Digital Commons Network^™

Usa V. Bryan Hill

2025 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Usa V. Gerinardo Rivera

2025 Decisions

USDC for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

Marcus Boone V. City Of Elizabeth

2025 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Fournier Gangrene Is Associated With Increased Length Of Stay And Higher Healthcare Costs Compared To Non-Perineal Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections, Hayato Mitaka, Kristen Mcquerry, Kelsey Karnik, Alexandre R. Marra, Toshio Naito, Patrick Ten Eyck, Paul G. Auwaerter, Yuji Yamada, Takaaki Kobayashi

Biostatistics Faculty Publications

Background: Fournier gangrene (FG) is a necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) of the perineum. Recent retrospective studies from quaternary centers suggest improved outcomes and a potentially less aggressive clinical course for FG than non-perineal NSTIs. However, comprehensive nationwide data remain limited. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2020) to compare outcomes between FG and non-perineal NSTIs. Adult patients undergoing surgical debridement with a diagnosis of FG or NSTI were identified using ICD-10 codes. Outcomes included in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), hospital costs, and home discharge rates. Multivariable regression analyses adjusted for patient demographics, comorbidities, and …

Development Of Low-Cost Small-Batch Flibe Filtration, And A Comparison Of Uranium Tetrafluoride And Ionic Oxygen Oxidation In Flibe, Jacob D. Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

Low-cost benchtop-scale molten fluoride salt cleaning was investigated in FLiBe (LiF-BeF2), focusing on electrochemical cleaning and filtration. FLiBe filtration was demonstrated using both pressurized and open filtration systems. Copper and 400 Monel meshes were effective and reusable. Wetting appears to be the primary obstacle to FLiBe filtration. Oxygen oxidation behavior in FLiBe was examined using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and cyclic square wave voltammetry (CSWV) techniques. Standard addition height measurement was used to determine electrode surface area. Results support a single-step 2-electron process, matching observations in literature. Pt electrodes may be prone to oxidative side reactions, although more investigation is required. …

Global Erk/Mapk Activation Determines Oncogenic Fitness In Kras-Mutant Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma, Rachel A. Burge

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), ~95% of cases harbor an activating KRAS mutation. The most common KRAS mutations in PDAC are KRAS^G12D (42%), KRAS^G12V (31%), and KRAS^G12R (15%). Patients harboring KRAS^G12R mutations have increased overall survival compared to those with KRAS^G12D/V-mutations. While KRAS^G12D/Vare common in all KRAS-mutant cancers, KRAS^G12Ris only common in PDAC.

KRAS^G12R is unable to activate the lipid kinase PIK3CA, a KRAS effector that is important for tumorigenesis in murine models. To investigate the tumorigenic potential of KRAS^G12R and the mechanisms that enable this mutation …

Retrofitting Fair Use: Art & Generative Ai After Warhol, Lin, Patrick K.

Santa Clara Law Review

The fair use doctrine has been technology companies’ most valuable legal justification for systematically extracting and scraping content from the internet to train their generative artificial intelligence tools. Although fair use has historically protected the public from the monopolization of creative expression and intellectual property, in its current state, the doctrine enables powerful technology companies and movie studios alike to hoard copyrighted content while disenfranchising individual artists and creators. In May 2023, the United States Supreme Court ruled on Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. v. Goldsmith, a dispute about whether Andy Warhol’s use of Lynn Goldsmith’s original …

Immediate-Use Rescue Medication And The Epilepsy Monitoring Unit: Experiences From An Expert Panel, Evelyn K. Shih, Brin E. Freund, Michael R. Sperling, Danielle A. Becker, Proleta Datta, Sandra Dewar, Edward Faught, Tracy Glauser, R. Edward Hogan, Randa Jarrar, Andres M. Kanner, David King-Stephens, Rebecca E. Matthews, Patricia Penovich, M. Scott Perry, Eric B. Segal, Joseph Sirven, John M. Stern, James W. Wheless, Enrique Carrazana, Adrian L. Rabinowicz, William O. Tatum

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: People with epilepsy (PWE) may experience seizure clusters, broadly defined as ≥2 seizures that occur in close proximity. In epilepsy monitoring units (EMUs), seizure clusters can spontaneously occur during long-term videoelectroencephalogram monitoring (LTVEM) or as a result of antiseizure medication dose adjustments. In this survey, we examined the experiences and practices of expert clinicians with seizure clusters in EMUs.

METHODS: A 55-item survey was sent to members of an Epilepsy Education Council who are epilepsy experts. Items described experiences, treatment practices, and negative outcomes with seizure clusters in EMUs.

RESULTS: Of the 15 experts (aged 43-77 y), 14 are …

Discontinuation Rates And Predictors Of Medical Cannabis Cessation For Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain, Mohammad Khak, Sina Ramtin, Juliet Chung, Asif M. Ilyas, Ari Greis

Rothman Institute Papers

Medical cannabis (MC) is increasingly used as a treatment for chronic musculoskeletal pain, but there is limited data on factors influencing its discontinuation. This study aims to investigate the rates of MC discontinuation and explore factors influencing it in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 78 patients certified for medical cannabis over a 2 year period. Patient demographics, pain origin, and Global Physical Health (GPH) and Global Mental Health (GMH) scores were collected before intervention. Discontinuation rates were measured at three-month and one-year follow-up. Statistical analyses, including Fisher's Exact Test and two-sample t-tests, were performed …

Spatio-Temporal Variability Of San Francisco Bay Plume From Space, Piero L. F. Mazzini, Cassia Pianca, L. Fernando Pareja-Roman, Kelly L. Cole, Ryan K. Walter, Renato M. Castelao, Elias J. Hunter, Robert J. Chant

Physics

As brackish turbid waters exit San Francisco Bay, one of the largest estuaries in the U.S. West Coast, they form the San Francisco Bay Plume (SFBP), which spreads offshore and influences the Gulf of the Farallones (GoF), an ecologically significant region in the California Current System that is also home to three National Marine Sanctuaries. This paper provides the first observationally based investigation of the spatio-temporal variability of the SFBP, using a plume tracking algorithm applied to more than two decades (2002-2023) of ocean color data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor onboard satellites Aqua and Terra. The …

700 Bklyn Realty Llc V. Forsythe

All Decisions

The court granted the tenant's motion to join the Department of Social Services (DSS) as a party but denied DSS's motion to appoint a guardian ad litem (GAL) for the occupant. The court reasoned that a GAL in housing court is not equipped to handle the complex social, financial, and medical needs identified by DSS, which are more appropriate for an Article 81 guardianship. The court also denied a further stay of the eviction, expressing skepticism that a GAL would serve as anything more than a "public relations device" to mask systemic failures in providing adequate social services.

Staff Education To Promote Medication Adherence In Hypertension, Amie Sankoh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A primary care medical clinic experienced an increase in hospital readmission for hypertensive patients, as evidenced by a consistent lack of standardized patient education on medication adherence and a notable increase in readmission rates for uncontrolled hypertension. Hypertension is a significant public health problem associated with an elevated risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. The gap in practice identified was a lack of knowledge among the medical staff in teaching patients about hypertension medication adherence. The practice-focused question was: Does educating primary care medical staff on the importance of medication adherence in hypertension improve knowledge, as evidenced by …

Rural Roots, Academic Roads: Exploring College Persistence Among Rural Students, Misty Wilburn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the financial and social challenges faced by first-generation college students from rural backgrounds as they transition from K-12 to four-year regional institutions. Using quantitative analysis of secondary data from the class of 2024 at a selected institution, this study examines factors influencing graduation rates and financial aid needs. Key metrics include geographic origins, high school backgrounds, academic assistance, and financial support. By highlighting these challenges, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the structural and social barriers that first-generation rural students encounter.

Enumerating Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) Concentrations And Evaluating Optical Brighteners As A Potential Indicator Of Human Wastewater Contamination In La Nana Bayou, Banita Creek, And Their Tributaries, Nacogdoches, Texas, Swastika Acharya, Matthew Mcbroom, Yuhui Weng, Yanli Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

La Nana Bayou was added to the Texas 303(d) list in 2000 after it failed to meet water quality standards set by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for primary contact recreation due to elevated Escherichia coli (E. coli) levels. E. coli is a bacterial species commonly found in the intestines of humans and warm-blooded animals. It serves as an indicator of fecal contamination in freshwater, though its presence alone cannot identify the contamination source. Optical brighteners (OBs), chemicals found in laundry detergents, cleaning agents, toilet papers, and clothing, are unique to human wastewater. This study aimed …

Statistical Analysis Of Biomedical Data With Measurements Subject To Below The Limit Of Detection, Clifford James Crafford

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Epidemiology has become increasingly concerned with measurements subject to detection limits, by which, values below this limit become left-censored. Traditional methods for handling such approaches have been found to be effective, provided necessary assumptions and conditions are met for the methods to work appropriately. However, when such conditions fail to be met or assumptions are incorrect, the effect this has on the method’s performance becomes serious. One such method is multiple imputation, which relies on assuming the distribution of the measurements when imputing quantities below the level of detection. As the reliance on the assumption can prove very strong in …

Finite Element Modeling Of Plasma Membrane Injury From Mechanical Stress: A Combined Finite Element And Machine Learning Approach, Eric Flynn Mabowitz

Theses and Dissertations

Low back pain is a leading cause of disability across a wide range of occupations and environments. Exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) has been linked to an increased prevalence of low back pain, as well as certain neurophysiological complications. While current understanding of WBV effects is largely based on tissue- and whole-body-level studies, a significant gap remains in knowledge regarding how vibrational forces propagate through individual cells. This knowledge gap limits a comprehensive understanding of how these forces affect the human body at the microscopic level. To address this, the present study employs both two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) finite …

Evaluating The Impacts Of Cover Crops At Different Nitrogen Rates On Soil Microbial Dynamics Within A Sweetpotato Production System, Lahari Nekkalapudi

Theses and Dissertations

A field study was conducted from 2023 to 2024 at Pontotoc, Mississippi, to evaluate the effects of cover crops and nitrogen (N) fertilizer on soil microbial communities in sweet potato production. The study followed a randomized split-block design with three cover crops (Clover, Wheat, and Fallow) and three N rates (0, 50, and 100 lb N acre⁻¹), each replicated four times. Soil samples were collected at cover crop termination, sweet potato planting, and harvest. Bacterial and fungal communities were analyzed using Illumina HiSeq sequencing. Soil properties such as total carbon, total nitrogen, pH, POXC, and microbial activity (AWCD) were also …

Matter Of West Pierre Assoc. Llc V. Harvey

All Decisions

In this consequential decision, the Appellate Division, First Department, reversed a lower court's ruling and allowed a tenant to challenge the legality of her rent. The tenant's lease began in 2020, after the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) became effective, but the alleged unlawful rent increase dated back to 2014. The court held that applying the HSTPA to this case was a prospective application, not a retroactive one, and therefore, the tenant could examine the entire rent history under HSTPA's Part F. The court granted the tenant's motion for discovery and reinstated her rent overcharge counterclaim.

American Officer Administration Development And Its Effects On Conduct, 1900-1970, David R. Burford

Theses and Dissertations

The 1970 U.S. Army War College Study on Military Professionalism concluded that officers were so obsessed with demonstrating loyalty, deference to authority, and promotion that they seemed to sacrifice their personal integrity. The findings shocked high-ranked Army officials. The detailed legislative history of Army officer administration from roughly 1900 to 1970 presented in this dissertation shows why and how these conditions came to exist. In nine chapters, the material revealed in magazines, periodicals, student research papers, statements at congressional debates, hearings and investigations, and various official and unofficial publications narrate the development of the post-World War II American officer governance …

Regulating Artificial Intelligence In The U.S.: A Historical-Innovation-Inspired Framework, Di Kevin Gao

Theses and Dissertations

The emergence of OpenAI\textquotesingle s ChatGPT has marked the dawn of a new Artificial Intelligence (AI) era, unleashing a wave of user excitement, moral panic, and apocalyptic warnings. Yet, these concerns have done little to slow the breakneck pace of AI development and deployment. Should the United States adopt the European Union\textquotesingle s top-down, legislation-first approach, or follow the United Kingdom\textquotesingle s bottom-up, court-driven model? This research draws from historical legislative parallels in the U.S. By examining past regulatory frameworks for disruptive technologies, including electricity, automobiles, the telephone, broadband internet, nuclear technology, cryptocurrency, commodity futures, modern pharmaceuticals, and social media, …

Mapping Renewable Energy Opportunities: Increasing Rural Energy Resilience In Mississippi Through Extension And National Program Insights, Kaitlyn Brooke Gordon

Theses and Dissertations

There has been an increased interest in renewable energy opportunities in Mississippi in recent years but limited educational material on this topic and a lack of knowledge among residents on various renewable energy options. Therefore, the main objectives of this study were to 1) conduct a comprehensive review of renewable energy educational resources and 2) increase knowledge of renewable energy in youth through the development of a new statewide Extension program. The environmental scan resulted in 45 usable responses from 117 potential participants, and programmatic details were received for 54 Extension programs or other forms of educational material. Evaluation results …

Strategic Use Of Exogenous Feed Enzymes And Sodium Bisulfate To Optimize Broiler Production, Spencer Thomas Karn

Theses and Dissertations

Poultry producers must continually evaluate nutritional strategies to enhance broiler performance and sustainability. Chapter II assessed sodium bisulfate (SB) applied to litter, feed, and water across a 42-day grow-out. Applying SB to litter reduced pH, while 0.3% and 0.4% dietary SB improved feed conversion ratio (FCR). Water acidification with SB during the final week did not impair performance, supporting its use as a preharvest intervention. Chapter III evaluated phytase at 500, 1500, and 2000 FTU/kg, with or without protease, in reduced amino acid diets over 56 days. Birds fed a nutrient-adequate diet with 1500 FTU/kg phytase outperformed all reduced-amino acid …

“It Just Builds Character”: Building The Bullying Myths Scale, Jessica Weiss Utley

Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 20% of American children and adolescents report being victims of bullying each year (Irwin et al., 2022). Bullying victimization is linked to serious behavioral and psychological outcomes, like depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide (e.g., Chou et al., 2020; John et al., 2018; Mulder et al., 2017; Schoeler et al., 2018). Despite these sobering data, misconceptions continue to portray bullying as a normal part of growing up, that it is trivial in nature, and that some kids deserve to be bullied (Dawes et al., 2022; Kulig et al., 2008). This study tested the validity and efficacy of the Bullying Myths …

Load Balancing For Stream Processing In Edge Computing, Faiza Akram

Theses and Dissertations

Unlike cloud-based systems, where resources are centralized for data processing and located at a distance from the source, leading to an increase in the response time, edge computing emerges as a transformative paradigm that processes the data closer to the sources to meet the application’s service requirements. Since the resources in edge computing are distributed and limited, load balancing is crucial. To ensure the prevention of bottlenecks and failures in resource-constrained environments, load balancing is an important aspect of edge computing as it optimizes resource utilization while maintaining the requirements of low-latency applications, improved fault tolerance, energy efficiency, adaptability, scalability, …

Integrated Analysis Of Untargeted Liver, Serum Metabolome And Gut Microbiome Following Selenium Deficiency Diet In Selenoh Knockout And Wildtype Mice, Richard Eugene Baird

Theses and Dissertations

Selenoprotein H (SELENOH) is an oxidoreductase located in the nucleolus, and its biochemical levels decrease with selenium (Se) deficiency, as reported in mammalian research. This current investigation aimed to understand the impact of nutritional Se deficiency on gut microbial composition and metabolomic profiles. The Firmicutes/Bacteroidota (F/B) ratio, linked to various health conditions, was balanced for wildtype (WT) mice (1.06). In contrast, selenoh knockout (KO) mice associated with dietary Se deprivation had a significantly (p < 0.002) lower ratio (0.56), suggesting dysbiosis. It is believed that SELENOH levels decreased due to the Se deficient diet, and the selenoh KO mice exhibited alterations in microbial community composition and metabolite profiles, as supported by correlative analyses. With respect to the bacterial communities, significant differences between diets occurred for three taxa, including Akkemansia mucinphila, Bacteroides caecimuris, and Parabacteroides goldsteinii. Candida tropicalis, Malassezia restricta, and Cyberlindnera jadinii were three abundant fungal yeasts. Only Cyberlindnera jadinii exhibited significantly greater relative abundance between genotypes and was more abundant in the selenoh KO versus WT mice. Correlation analyses between bacterial and fungal taxa revealed both positive and negative relationships, but no specific trends were observed. The liver and serum metabolomic data contained similar amino acids, lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Using NMR spectroscopy, 112 liver metabolites were detected, while GC-TOF-MS analysis of the serum revealed the presence of 172, comprising both polar and nonpolar compounds. The metabolite levels varied significantly when analyzed using multivariate models such as PCA and PLS-DA (VIP scores), particularly for glucose, taurine, lactate, and UDP-glucose, which are associated with energy production and cellular health. Overall, the Se deficient diet had the most significant impact on the microbial community structure and the concentration of key metabolites within liver tissues and serum. Correlation analyses conducted across studies revealed significant linear relationships between metabolites and the microbiome. However, these differences were associated with bacterial and fungal taxa containing low relative abundances. Based on these findings, further investigation into the impact of SELENOH homeostasis on microbial and metabolite profiles should be conducted using selenoh KO mice under various nutritional Se dietary levels.

Characterizing The Impact Of Cover Crop On Soil Microbiome Function Affecting C And N Inputs In Corn Production System, Durga Purushotham Mahesh Chinthalapudi

Theses and Dissertations

Cover cropping (CC) is a widely adopted strategy to improve soil health and microbial diversity in agroecosystems. However, its influence on microbial community dynamics and ecosystem functions remains context-dependent, particularly under variable nitrogen (N) inputs. This dissertation integrates a three-year field study (2021-2024) in corn-based systems with a meta-analysis of 473 soil samples from diverse Mississippi cropping systems to evaluate CC effects on soil microbial structure, function, and ecosystem multifunctionality. In the field study, soil bacterial and fungal communities were profiled using high-throughput amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA for bacteria, ITS2 for fungi). Seven CC treatments ryegrass, balansa, radish, red clover, …

An Examination Of Potential Occupational Horizons And Site Integrity Through Site Formation Processes At Aklis, St. Croix, Jesse Weaver

Theses and Dissertations

The Aklis Site, located in the Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge on St. Croix, contains both an artifact-dense shell midden and numerous human burials actively eroding into the Caribbean Sea. Here I examine the records and collections from the site through the lens of site formation theory to ask: (1) Are there detectable occupational horizons within the midden?; (2) To what extent have cultural and non-cultural transforms affected the integrity of the midden? and; (3) If detected, are these occupational horizons of sound enough integrity to allow for future radiocarbon dating that might clarify culture chronology for the greater West …

Interatomic Potential Of Multiphase Materials Using Modified Embedded Atom Method (Meam) And Artificial Neural Network (Rann), Henan Zhou

Theses and Dissertations

There is a significant need for computer simulations to explore multiphase materials because of their significance in both industry and research. These simulations are both more efficient and less expensive than many experimental approaches, making them an ideal choice for this purpose. It is possible to use molecular dynamics simulations that make use of the MEAM and RANN interatomic potentials in order to comprehend and characterize the properties, performance, and behavior of materials at the atomic scale of different material phases. In the realms of elements, alloys, and impurities, MEAM can be utilized in a wide variety of applications. Through …

The Trophic Ecology Of The Snipe Eel Avocettina Infans (Anguilliformes: Nemichthyidae) In The Deep-Pelagic Gulf Of Mexico, Emma N. Schindler

All HCAS Student Capstones, Theses, and Dissertations

The Nemichthyidae (snipe eels) are ubiquitous in the deep-pelagic waters of tropical and temperate latitudes, and in some ecosystems are among the dominant fishes. In the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the nemichthyid species Avocettina infans is one of the dominant large predators. This prompted the current study, where an extensive sample set was utilized to characterize the abundance of the family in total, and the vertical distribution and trophic ecology of A. infans specifically. The nemichthyid abundance from 0 – 1500 m was estimated at 1,106.58 individuals per billion cubic meters, the largest portion of which was …

Lysosomes As Gatekeepers: How Lic1-Mediated Trafficking Regulates Angiogenesis And Vascular Morphogenesis, Dymonn Johnson

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Dynein cytoplasmic 1 light intermediate chain 1 (LIC1, DYNC1LI1) is a core subunit of the dynein motor complex that plays a critical role in cytoplasmic cargo trafficking, including Rab-mediated endosomal recycling and lysosomal degradation. LIC1 interacts with various cargo adaptors, such as RILPL1 and RILPL2, to regulate these processes, and defects in this gene are predicted to impair dynein motor function, Rab binding, and lysosomal trafficking. Here, we identified a dync1li1 zebrafish mutant with a premature stop codon at the exon 12/13 splice acceptor site, that exhibits increased angiogenesis. In vitro, LIC1-deficient human endothelial cells show elevated cell surface levels …