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Skeletal growth controls on Mg/Ca and P/Ca ratios in tropical Eastern Pacific rhodoliths (coralline red algae).
No full textSpatial Analysis of Diabetes Prevalence of the Black Belt Region of Alabama and the Role of Non-Governmental Organisations
No full textElectronic Thesis or DissertationDiabetes is a significant public health challenge, particularly in rural and underserved areas such as the Alabama's Black Belt region. However, there is a significant gap in the literature regarding spatial distribution of the diabetes in the region and the role of NGOs in addressing the disease. This study fills the gap by examining the spatial distribution of diabetes prevalence and the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in the region. Using a mixed method approach including contentment analysis of related literature, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), hotspot analysis, and service area modeling, this study identifies high-diabetes prevalence areas, the geographic accessibility of NGOs and their role in diabetes prevention and management. The findings reveal that diabetes prevalence is significantly clustered in counties where socioeconomic factors such as poverty, food insecurity, and limited healthcare access exacerbate the crisis. Furthermore, spatial analysis of NGOs locations indicates that many high-prevalence areas lack adequate nonprofit healthcare services. The policy interventions include strategic facility placement using Central Place Theory, the deployment of mobile clinics, introduction and expansion of health education programs, and enhanced inter-agency collaboration
Controlled Robot Language with Frame Semantics (FrameCRL) for Autonomous Context-Aware High-Level Planning
No full textConference ProceedingThis paper proposes a con gurable and scalable
framework based on Controlled Robot Language with Frame
Semantics (FrameCRL) for plan generation. Given natural
language instructions, FrameCRL constructs an equivalent
formal semantic formulation in the form of discourse representation
structures (DRS). Imperative verbs are extracted from
the semantic structures as keys to anchor relevant semantic
frames from FrameNet, and the selected semantic frames are
used to construct goal statements in planning language. Nonimperative
statements are further analyzed to generate object
speci cations and the initial state of the planning problem.
These generated statements are then merged into a single
planning script, which can be solved directly by the integrated
planner. The performance of FrameCRL was evaluated on
various natural language corpora and compared with large
language models (LLM) based methods in plan generation.
The results demonstrated the outperformance of FrameCRL in
generating high-quality plans and its capability to handle large
context scenarios. The FrameCRL was also tested on pick-andplace
tasks using a dual-arm robot and it showcased a robust
performance in linguistic understanding.This work was supported by NSF #2420355, NSF #2327313, and Alabama EPSCoR Graduate Research Scholars Program Fellowship
Prostate Health Empowerment Initiative: Breaking Barriers, Promoting Awareness
No full textDNP ProjectIntroduction: Prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in the United States, with African American men (AAM) disproportionately affected. Contributing factors include medical mistrust, poor patient-provider communication, fear of diagnosis, and societal stigma.
Methods: A culturally tailored educational program on prostate cancer screening guidelines for high-risk AAM was delivered to healthcare providers (HCPs) Surveys conducted before and after the program evaluated the provider’s knowledge while screening and referral rates were compared pre- and post-intervention.
Results: Pre-intervention, 38.4% were screened for prostate cancer, while in post-intervention, 33.7% were screened. The proportion of unscreened patients increased from 61.6% to 66.3%. However, clinic visits by AAM increased, suggesting enhanced healthcare engagement. Among those screened, 100% underwent PSA testing, with PSA elevations rising from 3.3% pre-intervention to 4.2% post-intervention. Referral rates for elevated PSA remained at 100% in both periods.
Discussion: Although screening rates did not improve as expected, the intervention may have contributed to increased healthcare engagement. Future efforts should focus on addressing screening barriers, enhancing provider engagement, and improving referral tracking to ensure timely prostate cancer detection and treatment for high-risk AAM
Atomistic and Multiscale Modeling to Predict Fracture and Fatigue Behavior in Amorphous Materials
No full textElectronic Thesis or DissertationAtomistic simulation of quasi-brittle fracture is still an unresolved problem. In the literature, the modeling techniques are often not consistent. Satisfaction of the small-scale yielding criterion is often overlooked, thereby incorrectly producing geometry-dependent results. Moreover, the techniques to quantitatively predict fracture toughness metrics are often not used. While, atomistic fracture and fatigue studies have primarily looked at crystalline materials, amorphous materials like polymer nanocomposites have not received significant attention. Therefore, the primary objective of this dissertation is to establish a computational methodology based on the basic principles of fracture mechanics, which, when combined with atomistic simulations, will lead to the accurate prediction of fracture toughness in amorphous and crystalline materials, and at any temperature. The main focus of the Chapters 2, 3, and 4 is related to fracture studies on crosslinked epoxy resin. In Chapters 4 and 5, the focus shifts to amorphous carbon, with and without graphene nanoplatelets embedded, to rigorously test the proposed methods. Chapter 2 discusses the application of concurrent multiscale coupling, while the remaining chapters use a novel K-field approach to perform fracture simulations without recourse to concurrent coupling. The results obtained indicate that fracture toughness in certain materials can be successfully predicted using atomistic simulations, as long as some basic rules are followed
Optical Diagnostic Measurements Investigating Periodic Exhaust Flow Features of a Rotating Detonation Combustor
No full textElectronic Thesis or DissertationRotating Detonation Combustors (RDCs) create unsteady flow, posing integration challenges for propulsion systems despite promising improvements in thermodynamic cycle efficiency and thrust-to-weight ratio. Maximizing thrust extraction from RDCs is a key challenge and essential for achieving theoretical advantages over conventional propulsion systems. Understanding the RDC exhaust flow field is vital for developing and implementing appropriate flow conditioning strategies to achieve homogeneous flow and essential for maximizing intra-cycle thrust performance. Consequently, characterization of the exhaust flow field addresses a key challenge for RDC integration in advanced propulsion systems.In this study, the exhaust flow of an RDC integrated with an aerospike is investigated using optical diagnostics including OH* Chemiluminescence (OH*-CL) and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The experimental configuration features an annular RDC with a converging annulus exit nozzle designed to achieve high internal pressures and an aerospike center body at the annulus exit. The aerospike enables the flow field to adjust throughout the periodic pressure cycle to produce optimal thrust across a range of pressure ratios. PIV was performed in radial and chordal planes at the RDC exit to measure axial, radial, and circumferential velocity components across multiple reactant mass flow rates, each featuring a stable single-wave detonation mode.The rotating oblique shockwave creates a highly periodic supersonic/subsonic exhaust flow field at the RDC exit that deviates considerably from uniform flow conditions. The OH*-CL images show key features of the rotating shockwave. PIV analysis reveals substantial periodic temporal and spatial variations in each velocity component throughout the exhaust flow field. Notably, axial velocity fluctuations can amplify as different flow segments evolve in the axial direction. Conversely, circumferential velocity fluctuations are highest near the RDC exit and decrease at downstream locations. The radial velocity measurements show the possibility of flow separation from the aerospike, depending upon the reactant mass flow rate.Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) is used to assign cycle phase angles to temporal velocity measurements in MATLAB. POD enables phase-averaged PIV measurement analysis to distinguish between periodic (quasi-steady) and turbulent (cycle-to-cycle) fluctuations. Phase-averaged measurements further characterize periodic flow detachment on the aerospike surface, which can negatively impact thrust performance
Investigating Amyloid Aggregates in Neurodegenerative Diseases Using Label-Free Vibrational Microscopy
No full textElectronic Thesis or DissertationThe work presented in this dissertation focuses on the application of label-free vibrational imaging techniques to characterize amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregates to better understand their structural and chemical variations in neuropathological disorders such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA). The aggregation of Aβ peptides is at the heart of AD and CAA development and progression. These neurodegenerative diseases represent a world health crisis with estimated cases projected to exceed 14 million by 2060. In AD, Aβ deposition leads to formation of plaques while CAA involves vascular aggregates. Amyloid aggregates have been studied extensively in vitro and detailed structural information on fibrillar amyloid aggregates is available. However, associating these structural models to amyloid aggregates in the human brain is still a major challenge. The characterization of Aβ aggregates in the brain, particularly in terms of protein secondary structure and associated chemical composition, remains poorly understood. Raman microspectroscopy was employed to identify the presence of chemical moieties such as carotenoids associated with plaques and vascular amyloids, the main hallmarks of AD and CAA in postmortem Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded (FFPE) human brain specimens. The obtained results reveal that the distribution of carotenoids is correlated to the β-sheet population of the cerebral aggregates. To validate these findings and better understand the correlation of carotenoids to amyloid structure, spatially resolved Mid-Infrared Photothermal (MIP) spectroscopy was used. Taken together, the results presented in this thesis provide insights into the role of carotenoid species as inflammatory species in AD and CAA and demonstrate the existence of distinct subclasses of amyloid aggregates with likely different roles in pathogenesis. The use of MIP was further expanded towards protein aggregates and studied the change in the composition of vascular amyloids with CAA severity. Our results demonstrate a lipid driven aggregation mechanism where later stages of CAA exhibit amyloid aggregates containing significant populations of antiparallel β-sheet structure, typically thought of as transient intermediates during aggregation. These findings highlight the complex nature of amyloid aggregation in disease and unequivocally show that different amyloid structures can be associated with different disease states
The Widening College Access Gap: Pell Grant Disinvestment and Declining Student Enrollment in the South
No full textPolicy and research brief produced by The University of Alabama’s Education Policy Center (UA-EPC) for the Southern Education Foundation (SEF)This policy and research brief — produced by The University of Alabama’s Education Policy Center (UA-EPC)
for the Southern Education Foundation (SEF) — addresses the impact of inconsistent funding for Pell Grants and
their power as a tool for supporting students to and through college. Federal and state policymakers should push
for higher levels and steadier Pell Grant funding. Policymakers in the South should especially make consistent and
reliable Pell Grant funding a top priority in the federal budget, with an eye toward a better-prepared and more
skilled workforce to keep the region and nation economically competitive
Uncertain Recovery for Community Colleges: Findings from the 2024 National Survey of Finance and Access
No full textAuthor Accepted ManuscriptThe 2024 National Survey of Finance and Access, conducted by The University of Alabama's Education Policy Center (EPC), draws on responses from state community college leaders in 45 states who possess broad knowledge across all educational sectors. The survey reveals concerning financial prospects for public higher education. State operating budget increases are projected below inflation (2.4% vs. 2.5%), with tuition expected to rise across sectors by an average of 2.3%. Community colleges show the strongest enrollment growth at 2.2%. Nearly half of the respondents cited recession as a major budget concern. A significant majority (63%) indicated that uncertain state funding threatens progress to improve access and completion. The slow FAFSA rollout compounds these challenges, creating a difficult environment for institutions supporting student success initiatives. These findings indicate a continuing pattern where the “high tuition/high aid” model fails to maintain affordability and access in economic downturns
Comparing Impact of Green Open Access and Toll-Access Publication in the Chemical Sciences
No full textThis study investigates the comparative research impact and dissemination of green open access (GOA) and traditional toll-access (TA) publications within the chemical sciences. Employing programmatic data harvesting via ChemRxiv and Scopus APIs and integrating both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, this research presents a replicable framework for bibliometric assessment. The findings indicate that GOA publications achieve higher levels of social media engagement and exhibit citation rates comparable to those of TA publications, even when featured in journals with lower h-index scores, suggesting enhanced visibility and sustained readership. Notably, the study underscores the critical importance of controlling for article age, as demonstrated by the significant correlational interactions between age and key bibliometric and altmetric measures. This insight not only fills a gap in existing literature but also informs effective methodological approaches for future analyses. The confirmation of non-normal distribution behaviors in these metrics reinforces the need for non-parametric analytical methods, highlighting the limitations of traditional parametric comparisons. Collectively, these findings contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of how access models shape scholarly impact and underscore the necessity of employing robust, tailored statistical methods. The study advocates for continued longitudinal research to further elucidate the complex dynamics of research dissemination and engagement