Digital Commons Network^™

One Tracer, Dual Platforms: Unlocking Versatility Of Fluorescent Probes In Tr-Fret And Nanobret Target Engagement Assays, Erika Y Monroy, Xin Yu, Dong Lu, Xiaoli Qi, Jin Wang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Target engagement assays are essential for drug discovery, utilizing Time-Resolved Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (TR-FRET) and Nano Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (NanoBRET) as complementary methods for biochemical and cellular evaluation. Traditional platforms require distinct fluorescent tracers, increasing costs and complexity. This study systematically evaluates the cross-platform performance of T2-BODIPY-FL and T2-BODIPY-589, tracers developed for receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIPK1) target engagement in TR-FRET and NanoBRET applications, respectively. Our results demonstrate both tracers effectively bridge biochemical and cellular assays, providing reliable measurements. T2-BODIPY-589 demonstrates superior performance in NanoBRET (Z’ up to 0.80) and acceptable functionality in TR-FRET (Z’=0.53). Conversely, T2-BODIPY-FL performs …

Baby Open Brains: An Open-Source Dataset Of Infant Brain Segmentations, Eric Feczko, Dimitrios Alexopoulos, Christopher D Smyser, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Reproducibility of neuroimaging research on infant brain development remains limited due to highly variable processing approaches. Progress towards reproducible pipelines is limited by a lack of benchmarks such as gold-standard brain segmentations. These segmentations are limited by the difficulty of infant brain segmentations, which require extensive neuroanatomical knowledge and are time-consuming in nature. Addressing this, we constructed the Baby Open Brains (BOBs) Dataset, an open source resource of manually curated and expert reviewed infant brain segmentations. Anatomical MRI data was segmented from 71 infant imaging visits across 51 participants, using both T1w and T2w images per visit. Images showed dramatic …

Multimodal Spatial Transcriptomic Characterization Of Mouse Kidney Injury And Repair, Qiao Xuanyuan, Haojia Wu, Hemalatha Sundaramoorthi, Pierre Isnard, Changfeng Chen, Waleed Rahmani, Benjamin D Humphreys

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The transition from acute kidney injury to chronic kidney disease is characterized by significant changes in the cellular composition and molecular interactions within the kidney. Utilizing high-resolution Xenium and whole transcriptome Visium spatial transcriptomics platforms, we analyze over a million cells on 12 male mouse kidneys across six stages of renal injury and repair. We define and validate 20 major kidney cell populations and delineate distinct cellular neighborhoods through this multimodal spatial analysis. We further reveal a specific fibro-inflammatory niche enriched in failed-repair proximal tubule cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells, with conserved neighborhood gene signatures across mouse and human. Within …

Hybrid Reference Genome Assembly For The Archetypal Leishmania (Viannia) Guyanensis Bearing The Dsrna Totivirus Lrv1, Peter J Myler, Gowthaman Ramasamy, Wesley C Warren, Deborah E Dobson, Stephen M Beverley

2020-Current year OA Pubs

We report a high-quality hybrid genome assembly and annotation for a

Cortical Spectral Dynamics Of Vibrotactile Frequency Processing, Nabi Rustamov, Phillip Demarest, Zhuangyu Han, Safia Mohamud, Simon Haroutounian, Eric C Leuthardt

2020-Current year OA Pubs

While scientific research has extensively explored how the brain integrates touch and pain signals, the cerebral processing of specific vibrotactile frequencies remains poorly understood. This gap is particularly significant given clinical evidence that vibrotactile stimulation can reduce pain in both chronic pain patients and experimental settings. Our study investigated the cortical electrophysiological correlates of peripheral vibrotactile stimulation across different frequencies in healthy volunteers, with a focus on frequency-dependent patterns of neuronal activation. While electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded, healthy participants received vibrotactile stimulation (high-frequency burst stimulation with different inter-burst intervals) to the left index fingertip at frequencies corresponding to established neural …

Genetic Deletion Of The Sodium Phosphate Cotransporter Napi2a Ameliorates Heart Failure In Mice, Hiroko Yamauchi-Sawada, Benjamin D Humphreys, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Apical membrane sodium transporters in renal proximal tubules, such as sodium-glucose co-transporter 2, are attractive therapeutic targets for the treatment of heart failure (HF). Sodium-phosphate co-transporter 2a (NaPi2a) is predominantly expressed in the apical membrane of proximal tubular epithelia and functions to reabsorb filtered phosphate and sodium. It currently remains unclear whether the inhibition of NaPi2a attenuates HF. We found that NaPi2a deficiency improved the cardiac phenotypes of the HF models of transverse aortic constriction (TAC) and doxorubicin (Dox) cardiotoxicity. Natriuretic and phosphaturetic effects were observed in NaPi2a-KO mice under normal conditions, resulting in low serum phosphate and fibroblast growth …

Stari: Starlight Acquisition And Reflection Toward Interferometry, John D. Monnier, James Cutler, Michael Meyer, Caden Burkhardt, Akshat Dubey, Jacob Klingler, Raven St. Clair, Shivani Sunil, Daniil Voloshin, Leonid Pogorelyuk, Melissa Flores, Albert Ostoja-Starzewski, Simone D'Amico, Ethan Foss, Prachet Jain, Antonio Rizza, E. Glenn Lightsey, Althea Noonan, Kerri Cahoy, Gautam Vasisht

Small Satellite Conference

We introduce the NASA-funded mission STARI (STarlight Acquisition and Reflection toward Interferometry). We plan to demonstrate the first transfer of starlight between two separate spacecraft, a key technology step towards long-baseline interferometry. Consisting of two propulsive 6U CubeSats flying in Low Earth Orbit separated by ∼100 meters, STARI will reflect a small beam of starlight from the Chief spacecraft toward the Deputy spacecraft, where the light will be collected by an off-axis parabola and focused into a single-mode fiber. With the use of differential Global Positioning System (GPS), visual LED beacons and fast-steering-mirrors (FSMs), we aim for continuous high-throughput fiber …

Tes-11 Goes Dcs Demonstration: A Novel Leo-To-Geo Communication System For Nanosatellites, Marcus S. Murbach, Beau Backus, Brett H. Bestill, David B. Kunkee, Thom Stone, Alejandro Salas, Malachi Mooney-Rivkin, Vasant Chalemcherla

Small Satellite Conference

A satellite in any low Earth orbit (LEO), with access to various geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellites, could have a near constant, low bandwidth, real-time link back to Earth during most of an orbit. These GEO satellites could include the two GOES, steadily refreshed since 1974, the European Space Agency (ESA) Meteosat, and the Japanese Space agencies (JAXA) Himawari satellite. These satellites implement the GOES Data Collection System (DCS), or analog, with applications which include meteorology, oceanography, hydrology, ecology, and remote sensing of Earth resources. The relatively compact DCS ground stations used by thousands of researchers transmit data at 100, …

Flight Demonstration Of A Next-Generation Uhf Telecommand Card With Cognitive Clear Channel Assessment For Cubesat Missions, Dhruva Anantha Datta, Pratik Aher, Srinidhi Gonahal, Immanuel Raja, Priyadarshan Hari

Small Satellite Conference

We present a developmental in-orbit demonstration of a TRL-9 UHF telecommand card, flown as a technology demonstrator payload on the fourth and final stage of the PSLV-C60/SPADEX Mission by ISRO. The card is an in-house developed RF PCB utilizing the ADF7030-1 transceiver from Analog Devices, marking the first flight of a new generation of sub-GHz modules with on-chip GFSK modulation and AX.25 packetization, widely used in CubeSat communications. Design and Implementation discussion of the UHF card is discussed, the design philosophy and various debugging techniques employed in the RF PCB development are discussed. The card integrates a digital SPI interface, …

Poundmaker – A Legacy Of Leadership, Love And Conciliation, Andrew J. Karesa

Indigenous Business & Public Administration

Chief Poundmaker was a foundational figure in early Canadian history. He was responsible for unifying warring nations into cohesive alliances that advocated for fundamental and inherent Indigenous rights. Throughout his life, his dedication was to his people and their overall well-being, even when it stood against his own personal well-being. This research expands on leadership theory through a case study of the life of Chief Poundmaker. His life exemplifies relational and servant leadership, which an individual can extrapolate into profound leadership lessons. By learning about Chief Poundmaker’s life and leadership journey, contemporary leaders can effectively learn how to lead through …

From Classroom To Orbit: How A High School Girls-In-Stem Club Started The Journey Of Pleiades Orpheus, Diya Dalal, Pooja Verma, Rhea Cherukuri

Small Satellite Conference

Students from Irvington High School in Fremont, California built and launched a 1U CubeSat satellite called Pleiades Orpheus after its establishment in 2022. This project was a central part of the Irvington High School Girls-in-STEM Club and is among the few high school student-run programs globally to design, build, and successfully launch a satellite. The Pleiades Orpheus team strived to increase gender diversity in their student body, eventually leading them to form IHS Women in Satellite Engineering (IHS WiSE) in 2024.

This paper will showcase the central goals and progress of the team, highlighting their most important goal: to make …

From Classroom To Orbit: How A High School Girls-In-Stem Club Started The Journey Of Pleiades Orpheus, Diya Dalal, Pooja Verma, Rhea Cherukuri

Small Satellite Conference

Students from Irvington High School in Fremont, California built and launched a 1U CubeSat satellite called Pleiades Orpheus after its establishment in 2022. This project was a central part of the Irvington High School Girls-in-STEM Club and is among the few high school student-run programs globally to design, build, and successfully launch a satellite. The Pleiades Orpheus team strived to increase gender diversity in their student body, eventually leading them to form IHS Women in Satellite Engineering (IHS WiSE) in 2024.

This paper will showcase the central goals and progress of the team, highlighting their most important goal: to make …

Next-Generation Medium Lift, Nicole Jordan, Aaron Prescott

Small Satellite Conference

Northrop Grumman and Firefly Aerospace are moving rapidly to mitigate a bottleneck in launch capacity in the medium lift segment and increase launch site diversification for government and commercial satellite customers. With existing heavy-lift vehicles often booked to capacity and small-lift vehicles limited by their mass to orbit, medium-lift vehicles provide an ideal solution for affordably delivering medium payloads to LEO and beyond.

Positioned between small-lift and heavy-lift rockets, the new Eclipse™ Medium Launch Vehicle (MLV) (Figure 1) will add significant payload mass to orbit and volume beyond the capacity of the existing Northrop Grumman Antares 230+ launch vehicle. The …

Implementation Of The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Moca) Tool For Early Detection Of Dementia, Nadege Djeukui

DNP and Student Works

As the population ages, the prevalence of cognitive impairment increases (Hilsabeck et al., 2024). There are about 10 million new cases reported annually, and over 55 million people worldwide are currently living with dementia, a number projected to increase to 78 million by 2030 (WHO, 2023). Dementia is a growing public health concern that is often underdiagnosed in primary care, leading to missed opportunities for early intervention, care coordination, and patient support. Early detection of dementia is crucial for timely intervention, effective care planning, and enhanced patient outcomes. Early identification of cognitive impairment is critical in improving patient outcomes, enhancing …

Using A Software-Defined Radio Ground Station For A Small Satellite Mission, Simon Gläsner, Victoria Koßack, Mario-Rafael Ionian, Enrico Stoll, Tom Baumann

Small Satellite Conference

In January 2025, InnoCube, a 3U CubeSat was launched with the Transporter-12 mission, becoming the 31st academic satellite of TU Berlin. The technology demonstration mission is the first one at TU Berlin which uses software-defined radio to operate the satellite in the amateur UHF band. The ground station is based on software-defined radio, which has been a vital part of the development of the communication system of InnoCube. Integration into the ground segment is a logical step in the test-as-you-fly philosophy of the mission. The ground segment consists of a SDR which is paired to a power amplifier which includes …

Ronald E. Mcnair Scholars Program Profiles And Abstracts 2025, Mcnair Scholars Program

McNair Symposium

This publication provides research abstracts and biographies of 2025 McNair scholars and their mentors.

Ronald E. Mcnair Research Symposium Presentation Schedule 2025, Mcnair Scholars Program

McNair Symposium

This is the presentation schedule for the 23rd Undergraduate Ronald E. McNair Research Symposium 2025.

Apophis Cratering Experiment Mission Concept, Ethan Kayser, Tyler Presser, Cristyn Merry, Matthew Givens, Kevin Walsh, Viliam Klein

Small Satellite Conference

Apophis is set to become one of the most extensively studied asteroids in history thanks to the detailed observation campaign of OSIRIS-APEX during its 2029 and 2030 extended mission to the near-Earth object, alongside Ramses which is expected to launch in 2028. To supplement those missions, we propose the Apophis Cratering Experiment (ACE), an impactor mission that leverages OSIRIS-APEX or Ramses as a dedicated observer, during and after the collision, to maximize scientific return at a low cost. In addition to providing significant science return, the mission offers a low-cost opportunity to demonstrate novel SmallSat technologies in deep …

Optimizing Ground Station Communications Using Multiple Spacecraft Per Aperture In A Ground Segment As A Service Framework, Stefan Vlad Tudor, Giovanni Zanotti

Small Satellite Conference

The increasing deployment of satellite clusters in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) presents new challenges and opportunities for satellite communications, particularly from a Ground Segment perspective. This paper investigates efficient management of multiple ground contacts, in the Ground Segment as a Service context, by leveraging on Multiple Spacecraft Per Aperture (MSPA) technique to maximize connectivity by sharing ground resources to multiple satellites simultaneously.

MSPA is particularly valuable for handling multiple spacecraft in close proximity, such as during the Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP) of rideshare missions, all being supported by same ground segment infrastructure. By enabling simultaneous downlinks through a …

Ai-Driven Mission-Critical Software Optimization For Small Satellites: Integrating An Automated Testing Framework, Vishnupriya S. Devarajulu

Small Satellite Conference

Small satellites (SmallSats) have revolutionized our modern digital infrastructure, such as Earth observation, navigation, real-time communications, and deep space exploration, due to their composable design, effectively reduced cost, and accelerated development cycles. However, SmallSat software must function autonomously, often under limited bandwidth, processing power, and computing resources. Pre-launch techniques such as Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) and Unit testing are generally used, but often insufficient to detect errors, timing anomalies, fault propagation, or further telemetry-based degradations. This paper presents a Python-based validation framework influenced by recent testbeds like EIRSAT-1, ITASAT-2, and NOS3, integrating telemetry simulation, synthetic fault injection, resource logging, anomaly …

Autonomous Dual Interchangeable Robotic Arms For In-Space Servicing, Assembly, And Manufacturing, Jonathan Tindall, Michael Daher, Arin Churi, Jake Piccirillo, Anais Mera-Sarnelli, George Serra, Zach Merly, Andrew Dishchuk, Michael Madden, Christian Szczezniak

Small Satellite Conference

The expansion of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations highlights the critical need for In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) to perform novel orbital missions that reduces launch and operating costs and extends mission lifespans. Existing space robotic systems are too expensive, large, and specialized for many ISAM applications in LEO. A small-scale twin robotic arm system that features interchangeable end effectors enhances future ISAM mission capabilities. This robotic arm system leverages smaller, low-cost, arms to perform precise autonomous operations, including satellite repair, repositioning, and recovery. Initial designs and analysis show the arms to be 62% smaller in length and …

Orbitcare: A Universal Autonomous In-Orbit Platform For Manufacturing, Servicing, And Debris Mitigation, Rohan Chandratre, Vishish Behera, Anushree Manwatkar, Aruma Kushwaha, Sneha Gayen

Small Satellite Conference

OrbitCare is a proposed orbital infrastructure enabling scalable, sustainable, and cost-effective in-space servicing, manufacturing, and assembly through a modular system architecture comprising an Orbital Manufacturing Hub (OMH) and a fleet of free-flying WorkSat servicing satellites, all integrated via a standardized Servicing Interface Standard (SIS). This paper presents the technical architecture, subsystem design, trade studies, use cases, and development roadmap for OrbitCare. The motivation stems from the current lack of persistent infrastructure in orbit, which renders satellites single-use assets with limited repair or upgrade capabilities. OrbitCare addresses this by combining a permanent hub with reusable robotic satellites to extend spacecraft lifespans, …

Qualification Challenges Of An Sadm Using The Slipring Technology, Adrien Guignabert, Flavien Deschaux, Etienne Magnin-Robert, Luc Herrero, Jean-Bernard Mondier

Small Satellite Conference

The SADM-200 (Solar Array Drive Mechanism for 200W) is a new mechanism developed at Comat in order to provide a solution for solar array rotation and power transfer for small satellite applications. This mechanism is designed to be as compact as possible while providing a reliable angular positioning and electrical power transfer from the solar array to the satellite. Robust mechanical guidance and high quality components selection allows an accurate positioning with low angular play while withstanding the tough mechanical and thermal environment faced during launch and in-orbit operations. The development focused on keeping the cost as low as possible …

Sol3 - A Level 5 Self Driving System For Spacecraft, Blake Bruell, Bob Crocco, Ethan Rublee, Giuseppe Pasqualino, Greg Brougher, Hauke Strasdat, Ian Sherman, John Bailey, Morgan Swanson, Ryan Catherman, Ryan Johnson, Stephen Bailey, Sydney Weiser

Small Satellite Conference

Poster presented during the 2025 SmallSat Conference.

Screen Time And Objectively Measured Sleep Of U.S. College Students: A Brief Report, Donya Sedaghat, Eunkyung Lee, Jeanette Garcia, Keith Brazendale

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 18(4): 747-756, 2025. The objective was to investigate screen time (ST) and objectively measured sleep quality in college students. Participants were undergraduate students attending a large metropolitan public university in the southeastern U.S. Participants wore accelerometers on their wrist for 24hr/day for 14 days to capture sleep outcomes, and completed a survey reporting ST duration. Analyses explored weight-status, race/ethnicity, and sleep patterns (presence of daytime sleep) differences among students. Participants (n=29, 86% female, ~21.5 years old, 38% White, 35% Overweight/Obese) slept for an average of 433.8 minutes/night, reported 419.1 minutes of daily ST, and 112 …

Modernizing Smallsat Mission Operations: Integrating Ai-Driven Optimization With Cloud-Native Control Systems, David Besson, Dax Garner

Small Satellite Conference

As the space industry experiences unprecedented growth in SmallSat constellation deployments, traditional mission control approaches face significant scalability and efficiency challenges. This paper presents a novel framework that integrates three cutting-edge technologies to revolutionize satellite mission operations: Cognitive Space’s CNTIENT.Optimize AI-powered decision engine, Yamcs open-source mission control software, and the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cloud Mission Operations Center (CMOC) solution. As a representative simulation benchmark, the paper demonstrates the framework’s capabilities through mission simulations of the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) SmallSat constellation. The integration leverages CNTIENT.Optimize’s advanced AI algorithms to automate complex scheduling decisions across proliferating homogenous or …

Afrl Validated Principles And Building Blocks Of Ground-Based Ops Automation, Tyler De Caussin, Jarred Langhals, Brandon Shirley, Lee Jasper

Small Satellite Conference

Over the past decade, AFRL's Small Satellite Portfolio (SSP) and Ops Cadre (RVES) branches have been operating small satellites with different bus providers to support diverse mission needs. Because the bus, payload and experimentation differ for every mission, and the ground segment has had the challenge of supporting the varying needs on a mission-by-mission basis. AFRL has been working to improve efficiency with which the ground segment supports those varying needs. One major emphasis has been on learning how to automate operations of such different missions. In an effort to standardize mission automation within the operations center, AFRL has developed …

Telemetry Handling & Extensible Satellite Environment For A Unified System (Theseus) For The Operation Of Onglaisat, Shunsuke Shimomura, Kuna Shitara, Yuki Kusano, Yojiro Yamashiro, Tomoki Mochizuki, Shunichiro Nomura, Takeshi Matsumoto, Akihiro Ishikawa, Yosuke Kawabata, Satoshi Ikari, Ryu Funase, Shinichi Nakasuka

Small Satellite Conference

The recent increase in small satellites and diverse satellite missions has heightened the need for flexible and highly reliable ground station software. However, most existing open-source ground station software is implemented with the entire system in mind, making it difficult to accommodate diverse missions. Even when accommodating diverse missions, it is necessary to edit configuration files with a wide range of descriptions or make internal service modifications. Furthermore, as the number of available ground station services increases, there is an urgent need for systems that can support a wider range of interfaces. In addition, modern satellite development requires flexible support …

Csa-Xai: Channel–Spatial Attention And Explainable Ai In A Modular Multi-Backbone Framework For Lung Cancer Classification, Omar Ibrahim Obaid, Abdulbasit Alazzawi

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

Computed tomography (CT) scans require precise and early lung cancer detection to produce better clinical results. High accuracy in deep learning approaches (DL) poses an existing challenge to interpret their functionality effectively. This research presents an innovative modular multi-backbone structure that combines channel-spatial attention together with explainable AI (XAI) methods for three-class lung cancer diagnosis (Normal, Benign, and Malignant). Research was carried out to evaluate six pre-trained CNN backbones (ResNet-50, VGG19, Inception-V3, EfficientNet-B0, MobileNet-V2, DenseNet-121) which received hybrid attention enhancement on the IQ-OTH/NCCD dataset. The experimental data showed four pre-trained models reaching perfect accuracy at 100 percent whereas the others …

Class Weighting In Imbalanced Data For Leukocyte Classification Using Fine-Tuning Inception-V3, Wahyudi Setiawan, Meidya Koeshardianto, Eka Mala Sari Rochman, Aeri Rachmad, Tutut Herawan

Iraqi Journal for Computer Science and Mathematics

This study investigates the classification of leukocyte images in an imbalanced dataset using deep learning techniques. The dataset consists of 14,514 images, categorized into five leukocyte types: basophils (301), neutrophils (8,891), lymphocytes (3,461), monocytes (795), and eosinophils (1,066). To address class imbalance, we applied class weighting alongside transfer learning and fine-tuning using the Inception-v3 architecture. The dataset was split into 80% for training and 20% for testing, and 5-fold cross-validation was conducted to evaluate model robustness. Hyperparameters were set with a learning rate of 0.0001, batch size of 32, and 30 training epochs, optimized using the Adam optimizer. Fine-tuning was …