Digital Commons Network^™

Comparative Machine Learning Prediction Of Carbon Monoxide Levels And Contributing Factors In Shah Alam, Farzana Zubaidi, Norshahida Shaadan, Septia Devi Prihastuti Yasmirullah

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Carbon monoxide (CO) pollution is a major environmental and public health concern because it is colourless and odourless and is produced mainly by incomplete combustion from vehicles, industries, and household sources. Accurate prediction of CO levels and identification of key contributing factors can support early warning and targeted mitigation strategies. This study compared eight machine-learning regression models—Support Vector Regression (SVR), Random Forest Regression (RFR), Decision Tree Regression (DTR), K-Nearest Neighbours (KNN), CatBoost, XGBoost, LightGBM, and Neural Network Regression (NNR)—using daily air-quality data from the Department of Environment Malaysia for 2018–2023. The dataset comprised 42 input features representing air pollutants, meteorological …

A Data Envelopment Analysis Approach To Benchmarking The Efficiency In Selected Malaysian Food Manufacturing Companies, Zuraida Alwadood, Natasya Syafiah Marlis Elias, Norlenda Mohd Noor, Bekzodjon Fayziev

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Food industry, which includes every stage of the production process, from farming and manufacturing to distribution, retail and services, is one of the biggest and most significant sectors in the global economy. The relative efficiency of Malaysian food manufacturing companies is still unclear since many of them lack benchmarking tools and struggle to allocate labor, energy and raw materials optimally. This study applies the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method to examine the relative efficiency of Malaysian food manufacturing companies. Relative efficiency refers to the ratio of the weighted sum of the outputs to the weighted sum of the inputs. The …

Machine Learning-Based Mental Health Risk Prediction And Behavioural Clustering Among Malaysian Undergraduates, Norsyela Muhammad Noor Mathivanan, Debbie Yong Xi Foo, Gerard Soon Lee Chong, Siti Fazilah Shamsudin, Marizkays P. Jamison

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Mental health issues among undergraduate students have become increasingly prevalent, affecting emotional well-being, academic performance, and overall quality of life. The growing number of students experiencing stress, anxiety, and depression highlights the need for effective predictive models to support early risk identification and personalized intervention strategies. This study investigates the performance of several machine learning approaches, including Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Gradient Boosting, LightGBM, Extra Trees, XGBoost, Support Vector Classifier (SVC), and a stacked ensemble model for predicting mental health risk among Malaysian undergraduate students. The study utilizes a dataset comprising demographic, academic, lifestyle, and psychological assessment attributes …

Malaysia Tech Stock Forecasting Using Arima: A Comparative Analysis With Kalman Filter Noise Optimization, Sarah Nadirah Mohd Johari, Ahmad Irfan Mohd Sukeri, Restu Ananda Putra, Ahmad Nur Azam Ahmad Ridzuan

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Forecasting stock prices in Malaysia's technology sector is difficult due to market noise. To mimic market behavior, many models have been developed and gradually improved with new algorithms and machine learning techniques. Relying on a single model often has drawbacks, so hybrid models were introduced to improve prediction stability. This study used a time series method, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) that has been proven to be reliable in forecasting various types of data. However, the ARIMA model often struggles with handling nonlinear and noisy data; thus, hybrid integration of the Kalman Filter was introduced to help reduce noise. The …

Turning Ontologies Into Vectors: Embedding Malay Ontological Knowledge For Smarter Machine Learning, Zayanah Zafirah Zulkipli, Ruhaila Maskat, Noor Hasimah Ibrahim Teo, Jie Zhang

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

This conceptual study proposes a three-layer methodological framework for representing Malay ontological knowledge in continuous vector spaces and integrating ontology-derived representations with machine-learning models. The framework comprises an Ontology Layer, an Embedding Layer, and an Integration Layer. Its contribution is not a new ontology-embedding algorithm rather, it provides a Malay-oriented methodological organization that links ontology construction, embedding-method selection, symbolic-subsymbolic fusion, ontology-guided consistency checking, and downstream evaluation. In the present study, the ontology layer is represented through a prototype Malay linguistic ontology and its class hierarchy and knowledge graph, whereas the embedding, integration, consistency-checking, and downstream evaluation stages are proposed components …

A Fuzzy Logic Decision Support System For University Student Dropout Assessment, Adam Aiman A Hamid, Harliza Mohd Hanif, Siti Rahimah Batcha, Nur Zafirah Mohd Sidek, Noratika Nordin, Norain Alwi

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Student dropout continues to be an issue in universities, which has a negative impact on the academic performance of students and the reputation of educational institutions. Since the dropout decision is affected by multiple factors like academic performance, financial situation, stress, and self-motivation, the status of these factors can be highly uncertain, subjective, and conventional assessment methods cannot consider this impreciseness. This study designed a fuzzy logic–based decision support system approach to account for the risk of student dropout in a flexible and human-like way. The purpose of this study was to assess the potential risk of a student dropout …

Lung Cancer Mortality In Malaysia Through Mortality Dynamics Models, Suraya Fadilah Ramli, Norkhairunnisa Redzwan, Azizi Yahaya, Juliana Martika Mansor

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Over the last several decades, lung cancer remains one of the most frequent causes of cancer mortality across the world with significant implications for public health planning. Accurate forecast of the mortality rate and life expectancy is necessary for guiding health care resources. This research aims to analyze the historical trend in lung cancer mortality rates, evaluate and compare the accuracy of the three mortality forecasting models; Lee Carter, Age Period Cohort (APC) and Cairns-Blake-Dowd (CBD), forecast lung cancer mortality rate from 2021 to 2031 and compute life expectancy at birth. The lung cancer mortality data for Malaysia covering from …

Assessment Of Age-Wise Diabetes Risk Using Biochemical Indicators And Machine Learning Classification Models, Farwa Afzal, Mohibullah Aziz, Shariffah Suhaila Syed Jamaludin

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Diabetes mellitus is a major metabolic disease across the world, leading to serious complications and healthcare challenges. Prediction of diabetes at an early stage with the help of biochemical as well as demographic factors can lead to better diagnosis and preventive measures for the same. This research paper aims to predict diabetes using biochemical parameters in combination with various machine learning classification techniques, stratified by age group. This study uses a dataset of diabetes data that includes demographic and clinical attributes like age, gender, body mass index (BMI), urea, creatinine, HbA1c, cholesterol, TG, HDL, LDL, and VLDL. Machine Learning classifiers, …

Modelling Malaysian Mortality With Cause-Of-Death: A Compositional Data Approach To Lee-Carter Extension, Saiful Azril Ishak, Norazliani Md Lazam, Shamshimah Shamsuddin, Nurin Haniah Asmuni, Nordiana Rosdi

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Forecasting cause-specific mortality is at the core of actuarial valuation, annuity pricing, and long-term public health planning. In traditional extrapolation frameworks such as the Lee-Carter and Li-Lee models, probability leakage is a structural flaw which causes the independently projected cause death rates to not sum to total mortality and results in implausible trajectory crossovers. To overcome these shortcomings, this study explores the application of Compositional Data Analysis (CoDA) extensions namely CoDA Lee-Carter (CDLC) and CoDA Li-Lee (CDLL) to historical Malaysian cause of death data. We transform cause proportions to the unit simplex using centred log-ratio coordinates. This transformation imposes exact …

Field Assessment Of Power Link Budget Accuracy In A Residential Ftth Gpon Deployment, Arnita, Zulfadli, Tiara Resti Indah Rahmawati, Aswan Muhammad Azizi, Sangkot Wahyu Pulungan

Malaysian Journal of Computing (MJoC)

Fiber to the Home (FTTH) based on Gigabit Passive Optical Network (GPON) is widely used for residential broadband access because of its high bandwidth capacity, scalability, and efficient use of passive optical infrastructure. During FTTH network planning, Power Link Budget (PLB) analysis is commonly applied to estimate cumulative optical losses and received optical power. However, differences may occur between theoretical PLB calculations and actual field measurements due to practical deployment conditions. This study assesses the consistency of PLB predictions using field measurements from a residential FTTH GPON deployment. Measurements were conducted at two Fiber Access Terminal (FAT) points using an …

Bicultural Lives, Indigenous Futures: Identity, Language, And The Science Of Well-Being, Teresa D. Lafromboise

Online Readings in Psychology and Culture

Indigenous well-being is strengthened when cultural identity, language, community, and contemporary life are understood not as competing worlds, but as interconnected sources of strength. This talk examines how bicultural competence is linked to psychological well-being, highlighting how Native American people draw on both cultural traditions and broader society while maintaining a strong sense of ethnic-racial identity and belonging. It considers the protective roles of cultural engagement, Indigenous language, tribal connectedness, and culturally grounded approaches to resilient adaptation. Together, these perspectives challenge deficit-based views of Indigenous communities and point to a science of well-being that recognizes culture not simply as context …

Axillary Surgery In Sentinel Node-Positive Breast Cancer After Neoadjuvant Therapy: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Youssef Zeidan

All Publications

The oncologic value of axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) for residual node-positive (ypN+) breast cancer after neoadjuvant therapy is uncertain when regional nodal irradiation (RNI) is routinely used. We systematically reviewed comparative evidence on locoregional control and survival outcomes with omission versus completion of ALND. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central were searched from 2000 to 2025 for English-language studies comparing completion ALND with omission of ALND (sentinel lymph node biopsy and/or targeted axillary dissection) among patients with biopsy-proven node-positive breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant therapy who had residual nodal disease at surgery. Two reviewers screened studies and extracted outcomes. We …

Chapter 6: Dragon's Breath Sauce, Garon C. Smith

G. Wiz’s Book of Spells

Dragon’s Breath Sauce is a collection of fun things to do with liquid nitrogen. The chapter title comes from using the cryogenic fluid to chill Cheetos Puffcorn to -321 degrees Fahrenheit and then eating them at this temperature. When popped in a saliva-moistened mouth, the cold causes the moisture in one’s breath to condense into fog. Breathing out releases a cloud that can be imagined as smoke from a fire-breathing dragon. In addition, liquid nitrogen offers a chance for audience members to briefly immerse their hand in a pool of watery-looking fluid, yet pull it out instantly and completely dry. …

Barriers To Veterans Affairs (Va) Healthcare Utilization: Exploring The Underutilization Of Va Healthcare Services Among Rural, West Texas Veterans, Adam G. Rodgers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rural veterans forgo Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare at disproportionate rates, and this study found that the primary barrier is not enrollment but utilization. Seven of the eight participants were already enrolled yet remained functionally outside the system. The purpose of this qualitative single-case study was to explore why rural West Texas veterans forgo and underutilize Veterans Health Administration (VHA) healthcare. Two research questions examined the perceptions contributing to that decision and the barriers preventing access. Andersen’s behavioral model of health services use provided the framework. Semistructured virtual interviews with eight rural West Texas veterans were analyzed using Braun …

2026 Quality Of Life Survey - Orleans And Jefferson Parishes, Edward Chervenak, Anthony Licciardi

Survey Research Center Publications

The LSU New Orleans Survey Research Center (SRC) conducted a live-interviewer telephone survey of active registered voters in Orleans Parish and Jefferson Parish. Four hundred randomly selected respondents from each parish were interviewed from September 12th through September 30th. Each parish survey yields a margin of error of +/- 4.9% at a 95% confidence level.

These surveys are designed to provide an ongoing picture of how voters view local government services and the general quality of life. They highlight the problems that are of greatest concern to the voters, as well as areas of satisfaction in their parish. The forty-year …

Dei Impact: A Radically Simplified Approach For Organizations, Tessa L. Dover, Claudia Toma, Fransika Krings

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

This chapter introduces a radically simplified approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practice in organizations. DEI Impact is defined as an equitable reduction in disparities between employees from advantaged and disadvantaged groups. We argue that organizations should pursue DEI Impact as the primary—or even sole—goal of their DEI practice. We outline four steps to achieving DEI Impact: (1) Identifying the disparity, (2) Operationalizing DEI Impact, (3) Implementing policies/practices aimed at the disparity, and (4) Measuring impact and adjusting. This iterative design process is flexible to the specific needs of a given organization in a given cultural/political context. Importantly, it …

Assessing The Co-Benefits Of Housing And Transportation Investments In Prohousing Designated Jurisdictions, Hongwei Dong

Mineta Transportation Institute

In response to California's ongoing housing affordability crisis, state and local governments have adopted a range of prohousing policies aimed at reducing barriers to housing production and promoting the integration of housing with transportation. This study examines two distinct but related dimensions of prohousing policies in California. One concerns the Prohousing Designation Program (PDP) (established by the 2019–2020 Budget Act), analyzing the adoption and implementation of prohousing policies in 56 California cities that received Prohousing Designation. The other examines recent state and local policy shifts aimed at promoting affordable housing in transit-rich areas. The study uses a mixed-methods research design, …

Using Electronic Health Record Audit Logs To Identify Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Teams, Liem M Nguyen, Stefanie S Sebok-Syer, Dane Jacobson, Karley Mariano, John Grunyk, Shelby Burk, Yasaman Nourkhalaj, Kimberley Kirk, Jochen Profit, Christian Rose, A Jay Holmgren, Thomas Kannampallil, Daniel Tawfik

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Teamwork influences patient outcomes, but electronic health records (EHRs) do not reliably capture patient care team members, limiting its study. EHR audit logs provide insights into healthcare workers' workflows and may help identify patients' care team members.

OBJECTIVE: To develop, validate, and compare algorithms utilizing EHR audit logs to identify patient-centric primary teams (bedside nurse, frontline clinician, and attending physician) in pediatric intensive care units (ICUs).

METHODS: We observed rounds for 1931 patient days (development = 678; validation = 1253) across pediatric (PICU), neonatal (NICU) and cardiovascular (CVICU) ICUs at a quaternary children's hospital and documented each patient's daytime …

Functional Role Of Skull Lymphoid Structures In Cns Immunosurveillance, Jang Hyun Park, Daviti Abramishvili, Gustavo Gastão Davanzo, Ruben Silva, Xingxing Gu, Siling Du, Daniel D Lee, Bernd H Zinselmeyer, Jackson S Turner, Gwendalyn J Randolph, Igor Smirnov, Jonathan Kipnis

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that the central nervous system (CNS) is not disconnected from the peripheral immune system; however, precisely how the adaptive immune system surveils the CNS remains a critical question. Recent findings reveal that channels between the skull and the dura mater facilitate the exchange of cerebrospinal fluid and immune cells between the CNS and skull bone marrow of mice under both homeostatic and disease conditions

Women's Empowerment And Transformations In Marriage Formation And Dissolution: From Social Anxiety To Evidence-Based And More Responsive Policies, Hoda Rashad, Mohamed Hassan

Faculty Journal Articles

The central premise of this policy brief is that effective family policy in Egypt cannot be built on public perceptions, ideological assumptions or isolated demographic indicators. It must instead be grounded in robust evidence and a comprehensive understanding of the changing mechanisms through which women form, sustain and dissolve marital unions.

The study provides evidence-based findings that are inconsistent with the crisis and anxiety mode dominating the public discourse. The findings neither dismiss the public concerns nor support their dominant framing. Delays in marriage, the growing visibility of never married and divorced women, and the increasing occurrence of divorce represent …

The Epidemiology Of Kidney And Urinary Tract Infections In Pediatric Chronic Kidney Disease: Prevalence, Risk Factors And Association With Gfr Decline In The Chronic Kidney Disease In Children Study., Derek K. Ng, Andrea R. Molino, Siyao Zhang, Emily J. Stonebrook, Craig S. Wong, Pratyush Gyawali, Kimberly J. Reidy, Susan L. Furth, Bradley A. Warady, Jeffrey J. Fadrowski, Ckid Study Investigators

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract and kidney infections are potential complications in pediatric chronic kidney disease (CKD), especially among patients with congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT). We characterized the prevalence of self-reported infections from childhood through young adulthood; evaluated risk factors; and quantified the association with CKD progression.

METHODS: Infections in the past year were self-reported at annual Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) study visits. Age-specific infection prevalences were stratified by sex and CKD diagnoses (glomerular, non-glomerular non-CAKUT, CAKUT low-risk for infections, and three CAKUT high-risk categories: reflux nephropathy, obstructive uropathy, and other high-risk). Repeated measures logistic …

Streamlining Diagnosis Of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome: New Diagnostic Algorithm With Updated Criteria., Jeremy J. Pomeroy, Jesse Richards, Brooke Sweeney, Seema Kumar, Katie E. Queen, Joshua Zaritsky, Carl H. Cramer, Elias I. Traboulsi, Brittni A. Scruggs, Erica E. Davis, Ekaterina Keifer, Emma Mcgibbon, Timothy Ogden, Bendert De Graaf, Tonia Hymers, Elizabeth Forsythe, Philip Beales

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Considerable advances have been made in our understanding of Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), particularly in its core clinical features and molecular genetics, warranting an update to the existing diagnostic criteria framework. Using a rigorous, evidence-based, and consensus-driven process, a multidisciplinary group of international experts and patient-led organizations developed an updated diagnostic algorithm. This algorithm provides practical, updated guidance for clinicians, including a pathway for accurately incorporating genetic findings into the diagnostic process. We recommend that a clinical diagnosis requires either 4 major criteria or 3 major and 2 minor criteria. Revised major criteria are retinal dystrophy, obesity (or overweight in individuals <  2 years old), congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract or chronic kidney disease, hypogonadism/genital anomalies, neurodevelopmental/neurocognitive manifestations, and postaxial polydactyly. The diagnosis can also be established with a positive genetic testing result in patients exhibiting ≥ 1 major criterion, provided that genetic findings should be interpreted in the context of the patient's clinical presentation, age, family history, and overlap with related ciliopathies. These consensus criteria offer a simple algorithm incorporating updated definitions for major and minor criteria and genetic testing to support a timely and accurate diagnosis of patients with BBS, inform genetic counseling, and potentially facilitate earlier access to treatment. Trial Registration: CRIBBS Registry; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02329210.

A Folk Taxonomy Of Magic, Gustav Kuhn, Cyril Thomas, Griffiths Thomas

School of Psychology

Magic tricks provide a uniquely powerful window onto the boundaries of what people consider possible, and the ways in which those boundaries can be challenged. Although there exists an effectively infinite variety of magic tricks, relatively little is known about how different magical effects relate to one another at a psychological level. Previous attempts to classify magic have largely relied on the judgments of a small number of expert magicians, rather than capturing people’s intuitive understanding of magical phenomena. Here, we introduce a new multi-dimensional taxonomy of magic that treats the observable effect (e.g., an object vanishing) and the attributed …

Adolescent Health Across Asia Pacific, 2000–23: A Systematic Analysis For The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2023, Gbd 2023 Asia Pacific Adolescent Health Collaborators, Karly I. Cini, Dorothea Dumuid, Iffat Abbsar, Luo Li, Diandra Amandita Priambodo, Bhoomadevi A, Muhammad Ahmed Abdullah, Abdullah, Richard Gyan Aboagye, Swetha Acharya, Isaac Yeboah Addo, Nurudeen A. Adegoke, Ripon Kumar Adhikary, Usha Adiga, Mohd Adnan, Qorinah Estiningtyas Sakilah Adnani, Obed Adonteng-Kissi, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, Fransisca Handy Agung, Aqeel Ahmad, Khabir Ahmad, Naved Ahmad, Tauseef Ahmad, Jahanzaib Mian Ahmed, Mushood Ahmed, Shahzaib Ahmed, Kasuni H.M. Akalanka, Muhammad Nadeem Akhtar, Wole Akosile

Peninsula Medical School

Background: The Asia Pacific region is home to more than half of the world's 1·93 billion adolescents (aged 10–24 years). Addressing adolescent health in this region is of global importance, but to date a systematic analysis of key contributors to disease in adolescents has not been done, which is a barrier to responsive action. This systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2023 aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of adolescent health across the Asia Pacific region, at both the subregional and national levels, encompassing burden of disease, mortality, and prevalence of adolescent …

10-21-26 Bor Hsc Committee Notice Of Meeting, Patricia Serna

HSC Committee (A subcommittee of the UNM Board of Regents)

10-21-26 BOR HSC Committee Notice of Meeting

The Parthenon, October 01, 2026, Trista Honaker, Davina Snyder, Soleil Woolard, Alana Romero-Lozano, Claire Johnson, Hannah Anderson, Tally Mamula

The Parthenon

No abstract provided.

Promoting Member Participation And Dialogue Across Differences: A Mixed Methods Study Of One Diocese’S Implementation Of The Catholic Church’S Synodality Initiative, Robert Donmoyer, Fred J. Galloway

Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

In recent years, leaders of the Catholic Church have attempted to promote more participatory ways of operating. A few years ago, for example, Church leaders initiated what they referred to as a synodality initiative worldwide. Catholics were asked to share publicly a time the Church brought them joy and a time it disappointed them, along with a hope they have for the Church's future.  One diocese organized the process around the sort of talking circles used by Indigenous groups to make decisions and connect members.  This diocese also enlisted researchers to lead a systematic study of the process; they employed …

Leadership Dynamics, Transparency, & Governance During Crisis In Religious Organizations: Discussing The Roman Catholic Church’S Centralized Authority, John D. Rudnick Jr, Raymond L. Enzweiler, Srecko Koralija

Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

Abstract
This article considers two high-profile crises inside the Roman Catholic Church. The rejection of the Vatican audit in 2015 and the financial loss from a large investment in London real estate exemplify tension and balance between centralized, hierarchical leadership and institutional accountability. These cases examine leadership patterns relative to transparency, communication, and governance, evaluating the efficacy of centralized power under financial distress. The discussion is organized across pre-crisis, active crisis, and post-crisis phases by integrating insights from transactional, transformational, servant, and adaptive leadership style models. Performance improvement (PI) tools such as Before Action Reviews (BARs), After Action Reviews (AARs), …

Sacred Loss And Moral Authority: Religious Leadership And Identity Reconstruction In Post-Conflict Societies, Kimberly C. Kennedy

Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

This paper examines how religious leaders shape narratives of identity formation and reconciliation in post-civil conflict societies where violence, defeat, or political transition produces moral injury and crises of meaning. By drawing on themes of justice, forgiveness, and accountability, religious leadership can wield moral authority to influence public perception, guide healing processes, and support transitions from active conflict to more stable forms of peace. The paper explores how religious leaders reframe narratives of defeat, particularly in cases where a community’s cause was endowed with sacred meaning, creating a crisis of faith. It argues that this work is best understood as …

Powerful Pulpits: Black Preachers As Cultish Leaders In The Axman Murders, 1909-1912, Lauren N. Henley

Interdisciplinary Journal of Leadership Studies

Southwestern Louisiana and southeastern Texas experienced a series of disturbingly similar ax murders from November 1909 to August 1912. In nearly every case, a black family living within a mile of the Sunset Limited line of the Southern Pacific Railroad was brutally slaughtered in their own home, victims of a surreptitious assailant. Eventually, a young black woman would take credit for some of the crimes, ushering in the language of “religious fanaticism” as a potential motive. This confession sparked an intense period of criminalization of black male preachers, with a particular focus on Pentecostal leaders in southwestern Louisiana. This article …