Digital Commons Network^™

Hand Swelling And Other Non-Raynaud Phenomenon Symptoms As The Initial Presentation Of Systemic Sclerosis: Prevalence And Clinical Associations In Two Us Cohorts, Iqtidar Hanif, Shervin Assassi, Maureen D Mayes, Zsuzsanna H Mcmahan, Meng Zhang, Julio Charles, John M Vanburen, Jessica S Alvey, Kimia Ghaffari, Elana J Bernstein, Flavia V Castelino, Lorinda Chung, Luke Evnin, Tracy M Frech, Jessica K Gordon, Faye N Hant, Laura K Hummers, Dinesh Khanna, Kimberly S Lakin, Dorota Lebiedz-Odrobina, Yiming Luo, Ashima Makol, Jerry A Molitor, Duncan F Moore, Carrie Richardson, Nora Sandorfi, Ami A Shah, Ankoor Shah, Victoria K Shanmugam, Virginia D Steen, Elizabeth R Volkmann, Carleigh Zahn, Brian Skaug

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: Raynaud phenomenon (RP) is often the initial clinical manifestation of systemic sclerosis (SSc), but some patients develop other manifestations first. To help elucidate the diversity of SSc presentation in its early stages, we describe the initial clinical manifestations and antinuclear antibody (ANA) profiles of patients in two early SSc cohorts.

Methods: All patient data in the Genetics vs Environment in Scleroderma Outcomes Study (GENISOS) and Collaborative National Quality and Efficacy Registry (CONQUER) cohorts were reviewed. Both studies enrolled patients within five years of the first non-RP symptom.

Results: In GENISOS and CONQUER, respectively, 194 (44.2%) of 439 and 292 …

Use Of Prophylaxis For Deep Venous Thrombosis And Pulmonary Embolism In Isolated Foot And Ankle Trauma, Regina Hansen, Alexander P. Rader, Naohiro Shibuya, Daniel C. Jupiter

School of Podiatric Medicine Publications

Background: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are relatively rare after foot and ankle surgery, especially after trauma. Diagnosing DVT is difficult, and even when it is discovered it does not necessarily clinically manifest on, for example, duplex ultrasound. Thus, it is often recommended that prophylaxis use be assessed on a case-by-case basis based on risk profile rather than being uniformly given or not prescribed.

Methods: We searched the National Trauma Data Bank Trauma Quality Programs Participant Use File for patients experiencing foot and ankle trauma from 2013 to 2017. Patients were identified using the International Classification of …

Shining A Light On Firms’ Political Connections: The Role Of Dark Money, Matthew Denes, Madeline Scanlon

Faculty Publications

We study the emergence of a new channel for firms’ political activity using dark money through undisclosed and unlimited contributions. After the U.S. federal court decisions in 2010, S&P 500 firms substantially increased their use of dark money. We find that dark money contributions complement political engagement through campaign contributions and lobbying. Firms disclose dark money contributions when they face heightened nondisclosure costs. Firms contributing to dark money groups benefit by receiving more procurement contracts and increased government subsidies. Our findings highlight that political connections by firms are evolving and expanding through new and largely unexplored channels. (JEL D72, …

Implementing Responsible Artificial Intelligence In Marketing, V. Kumar, Ashutosh Dixit, Priyanka Sharma, Sudipendra Nath Roy

American Business Review

Ethical use of AI ensures equity and fairness for all stakeholders, leading to enhanced business performance. This conceptual paper explores the ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in marketing through a literature synthesis grounded in ethical theory. Drawing on frameworks such as utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, ethics of care, and contractarianism, the study identifies five key ethical challenges—monopolization, privacy, corporate social responsibility, human rights, and accountability. Real-world cases illustrate how these challenges manifest in practice. The paper proposes theory-driven solutions including data democratization, contextual data use, adherence to human rights protocols, and the establishment of AI governance mechanisms like ombudspersons. …

Finding Courage In Psychologically Unsafe Environments: The Impact Of Trait Social Courage And Voice On Leadership Emergence, Allona S. Murry, Rebecca L. Badawy, Robyn L. Brouer, Matt C. Howard

American Business Review

This paper explores the role trait social courage has in psychologically unsafe team environments, specifically examining its impact on voice and leadership emergence. Using a sample of undergraduate students engaged in a semester long team business simulation, surveyed at multiple time points and with multiple raters, we found support that trait social courage is activated under conditions of low psychological safety, resulting in voice behaviors. Further, voice was related to perceptions of leadership emergence. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

The Impact Of Economic Sanctions And War-Related Uncertainty On Oil Market Volatility: Evidence From The Russia-Ukraine War, Imlak Shaikh, Leena Ajit Kaushal, Priyanka Vallabh

American Business Review

Economic sanctions engender the disturbance of financial transactions between the sanctioner and the targeted nations. The Russia-Ukraine war also restricted Russia's entry into financial and commodity markets, with reverberating effects on the global market. Hence, the study aims to elucidate the relationship between armed conflicts and economic sanctions enforced by the G7 nations, the crude oil market, and its corresponding volatility index, OVX. It seems that heightened levels of ambiguity, conflict, nervousness, and hostility have contributed to an increase in the fluctuation of the energy market, leading to an extreme response to economic sanctions. Our findings reveal that financial restrictions …

The Influence Of National Culture On Corporate Policy: Evidence From The Payment Method In International Mergers, Yogesh Chauhan, Chinmay Ghosh, Manju Jaiswal, Zizheng Zhao

American Business Review

We examine how informal institutions—specifically, national culture—shape the choice of payment methods in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As). Our analysis reveals that acquirers from countries with high levels of individualism are less likely to finance acquisitions using stock. In contrast, acquirers from cultures with high uncertainty avoidance are more inclined to do so. Furthermore, the negative association between individualism and stock financing is more pronounced in transactions with greater anticipated synergy gains. These results are robust to a range of firm-level controls, country-specific factors, and alternative proxies for national culture.

Leave Them To Their Own Devices: When Employee Informal Power In Strategically Core Roles Enhances Organizational Performance, Alexandru Roman

American Business Review

In this empirical study, I develop theorizing on the conditions under which employees’ informal, competence-based power in strategically core roles enhances organizational performance. I propose that in contexts characterized by high task specialization and interdependence, employees with high informal power positively influence performance through higher motivation and improved coordination. However, this effect is weaker when managers also hold high informal power or emphasize hierarchical structures, as these factors create power conflicts that undermine employees’ informal influence. Conversely, the positive effect is stronger when employees receive negative performance feedback, which they perceive as a challenge to their competence, leading to stronger …

A Cointegrating Regression Analysis Of The Impacts Of Greater Economic Freedom And Perceived Risk From A Larger National Debt-To-Gdp Ratio On The Real Cost Of Borrowing For Corporations In The U.S., Richard J. Cebula

American Business Review

This study empirically investigates two main hypotheses: (1) the higher the level of economic freedom, the greater the demand for Moody’s Baa-rated corporate bonds, and, consequently, the higher the price of and the lower the real interest rate yield on those bonds; and (2) a higher national debt-to-GDP ratio level elevates perceived default risk and thereby reduces the private sector demand for Moody’s Baa-rated corporate bonds, with the results then being lower-prices on such bonds and hence a higher ex post real interest rate yield on them. Moreover, this study not only finds consistent empirical support on behalf of both …

Efficiency Of Liberal Arts Colleges: A Dea Analysis Of Non-Elite Lacs, Joshua C. Hall, Joylynn Pruitt, Daniel Bonneau

American Business Review

The demographic cliff, the effects of COVID-19, and shifts in regional preferences for higher education pose an important threat to Liberal Arts Colleges (LACs). While other studies have examined the efficiency of top-ranked LACs, this paper examines the colleges most challenged by the current environment. Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and 6-year graduation rate as the outcome of interest, our results show that the average LAC outside the top 100 ranked schools (according to U.S. News & World Report) operates at about 74 percent efficiency. Many schools within the sample score closer to 50 percent. These rankings are then evaluated …

Impact Of Resilience On Emotional Intelligence & Burnout Among Academicians: A Mediation Study, Shwati Sudha, Shrejal Kumari, Govind Swaroop Pathak

American Business Review

Resilience is examined as a mediator between emotional intelligence and burnout. The study also investigates the implications of emotional intelligence on burnout. An empirical investigation was conducted among 257 academicians employing purposive sampling. Primary data were obtained using a 5-point likert scale, incorporating validated tools, including the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Nicholson McBride Resilience Questionnaire (NMRQ), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Self-Regulation Inventory (SRQ), Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI), and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). The analysis was performed using Hayes (2018) SPSS Process Macro Model 4. Burnout was found as positively correlated with resilience and emotional intelligence, while emotional intelligence also …

Improving Patient Safety In Hospitals With Smartwatch Technology, Shelby Giannelli Rn, Katrina Thibodeau Rn

Nurse Residency

In hospitalized adult patients, how does the use of smart bracelets compare to standard care affect patient safety and monitoring outcomes?

Theme Issue - Emerging Ip Enforcement In Online Markets And Digital Spaces, Michael Goodyear

Articles & Chapters

Editor's Note

Itrusst Consensus On Biophysical Safety For Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation, Jean François Aubry, David Attali, Mark E. Schafer, Elsa Fouragnan, Charles F. Caskey, Robert Chen, Ghazaleh Darmani, Ellen J. Bubrick, Jérôme Sallet, Christopher R. Butler, Charlotte J. Stagg, Miriam C. Klein-Flügge, Seung Schik Yoo, Christy K. Holland, Bradley Treeby, Eleanor Martin, Lennart Verhagen, Kim Butts Pauly

School of Psychology

Transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) is an emerging technology for non-invasive brain stimulation. The International Transcranial Ultrasonic Stimulation Safety and Standards consortium (ITRUSST) has established consensus on considerations for nonsignificant biophysical risk of TUS, drawing upon the literature and established regulations for biomedical devices. Here, we assume the application of TUS to individuals without contraindications, compromised thermoregulation, vascular vulnerabilities, or administered ultrasound contrast agents. In this context, we present a concise yet comprehensive set of levels for nonsignificant risks of TUS application. For mechanical effects, it is non-significant risk if the mechanical index (MI) or the mechanical index for transcranial application …

Love, Community, Errantry: Relational Approaches Toward Mathematical Mistakes, Melissa Adams Corral, Romina S. Peña-Pincheira, José Martínez Hinestroza

Teaching and Learning Faculty Publications

In this article we explore ways of approaching what educators and researchers perceive as mistakes that are consistent with views of mathematics that tolerate ambiguity, contradiction, and multiple possible truths. The approaches we describe draw on works within and beyond the field of mathematics education and detail theories from biologist Humberto Maturana, community organizers Bob Moses and Ella Baker, and poet-philosopher Edouard Glissant. These alternative theoretical perspectives are distinctly relational in their approach. They can build on the field’s current conceptualizations of pedagogical responses to errors in ways that attend to calls for broadening what it means to do mathematics …

Redefining Central Nervous System Multiple Myeloma: From Rare Phenomenon To Emerging Entity, Ian Landry, Adam F. Binder, Marc Yorker, Sarah Ramirez

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Central nervous system involvement in multiple myeloma (CNS-MM) is considered a rare but devastating manifestation of extra-medullary disease (EMD) associated with aggressive biology and dismal outcomes. Treatment advances over the past few decades have improved survival in patients with MM, however, it has not translated into a similar survival benefit for those with CNS-MM. Early recognition and targeted management of CNS-MM remain major clinical challenges.

OBJECTIVE: This literature review summarizes the current literature on epidemiology, risk factors, clinical features, diagnostic modalities, and therapeutic approaches to CNS-MM. It focuses on emerging biomarkers and new treatment options that may affect the …

How School Mentors Build Self-Efficacy In Novice Teachers: A Single Case Study, Christina Olga Sanchez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative single case study with embedded units explored how school mentors build selfefficacy in novice teachers across elementary, middle, and high school settings within a single public school district in Texas. Grounded in Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which identifies four sources of self-efficacy: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, and emotional and physiological states, this study examined the specific strategies mentors use to build self-efficacy and foster confidence and instructional competence in novice teachers. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with eight experienced educators formally designated as mentors. Thematic analysis was employed to identify patterns in mentoring practices and their …

The Effect Of Perceived Principal Leadership Styles And School Type On Elementary Teacher Self-Efficacy, Karen M. Gonzalez

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of perceived principal leadership styles and school type on elementary teachers’ self-efficacy. The study examined two research questions. The first examined differences between teachers’ self-efficacy in Title 1 and non-Title 1 schools, and the second examined differences in teacher self-efficacy and perceived principal leadership styles (authoritarian, democratic, and laissez-faire). The convenience sample included 129 elementary teachers from social media teacher groups that taught in various Title 1 and non-Title 1 school districts. I used a quantitative, causal-comparative method to collect data and survey questionnaires that identified trends in leadership styles …

The Effectiveness Of A First-Year Experience Course: A Case Study From A Public Regional University In The Central United States, Taler J. Alexander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Student retention has become an increasingly popular topic for colleges and universities as they look for ways to keep students amid ever-changing budget climates. Research shows that high quality first-year experience (FYE) courses can provide crucial support to new students as they enter the college or university. Additionally, many researchers have found that supporting students through their transition to a new college environment, developing their sense of belonging, and helping them get involved on campus lead to increased student retention. The purpose of this study was to explore the curriculum, format, and delivery of the FYE course at Blue University …

The Heart Of Policing: Exploring The Essence Of The Phenomenon Between Organizational Culture And Police Officer Job Satisfaction, Charles C. Palmer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological qualitative study was to explore the essence of the phenomenon between organizational culture and police officer job satisfaction among rural law enforcement agencies in Oklahoma. Retaining police officers has become an increasingly challenging task for law enforcement organizations across the United States, as high turnover, costly recruitment, and voluntary resignations continue to strain departments. While previous research has primarily examined demographic and occupational variables influencing satisfaction, limited attention has been given to how organizational culture affects the lived experiences of U.S. police officers. Guided by Edgar Schein’s organizational culture theory, this study examined how …

Beyond Mass Deportation, Nancy Plankey-Videla, Huyen Pham, Angela D. Morrison, Luz E. Herrera

Faculty Scholarship

Donald Trump’s threats to carry out the mass deportation of unauthorized immigrants helped propel him to a second term as President of the United States. For the estimated 11 million people in the U.S. without lawful status, those threats have increased fears of forced returns to their countries of origin. While American immigration law is heavily focused on the legal processes leading to deportation, little attention has been paid to the post-deportation experiences of individuals who must reintegrate into their home countries. This gap in understanding is especially alarming given the high stakes of reintegration. A successful transition can empower …

A Practice-Based Framework For Teaching Geography At The Secondary Level, Kyle F. Tredinnick

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Further work is necessary to carry out the goals set forth in geography education initiatives like the Geography for Life: National Geography Standards and Road Map for 21^st Century Geography Education Project. Methods to communicate the focus of geographic lessons at the secondary level can help guide teachers who are otherwise unaware of the ability for geography to answer questions and develop solutions to problems. Research and development of effective instructional tools to teach geography is needed. This research aims to provide a practice-based model for lesson-development in geography, as supported in academic literature. Input from higher-education faculty …

Data As Policy, Janet Freilich, W. Nicholson Price Ii

Faculty Scholarship

A large literature on regulation highlights the many different methods of policy-making: command-and-control rulemaking, informational disclosures, tort liability, taxes, and more. But the literature overlooks a powerful method to achieve policy objectives: data. The state can provide (or suppress) data as a regulatory tool to solve policy problems. For administrations with expansive views of government’s purpose, government-provided data can serve as infrastructure for innovation and push innovation in socially desirable directions; for administrations with deregulatory ambitions, suppressing or choosing not to collect data can reduce regulatory power or serve as a back-door mechanism to subvert statutory or common law rules. …

Instructors’ Strategies In Creating And Implementing Constructivist Llm-Based Learning Activities, Emily Aurelia, Shun Yi Yeo, Michelle Lui, Effie Lai-Chong Law, Anthony Tang

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly being integrated into educational settings, enabling more adoption of constructivist teaching and learning approaches in classrooms. This paper explores the strategies instructors are currently using to incorporate LLMs into learning activities that align with constructivist principles, which emphasize that learners actively construct their own knowledge. Through interviews with nine instructors who have designed eleven distinct LLM-based activities and using reflexive thematic analysis, this study identifies various types of learning activities with respect to four different aspects of the constructivist learning theory. The strategies employed and challenges faced to foster constructivist student-LLM interaction were also …

New Judicial Federalism And The Establishment Clause: Classroom Ten Commandments As A Case Study In State Constitutional Protection, Caroline Mala Corbin

Articles

Louisiana recently enacted a law requiring a Ten Commandments display in every public school classroom from kindergarten to college. Forty-five years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a nearly identical attempt to introduce Christianity into the public schools violated the Establishment Clause—the clause in the U.S. Constitution’s First Amendment that requires some degree of separation between church and state.

Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court has since reduced the Establishment Clause to a shadow of its former self. It replaced doctrinal tests that protected religious minorities with a history and tradition test that is easily manipulated and that presumes the …

Better Budgeting - Budget Mastermind Booklet, Melanie Jewkes, Amanda Christensen, Andrea Schmutz, Vincenza Vicari-Bentley, Kelan Combe, Rochelle Allen, Lauren Olsen, Mckenzie Walsh, Jenny Weller

All Current Publications

This booklet helps you reflect on your finances and improve budgeting decisions. It helps you explore your values and motivators, set financial goals, learn zero-based budgeting, and brainstorm ways to increase your income and reduce expenses. It also helps you learn principles for tracking expenses and increasing savings.

Estimating Autism Prevalence Among Children In The Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia: A Comprehensive Multisource Benchmarking Approach, Hadeel Khamees, Patrick Linnenbank, Ankita Gulati, Arindam Vatsa, Mohammed Aldosari, Ehsan Hoque

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To provide an accurate estimate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence among children in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) by benchmarking against international and regional data, addressing the limitations of the currently reported prevalence rate of 0.6%. Methods: We conducted a comparative benchmarking analysis using ASD prevalence data from countries with advanced monitoring systems (United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, South Korea, Italy, Singapore) and regional comparators (United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan). We assessed differences in healthcare infrastructure, diagnostic frameworks, and screening intensity, and reviewed recent KSA-based studies. Methodological limitations such as underreporting, cultural stigma, and diagnostic inconsistencies …

Video Call Program For Intensive Care Patients And Their Families During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Study, Haifa Alhumedi, Hasan M. Al-Dorzi, Abdulaziz Aldawood, Amal Almatroud, Mona Aldawsari, Haseena Banu Khan, Victoria Burrows, Samiyah Alrawy Alanazi, Brintha Naidv, Salha Al Zayer, Zandile Yeni, Saja Marhoun, Hoda Khoutani, Saeed Maghrabi, Sarah Alzighaibi, Fawaz Rabeeah, Sattam Alanazi, Huda Alghamdi, Abdul Aleem Atassi, Ali Alkathaami, Yaseen M. Arabi

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To describe the utilization of the My Visit application for video calls between patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) and their families during the .COVID-19 pandemic as an alternative to hospital visits. Methods: The My Visit (Zeyareti) application was launched in 2 National Guard Health Affairs hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 and extended to all ICUs in August 2020. It allowed patients to communicate with their families using dedicated screens. This retrospective study was conducted using an automated satisfaction survey between September 2020 and September 2023. Results: Over 37 …

Comparative Analysis Of Autophagy And Apoptosis Pathways In Viral And Alcoholic Cirrhosis: An Immunohistochemical Study, Gunnur Demircan, Selimcan Berk, Doga Karayilan, Berkay T. Ozgur, Sema Ketenci, Ipek Elbegi, Vildan Karpuz, Melike Yavuz, Ahmet Midi, Demet Akin

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To study the different cellular death mechanisms between viral cirrhosis and alcoholic cirrhosis. The research investigated autophagy and apoptosis mechanisms in hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and alcohol-induced cirrhosis. Methods: The research team analyzed biopsy samples from the liver which were obtained at Florence Nightingale Hospitals, Istanbul, Turkey. The experimental protocols were performed between February 2021 and February 2023. The study included 19 HBV, 15 HCV, 13 alcohol-related cirrhosis patients and 6 normal liver tissues. Beclin-1, Caspase-3, Bcl-2 and LC3 expressions were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Results: Staining intensity as well as extent underwent evaluation through H-score …

The Relationship Of St6gal1 With Clinicopathological And Prognostic Factors In Breast Carcinomas, Ethem Ömeroğlu, Abdülhalim Serden Ay, Tuğba Günler, İlknur Küçükosmanoğlu, Sümeyye Kozacıoğlu

Saudi Medical Journal

Objectives: To investigate the association of β-galactoside α2-6 sialyltransferase 1 (ST6GAL1) expression with hormone receptor (HR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and other clinicopathological parameters, including histological grade, stage, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and survival in breast carcinomas (BCs). Methods: This study included 85 patients who had undergone surgery for breast cancer (BC). The associations of HR, HER2 status, and histopathologic tumor characteristics with immunohistochemical expression of ST6GAL1 were analyzed. Results: The majority (48 [56.5%]) of patients were in the T2 stage, and no association was seen between staging and ST6GAL1 ( p <0.05). Further, 44 (54.2%) patients were HR positive, and most of them exhibited high ST6GAL1 levels ( p =0.001), whereas 44 (51.8%) were HER2 negative, and most of them demonstrated low ST6GAL1 levels ( p =0.007). Ki-67 of ≥20% was observed in 55 (64.7%) and <20% in 30 (35.3%) patients. Most of those with high Ki-67 demonstrated low-grade STLGAL1 expression; however, no correlation was detected between the two values ( p =0.378). High and low ST6GAL1 expressions were observed in 39 (45.9%) and 46 (54.1%) cases, respectively. Conclusion: This research is one of the first studies to use ST6GAL1 in preoperative biopsies of patients not scheduled for neoadjuvant treatment. This study revealed highly significant associations of ST6GAL1 expression with HR, HER2, and molecular subtyping. Future studies are recommended to clarify the possible role of ST6GAL1 in resistance to HR and HER2-targeted and other chemotherapeutic agents in BCs.