Digital Commons Network^™

Improving Golden Eagle Optimization Algorithm Through Using Wavelet Mutation, Ebtehal Talib, Abeer Salim Jamil, Nidaa Flaih Hassan

Baghdad Science Journal

The Golden Eagle Optimization (GEO) algorithm is another amazing nature inspired optimization algorithm based on the foraging behavior of the Golden Eagles. GEO is an excellent behavioral model of how Golden Eagles interact with one another while searching for prey, consisting of a population of virtual “eagles” that together represent potential solutions to the optimization problem. The “eagles” interact with one another and together communicate and move as a single unit towards something, in this case the optimal solution. In this paper, we expand upon this idea with a new version of the GEO algorithm, called Wavelet Mutation Golden Eagle …

A Feedback Management System Based On Blockchain Technology For Educational Institutions, Diman M. Mohammed, Rana F. Ghani

Baghdad Science Journal

The provision of feedback is an essential element in the process of enhancing the performance of an organization. With precise feedback, errors and possibilities for improvement can be determined. The purpose of every survey is to accurately capture individuals’ real feelings. Today, the majority of feedback data is stored in a database system, However, a lack of confidence in the database system results in inaccurate or partially compromised feedback. Blockchain is an innovative and promising technology that decreases security risks, eliminates fraud, and provides unprecedented levels of transparency to ensure feedback system efficiency. It is a decentralized ledger that has …

A Smart Blockchain-Based Privacy-Preserving Machine Learning Scheme In Iot Healthcare, J. Deepika, Sahana Shetty, A. Selvarani, Saroj Bala, Benita Gracia Thangam J, Pradeep G

Baghdad Science Journal

The idea of Blockchain has infused various fields of study, and its widespread adoption is projected to grow exponentially in the near future. By executing concise pre-defined code snippets known as smart contracts on the Blockchain, the need for intermediaries can be eliminated, and the number of contract executions can be significantly increased. The application of blockchain technology and smart contracts, in conjunction with machine learning methods, to IoMT-based e-healthcare is critically examined in this article. The goal of this project is to investigate how automation and decentralisation might improve healthcare. Integrating these components offers the chance to handle medical …

Cancer Detection Framework Using Cellular Automata Based Segmentation And Deep Learning, Rupashri Barik, Nazma B J Naskar, Aleena Swetapadma

Baghdad Science Journal

Image processing plays vital role in medical sciences. Medical image processing reduces diagnosis time and cost. Early detection of cancer may reduce life risk. Earlier works on cancer detection mostly focused on specific organs and imaging modalities. This work aims a generalized framework for detecting tumors in various organs by analyzing different imaging modalities. Here, Cellular Automata helps in image segmentation through region growing, and deep learning algorithms made performance analysis in terms of accuracy and loss. Analyzing CT-Scan, MRI images of brain, breast, lungs, the proposed framework may assist to detect the region of mass being developed. Proposed CA-based …

Accelerating Face Mask Detection Training Model Based On Multi-Gpus And Multi-Core Cpu, Ammar Hussein Jassim, Nada Hussain Ali, Ahmed Al-Taie, Doaa Mohammad Majed

Baghdad Science Journal

Modern machine-learning applications require GPUs, and modern platforms can leverage numerous GPUs on one or more machines to increase performance. Contemporary deep-learning models are too huge for CPU or GPU training. Training these models with many GPUs without performance degradation is necessary to train them rapidly and maximize GPU consumption. Thus, training deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) with multiple GPUs has become necessary for improving training. Therefore, we presented a parallel design and development of an efficient model for enhancing face mask CNN performance and improving resource efficiency. This DCNN model is a parallel training system over multiple GPUs, a …

Brain Scanning: Assessing Emigration Of U.S. Scientific Talent To Surveille Strategic Implications For China’S Dual-Use Technological Capabilities, Diane Dieuliis, James Giordano

Strategic Insights

This commentary analyzes the emigration and remote collaboration of U.S.-trained scientists with China and assesses the strategic implications for Beijing’s dual-use research and development ecosystem. The authors argue that the transfer of scientific talent in fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, synthetic biology, and neurotechnology strengthens China’s Military-Civil Fusion strategy and accelerates both non-kinetic and kinetic capabilities. At the same time, patterns of talent migration and collaboration can serve as indicators of China’s technological priorities, doctrinal shifts, and defense development timelines. The article proposes a balanced U.S. response that combines improved domestic talent retention, refined vetting of international partnerships, …

Differences In Arterial Events In Vascular Ehlers-Danlos, Loeys-Dietz, And Marfan Syndrome, Ernesto Calderon-Martinez, Walter V Velasco, Dongchuan Guo, Ellen H Hostetler, Zhang Xun, Sara Stephens, Sherene Shalhub, Julie De Backer, Maral Ouzounian, Scott A Lemaire, Olivier Milleron, Nadine Hanna, Pauline Arnaud, Maria Tchitchinadze, Siddharth K Prakash, Mark Lindsay, Julien Marcadier, Richmond Jeremy, Shaine A Morris, Anji T Yetman, Catherine Boileau, Alan C Braverman, Guillaume Jondeau, Dianna M Milewicz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Heritable thoracic aortic disease is due to altered genes that confer a highly penetrant risk for thoracic aortic aneurysm and dissection, and a subset of these genes also cause aneurysms and dissections of peripheral arteries beyond the aorta. Arterial aneurysms, dissections, and ruptures are associated with pathogenic variants (PVs) in COL3A1, which is responsible for vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, but arterial events are rare in Marfan syndrome due to PVs in FBN1, and poorly characterized in Loeys-Dietz syndrome due to PVs in the transforming growth factor (TGF)-β pathway genes.

Objectives: This study sought to define the relative risk of arterial …

Fantasy Novels, Romance, And Book Boyfriends: Romantic Views And Expectations Of Young Adult Women, Kennedy Dawn Morris

Theses and Dissertations

Despite its drop in popularity, reading is a pastime that is enjoyed by many. As with other forms of media, there is the question of how consuming literature impacts individuals. This research study examines how reading fantasy novels impacts the romantic views and expectations of women in emerging adulthood. Social comparison theory and parasocial relationships were utilized in order to examine how young adult women compare their relationships and relationship ideals to those of fictional characters, as well as how young adult women decide which fictional relationships and/or characters are worth their admiration. The findings of this study suggest that …

Physical And Chemical Characterization Of Recycled Glass Sand For Environmental Restoration, Shehbaz Ahmad, Julie P. Vanegas, Nicholas Borne, Natalia Butler, Toby Mendels, Leah A. Michaeloff, Diego Molina, Mary Salvaggio, Samantha Tamayo, Franziska Trautmann

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

Introduction

We rely on coastal resources for food, water, and energy. However, over 75% of U.S. coastlines are eroding. Concurrently, the U.S. recycles less glass than other developed countries, landfilling hundreds of millions of tons every year. Recycled glass sand has many potential benefits over natural sand for combatting land loss; for example, it can be produced with controlled particle size to better resist erosion, making it an excellent—and underutilized—material for environmental restoration.

Objectives

This research compares the physical and chemical properties of recycled glass sand to natural sands (beach and dredge) from the U.S. Gulf Coast to assess environmental …

Bioresorbable Endoluminal Prosthesis For Medium And Large Vessels, Martin Bocks, Jaroslaw W. Drelich, Jeremy Goldman, Ehsan Mostaed

Michigan Tech Patents

An endoluminal prosthesis includes an implantable scaffold and/or stent substrate which is convertible from a compressed first geometric shape to a radially dilated dimensionally stable second tubular second geometric shape, the scaffold and/or stent substrate comprising a bioresorbable zinc alloy, the zinc alloy including at least at least four alloying elements selected from the group consisting of silver (Ag) in an amount of about 1.0 wt. % to about 6.0 wt. %, manganese (Mn) in an amount of about 0.1 wt. to about 2.0 wt. %, zirconium (Zr) in an amount of about 0.05 wt. % to about 1.0 wt. …

Decreased Proliferation Of Hepg2 Liver Cancer Cells In Vitro And Exhibited Proteomic Changes In Vivo In Subjects With Metabolic Syndrome And Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease Who Performed Four-Week Dawn-To-Dusk Dry Fasting, Ayse L Mindikoglu, Kristin Eckel-Mahan, Antone R Opekun, Mustafa M Alzubaidi, Zoe R Crochet, Prasun K Jalal, Sung Yun Jung

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Background: Four-week dawn-to-dusk dry fasting (DDDF) was previously shown to have a potent anti-inflammatory effect and induce an anti-tumorigenic proteome in the serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in subjects without cancer. The study goal was to determine if serum obtained from these subjects without cancer who underwent 4-week DDDF has an anti-tumorigenic effect.

Methods: HepG2 cells were treated with serum collected from four individuals with metabolic syndrome and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and four healthy individuals who performed 4-week DDDF. The objective was to assess cell proliferation/viability in HepG2 cells treated with non-fasted and dry-fasted serum and …

Lived Experiences Of Black African Non-Denominational Pastor’S Perceptions, Attitudes, And Beliefs Of Mental Health, And Their Referral Practice In The United States, Esther Paul

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The high frequency of mental health issues within the Black African Christians communities and the insufficient use of mental health resources, was the driving forces for this study. This qualitative study aimed to explore the attitudes, beliefs, and lived experiences of non-denominational Black African pastors on mental health and identified potential barriers to mental health care and create culturally appropriate solutions by investigating their experiences. The theoretical basis of this study was centered on Goffman’s social stigma theory, which was created by Erwin Goffman, the social identity theory (SIT), and the role identity theory, the latter which served as the …

Effective Strategies For Empowering Women In Aerospace: Shaping The Future Of Leadership, Mariel R. Forster

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Some aerospace leaders face challenges in implementing effective strategies to advance women in leadership roles in the industry. Executive leaders are concerned with the lack of strategies to retain women, which contributes to their underrepresentation in aerospace leadership. Grounded in transformational leadership theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry was to explore the strategies aerospace leaders use to advance women in aerospace leadership. The participants were seven aerospace leaders from the Southeastern United States who had implemented successful retention strategies. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and a review of public documents. Through thematic analysis eight themes were identified: …

Exploring Strategies In Manufacturing To Reduce Loss Of Workers And The Costs Associated With Turnover, Aaron Sterrett

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

High employee turnover rates in the U.S. manufacturing firms create significant operational and financial challenges. Leaders of U.S. manufacturing firms seek to address employee turnover, which threatens productivity, profitability, and long-term sustainability. Grounded in the competing values framework, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry project aimed to identify and explore manufacturers' efficient management strategies to reduce employee turnover. The participants were five individuals who work in different management roles within the manufacturing industry and have assisted in developing successful employee retention strategies. Data were collected using semistructured interviews and a review of organizational information. Four themes were identified during qualitative coding analysis: …

Impact Of Military-Related Moves On Spousal Perinatal Depression Screening And Mental Health Services, Chambraia Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Maternal depression, including perinatal depression (PND), poses significant public health risks to women, infants, and families. Although routine PND screening is recommended, limited research has examined screening and referrals among military spouses, an underserved population affected by frequent relocations and deployments. This study examined how permanent change of station (PCS) frequency affects PND screening and referrals to mental health services. Grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological model and the CDC’s social ecological model of health, eight research questions explored associations between PCS frequency, PND screening, referrals, and the moderating roles of military branch and deployment status. A quantitative cross-sectional design was used …

Which Adolescents Benefit Most From Positive Psychology Interventions: Examining The Common Factors Of Therapeutic Change, Nicolette Bauermeister

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The literature has found positive psychology interventions to be effective at improving the subjective well-being of youth (Tejada-Gallardo et al., 2020). Further research is needed to identify variables such as common factors of change that could be contributing to whether youth report improved outcomes after participating in a positive psychology intervention. This study examined common factors of therapeutic change as predictors for outcomes such as positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction, which are components of subjective well-being. This dissertation aimed to fill the gap in the literature regarding common factors of change as predictors of outcomes in school-based positive …

On Some Hypergraph Coloring Algorithms, Boyoon Lee

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Of a given bipartite graph G = (V, E), it is elementary to construct a bipartition in timeO(|V |+|E|). For a given k-graph H = H(k) with k ≥ 3 fixed, Lovász proved that deciding whether H is bipartite is NP-complete. In this thesis, we consider the average running time of this problem. For that, let B_n = (B^(k))_n be the collection (family) of all bipartite k-graphs H on the fixed vertex set [n] = {1, ...., n}. We construct, of a given H ∈ B_n, a bipartition in time averaging O(n^k) over the class B_n. We provide two proofs …

Derrida's Religious Secret, Dylan Joseph Scott

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Derrida rethought the metaphysics of presence by deconstructing or rereading texts as literature according to the nonpresent play of différance. I present Derrida’s absolute secret as a distinct figure of nonpresence nowhere hidden and unknowable in principle. This absolute secret is reflected in the secret of literature: literature does not mean to say anything [ne pas vouloir dire]. It is also reflected in the secret of responsibility: every other (one) is every (bit) other [tout autre est tout autre]; one is absolutely responsible, in secret, to every other wholly other in secret. As figures of the nonpresent absolute secret, these …

Association Of Anthropometric Indices With Rs9939609 Fto Gene Polymorphism Among Overweight/Obese Women With Breast Cancer: A Case-Control Study, Huma Naqeeb, Bismillah Sehar, Sami Siraj, Ali Madi Almajwal, Bibi Hajira, Moez Al Islam Faris, Sharifa Alblooshi, Ali Saad R. Alsubaie, Mahpara Safdar, Iftikhar Alam, Falak Zeb

All Works

Background/objectives: Fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene and anthropometric measurements might be associated with breast cancer (BC) risk. This study aimed to assess the interactions between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs9939609 of the FTO gene, anthropometric indices, and BC risk among pre- and post-menopause women with overweight/obesity in Pakistan. Methods: This retrospective case–control study conducted on a convenience sample of 200 women divided into two groups: a case group comprised of 100 women diagnosed with BC, and control group comprised of 100 (age and menopausal status matched healthy women). Physical activity was assessed using validated questionnaire. Data on body …

The Labor Supply Curve Is Upward Sloping: The Effects Of Immigrant-Induced Demand Shocks, Sigurd Galaasen, Andreas Kostøl, Joan Monras, Jonathan Vogel

Upjohn Institute Working Papers

What is the effect of immigration on native labor-market outcomes? An extensive literature identifies the differential impact of immigration on natives employed in jobs that are more exposed to immigrant labor (supply exposure). But immigrants consume in addition to producing output. Despite this, no literature identifies the impact on natives employed in jobs that are more exposed to immigrant consumption (demand exposure). We study native labor market effects of supply and demand exposures to immigration. Theoretically, we formalize both measures of exposure and solve for their effects on native wages. Empirically, we combine employer-employee data with a newly collected data …

Successful Treatment Of Recalcitrant Eosinophilic Pustular Folliculitis With Dupilumab, Miguel Mansilla-Polo, Fernando Navarro-Blanco, Javier López-Davia, Rafael Botella-Estrada

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF) is a chronic inflammatory condition characterised by the appearance of excoriated papules involving the face, neck, trunk, and root of limbs. It is a rare disease, and most treatments rely on reports of isolated cases or small case series. Numerous treatments have been employed throughout history, with variable effectiveness, including indomethacin, corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, dapsone, cyclosporine, tetracyclines, isotretinoin or narrowband ultraviolet B therapy. We report the successful treatment of a 77-year-old female patient who presented to a tertiary care hospital in Valencia, Spain, in 2024 with refractory EPF, which significantly affected her quality of life due …

Do Female Patients Experience Worse Outcomes Than Male Patients After Inguinal Hernia Repair? An Analysis Of The Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative Database, Amrita Iyer, Sunjay Kumar, Martina Rama, Sourav Podder, Li-Ching Huang, Sami Tannouri, Talar Tatarian, Francesco Palazzo

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most common general surgery operations. Some evidence suggests that female patients are at greater risk of chronic postoperative pain and hernia recurrence. We investigated rates of chronic inguinal pain and recurrence after inguinal hernia repair in both male and female patients using the Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative database.

METHODS: The Abdominal Core Health Quality Collaborative database was queried for patients undergoing elective, unilateral inguinal hernia repair who completed 30-day clinical follow-up and baseline and 1-year European Registry for Abdominal Wall Hernias Survey surveys. Both open and minimally invasive cases were included. …

Optimizing Costs In Plastic Surgery: A Systematic Review Of Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing Applications, Emily L. Isch, Gabrielle Kozlowski, D. Mitchell Self, Theodore E. Habarth-Morales, Sydney Somers, Ahilan Sivaganesan, David Kim, Heather A. Mcmahon, Andrew Newsman, Matthew Jenkins

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: The rising complexity and cost of healthcare in plastic surgery, particularly in resource-intensive procedures like free flap and breast reconstruction, pose significant financial challenges. Time-driven activity-based costing (TDABC) offers a method to accurately assess these costs by mapping each step of the care cycle based on time and resources consumed. Although TDABC has been utilized in high-cost fields such as neurosurgery and spine surgery, its application in plastic surgery remains underexplored. This systematic review evaluates the literature on TDABC use in plastic surgery to identify key cost drivers and propose strategies for cost-efficiency.

METHODS: A systematic review was conducted …

Creating A Us History Timeline Using H5p, Sue Ruth, Steve Martinez

OER at Tech Days

No abstract provided.

Replicating Associative Learning Of Rodents With A Neuromorphic Robot In An Open-Field Arena, Tianze Liu, Kang Jun Bai, Hongyu An

Michigan Tech Publications

This study emulates associative learning in rodents by using a neuromorphic robot navigating an open-field arena. The goal is to investigate how biologically inspired neural models can reproduce animal-like learning behaviors in real-world robotic systems. We constructed a neuromorphic robot by deploying computational models of spatial and sensory neurons onto a mobile platform. Different coding schemes—rate coding for vibration signals and population coding for visual signals—were implemented. The associative learning model employs 19 spiking neurons and follows Hebbian plasticity principles to associate visual cues with favorable or unfavorable locations. Our robot successfully replicated classical rodent associative learning behavior by memorizing …

Improving Clinical Prediction Of Pulmonary Embolism In Pregnancy And Postpartum By Modifying Wells Score With A Population Specific Risk Factor: A Retrospective Study, Maryam Al Shukri, Albayan Al Masalami, Karolina Stachyra, Elias Houari, Vaidyanathan Gowri, Sumaya Al Amri, Waoud Al Saidi, Khadija D. B. Ishaq

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Objective: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a significant cause of maternal mortality, necessitating accurate clinical prediction tools to optimise diagnosis and reduce unnecessary imaging. This study aimed to examine the Wells score’s (WS) predictive value for PE, the effect of incorporating sickle cell disease (SCD) on its predictive accuracy and to estimate prevalence of PE in pregnanct and postpartum women. Methods: This retrospective study included pregnant and postpartum women who underwent computed tomography-pulmonary angiography (CTPA) for suspected PE at two tertiary hospitals (Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and Royal Hospital in Muscat, Oman) from 2013 to 2019. The relationship between WS …

Artificial Intelligence And Autonomous Systems In Warfighting At Sea, Nicholas Kadlec

International Law Studies

Much of the debate surrounding the military use of artificial intelligence (AI) tends to focus on lethal autonomous weapons systems. Those are systems that, once activated, can select and engage targets without further human intervention; sometimes pejoratively called “killer robots.” Moreover, debates often focus on their use and risks in land warfare. This land-warfare focus tends to invoke questions about the systems’ ability to distinguish between combatants and civilians on urban battlefields and the potential for mistakes. Legal debates about the lawfulness of AI and lethal autonomous weapons systems in warfare similarly tend to focus on land warfare and thus …

Intratumoral Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio Is Mirrored By Circulating Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Kyle G Mitchell, Younghee Lee, Nathaniel Deboever, Marcelo V Negrao, Hai T Tran, Edwin Parra, Lauren Byers, Alexandre Reuben, Lorenzo Federico, Chantale Bernatchez, Jing Wang, Mara B Antonoff, Ara A Vaporciyan, Stephen G Swisher, Tina Cascone, Ignacio I Wistuba, John V Heymach, Don L Gibbons, Jianjun Zhang, Daniel J Mcgrail, Boris Sepesi, Cara L Haymaker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tumor-initiated emergency granulopoiesis results in expansion of the circulating neutrophil compartment and neutrophil recruitment into the tumor microenvironment (TME), which may in turn promote tumor progression. Although an elevated circulating neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (cNLR) has repeatedly been demonstrated to be an adverse prognostic factor in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), whether this neutrophil expansion in circulation reflects a similar relative neutrophil abundance in the TME remains unclear. We sought to characterize the relationships between cNLR and the intratumoral neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (tNLR), between tNLR and proteogenomic and immune features of NSCLC tumors, and between tNLR and prognosis.We analyzed tNLR (transcriptomic …

The Carsr Two-Component System Directly Controls Radd Expression As A Global Regulator That Senses Bacterial Coaggregation In Fusobacterium Nucleatum, Bibek G C, Chenggang Wu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Two-component systems (TCS) enable bacteria to sense and respond to environmental signals, facilitating rapid adaptation. Fusobacterium nucleatum, a key oral pathobiont, employs the CarSR TCS to modulate coaggregation with various gram-positive partners by regulating the expression of radD, encoding a surface adhesion protein, as revealed by RNA-Seq analysis. However, the direct regulation of the radD-containing operon (radABCD) by the response regulator CarR, the broader CarR regulon, and the signals sensed by this system remain unclear. In this study, chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq) identified approximately 161 CarR-enriched loci across the genome and …

Cholesterol Metabolism Regulated By Camkk2-Creb Signaling Promotes Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, Chenchu Lin, Thomas L Pulliam, Jenny J Han, Jiaqian Xu, Carlos Vera Recio, Sandi R Wilkenfeld, Yan Shi, Manoj Kushwaha, Sarah Bench, Eduardo Ruiz, Sanjanaa Senthilkumar, Jayasurya Dileep, Peter D A Shepherd, Nora M Navone, Albert R Klekers, Elizabeth M Whitley, Michael M Ittmann, Livia S Eberlin, Wenyi Wang, Daniel E Frigo

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) remains an incurable disease in need of improved treatments. CAMKK2 is an emerging therapeutic target whose oncogenic effects in prostate cancer have, to date, been largely attributed to its activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK). Here, we demonstrate that CAMKK2 promotes prostate cancer growth through an alternative downstream pathway involving CAMKI and CREB. Unbiased transcriptomics identify CREB-mediated transcription as a CAMKK2-regulated process, findings that we validate using diverse molecular, genetic, and pharmacological approaches in vitro and in vivo. CAMKK2 promotes CREB phosphorylation/activation through CAMKIα independently of AMPK, CAMKIV, or other CAMKI isoforms. Functionally, the CREB family …