Digital Commons Network^™

The Presence Of Thyroid Autoantibodies Is Not Associated With Anemia, Hematinic Deficiencies, And Hyperhomocysteinemia In Oral Lichen Planus Patients, Yi-Pang Lee, Yu-Hsueh Wu, Julia Yu-Fong Chang, Yi-Ping Wang, Andy Sun, Chun-Pin Chiang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Our previous study found that 144 of 588 oral lichen planus (OLP) patients have thyroglobulin antibody (TGA) and/or thyroid microsomal antibodies (TMA) but do not have gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA, designated as thyroid autoantibodies-positive OLP or TA⁺OLP patients). To test the role of thyroid autoantibodies in causing microcytosis, anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia in OLP patients, this study assessed whether 144 TA⁺OLP patients had significantly higher frequencies of microcytosis, anemia, hematinic deficiencies, and hyperhomocysteinemia than 588 healthy control subjects (HCSs) or 305 TGA/TMA/GPCA-negative (Abs^–) OLP patients (designated as Abs^–OLP patients). …

Pathogenic Oral Microbiota Abundance Is Associated With Reduced Bite Force In Patients With Periodontitis, Chih-Chieh Wen, Thu Ya Linn, Ting-Yi Renn, Hui Yin Nam, Chia-Chen Hsu, Yi-Jen Lin, Yi-Fan Wu, Wei-Jen Chang

Journal of Dental Sciences

Background/purpose: Periodontitis leads to tissue destruction and functional impairment, but the interplay between microbiota, clinical parameters, and biomechanics remains unclear. This study aimed to quantitatively correlate specific oral microbial signatures and clinical inflammatory indicators with bite force in patients with periodontitis.

Materials and methods: Fifteen patients with stage III-IV periodontitis and 15 periodontally healthy controls were recruited. Clinical parameters (Probing Depth, Clinical Attachment Loss, Bleeding on Probing, Plaque Index) and MBF (pressure-sensitive film) were recorded. Supragingival plaque was analyzed through 16S rRNA gene sequencing (PacBio SMRT) to determine microbial composition. Correlation analyses were performed.   

Results: The periodontitis …

Craniofacial And Dental Arch Morphological Changes In Pediatric Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Following Rapid Maxillary Expansion, Yu-Hao Liu, Yu-Shu Huang, Yi-Jing Hwang

Journal of Dental Sciences

No abstract provided.

One-Stop-Shop (Oss): Community Health Nursing: (For Undergraduate Nurses), Sarmad Muhammad Soomar

Books

No abstract provided.

Shap-Rc: A Framework For Explaining Annotator Disagreement In Sexism Detection, Madhuri Sawant, Arjumand Younus, Simon Caton, M. Atif Qureshi

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The effectiveness of supervised machine learning models is heavily influenced by the quality of training data, which is often shaped by human annotators. Subjective NLP tasks such as hate speech detection, toxicity identification, and sexism classification frequently exhibit annotator disagreement due to differences in individual perspectives. This study investigates annotator disagreement in sexism detection using English tweets from the EXIST 2023 competition. To systematically analyse disagreement, tweets are categorised based on annotator consensus levels, examining how annotator demographics and linguistic features contribute to labelling inconsistencies. We interpret disagreement patterns using Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) and assess the consistency of SHAP-derived …

Bankruptcy Preemption Of Malicious Prosecution Actions: Cogan V. Trabucco, Alyssa Knecht

Cardozo Law Review de•novo

This Note examines jurisdiction over state torts that arise during a bankruptcy proceeding. Recently, the Ninth Circuit permitted a collateral attack on a state court judgment regarding malicious prosecution in Cogan v. Trabucco. The Ninth Circuit held that federal courts have exclusive jurisdiction over malicious prosecution actions and that abuse of process state torts are completely preempted by federal law. This decision left the debtor without any redress and divested state courts of jurisdiction over cases under its own tort law. This Note argues the Ninth Circuit, in Cogan, erroneously made “related to” jurisdiction exclusive and incorrectly held that federal …

Should I Have Held Your Hand Or Can You Hold Your Own?: The Growing Confusion Over The Copyright Powers Songwriters Maintain Over Their Works, Mark Galinovsky

Cardozo Law Review de•novo

As online streaming and digital downloads continue to dominate the music business, songwriters are increasingly left to fight each other for tiny cuts of the profits. Additionally, a lack of consistent judicial rules and standards when adjudicating copyright infringement claims make litigation results uncertain, causing even potentially victorious defendants to agree to expensive settlements and frivolous grants of songwriting credits. This Note argues that in order to protect the future creative output of the music industry, judges and legislators should prioritize the dwindling power songwriters have over control of their original works of authorship.

Bridging The Intention–Behavior Gap In Mental Health Help-Seeking, Wenqi Weng

Theses and Dissertations--Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology

Objective: To examine whether modifiable factors shape the extent to which help-seeking intention is translated into formal mental health service initiation among distressed adults. Method: Participants were U.S. adults (N = 777; M age = 47.21 years, SD = 16.70; 73.23% women; 77.74% White) who reported at least moderate psychological distress and were not currently receiving formal mental health treatment. At baseline, participants completed measures of help-seeking intention, focal moderators (action planning, psychological distress, and mental health steward self-identity), coping planning, cues to action, and emotion regulation as exploratory candidate moderators. At three-month follow-up, participants reported whether …

Dupilumab For The Treatment Of Prurigo Nodularis, Iain Noel Encarnacion, Noelle Desir, Simona A. Alomary, Nicole Baker

SKMC Student Presentations and Publications

Prurigo nodularis (PN) is a chronic, intensely pruritic dermatosis driven by neural and immune dysregulation, with historically limited FDA-approved treatment options. In September 2022, dupilumab became the first FDA-approved therapy for PN. To review the clinical efficacy of dupilumab in PN, with emphasis on pivotal clinical trials, real-world evidence, and safety profile. We examined mechanistic studies of dupilumab, early case reports and series, phase 3 LIBERTY-PN PRIME and PRIME2 randomized trials, real world observational studies, and safety data. Dupilumab, a human monoclonal antibody targeting IL-4Rα, suppresses type 2 inflammation. In PRIME (n = 151) and PRIME2 (n = 160), dupilumab …

Using The Dynamic Appraisal Of Situation Aggression (Dasa) Tool In An Inpatient Psychiatric Unit, Doose J. Onarinde

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: This quality improvement project evaluated whether implementation of the Dynamic Appraisal of Situational Aggression (DASA) tool reduced aggressive incidents compared with unstructured clinical judgment.

Background: Workplace violence is a persistent safety concern in inpatient psychiatric settings, contributing to staff injury, burnout, and compromised patient care.

Methods: Guided by Lewin’s Change Model, a pre–post intervention design was implemented over eight weeks on a 23-bed male forensic psychiatric unit. Registered nurses received standardized education and completed daily DASA assessments for all admitted patients. Data were collected from incident reports, DASA scores, and pre- and post-intervention nurse surveys. Descriptive statistics were used …

Implementation Of A Pressure Injury Prevention Bundle To Reduce Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries In The Intensive Care Unit, Xibo Lan

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

The goal of this quality improvement project was to utilize the SKINSAFE pressure injury prevention bundle during 12 weeks of implementation to increase evidence-based pressure injury prevention practices adherence and decrease risk of hospital-acquired pressure injury (HAPI) in the intensive care units (ICU).

Background

ICU patients experience high risk for hospital acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) secondary to immobility and device related pressure. Initial adherence to SKINSAFE bundle was 55-56%. There was inconsistent use of heel offloading devices, wound photography and documentation. Prevention bundles were affected by staffing fluctuations and leadership turnovers.

Methodology

The Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle for this project included …

Enhancing Patient Satisfaction Through A Telehealth -Enabled Post-Discharge Follow-Up Program In An Adult Medical-Surgical Unit, Helen T. Idowu, Helen Temitope Idowu

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Abstract

Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated the effectiveness of a telehealth-enabled post-discharge follow-up program in improving patient satisfaction among adult medical–surgical patients discharged following arteriovenous (AV) fistula placement.

Background: Ineffective communication during transitional care contributes to poor patient understanding, decreased confidence in self-management, and lower patient satisfaction. Internal organizational data identified a baseline satisfaction rate of 55%, demonstrating the need for a structured post-discharge intervention.

Methodology: A 12-week QI initiative was conducted using the Plan–Do–Study–Act framework. Registered nurses completed standardized telehealth follow-up calls within 24–48 hours of discharge to reinforce discharge education, assess symptoms, and address patient …

Implementing An Evidence-Based Wound Care Protocol For Inpatient End-Of-Life Residents That Aligns With Hospice Comfort Care Goals, Oge C. Okeke, Oge C. Okeke

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Abstract uploaded

Nurse-Driven Initiatives To Reduce Supply Waste Produced In The Intensive Care Unit, Lance Prince

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to implement a needs-based supply retrieval system using mobile carts and evaluate its effectiveness in reducing supply costs and improving resource stewardship among nursing staff over an 8-week period.

Background

intensive care units are high-resource environments where medical supply overconsumption leads to significant financial strain and environmental impact. Preliminary audits in a high-acuity unit revealed a trend of excess waste driven by the automatic opening of standardized, pre-packaged admission kits regardless of individual patient needs.

Methodology

Guided by the Iowa Model of Evidence-Based Practice, a pre/post-intervention design evaluated 49 patient …

Facilitating Shared Reading Exposure To Promote Health Outcomes In A Rural Pediatric Primary Care Clinic, Meredith L. Longino

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this scholarly project was to address a gap in early literacy promotion for rural children by incorporating the Reach Out and Read program. This program bolsters foundational literacy by providing a book and anticipatory guidance at every well-child visit from birth through age 5. This project was expected to decrease no-show well-child attendance rates and improve provider morale.

Background

The project was implemented in an established rural pediatric primary care clinic in Northeast Texas. 

Methodology

Process implementation was measured through books distributed and EHR documentation of the intervention. Process objectives were measured by no-show rates for …

Enhancing Pre-Procedure Readiness Through A Standardized Medication Protocol In The Cath Lab ​, Adriana M. Fisher

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

No abstract provided.

Improving Parental Self-Efficacy And Stress Management Among Parenting Youth Experiencing Homelessness: Development And Implementation Of A Standardized Group Parenting Curriculum At An Urban Homeless Shelter, Liam Jerez

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

This quality improvement (QI) project developed and implemented an evidence-informed group parenting curriculum, The Parenting Hub: Mindful Moments (TPHMM), at an urban youth shelter, aiming to increase parental self-efficacy by 20% and decrease parental stress by 20% among homeless parenting youth.

Background

Nearly half (49%) of 18–24-year-olds in families experiencing homelessness are parents, often facing low parenting confidence, limited support, and high stress. The project site, serving up to 150 youths, with a fluctuating number of young parents, lacked a standardized parenting curriculum.

Methodology

This pre-/post-test QI pilot used the Model for Improvement; Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles refined delivery in the …

Government Financial Statements: The Influence Of Audit Opinion Type On Attitudes Toward Taxation, Stephanie Ann Vonfintel

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The United States government has a responsibility to American citizens to be a good financial steward of their tax dollars. The inability to fulfill this responsibility is evidenced by 28 consecutive years of audit failures, whereby the Government Accountability Office has been unable to issue an opinion on the United States government’s annual financial statements. An experiment varying audit opinion type is used to evaluate whether the United States government failing (or passing) its annual financial statement audits influences attitudes toward federal taxation. Findings show support for federal taxation is strongest when citizens are told that the United States government …

Orogenesis, Timothy Ryan Butcher

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis and accompanying exhibition explore the translation of panenhenic mystical experience and the collaboration with Appalachian natural spaces into abstracted landscape images. This work aims to “map” a sensation of fundamental unity and gesture toward the ineffable by utilizing found-object stamp printing, and automatic mark-making. Inspired by practical mystic traditions and contemporary landscape painting, this body of work, entitled Orogenesis, combines intricate, abstracted ink landscape drawings and photographs to create images suggestive of the mystical patterns in the process.

Ai-Assisted Task Completion: Consumer Sentiments By Effort Level, Jason Mickey Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study examines consumer anger in reaction to firms’ use of artificial intelligence (AI) to assist them in the completion of tasks. Specifically, we focus on instances when AI supplements rather than replaces human effort. Using cognitive appraisal theory and psychological contract constructs, this research investigates how the amount of effort consumers invest into a service review and the effort reciprocated by firms influences emotional reactions. Across two studies, using scenario-based experiments, we find that consumers report higher levels of anger when AI is used to aid in responding to high-effort reviews compared to low-effort reviews. The results suggest that …

Using Aqueous Geochemistry Of Acid Mine Drainage To Spatially Investigate Concentrations Of Rare Earth Elements Throughout West Virginia, Pennsylvania, And Maryland, Elyssa Lynn Allen

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Rare earth elements (REEs) are an important commodity utilized in many industries such as electronics, defense, manufacturing, medicine, and green energy production. A lack of economical domestic sources forces the United States to import a majority of its supply, and incentivizes novel methods of acquisition. Mining regions of the United States, such as Appalachia or the West, are afflicted with acid mine drainage (AMD) impacted surface waters. REEs occur in varying concentrations within coal seams, indicating that coal and its waste are potential avenues of recovery that might also incentivize the remediation of coal impacted areas. Understanding spatial and geochemical …

Improving The Continuity Of Care For Opioid Use Disorder: Investigating Fentanyl Overdose Outcomes And Pharmacy-Level Buprenorphine Access, Lyn Yuen Choo

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Opioid overdose (OD) deaths remain a leading cause of injury-related death in the United States (US) and approximately 76,516 drug OD deaths were predicted in the past year prior to April 2025. While previous research has focused on fatal opioid ODs, less is known about outcomes following non-fatal opioid ODs (NFOO) involving fentanyl. Patients who experienced a fentanyl OD may develop significant morbidity and inpatient mortality due to fentanyl’s high potency, rapid onset of action, and decreased response to naloxone. Research efforts to improve continuity of care for opioid use disorder (OUD) are highly needed to ensure appropriate follow-up care …

Modelling Probabilistic Digital Twins Of Complex Inland Waterway Transportation Systems Using Bayesian Networks, Alexandra Micu, Lorcan Connolly, Alan O’Connor, Eugene O’Brien, Caitriona De Paor

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The Horizon Europe Project, ReNEW, uses the digital twin concept to simulate and model the complexity and interdependencies of the Inland Waterway Transport (IWT) system. This concept is used to design novel strategies to ensure network functionality despite climate change impacts on IWT. A digital twin is an accurate copy of a real object/item/system with associated characteristics in the digital world. Digital twin models can be developed using physics or statistics or combining the two. They can be used for simulation, classification, prediction, optimization, and more. This work proposes probabilistic digital twin modelling of complex IWT networks using Bayesian networks. …

Resilience Of Transport And Associated Infrastructure To Climate, Cyber And Physical Threats, Lorcan Connolly, Caitriona De Paor, Alexandra Micu, Alan O’Connor

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The effects of climate change regularly impact the performance of transport networks. In the case of road transport, climate change has various impact drivers such as heat, cold, wind, snow, ice etc. which hamper safe and reliable operation. Due to the interdependent nature of critical infrastructures (CI), resilience assessment requires a whole stakeholder approach which engages not only transport operators, but also the various other infrastructures within a geographical area. This paper initially outlines the ICARUS project which aims to deliver a common approach for National Road Authorities (NRAs) in addressing the resilience of road infrastructure to Climate Change. Results …

Virtuous Narrative Ethics For Accommodation Or Refusal Of Ai For Sustainability, Paul Hayes, Noel Fitzpatrick

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

AI for good, and AI for sustainability projects, are being developed by often well-meaning innovators across the world, intending to support initiatives in sustainable development. Some such projects have been positioned within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals. In this paper, we critically engage with this phenomenon using a virtue-based Ricoeurian narrative philosophy. Through conceptual analysis and normative argumentation, we make a theoretical contribution to scholarship on this topic. We argue that SDGs could be regarded as internationally agreed high-order end-norms that crystallise values considered to constitute the good life. We argue for exercising caution in applying SDGs as …

An Evaluation Of Modelling Of Propagation Using Comsol For A Singlemode-Multimode-Singlemode Structure, Thomas Freir, Arun Kumar Mallik, Yuliya Semenova, Gerald Farrell

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This paper presents simulation models developed for investigating singlemode-multimode-singlemode (SMS) structures, with the intention of utilising precise nano-scale 3D printing to print the center-section of the structures modelled. The models allow the design of structures for use in SMS fiber sensors, replacing the silica fiber center-section structures commonly used, with 3D printed elements. The paper discusses the process of evaluating and validating COMSOL propagation models by comparison to existing reported results and proposes the use of SMS self-imaging length and the transmission spectra as useful metrics for model comparisons. Both 2D and 3D COMSOL models are developed, and both show …

Impact Of Pretreatment On Iodine Content In Laminaria Digitata Assessed By Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry, Cíara Kenny, Róisín Burke, Catherine Barry-Ryan

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Seaweeds, particularly Laminaria digitata , are a rich source of iodine, essential for thyroid function, but excessive intake poses health risks. This study evaluates the impact of processing methods, including washing, blanching, boiling, dehydration, and rehydration, on iodine levels to optimise its safe consumption through controlled processing. The washed baseline sample contained 154.5 mg/kg DW (50.2 mg/kg FW) iodine, providing the reference point for calculating percentage reductions and increases. Blanching reduced iodine by 46.1% (1 min) and 69.8% (3 min), while boiling for 20 min led to a 49.5% reduction. In contrast, dehydration concentrated iodine, reaching 317.4 mg/kg (20 min), …

Explainable Ai For Hate Speech Moderation: A Stakeholder-Centered And Sociotechnical Review, Muhammad Deedahwar Mazhar Qureshi, M. Atif Qureshi, Wael Rashwan

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The growing use of automated hate speech detection systems has sparked significant concern across technical, ethical, and sociopolitical dimensions. While recent advances in natural language processing and machine learning have improved classification performance, they often do so at the expense of transparency, fairness, and user trust. Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) offers promising tools to bridge this gap, but current methods remain fragmented in scope and limited in stakeholder alignment. This review synthesizes the state of the art in explainability for hate speech detection by integrating machine learning, human-computer interaction, and critical social science perspectives. We survey major XAI approaches, including …

Identifying And Defining Kickout Strategies In Senior Inter-County Ladies Gaelic Football, Aoife Mccolgan, Jonathan Bradley, Denise Earle, David Gaul, Denise Martin

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The kickout has become a key source of possession in Ladies Gaelic Football (LGF), with successful teams winning 80% of their own and 29% of the opposition kickouts (KO). Several investigators have alluded to the role of strategy in Gaelic games; however, none have successfully identified, defined, or measured the impact of these strategies on the game. This novel study aims to identify and define the strategies used by Senior Inter-County LGF teams to win their own and opposition KOs, developing a valid and reliable analysis system to analyse KO performance in LGF. Eighty-nine games (2172 kickouts) from the 2019–2023 …

An Unsupervised Learning Approach To Optimising Tumour Therapy Through Clinical Data Mining, Eleni Rozaki, Christina Skourou, David Fitzpatrick, Michael Amoo, Eoin Minnock, Caroline Hayhurst, Nachi Palaniappan, Mohsen Javadpour

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Clinical data mining and healthcare analytics enable systematic evaluation of treatment strategies in precision oncology. This study analysed a harmonised multi-centre dataset of 150 patients treated with linac-based stereotactic radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma across three institutions in Ireland and the UK. A data-driven framework combining descriptive analytics, unsupervised clustering (K-means and Gaussian Mixture Models), and Random Forest modelling was used to assess treatment plan consistency, explore dose–response patterns, and estimate clinical outcomes. Clustering identified four treatment plan groups with distinct profiles of tumour reduction and organ-at-risk exposure. Random Forest models linked these clusters and dosimetric factors with tumour control and …