Digital Commons Network^™

Clark Tailings Consolidated Waste Management Area (Ctcwma) Site Investigation Draft Data Summary Report 2019 Surface Water, Groundwater Seep, And Soil Characterization 2021-2023 Surface Water And Groundwater Seep Evaluation 2023 Waterloo Aps Soil And Groundwater Evaluation, Woodard & Curran

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report Butte Treatment Lagoon System – First Quarter 2023, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Low-Cycle Fatigue Fracture Of Longitudinal Reinforcing Steel Bars On The Seismic Performance Of Reinforced Concrete Bridge Piers, Yu-Fu Ko, Jessica Gonzalez

Mineta Transportation Institute

Earthquakes, which can cause tremendous local stress and strain on infrastructure, can cause reinforced concrete (RC) bridges to collapse due to the concrete cracking and fracture of the steel reinforcement rebars. The fracture of longitudinal reinforcing steel due to low-cycle fatigue is one of the main causes of failure in RC structures under earthquake loading. The purpose of this research is to include the effects of low-cycle fatigue fracture of longitudinal reinforcing steel bars on the seismic performance of reinforced concrete bridge piers. To obtain a greater understanding of low-cycle fatigue failure of steel reinforcement of RC bridge piers subjected …

Artificial Intelligence For Pedestrian And Bicyclist Safety: Using Ai To Detect Near-Miss Collisions, Mohammad Pourhomayoun

Mineta Transportation Institute

Near-Miss Collisions are events that, with a slight change in position or timing, could have resulted in a collision, which could have caused severe injury or property damage. Understanding near-miss collisions can help identify risks and potentially improve road safety. In this project, we developed an effective end-to-end system based on advanced artificial intelligence (AI) models and computer vision algorithms to detect and report near-miss collisions as an important indicator to identify and measure safety risks, especially in specific circumstances such as a right turn on a red light. The main objective is to improve the safety of pedestrians and …

Measurement And Prediction Of Transit System Performance Using Probe Data Generated Through Dsrc And Non-Dsrc Technologies, Gregory L. Newmark

Mineta Transportation Institute

This research explores the application of two different probe data standards to transit performance measurement. The first section chronicles the proposed and implemented transit uses of dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) technologies during the two decades between the standard’s emergence and its announced sunset. The research finds that, despite proposed applications across safety, operation, and information domains, DSRC never became embedded in transit operations. By contrast, the general transit feed specification (GTFS) standard with its real-time (RT) extension has been widely embraced and offers the potential to use the associated VehiclePosition messages as probe data to generate detailed transit performance metrics. …

Feasibility Of Interdisciplinary Evaluation In Non-Arthritic Hip Pain: A Randomized Trial, Sarah Depp, Lindsey Brown, Catherine Quatman-Yates, Randi Foraker, Emily S Patterson, W Kelton Vasileff, Stephanie Di Stasi

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Physical therapy and orthopaedic surgery are two common treatments for non-arthritic hip pain. Interdisciplinary evaluation across these disciplines may produce a more supportive treatment-planning process; however, the feasibility of such an evaluation remains unknown.

HYPOTHESIS OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of an interdisciplinary evaluation with an orthopaedic surgeon and physical therapist for non-arthritic hip pain.

STUDY DESIGN: Observational feasibility study of a randomized controlled trial.

METHODS: Participants were randomized to an interdisciplinary (surgeon + physical therapist) or standard (surgeon) evaluation in a hip preservation clinic. Recruitment rate was recorded. Retention rate was calculated for all variables of interest. Enrollment …

Proteome-Wide Genetic Investigation Of Large Artery Stiffness, Marie-Joe Dib, Ali Javaheri, Douglas L Mann, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The molecular mechanisms contributing to large artery stiffness (LAS) are not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between circulating plasma proteins and LAS using complementary proteomic and genomic analyses. A total of 106 proteins associated with carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity, a noninvasive measure of LAS, were identified in 1,178 individuals from the Asklepios study cohort. Mendelian randomization analyses revealed causal effects of 13 genetically predicted plasma proteins on pulse pressure, including cartilage intermediate layer protein-2, high-temperature requirement A serine peptidase-1, and neuronal growth factor-1. These findings suggest potential novel therapeutic targets to reduce LAS and …

Early Detection Of Malignant And Premalignant Peripheral Nerve Tumors Using Cell-Free Dna Fragmentomics, R Taylor Sundby, Paul A Jones, Divya Srihari, Amy E Armstrong, Stacey Chamberlain, Sanita Burgic, Kara Weekley, John S A Chrisinger, Angela C Hirbe, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: Early detection of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)-associated peripheral nerve sheath tumors (PNST) informs clinical decision-making, enabling early definitive treatment and potentially averting deadly outcomes. In this study, we describe a cell-free DNA (cfDNA) fragmentomic approach that distinguishes nonmalignant, premalignant, and malignant forms of PNST in the cancer predisposition syndrome, NF1.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: cfDNA was isolated from plasma samples of a novel cohort of 101 patients with NF1 and 21 healthy controls and underwent whole-genome sequencing. We investigated diagnosis-specific signatures of copy-number alterations with in silico size selection as well as fragment profiles. Fragmentomics were analyzed using complementary feature types: …

Sequential Early-Life Viral Infections Modulate The Microbiota And Adaptive Immune Responses To Systemic And Mucosal Vaccination, Yuhao Li, Jerome M. Molleston, Crystal Lovato, Jasmine Wright, Isabel Erickson, Duyen Bui, Andrew H. Kim, Harshad Ingle, Somya Aggarwal, Lila S Nolan, Ahmed O. Hassan, Lynne Foster, Michael S. Diamond, Megan T. Baldridge

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Increasing evidence points to the microbial exposome as a critical factor in maturing and shaping the host immune system, thereby influencing responses to immune challenges such as infections or vaccines. To investigate the effect of early-life viral exposures on immune development and vaccine responses, we inoculated mice with six distinct viral pathogens in sequence beginning in the neonatal period, and then evaluated their immune signatures before and after intramuscular or intranasal vaccination against SARS-CoV-2. Sequential viral infection drove profound changes in all aspects of the immune system, including increasing circulating leukocytes, altering innate and adaptive immune cell lineages in tissues, …

Evaluating The Interaction Between Hemorrhagic Transformation And Cerebral Edema On Functional Outcome After Ischemic Stroke, Amrit Avula, Quoc Bui, Atul Kumar, Yasheng Chen, Ali Hamzehloo, Julien Cifarelli, Laura Heitsch, Agnieszka Slowik, Daniel Strbian, Jin-Moo Lee, Rajat Dhar

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Hemorrhagic transformation (HT) and cerebral edema (CED) are both major complications following ischemic stroke, but few studies have evaluated their overlap. We evaluated the frequency and predictors of CED/HT overlap and whether their co-occurrence impacts functional outcome more than each in isolation.

METHODS: 892 stroke patients enrolled in a prospective study had follow-up CT imaging evaluated for HT and CED; the latter was quantified using the ratio of hemispheric CSF volumes (with hemispheric CSF ratio < 0.90 used as the CED threshold). The interaction between HT and CED on functional outcome (using modified Rankin Scale at 3 months) was compared to that for each condition separately.

RESULTS: Among the 275 (31%) who developed HT, 233 (85%) manifested hemispheric CSF ratio < 0.9 (CED/HT), with this overlap group representing half of the 475 with measurable CED. Higher baseline NIHSS scores and larger infarct volumes were observed in the CED/HT group compared with those with CED or HT alone. Functional outcome was worse in those with CED/HT [median mRS 3 (IQR 2-5)] than those with CED [median 2 (IQR 1-4)] or HT alone [median 1 (IQR 0-2), p < 0.0001]. Overlap of CED/HT independently predicted worse outcome [OR 1.89 (95% CI: 1.12-3.18), p = 0.02] while HT did not; however, CED/HT was no longer associated with worse outcome after adjusting for severity of CED [adjusted OR 0.35 (95% CI: 0.23, 0.51) per 0.21 lower hemispheric CSF ratio, p < 0.001].

CONCLUSIONS: Most stroke patients with HT also have measurable CED. …

Generation Of An Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Line (Biortci001-A) From A Healthy Adult Indigenous Nigerian Participant, Zaid Muhammad, Phoebe W Brown, Larema Babazau, Abdulrahman I Alkhamis, Baba W Goni, Haruna A Nggada, Kefas M Mbaya, Selina Wray, Isa H Marte, Celeste M Karch, Louise C Serpell, Mahmoud B Maina

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Genetic backgrounds influence cellular phenotypes, drug responses, and health outcomes, yet most human iPSC lines are derived from individuals of European descent, with lines from indigenous Africans particularly scarce. Addressing this gap, we generated iPSCs from dermal fibroblasts of a healthy 60-year-old indigenous Nigerian male of the Babur ethnic group using Sendai virus. The iPSC line displayed a normal karyotype, was characterized for pluripotency markers and differentiated into neural progenitor cells and astrocytes. To enhance African representation in research, this iPSC line will be available to the scientific community, with ongoing efforts focused on creating an open-access African iPSC biobank. …

Western Diet Reduces Small Intestinal Intraepithelial Lymphocytes Via Fxr-Interferon Pathway, Chen-Ting Hung, Changqing Ma, Santosh K Panda, Tihana Trsan, Miki Hodel, Jennifer Frein, Amanda Foster, Shengxiang Sun, Hung-Ting Wu, Justin Kern, Richa Mishra, Umang Jain, Marco Colonna, Ta-Chiang Liu, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The prevalence of obesity in the United States has continued to increase over the past several decades. Understanding how diet-induced obesity modulates mucosal immunity is of clinical relevance. We previously showed that consumption of a high fat, high sugar "Western" diet (WD) reduces the density and function of small intestinal Paneth cells, a small intestinal epithelial cell type with innate immune function. We hypothesized that obesity could also result in repressed gut adaptive immunity. Using small intestinal intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) as a readout, we found that in non-inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) subjects, high body mass index correlated with reduced IEL …

Metabolically Active Neutrophils Represent A Permissive Niche For Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, J Tucker Andrews, G V R Krishna Prasad, Jennifer A Philips, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb)-infected neutrophils are often found in the airways of patients with active tuberculosis (TB), and excessive recruitment of neutrophils to the lung is linked to increased bacterial burden and aggravated pathology in TB. The basis for the permissiveness of neutrophils for Mtb and the ability to be pathogenic in TB has been elusive. Here, we identified metabolic and functional features of neutrophils that contribute to their permissiveness in Mtb infection. Using single-cell metabolic and transcriptional analyses, we found that neutrophils in the Mtb-infected lung displayed elevated mitochondrial metabolism, which was largely attributed to the induction of activated neutrophils …

How To Impeach A Verdict: A Response To Melanie C. Regis, Cynara Hermes Mcquillan

Scholarly Works

No abstract provided.

Dipl 3104 Public International Law, Philip Moremen Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course explores the nature and content of the law governing relations between states and relations between states and non-state actors. The first part of the course examines the building blocks of international law; the second part applies this knowledge to particular topics, such as the use of force, human rights and international humanitarian law. By the end of the course, students will possess an understanding of the operation of the international legal system and the role of international law in international affairs.

Students will also develop their critical thinking skills and gain an introduction to legal reasoning and to …

Dipl 6104 Aa The Art And Science Of Negotiation, Zheng Wang Phd

Diplomacy Syllabi

The ability to negotiate and manage conflicts effectively has become an essential skill in international diplomacy, as well as in our organizational and personal settings. Negotiation is the art and science of securing an agreement between two or more independent parties. This course is an introduction to the wide variety of approaches to the analysis and practice of negotiation and is intended to provide a solid foundation for further inquiry and application. Students will learn the history of thinking about negotiation, frameworks for analyzing negotiation, and the roles of various factors (influences and contexts, tactics and strategies) on the negotiation …

Dipl 4108 International Political Economy, Robert Shaver Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course is a comprehensive introduction to the study of international political economy (IPE). Over the course of the semester, we will take an interdisciplinary approach to examine IPE theory, history, trade, development, multinational corporations, the international monetary system, and finance. Primary source readings are paired with the textbook so that students may understand ideas in their original formulation.

Dipl 6310 Research Methods For Policy Analysis, Martin S. Edwards Phd

Diplomacy Syllabi

This class is intended to accomplish two goals. First, this is a class for you to develop tools to pose questions and answer them in a social scientific fashion. Second, as this class is an essential prerequisite to DIPL 6311, you will finish this class having developed a template for that project.

To accomplish this first goal, we will spend the bulk of class time on understanding both qualitative and quantitative research. The second goal is one of application, as you will use insights picked up throughout the class to produce a research design of your own for use in …

Administrators And Teachers' Experiences With Trauma Training And Trauma Informed Care, Pamala Patterson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Trauma problems have made an impression on school systems in the United States, and parents, students, administrators, and teachers pose concerns in the community and schools. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of administrators and teachers on trauma training and the implementation of trauma-informed care. This qualitative method was hermeneutical-phenomenological and centered on the lived experiences of this population. The researcher analyzed individual interviews of 11 educators identified as administrators and teachers. The results indicated that this population was disadvantaged by the trauma training they received in their ability to provide trauma-informed care. Three themes …

The Narrative Inquiries Of How Community School Directors Implement Servant Leadership At Full-Service Community Schools In New York City, Stephen R. Campbell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Children and their families face increased barriers to accessing programs in low-income communities. In response to this concern, community schools employ community school directors (CSDs) who connect students and families with essential services across organizational boundaries. This study was designed to provide insight into the leadership characteristics of the CSD as a servant leader by determining if they engage with any of the 10 servant leadership qualities described by Spears (2010). There is limited research on the leadership practices of CSDs in low socioeconomic status areas. It is therefore necessary to conduct research on how CSDs foster collaboration between schools …

Superintendents’ Perceptions Of Strategies For Implementing Social Justice Leadership For Diverse Student Populations, Stefani Mcdade Morrow

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore superintendents’ perceptions of implementing social justice leadership strategies within their K-12 school systems. The study sought to identify how superintendents leveraged the components of social justice leadership in the pursuit of equity for diverse student populations. The researcher conducted the study using interpretive phenomenological analysis methodology to examine the lived experiences of eight Texas superintendents with experience leading equity-focused agendas in their respective districts. The study’s participants included superintendents with experience ranging from 18 months to 16 years, representing districts from small rural areas to major suburban regions. Each participant engaged …

Rehabilitation Transition Program To Improve Community Participation Among Stroke Survivors: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Rebecca M Bollinger, Melissa J Krauss, Emily K Somerville, Brianna M Holden, Gabrielle Blenden, Holly Hollingsworth, Audrey A Keleman, Alexandre Carter, Timothy D Mcbride, Abigail R Barker, Yan Yan, Susan L Stark

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Interventions are needed to support the long-term needs of stroke survivors when they transition from inpatient rehabilitation to home, where they face new home and community environmental barriers.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the efficacy of a novel, enhanced rehabilitation transition program with attentional control to improve community participation and activity of daily living (ADL) performance and to reduce environmental barriers in the home and community after stroke.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This phase 2b, parallel randomized clinical trial assessed patients 50 years or older who had experienced an acute ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage, were independent in ADLs before stroke, …

Cranioencephalic Functional Lymphoid Units In Glioblastoma, Celia Dobersalske, Jonathan Kipnis, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The ecosystem of brain tumors is considered immunosuppressed, but our current knowledge may be incomplete. Here we analyzed clinical cell and tissue specimens derived from patients presenting with glioblastoma or nonmalignant intracranial disease to report that the cranial bone (CB) marrow, in juxtaposition to treatment-naive glioblastoma tumors, harbors active lymphoid populations at the time of initial diagnosis. Clinical and anatomical imaging, single-cell molecular and immune cell profiling and quantification of tumor reactivity identified CD8

Cardiovascular Outcomes, Health-Promoting Behaviors, And Social Determinants: Structural Racism And The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, Jaclyn K. Schwartz, Emily A. Kringle, Suzanne Perea Burns, Catherine R. Hoyt, Kelly M. Harris, Sami Tayeb

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Multi-Site Eeg Studies In Early Infancy: Methods To Enhance Data Quality, Abigail Dickinson, John Zempel, Natasha Marrus, John R Pruett Jr, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Brain differences linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can manifest before observable symptoms. Studying these early neural precursors in larger and more diverse cohorts is crucial for advancing our understanding of developmental pathways and potentially facilitating earlier identification. EEG is an ideal tool for investigating early neural differences in ASD, given its scalability and high tolerability in infant populations. In this context, we integrated EEG into an existing multi-site MRI study of infants with a higher familial likelihood of developing ASD. This paper describes the comprehensive protocol established to collect longitudinal, high-density EEG data from infants across five sites as …

Caregiver Wellness After Traumatic Brain Injury (Cg-Well): Protocol For A Randomized Clinical Trial, Natalie Kreitzer, Stephanie Fink, Opeolu Adeoye, Brad Kurowski G, Shari Wade, Heidi Sucharew, Tamilyn Bakas

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: After injury, survivors of moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (msTBI) depend on informal family caregivers. Upwards of 77 % of family caregivers experience poor outcomes, such as adverse life changes, poor health-related quality of life, and increased depressive symptoms. Caregivers frequently report minimal support or training to prepare them for their new role. The majority of previously developed caregiver and caregiver/survivor dyad interventions after msTBI focus on providing information to either survivors only, or to long-term caregivers, rather than to the new caregiver. This manuscript describes the protocol of an ongoing randomized control trial, Caregiver Wellness after TBI …

Post-Transplant Cyclophosphamide-Based Graft-Versus-Host Disease Prophylaxis Attenuates Disparity In Outcomes Between Use Of Matched Or Mismatched Unrelated Donors, Brian C Shaffer, Ramzi Abboud, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSEAccess to allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) remains limited among persons of non-European ancestry if human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching is required. We evaluated whether post-transplant cyclophosphamide (PTCy)-based graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis improved HCT outcomes with HLA-matched unrelated donor (MUD) and mismatched unrelated donor (MMUD) HCT when compared with calcineurin inhibitor (CNI)-based prophylaxis.METHODSThree-year overall survival (OS) and GVHD-free, relapse-free survival (GRFS) were compared between adult recipients undergoing initial MUD or single HLA locus MMUD HCT with either PTCy- or CNI-based prophylaxis who were reported to the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research between 2017 and 2021.RESULTSIncluded were 10,025 …

Body Mass Index And Postacute Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2 Infection In Children And Young Adults, Ting Zhou, Chongliang Luo, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

IMPORTANCE: Obesity is associated with increased severity of COVID-19. Whether obesity is associated with an increased risk of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) among pediatric populations, independent of its association with acute infection severity, is unclear.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the association of body mass index (BMI) status before SARS-CoV-2 infection with pediatric PASC risk, controlling for acute infection severity.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study occurred at 26 US children's hospitals from March 2020 to May 2023 with a minimum follow-up of 179 days. Eligible participants included children and young adults aged 5 to 20 years with …

Leveraging Imitation Learning In Agricultural Robotics: A Comprehensive Survey And Comparative Analysis, Siavash Mahmoudi, Amirreza Davar, Pouya Sohrabipour, Ramesh Bahadur Bist, Yang Tao, Dongyi Wang

Biological and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

Imitation learning (IL), a burgeoning frontier in machine learning, holds immense promise across diverse domains. In recent years, its integration into robotics has sparked significant interest, offering substantial advancements in autonomous control processes. This paper presents an exhaustive insight focusing on the implementation of imitation learning techniques in agricultural robotics. The survey rigorously examines varied research endeavors utilizing imitation learning to address pivotal agricultural challenges. Methodologically, this survey comprehensively investigates multifaceted aspects of imitation learning applications in agricultural robotics. The survey encompasses the identification of agricultural tasks that can potentially be addressed through imitation learning, detailed analysis of specific models …

Practices Affecting Macitentan And Selexipag Patient Persistence Rates Utilizing Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Clinical Site And Patient Perspectives (Persist): A Us Qualitative Analysis, Oksana A Shlobin, Gary Bruce, Gabriela Gomez-Rendon, Martha Kingman, Mohammad Rahman, Frances Rogers, Sean Studer, Tobore Tobore, Colleen Mcevoy

2020-Current year OA Pubs

This real-world study explored factors affecting persistence with macitentan and selexipag treatment from the perspective of 23 healthcare professionals (HCPs) and 134 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension between 2019 and 2022. Continuous patient/HCP communication and education were key drivers of persistence, as were early discussion and management of side effects.