Digital Commons Network^™

Node-Time Conditional Prompt Learning In Dynamic Graphs, Xingtong Yu, Zhenghao Liu, Xinming Zhang, Yuan Fang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Dynamic graphs capture evolving interactions between entities, such as in social networks, online learning platforms, and crowdsourcing projects. For dynamic graph modeling, dynamic graph neural networks (DGNNs) have emerged as a mainstream technique. However, they are generally pre-trained on the link prediction task, leaving a significant gap from the objectives of downstream tasks such as node classification. To bridge the gap, prompt-based learning has gained traction on graphs, but most existing efforts focus on static graphs and neglect the evolution of dynamic graphs. In this paper, we propose DYGPROMPT, a novel pre-training and prompt learning framework for dynamic graph modeling. …

Comadice: Offline Cooperative Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning With Stationary Distribution Shift Regularization, The Viet Bui, Tien Mai, Hong Thanh Nguyen

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Offline reinforcement learning (RL) has garnered significant attention for its ability to learn effective policies from pre-collected datasets without the need for further environmental interactions. While promising results have been demonstrated in single-agent settings, offline multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) presents additional challenges due to the large joint state-action space and the complexity of multi-agent behaviors. A key issue in offline RL is the distributional shift, which arises when the target policy being optimized deviates from the behavior policy that generated the data. This problem is exacerbated in MARL due to the interdependence between agents' local policies and the expansive joint …

Bootstrapping Language Models With Dpo Implicit Rewards, Changyu Chen, Zichen Liu, Chao Du, Tianyu Pang, Qian Liu, Arunesh Sinha, Pradeep Varakantham, Min Lin

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Human alignment in large language models (LLMs) is an active area of research. A recent groundbreaking work, direct preference optimization (DPO), has greatly simplified the process from past work in reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) by bypassing the reward learning stage in RLHF. DPO, after training, provides an implicit reward model. In this work, we make a novel observation that this implicit reward model can by itself be used in a bootstrapping fashion to further align the LLM. Our approach is to use the rewards from a current LLM model to construct a preference dataset, which is then used …

An Evaluation And Improvement Of The Quality Of The Smart Ration Card By Iso 37301:2023, Shaimaa Salah Saifi Gomair Elias, Ghani Dahham Al Zubaidi

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

In evaluating the Iraqi smart ration card system in ISO 37301:2023 compliance management, this study reveals how far the system is compliant with international requirements, what gaps exist, and what areas need strengthening for efficiency and transparency purposes. Case study methods greatly complemented by the use of checklists, interviews, and various forms of statistical analysis, were employed to study the level of compliance of the smart ration card. The results show that there exist considerable gaps in documentation, compliance risk assessment, and resource support, which weakens the system's ability to ensure food security and prevent fraud. While high levels of …

The Role Of Leadership Talent Management In Strategic Supremacy: Analytical Research, Munther Sami Qasim, Suheir Adel Hamed

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

This paper investigates the impact of leadership talent management on strategic supremacy within medical colleges in the Baghdad governorate. Specifically, this study aims to assess the relationships between the components of leadership talent management, namely development, retention, succession, and motivation, and their roles in achieving strategic advantages. The descriptive-analytical method was employed. Data was collected using a questionnaire-based survey on a sample size of 208 faculty members belonging to selected medical colleges. Analysis was performed using SPSS and AMOS: confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, and structural equation modeling. Leadership talent management has a positively significant impact on strategic supremacy, according …

The Role Of The Digital Economy In Enhancing Economic Development In Iraq: A Strategic Analysis Of Transformation Opportunities And Challenges, Aveen Khalid Ahmed

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

This study examines the role of the digital economy in enhancing economic development in Iraq, focusing on the period from 2003 to 2022. Utilizing an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, the research analyzes the relationship between GDP growth and key digital economy indicators, including the E-Government Development Index (EGDI), E-Participation Index (EPI), Online Service Index (OSI), Telecommunication Infrastructure Index (TII), and Internet Usage (UI). Data were sourced from the World Bank, International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and United Nations E-Government Survey. The ARDL model, selected based on the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), was employed to capture both short-term dynamics and long-term …

The Role Of Sustainable Human Resources Management On The Effectiveness Of The Organization: An Analytical Study At The University Of Anbar, Saja Saleh, Mohammed Yaseen Raheem

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

This research aims to examine the influence that sustainable human resource management (HRM) has on organizational effectiveness at the university level. In view of that, the research debates sustainable HRM practices, such as selection, participation, and empowerment, which have a stake in the success of the institution by harmonizing employee development with the long-term goals of the organization. This study used a quantitative survey method to collect data from 169 university employees and analysis through the use of statistical techniques using SPSS. The outcome suggests that sustainable HRM positively and directly affects organizational effectiveness. The evidence supports employee empowerment as …

Analyzing The Impact Of Foreign Investment On Trade Balance In Iraq: Evidence From 2005 To 2023, Burhan Ali Mohammed, Biaban Nwri Rostam, Nabard Abdallah Sharif

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

The paper investigates the impact of foreign investment on Iraq's trade balance between 2005 and 2023, particularly on exports and imports. Given the extreme reliance of the nation upon oil revenues and political-economic fluctuations, seasonal capital inflows are evaluated with respect to their influence on the trade dynamics of the country. Annual data and econometric methodological techniques, including stationary tests, cointegration analysis, Granger's causality test, and Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model, will be used to assess the long-run relationship between foreign investment and trade balance. Results show a significant and long-run relationship between foreign investment and Iraq's exports and imports. Foreign …

The Effect Of Aggressive Tax Practices On Equity Financing Decisions Under The Interactive Role Of The Profitability Variable: An Applied Study In A Sample Of Non-Financial Companies Listed In The Iraq Stock Exchange, Maryam Bahaa Babat, Mohammed Hwueish Al-Shujairi

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

The purpose of this study is to evaluate and test the relationship between aggressive tax practices and decisions to choose the appropriate financing structure in companies listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange. Aggressive tax policies of a company may have an impact on the specific considerations related to equity issuance as a financing method, and the impact of aggressive tax practices on equity financing decisions in non-financial companies listed on the Iraq Stock Exchange can be formulated as a research problem by examining the relationship between tax practices and equity financing. Both the descriptive inductive approach and the quantitative inductive …

Digital Transformation And The Future Of Work: Closing The Digital Skills Gap, Siu Loon Hoe

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The purpose of this article is to discuss the near future digital technology landscape and propose several specific in-demand digital skills for organizations and individuals in the next few years. This article reviews some recent publications from representative inter-governmental, governmental, non-governmental, and commercial organizations on the rise of digital technologies and corresponding growth in digital jobs. Within this context, several specific in-demand skills are proposed by the author who has written a book on the topic of digital transformation. Rapid advancements in digital technologies continue to shape organizational practices and the future of work. To take advantage of emerging digital …

Out Of Many: The Study Of African American Diasporas On Social Media, Brianna M. Savage, Sindy Chapa

AMTP Proceedings 2025

This study uses a one-ad experimental design to test the effect of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) on Black Twitter, employing an online survey with a convenience sample. It examines cultural differences within Black African co-cultures, emphasizing how language variation influences consumer behavior in social media advertising. The findings indicate that Black consumers with positive attitudes toward advertisements featuring AAVE are more likely to engage with the content on Twitter and subsequently purchase the promoted brand. This supports attitude theory (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975) and social distinctiveness theory (Grier, 2001), demonstrating a significant correlation between ethnic resolution and purchasing behavior.

Membership Support For A Professional Organization Based On Member Satisfaction, Value, And Commitment, Shawn F, Clouse, Simona Stan, Nader Shooshtari

AMTP Proceedings 2025

Members of professional associations join these associations for reasons that include benefits and services to members, advocacy and lobbying on behalf of members and their interests, networking opportunities and a sense of community and identification with fellow association members. Members are likely to commit to the association and remain as members to the extent they are satisfied with what the association provides and if they perceive the benefits to exceed the cost (not just monetary) of membership. This survey of members of a professional association investigates the relationship between personal benefits, professional benefits, customer service satisfaction, membership satisfaction, membership value, …

Institutional Cross-Ownership Of Peer Firms And Revelatory Price Efficiency, Young Jun Cho, Holly I. Yang, Yue Zhao

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

We argue that cross-ownership increases the amount of private information in stock price, enhancing the ability of stock price to provide feedback to managers. Consistent with this argument, we find greater cross-ownership heightens a firm’s investment-q sensitivity. This effect is stronger for firms with a lower propensity for voluntary disclosure and for firms whose managers hold less private information. Furthermore, we find that cross-ownership is negatively associated with the sensitivity of a firm’s investment to its peers’ stock prices. Additionally, cross-ownership has a stronger impact on the investment-q sensitivity when measured among investors who trade more actively the …

Registered Replication Report: Study 3 From Trafimow And Hughes (2012), Sean C. Rife, Et Al

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Terror-management theory (TMT) proposes that when people are made aware of their own death, they are more likely to endorse cultural values. TMT is a staple of social psychology, featured prominently in textbooks and the subject of much research. The implications associated with TMT are significant because its advocates claim it can partially explain cultural conflicts, intergroup antagonisms, and even war. However, considerable ambiguity regarding effect size exists, and no preregistered replication of death-thought-accessibility findings exists. Moreover, there is debate regarding the role of time delay between the manipulation of mortality salience and assessment of key measures. We present results …

Ageing In Place: The Key To Receiving A Superaged Society, Paulin Tay Straughan, Yi Wen (Chen Yiwen) Tan, Qi Ting, Zidane Tiew, Zeyu Zheng, Rachel Wen Yi Ngu, Wei Tin Hiah

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Ageing in place is the ability to remain in one’s community, where living conditions foster a sense of attachment that enhances holistic well-being. To facilitate this, both the built and social environments within which the home is nested must be conducive to successful ageing. This paper deconstructs the merits of ageing in place, specifically how attachment to the lived environment contributes to holistic well-being. We analysed data from 6020 participants in the Singapore Life Panel® using path models, where we examined three dimensions of ageing in place: place identity, continuity, and social inclusion. Five path analyses show that two dimensions …

Constructive Trusts In Malaysia: A Methodological Reappraisal, Hang Wu Tang, Ying Khai Liew

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In recent times, Malaysian courts have resorted to a ritual incantation of unconscionability and the notion of a remedial constructive trust to justify a declaration of a constructive trust. This methodology is unhelpful for approaching constructive trusts and has led the law to develop in an unprincipled and unpredictable fashion. Our central thesis is that the key Malaysian decisions could have been decided on the basis of pre-existing legal principles upon which English and Commonwealth courts have declared a constructive trust. We argue that future courts ought to realign their methodology with the orthodox tradition of incremental development of the …

The Digitalization Of Insolvency Proceedings, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Despite the international divergences existing in the design of insolvency law, there is a common feature of insolvency proceedings that, to a greater or lesser extent, is somehow universal: insolvency proceedings are generally costly and lengthy processes. For that reason, it is not surprising that a significant body of the literature on insolvency law deals with different mechanisms to make insolvency proceedings more efficient. This article examines how technology can contribute to that goal. To that end, it starts by reviewing how countries are deploying, or can deploy, technology in different aspects and stages of insolvency proceedings and how such …

Machine Learning To Predict Stroke Risk From Routine Hospital Data: A Systematic Review, William Heseltine-Carp, Megan Courtman, Daniel Browning, Aishwarya Kasabe, Michael Allen, Adam Streeter, Emmanuel Ifeachor, Martin James, Stephen Mullin

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Purpose: Stroke remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite this, current risk stratification tools such as CHA₂DS₂-VASc and QRISK3 are of limited accuracy, particularly in those without a diagnosis of atrial-fibrillation. Hence, there is a need for more accurate stroke risk prediction models. Machine-learning (ML) may provide a solution to this by leveraging existing routine hospital databases to build accurate stroke risk prediction models and identify novel risk factors for stroke. Aims: In this systematic review we appraise current research using ML to predict stroke risk from routine hospital data. Based on these findings …

What Is A Digital Twin Anyway? Deriving The Definition For The Built Environment From Over 15,000 Scientific Publications, Abdelrahman Mahmoud, Edgardo Macatulad, Binyu Lei, Matias Quintana, Clayton Miller, Filip Biljecki

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

The concept of Digital Twins (DT) has attracted significant attention across various domains, particularly within the built environment. However, there is a sheer volume of definitions and the terminological consensus remains out of reach. The lack of a universally accepted definition leads to ambiguities in their conceptualization and implementation, and may cause miscommunication for both researchers and practitioners.We employed Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to systematically extract and analyze definitions of DTs from a corpus of more than 15,000 full-text articles spanning diverse disciplines. The study compares these findings with insights from an expert survey that included 52 experts. The …

The Insurgent Smart City: How A Social Movement Created An Alternative Imaginary Of The Smart City, Andrew Stokols

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Urban scholars have critiqued smart cities for their association with neoliberal governance, narrow focus on quantifiable aspects of urban systems, and failure to incorporate citizens’ needs or aspirations. The “smart city” remains a contested concept and as such is subject to reappropriation. Here, I analyze the case of an urban social movement, the 2019–2020 Hong Kong Anti-ELAB protests, as an alternative, “insurgent smart city.” Following from an earlier network analysis of Telegram channels used during the protests, I show how the communications system underpinning much of the protest action simultaneously enabled coordination while also remaining open to grassroots decision-making and …

Enhancing In-Car Interaction: Analyzing Deaf And Hard-Of-Hearing Drivers’ Usage, And Interaction With Voice-Controlled In-Car Infotainment System, Sanskriti Kumar

Theses

Voice Control Interface is a technology that allows users to use spoken language to interact with a system. The system is capable of speech recognition where the user can input a command, the system understands and executes the commands, and gives an output through text and/or speech. Voice Control Interfaces (VCIs) have become an ubiquitous technology, from public information kiosks to personal computer devices and intelligent virtual assistant devices. The technology is constantly evolving and improving with the intentions to make life easier, however, research has revealed unique challenges VCIs pose for Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) users due to reliance …

Long Term Results Of Venetoclax Combined With Flag-Ida Induction And Consolidation For Newly Diagnosed And Relapsed Or Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Courtney D Dinardo, Wei-Ying Jen, Koichi Takahashi, Tapan M Kadia, Sanam Loghavi, Naval G Daver, Lianchun Xiao, Patrick K Reville, Ghayas C Issa, Nicholas J Short, Koji Sasaki, Sa A Wang, Jillian K Mullin, Sherry Pierce, Corey Bradley, Gautam Borthakur, Abhishek Maiti, Yesid Alvarado, Naveen Pemmaraju, Alessandra Ferrajoli, Mahesh Swaminathan, Maro Ohanian, Hussein A Abbas, Danielle Hammond, Jan Burger, Fadi Haddad, Guillermo Montalban-Bravo, Kelly Chien, Lucia Masarova, Musa Yilmaz, Nitin Jain, Michael Andreeff, Guillermo Garcia-Manero, Steven Kornblau, Farhad Ravandi, Elias Jabbour, Marina Y Konopleva, Hagop M Kantarjian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Intensive chemotherapy remains the standard for newly diagnosed (ND) acute myeloid leukemia (AML); however, relapse risk remains high. Additionally, most patients with relapsed/refractory (RR) AML have poor outcomes. We report the long-term experience of 138 patients, 77 ND and 61 RR, treated with FLAG-IDA in combination with venetoclax. In the ND cohort, the overall response rate (ORR) was 97%, with a composite complete remission (CRc) rate of 95% and undetectable measurable residual disease (MRD) status by flow cytometry in 90%. The 3-year OS and EFS rates were 66 and 64%, respectively. Outcomes were similar across European LeukemiaNet (ELN) 2022 risk …

Associations Of Cerebrospinal Fluid Orexin-A, Alzheimer Disease Biomarkers, And Cognitive Performance, Ruijin Lu, Krish Shah, Cristina D Toedebusch, Ashley Hess, Rachel Richardson, Emmanuel Mignot, Suzanne E Schindler, Tammie L S Benzinger, Shaney Flores, Jason Hassenstab, Chengjie Xiong, John C Morris, David M Holtzman, Brendan P Lucey

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVE: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) orexin-A has been suggested to be a biomarker of Alzheimer disease (AD). In both cognitively unimpaired healthy older adults and individuals with symptomatic AD, CSF orexin-A is positively associated with CSF Aβ42, p-tau181, and total tau (t-tau) concentrations. However, a recent systematic review and meta-analysis did not support differences in orexin-A between AD and controls. In this study, we tested the association between CSF orexin-A concentrations, AD biomarkers, and cognitive performance in older adults with and without symptomatic AD.

METHODS: Two hundred and seventy community-dwelling older adults underwent standardized cognitive assessments, sleep monitoring with a single-channel …

A City Divided: Norfolk, Virginia And Public Higher Education In The Era Of Desegregation, John Edward Wiley V

History Theses & Dissertations

This thesis examines the 1978 suggested merger of predominantly white Old Dominion University and historically Black Norfolk State College (now Norfolk State University), two neighboring public higher education institutions. That year the Federal Department of Housing, Education, and Welfare (HEW) and the Office for Civil Rights (ORC) claimed that the two universities offered nine duplicative degree programs. According to HEW and the OCR, this duplication was a violation of Title VI of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in all public institutions receiving federal aid. The duplication also represented the last vestiges of Jim Crow segregation in the …

Leveraging Allies, Partners, And Technology: A Case Study Approach To Identifying Best Practices For Improving Us Military All-Domain Urban Training, Kevin Michael Felix

Graduate Program in International Studies Theses & Dissertations

In this study, the researcher explored urban training gaps, opportunities, and synergies across the United States and five Allied and partner nations, and how synthetic training environments (STE) technologies should be optimized now and in the future to improve US all-domain urban training. The researcher adopted a qualitative multiple case study approach, analyzing military doctrine, urban warfare training strategies, and infrastructure in the United States, Germany, France, Britain, Israel, and Singapore to establish best practices across these countries. Urban warfare requires specialized skills to negotiate terrain, including high-rise buildings, subterranean networks, and dense civilian populations. However, the existing U.S. military …

Defining A 'Cells To Society' Research Framework For Appendiceal Tumours, Andreana N Holowatyj, Michael J Overman, Konstantinos I Votanopoulos, Andrew M Lowy, Patrick Wagner, Mary K Washington, Cathy Eng, Wai Chin Foo, Richard M Goldberg, Mojgan Hosseini, Kamran Idrees, Douglas B Johnson, Ardaman Shergill, Erin Ward, Nicholas C Zachos, Deborah Shelton

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tumours of the appendix — a vestigial digestive organ attached to the colon — are rare. Although we estimate that around 3,000 new appendiceal cancer cases are diagnosed annually in the USA, the challenges of accurately diagnosing and identifying this tumour type suggest that this number may underestimate true population incidence. In the current absence of disease-specific screening and diagnostic imaging modalities, or well-established risk factors, the incidental discovery of appendix tumours is often prompted by acute presentations mimicking appendicitis or when the tumour has already spread into the abdominal cavity — wherein the potential misclassification of appendiceal tumours as …

Investing In Maryland Safety: Engaging Public Resources And Community Partnerships To Prevent Crime And Violence, Jeffrey A. Butts, Rebecca Balletto, Patricia A. Cobar

Publications and Research

The Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice conducted a review of two innovative initiatives developed by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services: The Thrive Academy (TTA) and the Safer Stronger Together (SST) intervention strategy. The study involved document analysis, online resource review, and interviews with agency staff and leadership. These efforts aimed to understand the design, implementation, and alignment of TTA and SST within Maryland’s broader public safety and crime prevention strategy. Key themes included program effectiveness, operational progress, and community-level impact, providing valuable insights into the Department’s evolving approach to juvenile justice and public …

From Flames To Change: An Exploration Of Housing, Fire, And Inequity, Helen Underhill, Charles R. Jennings, Brian Meacham, Danielle Antonellis

Publications and Research

Housing and fire safety are deeply connected: inadequate and poorly maintained housing poses heightened fire risk for occupants. An individual or household’s housing situation (including limited or constrained choice) interacts with issues such as affordability, access, location, quality, safety, occupancy levels, tenure type, and resident or immigration status. These dynamics shape vulnerability, and inequity becomes most visible in the event of a fire. The extreme end of this spectrum includes the unhoused, who occupy structures entirely outside of regulatory systems with little or no fire protection.

Working With Statutes, Anya Bernstein, Cristina Rodriguez

Faculty Scholarship

In its decision overruling the Chevron doctrine—which directed judges to accept an agency’s reasonable interpretation of ambiguous statutory language—the Supreme Court declares: “[A]gencies have no special competence in resolving statutory ambiguities. Courts do.” This Article shows why this statement exhibits a profoundly blinkered judicial hubris. Our interview-based empirical study, involving dozens of agency officials across the administrative state, shows agencies’ special, indeed unique, competence in working with statutes to make democratic enactments real.

Agencies, we show, act as a statute’s custodians, managing the statutory regime over a life cycle that exceeds any single governing coalition. Borrowing ideas from private law, …

Cost-Effectiveness Of Personalized Policies For Implementing Organ-At-Risk Sparing Adaptive Radiation Therapy In Head And Neck Cancer, Seyedmohammadhossein Hosseinian, Daniel Suarez-Aguirre, Cem Dede, Raul Garcia, Lucas Mccullum, Mehdi Hemmati, Aysenur Karagoz, Abdallah S R Mohamed, Stephen Y Lai, Katherine A Hutcheson, Amy C Moreno, Kristy K Brock, Fatemeh Nosrat, Clifton D Fuller, Andrew J Schaefer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background and purpose: The principle of adaptive radiation therapy (ART) is to adjust radiation plans in response to anatomical changes during treatment. The purpose of this study was to develop a decision-making model for implementation of personalized ART that balances the costs and clinical benefits of radiation plan adaptations in head and neck cancer (HNC).

Materials and methods: Using retrospective imaging data from 52 HNC patients, a Markov decision process (MDP) model was developed to determine optimal timing for plan adaptations based on the difference in normal tissue complication probability (ΔNTCP) between planned and delivered doses to organs-at-risk. To capture …