Digital Commons Network^™

A Study Of Diagnostic Experience And Impacts Of Rare Disease Diagnosis In Children And Their Families: Insights From India, Nidhi Vijay, Ashok Gupta, Priyanshu Mathur, Megha Sharma

Journal of Pediatric Genetics

Objective: Many rare diseases are usually misdiagnosed or diagnosed late. Delays in diagnosis have led to delayed treatment, resulting in poor outcomes. This study aims to shed light on the Indian scenario and help formulate schemes for early diagnosis, management of rare diseases and to uncover the unmet needs of the families of children with rare diseases. Methods: The target population were families with a child (17 years or younger) with any rare disease coming to SPINPH, Jaipur. The first author met face-to-face with the parents and they were made to answer a questionnaire. The questionnaires were checked for completeness …

Tethered Spinal Cord And Urinary Tract Complications In Trisomy 18, Michael A. Phillipi, Ladawna Gievers, Jesse L. Winer, Casey Seideman, Amanda J.H. Kim

Journal of Pediatric Genetics

Background: Trisomy 18 is an aneuploidy that has historically been associated with early mortality However, recently parents of children with complex conditions are more often pursuing life-prolonging medical interventions. The increasing use of neonatal intensive care has led to longer lifespans in infants affected by trisomy 18, allowing for later complications to emerge. While many comorbidities have been reported in the literature, tethered cord has rarely been reported in this population. This study examines the potential relationship between trisomy 18, tethered spinal cord, and related urinary tract complications. Methods: A retrospective chart review of subjects admitted to a single quaternary …

Cloud Cost Modeling Using Architectural Patterns And Heuristic Translation, Thiyagaraj Krishna

Defensive Publications Series

Forecasting cloud infrastructure costs can present challenges due to the difficulty in translating high-level business objectives, such as projected user volume, into the granular technical inputs that some estimation tools may be configured to use. Systems and methods are described for cloud cost modeling that can utilize a repository of predefined architectural patterns and associated heuristic rules. A system can receive business-centric inputs, such as application type and volume metrics, select a corresponding architectural pattern, and apply heuristic logic to translate these inputs into a manifest of technical resource demands, for example, compute, storage, and networking resources. This process may …

Creating Realistic Virtual Spaces Using Laser Scans And Panoramic Images, Qian Zhang, Yunwen Zhou, Erin Hong, Eric Lee Turner, Dinghuang Ji, Jürgen Sturm

Defensive Publications Series

A method is disclosed for generating scalable, high-fidelity scene replicas by optimizing 3D Gaussian Splats directly within the equirectangular domain. Conventional pipelines often convert spherical scanner data into perspective views or surface meshes, a process that frequently introduces stitching artifacts, geometric seams, and floaters. To address these limitations, the described approach utilizes a differentiable panorama splat rasterizer. This component processes registered laser scan data and 3D point clouds natively in a spherical format, without projecting imagery onto flat perspective planes. By refining spherical harmonic coefficients and opacity through backpropagation against the original panoramic inputs, the method effectively mitigates conversion-induced distortions. …

Techniques For Qr-Enabled Card Capture For Mobile Payments, Dileep R. Dominic

Defensive Publications Series

The present disclosure relates to a method for facilitating secure card-not-present (CNP) mobile payments through the use of a physical payment card embedded with an encrypted QR code. The QR code encodes essential cardholder data, including a primary account number (PAN) and expiry date. The method involves recognizing a designated input field on a mobile device while accessing a payment gateway interface. An interface module displays a camera icon adjacent to the input field, enabling a scanning procedure that utilizes a native camera application to read the QR code. This scanning process automatically populates the input field with the decoded …

A Method And Payment System For Preventing Card Skimming During Payment Transactions, Binayak Biswas

Defensive Publications Series

The present disclosure relates to a method and payment system for preventing card skimming during payment transactions. The method involves generating a dynamic PIN token using a secret key and transaction-specific data. The dynamic PIN token is transmitted via a near-field communication (NFC) interface from a mobile device or contactless card to a point-of-sale (POS) terminal. This token is verified at a verification network utilizing the same secret key and transaction-specific data to confirm the authenticity of the payment transaction. Upon successful verification of the dynamic PIN token, the payment transaction is executed, ensuring that the token is unique for …

Lived Experiences Of Law Enforcement Officers Assigned To Co-Response Teams Responding To Mental Health Crises, Roxanne Miller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officers are increasingly called upon to respond to mental health crises, yet their experiences as members of co-response teams (CRTs) remain underexplored. This study was conducted to address that gap by examining the lived experiences of officers assigned to CRTs that pair specially trained officers with mental health clinicians to respond jointly to calls involving individuals in crisis. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to describe how officers experience CRT work and how it shapes their perceptions, practices, and professional identity. The study was guided by Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional theory of stress, appraisal, and coping, …

Investigating Sex Offenders’ Experience Of Being Registered As A Sex Offender, Stacey Mitchell-Swingle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In society, sex offenders are subject to unforeseen consequences of the sex offender registry. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate how the sex offender registry contributes to the mental distress of registered sex offenders and their concerns about recidivism. This study addressed a gap in understanding the sex offender registry experiences from the offender’s perspective. The research question addressed how adult male registrants describe their experiences of mental distress associated with registration and how they perceive registration as shaping their risk of reoffending. The theoretical framework was John Braithwaite’s reintegrative shaming theory, with a specific focus on …

Impact Of Burnout And Empathy On Correctional Officers’ Aggression, Sagan Ladd

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Correctional officers experience persistent occupational stress that places them at elevated risk for burnout, which may negatively affect emotional functioning and increase aggression. Guided by general strain theory, this quantitative nonexperimental correlational study examined the relationships between burnout, empathy, and aggression among uniformed correctional officers working in U.S. jails and prisons. Participants (N = 58) completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire–Short Form through an anonymous online survey. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to answer three research questions. Results indicated that burnout significantly predicted aggression, F(1, 56) = 12.38, p < .001, R² = .18, such that higher burnout was associated with higher aggression scores. Empathy did not significantly predict aggression, F(1, 56) = 2.32, p = .133, R² = .04, though the relationship trended negatively. A multiple regression analysis revealed that burnout and empathy together significantly predicted aggression, F(2, 55) = 7.74, p = .001, R² = .19; however, burnout remained the only significant predictor when controlling for empathy. Additional analyses indicated that burnout significantly predicted all four facets of aggression: verbal aggression, physical aggression, anger, and hostility. These findings suggest that burnout plays a central role in aggression among correctional officers and highlight the importance of organizational and mental health interventions aimed at reducing burnout to promote staff well-being and institutional safety.

Graduates’ Perceptions Of Their High School Career Technical Education Work-Based Learning Experiences, Cheryline M. Hewitt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Little is known about how career and technical education (CTE) work-based learning (WBL) programs support student academic achievement and workforce outcomes. Guided by Kolb’s experiential learning theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore high school graduates’ perceptions of their CTE WBL experiences and to identify how completing a CTE WBL program supported and hindered their academic and workforce achievement. Ten graduates of CTE WBL programs were recruited via postsecondary CTE school outreach, Facebook, and LinkedIn groups and participated in a semistructured interview. Thematic analysis using open coding was conducted. The data analysis resulted in three identified …

The Expansion Of Exposure Notification Software To Enhance Disease Surveillance And Ring Vaccination, Julia Felton

URGENT Matters

No abstract provided.

Stress And Emotion Regulation In U.S. Undergraduate Students: A Theoretical And Narrative Review, Joshua Ross Pilchik

ETD Collection

Everyone experiences stress, but young adulthood brings some of the most intense and impactful stressors people face in their entire lives. For U.S. undergraduate students, persistent academic, financial, and social demands are ever-present, concurrent with a niche developmental period marked by identity exploration, assumption of new life roles, and growing autonomy (Arnett, 2000, 2015). Emotion regulation guides the ways people influence which emotions they have, when they have them, and how they experience or express them (Gross, 1998, 2015). Emotion regulation acts as a cornerstone for how students interpret and respond to these stressors (Compas et al., 2014; Aldao, 2013), …

The Rise Of The Black Female Producer: The Representation Of Black Joy, Mar'vellis T. Martin

McNair Scholars Collection

Issa Rae and Quinta Brunson are redefining what it means to tell Black stories on screen. Through shows like Insecure and Abbott Elementary, they elevate Black joy, community, and offer narratives that reflect the culture. With a rise in diverse female voices in media, Black female producers have emerged as cultural powerhouses telling stories beyond trauma and stereotype. This project examines how their shows contribute to a broader movement of authentic Black storytelling. Through comedic elements and community-based narratives, both shows capture the richness of everyday Black life.

Spectator 2026-01-29, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

Clinical Outcomes Of Patients Hospitalized For Conventional Pacemaker Implantation With Protein-Energy Malnutrition, Phuuwadith Wattanachayakul, Pojsakorn Danpanichkul, Chalothorn Wannaphut, Hamza Tahir, John Malin, Thanathip Suenghataiphorn, Kanokphong Suparan, Aman Amanullah

Einstein Health Papers

INTRODUCTION: The impact of protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) on patients hospitalized for conventional pacemaker implantation remains poorly understood.

METHODS: We utilized the 2020 U.S. National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database to evaluate the impact of PEM on the in-hospital outcomes of patients who underwent conventional pacemaker implantation. Patients aged 18 and older were identified by ICD-10 CM and PCS codes. Multivariable survey logistic and linear regression analyses were employed to examine in-hospital outcomes, including in-patient mortality, system-based outcomes, and post-procedural complications.

RESULTS: A total of 108 020 patients were identified with 4315 (3.99%) diagnosed with PEM. The mean age of the cohort …

Prediction Of Outcome From Spatial Protein Profiling Of Triple-Negative Breast Cancers., Ali Foroughi Pour, Te-Chia Wu, Javad Noorbakhsh, Jan Martinek, Santhosh Sivajothi, Paul Robson, Karolina Palucka, Jeffrey Chuang

Faculty Research 2026

BACKGROUND: In tumors, reciprocal spatial interactions between immune cells, their mediators, the extracellular matrix, and mutated neoplastic cells impact all aspects of treatment resistance. The operational mechanisms of these interactions are foundational for developing insights and targets for cancer therapy and prevention. Spatial quantification of the tumor microenvironment system from image data has untapped potential for patient stratification.

METHODS: Here, we present SparTile, a powerful computational approach for the analysis of multiplex proteomics images to reveal clinically relevant structural organization in the tumor microenvironment. SparTile enables robust and unbiased identification and characterization of tumor microenvironments based on spatial relationships among …

Psychologists’ Attitudes On Capital Punishment And Interpretation Of The American Psychological Association’S Ethics Code, Darya Baugh-Ruschman

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

When defendants are sentenced to death due to the nature of the crime, psychologists may be asked to participate in these cases, performing tasks such as conducting competency evaluations. Because the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics Code states that psychologists cannot participate in activities that violate human rights, an ethical debate has emerged regarding whether they should participate in capital cases. The present study examined psychologists’ opinions on capital punishment and their interpretation of the APA Ethics Code, which does not specifically define what constitutes a violation of human rights. The theoretical framework for the study is the ethical decision-making …

Effects Of Hydro- And Nano-Priming Treatments On Seed Germination And Metabolism In Sugar Beet (Beta Vulgaris L.), Sarah Jorjani, Ömer Can Ünüvar, Songül Gürel, Ekrem Gürel

Turkish Journal of Botany

This study examined the effects of hydropriming and nanopriming on the germination and physiological parameters of sugar beet seeds. Seeds were treated with distilled water as a traditional method and with TiO2 nanoparticle solutions at concentrations of 5, 10, and 15 ppm as an advanced method. Seeds were soaked for 3, 6, and 9 h, followed by postpriming maintenance for 10 and 45 days. T he results indicated no statistically significant differences in germination rates between the control and primed groups. Both priming methods markedly increased alpha-amylase activity and chlorophyll content, indicating improved metabolic and photosynthetic potential. Notably, nanopriming for …

Modeling Global Ecological Niche Shifts Of Osyris Spp. Under Climate Change Scenarios: Conservation Priorities For A Threatened Genus, Meng Ting-Yao, Han Shun-Long, He Xiang-Tian, Wu Ya-Ni, Fengjuan Mou

Turkish Journal of Botany

The genus Osyris L. comprises ecologically and economically important evergreen shrubs or small trees, with particular African species currently threatened by unsustainable exploitation. This study projected potential ecological niche shifts for Osyris under four Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) using digitized herbarium specimen localities and 20 environmental variables. The genus currently occupies a broad range between 41.32°N–34.85°S latitude and 9.27°W–109.03°E longitude, at elevations from 0 to 3900 m. High-suitability areas cluster primarily in the European-Mediterranean region, eastern/southern Africa, western South America, and Southeast Asia. Projections indicate a significant decline in high-suitability area under all SSP scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, SSP585) compared …

A Novel Strategy Of Mycorrhizal Fungi Usage To Enhance Crop Resilience In Saline Environments: Biopriming With Serendipita Indica, Tuğba Özteki̇n, Meli̇sa Ayişiği, Lale Yildiz Aktaş

Turkish Journal of Botany

Soil salinization is a critical global challenge, threatening agricultural productivity by imposing osmotic stress, ionic toxicity, and oxidative imbalance in plants. This study investigated the potential of Serendipita indica biopriming to enhance salt stress tolerance in maize (Zea mays L. cv. Simon) seedlings through comprehensive physiological and biochemical analyses under controlled conditions. Maize seeds were bioprimed with different concentrations of mycorrhizal fungi S. indica spores and exposed to varying NaCl concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 200 mM). Nonprimed maize seedlings had a gradual reduction in seed vigor index, reaching about 93.56% in 200 mM NaCl treatment. Under nonsaline conditions, S. …

Taxonomic Significance Of Stem And Leaf Anatomy And Pollen And Seed Micromorphological Characters In The Papaver (Poppy) Sect. Rhoeadium From Türkiye, Esengül Özkaymakoğlu, Osman Tugay, Yavuz Bülent Köse, Deni̇z Ulukuş, Bayram Atasagun, Meti̇n Armağan, Ferhat Celep

Turkish Journal of Botany

The poppy (Papaver) has beautiful flowers that attract the attention of not only taxonomists but also the public. However, it also presents several taxonomic problems. This study examines 13 taxa of Papaver sect. Rhoeadium, including the following species native to Türkiye: P. purpureomarginatum, P. dubium subsp. dubium, P. dubium subsp. laevigatum, P. arachnoideum, P. arenarium, P. commutatum subsp. euxinum, P. guerlekense, P. rhopalothece, P. stylatum, P. clavatum, P. syriacum, P. rhoeas, and P. postii. Plant specimens were collected from natural populations, and anatomical investigations were carried out on stem and leaf cross-sections. Pollen and seed features were examined using both …

Complete Genome Characterization Of A New Alphapartitivirus Identified In The Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Lactarius Mediterraneensis, Aigul Kali̇yeva, Ergi̇n Şahi̇n, Gülce Edi̇ş, Ilgaz Akata

Turkish Journal of Botany

Viruses that naturally infect fungi capable of forming mycorrhizal symbioses remain poorly studied. In the present study, a new partitivirus associated with the basidiomycete mycorrhizal fungus Lactarius mediterraneensis was identified and characterized, and it was designated as Lactarius mediterraneensis partitivirus 1 (LmPV1). The complete genome of LmPV1 was determined through high throughput sequencing of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) extracts and confirmed by Sanger sequencing of RLM-RACE PCR amplicons. T he genome comprises two dsRNA segments, 1899 bp and 1957 bp, each containing a single open reading frame (ORF) a putative RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and a capsid protein (CP). Comparative analysis …

The Indiana Statesman, January 29, 2026, Indiana State University

Student Newspaper

Korean Festival; Rendesvouz at the rec center

Informing Change: A Final Research Report On The Findings From The Longitudinal R&D Partnership For Math Equity Project, H. Colleen Sinclair, Samuel Robison, Youn Kyoung Kim, Stacey R. Terrio, Judith Lee Falgout Rhodes

Reports

This report covers a three-year partnership between the LSU Social Research and Evaluation Center, East Baton Rouge Parish Schools (EBR Schools), and DreamBox Learning, in which we conducted a longitudinal, multi-method examination of the effectiveness of DreamBox’s tech-based math intervention on EBRPS student performance. The three key research questions – developed with guidance from our Gates Foundation funding partners – are outlined below with abbreviated conclusions. The body of the report provides further detail on the methods, results, and interpretations of our quantitative study. We complement these conclusions with qualitative insights drawn from focus groups with teachers and students.

Teacher Perspectives Of Their Challenges In Supporting K-3 Students In Mathematics Proficiency, Jasmine Chanel Mills

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem for this study was that mathematics preparation for students in K–3 classrooms often does not lead to mathematics proficiency for third grade students. Guided by Wigfield’s expectancy value theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore teachers’ perspectives of children’s expectations and values related to mathematics and challenges teachers describe in supporting children’s mathematics achievement. Data were collected through 12 semistructured interviews with K–3 teachers in in a public school district in the eastern United States. Thematic analysis using open coding resulted in six themes which indicated that teacher beliefs and expectations are associated with mathematics …

Leveraging Informatics To Manage Lifelong Monitoring In Childhood Cancer Survivors, Kimberly Davidow, Renee Gresh, E. Anders Kolb, Ellen Guarnieri, Mary R. Cooper

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

Background: Electronic health records (EHR) have long held promise for sharing information efficiently, but this remains challenging. This quality improvement initiative sought to improve the accurate documentation of anthracycline and radiation therapy exposures in pediatric oncology patients who were treated at different institutions through a quality improvement methodology and EHR tools. Methods: A custom-built EHR smartform was previously created. Modifications were made to the smartform, and quality improvement methods were utilized to improve receipt of radiation summaries from other institutions and documentation of chemotherapeutic doses. Results: Three months after interventions, including clinician education and smartform updates, accurate anthracycline documentation improved …

Relationships Between The Dark Triad And Justification Of Morally Debatable Behaviors In College Students, Emma P. Paulson, Terry F. Pettijohn Ii

Psychology

The present study examined the relationship between Dark Triad personality traits and moral judgments in a sample of 68 undergraduate students recruited from psychology courses at a southeastern university. All participants volunteered through an online system and received course research credit for participation. Participants completed the Short Dark Triad Measure to assess levels of psychopathy, Machiavellianism, and narcissism, as well as the Revised Morally Debatable Behaviors Scale (MDBS-R), in a controlled laboratory setting. Individuals with strong psychopathic traits were predicted to report greater endorsement of morally debatable behaviors. Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to examine associations between Dark Triad traits …

How Case Management Can Improve Access To Outpatient Mental Health Clinics For Low-Income African American Women, Marie Daphney Vilseant

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract: African American women face deeply rooted systemic challenges that affect their access to mental health care treatment. There are no case management techniques that are strategic and equity driven and offer individualized support tailored to the needs of African American women, especially those from low-income backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to explore the role of case management as a potential solution to improve access to outpatient mental health services for this under-served group. The Anderson behavioral model for health care was utilized to understand access and utilization of health care services. The review question focused on case …

Ceo Pay Differences Between Us And Non-Us Firms: A New Longitudinal Investigation, Ruiyuan (Ryan) Chen, Sadok El Ghoul, Omrane Guedhami, Feiyu Liu

Faculty Publications

Research Question/Issue

Public and academic debates typically portray US CEOs as exceptionally well paid. Yet, evidence on the existence and magnitude of a US CEO pay premium is mixed and dated. This study uses an expanded, longitudinal dataset to identify whether such a pay premium exists and explores potential differences across countries, time, and governance and institutional contexts.

Research Findings/Insights

Using a dataset of over 42,000 firm-year observations from 34 countries during 2001–2018, we document a persistent but heterogeneous US CEO pay premium. Compared with non-US peers, US CEOs receive 23% more total pay and 20% more equity-based compensation, on …

Partial Versus Full Revision In Cementless Single-Stage Exchange For Hip Periprosthetic Joint Infection: A Multicenter Comparative Study With 10-Year Survivorship Analysis, Wenbo Mu, Atthakorn Jarusriwanna, Boyong Xu, Scot A. Brown, Xiaogang Zhang, Alexander Dawes, Javad Parvizi Md, Li Cao

Rothman Institute Papers

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is one of the most challenging complications following total hip arthroplasty (THA). Traditional management typically involves full revision to ensure comprehensive infection eradication. However, for patients with well-fixed implants, partial revision in a single-stage cementless approach may provide a viable alternative, potentially preserving bone stock and reducing operative time. The relative efficacy of this approach compared with full revision remains to be fully explored. This multicenter study aims to determine whether partial revision in cementless single-stage exchange surgery offers comparable infection control outcomes to full revision for select patients with well-fixed implants.

METHODS: We conducted …