Digital Commons Network^™

Enhanced Photostability Through Rapid Exciton Decay In Desymmetrized Cyclopentannulated Acenes With Strong Face-To-Face Pi Stacking, Chad D. Cruz, Karl J. Thorley, Zachary J. Knepp, Jared Wahlstrand, Gil M. Repa, John C. Stephenson, Sean Parkin, Lisa A. Fredin, John E. Anthony, Emily G. Bittle

Chemistry Faculty Publications

The photophysics of organic semiconductors impacts their efficiency in optoelectronic devices where exciton transitions, including singlet fission, intersystem crossing and the formation of charge transfer states influence the ability to convert between bright and dark states and to dissociate into free charges. Unfortunately, photodegradation and spurious signals often confound the results of optical studies, especially of important triplet states. Here four asymmetric cyclopentannulated acenes are synthesized and studied. This system represents an extreme in photophysics achieved via molecular design to fully quench the photoluminescence and bypass triplet formation allowing for comparative studies with other highly absorbing acenes. Rapid molecular exciton …

Automated Object Detection And Change Quantification In Underground Mines Using Lidar Point Clouds And 360◦ Image Processing, Ana Fabiola Patricia Tejada Peralta, Roya Bakzadeh, Sina Siahidouzazar, Pedram Roghanchi

Mining Engineering Faculty Publications

Underground mining environments pose significant challenges for automated hazard detection due to low illumination, restricted visibility, and the absence of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) coverage. These factors limit situational awareness and delay inspection efforts, particularly after disruptive events when rapid assessment is essential for safety. This study addresses this problem by developing a dual-pipeline framework for 2D–3D detection that uses 360° imaging and LiDAR-based machine learning to identify people, vehicles, and positional changes in underground settings without requiring personnel to re-enter hazardous areas. The objective was to create a system capable of recognizing objects and monitoring spatial changes under …

Building Public Health Data Dashboards: Tutorial Playbook, Elwin Wu, Raymond Balise, Benjamin Katz, Daniel R. Harris, Matthew Bullard, Naleef Fareed, Marc Larochelle, Jennifer Villani

Institute for Biomedical Informatics Faculty Publications

Public health data dashboards have substantial potential to improve transparency, understanding, and decision-making at multiple levels, from individuals to public health practitioners and policymakers. However, creating effective dashboards presents many challenges. In this case-based tutorial on public health dashboard development, we share lessons learned from our experience developing data dashboards for the HEALing Communities Study (HCS), a National Institutes of Health (NIH)–funded, community-engaged intervention to deploy evidence-based practices to reduce opioid overdose deaths in 67 communities across 4 states. We present key decision points dashboard teams must address, along with the major considerations and trade-offs that shaped our approach. First, …

A Framework For Enhanced Circular Product Development With Total Life Cycle Considerations, Gisele Bortolaz Guedes, Fazleena Badurdeen, Ibrahim S. Jawahir

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Advancing circular product development (CPD) requires design decisions that account for the entire product life cycle, from material sourcing and manufacturing to use and end-of-use (EoU) stages, to ensure enhanced sustainability performance. Existing Product Development Process (PDP) models tend to emphasize isolated phases or perspectives with limited explicit consideration of the total product life cycle. This hinders the systematic embedding of various Circular Economy (CE) strategies during product development. Thus, designers and engineers lack a unified framework to determine when and where critical decisions should be made to effectively incorporate CE strategies such as effective resource selection, extending product use-life, …

Aggregation Bias In Multi-Industry Economic Contribution Analysis: The Case Of Kentucky Forest Sector, Domena A. Agyeman, Thomas Ochuodho, Omkar Joshi

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Closely related industries are often aggregated in US forest sector economic contribution analysis, yet the choice of aggregation scheme can influence results. The Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) system is the most widely applied input–output model for forest economic contribution analysis in the US. In IMPLAN, the level of industry aggregation determines which inter-industry transactions are restricted, thereby influencing the magnitude of estimated indirect and induced effects. Although IMPLAN practitioners can model individual industries to avoid aggregation bias, they must still decide whether to analyze forest industries as a single group, as traditional subsectors, or individually. This decision can alter …

Enabling Communication Resiliency In The Connected Car Environment, Antonio Guerrero-Ibáñez, Juan Contreras-Castillo, Sherali Zeadally, Een-Kee Hong

Information Science Faculty Publications

Connectivity has become integral to various application domains, with the automotive sector as a prime example. Advances in electronics, computing, and telecommunications have driven the evolution of the connected car ecosystem, transforming it into a data-rich environment that enhances road safety, efficiency, and overall mobility. However, the success of this ecosystem depends on seamless, reliable, and resilient communications. We identify key challenges that may affect communications in the connected car environment and discuss solutions that enhance resiliency and robustness. Finally, we propose a multi-layered network architecture that will enhance communication resilience in the connected car ecosystem.

Identification And Characterization Of Tornado Seismic Signals In The Central U.S., Seth Thompson

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Tornadoes cause extensive property damage and endanger lives. While Doppler radar can indicate the potential for tornado development, it cannot confirm that a tornado is in contact with the ground unless a debris signature is present. While on the ground, a significant amount of a tornado’s energy may be transferred into the earth as seismic vibrations. Thus, seismometers have the potential to detect on-the-ground tornadoes. Since 1960, only five papers have published seismic recordings from tornadoes. These studies have mostly reported on seismic waves generated by tornadoes at a relatively large range, from 0.01-2.5 Hz, representing uncertainty in the dominant …

A Unified Finite Element Framework For Cardiac Growth And Remodeling In Mitral Regurgitation Incorporating Fiber Reorientation And Baroreflex, Mohammad Mehri, Jonathan F. Wenk

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Mitral regurgitation (MR) triggers complex cardiac remodeling responses that alter the structure and function of the left ventricle (LV). While several models have been developed to predict myocardial growth in MR, they often neglect key concurrent adaptive mechanisms that influence both the pattern and severity of LV dilation. This study presents a unified finite element framework to systematically evaluate the individual and combined contributions of fiber reorientation (FR) and baroreflex regulation to LV growth and remodeling, along with the effects of myocardial material property changes associated with the acute and chronic phases of MR. A healthy baseline model and multiple …

Ev Charging And V2g Operation For Distribution System Vpp Including Model Predictive Control, Rosemary E. Alden, Simone Silvestri, Malcolm D. Mcculloch, Dan M. Ionel

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

Future smart grid virtual power plants (VPPs) are considered for development based on industry communication standards for electric vehicle (EV) chargers such as Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP), IEC 15118, and IEC 61851. To support research and development of computationally intelligent controls for distributed EV batteries, a python-based API OpenDSS VPP framework is utilized with thousands of experimental smart meter profiles, the IEEE 123 node test feeder, and hundreds of national survey-based EV modules for conventional and optimal charging and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) control development to mitigate any voltage violations and reduce peak load. A methodology is proposed for model-predictive control …

Characterizing Immune Perturbations In Peripheral Blood Following The East Palestine, Ohio Train Derailment, Sheridan B. Wagner, Hami Hemati, Siva Gandhapudi, Timothy J. Hilbert, Candace J. Brancato, Erin N. Haynes, Ilhem Messaoudi

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Background: The East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment on February 3rd, 2023, resulted in the exposure of residents and the surrounding area to numerous hazardous chemicals, which included known acute irritants and human carcinogens. Despite evacuation and cleanup, both residents and responders reported high occurrences of symptoms associated with exposure in the months following, such as eye, skin, and respiratory irritation, headaches, and fatigue. The long-term health consequences for residents remain uncertain.

Objective: To assess the potential for immune perturbations resulting from the exposure, we performed a broad investigation of circulating immune cells and mediators from residents of East Palestine, OH, …

Combinatorial Immunotherapy Drives Exhaustion In Tumor Antigen–Specific Cd8+ T Cells Within The Mouse Renal Tumor Microenvironment, Holly R. Stephens, Elizabeth Elkins, Jing Li, Zoey N. Swalley, Henry Nnaemeka Ogbonna, Pia Muri, Zachary Roberts, Francesca R. Dempsey, Md Akkas Ali, Md Hasanul Banna Siam, Richard Kirkman, Jianqing Zhang, Sunil Sudarshan, Daniel J. Tyrrell, Hubert M. Tse, Daniel L. Smith Jr, Lyse A. Norian

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Immunotherapies have greatly improved outcomes for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), yet response rates remain suboptimal and the factors promoting therapy resistance versus sensitivity are incompletely understood. Currently, no preclinical model of orthotopic renal cancer exists that permits evaluation of tumor antigen–specific (TAS) CD8⁺ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). To address this deficiency, we developed a mouse renal cancer model that permits tracking of adoptively transferred TAS CD8⁺ T cells. Renca-LUC tumor cells were transduced to express tumor ERK (tERK), a model antigen expressing a one-amino-acid change from wild-type ERK, resulting in recognition by tERK/H-2K^d-specific DUC Thy1.1 …

The Functional Significance Of Plk1 Phosphorylation Of Nrf2 In Prostate Cancer Progression, Maria Nur

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Prostate cancer progression and therapeutic resistance are closely linked to alterations in redox homeostasis and cell cycle regulation. Nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (NRF2) is a master regulator of antioxidant responses, yet the mechanisms integrating cell cycle signaling with NRF2 activity in prostate cancer remain poorly defined. In this study, we identify polo‑like kinase 1 (PLK1) as a novel regulator of NRF2 through direct phosphorylation at serine 253 (S253). Using bioinformatic prediction, mass spectrometry, in vitro kinase assays, and cell‑based analyses, we demonstrate that PLK1 phosphorylates NRF2 at S253 in a cell cycle–dependent manner, with maximal phosphorylation during mitosis. …

Assessing Interdisciplinary Learning And Knowledge: A State-Of-The-Art Review And Heuristic, Kacey Beddoes, Kristi Bartlett

Product Design Faculty Publications

Background – The need for interdisciplinary training is increasingly important, but assessing the effects of interdisciplinary education initiatives remains challenging. One of the leading difficulties is identifying and selecting the best instrument or technique for a given purpose.

Purpose -- To help researchers and educators identify available options and determine the best options for their purposes, we conducted a literature review and created a heuristic table of available techniques. Our review addresses the questions: 1) What domain-general techniques and instruments exist for assessing interdisciplinary learning or knowledge? 2) What research scenarios, populations, and questions are each technique or instrument most …

The Transport Of New Make Spirits Through American White Oak, Taylor E. Scott, Jarrad Gollihue, Michael P. Sama, Michael Shaffer, Brad J. Berron

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Why was the work done: The reduction of maturation loss is a significant opportunity for increased revenue in aged spirits and varies through several factors. This work aims to better understand maturation loss by isolating and measuring spirit flow through wood.

How was the work done: Bourbon stave disks were fabricated by computer numeric control milling and loaded into a sealed module consisting of flanges holding the stave disk over a liquid filled pipe. The modules were filled with new make spirit at 50, 62.5 or 70% ABV, with either liquid or vapour contact with the stave disk. Further, the …

Adaptive Control For A Robotic Bipedal Device Using A Hybrid Discrete-Continuous Reinforcement Learning Strategy, Karla Rincon-Martinez, Wen Yu, Isaac Chairez

Mathematics Faculty Publications

This research develops and implements a novel reinforcement learning (RL) architecture to address the trajectory-tracking problem in bipedal robotic systems under articulated-joint constraints. The proposed RL framework extends previously designed adaptive controllers characterized by state-dependent gain structures. The learning mechanism comprises two hierarchical adaptation layers: the first employs an adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) formulation to approximate the Bellman value function using a class of continuous-time dynamic neural networks. In contrast, the second uses an iterative optimization scheme based on the deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) algorithm. The resulting control strategy minimizes a robust performance index defined over the tracking trajectories …

Cooperative Charge Ordering Signature Of Trimer Molecules In Infinite-Layer Cacoo2, J. S. Lee, W. J. Kim, A. Khandelwal, K. T. Ko, H. Lee, C. T. Kuo, S. Song, C. Song, D. Jang, H. Choi, G. Park, S. Y. Park, G. Kang, H. Jang, P. Abdollahi, A. Seo, C. C. Kao, H. Y. Hwang

Physics and Astronomy Faculty Publications

The infinite-layer compound CaCoO₂ provides a compelling platform to explore how local orbital distortions evolve into collective electronic order. Using resonant soft x-ray scattering (RSXS) and its time-resolved counterpart (tr-RSXS), we reveal a cooperative coupling between two intertwined orders at the same in-plane wave vector, q≈(1/4,1/4,0), comprising a quasi-two-dimensional orbital order associated with the distorted Co(1) sites and a quasi-three-dimensional trimerlike charge order stabilized through Co-O-Ca hybridization. The charge-sensitive component exhibits a uniform relaxation time of ∼400 fs (391±5 fs) across multiple Co resonances, evidencing a collective charge response. A comparable timescale observed in the orbital order associated with …

Co-Encapsulation Of Microalgae Haematococcus Pluvialis And Lactic Acid Bacteria Lacticaseibacillus Casei Via Filamentous Fungi Scaffolds Improved Probiotic Viability In Simulated Gastro-Intestinal Conditions, Suvro Talukdar, Tyler J. Barzee

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

Fungal-assisted cell immobilization has emerged as a promising approach for food, energy and environmental applications, utilizing the hyphal network of filamentous fungi to encapsulate microorganisms. Co-encapsulation of multiple microorganisms within fungal pellets enables the development of food delivery systems that combine complementary functional and nutritional properties, including enhanced probiotic protection and delivery of bioactive compounds. This study used edible filamentous fungus Aspergillus awamori to encapsulate Haematococcus pluvialis microalgae and Lacticaseibacillus casei lactic acid bacteria (LAB) for probiotic delivery. Both active and heat-deactivated pellets successfully co-encapsulated microalgae and LAB, although low shear conditions were required for inactive fungal states. Under in-vitro …

Exploring Relational Farming Futures For Responsible Innovation In Precision Agriculture Through Q-Method And Speculative Design, Bhavna Joshi, Maaz Gardezi, Edward Prutzer, Awais Hameed Khan, Asim Zia, Benjamin E. K. Ryan, Ali Dadkhah, Donna M. Rizzo, John T. Mcmaine, David Clay

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

This article draws on concepts of speculative design and responsible innovation to examine the possible impacts of data-driven precision agriculture on farmers and farm work. We use an innovative mixed-method approach to research design. Using artistic depiction of futures of precision agriculture in design workshop and in-depth semistructured interviews conducted with the farmers in Vermont and South Dakota, we explain how farmers perceive different futures of precision agriculture. Specifically, in our design workshop, we combined visual arts and social science methods, namely Q-method, to explore existing and new relationships between humans, technologies, and environment in the design, deployment, and use …

Dim Light At Night Impacts Circadian Rhythms And Alzheimer’S Disease-Like Neuroinf Lammation And Neuropathology In Humanized App Saa Knock-In Mice, Marilyn J. Duncan, Margaret R. Hawkins, Leke Bytyqi, Haleigh R. Whitlock, Savannah M. Shepard, Makayla F. Cox, Esther G. Drinkard, Teresa Macheda, Kelly N. Roberts, Katharina Kohler, Mary-Claire Schmidt, Carrie E. Johnson, Sridhar Sunderam, Bruce F. O'Hara, Michael Paul Murphy, Adam D. Bachstetter

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Artificial light at night (light pollution) is widespread but understudied in the context of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Sleep and circadian disruption have been linked to amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation and neuroinflammation, but whether dim light at night (dLAN) modifies these processes remains unclear. We tested whether chronic dLAN exposure (8 lux during the dark phase, 8 weeks) alters circadian rhythms, amyloid pathology, and neuroinflammation in 12–13 month-old humanized APP knock-in (KI) mice. hAPP^SAA KI mice, which develop plaques, were compared with hAPP^WT KI controls carrying only a humanized APP sequence. dLAN reduced circadian rhythm amplitude and stability while increasing …

Charge‐Governed Mechanistic Evaluation Of Aav2 Clarification Via Functionalized Flat Sheet And Hollow Fiber Deconstructed Depth Filters, Mara Baughman‐Leach, Mattie Brock, Malgorzata Chwatko, Dibakar Bhattacharyya

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

The expansion of adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based therapeutics has increased the demand for efficient clarification. In this study, a functionalized deconstructed depth filtration platform was developed to dissect how membrane–virus charge, modulated by pH, influences separation. Three charge regimes, positive (pH 4), neutral (pH 6), and negative (pH 8) between the membranes and AAVs, were examined. The flat-sheet system, composed of sequential 1.2, 0.8, 0.45, and 0.1 µm membranes, enabled the first layer-by-layer analysis of depth filtration behavior. This revealed that Stage 1 and Stage 4 dominate clarification. Remarkably, substantial DNA capture (> 75%) was observed even in the largest-pore stage, …

Creep-Recovery Behavior Of Copper Springs At Low Stresses, Ming-Yen Tsai, Shou-Yi Chang, Yi-Chia Chou, Jyun-Lin Hu, Yulin Zhang, Fuqian Yang, Sanboh Lee

Chemical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications

Copper springs, unlike conventional wires, endure complex stress states such as torsion and bending under sustained thermal and mechanical loads. This study examines the time-dependent creep-recovery behavior of copper springs under low tensile forces at temperatures ranging from 523 K to 623 K, focusing on springs with spring indexes (ratio of mean spring diameter to wire diameter) of 6.4, 8.5, and 9.6. The non-linear Burgers model with a Kelvin solid effectively captures the deformation response and mirrors dislocation nucleation and annihilation kinetics. SEM and TEM imaging reveal that low-angle grain boundaries (LAGBs) act as both dislocation sources and sinks. The …

Candidate Interaction Partners Of Calpain-5 Suggest Clues To Its Involvement In Neovascular Inflammatory Vitreoretinopathy, Jozsef Gal, Vimala Bondada, Rachel Crasta, Dorothy E. Croall, Calvin P. Vary, James W. Geddes

Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center Faculty Publications

Although calpain-5/CAPN5 is widely expressed in mammals, little is known regarding its functions. Pathogenic mutations of CAPN5 are causal for a devastating autoimmune eye disease, neovascular inflammatory vitreoretinopathy (NIV). To provide insight into both the physiological and pathological roles of CAPN5, it is essential to identify candidate interaction partners and possible substrates. Human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells, transfected with full-length catalytically dead (Cys81Ala) CAPN5-3×FLAG, were used for anti-FLAG co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) and quantitative proteomics using Sequential Window Acquisition of all THeoretical mass spectra (SWATH-MS). Fifty-one proteins were enriched at least four-fold, p < 0.01, relative to cells transfected with an empty FLAG vector. A high proportion (24/51) of candidate CAPN5 interaction partners are associated with protein quality control, including components of the chaperonin, chaperone, and ubiquitin–proteasome systems. Additional candidate interactors include tubulins, kinases, phosphatases, G proteins, and mitochondrial proteins. CAPN5 interactions for 14 of the candidate proteins were confirmed by co-IP and immunoblotting. Of these 14 proteins, 11 exhibited in vitro calcium-induced proteolysis following co-IP with WT CAPN5-3×FLAG. Impaired calcium-induced proteolysis of co-IP proteins was observed for the pathogenic CAPN5 variants R243L and R289W. Further studies are needed to validate the association of candidate CAPN5 interactors with proteins and complexes suggested by the SWATH-MS and co-IP results, and the possible role of CAPN5 within such complexes. The possible involvement of CAPN5 in protein quality control is relevant to NIV, as defects in protein quality control have been implicated in inherited retinal disorders. Proteomic data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD068008.

Dino-Lg: Enhancing Vision Transformers With Label Guidance For Coronary Artery Calcium Detection, Mahmut Selman Gokmen, Caner Ozcan, Moneera N. Haque, Steve W. Leung, Seth Parker, Brent Seales, Cody Bumgardner

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Coronary artery disease (CAD), one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide, necessitates effective risk assessment strategies, with coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring via computed tomography (CT) being a key method for prevention. Traditional methods, primarily based on UNET architectures implemented on pre-built models, face challenges like the scarcity of annotated CT scans containing CAC and imbalanced datasets, leading to reduced performance in segmentation and scoring tasks. In this study, we address these limitations by introducing DINO-LG, a novel label-guided extension of DINO (self-distillation with no labels) that incorporates targeted augmentation on annotated calcified regions during self-supervised pre-training. Our three-stage …

Validity And Reliability Of Force Insoles To Measure Center Of Pressure During Return-To-Sport Testing, Delaney Mcneese, Charles Eisner, Rachel Todd, Brian W. Noehren, Meredith K. Owen

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Center of pressure is a valuable biomechanical variable, predicting joint loading contributions during movement and giving insight into compensatory patterns. The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of force insoles in calculating vertical ground reaction force and center of pressure during return-to-sport jump testing. Ten healthy individuals performed double- and single-leg vertical and horizontal jumps on an instrumented treadmill while wearing instrumented force insoles. Vertical ground reaction force and anterior–posterior and medial–lateral center of pressure were collected at peak vertical ground reaction force from both devices. Repeat testing occurred 7 ± 5 days following the …

Non-Contact Optical Spectroscopy For Metabolic And Vascular Characterizations Of Orthotopic Tongue Cancer Models In Vivo, Md Zahid Hasan, Jing Yan, Sumit Sarker, Pranto Soumik Saha, Caigang Zhu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Most tissue optical spectroscopy platforms use a fiber probe for light delivery and collection, while the inconsistent probe-sample contact could induce significant distortions in the measured optical signals, which consequently bring analysis errors. Moreover, it will be practically difficult to use a fiber probe for measurements in some cases such as oral cancer investigations using small animal models. To address the critical challenge, we report a portable, lens-based, optical spectroscopy device capable of quantifying key vascular and metabolic parameters in vivo without probe-sample contact. We combined lenses based diffuse reflectance and fluorescence spectroscopy into one portable platform to enable multi-parametric …

Combined Autofluorescence And Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy For Rapid Metabolic And Vascular Characterizations Of Orthotopic Tongue Tumors In Vivo, Pranto Soumik Saha, Jing Yan, Sumit Sarker, Zahid Hasan, Caigang Zhu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Precise label-free quantification of tissue metabolic and vascular dynamics in vivo represents a critical challenge for cancer therapy prediction and longitudinal treatment assessment. In this study, we demonstrated a portable autofluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy device along with novel spectroscopic algorithms to quantify tissue vascular and metabolic parameters of orthotopic head and neck cancer models in vivo. Tissue-mimicking phantom studies were used to verify the dual-modal optical spectroscopy and easy-to-use spectroscopic algorithms for rapid and accurate estimation of tissue oxygen saturation, total hemoglobin contents, and intrinsic optical redox ratio. Animal studies were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of our …

Noninvasive Diffuse Optical Monitoring Of Cerebral Blood Flow And Oxygenation Responses To Intermittent Hypoxia In Neonatal Rats, Pegah Safavi, Mehrana Mohtasebi, Chowdhury Azimul Haque, Faezeh Akbari, Xuhui Liu, Yiqi Yuan, Li Chen, Lei Chen, Guoqiang Yu

Biomedical Engineering Faculty Publications

Significance: Intermittent hypoxia (IH) is common in preterm neonates and can cause hypoxic–ischemic brain injury. Simultaneous monitoring of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and oxygenation is essential to detect oxygen delivery-extraction mismatches and guide intervention.

Aim: We aimed to adapt and test an innovative diffuse speckle contrast flow oximetry (DSCFO) system for continuous monitoring of cerebral hemodynamics during IH in neonatal rats, a model approximating human neonates.

Approach: Two compact laser diodes and a miniature CMOS camera were integrated into a fiber-free probe for continuous monitoring of changes in relative CBF (rCBF) and oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin concentrations (Δ[HbO₂] and …

Comparative Evaluation Of R134a And Hfo‐1234ze Cryogen Spray Cooling Using A Mouse Model With Controllable Epidermal Pigmentation, Wangcun Jia, Yurie Jeong, Crystal Huynh, Oswald Lai, Emily Nguyen, Grant Swajian, Jade Niu, Ayana Kashikar, Joshua Khaw, Hong Pu, Bernard Choi, John August D'Orazio, J. Stuart Nelson, Bahman Anvari

Pediatrics Faculty Publications

Objectives: Cryogen spray cooling (CSC) is critical for protecting the epidermis during laser dermatologic procedures. The widely used cryogen, R134a, has a high global warming potential (GWP), motivating interest in environmentally favorable alternatives such as HFO-1234ze. This study evaluated whether HFO-1234ze provides epidermal protection comparable to R134a during laser exposure and investigated the mechanistic basis underlying any differences in cooling performance.

Methods: Laser-induced epidermal injury in conjunction with two cryogens was assessed in K14-SCF Mc1r^e/e mice with pharmacologically controllable interfollicular epidermal pigmentation. Laser treatment sites were assigned fluences relative to baseline skin lightness (L*) to span subthreshold …

From Barriers To Breakthroughs: Academic Advising And Resilience Among Online Social Work Students In Appalachia, Jessica Williamson

DSW Capstone Projects

This Doctor of Social Work (DSW) capstone project examines how academic advising can be leveraged as a resilience-informed intervention to support persistence among online social work students in the Appalachian region. Although online education has expanded access to higher education, Appalachian students continue to face significant structural, technological, and cultural barriers, including limited broadband access, financial instability, geographic isolation, and norms that emphasize self-reliance. These challenges contribute to lower retention and degree-completion rates, highlighting the need for intentional, context-responsive support strategies. This project integrates three scholarly products: a systematic literature review (SLR), a conceptual paper, and a practice application paper. …

Improving Prenatal And Postpartum Care Gaps In Breathitt County, Megan Deaton

Theses and Dissertations--Public Health (M.P.H. & Dr.P.H.)

Maternal and infant health remain a major public health issue across the United States, particularly in rural communities. Barriers such as shortages of obstetric providers, transportation challenges, and limited access to prenatal and postpartum care contribute to delayed care, low follow-up rates, and an increased risk of poor outcomes, including preterm birth and low birth weight. In response, the proposed Maternal and Infant Health Program aims to address gaps in care access through a home visiting model that provides in-home support, maternal health education, care coordination, and referrals to healthcare services, with a direct focus on Breathitt County. Expected outcomes …