Digital Commons Network^™

‘Pagbangon At Pag-Asa’ (Resurgence And Hope): A Qualitative Study Of The Lived Experiences Of People With Stroke And Household Carers In The Philippines, The Tulay Project Team, Sarah Ann Buckingham, Elda Anota, Maria Mercedes Barba, Vergil Boac, Myrna Estrada, Lorraine Faeldon, Bridie Kent, Fiona Leggat, Roy Francis Navea, Aira Patrice Rueda Ong, Nena Marie Santos, Annah Teves, Paula Melizza Valera, Fiona Jones

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: Stroke is a leading cause of disability and mortality in the Philippines, where access to formal rehabilitation services is limited. There is a lack of research on the lived experiences of people with stroke and their household carers across diverse urban and rural settings. Objective: To explore the experiences, challenges and support needs of people with stroke and their household carers throughout the Philippines, and to inform the co-design of a community-based stroke support programme. Methods: A descriptive qualitative design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 people with stroke and 20 household carers across six sites in …

Shaping The Future Of Bioscience Education: Trends, Challenges And Community Insights, Helen R. Watson, David P. Smith, Luciane V. Mello

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Phospholipid Scramblase 1 (Plscr1) Regulates Interferon-Lambda Receptor 1 (Ifn-Λr1) And Ifn-Λ Signaling In Influenza A Virus (Iav) Infection, Alina Xiaoyu Yang, Lisa Ramos-Rodriguez, Parand Sorkhdini, Dongqin Yang, Carmelissa Norbrun, Sonoor Majid, Sanghyun Lee, Yong Zhang, Michael Holtzman, David F Boyd, Yang Zhou

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Phospholipid scramblase 1 (PLSCR1) is an interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) that has several known anti-influenza functions. However, the mechanisms in relation to its expression compartment and enzymatic activity have not been completely explored. Moreover, only limited animal models have been studied to delineate its role at the tissue level in influenza infections. Our results showed that influenza A virus (IAV)-infected

Stimulant Medications Affect Arousal And Reward, Not Attention Networks, Benjamin P Kay, Muriah D Wheelock, Ryan V Raut, Roselyne J Chauvin, Athanasia Metoki, Aishwarya Rajesh, Andrew Eck, Jim Pollaro, Anxu Wang, Vahdeta Suljic, Babatunde Adeyemo, Noah J Baden, Kristen M Scheidter, Julia S Monk, Forrest I Whiting, Nadeshka Ramirez-Perez, Samuel R Krimmel, Anita Randolph, Jarod L Roland, Ginger E Nicol, Timothy O Laumann, Scott Marek, Evan M Gordon, Marcus E Raichle, Deanna M Barch, Nico U F Dosenbach, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Prescription stimulants (e.g., methylphenidate) are thought to improve attention, but evidence from prior fMRI studies is conflicted. We utilized resting-state fMRI data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (n = 11,875; 8-11 years old) and validated the functional connectivity findings in a precision imaging drug trial with highly sampled (n = 5, 165-210 min each) healthy adults (methylphenidate 40 mg). Stimulant-related connectivity differences in sensorimotor regions matched fMRI patterns of daytime arousal, sleeping longer at night, and norepinephrine transporter expression. Taking stimulants reversed the effects of sleep deprivation on connectivity and school grades. Connectivity was also changed in salience …

Simulation Based Model For Canine Distemper Virus In Prey-Predator Dynamics, Mussa A. Stephano

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study investigates the dynamic interactions of a prey-predator ecosystem infected with Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), focusing on predation and disease transmission. A deterministic model, coupled with Monte Carlo simulations (MCS), employed to capture both stochastic variability and environmental fluctuations. The findings indicate that classical prey-predator cycles provide the baseline for population dynamics, but the introduction of CDV and environmental noise fundamentally alters system behavior. Initially, populations exhibit oscillations that gradually stabilize into dynamic equilibria. However, the disease persists within both prey and predator populations, suggesting endemicity rather than extinction. Predation plays a dual role in disease dynamics, while it …

Modeling And Forecasting Wholesale Gasoline Prices In Tanzania Using Arima And Neural Network Autoregressive Models, Thadei D. Sagamiko, Edward K. Ngailo

Tanzania Journal of Science

Fluctuations in wholesale gasoline prices significantly impact the economy of import-dependent countries like Tanzania, making accurate forecasting essential for policymakers and market participants. This study forecasts monthly wholesale gasoline prices in Dar es Salaam by comparing the Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model with a Neural Network Autoregressive (NNAR) model. Using data from January 2015 to December 2024 from the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA), the models were evaluated. The ARIMA(1,1,1) model was identified as the best-fitting linear model, but the NNAR(11,7) model demonstrated superior accuracy. On the holdout test set, the NNAR model achieved a lower Mean …

Implementation Of A Carbon-Neutral Pv+Bess System - A Case Study Of Knauf Gypsum Tanzania, Santos Kihwele

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study presents a decarbonization pathway for Tanzania’s industrial sector by integrating a 2.966 MWp solar photovoltaic (PV) system with a 2 MW/8 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at KNAUF Gypsum Tanzania. A comprehensive techno- economic analysis was conducted using PVSyst simulations software. The simulation integrated site-specific meteorological data, component specifications and the factory’s electricity load profile to model annual generation patterns, system losses and battery charging and discharging cycles. The model accounted for system degradation to ensure realistic long-term performance projections. The PV+BESS solution reduces the energy-related carbon footprint to 64% and cuts annual energy costs by 65%, …

Aquifer Distribution In Lukobe Ward, Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania: Mapped Resources For Sustainable Water Access, Kelvin K. Kayuni

Tanzania Journal of Science

In response to the ongoing challenges posed by the scarcity of reliable fresh-water sources in Lukobe Ward, Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania, this study applied an integrated approach that combines geospatial and geophysical datasets to identify previously undocumented aquifers. The datasets utilized include an apparent density map generated from high-resolution GGMPlus satellite gravity data, a geological map (Quarter Degree Sheet 183), a water drainage map, and a slope map created from a digital elevation model (DEM). The analysis successfully identified four unconfined, saprolitic aquifers in the study area, designated as aquifers A, B, C, and D. These aquifers span areas of 12.2 …

Antioxidant And Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Blighia Unijugata Baker Aril Protein-Rich Extract, Oludele O. Odekanyin, Ifeoluwa M. Adepoju, Tolulope A. Anjorin, Oluwatobi S. Adekoya

Tanzania Journal of Science

The study investigated the in vitro oxidative-stress-mitigating effect and anti- inflammatory potential of the soluble protein of the arils of Blighia unijugata in order to establish possible use in inflammatory therapy. Air-dried Blighia unijugata aril was pulverized into powder, defatted using petroleum ether, and homogenized in Phosphate Buffer Saline. The homogenate was centrifuged, and the supernatant was subjected to ammonium sulphate fractionation. The precipitate was thoroughly dialyzed, dialysate was freeze-dried, and termed partially purified Blighia unijugata aril protein extract (ppBUAPE). The antioxidant potential of the protein-rich extract was investigated using DPPH, H2O2 scavenging activity, and FRAP. The ability of ppBUAPE …

Enterobacteriaceae Contamination In Locally Packaged Roasted Cashew Kernels From The Coast And Morogoro Regions, Tanzania, Douglas Mushi, Silvia Francis Materu

Tanzania Journal of Science

The increased sales of locally packaged roasted cashew kernels (RCK) in Tanzania reflect growing consumer demand for healthy, convenient snacks. Despite this popularity and frequently reported cases of gastrointestinal illness, the microbial safety of these plastic- bagged products is not well-documented, posing a potential public health concern. To address this, a study was performed to evaluate packaging hygiene, package integrity, and microbial contamination of randomly selected packages of RCK (small: n=99; medium: n=87; large: n=118) from vendors in Coast and Morogoro regions, Tanzania. Package integrity was assessed using a vacuum decay leak tester while microbial contamination on surfaces including RCK, …

Exploring Bacterial Diversity In Seagrass Meadow Of Thalassia Hemprichii And Syringodium Isoetifolium From Tanzania’S Coast, Lucy D. Mbusi, Thomas J. Lyimo, Sylvester L. Lyantagaye

Tanzania Journal of Science

Seagrasses are highly productive coastal ecosystems that harbor diverse bacterial communities, including both culturable and unculturable taxa. These bacteria play vital roles in ecological, biogeochemical, and biotechnological processes. In this study, a metagenomic approach using Pacific Biosciences next-generation sequencing was employed to investigate bacterial diversity associated with Thalassia hemprichii and Syringodium isoetifolium collected from the Mjimwema coast, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Results revealed that T. hemprichii supported greater bacterial species diversity (117 OTUs) compared to S. isoetifolium (109 OTUs). Among plant compartments, roots harbored the highest diversity, followed by rhizosphere sediment and leaves. The phylum Proteobacteria dominated across all samples …

Mathematical Modeling Of Awareness-Driven Interventions For Gender-Based Violence Control In A Closed Population, Furaha M. Chuma, Edward K. Ngailo, Zubeda S. Mussa

Tanzania Journal of Science

Gender-based violence (GBV) remains a critical global health issue with profound social, economic, and psychological implications. Despite concerted efforts to address this challenge, traditional intervention approaches often fall short of effectively mitigating its prevalence. In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the potential impact of awareness-based interventions in addressing various social and health crises. This paper introduces a modeling framework to explore the efficacy of awareness-based interventions in influencing the dynamics of the GBV epidemic within a closed population. A detailed sensitivity analysis, utilizing a normalized sensitivity index method, reveals that the violence transfer rate between perpetrators and …

Variations In Physicochemical Properties, Microbiological Profiles, And Nutrient Dynamics In The Temi River, Arusha, Tanzania: Sources And Implications, Aldo J. Kitalika

Tanzania Journal of Science

This study thoroughly investigates the physicochemical properties, microbiological profiles, and nutrient dynamics of the Temi River in Tanzania. The sources and implications of fluctuations in dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrients during the wet and dry seasons are carefully analysed. Water samples were collected from various geographically referenced points along the river, and analyses were performed using the APHA Standard Methods for Water and Wastewater Testing. The results show that most parameters increased downstream in both seasons, with the highest DOC levels reaching 352.11 mg/L in the wet season, followed by a significant decrease to 126.00 mg/L during the dry …

Effects Of Replacing Antibiotics With Bacillus-Based Probiotics In The Diet Of Lactating Sows On Reproductive Performance, Feed Intake, Serum Immunoglobulin Levels, Milk Production, Oxidative Stress Markers, Fecal Short-Chain Fatty Acids, And Piglet Growth Performance, Chutikan Srisang, Tip-Apa Akkhaphan, Preechaphon Taechamaeteekul, Junpen Suwimonteerabutr, Rafa Boonprakob, Suparlark Nuntawan Na Ayudhya Dr, Lea Hübertz Birch Hansen Dr, Padet Tummaruk

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

This clinical trial investigated the effects of adding a Bacillus-based probiotic to the lactation diet of sows (without in-feed antibiotics) on maternal and piglet outcomes. A total of 109 Landrace × Yorkshire sows (parity 1–7) were assigned to either a control group (n = 61) or a treatment group (n = 48) receiving Bacillus subtilis – 541 and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens – 516. Piglets in the treatment group also received the probiotics via creep feed from day 3 until weaning. Blood samples were collected within 12 h after farrowing to assess serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, and IgM) and malondialdehyde (MDA) …

Family Cohesion As A Mediator Of The Impact Of Internal Locus Of Control On Students' Career Maturity: A Path Analysis, Rina Sangadah, Dwi Yuwono Puji Sugiharto, Heru Mugiarso

Buletin Konseling Inovatif

This study investigates the function of family cohesion as a mediator between internal locus of control and career maturity among vocational high school students. The primary aim of this study is to examine how individuals' ideas regarding their power over their life (internal locus of control) affect their preparedness to make career decisions and the degree to which familial harmony and support mediate this relationship. This study employs a quantitative methodology via a survey approach. Data were gathered from 381 twelfth-grade vocational high school students in Purbalingga Regency, Indonesia, selected through purposive sampling methods. The utilized instruments included the internal …

A Self-Reflective Destruction Of Humankind: A Christian Eco-Theological Reading Of W. B. Yeats’S “Second Coming”, Kehan Yang

Compass: An Undergraduate Journal of American Political Ideas

This essay proposes an innovative reading of W. B. Yeats’s poem “The Second Coming” through a lens of Christian Eco-theology as explained by Fr. Seán McDonagh in Pluriverse: A Post-Development Dictionary. It demonstrates how literature may efficiently bring topics of environmental protection, anti-war ideology, and theological allusion into integrity.

Making A Difference Through Authentic Autobiographical Performance, Susie Miles, Helen Scott-Danter

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

Authentic autobiographical performance has the potential to open up possibilities for audience members to see their lives in new ways and take actions that make a difference in the world. This article describes the development of a 45-minute autobiographical performance from its initial creation in 2017 through its evolutionary journey to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024, and beyond. The creative process is presented from the perspective of both the performer and the director-coach, and brings together the worlds of education and theatre. The authors ask themselves: what does it mean to share their lived experiences authentically? They conclude that the …

From Essays To Embodiment: Reimagining Student-Centered Assessment Through Creative Practice, Rory Bester, Carla Lever, Bongani Kona, Mona Hakimi

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

This essay explores the experience of implementing podcast-based assessment in ‘Feeling History, Making History,’ a semester-long course at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa. The course is designed to cultivate broad-based critical and interdisciplinary skill sets in first-year Humanities students. Through pedagogical reflection across three consecutive iterations of this course, we investigate how creative assessment practices such as podcasting both enabled our students to bring their whole “selves” into the academy and productively challenged our own preconceived notions about effective, decolonial pedagogy.

“The Being Of Being Creative” In Assessment: Learning From The Creative And Performing Arts, Eliana Elkhoury

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

Assessment design shapes not only what students learn, but who they become as learners. In the era of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), where information is abundant and recall is easily outsourced, higher education assessment must move beyond memorization and toward authentic tasks that cultivate deeper learning and ontological growth. This conceptual, reflective paper argues that assessment should be grounded in students’ mode of being, rather than restricted to knowing, having, or doing. Drawing on Barnett’s ontology of higher education, Biesta’s subjectification, and Su’s epistemological distinctions, this paper positions assessment as a formative site where agency, ownership, identity, and self-understanding can …

The Being Of The Performer, Alice Marshall

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

This work presents an autoethnographic, practice-as-research inquiry into Tender Steps (Adaire to Dance, 2024), a dance-for-film grounded in the author’s lived experience of baby loss. Through embodied reflection, the article explores how personal experience becomes a site of inquiry, examining the relationship between the performer’s being and the act of performance. Drawing on phenomenological and performance-based perspectives, it considers how posture, weight, breath, and voice function as embodied knowledge and how meaning is co-constructed through the intersubjective relationship between performer and audience. It reflects on the ethical and emotional implications of making lived experience public within a digitally mediated form …

On Inspiration, Laura Bissel, Emily Doolittle, Laura González

Turning Toward Being: The Journal of Ontological Inquiry in Education

In this creative conversation, we three artist-researchers at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ponder inspiration in education and in our own creative practices from a range of perspectives. Each of us offers a provocation on “inspiration” from our own field of practice-research, to each other, to our colleagues, and to our community. This document presents the conversation that ensues. Drawing on our collective experiences of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, doctoral supervision across a range of performing arts and interdisciplinary fields, teaching body-centred practices such as yoga and pranayama, peer-to-peer mentoring of both academic and practice-based research, practice research methodologies, and …

Symptom Spectrum And Risk Factors For Fever In Pediatric Patients With Omicron Infection: A Prospective Observational Study, Jiande Chen, Qiuyu Tang, Dong Wang, Shuhua Yuan, Jilei Lin, Fengquan He, Yong Yin

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objective: The omicron variant of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a global epidemic in 2022. Our aim was to investigate the symptom spectrum and risk factors for fever in pediatric patients with omicron infection. Methods: From April 8, 2022, to May 17, 2022, this prospective observational study included pediatric patients who attended the child-parent sections of the Fangcang shelter hospitals with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19. Patient data were collected from questionnaires. The risk factors for prolonged fever and high fever were identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: In total, 1,541 pediatric patients were included. The most common symptoms associated with …

Lipid Biomarkers Predict Pneumonia Risk In Children With Influenza-Mycoplasma Co-Infections: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Kai-Jing Zhang, Xin-Feng Zhao, Xiao-Juan Lv, Xiao-Hui Huang, Jing Huang, Yan-Yan Zhu

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objective: This study evaluates the prognostic value of high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) levels for pneumonia risk in children co-infected with influenza and Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 248 children with influenza-MP co-infection (January 1, 2020–October 30, 2024). Participants were grouped into pneumonia (P, n=195) and non-pneumonia (NP, n=53) based on chest imaging. Statistical comparisons of clinical parameters (WBC, lymphocytes, CRP, lipids) utilized Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests. Variables with P<0.1 were included in logistic binary regression to identify independent risk factors. ROC analysis assessed diagnostic performance. Results: Significant differences were observed in lymphocytes (L), CRP, TG, HDL-C, and LDL-C levels between pneumonia and non-pneumonia groups (P < 0.05). CRP, HDL-C, and LDL-C were identified as independent risk factors for determining whether influenza-MP co-infections were complicated by pneumonia. CRP and LDL-C levels were risk factors associated with pneumonia risk (OR > 1), whereas HDL-C levels showed a strong protective factor association (OR < 1). The ROC curve analysis showed that the combined area under the curve (AUC) for HDL-C + LDL-C (0.878) was significantly higher than the AUCs for CRP + HDL-C (0.809), CRP + LDL-C (0.753), HDL-C (0.807), LDL-C (0.737), and CRP (0.601). The clinical DCA shows that HDL-C + LDL-C has a higher diagnostic value than CRP + HDL-C, CRP + LDL-C, HDL-C, LDL-C, or CRP alone. Conclusion: HDL-C and LDL-C levels independently predict pneumonia progression in influenza-MP co-infected children, with dual-marker assessment enhancing diagnostic accuracy.

Retrospective Evaluation Of Demographic, Clinical, Laboratory Findings And Inflammatory Biomarkers Of Patients Followed With The Diagnosis Of Serum Sickness-Like Reaction, Seda Taşdemir Salar, Alaaddin Yorulmaz, Vildan Güngörer, Şükrü Arslan

Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases

Objectives: Serum Sickness-like Reactions (SSLR) are Type 3 hypersensitivity reactions occurring in the presence of certain antigens. Symptoms generally begin 6-21 days after the exposure to antigenic stimulation. In the present study, the purpose was to examine whether there are any changes in these hematological parameters and their prognostic significance in patients diagnosed with SSLR and followed and treated in our clinic. Methods: The files of 122 patients who were hospitalized and followed up with a diagnosis of SSLR in the Pediatric Healthcare and Diseases Clinic between September 2016 and December 2021 were examined retrospectively. Results: A total of 64 …

Virtual Teaching During Covid-19: Attitudes, Abilities, And Educational Needs Of Cooperative Extension Staff, Kathryn Yerxa, Kayla L. Parsons, Jennifer Lobley

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

This study aimed to 1) identify the attitudes and abilities of Cooperative Extension staff regarding the delivery of virtual educational programming based on their characteristics and 2) identify professional development priorities to effectively deliver programming virtually. We disseminated an adapted Faculty Readiness to Teach Online questionnaire to Cooperative Extension staff via Qualtrics. Mean and standard deviation were calculated from complete surveys (n = 67) for each virtual programming competency in the self-reported attitude and ability sections, categorized by position type, years of teaching, and program area. We conducted a MANCOVA to …

Coaching Undergraduates, A Conceptual And Practical Guide, Anna Carissa Rozzo

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

The overall aim of this paper is to provide a holistic orientation to the practice of person-centered coaching while providing tangible methods that faculty and advisors in higher education may be able to integrate into their professional practices. This conceptual paper explores the theoretical and practical intersections of coaching and teaching, presenting a flexible modality to support student-centered learning. The author provides readers with general guidance and templates for goal setting, problem solving, and assessment that practitioners may adapt to their own contexts.

Coaching Graduate Students Through Early Childhood Focused Community-Engaged Learning: Graduate Student Perspectives And Course Design, Sarah Tulane, Shirlene Call Law

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version of this introduction here.

Community-engaged learning (CEL) in graduate-level coursework contributes to professional development and growth. CEL course design requires intentional and time-intensive planning. A graduate-level child development course was designed for CEL using the following process: needs assessment, training for community education, preparing materials, practicing with feedback, presenting to an authentic audience, and reflection on the experience. Students created presentations for authentic parent audiences based on a needs assessment of parent interest in child development topics. Reflections from four students in the course were analyzed using a general thematic analysis technique. Three themes emerged. …

Full Issue: Journal On Empowering Teaching Excellence, Volume 9, Issue 2, Fall 2025

Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

The full-length Fall 2025 issue (Volume 9, Issue 2) of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence

Access the online Pressbooks version (with downloadable EPUB format) here.

This issue of the Journal on Empowering Teaching Excellence brings together articles that highlight approaches for engaging students and broader communities through teaching, coaching, and assessment in higher education. The contributions examine community-engaged learning in graduate coursework, the use of coaching practices to support student-centered teaching and advising, Cooperative Extension staff readiness for virtual instruction, and alternative assessment strategies aimed at increasing engagement and reducing anxiety in challenging STEM courses. Collectively, the articles …

The Influence Of Early Detection And Intervention Providers' Actions And Communication On Parental Emotions And Early Intervention Engagement After A Child Is Diagnosed With Hearing Loss: A Scoping Review, Charlene M. Watson, D. Ellen Rick, Jillian Ingratta, Patti-Jo Sullivan, Xurong Zhao, Sheila Moodie

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Despite well-intentioned early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs, parents receiving a newborn hearing loss diagnosis often experience distress, uncertainty, and fear, which can impact their readiness to engage in early intervention. The communication and support provided by clinicians in early hearing detection and intervention play a critical role in helping families navigate emotions, overcome barriers, and actively participate in EHDI programs. The purpose of this scoping review is to advance our knowledge of the following: For parents who have a newborn newly diagnosed with hearing loss, how do the actions/behaviors and communication (or lack thereof) of EHDI providers influence …

Geographic And Sociodemographic Disparities In Early Hearing Detection And Intervention Adherence, Amanda Pavan, Anton Kvit, Michael Van Skiba, Analise Ristic, Kirsten R. Coverstone

Journal of Early Hearing Detection and Intervention

Early identification and intervention are crucial to minimizing impacts of congenital hearing loss. Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programs recommend newborn hearing screening before one month of age and a diagnostic audiologic evaluation before three months for infants who do not pass the screening. However, not all infants meet these benchmarks, as geographic and sociodemographic factors may influence adherence.

Addresses of primary contacts and audiology clinics were geocoded to calculate drive times to the nearest clinic in 10-minute intervals for infants born in Minnesota between 2019 and 2021. Birth location, NICU admittance, and sociodemographic characteristics were also analyzed. Random …