Digital Commons Network^™

Assessing The Impact Of Knowledge-Based Planning On Dosimetric Performance In Adaptive Prostate Sbrt Planning, Kayla Kenny

Masters Projects

Daily adaptive prostate stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is now feasible with advances in adaptive radiotherapy and automated optimization. However, the dosimetric quality of Ethos Intelligent Optimization Engine version 2 (IOE v2) automated plans may vary because optimization is based on user-defined templates rather than patient-specific dose guidance. This retrospective study evaluated whether integrating RapidPlan knowledge-based planning (KBP)–derived optimization objectives into the Ethos IOE v2 adaptive planning workflow improved dosimetric quality for prostate SBRT. Fifteen intact prostate SBRT patient datasets were evaluated. For each patient, three plans were generated: a baseline Ethos IOE v2 reference plan (Ref), a plan incorporating …

Effect Of Hydrogel Rectal Spacers On Bladder Wall And Regional Substructure Dose In Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy With Simultaneous Integrated Boost: A Retrospective Planning Study, Geronimo Sosa

Masters Projects

Purpose: Hydrogel rectal spacers reduce rectal dose during prostate radiotherapy, but their effect on bladder wall dose is not well characterized, particularly with volumetric modulated arc therapy with simultaneous integrated boost (VMAT-SIB). This study evaluated the effect of spacer placement on whole and regional bladder wall dose.

Methods: Twenty-nine patients treated with VMAT-SIB (70 Gy in 28 fractions) were analyzed retrospectively: 9 with and 20 without a spacer. The bladder wall was defined as the whole bladder minus a 3-mm inner margin. Primary endpoints were D0.03 cc and D1 cc; secondary endpoints included D2 cc, D3 cc, D10 cc, volume-based …

From Fragmented Services To Integrated Support: A Proposal For A Centralized Adult Learner Center, Paul Cullen

Masters Projects

Research shows that higher education institutions provide a wide range of resources to their students. However, limitations in availability, accessibility, and navigation create a fragmented experience for adult learners. This fragmented experience often exacerbates barriers experienced by adult learners, such as difficulty navigating decentralized services and lack of availability outside standard business hours, that negatively impact the learner experience and outcomes, resulting in reduced persistence and retention. This project proposes a solution to this fragmentation and shows how the digital transformation in higher education can be utilized as an enabling approach to improve availability, accessibility, and navigation of services for …

A Topology-Aware Extension Of Guttae Area Ratio In Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy, Molly Orlick, Henry Bair

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

No abstract provided.

Non-Enzymatic Hepatic Abhd6 Interacts With Akt-Foxo1 Axis To Regulate Metabolic Health, Guannan Li, Laurence T Maeyens, Jiyuan Yin, Jan-Bernd Funcke, Chanmin Joung, Ruizhen Li, Ziying Xu, Ting Wu, Xin Li, Nisi Jiang, Mbolle Ekane, Maria Paula Lopez, Pengju Cao, Sijia He, Adam B Salmon, S R Murthy Madiraju, Marc Prentki, Juli Bai, James F Nelson, Xianlin Han, Yi Zhu, Shangang Zhao

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

The enzymatic role of ABHD6 in insulin secretion and resistance is well documented. However, its non-enzymatic function, especially its effects on metabolic health, including selective hepatic insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), is poorly understood. To define the role of ABHD6 in liver physiology, we generated liver-specific ABHD6 knockout mice, as well as liver-specific native and enzymatically inactive mutant ABHD6 overexpression mouse models. We demonstrate that non-enzymatic ABHD6 contributes to the regulation of selective hepatic insulin resistance and MASLD progression. Mechanistically, we show that ABHD6 localizes to the nucleus and interacts with Akt/FoxO1 axis to regulate insulin …

Acp Roles, Barriers, And Emotional Labor Of Home Health Nurses In Japan: A Text-Mining Analysis, Yoko Hashimoto, Kumiko Kotake

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Home care in Japan has increased rapidly among older adults and individuals with cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and chronic conditions (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2021). Within this expanding community-based care system, Advance Care Planning (ACP) is essential for supporting patients’ values and end-of-life preferences (Rietjens et al., 2017). Home health nurses, who observe patients’ daily lives closely, play a central role in ACP (Chan et al., 2020). However, their roles and emotional burdens remain underexplored.

Objective: To clarify the roles, barriers, and emotional experiences of home health nurses in ACP support in Japan and identify implications for educational …

Impact Of Debriefing Methods On Psychological Outcomes In End-Of-Life Simulation, Jennifer A. Wentzel, Julie Steele, Desireé Hensel

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Introduction: Nursing students do not feel adequately prepared to care for patients at the end of life (EOL) (Yoong et al., 2023). Current EOL education focuses on students’ learning outcomes instead of their psychological needs (Harder & Harwood, 2019). This is the first study to compare the impact of debriefing methods on psychological outcomes in EOL nursing education.

Purpose: Guided by the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and Kolcaba’s Comfort Theory, this study examined the impact of the Trauma-informed, Psychologically Safe (TiPS) debriefing method on coping with death, attitudes toward care of the dying, and debriefing experience in undergraduate …

Supporting My Resilience And Well-Being: Reflections From Pre-Nursing Student, Leslie A. Jennings, Regina W. Urban, Adrianna Vinar

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: In 2022, over 138,000 nurses left the U.S. workforce, primarily due to stress and burnout (Smiley et al., 2025). Because nursing students also experience high levels of burnout (Gómez-Urquiza et al., 2023), efforts to reduce burnout should begin during their training. Psychosocial factors, like stress and resilience, are associated with burnout (Al-Alawi et al., 2020) and affect nursing student retention (Sanderson et al., 2021) but are rarely examined in students preparing for admission to nursing school. Among these students, stress is negatively associated with resilience and persistence (Names Withheld, 2022). Strategies to reduce stress must go beyond academics and …

Online Simulation With Actor And Facilitator To Assist Iens Develop Strategies To Address Incivility, Patricia Ann Bradley, Linda Patrick, Elaine Santa Mina, Kirsten Woodend, Ayesha Bhatti

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Internationally educated nurses (IENs) may face obstacles transitioning into the Canadian healthcare environment due to incivility (Cruz, Quicho & Ibañez, 2022). Workplace incivility describes workplace behaviour that is rude, disruptive, and disrespectful and that promotes discord and disharmony (Clark et al., 2020). Incivility has an impact on nurses’ well-being, patient engagement, and patient outcomes (Jackson, Usher, & Cleary, 2024).

We will share the virtual simulation multi-dimensional design, development, and evaluation outcomes that features actors as simulated participants (SPs) and facilitators for the provincially funded Ontario Internationally Educated Nurses Course Consortium concept and competency-bridging program of study for IENs. The learning …

Sustaining A Sense Of Unknowing Of The Risk For Coronary Artery Disease After Gestational Diabetes, Daisy Baldwin

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major global health issue (Khan et al., 2020; Roth et al., 2017; Virani et al., 2021) and affects many women, with one death every 16 minutes in Canada (Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, 2023; Norris & Mulvagh, 2024). Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), a rising non-traditional CAD risk factor (Garcia et al., 2016; Mussa et al., 2021; Saeedi et al., 2019), increases women’s CAD risk fourfold (Garcia et al., 2016). Despite this, women often lack knowledge of the long-term risks associated with GDM (Craig et al., 2020; Khooshehchin et al., 2016; Lennon, 2018; …

Co-Designing Success: Supporting New Rns In Their Transition To Practice, Morgan Hoffarth, Robert Mihan, Shanoja Naik, Hasitha Wimalarathna, Doris Grinspun

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Newly graduated nurses (NGNs) face disproportionately high turnover rates compared to experienced nurses, with estimates ranging from 18% to 43% globally¹. This persistent challenge has prompted increased attention to transition-to-practice programs, which aim to support NGNs during their critical first year of work³. Research has identified key facilitators and barriers to successful transition through thematic analysis; however, their recommendations lacked direct input from NGNs themselves, highlighting a gap in participatory approaches³. Understanding the transition experience from NGNs and mentors is essential to design effective, responsive supports⁵. The urgency of this issue has …

Exploring The Relationship Between Registered Nurses’ Resilience And Disaster Response Readiness, Jessica Parrott, Janice Evans Hawkins, Beth Tremblay, Robert Joseph Hawkins

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Nurses play a critical role in disaster response and readiness. While there is significant research that speaks to the importance of resiliency in the nursing profession, there is a lack of research specific to the relationship between resiliency and disaster response readiness. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between RNs’ resilience and their readiness to respond to disasters. This descriptive cross-sectional study used purposive and snowball sampling to recruit participants. Data were collected via an anonymous online survey. Descriptive, non-inferential, and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. The sample included 352 RNs representing 271 distinct …

Responsivity Education Reflection Packet For Multigenerational Caregivers, Natalie Holsky

Honors Projects

Caregivers play an essential role in supporting their child’s language development. Through everyday routines, caregivers have countless opportunities to foster strong language skills. Extensive research has examined the influence of caregiver input on language development. Comparatively little research has explored how historical trends in parenting advice across generations may shape caregivers’ use of language facilitation practices. The purpose of my honors project was to examine how generational parenting trends could inform the development of a clinic-to-home language facilitation resource. This resource was designed to help caregivers incorporate language facilitation strategies into everyday routines to increase language-rich interactions at home. A …

Education And Inequality:: Shaping Conflict And Peace In Broken Socio-Economic Structures, Anna Zherdeva, Daniel Kamphambale, Lucía Morales

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This study engages in a critical literature review that offers insights into systemic and structural problems that immigrants face. Being forced, in many cases, to flee from their countries of origin, migrants face many challenges due to a lack of clear educational pathways, cultural integration and social lifts within the world's most advanced countries. For instance, migrants often experience labour-market resistance, as evidenced by consistent, stagnant rates of advancement into higher positions in their host countries and by their limited integration into communities and society. An additional problem is that segregation by country of origin matters significantly, as migrants face …

An Assessment Of The Multidisciplinary Approach To Fetal Echocardiography Education, Riley Allen

Masters Projects

With congenital heart disease (CHD) being the most common birth defect, there is a growing demand for utilization of fetal echocardiography (FE). In clinical practice FE requires an interdisciplinary approach to performance and patient care, and integration of techniques from both the obstetric and pediatric cardiac areas of medicine. While practitioners align on the need for an interdisciplinary approach to practice and the specific methods of performance, there is little consensus on how to comprehensively educate the sonography workforce. Literature has identified gaps in both the obstetric and pediatric cardiac sonographer education bases, predominantly focusing on the lack of specific …

Research Nexus : Volume 40 – 2026, Office Of Research And Graduate Studies

Office of Research and Graduate Studies Archives

• Researcher Spotlight
• Research Milestones & News
• Capacity Building Initiatives
• NIH Updates and Other Resources
• Explore New Grant Opportunities

Clinical Utility Of An Fda-Authorized Artificial Intelligence Imaging Platform In Interstitial Lung Disease Diagnosis, Arjun Prakash Tambe, Ryan Boente, Gautam George, Fayez Kheir, Omid Tahamtani Omran, Kavitha Selvan

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine Faculty Papers

Background/Objectives: The diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is challenging and frequently delayed. Clinically accessible and minimally invasive diagnostic tools are needed to expedite the diagnosis of ILD while minimizing risk to patients. Fibresolve is an imaging artificial intelligence (AI) tool recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in ILD diagnosis and made available to clinicians. The objective of this study was to describe its utility in clinical practice. Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational study of patients across the United States (US) in whom Fibresolve was utilized during routine clinical practice between July 2024 and …

Fast Class: A Transition Program Supporting The Transition Of Incoming Freshman Division Ii Football Student-Athletes, Andrew S. Beck

Masters Projects

Division II football student-athletes often experience academic, social, and athletic challenges in the midst of their transition to college, particularly due to their college journey beginning without well-established academic habits, intentional learning behaviors and strategies, and awareness of campus support services and resources. This project examines the array of transitional experiences of incoming Division II football student-athletes and the imperativeness of intentional, proactive intervention prior to their college journey beginning. The project is rooted in research related to student-athlete transition, academic preparedness, resource utilization, help-seeking behavior, and first-year transition programming and intervention. Schlossberg’s (1984) Transition Theory serves as the primary …

Coping With Adversity: Exploring The Role Of Protective Factors And Their Impact On School Enrollment And Satisfaction Among Adolescents Living With Hiv In Low-Resource Settings, Jennifer Nattabi

Brown School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Globally, an estimated 2.38 million children and adolescents (0–19 years) are living with HIV, with 80% residing in sub-Saharan Africa. In Uganda, adolescents remain at high risk, with approximately 6,600 new infections among 10–19-year-olds in 2023. Despite expanded access to antiretroviral therapy (ART), adolescents Living with HIV (ALHIV) continue to experience poor outcomes, including low viral suppression and high mortality, largely driven by non-adherence. However, ART adherence represents only one dimension of their lived experience. ALHIV must also navigate intersecting adversities, including poverty, stigma, orphanhood, and exposure to sexual and gender-based violence, while meeting academic expectations, particularly in boarding school …

Behavioral Indicators Of Stress In Wild Savanna-Dwelling Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes) In Fongoli, Senegal, Leah T. Williams

Theses and Dissertations

Stress influences health, reproduction, social relationships, and survival in primates. I identified behavioral indicators of stress in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and determined whether coping strategies varied between behavioral contexts. Coping behavior differed significantly across contexts and behaviors, indicating that coping behaviors are strategically utilized in different contexts and provide insight into the emotional regulation of chimpanzees.

Extreme Heat And Its Impact On Public Transit Ridership In Nyc, Craig Denton

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the connection between extreme heat events and public transit ridership patterns in New York City, with a particular emphasis on low-income communities. It investigates the intersection of socioeconomic factors and heat-related challenges, analyzing how extreme temperature periods influence overall transit use and why certain routes or neighborhoods experience greater declines in ridership during these events.

Utilizing existing literature, NYC-specific transit and climate datasets, and the broader context of transit equity, this research aims to inform strategies that strengthen climate resilience within urban transportation systems. The study’s findings are intended to support policy development and planning initiatives that …

Green Extractivism And The Discursive Legitimization Of Deep-Sea Mining In The Clarion-Clipperton Zone, Kaitlyn Maritan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis critically examines deep-sea mining as an example of green extractivism, constructed through narratives of responsible mining practices. A content analysis assesses the discursive tactics of four actors in the emerging industry; how they collectively legitimize deep-sea mining and manage the contradictions of sustainability and extractivism.

The Introduction Of High-Speed Rail And Its Impact On Mode Choice The Case Of Morocco’S Al Boraq, Michael Stewart

Theses and Dissertations

Morocco's Al Boraq, Africa's first high-speed rail line, reshaped mode choice along the Casablanca-Tangier corridor. Drawing on ONCF ridership data, 234 rider surveys, and nine months of fieldwork, this ex-post assessment finds accelerated passenger growth, substantial induced demand, and mode shift from automobiles, informing Global South HSR development.

Evaluating Fall Prevention Implementation Approaches Through Natural Language Processing, Shanoja Naik, Hasitha Wimalarathna, Doris Grinspun

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Falls are leading causes of injury, hospitalization, and reduced quality of life among older adults in long-term care (LTC) settings(2,8) .This study explores the use of Natural Language Processing (NLP) to evaluate the uptake and impact of Preventing Falls and Reducing Injury from Falls (2017) best practice guideline (BPG)(4,5,6) in Ontario LTC homes.

Methods: A retrospective qualitative content analysis design was employed, and data were collected from 153 LTC reports submitted between 2015 to 2022 to a qualitative nursing data reporting system(3,4). Unstructured narrative text was processed through tokenization, part-of-speech tagging, stop-word removal, stemming/lemmatization, and keyword extraction via Rapid …

Contributions Of Arginine And Nitrosative Stress To Huntington’S Disease Progression, Ian D. Gaudet

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Neuroinflammation is a well-established component of Huntington's disease (HD) pathogenesis, yet the intricate molecular mechanisms that govern this process remain a topic of ongoing research and debate. This dissertation elucidates a novel pathway linking arginine metabolism and nitrosative stress to core HD pathology. We found that the arginine transporter SLC7A2 is selectively upregulated in various HD cellular models and patient samples. Our findings reveal that this upregulation drives an overactive inflammatory response, leading to abnormally high inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) induction and subsequent nitric oxide (NO) production, which causes excessive protein nitrosylation and an increase in mitochondrial fragmentation.

To …

Large-Scale Asymptotics In Fixed-Sample And Sequential Multiple Testing, Rahul Roy

Doctoral Theses

The advent of large-scale data acquisition technologies has led to the routine emergence of massive, dynamically evolving datasets. This has created a pressing need for statistical methodologies capable of operating effectively in both static and sequential data environments. Multiple hypotheses testing, a central tool in such settings, must therefore be adapted to both fixed-sample and sequential frameworks to ensure effective decision-making while controlling error rates. This thesis comprises two main parts. The first part addresses fixed-sample multiple testing under dependence in a Bayesian framework. Building upon the two-group mixture normal model of Bogdan et al. (2011), we extend their methodology …

Final Bpsou Unreclaimed Sites: Ur-46 Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Revised Draft Final Butte Mine Waste Repository Operation And Maintenance (O&M) Plan, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

How Racial-Ethnic, Immigration, And 2slgbtq+ Intersectional Self-Efficacy Of Gender-Sexuality Alliance Advisors Shapes Youth Members’ Positive Experiences, Tessa M.L. Kaufman, Wouter J. Kiekens, Maria Di Stasio, Alex Mascarino, Robert A. Marx, V. Paul Poteat

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Gender–sexuality alliances (GSAs) provide critical support for 2SLGBTQ+ youth, yet the role of advisors—particularly in their self-efficacy to address race-, ethnicity-, and immigration-related issues, including how these intersect with sexual and gender identity, a construct we term racial-ethnic, immigration, and intersectional self-efficacy (REISE)—remains understudied. This study examined (a) which advisor-, GSA-, and school-related factors are associated with advisors' REISE, and (b) how this efficacy relates to youth members' socioemotional experiences. Data were collected from 627 GSA members at three time points and from 64 advisors at one time point from 51 GSAs in Massachusetts, New York City, and California. Advisors' …

Wendi Kraemer V. Township Of Rostraver

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania