Digital Commons Network^™

A Modified Fama-Macbeth Model Based On The Single-Index Model, Mariam Jumaah Mousa, Munaf Yousif Hmood

Journal of Economics and Administrative Sciences

The aim of this essay is to use a single-index model in developing and adjusting Fama-MacBeth.  Penalized smoothing spline regression technique (SIMPLS) foresaw this adjustment.  Two generalized cross-validation techniques, Generalized Cross Validation Grid (GGCV) and Generalized Cross Validation Fast (FGCV), anticipated the regular value of smoothing covered under this technique. Due to the two-steps nature of the Fama-MacBeth model, this estimation generated four estimates: SIMPLS(FGCV) - SIMPLS(FGCV), SIMPLS(FGCV) - SIM PLS(GGCV), SIMPLS(GGCV) - SIMPLS(FGCV), SIM PLS(GGCV) - SIM PLS(GGCV). Three-factor Fama-French model—market risk premium, size factor, value factor, and their implication for excess stock returns and portfolio returns—were estimated on …

Supporting Adult Language Learners Through Interactive Routines And Trauma-Informed Engagement, Andrew J. Francis

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Francis, A. (2025) Supporting Adult Language Learners Through Interactive Routines and Trauma-Informed Engagement

This capstone project investigates the impact of trauma-informed routines on reducing anxiety and enhancing relationships within adult English language classrooms, with a particular focus on refugee learners who frequently experience elevated stress responses that can impede both their participation and cognitive processing. Drawing on neuroscientific research that illustrates how trauma affects memory, emotional regulation, and executive functioning, the research highlights the importance of an instructional approach that emphasizes psychological safety, predictability, and supportive relationships as essential components of effective language learning. Utilizing frameworks from trauma-informed education, this …

Teaching With Nature: Place-Based Learning And Outdoor Education Toward Healing In The K-2 Setting, Isaac Hart

School of Education and Leadership Student Capstone Projects

Outdoor education and place-based learning hold rich histories and futures. This project at large set out to explore the stories and possibilities of outdoor education and place-based learning within the K-2 landscape. The research question being addressed in this project is: How can we use meaningful place-based learning and outdoor education in the K-2 setting as a means of healing relationships with schooling and with the rest of the natural world? Through personal and professional framing, an exploratory literature review, an educator resource toolkit project, and a reflective conclusion, this work presents outdoor education and place-based learning as having myriad …

The Gender Pay Gap: An Occupational Analysis (2012-2023), Curtis Long

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

This thesis examines the gender wage gap across thirty major U.S. occupations from 2014 to 2023 using data from the Current Population Survey (CPS), more specifically, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The analysis measures the difference in median weekly earnings between women and men in each occupation and applies two statistical tests: a yearly z-test to evaluate whether the average wage gap is significant, and a ten-year t-test to identify persistent occupational gaps. Results show significant wage differences in every year, with the largest disparities in finance, management, and law, and smaller gaps in education and healthcare. Consistent …

Sinclair Lewis Society Newsletter, Vol 34, No. 1, The Sinclair Lewis Society

Sinclair Lewis Society Newsletter

“Every Time Something Big and Stupid Happens in America, Lewis Becomes Popular Again”: A Conference Retrospective, with Notes from a First-Time Visitor to Sauk Centre by Shaun F. Richards

Pickerbaugh’s Rhymes: Another Target of Satire in Arrowsmith by George Killough

In Memoriam: Robert E. Fleming, Father of the Sinclair Lewis Society by Sally E. Parry

Arrowsmith 100 years later: Osterholm Links Lewis’s Novel to Modern Society by Shalon Wilber

Becoming A Writer: A Review of Writers Like Us: My Life with Sinclair Lewis, by Barnaby Conrad, with Barnaby Conrad III by Shaun F. Richards

Sinclair Lewis and the Pulitzer …

Signs & Symbols, Fall 2025, Illinois State University, Department Of Sociology And Anthropology

Signs & Symbols

Newsletter of the Illinois State University Department of Sociology and Anthropology. An email newsletter version of this document is available at https://web.archive.org/web/20260223203547/https://news.illinoisstate.edu/newsletters/signs-symbols-fall-25/.

The Green Plate Effect: Systematic Review And Meta-Analyses Of Vegan Diets And Metabolic Health In Adults- Findings From Randomized Controlled Trials, Wai-Kit Tom, Aaron Deming Looi, Vijayakumar Nithusharini, Kavitha Lakshmipathy, Uma Devi Palanisamy, Usha Sundralingam

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: The increasing global interest in consuming plant-based diets, especially the vegan diet, is fuelled by ethical, health, and environmental concerns. A balanced and diverse vegan diet has the potential to play a significant role in achieving and sustaining optimal health, particularly in diet-based interventions for metabolic syndrome. Scope and approach: This systematic review evaluated randomised controlled trials, to elucidate the effects of a strict vegan diet on individual components of metabolic syndrome in the human population. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across four databases (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials; Embase via Ovid; Ovid Medline; Scopus). The search …

Irf6 Regulates Adherens Junction Proteins And Inflammatory Cytokines In Salivary Acinar Cells And Its Expression Is Elevated In Sjӧgren’S Syndrome, Vi Pham, Antonio Hernandes Chaves Neto, Julia Zheng, Mary Elmeniawi, Krishna Kumar Kookal, Muhammad F Walji, Mary C Farach-Carson, Walid D Fakhouri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of Interferon Regulatory Factor 6 (IRF6) function in regulating adherens junction proteins and inflammatory cytokines in human salivary acinar cells and Sjögren's syndrome biopsies.

Design: We used mouse model, salivary cell lines, and human salivary gland (SG) biopsies to investigate IRF6 function in SG cellular integrity and immunomodulation.

Results: In Irf6-null mice, we observed myoepithelial cell detachment from acinar cells of major SGs, and the acini were remarkably disorganized compared to wild-type littermates. At the molecular level, the acinar differentiation markers E-cadherin and MIST1 were markedly reduced in Irf6-null embryonic SG, while the proinflammatory cytokines, …

A Comparison Of Return To Sport After Bankart Repair Versus Latarjet For Shoulder Instability: A Systematic Review, Claire E Noyes, Grace E Johnston, Nicholas Vaver, Patrick M Garvin, Jonathan T Bravman, James W Genuario, Braden K Mayer, Thomas J Noonan, Carson Keeter, Eric C Mccarty

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Glenohumeral instability can be addressed surgically with repair of the capsulolabral complex, the "Bankart" repair, or bone augmentation with coracoid autograft, the "Latarjet" procedure. Superior return-to-sport (RTS) rates with either Bankart repair or Latarjet have yet to be delineated, and it remains unclear which surgical procedure is optimal.

Purpose: To review the current literature and report on RTS data for patients who received Bankart repair or Latarjet to address glenohumeral instability.

Study design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines …

Feasibility And Usage Of A Virtual Assistant Device In Cognitively Impaired Homebound Older Adults, Matthew Nunez, Prisha Patel, Lindsey Ulin, Leslie Kian, Martin Cominsky, Jason Burnett, Jessica L Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Social technology in older adults can improve self-rated health; however, there can also be difficulties using it. Our study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptance of virtual assistant device (VAD) use in cognitively impaired homebound older adults. 52 newly referred Meals on Wheels clients aged 60 and older were recruited for a three-phase study: 6 weeks of meals alone (control), followed by 6 weeks of meals+Alexa Echo Show 8 (AES8) basic usage, and lastly 6 weeks of meals+AES8 advanced usage. Technology acceptance with the AES8 was significantly higher by the end of the study and participants anecdotally enjoyed playing …

Morphometric Analysis Of Spina Bifida After Fetal Repair Shows New Subtypes With Associated Outcomes, L K Mann, S Pandiri, N Agarwal, H Northrup, K S Au, E Grundberg, E P Bergh, M T Austin, R Patel, B Miller, S Zhu, J S Feinberg, D Lai, K Tsao, S A Fletcher, R Papanna

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objectives: The binary classification of spina bifida lesions as myelomeningocele (with sac) or myeloschisis (without sac) belies a spectrum of morphologies. This study aimed to characterize types of spina bifida lesion and correlate them with preoperative presentation and postoperative outcome.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a prospective cohort of patients referred for fetal spina bifida who underwent fetoscopic repair between 2020 and 2023 at a single center. We evaluated lesion morphology on high-resolution intraoperative images and videos to categorize lesions based on placode exposure and nerve root stretching. The reproducibility of lesion classification was assessed using the Kappa …

Dissociation Of Subjective And Objective Measures Of Trust In Vehicle Automation: A Driving Simulator Study, Samuel Petkac, Tetsuya Sato, Kun Xie, Yusuke Yamani

Psychology Faculty Publications

Trust is a crucial factor that influences human-automation interaction in surface transportation. Previous research indicates that participants tend to display higher levels of subjective trust toward lower-level automated systems compared to high-level automated systems. However, administering subjective trust measures via questionnaires can interfere with primary task performance, limiting researchers' ability to measure trust continuously in a real-world manner. In the current driving simulator study, 25 drivers using an advanced driving system (ADS) were randomly assigned to either an active (L2) or passive (L3) automated driving condition. Participants experienced eight near-miss driving scenarios with or without obstructions in a distributed driving …

Sulforaphane And Non-Clustered Tumor/Non-Tumor Suppressor Micrornas Regulate Akt And Its Downstream Genes In Mda-Mb-231 Cancer Cells, Omobolanle David Garuba

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Cancer is a complex pathological condition characterized mainly by uncontrolled rapid cell divisions caused by several factors, which include genetics and environmental factors. Of all cancer types, breast cancer (BC) remains the second most diagnosed among women worldwide; thus, BC burden has become a global health issue. Of all known breast cancer subtypes, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the only primary subtype without effective therapy as a result of their lack of the essential estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) common to other BCs and are the usual therapeutic targets for treatment. …

Detection Of Microplastics In Household Dust From Suburban Texas And Toxicological Assessment Of Polystyrene Microparticles In Lung Epithelial Cells: Nf-Kb Pathway Activation And Inflammatory Responses, Nirupama Surubhotla

Dissertations (2016-Present)

Microplastics are emerging contaminants that have raised global concern due to their persistence, ubiquity, and potential impacts on human health. Indoor environments are increasingly recognized as significant sources of microplastic exposure through household dust inhalation. This study aimed to detect the presence of microplastics in household dust from suburban regions of Texas, USA, and to investigate the cytotoxic and inflammatory effects of polystyrene microparticles in a lung epithelial cell model (A549). Household dust samples were collected and analyzed using Raman spectroscopy, confirming the presence of a mixture of microplastics. To assess biological responses, A549 cells were exposed to defined sizes …

University Of San Diego Magazine Fall 2025, Publications Department

University of San Diego Magazine (1992- )

Beauty, Goodness and Truth; Dear Toreros; Around Alcalá Park; At The Edge of It All; Faith In Action; Torero Spotlight; Torero Athletics; Toreros Making Waves; In Memoriam; Leading With Love

Vegetation Dynamics And Land-Use History During The Holocene In Corsica (Western Mediterranean): Regional Patterns And Local Landscape Transformation In Changing Coastal Ecosystems, Jordi Revelles, Ralph Fyfe, Matthieu Ghilardi, Andrés Currás, Federico Di Rita

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

The archaeoecological research conducted in Corsica underscores the critical role of integrating palynological studies from sedimentary deposits to reconstruct past human-environment interactions. This approach sheds new light on evidence of farming activities and redefines archaeological territories and human occupation temporalities. Understanding the influence of human activities on coastal ecosystems requires outlining natural and climatic dynamics at a regional scale while evaluating landscape transformations at local scale, where human imprints are clearly evidenced. To achieve this, we applied quantitative methodologies to disentangle regional pollen loading from local vegetation signals. The Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm (LRA) was employed as an advanced tool to …

Examining The Role Of Social Environment On Covid-19 Infections And Vaccine Uptake Among Migrants In Japan: Findings From Nationwide Surveys In 2021 And 2023, Yuanyuan Teng, Clive E Sabel, Tomoya Hanibuchi, Tomoki Nakaya

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Studies have shown that migrants and ethnic minority groups were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet the role of the social environment in shaping their vulnerabilities remains underexplored in Japan. This study explored the experiences of migrants in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined the association between social environmental factors (i.e., population density, neighborhood deprivation, ethnic density, and social networks) and both COVID-19 infections and vaccination uptake. Two nationwide online surveys were conducted in 2021 and 2023 to capture migrants' experiences and analyze these associations during the middle and waning stages of the pandemic. Modified Poisson regressions with …

Exploring Positive Psychology And Goal Setting In Esports Coaching: A Thematic Analysis Of Professional Fortnite Coaches, Samuel Jaffe, Nigel Jackson, Jonathan Rhodes

School of Psychology

This study investigates how professional Fortnite coaches integrate positive psychology, specifically Seligman’s PERMA (positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment) model and goal-setting frameworks, to enhance player performance and well-being. Through semistructured interviews with 16 esports coaches, the research examines how psychological strategies influence motivation, resilience, and long-term success in a highly competitive, digital coaching environment. Using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis, three key themes were constructed: defining and measuring success, goal-setting practices, and balancing positive versus pressured coaching styles. Coaches defined success beyond tournament outcomes, emphasizing player development, consistency, and psychological resilience. Goal-setting strategies were highly individualized, blending …

Soft Sensing Of Biological Oxygen Demand In Industrial Wastewater Using Machine Learning Models, Muhammad Hassnain, Sarada M.W. Lee, Muhammad Rizwan Azhar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Traditional methods for determining biological oxygen demand (BOD) from industrial water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) are time-consuming and often impractical for real-time process control. This study explores the application of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) models for the prediction of final effluent BOD (F-BOD) based on physicochemical and operational parameters by leveraging nineteen years of historical laboratory and instrumentation data from the WRRF of an essential oil manufacturing plant. The predictions from these models are then used to simulate the process dynamics, assessing the optimal operational boundary conditions for all input parameters at which the target (F-BOD) falls …

Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Microrna-7-5p Expression And Biological Significance In Head And Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Rikki A.M. Brown, Michael Phillips, Andrew J. Woo, Omar Kujan, Stephanie Flukes, Louise N. Winteringham, Larissa C. Dymond, Fiona Wheeler, Brianna Pollock, Dianne J. Beveridge, Elena Denisenko, Peter J. Leedman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a prevalent malignancy with poor clinical outcomes. microRNA-7-5p (miR-7-5p) has been described as both a tumour suppressor and an oncomiR depending on the tissue context, but its role in HNSCC remains unclear. This study aimed to clarify the clinical significance and biological function of miR-7-5p in HNSCC by integrating data from multiple sources. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify studies analysing miRNA expression in human head and neck tissues. A meta-analysis of individual patient data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), ArrayExpress, and The Cancer Genome Atlas …

Real-World Dosing And Persistence Of Oral Treprostinil Initiation Strategies In Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Daniel J Lachant, Ali Ataya, H James Ford, Meredith Broderick, Scott Seaman, Benjamin Wu, Murali M Chakinala

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), limited real-world data are available on persistence to oral treprostinil therapy, particularly while transitioning from parenteral prostacyclins. We compared persistence to oral treprostinil and total daily dose (TDD) achieved among patients with PAH initiating oral treprostinil de novo or while transitioning from parenteral prostacyclins using two real-world datasets: specialty pharmacy shipment records (Analysis 1) and ADAPT registry (Analysis 2). In Analysis 1, patients receiving oral treprostinil in 2017, 2020, and 2023 were included. In Analysis 2, de-identified data of patients enrolled in ADAPT from July 2017 to January 2022 were included. We conducted …

Succinate Dehydrogenase B (Sdhb) Overexpression With Enzymatic Dysfunction Defines A Distinct Subtype Of Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma, Miguel Esperança-Martins, Brian A Van Tine, Alliny C S Bastos, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED: Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) remains one of the most clinically aggressive and poorly characterized soft-tissue sarcoma subtypes. To uncover distinctive molecular traits for UPS, a multiomics analysis of UPS compared with leiomyosarcoma (LMS) and liposarcoma (LPS) was performed. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that UPS exhibits overexpression of genes encoding succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) subunits, particularly SDHB, SDHC, and SDHD, distinguishing it from LMS and dedifferentiated LPS. This finding was validated using The Cancer Genome Atlas Sarcoma dataset. High SDHB expression in UPS was significantly associated with shorter overall survival, shorter recurrence-free survival, and shorter overall survival from the date of first …

Cell Autonomous Microglia Defects In A Stem Cell Model Of Frontotemporal Dementia Tau, Abhirami K Iyer, Farzaneh S Mirfakhar, Miguel Minaya, Mariana Acquarone, Rama Krishna Koppisetti, Arun Renganathan, Shih-Feng You, Emma P Danhash, Kylie J Schache, Anthony Verbeck, Grant Galasso, Scott M Lee, Guangming Huang, Katherine J Miller, Jacob Marsh, Chihiro Sato, Celeste M Karch, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Neuronal dysfunction has been extensively studied as a central feature of neurodegenerative tauopathies. However, across neurodegenerative diseases, there is strong evidence for active involvement of immune cells like microglia in driving disease pathophysiology. Here, we demonstrate that MAPT mRNA and tau protein are expressed in microglia in human brains and in human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived microglia like cells (iMGLs). Using iMGLs harboring the MAPT IVS10 + 16 mutation and isogenic controls, we demonstrate that a tau mutation is sufficient to alter microglial transcriptional states. We discovered that MAPT IVS10 + 16 microglia exhibit cytoskeletal abnormalities, stalled phagocytosis, disrupted …

Artificial Intelligence And Academic Integrity In Nursing Education: A Mixed Methods Study On Usage, Perceptions, And Institutional Implications, Maggie Zgambo, Martina Costello, Melanie Buhlmann, Justine Maldon, Edah Anyango, Esther Adama

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) use in higher education has generated substantial debate among academics and students, given the potential for students to engage in academic misconduct through the misuse of AI. Academics argue that AI poses a serious threat to the foundational development of nurses through the questionable integrity of AI-generated academic work and by undermining the development of critical thinking skills essential for professional practice. However, there is limited research on nursing students' integration of AI technologies in their studies.

Method: This study utilised a convergent parallel mixed methods approach to develop a multiphase approach with …

Montebello Islands Marine Sediment Retains Nuclear Weapons-Derived Radionuclide Contamination 70 Years After Detonations, Madison Williams-Hoffman, Mathew P. Johansen, Piers Larcombe, David P. Child, Michael A.C. Hotchkis, Oscar Serrano, Paul S. Lavery, Sangeeth Thiruvoth, Pere Masqué

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Three nuclear weapons tests were conducted in the 1950s at the Montebello Islands, an Indian Ocean archipelago in NW Australia. Anthropogenic radionuclides were introduced into the surrounding waters, where little quantification of the marine environment has occurred since. Here, we assess the distribution of anthropogenic radionuclides and plutonium (Pu) atom ratios in marine sediment throughout the Montebello Islands and the Western Australian (WA) coastline. Surface sediment was analysed for ⁹⁰Sr, ¹³⁷Cs, ^{238,239,240,241}Pu and ²⁴¹Am, alongside ²⁴⁰Pu/²³⁹Pu and ²⁴¹Pu/²³⁹Pu atom ratios. The highest activity concentrations in sediment were from ^239,240Pu, …

Co-Designing A Resilience-Based Mentoring Program For Novice Midwives: A Participatory Action Research Approach, Dianne Bloxsome, Tracy Martin, Kaoru Nosaka, Sara Bayes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aim: To co-design a resilience-based mentoring program for novice midwives in Western Australia, informed by the experiences of past midwifery graduates and the perspectives of midwives in senior roles. Background: Effective workforce planning and retention strategies are essential in preventing the continued loss of midwives and in attracting newly qualified midwives to healthcare organisations. Transitioning from student to registered midwife is a known period of vulnerability that requires structured, evidence-informed support. Design: A Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach was adopted to collaboratively develop a mentoring program tailored to the transition needs of newly qualified midwives. Methods: Fourteen participants contributed to …

Knowledge + Innovation = Power: A Protocol For Implementing Aboriginal Data Sovereignty In An Aboriginal Medical Service For Service Delivery Reform, Emma Haynes, Lesley Nelson, Heather D'Antoine, Judith Katzenellenbogen, Elizabeth Armstrong, Lindey Andrews, Jasmin Brown, Nicole Bowser, Roz Walker, Ingrid Stacey, Jessika Purnomo, Dawn Bessarab

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Context Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) is an interconnected, holistic, and strengths-based health and wellbeing approach fundamental to Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) in Australia. However, policy and funding trends increasingly threaten the capacity of ACCHOs to deliver CPHC by imposing burdensome administrative and accountability requirements. A central constraint is the marginalisation of culturally informed data measures and tools that could enable improved development, implementation, evaluation and reporting of CHPC services and programs. To mitigate this, ACCHOs must be enabled to take charge of collecting and using meaningful data to increase self-determination and drive impactful policy and service delivery. …

Mda At Your Service: Can I Be A Member Of Two Different Local Dental Societies?, Rachel Sinacola Dds, Ms

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This Q&A section with MDA’s Membership Committee Chair Dr. Rachel Sinacola, clarifies membership and service issues. MDA membership is tripartite, including ADA and one local dental society. Members seeking to join an additional local society may inquire about affiliate membership, usually available for a fee. The MDA also offers travel medical insurance through GeoBlue, beneficial for international mission work or leisure, especially for Medicare recipients. Due to the upcoming launch of new association management software, members who previously used auto-renewal for dues must log in to their new profile this fall to set it up again. Additionally, the MDA offers …

2025 October, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for October of 2025.

Volumetric Differences Of Thalamic Nuclei Are Associated With Posttrauma Psychopathology, Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald

Psychology Faculty Research and Publications

Background

Previous investigations of whole thalamus and thalamic nuclei volumes in posttrauma psychopathology have been sparse and limited in scope and have yielded inconsistent results. To address this, volumetric estimates of whole thalamus and thalamic nuclei were obtained from structural brain magnetic resonance imaging scans from 2058 participants across 20 worldwide sites in the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) working group.

Methods

Thalamic volumes were compared in trauma-exposed participants with PTSD (n = 238), major depressive disorder (MDD) (n = 184), and comorbid PTSD+MDD (n = 618) and in trauma-exposed …