Digital Commons Network^™

Learning-Based Artifacts Removal Priors For Computational Imaging, Jiaming Liu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

This dissertation addresses the integration of physical models with learning-based artifact removal priors for computational imaging. The motivation for our work stems from the growing interest in combining imaging models, which ensure data consistency with observed measurements, with deep learning, which provides advanced data-driven prior modeling. Following this approach, we adopt classic statistical inference as the foundational framework and integrate deep artifact removal models as image priors. This allows our framework to simultaneously leverage both physical models and learning-based priors. Furthermore, the increasing size of images and measurements in modern computational imaging systems imposes significant computational and memory burdens. Another …

Psychological Impact Of Ebola Disease On Survivors: A West Africa Study, Babatunde Moses Irinoye

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Survivors of Ebola virus disease often experience social isolation. Understanding the psychological impact of Ebola virus disease on these survivors was the focus of this study. The study encompasses assessment of experiences in re-integration back into communities, and psychological implications (post-recovery), among Ebola infection survivors (EIS) in Republic of Liberia. The purpose of the study was to explore the psychological impact of Ebola as the EIS continue their re-integration journey in their communities in Liberia. The conceptual framework for this study was based on principles of system theory, based on interrelatedness of the biopsychological experience of the EIS, and the …

An Analysis Of The Development Of Cognitive Control In Young Children Within An Auditory And Visual Modality., Lauren A. Schiro

LSU Master's Theses

The Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control Framework (DMC) posits that cognitive control is directed through two different modes: proactive and reactive control. Proactive control involves the maintenance and manipulation of information in preparation of a response while reactive control would involve little to no preparation until after a response prompt. The AX-Continuous Performance Task (AX-CPT) is a cognitive control task that is often utilized in studies looking at proactive and reactive control as it measures context processing and goal maintenance. The aims of this study were to validate the auditory version of the AX-CPT and to then apply this task …

A Trivalent Protein-Based Pan-Betacoronavirus Vaccine Elicits Cross-Neutralizing Antibodies Against A Panel Of Coronavirus Pseudoviruses, Syamala Rani Thimmiraju, Rakesh Adhikari, Jeanna R Redd, Maria Jose Villar, Jungsoon Lee, Zhuyun Liu, Yi-Lin Chen, Suman Sharma, Amandeep Kaur, Nestor L Uzcategui, Shannon E Ronca, Wen-Hsiang Chen, Jason T Kimata, Bin Zhan, Ulrich Strych, Maria Elena Bottazzi, Peter J Hotez, Jeroen Pollet

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

The development of broad-spectrum coronavirus vaccines is essential to prepare for future respiratory virus pandemics. We demonstrated broad neutralization by a trivalent subunit vaccine, formulating the receptor-binding domains of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 XBB.1.5 with Alum and CpG55.2. Vaccinated mice produced cross-neutralizing antibodies against all three human Betacoronaviruses and others currently exclusive to bats, indicating the epitope preservation of the individual antigens during co-formulation and the potential for epitope broadening.

Can The Necrophagous Blow Fly Calliphora Vicina (Diptera: Calliphoridae) Be Reared On Plant-Based Meal?, David F. Cook, Muhammad Shoaib Tufail, Sasha C. Voss

Horticulture Research Articles

The use of the blow fly Calliphora vicina as a potential pollination species to augment the current reliance on honeybees (Apis mellifera) in Australian horticulture requires knowledge of how best to mass-rear this fly species. Calliphora vicina lays eggs onto carrion soon after death, and the resultant larvae that hatch are necrophagous and feed on the decomposing tissues of the dead animal. Newly hatched larvae of this fly were provided with plant-based meals (soya bean and canola) and compared with larvae provided with livestock-derived meatmeal to determine if plant-based meal could be used to mass-rear this blow fly species. Both …

24 Conference Program - Biochemical And Molecular Engineering Xxiii: Accelerating Biotech Solutions To Aid A Changing World, Michelle O’Malley, Brian Pfleger, Varnika Roy

Biochemical and Molecular Engineering XXIII: Accelerating Biotech Solutions to aid a Changing World

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of The Symptom Networks Of Long-Covid And Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: From Modularity To Connectionism, Michael Hyland, Yuri Antonacci, Alison Bacon

School of Psychology

The objective was to compare the symptom networks of long-COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) in conjunction with other theoretically relevant diagnoses in order to provide insight into the etiology of medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). This was a cross-sectional comparison of questionnaire items between six groups identified by clinical diagnosis. All participants completed a 65-item psychological and somatic symptom questionnaire (GSQ065). Diagnostically labelled groups were long-COVID (N = 107), CFS (N = 254), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS, N = 369), fibromyalgia (N = 1,127), severe asthma (N = 100) and healthy group (N = 207). The 22 symptoms that best …

Refining The Optimal Caf Cluster Marker For Predicting Tme-Dependent Survival Expectancy And Treatment Benefits In Nsclc Patients, Kai Li, Rui Wang, Guo-Wei Liu, Zi-Yang Peng, Ji-Chang Wang, Guo-Dong Xiao, Shou-Ching Tang, Ning Du, Jia Zhang, Jing Zhang, Hong Ren, Xin Sun, Yi-Ping Yang, Da-Peng Liu

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a pivotal role in the onset, progression, and treatment response of cancer. Among the various components of the TME, cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are key regulators of both immune and non-immune cellular functions. Leveraging single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA) data, we have uncovered previously hidden and promising roles within this specific CAF subgroup, paving the way for its clinical application. However, several critical questions persist, primarily stemming from the heterogeneous nature of CAFs and the use of different fibroblast markers in various sample analyses, causing confusion and hindrance in their clinical implementation. In this groundbreaking study, we …

Transcatheter Heart Valve Explant With Infective Endocarditis-Associated Prosthesis Failure And Outcomes: The Explant-Tavr International Registry, Mateo Marin-Cuartas, Gilbert H L Tang, Philipp Kiefer, Shinichi Fukuhara, Rudiger Lange, Katherine B Harrington, Shekhar Saha, Christian Hagl, Neal S Kleiman, Sachin S Goel, Joerg Kempfert, Paul Werner, George A Petrossian, Arnar Geirsson, Nimesh D Desai, Michael W A Chu, Oliver D Bhadra, Christian Shults, Andrea Garatti, Flavien Vincent, Kendra J Grubb, Joshua B Goldberg, Michael J Mack, Thomas Modine, Paolo Denti, Tsuyoshi Kaneko, Vinayak N Bapat, Michael J Reardon, Michael A Borger, Syed Zaid

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and aims: Surgical explantation of transcatheter heart valves (THVs) is rapidly increasing, but there are limited data on patients with THV-associated infective endocarditis (IE). This study aims to assess the outcomes of patients undergoing THV explant for IE.

Methods: All patients who underwent THV explant between 2011 and 2022 from 44 sites in the EXPLANT-TAVR registry were identified. Patients with IE as the reason for THV explant were compared to those with other mechanisms of bioprosthetic valve dysfunction (BVD).

Results: A total of 372 patients from the EXPLANT-TAVR registry were included. Among them, 184 (49.5%) patients underwent THV explant …

Implantable And Semi-Implantable Biosensors For Minimally Invasive Disease Diagnosis, Yameng Xu, Jingyuan Zhang, Wilson Z. Ray, Matthew R. Macewan

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

A Discussion On The Impact Of Covid-19 To Industrial Location And Theimplications For Location Studies, Yiwei Jin, Ryan James

The Geographical Bulletin

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted supply chains and caused wide market disorders. Its disastrous impact on the world economy exposed the vulnerability of globalized production systems and led to discussions on the responses to such a crisis. These responses, including a new global spatial organization of supply chains, challenged our conceptual understanding, assumptions, and application of location theory in the spatial organization of economic activities. Through reviewing the literature, we outlined the pandemic’s profound economic disruption and identified firms’ applicable responsive strategies through Industry 4.0 solutions and management adaptions. Then based on the responses of technological upgrading we speculated possible changes …

Populations Of The Stygobiotic Amphipod Palearcticarellus Pusillus (Martynov, 1930) Maintain Genetic Connectivity Between The Mountain Springs And The Deep Bottom Habitats Of Lake Teletskoye (Altai Mountains, Russia), Ivan Marin, Liubov Yanygina, Svetlana Ostroukhova, Dmitry Palatov

International Journal of Speleology

The diversity of underground fauna is often associated with the presence of karst areas, which have extensive underground cavities and connecting channels. Non-karst areas, however, make up a larger portion of the planet’ surface, and our understanding of the distribution and dispersal abilities of underground fauna in these areas currently remains limited. During a recent study of the diversity of stygobiotic crustaceans in the mountain streams of the Kurai Mountain Range (Altai, Russia), a small-sized species of crangonyctid amphipod, Palearcticarellus pusillus (Crustacea, Amphipoda, Crangonyctidae) was found in high-altitude springs. This species has been previously known only from deep-water habitats in …

Exploring The Determinants Of Students’ Motivation In Pursuing A Degree In The Field Of Education In The Uae, Zubaida Shraim, Assile Alamili, Shaikha Al Shehhi, Zeina Hojeij

All Works

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) aims to improve its education sector by recruiting qualified and diverse student teachers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the factors affecting student motivation to enroll in colleges of education. Using simple random sampling, a total of 199 consenting students were recruited to participate in this study (154 females and 45 males). The participants were informed about the right to withdraw from the study at any time. Data was analyzed using factor analysis to construct the composite variables for the factors that motivated students to join the College of Education. The results …

Spatial Analysis Of Heavy Metal Concentrations In The Waters Of Shatt Al-Basra Canal – Iraq, Sorour Abdul-Amir Hamzah

Uruk Journal of Human Sciences

The research aims to examine the levels and concentrations of heavy metals in the waters of the Shatt al-Basra canal, which was dug in the southern part of the sedimentary plain as part of the general outfall project to Khor al-Zubayr and extends about 38 km from north to south. The current study included the geographical analysis of four minerals (lead - nickel - copper - manganese), and six stations were selected along the canal. The first, second, third and fourth stations were north of the Khor Al-Zubayr regulator with the fifth and sixth stations located south of the Al-Zubayr …

Theoretical Connotations And Chinese Practices Of Nature-Based Solutions, Bojie Fu, Jun Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The global ecological environment is confronted with severe challenges such as intensified climate change, drastic reduction of biodiversity and land degradation, which seriously affect the sustainable development of human beings. These challenges promote profound reflection on the relationship between human beings and nature. Nature-based Solutions (NbS) has emerged as an innovative concept of global ecological governance thateffectively responds to societal challenges. Its development has gone through embryonic stage, developmental stage and comprehensive application stage. Multidisciplinary principles such as restoration ecology and landscape ecology constitute the theoretical foundation of NbS. China has effectively integrated the concept of NbS with the construction …

Strategic Insights For Developing Protected Areas System With National Parks As Mainstay In New Era: Marking 20 Years Of “Lucid Waters And Lush Mountains Are Invaluable Assets”, Baorong Huang, Xuetian Hu, Huizhi Zhang, Ling Tang, Zhi Wang, Zhi Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In the new era, the advancement of Chinese path to modernization places new demands on the development of a protected areas system with national parks as the mainstay. At the same time, as reform deepens, the system faces emerging challenges, including outdated conservation concepts, insufficient systemic integration, proliferation of management exclusions, and weak social functions, hindering the effective transformation of lucid waters and lush mountains into invaluable assets. This study recommends that, guided by the two mountains concept and aligned with the strategic goals of national modernization, China must comprehensively advance the construction and reform of the protected areas system …

How To Realize Value Of Public Ecosystem Services And Promote Its Supplement? A Government Solution In Beijing, Baolong Han, Qi Wang, Haoqi Wang, Zhiyun Ouyang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The regulating services provided by ecosystems are an important safeguard for regional ecological security, and are typical public service products characterized by non-excludability and non-rivalry. Compared with the material provisioning products and cultural service products of ecosystems, regulating services face significant shortcomings in market-based value realization and monetization capacity, making them difficult to trade and monetize. This study systematically introduces the experiences of Beijing and particularly Yanqing District and Mentougou District in overcoming bottlenecks and promoting the monetization and enhancement of regulating service products. In the area of value realization, major efforts have focused on policy preparation and the cultivation …

Overcoming Challenges For Non-Us International Medical Graduates In Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Zheyi Teoh, Guliz Erdem, Cristina Tomatis-Souverbielle, Diego A Cruz-Vidal, Maria S Rueda, Roberto P Santos, Liset Olarte

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Strategic Study On Leading Construction Of Modern Agricultural System By Technology Innovation, Yan Yan, Xurong Mei, Xiudong Wang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Technology innovation is the fundamental solution to build a modern agricultural system, and it is also an important support for building the large base, large enterprise, and large industry of modern agriculture and achieving the modernization of material equipment, technology, management, agricultural informatization, and sustainable resource utilization of agriculture. This paper explains the scientific concepts and logical relationships of the agricultural production system, industrial system and management system, which are the main components of a modern agricultural system. It emphasizes that ensuring food security, promoting industrial integration and upgrading, and cultivating leading enterprises are current key tasks. Nevertheless, from the …

Fundamental Theory And Technological Innovation In Soil Carbon And Nitrogen Cycling: Promoting Sustainable Development Of Agriculture, Xu Zhao, Longlong Xia, Yongqiu Xia, Xiaoyuan Yan

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station (hereinafter referred to as Changshu Station) was officially established in 1987. Changshu Station is the only multidisciplinary comprehensive observation, research, and demonstration station within Chinese Academy of Sciences in the Yangtze River Delta region, focusing on researches about agricultural production, resources utilization, and environmental protection. Since its establishment, Changshu Station is the pioneer in conducting systematic observational research on soil nitrogen cycling, soil carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, and agricultural non-point source pollution. Over the past five years, Changshu Station has focused on three major scientific issues facing green and sustainable …

Infograz: A Data Base For Tropical Grazing Systems, K G. Rickert, J Carter, C K. Mcdonald

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

INFOGRAZ is a prototype of a comprehensive relational database that describes the management of, and stores information from, grazing experiments in northern Australia associated with the wool, beef, and dairy industries. It provides permanent storage and public access for detailed measurements on climate, soil, plants, and animals, which are a valuable resource for future pasture scientists and computer modellers of grazing systems. Thus it will prevent the detailed observations being lost with the passage of time. Verified data from each experiment are stored in tables which can be distributed on CD-ROM, along with procedures to access the data and use …

Collaborative Knowledge Braiding For Restoration: Assessing Climate Change Risks And Adaptation Options At Wuda Ogwa In Southeastern Idaho, United States, Sofia Koutzoukis, Will Munger, Lindsay Capito, Darren Parry, Brad Parry, Sarah C. Klain, Mark W. Brunson, Nancy Huntly, Travis Taylor

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The restoration of culturally significant landscapes poses formidable challenges given more than 160 years of settler-colonial land use change and a rapidly changing climate. A novel approach to these challenges braids Indigenous and western scientific knowledge. This case study braids Indigenous plant knowledge, species distribution models (SDMs), and climate models to inform restoration of the Bear River Massacre site in Idaho, now stewarded by the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation. MaxEnt SDMs were used to project the future spatial distribution of culturally significant plant species under medium (SSP2-4.5) and high (SSP5-8.5) emissions scenarios. These results support Tribal revegetation priorities …

Pathways Between Early Socioeconomic Deprivation And Alcohol-Related Problems In Emerging Adulthood: Examination Of Environmental And Psychosocial Determinants, Kevin William Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The alcohol harm paradox (AHP) has been proposed to account for findings that socioeconomically deprived individuals experience disproportionate rates of alcohol-related harm, despite consuming similar or lower amounts of alcohol relative to more advantaged groups. However, the underlying mechanisms responsible are not well understood. Hogarth proposed the existence of three etiological pathways underpinning the AHP. Emerging adults (EAs) ages 21.5 to 25 (N = 466; Mage = 22.6, 57.5% female, 49.4% White, 38.6% Black, 31.1% non-college EAs), who reported consuming 3/4+ alcoholic drinks (for women/men) at least twice in the past month provided information on childhood family poverty, adverse childhood …

July 19, 2024 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Defining A Dynamic Architecture Of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases, Colin L. Welsh

MUSC Theses and Dissertations

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs), a critical class of signaling enzymes, are principally responsible for balancing the actions of kinases through the dephosphorylation of tyrosine residues on substrate proteins. As such, this family is involved in myriad pathways and individual members are able to perform both oncogenic and tumor-suppressing roles. However, while clinical success has been achieved in targeting kinases, PTPs have remained therapeutically challenging. Orthosteric inhibition is limited in PTPs due to their highly conserved fold, leading to off-target effects, and their highly charged active site, requiring highly polar molecules with poor bioavailability. These challenges posit the allosteric inhibition of …

Nanoscale Mineral Formation At Environmental Interfaces, Ping-I Chou

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Water scarcity represents a formidable challenge for human. Exponential population growth and industrial advancements further intensify the demand for potable water. Mineral nucleation at the nanoscale plays a central role in the strategic management of freshwater’s production and quality. In natural groundwater and surface water, the interactions between water and minerals, including earth-abundant iron (hydr)oxides and manganese (Mn) (hydr)oxides, control the mobilization and stabilization of heavy metals, harmful anions, and nutrients, thereby influencing water quality and environmental health. In an engineered context such as membrane desalination, the most widely utilized technique for desalinating seawater, the nucleation and growth of minerals …

Investigating The Impact Of Teacher-Led English As A Second Language Intervention And Computer Assisted Language Learning On Second Language Acquisition, Jennifer Lane

Education Theses and Dissertations

This manuscript is an improvement science dissertation in practice spanning two years. This study evaluated the impact of a pull-out intervention model and Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL) technology on a rural East Texas English as a Second Language (ESL) program and its impact on English Language Learners (ELLs). An evaluation study occurred within the first year and an evaluation of an intervention study was conducted in the second. The studies were conducted with ESL teachers who agreed to participate and were given qualitative and quantitative surveys to complete regarding ESL instruction self-efficacy, effective teaching characteristics, and the Summit K12 …

The Influence Of Misconceptions On Pedagogical Choices Of Secondary Science Teachers: An Embedded Case Study, Tracey Beyer

Dissertations

This case study, using phenomenography within science disciplines, examines how educators' experiences with misconceptions affect teaching methods in high school physics, chemistry, and biology. Based on constructivist and interpretive theories it highlights that personal experiences shape learning and involve continuously reconstructing knowledge. The shared misconceptions of 13 educators across science disciplines reveal how those experiences influenced both their content knowledge and instructional practices. The findings indicate that educators who openly acknowledge and learn from their past experiences with misconceptions are better equipped to recognize and address gaps in understanding, an asset to furthering student learning. This research highlights the importance …

Laser-Induced Electrochemical Biosensor Modified With Graphene-Based Ink For Label-Free Detection Of Alpha-Fetoprotein And 17Β-Estradiol, Ridma Tabassum, Pritu P. Sarkar, Ahmed Hasnain Jalal, Ali Ashraf, Nazmul Islam

Mechanical Engineering Faculty Publications

In this research, a novel electrochemical biosensor is proposed based on inducing graphene formation on polyimide substrate via laser engraving. Graphene polyaniline (G-PANI) conductive ink was synthesized by planetary mixing and applied to the working zone of the developed sensor to effectively enhance the electrical signals. The laser-induced graphene (LIG) sensor was used to detect alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and 17β-Estradiol (E2) in the phosphate buffer saline (PBS) buffer and human serum. The electrochemical performance of the biosensor in determining these biomarkers was investigated by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and chronoamperometry (CA). In a buffer environment, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and 17β-Estradiol detection range …

The Behavioral Specialization Of African Ant-Following Birds On Dorylus Driver Ants, Patricia F. Rodrigues

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Ant-following birds, that forage on arthropods flushed by swarm raiding army ants, are an iconic phenomenon in tropical forests around the globe. Despite capturing the attention of naturalists for over a century, research on ant-following birds has largely focused on Neotropical species. Decades of research on Neotropical ant-following birds has revealed fascinating aspects of their specialization, including complex cognitive and behavioral adaptations that allow birds to locate and track nomadic army ants. Despite this breadth of research on Neotropical species, virtually nothing is known of the behavioral ecology of African ant-following birds, and it remains unknown whether they exhibit adaptations …