Digital Commons Network^™

Leveraging Ai-Driven Financial Resource Identification In Dementia Caregiving-Development Phase, Modupe Akintomide, Xinyue Zhang, Divya Iyer

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Informal dementia caregiving imposes a substantial financial burden on families, compounded by systemic factors such as insurance coverage gaps, prohibitive long-term care costs, and the administrative complexity of navigating public and private benefit programs [1-2].

To address this challenge, we developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven application designed to streamline access to financial resources. The system is built on a curated dataset that links multidimensional caregiver profiles with relevant financial support programs. Profiles, encoded as input feature vectors, are derived from structured questionnaire responses capturing variables such as employment status, weekly caregiving hours, out-of-pocket medical expenses, and insurance coverage. Each profile …

Persistent Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy As A Chronic Cancer Pain Syndrome: Mechanisms, Therapeutic Limitations, And Future Directions, Reed Firestone, Jamin Morrison

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Background/Objectives: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common, dose-limiting complication of cancer therapy and a major contributor to chronic neuropathic pain among cancer survivors. Although traditionally managed as a treatment-related toxicity, persistent CIPN frequently persists long after chemotherapy completion and is increasingly recognized as a major survivorship and palliative care challenge. This review synthesizes current mechanistic, clinical, and translational evidence and reframes persistent CIPN as a chronic neuropathic cancer pain syndrome. Methods: A narrative review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted using PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, supplemented by manual review of key references and clinical guidelines. Emphasis was placed …

Reality Check: How Avatar And Face Representation Affect The Perceptual Evaluation Of Synthesized Gestures, Haoyang Du, Yinghan Xu, John Dingliana, Brian Keegan, Rachel Mcdonnell, Cathy Ennis

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The capacity to create realistic virtual humans has progressed significantly, and such characters can be found in many applications across entertainment, education and health. As an essential element of interactive virtual humans, speech-driven 3D gesture generation still depends heavily on perceptual evaluation, yet studies often vary avatar appearance and facial presentation when judging the generated motions. Prior work suggests these visual choices can bias motion judgments, but controlled evidence remains limited. We address this gap with controlled evaluations of co-speech gestures across motion sources, spanning seven representative avatar renderings used in contemporary research and application pipelines. Our results show that …

Closing The Gap: Canadian Undergraduate Nursing Students’ Competencies And Training Needs In Idd, Lin Li, Yona Lunsky, Anupam Thakur, Soumya Mishra, Nagyeong Kim, Gurmanpreet Kaur

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: People with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) face persistent health inequities, including higher morbidity, premature mortality, and increased healthcare use [1–3]. These disparities are intensified by limited provider training and confidence in caring for this population [4,5], underscoring the need to strengthen nursing education in IDD. This study examined Canadian undergraduate nursing students’ attitudes, competencies, and training needs related to IDD.

Methods: From May-August 2025, a 28-item anonymous online survey was distributed through nursing programs and nursing student societies across Canada. The survey assessed knowledge, attitudes, self-perceived skills, exposure to IDD in coursework and clinical settings, and preferred learning …

Fostering Integration Of Idd Concepts Into Nursing Curriculums In The United States, Cecily L. Betz, Joyce Carolyn Graff

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Curriculum content pertaining to the lifespan needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is not evident in nursing programs in the United States (US) despite national statistics that indicate 17% of the U.S. population are identified as having IDD [1-3]. Beginning with the Kennedy Administration in the 1960s, the U.S. federal government has made significant investments to improve services for the IDD population through the establishment of interdisciplinary educational networks, such as the University Centers for Excellence in Development Disabilities (UCEDD) and Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) [2]. For nurses interested in IDD specialty …

Ai-Powered Gamified Extended Reality Training For Dementia Care Competence In Healthcare Students, Modupe Akintomide, Joy Li, Toi-Ann Kingsby, Dandre Williamson

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

The development of dementia care competence among healthcare students remains limited by the scarcity of experiential training opportunities for managing behavioral and psychological symptoms [1]. Traditional curricula often fail to provide sufficient, high-fidelity practice for the complex, emotionally charged interactions characteristic of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD) care [2].

To address this gap, we developed an AI-powered, Gamified Extended Reality (XR) Dementia Behavioral Training App. This immersive platform simulates authentic caregiving encounters with persons living with ADRD. It employs an AI-generated animated patient agent and integrates adaptive difficulty scaling within clinically relevant, scenario-based modules to mirror the complexity of …

The Question Is A Node: Online Quizzes As Interactive Non-Fiction, Michael Merriam

ELO (un)supervised 2026

The quiz is the most widely deployed form of interactive text in education. Even when it is not digitally administered, it presents a prompt, receives a response, and contains within it a formula determining the consequences of that response. A wrong answer is taken as a failure of learning (not mere recall) and, by virtue of their quasi-digital objectivity, a batch of low quiz scores might warn of difficulty in reaching benchmarks. Ergo, quizzes embody the automation of the supervisory function of the instructor, and the supervision of curricula. 

Quiz questions have something in common with nodes in digital interactive …

Left Atrial Appendage Mimicking Coronary Aneurysm And Thrombus On Echocardiography In A Child With Kawasaki Disease, Anhar Ali Baeshen, Riad Abouzahr, Jameel Alata

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: The left atrial appendage (LAA) is an embryologically distinct structure with anatomical features that may mimic pathological findings on echocardiography. In Kawasaki disease, this resemblance can cause diagnostic confusion with coronary artery aneurysm or thrombus.

Clinical presentation: A 7-year-old boy presented with fever lasting more than five days and cervical lymphadenopathy following a viral illness. Kawasaki disease was suspected. Transthoracic echocardiography suggested an abnormality of the left coronary artery with possible thrombus, and the patient was started on aspirin, clopidogrel, and apixaban. Coronary computed tomography angiography demonstrated normal coronary origins, course, and caliber, confirming the suspected lesion to be …

Family's Support For Medical Center Driven By A Story Of Hope, Bill Dabney

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Sabrina and David Porter found hope in trying times at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and the Waynesboro couple has made a series of major gifts to help ensure that other families can benefit from the same level of skilled care and services.

The Impact Of Yoga And Mindfulness Training On Reducing Ground-Based Separation Anxiety During High Apparatus Skills In Gymnastics, Zahraa Hazim Yuneus, Liqa' Abdulzahra Obaid, Hind Waleed Kalf, Hind Salem Tayeh

Modern Sport

Modern sports increasingly recognize psychological factors alongside physical performance. In gymnastics, emotional stability is critical, particularly for high-flying skills that involve significant heights, aerial spins, and precise landings. These demands make gymnasts vulnerable to fear, separation anxiety, and loss of control during flight, leading to hesitation, reduced confidence, and technical errors. The study aims to develop a training program integrating yoga and mindfulness to reduce ground-separation anxiety and improve high-altitude skill performance. The research hypothesizes statistically significant differences between pre- and post-tests in both anxiety levels and skill performance, favoring the post-test. An experimental methodology was adopted, with a purposive …

The Effect Of Skill Exercises Using Equipment On Some Functional Abilities And Learning The Handstand In Artistic Gymnastics For Students, Osama Abdul-Khaliq Kamel

Modern Sport

This research aims to determine the effect of skill exercises using equipment on some functional abilities and skill performance, specifically the handstand skill in artistic gymnastics for students at the College of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, University of Diyala. The study also aimed to determine the effect of skill-based exercises using equipment on certain functional variables within the research sample. The researcher hypothesized that skill-based exercises using equipment have a statistically significant impact on some anaerobic functional abilities in learning the handstand gymnastics skill for students. The research population and sample consisted of (12) students representing the college's team, …

Correlation Study Of Emg Activity With Physical And Biokinematic Variables In Double Backward Somersault Take-Off, Bushra Kadhim Abdul-Ridha Al-Hamash

Modern Sport

The double backflip is a complex gymnastics skill that requires the gymnast's muscles to overcome body weight and gravity, the primary resistances during execution on the floor exercise. Despite repeated training, many gymnasts struggle with balance and landing accuracy in front and backflips. This study aimed to analyze electromyography (EMG) signals and their relationship with physical and biomechanical variables during the take-off phase to improve double backflip performance. The research focused on the rectus anterior femoris and biceps brachii muscles, measuring EMG variables such as peak activity and area under the curve, alongside explosive power tests like the vertical jump …

Let Us Get To Know You, Libby Pearl, Abigail Rubio, Anna Wiot, Elizabeth Richmond, Jocelyn Jasso, Nayeli Barajas, Maliha Rahman

2025

No abstract provided.

Depth-Dependent Characterization Of Vertical Cracks In Concrete Using Lamb Wave Active Sensing, Nontawat Srisapan, Theo Asumah, Roohollah Askari

Michigan Tech Publications

Vertical cracks in concrete present a major challenge for many conventional nondestructive testing methods (NDT) and structural health monitoring (SHM) methods. Elastic wave-based approaches offer strong interaction with crack faces and depth sensitivity; however, their effectiveness is often limited by the lack of repeatable and tunable excitation sources. Repeatability is critical because scattered and attenuated signals require stacking to achieve adequate signal-to-noise ratios, while tunability is essential because key crack attributes are frequency-dependent and must be probed at appropriate wavelengths. In this study, we develop an active sensing system utilizing a linear impact actuator as a repeatable and tunable mechanical …

Depth-Dependent Characterization Of Vertical Cracks In Concrete Using Lamb Wave Active Sensing, Nontawat Srisapan, Theo Asumah, Roohollah Askari

Michigan Tech Publications

Vertical cracks in concrete present a major challenge for many conventional nondestructive testing methods (NDT) and structural health monitoring (SHM) methods. Elastic wave-based approaches offer strong interaction with crack faces and depth sensitivity; however, their effectiveness is often limited by the lack of repeatable and tunable excitation sources. Repeatability is critical because scattered and attenuated signals require stacking to achieve adequate signal-to-noise ratios, while tunability is essential because key crack attributes are frequency-dependent and must be probed at appropriate wavelengths. In this study, we develop an active sensing system utilizing a linear impact actuator as a repeatable and tunable mechanical …

Ni2-Imido Bispincer Platforms: Cooperative Reactivity Enabled Through Substrate Addition Across A Ni2n Unit, David De Los Santos, Kritika Gour, Manar M. Shoshani

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Transition metal imido complexes are renowned for their capacity to undertake challenging 1,2 additions owing to the high basicity of the imido moiety. Access to transition metal imidos is often limited to the addition of organic azides to metal precursors, hindering the design of molecular constructs incorporating imido units. Bimetallic bispincer complexes, 1 and 2, are presented, which are anchored by a central imido moiety supported by pyridyl imine donors, forming highly planarized Ni2N-aryl cores. Complex 2, which also features a Ni─Ni σ-bond, is able to engage in cooperative substrate cleavage of main group hydrides via a formal 1,2 addition …

A Bayesian-Optimized Ensemble Deep Learning Framework For Automated Detection And Classification Of Retinal Diseases In Ghana Using Oct Images, Gifty Duah, Eric Nyarko, Gideon Nana Amo, Theophilus Dwamena Frimpong, Anani Lotsi

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

Retinal diseases pose a significant global health challenge due to their potential to cause severe visual impairment and blindness. This study aimed to develop a robust deep learning ensemble framework for the automated detection and classification of retinal diseases from optical coherence tomography (OCT) images. This study used OCT images from WATBORG Eye Services in Ghana, including glaucoma, macular edema, posterior vitreous detachment (PVD), and healthy eyes. The data preprocessing steps included augmentation, resizing, and one-hot encoding. The dataset was divided into training (56%), validation (14%), and testing (30%) sets using stratified sampling. Six convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures, Visual …

Spatial Identity In Transition: Revitalizing Surakarta’S Heritage Markets Through Community-Based Placemaking, Eko Nursanty, Sri Mulyani, I Wayan Andhika Widiantara, Arturo Galay Cauba

Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development

Traditional markets are essential socio-cultural infrastructures in heritage cities, shaping everyday interactions, economic life, and collective memory. In Surakarta, four historic markets—Pasar Gede, Pasar Klewer, Pasar Legi, and Pasar Triwindu—sustain the city’s urban identity. However, rapid modernization, commercial restructuring, and shifting consumer behavior have disrupted their spatial and symbolic continuity, raising concerns about the erosion of cultural meaning. Previous studies examined traditional markets mainly from economic or architectural perspectives, rarely exploring how their multidimensional identity evolves under urban transformation. This study investigates how spatial, social, symbolic, and environmental dimensions collectively shape market-based authenticity and the urban identity of Surakarta. A …

Full Issue: Volume 4, Issue 1 - 2026

Bone Bulletin

i - Editors’ Note by Elijah Hoffman and Liam Gibbons

ii - Foreword by Dr. Alan Hilibrand

7 - Clinical Uncertainty in Digital Monitoring After Shoulder Arthroplasty by Abhi Pandey

10 - The Changing Value of Joint Arthroplasty Under the RVU System by Kiley Hamou

13 - SCALPEL TO ROBOT TO ALGORITHM: Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and the Evolution of Spine Surgery by Mateja Stefanovic

18 - Suture-Free Nerve Repair in Upper-Extremity Surgery by Adam Gaughan

20 - The Impact of Wide-Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet Surgery on Distal Radius Fracture Plating by Michael Carey

23 - Unicompartmental Versus Total Knee …

Biologic Adjuncts In Hand Surgery: Current Evidence, Limitations, And Clinical Implications, Joseph Kelly

Bone Bulletin

Introduction Biologic therapies such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) based treatments, have gained substantial attention across orthopaedics as agents that may enhance tissue healing and modulate inflammation.^1,4 Their use has expanded in the management of degenerative joint disease, tendinopathies, and fracture nonunion across multiple subspecialties within the field.^1,3,6 Despite the developing research base, prior hand-focused reviews have noted that orthobiologics in hand surgery remains an underdeveloped area, leaving limited guidance available to inform clinical decision making.^1-2

Optimizing Total Knee Arthroplasty In Young Patients: Strategies For Enhancing Durability And Function, Bridger Bell

Bone Bulletin

Introduction

The subspecialty of orthopaedics focuses on the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and injuries impacting the musculoskeletal system.1 Within orthopaedics, surgery for arthritis and related conditions make up half of those performed.² Of the surgical interventions for arthritis, total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most frequent, with over 700,000 performed per year in the United States and an expectation that nearly one million will be performed by 2030.3 Interestingly, since the 1980s, the prevalence of surgery in younger patients has continually increased.⁴ This has been accompanied by a declining average age of primary TKA …

Hazards For The Female Athlete: Disparities In Acl Injury Risk And The Evolving Research Base, Abby Skiena

Bone Bulletin

Introduction

Sex plays a significant role in sports medicine risk factors, but historically, there has been a lack of research involving female participants and investigating physiologic factors unique to female athletes.^1–4 Male athletes face a 2.26 times higher risk of hip and groin injuries, a 2.4 times higher risk of hamstring injuries, and a 1.8-2.8 times higher risk of acute fractures, especially in competitive situations.² Alternatively, female athletes experience a 2-8 times higher rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, a 3.4 times higher risk of bone stress injuries, a 1.25 times higher rate of foot and ankle …

Outcomes In Robotic Knee Surgery, Tyler West

Bone Bulletin

Introduction

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most common orthopedic surgeries worldwide and is the mainstay for treating severe knee arthritis. In the United States, surgeons perform over 700,000 TKAs each year, and that number is expected to climb as osteoarthritis becomes more common in an aging population.^1,2 Roughly, two TKAs are completed for every one total hip arthroplasty (THA) and yet patient satisfaction after TKA has always lagged behind the THA.³ Hip replacements routinely see satisfaction rates above 90 percent.^2,3 For knees, however, satisfaction rates historically have fallen between 80 and 89 percent.^{4 …}

Conceptual Frameworks, Evolving Technology, And Common Misconceptions: How Orthopedic Hand Surgeons Choose Fracture Fixation Technique, Sudesh Jaisi

Bone Bulletin

Fracture fixation is often taught as a binary decision between operative and nonoperative management, which fails to reflect the complexity of real-world clinical decision-making. This article analyzes fracture fixation through a conceptual, fracture personality-based framework incorporating biomechanics, fracture characteristics, patient-specific factors, and evolving implant technology. Clinical decision-making is best understood as a spectrum of interventions, where multiple fixation strategies may be technically appropriate but differ in invasiveness, stability, complication risk, and functional recovery. Across representative fracture types, including distal radius and olecranon injuries, management is driven by fracture stability, anticipated behavior under physiologic load, and patient functional demands rather than …

Unicompartmental Versus Total Knee Arthroplasty In Osteoarthritis: Indications, Outcomes, And Value-Based Care, Spencer Uggla

Bone Bulletin

Introduction

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent and disabling condition, affecting an estimated 654 million people worldwide in 2023. It is the most common diagnosis among patients over 45 years of age who present with activity-related knee pain.1 When nonoperative management fails, surgical intervention is frequently required to relieve pain and restore function. Traditionally, total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has been considered the gold standard surgical treatment for advanced OA, with approximately 700,000 procedures performed annually and projections exceeding 1 million by 2030.²

The Impact Of Wide-Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet Surgery On Distal Radius Fracture Plating, Michael Carey

Bone Bulletin

Introduction

The surgical technique known as wideawake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) has been widely used in soft tissue hand procedures since 2005.1 A local surgical field block using lidocaine with epinephrine provides local anesthesia and hemostasis via alpha-1 adrenergic agonism without the need for general anesthesia with a tourniquet. In addition to reducing costs related to general anesthesia (GA), WALANT procedures are suitable for American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status Classification 4 (ASA 4) high-risk patients, specifically by eliminating anesthesia risks such as nausea, aspiration, pneumonia, and thromboembolism, all while maintaining or improving clinical outcomes compared with the current …

Suture-Free Nerve Repair In Upper-Extremity Surgery, Adam Gaughan

Bone Bulletin

Introduction

Peripheral nerves have a limited capacity to regenerate.¹ Treating peripheral nerve injuries and the ensuing recovery of sensory and/or motor function are challenging for surgeons due to a number of variables that impact nerve recovery; including, the mechanism of nerve transection, the level or distance of injury relative to the target organ, patient age and comorbidities, and the repair technique employed. Most factors are not modifiable, but repair techniques are modifiable and can have a meaningful impact on outcomes. Nerve repair opt ions inc lude di r e ct end- to- end r epai r (neurorrhaphy), conduit-assisted repair, …

Scalpel To Robot To Algorithm: Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, And The Evolution Of Spine Surgery, Mateja Stefanovic

Bone Bulletin

Introduction

The past five decades in spine surgery have seen innovations in pedicle screw fixation, image-guided navigation, and first-generation robotics; each change was confronted with skepticism for uprooting existing paradigms until pushback inevitably yielded progress. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) feel different in kind. Beyond better instrumentation, they represent entirely new frameworks for processing clinical information at unprecedented scale and speed. A neural network trained on thousands of preoperative records can learn to detect interactions among imaging findings, laboratory indices, functional variables, and comorbidity burden that conventional statistical models are structurally unable to identify.¹˒² Simultaneously, robotic platforms outfitted …

The Changing Value Of Joint Arthroplasty Under The Rvu System, Kiley Hamou

Bone Bulletin

Background and Introduction of Total Knee Arthroplasty

Few procedures in modern medicine illustrate the value of surgical advancement more clearly than total hip and total knee arthroplasty. Over the past several decades, advances in surgical technique, pre-operative management, and postoperative rehabilitation have transformed joint replacement into one of the most successful procedures in medicine. Patient satisfaction rates routinely exceed 90% and millions of individuals regain mobility, independence and quality of life each year through these operations.¹ However, despite this clinical success and societal value, physician reimbursement for joint replacement surgery and many other successful orthopedic procedures has steadily declined. …

Clinical Uncertainty In Digital Monitoring After Shoulder Arthroplasty, Abhimaneu Pandey

Bone Bulletin

Introduction

Wearable sensor technology and smartphone based care platforms have been identified as promising technologies for postoperative care after joint arthroplasties.^1,2 In fact, in lower extremity arthroplasty, these technologies have already demonstrated their effectiveness in a multitude of randomized trials.^1,2 One recent multicenter RCT with 401 patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) showed that self-directed rehabilitation using a smartwatch and mobile application (mymobility with Apple Watch, Zimmer Biomet) achieved comparable range of motion and patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) to standard post-operative rehab without increasing adverse events.¹ Related evidence also indicates that “episode of care” smartphone applications …