Digital Commons Network^™

Explainable Machine Learning Revealing The Impact Of Mental And Physical Health On Arthritis, Ma Shams, S Fatema, Dmh Islam, A Datta, David Eisenberg, Dt Mridula, J Mawa, A Sultana, N Ahmed, M Islam, Ts Pias

Department of Information Management and Business Analytics Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Objectives To develop a robust and interpretable machine learning framework for arthritis risk prediction and to identify important risk factors associated with the disease.Methods This study used four datasets, which are Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2019, BRFSS 2021, National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2020 and NHIS 2022. We evaluated 11 machine learning and deep learning architectures including a custom stacked ensemble combined with five resampling techniques to address class imbalance and 9 imputation methods to handle missing data. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), sensitivity, specificity and balanced accuracy are used to evaluate model performance, with …

Towards Resilient Platform Work In The Philippines, Cheryll Ruth Soriano, Jayvy Gamboa, Jan Michael Alexandre Bernadas, China Patricia Villanueva, Marge Medina, Katherine Brimon

SDRC Projects

Platform work is increasingly promoted as a strategy for employment generation in the Philippines. The Philippine Labor Force Survey of 2021 reported that around 1.7 million gig workers are engaged by online platforms or mobile applications, with many depending on it as their primary livelihood. Yet the rapid expansion of platform labor as a livelihood opportunity is unfolding alongside intensifying climate disruption and technological transformation. Extreme heat, flooding, supertyphoons, unstable power infrastructure, and digital dependency are creating new forms of vulnerability for platform workers—many of whom already operate under precarious and weakly protected labor conditions. Due to its archipelagic topography …

Identification Of Active Compounds And Antidiabetic Activity Of Red Shoot (Syzygium Myrtifolium) Leaves Extract With In Vitro And In Silico Methods, Muhamad Iqbal Prakoso, Siti Warnasih

Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic metabolic disease that affects approximately 537 million people worldwide (1 in 10 individuals), and its prevalence is projected to reach 783 million by 2045. One of the plants that has the potential to be an antidiabetic is red shoots (Syzygium myrtifolium) since it contains various secondary metabolite compounds such as flavonoids, triterpenoids, steroids, saponins, phenolics, and anthocyanins. This study aimed to evaluate the antidiabetic properties of red shoot leaves extract and to identify and predict interactions between its active compounds and the α-glucosidase receptor. Ethanol, ethyl acetate, and n-hexane extracts of red …

Dosimetric Impact Of Replacing An Anterior Field With A 3d Conformal Anterior Partial Arc In Thoracic Spine Palliative Radiotherapy, Camri Garretson

Masters Projects

Purpose: Palliative radiotherapy is commonly used for the treatment of thoracic spine metastases; however, conventional beam arrangements can expose nearby organs at risk (OAR), including the heart, to unnecessary radiation dose. This study evaluated whether replacing a static anterior beam with a conformal anterior arc could reduce cardiac dose while maintaining adequate target coverage.

Methods: Fifteen thoracic spine treatment plans were retrospectively replanned using an experimental technique in which the static anterior beam from the original plans was replaced with a 3D anterior conformal arc. All other planning parameters, including beam geometry, wedges, and multi-leaf collimator margins (MLC), were kept …

July 8, 2026 Blazer Weekly, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

Blazer Weekly (student newsletter)

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Autistic Traits And Depression Among Self-Reporting College-Aged Adults, Tyler Michael Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Depression is a prevalent mental health concern among emerging adults, particularly within college populations where academic, social, and developmental stressors are heightened. Autistic traits are increasingly understood as dimensional characteristics that exist across both clinical and non-clinical populations, yet their relationship to depressive symptoms in college-aged adults remains insufficiently understood. The purpose of this quantitative, cross-sectional correlational study was to examine the relationship between self-reported autistic traits and depressive symptoms among non-clinical adults aged 18 to 25. The study was grounded in Beck’s cognitive theory of depression and the diathesis–stress model, which posit that cognitive vulnerabilities interact with environmental stressors …

Risk, Trust, And Medical Decision-Making: Perinatal Care Among Patients And Providers In South Florida, Isabella Viera

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how structural inequality shapes the experience of perinatal care among pregnant individuals and healthcare providers in South Florida, with particular attention to how risk is perceived and communicated, how trust between patients and providers is built or eroded, and how medical decision-making unfolds under conditions of structural vulnerability. Drawing on multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork conducted between October 2025 and April 2026, supplemented by a quantitative analysis of low-birth-weight rates across all 67 Florida counties, the project analyzes how risk is defined, communicated, and lived across community-based prenatal organizations, online educational platforms, and in-depth provider and patient interviews. The …

Avian Conservation And Translocations In The Mariana Archipelago, John V. Bender

Dissertations

Island birds are among the world’s most imperiled vertebrates, and conservation translocations are increasingly used to combat threats, but their success depends on understanding the mechanics of whether and how to conduct translocations effectively. In the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, native forest birds persist across a chain of islands where habitat degradation and loss, invasive species, and extreme weather create persistent conservation challenges. For my dissertation, I investigated how avian conservation programs and translocations can be planned, implemented, and improved under biological, logistical, and social uncertainty. For Chapter 1 I analyzed 15 years of avian translocations across seven …

Unbiased Avidity-Based Isolation Of Antigen-Specific T Cells, Amanda Montoya, Meredith L Frank, Peixin Jiang, Hui Nie, Minying Zhang, Emily Bontekoe, Jared K Slone, Ludovica L Posta, Sofia Rosy Caterina Sorice, Tina Cascone, Maura Gillison, Don L Gibbons, Jianjun Zhang, Eleonora Dondossola, Lydia Kavraki, Pamela L Wenzel, John V Heymach, Alexandre Reuben

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Background: Cancer immunotherapies have significantly improved treatment efficacy and patient survival by exploiting antigen-specific T cells to eliminate cancer cells. However, current approaches for identifying and isolating antigen-specific T cells typically require prior knowledge of target antigens, limiting discovery, and reducing the ability to consistently detect rare tumor-reactive T cells. We therefore sought to develop an unbiased platform for the identification and enrichment of antigen-specific T cells using naturally processed and presented tumor antigens.

Methods: We developed ATTACH (Assessment of T cells Tethered to Antigen Class I Histocompatibility), a microfluidic platform that applies controlled shear stress and leverages tumor cells …

Uav-Based Estimation Of Fuel Structure And Dynamics In A California Canyon Fire Experiment, Xiangyu Ren, David Benterou, Jannike Allen, Katherine M. Wilkin, Henri Brillon, Craig B. Clements, Bo Yang

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Wildfires in California increasingly threaten communities and ecosystems. However, comprehensive estimation of fire dynamics and fuel structure remains limited. Recent advances in Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technology and high-spatial-resolution mapping have provided increasingly important tools for estimating wildfire fuel-height loss across fuel types. This study used a one-year Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) time series to quantify fuel-height loss and vegetation regrowth associated with a prescribed upslope canyon fire near Salinas, California, USA. Multispectral, infrared, and visible UAV imagery collected before, during, and after burning was used to generate orthomosaic, digital surface models (DSMs), fuel-type classifications, and surface-volume estimates. To enable …

Maternal Attachment Style As A Moderator Between Maternal Stress And Postpartum Depressive Symptoms, Kristie Lynn Hills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This research aimed to discover if maternal attachment style moderates the association between maternal stress and postpartum depressive symptoms for mothers living in the United States. Previous research has indicated a trend of maternal bonding mediating the association between postpartum depression and maternal stress. In this study, attachment theory was utilized as the foundational theory for understanding whether the link between maternal stress and postpartum depressive symptoms vary as a function of maternal attachment style. This quantitative examination was completed using a multiple regression analytic approach. An online questionnaire measured the three study variables. The target population for this study …

Shame, Resilience, And Disclosure Predictors Of Mental Health Seeking In Male Veterans With Ptsd And Military Sexual Trauma, Neftali Melendez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Male veterans are often the least likely to report military sexual trauma (MST), increasing the experience of shame, fear, fragility, and mental health disorders. The primary goal of this study was to examine the relationship of shame (internal and external), attitudes towards disclosure, and resilience on mental health help-seeking in male veterans who have experienced sexual abuse while in the military. Brown’s theory of shame resilience guided the development of the hypotheses and interpretation of results. Approximately 146 veterans participated in an anonymous online cross-sectional survey using a convenience sampling design and psychometrically validated questionnaires (Mental Help Seeking Attitudes Scale, …

The Association Between Food Insecurity, Housing Insecurity, Self-Care Practice And Depression Among Black Immigrants In The United States, Beatrice Ngozi Mbaocha

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The prevalence and poor prognosis of depressive symptoms remain significant among adult Black immigrants in the United States. This study examined the complex interplay between food insecurity, housing insecurity, self-care practices, and depression among adult Black immigrants in the United States. Grounded in the socioecological model, this quantitative cross-sectional study analyzed data from N = 469 noninstitutionalized Black immigrant adults (54.2% female, 45.8% male) using the 2023 National Health Interview Survey. Binary logistic regression was employed to assess the probability of depressive symptoms as a function of food insecurity, housing insecurity, and self-care practices, controlling for age, gender, and employment …

Drivers Of Professional Satisfaction In Emergency Medicine Residency Training In The Us, Arvin Radfar Akhavan, Kirstin Woody Scott, Patrick Hewes, Erin Kinney, Boris Pavic, Josh Simmons, Michelle Lall, Michael Gottlieb, Yvette Calderon, Dave Lu

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Physician wellness discussions often center on burnout and negative aspects of clinical practice. Less is known about what brings professional satisfaction to physicians, particularly among emergency medicine (EM) residents. Understanding drivers of professional satisfaction is important for the future of the specialty as they may influence residents' career decisions. This study aimed to identify drivers of professional satisfaction among a national cohort of EM residents.

METHODS: We conducted a mixed methods study using a survey administered following the 2024 ABEM In-Training Examination to EM residents in ACGME-accredited programs. The single-item, free-text survey question asked: "List the top 3 drivers …

Um–Protoshare: Unet-Guided, Multi-Scale Shared Prototypes For Interpretable Brain Tumour Classification Using Multi-Sequence 3d Mri, Ali Golbaf, Vivek Singh, Swen Gaudl, Emmanuel Ifeachor

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Deep learning shows strong promise in brain tumour classification using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), although limited interpretability constrains clinical translation. Most interpretability methods are post-hoc and yield visual attribution maps that are only weakly connected to the decision process. Clinicians prefer decisions built from evidence they can recognise and verify on MRI, rather than post-hoc explanations. Case-based models embed reasoning by comparing image evidence with learned prototypes, yielding “this looks like that” rationales at decision time and mirroring clinical reasoning. Building on this paradigm, we introduce UM–ProtoShare, which compares the input multi-sequence 3D brain MRI with a bank of shared, …

Perceived Sensitivity Of Sensor-Based Digital Health Data: Qualitative Interview Study, Christine Deeney, Anika Sonig, Meghan E Hurley, Birkan Tunç, Eric A Storch, John D Herrington, Jennifer Blumenthal-Barby, Kristin Kostick-Quenet

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background: Digital health tools are increasingly used in mental health care to passively collect patient data and analyze health status outside of clinical settings. While technologies such as digital phenotyping, affective computing, and computational behavioral analysis offer new insights into symptom manifestation in daily life, they generate large volumes of potentially sensitive data that raise significant data privacy concerns, requiring high levels of patient awareness and consent. Empirical research is lacking on stakeholder understandings toward the sensitivity of these data and expectations for data stewardship, perspectives that are critical for developing robust informed consent and data protection policies for digital …

When Law Watches Democracy Die: The Legal Farce Of Venezuela's 2024 Election And The Paralysis Of International Law Enforcement And Unity, Madeline Covington

International Law Journal

The 2024 Venezuelan presidential election illustrates how authoritarian regimes can undermine democracy while preserving the appearance of constitutional governance. This Article examines the historical and legal developments that culminated in the contested election, analyzes violations of Venezuela's domestic electoral framework and international legal obligations, and evaluates the international response, including sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and multilateral action. It argues that Venezuela exposes a fundamental weakness in international law: although global institutions strongly endorse democratic governance, they lack effective enforcement mechanisms to respond to electoral authoritarianism. The Article concludes by proposing institutional reforms to strengthen international accountability and protect democratic integrity.

Defining Life: A Conversation, K. Kofman, C. Adami, F. Baluška, J. Bongard, D. Brash, P. Calvo, G. Dodig-Crnkovic, P. Das, C. Fields, T. Froese, P. L. Gentili, G. Y. Georgiev, Scott F. Gilbert, T. N. W. Jackson, S. Kauffman, N. Lane, P. Marshall, D. Mcshea, W. Miller, S. Newman, A. Nunn, T. P. Pavlic, M. Picard, W. Ratcliff, A. Reber, J. Shapiro, A. Sloman, R. Solé, C. Sonnenschein, S. Stepney, R. Watson, O. Witkowski, M. Levin

Biology Faculty Works

Life is one of the most fascinating features of the physical world. Despite centuries of scientific study, experts still disagree about the definition, and even the possibility or utility of a definition, of this field. In a recent paper, we used AI to analyze the conceptual space formed by definitions of life given by a select set of modern workers in the life sciences and related fields. However, some of the most interesting material emerged as real-time conversations among those polled. In order to ensure that these ideas are not lost to the peer-reviewed scientific record, we here provide a …

Promoting Equity For Children And Adolescents Through Implementation Processes In Health And Social Care: A Scoping Review, Michelle Gooey, Heather Morris, Rebecca Madill, Callie Walsh-Bailey, Ahlia Griffiths, Melissa Savaglio, Claire Blewitt, Amanda O'Connor, Sara Holton, Helia Khalesi, Sofia Grage-Moore, Maria Fernandez, Echezona E Ezeanolue, Allison Metz, Ana Baumann, Helen Skouteris

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Despite the many existing implementation methods, theories, and frameworks, implementation science is insufficiently closing the research-to-practice gap. Bridging this gap is critical to achieving healthy and thriving communities globally, and requires implementation processes that promote equity and reach diverse populations, especially those most in need. The aim of this scoping review was to identify, thematically analyse, categorise, and provide examples of implementation processes described in equity-focused literature, with a focus on health and social care interventions for children and adolescents from birth to 18 years of age.

Methods: A comprehensive search of literature was undertaken across six electronic databases …

Online Decoding Of Rat Self-Paced Locomotion Speed From Eeg Using Recurrent Neural Networks, Alejandro De Miguel, Nelson Totah, Uri Maoz

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Objective. Accurate and reliable neural decoding of locomotion holds promise for advancing clinical applications such as rehabilitation and prosthetic control, as well as for understanding neural correlates of action. Recent studies have demonstrated successful decoding of locomotion kinematics across species in motorized treadmill settings. However, efforts to decode locomotion speed directly and continuously in more natural contexts—where pace is self-selected rather than externally imposed—are scarce, and those that exist generally achieve only modest accuracy and require intracranial implants. Here, we aim to decode self-paced locomotion speed non-invasively and continuously using cortex-wide electroencephalography (EEG) recordings from rats. Approach. We introduce an …

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: June 2026, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The June 2026 Employment Situation of Veterans report from Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families (IVMF), based on Bureau of Labor Statistics data, highlights a softening labor market for veterans in June 2026. Veteran unemployment rose from 3.2% in May to 4.1% in June, matching the national unemployment rate but representing a notable monthly increase. Post-9/11 veterans experienced a rise from 4.1% to 4.8%. Younger veterans faced the greatest challenges, with unemployment among those ages 18–24 increasing sharply to 17.4%. Unemployment also increased among veterans ages 25–34 and 55–64. By gender, rates rose for both men and women, …

Integrating Nutrition And Stress Into Life History Stages Of Wild Free-Ranging Female Pronghorn, Cole A. Bleke, Eric M. Gese, Juan J. Villalba, Shane B. Roberts, Susannah S. French

Wildland Resources Student Research

Studies addressing seasonal changes in diet quality and hormones are important for understanding the interactions between ecology and physiology. We collected fecal samples from free-ranging adult female pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) to examine the relationships between indicators of nutrition and glucocorticoid activity. This occurred during three population-level, life-history-correlated sampling periods across five subpopulations. We evaluated nutrition via fecal nitrogen, fecal 2,6-diaminopimelic acid (DAPA), and assessed glucocorticoid activity using fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM). We found positive relationships between fecal nitrogen and DAPA, whereas DAPA and fecal nitrogen with FGM varied in influence and strength, depending upon life history stage. Generally, …

Grant Mandigora V. American Board Of Pediatrics

2026 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Evaluating Cardiotoxicity And Factors Associated With In-Hospital Mortality Among Emergency Department Patients With Substance Use Disorder: An 11-Year Retrospective Study, Darpanarayan Hazra, Nadia Ahmed Said Alqusaimi, Alyaqeen Ahmed Abdullah Al Breiki, Raghad Saleh Mohammed Al Akhzami, Aya Hasan Hadi Aalhamad, Suad Abdullah Al Abri

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objective: Substance use disorder (SUD)-related emergencies are increasing globally, with cardiotoxicity contributing substantially to morbidity and mortality. This study evaluated cardiotoxicity patterns and factors associated with in-hospital mortality among adults with SUD presenting to the emergency department (ED).Methods: This retrospective observational study was conducted from January 2014 to December 2024 at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, University Medical City, Muscat, Oman. Adults aged ≥18 years with SUD and positive urine drug screening (UDS) were included if they had elevated troponin (>14 ng/L), electrocardiographic abnormalities or echocardiographic structural dysfunction. Clinical, laboratory, imaging, management and outcome data were analysed. Results …

Lgbtq+: What Utahns Need To Know, Susan R. Madsen, Deborah Lin

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

LGBTQ+ Utahns who identify as girls and women thrive when they are valued and accepted for who they are. Creating environments where they feel safe, welcomed, and empowered to participate fully strengthens their health, wellbeing, and sense of belonging. Communities also benefit when LGBTQ+ women and girls are encouraged to share their perspectives, talents, and leadership. When diverse voices are welcomed into dialogue and collaborative decision-making, organizations and communities are better equipped to serve everyone. By fostering belonging, representation, and meaningful participation, Utah can create communities where every person has the opportunity to thrive.

Eating Disorders: What Utahns Need To Know, Brie Sparks, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions characterized by persistent disturbances in eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions. They affect individuals of all ages, backgrounds, body sizes, and life stages, often occurring alongside other mental health challenges. Eating disorders can have profound impacts on physical health, emotional wellbeing, relationships, educational attainment, and workforce participation. Understanding the prevalence, risk factors, and barriers to treatment in Utah is essential for developing effective prevention, intervention, and recovery efforts.

Research And Innovation Update, July 8, 2026, Office Of The Vice President For Research And Innovation

Office of Research, Economic Engagement and Outreach

No abstract provided.

Mr. Paul Edward Donaldson

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

Synthesis, Characterization, And In Vitro And In Silico Antibacterial Evaluation Of 5-(3-Nitrophenyl)-1, 3, 4-Thiadiazol-2-Amine, Abdelghani Sehmi, Farouk Boudou, Ahcene Keziz, Amal Belakredar, Huda Alsaeedi, Mikhael Bechelany, Gemma K. Kinsella, Ahmed Barhoum

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Introduction – This study reports the synthesis, structural characterization, and antibacterial evaluation of 5-(3-nitrophenyl)-1, 3, 4-thiadiazol-2-amine (NPTA), a commercially available thiadiazole derivative with potential antimicrobial activity. Methods – NPTA was synthesized through a green, one-pot condensation reaction between thiosemicarbazide and 3-nitrobenzoic acid in absolute ethanol, affording a pale-yellow crystalline solid with a melting point of 110 °C–112 °C. The compound was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, confirming its structure. In vitro antibacterial assays, in silico ADMET and toxicity profiling, molecular docking, frontier molecular orbital (FMO) analysis, and 200 ns molecular dynamics simulations were performed. …

Thanks For The Signal-Now What? Program Director Perspectives On How Preference Signals Are Shaping General Surgery Residency Recruitment, John M Woodward, Connie Y Gan, Darci C Foote, Tasha Posid, Nicole M Santucci, Noosha D Deravi, Caitlin Silvestri, Kirstyn E Brownson, Erika Simmerman Mabes, Rondi Gelbard, Milanie Milan, Nina Zhao, Dylan R Nieman, Martha Godfrey, Benjamin D Ferguson, Joseph C L'Huillier, Colleen Mcdermott, Prajjwol Luitel, Olabisi Sheppard, Jennifer H Chen, Emma G Burke, Jenny M Guido, Ladonna Kearse, Jonathan Davies, Trenton Foster, Sarah Lund

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: We aimed to explore general surgery program director (PD) experiences with and perspectives on preference signaling in a 15-signal system.

Design: We performed qualitative analysis of de-identified transcripts from semi-structured interviews of general surgery PDs.

Setting: General surgery PDs across the United States.

Participants: All general surgery PDs in the spring of 2025 were invited to participate. Fifteen PDs volunteered to participate in semi-structured interviews (73% university-based, 53% programs with < 8 residents/class).

Results: PDs highlighted that signals saved time when utilized as a screening tool, which gave PDs more time for holistic review of applications. PDs also felt signaling increased equity …