Digital Commons Network^™

Traditional Chinese Medicine And Modern Medicine, Ascher Shostak

Inquiro (undergraduate research journal)

pp. 20-23

https://www.uab.edu/inquiro/issues/current-issue/traditional-chinese-medicine-and-modern-medicine

Geographic Differences In Prenatal Exposure To Lead And Mercury And Its Correlation With Neurodevelopmental Outcomes In Toddlers In Suriname, Emily Dolan, Cassandra Newsom, Melissa Smith, Rushambli Patel, Maureen Lichtveld, Wilco Zijlmans, Hannah Covert, Ashna Hindori-Mohangoo, Anisma Gokoel, Jeffrey Wickliffe

Inquiro (undergraduate research journal)

pp. 8-19

https://www.uab.edu/inquiro/issues/current-issue/geographic-differences-in-prenatal-exposure-to-lead-and-mercury-and-its-correlation-with-neurodevelopmental-outcomes-in-toddlers-in-suriname

Inquiro 12 (Front Matter), Inquiro Staff

Inquiro (undergraduate research journal)

pp. -7

Letters from the editors: https://www.uab.edu/inquiro/issues/current-issue/letter-from-the-editors

E-Cigarette Toxicity And Neurological Function: An Escalating Public Health Concern, Anushka Patel

Inquiro (undergraduate research journal)

pp. 32-34

https://www.uab.edu/inquiro/issues/current-issue/e-cigarette-toxicity-and-neurological-function-an-escalating-public-health-concern

Navigating Puberty: A Systematic Review Of Sex And Puberty Education For Autistic Children, Victoria A. Boatright, Shannon M. Kirshy, Caroline G. Richter

Inquiro (undergraduate research journal)

pp. 24-31

https://www.uab.edu/inquiro/issues/current-issue/navigating-puberty-a-systematic-review-of-sex-and-puberty-education-for-autistic-children

Natural Language Processing And Neurosymbolic Ai: The Role Of Neural Networks With Knowledge-Guided Symbolic Approaches, Emily Barnes, James Hutson

Faculty Scholarship

Neurosymbolic AI (NeSy AI) represents a groundbreaking approach in the realm of Natural Language Processing (NLP), merging the pattern recognition of neural networks with the structured reasoning of symbolic AI to address the complexities of human language. This study investigates the effectiveness of neurosymbolic AI in providing nuanced understanding and contextually relevant responses, driven by the need to overcome the limitations of existing models in handling complex linguistic tasks and abstract reasoning. Employing a hybrid methodology that combines multimodal contextual modeling with rule-governed inferences and memory activations, the research delves into specific applications like Named Entity Recognition (NER), where architectures …

Heating Capacity And Biocompatibility Of Hybrid Nanoparticles For Magnetic Hyperthermia Treatment, Aline Alexandrina Gomes, Thalita Marcolan Valverde, Vagner De Oliveira Machado, Emanueli Do Nascimento Da Silva, Daniele Alves Fagundes, Fernanda De Paula Oliveira, Erico Freitas, José Domingos Ardisson, José Maria Da Fonte Ferreira, Junnia Alvarenga De Carvalho Oliveira, Eliza Rocha Gomes, Caio Fabrini Rodrigues, Alfredo Miranda De Goes, Rosana Zacarias Domingues, Ângela Leão Andrade

Michigan Tech Publications

Cancer is one of the deadliest diseases worldwide and has been responsible for millions of deaths. However, developing a satisfactory smart multifunctional material combining different strategies to kill cancer cells poses a challenge. This work aims at filling this gap by developing a composite material for cancer treatment through hyperthermia and drug release. With this purpose, magnetic nanoparticles were coated with a polymer matrix consisting of poly (L-co-D,L lactic acid-co-trimethylene carbonate) and a poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(propylene oxide)–poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected area electron diffraction confirmed magnetite to be the only iron oxide in the sample. Cytotoxicity …

A Tale Of Two Turtles: Sympatry Of Two Lotic Musk Turtle Species In The Pascagoula River Drainage, Grover J. Brown, Brian R. Kreiser

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Competition and hybridization between closely related species have remained topics of interest for decades. The ranges of the Razorback Musk Turtle (Sternotherus carinatus) and Stripe-necked Musk Turtle (Sternotherus peltifer) are mostly non-overlapping, but they are sympatric in south and central Mississippi, USA. In allopatry, each species fills the niche of a lotic, bottom-walking musk turtle and each can range in habitat from small, montane headwater streams to large, muddy bayous in the coastal plain. Using environmental, morphological, and genetic data, we assessed whether the two species exhibit different habitat associations, differ in morphology, and maintain reproductive isolation in sympatry. The …

Recruiting A Prospective Community Cohort To Study Alzheimer's Disease And Structural And Social Determinants Of Health Among Adults Racialized As Black: The Arches Cohort, Alexis I B Walker, Jean-Francois Trani, Christian F Banks, Samantha A Murphy, Wenqing Zha, Monique M Williams, Gregory S Day, Yiqi Zhu, Beau M Ances, Carl V Hill, Darrell L Hudson, Ganesh M Babulal

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: This ongoing, prospective study examines the effectiveness of methods used to successfully recruit and retain 238 Black older adults in a longitudinal, observational Alzheimer's disease (AD) study.

METHODS: Recruitment strategies included traditional media, established research registries, speaking engagements, community events, and snowball sampling. Participants were asked to complete an annual office testing session, blood-based biomarker collection, optional one-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, and community workshop.

RESULTS: Within the first 22 months of active recruitment, 629 individuals expressed interest in participating, and 238 enrolled in the ongoing study. Of the recruitment methods used, snowball sampling, community events, and speaking …

Combination Of Hdac And Fyn Inhibitors In Synovial Sarcoma Treatment, Kyra Parker, Yanfeng Zhang, Gavin Anchondo, Ashlyn Smith, Sergio Guerrero Pacheco, Tadashi Kondo, Le Su

Research, Publications & Creative Work

The SS18-SSX fusion protein is an oncogenic driver in synovial sarcoma. At the molecular level, SS18-SSX functions as both an activator and a repressor to coordinate transcription of different genes responsible for tumorigenesis. Here, we identify the proto-oncogene FYN as a new SS18-SSX target gene and examine its relation to synovial sarcoma therapy. FYN is a tyrosine kinase that promotes cancer growth, metastasis and therapeutic resistance, but SS18-SSX appears to negatively regulate FYN expression in synovial sarcoma cells. Using both genetic and histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi)-based pharmacologic approaches, we show that suppression of SS18-SSX leads to FYN reactivation. In support …

Enhancing Reproducibility In Single Cell Research With Biocytometry: An Inter-Laboratory Study, Pavel Fikar, Laura Alvarez, Laura Berne, Martin Cienciala, Christopher Kan, Hynek Kasl, Mona Luo, Zuzana Novackova, Sheyla Ordonez, Zuzana Sramkova, Monika Holubova, Daniel Lysak, Lyndsay Avery, Andres A. Caro, Roslyn N. Crowder, Laura A. Diaz-Martinez, David W. Donley, Rebecca R. Giorno, Irene K. Guttilla Reed, Lori Hensley

Research, Publications & Creative Work

Biomedicine today is experiencing a shift towards decentralized data collection, which promises enhanced reproducibility and collaboration across diverse laboratory environments. This inter-laboratory study evaluates the performance of biocytometry, a method utilizing engineered bioparticles for enumerating cells based on their surface antigen patterns. In centralized and aggregated inter-lab studies, biocytometry demonstrated significant statistical power in discriminating numbers of target cells at varying concentrations as low as 1 cell per 100,000 background cells. User skill levels varied from expert to beginner capturing a range of proficiencies. Measurement was performed in a decentralized environment without any instrument cross-calibration or advanced user training outside …

Harnessing Oxidizing Potential Of Nickel For Sustainable Hydrocarbon Functionalization, Thomas M. Khazanov, Anusree Mukherjee

Research, Publications & Creative Work

While the oxidative chemistry of transition metals such as iron and copper is a highly developed area of investigation, the study of similar chemistry with nickel is much younger. However, nickel offers rich coordination chemistry with oxygen and other oxidants and is a promising avenue of research for applications such as sustainable hydrocarbon functionalization. Herein, we summarize the progress made recently in nickel coordination chemistry relevant to hydrocarbon functionalization and offer our perspectives on open questions in the field.

Cognitive And Functional Performance And Plasma Biomarkers Of Early Alzheimer's Disease In Down Syndrome, Emily K Schworer, Beau M Ances, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: People with Down syndrome (DS) have a 75% to 90% lifetime risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). AD pathology begins a decade or more prior to onset of clinical AD dementia in people with DS. It is not clear if plasma biomarkers of AD pathology are correlated with early cognitive and functional impairments in DS, and if these biomarkers could be used to track the early stages of AD in DS or to inform inclusion criteria for clinical AD treatment trials.

METHODS: This large cross-sectional cohort study investigated the associations between plasma biomarkers of amyloid beta (Aβ)42/40, total tau, and …

Plasma Mirna Expression Profile In Pediatric Pineal Pure Germinomas, Mona Fakhry, Moatasem Elayadi, Mariam G Elzayat, Omar Samir, Eslam Maher, Hala Taha, Mohamed El-Beltagy, Amal Refaat, Manal Zamzam, Mohamed S Abdelbaki, Ahmed A Sayed, Mark Kieran, Alaa Elhaddad

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Pure germinomas account for 40% of pineal tumors and are characterized by the lack of appreciable tumor markers, thus requiring a tumor biopsy for diagnosis. MicroRNAs (miRNA) have emerged as potential non-invasive biomarkers for germ cell tumors and may facilitate the non-invasive diagnosis of pure pineal germinomas.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed on all patients treated at the Children's Cancer Hospital Egypt diagnosed with a pineal region tumor between June 2013 and March 2021 for whom a research blood sample was available. Plasma samples were profiled for miRNA expression, and DESeq2 was used to compare …

Climate-Influenced Phenology Of Larval Fish Transport In A Large Lake, Spencer T. Gardner, Mark D. Rowe, Pengfei Xue, Xing Zhou, Peter J. Alsip, David B. Bunnell, Paris D. Collingsworth, Edward S. Rutherford, Tomas O. Höök

Michigan Tech Publications

Elucidating physical transport phenologies in large lakes can aid understanding of larval recruitment dynamics. Here, we integrate a series of climate, hydrodynamic, biogeochemical, and Lagrangian particle dispersion models to: (1) simulate hatch and transport of fish larvae throughout an illustrative large lake, (2) evaluate patterns of historic and potential future climate-induced larval transport, and (3) consider consequences for overlap with suitable temperatures and prey. Simulations demonstrate that relative offshore transport increases seasonally, with shifts toward offshore transport occurring earlier during relatively warm historic and future simulations. Intra- and inter-annual trends in transport were robust to assumed pelagic larval duration and …

Gene Expression Of Tight Junctions In Foreskin Is Not Affected By Hiv Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, Emily L. Webb, Stefan Petkov, Heejin Yun, Laura Else, Limakatso Lebina, Jennifer Serwanga, Azure-Dee A.P. Pillay, Thabiso B. Seiphetlo, Susan Mugaba, Patricia Namubiru, Geoffrey Odoch, Daniel Opoka, Andrew S. Ssemata, Pontiano Kaleebu, Saye Khoo, Neil Martinson, Julie Fox, Clive M. Gray, Carolina Herrera, Francesca Chiodi

Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology Faculty Publications

Introduction: Tight junctions (TJs) serve as permeability filters between the internal and external cellular environment. A large number of proteins have been identified to be localized at the TJs. Due to limitations in tissue collection, TJs in the male genital tract have been understudied.

Methods: We analysed the transcriptomics of 132 TJ genes in foreskin tissue of men requesting voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) and enrolled in the Combined HIV Adolescent Prevention Study (CHAPS) trial conducted in South Africa and Uganda (NCT03986970). The trial evaluated the dose requirements for event-driven HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) with emtricitabine-tenofovir (FTC-TDF) or emtricitabine-tenofovir alafenamide …

Towards Explainability Of Dimension Reduction Plots Of Unsupervised Learning Model Outcomes, Tony E.Astuhuaman Davila, Daniel B. Hier, Tayo Obafemi-Ajayi

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Dimension reduction methods are used to visualize the output of unsupervised learning models when applied to complex data. These techniques improve interpretability by transforming a high-dimension space to a lower-dimension space (usually 2D or 3D). The results are typically viewed as 2D scatter plots, and class centroids may be added to increase interpretability. Although useful, the relationship of these class centroids to the underlying feature space remains opaque. The innovative aspect of this work is to create a strong link between the dimension-reduced space and the underlying high-dimension feature space by adding selected feature centroids to the 2D scatter plots. …

Dk And Df Characterization Of Low-Loss Dielectric Liquid By Cylindrical Cavity Resonator, Chaofeng Li, Seyedmehdi Mousavi, Reza Asadi, Seyedmostafa Mousavi, Reza Vahdani, Xiaoning Ye, Kai Wang, Donghyun Kim

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

A novel cylindrical cavity resonator-based measurement method was developed to characterize the dielectric property of the low-loss dielectric liquid in the paper. The proposed method can be used to accurately measure the dielectric constant (Dk) and the loss tangent (Df) of the low-loss coolant for signal integrity analysis. The cylindrical cavity resonator works at tangential magnetic (TM010) mode is used in the paper to demonstrate the proposed method. A cylindrical cavity resonator apparatus was designed and investigated using full-wave simulations at first. The relative error of Dk and Df extractions based on the designed apparatus are less than 1% and …

In-Plane And Out-Of-Plane 2-D Microdisplacement Sensor Based On A Single Microwave Resonator With Machine Learning, Shiyu Li, Osamah Alsalman, Jie Huang, Chen Zhu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Microwave displacement sensors have garnered significant research interest in recent years and have found successful applications in industrial automation and aerospace engineering. However, most microwave sensors are limited to measuring in-plane displacement, with the assumption that out-of-plane displacement remains constant during operation. In this work, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel concept for 2-D micro displacement sensing that simultaneously measures both in-plane and out-of-plane displacement. We developed a proof-of-concept sensor system based on a custom-made coaxial cable resonator (CCR) serving as the stator and a rubber-metal heterogeneous plate as the movable part. The in-plane and out-of-plane micromovements of the …

Unfair Discrimination Standards, Actuarial Fairness, And Insurers’ Use Of Big Data, Laura L. Arp

Nebraska Law Review

Technological innovations in insurance rating allow increasingly large sets of data about insureds to be collected, analyzed, and turned into rates. Consumers’ concerns about artificial intelligence can translate into mistrust that their insurance rates accurately reflect the risk they present. In response, regulatory frameworks are being developed for testing these new algorithms. When people encounter the word “discrimination,” they often register a meaning of “unfair discrimination.” However, in the insurance context, “discrimination” is a neutral term.

This Article attempts to unpack the multiple and complex facets present in the definition of unfair discrimination—and in particular proxy discrimination—as applied to insurance, …

Heads Held High And Hands Holding Hope: The Victory And Vulnerabilities Of The Indian Child Welfare Act After Haaland V. Brackeen, Mikayla Jones

Nebraska Law Review

Congress enacted the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in 1978 to mitigate the catastrophic effects of the federal government’s longstanding policy of forcibly removing Indian children from their families and tribal communities. ICWA has safeguarded Indian children and families for decades by setting minimum standards in state child welfare proceedings to prevent unwarranted removals, support family preservation and reunification, and foster cultural and community connection.

However, ICWA has faced numerous legal challenges since its implementation—often on the theory that the law discriminates against Indian children on the basis of race in violation of the Equal Protection Clause. In 2023, the …

Pain Management For Post-Treatment Survivors Of Complex Cancers: A Qualitative Study Of Opioids And Cannabis, Beatriz Currier

All Publications

Aim: We aimed to understand experiences with opioids and cannabis for post-treatment cancer survivors. Patients & methods: We conducted seven focus groups among head and neck and lung cancer survivors, using standard qualitative methodology to explore themes around 1) post-treatment pain and 2) utilization, perceived benefits and perceived harms of cannabis and opioids. Results & conclusion: Survivors (N = 25) experienced addiction fears, stigma and access challenges for both products. Opioids were often perceived as critical for severe pain. Cannabis reduced pain and anxiety for many survivors, suggesting that anxiety screening, as recommended in guidelines, would improve traditional pain assessment. …

Elucidating Mechanisms Of Enhanced Dsrna-Nanophytoglycogen Innate Immune Responses In Healthy Human Cells, Nicholas Jadaa

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Immunostimulatory nucleic acids, such as long double-stranded RNA (ds)RNA, can stimulate innate immune responses in a non-sequence specific manner. These molecules are recognized by pattern-recognition receptors in the cytoplasm, endosome, and on the cell surface. Activation leads to the production of mediators of innate immune pathways, including type I interferon and proinflammatory cytokines. Although these receptors are present in all cells, their role in non-immune cells is often overlooked due to their lower level of responsiveness. Nanocarriers can enhance these nucleic acid-mediated responses, allowing for exploration of innate immune pathways in non-immune cells. Nanoparticles as carriers of nucleic acids can …

A Comparative In Vitro Investigation Of Rainbow Trout Vig-3 And Human Isg15, Kristof Jenik, Sarah J. Poynter, Shanee Herrington-Krause, Kayla Samms, Nichole Sanchez Diaz, Stephanie J. Dewitte-Orr, Tania Rodriguez-Ramos, Brian Dixon, Adebisi Sanyaolu, Tamiru Alkie, Bryce M. Warner, Nikesh Tailor, Shawna Semple

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

The aquaculture industry is a big part of the global economy, supplying food and supporting many livelihoods, yet it faces formidable challenges from diverse aquatic pathogens, especially viruses. Effective antiviral treatments are lacking for both humans and economically significant farmed fish like rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). When viruses invade host cells, pattern recognition receptors detect viral components, initiating intracellular signaling and type I interferon (IFN-I) production. IFN-I triggers interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs) that establish an antiviral state in infected and nearby cells, curbing viral spread. In rainbow trout, a particularly understudied ISG is viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV)-induced gene 3 (vig-3), …

Exposing White Supremacist Ideologies: How Awareness Influences Beliefs In Western Bc's White Working Class, Jessa Paddison

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Theodore Allen posits that the white working class plays a pivotal role in anti-racist and anti-capitalist movements. The capitalist system, he argues, sustains itself by fostering an identification with whiteness among the white working class, which impedes alliances across racial lines and perpetuates ignorance regarding capitalism's limitations. This qualitative study seeks to explore the potential for disrupting white supremacist ideologies among white working-class individuals through heightened awareness of whiteness. Grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Critical whiteness Studies (CwS), the research aims to expose these ideologies by fostering critical reflection and anti-racist behaviours. The study employs a comparative approach …

Young Adult Stepchildren's Lived Experience Of Blended Family Adjustment During Adolescence: A Retrospective Descriptive Phenomenological Analysis, Azadeh Razbani-Tehrani

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Abstract

Blended family adjustment is a common experience for many children and adolescents, given the commonality of blended families in our current times (Arat & Poortman, 2023; Ganong et al., 2020; George & Fernandez, 2014). The 2021 Canadian Census data showed that there were more than 500,000 blended families in Canada (Statistics Canada, 2022). Stepchildren in blended families, specifically adolescents, are members of the blended family most adversely impacted by blended family formation (Papernow, 2013; 2018). Despite the volume of valuable empirical literature on blended families and stepchildren (Ganong and Coleman, 2017; Hoffmann, 2002, 2006; Jeynes, 2007; Tillman, 2007; van …

Does Daily Activity Overlap Of Seven Mesocarnivores Vary Based On Human Development?, Leah E. Mctigue, Ellery V. Lassiter, Mike Shaw, Emily Johansson, Ken Wilson, Brett Degregorio

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Many species of wildlife alter their daily activity patterns in response to co-occurring species as well as the surrounding environment. Often smaller or subordinate species alter their activity patterns to avoid being active at the same time as larger, dominant species to avoid agonistic interactions. Human development can complicate interspecies interactions, as not all wildlife respond to human activity in the same manner. While some species may change the timing of their activity to avoid being active when humans are, others may be unaffected or may benefit from being active at the same time as humans to reduce predation risk …

Wills & Trusts, Gerry W. Beyer

SMU Annual Texas Survey

This article discusses developments relating to the Texas law of intestacy, wills, estate administration, trusts, and other estate planning matters during the Survey period of December 1, 2022, through November 30, 2023. The reader is warned that not all newly enacted statutes or decided cases during the Survey period are presented, and not all aspects of each statute or case are analyzed. You must read and study each statute or case’s full text before relying on it or using it as precedent. The discussion of most cases includes a moral, that is, the important lesson to be learned from the …

Insurance Law, J. Price Collins, Janet Tolbert, Ashley Gilmore

SMU Annual Texas Survey

This Article describes and analyzes major developments in insurance law that occurred in Texas between December 1 and November 30 of 2022.

Empowering Urban Traffic Management: Elevated 3d Lidar For Data Collection And Advanced Object Detection Analysis, Nawfal Guefrachi, Hakim Ghazzai, Ahmad Alsharoa

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The 3D object detection capabilities in urban environments have been enormously improved by recent developments in Light Detection and Range (LiDAR) technology. This paper presents a novel framework that transforms the detection and analysis of 3D objects in traffic scenarios by utilizing the power of elevated LiDAR sensors. We are presenting our methodology's remarkable capacity to collect complex 3D point cloud data, which allows us to accurately and in detail capture the dynamics of urban traffic. Due to the limitation in obtaining real-world traffic datasets, we utilize the simulator to generate 3D point cloud for specific scenarios. To support our …