Digital Commons Network^™

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment Identifies Multidimensional Vulnerabilities In Older Adults With Heart Failure, Ci̇han Kiliç, Rengi̇n Demi̇r, Özlem Yilmaz Aykent, Zerri̇n Yi̇ği̇t, Pinar Küçükdağli, Banu Özulu Türkmen, Güli̇stan Bahat, Mehmet Aki̇f Karan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: Heart failure (HF) in older adults is frequently accompanied by geriatric syndromes that remain unrecognized in conventional cardiac evaluations. The vulnerabilities of older adults with and without HF in terms of muscle strength, physical performance, functional capacity, frailty, nutritional status, cognition, mood, anxiety, polypharmacy, and comorbidity were investigated using comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA).

Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in two academic outpatient clinics, enrolling 420 adults aged ≥60 years, including 92 (21.9%) with HF. Data included sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measurements, and CGA parameters: handgrip strength, the Five-Times Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSST), the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), …

Timing Of Kirschner Wire Removal In Pediatric Supracondylar Humerus Fractures: Is Early Removal A Safe And Effective Option?, Mustafa Kemal Yeni̇dünya, Si̇nan Yüksel, İbrahi̇m Faruk Adigüzel, Serhat Di̇nç, Önder Ersan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: The optimal timing of Kirschner wire removal following the surgical treatment of pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures remains controversial. This study aimed to compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of early versus late K-wire removal and to contribute to the standardization of the timing of pin removal in pediatric patients.

Materials and methods: This retrospective study included 90 pediatric patients (aged 4–14 years) treated with closed reduction and percutaneous pinning for Gartland type III and IV supracondylar humerus fractures. Patients were grouped according to the timing of pin removal as early (postoperative days 21–28, n = 40) or late (after …

Kin A487: Administration & Supervision In Kinesiology, T. J. Miller

Publications

Critiques and evaluates the technical, leadership, and supervisory skills necessary to safely and effectively administer kinesiology-related programs. Presents theoretical, practical, and research perspectives. Special Note: Community engagement & Interviews will be required.

Empirical Analysis On Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Frameworks, Jordan Jiosi

Theses and Dissertations

Increasingly, automated agents operating in the physical world are expected to perform previously unseen tasks at levels comparable to human experts. Solutions to these challenges typically fall along a spectrum between model-based and model-free reinforcement learning (RL) approaches. Encouraging expert-like behavior in reinforcement learning is often difficult because reward functions can be challenging to specify accurately. Inverse reinforcement learning addresses this problem by inferring reward functions directly from expert demonstrations rather than relying on manually engineered objectives. This thesis examines the performance of both on-policy and off-policy model-free reinforcement learning algorithms, including Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) and Deep Deterministic Policy …

A Rho5-Cnc1-Dnm1 Signalling Module Coordinates Multi-Organelle Execution Of Regulated Cell Death In Yeast, Justin Bauer

Theses and Dissertations

Regulated cell death is a conserved process with major implications for health and disease, yet how yeast cells integrate stress signals to determine survival versus death remains unclear. This thesis investigates Cyclin C (Cnc1), a conserved Mediator kinase module component with both transcriptional and mitochondrial roles. Together with Cdk8 Cnc1 primarily represses stress response genes, while upon stress it translocates to the mitochondria to induce mitochondrial fragmentation with the dynamin-related GTPase Dnm1. Using structure-guided separation-of-function mutants, I demonstrate that Cnc1-dependent death requires its mitochondrial function rather than its transcriptional role, and that its effector Dnm1 acts as a signaling node …

Anatomy And Function Of Vasopressin Receptor 1a-Expressing Neurons In The Limbic Thalamus, David Joseph Kahn

Theses and Dissertations

The vasopressin (Avp) system modulates social behavior through region-specific and sex-dependent mechanisms, yet the role of Avp receptor 1a (Avpr1a) signaling in the thalamus has remained largely unexplored. This dissertation examined the distribution and functional contributions of Avpr1a-expressing neurons across the mouse thalamus using a combination of genetic labeling, anatomical quantification, and chemogenetic manipulation. Mapping of Avpr1a-expressing neurons revealed a presence in most thalamic nuclei, with highest densities in the anterior thalamic nuclei and midline nuclei. Notably, Avpr1a-expressing neuron densities did not mirror previously described patterns of Avp innervation, and no sex differences in Avpr1a-expressing neuron density were observed. Chemogenetic …

Extracurricular Video Game Use And Academic Achievement: A Systematic Literature Review, Christina Hartman, Theo Makanoa, Lucas Thoms, Aidan Lowry, Kaleb Chandler

English Student Research

A good deal of research exists on the relationship between student use of video games outside the classroom and academic achievement. Our systematic review aims to identify what patterns exist across research conducted in the last 20 years. We examined 62 research studies that dealt with academic achievement and extracurricular video game use and found that most studies identify a negative association between the two. However, this isn’t the case for all students. We identified three important variables (the amount of time spent playing video games, the time of day or week spent playing, and the age of the students) …

New Studies In Lattice-Based Cryptography, Quantum Algorithms, And Privacy-Preserving Computation, Hansraj Jangir

Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2020 - Present

Classical public-key cryptographic schemes primarily rely on the presumed hardness of the integer factorization and discrete logarithm problems. However, Shor’s algorithm demonstrates that both problems can be solved efficiently on a sufficiently powerful quantum computer. This breakthrough motivated the search for quantum-resistant hard assumptions. The assumptions based on lattices are one of the primary candidates in post-quantum cryptography due to their strong theoretical foundations and well-established hardness against both classical and quantum attacks. In this thesis, we explore several directions of lattice based cryptology and quantum algorithms.

On the construction side, we propose two compact encryption schemes based on the …

Hp1bp3 Loss Links Chromatin Reorganization To Metabolic Vulnerability In Glioma, Brittney Lozzi, Taylor A Gatesman, Pushan Dasgupta, Debosmita Sardar, Yeunjung Ko, Chenyu Mao, Hsiao-Chi Chen, Rachel N Curry, Dongjoo Choi, Carrie A Mohila, Melissa L Bondy, Ganesh Rao, Marco Gallo, Sameer Agnihotri, Benjamin Deneen

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

High-grade gliomas (HGGs) are aggressive brain tumors with poor prognosis, driven in part by metabolic and epigenetic adaptations. Methionine metabolism supports HGG growth by supplying S-adenosylmethionine for methylation reactions, yet how nutrient availability influences chromatin organization in HGG remains incompletely understood. Using an immunocompetent mouse model of HGG, we found that dietary methionine restriction reduced tumor proliferation, extended survival, and induced partial nuclear inversion. We identified Hp1bp3 as a key regulator of tumor growth that functions by interacting with nuclear tethering proteins to mediate chromatin reorganization. Loss of Hp1bp3 results in the upregulation of histone demethylases leading to selective depletion …

If Pets Are Family: Pet Loss And The Need For Grief Equity In One Health, Michele L. Whitney

Journal of One Health Systems

One Health frameworks increasingly recognize pets as integral to human health and well-being. However, these models often overlook the health and equity implications of pet loss. Culturally mediated grief experiences following pet bereavement represent a critical grief equity gap in One Health systems. Drawing on findings from a qualitative study of African American adults who experienced pet loss, along with existing literature, this Viewpoint highlights how pet loss is not only an emotional experience but also a socially structured one shaped by cultural norms, social recognition, and access to support. These dynamics contribute to inequities in how grief is experienced …

Adding 3,4-Methylenedioxy-Α-Cyclohexylaminopropiophenone To A Standard Operating Procedure (Sop) For Identifying Synthetic Cathinones Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, Napassawon Timpratoom

ETDs from 2020-2029

Synthetic cathinones were identified as new psychoactive substances (NPS) in the early warning advisory system by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Synthetic cathinones have been commonly referred to as bath salts, which offered “legal highs” because they were not explicitly scheduled. These compounds were detected dur-ing the screening process in casework and required internal validation for confirmation. 3,4-methylenedioxy-α-cyclohexylaminopropiophenone was the target analyte for this study. It was alternatively named N-cyclohexyl methylone and “cyputylone." The aim of the study was to validate 3,4-methylenedioxy-α-cyclohexylaminopropiophenone into a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for identifying synthetic cathinones using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry …

Clinical, Hormonal, And Treatment Outcomes In 247 Patients With Acromegaly: A Single Tertiary Center Experience, Ümran Gül, Beki̇r Uçan, Hayri̇ Bostan, Hakan Düğer, Hayri̇ Kertmen, Caner Ünlüer, Hali̇l Durantaş, Oğulcan Boz, Ceren Karaçalik Ünver, Burak Menekşe, Sema Hepşen, İlknur Öztürk Ünsal, Mustafa Özbek, Erman Çakal, Muhammed Kizilgül

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: This study aimed to evaluate the demographic, clinical, and hormonal characteristics; comorbidities; surgical pathology; treatment modalities; and long-term clinical outcomes of patients diagnosed with and managed for acromegaly at our tertiary referral center over a 15-year period.

Materials and methods: Between 2010 and 2024, 247 patients with acromegaly were evaluated. Diagnosis and biochemical remission were determined according to the 2024 Acromegaly Consensus Criteria.

Results: The median follow-up duration was 8 years (IQR: 3–14). At the time of diagnosis, the most frequent pituitary hormone deficiency was secondary adrenal insufficiency, present in 17.8% of patients. The most common comorbidities were hypertension …

D-Methionine Improves Spatial Navigation And Attenuates Oxidative Stress And Amyloid Pathology In A Sex-Specific Manner., Mackenzie R Peck, Jenelle E Chapman, Tiarra Hill, Kathleen Quinn, Erol D Ikiz, Angel Lopez, Erin R Hascup, Chilman Bae, Kevin N Hascup

Articles

Background

Oxidative stress and maladaptive neuroimmune activation contribute to cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and represent therapeutic targets beyond amyloid-centered approaches.

Objective

To determine whether oral D-methionine (D-Met), a redox-active amino acid, reduces amyloid pathology and lipid peroxidation and confers disease-modifying benefits in AD models.

Methods

Male and female APP/PS1 and APP^NL−Fmice with advanced AD pathology received oral D-Met or vehicle. Behavioral assessments included locomotor activity and hippocampal-dependent spatial learning and memory. Amyloid burden, lipid peroxidation, peripheral metabolic, and inflammatory markers, and hippocampal microglial phenotypes were evaluated.

Results

D-Met did not alter locomotor or exploratory behavior but …

Book Review - California And The Making Of Modern Sport, Sean Burke

Global Sport Business Journal

Joel S. Franks’s California and the Making of Modern Sport argues that California helped shape modern sport as spectacle, consumer culture, and civic branding. review highlights the strengths in linking iconic sites such as the Rose Bowl, Muscle Beach, Fresno baseball, Billie Jean King, and the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics to broader themes of commercialization, diversity, and inequality. Drawing on historical sources, Franks demonstrates how sport in California produced modern sporting culture and its contradictions.

Local Integrals Generating Exact Integrals Of Motion In Three-Dimensional Potential Fields: Part I, Fazliddin Shamshiev

Turkish Journal of Physics

The problem of identifying additional local integrals of motion in generic three-dimensional potentials remains a fundamental issue in dynamical systems and galactic dynamics, since most realistic gravitational fields lack global symmetries or separable coordinate systems. In this study, we propose a general constructive method for deriving such local integrals by introducing auxiliary functions whose gradients define an orthogonal frame adapted to the potential. The central idea is that the velocity field can be characterized by two quadratic algebraic relations whose compatibility conditions uniquely determine the orthogonal frame and ensure the existence of two additional isolating integrals. Our main results include: …

Sicker Americans Are More Likely To Misuse Prescription Medications, Esther Oshaji, Andrew S. London

Population Health Research Brief Series

Prescription medication misuse is a long-term population health problem in the United States. This data slice uses data from the National Wellbeing Survey (N=32,789, 2021–2025) of U.S. adults ages 18–64 to examine how the number of chronic health conditions a person has is related to their misuse of prescription opioids, tranquilizers, sedatives, or stimulants in the past 12 months. The authors find a dose-response pattern: misuse rises from 2.8% among those with no chronic conditions to 11.7% among those with three or more conditions. Mental health conditions show stronger associations with misuse than physical health conditions.

Pinnlab: An Interactive Dashboard For Teaching Data-Driven Parameter Estimation In Differential Equations Using Physics-Informed Neural Networks, Mohan J. Parthasarathy, Padmanabhan Seshaiyer

CODEE Journal

Undergraduate instruction in ordinary differential equations (ODEs) is typically organized around the forward problem: finding solution trajectories when the governing equation and its parameters are known. In scientific practice, however, inverse problems are often more relevant, requiring unknown parameters to be inferred from noisy observations while assessing whether a proposed model is consistent with the data. We introduce PINNLab, an open-source MATLAB dashboard designed to help undergraduate students explore inverse modeling through physics-informed neural networks (PINNs). PINNLab presents PINNs as a complementary data-driven framework that connects differential equations, optimization, empirical data, and scientific machine learning. The instructional sequence is organized …

Implementation Of A Standardized Adverse Childhood Experiences Screening Process In A Primary Care Clinic, Tanya M. Wonnacott

Doctoral Dissertations & Projects

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are associated with increased risks of chronic disease, mental health disorders, substance use disorders, and premature mortality. Despite growing evidence supporting ACE screening, it remains inconsistent in many primary care settings, particularly among underserved populations. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate whether implementation of a standardized ACE screening workflow increased ACE screening completion and behavioral health referral within a nonprofit primary care clinic serving uninsured, underinsured, and refugee populations.

This project utilized a pre–post quality improvement design guided by Lewin’s Change Management Model and the Chronic Care Model. Interventions included standardized ACE …

Preliminary Population Genetic Analysis Of 12 X-Str Loci In A Sample From Türkiye: Allele Frequencies, Haplotype Diversity, And Linkage Disequilibrium​, Hizir Asliyüksek, Esra Güzel Tanoğlu, Abdulkadi̇r Can, Muhammed Fevzi̇ Esen, Yusuf Atan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Background/aim: X-chromosomal short tandem repeats (X-STRs) are informative genetic markers in kinship testing and specific forensic contexts, particularly when standard autosomal approaches are less informative. This study aimed to provide preliminary allele frequency, haplotype diversity, and linkage disequilibrium (LD) data for 12 X-STR loci in a sample from Türkiye.

Materials and methods: A total of 136 unrelated individuals from Türkiye were genotyped for 12 X-STR loci. Inferential analyses of X-linked loci require diploid genotypes; therefore, allele frequencies, Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), LD, and regional comparisons were based primarily on female samples (n = 115), whereas male haplotypes (n = 21) were …

Development And Standardization Of Teds Actuator Templates Under Ieee 1451 Framework, Jim Kang

Theses and Dissertations

The IEEE 1451 standard is a family of standards that defines a framework for smart transducers, including both sensors and actuators, to support consistent, interoperable, and cost-effective integration across diverse applications. However, the current IEEE 1451.4 standard templates only define the method for encoding Transducer Electronic Data Sheet (TEDS) information for a broad range of sensor types and applications; they do not address actuator TEDS. Specific types of sensors and actuators are being developed to assess underground environmental conditions in cold regions with widespread permafrost. Evaluating subsurface conditions before construction can help prevent high construction expenses for structures built on …

Engagement With Tailored Physical Activity Interventions Among Women In Midlife With Elevated Risk For Cardiovascular Disease, Kiri Baga

Theses and Dissertations

Women in midlife (ages 40-65) with risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) need physical activity (PA) interventions that are informed by and address their daily challenges and life circumstances, to reduce their chances of premature mortality from CVD. Sustaining engagement with PA interventions remains a substantial challenge for women in midlife. The aims of the proposed study were to describe participants’ PA-relevant characteristics and intervention preferences and to identify their patterns of engagement with different PA support tools (tailored PA website, intervention involving pairing women as PA partners). With respect to engagement, there was limited between-person stability in engagement outcomes …

“Courage, Sisters. Your Living Is The Stuff Of Freedom”: Women In The Camden 28, 1971-1973, Abbigail Madeline Ealer

Theses and Dissertations

This historical study investigated the role and experiences of the ten women in the Camden 28, which was a group of Catholic Leftists who raided the draft board in Camden, NJ in 1971 to protest the Vietnam War. In utilizing a myriad of sources from archival collections through scarcely seen personal ephemera to correspondence with individuals connected to this case, this thesis demonstrated the importance of these women to the planning and execution of the raid as well as their significance to the outcome of the trial in 1973. It also showed the need for targeted scholarship on them. Furthermore, …

In The Race Between The Federal Government And The States To Regulate Ai, Big Tech Is The Winner, Matthew Berger

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Key Bridge Collapse: An Opportunity To Reel In Shipowners’ Protections, Elliott Lagorce

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

State Climate Superfunds: States Are Not Powerless To Hold Polluters Accountable, Daniel Milovic

Maryland Law Review

No abstract provided.

Quantitative Determination Of Nano Delivered Kras Sirna, Axel S. Deraspe

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on the development and validation of analytical methods for the detection of therapeutic KRAS-targeting siRNA in biological systems. Physicochemical characterization showed that p5RHH-formulated siRNA nanoparticles exhibit a controlled nanoscale size distribution, moderate polydispersity, and a negative zeta potential, suggesting colloidal stability and potential suitability for cellular uptake. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed a predominantly spherical morphology with a relatively uniform size distribution, consistent with dynamic light scattering measurements.

To enable accurate siRNA quantification, stem–loop reverse transcription (SL-RT) coupled with SYBR Green–based quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) was optimized. Key parameters, including a primer concentration of 100 nM and …

Perception And Identity Through The Deconstruction Of Images, Ember Gulden

University Honors Theses

Human lives are informed by images, which allow us to understand a moment from the past while transforming the way we remember it. A photograph is a representation of what was physically in front of a camera. However, the image after its capture holds no singular identity and is malleable, similar to memory. I use photography and mixed-media collage in my artistic practice to explore how perception and identity is affected by the images we consume. My BFA project "This Doesn't Have To Be The End" examines the complex nature of identity through the transformation of personal photographs into pixel-like …

Junk Journaling For Graphic Designers: Analog Play & Process In An Increasingly Digital Design Landscape, Kristina Rosgen

University Honors Theses

This thesis explores junk journaling as an accessible analog practice for young graphic designers experiencing digital fatigue, creative stress, and perfectionism. Through historical research, a hands-on workshop, and an interactive Readymag website, the project shows how junk journaling can help designers reconnect with play, process, physical materials, and the joy of making.

Multi-Frequency Associative Memory For Continual Graph Learning Through Nested Optimization, Shuvam Kundu

Master’s Dissertations

Graph Neural Networks struggle to learn new tasks without forgetting old ones a problem known as catastrophic forgetting. In graph domains, this is compounded by structural shift, where newly added edges corrupt the learned representations of historical nodes even when model weights remain unchanged. We present CAM-Titans, a continual graph learning framework built around a two-buffer associative memory to address both parametric and structural forgetting. Our architecture operates across three timescales of adaptation: a slow base memory updated via ordinary gradient descent, an intermediate task buffer re-encoded after every task using the delta-rule, and a transient in-context state for rapid …

A Study Of Prompt Tuning On Small Language Models(Slms): A Controlled Benchmark And A Lightweight Instance-Aware Method, Narkadamilli Sahith

Master’s Dissertations

Parameter-efficient fine-tuning (PEFT) adapts a frozen pre-trained language model by training only a small number of additional parameters. Among PEFT approaches, prompt tuning prepends trainable continuous vectors (soft prompts) to the input. A recurring finding in the literature is that prompt tuning is strongly scale dependent: it rivals full fine-tuning on very large models but lags on smaller ones. This dissertation studies prompt tuning specifically in the small-language-model (SLM) regime. We (i) re-implement a representative set of prompt-tuning methods—Prompt Tuning, P-Tuning v2, LoPT, DPT, DePT, ACCEPT, Residual Prompt Tuning, and PARA—within a single controlled harness, enabling a fair head-to-head comparison …