Digital Commons Network^™

Robust Photogrammetric Scalp Morphology Estimation For Functional Optical Neuroimaging, Abigail L Magee, Calamity Svoboda, Tessa G George, Alvin A Agato, Edward J Richter, Joseph P Culver, Adam T Eggebrecht

2020-Current year OA Pubs

SIGNIFICANCE: Optical functional neuroimaging relies upon accurate anatomical models to provide optimal data registration and image reconstruction.

AIM: We establish and validate a robust photogrammetric algorithm for scalp morphology that utilizes 3-dimensional (3D) imaging with a photogrammetric cap to provide individualized scalp morphology estimation through hair in the absence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

APPROACH: The scalp morphology estimation uses a flexible, neoprene cap and 3D-printed photogrammetric modules with fiducials. We create a sparse scalp sampling and align the MNI152 atlas to generate the scalp morphology estimation. We used the international 10 to 20 electroencephalogram positions for alignment and calculated …

Military Inhalational Exposures Outside The Theater Of Conflict And Chronic Respiratory Symptoms, Andrew Timmons, Anna M Korpak, Nicholas L Smith, Karen S Nakayama, Coleen P Baird, Paul Ciminera, Farrah Kheradmand, Vincent S Fan, Jaime E Hart, Petros Koutrakis, Ware Glenn Kuschner, Octavian C Ioachimescu, Michael Jerrett, Philippe R Montgrain, Susan P Proctor, Christine H Wendt, Cherry Wongtrakool, Emily S Wan, Paul D Blanc, Carrie A Redlich

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Importance: Deployment to Afghanistan and Southwest Asia has been associated with adverse respiratory health outcomes. However, the impact of inhalational exposures (eg, vapor, dust, gas, fumes), which are known correlates of reduced lung function and future chronic lung disease, during military service time outside this deployment period has not been assessed.

Objective: To assess military inhalational exposures during nonwartime routine activities and their associations with chronic respiratory symptoms.

Design, setting, and participants: This cross-sectional study used data from the US Department of Veterans Affairs Service and Health Among Deployed Veterans study. US veterans who served between October 7, 2001, and …

Figo Position Statement: Gamete Donations, Jaideep Malhotra, Suchitra Pandit, Carlos Salazar, Alex Vidaeff, Rafal Zadykowicz, M Louise Hull, Nikhil Purandare

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Gamete donation has become a crucial part of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs), providing hope to individuals, including those who may have no other option for parenthood. This process comes with a wide range of ethical, medical, and legal challenges that need to be carefully addressed to protect the well-being and rights of all parties involved: donors, recipients, and offspring. Navigating these complexities requires strict ethical standards, robust regulatory frameworks, and international collaboration. By standardizing these, the field of gamete donation can continue to develop while ensuring that all parties are well informed and safeguarded. This paper explores the ethical concerns …

Microbial Biosensor For Sensing And Treatment Of Intestinal Inflammation, Elena Musteata, Martin V Douglas, Walter J Chazin, Eric P Skaar, Jeffrey J Tabor, Robert A Britton

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Synthetic biology has enabled the development of biosensors to detect intestinal inflammation, yet few target the clinically validated biomarker of intestinal inflammation calprotectin with both diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. Here, an optimized calprotectin biosensor is presented that leverages a zinc uptake regulator (Zur) controlled promoter coupled with a memory circuit to detect and record intestinal inflammation in vivo. The level of biosensor activation strongly correlates with calprotectin levels in the colon of two independent mouse models of colitis. Coupling of the biosensor with the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL10 allowed for the resolution of chemically induced colitis, demonstrating the …

Unfolding The Mystery Of Autoimmunity: The Environmental Determinants Of Diabetes In The Young (Teddy) Study, Ezio Bonifacio, Helena Elding Larsson, Patricia Gesualdo, William Hagopian, Michael J Haller, Heikki Hyöty, Randi Johnson, Richard Mcindoe, Eoin Mckinney, Jessica Melin, Åke Lernmark, Richard E Lloyd, Kristian F Lynch, Jill M Norris, Stephen S Rich, Roswith Roth, Desmond Schatz, Jorma Toppari, Eric Triplett, Kendra Vehik, Suvi M Virtanen, Anette-G Ziegler, Beena Akolkar, Jeffrey P Krischer, Teddy Study Group

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

In 2025, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health celebrates 75 years of leadership in diabetes research. The NIDDK serves people of the U.S. affected by or at risk for many chronic diseases, including diabetes and other endocrine, metabolic, and digestive disorders, by funding innovative research to develop better treatment and prevention and a cure for these conditions. Autoimmunity that leads to type 1 diabetes or celiac disease or thyroid autoimmunity affects 1 in 20 children and adolescents in the U.S. While treatments are available, prevention of these common autoimmune …

Cardiac Rhythm Devices In Heart Failure With Reduced Ejection Fraction – Role, Timing, And Optimal Use In Contemporary Practice European Journal Of Heart Failure Expert Consensus Document, Andrea M Russo, Gianluigi Savarese, Michael Böhm, Loreena Hill, Koichiro Kinugawa, Naoki Sato, William T Abraham, Antoni Bayes-Genis, Alexandre Mebazaa, Giuseppe M C Rosano, Shelley Zieroth, Cecilia Linde, Javed Butler

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Guidelines for management of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) emphasize personalized care, patient engagement, and shared decision-making. Medications and cardiac rhythm management (CRM) devices are recommended with a high level of evidence. However, there are significant disparities: patients who could benefit from devices are frequently referred too late or not at all. Misconceptions about device therapy and the notion that the needs of patients (especially the prevention of sudden cardiac death) can now be met by expanding drug therapies may play a role in these disparities. This state-of-the-art review is produced by members of the DIRECT HF initiative, …

Digital Economy Innovation In The Indo-Pacific: Towards A 'Singapore Effect'?, J.G. Allen, Qiu Xu Martin Liao

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This paper examines the rise of Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs) in the Indo-Pacific as a strategic response to digital trade fragmentation and great power competition. Focusing on Singapore’s leadership, we introduce the ‘Singapore Effect’ – a model of regulatory influence distinct from others, such as the ‘Brussels Effect’ and ‘Beijing Effect.’ Unlike market-driven regulatory diffusion, the Singapore Effect emphasizes interoperability, norm entrepreneurship, and mini-lateralism, enabling middle powers to shape digital trade governance. We analyze DEA formation, implementation challenges in national law, and Singapore’s role as a bridge between diverse regulatory regimes. DEAs’ flexible, modular structure allows for incremental regulatory alignment …

Being And Becoming In The Algorithmic Age, Bernard E. Harcourt

Faculty Scholarship

To change the world: the prerequisite, most often, is to change our experience of the world, to experience the world differently, to be shaken to our foundations, to have one’s sense of self shattered. That is a process of both being and becoming. In order to turn that process in our favour, in this age of artificial intelligence, it will be crucial to transform data and algorithms into bits of justice.

Fetal Body Composition And Organ Volume Trajectories In Association With Maternal Perceived Stress Or Depressive Symptoms In The Fetal 3d Study, Kathryn A Wagner, William A Grobman, Roger B Newman, Wesley Lee, Robert Gore-Langton, Seth Sherman, John Owen, Deborah A Wing, Daniel W Skupski, Jagteshwar Grewal, Katherine L Grantz

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objectives: Evaluate associations between maternal perceived stress and depressive symptoms, and fetal body composition and organ volumes.

Methods: In the NICHD Fetal 3D Study (2015-2019; n = 2457), stress and depressive symptoms were assessed at enrollment (10-13 weeks). High stress was defined as a Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score ≥15 and high depressive symptoms, defined as an Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score ≥10. Fetal body composition and organ volumes (cerebellar, lung, liver, and kidney) were measured up to five times between 15 and 40 weeks using three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound technology. Trajectories of body composition and organ volumes across pregnancy …

Role Of Kctd13 In Modulating Ar And Sox9 Expression In Different Penile Cell Populations, Marisol O'Neill, Abhishek Seth

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Objective: Micropenis is a condition with significant physical and psychological implications caused mainly by decreased androgen action in penile development. Kctd13-knockout (Kctd13-KO) mice have micropenis, cryptorchidism, and fertility defects because of reduced levels of androgen receptor (AR) and SOX9. We hypothesized that normalizing the levels of AR and SOX9 in the Kctd13-KO penis could help us to understand the mechanism of action of these signaling pathways on penile development.

Methods: We generated transgenic mice lacking Kctd13 and conditionally expressing AR in the urethral mesenchyme after Cre activation with Twist2cre (Kctd13-KO; AR-CMV; Twist2cre; herein called AR+), and Sox9 in the urethral …

C-Terminal Frameshift Variants In Gpkow Are Associated With A Multisystemic X-Linked Disorder, Jung-Wan Mok, Laura Mackay, Maria Blazo, Elizabeth Mizerik, Jozef Gecz, Renee Carroll, Mathilde Nizon, Sophie Rondeau, Madeleine Joubert, Silvestre Cuinat, Wallid Deb, Fernanda Valle Sirias, Monika Weisz-Hubshman, Shamika Ketkar, Urszula Polak, Alyssa A Tran, Debra Kearney, Neil A Hanchard, Oguz Kanca, Michael F Wangler, Hugo J Bellen, Brendan H Lee, Shinya Yamamoto, Keren Machol

Duncan NRI Faculty and Staff Publications

Purpose: GPKOW, a gene on the X-chromosome, encodes a nuclear RNA-binding protein important in messenger RNA (mRNA) processing as a spliceosome subunit. This work aims to establish GPKOW as a disease-associated gene.

Methods: We describe 3 males from 2 unrelated families with hemizygous frameshift variants affecting the last exon of GPKOW p.(Arg441SerfsTer30) and p.(Ser444GlufsTer28). The effect of p.(Ser444GlufsTer28) on gene expression was evaluated in patient's fibroblasts. In vivo studies in Drosophila melanogaster targeting the sole GPKOW fly ortholog, CG10324 (Gpkow) were performed.

Results: Clinical presentations included intrauterine growth restriction, microcephaly/microencephaly, and eye, brain, skin, and skeletal abnormalities. Heterozygote females presented …

Baseline Cognition And Demographic, Lifestyle, And Cardiovascular Risk Factors In Us Pointer, Amber Thro, Tiia Ngandu, Brad Caudle, Bonnie C Sachs, Michelle Chan, Kristin R Krueger, Elizabeth R T Hartman, Athene Lee, Michele K York, Marie T Austin, Kathryn E Demos, Thomas M Holland, Xiaoyan Leng, Rema Raman, Heather M Snyder, Maria C Carrillo, Rachel A Whitmer, Mark A Espeland, Laura D Baker

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Introduction: Validation of the primary cognitive composite and baseline cognitive characteristics are presented for the US-Study-to-Protect-Brain-Health-Through-Lifestyle-Intervention-to-Reduce-Risk (US POINTER).

Methods: US POINTER is a multicenter, randomized clinical trial of two lifestyle interventions testing cognitive benefit in older adults without significant cognitive impairment but at-risk for decline due to well-established factors. Cognition is measured using a global cognitive composite (US POINTER modified Neuropsychological Test Battery-PmNTB).

Results: The PmNTB is a valid cognitive composite, exhibiting good psychometric properties and tracking with other established outcomes. Among the 2111 enrolled participants (mean age = 68.2 years, 69% women, 31% from race and ethnic minoritized groups), …

Ad-Sge-Dkk3 Gene Therapy Overcomes Resistance To Immune Checkpoint Blockade In Pleural Mesothelioma, Sung Wook Kang, Jong Min Choi, Claire Lee, Monica Vilchis, Ji Seon Shim, Sonali Mitra, Priyanka Ranchod, Allen Kuncheria, William Hudson, Peter Jindra, Veronica Lenge De Rosen, Maheshwari Ramineni, Ernest Ramsay Camp, Farrah Kheradmand, R Taylor Ripley, Shawn S Groth, Hyun-Sung Lee, Bryan M Burt

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have limited efficacy in pleural mesothelioma. We investigated the role of Dickkopf WNT signaling pathway inhibitor 3 (DKK3) in overcoming treatment resistance.

Patients and methods: We performed preclinical studies to elucidate DKK3's role in ICI-resistant mouse mesothelioma. Based on these findings, we conducted a single-arm, phase II clinical trial of a combination of Ad-SGE-DKK3 and nivolumab for chemotherapy-refractory epithelioid pleural mesothelioma, with the objective response rate as the primary outcome.

Results: DKK3 was significantly reduced in human epithelioid mesothelioma. Overexpression of DKK3 in cancer cells activated the p53 pathway, enhanced glycolysis, increased surface PD-L1, and …

Under The Legal Lens: Navigating Psychological Safety And Conflict For Black Women In Legal Support Roles, Chanel M. Bradden

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The intersectional challenges of Black women in legal support roles are an overlooked phenomenon in organizational research. Despite diversity efforts in the legal profession, Black women face challenges due to gender, race, and professional status that impact their career advancement, as well as their mental and psychological well-being. As a result of experiencing the effects of racialized workplace dynamics and destructive leadership behaviors, Black women in legal support roles find resilience through self-protection strategies while working through the effects of intersecting forms of oppression in legal workspaces. This study addressed the lack of knowledge of the lived experiences of Black …

The Challenges Of Using Ultrasound To Measure The Trachea: A Brief Report, Helen Newman, Jodi Allen, Madan Narayanan, Nchafatso Obonyo, Nur Syahrunnizar, Karen Hammet, David Parry, Sarah Wallace, Anna-Liisa Sutt, Joseph Osterwalder, Daniel Martin

Peninsula Medical School

BACKGROUND: Tracheostomy is a common procedure in intensive care medicine, involving the insertion of an artificial airway through the front of the neck into the trachea. The size of tracheostomy tube in relation to the trachea is important, influencing clinical outcomes and patient experience. Ultrasound is readily available at the bedside and airway applications have been reported, including airway measurement. However, the presence of air within airway lumina presents challenges to ultrasound and causes artefact. Guidance is lacking on tracheal sonography and measurement.

AIM: to characterize the sonoanatomy of the inner tracheal wall and determine reference points for measuring tracheal …

Non-Traditional Socio-Environmental And Geospatial Determinants Of Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementia Mortality, Skanda Moorthy, Jean-Eudes Dazard, Zhuo Chen, Ruby Charak, Shruthika Palanivel, Salil Deo, Sadeer G. Al-Kindi, Sanjay Rajagopalan

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Importance

Design

Capability Building And Quality Management In Higher Education: An Empirical Investigation, Kanwal Nasim, Xiaowen Tian

Journal of Global Education and Research

This paper proposes a resource-capability-based framework of quality management in Higher Education (HE) and empirically tests it against the experience of HE institutes in Pakistan. The paper posits that HE institutions face intensifying global education competition in a world of accelerated globalization, fast pace of technology development, and rapidly growing knowledge. To enhance quality and performance, they need to build higher-order dynamic capabilities of knowledge creation and transfer (KCT) undergirded by orchestrating three sets of resources they own or control: Staff, students, and facilities. The paper hypothesizes how HE institutions can orchestrate the resources to build up dynamic KCT capabilities …

Causes And Effects Of Science Tutor Attrition At The Colleges Of Education In The Northern Zone Of Ghana: A Qualitative Study, Collins D. Amadu, Rose Dognia, Solomon Boachie, Taarique-Ahmad Yahaya

Journal of Global Education and Research

The study investigated the causes and effects of science tutor attrition in the colleges of education in the Northern Zone of Ghana. Three science and mathematics colleges were used for the study. The study adopted a qualitative approach with 9 participants who volunteered to take part. The interview guide was the sole instrument for data collection. The interviews were conducted through face-to-face and phone calls. The recorded conversations were transcribed and categorized into themes. The study found that the science tutor attrition rate was caused by several factors. These factors could be grouped into unmet expectations of the tutors and …

Preparing For The Inclusive Classroom: The Self-Efficacy Of Teachers Towards Implementing Inclusive Educational Practices In South Africa, Nicole C. Drude, Luzaan Schlebusch

Journal of Global Education and Research

The South African Department of Basic Education has launched a phased initiative to transform ordinary mainstream schools into full-service schools (FSS) as part of its strategy for inclusive education. To ensure the success of this initiative, it is crucial to select schools that can equitably address the diverse learning needs of all students while maintaining high standards of instruction, intervention, and support necessary for achieving success in the core curriculum. Despite this, teachers have expressed concerns about the feasibility of the initiative, particularly due to their lack of expertise in supporting students with varied educational needs. This study aimed to …

Effectiveness Of Digital Learning Materials On Students' Achievement In Science: A Meta-Analysis, Bingo L. Aligo, Maricar S. Prudente

Journal of Global Education and Research

Researchers have been examining educational resources and content to enhance and support the learning experience. As technology continues to transform the way we learn and access information, digital learning materials have become increasingly popular in modern education. This study looked at how different kinds of digital learning materials affected science students’ learning achievement. The moderator variables used were grade level (kindergarten, primary, intermediate, and secondary), subject (biological sciences, general science, and physical sciences), and length of exposure (1 to 3 weeks, 4 to 6 weeks, and 10 to 12 weeks). A total of 14 studies were considered, involving 789 students …

Afghanistan: Consolidation Of Power Under The Taliban, Challenges And Sustainability, Ali Ahmad Jalali

Journal of Strategic Security

Four years after the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan, the country under the clerics’ rule is peaceful but not stable. The country is internationally isolated, economically in crisis and socio-politically divided. Despite earlier pledges to share power with other Afghan parties and respect democratic rights of all Afghans,^[i] the Taliban swiftly reinstated many of their harshest policies, pushing women out of public life and allowing no dissent.

Adhering to an ideology of radical exceptionalism, the ruling Taliban maintain control over the country through a totalitarian governance while keeping ideological ties with regional and global Jihadist groups. …

The Sports-Betting Market: A Road To Sports Betting As Viable Investing, Tyler Gottlieb

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Since its legalization, sports betting has experienced rapid growth, both in terms of economic output and expansion into more states. The current system of sports betting in the United States requires individuals to place bets using a sportsbook. The sportsbook sets the lines on every bet. If an individual wins their bet, the sportsbook pays them money according to the listed odds. If an individual loses their bet, the sportsbook keeps the amount staked. Sportsbooks set lines in a way to ensure that on average, they make money on every bet. This system has been widely accepted, often based on …

Clinical Best Practices For Radiation Safety During An Alpha Dart Treatment, Vibha Chaswal

All Publications

Alpha DaRT is a new alpha radiation treatment for treating solid tumors and is currently being evaluated through clinical trials worldwide. Being a novel radiation treatment, it is important to discuss the safety considerations and procedures that are needed to ensure safe use of this unique approach. The objective of this article is to provide a set of recommendations-radiation safety best practices that were developed based on operational and clinical experience.

Understanding Rural Schools’ Capacity To Learn About Evidence-Based Practices That Promote Youth Mental Health: A Comparative Case Study, Savannah Hobbs, Elaine S. Belansky, Nick Cutforth, Cynthia Hazel

The Rural Educator

Amid growing student mental health concerns, numerous evidence-based practices (EBPs) exist to promote student mental health, but most rural schools do not have these practices in place. Little is known about the organizational capacity of rural schools to learn about and select youth mental health EBPs, or the role research intermediaries can play to support these processes. In this study, 11 middle school staff from three rural school districts participated in surveys and semi-structured interviews to provide information on how schools learn about and select mental health EBPs, related barriers and facilitators, and the role of intermediary support. A semi-structured …

A Comparative Case Analysis Of Rural Science Teachers’ Experiences With Professional Learning, Loraine Glidewell, Jennifer Jacobs, Anna-Ruth Allen, William Penuel, Abraham S. Lo

The Rural Educator

This article presents a comparative case analysis of three U.S. rural science teachers who participated in an online course focused on designing assessments aligned with the Framework for K–12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Data from surveys, designed assessments, classroom observations, and interviews were used to investigate and compare these rural teachers’ experiences before, during, and after the course. This article describes the variations among rural science teachers in their local teaching contexts, relevant prior experiences, and how they engaged in and learned from professional development. The case study teachers entered the course with differences in …

Navigating Through Difficult Roads And Terrains: Novice Teachers’ Challenges In Teaching In Remote Mountainous Settings In The Philippines, Albert C. Albina, Sarah Jean A. Salmorin, Dannyla N. Cainos, Rhea Mae C. Montano

The Rural Educator

In rural areas, the adaptation of urban-originating elementary teachers to remote mountainous school locations poses substantial challenges and necessitates innovative strategies. This study primarily explored the lived experiences of newly hired elementary teachers residing in urban areas but assigned to remote mountainous locations, specifically focusing on their adaptation processes, the challenges they encountered, and support mechanisms that influenced their teaching roles. Using a descriptive phenomenological approach and reflexive thematic analysis, this study involved in-depth interviews with nine newly hired urban-originating elementary teachers who were assigned to teach in rural schools in the Municipality of Santa Catalina, Basay, and Bayawan City, …

Understanding Grade 10 Learners’ Mathematics Learning Experiences In Rural Schools: Applying The Self-Determination Theory, Hlamulo Wiseman Mbhiza, Thabisile Nkambule

The Rural Educator

The increasing performative expectation in mathematics continuously positions rural learners in a deficit manner within the education system in post-apartheid South Africa. The often-cited low academic performance of rural learners in mathematics fosters the belief that something is wrong with their mathematical learning abilities. The problem with narrow and often decontextualized perspectives of rural learners is that their interactions with mathematical content are frequently overlooked in education research. The purpose of this study was to critically explore grade 10 rural learners’ mathematics learning experiences. We employed a qualitative descriptive approach within a case study design, using semi-structured individual interviews supported …

Scaler Rates From The Pierre Auger Observatory: A New Proxy Of Solar Activity, S. Mancuso, A. Abdul Halim, P. Abreu, M. Aglietta, I. Allekotte, K. Almeida Cheminant, B. Fick, K. Nguyen, D. Nitz, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications

The modulation of low-energy galactic cosmic rays reflects interplanetary magnetic field variations and can provide useful information on solar activity. An array of ground-surface detectors can reveal the secondary particles, which originate from the interaction of cosmic rays with the atmosphere. In this work, we present an investigation of the low-threshold rate (scaler) time series recorded in 16 yr of operation by the Pierre Auger Observatory surface detectors in Malargüe, Argentina. Through an advanced spectral analysis, we detected highly statistically significant variations in the time series with periods ranging from the decadal to the daily scale. We investigate their origin, …

Co-Operative Care: The Case For Worker Co-Operative Elder Care In Ireland, Gerard Doyle

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Ireland’s population age profile is forecasted to increase over the coming decades which will have implications for the care responsibilities of families and the state. However, there is a paucity of quality elder care in Ireland. Elder care worker co-operatives could contribute to meeting this shortfall in supply. This study examines the impact of co-owned elder care provision in Ireland. A case study approach is employed with the Great Care Co-op (GCC) being the case selected. The findings emphasise that the GCC provides a quality service to its care recipients. The careworker members and family members of care recipients both …

The Methane Clumped Isotope Signatures Of The Acetoclastic And Methylotrophic Methanogenesis Pathways, Mia L. Thompson

Dartmouth College Master’s Theses

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and critical energy source for the global economy. Atmospheric methane concentrations play a critical role in global warming, while mitigating methane emissions may provide route to short-term reduction of warming effects. In order to track rates and sources of emissions, it is first necessary to understand the sources and sinks of methane; yet, there are challenges in distinguishing abiotic (water/rock), thermogenic, and biogenic methane. Traditional approaches of using the bulk isotopes of carbon (δ¹³C) and hydrogen (δD) of methane have limitations due to overlapping signatures and sensitivity to substrate isotope composition. In …