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REDESIGN OF LEG ASSEMBLY FOR REMOTE WALKING TRAINING DEVICE TO IMPROVE GAIT KINEMATICS
Full text linkAs modern medicine has improved, the average age of patients has increased. This has cause a growing number of patients to develop disabilities over time due to spinal cord injuries and stroke among other neurological ailments. This has led to an increased interest in developing robotic exoskeletons to help patients with neuromuscular rehabilitation. However, most exoskeletons do not accurately replicate the natural human gait kinematics due to a lack of degrees of freedom at the designed knee joint. In this thesis, the leg assembly for a robotic rehabilitation (RoboREHAB) device is redesigned to improve the gait kinematics and a reinforcement learning (RL) based controller is designed to control the new leg assembly using motion capture data. The new leg assembly and RL controller performed with a 5% margin of error from the motion capture data. Further improvements will be made to construct a full-scale prototype and establish real-time data acquisition
DNP Final Report: AT-RISK NURSING STUDENT SUCCESS: IMPLEMENTING A TRANSITION WORKSHOP
No full textThis project focused on improving the retention rates of at-risk first-semester nursing students by implementing a transition workshop. The background highlighted how social determinants of health may disproportionately impact at-risk nursing student learning and how evidence-based strategies improve retention. The practice question explored whether a transition workshop would enhance the retention of at-risk students. The PICOT framework included: in at-risk nursing students, does implementing a transition workshop versus no transition workshop improve retention rates within the first semester of nursing school? The body of evidence included a systematic review of best practice interventions for at-risk student retention and engagement, student feedback surveys, and pre/post-workshop assessments. The outcomes showed increased student confidence, perceived success ability, and overall retention rates. The project\u27s sustainability will rely on the continued implementation of student workshops and tailoring workshops to address students\u27 unmet needs. Overall, the targeted workshop activities successfully developed success skills for at-risk nursing students, leading to increased confidence, perceived ability to succeed, and higher retention rates in an accelerated BSN nursing program
REDESIGN OF ROBOTIC WALKING TRAINING DEVICE TO INVOLVE ZERO GRAVITY CAPABILITIES AND DAILY ACTIVITIES
Full text linkMany patients struggle with disabilities that hinder their ability to walk. This project aimed to create a leg assembly capable of variable gravity so that it could be combined with a Robotic Walking Training Device, and lead to better rehabilitation options for patients. This was accomplished by deriving equations of joint torque, creating circuit diagrams for Arduino systems, modeling leg assemblies in CAD, and finally combining it to create a working small-scale prototype. The result of the prototype testing showed accurate movement on each joint, especially the ankle and knee segments, to create virtual zero gravity. In addition to this, a walkway module with varying pathway disturbances such as slipping and tripping modules was created, so that gait motion could be tested, and the data used to further the research for the leg assembly models
FROM THE FIRST TO THE LAST: THE 70th OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY REGIMENT IN THE CIVIL WAR, 1861-1865
Full text linkThe history of the 70th Ohio is diverse. It is not just a narrative of battles but also of survival, endurance, and an almost unbelievable war record. By the end of the war the 70th Ohio was in the upper echelon of Union Western Theatre Civil War regiments. At the Battle of Shiloh, they helped protect the western flank of the Army of the Tennessee and had perhaps their finest hour of the war. At the Battle of Atlanta, they held their position in the center of the Fifteenth Corps line while Confederates nearly surrounded them. Without their steadfast resolve it is possible the Fifteenth Corps could have been shattered that day. At the Battle of Ezra Church, the 70th Ohio held the center of the Fifteenth Corps line again for five hours and through their actions kept the Fifteenth Corps from being split in two. The 70th Ohio was without a doubt one of the most effective and reliable regiments of the entire Western Theatre of the American Civil War
Role of Myocardin Effector Genes on the Progression of Cytoskeletal Remodeling and Phenotype Switching of HPMCs
Full text linkPleural fibrosis (PF) is characterized by thickening of the pleura around the lungs due to mesothelial cells transitioning into myofibroblasts. Our research delved into the role of Myocardin (MYOCD) in this transition, revealing Twinfilin 1 (TWF1) and Leiomodin 1 (LMOD1) as significant genes influenced by MYOCD. In our investigation, we explored how TWF1 and LMOD1 impact cytoskeletal changes in human pleural mesothelial cells (HPMCs) induced by Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). Knocking down TWF1 resulted in reduced expression of Calponin 1 and alpha-Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA), while LMOD1 knock-down suppressed α-SMA expression. Inhibition of TWF1 hindered stress fiber formation but enhanced cortical actin structure, whereas LMOD1 overexpression facilitated stress fiber formation. Knocking down either genos significantly diminished cell contractility and affected myofibroblast differentiation, suggesting their pivotal role in regulating actin cytoskeletal remodeling in HPMCs
Dissecting the Potential Mechanisms of Histone Deacetylase 1 Dependent Macrophage Phagocytosis of Mycobacterium Tuberculosis
Full text linkHistone deacetylases (HDACs) mediate the removal of acetyl groups from the histones of chromatin and regulate the expression of the genes involved in cancer development and immune cell functions. Our previous study showed that HDAC2 enhances IL-1β production by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infected macrophages by promoting inflammasome activation. HDAC1, on the other hand, regulates macrophage phagocytosis of Mtb. However, the mechanisms by which HDAC1 controls macrophage phagocytosis remain unclear.
Using human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) and Mtb strains, we explore the mechanism of HDAC1 in macrophage phagocytosis of Mtb. Our results showed that blocking HDAC1, either chemically or genetically, reduced macrophage phagocytosis of Mtb and increased tubulin acetylation despite its colocalization with bacteria, decreased expression of Cdc42 and actin polymerization, important factors involved in the early steps of macrophage phagocytosis. Inhibiting HDAC6, a tubulin deacetylase, also decreased macrophage phagocytosis of Mtb and promoted tubulin acetylation. Notably, HDAC6 expression was minimal in human MDMs and macrophage cell lines compared to lung epithelial cells. Inhibition of HDAC6 increased IL-1β and suppressed IL-10 production by Mtb-infected macrophages in a similar manner as the inhibitor of HDAC1/2. Consistent with these results, molecular docking studies suggested that HDAC6 inhibitors could also interact with HDAC1 and HDAC2. Finally, genetic knockdown of HDAC1 reduced macrophage phagocytosis of Mtb increased acetylation of tubulin, and reduced expression of the key proteins of early phagocytosis.
These findings will help us understand tuberculosis pathogenesis and pave the way for developing novel host-directed therapeutics for controlling tuberculosi
Machine Learning Application of Generalized Gaussian Radial Basis Function and Its Reproducing Kernel Theory
Full text linkGaussian Radial Basis Function Kernels are the most-often-employed kernel function in artificial intelligence for providing the optimal results in contrast to their respective counterparts. However, our understanding surrounding the utilization of the Generalized Gaussian Radial Basis Function across different machine learning algorithms, such as kernel regression, support vector machines, and pattern recognition via neural networks is incomplete. The results delivered by the Generalized Gaussian Radial Basis Function Kernel in the previously mentioned applications remarkably outperforms those of the Gaussian Radial Basis Function Kernel, the Sigmoid function, and the ReLU function in terms of accuracy and misclassification. This article provides a concrete illustration of the utilization of the Generalized Gaussian Radial Basis Function Kernel as mentioned earlier. We also provide an explicit description of the reproducing kernel Hilbert space by embedding the Generalized Gaussian Radial Basis Function as an 2− measure, which is utilized in implementing the analysis support vector machine. Finally, we provide the conclusion that we draw from the empirical experiments considered in the manuscript along with the possible future directions in terms of spectral decomposition of the Generalized Gaussian Radial Basis Function
Mike (Malcolm) Landess Interview
No full textMike Landess oral history interview about his extraordinary career and time at UT Tyler.
Mike (Malcolm) Landess served as news director for The University of Texas at Tyler’s KVUT 99.7 until August 2024 after the station ceased operations.
Landess is a seasoned broadcast anchor, reporter, producer, writer and editor whose career began in Tyler radio while he was a high school senior. He’s been honored with nearly two dozen National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Emmys—five of which were for “Best Anchor” in Washington D.C., Atlanta and Denver. He’s also received six Edward R. Murrow Awards and is in the Denver Press Club Hall of Fame and the Broadcast Pioneers of Colorado Hall of Fame.
One of those Emmy recognitions was for his series of reports called “Prostate Cancer: My Story.” He reported on his own diagnosis and the state-of-the-art treatment he received in an FDA trial program. Those five reports later became a half-hour special that was eventually made available on DVD. The Prostate Conditions Council sent out hundreds of them, free of charge, to cancer patients worldwide.
His first TV job at KLTV in Tyler led to WFAA in Dallas. Over the next decades, he was a primary evening news anchor at NBC Cleveland, KUSA in Denver, WXIA in Atlanta, WTTG in Washington, D.C. and back to Denver at KMGH.
During the 16 years he was at KUSA, the station held the highest-rated local evening newscast in the U.S. (52 share) in 1982.
He was transferred to anchor at Gannett’s WXIA in Atlanta during the Summer Olympics and on to WTTG in Washington D.C., where he covered the 9/11 attacks.
Landess came back to Denver in 2002 to anchor the evening newscasts at KMGH for the next 12 years and retired from the anchor desk there in 2014. The TV news business drew him back to work in Texas and Denver over the next four years as an anchor, reporter, managing editor and digital media contributor. He served UT Tyler as News Director for KVUT/UT Tyler Radio, the University’s NPR-affiliate radio station from 2019 - 2024.https://scholarworks.uttyler.edu/oral_hist/1000/thumbnail.jp
LITERACY ACHIEVEMENT AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TEXAS’ HIGH-QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS ON STUDENT OUTCOMES IN A RURAL ELEMENTARY CAMPUS
Full text linkThis Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice evaluated the impact of High-Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM) on literacy achievement in a rural East Texas district. Following an initial evaluation, an instructional framework was collaboratively developed with teachers. Using mixed methods, the study analyzed teacher perceptions and student achievement data from NWEA MAP and STAAR assessments. Quantitative results indicated that grade levels with initial, higher rates of achievement compared to their peers, experienced weaker growth over time. Weaker MAP growth was also observed in STAAR tested grade levels, while students in K-1 exhibited statistically significant growth from fall to spring testing periods. Teacher surveys reflected growing confidence in the program despite initial implementation challenges and highlighted concerns over several gaps in the instructional materials that require modifications and/or supplementation. The findings emphasize the need for strong systems and policies in place—with careful consideration taken for the organization’s unique circumstances—prior to the adoption of a new improvement initiative, in addition to ongoing refinement and support to ensure equitable student benefits and highlight the essential role of teacher capacity in adapting instructional resources
WOMEN\u27S EXPERIENCE OF CANCER TREATMENT DURING COVID-19 ON THE TEXAS-MEXICO BORDER
Full text linkThe COVID-19 pandemic exposed existing racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, geographic, and gender disparities in cancer care and highlighted the need for more research in understudied populations. No studies have elucidated the experience of women living on the Texas-Mexico border receiving cancer treatment during the pandemic. This study explored the lived experience of receiving cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 for women living on the Texas-Mexico border and identified participants\u27 self-identified unmet needs while receiving cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic on the Texas-Mexico border. Following IRB approval and informed consent, ten women living on the Texas-Mexico border who received cancer treatment in El Paso, Texas, during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 were interviewed using a semi-structured guide. A hermeneutic phenomenological design following the van Manen approach within a framework of intersectionality for data collection and analysis was utilized. The themes of loneliness/isolation, unrelenting expectations, life/healthcare in a border community during COVID-19, and challenges and coping with cancer during COVID-19 characterized the lived experience. Participants’ unmet needs were identified. Evidence of forms of oppression and discrimination related to gender and living and receiving healthcare on the Texas-Mexico border was acknowledged. The exploration of the lived experience of receiving cancer treatment as a woman on the Texas-Mexico border during the COVID-19 pandemic can be used as the foundation for quantitative studies and interventions targeted at improving oncology care, addressing the unmet needs produced by the COVID-19 pandemic in this specific population, and in policy changes for future pandemics