Digital Commons Network^™

Tumor Expression Of Cd83 Reduces Glioma Progression And Is Associated With Reduced Immunosuppression, Malcolm F Mcdonald, Rachel Naomi Curry, Isabella O'Reilly, Brittney Lozzi, Alexis Cervantes, Zhung-Fu Lee, Anna Rosenbaum, Peihao He, Carrie Mohila, Arif O Harmanci, Akdes Serin Harmanci, Benjamin Deneen, Ganesh Rao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Immunosuppression in malignant glioma remains a barrier to therapeutic development. CD83 overexpression in human and mouse glioma increases survival. CD83+ tumor cells promote signatures related to cytotoxic T cells, enhanced activation of CD8+ T cells, and increased proinflammatory cytokines. These findings suggest that tumor-expressed CD83 could mediate tumor-immune communications.

Bioremediation Of Effluent Water In A Coal Ash Disposal Area: Optimizing Microbial Sulfate Reduction, Ryka Shea

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Coal combustion residues (CCR) pose a serious environmental threat, even long after they are disposed of in specialized landfills, due to their complex composition and potential for leaching into waterways. This study focuses on the issue of elevated sulfate concentrations at the Martin Lake Steam Electric Station (MLSES) A-I Disposal Area in Panola County, Texas, where CCR are disposed of in a permanent landfill. Currently, this site is exceeding its regulatory limit of sulfate concentrations in its effluent and is in need of a cost-effective and sustainable solution to this problem. This research utilized benchtop experiments to investigate sulfate reducing …

Neural Network Architecture Search Enabled Wide-Deep Learning (Nas-Wd) Integrated Hyperspectral Imaging Understanding For Woody Breast In Poultry Processing, Chaitanya Kumar Reddy Pallerla

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The development and implementation of a Wide & Deep (WD) learning model tailored for classification and regression tasks utilizing spectral data provides a robust solution to evaluate woody breast (WB) conditions in poultry fillets. This process begins with thorough data preprocessing, which includes loading spectral and classification datasets, imputing missing values with medians, and splitting the data into training and testing sets to ensure rigorous model evaluation. The WD model architecture integrates wide linear models and deep neural networks to harness the strengths of both approaches. The wide component excels at memorizing sparse feature interactions, while the deep component captures …

Reevo: Large Language Models As Hyper-Heuristics With Reflective Evolution, Haoran Ye, Jiarui Wang, Zhiguang Cao, Federico Berto, Chuanbo Hua, Haeyeon Kim, Jinkyoo Park, Guojie Song

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The omnipresence of NP-hard combinatorial optimization problems (COPs) compels domain experts to engage in trial-and-error heuristic design process. The long-standing endeavor of design automation has gained new momentum with the rise of large language models (LLMs). This paper introduces Language Hyper-Heuristics (LHHs), an emerging variant of Hyper-Heuristics that leverages LLMs for heuristic generation, featuring minimal manual intervention and open-ended heuristic spaces. To empower LHHs, we present Reflective Evolution (ReEvo), a generic searching framework that emulates the reflective design approach of human experts while far surpassing human capabilities with its scalable LLM inference, Internet-scale domain knowledge, and powerful evolutionary search. Evaluations …

Environmental Dna Identifies Coastal Plant Community Shift 1,000 Years Ago In Torrens Island, South Australia, Nicole R. Foster, Alice R. Jones, Oscar Serrano, Anna Lafratta, Paul S. Lavery, Kor-Jent Van Dijk, Ed Biffin, Bronwyn M. Gillanders, Jennifer Young, Pere Masque, Patricia S. Gadd, Geraldine E. Jacobsen, Atun Zawadzki, Andria Greene, Michelle Waycott

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Anthropogenic activities are causing detrimental changes to coastal plants– namely seagrass, mangrove, and tidal marshes. Looking beyond recent times to past vegetation dynamics is critical to assess the response and resilience of an environment to change. Here, we develop a high-resolution multi-proxy approach, providing a new evidence base to decipher long-term change in coastal plant communities. Combining targeted environmental DNA analysis with chemical analysis of soils, we reconstructed 4,000 years of change at a temperate wetland on Torrens Island South Australia and identified an ecosystem shift that occurred ~ 1000 years ago. What was once a subtidal seagrass system shifted …

Neutrosophic Cox Proportional Hazards Model For Robust Variable Selection In Survival Analysis, Ibrahim Yasser, Aya A. Abd El-Khalek, A. A. Salama, Doaa A. Abdo

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

This paper introduces a novel approach for variable selection in survival analysis by integrating neutrosophic logic into the Cox Proportional Hazards (Cox PH) model to address the limitations of recent studies related to high dimensionality. Neutrosophic logic, is a mathematical framework that allows for uncertainty, indeterminacy, and inconsistency, and particularly well suited for handling the complexity and often-ambiguous nature of biological data. By incorporating neutrosophic sets into the Cox PH model, we aim to enhance model robustness, improve variable selection, and address the curse of dimensionality. We compare the performance of the neutrosophic-enhanced Cox PH model with traditional variable selection …

On Neutrosophic Pδs-Irresolute Functions In Neutrosophic Topological Spaces, Bishnupada Debnath, Anjan Mukherjee

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

In general topology the notion of pds-irresolute and aδs-irresolute functions were introduced by Beceren and Noiri. In the present paper, these concepts of pδs-irresolute (briefly, Npδs-irresolute) and aδs-irresolute (briefly, Naδs-irresolute) functions are explored for the first time in neutrosophic topological spaces (NTS) as generalized version. We proved that every Naδs-irresolute function is Npδs-irresolute function but not conversely. Some characterizations, counter examples, and fundamental features are also presented. By neutrosophic pre-open, neutrosophic δ-open, and neutrosophic δ-semi-open sets, some new fundamental properties of such functions are provided. Furthermore, under Npδs-irresolute functions, the behavior of neutrosophic semi-connected, neutrosophic pre-connected, neutrosophic pre-T2, neutrosophic δ-semi-T2, …

Multi-Temporal Analysis Of Urbanization-Driven Slope And Ecological Impact Using Machine-Learning And Remote Sensing Techniques, Zhang Hao, Muhammad Haseeb, Zheng Xiangtian, Zainab Tahir, Syed Amer Mahmood, Aqil Tariq, Rana Waqar Aslam, M. Abdullah-Al-Wadud, Hesham El-Askary

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

Rapid urbanization in Lahore, Pakistan, has led to significant ecological and thermal challenges, particularly the intensification of Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects and increased thermal stress as measured by the Urban Thermal Field Variance Index (UTFVI). This study employs a multi-temporal evaluation of Landsat satellite imagery and GIS-based analysis to investigate the Spatio-temporal trends in land-use and land-cover (LULC) changes from 1994 to 2024. We detected substantial changes in urban growth, vegetation cover, and barren areas using supervised classification (Random Forest) methods and remote sensing indices such as NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), NDMI (Normalized Difference Moisture Index), NDBI (Normalized …

Early Detection Of Risk Factor For Suicidal Ideation Among Senior High School Students In Jakarta: Updated Measurement, Nova R. Yusuf, Sabarinah Prasetyo, Byron J. Good

Kesmas

The key strategy to address suicide in adolescents is school-based suicidal prevention by adapting a screening instrument to the local culture and policymakers’ perception of suicide. This study aimed to develop an instrument for the early detection of risk for suicidal ideation and identify influential risk factors for suicidal ideation among high school students in Jakarta, Indonesia. This study was conducted in 2018 with a mixed-method design (quantitative and qualitative approaches). It was found that 5% of students had suicidal ideation in July–November 2018, and 13.8% had a high-risk factor for suicidal ideation. The instrument developed in this study consisted …

Multi-Scale Thermal Mapping Of Submarine Groundwater Discharge In Coastal Ecosystems Of A Volcanic Area, Ebony L. Williams, Christopher B. Kratt, Raymond S. Rodolfo, Mark R. Lapus, Ryan R. Lardizabal, Aya S. Bangun, Amber T. Nguyen, Scott W. Tyler, M. Bayani Cardenas

Environmental Science Faculty Publications

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) in volcanic areas commonly exhibits high temperatures, concentrations of metals and CO2, and acidity, all of which could affect sensitive coastal ecosystems. Identifying and quantifying volcanic SGD is crucial yet challenging because the SGD might be both discrete, through fractured volcanic rock, and diffuse. At a volcanic area in the Philippines, the novel combination of satellite and drone-based thermal infrared remote sensing, ground-based fiber-optic distributed temperature sensing, and in situ thermal profiling in coastal sediment identified the multi-scale nature of SGD and quantified fluxes. We identified SGD across ∼30 km of coastline. The different approaches revealed …

Author Spotlight, Li-Fang Yang, Joseph W. Sampson, Xiao-Hang Sun, Hai-Qiang Deng, He Zhang, Md Maksudur Rahman, Yang Tao, Hang Ren

Journal of Electrochemistry

No abstract provided.

Preface To Special Issue On Single-Entity Electroanalysis, Fei Li, Yi-Lun Ying, Yi-Ge Zhou

Journal of Electrochemistry

No abstract provided.

Single-Entity Collisional Electrochemistry At The Micro- And/Or Nano-Interface Between Two Immiscible Electrolyte Solutions, Li-Fang Yang, Jun-Jie Chen, Ling-Yu Chen, Si-Qi Jin, Tao-Xiong Fang, Si-Jia He, Liang-Jun Shen, Xin-Jian Huang, Xiao-Hang Sun, Hai-Qiang Deng

Journal of Electrochemistry

Single-entity collisional electrochemistry (SECE) is a branch of single-entity electrochemistry. It can directly characterize entities/particles with single particle resolution through random collisions between particles and electrodes in a solution, and obtain rich physicochemical information, thus becoming one of the frontiers of electroanalytical chemistry in the past two decades. Interestingly, the (micro/nanoscale) sensing electrodes have evolved from a polarizable liquid/ liquid (mercury/liquid) interface to a solid/liquid interface and then to a liquid/liquid interface (i.e., an interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions, ITIES), as if they have completed a cycle (but in fact they have not). ITIES has become the latest sensing …

Precision Delivery Using Nanopipette For Single-Cell Studies, He Zhang, Maksudur Rahman, Yang Tao, Joseph W Sampson, Hang Ren

Journal of Electrochemistry

Nanopipette based scanning probe technique is a versatile tool in non-contact imaging in biology. In addition to the topographic imaging, its capability of localized delivery of bio-active molecules is emerging. In this mini review, we introduce the applications of nanopipette in single-cell researches with a focus on localized delivery. The working principles of three delivery modes including resistive pulse, pressure-driven flow, and electroosmotic flow-driven delivery are summarized and compared. Their applications in single-cell researches are reviewed. The current technical challenges in scanning ion conductance microscopy-based delivery, and their growing influence in medicine and pharmacologic researches are also discussed.

Enhancing Muscle Health And Modulating Immune Response With Galectin-1 In Lgmd2b/R2 Models, Stefannia Esparza Pulido

Theses and Dissertations

Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2B/R2 (LGMD2B/R2) is a type of dysferlinopathy, a progressive muscle-wasting disorder caused by mutations in the dysferlin gene. Hallmarks of the disease include chronic inflammation, impaired muscle regeneration, and eventual muscle degeneration. Currently, no FDA-approved therapies are available for dysferlinopathies. Recombinant human Galectin-1 (rHsGal-1) has shown multiple roles in maintaining skeletal muscle homeostasis, promoting muscle repair, enhancing myogenesis, and modulating inflammation by downregulating the NF-κB pathway. The ability of rHsGal-1 to modulate the immune response is particularly promising for therapeutic applications in patients with LGMD2B/R2. In this study, we evaluated the effects of rHsGal-1 in a …

Pediatric Renal Cell Carcinoma (Prcc) Subpopulation Environmental Differentials In Survival Disadvantage Of Black/African American Children In The United States: Large-Cohort Evidence, Laurens Holmes, Phatismo Masire, Arieanna Eaton, Robert Mason, Mackenzie Holmes, Justin William, Maura Poleon, Michael Enwere

College of Population Health Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a rare but severe and aggressive pediatric malignancy. While incidence is uncommon, survival is relatively low with respect to acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), AML, lymphoma, ependymoma, glioblastoma, and Wilms Tumor. The pediatric renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) incidence, cumulative incidence (period prevalence), and mortality vary by health disparities' indicators, namely sex, race, ethnicity, age at tumor diagnosis, and social determinants of health (SDHs) as well as Epigenomic Determinants of Health (EDHs). However, studies are unavailable on some pRCC risk determinants, such as area of residence and socio-economic status (SES). The current study aimed at assessing …

Spatial Pattern And Differential Expression Analysis With Spatial Transcriptomic Data, Fei Qin, Xizhi Luo, Bo Cai Ph.D., Feifei Xiao, Guoshuai Cai

Faculty Publications

The emergence of spatial transcriptomic technologies has opened new avenues for investigating gene activities while preserving the spatial context of tissues. Utilizing data generated by such technologies, the identification of spatially variable (SV) genes is an essential step in exploring tissue landscapes and biological processes. Particularly in typical experimental designs, such as case-control or longitudinal studies, identifying SV genes between groups is crucial for discovering significant biomarkers or developing targeted therapies for diseases. However, current methods available for analyzing spatial transcriptomic data are still in their infancy, and none of the existing methods are capable of identifying SV genes between …

A B-Polynomial Approach To Approximate Solutions Of Pdes With Multiple Initial Conditions, Muhammad I. Bhatti, Md. Habibur Rahman

Physics & Astronomy Faculty Publications

In this article, we present a novel B-Polynomial Approach for approximating solutions to partial differential equations (PDEs), addressing the multiple initial conditions. Our method stands out by utilizing two-dimensional Bernstein polynomials (B-polynomials) in conjunction with their operational matrices to effectively manage the complexity associated with PDEs. This approach not only enhances the accuracy of solutions but also provides a structured framework for tackling various boundary conditions. The PDE is transformed into a system of algebraic equations, which are then solved to approximate the PDE solution. The process is divided into two main steps: First, the PDE is integrated to incorporate …

Understanding Mechanisms For Coastal Marsh Sustainability In A Changing Climate, Ashley R. Booth

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

In the Chenier Plain of Louisiana and Texas, coastal marshes are subject to high rates of relative sea level rise (RSLR), restricted sedimentation, and declining elevation attributed to subsidence and decades of intensive management. These marshes were created via mineral sedimentation but now largely accrete via organic matter accumulation. This organic matter accumulation (OMA) – or the balance between plant productivity and decomposition – is essential for maintaining elevation and thus long-term sustainability. However, management for elevation is complicated by a poor understanding of how abiotic factors like flooding and salinity impact processes driving OMA and elevation. To better understand …

Bioconvection Dynamics In Rotating And Stationary Cone-Disk Systems, Puneet Rana, Mahanthesh Basavarajappa

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

This work focuses on the study of bioconvection in a conical region of rotating and stationary cone-disk systems utilizing nanofluids involving gyrotactic micro-organisms. The flow geometry encompasses two different configurations, namely, rotating cone-disk system (RCDS) and stationary cone-disk system (SCDS). For RCDS, four unique configurations are considered: rotating cone static disk (Model-I), static cone rotating disk (Model-II), co-rotating cone-disk (Model-III), and counter-rotating cone-disk (Model-IV), while SCDS includes both swirling and non-swirling flow scenarios. A total of six different physical configurations that differ in boundary conditions are investigated. The mathematical model comprises Navier–Stokes, energy, nanoparticle volume fraction (NVF), and micro-organism density …

Heroic Virtues In Space Exploration: Everydayness And Supererogation On Earth And Beyond, John N. Nielsen

Heroism Science

The space environment poses significant dangers and difficulties for human explorers—difficulties so great that it has been argued that space exploration should be exclusively conducted by automated spacecraft. The possibility of space science conducted by human astronauts in spite of these dangers presents the opportunity for individuals to exhibit traditional heroic virtues—presumably, supererogatory forms of prudence, temperance, fortitude, and justice—in the pursuit of science. In particular, the difficulties of pursuing science in the hostile conditions of extraterrestrial environments will call for physical courage in the face of personal danger, patience with the painstaking procedures of technically difficult scientific experiments performed …

Decomposition Rates Of Native (Indigo) Vs Non-Native (Cosmos) Plants, Siobhan Day, Emily L. Garner, Carmyn Harrison, Corinne Parker, Angela D. Panvini

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Decomposition is a crucial step in the cycling and recycling of nutrients in the natural world. As things die, detritivores such as bacteria, protists, and fungi break down the material into organic and inorganic matter, releasing nutrients into the soil to be used by living plants. This study aimed to determine the rate of decomposition of a native plant, Baptisia australis, (Blue False Indigo) compared to a non-native plant, Cosmossulphureus (Cosmos). Eight litterbags filled with Indigo and eight litterbags filled with Cosmos were left to decompose and the rate of decomposition was recorded over a period of eight weeks. Results …

Decomposition Rates Of Introduced C. Sulphureus Vs. Native A. Rhomboidei ​, Jonathan R. Loftis, Todd Hoskinson, Gabi Palumbo, Marven Roufail, Darlene Panvini

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Decomposition rates are important in measuring the health of an ecosystem. They can indicate the rate at which nutrients cycle through the habitat. However, not all leaves will decompose at the same rate, which impacts the rate at which nutrients can be recycled. The introduction of non-native species may bring about changes to the native nutrient cycle, as these plants may have a different rate of decomposition than those of native species. This can affect the amount of nutrients available in the soil surrounding native and non-native plant species, which in turn affect other native species. Using two species of …

Propagation Party: Comparing Root Development Across Techniques, Sumiah Muhsin, Aunalise Terreri, Edi Mihalcea, Indy Cockrill

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Plant propagation is a method of growing plants through various techniques that create genetically identical clones of the parent plant. Propagation maintains the preferred genetic material of a plant so that it can be further reproduced on a larger scale. To assess growth variations, sweet potato cuttings were propagated in soil and water, as well as in water with and without rooting hormone. Additionally, Monstera cuttings were propagated in water with and without rocks. Root development was observed across all conditions to determine the most effective propagation methods. Plants propagated in water appear to root more successfully than those propagated …

A New Dxccdita Based Meminductor Emulator And Its Application In Chaotic Oscillator, Bhawna Aggarwal, Shireesh Kumar Rai, Harsh Jain

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

This work introduces a new dual-X current conveyor differential input transconductance amplifier (DXCCDITA) based meminductor emulator, alongside its application in chaotic oscillator has also been presented. To realize the designed meminductor emulator, one DXCCDITA, two resistors, and two capacitors are employed. Pinched hysteresis loops are achieved across a wide frequency range spanning from 100 Hz to 1.5 MHz, encompassing both decremental and incremental topologies. Additionally, the proposed circuit offers the flexibility to switch between incremental and decremental configurations using a simple switch. Through examination of non-volatility and transient responses, the efficiency of the presented emulator is evidently demonstrated. To further …

Lgformer: Informer-Based Personalized Modeling For Blood Glucose Prediction, Xue Yuewei, Shaopeng Guan, Jia Wanhai

Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Effective diabetes management relies on precise prediction of blood glucose levels to minimize complications. However, the patterns and fluctuations in blood glucose vary significantly among patients, posing a challenge for existing prediction methods. Many current approaches fail to accommodate these individual differences, leading to less reliable predictions. In response to this challenge, we present LGformer, a novel prediction model based on the Informer architecture, designed to enhance both flexibility and accuracy. LGformer improves upon Informer by integrating LSTM and GRU layers into its probSparse Self-attention mechanism, allowing for personalized processing of blood glucose data tailored to each patient's unique profile. …

Study On The Seasonal Endobacterial Profile Of Avicennia Officinalis, Focusing On Core Bacterial Consortia Within Mangrove Pneumatophores, Devi R R, Vinod Prabhakar

Karbala International Journal of Modern Science

Microhabitats are smaller pockets of ecosystems with unique conditions and they serve as major contributors of species richness. Mangrove plants offer a diverse array of such microhabitats (rhizosphere, phyllosphere, endosphereetc), and the inhabitant bacteria benefit the host by providing better salinity tolerance, faster and better nutrient mobilization, protection from phytopathogens and assistance in seed germination. Identification of such beneficial bacteria,their growth requirementsandmetabolism, willhave direct application in the field of agriculture and ecosystem restoration. Hence in this study, effort has been made to elucidate the seasonal numerical and compositional profile of pneumatophore bacterial consortia of Avicennia officinalis, from the mangrove …

Conformational Flexibility Of The C-Terminal Region Influences Distal Active Site Residues Across The Tautomerase Superfamily, Christopher Argueta, Andrew Parkins, Georgios Pantouris

Pacific Faculty Work

Consisting of more than 11,000 members distributed over five families, the tautomerase superfamily (TSF) is a large collection of proteins with diverse biological functions. While much attention has been given to individual TSF enzymes, a majority remain structurally and functionally uncharacterized. Given its large size, studying a representative member of each family offers a viable approach for extracting mechanistic insights applicable to the entire superfamily. In this study, cis-3-chloroacrylic acid dehalogenase (cis-CaaD), 5-carboxymethyl-2-hydroxymuconate isomerase (CHMI), malonate semialdehyde decarboxylase (MSAD), and 4-oxalocrotonate tautomerase (4-OT) were referenced against the well-studied macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and D-dopachrome tautomerase (D-DT) using triplicate 1 …

Characterizing West Florida Shelf Reef Fish Communities Using A Scientific Echosounder, Edmund A. Hughes

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The advancement and application of non-invasive fisheries survey technologies, such as the scientific echosounder, have significantly enhanced our understanding of fish populations and their habitats, more recently in regions where traditional sampling methods are limited, such as complex reef habitats. This research, conducted as part of the Continental Shelf Characterization, Assessment, and Mapping Project (C-SCAMP) on the West Florida Shelf, leverages acoustic and visual technologies to investigate the distribution of fish densities, fish target strength and length relationships, and the relationship between seafloor topography and fish biomass distribution.

The first study compared reef fish densities estimated from near-concurrent acoustic (Simrad …

Investigating Factors Influencing Science Student Retention, Hayley Benson, Morgan Balabanoff

The Cardinal Edge

Retention in and across STEM degrees has been a significant problem across institutions. By the time students have reached their third year, the University of Louisville has lost over 50% of the students who entered as first-year students.

The main objective of this study is to investigate variables such as sense of belonging, student’s mindset, and science identity and their relationship with retention in STEM degrees. While many studies have identified gaps among student groups across these variables, few studies have generated solutions to address these gaps. Further, the proposed solutions are often from the viewpoint of researchers and upper …