Digital Commons Network^™

Diffusion Model For Medical Image Denoising, Reconstruction And Translation, Wei Wang, Shuo Li

Faculty Scholarship

Diffusion models, as a class of generative models, have demonstrated significant performance in image generation since their inception. The fundamental principle behind diffusion models is the definition of a forward process and a reverse process. The input data is progressively perturbed by adding random noise during the forward process, and the expected noise distribution is learned. In the reverse process, noise is gradually reduced from a Gaussian distribution to generate the image. Recently, diffusion models have been widely adopted in various image processing tasks, including text-to-image synthesis, denoising, segmentation, and object detection. In medical image analysis, diffusion models have shown …

Preventing The Police From Using Private Information Obtained Through An Unlawful Search – An Australian Perspective, Sirko Harder

Louisiana Law Review

No abstract provided.

A Tale Of Two Disclosure Requirements, Leslie Gielow Jacobs

Louisiana Law Review

No abstract provided.

Transcriptomic Analysis Of Localized High-Risk Prostate Cancer Improves Prognostication And Identifies Benefit From Adding Docetaxel To Definitive Radiotherapy With Androgen Suppression In The Nrg Oncology/Rtog 0521 Phase 3 Trial, Ryan M. Phillips, James A. Proudfoot, Elai Davicioni, Yang Liu, Daniel E. Spratt, Jeff M. Simko, Robert Den, Alan Pollack, Seth A. Rosenthal, A. Oliver Sartor, Christopher J. Sweeney, Gerhardt Attard, Leslie Longoria, Samir Patel, Michael W. Straza, Jason A. Efstathiou, Amit B. Shah, Karen E. Hoffman, Joseph P. Rodgers, Howard M. Sandler, Felix Y. Feng, Phuoc T. Tran

Jefferson Hospital Staff Papers and Presentations

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: NRG/RTOG 0521 randomized men with high-risk localized prostate cancer (PC) to androgen suppression (AS) and definitive radiotherapy (RT) ± docetaxel-based chemotherapy (CT). The overall survival (OS) benefit with CT initially reported was lost on longer follow-up. The Decipher genomic classifier (GC) measures multiple transcripts relevant to docetaxel action. Basal/luminal differentiation portends differential response to AS and CT for high-risk localized and metastatic hormone-sensitive PC. We validated the Decipher GC in pretreatment biopsy samples for risk stratification and examined basal-luminal subtyping to predict docetaxel response.

METHODS: Decipher GC scores and basal-luminal cellular subtypes were generated for specimens from …

Patient-Centered, Theory-Based, Online Intervention To Promote A Physically Active Lifestyle For People With Multiple Sclerosis: Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Chungyi Chiu, Vaishnavi Sridharan, Mojtaba Khaliji, Md Refat Uz Zaman Sajib, Xiaotian Gao, Kathleen Zackowski

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: People with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience life challenges due to the nature of disease progression. Although an active lifestyle has been shown effective for symptom and relapse management, most people with MS lead a sedentary lifestyle and do not reach the recommended physical activity (PA) guidelines.

Objective: This study aims to test the preliminary efficacy of a codeveloped, online self-management intervention based on the health action process approach (HAPA) adapted for people with MS to cultivate a physically active lifestyle.

Methods: The 8-week intervention program was developed using community-based participatory research based on the HAPA. The program includes increasing …

Introduction, Robert Percival

Maryland Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

Ethical Lawyering While Our House Is On Fire, Jaclyn Lopez

Maryland Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

A Study On Litigation Strategies Of Environmental Ngos In China’S Centralized Governance Society: Taking Biodiversity Litigation As An Example, Huiyu Zhao, Yizhen Xu

Maryland Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

Strategic To Whom? Uncovering The Hidden Costs Of Lithium Extraction To Zimbabwean Communities, Obert Bore, Manele Mpofu

Maryland Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

Reflections On The Clinical Teaching Model: The Experience Of The Alliance Of Environmental Law Clinics Of Latin America And The Caribbean, Andrea Dominguez, Andrés Dulanto

Maryland Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

A Human Rights-Based Litigation Strategy For Wildlife Protection In Nigeria, Emmanuel K. Omirin

Maryland Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

Suppression For The Sake Of Democracy: Brazil’S Judiciary And The Fight To Control The Internet, Isaiah Hinton

Maryland Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

Native Hawaiians And Environmental Stewardship: Reclaiming The ‘Āina In The Face Of A Western System, Lauren Wiederkehr

Maryland Journal of International Law

No abstract provided.

Stokes-Dependent Droplet Collection Efficiency On A Naca 0012 Airfoil From Droplet-Informed Simulations With Statistical Overloading, Arash Shad, Hashnayne Ahmed, ‪Nadim Zgheib, S. Balachandar, S. A. Sherif

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Accurate modelling of ice accretion on aircraft wings requires analysing droplet impingement on the surface to optimize the design of ice-protection systems. We perform Euler–Lagrange simulations of a droplet-laden flow impinging on a NACA 0012 airfoil. Our study includes water droplets with eight discrete sizes ranging from 1 to 160 microns. We vary the free-stream velocity of the incoming airflow in the range 60≤⁢𝑈≤⁢240 m s−1 and the chord length of the airfoil in the range 0.5≤⁢𝑐≤⁢2 m. Due to the dilute nature of supercooled clouds, one-way coupling is used in the simulations. The effects of droplet breakup and collision …

Shutdowns And Startups: How Covid-19 Policies Shaped Entrepreneurial Trends Across U.S. States, Mia Sideris

Business and Economics Summer Fellows

The COVID-19 pandemic had an unprecedented impact on the US economy. Severe restrictions were placed on nearly every state, culminating with the declaration of a national emergency in March 2020. The intent of these restrictions was to safeguard public health, while unintentionally imposing operational burdens on businesses. This paper explores how heterogeneity in state level policy responses influenced entrepreneurial activity. Using the synthetic control method and data on mandated workplace closures, we estimate the impact of these actions on business applications per capita in the state of South Carolina, which was late to impose these measures. We find that if …

Exploring Physician Associates’ Perceptions Of Motivational Interviewing: A Phenomenological Study, Thaddeus Riley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Longer lifespans across the population are contributing to a rise in chronic illnesses that require ongoing treatment. This increase has furthered the need for evidence-based clinical tools to effectively treat long-term diseases. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is an evidence-based method used by physicians and other healthcare practitioners, including physician associates (PAs), to help patients facilitate health behavior changes. PAs are licensed, highly trained healthcare professionals who practice medicine across all specialties and settings. PAs focus on patient-centered, team-based care and play a key role in expanding access to healthcare and improving overall health outcomes (AAPA, 2023b). While MI’s efficacy has been …

The Local Neighborhood Interactions Shaping Tree Communities Through Ecological Disturbance And Environmental Change, Cole Doolittle

Dissertations (1934 -)

My dissertation consists of four chapters focused on understanding the factors maintaining local species diversity, addressing a central goal of ecology increasingly critical for preserving ecosystem services and human well-being in the face of climate change. Specifically, I investigate how local neighborhoods – that is, the spatial arrangement, density, and identity of nearby competitors – contribute to patterns of growth and survival along gradients of ecological disturbance and environmental change using forest tree communities as a study system. In my first chapter, I develop a conceptual framework that synthesizes why we may expect local neighborhood interactions to weaken under ecological …

Carbon Sequestration Potential Of Urban Tree Species: A Case Study From Porbandar, India, Himanshu Vandariya, Jay Ulva, Kunal N. Odedra, Jenish Bamaniya, B. A. Jadeja Dr.

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Urban ecosystems are integral to climate change mitigation through carbon sequestration. This study quantifies the carbon sequestration potential of 40 tree species at M.D. Science College, Porbandar, Gujarat, employing non-destructive methodologies. Key biometric parameters, including height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and biomass, were analysed to estimate carbon storage and CO₂ sequestration. The dataset reveals significant inter-species variations, with Ficus benghalensis leading in sequestration capacity, storing 1221.08 kg of carbon and sequestering 4476.84 kg of CO₂ per tree annually. Conversely, low biomass species such as Ziziphus mauritiana exhibit limited sequestration rates, highlighting a broad spectrum of ecological roles. tatistical analyses …

Tailoring Hiv/Aids Communication To The Cultural Contexts Of The Borana Pastoral Community In Ethiopia, Dano Olana, Sabihah Moola

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

The HIV/AIDS health communication approach in sub-Saharan Africa has often overlooked sociocultural specificities. The current approach follows a generalist notion that does not consider the specific contextual domains accordingly. Similarly, the cultural appropriateness of HIV/AIDS health communication among the Borana pastoral community in Ethiopia is not clear. In this study, we aimed to explore whether HIV/AIDS communication among the Borana pastoral community was tailored to the cultural contexts of the community. A qualitative case study was used to unpack the cultural communication contexts for HIV/AIDS. We collected data using three methods, namely, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis …

Effect Of Margin Thickness And Cement Gap On The Fabrication And Fit Accuracy Of Additively Manufactured Crowns In Definitive Resins With Different Filler Content, Mustafa Borga Dönmez, Gülce Çakmak, Çiğdem Kahveci, Amir H. Nejat, Burak Yilmaz, Pinar Altinci

School of Dentistry Faculty Publications

PURPOSE: To evaluate how commercially available composite resins in varying filler content affect the fabrication and fit accuracy (trueness and precision) of additively manufactured (AM) definitive crowns with different margin thickness and cement gaps by comparing them to subtractively manufactured (SM) polymer-infiltrated ceramic crowns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two identical unprepared mandibular right first molars were prepared by an experienced prosthodontist for crowns with either 0.5 mm or 1.0 mm chamfer margins, verified using silicone indexes and a periodontal probe, and then digitized with an industrial-grade scanner. These scan files were used to design reference crowns with either 50-µm or 80-µm …

Creatine Monohydrate Supplementation For Older Adults And Clinical Populations, Darren G. Candow, Sergej M. Ostojic, Philip D. Chilibeck, Igor Longobardi, Bruno Gualano, Mark A. Tarnopolsky, Theo Wallimann, Terence Moriarty, Richard B. Kreider, Scott C. Forbes, Uwe Schlattner, Jose Antonio

Faculty Publications

Background: The biological process of aging is typically associated with a decrease in muscle quantity, muscle performance (primarily strength), bone mass and architecture, functionality and neurological/cognitive function. From a healthy aging perspective, interventions that have the potential to overcome or attenuate these decrements are clinically relevant.

Methods: We conducted a narrative review on the efficacy of creatine monohydrate supplementation (CrM) in older adults. Results: Accumulating research shows that CrM, primarily when combined with exercise training, is safe and has beneficial effects on measures of whole-body lean body mass, regional muscle size, muscle strength, bone area and thickness, functional ability, glucose …

Spatiotemporal Responses To A Rural Highway By Four Mammal Species, Caitlin K. Brett, Anna Rose Mehner, John H. Young Jr., Sarah E. Lehnen, Richard J. Kline

School of Earth, Environmental, & Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

Roads can negatively impact the wildlife communities they transect. Road mortalities from wildlife-vehicle collisions are one direct effect, but roads may also indirectly affect wildlife behavior, movement, or local distribution. Quantifying the spatial extent of these road-effects is important for understanding how roads indirectly affect species of concern, identifying potential sources of disturbance, and for estimating the effectiveness of road mitigation structures. Farm-to-Market Road (FM)106, which transects part of the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge in Cameron County, Texas, has been identified as a potential source of wildlife road mortalities, particularly for one of the two remaining breeding populations of …

Effects Of Dietary Supplementation With Codium Fragile And Fennel Essential Oil On Growth, Enzyme Activity, And Hepatopancreas Histology In Juvenile Narrow-Clawed Crayfish (Pontastacus Leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823), Yavuz Mazlum, Meti̇n Yazici, Şehri̇ban Çek, Mehmet Naz, Musa Türkmen, Oğuz Yaşar Uzunmehmetoğlu, Kemal Dede

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study investigated the impact of different levels of Codium fragile macroalgae (CF) dietary supplementation combined with a fixed concentration of 0.05% fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill. var. dulce Mill.) essential oil (FO) on the growth performance, enzyme activity, and hepatopancreas histological changes of juvenile narrow-clawed crayfish Pontastacus leptodactylus (initial average weight = 0.25 ± 0.04 g). A 90-day feeding trial was conducted using four experimental groups: CF + FO (control), 1% CF + FO, 2% CF + FO, and 4% CF + FO. The essential oil yield obtained from the fennel seeds was 2.4%. Anethole was the most abundant component …

Monitoring And Control Of Red Palm Weevil Infestation Using Iot Technology, Harun Çi̇men, İbrahi̇m Çakmak, Mustapha Touray, Selçuk Hazir

Turkish Journal of Zoology

Palms are slow-growing arboreal monocots predominantly distributed across warm regions and are frequently incorporated into parks, gardens, and roadsides. The red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, is a highly destructive invasive insect that threatens palms. This field study investigated the effectiveness of a seismic sensor system to detect R. ferrugineus larvae on palm trees in the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Culture Park. This park is home to a diverse collection of palm species, including Washingtonia sp. and Phoenix dactylifera. Seismic sensors were attached to the trunks of palm trees to detect the vibrations caused by feeding R. ferrugineus larvae and calibrated to …

The First Documented Case Of Melanism In Sciurus Anomalus, Recorded In Türkiye, Burak Akdağ, Balkan Mega

Turkish Journal of Zoology

This study reports the first documented case of melanism in the Caucasian squirrel (Sciurus anomalus) from Türkiye. While melanism has been documented in 12 other species within the Sciurus genus, it has not previously been recorded in S. anomalus. The observation was made during a herpetological field survey in Erzincan Province, Türkiye, where a melanistic specimen was photographed in a mixed habitat comprising natural vegetation and cultivated land. In mammals, melanism is widely regarded as an adaptive trait, potentially conferring advantages such as improved thermoregulation in colder climates and enhanced crypsis in shaded forest environments. This novel observation not only …

New Synthetic Resorbable Mesh For Open Ventral Hernia Repair, J. Scott Scott Roth, Bruce Ramshaw, Yohann Renard, G. Passot, Frederik Berrevoet, Katie Bayliss, Marion Blanc, Charles Cain, Matthew Goldblatt

Surgery Faculty Publications

Introduction Ventral hernia repair is among the most commonly performed general surgical procedures, during which meshes are often used to provide further support to weakened or damaged tissue surrounding the hernia repair site. Slowly resorbable synthetic meshes have recently emerged as a valid choice, as confirmed by published clinical evidence on launched meshes in the repair of ventral hernias showing satisfactory results. This study was designed to assess the performance and safety of a newly developed slowly fully resorbable self-gripping synthetic mesh in patients undergoing ventral hernia repair through open surgery in clean and clean-contaminated fields. Methods and analysis This …

Blockchain Strategies To Enhance Transparency, Efficiency, And Governance For Public-Private Partnership Leaders, Mohamed Huubse

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The lack of effective strategies for integrating blockchain technology into governance poses a significant challenge for public-private partnership (PPP) leaders in developing regions. This issue is particularly concerning in public procurement systems, where transparency, efficiency, and accountability are crucial for effective governance. Grounded in the theory of games and economic behavior, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to identify and explore the successful strategies that PPP leaders use to modernize governance practices within public procurement by adopting blockchain technology. The participants were six PPP leaders in East Africa who implemented blockchain technology strategies to modernize governance practices within …

Annual Ghg Emissions In Co2e From Turfgrass Maintenance In Los Angeles County, Valerie Rountree, Michael Barnes, Martin S. Hoecker-Martinez, Nathan W. Strout

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

Maintaining turfgrass landscapes - including mowing, irrigation, and fertilization - is an under-recognized source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, particularly carbon dioxide and nitrous oxides. The state of California has ambitious policies to reduce GHG emissions and improve local air quality, however, southern California continues to be one of the most polluted regions in the world; moreover, it is an arid region that relies heavily on imported water to meet diverse user needs. To better understand the significance of turfgrass maintenance as a source of GHG emissions, we calculate the total annual GHG emissions in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO_{2 …}

Development And Validation Of Risk Models For Hospital-Acquired Bleeding In Medical Inpatients: The Medical Inpatients Thrombosis And Hemostasis (Mith) Study, Ryan T Packer, Nicholas S Roetker, Allen B Repp, Mansour Gergi, Chris Holmes, Mary Cushman, Timothy B Plante, Hanny Al-Samkari, Allyson M Pishko, William A Wood, Camila Masias, Radhika Gangaraju, Ang Li, David Garcia, Kerri L Wiggins, Jordan K Schaefer, Nicholas L Smith, Augusto Ferraris, Karlyn A Martin, Deirdra R Terrell, Leslie A Mcclure

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Hospital-acquired (HA) bleeding in medical inpatients is a serious complication with limited tools to predict risk.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate risk assessment models (RAMs) for anatomic location-specific HA bleeding in medical inpatients using objective and routinely available risk factors.

Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years admitted to medical hospital services from 6 health systems and 15 hospitals in the United States between 2016 and 2020 for at least 1 midnight and without bleeding at admission were eligible for inclusion. Two health systems (10 hospitals) formed the development cohort, and 4 systems (5 hospitals) constituted the validation …

Using Confidence Scores To Improve Eyes-Free Detection Of Speech Recognition Errors, Sadia Nowrin, Keith Vertanen

Michigan Tech Publications

Conversational systems rely heavily on speech recognition to interpret and respond to user commands and queries. Despite progress on speech recognition accuracy, errors may still sometimes occur and can significantly affect the end-user utility of such systems. While visual feedback can help detect errors, it may not always be practical, especially for people who are blind or low-vision. In this study, we investigate ways to improve error detection by manipulating the audio output of the transcribed text based on the recognizer's confidence level in its result. Our findings show that selectively slowing down the audio when the recognizer exhibited uncertainty …