Digital Commons Network^™

Tracing Sars-Cov-2 Clusters Across Local Scales Using Genomic Data, Leke Lyu, Mandev Gill, Guppy Stott, Sachin Subedi, Cody Dailey, Gabriella Veytsel, Magdy Alabady, Kayo Fujimoto, Ryker Penn, Pamela Brown, Roger Sealy, Justin Bahl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

A quantitative understanding of local transmission dynamics is essential for designing effective prevention strategies. In this study, we developed a computational workflow to identify viral introductions and trace locally circulating clusters. We analyzed over 26,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes and their associated metadata, collected between January and October 2021, to explore introduction and local dispersal patterns in Greater Houston, a major metropolitan area known for its demographic diversity. Our analysis identified more than 1,000 independent introduction events, resulting in clusters of varying sizes. The majority of introductions originated from domestic sources, while international introductions occurred earlier and were associated with larger cluster …

Molecular Inflammatory Expression Profiles Associated With The Frequency Of Pain In Individuals With Sickle Cell Disease, Lana Mucalo Katunaric, Shuang Jia, Ashima Singh, Mark F. Roethle, Julie A. Panepinto, David C. Brousseau, Martin J. Hessner, Amanda M. Brandow

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

Pain is the most common complication of sickle cell disease (SCD). The underlying biology of SCD pain is not well understood, which is a barrier to novel, effective analgesic and preventive therapies. A wide variability in the phenotypic expression of pain exists among individuals with SCD, despite the inheritance of a similar defective hemoglobin gene. This interindividual pain variability further complicates the ability to understand the biology and effectively treat pain. We sought to discover a biological signature comprising differentially expressed genes unique to SCD that could differentiate between individuals with varied pain frequency. We conducted plasma-induced transcription analysis from …

Understanding And Evaluating Genomic Language Models, Aadit Kapoor

Master's Theses

Large Language Models (LLMs) have shown remarkable capabilities in interpreting complex patterns across various domains, yet their application to genomic data remains limited. We see great potential in leveraging LLMs for vital biological tasks, such as predicting transcription factor binding sites and identifying antibiotic-resistant genes. This emergent behavior positions LLMs as powerful tools for enhancing our understanding of intricate biological language. LLMs trained specifically on genomic data, such as DNA sequences, operate distinctly compared to those trained on natural language. This difference is evident not only in the architectural landscape of the models but also in the methodologies employed by …

Assessing The Muc5b Promoter Variant In A Large Cohort Of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease, Carlos Rosa-Baez, Carlos Rangel-Pelaez, Inmaculada Rodriguez-Martin, Martin Kerick, Alfredo Guillen-Del-Castillo, Carmen P Simeon-Aznar, José Luis Callejas, Alexandre E Voskuyl, Alexander Kreuter, Oliver Distler, Susanna M Proudman, Mandana Nikpour, Nicolas Hunzelmann, Jeska K De Vries-Bouwstra, Ariane L Herrick, Yannick Allanore, Lorenzo Beretta, Maureen D Mayes, Christopher P Denton, Shervin Assassi, Javier Martin, Marialbert Acosta-Herrera

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: The common gain-of-function variant rs35705950, located in the promoter of MUC5B gene, has been strongly associated with interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) of different aetiology, such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and rheumatoid arthritis-associated ILD (RA-ILD). In this study, we aimed to investigate the association of this variant and its nearby single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the largest cohort of systemic sclerosis-associated ILD (SSc-ILD) to date.

Methods: Samples were collected from blood/saliva, followed by DNA extraction and genotyping using SNP arrays. Data for rs35705950 and additional 903 variants within 100 Kb were obtained using genomic imputation. Subsequently, we tested their …

Extracellular Vesicles For Clinical Diagnostics: From Bulk Measurements To Single-Vesicle Analysis, Hai Linh Tran, Wenshu Zheng, David A Issadore, Hyungsoon Im, Yoon-Kyoung Cho, Yuanqing Zhang, Dingbin Liu, Yang Liu, Bo Li, Fei Liu, David Tai Wai Wong, Jiashu Sun, Kun Qian, Mei He, Meihua Wan, Yong Zeng, Ke Cheng, Tony Jun Huang, Daniel T Chiu, Luke P Lee, Lei Zheng, Andrew K Godwin, Raghu Kalluri, Steven A Soper, Tony Y Hu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a crucial role in intercellular communication, signaling pathways, and disease pathogenesis by transporting biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, proteins, and lipids derived from their cells of origin, and they have demonstrated substantial potential in clinical applications. Their clinical significance underscores the need for sensitive methods to fully harness their diagnostic potential. In this comprehensive review, we explore EV heterogeneity related to biogenesis, structure, content, origin, sample type, and function roles; the use of EVs as disease biomarkers; and the evolving landscape of EV measurement for clinical diagnostics, highlighting the progression from bulk measurement to single vesicle …

Structural Basis For Membrane Microdomain Formation By A Human Stomatin Complex, Jack Stoner, Shufang Li, Ziao Fu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Biological membranes are not just passive barriers-they actively sense and respond to mechanical forces, in part through specialized proteins embedded within them. Among these are Stomatin-family proteins, which are known to influence membrane stiffness and regulate ion channels, yet how they achieve these functions at the molecular level has remained elusive. Here, we report the 2.2 Å cryo-electron microscopy structure of the human Stomatin complex in a native membrane environment. We find that Stomatin assembles into a 16-subunit ring-shaped homo-oligomer, forming a ~12 nm-wide cage that defines a mechanically distinct, curvature-resistant membrane microdomain. While the majority of the complex exhibits …

Shared And Distinct Alterations In Brain Structure Of Youth With Internalizing Or Externalizing Disorders: Findings From The Enigma Antisocial Behavior, Adhd, Mdd, And Anxiety Working Groups, Sophie Townend, Marlene Staginnus, Yidian Gao, Nina Alexander, Volker Arolt, Tobias Banaschewski, Mark A Bellgrove, Vivek Benegal, Robert J Blair, Laura Blanco-Hinojo, Ole Jonas Boeken, Joscha Böhnlein, Sven Bölte, Linda M Bonnekoh, Daniel Brandeis, Rodrigo A Bressan, Fabian Breuer, Willem B Bruin, Jan K Buitelaar, Katie L Burkhouse, Monica E Calkins, Marta Cano, Narcis Cardoner, Hui Chen, Xianliang Chen, David R Coghill, Olivier F Colins, Colm G Connolly, Michael C Craig, Kathryn R Cullen, Udo Dannlowski, Christopher G Davey, Andrea Dietrich, Daifeng Dong, Christine M Freitag, Thomas Frodl, Liesbet Goossens, Dominik Grotegerd, Raquel E Gur, Ruben C Gur, Jan Haavik, Cindy C Hagan, Tim Hahn, Alfons O Hamm, Ben J Harrison, Catharina A Hartman, Martin J Herrmann, Tiffany C Ho, Pieter J Hoekstra, Bharath Holla, Karim Ibrahim, Andrea Jackowski, Hamidreza Jamalabadi, Yali Jiang, Tilo Kircher, Kerstin Konrad, Anna Kraus, Jonna Kuntsi, Till Langhammer, Luisa Lazaro, Elisabeth J Leehr, Ulrike Lueken, Ren Ma, Frank P Macmaster, Gisele G Manfro, Anne Martinelli, Hannah Meinert, Susanne Meinert, Jarosław M Michałowski, Qingsen Ming, Robert Moeck, Lilianne R Mujica-Parodi, Benson Mwangi, Janina Neufeld, Joel T Nigg, Ruth L O'Gorman Tuura, Hyuntaek Oh, Jaap Oosterlaan, Yannis Paloyelis, Pedro M Pan, Luca Passamonti, Wenceslao Peñate, K Luan Phan, Kerstin J Plessen, Jesus Pujol, Karl Lundin Remnélius, Francisco Rivero, Katya Rubia, Ramiro Salas, Giovanni A Salum, Theodore D Satterthwaite, Anne Schienle, Elisabeth Schrammen, Koen R J Schruers, Gunter Schumann, Arjun Sethi, Tim Silk, Norbert Skokauskas, Jordan Smoller, Jair C Soares, Lin Sørensen, Christina Stadler, Michael C Stevens, Benjamin Straube, Thomas Straube, Andreas Ströhle, Gustavo Sudre, Denis G Sukhodolsky, Kate Sully, Xiaoqiang Sun, Chad M Sylvester, Nicola Toschi, Steven J A Van Der Werff, Alasdair Vance, Robert Vermeiren, Albert Wabnegger, Xiaoping Wang, Julia Wendt, Sarah Whittle, Julian Wiemer, Anderson M Winkler, Hans U Wittchen, Mon-Ju Wu, Qiong Wu, Tony T Yang, Yunbo Yang, Shuqiao Yao, Jibiao Zhang, Jiansong Zhou, Andre Zugman, Giovana B Zunta-Soares, Peter M Zwanzger, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Neda Jahanshad, Paul M Thompson, Kevin Hilbert, Arielle Baskin-Sommers, Charlotte A M Cecil, Moji Aghajani, Daniel S Pine, Nic J A Van Der Wee, Dan J Stein, Nynke A Groenewold, Janna Marie Bas-Hoogendam, Laura K M Han, Elena Pozzi, Lianne Schmaal, Barbara Franke, Martine Hoogman, Esther Walton, Stephane A De Brito, Graeme Fairchild, Enigma Antisocial Behavior, Anxiety, Adhd, And Mdd Working Groups

Staff and Researcher Publications

BACKGROUND: Externalizing and internalizing disorders are common in youth but are often studied separately, preventing researchers from identifying shared (i.e., transdiagnostic) alterations in brain structure. Using data from the ENIGMA Consortium, we conducted a mega-analysis to identify shared and distinct cortical and subcortical brain alterations across internalizing (anxiety disorders and depression) and externalizing disorders (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] and conduct disorder [CD]) in youth.

METHODS: 3D T1-weighted MRI data from youth (aged 4-21 years) with anxiety disorders (n=1,044), depression (n=504), ADHD (n=1,317), and CD (n=1,172), along with healthy controls (n=4,743) were analyzed. We assessed group differences in regional cortical thickness, surface …

Jefferson Et Al. Reply, Osmat Jefferson, W. Nicholson Price Ii, S. Sean Tu, Saurabh Vishnubhakat, Arti K. Rai

Articles

Notwithstanding Amgen’s strenuous objections, the core premise of our article should be uncontroversial to most policy analysts: biosimilar firms that simply want to manufacture an originator biologic in the manner it was manufactured at the time of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval should be able to enter the market expeditiously once valid manufacturing (and other valid patents) that legitimately cover the ‘at approval’ biologic have expired. Our core premise relies on the widely accepted values of patent validity and notice. Instead of expensive litigation discovery fights over such ‘at approval’ issues, of the sort Amgen itself has spearheaded …

Re: Revised Draft Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Field Sampling And Investigation Plan (Fsp): Bres No. 120 – Bonanza Dump, Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Longevity Os: Open Compendium Of Aging Biomarkers And Open-Source Intervention Protocols, Xavier Pillet

Defensive Publications Series

This document, produced with the assistance of ChatGPT o3 and ChatGPT 5 Thinking, is released under the Apache 2.0 licence. It is a voluntary defensive publication (prior art) and therefore enters the prior art upon release under the applicable patent statutes EPC Art. 54(2) (European Patent Convention), French IPC Art. L 611-11 (French Intellectual Property Code), 35 U.S.C. §102(a) (United States Patent Act), Chinese Patent Law Art. 22(5) (中华人民共和国专利法), and Japanese Patent Act Art. 29(1) (特許法). We disclose 77 enabling embodiments spanning assays/kits (telomeres, DNAm clocks, glycan-age, proteome, microbiome, metabolome, cfDNA-CHIP, mtDNA, 8-oxo-Gsn, NAD⁺), devices/sensors (AGE autofluorescence, VOP/PPG, continuous/interstitial NAD), …

Population Structure And Stock Assessment Of Tilapia Species In Coastal Lagoon, Lake Manzala, Egypt, Mohamed Fetouh, Kariman Shalloof, Attia El-Aiatt, Alaa El-Far, Walid Aly

Blue Economy

This study aimed to estimate the biology and population structure of cichlid species in Lake Manzala, where tilapias are the main catch. Samples were collected from commercial fishing boats in the fishing areas between 2019 and 2021. The length frequency distributions were evaluated using FiSAT II software. The results showed that Oreochromis niloticus was the most dominant species, making up 50% of the tilapia catch. Four age groups were found in O. niloticus and Coptodon zillii, and three in Oreochomis aureus and Sarotherodon galilaeus. Age group II was the most dominant across all species. The von Bertalanffy equation constants (L∞ …

Hitching A Ride On History: Nasa’S Space Launch System Artemis Ii Cubesats, Russell Lane, David Beaman, Courtney Ryals, David Hitt

Small Satellite Conference

In early 2026, NASA will launch the Artemis II mission, the second flight of its Orion spacecraft and Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. Artemis II will be the first crewed flight of the systems and will see four astronauts venture around the Moon as a key step toward establishing a long-term human presence in deep space. The 10-day flight will demonstrate NASA's foundational human deep space exploration capabilities. Launching along with Orion on SLS will be four 12U CubeSats developed through partnerships with space agencies around the world that are signatories of the Artemis Accords. The CubeSats will deploy in …

The Age Of Analysis, Morton Gabriel White

Hannah Arendt Marginalia - All

[New York] New American Library [1955]

Call #: B790 .W3

Contains underlining and marginal lining

PDF Information: 47 pages – 3.7MB

Platonic Studies, Gregory Vlastos

Hannah Arendt Marginalia - All

[Princeton, N.J.] Princeton University Press [1973]

Call #: B395 .V58

Contains underlining and marginal lining

PDF Information: 20 pages – 1,766KB

The New Science Of Giambattista Vico, Giambattista Vico

Hannah Arendt Marginalia - All

New York: Anchor Books, 1961

Call #: B3317 .S34

Contains marginalia and endpaper notes.

PDF Information: 42 pages – 17.6mb

Biopolitics, Thomas Landon Thorson

Hannah Arendt Marginalia - All

New York, Holt, Rinehart and Winston [1970]

Call #: JA71 .T53

contains marginal lining, marginalia, underlining, and endnotes

PDF Information: 47 pages – 23 MB

Tbearr - Tardigrade Bio-Exploration Reproduction Research Satellite, Natalie Brattain, Kylie Nager, Joshua T. Lozano, Matas Ubartas, Chloe Nissen

Small Satellite Conference

The mission aims to launch four separate cultures of tardigrades aboard a 3U CubeSat to Low Earth Orbit to study the effects of UV and cosmic radiation on their genetics and cell composition, which may, in turn, affect their reproduction cycle.

• tBEARR is a 3U CubeSat mission under development by the Embry-Riddle Orbital Research Association (ERORA), an undergraduate research club at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL.

• Critical life support systems will be developed to maintain tardigrade viability as orbital experiments are being conducted.

• Tardigrades, in their cryptobiotic state, will be exposed to space radiation and …

A Comparative Analysis Of The Accuracy Of Retrieval Augmented Generation Versus Large Language Models For Gout-Related Queries, Samikchhya Keshary Bhandari, Himal Kharel, Zeni Kharel, Prajjwol Bhatta, Mouna Reghis, Ali Mohamed, Eduardo Avalos Sugastti, Chengu Niu

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

Importance: To better understand ways to improve the answers from large language models by feeding them disease specific guidelines which can potentially act as a clinical decision support tool in the future Objective: To demonstrate the effect of retrieval augmentation on answers related to gout in terms of accuracy, conciseness and unambiguity. Design: Observational. Setting: Virtual experimental setting. Participants: ChatGPT 3.5 and Retrieval augmented generation powered ChatGPT. Exposure: Nine questions derived from the 2020 American College of Rheumatology guidelines on gout. Main outcomes: A zero to two subjective scale to measure the accuracy, conciseness, …

Radiologic Findings Of A Mediastinal Mass With Pleural Fluid Cytologic Analysis: A Case Report Of Recurrent Mantle-Cell Lymphoma, Mark Cwajna, Zaain Ahmad, Evan Basha, Emily Maggioncalda, Shehbaz Ahmad, Joel Thompson

Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery

This case report details a 69-year-old male who presented with a right-sided pleural effusion and a mediastinal mass that was ultimately identified as recurrent mantle-cell lymphoma, occurring over 20 years after his initial diagnosis. Imaging findings discussed include chest radiograph and chest, abdomen and pelvis computed tomography depicting the mass compressing on various neighboring structures.

Clinical And Demographic Predictors Of The Need For Pharmacotherapy In Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Shawana Bibi, Rachana Singh, Janis L. Breeze, Jason Nelson, Walter K. Kraft, Jonathan M. Davis

Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVE: Development and validation of a clinical prediction model for receipt of pharmacotherapy for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS).

STUDY DESIGN: Data from three cohorts included

RESULTS: Of 698 infants included, 430 received pharmacotherapy. The final model included seven predictors of receipt of pharmacotherapy: gestational age, exposure to maternal breast milk, type of maternal opioid medication, and exposure to heroin, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and/or antipsychotic medications. The model had an AUROC of 0.68 (95% CI: 0.64-0.72; optimism corrected 0.65).

CONCLUSION: Our prediction model was parsimonious and identified seven predictors associated with the need for PT. Larger cohort studies are needed to more …

Intouch Week Of August 11, 2025, New York Medical College

InTouch

• New Chief Development Officer Joins NYMC
• GSBMS Welcomes a New Cohort of Students
• 20 Years of Revolutionizing Emergency Preparedness
• Study Calls for Nuanced Approach to Stroke Care in Sexual and Gender Diverse Patients
• NYMC and TU Host “Ninety Minutes: The Medical Magazine of the Web”
• Back-to-School Savings
• TCDM Announces its First Alumni Association Executive Board

Circadian Influences On Glycemic Control In 24-Hr Fasts Initiated At Different Mealtimes, Elizabeth Z. Gipson

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigated whether the timing of a 24-hour fast influences indicators of glycemic control throughout the duration of the fast or upon refeeding. Twenty-four adults who have overweight or obesity (13 female, 11 male) completed this randomized crossover study involving three 24-hour fasts initiated at either 8:00 am, 1:00 pm, or 6:00 pm followed by a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) which lasted 2 hours. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) were employed to track interstitial glucose throughout each fast and OGTT. Plasma samples for insulin, glucagon, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) were collected at the …

The Interplay Of Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, And Neuroinflammation In Autism Spectrum Disorder: Behavioral Implications And Therapeutic Strategies, Ansab Akhtar, S K. Rahaman

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) deals with several symptoms, including language and speech impairment and developmental delays. The main brain regions affected could be the prefrontal cortex (PFC) or the temporal lobe. The detrimental features could include oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation. Most often, these phenomena are interrelated and can lead to one another, creating a vicious cycle. They also influence the regulation of certain genes involved in the pathogenesis of ASD or related behavior. In the brain regions prone to these detrimental features, a cascade of free radicals, inflammatory cytokines, and mitochondrial energy disruptions is initiated. These actions during …

Degradation Of Anthropogenic Debris In Stormwater Infrastructure Of The Lake Ontario Watershed, Evan Batte

Theses

The accumulation of anthropogenic debris (AD) in the Great Lakes is a growing issue with largely unknown consequences for ecological and human health. To better constrain estimates of debris loading into Lake Ontario and elucidate the fate of AD accumulating upstream, an incubation experiment of the most commonly identified littered products was conducted in different stormwater infrastructure within the Lake Ontario Watershed. Chip bags, cigarette filters, and shopping bags were placed into storm drains, stormwater retention ponds, and along riparian zones of tributaries in December of 2022 and July of 2023 to test the spatial (type of stormwater infrastructure [SWI]) …

Impact Of Urban Fine Particulate Matter Exposure On Cardiovascular Health, Shelby P. Briggs

Honors Theses

Air pollution, particularly exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), poses a growing threat to cardiopulmonary health. PM2.5 consists of microscopic particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter and originates from industrial combustion, transportation, and urban dust. These particles are classified as xenobiotics and are capable of bypassing respiratory defenses to enter systemic circulation, where they cause oxidative stress, inflammation, and cardiovascular dysfunction. This study examines the effects of PM2.5 on cardiovascular function using a murine model. Male C57BL/6 mice were divided into control (saline), subchronic (10 µg), and chronic (100 µg) groups and were exposed weekly for 11 weeks via …

Growth Of Cylindrical Micelles And Their Use To Prepare Porous Materials With Tailored Dimensions And Alignment, Mengxue Zhang, Xiaomeng Li, Chuanbing Tang, Morgan Stefik

Faculty Publications

Materials with cylindrical pores are optimal for electrochemical devices and filtration due to their straight paths with minimal tortuosity when aligned. Polymer templates have led to many individual cylindrical architectures however the independent tailoring of pore and wall dimensions has remained elusive. Here short cylindrical micelle templates (PEO-b-PS) with glassy cores enabled the fabrication of sample series with constant cylindrical pore diameter (∼63 nm) and tailored wall thickness (TiO₂, ∼45–100 nm). This ShortCyl series (aspect ratio 4.25) had modest alignment that was attributed to the low free-energy cost for misalignment. Though the plasticized micelles (DCM present) …

Deriving Profiles Of Psychosocial Supports And Challenges, And Predicting Longitudinal Trajectories Of Hba1c To Promote Flourishing In Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes (T1d), Kishan Desai

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Managing type 1 diabetes (T1D) is emotionally demanding, especially for adolescents navigating intersecting developmental, biological, and psychosocial transitions. Routine psychosocial screening may help address youths’ needs. One hundred eighty adolescents with T1D ages 12-18 (M=14.71, SD=1.69 years) were recruited from a pediatric diabetes clinic. Confirmatory Factor Analyses confirmed a six-factor structure, and Latent Variable Mixture Modeling identified three profiles of psychosocial supports and challenges: (1) Average Supports, Low Challenges (n = 105, 58%), (2) Low Supports, High Challenges (n = 37, 20%), and (3) Average Supports, High Family Conflict (n = 38, 22%). Illness duration and race-income interactions predicted profile …

Statistical Literacy As Health Literacy: The Role Of Emotions In Health Decision-Making, Kendra Murphy

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Lifestyle-related health problems remain a leading cause of chronic illness in the United States, creating a need for more effective communication of health information. However, the mechanisms that influence how individuals understand and use health information are not yet fully understood. This exploratory study investigates the intersections of statistical health literacy, emotions, and health decision-making from an interdisciplinary perspective. Guided by prior literature suggesting potential relationships among these factors, the study hypothesized that statistical literacy and emotional responses would modify responses to the form of health information presentation, affect the believability and motivational impact of the information, and influence health …

All In God's Plan?: Examining Positive And Negative Religious Coping As Moderators Of Posttraumatic Stress And Alcohol Use Following Intimate Partner Violence Exposure, Mya Elizabeth Bowen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, or psychological aggression by a current or former intimate partner or spouse (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Recognized as a pervasive public health concern, approximately 41% of women report experiences of sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking, and over 61 million women report experiencing psychological aggression, all at the hands of an intimate partner (Leemis et al., 2022). The pervasive nature of IPV is particularly concerning as experiences of violence can result in significant negative physical and psychological health concerns, including the development of PTSD …

Chemically Mediated Communication In Mound-Building Termites, Sree Subha Ramaswamy

Theses and Dissertations

Nest-building in social insects requires layered communication to coordinate complex, functional structures for housing, protection, storage, and homeostasis. This is especially striking in mound-building termites, which construct and repair large mounds collectively despite lacking image-forming eyes. This thesis investigates how Odontotermes obesus achieves such coordination through chemical communication embedded in soil.

Using controlled two-choice assays with manipulated soils, I separated airborne volatile signals from contact non-volatile signals by baking to remove volatiles, a mesh assay that presented volatile cues without contact, and solvent extraction with reapplication of contact cues. I quantified responses in major-only, minor-only, and mixed groups at two …