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Handheld Multimodal Point Spectroscopy, Rgb Imaging, And Fusion Artificial Intelligence To Determine The Species And Freshness Of Fish Fillets, Mitchell Sueker Dec 2024

Handheld Multimodal Point Spectroscopy, Rgb Imaging, And Fusion Artificial Intelligence To Determine The Species And Freshness Of Fish Fillets, Mitchell Sueker

Theses and Dissertations

When fish species are mislabeled and the fish’s freshness is inaccurately represented, health, environmental, and economic problems can arise for both consumers and the fish industry. Fish are some of the easier foods to mislabel, as the processing of whole fish to fillets makes the visual identification of the species and freshness assessment more challenging. Due to the shortcomings of the current industry standards, confirmed by our interviews with over 20 professionals in all fish supply chain nodes, developing a system that can provide accurate and rapid on-site fraud detection is of necessity. In an attempt to meet these needs, …


An Examination Of The Effect Of The Implementation Of A Trauma-Informed School Initiative On The Attitudes Of The Staff In A School, Michael Riddell Dec 2024

An Examination Of The Effect Of The Implementation Of A Trauma-Informed School Initiative On The Attitudes Of The Staff In A School, Michael Riddell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological case study was to investigate the change in the attitudes of teachers pre and post implementation of a trauma-informed school initiative in a school in the Eastern Grand Region of Tennessee. As adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have become more recognizable in school age children by teachers and school staff members due to an increase in knowledge about ACEs, there has been an increase in the number of trauma-informed initiatives undertaken by schools across the United States. Due to the challenges associated with the implementation of trauma-informed initiatives in schools, it is important for administrators …


Perceiving, Processing, And Evaluating Infant Facial Affect In Potential Parents: An Erp Study, Tiffany Bonnagio Dec 2024

Perceiving, Processing, And Evaluating Infant Facial Affect In Potential Parents: An Erp Study, Tiffany Bonnagio

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Evidence for differences between assigned female at birth (AFAB) and assigned male at birth (AMAB) perceiving, processing, and evaluating infant faces has been mixed. The current study examined whether expected parental self-efficacy (EPSE) and desire for children predicts event-related potentials (ERPs) to infant facial affect in potential parents. No scale for EPSE exists. Therefore, we reworded the Perceived Maternal Parental Self-Efficacy scale from present to future tense. There was no correlation with EPSE scores, ERPs, or behavioral data. No difference was found between AFAB and AMAB in accurately evaluating infant faces; however, AFABs responded more quickly. ERP data revealed significantly …


Resilient Students: Traumatic Experiences, Aces, And Resources That Influence University Students’ Perceptions Of First-Year College Adjustment, Audrey W. Besch Dec 2024

Resilient Students: Traumatic Experiences, Aces, And Resources That Influence University Students’ Perceptions Of First-Year College Adjustment, Audrey W. Besch

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The history of understanding the impacts of trauma on individuals has shifted from a narrow focus on physical injuries to a multidimensional understanding of how trauma influences the development of psychological and emotional interactions. This evolving understanding has informed the implementation of trauma-informed practices and interventions across various sectors. Tennessee institutions of higher education recognize the connection between trauma, student success, and systemic interventions. University students who have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences have heightened vulnerability to stressful events as they transition from high school to college, increasing the likelihood of lower educational attainment, higher drop-out rates, and higher rates of …


Service Provider Perceptions Of Systems Serving Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: A Needs Assessment And Strategic Plan In Johnson City, Tn, Opal Frye-Clark Dec 2024

Service Provider Perceptions Of Systems Serving Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: A Needs Assessment And Strategic Plan In Johnson City, Tn, Opal Frye-Clark

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This Integrated Learning Experience (ILE) investigates service providers' perceptions of Johnson City, Tennessee's homelessness services, aiming to inform a city-wide strategic plan for reduction. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study gathered qualitative data through in-depth interviews with service providers in 2022 and quantitative data via a 2024 survey. The research focused on those directly involved in serving or significantly influencing the lives of individuals experiencing homelessness (IEH). Three key aims guided the investigation: (1) To analyze provider perspectives to identify community assets, opportunities, barriers, and unmet needs, informing a comprehensive needs assessment; (2) To refine these findings through SWOT analysis …


Modeling Impact Of Simulated Myocardial Perfusion On Cardiac Ablation For Arrhythmia, Brendan Cappon Dec 2024

Modeling Impact Of Simulated Myocardial Perfusion On Cardiac Ablation For Arrhythmia, Brendan Cappon

Theses

Bioheat transfer is the study of heat transfer applied in anatomy and physiology, which is relevant to maintaining homeostatic conditions from metabolic activity, thermal exposures, and various treatments and diagnostic methods. Blood flow significantly impacts heat transfer throughout the body, facilitating the diffusion of heat. Models have been developed to quantify bioheat transfer and the effect of blood flow through tissue for many biological functions and medical procedures, one of which is radiofrequency ablation for cardiac arrhythmia. Significant improvements to models and assumptions are still required as success rates for this procedure remain low for various arrhythmia types. The research …


Artificial Neurovascular Networks To Simulate Energy Distribution To Spiking Neural Networks, William Bottom Dec 2024

Artificial Neurovascular Networks To Simulate Energy Distribution To Spiking Neural Networks, William Bottom

Theses

Biological neurons are known to be much more energy efficient than modern computers, with the human brain only consuming about 20 Watts. An Artificial Neural Network can take hours or days to train on high-performance and energy-consuming GPUs, so networks that can achieve similar performance at a fraction of the energy cost are very sought after. Spiking Neural Networks, which mimic biological neurons more closely than Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), are a potential option for the energy problem in Neural Networks. By converting an ANN to an SNN and applying energy-saving methods/architectures, the equivalent SNN network can achieve similar performance …


Enhancing Medical Cybersecurity: A Machine Learning Solution For Intrusion Detection In Iomt Devices, Afra Yaqoob Dec 2024

Enhancing Medical Cybersecurity: A Machine Learning Solution For Intrusion Detection In Iomt Devices, Afra Yaqoob

Theses

In the past few decades, the healthcare sector has undergone major technological advancements, which have included the adoption of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT), and networked medical devices. These advancements have changed the manner in which patient care is provisioned, enabling for more accurate diagnosis, personalized treatment plans, among other benefits. However, as healthcare providers are growing more reliant on interconnected systems, they have also been exposed to critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Medical devices have now become targets for cyberattacks, threatening patient data and its security and endangering patient's health and safety. This thesis examines the affects that inadequate cybersecurity measures, …


Small Angle X-Ray Scattering And Form Factor Modeling Of Β Crystallins - A Physiologically Significant Eye Lens Cytoplasm Protein, Srijan Banerjee Dec 2024

Small Angle X-Ray Scattering And Form Factor Modeling Of Β Crystallins - A Physiologically Significant Eye Lens Cytoplasm Protein, Srijan Banerjee

Theses

This thesis provides in depth analysis of small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) experiments conducted on the beta-high crystallin eye lens cytoplasm protein. In particular, radius of gyration and molecular weight measurements are extracted and compared to measurements from existing work. Furthermore, an approach to math ematically modeling the scattering ”form-factor”, which describes the size and shape of individual particles, is also developed and applied to the SAXS data. The model acheived in the thesis appears to agree closely with scattering data at the low q range. Several obstacles which impede the resulting modeling from perfectly characterizing the data at higher …


Robust And Efficient Active Inference For Perception, Action, And Learning, Zhizhuo Yang Dec 2024

Robust And Efficient Active Inference For Perception, Action, And Learning, Zhizhuo Yang

Theses

Active Inference (AIF) is an emerging framework rooted in neuroscience aimed at elucidating human perception, action, and cognitive processes. Recent advances in machine learning have facilitated the non-invasive study of human cognition through the lens of this framework. This dissertation expands upon this theoretical foundation to address practical challenges in robotic control and human cognitive behavior analysis. We initiate our exploration with a review of the eye-tracking studies that underpin the motivation for AIF research. This provides a background for understanding how AIF can model cognitive processes. First, we present a minimal AIF model within a discrete state space, framed …


Association Between Microsatellite Instability Status, Clinicopathological Features And Mitochondrial Dna Amplification In Patients With Colorectal Cancer, Junmi Lu, Hong Tan, Tao Guo, Xi Chen, Zhongyi Tong Dec 2024

Association Between Microsatellite Instability Status, Clinicopathological Features And Mitochondrial Dna Amplification In Patients With Colorectal Cancer, Junmi Lu, Hong Tan, Tao Guo, Xi Chen, Zhongyi Tong

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The relationship between BRAF-V600E mutations, mitochondrial DNA amplification and microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) in colorectal cancer (CRC) has yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between the MSI status and BRAF-V600E gene mutations/clinicopathological features/mitochondrial DNA amplification in CRC. A non-interventional study analysis was performed using the clinicopathological features of 455 patients with CRC. Immunohistochemistry was used to evaluate four mismatch repair proteins (MutS homolog 2, MutS homolog 6, MutL homolog 1 and postmeiotic segregation increased 2), Ki-67 index, and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. …


Exploring Green Photochemical Reactions Of Bio-Based Heterocyclic Compounds: 4-Hydroxy-2(5h) Furanone And 2-Pyridone, Solmaz Asadi Dec 2024

Exploring Green Photochemical Reactions Of Bio-Based Heterocyclic Compounds: 4-Hydroxy-2(5h) Furanone And 2-Pyridone, Solmaz Asadi

Theses and Dissertations

The present work examines the photoreactivity of 4-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone and 2-pyridone un-der varying conditions, with the aim of investigating how solvent and wavelength can influence their photochemical reactivity. In the first chapter, the photoreactivity of 4-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone in its crystalline state was observed to undergo a [2+2] photocycloaddition reaction when exposed to UV-C light and led to a new cyclobutane containing dimer (CB-SA-1). More impressively, CB-SA-1 was determined to be stable at room temperature for two years. This method was solvent-free and catalyst-free offering an environmentally friendly method for synthesizing furanone deriva-tives. Further, in order to study the photoreactivity of 4-hydroxy-2(5H)-furanone in …


Parp1 Modulates Gata3-Mediated Gene Regulation In Breast Cancer, Mikhala Cooper Dec 2024

Parp1 Modulates Gata3-Mediated Gene Regulation In Breast Cancer, Mikhala Cooper

Theses and Dissertations

In eukaryotic cells, chromatin acts as a physical barrier for many transcription factors, preventing them from efficiently binding to their recognition sequences within the nucleosome. Pioneer factors are a class of transcription factors that bind to nucleosomes and activate silent chromatin. Pioneer factors are frequently involved in various immune cell pathways, tissue development, and homeostasis, thereby underscoring their important roles in development and disease. Previous research found that pioneer factors have at least three fundamental properties: 1) they can interact with their cognate recognition sequences before transcription activation, 2) they can increase local chromatin accessibility, and 3) they have integral …


Population Genetics Of Deer In The Northern Great Plains, Usa, Sarah Elizabeth Daman Dec 2024

Population Genetics Of Deer In The Northern Great Plains, Usa, Sarah Elizabeth Daman

Theses and Dissertations

Deer are currently under threat of chronic wasting disease (CWD) throughout North America. With CWD distribution increasing globally, understanding the spread of the disease is paramount for the effective management and conservation of deer populations. Conservation genomics has been shown as an effective method to study the behavior and movement of individuals on the landscape at a broad spatial scale. This approach allows for a multi-state evaluation of habitat and landscape features that may influence the dispersals and subsequent gene flow between populations. This study was designed to assess the genetic population structuring of deer within North Dakota and surrounding …


Sustainable Poultry Farming Practices: A Critical Review Of Current Strategies And Future Prospects, Ramesh Bahadur Bist, Keshav Bist, Sandesh Poudel, Deepak Subedi, Xiao Yang, Bidur Paneru, Sudhagar Mani, Dongyi Wang, Lilong Chai Dec 2024

Sustainable Poultry Farming Practices: A Critical Review Of Current Strategies And Future Prospects, Ramesh Bahadur Bist, Keshav Bist, Sandesh Poudel, Deepak Subedi, Xiao Yang, Bidur Paneru, Sudhagar Mani, Dongyi Wang, Lilong Chai

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

As global demand for poultry products, environmental sustainability, and health consciousness rises with time, the poultry industry faces both substantial challenges and new opportunities. Therefore, this review paper provides a comprehensive overview of sustainable poultry farming, focusing on integrating genetic improvements, alternative feed, precision technologies, waste management, and biotechnological innovations. Together, these strategies aim to minimize ecological footprints, uphold ethical standards, improve economic feasibility, and enhance industry resilience. In addition, this review paper explores various sustainable strategies, including eco-conscious organic farming practices and innovative feed sources like insect-based proteins, single-cell proteins, algal supplements, and food waste utilization. …


Discordant Discipline: Implications Of State-Legislated Medicine For The Regulation Of Physicians, Kristin Madison Dec 2024

Discordant Discipline: Implications Of State-Legislated Medicine For The Regulation Of Physicians, Kristin Madison

Penn State Law Review (2003 - Present)

No abstract provided.


Chronic Β3-Ar Stimulation Activates Distinct Thermogenic Mechanisms In Brown And White Adipose Tissue And Improves Systemic Metabolism In Aged Mice, Duraipandy Natarajan, Bhuvana Plakkot, Kritika Tiwari, Shoba Ekambaram, Weidong Wang, Michael Rudolph, Mahmoud A Mohammad, Shaji K Chacko, Madhan Subramanian, Stefano Tarantini, Andriy Yabluchanskiy, Zoltan Ungvari, Anna Csiszar, Priya Balasubramanian Dec 2024

Chronic Β3-Ar Stimulation Activates Distinct Thermogenic Mechanisms In Brown And White Adipose Tissue And Improves Systemic Metabolism In Aged Mice, Duraipandy Natarajan, Bhuvana Plakkot, Kritika Tiwari, Shoba Ekambaram, Weidong Wang, Michael Rudolph, Mahmoud A Mohammad, Shaji K Chacko, Madhan Subramanian, Stefano Tarantini, Andriy Yabluchanskiy, Zoltan Ungvari, Anna Csiszar, Priya Balasubramanian

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Adipose thermogenesis has been actively investigated as a therapeutic target for improving metabolic dysfunction in obesity. However, its applicability to middle-aged and older populations, which bear the highest obesity prevalence in the United States (approximately 40%), remains uncertain due to age-related decline in thermogenic responses. In this study, we investigated the effects of chronic thermogenic stimulation using the β3-adrenergic (AR) agonist CL316,243 (CL) on systemic metabolism and adipose function in aged (18-month-old) C57BL/6JN mice. Sustained β3-AR treatment resulted in reduced fat mass, increased energy expenditure, increased fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial activity in adipose depots, improved glucose homeostasis, and a …


Immunopeptidomic Mhc-I Profiling And Immunogenicity Testing Identifies Tcj2 As A New Chagas Disease Mrna Vaccine Candidate, Leroy Versteeg, Rakesh Adhikari, Gonteria Robinson, Jungsoon Lee, Junfei Wei, Nelufa Islam, Brian Keegan, William K Russell, Cristina Poveda, Maria Jose Villar, Kathryn Jones, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter Hotez, Edwin Tijhaar, Jeroen Pollet Dec 2024

Immunopeptidomic Mhc-I Profiling And Immunogenicity Testing Identifies Tcj2 As A New Chagas Disease Mrna Vaccine Candidate, Leroy Versteeg, Rakesh Adhikari, Gonteria Robinson, Jungsoon Lee, Junfei Wei, Nelufa Islam, Brian Keegan, William K Russell, Cristina Poveda, Maria Jose Villar, Kathryn Jones, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter Hotez, Edwin Tijhaar, Jeroen Pollet

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Trypanosoma cruzi is a protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease. Globally 6 to 7 million people are infected by this parasite of which 20-30% will progress to develop Chronic Chagasic Cardiomyopathy (CCC). Despite its high disease burden, no clinically approved vaccine exists for the prevention or treatment of CCC. Developing vaccines that can stimulate T. cruzi-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and eliminate infected cells requires targeting parasitic antigens presented on major histocompatibility complex-I (MHC-I) molecules. We utilized mass spectrometry-based immunopeptidomics to investigate which parasitic peptides are displayed on MHC-I of T. cruzi infected cells. Through duplicate experiments, we identified an …


Private Landowner Interest In Prescribed Fire In California: Findings From Workshops In The Sierra Nevada, Kate M. Wilkin, Amanda M. Stasiewicz, Susan D. Kocher Dec 2024

Private Landowner Interest In Prescribed Fire In California: Findings From Workshops In The Sierra Nevada, Kate M. Wilkin, Amanda M. Stasiewicz, Susan D. Kocher

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: Globally, prescribed fire political interest and practice has been rekindled following recent devastating wildfire seasons. This phenomenon was especially acute in areas with dual wildfire and forest health crises, like California. Previous research has investigated prescribed fire on public lands or on private lands in other regions, but little is known about prescribed fire practice or interest on private lands in California. Therefore, we sought to understand private land managers’ perceptions of prescribed fire compared to other land management techniques, treatment pathways, motivations, and barriers to complete these treatments in California. Results: Before workshops on prescribed fire for private …


A Multiscale Approach To Understanding The Shared Blue-Orange Flower Color Polymorphism In Two Lysimachia Species, Mercedes Sánchez-Cabrera, Eduardo Narbona, Montserrat Arista, Pedro L. Ortiz, Francisco J. Jiménez-López, Amelia Fuller, Benjamin Carter, Justen B. Whittall Dec 2024

A Multiscale Approach To Understanding The Shared Blue-Orange Flower Color Polymorphism In Two Lysimachia Species, Mercedes Sánchez-Cabrera, Eduardo Narbona, Montserrat Arista, Pedro L. Ortiz, Francisco J. Jiménez-López, Amelia Fuller, Benjamin Carter, Justen B. Whittall

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background: Polymorphisms are common in nature, but they are rarely shared among closely related species. Polymorphisms could originate through convergence, ancestral polymorphism, or introgression. Although shared neutral genomic variation across species is commonplace, few examples of shared functional traits exist. The blue-orange petal color polymorphisms in two closely related species, Lysimachia monelli and L. arvensis were investigated with UV-vis reflectance spectra, flavonoid biochemistry, and transcriptome comparisons followed by climate niche analysis. Results: Similar color morphs between species have nearly identical reflectance spectra, flavonoid biochemistry, and ABP gene expression patterns. Transcriptome comparisons reveal two orange-specific genes directly involved in both blue-orange …


Aging-Associated Mechanisms Of Atrial Fibrillation Progression And Their Therapeutic Potential, Shuai Zhao, Aaron M Johnston, Chi Him Kendrick Yiu, Lucia M Moreira, Svetlana Reilly, Xander H T Wehrens Dec 2024

Aging-Associated Mechanisms Of Atrial Fibrillation Progression And Their Therapeutic Potential, Shuai Zhao, Aaron M Johnston, Chi Him Kendrick Yiu, Lucia M Moreira, Svetlana Reilly, Xander H T Wehrens

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia, with a particularly high prevalence in the elderly. As the global aging population rapidly expands, it is increasingly important to examine how alterations to the aging heart contribute to an increased AF susceptibility. This work critically reviews the key molecular mechanisms that may underpin the complex association between aging and AF. Moreover, we identify emerging novel opportunities for therapeutic intervention that may be able to prevent and/or improve the current treatment paradigms for age-related AF. This review contributes to a holistic understanding of the intricate relationship between aging and AF.


Testosterone Acts Through The Membrane Protein Gprc6a To Cause Cardiac Edema In Zebrafish Embryos, Vahid Zadmajid, Shayan Shahriar, Daniel A Gorelick Dec 2024

Testosterone Acts Through The Membrane Protein Gprc6a To Cause Cardiac Edema In Zebrafish Embryos, Vahid Zadmajid, Shayan Shahriar, Daniel A Gorelick

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Androgens are classically thought to act through intracellular androgen receptors (AR/NR3C4), but they can also trigger non-genomic effects via membrane proteins. Although several membrane androgen receptors have been characterized in vitro, their functions in vivo remain unclear. Using a chemical-genetic screen in zebrafish, we found that GPRC6A, a G-protein-coupled receptor, mediates non-genomic androgen actions during embryonic development. Exposure to androgens (androstanedione, DHT and testosterone) caused cardiac edema or tail curvature in wild-type embryos, as well as in ar mutants, suggesting AR-independent pathways. We then mutated putative membrane androgen receptors [gprc6a, hcar1-4 and zip9 (slc39a9)] and found that only gprc6a mutants …


The Long Road Of Drug Development For Endometriosis – Pains, Gains, And Hopes, Zian Liao, Diana Monsivais, Martin M Matzuk Dec 2024

The Long Road Of Drug Development For Endometriosis – Pains, Gains, And Hopes, Zian Liao, Diana Monsivais, Martin M Matzuk

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Endometriosis, defined by the growth of endometrial tissues outside of the uterine cavity, is a global health burden for ∼200 million women. Patients with endometriosis usually present with chronic pain and are often diagnosed with infertility. The pathogenesis of endometriosis is still an open question; however, tissue stemness and immunological and genetic factors have been extensively discussed in the establishment of endometriotic lesions. Current treatments for endometriosis can be categorized into pharmacological management of hormone levels and surgical removal of the lesions. Both approaches have limited efficacy, with recurrences often encountered; thus, there is no complete cure for the disease …


Food Insecurity Knowledge And Training Among College Students In Health Majors, Virginia B. Gray, Cara Cuite, Megan Patton-López, Rickelle Richards, Mateja Savoie-Roskos, Stephanie Machado, Emily Heying, Matthew Landry, Susan Chen, Rebecca L. Hagedorn-Hatfield, Georgianna Mann, Zubaida Qamar, Kendra Oonorasak, Victoria A. Zigmont Dec 2024

Food Insecurity Knowledge And Training Among College Students In Health Majors, Virginia B. Gray, Cara Cuite, Megan Patton-López, Rickelle Richards, Mateja Savoie-Roskos, Stephanie Machado, Emily Heying, Matthew Landry, Susan Chen, Rebecca L. Hagedorn-Hatfield, Georgianna Mann, Zubaida Qamar, Kendra Oonorasak, Victoria A. Zigmont

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Objective: To describe current food insecurity (FI)-related training among nutrition/dietetics, public health, and social work students. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was used among students (n = 306) enrolled in health-related programs at 12 US universities. Participants reported FI-related course-based and extracurricular experiences and rated confidence to address FI on a scale of 1–3. Open-ended questions investigated perceived definitions of FI and impactful course activities. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used for data analysis. Results: Participants’ FI definitions were multifaceted. Most (80.6%) reported FI being covered in at least 1 course. The overall mean confidence to address FI was …


Piloting A Novel Computational Framework For Identifying Prosthesis-Specific Contributions To Gait Deviations, Jacques Ezechiel N'Guessan, Muhammad Hassaan Ahmed, Matthew Leineweber, Sachin Goyal Dec 2024

Piloting A Novel Computational Framework For Identifying Prosthesis-Specific Contributions To Gait Deviations, Jacques Ezechiel N'Guessan, Muhammad Hassaan Ahmed, Matthew Leineweber, Sachin Goyal

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This paper introduces a novel computational framework for evaluating above-knee prostheses, addressing a major challenge in gait deviation studies: distinguishing between prosthesis-specific and patient-specific contributions to gait deviations. This innovative approach utilizes three separate computational models to quantify the changes in gait dynamics necessary to achieve a set of ideal gait kinematics across different prosthesis designs. The pilot study presented here employs a simple two-dimensional swing-phase model to conceptually demonstrate how the outcomes of this three-model framework can assess the extent to which prosthesis design impacts a user's ability to replicate the dynamics of able-bodied gait. Furthermore, this framework offers …


Compact Solar-Powered Plasma Water Generator: Enhanced Germination Of Aged Seed With The Corona Dielectric Barrier Discharger, Yiting Xiao, Yang Tian, Haizheng Xiong, Ainong Shi, Jun Zhu Dec 2024

Compact Solar-Powered Plasma Water Generator: Enhanced Germination Of Aged Seed With The Corona Dielectric Barrier Discharger, Yiting Xiao, Yang Tian, Haizheng Xiong, Ainong Shi, Jun Zhu

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Seed aging adversely affects agricultural productivity by reducing germination rates and seedling vigor, leading to significant costs for seed banks and companies due to the need for frequent seed renewals. This study demonstrated the use of plasma-activated water (PAW), generated by a solar-powered corona dielectric barrier discharger, to enhance germination rates of spinach seeds that had been stored at 4 °C for 23 years. Treating seeds with PAW at 17 kV for 15 min improved germination (by 135%) and seedling growth compared to untreated seeds. Through detailed analysis, beneficial PAW properties for seed development were identified, and a molecular mechanism …


Make America Healthy: Reducing High Pharmaceutical Prices Without Reducing Innovation, Srividhya Ragavan Dec 2024

Make America Healthy: Reducing High Pharmaceutical Prices Without Reducing Innovation, Srividhya Ragavan

Faculty Scholarship

Cost of medication in the United States has historically remained one of the highest in the world. The conundrum that the United States has faced in balancing innovation with affordability of life-saving medications is palpable, especially when faced with the reality of patent monopolies conflicting with healthcare obligations. The result is an overflow of issues, which emphasize the need to delineate limits on innovation to balance pharmaceutical novelty with robust public health within the United States. This has increasingly shifted the focus of patent law into the realm of healthcare issues. Naturally, it leads to an inquiry about how best …


China, The Trips Waiver, And The Global Pandemic Response, Peter K. Yu Dec 2024

China, The Trips Waiver, And The Global Pandemic Response, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

This chapter identifies three distinct reasons why China took a middle-of-the-road position in the debate on the COVID-19 TRIPS waiver at the WTO. It also recounts the country’s more assertive position in the run-up to the adoption of the Ministerial Decision on the waiver. Drawing eight lessons from the international debate on the waiver and the subsequent Ministerial Decision, the chapter offers insights into the future role China can or will play in future international policy debates at the intersection of intellectual property and public health, including during the next pandemic.


Introduction To Intellectual Property, Innovation And Economic Inequality, Daniel Benoliel, Peter K. Yu Dec 2024

Introduction To Intellectual Property, Innovation And Economic Inequality, Daniel Benoliel, Peter K. Yu

Faculty Scholarship

This chapter provides an introduction to Intellectual Property, Innovation and Economic Inequality. It begins by discussing the problem of economic inequality, including the scale of that problem, types of economic inequality, and extant research on such inequality. The chapter then outlines the structure of this volume, which is divided into three parts: (1) theoretical, empirical, and policy issues; (2) intellectual property and national inequality; and (3) intellectual property and global inequality.


Families’ Experiences Accessing Care After Genomic Sequencing In The Pediatric Cancer Context: “It’S Just Been A Big Juggle”, Blake Vuocolo, Amanda M Gutierrez, Jill O Robinson, Alva M Recinos, Lauren R Desrosiers, Mary A Majumder, Juan Carlos Bernini, Jonathan Gill, Timothy Griffin, Gail E Tomlinson, Kelly Vallance, Amy L Mcguire, D Williams Parsons, Sharon E Plon, Sarah Scollon Dec 2024

Families’ Experiences Accessing Care After Genomic Sequencing In The Pediatric Cancer Context: “It’S Just Been A Big Juggle”, Blake Vuocolo, Amanda M Gutierrez, Jill O Robinson, Alva M Recinos, Lauren R Desrosiers, Mary A Majumder, Juan Carlos Bernini, Jonathan Gill, Timothy Griffin, Gail E Tomlinson, Kelly Vallance, Amy L Mcguire, D Williams Parsons, Sharon E Plon, Sarah Scollon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Access to genomic sequencing (GS) and resulting recommendations have not been well described in pediatric oncology. GS results may provide a cancer predisposition syndrome (CPS) diagnosis that warrants screening and specialist visits beyond cancer treatment, including testing or surveillance for family members. The Texas KidsCanSeq (KCS) Study evaluated implementation of GS in a diverse pediatric oncology population. We conducted semi-structured interviews (n = 20) to explore experiences of KCS patients' families around learning about a CPS diagnosis and following up on recommended care. We used qualitative content analysis to develop themes and subthemes across families' descriptions of their experiences accessing …