Digital Commons Network^™

Adapting A Behavioral Intervention For Caregivers Of Children With Down Syndrome Or Fragile X Syndrome: A Pilot Study Of Rubi-Dd., Allison D. Blackburn, Walker S. Mckinney Ph.D., Allison M. Birnschein, Anna J. Esbensen, Shelley Mckinley, Hilary Rosselot, Emily K. Hoffman, Craig Erickson, Rebecca Shaffer

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Challenging behaviors, including noncompliance, aggression, hyperactivity, and impulsivity, are common among individuals with Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) and Down Syndrome (DS). To identify treatment needs specific to these populations, we conducted focus groups with caregivers and educators and used their input to adapt an evidence-based caregiver training program originally designed for caregivers of autistic children (i.e., The Research Units in Behavioral Intervention; RUBI). We then completed a feasibility trial in which five families of children with FXS and four families of children with DS completed a nine-session caregiver training program targeting behavioral principles, syndrome-specific information, and visual supports tailored to …

Influence Of Ceramic Thickness And Cad/Cam Ceramic Materials On The Fracture Resistance Of Indirect Restorations: An In Vitro Study, Lara El Hanach, Karim Corbani, Nabil Ghosn, Ryan Harouny, Cynthia Kassis

International Arab Journal of Dentistry

Objectives: This in-vitro study aimed to evaluate the impact of different CAD/CAM materials (IPS e.max® CAD and Cerasmart®) and thicknesses (0.7 mm, 1 mm, and 1.5 mm) on the fracture resistance of indirect overlay restorations.

Methods: Sixty-three human third molars were divided into 7 groups (n=9) based on material and thickness, including a control group of 9 sound teeth. Only 54 specimens were prepared using a thin-section cutting machine, scanned, and their scans were used to fabricate overlays from different materials and thicknesses. After adhesive cementation, the overlays underwent thermal cyclic loading (5,000 cycles between 5°C and 55°C). A universal …

Archer Snaps By Blessing In These Guys, Varren Coehn L. Gan, Enzel Hansburg S. Khee, Darrion Kyler C. Lim, Paul Ryan L. So, Jeffrey S. Xu, Nerisse Estrada

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

Archer Snaps was established on July 24, 2024, by five (5) senior high school students from De La Salle University-Manila (DLSU) with the goal of capturing meaningful student experiences through a personalized photo booth service. Inspired by the slogan, “You will never realize the value of a moment until it becomes a memory,” Archer Snaps turns everyday campus moments into lasting memorabilia that celebrate Lasallian pride. Launched as a sole proprietorship during the DLSU ABM Bazaar, the business offered photo strips with exclusive DLSU-themed borders explicitly designed for the Lasallian community. Within its first two (2) months, Archer Snaps sold …

Terrapiya, Rein Valerie A. Acuzar, Gabrielle D. Dingalsan, Marian Edilynne G. Lim, Vincent Andre B. Namuag, Xian Iverson A. Tan, Roderick Pangindian

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

Terrapiya was formed in 2024 by a team of ABM students at DLSU-Manila to address the lack of accessible greenery in urban spaces. Specializing in customizable miniature terrariums, Terrapiya has grown from a school project into a promising venture, now entering early commercialization through successful market testing and direct sales. Its advantage lies in customizable designs, locally sourced materials, and a strong sustainability ethos. The business possesses no proprietary rights but operates as a sole proprietorship to streamline decision-making processes under Rein Acuzar. She is supported by a proficient team comprising Ms. Lim, Mr. Tan, Ms. Dingsalsan, and Mr. Namuag, …

South’In, Sa’Tin: Satin-Lined Caps To Counter Hair Thinning, Gian Dormido, Ethan Rafael F. Navarra, Franzin Esra R. Quintana, Sofia Angela M. Ordoña, Generie M. Manuel

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

Founded in May 2024 to address scalp and hair health issues common among Gen Zs, South’In was organized by five De La Salle University SHS ABM students. The group conceptualized and crafted a bull cap brand that innovates traditional headwear through satin-lined caps. With an investment of ₱25,000.00, the venture initially earned ₱5,723.30 in net profit during its initial launch. Operating as a sole proprietorship with a functional structure, South’In offers its distinct fusion of satin’s hair and scalp benefits with everyday cap comfort, making it unique both in purpose and product. The cap design comes with three interchangeable fins …

In The Hood, Arvie G. Alignay, Chloe Sofia Margaret C. Llamas, Adrian Carlo G. Mariano, Juliana Adrienne Monta, Jaerus Aloysius B. Panganiban, Aldrin C. Balite

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

In The Hood, founded in July 2024, is an outdoor apparel brand offering sustainable, functional, stylish, and affordable wear suited for the Philippines’ wet and dry climate. It is a sole proprietorship owned by Ms. Juliana Monta, assisted by a management team composed of Mr. Arvie Alignay as head of operations, Mr. Adrian Mariano as head of marketing, Mr. Jaerus Panganiban as head of finance, and Ms. Chloe Llamas as head of human resources. The management executives contribute specialized expertise based on their functional areas, enabling effective organizational oversight and decision-making. Operating within the highly saturated outdoor apparel market, In …

Rethinking The Revolution: Reimagining The Relationship Between People And Power Through Rousseau’S General Will, Avah Jimaria N. Marzan, Terrence Luis M. Reyes, Miguel Jae P. Asido, Ma. Angelica Therese Soriano Abiera, Armione Kiera M. Magadia, Kataryna Theriz M. Dato-On, Naoemi Mikka Ella Weill

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

The 1986 EDSA Revolution was a pivotal moment in Philippine history, where Filipinos united to oppose the tyranny under the dictatorship of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.. However, the country still faces long-term instabilities in its aftermath. Thus, by accounting for the facets contributing to the discourse of the general will, the paper examines EDSA through Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s theory to ascertain whether political rallies are compatible under a social contract—an agreement concerning individuals’ rights and responsibilities to stimulate respectful coexistence and law adherence. This paper argues that political rallies are compatible if they uphold the general will and when the …

Water Quality In Estero De Balete Using Moringa Oleifera-Enhanced Bokashi Balls: Heavy Metals, Turbidity, And Acidity, Alliyah Kirstyn B. Rafols, Gian Rafael T. Bergania, William Bradley S. Catli, Sheila Mae E. De Leon, Marie Antoinette V. Robles, Shalee Mae C. Gregorio, Ma. Cassandra G. Carbon, Juris Faith E. Calibjo, Eushabelle Hope C. Uy, Rian Kyle A. Aragon, Czhenn Kellie A. De Guzman, Mickaella Rosewyn E. Urzabia, John Albert D. Gurtiza

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

Water pollution threatens public health and the environment, particularly in developing countries. Estero de Balete in Manila, Philippines, a tributary of the Pasig River, is affected by heavy metal contamination, murky water, and highly acidic water. This study examined Moringa oleifera-enhanced Bokashi balls for bioremediation purposes. The Bokashi balls were prepared with effective microorganisms (EM-1), molasses, rice hulls, and garden clay soil, incorporating varying concentrations of Moringa oleifera seed powder and pods (0.10 g, 0.25 g, and 0.40 g) in comparison to a control setup. Water samples were tested for lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), turbidity, and pH. The results revealed …

Star Apple (Chrysophyllum Cainito) Leaf & Banana (Musa Acuminata) Peel Extract As A Hydrophobic Coating For Cardboard, Ferdinand F. Begnaen, Missy Noelle C. Velasco, Mary Catherine M. Alfonso, Sharee Mae A. Tamayo, Ashley Irish V. Balneg, Crizanne R. Barsatan, David Isaiah S. Gengania, Rivi N. Wacnisen, Nikah Mei I. James

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

This research aims to find a natural way to make cardboard more water-resistant, increasing its recyclability and lifespan by using banana peels (BP) and star apple leaves (SAL). The inspiration behind this study comes from commercial coatings that are made from synthetic chemicals, such as fluoropolymers and silicone, that can harm the environment. Since cardboard easily absorbs water, the researchers tested different mixtures of BP and SAL to determine which combination works best as a coating. Using ethanol maceration to extract hydrophobic compounds, epicuticular wax was obtained from SAL, while powdered BP was macerated with hexane. The extracts were concentrated …

The Role Of Social Media In Philippine Disaster Management: A Systematic Literature Review, Maxim Alexandrite V. Inoferio, Rich Angelo P. Santos, Henry Joshua A. Hernandez, Jeyson T. Taeza

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

Despite the Philippines being one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, research on the role of social media in its disaster risk management remains limited. This study addresses this gap through a systematic review of existing literature on social media use in Philippine disaster risk management. The analysis is framed within the context of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and its four thematic areas: Prevention and Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Rehabilitation and Recovery, which guide disaster risk reduction efforts in the country. Results show that social media is primarily employed in response to typhoons and earthquakes, …

Bioluminescent Bacteria In Squid Ink (Photololigo Duvaucelii) As A Potential Water Pollution Indicator At Selected Areas In Dasmariñas, Cavite, Jessica Rae G. Siyang, Remien Grace Balidvid, Aleeva Alexa V. Carrascal, Alyssa Mae V. Libranza, Arisha Jianne R. Dias, Pauline L. Cueno

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

Bioluminescent bacteria are light-emitting microorganisms that are commonly found among marine species. In this study, bioluminescent bacteria were isolated from squid samples and submerged in selected water samples from Ylang-Ylang River and Dasmariñas Zone I River in Dasmariñas, Cavite, to determine whether they can be a potential water pollution indicator based on its bioluminescence intensity. The squid ink extracted from 6 squid samples was streaked on marine agar plates and incubated for 24 hours. The microplates were filled with 0.75 μL bioluminescent bacteria and 0.75 μL of polluted water samples and sterile water per three rows, where the light intensities …

Assessing The Eutrophication Potential Of Manila Bay Using Landsat 8-Derived Ndvi And Ndwi Parameters, Sean Andre D. Calajate, Tristan Josef A. Tolentino, Francis Edric M. Robles, Maria Francesca I. Rojas, Angela Nicole S. Masongsong, John Ray Cordova Estrellado

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

Eutrophication, characterized by the presence of excess aquatic nutrients, poses a detrimental environmental threat to Philippine water bodies such as Manila Bay, consequently degrading water quality and augmenting algal blooms that harm aquatic life. This may be caused by a variety of issues, such as urbanization and assorted nutrient overloading. Thus, monitoring of its susceptibility to eutrophication is a valuable step in mitigating its potential effects. This study utilized Landsat-8 derived satellite imagery of Manila Bay to analyze the eutrophication potential (EP) of the bay from January 2024 to December 2024 using the open-access QGIS software for processing. Two spectral …

Asclepad: A Sustainable Wound Dressing Pad Using Chitosan And Vitamin C Infused Milkfish (Chanos Chanos) Skin For Advanced Wound Care, Diether Mark A. Lucero, Ramon Jacob L. Caluag, Juan Miguel M. Elayda, Marcelino G. Gigantone Jr.

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

Medical waste is an overlooked issue posing a significant environmental and public health threat, with 4.7 billion tons generated annually, accounting for 3% of overall waste, and wound dressing pads being a major contributor. Vitamin C, involved in all phases of wound healing, demonstrates synergy with Chitosan, a polysaccharide ideal for medical and cosmetic applications. Milkfish (Chanos chanos) skin, a dominant commercial fish in the Philippines, shows synergy with Chitosan and Vitamin C in wound healing. Thus, aligning with SDGs 3, 12, and 13, this study aims to synthesize and evaluate AsclePad, a sustainable wound dressing pad infused with Chitosan …

Analyzing Air Quality In De La Salle University Manila And Laguna Campuses, Jessica Abigail Ang Ang, Juliene Matheson Tan Ang, Gillian Martoni Diaz, Terese Tan Ong Hian Huy, Ofelia Rempillo

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

As urbanization rates rose, air pollution has become an increasing concern in our society, leading to poor air quality and several cases of respiratory diseases and illnesses. Adequate air quality levels were needed in indoor environments such as schools, as people spend the majority of their time indoors. Thus, this study aimed to assess the ambient air quality in the vicinity of the DLSU campuses in Manila and Laguna by determining the current level of Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns (PM2.5) while also evaluating indoor air quality at two different locations in the Manila campus by measuring PM2.5 and …

A Vector Autoregressive (Var) Model For The Hourly Forecasting Of Climatological Data In General Santos City, Jezzu Morrisen C. Quimosing, Feevol S. Into, Ayeesha Kate N. Castro, Criss Allyn C. Hongoy, Bai Ashfahana A. Abdullah, Ma. Sofia Franchesca P. Dizor, Leo James M. Podador, Joshua Caleb G. Pagalan, Ralph Laurence Valdueza

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

With rising concerns over climate change and its impacts, this study develops and evaluates a Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model to forecast climatological data in General Santos City: surface pressure, specific humidity, wind speed, air temperature, precipitation, UVA and UVB irradiance, with data from January 1, 2001 to June 30, 2024. Mean hour calculations confirmed seasonality via the QS test (p < 0.001) for all variables except precipitation; Mann-Kendall tests indicated significant trends for all tested variables, and UV irradiances were the only variables with no significant long‐term trend. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller Test (p < 0.001) established stationarity of variables, and Granger‐causal relationships were identified. Results indicated a bidirectional Granger-causal relationship between variable pairs (p < 0.001). The AIC-based model selection identified VAR(168) as the best-fitting model, effectively capturing cyclic patterns up to one week. The residuals passed the Ljung-Box tests for no residual autocorrelation (p > 0.05), and OLS-CUSUM plots indicated structural stability. Mean root-mean-square error determined out-of-sample forecasting accuracy to be good for most variables, and poor for UVA and UVB irradiance; therefore, while the VAR(168) model does generate accurate forecasts, it still presents challenges. …

Optimization Of Iron (Iii) Removal Using Mango (Mangifera Indica) Peel Activated Carbon Biosorbent With Varying Adsorbent Dosage, Contact Time, And Temperature, Enzo Damian Berosa Magbatoc, Janssen Cahayon Mendoza, Pierre Cyrus Austria Obando, Fiona Bianca Tabares Saulon, Shelah Alfaro

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

Heavy metal contamination in natural water sources poses a significant threat to public health, aquatic ecosystems, and environmental safety in affected communities. This study explores the utilization of Mango Peel Activated Carbon (MPAC), derived from ripe mango (Mangifera indica) peels, as a biosorbent for removing Iron(III) from aqueous solution, which underwent a sequence of physical and chemical activation processes. This examined key parameters such as A: adsorbent dosage (0.025–0.1 g/L), B: contact time (15–35 minutes), and C: temperature (25–35 °C), in order to assess its potential as a sustainable clean water solution. A Box-Behnken Design under Response Surface Methodology (RSM) …

Critical Heavy Metal Contamination In The Tigris River, Baghdad: A Comprehensive Assessment Using The Metal Index (Mi), Talib Kamil Abed, Abass J. Kadhem, Muwafaq Hussein Al-Lami

AUIQ Technical Engineering Science

One of the most important rivers in Iraq is the Tigris River, which serves as the primary source of drinking water and irrigation for agricultural purposes. In recent events, researchers have identified growing concerns about heavy metal contamination in the river. To decide the status of the Tigris River, the metal index (MI) was used in this study. To conduct this study, three locations were chosen along the river, and eight likely harmful heavy metals were examined: iron (Fe), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), cadmium (Cd), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu). The results were worrying. The metal …

Aquifer Characteristics And Groundwater Flow Modeling For Sustainable Water Resources Development And Planning Using Modflow Software In India, Ravi Sharma

AUIQ Complementary Biological System

MODFLOW is one of the most commonly used numerical models for simulating groundwater flow. Its structured data design and compatibility with GIS tools make it suitable for groundwater assessment and planning. Groundwater forms an important part of the hydrological cycle and occurs within the pore spaces of sedimentary rocks or within fractures in hard rock terrains. Although its distribution beneath the surface is not always uniform or predictable, it is still considered one of the cleanest, most accessible, and quickly available freshwater sources. Numerical groundwater models help convert complex subsurface processes into simplified relationships that describe flow behavior. Even though …

University Students’ Attitudes Toward And Intentions To Use Generative Ai In The Classroom: Findings From Pre- And Post-Genai Teaching Initiative Surveys, Yanfeng Xu, Hengtao Tang, Gareth Rees-White, Oz Ince, Allison Byxbe, Michael Stoeltzner, Gloria Washington, Shan Qiao, Sicheng Wang, Mercy S. Namateng, Omar Roy

Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange (JETDE)

This study aimed to examine and compare factors associated with support for integrating GenAI into classroom settings and the intention to use GenAI tools in future education among students in pre- and post-GenAI teaching initiative surveys in an R1 university in the United States. Online surveys via Qualtrics were administered at the start and end of the Fall 2024 semester. Descriptive and bivariate analyses and ordered logistic regression models were conducted. In the pre-GenAI teaching initiative survey, significant predictors associated with students’ support for GenAI tools were students’ interest in GenAI and perceived usefulness. Significant predictors associated with their intention …

How Does A Structured Pre-Operative Airway Assessment Influence Anesthesiologists' Prediction Of A Difficult Airway In Surgical Patients?, Anjana Palanisamy

Mentorship Program 2025-2026

No abstract provided.

Autoimmune Mechanisms In Giant Cell Arteritis And Their Role In Vascular Injury, Sivasurya Elango

Mentorship Program 2025-2026

No abstract provided.

Views And Experiences Regarding Workplace Genetic Testing: Findings From A National Survey Of U.S. Employees., Drew Blasco, Sarah Mccain, Subhamoy Pal, Wendy R Uhlmann, Rebecca Ferber, Kunal Sanghavi, Elizabeth Charnysh, Anya E R Prince, Charles Lee, J Scott Roberts, Insight @ Work Consortium

Faculty Research 2026

The emergence of voluntary health-related genetic testing in workplace wellness programs indicates a need to understand employees’ views and experiences regarding workplace genetic testing (wGT). A large, diverse national sample of employed adults (N=2000; median age=43 years; 51.1% female; 33% non-white) completed a web survey of their wGT views and experiences. Although 80% of participants indicated their employer did not offer wGT, 54.1% were interested in testing, especially (somewhat/very) for cancer (89.2%), heart disease (93.1%), and Alzheimer’s disease (85.3%). Characteristics associated with wGT interest included younger age (< 55 years), Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, genetic testing experience or familiarity, and a positive family medical history (all p< 0.05). Reasons for pursuing wGT (e.g., inform health behaviors) were endorsed more frequently than reasons for declining (e.g., insurance/employability concerns). Among participants offered wGT (20%), 60% indicated having undergone testing. Test uptake was associated with personal medical history, greater familiarity with genetic testing, and self-reported physical health (all p< 0.05). A minority of employed adults surveyed reported being offered, or having had, wGT. Nevertheless, many employees are potentially interested in wGT, particularly for common diseases. Although employees have wGT concerns, many view it as beneficial to inform health behaviors and decisions.

Views And Experiences Regarding Workplace Genetic Testing: Findings From A National Survey Of U.S. Employees., Drew Blasco, Sarah Mccain, Subhamoy Pal, Wendy R Uhlmann, Rebecca Ferber, Kunal Sanghavi, Elizabeth Charnysh, Anya E R Prince, Charles Lee, J Scott Roberts, The Insight @ Work Consortium

Faculty Research 2026

The emergence of voluntary health-related genetic testing in workplace wellness programs indicates a need to understand employees’ views and experiences regarding workplace genetic testing (wGT). A large, diverse national sample of employed adults (N=2000; median age=43 years; 51.1% female; 33% non-white) completed a web survey of their wGT views and experiences. Although 80% of participants indicated their employer did not offer wGT, 54.1% were interested in testing, especially (somewhat/very) for cancer (89.2%), heart disease (93.1%), and Alzheimer’s disease (85.3%). Characteristics associated with wGT interest included younger age (< 55 years), Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, genetic testing experience or familiarity, and a positive family medical history (all p< 0.05). Reasons for pursuing wGT (e.g., inform health behaviors) were endorsed more frequently than reasons for declining (e.g., insurance/employability concerns). Among participants offered wGT (20%), 60% indicated having undergone testing. Test uptake was associated with personal medical history, greater familiarity with genetic testing, and self-reported physical health (all p< 0.05). A minority of employed adults surveyed reported being offered, or having had, wGT. Nevertheless, many employees are potentially interested in wGT, particularly for common diseases. Although employees have wGT concerns, many view it as beneficial to inform health behaviors and decisions.

Social Control And Neglect At A Crossroads: Unpacking The Interactive Effects Of Residential Segregation And Violence On Pretrial Detention, Paige Vaughn, Joshua H. Williams

Faculty Publications

Racial segregation and violent crime are both important predictors of jurisdiction-level criminal justice outcomes, yet little research has examined their influences on front-end detention patterns and how they may interact to shape local punishment practices. The current study uses official sources and Vera Institute of Justice data spanning 1496 decennial county-years (374 counties from 1980 to 2010) to examine the independent and combined effects of county-level racial segregation and violent crime on pretrial detention rates. Drawing on group threat and minority neglect arguments, we find that high segregation levels are associated with neglect, especially in violent areas. Reduced segregation between …

Evaluating The Effect Of Rna Interference Of X-Box Binding Protein 1 (Xbp1) On Survival And Fecundity In Acyrthosiphon Pisum, James Balthazor, Jacob Lutgen

Chemistry Faculty Publications

Acyrthosiphon pisum (pea aphid) is a major pest of Fabaceae (legume) crops, causing direct feeding damage and transmitting plant viruses. Conventional control relies on broad-spectrum insecticides and natural enemies, both of which can harm non-target organisms and ecosystems. RNA interference (RNAi) offers a promising, species-specific alternative by silencing essential genes via double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). This study targeted X-Box Binding Protein 1 (XBP1), a key transcription factor in the Unfolded Protein Response (UPR) pathway that regulates proper protein folding in the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER). This chaperone promotes folding of newly synthesized polypeptides and helps manage misfolded proteins. Silencing the XBP1 gene …

Eligibility For Amyloid Targeting Therapies Among Primary Care Patients With Cognitive Symptoms, Beata Borgström Bolmsjö, Josef Barbosa Djärf, Danielle Van Westen, Suzanne E Schindler, Ayesha Fawad, Lyduine Collij, Ruben Smith, Niklas Mattsson-Carlgren, Erik Stomrud, Pontus Tideman, Oskar Hansson, Sebastian Palmqvist

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and a growing healthcare challenge. Amyloid-targeting therapies (ATT) may slow progression, but implementation is limited by logistical and economic barriers. As primary care is the first contact for most patients with cognitive concerns, quantifying treatment eligibility in this setting is essential. The purpose of this study was to estimate the proportion of primary care patients presenting with cognitive symptoms who are eligible for ATT. METHODS: This cohort study included patients presenting with cognitive symptoms in primary care across the region Skåne, in southern Sweden, recruited between January 2020 and …

Pearl Burns

African American Funeral Programs

Program for the funeral of Pearl Burns, held at Simmons Branch Missionary Baptist Church on March 21, 2026.

Analyzing Methods To Support Students Left Behind In Colorado Primary/Secondary Schools, Grace Hudson

Undergraduate Theses, Capstones, and Recitals

In the United States, there has been an increase of deportations, since 2024, of undocumented immigrants. This has disproportionally affected Mexicans and others from Latin American countries (Dreby 2012) due to them being the largest group of undocumented people in the United States. One effect of these deportations is an increase in children that are left in the United States while their parent(s) are in detention or have been deported. Some of these children are in mixed-status families, which means that the child has a different citizenship status than their parents or other members in their family, which allows for …

Addressing The Problems Of Data Variations, Quality, And Scarcity In Training Deep Neural Networks, Jian Sun

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The performance of deep neural networks (DNNs) is strongly influenced by the characteristics and quality of the underlying datasets. This Ph.D. dissertation addresses three pervasive data challenges-imbalance, quality degradation, and scarcity-that commonly hinder the effectiveness of DNNs in computer vision (CV) and natural language processing (NLP) applications.

Class imbalance remains one of the most frequent causes of degraded model generalization. While Focal Loss effectively mitigates inter-class imbalance by assigning higher weights to minority classes, it struggles with intra-class imbalance, particularly in video datasets where longer clips dominate feature representation. To address this, I implement and utilize …

Contribution Of G4 Structure To Alzheimer’S Disease And Tau Pathology, Lena Michaela Kallweit

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The occurrence of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is rapidly increasing as our global population ages. With the majority of therapeutic drugs in the last couple of decades failing clinical trials, new molecular targets are needed to combat the expected influx of new AD cases. AD pathogenesis is associated with abnormal protein aggregation, characterized in part by intracellular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau) in neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). RNA has been identified as a major non-proteinaceous component of NFTs and has been implicated as an active cofactor in tau aggregation and spread. Recent work has shown that aggregates from AD brains contain almost …