Digital Commons Network^™

Formal Comment: Diagnostic Labelling Of Mental Health In Young People: Perspectives From Kenya, South Africa And Zimbabwe, Rachel Maina, Marinos Lupindo, Charmaine Nyakonda, Tara Carney, Charity Mamathuba, Christine Musyimi, Charity Somo, Eleanor Chatburn

Brain and Mind Institute

No abstract provided.

Plasma Proteomic Profiles Of Alzheimer's Disease And Neurodegeneration In African Cohorts, Ilaria Pola, Tolulope Akinyemi, Kubra Tan, Oladotun Olalusi, Wiebke Traichel, Giulia Giacomucci, Joseph Yaria, Nesrine Rahmouni, Gabriel Ogunde, Chinedu Momoh

Brain and Mind Institute

Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) represents a growing public health burden, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Yet, most studies focus on Non-Hispanic white (NHW) populations from high-income countries. This study investigates plasma proteomic signatures associated with amyloid pathology in African populations. Nigerian older adults from the VALIANT study and participants from a Tanzanian study, with available biomarker quantification in plasma are employed. For proteomic comparison, participants from the Canadian TRIAD cohort are included, capturing a distinct population. Here, we show that multiple proteins are differentially abundant in the plasma of p-tau217-positive individuals and in the different cognitive groups, …

A Rare Manifestation Of Mycobacterium Kansasii As A Cutaneous Infection: A Case Report, Wandera Carey, Antony Kimani, Zamanali Khakhar, Dheer Kalaiya, Alok Iyer, Sayed Karar

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are environmental organisms increasingly recognized as opportunistic pathogens, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Mycobacterium kansasii, a slow-growing photochromogen (Runyon group I), is primarily associated with pulmonary disease; however, extrapulmonary and cutaneous manifestations are uncommon and often underdiagnosed. Given the rising incidence of NTM infections, cutaneous disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of skin lesions, especially in immunocompromised patients. Early microbiological confirmation is crucial for appropriate therapy, as M. kansasii is intrinsically resistant to pyrazinamide. Herein, we present a case of pathologically confirmed cutaneous M. kansasii infection occurring in isolation, illustrating the diagnostic challenges and therapeutic outcomes.

A Blended Genome And Exome Sequencing Method Captures Genetic Variation In An Unbiased And Cost-Effective Manner, Toni Boltz, Benjamin Chu, Matthew Defelice, Calwing Liao, Julia Sealock, Robert Ye, Jacqueline Goldstein, Lerato Majara, Jack Fu, Lukoye Atwoli

Internal Medicine, East Africa

Here we developed and deployed the blended genome exome (BGE) method, a DNA library approach that generates low-pass whole-genome (1–4× mean depth) and deep whole-exome (30–40× mean depth) data in a single sequencing run. BGE is cost-effective, empowers most genomic discoveries possible with deep whole-genome sequencing and captures global common single-nucleotide polymorphism diversity. We applied BGE to sequence >53,000 samples from the PUMAS Project (Populations Underrepresented in Mental Illness Associations Studies), including African, African American and Latin American populations. Imputed genotypes showed high concordance with Illumina Global Screening Array calls (R2 ≥ 95% for minor allele frequency ≥1%; …

Polarized Truth Decay & The Role Of Education In A Democracy, Sonja Varbelow, William Yaworsky

Anthropology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to delineate the causes and dangers of truth decay for a democracy, the role education has played in the process, and how education can present a resistance to this dangerous trend. Truth decay has been characterized as an increase in quantity of opinion over fact, divergent views on what constitutes a fact, and decreased confidence of traditional sources of information. We agree that truth decay is a serious problem but would characterize it somewhat differently. Opinions, divergent views, and decreased confidence in traditional sources of information are not detrimental by themselves. Instead, we see …

Highly Confident But Slightly Uncertain: A Long Overdue Reinvention Of The School Scientific Method, Uncertainty And Error - Volume 3, Stephen Demeo

Publications and Research

Volume 3 explores the essential roles of uncertainty and error in scientific experimentation. It distinguishes between scientific error and scientific uncertainty: Scientific error refers to the difference between an experimental value and an accepted literature value, as well as the difference between data points in an x-y scatter plot and a predicted trendline. Scientific uncertainty, on the other hand, is associated with doubt arising from instrument limitations, variability within a data set, and psychological factors. Human error is set apart as mistakes or blunders, not to be conflated with scientific error.

Of utmost importance to the scientific investigator is the …

Highly Confident But Slightly Uncertain: A Long Overdue Reinvention Of The School Scientific Method, Confidence - Volume 2, Stephen Demeo

Publications and Research

Focusing on the psychology of empirical science, Volume 2 is an in-depth exploration of how students can build confidence in scientific data. Central to the text are twelve Confidence Indicators, a comprehensive set of approachable strategies and methodologies that help investigators produce, evaluate, and argue for reliable and valid empirical data. They include:

Good (and Ethical) Laboratory Practices

Repetition

Peer Replication/Review

Secondary Tests

Comparisons with Standards

Plots and Patterns

Conceptual Support

External Data Sources

Precision

Accuracy

Checking Calculations

Redesign/What-If Ideas

This volume includes numerous school science experiments that demonstrate how these indicators are applied across a wide range of educational …

Identity Development For Queer East Asian Americans During The Coming Out Process To Family, Mei E. Tam

Doctoral Dissertations

There has been a growing number of Asian Americans who openly identify as queer, with over half a million residing in the United States (UCLA, 2021). Despite this, psychological research has paid limited attention to how queer and Asian American identities intersect and are integrated, often framing them as conflicting while overlooking culturally embedded meaning-making processes. The present study explored identity formation among cisgender queer East Asian Americans during the critical period of coming out to family, focusing on how their understanding of and relationship to their queer and ethnic identities shifted following disclosure.

Using a qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews …

School Of Nursing Newsletter Summer 2026, Southern Adventist University

Southern Nursing - School of Nursing Newsletter

The Summer 2026 issue of the newsletter features information on the Hamilton County Homeland Security emergency preparedness event held in April, an update on the Nursing Simulation Center, the spring RHO IOTA induction ceremony, and mission trip experiences.

Oman Society Of Emergency Medicine Conference 2026, Sultan Qaboos University

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Soil Contamination On The Efficacy Of Antimicrobial Washes For Contaminated In-Shell Pecans, Erin Ramsay

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A study was done to evaluate the survival of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) on directly and soil-inoculated in-shell pecans over a 28-day period, determine STEC reductions after treatment with individual and sequential antimicrobial washes on direct and soil-inoculated in-shell pecans, and determine the cross-contamination potential of the spent pecan washes after a treatment. Pecans were directly and soil-inoculated with an STEC cocktail (O157:H7, O157:NM, O121, and O26). Direct inoculation was achieved by spraying the STEC cocktail on the pecans and homogenizing by hand for 2 min. For the soil-inoculation method, autoclaved pecan tree orchard soil was sprayed with the …

A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial Examining The Efficacy Of Group-Based Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (Pcit) For Autistic Youth: A Mixed-Method Design, Julia L. Kiefer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Caregivers of autistic children experience a myriad of barriers when seeking psychotherapy for their children including a lack of family-based treatment options, lengthy waitlists, and limited access to specialized therapists. As the demand for both accessible and affordable mental healthcare for autistic youth increases, group-based interventions may be a useful alternative to more time intensive individual treatment options – allowing for multiple clients to be seen at once. The present study examined the efficacy of an adapted evidence-based intervention, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, to be delivered in a brief, group-based format with families of autistic youth. Driven by input from a …

Essays In Whistleblowing, Crime, And Experimental Economics, Danielle Nickeisha Purcell

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation comprises three essays on how institutional strength, enforcement practices, and cognitive load affect behavior. The first essay presents a laboratory experiment that varies the extent to which an individual in a position of authority can interfere with the outcome of whistleblowing, holding all other monetary incentives fixed. Strengthening institutions raises whistleblowing rates, lowers theft, and reduces the rate of bribe offers, while leaving authorities’ acceptance of bribes unchanged when they face no punishment for accepting them. The second essay studies the end of stop and frisk in Chicago following the 2015 ACLU-CPD settlement agreement, which cut annual investigatory …

Evaluation Of Loading, Release, And Bioavailability Of Resveratrol Encapsulated In Porous Starch, Yu-Yun Wang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Resveratrol (Res) is a polyphenolic compound found in grapes, red wine, and berries, with health benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective properties. The poor stability and bioaccessibility of Res after consumption by humans require the development of delivery systems. Among many delivery systems, porous starch (PS) is a safe, cost-effective, and high in adsorption capacity encapsulation material for drugs and bioactive compounds sensitive to environmental factors like light and heat. Porous rice, corn, and potato starch have different granule sizes, pore volumes, and surface areas. However, the impact of these encapsulation capabilities remains unclear among the three porous starches. …

A Systems Analysis Of Autonomous Uav Swarm Spraying For Precision Agriculture, Ryker Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in civilian sectors, particularly for precision agriculture and targeted aerial spraying, has rapidly evolved from passive monitoring to advanced, autonomous, multi-agent coordination. While deploying UAV swarms offers a promising solution to the payload and battery endurance limitations of single drone operations, realizing field-scale coverage introduces significant logistical and safety challenges. To evaluate the trajectory and viability of swarms, this study synthesizes bibliometric trends, operational simulation, and safety reporting analysis. First, because physical testing of complex swarms poses financial and safety risks, we developed an agent-based and discrete event simulation to evaluate autonomous spraying …

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy For Toddlers In Japan: Comparing Outcomes For Children With And Without Autism And/Or Developmental Delays, Emily-Anne Sevilla Del Rosario

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Parent-Child Interaction Therapy for Toddlers (PCIT-T) is a toddler adaptation of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy designed to improve social-emotional development and parenting practices among children under two years of age. This study evaluated the effectiveness of PCIT-T among Japanese families and explored whether treatment outcomes differed between neurotypical toddlers and autistic children and/or children with developmental delays. Data was analyzed from 83 parent-child dyads who received PCIT-T in community-based agencies across Japan between 2018 and 2023. Results indicated significant improvements in children’s protective developmental factors, caregiver use of PRIDE skills, and reductions in Avoid skills following treatment. CARES skills did not …

Venous Thromboembolism In Pediatric Intestinal Failure: A Single-Center Experience, Grant Ebel Bs, Rachel Bordelon Md, Julia Dansby Md, John Shin Bs, Ethan Porter Md, Tien Pham Np, Rn, Nutan Hebballi Phd, Essam Imseis Md, Allison Speer Md

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Ultrasound-Enhanced Targeted Delivery Of Atheroglitatide For Prevention Of In-Stent Restenosis, Elizabeth Jaime Nava

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

From Injury To Recovery: Clinical And Psychological Outcomes In Pediatric Trauma, Andrew M. Dlugosch

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Transitioning Pediatric Clubfoot Care: Early Custom Clubfoot Orthotic Use From Hospital Nicu To Outpatient Care, Antonia L. Dinulescu, Rohini M. Vanodia, Lise Lehoux, Marissa Pazik, Brennan Roper, Lindsay Crawford, Surya N. Mundluru

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Seeing It Through: Stage 2 Attrition In The Masquelet Technique For Lower Extremity Segmental Defects, Erica Y. Lee, Ryan A. Reinhart, Noelle Smurawa, Tien Do, Maame A. Effirim, Justin C. Mccarty

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Optimizing Feeding Trajectories In High-Risk Nicu Infants: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Saachi Singal, Amirali Tahanan Ms, Manouchehr Hessabi Md, Mph, Sepideh Saroukhani Md, Phd, Chiamaka Aneji Md, Jaclyn Ruggiero Md, Elizabeth Sabroske Do, Mba

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Population-Level Eligibility For Bonemri As A Radiation-Free Alternative To Spine Ct, Niels Levy-Thiebaut, Timothy Borden Md

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Biomarker-Defined Neural Injury-Risk Profiles And Maternal Plasma Small Extracellular Vesicles In Preeclampsia, Mariele Patungan, Jacqueline Parchem, Tina O. Findley, Avery Dewolf, Ximena Medina Romero

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Challenge-Based Ex Vivo Immune Profiling Reveals Stimulus-Dependent Peripheral Immune Reprogramming In Alzheimer's Disease, C. A. Naranjo-Galvis, Jovanny Zabaleta, Ney Alliey Rodriguez, Luisa Matilde Salamanca-Duque

School of Medicine Publications

Altered immune function is increasingly recognized as a contributor to Alzheimer's disease (AD); however, it remains unclear whether peripheral immune alterations reflect constitutive inflammation or stimulus-dependent changes in immune responsiveness. Addressing this distinction is critical for understanding immune dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we applied a challenge-based ex vivo immune profiling approach to characterize functional immune responsiveness in patients with AD and in cognitively healthy older adults. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were exposed to defined innate, antigenic, and mitogenic stimuli, and cytokine and β-amyloid (Aβ) responses were quantified in culture supernatants. Diagnosis-by-stimulus interaction effects were assessed using generalized …

Syllabus: Engl 1010 English Composition I, Sarah C. Bonanno

Open Educational Resources

This is a syllabus for English Composition I (ENGL 1010 FYSA) taught at Brooklyn College during the Fall 2026 semester. This course teaches students concrete and transferable writing skills through the genres of literacy narrative, argumentative essays, and comparative writing.

Women & Mental Health: What Utahns Need To Know, Brie Sparks, Susan R. Madsen

Marketing and Strategy Faculty Publications

Mental health shapes how individuals think, feel, cope with stress, and engage in relationships and communities. Mental health concerns have increased nationally and in Utah, influenced by social isolation, economic stress, and lasting effects of the COVID‑19 pandemic. Utah now has one of the highest rates of mental illness in the country, with nearly 29.9% of adults reporting a condition, and women are disproportionately affected. Understanding these patterns and their drivers is essential to improving outcomes for women, families, and communities across the state.

The Unexpected Role Of Conditionality In Shaping Relational Values: Insights From An Incentive-Based Conservation Program In Bolivia, Brooke Mcwherter, Will Munger, Zhao Ma, Claudia Radel, Laura Zanotti, Jonathan Bauchet, Ricardo Godoy

Department of Agricultural Economics Faculty Publications

As global change accelerates, Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) programs have become increasingly important tools for addressing the interconnected challenges of land degradation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, and climate change. PES programs provide incentives to individuals or communities, conditional on people adopting sustainable natural resource management practices to support or increase ecosystem service provisioning. Although conditionality is considered a “PES-defining feature,” little is known about how conditionality is perceived by community members and how such perceptions influence their participation in and experience with PES programs. To address this gap, we conducted an extensive qualitative study of Watershared, an incentive-based conservation …

Monitoring And Short-Term Forecasting Of Atmospheric Air Pollutants Using Deep Neural Networks, Prasanjit Dey

Dissertations

Accurate forecasting of near-surface atmospheric air pollutants such as PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO, and O3 remains a critical scientific and societal challenge. This difficulty arises from several factors, including nonlinear pollutant dynamics, sparse ground monitoring net works, heterogeneous satellite observations, and strong cross-pollutant interdependencies. Substantial advances have been achieved in temporal deep learning, probabilistic modeling, satellite-based estimation, physics-informed methods, and foundation models. However, these paradigms have largely evolved in isolation. As a result, existing systems are often station-dependent or pollutant-specific and optimized for a single forecasting task. This limits their robustness and generalizability across regions and heterogeneous data regimes.

This …

Nitrogen Use Efficiency Of Rice Expressing Arabidopsis Thaliana Dreb1a Gene, Yanis Anetha Vasquez Valdes

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Rice is a globally consumed crop and feeds more than half of the world’s population. Nitrogen (N) fertilization is required for increasing rice crop production and yield, but producers often overuse N fertilizers, exceeding plant uptake capacity. Around 40% of the applied N is lost through volatilization and denitrification to the environment, causing algal bloom formation, greenhouse gas emissions, and water pollution. Therefore, improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in rice has become a principal objective to achieve sustainable agriculture. NUE is a complex trait in rice that coordinates three processes: nitrogen uptake, transport and assimilation, which together support photosynthesis, biomass …