Understanding the structure of data allows for many aspects of data analysis. Data ordering, otherwise known as data seriation, is a useful tool that helps to understand the data structure better. For example, one can use an ordering of data obtained by a seriation method to reorder the rows and columns of the distance matrix. Then visualize the data structures using heat maps of the matrix to understand the data structure. Obtaining a good ordering is crucial in this process.

In this study, we try to improve a seriation method, called Tree-penalized Path Length (tpPL), which was shown to produce orderings that keep clusters of data together and have short path length, along with other merits. We introduce a new dissimilarity measure, Average Repelling Distance (ARD), and use it to construct two new distance matrices. We use the matrices and tpPL to produce orderings of 39 datasets and visualize them via heat maps of reordered distance matrices. We then compare the obtained orderings with those of tpPL, Optimal Leaf Order (OLO), and Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) seriation methods using two numerical criteria. Although our work is contained within the field of data seriation, our new distance matrices may potentially be useful to other fields that use distance matrices in data analysis. 

The immune system is pivotal in combating viral infections, particularly during the annual flu season. Influenza A, commonly known as the flu, is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the influenza A virus, primarily transmitted through droplet transmission (Dhand 2020). Its rapid spread poses a significant global health threat, impacting human health and the economy. Current research has sparked interest in understanding the contribution of natural killer (NK) cells and their role in the resolution of viral infections, including influenza infections. Despite their significance, NK cells' precise mechanisms, immune functions, and their correlation with cytokines like interferon gamma (IFNg) remain unclear. We aim to model immune dynamics and discover potential mechanisms underlying IFNg production during infections. Our study integrates immunology and mathematics to investigate the roles of NK cells, T cells, and IFNg in influenza infections by utilizing data from the University of Tennessee's Department of Pediatrics. This model will allow the exploration of possible mechanisms related to IFNg production during an infection. Our research aims to uncover how the immune system behaves during influenza infections, offering insights that may contribute to developing innovative strategies for improving public health.

Technological innovations can be leveraged to gain a competitive advantage over opposing forces in defense applications. For instance, augmented vision technology can be harnessed to extend the visual line of sight (VLOS), increase survivability, and decrease workload of US Army soldiers when operating a variety of armored vehicles. Using the MATLAB Statistics toolbox, data analysis was conducted on experimental data from the Army Research Lab (ARL) to evaluate the effectiveness of different visualization configurations. Analyses revealed that improving the clarity, practicality, and acceptability of information presented will increase targeting distance, shorten LACE time and duration, and improve system usability. Additionally, this effective formatting of information in the use of the vitreous system configuration resulted in significant reductions in participant frustration levels as well as mental and physical workload when compared to the WMI system. Future research can be done to refine the current subject or in applying this concept to other military assets such as US Navy submarines or aircraft across all service branches in order to match rising threats and maintain competitive technological advantages.

Aggression is linked to the serotonin system, making aggression a visible proxy for study of the impact of different serotonin modulators on an animal’s behavior. Betta fish have both an aggressive phenotype and the same serotonin receptors as humans, making them a useful model organism for the study of serotonin modulating substances. Three serotonin modulators were studied: the antidepressant paroxetine (SSRI class), the antipsychotic clozapine (atypical class) and the psychedelic substance 25I-NBOMe, which acts as a serotonin agonist. To investigate this process, 59 male betta fish were divided into five treatment groups—control (n=12), antidepressant (n=12), antipsychotic (n=11), combination of antidepressants and antipsychotics (n=12), two doses (low and high) psychedelic (n=12). Behavior was recorded and analyzed before, during, and after dosage and both alone and paired with a conspecific. Specifically, type of swimming, periods of immobility, and aggressive displays were analyzed. Cortisol levels were also extracted from aquarium water and measured to determine the endocrine stress response in correlation to the serotonin modulators. Findings suggest a behavioral, but not endocrine, response that differs between the fish treated with 25I-NBOMe, the antidepressants and antipsychotics, and the controls.

The tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta lives in rat intestines and passes its eggs through the rat’s feces. The infected feces are then consumed by an intermediate host beetle to continue their life cycle. Previous studies revealed that the beetles Tenebrio molitor and Tribolium confusum exhibit attractive behavior towards H. diminuta infected feces, and that volatile chemicals from infected feces are also attractive to beetles. Our earlier research identified five volatile chemicals, small acids, present in infected rat feces but not in uninfected feces. Butyric acid was found in the greatest relative amount, but also found were 3-methylbutyric acid, 2-methylbutyric acid, pentanoic acid, and hexanoic acid. We then studied the attraction of T. molitor towards these acids. Each trial consisted of 10 beetles, starved for 24 or 48 hours, placed in the middle of a petri dish arena, and offered water (control) or one or more of the acids dried on clean glass microscope coverslips. We observed the beetles for 10 minutes and counted how many were near the control or acid at each minute. A related samples Wilcoxon signed rank test showed no significant attraction of both 24 (p=0.969) and 48 hour (p=1.0) starved beetles to a mixture of the 4 primary acids, but a significant (p=0.017) attraction to 3-methylbutyric acid and butyric acid (p=0.036). This study is the first to identify volatile chemicals from a tapeworm-infected host and show beetle attraction to particular acids that may enhance the likelihood of lifecycle completion.

This paper presents the results of the deflection tests carried out on a pedestrian bridge on the Chessie Nature Trail in Lexington, Va. Vertical and lateral deflections caused by live loads crossing the bridge were analyzed. Areas of interest are at the midspan as well as quarter span of the bridge. Results show that the largest deflections were located at midspan. The vertical deflections passed AASHTO LRFD deflection limits. Lateral deflections were larger than the vertical deflections, and the lateral deflections did not pass AASHTO LRFD guidelines but were nearly double the limits. It is recommended to construct a support at midspan to reduce the clear span length and reduce lateral deflections. Future research should use larger loads to further test vertical deflections.

The intervention known as Best Possible Self (BPS) is an activity that requires individuals to envision their future as if all their life goals have been achieved. The BPS prompt has been used in numerous studies since first being introduced by King (2001). In our study, we modified King’s prompt, which did not specify how far in the future to think and   gave participants different time frames about which to write. The four groups in our study were 10 years in the future, 50 years in, the original BPS prompt, which has no time frame, and the control group which was to write their plans for the next day. Participants were asked to complete the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS, Watson, Tellegen & Clark, 1988) and then they were directed to write continuously for 15 minutes about their given prompt. Once the 15 minutes are done the participants completed the PANAS a second time. Both the 10 years in the future group and the original BPS prompt showed significant increases in positive affect t(29) = 2.852, p = .008 and t(29) = -4.403, p = <.001 and significant decreases in negative affect t(29) = 2.227, p = .034 and t(29) = 2.587, p = .015. Interestingly, the 50-year group had an increase in positive affect t(29) = -3.407, p = .002 but no significant change in negative affect t(29) = -.700, p = .489. The control group showed no change in their positive affect t(25) = 1.643, p = .113 and no significant change in their negative affect t(25) = 1.074, p = .293. The purpose of this study is to test whether using different periods of time in the best possible writing prompt will affect changes in mood normally found when using the prompt.