Digital Commons Network^™

Operationalizing Frailty: A Comparison Of Measurement Frameworks, Audrey P. Doege, Madeline Donnelli, Daniel Forsha, Thomas Cochran, William R. Black, David A. White

Posters

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Impacts Of Research Including Zealous Genz-Ers (Rizz), Afraah Hawa, Andrea Bradley-Ewing Mpa, Ma, Kimberly A. Randell, Md, Msc, Yesenia Montoya, Karynn E. Glover

Posters

No abstract provided.

Endotyping Obstructive Sleep Apnea In Infants With Micrognathia, Alexis Dominic, Zarmina Ehsan, Baha Al-Shawwa Md, Karishma Rao, Blake A. Welker, Meghan Tracy, Andrew Li, Alessandra Manoylova-Vedder, Shiyuan Chen, Shu-Ching Chen, Members Of The Data Science And Analytics Innovation Center (Dsaic), John P. Dahl, Janelle Noel-Macdonnell

Posters

No abstract provided.

In Vivo Model Of Neurotropic Human Metapneumovirus Infection In Mice Brain, Joanna Yuen, Gage Greening, Eric S. Geanes, Dharitri Betha, Rebecca Mclennan Phd, Todd Bradley

Posters

No abstract provided.

Exposure-Toxicity Analysis Of Fluoxetine In Children And Adolescents, Amelia Whittier, Ethan Poweleit, Whitney Sparks Ms, Catherine Koertje, Addison Pritchett Ms, Angela Wiedner, Gail Robertson, Lindsey Malloy-Walton, Stephani Stancil, Alexa L. Pagano, Kathryn Kyler, Jonathan B. Wagner, Jeffrey R. Strawn, Brandon Retke, Paul C. Toren, J Steven Leeder, Laura B. Ramsey

Posters

No abstract provided.

Cartilage Ring Formation In Chick Trachea, Yashica Sharma, Samuel Q. Mellentine, John Dahl, Jennifer C. Kasemeier

Posters

No abstract provided.

Low-Cost Modular Transradial Prosthetic System, Caleb E. Barajas

Master's Theses

Upper-limb loss can significantly impact overall quality of life by limiting  a person's ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs). Although prosthetic devices can help bridge the gap, many upper-limb prostheses are limited by high costs, discomfort, limited repairability, and accessibility barriers. Current commercial myoelectric prosthetic hands can provide high levels of functionality, but are often expensive and require specialized clinical access. In contrast, many current low-cost and open source prosthetic devices improve affordability but are limited in function or designed for partial hand applications rather than full transradial limb loss.

The purpose of this thesis was to design, …

A Critical-Constructivist Grounded Theory Exploration Of The Mental Health Experiences Of Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities In Post-Secondary Settings, Alyssa L. Decker

Dissertations, 2020-current

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) now have access to higher education, often through inclusive post-secondary education programs (IPSE), to increase employability and quality of life. IPSE programs, historically, have provided academic and life skill support and not mental health support within programs’ curricula. A recent review of IPSE programs reveals that if mental health services are included, they are often accessed through university health services. Transitioning from high school to college induces high levels of stress, which can exacerbate underlying mental health conditions. Mental health care is defaulted to an already overburdened college counseling center without the knowledge and skills …

Shared And Distinct Alterations In Brain Structure Of Youth With Internalizing Or Externalizing Disorders: Findings From The Enigma Antisocial Behavior, Adhd, Major Depressive Disorder, And Anxiety Working Groups, Sophie Townend, Marlene Staginnus, Yidian Gao, Nina Alexander, Volker Arolt, Tobias Banaschewski, Katja Beesdo-Baum, Mark A. Bellgrove, Vivek Benegal, Anderson M. Winkler

Human Genetics Publications

Background: Externalizing and internalizing disorders are common in youth but are often studied separately, preventing researchers from identifying shared (i.e., transdiagnostic) alterations in brain structure. Using data from the ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) Consortium, we conducted a mega-analysis to identify shared and distinct cortical and subcortical brain alterations across internalizing (anxiety disorders and depression) and externalizing (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] and conduct disorder [CD]) disorders in youth.

Methods: 3D T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data from youths (age range 4-21 years) with anxiety disorders (n = 1044), depression (n = 504), ADHD (n = 1317), and CD (n = 1172) …

Visual Cues Attract Adult Tunga Penetrans (Siphonaptera: Tungidae), Ayako Hyuga, Paul Ouma, Lynne Elson, Kazuchiyo Miyamichi, Satoshi Kaneko, Kensuke Goto, Tullu Bukhari, Jürgen Krücken, Ulrike Fillinger

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tunga penetrans (Linnaeus, 1758) (Siphonaptera: Tungidae) is an ectoparasitic flea whose adult females cause tungiasis by embedding into the host’s skin. Environmental, social and financial challenges in tungiasis endemic areas have left this disease neglected and lacking locally available control measures. One possible approach for controlling T. penetrans targets its off-host stages; however, surveillance tools for adult fleas are still lacking. Moreover, host-seeking cues and behaviour of adult T. penetrans remain largely unknown. In this study, we show that visual cues are attractive to adult T. penetrans. Newly emerged T.penetrans responded to light stimuli across a broad spectrum, ranging from …

Advancing Health Equity In Global Oncology: A Collaborative Academic-Cancer Society-Industry Program To Address Health Disparities In Sub-Saharan Africa, Kenneth Merrell, Ben Kamdem-Talom, Hannah Anie, Christine Wekesa, Nomsa Tsikai, Miriam Mutebi, Rakiya Saidu, Nwamaka Lasebikan, Adamu Bojude, Randiak Alaro

General Surgery, East Africa

Purpose Cancer care capacity in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is constrained by late diagnosis and limited treatment access. Few funding mechanisms support innovative, locally led programs to address these challenges. A collaborative initiative was developed to strengthen oncology care through quality improvement (QI) projects.

Materials and Methods The program was developed by Global Bridges Oncology (GBO) at Mayo Clinic, Pfizer Global Medical Grants, and the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer. A committee composed primarily of African oncology experts guided the process. An RFP was disseminated across SSA in English, French, and Portuguese, inviting applications to improve diagnostic and …

Expanding Cleft Surgical Workforce Capacity In Low- And Middle-Income Countries Through Competency-Based Training, Daniel Bradley, Jonathan Diaz, Emily Jones, Kealani Unkel, Atenas Bustamante, Zenebe Gebremariyam, Daniel Abate, Mamy Andriamanarivo, Mekonen Abebe, Armando Siu

General Surgery, East Africa

Objective To evaluate a competency-based cleft surgery training pathway designed to expand local surgical capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Design Prospective observational study of cleft surgery training outcomes between July 2022 and September 2024.

Setting Operation Smile cleft surgery programs and partner hospitals in LMICs, with integrated virtual education.

Patients/Participants Twenty trainee cleft surgeons from 11 countries.

Interventions A competency-based training pathway combining virtual education and mentored operative experience, with assessment using a validated surgical competency tool.

Main Outcome Measures Changes in self-reported surgical confidence and educator-rated surgical competency

Results Trainee cleft surgeons participated in 1168 cleft lip …

Enhanced Communication Is Fundamental In Providing Quality Care, Jacqueline Turcotte Rn, Msn, Ccrn

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

Comparative Civilizations Review

No abstract provided.

Defining The Value Of Elective Lumbar Fusion: A Systematic Review Of Existing Methodologies And Framework For The Operative Value Index, Advith Sarikonda, Anthony Chen, Theo S. Biddle, Danyal A. Quraishi, Preston Carey, Arbaz A. Momin, Matthews Lan, Dwight Mitchell Self, Ashmal S. Kabani, Ahilan Sivaganesan

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Despite wide variation in the outcomes and costs of lumbar fusion, few studies have integrated these domains together within a single metric to assess "value" (outcomes achieved per dollar spent). In this review, we sought to 1) characterize existing metrics of cost-effectiveness for lumbar fusion, 2) evaluate all applications of time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) in spine surgery, and 3) outline the conceptual foundation for a standardized Operative Value Index (OVI).

METHODS: Two PRISMA-concordant systematic reviews were performed on PubMed and Scopus databases. The first review examined all studies which reported a cost-effectiveness metric for lumbar fusion. The second review …

An Update On The Role Of Multimodal Analgesia In Perioperative Pain Management, Whitney N. Kuwamoto, Grace C. Eddy, Edward R. Mariano, Eric S. Schwenk

Department of Anesthesiology Faculty Papers

Multimodal analgesia has become a foundational principle of acute perioperative pain management and enhanced recovery and involves the application of nonpharmacologic, pharmacologic, and/or interventional techniques. The overall goal of this approach is to apply a combination of different modalities that target discrete points along the pain pathway and thereby avoid the overreliance on opioids and associated side effects. Since our review in 2018, there have been significant developments that have prompted an updated review of multimodal analgesia. In this article, we identify and summarize important trends that influence the current approach to acute perioperative pain management as well as provide …

Systemic Corticosteroids In The Management Of Sinonasal Disease: An Evidence-Based Expert Review, Andrew Thamboo, Deanna Gigliotti, Eugenio De Corso, Stella Lee, Benjamin S Bleier, Christopher J Chin, Marie-Noelle Corriveau, Valerie Hox, Claire Hopkins, Peter H Hwang, Arif Janjua, Ludger Klimek, Daniel Lee, John Lee, Amber Luong, Geoffrey Mortuaire, Joaquim Mullol, Zara M Patel, John Scott, Doron Sommer, Leigh Sowerby, Marc Tewfik, Beatrice Voizard, Martin Wagenmannm, Sarah K Wise, Jonathan Yip, Quirina Thompson, Martin Desrosiers, Yvonne Chan

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Background: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) is a prevalent, heterogeneous inflammatory disease associated with significant morbidity. Systemic corticosteroids (SCS) are commonly prescribed for their anti-inflammatory effects, but cumulative exposure carries risks, including metabolic, cardiovascular, and skeletal complications. Despite widespread use, evidence-based guidance on optimal indications, timing, and duration of SCS in CRS remains inconsistent.

Methodology/principal: An evidence-based review was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases (2013-2023). Studies were screened and categorized into two primary groups: CRS with (CRSwNP) or without (CRSsNP) nasal polyps. Within CRSwNP, evidence was subcategorized by indication, including (1) polyp size reduction, (2) olfactory dysfunction, (3) comorbid disease, …

Ai-Powered Personal Branding: A Coaching Toolkit For Career Advisors, Ajanee Igharo

Paul English Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute Publications

This presentation explores how career advisors can use artificial intelligence to help students develop authentic, evidence-based personal brands. It introduces a coaching approach that helps students identify patterns across their experiences, strengths, interests, and career direction and translate those insights into credible professional narratives. The presentation demonstrates how AI can support this process by organizing information, identifying themes, generating alternative phrasing, and adapting communication for different audiences while emphasizing that students must retain ownership of their experiences, evidence, and authentic voice. Through hands-on activities and an advisor-guided workflow of discovering, drafting, challenging, verifying, and personalizing, participants practice using AI to …

Responsible & Ethical Ai Use: From Principles To Practice, Ila Lama

Paul English Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute Publications

This presentation explores responsible and ethical artificial intelligence through a practical framework centered on five core principles: fairness, transparency, accountability, privacy, and safety. It examines how ethical challenges surrounding AI are emerging across educational, organizational, creative, and societal contexts, including concerns related to bias, privacy, academic integrity, AI-generated content, and responsible decision-making. The presentation also introduces the Trust Cycle as a practical approach for moving from awareness and reflection to safe experimentation, feedback, and transformation, encouraging participants to critically evaluate AI use while maintaining human judgment, accountability, and trust.

Understanding Hypertensive Renal Injury: A Well-Structured Approach, Peter A Doris

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

No abstract provided.

Lessons Learned From The Validation Of A Machine Learning-Based Colorectal Carcinoma Screening Pipeline In Sub-Saharan Africa, Alfred Githuka, Ulysses Balis, Ye Chan Kim, Eileen Weinheimer-Haus, Christopher Williams, Jerome Cheng, Kelou Yao, John Blau, Shahin Sayed, Mansoor Saleh

Haematology and Oncology, East Africa

Background Artificial intelligence for digital pathology may improve cancer detection and workflow efficiency in low- and middle-income countries, but most models are trained and validated in high-income settings, creating uncertainty about generalizability and real-world deployability under differing pre-analytic and infrastructure conditions.

Objective To validate a locally optimized colorectal carcinoma screening pipeline, retrained on data from a local Kenyan cohort, and to assess its feasibility as a sensitivity-forward assistive pre-screening workflow.

Methods Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides from 136 biopsy-proven colonic adenocarcinoma cases and 20 normal controls from 2 Kenyan institutions were digitized at 40× using a Grundium Ocus scanner. …

2026 August, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for August of 2026.

Development Of An Evidence-Based Aromatherapy Policy And Toolkit For An Inpatient Psychiatric Hospital, Mia Nie

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose:The purpose of this project was to develop a comprehensive, evidence-based aromatherapy policy and toolkit to guide safe and standardized use of aromatherapy as a complementary intervention in inpatient psychiatric settings.

Background: Sleep disturbances are common among psychiatric inpatients, and non-pharmacologic interventions are increasingly prioritized to support holistic care (Sazawa et al., 2022). Aromatherapy has shown potential benefits; however, the absence of standardized policies creates variability in practice and raises safety concerns, particularly in high-acuity psychiatric environments.

Methodology: This quality improvement project focused on developing an organizational policy. A review of current literature and clinical guidelines informed the foundation …

Religious Practice And Attitudes Toward Immigration And Racial Justice In America, Amya Douglas

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This study aims to understand how Christians’ knowledge of Scripture and involvement in the church have an impact on their social-political views, specifically, racial justice and immigration. By using the survey responses from the 6th wave of the Baylor Religion Survey, more frequent church attendance and reading Scripture were correlated with a greater recognition of racism in terms of being against white supremacy and white nationalism, supporting racial justice when asked about racial gaps, and possessing greater support for immigrants. This study highlights the distinction between religious affiliation and religious practice, and it suggests that certain policy sentiments can be …

A Machine Learning And Artificial Intelligence Sentiment Analysis Of Esg Disclosures, John Barnett Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This dissertation examines whether environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosure sentiment extracted from SEC Form 10-K Item 1A risk disclosures aligns with Bloomberg ESG scores. The study combines SEC textual disclosures, Bloomberg ESG ratings, firm financial data, executive compensation data, and executive gender characteristics. Natural language processing and artificial intelligence methods, including FinBERT, Loughran-McDonald sentiment measures, BART-MNLI zero-shot classification, LLaMA-based ESG scoring, and readability analysis, are used to evaluate ESG-related disclosure signals. Results reveal that SEC 10-K Item 1A risk-factor sentiment and Bloomberg ESG scores represent related but distinct constructs. ESG sentiment in Item 1A is poorly aligned with third-party …

Oak Savanna Expansion: Indigenizing Psu's Urban Landscape, Ash Herb

University Honors Theses

Since time immemorial Indigenous Peoples have resided in what is now named Portland of the Pacific Northwest in the Willamette Valley. For hundreds of years, this forested Land has been colonized, razed to stumps and covered in cement in order to build the urban landscape. Due to such destruction on a broad scale, we are experiencing the results of climate catastrophe. By finding ways to reclaim our relationship with Land and returning to Indigenous epistemologies, our urban landscape has the opportunity to shift towards restoration and prosperity. Indigenous plants have existed here, supporting humans in a reciprocal relationship, for thousands …

University Of Central Florida Undergraduate Catalog, 2025-2026, University Of Central Florida

UCF Catalogs

No abstract provided.

Clinical Machine Learning Model For Predicting Pathological Complete Response In Patients With Esophageal And Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma After Trimodality Therapy, Kohei Yamashita, Evan Kwiatkowski, Matheus Sewastjanow-Silva, Jane E Rogers, Katsuhiro Yoshimura, Melissa Pool Pizzi, Qiong Gan, Jenny J Li, Rebecca E Waters, Mariela Blum Murphy, Masaaki Iwatsuki, Wayne L Hofstetter, Aileen Chen, Ying Yuan, Jaffer A Ajani

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Accurate prediction of pathological complete response (pCR) after preoperative chemoradiation therapy, followed by surgery (trimodality therapy) in esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (GEJAC) may improve clinical decision-making and patient counseling before esophagectomy. This study aimed to develop predictive models for pCR after trimodality using machine learning (ML) approaches.

Patients and methods: A total of 569 patients with EAC and GEJAC who received trimodality therapy at MD Anderson Cancer Center between 2002 and 2022 were included. Clinicopathological characteristics and survival benefit of patients who achieved a pCR were reviewed via descriptive and survival analyses. Subsequently, ML models based …

Safety And Efficacy Of Tranexamic Acid In Urologic Surgery: Results From The International, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Poise-3 Trial, Kari A O Tikkinen, Maura Marcucci, Alex L E Halme, Sandra N Ofori, Flavia K Borges, Charlotte T B Kanstrup, Lily J Park, Farhad Tondroanamag, Tuomas P Kilpeläinen, Sara V Tornberg, Thomas W Painter, David Conen, Vladimir Lomivorotov, Daniel I Sessler, Matthew T V Chan, Maria Jose Martinez-Zapata, Chew Y Wang, Denis B Xavier, Michael K Wang, Wojciech Szczeklik, Kate Leslie, Luke T Lavallee, Rodney H Breau, Kumar Balasubramanian, P J Devereaux

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and objective: Perioperative bleeding is common. Evidence for tranexamic acid (TXA) in urology remains limited and conflicting, and major urologic guidelines provide no recommendations. In an a priori planned analysis, we evaluated TXA among patients undergoing urologic surgery in POISE-3.

Methods: POISE-3 was an international randomized trial of patients undergoing surgery with bleeding and cardiovascular risk factors. Participants received TXA (1 g intravenous bolus at surgery start and end) or placebo. The primary efficacy outcome was a 30-day bleeding composite (life-threatening/major/critical organ), and the primary safety outcome was a 30-day thrombosis composite (myocardial injury after noncardiac surgery [MINS], nonhemorrhagic …

Computable Phenotypes For Research Using Real-World Data: Experiences From The Nih Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory, Marisa L Conte, Judith M Schlaeger, Guilherme Del Fiol, James R Campbell, Andrea L Cheville, Keith Marsolo, Kari A Stephens, Miriam O Ezenwa, Andrew D Boyd, Juanita E Darby, Nadine S Matthie, P Michael Ho, Alice Pressman, Morgan Justice, Carol Reynolds Geary, Keturah R Faurot, Alex Fist, Karen Staman, Hulin Wu, Rachel L Richesson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: Embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs) are conducted as part of routine clinical care and therefore use data collected from real-world data sources, such as electronic health record systems and administrative claims. A common approach for using these types of data across all phases of trial conduct is to create a computable phenotype (an explicitly defined data query data, including specified data types, data codes, and logical parameters) to capture patients with a clinical condition, exposure, symptom, characteristic, treatment, or outcome of interest.

Materials and methods: The Electronic Health Record (EHR) Core Working Group of the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory …