Digital Commons Network^™

Adsorption Of Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins Using Biochar, Cadianne Chambers

Theses and Dissertations

Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) events involve the proliferation of microalgae which discharge lethal toxins into fresh and brackish water bodies due to anthropogenic and climatic activities. Common examples of HABs include causative organisms such as Cyanobacteria, Pyrodinium bahamense and more. These genera are known to release potent toxins including Microcystins, and Saxitoxins, respectively, which can seriously endanger human and marine health. Ingestion of these toxins can result in several health problems, such as nausea, vomiting, gastroenteritis, skin irritation, liver damage, paralysis, and respiratory arrest. The Great Lakes, Gulf of Maine, Florida’s coasts, Lake Erie, and Lake Okeechobee have all been …

Tac-It An Affective Computing User Interface Design, Andrew Biron

Theses and Dissertations

TAC-IT affective computing user-interface design is an independent computer peripheral that is a tool to be utilized to obtain a user’s self-reported emotional state in real-time. Doctor Rosalind Picard first coined and used the term affective computing in her paper Affective Computing [Picard, R. (1995)]. Affective Computing is defined as the study and development of systems and devices that can recognize, interpret, process, and simulate human affects. It is an interdisciplinary field spanning computer science, psychology, and cognitive science. Since that time, areas of research have expanded exponentially, and areas of interest include how to trigger emotions in a test …

Investigation Of Reproductive Inhibition During Chronic Heat Stress In C. Elegans, Macy Makenna Nielander

Theses and Dissertations

Nearly all organisms experience heterogeneity in environmental conditions that can negatively impact fitness. A common adaptive strategy to reduce the impact of this stress is called facultative diapause, where development and reproduction are temporarily arrested to promote survival. Facultative diapause is characterized by three major criteria, the arrest must be (i) induced by an unfavorable environmental condition, (ii) reversible, and (iii) driven by genetically regulated mechanisms. The aim of this thesis was to determine whether chronic heat-induced inhibition of egg laying in Caenorhabditis elegans represents a novel form of facultative diapause. It was found that the inhibition of egg-laying is …

Machine Learning Methods For Quantification Of Glacier Variations Through Satellite Imagery, Robert D. Breininger

Theses and Dissertations

Glaciers around the world have experienced a trend of recession within the past century. Quantification of glacier variations using satellite imagery is of great interest due to the importance of glaciers as freshwater resources and as indicators of climate change. The potential methods to quantify glacier variations with increasing complexity include detecting the terminus location, quantifying the glacier surface area, and measuring glacier volume. Although there are methods in literature designed purposefully for glacier area segmentation that have achieved acceptable results, they are often localized to the region where their training data were acquired and further rely on training sets …

Heterogeneous Collaborative Robotics: Multi-Robot Navigation In Dynamic Environments, Tyler Nicholas Raettig

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract: The challenges of multi-robot navigation in dynamic environments, focusing on uncertainties in obstacle complexities, partial observation, and the transition of policies from simulations to the real world. The proposed approach utilizes a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework enabling a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-equipped robot to communicate with a camera-equipped robot to achieve optimal paths despite their different sensors. The key contributions include the development of a cooperative architecture for information exchange between robots, a DRL-based framework for learning navigation policies, and a training mechanism based on dynamic randomization for enhanced real-world adaptability. Experimental validation using Gazebo simulations demonstrates …

Patterns Of Interactions In Human-Machine Teams, Kazuhiko Momose

Theses and Dissertations

Increasingly capable machines, including Artificial Intelligence (AI) agents are playing a more important role in a wide range of applications, including human daily activities and safety-critical systems. They can benefit even more when humans and such machines agents work together as a team by leveraging each other's strengths and complementing each other to enhance overall performance. To design high-performing teams, it is critical to analyze the team dynamics and understand how humans and machines interact with each other. Collaboration, Coordination, and Cooperation (3Cs) are terms typically used to describe the behavior of teams. However, these terms tend to be used …

Theoretical Advancements In Hawkes Processes And Their Practical Applications, Xi Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Hawkes self-exciting point processes have been widely used in fields such as seismology, finance and social media analysis. Despite decades of research focusing on these processes, several key aspects remain under-explored. These include broadly applicable methods for model evaluation and selection, intuitive nonparametric inference approaches akin to kernel density estimation for probability density functions, and strategies to enhance the performance of generative point process models in predictive tasks. In this dissertation, first, we extend the time-rescaling theorem, which is traditionally limited to non-terminating processes with complete observations, to accommodate terminating processes and incomplete observations as well. This extension allows for …

Advancing Biofabrication Methodologies To Develop Biomimetic Tissue Scaffolds For Musculoskeletal Applications, Nashaita Yezdi Patrawalla

Theses and Dissertations

Musculoskeletal injuries impose a significant global burden, affecting millions and generating an economic toll exceeding $14 billion. Tissue engineering has gained traction as a promising strategy offering potential for functional restoration of damaged musculoskeletal tissues. This research aims to advance biofabrication techniques for generation of biomimetic tissue scaffolds, by optimizing scaffold design and modulating fabrication process parameters to generate scaffolds for musculoskeletal regeneration with application-specific tailored properties. In this realm, collagen-based biomaterials have been extensively investigated for tendon and ligamentous applications, and in combination with bioceramics incorporated into the collagen framework to produce composite scaffolds that better recapitulate the native …

Mathematical Model For Helically Propagating Spatially Multiplexed Mimo Channels Inside Single Core Optical Fibers, Ibrahim Barka

Theses and Dissertations

It all started when our curiosity was sparked by observing light beams from a Multi-Channel Laser Source precisely coupled into a single-core optical fiber positioned on an optical bench in the lab. The multiplexed light beams, characterized by different spatial azimuthal angles, were guided by the fiber, tracing helical paths and producing a bright central spot with concentric rings depending on the launched angles, a phenomenon we came to call Spatial Domain Multiplexing (SDM). Conventional concepts of hybrid and LP modes couldn’t fully explain the behavior of SDM modes, leading us to the question of the types of field configurations …

Decoding Neural Networks: An Information-Theoretic Guide To Interpretability, Error Analysis And Efficiency, Mackenzie J. Meni

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation addresses critical challenges in neural network design by leveraging entropy-based techniques to improve model efficiency, interpretability, and bias reduction. Focusing on the unique demands of computer vision applications, particularly object detection and classification for real-time systems, this work introduces a series of innovative methods centered on information theory. At the core of these methods is the Probabilistic Explanations of Entropic Knowledge (PEEK) framework, a tool developed to analyze and visualize entropy distributions across feature maps. PEEK offers insights into information flow within neural networks, making it possible to pinpoint layers that contribute meaningfully to decision-making or identify those …

Improving Robustness Of Learning-Based Approaches In Autonomous Systems And Engineering Education, Godwyll Aikins

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation advances the development of robust learning-based approaches across two complementary domains: engineering education and autonomous systems. Through four studies, this research addresses critical challenges in preparing data-proficient engineers and developing reliable autonomous systems that can operate under uncertainty and incomplete information. The engineering education study examines how mechanical and aerospace engineering undergraduates conceptualize and develop data proficiency skills essential for modern engineering practice. Through interviews with 27 students, the research employs the How People Learn framework to analyze student perspectives on information literacy, data interpretation, and computational thinking. The findings inform pedagogical strategies for developing data proficiency in …

The Design And Implementation Of A Modular Tissue Engineering Test Bed To Pursue An Alternate Pathway Of Cell Culture Based Research, Ryley Patrick Griffin

Theses and Dissertations

The development of a Modular Automated Tissue Engineering Test Bed (MATETB) is the next step in the development of cheap and easily available in vitro cell regulatory systems for both academic and industrial purposes. This project outlined the framework and requirements for a device that could automatically regulate and collect data on a cell culture through the manipulation of its liquid environment. From this framework, a prototype was built. The device would fulfill cell culture needs while collecting data automatically and allowing for live viewing and imaging of cells. The device was comprised of a mechanical skeleton (MS), an environmental …

Loss Of Control In General Aviation: An Investigation Into The Mooney M20 And The Full Trimming Tail Design, Trenton Neil Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Loss of Control (LOC) in General Aviation (GA) remains one of the leading causes of aviation accidents, with 94% of all accidents in 2022 occurring in this sector, and 42% attributed directly to LOC [2][3]. This thesis focuses on the Full Trimming Tail (FTT) in Mooney aircraft, hypothesizing that the FTT design significantly increases the likelihood of LOC, particularly during go-arounds and touch-and-go landings. Prior studies have shown that certain trim systems can amplify pitch-up moments following rapid configuration changes, leading to stalls or LOC if not adequately managed by the pilot [23][24][25].

This research utilized a combination of logistic …

End-To-End Learning For A Low-Cost Robotics Arm, Abhishek Chothani

Theses and Dissertations

Robotic manipulation is a cornerstone of automation, with the ultimate goal of developing versatile systems capable of executing a wide range of real-world tasks autonomously. Traditional robotics approaches, while reliable and widely adopted in industrial settings, often struggle with adaptability, perception, and dynamic task execution. This thesis explores the evolution from classical robotics techniques to modern learning-based approaches, leveraging advancements in artificial intelligence to overcome these limitations.

Initially, the thesis presents a pick-and-place pipeline built using the Drake robotics framework and the KUKA iiwa robotic arm. This system employs a pseudoinverse controller for inverse kinematics to perform structured tasks like …

Immediate Effect Of Local Vibration On Motor Unit Firing Behavior And Muscle Strength In Healthy Young Adult Males, Yuichi Nishikawa, Aleš Holobar, Kohei Watanabe, Toshihiko Komatsuzaki, Takanori Chihara, Jiro Sakamoto, Takashi Kawagoe, Hidetaka Nagayasu, Kyoko Mori, Kenji Kawano, Noriaki Maeda, Shinobu Tanaka, Allison S. Hyngstrom

Physical Therapy Faculty Research and Publications

Purpose

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of vibration on motor unit (MU) firing behavior and physical performance of antagonist muscles in healthy young adult males.

Methods

Fourteen males (age = 24.3 ± 3.6 years) were included in this study. There were two conditions, one in which participants received 80 Hz vibration in the distal tendon of the hamstring for 30 s and the control condition (no vibration). High-density surface electromyography (HD-SEMG) signals and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of knee extensor muscles were evaluated before and after the respective conditions and recorded from the vastus lateralis …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Barriers, Facilitators And Best Practices For Implementing Environmental Sustainability Standards And Reducing Food Waste In Veterans Affairs Hospitals, Bethany D Williams, Stephanie Jilcott Pitts, Stephen J Onufrak, Emma Sirois, Anne Utech, Michelle Wood, Jessi Silverman, Funke Ajenikoko, Meghan Murphy, Amy Lowry Warnock

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

BACKGROUND: To improve the healthfulness of foods offered while accelerating the use of environmental sustainability practices, it is important to engage hospital food service operators in the adoption of such practices. The purpose of this study was to explore barriers, facilitators and best practices for implementing environmental sustainability standards in food service among veterans affairs (VA) hospitals in the United States.

METHODS: We conducted an online survey with 14 VA hospital food service directors and then 11 qualitative interviews. The survey assessed motivations for initiating sustainability standards and included a self-rating of implementation for each of five standards: increasing plant-forward …

Assessing Prescribing Trends And Pharmacist Role In Optimization Of Iv Iron Sucrose, Katherine Fernandez, Erika Dittmar, Heidi Clarke, Stephanie Palma, Jonathan Kline

Nursing & Health Sciences Research Journal

Background: Iron deficiency can occur in the presence or absence of anemia and is defined as ferritin less than 15–30 μg/L or transferrin saturation less than 20% per the American Society of Hematology guidelines. Intravenous (IV) iron is used to treat iron deficiency when oral iron supplements are ineffective or not tolerated due to gastrointestinal issues or inability to take medications orally. Intravenous iron allows for more rapid replenishment of iron stores, especially in cases where absorption is compromised. There is no significant difference in efficacy between IV iron formulations, making cost-effectiveness a crucial consideration in product selection. Our health …

Evaluation Of A Non-Metallic Dual-Port Expander For Intensity Modulated Proton Therapy, Kristen Mcconnell, Zachary Fellows, James Kraus, Mauricio Acosta, Joseph Panoff, Eduardo Pons, Alonso Gutierrez, Andrew Wroe

All Publications

Purpose: To provide a methodology for characterization of the technical properties of a newly developed non-metallic tissue expander for intensity modulated proton therapy.

Methods: Three tissue expanders (AlloX2-Pro: plastic-dual port, AlloX2: metal-dual port, and Dermaspan: metal-single port) were deconstructed, CT-scanned, and modeled in RayStation12A. A 165 MeV single spot was used to create RayStation dose planes, and the integrated depth dose profiles were calculated and the DR90 extracted to predict water equivalent thickness (WET). These predictions were compared to measurements taken with an IBA Giraffe MLIC. Native, water, and fully modelled overrides were compared for the AlloX2 Pro to quantify …

Development And Validation Of A Prechiasmatic Mouse Model Of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage To Measure Long-Term Cognitive Deficits, Deepti Diwan, Jogender Mehla, James W Nelson, James D Quirk, Sheng-Kwei Song, Sarah Cao, Benjamin Meron, Aminah Mostofa, Gregory J Zipfel

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Controllable and reproducible animal models of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) are crucial for the systematic study of the pathophysiology and treatment of this debilitating condition. However, current animal models have not been successful in replicating the pathology and disabilities seen in SAH patients, especially the long-term neurocognitive deficits that affect the survivor's quality of life. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop experimental models that reliably replicate the long-term clinical ramifications of SAH - especially in mice where genetic manipulations are straightforward and readily available. To address this need, a standardized mouse SAH model is developed that reproducibly produced …

Dysfunctional Alpha Modulation As A Mechanism Of Working Memory Impairment In Serious Mental Illness, Molly A Erickson, Megan A Boudewyn, Kurt Winsler, Charlotte Li, Deanna M Barch, Cameron S Carter, Michael J Frank, James M Gold, Angus W Macdonald 3rd, John D Ragland, Steven M Silverstein, Andrew Yonelinas, Steven J Luck

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: People with psychosis and mood disorders experience disruptions in working memory; however, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. We focused on 2 potential mechanisms: poor attentional engagement should be associated with elevated levels of prestimulus alpha-band activity within the electroencephalogram (EEG), whereas impaired working memory encoding should be associated with reduced poststimulus alpha suppression.

METHODS: We collected EEG data from 68 people with schizophrenia, 43 people with bipolar disorder with a history of psychosis, 53 people with major depressive disorder, and 90 healthy comparison subjects while they completed a spatial working memory task. We quantified attention lapsing, memory precision, and …

Pedicle Screw Placement In The Cervical Vertebrae Using Augmented Reality-Head Mounted Displays: A Cadaveric Proof-Of-Concept Study, Miguel A Ruiz-Cardozo, Karma Barot, Samuel Brehm, Tim Bui, Karan Joseph, Michael Ryan Kann, Gabriel Trevino, Michael Olufawo, Som Singh, Alexander T Yahanda, Alexander Perdomo-Pantoja, Magalie Cadieux, Camilo A Molina, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: The accurate and safe positioning of cervical pedicle screws is crucial. While augmented reality (AR) use in spine surgery has previously demonstrated clinical utility in the thoracolumbar spine, its technical feasibility in the cervical spine remains less explored.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to assess the precision and safety of AR-assisted pedicle screw placement in the cervical spine.

STUDY DESIGN: In this experimental study, 5 cadaveric cervical spine models were instrumented from C3 to C7 by 5 different spine surgeons. The navigation accuracy and clinical screw accuracy were evaluated.

METHODS: Postprocedural CT scans were evaluated for clinical …

Tachlīlu Mushthalachāt Al-Ashami Fi Al-Mawāqi’ Al-Iliktarunī As-Sahmī Al-‘Arabiyyati ‘Ala Asāsi Murfusimantīk, Nadal Badi', Kholisin Kholisin, Ahsanuddin Mohammad

Al-Arabi: Journal of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language

This research aims to describe the stock terms in the Arabic stock websites based on Morphosemantic. Morphosmantic here is a theory of semantics that consists of analyzing morphology and semantics. The researcher used a qualitative descriptive research

Ta'tsir Al-Wasilah As-Sam'iyyah Al-Bashariyyah Fi Ta'allum Maharah Al-Istima' Li Al-Lughah Al-'Arabiyyah 'Ala Mukhtalif Al-Mustawayat., Ali Farhan, Asep Sopian

Al-Arabi: Journal of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language

This study aims to identify the general trends in the impact of audio-visual media. The research examines the effects of audio-visual media on listening skills and motivation in Arabic language learning, considering educational levels, research design,

Atsar At-Ta’Allum Al-Qa`Im ‘Ala Al-Maham Min Khilali Tashmimi Al-Mulshaq Ar-Raqmi ‘Ala Musyarakati Ath-Thullabi Fi Ta’Limi Maharati Al-Kitabati Bi Madrasati “Pembangunan” Al-Mutawassithah Al-Islamiyyah, Sanja Dimyati

Al-Arabi: Journal of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language

Low student engagement in learning Arabic writing skills is often overlooked, especially in traditional teaching methods that fail to actively involve students. This leads to lack of practice, low motivation, and limited student participation, which hi

Cannabidiol Prescribing In The United States: An Analysis Of Real-World Data, Binx Yezhe Lin, Chloe Lessard, Yifan Li, Lisa Gong, Ruth Ling, Pallawi Jyotsana, Jacob Steinle, Jacob T Borodovsky, Fábio A Nascimento, Kevin Y Xu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Off-label prescribing of Epidiolex® (pharmaceutical cannabidiol) comes with both potential benefits and risks for patients. The aims of this study were to: (1) identify the percentage of people prescribed Epidiolex® who do not have diagnostic indications for Epidiolex® (Lennox Gastaut Syndrome [LGS], Dravet Syndrome [DS], and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex [TSC]) and (2) examine potential co-prescribing of medications that may interact with Epidiolex®.

METHOD: Using TriNetX analytics, a web-based database of de-identified electronic health records spanning >110 million people in the United States, we analyzed 4214 people receiving Epidiolex® in 2022. We computed the number of people prescribed Epidiolex® who …

Emergent Microenvironments Of Nucleoli, Matthew R King, Kiersten M Ruff, Rohit V Pappu

2020-Current year OA Pubs

In higher eukaryotes, the nucleolus harbors at least three sub-phases that facilitate multiple functionalities including ribosome biogenesis. The three prominent coexisting sub-phases are the fibrillar center (FC), the dense fibrillar component (DFC), and the granular component (GC). Here, we review recent efforts in profiling sub-phase compositions that shed light on the types of physicochemical properties that emerge from compositional biases and territorial organization of specific types of macromolecules. We highlight roles played by molecular grammars which refers to protein sequence features including the substrate binding domains, the sequence features of intrinsically disordered regions, and the multivalence of these distinct types …

A Comparison Of The 2022 Versus 2011 National Institute Of Child Health And Human Development Web-Based Risk Estimator For Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Mitchell Kinkor, Jake Schneider, Farhath Sulthana, Janelle Noel-Macdonnell, Alain Cuna

Student Publications

Objective

To compare the predictive accuracy of the 2022 vs 2011 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development estimator for identifying infants at high risk for bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD).

Methods

We conducted a single-center retrospective study of infants ≤28 weeks' gestation. Demographic and respiratory support data were used to calculate risk for BPD or death by the BPD estimators. Our outcomes of interest included (1) treatment with systemic steroids for BPD and (2) composite outcome of death or highest severity of BPD at 36 weeks’ postmenstrual age. We used c-statistics and area under receiver operator characteristic curves (AUC) to …

Implementing And Assessing Climate Change Education In A Pediatrics Residency Curriculum, Mark Mcshane, Shelley Kumar, Linessa Zuniga

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Background For physicians to effectively combat the growing health crisis that is climate change, they should begin learning during medical training about its health implications. However, there is little data on residents' knowledge of the climate crisis, and even less data regarding the effectiveness and acceptability of climate change education in graduate medical training programs. Objective To incorporate a new educational session on the health implications of climate change into a residency curriculum and evaluate the acceptability of the session and its effects on residents' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of the topic.

Methods In July 2021, a 90-minute, interactive, small-group …

Contesting And Controlling Abortion In China’S Courts, Molly Bodurtha, Benjamin L. Liebman, Li Chenquian, Xiaohan Wu

Faculty Scholarship

The decision of the United States Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization has brought renewed global attention to how legal systems protect and restrict women’s reproductive autonomy. Central themes have included how the rollback of reproductive rights in the United States coincides with the judiciary’s embrace of a broader “jurisprudence of masculinity” and the relationship between abortion restrictions and authoritarianism, as multiple countries have enacted restrictive measures while undergoing democratic backsliding.

Yet, the scholarly conversation on abortion, democracy, and how courts reflect and entrench gender disparities entirely omits China — the largest authoritarian state and a country …

Framing Indian Federalism, Madhav Khosla

Faculty Scholarship

This article focuses on a set of historical and contemporary developments in Indian constitutionalism that implicate the question of democracy and the question of federalism. Its goal is to connect the design and application of federal powers with what many regard as an important telos of federalism, namely, the promotion of democracy. Towards this end, it holds up for consideration India’s federal model, which, it is suggested, focuses on the presence of a subnational demos rather than the political identity of subnational units. Such an understanding of federalism de-emphasizes the territorial aspect of federalism and allows federal design to accommodate …