Digital Commons Network^™

Refugee Higher Education & Participatory Action Research Methods: Lessons Learned From The Field, Hadas Yanay, Juan Battle

Publications and Research

Refugee access to higher education is devastatingly low. Recognizing the complex barriers facing refugee learners, global educational initiatives are innovating flexible learning models which promote blended online and in-person learning modalities. This article describes the implementation of a five month, online-based internship pilot offered to 21 refugee participants in qualitative and quantitative research methods, through a participatory action research (PAR) framework in five different countries -- Malawi, Kenya, South Africa, Rwanda, and Lebanon. The internship is part of the Global Education Movement (GEM), which brings refugees accredited online college degree and career development opportunities. Through direct engagement, observation of the …

An Adaptive Cryptosystem On A Finite Field, Awnon Bhowmik, Unnikrishnan Menon

Publications and Research

Owing to mathematical theory and computational power evolution, modern cryptosystems demand ingenious trapdoor functions as their foundation to extend the gap between an enthusiastic interceptor and sensitive information. This paper introduces an adaptive block encryption scheme. This system is based on product, exponent, and modulo operation on a finite field. At the heart of this algorithm lies an innovative and robust trapdoor function that operates in the Galois Field and is responsible for the superior speed and security offered by it. Prime number theorem plays a fundamental role in this system, to keep unwelcome adversaries at bay. This is a …

Decoding The Roles Of Astrocytes And Hedgehog Signaling In Medulloblastoma, Terence Teixeira Duarte, Silvia Aparecida Teixeira, Luis Gonzalez-Reyes, Rui Manuel Reis

Publications and Research

The molecular evolution of medulloblastoma is more complex than previously imagined, as emerging evidence suggests that multiple interactions between the tumor cells and components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) are important for tumor promotion and progression. The identification of several molecular networks within the TME, which interact with tumoral cells, has provided new clues to understand the tumorigenic roles of many TME components as well as potential therapeutic targets. In this review, we discuss the most recent studies regarding the roles of astrocytes in supporting sonic hedgehog (SHH) subgroup medulloblastoma (MB) and provide an overview of MB progression through SHH …

A Day At The Races In Black And White: How An 1898 Horse Race Led To A Whipping, A Lawsuit, And A 1901 Arrest, John A. Drobnicki

Publications and Research

After losing an 1898 horse race in the Bronx, New York, African-American jockey Alonzo ‘Lonnie’ Clayton, who had won the Kentucky Derby in 1892 at the age of fifteen, heard an insult from the crowd along the rail and struck a white spectator from Brooklyn across the face with his riding whip. The blow resulted in a two hundred dollar fine by the track stewards, but ultimately led to a civil trial, a financial judgment against Clayton that he ignored, and then an arrest and incarceration for non-payment of the judgment, which some writers mistakenly still claim was for race-fixing. …

A New Function For Amyloid-Like Interactions: Cross-Beta Aggregates Of Adhesins Form Cell-To-Cell Bonds, Peter N. Lipke, Marion Mathelié-Guinlet, Albertus Viljoen, Yves F. Dufrêne

Publications and Research

Amyloid structures assemble through a repeating type of bonding called “cross-β”, in which identical sequences in many protein molecules form β-sheets that interdigitate through side chain interactions. We review the structural characteristics of such bonds. Single cell force microscopy (SCFM) shows that yeast expressing Als5 adhesin from Candida albicans demonstrate the empirical characteristics of cross-β interactions. These properties include affinity for amyloid-binding dyes, birefringence, critical concentration dependence, repeating structure, and inhibition by anti-amyloid agents. We present a model for how cross-β bonds form in trans between two adhering cells. These characteristics also apply to other fungal adhesins, so the mechanism …

Review Of Alternatives To Incarceration Efforts Worldwide, Emma Barton, Charlotte Drozd, Anne Fatooh, Katelyn Ferguson, Marc Gale, Parkash Garcha, Karen Giraldo, Aimee Hanstein, Matthew Jobson, Josephine Kehm, Lindsay Lerner, Meera Martin, Devon Mcmanamon, Mervyn Payne, Brianna Rivers, Bianca Suazo, Arlinda Xhuveli, Rosemary L. Barberet

Publications and Research

Despite global interest in treating substance use disorders as a health issue, many countries choose a criminal justice response instead. The goal of this project was to research the readiness of countries to establish or expand alternatives to incarceration (ATIs) for persons with substance use disorders (SUDs) in countries around the globe. This report gathers, compiles and analyzes information on alternatives to incarceration for persons involved in the criminal justice with substance use disorders, worldwide (193 UN Member States plus Greenland, Kosovo, Palestine and Taiwan). As such, this report presents the first attempt to compile this information globally and completely. …

Dose Adjustment Of Antidiabetic Medications In Chronic Kidney Disease, Matthew Salvatore Snyder, Joshua Fogel, Svetlana Pyatigorskaya, Sofia Rubinstein

Publications and Research

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify whether Internal Medicine house-staff (IMHS) have awareness and knowledge about the correct dosage of antidiabetic medications for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), as dosing errors result in adverse patient outcomes for those with diabetes mellitus (DM) and CKD.

Methods: There were 353 IMHS surveyed to evaluate incorrect level of awareness of medication dose adjustment in patients with CKD (ILA) and incorrect level of knowledge of glomerular filtration rate level for medication adjustment (ILK-GFR) for Glipizide, Pioglitazone, and Sitagliptin.

Results: Lack of awareness and knowledge was high, with the highest for …

Case 3847 – Simopithecus Oswaldi Andrews, 1916 (Currently Theropithecus Oswaldi; Mammalia, Primates, Cercopithecidae), Proposed Conservation By Reversal Of Precedence With Cynocephalus Atlanticus Thomas, 1884., Eric Delson, David M. Alba, Stephen R. Frost, Dagmawit Abebe Getahun, Christopher C. Gilbert

Publications and Research

The purpose of this application, under Articles 23.9.3 and 81.1 of the Code, is to conserve the usage of the species-group name Simopithecus oswaldi Andrews, 1916 by giving it precedence over its senior subjective synonym Cynocephalus atlanticus Thomas, 1884. Theropithecus is a common to dominant member of the extinct primate community across Africa after 4 million years ago (Jablonski & Frost, 2010) and often co-occurred with extinct humans (Hominini); fossils are also known rarely across Eurasia (Roberts et al., 2014). Most fossil samples are currently included in Theropithecus oswaldi (Andrews, 1916), which is often divided into chrono-geographic subspecies. Cynocephalus atlanticus …

The Influence Of China/Asia On The West, Junli Diao

Publications and Research

This chapter provides a description of cultural communication between China and Europe before 20th century. It discusses the influence of Chinese materials to Western libraries, archives and museums.

"Introduction" The Social Movement Archive, Nora Almeida, Jen Hoyer

Publications and Research

The Social Movement Archive examines the role of cultural production within social justice struggles and within archives. This book contains reproductions of political ephemera—zines, banners, stickers, posters, memes, and more—alongside 15 interviews with artists and activists who have worked across a broad range of movements including: women’s liberation, disability rights, housing justice, Black liberation, anti-war, Indigenous sovereignty, immigrant rights, and prisoner abolition, among others. These images and accompanying conversations illustrate the power of political art and ephemera to transform cultural practices, places, and communities; and its capacity to be a force for disruption in archival spaces.

Dating Deborah Hall: A Portrait Reconsidered, Brian E. Hack

Publications and Research

The elaborate, full-length portrait of Deborah Hall (1766, Brooklyn Museum) is one of the landmarks of Colonial portraiture, having earned its place in the canon for the pictorial innovations displayed by its creator, the enigmatic William Williams (1727-1791). The dominant narrative holds that Hall, the fifteen-year-old daughter of the Philadelphia printer David hall, tends her roses in an imaginary Garden of Love, surroundings Williams adapted from symbols of beauty and chastity found in emblem books of the period. The scholarly assumption is that the painting served to promote Deborah's marital suitability to potential suitors visiting the Hall residence. The current …

Development Of An Online General Biology Open Educational Resource (Oer) Laboratory Manual, Dmitry Y. Brogun, Azure N. Faucette, Kristin Polizzotto, Farshad Tamari

Publications and Research

Currently, many academic institutions are using one or more variations of online modalities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and science educators face a unique challenge with distance-learning laboratories. Many resources to engage students in virtual, interactive laboratory activities exist, but we found that high costs and/or overlooked content left gaps for several topics typically taught in a general, introductory biology course for undergraduate biology majors (e.g., organismal biology). Additionally, resources for an online lab must be identified and curated from multiple sources, requiring intense demands on the instructors’ time. To meet this need and to overcome the financial burden of …

Designing Atomic Edge Structures In 2d Transition Metal Dichalcogenides For Improved Catalytic Activity, Raymond R. Unocic, Xiahan Sang, Guoxiang Hu, Victor Fung, Jingsong Huang, Matthew G. Boebinger, Kai Xiao, Panchapakesan Ganesh

Publications and Research

Designing new materials for functional applications depends upon our ability to understand and correlate the materials structure and chemistry to functional material properties. This is even more important for two-dimensional (2D) materials where thicknesses are on the order of a single atom to a few-atomic layers; therefore, any structural or chemical modification at these length scales can have a profound effect on modifying physical and chemical properties. 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) such as MoS2 have emerged as a promising catalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction with defects such as vacancies and edges being linked to high catalytic active sites …

Systematic Review Shows Tele-Rehabilitation Might Achieve Comparable Results To Office-Based Rehabilitation For Decreasing Pain In Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis, Tamila Latif-Zade, Brian Tucci, Danna Verbovetskaya, Elizabeth Bialkin, Brian Ng, Stephan Heddon, Jean-Philippe Berteau

Publications and Research

Background and Objectives This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy of Tele-Rehabilitation for decreasing pain in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). Materials and Methods: Following the guidelines of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), three electronic databases (CINAHL, PubMed, PEDro), along with the addition of grey literature, were used to collect information. Randomized control trials (RCTs) comparing tele-rehabilitation (TR) to office-based-rehabilitation (OB) were critically appraised using the 2005 University of Oxford Standard. A total of 139 articles (PubMed = 132, CINAHL = 5, PEDro = 0, grey literature = 2) were acquired. Results: After the screening, …

Association Of X-Ray Absorptiometry Body Composition Measurements With Basic Anthropometrics And Mortality Hazard, Nir Y. Krakauer, Jesse C. Krakauer

Publications and Research

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) is a non-invasive imaging modality that can estimate whole-body and regional composition in terms of fat, lean, and bone mass. We examined the ability of DEXA body composition measures (whole-body, trunk, and limb fat mass and fat-free mass) to predict mortality in conjunction with basic body measures (anthropometrics), expressed using body mass index (BMI) and a body shape index (ABSI). We used data from the 1999–2006 United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), with mortality follow-up to 2015. We found that all DEXA-measured masses were highly correlated with each other and with ABSI and …

Griffithsin And Carrageenan Combination Results In Antiviral Synergy Against Sars-Cov-1 And 2 In A Pseudoviral Model, Sahar Alsaidi, Nadjet Cornejal, Oneil Mahoney, Claudia Melo, Neeharika Verma, Thierry Bonnaire, Theresa Chang, Barry R. O'Keefe, James Sailer, Thomas M. Zydowsky, Natalia Teleshova, José A. Fernández Romero

Publications and Research

Over 182 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 4 million deaths have been reported to date around the world. It is essential to identify broad-spectrum antiviral agents that may prevent or treat infections by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) but also by other coronaviruses that may jump the species barrier in the future. We evaluated the antiviral selectivity of griffithsin and sulfated and non-sulfated polysaccharides against SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 using a cytotoxicity assay and a cell-based pseudoviral model. The half-maximal cytotoxic concentration (CC50) and half-maximal effective concentration (EC50) were determined for each compound, using a dose-response-inhibition …

Bcr Affinity Influences T-B Interactions And B Cell Development In Secondary Lymphoid Organs, Alec J. Wishnie, Tzippora Chwat-Edelstein, Mary Attaway, Bao Q. Vuong

Publications and Research

B cells produce high-affinity immunoglobulins (Igs), or antibodies, to eliminate foreign pathogens. Mature, naïve B cells expressing an antigen-specific cell surface Ig, or B cell receptor (BCR), are directed toward either an extrafollicular (EF) or germinal center (GC) response upon antigen binding. B cell interactions with CD4+ pre-T follicular helper (pre- Tfh) cells at the T-B border and effector Tfh cells in the B cell follicle and GC control B cell development in response to antigen. Here, we review recent studies demonstrating the role of B cell receptor (BCR) affinity in modulating T-B interactions and the subsequent differentiation of B …

Engaging With Text: The Effectiveness Of Content Literacy And Active Learning Strategies In Online Introductory Accounting Courses, Rachel Raskin

Publications and Research

Language and literacy are innate to learning. The accounting language is technical and specific, and students must become literate in the discipline to be able to critically read and understand accounting text and apply their knowledge. Introductory accounting courses are typically difficult for students, who struggle to simply pass the course. Students memorize the concepts but cannot internalize the information. Lack of active reading and literacy skills hinders higher order thinking needed to solve problems. The study discussed in this paper involves two fully online introductory accounting courses where one of the courses is taught leveraging literacy strategies (experimental course) …

"Divide, Divert, & Conquer” Deconstructing The Presidential Framing Of White Supremacy In The Covid-19 Era, Vivian Louie, Anahi Viladrich

Publications and Research

Based on the analysis of President Donald J. Trump’s social media, along with excerpts from his speeches and press releases, this study sheds light on the framing of white supremacy during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Our findings reveal that the triad of divide, divert, and conquer was crucial to Trump’s communications strategy. We argue that racist nativism—or racialized national threats to American security—is key to comprehending the external divisiveness in this strategy. When Trump bitterly cast China as the cause of America’s pandemic fallout and Mexico as the source of other key American …

A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis On The Efficacy Of Stem Cell Therapy On Bone Brittleness In Mouse Models Of Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Lauren Battle, Shoshana Yakar, Alessandra Carriero

Publications and Research

There is no cure for osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), and current treatments can only partially correct the bone phenotype. Stem cell therapy holds potential to improve bone quality and quantity in OI. Here, we conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies to investigate the efficacy of stem cell therapy to rescue bone brittleness in mouse models of OI. Identified studies included bone marrow, mesenchymal stem cells, and human fetal stem cells. Effect size of fracture incidence, maximum load, stiffness, cortical thickness, bone volume fraction, and raw engraftment rates were pooled in a random-effects meta-analysis. Cell type, cell number, injection …

A Vision For Science Gateways: Bridging The Gap And Broadening The Outreach, Sandra Gesing, Steven R. Brandt, Shannon Bradley, Mark Potkewitz, Kirk F. Kee, Noreen Y. Whysel, Mark J. Perri, Sean B. Cleveland, Annalie Rugg, Jack A. Smith

Publications and Research

The future for science gateways warrants exploration as we consider the possibilities that extend well beyond science and high performance computing into new interfaces, applications and user communities. In this paper, we look retrospectively at the successes of representative gateways thus far. This serves to highlight existing gaps gateways need to overcome in areas such as accessibility, usability and interoperability, and in the need for broader outreach by drawing insights from technology adoption research. We explore two particularly promising opportunities for gateways - computational social sciences and virtual reality – and make the case for the gateway community to be …

Quo Vadis Lakes Azuei And Enriquillo: A Future Outlook For Two Of The Caribbean Basin's Largest Lakes, Mahrokh Moknatian, Michael Piasecki

Publications and Research

Lakes Azuei (LA) and Enriquillo (LE) on Hispaniola Island started expanding in 2005 and continued to do so until 2016. After inundating large swaths of arable land, submerging a small community, and threatening to swallow a significant trade route between the Dominican Republic and Haiti; worries persisted at how far this seemingly unstoppable expansion would go. The paper outlines the approach to a look forward to answer this question vis-à-vis climate change scenarios developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It uses numerical representations of the two lakes, and it examines how the lakes might evolve, deploying three …

Nih Portfolio Of Unintentional Injury Research Among Racial And Ethnic Minority Children: Current Landscape And Future Opportunities, Maria Isabel Roldos, Tilda Farhat, Thomas Moehlman

Publications and Research

Unintentional injuries (UIs) caused by accidental suffocation, burns, drowning, falls, poisoning, and motor vehicle accidents are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children (Dellinger and Gilchrist. Am J Lifestyle Med; 2017). Notable racial and ethnic disparities exist in accidental suffocation among infants and in motor vehicle injuries (MVI) among youth. The purpose of this study is to examine the National Institutes of Health's funded research projects addressing UIs, using a socioecological framework, and to determine whether funded projects align with key priorities for unintentional injuries among racial and ethnic minorities as identified by the research community. Between 2011 …

Graph-Theoretic Partitioning Of Rnas And Classification Of Pseudoknots-Ii, Louis Petingi

Publications and Research

Dual graphs have been applied to model RNA secondary structures with pseudoknots, or intertwined base pairs. In previous works, a linear-time algorithm was introduced to partition dual graphs into maximally connected components called blocks and determine whether each block contains a pseudoknot or not. As pseudoknots can not be contained into two different blocks, this characterization allow us to efficiently isolate smaller RNA fragments and classify them as pseudoknotted or pseudoknot-free regions, while keeping these sub-structures intact. Moreover we have extended the partitioning algorithm by classifying a pseudoknot as either recursive or non-recursive in order to continue with our research …

Holding Space For Uncertainty And Vulnerability: Reclaiming Humanity In Teacher Education Through Contemplative | Equity Pedagogy, Malgorzata Powietrzynska, Linda Noble, Sharda O’Loughlin‑Boncamper, Aundrey Azeez

Publications and Research

In this manuscript we describe our journey as two White coteachers conducting interpretive research with Black and Brown students in a remote-learning teacher preparation course in New York City. In the context of uncertainty, during the twin epidemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice, we explore how we reframed our contemplative pedagogy by embracing an equity-oriented framework. We share stories about moments of awakening drawn from spaces between us and our exceptional cohort of special education teachers – reflections about sensations, emotions, biases, and lived experiences as we embrace the identity of interbeing. Specifically, we explore transformations in our approach to …

Pattern Of Use Of Electronic Health Record (Ehr) Among The Chronically Ill: A Health Information National Trend Survey (Hints) Analysis, Rose Calixte, Sumaiya Islam, Zainab Toteh Osakwe, Argelis Rivera, Marlene Camacho-Rivera

Publications and Research

Effective patient–provider communication is a cornerstone of patient-centered care. Patient portals provide an effective method for secure communication between patients or their proxies and their health care providers. With greater acceptability of patient portals in private practices, patients have a unique opportunity to manage their health care needs. However, studies have shown that less than 50% of patients reported accessing the electronic health record (EHR) in a 12-month period. We used HINTS 5 cycle 1 and cycle 2 to assess disparities among US residents 18 and older with any chronic condition regarding the use of EHR for secure direct messaging …

Assessing Participant Feedback To Dental Screenings Provided By Dental Hygiene Students And Follow-Up Dental Hygiene Care In New York City, Susan H. Davide, Margarita Rivera

Publications and Research

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to validate the association between dental screenings and follow-up care to support the level of awareness of dental hygiene services available in the community by increasing access to care and determine patients’ knowledge of dental insurance status. Methods: A first-time dental screening was conducted, and complimentary care was provided for those who followed through with dental hygiene care at the clinic. Survey questionnaires were administered to participants following screening and clinic care. Results: Ten participants of the 50 screened received care at the clinic. Less than half of those screened (41 %) had …

Acute Effect Of High‑Definition And Conventional Tdcs On Exercise Performance And Psychophysiological Responses In Endurance Athletes: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Daniel Gomes Da Silva Machado, Marom Bikson, Abhishek Datta, Egas Caparelli‑Dáquer, Gozde Unal, Abrahão F. Baptista, Edilson Serpeloni Cyrino, Li Min Li, Edgard Morya, Alexandre Moreira, Alexandre Hideki Okano

Publications and Research

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used aiming to boost exercise performance and inconsistent findings have been reported. One possible explanation is related to the limitations of the so-called “conventional” tDCS, which uses large rectangular electrodes, resulting in a diffuse electric field. A new tDCS technique called high-definition tDCS (HD-tDCS) has been recently developed. HD-tDCS uses small ring electrodes and produces improved focality and greater magnitude of its aftereffects. This study tested whether HD-tDCS would improve exercise performance to a greater extent than conventional tDCS. Twelve endurance athletes (29.4 ± 7.3 years; 60.15 ± 5.09 ml kg− 1 min− …

Learning Of Food Preferences: Mechanisms And Implications For Obesity & Metabolic Diseases, Hans-Rudolf Berthoud, Christopher D. Morrison, Karen Ackroff, Anthony Sclafani

Publications and Research

Omnivores, including rodents and humans, compose their diets from a wide variety of potential foods. Beyond the guidance of a few basic orosensory biases such as attraction to sweet and avoidance of bitter, they have limited innate dietary knowledge and must learn to prefer foods based on their flavors and postoral effects. This review focuses on postoral nutrient sensing and signaling as an essential part of the reward system that shapes preferences for the associated flavors of foods. We discuss the extensive array of sensors in the gastrointestinal system and the vagal pathways conveying information about ingested nutrients to the …

Distribución De Las Funciones Retóricas De Las Citas En Los Apartados Del Trabajo Fin De Máster Escrito En Español Y En Inglés, David Sánchez-Jiménez

Publications and Research

This study correlates with a research study published in the journal Pragmalingüística, in which the contrastive use of the rhetorical functions of citations in master’s theses in Spanish and English was studied. The main objective pursued by this new research is to determine which rhetorical functions are used most frequently in the different parts of a master’s thesis and what these can accomplish in each part of the text. Following Petrić (2007), a computerized textual analysis of the rhetorical function of citation was used to study this phenomenon in a corpus of sixteen (16) theses of which eight (8) were …