Digital Commons Network^™

Microrheological Characterization Of Collagen-I Extracellular Matrix Remodeling During Tr146 Tumor Spheroid Invasion And Ppix-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy, Himantha Dilshan Saldonge

Graduate Masters Theses

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) invasion is strongly regulated by interactions between tumor cells and the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). However, localized ECM mechanical changes during tumor invasion and after photodynamic therapy (PDT) remain insufficiently understood. This study mainly investigated: time-dependent viscoelastic remodeling of collagen-I ECM during TR146 tumor cell invasion, visualization of time-dependent TR146 tumor cell invasion and post-PDT response using live/dead fluorescence imaging, and the direct effect of PpIX-mediated PDT on the viscoelastic properties of spheroid-free collagen-I ECM. Three-dimensional TR146 spheroids were generated using a non-adherent agarose-based method, surrounded by a basement-membrane-like Matrigel layer, and embedded in 3.0 …

Symmetry Breaking And Restoration In The Grasshopper Ising Model, Aradh Bisarya

Graduate Masters Theses

Distance-selective interactions in Ising systems give rise to a range of rich and unexpected phenomena. A notable example is the so-called Grasshopper Ising model, a conserved spin Ising model with interactions only between spins at a fixed distance. This model is the discrete version of the following mathematical problem: A grasshopper lands at a random point on a planar lawn of area one. It then makes one jump of fixed distance in a random direction. What lawn shape maximizes the probability that the grasshopper lands on the lawn after the jump? The solution to this problem, corresponding to the ground …

Female Perpetrators In Nazi Germany: The Effects Of Nazi Ideology And Radicalization On Three Female Concentration Camp Perpetrators, Stephanie Afonso

Graduate Masters Theses

The Second World War in Germany saw the largest number of civilian German women participating in brutal violence against Jewish peoples. The combination of sources used aids in presenting a broader image of these women both within the concentration camps and during their trials. This thesis argues the effects of Nazi ideology and radicalization on the three main subjects, Irma Grese, Maria Mandl, and Ilse Koch. Equally as important is how the American public perceived them and their roles during their respective post-war trials--which looked at them through the lens of femininity and sexuality. Within that violence came the transgression …

Symmetric Informationally Complete Positive Operator Valued Measures Minimize P-Norm Difference Between Quantum And Classical Probability Rules, Austin Monaghan

Graduate Masters Theses

Experimental violations of Bell's inequality demonstrate quantum theory's incompatibility with a local hidden-variable formulation. Simply put, either 1) measurements performed at one point in space may instantaneously influence far away systems ("spooky action at a distance") or 2) measurement outcomes are not the result of pre-existing properties. The act of measurement takes part in the very creation of the outcomes. If we reject condition 1 as a valid assumption, how can we interpret the significance of condition 2 i.e. no local parameters?  In QBism, condition 2 arises from something deeper: that the Born rule expresses a nonclassical condition for connecting …

Data Curation And Integration For Cancer Cell Line Pharmacogenomics Analysis, Meric Kinali

Graduate Masters Theses

Cancer cell lines are essential resources for connecting genomic and molecular features with drug response and identifying biomarkers. Therefore, large-scale cancer cell line resources have been growing, but this introduces challenges such as data standardization, consistent annotation, matching identifiers, cross-database integration, and a reproducible computational framework. CellMiner Cross Database (CellMinerCDB) integrates pharmacogenomic datasets from multiple resources and provides a standardized analysis of cell lines across datasets. This thesis examines cancer cell line cross-databases and their importance in pharmacogenomics, with a particular focus on CellMinerCDB. As part of this work, I developed an R package for the gCSI (Genentech Cell Line …

Infrared Detectability Of Whale Species And Behaviors To Enhance Automatic Detection For Real-Time Vessel Strike Avoidance, Laura J. Howes

Graduate Masters Theses

Real-time detection of large whales at sea is critical for mitigating serious injury and mortality from ship strikes and other human activities such as seismic surveys, especially for endangered species such as the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis). Traditional marine mammal observers are limited by environmental conditions and human factors, necessitating a robust, 24-hour solution. This study investigates the efficacy of a novel onboard detection tool infrared (IR) technology to detect whale blows and body parts. While IR is a promising advancement, its performance under varying sea conditions (e.g., fog, humidity) and its ability to …

The Nature Of Things: An Investigation Into A Viking Age Assembly Site, Tyler L. Perkins

Graduate Masters Theses

Icelandic sagas and archaeological research suggest that Viking Age Icelandic assembly sites or things (þing) were generally occupied for brief periods of time during annual gatherings. One of the archaeological manifestations of repeated temporary occupation around assembly sites is small booths. At Hegranesþing in North Iceland, besides multiple booths that cover the site, there is also evidence of long-term occupation and farming. The Skagafjörður Church and Settlement Survey conducted geophysical and coring surveys, excavated three test pits into middens from different periods of occupation, and excavated one test trench into the homefield enclosure (tún) wall. The results suggest Hegranesþing, besides …

A Bostonian In Cuba: Edwin F. Atkins And United States Imperialism In Latin America, Miles Klotz

Graduate Masters Theses

Edwin F. Atkins, a native of the Boston area and member of a well-known Brahmin family, was the largest and most powerful American property owner in Cuba at the turn of the twentieth century, overseeing a massive sugar plantation called Soledad in the southern port city of Cienfuegos. Atkins’ ownership of Soledad coincided with massive changes in Cuba’s colonial system of government, concluding with the Cuban War of Independence (1895–1898) and the War of 1898, which saw the United States defeat Spain, gain control of Cuba, and install a military government on the island. This thesis examines the attitudes and …

As Sacred As The Laws Of God: Property As The Link Between Cicero, Jefferson And Adams, Adam Mattison

Graduate Masters Theses

Gilbert Chinard’s publication of Thomas Jefferson’s legal commonplace book in 1926 and literary commonplace book in 1928 introduced a new question into the study of the American Founders: what was the relationship between the Founders and the authors of the classical world? Through the twentieth century, the historiography of that question has resolved into three separate streams represented by Bernard Bailyn’s Ideological Origins of the American Revolution, Meyer Reinhold’s Classica Americana and Carl Richard’s The Founders and the Classics. These three scholars argued respectively; that the Founders were not influenced by the classics and only used them as ornamentation …

'In America On Twofold Mission': Elite Filipina Women On The U.S. Stage, 1898-1929, Catherine D. Mayfield

Graduate Masters Theses

After more than 300 years of Spanish colonization of the Philippines, the United States’ acquisition of las Islas Filipinas at the end of the Spanish-American War introduced the Philippine Islands to yet another colonizer. Amidst a backdrop of insurgent resistance and the building of a U.S.-based education and government system under the guise of “benevolent assimilation,” elite Filipina women navigated a mélange of cultural values and the possibility of new public roles. Filipino “elites,” those with political or economic power at the upper echelons of Philippine society, played key collaborative roles for the U.S. colonial regime. Yet the actions and …

Drifts Analysis Of Acetone Oxidation On Ceo2 And Ag/Ceo2, Massimo Ruscitti

Graduate Masters Theses

The catalytic elimination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a critical objective in environmental remediation, as prolonged exposure to these pollutants severely hazards ecological and public health. Acetone is one of the most common industrial and laboratory solvents, making its complete mitigation through heterogeneous catalytic combustion a primary area of focus. This work presents an in-situ investigation into the surface chemistry of acetone adsorption and its subsequent thermocatalytic oxidation on CeO₂ and Ag/CeO₂ nanoparticle catalysts. Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (DRIFTS) was utilized on the catalysts under high vacuum conditions to observe changes in the surface species …

Synthesizing Viscoelasticity: Living Polymers, Micro-Macro Relations, And Paths For Resolution, Adam M. Hasler

Graduate Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the relationship between macroscopic rheological signals and underlying microscopic dynamics in complex fluids, specifically focusing on ”living polymers” within the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium salicylate (NaSal) surfactant system. The research addresses the inverse parameterization problem, demonstrating how bulk measurements like zero-shear viscosity can mask fundamentally different physical topologies, such as purely cylindrical, reptating micelles versus highly branched networks. Through the successful synthesis of viscoelastically ”degenerate” samples, the study utilizes an array of characterization techniques including frequency sweeps, Large Amplitude Oscillatory Shear (LAOS) to resolve these unique underlying states. Furthermore, the work explores further avenues of study …

The Sliding Aperture Transform: A Mathematical Method Applied To Radiation-Induced Dlts Capacitance Transients, Md Abu Bakkar Siddique

Graduate Masters Theses

This thesis presents the Sliding Aperture Transform (SLAPt), a novel mathematical technique for extracting exponential argument and pre-factor  from experimental data. The method transforms measured waveforms into an inverse-domain representation where exponential decay processes appear as distinct peaks, simplifying data analysis and reducing the effects of baseline offsets and noise. The technique is here applied to time dependent capacitance transients associated with irradiated and non-irradiated silicon pn junction diodes. The technique is further developed and applied to positive argument exponentials using an axillary function. This allows forward bias  current-voltage measurements, and forward pulse-bias current transient measurements to be SLAP analyzed, …

Beyond A Little Italy: Italian Community Formation In Washington, D.C., Kathleen P C Millander

Graduate Masters Theses

This thesis examines the development of the Italian immigrant community in Washington, DC, from the early nineteenth century through the beginning of the Second World War. Unlike the dense ethnic enclaves that characterized Italian settlement in many American industrial and port cities, Washington never developed a recognizable Little Italy. Nevertheless, Italians in the nation's capital constructed a cohesive community through social, religious, familial, and economic networks that connected a geographically dispersed population.

Drawing on extensive original archival research, including oral histories, personal memoirs, parish records, newspapers, and manuscript collections, this thesis reconstructs the experiences of Washington's Italian immigrants and their …

Cmsi Translations #35: How To Leverage The "Butterfly Effect" To Cause The Collapse Of "Taiwan Independence" Elements?, Su Ming

CMSI Translations

Intelligent Tools for Designing Operational Concepts: Intelligent Agents Innovating Mechanisms for Victory

If a large model is likened to a machine, interacting via conversation is akin to a worker manually operating that machine. Although machine tools have significantly reduced human workloads, “manual operation” still entails challenges: demanding skill requirements for operators; difficulty in resolving complex, specialized tasks through conversation alone; difficulty in standardizing and reusing repetitive workflows; susceptibility to hallucinations; and the time- and labor-intensive nature of verifying results. To this end, the Department of Theoretical Innovation Research has proposed a technical roadmap for programming large models. The underlying concept …

Gamclust: Identification Of Regulated Metabolic Modules In Bulk, Single Cell And Spatial Gene Expression Data, Anastasiia Gainullina, Evgeniia Chikina, Maxim N Artyomov, Alexey Sergushichev

2020-Current year OA Pubs

MOTIVATION: Metabolism operates as a highly interconnected biochemical network, and its regulation emerges from coordinated changes across many reactions and metabolites. The integration of gene expression profiling data with organism-scale metabolic networks has proven to be a valuable tool for understanding cellular metabolic regulation. However, the increasing complexity of profiling technologies and experimental designs requires the development of specialized tools.

RESULTS: Here, we present GAMclust, an R package implementing and extending the previously published GAM-clustering pipeline for identifying transcriptionally regulated metabolic modules in complex gene expression datasets. GAMclust supports bulk, single-cell, and spatial gene expression profiling. It includes built-in KEGG …

Searching The Druggable Genome Using Large Language Models, Lars Schimmelpfennig, Matthew Cannon, Quentin Cody, Joshua Mcmichael, Adam C Coffman, Susanna Kiwala, Kilannin Krysiak, Alex H Wagner, Malachi Griffith, Obi L Griffith

2020-Current year OA Pubs

SUMMARY: The druggable genome encompasses the genes that are known or predicted to interact with drugs. The Drug-Gene Interaction Database (DGIdb) provides an integrated resource for discovering and contextualizing these interactions, supporting a broad range of research and clinical applications. DGIdb is currently accessed through structured web interfaces and API calls, requiring users to translate natural-language questions into database-specific query patterns. To allow for the use of DGIdb through natural language, we developed the DGIdb Model Context Protocol (MCP) server, which allows large language models (LLMs) access to up-to-date information through the DGIdb API. We demonstrate that the MCP server …

Uhsp Student Handbook 2026-2027

Handbooks

No abstract provided.

Home-Based Digital Exergame For Children With Developmental Disabilities: Protocol Of A Pilot Study, Jaeeun Kang, Yoomi Shin, Naeun Park, Youngeun Lee, Anna Lee

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Compromised sensory integration, reflecting disruptions in neuroplasticity and commonly observed among children with developmental disabilities (DDs), is associated with difficulties in daily functioning and motor and social skills (Rodríguez-Armendariz et al., 2024). Interventions including sensory integration and exergame approaches have demonstrated benefits for enhancing neuroplasticity and functional outcomes (Cardenas et al., 2022). However, clinic-based sensory integration therapy often limits family involvement. We aim to develop and evaluate a home-based digital exergame for children with DDs and their families.

Purpose: This study describes the procedures for developing and assessing the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the digital exergame.

Methods: This …

Boiling-Induced Changes In The Α -Amylase Inhibitory Activity Of Selected Brassica Vegetables In Sri Lanka: A Comparative Study, D. M. S. S. Dassanayake, B. C. K. Kumari, P. R. H. Perera, G. M. Yasasvi, L. M. Hettihewa, W. M. K. M. Ratnayake

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Incorporating vegetables with α -amylase inhibitory properties into the diet is a natural and nutritious way to help regulate blood sugar levels, reduce the risk of complications associated with diabetes mellitus, and promote overall health and well-being. However, during the cooking process, the chemical structure of active compounds, which are responsible for α -amylase inhibition, can change. Hence, this was aimed to evaluate the α -amylase inhibition potential of boiled and non-boiled aqueous extracts (BAE and NBAE respectively) of selected vegetables belonging to the Brassica oleracea L species, which are commonly consumed as in fresh salads as well as in …

Capacity Utilization In Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Industry In Sri Lanka: A Mixed-Methods Analysis Of Systemic Constraints, W. D. Welipitiya, L. M. Hettihewa, S. N. Samage

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Background: Domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing is important for medicine security, accessibility and reduction of import dependence in Sri Lanka. However, installed manufacturing capacity may remain underutilized because of interacting regulatory, supply-chain, financial, workforce and market constraints. This study assessed capacity utilization among Category A pharmaceutical manufacturers and explored the systemic factors associated with underutilization.
Methods: A convergent mixed-methods design was used. Quantitative data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analysed descriptively using SPSS Version 26. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and open-ended questionnaire responses and analysed thematically using QualCoder. Capacity utilization was calculated as actual output divided by …

Schiff Base Synthesis, Characterization And Computational Analysis For Potential Antibacterial Agents, L. N. G. K. Suranjith, M. S. D. Fernando

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Schiff bases are an important class of imine compounds known for their structural versatility and biological activities, particularly as potential antimicrobial agents characterized by the azomethine (–C=N–) functional group, are widely recognized for its diverse biological activities. This study focuses on the synthesis and characterization of (E)-N-(3-phenylprop-2-en-1-ylidene)aniline to evaluate its potential as an antibacterial agent. The compound was synthesized via acid-catalyzed condensation of aniline and cinnamaldehyde under reflux for 2 hours in absolute ethanol. After purification through recrystallisation, the structure was confirmed using UV–Visible, FT-IR, ¹H-NMR, and ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. Thermal stability was assessed with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), while …

A Web-Based Machine Learning Application For Classifying Post-Covid Risk Among Middle-Aged Adults, Himasha Amarathunga, Dhishan Dhammearatchi, Nimesh Pollwaththage

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Post-COVID syndrome (Long-COVID) represents a significant public health challenge, yet accessible tools for individual risk assessment among middle-aged adults remain limited. This study describes the development and evaluation of a web-based machine learning application for the classification of post-COVID risk in adults aged 30–60 years. A publicly available secondary dataset comprising 9,637 patient records was used, of which 5,871 (61%) were classified as high-risk and 3,766 (39%) as standard recovery, reflecting an imbalanced class distribution. The web application incorporates key demographic and clinical features including age, sex, vaccination status and comorbidities to produce a binary risk classification (High/Low). Five machine …

Ai-Based Tooth Decay Detection System Using Mobile Phone Images And Questionnaire-Driven Risk Assessment, G.N.P Madhurangi, S.M.H.M Koswatta, R.M.H.N Rajasinghe, R.D Jayasinghe

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Dental caries (tooth decay) is one of the most common global oral health problems and remains a significant public health concern due to late diagnosis and inadequate access to dental care in many populations. This study proposes the design and development of an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based mobile application for early detection of tooth decay using smartphone-captured oral images combined with questionnaire-based analysis. The proposed system employs a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to analyze tooth images and determine the presence and severity of dental caries. Users also complete a structured questionnaire comprising 14 questions related to oral hygiene habits, dietary practices, …

Determinants Of Consumer Satisfaction And Financial Burden In Community Pharmacy Services: A Cross-Sectional Study In Sri Lanka, S. M. N. Hansanie, L. M. Hettihewa, J. C. G. Punchihewa

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Introduction: Community pharmacies play a crucial role in primary healthcare delivery, particularly in improving access to medicines and healthcare advice. However, service quality and consumer perceptions may vary in resource-limited settings. This study aimed to evaluate consumer perceptions of medication management services, financial burden, and overall satisfaction with community pharmacy services in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka.
Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted over three months among 200 community pharmacy consumers. Adults aged 20–80 years who had visited a pharmacy within the past six months were recruited using convenience sampling. Data were collected using a validated, structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic …

Iot-Based Smart Leak Localisation And Auto-Shutoff System For Real-Time Water Loss Prevention, W.A.C. Fernando, R.M.H.N. Rajasinghe, S.M.H.M. Koswatta

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Water leaks in pipe systems lead to loss of water, damage to infrastructure and increased operating expenses. Traditional leak-detection methods are slow, and they cannot detect leaks in real time. The existing Internet of Things (IoT) solutions are dependent on single-sensor technology, cloud processing and high-cost computational models, unsuitable for home use. In view of this, this study suggests an IoT-based Smart Acoustic Leak Localisation and Auto-Shutoff (SALAS) System for real-time water loss prevention in small-scale pipeline environments. The prime objective is to design and develop an IoT-based water-leakage detection, localisation, and valve-closure system. Development followed a prototype model and …

Signaura: An Ai-Based Real-Time Recognition System For Sri Lankan Sign Language, Pramudhi Hansi Wijesinghe, Nimesh Pollwaththage, Dhishan Dhammearatchi

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

The communication barrier experienced by deaf and hard-of-hearing in Sri Lanka is still a serious issue in society since there are few interpreters with Sri Lankan Sign Language (SLSL) and no automated translation technologies. The present paper introduces SignAura, an artificial intelligence-driven real-time SLSL sign-recognition system that provides multilingual lexical text and synthesized speech. The system uses computer vision and a fully connected neural network to identify isolated SLSL signs from live video streams.A fully connected neural-network classifier was used instead of the CNN-LSTM architecture, with 21 hand landmark keypoints extracted per frame using MediaPipe and represented as 63 numerical …

Medical Device Vigilance In Sri Lanka: Identifying Gaps And Developing National Guidelines, Mjf Riyasha, Lm Hettihewa, S Shanmuganathan

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Background: Medical Device Vigilance (MDV) systems are essential for ensuring patient safety through post-market surveillance. In low- and middle-income countries such as Sri Lanka, MDV systems remain underdeveloped despite increasing reliance on advanced medical technologies.
Objectives: This study aimed to identify gaps in MDV practices in Sri Lanka and develop context-specific national guidelines aligned with international best practices.
Methods A pragmatic mixed-methods design was used. A desk review of international frameworks (WHO, IMDRF, EU MDR 2017/745, FDA) was conducted alongside a cross-sectional survey of key stakeholders, including healthcare professionals, biomedical engineers, device importers, and regulatory staff. Quantitative data were analyzed …

Design Of A Smart Esp32-Based Iot Prototype Using Azure Iot Hub For Automatic Detection, Neutralization, And Safe Disposal Of Acidic And Basic Chemical Waste In Laboratory Environments, M.J. Fernando, K.C.K.V. Samarathunga, G.A. Heshan, J.A.D.S.R. Jayasinghe, K.S.R Perera, K.G.C.M. Perera, K.D.T.D. Jayasuriya, S.M.H.M. Koswatta

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

The generation of acidic and alkaline laboratory waste remains an enduring safety and environmental problem in educational institutions, research laboratories, and small-scale industrial settings. In many such environments, neutralization is still performed manually through intermittent pH measurement and operator judgement. This practice is slow, inconsistent, and potentially hazardous, particularly when corrosive substances are involved. The present study proposes and evaluates a smart Internet of Things (IoT) prototype that automates the detection, neutralization, and monitoring of laboratory chemical waste by integrating edge intelligence with secure cloud telemetry.
The proposed system is centered on an ESP32-S3-N16R8 microcontroller, a DFRobot SEN0161 pH sensor, …

Iot-Mobile Solution For Traffic Light Recognition For Color Vision Deficiency Drivers Using Lightweight Edge Ai, J. L. G. N. S. Jayawardhana, S. M. H. M. Koswatta, R. M. H. N. Rajasinghe, C. Arukgoda

Journal of Innovation in Science, Engineering and Technology

Color Vision Deficiency (CVD) is a medical condition that reduces the ability to distinguish certain colors and may occur due to genetic inheritance or acquired retinal damage. Drivers affected by CVD often experience difficulties at traffic light intersections because traffic signals rely entirely on color-based communication. Existing assistive systems mainly address this issue through audio feedback. However, audio-based solutions may perform poorly in noisy urban environments and are less effective for individuals with hearing impairments. The already existing assistive systems provide visual outputs in the dashboard that do not ensure all types of CVD drivers can see the visual output. …