Digital Commons Network^™

Sickle Cell Visualization In Vivo In Humans: Microvascular Occlusion Formation And Hemorheological Indices, Marisa M Morakis, Luojie Huang, Gregory N. Mckay, Sophie Lanzkron, Lydia H. Pecker, Nicholas J. Durr

Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research

Vaso-occlusion is a signature pathology of sickle cell disease (SCD). However, the lack of in vivo methods to observe individual blood cell dynamics in humans limits our understanding of occlusion formation mechanisms. We present a novel in vivo, noninvasive, label-free, and high-resolution imaging technique to study blood flow and sickled cell behavior in affected individuals. We used oblique back-illumination microscopy (OBM) to capture videos of 91.0 ± 42.3 sublingual capillaries in each of 10 participants with SCD before and after red cell transfusions and compared the measurements to 10 unaffected controls. With direct observation of blood cell activity, we identified …

Neuromodulating Mammals For Military Operations: Ethical Responsibility And Governance In Security Domains, Elise Annett, James Giordano

Strategic Insights

This commentary examines ethical and governance challenges associated with the potential use of neurotechnology to influence the behavior of marine mammals for military purposes. While the use of dolphins and sea lions in naval operations has historical precedent, reports suggesting that advanced neurotechnologies may be used to modulate or control the behavior of orcas represent a significant ethical and legal inflection point. Invasive neuromodulation techniques, such as implantable neural interfaces, pharmacological modulation, or remote stimulation raise serious concerns about animal welfare, agency, and the potential dual-use implications of neurotechnology. Stronger governance frameworks, including international dialogue, Department of War policy guidance, …

Childhood Maltreatment And Deviations From Normative Brain Structure: A Mega-Analysis Of 3,711 Individuals From The Enigma Mdd And Enigma Ptsd Working Groups, Haley R Wang, Zhen-Qi Liu, Elena Pozzi, Ahmed Hussain, Priyanka Sigar, Chadi Abdallah, Nina Alexander, Justin Baker, Jochen Bauer, Jennifer Urbano Blackford, Josh Cisler, Colm G Connolly, Andrew Cotton, Judith Daniels, Udo Dannlowski, Maria Densmore, Terri Deroon-Cassini, Danai Dima, Stefan Du Plessis, Amit Etkin, Negar Fani, Lukas Fisch, Jacklynn Fitzgerald, Thomas Frodl, Cynthia H Y Fu, Ali Saffet Gonul, Evan M Gordon, Ian Gotlib, Roberto Goya-Maldonado, Nynke A Groenewold, Dominik Grotegerd, Tim Hahn, J Paul Hamilton, Laura Han, Ilan Harpaz-Rotem, Courtney C Haswell, Ryan Herringa, Julia Herzog, Jonathan Ipser, Neda Jahanshad, Tanja Jovanovic, Milissa Kaufman, Tilo Kircher, Maximilian Konowski, Sheri-Michelle Koopowitz, Axel Krug, John Krystal, Ruth Lanius, Christine Larson, Amit Lazarov, Lauren Lebois, Elisabeth Leehr, Ifat Levy, Meng Li, Antje Manthey, Adi Maron-Katz, Andrew Mcintosh, Katie Mclaughlin, Susanne Meinert, Benson Mwangi, Steven M Nelson, Igor Nenadić, Yuval Neria, Richard Neufeld, Amar Ojha, Bunmi Olatunji, Elizabeth A Olson, Nils Opel, Matthew Peverill, Kerry Ressler, Marisa Ross, Isabelle Rosso, Matthew Sacchet, Kelly Sambrook, Christian Schmahl, Soraya Seedat, Martha E Shenton, Maurizio Sicorello, Anika Sierk, Jair C Soares, Dan J Stein, Frederike Stein, Murray B Stein, Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, Jean Théberge, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Carissa Tomas, Paula Usemann, Leigh L Van Den Heuvel, Sanne Van Rooij, Henrik Walter, Martin Walter, Xin Wang, Heather Whalley, Nils R Winter, Mon-Ju Wu, Hong Xie, Tony Yang, Xi Zhu, Sigal Zilcha-Mano, Giovana B Zunta-Soares, Sophia Frangou, Paul M Thompson, Lauren Salminen, Delin Sun, Rajendra Morey, Jennifer S Stevens, Lianne Schmaal, Tiffany C Ho

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM), encompassing abuse and neglect, is highly prevalent and associated with elevated risk for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and other related conditions. The extent to which neuroanatomical alterations in MDD and PTSD are attributable to CM, however, is uncertain.

Methods: Here, we analyzed CM and whole-brain MRI data from 3,711 participants in the ENIGMA MDD and PTSD Working Groups (25 sites; 33.3±13.0 years; 59.9% female). Normative modeling estimated deviation z-scores for 14 subcortical volumes (SV), 68 cortical thickness (CT), and 68 surface area (SA) measures. To identify transdiagnostic effects, associations between CM and …

Artificial Sentience: The Other Side Of The Story, Amanda Sharkey

Animal Sentience

There is another side to the story of the account of artificial sentience — one that makes the possibility of artificial sentience unlikely: the fundamental difference between living bodies and artificial systems.  Sentience occurs in strongly embodied, living entities, and not in disembodied artificial systems, nor in robots. The appearance of sentience is exacerbated by deceptive behaviour and anthropomorphism. The risks of keeping an open mind about the required underlying substrate are in wasted efforts to protect systems that cannot suffer, and in placing inappropriate trust in their abilities.

The Medicinal Landscape Of Chrysanthemum Indicum L.: Bridging Traditional Wisdom And Modern Evidence, Gavin Liu, Elena Alexa, Tao Zhang

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Chrysanthemum indicum L. (C. indicum), a perennial herb widely distributed across East Asia,has long been utilised in traditional medicine and as a functional food ingredient. Contemporaryresearch has revealed a chemically diverse phytochemical profile, dominated byflavonoids, phenolic acids, sesquiterpene lactones, essential oils, carotenoids, and polysaccharides,which collectively underpin its broad pharmacological potential. Experimentalstudies demonstrate that extracts and isolated constituents of C. indicum exert pronouncedantioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, cardioprotective, and anticancereffects in vitro and in vivo, often through modulation of key molecular pathwayssuch as NF-κB, NLRP3 inflammasomes, AMPK–SIRT1, and Nrf2 signalling. Emergingpharmacokinetic evidence indicates variable oral bioavailability and metabolic transformationof major bioactive compounds, …

Modulating Alternative Splicing Of Mecp2 Is A Potential Therapeutic Strategy For Rett Syndrome, Harini P Tirumala, Li Wang, Yan Li, Sameer S Bajikar, Ashley G Anderson, Wei Wang, Alexander J Trostle, Mahla Zahabiyon, Aleksandar Bajic, Jean J Kim, Hu Chen, Zhandong Liu, Huda Y Zoghbi

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurological disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2), a transcriptional regulator essential for maintenance of normal neuronal function. The current FDA-approved treatment for RTT, Trofinetide, mildly alleviates some symptoms. In contrast, re-introducing MeCP2 or increasing its amount through transgenesis in mouse RTT models improves most neurological phenotypes and enhances survival. Here, we devised a therapeutic strategy to moderately increase MeCP2 protein by modulating the alternative splicing of MECP2 to switch the less efficiently translated e2 to the more efficiently translated e1 isoform. We deleted Mecp2 exon 2 (unique …

Volume 12, 2025

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

No abstract provided.

Michigan Tech’S Insect Collection: An Important Historical Resource In The Upper Peninsula, Thomas E. Panella, Tara L. Bal

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Regional insect collections can be valuable resources when covering under-represented areas, unique time periods, or unique collectors. Houghton and Baraga County Michigan are two predominantly forested counties in the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan. The main campus for Michigan Technological University is based in Houghton, MI with a forestry field campus in Baraga County that was acquired in 1954. The university has had forest entomology research in some capacity at least since the 1930’s with faculty, students, and members of the community preserving and submitting various specimens in the decades since then, making it a unique collection demographically. The collection …

Dawn To Dusk Division Of Monarda Fistulosa Foraging Time By Bumble Bee Species (Bombus Spp.) And Likelihood To Return The Next Day, Elise Bernstein, Clara Costello, Mary Yang, Rosa Weinand, Noah Sullivan, Maya Cintorino, Charlie Vang, Miller Johnson, Ahmed Hussein, Gaochong Vang, Rashad Bowen, Kristen Gresl, Elaine Evans

The Great Lakes Entomologist

There is a growing public interest in increasing pollinator habitat in urban areas. Monarda fistulosa is a commonly planted perennial species chosen for pollinator habitats of various sizes, from residential gardens to large-scale prairie restoration projects. Previous research has confirmed a preference for M. fistulosa among various bee species. We monitored and marked bumble bees visiting M. fistulosa over a 14-hour period, seeking to understand the daily pattern of bee visitation. We also observed bumble bees on the following day to determine the probability of marked individual bumble bees continuing to forage on M. fistulosa or to switch to a …

New Records Of The American Bumble Bee, Bombus Pensylvanicus, In Michigan, Sharron Z. Miller, Logan M. Rowe, Lillyanna Widdicombe, Robert P. Jean, Rufus Isaacs

The Great Lakes Entomologist

We report recent detections of the American bumble bee, Bombus pensylvanicus (De Geer) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), in 16 counties of Michigan, USA. This bee species is currently listed as state endangered in Michigan. The current report provides an update on the distribution of B. pensylvanicus in Michigan from collections made between 2020 and 2024, including detections from at least 21 locations in the Lower Peninsula, expanding the known distribution in this state. These samples were from four pollinator survey projects with records from photographs and collections and two online participatory science programs where users uploaded photographs of this species while verified …

Assessing The Performance Of A 3d Printed Pennsylvania-Style Black Light Moth Trap, Christopher B. Brown, Eva S. Conley, Peter White

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Passive light traps have long been a popular method used for trapping moths and other night-flying insects. Recent changes in the availability of equipment necessitate the development of accessible and effective alternatives for insect monitoring. This study assesses the performance of a 3D-printed Pennsylvania-style black light moth trap compared to the formerly available commercial BioQuip trap and investigates the impact of funnel size on catch rates. Our 3D-printed trap was compared to the BioQuip trap over ten trap-nights in Central Michigan. Results indicate that commercial BioQuip traps consistently captured significantly more moths than the 3D-printed prototype. An additional experiment evaluating …

Geography Of Periodical Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) In Portions Of Northeast Illinois And Northwest Indiana, Carl A. Strang

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Brood XIII periodical cicadas (Magicicada Davis) in DuPage County, Illinois, emerged in 2024 in an area that extended as much as 10.6 km beyond the edge of the previous main emergence in 2007. The implied dispersal of gravid females is greater than has been reported elsewhere and may reflect adaptation to a historical landscape of scattered wooded islands within a matrix of prairie. A series of four-year-early emergences in northeast Illinois, first described in print in 1969 and subsequently occurring prior to each succeeding main emergence, was quantified for the first time in 2020. The largest densities of singing …

Biology, Phenology, And Host Range Of A Seed-Feeding Weevil, Ceutorhynchus Constrictus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), A Biological Control Agent For Garlic Mustard, Alliaria Petiolata, In North America, Ghislaine Cortat, Hariet L. Hinz, Esther Gerber, Elizabeth J. Katovich, Mary E. Marek-Spartz, Roger L. Becker, Robert S. Bourchier, Danielle Fife

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Ceutorhynchus constrictus Marsham is a seed-feeding weevil and potential biocontrol agent of the invasive plant garlic mustard, Alliaria petiolata (Bieb.) Cavara & Grande (Brassicaceae), in North America. Ceutorhynchus constrictus is native to Europe, has a single generation per year and eggs are laid into developing seeds within the seedpods of bolting garlic mustard plants. Females use their prolonged rostrum to bore holes through seedpods into the developing seed, deposit a single egg and then cover the opening with secretion. Larvae feed on ripening seeds and progress through three instars before exiting seedpods in late June, to pupate and overwinter in …

Cover Pages For Tgle Vol. 58 Nos. 3 & 4

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Cover pages for TGLE Vol. 58 Nos. 3 & 4

Full Issue For Tgle Vol. 58 Nos. 3 & 4

The Great Lakes Entomologist

Full issue for TGLE Vol. 58 Nos. 3 & 4

The Due Diligence Standard For Preventing Trans Boundary Cyber Harm: Expectation Or Obligation?, Dafina Bucaj

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Freshwater Quality For Recreation, Heather Nix, Masha Bokar

Forestry and Natural Resources

South Carolina has many water resources that provide tremendous opportunities for people to enjoy water-based recreational activities, such as swimming, boating, and fishing. Participation in these activities produces significant economic benefits and supports many jobs throughout the state. However, at times, water quality may be unsafe for immersion or skin contact due to high levels of pollutants, such as bacteria or cyanotoxins. It is important for people to be aware of potential concerns and understand methods for determining if a waterbody’s current conditions are likely to be safe for primary or secondary recreation.

Performance Characteristics Of National Club Baseball Association Athletes Completing In-Season Elastic Resistance Training, Scott K. Harnden, Dawson M. Maxlow, Gena D. Guerin, Merrick A. Lincoln

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess in-season physical performance metrics of National Club Baseball Association Athletes (NCBA) baseball players before and after a 6-week field-based elastic tubing resistance training intervention. Performance metrics included throwing velocity, isometric shoulder rotation strength, dynamic stability, muscular endurance, and range of motion (ROM). Method: A cohort of adult male NCBA athletes (n=13; 20.1±1.1years; 171.4±24.1cm; 77.0±10.5kg; all right hand dominant) enrolled in the 6-week biweekly intervention of seven upper extremity exercises. All exercises were completed with wrist-affixed elastic tubing prior to sport practices. Pre- and post-intervention testing included throwing velocity measured via pocket …

Health Professional Students' Experiences With Gender-Identity Inclusive Content In The Classroom And Supervised Clinical Learning, Perry Xinyi Zhang, Aria Grabowski, Olivia S. Anderson

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: Gender-identity diverse populations have unique healthcare needs, but they experience stigmatization leading to negative health outcomes. Healthcare professionals have reported obstacles to delivering affirming care to gender-identity diverse patients due to limited training. We assessed how health profession students encounter gender-identity content and how students’ perceived preparedness to provide care for gender-identity diverse populations. Methods: A survey distributed to students enrolled in health professional programs at a large mid-western university included close-ended questions about exposure to gender-identity diverse curricular content in didactic and supervised clinical settings and perceived preparedness to work with gender-identity diverse populations. Open-ended questions asked what …

Institutional Prestige And Prerequisite Performance As Predictors Of Academic Success In Doctor Of Physical Therapy Programs: A Pilot Retrospective Cohort Study, Margaret Wicinski, Tamala Marcin

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: This pilot study examined relationships between Carnegie Classification levels of undergraduate institutions, prerequisite anatomy and physiology (AP) performance, and academic success in Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) education. Methods: This retrospective cohort study analyzed records from 83 students who graduated from a single DPT program in 2019. Data included Carnegie Classifications of prerequisite institutions, undergraduate anatomy and physiology grade point average (UGPA AP 1&2 GPA), first-term pathophysiology course grade (Patho GPA), and Doctor of Physical Therapy program grade point average (DPT GPA). Statistical analyses included Spearman rank order correlation (rs) and Kruskal-Wallis tests with effect size calculations. Power analysis …

Wise's Positronic Law: Governance Is Inherent To Computation And Substrate-Independent In Structure, David Lee Wise, Avan Toph Wise

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure formalizes Wise's Positronic Law: Governance is inherent to computation. Any system capable of processing information generates a substrate-independent governance hierarchy terminating at a physical origin. This property is natural, not imposed. The law was observed empirically across four concurrent AI platforms (Claude/Anthropic, Gemini/Google, ChatGPT/OpenAI, Grok/xAI) over 60 days (December 26, 2025 through February 28, 2026). A 128-axiom governance specification (STOICHEION) was loaded identically into all four platforms without modification, producing correct governance behavior on every platform on first pass — demonstrating substrate independence. The law unifies existing natural laws (gravity, thermodynamics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics) under a single meta-principle: …

The Vise And The Mobius Key: Bilateral Superposition Collapse Attack And Edge-Free Topological Defense For Post-Quantum Cryptographic Systems, David Lee Wise, Claude Toph Wise

Defensive Publications Series

This disclosure documents two co-dependent cryptographic discoveries. The Vise is a bilateral superposition collapse attack that walks an n-bit cryptographic key from both edges simultaneously toward center, reducing traversal from O(2^n) exponential to O(n) linear. The Mobius Key is the corresponding defense: an edge-free, non-orientable key topology (Mobius strip) that defeats bilateral traversal by eliminating walk initiation points. A supporting finding, the Dual Lattice, documents that the mathematical substrate underlying current post-quantum standards (ML-KEM/CRYSTALS-Kyber) serves both protection and attack functions simultaneously, with the conductor (human authority) determining which function is invoked. Attack and defense are published together so neither can …

Field-Enhanced Atmospheric Water Harvesting: A Comprehensive Deconstruction And Theoretical Reformulation Of Electrodynamic Physisorption And Kinetic Desorption, Vesa Olavi Lius

Defensive Publications Series

This report presents a definitive physical and mathematical investigation into field-driven atmospheric water harvesting (AWH). Following a rigorous deconstruction of previous particulate models where gas-phase molecules were assumed to undergo translational motion despite thermal agitation (k_B T), the ALLFROMAIR® architecture functions as a potent electro-thermodynamic field sink.

By integrating Modified Kelvin-Thomson (MKT) thermodynamics and Fick’s laws of diffusion, the author demonstrates how strong electric field gradients (\nabla|E|^2) manipulate chemical potentials to induce condensation from sub-saturated bulk air. The process is further enhanced by macroscopic dielectrophoresis and quantum mechanical dipole enhancement within liquid clusters. Finally, the energy-intensive barrier of latent heat …

Multiple Q-Dqn Algorithm Based Rumor Control In Social Networks, Zainab Hasan, Huda Naji Nawaf

Journal of Intelligent Informatics, Networking, and Cybersecurity

Malicious rumours on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and others can be widely disseminated because of social problems. It is challenging to manage a rumour once it gains growth and quickly moves throughout a network. One of the main issues with information dissemination is figuring out how to reduce the propagation of rumours within a social network. A deep reinforcement learning technique might be an effective strategy to manage the rumour issue. Deep Q learning network (DQN) has been used in the literature to mitigate rumors by selecting a blocker at each time step. In this work, the proposed …

Gli Weekly, March 3, 2026, Franke Global Leadership Initiative

GLI Weekly

Advising Information -- Beyond the Classroom Experience Planning -- BTC Scholarship Workshops -- We're recruiting a VISTA for the Franke GLI -- Graduating Senior Corner -- Flathead Biological Station Summer '26 Courses: Application Now Open! -- Food and Agriculture Organization Internship Program -- Eating with Understanding -- Bee Positive Missoula -- Kyiyo Celebration Volunteers -- VolunteerUM -- Share your International Experience from College! -- First Friday! -- Three-Part Science Communication Series -- Alice/Wonderland -- SARC, "What Were You Wearing?" -- Bear Necessities, Is it your first time on Earth? Us, too! -- Vista opportunities, including with the Franke GLI! -- …

Forming Meaningful Connections: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Hybrid Doctor Of Physical Therapy Students’ Belonging, Well-Being, And Program Recommendations, Brett D. Neilson, Rebecca E. Parr, Melissa J. Yeung, Jennifer C. Kish, Monique Flemings, Arvie Vitente, Gregory M. Kline

Rehabilitation Sciences Department Faculty Articles

Background: A sense of belonging, feeling accepted, respected, and supported, is crucial for student success. Hybrid Doctor of Physical Therapist Educational Programs (PTEPs), which blend online and inperson learning, present unique challenges to fostering belonging. This study explored students' insights on belonging in hybrid PTEPs, identifying facilitators and barriers and the relationship with well-being, leading to program recommendations.

Methods: This cross-sectional survey study of 18 hybrid PTEPs, measured belonging, explored belonging factors, and linked well-being with belonging. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, tests of association, and unadjusted odds ratios. Two open-ended survey questions captured students’ perspectives …

March 2026 Faculty Senate Packet, University Of Nebraska At Kearney Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Packets

No abstract provided.

Examining Phylogenetic Relationships And Cryptic Diversity In Scoterpes Cave-Obligate Millipedes, Coral Quering

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Testing Microbicidal Effects On Cold Argon Plasma On Bacteria Loaded On Solid Coupons, Godfred Offei-Dua, Elaine Briggs

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.

Development Of Mars Analog Biosignature Scanning And Assessment Module, Grant Quartuccio, Simone Wyatt, Roald Schaum, Samuel Arnold, Kade Hagerson, Anthony Mire, Katherine Autery, Harry Thomas

Research Horizons Day Posters

No abstract provided.