Digital Commons Network^™

Fixel-Based Analysis Of Pretreatment Mri Identifies White Matter Abnormalities In Pediatric Anti-Nmdar Encephalitis, Daniel Ackom, Janine Taitt-Tap, Scott A. Beardsley, Ricardo Vega, Alyssa Jobe, Andrew J. D. Crow, Brian Schmit, Lileth Mondok, Pradeep Javarayee

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis is an autoimmune disorder in which conventional MRI often appears normal, leading to clinical–radiologic dissociation and hindering early diagnosis and monitoring. We retrospectively studied five pediatric patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis and compared their pretreatment diffusion MRI to age- and sex-matched controls. Using fixel-based analysis (FBA), we quantified tract-specific white matter abnormalities at the individual level. All patients showed significantly reduced fiber density and cross-section, with patterns ranging from focal to widespread involvement. In two patients, FBA abnormalities corresponded to seizure lateralization on EEG despite normal MRI, emphasizing FBA's added value in detecting seizure-concordant injury. One patient, …

Selecting Without Replacement From A Population Of Bands Of Serially Connected Objects, James E. Marengo, Dominick Banasik, Joseph Voelkel, David L. Farnsworth

Articles

The sampling procedure from a finite population of objects that are serially attached into bands is described and analyzed. One object is randomly selected and removed at a time, which results in that object’s band being broken into two bands or shortened by one object. The main result gives the probability of choosing an object that is part of a band of serially connected objects of any specified size at each stage of the selection process.

Automating Junk Science, Lisa Waters

UC Law Journal

In the late twentieth century, the boom of forensic disciplines in criminal prosecutions helped drive mass incarceration to an all-time high. Yet scientific and legal inquiry revealed a disturbing truth: Most forensic methods accepted in criminal courts are entirely lacking in empirical support or scientific foundation—in other words, “junk science.” Forensic proponents have recently turned to computer algorithms, costly equipment, and proprietary trade secrets litigation to defend dubious techniques, ushering in a second wave of forensic reliance. But automated technology has masked rather than cured the foundational infirmities in these forensic fields.

This Article examines the growing trend of automated …

Masthead

UC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Evaluating Youth Programs With Intention: Integrating Developmental Research For A Youth-Centered Approach, Brittany Hite, Tiffany Berry, Evangelia Theodorou, Michelle Sloper

Journal of Youth Development

Conducting applied research or program evaluations in youth settings requires a unique combination of expertise. Although evaluation approaches provide general guidance on how to conduct high-quality evaluations, they rarely provide specific guidance on how to engage in evaluation with organizations serving youth. Fortunately, the field of youth development provides extensive information about how youth develop, facilitators of and influences on youth development, and important considerations for collecting data from this population. This paper provides an approach to evaluation that integrates youth development research. By integrating this literature into their evaluation practice, the authors identified two underlying principles (contextual sensitivity and …

Positive Youth Development And Connection With Nature Through Urban Agriculture, Casey Ortbahn, Marijke Hecht, Kristi Lekies

Journal of Youth Development

Youth urban agriculture programs connect youth with nature and support positive youth development. In this qualitative study, we use photovoice to amplify youth voices and explore 16 high school youths’ perceptions of how participation in a youth gardening program supported their confidence, connection, and sense of belonging. Using qualitative thematic analysis of photos, posters, and interviews, we identify several program processes that supported confidence and belonging, including meaningful relationships with peers and adults, connections with nature, and relationships with more-than-human beings. Our analysis reveals that nature is an important context for youth development and that nature is also more than …

Text Messages To Improve Young Child Diets: Results From A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial In Kanchanpur, Nepal, Kenda Cunningham, Sidney Cech, Aman Sen Gupta, Pooja Pandey Rana, Debbie Humphries, Edward A. Frongillo Jr. Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to test whether adding a text message campaign about the importance of eating eggs and other nutrition-related behaviours to an on-going package of large-scale, diverse social and behaviour change interventions would improve four types of nutrition-related knowledge and behaviour outcomes: child diets (egg consumption as the primary outcome), maternal diets, maternal nutrition knowledge, and maternal participation in additional interventions. The cluster-randomized controlled trial involved a repeat cross-sectional design, recruiting families with children 12–23 months of age at baseline and endline in one plains district of Nepal. Throughout the 1000-day period, 51 text messages were …

Impact Of Suaahara, An At-Scale Multisectoral Nutrition Programme, On Health Workers’ Maternal And Child Health, And Nutrition Knowledge And Skills In Nepal, Deependra K. Thapa, Edward A. Frongillo Jr. Ph.D., Shalini Suresh, Ramesh P. Adhikari, Bhim Pun, Karuna L. Shakya, Raj Mandal, Subir K. Kole, Kenda Cunningham

Faculty Publications

Suaahara, an at-scale multisectoral nutrition programme in Nepal, aimed to advance knowledge and skills of frontline health workers to improve the quality of nutrition and health services at health facility and community levels. This study assessed the impact of Suaahara interventions on knowledge and skills of health facility workers and Female Community Health Volunteers (FCHVs). The study used a quasi-experimental design in which four Suaahara intervention districts were compared with pair-matched comparison districts. One health facility worker and three FCHVs from each survey cluster were included. Baseline survey consisted of 93 health facility workers (2015) and 118 FCHVs (2012), and …

Electroactive Pvdf/Ti3c2tx Mxene Functionalized Nanofiber Mats With High Surface Potential For High-Efficiency Indoor & Outdoor Submicron Pm(0.3-2)Μm Filtration, Ashish Kakoria, Mirza Muhammad Zaid, Aamir Iqbal, Mahsa Moradi, Lina Zheng, Guang Xu

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fine PM0.3-2.0 rapidly penetrates the respiratory system and causes health problems. Commercial filters remove 0.3 μm particles at ∼95 % efficiency but impose high pressure drops that make breathing difficult. We fabricate a novel electrospun PVDF-Ti₃C₂Tx nanofiber mat for PM0.3–2.0 filtration. Where a high electric field stretched PVDF and PVDF-Ti₃C₂Tx solutions into ultrafine fibers that were collected as porous nanofibrous mats. PVDF was chosen for its electroactive behavior and high dielectric constant, enabling efficient electrostatic filtration. The incorporation of Ti₃C₂Tx MXene enhances surface charge density and interfacial polarization, …

An Adaptive Immersive Training Framework For Miner Self-Escape Readiness In Underground Mining Emergencies, Muhammad Azeem Raza, Samuel Frimpong, Saima Ghazal

Mining Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Underground mining environments are complex and hazardous operations where emergencies continue to happen. Underground mine emergencies require rapid, high-stakes decision-making under conditions of uncertainty, stress, and limited visibility. Conventional mine emergency training largely relies on instruction-based approaches which provide insufficient exposure to the cognitive and behavioral demands of real underground emergency situations. There has been an identified need to train miners for knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs). This study proposes an Adaptive Immersive Training Framework (AITF), a cognitively grounded architecture that integrates cognitive task analysis (CTA), KSAOs, and situational awareness assessment for miner self-escape training and readiness. The …

Evaluation Of Pulse Oximetry Alarm Fatigue And The Impact Of Spo2 Thresholds On Clinical Workflow: A Prospective Observational Study In A Kenyan Neonatal Unit, Bazil Masabo, Augustine Waswa, Jesse Coleman, Morris Ogero, Grace Irimu, Dorothy Chomba, Millicent Parsimei, Cynthia Shitote, Ferdinand Okwaro, William Macharia

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Introduction: Effective pulse oximetry monitoring in a newborn unit requires clinician action. However, if thresholds are not adapted to each neonate, frequent alarms cause alarm fatigue, which impacts the quality of patient monitoring, staff workload and clinical workflow.

Methods: We conducted an observational study from October 2021 to December 2022 in a Kenyan newborn unit which enrolled neonates through convenience sampling. Data were analysed in R using default thresholds of 85% to 96% for SpO2 and 90 to 200 bpm for PR.

Results: Among the 49 neonates enrolled, median hourly alarms per patient were 12 visual and …

Caregiver Assessment Of Executive Function Deficits Among Hiv-Infected And Hiv-Exposed Uninfected Preschool Children In Kenya, Antipa Sigilai, Moses Nyongesa, Amin Hassan, Janet Thoya, Rachel Odhiambo, K. Katana, Beatrice Kabunda, Grace Bomu, Charles Newton, Amina Abubakar

Institute for Human Development, East Africa

Background: This study examined caregiver assessment of executive functioning (EF) in perinatally HIV-infected (PHIV) and perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected (PHEU) Kenyan children, and explored the extent to which various biopsychosocial factors influence EF outcomes.

Methods: Children aged 3–5 years that were PHIV (n = 43), PHEU (n = 52), or HIV-unexposed uninfected (HUU, n = 58) and their caregivers were enrolled in this study. EF was measured using the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory. Caregivers’ common mental disorders (CMDs) and parenting behaviour were evaluated using the Shona Symptoms Questionnaire (SSQ) and a parenting behaviour scale, respectively. We used analyses …

Defining The Society Of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (Split) Research Agenda: A Delphi Consensus Project., Sharad I. Wadhwani, Pooja Reddy Spector, Amy G. Feldman, Katryn N. Furuya, Kayla Hartjes, Chaowapong Jarasvaraparn, Beau Kelly, Stacee M. Lerret, Krupa Mysore, Arti Pawaria, Philip Rosenthal, Amy Shui, Voytek Slowik, Sarah Taylor, Jennifer Vittorio, Pamela L. Valentino, Society Of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (Split)

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Despite major advances in surgical and medical management, only one-third of pediatric liver transplant (LT) recipients remain morbidity-free at 10 years. The Society of Pediatric Liver Transplantation (SPLIT) published a research agenda over 10 years ago, and much progress has been made since then. An updated consensus-driven SPLIT research agenda could guide future research and funding priorities. We aimed to identify and prioritize key research needs across the continuum of pediatric LT care using a modified Delphi consensus approach.

METHODS: We conducted a three-round modified Delphi process among SPLIT members. In round 1, participants submitted open-ended research priorities. In …

Pharmacogenetics Of Cyp3a5 In Pediatric Patients With Eosinophilic Esophagitis., Janelle R. Noel-Macdonnell Phd, Norah Almahbub, Erin C. Boone, Wendy Y. Wang, Dilyara Cheranova, Lisa Harvey, Valentina Shakhnovich, Rachel Chevalier

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an atopic inflammatory disease with limited treatment options. Though swallowed topical steroids are commonly used, they are not effective in all patients. We investigated the presence of CYP3A4/5 and ABCB1 (P-glycoprotein) mRNA in esophageal tissue and its differential expression by genotype in pediatric patients. Esophageal tissue biopsies were obtained from pediatric patients undergoing standard of care endoscopy. Levels of CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and ABCB1 mRNA were measured using droplet digital PCR and compared across patients with and without EoE. Genotypes for common, clinically relevant CYP3A5 variants were evaluated in a cohort of individuals with and without EoE. …

Complications Leading To Reoperation After Pediatric Tibial Spine Fracture Fixation., Benjamin R. Caruso, Suzanna M. Ohlsen, Keinan Agonias, Robert L. Van Pelt, Michelle M. Son, Michael G. Saper, Jason Rhodes, J Marc Cardelia, Jay C. Albright, Shital N. Parikh, Kevin G. Shea, Henry B. Ellis, Philip L. Wilson, Members Of The Score Quality Improvement Registry, Sheila Algan, Jennifer J. Beck, Richard E. Bowen, Jennifer M. Brey, Matthew J. Brown, Christian Clark, Allison Crepeau, Eric W. Edmonds, Matthew Ellington, Peter D. Fabricant, Jeremy Frank, Theodore J. Ganley, Daniel W. Green, Benton Heyworth, Ryan Koehler, Alfred A. Mansour, Stephanine Mayer, Scott D. Mckay, Molly C. Meadows, Matthew Milewski, Emily L. Niu, Donna M. Pacicca, Stephanie S. Pearce, Matthew R. Schmitz, Stephen Storer, Curtis Vandenberg, Yi-Meng Yen, Gregory A. Schmale

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Tibial spine fractures (TSFs) are uncommon injuries in pediatric patients, often requiring operative fixation. While complications such as arthrofibrosis and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insufficiency have been previously reported, the risk factors associated with unplanned reoperation remain incompletely understood.

PURPOSE: To identify the most common complications leading to reoperation and to evaluate associated risk factors, using a multicenter quality improvement registry.

STUDY DESIGN: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS: A multicenter registry of operatively treated pediatric TSFs was retrospectively reviewed from July 2018 to March 2025 across 27 institutions. Grade 3 complications were defined as complications resulting in …

Feedback Loops: Half-Life Your Message, Patrick Barry

Articles

I sometimes get asked to design training workshops to help organizations ensure their employees receive the consistent, high-quality feedback needed to develop and improve. A pretty common request is for workshops that give people feedback on their communication styles and push them to become more concise and compelling writers and speakers. Nobody, for example, has ever asked me, “Is there any way you can teach our lawyers to write longer, more rambling emails?” Or “Can you show us how to drone on and on while giving a presentation or running a meeting?”

Religious Higher Education Institutions In Ukraine: The Evolution Of The Problem And The Collision Of The "Secular–Religious" Dichotomy, Serhii Kostiuchkov, Vadym Slyusar, Lesya Chervona, Mykola Slyusar

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article is devoted to institutional, legislative, philosophical and communicative analysis of the activities of religious higher education institutions in modern Ukraine, taking into account political, social, legal, religious and communicative contexts. The authors examine the demand for religious education in modern Ukraine, which demonstrates high internal dynamics and promising prospects for the development of the domestic religious educational space. It is emphasised that the functioning of religious higher education institutions in Ukraine is regulated by the principle of constitutional separation of education from religion, while at the same time basic legal norms create specific conditions for the functioning of …

Examining How Continuous Professional Development Shapes Teaching Practice And Student Learning Outcomes, Jane Rarieya, Mary Oluga, Nyagwegwe Wango

Institute for Educational Development, East Africa

Purpose: This study examines how Teacher Continuous Professional Development (TCPD) initiatives implemented through the Strengthening Education Systems in East Africa (SESEA) and Foundation for Learning (F4L) projects influence teaching practices and foundational learning outcomes in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.

Methodology: The study employed a mixed-methods research design using longitudinal data from classroom observations, teacher questionnaires, student assessments, and key informant interviews. Data were collected from trained teachers, teacher educators, school leaders, and learners across selected project regions to evaluate changes in instructional practices and learning outcomes.

Findings: The findings indicate that TCPD significantly improved teachers’ adoption of child-centered, play-based, inclusive, …

Immersive Experience Design In Contemporary Theme Parks: A Case Study Of Universal Epic Universe, Roi Andre F. Ramos

Experience Industry Management

The evolution of contemporary theme parks has increasingly centered on large-scale immersive environments designed to transport guests into cohesive narrative worlds. The purpose of this study was to examine the immersive design practices utilized at Universal Epic Universe. A case study was conducted to evaluate five themed lands, four attractions, and four queue environments using a researcher-developed observational instrument. The results of this study determined that Epic Universe effectively sustains immersion through architectural enclosure, intellectual property-based world-building, sensory layering, and interactive technologies that increase guest agency. The park demonstrates a cohesive “self-contained land” model that minimizes negative cues and extends …

Reimagining The Laguna Lake Driving Range, Audrey Bonifacio, Jessica Rice

City and Regional Planning

The Laguna Lake Municipal Golf Course is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and is operated by the city. Recently, the community, city staff, and the City Council have begun a conversation regarding the use of the golf course. To explore the different uses, this senior project presents four alternative developments for a selected area of the golf course. These four uses include enhancing the existing driving range, a sports facility, a children’s center, and a senior living community. To assess these alternatives, the project explores current urban planning theories, development trends, and case studies for each use. Through this …

Leappt: Leveraging Generative Artificial Intelligence-Pediatric Pulmonology Training. Curriculum And Content Development., Alvin Singh, Erin Khan, Mary Moffatt

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

After redesigning the curriculum of the pediatric pulmonology fellowship program at Children's Mercy-Kansas City, leadership continued to make changes based on feedback from a faculty survey concerned about the quality and structure of didactics. These changes included leveraging generative artificial intelligence to create a detailed course content outline containing specific objectives and study points for each subject related to pediatric pulmonology. Using the content outline as a foundational reference for learners, fellowship leadership continues to enhance the curriculum by creating testing questions, flipped classroom sessions and evaluations, and hope that these specific changes will help address decreased passing rates on …

Improving Public Transport Through Machine Learning Influence Flow Analysis (Mifa): Southern England Bus Case Study, Benjamin Lee, Wolfgang Garn, Masoud Fakhimi, Nick F. Ryman-Tubb

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Public transport (PT) is crucial for enhancing the quality of life and enabling sustainable urban development. As part of the UK Transport Investment Strategy, increasing PT usage is critical to achieving efficient and sustainable mobility. This paper introduces Machine Learning Influence Flow Analysis (MIFA), a novel framework for identifying the key influencers of PT usage. Using survey data from bus passengers in Southern England, we evaluate machine learning models. Subsequently, MIFA uncovers that easy payments, e-ticketing, and mobile applications can substantially improve the PT service. MIFA’s implementation demonstrates that strength and importance lead to specific insights into how service characteristics …

Disarming Data: An Empirical Take On The Loaded Debate About Felon-In-Possession Of A Firearm, Jonathan Abel

Faculty Scholarship

This Article answers a crucial empirical question at the heart of the scholarly and judicial debates about the laws governing felon-in-possession of a firearm: How often do defendants charged with this offense have violent felony convictions? Using a comprehensive dataset of over 27,000 defendants charged in California from 2021 through 2024, the study provides a novel, large-scale analysis of how prosecutors deploy this most-common gun charge. The findings substantiate longstanding concerns that felon-in-possession is overbroad in its application to nonviolent felons—only 8.5% of defendants had a “violent felony” conviction as defined by California law, rising to just 28.8% under a …

Disciplining Mechanisms: Governing Data Markets With Competition And Regulation, Peter Ormerod

Faculty Publications

The past decade has witnessed conceptual renewals in both competition law and information privacy law. These regulatory movements—Neo-Brandeis antitrust and structural data governance—share the objective of recalibrating the balance of power between individuals and the massive data-processing firms that now dominate modern life.

Despite their common ends, policy interventions drawn from these schools of thought can work at cross purposes: competitive pressure can induce data exploitation, and privacy rules tend to benefit the largest firms.

This Essay exposes the friction in their relationship and offers guidance on how to mediate their tension. Competition policy alone will prove ineffective at indirectly …

Online Age Gating: An Interdisciplinary Evaluation, Noah Apthorpe, Brett Frischmann, Yan Shvartzshnaider

Faculty Publications

The recent surge in regulation seeking to establish age-based governance online is part of a decades-long attempt to establish online zoning. It is driven by active development of technologies to estimate or verify user age based on various characteristics of users, their credentials, or their activities. However, these developments have heightened prevailing concerns that online age gating technology will inevitably be abused and misused to cause a variety of privacy harms and rights infringements. This paper examines this ongoing debate by bridging technical and legal scholarship to explore the current state of online age-based governance. We discuss the current legal …

Applying Two-Stage Risk-Based Market Structures For Energy Hub-Based Plug-In Electric Vehicles Using Information Decision Gap Theory And A Hybrid Recurrent Convolutional Network, A. Heidari, R. C. Bansal, R. Bo

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper investigates the optimal operation of an energy hub engaged in both day-ahead and real-time trading. A two-stage optimization framework Information Gap Decision Theory (IGDT) for day-ahead bidding and stochastic programming with Monte Carlo scenarios for real-time recourse is applied. Risk-neutral, risk-averse, and risk-taking strategies are considered to capture different risk preferences. The hub integrates combined heat and power, renewable energy, plug-in electric vehicles, and vehicle-to-grid and grid-to-vehicle technologies. Price and load forecasts are generated using a hybrid recurrent convolutional network (HRCN). Results highlight the trade-off between risk management and economic performance: costs are 16.5 % higher in the …

Microwave Dielectric Properties Of Geopolymer Precursor Powders, Linh T. Duong, Abu Naser Rashid Reza, Kristen M. Donnell, Christopher R. Shearer

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Geopolymers are sustainable structural materials with properties similar to ordinary Portland cement concrete. To better understand the fundamental reaction mechanisms of geopolymers, a microwave materials characterization approach is used. In this research work, the dielectric properties (permittivity and loss factor) of common precursor powders used to make geopolymers (GPPs)—fly ash, lime, metakaolin, silica fume, slag, and zeolite—are measured over the S- and X-band frequency ranges (i.e., 2.0–4.0 GHz and 8.2–12.4 GHz, respectively). The physical characteristics, elemental composition, mineralogical properties, and phase characterization of the GPPs are then correlated to dielectric properties. Permittivity of GPP, classified as pozzolanic or latent hydraulic, …

Calibration Of Time-Domain Impedance Probe (Tdip) To Investigate Space Plasma Dynamics During Periods Of Ionospheric Instability, Piyas Chowdhury, Soumyajit Dey, Edmund A. Spencer

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

The traditional Plasma Impedance Probe (PIP) is popular for diagnosing parameters of the ionospheric plasma to study the space environment. However, the resolution of data measurements of existing PIP instruments, operating at higher frequencies, limits the analysis to studying the plasma features at electron scales. Studying plasma ion parameters is essential to understanding the ionospheric instability growth rates. This can only be accomplished by operating a diagnosing instrument at lower frequencies corresponding to ion scales. A recently developed Time Domain Impedance Probe (TDIP) is implementable for fast moving spacecraft using a time domain approach. The instrument has higher measurement resolution …

Detecting Sensor Data Manipulation, Ricky Green, Michael Black

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Posters

The integration of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) have made OT devices vulnerable to threats that have been successfully exploited with devastating results. Many modern techniques for hardening and securing enterprise IT systems are either incompatible with OT components in an Industrial Control System (ICS), reduce the efficiency of processes, or are prohibitively expensive to implement. Research in the area of ICS security focuses on a top-down approach, such as intrusion prevention by securing the perimeter of the network at layers 3 – 5 of the Purdue model by hardening IT systems. This approach is useful in Enterprise …

Postcolonial Ecocriticism And The Recovery Of Hope: Okri, Dangarembga, And The Spiritual, John C. Hawley

English

This essay stages a comparative ecocritical reading of African and transnational texts—Cajetan Iheka’s Naturalizing Africa, Ben Okri’s Every Leaf a Hallelujah, Tsitsi Dangarembga’s This Mournable Body, Greg Sarris’s Becoming Story, and Karen Armstrong’s Sacred Nature—to examine how narrative re-situates the human within more-than-human worlds. Drawing on Iheka’s “aesthetics of proximity,” postcolonial theory, and critical posthumanism, it contrasts Okri’s hopeful, child-centered fable of multispecies reciprocity with Dangarembga’s portrayal of “slow violence,” psychic dispossession, and eco-touristic commodification in neoliberal Zimbabwe. Indigenous and spiritual frameworks in Sarris and Armstrong further disclose ancient precedents for posthuman ethics, foregrounding humility, …