Digital Commons Network^™

A Best Way Forward To The Organisation Of Entomological Training Courses In Sub-Saharan Africa, Kurt Jordaens, Marc De Meyer, Muriel Van Nuffel, Ashley H. Kirk-Spriggs, Christopher Sabuni, Maulid Mwatawala, Ramadhani Mujabwa, Sija Kabota, Terence Bellingan, Georg Goergen, Mervyn Mansell, Aruna Manrakhan, Antonio Sinzogan, Mark K. Schutze, Arianna Thomas-Cabianca, Robert Copeland, Burgert Muller, Massimiliano Virgilio, Ella Bert, Eva November, John Midgley

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Despite their significant impact on human life in the Afrotropical Region, Diptera remain understudied. For a large part this is due to a lack of Diptera taxonomic experts and collection curators from the Afrotropical Region (except for South Africa perhaps), the difficulties some developing countries face in maintaining collections, and the low number of digitised specimens. This impedes the use of these Diptera collections for identification services, taxonomic and phylogenetic research, and other biological research areas. The dire need for knowledge transfer and training of young and emerging entomologists in the Afrotropical Region has prompted the Royal Museum for Central …

Tungiasis Among Children In Kenya Is Associated With Poor Nutrition Status, Absenteeism, Poor School Performance And High Impact On Quality Of Life, Lynne Elson, Christopher Kamau, Sammy Koech, Christopher Muthama, George Gachomba, Erastus Sinoti, Elwyn Chondo, Eliud Mburu, Miriam Wakio, Jimmy Lore, Marta Maia, Ifedayo Adetifa, Benedict Orindi, Phillip Bejon, Ulrike Fillinger

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Tungiasis is a highly neglected tropical skin disease caused by the sand flea, Tunga pene-trans. The flea burrows into the skin inducing a strong inflammatory response, leading to pain and mobility restrictions with potential impacts on quality of life. Few countries imple-ment control efforts and there are few data on the impact of the disease to support policy decisions. We conducted a survey to determine the impact of tungiasis among primary school children across nine counties of Kenya. A total of 10,600 pupils aged 8 to 14 years were randomly selected from 97 primary schools and examined for tungiasis. For …

Chelation Enables Selectivity Control In Enantioconvergent Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Couplings On Acyclic Allylic Systems, Violeta Stojalnikova, Stephen J Webster, Ke Liu, Stephen P Fletcher

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Asymmetric Suzuki-Miyaura cross-couplings with aryl boronic acids and allylic electrophiles are a powerful method to convert racemic mixtures into enantioenriched products. Currently, enantioconvergent allylic arylations are limited to substrates that are symmetrical about the allylic unit, and the absence of strategies to control regio-, E/Z- and enantioselectivity in acyclic allylic systems is a major restriction. Here, using a system capable of either conjugate addition or allylic arylation, we have discovered the structural features and experimental conditions that allow an acyclic system to undergo chemo- and regioselective, enantioconvergent allylic Suzuki-Miyaura-type arylation. A wide variety of boronic acid coupling partners can be …

More Than A Monolith: Three Essays On The Diverse Journey Of Immigrant Students And Their Postsecondary Outcomes, Rian Rinaldi Djita

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

For many years, the United States (U.S.) has been the country with the largest number of immigrants. As a result, policy about immigrant students’ success becomes crucial since it carries not only ethical implications but also economic and societal implications. While there have been other alternatives for students’ success, such as Career and Technical Education (CTE), undeniably, college is still seen as a common pathway to success (e.g., Choi, 2015; Heckman et al., 2018; Turner, 2004). Unfortunately, there are several gaps in the literature on immigrant students’ success and postsecondary outcomes. First, while there is an increasing number of immigrants …

Exploring The Potential Of Electromagnetic-Driven Energy Technologies In Preventing Microbial And Aflatoxin Contamination Of Grains, Abass A. Oduola

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Electromagnetic-driven energy such as infrared (IR) technology holds great potential in deactivating Aspergillus flavus spores and prevents aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) contamination. Aflatoxins, highly toxic secondary metabolites primarily produced by Aspergillus species within the Flavi section (A. flavus, A. parasiticus, and A. nomius), pose substantial health risks to both humans and animals due to their significant toxicity and carcinogenic properties. Detecting and quantifying the presence and proliferation of these harmful fungi on food materials can be achieved by measuring the concentration of ergosterol. Ergosterol is a sterol compound produced in the cell membranes of fungi during their growth, providing …

The Expression Of Recombinant Cas9 Proteins In E. Coli Bl21(De3) Strains, Morgan Reese

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Extensively used for genome editing, CRISPR-Cas9 is a relatively new tool that has made a major impact in the genomic engineering landscape. Due to this, the production of CRISPR proteins that are not commercially available can limit research applications. Here, we present methods for optimizing laboratory scale production of CRISPR proteins including Cas9. The method uses IPTG to induce gene expression of the specified Cas9 and nickel column purification to isolate proteins. CRISPR proteins are validated for purity by SDS-PAGE gel, western blot, and for activity by in vitro digestion. We thoroughly validate and compare the effectiveness of BL21(DE3) …

Temporal Trends And Dental Metric Variation In The Macaca Sylvanus Lineage, Cristina Stan

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The extensive collection of fossil macaques from Europe, spanning from the Late Miocene to the Late Pleistocene period, is believed to be of the species Macaca sylvanus. However, there has been a prolonged discussion regarding the classification of these specimens into a single taxonomic group as the existing dental sample exhibits a large amount of morphological and metric variation. Specifically, researchers have attempted to identify multiple subspecies based on chronological data of the paleontological locality and, secondly, based on dental metric variation. In this study, I assess temporal trends in the fossil record of Macaca sylvanus and compare overall variation …

Dynamics Of Karyotype Evolution, Elena Kuzmin, Toby M Baker, Peter Van Loo, Leon Glass

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In the evolution of species, the karyotype changes with a timescale of tens to hundreds of thousand years. In the development of cancer, the karyotype often is modified in cancerous cells over the lifetime of an individual. Characterizing these changes and understanding the mechanisms leading to them has been of interest in a broad range of disciplines including evolution, cytogenetics, and cancer genetics. A central issue relates to the relative roles of random vs deterministic mechanisms in shaping the changes. Although it is possible that all changes result from random events followed by selection, many results point to other non-random …

Pet Imaging Of Metabolism, Perfusion, And Hypoxia: Fdg And Beyond, Austin R Pantel, Seong-Woo Bae, Elizabeth J Li, Sophia R O'Brien, H Charles Manning

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Imaging glucose metabolism with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography has transformed the diagnostic and treatment algorithms of numerous malignancies in clinical practice. The cancer phenotype, though, extends beyond dysregulation of this single pathway. Reprogramming of other pathways of metabolism, as well as altered perfusion and hypoxia, also typifies malignancy. These features provide other opportunities for imaging that have been developed and advanced into humans. In this review, we discuss imaging metabolism, perfusion, and hypoxia in cancer, focusing on the underlying biology to provide context. We conclude by highlighting the ability to image multiple facets of biology to better characterize cancer and …

Benefit Of Axicabtagene Ciloleucel Versus Chemoimmunotherapy In Older Patients And/Or Patients With Poor Ecog Performance Status With Relapsed Or Refractory Large B-Cell Lymphoma After 2 Or More Lines Of Prior Therapy, Matthew A Lunning, Hai-Lin Wang, Zhen-Huan Hu, Frederick L Locke, Tanya Siddiqi, Caron A Jacobson, Sairah Ahmed, David B Miklos, Yi Lin, Brian T Hill, Armin Ghobadi, Sattva S Neelapu, Jason Westin, Chrisopher Dieyi, Polly Field, Harry Miao, Shilpa A Shahani, Anik Patel, Clare Spooner, Christine Fu, David Muramoto, Hairong Xu, Marcelo C Pasquini

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) in trials has demonstrated favorable efficacy compared with historical controls after ≥2 lines of therapy for the treatment of relapsed or refractory (R/R) large B cell lymphoma (LBCL). Herein, we compared the real-world effectiveness of axi-cel with efficacy and effectiveness of chemoimmunotherapy (CIT) in patients aged ≥65 years and patients with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (ECOG PS) of 2. A total of 1146 patients treated with commercial axi-cel for R/R LBCL with ≥2 lines of prior therapy were included from the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplantation Research prospective observational study, and 469 patients …

Discovering Genetic Biomarkers For Targeted Cancer Therapeutics With Explainable Artificial Intelligence, Debaditya Chakraborty, Elizabeth Gutierrez-Chakraborty, Cristian Rodriguez-Aguayo, Hakan Başağaoğlu, Gabriel Lopez-Berestein, Paola Amero

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Survival Outcomes Of Patients With Her2/Neu-Positive Breast Cancer With Germline Brca Mutations, Fatma Nihan Akkoc Mustafayev, Mihir Amitabh Shukla, Amanda Lanier, Denái R Milton, Angelica M Gutierrez, Stephen K Gruschkus, John E Lewis, Rashmi K Murthy, Banu K Arun

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Breast cancer (BC) with germline BRCA1/2 mutations and their association with triple-negative BC has been thoroughly investigated. However, some carriers of BRCA1/2 mutations have human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu)-positive BC, which has a different targeted therapy approach, and data are scarce for this patient population. The authors sought to characterize the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with HER2/neu-positive BC who had germline BRCA1/2 mutations.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of data from 1099 patients diagnosed with HER2/neu-positive BC who were screened for germline BRCA mutations between 1996 and 2022. Clinicopathologic features and survival rates were …

Characterizing The Role Of Chemo-Mechanical Couplings In The Activation Process Of Proteins That Undergo Conformational Changes, Ugochi Isu

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Proteins are not static entities; rather, they are dynamic macromolecules that undergo conformational changes to perform their biological functions. These structural transitions are often coupled to chemical events such as lipid interactions, or changes in the cellular environment. Understanding the intricate interplay between chemical perturbations and the resulting mechanical response is crucial for elucidating the activation mechanisms of proteins. This dissertation aims to characterize the role of chemo-mechanical couplings in the activation process of two G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs): Cannabinoid Receptor 1 (CB1) and Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 1 (mGluR1). We employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the conformational landscapes of …

Navigating Transitions: Utilizing Autoethnographic Writing Prompts To Support Nontraditional College Students, Brijet Lynn Beazer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the transition nontraditional students undergo as they embark on their college journey and the unique challenges they face. Leveraging autoethnographic writing prompts as an intervention strategy, the project employed a participatory approach over virtual platforms to capture the tapestry of experiences and connect participants to form a supportive community. Participants included older individuals with work experience, some who experienced parenthood, or those returning after an extended break. Through crafted prompts, individuals shared their academic journey, balancing work, and family responsibilities. The reflections gathered provide valuable data, offering insights into the challenges and triumphs of nontraditional students. The …

Exploring The Effects Of Mindful Nature Walks On College Student Anxiety, Grace Young

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Individuals pursuing a degree in higher education face challenges that lead to greater levels of anxiety than that of the general U.S. adult population. This disparity, further heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, presents a need for higher education institutions to search for ways to address this spike in student anxiety and other mental health concerns. This mixed-methods study explored mindful nature walks as a low-cost and easily accessible way for college students to reduce levels of experienced anxiety. Using validated quantitative measures, this study examined the impact of three weekly, consecutive 30-minute mindful nature walks on state and general anxiety …

Disruption Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Biosynthesis Drives Sting-Dependent Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cell Maturation And Death, Joice Kanefsky, Mary Basse, Judith Sokei, Orsola Di Martino, Liana Valin, Jeffrey A Magee, Francesca Ferraro, Stephen M Sykes, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The role of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) biosynthesis in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains largely undefined. A comparative expression analysis of 35 genes encoding fatty acid biosynthesis enzymes showed that fatty acid desaturase 1 (FADS1) was highly expressed across multiple AML subtypes relative to healthy controls and that elevated FADS1 expression correlates with worse overall AML patient survival. Functionally, shRNA-mediated inhibition of FADS1 reduced AML cell growth in vitro and significantly delayed leukemia onset in an AML mouse model. AML cell lines depleted of FADS1 arrested in the G1/S-phase of the cell cycle, acquired characteristics of myeloid maturation and subsequently …

Deconstructing Pathological Tau By Biological Process In Early Stages Of Alzheimer Disease: A Method For Quantifying Tau Spatial Spread In Neuroimaging, Stephanie Doering, Austin Mccullough, Brian A Gordon, Charles D Chen, Nicole Mckay, Diana Hobbs, Sarah Keefe, Shaney Flores, Jalen Scott, Hunter Smith, Stephen Jarman, Kelley Jackson, Russ C Hornbeck, Beau M Ances, Chengjie Xiong, Andrew J Aschenbrenner, Jason Hassenstab, Carlos Cruchaga, Alisha Daniels, Randall J Bateman, John C Morris, Tammie L S Benzinger, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging studies often quantify tau burden in standardized brain regions to assess Alzheimer disease (AD) progression. However, this method ignores another key biological process in which tau spreads to additional brain regions. We have developed a metric for calculating the extent tau pathology has spread throughout the brain and evaluate the relationship between this metric and tau burden across early stages of AD.

METHODS: 445 cross-sectional participants (aged ≥ 50) who had MRI, amyloid PET, tau PET, and clinical testing were separated into disease-stage groups based on amyloid positivity and cognitive status (older cognitively normal control, preclinical AD, and …

Interferons And Tuft Cell Numbers Are Bottlenecks For Persistent Murine Norovirus Infection, Somya Aggarwal, Forrest C. Walker, James S. Weagley, Broc T. Mccune, Xiaofen Wu, Lawrence A. Schriefer, Heyde Makimaa, Dylan Lawrence, Pratyush Sridhar, Megan T. Baldridge

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Noroviruses (NoVs) are a leading cause of viral gastroenteritis. Despite global clinical relevance, our understanding of how host factors, such as antiviral cytokines interferons (IFNs), modulate NoV population dynamics is limited. Murine NoV (MNoV) is a tractable in vivo model for the study of host regulation of NoV. A persistent strain of MNoV, CR6, establishes a reservoir in intestinal tuft cells for chronic viral shedding in stool. However, the influence of host innate immunity and permissive cell numbers on viral population dynamics is an open question. We generated a pool of 20 different barcoded viruses (CR6BC) by inserting 6-nucleotide barcodes …

Application Of Microphytes For Soil Reclamation, Lalit Saini, Hina Upadhyay, Arindam Chakraborty

Research Publications (2021 to 2025)

Microphytes incorporate several characteristics that are becoming increasingly important in a complex farming setting and the process of land reclamation. Microalgae/microphytes boost soil productivity and structure by adding minerals and improving microbial soil quality metrics and nutrient cycling. Protecting plants from disease, producing phytohormones and other bioactive compounds, and associating with plant roots are the ways through which microalgae contribute to plant development. These results are significant as they could lead to further advancements in the discovery of substances that can boost growth or the development of crops that do not need nitrogen. Microalgae have massive untapped capabilities as natural …

Exopolysaccharides Of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Labneh: Characterization, Bioactivities, And Effects On Gut Microbiome And Fermented Milk Rheology, Mohammed Tarique

Dissertations

Exopolysaccharides (EPS), produced by Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB), are carbohydrate polymers with unique physicochemical properties and various biological activities widely used in food and pharmaceutical industries. This dissertation is aimed to (1) screen 42 new isolates from traditional yogurt-like products (Labneh) for their probiotic nature and identify the LAB strains using 16S rDNA sequencing; (2) optimize the conditions like pH, temperature, time, and quantity of sucrose for the growth of EPS produced by four selected LAB isolates; (3) purify and characterize EPS for the contents and investigate the bioactivities of the partially purified EPS; (4) study the effects of the …

Phenolic Compounds In Date Fruits (Phoenix Dactylifera L.), Muneeba Zubair Alam

Dissertations

This study investigated the phenolic compounds in date fruits, mainly soluble and hydrolyzable compounds, and insoluble melanin. Soluble (27.5–54.0 mg/100 g FW) and hydrolyzable (24.0–78.5 mg/100g FW) phenolic compounds were determined in 18 cultivars using ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Phenolic acids were predominant in both fractions while flavonoids were mainly present in the soluble phenolic fraction and the proanthocyanidin B1 and B2 were only present in the hydrolyzable fraction. Four total antioxidant activity assays (total phenolic content, ABTS, FRAP, and DPPH) gave different results for both the soluble and hydrolysable fractions of 26 date fruit cultivars, which …

Valorization Of Date Palm Waste For The Isolation, Characterization, And Surface Chemistry Modification Of Nanocellulose, Mohsin Raza

Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the utilization of date palm waste, a lignocellulosic material, as a source for the extraction of nanocellulose (NC), a versatile biopolymer with applications in biodegradable composites, bioplastics, and food packaging. Conventional methods of NC production using mineral acids such as sulphuric and hydrochloric acid are reaching their limits of toxicity, so more environmentally friendly alternatives such as ionic liquids (ILs) are being explored. The research focuses on the characterization of different date palm wastes to evaluate their α−cellulose content, lignocellulosic character, and thermal stability. By comparing extraction methods with mineral acids and ILs, the study evaluates …

Sharp Injuries And Splash Exposures Among Healthcare Workers In The United Arab Emirates, Ibtisam Aref Karkaz

Dissertations

Brief introduction: Occupational injuries, including sharps injuries and splash exposures, pose significant risks to healthcare workers worldwide. These incidents can lead to the transmission of bloodborne infections, resulting in substantial healthcare costs and workforce challenges. Aims: The present study aimed at investigating sharps injuries and splash exposures among healthcare workers in Abu Dhabi government hospitals. To achieve the aim, the study planned to determine the frequency of sharps injuries and splash exposures, and to identify their risk factors, applied preventive measures, and consequent occupational infections. Method: Secondary data from the available records of all sharp injuries and splash exposures reported …

The Role Of Abu Dhabi's Nearshore Marine Environments In The Ecology Of Elasmobranch Fishes, Stephan Bruns

Dissertations

This dissertation investigated the role of inshore habitats in the ecology of elasmobranch fishes, with a specific focus on the wider Khor Fardiah Region on the eastern site of Abu Dhabi City. Once the vulnerability of these environments to anthropogenic pressure and climate change is recognised, it is clear that nearshore environments are susceptible to adverse outcomes. Hence, this dissertation aims to provide informative data that can help in devising effective conservation strategies. The study used a multi-survey technique approach, including stereo-BRUVS, acoustic telemetry, and satellite tracking, in combination with local ecological knowledge to explore the species diversity and habitat …

Australian Non-Perennial Rivers: Global Lessons And Research Opportunities, Margaret Shanafield, Melanie Blanchette, Edoardo Daly, Naomi Wells, Ryan M. Burrows, Kathryn Korbel, Gabriel C. Rau, Sarah Bourke, Gresley Wakelin-King, Aleicia Holland, Timothy Ralph, Gavan Mcgrath, Belinda Robson, Keirnan Fowler, Martin S. Andersen, Songyan Yu, Christopher S. Jones, Nathan Waltham, Eddie W. Banks, Alissa Flatley, Catherine Leigh, Sally Maxwell, Andre Siebers, Nick Bond, Leah Beesley, Grant Hose, Jordan Iles, Ian Cartwright, Michael Reid, Thiaggo De Castro Tayer, Clément Duvert

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Non-perennial rivers are valuable water resources that support millions of humans globally, as well as unique riparian ecosystems. In Australia, the Earth's driest inhabited continent, over 70% of rivers are non-perennial due to a combination of ancient landscape, dry climates, highly variable rainfall regimes, and human interventions that have altered riverine environments. Here, we review Australian non-perennial river research incorporating geomorphology, hydrology, biogeochemistry, ecology, and Indigenous knowledges. The dominant research themes in Australia were drought, floods, salinity, dryland ecology, and water management. Future research will likely follow these themes but must address emerging threats to river systems due to climate …

Ublade: Efficient Batch Processing For Uncertainty Graph Queries, Siyuan Yao, Yuchen Li, Shixuan Sun, Jiaxin Jiang, Bingsheng He

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The study of uncertain graphs is crucial in diverse fields, including but not limited to protein interaction analysis, viral marketing, and network reliability. Processing queries on uncertain graphs presents formidable challenges due to the vast probabilistic space they encapsulate. While existing systems employ batch processing to address these challenges, their performance is often compromised by the suboptimal selection of parallel graph traversal methods, the excessive costs in random number generation, and additional sampling-loads intrinsic to batch processing. In this paper, we introduce uBlade, an efficient batch-processing framework for uncertain graph queries on multi-core CPUs. uBlade utilizes the work-efficient graph traversal, …

Vascular Brain Digital Twins For Medical Training And Education In Metaverse, Shamma Khaled Alghafri

Theses

This study addresses the need for innovative educational tools in the field of anatomy, specifically focusing on brain anatomy. The objective is to develop a virtual reality application and a 3D visualization that offer immersive and interactive learning experiences for students. The VR application, developed using Unity and designed for the Oculus Quest 2 headset, creates an immersive virtual laboratory environment. This environment includes interactive elements such as a table with buttons for displaying brain models and a whiteboard for user interaction. Users can manipulate and explore different brain structures, enhancing their understanding of complex anatomical features. Additionally, we integrated …

Quantum Machine Learning For Credit Scoring, Nikolaos Schetakis, Davit Aghamalyan, Micheael Boguslavsky, Agnieszka Rees, Marc Rakotomalala, Paul Robert Griffin

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This study investigates the integration of quantum circuits with classical neural networks for enhancing credit scoring for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We introduce a hybrid quantum–classical model, focusing on the synergy between quantum and classical rather than comparing the performance of separate quantum and classical models. Our model incorporates a quantum layer into a traditional neural network, achieving notable reductions in training time. We apply this innovative framework to a binary classification task with a proprietary real-world classical credit default dataset for SMEs in Singapore. The results indicate that our hybrid model achieves efficient training, requiring significantly fewer epochs …

Revealing Nitrate Uptake And Dispersion Dynamics Using High-Frequency Sensors And Two-Dimensional Modeling In A Large River System, Amirreza Zarnaghsh, Michelle Kelly, Amy Burgin, Admin Husic

Michigan Tech Publications

Nitrate pollution of water bodies is a critical issue in many parts of the world because of its negative effects on aquatic ecosystem and human health. Effective management of pollution, such as the continuous or instantaneous release from point-sources, requires an understanding – with high spatial and temporal resolution – of how nitrate is dispersed and cycled within rivers. Nitrate sensing data show promise for this purpose, but their integration into numerical models is scarce; thus, questions remain regarding the necessary spatial grid size and temporal resolution required to resolve sensor readings. In this study, we developed an unsteady two-dimensional …

Inviting The Public Into Wildlife Research: Does Participation In Research Projects That Facilitate Interactions With Local Species Change Feelings Of Connection?, Seth Gibbons

All Dissertations

For many reasons, humans are less connected to nature. Research shows that people who feel more connected to nature are more likely to have pro-environmental intentions. One possible way to strengthen the human-nature connection is to involve the public in wildlife research, exposing them to local wildlife in a way that highlights science. This dissertation investigates two such projects, the 2019 Clemson Barred Owl Project and the Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program, to understand the effects of interacting with local species through wildlife research.

Interviews were conducted with participants and the lead researcher of the Clemson Barred Owl Project …