Digital Commons Network^™

Valorisation Of Barley Straw For Sustainable Nanocellulose Production Via Subcritical Alkaline Hydrolysis And Hdes-Assisted Processing, Dileswar Pradhan, Swarna Jaiswal, Brijesh K. Tiwari, Amit K. Jaiswal

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

This study investigates a sustainable and efficient approach to valorising barley straw by producing nanocellulose via an integrated subcritical alkaline hydrolysis and HDES-assisted processing pathway. Subcritical alkaline pretreatment under best processing conditions (150 bar, 200 °C, 125 min) enabled effective biomass fractionation, achieving average hemicellulose and lignin solubilisation of 57.72% and 82.69%, respectively. Subsequent purification of the pretreated solid fraction yielded cellulose fibres with an average cellulose yield of 41.97% and a purity of 87.87%. Nanocellulose was then obtained using a sequential HDES treatment followed by high-intensity ultrasound (HIUS), producing a sample (NC-BTW-3) in which 66% of particles exhibited diameters …

Characterization Of Nutritional And Flavor Profiles Of Aromatic Black Rice, India, Babli Waribam, Raju Sasikumar, T. Selva Kumar, Phani Kumar Garlapati, Sandeep Janghu, S. Chakkaravarthi, Paul Mansingh, Vidisha Tomer, Amit K. Jaiswal

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Chakhao is an indigenous aromatic black rice variety from Manipur, India, valued for its distinctive flavor, high anthocyanin content, and associated health benefits. Despite its geographical indication status, limited information exists on how regional cultivation conditions influence its compositional attributes. This study characterizes and compares the nutritional composition, mineral content, volatile profile, and fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) composition of Chakhao sourced from five major cultivation regions in Manipur. Proximate analysis quantified moisture, protein, ash, fiber, fat, and carbohydrate content, whereas GC-MS/MS and ICP-MS were employed to profile volatile compounds, FAMEs, and mineral elements. Carbohydrates were the predominant macronutrient (73.88%–74.21%), …

Multifunctional Nanomaterials Coupled With Ai-Based Optimization For Advanced Wastewater Treatment, Ananya Tiwari, Isha Dharsandia, Shreedhar Tiwari, Gajendra Singh Vishwakarma, Budhi Sagar Tiwari, Narendra Kumar, Amit K. Jaiswal

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Conventional wastewater treatment performs reliably against routine contaminants but remains inconsistent for complex industrial effluents and for emerging pollutants such as pharmaceutical residues, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and micro/nano plastics. Engineered nanomaterials and artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) have each been reviewed extensively, but predominantly in isolation. The present review is distinguished from existing reviews in three specific respects. First, the nanomaterial-AI interface is treated as the unit of analysis rather than the two fields being surveyed in parallel: AI-guided material selection, dosing and pH control, membrane fouling prediction, nano sensor-assisted monitoring and regeneration scheduling are examined together. Second, evidence …

Transient Nanomaterials And Stimuli-Driven Transformation Pathways For Clean Energy Applications And Environmental Remediation, Mrinal, Navya Vikraman Nair, Lovepreet Singh, Harshita Jain, Krishna Kumar Jaiswal, Amit K. Jaiswal

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

The growing use of nanomaterials in clean energy and remediation has led to unintended consequences, including long-term persistence, secondary contamination, and accumulation in the natural environment. Traditional materials design has focused on stability and durability, but those qualities could be liabilities if materials outlive their intended purpose. This study suggests using transient nanomaterials as a design paradigm, in which materials are engineered to perform optimally for a specific period of time and then undergo controlled transformation, deactivation, or disappearance. The review focuses on the conceptualization of transient nanomaterials and how they may be distinguished from degradable, recyclable, and stimuli-responsive materials. …

Finger Millet Extract Powder As A Sustainable Route To Enhanced Fermentation And Functional Quality In Cereal Food, Lavanya Manivannan, Ravikumar Rajarathinam, Raju Sasikumar, Amit K. Jaiswal

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), a climate-resilient cereal, offers a sustainable substrate for fermented foods. This study investigates the use of finger millet extract (FME) powder as a value-addition strategy in batter fermentation. Finger millet–black gram and FME powder with black gram blends were naturally fermented separately for 12 hours at a ratio of 3 : 1. In order to comprehend the impact of FME incorporation on fermentation performance and product quality, the study compared the physicochemical, biochemical, microbiological, and rheological characteristics of fermented finger millet (FM) batter with those of FME batter. FME incorporation hastened fermentation, reflected by steeper drops …

Agriculture Contributions To Water Pollution And Sustainable Policy Solutions In Europe, Jemma Nolan, Azza Silotry Naik

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Freshwater is essential for sustaining the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems; however, agricultural activities remain a major source of water pollution globally. This review examines how crop production, livestock farming, and aquaculture contribute to water contamination, the effectiveness of current European policies, and the potential of sustainable mitigation strategies. Evidence from the research identified pesticides, herbicides, veterinary antibiotics, nutrient runoff, aquaculture effluents, and microplastics as the primary agricultural pollutants affecting surface and groundwater quality. These contaminants have been linked to ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, endocrine disruption, antimicrobial resistance, and adverse human health outcomes. Despite extensive regulatory frameworks, including the …

United States V. Arthrex, Inc., 594 U.S. 1 (2021), Nina A. Mendelson, Rebecca S. Eisenberg

Book Chapters

United States v. Arthrex addressed a seemingly straightforward Appoint­ments Clause 1 challenge to the secretarially appointed administrative pat­ent judges (APJs) who serve on the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). The challengers successfully argued that APJs exercised too much author­ity with too little supervision to qualify as "inferior" officers. Importantly, in Arthrex the U.S. Supreme Court also extended a recent string of invali­dations of legislative structures that had been aimed at enhancing agency independence. The Arthrex Court asserted the need for political control over agency adjudication decisions and did so, moreover, in an old depart­ment with a long administrative adjudication …

Optimizing Marketing Campaigns To Maximize The Response Rate For A Supermarket Using Machine Learning Techniques, Alia Almansoori

Theses

Supermarkets must improve their marketing tactics at a time of changing consumer behavior and increasing competition in the retail industry. Engaging the wide and sophisticated consumer base of today's supermarkets is difficult using traditional methods. This proposal presents a data-driven approach using cutting-edge machine learning methods to enhance supermarket marketing strategies. The main goal is to increase the response rate of marketing initiatives, which will improve consumer engagement and ultimately increase revenue. Additional primary objectives are customer segmentation and targeting, predictive modeling, personalization, ongoing performance monitoring, and ROI evaluation. The current problem centers around personalization and accuracy. Due to the …

The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence And Technology On Online Learning In The Higher Education Sector, Afra Alqemzi

Theses

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology into education has become an inseparable part of online education transforming the landscape of the higher education, which has provided a chance to experience flexible learning patterns according to personal needs, individualized and optimized instruction strategies and more effective and purposeful student involvement. Knowing how such technologies evolve in institutions with increasing implementation of AI-driven platforms is therefore critical to strategic and long-term planning. This paper aims at examining the effects of AI in the advancement of online learning in higher education, including the following aspects; improvements of outcomes, compliance with the …

Evaluating Datasets And Models For Offensive Language Identification, Skye Deson Morgan

Theses

Social media platforms enable people to easily communicate with one another, share ideas and express their opinions. Unfortunately, the anonymity provided by platforms such as Twitter and Facebook is more than enough to foster the spread of harmful content. Government agencies, as well as technology companies, are actively working towards finding better means of curbing offensive and objectionable content in social media and contributing to a more welcoming online environment. In this study, I first present a critical literature review on offensive language identification, exploring offensive language datasets and computational models using both machine learning and deep learning. Next, I …

Chronic Oral Cannabidiol Delays Seizure Onset And Reduces Seizure Burden In A Mouse Model Of Cln2 Disease, Joshua T. Dearborn, Keigo Takahashi, Nicholas R. Rensing, Michael Wong, Jonathan D. Cooper, Mark S. Sands

2020-Current year OA Pubs

A growing body of literature describes the anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and anti-epileptic properties of the cannabis sativa constituent cannabidiol, suggesting that it might play a useful role in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (CLN2 disease) is a rare pediatric neurodegenerative disorder resulting from an inherited dysfunction of the lysosome. CLN2 disease, and its representative animal models, display neuroimmune response, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and epileptic seizures, and these symptoms are all touted as potential targets of cannabidiol therapeutic benefit. Here, we treated a valid model of CLN2 disease with long-term daily cannabidiol (300 mg/kg) from 1 month of …

A Designathon To Collaboratively Develop Sustainable Hiv Prevention Services For Youth With Community-Based Organizations In Nigeria, Titilola Gbaja-Biamila, Chiyere Arinze, Olufunto Olusanya, Temitope Ojo, Ross Brownson, Juliet Iwelunmor, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: The engagement of youth in the design of services that promote and increase the uptake of essential services to reduce HIV and other sexually transmitted infections is vital to sustaining these preventive services. The study objective is to identify strategies for sustaining HIV prevention services among Nigerian youth, in partnership with community-based organizations, through a crowdsourced open call and designathon in Nigeria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February to March 2024, Nigerian youth (ages 14-24) submitted ideas to an open crowdsourcing call on how community-based organizations in Nigeria might sustain HIV self-testing and youth-friendly preventive services for at-risk youth. The …

Alzheimer's Disease Heterogeneity And Co-Pathologies: Defining Novel Targets, Biomarkers, Modalities, And Research Methodologies, Malú Gámez Tansey, Jorge J Llibre-Guerra, Suzanne E Schindler

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a biologically heterogeneous condition with vascular, proteinopathic, metabolic, and immune processes jointly shaping its clinical expression, trajectory of progression, and response to therapeutic intervention. Common AD co-pathologies such as cerebral amyloid angiopathy, Lewy body pathology, α-synuclein, and transactive response DNA-binding protein of 43 kDa (TDP-43)/limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy are also increasingly connected with cognitive decline and therapeutic response. Significant advances in biomarkers, including seed amplification assays, proteomic signatures, and emerging positron emission tomography tracers bolster the field's understanding of a biological staging model and discovery of previously unrecognized co-pathologies. The Fall 2025 Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable …

Steroid Hormone Metabolites And Mammographic Breast Density In Premenopausal Women, Ghazaleh Pourali, Kayode A Matthew, Myung Sik Jeon, Chongliang Luo, Gary J Patti, Jingqin Luo, Adetunji T Toriola

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Steroid hormones influence breast morphology and cellular proliferation and are associated with breast carcinogenesis. However, their associations with mammographic breast density (MBD) are less studied, particularly in premenopausal women. We, therefore, investigated the associations of steroid hormone metabolites with MBD in premenopausal women.

METHODS: Our study included 700 premenopausal women scheduled for screening mammograms. We analyzed 54 steroid hormone metabolites (Metabolon®) and assessed volumetric measures of MBD including volumetric percent density (VPD), dense volume (DV), and non-dense volume (NDV) using Volpara. We investigated associations using linear regression modeling to estimate the covariate-adjusted means of VPD, NDV, and DV, corresponding …

Spatial Variation In Socio-Economic Vulnerability To Influenza-Like Infection For The Us Population, Shrabani S. Tripathy, Joseph V. Puthussery, Taveen S Kapoor, John R. Cirrito, Rajan K. Chakrabarty

2020-Current year OA Pubs

This study aims to quantify environmental health impacts and assess risk by understanding the disproportionate burden of infectious diseases, specifically Influenza-like Illness (ILI), across regions with varying socio-economic characteristics. We introduce a novel vulnerability-based approach to better understand the complex relationship between socio-economic factors and ILI burden. We develop a machine-learning-driven framework to assess and map state-level socio-economic vulnerability to ILI in the United States. A vulnerability index was created by integrating 39 diverse socio-economic and health indicators from the latest CENSUS. A Random Forest Regression model then weighed these indicators to quantify each state's vulnerability for the ILI values …

Characterization Of The Spatiotemporal Representations Of Visual, Semantic, And Memorability Features In The Human Brain, Yue Wang, Peter Brunner, Jon T. Willie, Runnan Cao, Shuo Wang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Object recognition requires integrated processing that extends beyond the visual cortex, incorporating semantic and memory-related processes. However, it remains unclear how different attributes, such as visual, semantic, and memorability features, are encoded and interact during perception. Here, we recorded intracranial electroencephalography from 5,143 channels while participants viewed natural object images. We systematically characterized the spatiotemporal patterns of neural encoding for visual, semantic, and memorability attributes and showed that memorability was encoded in a distributed manner, which can be dissociated from visual and semantic coding. While the ventral temporal cortex (VTC) was engaged in encoding all three attributes, the representations were …

Dysregulated Lactate Metabolism Synergizes With Als Genetic Risk Factors To Accelerate Motor Decline, Shweta Tendulkar, Tong Wu, Amy Strickland, Amber R. Hackett, Yurie Sato-Yamada, Xianrong Mao, Yo Sasaki, Jeffrey Milbrandt, A. Joseph Bloom, Aaron Diantonio

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Neurons rely on glial 'lactate shuttling' for metabolic support, which declines with aging and in neurodegenerative disease. Full disruption of lactate shuttling in peripheral nerves causes progressive axon degeneration, but we were interested to understand how partial disruption, a scenario more relevant to aging and disease, contributes to neurodegeneration risk. Pyruvate and lactate are interconverted by lactate dehydrogenases (LDHA and LDHB) in both lactate producing and consuming cells. We therefore began by investigating Ldhb knockout mice (loss of LDHA, the dominant LDH in liver and muscle, caused embryonic lethality), and discovered that they develop progressive neuromuscular junction atrophy and functional …

Implementing The Lung Donor (Lundon) Acceptability Score In U.S. Donor Management And Transplant Decision-Making: A Multi-Aim, Mixed-Methods Protocol, Nikki E. Rossetti, Su-Hsin Chang, Yan Yan, Graham Jaensch-Frie, Charles R. Liu, Nahom Y. Seyoum, Meghna Katta, Arvind Kumar, Zhizhou Yang, Christian Oncken, Christy Hamilton, Kyle Stumbaugh, Brendan Heiden, Sarah Peskoe, Varun Puri, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Despite advances in transplantation science, a persistent shortage of donor lungs continues to limit access to life-saving lung transplants. The Lung Donor (LUNDON) Acceptability Score is a validated tool that predicts donor lung utilization and post-transplant recipient outcomes, but integration into practice remains limited. This study will evaluate determinants of LUNDON score adoption, its impact on clinical decision-making, and develop tools to support its implementation.

METHODS: This is a multi-aim mixed-methods pre-implementation study that will be conducted across U.S. Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) and lung transplant centers. Aim 1 will identify barriers and facilitators of LUNDON score adoption through …

Subcutaneous Infliximab For Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Clinical Evidence, Pharmacokinetics, And Implementation Challenges, Mir Zulqarnain, Parakkal Deepak, Andres J. Yarur

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Hierarchical Bayesian Regression For Experimental Psychology: A Case Study Of Cognitive Control, Thomas A Dudey, Joshua J Jackson, Shelly R Cooper, Todd S Braver

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Arising from the so-called 'replication crisis' in the experimental psychology literature, there has been a growing call to reassess whether specific analytic practices might enhance the accuracy and precision of reported findings. This issue is explored here, through a case study examination of two previously collected datasets from the Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control (DMCC) task battery. This case study highlights the unique advantages afforded by Hierarchical Bayesian Regression (HBR) models as a potentially more rigorous analytic approach to statistical inference. In the DMCC datasets, two sets of HBR models are presented, with the estimates of the former used as …

"Using Theories" And "Doing Theory": Tool And Action Orientations To Theory At The Interface Of Public Health And Anthropology, Peter Taber, Eileen M Dryden, Jean M Hunleth, Linda S Kahn, Lance Laird, Teresa Winstead, Genevra F Murray

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The use of "theory" is a common concern in public health and anthropology. However, the term can have quite distinct meanings. In this piece, we seek to name and characterize some tendencies in anthropological theorizing that contribute to potential misunderstandings when communicating with non-anthropologist colleagues in public health. In particular, we highlight differences between the use of recognizable, named "theories" that often explicitly frame public health research and interventions, and the open-ended and context-specific work of "doing theory" sometimes referenced in anthropology. Observing the linguistic shifts entailed to refer to theory in each of these cases-"using theories" versus "doing theory"-we …

Multi-Institutional Mri-Based Radiomic Pilot Study To Measure The Variations Between Scanner Vendors And Imaging Sessions, Suong Duong, Danny Lee, Carri Glide-Hurst, Bhudatt Paliwal, Jennie Crosby, Michael Boss, Yunfeng Cui, Mi Huang, Heng Li, Khadija Sheikh, Taeho Kim, James Monroe, Jung Hun Oh, Ying Xiao, Jason W Sohn

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Multi-institutional clinical trials frequently use MRI imaging for critical decisions and guidance for medical treatments. Collecting and analyzing images produced by various MR vendors and models is quite difficult since image quality can be highly variable. No unifying quality control targeting protocol studies exists to ensure MRI images used in that study are comparable. This project will investigate variations between imaging sessions and between various scanners using radiomic parameters from prototype MRI QA phantom.

PURPOSE: To develop a 3D radiomic phantom for quantifying radiomic feature consistency between MRI scanners across multi-institutions.

METHODS: The prototype phantom consists of five 3D-printed …

Real-World Use Of Theophylline In Critically Ill Patients With Sinus Pauses: A Case Series, Muhammad Ali Elahi, Hamza Jalal, William Frick, Bryan D Kraft

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: A sinus pause is is defined as a delay in sinus node depolarization exceeding 3 s following atrial depolarization. In patients with pauses greater than 5 s accompanied by hemodynamic compromise, the primary treatment is permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation. However, in the presence of an active infection, alternative strategies such as temporary transvenous pacing or pharmacologic agents may be more appropriate. This report highlights the use of theophylline as a non-invasive therapeutic option in two patients with asymptomatic sinus pauses who had contraindications to PPM placement.

CASES: Patient A was a 74-year-old woman with a history of pulmonary arterial …

Statins For Primary Prevention Of Variceal Bleeding In Cirrhosis: A Scoping Review, Jason Brumitt

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Background/Objectives: Variceal bleeding (VB) is a major complication of cirrhosis, marking a progression from a compensated to a decompensated stage of the disease. Previous research has suggested that HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, commonly called statins, may have therapeutic benefits for those living with cirrhosis, though their exact benefits and role have yet to be elucidated. This scoping review evaluates the potential role of statins in the primary prevention of variceal bleeding in patients with cirrhosis, and if there exists a difference between hydrophilic and lipophilic statins for this indication. Methods: Publications from the last 10 years with primary or secondary outcomes …

Validity Of The Promis Ability To Participate In Social Roles And Activities Measure In Older Adult Health Assessment, Theresa Raudsepp

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Objective: The International Classification of Function is often used in older adult clinical assessments. Well recognized is the high value, and difficulty, of assessing participation in social roles. The PROMIS Ability to Participate in Social Roles (APSR) measure may augment assessments enhancing our understanding of older adults’ participation in social roles. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the APSR diverges with other clinical measures suggesting it is measuring a separate construct adding new information to the clinical assessment.

Methods: A sample of convenience of older adults (n = 89) was recruited and administered clinical assessments that include …

Evaluation And Enhancement Of Suspected Opioid Overdose Definitions In Emergency Medical Services Data Using Machine Learning With Natural Language Processing, Peter Rock, Svetla Slavova, Sharon L. Walsh, Julia Martin, Daniel R. Harris

Institute for Biomedical Informatics Faculty Publications

Background: Fatal and non-fatal drug overdoses have evolved into a critical public health crisis, with over a 50% increase in the rate of fatal drug overdose since 2019. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data has advantages over traditional emergency department data, including timeliness and captured non-transport encounters. However, there is no consensus EMS definition for suspected opioid overdose (SOO), and currently implemented knowledge-based (KB) definition may miss ambiguous cases. Machine learning with natural language processing (ML-NLP) has the potential to enhance SOO identification.

Methods: Secondary data originated from an oversampled dataset of 2,327 weighted encounters from Kentucky State EMS data (2018–2022). …

Ai Washing And The Federal Government: How Government Agencies Can Address Risks Posed By The Growing Prevalence Of Artificial Intelligence In The Corporate Sphere, Sheheryar A. Khan

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Lorraine Mckinney- Sue Schwartz Gorham '56, Suzanne Gerber Offit '56, And Ami Hughes Montstream '56, Lorraine Mckinney, Sue Gorham, Suzanne Offit, Ami Montstream

Alumni Oral History Project

No abstract provided.

The Unmaking Of Section Two, Maureen Edobor

Scholarly Articles

Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act now stands at a paradoxical crossroads. Though it remains the statute’s central protection against racial vote dilution after Shelby County v. Holder, it is increasingly undermined by a constitutional framework that treats race-conscious remedies as suspect rather than necessary under Section 2. This Essay argues that Section 2 is being quietly unmade—not through direct invalidation, but through the convergence of Equal Protection Doctrine, racial-gerrymandering jurisprudence, and an ascendant commitment to colorblind constitutionalism. Tracing the Fifteenth Amendment’s original design and Congress’s expansive enforcement authority, the Essay situates Section 2 within a constitutional tradition …

Generative Imaging For Computational Pathology, Md Jillur Rahman Saurav

Computer Science and Engineering Dissertations

Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining remains central to cancer diagnosis, providing morphological information essential for pathological assessment. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and newer multiplexed imaging technologies complement H&E by revealing molecular information critical for accurate tumor subtyping and treatment decisions. In practice, however, H&E and IHC are obtained from different consecutive sections that are not spatially aligned, comprehensive multiplexed panels are expensive and tissue-consumptive, and not all stains are available at every clinical site, limiting comprehensive molecular profiling and the full diagnostic potential of these technologies in clinical practice. This dissertation addresses these gaps through three complementary generative deep learning studies in …