Digital Commons Network^™

Ai-Powered Synthetic Biology: Current Situation, Challenges, And Future Perspectives, Izem Olcay Sahin, Nuriye Gokce, Duygu T. Yildirim, A. Baki Yildirim, Hilal Akalın, Donald Martin, Tommaso Beccari, Oscar Vicente, Iza Radecka, Fideline Tchuenbou-Magaia, Robert S. Marks, Ratnesh Lal, Satya Prakash, Adam Mechler, Mario Petrov Milkov, Svetlana Fotkova Georgieva, Ilia Iliev, Kosi Gramatikoff, Ed Judge, Milica Markovic, Radka Kaneva, Galina Aleksieva Yaneva, Nadya Vasileva Agova, Nikoleta Dobromirova Ivanova, Mariya Kiryakova Tsvetkova, Ivelin Rosenov Iliev, Michel Salzet, Kisung Ko, Michele Maffia, Chiara Coppola, Matteo Bertelli

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Synthetic biology has evolved from a set of engineering aspirations to an operationally sophisticated discipline, and artificial intelligence (AI) is its fastest-growing accelerant. This review traces that convergence across six interlocking domains: systems-level biological modeling, de novo protein engineering, metabolic and microbial programming, multi-omics data integration, regulatory element design, and clinical translation. For each domain, we survey established results, integrate findings from 2010–2026 literature, and articulate the trajectories that will define the next decade. Emerging themes include physics-informed neural networks for mechanistically constrained biological modeling, drug design, and federated learning architectures that allow global omics collaboration without centralizing sensitive data, …

Environmental Impact Of Preventative Fire-Retardant Products On Soil Chemistry, Elisabeth Kraycik

Master's Theses

Human-caused ignitions account for most wildfires in the United States, particularly along roadsides, utility corridors, and other high-risk infrastructure where fine fuels are abundant and ignition sources are concentrated. These settings are often embedded within grassland and shrubland ecosystems, where fires spread rapidly and can threaten nearby communities and assets. Preventative fire-retardant products (PFRPs) have emerged as a promising strategy for reducing ignition likelihood in these environments. Unlike traditional aerial retardants applied during active suppression, PFRPs are designed for annual, pre-season application to ignition-prone locations. Despite their growing use, the environmental consequences of repeated PFRP applications remain poorly understood, especially …

Feasibility Of Using Electronic Medical Records To Identify Postdischarge Mental Health Screening Documentation In Trauma Patients., Kellie Girardot, Julie L Otte

Emergency Medicine and Trauma

BACKGROUND: Injury leads to long-term physical and mental health challenges, yet inpatient screening for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression remains inconsistent, and postdischarge mental health is poorly understood, particularly in less resourced trauma centers where emerging symptoms may go unrecognized.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility of using the electronic medical record to identify postdischarge mental health screening documentation in adult trauma patients within 6 months after discharge.

METHODS: This retrospective descriptive feasibility study was conducted at a midwestern US regional Level II trauma center serving a predominantly rural catchment area. Adult trauma patients admitted between January 1 and December 31, …

Hsv-1 Us3 Hijacks Conserved Actin Regulatory Complexes To Drive F-Actin Remodeling, Md Imran Hossain, Md Arifuzzaman, Md Mehedi Hasan, Seung Jong Park, Leila Rahimian, Ojasvi Dutta, Vladimir Chouljenko, Harikrishnan Mohan, Reza Ghavimi, Konstantin G. Kousoulas

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) US3 is a multifunctional serine/threonine kinase that promotes HSV-1 replication and spread. But its role and the mechanisms by which US3 regulates actin cytoskeletal remodeling remain poorly defined. We combined flow cytometry, confocal microscopy, immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry (IP-MS), protein complex mapping, and machine learning to characterize US3-mediated F-actin dynamics. Flow cytometry and confocal microscopy showed that wild-type HSV-1 induces significant F-actin remodeling, while the ΔUS3 mutant displays F-actin levels comparable to uninfected cells, identifying US3 as a key regulator. IP-MS identified 47 high-confidence US3 interactors enriched in conserved actin regulatory complexes, including Arp2/3 nucleation machinery, …

Thiol-Based Neuroprotective Copolymers Acutely Restore Redox Metabolism And Mediate Vasogenic Edema In A Mouse Model Of Traumatic Brain Injury, Evan T. Curtis, Brandon Z. Mcdonald, Aria W. Tarudji, Aaron M. Priester, Anthony J. Convertine, Forrest M. Kievit

Materials Science and Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Effective pharmaceutical interventions for treating the secondary damage associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI) are limited due to poor delivery into the brain, insufficient target engagement, and an incomplete understanding of the pathophysiological changes that occur post-impact. Thus, nanoparticles (NP), which have an enhanced permeation and retention-like effect within the perturbed blood-brain barrier, have grown as a potential candidate for treating TBI. We have investigated the antioxidant capacity of thiol-based NP, termed neuroprotective copolymers (NPC3), and their ability to neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation products (LPOx). Here, we assessed the efficacy of NPC3 for alleviating the secondary …

Existence And Uniqueness Of Positive Solutions For Hilfer–Hadamard-Type Fractional Differential Equations With Γ-Concave And Sub-Homogeneous Operators, Hasan Rasouli, Hojjat Afshari, Martin Bohner

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this research, we present necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of positive solutions for a class of Hilfer–Hadamard-type fractional differential equations with boundary value problems, including those with integral boundary conditions. The obtained results are conditional on a specific set of strong assumptions, which substantially narrow the class of admissible nonlinearities, coefficients, and boundary data. Thus, the present work extends the Hadamard-type framework to the Hilfer–Hadamard setting only within this restrictive regime, rather than providing a full extension to all Hilfer–Hadamard systems. We utilize the properties of (Formula presented.) -concave and sub-homogeneous operators along with two …

An Orally Available Pfpkg Inhibitor Blocks Plasmodium's Infection Of The Liver, Hanna Dhiyebi, Aminata Mbaye, Anusha Thaniana, John Gilleran, Tyler Eck, Kutub Ashraf, Karl Kudyba, Howard Fan, Steve Seibold, Kevin P. Battaile, John Siekierka, Evan Johnson, Alison Roth, Amy De Rocher, Scott Lovell, Edward B. Miller, Jacques Y. Roberge, Purnima Bhanot

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Malaria remains a global health threat exacerbated by emerging resistance to antimalarial therapies and insecticides, climate-driven outbreaks, and limited chemoprotective options. Here, we report the characterization of RUPB-61, the first orally bioavailable inhibitor of Plasmodium falciparum cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG). RUPB-61 prevents infection by P. falciparum and P. cynomolgi sporozoites, including the formation of hypnozoites by the latter. A single oral dose blocks liver infection by P. berghei sporozoites in vivo, demonstrating efficacy consistent with further development as a once-weekly prophylaxis based on pharmacokinetic modeling. The compound retains activity against field isolates resistant to chloroquine, mefloquine, cycloguanil, sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine, …

Neural Correlates Of Anger Rumination To A Personal Event And Subsequent Changes In Working Memory, Mairin Claire Madison Cotter

Dissertations

Rumination is a maladaptive coping strategy that is associated with the emergence and maintenance of several psychological disorders and related symptomatology and thus has been proposed as a transdiagnostic risk factor. Recent work has focused on patterns of brain activation during rumination to sadness; however, less is known about brain activation patterns in response to anger-inducing events and how anger rumination may influence working memory. This study sought to identify potential neurophysiological correlates (through electroencephalography; EEG) of anger rumination, examine how anger rumination subsequently impacts working memory performance, and determine whether neurophysiological correlates of anger rumination are associated with working …

Loss Of Palmitoylation Impacts The Interaction Between The Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide (Oatp) 1b1 And Oatp1b3., Cecilia E. Villanueva, Whitney M. Nolte, Priscilla Flores-Ascencio, Bruno Hagenbuch

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

The organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B1 and OATP1B3 are hepatic transporters that mediate the uptake of numerous therapeutics like antibiotics and statins. Various post-translational modifications, eg, phosphorylation and glycosylation, have been shown to impact OATP1B1 and OATP1B3 function and localization. S-palmitoylation (also known as S-acylation or palmitoylation) is a reversible post-translational modification that adds palmitic acid (C16:0) to cysteine residues and can influence a protein's function, localization, and protein-protein interactions. In this study, we investigated and characterized palmitoylation in OATP1B1 and OATP1B3. Using site-directed mutagenesis and acyl-resin-assisted capture assays, residue Cys24 was identified as the palmitoylation site for both …

Current Practices And Variations Among Pediatric Severe Asthma Programs In The United States-The North American Severe Pediatric Asthma Consortium., Kristina Gaietto, Nadia Krupp, Avani V. Shah, Erhan Ararat, Samantha H. Averill, Sachin Baxi, Matejka Cernelc-Kohan, Jeffrey M. Chambliss, Heather De Keyser, Monica Federico, Bob Geng, Akilah A. Jefferson, Parisa Kaviany, Lila C. Kertz, Kirsten Kloepfer, Allyson Larkin, Sydney Leibel, Tanya Martinez-Fernandez, Samira Naime, Robert D. Pesek, Dinesh K. Pillai, Deepa Rastogi, Katherine Rivera-Spoljaric, Kristie R. Ross, Franziska J. Rosser, Tregony C. Simoneau, Jade Tam-Williams, Kelan G. Tantisira, William Anderson, Jonathan M. Gaffin, Theresa W. Guilbert, Erick Forno

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Severe and difficult to treat asthma in children is a complex condition causing significant morbidity and associated healthcare costs. While treatment guidelines exist for severe asthma, optimal treatment approaches for the pediatric population are less well established. Furthermore, best practices regarding real world management and implementation of guidelines for the severe pediatric asthma population are lacking. In order to provide care for this population, institutions around the United States have developed multidisciplinary severe pediatric asthma programs (SPAPs). In recent years, the North American Severe Pediatric Asthma Consortium (NASPAC) was established as a mechanism for SPAPs to collaborate and share …

Relationship Between Sociodemographic Characteristics At Presentation And Outcomes Of Provoked Venous Thromboembolism In United States Children: A Secondary Analysis Of The Multinational Kids-Duration Of Therapy For Thrombosis Trial., Hope P. Wilson, Maua M. Alleyne, Sanjay Ahuja, Ernest Amankwah, Aisha Bruce, Shannon L. Carpenter, Fernando F. Corrales-Medina, Craig A. Mullen, Arun Panigrahi, Lakshmi Srivaths, Courtney D. Thornburg, Anupam Verma, Gary Woods, Neil A. Goldenberg, Madhvi Rajpurkar

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is associated with adverse long-term sequelae, including recurrence and development of chronic venous insufficiency following limb deep vein thrombosis (postthrombotic syndrome [PTS]). Adult VTE studies have demonstrated that lower socioeconomic status, Black race, and Latinx ethnicity are associated with an increased risk of recurrence. Clinical trial-derived pediatric VTE data are limited.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess whether clinical features of provoked VTE and outcomes vary across sociodemographic characteristics and proxies for social determinants of health among children enrolled in the Kids-duration of therapy for thrombosis trial.

METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis …

Description Of Leptuca Capillosa Sp. Nov., A New Fiddler Crab Species (Crustacea, Decapoda, Ocypodidae) From The Continental Coast Of Ecuador, Carl Thurman, Mariana Capparelli

Faculty Publications

A new species of fiddler crab, Leptuca capillosa sp. nov., is described based on two preserved specimens from the U.S. National Museum of Natural History (Smithsonian) as the holotype and paratype. In addition, specimens (N = 46) collected at eight locations along the Pacific cost of Ecuador were used for an anatomical description and a biometric study. Biometric relationships among major anatomical features are described by linear-regression algorithms with coefficients of correlation and determination. From a previously published DNA analysis of the new species, L. capillosa sp. nov. is related to other Leptuca species in the Gelasiminae subfamily of …

Permanent Winter Hay-Feeding Stations Concentrate Soil Nutrients In Kentucky Pastures, Alan J. Franzluebbers, Jeffrey W. Lehmkuhler, Matt H. Poore, Arjun Kafle, Rodolfo Zentella, Tommy Yankey, S. Ray Smith, Gregory Halich

Animal and Food Sciences Faculty Publications

Distribution of soil nutrients as a function of centralized winter hay-feeding stations can lead to inefficient nutrient utilization and environmental quality concerns, but distributions have not been adequately characterized across a diversity of soils. We investigated spatial distribution of soil nutrients and organic matter fractions on three farms with concrete feeding pads for winter hay feeding. Soils were silt loam at the Princeton and Oran Little Research Stations and silty clay loam and silty clay at the Eden Shale Farm in ≥20-year-old tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) pastures in Kentucky. An anticipated impact zone of 0.7–1.0 ha around the winter hay-feeding …

The Razorback Educator, Carole Shook Dr., Lynn Meade, Sheri Deaton, Faith Lessner, Karl Schubert, Gretchen Scroggins, Rachel Glade, Treisha Peterson, Flint Harris, Tamara Snyder, Kim Mccomas, Austin Jones, Eric Button

TFSC Publications and Presentations

The Razorback Educator is a joint publication of the University of Arkansas Teaching Academy and the Wally Cordes Teaching and Faculty Support Center.  It is designed to share teaching innovations related to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.  Faculty from multiple disciplines author the publication.

Sjsu Erfa News, Summer 2026, San Jose State University, Emeritus And Retired Faculty Association

Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association (ERFA) Newsletter

Volume 39, No 39

Spatially Dissecting Drivers Of Inter- And Intra-Tumoral Heterogeneity In Kenyan Breast Cancer, Mustapha Abubakar, Shahin Sayed, Hela Koka, Scott Lawrence, Karun Mutreja, Xing Hua, Petra Lenz, Samuel Anyaso-Samuel, Rosemary Kamau, Beryl Ooro

Pathology, East Africa

Despite growing evidence on the impact of intra-tumoral heterogeneity (ITH) in breast cancer (BC), its biological drivers and clinically relevant mitigation strategies remain poorly characterized, particularly in low-resource settings where spatial profiling is rarely applied. To address this gap, we conducted a comprehensive, multiplatform spatial profiling study of BC in a Kenyan population. Using the NanoString GeoMx™ Digital Spatial Profiler, we quantified 44 protein markers across 707 spatially defined, PanCK-segmented Areas of Illumination (AOIs) from 31 tumors. All tumors exhibited measurable ITH, with one-third showing marked heterogeneity. Sixteen patients exhibited two or more intrinsic subtypes within their tumors, three of …

Sex Differences In The Protective Effect Of Brain Volume: Age Attenuates Protection In Women, Javier Gomez-Farias, Ngoc Mai Le, Joseph N Samaha, Bruna Kfoury, Hussain M Azeem, Ritesh Bajaj, Mahnoor Khalid, Freya Kanakhara, Shikha Tripathi, Shayan Shams, Luca Giancardo, Eunyoung A Lee, Robert W Regenhardt, Louise D Mccullough, Sunil A Sheth

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Sex differences in outcomes after acute ischemic stroke are well recognized, but mechanisms remain unclear. This study evaluates whether parenchymal brain volume (PBV), age, and final infarct volume explain sex-specific differences in poststroke disability.

Methods: We analyzed a prospectively collected multicenter registry of acute ischemic stroke patients treated between 2015 and 2024. Automated pipelines quantified PBV from noncontrast computed tomography and diffusion-weighted imaging-derived final infarct volume from 24- to 48-hour magnetic resonance imaging. With the primary outcome being 90-day functional independence (modified Rankin Scale score 0-2), sex-stratified logistic regression models evaluated its association with PBV. Stratified logistic and linear …

Medadl: High-Throughput Information Extraction Of Functional Status From Electronic Health Records To Advance Frailty Assessment In Older Adults, Sunyang Fu, Zhiyi Yue, Jennyly T Nguyen, Huipeng Liu, Jaerong Ahn, Vanessa Ramirez, Jude Des Bordes, Hongfang Liu, Min Ji Kwak, Nahid J Rianon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Functional status is essential for assessing frailty and planning care in older adults but is often under-documented in the structured fields of electronic health records. Manual chart review can capture functional status information but is labor-intensive and time-consuming. In this study, we developed and validated a scalable natural language processing (NLP) model to extract functional status information from unstructured electronic health record (EHR) notes.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 110 older adults seen at a geriatric osteoporosis clinic. A large language model-augmented symbolic NLP pipeline (MedADL) was developed to extract activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities …

Functional Assessment Of A Convergent Gene Network Underlying Allergic Diseases And Ige., Pradeep Eranti, Raphaël Vernet, Christophe Linhard, Bing Ge, Laura Beaumier, Anne-Marie Madore, Sébastien Chanoine, Bénédicte L. Tremblay, Xiaojian Shao, Isabelle Pin, Mark Lathrop, Elin Grundberg, Valérie Siroux, Tomi Pastinen, Catherine Laprise, Emmanuelle Bouzigon, Florence Demenais

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

BACKGROUND: The relationships between allergic diseases (AD) and IgE levels are complex.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to identify genes associated with AD and IgE having close proximity in the interactome and to elucidate the associated biological mechanisms.

METHODS: We integrated a comprehensive interactome with data from genome-wide (GWAS) and epigenome-wide (EWAS) association studies of AD and IgE levels, respectively. We used the SigMod algorithm to identify gene modules enriched in AD- and IgE-associated signals. We performed a connectivity analysis of these two modules to characterize direct cross-trait connections. Finally, we conducted an in-depth functional analysis of the directly-connected AD and IgE …

A Phase-Ii Randomized Controlled Pilot Study Of Nicotinamide Riboside Supplementation In Older Adults With Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment, Christopher Martens, Kevin Decker, Theodore Deconne, Faria Sanjana, Fiona Horvat, Nicholas Rizzi, Catherine Awad, Elizabeth Habash, Joshua Hobson, Mary Kramer, Michael Armstrong, Nichole Reisdorph, Ryan Pohlig, Alyssa Lanzi, Curtis Johnson, Matthew Cohen, James Ellison

Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Faculty Papers

INTRODUCTION: Declining nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) may elevate risk of Alzheimer's disease.

METHODS: We conducted a 12-week double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of the NAD+ precursor, nicotinamide riboside (NR), for enhancing cognitive function and cerebral blood flow (CBF) in adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI).

RESULTS: 42 participants completed the study (NR = 22, placebo = 20). Adherence was similar between groups with no serious adverse effects. Blood NAD+ increased twofold in the NR group. There were no improvements in cognitive function (primary outcome), total CBF, or blood pressure (secondary outcomes). …

Improving Urban Search And Rescue Team Coordination Through Adaptive Context Awareness, Daniel Reyes Duran

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Modern multi-agent Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) operations heavily rely on mobile geospatial Common Operating Pictures (COPs) to maintain team coordination and Situational Awareness (SA). However, the proliferation of high-frequency sensor telemetry at the tactical edge has introduced a data saturation paradox challenge: while information theoretically drives informed decision-making, unmanaged data surges induce increased operator cognitive overload and alert fatigue on mobile End-User Devices (EUDs), while downstream data-broadcasting models inherently strain edge processing and viewport environments.

To resolve these constraints, this dissertation presents a context-aware Value of Information (VoI) data-management framework integrated directly with a custom, event-driven Android Team Awareness …

Polarized Truth Decay & The Role Of Education In A Democracy, Sonja Varbelow, William Yaworsky

Anthropology Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to delineate the causes and dangers of truth decay for a democracy, the role education has played in the process, and how education can present a resistance to this dangerous trend. Truth decay has been characterized as an increase in quantity of opinion over fact, divergent views on what constitutes a fact, and decreased confidence of traditional sources of information. We agree that truth decay is a serious problem but would characterize it somewhat differently. Opinions, divergent views, and decreased confidence in traditional sources of information are not detrimental by themselves. Instead, we see …

Highly Confident But Slightly Uncertain: A Long Overdue Reinvention Of The School Scientific Method, The X - Volume 1, Stephen Demeo

Publications and Research

In Volume 1, I critique the traditional School Scientific Method—an oversimplified, underdeveloped, and short, stepwise process—and argue for a more authentic, detailed, and rigorous approach to experiment-based scientific inquiry in education. I briefly explain the historical roots of the School Scientific Method, its benefits in increasing the exposure of experimental science to the masses, and its limitations in fostering more authentic scientific thinking and experimental practice.

In place of this traditional and problematic method, I introduce a graphic organizer called sciXpsy to foster both big-picture and detailed scientific thinking. The heuristic combines scientific concepts and methodology with the psychology of …

Effects Of Soil Contamination On The Efficacy Of Antimicrobial Washes For Contaminated In-Shell Pecans, Erin Ramsay

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A study was done to evaluate the survival of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) on directly and soil-inoculated in-shell pecans over a 28-day period, determine STEC reductions after treatment with individual and sequential antimicrobial washes on direct and soil-inoculated in-shell pecans, and determine the cross-contamination potential of the spent pecan washes after a treatment. Pecans were directly and soil-inoculated with an STEC cocktail (O157:H7, O157:NM, O121, and O26). Direct inoculation was achieved by spraying the STEC cocktail on the pecans and homogenizing by hand for 2 min. For the soil-inoculation method, autoclaved pecan tree orchard soil was sprayed with the …

Alternative Methods To Improve Livestock Performance While Grazing Low-Quality Forages., Ivan Raynard Thomas Jr

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Stocker cattle producers in the southeastern part of the U.S. heavily depend on traditional forages such as bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon] pastures during the warm season for grazing. Summer annual forages offer stocker cattle operations a valuable alternative source of forage. These forages have high yield potential and can help extend the grazing season. This is particularly beneficial during the summer months when traditional forage sources may be limited. Warm-season annual grasses may experience a decrease in crude protein concentrations during late summer and early fall. As a result, it may be necessary to find alternative sources of crude protein or …

Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy Enhances Bidirectional Blood-Brain Barrier Permeability In Glioblastoma, Ryan T Cleary, Yiwei Fu, David Giles, Jinyun Yuan, Diogo P Moniz Garcia, Danny Palmer, Rowland H Han, Timothy Woodiwiss, Alicia B Yang, Dimitrios Mathios, Hong Chen, Albert H Kim

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is a minimally invasive treatment for glioblastoma that increases blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. However, the mechanisms and spatiotemporal features of this effect remain unclear. It is also unknown whether LITT promotes release of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA).

METHODS: Using our previously developed LITT mouse model, we employed single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) to investigate gene expression changes in endothelial cells following LITT in the naive mouse brain. Brains were also harvested at multiple time points to assess LITT effects on tight junction (TJ) integrity and transcytosis via immunofluorescence and transmission electron microscopy. Human glioblastoma tissues were …

Evaluation Of Loading, Release, And Bioavailability Of Resveratrol Encapsulated In Porous Starch, Yu-Yun Wang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Resveratrol (Res) is a polyphenolic compound found in grapes, red wine, and berries, with health benefits such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective properties. The poor stability and bioaccessibility of Res after consumption by humans require the development of delivery systems. Among many delivery systems, porous starch (PS) is a safe, cost-effective, and high in adsorption capacity encapsulation material for drugs and bioactive compounds sensitive to environmental factors like light and heat. Porous rice, corn, and potato starch have different granule sizes, pore volumes, and surface areas. However, the impact of these encapsulation capabilities remains unclear among the three porous starches. …

A Systems Analysis Of Autonomous Uav Swarm Spraying For Precision Agriculture, Ryker Davis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The application of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in civilian sectors, particularly for precision agriculture and targeted aerial spraying, has rapidly evolved from passive monitoring to advanced, autonomous, multi-agent coordination. While deploying UAV swarms offers a promising solution to the payload and battery endurance limitations of single drone operations, realizing field-scale coverage introduces significant logistical and safety challenges. To evaluate the trajectory and viability of swarms, this study synthesizes bibliometric trends, operational simulation, and safety reporting analysis. First, because physical testing of complex swarms poses financial and safety risks, we developed an agent-based and discrete event simulation to evaluate autonomous spraying …

Activity Transition Graph Generation: How Far Are We?, Jiakun Liu, Peixin Zhang, Han Hu, Yonghui Liu, Wei Minn, Ferdian Thung, Shahar Maoz, Eran Toch, Debin Gao, David Lo

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Android applications (i.e., apps) are indispensable nowadays and are getting bigger and bigger with an increasing number offunctionalities. To understand how to access functionalities in an app, prior studies proposed tools to model the transitionsbetween functionalities with the activity transition graph (ATG). ATG is an important data structure and has been used forvarious Android app analyses, including app design, understanding, and testing. However, there is no benchmarking work onATG generation. It is still unclear whether the transitions identified by tools are correct and how many transitions are missed.To fill this gap, we manually identified all transitions in 98 applications to …

“We Have The Right To Education”: Exploring Student Experiences, Disability Policy, And The Need For Culturally Refined Awareness Raising On Inclusive Higher Education Within The English-Speaking Caribbean, Kadesha Treco

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within the English-speaking Caribbean, research at the intersection of inclusive education policy and higher education (HIED) remains limited. Despite the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006) by countries across the region, the establishment of the CARICOM Special Rapporteur on Disabilities, and the creation of several pieces of national disability legislation, there is little evidence regarding the effectiveness of these initiatives at improving access to HIED. Therefore, this dissertation contributes to regional scholarship on inclusive education by examining how access to, and experiences within HIED institutions are shaped for students with disabilities. This …