Digital Commons Network^™

Insulin-Like Growth Factor 2 As A Driving Force For Exponential Expansion And Differentiation Of The Neonatal Thymus, Seung Woo Kang, Bryan R Helm, Yu Wang, Shiyun Xiao, Wen Zhang, Anusha Vasudev, Ken S Lau, Qi Liu, Ellen R Richie, Laura P Hale, Nancy R Manley

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Like all organs, the thymus grows in size and function rapidly during development, but this growth comes to a halt after birth. However, the molecular mechanisms behind such a transition in the thymus remain obscure. Using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) of the murine thymic stroma, we identified that major transcriptomic changes occur in the endothelium and mesenchyme across the transition to homeostasis. Differentially expressed gene and intercellular network analyses of temporally resolved scRNA-seq data revealed fibroblast-derived insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) as a candidate driving neonatal thymic expansion. We demonstrated that IGF2 activity promotes a cortical thymic epithelial cell-specific proliferation …

A New Cure Model Accounting For Longitudinal Data And Flexible Patterns Of Hazard Ratios Over Time, Can Xie, Xuelin Huang, Ruosha Li, Yu Shen, Nicholas J Short, Kapil N Bhalla

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

With the advancement of medical treatments, many historically incurable diseases have become curable. An accurate estimation of the cure rates is of great interest. When there are no clear biomarker indicators for cure, the estimation of cure rate is intertwined with and influenced by the specification of hazard functions for uncured patients. Consequently, the commonly used proportional hazards (PH) assumption, when violated, may lead to biased cure rate estimation. Meanwhile, longitudinal biomarker measurements for individual patients are usually available. To accommodate non-PH functions and incorporate individual longitudinal biomarker trajectories, we propose a new joint model for cure, survival, and longitudinal …

Gatekeeping Girlhood: Tiktok As An Agent Of Gender And Racial Socialization, Kennedy Elyza Davis

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

This thesis uses qualitative methods to study and analyze how TikTok users and the platform’s algorithm work together to redefine girlhood. By examining individual posts and the origins of the trends that they belong to, I will show why some users reject this new definition, as others have embraced it, and what this means for the future of girlhood. This research will complicate the question of what it means to be a girl on the Internet and the challenges that accompany this experience. Ultimately, I expand on the study of gender roles and the impact of social media as an …

Book Talk With Sarah Staszak, Kukin Program For Conflict Resolution, Sarah Staszak

2025 Event Invitations

Princeton Professor Sarah Staszak will be here on April 1 to talk about her new book, Privatizing Justice: Arbitration and the Decline of Public Governance in the United States. The book examines arbitration's shift from a voluntary dispute resolution tool to a mandatory process favoring corporations. Staszak explores its historical and contemporary contexts, linking legal developments to broader institutional, political, and social dynamics.

Manual Therapy For Fibrosis-Related Late Effect Dysphagia In Head And Neck Cancer Survivors: The Mantle Nonrandomized Clinical Trial, Holly Mcmillan, Carla L Warneke, Sheila Buoy, Christine Porsche, Kiara Savage, Stephen Y Lai, Clifton D Fuller, Katherine A Hutcheson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Late radiation-associated dysphagia (RAD) after head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment is challenging and commonly treatment refractory, with fibrosis stiffening connective tissues and compressing peripheral nerve tracts, contributing to diminished strength and possibly denervation of swallowing muscles. Manual therapy (MT), while common for cancer-related pain and other indications, remains largely unstudied for fibrosis-related late RAD.

Objective: To determine the feasibility and safety of MT, estimate effect size and durability of MT for associated improvements in cervical range of motion (CROM), and examine functional outcomes after MT in survivors of HNC with fibrosis-related late RAD.

Design, setting, and participants: This …

American College Of Radiology Manual On Mr Safety: 2024 Update And Revisions, Ivan Pedrosa, David A Altman, Jonathan R Dillman, Michael N Hoff, Alexander M Mckinney, Scott B Reeder, Jeffrey M Rogg, R Jason Stafford, James A Webb, Dina L Hernandez, Robert E Watson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Since the introduction of the American College of Radiology (ACR) MRI safety guidelines in 2002, the indications for use of MRI in clinical care and research have continued to expand. Similarly, MRI technologies have evolved, with multiple field strengths now available for human imaging. While several publications have updated the ACR recommendations since the first guidelines, a single source in a structured format was lacking. Accordingly, the ACR Committee on MR Safety recently updated the online ACR Manual on MR Safety that compiles ACR recommendations for safe use of MRI equipment in humans into a single document. This review describes …

Characterization Of A Time-Resolved, Real-Time Scintillation Dosimetry System For Ultra-High Dose-Rate Radiation Therapy Applications, Alexander Baikalov, Daline Tho, Kevin Liu, Stefan Bartzsch, Sam Beddar, Emil Schüler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Scintillation dosimetry has promising qualities for ultra-high-dose-rate (UHDR) radiation therapy (RT), but no system has shown compatibility with mean dose rates (DR¯) above 100 Gy/s and doses per pulse (Dp) exceeding 1.5 Gy typical of UHDR (FLASH)-RT. The aim of this study was to characterize a novel scintillation dosimetry system with the potential of accommodating UHDRs.

Methods and materials: We undertook a thorough dosimetric characterization of the system on an UHDR electron beamline. The system's response as a function of dose, DR¯, Dp, and the pulse dose-rate (DRp) was investigated, as was the system's dose sensitivity (signal per unit …

Ai Literacy: A Guide For Academic Libraries, Leo S. Lo

University Libraries & Learning Sciences Faculty and Staff Publications

This article presents a comprehensive framework for AI literacy in academic libraries, encompassing technical knowledge, ethical awareness, critical thinking, practical skills, and societal impact. It argues that libraries must take a leading role in developing AI literacy programs to help communities understand, evaluate, and ethically engage with AI technologies in an increasingly algorithm-driven world.

Changing Intimate Partner Violence Screening And Intervention: Focus Group Perspectives, Colleen M. Galambos, Teresa Jerofke-Owen, Heidi Paquette, Linda B. Piacentine, Erin C. Schubert, Mychoua Vang, Erica Arrington, Nilanjan Lodh, Kimberly S. Gecsi

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

Background: Many survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) remain unconnected to professional help. Screenings in health settings may improve connections to support services.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gather data to help inform an IPV screening intervention in an obstetrics/gynecology health clinic.

Methods: A qualitative analysis was employed using a summative content analysis approach of the transcripts of 2 focus groups consisting of health care providers, advocates, and survivors of IPV.

Results: Four thematic categories and additional subcategories emerged from the analysis, including (1) current process (what is done); (2) need (what is not done); (3) concerns …

Partial And Full Arc With Dynamicarc Technique In Pencil Beam Scanning Proton Therapy For Bilateral Head And Neck Cancer: A Feasibility And Dosimetric Study, Suresh Rana, Noufal Manthala Padannayil, Shyam Pokharel, Michael Kasper, Hina Saeed

All Publications

Purpose: A novel proton beam delivery method known as DynamicARC spot scanning has been introduced. The current study aims to determine whether the partial proton arc technique, in conjunction with DynamicARC pencil beam scanning (PBS), can meet clinical acceptance criteria for bilateral head and neck cancer (HNC) and provide an alternative to full proton arc and traditional intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT).

Method: The study retrospectively included anonymized CT datasets from ten patients with bilateral HNC, all of whom had previously received photon treatment. The clinical target volumes (CTV) were categorized into three levels: CTV_7000, CTV_5950, and CTV_5600. IMPT plans included …

The Role Of Chatgpt In Personal Statements For Plastic Surgery Residency Applications: Program Directors' Perspective., Krishna A Patel, Carly J Suriano, Jeffrey E Janis

Medical Education Articles

BACKGROUND: Personal statements are a required component of plastic surgery residency applications but can be extremely time- and labor-intensive. Artificial intelligence (AI) programs like ChatGPT can streamline personal statement writing, but their use, especially if undisclosed, can have ethical implications. This study elucidates the perspective of plastic surgery residency program directors (PDs) regarding the importance of personal statements in reviewing applicants and whether ChatGPT should be utilized.

METHODS: An anonymous, 6-question multiple-choice survey was designed and administered in 3 rounds via REDCap to 120 current plastic surgery residency PDs. An additional email reminder was administered by the principal investigator. Data …

Redbird Impact, Vol. 8, No. 1 (Spring 2025), Center For Civic Engagement

Redbird Impact

No abstract provided.

Red Note New Music Festival Program, 2025, School Of Music, Carl Schimmel, Alex Stephenson

Red Note New Music Festival

The RED NOTE New Music Festival at Illinois State University is a week-long event which features outstanding performances of contemporary concert music.

Red Note New Music Festival Poster, 2025, School Of Music, Carl Schimmel, Alex Stephenson

Red Note New Music Festival

The RED NOTE New Music Festival at Illinois State University is a week-long event which features outstanding performances of contemporary concert music.

Redbird Scholar, Vol. 10, No. 2 (Spring 2025), Illinois State University, Office Of The Vice President For Research And Graduate Studies

Redbird Scholar

No abstract provided.

A New Multiple Imputation Method For High-Dimensional Neuroimaging Data, Tong Lu, Peter Kochunov, Chixiang Chen, Hsin-Hsiung Huang, L Elliot Hong, Shuo Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Missing data are a prevalent challenge in neuroimaging, with significant implications for downstream statistical analysis. Neglecting this issue can introduce bias and lead to erroneous inferential conclusions, making it crucial to employ appropriate statistical methods for handling missing data. Although the multiple imputation is a widely used technique, its application in neuroimaging is severely hindered by the high dimensionality of neuroimaging data, and the substantial computational demands. To tackle the critical computational challenges, we propose a novel approach, High dimensional Multiple Imputation (HIMA), based on Bayesian models specifically designed for large-scale neuroimaging datasets. HIMA introduces a new computational strategy to …

Selected Social And Lifestyle Correlates Of Brain Health Markers: The Cross-Cohort Collaboration Consortium, Leslie Grasset, Joshua C Bis, Stefan Frenzel, Daniel Kojis, Jeannette Simino, Amber Yaqub, Alexa Beiser, Claudine Berr, Jan Bressler, Robin Bülow, Charles S Decarli, Alison E Fohner, Laura B Harrington, Catherine Helmer, M Arfan Ikram, Rozenn N Lemaitre, Oscar L Lopez, W T Longstreth, Julia Neitzel, Michelle C Odden, Priya Palta, Carsten O Schmidt, Rajesh Talluri, Meike W Vernooij, Henry Völzke, Trudy Voortman, Quest Whalen, Katharina Wittfeld, Hans J Grabe, Thomas H Mosley, Bruce M Psaty, Frank J Wolters, Sudha Seshadri, Carole Dufouil

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: To investigate the associations of education level, marital status, and physical activity with dementia risk and brain MRI markers.

Methods: Data from six community-based samples from the Cross-Cohort Collaboration Consortium were analyzed. Self-reported education level, marital status, and physical activity at age 60 to 75 years were harmonized. Subsamples of participants with brain MRI markers at time of exposure were selected. Associations with dementia risk and cross-sectional MRI markers were meta-analyzed.

Results: Higher education level was associated with lower dementia risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.59; 0.72 vs low level) but not significantly …

Photo-Thermal Conversion Properties Of Mxene/Metal-Organic-Frameworks-Based Nanofluids For Solar Energy Harvesting, Seyedeh Zahra Haeri, Ali Dashan, Samira Sadeghi, Mitral Golgoli, Mehdi Khiadani, Bahram Ramezanzadeh, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study focuses on enhancing solar energy capture efficiency by introducing innovative hybrid nanofluids for use in solar thermal collectors, whose performance largely depends on the absorption properties of the working fluid. The newly developed hybrid nanofluids, MXene/NH2-UiO66 (Zr) (noted as MX/UO66) and MXene/MIL-88B (Fe) (noted as MX/ML88), were synthesized using an in-situ solvothermal method, combining annealed Ti3C2Tx MXenes with water-stable metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). These nanofluids achieved high efficiency at low concentrations, providing both economic and performance benefits. Comprehensive testing compared the photothermal properties of these hybrids with single-component UO66 and ML88 nanofluids. The MX structures significantly expanded the absorption …

The Effect Of Perceived Brand Betrayal On Brand Hate, Avoidance-Like And Attack-Like Strategies: A Comparative Study Of Customers With/Without Past Negative Experiences, Nasrin Rasouli, S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh, Mohammad Alimohammadirokni, Ayatollah Momayez

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study explores the impact of perceived brand betrayal on two types of brand hate and their subsequent effects on consumer behavioral responses. It also investigates how these relationships vary between customers with/without past negative experiences. Data about luxury hotels were obtained using an online survey in Iran. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. The findings indicate that perceived betrayal positively influences passive and active brand hate, leading to negative behavioral responses. Moreover, a significant difference was found between the two groups of customers with/without past negative experiences regarding the effect of perceived betrayal on …

A Scoping Review Of Interventions To Address Financial Toxicity In Pediatric And Adult Patients And Survivors Of Cancer, Christina Ping, D Carolina Andrade, Ashley Housten, Michelle Doering, Eliana Goldstein, Mary C Politi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Financial toxicity (FT) is a common and significant challenge for people with cancer, impacting immediate clinical outcomes such as treatment adherence, as well as long-term outcomes such as quality of life and mortality. Multiple studies have tested interventions to address FT and develop recommendations for their implementation.

METHODS: In this scoping review, we analyzed thirty-six studies across 35,405 participants examining institution-based interventions for FT in both pediatric and adult patients and survivors of cancer in the U.S.

RESULTS: Common interventions included: financial navigation (n = 15), direct financial/medical assistance (n = 8), financial counseling or coaching (n = 5), …

The Implications Of The American Board Of Radiology's Decision To Relinquish Its Specialty Board Designation On Prospective Authorized Medical Physicists (Amps) And Radiation Safety Officers (Rsos), Christopher J Tien, Samantha J Simiele, Joann I Prisciandaro, Jacqueline E Zoberi, Y Jessica Huang, William A Hinchcliffe, Hania A Al-Hallaq

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In order to independently supervise the medical use of byproduct material, physicists in the United States (US) must legally meet the qualifications defined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in the 35th part of the tenth title of the Code of Federal Regulations (§ 10 CFR Part 35). The American Board of Radiology (ABR) relinquished its NRC-recognized specialty board (NSB) status at the end of 2023, which eliminated the NSB application pathway for those who earn ABR certification in 2024 and beyond. While these changes in NSB status are not retroactive and will not affect eligibility for diplomates who already …

Statistical Properties Of Functional Connectivity Mri Enrichment Analysis In School-Age Autism Research, Austin S Ferguson, Tomoyuki Nishino, Natasha Marrus, John R Pruett Jr, Alexandre A Todorov, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mass univariate testing on functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) data is limited by difficulties achieving experiment-wide significance. Recent work addressing this problem has used enrichment analysis, which aggregates univariate screening statistics for a set of variables into a single enrichment statistic. There have been promising results using this method to explore fcMRI-behavior associations. However, there has not yet been a rigorous examination of the statistical properties of enrichment analysis when applied to fcMRI data. Establishing power for fcMRI enrichment analysis will be important for future neuropsychiatric and cognitive neuroscience study designs that plan to include this method. Here, we use realistic …

Subgroup Evaluation To Understand Performance Gaps In Deep Learning-Based Classification Of Regions Of Interest On Mammography, Minjae Woo, Linglin Zhang, Beatrice Brown-Mulry, Inchan Hwang, Judy Wawira Gichoya, Aimilia Gastounioti, Imon Banerjee, Laleh Seyyed-Kalantari, Hari Trivedi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

This study evaluates a deep learning model for classifying normal versus potentially abnormal regions of interest (ROIs) on mammography, aiming to identify imaging, pathologic, and demographic characteristics that may induce suboptimal model performance in certain patient subgroups. We utilized the EMory BrEast imaging Dataset (EMBED), containing 3.4 million mammographic images from 115,931 patients. Full-field digital mammograms from women aged 18 years or older were used to create positive and negative patches with the patches matched based on size, location, patient demographics, and imaging features. Several convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures were tested, with ResNet152V2 demonstrating the best performance. The dataset …

Parent-Child Agreement On Fatigue In Pediatric Otolaryngology Patients, Amy E Ensing, Amy L Zhang, Rebecca Z Lin, Emma K Landes, Henok Getahun, Judith E C Lieu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVES: To investigate parent-child agreement on fatigue reporting in pediatric otolaryngology patients and whether agreement might vary by diagnosis and other patient factors.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey.

METHODS: Patients ages 5-18 years old being evaluated for hearing loss (HL) or obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) were recruited from a pediatric otolaryngology clinic and sleep center. Children and parents completed the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (PedsQL MFS).

RESULTS: Responses of 42 patients with HL, 49 with OSA, 10 with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), and 34 controls were analyzed. Parent and child PedsQL MFS scores were strongly correlated (Pearson

CONCLUSION: …

Changing Age Profile And Incidence Of Injecting Drug Use Initiation Among People In Australia Who Inject Drugs: Evidence From Two National Repeated Cross-Sectional Studies, Olivia Price, Lisa Maher, Amy Peacock, Farzaneh Zolala, Louisa Degenhardt, Paul Dietze, Sarah Larney, Seraina Agramunt, Samantha Colledge-Frisby, Bradley Mathers, Dan Lewer, Rachel Sutherland

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The age of people who inject drugs appears to be increasing in some high-income countries. We aimed to explore trends in the age of people injecting and recently starting to inject drugs in Australia, and to model incidence of initiation over time. Methods: We obtained data from the Illicit Drug Reporting System (IDRS) and the Australian Needle Syringe Program Survey (ANSPS), which comprise annual cross-sectional surveys with people who inject drugs (2000–2019). Outcome measures were current age, age of initiation, and time since initiation (both surveys), and drug first injected (IDRS only). We estimated time trends in age using …

Development Of A Reporting Guideline For Trochim’S Concept Mapping, Sandesh Pantha, Martin Jones, Richard Gray

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Reporting guidelines are created with the intention to enhance the quality and transparency of reporting different research methods. Trochim’s concept mapping (often referred to as group concept mapping) is a six-phase, participatory mixed-method approach to understanding complex constructs. Currently, there is no reporting guideline for concept mapping. Developing a reporting guideline typically follows a three-step process: 1. a systematic review to establish the need for a reporting guideline, 2. a Delphi study to identify candidate items, and 3. consolidation process to inform a draft guideline. We have previously reported our step 1, a systematic review of health-related concept mapping studies. …

Haemato-Urological Profile And Asymptomatic Urinary Tract Infection In Ghanaian Steady-State Sickle Cell Disease Patients: A Case-Control Study, Stephen Twumasi, Richard Owusu Ansah, Samuel Essien-Baidoo, Laud Anthony W. Basing, Alexander Yaw Debrah, Enoch Odame Anto, Allwell Adofo Ayirebi, Rebecca Asiamah-Broni, Waldemer Attivor, Eric Twum Ameyaw, Gabriel Addai Manu, Edward Afriyie, Thomas Kwabena Gyampomah, Joseph Nkrumah Opoku, Prince Kwadwo Amoafo, Samuel Kelvin Owusu, Vincent Akwai, Matthew Talmang, Amos Mensah, Isaac Kusi-Amponsah, Angela Opoku, Lilian Antwi Boateng

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and Aims: Due to the reduction in immunity caused by auto-splenectomy and the consequent opsonic antibody shortage, patients with SCD are more susceptible to encapsulated organism infections, especially asymptomatic urinary tract infection (ASM-UTI). This study investigated the prevalence of ASM-UTI and compared urine and hematology parameters among SCD patients in Ghana to their healthy counterparts. Methods: In this study, 104 SCD participants (cases) and 80 non-SCD (HbAA) controls were recruited. Participants' information was thoroughly documented using a well-structured questionnaire and patient case records. To achieve the study's aims, a mid-stream urine in a cleaned dry aseptic urine capped container …

Impact Of Changes To International Commission On Radiological Protection Models On Occupational Thorium Ore Dust Intake, Gregory S. Hewson, Martin I. Ralph, Marcus Cattani

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Workers involved in mining and processing naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs) are potentially exposed to dust containing alpha particle emitters. The objective of this study is to summarize the key impacts of the latest International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) biokinetic model for thorium ore dust intake and to identify model parameters that require further investigation. The dosimetric significance of thorium ore dust exposure has varied widely over time owing to progressive changes in the inhalation dose coefficients. These changes had a significant influence on radiation protection practices in the Western Australian mineral sand industry, including research initiatives and implementation …

Reply To Bratchenko And Bratchenko, “Overestimation Of The Classification Model For Raman Spectroscopy Data Of Biological Samples”, Xin Ru Wen, Jia-Wei Tang, Liang Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Visceral Fat Accumulation And Risk Of Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity: The Roles Of Accelerated Biological Aging, Tianyu Zhu, Yixing Tian, Jinqi Wang, Zhiyuan Wu, Wenhan Xie, Haotian Liu, Xia Li, Lixin Tao, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: To investigate the association between visceral fat accumulation and the risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) and the potential roles of accelerated biological aging in this relationship. Methods: Using data from the UK Biobank, a nationwide cohort study was conducted using the available baseline body roundness index (BRI) measurement. Biological aging was assessed using the Klemera–Doubal method for biological age and the phenotypic age algorithms. The association between the BRI and CMM was estimated using the Cox proportional hazards regression model, while the roles of biological aging were examined through interaction and mediation analyses. Results: During a median follow-up of …