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Neutrosophic State Learning For High-Stakes Systems Using A Dynamic Triplet Model Of Support Contradiction And Uncertainty, Alaa Hassan And, Reda Ahmed Dec 2025

Neutrosophic State Learning For High-Stakes Systems Using A Dynamic Triplet Model Of Support Contradiction And Uncertainty, Alaa Hassan And, Reda Ahmed

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.


Evaluasi Keselamatan Alat Permainan Edukatif (Ape) Dan Penataan Area Bermain Outdoor Di Dua Taman Kanak-Kanak, Auri Willyado, Novrikasari Novrikasari, Mona Lestari, Dina Waldani, Desheila Andarini Dec 2025

Evaluasi Keselamatan Alat Permainan Edukatif (Ape) Dan Penataan Area Bermain Outdoor Di Dua Taman Kanak-Kanak, Auri Willyado, Novrikasari Novrikasari, Mona Lestari, Dina Waldani, Desheila Andarini

National Journal of Occupational Health and Safety

Educational Play Equipment (APE) is one of the facilities provided by Early Childhood Education (PAUD) institutions to support the learning process through play. This study aims to assess the compliance of APE and the arrangement of outdoor play areas with the 2018 Guidelines for Managing PAUD Classroom Space, SNI 9169:2023, the Ministry of Education and Culture’s 2021 Safe APE Guidelines for Early Childhood, and Ministerial Regulation No. 3 of 2022. The study employs a qualitative design with a descriptive approach through facility observations, interviews with teaching staff, and a review of school documents. The data analysis process includes data reduction, …


Real-World Outcomes Of Talimogene Laherparepvec As Salvage Therapy For Advanced Melanoma, Melissa M Yamada, Smitha Chandrasekhar, Ted A Gooley, Rita E Chen, Coley Doolittle-Amieva, George Ansstas, Shailender Bhatia, Evan T Hall, Paul T Nghiem, Song Y Park, David Y Chen Dec 2025

Real-World Outcomes Of Talimogene Laherparepvec As Salvage Therapy For Advanced Melanoma, Melissa M Yamada, Smitha Chandrasekhar, Ted A Gooley, Rita E Chen, Coley Doolittle-Amieva, George Ansstas, Shailender Bhatia, Evan T Hall, Paul T Nghiem, Song Y Park, David Y Chen

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) is an oncolytic herpes simplex virus therapy approved for treatment of unresectable and metastatic melanoma. However, real-world use often occurs in heavily pretreated patients, where evidence of effectiveness remains limited. This study evaluates treatment responses and clinical factors influencing T-VEC outcomes in patients with diverse treatment histories.

METHODS: We analyzed patients with metastatic melanoma treated with T-VEC between 2015 and 2024. Objective responses (OR), complete response (CR) and partial response were assessed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. Durability of responses, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier estimates.

RESULTS: Among …


Association Between Social Isolation And Risk Of Hypertension Among The Middle-Aged And Older: A Propensity Score–Matched Cohort Study, Yiting Kang, Minchao Liu Dec 2025

Association Between Social Isolation And Risk Of Hypertension Among The Middle-Aged And Older: A Propensity Score–Matched Cohort Study, Yiting Kang, Minchao Liu

Journal of Health Research

Background: Social isolation has emerged as a growing public health concern and may be an underrecognized risk factor for hypertension. However, evidence on its longitudinal association with hypertension remains limited and inconsistent.

Methods: The data of the national cohort study were collected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) from 2011 to 2020. A total of 3280 participants aged 45 years and older without hypertension at baseline were included. Propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to balance covariates between socially isolated and non-isolated groups. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association between social isolation and …


Attitude And Confidence In Managing Pre-Existing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus During Pregnancy Among Thai Women, Ratchanok Phonyiam, Chiao-Hsin Teng, Catherine S. Sullivan, Aunchalee E.L. Palmquist, Eric A. Hodges, Yamnia I. Cortés, Marianne Baernholdt Dec 2025

Attitude And Confidence In Managing Pre-Existing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus During Pregnancy Among Thai Women, Ratchanok Phonyiam, Chiao-Hsin Teng, Catherine S. Sullivan, Aunchalee E.L. Palmquist, Eric A. Hodges, Yamnia I. Cortés, Marianne Baernholdt

Journal of Health Research

Background: The trend of rising T2DM prevalence is more pronounced in females and is of particular concern for pregnancy. The rate has jumped from 0.7% to 1.5% of all pregnancies over the past 14 years. Additionally, pregnancies affected by T2DM have higher rates of abortion and perinatal mortality compared to those with type 1 diabetes mellitus and gestational diabetes mellitus. The objective of the study was to explore the attitudes and confidence in managing T2DM among Thai women during pregnancy.

Methods: This qualitative study was a part of a parent study using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. A purposive sampling …


Enhancing Topical Delivery Of N-Acetylcysteine And Collagen Via A Novel Electrospun Collagen/Pmma Nanofibrous Mats As Facial Mask Development: Nanofibers Optimization And In Vitro Experiments, Samar A. Salim, Galala University, King Faisal University, Badr University, National Research Centre, City Of Scientific Research And Technological Applications (Srta-City),, Badr University Dec 2025

Enhancing Topical Delivery Of N-Acetylcysteine And Collagen Via A Novel Electrospun Collagen/Pmma Nanofibrous Mats As Facial Mask Development: Nanofibers Optimization And In Vitro Experiments, Samar A. Salim, Galala University, King Faisal University, Badr University, National Research Centre, City Of Scientific Research And Technological Applications (Srta-City),, Badr University

Nanotechnology Research Centre

This study endeavours to craft a potent topical facial mask using electrospun nanofibers. The nanofibers were carefully fabricated based on loading of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) onto electrospun marine collagen (MC), and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) nanofibers. Through precise adjustments of electrospinning parameters, a uniform array of nanoscale fibres with a smooth surface was achieved. The morphology and chemical structure configuration of nanofibers (NFs) were examined using SEM, FTIR, and XRD analyses. Furthermore, the cytotoxic impact was assessed on a human normal fibroblast cell line (BJ1), while protein levels were gauged using the Bradford dye-binding assay (Coomassie assay). Also, the antioxidant potential …


Absolute Extraction: Utilizing Rural Critical Criminology To Examine Appalachia’S Toxic Dependence On Extractive Industries, Andrew Kennedy Dec 2025

Absolute Extraction: Utilizing Rural Critical Criminology To Examine Appalachia’S Toxic Dependence On Extractive Industries, Andrew Kennedy

The Mid-Southern Journal of Criminal Justice

Brought forth by common rhetoric, Appalachia is often viewed as the closest space to that of an empyrean domain. Separated from the sleepless city, its allure rests in its created identity of a quiet, green escape from the city, which offers serenity on all fronts. Although Appalachia can fulfill this profile, such an ascension ignores the burning yellow grass below. The purpose of this paper is to examine the history of the destruction of Appalachia through the lens of extractive industries and the region’s designation as a sacrifice zone. Through the application of rural critical criminology, this paper holds that …


Bridging The Gap Between Substance Use Treatment Barriers In Rural Areas, Dakota Baker Dec 2025

Bridging The Gap Between Substance Use Treatment Barriers In Rural Areas, Dakota Baker

The Mid-Southern Journal of Criminal Justice

The purpose of this paper is to examine the continued concern about substance abuse/misuse and limited access to treatment in rural areas. Rural areas lack the adequate treatment needed to combat substance use disorder (SUD), mainly due to the lack of sufficient providers trained to identify, treat, and support those dealing with SUD. Additional barriers such as the high cost of treatment, stigma surrounding substance use disorders, geographical barriers, and the criminalization of substance abuse are other barriers that will be discussed in this paper (Griffin & Botvin, 2010; Hargons et al., 2023; Khazaee-Pool et al., 2024; National Center for …


Resting Autonomic Activity, Emotional Reactivity, And Executive Function In Preschool-Age Children Who Stutter, Dana J. Meyerson Dec 2025

Resting Autonomic Activity, Emotional Reactivity, And Executive Function In Preschool-Age Children Who Stutter, Dana J. Meyerson

Theses - ALL

Purpose: This study investigated whether preschool-aged children who stutter (CWS) differ from children who do not stutter (CWNS) in autonomic physiological reactivity and regulation during a phrase-repetition task paired with affective image-viewing conditions. Additionally, the study investigated whether individual differences in executive function skills, specifically inhibitory control, predicted variability in physiological responses across participants. Methods: Forty-three preschool-aged children (18 CWS, 25 CWNS) completed three laboratory visits that involved collection of electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings at rest and during a phrase-repetition task paired with visual stimuli of either neutral (fixation cross) or negative (IAPS) emotional valence. Inhibitory control was assessed using the …


Longitudinal Association Between Sleep Disturbance And Disordered Eating In Adolescents: The Mediating Role Of Emotion Dysregulation, Antonia Louise Hamilton Dec 2025

Longitudinal Association Between Sleep Disturbance And Disordered Eating In Adolescents: The Mediating Role Of Emotion Dysregulation, Antonia Louise Hamilton

Theses - ALL

Accruing evidence suggests a significant relationship between sleep disturbances and disordered eating. Early adolescence is a period of heightened vulnerability for sleep disturbances and disordered eating. However, the longitudinal relationship between sleep disturbance and disordered eating remains unclear in early adolescent samples. The current study aims to examine if sleep disturbance longitudinally predicts disordered eating in early adolescents three years later, how the odds of having clinically significant disordered eating change per each unit increase in sleep disturbance, and if emotion dysregulation mediates these relationships. It is hypothesized that baseline sleep disturbance will predict greater disordered eating at follow-up, and …


Novel Origin Of Sperm Heteromorphism In The Drosophilidae, Karan Bhatt Dec 2025

Novel Origin Of Sperm Heteromorphism In The Drosophilidae, Karan Bhatt

Theses - ALL

Sperm heteromorphism, the production of two or more discrete sperm types or morphs within a single testis, occurs in diverse taxa. This phenomenon is believed to represent a division of labor by male gametes, with only one morph (the "eusperm") participating in fertilization and the other morph(s) specialized to perform some other (typically unknown) function within the female reproductive tract. One of the most intensively investigated systems is the Drosophila obscura species group, for which sperm heteromorphism evolved once in the common ancestor to the group, with all examined descendent species exhibiting sperm length heteromorphism. The absence of additional sperm …


Exploring The Role Of Astrocyte System Xc– In Excitatory/Inhibitory Balance, Samantha Olivia Sutton Dec 2025

Exploring The Role Of Astrocyte System Xc– In Excitatory/Inhibitory Balance, Samantha Olivia Sutton

Theses - ALL

Astrocytes play a central role in maintaining excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) balance in the central nervous system by supporting intracellular glutathione (GSH) synthesis and regulating extracellular glutamate. System xc– (Sxc–), an obligate cystine/glutamate antiporter encoded by SLC7a11, couples the import of L-cystine with the export of L-glutamate. It is highly expressed throughout the cortex, hippocampus, striatum, and cerebellum, where its activity provides cystine—the rate-limiting substrate for cysteine-dependent GSH production—and contributes to ambient glutamatergic tone. Although global loss of Sxc– alters seizure threshold and redox homeostasis, whether these effects arise specifically from the loss of astrocytic Sxc– has remained unresolved. This thesis examined …


Investigating The "Tend-And-Befriend" Stress Response As A Risk Factor For Sexual Victimization Among College Women, Emily Kathleen Presutti Dec 2025

Investigating The "Tend-And-Befriend" Stress Response As A Risk Factor For Sexual Victimization Among College Women, Emily Kathleen Presutti

Theses - ALL

Sexual victimization of college women is a significant public health concern on U.S. college campuses. Traditional research on the human stress response has focused on the "fight-or-flight" model, which may not adequately capture female-typical responses in stress-inducing situations. Using a mixed-methods design, we sought to determine whether the "tend-and-befriend" stress response serves as a potential correlate of sexual victimization among college women and examine whether it contributes additional variance beyond established correlates of sexual victimization such as alcohol use, history of sexual victimization, and involvement in campus party culture. The study was conducted in two phases. In Phase I, 128 …


Dampit Robusta Coffee Effect On The Creatinine Kinase Levels And Muscle Pain Scales Among Sport Enthusiast, M. Fath Alhaqqi Sanis Salamy, Mohammad Fathul Qorib, Lilik Herawati, Rizky Darmawan, M. Izzul Mujahiddin, Salamun Salamun, Ahmed Zaiyan Nahel Salamy, Achmad Yarziq Mubarak Salis Salamy, Moh Nahar Azmi Mohamed, Ain Darojah Siddiq Ramadhan Ramadhan Dec 2025

Dampit Robusta Coffee Effect On The Creatinine Kinase Levels And Muscle Pain Scales Among Sport Enthusiast, M. Fath Alhaqqi Sanis Salamy, Mohammad Fathul Qorib, Lilik Herawati, Rizky Darmawan, M. Izzul Mujahiddin, Salamun Salamun, Ahmed Zaiyan Nahel Salamy, Achmad Yarziq Mubarak Salis Salamy, Moh Nahar Azmi Mohamed, Ain Darojah Siddiq Ramadhan Ramadhan

Folia Medica Indonesiana

Excessive eccentric exercise often results in muscle injury, reflected by elevated serum creatine kinase (CK) levels and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). In Indonesia, coffee consumption after exercise has increased, with Dampit Robusta Coffee (DRC)—a local variety rich in caffeine and antioxidants considered a potential aid for recovery. This study evaluated the effect of DRC consumption on biomarkers of muscle damage and perceived soreness. A single-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted on 20 healthy untrained men aged 20–25 years, allocated into treatment (n = 10) and control (n = 10) groups. The treatment group consumed brewed DRC (≈200 mg caffeine/day) …


Road Performance And Water-Softening Characteristics Of Stabilized Soil Under Cyclic Loading, Hu Hong, Li Zongheng, Feng Yong, Cao Zhigang, Liu Yaoxing Dec 2025

Road Performance And Water-Softening Characteristics Of Stabilized Soil Under Cyclic Loading, Hu Hong, Li Zongheng, Feng Yong, Cao Zhigang, Liu Yaoxing

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To effectively deal with waste soil and reduce environmental pollution,this paper took a road engineering project in Shaoxing as the research object and conducted a cyclic triaxial incremental loading test on the undisturbed lime soil under undrained conditions to study the effects of confining pressure,cyclic stress ratio,and water immersion on its performance.The results show that when the cyclic stress ratio increases from 1 to 4,the cumulative strain and resilient strain increase rapidly in the initial loading stage,showing a trend of “stepwise” increase.The cumulative strain produced at a cyclic stress ratio of 2 is about twice that at the cyclic stress …


Synthesis, Spectroscopic Characterization, And Biological Evaluation Of Mixed Ligands Complexes From Schiff Base And 1,10-Phenanthroline With Multivalent Metal Ions, Maryam H. Abboud, Shaymaa R. Baqer Dec 2025

Synthesis, Spectroscopic Characterization, And Biological Evaluation Of Mixed Ligands Complexes From Schiff Base And 1,10-Phenanthroline With Multivalent Metal Ions, Maryam H. Abboud, Shaymaa R. Baqer

Baghdad Science Journal

The new Schiff base (L) was synthesized from the condensation reaction of 3-amino-4-(1-methoxy-1-oxo-3-phenylpropane-2-ylamino)-4-oxobutanoic acid (aspartame) with 4-chlorobenzaldehyde in 3 drops of glacial acetic acid. This ligand is characterized by techniques: UV-Vis, FT_IR, 1HNMR, 13CNMR, Mass and C.H.N.O. A series of complexes were prepared with 1,10- phenanthroline as mixed ligands complexes. All mixed ligands complexes of chromium, cobalt, nickel, copper, palladium and platin have been characterized by the same ligands techniques. In addition to molar conductivity and magnetic moments, the NMR spectrum and mass spectrum were for ligands only. Results showed through previous techniques that the ligand (L) behaves …


Taxonomic Significance Of Anatomical Characters In Some Species Of Apiaceae Family In Iraq, Karzan Omer Qader Dec 2025

Taxonomic Significance Of Anatomical Characters In Some Species Of Apiaceae Family In Iraq, Karzan Omer Qader

Baghdad Science Journal

The study included the anatomical characteristics of nine species belonging to the nine genera of the Apiaceae family: Chaerophyllum macropodum Boiss, Grammosciadium scabridum (Boiss.) B.L. Burtt & P.H. Davis, Foeniculum vulgare Mill, Lisaea strigosa (Banks & Sol.) Eig, Ormosciadium aucheri Boiss, Pimpinella puberula (DC.) Boiss., Prangos ferulacea (L.) Lindl., Torilis arvensis (Huds.) Link and Zosima absinthifolia (Vent.) Link. The results showed that anatomical characteristics were important in the separation of taxa, two types have been recognized in the mesophyll of leaves: dorsiventral (Bifacial) recorded in the Grammosciadium scabridum, Prangos ferulacea, Pimpinella puberula species and isobilateral in the remaining species. Palisade …


Comparing The Antibacterial Efficiency Of Chitosan And Dextran As Nanocomposites Against Escherichia Coli, Saja Sachit, Alaa Al-Taie Dec 2025

Comparing The Antibacterial Efficiency Of Chitosan And Dextran As Nanocomposites Against Escherichia Coli, Saja Sachit, Alaa Al-Taie

Baghdad Science Journal

Nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in many different fields and applications. In this study, Silver (Ag) NPs and Titanium dioxide (TiO2) NPs were generated using the laser ablation method by using Q-switched Nd: YAG laser. In addition, Chitosan (CS) and Dextran nanopolymers were chosen to prepare the nanocomposites by combining the two types of nanopolymers with the generated NPs in different ratios to obtain the samples: CS and Dextran as a control, CS-Ag, CS-TiO2, CS Ag-TiO2, Dextran-Ag, Dextran-TiO2, and Dextran Ag-TiO2. Several tests were carried out on these nanocomposites such …


Biosynthesis Of Silver Nanoparticles From Halophilic Green Algae (Dunaliella Viridis) Extract And It Is Antibacterial Activity, Payman Omer Salih, Trifa Kamal Jalal, Hoshyar Abdullah Azeez Dec 2025

Biosynthesis Of Silver Nanoparticles From Halophilic Green Algae (Dunaliella Viridis) Extract And It Is Antibacterial Activity, Payman Omer Salih, Trifa Kamal Jalal, Hoshyar Abdullah Azeez

Baghdad Science Journal

Biological synthesis of nanoparticles is a new area of nanotechnology that has advantages in terms of cost and the environment compared to chemical or physical synthesis methods. The current work is carried out to synthesize silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) utilizing green algae (Dunaliella viridis Teodoresco 1905) extract as a reducing and capping agent and to evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of AgNPs. The. The measures of UV-V spectroscopy, XRD, TEM, SEM-EDSand FTIR were used to characterize the synthesized silver nanoparticles. Additionally, agar well diffusion and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) methods were used for antibacterial activity. The plasmon absorbance of AgNPs was …


Hepatocyte-Specific Lrp1 Silencing Exacerbates Brain Amyloidosis Without Compensatory Ldl Receptor Family Involvement, Brian Carson, Josephine Chu, Devaraj V. Chandrashekar, Jerome Garcia, Rachita K. Sumbria, Derick Han Dec 2025

Hepatocyte-Specific Lrp1 Silencing Exacerbates Brain Amyloidosis Without Compensatory Ldl Receptor Family Involvement, Brian Carson, Josephine Chu, Devaraj V. Chandrashekar, Jerome Garcia, Rachita K. Sumbria, Derick Han

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Background

LDL receptor related protein 1 (LRP1) is a major hepatic receptor involved in lipoprotein metabolism, protease degradation, transmembrane receptor modulation, and clearance of excess protein, such as Aβ. Decreased expression of LRP1 due to liver injury can impair receptor-mediated clearance, increasing Aβ availability in the periphery. We investigated the effects of hepato-specific silencing of LRP1 on Aβ deposition in the brain. Additionally, other LDL family members (LRP5, LRP6, and LDLR) that may participate in Aβ clearance were monitored in the liver to ensure non-compensatory effects of LRP1 silencing.

Method

4-month-old male double transgenic (APP/PS1) AD mice were injected with …


Construction And Application Of Knowledge Graph For Quality Management In Bridge Pile Engineering, Fang Xiaofeng, Dong Runhao, Gu Yanke, Pan Yanran Dec 2025

Construction And Application Of Knowledge Graph For Quality Management In Bridge Pile Engineering, Fang Xiaofeng, Dong Runhao, Gu Yanke, Pan Yanran

Journal of China & Foreign Highway

To enhance the efficiency of quality management in bridge pile foundation construction,this study constructed a knowledge graph applicable to the construction field of bridge pile foundation engineering to enable systematic representation and intelligent organization of knowledge.A methodology combining top-down design and bottom-up design was adopted to develop a framework for constructing a knowledge graph for the quality management of bridge pile foundation construction that encompasses both the schema layer and the data layer.The schema layer was established through ontology modeling,clarifying the concept categories,hierarchical structure,and their attribute relationships.The data layer employed a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM ) network integrated with …


Twas-Ctl: A Robust And Efficient Method For Multi-Tissue Transcriptome-Wide Association Studies Using Cross-Tissue Learners, Md Mutasim Billah, Hairong Wei, Fengzhu Sun, Kui Zhang Dec 2025

Twas-Ctl: A Robust And Efficient Method For Multi-Tissue Transcriptome-Wide Association Studies Using Cross-Tissue Learners, Md Mutasim Billah, Hairong Wei, Fengzhu Sun, Kui Zhang

Michigan Tech Publications

The advent of transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) has expanded the classical genome-wide association study (GWAS) framework by integrating gene expression with genetic variation to identify trait-associated variants. While multi-tissue TWAS approaches improve statistical power over single-tissue models, existing methods often lose information during result aggregation and require intensive computation. Here, we present TWAS-CTL (Cross-Tissue Learner), a novel framework that leverages heterogeneous gene expression across tissues by adaptively reweighting and optimizing multiple single-tissue learners. Simulations demonstrate that TWAS-CTL achieves higher statistical power than the leading method, UTMOST, while maintaining proper type I error control and reducing computational time by over half. …


Model Inference And Sparse Network Analysis: Machine Learning In The Gene Regulatory Network Framework, Youchuan Wang Dec 2025

Model Inference And Sparse Network Analysis: Machine Learning In The Gene Regulatory Network Framework, Youchuan Wang

Dissertations - ALL

This thesis explores sparse network inference from high-dimensional, noisy, and underdetermined data—a fundamental challenge in many scientific domains. We focus on the development of evolutionary computation methods for discovering underlying network structures that are both interpretable and biologically plausible. Our methods are applied to the domain of Gene Regulatory Network (GRN) inference, where sparsity, indirect interactions, and limited observations pose significant hurdles. The framework models both steady-state and time-series gene expression data, with particular emphasis on biological sparsity and regulatory dynamics. We approach the problem from three perspectives: (1) edge-level analysis using transitive reduction to distinguish direct from indirect regulation; …


Enzyme Active Bath Affects Protein Condensation, Kevin Ching Dec 2025

Enzyme Active Bath Affects Protein Condensation, Kevin Ching

Dissertations - ALL

The idea that the activity of an active bath can act as an effective temperature and alter system behavior has been theorized and demonstrated for micron-scale systems, but it has not yet been shown for nanoscale systems. Previous studies have suggested that, although passive and active systems can be combined at the nanoscale, activity from the active system typically disrupts and destroys the passive system. In this work, I attempt to create an enzyme-driven active bath to control the liquid–liquid phase separation (LLPS) and condensation of a protein. I find that enzymatic activity enhances phase separation, effectively driving the LLPS …


Microtubule Self-Organization With Active And Passive Crosslinkers, Prashali Chauhan Dec 2025

Microtubule Self-Organization With Active And Passive Crosslinkers, Prashali Chauhan

Dissertations - ALL

Humans have always been trying to unravel principles that guide how things around us function, all the way from galactic ovements to basic building blocks of matter. The physical and chemical properties of ‘biological’ systems govern processes all the way from molecular interactions of proteins to the form and function of individual living organisms. In this work, I focus on the proteins which help give shape and structure to the smallest building block of life, the cell and associated mechanisms of building fundamental cellular architectures, like the mitotic spindle. Mitosis takes place by microtubules aligning themselves in anti-parallel fashion with …


Exploring The Chemical And Biological Foundations Of Protein Lipidation Through Functional And Computational Studies, Andrea Sprague-Getsy Dec 2025

Exploring The Chemical And Biological Foundations Of Protein Lipidation Through Functional And Computational Studies, Andrea Sprague-Getsy

Dissertations - ALL

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) are essential for the diversification of the human proteome. Prenylation is a PTM defined by the addition of a 15-carbon or 20 carbon isoprenoid group by FTase and GGTase-I, respectively, onto a cysteine near the C-terminus of proteins. This modification is the first step within the prenylation pathway where proteolysis and carboxymethylation occur afterwards, aiding in proteins localization to the cellular membrane. These prenyltransferases canonically recognize a “CaaX” box motif which has been determined through biochemical and structural studies. Recently, sequences following the C(x)3X and Cxx patterns have been shown to be prenylated as well as an …


On Detecting Change-Points Of A Segmented Logistic Regression Model, Jingwen Li Dec 2025

On Detecting Change-Points Of A Segmented Logistic Regression Model, Jingwen Li

Dissertations - ALL

This dissertation investigates the problem of change-point detection in segmented logistic regression models, where the total number of change-points is unknown. We consider both unconstrained models, which allow discontinuities at change-points, and constrained models, which impose continuity across change-points. The central challenge is to determine the number of change-points and to accurately estimate their locations, while ensuring valid statistical inference for the associated regression coefficients. We begin by introducing a set of regularity assumptions that underlie the theoretical analysis throughout this work. For a given number of change-points, we present algorithms to estimate their locations and obtain the maximum likelihood …


Synergistic Use Of Sentinel-1 And Sentinel-2 Data For Mapping Of Degradation In Coastal Forests And Miombo Woodlands Of Tanzania, Daria C. Kimaro Dec 2025

Synergistic Use Of Sentinel-1 And Sentinel-2 Data For Mapping Of Degradation In Coastal Forests And Miombo Woodlands Of Tanzania, Daria C. Kimaro

Tanzania Journal of Science

Forest degradation is one of the leading sources of carbon emission globally. In Africa, particularly in Tanzania, forest degradation is driven by selective logging and forest fires. Monitoring degradation over large areas is very challenging due to the lack of accurate and reliable methods. This study assessed degradation in miombo woodlands and coastal forests using a synergy of remotely sensed data acquired from sentinel-1 and sentinel-2 achieved by integrating their complementary strength where sentinel-1 enhanced detection of structural changes and sentinel-2 provided spectral insight into vegetation. The 3I3D, unsupervised algorithm analysing trends for three vegetation indices (3I) in a three-dimensional …


Antioxidant And Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Blighia Unijugata Baker Aril Protein-Rich Extract, Oludele O. Odekanyin, Ifeoluwa M. Adepoju, Tolulope A. Anjorin, Oluwatobi S. Adekoya Dec 2025

Antioxidant And Anti-Inflammatory Effects Of Blighia Unijugata Baker Aril Protein-Rich Extract, Oludele O. Odekanyin, Ifeoluwa M. Adepoju, Tolulope A. Anjorin, Oluwatobi S. Adekoya

Tanzania Journal of Science

The study investigated the in vitro oxidative-stress-mitigating effect and anti- inflammatory potential of the soluble protein of the arils of Blighia unijugata in order to establish possible use in inflammatory therapy. Air-dried Blighia unijugata aril was pulverized into powder, defatted using petroleum ether, and homogenized in Phosphate Buffer Saline. The homogenate was centrifuged, and the supernatant was subjected to ammonium sulphate fractionation. The precipitate was thoroughly dialyzed, dialysate was freeze-dried, and termed partially purified Blighia unijugata aril protein extract (ppBUAPE). The antioxidant potential of the protein-rich extract was investigated using DPPH, H2O2 scavenging activity, and FRAP. The ability of ppBUAPE …


Enterobacteriaceae Contamination In Locally Packaged Roasted Cashew Kernels From The Coast And Morogoro Regions, Tanzania, Douglas Mushi, Silvia Francis Materu Dec 2025

Enterobacteriaceae Contamination In Locally Packaged Roasted Cashew Kernels From The Coast And Morogoro Regions, Tanzania, Douglas Mushi, Silvia Francis Materu

Tanzania Journal of Science

The increased sales of locally packaged roasted cashew kernels (RCK) in Tanzania reflect growing consumer demand for healthy, convenient snacks. Despite this popularity and frequently reported cases of gastrointestinal illness, the microbial safety of these plastic- bagged products is not well-documented, posing a potential public health concern. To address this, a study was performed to evaluate packaging hygiene, package integrity, and microbial contamination of randomly selected packages of RCK (small: n=99; medium: n=87; large: n=118) from vendors in Coast and Morogoro regions, Tanzania. Package integrity was assessed using a vacuum decay leak tester while microbial contamination on surfaces including RCK, …