Digital Commons Network^™

Comparative Analysis Of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) Implications For Active Learning And Assessment At Various Curricular Levels Of Stem And Health Sciences In Developed Versus Underprivileged Countries, Vinay Munlapudi, Santanu De

FDLA Journal

Today’s all-pervasive emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) necessitates a comprehensive evaluation of its role in education, especially for occupational disciplines in health sciences and STEM. AI has reshaped student learning and instructors’ navigation of the evolving, post coronavirus infectious disease (COVID-19) global academic landscape. This study aimed at encapsulating evidence-based AI implications for student-centered, active learning and assessment at various curricular levels of science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) and health sciences education in developed versus underprivileged or less developed countries. An extensive, scoping review of 65 recent, scholarly publications was conducted over six months through diverse search engines (PubMed, Google …

Expression Levels Of Heat Shock Protein 72 And Their Correlation With Biomarkers Of Renal Function Among Hispanic Construction Workers Exposed To Ambient Heat In El Paso, Texas, Maria Fuentes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Heat shock proteins (HSP) are intracellular molecular proteins that are upregulated in response to cellular stress, including heat exposure. Through their protective functions, HSP help maintain protein structure, prevent protein denaturation, and preserve cellular homeostasis during states of physiological stress. Because of their cytoprotective properties, HSP have emerged as potential biomarkers for detecting early signs of tissue injury and predicting clinical outcomes associated with heat related illnesses (HRI), including acute kidney injuries (AKI). AKI is a leading cause of hospitalizations due to heat stress exposure and heat stroke. In the absence of early detection and effective therapeutic interventions, AKI may …

Function And Regulation Of Long Polar Fimbriae During Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia Coli Infection, Walter J. Galdamez

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) is a foodborne pathogen that causes severe gastrointestinal disease and hemolytic uremic syndrome. EHEC employs multiple virulence factors to colonize the host intestine, including the locus of enterocyte effacement (LEE) encoded type III secretion system, intimin, and flagella, yet the role of long polar fimbriae (Lpf) in adhesions and infection remains less well understood. Long polar fimbriae can mediate bacterial attachment to host cells in vitro, yet the regulation and function of its two fimbrial operons, lpf1 and lpf2 in vivo remain poorly understood. Preliminary RNA-seq data from zebrafish infected with EHEC reveal that expression of …

Defining The Role Of Spxa1 And Spxa2 In Group A Streptococcus (Gas), Gretchen Anne Morrison

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a human-restricted pathogen whose global incidence has surged in the post-COVID era. The ability of GAS to shift from a colonizing to invasive phenotype depends on coordinated virulence gene regulation in response to host-imposed stressors. The paralogous global transcriptional regulators, SpxA1 and SpxA2, have emerged as central mediators of these adaptive responses; however, the mechanisms by which these regulators influence both global gene regulation in direct response to external stresses and the host response as a result of regulatory changes remain incompletely understood. Using an integrated multi-omic approach, we define the distinct yet interconnected regulatory …

Antigen Discovery In Multiple Myeloma Using Integrated Long-Read Transcriptomics And Immunopeptidomics, Aya Albittar

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains an incurable plasma cell malignancy, with relapse driven by persistent chemotherapy-resistant cells and residual disease following treatment. Although immunotherapies have transformed MM care, their success depends on identifying tumor-specific antigens that can be safely targeted. While aberrant genomic structural variation and transcriptional dysregulation are increasingly recognized as sources of novel antigens in MM, the HLA-presented antigenic landscape of MM remains incompletely characterized, particularly for non-canonical, structurally-derived peptides, and long-read transcriptome-informed immunopeptidomic data specific to MM remain scarce.

We established an integrated antigen discovery platform combining long-read RNA sequencing (Iso-Seq) with mass spectrometry-based HLA immunoprecipitation and immunopeptidomics …

A Comparison Of Survival, Growth, And Stress Resilience In Three Different Lineages Of The Pacific Oyster (Crassostrea Gigas) Farmed On The California Central Coast, Victoria F. Hanshaw

Master's Theses

Aquaculture of Pacific oysters on the US West Coast is routinely impacted by seasonal unexplained mortality events. To better understand these large-scale mortality events in oyster aquaculture, shellfish growers and scientists in California have partnered together to conduct comparative, multi-estuary farm trials of discrete Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) lineages. In this thesis we investigate how the more recently imported Midori lineage performs compared to the historically used Miyagi lineage, as well as a Hybrid (Midori x Miyagi) lineage. As part of a 7-month long field study from April-November of 2024 in Morro Bay and Tomales Bay, California, we evaluated …

Phytochemical Analysis And Safety Assessment Of Watercress Nasturtium Officinale: Antioxidant Capacity, Heavy Metal Profiling, And Toxicity Using Brine Shrimp Model, Qurrota A’Yunin, Chamini Kasun Hemachandra, Muhaimin Rifa’I, Yoga Dwi Jatmiko, Maftuch Maftuch, Rizky Fadilla Agustin Rangkuti, Cucun Herlina, Zulfa Mahdiatur Rasyida, Moh Dliyauddin

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Medicinal plants have attracted growing attention as sources of natural bioactive compounds for sustainable aquaculture and health. This study evaluated the phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, heavy metal profile, and acute toxicity of watercress (Nasturtium officinale W.T. Aiton) methanol extract using maceration, qualitative and quantitative (TPC, TFC, antioxidant DPPH) phytochemical assay, XRF, and BSLA. Phytochemical screening of plant extracts showed the existence of flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, tannins, triterpenoids, and saponins, but not steroidal. The TPC and TFC were 20.6 mg GAE/g and 10.8 mg QE/g, respectively. The extract displayed significant antioxidant activity (IC₅₀ = 64.78 µg/mL in DPPH assay). …

Bridging The Gap In Science Research: Preparing Students For College- Level Research In The Sciences, Victoria Helwig, Yaoguang Li

UConn Library Presentations

Many first-year students enter college unprepared to fully engage with scientific literature and academic library resources. Drawing on experiences from academic librarians working with STEM students, this session explores common gaps in science research skills, including navigating databases, identifying scholarly sources, and understanding the structure of scientific literature. Participants will be introduced to practical strategies and classroom-ready activities to better prepare students for college-level research. Discussion questions: What science research skills do students struggle with most when entering college? How can high school instruction better support these skills? Where can librarians and educators collaborate to support student success?

Systemic Infection Of Beauveria Bassiana In A Stranded Endangered Green Turtle Chelonia Mydas: A Case Report, Ming-An Tsai, I-Chun Chen, Tsung-Hsien Li

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

The green turtle (Chelonia mydas) is the most frequently encountered marine turtle species in Taiwan. This study describes the postmortem findings of a juvenile green turtle with injuries to the right foreflipper that was rescued off the Taiwan coast and died after 3 months in rehabilitation. Necropsy revealed large, yellow, multifocal caseous lesions involving the right foreflipper, spleen, liver, kidneys, and lungs. Fungal infection of Beauveria bassiana was confirmed by culture, morphological and molecular characterization, phylogenetic analysis, and histopathological examination. This report provides evidence that B. bassiana is associated with a systemic fungal infection which can be fatal …

Development Of Novel Plasminogen Activators From Fragments Of Streptokinase Enzyme, Vijay G Mr

Theses and Dissertations

Thrombotic disorders such as myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis remain major causes of mortality and disability worldwide, creating a continuing need for effective, safe and affordable thrombolytic therapy. Streptokinase is one of the most widely used plasminogen activators because of its activity, low cost and broad availability. However, its wider clinical utility is limited by high immunogenicity, allergic reactions, neutralizing antibody formation and poor suitability for repeat administration. This thesis aimed to develop novel streptokinase-derived plasminogen activators by identifying smaller functional fragments that retain thrombolytic activity while potentially reducing immunogenicity.

A literature-guided fragment-based strategy was …

Engineering Fsh-Cer T Cells To Enhance Response To Epithelial Ovarian Cancer, Nolan J. Beatty

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Ovarian cancer remains a significant cause of cancer-related mortality, with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) being the most common subtype. Despite advances in treatment, the 5-year survival rate for late-stage EOC remains low due to factors such as tumor heterogeneity and an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). This study investigates the therapeutic potential of chimeric endocrine receptor (CER) T cells engineered to express follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) in a syngeneic mouse model of EOC expressing follicle stimulating hormone receptor (ID8-FSHR). We compared two different co-stimulatory domains—CD28ζ and 4-1BBζ—in FSH-CER T cells and found that FSH-CD28ζ CER T cells exhibited enhanced cytotoxicity, proliferation, …

Impact Of Social Media-Driven Feeding Practices On The Gut Microbiome Of Captive Asian Elephants (Elephas Maximus) In Surin, Thailand, Pongpreecha Malaluang, Nuttapon Bangkaew, Jaruwan Chaiyakhot, Patinya Patikae, Nattaya Watwiengkam, Phimphanit Choklikitumnuey, Thanaphat Phupanna, Sudachanok Phowiset, Prim Chuesaard, Tarid Purisotayo

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

This study investigated the effects of social media-driven live-streaming dietary supplementation on the gastrointestinal microbial community of captive Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) at the Elephant Kingdom, Surin Province, Thailand. A hierarchical two-tier observational design was used: Tier 1 compared a minimal-supplementation control group (Group H, n = 6) with a frequent heterogeneous-supplementation group (Group L, n = 18); Tier 2 compared, within Group L, low-frequency (Group A, ≤ 3 sessions per week, n = 7) and high-frequency (Group B, > 3 sessions per week, n = 11) live-streaming sub-groups. Faecal microbial profiles were obtained by 16S rRNA gene (V3–V4) …

Decoding The Allosteric Grammar Of Protein Kinases: A Dual-Stream Framework Integrating Protein Language Models And Energy Landscape Frustration Analysis, Will Gatlin, Max Ludwick, Lucas Turano, Brandon Foley, Kamila Riedlova, Vít Škrhák, Marian Novotný, David Hoksza, Gennady M. Verkhivker

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

The spatial and energetic encoding of allosteric regulatory sites remains a major challenge in structural biology, frequently representing a “blind spot” for sequence-based artificial intelligence (AI) models. We present a protein language model (PLM)-guided approach complemented by the energy landscape frustration analysis as a dual-stream framework to investigate the relationship between AI prediction of binding sites and biophysical organization of regulatory pockets across the human kinome. By probing a fine-tuned residue-level PLM classifier across 453 kinase structures, a clear performance gap is discovered between highly predictable orthosteric pockets (Types I, I.5, and II) and poorly resolved distal allosteric sites (Type …

Advances In Gene Editing Strategies For Viral Disease Resistance In Pigs: Knock-Out, Knock-In, And Overexpression Approaches, Zhao Namula, Takeshige Otoi, Aya Nakai, Megumi Nagahara, Maki Hirata, Fuminori Tanihara

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Highly contagious viral pathogens—such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, classical swine fever, and African swine fever—continue to pose serious threats to the swine industry and cause major global economic losses. Conventional disease control approaches, such as vaccination and biosecurity, are limited by viral heterogeneity and immune escape mechanisms. Gene editing technologies, most notably the CRISPR/Cas9 system, offer an innovative means of introducing innate viral disease resistance or resilience in pigs. The continuous improvement of these tools can provide a sustainable strategy to enhance animal welfare and global food security and reduce reliance on traditional control measures. This review provides …

Hemidiaphragmatic Segmental Zoster Paresis, Terrence Sanvictores, Johnson Ukken

School of Medicine Faculty Research

The reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus within infected neurons can lead to common clinical manifestations, including rash, acute neuritis, post-herpetic neuralgia, herpes zoster ophthalmicus, and Ramsay–Hunt syndrome. Segmental zoster paresis is an unusual neurologic complication of shingles that is defined by focal asymmetric motor weakness in the myotome corresponding to skin lesions of the dermatome. This case is a presentation of a patient who developed chronic hypoxia and severe atelectasis attributed to right-sided phrenic nerve paralysis secondary to herpes zoster infection.

Rethinking Preoperative Mrsa/Mssa Screening Through Molecular Triage, Rob E. Carpenter, Greg Whitlock

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background: Preoperative screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) is intended to identify patients at increased risk of surgical site infection and guide decolonization and perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis. However, many molecular assays reduce this decision to a binary positive/ negative result, potentially obscuring clinically important distinctions in organism identity, methicillin resistance attribution, and mupirocin resistance risk. Methods: This structured narrative review organized direct perioperative evidence and indirect mechanistic, implementation, and economic evidence around one question: how MRSA/MSSA screening can move from organism detection to actionable molecular triage. Results: Useful preoperative reporting depends on assigning resistance markers …

Uti, Delirium, And Dementia: A Conceptual Bioinformatics Framework For Clinical Attribution, Rob E. Carpenter, Andrew Krouse

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is frequently invoked to explain delirium, confusion, and functional decline in persons with dementia. Yet urine positivity in this population often reflects asymptomatic bacteriuria, colonization, chronic pyuria, contamination, or sampling noise rather than clinically attributable infection. For biomedical informatics and computational diagnostics readers, this narrative review contributes an integrative conceptual bioinformatics framework for probabilistic clinical attribution of suspected UTI in dementia under uncertainty. We formalizes the attribution problem by distinguishing organism detection from a clinically plausible infection-related contribution to neurocognitive decline. The framework integrates clinical, laboratory, biological, and longitudinal data to clarify whether urinary findings are …

Investigating Culicoides Diversity, Distribution, And Behavior In Arkansas, Cassandra Steele

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Culicoides biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are globally important vectors of pathogens affecting livestock and wildlife. In the United States (US), transmission of bluetongue virus (BTV), epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus (EHDV), and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) results in economic losses and periodic mortality events of wild and domestic ruminants. Culicoides sonorensis is the confirmed vector of BTV and EHDV in the western regions of the US, however this species is uncommon throughout much of the eastern and southeastern US, where hemorrhagic diseases remain endemic. There are likely other putative vector species responsible for pathogen transmission. This research investigated Culicoides diversity, distribution, …

Deconstructing Systemic Sclerosis Heterogeneity: From Patient Subtypes To Pathogenic Fibroblasts, Rezvan Parvizi

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

This thesis advances heterogeneity as the central barrier both to interpreting therapeutic response and to identifying the molecular regulators that drive fibrosis in systemic sclerosis (SSc). In SSc, heterogeneity is manifest at every level at which the disease can be measured: clinically, in the variable extent of skin and organ involvement; molecularly, in the distinct gene-expression programs that distinguish otherwise comparable patients; and cellularly, in the diverse fibroblast populations from which the fibrotic signal ultimately arises.

Leveraging longitudinal skin transcriptomics from a large cohort treated with mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), the first study demonstrates that intrinsic molecular subtypes are dynamic rather …

Alternative Methods To Improve Livestock Performance While Grazing Low-Quality Forages., Ivan Raynard Thomas Jr

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stocker cattle producers in the southeastern part of the U.S. heavily depend on traditional forages such as bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon] pastures during the warm season for grazing. Summer annual forages offer stocker cattle operations a valuable alternative source of forage. These forages have high yield potential and can help extend the grazing season. This is particularly beneficial during the summer months when traditional forage sources may be limited. Warm-season annual grasses may experience a decrease in crude protein concentrations during late summer and early fall. As a result, it may be necessary to find alternative sources of crude protein or …

Challenges And Opportunities In Dry Aging: Producer Perspectives And Valorization Of Dry- Aged Waste Products, Peyton Scout Arnold

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite the projected increase in the dry aging market, producers may be hesitant to incorporate dry aging practices. This thesis aims to identify primary concerns faced by producers in implementing a dry aging program. Semi-structured interview surveys were conducted via Qualtrics (N = 100). Results indicated that an “advanced” level of dry aging knowledge correlated with a higher importance in the use/sale of dry aged products (P = 0.02). Cost, demand, and sourcing were the top three concerns of producers practicing dry aging. Those considering implementation were concerned with cost, processing parameters, safety, demand, and sourcing. No significant differences were …

Plasma And Extracellular Vesicle–Enriched Protein Profiles In Chronic Rhinosinusitis, Aryana Amin, Rutviben P. Shah Bds, Dhvani Parikh Mph, Niki Mirhosseini Bs, Baharan Fekry Phd, Donyea L. Moore, Mahboobeh Mahdavinia Md, Phd

Summer Research Program Abstracts

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of Priority Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Using The Paho-Adapted Hanlon Method In Bogor City In 2024, Sonia Annisa Br Ketaren, Tri Yunis Miko Wahyono, Bai Kusnadi

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) remain a major public health challenge despite substantial progress in immunization programs. In Indonesia, routine immunization coverage has shown a post-pandemic recovery trend; however, disparities in access to health services and surveillance quality persist across regions. This study aimed to determine priority VPD problems in Bogor City and identify factors contributing to the highest-ranked disease. A mixed-methods study was conducted in Bogor City from October 2024 to January 2025. Quantitative prioritization was performed using the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)-adapted Hanlon method across eight VPDs. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews with key informants and analyzed …

Association Of Household Economic Status And Birth Order With Stunting Among Children Aged 24-35 Months: Malawi Mics 2019–20, Sibongire B. Ngoma, Asri C. Adisasmita, Renti Mahkota, Septyana Choirunisa, Melisa Nyamukondiwa

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

Stunting remains a major public health concern in Malawi, with a national prevalence of 35.5% among children under five. However, evidence on the independent and combined effects of household economic status and birth order on stunting among Malawian children aged 24-35 months remains limited. This study aimed to examine the independent and combined association of household economic status and birth order with stunting among children aged 24-35 months in Malawi. A secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional 2019-20 Malawi Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) was conducted, and the final sample comprised 2,764 children aged 24-35 months with complete data. Stunting …

Crispr/Cas9-Based Genome Editing: Understanding Differences In Dna Repair Pathways, Profiles, And Outcomes, Samuel Effah, Shirley Barrera, Nahia Urturi Ortiz, Will Dampier, Michael Nonnemacher, Brian Wigdahl

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

Over a decade of advances in Clustered Regularly Interspersed Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)-based technologies have culminated in the first-ever FDA-approved CRISPR/Cas-based therapy. Aside from this approved therapy for sickle cell anemia, several CRISPR/Cas-based therapies are currently under development or testing for a range of chronic diseases, including viral diseases like human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection, genetic diseases like familial hypercholesterolemia, and cancer. The success of these therapies hinges on the effective delivery of CRISPR/Cas9 components to target regions, efficient Cas endonuclease editing, repair profiles generated, and their resulting outcomes. Here, we discuss the …

Dynamical Behavior, Extinction And Persistence In A Stochastic Delayed Two-Strain Epidemic Model With A Generalized Crowley-Martin Incidence Rate, Amina Allali, Dounia Bentaleb, Saida Amine

Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Simulation with Applications

This paper develops and analyzes a novel delayed stochastic SIR epidemic model with two interacting strains and general incidence functions. By establishing the existence and uniqueness of a positive global solution, the well-posedness of the model under stochastic perturbations is ensured. Extinction occurs when the stochastic reproduction number falls below unity, as demonstrated through Itô calculus and martingale convergence theorems, while persistence is guaranteed under the Crowley–Martin incidence when it exceeds one. Numerical experiments based on the Positive Preserving Truncated Euler–Maruyama (PPTEM) scheme confirm the analytical predictions and highlight the influence of time delay and noise intensity on the long-term …

(R2167) Global Stability Of Seirs Model With Single Dose Vaccination In Varying Population, Govind Jha, Prabhat Mandal, Sarita Jha

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

Understanding the evolution of infectious diseases within a dynamic population is essential for formulating effective public health strategies. This work introduces an enhanced SEIRS epidemic model that incorporates demographic variation and a single-dose vaccination strategy, supporting that immunity can be reduced over time. The model reflects diseases in which individuals may return to the susceptible state after recovery. Extending prior reduced three-dimensional models, this study develops a complete four-dimensional SEIRS framework, thereby increasing the model’s applicability to real-world scenarios. The inclusion of the full system presents greater analytical challenges. To overcome this, we extend the second additive compound matrix and …

(R2124) Impact Of Delay And Awareness On Hiv/Aids Epidemic Model, Debashis Biswas

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

A delayed HIV/AIDS epidemic model with awareness has been taken here. Essentially, it is mentioned that the disease spreads among the population only through contact (horizontal transmission). The equilibrium points of both the proposed models are investigated, and their stability is discussed. Both models have two types of equilibria, namely the disease-free and the disease positive. The basic reproductive number of both models has been calculated by using the next generation matrix technique. In this paper, the main motivation is to find a way to decrease the disease transmission. Also discussed the impact of delay and awareness on the HIV/AIDS …

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy For Monitoring Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection In Experimentally Challenged Calves, Erin Blanchard, Jelena Muncan, Grace Beddingfield, Cassandra Barber, Florencia Meyer, Santiago Cornejo, Merrilee Thoresen, Amelia Woolums, Carrie Vance

Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is a multifactorial disease complex that causes significant economic loss in the cattle industry. Bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), one of the primary viruses included in BRD, primarily targets the lower respiratory tract and causes a wide variety of subclinical and clinical signs. Current diagnosis techniques require off-site laboratory testing, creating delays that allow BRSV to spread through herds and highlighting the need for rapid diagnostic methods. The objective of the study was to evaluate near-infrared spectroscopy as a diagnostic tool for BRSV detection across varying infection severities. Twenty-two Holstein bull calves were reared in research …

House Sparrow Invasion Success Across Ecological, Immunological, And Molecular Scales, Kailey Marie Mccain

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Biological invasions offer natural experiments for studying how organisms cope with ecological novelty. Although invasion success is often attributed to enemy release, introduced organisms do not enter enemy-free environments. Instead, they enter heterogeneous landscapes in which some familiar enemies are absent, others remain, and entirely novel enemies may be encountered. The question, then, is how invaders (hereafter non-natives) are poised to respond to these threats? This dissertation examines whether successful invasions in house sparrows (Passer domesticus) is associated with shifts in pathogen exposure, immune dynamics in blood, gut physiology, and gene co-expression network structure.

Chapter 1 is at the population/ecological …