Digital Commons Network^™

Cybersecurity Of Critical Infrastructures: Challenges And Solutions, Leandros Maglaras, Helge Janicke, Mohamed Amine Ferrag

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

People’s lives are becoming more and more dependent on information and computer technology. This is accomplished by the enormous benefits that the ICT offers for everyday life. Digital technology creates an avenue for communication and networking, which is characterized by the exchange of data, some of which are considered sensitive or private. There have been many reports recently of data being hijacked or leaked, often for malicious purposes. Maintaining security and privacy of information and systems has become a herculean task. It is therefore imperative to understand how an individual’s or organization’s personal data can be protected. Moreover, critical infrastructures …

Dietary Supplements In People With Metastatic Cancer Who Are Experiencing Malnutrition, Cachexia, Sarcopenia, And Frailty: A Scoping Review, Jolyn Johal, Chad Yixian Han, Ria Joseph, Zachary Munn, Oluwaseyifunmi Andi Agbejule, Fiona Crawford‐Williams, Matthew P. Wallen, Raymond J. Chan, Nicolas H. Hart

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Cancer‐associated malnutrition, or cachexia, stemming from cancer or its treatments, is particularly prevalent in metastatic cancers, and is often interrelated with sarcopenia and frailty. Evidence suggests that dietary supplements play a role in managing these conditions. As metastatic cancer cells are associated with notable genomic and phenotypic alterations, response to dietary supplements may differ between metastatic and non‐metastatic cancers. However, research in this area is lacking. This scoping review aims to identify the dietary supplements that have been studied in patients with metastatic cancers and malnutrition‐related conditions, along with their proposed effects, mechanisms, outcome measures, and tools used. A systematic …

High Hybrid Power Converter Performance Using Modern‐Optimization‐Methods‐Based Pwm Strategy, Khaled Nusair, Feras Alasali, William Holderbaum, Arangarajan Vinayagam, Asma Aziz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recently, interest in DC networks and converters has increased due to the high number of applications in renewable energy systems. Consequently, the importance of improving the efficiency of the hybrid converters has been highlighted. An optimal control strategy is a significant solution to handle the challenges of controlling the hybrid interleaved boost–Cuk converter. In this article, a modern‐optimization‐methods‐based PWM strategy for a hybrid power converter is developed. In order to improve the performance of the hybrid converter, four modern optimization algorithms—namely, Manta ray foraging optimization (MRFO), Marine Predators Algorithm (MPA), Jellyfish Search Optimizer (JS), and Equilibrium Optimizer (EO)—are employed to …

Location-Specific Cutaneous Electrical Stimulation Of The Footsole Modulates Corticospinal Excitability To The Plantarflexors And Dorsiflexors During Standing, Gagan Gill, Davis A. Forman, Joanna E. Reeves, Janet L. Taylor, Leah R. Bent

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Non-noxious electrical stimulation to distinct locations of the foot sole evokes location-specific cutaneous reflex responses in lower limb muscles. These reflexes occur at latencies that may enable them to be mediated via a transcortical pathway. Corticospinal excitability to the plantarflexors and dorsiflexors was measured in 16 participants using motor evoked potentials (MEPs). Spinal excitability was measured in eight of the original participants using cervicomedullary motor evoked potentials (CMEPs). Measurements were collected with and without preceding cutaneous stimulus to either the heel (HEEL) or metatarsal (MET) locations of the foot sole, and evoked potentials were elicited to coincide with the arrival …

The Nutritional Quality Of Kids’ Menus From Cafés And Restaurants: An Australian Cross‐Sectional Study, Gina S. A. Trapp, Claire E. Pulker, Miriam Hurworth, Kristy K. Law, Sally Brinkman, Christina M. Pollard, Amelia J. Harray, Ros Sambell, Joelie Mandzufas, Stephanie Anzman‐Frasca, Siobhan Hickling

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Australian families increasingly rely on eating foods from outside the home, which in-creases intake of energy‐dense nutrient‐poor foods. ‘Kids’ Menus’ are designed to appeal to families and typically lack healthy options. However, the nutritional quality of Kids’ Menus from cafes and full‐service restaurants (as opposed to fast‐food outlets) has not been investigated in Australia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional quality of Kids’ Menus in restaurants and cafés in metropolitan Perth, Western Australia. All 787 cafes and restaurants located within the East Metropolitan Health Service area were contacted and 33% had a separate Kids’ Menu. The …

Urban Sprawl And Microclimate In The Ga East Municipality Of Ghana, Kwasi Frimpong, Darko Eugene Atiemo, E. J. Van Etten

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Climatic elements such as temperature and rainfall provide great and unquantifiable benefits to human health. However, rapid urban sprawl has the tendency to undermine these health consequences. The relationship between urban sprawl and microclimate in the Ga East Municipality has been assessed to present the extent of sprawl that inhibit temperature and rainfall in recent times. Methodologically, satellite imagery and meteorological data (minimum and maximum temperature and rainfall) from 1990 to 2020 were used. The results indicate that rapid urban sprawl in recent times has significantly undermined the local climate through land use and land cover changes. There was strong …

The Competitiveness Of Qatari Tourism: A Comparative And Swot Analysis, Ghialy Yap, Shrabani Saha, Saif S. Alsowaidi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Qatar has placed its tourism sector as one of the main strategies of economic diversification to achieve sustainable tourism goal. The country aims to develop diverse tourism products, ranging from cultural, urban, and nature tourism to education. The government has invested a huge amount in designing and building tourism infrastructures such as the eight new stadiums to host the 2022 World Cup, the national museum, Museum of Islamic Art, Katara Cultural Village, Souq Waqif, and many resorts and high end hotels. Given these significant tourism investments, it is unquestionable that the country reaps commensurate long-term benefits in terms of …

J Mich Dent Assoc July 2022

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Monthly, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and feature articles to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists! In this July 2022 issue, the reader will find the following original content:

• A cover feature on negotiating reimbursement rates with PPO contracts.
• A cover feature on guarding against employee embezzlement.
• A 10-Minute EBD on rampant caries management and prevention with ADHD patients taking stimulant medications.
• A Back Page look at the 2022 MDA award winners.
• News you need: an Editorial, guidance on dental practice cybersecurity, and regular department …

Release Agreement For Works In Digital Commons

Release Form Templates

Release agreement for specific works in the institutional repository. The document includes the Terms of Release and selection of a Reuse License.

Analysis Of Factors Affecting Maternal Health Using Data Mining Techniques, Prajina Edayath

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Despite being the most expensive maternity care globally, the US has one of the highest maternal mortality rates among developed countries. Furthermore, maternal mortality (MM) and severe maternal morbidity (SMM) have increased in the US during the past two decades. The poor maternal outcome has several contributors. Several socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors impact poor maternal health outcomes and disparities in (MM) and (SMM). However, 45 - 60% of all maternal deaths and SMM cases are preventable with timely and appropriate care. Thus, maternal health outcomes result from multilevel contributors, which suggests that there are opportunities to improve health service quality. …

Composing Her Growing Identities As A Mexican American, Xiaodi Zhou

Bilingual and Literacy Studies Faculty Publications

This article studies the growing and changing cultural identifications of one early adolescent Mexican American girl as represented by her engagements with literacy. Her writing behaviors in particular manifested a changing cultural identity that reacted to and represented her response to a changing world. Her bilingualism and biculturalism manifested a dialogic innervation of distinct voices and truths, particularly set in the Trump-era United States. Through a theoretical framework of cultural hybridity and bordered identity, this study analyzes the complex linguistic, developmental, and cultural identities of a young Mexican American woman in the rural South.

"We Make New Families:" Findings From A Family Court Mediation Study, Alexandra Crampton

Social and Cultural Sciences Faculty Research and Publications

Mediation was brought into family court cases as a divorce litigation alternative. Today, parents are not only encouraged but mandated across most U.S. states to consider mediation before further court action can be taken. Research has not kept up with understanding how publicly mandated and subsidized mediation services become part of court cases and possible case resolution. This article reviews how mediation has evolved from outside alternative to family court “workhorse” within a family dispute resolution paradigm centered on shared parenting as in the best interest of children. Research results from a family court mediation program are presented to highlight …

Red Flags And Risks: Unpleasant Surprises When An Office Manager Suddenly Leaves, David Harris Cpa

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Losing an office manager can pose significant challenges for dental practices. This article delves into the red flags and potential risks that may accompany an office manager's sudden departure, shedding light on the importance of understanding the circumstances surrounding their exit. The article highlights how embezzlement can be a reason behind unexplained departures and emphasizes the need to assess the situation more deeply. It explores account ownership issues that can hinder practice owners from accessing crucial business information, particularly in embezzlement investigations. The article recommends proactive measures for practice owners to secure access to vital accounts to prevent potential issues …

Dentistry And The Law: Risk Of Employment Discrimination In Job Advertisements, Dan Schulte Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Employment discrimination in job advertisements that include religious references, such as statements like "faith-based practice" or symbols like crosses, is a legal concern. Federal and Michigan state laws, particularly the Elliot Larson Civil Rights Act (ELCRA), prohibit discrimination in employment, encompassing various protected classes. ELCRA applies to all employers in Michigan, regardless of their size. Violating ELCRA can lead to legal consequences, including injunctive relief and compensatory damages. Including such references or symbols in job ads can be used as evidence against employers in discrimination claims, even if rejected candidates have lesser qualifications. Publishers of these ads are also at …

Staff Matters: Independent Contractor Or Temporary Employee?, Jodi Schafer Sphr, Shrm-Scp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Determining whether temporary hygienists should be classified as independent contractors or employees requires careful consideration. While treating them as independent contractors offers advantages, such as avoiding payroll taxes and paperwork, it must align with specific IRS criteria. The classification hinges on the degree of control the practice exerts over their work, encompassing behavioral and financial control. If the practice significantly controls aspects like duties, hours, and business aspects, it may be wiser to classify them as employees. The IRS provides a form (SS-8) to assess the relationship in-depth. Additionally, if hygienists request employee status and you cannot definitively prove otherwise, …

Schooling Black Males: Hegemonic Discourses, Structural Barriers, And Strategic Resistance, Cleo Wadley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Black males have scored at the lowest levels of academic achievement compared to other racial groups in many Texas school districts. The achievement gap for this population of students has been explained by both material constraints and oppressive hegemonic discourses. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to understand how such barriers and discourses affected these students and how the students negotiated their experiences in school. This study was designed to describe the problem, its background and to discuss a relevant theoretical framework. This study examined the academic achievement data for Black males and the current literature on adverse …

Soil Quality Indicators And Vegetation Responses Following Ecological Restoration Thinning Of Ponderosa Pine On Three Soil Parent Material Types Under Grazing And Non-Grazing In Northern Arizona, Christopher Macdonald

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research was performed in a northern Arizona ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa P. & C., Lawson) forest. The objectives were to a) increase understanding of long-term vegetation responses to ecological restoration treatments on three soils types, with and without grazing, b) evaluate the responses soil physical, chemical, and biological properties to restoration treatments, with and without grazing, c) determine the utility of measured soil quality indicators to informing risks to sustainable soils management in southwestern ponderosa pine forests.

There were no significant differences in soil bulk density by soil type, treatment type, or grazing treatment. No significant differences …

Cardiac Surgery: Bypass And Thoracotomy Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (Eras), Children's Mercy Kansas City

Clinical Pathways (Formally Known As Care Process Models)

No abstract provided.

The History Of Migration Settlement Of Ilonggo People In Tacurong, Cotabato (1930s-1970s), Bernardo M. Arellano Iii

Journal Article

Mindanao in southern Philippines has become the home of multiple cultures, particularly called the “tri-people” in literature. This “tri-people” is composed of the Moros, the “Kristyano” Filipino Settlers, and the Lumad or indigenous peoples. However, the island was predominantly Moro and Lumad: attempts of the Spanish colonial forces in subjugating the Mindanaoan sultanates into the Spanish Crown were unsuccessful. It was during the entry of the United States that the migration and settlement of Mindanao came into fruition: through land settlement programs that encouraged the Filipinos from Luzon and the Visayas to migrate and develop the land. The study focuses …

Harper V. Copperpoint Mut. Ins. Holding Co., 138 Nev. Adv. Op. 33 (May 5, 2022), Servando Martinez

Nevada Supreme Court Summaries

In an opinion drafted by Justice Herndon, the Court considered whether NRS 42.021(2)’s prohibition on a collateral source provider’s right to recover extends to a medical malpractice case that was settled before proceeding to trial. Harper alleged that construing the statute’s plain language would produce an absurd result and that the statute should be interpreted similarly to the California Civil Code the statute was based on. The district court dismissed Harper’s argument, rationalizing that the statute prohibits a payer of collateral source benefits from seeking reimbursement from a medical malpractice plaintiff only when the defendant introduces evidence of those payments. …

Image-Based Crack Detection By Extracting Depth Of The Crack Using Machine Learning, Nishat Tabassum

Theses and Dissertations

Concrete structures have been a major aspect of social infrastructure since the ancient Roman times, so they have been used for many centuries. Concrete is used for the durability and support it provides to buildings and bridges. Assessing the state of these structures is important in preserving the longevity of structures and the safety of the public. Detecting cracks in their early stage allows repairs to be made without the need to replace the whole structure, so it reduces the cost. Traditional methods are slowly falling behind as technology advances and an increase in demand for a practical method of …

On Incorporating The Stochasticity Of Quantum Machine Learning Into Classical Models, Joseph Lindsay

Theses and Dissertations

While many of the most exciting quantum computing algorithms are currently impossible to be implemented until fault-tolerant quantum error correction is achieved, noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) devices allow for smaller scale applications that leverage the paradigm for speed-ups to be researched and realized. A currently popular application for these devices is quantum machine learning (QML). Recent works over the past few years indicate that QML algorithms can function just as well as their classical counterparts, and even outperform them in some cases. Many current QML models take advantage of variational quantum algorithm (VQA) circuits, given that their scale is typically …

A Hawaiian Heroine’S Journey: The Early Life And Career Of Dancer Jean Erdman Campbell, Diane B. Mcghee

Theses and Dissertations

This biographical study covers the early life and career of dancer, choreographer, and avant-garde theatre artist, Jean Erdman Campbell (1916-2020). Based on extensive research of historical literature and archival materials, the manuscript traces Erdman’s ancestry and follows the subject through age 32, when she became established as a star of modern dance and prepared for a world tour. The guiding question for this study was what influences shaped the life course, identity and artistry of Erdman, and how might the subject be presented as biography? The researcher examined the influences on Erdman as related to various dance traditions, especially Hawaiian …

Neighborhood Change On The Mississippi Coast After Hurricane Katrina (2006 – 2019), Margot Habets

Theses and Dissertations

Hurricane Katrina was a historic event, forever changing many lives as well as altering impacted communities in the short and long term. In the fifteen years since the storm, patterns of damage, recovery programs and dollars, and existing neighborhood change have altered demographics in coastal Mississippi. This thesis investigates how population, median age, race, and education demographics have changed at the census tract level in the fourteen years since Hurricane Katrina (2006-2019) compared to pre-Katrina trends (1990-2000). A moving average using American Community Survey data as well as interval changes measure how different neighborhoods have been altered since the storm. …

Analyzing The Impact Of Governance Strategies On Trust And Risk In The Salish Sea Transboundary Fishery Context, Evelyn Roozee

Theses and Dissertations

The Salish Sea is the site of a transboundary fishery whose coastal jurisdiction includes British Columbia, Washington State, the two federal governments, and many Indigenous tribes with sovereign rights. Fishery management becomes increasingly complex when transboundary cooperation is needed. Furthermore, while the Salish Sea region has attempted to facilitate better transboundary collaborative governance, these have generally failed to institutionalize the principles of adaptive management. This research seeks to assess current trust and risk perceptions and analyze the effects of control mechanisms used in the transboundary fishery management network. The data consists of a survey measuring collaborative precursors, barriers, and outcomes …

Volume 31, Number 2, Summer 2022, Office Of Communications, Illinois Wesleyan University

Illinois Wesleyan University Magazine, 2018-present

VOLUME 31 | NUMBER 2 | Summer 2022

ON OUR COVER: Dr. Nurman Noor ’08 showcased his culinary skills as an eventual runner-up in The Great Australian Bake Off. Photo courtesy of Foxtel Publicity.

14 Baked with Love Dr. Nurman Noor ’08 may be a general practitioner by trade, but a passion for baking earned him a spot in the TV series The Great Australian Bake Off, where he won scores of fans with his likable personality, raw vulnerability and mouth-watering creations.

18 Breaking Through Angela (Tomazin) Hesemann ’09 found herself laid off at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, …

Methodological Mutability: Shifting Research In The Rhetoric Of Health And Medicine, John Schuler Benson Iii

Theses and Dissertations

The Rhetoric of Health and Medicine (RHM) is a growing body of scholarship that pulls from technical communication, rhetorical theory, and a number of other disciplines to inquire about the capacities of rhetoric at the intersection of medical practitioners and scholars, the medical humanities, and the publics they inform and treat. Among RHM scholars there is a consensus that the field’s methodological diversity is one of its greatest strengths; indeed, field leaders articulate one of RHM’s exigencies as “encouraging methodological collaboration and experimentation” (Melonçon and Scott, Methodologies 4). This dissertation takes up these calls with the introduction of shifting, a …

Complex Functional Joint Models For Longitudinal Electronic Health Record, Siyuan Guo

Theses and Dissertations

Longitudinal measurements are important components in electronic health record (EHR) data. In practice, using longitudinal EHR history is expected to improve the estimation or prediction performance when studying some outcomes of interest, such as binary outcome or time to event outcome. However, the longitudinal observations in EHR data is complex due to irregular and sparse EHR visits. Therefore, modelling longitudinal data and further incorporating them with different types of outcomes is challenge. In this dissertation, we aim to develop methodology to first, describe the pattern of the longitudinal predictors with continuous or binary observations, and second, model the longitudinal predictors …

Sensory Processing In Male Children With Fragile X Syndrome And Idiopathic Autism: Implications For Maladaptive Behavior And Within-Syndrome Heterogeneity, Chandler Knott

Theses and Dissertations

Proficient sensory processing affords adaptive responses that are necessary for daily functioning. Atypical sensory processing patterns are common across neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and fragile X syndrome (FXS), two disorders with a high degree of phenotypic overlap. However, little is known about whether types of atypical sensory processing in FXS vary as a function of genetic etiology or the presence of ASD. Atypical sensory processing has been also associated with maladaptive outcomes in certain clinical populations; however, the impact of these impairments on internalizing and externalizing behavior remains unknown in FXS. Study participants included 37 male children …

Trajectories, Prevention Strategies, And Health Impacts Of Perinatal Depression, Sabrina Karim

Theses and Dissertations

Background

Perinatal depression is one of the most common and underdiagnosed obstetric complications. Extant research on perinatal depression is mostly focused on white women and women who are not at risk for depression. Little is known about the trajectories, prevention strategies and adverse outcomes of perinatal depression among high-risk populations, for example, women with overweight and obesity or women of color or low socioeconomic status.

Purpose

Our study examined the longitudinal trajectories of perinatal depression, effect of a behavioral lifestyle intervention on perinatal depression and association between prenatal physical activity and perinatal depression among women with overweight and obesity. We …