Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Sanctions On Github Developers And Activities, Youmei Fan, Ani Hovhannisyan, Hideaki Hata, Christoph Treude, Raula G. Kula

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The GitHub platform has fueled the creation of truly global software, enabling contributions from developers across various geographical regions of the world. As software becomes more entwined with global politics and social regulations, it becomes similarly subject to government sanctions. In 2019, GitHub restricted access to certain services for users in specific locations but rolled back these restrictions for some communities (e.g., the Iranian community) in 2021. We conducted a largescale empirical study, collecting approximately 156 thousand user profiles and their 41 million activity points from 2008 to 2022, to understand the response of developers. Our results indicate that many …

Asymmetric Relationship Between Competition And Innovation: Evidence From Banks In The Eurozone, Kenny Tee, Konstantinos Syriopoulos, Ghulame Rubbaniy, Amna Salim

All Works

This study examines the asymmetric relationship between competition and innovation in Eurozone banking, using data from the original 11 Economic and Monetary Union member states. Employing the technology gap ratio for innovation and the Lerner index and Boone indicator for competition, we find an inverted-U pattern: innovation initially rises with competition but declines beyond a threshold. Granger causality tests confirm bidirectional causality on the upward slope but none on the downward, highlighting nonlinearity. These findings suggest that moderate competition fosters innovation, while excessive rivalry stifles it. Policymakers should balance competition to maximize innovation without undermining long-term technological progress.

State Of Menstrual Health Education In 2024: Content Analysis Of Us K-12 Public School Education Standards, Emily Richardson, Sarah Bemis, Page Dobbs, Hope Ballentine, Shristi Bhochhibhoya, Victor Kwaku Akakpo, Kylie Lovett

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Exploratory study aiming to assess the prevalence and time of initiation of menstrual health curriculum in US public school education standards by state. Methods: US public school Kindergarten-12th grade education standards from each state's Department of Education website, including D.C. (n = 51), were searched for menstruation, menstrual, menses, menopause, period, menarche, reproduction, puberty, and growth and development. Results25.5% (n = 13) of US education standards include menstruation. Of these, constructs of comprehensive menstrual health were recorded including abnormal menstruation (n = 6), menstrual hygiene (n = 6), menopause (n = 1), and stigma (n = 7). Education is …

Proton Beam Therapy Indications In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia: A Saro Clinical Practice Guideline, Saif A. Aljabab, Mohammed A. Aldehaim, Hussain A. Alhussain, Yasir A. Bahadur, Ibraheem S. Alomary, Majed A. Alghamdi, Abdulaziz S. Alghamdi, Yasir M. Alayed, Ali A. Balbaid

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To update the national guidelines for proton therapy to reflect the evolving literature. The Saudi Particle Therapy Centre is making efforts to establish proton therapy services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: The Saudi Particle Therapy Center collaborated with the Saudi Association of Radiation Oncology to formulate a panel of radiation oncologists with proton therapy experience to refine and update our previous publication. The recommendation level was based on the overall evidence using a 4-grade scale following the World Health Organization quality of evidence recommendations. These updates focus on summarizing the literature and the level of recommendation …

Advances In Genetic And Molecular Insights Into Thyroid Disorders: Implications For Diagnosis, Prognosis, And Personalized Treatment, Faez F. Alshehri

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Thyroid disorders encompass a variety of autoimmune conditions such as Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, as well as several types of thyroid cancer. Recent advancements in next-generation sequencing methodologies have elucidated significant genetic mutations, which include RET , BRAF , TPO , and more, which are associated with thyroid cancers and autoimmune disorders. BRAF V600E mutation as an indicator of prognosis in papillary thyroid carcinoma or the identification of genetic markers clarifies treatment strategies. Similarly, polymorphisms in immune regulatory genes such as CTLA-4 , particularly when combined with HLA-DR , are linked to higher risk to autoimmune thyroid diseases. Molecular …

100 Countries Committed To Climate Action For Health

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Findings On Dwelling In A Touristic Transit Space In Maligcong, Bontoc, Karl Eli Reyno Alconis

Institute of Philippine Culture (IPC)

Structure, Agency, and Culture: Examining the Influence of Organizational Culture in Succession Planning in Higher Education Institutions Conference: The Asian Conference on Education (ACE2025) Title: Structure, Agency, and Culture: Examining the Influence of Organizational Culture in Succession Planning in Higher Education Institutions Submission Number: 96492 Date Submitted: May 22, 2025 Stream: Educational Policy, Leadership, Management & Administration Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Current Status: Accepted Authors: Ferdinand Rellorosa, Ateneo De Manila University, Philippines Abstract: Succession planning (SP) is vital for leadership continuity and institutional sustainability (Ahmad et al., 2020; Rothwell, 2005). While largely studied in corporate settings, its application in higher …

When Performance Takes Priority, Matthew D. Whitwer, Joseph H. Hammer, Brenna Gomer, Elahe Vahidi, Sarah A. Wilson

Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology Faculty Publications

Engineering education is at a critical juncture where supporting student mental health is essential for fostering persistence, equity, and the development of a resilient and innovative workforce. Yet, undergraduate engineering students experiencing mental health concerns are often unlikely to seek professional help. To identify factors that account for this gap in treatment, this project administered the Undergraduate Engineering Mental Health Help Seeking Instrument to 1903 engineering undergraduates across five institutions. Correlations and regression were used to examine the links between help-seeking intention and (a) help-seeking mechanisms (e.g., attitude, perceived norm, self-efficacy) and (b) beliefs about seeking help. Students’ personal evaluation …

Muffled Olfactory And Sensory Cues From The Reproductive Stage Soybean Selectively Reduce Oviposition Of A Major Polyphagous Herbivore, Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera Frugiperda), Krishnarao Gandham, Manish Gautam, Justin George, Gadi V.P. Reddy, Rupesh Kariyat

Entomology and Plant Pathology Faculty Publications and Presentations

BACKGROUND

While the mother knows best/preference performance hypothesis has been well tested in natural ecosystems, how these ecological principles differ in agroecosystems is less explored. In this study, we investigated the ovipositional preference and offspring performance of fall armyworm (FAW) across vegetative and reproductive stages of soybean.

RESULTS

We examined trichomes, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and assessed electroantennogram (EAG) measurements to understand how olfactory responses are affected by volatiles at different phenological stages during photoperiodism (photophase and scotophase). We found that gravid FAW preferred the vegetative compared to reproductive stage of soybean. Although VOC and EAG responses was not statistically …

Trips And Its Futures, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement) was adopted on 15 April 1994, along with the estab-lishment of the World Trade Organization (WTO). With the WTO’s recent celebration of its thirtieth anniversary, it is high time we explore what the future will hold for this agreement. This chapter begins by revisiting the past to examine whether the TRIPS Agreement would be adopted if it were negotiated today. The chapter then discusses whether WTO members will undertake a major overhaul of this agreement in the future. Taking note of the fast-evolving international norm-setting environment and …

Selective Sharing And Social Bonding: A Qualitative Study Of Online Health Information Behaviour Among Older Adults In Shanghai, Minzhi Ye, Yan Liu

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

The health information landscape has been revolutionised by the advent of social media, significantly affecting older adults’ access to and interaction with online health information. In this study, we examine how older adults interact with health information on social media. In total, 30 participants aged 60 years and older from Shanghai were interviewed, focusing on their health information-seeking behaviour, perceptions, and subsequent actions using a semi-structured, in-depth interview approach. Furthermore, in this study, we employed grounded theory to analyze the data, and the results revealed that older adults utilise a comprehensive cognitive process for evaluating health information. Information-sharing decisions among …

Effectiveness Of Ai-Powered Language Learning Tools In The Workplace, Iswariya Baskar

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explored the experiences of multilingual employees with AI-powered language learning tools in financial and technology firms across the United States. As multilingual communication becomes increasingly vital in the workplace, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) offers promising support in language acquisition and cross-cultural collaboration. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore how AI-powered language learning tools influence the acquisition and retention of foreign languages of employees within financial and technology firms, how these tools strengthen professional identity and interpersonal communication, and how code-switching facilitated by AI impacts user experience and workplace engagement. Drawing from the …

The Heart Of Policing: Exploring The Essence Of The Phenomenon Between Organizational Culture And Police Officer Job Satisfaction, Charles C. Palmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the essence of the phenomenon between organizational culture and police officer job satisfaction among rural law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma. Retaining police officers has become an increasingly challenging task for law enforcement organizations across the United States, as high turnover, costly recruitment, and voluntary resignations continue to strain departments. While previous research has primarily examined demographic and occupational variables influencing satisfaction, limited attention has been given to how organizational culture affects the lived experiences of U.S. police officers. Guided by Edgar Schein’s organizational culture theory, this study examined how …

Breaking Barriers: Mentorship Pathways For Hispanic Women In Leadership Roles, Ana Paola Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study aimed to understand the unique lived experiences of 10 Hispanic Latinas serving in leadership roles in 2-year community colleges in Texas. As the graduation rate of Hispanic women increases, institutions must identify mentorship programs that motivate women who continue to graduate to seek leadership positions within their institutions. Through life stories and lived experiences, the study's findings illustrate that mentorship is essential to creating, but that self-determination and self-advocacy also make it possible to find paths to leadership. Through thematic analysis, three themes emerged from the data: identity and representation, mentorship and support structures, and resilience and advocacy. …

We Are Here Because Of Them: Co-Creating A Native Cemetery Memorial At Mission Santa Clara, Lee M. Panich, Amy J. Lueck, Lauren Baines, Isabella ‘Amne Gomez

Faculty Publications

Tens of thousands of Native individuals perished in California’s twenty-one Franciscan missions that operated from the 1760s into the 1840s, but most public interpretive programs gloss over their lives and the cemeteries where they are interred. This has historically been the case at Mission Santa Clara, on the campus of Santa Clara University. In this article, we reflect on the process of co-creating an interactive memorial designed to honor the Native people buried in two colonial-era cemeteries related to the mission and link their lives to the descendant community today. Importantly, the co-creation process helped strengthen relationships in numerous directions, …

Lymphoma Imaging In Hiv And Non-Hiv Patients: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study With Clinical And Pathological Correlation, Poonamjeet Loyal, Edward Chege, Jasmit Shah, Anne Mwirigi, Samuel Gitau

Imaging & Diagnostic Radiology, East Africa

Background: Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)have an atypical imaging pattern of lymphoma. There is paucity of literature on differences in tumor volume or burden of disease amongst HIV positive patients compared with HIV negative patients and how this correlates with clinicopathological parameters of aggressiveness and prognosis.

Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma which were categorized into HIV positive and HIV negative. The tumor burden, disease sites, international prognostic score and Ki-67 index were recorded. Continuous variables were analyzed using the Kruskal Wallis test and categorical variables with Fisher’s Exact test.

Results …

Long-Term Growth Hormone Effects In Prader-Willi Syndrome: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Mahmoud N. Almutadares, Nour M. Gazzaz, Naseem Y. Alyahyawi, Nuha M. Alrayes, Eman A. Mazi, Fahad F. Mansouri, Kholoud A. Hothan, Hanaa A. Hamadallah, Esraa M. Bukhari, Ahlam A. Mazi

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To assess the long-term effects and mortality rates associated with GH therapy in patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). Prader-Willi Syndrome is a rare genetic disease characterized by growth hormone (GH) deficiency among other endocrine disorders. Methods: A systematic literature search was carried out on 4 databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases. The search was based on two keywords: “Growth hormone” AND “Prader-Willi Syndrome”. Outcome data included height-standard deviation score (SDS), weight SDS, body mass index (BMI)-SDS, insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF1), mortality, low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol, and blood glucose. Results: A total of …

Unusual Histopathologic Findings Of Appendectomy Specimens: A Retrospective Study Of Cases At Jordan University Hospital Over The Last Decade (2015-2024), Fatima N. Obeidat, Dina M. Nafi’, Anas N. Suleiman, Heb’A A. Al-Hyasat, Leen A. Alhadidi, Nada H. Budair, Omar J. Abushawer, Raya G. Al Kloub

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To investigate the incidence and nature of unusual histopathological findings in appendectomy specimens and assess their impact on post-appendectomy management. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on patients who underwent appendectomies at Jordan University Hospital between January 2015 and December 2024. It included patients with presumed diagnoses of acute appendicitis or those who underwent incidental appendectomies during other surgical procedures. Pathology reports with complete data and slides showing unusual findings were retrieved from the archives of the histopathology laboratory of the hospital. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was used for statistical analysis. Results: Of the 2,275 patients, unusual …

Empowering Saudi Pharmacy Students: A Nudge-Based Intervention For Improved Health Behaviors, Fahad M. Alzahrani, Bsmah S. Bojan, Haifa A. Fadil

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To promote healthy habits among pharmacy students through curriculum-embedded challenges. Student well-being is a growing concern in Saudi pharmacy education, with high rates of stress and poor health behaviors reported among students. Traditional interventions often fall short in bridging the gap between awareness and action. Methods: A quasi-experimental design was conducted from September to December 2024 at Taibah University. Four month-long challenges targeting smartphone use, physical activity, sleep, and gratitude were integrated into a required hospital pharmacy course. The intervention was grounded in behavioral economics principles (salience and inertia) and delivered via Blackboard LMS with minimal extrinsic incentives. A …

Prognostic Significance Of The Borrmann Classification In Stage 2–3 Gastric Cancer, Selcan Cesur, Yonca Yılmaz Ürün

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To assess the prognostic significance of Borrmann classification subtypes in patients with stage 2–3 gastric cancer who underwent surgical treatment. Methods: A retrospective review of 96 gastric cancer patients treated at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University Medical Faculty Hospital from 2008 to 2024 was conducted. Patients were included if they were aged >18 year (yr), had undergone surgery without neoadjuvant therapy, had no distant metastases, and had a postoperative pathological stage of 2-3. Demographic and clinicopathological data were documented, and median overall survival (OS) was analyzed according to the Borrmann classification. Results: The median age of the 96 patients was …

The Incidence Of Unplanned Reoperation And The Related Risk Factors In Pediatric Surgery At A Tertiary Care Center In Saudi Arabia, Noura M. Almutairi, Mohammed K. Alnamshan, Suliman Mohammed Alaqeel

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To evaluate unplanned reoperation (URO) as a quality indicator and identify its rate and associated risk factors at our institution. Parental satisfaction and patient safety are crucial, necessitating an investigation into the factors influencing unplanned return to the operating room rates. Understanding the reasons behind UROs and how to prevent them is vital for improving surgical services. Methods: This study employs a retrospective cohort design to analyze existing patient data from King Abdullah Specialized Children’s Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. It aims to evaluate clinical endpoints and factors associated with unplanned reoperations, which are defined as any secondary …

Autism Spectrum Disorder In Saudi Arabia: Clinical Dynamics From A Multi-Center Study, Sulhi A. Alfakeh, Ghaida H. Aljahdali, Sarah T. Benfeef

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impairments in communication, social interaction, and behavior. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing the clinical presentation of children with ASD in Saudi Arabia, focusing on demographic, medical, and environmental determinants. Methods: A multi-center, cross-sectional study was conducted in Saudi Arabia, enrolling 104 children diagnosed with ASD. Data were collected via structured parent interviews and analyzed to examine the relationships between demographic characteristics, therapy participation, self-care abilities, and clinical symptoms. Results: Male children were more likely to exhibit hyperactivity compared to females ( p =0.037). Age was significantly …

No Safe Level: Act Now To End Lead Exposure

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Challenges And Opportunities With Providing Genetic Testing And Counseling For Mucopolysaccharidosis Type Ii In Kenya, Lucy Mungai, Charles Njeru, Allan Njoroge, Michuki Maina, Syokau Ilovi, Dalton Wamalwa, Ruth Nduati, Beatrice Odongkara, Danny Miller

Pathology, East Africa

Background Limited or absent genetic counseling and testing resources in low- and medium-income countries lead to missed or late diagnoses for treatable metabolic conditions with irreversible complications. In some communities, misunderstanding about the etiology of a genetic condition may lead women whose children are affected to be viewed as a bad omen and become stigmatized or ostracized from their community. Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II), or Hunter syndrome, is a lysosomal storage disorder in which deficiency or inactivity of the enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase leads to accumulation of glycosaminoglycans throughout the body. The diagnosis can be made through clinical assessment, enzyme activity …

The Lexicographic Preference And The Tops-Only Property, Xinning Geng

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This paper studies the structure of the lexicographic preference domain in the context of strategy proof Random Social Choice Functions (RSCFs). Classical sufficient conditions for the tops-only property—namely, the Interior and Exterior Properties—do not hold in lexicographic domains. Nevertheless, these domains still exhibit the tops-only property. We first provide a structural explanation of why the Interior and Exterior Properties fail in this setting. We then introduce two new structural conditions, Property 1 and Property 2, and show that any two-dimensional lexicographic preference domain satisfying these conditions is a tops-only domain. Finally, we prove that the two-dimensional lexicographic domain meets both …

Graph Perturbations For Robust Knowledge Discovery And Retrieval, Hanhua Xiao

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Graph perturbation, rooted in classical perturbation theory, studies how small topology edits, i.e., adding or deleting edges, affects graph properties (e.g., density, centrality). This fundamental problem underpins applications like bioinformatics, privacy preservation and system defense. While much prior work targets perturbations that influence global graph statistics or model outputs, comparatively little addresses robustness for knowledge discovery and information retrieval. In these settings, graphs are attributed: nodes carry real-world semantics (e.g., locations, people) and edges encode interactions or relationships. This thesis proposes new formulations and algorithms that generate and leverage graph perturbations to make knowledge discovery and retrieval more robust. Specifically, …

When It Comes To Scientific Information Extraction And Llms, Less Is More, Sameer Shaik

Theses and Dissertations from DePaul University

The scientific literature continues to expand rapidly, making manual extraction of structured scientific facts increasingly impractical. Traditional Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing (NLP) pipelines require large expert-annotated datasets, which are costly to produce. Novel Large Language Models (LLMs) face challenges in long-context scientific reasoning, hallucinations, and entity linking. This thesis investigates ELSIE-Blob, a domain-aware preprocessing method that segments scientific articles into compact text “blobs” containing components of entity relations (here, polymer names, melting point indicators, and numerical values). We test whether blob-based input allows lightweight, consumer-hardware-accessible LLMs to extract polymer–melting point (polymer–Tm) pairs accurately without training data. Experiments using …

Bleeding (Life-Threatening): Children’S Mercy Kansas, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Clinical Pathways

No abstract provided.

Human Sex Trafficking, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Clinical Pathways

No abstract provided.

The Anchor: November 2025, Hope College

The Anchor: 2025

The Anchor began in 1887 and was first issued weekly in 1914. Covering national and campus news alike, Hope College’s student-run newspaper has grown over the years to encompass over two-dozen editors, reporters, and staff. For much of The Anchor's history, the latest issue was distributed across campus each Wednesday throughout the academic school year (with few exceptions). In recent years The Anchor moved to monthly print issues and a more frequently updated website. The Anchor is now published in print twice per academic semester. Occasionally, the volume and/or issue numbering is irregular.