Digital Commons Network^™

Single-Fly Genome Assemblies Fill Major Phylogenomic Gaps Across The Drosophilidae Tree Of Life, K. Nicole Crown, Sarah E. Diamond, Ryan A. Martin

Faculty Scholarship

AU Long-read: Pleaseconfirmthatallheadinglevelsarerepresentedcorrectly sequencing is driving rapid progress in genome assembly : across all major groups of life, including species of the family Drosophilidae, a longtime model system for genetics, genomics, and evolution. We previously developed a cost-effective hybrid Oxford Nanopore (ONT) long-read and Illumina short-read sequencing approach and used it to assemble 101 drosophilid genomes from laboratory cultures, greatly increasing the number of genome assemblies for this taxonomic group. The next major challenge is to address the laboratory culture bias in taxon sampling by sequencing genomes of species that cannot easily be reared in the lab. Here, we build …

Three-Year Outcomes Of 6-Month Paliperidone Palmitate In Adults With Schizophrenia: An Open-Label Extension Study Of A Randomized Clinical Trial, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Importance: Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics have the potential to improve adherence and symptom control in patients with schizophrenia, promoting long-term recovery. Paliperidone palmitate (PP) once every 6 months is the first and currently only LAI antipsychotic with an extended dosing interval of 6 months. Objective: To assess long-term outcomes of PP received once every 6 months in adults with schizophrenia. Design, Setting, and Participants: In a 2-year open-label extension (OLE) study of a 1-year randomized clinical trial (RCT), eligible adults with schizophrenia could choose to continue PP every 6 months if they had not experienced relapse after receiving PP once …

Experimental Investigations On The Flow Boiling And Heat Transfer Characteristics During Chilldown Process In A Closed Loop Chilldown Test Section, Jayachandran K. Narayanan, Jason W. Hartwig, Mohammad Kassemi, Chirag R. Kharangate

Faculty Scholarship

In this study, closed loop chilldown experiments are performed on a 0.009525 m outer diameter SS-316 tube of length 0.6 m and thickness 0.001651 m in a horizontal flow configuration with PF-5060 as the working fluid. The challenges associated with the development of a closed loop chilldown test section in comparison with conventional open loop cryogenic chilldown experiments are discussed and the methods to overcome this are presented. The test section tube is heated to around 246–249 °C to perform the chilldown tests and the film, transition and nucleate boiling regimes along with the single phase liquid convective regimes are …

Elevating Black Fathers' Experiences In The National Fatherhood Initiative: Strengths And Areas For Improvement Of 24/7 Dad® Curriculum And Case Management Services, Laura A. Voith, Katie N. Russell, Ashley Withrow, Tian Xia, Darrell Coleman

Faculty Scholarship

The Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood grant program is one of the most robust mechanisms supporting fatherhood programming in the United States, with the gold standard of care including fatherhood curriculum (e.g., 24/7 Dad®) and case management services. Despite the fact that fatherhood in the United States is not a monolith and Black fathers make up over 40% of those served through Responsible Fatherhood (RF) program, little research explicitly centers the lived experiences of low-income Black fathers. The current study used focus groups with fathers (n = 23) and staff (n = 8) enrolled in a RF grantee program. Thematic …

Psychedelic Experiences And Long-Term Spiritual Growth: A Systematic Review, William A. Schutt, Julie J. Exline, Kathleen C. Pait, Joshua A. Wilt

Faculty Scholarship

Psychedelic substances, which can occasion mystical experiences, are sometimes used for religious and spiritual reasons. Despite strong links between psychedelics and spirituality, no previous systematic review has investigated connections between psychedelics and indicators of long-term spiritual growth. Thus, 34 empirical studies were analyzed with 19,724 total participants from 32 independent samples. A variety of methodologies were used among the reviewed studies, and some studies included international samples. Results showed that psychedelics—especially classic psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin, LSD, and DMT)—have been studied more often in this context than other substances. Findings indicate that psychedelic use is linked with a variety of subjective …

Kinetics Of Selenate Reduction Mediated By Underpotentially Deposited Cu On Polycrystalline Au Electrodes In Aqueous Perchloric Acid, Jonathan Strobl, Saurabh Pathak, Daniel Scherson

Faculty Scholarship

The reduction of selenate, SeO²₄⁻(aq),in 0.1 M HClO₄ solutions, induced by underpotential deposition, UPD, of Cu on polycrystalline Au electrodes was investigated using the rotating ring-disk electrode, RRDE, technique. Design and implementation of electrode potential-rotation rate protocols made it possible to determine the rates of SeO²₄⁻(aq)reduction as a function of Cu coverage, θCu, as determined by the Bruckenstein method (Swathirajan et al. J. Phys. Chem. 1982, 86, 2480–2485). In agreement with the results reported recently for Au(111) film electrodes (Strobl et al. Electrochimica Acta 2024, 493, 144,298), the reaction was found to proceed only for θCu above a critical value, …

Mitigating Algorithmic Bias: Strategies For Addressing Discrimination In Data, Sonia Gipson Rankin

Faculty Scholarship

This article examines the pervasive issue of algorithmic bias, particularly within large language models (LLMs) and the legal system. It argues that unlike simple programming bugs, these biases are deeply ingrained in the design and training data of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. By understanding the historical roots of bias and its realworld consequence across various sectors, we can develop effective strategies to mitigate its impact and ensure AI serves as a tool for progress. Weaving together historical insights, case studies, and forward-looking recommendations, the article aims to equip legal professionals with the knowledge and tools necessary to lead the charge …

Do Private Actors Have Rights Under The Wto? The Motivation For And (Inadequate) Implementation Of Gatt Article X, Adeet Dobhal, Petros C. Mavroidis, Lucas Moreira Jiminez, Sunayana Sasmal, Robert Wolfe

Faculty Scholarship

General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) Article X has been consistently overlooked in literature even though it is a unique provision in the GATT-regime: it acknowledges standing for private actors who can challenge trade-related administrative action by World Trade Organization (WTO) members. This provision is an unusual instantiation of the need to provide transparency for private actors about state policy. It is equally eccentric in seeming to provide a right for private actors to challenge governments, albeit only before domestic fora. How did the GATT end up with this provision? And are these apparent private rights meaningful in practice? …

Investigation Of Fluid Flow During Flow Boiling Inside A Horizontal Rectangular Channel With Single-Sided Heating Using Particle Image Velocimetry, Chinmay Shingote, Farshad Barghi Golezani, Chirag R. Kharangate

Faculty Scholarship

Subcooled flow boiling is a highly efficient cooling systems for thermal management systems. This study explores the intricate dynamics of subcooled flow boiling within a horizontal channel, investigating the impact of vapor generation on liquid-phase velocity using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and advanced image processing techniques. Four mass flow rates ranging from 5–20 g/s with subcooled inlet conditions are investigated in a rectangular channel with single-sided heating. Three regions of interest along the heated channel are investigated for instantaneous PIV analysis. The PIV system captures detailed velocity profiles, illustrating the impact of varying mass flow rates and heat flux levels …

Parental Political Engagement And Self-Efficacy: An Exploratory Study, Christina Randolph, Robert Needlman, Ellen Hutchinson

Faculty Scholarship

Political engagement (PE) is associated with a sense of empowerment. PE by parents affects children's lives. This study explored parents' attitudes about inclusion of political engagement discussion in well-child care. Because voting is an expression of empowerment, we hypothesized that voting would be related to higher parenting self-efficacy. We administered a brief questionnaire to a convenience sample of parents/guardians at well-child visits at an urban hospital. The questionnaire included 10 Likert scale questions touching on parenting efficacy; beliefs about political engagement; voting behaviors; and demographics. Analysis included descriptive statistics, correlations, and factor analysis. Among the 70 respondents 84% were mothers; …

Theoretical And Experimental Evaluation Of The Electronic Relaxation Mechanisms Of 2-Pyrimidinone: The Primary Uva Absorbing Moiety Of The Dna And Rna (6–4) Photolesion, Sean J. Hoehn, Sarah E. Krul, Carlos E. Crespo-Hernández

Faculty Scholarship

The (6–4) photolesion is a key photodamage that occurs when two adjacent pyrimidine bases in a DNA strand bond together. To better understand how the absorption of UVB and UVA radiation by the 2-pyrimidinone moiety in a (6–4) lesion can damage DNA, it is important to study the electronic deactivation mechanism of its 2-pyrimidinone chromophore. This study employs theoretical (MS-CASPT2/cc-pVDZ level) and experimental (steady state and femtosecond broadband spectroscopic) methods to elucidate the photochemical relaxation mechanisms of 2-(1H)-pyrimidinone and 1-methyl-2-(1H)-pyrimidinone in aqueous solution (pH 7.4). In short, excitation at 320 nm leads to the population of the S1¹(ππ*) …

Improving Performance Of Tpu By Controlled Crosslinking Of Soft Segments, Lucivan P. Barros Jr., Lucio R. De Souza, Rasoul Rahimzadeh, Ica Manas-Zloczower

Faculty Scholarship

Thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) are a family of thermoplastic elastomers with great properties such as high elongation and excellent chemical and abrasion resistance, which are processable by conventional melting methods. Nevertheless, TPUs lose mechanical properties and thermal stability at higher temperatures. In this work, we designed and synthesized a new TPU with limited crosslinking of the soft segments in order to improve its performance at high temperatures while preserving processability. Additionally, the new TPU maintains its transparency. With the incorporation of 10% trifunctional polyol, the T was increased by 7°C, the storage modulus at room temperature (25°C) was improved by 412 …

An Advanced Light Scattering Imaging Model For Total Internal Reflection Microscopy Considering A Stratified Medium, Christopher L. Wirth

Faculty Scholarship

An advanced light scattering model for Total Internal Reflection Microscopy (TIRM) is presented. The model considers the specific TIRM geometry and deals with the scattering by an axisymmetric particle of arbitrary orientation placed in a stratified medium and the imaging of the scattered field. The scattered field is computed by truncating the scattered and internal field expansions and by using spherical and plane wave expansions for the free-space dyadic Green's function. While the first expansion is valid outside a sphere enclosing the particle, the second one is valid outside the tangent planes bounding the particle from above and below. We …

Changes In Lean Body Mass With Glucagon-Like Peptide-1-Based Therapies And Mitigation Strategies, Ian J. Neeland

Faculty Scholarship

Weight loss induced by glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) and dual glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R)/glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor agonists is coming closer to the magnitudes achieved with surgery. However, with greater weight loss there is concern about potential side effects on muscle quantity (mass), health and function. There is heterogeneity in the reported effects of GLP-1-based therapies on lean mass changes in clinical trials: in some studies, reductions in lean mass range between 40% and 60% as a proportion of total weight lost, while other studies show lean mass reductions of approximately 15% or less of total weight lost. There …

Full Hill-Type Muscle Model Of The I1/I3 Retractor Muscle Complex In Aplysia Californica, Qianxue Chen, Jiayi Shen, Samantha Pao, Yu Huan, Gregory P. Sutton, Jeffery P. Gill, Hillel J. Chiel

Faculty Scholarship

The coordination of complex behavior requires knowledge of both neural dynamics and the mechanics of the periphery. The feeding system of Aplysia californica is an excellent model for investigating questions in soft body systems’ neuromechanics because of its experimental tractability. Prior work has attempted to elucidate the mechanical properties of the periphery by using a Hill-type muscle model to characterize the force generation capabilities of the key protractor muscle responsible for moving Aplysia’s grasper anteriorly, the I2 muscle. However, the I1/I3 muscle, which is the main driver of retractions of Aplysia’s grasper, has not been characterized. Because of the importance …

A Model Of Time-Dependent Macromolecular And Elemental Composition Of Phytoplankton, Anne Willem Omta

Faculty Scholarship

Phytoplankton Chl:C:N:P ratios are important from both an ecological and a biogeochemical perspective. We show that these elemental ratios can be represented by a phytoplankton physiological model of low complexity that includes major cellular macromolecular pools. In particular, our model resolves time-dependent intracellular pools of chlorophyll, proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates/lipids, and N and P storage. Batch culture data for two diatom and two prasinophyte species are used to constrain parameters that represent specific allocation traits and strategies. A key novelty is the simultaneous estimation of physiological parameters for two phytoplankton groups of such different sizes. The number of free parameters …

Internalizations Of Decorated Bicategories Via Π₂-Indexings, Juan Orendain

Faculty Scholarship

We treat the problem of lifting bicategories into double categories through categories of vertical morphisms. We consider structures on decorated 2-categories allowing us to formally implement arguments of sliding certain squares along vertical subdivisions in double categories. We call these structures π₂ indexings. We present a construction associating, to every π₂ indexing on a decorated 2-category, a length 1 double internalization.

Business Innovation As A Force For Good: From Doing Less Harm To Positive Impact Type 1 And Type 2, Chris Laszlo, David Cooperrider, Ronald Fry

Faculty Scholarship

Commitments of “getting to zero” or becoming a regenerative company are raising investor, customer, and employee expectations at a time when businesses are struggling just to reduce negative impacts. Executives are increasingly caught between wanting to build a better world and the reality of managing value-add activities that continue to harm people and the environment. Businesses need to distinguish between three types of innovation impacts to maintain their credibility and legitimacy. The first is doing less harm, where the goal is to minimize social wrongs and reduce ecological footprints. The second is incremental positive impact, where the goal is to …

Geometric Representation Of Classes Of Concave Functions And Duality, Elisabeth M. Werner

Faculty Scholarship

Using a natural representation of a 1/s-concave function on R ᵈ as a convex set in R ᵈ⁺¹, we derive a simple formula for the integral of its s-polar. This leads to convexity properties of the integral of the s-polar function with respect to the center of polarity. In particular, we prove that the reciprocal of the integral of the polar function of a log-concave function is log-concave as a function of the center of polarity. Also, we define the Santaló regions for s-concave and log-concave functions and generalize the Santaló inequality for them in the case the origin is …

Supernatural Attributions For Extraordinary Events: Examining Cognitive And Contextual Predictors, Joshua A. Wilt, Julie J. Exline, Nick Stauner

Faculty Scholarship

Why do people make supernatural attributions (SA) for events? This article focused on five possible predictors: stressfulness, unusual events, religiousness, seeing a supernatural explanation as meaningful, and seeing supernatural entities as powerful. We also predicted that people would be more likely to adopt supernatural explanations seen as highly accessible, motivating, and plausible. We focused primarily on SA in general and secondarily on specific entities. We tested preregistered hypotheses using survey data in two samples of undergraduates: one reporting life-changing events (N = 594) and another reporting on an event with a supernatural air, or supernaturally perceived events (N = 475). …

The Mrnacalc Webserver Accounts For The N1-Methylpseudouridine Hypochromicity To Enable Precise Nucleoside-Modified Mrna Quantification, Sarah E. Krul, Sean J. Hoehn, Carlos E. Crespo-Hernández

Faculty Scholarship

Nucleoside-modified messenger RNA (mRNA) technologies necessarily incorporate N1-methylpseudouridine into the mRNA molecules to prevent the over-stimulation of cytoplasmic RNA sensors. Despite this modification, mRNA concentrations remain mostly determined through the measurement of UV absorbance at 260 nm wavelength (A260). Herein, we report that the N1-methylpseudouridine absorbs approximately 40% less UV light at 260 nm than uridine, and its incorporation into mRNAs leads to the under-estimation of nucleoside-modified mRNA concentrations, with 5%–15% error, in an mRNA-sequence-dependent manner. We therefore examined the RNA quantification methods and developed the mRNACalc webserver. It accounts for the molar absorption coefficient of modified nucleotides at 260 …

Uhd: Unary Processing For Lightweight And Dynamic Hyperdimensional Computing, Mehran Shoushtari Moghadam, M. Hassan Najafi

Faculty Scholarship

Hyperdimensional computing (HDC) is a novel computational paradigm that operates on long-dimensional vectors known as hypervectors. The hypervectors are constructed as long bit-streams and form the basic building blocks of HDC systems. In HDC, hypervectors are generated from scalar values without considering bit significance. HDC is efficient and robust for various data processing applications, especially computer vision tasks. To construct HDC models for vision applications, the current state-of-the-art practice utilizes two parameters for data encoding: pixel intensity and pixel position. However, the intensity and position information embedded in high-dimensional vectors are generally not generated dynamically in the HDC models. Consequently, …

Shea Position Statement On Pandemic Preparedness For Policymakers: Building A Strong And Resilient Healthcare Workforce, Robin L.P. Jump

Faculty Scholarship

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many areas in the United States experienced healthcare personnel (HCP) shortages tied to a variety of factors. Infection prevention programs, in particular, faced increasing workload demands with little opportunity to delegate tasks to others without specific infectious diseases or infection control expertise. Shortages of clinicians providing inpatient care to critically ill patients during the early phase of the pandemic were multifactorial, largely attributed to increasing demands on hospitals to provide care to patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and furloughs.¹ HCP shortages and challenges during later surges, including the Omicron variant-associated surges, were largely attributed to HCP …

Shea Position Statement On Pandemic Preparedness For Policymakers: Introduction And Overview, Robin L.P. Jump

Faculty Scholarship

Throughout history, pandemics and their aftereffects have spurred society to make substantial improvements in healthcare. After the Black Death in 14th century Europe, changes were made to elevate standards of care and nutrition that resulted in improved life expectancy.1 The 1918 influenza pandemic spurred a movement that emphasized public health surveillance and detection of future outbreaks and eventually led to the creation of the World Health Organization Global Influenza Surveillance Network.2 In the present, the COVID-19 pandemic exposed many of the pre-existing problems within the US healthcare system, which included (1) a lack of capacity to manage a large influx …

Image-Based Fracture Surface Defect Characterization Methods For Additively Manufactured Ti-6al-4v Tested In Fatigue, Austin Ngo, Kristen Hernandez, Ayorinde E. Olatunde, Thomas G. Ciardi, Alex Harding, Arafath Nihar, Anirban Mondal, Roger H. French, Laura S. Bruckman, John J. Lewandowski

Faculty Scholarship

Fatigue initiation in additively manufactured samples/parts often occurs at processed-induced defects such as lack-of-fusion (LoF), keyhole, or other morphological/microstructural defects that have unique characteristics and measurable qualities. Attempts at identifying and minimizing such defects have utilized optimized processing conditions along with in situ and ex situ characterization that includes metallography and/or X-ray computed tomography (XCT). This paper highlights the benefits of using fracture surface analyses to detect and quantify defects that may not be detected by metallography/XCT due to sectioning and resolution limits. In addition to using manual quantification of fatigue initiating LoF and keyhole defects on fracture surfaces, image-based …

Excess Prevalence Of Preexisting Chronic Conditions In Older Adults With Incident Epilepsy, Siran M. Koroukian, Hannah L. Fein, Long Vu, Wyatt P. Bensken, Nicholas K. Schiltz, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: Prior studies have examined chronic conditions in older adults with prevalent epilepsy, but rarely among those with incident epilepsy. Identifying the chronic conditions with which older adults present at epilepsy incidence assists with the evaluation of disease burden in this patient population and informs coordinated care development. The aim of this study was to identify preexisting chronic conditions with excess prevalence in older adults with incident epilepsy compared to those without. Methods: Using a random sample of 4 999 999 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged >65 years, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of epilepsy incidence in 2019. Non-Hispanic Black …

Excess Prevalence Of Preexisting Chronic Conditions In Older Adults With Incident Epilepsy, Siran M. Koroukian, Hannah L. Fein, Long Vu, Wyatt P. Bensken, Nicholas K. Schiltz, Martha Sajatovic

Faculty Scholarship

Objective: Prior studies have examined chronic conditions in older adults with prevalent epilepsy, but rarely among those with incident epilepsy. Identifying the chronic conditions with which older adults present at epilepsy incidence assists with the evaluation of disease burden in this patient population and informs coordinated care development. The aim of this study was to identify preexisting chronic conditions with excess prevalence in older adults with incident epilepsy compared to those without. Methods: Using a random sample of 4 999 999 fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries aged >65 years, we conducted a retrospective cohort study of epilepsy incidence in 2019. Non-Hispanic Black …

Predictive Power Of Machine Learning Models On Degree Completion Among Adult Learners, Emily Barnes, James Hutson, Karriem Perry

Faculty Scholarship

The integration of machine learning (ML) into higher education has been recognized as a transformative force for adult learners, a growing demographic facing unique educational challenges. This study evaluates the predictive power of three ML models—Random Forest, Gradient-Boosting Machine, and Decision Trees—in forecasting degree completion among this group. Utilizing a dataset from the academic years 2013-14 to 2021-22, which includes demographic and academic performance metrics, the study employs accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 score to assess the efficacy of these models. The results indicate that the Gradient-Boosting Machine model outperforms others in predicting degree completion, suggesting that ML can significantly …

The Sources And Consequences Of Disputes Over Contractual Meaning, Randy D. Gordon

Faculty Scholarship

With some frequency, parties agree to the particular words used in a contract they sign, only to later disagree as to the meaning of those words and their legal effect. That is, they each assent to something, but that “something” is something different for each of them. In this Article, I first categorize and trace the sources of recurring points of disagreement as a matter of language and linguistics. Then, I look at the consequences of a dispute that leads a fact finder to conclude that the parties genuinely did not agree to the same thing, which is to say …

Sect And Superstition: The Protestant Framework Of American Codification, Kellen R. Funk

Faculty Scholarship

Elite lawyers who debated codification in the nineteenth-century United States treated codification as inseparable from a liberal Protestant textualism that had taken hold in the early national era. Legislators declared codification to be the necessary final step of the Protestant Reformation and frequently characterized common law lawyers as beholden to ‘superstition’ and ‘priestcraft’. Their opponents denounced the codifiers’ idea that texts alone could adequately convey common meanings and delighted to point out the endlessly fracturing glosses on supposedly ‘clear’ texts that divided the positivists into an ever-increasing number of sects.

Many works have addressed the relationship between populism and positivism …