Digital Commons Network^™

Vagus Nerve Stimulation In Medically Refractory Epilepsy: Adverse Effects And Clinical Correlates, Khaled A. Alshehri, Shaima H. Abuhulayqah, Mohammed A. Asiry, Suad A. Alyamani

Neurosciences

Objectives: To assess the frequency of adverse effects among pediatric and adult patients and the clinical variables associated with a higher probability of developing side effects. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled pediatric and adult patients who underwent Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) implantation at our institution and had documented follow-up during clinic visits for at least 6 months after implantation. Data collected included demographic information, epilepsy diagnosis, and device data. Results: A total of 43 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who received a VNS device at our institution were enrolled. The median follow-up period was 12 months. Fourteen patients (32.55%) reported no …

Atypical Meningiomas Compared To Other Who Grade 2 Meningiomas: Histological Features And Prognosis, Abdulrazag Ajlan, Saif Almeshari, Sarah Basindwah, Majed Aljohani, Yazed Alharbi, Fahad Aldhowaihy, Hisham Alkhaldi, Ashwag Alqurashi

Neurosciences

Objectives: To study each atypical feature in atypical meningioma versus other grade 2 meningiomas and its possible relation to recurrence. Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients with WHO grade 2 meningioma operated in our institution between 01/2008 and 12/2020. The rate of recurrence, reoperation and readmission were recorded during the follow-up period. A statistical analysis was done to determine the significance of each pathological feature in regard to recurrence. Results: A total of 74 patients were included as WHO grade 2 meningioma with 60 (81%) patients having an AM and 14 (19%) patients with chordoid or clear cell …

Leveraging Multivariate Analysis And Adjusted Mutual Information To Improve Stroke Prediction And Interpretability, Moutasem S. Aboonq, Saeed A. Alqahtani

Neurosciences

Objectives: To develop a machine learning model to accurately predict stroke risk based on demographic and clinical data. It also sought to identify the most significant stroke risk factors and determine the optimal machine learning algorithm for stroke prediction. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data on 438,693 adults from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Features encompassed demographics and clinical factors. Descriptive analysis profiled the dataset. Logistic regression quantified risk relationships. Adjusted mutual information evaluated feature importance. Multiple machine learning models were built and evaluated on metrics like accuracy, AUC ROC, and F1 score. Results: Key factors significantly associated …

2024 Annual Retreat Report, Miami Us. (Report No. 7), W. A. Webb, J. Delevaux, L. Rhode-Barbarigos, N. Bestrom, R. K. Zarger, C. Grace-Mckasky, S. Fogg, M. A. Trotz

Strong Coasts Collection

No abstract provided.

A Study On The Correlation Between A Star's Rayleigh-Taylor Characteristic Timescale And Stellar Wind Activity, Fiona Klett

Undergraduate Journal of Mathematical Modeling: One + Two

In this paper, we investigate the correlations between a star's internal dynamics due to the Rayleigh-Taylor instability and episodes of stellar wind activity, using both a theoretical model and observational data from the NOAA.% \cite{NOAA}. Besides its relevance as an astrophysics problem, this study is also informative for models of climate change which include secular perturbations in the Sun's internal dynamics, as a potential source of solar activity variability.

Impact Of Blue Wavelength Light From Mobile Devices On Sleep And Quality Of Life In Belmont University Undergraduates, Amanda A. Parente, Christian Williams, Frecia Gonzalez

SPARK Symposium Presentations

Introduction: Previous studies have documented an association of excessive blue wavelength light exposure with negative health consequences including reduced sleep time, lower sleep quality, and emotional symptoms. The increased use and ubiquity of mobile blue wavelength light-emitting devices raises the possibility of prevalent negative effects on sleep and quality of life, particularly among college-aged individuals where use of these devices is especially frequent.

Methods: In 2024, cross-sectional, internet survey-based study designed to examine the relationship between self-reported exposure to mobile devices and measures of sleepiness and quality of life. Eligible participants were undergraduate students at Belmont University, aged 18+ years …

Race, Racial Bias, And Imputed Liability Murder, Perry Moriearty, Kat Albrecht, Caitlin Glass

Articles

Even within the sordid annals of American crime and punishment, the doctrines of felony murder and accomplice liability murder stand out. Because they allow states to impose their harshest punishments on defendants who never intended, anticipated, or even caused death, legal scholars have long questioned their legitimacy. What surprisingly few scholars have addressed, however, is who bears the brunt.

This Article is one of the first to explore the racialized impact of the two most controversial and ubiquitous forms of what we call “imputed liability murder.” An analysis of ten years of murder prosecutions in the state of Minnesota reveals …

The Original Presidency: A Conception Of Administrative Control, Ilan Wurman

Articles

The two predominant conceptions of executive power and supervision over the administrative state are inadequate. One maintains that all administrative discretion is the President’s, and that by virtue of the grant of executive power the President can both remove and control the discretion of all subordinate offcers. That poses a possible textual problem: it seems to make the Opinions Clause superfuous. The other conception maintains that the President is, at best, a “persuader-in-chief,” with no constitutional right to control administrative discretion or to remove offcers tasked with implementing statutory duties. Although this view makes sense of the Opinions Clause, there …

The Three-Verdict Problem, Jack Whiteley

Articles

!n Scotland, for hundreds of years, juries have chosen between three criminal verdicts: “guilty,” “not guilty,” and “not proven.” The “not proven” verdict’s legal meaning remains mysterious. In this article, I aim to describe and solve the problem. Applying modern ideas about standards of proof to the intellectual history of “not proven” yields eight plausible meanings for the verdict. With the extent of the problem in mind, I offer a solution. In the three-verdict system, jurors should deliver a “guilty” verdict when they believe that the accused has committed the crime and a “not guilty” verdict when they believe that …

Why Mass Incarceration Is Uniquely American, Michael Tonry

Articles

Mass incarceration, among Western countries a uniquely American phenomenon, resulted from a transformation of American criminal justice systems. Indeterminate sentencing systems in which legislatures established maximum sentences, prosecutors processed cases, judges decided who went to prison, and parole boards decided how long people stayed there were replaced by determinate systems in which legislatures prescribed minimum sentences, prosecutors made the key charging and sentencing decisions, judges processed cases and sentenced minor crimes, and parole boards lost much of their authority. Parole boards and judges become largely irrelevant whenever prosecutors file charges subject to mandatory sentence, three-strikes, truth-in-sentencing, and life without parole …

Nourishing Connections: Chinese Immigrant Identity In Tokyo Through Commensality And Hospitality, Sarai Brown

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

This paper explores how Chinese immigrants in Tokyo, Japan preserve their cultural identity through practices of commensality and hospitality in stark contrast to Japanese culture. In Chinese culture, hospitality – mainly acts of food sharing – is how kinship relations are built and maintained, eventually growing into an important hierarchy network that ultimately builds a fully realized identity created out of communal belonging. Japanese culture in this sense is not as hospitable, deeming food-sharing as an extremely private and high-risk affair that is considered low-risk in Chinese contexts.

A Sociolinguistic View Of Cultural Influences In Conversations About Religion, Rachael Merrill

BYU Asian Studies Student Journal

My research project deals with intercultural communication issues in religious conversations among American English speakers and Japanese speakers. Much research has been done to examine how miscommunications occur across cultures, and that understanding cultural contexts can help us be more successful in linguistic endeavors. This paper specifically examines how the different sociocultural meanings attached to individual lexical items associated with religious topics (e.g., ‘God’ and ‘prayer’) differ between English and Japanese. This is a qualitative study using data from publicly available corpora of Japanese and English, as well as sociolinguistic interviews. I will not present the analysis of the interviews …

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Smiths Grove 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Kentucky, Meredith Swallom, Bailee Nicole Hodelka, Matthew Massey, Hannah Hayes, Charles Wells Iii, Emily Morris

Contract Reports--KGS

The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS), a state-supported independent research center within the University of Kentucky, is committed to providing accurate and unbiased geologic information on natural resources, environmental issues, and natural hazards in Kentucky. While Kentucky boasts complete coverage by 1:24,000-scale geologic bedrock maps, surficial materials have been largely overlooked, except in regions with thick deposits obscuring the bedrock. Given the increasing trends in economic development and urbanization, detailed surficial geologic mapping has become crucial for supporting geotechnical planning, environmental management, and hazard assessment. In response, KGS has prioritized new, detailed surficial geologic mapping since 2004, specifically targeting areas anticipated …

Two Perspectives On Immigrants In The Labor Market: The Immigration Act Of 1990, Shria Holla

Gaines Fellow Senior Theses

When evaluating the impact of immigration, extant economic literature has overwhelmingly focused on natives and men. The widely accepted methodology in the literature usually segments by education and by experience. Segmenting by education has been found to not be viable for immigrants due to immigrant downgrading, and experience is not conducive for women since it is calculated based on age. Through both an empirical analysis and an ethnography, this study takes the initial steps to include existent immigrants and women in the discussion. The economic empirical analysis evaluates the impact of immigration on existent immigrants, a growing portion of the …

Media Art Community Festival Based On Local Culture In Indonesia : An Ethno-Pedagogy Perspective, Jeong Ok Jeon, Juju Masunah, Tri Karyono

Journal of Urban Culture Research

This study reviews the Indonesian government-led Festival Komunitas Seni Media (FKSM) or Media Art Community Festival in English from an ethno-pedagogical perspective to uncover its strategies for enhancing local cultural values. Using descriptive and historical approaches, data were collected through literature studies, participatory observation, document studies, and personal reflection, and analyzed thematically. The findings are: First, FKSM provides artists with opportunities to learn about the local host city’s culture as their creative inspiration (value of locality). Second, FKSM facilitates knowledge sharing between curators and local management for future festivals (value of continuity). Third, FKSM promotes inclusiveness by selecting host cities …

Tracheostomy Decision Making And Counseling: Comparing Providers' And Caregivers' Perspectives And Perceptions, Andy Liu, Catherine Hammack-Aviran, Jessica Turnbull

Law Faculty Scholarship

Background: The decision to place a tracheostomy in children is complex and involves factors beyond the medical procedure, including quality of life, values, and goals. Providers play an important role in counseling caregivers and guiding them through the decision-making process. There are no established guidelines for tracheostomy counseling, leading to variations in practice. Additionally, how caregivers receive information differs from how providers believe they deliver it. Although studies have explored caregivers’ and providers’ viewpoints, none have examined them concurrently.

Background: The primary aim of this exploratory study is to investigate differences between providers’ and caregivers’ perceptions …

Heresies, Heretics, And Hermeneutics: The Battle Of Textualism Against Pragmatism--And Itself--On The Robert Court, Jeffrey A. Van Detta

Belmont Law Review

This Article examines the deepening jurisprudential conflict on the Roberts Court over statutory interpretation, framing the contest between textualism and pragmatism as analogous to theological disputes over orthodoxy and heresy. Drawing on the interpretive writings of Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer, as well as the scholarly work of William Eskridge, the Article argues that contemporary textualism—particularly in its more rigid forms—risks distorting statutory meaning when divorced from broader contextual and purposive analysis. Through an eclectic examination of three statutory battlegrounds—the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, Reconstruction-era civil rights legislation and its modern successors, and the Alien Tort Statute—the Article demonstrates …

Effect Of Family-Centered Care Interventions On Well-Being Of Caregivers Of Children With Cerebral Palsy: A Systematic Review, Deepalaxmi Paresh Poojari, Shashikiran Umakanth, G. Arun Maiya, Bhamini Krishna Rao, Sonia Khurana, Senthil Kumaran D., Radhika Attal, Marie Brien

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Caring for a child with long-term functional limitations can have a negative impact on the physical and psychological well-being of the caregiver. Family-centered care (FCC) interventions have the potential to empower caregivers and contribute to their well-being. This systematic review aimed to synthesize existing evidence on the effectiveness of FCC interventions in improving the well-being of caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (CP), and identify the key components of such interventions that are most commonly practiced and deemed effective.

Methods: This review systematically searched seven databases for randomized controlled trials that evaluated the effectiveness of any FCC intervention on …

Comparing Corequisite And Prerequisite Models For Supporting Underprepared Students In Higher Education, Sara Hendricks

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Leadership Studies

This dissertation investigates the impact of two prevalent types of developmental education (DE) courses—prerequisite and corequisite—on student retention in higher education. As institutions increasingly address concerns over the academic preparedness of first-year students, many implement remedial education courses to support those who are underprepared (National Center for Education Statistics, n.d.). However, these courses disproportionately affect students of color and often contribute to higher dropout rates (USG, 2021; Bailey & Jaggars, 2016). While previous research indicates that corequisite courses, where students enroll in standard courses with additional academic support, can positively impact retention, there is limited knowledge on their effect on …

Synthesis Of Cu-Cy Nanoparticles For Treating Pfas In Water, Ligang Wang

Physics Theses - Archive

This work aims to address the cumulative harm caused by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water to human health and the ecological environment around the world. Reducing or removing PFAS pollution is an urgent need. Cu-Cy nanoparticles are photosensitizers, which were developed for photodynamic therapy of cancer in the first place. In this work, we use Cu-Cy for the catalytic degradation of PFAS. Synthesis of Cu-Cy nanoparticles in deionized water at 90 degrees Celsius is a low-cost and efficient method. We demonstrated the detailed process of synthesizing Cu-Cy nanoparticles. Under ultraviolet illumination, the synthesized Cu-Cy nanoparticles turned yellow as …

Deep Learning Applications On Ionospheric Studies, Yang Pan

Physics Dissertations - Archive

Machine learning techniques, particularly deep learning techniques, have been vigorously pursued to tackle space physics problems and achieved some impressive results recently. The growth of deep learning technologies in different domains enables innovative solutions to those problems compared to conventional methods. Filling data gaps in instrumental observations is among the demanding issues, which benefits space physicists to study ionospheric phenomena with complete data coverage. Global total electron content (TEC) and regional ionospheric electron density (Ne) are among important physical parameters in ionospheric studies. Due to the limited coverage of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) ground receivers and sporadic …

Next-Generation Alpha Irradiation Platform: Design, Development, And Applications In Radiobiological Research, Harsh Arya

Physics Dissertations - Archive

This dissertation unveils the innovative design, development, and application of a next-generation alpha irradiation platform, specifically crafted for pre-clinical and university-level radiobiological research. Driven by the quest to overcome the inherent limitations of existing alpha particle irradiators, this study explores the profound therapeutic potential of alpha particles in cancer treatment. Known for their exceptional high linear energy transfer (LET), alpha particles exhibit a unique prowess in inducing clustered DNA damage, sparking intriguing possibilities for highly targeted cancer therapies. Yet, their application has been historically constrained by their limited range of biological tissues and the absence of precise delivery systems.

Our …

The Death Of Slim Shady: Eminem’S Lyrical Life Course Trajectory, Anthony Raul Rosales, Anthony R. Rosales

Criminology & Criminal Justice Theses - Archive

Eminem's lyrical life course trajectory helps provide insight into hip-hop and rap music's arguably criminal social stigma. Previous studies have examined Eminem's songs, but these topics focused on singular songs and themes rather than a lyrical life course. This study fills the gap by providing a content analysis of Eminem's solo studio albums, where it identifies themes and patterns that appear in the album's lyrics. The purpose of this study was to use research questions based on theory and previous research to examine Eminem's lyrics and personas. Using Eminem's thirteen solo studio albums consisting of two-hundred-nine songs, this study focused …

A Wearable Sensing System For High-Speed Interface Of Wide Range Electrochemical Sensor Array, Shanthala Lakshminarayana

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Electrochemical sensing systems have emerged as indispensable tools in various fields due to their remarkable sensitivity, selectivity, and versatility. They play a pivotal role in modern research, industry, environmental monitoring, and healthcare devices. In environmental monitoring, these systems are deployed for detecting pollutants, heavy metals, and toxic gases, facilitating real-time monitoring, and ensuring environmental safety. Whereas, in the biomedical field, electrochemical sensing systems play a crucial role in diagnosing diseases, monitoring biomarkers etc, thereby revolutionizing healthcare practices.

Cost-effective wearable electrochemical sensing devices are significant for democratizing healthcare and improving public health outcomes. These devices enable continuous monitoring of physiological parameters, …

Pulsed Dielectric Breakdown And Permittivity Characterization Of Composite Solid Insulators In Pulsed Power Systems, Shawn T. Scoggin

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

In high voltage pulsed power systems, liquids and gases are often used as insulating materials because they offer high breakdown strengths, conform around complex geometries, and are self-healing, but they can introduce significant engineering challenges and restrictions when it comes to implementing them. Solid dielectrics can be desirable for improving the maintenance requirements, shelf life, and power/energy density metrics associated with insulating high voltage pulsed power systems, however they possess design challenges of their own. Solid dielectrics are not self-healing and can be difficult to manufacture, especially around complex geometries. Epoxy dielectrics are of high interest because of their naturally …

Cyclistai: A Smartphone Solution For Cyclist Stress Assessment Using Deep Learning, Aairish Singh

Computer Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

Cycling presents a compelling solution for promoting personal health and environmental well-being, particularly for short-distance travel. Despite its numerous advantages, cycling uptake in the United States remains disproportionately low, primarily due to safety concerns. Traditional frameworks for assessing cyclist stress are hindered by their impracticality and inability to provide real-time evaluations. Self-report surveys and physiological measurements offer alternative approaches but suffer from limitations such as retrospective reporting biases and accessibility challenges, respectively. This thesis introduces CyclistAI, a novel smartphone-based cyclist stress assessment model that leverages context sensing. By combining Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) techniques, CyclistAI …

Manifold Learning In Robotics: A Tutorial And Survey, Marcus Hawkins

Computer Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

In this article, we hope to represent the current state of the art of manifold learning in an understandable and approachable way. The authors will present a general overview core algorithms associated with linear and nonlinear dimensionality reduction techniques, give rudimentary definitions from differential geometry, and tenets of robotic perception, manipulation and path planning. Some of the historical applications of these algorithms will be presented, as well as conjectures about future uses, through examples from peer-reviewed journals.

When Brain Meets Artificial Intelligence, Lu Zhang

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

When we review the history of development of artificial intelligence (AI), we will find that brain science plays a pivotal role in fostering breakthroughs in AI, such as artificial neural networks (ANNs). Today, AI has made remarkable strides, particularly with the emergence of large language models (LLMs), surpassing expectations and achieving human-level performance in certain tasks. Nonetheless, an insurmountable gap remains between AI and human intelligence. It is urgent to establish a bridge between brain science and AI, promoting their mutual enhancement and collaborations. This involve establishing connections from brain science to AI (brain-inspired AI), and reversely, from AI to …

Exploring Machine Learning Techniques For Embedded Hardware, Neel R. Vora

Computer Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

This thesis delves into the intricate symbiosis between machine learning (ML) methodologies and embedded hardware systems, with a primary focus on augmenting efficiency and real-time processing capabilities across diverse application domains. It confronts the formidable challenge of deploying sophisticated ML algorithms on resource-constrained embedded hardware, aiming not only to optimize performance but also to minimize energy consumption. Innovative strategies are explored to tailor ML models for streamlined execution on embedded platforms, with validation conducted across various real-world application domains. Notable contributions include the development of a deep-learning framework leveraging a variational autoencoder (VAE) for compressing physiological signals from wearables while …

Stock Price Trend Prediction Using Emotion Analysis Of Financial Headlines With Distilled Llm Model, Rithesh H. Bhat

Computer Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

Capturing the volatility of stock prices helps individual traders, stock analysts, and institutions alike increase their returns in the stock market. Financial news headlines have been shown to have a significant effect on stock price mobility. Lately, many financial portals have restricted web scraping of stock prices and other related financial data of companies from their websites. In this study we demonstrate that emotion analysis of financial news headlines alone can be sufficient in predicting stock price movement, even in the absence of any financial data. We propose an approach that eliminates the need for web scraping of financial data. …