Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Selecting Patient-Reported Outcome Measures For A Patient-Facing Technology, Priyank Raj, Youmin Cho, Yun Jiang, Yang Gong

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVE: This article provides insight into our process and considerations for selecting patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) designed for self-reporting symptoms and quality-of-life among breast cancer (BCA) patients undergoing oral anticancer agent treatment via a patient-facing technology (PFT) platform.

METHODS: Following established guidelines, we conducted a thorough assessment of a specific set of PROMs, comparing their content to identify the most suitable options for studying BCA patients.

RESULTS: We recommend utilizing the combination of EORTC QLQ-C30 + EORTC QLQ-BR45 as the preferred instrument, especially when developing a dedicated "breast cancer-only" application.

DISCUSSION: When developing and maintaining a dashboard for a PFT …

A Transcriptomic Taxonomy Of Mouse Brain-Wide Spinal Projecting Neurons, Carla C Winter, Anne Jacobi, Junfeng Su, Leeyup Chung, Cindy T J Van Velthoven, Zizhen Yao, Changkyu Lee, Zicong Zhang, Shuguang Yu, Kun Gao, Geraldine Duque Salazar, Evgenii Kegeles, Yu Zhang, Makenzie C Tomihiro, Yiming Zhang, Zhiyun Yang, Junjie Zhu, Jing Tang, Xuan Song, Ryan J Donahue, Qing Wang, Delissa Mcmillen, Michael Kunst, Ning Wang, Kimberly A Smith, Gabriel E Romero, Michelle M Frank, Alexandra Krol, Riki Kawaguchi, Daniel H Geschwind, Guoping Feng, Lisa V Goodrich, Yuanyuan Liu, Bosiljka Tasic, Hongkui Zeng, Zhigang He

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The brain controls nearly all bodily functions via spinal projecting neurons (SPNs) that carry command signals from the brain to the spinal cord. However, a comprehensive molecular characterization of brain-wide SPNs is still lacking. Here we transcriptionally profiled a total of 65,002 SPNs, identified 76 region-specific SPN types, and mapped these types into a companion atlas of the whole mouse brain1. This taxonomy reveals a three-component organization of SPNs: (1) molecularly homogeneous excitatory SPNs from the cortex, red nucleus and cerebellum with somatotopic spinal terminations suitable for point-to-point communication; (2) heterogeneous populations in the reticular formation with broad …

Single-Cell Analysis Of Chromatin Accessibility In The Adult Mouse Brain, Songpeng Zu, Yang Eric Li, Kangli Wang, Ethan J Armand, Sainath Mamde, Maria Luisa Amaral, Yuelai Wang, Andre Chu, Yang Xie, Michael Miller, Jie Xu, Zhaoning Wang, Kai Zhang, Bojing Jia, Xiaomeng Hou, Lin Lin, Qian Yang, Seoyeon Lee, Bin Li, Samantha Kuan, Hanqing Liu, Jingtian Zhou, Antonio Pinto-Duarte, Jacinta Lucero, Julia Osteen, Michael Nunn, Kimberly A Smith, Bosiljka Tasic, Zizhen Yao, Hongkui Zeng, Zihan Wang, Jingbo Shang, M Margarita Behrens, Joseph R Ecker, Allen Wang, Sebastian Preissl, Bing Ren

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Recent advances in single-cell technologies have led to the discovery of thousands of brain cell types; however, our understanding of the gene regulatory programs in these cell types is far from complete1-4. Here we report a comprehensive atlas of candidate cis-regulatory DNA elements (cCREs) in the adult mouse brain, generated by analysing chromatin accessibility in 2.3 million individual brain cells from 117 anatomical dissections. The atlas includes approximately 1 million cCREs and their chromatin accessibility across 1,482 distinct brain cell populations, adding over 446,000 cCREs to the most recent such annotation in the mouse genome. The mouse brain cCREs are …

Molecularly Defined And Spatially Resolved Cell Atlas Of The Whole Mouse Brain, Meng Zhang, Xingjie Pan, Won Jung, Aaron R Halpern, Stephen W Eichhorn, Zhiyun Lei, Limor Cohen, Kimberly A Smith, Bosiljka Tasic, Zizhen Yao, Hongkui Zeng, Xiaowei Zhuang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

In mammalian brains, millions to billions of cells form complex interaction networks to enable a wide range of functions. The enormous diversity and intricate organization of cells have impeded our understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of brain function. Recent advances in spatially resolved single-cell transcriptomics have enabled systematic mapping of the spatial organization of molecularly defined cell types in complex tissues1-3, including several brain regions (for example, refs. 1-11). However, a comprehensive cell atlas of the whole brain is still missing. Here we imaged a panel of more than 1,100 genes in approximately 10 million cells across the …

Discovery Of Novel 2-Aminopyridine Derivatives As Ros1 And Alk Dual Inhibitors To Combat Drug-Resistant Mutants Including Ros1g2032r And Alkg1202r, Siming Liu, Chuan Huang, Chunhui Huang, Yaqi Huang, Yonghuan Yu, Guowu Wu, Fengqiu Guo, Ying Jiang, Shanhe Wan, Zhengguang Zhu, Yuanxin Tian, Jianghua Zhu, Jiajie Zhang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clinical treatment by FDA-approved ROS1/ALK inhibitor Crizotinib significantly improved the therapeutic outcomes. However, the emergence of drug resistance, especially driven by acquired mutations, have become an inevitable problem and worsened the clinical effects of Crizotinib. To combat drug resistance, some novel 2-aminopyridine derivatives were designed rationally based on molecular simulation, then synthesised and subjected to biological test. The preferred spiro derivative C01 exhibited remarkable activity against CD74-ROS1G2032R cell with an IC50 value of 42.3 nM, which was about 30-fold more potent than Crizotinib. Moreover, C01 also potently inhibited enzymatic activity against clinically Crizotinib-resistant ALKG1202R, harbouring a 10-fold potency superior to …

Godel, Escherian Staircase And Possibility Of Quantum Wormhole With Liquid Crystalline Phase Of Iced-Water - Part I: Theoretical Underpinning, Victor Christianto, T. Daniel Chandra, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

As a senior physicist colleague and our friend, Robert N. Boyd, wrote in a journal (JCFA, Vol. 1,. 2, 2022), Our universe is but one page in a large book [4]. For example, things and Beings can travel between Universes, intentionally or unintentionally. In this short remark, we revisit and offer short remark to Neil’s ideas and trying to connect them with geometrization of musical chords as presented by D. Tymoczko and others, then to Escher staircase and then to Jacob’s ladder which seems to point to possibility to interpret Jacob’s vision as described in the ancient book of Genesis …

Godel, Escherian Staircase And Possibility Of Quantum Wormhole With Liquid Crystalline Phase Of Iced-Water - Part Ii: Experiment Description, Victor Christianto, T. Daniel Chandra, Florentin Smarandache

Branch Mathematics and Statistics Faculty and Staff Publications

The present article was partly inspired by G. Pollack’s book, and also Dadoloff, Saxena & Jensen (2010). As a senior physicist colleague and our friend, Robert N. Boyd, wrote in a journal (JCFA, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2022), for example, things and Beings can travel between Universes, intentionally or unintentionally [4]. In this short remark, we revisit and offer short remark to Neil Boyd’s ideas and trying to connect them with geometry of musical chords as presented by D. Tymoczko and others, then to Escherian staircase and then to Jacob’s ladder which seems to pointto possibility to interpret Jacob’s vision …

Assessing The Morphological And Physiological Traits Of Smooth Brome Pastures Under Long Term Grazing And Nutrient Enrichment In Eastern Nebraska, Hassan Shehab

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Climate change together with the increase in demands for food, feed, fuel, and fiber are becoming a threat to sustainability and resilience of agriculture and pasture lands. Bromus inermis (smooth bromegrass) dominates pastures for cattle grazing in Eastern Nebraska, US, where it is planted in monocultures, and is considered high quality forage because of its palatability and high nutritional value for cattle, especially under intensive management practices. Sustainable management of these pastures is key to long-term resilience. This study aims to assess the performance of smooth bromegrass pastures to the combined effects of long-term management practices (since 2005) of fertilization …

Ecological Impacts Of Restoring Fire-Grazing Interaction In Sandhills Prairie Through Patch-Burn Grazing, Nolan P. Sipe

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A Collaborative Adaptive Management (CAM) Project was started at the University of Nebraska in 2020 to address some of the key uncertainties related to the management of grasslands in the Nebraska Sandhills through stakeholder driven experiments and the adaptive management cycle. Patch-burn grazing was selected by CAM as a management tool to generate heterogeneity across the landscape and promote biodiversity while balancing economic and ecological trade-offs. The patch-burn grazing system was implemented with controlled burns in May of 2022 and March of 2023. Other parties in CAM will be examining the impact that patch-burn grazing has on forage and livestock …

Population Demography Of A Glacial-Relict Stream Fish Mediated Via Anthropogenic Alteration, Joseph M. Spooner

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Northern Pearl Dace Margariscus nachtriebi are a small-bodied glacial-relict fish species of greatest conservation need (SGCN) found throughout Canada and the northern United Sates. Their distribution within the Nebraska Sandhills Ecoregion is isolated from the northern core distribution of the species following the last glaciation period approximately 18,000 years ago. Headwater streams within the Nebraska Sandhills Ecoregion are predominately groundwater fed and provide the cool water temperatures needed to support Northern Pearl Dace and other glacial-relict SGCN. Headwater streams within the Nebraska Sandhills Ecoregion have been geomorphically altered through anthropogenic processes such as channelization whereby habitat homogenization has occurred. Evidence …

Human Dimensions Of Woody Encroachment Management In Nebraska, Emily Rowen

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Woody plant encroachment (WPE) is a social-ecological problem that will challenge conservation professionals and agricultural producers to adapt their management strategies. This research first examined WPE from the perspective of individual conservation professionals through an online survey. Conservation professionals’ attitudes about adaptation to vegetation transitions, such as WPE, were of interest because these attitudes are one measure of how prepared this group is to respond to WPE. Hypothesized predictors of adaptation attitude were tested through linear regression modeling. These predictors included ecological change, observation of WPE, or risk perception. It was found that risk perception was the strongest predictor of …

Habitat Heterogeneity In Nebraska Streams And Distribution Prediction For Tier-1 Cyprinids Using Multi-Scale Modeling Of Fluvial And Landscape Features, Connor P. Hart

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Multiscale environmental processes determine in-stream habitat conditions which drive species distributions. Habitat constitutes the physical template upon which ecological processes occur and species conduct life stage activities. Habitat heterogeneity promotes biodiversity of aquatic systems. Stream classification informs freshwater conservation by providing a useful framework to account for habitat heterogeneity, often based on landscape regions of similar environmental processes. A greater understanding of landscape-based classification frameworks as means to classify stream systems may improve understanding of drivers of biodiversity. Using Nebraska as a case study, on a statewide scale, objectives were 1) to characterize habitat availability for several at-risk fish species, …

The Influence Of Invasive Species On Fishers’ Satisfactions, Caroline M. Laplante

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Invasives species are prevalent and widespread in North America. Outdoor recreational activities, such as fishing, introduce a point in which humans may interact with invasive species and have to adapt their own behaviors. Bigheaded carp in the Missouri River below Gavin’s Point Dam are a group of invasive fish species that were thought to be negatively relating to recreational fishers’ satisfactions. Using a content analysis and an importance-grid, we conclude that invasive species do not strongly relate to recreational paddlefish fishers’ satisfactions. Paddlefish fishers represent a small sub-set of recreational fishers in Nebraska and South Dakota. The content analysis revealed …

Understanding Avidities Of Recreational Activities For People Possessing Fishing Licenses And Residing In Urban Environments, Kyle F. Hansen

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Recreational fishing is one of the world's most popular pastimes, wherein participation is associated with sociodemographic factors. Even so, fishing license sales are declining in the USA in conjunction with a reduction in rural populations as people move to urban areas. Thus, urban areas are constantly growing in population size, population diversity, and geographic size suggesting a need to understand fishing participation in these growing areas. Natural resource managers often use participation to understand recreationists, yet avidity could provide a new way to understand recreationists. The goal of our study is to understand what sociodemographic factors influence the fishing avidity …

Unexpectedness Stratified By Codimension, Frank Zimmitti

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

A recent series of papers, starting with the paper of Cook, Harbourne, Migliore, and Nagel on the projective plane in 2018, studies a notion of unexpectedness for finite sets Z of points in N-dimensional projective space. Say the complete linear system L of forms of degree d vanishing on Z has dimension t yet for any general point P the linear system of forms vanishing on Z with multiplicity m at P is nonempty. If the dimension of L is more than the expected dimension of t−r, where r is N+m−1 choose …

On Dyadic Parity Check Codes And Their Generalizations, Meraiah Martinez

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

In order to communicate information over a noisy channel, error-correcting codes can be used to ensure that small errors don’t prevent the transmission of a message. One family of codes that has been found to have good properties is low-density parity check (LDPC) codes. These are represented by sparse bipartite graphs and have low complexity graph-based decoding algorithms. Various graphical properties, such as the girth and stopping sets, influence when these algorithms might fail. Additionally, codes based on algebraically structured parity check matrices are desirable in applications due to their compact representations, practical implementation advantages, and tractable decoder performance analysis. …

In Situ Water Sensing Systems: Research On Advancements In Environmental Monitoring, Abigail Seibel

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

In this work, two sensing systems were researched in order to improve in situ environmental monitoring. The first is a pH and Total Alkalinity sensor used to determine these characteristics of sea water. I explored the facets of this sensor over a 7-week internship with Dr. Ellen Briggs in her lab in summer of 2023. The second is a more holistic sensing system that reads temperature, turbidity, and pressure used for studying environmental characteristics of Alaskan bever ponds. Both systems were developed in close collaboration with scientists who are collecting data to better understand the impacts of climate change. Better …

Game-Theoretic Approaches To Optimal Resource Allocation And Defense Strategies In Herbaceous Plants, Molly R. Creagar

Department of Mathematics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Empirical evidence suggests that the attractiveness of a plant to herbivores can be affected by the investment in defense by neighboring plants, as well as investment in defense by the focal plant. Thus, allocation to defense may not only be influenced by the frequency and intensity of herbivory but also by defense strategies employed by other plants in the environment. We incorporate a neighborhood defense effect by applying spatial evolutionary game theory to optimal resource allocation in plants where cooperators are plants investing in defense and defectors are plants that do not. We use a stochastic dynamic programming model, along …

(R2055) Magnetic Effects On Unsteady Non-Newtonian Blood Flow Through A Tapered And Overlapping Stenotic Artery, Abiodun J. Babatunde, Moses S. Dada

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

This study aims to investigating the effect of magnetic field and porosity on non-Newtonian flow of blood through a tapered, and overlapping stenosed artery. The Casson fluid model represents the rheological character of blood. A tapered and overlapping stenosed artery influences the hemodynamic behavior of the blood flow. The problem is solved by using analytical techniques with the help of boundary conditions, and results are displayed graphically for different flow characteristics like pressure drop, shear stress, velocity profile and stream function. It is realized that rises in Darcy number and Womersley number accelerates the velocity profile and reduces the radial …

(R2059) Modeling The Spread Of Coronavirus With Self-Protection And Quarantine Effect, Dileep Sharma, Agraj Tripathi, Ram Naresh Tripathi

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

A nonlinear mathematical model to study the effect of transmission dynamics of COVID-19 virus in a population with variable size structure is proposed and analyzed. The model divides the total human population into five subclasses: susceptibles, self-protected susceptibles, infectives, quarantined infectives, and recovered population including a class representing cumulative density of coronavirus in the environmental reservoir. The model exhibits two equilibria, namely, the diseasefree and the endemic equilibrium. Model analysis reveals the global dynamics of the spread of COVID-19 is completely determined by the basic reproduction number. If basic reproduction number is greater than one, the endemic equilibrium is locally …

(R2058) Mhd Stagnation Point Flow Of Nanofluid With Buoyancy Effect Through A Porous Shrinking Sheet, Timothy L. Oyekunle, Mojeed T. Akolade, Samson A. Agunbiade, Paul O. Adeniran

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

The current investigation seeks to identify the response of buoyancy and heat source mechanisms on chemically reacting and magnetized nanofluid. The stagnation point flows through the shrinking porous surface assumed as an air-based fluid conveying nanoparticles under Buongiorno’s model. This article contributes to the existing literature with the introduction of nonlinear convection of the nanofluid, triggered by the heat source, which accelerates the temperature of the fluid particles, thus resulting in airflow upstream. Subject to these conditions, the mathematical model is presented in PDE systems. An approach of similarity variable is employed to arrive at the ODE systems, which is …

(R2061) Differential Equations Involving A New Definition Of Complex Number Derivatives, Mehmet Pakdemirli

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

The recently proposed complex number differential operator is used in formulating ordinary differential equations for the first time. The differential operator definition is totally different than the real number differentiation of complex valued functions. The basic definitions and properties of the differential operator are given first. Various linear differential equations are treated containing the new differential operator. Associated theorems with the differential equations are given. Then the nonlinear differential equations of complex valued functions are treated. In separated form, the complex differential operator equations lead to nonlinear coupled real valued equations. Various nonlinear differential equations with complex number derivatives are …

(R2066) New Results Of Ulam Stabilities Of Functional Differential Equations Of First Order Including Multiple Retardations, Merve Şengün, Cemil Tunç

Applications and Applied Mathematics: An International Journal (AAM)

In this study, we pay attention to a functional differential equation (FDE) of first order including N-variable delays. We construct new sufficient conditions in relation to the Hyers-Ulam stability (HUS) and the generalized Hyers-Ulam-Rassias stability (GHURS ) of the FDE of first order including N-variable delays. By using Banach contraction principle (BCP), Picard operator and Gronwall lemma, we confirm two new theorems in relation to the HUS and the GHURS. The results of this study are new and extend, improve some earlier results of the HUS and the GHURS.

Cd-27°11535: Evidence For A Triple System In The Β Pictoris Moving Group, Andrew D. Thomas, Eric L. Nielsen, Robert J. De Rosa, Anne E. Peck, Bruce Macintosh, Jeffrey Chilcote, Paul Kalas, Jason J. Wang, Sarah Blunt, Alexandra Greenbaum, Quinn M. Konopacky, Michael J. Ireland, Peter Tuthill, Kimberly Ward-Duong, Lea A. Hirsch, Ian Czekala, Franck Marchis, Christian Marois, Max A. Millar-Blanchaer, William Roberson, Adam Smith, Hannah Gallamore, Jessica Klusmeyer

Astronomy: Faculty Publications

We present new spatially resolved astrometry and photometry of the CD -27°11535 system, a member of the β Pictoris moving group consisting of two resolved K-type stars on a ∼20 yr orbit. We fit an orbit to relative astrometry measured from NIRC2, GPI, and archival NaCo images, in addition to literature measurements. However, the total mass inferred from this orbit is significantly discrepant from that inferred from stellar evolutionary models using the luminosity of the two stars. We explore two hypotheses that could explain this discrepant mass sum: a discrepant parallax measurement from Gaia due to variability, and the presence …

Activity Patterns Of Whiptail Lizards (Aspidoscelis) Found In The Northern Chihuahuan Desert, Guillermo Alvarez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Traditional lizard pitfall traps were modified to allow organisms to escape, while collecting valuable ecological data. Modified camera traps were capable of detecting the same species as traditional traps in a semi-arid environment, without posing the associated mortality risks. Pitfall-camera traps were used to sample the activity of the Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana) and the Southwestern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus cowlesi) in an urban wetland during four continuous years. Evaluations on activity pattern and the activity overlap between the two species revealed extensive overlap, with minor but significant seasonal shifts mediating coexistence. Traps were also effective at detecting other reptiles, invertebrates, …

Addressing Binational Issues For Water Quality Along The United States-Mexico Border And The Use Of The 1944 Water Treaty As A Means For Developing Transboundary Aquifer Agreements, Gilbert Anaya

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The water resources of the United States (U.S.) and Mexico are under tremendous pressure due to declining reservoir levels, changes in climate, and prolonged drought. The U.S.-Mexico border region relies on the Rio Grande and Colorado River, and shared groundwater resources that are transboundary in nature. These resources are vital to the U.S.-Mexico border and are susceptible to drought that leads to reduced flow and allocation to the users. In addition, there are impacts to water quality caused by return flows and from failing sanitation infrastructure. In this study, we focus on 1) the contribution of springs in an area …

Evaluation Of Evapotranspiration Estimates Using An Existing Hybrid Machine Learning Model In A Natural And A Managed Dryland Site, Katya Esquivel Herrera

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a critical component of the hydrologic cycle, encompassing both evaporative water loss from surfaces and transpiration through plant stomata. The environmental factors influencing ET include water and energy availability, atmospheric capacity for water uptake, and various meteorological variables. ET serves as a unique climate variable linking water, energy, and carbon cycles. In agroecosystems, accurate ET quantification is vital for optimizing water use efficiency, irrigation management, and crop yield. Traditional methods for ET estimation involve direct measurements and indirect models, with both presenting limitations.

Recent years have witnessed the integration of remote sensing and machine learning (ML) algorithms …

Context-Aware Temporal Embeddings For Text And Video Data, Ahnaf Farhan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Recent years have seen an exponential increase in unstructured data, primarily in the form of text, images, and videos. Extracting useful features and trends from large-scale unstructured datasets -- such as news outlets, scientific papers, and videos like security cameras or body cam recordings -- is faced with substantial challenges of volume, scalability, complexity, and semantic understanding. In analyzing trends, comprehending the temporal context is vital for uncovering patterns and narratives that are not apparent from a single video frame or text document. Despite its importance, many existing data mining and machine learning approaches overlook extracting evolutionary contextual features in …

Deep-Learning Frameworks For The Classification And Segmentation Of Alzheimer's Disease Cell Types, Md Easin Hasan

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Neuroimaging experts in biotech industries can benefit from using cutting-edge artificial intelligence techniques for Alzheimerâ??s disease (AD) and dementia stage prediction, despite the fact that it may be difficult to anticipate the precise stage of AD. AD is one cause of dementia with very limited to no treatment available. Cell-type classification studies are essential for developing novel drugs for this lethal and common disease. Neuronal cell segmentation is the process of identifying and separating individual neurons in an image, typically in order to study their properties or analyze their organization in the nervous system. This is significant because neurological problems …

Green Analytical Methods For The Determination Of Perfluorocarboxylic Acids (Pfcas) And Fluorotelomer Alcohols (Ftohs) In Water, Ahsan Habib

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of synthetic organic compounds manufactured for their heat, water, and stain-resistant properties. PFAS can be found ubiquitously in the environment because they are widely used in everyday consumer products such as fast-food wrappers, non-stick cookware, stain-resistant products, cosmetics, aqueous film-forming foams, etc. As a result, PFAS are commonly detected in surface water, wastewater, and biosolids from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). These are the direct sources of PFAS contamination in drinking water supplies, which are substantial sources of human exposure. Among these PFAS chemicals, two major groups are perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs) …