Digital Commons Network^™

Cybersecurity Risk Shifting, Deborah R. Farringer

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The Change Healthcare cyberattack of 2024 paralyzed the health care system for months, creating an exceedingly far reaching and devastating impact on providers, suppliers, and patients across the country. While the scope of the attack was unprecedented, the cyberattack itself was not new, unique, or isolated. Indeed, this attack came just months after the close of a year in which the United States’ Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) recorded the highest number of reported breaches of protected health information and the highest number of breached records. With a medical record fetching nearly four times …

Patients Versus Profits, David A. Simon

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Two motives drive much of American health care. The first is the motive to heal the sick—the patient motive. The second is the motive to generate financial gains—the profit motive. This Article asks the following question: where do these two motives intersect and diverge? Using three emerging technologies as examples, this Article provides a framework for answering this question. It then uses this framework’s insights to explain when and how legal and extra-legal institutions can be used to improve care, either by constraining the profit motive or aligning it more closely with the goals of patient care. This Article concludes …

Factors Influencing The Adoption Intent Of Quantum Computing In Enterprises: An Innovation Adoption Process Perspective, Ohbyung Kwon, Seongjun Kwon, Timothy Jung, Saifeddin Alimamy

All Works

With recent advancements in quantum computing technology, companies have begun considering replacing or jointly utilizing their existing classical computing resources with quantum computing. Despite initial research on the examination of the adoption considerations for quantum computing, there is a lack of studies investigating the conditions that influence the adoption of quantum computing technology. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify and analyze the key factors that drive or hinder companies' intention to adopt quantum computing technology. Building on the theory of innovation diffusion and integrating insights from the adoption of multiple emerging technologies, this research aims to extend …

Predicting Water Quality Using Quantum Machine Learning: The Case Of The Umgeni Catchment (U20a) Study Region, Jamal Al-Karaki, Muhammad Al Zafar Khan, Amjad Gawanmeh, Marwan Omar

All Works

The assessment of water quality has become increasingly vital for maintaining the ecological balance and ensuring public safety across global water systems. This study examines the application of Quantum Machine Learning (QML) techniques in a real-world setting to predict water quality in the U20A region of the Umgeni Catchment, Durban, South Africa. We implemented the Quantum Support Vector Classifier (QSVC) and Quantum Neural Network (QNN) on a field-collected dataset. Our results demonstrate that the QSVC is more practical to implement and yields superior performance, achieving 75 % accuracy with polynomial and radial basis function kernels. In contrast, the QNN encountered …

Terrorism And Misperceptions: Evidence From Europe, K. Peren Arin, Umair Khalil, Deni Mazrekaj, Marcel Thum

All Works

How does exposure to Islamist terrorism change perceptions about Muslims and immigrants? We conducted a large-scale survey that measures misperceptions towards minority groups in four European countries. Our results show that terror attacks in the past increased misperceptions of the share of Muslims and immigrants. We also contend that this increase in misperceptions is particularly large and significant for lower-educated respondents and people from regions with a low share of the foreign population. Given that misperceptions are higher on average in regions with a large share of foreigners, terror attacks make misperceptions across different regions converge.

The Effect Of Family Ownership On Overall, Firm-Level, And Market-Level Corporate Transparency, Euikyu Choi, Jongmoo Jay Choi, Moo Sung Kim

All Works

We examine how family ownership shapes overall corporate transparency by analyzing both firm-level and market-level transparency. Drawing on data from Korean-listed companies between 2001 and 2007, we construct separate indices measuring voluntary disclosure by firms, information quality as assessed by market participants, and overall transparency combining both dimensions. Our analysis uncovers a striking paradox: while family ownership positively correlates with firm-initiated disclosure efforts, it negatively relates to market participants’ assessment of information quality. These opposing forces result in no significant relationship between family ownership and aggregate transparency. However, when we partition our sample by ownership levels, firms with family stakes …

Xgboost-Powered Predictive Analytics For Early Identification Of Thermal Runaway In Lithium-Ion Batteries, Isslam Alhasan, Mohd H.S. Alrashdan

All Works

Lithium-ion batteries are pivotal in powering modern technology, from electric vehicles to portable electronics. However, their safety is challenged by the risk of thermal runaway, a critical failure mode leading to catastrophic consequences such as fires and explosions. This study presents a machine learning framework for the early detection of thermal runaway events using sensor data from over 210 open-source battery tests. The framework utilizes voltage, temperature, and force measurements from experimental mechanical indentation tests, with force data providing additional predictive value beyond standard BMS sensors. Key features such as the rate of temperature change and voltage change were engineered …

Research Journal 2026: People And Places, José A. Rivera Ph.D

Faculty Publications

José Rivera narrates his life history from adolescence into college years, university teaching, research career, publications, and ends with post-retirement service as a giving back to community. For most of his term as an academic, his research focus was on community-based organizations that he terms “peoples’ institutions”: acequia associations and mutual help societies. For data, he conducted field work in New Mexico and the American Southwest as well as internationally, primarily in Mexico, Peru, Spain and the Philippines. While at these locations, he interviewed people, collected maps, researched archives, and took photographs as ethnographic evidence of people and places. His …

Constrained Pricing In Logit-Based Revenue Management, Qian Shao, Tien Mai, Shih-Fen Cheng

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

We consider a dynamic pricing problem in network revenue management in which customer behavior is predicted by a choice model, that is, the multinomial logit model. The problem, even in the static setting (i.e., customer demand remains unchanged over time), is highly nonconcave in prices. Existing studies mostly rely on the observation that the objective function is concave in terms of purchasing probabilities, implying that the static pricing problem with linear constraints on purchasing probabilities can be efficiently solved. However, this approach is limited in handling constraints on prices, noting that such constraints could be highly relevant in some real …

Quantum Chebyshev Transform-Based Graph Neural Networks For Financial Fraud Detection, Minrui Xu, Bingyan Guan, Bethel Hui Ting Loke, Paul R. Griffin

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Financial fraud detection is a critical challenge requiring accurate identification of anomalous patterns in complex transaction networks. Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have emerged as powerful tools for fraud detection by capturing relational structures among entities. Meanwhile, quantum computing offers new possibilities to enhance machine learning through high-dimensional Hilbert spaces and parallelism. In this paper, we propose a hybrid classical-quantum model called QCTGNN (Quantum Chebyshev Transform-based Graph Neural Network) for financial fraud detection. The QCTGNN integrates a classical graph neural network component based on Simplified Graph Convolutions (SGConv) with a quantum component that performs a Chebyshev polynomial-based transform via variational quantum …

Lagrangian Motion Fields For Long-Term Motion Generation, Yifei Yang, Zikai Huang, Chenshu Xu, Shengfeng He

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Long-term motion generation is a challenging task that requires producing coherent and realistic sequences over extended durations. Current methods primarily rely on framewise motion representations, which capture only static spatial details and overlook temporal dynamics. This approach leads to significant redundancy across the temporal dimension, complicating the generation of effective long-term motion. To overcome these limitations, we introduce the novel concept of Lagrangian Motion Fields, specifically designed for long-term motion generation. By treating each joint as a Lagrangian particle with uniform velocity over short intervals, our approach condenses motion representations into a series of "supermotions" (analogous to superpixels). This method …

Light Cone Cancellation For Variational Quantum Eigensolver In Solving Noisy Max-Cut, Xinwei Lee, Xinjian Yan, Ningyi Xie, Yoshiyuki Saito, Leo Kurosawa, Nobuyoshi Asai, Dongsheng Cai, Hoong Chuin Lau

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) is a quantum-classical hybrid algorithm used to estimate the ground energy of a given Hamiltonian. It consists of a parameterized quantum circuit, which the parameters are optimized using a classical optimizer. With the increasing need in solving large-scale problems in real-world applications, solving those large problems with fewer qubits and fewer gates becomes essential, so that we reduce the simulation difficulty and mitigate the effect of noise in real quantum hardware. In this study, we applied the Light Cone Cancellation (LCC) method to reduce the number of qubits and gates required in a two-local ansatz. LCC …

Species-Dependent Gazing Behavior Of Emotional Facial Expressions In Dogs (Canis Familiaris) And Adult Humans (Homo Sapiens)., Heini Törnqvist, Gray S. Atherton, Liam Cross, Sanni Somppi, Jarkko Hautala, Miiamaaria V. Kujala

School of Psychology

Emotional expressions play an important part in social communication of dogs and humans, but comparative studies between dogs and humans are rare. In addition, little is known about how emotions are perceived across species and how attention is divided among different parts of faces. Here, we compared the gazing behavior of dogs and adult humans toward emotional dog and human facial expressions. Dogs mostly gazed at the eye and nose areas, whereas the humans’ focus also included the mouth area. The gazing behavior of both species was affected by the facial expressions and species presented, and they gazed at emotional …

Youth Development Programs Critical Analysis, Rethinking Real Sustainability Measures. Focus On Middle-Eastern And African Contexts., Rasha As Salem

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Using a systematic review of 18 research papers, policy documents, and evaluation reports, the study examines youth development programs sustainability through four aspects. First, the review explores how definitions of marginalized youth are applied in Middle East and African contexts. Furthermore, the review focuses on how programmatic suitability is discussed and implemented through the concepts of localization and contextualization. Additionally, the importance of locally grounded evidence as much as rigorous evidence and finally the implementation tactics. The review uses frameworks of ecological systems theory and empowering management approaches to analyze the data. The findings reveal significant variation in how …

“Language Learners As Ethnographers: A Case Study On A Pedagogical Approach To Developing Intercultural Communicative Competence”, Nihal El-Gameel

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the extensive theoretical models and frameworks for Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC), pedagogical approaches to teaching culture remain underexplored. This study examined the effectiveness of integrating a pedagogical framework—the OSEE framework developed by Deardorff (2000)—within a language classroom context. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through audio-recorded reflections, a questionnaire, an interview, and a final project video presentation in a single-case study design. Data analysis followed Miles and Huberman’s (2014) model of qualitative analysis, employing a funneling approach tailored to each research question: the first applied Chen and Starosta’s ICC model (1996;1999) the second used deductive thematic analysis to …

Assessing The Effectiveness Of A Habit Recording Tool To Improve Mental Health Of University (Auc) Students, Noran Nounou

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: According to previous research, the mental health of university students has become an alarming public health concern worldwide. Most of the mental disorders begin among young adults, attributed to the transition to university and increased financial and societal pressure. Despite the important effect of daily habits on mental health, there still remain research gaps in Egypt in exploring their effect among university students and exploring the potential opportunities to support their well-being. Objectives: To assess depression rates among AUC students and to evaluate the effectiveness of a newly designed habit recording board, Make an Impact (MAI) to improve depression …

Interest Rate And Inflation Control In Egypt: Evaluating Policy Efficiency (1976-2023), Fatma Abouzeid

Theses and Dissertations

Inflation has been a persistent problem in Egypt peaking with unprecedented levels throughout the past decades affecting economic stability and living standards in the country. Controlling inflation through interest rate has been a major tool adopted by the monetary authorities in Egypt with no real satisfactory outcome with respect to inflation levels. This links to a theoretical debate in economic literate on the relationship between interest rate and inflation which represents a major controversy in the field. The study examines this controversy in the case of Egypt to reach a conclusion on the actual relationship between these two central economic …

Dean's Research Newsletter, February 2026, Neil W. Schluger

SOM Dean's Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Novel Small-Molecule Analogues Of Iu1 Ameliorate Amyloid-Β Mediated Toxicity In Alzheimer’S Disease Cell And Worm Models, Ajish Ariyath, Fraulein Denise Arigo, Izhar Wallach, W. M.A.D.Binosha Fernando, Ralph N. Martins, Prashant Bharadwaj

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Dysregulation of the deubiquitinating enzyme Ubiquitin-specific peptidase 14 (USP14) is implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, and IU1, an allosteric inhibitor, has shown neuroprotective effects by reducing protein aggregate toxicity. This study aimed to develop new IU1 analogues and evaluate their ability to mitigate amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation and toxicity in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) cell and Caenorhabditis elegans worm models. IU1 and 71 newly designed analogues identified using the AtomNet^® virtual screening platform were assessed in an amyloid precursor protein-C terminal fragment/amyloid-β (APP-C99/Aβ)-producing AD cell model using a high-throughput toxicity assay. Lead compounds were further evaluated for their effects on neurodegeneration, …

World Transit Research February 2026 Newsletter, Institute Of Transport Studies Monash University

World Transit Research Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Introducing A New Frontier In The Journal Of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine: An Interdisciplinary Approach Throughout The Lifespan: The Pediatric Brain Injury Section, Michael Green, Glendaliz Bosques, Kimberly Davis, Brenda Eagan-Johnson, Carty Husted

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Nude: A Transition To Subjectivity In Japanese Art And Beauty, Bomi Park

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

This essay examines the tumultuous shift the Meiji Era of Japan encountered towards conventions of arts and the notion of ‘beauty,’ visually analyzed through the collisions in the depiction of nudes. Nudity identifies westernization and a new input in the Japanese arts system, becoming a hybrid of tradition and modern. Accompanied by the early influence pioneered through Kuroda Seiki and the creation of a lineage and teaching of yoga art—the appropriation of Western art practices. This essay highlights that this convention of beauty, wherever it comes from and taught by precursors, capturing and expressing an ambiguous concept of ‘beauty,’ can …

One Step Forward, Three Steps Back: Picturing Working Men And Women In New Deal Government-Sponsored Art, Gabrielle Wills

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

The Depression era introduced both unprecedented and reoccurring anxieties that deeply affected average Americans. The question of how to respond aesthetically to major issues of economy, social instability, and an unsure future led artists to follow a canon of popular art that pointed to the idealized solidarity of an American people bonded by an imagined national community. Government-sponsored artists distilled ideals of national identity and unity in their depictions of working men and women, ignoring regional tensions and differences that had once divided the nation into disparate entities.

American Women's Clubs In The Nineteenth Century: The Case Of The Female Relief Society Of Nauvoo (1842-1844), Adithi Nythruva

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Throughout the nineteenth century, women’s clubs provided American women with the space to influence the patriarchal-dominated public sphere and venture beyond their traditional domestic roles. This paper demonstrates that the Relief Society women developed a more nuanced relationship with feminist agency through their initiatives. Through an analysis of 33 sets of meeting notes from the society’s early years, this paper argues that the Relief Society women established feminist agency by exercising female authority, addressing scandals and injustices, and building a sisterhood. Additionally, through feminist agency, the Relief Society paralleled, and pre-dated the activities of many popular women’s clubs during the …

A Feminine Flame In The Midst Of Repression: The Concealed Role Of Women In The Isolated Siberian Tundra, Jenny N. Liang

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

The modern Russian state is distinctive in her history of utilizing the isolated Siberian tundra for eliminating political dissent, with millions of dissidents disappearing into penal colonies, labor camps, and gulags, some never to reappear. Of the incomprehensible mass of numbers are the stories of steadfast wives refusing to abandon their husbands, women surviving the brutal political prison camps, and girls manipulated as political pawns into Siberia. In a historically patriarchal Slavic society, the stories of women have been conveniently pushed aside. The distinctive Russian practice of exiling political dissidents to the remote Siberian tundra has led to stories of …

Best Served Cold: Operation Coldstore 1963 And The Reasons For The Singapore Government’S Decision, Jiansheng Zhang

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Operation Coldstore, launched in 1963 by Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and resulting in the arrest of 113 Singaporean left-wing figures, cemented the People’s Action Party’s dominance in Singaporean politics—a position it holds to this day. Given its political and symbolic significance, Operation Coldstore remains one of the most hotly contested episodes in Singaporean historiography. Drawing on a wide range of primary sources, including declassified British documents, newspapers, and political memoirs, this essay evaluates competing interpretations and argues that the Singapore government’s principal motivation was to satisfy Tunku Abdul Rahman of Malaya and secure Singapore’s merger with Malaya. By emphasizing …

Review Of Jungle Of Stone: The Extraordinary Journey Of John L. Stephens And Frederick Catherwood, And The Discovery Of The Lost Civilization Of The Maya, Alanis Fields

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

No abstract provided.

Cytotoxicity Of Ammonia- And Water-Based Silver Fluoride Treatments, Merve Uctasli, Roda Seseogullari-Dirihan, Mustafa Murat Mutluay, Arzu Tezvergil-Mutluay

School of Dentistry Faculty Research and Publications

This study aims to investigate the trans-dentinal and direct cell viability of ammonia- and water-based silver fluoride treatments. Deep dentin discs were prepared, balanced for permeability and autoclaved. Three-dimensional cultures of odontoblast-like cells were transferred to the pulpal aspect of the dentin slices inside perfusion split chambers designed for dentin-barrier cytotoxicity test, following ISO 7405. An experimental resin-based glass ionomer cement and a polyvinylsiloxane impression material served as positive and negative controls, respectively. The experimental treatments included: (i) ammonia-based silver fluoride = SDF, (ii) SDF + potassium iodide = KI, (iii) water-based silver fluoride = SF, and (iv) SF + …

In-Silico Trial Of Same-Day Simulation-Free Spatially Fractionated Adaptive Radiotherapy (Sf2-Art), Dennis N Stanley, Alyssa R Birchmeier, Carlos E Cardenas, Richard A Popple, Natalie Viscariello, Joel A Pogue, Courtney B Stanley, Mehran Yusuf, Michael Soike, Samuel R Marcrom, Joseph Harms

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Here we present an in-silico trial of the feasibility and deliverability of a same-day, simulation-free workflow for spatially fractionated adaptive radiotherapy (SF

METHODS AND MATERIALS: Ten patients (five thoracic and five extremity), previously treated with spatially fractionated radiotherapy (SFRT), were selected for this in silico trial. A two-phase regimen was simulated: Phase 1 delivered 12 Gy SBRT to a uniform, predefined high-dose lattice and 4 Gy to the gross tumor volume (GTV); Phase 2 consisted of 4 additional fractions of 4 Gy to the GTV. The planning workflow was performed entirely in silico, without the need for CT simulation. …

Prediabetes Associates With Musculoskeletal Alterations Independent Of Total Body Adiposity, Alan Fappi, Clifton J Holmes, Chao Cao, Vasavi Shabrish, Aman P Aher, Karen Shen, Paul K Commean, Dwight A Towler, Dominic N Reeds, Gretchen A Meyer, Bettina Mittendorfer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Excess adiposity is a major risk factor for insulin resistance, prediabetes, and Type 2 diabetes and increases the risk for sarcopenia and osteosarcopenia later in life. It has been proposed that altered metabolic function and musculoskeletal status in people with obesity are directly linked, presumably because they share common pathophysiological mechanisms. However, the effect of metabolic dysfunction, independent of adiposity, on musculoskeletal status is unknown.

METHODS: We performed a comprehensive assessment of musculoskeletal status in people with overweight/obesity and prediabetes (n = 12; 72% women; age: 67 ± 6 years; weight: 81 ± 11 kg; mean ± SD) and …