bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
UJI DAYA TERIMA DAN KOMPOSISI GIZI BOLU KUKUS LOW GLYCEMIX INDEX UNTUK PENDERITA DIABETES MELITUS
Authors: Susyani  , Elzanabilah Rifada , Hartati Yuli
Published: December 2023

Diabetes mellitus is a disease with insulin secretion abnormalities characterized by hyperglycemia, this disease is relatively long, so insulin cannot be used effectively. DM disease characterized by increased blood glucose in fasting blood glucose > 126 mg/dl and random blood glucose > 200 mg/dl. Research objectives: To create a low glycemic index steamed sponge cake formulation to reduce blood glucose levels in DM sufferers. Methods: This research is an experimental study. This research using a non-factorial completely randomized design (CRD) with 4 treatments. The organoleptic test research subjects were 25 panelists. Research results: Based on the results of research on organoleptic tests (taste, texture, aroma and color) it shows that the preferred low glycemic index of steamed sponge cake is F3. Based on the ANOVA test, it can be seen that the significant value for color is 0.105 and taste is 0.245 this shows that the aspects that most panelists like about the low glycemic index steamed sponge cake are the color and taste aspects. This formula contains 283.97 kcal energy (per 100 grams), 11.58% protein, 14.69% fat, 26.36% carbohydrates, 45.28% water content, 2.08% ash content, 8 dietary fiber, 12%, and anthocyanins 18.71% Conclusion: Based on the research results, it can be concluded that the addition of purple sweet potato flour and tempeh flour to low glycemic index steamed sponge cake can be used as an alternative snack that is high in fiber and low in glycemic index for DM sufferers.
The Impact of Study Environment on Students' Academic Performance: An Experimental Research Study
Authors: Swargiary Khritish , Roy Kavita
Published: December 2023

This experimental research study explores the impact of study environment, specifically noise levels, on students' academic performance. Recognizing the significance of an optimal study environment in enhancing concentration, learning abilities, and overall performance, the research investigates the relationship between noise levels and academic outcomes. Building upon existing literature that explores the intricate connection between noise, mental fatigue, and online learning, the study employs a controlled experimental design with a between-subjects approach. The hypothesis posits that participants in high noise environments exhibit significantly different academic performance compared to those in low noise environments.

Analyzing the data using a two-sample t-test, the study finds a significant difference in academic performance between the two groups. The p-value (0.020) is less than the predetermined significance level (0.05), leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. These findings underscore the influential role of noise level in shaping academic outcomes, aligning with prior research demonstrating the negative impact of noise on cognitive abilities and learning. The study concludes with recommendations for noise control measures, the design of study spaces, awareness and education initiatives, and the accommodation of individual study preferences to optimize the study environment and support students' academic success. The results emphasize the need for educational stakeholders to prioritize strategies that create conducive and quiet study spaces, recognizing the diverse responses of students to noise and its impact on concentration and academic achievement.
Recognising and Responding to Physical and Mental Health Issues in Neurodivergent Women
Authors: Kelly Clive , Martin Ren , Taylor Rachael , Doherty Mary
Published: December 2023

People experience life and interact with others in many ways. The term ‘neurodivergence’ refers to variations from what is considered typical. Research and education into neurodivergent conditions in women and girls is essential to inform a timely reassessment of clinicians’ approaches to those who present with multiple symptoms. Neurodivergence may influence a person’s style of communication, learning, attitudes, and behaviour, and they may experience inequity and rejection. A formal diagnosis improves access to support services and helps them and their family better understand themselves and the challenges they face. Neurodivergent females are very prone to developing many physical and psychological health issues, and it is important that clinicians learn to recognise and respond to these. This narrative review highlights the huge burden of co-occurring conditions carried by neurodivergent women and girls and suggests how clinicians might increase their awareness of diagnosis and management of these to mutual benefit.
Global Realism with Bipolar Strings—From Bell Test to Real-World Causal-Logical Quantum Gravity and Brain-Universe Similarity for Entangled Machine Thinking and Imagination
Authors: Zhang Wen-Ran
Published: December 2023

Following Einstein’s prediction that physics constitutes a logical system of thought, this topical review outlines a formal extension of local realism limited by the speed of light to _global realism with bipolar strings (GRBS)_ for brain-universe similarity and human-level intelligence. Related literatures are critically reviewed to justify GRBS which is shown a necessary and inevitable consequence of Bell test and an equilibrium-based axiomatization of physics and quantum information science. With logically definable causality in regularity for quantum superposition/entanglement, GRBS makes spacetime emergence and submergence ubiquitous in both the physical and mental worlds—an unexpected but long-sought simplification of quantum gravity with brain-universe similarity and complete background independence. It is shown that GRBS forms a basis for _quantum intelligence (QI)_—a spacetime transcendent, quantum-digital compatible, analytical quantum computing paradigm where bipolar strings lead to _bipolar entropy_ for energy/information conservation, regeneration, and degeneration toward _quantum cognition and quantum biology (QCQB)_ as well as information-conservational blackhole keypad compression and big bang data recovery. Thus, GRBS is justified as a _real-world quantum gravity (RWQG) _theory—a bipolar relativistic causal-logical reconceptualization and unification of string theory, loop quantum gravity, and M-theory—the three roads to quantum gravity. Based on GRBS it is posited: (1) life is a living bipolar superstring regulated by _bipolar entropy_ that unifies order and disorder; (2) thinking or consciousness as a prerequisite for human-level intelligence is fundamentally mind-light-matter unitary QI logically equivalent to quantum emergence (entanglement) and submergence (collapse) of spacetime. The two posits lead to a positive answer to the question _“If AI machine cannot think, can QI machine think?” _Causal-logical brain modeling for _entangled machine thinking and imagination (EMTI)_ is proposed and illustrated. Testability and falsifiability of GRBS is discussed.
Elite purges in dictatorships
Authors:   , Goldring Edward
Published: December 2023

Elite Purges in Dictatorships examines the causes of elite purges under autocracy. An elite purge is when a dictator forcibly removes an official from their inner circle. I examine why some dictators purge elites and others do not (cross-national variation), and why dictators purge only specific elites (within-regime individual-level variation). Conventional wisdom highlights dictators' fears of coups to explain purges. My central claim is that a dictator's fear of being unseated by a foreign state or revolution also shapes whether dictators purge elites, who to target, and when to do so. With an original global cross-national quantitative dataset on elite purges, I show dictators are more likely to purge elites when there are reduced threats from foreign adversaries or of a revolution occurring. At the individual-level, I use an original dataset on elite politics in North Korea under Kim Jong Un and show that Kim was most likely to purge a disloyal elite when doing so would not exacerbate threats from foreign adversaries or the people. I also conduct historical qualitative analysis on individual cases of elite purges in South Korea under Park Chung-hee to show that the individual-level theory's causal mechanisms functions as theorized.
Using soil moisture as a predictor for spring convection within the state of Missouri
Authors:   , Clay Corey
Published: December 2023

Previous studies have shown that increased soil moisture can affect the overlying water vapor in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), potentially moistening this layer. Increased buoyancy can create more turbulence and in turn, be more conducive for severe weather. Because of the position of Missouri within the center of the United States, many factors come together to create a wide variety of weather. This position also puts the state in a transition zone, meaning both dry soils and wet soils can lead to convection. This research will attempt to show how the amount of soil moisture can be an indicator for tornado, hail, and wind activity within the state of Missouri. This study will have three main components and will focus on the period from 1980-2018 time period. The first part will use April-June soil moisture anomalies to see if there is a correlation to severe activity for the corresponding months. The second part will use soil moisture anomalies for the months of January-March to find a relationship to severe weather for the following April-June months. The third experiment will use soil moisture anomalies from September-February to assess the potential correlation to severe convection to the following April-June months. Synoptic maps, in conjunction with the ENSO phenomena, will be utilized to understand what other mechanisms may be attributing to the increase/decrease in storm reports within the state. Finally, a spectral analysis by using Fourier transforms will be conducted to see the interannual variability with respect to severe convection and soil moisture. Results showed statistical positive significance comparing April-June soil moisture with April-June tornado and wind activity. Some positive and statistical negative significance was seen with the January-March soil moisture comparison to the following April-June severe weather reports. However, no statistical significance was found within the September-February soil moisture comparison to the following April-June severe weather reports. Most of the statistically significant correlations were noticed in south central Missouri, both positive and negative. Some variability was observed with ENSO years and tornado activity, indicating that the synoptic setup may play more of a role than soil moisture. La Nina was also found to produce more tornadoes even though drier conditions were evident during this period. Overall, southern Missouri was shown to be more conducive for severe weather, mainly tornado and wind events.
Does early androgen exposure moderate developmental plasticity?
Authors:   , LaMendola Joseph
Published: December 2023

Little is known about what mechanisms allow some individuals more than others to flexibly develop cognitive competencies and behavioral biases while growing up to better meet the demands of their ecology, a phenomenon known as developmental plasticity. Since many traits are found to be more variable in men than women and because men tend to exhibit greater developmental plasticity than women, Del Giudice et al. (2018) proposed that early androgen exposure may moderate developmental plasticity in both sexes in traits that vary more in men. The associated hypothesis that higher perinatal androgen exposure will enhance responsivity to the environment was tested. Using digit ratio (a well-known measure of perinatal androgen exposure) to predict how strongly early spatial experiences impacted the development of adult spatial ability and sensory processing sensitivity, four separate tests failed to support the hypothesis. Limitations of the tests are discussed.
Investigating the deleterious role of B lymphocytes during brucella infection
Authors:   , Dadelahi Alexis Setareh
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI--COLUMBIA AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Brucellosis is a disease known for inducing chronic, often life-long, infections. While it is clear the host immune response fails to clear Brucella infection, the processes underlying this outcome remain unknown. B cell deficient mice challenged with Brucella display reduced bacterial burden following infection. However, the mechanism driving this resistance is unknown. Here we show B cells only enhance susceptibility to infection when T cells are present. Therefore, we investigated whether B cells inhibit T cell mediated protection against Brucella. Using both adoptive transfer of CD4+ T cells and B cells, as well as CD4+ T cell depletion models, we demonstrated CD4+ T cell mediated immunity against Brucella is inhibited by the presence of B cells. This effect was MHCII-dependent, suggesting a role for B cell antigen presentation in enhancing susceptibility to infection. Indeed, we determined that both B cell-specific MHCII deficiency and Btk deficiency in mice resulted in enhanced resistance to infection. Additionally, B cell receptor specificity contributed to both resistance as well as Brucella entry into B cells, as animals with B cell receptor specificity for the irrelevant HEL antigen displayed enhanced resistance to infection and harbored fewer bacteria within B cells. Cotransfer of follicular B cells and CD4+ T cells was sufficient for enhancing susceptibility to infection, indicating follicular B cells can inhibit protective CD4+ T cell responses. Notably, the presence of B cells enhanced FoxP3 expression amongst CXCR5+ CD4+/CD44+ T cells following infection, demonstrating that B cells promote T regulatory CD4+ T cell responses during brucellosis.
On poetry : the emergence and function of meaning
Authors:   , Young Jake
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI--COLUMBIA AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] On Poetry: The Emergence and Function of Meaning is intended to contribute to the scholarship of poetics and literary theory. The work is divided into three section, with each section utilizing several distinct theoretical frameworks and methodologies. Section I relies heavily on linguistic anthropology and oral-formulaic theories of literature to establish a more functionalist approach to poetry that attempts to extend the category of poetry beyond the typical western, structuralist view of poetry as a written text. This section illustrates that the concept of poetry is not stable because it is always culturally and historically situated, but argues that despite these differences, poetry seems to universally function as a tool for developing complex thoughts and for communicating those thoughts to others. Section II examines the rise of modern American poetry as a case study for how poetry as a genre perpetuates itself and evolves. This section utilizes both the translation theory of Brazilian poet and translator Heraldo de Campos and the metaphysics of anthropologist Eduardo Viveiros de Castro. I argue that the metaphorical consumption of texts reveals the mechanism of literary production and shifts our attention from translation theory's concerns with authorial intent and the task of the translator to highlight instead the role of artistic influence and the ways in which new literature grows and interacts with previous literary works. Section III begins with a reflection of William Carlos Williams's lecture "The Poem as a Field of Action" in light of recent developments in theoretical physics and attempts to uncover where poetry comes from. This section looks at where meaning originates, moving from fields as distinct as quantum mechanics to speculative realism and panpsychist philosophies, to biosemiotics, endosymbiotic and Gia theory, cognitive science, and evolutionary approaches to art. After arguing that the basic elements of poetry, such as the perception of similarity and difference, are basic aspects of all living, autopoietic beings, from cells, to trees, to people, I turn to focus on the role of emotion in poetry and in the construction of values. Because we enact our reality via a noticing that begins with feeling, and because poetry is inherently relational, the emotional reaction we have to poetry establishes connections and generates meaning.
Associations between ethnic discrimination, self-mastery/control, and communicative processes in U.S. Latino/a young adults : implications for adjustment
Authors:   , Jones Samantha K.
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Using data from 283 U.S. Latino/a young adults, I examined self-mastery/control and perceived negative communication with a romantic partner as potential intervening mechanisms for the associations between ethnic discrimination and anxiety and depressive symptoms. I also examined if these associations varied based on gender. Findings revealed that for men, but not women, ethnic discrimination was associated with increased anxiety and depressive symptoms. Further, for men and women, self-mastery/control was negatively associated with perceived negative communication with a romantic partner. Finally, for women, but not men, negative communication with a romantic partner was associated with increased anxiety and depressive symptoms.
Novel techniques for cold/ultracold molecular collisions
Authors:   , Amarasinghe Chandika
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] This thesis presents the successful implementation of a slice velocity map imaging apparatus capable of performing molecular beam scattering experiments at collision energies from well above the room temperature to below 1 K. The novel techniques introduced here offers a platform to study collisions at a regime where the scattering is mainly governed by quantum mechanics. Experimental developments of low energy collisions will challenge the theoretical description of molecular interactions, and aid in validating the accuracy of the calculated potential energy surfaces. Scattering studies involving two different configurations of the apparatus, intrabeam and near-copropagating beam configurations are reported in this thesis. The intrabeam scattering approach exploits beam slippage, the velocity difference of different species in the same beam, to establish the relative velocity. The beam slippage in the current setup was created by a pulsed electric discharge which induced a velocity upchirp in the excited species. Implementing a unique dual-slit chopper that can separately fix the velocities of the excited and non-excited species at the interaction region, we achieve precise control over the relative velocity and narrow its spread. With this configuration l-changing collisions occurring between Xe Rydberg atoms and Xe ground state atoms at subKelvin temperatures have been observed. The near-copropagating beam apparatus coupled with the stimulated emission pumping method and sliced velocity map imaging detection enabled us to measure the state-to-state differential cross sections for inelastic collisions between vibrationally excited NO molecules and Ar at broadly tunable energies. Experimentally measured rotationally inelastic state-to-state differential cross sections have enjoyed excellent agreement with quantum scattering calculations performed on state-of-the-art coupled-cluster potential energy surfaces. In contrast, state-to-state differential cross sections obtained for collision-induced multiplet changing transitions at collision energies near 1 K have showed better agreement with quantum scattering calculations involving multireference potential energy surfaces compared to coupled-cluster surfaces. This study provided a platform to validate the accuracy of the potential energy surfaces for collisions which are mainly governed by the attractive part of the interaction potential.
Medieval romance, fanfiction, and the erotics of shame
Authors:   , Abrahamson Megan B.
Published: December 2023

My dissertation uses fan studies theories of fanfiction to reframe later medieval romances as works that were not only reread and rewritten, but transformed through affective reading and rewriting strategies, especially through desire and shame. I explore the erotics of shame through fanfiction tropes seen in a variety of canonical and non-canonical medieval romances, both Arthurian and otherwise, from the twelfth century to the fifteenth. I use elements that function as major motifs in fanfiction, in spite or even because of their embarrassing nature, including fanfiction's predominantly female authorship and its catering to queer desires, the prevalence of male/male romantic storylines (slash), the focus on rendering male bodies vulnerable through hurt and comfort, and fanfiction's embrace of a variety of erotic kinks which may remain fantasy desires only. By locating fanfiction desires and shames in medieval romance, I reveal modes of resistance to structures of hegemony through the tactic of finding personal pleasure in the culturally shameful. The ways in which fanfiction challenges heteronormative ideologies of gender and sexuality highlights ways in which medieval romances press on these boundaries, too.
Factors influencing practitioner adoption of agroforestry : a USDA SARE case study
Authors:   , Romanova Olga
Published: December 2023

Agroforestry practices offer a compelling alternative to conventional agriculture as they provide a broad range of economic, ecological and social benefits. Despite its' recognized potential, on-the-ground adoption of U.S. agroforestry remains limited. Therefore, there is a need to explore factors influencing agroforestry adoption and dissemination bottlenecks. While previous studies have focused mostly on landowners and farmers interests in agroforestry, this research aims to portray the perspective of actual agroforestry practitioners. Early adopters of agroforestry represent an essential stepping stone to further agroforestry diffusion, thus, a better understanding of the factors that influence their decisions and their reasons behind adoption of agroforestry practices can help to promote wider adoption. This research study helps to inform the following questions: the who and why of early stage agroforestry adoption and what factors influence adoption decisions. Further, it explores the timeline to agroforestry adoption, preferred channels of communication and support systems. This study also represents the first attempt to map agroforestry adoption in the U.S. In addition, this work highlights the internal driving forces leading to agroforestry adoption. Recommendations are offered concerning target audiences, efficient messaging and effective channels of communication. Further research is needed to investigate both the temporal and spatial aspects of agroforestry adoption.
Structural studies of flavoprotein inhibitors and inactivators
Authors:   , Campbell Ashley Clare
Published: December 2023

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI--COLUMBIA AT REQUEST OF AUTHOR.] Flavoenzymes have a versatile capacity to catalyze a wide range of reactions, using their flavin cofactor. In this thesis, work on two flavoenzymes is presented. The bifunctional enzyme SmPutA, from Sinorhizobium meliloti is composed of the proline dehydrogenase (PRODH) and glutamate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (GSALDH) domains. SmPutA was used as a surrogate for the human enzymes, to identify proline analogs that bind the active sites of PRODH and GSALDH, which are valuable chemical probes to study the roles of proline metabolism in cancer. Binders of the enzymes were searched for in crystallo resulting in the serendipitous identification of two distinct new mechanisms of covalent inactivation of PRODH. The first, presented in Chapter 1, thiazolidine-2-carboxylate (T2C) was characterized in the active site of PRODH. T2C was found in the active site of PRODH covalently bonded to the N5 of the flavin. Although the inactivation by T2C was slow, it led us to the discovery of two related inactivators of PRODH: tetrahydrothiophene-2-carboxylate (C2C) and 1,3-dithiolane-2-carboxylate (D2C), presented in Chapter 2. The inactivators D2C and C2C differed from T2C by only one atom, but surprisingly they inactivated the PRODH enzyme through an entirely different mechanism, which was triggered by light. D2C and C2C are decarboxylated in the active site and become bound to the N5 of the flavin via their C2 atoms. A mechanism starting with the light-generated triplet excited state of FAD is proposed. Additionally, non-covalent binders of GSALDH have been structurally characterized in the active site of GSALDH, in Chapter 3. Isomers of proline and hydroxyproline were able to bind the active site. Although the binding affinity is low, the contacts revealed in the structures could be leveraged when designing more potent inhibitors of GSALDH. Finally, Chapter 4 presents a series of crystal structures of the ornithine hydroxylase SidA, which reveal a dynamic flavin and active site.
Assessing mechanical properties of the cardiovascular system
Authors:   , Al-Toki Mouayed Hassan Ziada
Published: December 2023

The elasticity of wall of the arteries plays a significant role in cardiovascular system. Capacitance of the aorta is predicative of cardiovascular events[1]. To get better understanding the function of the cardiovascular system, special attention should be paid to digest the traditional two-element Windkessel model. Because the Windkessel model provides information of cardiovascular function and which may be useful for prevention and diagnosis of hypertension. Our research presents a series of in vitro experimental studies of compliance, peripheral resistance, and pulse waves. In this thesis, several studies have been achieved: 1) a mathematical model for the capacitance of the aorta is derived based upon the conservation of mass, and a specialized test device provided by BDC Laboratories is used to simulate the aorta by employing an arched silicone-rubber tube with a known capacitance. 2) applied and compared arterial compliance determined from blood pressure, arterial compliance determined from PWV, and mechanical capacitance in flexible tubes and animal calf aortae. 3) investigated using sensitivity analysis as the analytical technique to determine parameters which. 4) develop a new technique which based on blood pressure diagram of flexible tubes and animal aortas. In the first study corresponding to chapter five, that the entire blood-pressure state may be plotted on a single blood-pressure diagram using three nondimensional groups. This diagram illustrates the impact of altering the capacitance and ejection period on the pulse pressure that exists within the aorta. In the second study corresponding to chapter six, the sensitivity analysis that has been used to figure out sensitivity coefficients with the largest magnitude is based on the most sensitive parameter that can be adjusted if we want to alter a pressure. In the third study corresponding to chapter seven, arterial compliance determined from blood pressure is more straightforward approach than arterial compliance determined from PWV to measuring the arterial stiffness. By that allowing hypertension to be managed. In the last study corresponding to chapter seven, it is figured out that total cardiovascular capacitance plays a significant role in determining the risk factors for cardiovascular disease, and the systolic and diastolic pressures during the cardiac cycle. In addition to cardiovascular capacitance other parameters that contribute to creating blood pressure include total peripheral resistance, stroke volume, ejection period, and heartrate. In conclusion, this research, combined with additional support may permit the realization for measuring arterial stiffness in the home setting. This research may make significant paradigm changes in prognosis and diagnosis of arterial stiffness and other cardiovascular events.
The effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions on quality of life for family caregivers : a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors:   , Khiewchaum Rungnapha
Published: December 2023

Background: Caregivers (CGs) of older adults with chronic illnesses often face consequences of caregiving that negatively impact their quality of life (QoL). Objective: To examine the overall effect of psychoeducational interventions (PEIs) on QoL among CGs of older adults with chronic illnesses, including dementia, stroke, and cancer. Design: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of published or unpublished randomized controlled trials testing the effects of PEIs on QoL among CGs of older adults with chronic illnesses. We located studies using electronic databases including PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and PsycINFO as well as alternative search strategies including hand searches. Data extraction and quality assessment: Two coders independently extracted data related to the study purpose, participant characteristics, intervention characteristics, and QoL outcomes, and compared their work for accuracy. The methodological quality of eligible studies was assessed by using the Jadad tool. Data synthesis: We conducted meta-analyses on summary scores of QoL and the following QoL domains: physical, psychological, social, and environment well-being. Standardized mean difference effect sizes (d) were calculated using final post-intervention data and then synthesized using a random effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed with Cochran's Q statistic and I2 statistic. Publication bias was evaluated by using the funnel plot and Egger's regression test. Results: We identified 27 eligible randomized controlled trials with a total of 3,154 CGs. PEIs had significant and positive effects on summary scores of QoL (d =0.508, 95 percent CI [0.253, 0.762], p [less than] 0.001) and social well-being (d =0.306, 95 percent CI [0.088, 0.525], p = 0.006). However, the effect sizes of PEIs showed no statistically significant improvement on physical well-being, psychological well-being, and environment well-being. Conclusion: PEIs for CGs of older adults with chronic illness significantly improved summary scores for QoL and social well-being, but not other QoL domains. It is recommended that future studies testing the effects of PEIs on QoL should be theory-driven, should assess CGs' knowledge, skills, and needs, and should consider interdisciplinary intervention. Future metaanalyses should consider examining the overall effect size of PEIs on various consequences of caregiving, such as depression and anxiety.
Fast and robust deep neural networks design
Authors:   , Zhao Zhiqun
Published: December 2023

In the past few years, we have witnessed a rapid development of deep neural networks in computer vision, from basic image classiffcation tasks to some more advanced applications e.g. object detection and semantic segmentation. Inspire of its great success, there exists two challenges of deep neural networks real-world applications: its computational cost and vulnerability. Thus we are aimed to deal with these two problems in this thesis. To speed up deep networks, we propose a L1-Norm based low-rank approximation method to reduce oat operations based on the alternating direction method (ADM) in Chapter 2. Our experimental results on public datasets, including CIFAR-10 and ImageNet, demonstrate that this new decomposition scheme outperforms the recently developed L2-norm based nonlinear decomposition method. To defend against adversarial examples, we develop a novel pre-processing alogrithm based on image restoration to remove adversarial attack noise in Chapter 3. We detect high-sensitivity which have signiffcant contributions to the image classiffcation performance. Then we partition the image pixels into the two groups: high-sensitivity and low-sensitivity keypoints. For the low-sensitivity pixels, we use the existing total variation (TV) norm-based image smoothing. For the high-sensitivity pixels, we develop a structure-preserving low-rank image completion methods. Based on matrix analysis and optimization, we have derived an iterative solution for this optimization problem. This high-sensitivity points detection helps us to improve the defense against white-box attack BPDA. However, in our keypoints defense we only remove and recover a few part of pixels, which indicates there are still many perturbation over the whole image. In Chapter 4, we propose a novel image completion algorithm structure-preserving progressive lowrank image completion (SPLIC ) based on smoothed rank function (SRF) in which we can reconstruct a image with over 50 percent removed pixels. In SPLIC, we randomly remove over 50 percent pixels on the image and then do matrix completion by low-rank approximation to remain the global structure of the image. Differ from other lowrank methods, we replace nuclear norm by smoothed rank function (SRF) for its closer rank function approximation. We introduce total variance (TV) regularization to improve image reconstruction, and then combine total variance (TV) norm de-noising to further remove the perturbation over the whole image. Then we train the network on the SPLIC images. The experimental results show our SPLIC outperforms other pre-processing methods in image reconstruction, gray-box and black-box scenario.
Disentangling alcohol-specific alcohol use disorder criteria from externalizing psychopathology using an empirically driven approach
Authors:   , McDowell Yoanna E.
Published: December 2023

Within current mental disorder classification systems, alcohol use disorder (AUD) and psychopathology, more broadly, are conceptualized as distinct categorical disorders. Recent classification research has focused on commonalities across disorders to better understand psychopathology, with many arrangements combining AUD with other externalizing disorders, like conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder. However, the focus on commonalities of AUD with externalizing disorders may preclude insight into possible unique aspects of AUD that can inform AUD classification and treatment targets. The present study aimed to identify AUD symptoms more uniquely associated to alcohol use (versus an externalizing process), using a newly developed analytic procedure, combinatorial optimization. First, we identified AUD symptom sets based on standard and alcohol-specific consumption measures. The symptom sets were then compared to existing diagnostic measures and AUD correlates to determine whether distinct relationships between standard and alcohol-specific symptom sets emerged. Results indicated standard AUD symptom sets outperformed alcohols-specific sets in most cases, with more robust relationships between standard sets and AUD correlates These findings have several clinical and research implications, such as the importance of accounting for externalizing processes in the classification and treatment of AUD. Future research is necessary to determine how to best target unique processes integral to AUD.
Evaluation of vmpfc-amygdala resting state functional connectivity as a transdiagnostic moderator of momentary sadness and rumination
Authors:   , Fleming Megan N.
Published: December 2023

Rumination has been identified as a transdiagnostic feature of emotional distress disorders that exacerbates symptoms of anxiety and depression. It is thought that rumination may be due in part to heightened resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and amygdala. Though past fMRI research has linked in-lab self-report measures of emotional distress to vmPFC-amygdala rs-FC, few have examined its relation to symptoms of distress using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). This proposed study utilized EMA to examine vmPFC-amygdala rs-FC as a moderator of momentary rumination and sadness. The sample consisted of 27 women who met criteria for anxiety, depression, and/or borderline personality disorder. Participants completed a 6-minute resting state scan and were administered multiple prompts every day for 14 days. Multilevel models were used to assess the moderating influence of vmPFC-amygdala rsFC on the relationship of momentary- and day-level sadness and rumination. Results showed that though vmPFC-amygdala rsFC did not significantly interact with concurrent and lagged momentary rumination to predict momentary sadness, it did significantly moderate the relationship between concurrent day-level rumination and sadness such that individuals with higher rsFC experienced a stronger relationship between sadness and rumination. This study utilized novel methods to offer vmPFC-amygdala rsFC as a potential influencing factor on the relationship between rumination and sadness people experience in daily life.
Body-worn accelerometer-based health assessment algorithms for independent living older adults
Authors:   , Howe Lia
Published: December 2023

The mainstream smart wearable products used for activity trackers have experienced significant growth recently. Among the older population, collecting long periods of activity data in a real-life setting is challenging even with wearable devices. Studies have found inconsistent and lower accuracies when older adults use these smart devices [1], [2],[2],[3]. As a person ages, many have lower daily levels of activity and their dynamic functional patterns, such as gaits and sit-to-stand transitional movements vary throughout the day. This thesis explores wearable health-tracking applications by evaluating daytime and nighttime pattern metrics calculated from continuous accelerometer signals. These signals were collected externally from the upper trunk of the body in an independent-living environment of 30 elderly volunteers. Our gold standard to validate the metrics from the accelerometer signals were similar metrics calculated from an in-home sensor network [4]. This thesis first developed an algorithm to count steps and another algorithm to detect stand-to-sit and sit-to-stand (STS) to demonstrate the importance of considering differences in daily functional health patterns when creating algorithms. Next, this thesis validates that accelerometer data can show similar motion density results as motion sensor data. And thirdly, this thesis proposes an updated vacancy algorithm using a new motion sensor system that detects when no one is in the living space, compared against the current algorithm.
Clinical interventions for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (hand) : a systematic review
Authors:   , Mitchell Hannah Marie
Published: December 2023

Despite the widespread use of antiretroviral therapy, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) continues to be one of the most common central nervous system (CNS) complications of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with the prevalence of the disorder remaining stable at pre-cART levels. HAND ranges in severity from mild to severe and can greatly impact the lives of individuals living with the disorder, often leading to morbidity in severe cases. The prevalence and severity of HAND underscores the need for safe, effective therapies to mitigate or eliminate the impacts of the disorder in order to improve the quality of life of infected individuals. While extensive research has been conducted to investigate the effectiveness of various clinical interventions in treating HAND, no comprehensive systematic review of these studies exists. The purpose of the present study was to conduct and present a systematic review of the literature regarding experimental studies of clinical therapeutic interventions for HAND. In total, 4,269 articles were returned in the initial database search, 13 of which met the inclusion criteria and were selected for inclusion in the review. The 13 articles examined in the final review included experimental investigations of both pharmaceutical and cognitive therapies for HAND. This review presents the current evidence that exists regarding empirically investigated interventions for HAND and broadly discusses trends, limitations, and gaps in the literature.
The guerrilla in town : influences on content production in exiled media
Authors:   , Gelan Edom
Published: December 2023

On 21 June 2011 Reeyot Alemu was detained by the Federal Police and later was charged with terrorism and sentenced for five years. Her detention is one of the several incidents in Ethiopia that illustrate how journalists function in their daily routine ever since the Ethiopian People Democratic Revolutionary Front party took power in 1991. Her detention generated waves of protest among press freedom advocates and human rights groups. She was freed after four years of imprisonment. Just like many journalists before her, Reeyot fled her country and join Ethiopian exiled media institution. Ethiopia has vibrant exiled media organizations working from Europe and North America. This study examines factors that influence content creation on mass media especially in Ethiopian Satellite Television and Radio (ESAT) and Oromia Media Network (OMN). Findings show even if governmental pressure impacts all exiled media at the same time the content production process both in ESAT and OMN take sharp edge on ideological lineage. In addition, both institutions depend on anonymous reporters or stringers while leveraging on their media content credibility. The result suggests that influences that shape exiled media content production also impacted the Ethiopian media culture.
Local free convection to non-Newtonian fluids from a horizontal, isothermal cylinder
Authors:   , Gentry Cecil Calvin Jr.
Published: December 2023

The transfer of heat between a body surface and the motionless fluid surrounding it is perhaps one of the most naturally occurring physical phenomena. Undoubtedly interest and speculation regarding this natural or free convection behavior dates back centuries. However, as Jakob (13) reveals, it was not until 1817 when Dulong and Petit's (15) observations were published, that the precise relationship between the quantity of heat transferred and the surface-to-fluid temperature difference was established. These experimental results involved Newtonian fluids, and since that time volumes have been devoted to the subject. Only in recent years has attention been focused on the commonly encountered, yet rheologically more complex, non-Newtonian class of fluid. It is within this realm that the present investigation was directed.
Force system synthesis to produce a desired time response of mechanisms
Authors:   , Halter J. Michael
Published: December 2023

A technique and computer programs are developed which will synthesize parameters of force systems which will drive a mechanism to have a desired motion-time response and desired input-output forces. The force devices can produce linear or nonlinear forcing functions which are functions of time, pair variable position, or distance and speed between two points for one degree-of-freedom plane or spatial mechanisms. The parameters are synthesized by the use of a nonlinear programming technique to minimize the least-square-error of the generalized force. Penalty functions are used to constrain the range of the design parameters. Alternate physically realistic force systems that will drive a mechanism to have exactly the same desired motion-time response and/or input-output forces are presented. Design charts for alternate linear springs or dampers and their attachment points are developed.
Acetate mutants and obligate photoautotrophy in Chlamydomonas eugametos
Authors:   , Chu-Der Orchid Ming-yu
Published: December 2023

Incorporation of C-14 labelled sodium acetate by three species of Chlamydomonas: C. eugametos, C. reinhardii and C. moewusii indicates that all three species assimilate and metabolize exogenous acetate. All three species have higher growth rate in the light with acetate than without. C. eugametos and C. moewusii, being obligate photoautotrophs, are not able to grow heterotrophically in the dark. C. reinhardii, a facultative photoautotroph, can grow heterotrophically. C. reinhardii has radioactive sodium acetate uptake over ten times greater than that of C. eugametos or C. moewusii. This suggests that the former assimilates and metabolizes acetate more efficiently than the latter two. Adaptation from autotrophic to mixotrophic growth is accompanied in C. eugametos and C. reinhardii by their individual characteristic and different patterns of radioactive sodium acetate uptake, indicating that the two species have different regulatory systems for acetate metabolism. Comparative intermediary carbohydrate metabolism in terms of enzyme activities in the tricarboxylic acid cycle was investigated in C. eugametos and C. reinhardii. All the expected enzyme activities of this cycle are present in both species grown either autotrophically or mixotrophically with acetate. The patterns of enzyme activities in each species differ with different growth conditions. In C. reinhardii, concomitant presence of light and acetate leads to higher activities of succinate dehydrogenase, fumarase and malic enzyme; while condensing enzyme, aconitase, NADP specific isocitrate dehydrogenase, NAD specific isocitrate dehydrogenase and [alpha]-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase are acetate inducible and light independent. The situation in C. reinhardii just mentioned indicates that succinate dehydrogenase, fumarase and malic enzyme may be closely associated with photosynthesis. Ten acetate mutants requiring both acetate and light to survive were recovered after ultraviolet treatment and are designated: R-l, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, R-7, R-8, R-9 and R-10. Mutants R-4, R-5, R-6, R-8 and R-9 have Mendelian segregation, and mutant R-l is most likely nontransmissible. Mutant R-3 has all the expected enzyme activities in the tricarboxylic acid cycle. Mutants R-l, R-5 and R-7 have no succinate dehydrogenase. In mutant R-4, activity of condensing enzyme cannot be demonstrated.