Digital Commons Network^™

Associations Of Blood Pressure Level And Variability With Cortical Thickness: A Cross-Sectional Analysis From The Maracaibo Aging Study, Romeo De Leon, Shana Garza, Silvia Mejia-Arango, Kristina Vatcheva, Sokratis Charisis, Claudia L. Satizabal, Luis J. Mena, Joseph H. Lee, Joseph D. Terwilliger, Eron Manusov

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Although high blood pressure (BP) level and variability are associated with Alzheimer's Disease (AD), their relationship with cortical thickness in brain regions that are associated with AD is unclear. Furthermore, the role of 24-hour BP has not been examined. We investigated the associations of office and ambulatory BP measures with cortical thickness in brain regions implicated in AD.

Methods: We performed a cross sectional analysis of 304 participants without dementia from a population-based study with office and 24-hour BP and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. We considered cortical thickness values derived from 10 regions throughout the frontal, parietal, and …

Reduced Threat-Related Neural Efficiency: A Possible Biomarker For Pediatric Anxiety Disorders, Julia O. Linke, Reut Naim, Simona P. Haller, Parmis Khosravi, Beck Scheinberg, Meghan E. Byrne, Anita Harrewijn, Ellen Leibenluft, Melissa A. Brotman, Anderson M. Winkler, Daniel Samuel Pine

School of Medicine Publications

Objective: Pediatric anxiety disorders are common and predict adult psychopathology, yet current treatments, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), produce lasting remission in less than 50% of affected youths. To support the search for improved, mechanistically grounded interventions, this study evaluated neural efficiency, defined as similarity in functional connectivity between a threat task and rest, as a potential biomarker. The study evaluated neural efficiency in relation to anxiety diagnosis and treatment response.

Methods: The authors compared 103 youths with an anxiety disorder diagnosis (mean age, 12.5 years [SD=2.91], 62% female) to 103 youths with no psychiatric diagnosis (mean age, 13.4 years …

Spinning-Induced Exertional Rhabdomyolysis Without Acute Kidney Injury, Yolanda V. Gutierrez, Ronald Shaju, Alyssa L. Sepulveda, Joaquin Rivera, Aamir Ahmad

School of Medicine Publications

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition with a myriad of causes, including both traumatic and non-traumatic. Traumatic conditions are observed in crush injuries, compartment syndrome, and fractures, while non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis is commonly seen due to exertional heat stroke, extreme physical exercise, and dehydration. This case report explores two cases of extreme non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis caused by indoor cycling, also known as spinning. A common complication of severe rhabdomyolysis is acute kidney injury (AKI), which increases the risk of renal failure. Rapid interventions such as aggressive intravenous fluids are necessary to prevent kidney function loss. In this case report, two sisters, on two separate …

Breaking The Resistance: A Narrative Review Of The Evolution From Traditional Drugs To Precision Therapies In Epilepsy, Tirath Patel, Fathimathul Henna, Ashfaq Ahmed, Ayesha Ahmad, Noor Ul Huda, Syed Aaraiz Ul Hassan, Aiman Muhammad, Amna Javed, Maryem Filal, Nikhilesh Anand

School of Medicine Publications

Background: Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, affecting approximately 50 million individuals globally. While conventional antiseizure medications (ASMs) control seizures in 70-80% of patients, about 30% experience drug resistance or intolerable side effects, necessitating alternative approaches.

Objective: To critically compare the efficacy, safety, and accessibility of conventional and emerging therapies for epilepsy, particularly in the context of treatment-resistant cases and global disparities in care.

Methods: This narrative review synthesized evidence from 120 peer-reviewed articles published between 2015 and 2025. Literature was retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus using predefined search terms related to epilepsy …

Early Detection In Oral Cancer: Are We Prepared For Artificial Intelligence-Driven Precision Medicine?, Nikil Kumar, Sinnha Kumari, Sadia Sultana, Muhammad Saad Khan, Tirath Patel, Nikhilesh Anand

School of Medicine Publications

Oral cancer, particularly oral squamous cell carcinoma, remains a serious health concern, with a poor prognosis and a late diagnosis. Leukoplakia, erythroplakia, lichen planus, and submucous fibrosis are examples of oral potentially malignant disorders that must be detected early but are not always so by traditional, laborious, and subjective diagnostic techniques. In oral cancer, artificial intelligence (AI) and precision medicine are becoming game-changing technologies that enhance individualized care, treatment planning, and diagnostic precision. Complex imaging and histopathology data may be analyzed using machine learning and deep learning algorithms, particularly convolutional neural networks, which can identify patterns that are invisible to …

Hall Current And Nth Order Chemical Reaction Effects On Unsteady 3d Mhd Williamson Nanofluid Flow With Thermophoresis And Brownian Motion Over An Inclined Stretching Sheet, Polavarapu Sudheer, Ramachandra Reddy Vaddemani, Raghunath Kodi

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This study examines the influence of Hall current and nth-order chemical reaction on unsteady three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Williamson nanofluid flow over an inclined stretching sheet. The model incorporates thermal radiation, heat source, Brownian motion, and thermophoresis effects. The governing nonlinear partial differential equations are transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations using similarity transformations and solved numerically using the shooting method with a fourth-order Runge–Kutta scheme. The results indicate that an increase in the magnetic parameter significantly reduces velocity profiles while enhancing temperature and concentration distributions. The Hall parameter reduces surface drag and improves heat transfer, while decreasing mass …

Preserving The Identity Of Historic Coptic Orthodox Monasteries In Egypt Under Contemporary Pressures: Case Studies Of St. Bishoy And St. Anthony Monasteries, George Medhat Adeeb, Mohamed Khairy Amin, Mohamed Ahmed Al-Sherbiny

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Historic Coptic Orthodox monasteries in Egypt (HCOMEs) represent an important component of Christian heritage, integrating architectural value with enduring spiritual traditions that reflect both tangible and intangible dimensions. However, contemporary development and changing functional demands are generating transformations that may affect their identity if not carefully managed. Despite extensive scholarship, limited research has systematically examined these transformations through a structured evaluative approach. This study addresses this gap by developing and applying an analytical and evaluation framework to examine how contemporary pressures influence the historical, architectural-spatial, and spiritual identity of HCOMEs, and to assess the effectiveness of monastic responses. The framework …

Optimization Of Mechanical Properties Of Copper Nanofiller Reinforced Banana Fiber Polyester Composites Using Grey–Taguchi Method, Nikhil Janardan Rathod, Mayur Jayant Gitay, Markala Karthik, Harshwardhan Ghongade, Upendra Rajak, Rajendra Sopan Narkhede

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Mechanical performance of banana fiber-reinforced polyester composites maximized using a composite Taguchi and a Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) process. This will aim at enhancing dispensation limits to enhance better tensile, flexural and impact belongings. The hand lay-up method was used to create composites by variable three key limits and they included banana fiber content (30 wt%), copper nanoparticle content (15 wt%), and curing temperature (80 o C). Trial design and mechanical properties were being measured in form of ASTM values on a L9 orthogonal array.

The multi-response optimization was performed with the help of the Grey Relational Analysis, which was …

Evaluating Matching Frontier Methods For Crash Modification Factor Estimation, Usama Elrawy Shahdah, Eman K . Ali, Sania Reyad Elagamy

Mansoura Engineering Journal

This study evaluates "matching frontier" methods against conventional approaches for estimating Crash Modification Factors (CMFs). Thirty-four method-model combinations were tested, including 16 frontier variants, 8 propensity-score-matching algorithms with negative binomial and mixed-effects models, and two benchmarks (empirical Bayes and cross-sectional), across multiple sample sizes and three true CMF values (0.80, 1.00, and 1.30). Of these, 30 converged successfully; 4 mixed-effects models with replacement-based matching failed due to duplicate control observations. Each scenario was evaluated across 10 Monte Carlo replications to quantify performance uncertainty.

Synthetic crash data were generated with known treatment effects, examining scenarios ranging from ideal (386 treated, 21,000 …

Remote Sensing-Based Rice Detection: Novel Indices From Optical And Sar Synergy, Kaifi Chomani

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Accurate rice mapping is challenging due to the lack of a simple, efficient approach and the complexity and limited ability of existing methods to distinguish rice fields from non-rice fields. This study proposes two novel indices: the Multispectral Rice Detection Index (MRDI), which utilises optical imagery, and the OptiRadar Rice Index (ORRI), which incorporates both optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. Ground-truth data from the Cropland Cropping Systems (CROS) were used to assess the performance of both indices. The findings indicated that MRDI achieved an overall accuracy of 97.97% with perfect recall (100%) but lower precision (78.65%). However, the …

An Iterative & Analytical Hybrid Deep Learning Framework For Enhanced Brain Tumor Detection And Segmentation In Mri Video Scans, Swati V. Sakhare

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The critical need for accurate and robust brain tumor detection in MRI video scans is for early diagnosis and treatment planning operations. However, the existing methods suffer from several limitations, such as not being able to capture spatio-temporal features, handling class imbalances, and generalizing across datasets with diverse characteristics. To address these challenges, I propose a hybrid deep learning framework that integrates multiple advanced techniques to enhance the detection and segmentation of brain tumors. My approach starts by using the 3D CNN-LSTM (ResNet3D-LSTM) to extract spatio-temporal feature, which utilizes ResNet3D for spatial detail extraction and LSTM for temporal coherence across …

Optimizing The Lightweight Steel Fibre Reinforced Bacterial Concrete With Nano-Silica And Coconut Shell Aggregates Using Taguchi Method, Damodaran Pooja, Mayilsamy Yuvaperiyasamy

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Concrete is essential for construction due to its high strength and durability. It supports most modern infrastructure globally. Cement production is a major source of CO₂ emissions, posing serious environmental concerns. Additionally, the rising demand for concrete is straining the limited supply of essential raw materials, such as aggregates. Researchers are examining alternative materials to improve Sustainability while maintaining structural strength to address these issues. This research aims to improve concrete performance by enhancing cement durability with nano-silica. Coconut shell, an agricultural by-product, functions as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional coarse aggregates, alleviating their scarcity. Microbiologically induced calcium carbonate precipitation …

Trident-Bladder: A Resolution-Aware Multimodal System For Robust, Calibrated Bladder Cancer Diagnosis Across Endoscopy, Histopathology, And Liquid Biopsy, K. Sankar, S. Venkata Lakshmi, Gummadi Reshma, V. Gokula Krishnan, M. Ganesan, V. Vijayaraja

Mansoura Engineering Journal

Bladder cancer diagnosis demands the integration of cystoscopy, histopathology, and biomarker testing, yet the majority of AI systems continue to be modality, specific and sensitive to acquisition variations. TRIDENT, Bladder is a resolution, aware multimodal framework that we have developed to address this issue. The method combines cystoscopic lesion segmentation, whole, slide image (WSI) molecular subtype prediction, and urine miRNAclinical data through reliability, weighted fusion and a utility, aware decision policy. The endoscopic branch features a quality, gated super, resolution component, resulting in mDice 87.5, sensitivity 92.1%, precision 91.4%, boundary, F1 85.3%, and ECE 0.023 at 32 FPS. mDice on …

Application Of Current Enteral Nutrition Support Recommendations To Infants Born Less Than 750 Grams Or Less Than 25 Weeks' Gestation: A Critical Review, Mar Romero-Lopez, Mamta Naik, Teresa Hartman, Ann Anderson-Berry, Melissa Thoene

Journal Articles: Pediatrics

Clinicians face a paucity of evidence-based recommendations for provision of enteral nutrition in infants born < 750 g or < 25 weeks' gestation, termed "nano-preterm." Current enteral nutrition recommendations for extremely low birth weight infants may not be broadly applicable to nano-preterm infants due to physiological and developmental differences, while others may be appropriate. Key enteral nutrition-related considerations include: the unique anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal tract, altered metabolic capacity, availability of maternal milk and use of alternative substrates, detailed methods of initiation and advancement of enteral feeding, methods of human milk fortification, targeted requirements for macronutrient and micronutrients, and the safety and efficacy of enteral nutrition support management to optimize the growth and development of the nano-preterm infant. This comprehensive review focused on enteral nutrition provision in nano-preterm infants, thoroughly evaluating available literature and identifying knowledge gaps about the unique physiology and metabolism of the nano-preterm infant as it pertains to enteral nutrition. Ultimately, prospective multicenter research is needed to establish evidence-based guidelines to promote optimal growth and development while minimizing complications of extreme prematurity.

Robust Lc–Ms/Ms Method For Quantification Of Ascorbic Acid In Infant Formula And Heat-Processed Donor Human Milk: A Stabilization And Matrix Effects Mitigation Approach, Omar M. Al Kilani, Lee C. Winchester, Melissa Thoene, Colman Freel, Christopher Lee Shaffer, Anthony T. Podany

Journal Articles: Pediatrics

Ascorbic acid is an essential antioxidant for infant health; however, its quantification in infant formula and human milk is challenging due to matrix complexity, analyte instability, and lack of blank matrix equivalents. This study presents a simple and robust LC-MS/MS method that bypasses the need for standard addition using only 20 µL sample. The method showed excellent linearity (R² > 0.99), precision (CV < 15%), accuracy (±10%), and sensitivity (LOD < 0.0375 µg/mL). Stock and working solutions remained stable for months at −20 and −80 °C, respectively, avoiding daily preparation. Optimized extraction substantially reduced matrix effects. The method was externally validated using certified infant formula reference material and successfully applied to commercial samples, with incurred sample reanalysis showing <  20% variation. This validated method offers a practical tool for the routine quantification of ascorbic acid in heat-processed donor human milk and infant formula, with the potential for application to other matrices.

Nutritional Management At 22-23 Weeks Gestational Age: Evidence And Knowledge Gaps, Mar Romero-Lopez, Mamta Naik, Melissa Thoene, Ann Anderson-Berry

Journal Articles: Pediatrics

With advancing medical capabilities, survival of infants born at 22-23 weeks' gestation is increasing. However, specific recommendations for nutrition support for these infants are lacking. This review examines the unique characteristics of infants born at 22-23 weeks' gestation that impact parenteral and enteral nutrition support, highlighting the lack of evidence and knowledge gaps for optimal practices. Current recommendations developed for extremely or very low birth weight infants may be unsuitable for infants born at 22-23 weeks' gestation due to important differences in anatomy, physiology, body composition, and metabolic capabilities. Key challenges include severely limited intraluminal digestion, profound immune and microbiome …

Efficacy And Safety Of Anticoagulation For Pediatric Cerebral Sinovenous Thrombosis: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Muayad Azzam, Hassan Kawtharany, Marisol Betensky, Aseel Alkhader, Qais Hamarsha, Hadi Khaled Abou Zeid, Razan Mansour, Carine Tabak, Payal Patel, Sarah Lamat Baghdadi, Rachel S. Bercovitz, Rukhmi Bhat, Tina Bliss, Brian R. Branchford, Leonard R. Brandão, Anthony K. C. Chan, E. Vincent S. Faustino, Julie Jaffray, Sophie Jones, Bryce A. Kerlin, Nicole Kucine, Riten Kumar, Christoph Male, Marie-Claude Pelland-Marcotte, Leslie Raffini, Chittalsinh M. Raulji, Sarah E. Sartain, Clifford M. Takemoto, Cristina Tarango, C. Heleen Van Ommen, Maria C. Velez, Sara K. Vesely, John Wiernikowski, Suzan Williams, Hope P. Wilson, Gary Woods, Ayesha Zia, Paul Monagle, Reem A. Mustafa

Journal Articles: Pediatrics

We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy and safety of anticoagulation therapy versus no anticoagulation in pediatric patients with cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT). Eligible studies included pediatric patients with CSVT that compared anticoagulation to no anticoagulation and reported on at least one relevant outcome (mortality, neurological deficit, thrombus resolution, recurrence, and bleeding). Meta-analysis reported risk ratios (RR) or differences (RD) (95% CIs) and absolute effects per 1000 patients. Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-I, and the certainty of evidence was evaluated with GRADE. After removing duplicates, we screened 8925 records independently and in duplicate, from …

Frequency Ranking Of Imaging Biomarkers For Lung Cancer Risk Stratification Using A Hybrid Elastic Net Method, Mohamed Jaber, Emmy Stevens, Nezamoddin N. Kachouie

Mathematics and System Engineering Faculty Publications

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, emphasizing the critical need for novel and robust biomarkers to improve prognostication and guide precision oncology. While traditional clinical variables such as tumor stage, age, and sex are routinely used for survival prediction, their prognostic performance is limited. Imaging biomarkers derived from radiomic analysis of advanced medical imaging have emerged as a promising class of noninvasive cancer biomarkers, enabling quantitative characterization of tumor phenotypes. In this study, we investigated the prognostic utility of radiomic imaging biomarkers, with a particular focus on the texture-based feature Busyness, and compared their performance against …

The Loss Of Symbolic Imagination And The Decline Of Christian Practice: A Blondelian Perspective, Cathal Doherty

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

The contemporary decline in Christian church-going and sacramental participation is due in part to the legacy of the Enlightenment, which valorizes the life of the mind over actual practice, a distortion due to a conceptualism of human action, widespread in Western thought, that sees in human action the mere execution of ideas. From here, it is a short step to the willful blindness that restricts our action to the execution of exclusively human ideas and concepts, to the exclusion of the divine, quietly repudiating the claims of orthodox Christian revelation that the divine intention is symbolically realized for us in …

Enoch’S Measuring, Counting, Weighing, And Balancing Creation In 2 Enoch, Andrei Orlov

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

In recent years one can see increased scholarly attention to the epistemological dimension of early Jewish apocalyptic writings and, in particular, to the ways by which divine knowledge was harvested and cultivated by the protagonists and antagonists of those early Jewish accounts. The early Enochic booklets have traditionally played a central role in these epistemological probes since they contain the earliest descriptions of the transmission and acquisition of divine knowledge in Jewish apocalypticism.  These accounts deal both with revelations unveiled by God and angels to the patriarch Enoch and with illicit transmission of divine knowledge by the rogue group of …

Intermittent Phrenic Afferent Activation Induces Phrenic Motor Plasticity, Nicole M. Popp, Taylor C. Holmes, Elizabeth A. Rozycki, Kristi A. Streeter

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Approaches such as electrical stimulation of the phrenic neuromuscular system are currently used in humans to manage breathing impairments. We recently showed that electrical stimulation of the diaphragm muscle induces phrenic afferent-dependent plasticity. These findings highlight the need to better understand the mechanisms of afferent-mediated plasticity to guide and improve the development of novel therapies using electrical stimulation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that intermittent activation of large-diameter phrenic afferents induces phrenic motor plasticity, which, like other forms of plasticity, is pattern sensitive. We delivered inspiratory-triggered electrical stimulation using a narrow pulse width (0.1 ms) to preferentially activate large-diameter afferents, …

Transitioning To Life After Sport: Empowering Former College Varsity Athletes To Live More Healthfully, Linda Piacentine, Taylor L. Wolf, Jacob J. Capin

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Introduction: 

The transition out of competitive sport comes with a range of psychosocial challenges for athletes, particularly when retirement is involuntary (e.g., due to injury). Little is known about the health of former athletes who often manage prior injuries and changing biopsychosocial factors.

Purpose: 

Identify the unique experiences of varsity athletes during college and as they transition to life after college sports and determine the facilitators, barriers, and needs of college varsity athletes to engage in a physically active and healthy lifestyle after competitive sport retirement.

Methods: 

Thirty former college varsity athletes (15F, 15M; mean age 23 ± 1 yrs; …

The Underappreciated Role Of Rifampin In Shaping The Epidemiology Of Rt027-Like Clostridioides Difficile Lineages, Isabella A. Tickler, Richard V. Goering, Fred Tenover

Biology Faculty Publications

The global emergence and dissemination of epidemic Clostridioides difficile ribotype 027 (RT027) and related lineages illustrate the role of antimicrobial pressure in shaping the epidemiology of this pathogen. We propose a hierarchical model in which fluoroquinolones (FQs) served as the dominant selective force underlying the worldwide expansion of RT027-related strains, with rifampin and rifamycins acting as secondary modifiers that promoted persistence and regional dominance. ©

Integrating Routine Hiv Screening Into A Sexually Transmitted Infection Panel At An Opioid Addiction Treatment Facility: A Dnp Clinical Practice Change, Stephanie Bass

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

People who use drugs are at increased risk of contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, hepatitis B infection, hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) due to high-risk behaviors, including needle sharing, incarceration, multiple sex partners, and unprotected sex. Individuals with substance use disorders are also at increased risk for liver dysfunction, renal impairment, and other medical comorbidities associated with chronic substance use. Although many organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommend routine screening and laboratory monitoring in high-risk populations, many addiction treatment facilities in the United States lack standardized protocols for bloodborne infection, STI screening, …

Enhancing Market Transparency Through Co-Creation Of Csr And Sustainability Ratings Between Firms, Rating Agencies And Customers, Christopher Agyapong Siaw

Plymouth Business School

No abstract provided.

Niche Partitioning Between Myrtle And Audubon's Warblers, Aidan Brubaker

IdeaFest 2026

Do Audubon's and myrtle yellow-rumped warblers partition resources differently in areas where the two subspecies overlap during the winter in Arcata, California? Looking for differences in the foraging height, foraging substrate, horizontal foraging location, and foraging methods of the two subspecies.

Multi-Axis Force Behavior In Inclined Bone Drilling, Mason Cooper, Jaxon Cooper, Adria Ruiz-Figueroa, Tomas Fanning, Celeste Joyner, Dr. Jueun Lee

IdeaFest 2026

This research investigates how drilling angle affects forces during surgical bone drilling to improve patient safety and procedure efficacy. This work addresses real surgical conditions where drilling is often non-perpendicular, frequently resulting in suboptimal or problematic outcomes. Tests on bovine bone at angles from 0° to 60° measured lateral and thrust forces. Results show lateral forces and instability increase with angle, raising likelihood of drill deflection and skidding, while thrust force stabilizes and builds more slowly. These findings provide quantitative insight to improve surgical orthopedic procedures.

Species Richness And Composition Of Raptors Between Urban And Rural Habitats, Kellan Barney

IdeaFest 2026

Urbanization has caused large areas of habitat to be completely transformed, forcing species to adapt or die. Raptors display a highly variable tolerance to urbanization from species to species, with some species excelling in urban environments and others failing. The aim of this study was to find the differences in species richness and composition of raptors between a rural and urban habitat. Species richness was higher in the rural habitat than in the urban one. There was also a difference in the community composition between the two habitats. Understanding how urbanization influences species richness and community composition is integral for …

Sun Valley’S 2025 World Cup Downhill Course Improves Dick Durrance’S 1939 Course, And Recaptures The Excitement Of The Classic Harriman Cup Races, John W. Lundin

Works by Local Authors

In early October 2024, the Sun Valley Resort received final approval to host the Audi

F.I.S. Ski World Cup Finals between March 22-27, 2025. Twenty five men and 25 women from

30 countries will compete in all four Alpine skiing disciplines - slalom, giant slalom, downhill

and super-G.

Comparing Carbon Flux Dynamics In Forest And Grassland Ecosystems, Adam Wolk

IdeaFest 2026

Understanding how ecosystems exchange carbon with the atmosphere is key to predicting climate change impacts. This study examines how drought affects carbon flux (net ecosystem exchange, NEE) in grasslands versus forests using NEON data and climate variables (temperature, precipitation, drought indices). We expect grasslands to respond quickly to short-term changes, while forests show more complex, less immediate responses but greater vulnerability to severe drought. This work explores ecosystem resilience and carbon sink reliability, with implications for ecological forecasting and carbon cycle dynamics.