Digital Commons Network^™

Beyond The Ordinary: A Case Report On A Giant Choledochal Cyst, Isha Saxena, Naresh Kumar J, Pareekshith Raghupal, Santosh Rai, Jayateertha Joshi

Manipal Journal of Medical Sciences

Choledochal cysts are rare congenital abnormalities of the biliary tract (1), with an incidence of 1:1000 births in the Asian population, with a female predominance. They usually appear within the first decade of life, presenting with symptoms like abdominal pain, jaundice, and a palpable abdominal mass. Todani et al. (2) classified them into five types. Common diagnostic techniques include ultrasound, CT, MRCP and ERCP. This case report presents a 14-year-old female with a giant type 1 choledochal cyst, successfully managed with cholecystectomy and Roux-en-Y jejunostomy.

Limbic System And Bipolar Disorder, A Narrative Review, Gauri Bharadwaj, Sanskriti Kondilya, Ankita Gupta, Lakshmisha Rao, Syeda Fatima Zehra

Manipal Journal of Medical Sciences

Bipolar disorder refers to a chronic mood disorder in which an individual experiences extreme changes in mood and emotions. The impact that the limbic system exerts on the genesis and regulation of bipolar disorder has been a subject of study, and various techniques have been employed to study this relationship. This article aims to extrapolate data to present a summary of the structural and functional variations in the limbic system and their influence on a specific mental health condition, bipolar disorder. Understanding the convergence of structural, functional and molecular aberrations as well as genetic susceptibility within the limbic system will …

Motivations And Challenges Of First-Generation College Students From Rural Areas To Pursue A Master’S Degree, Bridget Weber

Dissertations, Theses, and Projects

First-generation college students from rural backgrounds remain underrepresented in graduate education, and limited research has examined the factors influencing their pursuit and persistence in master’s degree programs. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the motivations, challenges, and support systems experienced by rural first-generation college students pursuing a master’s degree. Five participants who identified as first-generation college students from rural communities participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, visual educational timelines, and reflective journals. Data analysis involved open coding, analytic memoing, and thematic analysis to identify patterns across data sources.

Findings revealed three primary …

Acoustic Black Hole Structures Using 3d-Printed Polymer Concrete, Siham S. Al Shanti

Civil Engineering ETDs

Mitigating unwanted vibrations is essential in the design of structural and mechanical systems to ensure safety, reliability, and long-term performance. This dissertation advances the Acoustic Black Hole (ABH) concept, passive vibration control strategy, by replacing geometric tapering with controlled material properties. Using Euler–Bernoulli beam theory, elastic modulus variation in polymer concrete (PC) enabled wave velocity reduction without compromising fatigue resistance. The high strength, excellent damping, and rheological properties of PC makes it ideal for 3D-printed ABH structures. This work examined bond performance between normal concrete properties, developed PC mixes with tailored rheological and mechanical properties, and evaluated their 3D-printability. A …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Regular Fast-Food Consumption Among Adults In The Uae: A Cross-Sectional Study, Ala Al Rajabi, Rafiq Hijazi, Lynne Alexandra Kennedy

All Works

Objectives: To assess the prevalence and identify sociodemographic predictors of regular fast-food consumption (R-FFC) among United Arab Emirates (UAE) adults to inform public health nutrition responses to growing diet-related ill health in the region. Design: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study using purposive, convenience sampling. Data were collected using an online survey adapted from two validated surveys and distributed via social media platforms. R-FFC was defined as visiting a fast-food restaurant to eat ≥ 2 times/week. Pearson’s χ ² tests and multiple binary logistic regression models were used to investigate prevalence and predictors of R-FFC. All statistical significance was considered …

Resident-Led Peer Support Groups In Emergency Medicine: A Pilot Framework For Peer Leader Training, Kyra D Reed, Alexandria P Weston, Alexandra E Serpe, Destiny D Folk, Jacob M Destrampe, Heather P Kelker, Aloysius J Humbert, Katie E Pettit, Julie L Welch

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Peer support has demonstrated efficacy in alleviating symptoms of anxiety and depression, while fostering empathy and mitigating burnout among healthcare professionals. Given the considerable demands of residency training, there is a strong rationale for resident-led peer support interventions. However, structured programs to train residents for such leadership roles remain limited. Our objective was to implement a peer support leader training program for residents, evaluate its perceived effectiveness, and identify common themes discussed in sessions. Between June 2021 and June 2023, we performed a longitudinal, prospective cohort survey study of Emergency Medicine (EM) and EM/Pediatrics (EM/P) residents participating in a novel …

Holter Monitor Qt Dispersion And Qtc-Dispersion In Pediatric Long Qt Syndrome And Development Of A Diagnostic And Arrhythmia Risk Prediction Model, Hadeel Allam, Na Le Dang, Edita Karasalihovic, Nathan Miller, Lisa Roelle, William B Orr, Dustin Nash, Anthony G Pompa, Jennifer N A Silva

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Holter monitors can provide temporal QT analysis, allowing for calculation of QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion over time. We describe the results of the QT dispersion and corrected QT dispersion over a 24-hour period in pediatric patients with long QT syndrome (LQTS), compared with a normal cohort, and develop 2 new machine learning models for diagnosis and arrhythmia risk prediction in LQTS.

METHODS: A single-center retrospective case-control study was conducted comparing patients with congenital LQTS and normal controls who underwent a clinically indicated Holter between January 2022 and May 2024. After identifying patients with cardiac events, 2 neural …

Baseline Ecg And Cardiovascular Outcomes In People With Hiv: Insights From Reprieve, Aya Awwad, Shashwatee Bagchi, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: With antiretroviral therapy, people with HIV (PWH) have an increased burden of cardiovascular disease. The REPRIEVE (Randomized Trial to Prevent Vascular Events in HIV) trial demonstrated that pitavastatin reduces major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) among PWH at low to moderate traditional atherosclerotic risk. Electrocardiographic abnormalities are common in PWH, but little is known about their association with MACEs. We sought to examine whether baseline electrocardiographic abnormalities are associated with increased MACE risk among a global primary cardiovascular disease prevention cohort of PWH in REPRIEVE.

METHODS: In this observational analysis, entry electrocardiographic abnormalities were adjudicated and classified as major or …

Emotion Regulation Differences Between Gender And Sexuality Groups: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Jake Camp, Emma Blundell, Patrick Smith, Katharine Rimes

School of Psychology

Gender and sexual minority (GSM) people are at increased risk of mental health difficulties compared to their cisgender-heterosexual peers. This is likely because of exposure to minority stressors. Emotion regulation difficulties have been proposed as an important mechanism for mental health disparities in GSM populations. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined whether GSM groups differ from cisgender and heterosexual groups in global and specific aspects of emotion regulation (e.g., emotion awareness, strategies, impulse control, cognitive appraisal, and emotion suppression), and whether emotion dysregulation mediated the relationship between GSM identity and mental health outcomes. We identified 40 eligible studies, of which …

Molecular Effects Of Glucose On Mir503hg-Regulated Genes In Triple-Negative Breast Cancer, Victoria Reid, Barbara Yang, Kyle Russo, Melina J. Sedano, Ramesh Choudhari, Enrique I. Ramos, Shrikanth S. Gadad

School of Medicine Publications

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the most aggressive breast cancer subtype, characterized by a lack of key hormone receptors in tumor cells. As there are limited treatment options for these patients, it is crucial to understand the underlying mechanisms by which TNBC constantly evolves and evades treatments. In this regard, the pervasive nature of transcription provides a potential reservoir of transcripts, including both coding and noncoding, that TNBC leverages to sustain a proliferative advantage and support tumor growth. TNBC is affected by energy sources such as glucose, which can have a profound impact on gene expression regulation mediated by various …

Coordinated, Heterogeneous Model Composition Under A Shared Governance And Audit Layer, Joseph Jm Walker

Defensive Publications Series

This paper introduces the Modular Artificial Specialized Intelligence (MASI) framework, a distributed cognitive architecture designed to address the safety, transparency, and governability limitations of monolithic foundation models. MASI decouples reasoning into four canonical, independently operational roles—Wisdom, Foresight, Empathy, and Precision—coordinated through a standardized communication layer known as the MASI Bus. The framework enforces a Consult-Before-Execute (CBE) protocol, requiring multi-perspective verification, drift detection, and ethical arbitration prior to any system output or tool execution. This deliberative process is quantified via the MASI Trust Score ($T_{masi}$), a dynamic metric integrating fairness, logic, and uncertainty into a verifiable audit artifact. Additionally, the …

Book Review: Dismantling Conspiracy Theories: Metaliteracy And Other Strategies For An Information-Disordered World, Katie Greer, Stephanie Beene, William Glick

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Ischool Student Research Journal, Vol.15, Iss.2

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Hunt For "Dragon Shards Of Knowledge": A Study On The Information Needs Of The Mmorpg Community, Jessamy Hallie

School of Information Student Research Journal

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the information needs and information-seeking behaviors of the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) information community. To evaluate and define these needs and behaviors a literature review of research contributions published by established information professionals studying MMORPG and video game players was performed. The results showed that the MMORPG community is considerably understudied and lacking sufficient library programming and educational opportunities compared to other communities. It also revealed their dependence on collaboration and the promotion of social connection between members. Their shared goals and common interests helped to facilitate members’ information-seeking and …

Why Every Librarian Is A Ux Librarian, Alison Johnson

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

The Student Research Journal Comes Of Age: 15 Years And Flourishing!, Anthony Bernier

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Guiding Scholarship, Together: A Collaborative Accomplishment, Pearl Kim

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Supporting Literacy And The Scholarly Conversation Through Understanding Apa Citation Style, Vanessa Sztym

School of Information Student Research Journal

No abstract provided.

Recurring Coups In The Sahel Region Likely To Strain U.S. Resources, Autumn Tewksbury, Anthony Zampino, Shay Dauphinais, Andrew Britland

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

This client report examines recurring military coups in the Sahel region of Africa and the probability of implications for U.S. interests. We incorporated analysis of terrorist organizations, adversarial involvement in the region, and projected socioeconomic factors in the next three to five years. Our analysis indicates these factors could pose a direct threat to U.S. national security interests. Current U.S. policy prohibits aid distribution to coup governments, increasing the likelihood that Sahelian countries will turn to U.S. adversaries for economic support. An additional aspect to consider is the Sahel’s natural resources and economic opportunities. Our project utilizes in-depth research, geospatial …

Preliminary Survey Of Subtidal Crustaceans On Southeast Sapelo Island, Georgia, Elise C. Mirabella, Kali Holierhoek, Kristine N. White Ph.D.

Georgia Journal of Science

The subtidal zone is the area below the low tide line that supports a wide variety of organisms, including subtidal crustaceans, which are understudied on Sapelo Island, GA. To investigate the impact of wave action on biodiversity and develop baseline data, the biodiversity of subtidal crustaceans from two beaches was compared. It was hypothesized that the beach protected from wave action would have higher biodiversity than the beach exposed to wave action. To collect the crustaceans, three different sampling methods were used on each beach: D-net, beam trawl, and Yabbi pump. The beach exposed to wave action yielded higher biodiversity …

Review: Who Will You Become? An Ignatian Introduction To Catholic Theology By Conor M. Kelly And Ryan G. Duns, Sj, Mary Kate Holman

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

No abstract provided.

Leading From Within: Integrating Ignatian Pedagogy Into A Theoretical Framework For Leadership Preparedness, Vivian A. Amu

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

In Jesuit higher education institutions, enduring principles and values invite educators and students from all backgrounds to consider integrating the essence of Ignatian pedagogy into their own practices as well as develop leaders who are prepared to confront, transform, inspire, and participate in leadership globally. It requires both institutional investment and student involvement in the learning process. Using the Ignatian pedagogical model, constructivism theory of learning, Dewey’s theory of experience, and past literature on leadership preparedness, this article presents a dynamic self-exploration for leadership preparedness (SELP) framework. It is a theoretical framework rooted in self-discovery through reflection and growth. The …

Living The Humanities: Ghosts, Literature, & Social Justice, Emily A. Phillips

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

How do we bridge the perceived divide between the study of humanities in our Jesuit universities and the real-world problems that surround our campuses? Jacques Derrida’s “hauntology" offers us a compelling way to move between the classroom and life, to guide our students through the Universal Apostolic Preferences of “To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice” and “To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future.” This article offers a framework for combining literary analysis, historical inquiry, and creative writing in an …

Teaching Stem Courses Using Ignatian Pedagogy, Gintaras K. Duda

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Despite the impact of the Jesuit educational endeavor on the rise of science, the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (IPP), the signature Jesuit Pedagogy, is not frequently used to teach courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), and very little literature exists documenting any such attempts. In this paper, I describe a framework for how to apply the IPP to STEM courses using active-engagement strategies and assessment tools from disciplinary-based educational research (DBER). I provide three examples of how I have implemented the IPP in physics courses at various levels in the curriculum at a Jesuit University complete with assessment results …

The Relative And Absolute Social Capital Of Jesuit Universities: Are There Differences?, Mark S. Rzepczynski, John Kalil

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

We test whether Jesuit universities, a specific college subset, are unique from public, private, and other religiously affiliated institutions of higher learning using social capital data for network cohesiveness, economic connectedness, and civic engagement from the Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas. Social capital dispersion is also measured across the set of AJCU Jesuit universities. Jesuit colleges show greater and more distinct social capital across selected college classifications and characteristics; however, there is limited social capital uniformity across the set of 27 U.S. Jesuit universities.

The Current State Of Global Engagement Within U.S. Jesuit Institutions: Challenges And Opportunities, Han Yan, Lin Lu

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Jesuit education aims to cultivate global citizens who actively engage with the world and champion social justice. As economic and social ties grow increasingly interconnected, Jesuit institutions need to develop innovative international learning opportunities for students. In this study, using publicly available IIE Open Doors data from the past two decades, we assess international student enrollment and study abroad initiatives at U.S. Jesuit institutions and compare these metrics against national trends. The results suggest that U.S. Jesuit institutions have substantial potential to invest in and reap the benefits of global engagement. Grounded in the Jesuit mission and the Inspirational Paradigm …

'That All May Be One’: Incarnation, Solidarity, And Anti-Racism In Jesuit Education, Yancy Hughes Dominick

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Jesuit colleges and universities in the US have been striving to become anti-racist. This work is often tied to mission and to a shared commitment to Jesuit and Catholic values like a faith that does justice and the dignity of all persons. At the same time, however, many Jesuit institutions frame their commitment to anti-racism in language that does not appeal to specific aspects of Jesuit tradition; likewise, mission and Jesuit identity is often described in ways that make no overt reference to anti-racism. A robust anti-racism, I argue, arises necessarily out of Jesuit Catholic thought, and fully realized Jesuit …

Generative Ai And The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm, Nicole Reibe

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

A group of seven faculty members, the Digital Teaching Fellows (DTF), were formed in 2023 to explore issues related to generative AI at a Jesuit university in the United States. The group incorporated generative AI assignments into their courses and conducted a survey assessing students’ experiences with generative AI in the course. Drawing from both quantitative and qualitative analysis, the DTF reached two key conclusions. First, despite their reservations, students’ overall receptiveness to generative AI integration creates a fitting moment for thoughtful pedagogical innovation. Second, our findings reveal a critical gap between generative AI’s current implementation and its potential to …

We Need A New Language, A New Imagination, A New Story... And It Won't Come From Ai, Christopher Pramuk

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Adapted from a public lecture given for Regis University’s Ignatian Mission Day, the essay wrestles with the crisis of communication across political divides, the attacks on universities across the country linked to Project 2025, and the emergence of Artificial Intelligence as a powerful new challenge in the landscape of Jesuit higher education. Identifying the root illness of our times as a diseased and captive cultural imagination, the author calls for responses that heal and break open the imagination. The poets and prophets, artists and storytellers, share common cause with the Ignatian imagination – a contemplative, transcendent horizon, grounded in the …

Editorial: Finding Consolation, Kari Kloos

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

No abstract provided.