Digital Commons Network^™

Teachers’ Perspectives Of Using Assistive Technology When Writing Individual Education Plans With Parents, Garland Keith Voss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Teachers of children with disabilities are not providing consistent opportunities for assistive technology (AT) services, even when mandated to do so. This phenomenon contributes to children with disabilities not receiving services that help their educational growth and development. The purpose of this study was to explore perspectives of K-2 teachers of children with disabilities in a rural Western school district about using AT when writing individualized education plans (IEPs) with parents. The conceptual frameworks for this study were Piaget’s constructivism theory and Bandura’s social cognitive theory. Eleven K-2 teachers of children with disabilities participated in semistructured recorded interviews. Data were …

An Analysis Of A Pilot Program: Oral Fluid Testing Of Drugged Drivers In Michigan, Amber L. Libby

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Law enforcement officers are charged with the responsibility of interpreting complicated social situations of the public every day. Adding difficulty is rapid cannabis legalization across the United States, including Michigan; encompassed in medicinal legalization in 2008 and recreational legalization in 2018, which has brought with it many changes, affecting economic, social, safety, and criminal elements. Michigan has seen an approximate 45% increase in traffic crashes with drivers who tested positive for cannabis over a five-year time frame (2013 – 2018). The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine the accuracy of roadside oral fluid testing introduced in Michigan …

Best Practices To Reduce Nurse Fatigue In Hospital Intensive And Critical Care Units, Decrease Nurse Turnover, And Improve Quality Care, Alejandra Quinones-Otal

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nursing is an occupation with extensive duties affecting patient safety and extensive patient practices. The purpose of this integrative review was to search the existing body of knowledge related to intensive care or critical care nurses to assess work hours and other contributors to nurse fatigue and how this relates to quality patient outcomes. The review question explored the best practices to reduce nurse fatigue in intensive care or critical care related to long shifts and other factors and the relationship to patient outcomes. Methods involved thoroughly analyzing current empirical and nonempirical literature to determine themes for answering the review …

When Helping Hurts: The Association Between Hamilton's Rule And Suicide Risk, Katherine L. O'Connell

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Emergency telecommunicators are critical as first responders and often experience great reward and distressing consequences of their work. This study investigates the suicide risk among these first responders, drawing on the Eusocial Theory of Suicide, which suggests that individuals may engage in altruistic self-sacrifice after weighing benefits, costs, and relatedness using a mathematical model, Hamilton’s Rule. Proxy variables were used: perceived social support and perceived work cohesion for relatedness, compassion satisfaction for benefit, and compassion fatigue for cost. The study was a non-experimental, cross-sectional self-report survey of predominantly White cisgender heterosexual female emergency telecommunicators (N = 346) in Washington, …

When Helping Hurts: The Association Between Hamilton's Rule And Suicide Risk, Katherine L. O'Connell

Clinical Psychology Dissertations

Emergency telecommunicators are critical as first responders and often experience great reward and distressing consequences of their work. This study investigates the suicide risk among these first responders, drawing on the Eusocial Theory of Suicide, which suggests that individuals may engage in altruistic self-sacrifice after weighing benefits, costs, and relatedness using a mathematical model, Hamilton’s Rule. Proxy variables were used: perceived social support and perceived work cohesion for relatedness, compassion satisfaction for benefit, and compassion fatigue for cost. The study was a non-experimental, cross-sectional self-report survey of predominantly White cisgender heterosexual female emergency telecommunicators (N = 346) in Washington, …

The Experiences Of Seeking Help For Intimate Partner Violence In Latin Lesbian Relationships, Patricia Cepero

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a social and public health problem that affects millions of people each year regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, and sexual orientation. Although heterosexual IPV has been a topic of academic research, researchers have turned their attention to same-sex IPV. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals experience rates of IPV equal to or higher than rates reported by heterosexual individuals and have challenges seeking support. A qualitative case study approach was used to fill the identified gap in the literature about how Latina lesbians experience seeking support for IPV. The minority stress model provided a …

Compounding Stress: A Mixed Methods Study On The Psychological Experience Of Miscarriage Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic, Madeline Fernandez, Alison Swift, Christyn Dolbier, Kaitlin Guard Banasiewicz

Individual Open Access Articles

Background: Experiencing a miscarriage can have profound psychological implications, and the added strain of the COVID-19 pandemic may have compounded these effects. This study aimed to explore the psychological experiences, assess the levels of psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder), and examine the relationships of personal significance of miscarriage and perceived stress with psychological distress of women in North Carolina who suffered a miscarriage of a desired pregnancy between March 30, 2020, and February 24, 2021, of the COVID-19 pandemic, at 14 to 31 months after the loss. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional mixed-methods study using a convergent …

Pollination And Seed Production Of Lavandula Angustifolia Mill. (Lamiaceae), Sam S. Ingram, Tyler M. Wilson, Joseph S. Wilson, Emma A. Ziebarth, Makenna C. Johnson, Jacob G. Young, Richard E. Carlson

Biology Faculty Publications

Lavandula angustifolia Mill., lavender, is an aromatic plant in the Lamiaceae family. Lavender is an important economic plant that is cultivated throughout the world. Previous studies have shown that the primary pollinators of lavender in Europe and North Africa are bee species, specifically Bombus spp. However, similar studies have not been previously performed in North America. The current study, on cultivated population lavender (grown from seed) in Utah (USA), found a diverse community of bees visiting lavender over a 4-week sequential and successive blooming period. The observed and identified bees were distinguished across 8 genera and 12 species, of which …

Theory-Based Science Communication At Comic Cons, Lisa Lundgren, Emily Slater, Man Zhang, Kadie Kunz, Gabriel-Philip Santos

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

The majority of research concerning science communication happens in spaces where people already have a vested interest in or knowledge of science, such as museums and science cafes. Thus, there is a gap in understanding what theory-based science communication looks like in non-science-centered spaces. This qualitative research study, which featured cosplaying science communicators at comic conventions, offers insights into what science communication practices occur within everyday spaces. We conducted observations of and semi-structured interviews with 15 cosplaying scientists, examining how they utilized effective framing and narrative structuring when communicating science at comic cons in cosplay. Across 700 coded utterances, cosplaying …

Comparative Study Of Α-Α Interaction Potentials Constructed Using Various Phenomenological Models, Ayushi Awasthi, O S K S Sastri

Turkish Journal of Physics

No abstract provided.

Weyl Tensor Decomposition To The Formation Of Black Hole, Gauree Shanker, Zakia Issa Ndidi

Turkish Journal of Physics

No abstract provided.

Mechanical Calculations On Atomically Thin Membranes, Burak Aslan

Turkish Journal of Physics

No abstract provided.

Streamlining Dental Clinic Management For Effective Digitisation Productivity And Usability, Sin-Ban Ho, En-Yu Chew, Chuie-Hong Tan

Journal of Informatics and Web Engineering

Oral health is an integral part of overall health, and poor oral hygiene can lead to a variety of health problems. Modern oral care has greatly improved our quality of life, but the increasing demand for routine dental checkups and treatments calls for improved systems for managing patient records and appointments. While technology has significantly enhanced the efficacy and experience of dental care, many dental clinics still rely on paper records to record the patient’s oral condition, but these are not easily accessible to the patients for viewing. This study aims to address the issue by developing a Dental Clinic …

Knowledge-Based Word Tokenization System For Urdu, Asif Khan, Khairullah Khan, Wahab Khan, Sadiq Nawaz Khan, Rafiul Haq

Journal of Informatics and Web Engineering

Word tokenization, a foundational step in natural language processing (NLP), is critical for tasks like part-of-speech tagging, named entity recognition, and parsing, as well as various independent NLP applications. In our tech-driven era, the exponential growth of textual data on the World Wide Web demands sophisticated tools for effective processing. Urdu, spoken widely across the globe, is experiencing a surge in, presents unique challenges due to its distinct writing style, the absence of capitalization features, and the prevalence of compound words. This study introduces a novel knowledge-based word tokenization system tailored for Urdu. Central to this system is a maximum …

Social Messaging Application With Translation And Speech-To-Text Transformation, Kang Qin Yip, Pey Yun Goh, Lee Ying Chong

Journal of Informatics and Web Engineering

Unlike traditional SMS or MMS, messaging apps offer a broader range of data transmission capabilities. The application utilizes a WIFI or internet connection and enables users to exchange information through various means such as text, voice, and multimedia files. However, popular messaging applications such as WeChat, Telegram, and WhatsApp have limitations in language translation and file uploading size. Thus, this project aims to address these limitations by developing a social messaging application that serves as a comprehensive communication tool. The application will facilitate both written and verbal communication by providing translation services for various languages, including voice messages. The proposed …

Empowering Library Employees: The Impact Of Ai Engagement Through An Interest Group, Lily Dubach, Rachel Vacek

Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Learn how one academic library is taking a transformational approach to exploring the possibilities with artificial intelligence (AI) through the creation of an AI Interest Group. With AI rapidly reshaping the library profession and higher education, our AI Interest Group aims to equip all library employees with the knowledge, skills, confidence, and mindset to embrace AI responsibly and consider leveraging its potential in their library work.

Since October 2023, the AI Interest Group has served as an inclusive forum that has brought together colleagues from roles across all library departments and with varying levels of familiarity with AI. Topics have …

Social Media Behaviors And Body Type Ideals Predict Weight Loss And Food Tracking Behaviors Among Recreational Climbers, Nicholas Slagel, Katie Kage, Sarah Wichern

KiND Faculty Publications

Introduction: Elite and recreational climbers may be at risk for disordered eating, low energy availability (LEA), and increased injury as a result. Social media use among athlete and non-athletes can lead to body image disturbances resulting in unhealthy weight loss practices exacerbating LEA and injury risk. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine relationships between social comparative behaviors on social media, body type ideals and outcomes, and health behaviors among adult recreational climbers.

Methods: Participants (n = 324) were adult recreational climbers from the U.S. (29.30 ± 9.99 years old and 50% female). Participants answered a 66-item …

Assessment Of Computer Literacy And Online Information Searching Skill Of Open And Distance Learners: A Study, Veen Naik G, Veena Naik G, Veena Naik G

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The use of ICT has increased and enlarged the impact and skills of distance students on how to search information electronically. The use of ICT increases the learning productivity of students. With online search conveniences, information stored at dissimilar locations can be easily retrieved by using web pages, e-mail, and CD-ROM, at anytime by anyone from anywhere in the world. Therefore students are required to enhance their computer and communication technology skills to live successfully in a knowledge-based society. The main objective of the present study was to identify computer literacy skills and information searching strategies of students of distance …

Clinically Proven Natural Products In Aid Of Treating Parkinson's Disease: A Comprehensive Review, Md Abul Hasan Roni, Md. Abu Bakar Siddique Jami, Sajidul Hoque, Md. Al Hasibuzzaman, Kazi Hamida Banu, Rozina, Farzana Ansari, Md Sohel, Md. Ashifuzzaman, Nazmul Huda

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences (Formerly Dept. of Chemistry)

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that is caused by degeneration of nerve cells in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra, which controls movement. Although there is some considerable evidence with conventional drugs for PD, treating patients becomes increasingly difficult due to their short- and long-term adverse effects and other restrictions. This dire circumstance emphasizes the need for an innovative, strong alternative treatment for PD. Plants and natural products are considered one of the most important sources of bioactive molecules against a wide range of health disorders. With mechanistic insights, this systematic review explains the efficacy …

Identifying Mage-A4-Positive Tumors For Tcr T Cell Therapies In Hla-A∗02-Eligible Patients, Tianjiao Wang, Ramaswamy Govindan, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

T cell receptor (TCR) T cell therapies target tumor antigens in a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-restricted manner. Biomarker-defined therapies require validation of assays suitable for determination of patient eligibility. For clinical trials evaluating TCR T cell therapies targeting melanoma-associated antigen A4 (MAGE-A4), screening in studies NCT02636855 and NCT04044768 assesses patient eligibility based on: (1) high-resolution HLA typing and (2) tumor MAGE-A4 testing via an immunohistochemical assay in HLA-eligible patients. The HLA/MAGE-A4 assays validation, biomarker data, and their relationship to covariates (demographics, cancer type, histopathology, tissue location) are reported here. HLA-A∗02 eligibility was 44.8% (2,959/6,606) in patients from 43 sites across …

Comorbid Neurotrauma Increases Neurodegenerative-Relevant Cognitive, Motor, And Autonomic Dysfunction In Patients With Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Substudy Of The North American Prodromal Synucleinopathy Consortium, Jonathan E Elliott, Jennifer Mcleland, Yo-El S Ju, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

STUDY OBJECTIVES: Rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) is strongly associated with phenoconversion to an overt synucleinopathy, e.g. Parkinson's disease (PD), Lewy body dementia, and related disorders. Comorbid traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-henceforth "neurotrauma" (NT)-increase the odds of RBD by ~2.5-fold and are associated with an increased rate of service-connected PD in Veterans. Thus, RBD and NT are both independently associated with PD; however, it is unclear how NT influences neurological function in patients with RBD.

METHODS: Participants ≥18 years with overnight polysomnogram-confirmed RBD were enrolled between 8/2018 to 4/2021 through the North American Prodromal …

A Single-Center, Assessor-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial To Test The Safety And Efficacy Of A Novel Brain-Computer Interface Controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation (Bci-Fes) Intervention For Gait Rehabilitation In The Chronic Stroke Population, Piyashi Biswas, Lucy Dodakian, Po T. Wang, Christopher A. Johnson, Jill See, Vicky Chan, Cathy Chou, Wendy Lazouras, Alison L. Mckenzie, David J. Reinkensmeyer, Danh V. Nguyen, Steven C. Cramer, An H. Do, Zoran Nenadic

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

In the United States, there are over seven million stroke survivors, with many facing gait impairments due to foot drop. This restricts their community ambulation and hinders functional independence, leading to several long-term health complications. Despite the best available physical therapy, gait function is incompletely recovered, and this occurs mainly during the acute phase post-stroke. Therapeutic options are limited currently. Novel therapies based on neurobiological principles have the potential to lead to long-term functional improvements. The Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) controlled Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) system is one such strategy. It is based on Hebbian principles and has shown promise …

Mechanistic Study Of Antimicrobial Effectiveness Of Cyclic Amphipathic Peptide [R4W4] Against Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Clinical Isolates, Ajayi David Akinwale, Keykavous Parang, Rakesh Kumar Tiwari, Jason Yamaki

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are being explored as a potential strategy to combat antibiotic resistance due to their ability to reduce susceptibility to antibiotics. This study explored whether the [R₄W₄] peptide mode of action is bacteriostatic or bactericidal using modified two-fold serial dilution and evaluating the synergism between gentamicin and [R₄W₄] against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by a checkered board assay. [R₄W₄] exhibited bactericidal activity against bacterial isolates (MBC/MIC ≤ 4), with a synergistic effect with gentamicin against E. coli (FICI = 0.3) but …

Methionine Sulfoxide Speciation In Mouse Hippocampus Revealed By Global Proteomics Exhibits Age- And Alzheimer’S Disease-Dependent Changes Targeted To Mitochondrial And Glycolytic Pathways, Filipa Blasco Tavares Pereira Lopes, Daniela Schlatzer, Mengzhen Li, Serhan Yılmaz, Rihua Wang, Xin Qi, Marzieh Ayati, Mehmet Koyutürk, Mark R. Chance

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Methionine oxidation to the sulfoxide form (MSox) is a poorly understood post-translational modification of proteins associated with non-specific chemical oxidation from reactive oxygen species (ROS), whose chemistries are linked to various disease pathologies, including neurodegeneration. Emerging evidence shows MSox site occupancy is, in some cases, under enzymatic regulatory control, mediating cellular signaling, including phosphorylation and/or calcium signaling, and raising questions as to the speciation and functional nature of MSox across the proteome. The 5XFAD lineage of the C57BL/6 mouse has well-defined Alzheimer’s and aging states. Using this model, we analyzed age-, sex-, and disease-dependent MSox speciation in the mouse hippocampus. …

Methionine Sulfoxide Speciation In Mouse Hippocampus Revealed By Global Proteomics Exhibits Age- And Alzheimer’S Disease-Dependent Changes Targeted To Mitochondrial And Glycolytic Pathways, Filipa Blasco Tavares Pereira Lopes, Daniela Schlatzer, Mengzhen Li, Serhan Yılmaz, Rihua Wang, Xin Qi, Marzieh Ayati, Mehmet Koyutürk, Mark R. Chance

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Methionine oxidation to the sulfoxide form (MSox) is a poorly understood post-translational modification of proteins associated with non-specific chemical oxidation from reactive oxygen species (ROS), whose chemistries are linked to various disease pathologies, including neurodegeneration. Emerging evidence shows MSox site occupancy is, in some cases, under enzymatic regulatory control, mediating cellular signaling, including phosphorylation and/or calcium signaling, and raising questions as to the speciation and functional nature of MSox across the proteome. The 5XFAD lineage of the C57BL/6 mouse has well-defined Alzheimer’s and aging states. Using this model, we analyzed age-, sex-, and disease-dependent MSox speciation in the mouse hippocampus. …

Ikzf1 And Ubr4 Gene Variants Drive Autoimmunity And Th2 Polarization In Igg4-Related Disease, Qingxiang Liu, Yanyan Zheng, Ines Sturmlechner, Abhinav Jain, Maryam Own, Huimin Zhang, Karen Cerosaletti, Jane H Buckner, Kenneth J Warrington, Matthew J Koster, Cornelia M Weyand, Jörg J Goronzy

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic immune-mediated fibroinflammatory disease whose pathomechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we identified gene variants in familial IgG4-RD and determined their functional consequences. All 3 affected members of the family shared variants of the transcription factor IKAROS, encoded by IKZF1, and the E3 ubiquitin ligase UBR4. The IKAROS variant increased binding to the FYN promoter, resulting in higher transcription of FYN in T cells. The UBR4 variant prevented the lysosomal degradation of the phosphatase CD45. In the presence of elevated FYN, CD45 functioned as a positive regulatory loop, lowering the threshold for T cell activation. Consequently, …

Supporting Ontario Public Health Units To Address Adverse Childhood Experiences In Pandemic Recovery Planning: A Priority-Setting Exercise, Kimberly B Harding, Erica Di Ruggiero, Erick Gonzalez, Amanda Hicks, Daniel W Harrington

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are potentially traumatic exposures experienced during childhood, for example, neglect. There is growing evidence that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and related socioeconomic conditions contributed to an increased risk of ACEs. As public health programs/services are re-evaluated and restored following the state of emergency, it is important to plan using an ACEs-informed lens. The aim of this study was to identify and prioritize initiatives or activities that Public Health Ontario (PHO) could undertake to support Ontario public health units' work towards ACEs-informed pandemic recovery plans.

METHODS: The Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method …

Identifying Mage-A4-Positive Tumors For Tcr T Cell Therapies In Hla-A∗02-Eligible Patients, Tianjiao Wang, Jean-Marc Navenot, Stavros Rafail, Cynthia Kurtis, Mark Carroll, Sofie Van Rossom, Konstantinos Avraam, Robyn Broad, Karen Howe, Ashley Liddle, Amber Clayton, Ruoxi Wang, Laura Quinn, Joseph P Sanderson, Cheryl Mcalpine, Carly Carozza, Eric Pimpinella, Susan Hsu, Francine Brophy, Erica Elefant, Paige Bayer, Dennis Williams, Marcus O Butler, Jeffrey M Clarke, Justin F Gainor, Ramaswamy Govindan, Victor Moreno, Melissa Johnson, Janet Tu, David S Hong, George R Blumenschein

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

T cell receptor (TCR) T cell therapies target tumor antigens in a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-restricted manner. Biomarker-defined therapies require validation of assays suitable for determination of patient eligibility. For clinical trials evaluating TCR T cell therapies targeting melanoma-associated antigen A4 (MAGE-A4), screening in studies NCT02636855 and NCT04044768 assesses patient eligibility based on: (1) high-resolution HLA typing and (2) tumor MAGE-A4 testing via an immunohistochemical assay in HLA-eligible patients. The HLA/MAGE-A4 assays validation, biomarker data, and their relationship to covariates (demographics, cancer type, histopathology, tissue location) are reported here. HLA-A∗02 eligibility was 44.8% (2,959/6,606) in patients from 43 sites across …

Identification And Characterization Of Cannabichromene's Major Metabolite Following Incubation With Human Liver Microsomes, Vu Nguyen, Uwe Christians

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Cannabichromene (CBC) is a minor cannabinoid within the array of over 120 cannabinoids identified in the Cannabis sativa plant. While CBC does not comprise a significant portion of whole plant material, it is available to the public in a purified and highly concentrated form. As minor cannabinoids become more popular due to their potential therapeutic properties, it becomes crucial to elucidate their metabolism in humans. Therefore, the goal of this was study to identify the major CBC phase I-oxidized metabolite generated in vitro following incubation with human liver microsomes. The novel metabolite structure was identified as 2′-hydroxycannabicitran using gas chromatography–mass …

Durable Objective Response To Lurbinectedin In Small Cell Bladder Cancer With Tp53 Mutation: A Molecular-Directed Strategy, Mohammad Jad Moussa, Jaanki Khandelwal, Nathaniel R Wilson, Sagar A Naik, Vivek Subbiah, Pavlos Msaouel, Omar Alhalabi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Small cell bladder cancer (SCBC) is a rare and aggressive disease, often treated with platinum/etoposide-based chemotherapy. Key molecular drivers include the inactivation of onco-suppressor genes (TP53, RB1) and amplifications in proto-oncogenes (MYC). We report a patient with SCBC who achieved an objective and prolonged response to lurbinectedin, which has been approved for metastatic small cell lung cancer, after developing disease progression on cisplatin/etoposide and nivolumab/ipilimumab. A genomic analysis of a metastatic biopsy prior to lurbinectedin initiation revealed a TP53 mutation and amplification of the cell cycle regulators E2F3 and MYCL. A repeat biopsy following …