Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Affecting The Level Of Grief Experienced By Men Whose Female Partner Died In The United States, Keona C. Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Grief is an emotional reaction to the loss of a loved one through death. Although grief is a universal human experience, its perspective is unique, and research has often ignored the varied experiences of racial/ethnic and cultural groups, particularly men of color in the United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure the level of grief experienced by men whose female partner died and to determine whether ethnicity, having a prior mental health diagnosis, social support, and traumatic or anticipated loss significantly impacted their level of grief. The study was guided by the social-ecological model to explain …

Knowledge And Perception Of Human Milk Donation Among Pregnant, Lactating, And Postpartum Women In Rochester, Ny, And Near Hmbana Milk Banks, Samantha Allen

Theses

Human milk banks provide pasteurized donor milk for premature infants whose mothers are unable to produce sufficient amounts of milk, offering critical nutritional and immunological benefits for this high-risk population.1–4 Although 28 HMBANA-accredited milk banks operate in the United States, none are located within 4.5 hours of Rochester, NY. This study examined the knowledge and perceptions of human milk bank donation among pregnant, lactating, and postpartum women in Rochester, NY, and in communities near HMBANA-affiliated milk banks, and assessed if there is a correlation regarding the proximity of milk banks.  A cross-sectional study design was used, and participants completed a …

Powering Up Clinical Practice: Mastering Clinical Literature Search Techniques – 2026 Jan Hslic Workshop, Evelyn Wang

HSLIC Faculty and Staff Instructional Resources

This HSLIC workshop introduces practical clinical literature search techniques, focusing on how to translate clinical questions into structured database searches and efficiently navigate core resources. Topics include identifying key concepts, using Boolean operators, truncation, wildcards, phrase searching, proximity operators, subject headings (MeSH/Emtree), building multi-concept search strategies, and accessing full text through HSLIC tools and service.

The Determinants Of Internal Fraud Using The Fraud Hexagon Framework: A Study Of The Banking Sector Listed On The Indonesia Stock Exchange, Annisa Zikria, Srihadi Winarningsih, Faoziah Ulfah Fatmawati

Journal of Accounting Auditing and Business

This study examines the determinants of internal fraud in Indonesian listed banks by applying the Fraud Hexagon framework (pressure, opportunity, rationalization, capability, arrogance, and collusion) to the banking sector on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) over 2020–2024. Internal fraud is operationalised as the number of internal fraud cases disclosed in each bank’s annual report during the study period. The analysis uses a balanced panel of 23 banks across five years (total 115 observations) and estimates a panel least squares model with cross-section fixed effects to control for time-invariant heterogeneity across banks. Pressure is proxied by the non-performing loan ratio, opportunity …

Simulated Intimacy, But Real Connection: Perceived Reciprocity And Romantic Closeness Make Otome Fun To Play, Nicholas Bowman, Elena Yifei Zhao

Media Studies - All Scholarship

Otome games offer players the opportunity to form romantic relationships with NPCs. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory, we proposed that, in the context of otome game, reciprocity enhances the sense of romantic closeness with NPCs, which in turn lead to greater enjoyment and appreciation. Survey data from 293 Chinese otome players supported the model, suggesting that at least one of the reasons that otome gaming is so entertaining is that they provide players with relationships that those players engage as if they were authentically social. Descriptive results revealed high reciprocity scores and strong romantic connection with NPCs, which players feeling …

Rapid Inpatient Methadone Induction In The Fentanyl Era: A Systematic Review Of Safety, Efficacy, And Protocols For Hospitalized Patients With Opioid Use Disorder, Lorik Berisha, Sapan Patel, Charlotte Pirquet, Navina Magesh Kumar, Yousef Soliman, Ahsan Ullah, Daniel M. Matassa

Division of Internal Medicine Faculty Papers & Presentations

Purpose of Review: The potency of illicit fentanyl has rendered standard methadone inductions inadequate for many hospitalized adults with opioid use disorder. Standard protocols often fail to achieve therapeutic doses quickly enough to manage withdrawal and cravings in fentanyl-tolerant individuals, contributing to poor retention and higher self-discharge rates. This review examines emerging evidence on dosing strategies, outcomes, and safety of rapid methadone inductions in acute-care hospitals. Recent Findings: Nine studies (five retrospective cohorts, four case series/reports) encompassing 380 patients met inclusion criteria. Median starting doses were 30–40 mg (range 20–90 mg), with daily or symptom-triggered increases achieving 60–100 mg within …

Usa V. Randar Munoz

2026 Decisions

USDC for the District Court of the Virgin Islands

Abrahim Fata V. Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania

2026 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Minerva Carbajal-Recinos V. Attorney General United States Of America

2026 Decisions

Agency

Stimulus-Driven Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics Is Impaired In Glaucoma Patients, Ji Won Bang, Carlos Parra, Kevin Yu, Hyun Seo Lee, Gadi Wollstein, Joel Schuman, Kevin Chan

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), partly driven by sensory stimulation, is crucial for maintaining homeostasis and clearing metabolic waste. Whether such stimulus-driven CSF flow is disrupted in age-related neurodegenerative diseases of the visual system remains unclear. This study examined the CSF flow during visual stimulation in glaucoma patients and healthy older adults using functional magnetic resonance imaging. In glaucoma, CSF inflow becomes progressively decoupled from the visually evoked blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) response. Specifically, the characteristic stimulus-locked CSF patterns, which decrease after stimulus onset and increase after offset, diminish with disease severity. Mediation analysis suggests this flattened CSF pattern is driven by a flatter …

Female Military Sexual Trauma Survivors’ Experiences With Seeking Treatment From The Veterans Health Administration, Sherry Sophia Bolden Rivers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides free healthcare related to those who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST); however, many female veterans either go without or delay accessing such care. This generic qualitative study was conducted to answer the research question about the reasons behind female veterans’ decisions to seek or not seek VHA services following the experiences of MST. The framework for this study was Wollstonecraft’s feminist theory. An additional question was how, if at all, the stigma of MST and the military’s male-dominated culture play a role in the reporting of these incidents. Data were collected through semistructured …

Community College And School Administrators’ Perspectives On Communication And Collaboration In The Formation Of Partnerships, Shannon Stukes Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Challenges have limited the opportunities for educational institutions to support student transitions and success. The problem addressed through this study was the challenge to establish effective partnerships between community colleges and public K–12 schools in a rural county in a southern state. Grounded in Hartford’s small group theory, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine community college and K–12 administrators’ perspectives on the role of collaboration and communication, as well as the knowledge and skills needed for faculty, staff, and officials to create and sustain partnerships. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 18 community college and K–12 administrators. …

Erratum For Nachman Et Al., “Increased Fungal Burden In The Gastrointestinal Tract Of Brain-Dead Organ Donors”, Erika J Nachman, Colleen K Ardis, A Kyle B Ardis, Javier Nieto, Madeline M Bresson, Clare M Robertson, Maggie N Seale, Nora M Villafuerte, Zhe Lyu, Eva C Preisner, Heather A Danhof, Sara C Di Rienzi, Yolanda T Becker, Robert A Britton

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

State Prior Authorization Prohibitions And Buprenorphine Retention Among Privately Insured Patients, Ju-Chen Hu, Shashi N. Kapadia, Hao Zhang, Ali Jalali, Kristen Underhill, Christina Andrews Ph.D., Yuhua Bao

Faculty Publications

Importance  Buprenorphine is the most commonly prescribed medication for opioid use disorder, but rates of retention in treatment remain low. Prior authorization (PA) has been identified as a barrier to the administration of buprenorphine, and patients may need multiple PAs to continue treatment; thus, many states have passed laws to prohibit the use of PA for buprenorphine in private insurance.

Objective  To examine the association between PA prohibitions and buprenorphine treatment retention overall and by branded vs generic drug status.

Design, Setting, and Participants  This cross-sectional study used a difference-in-differences design and private insurance claims data from 49 states and …

Multiple Myeloma Risk Linked To Dna Damage Response Genes, Michael Conry, Irina Ostrovnaya, Yelena Kemel, Saloni Sinha, Linda B. Baughn, Brian Avery, Kylee Maclachlan, Victoria Groner, Lauren Banaszak, Aaron Norman, Nicholas J. Boddicker, Alyssa I. Clay-Gilmour Ph.D., Shaji Kumar, Ellen Kim, Sita Dandiker, Mitul Waghmare, Susan Slager, Douglas Sborov, Judy Garber, Elizabeth E. Brown, Michelle Hildebrandt, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

Background DNA damage response genes (DDRG), implicated in several cancers as both predisposing risk factors as well as biomarkers for aggressiveness, have not been fully explored in multiple myeloma (MM).

Methods Herein, we analyzed disease associations of pathogenic variations in nine putative candidate genes using 3 446 MM cases and 323 233 cancer-free controls.

Results Increased MM risk was found to be associated with inherited rare pathogenic mutations in TP53, ATM, CHEK2, KDM1A, and ARID1A, with an enrichment of these variants among individuals with early onset or family history of MM. Individuals with TP53 or ATM germline mutations are also …

The Texas Business Court: Year One, Jack B. Disorbo

St. Mary's Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Association Between Ultraprocessed Food Consumption And Cardiovascular Disease Risk: Mesa (Multiethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis), Amier Haidar, Rishi Rikhi, Karol E Watson, Alexis C Wood, Michael D Shapiro

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) have been linked to adverse cardiometabolic outcomes and increased atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) (ASCVD) risk. However, prior research has largely focused on homogenous populations, lacking racial and ethnic diversity.

Objectives: The objectives are to examine the longitudinal relationship between UPF consumption and ASCVD risk and to investigate whether these associations differ by race/ethnicity, sex, or socioeconomic status.

Methods: The MESA (Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) is a prospective cohort study of 6,814 U.S. adults aged 45 to 84 years, without clinically apparent CVD. UPF consumption was classified according to the Nova classification system. Multivariable cox proportional hazards …

N-Palmitoyl Glutamine Is A Candidate Mediator Of Cardiorespiratory Fitness, Jeremy M Robbins, Mark Benson, Anthony R P Verkerke, Gaurav Tiwari, Shuliang Deng, Prashant Rao, Usman A Tahir, Julian Avila-Pacheco, Xu Shi, Yuntian Guan, Foje-Geh Tendoh, Jacob L Barber, Patricia E Miller, Andrew S Perry, Michael E Hall, Alexis C Wood, Kent D Taylor, Wendy S Post, Stephen S Rich, Matthew Nayor, James G Wilson, Gregory D Lewis, Ravi V Shah, Jerome I Rotter, Scott A Summers, Laura M Raffield, Shingo Kajimura, Claude Bouchard, Clary B Clish, Mark A Sarzynski, Robert E Gerszten

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Background: Cardiorespiratory fitness is an integrative measure of cardiometabolic health and predictor of survival, yet little is known about its molecular underpinnings. Small molecule metabolites and lipids are increasingly recognized as exercise-stimulated signaling molecules and candidate molecular transducers of cardiorespiratory fitness.

Methods: We performed nontargeted liquid chromatography mass spectrometry-based plasma metabolomics in 654 participants (mean age, 35 years; 55% women) from the HERITAGE Family Study (Health, Risk Factors, Exercise Training, and Genetics) who had cardiorespiratory fitness (maximal oxygen uptake [VO2max]) measured by cardiopulmonary exercise testing and underwent 20 weeks of supervised endurance training. Metabolite-VO2max relationships were assessed using linear regression …

A Caregiver’S Perspective Of Caring For Children With Intellectual Disabilities, Lajoy Johnson Law

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current estimates reported by the National Institute of Health suggest that between 1.4 and 2.2 million children in the United States have some form of intellectual disability. These children need caregivers, yet in the literature there is a lack of studies focusing on the experiences of caregivers raising children with intellectual disabilities. Further, there is a lack of public policies and programs for Washington, D.C. caregivers. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of these caregivers in Washington, D.C. and to identify what policies, programs, and services are needed to support them. Guided by …

Loss Of Twist1 Leads To Disruption Of Ciliary Length, Endocytic Vesicle Dynamics, And Cell-Cell Junctions During Neural Tube Formation, Derrick Thomas, Brittany M Hufft-Martinez, Zarna Lalwani, Vi Pham, Mary Elmeniawi, An J Tran, Jianming Xu, Irfan Saadi, Walid D Fakhouri

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Endocytosis constitutes a fundamental cellular process governing development through coordinated regulation of plasma membrane remodeling and ciliogenesis, processes essential for cell shape changes and tissue development. Although Twist1 null embryos display complete cranial neural tube (NT) closure defects and conditional knockout in neuroectoderm disrupts cranial neural crest cell fate determination and delamination, the function of TWIST1 in NT morphogenesis remains unknown. We investigated the basis underlying neuroectodermal morphological abnormalities in TWIST1 mutant embryos, specifically the formation of ectopic lateral bending points and cellular disorganization, by examining Twist1's role in cilia formation, adherens junction integrity, and endocytic vesicle dynamics.

Results: …

Identifying Over- And Underfunded Diseases By Comparing National Institutes Of Health Funding For Skin Disease Research With Us Skin Disease Burden According To 2021 Global Burden Of Disease Data: Cross-Sectional Analysis, Aileen Park, Emily Woolhiser, Hannah Riva, Leo Wan, Haaris Kadri, Elizabeth Lamberty, Parks Juels, Sandra Jaroonwanichkul, Madison Reed, Catherine Hegedus, Dana Chen, Danielle Duffle, Jessica Kirk, Sydney Christensen, Emma Shelby, Robert Dellavalle

Student Publications

Background: Understanding the burden of various skin diseases can help guide funding allocation for skin disease research. A 2015 cross-sectional study found a partial correlation between US skin disease burden according to the 2010 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding in 2012-2013.

Objective: This study aims to identify trends, correlations, and disparities in US skin disease burden and NIH research funding allocation using the latest data from the GBD 2021 and NIH funding data from the fiscal years 2021-2022.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted to compare the disability-adjusted life years for 15 …

Cognitive Warfare 2026: Nato’S Chief Scientist Report As Sentinel Call For Operational Readiness, James Giordano

Strategic Insights

This commentary examines emerging concepts in cognitive warfare, the use of information, perception shaping, and psychological influence as instruments of strategic competition. It also highlights insights from the 2026 NATO Chief Scientist Report. Dr. Giordano explains that cognitive effects extend traditional information operations by targeting how people think, make decisions, and act in complex environments. Drawing from NATO analysis, he argues that military organizations must integrate cognitive considerations into doctrine, planning, and training to enhance resilience and competitive advantage. Improved operational frameworks, interdisciplinary research, and ethical governance could help allied forces recognize, anticipate, and counter cognitive threats while preserving human …

Environmental Factors Associated With Heatwaves Affecting The Growth Of Harmful Algal Bloom Species Pyrodinium Bahamense, Ketzia Garcia, Camiyah Blanchard, Lydia Ruggles, Lauren D' Amore, Margaret Mars Brisbin

Making Waves REU

• Pyrodiniumbahamenseis a harmful algal bloomdinoflagellate that forms blooms in subtropical and tropical estuarine waters, includingalong Florida's coasts
• The species formsintense harmful algal blooms in theOld Tampa Bayand Indian River Lagoon regions, producing toxins that cause paralytic shellfishpoisoning (PSP)
• Marine heatwaves (MHW), periods of time where ocean temperatures rise 1–3°C or more above the normal, have intensified over the years
• Marine heatwaves may influence microbial interactions and harmful algal blooms (HABS)

The Indian Supreme Court Acts On The Stray Dog Issue: Is It A Crisis Or An Opportunity? Part 1, Andrew Rowan Dphil

WellBeing News

This article examines the Indian Supreme Court’s recent intervention in the country’s stray dog issue, triggered by public safety concerns following a fatal rabies case. It outlines the Court’s initial directive to remove street dogs, the legal and welfare challenges that followed, and the subsequent modification of the order to align with India’s Animal Birth Control Rules. The piece highlights the tension between public health, animal welfare, and governance, framing the Court’s actions as both a response to crisis and an opportunity to strengthen humane, lawful stray dog management nationwide.

The Eat-Lancet Commission’S 2025 Report, Andrew Rowan Dphil

WellBeing News

The 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission Report presents a comprehensive scientific update on how global food systems can be transformed to nourish people while preserving planetary boundaries. Building on its influential 2019 framework, the Commission reaffirms the benefits of a largely plant-rich “Planetary Health Diet,” coupled with sustainable farming, reduced food loss and waste, and equitable food access. It finds that adopting such diets worldwide could prevent up to 15 million premature deaths annually, significantly reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions, and address deep inequities in food security. The report calls for systemic change across policy, production, and consumption to deliver healthier, more …

Living With Beavers In America: Part 3, John Hadidian Phd

WellBeing News

Living with Beavers in America: Part 3 examines the evolving human-beaver relationship as these iconic ecosystem engineers return to contemporary landscapes. The article argues that much of the tension between people and beavers arises from how the animals are framed — whether as pests, natural resource commodities, recreational assets, or ecological partners. It explores the regulatory frameworks governing beaver management, typical conflict scenarios (such as tree loss and flooding), and emerging approaches that enable coexistence without unnecessary removal. Ultimately, the piece highlights the importance of reevaluating human desires and values alongside the measurable environmental contributions beavers make, offering insights into …

Acoustic Analysis Of Prosodic Speech Pause In Autistic And Neurotypical Adults, Rachel Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to examine prosodic speech pause across two groups: neurotypical and autistic young adults. Conversational speech samples were collected from 11 neurotypical and 11 autistic young adults between the ages of 18 and 26. Speech samples were subsequently transcribed and analyzed using Praat Software. The boundaries of between- and within-utterance pauses were identified, as well as acoustically determining if the pause was filled, silent, or a combination of both. Results found a significant difference in the frequency of pauses as a function of location, pause type, and neurological status. As expected, combination pauses were the …

Preliminary Evaluation Of Remote Sensing Evapotranspiration Models For Field-Scale Agricultural Water Management In Arid Central Iran, Somayeh Sima, Iman Raissi Dehkordi, Mohammadhosein Taghikhani, Neamat Karimi

Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Accurate estimation of actual evapotranspiration (ET_a) is crucial for effective water resource management and optimizing agricultural yields. While satellite-based surface energy balance ET_a models are widely adopted, their field-scale accuracy in under-researched regions, such as Iran, remains a critical knowledge gap. This study assesses five prominent models—PySEBAL, PyMETRIC, SSEBop, PyTSEB, and ETLook (from FAO’s WaPOR v.2, L1 product)—for daily ET_a estimation over an alfalfa field in the arid central part of Iran. Models were adjusted for the field using in situ weather data and Landsat-8 images, and validated against the scintillometer data. Results showed SSEBop provided …

Messages From The Provost, Georgia Southern University

Messages from the Provost

• Message from the Provost

• Designing Confidence: GS Students Reimagine the Career Closet — and Discover Their Own Potential

• Top 2% Scientists: Leading Minds in Science

A Phase 1, First-In-Human, Dose Escalation Study Of Jnj-80038114, A Psmaxcd3 Bispecific Antibody, In Participants With Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer, Andrew Hudson, Anuradha Jayaram, Benjamin Garmezy, Nicholas Zorko, Kevin Zarrabi, Ligi Mathews, Brent Rupnow, Mengjie Li, Debopriya Ghosh, Karen Urtishak, Peter Francis, Sherry Wang, Edward Attiyeh, Johann De Bono

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) has been identified as a therapeutic target for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). The recent success of radioligands targeting PSMA spurred development of new PSMA-targeting agents including immunotherapy. JNJ-80038114 is a bispecific antibody that binds PSMA on tumor cells and CD3 on T cells to induce anti-tumor activity.

METHODS: This was a phase 1, open-label, multicenter study of JNJ-80038114 in participants with mCRPC and ≥ 1 prior systemic therapy. JNJ-80038114 was administered subcutaneously every 3 weeks (Q3W), starting at 0.1 mg. The primary endpoint was safety. Secondary endpoints included pharmacokinetics (PK), immunogenicity, and prostate-specific antigen …