Digital Commons Network^™

Potential And Chloride Concentration As Thresholds For Crevice Corrosion Initiation In Ss 316l, Y Shorrab, R S. Lillard

University Research

This work investigated the relationship between crevice chloride concentration ([Cl−]) and the potential necessary for initiation in stainless steel 316L (SS 316L). Real-time fluorescence measurements were used to measure [Cl−] inside SS 316L crevice assemblies as a function of bulk [Cl−] and potential. Crevice initiation at potentials slightly less than or equal to the bulk repassivation potential was associated with chloride transport, owing to passive dissolution, and an increase in the crevice [Cl−]. Once the [Cl−] within the crevice increased to the concentration necessary to initiate SS 316L pitting at the applied potential, crevice corrosion was initiated. For example, in …

The Employment Situation Of Veterans: February 2026, Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

The February 2026 IVMF employment report shows veteran unemployment improving despite a slight national increase. Overall veteran unemployment fell from 4.5% to 4.1%, and Post‑9/11 veteran unemployment dropped sharply from 5.9% to 4.8. Younger veterans (18–24) saw the largest gains, while rates for older veterans rose slightly. Male veteran unemployment decreased to 3.9%, and female veteran unemployment fell to 5.2%. Black veteran unemployment declined significantly, while Hispanic veteran unemployment rose. Compared with nonveterans, veterans generally experienced better or comparable outcomes, though differences vary by age, gender, and race.

The George-Anne Inkwell Edition, Georgia Southern University

The Inkwell

No abstract provided.

The Efficacy And Safety Of Serratus Anterior Plane Block In Patients Undergoing Cardiac Surgery: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Xu-Bo Cui, Ming-Zhu Cui, Qiu-Ju Yang, Yang Liu, Meng-Qi Yi, Xiao-Yang Zhang, Yun-Tai Yao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Serratus anterior plane block (SAPB) is a widely used fascial block that reduces postoperative pain and perioperative opioid consumption. This meta-analysis assessed the efficacy and safety of SAPB in cardiac surgery patients.

Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang databases on May 10, 2024. Pooled relative risks and mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for dichotomous and continuous outcomes, respectively. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic, and publication bias was evaluated using Egger test. Subgroup analyses were stratified by study design (randomized controlled trials …

Telemedicine As A Gateway To Early-Phase Oncology Trials: Lessons From 14,000 Patients And Future Directions For Global Access And Equity, Carlos Torrado, Clark R Andersen, Lei Kang, Amanda L Brink, Taiwo Adesoye, Hung Le, Clover J Patterson, Anna Poullard, Jessica A Osburn, Harold N Tan, Mohamed A Gouda, Sheena Charles, Gabriele E Urschel, Tin-Yun Tang, David S Hong, Stephane Champiat, Aung Naing, Apostolia M Tsimberidou, Ecaterina E Dumbrava, Sarina A Piha-Paul, Jordi Rodon, Timothy A Yap, Paula R Pohlmann, Funda Meric-Bernstam, Siqing Fu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Telemedicine expanded rapidly during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its role in early-phase oncology trials remains uncertain. We evaluated its impact on recruitment, enrollment, equity, and access in a large phase I program.

Patients and methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients seen for first consultation in the MD Anderson Phase I Program (2016-2023). Recruitment (consent) and enrollment (treatment initiation) were compared by visit type, race/ethnicity, and geography across pre-pandemic (2016-2019), pandemic (2020-March 11, 2023), and post-public health emergency (PHE; March-December 2023) periods. A chart review of 400 patients validated findings.

Results: Of 14,085 patients, 7,247 were evaluated post-pandemic, with 36% (n …

Commonality And Co-Occurrence Of Discrete Strategies Within Implementation Strategy Bundles: Findings From The Living Database Of Hiv Implementation Science Systematic Review, 2014-2021, Sita Lujintanon, Ingrid Eshun-Wilson, Noelle Le Tourneau, Laura K Beres, Sheree Schwartz, Stefan Baral, Ryan Thompson, Ashley Underwood, Branson Fox, Elvin H Geng, Christopher G Kemp

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: HIV services and innovations are delivered through implementation strategy bundles that are often complex, comprising numerous discrete strategies. Systematically characterizing the use patterns of discrete strategies may inform strategy prioritization and selection to optimize service delivery. We used the Living Database of HIV Implementation Science (LIVE) to describe the commonality and co-occurrence of discrete strategies within multi-component strategy bundles in published HIV implementation studies from low- and middle-income countries.

METHODS: The LIVE systematic review identified studies from PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL, and included HIV implementation studies that reported ≥ 1 HIV care cascade outcome, were conducted in low- and …

Using 2d Lidar To Investigate Swash-Level Gravel Barrier Dynamics, Robert Jones, Nieves Valiente, Chris Blenkinsopp, Mark Davidson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Guiding Fast Ion Beam By Suppressing Secondary Ions, Yingli Xue, Junliang Liu, Mingwu Zhang, Daniel Fischer, Guoxing Xia, Nikolaus Stolterfoht, Reinhold Schuch, Yehong Wu, Bian Yang, Xiaoxiao Li, Caojie Shao, Wei Wang, Zhangyong Song, Xing Fang

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

We demonstrate that secondary ions sputtered from a macrocapillary's inner surface by the primary beam induce premature saturation of the guiding field, hindering fast ion guiding. By suppressing secondary ion sputtering with grooved surfaces, we achieve a guiding-field potential difference exceeding 1 kV, 2 orders of magnitude larger than previously achieved in stable ion guiding. This enables stable guiding of a 20-keV/q O5+ beam at offset angles up to 15°, with transmitted ions retaining their initial energy and charge state. A self-consistent field model accurately reproduces these results, revealing that guiding performance relies on managing secondary ions and the channel's …

Pd-L1, Tumor Mutational Burden, And Microbiome Signatures As Predictors Of Durable Immunotherapy Response In Metastatic Lung Cancer: A Multi-Omic Cohort Study, Wei Zhang, Li Chen, Minghao Liu, Xiaoyan Huang

Muthanna Medical Journal

Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have significantly improved outcomes in metastatic non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), yet durable clinical benefit (DCB) is achieved in only a subset of patients. Established biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression and tumor mutational burden (TMB) incompletely predict response, while emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiome composition may further modulate immunotherapy efficacy. We conducted a prospective multi-center study in China to evaluate the independent and integrated predictive value of PD-L1, TMB, and microbiome signatures for durable immunotherapy response. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 286 patients with metastatic NSCLC receiving PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors were enrolled across three …

Mechanism-Informed Transition From Pediatric To Adult Care In Sickle Cell Disease: A Case Study, Jane S Hankins, Tarun Aurora, Rachel Matsumoto, Sara Malone, Ana A Baumann

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Healthcare transition (HCT) refers to the shift from a child-centered to an adult-centered model of care, a process that, when well-functioning, can reduce disengagement and improve satisfaction with care. The Six Core Elements (6CE) framework structures HCT services; however, its implementation process remains understudied, limiting its broader applicability. Learning how to effectively implement the 6CE strategies can enhance their application in real clinical contexts. This case study describes the successful implementation of a 6CE-informed transition program for adolescents and young adults with sickle cell disease (SCD), a genetic condition associated with reduced life expectancy. We also propose a mechanism-informed …

Draft Final Remedial Design Work Plan Blacktail Creek Riparian Actions Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Of The Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site Silver Bow County, Montana, Hydrogeologic, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Human First: How Journalists Employ Ethics Of Care And Empathy When Covering School Shootings, Grace M. Ficara

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School shootings have become a regular part of the news media cycle in the 21st century. Now, more than ever, journalists are needing to find innovative, yet empathetic, ways to deal with such crises as they navigate their own professional boundaries. Using the Ethics of Care model, this research intends to showcase how journalists have, willingly or unwillingly, utilized an empathetic approach when covering school shootings and how they use these tools to comfort their sources and themselves. Through semi - structured interviews of 9 participants, this study seeks to connect the practice of journalism with the one thing journalists …

Mismatched Music And Meams: Short-Form Social Media Videos And Social Attitude Messaging, Kaitlyn M. Serafin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

“If the formative power in the media are the media themselves, that raises a host of large matters” (McLuhan, 1964, p. 10). Famed communications theorist Marshall McLuhan stated this all the way back in the 60s to explain how technology can act as a formative force in the messaging of media. This is because the medium in which they communicate the messaging can act as its own force, shaping the message like clay. The dominant media at the time of this theory was television; however, in the past decade social media and short-form social media videos have become dominant forms …

Is There No Such Thing As Bad Pr? A Case Study Analysis Of Influencer Pseudo-Events, Authentic Crises, And Crises As Opportunity, And Paracrisis, Sofia Aparicio-Gallagher

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There's no such thing as bad PR, and any publicity is good publicity are phrases coined by 19th-century P.T. Barnum, a showman and businessman known for his circus hoaxes (Hiergesell, 2025). The idea implies that all media attention, whether negative or positive, is beneficial to the organization or individual. The purpose of this study is to evaluate three brands; Tarte, Poppi, and Shein during a brand event to determine whether it was a pseudo-event created to gain awareness, or a genuine, unplanned crisis. Another purpose of the study was to determine if the event was used as an opportunity for …

Framing Power: The “Deep State” In Georgian Populist And Conspiratorial Rhetoric Introduction, Salome Tsetskhladze

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates how the concept of the “deep state” is used in contemporary Georgian political communication. The term traditionally refers to hidden networks of power that function within state institutions. However, in Georgia, it has become a political narrative that interprets international criticism, delegitimizes domestic opposition, and derails political accountability. The study analyzes how this concept is constructed and mobilized in the political discourse.

The research employs a qualitative inductive-deductive thematic analysis. It examines 125 statements made by Georgian public officials between August 2024 and February 2025 referring to the “deep state.” The analysis integrates framing theory, populist communication …

Examining The Effect Of Household Socioeconomic Status And Maternal Characteristics On Child Developmental Delay In The United States, Samuel Ilori

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Child developmental delay remains a pressing public health issue with lifelong implications. This study examines the association between household socioeconomic status, maternal characteristics, and child developmental delay using data from the 2023 National Survey of Children's Health (N = 35,399 female respondents). Bivariate analyses using Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression with sequential modeling were conducted. Results revealed that economic hardship, employment status, maternal mental health, maternal physical health, marital status, and race were significantly associated with child developmental delay (p<0.001). Educational level and poverty level showed no significant associations. Among mothers reporting poor mental health, 90.0% had a child with a delay, compared to 6.6% among those with good mental health. Every mother reporting poor physical health had a child with a delay, while virtually none with good or better physical health did. In the fully adjusted regression model, maternal mental and physical health remained the most powerful predictors, while economic hardship and employment status became non-significant once health was introduced, suggesting mediation. Maternal mental and physical health are the factors most strongly correlated with child developmental delay. Economic hardship matters primarily because it undermines maternal well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic likely intensified these dynamics by disrupting healthcare access and increasing economic instability. Supporting maternal health must be recognized as a fundamental strategy for promoting child development. Universal screening for maternal depression and physical health problems, integrated into pediatric and obstetric care, can identify at-risk mothers early. Policies that reduce economic hardship alleviate the chronic stress that undermines maternal health. Children thrive when their mothers are healthy.

Draft Intermediate (60%) Remedial Design Report Blacktail Creek Riparian Actions Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Of The Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site Silver Bow County, Montana, Hydrogeologic, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Draft Final Phase I Pre-Design Investigation Evaluation Report Blacktail Creek Riparian Actions Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Of The Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site Silver Bow County, Montana, Hydrogeologic, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Understanding Tradeoffs In Clinical Text Extraction: Prompting, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, And Supervised Learning On Electronic Health Records, Tanya Yadav, Aditya Tekale, Jeff Chong, Mohammad Masum

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Clinical discharge summaries contain rich patient information but remain difficult to convert into structured representations for downstream analysis. Recent advances in large language models (LLMs) have introduced new approaches for clinical text extraction, yet their relative strengths compared with supervised methods remain unclear. This study presents a controlled evaluation of three dominant strategies for structured clinical information extraction from electronic health records: prompting-based extraction using LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation for terminology canonicalization, and supervised fine-tuning of domain-specific transformer models. Using discharge summaries from the MIMIC-IV dataset, we compare zero-shot, few-shot, and verification-based prompting across closed-source and open-source LLMs, evaluate retrieval-augmented canonicalization …

Prevalence Of Contact Child Sexual Abuse Victimization In The Us: Perpetration Types And Cohort Differences, Luciana C. Assini-Meytin, Rebecca L. Fix, Yi Sun, David Finkelhor, Elizabeth J. Letourneau, Keith Kaufman, Ben Mathews

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

We investigated the prevalence of contact child sexual abuse (CSA) victimization in the US by comparing perpetration types in two adult cohorts. Participants included a nationally representative sample of adults aged 18–22 (n = 3,174) and 32–36 (n = 3,237). We used weighted proportions to obtain prevalences, Rao-Scott χ2 tests to assess for differences between cohorts. Analyses were also stratified by gender. The overall prevalence was 21.7% and similar between the two cohorts; 9.7% reported abuse by adults and 16.9% by youth under age 18. Most said that offenses were perpetrated by people known to them. CSA perpetration by youth …

Using A Place-Based Harms Typology To Inform Community Practice And Research: Illustrative Cases And Contexts, Jason Sawyer, Greer A. Hamilton, Amie Thurber, Amy Krings

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Place-based harms comprise direct threats to community wellbeing within the spaces where people live. These harms, rooted in structural and cultural violence, are codified in policies and programs that contribute to poverty, homelessness, over-policing and surveillance, and environmental injustices. This paper argues, although community practitioners are needed to work alongside communities impacted by place-based harms, there are critical tensions and tradeoffs embedded within the place-based strategies. To illustrate this, we draw from the Contested Places Typology and present cases that highlight key tensions, tradeoffs, and nuances associated with its six approaches: (1) Reparation, (2) Remembrance, (3) Regeneration, (4) Resistance, (5) …

Agnostic Tomography Of Stabilizer Product States, Sabee Grewal, Vishnu Iyer, William Kretschmer, Daniel Liang

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

We define a quantum learning task called agnostic tomography, where given copies of an arbitrary state ρ and a class of quantum states C, the goal is to output a succinct description of a state that approximates ρ at least as well as any state in C (up to some small error ε). This task generalizes ordinary quantum tomography of states in C and is more challenging because the learning algorithm must be robust to perturbations of ρ. We give an efficient agnostic tomography algorithm for the class C of n-qubit stabilizer product states. Assuming ρ has fidelity at least …

Toward More Reliable Uavs: Interpretable Machine Learning For Understanding Propeller Fault Separability, Saadi Turied Kurdi, Luttfi A. Al-Haddad, Latif Ibraheem

Terra Joule Journal

This study investigates the fundamental limits of UAV propeller fault discrimination using an interpretable XGBoost–SHAP framework applied to the high-resolution DronePropA dataset. Three fault types—edge-cut, structural crack, and surface erosion—were evaluated across three severity levels under constrained flight conditions to isolate the physical signatures of degradation. A curated subset of 1 kHz IMU and ESC telemetry from Drone 1 (trajectory t1, speed SP1) enabled analysis of fault separability independent of kinematic variability. Despite deploying a moderately complex XGBoost classifier (300 estimators, depth = 6) and a comprehensive multi-domain feature set, the model achieved a performance ceiling of 38.04% accuracy and …

Impact Of Glass Powder As A Sustainable Material On The Workability, Strength, And Durability Properties In High-Performance Basalt Fiber Reinforced Concrete: A Statistical Analysis, Ahmed Fathi Mohamed Salih

Journal of Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies

The global construction sector is increasingly challenged to balance environmental sustainability with the growing demand for durable, high-performance materials. As cement production continues to be a major source of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, the incorporation of alternative, low-impact binders has become a key strategy for reducing the environmental footprint of concrete. In this context, glass powder (GP)—a finely ground industrial by-product rich in amorphous silica—has emerged as a promising partial replacement for Portland cement. Its pozzolanic reactivity contributes to improved hydration and matrix densification, while its use also supports circular economy principles by diverting waste glass from landfills. At the same …

Integrating Green Hr Practices To Enhance Organizational Sustainability: An Insight From Banking Sector Of Saudi Arabia, Asst.Prof. Adi Sudan Albaqami

UB Journal for Humanities

Green human resources (HR) is a crucial tactic for incorporating environmental management into HR procedures as businesses look for more sustainable ways to solve environmental issues. Thus, the main aim of this paper is to examine the influence of green HR practices on organizational sustainability, with a focus on the mediating roles of organizational culture, employee engagement, and top management commitment in the Saudi banking sector. To achieve these objectives, a questionnaire was designed and distributed to a study sample of 125 managers from Saudi banks at various levels. The results show that integrating green HR practices into Saudi banks …

Learners’ Use And Perceptions Of The First Language Across Writing Stages: A Mixed-Methods Study In A Saudi Efl Context, Abdulrahman Ali Alqahtani

UB Journal for Humanities

The role of the first language (L1) in second-language (L2) writing has been widely debated; however, empirical research examining learners’ perceptions of L1 use across different stages of the writing process remains limited in the Saudi EFL context. Addressing this gap, this mixed-methods study investigates how EFL undergraduate students at the University of Bisha use their first language (Arabic) during the English writing process (pre-writing, drafting, and post-writing) and how they perceive its impact on their writing development. Participants were 36 undergraduate EFL learners with advanced English proficiency who completed a Likert-scale questionnaire measuring the frequency and the purposes of …

The Effect Of Transcranial Near-Infrared Laser Therapy On Chronic Ischemic Stroke Patients: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial, Merna Hassan, Osama Al Balah, Ahmed Hegazy, El Sayed Satour

Journal of the Saudi Heart Association

Background: Transcranial photobiomodulation (TPBM) using near-infrared (NIR) light is a novel, non-invasive neuromodulation strategy with potential to enhance neurorecovery. While preclinical studies are promising, clinical evidence in chronic stroke remains limited and inconsistent.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 980 nm transcranial NIR laser therapy as an adjunct to standard rehabilitation in improving neurological function in patients with chronic ischemic stroke.

Methods: In this randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled trial, 40 chronic ischemic stroke patients (>6 months post-onset, NIHSS 7-22) were allocated to active treatment (n=20) or sham control (n=20). The active group received 980 nm laser therapy (6W, …

Developing And Delphi-Validating A Phase-Based Sustainable Bsc Framework For Contractors' Sustainable Productivity Management In Developing Countries, Truong Van Luu, Le Minh Long Nguyen

HBRC Journal

This study develops and validates, using the Delphi method, a conceptual decision-support framework for construction contractors' sustainable productivity management (CSPM) in developing-country settings. Guided by KAMET rules, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 experts to elicit, refine, and reach consensus on a set of productivity management attributes that construction contractors can realistically apply. The outcome is 29 feasible productivity management attributes, organized under the four Sustainable Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) perspectives and mapped onto five management phases (planning, organizing, staffing, leading/coordination, and controlling). Rather than predicting or demonstrating productivity gains, the framework provides a practical roadmap for diagnosing capability gaps, prioritizing …

Symmetry And Scale: The Precise Engineering Of Chitosan-Based Polyhedral For The Delivery Of Therapeutic Materials At The Nanoscale, Ahmed. J. Jasim, Noor Malik Saadoon

AUIQ Technical Engineering Science

Preparation of chitosan-based drug delivery carriers requires converting linear polysaccharide chains into individual 3D objects. By building on the natural structural properties of chitin-based polymers, in addition to control the geometry of organically derived raw material from feedstock to submicron polyhedral or spherical dimensions. This geometric change is governed by a surface area-to-volume ratio that maximizes the exposure of the therapeutic payload to the external environment. The approach centres on the development of such carriers using ion-complexation and emulsification methodologies, which involve electrostatic cross-linking of ion-binding pairs to define an impenetrable boundary separating a liquid from a solid phase. Critical …

Sharing The Gold With The Mountain: A Proposed Quasi-Property Doctrine For Health Data Compensation, Taylor Col

Journal of Technology Law & Policy

This Note provides a legal answer to the moral question of whether a person should be compensated for lucrative health data that was collected from them. The moral question is examined through the lens of various doctrines in property, privacy, intellectual property, and ethics, in light of landmark cases concerning biomaterials and genetic information. A new doctrine for health data compensation is proposed, based on quasi-property and borrowing elements from equity, intellectual property, and profit-sharing. The proposed doctrine is evaluated by applying it to a hypothetical commercialization of one person’s health data via a precision medicine product.