Digital Commons Network^™

Multimodal Characterization Of Systems-Level Robustness In The Cellular Organelle Network, Aline Arra

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Eukaryotic cells house mesoscopic and macroscopic complex systems that work in tandem for proper cellular function. A defining feature of eukaryotic cells is their mesoscopic network of membrane bound compartments called organelles. While each type of organelle has their own individual functions, there are vital cellular processes that come from the interactions between them, such as organelle biogenesis and metabolic regulation. A central question in cellular biophysics is to what degree is cellular function robust or fragile to breaks in the organelle network. These interactions can be explored by genetically deleting inter-organelle protein tethers called organelle contact sites. Here we …

Experiencing Race, Racism And Racialization In Transnational Contexts: Racial Literacies Of First-Year International Asian Students., Nasiba Norova

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

This research focused on exploring the racial literacies of first-year international East Asian (EA) students, specifically examining their perceptions of and experiences with race, racism, and racialized groups in various social and educational contexts in both their home countries and the United States. The study used critical ethnography to examine the perspectives of EA international students and composition faculty. It involved multiple semi-structured interviews, journal entries, racial literacy autobiographies, site document analysis, and class observations to understand how students perceived exposure to race, racism, and racialized groups and how faculty viewed the importance of racial education for international students in …

The Experience Of Posttraumatic Growth For Atheists, Savannah Miller

Doctoral Dissertations

Background - This study aimed to understand how atheists manage to make meaning and find growth after experiencing trauma. Posttraumatic Growth is a well documented point of research across qualitative and quantitative domains, and this project aimed to add meaningful findings to that research body. Atheists, however, are an understudied population, especially as it relates to their subjective experience of trauma and posttraumatic growth.

Methods - This study aimed to investigate the experience of posttraumatic growth for atheistindividuals. Semi-structured interviews adhering to the tenets of interpretive phenomenological analysis were conducted then transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Themes and subthemes emerged and …

"Please Hold Space For Them": The Role Of Mental Health Professionals In Supporting Bipoc Female Survivors Of Campus Sexual Assault, Brianna Josefine Ortega

Doctoral Dissertations

Campus sexual assault (CSA) remains a pervasive issue in the United States, disproportionately affecting women. Despite this, the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and other Persons of Color (BIPOC) women are often underrepresented in the literature, limiting understanding of how best to support them. Based on intersectionality theory, this qualitative study explores how mental health professionals (MHPs) support BIPOC female survivors of CSA. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six MHPs, and a thematic analysis framework uncovered seven key themes: disclosure (subtheme: barriers to disclosure), impacts of campus culture, fear and distrust, impact of campus sexual assault, coping, resources available for survivors, …

Randomised, Placebo-Controlled Trial Of Oral Hymecromone In Adults With Pulmonary Hypertension, Kathryn Czepiel, Nadine Nagy, Tamera Panjalingam, Anissa Kalinowski, Adam R Frymoyer, Harry Karmouty-Quintana, Bo Gu, Haley Hedlin, Gernot Kaber, Sylvie Dobrota Lai, Joelle I Rosser, Paul L Bollyky, Vinicio De Jesus Perez, Roham T Zamanian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive cardiopulmonary condition associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The extracellular matrix component hyaluronan (HA) is linked to vascular remodelling and interstitial fibrosis in PH. We hypothesised that inhibition of HA synthesis with hymecromone could serve as a reverse-remodelling therapy in PH.

Methods: We performed a proof-of-concept phase IIa randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension and PH associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD). Patients were randomised to a 5:3 ratio and stratified by PH group to receive oral hymecromone or placebo two times per day over 24 weeks. The primary …

Role Of Immunosuppressive Jnk Pathway In The Tumor Microenvironment Among Tnbc Subtypes In Ibcsg Trial 22–00, Andrea Joaquin Garcia, Takashi Semba, Mattia Rediti, Daniel J Mcgrail, Xuemei Xie, Xiaoping Wang, Dileep R Rampa, David Venet, Laurence Buisseret, Samira Majjaj, Roswitha Kammler, Marco Colleoni, Sherene Loi, Giuseppe Viale, Meredith M Regan, Françoise Rothé, Christos Sotiriou, Naoto T Ueno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Phosphorylation of the JNK (pJNK) protein promotes an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME), enhancing aggressiveness in inflammatory triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). This study evaluated the role of JNK signaling using a gene signature. RNA sequencing was performed on 347 TNBC tumors from the phase 3 International Breast Cancer Study Group (IBCSG) 22-00 trial, which evaluated adjuvant low-dose cyclophosphamide and methotrexate (CM). Immune-related tumors were identified by TNBC subtype or tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Associations between JNK and outcomes were analyzed using Cox models. Low pJNK levels were associated with better disease-free survival (DFS) in immune-related tumors. These tumors also had lower Treg …

From Sim To 6dof: Deep Learning For Real-Time Satellite Pose Estimation From Resolved Ground-Based Imagery, Thomas W.N. Dickinson

Theses

This dissertation presents the first practical system for automated six degrees of freedom (6DOF) satellite pose estimation from resolved ground-based adaptive optics (AO) imagery. Addressing a key challenge in Space Domain Awareness (SDA), the proposed approach eliminates the need for human labeling by directly regressing satellite orientation and position from blurry, noisy, and deeply-shadowed imagery. The architecture consists of a multi-stage deep neural network pipeline that localizes the satellite, predicts pose, and optionally smooths predictions over time. Networks are trained exclusively on fully synthetic imagery generated from a 3D CAD model. Despite this, the model generalizes effectively, bridging the Sim2Real …

Sox2 Regulates Foregut Squamous Epithelial Homeostasis And Is Lost During Barrett’S Esophagus Development, Ramon U Jin, Yuanwei Xu, T Mamie Lih, Yang-Zhe Huang, Toni M Nittolo, Blake E Sells, Olivia M Dres, Jean S Wang, Qing K Li, Hui Zhang, Jason C Mills

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is increasingly prevalent and is thought to arise from Barrett's esophagus (BE), a metaplastic condition in which chronic acid and bile reflux transforms the esophageal squamous epithelium into a gastric-intestinal glandular mucosa. The molecular determinants driving this metaplasia are poorly understood. We developed a human BE organoid biobank that recapitulates BE's molecular heterogeneity. Bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, supported by patient tissue analysis, revealed that BE differentiation reflects a balance between SOX2 (foregut/esophageal) and CDX2 (hindgut/intestinal) transcription factors. Using squamous-specific inducible Sox2-KO (Krt5CreER/+ Sox2Δ/Δ ROSA26tdTomato/+) mice, we observed increased basal proliferation, reduced squamous differentiation, and expanded metaplastic glands at …

Informatics At The Frontier Of Cancer Research, Kathleen Noller, Malachi Griffith, Daniel Marcus, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Digitized healthcare data, high-throughput profiling technologies, and data repositories have facilitated the emergence of a new era of cancer research. Each data stream requires specialized analysis methods for interpretation. The data-driven era of cancer research requires the development, enhancement, and sustainment of informatics technology software infrastructure, including fundamental methodology development in artificial intelligence and data science. We review current and emerging informatics technology developments for cancer research and discovery, spanning molecular and cellular characterizations, image analysis, informatics, and therapeutics. Summarizing the diverse methods and applications of informatics throughout cancer research identifies themes and emerging areas for the next generation of …

Integration Of Spatial Protein Imaging And Transcriptomics In The Human Kidney Tracks The Regenerative Potential Of Proximal Tubules, Mahla Asghari, Sanjay Jain, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The organizational principles of nephronal segments are based on anatomical and physiological attributes that are linked to the homeostatic functions of the kidney. Recent molecular approaches have uncovered layers of deeper signatures and states in tubular cells that arise at various time points on the disease trajectory. Here, we introduce an analytical pipeline of multiplexed spatial protein imaging integrated with RNA expression to characterize proximal tubular subpopulations and neighborhoods in human kidney tissue. We demonstrate that, in reference tissue, a large proportion of S1 proximal tubular epithelial cells expresses thymus antigen 1 (THY1), a mesenchymal stromal and stem cell marker …

Highly Potent And Subtype-Selective Sperm-Specific Potassium Channel Slo3 Inhibitors Display High Tissue Exposure In The Murine Female Reproductive Tract, Kayla J Temple, Ping Li, Maximilian D Lyon, Shweta Bhagwat, Leila Asadi, Sophia Li, Ronald Mccarthy, Celia M Santi, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

To date, the study of drug exposure and distribution throughout the female reproductive tract has often been overlooked and neglected. Herein, we report the first highly potent and subtype-selective sperm-specific potassium channel 3 (SLO3) inhibitors as a new modality of contraceptives. After extensive

Sox2 Regulates Foregut Squamous Epithelial Homeostasis And Is Lost During Barrett's Esophagus Development, Ramon U. Jin, Yuanwei Xu, T. Mamie Lih, Yang-Zhe Huang, Toni M. Nittolo, Blake E. Sells, Olivia M. Dres, Jean S. Wang, Qing K. Li, Hui Zhang, Jason C. Mills

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is increasingly prevalent and is thought to arise from Barrett's esophagus (BE), a metaplastic condition in which chronic acid and bile reflux transforms the esophageal squamous epithelium into a gastric-intestinal glandular mucosa. The molecular determinants driving this metaplasia are poorly understood. We developed a human BE organoid biobank that recapitulates BE's molecular heterogeneity. Bulk and single-cell transcriptomics, supported by patient tissue analysis, revealed that BE differentiation reflects a balance between SOX2 (foregut/esophageal) and CDX2 (hindgut/intestinal) transcription factors. Using squamous-specific inducible Sox2-KO (Krt5CreER/+ Sox2Δ/Δ ROSA26tdTomato/+) mice, we observed increased basal proliferation, reduced squamous differentiation, and expanded metaplastic glands at …

Ophthalmology's Role In The Academic Medical Center: A Perspective, Stephen D. Mcleod

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

NA

A Novel 3d-Printed Silicone Simulation Model For Effective Instruction Of Marginal Eyelid Laceration Repair, Nicole Lifson, David Booy, Spandana N. Jarmale, Joseph Crozier, John Nguyen, Bradley Thuro, Albert S. Woo, Jamie Lea Schaefer, Michael E. Migliori

Journal of Academic Ophthalmology

Purpose We performed a prospective study to determine the efficacy of a novel silicone eyelid model in helping train residents to repair marginal eyelid lacerations. Methods 3D design software was used to create a scaffold for a silicone eyelid mold. A total of 18 ophthalmology residents participated in a training session on marginal eyelid laceration repair, practicing on these models. Prior to and following the session, residents anonymously responded to a survey assessing their degree of confidence in repairing marginal and non-marginal eyelid lacerations, as well as their overall opinion of the workshop. Questions related to their confidence and ability …

David Finfrock Diary Entry, David Finfrock

David Finfrock Antartica Exploration

David Finfrock's diary from his trip to Antarctica in December 2002.

Ai-Driven Solutions For Electricity Fraud Detection: A Data-Centric Approach, Fatemeh Alimoradi, Zahra Alimoradi, S. Mohammadali Zanjani, Ghazanfar Shahgholian

NJF Intelligent Engineering Journal

Electricity fraud detection presents a significant challenge for power distribution companies, as non-technical losses resulting from fraudulent activities adversely affect revenue and operational efficiency. This study presents a machine learning-driven approach for accurately identifying fraudulent electricity consumption patterns. A comprehensive analysis of electricity usage data is conducted using multiple classification models, including Support Vector Machine (SVM), K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), a Stacking Model integrating SVM, KNN, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosting, as well as a Weighted Model leveraging confidence-based prediction adjustments. Model performance is evaluated using key metrics, including accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, AUC-ROC, and confusion matrices. The results indicate that …

Application Of Ann Artificial Network In Slope Behavior Evaluation Using Machine Learning Technique, Marziyeh Tourani, Hadi Bahadori

NJF Intelligent Engineering Journal

In geotechnical engineering, evaluating slope stability remains a significant challenge due to inherent soil variability and environmental uncertainty. This study explores the application of Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) in predicting the factor of safety (FoS) of slopes using dimensionless input variables. An initial dataset of 349 samples was refined to 259 validated cases after removing outliers and incomplete entries. The input parameters were transformed into nondimensional forms c / γh, (tan(⌀)) / (tan (β)), and p / γh based on fluid mechanics principles to improve generalization and reduce dimensional bias. A feedforward ANN model …

Sleep Disorder Diagnosis Using Eeg Signals And Lstm Deep Learning Method, Mohammad Reza Yousefi, Reza Rahimi

NJF Intelligent Engineering Journal

Diagnosing brain disorders, particularly sleep disorders, has emerged as a critical area of research in both basic sciences and engineering. Sleep disorders encompass a range of conditions, including excessive or insufficient sleep, frequent awakenings, difficulty falling asleep, and challenges in reaching deep sleep stages. A key application of sleep disorder diagnosis lies in supporting the medical community through the development of advanced algorithms and models capable of accurately identifying these disorders based on individual brain signals, such as those captured by electroencephalography (EEG). These sophisticated approaches facilitate the creation of personalized treatment programs, paving the way for more targeted and …

A Hybrid Deep Learning Approach For Lung Diseases Classification Using Vision Transformer And Densenet, Noor Abd Alrazak Shnain, Mohammed Abdulameer Aljanabi

NJF Intelligent Engineering Journal

Lung disorders, such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and COVID-19, remain significant global health issues. Accurate and early detection is of paramount significance to ensure effective treatment and control. Conventional CNN models like DenseNet have shown superior performance in the classification of medical images, whereas Vision Transformers (ViTs) have recently gained momentum as formidable models to capture global context information. Each of these models, however, has limitations when operated standalone. This manuscript suggests an innovative hybrid deep learning framework that synergizes the benefits of both ViT and DenseNet to advance lung disease diagnosis using chest X-ray images. The hybrid model uses both …

Post-Translational Modifications Of Extracellular Matrix Domains As Prognosticators Of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Via Integrative Serum And Spatial Proteomics, Jade K. Macdonald

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major global health challenge, with rising incidence, high mortality, and a five-year survival rate below 20%. Approximately 90% of HCC cases arise in cirrhosis, a stromal disease characterized by excessive deposition and remodeling of collagenous extracellular matrix (ECM). As HCC progresses, alterations in ECM composition and spatial distribution influence disease progression, emphasizing the potential of the ECM as a biomarker for HCC prognosis and treatment response. However, ECM proteomic analysis is challenging due to complex post-translational modifications, crosslinking, and insolubility. This dissertation molecularly and spatially characterizes the stromal landscape in and around HCC tumors in …

Guatemalan Maya Women’S Attitudes Towards Biomedical Contraception After Migrating To The United States, Shreenaya Prabu, Iris Parshley, Robert Malkin

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Medical providers in the United States who discuss the use of contraceptives with Maya women migrants might discover strong reluctance and complex beliefs about the social and physical benefits of biomedical contraceptive measures. This research report presents information about contraceptive usage among Maya in Guatemala and how usage or attitudes toward contraception might have changed while living in the United States. The research team, during 2024, interviewed six adult female Guatemalan Maya refugees over Zoom to understand their thoughts toward contraceptive use before and after migrating. Discussion points included: lack of sexual education in Guatemala, health concerns arising from using …

Full Issue - Maya America V7, I1, Maya America Editors

Maya America: Journal of Essays, Commentary, and Analysis

Full issue of Maya America, volume 7, issue 1.

Advanced Robotic Multimodal Imaging With Real-Time Motion Compensation For Dynamic Structural Health Monitoring, George Papaioannou, Christos Mitrogiannis, Mark Schweitzer, Maria Pappa, Pegah Khosravi, Apostolos Karantanas, Chris Ruberg, Shawn Owens, Nikolaos Michailidis

Publications and Research

Modern composite materials promise superior performance and load-bearing capabilities, yet evaluating their structural integrity remains challenging. Current testing methods, such as visual, thermographic, ultrasonic, optical, electromagnetic, terahertz, shearography, X-ray, and neutron imaging, are hampered by long scan durations, limited field of view, suboptimal accuracy, and high costs, particularly when applied to large structures.

This paper addresses these issues by introducing a novel robotic multimodal imaging system that overcomes the limitations of traditional methods. This system dynamically captures both static and dynamic properties of materials using advanced motion compensation techniques. By integrating multiple radiographic modalities into a coordinated robotic platform, it …

Scent Of The South: Fragrance And Identity In The 19th Century, Sarah Donahua Peters

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the role of personal fragrance as a cultural marker in the 19th-century American South, examining how scent reflected identity, status, and social norms in a region shaped by colonialism, capitalism, and religious influence. Drawing on historical sources, botanical knowledge, and public history practices, the project traces the evolution of fragrance from home-crafted perfumes to mass-marketed products, highlighting how access to scent was shaped by race, class, and gender. Central to the thesis is a public history exhibition designed for the Esse Purse Museum in Little Rock, Arkansas, which invites visitors to engage with scent as a medium …

Phosphorylation Deficient Inducible Camp Early Repressor (Icer) Modulates Tumorigenesis And Survival In A Transgenic Zebrafish (Danio Rerio) Model Of Melanoma, Justin Wheelan, Melissa Rose Spigelman, Angelo Cirinelli, James Reilly, Carlos A. Molina

Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, is commonly associated with mutations in the BRAF gene, particularly BRAF^V600E, which drives tumor proliferation via the ERK1/2 signaling cascade. While BRAF inhibitors initially demonstrate efficacy, therapeutic resistance remains a significant challenge. Emerging evidence implicates the cAMP signaling pathway, particularly the cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) and its repressor, inducible cAMP early repressor (ICER), in melanoma progression and drug resistance. ICER, a transcriptional repressor regulated via Ras/MAPK-mediated phosphorylation and ubiquitination, is degraded in melanoma, undermining its tumor-suppressive role. In a braf^V600E; p53 (loss of function) transgenic zebrafish ( …

Disentangling The Effect Of Criminal Legal System Involvement On Mental Health In The United States, Pui Ying Chan

Dissertations and Theses

BACKGROUND: Interactions with the criminal legal system (CLS), such as through arrest or incarceration, are relatively common in the United States (US) and are increasingly recognized as social risk factors for poor mental health. Previous studies have reported a positive association between CLS involvement and poor mental health, with some theoretical frameworks, including the ecosocial theory and the stress process paradigm, supporting a plausible causal relationship. However, prior research has significant limitations in providing casual evidence given possible reverse causation in cross-sectional studies and insufficient consideration for the dynamics between CLS exposures, mental health status, and related confounders over time …

Protocol For Vibratome Sectioning, Immunofluorescence, And S-Phase Labeling Of Inner Ear Organoids, Jiayi Wu, Stefan Heller, Maggie S. Matern

Biology Faculty Publications

Inner ear organoids represent a potentially inexhaustible source of otic tissues, including sensory hair cells and supporting cells, for in vitro manipulation. Here, we present a protocol for labeling S-phase entry of cells in inner ear organoids using 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU), followed by fixation and vibratome sectioning. Nuclear EdU is then detected alongside protein markers of interest via immunofluorescence. This workflow enables the visualization of cell and tissue morphologies within developing organoids and assessment of how different manipulations affect cell proliferation.

Executive Functioning And Mental Health In Emerging Adults: Type 1 Diabetes Status As A Moderator, Hannah Margot Mcdaniel

Theses and Dissertations

Emerging adults (ages 18-26) with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) are especially vulnerable to diabetes management challenges when taking on increased disease responsibility during this critical period of development. They may experience higher cognitive and psychological demands compared to peers. The study examined whether having T1DM moderated the association between executive functioning (EF) and mental health symptoms (i.e., depression, anxiety, stress, and disordered eating) in emerging adults. Exploratory analyses investigated the associations between EF, disease management, and mental health symptoms. Participants were 35 emerging adults with T1DM and 35 healthy controls. Participants completed questionnaire measures of mental health and performance-based …

The Efficacy Of Rosemary Oil And Microencapsulated Essential Oils On Zeuxapta Seriolae Mitigation In Yellowtail Kingfish, Seriola Lalandi, Md Reaz Chaklader, Lindsey Woolley, Ross Woodward-Williams, Richard Smullen, Gavin J. Partridge

Fisheries Research Articles

Two additives, rosemary oil and a commercial herbal product (HP; AROTEC-G) containing garlic essential oil, carvacrol and thymol were investigated for their potential to reduce the parasitic burden in yellowtail kingfish (YTK; Seriola lalandi) infected with Zeuxapta seriolae. Naturally infected fish were fed diets supplemented with either 2.5 mL.kg−1 rosemary oil or two concentrations of HP (5 and 10 g.kg−1) for 20 days. At 10 and 20 days, the effect of the diets on parasite abundance was evaluated. Feed intake and growth were similar across treatments (p > 0.05). By day 10, both rosemary oil and HP significantly …

"Common Good Constitutionalism": Rule Of Law, Rule By Law, Or Something Else Entirely?, Jan-Werner Müller

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.