Digital Commons Network^™

Multi-Ancestry Genome-Wide Association Meta-Analysis Of Buprenorphine Treatment Response, Christal N Davis, Yousef Khan, Richard C Crist, Rachel Vickers-Smith, Emily E Hartwell, Joel Gelernter, Kyle Kampman, Rachel L Kember, Anne Le Moigne, Celine M Laffont, Henry R Kranzler

Epidemiology and Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Although the mu-opioid partial agonist buprenorphine is increasingly being prescribed to treat opioid use disorder, patients' responses to the drug vary and few clinical and no genetic predictors of treatment response have been identified. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of buprenorphine treatment response (defined using urine drug screen results) in 4394 Veterans with opioid use disorder from the VA Million Veteran Program (751 of African-like ancestry [AFR] and 3643 of European-like ancestry [EUR]) and 296 participants from a clinical trial of extended-release buprenorphine (n AFR  = 104, n EUR  = 192). We conducted within-ancestry GWAS in both …

Enhancing Aptv Reliability: A Study Of Design And Operational Efficiencies At An Aluminium Manufacturing Company, Mohammad Tayeb Alawadhi

Theses

This paper aims to focus on enhancing the reliability of Anode Pallet Transport Vehicles (APTVs) used in Aluminium Manufacturing Company. The primary objective of the project is to establish the causes of failure modes, assess the operational problems, and implement strategies that would prevent, reduce, or minimize the frequency of failure, low equipment utilization, and high maintenance costs. APTV performance analysis involves the use of maintenance logs, operational data, and engineering specifications to obtain the best results. Applying Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), the study highlights the most critical parts causing the largest effect on operations, which include traction …

Optimizing Information Security In Cloud Environments: A Risk Management Approach And Guide For Enterprise Cloud Security, Joshua Olusegun Oyeniyi, Oluwashina Akinloye Oyeniran

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

In recent years, cloud computing has become increasingly integral to organizational operations due to its scalability, accessibility and cost effectiveness in managing data and resources. However, the rise in security threats and attacks on cloud environments necessitates having robust measures in place to protect data confidentiality, integrity and availability. This paper presents an optimized approach to cloud information security management by reviewing the current threat landscape, evaluating key risk management frameworks, and provided practical solutions for enhancing enterprise cloud security. The study examined three leading cloud security frameworks: the Cloud Controls Matrix (CCM) known for its cloud-specific controls, the NIST …

Trade And Domestic Distortions: The Case Of Informality, Rafael Dix-Carneiro, Pinelopi Goldberg, Costas Meghir, Gabriel Ulyssea

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

We examine the effects of international trade in the presence of a set of domestic distortions giving rise to informality, a prevalent phenomenon in developing countries. In our quantitative model, the informal sector arises from burdensome taxes and regulations that are imperfectly enforced by the government. In equilibrium, smaller, less productive firms face fewer distortions than larger, more productive ones, potentially leading to substantial misallocation. We show that in settings with a large informal sector, the gains from trade are significantly amplified, as reductions in trade barriers imply a reallocation of resources from initially less distorted to more distorted firms. …

Charles Bennett V. Bayer Corporation

2025 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Usa V. John Terry

2025 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania

Charles Bennett V. Bayer Corporation

2025 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

Gardner-Webb Interim President Nate Evans Names Athletic Director Emeritus Chuck Burch As Interim Vice President And Director Of Athletics, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Gardner-Webb Interim President Nate Evans has announced that Athletic Director Emeritus Chuck Burch will serve as the interim vice president of Athletics. He fills the role left vacant by Dr. Andrew T. Goodrich, who was recently named director of Athletics at the University of Akron in Ohio.

Dr. Heather Wright Honored With Gardner-Webb President’S Early Career Award, Office Of University Communications

Gardner-Webb NewsCenter Archive

Dr. Heather Wright has received the Gardner-Webb president’s Early Career Award in recognition of her exceptional performance as an assistant professor. The award is presented to faculty members who have completed at least two, but no more than six years in rank at the University.

Front Matter And Table Of Contents

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

No abstract provided.

Naturally Gathered, Kennedy Turnbull

Undergraduate B.F.A. Theses in Studio Art

No abstract provided.

How Extreme Rainfall And Failing Dams Unleashed The Derna Flood Disaster, Ayman Mokhtar Nemnem, Ahad Hasan Tanim, Audrika Nahian, Sadik Khan, Erfan Goharian, Jasim Imran

Faculty Publications

On September 11, 2023, Storm Daniel unleashed unprecedented rainfall over the Wadi Derna watershed, triggering one of the most devastating floods in modern history, striking Derna, a coastal city in Libya. This study reconstructs the disaster using an integrated modeling approach that combines satellite imagery, hydrologic, hydraulic, and geotechnical simulations, machine learning, eyewitness accounts, and digital elevation data to assess the impact of cascading dam failures. Our findings reveal that the region’s dams, even if structurally sound, would have provided minimal protection against the extreme runoff. However, their failure unleashed a destructive surge wave, amplifying the disaster’s magnitude and devastation. …

“I Know What’S Best For My Child”: A Qualitativeanalysis Of Us Cisgender-Heterosexual Andlgbtq Parents’ Perspectives On Inclusiveeducation Policies, Flora Blanchette-Oswald, Izilda Pereira-Jorge, Alexandra Garr-Schultz, Kimberly E. Chaney

Faculty Publications

Diversity education in the K-12 years is a contentious issue in the contemporary US context. Given evidence that parental identity influences beliefs about and support for diversity education, we qualitatively explored cisgender-heterosexual and LGBTQ+ parents’ (N = 609) beliefs about the appropriateness of inclusive educational policies in K-12 classrooms. We collected qualitative data on parental perceptions of inclusive signals in classrooms (e.g., displaying a rainbow flag) and on perceptions of inclusive curriculum (whether children should learn about diversity at school/from teachers or at home/from parents). Parents’ responses reflected variability in support for inclusive signals. Cisgender-heterosexual parents were more likely …

Katy Price, Soprano, In A Graduate Recital, May 6, 2025 [Program], University Of Northern Iowa. School Of Music.

Music Recital Programs

Program of a music recitals given by faculty, students, or guest artists from the School of Music at the University of Northern Iowa.

Safety Net: Hope Amongst The Housing Crisis In Lagos, Nigeria, Mayowa Odunjo

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

Lagos, Nigeria, home to over 22 million people, stands as Africa’s most populous city. The African Giant of Nigeria holds over 260 million people with the workforce falling on the backs of Millennials and Generation Z. On the surface, this could be seen as an advantage; a youthful, energetic labor force that any economy would benefit from. However, in Nigeria, this demographic reality also presents a unique set of challenges that has been exacerbated by inadequate housing, overpopulation, and rapid urbanization.

The housing crisis in Lagos, fueled by failed government support and initiatives along with rapid population growth, leaves many …

Building Bridges: Weaving Culture And Community Through A Museum-Housing Hub In South Downtown Atlanta, Tony Vu

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This thesis explores the architectural potential of a facility that combines a museum and affordable housing, focused on revitalizing South Downtown Atlanta. This historically significant district, rich in African American culture, has faced neglect due to urban sprawl and economic challenges. By addressing the needs of the unhoused population alongside the area’s diminished cultural vibrancy, the design proposes a strategic intervention through urban infill and the adaptive reuse of vacant parking lots. The project envisions an inclusive museum alongside supportive housing and vocational training facilities, aimed at facilitating the reintegration of the unhoused into society while providing affordable housing units …

Echoes Of The Ocean, Carolina Siano Moratt

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

In my exploration of architectural criticism, I have focused on how social institutions and their architectures have failed to address the global health issue of microplastics. My building, located in the Great Pacific Gyre – the site of the largest collection of plastics and microplastics on the planet – is a reflection and a critique of these institutions’ effectiveness, as the typical architecture for these climate action talks (read: sites of global summits and accords) often operate far from the problems they aim to solve and are constrained by the geopolitical regulations of the nation-state.

The site for my project …

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 …

Folk Art As A Catalyst: Unfolding Salvadoran Identity Through Design., Kevin E. Lopez

Bachelor of Architecture Theses - 5th Year

This research explores how folk art can act as a catalyst to revitalize spaces and deepen connections to Salvadoran culture. It examines works of folk art as cultural artifacts that embody Salvadoran identity, revealing their underlying structures, patterns, and meanings. This understanding of form and symbolism within these artistic expressions will serve as a foundation for translating cultural identity into architectural design.

Ideas and experiences can be ephemeral, but through design, these concepts can be translated into architectural forms. Knoespel argued in “Diagrammatic Transformation of Architectural Space” that diagrams conveys architectural information, suggesting that by analyzing an element, new information …

Incorporating African American Spirituals Into Solo Low Brass Repertoire, Shekinah Ball

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The African American spiritual is a sacred folk genre that was created by African American slaves in the 18th century. These songs are the foundation of past and present forms of American Popular Music. Throughout my studies as a classical musician (Euphonium and Trombone), I have not had the opportunity to learn about or play solo literature based on this unique form of American music within traditional music academia. I was first exposed to African American spirituals while studying at Florida A&M University. I joined the choir during the fall semesters, after resigning from the marching band. It was there, …

Holocene Paleofloods And Land-Use Legacies In The Ocoee River Region, Cristina Leschhorn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Human activities have shaped river basins for centuries, significantly impacting river flood dynamics and the watershed's environmental health. This study examined how pre-European settlement land-use changes influenced flood frequency and magnitude on the Ocoee River, spanning the Paleo-Indian period (ca. 10,000 BCE) to the Late Mississippian/Protohistoric period (ca. 1650 CE). By analyzing archaeological evidence and sediment-based flood frequency and magnitude proxies, this study evaluated the effects of evolving land-use practices, from small-scale hunter-gathering to large-scale agriculture, on flood dynamics. While post-European land-use impacts are well-documented, the linear rise in pre-European environmental disruption often goes underrecognized despite its significant role in …

Identification Of Glaucoma Subtypes Using Unsupervised Machine Learning Methods, Asma Poursoroush

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Healthcare is currently in a transitional stage between demonstrating the potential of clustering algorithms in personalized medicine and their widespread adoption. With recent advancements in unsupervised data analysis, clustering methods have become increasingly important in disease subtyping. However, the design, development, optimization, and implementation of automated subtyping systems require further maturity before they can be fully integrated into healthcare systems. This dissertation investigates the application of clustering algorithms in creating automated subtyping systems and highlights the current challenges and limitations that must be addressed to facilitate clinical translation into personalized healthcare. Moreover, K-mean and density-based clustering were used to identify …

May 6, 2025 Ereporter, University Of Alabama At Birmingham

eReporter (campus newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Barriers And Facilitators Of The Implementation Of Mammography Screening In The Brazilian Public Health System: Scoping Review, Danila Cristina Paquier Sala, Oswaldo Yoshimi Tanaka, Reginaldo Adalberto Luz, Alexandre Pazetto Balsanelli, Sonia Isoyama Venancio, Marília Cristina Prado Louvison, Ana A Baumann

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: There are high incidence and mortality rates of breast cancer in Brazil. Brazilian's social and economic disparities, along with complexities of its health system pose challenges to the appropriate implementation of mammography screening as a public policy for the population. In 2015, the Ministry of Health updated the recommendations for the early detection of breast cancer, which had, until then, been based on specialists' consensus, maintaining biennial screening mammography for women aged 50-69 years. However, the screening coverage did not exceed 25% of the expected number of exams for the Brazilian population who use the public health system. The …

Gradient Fibro-Porous Materials For Tailored Sound Absorption, William Johnston, Janith Godakawela, Bhisham Sharma

Michigan Tech Publications

Reducing the pore size of bulk sound absorbers often increases weight and introduces manufacturing challenges, limiting their practical use. To address these issues, a class of materials is introduced that uses 3D printing to seamlessly integrate fibers within porous scaffolds, allowing improved sound absorption performance without a significant weight addition. The reliance on 3D printing enables the creation of gradient fibro-porous structures with customizable acoustic properties. This study explores the effect of through-thickness gradients in the scaffold’s relative density, fiber thickness, and fiber density on the acoustical performance with the goal of identifying the optimal strategy to obtain broader and …

Understanding Loss Of Beta-Cell Identity And Progression Of Diabetes In Polygenic Mouse Models Of T2dm, Sumitkumar Patel

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) is caused by the complex interaction of multiple genes and environmental factors. T2DM is characterized by hyperglycemia, insulin resistance in peripheral tissues and impaired insulin secretion by the pancreas. While the decline in insulin production and secretion was previously attributed to apoptosis of insulin-producing β-cells, recent studies indicate that β cell apoptosis rates are relatively low in diabetes. In this dissertation, I investigated β-cell failure in diabetes using KK and KKAy mouse models of polygenic T2DM, which spontaneously develop hyperglycemia, glucose intolerance, glucosuria, impaired insulin secretion and insulin resistance. I found that β-cell failure in KK …

Characterizing Piezo1 Mechanotransduction In Articular Chondrocytes, Jaquelin Marlen Garcia Castorena

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common degenerative joint disease, affecting more than 350 million people worldwide. Along with inflammation and pain, a hallmark of OA is the degradation of articular cartilage (AC), an avascular and aneural tissue that coats and facilitates the bending of diarthrodial joints. AC withstands millions of cyclic mechanical loads annually, and chondrocytes, the only resident cells in the tissue, sense these loads through mechanically gated ion channels, including Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 4 (TRPV4), PIEZO1 and PIEZO2. PIEZO1 is a highly expressed calcium ion channel in chondrocytes that can be activated through mechanical loading or chemically …

Investigating The Roles Of Sox10 And Etv4 In Melanocyte And Melanoma Development, Catherine Marie Newsom-Stewart

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The neural crest is a transient, multipotent cell population unique to vertebrates that gives rise to diverse lineages, including craniofacial cartilage, peripheral neurons, glia, and pigment-producing melanocytes. Proper specification and differentiation of neural crest derivatives are orchestrated by tightly regulated gene regulatory networks, and disruption of these developmental programs can lead to congenital disorders and malignancies. Melanocytes, derived from the neural crest, are best known for their role in skin pigmentation but also contribute to homeostasis and specialized functions in the eye, ear, and heart. These cells produce melanin to protect tissues from ultraviolet radiation and oxidative damage, and they …

On Appreciating Evidence, Auke Alesander Montesano Montessori

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

The topic of this dissertation is the kind of understanding or grasping necessary for successfully using something as evidence. I call this kind of grasp “appreciation”. Take the case of a fossil. Intuitively, you can only successfully use a fossil as evidence for the existence of dinosaurs if you appreciate the epistemic link between the fossil and dinosaurs. If you fail to grasp the relevance of the fossil and you think it is just a rock with a funny pattern, you would not be justified to form the belief that dinosaurs once existed based on that fossil. However, what it …

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 …