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Executive Committee - Agenda 5/14/2024, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Enhancing Walking Performance In Patients With Peripheral Arterial Disease: An Intervention With Ankle-Foot Orthosis, Farahnaz Fallahtafti, Kaeli K. Samson, Zahra Salamifar, Jason M. Johanning, Iraklis Pipinos, Sara A. Myers

Journal Articles

Lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) is a cardiovascular condition manifesting from narrowed or blocked arteries supplying the legs. Gait is impaired in patients with PAD. Recent evidence suggests that walking with carbon fiber ankle foot orthoses (AFOs) can improve patient mobility and delay claudication time. This study aimed to employ advanced biomechanical gait analysis to evaluate the impact of AFO intervention on gait performance among patients with PAD. Patients with claudication had hip, knee, and ankle joint kinetics and kinematics assessed using a cross-over intervention design. Participants walked over the force platforms with and without AFOs while kinematic data …

Influence Of Social Media On Mothers’ Decision-Making Regarding Vaccinations, Wendy Michele Patterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This study involved determining why mothers hesitate to vaccinate their children and where they get their information about vaccinations. This descriptive qualitative study guided by the health belief model explored the influence social media has on mothers’ perceived barriers to vaccinating their children. A descriptive qualitative approach was used, and one-on-one audio interviews were conducted via Zoom or in person with 19 participants. Participants were mothers 19 or older, had children between zero and 18, made medical decisions for their children who resided in their household, and sought information about vaccinations via healthcare providers, social media platforms, friends, or family. …

Stellae-123 Gene Expression Signature Improved Risk Stratification In Taiwanese Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients, Yu-Hung Wang, Adrián Mosquera Orgueira, Chien-Chin Lin, Chi-Yuan Yao, Min-Yen Lo, Cheng-Hong Tsai, Adolfo De La Fuente Burguera, Hsin-An Hou, Wen-Chien Chou, Hwei-Fang Tien

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The European Leukemia Net recommendations provide valuable guidance in treatment decisions of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, the genetic complexity and heterogeneity of AML are not fully covered, notwithstanding that gene expression analysis is crucial in the risk stratification of AML. The Stellae-123 score, an AI-based model that captures gene expression patterns, has demonstrated robust survival predictions in AML patients across four western-population cohorts. This study aims to evaluate the applicability of Stellae-123 in a Taiwanese cohort. The Stellae-123 model was applied to 304 de novo AML patients diagnosed and treated at the National Taiwan University Hospital. We …

Third-Party Fecal Microbiota Transplantation For High-Risk Treatment-Naïve Acute Gvhd Of The Lower Gi Tract, Zachariah Defilipp, Ashish V Damania, Haesook T Kim, Chia-Chi Chang, Areej El-Jawahri, Steven L Mcafee, Aj S Bottoms, Vesselina Toncheva, Melissa M Smith, Maria Dolaher, Lindsey Perry, Meghan White, Brittany Diana, Sheila Connolly, Bimalangshu R Dey, Matthew J Frigault, Richard A Newcomb, Paul V O'Donnell, Thomas R Spitzer, Michael K Mansour, Daniela Weber, Nadim J Ajami, Elizabeth Hohmann, Robert R Jenq, Yi-Bin Chen

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Disruption of the intestinal microbiome is observed with acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) of the lower gastrointestinal (LGI) tract, and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has successfully cured steroid-refractory cases. In this open-label, single-arm, pilot study, third-party, single-donor FMT was administered in combination with systemic corticosteroids to participants with high-risk acute LGI GVHD, with a focus on treatment-naïve cases. Participants were scheduled to receive 1 induction dose (15 capsules per day for 2 consecutive days), followed by 3 weekly maintenance doses, consisting of 15 capsules per dose. The primary end point of the study was feasibility, which would be achieved if ≥80% …

Targeted In Vivo Gene Transfer To B Lymphocytes Using Adenoviral Vectors, Paul Boucher

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

In recent years, engineered cells have been successfully developed for a variety of therapies including cancer and genetic disorders using cells such as T lymphocytes and hematopoietic stem cells. A novel approach that has been enabled by the advent of CRISPR/Cas gene editors is the engineering of B lymphocytes. B lymphocytes are the antibody producing cells of the adaptive immune system and are pivotal in control of pathogens through the binding of membrane bound antibody, or the B cell receptor, to cognate antigen. In conjunction with appropriate co-stimulatory signals, this binding results in activation of the cells and eventual secretion …

Exploring Applications Of Artificial Intelligence In Water And Wastewater Management Systems, Yanran Xu

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Water and wastewater management systems play an essential role in satisfying residential, commercial, and industrial needs, but these systems suffer from undesired issues and high expenses, which stresses the need for sustainable development and system optimization. Modeling simulation is commonly used to optimize system performance through process prediction and precise control, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies including machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) are showing their advantages in the application of water and wastewater management systems. A general framework was illustrated for optimized performance and enhanced explainability of ML models. Several analytical techniques were explored, including feature engineering, data …

The Role Of Piezo1 Ion Channel-Mediated Mechanotransduction In Regulating Collagen Synthesis During Fibrosis: An In Vitro Study, Neda Rashidi

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Fibrosis, a pathological condition affecting various organs and contributing significantly to mortality, accounts for up to 45% of deaths in industrialized nations. Understanding the mechanobiological signaling pathways in tissues offers a promising avenue for gaining fresh insights into strategies for controlling or reversing fibrosis-related tissue remodeling. Recent research and clinical studies have focused on the use of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells (ASCs) to treat various forms of tissue fibrosis as well as their role in pathologic conditions. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of how ASCs behave in fibrotic environments, particularly in terms of their response to mechanical cues through …

Stimulation Of Peripheral Nerves In M. Mulatta For Somatosensory Psychophysics And Vns Applications, Tyler Schlichenmeyer

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Cuff-style peripheral nerve interfaces (PNIs) communicate with the central nervous system and offer interesting advantages when compared with other neural interfaces, including brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and non-cuff PNI designs. PNI development must consider design factors such as volume of neural activity being driven or recorded, specificity of stimulus activation, and longevity of the device. This dissertation provides an analytical framework for PNI experiments, showcasing two experiments where PNIs were implanted in highly trained macaque monkeys. We applied foundational psychophysical procedures and other behavioral paradigms to examine the relationship between the input electrical stimulus delivered by a cuff electrode and the …

Herbal Medicines To Prevent Dental Caries, Philip Pradeep, Anchu Rachel Thomas, Kanwardeep Kaur, Renu Sarah Samson, Arun Mayya, Shripathi Adiga, Sumanth Kumbargere Nagraj

Peninsula Dental School

Objectives: This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (intervention). The objectives are as follows:. To assess the effects of herbs/herbal extracts to prevent or minimise tooth decay in children and adults.

Viral Meningitis And Encephalitis Update, Boris Garber, Jonathan Glauser

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose of Review: This review describes advances in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of non-bacterial meningitis and encephalitis, with a focus on emerging viral causes of central nervous system (CNS) infection. Recent Findings: The Infectious Diseases Society of America recently published new guidelines for the management of encephalitis. Multiple articles have been published detailing emerging etiologies in human CNS infections, including analyses of neurological complications in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, several novel viral detection methods have been described, which may improve the detection of the specific etiologies of CNS infections (Hongyan et al. Front Neurol 14, [1]). Summary: Meningitis …

Mental-Somatic Multimorbidity In Trajectories Of Cognitive Function For Middle-Aged And Older Adults, Siting Chen, Corey L. Nagel, Ruotong Liu, Anda Botoseneanu, Heather G. Allore, Jason T. Newsom, Stephen Thielke, Jeffrey Kaye, Ana R. Quiñones

Psychology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Multimorbidity may confer higher risk for cognitive decline than any single constituent disease. This study aims to identify distinct trajectories of cognitive impairment probability among middle-aged and older adults, and to assess the effect of changes in mental-somatic multimorbidity on these distinct trajectories.

Parental Rights Or Political Ploys? Unraveling The Deceptive Threads Of Modern “Parental Rights” Legislation, Cecilia Giles

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

Constitutional Rights And Retrenchment: The Elusive Promise Of Equal Citizenship, Deborah L. Brake

University of Cincinnati Law Review

No abstract provided.

Characterization Of Nationally Reported Pediatric Deaths Involving Fentanyl Ingestions In Missouri, Margaret Campbell, Mary Moffatt, Emily Killough, Terra Frazier

Research Days

There has been a dramatic rise in pediatric deaths associated with synthetic opioid use, with the most prominent being Fentanyl. This is a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Center for Fatality Review and Prevention with the goal of identifying risk factors that increase the vulnerability of children to Fentanyl ingestion. Ultimately this research may help lead to improved identification of at risk children with the goal of implementation of targeted prevention programming.

Mugsi: Distilling Gnns With Multi-Granularity Structural Information For Graph Classification, Tianjun Yao, Jiaqi Sun, Defu Cao, Kun Zhang, Guangyi Chen

Machine Learning Faculty Publications

Recent works have introduced GNN-to-MLP knowledge distillation (KD) frameworks to combine both GNN's superior performance and MLP's fast inference speed. However, existing KD frameworks are primarily designed for node classification within single graphs, leaving their applicability to graph classification largely unexplored. Two main challenges arise when extending KD for node classification to graph classification: (1) The inherent sparsity of learning signals due to soft labels being generated at the graph level; (2) The limited expressiveness of student MLPs, especially in datasets with limited input feature spaces. To overcome these challenges, we introduce MuGSI, a novel KD framework that employs Multi-granularity …

Pour Une Diffusion Éthique Des Connaissances De La Médecine Traditionnelle: L’Intersection De La Culture Yoruba Et Des Besoins Médicaux, Isabel Sala

CISLA Senior Integrative Projects

No abstract provided.

Cas Connections- 2024 Spring Term - May, Dean's Office College Of Arts And Science

CAS Connections

No abstract provided.

Impacts Of El Niño On The Florida Reef: A Case Study Of The 2016 El Niño Event, Evvie Yendra

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Coral reefs are vital ecosystems to coastal communities and the world’s oceans. They support other organisms, protect shorelines, and benefit coastal economies through fishing and recreation. Today, coral reefs face many threats, including ocean acidification, bleaching due to increased ocean temperatures, and disease. These threats are typically heightened during El Niño events across the globe. With a focus on the Florida Reef, these data encompass three key regions (Southeastern Florida, The Florida Keys, and Dry Tortugas) over the years 2014, 2016 (an El Niño event), and 2018. As 2024 is interpreted to be an El Niño year, this study predicts …

Aiming For Multiple Targets For Huntington’S Disease Therapies A Hopeful Report From The Yang Lab At Ucla, Kenneth P. Serbin Phd

At Risk for Huntington's Disease

No abstract provided.

Iaa-Producing Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria From Ceanothus Velutinus Enhance Cutting Propagation Efficiency And Arabidopsis Biomass, Jyothsna Ganesh, Katherine Hewitt, Ananta Raj Devkota, Ty Wilson, Amita Kaundal

Plants, Soils, and Climate Faculty Publications

Climate-induced drought impacts plant growth and development. Recurring droughts increase the demand for water for food production and landscaping. Native plants in the Intermountain West region of the US are of keen interest in low water use landscaping as they are acclimatized to dry and cold environments. These native plants do very well at their native locations but are difficult to propagate in landscape. One of the possible reasons is the lack of associated microbiome in the landscaping. Microbiome in the soil contributes to soil health and impacts plant growth and development. Here, we used the bulk soil from the …

Strongly Stated And Loosely Held: Examining Stewart Brand's Role In The Ecomodernist Project, Liam J. Baker

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

With the ecomodernist environmental perspective emerging in the wake of the 2015 publication of An Ecomodernist Manifesto, many researchers have sought to critique the ecomodernists and their theories of separating humanity from nature, intensifying agriculture, expanding energy production, and relying on technology to resolve the environmental challenges of the 21st century. In this paper, I add to these critiques by examining the history of Stewart Brand, one of the coauthors of An Ecomodernist Manifesto, to highlight connections between his personal environmental perspective, his material impacts, and the ecomodernist project as a whole. By analyzing the discourse produced by and about …

Localized Sustained Release Of Copper Enhances Antitumor Effects Of Disulfiram In Head And Neck Cancer, Juan Wang, Boxuan Li, Remy C. Cooper, Da Huang, Hu Yang

Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Drug Repurposing Uses Approved Drugs as Candidate Anticancer Therapeutics, Harnesses Previous Research and Development Efforts, and Benefits from Available Clinically Suitable Formulations and Evidence of Patient Tolerability. in This Work, the Drug Used Clinically to Treat Chronic Alcoholism, Disulfiram (DSF), Was Studied for its Antitumor Efficacy in a Copper-Dependent Manner. the Combination of DSF and Copper Could Achieve a Tumor Cell Growth Inhibition Effect Comparable to Those of 5-Fluorouracil and Taxol on Head and Neck Cancer Cells. Both Bulk Dendrimer Hydrogel and Microsized Dendrimer Hydrogel Particles Were Utilized for the Localized Sustained Release of Copper in the Tumor Site. the …

Multifaceted Roles Of Meg3 In Cellular Senescence And Atherosclerosis, Xiao Cheng, Mohamed Sham Shihabudeen Haider Ali, Vijaya Bhaskar Baki, Matthew Moran, Huabo Su, Xinghui Sun

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Background and aims: Long noncoding RNAs are involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. As long non-coding RNAs maternally expressed gene 3 (Meg3) prevents cellular senescence of hepatic vascular endothelium and obesity-induced insulin resistance, we decided to examine its role in cellular senescence and atherosclerosis.

Methods and Results: By analyzing our data and human and mouse data from the Gene Expression Omnibus database, we found that Meg3 expression was reduced in humans and mice with cardiovascular disease, indicating its potential role in atherosclerosis. In Ldlr^−/− mice fed a Western diet for 12 weeks, Meg3 silencing by chemically modified …

Analysis And Computation Of Constrained Sparse Coding On Emerging Non-Von Neumann Devices, Kyle Henke

Mathematics & Statistics ETDs

This dissertation seeks to understand how different formulations of the neurally inspired Locally Competitive Algorithm (LCA) represent and solve optimization problems. By studying these networks mathematically through the lens of dynamical and gradient systems, the goal is to discern how neural computations converge and link this knowledge to theoretical neuroscience and artificial intelligence (AI). Both classical computers and advanced emerging hardware are employed in this study. The contributions of this work include:

1. Theoretical Work: A comprehensive convergence analysis for networks using both generic Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) and Rectified Sigmoid activation functions. Exploration of techniques to address the binary …

Sub-Stage Climatic Shifts During Mis 11 Refined From Diatom Assemblage Reconstruction In The Valles Caldera, New Mexico, Savannah Cutler

Earth and Planetary Sciences ETDs

Diatom assemblage reconstruction from the Valles Caldera sediment core (VC-3) was utilized to infer climatic and aquatic changes during a 50-thousand-year [ka] period in the Mid-Pleistocene (435-385 ka). This 50 ka interval spans most of Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS 11) – one of the most prominent interglacials of the past 500 ka – and is widely considered an analog for the Holocene and future climate regimes. Nearly all records from MIS 11 are either marine or ice-core based, making VC-3 unique among lacustrine sediment records as it captures insolation variations and climatic changes during the mid-Pleistocene. Analysis of the …

Contribution Of Fluorescent Primary Biological Aerosol Particles To Low-Level Arctic Cloud Residuals, Gabriel Pereira Freitas, Ben Kopec, Kouji Adachi, Radovan Krejci, Dominic Heslin-Rees, Karl Espen Yttri, Alun Hubbard, Jeffrey M. Welker, Paul Zieger

Michigan Tech Publications

Mixed-phase clouds (MPCs) are key players in the Arctic climate system due to their role in modulating solar and terrestrial radiation. Such radiative interactions rely, among other factors, on the ice content of MPCs, which is regulated by the availability of ice-nucleating particles (INPs). While it appears that INPs are associated with the presence of primary biological aerosol particles (PBAPs) in the Arctic, the nuances of the processes and patterns of INPs and their association with clouds and moisture sources have not been resolved. Here, we investigated for a full year the abundance of and variability in fluorescent PBAPs (fPBAPs) …

Utilizing Educational Technology For Financial Literacy Learning Outcomes, Eliasz Mccullen

Masters Theses (Archived)

Undergraduate college students were surveyed during education courses at a Hispanic-Serving Institution, Texas A&M University- San Antonio, to investigate whether there is a difference in learning objectives of financial literacy between two types of instructional methods: a simple slide show and a more interactive form of instructional technology. The results of the study indicated that there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups, however, the control group fared slightly better on the posttest. Possible explanations for these findings include limitations in the quasi-experimental design and factors related to the sample characteristics. Nonetheless, the study provides valuable insights into …

Mosquito Species Composition And Host Choice At Two Zoological Parks In Texas, Ashley Aguilar

Masters Theses (Archived)

No abstract provided.

Baseline Characteristics Of Sars-Cov-2 Vaccine Non-Responders In A Large Population-Based Sample, Ashraf Yaseen, Stacia M. Desantis, Rachit Sabharwal, Yashar Talebi, Michael D. Swartz, Shiming Zhang, Luis Leon Novelo, Cesar L. Pinzon-Gomez, Sarah E. Messiah, Melissa Valerio-Shewmaker, Harold W. Kohl, Jessica Ross, David Lakey, Jennifer A. Shuford, Stephen J. Pont, Eric Boerwinkle

School of Medicine Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction Studies indicate that individuals with chronic conditions and specific baseline characteristics may not mount a robust humoral antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. In this paper, we used data from the Texas Coronavirus Antibody REsponse Survey (Texas CARES), a longitudinal state-wide seroprevalence program that has enrolled more than 90,000 participants, to evaluate the role of chronic diseases as the potential risk factors of non-response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in a large epidemiologic cohort. Methods A participant needed to complete an online survey and a blood draw to test for SARS-CoV-2 circulating plasma antibodies at four-time points spaced at least three months …