Digital Commons Network^™

A Nationwide Central Diagnosis For Pediatric Cns Tumors In Japan: The Jccg Brain Tumor And Pathology Committees, Tetsuya Takimoto, Sumihito Nobusawa, Kaishi Satomi, Ran Tomomasa, Seiji Yamada, Taku Homma, Shoh Sasaki, Ayako Yamazaki, Maki Sakaguchi, Yasuhide Takeuchi, Nei Fukazawa, Kai Yamasaki, Kohei Fukuoka, Yui Shinohara Kimura, Yuki Nagayama, Yohei Inoue, Akira Miyahira, Ema Yoshioka, Asako Katsuma, Hayato Fukusumi, Tomoko Shofuda, Yuko Hibiya, Yuko Matsushita, Mai Honda Kitahara, Yuki Yomoda, Miho Kato, Michael D Taylor, Yasuhito Arai, Tatsuhiro Shibata, Hiroaki Sakamoto, Keita Terashima, Yoshiki Arakawa, Toshihiro Kumabe, Ryo Nishikawa, Junichi Hara, Yonehiro Kanemura, Koichi Ichimura

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In 2016, the Japan Children's Cancer Group launched a nationwide research initiative to provide central diagnosis incorporating pathology review and molecular profiling for pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Over the first eight years, 2224 cases were registered. Non-next-generation sequencing analyzes, such as pyrosequencing and NanoString, were routinely performed, mainly for glioma, medulloblastoma, and ependymoma. Additional analyzes, including methylation profiling and RNA sequencing, were conducted for selected diagnostically challenging cases. The most common diagnoses were low-grade glioma (26%), medulloblastoma (18%), germ cell tumor (16%), high-grade glioma (12%), and ependymoma (11%). Diagnostic or targetable alterations were detected in nearly half of …

Fluocinolone Acetonide Implant As A Baseline Therapy For Diabetic Macular Edema: Results From The Randomized Phase 4 New Day Study, Victor H Gonzalez, Christina Y Weng, Kamel Alkhatib, Rohit A Amarshi, Scott Moody, Mary Pao

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: The NEW DAY (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT04469595) study assessed the efficacy and safety of the fluocinolone acetonide (FAc; 0.19 mg) intravitreal implant as baseline therapy in diabetic macular edema (DME).

Design: Prospective, randomized, single-masked, active-controlled, multicenter, 18-month, phase 4 study.

Participants: Adults with type 1 or 2 diabetes and center-involving DME confirmed by central subfield thickness (CST).

Methods: Treatment regimens were FAc implant followed by rescue supplemental injections of aflibercept if needed (2 mg/0.05 ml) for 17 months versus aflibercept loading dose (2 mg every 4 weeks for 5 consecutive doses) followed by rescue supplemental injections of aflibercept if …

Clinical Features And Dental Pathologies In Maxillary Sinus Fungal Balls And Odontogenic Sinusitis, Nithin D Adappa, Yi-Wei Chen, Nikita Chapurin, Jennifer E Douglas, Glen E D'Souza, Jacob Eide, Maria Espinosa, Chia-Hsiang Fu, Meha G Fox, Rohit Garg, Edward C Kuan, Michael A Kohanski, Marta Kwiatkowska, Kevin Li, Derek H Liu, Tran Bao Locke, Chih-Feng Lin, Chadi Makary, Alice Ottavi, Peter Papagiannopoulos, James N Palmer, Charles C L Tong, Bobby A Tajudeen, Sanjena Venkatesh, Kimberly Wei, Frederick Yoo, Alison J Yu, Jun Jin, Alberto M Saibene, John R Craig

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: While maxillary sinus fungal balls (MSFB) can be associated with odontogenic conditions (MSFBO), MSFBO clinical and dental features have not been compared to odontogenic sinusitis (ODS). This multicenter study aimed to compare characteristics of MSFB, MSFBO, and ODS.

Methods: A multicenter international retrospective cohort study was conducted on adults with MSFBs and ODS who underwent sinus surgery. First in MSFBs, it was determined whether different dental conditions were more likely in FB versus non-FB sides. Second, clinical features and dental pathologies were compared between MSFBO and ODS. For analyses, dental conditions were considered individually and as two groups: infectious …

Social Determinants As Pathways In Disparities In Oral Cavity Cancer Stage At Diagnosis: A Registry-Based Analysis From 2010–2020, Abiodun Oluyomi, Kristina R Dahlstrom, Aaron P Thrift

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Racial and ethnic differences in oral cavity cancer (OCC) stage at diagnosis are substantial, but the reasons remain unclear. We assessed insurance status and social neighborhood factors as potential pathways.

Methods: Using the Texas Cancer Registry, we identified adults diagnosed with OCC between 2010 and 2020. We examined the crude and multivariable associations of race and ethnicity, insurance status, and social neighborhood factors with stage at diagnosis. We investigated the mediating effects of insurance status and neighborhood-level social factors on racial and ethnic differences in stage at diagnosis using four-way decomposition with modified Poisson regression and robust standard errors. …

Adlm Guidance Document On Incorporating Gender Diversity In Pathology And Laboratory Medicine, Alisha D Berry, Caroline J Davidge-Pitts, Sridevi Devaraj, Zil Goldstein, Brad S Karon, Brooke M Katzman, Mahmoud A Khalifa, Hung S Luu, James H Nichols, Tracy L Stockley, Michelle R Stoffel, Dina N Greene, Matthew D Krasowski

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: The first international clinical standards of care for the gender-diverse population were formulated in the late 1970s. In the last 15 years, multiple subspecialty societies within the United States have developed clinical care guidelines for those with gender dysphoria, including gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) and surgical treatments. To date, there are no pathology- and laboratory medicine-specific recommendations in the United States for the gender-diverse population.

Content: This document outlines pathology- and laboratory medicine-specific recommendations for providing optimal care to the gender-diverse population, with a predominant focus on the adult population. The scope of this document focuses on the following …

Upholding Our Promise: Negotiating Belonging And Professional Identity Formation In Underrepresented In Medicine Pediatric Residents, Candice Taylor Lucas, Rebecca Blankenburg, H Mollie Grow, Laura Kester-Prakash, Jyothi Marbin, Patricia Poitevien, Audrea M Burns

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: To explore UIM pediatric residents' perspectives on how belonging impacts PIF and Well-BP.

Methods: We conducted a national qualitative study grounded in a critical interpretivist paradigm using virtual focus groups with UIM pediatric residents between June 2022 and April 2023. Data were analyzed by 4 authors using reflexive thematic analysis until theoretical sufficiency was reached. Member-checking was conducted to ensure the trustworthiness of the themes.

Results: Twenty-four UIM pediatric residents across 20 programs participated. Five themes emerged as follows: 1) Belonging is a dynamic process shaped by daily affirmations and invalidations; 2) Clinical learning environments often erode belonging through …

Cytokine-Based Strategies To Improve Prognostic Enrichment Of Pediatric Ards, Cainan Riccio-Baum, S Rameeza Allie, Daniel J Mckeone, Debbie Spear, Ryan A Nofziger, Ronald C Sanders, Danielle Ahn, Jasmine C Dowell, Asdis F Wagner, Neal J Thomas, Prithvi Sendi, W Joshua Frazier, Courtney M Rowan, Parag N Jain, Dalia A Bashir, Stuart H Friess, Brian M Varisco, Jocelyn Grunwell, Aline B Maddux, Stephen T Famularo, Nadir Yehya

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Hyper-inflammation is common to multiple critical care syndromes, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and sepsis, and is associated with worse outcomes. A signature of hyper-inflammatory ARDS has been described in adults using IL-6, TNFR1, and bicarbonate, and has prognostic utility. We investigated the application of this traditional parsimonious signature to pediatric ARDS patients and tested whether we could improve prognostic enrichment using other cytokines.

Methods: We leveraged a prospective multicenter cohort study of 500 children with ARDS (Linking Endotypes and Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome [LEOPARDS]; NCT04113434) study. Plasma samples were obtained within 24 h …

Asynchronous Transitions From High-Risk Hepatoblastoma To Carcinoma, Sonal Somvanshi, Roma Patel, Priyanka Rao, Tuan M Tran, Yen-Ping Yeh, Keng-Shih Chang, Yi-Tzu Lo, Jessica Epps, Kathleen A Scorsone, Hua-Sheng Chiu, Emporia Faith Hollingsworth, Cintia R Perez, Mohammad Javad Najaf Panah, Barry Zorman, Jordan Muscal, Milton J Finegold, John A Goss, Rita Alaggio, Angshumoy Roy, Kevin E Fisher, Andras Heczey, Sarah Woodfield, Sanjeev Vasudevan, Kalyani Patel, Ting-Wen Chen, Dolores Lopez-Terrada, Pavel Sumazin

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background & aims: Most pediatric hepatocellular tumors are classified as hepatoblastoma (HB) or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet a subset exhibits mixed histological and molecular features. These hepatoblastomas with carcinoma features (HBCs) include cases provisionally designated as hepatocellular neoplasm-not otherwise specified (HCN-NOS). Their biology remains poorly understood, with unresolved questions about their cellular composition and outcomes. It is unclear whether HBCs comprise hybrid cells with combined HB and HCC characteristics (HBC cells) or admixtures of distinct HB and HCC cells. We characterized the biology, etiology, cellular composition, and evolutionary dynamics of HBCs.

Methods: We performed multi-omics profiling - including single-nucleus RNA …

Development And Evaluation Of An Automated Report-Based Chart Checking Tool In External Beam Radiotherapy, Andrew Wroe

All Publications

Background: Computerized radiotherapy chart checking tools have revolutionized the initial physics chart review process as they offer verification of large amounts of plan parameters in seconds and allow physicists to concentrate on high-skill-level items that are challenging for automation. Both commercialized and in-house chart check solutions typically rely on access to the patient data within the live SQL database of the radiation oncology information system (ROS). This is a complex task potentially posing risks to both database integrity and overall system performance when accessed during clinic operation hours.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to develop and test a …

Pigmented Villonodular Synovitis In The Thoracic Spine: A Rare And Under-Recognized Condition, Leonardo Furtado Freitas

All Publications

No abstract provided.

Msw Portfolio: Through Courage And Heart, Meghan N. Conklin

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This portfolio discusses my journey through the MSW program highlighting anti-oppressive frameworks, ethics, trauma informed care, and indigenous practice. This portfolio displays how I met the core competencies of advanced integrative practice with a focus on practice with youth in and out of institutional setting.

Purpose In Practice: A Master Of Social Work Professional Portfolio, Lexi M. Laird

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

No abstract provided.

Spiritual Minimalism: Analytical Studies Of Selected Piano Works By Pärt, Górecki, And Tavener, Boran Zhao

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines selected solo piano works by Arvo Pärt, Henryk Górecki, and John Tavener to explore how theological influences are reflected through their distinctive compositional languages. Current studies show that scholars primarily concentrate on their choral and orchestral repertoire, while their piano works have not received enough attention. This study argues that their solo piano works carry the same of theological influence found in their choral and orchestral compositions.

Through historical, analytical, and theological approaches, the dissertation explores how their compositional techniques convey spiritual meanings in selected solo piano pieces. Pärt’s Für Alina and Variations for the Healing of …

Bridging Theory And Practice: Examining The Relationship Between Developmental Knowledge, Self-Efficacy For Emotion Support, And Teachers’ Responses To Children’S Emotions In The Classroom, Shea Elizabeth Ferguson

Theses and Dissertations

How teachers respond to children’s emotions in the classroom plays a central role in shaping children’s emotional development, a process known as emotion socialization. Although research has linked teachers’ emotion socialization responses and practices to important child outcomes, less is known about the factors that underlie teachers’ responses to children’s emotions. Given the importance of the early developmental years for building foundational skills important for long-term success, the focus of this study was on those working with early childhood and elementary aged children. Accordingly, this mixed methods study examined preservice teachers’ (1) developmental knowledge and (2) self-efficacy for supporting children’s …

Eeg P300 Ai Classification And Accessibility Keyboard Control Using Openbci’S Ultracortex Mark Iv For Reactive Brain-Computer Interaction, Grant King

Theses and Dissertations

Brain-computer interfaces provide people who cannot feasibly control a keyboard and mouse with an alternative method to type, to move a cursor, or to generally issue commands and make selections. A non-invasive recording modality for brain-computer interfaces is electroencephalography, or EEG. The OpenBCI Ultracortex Mark IV is an EEG headset enabling relatively low-cost EEG acquisition using wet or dry electrodes. P300 is an event-related potential involving a deflection in an EEG channel's voltage typically 300 milliseconds after the onset of an "oddball" stimulus. A person's P300 response can be used to control a selector application. This study investigates classification of …

Life Without Privacy: The Fragmented Line Between The Private And Public Lives Of Enslaved Women In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Justine Casey Costa

Theses and Dissertations

Enslaved women provided the foundation for life and freedom for most children living in 19^th century Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Despite patrão (master) mistreatment and abuse, enslaved women in Rio de Janeiro kept the bustling port city alive and growing. Enslaved women both produced labor and reproduced labor. The exploitation of enslaved women took place by patrões visibly in the streets, and abolitionists exploited their stories through the spread of printed material to garner support for their cause. This thesis examines the fragmented boundary between the public and private lives of enslaved women in 19^th century Rio. Utilizing …

Exploring The Impacts Of Design Choice On Stem Identity And Content Knowledge In A Community College Introductory Biology Classroom, Amanda Mayes

Theses and Dissertations

There is a growing need to address the projected shortage of STEM professionals, with estimates anticipating a gap of 1.1 million jobs by 2031. This workforce demand is further complicated by persistent attrition in higher education, with only about 40% of students completing their STEM degree. Addressing both workforce demands and student attrition requires higher education institutions to meet students where they are and adopt innovative instructional practices that foster persistence in STEM classrooms. This study conducted a convergent mixed method, quasi-experimental design to investigate the impact of an I-STEAM design-based approach on content knowledge and STEM identity in an …

Designing Accessible Online Environments: An Action Research Study On Faculty Development In Digital Accessibility And Universal Design For Learning, Alexander Wade Walters

Theses and Dissertations

Professional development for higher education faculty focused on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and digital accessibility strategies in online course design has the potential to support the development of equitable learning environments for students, but there is a lack of opportunities focusing on these concepts. As a result, faculty are unprepared to design and teach online courses that promote equity and support all learners. This action research study investigated the impact of an online professional development course for faculty members focusing on UDL and digital accessibility in designing accessible online courses.

The following research questions were addressed: (1) …

Neuromuscular Junction Dysfunction In A Subset Of Charcot-Marie Tooth And Related Peripheral Neuropathies Mouse Models, Jonathan R. Funke, Celeste Martinez, Samia L. Pratt, Alaura D. Rice, Abigail L.D. Tadenev, Robert W. Burgess

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

Charcot-Marie Tooth (CMT) disease is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous inherited peripheral neuropathy for which there is no treatment. CMT patients often present with weakness, fatigue, and muscle atrophy in the distal limbs. Improving function at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) may improve function in some CMT patients. Using mouse models, we investigated eight CMT subtypes for NMJ phenotypes by morphology and functional deficits assessed by electromyography (EMG). We did not find NMJ abnormalities in mice with mutations in Gjb1Y/Δ2 (CMT1X), or Yars1E196K/E196K (diCMTC). Mice with mutations in Ighmbp2Y918S/Y918S (CMT2S) and Pla2g6M1J/M1J (Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy) have neuromuscular …

The Displacement Effects Of Domestic Outsourcing, Mayara Felix, Michael B. Wong

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

Evidence that domestic outsourcing lowers pay comes largely from on-site transfers, in which workers move to a contractor but keep the same jobs. Displacement is rarely observed: whether workers lose their jobs, where they go, how earnings evolve. In Brazil’s 1993–1994 pro-outsourcing reforms, which differentially affected security guards, such transfers were rare; firms instead used occupational layoffs, shedding their guards while keeping other workers. Displaced guards’ employment recovered within five years, but many changed occupations and wages stayed about 12% lower. Lifetime losses average 1.2 to 1.5 years of pre-layoff earnings, concentrated among workers from high-wage firms, reflecting lost premia.

The Bridwell Quarterly, Issues 32 & 33, Spring-Summer 2026, Michelle S. Ried, Anthony Elia

Bridwell Library Publications

No abstract provided.

Coastal Empire Economic Monitor, 1st Quarter, 2026, Georgia Southern University Center For Business Analytics And Economic Research

Coastal Empire Economic Monitor

No abstract provided.

Routes To Sustainable Goods Movement: How Local And Regional Governmental Agencies Can Plan For The Sustainable Freight System Of The Future, Serena E. Alexander, Avante Grady

Mineta Transportation Institute

Freight transportation plays a critical role in supporting economic activity and everyday consumption across metropolitan regions, but growing freight demand continues to increase congestion, infrastructure strain, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and safety risks. These impacts often disproportionately affect low-income and environmentally burdened communities. This report examines how metropolitan regions across the United States are planning for sustainable freight transportation through content analysis of freight and goods movement plans and interviews with freight planning professionals. The study analyzes plans from eight major metropolitan regions to identify common freight planning strategies, implementation approaches, opportunities, and barriers related to sustainability, resilience, and …

Preparing Today’S Workforce For Tomorrow’S Autonomous Transportation: Bridging Electrical And Civil Engineering Disciplines, Masoud Ghodrat Abadi, Rohollah Moghadam

Mineta Transportation Institute

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are expected to transform transportation systems and reshape workforce needs across engineering and related fields. Although existing AV workforce development efforts often emphasize electrical engineering, computer science, and mechanical engineering, transportation engineering remains underrepresented despite its importance to infrastructure, traffic operations, safety, and mobility integration. This study addresses that gap through the development, implementation, and evaluation of an interdisciplinary certificate program, Workforce for Autonomous Vehicle Engineering (WAVE), at California State University, Sacramento. The program was designed to bridge transportation engineering and electrical engineering through a two-step curriculum model consisting of theoretical educational modules and hands-on laboratory activities. …

Mitigating Negative Consequences Of New Urban Growth In Disadvantaged Communities, Shishir Mathur, Christopher E. Ferrell, Cindy Adrian

Mineta Transportation Institute

New housing and development in California are often planned in communities that already face economic hardship, environmental burdens, and limited access to reliable transportation. Recent research finds specifically that in the San Francisco (S.F.) Bay Area and Southern California (SoCal) metropolitan regions, there is a high propensity to plan new urban development in socially, economically, and environmentally disadvantaged communities (DACs) with poor transit accessibility and limited personal mobility. This project first reviews the literature to identify potential unintended negative impacts of high concentrations of new urban growth in DACs across social, economic, educational, environmental, and transportation dimensions. It then identifies …

Comparing Intraosseous (Io) Access To Intravenous (Iv) Access, Isabella Ouellette Rn, Charlyn Achola Rn, Catherine Marcoullier Rn

Nurse Residency

In adult patients experiencing cardiac arrest, how does intraosseous access compared to intravenous access affect time to medication administration and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) during resuscitation?

Patient Ratio Impact On Patient Safety In The Emergency Department, Erin Griffin Rn, Rhonda Leavitt Rn

Nurse Residency

How does high patient to nurse ratios effect patient outcome and satisfaction compared to lower nurse to patient ratios?

Implementation Of Acute Pain Management Protocols And Effect On Rescue Opioid Administration During Ed Stay, Victoria Nordbeck Rn, Avegail Avila Rn, Sarah Durocher Rn, Isabel Dimek Rn

Nurse Residency

In patients presenting with acute pain processes in the emergency department, how does the implementation of acute pain protocols compared to standard opioid based therapies affect needs for rescue medication and overall length of stay?

Behavioral Risks, Sophie Coro Rn, Katelyn Piche Rn, Maria Neihauser Rn, Mia Martel Rn

Nurse Residency

In nurses caring for behavioral risk patients, does the use of electronic behavioral alert systems compared to no alert systems reduce nurse-patient workplace violence?

Does Apply Boarder Foam Dressings Decrease Hapi In High-Risk Patients In The Acute Care Setting, Felicia Burton Rn, Kathryn Twombly Rn, Amanda Ring Rn

Nurse Residency

Does applying border foam dressings (i.e.mepilex dressings) to patients at risk for skin breakdown prevent pressure injuries and skin breakdown during a patient's hospital stay?