Digital Commons Network^™

Spatial Patterns In Fish Assemblages Across Benthic Habitats Along The California Coast As Interpreted From Video Lander Surveys, Jacklyn Mohay

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Geographic differences in ecological communities often arise due to environmental gradients that influence physiological tolerances, species-specific habitat affinities, and various biological interactions. Fish assemblages in temperate upwelling systems, such as the California Current System (CCS), provide an ideal model system to examine these drivers of community structure. Within the CCS, demersal fish communities are often associated with certain benthic habitats, known as fish-habitat associations. To further explore where species are found in relation to certain habitats and location, I used data collected from analysis of stereo-video landers deployed from 2012-2021 to quantify fish-habitat associations across the California coast from Cordell …

Leveraging After School Programs As Resources To Support Adolescent Health And Wellbeing Within Underserved Communities: A Qualitative Study, Olivia Staples

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, youth have shown a consistent rise in stress, major depression, anxiety, and suicide, with underserved youth (low-income, minoritized communities) at greatest risk of exposure to chronic stress, related outcomes, and less access to health services (APA, 2017). Afterschool programs (ASPs), which serve as important resources in underserved communities, can be a critical support for youth health and well-being (Afterschool Alliance, 2019). However, few studies have examined ways in which ASPs address the challenges underserved youth face across their ecosystem to promote youth resilience (Jones & Deutsch, 2011). Using qualitative interview data from staff and youth across …

Stem Integration In The Classroom: An Exploratory Case-Study On Teachers Defining Their Stem Identity And Role As A Stem Educator, Tawana Guillaume

Theses and Dissertations

The push for inclusion of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as a meta-discipline in K-12 education is recognition that the challenges faced by society require technology skills, interdisciplinary problem-solving, and an increased number of people entering STEM professions (Dare et al., 2014; English, 2016; Fan et al., 2021; Holstein & Keene, 2013; Roehrig et al., 2012, 2021; Sanders, 2008). The dissertation in practice explored STEM teacher identity and conceptions of STEM as a function of STEM professional experience outside of the field of education. The exploratory casestudy sought to identify the relationship between STEM career-based experiences – specifically the …

Improved Extraction And Detection Of Disinfection Byproducts, Impacts Of Wildland-Urban Interface Wildfires On Drinking Water, And Change In Disinfection Byproducts Over Time In Chlorinated Vs. Chloraminated Distribution Systems, Patrick Thomas Justen

Theses and Dissertations

Drinking water disinfection is critical to prevent the occurrence of waterborne pathogens in drinking water. However, disinfection causes the unintended formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) through the reaction of disinfectants (e.g., chlorine, chloramine) with natural organic matter (NOM), algal matter, or anthropogenic pollutants present in source waters. Exposure to DBPs is associated with increased bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, miscarriage, and birth defects. The U.S. EPA currently regulates eleven DBPs in drinking water—four trihalomethanes, five haloacetic acids, bromate, and chlorite. However, research shows that DBP related toxicity in drinking water is driven mainly by other, non-regulated DBPs, particularly iodinated DBPs and …

Inspiring Girls To Fill The Blank Space In Stem: The Impact Of An After-School Coding And Robotics Club On Elementary Female Students' Engagement And Self-Efficacy In Computer Science, Lisa Guenther Wilbanks

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this action research was to describe how participation in an after-school coding and robotics program influenced elementary female students’ engagement and self-efficacy in computer science. According to a 2023 report from the National Science Foundation, in 2020 women earned only 21% of computer science degrees and 24% of engineering undergraduate degrees in the United States. As two of the fastest growing fields, the lack of female perspectives and experiences will continue to limit innovation in these areas. Studies show that gender gaps in engagement and self-efficacy in STEM begin long before students enter college and the workforce, …

Adipokines Mediate Fat-To-Ovary Communication To Regulate Oogenesis, Adipocyte Size, And Lipid Storage In Drosophila Melanogaster, Chad Herbert Simmons

Theses and Dissertations

Humans have complex signaling pathways that allow them to store and expend energy based on nutritional quality and availability. Inter-organ signaling is used to communicate nutrient availability between organs based on nutritional needs and the rate of cellular division. Our main overarching question is to investigate how fat-derived signals affect adipocyte morphology and the maintenance of stem cells in the ovary. While signaling pathways, like insulin and mTOR, and some adipokines that are involved in inter-organ nutrient sensing have been identified, the exact nutrient reliant mechanisms of stem cell maintenance are not completely understood. Using Drosophila melanogaster as a model, …

Ai-Driven Autonomous Manufacturing: A Novel Taxonomy, Vision-Guided Planning, And Diversity-Aware Active Learning Frameworks, Ibrahim Yousif

Theses and Dissertations

Manufacturers face two opposing challenges: the escalating demand for customized products and the pressure to reduce lead times. Current manufacturing equipment, although reliable, operates at the limits of its technology and lacks adaptability to dynamic environments. This trade-off has been described as the optimal degree of automation, a threshold beyond which further automation incurs more cost than benefit. Smart manufacturing has introduced adaptive, data-driven systems, but many deployments still lack the contextual adaptability and autonomous decision-making required to handle unplanned disruptions. This underscores the need for intelligent, autonomous systems capable of real-time adaptation without costly reconfiguration, minimizing human intervention during …

Self-Defense Without Overreach: How Status Of Forces Agreements Address The Legal Gaps In Article 51, Alexis Shaw

Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

No abstract provided.

Multiscale Geometric Analysis In Endovascular Therapies: Ex Vivo, In Silico Approaches, Dima Hussein Ali Bani Hani

Theses and Dissertations

In this work, we address a persistent global challenge of vascular disease, specifically peripheral artery disease (PAD), and arteriovenous fistula (AVF) complications in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). The important role of vascular geometry in disease intervention plans and the development of endovascular therapeutic strategies (e.g., Drug-coated balloon (DCBs)) is critical in addressing these challenges.

This study evaluates the feasibility of co-delivery of paclitaxel (PTX) and valsartan (VAL) using urea-based coatings in DCB, analyzes the coating morphology and microstructural changes to improve therapeutic results. A computational finite element model was developed to complement experimental work, simulate tissue-coating interactions, compute …

Diabetes-Related Foot Complications And Socioeconomic Influences Among Hispanic Males In South Texas: A Scoping Review, Mariana J. Rodriguez, Demian Rodriguez, Amanda L. Killeen

School of Podiatric Medicine - Student Research

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is the 7^th leading cause of death in the United States and is 6^th in the state of Texas. Counties from South Texas are primarily affected with higher rates of diabetes than both the state and national average. Diabetes mellitus is a complex and progressive disease which can affect multiple systems of the body, leading to serious complications if untreated, especially in the lower extremities. Uncontrolled diabetes is often associated with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU), foot infections, and lower extremity amputations (LEA). South Texas is a region predominantly populated by Hispanic Americans who are disproportionally …

Decorin Evokes A Pro-Lysosomal Pathway In Lymphatic Endothelial Cells, Gabriel J. Pascal, Dipon K. Mondal, Sadie Kim, Christopher Xie, Devanarayanan Siva Sankar, Jörn Dengjel, Renato V. Iozzo

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

The lymphatic system is critical to the body's immune and circulatory system, and lymphangiogenesis, the development of new lymphatic vessels from pre-existing ones is a significant process capitalized upon by cancer during tumorigenesis. Decorin is a small leucine-rich proteoglycan which we have previously shown to be anti-tumorigenic and a suppressor of lymphangiogenesis. We have also shown that decorin exercises its anticancer properties through its ability to evoke autophagy. Through a comprehensive and unbiased proteomic analysis, we explored the implications of decorin exposure on protein expression within mouse lymphatic endothelial cells. We discovered that decorin enriches several protein pathways, notably proteasomal …

Video Deep Fake Detection Based On Spatiotemporal Analysis, Muna Ghazi Abdulsahib

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

Deep fake videos are a threat to information integrity by using advanced deep learning techniques to manipulate visual content and make it hard to distinguish from real videos. This includes videos where a person’s image is changed or replaced using deep learning techniques. In this paper, we propose a hybrid approach for deep fake video detection that combines spatial and temporal features. We use a pre-trained VGG16 to extract deep spatial features from individual frames, and then global average pooling at both spatial and temporal level to convert variable length video sequences into fixed dimensional representations. A fully connected classifier …

Emotion Recognition From Upper-Body Movements With A Pose Collage Cnn Architecture, Gheed Tawfeeq Waleed, Shaymaa Hameed

Iraqi Journal of Computers, Communications, Control and Systems Engineering

Emotion recognition through body movement presents a compelling alternative to traditional facial and vocal analysis in the field of emotion recognition . This study introduces a deep learning-based framework that utilizes upper-body movements features to classify emotional states using ConVolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). The system is trained and evaluated on the Body Language Dataset (BoLD) dataset, targeting seven primary emotions: happiness, sadness, anger, fear, surprise, joy, and disgust. The proposed model achieves a classification accuracy of 95.72%, significantly outperforming existing methods in bodybased emotion recognition. The result highlights the potential of body posture as a reliable and standalone modality for …

Exploring Insect-Based Tourism Potential In Mount Makiling Forest Reserve Through Tourism Insights, Alexis John T. Fajardo, Rogelio T. Andrada Ii, Roberto G. Visco, Dianne Joy D. Aguilon

Journal Article

This study explored the potential of offering insect-based tourism in the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve (MMFR) to diversify its ecotourism portfolio and reinforce promotion of biodiversity conservation. Addressing a global lack of research that explores insect-based tourism, this study analyzed the perceptions, experiences, attitudes, knowledge, and interests of 584 tourists regarding their motivation and possible participation in such an activity. The findings revealed strong tourist interest, with 73.3% expressing a desire to engage in insect-based tourism and 67.5% specifically stating they would participate if the activity were offered at MMFR. Although 29.8% of tourists were unfamiliar with the concept of …

The Association Between Inflammatory Bowel Disease And Ischemic Heart Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study, Mahmoud H. Mosli, Dima M. Alsulami, Yara K. Alghamdi, Abdullah S. Badahdah, Asmaa H. Alhibshi, Thamer M. Alamri, Maan S. Alkhattabi, Khames T. Alzahrani, Hadeel A. Alsufyani, Omar I. Saadah

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To evaluate the association between Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and Ischemic heart disease (IHD). Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis included patients with and without IBD seen at the outpatient gastroenterology clinic of a large tertiary care hospital between January 2015 and October 2022. The primary outcome was the association between IBD and IHD, and the secondary outcome was predictors of IHD in patients with IBD. Results: The study included 400 patients; 291 were IBD patients, and 109 had other non-inflammatory GI disorders. The IBD group displayed significantly lower rates of hyperlipidemia (8.6% vs. 30.3%, p <0.001), diabetes mellitus (DM) (10% vs. 24.8%, p <0.001), and hypertension (11.7% vs. 32.1%, p <0.001) compared to the non-IBD group. Only 2.7% (n=8) of IBD patients developed IHD. Logistic regression analysis did not demonstrate a significant association between IBD and IHD ( p =0.932). Among classical risk factors, only hypertension (OR: 26.2, 95% CI: 2.14–661, p =0.016) and hyperlipidemia (OR: 10.5, 95% CI: 1.32–132, p =0.0405) significantly increased the risk of developing IHD among patients with IBD. Conclusion: In this cohort, there is no increased risk of developing IHD in patients with IBD compared to non-IBD patients.

An Evaluation Of Pharmaceutical Clinical Trials From Saudi Arabia Registered On Clinicaltrials.Gov: A Cross-Sectional Study, Mohammad H Aljawadi, Khalid F. Alonazi, Ibrahim M. Alsultan, Nora A Kalagi, Marwan A. Alrasheed, Abdullah M. Alhammad

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To evaluate clinical trials involving pharmaceutical agents conducted in Saudi Arabia and registered on ClinicalTrials.gov. Since the early 2000s, Saudi Arabia has expanded its involvement in clinical research. Recognizing the importance of clinical trials, we aimed to analyze the clinical trial landscape in the Kingdom to identify well-covered areas and potential gaps. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, ClinicalTrials.gov was used as the primary source to collect data regarding pharmacological and biological interventions conducted in Saudi Arabia between 2002 and June 2025. Results: A total of 474 pharmaceutical studies were included. Of these, 52.95% were completed, indicating moderate …

Molecular Identification Of Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Seasonal Influenza Viruses, And Sars-Cov-2 In Respiratory Tract Infections: A Cross-Sectional Study In Taif City, Mazen M. Almehmadi, Faiha A Alharbi, Ahmad K. Shawush, Mamdouh A. Allahyani, Osama A. Abdulaziz, Ayman S. Alhazmi, Ahmad A. Aghamdi

Saudi Medical Journal

ABSTRACT Objectives: To explore the prevalence of respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in Taif via molecular diagnosis method, to enhance the clinical decision making and the need for vaccination strategies. Methods: A 5864 participants were enrolled in this study, all from Taif city. Samples were collected via nasal swab, throat swab, or sputum sample. The duration of the study were 24 months from January 2023 to December 2024. Samples were transported in viral transport medium. Then processed using GeneXpert system. Fluorescent probes detected viral RNA and reported as detected or not detected. Chi-square test was applied for statistical analysis purposes. Results: …

Mama, Appa, And Titi: What Makes Words Sound Parental? A Phonological Exploration Of Parental Terms In And Beyond The Gender Binary, Madeleine C. S. Kruckemeye , '26

Senior Theses, Projects, and Awards

This paper addresses the following research question: What phonological components make a word sound ‘parental’ cross-linguistically and (how) do those components relate to the social genders associated with the word? The goal in answering this question is to extend Jakobson (1960) and Murdock’s (1959) work to be inclusive of our current understanding of gender and gender roles, and to create more options for queer parents and other families that are recognizable as parental terms, an important factor as found by Frank et al. (2017). The research consists of a literature review, an analysis of cross-linguistic parental terms, and an online …

Hydrogen Sulfide Inhibits Recruitment Of Monocyte-Derived Tumor Associated Macrophages In Glioblastoma By Downregulating Cxcl12, Joseph Camarano, Morgan Roque, Gabrielle Gahn, Stephen Garrett Whipple, Danielle Terrell, Charles Ronkon, Jamie Toms, Anthony Sin, Bharat Guthikonda, Khatri Latha, Yuhui Yang, Xinggui Shen, Christopher G Kevil, Ganesh Rao, Sungho Lee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) directly contribute to the dismal prognosis of glioblastoma by preventing anti-tumor immunity and promoting tumor invasion and angiogenesis. Inhibiting TAM infiltration is a potential therapeutic strategy in glioblastoma, with several chemokine antagonists in early clinical development. Hydrogen sulfide, a gasotransmitter that regulates microglial accumulation in a wide range of CNS diseases, may be a novel therapeutic target to prevent TAM recruitment in glioblastoma. In this study, hydrogen sulfide concentrations were directly measured from 14 isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-wildtype glioblastoma surgical samples and compared against overall survival as well as expression of TAM markers and chemokines. Effects of …

Characterization Of The Fatigue Threshold Behavior Of Uhmwpe, Bethany B. Smith, Anurag Roy, Robert O. Ritchie, Lisa A. Pruitt

Faculty Journal Articles

Ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been the material of choice for bearings in total joint replacements (TJRs) for decades as a result of its excellent wear resistance, chemical inertness, energetic toughness, low friction, and biocompatibility. Utilization of this polymer in orthopedic devices requires oxidation, wear, and fatigue resistance. Balancing these important properties by tailoring processing techniques and modulating microstructural features has been an ongoing endeavor in the field. Research into the clinical applications of UHMWPE has primarily focused on the challenges of wear and oxidation while studies into the realm of fatigue have been more limited. Literature gaps exist in fully understanding …

We Are Missing Multiple Model Integration In The Psychology Of Implicit Bias, Nathan Lackey

Philosophy

Since the 1990s, psychologists have developed multiple models of prejudicial attitudes. I argue that these models generally fall into one of two categories: individualistic or situationist. The former abstract away (or omit) environmental features from the system of interest and locate the phenomenon in the mind of the individual. However, new models of prejudicial attitudes have foregrounded just those features abstracted away in preceding models. These conceptualizations of attitudes foreground situations. The scientists that posit them claim that measures of implicit bias are better understood as measures of places as opposed to people, for example. These categories of models have …

Association Between Suboptimal Health Status And Academic Performance: A Cross-Sectional Study Of 1,028 Medical Students In Punjab, Pakistan, Maleha Asim, Misbah Malik, Aneela Jamil, Raheela Yasmin, Ghazala Jawwad, Wajahat Ullah Khan

Indonesian Journal of Research in Physical Education, Sport, and Health

Background: Suboptimal health status (SHS) refers to the transitional period between health and illness, characterized by unexplained symptoms and premature changes in functional status without a known medical diagnosis. Objective: The aim is to examine how often SHS occurs and how lifestyle factors influence both SHS and the academic success of medical students. Methods: A Cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 2024 to September 2024 with first- to fifth-year medical students from four randomly chosen medical colleges in Punjab, Pakistan. The Suboptimal Health Measurement Scale (SHMS V1.0), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Scale (HPLS) were used to …

J Mich Dent Assoc October 2025

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Each month, the Journal of the Michigan Dental Association delivers news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. It remains the main publication reaching Michigan dentists and is available worldwide through ADACommons. The October 2025 (Volume 107, No. 10) issue of the Journal is published in a digital-only format to provide updates and insights for Michigan's oral health community and MDA members. Print editions will resume in November. The October issue highlights the critical importance of advocacy through the MDA Dental Political Action Committee (PAC) and provides practical, management-focused information …

Complementary, But Not Equivalent: Clarifying The Role Of Rwe And Rct In Migraine Research, Mario F. P. Peres, Hsiangkuo Yuan, Cristina Tassorelli

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Building Access To Care For Women And Girls+ With Bleeding Disorders: The Wgbd Clinic Of Excellence Model, Ming Y. Lim, Katherine C. Anguiano, Shannon L. Carpenter, Kerry B. Funkhouser

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

No abstract provided.

The Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (Bdnf) And Its Importance To Organism Survival And Development, Christopher Monnett Smith

Holster Scholar Projects

Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) has been the subject of numerous studies regarding the functioning of the brain in relation to topics such as neural plasticity and neural survival. However, BDNF has also been implicated in the induction of changes not only in neural tissue but multiple other tissue types across the human body. The aim of this literature review is to provide a comprehensive, yet brief, overview of BDNF’s influence on the functioning of the nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, and immune systems.

Lost In Translation: Chomskyan Analysis Of Language Variation In Ai, Post-Critical Learners, And Native Speakers, Hannah Van Rijnswou

Holster Scholar Projects

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) have revolutionized linguistic theory, raising questions about human language acquisition. Some argue AI's language generation challenges the concept of innate linguistic ability, while others contend it reinforces it. This research examines AI's "Surplus of the Stimulus" learning—relying on vast datasets—against human language acquisition, particularly within Chomskyan frameworks of Universal Grammar and the "Poverty of the Stimulus." By analyzing language production across three groups—Native English Speakers, Post-Critical Period Second Language Learners, and LLMs—this study compares linguistic complexity using the Lexical Opulence Index (LOI). Data is collected through structured prompts across four linguistic registers: …

Dynamic Rewiring Of Microrna Networks In The Brainstem Autonomic Control Circuits During Hypertension Development In The Female Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat, Alison Moss, Ankita Srivastava, Lakshmi Kuttippurathu, James S. Schwaber, Rajanikanth Vadigepalli

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

We describe global microRNA (miRNA) changes in the central autonomic control circuits during the development of neurogenic hypertension. Using the female spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) and the normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY), we analyzed the dynamic miRNA expression changes in three brainstem regions-the nucleus of the solitary tract, caudal ventrolateral medulla, and rostral ventrolateral medulla-as a time series beginning at 8 wk of age before hypertension onset through to extended chronic hypertension. Our analysis yielded nine miRNAs that were significantly differentially regulated in all three regions between SHR and WKY over time. We collated computationally predicted gene targets of these nine …

Climate Change And Human Migration, Jennifer R. Guzmán

Climate Change and the Individual, 2025-26

Migration is one of the oldest human behaviors and among the most important of human survival strategies. Climate change has always been a significant driver of human migration because humans are interdependent with the ecosystems where they live. Today’s climate change is anthropogenic, and its harmful effects are made worse by social inequities. Millions are having to leave their homes, including internally displaced people, climate refugees, and labor migrants. Radical changes are needed in science, policy, law, and cultural narratives to minimize the harms of climate displacement.

All-Cause And Cause-Specific Mortality Among Patients With Narcolepsy., Chih-Wei Hsu, Yen-Shan Yang, Yang-Chieh Brian Chen, Liang-Jen Wang, Mu-Hong Chen, Yao-Hsu Yang, Chih-Sung Liang, Edward Chia-Cheng Lai

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Importance: Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder potentially affecting mortality, yet evidence on this association remains sparse.

Objective: To examine whether narcolepsy is associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality.

Design, setting, and participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) from 2001 to 2021, with patients followed up until death or December 31, 2022. Patients were aged 6 years or older with 2 or more narcolepsy diagnoses from psychiatrists or neurologists. Controls were selected from the NHIRD as a population-based sample. Controls without narcolepsy were matched in a 1:4 …