All Faculty Deposits

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The "All Faculty Deposits" collection contains works deposited by faculty and appointed delegates from the Elements (EFARs) system. For help with Elements, see Frequently Asked Questions on the Provost's website. In general, items can only be deposited if the item is a scholarly article that is covered by Virginia Tech's open access policy, or the item is openly licensed or in the public domain, or the item is permitted to be posted online under the journal/publisher policy, or the depositor owns the copyright. See Right to Deposit on the VTechWorks Help page. If you have questions email us at vtechworks@vt.edu.

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Impaired Complex I dysregulates neural/glial precursors and corpus callosum development revealing postnatal defects in Leigh syndrome mice
Biswas, Sahitya Ranjan; Tomsick, Porter L.; Kelly, Colin; Lester, Brooke A.; Milner, Julia P.; Henry, Sara N.; Soto, Yairis; Brindley, Samantha; Defoor, Nicole; Morton, Paul D.; Pickrell, Alicia M. (Springer Nature, 2025-12)
Leigh syndrome (LS) is a complex, genetic mitochondrial disorder defined by neurodegenerative phenotypes with pediatric manifestation. However, recent clinical studies report behavioral phenotypes in human LS patients that are more reminiscent of neurodevelopmental delays. To determine if disruptions in epochs of rapid brain growth during infancy precede the hallmark brain lesions that arise during childhood, we evaluated neural and glial precursor cellular dynamics in a mouse model of LS. Loss of Complex I significantly impacted neural stem cell proliferation, neuronal and oligodendroglial progeny, lineage progression, and displayed overt differences in specific brain regions across postnatal development. Our findings show that these disruptions in all categories occur specifically within the subventricular zone and corpus callosum prior to the age when these mice experience neurodegeneration. Given that LS is considered a neurodegenerative disease, we propose that there are neurodevelopmental signatures predating classic diagnosis in LS.
Cracking performance evaluation of BMD surface mixtures with conventional and high RAP contents: insights from accelerated pavement testing program
Tong, Bilin; Habbouche, Jhony; Urbaez Perez, Ernesto; Flintsch, Gerardo W.; Diefenderfer, Stacey D.; Diefenderfer, Brian K.; Amarh, Eugene; Katicha, Samer Wehbe (Taylor & Francis, 2026-12-31)
The Balanced Mix Design (BMD) has emerged as a promising approach for mitigating cracking in high reclaimed asphalt pavement (HRAP) mixtures. This study evaluated the cracking performance of a control asphalt mixture and five BMD-optimized asphalt surface mixtures. The mixtures featured various RAP contents, two binder performance grades, a recycling agent, and a warm mix asphalt additive. The analysis integrated continuous longitudinal strain monitoring from Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT), cracking surveys, and laboratory tests. To quantify APT-measured cracking performance, three primary response phases were identified from the continuous strain monitoring. Residual strain was used to determine the initiation of cracking, and deformation uniformity was employed as a data quality indicator. The findings from strain analysis matched APT cracking surveys. Laboratory tests on field cores confirmed no structural damage for the evaluated mixtures, except for a 60% RAP section. All other BMD mixtures demonstrated better cracking resistance over the control mixture, with HRAP BMD mixtures (>30% RAP) outperforming conventional RAP mixtures (≤30% RAP). Correlation analysis between APT and BMD tests examined and supported the corresponding laboratory test thresholds. This study enhanced insights into pavement performance monitoring and highlighted the efficacy of the BMD concept in optimizing the design of HRAP mixtures.
National Floodplain Administrator (FPA) Training Needs Assessment
Ritchie, Liesel A.; Likosar, A. J.; Roos, Micah J. (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2025-10-01)
Improving nitrogen management in US agriculture: Yield Reserve versus land retirement
Hu, Chenyang; Zhang, Wei; Bosch, Darrell (Wiley, 2025-11)
Pressure to protect and restore water quality continues to drive demand for greater reductions in nitrogen (N) loads from US agriculture. Researchers have been evaluating agricultural production choices along both the extensive and intensive margins to improve ecosystem services. This study uses the US Department of Agriculture's Regional Environment and Agriculture Programming (REAP) model, a partial equilibrium simulation model that integrates agricultural production, land use, and environmental outcomes, to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a Yield Reserve Program compared to an expansion of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) on revenues, costs, output, and potential reductions in N loads from the production of 10 major crops, both nationally and regionally. The findings indicate that the Yield Reserve Program outperforms the CRP in terms of achieving N reduction under equivalent government budget expenditures. However, the N reduction under the Yield Reserve Program is partially offset by the “rebound effect” on corn (Zea mays L.) acreage whereby corn acreage increases with the subsidized N reduction. The CRP expansion demonstrates a strong “slippage effect,” where the expansion of CRP acreage simply brings marginal land into crop production resulting in a smaller-than-expected N reduction. Sensitivity analysis shows that higher percentage of Yield Reserve in terms of the amount of subsidized N reduction tends to be more cost-effective, and more inelastic land supply tends to reduce the “slippage” of CRP expansion.
Assessing sexual dimorphism in the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus
Cifuentes-Rincon, Analorena; Sarmiento-Arias, Karen D.; Soler-Tovar, Diego; Rodríguez-Bolaños, Abelardo; Bravo-Garcia, Carlos; Reyes-Amaya, Nicolas; Ávila-Vargas, Laura; Escobar, Luis E. (Public Library of Science, 2026-01)
Sexual dimorphism in bats is understudied, with conflicting evidence across species and geographic regions. For Desmodus rotundus, the common vampire bat, previous reports on morphological sex differences have been inconsistent. This study aimed to assess sexual dimorphism in D. rotundus using a combination of contemporary field measurements and historical museum specimens. We analyzed six morphometric traits, including body mass, head length, body length, tibia length, ear length, and forearm length. Data were collected from 46 wild-captured individuals from five locations across Colombia in South America. Additionally, forearm length was examined in an expanded dataset of 490 specimens, including additional 444 individuals from museum vouchers collected over the past century. Principal components analysis and hierarchical clustering of the six-trait dataset showed patterns of differentiation between sexes, with partial overlap. Forearm length, analyzed independently in the full 490-specimen dataset, showed strong evidence of sexual dimorphism. Females had significantly longer forearms (mean = 61.8 mm) than males (mean = 58.5 mm), with non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals and a highly significant t-test result (t = -12.68, p < 2 × 10 ⁻ ¹⁶). Sex explained 25.7% of the variation in forearm length (R² = 0.26). Tibia length also differed significantly between sexes of the wild-catch individuals (p = 0.004), with females exhibiting greater values. Comparisons between museum specimens (historical) and wild-caught specimens (contemporary) showed no significant differences across time in either sex. Among females, the difference was not significant (t = -0.93, df = 208, p = 0.355), and the same was true for males (t = -0.01, df = 278, p = 0.992). A follow-up MANOVA on the six morphometric traits indicated a significant effect of sex (Pillai's trace = 0.389, approx. F(6,39)=4.14, p < 2.2 × 10 ⁻ ¹⁶). After correcting for multiple comparisons, significant sexual dimorphism remained for forearm and tibia lengths, with forearm showing the strongest signal. These findings provide robust support for modest but consistent female-biased dimorphism in D. rotundus. The use of both multivariate and univariate analysis, combined with long-term historical data, enhanced the reliability of signals detected regarding morphological differences. Desmodus rotundus play a role as a primary reservoir for zoonotic viruses, has potential relevance in biomedical research, and provides ecosystem services. Understanding sex-based morphological variation is critical to inform public health, ecology, and biological conservation strategies. Females were consistently larger than males, but segregation was not absolute, with some individuals falling outside the expected data range for their sex. This study contributes to a clearer understanding of morphological variation and lays the groundwork for future research into the ecological and evolutionary drivers of dimorphism in bats.
Deep learning reveals how cells pull, buckle, and navigate fibrous environments
Padhi, Abinash; Daw, Arka; Agashe, Atharva; Sawhney, Medha; Talukder, Maahi M.; Pour, Mehran M. H.; Jafari, Mohammad; Genin, Guy M.; Alisafaei, Farid; Kale, Sohan; Karpatne, Anuj; Nain, Amrinder S. (National Academy of Sciences, 2025-11-25)
Cells in tissues navigate fibrous environments fundamentally differently than they do on flat substrates, but the establishment of cell forces in physiological fibrous settings remains poorly understood. Although factors such as the stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM) are known to drive behaviors, including cell motility on flat nonfibrous substrates, the interplay between fiber architecture and stiffness in fibrous ECM is not known. Here, we find that in fibrous environments, the directionality of mechanical forces overrides ECM stiffness as the primary regulator of contractility in migrating cells. Using an approach combining phase microscopy with deep learning to map forces in real time, termed deep learning-enabled live-cell fiber-force microscopy (DLFM), we reveal that when cells transition between anisotropic and isotropic stress fields, their contractility significantly drops despite encountering stiffer ECM, contrary to the behavior of cells on flat nonfibrous substrates. Unlike the peripheral adhesions observed on flat nonfibrous substrates, cells in fibrous matrices form force-generating adhesions throughout their body, stabilized by out-of-plane mechanical components unique to fiber geometry. Cells exhibit distinct force signatures during migration, division, and differentiation, with temporal signatures that predict stem cell fate. These findings, enabled by combining deep learning and the mechanics of cells and fibers, explain long-standing paradoxical behavior of cells navigating deformable fibrous environments, how they can pull and tug at them, and identify tension anisotropy as a master regulator of cell behavior, with implications for cancer invasion, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine.
Rendering History: The Women of ACM-W [Book review]
Abbate, Janet E. (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025-10)
A book review of Rendering History: The Women of ACM-W. Edited by Gloria Childress Townsend. New York: ACM Books, 2024. Pp. 455.
Optimizing Double-Ovsynch: Timing Is Everything
Ealy, Alan D. (Virginia Cooperative Extension, 2025-06-30)
Pregnancy Diagnosis in Dairy Cattle: Maximizing Reproductive Efficiency
Ealy, Alan D. (2025-08-31)
Modelling trait heterogeneity and inferring causal links in the macroevolution of growth habit in eudicot angiosperms
Neupane, Suman; Zanne, Amy E.; Lens, Frederic; Uyeda, Josef C. (Wiley, 2026-01)
Phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs) help researchers understand and predict trait evolutionary relationships. While improvements to PCMs have focused on increasing model complexity, understanding processes remains difficult due to persistent challenges in grounding complex models in biological reality and synthesizing findings across multiple analyses. We examined the evolution of growth habit in eudicots (75% of all angiosperms) and tested how variables such as vessel diameter, leaf phenology, and minimum temperature influence macroevolutionary inference. We used a series of PCMs to synthesize our understanding of trait interrelationships, explored plausible causal relationships using phylogenetic path analysis, and employed phylogenetic cross-validation to assess predictive performance among taxa. We found that discrete coding of growth form was linked to other measured and unmeasured traits, and that these interrelationships can help overcome limitations arising from incomplete data and simplistic coding of complex traits. Analysis of growth form using phylogenetic path analysis helps reconcile competing views of trait interrelationships from previous studies. Furthermore, including identified covariates improves prediction of growth habit and other traits. Our study shows that incorporating causal structure improves macroevolutionary inference, identifies when analyses that omit key causal traits become unreliable, and underscores the importance of integrating phylogenetic models with natural-history knowledge.
Changes in photoperiod during the dry period impact colostrum production in Holstein and Jersey cows
Alward, Kayla J.; Duncan, A. J.; Ealy, Alan D.; Dahl, Geoffrey E.; Petersson-Wolfe, Christina S.; Cockrum, Rebecca R. (Elsevier, 2025-02)
Multiparous Holstein cows exposed to short-day photoperiod (SDPP) of 8 h of light per day during their dry period produced up to 3.2 kg more milk per day compared with cows exposed to long-day photoperiod (LDPP) of 16 h of light per day; it is unknown if a similar response would be observed for Jersey cow milk production. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of photoperiod during the dry period on subsequent colostrum and milk production in Holstein and Jersey cattle. Holstein and Jersey cows (n = 33) were dried off 60 d before their due date and randomly assigned to SDPP (Holstein, n = 9; Jersey, n = 8) or LDPP (Holstein, n = 8; Jersey, n = 8) until calving. Cows were weighed at the time of enrollment (d 0) and were housed in an enclosed barn at 20°C and exposed to 250 to 450 lx during periods of light and <10 lx during periods of darkness. At calving, colostrum volume was weighed and tested for relative protein concentration with a Brix refractometer and a sample was collected for component analysis (fat, protein, lactose, SNF) via infrared spectroscopy, as well as IgA, IgG, IgG1, IgM, lactoferrin, and SCS analysis. After calving, cows were returned to the freestall barn and exposed to ambient photoperiod and temperature. Milk production data were collected for 15 wk postcalving. Data were analyzed using PROC MIXED in SAS (SAS 9.4; SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) with treatment, breed, and d 0 weight as fixed effects. PROC MIXED with repeated measures was used to evaluate the relationship of day length and breed with mature milk volume, fat, and protein production. Random effects included replicate, lactation number, genetic inbreeding percentage, previous lactation mature equivalent 305-d protein production, and calf sex. For colostrum, Brix score, colostral protein, fat, IgA, and IgM were increased in Jersey cows compared with Holstein cows. Total colostrum weight, SNF, lactose, lactoferrin, IgG, IgG1, and SCS did not differ by breed or treatment. Postcalving, ECM production was increased in Holstein cows compared with Jersey cows but unaffected by photoperiod treatment. Conversely, milk protein percentage was increased for Jersey cows relative to Holstein cows but was unaffected by photoperiod treatment. Milk fat increased in LDPP Holstein cows compared with SDPP Jersey cows during the first week of lactation, which is likely due to the transition from colostrum to mature milk production. Overall, photoperiod did not affect colostrum production, but differences by breed were detected. Photoperiod during the dry period did not affect mature milk production or protein, but milk fat percentage was affected by photoperiod × breed. Therefore, altered lighting during the dry period does not unfavorably affect colostrum or milk production in Jersey or Holstein cows.
Cumulus cell expansion, nuclear maturation and embryonic development of bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes matured in varying concentrations of follicular fluid
Negron-Perez, Veronica M.; Al Naib, Abdullah; Zezeski, Abigail L.; McCracken-Harlow, Victoria L.; Perry, George A.; Ealy, Alan D.; Rhoads, Michelle L. (Public Library of Science, 2025-02-07)
In this study, we tested the overall hypothesis that CC expansion and early embryo development would be improved by including follicular fluid (FF) from small or large follicles in the oocyte maturation medium. In the first experiment, FF aspirated from bovine abattoir ovaries was added to the maturation medium at 0, 25, 50, 75 or 100%. Images of individual COCs were captured at 0, 6, 12 and 19 hours (h) of the maturation period and analyzed to calculate change in the total area over time. Cumulus cell expansion was greatest in COCs matured in 75% and 50% FF, and these differences were detectable at 12 (75% FF only) and 19 h (50% and 75% FF) of maturation. The improvement in CC expansion was greatest when FF from small follicles was used. Treatments for the subsequent experiments were selected based upon the results of the first experiment. Oocyte nuclear maturation rates were observed after supplementing the maturation medium with 0 or 75% FF and maturing for 19 h. The rate of nuclear maturation as determined by the presence or absence of the first polar body was similar between control (0% FF) and treated (75% FF) groups. In the final experiment, COCs were matured in 0%, 50% or 75% FF in preparation for IVF. Duration of the maturation period (12, 19 or 22 h) and size of the follicles from which FF was collected (small or large) also varied. In general, FF supplementation at 50% did not affect the zygotes’ developmental potential (neither increased nor decreased). Supplementation of maturation medium with 75% FF from small follicles consistently reduced measures of embryo development while 75% FF from large follicles yielded mixed results. It is concluded that FF supplementation improves CC expansion, but the greater CC expansion does not benefit subsequent embryo development. Notably, however, the 50% FF treatment did not reduce blastocyst rates, indicating that FF can be included in maturation media at concentrations of 50% or less with no detriment to IVF outcomes.
Maturation of bovine cumulus oocyte complexes in follicular fluid with or without estradiol, progesterone or the combination affects cumulus cell expansion and blastocyst development
Harl, Audra W.; Negron-Perez, Veronica M.; Stewart, Jacob W.; Perry, George A.; Ealy, Alan D.; Rhoads, Michelle L. (Public Library of Science, 2025-06)
Although laboratory procedures for in vitro bovine embryo production have improved immensely, developmental capacity following fertilization is still limited, especially in comparison to in vivo-produced embryos. In vivo, the maturing oocyte is enclosed in the ovarian follicle and surrounded by its cumulus cells and follicular fluid. Hormones and other components of the follicular fluid change dynamically as the follicle develops and approaches ovulation. The importance of the in vivo follicular microenvironment for oocyte developmental competence has not been well defined, however. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the impact of follicle size and relative estradiol and progesterone concentrations on cumulus cell expansion and early embryo development following follicular fluid exposure during maturation in vitro. All experiments and replicates contained a standard formulation control maturation medium (cOMM). Follicular fluid was collected via needle aspiration from small (2–5 mm diameter) and large (10–20 mm diameter) follicles and pooled according to size. The follicular fluid was added to a hormone-free base medium (eOMM) as follows: supplemented with 75% untreated large follicular fluid (LFF75), 75% untreated small follicular fluid (SFF75), 75% charcoal-stripped large follicular fluid (csLFF75), 75% charcoal-stripped small follicular fluid (csSFF75). Progesterone and/or estradiol were added to the charcoal-stripped follicular fluid treatments based on average concentrations found in fluid from pooled large or pooled small follicles. These six treatment media were formulated using eOMM as a base with the following designations and additions: 75% charcoal-stripped large follicular fluid + 37 ng/ml estradiol (csLFF+E2), 75% charcoal-stripped small follicular fluid + 23 ng/ml estradiol (csSFF+E2), 75% charcoal-stripped large follicular fluid + 160 ng/ml progesterone (csLFF+P4), 75% charcoal-stripped small follicular fluid + 140 ng/ml progesterone (csSFF+P4), 75% charcoal-stripped large follicular fluid + 37 ng/ml estradiol + 160 ng/ml progesterone (csLFF+E2+P4), or 75% charcoal-stripped small follicular fluid + 23 ng/ml estradiol + 140 ng/ml progesterone (csSFF+E2+P4). Cumulus expansion in the csSFF75 maturation medium was less than that of its untreated counterpart (SFF75), while cumulus cell expansion was similar for LFF75 and csLFF75. The addition of estradiol to the follicular fluid treatments was beneficial and improved cumulus cell expansion to values similar to cOMM, while progesterone alone had no effect. The greatest cumulus cell expansion was observed when both estradiol and progesterone were added to the follicular fluid treatments. Cleavage rates were generally reduced by follicular fluid treatments, with the exception being csSFF+P4 which had a cleavage rate similar to oocytes matured in cOMM. Blastocyst rates for LFF75 and csLFF75 were similar to cOMM, while SFF75 and csSFF75 reduced blastocyst rates. Interestingly, the follicular fluid treatments with added progesterone either maintained or improved blastocyst rates such that csLFF+P4 and csSFF+P4 were similar to cOMM. The same could not be said for any of the treatments containing estradiol, whether alone or in combination with progesterone. Taken together, these results suggest a dichotomous relationship between estradiol and progesterone during maturation. Estradiol supports cumulus cell expansion while progesterone concentrations during oocyte maturation are more important for subsequent embryo development.
Roundtable: Establishing Veterans Studies as an Academic Discipline
Grohowski, Mariana; Dubinsky, James M.; Avilés-Santiago, Manuel G.; Bradford, Anita Casavantes; Craig, Jim; Hart, D. Alexis; Hinton, Corrine; Hodges, Eric; Maurer, Bill; Pencek, Bruce; Wright, Wanda (Virginia Tech Publishing, 2025-08-28)
Ten individuals who played key roles in formalizing veterans studies at American universities or within professional associations reflect on the field’s origins, key developments, institutional support, social and historical influences, and its evolution over time. Their responses, condensed and edited for clarity, elucidate the invisible, arduous, and complex labor involved in attempting to establish an academic discipline in 21st century America.
Effect of maturity at harvest of small grain grasses on the nutritional composition of forage and ration formulation
Ferreira, Gonzalo; Teets, C. L.; Galyon, Hailey; Cappellina, Anna; Schultz, Milton; Payne, Kathryn; Stewart, Shamar; Thomason, Wade E. (2025-02-09)
We hypothesized that, relative to harvesting small-grain grasses at the soft dough stage (SFT) of maturity, harvesting small-grain grasses at the boot stage (BT) of maturity would result in less expensive dairy rations when commodity prices are high but not when commodity prices are low. Small plots of small-grain grasses were planted during the fall of 2020 and 2021 in Blacksburg, Blackstone, and Orange, Virginia. In each year and location, 2 varieties of barley, 2 varieties of rye, and 4 varieties of triticale were planted in plots replicated 6 times, yielding 288 plots. Within each year and location, we harvested half of the plots at BT and the other half at SFT. For each of the 6 small-grain grasses, we formulated 8 rations according to 8 different scenarios using the least-cost optimizer. The scenarios included high and low commodity prices, high and low dietary forage (60% and 40% forage, respectively), and the inclusion of small-grain grasses harvested at BT or SFT. Harvesting at SFT yielded 107% to 205% more DM than harvesting at BT. Relative to BT, small-grain grasses harvested at SFT had greater concentrations of OM, NDF, ADF, ADL, and starch but lower concentrations of CP. Relative to BT, small-grain grasses harvested at SFT also had a greater concentration of undegraded NDF (NDF basis). Species had minimal influence on the nutritional quality of small-grain grasses for silage. Under a low-price scenario, the ration formulation system ignored all 6 small-grain grass silages and included corn silage as the only forage source when we did not limit its inclusion. Under a high-price scenario, the ration formulation system included all 6 small-grain grass silages when formulating low-forage diets with unlimited corn silage. However, a preference between BT and SFT stages did not exist, with the optimizer not consistently selecting a specific maturity stage. After evaluating the yields, the chemical composition, and the effects on ration formulation in this study, future studies should aim to evaluate the influence of maturity at harvest of small-grain grasses on cow performance and environmental impacts.
Addressing uncertainty in LLM outputs for trust calibration through visualization and user interface design
Armstrong, Helen; Anderson, Ashley Lynne; Planchart, Rebecca; Baidoo, Kweku; Peterson, Matthew (Visible Language Consortium, 2025-08-15)
Large language models (LLMs) are becoming ubiquitous in knowledge work. However, the uncertainty inherent to LLM summary generation limits the efficacy of human-machine teaming, especially when users are unable to properly calibrate their trust in automation. Visual conventions for signifying uncertainty and interface design strategies for engaging users are needed to realize the full potential of LLMs. We report on an exploratory interdisciplinary project that resulted in four main contributions to explainable artificial intelligence in and beyond an intelligence analysis context. First, we provide and evaluate eight potential visual conventions for representing uncertainty in LLM summaries. Second, we describe a framework for uncertainty specific to LLM technology. Third, we specify 10 features for a proposed LLM validation system — the Multiple Agent Validation System (MAVS) — that utilizes the visual conventions, the framework, and three virtual agents to aid in language analysis. Fourth, we provide and describe four MAVS prototypes, one as an interactive simulation interface and the others as narrative interface videos. All four utilize a language analysis scenario to educate users on the potential of LLM technology in human-machine teams. To demonstrate applicability of the contributions beyond intelligence analysis, we also consider LLM-derived uncertainty in clinical decision-making in medicine and in climate forecasting. Ultimately, this investigation makes a case for the importance of visual and interface design in shaping the development of LLM technology.
The Pictorial Trapezoid: Adapting McCloud’s Big Triangle for creative semiotic precision in generative text-to-image AI
Peterson, Matthew; Anderson, Ashley Lynne; Rondinelli, Kayla; Armstrong, Helen (Myron E. Ullman Jr. School of Design at the University of Cincinnati, 2025-12-01)
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly being adopted in diverse research contexts that, given the specificity of theoretical frameworks and research objectives, require a high degree of semiotic precision in AI output. With text-to-image generative models, the selection of subject matter and subsequent stylistic variation both have the potential to influence measur- able desired outcomes. A major challenge in using generative models in design research is achieving a form of fidelity between a visual representa- tion and a corresponding concept that must be conveyed. Scott McCloud’s Big Triangle categorizes a broad range of visual representational stylistic variation, largely based on comic art. We extend the Big Triangle with a more systematically described framework called the Pictorial Trapezoid, which offers greater control in producing new pictures with generative AI. We provide a case study of the process by which we developed the Pictorial Trapezoid, and demonstrate its efficacy for an additional two research use cases. In each case we differentiate project-specific criteria for selecting what is being represented and visualizing that selection. Finally, we describe how an AI might be trained for semiotic precision in distinct research contexts using the Pictorial Trapezoid.
Trusting Sources and Machines
S, Joshua; Kandula, Hemanth; Ito, Viviane Vivi; Anderson, Ashley; Shrestha, Hilson; Crouser, Jordan (Laboratory of Analytic Sciences, 2026-01-14)
Modern intelligence workflows are overwhelmed by the scale and speed of incoming information, while analyst resources remain limited. This imbalance necessitates tools that can effectively surface the most relevant insights for decision-makers without overburdening human attention. Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) has emerged as a promising solution, combining large language models with information retrieval systems. However, current RAG pipelines often lack the ability to rigorously evaluate and transparently communicate the uncertainty inherent in both their source material and generative outputs. In this project, we explore how RAG-based systems might better characterize and convey epistemic uncertainty about both the provenance and reliability of retrieved documents, as well as the confidence of the language model’s synthesis.
Requirements Elicitation for Memory Preserving User Interfaces
Anderson, Ashley Lynne; Rathore, Surbhi; A, Claine; V, Tom; Evans, Melissa J. (Laborator for Analytic Sciences, 2025-01-13)
Through semi-structured interviews with analysts, this project aims to identify key requirements and desired features for user interface designs that support analyst memory traces. By investigating analysts’ current memory strategies and gathering their insights on pain points and opportunities for improvement, the work seeks to collect valuable input directly from the analysts. These findings highlight important considerations for creating user interfaces that better align with analysts’ cognitive processes and enhance their workflow. More specifically, this project identified the need for personalized memory supports and robust documentation systems that capture detailed information and provide context to aid memory retention and recall. Additionally, the collaborative nature of analytic work necessitates appropriately effortful documentation methods to prevent memory-related information loss. Lastly, the work suggests that analysts are open to using AI as a dynamic teammate to reduce cognitive load and support memory, provided they have access to the relevant information and the opportunity to understand the AI’s reasoning.
Evaluating Automated Summarization with Analyst Memories
Evans, Melissa J.; Anderson, Ashley Lynne; Rathore, Surbhi; A, Claine; Crouser, R. Jordan; Harrison, Lane (Laboratory for Analytic Sciences, 2025-01-13)
Automatic summarization remains a challenging area in natural language processing, particularly in the development of robust evaluation metrics. In this work we attempted to develop a task-specific summarization evaluation method by examining intelligence analyst memories for documents and summaries. We ran a feasibility study to see if analyst memories for full texts one day later compare to what is included in automatic summaries as a way of measuring summary quality. We find memories are comparable to summaries, but that methodology tweaks are likely necessary before that comparison can serve as an evaluation of varied summaries. We also compared analyst memories for full texts versus summary texts to see the impact summarization has on memory. We indeed see different information is retained based on what document analysts saw - particularly more details were recalled from full texts while summary texts were more often incorporated into broad statements about multiple documents. We conclude that there is merit to examining memory as a form of summary evaluation - both as a way of thinking about how to summarize and how to incorporate summaries into analyst workflows.

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