Digital Commons Network^™

Debtor's Disclosure Statement

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

Marking Healthy Aging Month With Evidence-Based Advice, Beth Potier

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

Neuro-Symbolic Ai For Deep Analysis Of Social Media Big Data, Vedant Khandelwal, Manas Gaur, Ugur Kursuncu, Valerie Shalin, Amit P. Sheth

Faculty Publications

This tutorial introduces a neuro-symbolic AI framework to analyze big data from social media platforms. Integrating human-curated knowledge through symbolic AI with the pattern recognition capabilities of neural networks enhances the adaptability and efficiency of traditional neural network approaches. Knowledge-guided zero-shot learning techniques enable swift adaption to new linguistic contexts and emerging events [6]. Participants will explore how to design, develop, and utilize these models in specific domains, such as public health surveillance, that require dynamic adaptation to new terminologies. This session The tutorial aims to equip attendees with practical skills and a deep understanding of how to apply neuro-symbolic …

The Impact Of Hypertension On Clinical Outcomes In Moyamoya Disease: A Multicenter, Propensity Score-Matched Analysis, Basel Musmar, Joanna Roy, Hammam Abdalrazeq, Elias Atallah, Kareem El Naamani, Ching-Jen Chen, Roland Jabre, Hassan Saad, Jonathan Grossberg, Adam Dmytriw, Aman Patel, Mirhojjat Khorasanizadeh, Christopher Ogilvy, Ajith Thomas, Andre Monteiro, Adnan Siddiqui, Gustavo Cortez, Ricardo Hanel, Guilherme Porto, Alejandro Spiotta, Anthony Piscopo, David Hasan, Mohammad Ghorbani, Joshua Weinberg, Shahid Nimjee, Kimon Bekelis, Mohamed Salem, Jan-Karl Burkhardt, Akli Zetchi, Charles Matouk, Brian Howard, Rosalind Lai, Rose Du, Rawad Abbas, Georgios Sioutas, Abdelaziz Amllay, Alfredo Munoz, Nabeel Herial, Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, Michael Gooch, Robert Rosenwasswer, Pascal Jabbour

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular disorder characterized by progressive steno-occlusive changes in the internal carotid arteries, leading to an abnormal vascular network. Hypertension is prevalent among MMD patients, raising concerns about its impact on disease outcomes. This study aims to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of MMD patients with and without hypertension.

METHODS: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective study involving 598 MMD patients who underwent surgical revascularization across 13 academic institutions in North America. Patients were categorized into hypertensive (n=292) and non-hypertensive (n=306) cohorts. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to adjust for baseline differences.

RESULTS: …

2024-09-13, Board Of Regents, Murray State University

Board of Regents Meeting Minutes

No abstract provided.

Leadership Strategies For Streamlining Employee Protocols In Small Behavioral Health Agencies, Chantelle Walker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Streamlining employee protocols in behavioral health agencies are a critical challenge for organizations. Inconsistencies with maintaining protocols can impair an organization’s systems developed to ensure accurate and timely documentation, can impede processes for time off, and can decrease service quality. This qualitative case study was grounded in the Baldrige Framework of Excellence to discover leadership strategies for streamlining employee protocols in Behavioral Health Organization U (BHOU). The identified population consisted of mental health clinicians in the Southeast region of the United States. Data collection occurred through interviews with the organization’s leader, questionnaires, and secondary data. Thematic analysis revealed six themes: …

Reflections On Research Mentoring, Mary A. Highton, Dawn Veltre

General Webinars

The first webinar in this series, "Complex Humans: Quality Care and a Spirit of Inquiry," underscored the significance of nursing research. Part two shifts the focus to the crucial role of mentoring in advancing research within nursing. The presenters will share their personal research journeys, highlighting how mentorship has been pivotal in their development and success.

A Qualitative Study Of The Knowledge Of Metabolic Syndrome, Attitudes About Lifestyle Modifications, And Preferences For Lifestyle Interventions Among Patients With Cancer And Metabolic Syndrome, Isabel Martinez Leal, Ashwathy B Pillai, Jessica T Foreman, Kimberly W Siu, Natalia I Heredia, Carmen P Escalante, Ellen F Manzullo, Aimee J Christie, Tamara E Lacourt, Zayd Adnan Razouki, Jessica P Hwang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Metabolic syndrome is a group of disorders-hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, and insulin resistance-that together increase the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Although ~60% of cancer patients have metabolic syndrome, which increases their risk of mortality, oncology providers lack clear guidance about its management. The development of metabolic syndrome lifestyle interventions requires a better understanding of these patients' knowledge, attitudes, and intervention preferences in order to inform management. During 2022-2023, 19 adult cancer patients with metabolic syndrome engaged in semistructured interviews focused on metabolic syndrome and lifestyle interventions. Interviews were analyzed using hybrid thematic analysis involving deductive and inductive …

Creditors Committee Plan

Catholic Dioceses in Bankruptcy

No abstract provided.

Systematics Of The Rhinolophus Landeri Complex, With Evidence For 3 Additional Afrotropical Bat Species, Bruce D. Patterson, Terrence C. Demos, Laura Torrent, Amanda L. Grunwald, Cecilia Montauban, Julian C. Kerbis Peterhans, Molly M. Mcdonough, Carl W. Dick, Michael Bartonjo, M. Corrie Schoeman, Multiple Additional Authors

Biology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Roughly a third of all horseshoe bat species (Rhinolophidae: Rhinolophus) are found in Africa, where a recent continent-wide genetic survey suggested the presence of both undescribed and apparently invalid species. Here, we focus on the R. landeri species complex and the recent elevation of R. lobatus Peters, 1852, to species rank. That action created ambiguity in the taxonomy of East African members of the group—are both R. landeri Martin, 1838, and R. lobatus sympatric in East Africa or is another, unnamed species present there? Here, we refine genetic, morphological, and behavioral characterizations of R. landeri and its erstwhile synonyms with …

Identifying Police Perspectives About Substance Abuse: Transformational Learning In Law Enforcement, Donald N. Barnett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement agencies across the country are confronted with the problems associated with substance abuse. Law enforcement personnel receive only cursory training on substance abuse and lack targeted training that addresses the complex problems that are associated with it, such as co-existing mental health issues. This study, conducted on behalf of a state-wide Sheriff’s Association, identified officer beliefs and attitudes towards substance abuse to make training recommendations that are better tailored to officer’s training needs. The study sample included 633 certified law enforcement or correctional staff from 22 counties. The Police Officer’s Attitude’s’ Towards Narcotics Crime survey was modified to …

Comparison Of Multi-Parallel Quantitative Real-Time Pcrs Targeting Different Dna Regions And Detecting Soil-Transmitted Helminths In Stool, Marina Papaiakovou, Rubén O Cimino, Nils Pilotte, Julia Dunn, D Timothy J Littlewood, Steven A Williams, Alejandro J Krolewiecki, Rojelio Mejia

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: Soil-transmitted helminths infect an estimated 18% of the world's population, causing a significant health burden. Microscopy has been the primary tool for diagnosing eggs from fecal samples, but its sensitivity drops in low-prevalence settings. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is slowly increasing in research and clinical settings. However, there is still no consensus on preferred qPCR targets.

METHODS: We aimed to compare soil-transmitted helminth (STH) DNA detection methods by testing naïve stool samples spiked with known quantities of STH eggs and larvae. DNA extracts from spiked samples were tested using independent quantitative realtime PCR (qPCR) assays targeting ribosomal …

Impact And Characterization Of Serial Structural Variations Across Humans And Great Apes, Wolfram Höps, Tobias Rausch, Michael Jendrusch, Jan O Korbel, Fritz J Sedlazeck

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Modern sequencing technology enables the systematic detection of complex structural variation (SV) across genomes. However, extensive DNA rearrangements arising through a series of mutations, a phenomenon we refer to as serial SV (sSV), remain underexplored, posing a challenge for SV discovery. Here, we present NAHRwhals ( https://github.com/WHops/NAHRwhals ), a method to infer repeat-mediated series of SVs in long-read genomic assemblies. Applying NAHRwhals to haplotype-resolved human genomes from 28 individuals reveals 37 sSV loci of various length and complexity. These sSVs explain otherwise cryptic variation in medically relevant regions such as the TPSAB1 gene, 8p23.1, 22q11 and Sotos syndrome regions. Comparisons …

Spatially Fractionated Grid Radiation Potentiates Immune-Mediated Tumor Control, Rebecca A Bekker, Nina Obertopp, Gage Redler, José Penagaricano, Jimmy J Caudell, Kosj Yamoah, Shari Pilon-Thomas, Eduardo G Moros, Heiko Enderling

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Tumor-immune interactions shape a developing tumor and its tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) resulting in either well-infiltrated, immunologically inflamed tumor beds, or immune deserts with low levels of infiltration. The pre-treatment immune make-up of the TIME is associated with treatment outcome; immunologically inflamed tumors generally exhibit better responses to radio- and immunotherapy than non-inflamed tumors. However, radiotherapy is known to induce opposing immunological consequences, resulting in both immunostimulatory and inhibitory responses. In fact, it is thought that the radiation-induced tumoricidal immune response is curtailed by subsequent applications of radiation. It is thus conceivable that spatially fractionated radiotherapy (SFRT), administered through …

Predictive Value Of Follow-Up Infarct Volume On Functional Outcomes In Middle Cerebral Artery M2 Segment Vessel Occlusion Stroke Treated With Mechanical Thrombectomy, Vivek Yedavalli, Hamza Adel Salim, Basel Musmar, Nimer Adeeb, Kareem El Naamani, Nils Henninger, Sri Hari Sundararajan, Anna Luisa Kühn, Jane Khalife, Sherief Ghozy, Luca Scarcia, Benjamin Yq Tan, Robert W Regenhardt, Jeremy J Heit, Nicole M Cancelliere, Joshua D Bernstock, Aymeric Rouchaud, Jens Fiehler, Sunil Sheth, Ajit S Puri, Christian Dyzmann, Marco Colasurdo, Xavier Barreau, Leonardo Renieri, João Pedro Filipe, Pablo Harker, Răzvan Alexandru Radu, Mohamad Abdalkader, Piers Klein, Thomas R Marotta, Julian Spears, Takahiro Ota, Ashkan Mowla, Pascal Jabbour, Arundhati Biswas, Frédéric Clarençon, James E Siegler, Thanh N Nguyen, Ricardo Varela, Amanda Baker, Muhammed Amir Essibayi, David Altschul, Nestor R Gonzalez, Markus A Möhlenbruch, Vincent Costalat, Benjamin Gory, Christian Paul Stracke, Mohammad Ali Aziz-Sultan, Constantin Hecker, Hamza Shaikh, David S Liebeskind, Alessandro Pedicelli, Andrea M Alexandre, Illario Tancredi, Tobias D Faizy, Erwah Kalsoum, Boris Lubicz, Aman B Patel, Vitor Mendes Pereira, Adrien Guenego, Adam A Dmytriw

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) strokes, particularly affecting the M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery, represent a critical proportion of acute ischemic strokes, posing significant challenges in management and outcome prediction. The efficacy of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in MeVO stroke may warrant reliable predictors of functional outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of follow-up infarct volume (FIV) for predicting 90-day functional outcomes in MeVO stroke patients undergoing MT.

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective cohort study analyzed data from the Multicenter Analysis of primary Distal medium vessel occlusions: effect of Mechanical Thrombectomy (MAD-MT) registry, covering patients with acute …

Perspectives On Physical Activity In Us South Asian Women At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes, Nitha Mathew Joseph, Larkin Strong, Madelene Ottosen, Veronica J. Brady, Raji Pillai, Sandy Jones

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The learner will be able to increase their understanding of beliefs and barriers to physical activity (PA) among SA (South Asian) women and can contribute knowledge to the development of culturally sensitive, social support-based public health nursing interventions to improve their PA and reduce their risk of T2D.

Use Of Emergency Departments By Children And Young People Following Telephone Triage: A Large Database Study, Akshay Kumar, Kerryn Husk, Rebecca Simpson, Graham Johnson, Christopher Burton

Peninsula Medical School

Background Although one objective of NHS 111 is to ease the strain on urgent and emergency care services, studies suggest the telephone triage service may be contributing to increased demand. Moreover, while parents and caregivers generally find NHS 111 satisfactory, concerns exist about its integration with the healthcare system and the appropriateness of advice. This study aimed to analyse the advice provided in NHS 111 calls, the duration between the call and ED attendance, and the outcomes of such attendances made by children and young people (C&YP).Methods A retrospective cohort study was carried out of C&YP (≤17) attending an ED …

Effect Of Cemented Vs Uncemented On Outcomes For Hemiarthroplasty In The Elderly: A Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Clinical Trials, Yuning Feng, Jun Wan, Haidong Deng, Lvlin Chen, Yangchun Xiao, Tiangui Li, Jialing He, Peng Wang, Weelic Chong, Yang Hai, Lu Jia, Yu Zhang

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: In patients undergoing hemiarthroplasty in the elderly, the choice of the cemented method remains controversial. This meta-analysis was undertaken to compare the impact of cemented vs uncemented on outcomes for hemiarthroplasty in the elderly.

METHODS: This study included randomized controlled trials comparing the postoperative effects of cemented vs uncemented in patients with hemiarthroplasty. With no language restrictions, we searched Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane Collaboration), Clinical Trials.gov, the ISRCTN registry, as well as gray literature with no language restrictions from January 1966 to April 2023. Data were quantitatively summarized using a random-effects model. …

Alphafold2 Modeling And Molecular Dynamics Simulations Of The Conformational Ensembles For The Sars-Cov-2 Spike Omicron Jn.1, Kp.2 And Kp.3 Variants: Mutational Profiling Of Binding Energetics Reveals Epistatic Drivers Of The Ace2 Affinity And Escape Hotspots Of Antibody Resistance, Nishank Raisinghani, Mohammed Alshahrani, Grace Gupta, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

AlphaFold2-based atomistic predictions of structures and conformational ensembles of the SARS-CoV-2 spike complexes with the host receptor ACE2 for the most dominant Omicron variants JN.1, KP.1, KP.2 and KP.3 to examine the mechanisms underlying the role of convergent evolution hotspots in balancing ACE2 binding and antibody evasion. Using the ensemble-based mutational scanning of the spike protein residues and computations of binding affinities, we identified binding energy hotspots and characterized the molecular basis underlying epistatic couplings between convergent mutational hotspots. The results suggested the existence of epistatic interactions between convergent mutational sites at L455, F456, Q493 positions that protect and restore …

Chromatin Conformation Capture In The Clinic: 4c-Seq/Hic Distinguishes Pathogenic From Neutral Duplications At The Gpr101 Locus, Adrian F Daly, Leslie A Dunnington, David F Rodriguez-Buritica, Erica Spiegel, Francesco Brancati, Giovanna Mantovani, Vandana M Rawal, Fabio Rueda Faucz, Hadia Hijazi, Jean-Hubert Caberg, Anna Maria Nardone, Mario Bengala, Paola Fortugno, Giulia Del Sindaco, Marta Ragonese, Helen Gould, Salvatore Cannavò, Patrick Pétrossians, Andrea Lania, James R Lupski, Albert Beckers, Constantine A Stratakis, Brynn Levy, Giampaolo Trivellin, Martin Franke

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: X-linked acrogigantism (X-LAG; MIM: 300942) is a severe form of pituitary gigantism caused by chromosome Xq26.3 duplications involving GPR101. X-LAG-associated duplications disrupt the integrity of the topologically associating domain (TAD) containing GPR101 and lead to the formation of a neo-TAD that drives pituitary GPR101 misexpression and gigantism. As X-LAG is fully penetrant and heritable, duplications involving GPR101 identified on prenatal screening studies, like amniocentesis, can pose an interpretation challenge for medical geneticists and raise important concerns for patients and families. Therefore, providing robust information on the functional genomic impact of such duplications has important research and clinical value with …

Review Of Data Bias In Healthcare Applications, Atharva Prakash Parate, Aditya Ajay Iyer, Kanav Gupta, Harsh Porwal, P. C. Kishoreraja, R. Sivakumar, Rahul Soangra

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

In the area of medical artificial intelligence (AI), data bias is a major difficulty that affects several phases of data collection, processing, and model building. The many forms of data bias that are common in AI in healthcare are thoroughly examined in this review study, encompassing biases related to socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity as well as biases in machine learning models and datasets. We examine how data bias affects the provision of healthcare, emphasizing how it might worsen health inequalities and jeopardize the accuracy of AI-driven clinical tools. We address methods for reducing data bias in AI and focus …

Minimally Invasive Therapies For Knee Osteoarthritis, Uchenna Osuala, Megan H Goh, Arian Mansur, John B Smirniotopoulos, Arielle Scott, Christine Vassell, Bardia Yousefi, Neil K Jain, Alan A Sag, Allison Lax, Kevin W Park, Alexander Kheradi, Marc Sapoval, Jafar Golzarian, Peiman Habibollahi, Osman Ahmed, Shamar Young, Nariman Nezami

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a musculoskeletal disorder characterized by articular cartilage degeneration and chronic inflammation, affecting one in five people over 40 years old. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of traditional and novel minimally invasive treatment options and role of artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline the diagnostic process of KOA. This literature review provides insights into the mechanisms of action, efficacy, complications, technical approaches, and recommendations to intra-articular injections (corticosteroids, hyaluronic acid, and plate rich plasma), genicular artery embolization (GAE), and genicular nerve ablation (GNA). Overall, there is mixed evidence to support the efficacy of …

Enhancing Cardiomyocyte Resilience To Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury: The Therapeutic Potential Of An Indole-Peptide-Tempo Conjugate (Iptc), Shanshan Hou, Xin Yan, Xiang Gao, Steffen Jockusch, K. Michael Gibson, Zhiying Shan, Lanrong Bi

Michigan Tech Publications

Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury leads to apoptosis and extensive cellular and mitochondrial damage, triggered by the early generation and subsequent accumulation of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS). This condition not only contributes to the pathology of I/R injury itself but is also implicated in a variety of other diseases, especially within the cardiovascular domain. Addressing mitochondrial oxidative stress thus emerges as a critical therapeutic target. In this context, our study introduces an indole-peptide-tempo conjugate (IPTC), a compound designed with dual functionalities: antioxidative properties and the ability to modulate autophagy. Our findings reveal that IPTC effectively shields H9C2 cardiomyocytes against hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) …

Perspectives On Physical Activity Participation In Middle-Aged U.S. South Asian Indian Women At Risk For Type 2 Diabetes, Nitha Mathew Joseph

Sigma Foundation for Nursing Research Grant Reports

The purpose of this study was to explore the culturally bound attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, and barriers related to PA among middle-aged U.S. SA women at risk for T2D living in the Houston area.

Assessing Extreme Environments: Is Diplotaxis Muralis A Key Species For The Phytomanagement Of Mercury-Contaminated Soils?, Csaba Timár, Maria Anastasia Abrudan, Mihaela Gălean, Dorina Podar

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Ethical Limitations Of Using Ai To Predict And Diagnose Mental Health Disorders Based On Individuals’ Social Media Activity, Stella Bandawe, Sumarie Roodt, Zainab Ruhwanya

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is developed with predictive tools and is used to predict and diagnose mental health disorders based on data mined on social media platforms. Despite the growth of its adoption, there is limited literature that explicitly states the ethical limits of this technology within the context of predictive mental health assessment. This study adopts a qualitative and deductive approach, it adopts the socio-technical systems theory which is evaluated using a systematic literature review approach focused on a data set of 40 documents. The results indicate that there are no clear regulations that define how much and what type …

E-Service Delivery And People-Centric Development In The Digital Age: A Case Of Rural South Africa, Tapfuma Pashapa, Ulrike Rivett

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

This paper explores the role of ICT proliferation in rural development, specifically in terms of improving public services within the South African rural context. The South African setting provided an opportunity to reflect on a people-centric approach that prioritizes social inclusion and public participation to balance a local government landscape historically skewed against rural areas. Interviews were conducted in rural municipalities to determine the development priorities of households and the impact of ICTs on rural development. The findings highlight that the economics of service delivery tend to favour service providers and those who are socio-economically advantaged. This results in varying …

Human Remains In Now-Extreme Cave Settings: Exploring Ancient Funerary Practices, Andrea Demjén, Florin Gogaltan, Szilárd Gall, Călin Ghemiș, Viorel Traian Lascu, Bogdan Petroniu Onac, Ioana Nicoleta Meleg

FRONTIERS UNBOUND: Exploring Extreme Environments

No abstract provided.

Reimagining Ict Education For The Ai Revolution: A Comprehensive Approach To Curriculum Redesign, Zvinodashe Revesai, Lawrence Ruvinga

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

This study examines the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) curricula globally and proposes a framework for educational redesign. Through a mixed-methods approach, including literature review, interviews, and analysis of 100 ICT programs across six continents, we identify significant regional disparities in AI education and key challenges in curriculum adaptation. Only 37% of analysed programs offer comprehensive AI courses, with institutions in Africa and South America notably lagging. We propose a flexible framework for AI integration, encompassing core foundations, specialization tracks, cross-cutting integration, practical projects, and continuous adaptation mechanisms. Preliminary validation shows promising results in …

How Does Compliance With The Protection Of Personal Information Act (Popi Act) Affect Organisations In South Africa?, Tendani Chimboza, Erin Smith

African Conference on Information Systems and Technology

This research examined how Protection of Personal Information Act No 4 of 2013 (POPIA) compliance affects organizations in South Africa. Despite the promulgation of POPIA in 2021, data breaches, abuse of personal information, and increased cyber threats persist in South Africa. As a privacy regulation, POPIA has yet to successfully safeguard personal information because it exists in a complex regulatory environment. Lack of technical measures to combat the abuse of personal information, limited awareness of the implications of POPIA compliance on organisations, and organisations' resource constraints are some factors that exacerbate the complexity of the regulatory environment. Through interviews in …