Digital Commons Network^™

Quality Of Life After Myocardial Infarction In The Pakistani Population – Insights From A Single-Center Cohort Study, Javerya Hassan, Manzar Abbas, Hajra Arshad, Angelina Jessani, Izza Tahir, Shiza Qazi, Jasmit Shah, Zul Merali, Zainab Samad

Brain and Mind Institute

Background Health-related Quality of life (HRQoL) assessment is essential for optimizing patient care, treatment adjustments, and medical decision-making, particularly in post-Myocardial Infarction (MI) patients, but limited data exists on HRQOL post-MI from Pakistan. This study aimed to assess HRQoL and its determinants in the Pakistani population.

Methods A single-center cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Patients≥18 years old with a primary diagnosis of acute MI (ICD-9 codes: 410.0-410.9 and ICD-10 codes: 121.0- 121.9) discharged from the Cardiology Service from January 2019 to December 2020 who could be contacted and consented to participate were included. …

Guidelines For The Standardization Of Pre-Analytical Variables For Salivary Biomarker Studies In Alzheimer's Disease Research: An Updated Review And Consensus Of The Salivary Biomarkers For Dementia Research Working Group, Ted K. S. Ng, Chinedu Momoh, Mei-Ann Lim, Helena Sophia Gleerup, Wayne Leifert, Catherine Ajalo, Nicholas Ashton, Henrik Zetterberg, Robert A. Rissman, Charisse N. Winston

Brain and Mind Institute

There is a pressing need for accessible biomarkers with high diagnostic accuracy for Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis to facilitate widespread screening, particularly in underserved groups. Saliva is an emerging specimen for measuring AD biomarkers, with distinct contexts of use that could complement blood and cerebrospinal fluid and detect various analytes. An interdisciplinary, international group of AD and related dementias (ADRD) researchers convened and performed a narrative review of published studies on salivary AD biomarkers. We critically appraised the current state of the literature, examining both consistencies and discrepancies in existing pre-analytical variables and methodologies. We discussed how various pre-analytical variables …

Factors Associated With Tuberculosis Drug Resistance Among Presumptive Multidrug Resistance Tuberculosis Patients Identified In A Drtb Surveillance Study In Western Kenya, Albert Okumu, James Orwa, Ruth Sitati, Isaiah Omondi, Ben Odhiambo, Jeremiah Ogoro, George Oballa, Benjamin Ochieng, Steve Wandiga, Collins Ouma

Population Health, East Africa

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is caused by M. tuberculosis (Mtb) with resistance to the first-line anti-TB medicines isoniazid (INH) and rifampicin (RIF). In Western Kenya, there is reported low prevalence of drug resistant strains among HIV tuberculosis patients, creating a need to determine factors associated with drug resistance patterns among presumptive MDR-TB patients. To determine factors associated with drug resistance patterns among presumptive MDR-TB patients in western Kenya. Three hundred and ninety (3 9 0) sputum sample isolates from among presumptive multidrug TB patients, were analyzed for TB drug resistance as per Ministry of Health (MoH) TB program diagnostic …

Digital Synthesis And Music Making : A Comprovisational Approach To Music Making Through Digital Synthesis And Sound Manipulation, Joshua Cusack

Postgraduate

This exegesis documents my practice and process through the development and production of three albums of electronic music. Employing a methodology where the exploration of sound design drives the music making process. I used experimental music making approaches and “practice-led research” methodologies to make these creative works (Smith & Dean, 2009, p. 5). Through the exploration of the sound design process, I developed a methodology that enables the creation of musical material to serve as the foundation for the pieces I produced. Exploring iterative processes in music making, I employed a “Comprovisational” approach (Dale, 2008, p.5). Listening while recording, I …

Rwu Law Alumni Association Holiday Reception December 4, 2024, Roger Williams University School Of Law

School of Law Conferences, Lectures & Events

No abstract provided.

Rwu Law Alumni Newsletter December 2024, Roger Williams University School Of Law, Pbn Connect, Edward Fitzpatrick, Danna Lorch

RWU Law

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Influence Of Black Male Graduates’ Cross-Racial Relationships On Social Engagement During Their Undergraduate Years At A Predominantly White Institution, Dominique Fowler

Education Doctoral

With a sample of 12 Black male college graduates, the purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influenced the participants’ cross-racial relationships with their peers at a predominantly White institution (PWI), how stereotypes and biases affected their relationships and social engagements, and how the participants navigated power dynamics and the microaggressions that occurred within their formed and maintained cross-racial relationships during their undergraduate years. The theoretical frameworks for this study were social identity theory and contact hypothesis, which provided a foundation for examining how stereotypes, biases, power dynamics, and microaggressions affect cross-racial relationships. The findings from this …

A Talking Cart, Abdullah Bin Naeem

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This research investigates the development of a robust AI-powered detection and tracking engine aimed at revolutionizing the retail checkout experience. The foundation of this work is a comprehensive exploration of state-of-the-art Computer Vision methodologies, particularly focusing on object detection, segmentation, and tracking. The study employs a modular pipeline that integrates advanced visual recognition algorithms with a robust data processing framework.

Key to this work is the construction of a synthetic dataset using Unity3D, enabling the generation of high-quality annotated data that mirrors real-world retail scenarios. This approach addresses the challenge of insufficient labeled datasets by simulating diverse and cluttered shopping …

Sufficemi Or Life Noncyclic, Luca Van Der Heide

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of Non-Linear Filtering Techniques For Object Tracking, Shaswat Koirala

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Climate Change , House Prices And Inequality In The United States, Zeynullah Gider

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation investigates the multifaceted relationship between climate change, housing values, and inequality in the United States using county-level data from 2005 to 2022. In Chapter 1, we examine the heterogeneous impact of climate change on house prices, employing fixed-effect panel data analysis, Difference-in-Differences (DiD) with Propensity Score Matching (PSM), and fixed-effect panel quantile regressions. Findings indicate that climate change significantly impacts housing values, but this effect is not uniform. Low-value homes experience substantial price discounts due to heightened climate risk perception, while high-value homes are largely unaffected. This heterogeneity suggests that climate change poses a greater financial threat to …

Fragments Of Fire: Essays On Womanhood, Family, And Environment, Valerie Rose Palacios

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Fragments of Fire is a collection of non-fiction, memoir, and opinion essays that navigate themes of gender and societal issues, coming-of-age, generational dynamics, death, and the natural environment. Through an intricate blend of introspection, keen observation, and literary analysis, these essays offer insight into the transformative journey from girlhood to womanhood as experienced by a young Latina. This collection provides a resonant voice that bridges personal narrative with broader cultural and existential questions.

Harnessing Federated Learning For Stock Analysis And Portfolio Optimisation, Nishanth Sagar Panthangi

Theses

Financial technology is rapidly transforming, with machine learning becoming crucial in stock analysis and portfolio optimization. Traditional stock analysis faces data privacy challenges when pooling data. Federated Learning addresses this by training models collaboratively without sharing raw data. This thesis explores Federated Learning in stock analysis, focusing on optimizing portfolio strategies using client-specific data.The proposed Federated Learning framework allows entities to develop independent models while maintaining data privacy. By combining diverse trading strategies, a global model is built, enhancing adaptability and predictive accuracy. The global model achieved a 25.08% CAGR and a Sharpe ratio of 4.46, outperforming individual models, which …

Urban Colombian Youths’ Perspectives On The Armed Conflict And Possibilities For Ways Forward, Laura Pareja Conto, Gabriel M. Velez, Angelica Restrepo, Holly Recchia, Roberto Posada-Gilede, Cecilia Wainryb

College of Education Faculty Research and Publications

In the aftermath of intractable armed conflict, adolescents can play a critical role in the process of reconciliation and the construction of a culture of peace. The meanings they construct about these processes are a core aspect of their engagement (or lack thereof) in peace-building initiatives. This study sought to document adolescents' perspectives on the Colombian armed conflict and the 2016 peace treaty, as well as their preferred resolutions to move forward after decades of harm and division. We interviewed 77 adolescents (39 girls, 38 boys) ranging from ages 14 to 19 years (M = 16.49, SD = .95) …

Measuring Palatability Of Pet Food Products: Sensory Components, Evaluations, Challenges, And Opportunities, Natalia Calderon, Brittany L. White, Han-Seok Seo

Food Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The pet food industry is a growing business launching a variety of new products in the market. The acceptability or preference of pet food samples has traditionally been measured using either one-bowl or two-bowl tests. Academic researchers and professionals in the pet food industry have explored other methods, including the cognitive palatability assessment protocols and the ranking test, to evaluate more than two samples. A variety of approaches and perspectives were also utilized to predict palatability and key sensory attributes of pet foods, including descriptive sensory analysis by human-trained panelists and pet food caregivers’ perceptions of pet food. This review …

Predicting Different Psychological Profiles Amongst Substance Users., Zach J. Gray

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are some of the most prevalent issues facing society. As SUDs are highly individualized in how they manifest, recent work has attempted to classify distinct profiles of drug users to better understand what factors put someone at risk for shifting from casual substance use to developing a substance use disorder (SUD). Common risk factors for SUD development include stressor exposure, difficulties with emotion regulation, personality, and risky decision-making. As many of the behaviors that constitute SUDs are exhibited prior to potential diagnosis, developing “profiles” that combine these traits and experiences could eventually predict SUDs. The current …

Encapsulation Of Probiotics By Cellulose Nanocrystal-Alginate Composite Beads For Ph Stimuli-Responsive Delivery, Akrip Jati

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Microencapsulation has garnered significant interest, with oral probiotics delivery systems showing enormous potential to help restore the gut microbiome. This method holds vast potential to protect and release specific microbial strains to the desired target site (i.e., colon) within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). However, current encapsulation methodologies, utilizing either synthetic or biological materials as carriers, encounter challenges such as suboptimal encapsulation efficiency, premature probiotic release, and inadequate control over release kinetics. In this work, hydrogel microsphere (HM) composites of different cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) forms (i.e., colloidal (c), and crosslinked (x)) and alginate (ALG) were used as advanced controlled release systems …

A Single Session Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy In A Group Format To Promote Health-Related Behavior Change In Nutrition And Sleep: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Thi Anh Tran

Dissertations

Nutrition and sleep are important health-related behaviors for which only a small percentage of the population meet recommended guidelines. To impact population-health it is important to develop focused, flexible, efficient, and efficacious interventions. This study examined the efficacy of a 60-minute Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) intervention in a group presentation format to initiate change in nutrition and sleep related behaviors in college students. Thirty-two collegians (M age = 18.55 [.85], 66% female, 34% Hispanic, 25% white) were randomized to receive ACT focusing on nutrition (n = 18 participants across 4 groups) or sleep (n = 14 participants across 3 …

The Case Of Dr. Anna Pou: Criminal Or Hero?, Katherine Bonnell

Honors Thesis

This paper provides an analysis of the ethical and legal complexities of Dr. Anna Pou’s actions preceding Hurricane Katrina. Faced with the harsh reality that a handful of critically ill patients would not survive or be rescued from the hospital, Dr. Pou administered lethal doses of morphine in a desperate attempt to alleviate her patients' suffering. Ethical dilemmas of palliative care during catastrophic emergencies are explored, as well as an examination of where Memorial Hospital’s executive board failed in its preparedness. One year after Hurricane Katrina, the grand jury refused to indict Dr. Anna Pou and she was exonerated from …

(R2098) Dynamic Analysis Of Stochastic Leslie-Gower Biological Predator-Prey Model With Prey Cannibalism, Sada Nand Prasad, Itendra Kumar Universiry Of Delhi, India, Pawan Kumar

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this paper, we study the dynamical analysis of a stochastic Leslie–Gower biological predator– prey model. Earlier, the Leslie–Gower model was studied in the context of biological systems, including cases involving cannibalism. In our model, we investigate the dynamic properties of a stochastic Leslie–Gower predator–prey ecological system using the stability of invariant measures on invariant sets, where the invariant measures are shown to be ergodic. We also conduct a threshold analysis to study the stochastic persistence and extinction of species. Stochastic bifurcation is also examined. The theoretical results are supported by numerical simulations and examples. Intra-species competition is considered and …

(R2116) The Novel Garima Distribution Properties And Nuclear Data Application, Murat Aygün, Ayşe Metin Karakaş

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

This research introduces a new two-parameter Marshall-Olkin Garima distribution model. The novel model has many sub-models that are useful in modeling real-life data, such as the extended Garima distribution, exponentiated Garima distribution, exponential distribution, Lindley distribution, Kumaraswamy Garima distribution, and normal distribution. The proposed model demonstrates a high level of suitability in modeling both reliability and survival data. It is flexible in accommodating various failures. The quantile function, density shapes, hazard rate functions, and order statistics are a few of the statistical features that have been explored. Maximum likelihood estimation methods were employed to estimate the parameters. Using five data …

(R2102) Chaos Measure In A Discrete Sir Epidemic Model With Constant Recovery, Sonia Aneja, Itendra Kumar, Sada Nand Prasad

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

A discrete SIR epidemic model with constant recovery and bilinear incidence rate is investigated for emergence of regular and chaotic behaviour in the context of non linear dynamics and different viable settings. The Euler’s discretization method is employed to transform the continuous epidemic model into discrete model which has been used as the study model. Attention is paid to various bifurcation plots obtained by varying certain system parameters while keeping other parameters constant. Bifurcations indicate regular evolution followed by chaos. Regular and chaotic attractors have been drawn in the process. As part of chaos measure, numerical studies are extended to …

Assessing The Short-Term Outcomes Of Erase And Replace: A Series Of Health & Wellness Activities, Gabriela Murza, Christina Pay, Eva Timothy, Melanie Dabb, Cris Meier

Outcomes and Impact Quarterly

Utah State University Extension faculty addressed Utah's high rate of poor mental health with activities that improved participants’ connections, confidence, and abilities. These efforts positively impacted adults' mental health and quality of life and offered an additional resource to address self-care needs while encouraging connection and skill-building.

Evaluation Of Cardiometabolic Monitoring In Patients Taking Antipsychotic Agents Within A Community Health System., Kendra Yarian Pharmd, Jenna Gilbert Pharmd, Bcpp, Libby Stabler Pharmd, Bcacp, Quyen Nguyen Pharmd, Bcacp, Leia Gaddis Pharmd, Bcps, Dpla

Pharmacy Residency

Presented at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. New Orleans, LA

This evaluation found that the majority of patients on antipsychotic agents do not have all baseline monitoring completed, and that there are significant gaps especially in lipid panel and hemoglobin A1c. Other parameters (e.g., blood pressure, weight) were more likely to be gathered, likely as part of routine visit procedure.

Medication Use Evaluation Of Fecal Microbiota Spores (Live-Brpk) For The Prevention Of Recurrent Clostridioides Difficile Infection., Haley Michaud Pharmd, Trent Towne Pharmd, Bcps, Sarah Ferrell Pharmd, Bcpps, Bhavika Patel Pharmd, Noah Budi Pharmd

Pharmacy Residency

Presented at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. New Orleans, LA

This medication use evaluation found that infectious diseases providers were more likely to prescribe advanced treatments such as fidaxomicin or fecal microbiota compared to other specialties. Of the 93.1% of patients seen by Infectious Disease, 62.9% (n=17) of those patients were prescribed fecal microbiota spores (live-brpk) (VOWST). Of the 29 eligible patients, 41.4% (n=12) were identified as missed opportunities.

Optimization Of Beta-Lactam Dosing In Critically Ill Patients With Continuous Veno-Venous Hemofiltration Or Augmented Renal Clearance., Kristin Lytal Pharmd, Mspgx, Robert D. Beckett Pharmd, Bcps, Luke Keller Pharmd, Bcps, Bcccp, Michael Todt Pharmd, Bcccp

Pharmacy Residency

Presented at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. New Orleans, LA

This evaluation found that traditional dosing of beta-lactams found in practice is often (20 to 90%) suboptimal when compared to ideal evidence-based dosing, that optimizes efficacy while limiting adverse effects from drug toxicity.

Dofetilide Initiation In A Tertiary Medical Center: A Medication Use Evaluation., Zhixi Lui Pharmd, Kris Howard Pharm, Aacc, Megan Straub Pharmd, Bcps, Elizabeth Meisberger Pharmd, Bcps, Bccp, Sarah Ferrell Pharmd, Bcpps

Pharmacy Residency

Presented at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. New Orleans, LA

This evaluation found that adherence to a pharmacist-managed protocol significantly increased dofetilide continuation rates at discharge and six months. Future implementation includes refining the current dofetilide order set, expanding the pharmacist’s role in dose selection, and standardizing documentation and intervention notes to improve protocol adherence.

Drop-It Like It’S Hot: A Droperidol Medication Use And Efficacy Evaluation In A Community Health System., Caleb Hoppe Pharmd, Sarah Meeks Pharmd, Allison Clemens Pharmd, Robert D. Beckett Pharm D

Pharmacy Residency

Presented at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. New Orleans, LA

This study found that higher doses of droperidol for abdominal pain could provide more analgesic benefit without compromising patient safety. While droperidol appears effective at relieving nausea, other more cost-effective anti-emetics may be trialed first (without diphenhydramine). Droperidol appeared to provide light sedation, although most doses were low and used on patients without severe agitation (e.g. RASS ≥ 3).

Optimizing Serum Magnesium Monitoring And Replacement In A Community Hospital., Gabrielle O. Carreon Pharmd, Ms, Jesse Christman Pharmd, Bcop, Joshua Winebaugh Pharmd, Bcps, Robert D. Beckett Pharmd, Bcps

Pharmacy Residency

Presented at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. New Orleans, LA

Findings highlight the need to revise our healthcare system’s standard hematology/oncology treatment plans to better align with appropriate magnesium monitoring, with up to 93% of magnesium lab draws potentially being unnecessary, and replacement, including better utilization of oral magnesium formulations instead of IV which can lower costs.

Discharge Antibiotic Use In Patients Hospitalized With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (Copd) Exacerbations., Jennifer Mccarthy Pharmd, Ms, Sarah Pfaehler Pharmd, Mba, Bcps, Pacs, Ross Witte Pharmd, Bcps

Pharmacy Residency

Presented at the ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting. New Orleans, LA

This medication use evaluation identified opportunities for improved prescribing in this population. The majority of patients receiving antibiotics had increased dyspnea only. Because of this, 90% of patients did not receive antibiotics appropriately; 94% received an excessive duration. The majority of patients had no prior to admission COPD maintenance therapy, potentially related to lack of baseline FEV1 data required for initiating therapy classification.