Digital Commons Network^™

Re: Comment Letter For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp) (Non-Residential Parcels And Residential Daycares) (Dated February 26, 2025), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Single-Cell Analysis Of Clonal And Transcriptional Dynamics During Direct Reprogramming, Brent Biddy

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Direct lineage reprogramming converts one cell type into another, a process characterized by significant heterogeneity. Single-cell genomic techniques have been instrumental in dissecting this variability, yet they often fail to preserve lineage relationships. Here, I present CellTagging, a sequential, combinatorial indexing method that enables the reconstruction of clonal history and gene expression dynamics at single-cell resolution. This facilitates the construction of multi-level lineage trees, providing insights into cellular reprogramming trajectories. We applied CellTagging to investigate direct lineage reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts into induced endoderm progenitors. Our analysis revealed two distinct reprogramming trajectories: one leading to successful conversion and another …

Effects Of Angptl3 Deficiency On The Regulation Of Hepatic Lipoprotein Production And Lipid Metabolism, Kendall Helene Burks

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. A major treatment goal is to lower plasma lipids, especially low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), the cardinal risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) experience early-onset CAD due to extremely high LDL. Underdiagnosis and undertreatment of FH are exacerbated by limited therapeutic options. However, one strategy has successfully lowered LDL in FH patients: Inhibition of the hepatically secreted protein Angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3). Despite promising clinical data, the mechanism by which ANGPTL3 inhibition lowers LDL has not been fully described. Although ANGPTL3 has been shown to modulate …

Functional Diversification Of Rice Ago1 Proteins, Rachel Elie Jouni

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Global demand for food is outpacing gains from conventional plant breeding. Scientists have turned to molecular crop breeding techniques to increase crop output and mitigate global hunger; however, a common setback in this process is the pleiotropic effects of target genes. We need to develop strategies to specifically modulate desired traits without incurring undesired penalties. Natural evolution frequently balances such tradeoffs through extensive regulation, which we can leverage to produce more specific results. Reproductive development is an important target of breeding efforts due to its direct effect on yield. Rice, a major staple food crop for half the world’s population, …

Targeting Nonsense-Mediated Rna Decay In Splicing Factor Mutant Myeloid Malignancies, Claudia Cabrera

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Approximately 50% of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) (which frequently progresses to secondary acute myeloid leukemia [AML]), 60% of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) and 20% of de novo AML harbor heterozygous somatic mutations in spliceosome genes. We and others have shown that mutations in spliceosome genes U2AF1, SF3B1, SRSF2 and ZRSR2 cause alterations in RNA splicing, leading to production of numerous aberrant RNAs. Interestingly, spliceosome mutant cells are more sensitive to genetic alterations or drugs that further perturb RNA splicing, compared to wild-type cells. The sensitivity of spliceosome mutant cells to further perturbations in RNA splicing raises the possibility that …

Vanadyl Phthalocyanine As A Low-Temperature/Low-Pressure Catalyst For The Conversion Of Fructose To Methyl Levulinate, Juan Luna, Mataz Alcoutlabi, Elizabeth M. Fletes, Helia Magali Morales, Jason Parsons

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

In this study, a vanadyl phthalocyanine was synthesized and characterized using XRD, FTIR, and XPS, confirming the successful metalation of the phthalocyanine ring. XRD analysis showed the vanadyl phthalocyanine crystallized in the P-1 crystal lattice, with unit cell parameters a = 12.058 Å, b = 12.598 Å, and c = 8.719 Å, and the lattice angels were 96.203°, 94.941°, and 68.204°. FTIR spectroscopy supported the metalation by the disappearance of the N-H stretch of the non-metalated phthalocyanine. The vanadyl phthalocyanine was tested as a heterogenous catalyst for the conversion of fructose into methyl levulinate in H2SO4–methanol and HCl–methanol systems. The …

Chinese Students, Jim Crow Schools: Navigating Education In A Black-And-White Society, Amanda Young

Senior Honors Papers / Undergraduate Theses

Previous research on the history of education in the Jim Crow South has largely focused on the effects of legal segregation on Black communities. However, there existed another group: the Chinese. In the seemingly bifurcated system, their intermediate status was particularly discernible in the school. After Lum v. Rice (1927) stipulated that Chinese people, as members of the “colored” race, should be excluded from white schools, Chinese families sought other forms of education, including private tutors and church-sponsored mission schools. Still, they remained steadfast in their commitment to accessing white public education. The Chinese reproduced, acquiesced to, and in some …

Spatial Echoes, Joy Cherichel

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This abstract critiques the limitations within the U.S. education system, arguing that its selective preservation of history often obscures crucial narratives, particularly regarding systemic racism. Focusing on the suppressed history of Oscarville and the expulsion of Black residents from Forsyth County, Georgia, in 1912, the proposal advocates for architectural intervention to combat this historical amnesia. The central research question explores how architecture can preserve and convey unbiased racial history to enhance education. The thesis posits that intentionally designed architecture can serve as a powerful and enduring educational tool, making it harder to ignore marginalized histories. To address this, the abstract …

In Light Of Design: The Architecture Of Ambiance, Dariusch Hakimi Gilani

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Architectural education often emphasizes technical proficiency and efficiency over the development of sensory and emotional experience, despite the profound impact atmosphere has on the built environment. Architecture schools claim to prepare students for a broad range of creative careers, yet direct education in atmospheric design is frequently relegated to adjacent disciplines like interior design, production design, or themed entertainment design. This disconnect raises a critical question: Can architectural education teach technical engineering skill and atmospheric sensitivity simultaneously, without compromising either? Given the crucial role of atmosphere in shaping human experience within spaces, it is essential to integrate its study into …

Performative Biomechanics : Evolving Buildings Into Inhabitable Organisms, Josh Lopez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

There has always been a connection between biology and architecture. Michael Pawlyn, in Biomimicry in Architecture, coined “biomechanical designs” to describe structural techniques derived from creatures. This study investigates chitin-based creatures. Crustaceans, insects, and microscopic organisms all have exoskeletons in nature. With a focus on crabs, other crustaceans and bugs, this study examines and evaluates the formal characteristics of chitin-based organisms. The architectural creations of OXMAN, NOX, which was founded by Lars Spuybroek; and Lebbeus Woods are among those that are analyzed and studied due to their inspiration from living things. They follow functional effectiveness in nature, which is why …

A Work[Play]Ce For All: Working Hard And Playing Hard Shouldn't Be This Hard, Mary E. Caldwell

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

62% of the United States Labor Force goes to an office every day. That means that nearly 6 out of every 10 Americans spend most of their days experiencing an ordinary office environment every week. Children, on the other hand, spend most of their days in school, where they are constantly given playful and enjoyable tasks to promote their learning. Why does this concept of promoting pleasant emotions in a person’s everyday life seem to disappear as we become older and our everyday life becomes more critical to well-being? Imagine if offices were designed to promote pleasant experiences.

This thesis …

Anti-Csf-1r Therapy With Combined Immuno- Chemotherapy Coordinate An Adaptive Immune Response To Eliminate Macrophage Enriched Triple Negative Breast Cancers, Diego A Pedroza, Xueying Yuan, Fengshuo Liu, Hilda L Chan, Christina Zhang, William Bowie, Alex J Smith, Sebastian J Calderon, Nadia Lieu, Weiguo Wu, Paul Porter, Poonam Sarkar, Na Zhao, Constanze V Oehler, Ondrej Peller, M Waleed Gaber, Qian Zhu, Charles M Perou, Xiang H-F Zhang, Jeffrey M Rosen

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Patients diagnosed with metastatic triple negative breast cancer (mTNBC) have limited treatment options, are more prone to develop resistance and are associated with high mortality. A cold tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) characterized by low T cells and high tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) in mTNBC is associated with the failure of standard-of-care chemotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) treatment. We demonstrate that the combination of immunomodulatory metronomic Cyclophosphamide (CTX) coupled with anti-CSF-1R antibody targeted therapy (SNDX-ms6352) and anti-PD-1 (ICB), was highly effective against aggressive metastatic syngeneic

Using Sustained Silent Reading In The Secondary English Language Arts Classroom To Increase Reading Engagement, Hannah S. Burwell

Dissertations

Reading scores have dropped precipitously over the past twenty years, and English Language Arts (ELA) teachers are looking for in-school academic interventions to mitigate this decline. This descriptive case study explored classroom experiences and student engagement with reading in a choice-based Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) program in a high school. The study examines student experiences through Expectancy-Value Theory (EVT). EVT suggests that a student’s engagement with reading will increase when they find the task valuable and believe success is achievable. The study explores how providing students with the independence to select their reading materials influences their experience in class and …

The Impact Of Flipped Classroom With Active Learning Model Of Instruction In Teaching Stoichiometry In Chemistry Among Black And Brown Students, Lawrence Femi Akintokun

Dissertations

Students pursuing professions in STEM sometimes encounter difficulties in General Chemistry, a semester-long foundational subject. A fundamental subject in this course is stoichiometry, which pertains to the mathematical connections between elements and compounds in chemical processes. This fundamental notion is essential for comprehending advanced chemistry subjects, although it may provide challenges for students because of its dependence on algorithms and prior knowledge. Research has predominantly concentrated on the conceptualization of stoichiometry through models endorsed by educators, rather than on student involvement. This project sought to investigate the interactions of Black and Brown students with essential stoichiometry ideas in General Chemistry …

Simplified Control Of Neuromuscular Stimulation Systems For Restoration Of Reach With Limb Stiffness As A Modifiable Degree Of Freedom, Tyler R Johnson, Chase A Haddix, A Bolu Ajiboye, Dawn M Taylor

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective. Brain-controlled functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the upper limb has been used to restore arm function to paralyzed individuals in the lab. Able-bodied individuals naturally modulate limb stiffness throughout movements and in anticipation of perturbations. Our goal is to develop, via simulation, a framework for incorporating stiffness modulation into the currently-used ‘lookup-table-based’ FES control systems while addressing several practical issues: (1) optimizing stimulation across muscles with overlap in function, (2) coordinating stimulation across joints, and (3) minimizing errors due to fatigue. Our calibration process also needs to account for when current spread causes additional muscles to become activated. Approach. …

Marine Viruses: Biogeochemical Implications And Potential Applications, Faiza A Fattouh, Sahar W.M. Hassan

Blue Economy

Viruses are the most plentiful microorganisms in the ecosystem and exhibit excessive diversity in relations to infection cycle, host specificity and size. Since the discovery of great viral distribution in marine ecosystems, the ecological significance of viruses to marine environment has become gradually evident. Lytic viruses trigger lysis of the host cell to give the new progeny and thus readdress nutrients from higher to lower trophic levels. Consequently, marine viruses exhibit direct or indirect influence on the capacity of carbon sequestration, exchange of gases in the ocean and biogeochemical cycles in addition to affecting microbial population dynamics. Marine viruses are …

The Use Of Dental Pulp Stem Cells For Pulp Regeneration And Tissue Repair, Blair Weiss, Kristi Soileau Dds, Med, Mshce, Facd, Ficd

New Orleans Dental Association News

Dental pulp stem cell therapy offers a promising alternative to traditional root canals by enabling pulp regeneration, preserving tooth vitality, and promoting healing, though further research and ethical considerations are needed before widespread clinical adoption.

Noda News May 2025

New Orleans Dental Association News

New Orleans Dental Association (NODA) News includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New Orleans membership including: columns from the President and Executive Director, feature articles relating to the field of dentistry, association events and upcoming activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

Precision Hinges For Origami Space Arrays, Jake Sutton, Trevor Carter, Davis Wing, Brooklyn Clark, Fisk Lundgreen, Spencer Magleby, Mark Stephen, Nathan Usevitch, Larry L. Howell

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Optical satellite performance improves with increased surface area, which enhances light capture and sensor input. Deployable array mechanisms allow satellites to remain compact during launch and expand in orbit. This study focuses on designing passive hinges in rigid-panel origami-based deployable satellites for optical applications. A novel kinematic coupling method is developed, incorporating magnets, compact Lamina Emergent Torsional (LET) joints, and principles from Maxwell couplings. This system autonomously achieves precise alignment without motorized actuation reducing complexity. The design process involved iterative testing of ten two-panel hinge prototypes to identify the most effective designs. These were integrated into a degree-four vertex pattern …

Mapping And Examining Recreation In Indian Creek, Bears Ears National Monument, Elisabeth Currit, Neil Hansen, Brigham Daniels, Alex Long, Katy Merritt, Mary Proteau, Sam Spackman

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Recreation is growing in desert areas of the western United States, and mapping the expansion of these activities is vital to management and conservation efforts. Desert ecosystems provide many critical ecosystem services, including carbon storage, and the growing popularity of outdoor recreation in Western US desert regions poses a threat to these ecosystems. Unregulated recreational activities can harm desert plant and soil health, including the functioning of biological soil crusts. This research project focuses on mapping several types of popular recreational activities in order to monitor and evaluate the impact of these activities within the Indian Creek areas of Bears …

Multi-Point Fabrication Of Terahertz Metal Mesh Filters, Jared E. Payne, Brad Ferguson, Christian Chinh, Gregory N. Nielson, Stephen M. Schultz

Utah Space Grant Consortium

A metal mesh filter is fabricated by creating metallic squares on a dielectric substrate. This capacitive metallic filter is fabricated using direct write laser ablation consisting of a femtosecond laser in combination with a high numerical aperture objective. A multipoint fabrication approach is employed by using a holographic beam splitter element to split the beams into several identical gaussian beams. The transmission and reflection characteristics are discussed.

Surface Impact Dissociation Of Neutralized Ions: Studying Unimolecular Gas-Phase Reactions In The Context Of Cassini Inms Data, Dallin Tyger, Brandon Judd, Elijah Pehrson, Noah Durst, Daniel E. Austin

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Analysis of spaceborne analytes using mass spectrometers is complicated by hypervelocity impacts (v > 6 km s^-1), which induce dissociative scattering of analyte molecules and obscure compositional signatures. However, neutral dissociative scattering remains poorly understood due to the lack of controlled experimental data. To address this gap, we are developing the Surface Impact Neutralization Dissociation Instrument (SINDI), a laboratory platform that reproduced and analyzes these processes under controlled conditions. SINDI implements a two-stage experiment. First, mass-selected ions are accelerated onto a gold-plated surface to induce neutralization and dissociation. Second, following dissociation, the resulting neutral fragments are adsorbed onto …

The Impact Of Fellowship Training On Peer-Reviewed Publication Productivity In Academic Anesthesiologists As Evaluated By The H-Index, Acsa M. Zavala, Jagtar Singh Heir, Juan P. Cata, Lei Feng, Jose M. Soliz

Advances in Cancer Education and Quality Improvement

Background: The effect of anesthesiology fellowships on scholarly contributions has been minimally studied. In this study we analyzed differences in h-index between fellowship-trained and non–fellowship-trained anesthesiologists, as well as by type of fellowship, academic rank, and years in practice.

Methods: All anesthesiologists on staff between September 1, 2021, and August 31, 2022, were included in this study. The variables collected were fellowship training status, h-index, total number of publications, years in practice, academic rank, and years at the institution. For analysis, the anesthesiologists were divided into 2 groups: those with fellowship training and those without.

Results: Among 78 anesthesiologists, 40 …

Ultra-Low Power Adcs For Charge Detection Mass Spectrometry Of Martian Dust, Eric Christie, Wood Chiang

Utah Space Grant Consortium

This paper presents a complete system integration strategy for a proven Charge Detection Mass Spectrometry (CDMS) instrument designed to analyze charged dust particles on Mars. To enable deployment in a power-constrained rover environment, an ultra-low supply voltage (ULV) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is required. ADC architectures operating below 0.21 V are compared to identify candidates that meet the system's stringent power and performance demands. A voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO)-based ADC is proposed and for ULV operation. Circuit-level implementations of VCO topologies are designed and evaluated in the TSMC 28 nm CMOS process using Cadence simulations. Based on simulation results, a VCO-CDAC topology …

A Pressure-Based Estimate Of Multi-Orifice Synthetic Jet Performance, Rhett T. Parry, Tim Berk

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Multiphase turbulence is a ubiquitous mechanism that drives the motion of fluid and particulate. In order to understand the behavior of this complex mechanism, it is critical to build facilities where driving parameters can be studies. Various flow actuators are used to drive turbulence, but we use synthetic jets for their geometric customizability and wide range operating parameters. Many studies based on synthetic jets focus on characterizing velocity while omitting the connection to turbulence. Additionally, most work in the existing literature is tied to the non-dimensional numbers but can obscure the limitations regarding both size and allowable driving conditions of …

A Methodology To Quantify The Shielding Efficiency Of Novel Radiation Shielding Materials, Jenny R. Whiteley, Tyler Heggenes, J.R. Dennison

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Radiation shielding is a common method used to protect spacecraft from the radiation prevalent in the space environment. A current research area of interest is Z-graded shielding, which is radiation shielding composed of various materials layered together based off of the properties associated with the material's atomic number, Z. This approach has the potential to produce new shielding materials that would be lighter and more compact than traditional shielding materials. Utah State University's Material Physics Group developed an experimental setup and analysis methodology to quantify how effectively novel shielding materials blocked beta and gamma radiation. The materials' effectiveness, termed shielding …

The Trgb–Sbf Project: Creating A New Distance Ladder With Surface Brightness Fluctuations, Mikaela Cowles, Joseph B. Jensen, Sydney Holt

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Many current observational methods to measure the expansion rate of the universe (H₀) rely on the same zero-point calibrations. Values of the Hubble constant derived from those local calibrations are in conflict with the predicted value of H₀ from the successful ΛCDM cosmological model, resulting in the "Hubble tension." In order to decrease systematic uncertainties, and to address this tension, we have created a new and independent sequence of distance measurement techniques. We have used James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) tip of the red giant branch (TRGB) distances to 14 giant elliptical galaxies that we used …

Far-Field Uav-Enabled Antenna Radiation Pattern Mapping, Jack Fernald

Utah Space Grant Consortium

This paper presents an overview of an research project at Weber State University (WSU) focused on developing a UAV-based system for measuring far-field radiation patterns of physically large antennas operating in the High-Frequency (HF, 3–30 MHz) and Very-High-Frequency (VHF, 30–300 MHz) ranges. Leveraging commercially available unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) components, software-defined radios (SDRs), open-source software tools, and advanced simulation environments, this project aims to create a cost-effective, scalable measurement solution that addresses the logistical challenges of traditional methods. By enabling autonomous three-dimensional radiation mapping of operational antennas in open-field environments, the proposed system refines industry practices and expands our understanding …

High-Frequency Satellite Imagery Reveals Spatial And Temporal Dynamics Of Algal Blooms On Utah Lake, Kaylee B. Tanner

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Utah Lake is a large, shallow freshwater lake in Utah Valley, Utah, USA. It faces a number of water quality issues, with one of the most significant being the occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABS) that impair its ecological health and economic value. We use data from the Sentinel 2 mission to investigate spatial and temporal bloom dynamics in four different regions of the lake. We leverage the frequent, spatially comprehensive satellite data to analyze the frequency, intensity, and duration of algal blooms on Utah Lake, and find that the southern end of the lake typically experiences the most intense …

Reconstruction Of Cad Models Into Analysis-Ready Single Trimmed Surfaces With Aerospace Applications, Rebecca Rasmussen, Royce Pablo Harline, Kendrick Shepherd

Utah Space Grant Consortium

Classical methods by which computer-aided design (CAD) geometries are represented for both design and analysis involve meshing. However, the current process of converting a CAD model into an analysis-suitable surface mesh takes a significant amount of time and labor [23, 4, 18], results in a faceted representation of the original smooth geometry, and generates representations that are prohibitively expensive for use in high-order explicit dynamics computations [35, 9].

This research focuses on accurately and efficiently rebuilding given CAD surfaces or meshes, such as shell-like components of aeronautical structures or automotive vehicles, into smooth, single trimmed spline surface approximations (rather than …