Dai Chihara, Loretta J Nastoupil, Chelsea C Pinnix

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Given the favourable prognosis of patients with gastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, treatment-related toxicity should be minimised. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of 4 Gy radiotherapy given in a response-adapted approach.

Methods: We conducted a single-centre, single-arm, prospective trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston, TX, USA) of response-adapted ultra-low-dose radiotherapy. Eligible patients were 18 years or older and had newly diagnosed or relapsed Helicobacter pylori-negative gastric MALT lymphoma, with stage I-IV disease. Given the expected low toxicity profile of treatment, performance status was not an exclusion criterion. Patients received external beam photon-based radiotherapy for a total …

Identification Of A Clinically Efficacious Car T Cell Subset In Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma By Dynamic Multidimensional Single-Cell Profiling, Ali Rezvan, Gabrielle Romain, Mohsen Fathi, Darren Heeke, Melisa Martinez-Paniagua, Xingyue An, Irfan N Bandey, Melisa J Montalvo, Jay R T Adolacion, Arash Saeedi, Fatemeh Sadeghi, Kristen Fousek, Nahum Puebla-Osorio, Laurence J N Cooper, Chantale Bernatchez, Harjeet Singh, Nabil Ahmed, Mike Mattie, Adrian Bot, Sattva Neelapu, Navin Varadarajan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells used for the treatment of B cell malignancies can identify T cell subsets with superior clinical activity. Here, using infusion products of individuals with large B cell lymphoma, we integrated functional profiling using timelapse imaging microscopy in nanowell grids with subcellular profiling and single-cell RNA sequencing to identify a signature of multifunctional CD8+ T cells (CD8-fit T cells). CD8-fit T cells are capable of migration and serial killing and harbor balanced mitochondrial and lysosomal volumes. Using independent datasets, we validate that CD8-fit T cells (1) are present premanufacture and are associated with clinical responses …

Technical Note: Radiological Clinical Equivalence For Phantom Materials In Carbon Ion Therapy, Paige A Taylor, Alfredo Mirandola, Mario Ciocca, Shannon Hartzell, Alessandro Vai, Paola Alvarez, Rebecca M Howell, Eugene J Koay, Christopher R Peeler, Christine B Peterson, Stephen F Kry

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: As carbon ion radiotherapy increases in use, there are limited phantom materials for heterogeneous or anthropomorphic phantom measurements. This work characterized the radiological clinical equivalence of several phantom materials in a therapeutic carbon ion beam.

Methods: Eight materials were tested for radiological material-equivalence in a carbon ion beam. The materials were computed tomography (CT)-scanned to obtain Hounsfield unit (HU) values, then irradiated in a monoenergetic carbon ion beam to determine relative linear stopping power (RLSP). The corresponding HU and RLSP for each phantom material were compared to clinical carbon ion calibration curves. For absorbed dose comparison, ion chamber measurements …

Cholesterol-Dependent Lxr Transcription Factor Activity Represses Pronociceptive Effects Of Estrogen In Sensory Neurons And Pain Induced By Myelin Basic Protein Fragments, Swathi K Hullugundi, Jennifer Dolkas, Andrei V Chernov, Tony L Yaksh, Kelly A Eddinger, Mila Angert, Glaucilene Ferreira Catroli, Alex Y Strongin, Patrick M Dougherty, Yan Li, Oswal Quehenberger, Aaron Armando, Veronica I Shubayev

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: A bioactive myelin basic protein (MBP) fragment, comprising MBP84-104, is released in sciatic nerve after chronic constriction injury (CCI). Intraneural injection (IN) of MBP84-104 in an intact sciatic nerve is sufficient to induce persistent neuropathic pain-like behavior via robust transcriptional remodeling at the injection site and ipsilateral dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and spinal cord. The sex (female)-specific pronociceptive activity of MBP84-104 associates with sex-specific changes in cholesterol metabolism and activation of estrogen receptor (ESR)1 signaling.

Methods: In male and female normal and post-CCI rat sciatic nerves, we assessed: (i) cholesterol precursor and metabolite levels by lipidomics; (ii) MBP84-104 interactors …

Evaluating The Relationship Between Magnetic Resonance Image Quality Metrics And Deep Learning-Based Segmentation Accuracy Of Brain Tumors, Rajarajeswari Muthusivarajan, Adrian Celaya, Joshua P Yung, James P Long, Satish E Viswanath, Daniel S Marcus, Caroline Chung, David Fuentes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans are known to suffer from a variety of acquisition artifacts as well as equipment-based variations that impact image appearance and segmentation performance. It is still unclear whether a direct relationship exists between magnetic resonance (MR) image quality metrics (IQMs) (e.g., signal-to-noise, contrast-to-noise) and segmentation accuracy.

Purpose: Deep learning (DL) approaches have shown significant promise for automated segmentation of brain tumors on MRI but depend on the quality of input training images. We sought to evaluate the relationship between IQMs of input training images and DL-based brain tumor segmentation accuracy toward developing more generalizable models …

New Full-Counts Phase-Matched Data-Driven Gated (Ddg) Pet/Ct, Peng Sun, M Allan Thomas, Dershan Luo, Tinsu Pan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Data-driven gated (DDG) PET has gained clinical acceptance and has been shown to match or outperform external-device gated (EDG) PET. However, in most clinical applications, DDG PET is matched with helical CT acquired in free breathing (FB) at a random respiratory phase, leaving registration, and optimal attenuation correction (AC) to chance. Furthermore, DDG PET requires additional scan time to reduce image noise as it only preserves 35%-50% of the PET data at or near the end-expiratory phase of the breathing cycle.

Purpose: A new full-counts, phase-matched (FCPM) DDG PET/CT was developed based on a low-dose cine CT to improve …

Intratumoral Injection Of Immunotherapeutics: State Of The Art And Future Directions, Rahul A Sheth, Eric Wehrenberg-Klee, Sapna P Patel, Kristy K Brock, Nicos Fotiadis, Thierry De Baère

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Systemic immunotherapies have led to tremendous progress across the cancer landscape. However, several challenges exist, potentially limiting their efficacy in the treatment of solid tumors. Direct intratumoral injection can increase the therapeutic index of immunotherapies while overcoming many of the barriers associated with systemic administration, including limited bioavailability to tumors and potential systemic safety concerns. However, challenges remain, including the lack of standardized approaches for administration, issues relating to effective drug delivery, logistical hurdles, and safety concerns specific to this mode of administration. This article reviews the biologic rationale for the localized injection of immunotherapeutic agents into tumors. It also …

Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Control Homeostasis Of Megakaryopoiesis, Florian Gaertner, Hellen Ishikawa-Ankerhold, Susanne Stutte, Wenwen Fu, Jutta Weitz, Anne Dueck, Bhavishya Nelakuditi, Valeria Fumagalli, Dominic Van Den Heuvel, Larissa Belz, Gulnoza Sobirova, Zhe Zhang, Anna Titova, Alejandro Martinez Navarro, Kami Pekayvaz, Michael Lorenz, Louisa Von Baumgarten, Jan Kranich, Tobias Straub, Bastian Popper, Vanessa Zheden, Walter Anton Kaufmann, Chenglong Guo, Guido Piontek, Saskia Von Stillfried, Peter Boor, Marco Colonna, Sebastian Clauß, Christian Schulz, Thomas Brocker, Barbara Walzog, Christoph Scheiermann, William C Aird, Claus Nerlov, Konstantin Stark, Tobias Petzold, Stefan Engelhardt, Michael Sixt, Robert Hauschild, Martina Rudelius, Robert A J Oostendorp, Matteo Iannacone, Matthias Heinig, Steffen Massberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Platelet homeostasis is essential for vascular integrity and immune defence1,2. Although the process of platelet formation by fragmenting megakaryocytes (MKs; thrombopoiesis) has been extensively studied, the cellular and molecular mechanisms required to constantly replenish the pool of MKs by their progenitor cells (megakaryopoiesis) remains unclear3,4. Here we use intravital imaging to track the cellular dynamics of megakaryopoiesis over days. We identify plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) as homeostatic sensors that monitor the bone marrow for apoptotic MKs and deliver IFNα to the MK niche triggering local on-demand proliferation and maturation of MK progenitors. This pDC-dependent feedback loop is crucial for MK …

Data-Driven Gated Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography For Radiotherapy, Tinsu Pan, Dershan Luo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PURPOSE: Software-based data-driven gated (DDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has replaced hardware-based 4D PET/CT. The purpose of this article was to review DDG PET/CT, which could improve the accuracy of treatment response assessment, tumor motion evaluation, and target tumor contouring with whole-body (WB) PET/CT for radiotherapy (RT).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: This review covered the topics of 4D PET/CT with hardware gating, advancements in PET instrumentation, DDG PET, DDG CT, and DDG PET/CT based on a systematic literature review. It included a discussion of the large axial field-of-view (AFOV) PET detector and a review of the clinical results of DDG …

Application Of Neutrosophic Cognitive Maps In The Jurisprudence Of The National Court Of Justice Of Ecuador, Alipio Cadena Posso, Diana Carolina Quiroz Gordillo, Diego Xavier Chamorro Valencia, Luis Andrés Crespo Berti, Vladimir Vega Falcón

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This research analyzes the use of neutrosophic cognitive maps in the jurisprudential examination of divorce in the National Court of Justice of Ecuador. The suggested technique intends to simulate the links between legal reasons and the psychological and emotional ramifications of divorce, therefore enhancing judicial decision-making. Resolution No. 0071 - 2018 - 38420 is evaluated to determine its influence on the protection of individual rights, presenting an original viewpoint on family law. The results gathered from the study underline the necessity to examine both the legal reasons and the psychological and emotional ramifications of divorce when making court judgments in …

Feasibility Study Of The Application Of Proposals For The Implementation Of Compliance In The Low-Quantity Process In Public Procurement In Ecuador Using Plithogenic Swot Analysis, Víctor Gustavo Gómez-Rodríguez, Noel Batista-Hernández, Willian Paul Avilés-Quiñonez, Johanna Irene Escobar-Jara, Roberto Eduardo Vargas-Zambrano, Ronald Marcelo Sánchez-Rovalino, Alejandro Reigosa-Lara, Duniesky Alfonso-Caveda

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

Compliance is a concept that means that the organization conforms to the legal regulations in force in the country where it is located. This avoids additional expenses on the part of the company and economic losses due to non-compliance with the regulatory legal framework. In the case of the low-value process in public purchases in Ecuador, it is necessary to take this aspect into account, especially in the anti-corruption fight that is currently being carried out worldwide. To study the positive and negative factors that influence the application of compliance in Ecuadorian public purchases, we use the plithogenic SWOT analysis. …

Assessing The Need For A Feminist Foreign Policy In Ecuador Through A Sentiment Analysis Based On Neutroalgebra, Daniela Cecilia Márquez Carriel, Luis Oña Garces, Arnaldo Vergara Romero, Fidel Márquez Sanchez

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

This paper examines the potential for a feminist foreign policy in Ecuador, a concept gaining global attention but still new in local debates. While Ecuador's foreign policy has historically focused on economic and strategic interests, the rising influence of feminist movements is prompting discussions about integrating gender perspectives into diplomacy, trade, and international aid. Using neutrosophic sentiment analysis, the study finds divided opinions: while "Gender Equality" and "Human Rights" receive stable support, the "Economic Impact" variable shows significant uncertainty. Some view a feminist foreign policy as a way to enhance Ecuador's global standing and gender equity, while others are skeptical …

Reliable Detection Of Generalized Convulsive Seizures Using An Off-The-Shelf Digital Watch: A Multisite Phase 2 Study, Yash Shashank Vakilna, Xiaojin Li, Jaison S Hampson, Yan Huang, John C Mosher, Yuri Dabaghian, Xi Luo, Blanca Talavera, Sandipan Pati, Masel Todd, Ryan Hays, Charles Akos Szabo, Guo-Qiang Zhang, Samden D Lhatoo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a machine learning algorithm using an off-the-shelf digital watch, the Samsung watch (SM-R800), and evaluate its effectiveness for the detection of generalized convulsive seizures (GCS) in persons with epilepsy.

Methods: This multisite epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) phase 2 study included 36 adult patients. Each patient wore a Samsung watch that contained accelerometer, gyroscope, and photoplethysmographic sensors. Sixty-eight time and frequency domain features were extracted from the sensor data and were used to train a random forest algorithm. A testing framework was developed that would better reflect the EMU setting, consisting of …

A Modular Trial Of Androgen Signaling Inhibitor Combinations Testing A Risk-Adapted Strategy In Patients With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, Ana M Aparicio, Rebecca S S Tidwell, Shalini S Yadav, Jiun-Sheng Chen, Miao Zhang, Jingjing Liu, Shuai Guo, Patrick G Pilié, Yao Yu, Xingzhi Song, Haswanth Vundavilli, Sonali Jindal, Keyi Zhu, Paul V Viscuse, Justin M Lebenthal, Andrew W Hahn, Rama Soundararajan, Paul G Corn, Amado Zurita-Saavedra, Sumit K Subudhi, Jianhua Zhang, Wenyi Wang, Chad Huff, Patricia Troncoso, James P Allison, Padmanee Sharma, Christopher J Logothetis

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: To determine the efficacy and safety of risk-adapted combinations of androgen signaling inhibitors and inform disease classifiers for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancers.

Patients and methods: In a modular, randomized phase II trial, 192 men were treated with 8 weeks of abiraterone acetate, prednisone, and apalutamide (AAPA; module 1) and then allocated to modules 2 or 3 based on satisfactory (≥50% PSA decline from baseline and < 5 circulating tumor cell/7.5 mL) versus unsatisfactory status. Men in the former were randomly assigned to continue AAPA alone (module 2A) or with ipilimumab (module 2B). Men in the latter group had carboplatin + cabazitaxel added to AAPA (module 3). Optional baseline biopsies were subjected to correlative studies.

Results: Median overall survival (from allocation) was 46.4 [95% confidence interval (CI), 39.2-68.2], 41.4 (95% CI, 33.3-49.9), and 18.7 (95% CI, 14.3-26.3) months in modules 2A (n = 64), 2B (n = 64), and …

A Study Of Electron- And Photon-Induced Dissociative Electron Attachment To Molecules And Within Anion-Molecule Clusters, Mahmudul Hasan

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) is a resonant process in which a molecule captures a low-energy electron, forming a transient negative ion (TNI). Subsequently, this unstable TNI fragments into a stable anion and one or more neutral fragments. DEA is crucial in various phenomena, ranging from atmospheric and radiation chemistry to processes occurring in plasmas, and is particularly significant in the context of radiation-induced damage to biological molecules. This study uses different experimental methods to better understand the fragmentation in molecular anions forming through dissociative photoexcitation and electron attachment. We have developed an experimental apparatus for dissociative photoexcitation studies. This apparatus …

Perceived Context Typicality And Beliefs In The Generalizability Of Management Research Findings, Przemyslaw Hensel, Adam Tatarynowicz

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Despite growing calls for a greater internationalization of management research, the discipline still struggles with the challenge of integrating diverse national contexts. While recent decades have seen a change toward a more equitable treatment of all national contexts, the belief that research conducted outside the United States is less generalizable remains strong. In this research note, we explore the general perceptions of what is considered a “typical” study context by associating them with authors' variable tendencies to report threats to external validity. Using a sample of 400 papers from seven top-tier management journals, we find that research based on non-US …

Cds Channels Of Influence On Discretionary Accruals, Hao Cheng, Kian Guan Lim

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Existing studies indicated that firm debt holders can use the credit default swap (CDS) market to hedge their credit risk, and thus they would reduce their monitoring of the firms, leading to largely distressed firms shirking and increasing positive abnormal earnings accruals. Besides providing insurance, however, the CDS spreads also perform price discovery of credit risk information sought by trade creditors and potential lenders who are not protected. High absolute abnormal discretionary accruals or bad earnings quality, especially negative abnormal accruals, would lead adverse CDS price signals that are very costly to the firm. This compels the firm under nondistressed …

Business Model Choice For Heavy Equipment Manufacturer, Philippe Blaettchen, Niyazi Taneri, Sameer Hasija

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Technological advances enable new business models for heavy equipment manufacturers wherein customers access equipment without ownership. We seek to understand the profitability and environmental performance of different emerging business models in light of salient economic and operational factors. We develop a game-theoretic model to identify the optimal choice between a traditional ownership-based business model and two access-based models: servicization and peer-to-peer sharing. After-sales services, equipment characteristics, usage environments, and fuel prices affect this choice. We also provide a novel framework to analyze business models’ environmental impact, which incorporates trade-offs between economic value and environmental costs and shows that all models …

Parallel Degradome-Seq And Dms-Mapseq Substantially Revise The Mirna Biogenesis Atlas In Arabidopsis, Xingxing Yan, Changhao Li, Kaiye Liu, Tianru Zhang, Qian Xu, Xindi Li, Jiaying Zhu, Ziying Wang, Anikah Yusuf, Shuqing Cao, Xu Peng, James J Cai, Xiuren Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are produced from highly structured primary transcripts (pri-miRNAs) and regulate numerous biological processes in eukaryotes. Due to the extreme heterogeneity of these structures, the initial processing sites of plant pri-miRNAs and the structural rules that determine their processing have been predicted for many miRNAs but remain elusive for others. Here we used semi-active DCL1 mutants and advanced degradome-sequencing strategies to accurately identify the initial processing sites for 147 of 326 previously annotated Arabidopsis miRNAs and to illustrate their associated pri-miRNA cleavage patterns. Elucidating the in vivo RNA secondary structures of 73 pri-miRNAs revealed that about 95% of them …

Evidence-Based Strategies For Fall Prevention, Angelia Palmer

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Patient falls represent the largest category of preventable adverse events in hospitals, with 700,000 to 1,000,000 falls occurring annually in U.S. hospitals and 30-35% resulting in injuries. The cost of fall-related injuries exceeds $50 billion globally, with an average of $14,056 per fall.

The aim of this project was to introduce a standardized fall prevention approach to improve performance and reduce falls in the medical-surgical department.

A comprehensive literature review indicates multifactorial bundled approaches, clinical pathways, purposeful rounding, and patient and family engagement as effective fall prevention strategies.

This quality improvement (QI) project design was based on the Plan, Do, …