Digital Commons Network^™

A Cross-Sectional Study At A Tertiary Setting Assessing Socioeconomic Burden And Psychological Impact Of Dermatophytoses, Amrita Hongal, Varsha Manchegowda, Mohan Hebbur Naraharirao, Mahalaxmi Khatagave, Rakshitha Nandeesh

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology and Venereology Indonesia

Background: Dermatophytosis is a highly prevalent superficial fungal infection in tropical regions, often chronic due to inadequate treatment. Its recurrent nature due to misuse of topical steroids and inappropriate treatment contributes significantly to both financial burden and deterioration in quality of life. This article aimed to assess the socioeconomic burden and psychological impact of dermatophytosis, accounting for its chronicity.

Methods: This study included 285 patients aged ≥12 years with previously treated dermatophytosis. Data on demographics, disease characteristics, and treatment patterns were collected. Quality of life was assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire. …

Oral Tofacitinib For Recalcitrant Lichen Planus Pigmentosus: A Hospital-Based Retrospective Study, Rashmi Singh, Prachi Sharma, Rajnish Kumar, Mugdha Kulkarni, Tripti Upadhyay

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology and Venereology Indonesia

Background: Cutaneous lichen planus (CLP) is a chronic inflammatory disease typically involving the flexor surfaces of the extremities. It is a CD8-positive T-cell-mediated disease of the skin in which an immune mechanism targets basal keratinocytes. Lichen planus pigmentosus (LPP), a variant of CLP, predominantly involves the extensor aspect and has recently been under the umbrella term of acquired dermal macular hyperpigmentation. The primary objective of our study was to determine the effectiveness of oral tofacitinib in treating LPP, and the secondary objective was to assess its safety.

Methods: Medical records of patients attending the Dermatology Outpatient Department between …

Exploring Pediatric Leprosy In An Endemic Area: Case Series Of Eight Patients In Indonesia, Gitalisa Andayani Adriono, Tri Rahayu, Sri Linuwih Sw Menaldi, Nelfidayani Nelfidayani, Retno Sulistyo Wardani, Kahlil Gibran, Malika Sabrina Yunifananda, Kartika Qonita Putri, Yunia Irawati

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology and Venereology Indonesia

Background: Leprosy remains a significant public health concern in endemic regions such as Indonesia. Children are particularly vulnerable due to their naive immunity and close familial contacts. This study aims to report cases of pediatric leprosy in Lembata, Indonesia, focusing on clinical characteristics and associated risk factors.

Case Illustration: A case series of eight pediatric patients (<15 >years) diagnosed with leprosy was conducted during a community-based screening program in Lembata, Indonesia, in 2022. Of 140 individuals examined, 8 were children. Most patients were male (6/8) with a mean age of 11.75 years. Multibacillary (MB) leprosy predominated (7/8), and a history …

Combination Therapy For Post-Acne Mandibular Keloid: Suprakeloidal Flap, Intralesional Triamcinolone, And Intense Pulsed Light, Miya Khalidah, Arief Budiyanto, Yohanes Widodo Wirohadidjojo, He Yeon Asva Nafaisa, Sonia Diovani, Dwinanda Almira Rizkiani, Dyah Ayu Mira Oktarina

Journal of General - Procedural Dermatology and Venereology Indonesia

Background: Keloid is a benign fibroproliferative skin disorder characterized by excessive collagen deposition resulting from abnormal wound healing that extends beyond the original wound margins. It is particularly challenging to treat, especially in areas with high mechanical tension and skin stiffness, such as the mandibular region, which is associated with increased risk of persistence and recurrence. Combination therapy has shown superior outcomes in reducing recurrence and improving keloids.

Case Illustration: A 41-year-old male with a post-acne keloid on his right mandible underwent surgical management using the suprakeloidal flap method followed by intralesional triamcinolone acetonide (TAC, 10 mg/mL, 20 mg) and …

Post-Covid Sli In Preschoolers: A Look At Changes In Speech And Language Impairments In Preschool-Aged Children In A Post-Covid Environment., Shenda Coy

Honors Theses

As the world has adjusted to times post-COVID, one thing that has caught the attention of professionals is a shift in speech language development in young children. Since COVID, more children are receiving speech and language services and diagnosed with SLI (speech and language impairment). This study investigates the reason for the shift, as well as strategies and services that can be used to adjust to these changes in numbers. The research for this project was conducted through anecdotal notes, personal research and observations. Information was collected over a number of years after COVID, from 2021-2026. This information when compiled …

Usa V. Marcus Spivey

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Folr1-Targeted Actinium-225-Based Alpha-Particle Therapy Eliminates Ovarian Cancer, Neetu Singh, Esther Need, Ayden Berndt, Matthew Goff, Lydia J. Wilson, Firas Mourtada, Feng Guo, Tara Mastren, Taslim Al-Hilal, Anil K. Sood, Amit Maity, Scott C. Miller, Satoshi Minoshima, Shreya Goel, Sixiang Shi

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

Despite the advancement in therapies, ovarian cancer treatment is challenging because of poor prognosis and high relapse associated with acquired resistance. Emerging targeted alpha particles, particularly actinium-225 (225Ac), for treating refractory cancers have opened avenues for improved therapeutic options. Here, we describe a successful example of folate receptor 1 (FOLR1)–targeted 225Ac alpha-particle therapy for treatment of ovarian cancer. Longitudinal positron emission tomography imaging demonstrated high tumor-specific uptake of αFOLR1 (anti-FOLR1 antibody) in SKOV3 xenografts. FOLR1-targeted 225Ac demonstrated high therapeutic efficacy, achieving marked tumor regression, 80% survival, and 40% complete tumor elimination. The therapy resulted in tumor-specific double-stranded DNA damage, and …

Online Rights Defense Among Chinese Americans Against Racial Aggression In The U.S. During The Covid-19, Fangzhu Lu, Wenshan Jia

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

This study investigates how Chinese American communities responded to heightened racial discrimination during the COVID-19 pandemic by utilizing social media platforms to safeguard their civil rights, articulate collective concerns, and mobilize resistance against racial aggression.

Methodology

Through qualitative case study analysis, the research examines the social media activities of six advocacy organizations, including three X accounts (WashTheHate, Chinese for Affirmative Action, Asian Americans Advancing Justice) and three Instagram accounts (Stop AAPI Hate, Stop Asian Hate, Advancing Justice: AAJC). The analysis focuses on the content strategies and communication mechanisms employed to counteract racial hostility.

Findings

The selected organizations used social …

Investigating The Role Of Cellular Senescence On Vestibular Dysfunction In Repetitive Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Michael Volyanyuk

Dissertations

Vestibular dysfunction is a prevalent and persistent consequence of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Clinical reports reveal that women experience vestibular deficits more frequently than men following mTBI. Despite the high prevalence and debilitating nature of vestibular symptoms, preclinical literature evaluating mTBI-associated vestibular impairments is limited. Emerging evidence demonstrates that cellular senescence is involved in the pathological molecular sequela of mTBI. It has been shown that senescence contributes to cognitive deficits following repetitive mTBI (rmTBI); however, its role in rmTBI-associated vestibular dysfunction remains unexplored. This body of work investigated the role of cellular senescence on rmTBI-induced vestibular dysfunction in both …

Knowing And Being Known: Monstrosity And Relationality In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, Rachel Carpenter

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation looks at Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel Frankenstein as a prime example of the ways character relations and narrative form can invite both characters and readers to renegotiate the boundaries of monstrosity and humanity, how our notions of such monstrosity and humanity are constituted dynamically, through relationships, and how this negotiation is itself a religious relational dynamic. By closely reading Mary Shelley’s novel, I consider three main facets of the work: the epistolary frame of the novel as a series of letters and stories relayed between characters, the practice of naming that takes place within the novel, and the …

Press To End Nightmare: Technology, Disfigured Labor, And Retail Grocery Work, Katherine Mott

Dissertations - ALL

This study attends to the lived experiences of retail grocery customer service workers to examine how economic forces, namely the growth of online retail and technological advancements in information systems and data collection, are reshaping retail work. It draws upon in-depth interviews, content analysis, and eight months of participant observation working alongside predominantly college-educated customer service workers at Whole Foods Market, an upscale retail grocery chain with hundreds of locations across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Prior to the 2010s, Whole Foods Market’s decentralized management structure successfully deployed a hegemonic “post-industrial work ethic” rooted in environmentalism, organic …

"That Has Been My Entire Life Of Being Invalidated," Lgbtq+ And Poor: Experiences Of Cis-Heteronormativity And Neoliberal Poverty Governance In Cities In Upstate New York, Dustin J. Satterfield

Dissertations - ALL

Social welfare provision in the United States is neoliberal, punitive, and more about controlling people than alleviating poverty. Poor people are highly regulated by the state through welfare provision, with social welfare supports reserved for “the deserving poor” (Soss et al. 2011; Katz 2013; Hughes 2019; Purser and Hennigan 2019). Poverty is viewed as a personal moral failing and those seeking benefits must demonstrate their deservedness to be approved. Simultaneously, LGBTQ+ individuals in the US are at higher risk of experiencing poverty than the general US population (DeFilippis 2016; Badgett 2018; James 2016). Queer and trans people are more likely …

A Study On Gender Equality And Geographic Homogeneity In Education And Their Association With Midlife Suicide, Julene Kemp Cooney

Dissertations - ALL

ABSTRACT Suicide consistently ranks among the top five causes of death for the U.S. population aged 25-64, and suicide rates have been rising in the United States since 2000. Although targeted efforts have been made to reduce suicide deaths among high-risk individuals, the upstream, or “contextual,” causes of poor mental health that drive suicidal ideation and completion are fueling a national mental health crisis that is overwhelming available mental health resources, resulting in a significant and needless loss of life. This three-chapter dissertation examines how suicide rates among midlife adults in the United States are associated with several upstream contexts …

Peptide And Peptide Bioconjugate Based Drug Development For The Treatment Of Metabolic Diseases, Nancy Cham

Dissertations - ALL

The Doyle group has coined the term ‘corrination’ to describe the conjugate modification of a peptide, protein, small molecule, or radionuclide with a corrin ring-containing molecule such as cobalamin, also known as vitamin B12 (B12), or cobinamides. By exploiting the innate chemico-physical properties of corrin ring-containing compounds, both in general and specifically via the innate dietary B12 uptake pathway in mammals, corrination has been explored for drug development and targeted/localized delivery of probes and therapeutics. Most recently, it is in the field of peptide-based therapeutics that corrination is generating significant interest, no doubt driven in part by the recent successes …

Three Essays On Social Security Retirement Age Reform And Its Implications For Older Adults, Halim Yoon

Dissertations - ALL

Rising life expectancy and declining fertility rates have led to rapid population aging in many countries. To address the resulting fiscal pressures on social insurance programs and encourage longer labor force participation among older adults, many countries have reformed their public pension systems. In the United States, the Social Security Amendments of 1983 gradually increased the Full Retirement Age (FRA)—the age of eligibility for full, unreduced Social Security benefits—from 65 to 67. While prior research has extensively examined whether this reform delayed Social Security claiming and retirement, much less is known about its broader and longer-term consequences for well-being, including …

Substance Use From Adolescence To Midlife: The Influence Of Religiosity, Childhood Aversity, And Sexual Minority Status, Joshua Glenn Grove

Dissertations - ALL

Substance use is a leading cause of premature mortality in the United States, with overdose and alcohol-related deaths rising sharply in adulthood and midlife. Religiosity is among the most well-documented social factors associated with lower substance use, operating through community ties, behavioral norms, and meaning-making. Yet despite the life course nature of substance use, research has centered primarily on adolescence, relied on cross-sectional data, and typically employed single measures of religiosity. Consequently, it remains unclear whether religiosity functions similarly across its multiple dimensions or among populations exposed to heightened social disadvantage, including individuals with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and sexual …

Assessing Clinician Preference For Redirection Of Care In Neonatal Tracheostomies, Gabriella Destefano, Alla Kushnir, Perri Donenfeld

Cooper Rowan Medical Journal

A spectrum of indications exists for the implementation of neonatal tracheostomies, ranging from short-term airway control to congenital airway anomalies. The decision to initiate long-term mechanical ventilation is multifaceted and can be influenced by factors such as physician preferences, caregivers’ attitudes, and comorbidities. It is important to have an ethical framework in place to guide the treatment of preterm neonates who may require long term mechanical ventilation. This study examines physician perspectives on the ethics of neonatal tracheostomy, focusing on the treatment of infants with bronchopulmonary dysplasia. A mixed methods study, consisting of demographic information and 5 clinical vignettes centering …

Aging Alone In Malaysia: Social Challenges And Legal Protections, Jal Zabdi Mohd Yusoff, Zulazhar Tahir, Siti Zaharah Jamaluddin

Hasanuddin Law Review

According to The Japan Times, nearly 28,000 elderly individuals in Japan will die alone in the first half of 2024. This alarming trend is not unique to Japan; many countries, including Malaysia, are facing the challenges of an aging population. As Malaysia approaches becoming an aging nation, issues affecting the elderly, particularly those living alone, demand urgent attention. While not all elderly people face the same circumstances, some enjoy stable finances or live with their family, while others live in isolation due to various factors, such as remaining unmarried, widowhood, or estranged familial ties. Some are simply separated by their …

Per- And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (Pfas): A Global Review Of Sources, Contamination, Risks, Analytical Challenges, And Remediation Strategies Open Access, Ravi Naidu, Alvin Lal, Chuks Kenneth Odoh, Yanju Liu, Paul Nathanail, Roger Brewer, Christian Zwiener, Rainer Lohmann, Katie Richardson, Jen Martin, Ramona Iery

Graduate School of Oceanography Faculty Publications

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large class of synthetic fluorinated compounds extensively used in industrial applications and consumer products due to their exceptional chemical stability and resistance to degradation. These same properties, however, contribute to their environmental persistence, leading to global contamination and growing concern over their ecological and human health impacts. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of current knowledge on PFAS sources, environmental distribution, and transport across water, air, soil, sediments, and biota. It highlights regional disparities in regulatory frameworks and underscores limitations in existing monitoring efforts, including analytical detection challenges and the underrepresentation of emerging …

Neural Feature Crossing For Cross-Domain Recommendation In Knowledge Management Systems, Imran Khaled, Faiez Gargouri

Baghdad Science Journal

Recently, the rapid growth of digital knowledge resources has created an urgent need for advanced recommendation systems that capable to operate across various domains. This paper introduces KnowledgeXRec, a domain-aware hybrid recommendation framework that models both shared and domain-specific user-item interactions within a unified end-to-end architecture. Domain-specific feature crosses capture patterns unique to educational and cultural domains, while shared layers enable cross-domain knowledge transfer. Learnable embedding is represented categorical features such as learning style, age group, and content attributes, and the model is jointly optimized using binary cross-entropy loss with Adam optimizer. Findings provide evidence that KnowledgeXRec consistently outperforms seven …

Predictive Mobility-Aware Analysis Of Controller Overhead In Sdn-Enabled Iot, Abdulrahman Saidu, Kamalrulnizam Bin Abu Bakar, Babangida Isyaku, Muhammad Nura Yusuf, Farkhana Binti Muchtar

Baghdad Science Journal

The rapid growth and increasing mobility of Internet of Things (IoT) mobile devices significantly intensify flow setup requests in Software-Defined Networking (SDN). Frequent movement of mobile devices across access points triggers repeated flow rule installations in data-plane switches, leading to excessive controller overhead under limited flow-table memory capacity. Inaccurate mobility prediction in existing approaches further aggravates this challenge by causing unnecessary rule placement and redundant flow setup requests. This study investigates the impact of mobility-aware prediction on controller overhead with experimental scenarios using different groups of mobile IoT devices, while considering controller CPU and memory utilization. A proactive mobility prediction …

Data Scheduling Using Distance Function With Single-Pass Processing, Mahmood Shakir Hammoodi, Suhad Hatim Jihad, Mithal Hadi Jebur

Baghdad Science Journal

Task scheduling is one of the most fundamental difficulties confronting numerous sectors, including education, healthcare, and industrial management. Scheduling quality has a direct impact on performance efficiency, resource utilization, and end user satisfaction. With the growing volume and diversity of data, there is a greater demand for intelligent systems that can handle the spatial and temporal complexity of jobs and resource allocation. As a result, modern data analysis and decision-making processes have become critical for ensuring workflow optimization while reducing time and space waste. This study proposes an innovative approach to task scheduling that combines multidimensional data analysis using Data …

Weighted Average Ensemble Learning Model For Improving Brain Tumor Classification, Laith H. Alhasnawy, Hasanain Ali Al Essa, Tahseen A. Wotaifi, Abbas F. Hommadi, Ameer K. Al-Mashanji

Baghdad Science Journal

The detection of Brain Tumors (BTs) is of great benefit in identifying the growth of dangerous cells in the brain that pose a threat to the patient's life. Early detection of BTs remains a significant challenge due to subtle differences among tumor types and the complexity of brain anatomy. Manual diagnosis by radiologists is often time-consuming and subject to variations, which may delay treatment. Among available imaging techniques, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is widely used because of its high-resolution capabilities. Deep Learning (DL) has achieved remarkable success in image classification tasks through Transfer Learning (TL), which utilizes pre-trained models. Therefore, …

Rethinking African Security In The Anthropocene: An Alternative Framework, Hamdy A. Hassan

All Works

Introduction – Traditional approaches to African security often treat neocolonialism, governance failures, and terrorism as isolated issues, obscuring their systemic interconnections under Anthropocene conditions of human-induced environmental change. This study argues that African security should be reconceptualized in light of climate change, resource depletion, and ecosystem degradation, as these dynamics reshape the continent's collective security arrangements. Methods – This research combines critical analysis of African collective security mechanisms, focusing on the African Union and the African Peace and Security Architecture, with qualitative evidence from 15 unstructured interviews conducted in Mali, Nigeria, and Egypt between July and October 2025. Thematic qualitative …

Isolation, Molecular Identification, And Biofilm Characterisation Of Klebsiella Pneumoniae From Clinical Specimens, With Evaluation Of Probiotic Lactobacillus Fermentum-Mediated Anti-Biofilm Activity, Sophy Ps

Muthanna Medical Journal

Background: Healthcare-associated infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae infection are increasingly associated with indwelling medical devices due to the organism's strong biofilm-forming ability, which enhances resistance to antibiotics and host immune responses. This study evaluated the biofilm-forming potential of clinical Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates and investigated the anti-biofilm activity of Lactobacillus fermentum under in vitro conditions. Methods: Fifteen clinical specimens, including catheter tips (n=6), sputum (n=5), and urine (n=4), were collected between September and December 2012. Isolates were identified using morphological and biochemical tests. Biofilm formation was assessed using the crystal violet microtiter plate assay. Molecular confirmation involved 16S rRNA gene sequencing …

Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practice Of Iraqi Parents Regarding The Issues Of Vaccinating Their Children, Taqi Mohammed Jwad Taher, Rami Bahaa Saadi, Rand Sadik Al Radhy, Mohanad Aljama, Houreleen H Salman, Mayameen H Salman, Mustafa Sabeeh Lafta Zubaidi, Shaymaa Abdul Lateef Al-Fadhul, Mohammed Firas Turki, Hasanain Faisal Ghazi

Muthanna Medical Journal

Background: Children's vaccination can help in the prevention and protection against various fatal illnesses. Aims: This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of both parents toward their children's vaccinations. Methods: This is a cross-sectional analytical study of Iraqi parents in Wasit province. Data was collected through self-administered questionnaires that were developed from published research and adapted according to local culture. Data was collected from three primary health care centres in Kut City, Wasit province, for 255 parents who visited centres with their children for any reason from the first of April 2023 to the thirteenth of July …

The Multitargeted Cellular Spectrum Of Quercetin: Ameliorating Xenobiotic Toxicities And Metabolic Disorders, Wissam Sajid Hashim

Muthanna Medical Journal

Quercetin, a prominent dietary flavonol, exhibits a diverse range of biological activities that extend beyond simple free-radical scavenging, encompassing vital cytoprotective, membrane-stabilizing, and metabolic-regulatory properties.¹ This comprehensive review elucidates the multifaceted pharmacological spectrum of quercetin in restoring physiological homeostasis under conditions of xenobiotic insults and metabolic stress.² Specifically, we synthesize experimental and clinical evidence—including pivotal comparative studies to demonstrate quercetin's exceptional capacity to regulate systemic lipid profiles, preserve hemorheological parameters, and maintain cellular membrane integrity across vital systems.^3,4 Furthermore, this review highlights the therapeutic efficacy of quercetin in mitigating industrial and environmental xenobiotic-induced toxicities, with particular emphasis …

Seeing Is Believing: Mental Imagery Amplifies Moral, Emotional, And Motivational Responding To Mentally Constructed Hypothetical Events, Julie L. Ji, Adam S. Radomsky, Jackie Andrade

School of Psychology

Mental imagery is theorised to support important mental simulation processes, yet there remains little direct evidence of its functional impact on affective, moral, and motivation outcomes. This study examined whether the ability to generate visual mental imagery amplifies “as-if-real” responding to a mentally constructed harm event. Using a modified laboratory harm provocation paradigm, Aphantasics (individuals with no or minimal visual imagery; N = 32) and Visualisers (those with normal to high imagery ability; N = 48) were asked to write down the sentence “I hope [name of a loved one] is in a car accident”, followed by instructed mental simulation …

Predicting Thoroughbred Yearling Auction Prices With Machine Learning: Evidence From The Keeneland September Sale, Yanchao Yang, John Clarke, Tapaan Madal '26, Thinh Nguyen '26, Trung Pham '25

Business Analytics Faculty Publications

We apply machine learning methods to predict Thoroughbred yearling auction prices at the Keeneland September Sale (2020–2024). Our sample includes 5,788 yearling prices with pedigree data. We use both linear and tree-based models to predict log prices. We use cross-validation to tune model hyperparameters and select Ridge regression (α = 1.451) as the primary model for interpretation given its stability and interpretability. The Ridge regression explains approximately 54% of out-of-sample variation (R2≈ 0.5403). Sire and Dam Reputation emerge as the dominant predictors. Results provide pricing benchmarks and show how reputation and session structure shape Thoroughbred yearling auction prices.

Human Milk Small Extracellular Vesicles Elicit Changes In Inflammatory Response In Infant Human Intestinal Enteroids, Kacie D Waiters, Anthony S Peidl, Hailey A Mcandrew, Ashfia F Khan, Grace Adeniyi-Ipadeola, Hephzibah Nwanosike, Sana Sharif, M Funmi Babajide, Micah Castillo, Preethi H Gunaratne, Samaneh Karami, Hoa Nguyen-Phuc, Xinli Liu, Sasirekha Ramani, Tasneem Bawa-Khalfe

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Human milk (HM) is the key nutritional source for infants and the most effective preventative approach against serious gastrointestinal inflammatory diseases like necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants. Numerous studies in animal models indicate HM-derived small extracellular vesicles (HMEV) reduce severity of inflammation; however, data on human-specific models are limited. Isolated HMEV were characterized from early-HM (colostrum and transitional), mature-HM, and a combined, pasteurized donor bank-like HM sample (pool-); pool-HMEV retains a profile aligned with HMEV from both early- and mature-HM samples. Exposure to pool-HMEV initiates unique gene signatures associated with reduction of inflammation including NFkB-driven TNFα signaling in human …