Digital Commons Network^™

Speculative Futures With Southern California Fibershed, Lesley Roberts

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Regenerative agriculture disruptor Fibershed embraces and gives voice to the fullness of textile paradigms, economies, societies, ecologies, and skill traditions, seeks to address and rectify the sins and the promises of textile making and textile futures, and promotes healthy, holistic wellbeing. Fibershed is a movement of farmers, fashion activists, and makers growing a new textile economy. Founded in 2012 in a bioregion in Northern California, the community has grown to more than 75 chapters worldwide. Fibershed touts a soil-to-soil paradigm that asks us to consider the entire lifecycle of our textiles. It proposes a climate beneficial, regenerative system whose scope …

Weaving Transformations: Integrating The Tc2 Loom In Higher Education Textile Programs, Anna Stuffelbeam, Kate Nartker, Janie Woodbridge

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

The Thread Controller 2 (TC2) loom is a novel technology that has reshaped how artists and designers explore the technical intricacies in jacquard weaving and harness textiles for creative expression. In this presentation, we discuss the integration of the TC2 within higher education art and design programs across the United States. Our research aims to explore the complexities and opportunities presented by the TC2 loom from both educator and student perspectives. The integration of this unique technology emphasizes the need for adaptation and innovation in pedagogical approaches.

In this two-part presentation, we first discuss the results of a qualitative study …

Sickle Cell Disease: Milestones In Research And Clinical Progress Booklet

United States Natonal Institutes of Health: Materials

Learn about the history of sickle cell disease in the United States, from its discovery in 1910 to the NHLBI legacy of research that has advanced our knowledge.

Advancing Heart, Lung, Blood, And Sleep Research (March 2024)

United States Natonal Institutes of Health: Materials

Advancing Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Research is a brochure that highlights major NHLBI programs, partnership activities, as well as recent advances in science.

Crapemyrtle Aphid, Kripa Dhakal, Kaitlin Barrios, Karla M. Addesso

Extension Publications

No abstract provided.

Woody Ornamental Disease Management Research Reports 2024, Fulya Baysal-Gurel

Extension Publications

No abstract provided.

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 61: Transversotrematidae Witenberg, 1944 (Family): Ectoparasitic Trematodes [Platyhelminthes], Scott C. Cutmore, Thomas H. Cribb

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the family Transversotrematidae Witemberg, 1944, a small but biologically significant group of plagiorchiid digenean trematodes (flukes), including discussion of identification, general morphology, life cycles, host range, and the significance of their evolutionary position and biology.

Chapter 61 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Scott C. Cutmore and Thomas H. Cribb. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap061

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 62: Hirudinea (Subclass): Parasitic Leeches, Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa, Sebastian Kvist

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the parasitic leeches, subclass Hirudinea, including discussion of leeches as parasites, vectors, and hosts, their general morphology, reproduction, zoogeography, classification, phylogeny, medical uses, and preparation of specimens.

Chapter 62 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa and Sebastian Kvist. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap062

Russian Sage Decomposition Rates In Sunlit And Shade Environments​, Madison L. Keller, Cameron J. Bateman, Mikayla Collins, Emma Pryor

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Many sage species can withstand extreme heat and drought climates making the plant suitable for versatile environments. Because of this, Russian sage leaves tend to decompose slower than other species. The hypothesis of this experiment was that decomposition in an area with higher sunlight would occur at a higher rate compared to the bags placed in the shade. During a twelve-week period, decomposition of Russian sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia, was studied on one of Belmont’s green roofs. The decomposition rate was determined by the use of sixteen leaf litter bags containing dried sage leaves. Eight were positioned in an area of …

A Smart Energy-Efficient Hybrid Gait Monitoring System, Elsa Joy Harris

CGU Theses & Dissertations

Triboelectric nanogenerators are devices that harvest mechanical energy from the environment and turn it into electricity. By coupling the effect of contact electrification and electrostatic induction between two materials that come into contact and then separate they can convert the irregular, low frequency, waste biomechanical energy of human motion into useful electrical energy to run small body-worn electronics. This has shown promising results in multiple applications such as self-powered motion and haptic sensing, self-charging micro-storage devices, neuromorphic computing, and designing batteryless circuits to power small wearables. This work will investigate a smart energy-efficient hybrid gait monitoring system that is powered …

Effectiveness Of Municipal Collaboration For Watershed Management In The Southern Colorado River Basin, Sasha Geschwind

CGU Theses & Dissertations

There are mixed arguments about the best scale of government for providing various public goods and services. Specifically, the management of a watershed, which can be categorized as a common pool resource, is generally implemented at the local government scale via National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) permits as issued by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). A large body of literature argues for rethinking this scale because this does not match natural watershed boundaries.In this paper, I explore the question: Does collaboration, and type of collaboration, among jurisdictions within a watershed …

Taking It To The Street: Designing Archival Walking Tours For Cultural Heritage Months, Catherine M. Fonseca

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

This chapter discusses an archives-based walking tour piloted by a mid-size academic library as part of a campus-wide Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. Drawing on materials from university archives, the event served to highlight Latin@/x historical points of interest across campus. The chapter examines the significance of identity-specific programming for distinct BIPOC groups, details aspects of program planning and implementation, and offers practical suggestions and considerations for librarians seeking to offer similar culturally affirming programming. While the following case study discusses a walking tour event primarily designed to support the needs of Latin@/x students, strategies shared can be applied to walking …

The Effects Of Habitat Characteristics And Location On Brook Trout Size Distribution, Bryce Groves

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Adfluvial Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis are known to typically grow larger than riverine Brook Trout. The Kabekona River in Hubbard County, Minnesota exhibits suitable habitat for both fluvial and adfluvial Brook Trout populations. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationships between depth, stream width, canopy cover, water temperature, sediment size, and distance from Kabekona Lake on Brook Trout size distribution in the Kabekona River. Brook Trout (n=35) were angled from the Kabekona River from August 24 to September 26, 2023. Each fish was measured and released, with habitat metrics being recorded at time of release. ArcGIS was …

Detecting & Treating Ductal Carcinoma In Situ, Brianna Misson

Medical Imaging Senior Posters

Mammography is a crucial imaging technique for the early detection of breast cancer, utilizing low-energy X-rays to identify changes in breast tissue that may indicate malignancy. The American College of Radiology and the Society of Breast Imaging suggest annual mammograms starting at age 40, significantly improving outcomes such as mortality reduction and earlier diagnosis. In the U.S., breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women, with approximately 310,720 new invasive cases projected in 2024 and an estimated 42,250 fatalities. Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a non-invasive type of breast cancer, is seen as a precursor to invasive cancer, detectable …

Proteomic Profiles Of Cytokines And Chemokines In Moderate To Severe Depression: Implications For Comorbidities And Biomarker Discovery, Kathleen T. Watson, Jennifer Keller, Caleb M. Spiro, Isaac B. Satz, Samantha V. Goncalves, Heather Pankow, Idit Kosti, Benoit Lehallier, Adolfo Sequeira, William E. Bunney, Natalie L. Rasgon, Alan F. Schatzberg

Psychology Division Scholarship

Objective: This study assessed the proteomic profiles of cytokines and chemokines in individuals with moderate to severe depression, with or without comorbid medical disorders, compared to healthy controls. Two proteomic multiplex platforms were employed for this purpose. Metods: An immunofluorescent multiplex platform and an aptamer-based method were used to evaluate 32 protein analytes from 153 individuals with moderate to severe major depressive disorder (MDD) and healthy controls (HCs). The study focused on determining the level of agreement between the two platforms and evaluating the ability of individual analytes and principal components (PCs) to differentiate between the MDD and HC groups. …

Research Annual Report Fy2024, Children's Mercy Kansas City

Research Annual Reports

Annual report of the research at Children's Mercy Kansas City in Kansas City MO, a pediatric medical center.

An Investigation Into Academic Clustering Among Division Ii Student Athletes, Michael Monahan, Amit Shah

Journal of Business, Industry, and Economics

Academic clustering occurs when at least 25% of the student athletes on any given team have the same academic major. In and of itself, academic clustering is neither good nor bad, however there is the temptation for students to gravitate toward a major which is perceived to be easier, to seek to associate only with team members, or to enlist in majors which do not align with their career ambitions. Is it for flexibility and scheduling to choose an academic major to have the least impact on their sport? This study examined the athletic program at a Division II four-year …

Discovering Farmers’ Views Of On-Farm Precision Experimentation, Reagen G. Tibbs, Maria A. Boerngen

Faculty Publications - Agriculture

Precision agriculture technologies (PATs) have revolutionized agriculture production and provide many benefits to farmers. Among these benefits is the ability to conduct experiments using PATs and collaborate with researchers in a process known as on-farm precision experimentation (OFPE). OFPE is a citizen-science approach that fosters relationships and knowledge-sharing to address challenges of mutual interest. While the literature on precision agriculture is extensive, little research has addressed farmers’ willingness to conduct OFPE with researchers. Interviews with 11 Illinois farmers revealed high adoption rates of PATs. Interest in collaborating with researchers to conduct OFPE was mixed, with farmers identifying clear channels of …

The Necessary And Proper Stewardship Of Judicial Data, Aziz Huq, Zachary Clopton

Articles

Governments and commercial firms create profit and social gain by exploiting large pools of data. One source of valuable data, however, lies in public hands yet remains largely untapped. While the deep reservoirs of data produced by Congress and federal agencies have long been available for public use, the data produced by the federal judiciary is only loosely regulated, imperfectly available to the public at large, and largely ignored by scholars.

The ordinary process of litigation in federal courts generates an enormous volume of data. Especially after recent developments in large language models, this data holds immense potential. It can …

Institutional Racism In The United States Revisited, Carmichael Peters, Louis L. Knowles, Rodè F. Cramer, Glennan Keldin, Hayley Nelson, Lucia Beatty

Open Educational Resources

This book aims to examine the current state of systemic racism in the United States as compared to baseline data collected in 1969. Using recent findings in the fields of history, economics, education, political science and public health, the work reveals the ways in which systemic racism in the US has and has not been addressed in the past five decades.

Modeling Complex Dynamic Systems Using Graph Neural Networks, Shruti Udupa

Computer Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

Our work investigates the use of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) for modeling complex dynamic systems. Understanding dynamic systems is essential for comprehending how physical and social interactions in real-world systems evolve over time and how they can be influenced or controlled. Conventional techniques often use differential equations and numerical methods, which are computationally expensive and demand detailed knowledge of the system’s physical behavior. GNNs provide an alternative by adopting a data-driven approach that learns directly from data, making them especially valuable for systems without closed-form solutions. This work aims to harness GNNs to predict and simulate dynamic behaviors in graph-based …

Amplification-Free Rapid Detection Of Specific Oligonucleotides Through Formation Of Core-Satellite Nanostructures On Solid Substrates, Vineet Kumar Jayakrishnan

Material Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

A rapid, portable, and highly sensitive method for detecting specific pathogens like Covid-19 would be invaluable for public health and emergency responses. The current standards like PCR and RT-PCR, are incredibly sensitive but also time-consuming, require skilled personnel, and demand substantial lab space. Here, we propose an alternative method capable of detecting specific oligonucleotide sequences within just 3 minutes, using a portable silicon or glass substrate (6 mm x 9 mm). We demonstrated this using 67-mer oligonucleotides with a Covid-19 sequence as a model system, achieving a detection sensitivity down to 1 nM. Our approach involves sandwiching target COVID-19 oligonucleotides …

Long-Term Simulation Of Stem Cell Mechanobiology, Manoochehr Rabiei

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

An accurate representation of cellular mechanobiology necessitates the inclusion of subcellular elements characterized by minute masses and dimensions. These minute objects yield multiscale dynamic models with disproportionate terms, which require inordinate amounts of computational time to simulate. The computational requirements limit the time span of the simulation to time histories shorter than one second, even when employing supercomputers. This work presents a high-speed approach to simulating the mechanobiology of stem cells. The proposed approach separates the computational time from the size, and distribution, of masses of the subcellular elements, enabling the simulation of weeks-long cellular processes within hours on a …

Investigation Of Bone Structure And Composition Differences In Osteofibrous Dysplasia And Neurofibromatosis Type 1, Farzaneh Fereidouni

Material Science and Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Abstract

Investigation of Bone Structure and Composition Differences in Osteofibrous Dysplasia and Neurofibromatosis Type 1

Farzaneh Fereidouni, Ph.D.

The University of Texas at Arlington, 2024

Supervising Professor: Harry F. Tibbals

Bone genetic diseases such as Osteofibrous Dysplasia (OFD) and Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) present significant challenges, particularly in children, due to their effects on skeletal homeostasis. This study aims to apply advanced material analysis to elucidate the biological disparities associated with OFD and NF1 bone dysplasia and contribute to developing diagnostic protocols and remediation approaches for these and similar bone disorders.

By employing various analytical methods, including analysis of mineral-to-matrix …

Predicting Future States With Spatial Point Processes In Single Molecule Resolution Spatial Transcriptomics, Biraaj Rout

Computer Science and Engineering Theses - Archive

In this thesis, we present an innovative framework centered around the application of Random Forest Regression to forecast the prospective distribution of cells expressing the Sog-D gene (active cells) during the embryogenesis process in Drosophila. Our methodology specifically targets the Anterior-to-posterior (AP) and Dorsal-to-Ventral (DV) axes, unraveling the intricacies of gene expression control in living organisms at super-resolution, single-molecule resolution through whole embryo spatial transcriptomics imaging. The Random Forest Regression model serves as a pivotal tool in predicting the succeeding stage’s active cell distribution, capitalizing on the insights obtained from the preceding stage. We integrate temporally resolved, spatial point processes …

A Low-Noise, Low-Power Cmos Readout Ic For Amperometric Electrochemical Sensing System, Manu Chilukuri

Electrical Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Electrochemical sensing systems have become essential tools in numerous fields due to their exceptional sensitivity, selectivity, and versatility. They play a critical role in modern research, industry, environmental monitoring, and healthcare applications. In environmental monitoring, these systems are utilized to detect pollutants, heavy metals, and toxic gases, enabling real-time monitoring and ensuring environmental protection. In the biomedical sector, electrochemical sensing systems are vital for diagnosing diseases, monitoring biomarkers, and transforming healthcare practices.

Affordable wearable electrochemical sensing devices are crucial for making healthcare more accessible and improving public health outcomes. These devices allow for continuous monitoring of physiological parameters, supporting early …

Design And Experimentation Of Novel Human Head Surrogate Models For Sensing Traumatic Brain Injury, Arthur T. Koster

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Brain injury is a significant source of mortality in the US and has been an important area of research over the past century. The need to understand injury thresholds and pathology coupled with the difficulty of measuring relevant injury mechanisms in a living subject logically gives rise to the idea that researchers need to create head models for use in simulation and experimentation. This study focuses on understanding the effects of material properties, size, and shape on the dynamic response of a head model so that head models used in simulations and experiments can more accurately represent the real human …

Experimental Investigations And Optimization Of 3d Printed Cellular Structures For Protection Against Traumatic Brain Injury, Aaron R. Jackson

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) disrupts brain function due to head impacts, blast exposures, and ballistic penetrations. It is a significant cause of mental health issues and disability, particularly among military personnel. Historically, combat helmets were designed primarily to protect against fragments. However, recent data highlights the need for helmets that also protect against blast and blunt impacts. Effective TBI prevention requires helmets that address various energy threats while remaining lightweight. A critical metric in this effort is head acceleration, which is closely linked to injury across different scales of brain damage.

Four lattice structures were 3D printed using Digital ABS …

Image-Based Thermal And Mechanical Analysis Of Polymers, Yukti Shinglot

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

In recent years, application of polymers have rapidly expanded across industries due to their versatility, cost-effectiveness, and adaptability to diverse manufacturing techniques, including 3D printing. Innovations in PolyJet technology enable the creation of complex geometries with tailored color combinations, transparency, and flexibility, broadening applications in medical, aerospace, and automotive sectors. Advances in processing viscoelastic rubbers like PDMS (Polydimethylsiloxane) have further enhanced its mechanical properties, expanding its use in biomedical devices and electronic components. However, polymers are susceptible to complex deformation and failure under thermal and mechanical stresses, which can impact their performance and safety. This research examines the thermal behavior …

Generalizable Fugitive Carrier Method For 3d Printing Of Hydrogels, Hakan Arslan

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Dissertations - Archive

Hydrogels, with physical characteristics resembling biological soft tissues, hold great potential for bioinspired and biomedical applications. However, using them in additive manufacturing systems has challenges because of their poor mechanical and rheological properties. In response to these challenges, we introduce a fugitive carrier method, a novel and generalizable approach for materials incompatible with pneumatic-based extrusion three-dimensional (3D) printers. Our developed fugitive carrier method allows the 3D printing of a broad spectrum of hydrogel precursors with low viscosity while retaining their inherent properties. This technique has been successfully demonstrated by creating biomimetic structures with anisotropic and programmable systems utilizing temperature-sensitive hydrogel …