Digital Commons Network^™

Immersive Language Learning Platform Using Extended Reality And Avatars, Dongeek Shin

Defensive Publications Series

Conventional language learning applications often lack the immersive, real-world conversational practice necessary for effective language acquisition. This disclosure describes a method for language acquisition using an extended reality (XR) platform that generates realistic environments populated by interactive avatars. These avatars can be rendered using a text-grounded Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) and are trained on datasets of native speakers’ speech and facial expressions. A large language model (LLM) facilitates real-time, audio-based conversation between the user and the avatars, with conversational difficulty adapting to the user’s proficiency level. A spaced repetition algorithm can also be used to reinforce vocabulary. The purpose of …

Cultural Influences Experienced By Self-Identified Hmong College Students, Nkaujntsa Lovy Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative research was to explore how self-identified Hmong college students aged 18–24 perceived their culture’s influence on their academic experiences. The study examined the relationships shaping individual identity and their effects on academic pursuits. A basic qualitative inquiry approach was used to interview ten Hmong undergraduate students enrolled in colleges across the United States. Semi-structured interviews facilitated data collection guided by the ecological systems theory, while thematic analysis and inductive coding were employed to identify patterns and develop themes from the data. The themes identified in the study were family as the central influence, negotiating conflicting …

Atlantic Goliath Grouper (Epinephelus Itajara) Neurocranium, Sierra Rafacz, Rileigh Gonzalez, Ema Nagel, Nicholas Burchett, David W. Kerstetter

All Scans: Kerstetter Fisheries and Avian Ecology 3D Scan Series

No abstract provided.

Casey Holland, Casey Holland, Olivia Kelly

Oral Histories of Farming along the Middle Rio Grande

No abstract provided.

Fish In An Aquaponics System, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide provides readers with information on fish in an aquaponics system. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Introduction To The Nitrogen Cycle, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide provides readers with an introduction to the Nitrogen cycle. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

How To Measure The Level Of Nitrogen In An Aquaponics System, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide shows readers how to measure the level of Nitrogen in an aquaponics system. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Plants In An Aquaponics System, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide provides readers with information on plants in an aquaponics system. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Introduction To Aquaponics, Amy M. Shambach, Rebecca M. Ward, J. Stuart Carlton, Kwamena K. Quagrainie, Tomas O. Höök

Supplementary Content for Aquaponics: Farming Fish and Growing Greens for Grades 9–12

This PowerPoint slide provides readers with an introduction to aquaponics. This book was published by the Purdue University Press. Copyright 2026.

Permission: Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant

Assessment Of Body Fat Percentage In Emirati Females: A Comparative Analysis Of Bia Vs. Dxa, Dalia Haroun, Aseel Ehsanallah

All Works

Introduction: Obesity is a significant health issue in the UAE. Accurate body composition assessment is crucial for managing obesity-related health risks. This study aimed to evaluate the agreement between bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in measuring body composition among Emirati females. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 95 healthy Emirati females aged 17–27 years. Paired samples t-tests, correlation analyses, and Bland-Altman plots were used to compare the two methods (BIA vs. DXA). Results: BIA significantly underestimated % fat and fat mass (FM) while overestimating fat-free mass (FFM) compared to DXA. The mean difference in % fat was …

Maternal Immunization With Vp8* Mrna Vaccine Yields Superior Passive Transfer Of Rotavirus-Neutralizing Antibodies To Foals, Karin E R Borba, Rebecca M Legere, Nathan M Canaday, Jill W Skrobarczyk, Zachary W T Arnold, Elena Cotton-Betteridge, Cristina Poveda, Michael F Criscitiello, Angela I Bordin, Luc R Berghman, Jeroen B K Pollet, Noah D Cohen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Despite the availability of a killed whole-virus (KV) vaccine, diarrhea caused by equine rotavirus group A (ERVA) remains a significant health concern for foals in the United States. The vaccine is administered to pregnant mares, with foals protected by passive transfer of colostral antibodies. However, KV-induced immunity is only partially protective and maternal antibody levels in foals are often low and wane rapidly. To address these limitations, we developed a mRNA-based ERVA vaccine encoding the highly conserved VP8* protein to evaluate whether it can provide improved immune protection.

Methods: Pregnant mares (n = 12 per group) were …

Capturing Sclera Anisotropy Using Direct Collagen Fiber Models: Linking Microstructure To Macroscopic Mechanical Properties, Fengting Ji, Xuehuan He, Frederick Sebastian, Mohammad R. Islam, Hannah Schilpp, Bingrui Wang, Yi Hua, Rouzbeh Amini, Ian A. Sigal

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

Collagen fibers are essential to the mechanical behavior of soft tissues, including sclera. Conventional models often represent these fibers statistically, potentially missing crucial aspects of their role in tissue behavior. In this study, we expand on a direct fiber modeling approach that we recently presented based on explicitly representing the sclera long, interwoven fiber bundles. Specifically, our goal was to capture specimen-specific 3D fiber architecture and anisotropic mechanics of four ovine sclera samples (superior from Eye-1, temporal and superior from Eye-2, and temporal from Eye-3), each tested under five conditions: equi-biaxial (1:1) and four non-equi-biaxial (1:0.75, 0.75:1, 1:0.5, and 0.5:1). …

Landworks Evaluation 1 April 2024 To 31 March 2025: Generating A Harm Reduction And Desistance Community, Patricia Gray, Julie Parsons

School of Law, Humanities and Social Sciences

This year, LandWorks has experienced both highs and profound challenges. In July 2024, LandWorks won the Overall Award for Excellence at the Charity Awards — the most prestigious awards scheme in the charity sector. The judges highlighted LandWorks’ greatest achievement as “the way it built trust with its trainees and helped them rebuild their lives by understanding the experiences that led to their criminal behaviour in the first place.” Staff, trainees, and graduates were deeply proud of this recognition, which serves as a national endorsement of LandWorks’ accomplishments since its establishment in 2013. Alongside this success, the past twelve months …

Lung Epithelial And Alveolar Macrophage-Like Cell Interactions Significantly Modify Innate Responses To Bacterial Endotoxin With The Involvement Of Direct Cellular Contacts, Tnf-Α, Icam1 And Mcp-1, Connor Wood, Shagun Khera, Minjeong Woo, Vikram Sharma, Justyna Lopatecka, Frederic Coulon, Zaheer Nasir, Vincent Delorme, Simon K. Jackson, György Fejer

School of Biomedical Sciences

Introduction: Lung alveolar macrophages (AMs) and epithelial cells form the first line of defense against inhaled pathogens. Their interactions strongly influence innate immune responses in the lung, yet the mechanisms underlying this cross-talk remain incompletely understood. Methods: In this study, we established a co-culture system using a primary model of AMs (MPI alveolar macrophage-like cells) and MLE-12 alveolar epithelial cells to investigate innate responses and cellular interactions during bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced TLR4 activation. Results: Cytokine and chemokine profiling revealed that co-cultures exhibited significantly enhanced proinflammatory responses to both LPS and TLR2 ligands—including IL-6, TNF-a, and MCP-1 secretion—compared with mono-cultures. Strikingly, …

Daily Locomotor Activity Declines With Tumor Growth And Disease Progression In Glioblastoma, Maria F Gonzalez-Aponte, Sofia V Salvatore, Anna R. Damato, Ruth Gn Katumba, Grayson R. Talcott, Omar H. Butt, Jian L. Campian, Jingqin Luo, Joshua B. Rubin, Olivia J. Walch, Erik D. Herzog

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive brain tumor that often progresses despite resection and treatment. Timely and continuous assessment of GBM progression is critical to expedite secondary surgery or enrollment in clinical trials. However, current progression detection requires costly and specialized MRI examinations, which, in the absence of new symptoms or signs, are usually scheduled every 2-3 months. Here, we hypothesized that changes in daily activity are associated with GBM growth and disease progression. We found that wheel-running activity in GBM-bearing mice declined as tumors grew and preceded weight loss and circadian breakdown by over a week. Temozolomide treatment in the …

Quantitative Reasoning In Calculus Iii: Advancing Student Engagement, Confidence, And Aspirations At An Hsi, Tanvir Prince

Numeracy

This study examines the impact of integrating Quantitative Reasoning (QR) into a Calculus III course at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) on student engagement, confidence, and aspirations. The course is offered at Hostos Community College in the South Bronx. It incorporated QR-focused projects on economic inequality, environmental pollution, and access to healthcare. These projects allowed students to apply advanced calculus concepts to real-world social issues. A pre- and post-survey design was employed to assess changes in students’ mathematical confidence, perceptions of relevance, and career and educational goals. Results showed statistically significant gains in confidence and in the belief that advanced math …

Uae Traditional Folklore Through Modern Media And Its Educational Potential: The Case Of Freej, Shahad Imad Mostafa

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This mixed‑methods study examined how the Emirati animated series Freej preserves traditional folklore through vernacular language, dialect, and idiomatic expressions, and evaluated its educational potential. Guided by four questions on folklore representation, dialect/idiom use, the role of the characters, and curricular applicability, the research combined content analysis of selected episodes, interviews coding and a survey of 100 Emirati participants; survey data were summarized with descriptive statistics to triangulate qualitative insights. Findings indicated that audiences overwhelmingly perceived Freej as linguistically and culturally authentic: 95% rated the dialect as very/somewhat authentic, 94% said it reflects elders’ speech, and 89% felt the series …

How Bork Made It To The Supreme Court: Judge Robert Bork’S Nomination Battle And Its Impact On American Judicial Politics, Will Brady

Legacy

No abstract provided.

Animal Taxa Threatened By Adverse Fire Regimes In Western Australia: A Synthesis And Outlook, Tim S. Doherty, Mark G. Allen, Karlene Bain, Stephen Beatty, Allan H. Burbidge, Renee A. Catullo, Sarah Comer, Ben Corey, Saul J. Cowen, Robert A. Davis, Martin A. Dziminski, J. Anthony Friend, Bruce Greatwich, Mark S. Harvey, Hannah Killian, Michael E. Klunzinger, Damian C. Lettoof, Nicola J. Mitchell, Melinda Moir, Harry A. Moore, David L. Morgan, Ian J. Radford, Michael J. Rix, Tom Vigilante, Adrian F. Wayne, Corey Whisson, Nicole Willers, Matthew R. Williams

Natural Resources Research Articles

Adverse fire regimes threaten biodiversity, potentially leading to population declines and increased extinction risk. Understanding how varying fire regimes affect threatened species is essential for effective ecosystem management, including in Western Australia where diverse ecosystems are exposed to wildfires, Indigenous burning, and prescribed fire. We compiled and synthesised data on the threat of adverse fire regimes to threatened animal taxa in Western Australia. Using a threat classification scheme, we ranked adverse fire regimes as having either no, low, medium, high, or unknown impact on each taxon. A total of 212 taxa were reviewed, 153 (72%) of which are considered fire-threatened: …

Atmospheric Waves Experiment (Awe) Thermal Control System: Review Of On-Orbit Performance, Matthew I. Ralphs, Mike Holt

Space Dynamics Laboratory Publications

This paper reviews the Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE) detector thermal control system’s (TCS) performance for over two years of operation on the Internation Space Station (ISS). The TCS employs active thermal control for the InGaAs detectors with thermoelectric coolers (TEC). Each of the four detectors are controlled by a dedicated TEC at a nominal setpoint of -30°C, with heat transported away via low-mass, high-conductance pyrolytic graphite sheet (PGS) thermal straps into a nickel-plated copper conductor bar. A bi-directional radiator with Silver Teflon ensures an unobstructed view that can radiate the heat away to space. Titanium isolators decouple the detectors from …

Educational Policies Committee Agenda January 8, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - December 4, 2025
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee
• Other Business
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda January 8, 2026, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes - December 4, 2025
• R401 - Program Proposals
• Semester Course Approval Reviews
• Other Business
• UCC and EPC Handbook updates
• Adjourn: 3:00 pm

Effect Of Remineralization And Resin Infiltration On Microhardness, Mineral Content And Cervical Leakage Of Restored Demineralized Enamel., Caroline Maged Massieh, Sarah Adel Botros

Dentistry

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of remineralization and resin infiltration on microhardness, mineral content and microleakage in artificially-induced cervical enamel lesions. Materials and Methods: 50 human central incisors were assigned to 5 study groups (n=10) according to different surface intervention: Group 1: Positive Control (sound teeth not subjected to demineralization); Group 2: Negative Control (teeth subjected to demineralization); Group 3: CPP-ACP paste (remineralization of demineralized lesions with CPP-ACP, Tooth Mousse, GC); Group 4: HAp toothpaste (remineralization of demineralized lesions subjected with HAp, Herbadent Remin); Group 5: Resin infiltration (resin infiltration of demineralized lesions with ICON, DMG). Microhardness (MH) was evaluated …

Metacommunity Coupled Epidemiological And Biophysical Modeling Of An Emergent Coral Disease, Benjamin Holmes Farmer

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Emerging infectious diseases pose imminent risk to the marine realm and coral reefs in particular. Since its emergence in 2014, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) has dramatically reduced living coral cover in Florida and charted a similar course in the Caribbean. SCTLD is by far the most severe coral disease in history and has driven highly susceptible species to local extinction, yet the mechanisms driving the regional epizootic are not well understood. Here, we developed reef-scale parameterizations of disease spread using model sites in the lower Florida Keys, developed extensive metacommunity habitat maps for the US Caribbean, and then …

Fluid Agency In Ai Systems: A Case For Functional Equivalence In Copyright, Patent, And Tort, Anirban Mukherjee, Hannah H. Chang

Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts

Modern artificial intelligence (AI) systems lack human-like consciousness or culpability, yet they exhibit fluid agency: behavior that is (i) stochastic (probabilistic and path-dependent), (ii) dynamic (co-evolving with user interaction), and (iii) adaptive (able to reorient across contexts). Fluid agency generates valuable outputs but collapses attribution, irreducibly entangling human and machine inputs. This fundamental unmappability fractures doctrines that assume traceable provenance—authorship, inventorship, and liability—yielding ownership gaps and moral “crumple zones.”

This Article argues that only functional equivalence stabilizes doctrine. Where provenance is indeterminate, legal frameworks must treat human and AI contributions as equivalent for allocating rights and responsibility—not as a claim …

Novel Repurposing Of Empagliflozin-Loaded Buccal Composite (Chitosan/Silk Fibroin/Poly(Lactic Acid)) Nanofibers For Alzheimer’S Disease Management Via Modulation Of Aβ–Ager–P-Tau Pathway, Samar A. Salim

Nanotechnology Research Centre

Background/Objectives: Empagliflozin (EMPA) was repurposed for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) treatment via buccal delivery, exploiting novel nanofibers (NFs) integrating chitosan (Cs), silk fibroin (Fb), and poly(lactic acid) (PLA). Methods: EMPA-loaded Cs/Fb/PLA NFs were electrospun in different formulations to optimize the formulation parameters. The optimized formulation was then investigated for its enhanced in vivo effect. Results: Optimized nanofiber diameters ranged from 459 ± 173 to 668 ± 148 nm, possessing bead-free morphology confirmed by SEM and satisfactory mechanical properties. EMPA was successfully well-dispersed in the polymer matrix as evidenced by FTIR, XRD, and drug content. The optimized NFs displayed a hydrophilic surface …

Gh Alters Lymphatic Vessels In Female Mice And Stat5 Phosphorylation In Human Lymphatic Endothelial Cells, Christopher Walsh, Emily Scott, Elise Wagner, Jerome Walsh, Shashank Reddy, Arshad Ahmad, Reetobrata Basu, Eva Sevick-Muraca, Rich Brody, Uday Sandbhor, Sebastian Neggers, John J Kopchick

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Disruption of lymphatic function underlies a broad spectrum of inflammatory and metabolic disorders, yet the hormonal pathways that regulate lymphatic biology remain poorly defined. GH, which is implicated in similar disease states, has an unclear role in lymphatic homeostasis. To address this gap, we investigated how chronic alterations in GH signaling alter lymphatic structure and function. Using transgenic mouse lines with increased, decreased, or absent GH action, we quantified the effect of GH on lymphatic pumping rate and lymphangiogenic remodeling during wound healing using near-infrared fluorescent imaging. We also measured markers of lymphatic endothelial cells using Western blot and immunohistochemistry …

Defining Rna Oligonucleotides That Reverse Deleterious Phase Transitions Of Rna-Binding Proteins With Prion-Like Domains., Lin Guo, Jacob Mann, Jocelyn Mauna, Katie Copley, Hejia Wang, Jack Rubien, Cristian Bergmann, Jenny Carey, Jessica Merjane, Marilyn Ngo, Jiazhen Xu, Hana Odeh, Jiabei Lin, Bo Lim Lee, Laura Ganser, Emma Robinson, Kevin Kim, Anastasia Murthy, Tapas Paul, Bede Portz, Amanda Gleixner, Zamia Diaz, Ashleigh Smirnov, George Padilla, Ellen Lavorando, Carolann Espy, Yulei Shang, Eric Huang, Alessandra Chesi, Nicolas Fawzi, Sua Myong, Christopher Donnelly, James Shorter

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) with prion-like domains (PrLDs), such as FUS and TDP-43, condense into functional liquids, which can transform into pathological fibrils that underpin fatal neurodegenerative disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Here, we define short RNAs that prevent FUS fibrillization by promoting liquid phases and distinct short RNAs that prevent and reverse FUS condensation and fibrillization. These activities require interactions with multiple RNA-binding domains of FUS and are encoded by RNA sequence, length, and structure. We define a short RNA that dissolves cytoplasmic FUS aggregates, restores nuclear FUS, and mitigates FUS toxicity in optogenetic models and ALS …

Renal Piezo2 Is An Essential Regulator Of Renin, Rose Z Hill, Jeffrey H Miner, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Renin synthesis and release is the rate-limiting step of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) that controls fluid homeostasis. A major activator of the RAAS is a decrease in perfusion pressure within the kidneys, suggesting a link between renal mechanotransduction and renin. However, the identity of the mechanosensor(s) in the kidneys and their physiological significance to the RAAS remain unclear. We find that loss of the force-gated nonselective cation channel PIEZO2 in cells of renin lineage dysregulates the RAAS by elevating renin. We observe that PIEZO2 is expressed in renin-producing juxtaglomerular granular cells and is required for their calcium dynamics in vivo. …

Characterization Of Novel Sigma Receptor Ligands Derived From Multicomponent Reactions As Efficacious Treatments For Neuropathic Pain, Ryosuke Shinouchi, Bengisu Turgutalp, Rohini S Ople, Shainnel O Eans, Ashai K Williams, Haylee R Hammond, Andras Varadi, Rebecca Notis Dardashti, Susruta Majumdar, Jay P Mclaughlin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.