Digital Commons Network^™

Descriptions Of The First Zoeas Of Three Grapid Crabs ( Crustacea: Decapoda: Grapsidae) From Hadhramout Coast-Gulf Of Aden, Ahmed Edah Al Haj

Hadhramout University Journal of Natural & Applied Sciences

This study aimed to describe the first zoeal stage of three species of the grapsid (Metopograpsus thu-khar, Geograpsus crinipes, Grapsus tenuicrastatus) for the first time in the Gulf of Aden from three stations offshore in the coast of Al Shihr. Samples were collected using a 352 µm plankton net for three months. The larval stage was dissected in detail and the appendages were drawn using a Lucida graphic camera. The species G. tenuicrastatus was distinguished from the known Grapsus species in that the antenna contains five setae ranged in the (3 + 2) system, while in the other species ranged …

Facial Emotion Images Recognition Based On Binarized Genetic Algorithm-Random Forest, Murad Ibrahim Husin Alzawali, Yusliza Yusoff, Razana Alwee, Zuriahati Mohd Yunos, Mohamad Shukor Talib, Haswadi Hassan, Fahad Taha Al-Dhief, Musatafa Abbas Abbood Albadr, Majid Razaq Mohamed Alsemawi, Sharifah Zarith Rahmah Syed Ahmad

Baghdad Science Journal

Most recognition system of human facial emotions are assessed solely on accuracy, even if other performance criteria are also thought to be important in the evaluation process such as sensitivity, precision, F-measure, and G-mean. Moreover, the most common problem that must be resolved in face emotion recognition systems is the feature extraction methods, which is comparable to traditional manual feature extraction methods. This traditional method is not able to extract features efficiently. In other words, there are redundant amount of features which are considered not significant, which affect the classification performance. In this work, a new system to recognize human …

Identifying Critical Employability Skills For Employment Success Of Autistic Individuals: A Content Analysis Of Job Postings, Amy Jane Griffiths, Amy E. Hurley-Hanson, Cristina M. Giannantonio, Angel Miles Nash, Wallace Walrod, Petersen Walrod, Rachel Torres, Raquel Delgado

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This study aimed to examine the literature on the skill sets of autistic individuals and determine how these skills align with current and projected future labour market needs. Based on a literature review, researchers identified the following skill categories common to autistic individuals: visual skills, attention to detail and systemizing composite skills. Researchers then gathered aggregated data on occupations and industries from over 90 state and federal sources in the United States. Next, they collected data on the most in-demand jobs, their industries and relevant skills by analysing hundreds of millions of online job postings. The results indicate the most …

Characterizing The Causal Role Of Svep1 In Human Disease, Jared S. Elenbaas

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Sushi, von Willebrand factor type A, EGF and pentraxin domain containing 1 (SVEP1) is a poorly understood, putative extracellular matrix protein. Several human traits and diseases are associated with SVEP1, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, glaucoma, dementia, longevity, and platelet reactivity. This dissertation establishes a causal link between SVEP1 and human disease using Mendelian randomization and mouse models. It also provides insights into the disease mechanisms of the protein, including a novel interaction between SVEP1 and the orphan receptor Platelet endothelial aggregation receptor 1. The relevance of this interaction to platelet biology and its potential role in …

Recurring Sars-Cov-2 Variants: An Update On Post-Pandemic, Co-Infections And Immune Response, Ashmit Verma, Anjali Manojkumar, Anupam Dhasmana, Manish K. Tripathi, Meena Jaggi, Subhash Chauhan, Deepak S. Chauhan, Murali M. Yallapu

School of Medicine Publications

The post-pandemic era following the global spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has brought about persistent concerns regarding recurring coinfections. While significant strides in genome mapping, diagnostics, and vaccine development have controlled the pandemic and reduced fatalities, ongoing virus mutations necessitate a deeper exploration of the interplay between SARS-CoV-2 mutations and the host's immune response. Various vaccines, including RNA-based ones like Pfizer and Moderna, viral vector vaccines like Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, and protein subunit vaccines like Novavax, have played critical roles in mitigating the impact of COVID-19. Understanding their strengths and limitations is crucial for tailoring future vaccines to …

Early Diagnose Alzheimer's Disease By Convolution Neural Network-Based Histogram Features Extracting And Canny Edge, Karrar A. Kadhim, Farhan Mohamed, Fallah H Najjar, Ghalib Ahmed Salman

Baghdad Science Journal

Alzheimer's disease (AD) increasingly affects the elderly and is a major killer of those 65 and over. Different deep-learning methods are used for automatic diagnosis, yet they have some limitations. Deep Learning is one of the modern methods that were used to detect and classify a medical image because of the ability of deep Learning to extract the features of images automatically. However, there are still limitations to using deep learning to accurately classify medical images because extracting the fine edges of medical images is sometimes considered difficult, and some distortion in the images. Therefore, this research aims to develop …

The Optimization Of A Natural Language Processing Approach For The Automatic Detection Of Alzheimer’S Disease Using Gpt Embeddings, Benjamin S. Runde, Ajit Alapati, Nicolas G. Bazan

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The development of noninvasive and cost-effective methods of detecting Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is essential for its early prevention and mitigation. We optimize the detection of AD using natural language processing (NLP) of spontaneous speech through the use of audio enhancement techniques and novel transcription methodologies. Specifically, we utilized Boll Spectral Subtraction to improve audio fidelity and created transcriptions using state-of-the-art AI services—locally-based Wav2Vec and Whisper, alongside cloud-based IBM Cloud and Rev AI—evaluating their performance against traditional manual transcription methods. Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers were then trained and tested using GPT-based embeddings of transcriptions. Our findings revealed that AI-based transcriptions …

Efficient Task Scheduling Approach In Edge-Cloud Continuum Based On Flower Pollination And Improved Shuffled Frog Leaping Algorithm, Nasiru Muhammad Dankolo, Nor Haizan Mohamed Radzi, Noorfa Haszlinna Mustaffa, Mohd Shukor Talib, Zuriahati Mohd Yunos, Danlami Gabi

Baghdad Science Journal

The rise of edge-cloud continuum computing is a result of the growing significance of edge computing, which has become a complementary or substitute option for traditional cloud services. The convergence of networking and computers presents a notable challenge due to their distinct historical development. Task scheduling is a major challenge in the context of edge-cloud continuum computing. The selection of the execution location of tasks, is crucial in meeting the quality-of-service (QoS) requirements of applications. An efficient scheduling strategy for distributing workloads among virtual machines in the edge-cloud continuum data center is mandatory to ensure the fulfilment of QoS requirements …

Powdery Mildew Of Bigleaf Hydrangea: Biology, Control, And Breeding Strategies For Resistance, Christina Jennings, Fulya Baysal-Gurel, Lisa W. Alexander

Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty Research

Hydrangea macrophylla, commonly known as bigleaf, garden, French, or florist hydrangea, is the most economically important member of the Hydrangea genus, with a breeding history spanning hundreds of years. Bigleaf hydrangea breeding improvement has largely focused on aesthetic traits and there are few varieties tolerant or resistant to major diseases such as powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is an obligate biotrophic Ascomycete in the order Erysiphales represented by approximately 900 species worldwide. The disease-causing agent in hydrangeas is Golovinomyces orontii (formerly Erysiphe polygoni DC), which tarnishes the beauty, growth, and salability of bigleaf hydrangea plants, especially those packed closely in production …

Mechanisms Of Electrical Substrate Reprogramming After Cardiac Radiotherapy, David Meng Zhang

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Ventricular tachycardia (VT) is frequently associated with morbidity in patients with heart disease and can lead to sudden cardiac death, which accounts for over 350,000 deaths per year and nearly half of all cardiovascular-related deaths in the United States. Despite its status as a major public health concern, arrhythmia management strategies are severely limited in safety and efficacy. Standards-of-care include defibrillators, anti-arrhythmic drugs, and/or ablations. Implantable cardioverter defibrillators improve survival in at-risk populations but severely reduce quality-of-life and increase risks of further-declining ventricular function. Pharmacologic interventions are limited in efficacy and have dozens of off-target effects which are major sources …

Impaired Bone Morphogenetic Protein (Bmp) Signaling Pathways Disrupt Decidualization In Endometriosis, Zian Liao, Suni Tang, Peixin Jiang, Ting Geng, Dominique I Cope, Timothy N Dunn, Joie Guner, Linda Alpuing Radilla, Xiaoming Guan, Diana Monsivais

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Endometriosis is linked to increased infertility and pregnancy complications due to defective endometrial decidualization. We hypothesized that identification of altered signaling pathways during decidualization could identify the underlying cause of infertility and pregnancy complications. Our study reveals that transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) pathways are impaired in the endometrium of individuals with endometriosis, leading to defective decidualization. Through detailed transcriptomic analyses, we discovered abnormalities in TGFβ signaling pathways and key regulators, such as SMAD4, in the endometrium of affected individuals. We also observed compromised activity of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), a subset of the TGFβ family, that control endometrial receptivity. …

Current Concepts In The Evaluation, Management, And Prevention Of Common Foot And Ankle Injuries In The Runner, Alexis S. Tingan, Aisha Bowen, Chelsea Salas-Tam, Matthew Roland, Apurva Srivastav

Department of Exercise Science Faculty Papers

Purpose of Review Running-related injuries (RRIs) are a common cause of dysfunction among runners. Foot and ankle injuries are among the most common RRIs. The purpose of this review is to detail current concepts in the pathophysiology, evaluation, management, and prevention of foot and ankle RRIs.

Recent Findings Running gait analyses are helpful in identifying biomechanical and kinematic abnormalities that can be targeted in rehabilitation. Musculoskeletal ultrasonography is now being used to both qualitatively and quantitatively assess tissue integrity to guide diagnosis, prognosis, and return to run decision-making. Recent treatment analyses have demonstrated that rehabilitation exercises are vital for restoring …

A 20-Year Ecotone Study Of Pacific Northwest Mountain Forest Vulnerability To Changing Snow Conditions, Todd R. Lookingbill, Jack Dupuy, Ellery Jacobs University Of Richmond, Matteo Gonzalez, Tihomir S. Kostadinov

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Background: Global climate change is expected to significantly alter growing conditions along mountain gradients. Landscape ecological patterns are likely to shift significantly as species attempt to adapt to these changes. We evaluated the extent to which spatial (elevation and canopy cover) and temporal (decadal trend and El Niño–Southern Oscillation/Pacific Decadal Oscillation) factors impact seasonal snowmelt and forest community dynamics in the Western Hemlock–True Fir ecotone region of the Oregon Western Cascades, USA. (2) Methods: Tsuga heterophylla and Abies amabilis seedling locations were mapped three times over 20 years (2002–2022) on five sample transects strategically placed to cross the ecotone. Additionally, …

Stem Cell And Neural Progenitor Cell Therapy For Neurogenic Bladder—Where Are We In 2023?, Ilaha Isali, Thomas R. Wong, Adonis Hijaz

Faculty Scholarship

Purpose of Review: This review aims to consolidate the currently available literature regarding the treatment of neurogenic bladder (NGB) with stem cells or neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Recent Findings: Several promising studies published in the past 5 years suggest therapeutic potential of stem cells in treating NGB. In vitro models of NGB have demonstrated the efficacy of stem cells from varying sources to induce nerve regeneration while simultaneously improving bladder function parameters. Additionally, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were found to inhibit fibrosis through the TGF-β1 signaling pathway while their effects were potentiated by elevated levels of BDNF or SDF-1. Among …

Updates On Management Of Gliomas In The Molecular Age, Ali Ahmed Mohamed, Rakan Alshaibi, Steven Faragalla, Youssef Mohamed, Brandon Lucke-Wold

Student Publications

Gliomas are primary brain tumors derived from glial cells of the central nervous system, afflicting both adults and children with distinct characteristics and therapeutic challenges. Recent developments have ushered in novel clinical and molecular prognostic factors, reshaping treatment paradigms based on classification and grading, determined by histological attributes and cellular lineage. This review article delves into the diverse treatment modalities tailored to the specific grades and molecular classifications of gliomas that are currently being discussed and used clinically in the year 2023. For adults, the therapeutic triad typically consists of surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. In contrast, pediatric gliomas, due …

Soil Nitrification Inhibition With Plantain (Plantago Lanceolata), M. E. Peterson, P. M. Fraser, C. R. Anderson, N. I. Joyce, H. G. Judson

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

One strategy to reduce nitrogen losses from intensively grazed forage systems is to slow the first stage of soil nitrification, specifically inhibiting the microbial oxidation of ammonium to nitrite. Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) leaves and roots are known to contain several bioactive compounds (e.g., aucubin, catalpol and verbascoside) that may contribute to this inhibition. Recent laboratory studies indicate that this inhibition occurs via consumption by grazing animals of precursor bioactive compounds in aboveground biomass and their subsequent excretion as secondary metabolites in urine and/or via active exudation from the roots. Different cultivars of plantain have been shown to impart …

Forage Genomics Accelerate The Germplasm Resource Innovation, Fan Wu, Qi Yan, Pan Xu, Zhen Duan, Jiyu Zhang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

To achieve sustainability and food security we need expand the germplasm base and access novel genetic diversity to accelerate breeding. For developing new forage cultivars, the availability of a high-quality genome facilitates accurate characterization of new germplasm, and an understanding of the genetics underlying important traits. Here, we sequenced and assembled three high-quality chromosome-level forage genomes. The contig-level assembly of Cleistogenes songorica (2n = 4x = 40) comprised 540.12 Mb of the genome, with a contig N50 of 21.28 Mb. Complete assemblies of all telomeres, and of ten chromosomes were derived. The chromosome-scale genome size of elephant grass (2n = …

Theory And Application Of No-Till Reseeding Technology In Degraded Grasslands In China, Jingying Jing, Hongyan Ma, Yingjun Zhang

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Grasslands occupy nearly 400 million hectares in China, accounting for about 40.7% of the total land area, provide multiple ecological and economic benefits. However, due to over-grazing and over-cultivation, more than 90% grasslands in China are threatened by degradation that has caused significant negative impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, such as biodiversity losses, decreased productivity, increased soil erosion etc. Thus, restoration of degraded grassland is urgent for sustainable grassland management in China. No-till reseeding has been found to be an effective way for grassland vegetation regeneration with improved productivity and increased plant diversity via reseeding suitable species with minimum …

Rangeland-Centered Agroecosystems In Indian Central Himalayas: Operationalizing Ecological Sustainability In Mountain Agriculture, Vir Singh

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Himalayan Mountains are home to unique agroecosystems harboring unique inter- and intra-species diversity in uncultivated and cultivated lands. The uncultivated lands are largely the rangelands which are ecologically more stable ecosystems than the cultivated lands which are ecologically prone areas. Rangelands, cultivated areas, and livestock in mountain agriculture are in organic linkages with each other, woven into a complex unitary whole, functionally oriented to produce foods and other life-supporting products – such as feed, fiber, fuel, fertilizers, etc. – and provide vital ecological functions. Rangelands in fragile Himalayan mountains serve as a key component of agriculture and the biodiversity conserved …

Mentoring Graduate Students For Academic Careers In Grassland Science, L. E. Sollenberger

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Effective mentorship enhances student productivity and career achievements, yet faculty generally do not receive mentorship training, nor does mentorship receive focused attention, evaluation, and recognition. The objectives of this paper are to 1) define mentorship and identify roles of a mentor, 2) highlight qualities and outcomes of effective mentoring, and 3) elaborate best mentoring practices, metrics for assessing mentoring, and challenges for mentoring the next generation of grassland scientists. Mentoring is a professional alliance where individuals work together to support the personal and professional growth, development, and success of the relational partners. Mentors should be altruistic discipline experts, have substantial …

National Forage Week, B. Stefancik, K. Mullenix

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Social media can be a powerful tool for producers, researchers, and grassland professionals. Social media enables us to connect with a wide audience of producers, Extension personnel, colleagues, industry partners, and even the non-agriculture related community. This presentation in the thematic session on “Understanding the role of social media and digital resources in forage education and promotion” will focus on the impact of National Forage Week. National Forage Week is national campaign initiated by the American Forage and Grassland Council to promote forages and their contributions to society.

Maize-Alfalfa Intercropping Promote Ecosystem Services Than Fertilized Single Crops, D. X. Tao, Y. Z. Gao

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Phosphorus is a non-renewable source of fertilization, which will challenge the future of food production and cropland sustainability worldwide. Crop diversity is known to promote food production, yet its capacity to alleviate the dependence of multiple ecosystem services on non-renewable fertilization remains virtually unknown. Here, we conducted a field experiment to quantify the contribution of maize-alfalfa intercropping to support multiple ecosystem services under contrasting levels of phosphorus fertilization. We showed that unfertilized intercropping systems can support larger levels of multiple ecosystem services such as soil microbial habitat, plant-soil mutualism, nutrient cycling, and soil carbon storage compared with phosphorus-fertilized single crops. …

Identification Of Hyperspectral Characteristics Of The Main Plants In Seriphidium Transiliense Desert Grassland, Wenhao Liu, Wanqiang Han, Guili Jin, Ying Li, Ke Gong, Jian Ma, Zhibiao Liu, Jiazin Li, Mengtian Chen

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Ground hyperspectral images of sericite–Artemisia desert grassland in different seasons were obtained by a soc710 VP imaging spectrometer. Analysis of variance was used to extract the main species Seriphidium transiliense, Ceratocarpus arenarius, and Petrosimonia sibirica and the spectral characteristic parameters and vegetation indices of bare land in different seasons. On this basis, Fisher discriminant analysis was used to divide the samples into a training set and test set according to a ratio of 7:3. The spectral characteristic parameters and vegetation indices were used to identify the three main plants and bare land. Results showed that under Fisher discriminant analysis, …

A Transdisciplinary Approach To Landscape Transformation Towards Perennial, Diverse, Circular Systems: Why And How, V. Picasso, C. Williams

IGC Proceedings (1977-2023)

Prevailing agricultural systems in the U.S. are dominated by intensification through annual crop monocultures and high amounts of external inputs. Increased yields per unit of land have resulted but many undesirable environmental, ecological, and socioeconomic outcomes have co-occurred. Lack of resilience within intensified agricultural systems is a factor in these outcomes. Redesign of agricultural systems and changes in federal policy are needed to better support resilience in agriculture. Redesign for greater resilience must encourage adoption of agricultural systems that are diverse, perennial, circular, and include forages. We developed a transdisciplinary framework within a project orientation with a focus on crops …

A Problem Solving Assessment Model For Remediating Academic Deficits, Tyler-Curtis C. Elliott, Kevin M. Ayres

Empowering Educators Conference

Even the best academic interventions may need to be adapted to meet the idiosyncratic needs of the student. We will present 6 common “causes” of an academic failure (based on operant conditioning), assessment methods used to identify the cause, and how teachers can use this information to make instructional adaptations.

Improving The Practical Skills Of Stem Students At A Historically Black College And University (Hbcu), Yasser Ismail, Phyllis Okwan, Fred Lacy

Faculty Publications

Improving the practical skills of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) students at a historically black college and university (HBCU) was done by implementing a transformative teaching model. The model was implemented on undergraduate students of different educational levels in the Electrical Engineering (EE) Department at HBCU. The model was also extended to carefully chosen high and middle schools. These middle and high school students serve as a pipeline to the university, with a particular emphasis on fostering growth within the EE Department. The model aligns well with the core mission of the EE Department, aiming to enhance the theoretical …

Anchoring The Aaa Model, Luca James Barba

Philosophy: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

My goal in this paper is to expose two—but resolve one—major issues facing one of the foremost endeavors in the theory of knowledge: Virtue Epistemology. In Part 1 of this paper, I propose the epistemic criterion of "anchoring” as an addition to Ernest Sosa's AAA model of knowledge. It is a solution to an internal inconsistency that arises from Sosa's response to Duncan Pritchard's (2009) environmentalist luck critique of the AAA model that allows performances to spatiotemporally extend beyond their performers. By modifying the AAA model to the A4 (AAA + Anchoring) model, I can address Pritchard’s critique without disturbing …

The Beacon, February 23, 2024, Beacon Staff

The Beacon, 2023-2024

NW faculty conducts research; A day in the life of the AV team; Halftime artist's half-hearted album; Farmer reality TV is far from entertaining; New secretary in the music department; Just Jazz and The Black V present the "Vusical"; Girl Scout cookie season is here; Faculty given grants for research present; Students to experience a suave soiree; The hidden heroes of campus: the AV team; Heaven: What is the rush?; Being an unbiased Christian reporter; NW students balance athletics and academics; Lexie Van Kekerix has new career score high; Track and field team dominates in South Dakota; Prepping for spring …

Board Of Trustees Meeting Minutes 2024-02-23, Bowling Green State University

Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

The official meeting minutes of Bowling Green State University's Board of Trustees.

Synthesis And Photopatterning Of Synthetic Thiol-Norbornene Hydrogels, Umu S. Jalloh, Arielle Gsell, Kirstene Gultian, James Macaulay, Abigail Madden, Jillian Smith, Luke Siri, Sebastian Vega

Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering & Sciences Departmental Research

Hydrogels are a class of soft biomaterials and the material of choice for a myriad of biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility and highly tunable mechanical and biochemical properties. Specifically, light-mediated thiol-norbornene click reactions between norbornene-modified macromers and di-thiolated crosslinkers can be used to form base hydrogels amenable to spatial biochemical modifications via subsequent light reactions between pendant norbornenes in the hydrogel network and thiolated peptides. Macromers derived from natural sources (e.g., hyaluronic acid, gelatin, alginate) can cause off-target cell signaling, and this has motivated the use of synthetic macromers such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). In this study, commercially available …