Digital Commons Network^™

Shifting Soil Fungal Communities In Response To Fire And Weed Management In Urban Banksia Woodlands, Aaron Justin Brace

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This research aims to fill the knowledge gap in soil fungi in the Banksia woodland and emphasizes considering holistic ecosystem dynamics in invasive species management strategies. This is accomplished by surveying soil fungi under different fire regime across the Swan Coastal Plain, and within both in and ex situ herbicide application trials. This is the first such study to investigate the fungal component of the Banksia woodland so thoroughly. Chapter 2 quantified and analysed changes in soil fungal community composition and functional groups over a 50-year fire chronosequence in fire-prone Banksia woodland in southwestern Australia. Effects were variable, but fungal …

Coordinating The Telematic Music Performance Experience With Telemidi: Synchronising Nodes, Enhancing Musicality, And Delivering Simultaneity, Matthew Clive Bray

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The practice of Telematic Music Performance (TMP), a subset of Network Music Performance (NMP), enables geographically remote musicians to engage in real-time musical interplay, typically occurring over a Wide Area Network (WAN: the Internet). However, the transmission of data between remote collaborators introduces millisecond latencies that obstruct the nuance of traditional human-to-human musical intercourse, and consequentially, the music generated by TMP often lacks rudimentary degrees of syncopation. Reducing network latency has been a critical focal point for research in this field, wherein effective networks support low-latency, multi-modal data transmission to enhance sensations of immersion and telepresence for participants; the sense …

Preparing For End Of Life In A New Country: A Grounded Theory Study On African Migrants Living In Australia, Gertrude Gondwe Phiri

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

African migration to Australia has grown in the past 20 to 25 years with many migrants staying permanently. This has led to migrants dying away from their birthplaces where family is responsible for end-of-life care planning for the individual. Although migrating to Australia is considered a great achievement, many migrants also experienced challenges. Previous studies have explored the barriers faced by migrants in relation to end-of-life care but have not addressed the cause of those challenges. This constructivist grounded theory study examines how migrants from three African countries, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe (MZZ) prepare for end-of-life in Australia. The study …

Data Justice In Education: Toward A Research Agenda, Luci Pangrazio, Glenn Auld, Julianne Lynch, Carly Sawatzki, Gavin Duffy, Shelley Hannigan, Jo O'Mara

Articles

Educational institutions increasingly rely on digital platforms to deliver content and learning, monitor attendance, communicate with stakeholders, and evaluate institutional performance. Despite the efficiency and accessibility gains they offer, digital platforms are powered by personal data which, through a process of datafication, can be used to track, monitor, and profile staff and students. The insights drawn from this data can be used to shape educational and professional futures. This article examines how datafication has become a social justice issue in education, discussing the implications for well-being, decision-making, governance, and power in education. Using Hintz and colleagues framework for data justice, …

The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions: Deinstitutionalization And Mass Incarceration Nation, Corinna Barrett Lain

Law Faculty Publications

They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and our failed implementation of deinstitutionalization inthe 1970s is a prime example of the point. In this symposium contribution-a response to Jeffrey Bellin's book MassIncarceration Nation-I offer a historical account of deinstitutionalization of state mental hospi­ tals, tracing how severelymentally ill patients were discharged from state hospitals and eventually made their way back to secure beds, but in our nation's jails and prisons instead. Mental health and mass incarceration are not separate crises, I argue, but rather inter­ connected problems with an interconnected past that require an interconnected …

An Image Processing Approach For Real-Time Safety Assessment Of Autonomous Drone Delivery, Assem A. Abdelhak, Dan Moss, Alan Hicks, Susan Mckeever

Articles

The aim of producing self-driving drones has driven many researchers to automate various drone driving functions, such as take-off, navigation, and landing. However, despite the emergence of delivery as one of the most important uses of autonomous drones, there is still no automatic way to verify the safety of the delivery stage. One of the primary steps in the delivery operation is to ensure that the dropping zone is a safe area on arrival and during the dropping process. This paper proposes an image-processing-based classification approach for the delivery drone dropping process at a predefined destination. It employs live streaming …

A Global Model-Agnostic Rule-Based Xai Method Based On Parameterized Event Primitives For Time Series Classifiers, Ephrem Tibebe Mekonnen, Luca Longo, Pierpaolo Dondio

Articles

Time series classification is a challenging research area where machine learning and deep learning techniques have shown remarkable performance. However, often, these are seen as black boxes due to their minimal interpretability. On the one hand, there is a plethora of eXplainable AI (XAI) methods designed to elucidate the functioning of models trained on image and tabular data. On the other hand, adapting these methods to explain deep learning-based time series classifiers may not be straightforward due to the temporal nature of time series data. This research proposes a novel global post-hoc explainable method for unearthing the key time steps …

Enhancing Writing Quality And Self-Efficacy Beliefs Through Process-Oriented Task-Based Instruction And Multiple Feedback Forms, Samira Moussaoui

Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies

Abstract:This article presents the research findings of a quasi-experimental study seeking to enhance the writing quality and self-efficacy beliefs of Algerian undergraduate learners. The study employed task-based writing instruction within the process approach framework, and various forms of formative feedback (self-, peer-, and teacher feedback). The sample comprised 24 English as a foreign language (EFL) undergraduate learners with an intermediate level in academic writing. Data were collected through pre- and post-intervention writing tests to assess the participants’ writing quality, as well as pre- and post-intervention surveys, along with post-hoc interviews, to measure their writing self-efficacy levels. The analysis of the …

Cep120 Is Essential For Kidney Stromal Progenitor Cell Growth And Differentiation, Ewa Langner, Tao Cheng, Eirini Kefaloyianni, Charles Gluck, Baolin Wang, Moe R Mahjoub

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mutations in genes that disrupt centrosome structure or function can cause congenital kidney developmental defects and lead to fibrocystic pathologies. Yet, it is unclear how defective centrosome biogenesis impacts renal progenitor cell physiology. Here, we examined the consequences of impaired centrosome duplication on kidney stromal progenitor cell growth, differentiation, and fate. Conditional deletion of the ciliopathy gene Cep120, which is essential for centrosome duplication, in the stromal mesenchyme resulted in reduced abundance of interstitial lineages including pericytes, fibroblasts and mesangial cells. These phenotypes were caused by a combination of delayed mitosis, activation of the mitotic surveillance pathway leading to apoptosis, …

Non-Invasive Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation For Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (Navsah): Protocol For A Prospective, Triple-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial, Anna Huguenard, Gansheng Tan, Gabrielle Johnson, Markus Adamek, Andrew Coxon, Terrance Kummer, Joshua Osbun, Ananth Vellimana, David Limbrick, Gregory Zipfel, Peter Brunner, Eric Leuthardt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Inflammation has been implicated in driving the morbidity associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Despite understanding the important role of inflammation in morbidity following SAH, there is no current effective way to modulate this deleterious response. There is a critical need for a novel approach to immunomodulation that can be safely, rapidly, and effectively deployed in SAH patients. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) provides a non-pharmacologic approach to immunomodulation, with prior studies demonstrating VNS can reduce systemic inflammatory markers, and VNS has had early success treating inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, sepsis, and inflammatory bowel diseases. The aim of the Non-invasive …

Disruption Of The Nascent Polypeptide-Associated Complex Leads To Reduced Polyglutamine Aggregation And Toxicity, Leeran B. Dublin-Ryan, Ankan K. Bhadra, Heather L. True

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The nascent polypeptide-associate complex (NAC) is a heterodimeric chaperone complex that binds near the ribosome exit tunnel and is the first point of chaperone contact for newly synthesized proteins. Deletion of the NAC induces embryonic lethality in many multi-cellular organisms. Previous work has shown that the deletion of the NAC rescues cells from prion-induced cytotoxicity. This counterintuitive result led us to hypothesize that NAC disruption would improve viability in cells expressing human misfolding proteins. Here, we show that NAC disruption improves viability in cells expressing expanded polyglutamine and also leads to delayed and reduced aggregation of expanded polyglutamine and changes …

Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia Management In A Patient With Metastatic Breast Cancer And Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome (Sds): A Case Report, Renee Morecroft, Constantine N. Logothetics, Stefan P. Tarnawsky, Andrew A. Davis

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Shwachman-Diamond syndrome (SDS) is a rare inherited bone marrow failure syndrome associated with cytopenia and the development of hematologic malignancies. Solid tumor occurrence is rare and, historically, these patients have had poor outcomes due to chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression and increased susceptibility to infections. We report the administration of cytotoxic systemic therapy with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in a patient with SDS and metastatic breast cancer. We describe the risk-benefit profile of utilizing G-CSF in managing this patient to improve her therapeutic outcome and review the prior literature.

CASE DESCRIPTION: A 41-year-old Caucasian female with SDS developed stage IV triple-positive [estrogen …

Lessons Learned From The Moment Study On How To Recruit And Retain A Target Population Online, Across Borders, And With Automated Remote Data Collection, Andrew Belfiglio, Shayleigh Dickson Page, Sara Pettersson, Michelle Van Rijn, Ercole Vellone, Heleen Westland, Kenneth E. Freedland, Christopher Lee, Anna Strömberg, Douglas Wiebe, Subhash Aryal, Barbara Riegel, Tiny Jaarsma

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Increasingly, studies use social media to recruit, enroll, and collect data from participants. This introduces a threat to data integrity: efforts to produce fraudulent data to receive participant compensation, e.g., gift cards. MOMENT is an online symptom-monitoring and self-care study that implemented safeguards to protect data integrity. Facebook, Twitter, and patient organizations were used to recruit participants with chronic health conditions in four countries (USA, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden). Links to the REDCap baseline survey were posted to social media accounts. The initial study launch, where participants completed the baseline survey and were automatically re-directed to the LifeData ecological momentary …

Graceful Gait: Virtual Ballet Classes Improve Mobility And Reduce Falls More Than Wellness Classes For Older Women, Elinor C Harrison, Allison M Haussler, Lauren E Tueth, Sidney T Baudendistel, Gammon M Earhart

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Dance is an effective and motivating form of exercise for older women, but few studies have quantified the benefits of virtual dance classes nor, specifically, ballet. This study tested the effectiveness of virtual ballet compared to virtual wellness classes, with the goal of reaching underserved populations. It is among the first to explore the effects of virtual classical ballet on functional gait mobility, balance, and quality of life measures in older women.

METHODS: Older women were recruited in two waves and randomized to two groups: a ballet class modified for older adults and a wellness-based control class. Both groups …

Tract-Based Analyses Of White Matter In Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Aging, And Dementia Using High Spatial And Directional Resolution Diffusion Imaging: A Pilot Study, Daniel Mamah, Shingshiun Chen, Joshua S Shimony, Michael P Harms

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Structural brain connectivity abnormalities have been associated with several psychiatric disorders. Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a chronic disabling disorder associated with accelerated aging and increased risk of dementia, though brain findings in the disorder have rarely been directly compared to those that occur with aging.

METHODS: We used an automated approach to reconstruct key white matter tracts and assessed tract integrity in five participant groups. We acquired one-hour-long high-directional diffusion MRI data from young control (CON, n =28), bipolar disorder (BPD, n =21), and SCZ (n =22) participants aged 18-30, and healthy elderly (ELD, n =15) and dementia (DEM, n …

Early-Phase Insulin Secretion During Mixed-Meal Tolerance Testing Predicts Β-Cell Function And Secretory Capacity In Cystic Fibrosis, Saba Sheikh, Darko Stefanovski, Marissa J Kilberg, Denis Hadjiliadis, Ronald C Rubenstein, Michael R Rickels, Andrea Kelly

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED: Insulin secretion within 30 minutes of nutrient ingestion is reduced in people with cystic fibrosis (PwCF) and pancreatic insufficiency and declines with worsening glucose tolerance. The glucose potentiated arginine (GPA) test is validated for quantifying β-cell secretory capacity as an estimate of functional β-cell mass but requires technical expertise and is burdensome. This study sought to compare insulin secretion during mixed-meal tolerance testing (MMTT) to GPA-derived parameters in PwCF.

METHODS: Secondary data analysis of CF-focused prospective studies was performed in PwCF categorized as 1) pancreatic insufficient [PI-CF] or 2) pancreatic sufficient [PS-CF] and in 3) non-CF controls. MMTT: insulin …

Characterization Of Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channels In Oligodendrocytes., Kyle A Lyman, Ye Han, Andrew P Robinson, Samuel E Weinberg, Daniel W Fisher, Robert J Heuermann, Reagan E Lyman, Dong Kyu Kim, Andreas Ludwig, Navdeep S Chandel, Mark D Does, Stephen D Miller, Dane M Chetkovich

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mature oligodendrocytes (OLG) are the myelin-forming cells of the central nervous system. Recent work has shown a dynamic role for these cells in the plasticity of neural circuits, leading to a renewed interest in voltage-sensitive currents in OLG. Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels and their respective current (I

Referent Data For Investigations Of Upper Limb Accelerometry: Harmonized Data From Three Cohorts Of Typically-Developing Children, Catherine E Lang, Catherine R Hoyt, Jeffrey D Konrad, Kayla R Bell, Natasha Marrus, Marghuretta D Bland, Keith R Lohse, Allison E Miller

2020-Current year OA Pubs

AIM: The rise of wearable sensing technology shows promise for addressing the challenges of measuring motor behavior in pediatric populations. The current pediatric wearable sensing literature is highly variable with respect to the number of sensors used, sensor placement, wearing time, and how data extracted from the sensors are analyzed. Many studies derive conceptually similar variables via different calculation methods, making it hard to compare across studies and clinical populations. In hopes of moving the field forward, this report provides referent upper limb wearable sensor data from accelerometers on 25 variables in typically-developing children, ages 3-17 years.

METHODS: This is …

An Internet Mantram Repetition Program To Promote Well-Being In Breast Cancer Survivors: A Feasibility Randomized Controlled Trial, Jennifer M Hulett, An-Lin Cheng, Jill E Bormann, Allison B Anbari, Jane M Armer, Brooke M Hartman, B Ann Bettencourt, Leeanne B Sherwin, Edie L Sperling, Natsayakarn Narkthong, Carol Reinero, Hans Rindt, Kathy Schreiber, Lindsay L Peterson, Emily Albright

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Bradykinin Receptor Expression And Bradykinin-Mediated Sensitization Of Human Sensory Neurons, Jiwon Yi, Zachariah Bertels, John Smith Del Rosario, Allie J. Widman, Richard A. Slivicki, Maria Payne, Henry M. Susser, Bryan A. Copits, Robert W. Gereau 4th

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Bradykinin is a peptide implicated in inflammatory pain in both humans and rodents. In rodent sensory neurons, activation of B1 and B2 bradykinin receptors induces neuronal hyperexcitability. Recent evidence suggests that human and rodent dorsal root ganglia (DRG), which contain the cell bodies of sensory neurons, differ in the expression and function of key GPCRs and ion channels; whether bradykinin receptor expression and function are conserved across species has not been studied in depth. In this study, we used human DRG tissue from organ donors to provide a detailed characterization of bradykinin receptor expression and bradykinin-induced changes in the excitability …

Trans-Ancestry Epigenome-Wide Association Meta-Analysis Of Dna Methylation With Lifetime Cannabis Use, Fang Fang, Laura J Bierut, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Cannabis is widely used worldwide, yet its links to health outcomes are not fully understood. DNA methylation can serve as a mediator to link environmental exposures to health outcomes. We conducted an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of peripheral blood-based DNA methylation and lifetime cannabis use (ever vs. never) in a meta-analysis including 9436 participants (7795 European and 1641 African ancestry) from seven cohorts. Accounting for effects of cigarette smoking, our trans-ancestry EWAS meta-analysis revealed four CpG sites significantly associated with lifetime cannabis use at a false discovery rate of 0.05

Sillyputty: Improved Clustering By Optimizing The Silhouette Width, Polina Bombina, Dwayne Tally, Zachary B. Abrams, Kevin R. Coombes

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Clustering is an important task in biomedical science, and it is widely believed that different data sets are best clustered using different algorithms. When choosing between clustering algorithms on the same data set, reseachers typically rely on global measures of quality, such as the mean silhouette width, and overlook the fine details of clustering. However, the silhouette width actually computes scores that describe how well each individual element is clustered. Inspired by this observation, we developed a novel clustering method, called SillyPutty. Unlike existing methods, SillyPutty uses the silhouette width for individual elements as a tool to optimize the mean …

Stat1 Employs Myeloid Cell-Extrinsic Mechanisms To Regulate The Neutrophil Response And Provide Protection Against Invasive Klebsiella Pneumoniae Lung Infection, Shekina Gonzalez-Ferrer, Zeyu Xiong, Atish Gheware, Janet S Lee, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) is an extracellular Gram-negative bacterium that causes infections in the lower respiratory and urinary tracts and the bloodstream. STAT1 is a master transcription factor that acts to maintain T cell quiescence under homeostatic conditions. Although STAT1 helps defend against systemic spread of acute KP intrapulmonary infection, whether STAT1 regulation of T cell homeostasis impacts pulmonary host defense during acute bacterial infection and injury is less clear. Using a clinical KP respiratory isolate and a pneumonia mouse model, we found that STAT1 deficiency led to an early neutrophil-dominant transcriptional profile and neutrophil recruitment in the lung preceding widespread …

Educating Future Generations Of Surgeons Across Borders: Novel Global Linked Hybrid Live Cadaveric Peripheral Nerve Surgical Training Course, Abdus S Burahee, Liron S. Duraku, Caroline A. Hundepool, Kyle R Eberlin, Amy Moore, Christopher J. Dy, Shalimar Abdullah, Vaikunthan Rajaratnam, J. Michiel Zuidam, Dominic M. Power

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate a novel, multi-site, technology-facilitated education and training course in peripheral nerve surgery. The program was developed to address the training gaps in this specialized field by integrating a structured curriculum, high-fidelity cadaveric dissection, and surgical simulation with real-time expert guidance.

METHODS: A collaboration between the Global Nerve Foundation and Esser Masterclass facilitated the program, which was conducted across three international sites. The curriculum was developed by a panel of experienced peripheral nerve surgeons and included both text-based and multimedia resources. Participants' knowledge and skills were assessed using pre- and postcourse questionnaires.

RESULTS: A total …

The Type Ii Raf Inhibitor Tovorafenib In Relapsed/Refractory Pediatric Low-Grade Glioma: The Phase 2 Firefly-1 Trial, Lindsay B Kilburn, Mohamed S Abdelbaki, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BRAF genomic alterations are the most common oncogenic drivers in pediatric low-grade glioma (pLGG). Arm 1 (n = 77) of the ongoing phase 2 FIREFLY-1 (PNOC026) trial investigated the efficacy of the oral, selective, central nervous system-penetrant, type II RAF inhibitor tovorafenib (420 mg m

The Cousa Objective: A Long-Working Distance Air Objective For Multiphoton Imaging In Vivo, Che-Hang Yu, Jinkyung Kim, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Multiphoton microscopy can resolve fluorescent structures and dynamics deep in scattering tissue and has transformed neural imaging, but applying this technique in vivo can be limited by the mechanical and optical constraints of conventional objectives. Short working distance objectives can collide with compact surgical windows or other instrumentation and preclude imaging. Here we present an ultra-long working distance (20 mm) air objective called the Cousa objective. It is optimized for performance across multiphoton imaging wavelengths, offers a more than 4 mm

A Global Multicohort Study To Map Subcortical Brain Development And Cognition In Infancy And Early Childhood, Ann M Alex, Kelly Botteron, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The human brain grows quickly during infancy and early childhood, but factors influencing brain maturation in this period remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we harmonized data from eight diverse cohorts, creating one of the largest pediatric neuroimaging datasets to date focused on birth to 6 years of age. We mapped the developmental trajectory of intracranial and subcortical volumes in ∼2,000 children and studied how sociodemographic factors and adverse birth outcomes influence brain structure and cognition. The amygdala was the first subcortical volume to mature, whereas the thalamus exhibited protracted development. Males had larger brain volumes than females, and …

A Neural Mechanism For Conserved Value Computations Integrating Information And Rewards, Ethan S Bromberg-Martin, Yang-Yang Feng, Takaya Ogasawara, J Kael White, Kaining Zhang, Ilya E Monosov

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Behavioral and economic theory dictate that we decide between options based on their values. However, humans and animals eagerly seek information about uncertain future rewards, even when this does not provide any objective value. This implies that decisions are made by endowing information with subjective value and integrating it with the value of extrinsic rewards, but the mechanism is unknown. Here, we show that human and monkey value judgements obey strikingly conserved computational principles during multi-attribute decisions trading off information and extrinsic reward. We then identify a neural substrate in a highly conserved ancient structure, the lateral habenula (LHb). LHb …

Using Information Technology For Comprehensive Analysis And Prediction In Forensic Evidence, Faris Kamil Hasan Mihna, Mustafa Abdulfattah Habeeb, Yahya Layth Khaleel, Yasir Hussein Ali, Yasir Hussein Ali

Mesopotamian Journal of CyberSecurity

With the escalation of cybercriminal activities, the demand for forensic investigations into these crimes has grown significantly. However, the concept of systematic pre-preparation for potential forensic examinations during the software design phase, known as forensic readiness, has only recently gained attention. Against the backdrop of surging urban crime rates, this study aims to conduct a rigorous and precise analysis and forecast of crime rates in Los Angeles, employing advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies. This research amalgamates diverse datasets encompassing crime history, various socio-economic indicators, and geographical locations to attain a comprehensive understanding of how crimes manifest within the city. Leveraging …

Webometrics Analysis Of Government Medical Colleges Of Bihar: A Study, Debashish Pandit Paul, Mohd. Aslam Khan, Anubhaw Kumar Suman

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study presents the webometrics analysis of 9 websites of Government Medical Colleges under the Health Department, Government of Bihar. The Purpose of in study to identify the web presence, domain analysis and other webometrics indicators of the selected website. The study uses SEO MOZ for data collection. It was found that the website of Sri Krishna Medical College and Hospital, Muzaffarpur (SKMCH) has the highest domain authority of 27 and the highest page authority of Nalanda Medical College and Hospital, Patna (NMCH) of 35. The study concluded that all websites should be inter-connected, well-maintained and …