Digital Commons Network^™

Development And Validation Of A Theoretically Informed Instrument To Measure The Antecedents Of Microbreaking Intentions (I-Mami) Of Procedural Healthcare Workers, Robin Riddle

ETDs from 2020-2029

ABSTRACT Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) affect 77% of nurses and 60% of surgeons, exceeding rates in other occupational sectors and threatening healthcare workforce sustainability. Microbreaking is brief, strategic pause of 20 seconds to five minutes performed every 20 to 40 minutes during medical procedures. It has demonstrated effectiveness in reducing fatigue, improving accuracy, and lowering physiological stress markers without extending medical procedure duration. Despite this evidence, adoption remains limited, and no theoretically informed instruments exist to measure the behavioral determinants of microbreaking intentions among procedural healthcare workers. Investigators of this three-manuscript dissertation developed and established content and construct validity as …

Psychosocial Outcomes In Adults With Cleft Lip And Palate: Exploring The Relationship Between Cleft Severity, Mental Health, And Treatment Satisfaction, Haley Hannabass

ETDs from 2020-2029

Introduction:This study aimed to examine psychosocial outcomes in adults with cleft lip and palate (CL/P), focusing on how cleft severity (unilateral versus bilateral) influences depression, anxiety, social functioning, oral health–related quality of life, and satisfaction with treatment outcomes. Individuals born with clefts often continue to face psychosocial challenges even after surgical repair, and limited research has compared how these outcomes differ by cleft type in adulthood. Materials and Methods:A cross-sectional design was used, including 24 adults aged 18 years and older who had undergone cleft repair and were finished or in active orthodontic treatment at UAB. Participants completed an online …

Handling Missing Data In Copd Research, Chia-Ying Chiu

ETDs from 2020-2029

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) remains a major global health concern and one of the leading causes of death in the United States, affecting approximately 4.6% of adults and reaching a prevalence of 9.4% in Alabama according to 2024 National Health Interview Survey. The disease imposes a substantial burden on quality of life and healthcare costs and contributes to increased disability-adjusted life years and years of life lost, as highlighted by the 2022 Lancet Commission report. Despite its im-pact, COPD is frequently diagnosed only after irreversible lung damage has occurred, largely due to under-recognized symptoms and limited diagnostic tools. Early …

Development Of Salinomycin Analogs As Potential Anti-Cancer Agents, Pavan Goud Juluri

Theses and Dissertations

Salinomycin, a poly-ionophore antibiotic originally isolated from Streptomyces albus, exhibits antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria. Over the years Salinomycin has been studied in the effects it has on cancer, specifically cancer stem cells. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is an enzyme involved in DNA repair. Inhibiting PARP has been explored as a strategy in cancer treatment, particularly in cancers with defective DNA repair mechanisms, such as those with BRCA mutations. The benzo-thiazoles, and -imidazoles are identified as inhibitor scaffolds, which compete with nicotinamide in the binding pocket of human poly- and mono-ADP-ribosylating enzymes. Benzothiazole, and benzimidazole based compounds particularly with modification at …

Assessing The Influence Of Exercise Types On The Quality Of Life For Cardiac Rehab Patients, Joshua Alston

Doctorate in Kinesiology

In the realm of cardiac rehabilitation, understanding the specific impacts of aerobic and anaerobic exercise was of great importance for optimizing patient outcomes. As individuals embarked on the journey of recovering from cardiac events, tailored exercise programs became essential components of their rehabilitation plans. This study utilized a mixed-methods action research design to evaluate the effects of aerobic and anaerobic exercise on the quality of life (QOL) for cardiac rehabilitation patients. The research was driven by the question: “How do individual aerobic and anaerobic exercise program interventions impact on the holistic improvement in the Quality of Life (QOL) for Cardiac …

Anorectal Complications In Acute Leukaemia: A Retrospective Analysis Of Clinical Characteristics, Management And Outcomes In A Tertiary Care Setting In Oman, Najwa Al Himali, Murtadha Al Khabori, Mohamed Al Huneini

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objectives: Anorectal complications are common and serious issues among patients with haematological malignancies, leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Limited data are available on their incidence, microbiology screening and management. This study aimed to improve the understanding of these complications in patients diagnosed with acute leukaemia in Oman. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman and included patients diagnosed with acute leukaemia who developed anorectal complications over the past decade (2015–2024). Results: A total of 100 patients were included in this study; 50% had acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), 35% had acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) …

Assessing Urban Flooding And Vegetation Impact In Dubai Creek Following The April 2024 Extreme Rainfall, Dana Alhammadi, Xin Hong

All Works

During April 2024, the United Arab Emirates experienced an unusual phenomenon of an intense rainfall episode between April 14 and 18 that resulted in massive flooding in urban environments, particularly low-lying areas such as Dubai Creek. As a tidal waterway with dense urban development and environmentally sensitive zones surrounding it, Dubai Creek is an ideal site for assessing environmental changes caused by to floods. The study employed pre-flood (14 April) and post-flood (18 April) high-resolution PlanetScope satellite images, in combination with QGIS analysis, to evaluate vegetation health and surface water changes. Quantification of affected areas from flooding was achieved through …

Biomarkers Of Response To Neoadjuvant Palbociclib Plus Anastrozole In Endocrine-Resistant Estrogen Receptor-Positive/Her2-Negative Breast Cancer: A Phase 2 Trial, Tim Kong, Alex Mabry, Maureen Highkin, Jeremy Hoog, Zhanfang Guo, Adrian Gonzales-Gonzales, Shana Thomas, Yingduo Song, Feng Gao, Mateusz Opyrchal, Lindsay Peterson, Foluso Ademuyiwa, Julie Margenthaler, Rebecca Aft, Katherine Glover-Collins, Leslie Nehring, Yu Tao, Souzan Sanati, Ian S Hagemann, Fouad Boulos, Li Ding, Stephen T Oh, Ron Bose, Jason D Weber, Jingqin Luo, Cynthia X Ma, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

CDK4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) improve outcomes for estrogen receptor (ER) positive/HER2-negative breast cancers (BCs), yet intrinsic and acquired resistance exist. Here, we evaluated anastrozole in combination with palbociclib (ANA/PAL) in the NeoPalAna Endocrine-Resistant cohort (NCT01723774). Thirty-four patients with clinical stage II/III ER + /HER2- BCs resistant to standard neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (on-treatment Ki67 > 10%) received neoadjuvant ANA/PAL, with serial biopsies analyzed. The primary endpoint, complete cell cycle arrest (CCCA; Ki67

Redefining The Role Of Chaperones For Dot/Icm T4bss-Mediated Substrate Translocation By Legionella Pneumophila, Sukhithasri Vijayrajratnam, Ahmet Hasanovic, Joseph P Vogel

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Legionella pneumophila, the etiological agent of legionnaires' disease, establishes its intracellular niche through the Dot/Icm type IVB secretion system, which translocates ∼300 effector proteins into host cells. Efficient secretion of many effectors requires the IcmS and IcmW chaperones, which interact with both substrates and the type IV coupling protein DotL. A prior model proposed that IcmSW are released from substrates during translocation by transfer to the C terminus of DotL and then recycled to the cytoplasm. This model predicts an excess cytoplasmic pool of IcmSW and their dissociation from DotL. We tested these predictions using quantitative stoichiometric analysis of Dot/Icm …

Dual Roles Of Trpv2 In The Innate Immune Response To Cytosolic Dna: Arresting Dormant And Boosting Activated Sting, Chen Cheng, Hsiang-Ting Lu, Shan Li, Zhongsheng You

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The cGAS/STING-dependent innate immune pathway is central in the cellular response to cytosolic DNA derived from viral infections, genotoxic stress, or mitochondrial defects. While efficient activation of the pathway is crucial for defending against pathogens and cancer, maintaining its dormancy without stimuli is equally important to avoid autoimmunity. However, the precise control of the cGAS/STING pathway remains poorly understood. Here, we report that the ion channel TRPV2 regulates both the dormancy and activation of STING. TRPV2 associates with STING and suppresses spontaneous STING activation in the absence of cytoDNA but dissociates from STING and promotes its activation by releasing Ca

Distinct Contributions Of Etv2+ And Flk1+ Progenitors To Endothelial, Hematopoietic, And Cardiac Lineages, Dereck Alleyne, Minseo Kim, Jun Wu, Yoojung Kwon, Ye-Ram Kim, Ashraf Ul Kabir, Matthew Ishahak, Jeffrey R Millman, Changxu Fan, Hyung Joo Lee, Karen Krchma, Xiaoyun Xing, Kory Lavine, Ting Wang, Kyunghee Choi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The ETS family transcription factor ETV2, VEGFA, and its receptor FLK1 are essential for hematopoietic, vascular, and cardiac development. Here, we combine dual Etv2 and Flk1 lineage tracing with molecular profiling to define how mesoderm progenitors are allocated to hematopoietic, endothelial, cardiomyocyte, and smooth muscle lineages. We demonstrate that hematopoietic, endothelial, and cardiac valves arise from dual Etv2

Thinking Otherwise With Children In Cities: A Storying Approach To Co-Researching With Children And Teachers, William A. Parnell, Sally Guyon

Leadership, Learning and Counseling Faculty Publications and Presentations

This Children in Cities research project examines an approach to storying research that foregrounds collaborative meaning-making between educators and young children in their city. Through exploring how educators and young children might “think otherwise” about teaching, learning, and participation with history, Place noticing and entanglements between humans, more-than-human, and non-humans, three stories and a metaphor surface in the data. Drawing on three stories, metaphor is employed as an analytic and integrative device to deepen interpretation of lived experiences. Central to the methodology is a democratic orientation that seeks to reduce hierarchical boundaries, engaging children aged 3–5 as co-researchers in the …

Spartan Daily, January 27, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 166, Issue 2

Apolipoprotein E4 And Its Later-Life Health Effects On The Multiple Sclerosis Population, Dean Zeldich, Chia Hsin Cheng, Yi Guan, Sriman Narain, Bang-Bon Koo

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease causing neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. The apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) allele, a major genetic risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's Disease, accelerates cognitive decline and neuroinflammatory processes, including blood-brain-barrier disruption. This study explores the impact of APOE4 on later-life health in MS patients using biomarkers from the UK Biobank.

METHODS: MS patients were grouped by APOE4 carrier status: MS-E4 and MS-nonE4. Age- and sex-matched non-MS controls (control-E4, control-nonE4) were included for comparison. Analyses assessed retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFL) from optical coherence tomography (OCT), blood biomarkers, cognitive performance, and brain magnetic …

Micromobility In Nyc: 2025, Mike Owen Benediktsson Phd, Xuemeng Li Phd

Publications and Research

This report offers a statistical snapshot of micromobility across the city over a three-week period in late 2025. Our team of trained researchers systematically observed over 1,700 micromobility vehicles at 155 separate intersections across the five boroughs of New York City. Our primary findings describe overall patterns in the demographics of micromobility and vehicle behavior at city intersections, and show how this behavior is shaped by variations in infrastructure as well as individual-level attributes.

Carrasquillo V. 303 W. 122nd St. Hous. Dev. Fund Corp.

All Decisions

The Appellate Division affirmed the denial of the tenant's motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent the sale of co-op shares or termination of the proprietary lease. The court found the tenant failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits, primarily by not proving the landlord breached the warranty of habitability; cited violations were largely corrected, and the tenant denied access for repairs. Furthermore, the notice to cure was deemed valid. As the tenant defaulted on the loan agreement, the landlord was permitted under UCC § 9-610[a] to sell the shares or terminate the lease.

Rock Park Realty Llc V. Mcdonald

All Decisions

In this licensee holdover, the tenant, who was evicted after a default judgment, filed a post-eviction Order to Show Cause seeking restoration. The court granted the tenant's motion, vacating the default judgment and warrant, and restoring the tenant to possession. The court found a reasonable excuse for the default based on the tenant not receiving notice, applying a totality of the circumstances analysis for CPLR § 5015(a)(1). A potentially meritorious defense of succession rights was also established. The decision emphasized the court's preference for deciding matters on their merits rather than by default.

Bridging The Gap Transition From Pediatric Care To Adult Care, Jordan Garcia, Haley Henry, Amina Jamma, Guiliana Jimenez Carrion, Alexis Lowary, Jenna Potts, Josie Ramirez, Iman Siraj

2025

No abstract provided.

Modulation Of The Cgas-Sting Inflammation Pathway In Mouse Models Of Accelerated And Slowed Aging, Benjamin David Heckman

ETDs from 2020-2029

Chronic sterile inflammation (inflammaging) is a core pillar of aging, and the cGAS-STING innate immune pathway has emerged as a key driver of this process. However, how this pathway intersects with systemic endocrine signaling remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the intersection of endocrine signaling and cGAS-STING activation using two complementary mouse models with opposing lifespan phenotypes: a short-lived, liver-specific glucagon receptor knockout (LKO) mouse and a long-lived growth hormone-releasing hormone knockout (GHRH-KO) mouse. We demonstrate that despite presenting with a metabolically healthy phenotype, female LKO mice exhibited a significantly reduced lifespan. We link this premature mortality to a sex …

Examining Pain- Related Stigma And Sources Of Resilience In Children With Disorders Of Gut-Brain Interaction, Tolulope Adetayo

ETDs from 2020-2029

Background. Painful disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI) affect approximately one in five children. In addition to functional impairments, DGBI increase risk for felt stigma (FS) from providers, school personnel, family members, and peers. Children with DGBI may also belong to other minoritized groups that intersect with pain-related FS. However, little is known about how intersectionality impacts the stigma and pain experiences of youth. Further, little is known about the protective capabilities of psychosocial resources (e.g., social support and hope) against FS. Thus, the current study aimed to investigate the impact of FS and its potential moderators in a sample of …

Posterior Cerebellar Lobe Deviations And Social Cognition In Individuals With Psychosis And Their Unaffected Relatives, Andreea Maria Stanica

ETDs from 2020-2029

Social cognition deficits observed in psychotic disorders contribute to functional impairments. The cerebellum has been identified as a critical brain region involved in social cognitive processes, but the relationship between cerebellar structural deviations and social cognition in individuals with psychosis (probands) and their unaffected relatives remains unclear. Using normative modeling, this study examined cerebellar volume deviations in probands and their unaffected first-degree relatives and investigated associations with social cognitive and motor performance. Probands exhibited significant theory of mind deficits compared to relatives. Probands showed negative deviations in anterior cerebellar lobe relative to the norm, whereas relatives did not. Deviations in …

The Effectiveness Of A Web-Based, Edutainment Intervention On Hiv-Related Stigma, Hiv Knowledge, And Condom Use Self-Efficacy Among Black/African American Emerging Adults, Shirlacia Gray

ETDs from 2020-2029

The Effectiveness of a Web-Based, Edutainment Intervention on HIV-Related Stigma, HIV Knowledge, and Condom Use Self-Efficacy among Black/African American Emerging Adults SHIRLACIA S. GRAY APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY ABSTRACT Background: Edutainment interventions were developed to increase knowledge, to influence people’s attitudes and behaviors toward sexual, social and public health issues, and to promote behavior change. This current study implemented an edutainment intervention to examine its effectiveness on increasing HIV knowledge, reducing HIV-related stigma, and increasing condom use self-efficacy among Black/African American Emerging Adults in Birmingham, AL. Methods: This current study used longitudinal data from the City Health-II intervention for secondary data …

Exploring Criminality Through A Developmental Lens: Contextual Effects From Childhood To Emerging Adulthood, Abigail Jeanette Anderson

ETDs from 2020-2029

Adolescent delinquency is a key predictor of later criminal behaviors and is associated with negative outcomes across education, employment, and health. Despite extensive research, gaps remain regarding the interplay of individual- and context-level factors in the development of delinquency, as well as the reliance on cross-sectional or retrospective designs. Guided by a social-ecological framework, the present dissertation examines how family, school, and neighborhood contexts interact with individual behaviors to shape pathways toward delinquency and adult criminality across childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. The first study investigated the cascading effects of paternal engagement, parental aggravation, and early child behavior problems in …

Amino Acid Pet Tracers For Cancer Imaging And Response Assessment, Ugur Akca

ETDs from 2020-2029

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and high-grade glioma (HGG) pose significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to their aggressive biology and the limitations of [¹⁸F]FDG PET, which suffers from nonspecific uptake in inflammatory tissues, complicating differentiation of viable tumor from treatment-related effects. Computed Tomography, while strong for structural changes, has limited soft tissue contrast for distinguishing tumor from inflammation, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging, despite superior soft tissue resolution, struggles with differentiating active tumor from post-treatment changes like edema or necrosis due to nonspecific enhancement. These challenges highlight the necessity for complementary and advanced imaging strategies for improved diagnosis and monitoring. This …

Bidirectional Effects Of Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation On Insomnia And Brain Health In Breast Cancer, Melissa Van Trang Do

ETDs from 2020-2029

Breast cancer remains the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women worldwide, with over 2.3 million new cases annually. While advances in treatment have improved survival, many women continue to suffer from persistent insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction that collectively impair quality of life and recovery. These interrelated symptoms share common biological underpinnings, including autonomic dysregulation, vagal withdrawal, and chronic inflammation. Transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) is a non-invasive, bioelectronic therapy that modulates afferent vagal pathways via auricular branches of the vagus and trigeminal nerves. By engaging central autonomic and neuroimmune circuits, including the nucleus tractus solitarius and …

Sample Preparation Effects On Liquid Scintillation Counting Quench, Jason Rusch

ETDs from 2020-2029

Liquid Scintillation Counting (LSC) is a critical technique in operational health physics, particularly for contamination surveys. However, common, expedient sample preparation choices often introduce unpredictable levels of quench, compromising the accuracy of results. This thesis investigates the impact of common preparation variables including vial material, cap lining, solid sample matrix presence, cocktail volume, and radioactivity. The impact of these sample preparation variables were evaluated using the quench methods on two fundamentally distinct commercial LSC systems, the Perkin Elmer Tri-Carb 4910TR (employing tSIE correction) and the Hidex 600 SL (employing TDCR correction). A total of 320 samples were evaluated on each …

Physiological And Neuroimmune Effects Of Manual Therapy, Murdi S. Alanazi

ETDs from 2020-2029

Manual therapy (MT) is widely used across healthcare disciplines for the management of musculoskeletal conditions. Emerging evidence indicates that MT may also influence broader physiological systems such as the nervous and the immune systems. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are still not well understood, and limited evidence exists regarding the neuroimmune effect of MT in neurologically impaired populations such as multiple sclerosis (MS). The overall aim of this dissertation was to investigate the physiological effects of MT, synthesizing current evidence across mechanistic domains, and generating pilot data to inform future research. This dissertation was structured around four manuscripts. The …

Clinical Decision Support Using Medical Imaging Artificial Intelligence, Yun-Chi Lin

ETDs from 2020-2029

Medical imaging plays a central role in modern clinical decision-making, yet its effective integration with artificial intelligence (AI) remains challenged by real-world clinical constraints. This dissertation investigates how medical imaging-based AI frameworks can be strategically designed to support clinical decision-making for two distinct but clinically critical scenarios: acute pandemic care and chronic neurodegenerative disease management. In acute pandemic settings, such as the COVID-19 crisis, healthcare systems face an urgent need for rapid risk stratification under conditions of data scarcity and operational stress including surges in patient volume and limited medical resources. This work explores strategies for developing deep learning models …

Does Market Penetration Of Medicare Advantage Plans Impact The Financial Performance Of Texas Critical Access Hospitals?, Charles Anthony Brocato

ETDs from 2020-2029

ABSTRACT This study investigated the impact of increasing market penetration of Medicare Advantage plans on the financial performance of Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs) in Texas, specifically focusing on days cash on hand (DCOH) and operating margin (OM). With over 20% of Americans relying on CAHs for healthcare, the financial viability of these hospitals is crucial for rural community health. The study analyzed longitudinal data from 72 CAHs in Texas between 2018 to 2023, a period marked by significant changes in the healthcare landscape due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite increased enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans rising from 26% to 40%, …

The Efficacy Of Computerized Visual Scanning Training Tools In Vision Rehabilitation Following Acquired Brain Injury, Lulwah Almulhim

ETDs from 2020-2029

Various neurological conditions, including acquired brain injuries, can cause visual scanning deficits, which disrupt the ability to gather and interpret visual information. Computerized training tools, such as light boards, are utilized to enhance functional vision and occupational performance. The Dynavision (D2) is a well-established visuomotor training tool primarily utilized to address visual field and visual scanning deficits. The Bioness Integrated Therapy System (BITS) is a touchscreen-based rehabilitation tool designed to assess and enhance vision, motor skills, cognition, and balance. To our knowledge, normative data for BITS visual scanning programs have not been established. We conducted a scoping review to identify …