Digital Commons Network^™

Annona Muricata (Soursop) And Hematopoiesis: Ethnomedicinal Insights, Immunomodulatory Mechanisms, And Translational Challenges, Fatma Matano, Amiya Patra

Peninsula Medical School

Annona muricata (soursop) is a tropical medicinal plant widely used in traditional medicine across Africa, the Caribbean, and parts of South America. While its ethnomedicinal applications span a range of conditions, including infections, inflammation, and anemia-related symptoms, its potential relevance to hematopoiesis has not been systematically examined. This narrative review synthesizes ethnomedicinal knowledge, phytochemical composition, and experimental evidence to explore the biological plausibility by which A. muricata may indirectly influence hematopoietic processes. Bioactive constituents of A. muricata, including flavonoids, polyphenols, and acetogenins, have demonstrated antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties in preclinical models. These effects are particularly relevant given the established …

Tractor Workflow: A Scalable Nextflow Framework For Local Ancestry-Aware Genome-Wide Association Studies, Nirav N Shah, Taotao Tan, Jessica Honorato-Mauer, Yi-Sian Lin, Adam X Maihofer, Clement C Zai, Pgc-Ptsd Ancestry Working Group, Marcos Santoro, Caroline M Nievergelt, Elizabeth G Atkinson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Motivation: The routine exclusion of admixed individuals from traditional genome-wide association studies (GWAS) due to concerns about spurious associations has limited multi-ancestry genetic discovery. Tractor addresses this issue by incorporating local ancestry into association testing, enabling the identification of ancestry-enriched signals and generating ancestry-specific summary statistics. However, adoption has been constrained by the complexity of prerequisite steps, including phasing and local ancestry inference, which require substantial bioinformatics expertise and introduce key analytical decision points.

Results: We developed a scalable, automated Nextflow workflow that integrates phasing, local ancestry inference, and Tractor association testing into a reproducible end-to-end pipeline. To demonstrate its …

Nuclear Export As A Therapeutic Vulnerability In Zfta-Rela Ependymoma, Siri M Ippagunta, Amir Arabzade, Srinidhi Varadharajan, Erik Emanus, Amanda Bland, Alisha Kardian, Nicholas Laboe, Hua Sun, Tuyu Zheng, Amelia Hancock, Mark Zhai, Emma Caesar, Maxwell Park, Wilda Orisme, Melissa Johnson, Brittany Rodgers, Gregory H Turner, Jeffrey Steinberg, Burgess Freeman, Martine F Roussel, Anang Shelat, Richard Kriwacki, Thomas E Merchant, Benjamin Deneen, Michael D Taylor, Sameer Agnihotri, Shondra Pruett-Miller, Jacob A Steele, Anoop Murthy Kavirayani, David W Ellison, Arzu Onar-Thomas, Giles Robinson, Stephen C Mack, Kelsey C Bertrand

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Ependymoma (EPN) is the third most common pediatric brain tumor with no targeted therapies available to patients. In supratentorial ependymoma, the most frequent driver alteration is a gene fusion between ZFTA and RELA (denoted ZR), leads to constitutive localization of ZR in the nucleus. Because ZR is not currently druggable, we tested whether ZR expression leads to aberrant protein interactions that could represent therapeutic vulnerabilities.

Methods: Using CRISPR-Cas9 pooled screening, we identified many novel druggable ZR interacting proteins including XPO1, CARM1, SMARCA4, and CDK1. We focused on the nuclear export protein (XPO1), given the ability of most XPO1 inhibitors …

Evaluating The Suitability Of The Berg Balance Scale For Assessing Balance In Diabetes With And Without Prior Covid-19: A Methods-Validation Study, Garima Kaushik Dr, Sheetal Malhan Dr., Apoorva Tiwari Dr, Vishakha Daga Dr

Journal Of Indian Physician Associates

ABSTRACT

Background: Balance impairment in diabetes mellitus is predominantly driven by somatosensory loss secondary to peripheral neuropathy. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is widely used to evaluate functional balance, yet it mainly reflects motor performance and may not adequately represent sensory mechanisms. Following COVID-19, additional concerns regarding deconditioning have emerged, but interpretation depends on the measurement tool employed.

Objective: To examine the construct behavior and suitability of the BBS for assessing balance in individuals with diabetes with and without prior COVID-19 infection, and to determine whether the scale reflects known determinants of diabetic imbalance.

Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted …

Exploring Identity Through Clay: A Humanistic Art Therapy Case Study With A Blind Chinese Adoptee, Virginia Jade Leicht

Expressive Therapies Theses

This qualitative case study explored how working with clay in art therapy can help support a blind man’s identity exploration. This paper addresses the problem of many traditional therapeutic approaches within the art therapy realm: They rely too heavily on visual engagement, which can limit the accessibility and opportunities for self-exploration and identity development for those who are blind. The study was grounded in current research and foundational theories based on the humanistic art therapy approach. Clay is considered an accessible medium that engages multiple senses and allows for emotional exploration and meaning making, specifically through tactile and sensory-based engagement …

Inbreeding And The Fall Of The Spanish Habsburg Dynasty, Kira L. Kent

Honors Theses

Inbreeding and the Fall of the Spanish Habsburg Dynasty examines how centuries of consanguineous marriages within the Spanish Habsburg family contributed to the dynasty’s decline and eventual extinction. Focusing on the reign and health of Carlos II of Spain, this study explores how dynastic marriage strategies, which were designed to consolidate political power and preserve royal lineage, ultimately produced severe genetic consequences. This thesis analyzes patterns of intermarriage beginning with Carlos I and continuing through the next four monarchs, highlighting the repeated marriages between close relatives. These practices significantly increased the likelihood of inheriting harmful recessive traits. In addition, this …

Returning To Play: Play-Centered Art Therapy With Parentified Adult Caregivers, Paola Andrea Mendez Carreno

Expressive Therapies Theses

This research investigates the impact of play-centered art therapy on parentified adult caregivers, focusing on how creative interventions utilizing elements of play can support identity development, self-compassion, and relational capacity. The literature indicates that childhood parentification leads to identity loss and burnout, but creative play can foster neuroplasticity and emotional processing by allowing adults to externalize harmful narratives that have been internalized. To explore these concepts, the author conducted four sessions over six weeks with an adult participant at a private outpatient practice in Massachusetts. Play-centered activities included free collaging, puppet-making, and clay modeling, often involving moments of parallel play …

Chemometric Analysis Of Dissolved Organic Matter Using Fluorescence, Dani Fellner, Ken Overway

Honors Projects

Univariate spectroscopic techniques have been utilized to measure dissolved organic matter (DOM), but challenges arise in the separation and characterization due to similarities in chemical structures and spectral overlap. Multivariate techniques utilize a combination of known analytes with their unique excitation and emission spectra from fluorescence measurements to quantify amount of each analyte present in the mixture using parallel factor analysis. Tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine are common amino acids found in environmental samples and can be quantified due to their intrinsic fluorescence qualities. These amino acids can be utilized to estimate the amount of DOM in a sample since proteins …

Redlining And Neighborhood Health, Mariam Adams

McNair Scholars Collection

This research paper explores the historical impact of redlining and its connection to respiratory illness within communities of color. It acknowledges the role of social determinants of health, environmental pollution, and mental health disorders through comprehensive literature reviews. The primary objective is to investigate whether redlining contributes to adverse respiratory health outcomes among people of color living in these designated areas. The study delves into the discriminatory practice of redlining that relegated specific neighborhoods, predominantly inhabited by people of color, to substandard living conditions, limited resources, and reduced access to quality healthcare. By drawing upon evidence from various academic sources, …

Built To Move: How Osseointegration Is Defining Post-Amputation Recovery, Brionna Harden-Champion

McNair Scholars Collection

This project investigates the recovery timeline of osseointegration following limb amputation, focusing on surgery, rehabilitation, and prosthetic use compared to traditional socket prostheses.

Doctor Of Medicine Commencement: May 2, 2026, University Of North Dakota

UND Commencement Programs

UND Doctor of Medicine Commencement program from May 2, 2026.

Antibody-Drug Conjugates Beyond Her2 In Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Nsclc): Mechanisms, Emerging Targets, And Future Directions., Ahmed Ismail, Aakash Desai, George R Simon, Yanis Boumber

Oncology Articles

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a rapidly evolving class of oncology therapeutics that enable precise delivery of potent cytotoxic agents to tumor cells while minimizing systemic toxicity. While HER2-targeted ADCs such as trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) in HER2-mutant, Datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-Dxd) in EGFR-mutant, and telisotumumab vedotin (Teliso-V) in MET IHC 3+ expressing lung cancer have already established a clinical role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), multiple ADCs targeting alternative antigens, including additional TROP2 ADCs, HER3, MET, CEACAM5, B7-H3, Nectin-4, and others, are now in advanced clinical development. This review synthesizes the current evidence for non-HER2 ADCs in NSCLC, highlighting mechanisms of …

Losses And Labor: Experimental Insights Into Worker Effort Supply And Behavioral Biases, Maia Lemov

Economics Honors Projects

Worker effort supply is influenced not only by rational expectations but also biases such as framing and numerical presentation of incentives. Identifying these effects is essential for designing effective incentives. To study left-digit manipulation, loss aversion, and loss aversion prediction, I conducted an experiment in an online labor market. Participants completed a real-effort typing task, a willingness- to-pay (WTP) task, and a self-reported loss aversion survey. Loss framing and left-digit manipulation had no statistically significant effects on effort, with no interaction effect, suggesting their influence on effort-supply may be overstated or highly heterogeneous. Despite null treatment effects, behaviorally elicited loss …

Morphological Assessment Of Stage Hh38 Of The Japanese Quail (Coturnix Japonica) Heart By Micro-Sonogram, Jaden Roe, Ashlyn Benavides, Michael B. Filla, Douglas C. Bittel, Whitney Shae, Geetha Haligheri, James E. O'Brien, Nataliya Kibiryeva

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

A challenge of studying mammalian cardiac embryogenesis is the limited ability to perform experimental manipulations in animal models. The avian embryo is widely accepted as a model for mammalian heart developmental studies. In this study, we establish the methodology and protocols for studying the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) heart at embryonic day 10 (HH38) using the FUJIFILM VisualSonics Vevo 3100 ultrasound system equipped with a MX550D small animal cardiology transducer. These protocols were designed to measure right ventricular wall thickness, pulmonary artery diameter, and the outflow velocities of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) and the pulmonary artery …

Modulating The Plastisphere: Inhibiting Biofilm Formation Of Vibrio Spp., Kacian Clayton

Harriet L Wilkes Honors College Theses 2020 - Present

According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), approximately 19-23 million tons of plastic are released into the aquatic environment each year. Vibrio spp. are diverse gram-negative bacteria that inhabit these environments, capable of colonizing and forming biofilms on these plastic surfaces. In an age when anthropogenic activity exerts an undeniable influence on ecosystems, elucidating a way to regulate the interactions between plastic and vibrios is essential. In previous studies, Polymyxin B has demonstrated high efficacy against biofilm formation in gram-negative bacteria, including Vibrio cholerae. The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of cyclic lipopeptide antibiotics toward …

Morphological Assessment Of Stage Hh38 Of The Japanese Quail (Coturnix Japonica) Heart By Micro-Sonogram, Jaden Roe, Ashlyn Benavides, Michael B. Filla, Douglas C. Bittel, Whitney Shae, Geetha Haligheri, James E. O'Brien Jr., Nataliya Kibiryeva

Faculty and Staff Publications

A challenge of studying mammalian cardiac embryogenesis is the limited ability to perform experimental manipulations in animal models. The avian embryo is widely accepted as a model for mammalian heart developmental studies. In this study, we establish the methodology and protocols for studying the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) heart at embryonic day 10 (HH38) using the FUJIFILM VisualSonics Vevo 3100 ultrasound system equipped with a MX550D small animal cardiology transducer. These protocols were designed to measure right ventricular wall thickness, pulmonary artery diameter, and the outflow velocities of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) and the pulmonary artery …

Personalized Treatment Of Chronic Tendinopathy Using Ultrasound And Neuroimmune Markers: A Narrative Review, Rohan Phadke, Samer Salman, Kirtan Patel, Jad Wardeh, Akhil Marupudi, Rahul Kumar, Arbaz A. Momin, Alireza Tavakkoli

Department of Neurosurgery Faculty Papers

Introduction: : Chronic tendinopathy affects approximately 30% of musculoskeletal consultations, yet treatment outcomes remain inconsistent despite numerous available interventions. This variability stems from the absence of validated frameworks to match individual patients to optimal treatments based on underlying pathophysiology. To synthesize current evidence on ultrasound imaging biomarkers, neuroimmune mechanisms, and interventional therapies in chronic tendinopathy, and propose a clinically applicable framework integrating ultrasound phenotyping with neuroimmune assessment to guide personalized treatment selection. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science through December 2025. Studies examining ultrasound/elastography imaging, neuroimmune mechanisms, or treatment interventions in chronic …

How Do Anthropogenic Disturbance, Insect Diversity And Bird Diversity Intersect? A Study Based On Three Sites In Northern Ohio, Ella Kavanaugh, Micaela A. Tahta Dadourian, Isla Mccullough, Jason Gleditsch

Research Symposium

Human land use can influence bird and arthropod diversity as they change food availability, create edge effects between forest patches and developed land, and impact habitat composition. Many studies have been done to understand the impact of anthropogenic disturbance on bird and arthropod diversity showing forest-dependent species decreasing and generalist species increasing as forest composition changes. Our research aims to expand upon the factors that affect bird and arthropod diversity in three sites that vary in land use and human disruption. To determine the influence of anthropogenic activity, we focused on the variation of bird diversity across our sites related …

Guess Who?

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Measuring Disability Prevalence In Healthcare: A Study Comparing Two Disability Measures, Kristen L. Milefchik, Rhonda K. Dailey, Sharon Milberger

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

People with disabilities experience significant health disparities and interventions are needed to address them. Measuring disability prevalence is an essential aspect of designing effective, data-driven healthcare strategies. Accurately measuring disability prevalence is challenging given disability is a complex phenomenon, with biological, social, environmental, and cultural components. Previous studies have compared a variety of disability status measurements and found that measurements were incongruent with each other. This study examines the concordance between disability status using two different measures: the nationally recognized American Community Survey (ACS-6) functional difficulty questions and one disability identity question. We used data from 3,621 adult patients participating …

From Cellphone Surface To Microbial Identity: Characterization Of An Unknown Bacterium, Raayan Haseeb Jafri

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This presentation explores the identification of an unknown bacterium isolated from a cellphone, highlighting the presence of microorganisms on everyday surfaces. Through microscopy, biochemical testing, and metabolic analysis, the organism was systematically characterized based on its morphology and physiological properties. Key tests included Gram staining, motility analysis, and multiple biochemical assays to determine metabolic capabilities. The results suggest that the organism is a Gram-positive, non-motile, fermentative bacterium most consistent with a Streptococcus species. This project demonstrates the importance of microbial identification and emphasizes the relevance of microorganisms in human-associated environments.

Elucidating The Function Of An Evolutionarily Conserved Embryonic Splice Variant Of Type Ii Collagen During Vertebrate Development, Taylor Woolman

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

This study investigates the role of exon 2 in the zebrafish col2a1a gene, a paralog of the human COL2A1 gene essential for connective tissue and skeletal development. Exon 2 encodes the von Willebrand Factor Type C (VWF-C) domain, which binds TGF-β ligands involved in embryonic dorsoventral patterning. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we aim to delete exon 2 and prevent expression of the embryonic splice variant (v1), forcing premature use of the post-embryonic variant (v2). We hypothesize that loss of the VWF-C domain will disrupt TGF-β signaling, leading to defects in embryonic development and vertebral formation.

Phosphorylation And Isomerization Of The Synaptic Scaffold Protein Psd-95, Sai Kanuru

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

PSD-95 is an important scaffolding protein located in the postsynaptic density that is abundant in glutamatergic synapses in the brain. It provides structural support for receptors in the postsynaptic membrane. It has been shown to be implicated in various neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease and schizophrenia. It plays a crucial role in mediating NMDA receptor-dependent LTD, which is one of the primary mechanisms behind synaptic plasticity. NMDAR-LTD is dependent on multiple posttranslational modifications, one of which being phosphorylation. Our experiments investigated Pin1 mediated isomerization and phosphorylation of T19.

Modeling The Influence Of Environmental Factors On Invasive P. Clarkii Catch Per Unit Effort In An Urban River System, Penelope Reynolds, Reuben Keller, Rachel Anelise Rogers

Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium

Procambarus clarkii is an invasive crayfish species that has recently become established in the North Shore Channel of the Chicago River. The Keller Lab has been intensively trapping P. clarkii in the NSC and collecting data for the past eight years with the goal of reducing population growth and species spread. My research will use our collection of data and analyze it against multiple different environmental variables to explore the potential relationships between P. clarkii catch-per-unit-effort and environmental conditions. These relationships could provide insight on future trapping methods to maximize our invasive species removal efforts.

Greatness In Now - The Class Of 2019 Remembers A Classmate, Richard F. Roadcap Dds

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Double Standard - Diy And Ethics, Elizabeth C. Stapleston Leiner Dds

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

Va Dent J July, August And September 2019

Virginia Dental Journal

No abstract provided.

An Evaluation Of Biologically-Inspired Slam Models Against Traditional Models, Colby Mullins, Asadbek Nematov, Ross Volenec, Chance Hamilton, Alfredo Weitzenfeld

Bellini College REU Symposium (BCREUS)

This research presents a comparative analysis of biologically-inspired SLAM models (RatSLAM [2], SeqSLAM [3]) versus traditional feature-based geometric SLAM (ORB-SLAM3 [1]) to establish a standardized framework for evaluating accuracy, robustness, and computational efficiency under varying environmental conditions. To ensure an equitable baseline, models are subjected to a unified testing pipeline across real-world datasets (Oxford RobotCar clear and overcast sequences) and controlled Webots simulations (day/night and seasonal centerlines) using timestamp-aligned 480p monocular PNG images. Within this pipeline, pose estimations are standardized to the TUM trajectory format, and spatial alignment and scale correction are applied via the evo evaluation library [4] to …

Beyond Folded Proteins: Assessing The Limits Of Ai Structure Prediction For Intrinsically Disordered Complexes, Juan Velasquez, Faith Robinson, Sebastien Ghent, Taseef Rahman

Bellini College REU Symposium (BCREUS)

Introduction & Problem

Intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and their associated “fuzzy” complexes represent a major unresolved challenge in structural biology. Unlike traditional protein complexes that adopt stable, well-defined tertiary structures, fuzzy complexes retain conformational heterogeneity even in the bound state [1]. This dynamic behavior is functionally important in processes such as transcriptional regulation, signaling, and phase separation, but it complicates both experimental characterization and computational prediction. Recent advances in deep learning-based protein structure prediction, particularly AlphaFold2 and its successors, have demonstrated near-experimental accuracy for ordered proteins [2]. However, these models are fundamentally trained on static structural data, primarily derived from …

Preventative Healthcare With Wings, Ella Bruzek

Research Symposium

Vultures are the most important scavenger species on Earth. They fill a critical niche for ecological and public health by rapidly locating and consuming carrion that may otherwise contaminate soil and water sources, allow for an increase in populations of mammalian scavengers, and lead to disease outbreaks. Vulture populations worldwide are declining. Of the six vulture species in South Africa, all species are classified as either vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. Ongoing threats such as black market activity, poisoning, and other forms of poaching continue to drive this population loss. This is frightening considering that in South Asia, where vulture …