Digital Commons Network^™

Exploring Biotic And Abiotic Drivers Of Ecosystem Properties: The Influence Of Waterbirds And Photodegradation On Wetland Ecosystems, Lindsay Miller

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Wetlands provide a wide range of valuable ecosystem services: these are benefits from the environment that support human well-being, such as water filtration, fish and bird habitat, and shoreline protection. Despite their importance, wetlands are among the most threatened ecosystems, facing increasing pressure from natural and human activities. To better predict the future of wetlands and guide effective management and restoration practices, we need to understand the various forces shaping their ecological properties. In this thesis, we examined the influence of two forces: waterbirds and photodegradation (the process by which sunlight breaks down plant material). To explore each of these …

The Experience Of Latine Parents During Covid-19: Coping, Support, And Wellness, Jazmin Lara

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Documentation status affects not just individuals, but entire family units. This project shares the voices of Undocumented Individuals and their Loved Ones (UnLOs), specifically Latine parents navigating multiple, overlapping stressors. Data was collected during a particularly challenging time marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and threats to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Participants shared how they cope with stress, who they rely on for social support, how they practice wellness, and the type of community programming they would like to see more of. This research was possible through the collaboration between the Latinx Immigrant Health Alliance (LIHA) and …

Unwritten Rules: Black Utahns’ Experience With De Facto Segregation In Utah, 1940-1965, Jasmine Mercedes Lowe

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis examines life in Utah during the Jim Crow era, utilizing oral history interviews with African Americans who lived in the state between 1940 and 1965. The interviewees selected for this project describe their personal experiences with housing, employment, public spaces, medical assistance, and education discrimination.

Soil Health On Utah's Farms And Ranches, Jenae Dean

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The term soil health has gained popularity in agriculture due to prolonged droughts, rising food costs, and the growing public concern for sustainable and organic practices. Soil health practices can offer solutions to all of these pressures. This thesis provides Utah's farmers and ranchers with quantifiable data on implementing soil health practices in Utah's unique climate. It presents the first two years of on-farm trial results on yield and quality after implementing various soil health practices on five categories of crops: corn, mixed hay, alfalfa, produce, and dryland grain. Over a two-year period, none of the soil health practices resulted …

Factors Influencing Cognitive Load: Exploring Affective Elements, Motivational Constructs, And Regulatory Strategies In Learning, Rebecca B. Brockbank

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

There are three separate research papers within this dissertation, each looking at specific elements of learning. The process of learning is a complex phenomenon that includes not just cognitive aspects, but also emotional and motivational aspects. During learning there is an input of information into our cognitive system (i.e., minds). When too much information is given or the information is not presented effectively, this can overload our cognitive system and negatively impact our learning. Understanding how to learn within the parameters of our cognitive system is important. However, learning is more complex than just the simple input and output of …

Out Of Core And Adaptive Image Blending Approach For Large Scale Image Mosaics, Marcus Quincy

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

When creating large stitched images, like those used in maps made from aerial photos, it’s important to make sure the seams between individual pictures aren’t visible. This process, known as color blending, helps smooth out differences in lighting or weather across the images. But blending very large images, such as those made from many high-resolution aerial photos, can require huge amounts of memory, making it hard to do on a typical computer.

In this work, we developed a method that breaks the problem into smaller pieces, so only a small part of the image needs to be worked on at …

Assessing Public Satisfaction And Transportation Choices During Winter Road Maintenance: A Case Study Of Utah, Shailendra Khanal

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Winter road maintenance is essential to keeping people safe and mobile during snowstorms. In Utah, where winter weather is a regular part of life, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) plays a vital role in keeping roads clear and functional. While much attention is given to how roads are plowed and managed, there has been less focus on how the public experiences these efforts—and how the decisions to travel during storms are shaped by personal circumstances and perceptions.

This research sets out to understand two things: how satisfied people are with winter road maintenance, and what influences their transportation decisions …

Understanding Hydroclimate In The Contiguous United States: Roles Of Temperature Vs Precipitation And Subtropical Pacific Warming, Grace Esenam Affram

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This study investigates the physical drivers and mechanisms of hydroclimate variability across the Contiguous United States (U.S.), using a combination of observable data, reanalysis data, land modeling, and coupled climate model experiments. One of the major findings is that the historic 2021 drought event across the Western U.S. was primarily driven by a severe lack of precipitation rather than increased temperatures. The study further finds that anthropogenic forcing has substantially increased the risk of this extreme drought by approximately 26 times relative to a world without the influence.

Additionally, the study reveals that the Pacific Meridional Mode (PMM) characterized by …

Beyond The Click: Investigating Mental Models, Targeted Attacks, And Behavioral Interventions Against Clickbait, Ankit Shrestha

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Clickbait is misleading or exaggerated content on social media that tricks people into clicking on links by making them curious. For instance, posts that use headlines such as “This is the worst day to visit a restaurant”. These clickbait posts can lead to fake news, wrong information, and even harmful websites. Even though many people know clickbait can be risky, they often still fall for it. Existing tools to stop clickbait don’t always consider how people think, the situations they are in, or their different needs. This research looks at how people understand and react to clickbait, and develops different …

So Much Cooler Online: Social Media Usage By Agricultural Educators In Secondary Sbae Classrooms, Saydee C. Longhurst

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Social media has become a powerful tool in education, helping teachers connect with students and share information in new ways. Agricultural educators are using platforms like Facebook and Instagram to promote agricultural literacy and engage students in an online format. This study explores how high school agriculture teachers use social media, what challenges they face, and how comfortable they are using it. Through an online survey and analysis of social media engagement data, this research highlights the benefits and personal evaluation educators have when using these platforms. The results show that while social media helps teachers share resources and connect …

Usm Student Guide To Ai And Learning, University Of Southern Maine's Ai Task Force

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Access to technologies that use artificial intelligence (AI) has expanded greatly. As with any technology, there are pros and cons for using AI in any aspect of our lives. This guide offers a set of considerations for if, how, and when to use AI as a USM student.

In This Issuereview Articleoriginal Article

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

A Scoping Review Of Arabic Self-Reported Measures Of Hearing, Tinnitus And Hyperacusis: Limited Quality And Quantity, Abdulsalam Alhaidary, Kishore Tanniru, Kevin J. Munro, Ahmed Bin Afif, Ibrahim Almufarrij

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To identify Arabic-language self-report measures related to hearing, tinnitus and hyperacusis and evaluate whether they had been validated and cross-culturally adapted following translation from other languages. Methods: The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR guidelines) and searched 5` information sources (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO and Google Scholar) from their inception to September 2023, identifying all originally developed or translated Arabic self- or parent-report measures related to hearing, tinnitus and hyperacusis. A total of 1,458 records were screened, with only 28 deemed eligible for inclusion. Results: This …

Assessing Prevalence, Knowledge, Attitude, And Practices Associated With Influenza Vaccination Among The People Residing In Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia, Mawada A. Abdelgadir, Amani Khardali, Santhosh J. Menachery, Renju Ravi, Hilal A. Thaibah, Moaddey Alfarhan, Saeed A. Al-Qahtani, Abdulkarim M. Meraya

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To understand the attitude and knowledge regarding influenza vaccine is crucial for developing effective vaccination strategies to improve public health outcomes. Seasonal influenza is a widespread, preventable infection caused by influenza viruses, particularly affecting vulnerable populations. Methods: We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence, knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding influenza vaccination in Jazan Province, Saudi Arabia. Results: A total of 402 participants were surveyed, with the majority being female (80.3%) and Saudi nationals (97.3%). Our results revealed that 69.4% of the participants had been vaccinated, yet significant gaps remained in knowledge, especially regarding high-risk groups …

Eosinophilic Infiltration In Gallbladder Pathologies: A Clinical Dilemma, Hüseyin F. Martlı, Arzu H. Aydın, Eda Şahingöz, Sadettin Er, Özgür Akgül, Nesrin Turhan, Mesut Tez

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To determine the clinicopathological features and prevalence of Eosinophilic cholecystitis (EC) with a single-center experience. Eosinophilic cholecystitis is an exceedingly uncommon pathologic issue caused by examining cholecystectomy specimens. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on 8,342 cholecystectomy specimens. Of these, 33 pathology results confirmed EC and were re-examined by pathologists. This study obtained demographic data, medical histories, comorbidities, clinical laboratory results, radiological findings, and pathological information from an electronic record system. Results: The average age of the patients was 47 years, with a range of 24 to 82 years. Acute cholecystitis was reported in 5 (15.6%), chronic cholecystitis …

Comment On: Glp-1ra And Sglt2i Utilization In People With Type 2 Diabetes With Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (Ascvd) Or At High Risk Of Ascvd In The Gulf Region

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

How Does Body Mass Index Affect Breast Cancer Risk In Postmenopausal Women With And Without Cardiovascular Disease?

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Prevalence And Clinical Features Of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux In Adults With Chronic Tonsillitis, Yahya A. Fageeh, Marwan F. Alnofaie, Muhanna A. Alhusayni, Ahmed A. Aljemyie, Lama S. Alqurashi, Rayan A. Alolayani, Rayan H. Alaseeri, Abdullah N. Al-Rasheedi

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To assess the prevalence and clinical presentation of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) among adults with chronic tonsillitis and examine how effective reflux treatments are for these patients. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary referral hospital from March 2024 to January 2025 on adult participants diagnosed with chronic tonsillitis who presented with tonsillar inflammation and sore throat. The participants were evaluated before and after treatment with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and dietary and lifestyle modifications for 3 months. The assessment tools used were as follows: visual analog scale (VAS) for sore throat, tonsillar grade, reflux symptom …

The Use Of Semaglutide Medicines And Risk Of Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy (Naion)

Saudi Medical Journal

No abstract provided.

Judicial Independence, The Separation Of Powers, And Criminal Investigations Of Judges, Benjamin Joshua Ong

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In Haris Ibrahim [2023] 2 MLJ 296, the Federal Court of Malaysia discussed the legal limits to executive authorities’ powers to investigate judges on suspicion of crime. The case is a rare contribution to the jurisprudence on judges’ criminal liability at common law, as well as a case study in the challenges of reconciling judicial independence with other principles of the constitutional framework and other actors’ roles therein. The Court held that the implied constitutional principle of judicial independence requires that executive authorities follow a “set of protocols” (which the Court formulated) when investigating sitting judges. This was not wrong …

Mathematical Modeling Of Effects Of Tumor Location On Lung Function., Lamargaret Temukisa Johnson

Master of Engineering Theses

Lung cancer has the highest rates of incidence and mortality of all cancers. Most lung cancer tumors are Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC patients with lesions in the upper lobes are found to have better prognosis compared to those with lesions in the middle and lower lobes. Previous studies have suggested various causes for this discrepancy at both the organ-scale and tissue-scale. To model NSCLC growth in different locations within the lung, an organ scale lung model and tissue scale tumor model were coupled through the tissue pressure, and oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressures. The coupling was used …

Ai In The Judiciary: The Singapore Case, Nydia Remolina Leon

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This paper examines the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) within the judicial system of Singapore. Singapore's judiciary has embraced AI not as a tool for adjudication, but as an augmentative instrument for legal research, procedural efficiency, and access to justice. It provides a detailed account of AI use cases in the courts, including case summarization, evidence review, assistance for selfrepresented litigants, and tools like the Divorce Assets Informative Division Estimator. The discussion then turns to the legal profession, exploring how law firms in Singapore are adopting AI technologies. The paper also addresses how AI implementation in the judicial system is …

On The Origin Of Green Finance Policies, Theodor Florian Cojoianu, D. French, Andrea G. F. Hoepner, Sheenan L., Anh Vu

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Despite the rising number of green finance policies, the socioeconomic determinants shaping them remain largely unexamined. Drawing from the literature analysing the relationship between regulation, market development and institutional economics, we contend that green finance policy adoption is driven by both market-based and institutional factors. Using a survival analysis approach to understand the levers influencing green finance policy adoption across 188 countries from 2000 to 2019, we find that exposure to the fossil fuel industry predominantly drives the initial issuance of green finance policies. The positive effect of fossil fuel commercial financing on the adoption of green finance policies exists …

Full Circle: Historiography, Missiology, And Theology In Lin Yutang’S From Pagan To Christian, Teng-Kuan Ng

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Lin Yutang (1895–1976) is renowned for bridging the Chinese and Western worlds through his prolific writings, but the vital role of religion in his intercultural endeavors remains underappreciated. This article situates his seminal work of religious reflection, From Pagan to Christian (1959), within the context of World Christianity, defined as both movement and method. Lin’s departure from the Christianity of his youth into Chinese religions—and back again to the church in his later years—presents timely insights for the study of religious change and pluralism in global modernity. Analyzing the text’s decolonizing, dialogical, and polyphonic dimensions, this article brings Lin’s spiritual …

Direct And Indirect Experiences, Risk Perceptions, And Vaccine Booster Intention: A Mediation Study In Singapore Using Secondary Risk Theory, Sonny Rosenthal, Agnes S. F. Chuah, Hye Kyung Kim, Shirley S. Ho

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This study examined how direct experiences with COVID-19 infection and vaccination and indirect experience through government and media information predict individuals' intention to receive a COVID-19 booster dose. Drawing on secondary risk theory, we conducted a nationally representative door-to-door survey of 1000 adult Singapore residents in mid-2024. We used structural equation modeling to test whether risk perceptions and efficacy beliefs mediate the effects of experience and information exposure on booster intention. Booster intention was positively related to perceived susceptibility to infection, vaccine effectiveness, vaccination self-efficacy, and prior vaccination, and negatively related to perceived severity of and susceptibility to booster side …

Revealing Building Operating Carbon Dynamics For Multiple Cities, Winston Yap, Abraham Noah Wu, Clayton Miller, Filip Biljecki

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Achieving carbon neutrality is a critical yet elusive goal for many cities, hindered by limited understanding of the relationship between building emissions and their surroundings. To address this challenge, we present a generalizable open science framework that integrates building energy-consumption data, multi-modal geospatial inputs and graph deep learning to quantify building operating emissions and their links to urban form and socio-economic factors. Applying this approach to five cities with diverse climates and planning contexts—Melbourne, New York City (Manhattan), Seattle, Singapore and Washington DC—we demonstrate that our models explain 78.4% of the variation in building operating carbon emissions across cities, achieving …

International Comparison Of Weather And Emission Predictive Building Control, Christian Hepf, Ben Gottkehaskamp, Clayton Miller, Thomas Auer

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Building operational energy alone accounts for 28% of global carbon emissions. A sustainable building operation promises enormous savings, especially under the increasing concern of climate change and the rising trends of the digitalization and electrification of buildings. Intelligent control strategies play a crucial role in building systems and electrical energy grids to reach the EU goal of carbon neutrality in 2050 and to manage the rising availability of regenerative energy. This study aims to prove that one can create energy and emission savings with simple weather and emission predictive control (WEPC). Furthermore, this should prove that the simplicity of this …

Health And Weather In Unfavourable Environments: Exploring The Historical Dynamics Of Colonial Medical Meteorology In Nineteenth-Century Tropical Asia, Fiona Williamson

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Medical meteorology had a long precedent in medical thought across Eastern and Western traditions. This article considers the tradition of medical meteorology that was favoured by Western doctors in the nineteenth century, which was often applied within colonial contexts to the understanding of new climates and how they might impact on human health. Looking at British-held tropical and sub-tropical colonies of the Straits Settlements and Hong Kong respectively, medical meteorology was stimulated by the new pathological and atmospheric conditions that European explorers and settlers now inhabited in the name of the British Empire. They brought with them concepts of disease …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Evolving Permission Usage In Android Apps: Trends, Threats, And Ecosystem Insights, Ali Alkinoon, Trung Cuong Dang, Ahod Alghuried, Abdulaziz Alghamdi, Soohyeon Choi, Manar Mohaisen, An Wang, Saeed Salem, David Mohaisen

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The proper use of Android app permissions is crucial to the success and security of these apps. Users must agree to permission requests when installing or running their apps. Despite official Android platform documentation on proper permission usage, there are still many cases of permission abuse. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the Android permission landscape, highlighting trends and patterns in permission requests across various applications from the Google Play Store. By distinguishing between benign and malicious applications, we uncover developers’ evolving strategies, with malicious apps increasingly requesting fewer permissions to evade detection, while benign apps request more to …

American College Of Rheumatology Guidance Statements For Addressing Mental Health Concerns In Youth With Pediatric Rheumatologic Diseases., Natoshia R. Cunningham, Ashley N. Danguecan, Samantha L. Ely, Yaa Amponsah, Alaina Davis, Suzanne Edison, Julia G. Harris, Jordan T. Jones, Alana Goldstein-Leever, Alison Manning, Anne Mchugh, Crystal Mui, Ekemini Ogbu, Nikki Reitz, Martha Rodriguez, Natalie Rosenwasser, Alyse Tankanow, Erin Treemarcki, Katherine Winner, Tamar B. Rubinstein, Andrea M. Knight, Carra Mental Health Workgroup

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric rheumatologic diseases (PRDs) are characterized by high rates of anxiety and depression known to impact health-related outcomes. We present guidance statements to assess and manage mental health concerns for youth with PRDs in pediatric rheumatology practice.

METHODS: Development of the guidance statements was initiated in 2019 and concluded in November 2023. It included (1) the formation of a task force (including pediatric rheumatologists, pediatric behavioral health providers, patients, and parents) led by two licensed pediatric psychologists and two board-certified pediatric rheumatologists, (2) iterative drafting of statements and rating of evidence based on the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine …