Digital Commons Network^™

Prebiotic Proanthocyanidins Inhibit Bile Reflux–Induced Esophageal Adenocarcinoma Through Reshaping The Gut Microbiome And Esophageal Metabolome, Katherine M. Weh, Connor L. Howard, Yun Zhang, Bridget A. Tripp, Jennifer Clarke, Amy B. Howell, Joel H. Rubenstein, Julian A. Abrams, Maria Westerhoff, Laura A. Kresty

Department of Statistics: Faculty Publications

The gut and local esophageal microbiome progressively shift from healthy commensal bacteria to inflammation-linked pathogenic bacteria in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett’s esophagus, and esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). However, mechanisms by which microbial communities and metabolites contribute to reflux-driven EAC remain incompletely understood and challenging to target. Herein, we utilized a rat reflux-induced EAC model to investigate targeting the gut microbiome–esophageal metabolome axis with cranberry proanthocyanidins (C-PAC) to inhibit EAC progression. Sprague-Dawley rats, with or without reflux induction, received water or C-PAC ad libitum (700 μg/rat/day) for 25 or 40 weeks. C-PAC exerted prebiotic activity abrogating reflux-induced dysbiosis and mitigating …

Strategies For Change Implementation In The Energy Industry, Elier Alvarado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many energy leaders struggle to effectively lead change initiatives amidst the evolving landscape of the energy industry marked by decarbonization, decentralization, and digitization. Unsuccessful change initiatives jeopardize organizations’ sustainability and negatively influence business performance and profitability. Grounded in Lewin’s concepts and the 3-step change model, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies leaders in the energy industry employed to achieve success in their change initiatives. Data were collected from nine U.S. energy leaders who successfully implemented organizational change initiatives, utilizing a combination of semistructured interviews and document reviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the …

A Midsummer Night's Dream, Otterbein Theatre And Dance Department

2023-2024 Season Productions

A Midsummer Night's Dream is a comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict among four Athenian lovers. Another follows a group of six amateur actors rehearsing the play which they are to perform before the wedding. Both groups find themselves in a forest inhabited by fairies who manipulate the humans and are engaged in their own domestic intrigue. A Midsummer Night's Dream is considered one of Shakespeare's most popular and widely …

Unimer Suppression Enables Supersaturated Homopolymer Swollen Micelles With Long-Term Stability After Glassy Entrapment, Eric R. Williams, Christian X. Ruff, Morgan Stefik

Faculty Publications

Micelle sizes are critical for a range of applications where the simple ability to adjust and lock in specific stable sizes has remained largely elusive. While micelle swelling agents are well-known, their dynamic re-equilibration in solution implies limited stability. Here, a non-equilibrium processing sequence is studied where supersaturated homopolymer swelling is combined with glassy-core (“persistent”) micelles. This path-dependent process was found to sensitively depend on unimer concentration as revealed by DLS, SAXS, and TEM analysis. Here, lower-selectivity solvent combinations led to the formation of unimer-homopolymer aggregates and eventual precipitation, reminiscent of anomalous micellization. In contrast, higher-selectivity solvents enabled supersaturated homopolymer …

Kodai: Framework Towards Data Augmentation Of Large Language Models In Machine Learning, Rick Rejeleene

Theses and Dissertations

Machine Learning is rapidly advancing at an incredible pace due to an increase in computational size, and availability of data. Data is the cornerstone of machine learning algorithms. Information quality has a profound impact on the performance of machine learning systems. Supervised, Unsupervised, and Reinforcement learning are three major ways of performing machine learning. Self-supervised learning, part of unsupervised learning, has made breakthroughs in engineering and research by using Large Language Models (LLM). LLM are a type of neural network, used for language understanding and generation. Recently, LLM has taken a distinct lead by demonstrating state-of-the-art capabilities in natural language …

Montana Kaimin, February 8, 2024, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Determining The Surface PKA Of Perfluorooctanoic Acid, Lila J. Musegades, Owen P. Curtin, Jenée D. Cyran

Chemistry and Biochemistry Faculty Publications and Presentations

Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is an environmentally prevalent and persistent organic pollutant with toxic and bioaccumulative properties. Despite the known importance of perfluorinated pollutants in the global environment, molecular-level details of the physicochemical behavior of PFOA on aqueous interfaces remain poorly understood. Here, we utilized two surface-specific techniques, vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy (SFG) and surface tensiometry, to investigate the pH-induced structural changes of PFOA and octanoic acid (OA) and determined the apparent pK_a at the air–water surface. The SFG spectra and surface activity model were investigated over a wide range of pHs. With the surface tension measurements, the …

Unimer Suppression Enables Supersaturated Homopolymer Swollen Micelles With Long-Term Stability After Glassy Entrapment, Eric R. Williams, Christian X. Ruff, Morgan Stefik

Faculty Publications

Micelle sizes are critical for a range of applications where the simple ability to adjust and lock in specific stable sizes has remained largely elusive. While micelle swelling agents are well-known, their dynamic re-equilibration in solution implies limited stability. Here, a non-equilibrium processing sequence is studied where supersaturated homopolymer swelling is combined with glassy-core (“persistent”) micelles. This path-dependent process was found to sensitively depend on unimer concentration as revealed by DLS, SAXS, and TEM analysis. Here, lower-selectivity solvent combinations led to the formation of unimer-homopolymer aggregates and eventual precipitation, reminiscent of anomalous micellization. In contrast, higher-selectivity solvents enabled supersaturated homopolymer …

The Cowl - V. 88 N. 3 - February 8, 2024

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol. 88 No. 3 - February 8, 2024. 24 pages.

Command Injection Attacks In Smart Grids: A Survey, Muhammad Usama, Muhammad Naveed Aman

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

Cybersecurity is important in the realization of various smart grid technologies. Several studies have been conducted to discuss different types of cyberattacks and provide their countermeasures. The false command injection attack (FCIA) is considered one of the most critical attacks that have been studied. Various techniques have been proposed in the literature to detect FCIAs on different components of smart grids. The predominant focus of current surveys lies on FCIAs and detection techniques for such attacks. This article presents a survey of existing works on FCIAs and classifies FCIAs in smart grids according to the targeted component. The impacts of …

Foraging Rates From Metabarcoding: Predators Have Reduced Functional Responses In Wild, Diverse Prey Communities, Stella F. Uiterwaal, John Delong

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Functional responses describe foraging rates across prey densities and underlie many fundamental ecological processes. Most functional response knowledge comes from simplified lab experiments, but we do not know whether these experiments accurately represent foraging in nature. In addition, the difficulty of conducting multispecies functional response experiments means that it is unclear whether interaction strengths are weakened in the presence of multiple prey types. We developed a novel method to estimate wild predators' foraging rates from metabarcoding data and use this method to present functional responses for wild wolf spiders foraging on 27 prey families. These field functional responses were considerably …

Characteristics Of Trust Between African Americans And Health Care Providers, Carol C. Griffiths

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

African Americans (AA) are one of the groups disproportionally affected by health care disparities. Despite years of research and government funding, the health of AA continues to decline, and a variety of factors intermingle to produce this effect. Furthermore, trust has been identified as contributing to poor health outcomes in AA. There is a gap in the literature about the lack of trust between AA and health care providers (HCPs), and information about how AA define, perceive, and experience trust in interactions with health care providers and the health care system is lacking. The purpose of this qualitative study was …

Forecasting The Strength Of Graphene Nanoparticles-Reinforced Cementitious Composites Using Ensemble Learning Algorithms, Majid Khan, Roz-Ud-Din Nassar, Waqar Anwar, Mazhar Rasheed, Taoufik Najeh, Yaser Gamil, Furqan Farooq

Faculty Publications

Contemporary infrastructure requires structural elements with enhanced mechanical strength and durability. Integrating nanomaterials into concrete is a promising solution to improve concrete strength and durability. However, the intricacies of such nanoscale cementitious composites are highly complex. Traditional regression models encounter limitations in capturing these intricate compositions to provide accurate and reliable estimations. This study focuses on developing robust prediction models for the compressive strength (CS) of graphene nanoparticle-reinforced cementitious composites (GrNCC) through machine learning (ML) algorithms. Three ML models, bagging regressor (BR), decision tree (DT), and AdaBoost regressor (AR), were employed to predict CS based on a comprehensive dataset of …

Forecasting The Strength Of Graphene Nanoparticles-Reinforced Cementitious Composites Using Ensemble Learning Algorithms, Majid Khan, Roz-Ud-Din Nassar, Waqar Anwar, Mazhar Rasheed, Taoufik Najeh, Yaser Gamil, Furqan Farooq

Faculty Publications

Contemporary infrastructure requires structural elements with enhanced mechanical strength and durability. Integrating nanomaterials into concrete is a promising solution to improve concrete strength and durability. However, the intricacies of such nanoscale cementitious composites are highly complex. Traditional regression models encounter limitations in capturing these intricate compositions to provide accurate and reliable estimations. This study focuses on developing robust prediction models for the compressive strength (CS) of graphene nanoparticle-reinforced cementitious composites (GrNCC) through machine learning (ML) algorithms. Three ML models, bagging regressor (BR), decision tree (DT), and AdaBoost regressor (AR), were employed to predict CS based on a comprehensive dataset of …

2024 February 8 - Tennessee Weekly Drought Summary, Tennessee Climate Office, East Tennessee State University

Tennessee Climate Office Weekly Drought Summaries

No abstract provided.

Understanding Quadrature Modulation By Designing A 7mhz Iq Test Bench To Encode The Polybius Square, William Lee Bradley

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis outlines the design of an IQ Test Bench that allows for experimentation of quadrature modulation techniques. Quadrature modulation utilizes two signals I and Q, 90° out of phase from each other, to greatly increase communication data rates. Using Desmos, a thorough mathematical analysis of waveform mixing is presented, and constellation diagrams are plotted from the results. From this an ancient fire signaling technique known as the Polybius Square is encoded into the system. The IQ Test Bench is built from fundamental components that would be contained within an RFFE: a local oscillator and two frequency mixers. The LO …

Elementary Teachers’ Perceptions Of Closing The Math Achievement Gaps Between Black And White Students In Grades 3–5, Carla Shantell Waller

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem underpinning this study was a pronounced achievement gap between Black and White students, evident in standardized test score pass rates of third through fifth graders, in a school district in the U.S. state of Virginia. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the extent to which culturally responsive instructional practices influence elementary teachers' perceptions, approaches, successes, and challenges in closing the differences in standardized math scores between Black and White students in Grades 3 through 5. Gay’s work on culturally responsive teaching, which encompasses theory, research, and evidence-based instructional approaches teachers can implement to address …

Two Non–*–Isomorphic *–Lie Algebra Structures On Sl(2,R) And Their Physical Origins, Luigi Accardi, Irina Ya. ArefʹEva, Yungang Lu, Igorʹ VasilʹEvich Volovich

Journal of Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.

Transfer Learning In The Era Of Foundational Models: Application To Diagnosis In Rheumatology, Prashant Shekhar

Math Department Colloquium Series

Problems with current synovitis grading procedures

• There has been a lack of reliability in grading these images in the medical community due to a lack of universally accepted diagnostic criteria [Momtazmanesh et al., 2022]
• The human/machine variability creates an additional challenge in an efficient automated scoring system [Ranganath et al., 2022]
• There is a lack of consistency between doctors in grading these images [Momtazmanesh et al., 2022]

Vernilla Turnage Glenn

African American Funeral Programs

No abstract provided.

History Of Clover Leaf Syndrome, Isabella Perez

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the history of clover leaf syndrome and describe the newest advancements made to treat it. Clover leaf syndrome is more formally referred to as Kleeblattschadel syndrome. Information was gathered from several scholarly, peer-reviewed articles, and was condensed down into the key takeaways. This syndrome impacts the formation of the skull due to premature fusion of its sutures, creating a tri-lobar skull that resembles a clover leaf. This premature fusion is referred to as a type of craniosynostosis and has been linked to causing several other health complications ranging in severity. This is …

Cwu Faculty Senate Minutes 2/07/24, Janet Shields

Faculty Senate Minutes

These are the official Central Washington University Faculty Senate minutes for the February 7, 2024, regular meeting.

There Is Life On Mars, Colin M. Johnston, Olivier B. Cohen

CAFE Symposium 2024

An extensive research project that involved the research of multiple major experiments and discoveries about possible life on the planet Mars. Facts, Data, conspiracies and theories have all been taken into account and provided in this project.

Composition-Property Relationships Of Choline Based Eutectic Solvents: Impact Of The Hydrogen Bond Donor And Co2 Saturation, Ruth Dikki, Vaishali Khokhar, Muhammad Zeeshan, Oguz Kagan Coskun, Burcu Gurkan

Faculty Scholarship

Eutectic solvents are tunable for targeted applications through the functional groups in their hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA) and hydrogen bond donor (HBD) components, as well as the HBA : HBD composition ratio. This study examines the properties of choline-based eutectics containing imidazole, phenol, pyrrole-2-carbonitrile, and 1,2,4-triazole HBAs, and ethylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, and ethanolamine HBDs. The viscosity, conductivity, degree of hydrogen bonding, thermal stability, and solvatochromic properties are examined as a function of HBA, HBD, and the composition. These studies revealed a predominant dependence of physical properties on the HBD and determined that the strong hydrogen bonding in phenol and …

Silver Bow Creek Butte Area Npl Site Fall Semi-Annual 2023 Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Interim Site-Wide Groundwater Monitoring Data Report. Consent Decree- Civil Action No. Cv 89-039-Bu-She, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Analyzing The Ramifications Of Climate Change On Mental Health, Salvatore A. Medori

CAFE Symposium 2024

When thinking about the vast array of impacts that the climate crisis has on humanity, there are many things that come to mind, but mental health impacts are likely not one of them. Even though research demonstrates that mental effects from any form of disaster far exceed the physical health implications mental health impacts of the largest disaster facing humanity since the Second World War are rarely considered at all, let alone when solutions are being created. This has led to a hidden crisis emerging underneath an even larger crisis, with serious consequences for most individuals across the globe. The …

Emergent Ai, Jillian A. Bick

CAFE Symposium 2024

For many years, artificial intelligence (AI) was considered to be limited in its abilities due to being confined to a pre-defined set of data. Currently, however, AI models have grown in complexity and size, leading to some previously impossible behaviors. These behaviors, known as "emergent AI behaviors," are unpredictable and not pre-programmed. Their existence suggests that AI is expanding in adaptability and may one day rival human intelligence. Media often portrays AI as having emotions and having the ability to operate autonomously, but what behaviors are AI really capable of?

Cybernetics: How It Compares To Science-Fiction And Future Possibilities, Anindo Majumder

CAFE Symposium 2024

Cybernetics is a branch of science that studies how information is communicated in machines and electronic equipment compared to how information is communicated in the brain and nervous system. It also relates to the theory of automatic control and physiology, particularly the physiology of the nervous system. Usage of cybernetics is very popular in various science-fiction medium. This naturally leads one to be curious if its depictions might turn into reality one day. This research paper delves into the growth of cybernetics since its inception, current applications of cybernetics, and what the future might hold.

The Delta Program: Bringing Change Through Mathematics, Ndeye F. Ndiaye

CAFE Symposium 2024

This action plan elaborated in class has the goal of presenting the implementation steps of the Delta Program. The Delta Program is a mathematics preparatory course targeting low-income 12th-grade students who will take the ENEM exam, the main college entry exam in Brazil. It aims to dissect the mathematics section of the exam and help students maximize their punctuation through problem-resolution-based classes.

Action Plan: Gym Cleanliness At The Jaeger Center, Blair A. O'Connor

CAFE Symposium 2024

I have created an action plan to assess current patrons' satisfaction with the cleaning materials provided at the Gettysburg College Jaeger Center, and increase the amount or variety if the need is there. Due to a combination of behaviors and bacteria in the Jaeger Center, gym users are at risk of contracting infections. The objective of this plan is for gym users to feel more empowered and safe in their environment. While there may be individuals who feel like increased disinfecting efforts and supplies are not necessary at the Jaeger Center, what may not be a concern for one person …