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Influence of Social and Environmental Factors on FEMA Claims During Flood Disasters in St. Louis, MO.
No full textEnvironmental and social factors are thought to be potential risk factors of flooding, one of the most significant climate hazards, yet quantitative evidence based on empirical data remains limited. This study investigates factors that influence the association between precipitation of three declared disasters and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood claims with damage in St. Louis, Missouri. It also explores the use of Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) for variable selection, finding its limitations. Using publicly available ZIP Code Tabulation Area (ZCTA)-level data, the analysis examines this association and its variation by a set of environmental and social factors, which were drawn from the literature. Elevation, tree canopy, impervious surface, and redlining variables were positively associated with an increase in the flood claims by precipitation. Elevation and tree canopy provided counterintuitive results, which require future investigation. The findings suggest the role of social determinants in flood risk and environmental justice concerns.</p
Mechanical Agitation Effects on Physical Properties of Calcium-Silicate-Cement Sealers
No full textEndodontic sealers are crucial to achieving a fluid-tight seal within the intricacies of root canal systems. While these sealers have been available in hand-mixed or syringe-mixed formulations, there is now a surge in pre-mixed Calcium-Silicate-Cement (Bioceramic) Sealers. Requirements for sealers are listed in ISO 6876:2012. This study investigated real-time setting reactions and effects of mechanical agitation on flow, film thickness, and setting time of calcium-silicate-cement sealer (EndoSequence Bioceramic sealer).
Single-paste bioceramic sealer (Brasseler, USA) was agitated for 10 seconds using a vortex mixer to assess flow, film thickness, and setting time (n=10) before and after agitation in accordance with ISO 6876:2012 methodology. All samples were stored in a 37˚C and 100% humidity incubator. A Gilmore indenter was used to establish the initial and final setting time. For real-time setting reaction assessment, a ReactIR FTIR (Mettler Toledo) spectrometer probe was employed to collect data for a 24-hour period. Data analysis was performed using the Student’s T-Test.
For experimental-agitation and control groups respectively, mean flow was 18 (±3) mm and 19 (±2) mm, film thicknesses 42 (±7) µm and 55 (±14) µm, and initial/final setting times 136 (±39)/653 (±12) and 570 (±41)/930 (±32) mins. FTIR-data showed stabilization of hydration reaction after 2 hours.
Mechanical agitation has an influence on flow, film thickness, and setting time of bioceramic sealers and should be considered prior to clinical use as it results in less tendency for phase separation and tackiness. More studies are needed to evaluate the complex hydration reaction promoting gelation in pre-mixed single-paste calcium-silicate-cement sealers
Fish Consumption Based PFAS Risk Assessment for Recreational Anglers in Chicago, IL & Benton Harbor, MI
No full textIntroduction: Recreational anglers who consume caught fish from Lake Michigan experience concentrated exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), and the Hazard Index associated with this exposure for specific communities was unknown (Koulini et al., 2024; Fair et al., 2019). Benton Harbor, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois, are two cities on opposite sides of Lake Michigan with active angler populations and PFAS contamination sites being monitored by their respective state programs (State of Michigan, 2024; IDPH, 2024; US EPA, 2022). This study aimed to use survey data from these two cities to estimate community-specific fish consumption by demographic, and estimate their risk for adverse health effects from fish consumption based PFAS exposure.
Methods: This risk assessment used the EPA risk assessment method for exposure through consuming a contaminated food item, which included an Average Daily Dose (ADD), Hazard Quotient (HQ), and a Hazard Index (HI) (Erdal, S., 2007; US EPA, 2015). Exposure model assumptions included PFAS concentration values from Miranda et al. paired with EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System reference doses (IRIS RfD), and PFAS concentration values from the State of Michigan paired with a Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFOS) RfD from Pachkowski et al. (US EPA, 2011; ATSDR, 2003). Fish consumption survey data was compiled to assess consumption patterns, and IBM SPSS Modeler was used to perform an Asymmetric Two-sided Chi-Square test with a 95th % Confidence Interval for each location by demographic factor.
Results: After cleaning the survey data, there were eighty-six total participants, with seventy in Benton Harbor and sixteen in Chicago. Eighty percent of all respondents reported consuming caught fish more than monthly, and more than thirty-eight percent reported weekly consumption. All HQ’s and HI’s were greater than one. The highest HI was 2,330 for Slimy Sculpin consumption in both locations, and the lowest HI was 19.9 for Alewife consumption in both locations.
Conclusion: Anglers in Chicago, Illinois, and Benton Harbor, Michigan, consume locally caught fish at high levels (more than one meal per week). High consumption of locally caught fish in these environmental justice communities puts them at risk of exposure to hazardous levels of PFAS
Energy-Constrained UAV-UGV Cooperative Systems: A Bilevel Framework for Routing in Multi-Agent Teams
No full textThe integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has revolutionized autonomous systems by enabling rapid, flexible, and high-resolution operations across domains such as logistics, disaster response, infrastructure inspection, and urban mobility. However, UAV deployment remains constrained by limited energy capacity and payload restrictions, hindering their effectiveness in long-duration or large-scale missions. This thesis addresses these limitations through a cooperative framework that integrates UAVs with Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), leveraging the complementary strengths of both platforms.
We propose a bi-level optimization framework for energy-aware UAV-UGV cooperative routing. At the upper level, UAV recharging stops are determined using a minimum set cover formulation, guiding the UGV’s road-constrained routing, modeled as a Traveling Salesman Problem. At the lower level, UAV task allocation is solved using an Energy-Constrained Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (E-VRPTW). The framework ensures efficient coordination between heterogeneous agents while minimizing mission time and energy consumption. Evaluation across multiple scenarios demonstrates a 10–30% reduction in mission time and a 15–50% reduction in energy usage compared to UGV-only baselines.
To validate the framework, we developed a hardware testbed comprising a DJI Tello UAV and a Raspberry Pi-based UGV in a lab-scale environment. Using motion capture for localization and synchronized wireless communication, the UAV successfully landed on a moving UGV for recharging, completing its tasks under strict energy constraints. These results confirm the practical feasibility of UAV-UGV collaboration for persistent surveillance and emergency response missions
Maternal Factors and Birth Delivery Impact on Severe Early Childhood Caries
No full textObjectives: To assess differences in Severe Early Childhood Caries (SECC) rates based on maternal illness during pregnancy, pregnancy term (preterm vs. full term), and delivery method (cesarean section vs. vaginal delivery). The study aims to identify potential birth-related risk factors contributing to SECC in pediatric patients.
Methods. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board and conducted at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) pediatric dentistry department. This retrospective cohort study reviewed patient charts from the Infant Oral Health (IOH) Clinic at UIC’s pediatric dentistry department. Patient data collected from the axiUm® electronic health records system between August 1, 2021, and August 31, 2023, included children aged 0 to 3 years, with oral health outcomes assessed using dmfs (decayed, missing, and filled surfaces) scores and dmft (decayed, missing, and filled teeth) scores. A total of 521 out of 801 eligible mother-child pairs met the predefined inclusion criteria. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, the Kruskal-Wallis test, Fisher’s Exact Test, and regression analysis to evaluate potential associations between birth-related factors and dmfs SECC rate.
Results: The mean age of children in the study was 21.4 months, with a median dmft score of 5 and a median dmfs score of 0.1. Based on dmfs score categories, 28.8% of children fell into the low category (0.0 - 0.01), 12.1% in the medium category (0.01 - 0.06), and 59.1% in the high category (>0.06). Regarding maternal health during pregnancy, 79.5% of the mothers were healthy during pregnancy, while 20.5% ill. For birth term, 86.8% were full term, with 13.2% preterm. For delivery method, 74.4% were vaginal delivery, while 25.6% were cesarean sections. Statistical analysis showed that maternal health status during pregnancy was significantly associated with SECC, (p=0.031 for dmft score and p=0.042 for dmfs score). Neither pregnancy term (p= 0.666 for dmft score and p=0.650 for dmfs score) nor mode of delivery (p=0.091 for dmft score and p=0.076 for dmfs score) were significantly associated with the rates of Severe Early Childhood Caries (SECC).
Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that maternal health factors during pregnancy play a more significant role in the development of Severe Early Childhood Caries (SECC) compared to birth-related factors such as pregnancy term or delivery method
Novel Conjugate Additions and Cyclizations on Multiyne Systems
No full textThis thesis consists of seven chapters focusing on extended conjugation addition chemistry and different modes of cyclization to synthesize important and unique heterocycles including natural products and biomolecules.
Chapter 1 provides a novel route for the synthesis of 4-pyrones with broader substrate scope and functional group tolerance. The strategy relies on an initial 1,4-addition of piperidine, followed by a nitrogen assisted 6-endo-dig cyclization and hydrolysis. Further studies with numerous propargylic and ketone substituents suggested that both steric and electronic factors have a strong impact on 4-pyrone synthesis.
Chapter 2 describes a novel hydrogen-bonding directed sequential 1,6/1,4-addition reaction with electron-deficient 1,3-diynes that are conjugated with an electron-withdrawing group such as ketone, ester, or imide functionalities to synthesize unique heterocyclic molecules like THPs, furans and pyrroles. Alcohols, amines, and thiols show excellent reactivity for the initial intermolecular 1,6-addition whereas the hydrogen bonding elements such as –OH, –NHTs, and –NHBoc moieties at the propargylic position demonstrates excellent intramolecular 1,4-addition.
Chapter 3 shows a novel cycloaddition reaction of acylketenes with relatively less polarized alkyne functionality. Two effective ring forming reactions are described with broader substrate scope and functional group tolerance. The first reaction involves an in-situ tethering strategy wherein acetyl ketene is activated by a nucleophile connected to the 1,3-diynone moiety. This tethering promotes a sequential 1,6-addition with a C-nucleophile followed by a 1,4-addition with an O-nucleophile to generate 2-methylene-2H-pyrans. In the second approach, a zwitterionic intermediate generated from acetyl ketene and DABCO undergoes a Michael addition with terminal alkynyl ketones, followed by ring closure to form 3-acyl-substituted 4-pyrones.
Chapter 4 provides a novel concise approach for the synthesis of Rapicone, a funicone class natural product, via the cycloaddition reactions developed with acylketene and alkynes. The key strategy to form the ynone intermediate involves a novel Fe/TEMPO catalyzed ether oxidation reaction. The synthesis is completed in 7 steps with 9.4% overall yield.
Chapter 5 describes a formal enyne ring-closing metathesis (RCM) and carbocyclization reactions of enol ethers and enamines under thermal and metal-catalyzed conditions to generate novel molecular scaffolds. These enol/thioenol ethers and enamines are generated in situ from 1,3-diynyl ketones via hydrogen bonding directed tandem 1,6/1,4-addition. The 1,6/14-adducts of alcohols and thiols selectively generate formal enyne RCM products, whereas the 1,6/1,4-adducts of amines yielded carbocyclization products.
In Chapter 6 we have developed three novel oxy-cyclization reactions of strategically designed terminal, trimethylsilyl and internal acetylenes containing 1,6/1,4 adducts under thermal, TBAF and silver-catalyzed reaction conditions to generate various 1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran derivatives. In addition, these 1,3-dihydroisobenzofuran derivatives contain novel frameworks with conjugated -systems, which may show interesting properties of fluorophores.
Chapter 7 includes syntheses of spirocyclic derivatives via conjugate addition reactions and different modes of cyclization reactions of 1,3-diynes with long chained alcohol chains, homopropargylic alcohols and -hydroxyketones
Exploring Tracking Techniques and Other Privacy-Invasive Attacks on the Modern Web
No full textModern web browsers are essential gateways to the Internet, providing users access to a wide range of services and information. To support the complexity of modern web applications, browsers continuously adopt new features and advanced functionalities to enhance the user experience.
However, despite these benefits, they often introduce inherent privacy and security risks.
This work investigates how core browser features and mechanisms are exploited for privacy-invasive attacks and evaluates the effectiveness of deployed protection mechanisms in real-world settings.
We first explore the properties and functionality of favicons to detect design-level flaws that enable persistent user tracking. Leveraging these properties, we demonstrate a novel fingerprinting technique that allows websites to re-identify users across visits without relying on traditional client-side methods.
We then focus on the browser extension ecosystem and propose extension-detection techniques, each targeting a distinct behavioral property that can be leveraged for user tracking: (i) modifications triggered by user interactions, (ii) behaviors during the extension life cycle, and (iii) variation introduced through personalization. Our analysis utilizes publicly available datasets from prior studies and a collection of extensions from the Google Chrome Web Store spanning multiple time periods, detecting a significant number of fingerprintable extensions that were overlooked by prior approaches.
Finally, we assess browser-specific security defenses by analyzing the Content Security Policy (CSP), a widely adopted standard for restricting injection attacks and enforcing origin-based access control. Using large-scale data collected from publicly accessible websites, we identify misconfigurations and overly permissive policies that allow attackers to compromise the privacy and integrity of both websites and users
Psychological Factors, Health Behaviors, and CVD Risk in Caregivers of Thai Older Adults with Dementia
No full textAims: Family caregivers of persons with dementia are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), yet associated factors remain underexplored, particularly in Thailand’s rapidly aging society. This study examined direct effects of psychological factors (resilience, caregiver burden, and perceived social support) and health behaviors (physical activity and sleep quality) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among family caregivers of Thai older adults with dementia, and assessed indirect effect of resilience on CVD risk, guided by the conceptual framework of Kubzansky and colleagues (2018).
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using purposive sampling, enrolling 180 primary family caregivers at two hospitals in northern Thailand between June and October 2024. CVD risk was assessed using QRISK3, a 10-year CVD risk prediction algorithm incorporating demographic and health-related indicators. To gather the indicators, objective measures of body weight, height, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels were obtained following standardized protocols. Psychological and behavioral variables were assessed using validated Thai versions of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Zarit Burden Interview, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) was employed to investigate both direct and indirect effects.
Results: Approximately 60% of participants had a low 10-year CVD risk (<10%), while 40% were classified as having moderate to high risk. About 62% reported high perceived social support (scores 61–84/84), and nearly half experienced no to mild caregiver burden (scores 0–20/88). About 47% engaged in moderate levels of physical activity (600–2,999 MET-minutes/week). Regarding resilience, 57% demonstrated borderline low levels (scores ≤30/40), and nearly 70% reported poor sleep quality (score ≥5/21). GSEM revealed that caregiver burden was positively associated with CVD risk (β = 0.179, p = 0.018), while resilience, social support, physical activity, and sleep quality had no significant direct effects. However, resilience was indirectly associated with reduced CVD risk through decreased caregiver burden (β = –0.145, p = 0.040), accounting for 86% of the total significant indirect effect (β = –0.168, p = 0.027).
Conclusions: Caregiver burden directly increases CVD risk, while resilience helps reduce caregiver burden and may indirectly lower CVD risk. Nurses should assess caregiver burden and CVD risk regularly and apply integrated interventions addressing psychological and behavioral factors to reduce CVD risk in dementia caregivers. This study addresses the underexplored CVD risk in Thai dementia caregivers, identifying resilience as a key protective factor and promoting a paradigm shift toward resilience-focused health interventions
The Regulation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1
No full textBone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) form specialized perivascular microenvironments or niches in the BM that regulate hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) function. Interactions between MSC niche factors and HSCs ensure hematopoietic homeostasis. Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM1) is classically expressed on endothelial and stromal cells. While the contribution of endothelial-derived VCAM1 to BM homeostasis has been extensively studied, the specific role of MSC-derived VCAM1 remains unclear. Here we show that deletion of Vcam1 significantly impacts BM MSC survival by mediating PI3k/Akt signaling. Furthermore, Vcam1-null MSCs display enhanced osteolineage capacity. Surprisingly, VCAM1 loss and associated MSC death did not affect BM HSCs. Single-cell RNA-sequencing of pooled BM and compact bone sorted stromal cells revealed that vascular and perivascular cell populations compensate for a defective MSC niche. These studies demonstrate that MSC-derived Vcam1 is critical for BM MSC survival, osteolineage output, and maintenance of niche integrity
Serine Starvation Modulates mRNA Splicing Through Depletion of SR Proteins
No full textSerine is a critical nutrient for cancer cell proliferation due to its numerous downstream functions in protein, nucleotide, and lipid biosynthesis. There are ongoing clinical efforts to utilize dietary serine starvation as a potential therapy for serine auxotrophic tumors that cannot make their own serine and are dependent on exogenous serine for growth. This emphasizes the importance of understanding how cancer cells respond to serine starvation. Here, we demonstrate that serine starvation induces dramatic changes in mRNA splicing. These effects are due, in part, to reduced translation of serine-rich proteins in serine-starved conditions, including the serine/arginine-rich splicing factor (SRSF) proteins that are known regulators of mRNA splicing. Indeed, we have found that translation of the SRSF family member SRSF6 is reduced upon serine starvation in serine auxotrophic cells and contributes to the mRNA splicing changes seen upon serine deprivation. Further, we demonstrate that reduced SRSF6 impacts the DNA damage response and cell survival in the absence of exogenous serine. Finally, we demonstrate that modulators of RNA splicing may synergize with dietary serine starvation to inhibit tumor growth
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