Digital Commons Network^™

Leveraging Attention Mechanism To Unlock Gene And Protein Attributes, Ala Jararweh

Computer Science ETDs

Advancing personalized medicine depends on effectively integrating and interpreting the vast, heterogeneous landscape of biological data, from genomic sequences and transcriptomics to the insights embedded in scientific literature. Current machine learning models often focus on single data modalities, limiting their capacity to capture the multifaceted nature of biological systems. We address this gap by developing three attention-based machine-learning models integrating diverse data modalities. Firstly, DeepVul is a multi-task model that leverages cancer transcriptome data to predict genes critical for cancer survival and their corresponding drugs. Subsequently, LitGene refines gene representations by integrating textual information from the scientific literature. Finally, Protein2Text …

The Placebo Effect For Opioid Abuse, Carly Longenecker

D.U.Quark

No abstract provided.

Behere Nevada: Partnership And Policy, Sara Hunt

Community Engagement Expo Research Posters

Partnership: Nevada ranks 51st in the nation for mental illness prevalence and access to care (Mental Health America). Significant shortages in mental health professions, especially in rural areas. Other states using policy and funding to implement a “grow our own” model for behavioral health workforce development. Proposed a behavioral health workforce development center for Nevada.

Marjorie Barrick Museum Of Art, Zida Wang

Community Engagement Expo Research Posters

This poster presents Bus to Barrick, a museum education initiative at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art that provides free access to arts-based learning experiences for students across the Clark County School District. Through funded transportation, guided exhibition tours, and hands-on workshops, the program removes barriers to museum participation and promotes creativity, critical thinking, and cultural engagement. The poster outlines program operations, participation data, educational outcomes, and future goals while demonstrating how university museums can support equitable access to arts education and strengthen connections between higher education institutions and local communities.

A Winning Strategy: Sports For Advancing Health In Underserved Communities, Chia-Liang Dai

Community Engagement Expo Research Posters

Prevailing disparities in health outcomes underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions tailored to the unique needs of underserved students. An after-school sports program plays a vital role in promoting comprehensive school health by offering structured team sports alongside social-emotional lessons and academic support.

Del Policial Clásico Al Post-Neopolicial: La Estética Del Crimen En La Narrativa Mexicana, 1940–2020, Maria Carpio-Manickam

Purdue Studies in Romance Literatures

Del policial clásico al post-neopolicial: La estética del crimen en la narrativa mexicana, 1940–2020 is a comprehensive study of Mexican crime fiction from cultural, gender, social, political, and literary perspectives. This book covers the different phases Mexican crime fiction has evolved through in the past eighty years: classical detective fiction (1940–1960s), género negro (1970s), neopolicial (1980–2000), narconarrative (1990s to the present), and post-neopolicial (2000 to the present). The first half of the book offers an overview of the development of crime fiction in the United States, how it was adopted by Mexican writers in the 1940s, and the changes it …

Reservoir Characterization And Basin Modeling Of Mesozoic Siliciclastic Strata For Sedimentary Geothermal Exploration, Iron County, Utah, Theodore L. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

The transition zone between the Colorado Plateau and Basin and Range provinces of southwestern Utah provides excellent opportunities for future geothermal resource development. A combination of large fault-controlled extensional basins with outcrop analogs along basin margins, an elevated heat flow and thermal regime and the presence of porous and permeable sedimentary formations within extensional sedimentary basins allow for sedimentary geothermal exploration and development. Utilizing a reservoir-centered approach has the potential to dramatically expand the economic limits of geothermal plays in both established and frontier basins. This study characterizes a sedimentary geothermal system in Iron County Utah, centered on the Escalante …

Longitudinal Assessment Of Moral Distress And Burnout During Pediatric Residency In A Canadian Site: Low Prevalence But Notable Risk Of Attrition, Kenneth S. Lee, Dianna C. Louie, Elaine O. Cheung, Peter Dodek, Dylan King, Kimee Chong

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: Although more than half of pediatric residents report burnout, the incidence of moral distress, the course of moral distress and burnout during residency, and associations between this course and personal characteristics of residents are unknown. The purpose of this work was to examine the incidence, temporal course, and associations of moral distress and burnout in pediatric residents.

Methods: In the pediatric training program of British Columbia Children’s Hospital, all residents were invited to complete the Moral Distress Scale-Revised thrice yearly, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory annually, between July 2016 and October 2018. In addition, residents reported a measure of …

Conducting Effective Literature Searches And Writing Strong Abstracts, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Presentations

This invited presentation for students at Poland's War Studies University communicates ideas on how Ph.D. students at this institution can enhance their research quality. Specific content includes formulating your research question, determining research aims and methodology, reviewing a research question checklist, understanding the meaning of search terms you propose to utilize, devising effective search strategies, consulting multiple varieties of information resources from multiple countries, finding gaps in literature, being able to distinguish between nuances in literature and data, writing succinct abstracts, and enhancing the clarity of your prose.

Ucc Minutes 4-15-25, Angela Brock

UCC Agendas/Minutes

No abstract provided.

Health Risk Assessment Of Heavy Metal(Loid)S Intake From Beverages In The United States, Hannah T.V. Stoner, Tewodros Rango Godebo, Pornpimol Kodsup Taylor

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Heavy metals in beverages can pose health risks in an exposure-dependent manner, however, few studies in the United States have evaluated their metal content and health risks. This study determined the concentrations of eight metal(loid)s, As, Al, Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn, in 60 beverages via inductively coupled plasma[sbnd]mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The highest median concentrations (µg/kg) were found in mixed fruit juices for Ni (45.7), Cr (14.8), and As (4.5); tea for Mn (5,300), Al (730), and Pb (1.4); and plant-based milk for Zn (835) and Cd (1.1). Chronic daily intake (CDI) across age groups was calculated using …

Preservation And Integrity Of Laboratory Solutions: Understanding The Impact Of Storage Practices On Chemical Stability And Experimental Accuracy, Azza Al Jahdhami

Honors Theses

Chemical storage methods represent a key matter ignored within labs, educational sites, workplaces, and even households. Many people, including various students and instructors within the chemistry field, are unaware of the proper methods for storing and disposing of common chemicals. This study aims to understand the effects of storage practices on chemical stability and experimental accuracy, dealing with the following questions: What kind of effects result from improper chemical disposal? How can improper storage affect the overall chemical effectiveness? Why is sink disposal of many solutions discouraged, and why is waste container disposal always necessary?

Through a literature review, this …

Boeing 747 Fixed Drive Link Redesign, Eric White

Honors Theses

This project focuses on redesigning the fixed drive link for the Boeing 747-400, a critical component of the flap actuation system that connects the drive mechanism to the flaps. Over recent years, this part has been prone to fracturing under full flap deflection. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing have investigated this issue but have not successfully developed a durable solution.

This problem was presented by Kalitta Air, an air freight company experiencing frequent failures and costly maintenance related to the fixed drive link. If fracturing of the fixed drive link occurs the component must immediately be replaced. Similar …

Investigating Cold Homicide Cases In Michigan: Combining Systematic Research With Experiential Insight, Jaqueline Chavarria

Honors Theses

According to the Michigan State Police (2023), murder/non-negligent manslaughter, commonly known as homicide, is the “willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.” The Murder Accountability Project suggests there could be over 20,000 unsolved homicide cases in Michigan between 1965 and 2023 (2024). Despite the prevalence of unsolved cases, scholarly analysis on the topic is limited. This study examines solvability factors, also known as clearance factors, for cold homicide cases in Michigan by conducting a systematic literature review with news publications. Additionally, this study incorporates experiential insight, offering a holistic exploration of solvability factors. Using a systematic approach, 15 …

Fd&C Red Dye No. 40 (Allura Red) Effects On Non-Human Animal Testing: A Systematic Review, Vilate Winfrey

Honors Theses

Artificial food dye is added to foods to enhance their color and appearance for consumers. This systematic review aims to review the literature on Red Dye No. 40 and its effects on non-human animals. Studies were included if (a) exposure to Red Dye No. 40 was the independent variable, (b) nonhuman animals were the subjects, and (c) at least one behavioral, neurological, or physiological dependent variable was reported. An article search was conducted with Scopus Elsevier. An abstract review was conducted to determine whether the articles met all inclusion criteria. The author conducted a multi-stage application of inclusion criteria to …

Truly We Speak Podcast - Creative Thesis Project: "Uplifting Faith, Community, And Education Through The Voice Of The People.", Sierra Ward

Honors Theses

This creative thesis has been curated by Sierra Ward, a Sales and Marketing student at Western Michigan University. The intent behind this project was to combine shared interests between Faith, Community, and education to create a podcast, interviewing prominent members of the community, in hopes of inspiring others to “speak truly” and use their voice to evoke everlasting change. A wide range of guest were chosen to have authentic conversations with the purpose of educating the audience about real life situations. The filming of this project started in Fall of 2024 and concluded in the Spring of 2025.

Growing up …

How Bats View Their Flowers: Exploring The Use Of Visual Floral Cues By Nectarivorous Neotropical Bats, Lindsey R. Dennison

Theses

Neotropical nectar bats in cloud forest ecosystems must navigate and forage in dark, complex landscapes containing an incredible diversity of flowering plants. Despite these challenges, nectar bats are extremely successful at exploiting nectar resources from plants. Much of the sensory ecology behind these bat-plant interactions has been investigated and we know from previous studies that echolocation and olfaction are critical sensory modalities to nectar bats. Echo-acoustically conspicuous floral and vegetative structures as well as sulfur-containing volatile compounds function as signals, allowing bats to sense plants. However, not all plants exhibit conspicuous echo-acoustic and/or olfactory characteristics. Furthermore, many neotropical bat-pollinated plants …

Volumetric Changes In Cerebellar Transverse Zones: Age And Sex Effects In Health And Neurological Disorders, Farshid Ghiyamihoor, Payam Paymani, Jarrad Perron, Azam Asemi-Rad, Mehdi Marzban, Aashka Mohite, Karen Ardila, Bara Aljada, Asghar Marzban, Mehnosh Toback, Sherif Eltonsy, Ji Hyun Ko, Tabrez J Siddiqui, Christopher J Steele, Jiming Kong, Mario Manto, M Ethan Macdonald, Jason S Gill, Roy V Sillitoe, Fuat Balcı, Iman Beheshti, Hassan Marzban

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Cerebellar volumetric changes are intricately linked to aging, with distinct patterns across its transverse zones, the functional subdivisions characterized by unique cytoarchitectural and connectivity profiles. Despite research efforts, the cerebellar aging process in health and neurological disorders remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of age and sex on total cerebellum, transverse zone, and lobule volumes using MRI data from over 45,000 participants compiled from six neuroimaging datasets. We also propose a framework for estimating cerebellum age as an indicator of cerebellar health. Significant age‐dependent volume reductions were observed across transverse zones, with the …

Lineage Tracing And Single-Cell Rna Sequencing Reveal A Common Transcriptional State In Breast Cancer Tumor-Initiating Cells Characterized By Ifn/Stat1 Activity, Eric P Souto, Ping Gong, John D Landua, Ramakrishnan Rajaram Srinivasan, Abhinaya Ganesan, Lacey E Dobrolecki, Stephen C Purdy, Xingxin Pan, Michael Zeosky, Anna Chung, S Stephen Yi, Heide L Ford, Michael T Lewis

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

A tumor cell subpopulation of tumor-initiating cells (TIC) or "cancer stem cells" is associated with therapeutic resistance, as well as both local and distant recurrences. Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) activity is elevated in TICs in claudin-low models of human triple-negative breast cancer, which enables enrichment of TICs using a STAT-responsive reporter. Lineage tracing of TICs as they undergo cell state changes could enable a better understanding of the molecular phenotypes of TIC and uncover strategies to selectively target TICs. In this study, we developed a STAT-responsive lineage-tracing system and used it in conjunction with the original reporter …

Introduction To Prompt Engineering, Mary Rubin, Rachel Vacek

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This presentation explores the fundamentals of effective prompt engineering, which involves well-crafted instructions for AI models to generate meaningful responses. Effective prompts can be written using frameworks like CLEAR and TRACI. The CLEAR Framework focuses on conciseness, logical structure, explicitness, adaptability, and reflection, while TRACI emphasizes task, role, audience, creation, and intent.

Additionally, the presentation addresses ethical considerations and best practices in prompt engineering, including academic integrity, attribution and transparency, and the importance of evaluation and assessment. By mastering these techniques, users can optimize their interactions with AI models, ensuring accuracy, relevancy, and minimizing bias.

Acute Pain Treatment In Patients With Sickle Cell Disease Transitioned To Buprenorphine: Evidence Of Equivalent Pain Relief, Christopher P. Carroll, Elizabeth J. Prince, Ashley P. Lauriello, Lydia H. Pecker, Sophie M. Lanzkron

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Objectives Buprenorphine is a novel opioid analgesic with complex receptor pharmacology. It is safer than high dose chronic treatment with full agonist opioids. However, buprenorphine can inhibit conventional opioids, complicating acute pain treatment. Methods We compare acute pain treatment outcomes in 55 sickle cell disease patients in the year before and after transition to buprenorphine. Infusion center visits, ED visits, and hospital admissions were compared before and after transition, and pain outcomes were compared using linear mixed effects models with patients entered as random effects to account for differential contribution to the outcomes by visit rates. Results Acute care visits …

Enhancing Emergency Department Communication: Structural Requirements And Outcomes Of Standardized Handover Processes, Bridgette A. Moss-Sherman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Effective communication during patient handovers is crucial for ensuring safe, quality care in the emergency departments (EDs) of small to medium-sized hospitals. The absence of standardized communication tools presents significant challenges, potentially leading to errors and hindering care coordination. This integrative review evaluates strategies for implementing standardized handover processes while examining their outcomes, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced communication practices. Grounded in the Donabedian quality conceptual framework, which encompasses structure, process, and outcomes as interconnected components of healthcare quality, the review identifies five key themes: (a) standardized communication protocols, advocating for the adoption of structured tools like SBAR and …

K-12 Administrators' And Teachers' Perceptions Of Legal Requirements For Providing Inclusive Education, Rebecca Kay Berger

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

At a large school system in the northwestern United States, students who received specially designed instruction services at the middle school study site were not always included with nondisabled peers in general education classes to the extent possible. The theoretical framework guiding this study was Vygotsky’s social constructivist paradigm, which says shared experiences shape people. Using a mixed methods, nonexperimental research design, data were collected using a concurrent, embedded strategy using a pre- and posttreatment online survey with 17 teacher-participants for the pretreatment survey and 11 participants for the posttreatment survey. The treatment in this study was a district-approved professional …

Academic Senate - Agenda, 4/15/2025, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Aesthetics In Instructional Design, Dennis M. West

Theses and Dissertations

This multi-article dissertation examines how aesthetics enhances instructional design to foster engaging, transformative learning experiences. Despite its potential, aesthetics is often granted a secondary status in design practice, being seen as less important than functionality. The first article explores philosopher Monroe Beardsley's five aesthetic criteria--object-directedness, felt freedom, detached affect, active discovery, and wholeness--through a theoretical literature review, proposing their application to elevate learner engagement and interest. The second article, a qualitative investigation, analyzed the Cybermatics Playable Case Study (PCS; a cybersecurity simulation) from the perspective of Beardsley's aesthetic criteria. This investigation involved four students and two designers interviewed hermeneutically over …

Evaluating The Potential For Reusing Process Waste Fiber, Elisha Ewing

Honors Theses

This study was born out of curiosity around the potential use of reject materials from the papermaking screening system for molded fiber product development. The team sought to explore the technical feasibility of this concept and develop a proposed design for mill implementation. The project supports the common papermaking objective of reducing fiber loss from the stock preparation process.

The project assessed first the technical feasibility through laboratory testing and trials. The team dedicated time to characterizing screen reject samples from local mills and running trials using the good fibers extracted from the samples. Molded fiber products were successfully created …

The Link April 15, 2025, Access To Justice Institute

The Link Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Evolution Of The Tumor Immune Landscape During Treatment With Tebentafusp, A T Cell Receptor-Cd3 Bispecific, Joseph Sacco, Peter Kirk, Emma Leach, Alexander Shoushtari, Richard Carvajal, Camille Britton-Rivet, Sophie Khakoo, Laura Collins, Luis De La Cruz-Merino, Zeynep Eroglu, Alexandra Ikeguchi, Paul Nathan, Omid Hamid, Marcus Butler, Sarah Stanhope, Koustubh Ranade, Takami Sato

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

Metastatic uveal melanoma is an aggressive disease with poor outcome, which is refractory to immune checkpoint inhibitors. A T cell receptor (TCR)-based CD3 bispecific, tebentafusp, delivers clinical benefit in patients with metastatic uveal melanoma. Understanding the molecular basis for the anti-tumor activity of tebentafusp in an indication where checkpoint inhibitors are ineffective could aid in identification of other solid tumor indications where CD3 bispecifics may serve an unmet need. By analyzing tumor biopsies taken prior to treatment, early on-treatment, and at progression (NCT02570308), using RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and immunohistochemistry (IHC), we show that expression of interferon-related genes in the tumor …

Effective Strategies Restaurant Owners Use To Retain Employees, Olivia Patriece Leonard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Employee retention is a persistent challenge in the restaurant industry. Business owners are particularly concerned because frequent staff departures can disrupt operations, increase training costs, and ultimately threaten business profitability. Grounded in Herzberg’s two-factor theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry study was to identify restaurant owners’ effective retention strategies in Birmingham, AL. Data sources included semistructured interviews, public data such as disseminated reports and websites, literature, including books, and peer-reviewed articles. Thematic analysis of the data resulted in four themes: (a) compensation, (b) acknowledgment and rewards, (c) management practices, and (d) a positive working environment. A key recommendation …

Full Issue, Iajbs Ateneo De Manila University

Journal of Management for Global Sustainability

No abstract provided.