Digital Commons Network^™

Advanced Manufacturing And Materials Of A Biomimetic Hoof For Space Robotics Applications, Benjamin Heckel

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

Planetary surfaces often feature steep, uneven, and unpredictable terrain conditions that resemble some of the most challenging natural environments on Earth. In these terrestrial settings, certain animals have evolved to navigate complex landscapes with remarkable agility. One such example is the mountain goat, an animal whose hooves have evolved for stable and precise movement across rocky, inclined surfaces. This biological adaptation provides a useful model for improving robotic mobility in planetary exploration. This study draws inspiration from that natural adaptation to develop a bio-mimetic robotic hoof designed to enhance traction, durability, and adaptability for extraterrestrial exploration. By replicating the mechanical …

Development Of A 3d Lung Epithelial Model To Study Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Infection Under Simulated Microgravity, Mariposa C. Magee

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

The human immune system is complex and highly responsive to physiological stress, especially when subjected to spaceflight conditions. Spaceflight conditions have shown to increase the risk of opportunistic infections such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This clinically relevant, gram-negative pathogen has been found in space flight-related environments such as on the International Space Station. Individuals in spaceflight environments are prone to experiencing immune dysfunction and altered cytokine profiles and could be at a greater risk for developing an opportunistic infection such as P. aeruginosa during the duration in spaceflight. P. aeruginosa poses a threat to individuals both on Earth and in spaceflight …

Hybrid Hierarchical Swarm Robots For Planetary Exploration, Eeman Abid

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

This project proposes a novel approach to planetary exploration utilizing a hybrid hierarchical swarm robotic system inspired by social insect colonies. The project will develop a centralized 'queen' robot that provides high-level direction to a team of semi-autonomous 'worker' robots, each capable of making local decisions while following the queen's strategic guidance. This structure aims to enhance adaptability and efficiency by balancing centralized coordination with decentralized execution. The approach aligns with NASA's CADRE mission, which uses coordinated rovers to map the lunar surface. By combining simulation in ROS2/Gazebo with physical testing on lunar regolith simulant, this research will evaluate how …

Investigating T-Cell Responses In Simulated Space Flight, Graema Grainger

Student Research Symposium (SRS)

In space flight, medication can be a large expense to take into space. Not only the weight but the conditions may cause some medication to expire on a long-term mission. This issue is compounded by how our immune systems decline in long term space exposure. It is important to understand in what ways the immune system is affected and why it’s happening. This study explores how space flight and gamma radiation cause inflammation and how neutrophil maturity and metabolic profile play a role in it. Space flight was simulated on 24-week-old mice, both male and female, in isolated, paired and …

Metabolomics In Precision Medicine: Application And Prospect In Cancer Research, Ming-Shi Shiao

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Metabolomics is the most recent and final discipline among the post-genomic, multiomics fields. It encompasses key technologies in systems biology, providing an overview of low-molecular-weight metabolites while examining disturbances to offer pathophysiological explanations. The two key analytical tools in metabolomics are nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, which includes gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Metabolomic research relies on a three-stage data generation process: the first stage involves precise analytical chemistry to produce data; the second stage employs multivariate statistical analysis; and the last stage uses big data as a reference for comparison to establish biochemical, metabolic, and …

Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolomics For Studying Gut Microbiota-Derived Metabolites In Biological Samples, Ya-Ting Lin, Huai-Hsuan Chiu, Chih-Ning Cheng, Ching-Hua Kuo

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

Gut microbiota produces a wide range of metabolites and plays a critical role in maintaining host health. Dysregulation of these metabolites can influence host metabolism through systemic circulation, contributing to the development of various diseases, including immunological, neurological and cancer-related disorders. Chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) has emerged as a powerful analytical approach, offering high sensitivity and resolution for studying gut microbiota-related metabolites. This review provides a comprehensive overview of chromatographic MS-based methods applied to the study of the gut microbial metabolome. We summarize strategies for sample collection, storage, and preparation of commonly analyzed sample types, including feces, plasma/serum, …

Special Issue: Analytical Technologies In Metabolomics: Applications And Future Prospects, Sung-Fang Chen

Journal of Food and Drug Analysis

No abstract for this article type.

Feather And Freedom: A Fabled Land In The Mind, Yuan Tao

Living in Languages

Set in the deceptively tranquil Honest Town, “The Feather of Sister Zandan” is narrated from the perspective of Zaan, a younger brother, revealing his complicated feelings toward his sister. Written in a fable-like style infused with magical realism, the story explores the tension between restraint and longing, culminating in an abrupt and poignant ending that evokes the emotional sting of an O. Henry-style twist. The short story won the Gemini Prize for Short Fiction of China in 2021. According to the award citation, Lan Du’s writing demonstrates emotional depth, dazzling imagination, and striking narrative tension. Her storytelling defies conventional …

Antibiotic Use And Resistance: Knowledge, Awareness, Attitudes, And Misconceptions Among Secondary School Students In Al Ain, Patil Arsen Maradian

Thesis/ Dissertation Defenses

This thesis explores students' knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and misconceptions regarding antibiotic use and resistance in secondary school. Since antibiotic resistance is both a biological threat and a general health problem influenced by educational and sociocultural factors, the objectives of the research are to determine the level of antibiotic-related knowledge and to assess how a particular pattern of intuitive reasoning can lead to entrenched misconceptions. The mixed-method design implemented in this study combined a survey based on the World Health Organization’s Antibiotic Resistance Multi-Country Public Awareness Survey, along with other validated instruments and qualitative research in the form of interviews in …

2023 Child Fatality Annual Report, Tennessee. Department Of Health.

Child Fatalities in Tennessee Report

No abstract provided.

On The Extreme Complexity Of Certain Nearly Regular Graphs, Gregory P. Constantine, Gregory C. Magda

Theory & Applications of Graphs

The complexity of a graph is the number of its labeled spanning trees. It is demonstrated that the seven known triangle-free strongly regular graphs are graphs of maximal complexity among all graphs of the same order and degree; their complements are shown to be of minimal complexity. A generalization to nearly regular graphs with two distinct eigenvalues of the Laplacian is presented. Conjectures and applications of these results to biological problems on neuronal activity are described.

Charter Schools Annual Report 2023, Tennessee. Department Of Education.

Charter Schools Annual Report

No abstract provided.

Perspective In Biomedical Sciences Field: Education And Career, Fitra Adi Prayogo, Mellyaning Oktaviani Sonya Kirana Sari, Isy Royhanaty, Poppy Fansisca Amelia, Heni Wijayanti, Ni Nyoman Maryaningtyas Adinatha, Dyah Wulandari, Anto Budiharjo

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Abstract

Background: The biomedical sciences represent a dynamic and multidisciplinary field pivotal to advancing human health through research, education, and innovation.

Objective(s): This review explores the evolving landscape of biomedical education and career pathways, driven by technological advancements, interdisciplinary integration, and global health demands.

Methods: We examine the distinctions between biomedical science, biomedicine, and biomedical engineering, highlighting their historical origins and contemporary roles. The education and career trajectories of biomedical laboratory scientists (BLS) are analysed, emphasising diverse competencies, core curricula, and the impact of regional policies on professional qualifications. Emerging trends and ethical/regulatory challenges are discussed.

Result(s): Key trends include …

Performance And Cost Comparison Of A Rapid Diagnostic Test For Malaria And Microscopy. A Cross-Sectional Diagnostic Study, Abubakar Sunusi Ishak, Habibu U. Isgogo, Abubakar A. Lawan, Yuda Chongpison

Chulalongkorn Medical Journal

Background: The shift from traditional microscopy to rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria diagnosis is gaining popularity, especially in resource-limited settings with unstable electricity and limited expertise. However, trust issues arise due to the inconsistent performance of different RDT kits.

Objectives: This study identified the variations in performance and cost of an RDT brand for malaria among different population demographics: pregnant women, young children, and adults, when compared with microscopy as a gold standard.

Method: The research was carried out in northwestern Nigeria and involved 360 participants stratified into 3 groups: children (5–17 years), adults (≥ 18 years), and pregnant …

Aircraft Wastewater Surveillance As A Tool For Monitoring Disease In The Pacific, Carla J. Eaton, Joanne R. Chapman, Brent J. Gilpin

Pacific Journal of Health

Wastewater surveillance is a powerful tool for monitoring infectious diseases within a population. However, as most wastewater surveillance relies on interconnected wastewater networks to provide samples representative of the population, many Pacific Islands have been excluded from benefiting from this tool due to their lack of reticulated sewerage systems. Many diseases of concern for the Pacific are detectable in wastewater even though individuals may be asymptomatic. We investigated whether analysis of wastewater from aircraft arriving in New Zealand from Pacific Island nations could be used as a proxy for in-country surveillance. Flights from the Pacific arrive in Auckland daily, with …

Skoring Risiko Mortalitas Pada Pneumonia Komunitas Sedang-Berat, Ni Nyoman Indirawati Kusuma, Gurmeet Singh, Vally Wulani, Cleopas Martin Martin Rumende, Fauzar Fauzar, Telly Kamelia, Sukamto Koesnoe, Adityo Susilo, Hamzah Shatri

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Introduction. Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is a lung parenchyma infection acquired outside of the hospital and is significantly associated with morbidity and mortality rates. Identifying patients with moderate-severe CAP at high risk of mortality through a combination of these variables is expected to serve as a basis for prompt and appropriate intervention, ultimately improving clinical outcomes for CAP patients. This study aimed to develop a scoring system using clinical characteristics, radiological findings, and serum biomarkers to assess the mortality risk in patients with moderate-severe CAP.

Methods. This study employs a retrospective cohort design with moderate-severe CAP patients treated …

Prevalensi Covid-19 Derajat Berat Dan Kritis Saat Admisi Pada Pasien Penyakit Reumatik Autoimun Dan Faktor-Faktor Yang Berhubungan, Mulia Destini, Anna Ariane, Mira Yulianti, Aulia Rizka, Ikhwan Rinaldi, Arif Mansjoer, Hasan Maulahela, Syahidatul Wafa

Jurnal Penyakit Dalam Indonesia

Introduction. Patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases are known to be more vulnerable to severe and critical infections, including COVID-19. Although it is no longer classified as a pandemic, SARS- CoV-2 infection still persists, and several surges of cases have been reported, including in Indonesia. To date, no data are available regarding the prevalence of severe and critical COVID-19 at admission in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases in Indonesia and the associated factors. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of severe and critical COVID-19 at admission in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases at Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National General Hospital, …

The Role Of Emotional Dysregulation In Anorexia, Grace Larson

Psychology Student Publications

An examination of the role of emotional dysregulation in the development and maintenance of Anorexia Nervosa. Discusses the overlapping factors including emotional awareness and regulation, social threat attention biases, perfectionistic personality traits, and childhood trauma.

What Is Alive? Students’ Conceptions Of The Traits That Unite Living Organisms, Jeremy L. Hsu, Meredith A. Dorner, Kate Hill

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Biology is the study of life, but students often hold misconceptions about what it means to be alive, with children often associating life with movement. These misconceptions can lead to biases in what students think is alive, with younger children often not thinking of plants as living given their lack of discernable movement. Despite this past work, there have been no prior studies that we are aware of that have examined how students in introductory biology conceptualize what it means to be alive. Here, we draw upon a fortuitous dataset collected from an in-class activity done on the first day …

Emotional Intelligence Of Early College High School Juniors, Donna M. Besant

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A capstone submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Ernst and Sara Lane Volgenau College of Education at Morehead State University by Donna M. Besant on March 31, 2026.

Risk Factors Of Leptospirosis Among Agricultural Workers In Southeast Asia: Literature Review, Ronggo Adi Wibowo, Wawa Najwa Nurzakia, Meirany Sasitha Kirana, Yulia Arthemisia Wijaya, Jasmine Ayumaharani Sekaryudha, Dwi Sarwani Sri Rejeki, Rosita Dwi Jayanti

Jurnal Epidemiologi Kesehatan Indonesia

The agricultural sector is the primary source of livelihood for communities in Southeast Asia; however, these activities increase the risk of exposure to zoonotic diseases, particularly leptospirosis. Southeast Asia is one of the regions with the highest incidence of leptospirosis in the world. This literature review aims to identify risk factors for leptospirosis among agricultural workers in Southeast Asia. The search for research articles utilized three databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, and ScienceDirect) using a descriptive approach based on literature review and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 9,800 articles were screened for …

Operating Fund Budget/ Expenditure Summary Report 3rd Quarter 2025-26, Csusb Budget Office

University Budget Office records

No abstract provided.

Analisis Disparitas Geospasial Dan Determinan Sosio-Demografis Masalah Kesehatan Jiwa Di Indonesia: Analisis Data Survei Kesehatan Indonesia (Ski) 2023, Alya Zahrah Zhafirah, Sutanto Priyo Priyo Hastono

Jurnal Biostatistik, Kependudukan, dan Informatika Kesehatan

Kesehatan jiwa merupakan pilar utama pembangunan sumber daya manusia yang kini menjadi tantangan struktural di Indonesia. Masalah ini dipengaruhi secara signifikan oleh determinan sosio-demografi seperti tingkat pendidikan, status ekonomi dan lingkungan. Penelitian ini diinisiasi oleh urgensi untuk memetakan distribusi beban masalah kesehatan jiwa secara nasional sekaligus menginvestigasi ketidakonsistenan prevalensi antara data Riskesdas 2018 dan SKI 2023. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain potong lintang dengan menganalisis prevalensi masalah kesehatan jiwa pada penduduk Indonesia berusia ≥15 tahun, menggunakan data SKI 2023. Kondisi kesehatan jiwa dinilai menggunakan instrumen SRQ-20 untuk mengidentifikasi probabilitas masalah kesehatan jiwa. Hasil utama menunjukkan prevalensi masalah kesehatan jiwa Indonesia tahun …

Collaborating To Create A Research Training Program For Underrepresented Students: Insights And Strategies For Developing And Sustaining A Multi-Institutional Consortium, Mackenzie J. Gray, Dara Shifrer, De’Sha S. Wolf, Olivia M. Ainsworth, Rosemary A. Fama, Roberto P. Anitori, Ernest Blackwell, Tracey K. Burke, Carlos J. Crespo, Derek Helsham, Travis Kibota, Alissa Leavitt, Beylul Solomon, Thomas E. Keller

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction

In 2014, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) invested in the Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) initiative to enhance diversity in the biomedical research workforce. As one of ten grantees nationwide, the BUILD EXITO project at Portland State University established an institutionally and geographically diverse consortium including local community colleges, a research-intensive medical institution, and universities and community colleges around the Pacific Rim. The goal of this collaboration was to support comprehensive research training for undergraduates from backgrounds historically underrepresented in the biomedical workforce. This manuscript aims to provide insights into creating and sustaining a large-scale multi-institutional consortium.MethodsUsing …

Beyond The Pipeline: First-Generation College Students’ Community Cultural Wealth And Stem Degree Pathways, Douglas Havard, Zahra Gholami, Jue Wu, Danette Y. Martinez, A. J. Balatico, Lara Perez-Felkner

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This study examines how first-generation college students (FGCS) and continuing-generation college students navigate STEM pathways by modeling four sequential milestones in the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09): high school graduation, college enrollment, STEM major selection, and STEM degree completion. Guided by Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth framework, we use survey-weighted sequential logistic regression to estimate stage-specific associations between academic preparation, psychosocial resources, and institutional context, conditional on prior attainment. Results reveal distinct generational patterns of STEM progression. For FGCS, rigorous high school mathematics preparation exerts a powerful influence on high school completion, while later-developing math self-efficacy and science identity …

Saturated Hierarchical Atomic Incremental Learning (Shail): A Behavioral Learning Perspective On Staged Mastery And Saturation, Ernest Fokoue

Articles

We introduce Saturated Hierarchical Atomic Incremental Learning (sHAIL), a learning paradigm in which complex tasks are approached through a sequence of simpler atomic subtasks, each mastered to saturation before progression. The central mechanism is a saturation criterion that detects when learning dynamics enter a plateau region, triggering consolidation and subsequent ascent to a higher level of task complexity. We develop a theoretical framework for sHAIL and show that it naturally gives rise to \emph{staircased convergence}: alternating phases of rapid improvement and genuine plateau. Within each level, classical convergence guarantees apply under standard smoothness conditions, while the hierarchical transitions are driven …

Decorrelation, Diversity, And Emergent Intelligence: The Isomorphism Between Social Insect Colonies And Ensemble Machine Learning, Ernest Fokoue, Gregory Babbitt, Yuval Levental

Articles

Social insect colonies and ensemble machine learning methods represent two of the most successful examples of decentralized information processing in nature and computation respectively. Here we develop a rigorous mathematical framework demonstrating that ant colony decision-making and random forest learning are isomorphic under a common formalism of stochastic ensemble intelligence. We show that the mechanisms by which genetically identical ants achieve functional differentiation— through stochastic response to local cues and positive feedback—map precisely onto the bootstrap aggregation and random feature subsampling that decorrelate decision trees. Using tools from Bayesian inference, multi-armed bandit theory, and statistical learning theory, we prove that …

A General Weighting Theory For Ensemble Learning: Beyond Variance Reduction Via Spectral And Geometric Structure, Ernest Fokoue

Articles

Ensemble learning is traditionally justified as a variance-reduction strategy, explaining its strong performance for unstable predictors such as decision trees. This explanation, however, does not account for ensembles constructed from intrinsically stable estimators-including smoothing splines, kernel ridge regression, Gaussian process regression, and other regularized reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS) methods whose variance is already tightly controlled by regularization and spectral shrinkage. This paper develops a general weighting theory for ensemble learning that moves beyond classical variance-reduction arguments. We formalize ensembles as linear operators acting on a hypothesis space and endow the space of weighting sequences with geometric and spectral constraints. …

On The Scientific Stature Of Data Science: The Epistemological Unicorn, Ernest Fokoue

Articles

Data Science has ignited unprecedented academic, industrial, and pedagogical fervor, yet its status as a \textit{science} in the classical sense---comparable to physics or biology---remains profoundly unsettled. This article interrogates the epistemological foundations of Data Science by examining its hybrid theoretical lineage, from the Universal Approximation Theorem to the No-Free-Lunch Theorems, with special emphasis on the fundamental Bayesian optimality results for both regression and classification. We argue that Data Science is in a vigorous \textit{gestational period}, characterized not by an absence of principles but by a creative tension between empirical pragmatism and deep mathematical theory. The Cross-Validation score emerges as the …

Modulation Of Behavior In The Medicinal Leech Due To Injury And Stress, Ella Dockendorf

Honors Thesis

Many studies have focused on trying to discover the fundamental processes of pain and stress. This is rather difficult for pain especially, since pain-relate behaviors include multiple components of which some are emotional while others are sensory. In this study, we use an operant conditioning assay and phototaxis assay to determine the behavioral effects of injury and stress within Hirudo verbana. Operant conditioning involved placing the animals in a two-chamber arena, with one chamber being illuminated and the other being completely dark with a pea gravel barrier in the connecting section of the arena. Normal animals improve their latency …