Digital Commons Network^™

Efficient Fully Bayesian Approach To Brain Activity Mapping With Complex-Valued Fmri Data, Zhengxin Wang, Daniel B. Rowe, Xinyi Li, D. Andrew Brown

Mathematical and Statistical Science Faculty Research and Publications

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) enables indirect detection of brain activity changes via the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal. Conventional analysis methods mainly rely on the real-valued magnitude of these signals. In contrast, research suggests that analyzing both real and imaginary components of the complex-valued fMRI (cv-fMRI) signal provides a more holistic approach that can increase power to detect neuronal activation. We propose a fully Bayesian model for brain activity mapping with cv-fMRI data. Our model accommodates temporal and spatial dynamics. Additionally, we propose a computationally efficient sampling algorithm, which enhances processing speed through image partitioning. Our approach is shown to be …

The Imposition Of Constitutional Rights, Alvin Padilla-Babilonia

Faculty Publications

One of the central principles of constitutionalism is that citizenship stands for equal rights under the law. According to this ideal, a U.S. citizen living in Puerto Rico or Guam should have the same constitutional rights as a citizen living on the mainland. However, throughout U.S. history, constitutional rights have been neither uniform nor centralized. While constitutional rights held im- portance, they coexisted with ideals of democratic self-governance and legal pluralism. Today, Supreme Court justices and legal scholars argue that all constitutional rights should apply in the territories. This view upholds citizenship, equal rights, and the rule of law. But …

Cdc’S Core Elements To Promote Diagnostic Excellence, Daniel J Morgan, Hardeep Singh, Arjun Srinivasan, Andrea Bradford, L Clifford Mcdonald, Preeta K Kutty

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Nearly a decade after the National Academy of Medicine released the "Improving Diagnosis in Health Care" report, diagnostic errors remain common, often leading to physical, psychological, emotional, and financial harm. Despite a robust body of research on potential solutions and next steps, the translation of these efforts to patient care has been limited. Improvement initiatives are still narrowly focused on selective themes such as diagnostic stewardship, preventing overdiagnosis, and enhancing clinical reasoning without comprehensively addressing vulnerable systems and processes surrounding diagnosis. To close this implementation gap, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the Core Elements of …

Challenges And Opportunities Of Acquiring Cortical Recordings For Chronic Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation, Jeffrey Herron, Aura Kullmann, Timothy Denison, Wayne K Goodman, Aysegul Gunduz, Wolf-Julian Neumann, Nicole R Provenza, Maryam M Shanechi, Sameer A Sheth, Philip A Starr, Alik S Widge

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Deep brain stimulation (DBS), a proven treatment for movement disorders, also holds promise for the treatment of psychiatric and cognitive conditions. However, for DBS to be clinically effective, it may require DBS technology that can alter or trigger stimulation in response to changes in biomarkers sensed from the patient's brain. A growing body of evidence suggests that such adaptive DBS is feasible, it might achieve clinical effects that are not possible with standard continuous DBS and that some of the best biomarkers are signals from the cerebral cortex. Yet capturing those markers requires the placement of cortex-optimized electrodes in addition …

Screening For Oropharyngeal Cancer: The Time Is Now, Kristina R Dahlstrom, Erich M Sturgis, Karen S Anderson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Screening For Oropharyngeal Cancer: The Time Is Now, Kristina R Dahlstrom, Erich M Sturgis, Karen S Anderson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Optimal Delay Time To Initiate Anticoagulation After Ischemic Stroke In Atrial Fibrillation: A Pragmatic, Response-Adaptive Randomized Clinical Trial, Steven J Warach, Lisa A Davis, Patrick Lawrence, Byron Gajewski, Jo Wick, Fred Shi, Ty T Shang, Daiwai M Olson, Sidarrth Prasad, Lee Birnbaum, Jody M Richardson, Sean I Savitz, Mark P Goldberg, Salvador Cruz-Flores, Israel Alba, Jane Anderson, Barbara Kimmel, Chethan P Venkatasubba Rao, Ben King, Adrienne N Dula, Truman J Milling

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Clinical practice guidelines recommend initiation of anticoagulation within 2 weeks after stroke with atrial fibrillation. It is unknown whether there is an optimal starting day within the 14-day period that balances the risks of recurrent embolic events against serious hemorrhagic events.

Objective: To determine if there is an optimal delay time to initiate treatment with a direct oral anticoagulant after atrial fibrillation-related stroke that minimizes the risk of a composite outcome of ischemic or hemorrhagic events.

Design, setting, and participants: This phase 2, pragmatic, response-adaptive randomized clinical trial was conducted between June 2017 and June 2023 at acute care …

Pediatric Predictive Artificial Intelligence Implemented In Clinical Practice From 2010 To 2021: A Systematic Review, Swaminathan Kandaswamy, Lindsey A Knake, Adam C Dziorny, Sean M Hernandez, Allison B Mccoy, Lauren M Hess, Evan Orenstein, Mia S White, Eric S Kirkendall, Matthew J Molloy, Philip A Hagedorn, Naveen Muthu, Avinash Murugan, Jonathan M Beus, Mark Mai, Brooke Luo, Juan D Chaparro

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

To review pediatric artificial intelligence (AI) implementation studies from 2010 to 2021 and analyze reported performance measures.We searched PubMed/Medline, Embase CINHAL, Cochrane Library CENTRAL, IEEE, and Web of Science with controlled vocabulary. Inclusion criteria: AI intervention in a pediatric clinical setting that learns from data (i.e., data-driven, as opposed to rule-based) and takes actions to make patient-specific recommendations; published between 01/2010 and 10/2021; must have agency (AI must provide guidance that affects clinical care, not merely running in the background). We extracted study characteristics, target users, implementation setting, time span, and performance measures.Of 126 articles reviewed as full text, 17 …

“The Gun’S Not Mine!”: The Admissibility Of Defendants’ Exculpatory Hearsay Statements Under Federal Rules Of Evidence 803(2) & (3), Faustino S. Galante

Fordham Law Review Online

Exculpatory hearsay statements made by criminal defendants often warrant admission under the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE) as excited utterances, under Rule 803(2), or as statements reflecting a then-existing state of mind, under Rule 803(3). Nevertheless, defendants often struggle to have their exculpatory statements admitted pursuant to these rules—even when those statements fulfill their categorical requirements.

This Comment surveys the different approaches courts take to determine whether exculpatory hearsay statements made by criminal defendants are admissible under Rules 803(2) and (3). It argues that courts too often misapply these rules to exclude defendants’ exculpatory statements. In particular, courts counteract the …

An Electoral College Compromise Constitutional Amendment: Bridging Partisan Divides To Improve Presidential Elections, John Rogan

Fordham Law Review Online

Abolishing the Electoral College in favor of using a national popular vote to elect the president and vice president is unlikely to attract sufficient bipartisan support to reach the high thresholds for amending the U.S. Constitution. However, the Electoral College has flawed features that both Democrats and Republicans might support reforming because those defects can undermine either party’s candidates. This Essay highlights three such defects. First, contingent elections—a process by which Congress selects the president and vice president if no ticket wins a majority of electoral votes—are deeply unrepresentative of the American electorate while also being subject to unpredictable dysfunction …

Evaluating The Ncaa’S Responsiveness To Tampering In The Nil Era, Josh Lens

Fordham Law Review Online

Recent and significant changes in college athletics have led to an increase in the number of athletes who transfer between universities. This requires college coaches to expend significant effort retaining key athletes, especially in the face of widespread “tampering”—recruiting athletes enrolled at other universities who are not in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) transfer portal. Despite NCAA rules explicitly forbidding it, coaches have been outspoken regarding the prevalence of tampering, with some going so far as to publicly beg the NCAA to more strictly enforce its anti-tampering rules.

This Essay scrutinizes whether the oft-maligned NCAA has been responsive to …

Development Of Copper-Catalyzed Alkylboron Oxidative Homocoupling​, Kenni Proctor, Andrew Baggett Phd, Dan Khazaei, Katie Russel

Linfield University Student Symposium: A Celebration of Scholarship and Creative Achievement

Carbon-carbon bonds are one of the most common bonds in organic chemistry. Alkyl boron coupling has been heavily studied but there is a gap with Csp3-Csp3 bonds made with boron reagents. Csp³ bonds are extremely relevant to organic chemistry and organic synthesis. The goal of this project is to optimize a Csp3-Csp³ copper catalyzed homocoupling with a boron reagent and generalize the reaction. To develop this reaction the alkyl boron reagent was synthesized with a Grignard reaction and the copper catalyzed reductive oxidation was screened at different temperatures and the products were analyzed with NMR spectroscopy. Progress will …

Development Of Al Ain Flash Flood Risk Maps Utilizing High-Resolution And Accurate Remote Sensing Data, Khaled Khamis Al Arfati

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

Al Ain City has undergone significant land use transformations from 1992 to 2022, marked by a population increase of over 50% and extensive development activities. This period has seen the construction of new residential areas, infrastructure, and commercial establishments, as well as enhancements to green spaces. An analysis of the Digital Terrain Model (DTM) revealed an 83% alteration in the terrain due to urbanization and shifting sand dunes, with most elevation changes under 5 meters. The primary aim of this dissertation is to develop accurate flash flood risk maps for Al Ain using high-resolution remote sensing data. This research highlights …

Investigation Of Control Strategies For Swing-Up Maneuver Of A Double Inverted Pendulum On Rotating Link, Abdulrahman Mohammad Rahmani

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This thesis is concerned with investigation of the swing-up control problem of underactuated mechanical systems namely the double rotary inverted pendulum using the optimal control theory. The research aims to develop a robust controller to achieve the swing-up and stabilization of the pendulum in the upright unstable equilibrium position while regulating the angular displacement of the rotating arm and the two pendulum angles. The performance of the designed controller was evaluated through numerical simulations in the MATLAB/Simulink environment. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted and the challenges that researchers face in the control of underactuated mechanical systems were …

Religious Freedom In The Ussr After The Russian Orthodox Church Restoration In September 1943: Us Viewpoint, Eduard Khodun

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article deals with the reaction of American society to changes in the religious policy of the Soviet Union during World War II. After the reestablishment of the Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in September 1943, assessments of the state of religious freedom in the USSR ranged from optimistic, which considered this event as a relaxation of restrictions or even the beginning of a new type of relationship between the regime and religious communities, to deep skepticism, which was determined by the awareness of the true motives and goals of the Soviet leadership. The Kremlin's decision was seen as …

School Leadership Insights And Practices: Understanding Bullying Prevention Strategies Among Educational Teachers In Private And Public Schools Across The Uae, Wissal Mohsen

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This thesis investigates the detrimental effects of bullying on students, including impacts on their mental health, academic performance, and overall well-being. Addressing this issue necessitates a proactive strategy involving school leaders, teachers, and parents. Data were collected through a questionnaire, with selected items employing a 5-point Likert scale and others utilizing a multiple-choice format. Analysis was conducted using SPSS software, encompassing statistical tests such as descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, t tests, and logistic binary regression. The t test indicated that leadership practices implemented to prevent bullying in both public and private schools were highly effective and statistically significant (p < .05). This research contributes to understanding how school leadership and teacher involvement influence the efficacy of bullying prevention strategies. By incorporating quantitative methodologies, the study provides a comprehensive examination of school policies, bullying awareness initiatives, and reporting systems. Findings highlight the importance of adopting context-specific approaches to bolster bullying prevention efforts within schools. Future research combining qualitative and quantitative analyses may yield deeper insights into real-world challenges encountered in bullying intervention strategies, thereby bridging the gap between policy formulation and practical implementation to ensure anti-bullying programs are effective and culturally relevant.

Estimation Of Breach Hydrograph Resulting From Dam Embankment Failure Due To Internal Erosion Or Overtopping: Comparison Of Simplified Methods With Real-Case Failure Data And Recommendations, Laurent Del Gatto, Jean-Robert Courivaud

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

The opening of a breach in an embankment dam, whether due to overtopping or internal erosion, is a critical failure mode for these structures. Estimating the resulting breach hydrograph is essential for assessing downstream risks. While no universal physical model covers all dam types, empirical formulas are commonly used. EDF analyzed 14 such formulas, comparing them with rupture data from 32 embankment dam failures. The best formulas - Froehlich 1995, Xu & Zhang 2009, and CLF 2020 - yield a “best estimate” for peak flow. However, due to variability, results should be interpreted cautiously. Consider estimating breach characteristics like width …

Breach Modeling Flume Tests, R. M. Monteiro-Alves, R. Moran, M. Á. Toledo, M. Morris, C. Picault, J-R. Courivaud

5th International Seminar on Dam Protections Against Overtopping

From previous flume tests conducted in the framework of the OVERCOME Project, intended to investigate the effect of different soil materials, overflow discharges, and upstream face watertightness on the breaching processes of overflowed levee sections, we determined the need for further investigation on the effect of test repeatability, content of fines and armouring caused by the coarser particles. This document presents the results of this new set of tests which have shown an impact of these variables on the breach macro erosion processes, erosion rates and breach dimensions.

Exploring Host Range Of Klebsiella Pneumonia, Ashlyn Berra

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Bacteriophages, or phages, are viruses that target bacteria. Lytic phages cause the bacteria to lyse (cell death). Klebsiella pneumoniae is a bacterium that is associated with severe urinary tract infections. Some K. pneumoniae are hypervirulent—causing difficult-to-treat infections. Lytic phages of K. pneumoniae can functionally limit bacteria populations. This project explores this dynamic. Strains of K. pneumoniae were mixed with soft agar and poured onto LB plates. The viruses were then spotted in the soft agar cultures. Lysis of bacteria causes clearings after virus introduction. Successful phages could be used in a clinical setting as infection treatment.

Navigating Trust And Engagement: The Impact Of Misinformation Moderation On User Perception And Biometric Response, Miranda Duffy, Farheen Saiyed, Haley Salas, Angelika Tokarczyk

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Misinformation on social media influences public opinion, shaping beliefs, behaviors, and policy decisions. Platforms have implemented varying misinformation warning messages to curb “fake news,” but their impact on user trust and engagement remains unclear. Our research examines how different misinformation content moderation approaches influence users' perceptions and biometric responses related to attention and affective states. We propose a within-subject experimental study with three conditions: platform-driven moderation, community-driven moderation, and no moderation. By comparing these, we assess user reactions to misinformation warnings. Using eye-tracking, galvanic skin response (GSR), and facial expression analysis, we explore how these responses relate to users’ trust …

Building Food System Resiliency And Sustainability: Ses Urban Agriculture Internship, Emma Pierce

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This poster presentation will outline the roles and responsibilities of an SES Urban Agriculture Intern, the ways in which it supports local food system efforts, and why it is essential to work for our community. Our production practices include growing mushrooms, managing greenhouse hydroponic/aquaponics systems, farmers market sales, and outdoor garden production. This internship develops leaders in the food system, teaches technical knowledge on sustainable cultivation, and aims to support urban agriculture efforts across Chicago.

Immigration Law Insights: My Internship At Borjas Law Group Llc, Keila Moncada

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

During my internship at Borjas Law Group Llc, I had the opportunity to immerse myself in the fascinating field of immigration law. I learned to assist in preparing legal documents, researching cases, and communicating with clients about their immigration situations. Additionally, I worked on developing strategies to help clients obtain their developing practical skills and a deep understanding of immigration laws, as well as the importance of providing support to those seeking a new beginning in the United States.

Enhanced Quantitation Of Amine Drug Derivatives By Gc-Ms Analysis, Wardah Shabbir, Jenna Micor, Sonya Proce

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Many controlled substances fall into the family of compounds known as amines. Analysis of these drugs in crime labs represents about 30% of all drug

exhibits in the US. Confirmatory and quantitative analysis is typically

performed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

The highly polar nature of the drugs causes strong interactions with surfaces

such as the inlet and stationary phase in the GC; these interactions are

problematic, especially for quantitation. Our laboratory has discovered that

improved chromatographic behavior and detector response can be achieved via

derivatization of the basic nitrogen with alkanoic anhydrides.

Opencaps: An Open Source System For Evaluating Context-Based Authentication Protocols, Luke T. Niemeyer

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Zero Involvement Authentication (ZIA) is a technique for automatically authenticating computers to networks. Many ZIA research systems lack a realistic evaluation, and ZIA publications often lack comparison to existing work because hardware and software are difficult to replicate. OpenCAPS enables ZIA researchers to compare new implementations to existing work.

Modeling Fast Fashion Dynamics With Differential Equations, Itzel Rosas

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Fast fashion contributes to environmental degradation, yet its full impact remains unclear due to limited data. Initially, we modeled overproduction using a logistic growth model but transitioned to a two-variable system due to data constraints. We applied a competing species Lotka-Volterra model to exam- ine the dynamic between fast fashion and thrift stores. This research explores the unexpected mutualistic relationship between these industries.

Assembly And Annotation Of The Shortnose Gar Mitogenome, Benjamin Moginot

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is an emerging technique that ascertains species presence by collecting DNA that is shed by organisms and deposited in the environment. eDNA methods rely on the availability of genomes for target species, and the mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) is frequently used due to its abundance in the environment compared to nuclear DNA. One of the shortcomings of current eDNA work is the lack of mitogenomes against which to reference collected DNA samples. To help rectify this, I assembled and annotated the mitochondrial genome of the shortnose gar (Lepisosteus platostomus), a fish extant in the Mississippi River …

Optimizing Parasport: A Comparative Study On Experience And Perception Variance Across Practiced Models, Aidan Crawford

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Organizations that provide sport for people with disabilities (referred to as parasport) have evolved significantly over the past century, with various models shaping the experiences of athletes with disabilities. Previous research examining parasport has mainly looked at participation barriers and individual outcomes of physical health or psychological well-being; however, little research has examined how different organizational models of parasport influence athlete experiences and perceptions. The purpose of this study is to examine three distinct models of parasport--mixed participant approach (MPA), segregated disability sport (SDS), and adaptive sports (AS)-- to assess their potential in providing equitable, enjoyable, and health-promoting experiences for …

Enhancing Personal Writing Using Artificial Intelligence: Does Creativity Influence The Usability Of Artificial Intelligence Interfaces?, Anna Buttell, August Decz

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Creativity, the ability to use imagination to solve complex problems (Kupers et al., 2018), is essential for prosperity. Many questions remain about how AI affects human creative capacity and control (O’Toole, 2024). In this study, we will evaluate whether human creativity impacts the creativity of AI generated text. Using performance-based measures of intelligence and creativity, we will assess human creativity and apply Semantic Distance methods to evaluate essays written with and without the assistance of a static AI model (Reilly, Jamie, et al., 2022). This will allow us to examine how human-AI collaboration impacts the output from AI.

Ic Writing Center Expansion Proposal, Norah Al-Hallaj, Olivia Beben, Faadil Syed, Guillermo Ordonez

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

The Writing Center is an incredible asset to Loyola students, aiding with a wide range of writing issues across many subjects. However, its current layout falls short of optimizing student and tutor success. Its main problem is the consistent impact of outside noise-disrupting sessions. We propose to fill the gaps between the ceiling and the walls in the rooms used by the Writing Center. By making this practical change, the Writing Center can better support its students and tutors, improving the overall satisfaction of the program in the future.

Caregivers’ Verbal And Nonverbal Input On Spanish-English Bilingual Children’S Word Learning, Nikki Tsolakidis, Anmol Patel

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

We examined the relation of caregivers’ verbal and nonverbal input on bilingual children’s word learning. 45 caregiver-child dyads (Female=17) were video-recorded (75-minutes). At child-age 18-months (M=18.68; SD=1.12), caregivers’ non-verbal input was coded as communicative hand/head movements (gestures). Caregivers’ verbal input was words used and verbal responses to children’s gestures. At child-age 24-months (M=36.90; SD=0.66), word learning was calculated as words produced (video-recorded, caregiver report). Analyses showed caregivers’ nonverbal input was related to children’s Spanish words (p < 0.05). On-going analyses examine the relation of caregivers’ verbal input on children’s words.