Digital Commons Network^™

Mitigation Of Micro-Nano Plastics Facilitated Using Microbial And Nanophotonic Degradation, And Smart Material Designs, Ashok Vaseashta, Surik Khudaverdyan, Gor Gevorgyan, Ioan Stamatin, Shushanik Kazaryan, Ashkhen Hovhannisyan, Susanna Tiratsuyan, Ludmila Sidorenko, Tatiana Gutul, Inna Rastimesina, Anatolie Sidorenko

Micro-Nano Plastics in Water: Characterization, Cure and Prevention

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Artificial Turf Versus Natural Grass: A Case Study Of Environmental Effects, Health Risks, Safety, And Cost, Iman S. Cumberbatch, Leonard Richardson, Emma Grant-Bier, Mustafa Kayali, Mutanu Mbithi, Roberto F. Riviere, Eline Xia, Hailey Spinks, Gabrielle Mills, Amy R. Tuininga

PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies Publications

While natural grass has been a reliable recreational surface for decades, artificial turf has gained popularity due to its durability, supposed ability to save water, and lower associated costs for municipalities and schools. Growing environmental and health concerns associated with artificial turf have prompted a necessary comparison of the environmental impact, chemical exposure, injury rates, surface heat, and costs of turf with natural grass. The township of Verona, New Jersey, engaged the PSEG Institute for Sustainability Studies’ Green Teams Program interns to perform an environmental impact assessment, literature review, and cost–benefit analysis to determine if the township should restore an …

First-In-Human Phase I Open-Label Study Of The Anti-Tim-3 Monoclonal Antibody Incagn02390 In Patients With Select Advanced Or Metastatic Solid Tumors, Martin E. Gutierrez, Shou Ching Tang, John D. Powderly, Ani S. Balmanoukian, Paul E. Hoyle, Zhiwan Dong, Lulu Cheng, Xiaohua Gong, John E. Janik, Nawel Bourayou, Omid Hamid

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Background T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain-containing protein-3 (TIM-3) is an immune checkpoint receptor upregulated during anti-programmed death protein-1 (PD-1)/programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) immunotherapy for cancer. TIM-3 blockade may improve the antitumor activity of PD-1/PD-L1inhibition. This phase 1 study evaluated INCAGN02390, a novel, fully human Fc-engineered antibody against TIM-3. Methods INCAGN02390 was evaluated by dose escalation at 10-1600 mg infused in 14-day cycles (every 2 weeks [Q2W]) in pretreated patients with select advanced/metastatic immunogenic solid tumors. Objectives included evaluation of safety/tolerability and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) (primary), pharmacokinetics, preliminary antitumor activity, pharmacodynamics, and immunogenicity (secondary). Results Forty patients were enrolled and …

Faculty Perceptions Of The Affective Domain In Entry-To-Practice Respiratory Therapy Education: An Exploratory Descriptive Qualitative Study, Jackie W. Davis

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Background: The affective domain of learning is one of the three learning domains that comprise Bloom's Taxonomy of learning. The respiratory therapy profession places a great emphasis on the development and assessment of all three learning domains in entry-to-practice respiratory therapy education. While the cognitive and psychomotor domains receive significant attention, the affective domain of learning is often given less attention due to its complexity and lack of definition in the profession. Purpose: An exploratory descriptive qualitative study focused on exploring the affective domain of learning in entry-to-practice respiratory therapy education, specifically how the domain is defined, and …

Human Contributions To Global Soundscapes Are Less Predictable Than The Acoustic Rhythms Of Wildlife, Panu Somervuo, Tomas Roslin, Brian L. Fisher, Bess Hardwick, Deirdre Kerdraon, Dimby Raharinjanahary, Eric Tsiriniaina Rajoelison, Patrik Lauha, Lukas Griem, Petteri Lehikoinen, Pekka Niittynen, Esko Piirainen, Markus Lumme, Ville-Matti Riihikoski, Orlando Acevedo-Charry, Solny A. Adalsteinsson, Maaz Ahmad, Sandra Alcobia, Jón Aldará, Tad Dallas

Faculty Publications

Across the world, human (anthropophonic) sounds add to sounds of biological (biophonic) and geophysical (geophonic) origin, with human contributions including both speech and technophony (sounds of technological devices). To characterize society’s contribution to the global soundscapes, we used passive acoustic recorders at 139 sites across 6 continents, sampling both urban green spaces and nearby pristine sites continuously for 3 years in a paired design. Recordings were characterized by bird species richness and by 14 complementary acoustic indices. By relating each index to seasonal, diurnal, climatic and anthropogenic factors, we show here that latitude, time of day and day of year …

Genome Report: Whole-Genome Assembly Of The Relapsing Fever Tick Ornithodoros Turicata Dugès (Acari: Argasidae), Mackenzie Tietjen, Amanda R Stahlke, David Luecke, Perot Saelao, Sheina B Sim, Scott M Geib, Brian E Scheffler, Anna K Childers, Alexander R Kneubehl, Pete D Teel, Job E Lopez

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The soft tick family Argasidae contains vectors of medical and veterinary importance, but few molecular resources are available compared to hard ticks (Ixodidae). One example is Ornithodoros turicata, a recognized vector of Borrelia turicatae, causal agent of human relapsing fever, and a putative vector of African swine fever virus. To address the current lack of molecular resources for the Argasidae, we generated a chromosome-level genome assembly for O. turicata using PacBio sequencing in conjunction with an Illumina Hi-C library. The resulting reference genome has a total of 1.1 Gb in length and was assembled into 10 chromosomes and 368 unplaced …

Inferring Chromosome Segregation Error Stage And Crossover In Trisomic Disorders With Application To Down Syndrome, Zhenhua Li, Wenjian Yang, Gang Wu, Ti-Cheng Chang, Zhongshan Cheng, Meenakshi Devidas, Mary Shago, Andrew J Carroll, Nyla A Heerema, Julie M Gastier-Foster, Brent L Wood, Lauren Sanclemente, Elizabeth A Raetz, Stephen P Hunger, Mignon L Loh, Eleanor Feingold, Tracie C Rosser, Emily G Allen, Stephanie L Sherman, Karen R Rabin, Philip J Lupo, Jun J Yang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Errors in chromosome segregation during gametogenesis, such as nondisjunction (NDJ) errors, have severe consequences in human reproduction, and a better understanding of their etiology is of fundamental interest in genetics. Mapping NDJ errors to meiotic/mitotic stages typically requires proband-parent comparison, limiting its applicability. Herein, we develop Mis-segregation Error Identification through Hidden Markov Models (MeiHMM), a method for inferring NDJ error stage and crossover events based on only genomic data of trisomic probands. Guided by triallelic genotype/haplotype configurations, MeiHMM discerns the allelic origin at each locus, which informs NDJ error during gamete formation, without identifying the parental origin of the trisomy. …

Single-Cell Profiling Of Bone Metastasis Ecosystems From Multiple Cancer Types Reveals Convergent And Divergent Mechanisms Of Bone Colonization, Fengshuo Liu, Yunfeng Ding, Zhan Xu, Xiaoxin Hao, Tianhong Pan, George Miles, Siyue Wang, Yi-Hsuan Wu, Jun Liu, Igor L Bado, Weijie Zhang, Ling Wu, Yang Gao, Liqun Yu, David G Edwards, Hilda L Chan, Sergio Aguirre, Michael Warren Dieffenbach, Elina Chen, Yichao Shen, Dane Hoffman, Luis Becerra Dominguez, Charlotte Helena Rivas, Xiang Chen, Hai Wang, Zbigniew Gugala, Robert L Satcher, Xiang H-F Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Bone is a common site for metastasis of solid cancers. The diversity of histological and molecular characteristics of bone metastases (BMs) remains poorly studied. Here, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing on 42 BMs from eight cancer types, identifying three distinct ecosystem archetypes, each characterized by an enrichment of specific immune cells: macrophages/osteoclasts, regulatory/exhausted T cells, or monocytes. We validated these archetypes by immunostaining on tissue sections and bioinformatic analysis of bulk RNA sequencing/microarray data from 158 BMs across more than 10 cancer types. Interestingly, we found only a modest correlation between the BM archetypes and the tissues of origin; BMs …

Distinct Systemic Impacts Of Aβ42 And Tau Revealed By Whole-Organism Snrna-Seq, Ye-Jin Park, Tzu-Chiao Lu, Tyler Jackson, Lindsey D Goodman, Lindsey Ran, Jiaye Chen, Chung-Yi Liang, Erin Harrison, Christina Ko, Xi Chen, Baiping Wang, Ao-Lin Hsu, Elizabeth Ochoa, Kevin F Bieniek, Shinya Yamamoto, Yi Zhu, Hui Zheng, Yanyan Qi, Hugo J Bellen, Hongjie Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Both neuronal and peripheral tissues become disrupted in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, a comprehensive understanding of how AD impacts different tissues across the whole organism is lacking. Using Drosophila, we generated an AD Fly Cell Atlas (AD-FCA) based on whole-organism single-nucleus transcriptomes of 219 cell types from flies expressing AD-associated proteins, either human amyloid-β 42 peptide (Aβ42) or Tau, in neurons. We found that Aβ42 primarily affects the nervous system, including sensory neurons, while Tau induces accelerated aging in peripheral tissues. We identified a neuronal cluster enriched in Aβ42 flies, which has high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) expression. This LDH-high cluster …

Understanding Youth Violence Through A Socio-Ecological Lens, Yok-Fong Paat, Kristopher Hawk Yeager, Erik M. Cruz, Rebecca Cole, Luis R. Torres-Hostos

School of Social Work Faculty Publications

Youth violence—the deliberate use of physical force or harm by young people between the ages of 10 and 24 to intimidate or cause harm to others, both online and offline—is a critical public health issue in the United States. Yet, successfully predicting future violent offenders is a complex and challenging task, as the question of why some youths resort to extreme violence while others refrain from it—despite facing similar risk factors—remains widely debated. This article highlights both risk and protective factors of youth violence through a socio-ecological lens to offer a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted factors driving youth violence …

Parents Of Adolescents On Electronic Use And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Parental Perspectives, Sleep, Internalization, Jessica Wiepking

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

ADHD in adolescents is a common diagnosis, with exposure to daily electronic use. There is strong evidence for a relationship between electronic use and ADHD in adolescents. However, there is a gap on electronic use, internalized feelings, and sleep behaviors in ADHD adolescents and how sleep behaviors might impact that relationship. ADHD has its core symptoms that impact the individual daily. These symptoms need to be taken into consideration when looking at internalized feelings and sleep behavior patterns. The theoretical framework that aligns with this study is the Dopaminergic Dysregulation Theory (DDT). This theory is a module that suggests that …

Concentration And Composition Of Organic Contaminants In Blackfin Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna, And The Common Clubhook Squid In The Western Gulf Of Mexico, Lisa Rose-Mann

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Cephalopods are an important component of pelagic food webs. They play ecological roles not only as predators but also as prey. However, their role as prey in the trophic transfer of organic contaminants to apex predators such as tunas in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is not well known. To investigate the importance of cephalopods in tuna diets, stomach samples were collected in February 2020 from tunas caught by rod and reel aboard the F/V Gulf Eagle near two large offshore floating oil/gas platforms in the northwestern GoM. Cephalopod samples were obtained from gut content analysis of 41 tunas caught …

From Novice To Expert: Preparing Your Peer Review, Diana M Proctor, Rachy Abraham, Shannon Esher Righi

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Peer review is the process by which the quality of scholarly work is assessed prior to being published, presented, or funded. The consequences of flawed research entering the public domain in the "post-truth" era highlight the need to improve peer review quality, which we believe can be achieved by standardizing training. Here, we aim to enhance the quality of published literature by presenting a systematic guide to train new reviewers (and aid experienced ones) in the art of peer reviewing the rigor of scientific manuscripts.

Migration Delays At Head-Of-Tide Weirs Are A Function Of Tidal Cycles And River Flows In Anadromous Twaite Shad Alosa Fallax, Mark I.A. Yeldham, J. Robert Britton, Charles Crundwell, Peter Davies, Jamie R. Dodd, Chris Grzesiok, Andrew D. Nunn, Randolph Velterop, Jonathan D. Bolland

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Riverine barriers can have significant negative impacts on the spawning migrations of anadromous fishes, with barriers of low passage efficiency limiting access to upstream spawning areas. Even fish that pass a barrier can be negatively affected via migration delays and energetic costs. The spawning migrations of 74 twaite shad Alosa fallax were tracked at two head-of-tide weirs on a bifurcated channel in the River Severn’s upper estuary, western England, to test how barriers in tidal areas can affect river entry and incur migration delays. Although the weirs had a combined passage efficiency of 98.9%, median passage time was 19.8 h, …

A Single High-Zinc Activation Enhancer Can Control Two Genes Oriented Head-To-Head In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Hanwenheng Liu, Brian Earley, Adelita Mendoza, Patrick Hunt, Sean Teng, Daniel Luke Schneider, Kerry Kornfeld

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Enhancers play critical roles in gene expression, but a full understanding of their complex functions has yet to be defined. The cellular response to excess zinc levels in Caenorhabditis elegans requires the HIZR-1 transcription factor, which binds the high-zinc activation (HZA) enhancer in the promoters of multiple target genes. Cadmium hijacks the excess zinc response by binding and activating HIZR-1. By analyzing the genome-wide transcriptional response to excess zinc and cadmium, we identified two positions in the genome where head-to-head oriented genes are both induced by metals. In both examples, a single predicted HZA enhancer is positioned between the two …

Callison College Promotional Book: Japan, Callison College

Callison College and School of International Studies

No abstract provided.

Callison And Raymond College Course Offerings, Callison College

Callison College and School of International Studies

No abstract provided.

Tips For Inclusive Postsecondary Education Programs On College Campuses: Peer Mentors’ Perspectives On Access And Inclusion, Laura N. Sarchet, Kristen Love, Martha Mock

Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning

As inclusive postsecondary education programs have grown and improved towards more campus access for college students labeled with an intellectual disability, peer mentoring is a common model for such programs. Peer mentors from one private institution were asked to describe their experiences and perspectives of campus inclusion after participating in a training program designed to increase their understanding of disability within a social justice lens. Mentors shared the personal and professional benefits of mentoring, for both themselves and for students labeled with an intellectual disability, and noted recommendations for how programs can increase access to college in order to improve …

Scalability Matters: Overcoming Challenges In Instructglm With Similarity-Degree-Based Sampling

Defensive Publications Series

Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated strong capabilities in various natural language processing tasks; however, their application to graph-related problems remains limited, primarily due to scalability constraints and the absence of dedicated mechanisms for processing graph structures. Existing approaches predominantly integrate LLMs with Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), using GNNs as feature encoders or auxiliary components. However, directly encoding graph structures within LLMs has been underexplored, particularly in the context of large-scale graphs where token limitations hinder effective representation. To address these challenges, we propose SDM-InstructGLM, a novel instruction-tuned Graph Language Model (InstructGLM) framework that enhances scalability and efficiency without relying …

Alphafold Database Debiasing For Robust Inverse Folding

Defensive Publications Series

The AlphaFold Protein Structure Database (AFDB) offers unparalleled structural coverage at near-experimental accuracy, positioning it as a valuable resource for data-driven protein design. However, its direct use in training deep models that are sensitive to fine-grained atomic geometry—such as inverse folding—exposes a critical limitation. Comparative analysis of structural feature distributions reveals that AFDB structures exhibit distinct statistical regularities, reflecting a systematic geometric bias that deviates from the conformational diversity found in experimentally determined structures from the Protein Data Bank (PDB). While AFDB structures are cleaner and more idealized, PDB structures capture the intrinsic variability and physical realism essential for generalization …

Balanced Graphformer: Enhancing Graph Transformers With Localized Training Against Over-Globalization

Defensive Publications Series

As Transformers gain traction in graph machine learning, the issue of "over-globalization" has emerged, where their global attention mechanisms excessively emphasize distant vertices, potentially diluting vital local information. This is particularly detrimental in graphs where local neighborhoods hold significant predictive value. Existing methods often lack flexibility in local processing or fail to effectively integrate local and global contexts. This paper introduces BalancedGraphFormer, a novel framework designed to localize graph transformer training. It integrates a dedicated local module with a complementary global module. The local module captures fine-grained neighborhood patterns, while the global module integrates broader context without overshadowing local details. …

Biochar-Based Filtration And Barrier Systems For Urban Stormwater Treatment, Krishna R. Reddy

Stormwater Drainage Conference

Conference that deals a wide range of issues dealing with stormwater drainage. Professor Krishna Reddy of University of Illinois Chicago presented an invited talk titled "Biochar-Based Filtration and Barrier Systems for Urban Stormwater Treatment"

A Neuromorphic Spike-Based System For Real-Time Behavioral Anomaly Detection In Saas And Self-Hosted Environments, Marcel Witt

Defensive Publications Series

This publication introduces NeuraSentry™, a neuromorphic anomaly detection framework inspired by biological spike-based learning and synaptic plasticity. It combines competitive vector detectors, temporal spike traces, and retroactive learning signals to detect evolving behavioral fraud and insider threats in both SaaS and on-premise systems. Key innovations include sparse activation using cosine similarity, HDBSCAN-based meta-neuron clustering, and delayed reward modulation modeled after dopamine and serotonin systems. NeuraSentry delivers adaptive, explainable, and scalable behavioral threat detection, without relying on labeled training data or fixed rules. This work establishes prior art to prevent overly broad patents in the field of neuromorphic security analytics.

Brand Awareness The Case Study Was Applied To Nesma & Partners Contracting Co. Ltd In Saudi Arabia, Soumaya Kaakour, Pierre Mouawad

Al Jinan الجنان

This paper examines the factors affecting brand awareness in Saudi Arabia Nesma & Partners Contracting Co. Ltd. An electronic survey was distributed to 203 employees. The results indicated a positive correlation between credibility and brand awareness, while a negative correlation between the following variables (social media, influencer, E-wom) and brand awareness. These results imply that companies like Nesma & partners should not rely on social media, influencers, and E-wom to reach brand awareness. Future research is needed to investigate more factors affecting brand awareness in construction companies

مدى تضمين أولوية البيئة والموارد الطبيعية برؤية عُمان ٢٠٤٠ في كتب الدراسات الاجتماعية للصفوف (٥-١٠). The Extent Of The Inclusion Of Environment Priority And Natural Resources In Oman Vision 2024in Social Studies Textbooks For Grades (5-10)., سيف ناصر المعمري, وفاء محمد معوض عبد العال

Association of Arab Universities Journal for Education and Psychology

هدفت الدراسة إلى استقصاء مدى تضمين محتوى مناهج الدراسات الاجتماعية للصفوف (5-10) في سلطنة عمان لأولوية البيئة والموارد الطبيعية التي تضمنتها رؤية عمان ٢٠٤٠؛ ولتحقيق ذلك اعتمدت الدراسة المنهج الوصفي في تحليل مناهج الدراسات الاجتماعية للصفوف من (5-10)، ولجمع بيانات الدراسة تم استخدام بطاقة تحليل تضمنت الأهداف السبعة للأولوية المذكورة، التي تشمل (26) مؤشرًا بجانب، خمس وحدات تحليل، استخلصها الباحثون وهي تمثل البنية المعرفية للمحتوى كالأمثلة، والخصائص أو السمات والإشكاليات، والإحصاءات. وخلصت نتائج الدراسة عن تضمن الأهداف السبعة لأولوية البيئة والموارد الطبيعية في مناهج الدراسات الاجتماعية للصفوف (٥-١0)، وقد تصدر الهدف السادس "طاقة متجدِّدة ومصادر متنوعة وترشيد الاستهلاك لتحقيق أَمْنِ …

Respiratory Recovery Via Endogenous And Electrical Stimulation-Induced Mechanisms Following Cervical Spinal Cord Injury, Taylor C. Holmes

Dissertations (1934 -)

Breathing is a complex neuromuscular behavior vital for the maintenance of life. Cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) disrupts descending respiratory motor drive and can lead to profound breathing impairments. While a limited, endogenous recovery of respiratory function has been well described following cSCI, this work has predominantly utilized single sex investigations. Given that relatively few treatment options exist to address this respiratory insufficiency, a more complete characterization of respiratory recovery post-cSCI is necessary for the development and evaluation of rehabilitative protocols. Diaphragm pacing (DP) is an emerging clinical intervention that utilizes electrical stimulation of the diaphragm muscle to combat the …

Illuminating Trauma & Resilience In Educational Spaces: Expanding Narratives To Promote Historical And Critical Civic Empathy At Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, Chakakuan Johnson, Linda Nance, Byron Witherspoon

Dissertations

Abstract

The 1957 desegregation crisis at Little Rock Central High School marked a defining moment in the Civil Rights Movement and continues to symbolize the broader struggle for racial equality. This dissertation examines equity in educational spaces through a four-truth lens that was first articulated by the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission and explores forensic, personal, social, and healing truth. Using Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site (CHSC) and park interpretation as the focal point, our qualitative research study used reflexive thematic analysis to examine oral interviews, onsite observations, and various documents and artifacts, and to illuminate …

Inflammation And Il-4 Regulate Parkinson’S And Crohn’S Disease Associated Kinase Lrrk2, Dina Dikovskaya, Rebecca Pemberton, Matthew Taylor, Anna Tasegian, Purbasha Bhattacharya, Karolina Zeneviciute, Esther M. Sammler, Andrew J.M. Howden, Dario R. Alessi, Mahima Swamy

Peninsula Medical School

Mutations in Leucine-Rich Repeat protein Kinase 2 (LRRK2) are associated with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Crohn’s disease (CD), but the regulation of LRRK2 during inflammation remains relatively unexplored. Here we describe the development of a flow cytometry-based assay to assess LRRK2 activity in individual cells and the generation of an EGFP-Lrrk2 knock-in reporter mouse to analyse cell-specific LRRK2 expression. Using these tools, we measured LRRK2 levels and activity in murine splenic and intestinal immune cells and in human blood. Anti-CD3 induced inflammation increases LRRK2 expression and activity in B cells and monocytes, while in mature neutrophils, inflammation stimulates activity but …

Data Augmentation And Imputation For Sparse Learner Performance Data In Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Liang Zhang

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) leverage computer-aided technologies to provide dynamically adaptive instruction tailored to individual learners. Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) have further enhanced their capacity to deliver responsive, personalized learning experiences. As learners interact with ITSs by responding to questions, their performance data, such as correct and incorrect answers, become essential for assessing and predicting latent knowledge states through analysis and modeling. However, real-world learner data frequently suffer from sparsity due to incomplete interactions, unanswered questions, and missed attempts. Such missing information poses significant challenges, undermining the accuracy of learner modeling and the effectiveness of personalized instruction. To …

Complete Genome Sequence Of Staphylococcus Haemolyticus Umb6531b, Isolated From A Perineal Swab, Alex Kula, Olive Kolar, Karolina Gilewicz, Zainab Qureshi, Anmol Singh, Alan J. Wolfe, Catherine Putonti

Biology: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Staphylococcus haemolyticus UMB6531B was isolated from a perineal swab of a female with overactive bladder symptoms and sequenced to better characterize opportunistic pathogens of the female urogenital tract. Here, we present the complete genome sequence, which includes the chromosome as well as two complete plasmid sequences.