Digital Commons Network^™

Understanding Behavioral And Representational Divergences Of Humans And Machines, Thomas Lasman Botch

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Human behavior and cognition are strikingly variable: people differ from one another in their preferences and abilities, and even from themselves across situations. Yet this diversity arises from common neural machinery shaped by the complex environments humans inhabit. A central objective of cognitive neuroscience is to understand how this varied experience emerges from interactions between brains, agents, and environments. In this dissertation, I argue that comparing behavior and neural computation across humans, artificial systems, and contexts is essential for understanding the flexibility of human cognition. Across three chapters, I use this comparative approach to examine how the rich, multimodal contexts …

Early Detection Of Alzheimer's Disease And Related Dementias From Spontaneous Speech Using Foundation Speech And Language Models: Comparative Evaluation, Jingyu Li, Lingchao Mao, Xi Mao, Hairong Wang, Zhendong Wang, Xuelei Sherry Ni

Economics and Finance Faculty Publications

Background: Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are progressive neurodegenerative conditions where early detection is critical for timely intervention and care planning. However, current diagnostic methods are often inaccessible, costly, and delayed, especially for underserved populations. There is a growing need for scalable, noninvasive tools that can support timely diagnosis. Spontaneous speech contains rich acoustic and linguistic markers that can serve as noninvasive behavioral markers for cognitive decline. Foundation models, pretrained on large-scale audio or text data, generate high-dimensional embeddings that encode rich contextual and acoustic information.

Objective: This study benchmarks open-source foundation language and speech models to evaluate their …

Phosphate-Mediated Regulation Of Intracellular Calcium Dynamics, Huma Shahzad, Mohammed S. Razzaque

School of Medicine Publications

Phosphate (Pi) and calcium (Ca2+) are essential mineral ions that play coordinated roles in maintaining normal cellular functions. While various steps of calcium signaling are well characterized, emerging evidence suggests the critical role of both intracellular and extra cellular phosphate in regulating intracellular Ca2+. In the cytoplasm, phosphate influences ATP production and organelle calcium buffering and influences the activity of calcium pumps, such as sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) and the plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase (PMCA). Extracellular phosphate, taken up via sodium-dependent phosphate transporters, triggers signaling cascades that affect the processes of calcium influx, storage, and release. Additionally, high extracellular phosphate levels …

The Risk Of Bpa In B Lymphocyte-Mediated Autoimmunity, Mario J. Palacios

Senior Honors Theses

Autoimmune disorders disproportionately affect females, a bias largely attributed to estrogen's modulation of B lymphocyte development and tolerance. Bisphenol A (BPA), a common plastic monomer, shows estrogenic activity and acts as an endocrine disruptor and epigenetic modifier. This thesis examines how BPA may increase autoimmune risk by mimicking estrogen such that it can excite estrogen receptors which rescue autoreactive B lymphocytes from apoptosis. While direct research linking BPA to B lymphocyte-mediated autoimmunity is limited, understanding BPA’s course of action in B lymphocytes is critical for addressing the rising prevalence of autoimmune diseases and its possible link to the increased and …

The Impact Of Employment On Sense Of Belonging And Metacognitive Awareness: A Mixed-Methods Study Of Undergraduate Students’ Mathematical Performance, Erin Ryan

Theses

This study investigated how employment intensity affects two critical factors for academic success: a student’s sense of belonging and their metacognitive awareness (the ability to monitor and manage their own learning). Using a mixed-methods approach at the Rochester Institute of Technology, we analyzed survey data through multi-level modeling and conducted qualitative interviews to capture the personal experiences of employed students. Results reveal that students working off-campus for more than eleven hours a week showed significantly lower sense of belonging and metacognitive awareness scores than unemployed students. However, on-campus employment did not show the same effect. Both quantitative and qualitative results …

Structural Characterization, Antioxidant Activity, And Hypoglycemic Effects Of Plantago Seed Polysaccharides, Liu Donglai, Wang Peng, Peng Xinyu, Sha Yixuan, Yin Xingfu

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To investigate the structural characteristics, in vitro antioxidant activity, and hypoglycemic effects of Plantago seed polysaccharides (PSP) on type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats. [Methods] The structure of PSP is analyzed via ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy, high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), and ion chromatography (IC). Antioxidant activity is assessed by DPPH, ABTS, and hydroxyl free radical scavenging rates. Then, a T2DM rat model is established using streptozotocin (STZ) to assess the effects of PSP on fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood lipids, and oxidative stress markers. [Results] In an amorphous structure, PSP has a molecular weight of 1. 42×104, primarily composed …

Barking Up The Right Tree: A Proposal For Uniform Canine Evidence Standards, Karly Koenig

St. Mary's Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Developing A Method For Controlled Substance Analysis Using Lcms For Future Dart Ms Applications, Carol N. Muñiz Silva

Honors Theses

Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) is an analytical technique used to separate and identify compounds and is widely applied in forensic toxicology and controlled substance analysis due to its strong capabilities in detection, identification, and quantification. In this experiment, a method for analyzing acetaminophen was developed using mobile phases of 0.1% formic acid in water and 0.1% formic acid in methanol. Method development focused on adjusting elution time, mobile-phase gradient, and injection volume. The optimized method produced reliable analysis of acetaminophen across 100–7500 ng/mL. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through chromatograms and mass spectra of the prepared solutions. Although a …

Improved Oscillation Criteria For A Class Of Neutral Differential Equations In The Canonical Case, Abdulaziz Khalid Alsharidi, Ali Muhib

Turkish Journal of Mathematics

This paper develops an analytical framework based on comparison with first-order equations to derive new oscillation criteria for all solutions of a class of second-order differential equations with multiple delays. These criteria extend and improve upon previously published results. Illustrative examples are provided to validate the theoretical findings and to demonstrate the significance and applicability of the proposed criteria.

Oscillation Properties Of First-Order Difference Equations With Nonmonotone Delays: New Insights And Criteria, Emad Attia, George Chatzarakis

Turkish Journal of Mathematics

In this paper, we examine the oscillatory behavior of the first-order linear delay difference equation Δy(n) + p(n) y(τ(n)) = 0, n ∈ ℕ₀. It is known in the literature that, for any C > 0, the condition lim sup_n→∞ ∑_i=τ(n)ⁿ p(i) > C, with τ(n) nonmonotone, is not, in general, sufficient to establish the oscillation of the difference equation. We prove that, for certain classes of difference equations, the aforementioned condition is sufficient to ensure the …

Selective And Differential Roles Of Pvhcrh Neurotransmitters In Diet-Induced Obesity In Mice, Zhiying Jiang, Yuhan Cao, Michelle He, Cunjin Su, Runzhou Yang, Maojie Yang, Jing Cai, Hongli Li, Yuanzhong Xu, Shi-Bin Li, Hiroshi Yamaguchi, Luis De Lecea, Benjamin R Arenkiel, Qingchun Tong

The Brown Foundation: Institute of Molecular Medicine

Stress and diet are known to synergistically promote risks of obesity but the underlying neural basis remains elusive. Corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVHCRH) are stress responsive and release both CRH and glutamate. Here we generated a mouse model with gain or loss of release in CRH or glutamate from PVHCRH neurons. While these models showed no changes in body weight when fed chow, they exhibited contrasting effects when fed high-fat high-caloric diets (HFD). Whereas disrupting glutamate release from PVHCRH neurons led to diet-induced obesity (DIO), that of CRH caused no impact. Conversely, augmented CRH release led to …

A Lifecycle Governance And Learning Health System Framework For Trustworthy, Generalizable, And Sustainable Human-Ai Partnership In Clinical Practice: Lessons From The Asthma-Guidance And Prediction System (A-Gps), Chung-Il Wi, Shauna Overgaard, Momin Malik, Dave Watson, Deepak Sharma, Jennifer Le-Rademacher, Dan Kelleher, Lu Zheng, Joshua Ohde, Brian Lynch, Ashwani Khurana, Sunghwan Sohn, Mahmoud M Aljuhani, Chris Carpenter, Manuel Arteta, Jason Greenwood, Martha Hartz, Randy Foss, Elif Polat, Imad Absah, Carla Davis, Meera Gupta, Lynnea Myers, Björn Nordlund, Cui Tao, Mark L Wieland, Christi Patten, Amie Jones, Prathibha Varkey, Brenna T Loufek, David E Vidal, Nari Gopala, Eric Klee, Vijay H Shah, John D Halamka, Matthew R Callstrom, Nicholas L Rider, Hongfang Liu, Constantin Aliferis, Vesna D Garovic, Young J Juhn

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into clinical decision support (CDS) holds promise for proactive, personalized, and precision care. However, current understanding of how to establish trustworthy human-AI partnerships is in its infancy, despite its critical importance for implementing AI in healthcare. We present the Asthma-Guidance and Prediction System (A-GPS) as a case study of a practice-integrated AI platform that demonstrates how trustworthy, generalizable and sustainable AI can be developed, evaluated, and implemented in real-world asthma care. We describe major challenges and solutions based on our real-world experience during the process and offer the practical framework, approaches, tools and workflow …

Robust Magnetoelectric Backscatter Communication System For Bioelectronic Implants, Fatima Alrashdan, Joshua E Woods, Ellie C Chen, Wendy Tan, Zhanghao Yu, Wei Wang, Mathews John, Lukas Jaworski, Drew Bernard, Allison Post, Angel Moctezuma-Ramirez, Abdelmotagaly Elgalad, Kaiyuan Yang, Mehdi Razavi, Jacob T Robinson

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Wireless communication technologies for bioelectronic implants enable remote monitoring for diagnosis and adaptive therapeutic intervention without the constraints of wired connections. However, wireless data uplink from millimeter-scale devices deep in the body struggles to achieve low power consumption while maintaining large misalignment tolerances. Here, we report a passive wireless backscatter communication system based on magnetoelectric transducers that consumes less than 0.3 pJ/bit and achieves less than 1E-6 bit error rate at a distance of 55 mm while tolerating a misalignment of 10 mm. Using this robust data uplink, we designed a wireless cardiac sensing node that can transmit electrocardiogram signals …

Implementation And Effectiveness Of An Enhanced Recovery Protocol For Children Undergoing Surgery: The Enrich-Us Stepped-Wedge Cluster-Randomized Trial, Mehul V Raval, Yao Tian, Willemijn Schäfer, Salva N Balbale, Mallory N Perez, Martha-Conley E Ingram, Alison Lehane, Charesa J Smith, Gwyneth A Sullivan, Audra J Reiter, Andrew Hu, Johanna M Borst, Sarah C Blake, Sharron Close, Teaniese L Davis, Bonnie S Essner, Kurt F Heiss, Lynn W Huang, Erin Wymore, Deysi Paniagua-Perez, Kirsty M Engelhardt, Peter M Graffy, Julie K Johnson, Craig W Lillehei, Brian W Gray, Seth D Goldstein, Scott S Short, Samir R Pandya, Janice A Taylor, Christopher Gayer, Adam B Goldin, Matthew M Boelig, Kristy L Rialon, Tim Jancelewicz, Aaron M Lipskar, Mubeen Jafri, Elisabeth T Tracy, Matthew T Harting, Jason P Sulkowski, P Benson Ham, Kaveh Vali, Robert A Cina, David T Schindel, Saleem Islam, Erin A Teeple, Sohail R Shah, Ankush Gosain, David H Rothstein, Megan A Brockel, Jillian Chown, Jane L Holl

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: Despite evidence that enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) improve outcomes in adults undergoing surgery, adoption for pediatric populations has lagged.

Objective: To assess the implementation and clinical effectiveness of a consensus-based ERP for pediatric patients undergoing elective gastrointestinal (GI) surgery.

Design, setting, and participants: A prospective type 2 hybrid implementation-effectiveness, stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized by entry date into implementation phase, trial of pediatrics patients, 10 to 18 years of age, undergoing elective GI surgery at 18 US sites from September 2019 to June 2024.

Interventions: Sites were randomized into 3 groups, each spending at least 9 months in a control phase, with …

Reining It In: From Reflexive To Intentional Instructor Self-Disclosure, Rona Miles, Alla Chavarga, Chelsea Blaney

Essays in Education

Instructor self-disclosure is often promoted as a means of humanizing the classroom environment and improving learning outcomes. Though disclosure has the potential to be highly beneficial, it also carries a risk to students and learning that is often overlooked. This paper presents a point of departure perspective that instructor self-disclosure should be approached with far greater caution than most educators consider. We argue that disclosures should occur only when they are justified with a clear pedagogical purpose. Casual or spontaneous disclosures, by contrast, carry sufficient potential for unintended harm such that their risks outweigh presumed benefits to classroom rapport and …

Assessing Vegetation Health Following The 2014 Carlton Complex Fire Using Remote Sensing, Rachael Sv Pentico

2026 Symposium

Climate change, combined with decades of altered fire regimes and fire suppression, has increased fuel accumulation across western U.S. forests, contributing to more frequent, larger, and more intense wildfires. Remote sensing offers an effective approach for analyzing these large-scale fire events and their ecological impacts, as satellite imagery enables affordable, accessible, and reproducible monitoring of vegetation change across broad spatial and temporal scales. This study examined the 2014 Carlton Complex Fire in the Methow Valley, Washington. Burning 265,108 acres, it was the largest wildfire in Washington State history at the time and caused extensive agricultural and forest damage. Post-fire vegetation …

Intimate Partner Violence And Diagnostic Codes In Pediatric Health Records, Sonali Ramesh, Kelsey Gavin, Nivedita Jayasekar, Ashley K. Sherman, George Abraham, Gunjan Tiyyagura, Kimberly Randell

Research Showcase

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) among caregivers impacts 1 in 5 US children annually. Encounters with survivors of IPV need to be carefully documented, as the perpetrator can obtain access to these records either legally or in duplicitous ways. ICD-10 codes are used to document problems addressed during a healthcare encounter. ICD codes have been used to monitor and assess IPV-related care provided in adult settings; knowledge of their use in pediatrics is limited. In 2023, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) revised billing guidelines to incorporate social determinants of health (SDOH) in the determination of medical complexity. …

2017u_Sm07_Approved_Calc-1-Substitution, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2017u_Sm08_Approved_Calc-1-Substitution-Gen-Ed, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2017u_Sm03_Approved_Bio-4813-Curation-Of-Collections-24apr2017_Revised-Nc_Tdm-Revision2, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2017u_Lac77_Approved_Thea-Musical-Theatre-Emphasis-Lon3, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2017u_Ebs09_Approved_Bulletin-Revisions-Corrections-Revision1, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2017u_Ebs05_Approved_Bulletin-Addition-Of-Psy-2013, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2017g_Ebs05_Approved_School-Counseling-Inactivation-Ww-Edits_Lon6, Graduate Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2017u_Bu25_Approved_Asaccounting2017b-Loi1-Revision1, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2017u_Aet31_Approved_Pssc-2811-Course-Desc-Add-Bc, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2017u_Aet29_Approved_Hort-4333-Gh-And-Nsy-Prod-New-Course-Revision1, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2017u_Aet30_Approved_Hort-Pssc-Prereq-Freq-Change.2017-Bc, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2017u_Aet28_Approved_Hort-4273-Nsy-Mgmt-Course_Deletion, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.

2017u_Aet27_Approved_Hort-4263-Floriculture-Course_Deletion, Undergraduate Curriculum Council

All Approved Curriculum

No abstract provided.