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Quantifying Regional Variation Of Lipid Metabolism In The Brain, Martin D. Sorensen

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) and its associated isoforms are the most significant genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The common alleles, APOE2/3/4, exhibit a protective/neutral/risk-inducing impact on sporadic AD development respectively. Our lab’s research focuses on APOE modification of the brain proteome and lipidome, with an emphasis on regional regulation and interest in assessing how APOE4 affects regulation differently between distinct regions of the brain. This thesis presents an analysis of cryosectioned brain samples harvested from young APOE knock-in mice. Using metabolic labeling with deuterated water, we measure turnover and dietary sourcing of lipids. We observe significant differences in …

Table Of Contents, The Editors

Coal Geology & Exploration

No abstract provided.

Biogasification Potential Of Medium- To High-Rank Coals And Its Controlling Mechanisms At A Molecular Structural Level, Bao Yuan, Li Jiajun, Li Dan, Chen Xueru, Wang Xiaojing

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Coals with varying metamorphic grades differ significantly in the potential for methane generation through microbial degradation. Medium- to high-rank coals can generate a substantial volume of methane through microbial degradation. However, key factors governing their biogasification potential remain poorly understood. This study aims to identify the dominant factors controlling the potential of medium- to high-rank coals for methane generation through microbial degradation, as well as relevant controlling mechanisms, from the perspective of molecular structures.Methods The Carboniferous-Permian medium- to high-rank coals along the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin were investigated in this study. Using experiments on the hydrocarbon …

Characteristics And Helium Generation Potential Of Ultra-Deep Marine Shales As Helium Source Rocks, Yuan Jiutao, Zhang Wenjin, Song Zezhang, Tian Xingwang, Luo Qingyong, Jin Shigui, Wang Shulong, Wu Meijia, Wang Li, Chen Hongbin, Gao Jiawei, Mikhail Spasennykh, Tagir Karamov

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Large-scale, effective helium source rocks serve as a material basis for the formation of a helium-rich gas field. In the Weiyuan area, Sichuan Basin, the helium-rich gas reservoirs within the Dengying Formation exhibit helium source rocks consisting of the pre-Sinian basement granites and the shales of the Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation. Compared to the basement granites, studies on the shales of the Qiongzhusi Formation remain limited, including those on the occurrence characteristics of uranium (U)- and thorium (Th)-rich minerals and helium generation potential.Methods This study investigated the shales of the Qiongzhusi Formation, Weiyuan area, Sichuan Basin. By integrating field …

Mechanisms Behind The Controlling Effects Of Temperature-Pressure Conditions On The Dynamic Ch4–H2O Production From Bituminous Coal, Zhang Hewei, Shen Jian, Li Kexin, Wu Caifang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background For deep coalbed methane (CBM) exploitation, the temperature-pressure synergistic effect in the CH₄-H₂O two-phase flow remains poorly understood, restricting the establishment of efficient CBM production systems.Methods This study investigated the No.13 coal seam in the Guanjiaya Coal Mine along the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin. Using low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) and nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) techniques, this study explored the dynamic process of CH₄ displacing water and associated gas-water production mechanisms under different displacement pressures (2‒8 MPa) and temperatures (25 ℃ and 60 ℃).Results and Conclusions The sample used …

Enrichment Patterns And Accumulation Models Of Coalbed Methane Under Complex Geological Conditions: A Case Study Of The Xintian Coal Mine In Western Guizhou Province, China, Xu Shuai, Wu Caifang, Bie Xiaofei, Li Guangsheng, Fang Xiaojie, Wang Fangfang, Cheng Yi, Zhao Peng

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The Xintian Coal Mine, a critical coal-producing mine in western Guizhou Province, faces high risks of coal and gas outbursts and the challenge of low underground coalbed methane (CBM) extraction efficiency, necessitating surface CBM extraction. However, the complex geological conditions in the area limit well placement and the fracturing and gas drainage effectiveness. Therefore, there is an urgent need to systematically elucidate the occurrence characteristics and enrichment patterns of CBM in the area.Methods Based on data from exploration boreholes in the Xintian Coal Mine, combined with experiment and test results and log interpretations, this study revealed the physical …

Mechanisms Behind The Control Of Floor Failure In Deep Coal Mines By Hydraulic Fracturing Based On Power-Law Fracture Networks, Duan Hongfei, Ye Dayu, Zhao Lijuan, Zeng Yifan, Zou Junpeng, Yu Guofeng, Meng Xiang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective Hydraulic fracturing of coal seam floors represents an important technical approach to mitigating damage to the floor rock masses through proactive pressure relief and to improving seepage pathways. However, there is a lack of systematic, quantitative insights into the evolutionary characteristics of floor fracture networks, as well as their impacts on the stress redistribution and rock stability of coal seam floors, during hydraulic fracturing.Methods This study aims to address the challenge that is prone to cause severe damage to the floor rock masses. First, a coal seam floor was considered a saturated porous medium containing multi-scale fractures based …

Comparison Of Models For Predicting The Floor Failure Depths Of Coal Seams With Moderate Thicknesses And Above Under Fully Mechanized Mining, Xu Bin, Zhong Cen, Dong Shuning, Yin Shangxian, Wang Hao, Li Shuxia, Du Yongwei, Zhang Kebin

Coal Geology & Exploration

Objective The failure depth of a coal seam floor represents a critical parameter for assessing the risk of floor water inrushes. With the widespread application of fully mechanized mining with a large mining height, existing empirical equations suffer from insufficient accuracy when used to calculate the mining-induced floor failure depths of coal seams with moderate thicknesses and above.Methods Based on the compressive strength of coal seam floors (i.e., hard, moderately hard, and weak floors), 107 sets of data samples of the measured floor failure depths of coal seams with moderate thicknesses and above under fully mechanized mining were classified. …

Post-Grouting Subsidence Of The Overburden In Goaves At Major Engineering Sites: Fiber Optic Monitoring And Deformation Mechanisms, Cao Xiaoyi, Liu Xiaoping, Liu Haoqi

Coal Geology & Exploration

Background The characteristics and mechanisms of residual deformations in goaves after engineering reinforcement (i.e., grouting filling) concern the design, construction, and long-term safety of major engineering projects. Furthermore, they are identified as the key to the efficient development of abandoned land in goaves within old mining areas. Therefore, it is necessary to explore methods and techniques for monitoring post-grouting subsidence of the entire strata in goaves. This will help acquire high-quality, long-term monitoring data on deformation in the field and reveal the mechanisms behind deformation associated with post-grouting subsidence in goaves.Methods This study investigated the Xiaohegou Bridge site (including …

What Does Next-Generation Mass Spectrometry Offer For Proteomics? A Comprehensive Platform Comparison, Filipa Blasco Tavares Pereira Lopes, Daniela Schlatzer, Tara Sudhadevi, Anantha Harijith, Marzieh Ayati, Mehmet Koyutürk, Mark R. Chance

Computer Science Faculty Publications

Next-generation mass spectrometry platforms (Orbitrap Astral, timsTOF Ultra) are reshaping proteomics by enhancing analytical depth and sensitivity. We compared these platforms against Orbitrap Exploris 480 using neonatal mouse lung tissues from a bronchopulmonary dysplasia model (n = 12), employing four acquisition strategies: Exploris 480 DDA/DIA, Astral HR-DIA, and timsTOF Ultra DIA-PASEF. All platforms identified ∼4000 proteins in common, with 98% proteome coverage of data-dependent acquisition (DDA) identifications using data-independent (DIA) methods and 92% concordance between next-generation systems. Orbitrap Astral and timsTOF Ultra quantified >225,000 peptides and 13,000 proteins, representing ∼800% and ∼300% greater depth than Exploris 480 DDA, respectively. …

Generative Models And Synthetic Data In Clinical Prediction Models, Anthony A. Mangino, Taha Ahmed, Vincent L. Sorrell

Radiology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Reproducibility, consistency, and transparency are essential to responsible and ethical scientific inquiry, though practices supporting these qualities are often neglected. However, in many cases data are confidential or otherwise unable to be shared publicly. This tutorial describes a method utilizing generative adversarial networks (GANs) to create synthetic data that are sufficiently similar to the original dataset in such cases where the source data cannot be shared or where the source data are too sparse as to internally validate results. Methods: Utilizing an exemplar study that aimed to create a clinical prediction model employing a novel echocardiographic measurement to differentiate …

Algebraic Invariants Of Multi-Virtual Links, Louis H. Kauffman, Sujoy Mukherjee, Petr Vojtěchovský

Mathematics: Faculty Scholarship

Multi-virtual knot theory was introduced in 2024 by the first author. In this paper, we initiate the study of algebraic invariants of multi-virtual links. After determining a generating set of (oriented) multi-virtual Reidemeister moves, we discuss the equivalence of multi-virtual link diagrams, particularly those that have the same virtual projections. We introduce operator quandles (that is, quandles with a list of pairwise commuting automorphisms) and construct an infinite family of connected operator quandles in which at least one third of right translations are distinct and pairwise commute. Using our set of generating moves, we establish the operator quandle coloring invariant …

Mould Risk Prevention In Healthcare Facilities In Hot And Humid Climates Through Acmv Air Supply Parameter Optimisation: Development And Validation Of A Multi-Objective Optimisation Framework, Jiang Kaiyun

Student Works (2020-2029)

Air conditioning mechanical ventilation (ACMV) supply parameters—such as airflow rate, temperature, and humidity—significantly influence indoor thermal and hygrometric conditions, influencing airflow patterns and mould proliferation. In healthcare facilities, mould poses significant health risks, particularly for immunocompromised patients, contributing to respiratory issues, allergic reactions, and infections. While ACMV systems are central to infection control and indoor air quality, conventional designs often fall short in hot and humid climates. Existing practices typically prioritise high air change rates (ACH) without sufficient dehumidification, underestimate humidity control, and assume spatial homogeneity, overlooking microclimates conducive to localised mould growth. To address these limitations, this research develops …

Multi-Modal Tensor Fusion For Alzheimer’S Disease Recognition, Mason Li, Tiffany Le, Jiajing Huang, Yuxin Wen

Engineering Faculty Articles and Research

Accurate and early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is critical for effective intervention, disease monitoring, and patient care. Traditional diagnostic approaches rely on a single modality, such as clinical assessments, neuroimaging, or genetic markers, which may fail to capture the complex, multifaceted nature of AD. Multimodal learning has therefore been explored to integrate complementary information across data sources. However, conventional fusion strategies, including early feature concatenation and late decision-level fusion, often model modalities independently and fail to capture high-order cross-modal interactions. To address these limitations, we propose a multimodal tensor fusion network (MTFN) that integrates heterogeneous data sources, including visual …

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Diggings East Final 95% Remedial Design Package Submittal, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Leveraging Feature Fusion And Convolutional Neural Networks For Concrete Crack Prediction, Amal Abdulbaqi Maryoosh, Saeid Pashazadeh, Pedram Salehpour

Baghdad Science Journal

Detection of cracks in concrete is crucial for the safety of bridges and the overall infrastructure. This paper presents a new hybrid method that combines handcrafted and deep features to significantly improve classification accuracy. Texture and semantic information are captured using Local Binary Patterns (LBP) and a pre-trained Xception model, respectively. These features are converted by the Bag of Visual Words (BoVW) method, combined, and the best features are selected by using the Apriori algorithm. The selected features are classified utilizing the light MobileNetV3, a large network. Our method is tested on four public datasets, namely CODEBRIM, DIMEC, Crack, BCD, …

Using The Karush-Kuhn-Tucher Optimization Method On A Finite Fuzzy Markov Chain, Marwan S. Jameel, Zeiad Yahya Ali Allawee, Rana Z Al-Kawaz, Sura J Hussein

Baghdad Science Journal

It is highly interesting to explore the implications of Markov chain stability because its importance in engineering, dynamic systems, energy subject and decision-making issues. This paper deals with a method to assess the stability of Markov chains, finishing our notes in finite fuzzy Markov chains. The optimization of KKT was evaluated in two approaches: a. For one thing, optimized KKT methods substitute the random transition probability with a fuzzy value in the transition matrix. The problem illustrates the efficacy of method in proving the unique properties for power bounds of a 3 × 3 matrix depending where on this it …

Predictive Reliability Assessment And Profit Optimization Of An Ice Cream Plant Using An Artificial Neural Network Technique, Akash Tewatia, Surbhi Gupta, Manju Kashyap, Archana Chauhan

Baghdad Science Journal

This study presents a reliability analysis of an ice cream manufacturing facility based on operational failure data. The research develops a ten-component system model that captures plant dynamics and organizes it into three subsystems to reduce computational complexity. The study derives key reliability parameters and constructs a state transition diagram to represent system behavior across multiple operating states. The analysis applies an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to address the limitations of conventional analytical methods in modeling complex nonlinear systems. The ANN provides strong predictive performance and manages uncertainty within the operational environment. The proposed framework estimates system reliability with high …

New Statistical Distribution Smart1, Saad Naji Al-Azzawi, Mahmood A. Shamran, Aseel H. Ali

Baghdad Science Journal

This paper introduces a new nonclassical statistical distribution, SMART1, derived from a nonpolynomial function. This function is used in ecology to model population growth rates, in medicine to classify the relationship between activity and tumor volume in cancer, and in economics to analyze the relationship between supply and demand. The proposed distribution differs from the Gompertz distribution, which is fundamentally based on the exponential function. By contrast, the SMART1 distribution is constructed on principles of mathematical analysis, specifically through the identification of local maximum endpoints of the Gompertz growth function and the subsequent verification that the resulting function satisfies the …

Recognition Of Arabic Derived Handwritten Letters Using A Vgg-Like Convolutional Neural Network, Mouhssine El Atillah

Baghdad Science Journal

Due to its complexity, the Arabic language and its extensions build a fertile field of research in the field of artificial intelligence in general and optical character recognition (OCR) specifically. There are several languages that use the Arabic alphabet in their manuscripts. These languages innovated new letters to pronounce sounds not found in the Arabic language. These letters are called 'Arabic-derived letters'. To enrich the Arabic language, we can use these letters to know the true pronunciation of intrusive words in the Arabic language. This article deals with the Arabic-derived letters (ADL) dataset. It is a new dataset that consists …

Midweek Memo, Georgia Southern University

Midweek Memo

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An Analysis And Performer's Guide Of Boulder Canyon, Hoover Dam By Clark Hubbard, Tyler Hawk

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Clark Hubbard is currently the Assistant Director of the Vanderbilt Marching and Athletic Bands. He is active as an American percussionist, composer, artist, and educator. His compositions have been performed throughout the United States and overseas, including solo, chamber, percussion, and electronic compositions. This document aims to analyze Boulder Canyon, Hoover Dam, discussing how the fixed media influences musical decisions. This document is also a performer’s guide for the piece.

Percussion with fixed media has been composed for since the early to middle 1900s. Inspiration from the techniques and early pieces of fixed media composition can be found in …

Secure Machine Learning In Networking Systems, Wenwei Zhao

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the rapid integration of Machine Learning (ML) into networking systems, ensuring the security and trustworthiness of these intelligent frameworks has become a paramount concern. While ML offers unprecedented capabilities in spectrum management and collaborative learning, it also introduces novel vulnerabilities that can be exploited by sophisticated adversaries. This dissertation investigates and addresses critical security challenges across three key dimensions of ML-driven networking: adversarial spectrum sensing, the security of privacy-preserving unlearning processes, and efficient post-attack model recovery.

First, we address the threat of adversarial spectrum attacks in cognitive radio networks, where malicious nodes manipulate sensing reports to disrupt spectrum access. …

Critical Discourse Analysis Of Turnaround Leadership Competencies Using A Transformative Leadership Framework, Kevin D. Mcdonald

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

School turnaround leadership has become a leading strategy to address school underperformance emphasizing rapid and dramatic improvement in a school within the bottom five percent of schools as measured by gains in both mathematics and English Language Arts. However, prevailing turnaround leadership discourse largely centers technical and managerial competencies, often marginalizing leadership practices oriented toward equity, advocacy, and social transformation. This narrowing of leadership is particularly consequential for Black male principals, who are disproportionately assigned to low-performing and turnaround schools and whose leadership practice frequently reflects core elements of transformative leadership.

The purpose of this dissertation was to explore current …

Fitness Odyssey: The Development Of A Fitness Application For Gamifying Habit-Forming Activities That Improve The Physical Health Of Grade 12 Students, Denzyll Yuro B. Umali, Ruzzel Rey P. Barredo None, Karl Nikolai S. Parra, Frederik Louise Rosales, Myrla De Luna Torres

DLSU Senior High School Research Congress Conference Proceedings

The increasing prevalence of sedentary behavior among adolescents, inadvertently from the rapid integration of technology in day-to-day lives, raises concerns about the physical health of modern lifestyles. As teenagers and students spend more time on their phones, there is an urgent need to reframe digital tools as a solution for inactivity. This study aims to develop and evaluate Fitness Odyssey, a fitness application that gamifies physical activities, making them more engaging and rewarding for adolescents. The application tracks six primary exercises—walking, push-ups, sit-ups, squats, jumping jacks, and lunges—using a mobile phone’s accelerometer, developed with the Godot software engine. The research …

Thoughts Upon Richard Taruskin’S Yahrzeit, Scott Gleason

Music & Musical Performance: An International Journal

Teaching portions of Richard Taruskin’s The Oxford History of Western Music to non-music majors at Columbia University (in the early 2000s) offered special opportunities and challenges. Taruskin’s musical ethics, central to that book, are clearly embodied in his writings about John Adams’s The Death of Klinghoffer. The Princeton School of composer-theorists is a litmus test of Taruskin’s thinking: in particular, Taruskin’s emphasis on music criticism can aid in an analysis of Roger Sessions’s 1958 String Quintet. David Lewin’s unpublished 1959 analysis of that same piece (by his teacher) shows a very different approach; Lewin’s analysis is a vivid but rarely …

Drone Based Operational Cloud Seeding, Jared Smith

Spring Runoff Conference

Cloud Seeding: Next Generation Operations and Validation

What is Winter Cloud Seeding? 

• The act of introducing favorable dust particles into a cloud to promote ice crystal nucleation 
• Requires naturally occurring clouds and cold temperatures 
• Aimed at enhancing winter snowpack

A Cooperative Approach For Improving A Culminating Teacher Education Assessment: Revising The Teacher Work Sample, Rebecca Stobaugh, Janet Tassell, Lisa D. Murley, Pamela M. Jukes, S. Kay Gandy

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

The purpose of this article is to provide a synopsis of the evaluation and revision process of a senior capstone project, the Teacher Work Sample (TWS). One university developed a task force to develop and implement goals to revise this capstone project. The revision process forced the task force members to examine institutional data from multiple program assessments. This process can serve as a model for other institutions as they seek to improve assessment rigor.

A Decade Of Growing Our Own In South Carolina: Efficacy Studies On Project Create, Joe P. Sutton, Shirley C. Bausmith, Holly A. Pae, Michelle M. Bishop, Cathy M. Boshamer

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

Project CREATE's chief mission is to reduce the number of non-certified special education teachers while simultaneously growing a highly qualified special education teacher work force in the State. Nationally recognized for grow your own (GYO) and alternative routes to certification (ARC) emphases, project leadership implemented an aggressive research agenda that has spanned CREATE's 10 years of operation to date. In this article, we summarize five peer-reviewed studies on the efficacy of CREATE, all focusing on aspects of outcome data from special education teachers who were program completers. These studies, emanating from different perspectives and research interests, provide a framework for …

Incorporating Environmental Education Guidelines Within The Common Core State Standards, Marni Friedman

Teacher Education Journal of South Carolina

In 2010, the Common Core State Standards provided an opportunity for states throughout the nation to prepare their students equally for the real world environment. South Carolina is one of the 46 states that voluntarily adopted the new standards and is currently in the process of implementation. The national No Child Left Inside act passed in 2011 with the hopes to integrate environmental education throughout all subjects taught in schools (Chesapeake Bay Foundation, 2012). The goal of environmental education is to increase environmental awareness and concern for the environment as well as to foster positive environmental behaviors. This paper discusses …