Digital Commons Network^™

The Explainable Ai Paradox: When Transparency Improves Decision Quality And When It Creates Overconfidence, Harsha Sammangi, Poloju Pravalika

Research & Publications

Explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) is widely promoted as a remedy for algorithmic opacity, premised on the assumption that revealing a model's reasoning improves human oversight and decision quality. This study investigates the Explainable AI Paradox: the possibility that explanations simultaneously increase trust, reliance, and adoption while also producing overconfidence in flawed models — improving decision quality when models are valid but amplifying errors when models are not. Using a controlled experiment with 921 managers making pricing, lending, or inventory decisions assisted by AI systems of deliberately varied validity, participants were randomly assigned to one of five explanation conditions: no explanation, …

An Ai System For Residential Building Damage Estimation Using Multimodal Remote Sensing Data Fusion, Edmund Robbins, Nezamoddin N. Kachouie

Mathematics and System Engineering Faculty Publications

The increasing intensity of tropical storms has created an urgent need for rapid, reliable damage assessment. Although recent AI-based approaches have improved upon manual inspection, many rely on proprietary satellite imagery or ad hoc UAV datasets, limiting scalability, repeatability, and operational deployment. In this study, we develop a multimodal AI framework for post-disaster damage assessment using only publicly available remote sensing and geospatial data, including NOAA aerial imagery, Microsoft building footprints, and FEMA damage labels. A key methodological contribution is the use of spatially disjoint training and validation regions in the Hurricane Michael dataset to prevent geographic data leakage and …

Uncovering Neural Learning Dynamics Through Latent Mutual Information, Arianna Issitt, Alex Merino, Lamine Deen, Ryan T. White, Mackenzie J. Meni

Mathematics and System Engineering Faculty Publications

We study how convolutional neural networks reorganize information during learning in natural image classification tasks by tracking mutual information (MI) between inputs, intermediate representations, and labels. Across VGG-16, ResNet-18, and ResNet-50, we find that label-relevant MI grows reliably with depth while input MI depends strongly on architecture and activation, indicating that “compression’’ is not a universal phenomenon. Within convolutional layers, label information becomes increasingly concentrated in a small subset of channels; inference-time knockouts, shuffles, and perturbations confirm that these high-MI channels are functionally necessary for accuracy. This behavior suggests a view of representation learning driven by selective concentration and decorrelation …

Multimodal Late-Fusion Of Radiomics, Clinical Data, And Demographics Enhances Personalized Survival Prediction In Nsclc, Zarindokht Helforoush, Mohamed Jaber, Nezamoddin N. Kachouie

Mathematics and System Engineering Faculty Publications

Backgrounds/Objectives: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) exhibits substantial prognostic heterogeneity that is not fully captured by conventional anatomical staging, highlighting the need for individualized risk assessment. Radiomics enables non-invasive characterization of tumor phenotype, yet high dimensionality and inter-feature correlations often limit model stability and interpretability. Methods: To address these challenges, we developed a multimodal late-fusion framework integrating radiomic, clinical, and demographic information to predict patient-specific absolute risk in the Lung1 cohort (N = 398). Radomic features (N = 107) were extracted from primary tumor volumes and refined using a Group Lasso–penalized Cox model, preserving biological coherence and producing a parsimonious …

A Proposal For Cal Poly Humboldt Spanish Language Family Orientations In Order To Increase First-Gen Latine Student Matriculation And Retention, Xelha B. Puc

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

First-generation college students, defined as those whose parents did not complete a 4-year degree, face distinct challenges when pursuing higher education. Although all first-gen students face significant barriers to success, additional aspects of student identity can further impact their access to institutional support and resources. This project addresses the particular needs of first-generation Latine undergraduate students, who may face additional challenges related to language barriers, limited access to institutional knowledge, financial barriers, and cultural expectations. While existing research highlights the disparities students of this population face, less attention is given to the critical role family support can play in shaping …

The Spatial Relationship Between The Residents Of Buttonwillow, Ca And The Carbon Capture And Storage Project, Carbon Terravault, Daniell Dorado

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) is one necessary component in California’s strategy in meeting its carbon neutrality goals. CCUS serves as an important piece to reduce greenhouse gas emissions where other sequestration methods are not yet feasible for certain sectors like electricity generation, cement production and refineries. At the same time, the impacts of industrial projects disproportionately impact underserved communities, and there is a need for more equitable community engagement practices. The state has had an increase in CCUS projects, and several are or will be in Kern County, which has often been a leader in the oil and …

Logistic-T Multinomial Mixture Model For Clustering For Microbiome Data, Wenshu Dai, Yuan Fang, Sanjeena Subedi

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

The logistic-normal multinomial distribution has been used for modelling microbiome data obtained from high-throughput sequencing technologies, which are compositional in nature. A logistic-normal multinomial distribution is a hierarchical multinomial distribution that assumes the latent variable which are the additive log-ratio (ALR) transformed proportions in a multinomial distribution follows a Gaussian distribution. Model-based clustering algorithms have also been developed for clustering microbiome data based on the logistic-normal models. However, the Gaussian assumption may violated when the ALR transformed variable exhibit heavy-tailed distributions or has outliers. Our study introduces a novel mixture of logistic-t multinomial models that effectively address these challenges. Utilizing …

Real-World Anti-Amyloid Therapy Beyond Traditional Symptomatic Populations: A Longitudinal Case Series, Jayoung Han, Yuan Fang, Darlingtina Esiaka, Olufunmilola Abraham

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Introduction: Anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies are approved as disease-modifying therapies for early Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but real-world evidence remains limited, particularly among individuals treated during preclinical or minimally symptomatic stages. This study characterized clinical and biomarker trajectories among anti-amyloid therapy recipients across disease stages.

Method: We conducted a longitudinal retrospective case series of three biomarker-positive individuals from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative who received lecanemab or donanemab. Clinical, cognitive, cerebrospinal fluid, plasma biomarker, and amyloid PET data were examined.

Results: In all three cases, most of the observation period preceded anti-amyloid therapy initiation. Clinical trajectories varied by biomarker profile and treatment …

Dextromethorphan And Trace Level Detections Of Dextrorphan In Post-Race Urine Samples – A Case Report And Analysis, Kimberly Brewer, Justin C. Holmes, Clara Fenger, Abelardo Morales-Briceño, Andreas F. Lehner, George A. Maylin, Robert Holland, Levent Dirikolu, Thomas Tobin

Maxwell H. Gluck Equine Research Center Faculty Publications

Dextrorphan is a Phase I equine metabolite of dextromethorphan, a widely used anti-tussive / cough suppressant medication marketed and available in numerous over-the-counter formulations in the United States. Dextromethorphan is an Association of Racing Commissioners International (ARCI) drug class 4 penalty class B substance and a Horseracing Integrity and Welfare Authority (HIWU) CONTROLLED S7 B substance and is regulated as such in horse racing. In horses, dextromethorphan is metabolized to its Phase I metabolite, dextrorphan, which is next glucuronidated and the resultant dextrorphan-glucuronide conjugate then excreted at remarkably high concentrations in equine urine. Dextrorphan is therefore at times identified in …

Increasing Uptake Of Diabetes Self-Management Education And Support (Dsmes) In Rural Kentucky Primary Care Clinics, Mary E. Lacy, Jessica Elliott, Vance Drakeford, Laura Wright, Brent Mckune, Key C. Douthitt, Aaron J. Kruse-Diehr, James W. Keck

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) is an evidence-based intervention that improves outcomes for people with diabetes, but uptake is <10%. We conducted a pilot pragmatic trial to increase DSMES in rural primary care clinics that integrated health information technology with a quality improvement (QI) learning collaborative. Methods: Two healthcare systems from rural Kentucky participated in the study. Within each system, 2 clinics received the intervention and 1 clinic served as a control (N = 6 clinics). Each intervention clinic identified a QI team (5-6 individuals) who participated in a 9-month QI learning collaborative followed by 5 months of follow-up. Our primary outcome was DSMES referrals; secondary outcomes were DSMES attendance and percentage with A1c >9%. Results: The 6 study clinics served 1,803 patients with diabetes; n = 1083 (60.1%) from 4 intervention clinics and n = 720 (39.9%) from 2 control clinics. DSMES referrals significantly increased in the intervention clinics compared to the control clinics (31.7% vs 0.1%, P < .001) and continued to increase throughout 5-month follow-up (40.0% vs 0.1%, P < .001). Conclusions: A structured QI intervention can significantly increase DSMES referral rates in primary care clinics. Findings highlight the potential of systems-level approaches to address persistent gaps in diabetes care delivery in rural settings. Clinical Trial Registry: Using Practice Facilitation and Operationalizing Referral Information Technology to Increase DSMES Utilization (Clinicaltrials.gov registration number no. NCT05472142). Clinicaltrials.gov URL (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05472142).

The Association Between Human Papillomavirus Type 16 E6 Seroprevalence And Degrees Of Anal Disease Among Men With Hiv, Krystle A.Lang Kuhs, Christopher Otieno, Staci Sudenga, Tim Waterboer, Weiqun Tong, Dorothy Wiley, Jay H. Bream, Steven Wolinsky, Jeremy Martinson, Gypsyamber D’Souza

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Introduction: Human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) E6 antibodies may be an early biomarker of anal cancer. We cross-sectionally evaluated when in the course of anal disease, HPV16 antibodies are induced. Methods: A nested case-control study of 846 men who have sex with men (MSM) was conducted within a prospective study of men with and without HIV. Cases of anal HPV16 (N=262), biopsy-confirmed high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL;N=140), and anal cancer (N=21) were individually matched to controls (N=423) on HIV status, study-participation duration, and age. Serum samples closest to diagnosis underwent HPV serologic testing; prediagnostic serial samples were tested for anal …

A Comprehensive Analysis Of Jurisdiction-Specific Laws Related To Scheduling Or Required Prescription Drug Monitoring Of Gabapentin In The United States, 2016–2024, Katherine Gora Combs, Rachel Vickers-Smith, Collin Stewart, Daniel Wacker, Juan M Hincapie-Castillo

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Gabapentin prescription use has increased across the United States since the late 2000s. Concerns of potential misuse and growing overdose involvement have led to the passage of jurisdiction-specific policies targeting gabapentin prescribing; however, the current legal landscape of these policies is not well documented or understood. We conducted a comprehensive, longitudinal analysis of policies related to scheduling or required prescription drug monitoring of gabapentin across 51 jurisdictions in the United States from January 2016 through December 2024. Across the study period, 25 jurisdictions (49 %) enacted policies related to gabapentin scheduling or required prescription reporting. Eight (16 %) jurisdictions classified …

Optimizing Control Definitions In Opioid Use Disorder Genetic Research Using Electronic Health Records, Maria Niarchou, Ellen L Tsai, Mariela V Jennings, Annika Faucon, Hyunjoon Lee, Kritika Singh, Justin D Tubbs, Panos Roussos, Tian Ge, Richard C Crist, Rachel Vickers-Smith, Howard Edenberg, Amy Moore, Bradley T Webb, Eric O Johnson, Rachel L Kember, Jordan W Smoller, Lea K Davis, Brandon J Coombes, Georgios Voloudakis, David Burstein, Travis T Mallard, Vanessa Troiani, Sandra Sanchez-Roige

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Amidst the opioid crisis, understanding the genetic basis of opioid use disorder (OUD) is crucial for identifying biological mechanisms and intervention points. However, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have been hampered by inadequate sample sizes and often the use of control populations not assessed for prior opioid exposure. Because opioid exposure is a prerequisite for the development of OUD, consideration of exposure history in controls is important. Electronic health record data (EHR) paired with genomic information allow a broader sampling of patients with OUD and exposed controls. We leveraged data across two healthcare systems to evaluate the impact of using controls …

Shaping The Future Of Human Biomonitoring (Hbm), Maryam Zare Jeddi, Nancy B. Hopf, Karen S. Galea, Kate Jones, Henriqueta Louro, Maria João Silva, Adrian Covaci, Tiina Santonen, Paul T.J. Scheepers, Susana Viegas, Lesliam Quirós-Alcalá, Asif Qureshi, M. Elizabeth Marder, Natalie Von Goetz, Konstantinos M. Kasiotis, Kyriaki Machera, Ovnair Sepai, Radu Corneliu Duca, Manosij Ghosh, An Van Nieuwenhuyse, Ming Kei Chung, Jihyon Kil, Shoji F. Nakayama, Aziza Menouni, Kaoutar Chbihi, Ana Maria Vekic, Gustavo Souza, Maisarah Nasution Waras

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Human biomonitoring (HBM) continues to play an indispensable role within exposure science, offering insights into aggregate chemical exposures across populations and life stages. Since 2018, the European chapter of the International Society of Exposure Science Human Biomonitoring Working Group (ISES Europe HBM WG) has aimed to facilitate generation of more and high-quality HBM data. The working group aims to strengthen integration of HBM data into regulatory frameworks through improved study design, harmonized methodologies, and enhanced reporting practices. Key achievements in the past seven years include the harmonization of HBM metadata through development of minimum information requirements for HBM (MIR-HBM), development …

Association Between Educational Attainment And Discharge Disposition Following Incident Stroke Hospitalization, Ning Li, Erin L. Abner, Silvia Koton, Lena Mathews, Kunihiro Matsushita, Anna Kucharska-Newton

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background – The relationship between educational attainment and discharge disposition after stroke hospitalization remains unclear. This study examined whether educational attainment is associated with discharge disposition after incident stroke and whether stroke severity modifies this association. Methods – The study included Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) participants with an incident stroke hospitalization from 1991 to 2020 who were enrolled in fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare at discharge. Discharge disposition was obtained from hospitalization claims. Educational attainment was categorized as “less than high school” vs. “high school or more.” Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between educational attainment and discharge …

Building The Ryan White Hiv/Aids Program Bench In Kentucky, Lauren Bifulco, Kathleen Harding, Jana Collins, Anna Rogers, Lenon Farkash, Marwan Haddad, Alice Thornton

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS program (RWHAP) is governed by legislative and programmatic guidelines that ensure comprehensive services are provided to persons with HIV (PWH) across the United States. Comprehensive training and skill building opportunities for programmatic staff are rare. RWHAP funding recipient organizations may struggle to acquire and retain essential program-specific knowledge, with downstream impact on patient care and treatment. We designed a comprehensive 11-session videoconference learning series to improve program staff’s confidence and competence with RWHAP fundamentals. Quantitative pre-vs-post session data were analyzed using Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests, and qualitative data using thematic analysis. We enrolled 136 staff from 23 …

Decreased Gabapentin Prescription Fills Among Medicaid Enrollees Following State-Level Schedule V Controlled Substance Classification In Kentucky And West Virginia, Katherine Gora Combs, Stephen W. Marshall, Rachel Vickers-Smith, Alan Kinlaw, Nabarun Dasgupta, Juan M. Hincapie-Castillo

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background: Driven by concerns of gabapentin misuse and other harms, Kentucky (KY) and West Virginia (WV) became the first states to classify gabapentin as a schedule V controlled substance in July 2017 and June 2018, respectively. This study examined the association of these policies with gabapentin utilization among Medicaid beneficiaries. Methods: Using a controlled interrupted time series design, we modeled a segmented generalized least squares regression and calculated the immediate and trend changes of gabapentin prescriptions among Medicaid enrollees in 2 states (KY, WV), separately. North Carolina (NC) was used as a control to account for secular changes; there was …

Signals Of Venous Thromboembolism Risk From Drug–Drug Interactions Involving Benzodiazepines And Other Sedative Hypnotics, Fengge Wang, Lin Chieh Meng, Kacie Bogar, Colleen M. Brensinger, Warren B. Bilker, Sascha Dublin, Todd E.H. Hecht, John R. Horn, Daniela C. Moga, Michael E. Thase, Brian L. Vanderbeek, Charles E. Leonard

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Background and Objective: Benzodiazepines and sedative hypnotics such as zolpidem (“z-drugs”) are commonly prescribed for anxiety and sleep disorders. Epidemiologic evidence links their use to increased risk of venous thromboembolism. We investigated venous thromboembolism risk among concomitant users of individual benzodiazepines/z-drugs (examined separately) with other prescription medications to generate data-driven hypotheses about drug interactions resulting in clinically meaningful harm to inform future etiologic studies of specific drug combinations. Methods: We conducted a series of self-controlled case series studies within a 50% random sample of US Medicaid and Medicare data. Each cohort comprised person-time exposed to a benzodiazepine/z-drug, dichotomized into focal …

Decreased Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Capillary Recruitment In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, David Langleben, Stylianos E. Orfanos, Benjamin D. Fox, Michele Giovinazzo, Magali Kaddis, John D. Catravas

Bioelectrics Publications

The human lung normally accommodates exercise-induced cardiac output increases mainly via recruitment of non-concomitantly perfused pulmonary capillaries. Recruitment is detectable by measuring the first-pass transpulmonary metabolism of ³H-benzoyl-Phe-Ala-Pro, providing an estimate of functional capillary surface area (FCSA). Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) results from luminal narrowing of small precapillary arterioles, reducing downstream perfused FCSA. We hypothesized that exercising PAH patients would not be able to recruit FCSA normally. We studied two patients with severe PAH. Despite exercising to maximal dyspnea, neither could recruit FCSA. These limited data are the first direct measurements of FCSA in exercising PAH patients.

Metabolic Reprogramming Following Mitochondrial Transfer Between Idh2-Mutant Chondrosarcoma Cells And A Normal B-Cell Line, Caleb Wyckoff, Christopher Osgood, Ellen Jing, Michael Stacey

Bioelectrics Publications

Background/Objectives: Chondrosarcoma, glioblastoma, acute myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and cholangiocarcinoma cancers all contain mutations in the gene isocitrate dehydrogenase 2 (IDH2). The mutant IDH2 enzyme metabolizes alpha-ketoglutarate (αKG) into the potent oncometabolite D-2-hydroxyglutarate (D2HG) in the mitochondria of these cancers, leading to altered cellular metabolism. Emerging evidence suggests that mitochondrial transfer between cancer and recipient cells represents an important form of intercellular communication that may influence cellular metabolism. The presence of intercellular TNTs between IDH2-mutant chondrosarcoma cells motivated an investigation into mitochondria-associated physiological changes occurring during an intercellular exchange with immune cells. A mitochondrial transfer is a two-way …

Determining The Electric Field In A 10 Ns Pulsed Plasma In Fuel-Air Mixtures Using Efish, Md Ziaur Rahman, Christopher J. Kliewer, Brian D. Patterson, Chunqi Jiang

Bioelectrics Publications

Transient plasma ignition (TPI) utilizes non-equilibrium plasmas, produced by nanosecond high-voltage pulses, to improve lean-fuel combustion performance and reduce emission. It is known that the relatively high reduced electric field (E/N) in TPI plays an important role in generating energetic electrons and facilitating energy-efficient radical productions, resulting in reliable ignition for lean combustion. Determining the reduced electric field in the discharge is hence important for the understanding of the TPI process and ultimately allowing for the control of the plasma chemistry. This study reports spatiotemporally resolved measurements of the electric field (E) in a 10 ns pulsed plasma that is …

Establishment And Histopathological Characterization Of A Kyse-30 Subcutaneous Xenograft Model Of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Pavel A. Solopov, Alayna Enos, Mantas Silkunas, Giedre Silkuniene, Eleni Zivla, Andrei G. Pakhomov, Olga N. Pakhomova

Bioelectrics Publications

Background/Objectives: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is an aggressive malignancy with poor prognosis and limited treatment options, highlighting the need for reliable preclinical models for translational research. Although xenograft models are widely used in cancer biology, systematic characterization of subcutaneous ESCC models under defined implantation conditions remains limited. The objective of this study was to systematically compare implantation conditions and define histopathological and growth-related parameters that enable reproducible tumor establishment while maintaining a practical experimental window for therapeutic studies. Methods: We established and characterized a subcutaneous ESCC xenograft model using human ESCC cell line KYSE-30 implanted into immunodeficient J:NU mice. …

Ammonia Synthesis By Nanosecond Pulsed Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jets Impinging On Water, Zach Caudell, Lynnet Rich, Olga Pakhomova, Chunqi Jiang

Bioelectrics Publications

Developing energy-efficient technologies for carbon-neutral ammonia (NH₃) synthesis is critical for decentralized fertilizer production and global decarbonization. This study investigates generating NH₃ from water using a nanosecond pulsed atmospheric pressure plasma jet (ns‑APPJ) operating in either N₂ or dry air. The plasma jet reactor employed approximately 250 ns, up-to-22 kV pulses at 500 Hz to sustain a nonequilibrium discharge impinging directly on static liquid water. The kinetics, energy efficiency, and product selectivity of NH3 formation were quantified as functions of the pulse voltage, repetition frequency (PRF), and gas flow rate. NH₃ production increased linearly with treatment time and scaled strongly …

Cxcr6+ Natural Killer Cell Immunotherapy Preserves Cd4+ T Helper Cells In Humanized Mice, Naushad Khan, Kayla Frank, Silke Paust

Faculty Research 2026

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) persists despite antiretroviral therapy because long-lived viral reservoirs are not eliminated, and ongoing or rebound infection contributes to progressive loss of CD4⁺ T helper cells. Natural killer (NK) cells can acquire adaptive, antigen-experienced functions, including recall responses to HIV envelope protein, suggesting that defined NK-cell subsets may be therapeutically useful against HIV. Because HIV-responsive adaptive NK-cell activity is enriched among CXC chemokine receptor 6-positive (CXCR6⁺) NK cells, we tested whether CXCR6⁺ NK cells provide enhanced antiviral activity and CD4⁺ T-cell protection compared with CXCR6⁻ NK cells. In co-cultures with HIV-infected …

Legislating Infrastructure: A State-Level Model To Accelerate Endometriosis Research And Women's Health Equity., E T Courtois, L Roy, Jasmina Uvalic, K Mullaj, D Lockshire, D E Luciano

Faculty Research 2026

Impact statement: A legislatively mandated, statewide endometriosis biorepository integrated within a multidisciplinary endometriosis focused program demonstrates how policy-driven infrastructure can integrate education, clinical care, harmonized biobanking, and translational research to address persistent gaps in women's health in the long term. The Connecticut Endometriosis Working Group (EWG), a group of legislators, researchers, patients, health care providers, and advocates, was established in 2021. The EWG met monthly to discuss strategies to address endometriosis and propose endometriosis specific legislation which has been a turning point. Public Acts 22-33 and 23-67 directed the establishment, governance, and annual reporting of a coordinated endometriosis data and …

Integration Of A Neuronal Rnaseq Dataset With The Draft Gryllus Bimaculatus Transcriptome Refines Gene Predictions And Highlights Potential Systematic Response To Injury., Felicia F Wang, Harrison P Fisher, Lisa M Ledwidge, Joel H Graber, Riley A Grindle, Jarod A Rollins, Hadley W Horch

Faculty Research 2026

The cricket Gryllus bimaculatus presents a compelling model for investigating neuroplasticity due to its unusual capability of adult structural reorganization. The molecular pathways underlying these changes remain poorly understood. Here, we reanalyzed RNAseq data, originally collected from deafferented and control prothoracic ganglia one, three, and seven days post-injury, which had previously been used to assemble a de novo transcriptome. In this current analysis, we aligned our original RNAseq data to the publicly available G. bimaculatus draft genome, and used the resulting alignments to refine and update the existing annotations. The integration added 3,868 novel genes, 9,172 new transcript isoforms including …

Identifying Transcriptomic Signatures That Mediate The Causal Effect Of Genotype On Alzheimer's Disease., Simran Kaur, Anna L. Tyler, Giovanna L Durante, Gregory Cary, Gregory W. Carter, J Matthew Mahoney

Faculty Research 2026

The combined effects of thousands of genetic polymorphisms account for Alzheimer's disease (AD) genetic risk. Most AD polymorphisms affect gene expression. Thus, the transcriptome, the set of all gene expression levels for every gene in the genome, is a major mediator between the genotype to phenotype. This study uses genotypes, transcriptomes, and clinical phenotypes to identify the transcriptomic signature that mediates the causal effect of genotype on AD. By utilizing a causal inference method known as high dimensional mediation analysis (HDMA) on the Religious Orders Study/Memory and Aging Project (ROSMAP) longitudinal cohort, the genotype, transcriptome, and phenotype data were reduced …

Can Angiotensin Ii Affect The Inflammatory Response Of Human Dental Pulp Cells In Vitro?, Bella Luna Colombini-Ishikiriama, Thiago José Dionisio, Thais Francini Garbieri, Rafaela Alves Da Silva, Sandra Helena Penha Oliveira, Vanessa Soares Lara, Andrew S Greene, Carlos Ferreira Dos Santos

Faculty Research 2026

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of fibroblasts from permanent and deciduous dental pulp to express inflammatory mediators when exposed to bacterial and inflammatory antigens. It also sought to assess the presence of components of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) and the potential modulatory role of ANG-II in this response.

METHODOLOGY: Fibroblasts were cultured from the pulp of permanent and deciduous teeth obtained from three adult and four pediatric donors with informed consent. Cells were stimulated with Porphyromonas gingivalis and Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharides (LPS) either alone or in combination with ANG-II and, in some cases, with IL-1β. Gene expression …

A New Mouse Mutant With A Discrete Mutation In Pcdhgc5 Reveals That The Protocadherin Γc5 Isoform Is Not Essential For Dendrite Arborization In The Cerebral Cortex., Camille M Hanes, David M Steffen, George Murray, Robert W. Burgess, Joshua A Weiner, Andrew M Garrett

Faculty Research 2026

There are ~ 60 clustered protocadherin (cPcdh) isoforms expressed from three gene clusters (Pcdha, Pcdhb, Pcdhg) arrayed in tandem across nearly 1 Mb in mammals. cPcdhs are homophilic cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) critical for a host of neural developmental functions consistent with a role in cell-cell recognition. Indeed, isoforms make recognition modules in combination to generate recognition diversity far exceeding the ~ 60 individual CAMs. However, there is also growing evidence for specialized functions for specific isoforms, particularly the C-type isoforms found at the 3' ends of the Pcdha cluster (αC1 and αC2) and at the 3' end of the …

Editorial: Interdisciplinary Innovations In Car T-Cell Therapy For Autoimmune And Cancer Treatment., Apostolos Zaravinos, Derya Unutmaz, Marko Radic

Faculty Research 2026

No abstract provided.