Digital Commons Network^™

A Blockchain-Assisted Energy-Aware Adaptive Federated Learning Framework For Secure Internet Of Medical Things Healthcare Systems, Adnan Hadi Mahdi Al-Helali

Mesopotamian Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Federated learning (FL) lets hospitals and medical devices train a shared model without pooling patient records, but Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) deployments add three problems at once: devices run on small batteries, some participants may poison the model, and plain FL keeps no tamper-evident record of who contributed what. This paper presents BEA-FL, a blockchain-assisted, energy-aware and adaptive FL framework that handles these problems in one pipeline. Each round, clients are ranked by battery headroom, link quality, data volume and learned trust. Updates are weighted by a trust score that measures how well their direction and size agree with …

Determinants Of Free Throw Performance: An Empirical Analysis Of Game Context And Pressure, David Colantuoni

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper analyzes the determinants of free-throw success using a panel data set of free throws taken from the years 2015-2016. Prior research has emphasized performance in high-pressure moments, while my study aims to evaluate a broader range of situational and contextual factors that influence free-throw outcomes. Specifically, I estimate the effect of time remaining, score margin, game period, home status, playoff intensity, shot order, and player-specific characteristics on the probability of a free throw. Additionally, a clutch indicator is included to assess whether performance systematically changes in highleverage situations, clutch being defined as the last five minutes of the …

Empirical Research Paper: The Commodity Markets’ Role On Gross Domestic Product In The United States, Fabian Cuprys

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper discusses whether the commodity market has descriptive information for short term Gross Domestic Product within the United States. Using quarterly Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED), the model uses distributed log changes in commodity prices such as energy, food, and industrial inputs alongside logged and market-based expectations for GDP. The model evaluates how fluctuations in broad commodity markets (such as the Broad Commodity Index, Food Commodity Index, Metal Commodity Index, and Energy Commodity Index) influence GDP.

Florida Housing Markets Price Reversal: A Comparative Analysis Of The Florida Insurance Crisis And Housing Market Decoupling (2022-2025), David Antonetti

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This research investigates the 2022-2025 Insurance Crisis in Florida as a localized shock to the housing market. While national home prices typically track federal interest rate trends, this study utilizes a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) framework, using Georgia as a control benchmark, to quantify the extent to which skyrocketing property insurance premiums have decoupled Florida's home price appreciation from the national mortgage rate environment. The paper finds that despite the separation in premiums did not have a significant impact on the change in HPI in the Florida housing markets, but did represent a simmer risk. This paper also uses the key factors …

Public Government Spending And Economic Growth In Latin America And The Caribbean, Kate Desousa

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates how government public spending impacts economic growth among multiple Latin American and Caribbean countries of varying developments since the 1990’s. The study incorporates variables including GDP per capita and general government final consumption expenditure to analyze their contributions to the economy. Data was collected from the World Bank Group. Previous empirical studies have looked at developed countries including multiple variables, while this study has a focus on economies of varying sizes and investigates government public spendings independently. This study will add to existing literature by inspecting public spending from a micro view at the public government spending …

Who Hunts In America?: An Empirical Analysis Of Income Trends And The Rural-Urban Divide In Hunting Participation, Kenneth Green

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper conducts an empirical analysis of hunting participation in the United States, focusing on the relationship between household income, geographic location, and gender. Using nationally available data from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation and the Big-Game Hunters: Demographic Characteristics and Expenditures addendum report, this study looks to examine how hunting behavior differs between rural/urban populations and identifies income-based trends within both groups. Hunting participation data is compared against U.S. Census data to assess whether the share of hunters aligns with the broader population distributions. Both descriptive statistics and regression …

A Panel Data Study Of Economic Development And Carbon Emissions Vs. Level Of Green Investment, Connor Lavoie

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This study examined the relationship between economic development and carbon dioxide emissions across 15 emerging nations from 2000 to 2024, employing a fixed effects panel data set within the STIRPAT framework, then verified the legitimacy of the result via a 5-model sequential test. The findings confirm that all 15 sampled nations remain on the upward slope of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), with GDP per capita, population, and energy intensity emerging as the three dominant drivers of emissions growth.

Determinants Of Us Housing Prices And Its Changing Market: A Panel Data Study, Timothy Jennings

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper examines the effects that different factors have on prices in the housing market between both rental and total purchase of housing units over the last thirty (30) years. The study uses time series government data with time periods to analyze both major determinants of a current housing unit’s price, rental prices, as well as reasons for changes in prices of those retail/rental units over time. For simplicity purposes, all major analysis is limited to the United States’ housing markets, although inferences and conclusions may be made regarding other countries as well for comparison, especially through literature review. Results …

Student Flows, Immigrant Stock, And Migration: An Empirical Analysis Of Brain Drain From Oecd Countries Into The Us, Tyler Nelson

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper uses panel data from seventy-eight origin countries from 2012-2023 to better understand the migration patterns of well-educated individuals on a global scale. The study adopts a model from Dreher and Poutvaara that allows international student data to be translated into a linear utility function for any given emigration target. Due to data transparency concerns, these emigration targets have been limited to countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

A Causal Analysis Between Brent Oil Prices And Economic Growth In Saudi Arabia, Nicholas Hyland

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper aims to examine the predictive relationship between oil prices and economic growth in Saudi Arabia. Given the country’s heavy dependence on oil rents as a percentage of their GDP, we will see how fluctuations in oil prices can heavily shape and influence economic performance. Although oil revenues have proven to be a driver of short-term economic growth, it is important to understand the “Oil Curse Theory” which highlights the risks that can be associated with slowed long-term economic growth. Using time series data on real GDP growth and Brent crude oil prices, this paper will contain a predictive …

The Impact Of Foreign Direct Investment On Economic Growth In Eastern Europe: A Panel Data Analysis Evidence Of Consumer Expenditure, Tyler Jarvis

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This research investigates whether foreign direct investment (FDI) translates into improved economic outcomes for citizens of Eastern European countries, as measured by household consumer expenditure trends from 1996 to 2025. Building upon the FDI stock and flow model developed by Kilmek (2024), this research replaces domestic value added (DVA) with consumer expenditure (CS) as the dependent variable and employs a two-way fixed effects panel model across 13 countries. The results indicate that FDI flows and FDI as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) have no statistically significant direct effect on consumer expenditure across any of the seven models tested. …

The Impact Of Urbanization On Life Expectancy In Asean Countries: A Panel Data Analysis, Ethan Kalmin

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper investigates the relationship between urbanization and life expectancy in ASEAN countries using a panel data analysis over the period 2001-2023. The study includes fixed-effects and robustness checks to estimate the impact of urbanization— along with a series of control variables such as health expenditure per capita, access to basic sanitation services, government education expenditure per capita, and fertility rate— on life expectancy at birth. The results show that urbanization alone does not explain within-country changes in life expectancy over time. Rather, education expenditure and access to basic sanitation services emerge as the most significant and robust determinants of …

Effects Of Healthcare Quality On Labor Productivity: An Empirical Analysis Employing Panel Data, Theodore Lanzaro

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper examines whether the Affordable Care Act’s restructuring of Medicare Advantage affected labor productivity in the United States. Using a state-level panel from 2007 to 2024, it estimates a difference-in-differences model that interacts with each state’s 2010 Medicare Advantage share with a post-reform indicator. Across baseline, controlled, and trendadjusted specifications, as well as event-study and robustness checks, the results show no statistically robust effect on state-level labor productivity. Any productivity spillovers from Medicare Advantage reform are too small, diffuse, or delayed to be detected in aggregate statelevel data.

Government Revenue And Expenditure Impact On U.S. Income Inequality Vs Europe And Asia, Ryan Murphy

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper examines income inequality in the United States compared to Europe and Asia using a comparative economic model that incorporates real GDP, government expenditure, population growth, and trade openness as a percentage of GDP. By analyzing how these macroeconomic factors relate to income outcomes across countries, the study aims to highlight structural and policy-related differences that may help explain observed disparities in income inequality between the two economies. The model provides a framework for understanding how economic growth, public spending priorities, demographic trends, and integration into global trade can influence income distribution. The findings contribute to a broader discussion …

Tuition, Debt, And Homeownership: A State-Level Panel Data Analysis Of Young Adults In The United States, Om Patel

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This study examines the relationship between the cost of higher education and homeownership rates across 51 U.S. states from 2016 to 2024 using annual panel data with 459 observations. Data were obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System and the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series Current Population Survey. The model regresses state-level homeownership rates on average in-state tuition at public four-year universities, college attendance rate, and median household income. Both ordinary least squares and state fixed effects panel regressions are estimated. A Hausman test statistic of 216.53 with a p-value of 0.0000 confirms fixed …

Determinants Of Inflation In The Eurozone: Evidence From Germany, Spain, And Greece Using Panel Data And Machine Learning, Cailan Steahle

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper examines why inflation differs across Germany, Spain, and Greece despite all three countries operating under a common monetary policy set by the European Central Bank. While these countries share the same currency and interest rates, their inflation patterns have varied significantly over time. This study investigates whether countryspecific macroeconomic factors, such as GDP, unemployment, bond yields, energy prices, and money supply, helps explain these differences. Using panel data methods, the analysis estimates both fixed and random effects models and performs a Hausman test to determine the most appropriate specification. The results indicate that the fixed effects model is …

A Network Meta-Analysis Of Effects Of Diabetes Education Programs On Hba1c In Type 2 Diabetes, Debby Syahru Romadlon, Hsiao-Yean Chiu

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: Type 2 diabetes is a widespread metabolic disease globally (Sun et al., 2022). People living with type 2 diabetes commonly suffer from neuropathy, nephropathy, retinopathy, and cardiovascular disease, leading to increased medical burden and reduced quality of life (Fakhri et al., 2021; Williams et al., 2020). Therefore, it is crucial to develop effective strategies for managing type 2 diabetes. Prior conventional pairwise meta-analysis (Azmiardi et al., 2021; Bekele et al., 2021; Nkhoma et al., 2021; Tanaka et al., 2020) have respectively investigated the advantages of Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME), Diabetes Self-Management Support (DSMS), and Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support …

Rate And Determinants Of Depression In A Cardiovascular Disease Sample, Divya Kuzhivilayil Yesodharan, Maryam Alharrasi

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: Heart failure (HF) is a major burden on patients and the healthcare system; since it is linked to poor functioning, reduced health-related quality of life (QoL), frequent hospitalizations, and high healthcare expenses. Even with advancements in treatment, mortality is still high; 50% of HF patients pass away within the first five years of their diagnosis. Patients with HF frequently suffer from psychiatric disorders, and previous research indicates that these conditions have a detrimental impact on these patients cardiovascular and general health. The most prevalent mental health conditions are depression and anxiety disorders like panic disorder, PTSD, and generalized anxiety …

United States And Kenyan Nursing Schools Partner For Interprofessional Education Training Using Case-Based Tabletop Simulation For Faculty Development, Stephen Cavanagh, Laura L. Van Auker, Deb Bakerjian, Miriam Carole Wagoro

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background/Purpose: The World Health Organization (WHO, 2010) provides a framework for interprofessional education (IPE) and collaborative healthcare model to enhance global healthcare access, care coordination improving patient safety and broadened workforce development. Health science training programs in developing nations lack faculty development in IPE using high fidelity-low resource case-based tabletop collaborative practice simulation methods. One public healthcare university in the United States (U.S.) incorporates IPE and collaborative practice model simulations throughout its student and workforce education. Their school of nursing (SON) expert multidisciplinary clinical team, paired with the SON, school of medicine (SOM) and allied health faculty at a public …

Stress Levels And Prevalence Of Elevated Blood Pressure In College Students, Theresa A. Kessler

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Purpose: College students are assumed to be generally healthy, and as a result, elevated blood pressure is often missed. In a recent study, 46% of college students had elevated blood pressure (Ferguson-Stegall et al., 2022). Higher-than-expected rates of hypertension may be due to multiple situations and behaviors that increase student risk (Tran, et al, 2022), such as higher levels of stress (Istasy et al., 2021; Mofattech, 2020). Stressors can be related to educational experiences, such as not doing well in an important course or poor sleep habits, as well as other common stress producing events in life such as loss …

Spartan Daily, November 3, 2026, San Jose State University, School Of Journalism And Mass Communications

Spartan Daily, 2026

Volume 167, Issue 31

Measuring The Effects Of Housing Wealth, Oil Prices, And Determinants Of Consumption On Consumer Spending, Pedro Alordes Compres

Empirical Economic Bulletin, An Undergraduate Journal

This paper examines the possible effects of Housing Wealth, Oil Prices, Disposable Income, and other determinants of consumption on Consumer Spending in the United States, considering consumer spending is the final purpose of economic activity. The study will use determinants of household consumption in a multivariate time-series model to examine the changes over time in the previously mentioned independent variables. Additionally, Random Forest will be used as a Machine Learning Model to predict different outcomes in the same sector.

Structuring A Strategy To Provide Accredited Clinical Pastoral Education For Chaplains In Puerto Rico, Ronald K. Williams-Garcia

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Chaplaincy is the fastest-growing ministry in the United States.¹ There are several reasons for this, including diverse settings, a broad ministry, and a variety of people served. As the ministry grows, so does the research on chaplaincy. The last several years have seen a surge in research on chaplaincy.² There has also been greater attention paid to how chaplains are trained.³ The training still requires a theology degree, most often the Master of Divinity degree. More importantly, the training includes Clinical Pastoral Education.

Clinical Pastoral Education is an experiential learning opportunity based on the action-reflection training model. …

Quantifying Attacker Payoff In Harvest Now, Decrypt Later Attacks: A Persistence-Based Framework For Trade Secret Risk, Arjun Kumar, Gene Yang, Turiya Misra, Francis Kagai

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

Harvest-now, decrypt-later (HNDL) assumes that encrypted secrets stolen today will remain worth decrypting when quantum computers eventually make that possible. But what if they do not? This paper models HNDL from the attacker’s perspective by asking a different question: how much will a stolen secret still be worth when it can finally be decrypted? We develop a conditional retained-value framework combining probabilistic Q-day timing, information depreciation, and adversary-access delay. The results reveal a sharp divide. Rapidly depreciating secrets can lose much of their strategic value before quantum decryption becomes useful, while persistent secrets can retain substantial attacker payoff even under …

Trauma Informed Care Approach To Family Violence : Preliminary Insights Of A Pilot Youth Justice Violence Prevention Program, Antonette Francis-Sheaerer Phd, Amber Singleton, Denise Shaw, Kierra Echols, L. Lynette Parker, Caroline O. Dodson, Ashley Y. Williams Md

Community Health Workers Posters

Background: Modern juvenile justice research increasingly identifies family violence as a primary driver of youth legal and social transgressions. To address this, the Strickland Youth Detention Center, in partnership with the USA Health Center for Healthy Communities, launched the Building Safer Communities Collaborative (BSCC)in Mobile, Alabama, in September 2025. This pilot program employs a public health, trauma-informed prevention model to intervene before youth face serious tenure within the justice system.

Methods: The BSCC utilizes a Community Health Worker (CHW) model focusing on 37 youth currently on informal probation. Over a six-month period, the program facilitates twice-monthly encounters with youth and …

Characteristic Flavors And Key Metabolites Of Qula From Different Production Areas Of Xizang, Xue Bei, Huang Qun, Wang Yang, Li Chuanting, Zhang Yidan, Hao Zhengyang

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To elucidate the regional differences and metabolic regulatory mechanisms of the flavor quality of Qula from different production areas of Xizang. [Methods] Qula from six production areas in Xizang, including Ali, Chamdo, Lhasa, Shigatse, Shannan, and Nagqu, were used as the research subjects. Multi -omics techniques, including electronic nose, gas chromatography -mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and liquid chromatography -mass spectrometry (LC-MS), were combined to systematically analyze the physicochemical quality, volatile flavor components, and differential metabolites of the samples. [Results] The fat content of Qula from the Ali production area was significantly higher than that from the other production areas, and …

Traceability Analysis Of Microbial Community In Fuyu-Flavor Daqu And Its Production Environment As Well As Raw And Auxiliary Materials, Cao Mantang, Wang Yanfa, Liu Xiaoguang, Yu Bing, Zheng Xiaowei, Sun Yuting

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To explore the sources of the microbial community in Fuyu -flavor Daqu and to elucidate the key microorganisms in Daqu. [Methods] Fuyu -flavor Daqu was used as the research object, and high -throughput sequencing combined with microbial source -tracking techniques was employed to analyze the sources of microorganisms in Daqu. [Results] The microbial community structures of the Daqu crust and core were similar;however, there were substantial differences in their dominant taxa. Source -tracking results showed that bacteria on the Daqu crust were mainly derived from workers' hands (22.68%), the surface of koji -pressing machines (17.58%), the air around the …

Formation Rules Of Key Flavor Substances During Sauerkraut Fermentation And Their Correlation With Dominant Flora, Tao Ruixiao, Wen Xueping

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To investigate the relationship between microbial succession and flavor formation during sauerkraut fermentation. [Methods] This study investigates the dynamic changes in physicochemical parameters, volatile flavor substances, and bacterial communities during 30 days of natural fermentation at 15 ℃. [Results] During natural fermentation, pH decreases from 5.85 to 3.70, reducing sugar decreases from 28.7 g/kg to 1.6 g/kg, and nitrite concentration exhibits an initial increase followed by a decrease. Simultaneously, the proportion of Firmicutes increases sharply from 16.8% to 98.7%, with Lactobacillus (95.8%) ultimately dominating. [Conclusion] Acidity and sugar consumption are the core environmental factors driving flavor formation during the …

Screening And Identification Of High-Yield Diacetyl Lactic Acid Bacteria And Optimization Of The Ultrasonic Pretreatment Process, Li Xinyi, Zhou Hui, Hu Shunhong, Sun Binrong, Tang Xia, Luo Jie, Fan Xiankang

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To selectively screen lactic acid bacteria with high diacetyl yield and explore the effect of low -frequency ultrasound treatment on their diacetyl synthesis capacity. [Methods] Using diacetyl yield as the indicator, high -yielding strains were selectively isolated from strains preserved in the laboratory. The strains were identified by 16S rDNA gene sequencing and Gram staining. The target strain was evaluated for safety, including antibiotic susceptibility, hemolytic activity, and biogenic amine production, and its probiotic potential was characterized based on free radical scavenging capacity and tolerance to simulated gastrointestinal conditions. The diacetyl synthesis capacity of the strain was improved by …

Extraction , Structural Characterization , And Rheological Properties Of Fish Scale Protein, Tu Jianqiu, Jia Lei, Jing Lixiang, Wang Qing, Yang Xiaocong, Li Jianfang

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To use Nanwan fish scales as raw materials for the extraction of fish scale protein by an ultrasonic -assisted alkaline method, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the high -value utilization of Nanwan fish by -products. [Methods] The extraction process of Nanwan fish scale protein was optimized through single -factor and orthogonal experiments. The structural characteristics of the protein were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and its rheological properties were determined using a rheometer. [Results] The optimal conditions for the preparation of Nanwan fish scale protein were an ultrasonic temperature of 50 ℃, ultrasonic time of …