Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Young Adult Absence Within Inner-City Churches In Syracuse, New York, Daren Christopher Jaime

Doctor of Leadership

Young adults (ages 25–39) in inner-city churches of Syracuse, New York are experiencing increasing disenfranchisement, resulting in diminished participation, increased distrust, and a significant absence from congregational life. Research conducted for this project revealed that young adult disengagement is shaped by generational disconnects, institutional rigidity, cultural irrelevance, and broader social disruptions intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing political and socio-economic instability. The findings also highlighted a major desire among young adults for authenticity, credible leadership, and spaces where their lived experiences are acknowledged rather than dismissed.

This project is situated within my ministry and vocational context which integrates …

Guidelines For Community Engaged Health Research, Carrie Leach, Hayley Thompson, Alex Sass, Patricia Wren, Rodlescia Sneed, Rhonda Dailey, Elizabeth Towner, Maha Albdour, Carla Caringi, Alyssa W. Beavers, Theresa A. Hastert, Vanessa Rorai, Peter A. Lichtenberg, Angulique Outlaw, Ijeoma Nnodim Opara

Institute of Gerontology

Executive Summary:

Wayne State University’s Guidelines for Community Engaged Health Research provide a practical framework for designing, conducting, and evaluating ethical, equitable, and impactful health research that engages community experts in projects that advance health equity in Detroit.

Purpose 

Developed for WSU faculty, staff, and research teams, the guidelines support the meaningful involvement of community experts across all phases of research. They respond to common challenges in community-engaged work, including limited experience with engagement approaches, the need for reflexive and equitable practices, and the time and coordination required for authentic collaboration.

The document defines Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) as collaborative work …

Room For All: How Writing Centers Can Accommodate Students With Varying Disabilities In (A)Synchronous Appointments, Fionna Charles, Milani Giovacchino, Mÿah Mercado, Nicolette Santoianni, Adea Selmani

Undergraduate Papers

No abstract provided.

Graduate Research & Scholarship Symposium, Office Of Research

Graduate Student Research Symposium

No abstract provided.

Digital Redlining In The Smart City: Artificial Intelligence, Housing Law, And Structural Urban Inequality, Spurthi Nrusimhadevara

Undergraduate Scholarship and Creative Works

Artificial intelligence is increasingly used in urban housing systems, where it shapes decisions about tenant screening, rent pricing, lending, zoning, and neighborhood investment. Although these tools are often promoted as efficient and impartial, they frequently rely on historical data that reflect racial, economic, and spatial inequality. As a result, AI systems can reproduce discriminatory outcomes even when protected characteristics are not directly used. This paper examines digital redlining in the smart city and argues that algorithmic housing tools mirror long standing structural inequities that raise significant concerns under fair housing and civil rights law. It evaluates how automated screening, predictive …

Welcoming Hospitality, Adam Cheney

Doctor of Leadership

This project seeks to cultivate a deeper practice of welcoming hospitality. It addresses the core problem that the community of Rochester, Minnesota, lacks welcoming hospitality between Evangelical Christians and Somali Muslims, minimizing our common humanity. The project aims to invite Christians into a biblically grounded posture of hospitality toward their Somali neighbors.

Rooted in both research and lived experience, this work sits at the intersection of Evangelical ministry, support for refugees and immigrants, and community engagement. Throughout the research process, I observed the deep need for marginalized voices to be heard and understood. The study identifies four primary barriers contributing …

The Potential Role Of Naftidrofuryl Oxalate In Rat Model Of Ulcerative Colitis, Omar Mohsen Elmazny, Ahmed Abdel-Monem Elmetwally, Vivian Boshra, H.M. El-Beltagi, Basma Hamed Othman, Heba Sheta

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic, recurrent bowel disease characterized by inflammation that leads to superficial damage to the colon wall. The rate of incidence of UC differs from 0.5 to 31.5 per 100,000 subjects annually. The exact cause is still not well-identified. Studies suggest genetic factors, altered immune response, and environmental factors may play a role in the initiation and progression of the disease. Its pharmacological treatment remains unsatisfactory. Aim: To assess the possible protective effect of Naftidrofuryl oxalate (NFT) (praxilene) on intestinal epithelial cells in acetic acid (AA)-induced UC model in rats.  Materials and Methods: sixty female …

Added Value Of T2 Space Stir In Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation Of Post-Traumatic Brachial Plexus Injury, Nehal Tharwat, Ahmed Mohamed Abdelkhalek, Mohamed Ashraf Abd El-Moniem, Hesham Abdel Fattah Elsobky, Ahmed Alaa El-Din Elagamy

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Traumatic brachial plexus injuries (TBPIs) cause severe upper limb disability. Owing to the complex anatomic architecture of the brachial plexus (BP), TBPIs are difficult to diagnose. Magnetic resonance neurography of the BP using three-dimensional isotropic imaging provides excellent background fat suppression and adequate soft-tissue contrast, thereby allowing better delineation of the BP along its pathway. This study aimed to compare image quality between T2-Short tau inversion recovery (T2-STIR) and 3D-transverse relaxation time-sampling perfection with application of optimized contrasts using different flip-angle evolution short tau inversion recovery (3D-T2 SPACE STIR) sequences in cases of TBPIs.

Methods: This study included 44 …

Evaluation Of Β2-Microglobulin In Patients With Psoriasis Vulgaris Case Controlled Study, Ishraq Mazhar Shaaban, Fatma Faisal El Dakrory, Alshaimaa Hamdi Abd Elmaksoud, Youssef El-Bayoumi Youssef Soliman

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Psoriasis is a persistent, immune-mediated dermatological condition influenced by complex genetic architectures and systemic inflammation. This investigation evaluated the diagnostic utility of serum β2-microglobulin β2 as a quantitative indicator for gauging clinical severity in psoriatic patients.

Aim of the work: The primary objective of this investigation was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of serum β2-microglobulin (β2M) as a quantitative biomarker for assessing disease severity in patients with psoriasis vulgaris. Specifically, the study sought to determine the correlation between circulating β2M levels and established clinical parameters, including the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), body mass index (BMI), and …

Assessment Of Serum Level Of Lipocalin-2 In Patients With Alopecia Areata, Mohammed S. Sultan, N. M. Darwish, Hosam Abdel Tawab, Asmaa M. Shalaby

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic autoimmune disease (AID)-causing non-scarring hair loss (NSHL), mainly on the scalp. It affects about 2% of people worldwide, usually starting in the third or fourth decade. This study aimed to evaluate serum lipocalin-2 levels in AA patients compared to healthy controls (HC), and to examine their correlation with disease severity Methods: This one-year prospective case-control study included 40 AA patients from Mansoura University Hospitals and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy control. Diagnosis was based on typical, well-defined non-inflammatory scalp hair loss (HL) confirmed by dermoscopy. Controls were healthy, with no autoimmune history or …

Active Deresuscitation Strategies After Septic Shock: A Scoping Review, Alrefaey K. Alrefaey, Rania E Elbadrawy, Mohamed Aboelela, Mohammed Mamoun

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Fluid overload in septic shock patients is linked to higher morbidity and mortality. After the stabilization phase, fluid restriction may not result in the resolution of tissue edema. Active deresuscitation refers to the use of diuretics or ultrafiltration for the removal of excess fluids. Objectives: This review explores the current practices applied for the active deresuscitation strategies after stabilization of septic shock patients.  Search strategy: A literature search was performed through the following databases: Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus for relevant studies from 2015 to January 2026. Selection criteria:  The selected articles included …

Short Term Echocardiographic And Clinical Assessment Of Aortic Valve Neo-Cuspidization (Ozaki Procedure) In Comparison With Mechanical Aortic Valve Replacement, Amr Mohamed Ahmed Elshabrawy, Mohamed A. Gabr, Eid M Daoud, Mohammed Sanad, Sherif Arafa

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Aortic valve neo-cuspidization (AVNeo, Ozaki procedure) has emerged as an alternative to conventional aortic valve replacement, aiming to preserve native aortic root dynamics and improve postoperative hemodynamics. The replacement of the aortic valve presents challenges because both biological and mechanical prostheses have notable limitations.

Aim: To evaluate the short-term clinical and echocardiographic outcomes of aortic valve neocuspidization (Ozaki procedure) compared with mechanical aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with isolated aortic valve disease.

Patients and methods: This prospective comparative observational study included 42 adult patients with isolated aortic valve disease. 20 patients underwent AVNeo (Ozaki procedure) and 22 …

Fascia Transversalis Block With Different Volumes Of Local Anesthetic And Its Impact On Postoperative Pain In Major Abdominal Surgery: Prospective Randomized Study, Eman Eltabey Lotfi Taman, Mostafa Mohamed Ali Saied, Khaled Mohy Eldeen El Bahrawy, Abdelrahman Mamdouh El Naggar

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background Effective postoperative analgesia remains crucial in abdominal surgery to reduce physiological stress, improve respiratory function, and enhance recovery. The transversalis fascia plane block (TFPB) has recently emerged as an advantageous technique targeting the T12–L1 nerves responsible for somatic and visceral abdominal innervation. Objective To investigate the analgesic efficacy of different volumes of local anesthetic administered in TFPB and compare their effect on postoperative pain, visceral discomfort, and opioid requirements. Methods Eighty-one adult patients undergoing major abdominal surgery under general anesthesia were randomized into 3 groups: control (systemic analgesia only), lowvolume TFPB (20 mL total), and high-volume TFPB (25 mL …

Evaluation Of Cardiac Troponin T And Ischemia-Modified Albumin Changes With Hemodialysis Session In Pediatric Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease, Zeinab Ezz Elden Abass Abd Eldayem, Ashraf Mohammed Abdel Basset, Gehan Attia Abdehakem, Shiama Abdelmgiad, Nermin Yossef Abo Elkheir

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background : Cardiovascular status in dialysis patients is complicated by a wide range of factors that can affect long-term prognosis. Cardiac biomarkers changes with hemodialysis session could affect the cardiac integrity of those patients. Aim of the work: Assess the changes of cardiac ischemic biomarkers (Troponin T and ischemia modified albumin) before and after hemodialysis session in patients with ESRD in pediatric age group and study of correlations of changes with the hemodialysis parameters. Patients and methods: The study included 40 pediatric ESRD patients who were admitted to Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Pediatric Nephrology and Dialysis Unit of Mansoura University Children’s …

Comparative Study Between Serum Levels Of Interleukin-19 And Interleukin-38 In The Egyptian Patients With Non-Segmental Vitiligo, Reem Ahmed Al Maaddawy, Mohamed Kh. Selim, Ahmed Fawzi Ismail, Ahmad S. Hasan, Manar Ali Hassan

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: The precise etiology of vitiligo remains unclear; nonetheless, it is predominantly regarded as an autoimmune disorder. This work aimed to compare serum levels of IL-19 and IL-38 between patients with non-segmental vitiligo (NSV) and healthy controls (HC). Patients and Methods: This study included 88 participants, evenly split into two groups: 44 individuals with non-segmental vitiligo and 44 healthy controls. Both groups underwent full history taking. The Vitiligo Area Severity Index (VASI) score and Vitiligo Disease Activity (VIDA) score were used to assess disease severity and activity. The levels of human IL-19 and IL-38 were also measured.

Results:Serum IL-38 …

Serum Zinc Levels In Children With Complicated Community Acquired Pneumonia: A Case-Control Study, Eslam Elhendawy, Angi Alwakeel, Shimaa R. Hendawy, Amal Osman

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background Zinc performs an important part in maintaining proper immune function, and its deficiency has been connected to an increased risk of severe respiratory infections. However, there is limited data on serum zinc concentrations in children suffering from complicated community-acquired pneumonia (cCAP), particularly within the Egyptian pediatric population. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate serum zinc levels in children diagnosed with severe cCAP in comparison to healthy controls and to assess the diagnostic effectiveness of serum zinc levels in distinguishing children with cCAP. Methods This study included 100 children with severe cCAP and 100 age- and sex-matched healthy controls enrolled …

Study Of Serum Zinc And Copper Levels In Type 2 Diabetic Patients With And Without Nephropathy, Hayam Elmetwally, Ahmed Almenshawy, Alaa Sabry, Rania Bahriz

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Diabetic Nephropathy (DN) is one of the most important microvascular complications of Diabetes mellitus (DM). The purpose of this study was to look at how changes in serum zinc and copper levels relate to the incidence of diabetic nephropathy in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The type of the study is an observational case-control study. This observational case control study was conducted over a period of one year and included 90 adult subjects. Subjects were categorized into three equal parties. Patients without nephropathy who had type 2 diabetes were included in Group I (n=30) . Patients …

Evaluation Of Sodium Butyrate As An Anti-Fibrotic Agent In Experimental Schistosomiasis Mansoni Infection, Rania Eladl Hassan, Manar Ezzelarab Ramadan, Nora Ibrahim Aboulfotouh, Ramy Ahmed Abdelsalam Sallam, Basma Hamed Othman, Soha Ibrahim Awad

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Schistosomiasis is a prominent neglected tropical disease that is caused by Schistosoma mansoni, and it is characterized by granuloma formation, which advances to hepatic fibrosis and serious liver damage. The standard medication is praziquantel (PZQ), but it has minimal effect on larvae and no effect on fibrosis which is a main pathological feature in schistosomiaiss. So, new alternatives were suggested, such as sodium butyrate (SB), which is a fatty acid salt with medicinal qualities.

Objective: This study investigated the anti-fibrotic effect of sodium butyrate (SB) in a mouse model of S. mansoni-induced liver immunopathology using …

Evaluation Of Clinical Efficacy And Safety Of Topical Trifarotene Versus Topical Dapsone In Inflammatory Acne Valgaris: Split Face Interventional Study., Shaymaa E. Elmongy, Aya Mohammed Elsebaie, Azza Osama Alqurei, Noura A. Elseessy

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Topical Trifarotene and Dapsone both treat inflammatory acne, but they work differently and have distinct side effects.

Objective: to compare efficacy and safety between topical trifarotine 0.005% versus dapsone 5% gel for treatment of mild to moderate inflammatory facial acne vulgaris.

Methods: This split face interventional study included twenty (20) patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris. All the patients were treated with topical trifarotine cream 0.005 once daily at night thin layer on RT side of the face and treated with topical dapsone gel 5% once daily at any time of the day thin …

Comparative Study Between Microbotox (Mesobotox) Versus Microneedling With Platelets Rich Plasma In The Treatment Of Atrophic Post-Acne Scars, Eman Ibrahim Abd Elmabood Maghraby, Abeer Mohamed Abdelaziz Elkholy, Noura Abdel Moneim Mohamed Elseessy

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disorder affecting the pilosebaceous units and ranks as the eighth most prevalent disease worldwide. Acne scarring is a common consequence of acne vulgaris that occurs in some patients. Different treatment modalities have been tried for treating them such as chemical peels, laser-assisted resurfacing, dermabrasion and microneedling (MN). Both Microbotox and Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP) are effective, minimally invasive treatments for improving atrophic post-acne scars, often used with microneedling.

Aim: to Compare the efficacy and safety of microbotox injection versus microneedling combined with platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of atrophic post-acne scars.

Subjects and …

Performance Of Renal Artery Doppler Compared With Umbilical Artery Doppler In Growth Restricted Fetuses, Alya Kamal Ibrahim Anwar, Abdel-Aziz Abdel-Ghani Elrefae, Khaled Samir Othman, Alhussein Ahmed Mohamed

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background:

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a major contributor to perinatal morbidity and mortality and is frequently associated with placental insufficiency. Doppler ultrasonography of blood flow is widely utilized in the assessment and follow up of pregnancy considered to be at high obstetric risk.

Objective:

This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of umbilical and fetal renal artery Doppler indices in prediction and monitoring of fetal growth restriction.

Methods:

    This prospective observational study included pregnant women with fetuses whose EFW <10^th percentile for gestational age. A total of 90 women with suspected FGR were recruited. All participants underwent detailed …

Symptom Burden And Its Relationship With Functional Status And Quality Of Life Among Hemodialysis Patients, Samar A. Alalfy, Hoda Mahmoud Mohammad Abdulaziz, Rasha Mahmoud

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Patients on maintenance hemodialysis face significant symptom burdens that impact clinical outcomes. This study aimed to determine the frequency of individual symptoms and assess how cumulative symptom burden influences both functional capacity and health-related quality of life among this patient group.

Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 168 adult hemodialysis patients from two centers in Egypt. Assessments were conducted using three validated instruments: the Chronic Kidney Disease Symptom Burden Index (CKD-SBI) for symptom evaluation, the Short Form-12 (SF-12) for health-related quality of life, and the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (KPSS) for functional performance.

Results:Participants had a mean age of …

Behavioural Problems In Children With Congenital Heart Diseases, Mohamed E. Hassan, Eman A. Abdulhai, Mona M. Hafez

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is associated with neurodevelopmental and behavioral challenges. The purpose of this study was to evaluate behavioral problems in children with CHD. Methods: 103 children with confirmed CHD, aged 6 to 11 years, participated in this observational cross-sectional study. Children with genetic syndromes, neurological or developmental disorders, or any associated chronic medical conditions that may independently affect behavioral functioning were excluded. Behavioral assessment was performed using the parent-reported Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), which generates internalizing, externalizing, and total problem scores. Data on demographics, CHD type (acyanotic vs. cyanotic), and a history of previous cardiac interventions including …

In Hospital Outcome Of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention In Patients With Symptomatic Obstructive Coronary Artery Disease: Limited Mansoura University Experience In 2021., Mohamed Gamal Abd Elkader, Gamal Fahim El Sayed, Adel Mohamed Osthman

Mansoura Medical Journal

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the leading cause of cardiovascular mortality worldwide. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is an established revascularization strategy for chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), with outcomes influenced by patient and procedural factors. However, real-world data on in-hospital PCI outcomes from developing countries remain limited.

Aim: To evaluate in-hospital outcomes of PCI in patients with CCS and assess the relationship between baseline clinical risk factors and in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

Patients and Methods: This prospective observational cohort study included 150 patients with CCS (mean age 58.9±8.5 years; 106 males and 44 females) who underwent coronary angiography …

Assessing The Robustness Of Prithvi Geospatial Foundation Model For Coastal Habitat Mapping Under Data Availability And Domain Shift Scenarios, Sam Khallaghi, Rishi Singh, Rahebeh Abedi, Ronald J. Eastman, Lyndon Estes, Sujit Roy, Rahul Ramachandran, Hamed Alemohammad

Geography

Self-supervised learning techniques and geospatial foundation models are garnering increasing attention within the remote sensing community, marking a pivotal shift toward more adaptable, generalizable and data efficient methodologies. Despite their growing popularity, comparative analyses between these emergent models and traditional, task-specific supervised deep learning models for tasks such as semantic segmentation remain largely unexplored. This study is formulated as a comparative analysis to scrutinize the efficacy of the finetuned Prithvi geospatial foundation models against a supervised convolutional neural network trained from scratch for semantic segmentation of mangrove forests and pond aquaculture under varying levels of data availability and domain shift. …

Developing Provider Digital Twins For Personalized Provider-Patient Communication Via A Rag-Based Conversational Framework, Pengze Li, Yutong Hu, Jianfu Li, Garit Gemeinhardt, Fang Li, Muhammad Amith, Licong Cui, Antonio J Forte, Cui Tao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Digital twins have emerged as a paradigm in precision and personalized medicine, enabling data-driven modeling of individuals to support tailored interventions. While most existing work focuses on patient-oriented twins, little attention has been given to modeling the provider’s role, particularly in clinical communication. In this study, we present GRACE (Generalized RAG-Enhanced Conversation Framework), a framework for constructing a provider digital twin (ProDT) that emulates key aspects of clinicians’ communicative and cognitive behavior. GRACE integrates three modules: a physician-informed dialog script generation and optimization module for provider-patterned conversation, a Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipeline for factual grounding and timely knowledge updating, and …

Intra-Coronary Imaging And Transcriptomics Of Calcified Nodules Before And After Intensive Lipid-Lowering Therapy: A Yellow Iii Substudy, Pruthvi C Revaiah, Yuliya Vengrenyuk, Jiajia Liu, Keisuke Yasumura, Vemuri Krishna Santosh, Monika Karki, Ishani Bansal, Amit Hooda, Joseph K Sweeny, Sahil Khera, Vishal Kapur, Prakash Krishnan, Pedro R Moreno, Roxana Mehran, Xiaobo Zhou, Jagat Narula, Samin K Sharma, Annapoorna S Kini

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Aims: Calcified nodules (CNs) contribute to 3-5% of acute coronary syndromes (ACS). Identifying peri-calcific lipid-rich areas is challenging with conventional imaging but feasible using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). This YELLOW III substudy investigated the impact of maximal lipid-lowering on CN morphology and lipid content over 26 weeks.

Methods and results: Patients with stable CAD and lipid-rich, non-obstructive plaques (lipid arc >90°, FCT < 120 µm on OCT) received Evolocumab (140 mg biweekly) plus maximally tolerated statins. Lesions were evaluated at baseline and 26 weeks using combined NIRS-IVUS and OCT. Exploratory endpoints were the maximum 4 mm lipid core burden index (LCBI) in segments containing CNs (maxLCBI4mm-CN) and morphological changes in CN. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate temporal changes and group interactions. Peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) transcriptomics were analysed. Among 110 patients, 43 (39.1%) had CNs. A total of 73 paired CNs were analysed for morphology, of which 65 CNs were ≥4 mm. CNs with lipid signal (CNLS) demonstrated a significant reduction in maxLCBI4mm-CN from 176.8 to 113.3 (β = -63.51 ± 17.63; P < 0.001), whereas no change was observed in dense CNs (P = 0.317). Morphological parameters remained largely unchanged in both groups. A modest increase in the surrounding calcium arc was observed in CNLS (P = 0.018), while depth showed a differential change …

A Hybrid Vit-L/32-Maxvit-L Architecture With Adaptive Gated Fusion For Multiclass Gastrointestinal Disease Detection And Multi-Method Post-Hoc Explainability, Shahid Mohammad Ganie, Pijush Kanti Dutta Pramanik, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: Accurate detection of gastrointestinal diseases from endoscopic images remains challenging due to substantial inter-class similarity, intra-class variability, and heterogeneous lesion presentation. While convolutional neural networks (CNNs) effectively capture fine mucosal textures, their limited receptive field restricts global contextual reasoning. Conversely, transformer architectures model long-range dependencies but may underrepresent localized structural detail.

Methods: This study proposes a dual-branch hybrid transformer framework that integrates global token-level reasoning from ViT-L/32 with hierarchical spatial modeling from MaxViT-L. An adaptive gated fusion mechanism is introduced to dynamically regulate the relative contribution of local and global representations on a per-sample basis, enabling content-aware cross-scale integration. …

Global-Local Feature Fusion: A Robust Hybrid Deep Learning Model For Multiclass Brain Tumor Classification With Grad-Cam++ Interpretation, Kirti Pant, Pijush Kanti Dutta Pramanik, Shahid Mohammad Ganie, Anindita Saha, Zhongming Zhao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Accurate classification of brain tumors in MRI scans is critical for effective clinical decision making, yet manual assessment is labor-intensive and subject to variability. Although deep learning models, particularly CNNs and Transformers, have shown potential, each architecture alone has limitations: CNNs excel at local feature extraction but lack global context awareness, while Transformers capture global relationships but may overlook fine-grained details.

Objectives: To develop a hybrid Transfer Learning-Transformer model that integrates CNN-driven local feature modeling with Transformer-based global reasoning to enhance multi-class brain tumor classification.

Methods: The proposed workflow comprises three stages: (1) benchmarking standalone CNN (ResNet50, VGG19, ConvNeXtBase, …

Examining Motivators And Barriers To Meditation Practice Among Individuals With Spinal Cord Injury: Insights From A Survey Study, Radha Korupolu, Chelsea G Ratcliff, Ariana Andampour, Susan Robinson-Whelen, Shrasti Lohiya, Audrey S Cohen, Christine Bakos-Block, Tiffany Champagne-Langabeer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Context: Meditation and mindfulness practices offer promising non-pharmacological alternatives for individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) to improve their health and well-being, but integrating such practices into daily routines can be challenging.

Objectives: This survey study aims to identify motivators and barriers to engagement with meditation and mindfulness interventions among individuals with SCI.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among adults with SCI (N = 94) from a single large acute rehabilitation center in the United States.

Results: Results from the survey showed a strong interest in meditation among individuals with SCI, with nearly half reporting current engagement in meditation …