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The Role Of Astrocytes In Probabilistic Decision-Making, Julia Pai

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

To flexibly navigate an uncertain world, animals need to be able to maintain internal representations of the values of good and bad things in the environment and to flexibly update their internal representations from experience. The purpose of this thesis work is to 1) develop tools and methodology to quantitatively study aversion-motivated behavior, and to 2) investigate the role of astrocytes, a non-neuronal brain cell type, in mediating experience-guided decision- making. The first part of this thesis describes a novel paradigm we developed to use dermal laser stimulation as an aversive stimulus for quantitatively studying motivated behavior in rodents and …

Ole Miss Students Pack Literacy Kits For Natchez-Adams Third Graders, Marvis Herring

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – A group of University of Mississippi students is taking a hands-on approach to improve children's reading skills in the state by donating reading resources to third grade students in the Natchez-Adams School District.

Predictors Of Older Adults' Confidence In Avoiding Drug Interactions, Ginalynn Cabanas Garces

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Adverse drug interactions due to polypharmacy pose a significant global health concern, particularly for older adults. Age-related physiological changes increase vulnerability to medication-related issues, with adverse drug reactions often mistaken for normal aging. These misdiagnoses can lead to prescribing cascades and preventable harm. Despite evidence supporting comprehensive medication reviews and clinical guidelines, their application remains inconsistent across healthcare settings. This quantitative archival analysis aimed to identify critical risk factors—such as age, sex, race, education level, medication complexity, drug interaction discussions, number of prescriptions, and overall physical and mental health—that influence older adults’ confidence in avoiding drug interactions. Grounded in the …

Infrared Cooling In An Anharmonic Cascade Framework: 2-Cyanoindene, The Smallest Cyano-Pah Identified In Tmc-1, Mark H. Stockett, Vincent J. Esposito, Eleanor K. Ashworth, Ugo Jacovella, James N. Bull

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Infrared (IR) cooling of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules is a major radiative stabilization mechanism of PAHs present in space and is the origin of the aromatic infrared bands (AIBs). Here, we report an anharmonic cascade model in a master equation framework to model IR emission rates and emission spectra of energized PAHs as a function of internal energy. The underlying (simple harmonic cascade) framework for fundamental vibrations has been developed through the modeling of cooling rates of PAH cations and other carboneaous ions measured in electrostatic ion storage ring experiments performed under “molecular cloud in a box” conditions. The …

Motion Of Nitroxide Radicals, Gareth R. Eaton

TeachEPR Submissions

A brief outline is presented of how motion of a nitroxide radical can be estimated from the continuous wave (CW) EPR line shape.

Discovery And Functional Characterization Of Biomarkers In Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma, Wagma Caravan

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Not all tumors are created equally, nor should they be treated as such. Modern research has uncovered a multitude of genetic aberrations, genomic dysregulation, and epigenetic modifications that contribute to cancer. While cancers are classified based on their tissue of origin and may share common features or pathways, the tumor microenvironment is far from uniform. It comprises a dynamic network of cell populations with divergent genomic profiles, all of which collectively drive tumor progression—with some tumors more efficient and aggressive than others. The heterogeneity within these tumors makes it notoriously harder to treat, as standard therapies fail to address the …

Agricultural Drought Prediction From Multispectral Image Processing Using Deep Learning Models, Gowri L

Theses and Dissertations

Accurate and timely prediction of agricultural droughts is fundamental to the management of ecosystems, preservation of biodiversity, and environmental sustainability. It helps to reduce environmental exploitation, promotes eco-friendly irrigation techniques, and tackles climate change efficiently. Its social implications include food safety and financial stability through continuous rural employment. Drought prediction guarantees social progress and sustainability by ensuring zero hunger/poverty and effective water management. A multi-sensor image pre-processing framework that incorporates data from various satellite platforms like Landsat (30 metres), Sentinel-2 (10 metres, 20 metres, 30 metres), and MODIS (500 metres) is used to monitor and assess agricultural drought effectively.

Analysis …

Culture And Attachment Preference Among Young Adults In Egypt And The United States, Musheera Anis Abdellatif

School of Education Faculty Publications

We explored the relationship between cultural values, recollected early caregiving experiences and young adult attachment preference. Young adults in Egypt (N = 209) and the United States (N = 554) ranked their current attachment preference, rated their collectivist and individualist beliefs, and recalled the relative contributions of their early caregivers. Egyptian students scored higher than US students on collectivism and recalled more involvement from non-parental caregivers. Most participants reported a preference hierarchy (82% Egypt & 84% US). Surprisingly, individualism was negatively associated with maternal attachment ratings and with having a clear principal attachment relationship, whereas higher collectivism predicted …

It Ain’T Easy Bein’ Wheezy: A Review And Updates On Asthma, Christina Bach

Unity Hospital Grand Rounds

It Ain’t Easy Bein’ Wheezy: A Review and Updates on Asthma. Christina Bach, MD

Objectives:

• Review that asthma is not a static diagnosis and needs constant re-evaluation
• Will address new guidelines in asthma in the last few years with significant change in initiation of therapy
• Examine new add-on therapies available for uncontrolled asthma
• Evaluate patients for asthma and appropriately initiate and manage treatment based on current practice guidelines
• Recognize new add-on therapies for asthma, how they work, and when to utilize them

Displaced: An Ethnography Of Language And Identity Loss, Ariel Caroline Wilsey-Gopp

Dissertations and Theses

Through ethnography and personal narrative, I explore the language and identity loss of one person, my father, in order to understand the complex issues surrounding the effects of symbolic and structural violence on language and identity development. Through personal narrative, fieldwork, and interviews, I tell the story of one person, born in wartime during Nazi occupied Serbia, and follow the guiding questions: how does language get lost and what are the effects? Drawing on methodology set forth by empirical ethnographical work as well as more recent theory around epigenetics and trauma, my research synthesizes into focus three pillars of understanding …

Immunogenicity And Reactogenicity Of High- Or Standard-Dose Influenza Vaccine In A Second Consecutive Influenza Season., Hannah Bahakel, Andrew J. Spieker, Haya Hayek, Jennifer E. Schuster, Lubna Hamdan, Daniel E. Dulek, Carrie L. Kitko, Tess Stopczynski, Einas Batarseh, Zaid Haddadin, Laura S. Stewart, Anna Stahl, Molly Potter, Herdi Rahman, Justin Amarin, Spyros A. Kalams, Claire E. Bocchini, Elizabeth A. Moulton, Susan E. Coffin, Monica I. Ardura, Rachel L. Wattier, Gabriela Maron, Michael Grimley, Grant Paulsen, Christopher J. Harrison, Jason Freedman, Paul A. Carpenter, Janet A. Englund, Flor M. Munoz, Lara Danziger-Isakov, Natasha Halasa, Pediatric Hct Flu Study

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) recipients are at high risk for morbidity from influenza virus infection. We demonstrated in a primary phase 2 randomized controlled trial that 2 post-HCT doses of high-dose trivalent influenza vaccine (HD-TIV) given 4 weeks apart were more immunogenic than 2 doses of standard-dose quadrivalent influenza vaccine (SD-QIV). Herein, we present the immunogenicity and safety of influenza vaccination in a consecutive season post-HCT using the same dosing regimen.

METHODS: A subcohort of study participants reenrolled and had hemagglutinin inhibition titers measured at baseline and 4 weeks after each vaccine dose in year 2. We estimated …

Dataset For Comparative Analysis Of Precision Metagenomics And Traditional Methods In Urinary Tract Infection Diagnostics, Rob E. Carpenter, Sadia Almas, Vaibhav Tamrakar, Rahul Sharma

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study presents a comprehensive dataset comparing three diagnostic methodologies—microbial culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and precision metagenomics (precision metagenomics)—for the detection and classification of uropathogens in urine samples from patients with suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs). While microbial culture remains the gold standard for UTI diagnosis, it has limitations in sensitivity, particularly for fastidious or non-culturable microorganisms. PCR offers higher sensitivity but is restricted to pre-targeted organisms, limiting its diagnostic range. Precision Metagenomics, a target-agnostic sequencing method, provides a more inclusive approach by enabling the identification of a broad spectrum of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, without …

February 2025 Faculty Senate Packet, University Of Nebraska At Kearney Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Packets

No abstract provided.

Determining Spatial Responses Of Fishers (Pakania Pennanti) To Mechanical Treatments Of Forest Stands For Fuel Reduction, Tessa R. Smith, Eric M. Gese, R. David Clayton, Patricia A. Terletzky, Kathryn L. Purcell, Craig M. Thompson

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

Historical forestry practices (e.g., fire suppression, heavy timber logging) have contributed to a discernable change in stand composition of western forests in the U.S., which now comprise a tinderbox mixture of increased surface and ladder fuels, dense stands, and fire-intolerant species. Forest managers are mitigating this concern by implementing silviculture practices (e.g., selective logging, thinning, prescribed burning) to reduce fuel loads and improve stand resiliency. Concern for habitat specialists, such as the fisher (Pekania pennanti), have arisen as they may be negatively influenced in the short-term by modifications to their environment that are needed to ensure long-term habitat …

Heteronormative Factors That Affect Black Lesbian Women’S Parenting Desires, Keona Nicole Prude

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Stigma, prejudice, and stereotypes, key components of heteronormativity, impact the perceptions, behaviors, health, and psychosocial well-being of lesbian women, potentially undermining self-acceptance, causing internalized homophobia. The generic qualitative study aimed to understand the experiences of Black lesbian women navigating heteronormativity in relation to their parenting desires. Participants included Black lesbians, aged 25-35, who spoke English and had parenting desires within a lesbian relationship. Recruitment occurred via social media and local queer-supporting and parenting organizations. Guided by queer theory and minority stress theory, data were collected through semistructured interviews with 15 African American women in lesbian relationships with desiring parenthood. Thematic …

The Misalignment Of Incentives In Academic Publishing And Implications For Journal Reform, Jennifer S Trueblood, David B Allison, Sarahanne M Field, Ayelet Fishbach, Stefan D M Gaillard, Gerd Gigerenzer, William R Holmes, Stephan Lewandowsky, Dora Matzke, Mary C Murphy, Sebastian Musslick, Vencislav Popov, Adina L Roskies, Judith Ter Schure, Andrei R Teodorescu

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

For most researchers, academic publishing serves two goals that are often misaligned-knowledge dissemination and establishing scientific credentials. While both goals can encourage research with significant depth and scope, the latter can also pressure scholars to maximize publication metrics. Commercial publishing companies have capitalized on the centrality of publishing to the scientific enterprises of knowledge dissemination and academic recognition to extract large profits from academia by leveraging unpaid services from reviewers, creating financial barriers to research dissemination, and imposing substantial fees for open access. We present a set of perspectives exploring alternative models for communicating and disseminating scientific research. Acknowledging that …

Anatomy And Variations Of The Carina And Its Cartilaginous Makeup: A Cadaveric Study, Chung Yoh Kim, Kristen Rizzuto, Daniel Tahan, Devendra Shekhawat, Rarinthorn Samrid, Yoko Tabira, Stephen J. Bordes, Joe Iwanaga, R. Shane Tubbs

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Purpose: The carina, located at the bifurcation of the trachea, has been regarded as a part of the trachea. Although clinically useful as an anatomical landmark, studies of its detailed morphology are lacking in the literature. Methods: The distal trachea and left and right main bronchi were harvested from 32 cadavers and the carina studied using microsurgical dissection, endoscopy, micro-CT, and histology. Results: The right bronchial cartilages were most commonly involved in forming the carina (72.41%), and the left bronchial cartilages were the second most commonly involved (37.93%). The carinal cartilages were slightly deviated to the left of midline in …

Celebrating World Cancer Day: Innovative Biological Approaches To Cancer And Their Alignment With Sustainable Development Goals (Sdgs), Hamed Kioumarsi, Bolin Liu

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Infection-Related Hospitalization And Incident Heart Failure: The Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities Study, Rebecca L Molinsky, Amil Shah, Melana Yuzefpolskaya, Bing Yu, Jeffrey R Misialek, Bruno Bohn, David Vock, Richard Maclehose, Barry A Borlaug, Paolo C Colombo, Chiadi E Ndumele, Junichi Ishigami, Kunihiro Matsushita, Pamela L Lutsey, Ryan T Demmer

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: The immune response to infections may become dysregulated and promote myocardial damage contributing to heart failure (HF). We examined the relationship between infection-related hospitalization (IRH) and HF, HF with preserved ejection fraction, and HF with reduced ejection fraction.

Methods and results: We studied 14 468 adults aged 45 to 64 years in the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) Study who were HF free at visit 1 (1987-1989). IRH was identified using select International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes in hospital discharge records and was treated as a time-varying exposure. HF incidence was defined as the first occurrence …

Theranostic Nanoemulsions Suppress Macrophage-Mediated Acute Inflammation In Rats, Riddhi Vichare, Yalcin Kulahci, Rebecca Mccallin, Fatih Zor, Fatma Nurefsan Selek, Lu Liu, Caitlin Crelli, Anneliese Troidle, Michele Herneisey, James M Nichols, Andrew J Shepherd, Vijay S Gorantla, Jelena M Janjic

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In inflammatory diseases or following an injury, dysregulated inflammation is a common driver of pain and tissue damage. Macrophages are immune cells that contribute to the initiation, maintenance, and resolution of inflammation due to their phenotypic plasticity in response to signals from inflammatory microenvironments. Macrophages infiltrate and polarize toward a pro-inflammatory phenotype (M

Ion Suppression Correction And Normalization For Non-Targeted Metabolomics, Iqbal Mahmud, Bo Wei, Lucas Veillon, Lin Tan, Sara Martinez, Bao Tran, Alexander Raskind, Felice De Jong, Yiwei Liu, Jibin Ding, Yun Xiong, Wai-Kin Chan, Rehan Akbani, John N Weinstein, Chris Beecher, Philip L Lorenzi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Ion suppression is a major problem in mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics; it can dramatically decrease measurement accuracy, precision, and sensitivity. Here we report a method, the IROA TruQuant Workflow, that uses a stable isotope-labeled internal standard (IROA-IS) library plus companion algorithms to: 1) measure and correct for ion suppression, and 2) perform Dual MSTUS normalization of MS metabolomic data. We evaluate the method across ion chromatography (IC), hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC), and reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC)-MS systems in both positive and negative ionization modes, with clean and unclean ion sources, and across different biological matrices. Across the broad range …

Estrogen Receptor-Α Ablation Reverses Muscle Fibrosis And Inguinal Hernias, Tanvi Potluri, Tianming You, Ping Yin, John Coon, Jonah J Stulberg, Yang Dai, David J Escobar, Richard L Lieber, Hong Zhao, Serdar E Bulun

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Fibrosis of the lower abdominal muscle (LAM) contributes to muscle weakening and inguinal hernia formation, an ailment that affects a noteworthy 50% of men by age 75 and necessitates surgical correction as the singular therapy. Despite its prevalence, the mechanisms driving LAM fibrosis and hernia development remain poorly understood. Using a humanized mouse model that replicates the elevated skeletal muscle tissue estrogen concentrations seen in aging men, we identified estrogen receptor-α (ESR1) as a key driver of LAM fibroblast proliferation, extracellular matrix deposition, and hernia formation. Fibroblast-specific ESR1 ablation effectively prevented muscle fibrosis and herniation, while pharmacological ESR1 inhibition with …

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Of Il-7 In Critically Ill Patients With Covid-19, Manu Shankar-Hari, Bruno Francois, Kenneth E Remy, Cristina Gutierrez, Stephen Pastores, Thomas Daix, Robin Jeannet, Jane Blood, Andrew H Walton, Reinaldo Salomao, Georg Auzinger, David Striker, Robert S Martin, Nitin J Anand, James Bosanquet, Teresa Blood, Scott Brakenridge, Lyle L Moldawer, Vidula Vachharajani, Cassian Yee, Felipe Dal-Pizzol, Michel Morre, Frederique Berbille, Marcel Van Den Brink, Richard Hotchkiss

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Lymphopenia and failure of lymphocytes to mount an early IFN-γ response correlate with increased mortality in COVID-19. Given the essential role of CD4 helper and CD8 cytotoxic cells in eliminating viral pathogens, this profound loss in lymphocytes may impair patients' ability to eliminate the virus. IL-7 is a pleiotropic cytokine that is obligatory for lymphocyte survival and optimal function.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of CYT107, recombinant human IL-7, in 109 critically ill, patients with lymphopenia who have COVID-19. The primary endpoint was to assess CYT107's effect on lymphocyte recovery with secondary clinical endpoints including …

Metabolites And Lipid Species Mediate The Associations Of Adiposity In Childhood And Early Adulthood With Mammographic Breast Density In Premenopausal Women, Kayla R Getz, Myung Sik Jeon, Lili Liu, Lei Liu, Haixiang Zhang, Chongliang Luo, Jingqin Luo, Adetunji T Toriola

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Mammographic breast density (MBD), a strong predictor of breast cancer, is highly influenced by body mass index (BMI) in childhood and early adulthood, but the mechanisms underlying these associations are not fully understood. Our goal is to identify biomarkers that mediate the associations of BMI at ages 10 and 18 with MBD in premenopausal women.

METHODS: This study consists of 705 premenopausal women who had their screening mammogram at Washington University in St. Louis, MO, and provided a fasting blood sample. Our comprehensive metabolomic and lipidomic profiling yielded complete data for 828 metabolites and 857 lipid species after imputation. …

The Role Of Molecular Profiling In De-Escalation Of Toxic Therapy In Breast Cancer, Sonia Y. Khan, Tonjeh Bah, Rakhshanda Layeequr Rahman

School of Medicine Publications

The prevalence and mortality associated with breast cancer have forced healthcare providers to leverage surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy to achieve a cure. Whereas mortality has significantly dropped over the decades, long-term toxicities and healthcare costs are prohibitive. Therefore, a better understanding of tumor biology through molecular profiling is being utilized for de-escalation of treatment where appropriate. As research evolves, there is growing evidence that less aggressive treatment regimens, when appropriately tailored, can be equally effective for certain patient populations. This approach not only enhances the quality of life for patients by reducing the financial, physical, and emotional burdens …

Exenatide Once A Week Versus Placebo As A Potential Disease-Modifying Treatment For People With Parkinson's Disease In The Uk: A Phase 3, Multicentre, Double-Blind, Parallel-Group, Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Trial, Nirosen Vijiaratnam, Christine Girges, Grace Auld, Rachel Mccomish, Alexa King, Simon S Skene, Steve Hibbert, Alan Wong, Sabina Melander, Rachel Gibson, Helen Matthews, John Dickson, Camille Carroll, Abigail Patrick, Jemma Inches, Monty Silverdale, Bethan Blackledge, Jessica Whiston, Michele Hu, Jessica Welch, Gordon Duncan, Katie Power, Sarah Gallen, Jacqueline Kerr, K Ray Chaudhuri, Lucia Batzu, Silvia Rota, Edwin Jabbari, Huw Morris, Patricia Limousin

Peninsula Medical School

Background: GLP-1 receptor agonists have neurotrophic properties in in-vitro and in-vivo models of Parkinson's disease and results of epidemiological studies and small randomised trials have suggested possible benefits for risk and progression of Parkinson's disease. We aimed to establish whether the GLP-1 receptor agonist, exenatide, could slow the rate of progression of Parkinson's disease. Methods: We did a phase 3, multicentre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomised, placebo-controlled trial at six research hospitals in the UK. Participants were aged 25–80 years with a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, were at Hoehn and Yahr stage 2·5 or less when on dopaminergic treatment, and were on …

New And Revised Groundwater Snails (Mollusca, Caenogastropoda, Cochliopidae) From Karst And Associated Hyporheic Habitats In Western Texas And Northern Mexico, Kathryn E. Perez, Vanessa Saenz, Yamileth Guerrero, Lisa Gonzalez, Evan Guerrero, Pete Diaz, Benjamin T. Hutchins, Benjamin F. Schwartz

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

The freshwater gastropod family Cochliopidae is a diverse component of the subterranean fauna in the karst and hyporheic habitats of western Texas and northern Mexico, with 11 genera and 27 described species found in the region. Building on previous phylogenetic studies of the family in the region we incorporate additional sampling, DNA, and morphological study for systematic revision of species found in the western Edwards-Trinity Aquifer System and associated karst and hyporheic habitats. We describe three new species, Stygopyrgus variabilis sp. nov., Stygopyrgus gracilis sp. nov., and Phreatodrobia embossa sp. nov. and revise the generic placement of two …

A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial Of Il-7 In Critically Ill Patients With Covid-19, Manu Shankar-Hari, Kenneth E. Remy, Jane Blood, Andrew H. Walton, Teresa Blood, Richard Hotchkiss, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Lymphopenia and failure of lymphocytes to mount an early IFN-γ response correlate with increased mortality in COVID-19. Given the essential role of CD4 helper and CD8 cytotoxic cells in eliminating viral pathogens, this profound loss in lymphocytes may impair patients' ability to eliminate the virus. IL-7 is a pleiotropic cytokine that is obligatory for lymphocyte survival and optimal function.

METHODS: We conducted a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of CYT107, recombinant human IL-7, in 109 critically ill, patients with lymphopenia who have COVID-19. The primary endpoint was to assess CYT107's effect on lymphocyte recovery with secondary clinical endpoints including …

Retinoic Acid Antagonizes Estrogen Signaling To Maintain Adult Uterine Cell Fate, Yan Yin, Meade Haller, Lauren Goldinger, Shivani Bharadwaj, Emily So, Vivian Robles-Pinos, David Chen, Liang Ma

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Classical tissue recombination experiments demonstrate that cell-fate determination along the anterior-posterior axis of the Müllerian duct occurs prior to postnatal day 7 in mice. However, little is known about how these cell types are maintained in adults. In this study, we provide genetic evidence that a balance between antagonistic retinoic acid (RA) and estrogen signaling activity is required to maintain simple columnar cell fate in adult uterine epithelium. Transdifferentiation of simple columnar uterine epithelium into stratified cervicovaginal-like epithelium was observed in three related mouse genetic models, in which RA signaling was perturbed in the postnatal uterus. Single-cell RNA sequencing analysis …

Toxoplasma Chitinase-Like Protein Orchestrates Cyst Wall Glycosylation To Facilitate Effector Export And Cyst Turnover, Yong Fu, Tadakimi Tomita, Louis M Weiss, Christopher M West, L David Sibley

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.