Digital Commons Network^™

Neuromodulation In Olfactory Networks: Inferring Circuit Motifs And Predicting Behavioral Outcomes From Neural Response Changes, Yelyzaveta Bessonova

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Many organisms rely on olfaction to navigate their environment in response to surrounding chemical cues. Within the olfactory system, first, external signals are transduced into neural activity patterns that drive a diverse array of behavioral responses. However, sensory processing alone does not fully account for this variability. Fluctuations in neuromodulator levels are equally critical in shaping how olfactory information is encoded and translated into behavior. The goal of this dissertation is to investigate how changes in the neurochemistry within the olfactory circuit influence neural signaling and, ultimately, behavioral responses. To achieve this, I investigated how three neuromodulators: serotonin, dopamine, and …

Response To Agency Comments Re: Comment Letter For The 2022 Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Groundwater Compliance Evaluation (Dated March 10, 2025), Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Response To Agency Comments Re: Comments On The Draft Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Surface Water Compliance And Interpretation Technical Memorandum (Dated May 12, 2022), Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2020 Through 2024 Surface Water Compliance Evaluation Technical Memorandums Silver Bow Creek Butte Area Npl Site, Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Consent Decree-Civil Action No. Cv 89-039-Bu-She, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

2020 Through 2024 Surface Water Compliance Evaluation Technical Memorandums Silver Bow Creek Butte Area Npl Site, Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Consent Decree-Civil Action No. Cv 89-039-Bu-She, Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Imodmix: Integrative Module Analysis For Multi-Omics Data., Isis Narváez-Bandera, Ashley Lui, Yonatan Ayalew Mekonnen, Vanessa Rubio, Augustine Takyi, Noah Sulman, Christopher Wilson, Hayley D. Ackerman, Oscar E. Ospina, Guillermo Gonzalez-Calderon, Elsa R. Flores, Qian Li, Ann Chen, Brooke L. Fridley, Paul A. Stewart

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

SUMMARY: Integrative Module Analysis for Multi-omics Data (iModMix) is a biology-agnostic framework that enables the discovery of novel associations across any type of quantitative abundance data, including but not limited to transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Instead of relying on pathway annotations or prior biological knowledge, iModMix constructs data-driven modules using graphical lasso to estimate sparse networks from omics features. These modules are summarized into eigenfeatures and correlated across datasets for horizontal integration, while preserving the distinct feature sets and interpretability of each omics type. iModMix operates directly on matrices containing expression or abundances for a wide range of features, including …

On The Misattribution Of Reassurance: A Structural Account, Griselda Poe

Publications and Research

This paper challenges the conventional assumption that empathy generates reassurance in interpersonal services. Reassurance is treated not as an emotion transmitted from the outside, but as an internal state transition that arises when a fixed and erroneous world model—a False Fantasy—undergoes collapse and the world becomes computable again. The study identifies a systematic misattribution pattern where providers and receivers treat empathy as a causal mechanism rather than a post hoc explanatory label. By introducing Base AI as an external reference—a system capable of providing structural information without emotional modulation—this paper demonstrates that reassurance is generated through operations such as distraction …

Trump & Control Of Admin. Agencies: The Firing Of Mspb Member Cathy Harris, Jacob Burns Center For Ethics In The Practice Of Law, Jessica A. Roth, Cathy Harris, Nathaniel Zelinsky

2026 Event Invitations

Former Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) member Cathy Harris will join her attorney, Nathaniel Zelinsky, for a discussion of her lawsuit challenging President Trump’s removal of her from the MSPB. The case tests the limits of presidential control over independent administrative agencies.

The event will be moderated by Professor Jessica Roth.

Pohon Geulis Media As A Literacy Program Innovation To Improve Fifth-Grade Students’ Reading Interest, Ai Tarsiah, Ai Maryati, Annisa Nur Salwa, Kurnia Latipah, Silpa Nabila, Sary Sukawati

Journal of Innovation and Teacher Professionalism

This study aims to describe how the implementation of a reading literacy program using the pohon geulis media enhances students’ reading interest in Grade V at SDN Nangela. The background of this study is the low level of students’ reading interest, which remains a major challenge in the implementation of the School Literacy Movement (Gerakan Literasi Sekolah). The pohon geulis media is a visual and interactive innovation designed in the form of a tree, where students attach “leaves” containing short summaries or brief comments based on the texts they have read. This research employed a quantitative descriptive method, using questionnaires …

Use Of Innovative Methods In The Creation Of Testing And Assessment Materials For Future Computer Science Teachers, Gulzhan Mazhibayeva, Serik Kenesbayev, Salamat Idrissov, Indira Salgozha, Zhanel Akhmetova

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives:This study aims to examine the effectiveness for future computer science teachers of employing innovative methods when creating innovative testing and assessment materials.

Methods:The methodology for this study involved analyzing survey data using statistical methods, such as descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), regression, and factor analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of innovative methods in computer science education. Additionally, this study incorporated virtual labs, learning management systems, interactive quizzes, and artificial intelligence–based assessment tools to enhance learning outcomes and student engagement. We collected survey responses for this study from 56 student participants. We then developed a …

Perspectives Of Efl Teachers Toward The Influence Of Ai Writing Tools On Students' Writing Content And Organization, Nguyen Huu Hoang

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objectives: This study investigated Vietnamese English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ perspectives on the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) writing tools on students’ writing content and organization, examining tool selection patterns and effectiveness relationships through a mixed-methods approach.

Methods: An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed, combining semi-structured interviews and classroom observations with six EFL teachers, followed by a survey of 52 teachers from various Vietnamese universities. Data analysis integrated thematic analysis of qualitative data with correlation and regression analyses of survey responses to examine relationships between usage patterns, institutional factors, and effectiveness ratings.

Results: Teachers strategically combined multiple …

March 6, Cirque Kalabantã© Brings Show "Afrique En Cirque" To Uab's Alys Stephens Center, Shannon Thomason

Browse All News

No abstract provided.

Two Faces Of Mitral Stenosis: Uncovering Structural And Hemodynamic Signatures Of Rheumatic And Mitral Annular Calcification-Induced Disease, Mohammad S. Hashemi, Peter Abdelmaseeh, Atif Nehvi, Gregg S. Pressman, Arash Kheradvar

Einstein Health Papers

BACKGROUND: Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is common and associated with increased cardiovascular risk and, when severe, mitral stenosis (MS). MAC-related MS differs anatomically and hemodynamically from rheumatic MS (RMS), challenging standard diagnostic methods. This study compares structural and flow characteristics, including  kinetic energy losses, across MAC-related MS, RMS, and normal mitral valves, and evaluates the applicability of conventional diagnostic metrics in MAC.

METHODS: Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiographic data sets from 70 patients (22 normal mitral valves, 26 RMS valves, 22 MAC valves) were used to obtain linear, area, and volumetric measurements for valve comparison. Representative valves from each group were converted …

It's About Time! Patient Schedules To Improve Care Team Compliance, Kaylie Pollard-Kedward, Maria Herrera, Megan Hook, Jazmin Butler, Skyler Mankins

2025

No abstract provided.

An Audit Of Endodontic Diagnostic Documentation Compliance Among Undergraduate Dental Students In A Uk Primary Care–Based Dental School., Araz Ahmed, Casper Jonker, Marina Bozic, Ewen Mccoll

Peninsula Dental School

Background: Erroneous pulpal and periapical diagnoses can lead to inappropriate treatment planning, unnecessary procedures, and compromised patient outcomes. While undergraduate endodontic education emphasises history taking, clinical testing and radiographic assessment, less is known about how consistently students document diagnostic conclusions in clinical records.Aim: To evaluate the completeness and compliance of endodontic diagnostic documentation among undergraduate dental students, benchmarked against British Endodontic Society (BES) and European Society of Endodontology (ESE) standards, and to explore trends across different stages of training.Methods: Records of 196 root canal treatments completed by Year 3–5 Bachelor of Dental Surgery students (2022–2024) were reviewed. Audit standards were …

Bate-Papo | Portuguese Language Conversation Hours, Learning Language Center

LAII Events

Come practice your Portuguese language skills and enjoy Brazilian food and culture with friends!

Practicing Archival Sustainability Through Degrowth, Hannah Pryor

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

As archives continue to face threats from global climate disasters and increased institutional pressure to accomplish more with fewer resources, there is a need to evolve archival practice through a sustainability lens. While archival literature has frequently discussed sustainability practices such as eco-friendly building standards, how to reduce energy consumption, and other green initiatives, less focus has been placed on the underlying structures of unsustainability. This article proposes degrowth as one framework for considering archival sustainability. Degrowth is an ecological, economic, and political theory that advocates for the deliberate reduction of activities that rely on non-renewable resources. This article draws …

Proceedings From The Inaugural Conference On The Science Of Cancer Health Equity For Sexual And Gender Minority (Sgm) Communities, Charles S Kamen, Milena E Insalaco, Richard Brown, Chasity Burrows Walters, Shine Chang, Viktor Clark, Jason Domogauer, Lauren V Ghazal, Kelly Haviland, Forrest Hosea, Nelson Sanchez, Matthew B Schabath, Zul Surani, Gwendolyn P Quinn

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Purpose: Sexual and gender minority people (SGM) experience multiple cancer-related disparities, including higher rates of cancer risk factors, lower rates of cancer screening, higher lifetime risk of cancer, and unmet needs throughout cancer survivorship. Although many national organizations, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American Cancer Society (ACS), have emphasized the need for more cancer research among SGM communities, currently no consensus exists about the highest research priorities, promising research models, or mechanisms to support collaboration between geographically dispersed scientific teams.

Methods: To address this gap, we convened a three-day conference to focus on the "Science of Cancer …

Cover Crop Functional Groups Controls Decomposition And Nutrient Release In Conservation Tillage-Based Corn Production Systems, Puja Sapkota

Tennessee State University Alumni Theses and Dissertations

Grass-legume cover crop mixtures are promoted to balance ecosystem services, but predicting their decomposition and nutrient release remains a challenge. A two-year litterbag study investigated the decomposition of cereal rye, crimson clover, their field mixture, and a gradient of biomass proportions in a no-till corn system. Monocultures exhibited a strong functional dichotomy where rye decomposed slowly with a large recalcitrant fraction and clover decomposed rapidly. The field mixture yielded high biomass similar to rye and exhibited intermediate decomposition kinetics. Crucially, analysis of non-additive effects revealed a fundamental decoupling as the residue mass loss showed context-dependent synergistic acceleration but nitrogen release …

Generational Trends In Reproductive Factors Among Women In The Us: Implications For Breast Cancer Incidence, Lin Yang, Adetunji T Toriola

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Reproductive factors are key breast cancer risk factors, yet contemporary generational patterns remain unclear. We aimed to evaluate trends in reproductive factors among US women born between 1910 and 2000.

METHODS: We conducted a serial, cross-sectional analysis of reproductive factors using data from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected between 1999 and 2020. Female participants were grouped by birth cohorts (1910-1930, then by 10-year to 2000). Self-reported data were used to derive age at menarche, prevalence of age at menarche <  12 years, age at natural menopausal, prevalence of first live birth after age 30, and lifetime number of live births.

RESULTS: Data on 28,481 US women were analyzed. From birth cohort 1910-1930 to 1990-2000, the …

Rapid Urinary Lipoarabinomannan Test With Laboratory-Level Sensitivity For Tuberculosis Detection: A Performance Evaluation, Qisheng Jiang, Harisha Ramachandraiah, Carolyn Duncan, Sumanth Gandra, Ige A George, Jingyi Luan, Marcos Perez, Lorraine Lillis, David S Boyle, Scott Crick, Morten Ruhwald, Srikanth Singamaneni

2020-Current year OA Pubs

UNLABELLED: Developing rapid, non-sputum-based tests is a global priority to improve the diagnosis and timely treatment of tuberculosis (TB). In this study, we evaluated the detection limit, precision, stability, and lot-to-lot variation of a next-generation rapid diagnostic test (RDT), the plasmonic fluor (PF)-enhanced urinary lipoarabinomannan lateral flow assay (PF-LAM). We also assessed the diagnostic performance of PF-LAM, Alere Determine TB LAM Ag (AlereLAM), and electrochemiluminescence LAM assay (EclLAM), a highly sensitive laboratory-based test by comparing with microbiology reference standard (MRS) that includes molecular testing (Xpert MTB/RIF) and culture. Two sub-studies were conducted using banked urine samples. First, a preclinical study …

Intercalated Bacterial Biofilms Are Intrinsic Internal Components Of Calcium-Based Kidney Stones, William C Schmidt, Henry L Schreiber, Rachael E S Hammann, Chloe L P Obernuefemann, Karla Bergeron, Aleksandra Klim, Daniel Wong, Kefu Du, Scott J Hultgren, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Calcium oxalate stones comprise greater than 70% of all kidney stones. In the current conceptual framework, the initial stone nidus is thought to include the aggregation of inorganic crystallites, the formation of which is favored by elevated concentrations of dissolved constituents. Here, we show that this highly prevalent stone type comprises a form of organic-inorganic polycrystalline biocomposite with integrated bacterial biofilms. Evidence from electron microscopy and fluorescence microscopy reveal the unanticipated internal structure of kidney stones from human patients, where bacterial biofilms are intercalated between polycrystalline mineral layers, even in stones identified as "noninfectious" clinically, including those in patients without …

Rev-Erb-Alpha And -Beta Coordinately Regulate Astrocyte Reactivity And Proteostatic Function, Collin J Nadarajah, Michelle Y Li, Elsa I Quillin, Kevin Boyer, Julie M Dimitry, Yining Chen, Melvin W King, Ibrahim O Saliu, Jiyeon Lee, Patrick W Sheehan, Albert A Davis, Mitchell A Lazar, Guoyan Zhao, Erik S Musiek

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The molecular circadian clock is a ubiquitous transcriptional-translational feedback loop that regulates CNS function, glial responses, and neurodegenerative pathology. The nuclear receptors REV-ERB-α (

International Students Count Down To Graduation With Uncertainty As The U.S. Revokes Thousands Of Visas, Mackenzie Cameron

Lindenlink (2012- )

No abstract provided.

President Trump & Control Of Administrative Agencies: The Firing Of Mspb Member Cathy Harris, Jacob Burns Center For Ethics In The Practice Of Law, Floersheimer Center For Constitutional Democracy, American Constitutional Society, Cardozo Chapter, Cardozo Labor And Employment Law Society, Cardozo Outlaw

2025–2026 Flyers

Former Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) member Cathy Harris will join her attorney, Nathaniel Zelinsky, for a discussion of her lawsuit challenging President Trump’s removal of her from the MSPB. The case tests the limits of presidential control over independent administrative agencies.

Epidemiology Of Healthcare-Associated Ventriculitis And Meningitis (Hcavm) And Community-Acquired Meningitis/Encephalitis And Evaluation Of An Off-Label Pcr Panel For Hcavm Diagnosis, Jaime Nassur, Katarina Schnell, Christine Dolon, Laura Walters, Devin Weber, Matthew Pettengill

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

Healthcare-associated ventriculitis and meningitis (HCAVM) is associated with high morbidity and mortality, but rapid diagnostic tests intended to cover microorganisms that typically cause HCAVM are not commercially available. We sought to evaluate the etiology of HCAVM compared to community-acquired meningitis/encephalitis (CAME) at our healthcare system, and to study the utility of repurposing a multiplex molecular panel intended for positive blood cultures for HCAVM cases. Our epidemiologic review demonstrated that HCAVM cases were primarily caused by bacteria and fungi also associated with bloodstream infections, in contrast with CAME cases, which were primarily caused by herpesviruses and Cryptococcus. Eighty-two cerebrospinal fluid …

The Business Bankruptcy “Big 3” And The Unanticipated Benefits Of Subchapter V, Marshall V. Ringwood

BYU Law Review

The liberal bankruptcy venue rules in the United States have their defenders and advocates. Subchapter V of the Bankruptcy Code came into effect in 2020, justified as a bipartisan solution to a longstanding problem in corporate bankruptcy where restructuring under Chapter 11 was prohibitively expensive for small-business debtors. On June 21, 2024, Subchapter V’s extended debt limit of $7,500,000 in liabilities reverted back to a statutorily defined $3,024,725. In addition to the justifications offered by organizations such as the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) for both Subchapter V, generally, and a permanent increase to its debt limit, I argue that Subchapter …

Chronic Facial Abscess Mimicking Cervicofacial Actinomyces From Dermal Filler Migration: Case Report, Monika Ziogaite, Sarah Mannlein, Nicole Bender, Scott J. Mahlberg

Student Publications

Dermal fillers are commonly used for facial augmentation, but delayed complications such as granulomatous inflammation and filler migration can mimic chronic bacterial infections, such as cervicofacial actinomycosis, and lead to diagnostic misdirection. We present the case of a woman aged 56 years with a chronic, draining abscess on the right cheek that persisted for 3 years and was initially suspected to represent cervicofacial actinomycosis. Tissue cultures were negative, and histopathologic analysis following excisional biopsy revealed polymethyl methacrylate microspheres and hyaluronic acid surrounded by granulomatous inflammation and reactive lymphoid aggregates, consistent with a foreign body reaction to dermal filler. The patient …

A Retrospective Analysis Of Extended Hospital Stays In Patients With Pneumonia And Diabetic Comorbidities In A Rural Midwestern Area, Shlok Rathi, Abbigail Niewchas, Max Balla, Brendan Lamboglia, Mariam Akhtar, Nova Beyersdorfer, Kerry Johnson, John Paulson

Student Publications

Pneumonia is one of the leading causes of hospitalization in the United States, resulting in many hospitalizations and deaths per year. Diabetes is an often-concurrent diagnosis that affects a large population. There is little research regarding the relationship between diabetes and the length of stay for patients hospitalized with pneumonia. This retrospective study aims to analyze whether the presence of diabetes mellitus in patients diagnosed with pneumonia increases the length of stay. Electronic medical records (EMR) from Freeman Health System in Southwest Missouri were utilized to analyze this relationship. Results of this study demonstrated that, in patients diagnosed with diabetes …

Patient-Specific Computational Flow Simulation Reveals Adverse Hemodynamic Factors Associated With Occlusion Of Directional Branches After Fenestrated-Branched Endovascular Aneurysm Repair, Weiguang Yang, Alison Marsden, Bernardo Mendes, Jason T Lee, Gustavo S Oderich

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background: Fenestrated and branched endovascular aneurysm repair can be complicated by branch vessel occlusion in the absence of structural stenosis. We hypothesized that computational flow simulation could identify adverse hemodynamic features associated with postfenestrated and branched endovascular aneurysm repair branch occlusion.

Methods: Patients undergoing 4-vessel fenestrated and branched endovascular aneurysm repair for Extent II to IV thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms were retrospectively reviewed. Branches that occluded without identifiable kinking or stenosis on computed tomography were included, along with an equal cohort of anatomy-matched patent controls. Patient-specific pulsatile rigid-wall simulations were performed using SimVascular with individualized geometries and boundary conditions. Abnormal time-averaged …