Digital Commons Network^™

Leveraging Ai For Marketing Decisions: Algorithmic Targeting And Healthcare Applications, Annie Shi

Olin Business School Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

In this dissertation, I leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for making effective marketing decisions, specifically on how to measure the causal effects of targeting promotions and detecting suspicious retail buyers of opioids. In the first chapter, we propose a novel approach in measuring the true causal effects of targeting promotions. Targeting promotions on online platforms are often determined by AI algorithms, which utilize extensive customer and seller information to generate various algorithmic scores for targeting. Effective targeting, however, will lead to selection bias when evaluating the causal effects of promotions. we analyzed 2,294 promotion experiments on a major online retail platform …

Structural Covariance And Episodic Memory: Sex Differences In Schizophrenia, Delaina Brooke Cimmino

Theses and Dissertations

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic brain disease characterized by patterns of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms that interfere with daily functioning and persist throughout the lifespan. Clinical and cognitive symptoms differ between males and females with the disease, suggesting neurobiological abnormalities that vary on the basis of biological sex. The present study used high-dimensional brain mapping and network analysis procedures of cortical and limbic regions known to be involved in memory formation to investigate sex differences in brain correlates of episodic memory among patients with schizophrenia. This study analyzed multi-site archival data from 363 male (M) and 108 female (F) …

Vegf In Diabetic Retinopathy And Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Andrew Callan, Justin Z. Heckman, Giani Tah, Samantha Lopez, Laura Valdez, Andrew Tsin

School of Medicine Publications

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a key role in angiogenesis throughout the human body, influencing countless physiological and pathological processes, including tumor growth, preeclampsia, and retinal diseases such as diabetic retinopathy (DR) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In DR, VEGF promotes retinal neovascularization and intraretinal fluid accumulation, leading to complications like diabetic macular edema (DME) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Regular intravitreal anti-VEGF injections are commonly used to manage PDR and DME, though repeated treatments are often required, and efficacy can be limited. AMD, a major cause of vision loss in older adults, is characterized by either dry or …

Finance Committee Meeting - Open Session Book 05/22/2025, Uc Law Sf

2025 Board of Directors Agenda and Materials

No abstract provided.

Educational Policy Committee Meeting – Notice And Agenda 05/22/2025, Uc Law Sf

2025 Board of Directors Agenda and Materials

No abstract provided.

Educational Policy Committee Meeting – Open Session Book 05/22/2025, Uc Law Sf

2025 Board of Directors Agenda and Materials

No abstract provided.

Leveraging Conversational Ai For Adolescent Medical Financial Education, Wesley Chen, Anthony Le, Pavan Athota, Md Ashaduzzaman, Chun-Hua Tsai

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

Medical financial literacy is essential to make smart decisions in healthcare settings and prevent unanticipated financial hardships. Existing literature has shown that young adults often struggle to understand information associated with health insurance and the financial planning necessary for health-related costs. AI-driven chatbots are emerging as educational tools that have the potential to address this issue. This exploratory study examined an AI chatbot aimed at enhancing medical financial literacy among high school students. Participants engaged with the chatbot’s responses to medical financial questions while also rating the clarity, ease of use, trustworthiness, and educational value of the chatbot engagement. Our …

Conformational Change In A Four-Tetrad Dna G-Quadruplex Upon Intercalation Of A Small-Molecule Ligand Pydh2, Kailey N. Martin, Gwendolyn Lam , '24, O. Reznichenko, K. E. Brunner, M. J. Zdilla, Sawyer E. Mccarthy, Liliya A. Yatsunyk

Chemistry & Biochemistry Faculty Works

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are non-canonical DNA structures implicated in a number of biological processes. Small-molecule ligands can alter stability and folding of G4s, which can potentially be exploited for therapeutic purposes. In this work, we investigate the interaction of telomeric DNA fragment from Tetrahymena thermophila (TET25, 5′-G(TTGGGG)₄-3′) with a G4 ligand PyDH2 belonging to the bisquinolinium family. When alone, TET25 adopts a mixture of three conformations, with the most abundant being a four-tetrad hybrid G4. In the presence of PyDH2, surprisingly, TET25 folds into an antiparallel chair G4, with PyDH2 intercalated between G-tetrads 2 and 3, according to our crystal structure. …

Non-Homologous Sequence Interactions During Meiosis: Meiotic Challenges And Evolutionary Opportunities., Beth L Dumont, Mary Ann Handel

Faculty Research 2025

A hallmark of meiosis is pairing of homologous chromosomes, an event that ensures proper segregation into the gametes. Homology pairing is crucial to the formation of normal gametes, the maintenance of genomic integrity, and avoidance of aneuploidy. However, chromosomes are not completely homologous. Here we discuss two notable exceptions to homology: the mammalian sex chromosomes and centromeres. In themselves, these exceptions illustrate meiotic adaptations that both ensure correct chromosome segregation and present evolutionary opportunities. More broadly, such examples of non-homology provide a window for viewing normal mechanisms of meiotic pairing and chromosome modifications. Current analyses of mammalian meiotic chromosome dynamics …

Swosu Department Of Psychology History, Janice L. Sperle

Department of Psychology

SWOSU DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY HISTORY
1948-2025

By Janice L. Sperle

The Interplay Of Coercive Institutional Pressures, Environmental Attitudes And Perceived Behavioural Control In Adoption Of Environmental Management Accounting Among Tanzania’S Manufacturing Firms, James Dendula, Helena Thomas Haule, Henry Zeno Chalu

Business Management Review

Environmental Management Accounting (EMA) facilitates firms’ ability to identify, collect, record and evaluate environmental information critical for informed decision-making. EMA adoption is vital in controlling environmental costs, fostering innovation in eco-friendly technologies/products, and improving overall environmental performance. This study examined the drivers of EMA adoption, focusing on the influence of Coercive Institutional Pressure (CP), the mediating role of environmental attitudes and the moderating role of Perceived Behavioural Control (PBC). Data were collected from 146 manufacturing firms in Tanzania and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS v.4.0.9.5. Findings indicates that CP significantly and positively influences EMA …

Spectator 2025-05-22, Editors Of The Spectator

The Spectator

No abstract provided.

In Re: Bradley Livingston

2025 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Improving Patients' Confidence In Self-Care Management And Preventing Hospital Readmission Within 30 Days Of Discharge In The Heart Failure Population, Kelly Carroll

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

Background: Heart failure (HF) is a chronic, progressive condition and a leading cause of hospital admissions nationwide. The 30-day readmission rate for HF patients is approximately 23.4%, contributing to increased morbidity, mortality, and significant healthcare costs. Each HF-related readmission is estimated to result in a financial loss of $15,789 per patient due to reduced reimbursement from both private and public insurers. This underscores the critical need for timely follow-up care, particularly within the first 30 days post-discharge.Without adequate follow-up and patient education, many individuals lack the confidence and knowledge necessary for safe and effective self-management in the outpatient setting, …

Policy Proposal For Integrating Pediatric Mental Health Into Nursing Practice In Uganda, Giselle S. Perez

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Abstract

Background: Mental health disorders affect over 1 in 7 individuals aged 10 to 19 globally. In low- and middle-income countries like Uganda, limited access to mental health specialists and pervasive stigma exacerbate the gap in care. Nurses, often the first point of contact, typically lack adequate pediatric mental health training. The proposal aims to address this gap by equipping nurses with the knowledge and competencies to identify, intervene, and support children with mental health disorders. Purpose: This proposal advocates for implementing targeted, continuing education in pediatric mental health for Ugandan nurses. The goal is to enhance the quality of …

Beyond The Bmi: An Educational, Family-Centered Approach To Identifying Risk For Childhood Obesity, Michelle J. Mak

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Background: In the United States, the increasing prevalence of obesity has caused public health concerns. From 2017 to 2020, 14.7 million children ages 2 to 19 were considered obese. The main parameter for diagnosis is a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile on the growth chart. Additionally, overweight is defined as a BMI between the 85th and 95th percentiles. At a pediatric primary care clinic in San Diego, CA, over a third of patients are considered overweight or obese. Obesity comorbidities can include type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Overweight adolescents have a 70% likelihood of …

From Fee For Service To Outcome Based Care: A Policy Proposal To Reduce Provider Burnout In Assertive Community Treatment, Amanda M. Thompson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Manuscripts

Purpose: This project examines the impact of the fee-for-service (FFS) reimbursement models on provider burnout within Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) programs and proposes a hybrid reimbursement framework that integrates case-rate and outcome-based payment structures. The goal is to enhance care quality, improve provider retention and optimize patient outcomes by addressing financial and administrative inefficiencies inherent in the current model.

Background: Mental illness affects over 59 million U.S. adults with serious mental illness (SMI) presenting significant challenges in healthcare delivery. ACT is an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach designed to provide intensive, community-based psychiatric care to individuals with serious mental illness (SMI). However, …

A History Of Post-Roe America And Canada: From Intertwined Abortion Battles To Dobbs, Mugambi Jouet

Northwestern Journal of Human Rights

The changing landscape on abortion following Dobbs has not only sparked a vigorous debate in the United States, but also abroad. Its recriminalization in America led to an outcry in peer Western democracies, whose leaders widely condemned the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision. Yet the social and historical reasons for this international divide are poorly understood.

This Article sheds light on the question through an in-depth comparison of America and Canada from Roe to Dobbs, as the neighboring nations’ abortion histories have been intertwined in intriguing and overlooked ways. When the U.S. Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade in 1973, …

Sexual And Vegetative Recruitment Of Trembling Aspen Following A High-Severity Boreal Wildfire, Denyse A. Dawe, Ellen Whitman, Michael Michaelian, Alan J. Tepley, Marc-André Parisien

Aspen Bibliography

Background High-severity fire is rare in trembling aspen-dominated forests of the boreal region. The post-fire recruitment strategy of aspen, by either vegetative suckering or sexually (i.e., by seed), has considerable implications for subsequent forest structure, genetic diversity, and ecological resilience to shifting climatic and disturbance regimes. In this study, we take advantage of the unique opportunity provided by the Chuckegg Creek Wildfire Fire (310,000 ha) in northern Alberta, Canada, which burned at high severity through aspen stands before and after spring green-up, to document how phenology, fire severity, and stand characteristics affect recruitment one year following the fire.

Results We …

Whole Genome Sequencing Identifies Monogenic Disease In 56.1% Of Families With Early-Onset Steroid-Resistant Nephrotic Syndrome, Eman Ramadan

Pharmacy

Genetic causes of steroid-resistant-nephrotic-syndrome (SRNS) represent a rapidly growing number of monogenic diseases. The reported diagnostic yield of various studies applying genetic panels and exome-sequencing to diagnose SRNS is usually < 30%. We performed genome-sequencing in a cohort of Egyptian SRNS patients. We recruited 47 SRNS patients belonging to 41 unrelated families [28 males/19 females; median (range): 6 (0.5-22 years)]. We established a pipeline for genome sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, variant curation and protein modeling at the Egypt Center for Research and Regenerative Medicine (ECRRM). Disease-causing variants were detected in 27/47 patients (57.4%) belonging to 23/41 families (56.1%), including nine novel variants in NPHS1, NPHS2, COL4A3, MYO1E, NUP93, PLCE1, PODXL, SMARCAL1 and WT1. Novel variants were confirmed by Sanger sequencing and were segregated in families of affected patients. NPHS2 was the most common causative gene in 8/23 (34.8%) of confirmed families, followed by NPHS1, WT1, and SMARCAL1 in 2/23 families (8.7%) each. All detected missense variants were evaluated through protein modeling and were predicted deleterious. Our study expanded the spectrum of SRNS disease-causing variants and revealed a monogenic cause in 56.1% of investigated families. In our cohort, no deep intronic or regulatory variants were detected by genome-sequencing. Pursuing genetic diagnosis in SRNS patients is crucial to inform clinical decision making, genetic counseling, transplantation strategy and prenatal diagnosis thus improving clinical outcome of affected patients.

Cotton/Soybean Insect Newsletter, May 22, 2025, Jeremy K. Greene

Clemson University Cotton/Soybean Insect Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Swk 365: Social Work Practice Iii: Communities & Organizations, Sonia Brown

Open Educational Resources

Social Work Practice with Communities and Organization is the third of three foundation courses in social work practice. The social work practice sequence provides an introduction to the basic theory and methods of generalist social work practice with individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities. As a preparation for practice in the field, this third course emphasizes practice with organizations, neighborhoods and communities. Change strategies such as social action, legislative policy, citizen participation, advocacy and service development are explored. All case material is studied within the context of the values of the social work profession and the recognition of the importance …

Customer Attractiveness In Public Procurement - One Size Does Not Fit All, Kati Loijas, Aki Jaaskelainen, Elina Karttunen, Frederik G. S. Vos

Business Faculty Publications and Presentations

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to provide new insights into the differences between the attractiveness drivers in different types of public procurement (i.e. efficient, technological, adapted and experimental). Design/methodology/approach This study used a qualitative multiple-case study design. The study examined eight public procurement cases by interviewing the representatives of 18 suppliers and, through cross-case analysis, formulated a framework of customer attractiveness drivers for different types of public procurement. Findings This study reveals differences in customer attractiveness drivers between efficient, technological, adapted and experimental public procurement. This study finds that economic and market growth drivers are only sufficient for …

Spousal Bereavement Enhances Proinflammatory Cytokine Production To Acute, Psychological Stress., E Lydia Wu-Chung, Ryan L. Brown, Robert Suchting, Jensine Paoletti-Hatcher, Michelle A. Chen, Angie S. Leroy, Kyle W. Murdock, Cobi J. Heijnen, Christopher P. Fagundes

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Early widowhood is characterized by chronic stress and is associated with a higher risk of incident depression and cardiovascular-related morbidity and mortality. Peripheral inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder and atherothrombosis and may represent a common mechanism underlying widow(er)'s elevated risk for both health conditions. Chronic psychological stress sensitizes the release of proinflammatory cytokines during the peripheral stress response. The present study examined whether recent spousal bereavement enhances the inflammatory response to an acute, psychological stressor. Recently widowed older adults (n = 143) and non-widowed controls (n = 69) participated in a quasi-experimental study, during which …

Motivations To Learn English Among First-Year Undergraduate Chinese Students, Yunyu Chen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the motivations to learn English among first-year Chinese undergraduates enrolled at an American university in the southeastern United States and it is essentially grounded in theories such as Self-Determination Theory and Achievement Goal Theory. It addresses a central research question about how is motivations to learn English shaped by external and internal factors among the first-year undergraduate Chinese students? Recognizing that many Chinese students experience low levels of interest and confidence in English, the study explores internal and external factors that shape motivations, including emotional engagement, cultural and academic expectations, and supportive roles played by teachers and …

Umn Morris Announces 2025 Student Award Winners, Communications And Marketing

Campus News Archive

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Cephalic Mechanosensory Bristles In Flight Initiation Of The Oleander Hawkmoth, Daphnis Nerii, Maitri Manjunath

Theses and Dissertations

During flight, insects sense air movement past their bodies via sensory bristles distributed all over their body. These bristles provide mechanosensory feedback to their nervous system, thereby modulating wing motion to cope with ambient wind conditions. In many insect systems including locusts, moths, etc., flight can be rapidly initiated by stimulating a set of bristles called cephalic bristles on their head. Rapid initiation of flight requires diverse, distributed flight-related reflexes to be simultaneously activated.

Thus, we hypothesized that cephalic bristles directly and simultaneously trigger diverse flight-related reflexes. We tested this hypothesis using the Oleander hawkmoth, Daphnis nerii, as our study …

Exposure To And Impact Of Unhealthy Food Marketing On Adolescents And Young Adults: A Narrative Review And Research Agenda, Nicholas Freudenberg, Rositsa Ilieva

Publications and Research

Consumption of unhealthy food has become a leading cause of premature deaths and preventable illnesses around the world. Research shows that marketing by the companies that produce, distribute, and sell unhealthy foods and beverages is associated with increased consumption of these products. To date, however, limited research has focused on the cumulative exposure and impact of various modes of marketing employed to reach distinct populations. In this narrative review, we summarize 25 years of scientific evidence and findings from 108 empirical studies and 19 systematic and scoping reviews of various forms of unhealthy food marketing to adolescents (aged 13 to …

Neuroanatomical And Morphometric Differences In Children Who Stutter, Mohammad A. Khan

Honors Scholar Theses

Childhood-Onset Fluency Disorder commonly known as stuttering is a neurodevelopmental speech disorder characterized by disruptions in speech fluency. While genetic and neurobiological factors are implicated, the structural brain differences underlying stuttering remain unclear. This study investigated neuroanatomical alterations in children who stutter (CWS) compared to typically fluent children (TFC), focusing on gray matter volume, cortical thickness, and surface area in speech-related regions; the Inferior Frontal Gyrus, Middle Temporal Gyrus, and Pre-motor Operculum. High-resolution MRI data from 100 children (48 CWS, 52 TFC) aged 3–12 years were analyzed using FreeSurfer. Group comparisons revealed no statistically significant differences in cortical thickness, surface …

Integration Of Sensors And Actuators In Mechanical Systems For Makerspace Applications, Nathalie Morton

Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study

This independent study developed and implemented a workshop for the SLMP Makerspace that introduced microprocessors and actuators by guiding beginner makers through building a tilt- controlled marble maze using the Adafruit Circuit Playground Express (CPX). Participants learned to integrate the CPX’s onboard accelerometer with servo motors to control the maze’s movement, while gaining foundational skills in wiring and programming using Circuit Python or Arduino IDE. The workshop was designed to be accessible for those new to microprocessor integration, while still offering a meaningful introduction to core concepts in sensor-driven systems. It complements a Makerspace training module on Sensors and Actuators, …