Digital Commons Network^™

Novel Inhibitors To Mmpl3 Transporter Of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis By Structure-Based High-Throughput Virtual Screening And Molecular Dynamics Simulations, Hetanshi Choksi, Justin Carbone, Nicholas J. Paradis, Lucas Bennett, Candice Bui-Linh, Chun Wu

College of Science & Mathematics Departmental Research

Tuberculosis (TB)-causing bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) utilizes mycolic acids for building the mycobacterial cell wall, which is critical in providing defense against external factors and resisting antibiotic action. MmpL3 is a secondary resistance nodulation division transporter that facilitates the coupled transport of mycolic acid precursor into the periplasm using the proton motive force, thus making it an attractive drug target for TB infection. In 2019, X-ray crystal structures of MmpL3 from M. smegmatis were solved with a promising inhibitor SQ109, which showed promise against drug-resistant TB in Phase II clinical trials. Still, there is a pressing need to discover more …

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes March 7, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes – February 1, 2024
• Program Proposals

• Semester Course Approval Reviews: https://usu.curriculog.com/

• Other Business

• Course Requests (Deadline) – Toni Gibbons

• Adjourn: 2:50 pm

Educational Policies Committee Minutes March 7, 2024, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Approval of Minutes – February 1, 2024
• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee (Chad Simon)
• Program Proposals
• Academic Standards Subcommittee (Renee Galliher)
• General Education Subcommittee (Matt Sanders)
• Other Business
• Course Requests (Deadline) – Toni Gibbons
• Adjourn: 4:00 pm

Field-Based Measurement Tools To Distinguish Clonal Typha Taxa And Estimate Biomass: A Resource For Conservation And Restoration, Brian M. Ohsowski, Cassidy Redding, Pamela Geddes, Shane Lishawa

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Two species of clonal Typha [T. latifolia (native) and T. angustifolia (exotic)] hybridize to form the highly invasive, heterotic (high vigor) T. × glauca in North American wetlands leading to increased primary production, litter accumulation, and biodiversity loss. Conservation of T. latifolia has become critical as invasive Typha has overwhelmed wetlands. In the field, Typha taxa identification is difficult due to subtle differences in morphology, and molecular identification is often unfeasible for managers. Furthermore, improved methods to non-destructively estimate Typha biomass is imperative to enhance ecological impact assessments. To address field-based Typha ID limitations, our study developed a predictive …

Spatiotemporal Reaction Dynamics Control In Two-Photon Polymerization For Enhancing Writing Characteristics, Aofei Mao, Sarah Fess, Nada Kraiem, P. Li, Zhipeng P. Wu, Qiuchi Zhu, Xi Huang, Peixun Fan, Bai Cui, Jean-Francois Silvain, Suxing Hu, Mitchell Anthamatten, Sean P. Regan, David Harding, Yongfeng Lu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Since 2001, 3D microfabrication based on two-photon polymerization (TPP) has drawn extensive attention and interest in biology, optics, photonics, material science, and high-energy physics. The in-volume fabrication capability due to the threshold behavior of two-photon absorption enables TPP higher flexibility compared with other nanofabrication techniques. However, as determined by the in-volume fabrication feature as well as various reaction dynamics, the writing characteristics of TPP, such as throughput, accuracy, surface quality, and fabrication capability, are still limited. Herein, a comprehensive study is performed on the spatiotemporal behavior of reaction dynamics during TPP fabrication, mainly focusing on spatiotemporal characteristics of radical diffusion, …

Does Smart Money Believe In The Hot Hand? Evidence From Daily Fantasy Baseball, Jeremy M. Losak, Andrew P. Weinbach, Rodney J. Paul

Sport Management - All Scholarship

The behavior of informed traders, or 'smart money,' in sports betting markets has long been f interest to researchers. In this paper, we focus specifically on the behavior of smart money in Major league Baseball (MLB) daily fantasy sports (DFS) contests to determine if they avoid cognitive behavioral biases to increase their expected earnings. Specifically, we investigate whether smart money avoids the hot hand bias, where individuals tend to overestimate the likelihood of success for players on a hot streak. Using a dataset of MLB DFS contests, we find that winning lineups have lower usage rates for players exhibiting the …

Novel Lipid Mediator 7s,14r-Docosahexaenoic Acid: Biogenesis And Harnessing Mesenchymal Stem Cells To Ameliorate Diabetic Mellitus And Retinal Pericyte Loss, Yan Lu, Haibin Tian, Hongying Peng, Quansheng Wang, Bruce A. Bunnell, Nicolas G. Bazan, Song Hong

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Introduction: Stem cells can be used to treat diabetic mellitus and complications. ω3-docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) derived lipid mediators are inflammation-resolving and protective. This study found novel DHA-derived 7S,14R-dihydroxy-4Z,8E,10Z,12E,16Z,19Z-docosahexaenoic acid (7S,14R-diHDHA), a maresin-1 stereoisomer biosynthesized by leukocytes and related enzymes. Moreover, 7S,14R-diHDHA can enhance mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) functions in the amelioration of diabetic mellitus and retinal pericyte loss in diabetic db/db mice. Methods: MSCs treated with 7S,14R-diHDHA were delivered into db/db mice i.v. every 5 days for 35 days. Results: Blood glucose levels in diabetic mice were lowered by 7S,14R-diHDHA-treated MSCs compared to control and untreated MSC groups, accompanied by …

On Generalized Additive Models For Representation Of Solar Euv Irradiance, Daniel A. Brandt, Erick F. Vega, Aaron J. Ridley

Michigan Tech Publications

In the context of space weather forecasting, solar EUV irradiance specification is needed on multiple time scales, with associated uncertainty quantification for determining the accuracy of downstream parameters. Empirical models of irradiance often rely on parametric fits between irradiance in several bands and various solar indices. We build upon these empirical models by using Generalized Additive Models (GAMs) to represent solar irradiance. We apply the GAM approach in two steps: (a) A GAM is fitted between FISM2 irradiance and solar indices F10.7, Revised Sunspot Number, and the Lyman-α solar index. (b) A second GAM is fit to model the residuals …

Professor Acknowledged For ‘Positive Advancement’ Of Diversity, Erin Garrett

University of Mississippi News

OXFORD, Miss. – Rebecca Symula, instructional associate professor of biology, has been recognized by the Mississippi Institutions for Higher Learning for her contributions to the positive advancement of diversity at the University of Mississippi.

Synchrony In Networks Of Type 2 Interneurons Is More Robust To Noise With Hyperpolarizing Inhibition Compared To Shunting Inhibition In Both The Stochastic Population Oscillator And The Coupled Oscillator Regimes, Roman Baravalle, Carmen C. Canavier

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Synchronization in the gamma band (25–150 Hz) is mediated by PV+ inhibitory interneurons, and evidence is accumulating for the essential role of gamma oscillations in cognition. Oscillations can arise in inhibitory networks via synaptic interactions between individual oscillatory neurons (mean-driven) or via strong recurrent inhibition that destabilizes the stationary background firing rate in the fluctuation-driven balanced state, causing an oscillation in the population firing rate. Previous theoretical work focused on model neurons with Hodgkin’s Type 1 excitability (integrators) connected by current-based synapses. Here we show that networks comprised of simple Type 2 oscillators (resonators) exhibit a supercritical Hopf bifurcation between …

Ground Electric Field, Atmospheric Weather And Electric Grid Variations In Northeast Greece Influenced By The March 2012 Solar Activity And The Moderate To Intense Geomagnetic Storms, Georgios Anagnostopoulos, Anastasios Karkanis, Athanasios Kampatagis, Panagiotis Marhavilas, Sofia-Anna Menesidou, Dimitrios Efthymiadis, Stefanos Keskinis, Dimitar Ouzounov, Nick Hatzigeorgiu, Michael Danakis

Mathematics, Physics, and Computer Science Faculty Articles and Research

In a recent paper, we extended a previous study on the solar solar influence to the generation of the March 2012 heatwave in the northeastern USA. In the present study we check the possible relationship of solar activity with the early March 2012 bad weather in northeast Thrace, Greece. To this end, we examined data from various remote sensing instrumentation monitoring the Sun (SDO satellite), Interplanetary space (ACE satellite), the Earth’s magnetosphere (Earth-based measurements, NOAA-19 satellite), the top of the clouds (Terra and Aqua satellites), and the near ground atmosphere. Our comparative data analysis suggests that: (i) the winter-like weather …

Investigating The Structural Ensemble And Dynamic Interactions Of Protein Interacting With C-Kinase 1 (Pick1) Using Computational Tools, Amy E. Stevens

Chemistry and Chemical Biology ETDs

Protein Interacting with C Kinase-1 (PICK1) is a scaffolding protein that offers a promising solution to support individuals suffering from substance use disorders. While many efforts have been put towards identifying small-molecule drugs with the potential to target PICK1 and ultimately support individuals suffering from the effects of substance use disorders, all efforts have so far fallen short. The purpose of this work is to use computational tools to assist the design of a small-molecule inhibitor of PICK1 while also advancing the knowledge of its biological functions. This work provides information that is currently missing the field by (1) revealing …

6d Single-Fluorogen Orientation-Localization Microscopy For Elucidating The Architecture Of Beta-Sheet Assemblies And Biomolecular Condensates, Tingting Wu, Weiyan Zhou, Jai S. Rudra, Rohit V. Pappu, Matthew D. Lew

Electrical & Systems Engineering Publications and Presentations

We develop six-dimensional single-molecule orientation-localization microscopy (SMOLM) to measure the 3D positions and 3D orientations simultaneously of single fluorophores. We show how careful optimization of phase and polarization modulation components can encode phase, polarization, and angular spectrum information from each fluorescence photon into a microscope’s dipole-spread function. We used the transient binding and blinking of Nile red (NR) to characterize the helical structure of fibrils formed by designed amphipathic peptides, KFE8^L and KFE8^D, and the pathological amyloid-beta peptide Aβ42. We also deployed merocyanine 540 to uncover the interfacial architectures of biomolecular condensates.

Academic Senate - Agenda, 3/12/2024, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

A Comparison Of Public, Private, And Charter Educator Beliefs About Autistic Students Abilities, Jodene Ruth Jensen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With the incidence of autism on the rise, it is imperative to identify factors that contribute to education. Despite the accessibility and low cost of public institutions, many parents choose to educate their autistic children in private and charter school settings. This study examined the difference in beliefs among public, private, and charter school educators toward the abilities of autistic students. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory guided this study. Through a mixed-methods approach, surveys were employed to special educators within the Walden Participant and Survey Monkey Pools. There was a total of 209 survey respondents. Surveys were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis …

Vibrational Spectrum Of Granular Packings With Random Matrices, Harsh Mathur

Faculty Scholarship

Abstract: The vibrational spectrum of granular packings can be used as a signature of the jamming transition, with the density of states at zero frequency becoming nonzero at the transition. It has been proposed previously that the vibrational spectrum of granular packings can be approximately obtained from random matrix theory. Here, we show that the autocorrelation function of the density of states shows good agreement between dynamical numerical simulations of frictionless bead packs near the jamming point and the analytic predictions of the Laguerre orthogonal ensemble of random matrices; there is clear disagreement with the Gaussian orthogonal ensemble, establishing that …

Spectralomics – Towards A Holistic Adaptation Of Label Free Spectroscopy, Hugh Byrne

Articles

Vibrational spectroscopy, largely based on infrared absorption and Raman scattering techniques, is much vaunted as a label free approach, delivering a high content, holistic characterisation of a sample, with demonstrable applications in a broad range of fields, from process analytical technologies and preclinical drug screening, to disease diagnostics, therapeutics, prognostics and personalised medicine. However, in the analysis of such complex systems, a trend has emerged in which spectral analysis is reduced to the identification of individual peaks, based on reference tables of assignments derived from literature, which are then interpreted as biomarkers. More sophisticated analysis attempts to unmix the spectrum …

Draft Final 2024 Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Helehan Borrow Submittal #2, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Conventional And Adaptive Acoustic Beamforming Algorithms Using A Tetrahedral Microphone Array In Noisy Environments, Megan Brittany Ewers

Dissertations and Theses

In situ acoustic measurements are often plagued by interfering sound sources that occur within the measurement environment. Both adaptive and conventional beamforming algorithms, when applied to the outputs of a microphone array arranged in a tetrahedral geometry, are able to capture sound sources in desired directions and reject sound from unwanted directions. Adaptive algorithms may be able to measure a desired sound source with greater spatial precision, but require more calculations and, therefore, computational power. A conventional frequency-domain phase-shift algorithm and a modified adaptive frequency-domain Minimum Variance Distortionless Response (MVDR) algorithm were applied to simulated and recorded signals from a …

Faculty Mentors' Influence On Latino/A/X Stem Undergraduates' Stem Identity Development, Sandy Cerda-Lezama

Dissertations and Theses

Despite Latino/a/x college student attendance rising substantially over the past decades, their graduation rates do not match the increased admission rates. In addition, Latino/a/x students are considerably under-represented in STEM. However, research suggests that when these students are encouraged by social partners to have meaningful participation and given resources such as mentoring, this eases the barriers they experience. The current study utilized interviews with 11 Latino/a/x STEM undergraduates (aged 18-29) to understand how faculty mentors influence their STEM identity development. Students shared answers about how faculty promoted and inhibited their STEM identity development through conversations about their sense of competence, …

Lanthorn, Vol. 58, No. 14, March 11, 2024, Grand Valley State University

Volume 58, August 7, 2023 - April 15, 2024

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

A Comparison Of Ptychography Programs For Lens-Less Imaging With A High Harmonic Generation Source, Aaron Redd

Undergraduate Honors Theses

High Harmonic Generation provides a coherent source of extreme ultraviolet photons. Tuned to the correct energies, these photons can be resonant with electrons associated with the magnetic moment of many magnetic materials. This thesis provides an investigation into performing ptychographic imaging with a high harmonic source as a step towards performing high resolution imaging of magnetic domains. Three ptychography codes (Ptychodactyl, PyNX, and tike), are compared for image reconstruction quality and ease of use. Tike and Ptychodactyl prove more successful than PyNX. These first two programs reconstruct data from a simple helium-neon laser setup with great success, and tike demonstrates …

Reclaiming The Symbol: Ethics, Rhetoric, And The Humanistic Integration Of Gai - A Burkean Perspective, Daniel Plate, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

This study delves into the intersection of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) and the Humanities, guided by the critical insights of Kenneth Burke, a seminal figure in the study of rhetoric and a vocal critic of scientism and positivism. The skepticism of the American literary theorist towards an uncritical embrace of science and technology, and his concerns over the inclination of the Humanities to adopt scientific methodologies at the expense of traditional forms of inquiry, provide a critical framework for examining the new role played by GAI within the Humanities. By framing these tools in the context of Burkean rhetorical theory, …

Exploring Practices Of Board-Certified Pediatric Clinical Specialst Physical Therapists In Addressing Needs Of Children Diagnosed With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Olga Chaikovsky

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

ABSTRACT

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex condition affecting multiple domains of development. Physical Therapists (PTs) are members of the interprofessional team addressing the needs of individuals with ASD. A lack of uniformity in evidence-based assessments and practices employed by therapists to address the needs of children with ASD exists in the literature. PTs often implement approaches that are not evidence-based but rather learned from more experienced professionals or discovered by trial and error.

Pediatric clinical specialist physical therapists (PCSPTs) are PTs who possess advanced education and clinical skills in Pediatrics. As pediatric experts, PCSPTs play a major …

The Process Of Restoring Personal Integrity: Mitigating The Emotional Cost Of Medical Errors, Marie M. Prothero

Dissertations

This constructivist grounded-theory study was conducted to explore the emotional response to and recovery process following a medical error causing harm to a patient. The study participants were 37 registered nurses (30 women and 7 men), and unstructured interviews provided rich, detailed data. Through an inductive analysis of these errors, a taxonomy of errors is proposed. The Circumstance of Error Model was developed, and five distinct error circumstances were identified: accidental, unanticipated, distracted, unrecognized/unknown, and external. By linking the circumstances of error types with the recovery process, new insights were obtained. These insights resulted in a theory, reestablishing competency, that …

03.11.2024 Orsp Connect, Liz Williamson

ORED Newsletter

PAPPG Updates, J. R. Love, William Magee Institute grant

The Echo: March 11, 2024, Taylor University

2023-2024 (Volume 111)

No abstract provided.

Pathological Mechanisms And Novel Testing Methods In Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, Robert W. Maitta

Faculty Scholarship

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is an uncommon, but potentially disabling or even deadly, thrombotic microangiopathy with a well-studied mechanism of ADAMTS13 deficiency or dysfunction. While established treatments are largely effective, the standard ADAMTS13 testing required to definitively diagnose TTP may cause delays in diagnosis and treatment, highlighting the need for rapid and effective diagnostic methods. Additionally, the heterogeneous presentation and varied inciting events of TTP suggest more variation in its mechanism than previously thought, implying three potential pathways rather than the accepted two. The recent discovery of ADAMTS13 conformation as a potential contributor to TTP in addition to the proposal …

Sc Teacher Working Conditions Survey Participation For Pilot Administration, Angela Starrett, Svetlana Dmitrieva

Infographics

More than 23,000 teachers have now participated in the SC Teacher Working Conditions Survey pilot administration. This high level of engagement provides comprehensive insights into teachers’ perceptions of working conditions throughout South Carolina. Read the info-brief for a state-level glimpse into district and teacher participation, plus a look into the background of the survey.

Comparing Task Graph Scheduling Algorithms: An Adversarial Approach, Jared Coleman, Bhaskar Krishnamachari

Computer Science Faculty Works

Scheduling a task graph representing an application over a heterogeneous network of computers is a fundamental problem in distributed computing. It is known to be not only NP-hard but also not polynomial-time approximable within a constant factor. As a result, many heuristic algorithms have been proposed over the past few decades. Yet it remains largely unclear how these algorithms compare to each other in terms of the quality of schedules they produce. We identify gaps in the traditional benchmarking approach to comparing task scheduling algorithms and propose a simulated annealing-based adversarial analysis approach called PISA to help address them. We …