Digital Commons Network^™

Development Of Computational Imaging Pipelines To Advance Quantitative Co-Clinical Imaging And Pathology, Kaushik Dutta

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Deep learning driven computational methods have profoundly impacted medical imaging by advancing feature extraction, and by establishing a critical foundation for downstream image analysis and interpretation. Co-clinical trials are an emerging area of investigation in which a clinical trial is coupled with a corresponding preclinical study to inform the corresponding clinical trial to enhance translational accuracy and therapeutic development. Within this framework, quantitative imaging and pathology plays a fundamental role in both clinical and preclinical arms of co-clinical trials. Quantitative imaging enables enabling identification and validation of imaging biomarkers which are leveraged to predict therapeutic response, characterize disease phenotypes, and …

Spatial Insight Of Kidney Sex-Dimorphism And Tumor Evolution, Chia-Kuei Mo

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

The landscape of spatial biology research has transformed drastically in recent years allowing a comprehensive understanding of cellular organization and molecular mechanisms in various biological context. This thesis presents three complementary studies that advance our understanding of spatial organization in normal tissue biology and tumor evolution, utilizing cutting-edge spatial multi-omics approaches. The first study presents a comprehensive investigation of kidney sexual dimorphism across the lifespan, integrating six distinct technological platforms: single-nucleus transcriptomics, epigenomics, Visium spatial transcriptomics, Xenium single-cell resolution spatial transcriptomics, conventional immunofluorescence imaging, and co-detection by indexing (CODEX) multiplexed protein imaging. This multi-modal approach reveals that proximal tubules exhibit …

Pan-Cancer Analysis Of Rna Dysregulation, Somatic Mutations, And Matrix Stiffness Using Bioinformatics Approaches, Gongyu Tang

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Cancer is a complex disease driven by genetic mutations, epigenetic modifications, and alterations in the tumor microenvironment. Understanding these intricate molecular mechanisms is crucial for advancing cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has emerged as a powerful tool to study cancer by providing comprehensive insights into gene expression, alternative splicing, and mutations at the transcriptome level. This dissertation leverages RNA-seq data to explore different dimensions of cancer biology through multi-omics integration and computational approaches. The research is divided into three main projects. First, I developed OncoDB, an interactive database to analyze gene expression, methylation patterns, and viral interactions …

Womb, Gravity, And Space: Shifting Towards The Cerebellum-Basal Ganglia Paradigm In Dystonia, Diego Iacono

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Testing The Bullet Dwarf Collision Scenario In The Ngc 1052 Group Through Morphologies And Stellar Populations, Yimeng Tang, Aaron J. Romanowsky, Pieter G. Van Dokkum, T. H. Jarrett, Kevin A. Bundy, Maria Luisa Buzzo, Shany Danieli, Jonah S. Gannon, Michael A. Keim, Seppo Laine, Zili Shen

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

NGC 1052-DF2 and -DF4 are two ultradiffuse galaxies that have been reported as deficient in dark matter and associated with the same galaxy group. Recent findings suggest that DF2 and DF4 are part of a large linear substructure of dwarf galaxies that could have been formed from a high-velocity head-on encounter of two gas-rich galaxies, known as a “bullet dwarf” collision. Based on new observations from the Hubble Space Telescope, combined with existing imaging from the u band to mid-infrared, we test the bullet dwarf scenario by studying the morphologies and stellar populations of the trail dwarfs. We find no …

Electric Utility Industry Safety Plan Filing And Accident Reporting Impact On The Number Of Accidents, Rishi Singh

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Safety is of paramount importance in the electric utility industry. Construction is the basis of electric work and is one of the most dangerous industries, with a high rate of accidents and fatalities. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between the organizational leaders’ decision to file safety plans and accident reporting to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or utility commissions on the number of accidents in the electric utility industry. The decision-making theory provided the study’s foundation. The study used secondary data from 2019 to 2023 for electric utility companies from California. Published …

Retrospective Derivation Of A Causal Pathway For Diabetic Ketoacidosis In Adult Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Jeffrey A Kline, Nicholas A Wesner, Amina T Sharif, Richard T Griffey, Phillip D Levy, Robert D Welch, George Grunberger

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Type 2 ketone-prone diabetes mellitus (T2KPDM) is thought to occur in men of African descent, with obesity who experienced prolonged hyperglycemia; the role of medication non-adherence as a contributing cause remains unstudied.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study of unique adults (>18 years) who sought emergency care one of four hospitals in the greater Detroit area. Patients were identified on the basis of a laboratory order for a ß-hydroxybutyrate concentration. Two research coordinators abstracted 119 data fields. Patients were divided into four phenotypes: (1) no prior DM, (2) type 2 DM without prior ketosis, (3) …

Overcoming Obstacles To Interdisciplinary Research: Empirical Insights And Strategies [Peer-Reviewed Journal], Cristo Leon Ph.D., James Lipuma Ph.D.

STEM for Success Resources

Explore how to overcome obstacles to interdisciplinary research with strategies for transdisciplinary communication, breaking silos, and fostering collaboration. Read insights from Cristo Leon and James Lipuma in this impactful study.

Ifrd1 Is Required For Maintenance Of Bladder Epithelial Homeostasis, Bisiayo E Fashemi, Amala K Rougeau, Arnold M Salazar, Steven J Bark, Rayvanth Chappidi, Jeffrey W Brown, Charles J Cho, Jason C Mills, Indira U Mysorekar

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The maintenance of homeostasis and rapid regeneration of the urothelium following stress are critical for bladder function. Here, we identify a key role for IFRD1 in maintaining urothelial homeostasis in a mouse model. We demonstrate that the murine bladder expresses IFRD1 at homeostasis, particularly in the urothelium, and its loss alters the global transcriptome with significant accumulation of endolysosomes and dysregulated uroplakin expression pattern. We show that IFRD1 interacts with mRNA-translation-regulating factors in human urothelial cells. Loss of Ifrd1 leads to disrupted proteostasis, enhanced endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress) with activation of the PERK arm of the unfolded protein response pathway, …

Ifrd1 Is Required For Maintenance Of Bladder Epithelial Homeostasis, Bisiayo E Fashemi, Amala K Rougeau, Arnold M Salazar, Steven J Bark, Rayvanth Chappidi, Jeffrey W Brown, Charles J Cho, Jason C Mills, Indira U Mysorekar

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The maintenance of homeostasis and rapid regeneration of the urothelium following stress are critical for bladder function. Here, we identify a key role for IFRD1 in maintaining urothelial homeostasis in a mouse model. We demonstrate that the murine bladder expresses IFRD1 at homeostasis, particularly in the urothelium, and its loss alters the global transcriptome with significant accumulation of endolysosomes and dysregulated uroplakin expression pattern. We show that IFRD1 interacts with mRNA-translation-regulating factors in human urothelial cells. Loss of

Beyond Bindis, Bhajis, Bangles And Bhangra: Promoting Multiculturalism In Primary Schools In Predominantly White British Places, Suparna Bagchi

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

Twenty-first-century education as a powerful means of knowledge will possibly be shaped by the emphasis it places on having classrooms that are race-conscious and multicultural. The present article is based on a doctoral study that explores an under-researched area: experiences and understanding of multiculturalism in mainstream primary schools situated in the predominantly White places of Southwest England. The study was underpinned by a sociocultural theoretical framework; data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the adult participants, students’ classroom activities, and documentary analysis of school displays. The article focuses on the data generated from the students’ classroom activities. Findings show differences …

Importance Of Social Support During Pregnancy For Girls With Limited Education, Mairo V. Bello

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social support signifies a system that provides for family, relatives, and friends or is derived from external sources such as social services or health promotion networks and can reduce depression and increase well-being. Absent from the literature was the understanding of the significance of social support for young women with limited education aged 18-25 on the journey from conception to the postpartum period in Nigeria. In this qualitative phenomenological study, the individual perception, attitude, and social support received by young women with limited education during pregnancy in Wudil LGA of Kano state in northern Nigeria were examined. The study addressed …

Importance Of Social Support During Pregnancy For Girls With Limited Education, Mairo V. Bello

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Social support signifies a system that provides for family, relatives, and friends or is derived from external sources such as social services or health promotion networks and can reduce depression and increase well-being. Absent from the literature was the understanding of the significance of social support for young women with limited education aged 18-25 on the journey from conception to the postpartum period in Nigeria. In this qualitative phenomenological study, the individual perception, attitude, and social support received by young women with limited education during pregnancy in Wudil LGA of Kano state in northern Nigeria were examined. The study addressed …

Integrating Traditional And Western Healing Practices For American Indian Patients, Victoria Blacksmith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) community experiences disproportionally high rates of mental health disorders. Although research had examined the benefits of using traditional AI/AN health practices, little was known about how integrating traditional and Western treatment methods works. Using historical trauma theory and oppression theory, this qualitative study explored how AI/AN clinicians integrate traditional health practices into Western treatment methods when treating mental health disorders in AI/AN patients. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with five clinicians. Data analysis via deductive coding revealed two main themes: lived experiences of AI/AN clinicians and integration strategies. Cultural knowledge was the most prominent …

The Occurrence And Biogeochemical Cycling Of Quaternary, Ternary And Volatile Amines In Marine Systems, Mark Fitzsimons, Ruth Airs, Yin Chen

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

This review provides a critical assessment of knowledge regarding the occurrence and behaviour of volatile, low molecular weight amines, particularly methylamines and quaternary amines, in marine aquatic systems. It provides an up-to-date evaluation of their presence within marine ecosystems, the processes likely to control their flux across the sea-air interface, and analytical techniques associated with their measurement. Interest in the occurrence and cycling of these groups of compounds in seawater has increased within the last 10–15 years, due to their potential role in climate regulation. As such, the need for wider measurements and mechanistic studies to elucidate their role within …

Impact Of Global Environmental Changes On The Range Contraction Of Eurasian Moose Since The Late Pleistocene, Magdalena Niedziałkowska, Marcin Górny, Joanna Gornia, Danijela Popović, Mateusz Baca, Urszula Ratajczak-Skrzatek, Oleksandr Kovalchuk, Maciej Sykut, Małgorzata Suska-Malawska, Paweł Mackiewicz, Emilia Hofman-Kamińska, Rafał Kowalczyk, Maxim Czarniauski, Kamilla Pawłowska, Daniel Makowiecki, Larisa Tataurova, Alexey Bondarev, Andrey Shpansky, Albert V. Protopopov, Aleksandr Dmitrievich Sorokin, Urmas Saarma, Pavel Kosintsev, Ulrich Schmölcke, Jarosław Wilczyński, Grzegorz Lipecki, Adam Nadachowski, Gennady G. Boeskorov, Gennady F. Baryshnikov, Roberto Zorzin, Nadezhda Vorobiova

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Climatic oscillations are considered primary factors influencing the distribution of various life forms on Earth. Large species adapted to cold climates are particularly vulnerable to extinction due to climate changes. In our study, we investigated whether temperature increase since the Late Pleistocene and the contraction of environmental niche during the Holocene were the main factors contributing to the decreasing range of moose (Alces alces) in Europe. We also examined whether there were significant differences in environmental conditions between areas inhabited by moose in Europe and Asia, that could support the division of moose into western and eastern forms, as suggested …

The Plasmodium Falciparum Ncr1 Transporter Is An Antimalarial Target That Exports Cholesterol From The Parasite's Plasma Membrane, Zhemin Zhang, Eva S Istvan, Daniel E Goldberg, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Malaria, a devastating parasitic infection, is the leading cause of death in many developing countries. Unfortunately, the most deadliest causative agent of malaria,

Bile Acids In Inflammatory Bowel Disease: From Pathophysiology To Treatment, Samantha H Bai, Arun Chandnani, Siyan Cao

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition that affects about 7 million people worldwide, and new therapies are needed. Understanding the complex roles that bile acids (BAs) play in IBD may lead to the development of novel IBD treatments independent of direct immunosuppression. This review discusses the latest discoveries in the roles BAs play in IBD pathogenesis and explores how these discoveries offer promising new therapeutic targets to treat IBD and improve patient outcomes. Several therapies discussed include specific BA receptor (BAR) agonists, dietary therapies, supplements, probiotics, and mesenchymal stem cell therapies that have all been shown to decrease …

Regional Differences In Three-Dimensional Fiber Organization, Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype, And Contractility In The Pregnant Mouse Cervix, Christopher J Hansen, Christine M O'Brien, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The orientation and function of smooth muscle in the cervix may contribute to the important biomechanical properties that change during pregnancy. Thus, this study examined the three-dimensional structure, smooth muscle phenotype, and mechanical and contractile functions of the upper and lower cervix of nongravid (not pregnant) and gravid (pregnant) mice. In gravid cervix, we uncovered region-specific changes in the structure and organization of fiber tracts. We also detected a greater proportion of contractile smooth muscle cells (SMCs), but an equal proportion of synthetic SMCs, in the upper versus lower cervix. Furthermore, we revealed that the lower cervix had infrequent spontaneous …

Protocol For A Non-Surgical Model Of Perineural Invasion For Assessing Neural Drivers Of Cancer Aggressiveness In Mice, Tiago H Zaninelli, Telma Saraiva-Santos, Brielle H Patlin, Michael Slade Stratton, David Y Chen, Felipe A Pinho-Ribeiro

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Perineural invasion (PNI) is a significant risk factor for cancer recurrence and metastasis; however, its mechanisms relating to cancer aggressiveness remain poorly understood. Here, we present a protocol for a non-surgical model of PNI in mice using a neurotropic melanoma cell line that migrates from the skin to the sciatic nerve. We describe the steps for cell culture and injection, tumor burden measurements, mouse euthanasia, and tissue dissection. We then detail procedures for sample cross-section and confocal imaging.

A Confidence-Based Knowledge Integration Framework For Cross-Domain Table Question Answering, Yuankai Fan, Tonghui Ren, Can Huang, Beini Zheng, Yinan Jing, Zhenying He, Jinbao Li, Jianxin Li

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recent advancements in TableQA leverage sequence-to-sequence (Seq2seq) deep learning models to accurately respond to natural language queries. These models achieve this by converting the queries into SQL queries, using information drawn from one or more tables. However, Seq2seq models often produce uncertain (low-confidence) predictions when distributing probability mass across multiple outputs during a decoding step, frequently yielding translation errors. To tackle this problem, we present CKIF, a confidence-based knowledge integration framework that uses a two-stage deep-learning-based ranking technique to mitigate the low-confidence problem commonly associated with Seq2seq models for TableQA. The core idea of CKIF is to introduce a flexible …

Pancreaticoduodenectomy In Trauma Patients With Grade Iv-V Duodenal Or Pancreatic Injuries: A Post Hoc Analysis Of An East Multicenter Trial, Rachel Leah Choron, Rami Al-Aref, Jordan Michael Kirsch, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: The utility of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) for high-grade traumatic injuries remains unclear and data surrounding its use are limited. We hypothesized that PD does not result in improved outcomes when compared with non-PD surgical management of grade IV-V pancreaticoduodenal injuries.

METHODS: This is a retrospective, multicenter analysis from 35 level 1 trauma centers from January 2010 to December 2020. Included patients were ≥15 years of age with the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grade IV-V duodenal and/or pancreatic injuries. The study compared operative repair strategy: PD versus non-PD.

RESULTS: The sample (n=95) was young (26 years), male (82%), …

Benefits Marketplace, Ana Luisa Wu, Jenny Ramirez, Jose Ricardo Tafur Jr, Ricardo Collada, Maikel Zuniga, Manuel Ferreiro Caballero, Salvador Ricardo, Liset Iturriaga Chavez, Francisco Alberdi, Alexander Dale, Orlando Quesada, Ernesto Garcia Vazquez, Daniel Astudillo, Laura Figueroa, Sebastian Hernandez, Cristina Villarroel, Yuset Rosello Moya, Rachel Quijano Vizoso

Defensive Publications Series

A method of provisioning a benefits marketplace platform is disclosed. According to the method, a payment network server computer presents payment network benefits to a consumer and receives feedback from the consumer based on the payment network benefits presented to the consumer. A profiling module profiles the payment network benefits based on the feedback received from the consumer and provides a benefits profile to the payment network server computer. The payment network server provides a recommendation of benefits to the consumer based on the benefits profile. A benefits module receives benefits selected by the consumer from a checkout function, applies …

Excerpt: The Last Days, Katrina Tuvera

Kritika Kultura

No abstract provided.

Technology And Language Learning: Exposure To Tv And Radio News And Speaking Proficiency, Taher Bahrani, Tam Shu Sim

Kritika Kultura

Technology has dominated the world by extensive improvements in audio/visual mass media such as TV and radio. TV and radio are not just entertainment tools anymore, but can be used as pedagogically valuable technology that can provide authentic language input for language learning. This study examines the effect of exposure to TV and radio news on improving EFL learners’ speaking proficiency. To achieve this purpose, a speaking proficiency test is administered to 200 language learners, with 60 intermediate language learners selected and randomly divided into Groups 1 and 2. During the experiment, Group 1 participants are exposed to TV and …

Subaltern Planet Of Cultural Studies, Charlie Samuya Veric

Kritika Kultura

A contribution to a mostly unwritten history, the essay provides a preliminary account of cultural studies in Asia, Africa, and Latin America from decolonization to globalization. My intention is two-fold, namely, to contribute to the history of cultural studies in the global South and experiment with the writing of planetary history to determine the lessons that can be learned when totality is imagined from below. I argue that whether it is the geopolitics of decolonization in Asia, the politics of indigenization in Africa, or the critique of knowledge-production in Latin America, cultural studies signifies the unfinished task of decolonization.

Primates In Paradise: Critical Possibilities Of The Milieu Movie, Joel David

Kritika Kultura

The use of multiple lead characters in cinema is a fairly recent development, although the strategy (and its resultant variety of structures) had been present for some time in theater and literature. The typical Classical Hollywood action-driven narrative operated most efficiently through a singular hero, allowing the audience to undergo the film experience via the process of singular identification. With the breakdown in identificatory requisites popularized by various New Wave and Third Cinema movements, and the consequent assimilation of this trend starting with the New American Cinema, mainstream Hollywood was ready to embark upon a series of multi-character movies, with …

"Transmedial Aesthetics Is Ordinary": Some Remarks On Victor Eriche's The Spirit Of The Beehive, Jan Baetens

Kritika Kultura

Focusing on Victor Erice’s 1973 movie, The Spirit of the Beehive, this article proposes to rethink the problem of adaptation with the help of the concept of “experience” (freely borrowed from Dewey). The emphasis on the reception of a given work (in this case James Whale’s 1931 Frankenstein, a very particular screening of which is part of the movie’s diegesis) will foreground the importance of the process of intermedialization or “intermediality in action,” an all-encompassing culturally embedded experience, which is more existential than aesthetic.

Sisa's Vengeance: Rizal And The Mother Of All Insurgencies, E. San Juan Jr.

Kritika Kultura

A new appraisal of Rizal is needed today in the light of 9/11, the collapse of finance capital, state terrorism, and neoliberal decadence and barbarism. Rizal’s revolutionary critique can be discovered by shifting the center of inquiry to the Dapitan years and after, the Liga’s resonance, and the Sisa-Maria Clara-Salome nexus. By exposing the limits of Simoun’s romantic idealism, Padre Florentino’s eschatological impulse, and the carnivalesque colonial world bereft of god/nomos, Rizal anticipates the post-capitalist predicament. Women’s vengeance against patriarchal nihilism lies submerged in Rizal’s communicative action to the Malolos collective, mobilizing emergent and residual historical forces in a dialectical …

Allegory And Archipelago: Jesús Balmori's Los Pájaros De Fuego And The Global Vantages Of Filipino Literature In Spanish, Adam Lifshey

Kritika Kultura

The trajectory of modern globalization is incomprehensible without an attempt to understand the Philippines. This essay considers a Filipino novel written in Spanish during World War II, Los pájaros de fuego [The Birds of Fire] by Jesús Balmori, as a landmark of world literature by virtue of its composition in the tongue of an old European empire, under the duress of an East Asian empire, and during the colonization of a North American empire. Although the novel focuses on the elite Spanish-speaking class of the mid-20th-century Philippines, its allegorical processings of a globalized conflict raise questions of broad theoretical import …