All Faculty Deposits
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The "All Faculty Deposits" collection contains works deposited by faculty and appointed delegates from the Elements (EFARs) system. For help with Elements, see Frequently Asked Questions on the Provost's website. In general, items can only be deposited if the item is a scholarly article that is covered by Virginia Tech's open access policy, or the item is openly licensed or in the public domain, or the item is permitted to be posted online under the journal/publisher policy, or the depositor owns the copyright. See Right to Deposit on the VTechWorks Help page. If you have questions email us at vtechworks@vt.edu.
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- ROPES Hub Research Brief: Strengthening STEM Pathways - Lessons Learned in S-STEM Industry PartnershipsOtt, Robin; Newcomer, James; Richardson, Amy Jo; Work, Anya; Knight, David B. (2025-08-25)
- A Common Diagnostic Dilemma: Inflammation or InfarctionDavis, Thomas S.; Binder, Michael Scott; Hama Amin, Ali M. (Elsevier, 2025-01-15)Early infarct-associated pericarditis is a rare entity, given the availability of early coronary angiography and intervention. Although the electrocardiogram and the surface echocardiogram are initial studies, definitive imaging with cardiac magnetic resonance is recommended. We present a case of early infarct-associated pericarditis in the setting of a late-presenting silent right coronary artery myocardial infarction.
- When ChatGPT designs your trip: How GenAI adds a cognitive layer to smart tourismNicolau, Juan Luis (SAGE Publications, 2025-08-23)This conceptual article explores how generative artificial intelligence (GenAI), particularly tools such as ChatGPT, is transforming smart tourism by introducing a new cognitive layer into digital ecosystems. While traditional smart tourism systems have focused on data-driven optimization and automation, GenAI enables content creation, emotional simulation, and human-like interaction, which redefines how tourism experiences are imagined, delivered, and evaluated. This article proposes a research agenda organized around eight key tourism business domains (product, demand, consumer behavior, supply, disruptors, performance, ethics, and sustainability) and fifteen thematic topics, including authenticity, predictive intelligence, emotion-driven marketing, and labor transformation. Drawing on the literature, we illustrate how GenAI shifts the focus from personalization to co-creation, from information retrieval to immersive storytelling, and from reactive systems to predictive design. The study concludes with a call for interdisciplinary inquiry into the ethical, social, and experiential implications of GenAI in tourism.
- Lime Calibration for Soilless Media- A Tool for Greenhouse and Nursery ProducersCriscione, Kristopher S. (2025)Rootzone pH is important to manage to produce marketable nursery and greenhouse stock. This is primarily because mineral nutrients are more available under certain conditions (within specific pH levels). Soilless substrates are essentially inert and contain little nutritional value. Thus, the producer is responsible for supplementing nearly all applied mineral nutrients and water for proper plant development. This goes beyond simple fertilization, where maintaining optimal rootzone pH levels is critical to ensure that applied nutrients are available to the plant. If not, plants can exhibit symptoms of nutrient deficiency or toxicity, resulting in delayed or decreased yield or reduced quality. The first step in ensuring that rootzone conditions are healthy for the plant is gauging the current pH status of the rootzone and correcting it through proper lime adjustments. This extension article highlights the importance of rootzone pH in soilless substrates and explains how to adjust rootzone conditions prior to production by performing lime calibrations.
- Moderate Increases in Substrate Packing Density Can Improve Petunia Root DevelopmentFields, Jeb S.; Criscione, Kristopher S. (American Society for Horticultural Science, 2025-10)Greenhouse horticulture relies on manual labor for plug transplanting, which is subject to variability in substrate packing density. Little research exists on the effect variable substrate packing density has root morphological development. Petunia hybrid ‘Supertunia Honey’ plugs were grown in peat-based substrates packed at four densities (0.08, 0.10, 0.12, and 0.14 g·cm−3). The results indicated that root development was improved with moderately increased substrate density.
- The Role of Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Evaluating Prostate Adenocarcinoma: A Partially-Blinded Retrospective Study of a Prostatectomy Patient Cohort With Whole Gland Histopathology Correlation and Application of PI-RADS or TNM StagingSridhar, Sajeev; Abouelfetouh, Zeyad; Codreanu, Ion; Gupta, Nakul; Zhang, Shu; Efstathiou, Eleni; Karolyi, Daniel K.; Shen, Steven S.; LaViolette, Peter S.; Miles, Brian; Martin, Diego R. (Wiley, 2025-04)Background: Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the current Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System version 2.1 (PI-RADS v2.1) is considered optional, with primary scoring based on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). Our study is designed to assess the relative contribution of DCE MRI in a patient-cohort with whole mount prostate histopathology and spatially-mapped prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa) for reference. Methods: We performed a partially-blinded retrospective review of 47 prostatectomy patients with recent multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI). Scans included T2WI, DWI with apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping, and DCE imaging. Lesion conspicuity was scored on a 10-point scale with ≥ 6 considered “positive,” and image quality was assessed on a 4-point scale for each sequence. The diagnostic contribution of DCE images was evaluated on a 4-point scale. The mpMRI studies were assigned PI-RADS scores and tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) T-stage with blinded comparison to spatially-mapped whole-mount pathology. Results were compared to the prospective clinical reports, which used standardized PI-RADS templates that emphasize T2WI, DWI and ADC. Results: Per lesion sensitivity for PCa was 93.5%, 82.6%, 63.0%, and 58.7% on T2WI, DCE, ADC and DWI, respectively. Mean lesion conspicuity was 8.5, 7.9, 6.2, and 6.1, on T2W, DCE, ADC and DWI, respectively. The higher values on T2WI and DCE imaging were not significantly different from each other but were both significantly different from DWI and ADC (p < 0.001). DCE scans were determined to have a marked diagnostic contribution in 83% of patients, with the most common diagnostic yield being detection of contralateral peripheral zone tumor or delineating presence/absence of extra-prostatic extension (EPE), contributing to more accurate PCa staging by PI-RADS or TNM, as compared to histopathology. Conclusion: We demonstrate that DCE may contribute to lesion detection and local staging as compared to T2WI plus DWI-ADC alone and that lesion conspicuity using DCE is markedly improved as compared to DWI-ADC. These findings support modification of PI-RADS v2.1 to include use of DCE acquisitions and that a TNM staging is feasible on mpMRI as compared to surgical pathology.
- Impact of smart door locks on traveler satisfaction on accommodation-sharing platform: An empirical investigation based on generalized random forestsXu, Yukuan; Wu, Banggang; Nicolau, Juan Luis; Law, Rob; Xiang, Shuting (Elsevier, 2025-10)When deciding on accommodation-sharing platforms, travelers face safety uncertainty because they need to trade or live with unverified strangers. Considering that accommodation-sharing platforms are introducing smart door locks to reduce safety uncertainty, this study contributes to the service-dominant logic framework by introducing uncertainty-mitigating factors that enhance satisfaction in an accommodation-sharing context. Using a dataset on a quasi-experimental design and applying generalized random forests, the results reveal that travelers’ satisfaction increases with room services with smart door locks. The positive effect decreases when room hosts have high credit scores or rooms use real pictures. This study contributes to the literature on uncertainty in the service-dominant logic framework and has methodological implications in using machine learning methods to identify causal relationships. Our findings also provide practical implications for accommodation-sharing platforms and hosts.
- Identifying valuable reviews for review users: The value of tag systems on hotel booking platformsXu, Congyue; Nicolau, Juan Luis; Law, Rob; Liu, Xianwei (Elsevier, 2025-10)In the era of big data, hotel booking platforms are inundated with an overwhelming volume of consumer reviews, which hinders review users from identifying valuable reviews. This study examines how review tags—a simple yet powerful heuristic—highlight valuable reviews and influence potential consumers and hotel managers. Using a dataset of 190,939 consumer reviews, we find that tagged reviews are more likely to be exerted more posting effort and receive more attention from review users. However, these relationships follow an inverted U curve, which suggests that the overuse of tags may counteract the intended benefits. We extend the theory of planned behavior by showing tags shape reviewers’ posting effort via attitudes and subjective norms, while dual-process theory reveals the heuristic role of tags for review users. Our findings provide insights for platforms to improve review systems and offer reviewers strategic ways to enhance their review's impact.
- Promotional Framing and Firm Valuation in the Restaurant Industry: An Event StudySharma, Abhinav; Santa-Maria, Maria Jesus; Nicolau, Juan Luis; Line, Nathaniel (Sage, 2025-06-10)Existing research has demonstrated that sales promotions result in unintended devaluations of firm value. However, this phenomenon remains unstudied in the restaurant industry, leaving restaurant companies with little guidance on how sales promotions affect their organization. This paper investigates the impact of sales promotions—and their framing—on firm value in the restaurant industry. Guided by prospect theory’s loss aversion principle, this study explores whether framing promotions as gains versus reduced losses leads to different outcomes. Using a sample of 1,165 promotion announcements, restaurant promotions were found to increase firm valuation, with reduced-loss framing being more effective. While much of the literature on framing effects has focused on individual decision-making processes, this research demonstrates their broader implications for firm performance and challenges the generalizability of the negative impact of sales promotions on firm value observed in other service industries—particularly hotels—contributing to a deeper understanding of promotional framing in the restaurant industry.
- Special issue: marketing science applications in tourism and hospitality researchNicolau, Juan Luis; Sharma, Abhinav; Ruiz-Moreno, Felipe (Routledge, 2025-06-13)
- Senior spa-goers' potion: Brewing post-trip life satisfaction from the essence of motivationsNicolau, Juan Luis; Lopez, Maria Carlos; Alen, Elisa; Vila, Trinidad Dominguez (Elsevier, 2025-10)This study analyzes the effect of tourism-related life-enhancing motivations and tourism-related constraints on seniors’ life satisfaction after a visit to a spa. Drawing on expectancy-value, leisure constraints, and social comparison theories, the empirical application conducted in the thermal tourism context finds that tourism-related constraints have no effect on life satisfaction and that tourism-related life-enhancing motivations present a diversity of effects. While some motivations have no effect, others exert a positive effect in absolute terms (novelty) and in relative terms (relaxation and internal motivations) following a reference dependence pattern that is in line with prospect theory. Additionally, reference-dependent motivations present asymmetric effects from different angles: relaxation behaves according to the principles of loss aversion, while internal motivations show, nonetheless, reverse loss aversion. Theoretical frameworks related to motivation may benefit from recognizing the diverse effects of motivations on certain dimensions, such as life satisfaction.
- The effect of job availability on hospitality and tourism industry performanceSharma, Abhinav; McGinley, Sean; Dogru, Tarik; Nicolau, Juan Luis (Elsevier, 2025-10)This study analyzes the impact of job openings in the overall economy on the performance of hospitality and tourism firms. By using interlinkages theory, the results show that the availability of jobs in the overall economy negatively impacts hospitality and tourism. This effect is pronounced for the hotel and restaurant subsector, while absent for airlines. Apart from critical managerial implications, the main theoretical contribution of the results is the nuanced understanding of interlinkages within the tourism industry, revealing that economic factors such as job opportunities impact subsectors differently. This highlights the importance of considering sector-specific variables and interdependencies in interlinkages theory, rather than treating hospitality and tourism as a homogeneous whole.
- The ideological recipe: CEO politics as the secret ingredient in boosting restaurant market value through promotionsCampayo-Sanchez, Fernando; Sharma, Abhinav; Kim, Yelim; Jung, Hyojun; Santa-María, María Jesús; Nicolau, Juan Luis (Elsevier, 2025-07)Based on upper echelons theory, the objective of this article is to analyze the influence of CEO political ideology on the effect of promotional activities on the market value of restaurants. Using a sample of 1061 promotional activities conducted by major U.S. restaurants between 1990 and 2022, the empirical application shows that not only do restaurants’ promotional activities result in an increase in their market value—contrary to the negative effects found in the literature—but those restaurants led by liberal CEOs (versus conservative CEOs) experience a greater increment in said market value. These results and the relationships among CEO's political ideology, promotional actions, and market value bring about several theoretical implications, integrating theories from political psychology into financial market theories.
- The intermittent Phillips curve: Finding a stable (but persistence-dependent) Phillips curve model specificationAshley, Richard A.; Verbrugge, Randal (Wiley, 2025-07)We make substantial progress on understanding the Phillips curve, yielding important monetary policy implications. Inflation responds differently to persistent versus moderately persistent (or transient) fluctuations in the unemployment gap. This persistence-dependent relationship aligns with business-cycle stages, and is consistent with existing theory. Previous work fails to model this dependence, thereby finding the numerous “inflation puzzles”—for example, missing inflation/disinflation—noted in the literature. Our specification eliminates these puzzles; for example, the Phillips curve has not weakened; inflation's post-2012 slow upward trudge was predictable. The model's coefficients are stable, and it provides accurate out-of-sample conditional recursive forecasts through the Great Recession and recovery.
- College Choice Decisions: An Evaluation of Perna's Conceptual Model Across Populations and Cultural ContextsSanchez Padilla, V.; Schibelius, Lisa (ASEE Conferences, 2024-06-23)Understanding the factors that influence college choice decisions is critical for broadening participation in engineering programs and STEM education broadly. Studies have shown that college choice can be impacted by a host of factors beyond just interest, including socioeconomic status, contextual factors, institutional features, availability of resources, and cultural knowledge, to name a few. The conceptual model of college choice proposed by Perna is valuable in understanding the layers of choice, which can vary based on context and population. Perna's model outlines four major contexts that frame college choice decisions for the individual: 1) social, economic & policy, 2) higher education, 3) school and community, and 4) habitus, which is at the center. Studies that utilize Perna's model employ one of these contexts or a combination of them. This work reviews eleven studies that draw on Perna's model for understanding college choice decisions based on three research questions centered on both population and cultural context. These studies range from a host of contexts and populations to understand college choice, including K-12 students, undergraduate students, and historically underrepresented populations in engineering. Through our review of case studies and applied research, we compare constructs used in Perna's model, such as layers of habitus, school/community, higher education, and socioeconomic status to analyze studies according to a targeted population. We take a critical lens of the implementation of Perna's model for college choice and the ways in which particular populations as the focus of study highlight how minority and non-minority populations can be affected in their decisions to pursue a college degree. From our analysis, we encourage the readers to evaluate and consider elements from case studies to seek potential transferability or generalizations that this model brings based on context. Therefore, we recommend continuing to explore several lenses and factors using this model and complementing wherever possible with other frameworks or theories to deepen the perspective of college choice decisions and resultant conclusions and implications that can be drawn for certain populations.
- Stakeholders' Perceptions about an Undergraduate Engineering Program Accreditation Process in Ecuador: Exploratory Work in ProgressPadilla, V. Sanchez; Case, Jennifer M.; Murzi, Homero; Espinal, Albert (ASEE Conferences, 2023-06-25)
- Using Human Factors Engineering to Enhance New Trauma Bay EffectivenessScarboro, Don B.; Jones, Nathan A.; Wolfe, Laurie D.; Collier, Bryan R.; Lollar, Daniel (Elsevier, 2025)Background: Spatial design can contribute to patient harm and healthcare inefficiencies if the design process does not consider how workers interact with each other and their environments. Human factors engineering (HFE) applies human-centered design assessment to the built environment to evaluate implications for patients and staff. HFE assessment was applied to a proposed trauma bay design prior to construction. We hypothesized that HFE evaluation would produce significant changes to a new trauma bay layout that would improve provider safety and decrease errors and costs. Materials and Methods: Cardboard mockup of the proposed trauma bay were created. Mock scenarios were performed with two interdisciplinary teams. An iterative process whereby the architectural plans were adapted by the trauma medical director and then each subsequent team was performed with changes made in real time. We utilized a mixed-methods analysis including pre/post surveys as well as video analyses including link analysis, bump analysis, and crossover analysis. Our results were integrated into layout design recommendations provided to the architects. Results: Mockup cost was $2,986 and required 10 hours of labor. Two teams completed six scenarios. Staff simulation time was 70 hours while analysis took 36 hours. Survey data indicated improvements in “ability to do your job” from 3.85 to 4.25 (unchanged median 4.0). Link analysis demonstrated areas in certain layouts that created work inefficiencies. Bump analysis demonstrated a decrease in bumps from 47 to 33. Crossover analysis showed a decrease in patient crossovers from 7 to 0. Estimated cost savings were estimated at $333,200. Conclusion: The opportunity for HFE assessment integration into the construction of new healthcare facilities is rare. We present a structured and iterative approach to testing new physical design changes prior to construction. We identified improvements in staff satisfaction, staff safety, and estimated cost.
- A Cross-cultural Analysis of Attributes that Influence Customers’ Hotel Experience in Green HotelsBernard Simpson, Shaniel; Ho, Jo Ann; Dias, Alvaro; Zizka, Laura; Singal, Manisha (SAGE, 2025-08-10)Although there is increasing awareness of hotels’ sustainability efforts, there are gaps in understanding both how and when green practices influence guest evaluations. To address this gap, this study applies the complexity theoretical framework and fsQCA to examine key attributes that influence guest experiences as reflected in online reviews of green hotels. In our study, emotions emerged as a critical attribute, surpassing the impact of sustainability measures. Results indicate specific combinations of hotel characteristics, such as ratings and sustainability practices as well as socio-cultural factors like collectivism and gender, drive positive and negative feedback in hotels. An intervention model for hotel managers to encourage proenvironmental behavior of guests is proposed based on their attribute grouping. Different strategies such as social norm messaging, co-creation with customers, and status signaling, will encourage guests to recognize and highlight sustainability practices in online reviews.
- AAMC Group on Educational AffairsHarendt, Sarah M. (AAMC, 2025)Produced an infographic for the AAMC to utilized across multiple applications to describe the Group on Educational Affairs overall and the regional sections scope and role.
- AAMC Group on Educational Affairs Website ProductHarendt, Sarah M. (2025-07-21)