Digital Commons Network^™

The Impact Of Unmanned Aircraft System Observations On Convection Initiation Along A Boundary In Numerical Weather Prediction, Taylor Nicole Trask

Theses and Dissertations

Executing meteorological research experiments that utilize Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUASs) is difficult due to regulatory limitations, and knowledge regarding weather impacts is limited. To overcome these challenges, an Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) is used herein as a relatively inexpensive method to evaluate how these platforms could hypothetically improve the development, progression, and characteristics of simulated meteorological phenomena in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP). This OSSE is part of a case study of an event that occurred in southwestern Oklahoma in May 2016 to examine how sUAS observations impact Convection Initiation (CI) along a boundary in NWP. Synthetic observations of …

Childhood Adversity And The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, Fourth Edition (Mcmi-Iv), Jenna Marie Wolff

Theses and Dissertations

The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, 4th edition (MCMI-IV; Millon et al., 2015) is a reliable and valid personality assessment based on Theodore Millon’s biosocial learning theory of personality. Millon’s theory evolved to include 15 personality constructs that vary in adaptive and maladaptive response patterns. In his most recent book (Millon, 2011), he presented hypotheses about biological and environmental factors that contribute to development of each personality construct. Many of these hypotheses specify particular adversities in childhood that differentially contribute to each construct. This study is the first to evaluate Millon’s hypotheses about how childhood adversities may contribute to development of …

Elevated Liver Glycogenolysis Mediates Higher Blood Glucose During Acute Exercise In Barth Syndrome, George G. Schweitzer, Grace L. Ditzenberger, Curtis C. Hughey, Brian N. Finck, Michael R. Martino, Christina A. Pacak, Barry J. Byrne, William Todd Cade

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED: Barth syndrome (BTHS) is an X-linked recessive genetic disorder due to mutations in the Tafazzin (TAFAZZIN) gene that lead to cardiac and skeletal muscle mitochondrial dysfunction. Previous studies in humans with BTHS demonstrate that the defects in muscle mitochondrial oxidative metabolism result in an enhanced reliance on anaerobic metabolism during exercise to meet energy demands of muscular work. During exercise, the liver normally increases glucose production via glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis to match the elevated rate of muscle glucose uptake and meet the ATP requirements of working muscle. However, the impact of Tafazzin deficiency on hepatic glucose production and the …

Adapting A Mobile App To Support Patients With Anorexia Nervosa Following Post-Acute Care: Perspectives From Eating Disorder Treatment Center Stakeholders, Anneliese Haas, Agatha A Laboe, Claire G Mcginnis, Marie-Laure Firebaugh, Jillian Shah, Anna M Bardone-Cone, Kathleen M Pike, C Barr Taylor, Denise E Wilfley, Ellen E Fitzsimmons-Craft

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a harmful, life-threatening illness. Patients with severe AN often receive acute treatment but, upon discharge, experience high relapse rates. Evidence-based, outpatient treatment following acute care is critical to preventing relapse; however, numerous barriers (e.g., location, financial limitations, low availability of providers) preclude individuals from accessing treatment. mHealth technologies may help to address these barriers, but research on such digital approaches for those with AN is limited. Further, such technologies should be developed with all relevant stakeholder input considered from the outset. As such, the present study aimed to garner feedback from eating disorder (ED) treatment …

Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque Segmentation In Multi-Weighted Mri Using A Two-Stage Neural Network: Advantages Of Training With High-Resolution Imaging And Histology, Ran Li, Jie Zheng, Mohamed A Zayed, Jeffrey E Saffitz, Pamela K Woodard, Abhinav K Jha

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: A reliable and automated method to segment and classify carotid artery atherosclerotic plaque components is needed to efficiently analyze multi-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images to allow their integration into patient risk assessment for ischemic stroke. Certain plaque components such as lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC) with hemorrhage suggest a greater likelihood of plaque rupture and stroke event. Assessment for presence and extent of LRNC could assist in directing treatment with impact upon patient outcomes.

METHODS: To address the need to accurately determine the presence and extent of plaque components on carotid plaque MRI, we proposed a two-staged deep-learning-based approach that …

Ehealth Technology In Cardiac Exercise Therapeutics For Pediatric Patients With Congenital And Acquired Heart Conditions: A Summary Of Evidence And Future Directions, David A White, Aimee M Layton, Tracy Curran, Naomi Gauthier, William B Orr, Kendra Ward, Meg Vernon, Matthew N Martinez, Malloree C Rice, Katherine Hansen, Megan Prusi, Jesse E Hansen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Many children and adolescents with congenital and acquired heart disease (CHD) are physically inactive and participate in an insufficient amount of moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise. Although physical activity (PA) and exercise interventions are effective at improving short- and long-term physiological and psychosocial outcomes in youth with CHD, several barriers including resource limitations, financial costs, and knowledge inhibit widespread implementation and dissemination of these beneficial programs. New and developing eHealth, mHealth, and remote monitoring technologies offer a potentially transformative and cost-effective solution to increase access to PA and exercise programs for youth with CHD, yet little has been written on this topic. …

Higher Intensity Walking Improves Global Cognition During Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Secondary Analysis Of A Randomized Control Trial, Sue Peters, Keith R Lohse, Tara D Klassen, Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Sean P Dukelow, Mark T Bayley, Michael D Hill, Sepideh Pooyania, Jennifer Yao, Janice J Eng

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cognitive deficits are common poststroke. Cognitive rehabilitation is typically used to improve cognitive deficits. It is unknown whether higher doses of exercise to promote motor recovery influence cognitive outcomes. Our recent trial, Determining Optimal Post-Stroke Exercise (DOSE), shows more than double the steps and aerobic minutes can be achieved during inpatient rehabilitation versus usual care, and translates to improved long-term walking outcomes. Thus, the secondary analysis aim was to determine the effect of the DOSE protocol on cognitive outcomes over 1-year poststroke. The DOSE protocol progressively increased step number and aerobic minutes during inpatient stroke rehabilitation over 20 sessions. The …

Ube2c Expression Is Elevated In Hepatoblastoma And Correlates With Inferior Patient Survival, Ruth Nousiainen, Katja Eloranta, Noora Isoaho, Stefano Cairo, David B Wilson, Markku Heikinheimo, Marjut Pihlajoki

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common malignant liver tumor among children. To gain insight into the pathobiology of HB, we performed RNA sequence analysis on 5 patient-derived xenograft lines (HB-243, HB-279, HB-282, HB-284, HB-295) and 1 immortalized cell line (HUH6). Using cultured hepatocytes as a control, we found 2,868 genes that were differentially expressed in all of the HB lines on mRNA level. The most upregulated genes were

A Novel Dual Nlrp1 And Nlrp3 Inflammasome Inhibitor For The Treatment Of Inflammatory Diseases, Callum Ah Docherty, Anuruddika J Fernando, Sarah Rosli, Maggie Lam, Roland E Dolle, Manuel A Navia, Ronald Farquhar, Danny La France, Michelle D Tate, Christopher K Murphy, Adriano G Rossi, Ashley Mansell

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVES: Inflammasomes induce maturation of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18, whose activity is associated with the pathophysiology of a wide range of infectious and inflammatory diseases. As validated therapeutic targets for the treatment of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases, there has been intense interest in developing small-molecule inhibitors to target inflammasome activity and reduce disease-associated inflammatory burden.

METHODS: We examined the therapeutic potential of a novel small-molecule inhibitor, and associated derivatives, termed ADS032 to target and reduce inflammasome-mediated inflammation

RESULTS: We describe ADS032 as the first dual NLRP1 and NLRP3 inhibitor. ADS032 is a rapid, reversible and stable inflammasome …

Identification Of Prok2 Gene Polymorphisms As Predictors Of Methamphetamine Use Disorder Risk And Indicators Of Craving Scale In The Chinese Han Population, Zhao Jiang, Tianxiao Zhang, Wei Han, Jing Xiao, Wenpei Zhang, Xiaochen Wang, Jianing Liu, Ying Yang, Congying Yang, Fanglin Guan, Tao Li, John P Rice

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Women's Empowerment And Child Nutrition In A Context Of Shifting Livelihoods In Eastern Oromia, Ethiopia, Karah Mechlowitz, Mark J Manary, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Agriculture, and particularly livestock and animal source foods, has been closely linked to improvements in human nutrition. Production, income, and women's empowerment improve household food security and child nutritional outcomes in interacting ways. Khat production in Eastern Ethiopia is changing the economic and livelihood landscape for communities that have traditionally relied upon small-scale mixed agriculture and livestock production. How this shifting livelihood landscape and the empowerment of women in these communities are affecting nutritional outcomes has not been investigated. Using cross-sectional data collected during formative research for the Campylobacter Genomics and Environmental Enteric Dysfunction (CAGED) project, we developed models to …

Non-Canonical Functions Of Ezh2 In Cancer, Sarah M Zimmerman, Phyo Nay Lin, George P Souroullas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mutations in chromatin modifying genes frequently occur in many kinds of cancer. Most mechanistic studies focus on their canonical functions, while therapeutic approaches target their enzymatic activity. Recent studies, however, demonstrate that non-canonical functions of chromatin modifiers may be equally important and therapeutically actionable in different types of cancer. One epigenetic regulator that demonstrates such a dual role in cancer is the histone methyltransferase EZH2. EZH2 is a core component of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2), which plays a crucial role in cell identity, differentiation, proliferation, stemness and plasticity. While much of the regulatory functions and oncogenic activity of …

Clinical Applications Of Electrical Stimulation For Peripheral Nerve Injury: A Systematic Review, Meredith C Costello, Emily L Errante, Taylor Smartz, Wilson Z Ray, Allan D Levi, Stephen Shelby Burks

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Peripheral nerve injuries are common neurologic injuries that are challenging to treat with current therapies. Electrical stimulation has been shown to accelerate reinnervation and enhance functional recovery. This study aims to review the literature on clinical application of electrical stimulation for peripheral nerve injury.

METHODS: PubMed and Embase were sourced from 1995 to August 2022. Selection was based on predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria. Eight hundred and thirty-five articles were screened with seven being included in this review.

RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-nine patients with peripheral nerve injuries were represented. Six of the studies were randomized controlled trials. A variety of …

Caregiver Perspectives On The Continued Impact Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Children With Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities, R A Northrup, E Jones, V Singh, C Holingue, M Meck, C A Gurnett, M Van Stone, L G Kalb

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted caregivers, especially those raising a child with an intellectual/developmental disability (IDD). While research has shown substantial disruption to the family, school, and occupational lives of the IDD community, little is known about the long-term impacts of COVID-19. To address this question, 249 caregivers were surveyed via an online questionnaire, between April and August of 2022 (more than 2 years into the pandemic) about potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their child's access to health- and school-based therapeutic services, caregiver mental health, and family life. The majority of caregivers reported disruptions in access to …

Therapeutic Activity Of Lipoxin A4 In Tio2-Induced Arthritis In Mice: Nf-Κb And Nrf2 In Synovial Fluid Leukocytes And Neuronal Trpv1 Mechanisms, Telma Saraiva-Santos, Tiago H Zaninelli, Felipe A Pinho-Ribeiro, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Lipoxin A4 (LXA

METHODS: Mice were stimulated with TiO

RESULTS: LXA

CONCLUSION: LXA

The Evaluation Of The Delayed Swollen Breast In Patients With A History Of Breast Implants, Grace C Keane, Alexandra M Keane, Ryan Diederich, Kaitlyn Kennard, Eric J Duncavage, Terence M Myckatyn

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Breast implants, whether placed for reconstructive or cosmetic purposes, are rarely lifetime devices. Rupture, resulting from compromised implant shell integrity, and capsular contracture caused by constriction of the specialized scar tissue that normally forms around breast implants, have long been recognized, and remain the leading causes of implant failure. It is apparent, however, that women with breast implants may also experience delayed breast swelling due to a range of etiologic factors. While a majority of delayed seromas associated with breast implants have a benign etiology, this presentation cannot be ignored without an adequate workup as malignancies such as breast implant …

Functional Trajectories During Innate Spinal Cord Repair, Nicholas O Jensen, Brooke Burris, Lili Zhou, Hunter Yamada, Catrina Reyes, Zachary Pincus, Mayssa H Mokalled

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Adult zebrafish are capable of anatomical and functional recovery following severe spinal cord injury. Axon growth, glial bridging and adult neurogenesis are hallmarks of cellular regeneration during spinal cord repair. However, the correlation between these cellular regenerative processes and functional recovery remains to be elucidated. Whereas the majority of established functional regeneration metrics measure swim capacity, we hypothesize that gait quality is more directly related to neurological health. Here, we performed a longitudinal swim tracking study for 60 individual zebrafish spanning 8 weeks of spinal cord regeneration. Multiple swim parameters as well as axonal and glial bridging were integrated. We …

Changes In Patient-Reported Pain Interference After Surgical Treatment Of Painful Lower Extremity Neuromas, Adam Liebendorfer, Esther Ochoa, Christopher J Dy

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Painful neuromas commonly cause neuropathic pain, in up to 1 in 20 cases of traumatic or iatrogenic nerve injury. Despite the multiple surgical treatment types that reduce pain, no type has been universally accepted.

METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study by administering follow-up surveys to all surgical patients treated in our department for lower-extremity neuroma from September 1, 2015, to October 22, 2021, that could be contacted, excluding those with Morton neuroma. In addition to the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pain Interference (PI) questionnaire, survey questions covered the time to pain reduction, use of physical or …

Toward A Computational Theory Of Manifold Untangling: From Global Embedding To Local Flattening, Xin Li, Shuo Wang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

It has been hypothesized that the ventral stream processing for object recognition is based on a mechanism called cortically local subspace untangling. A mathematical abstraction of object recognition by the visual cortex is how to untangle the manifolds associated with different object categories. Such a manifold untangling problem is closely related to the celebrated kernel trick in metric space. In this paper, we conjecture that there is a more general solution to manifold untangling in the topological space without artificially defining any distance metric. Geometrically, we can either

Comparing Sensing And Signaling Mechanisms Across Aer2 Receptors With Different N-Terminal Domain Arrangements, Erwin Stuffle

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Bacteria use chemoreceptors and associated chemosensory systems to navigate and respond to their environment. Aer2 chemoreceptors are a family of O2 sensors that all have a common core structure but differ with regards to their N-terminal domain types and arrangements. The Aer2 receptors from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PaAer2) and Vibrio cholerae (VcAer2) have been extensively studied. However, the marine pathogen Vibrio vulnificus possesses a previously uncharacterized Aer2 receptor. Here I present an analysis of the V. vulnificus Aer2 chemoreceptor, VvAer2, which is the first V. vulnificus chemoreceptor to be characterized. VvAer2 is related to the Aer2 receptors of other gammaproteobacteria, but …

How Class Matters: Examining Working-Class Children’S Home Technology Environments From A Developmental Perspective, Vikki Katz, Brianna Hightower

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Social class is seldom engaged by scholars as a lens for investigating variations in children’s digital technology engagement. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with 33 working-class children in a postindustrial community, we examine how social class shapes these children’s digital technology experiences. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of child development guides our examination of children’s views on digital technology integration into their interactions with proximal influences (i.e., parents, siblings, and friends) and distal influences that indirectly shape their technology environments by affecting their parents’ circumstances. We find that working-class children’s experiences share key commonalities with both their lower- and higher-income peers, consistent with …

Poo Matters! A Scoping Review Of Impact Of Constipation On Epilepsy, Alexandra Gabrielsson, Samuel Tromans, Lance Watkins, Lisa Burrows, Richard Laugharne, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder which frequently presents with co-morbid physical health conditions, including constipation. However, the nature of the relationship between the two conditions has not been well defined. AIM: To quantify constipation's relationship with epilepsy and anti-seizure medication (ASM). METHOD: A scoping review registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022320079) with suitable search terms was conducted and reported in accordance with PRISMA guidance. CINAHL, Embase, PsycInfo and MEDLINE electronic databases were searched by an information specialist. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools alongside the Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine (OCEBM) levels of evidence were used to …

Waterbodies Thermal Energy Based Systems Interactions With Marine Environment — A Review, Amir Bordbar, Konstantinos Georgoulas, Yong Ming Dai, Simone Michele, Frank Roberts, Nigel Carter, Yeaw Chu Lee

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Waterbodies’ thermal energy potential, as a green, renewable, and limitless source of energy, can be exploited in response to the growing energy demands of islands and coastal cities. Up to now, the technologies that have been developed for this purpose include seawater air-conditioning, surface water heat pump, and ocean energy thermal conversion systems or their combinations, which are presented here as Waterbodies Thermal Energy Based Systems (WTEBSs). The growth and development of these technologies raise concerns regarding their potential impacts on sustainability of the marine environment. The present work provides a comprehensive review of the available literature and state-of-the-art technologies …

Dead-Zone Compensation Via Passivity-Based Control For A Class Of Mechanical Systems, Carmen Chan-Zheng, Pablo Borja, Jacquelien M.A. Scherpen

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

This manuscript introduces a passivity-based control methodology for fully-actuated mechanical systems with symmetric or asymmetric dead-zones. To this end, we find a smooth approximation of the inverse of the function that describes such a nonlinearity. Then, we propose an energy and damping injection approach — based on the PI-PBC technique — that compensates for the dead-zone. Moreover, we provide an analysis of the performance of the proposed controller near the equilibrium. We conclude this paper by experimentally validating the results on a two degrees-of-freedom planar manipulator.

Instability Of Waves In Deep Water — A Discrete Hamiltonian Approach, David Andrade, Raphael Stuhlmeier

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The stability of waves in deep water has classically been approached via linear stability analysis, with various model equations, such as the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, serving as points of departure. Some of the most well-studied instabilities involve the interaction of four waves – so called Type I instabilities – or five waves – Type II instabilities. A unified description of four and five wave interaction can be provided by the reduced Hamiltonian derived by Krasitskii (1994). Exploiting additional conservation laws, the discretised Hamiltonian may be used to shed light on these four and five wave instabilities without restrictions on spectral …

Air Quality And Mental Health: Evidence, Challenges And Future Directions, Kamaldeep Bhui, Joanne B. Newbury, Rachel M. Latham, Marcella Ucci, Zaheer A. Nasir, Briony Turner, Catherine O'Leary, Helen L. Fisher, Emma Marczylo, Philippa Douglas, Stephen Stansfeld, Simon K. Jackson, Sean Tyrrel, Andrey Rzhetsky, Rob Kinnersley, Prashant Kumar, Caroline Duchaine, Frederic Coulon

School of Biomedical Sciences

Background Poor air quality is associated with poor health. Little attention is given to the complex array of environmental exposures and air pollutants that affect mental health during the life course. Aims We gather interdisciplinary expertise and knowledge across the air pollution and mental health fields. We seek to propose future research priorities and how to address them. Method Through a rapid narrative review, we summarise the key scientific findings, knowledge gaps and methodological challenges. Results There is emerging evidence of associations between poor air quality, both indoors and outdoors, and poor mental health more generally, as well as specific …

Survey Of Parents Of Children With Intellectual Disabilities And/Or Autism Who Experience Chronic Constipation, James Rooney, Rebecca Hodge, Jade Smith, Kelly Vanstone, Richard Laugharne, Rohit Shankar

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Constipation is common in children with intellectual disabilities and/or autism, but poorly researched. This study looks to understand parental knowledge, attitudes and management practices towards constipation in children with intellectual disabilities and/or autism. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey developed with patient facing organisations was circulated to parents of children with intellectual disabilities and/or autism using an exponential and non-discriminatory snowballing method for recruitment. A smaller sample were purposively sampled for their in-depth experiences. Results: Of 68 responses, people were open to discussing constipation and knowledgeable about risk factors. In the qualitative interviews, of 15 parents, they wanted to be …

Review And Update Of The Health Of The Nation Outcome Scales For People With Learning Disabilities (Honos-Ld), Jon Painter, Nicola Adams, Barry Ingham, Michael James, Madiha Majid, Ashok Roy, Rohit Shankar, Mark Smith

Peninsula Medical School

Background: The Health of the Nation Outcomes Scales for people with Learning Disabilities (HoNOS-LD) is an 18-item measure which provides a structured and standardized approach to rating various clinical and psychosocial outcomes and has been in use nationally since 2002. Aims: To revise and improve the HoNOS-LD’s utility in contemporary intellectual disability (ID) services whilst retaining its original objectives and five-point severity ratings. Method: ID clinicians were invited to complete an online survey, rating each item on the existing measure for being fit for purpose, identifying issues and suggesting improvements based on their experience of using the HoNOS-LD in practice. …

Effect Of Tributary Inflow On Reservoir Turbidity Current, Yining Sun, Ji Li, Zhixian Cao, Alistair G.L. Borthwick, János Józsa

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Fluvial flows carrying high sediment loads may plunge into reservoirs to form turbidity currents. However, the effects of tributary inflows on reservoir turbidity currents have remained poorly understood to date. Here a 2D double layer-averaged model is used to investigate a series of laboratory-scale numerical cases. By probing into the hydro-sediment-morphodynamic processes, we find that tributary location and inflow conditions have distinct effects on the formation and propagation of reservoir turbidity currents, and lead to complicated flow dynamics and bed deformation at the confluence. Two flow exchange patterns are generated at the confluence: turbidity current intrusion from the main channel …

Power Output Estimation Of A Two-Body Hinged Raft Wave Energy Converter Using Hf Radar Measured Representative Sea States At Wave Hub In The Uk, Daming Wang, Siya Jin, Martyn Hann, Daniel Conley, Keri Collins, Deborah Greaves

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

For the physical model testing of wave energy converters (WECs) in the wave basin, it is necessary to test the models in a small number of sea states. Previously, the H – T binning method was widely used to determine the sea states that are representative of an ocean area. However, it omitted much useful information such as the wave directionality. In this paper, a novel method, the K-means clustering technique is used in combination with High Frequency (HF) radar measured data from Wave Hub, UK. The results show that K-means clustering method better preserves the characteristics of the ocean …