Digital Commons Network^™

A Collaborative Framework For Uncovering Molecular And Cellular Drivers Of Vcid: Foundations For Future Interventions In Dementia., M Luisa Iruela-Arispe, Jason D Hinman, Andrew C Yang, Fabrice Dabertrand, Jin-Moo Lee, Gareth R Howell, The Vcid Centers Without Walls Network

Faculty Research 2026

Vascular-related factors are now considered major contributors to most forms of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. However, the degree to which vascular deficits contribute to risk, onset, and progression of cognitive impairment and dementia has only recently been appreciated. Our understanding of the mechanisms by which vascular deficits drive cognitive decline in dementia is still limited. Further, the testing of therapeutic approaches to prevent vascular deficits to treat dementia are few. These factors motivated the establishment of the Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID) Center Without Walls (CWOW) network, comprising institutes across the United States. We describe the current …

Worldwide Innovative Network Consortium: Building A Common Global Cancer Database., Farhood Farahnak, Wafik S El-Deiry, Yves A Lussier, Razelle Kurzrock, Shai Magidi, Catherine Bresson, Shirin A Enger, Jia Liu, Jair Bar, Jeremy L Warner, Tobias Meissner, Eitan Rubin, Jens Rueter, Himabindu Gaddipati, Mandar Kulkarni, Zhen Chen, Sewanti Limaye, Rachel Elsey, Brenda M Rubenstein, Anthony M Joshua, Humaid O Al-Shamsi, Khaled M Musallam, Fanny Wunder, Jacques Raynaud, Guy Berchem, Manon Gantenbein, Amal Al Omari, Said Dermime, Hikmat Abdel-Razeq, Pierre Saintigny, Andrés Cervantes, Roger R Reddel, Adel T Aref, Juan Martin-Liberal, Conxi Lázaro, David Cordero Romera, Marina Sekacheva, Raanan Berger, C S Pramesh, Ioana Berindan-Neagoe, Eugenia Girda, Alejandro Piris-Gimenez, Carol J Farhangfar, Mohammed E Salem, Rodrigo Dienstmann, Ramon Salazar, Naftali Z Frankel, Zachary Batist, Yuri Quintana, Gerald Batist

Faculty Research 2026

This review shares the ongoing work of the global Worldwide Innovative Network (WIN) Consortium for Precision Medicine to synthesize emerging cancer treatment data and to define the requirements for a common global cancer database that can truly support precision oncology. We performed a narrative review of emerging cancer treatment data, molecular profiling technologies, and existing clinicogenomic databases, focusing on how tumors are characterized, how subgroups are defined, and how demographic, lifestyle, and environmental factors are captured. The growth in molecular profiling technologies and the development of new targeted therapies are transforming cancer care. Tumors, regardless of tissue origin, are increasingly …

Inhibition Of Moesin And Cd44 In Stem Cell-Derived Neurons Affects The Pathological Genetic Signature Associated With Alzheimer's Disease., Eiden H Brewer, Charles A Williams, Gregory Cary, Ranjita Betarbet, Inez K A Pranoto, Elizabeth L Zoeller, Haian Fu, Allan I Levey, Jesse C Wiley, Gregory W. Carter, Jessica E Young, Treat-Ad Consortium

Faculty Research 2026

INTRODUCTION: Post mortem proteomic analysis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain tissue has identified novel target genes and proteins for potential therapeutic development. Moesin (MSN) and CD44 were identified as candidate targets. Using human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)-derived neurons, we assayed how reducing gene expression of MSN and CD44 affected amyloid beta secretion, tau phosphorylation, and transcriptional state.

METHODS: Knockdown of MSN and CD44 in hiPSC-derived neurons was performed using short hairpin RNA (shRNA). Amyloid precursor protein processing and intracellular tau phosphorylation was measured using chemiluminescent ELISA assays. Global gene expression was analyzed by bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq).

RESULTS: Knockdown …

Remotely Assessing Foundational Skills Of 5–14-Year-Old Children: A Six-Country Psychometric Evaluation Of The Remote Assessment Of Learning (Real), Elizabeth Hentschel, Sascha Hein, Nan Li, Clay Westrope, Julia Taladay, Gillian Valentine, James Leckman, Amira Abdurahman, Fatime Bachir, Farah Darwazeh

Psychological Science Faculty Publications

Approximately 250 million children worldwide are out of school. There is growing consensus for investing in feasible, contextually appropriate, psychometrically tested, remote tools to support quality education in low-resource contexts, including low- and middle-income countries and crisis-affected contexts. Save the Children developed the Remote Assessment of Learning (ReAL) to assess 5–14-year-old children's foundational learning. Children (N = 4,840) were sampled from Cambodia, Mozambique, Niger, the occupied Palestinian territories, the Philippines, and Sudan, with an approximately equal proportion of male and female children within each country. The study assessed inter-rater reliability, factor structure, item slope and difficulty, criterion validity, …

Cartel Del Noreste And Human Smuggling: Understanding Modern Tactics: A React Case Study, Anjun Dhillon, Isaac J. Moelter

Reports, Projects, and Research

On August 23, 2026, three members of Cartel Del Noreste (CDN) attempted to smuggle three people across the U.S. southern border in Laredo, Texas. Francisco Suarez, age 20, along with Luis Daniel Segura Guzman, age 26, prepared to transport the group from Mexico to the United States. The cartel members used Facebook to advertise their transportation services and to recruit aliens who needed help. A third CDN member, Bernardo Aniceto Garza, age 27, was placed in charge of driving the vehicle.

Ms-13 Youth: Gang Violence In The U.S.: A React Case Study, Sophia Detisch, Isaac J. Moelter

Reports, Projects, and Research

On July 12, 2017, fifteen-year-old Josue Portillo was arrested on the conviction of four murders and one attempted murder which took place on April 11, 2017 in Central Islip, New York. During questioning, the teenager waived his Miranda rights and admitted to the murders on behalf of the gang MS-13. At the age of 15, Portillo murdered Justin Llivicura, Michael Lopez, Jorge Tigre, and Jefferson Villalobos. The victims were all members of MS-13's rival, the 18th Street gang. In exchange for the murders, Portillo was promised a promotion within MS-13, an opportunity to move up from the position of “Paro,” …

Cellular Senescence Links Muscle Atrophy And Posttraumatic Osteoarthritis After Acl Injury, Alexander R. Keeble, Allison Owen, Sara Gonzalez-Velez, Nicholas T. Thomas, Camille R. Brightwell, Peyton J. Balawender, Madeline G. O'Daniel, Helena C. Weiss, Haley Noehren, Heather Thompson, Karen Sofia Zuluaga-Osorio, Zane T. Bates, Lauren Gottlieb, Douglas E. Long, Douglas Harrison, Philip Kern, Caitlin E. Conley, Michael A. Samaan, Stephen Duncan, Austin Stone, Darren Johnson, Yuan Wen, Brian Noehren, Cory Dungan, Christopher Fry

Biology Faculty Publications

Traumatic knee injury leads to posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) and significant skeletal muscle weakness, resulting in chronic disability. The current standard of care frequently fails to prevent musculoskeletal dysfunction, underscoring the need to identify therapeutic mechanisms of PTOA. Using an established preclinical anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) transection model of PTOA and leveraging an innovative SPiDER-senescence-associated β-galactosidase stain to discern senescent cells, we investigated cellular senescence at single-cell resolution and identified anti-inflammatory macrophages as a predominant contributor to the senescent cell burden in both muscle and knee joint after injury. Clearance of senescent cells using the senolytic dasatinib and quercetin (D + …

Aligned But Disengaged: Self-Estrangement Weakens Citizenship Behavior In Higher Education, Andrew Krouse, Rob E. Carpenter

Human Resource Development Faculty Publications and Presentations

Higher education depends on discretionary employee contributions that sustain coordination, service continuity, and institutional functioning. Yet contemporary governance and accountability pressures can reconfigure higher education work in ways that erode autonomy, line-of-sight, and intrinsic reward, elevating the risk of work alienation, weakening the discretionary behaviors institutions rely on. This study tests whether person–organization fit (POF) predicts organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and whether multidimensional work alienation mediates this relationship through powerlessness, meaninglessness, and self-estrangement. Using survey data from 325 employees across four U.S. higher education institutions, we applied confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling with bias-corrected bootstrapping. Model comparisons were …

Chameleon Carriers In Trucking: Detection, Enforcement, And Financial And Safety Impacts, Brian Howell, Drew Law, Andrew Martin

Kentucky Transportation Center Research Report

Chameleon carriers are motor carriers that evade regulatory enforcement by dissolving and reregistering under new corporate identities. This study, commissioned by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), examined how states characterize, detect, and respond to chameleon carrier activity and assessed its financial and safety impacts in Kentucky from 2020 through 2025. The research team conducted a literature review of existing agency practices and relevant stakeholder perspectives, reviewed administrative codes and statutes across 13 pilot states, and administered two structured surveys to state motor carrier credentialing officials examining carrier characterization and enforcement practices. An analysis of KYTC's carrier data flagged by CVIEW …

Collegiate Athletes’ And Coaches’ Communicative Constitution Of Resilience: A Case Study, Lillian B. Feder

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

Resilience processes are communicative in nature and vital to the wellbeing and success of athletic personnel and organizations. However, the communicative components of resilience-building are largely ignored in sport scholarship and practice. This study seeks to bridge that gap by using the communication theory of resilience as a sensitizing concept to develop a thorough understanding of communicative resilience-building processes in athletics. Semi-structured in-depth interviews with members of a Division I college baseball team were analyzed using thematic co-occurrence analysis. Findings indicate that collegiate athletes and coaches experience resilience-building as a combination of mental toughness (i.e., persistence and discipline) and resourcefulness …

Teen Suicide And The Outcomes Of Surviving Peers, Emily Cuddy, Janet Currie, Elisa Jácome, Lucy Manly

Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers

By age 17, a quarter of U.S. students have experienced a peer suicide. Using linked administrative data from South Carolina and a matched difference-in-differences design, we find that exposure to a peer’s self-harm death increases the probability of a self-harm diagnosis by nearly 50% and both the incidence and frequency of mental health visits. Effects on care use and criminal behavior are concentrated among white boys, and responses diverge by prior mental health history: students without a prior diagnosis increase felony offending rather than care-seeking. Deaths from assault and transportation accidents produce no comparable rise in self-harm, consistent with contagion.

Assessing And Correcting Bias In Gridded Reference Evapotranspiration Over Agricultural Lands Across The Contiguous United States, John M. Volk, Christian Dunkerly, Justin L. Huntington, Blake A. Minor, Yeonuk Kim, Charles G. Morton, Peter Revelle, Ayse Kilic, Forrest Melton, Richard G. Allen, Christopher Pearson, Adam J. Purdy, Todd G. Caldwell

AES Faculty Publications and Presentations

Gridded reference evapotranspiration (ET_o) data are widely used for agricultural water management and remote sensing evapotranspiration (RSET) models, but biases can arise where coarse meteorological inputs fail to capture agricultural microclimates. We investigated biases in the gridMET ET_o product across irrigated agricultural areas of the contiguous United States using ET_o calculated from 793 agricultural weather stations, then used those stations to develop monthly correction surfaces. Results show that gridMET systematically overestimates ET_o by 10–20% at most cropland sites, while pockets of underestimation appear in some arid western regions, primarily due to wind speed bias. Wind …

Early Radiographic And Patient-Reported Outcomes Of Percutaneous Distal Metatarsal Osteotomy In Adolescent Hallux Valgus., David Cieremans, Sara Ruzzi, Matthew Titus, Susan Dubowy, Reid Nichols, Joseph Rosenblatt

PCOM Scholarly Works

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous osteotomy for adolescent hallux valgus has become an increasingly popular technique due to its quick recovery time and effectiveness. Few studies have assessed both the radiographic and clinical outcomes of percutaneous osteotomy. We present a series that demonstrates adequate radiographic correction and favorable postoperative patient-reported outcomes.

METHODS: A retrospective review of 27 percutaneous distal metatarsal osteotomies for adolescent hallux valgus performed by two surgeons was conducted at two urban, tertiary children's hospitals. Cases were excluded if radiographic imaging information was not available. Pre- and postoperative radiographic measurements, including hallux valgus angle (HVA), intermetatarsal angle (IMA), and distal metatarsal …

Sdrc Update (Volume 7, Issue 3), Dlsu Social Development Research Center

SDRC Publications

The August 2026 issue of SDRC Update highlights research that addresses emerging social and development challenges in the Philippines. This issue features the launch of the Towards Resilient Platform Work in the Philippines policy report, which presents recommendations on strengthening social protection and skills development for platform workers. It also showcases the Mind the Climate project, which examines the mental health impacts of climate change on Filipino youth living in climate-vulnerable communities. The issue concludes with a Researcher Spotlight on Ms. Ma. Angeles "Maeyet" G. Lapeña, recipient of the 2026 Evolutio Socialis Distinguished Researcher Award, recognizing her contributions to evidence-based …

Positive Curvature And Discrete Abelian Symmetry, Lee Kennard, Elahe Khalili Samani, Catherine Searle

Mathematics

By replacing the torus with an elementary abelian two-group, we generalize Grove and Searle’s maximal symmetry result and Wilking’s half-maximal symmetry result for positively curved manifolds with an isometric torus action. © The Author(s) 2026.

Crystal Structure Of New Polar Rare Earth Borates Na2.62Ln2.12(Bo3)3 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm) Containing Isolated Bo3 Groups, Alevtina A. Maksimova, Mark D. Smith, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Faculty Publications

Three new rare earth borates, Na2.62Ln2.12(BO3)3 (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm), were synthesized via a high-temperature solution reaction using a BaCO3–H3BO3–NaF flux and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The compounds crystallize in the orthorhombic space group Amm2 with lattice parameters a = 5.0985(10) Å, b = 11.180(2) Å, c = 7.1483(14) Å, and a unit cell volume of 407.48(14) ų (Z = 2) for Na2.62Pr2.12(BO3)3, a = 5.0983(10) Å, b = 11.181(2) Å, c = 7.1491(14) Å, and a unit cell volume of 407.51(14) ų (Z = 2) for Na2.62Nd2.12(BO3)3, and a = 5.08630(10) Å, b …

A Stabilized Weighted Interior Penalty Method For Thermal Convection Model In Heterogeneous Porous Media, Yuanyuan Hou, Qianqian Ding, Xiaoming He, Yanping Lin

Mathematics and Statistics Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this article, we propose and analyze a stabilized weighted interior penalty method for solving the thermal convection problems in heterogeneous porous media. We first transform the thermal convection model into the pressure primal form with homogeneous Neumann boundary condition and develop a symmetric weighted interior penalty method to handle the discontinuous Darcy number and automatically adjust the penalty coefficient corresponding to the varying permeability. Then we recover the velocity by a stabilized method and incorporate it into the energy equation to obtain the temperature. The stability and convergence rates of the numerical solutions are rigorously proved and verified by …

Single Crystal Growth Of The Orthoborate Nabalu(Bo3)2 And Optical Investigation Of Eu3+ And Tb3+ Doped Nabalu(Bo3)2, Alevtina A. Maksimova, Mark D. Smith, Lakshani W. Masachchi, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Faculty Publications

Sodium barium lutetium borate NaBaLu(BO₃)₂ crystals were synthesized using a high-temperature solution method. The crystal structure of this layered orthoborate is described and corresponds to that of an extensive orthoborates family, NaBaR(BO₃)₂ (R = Sc, Y, Yb, Tb – Lu). NaBaLu(BO₃)₂ was doped by Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ to explore its performance as a host material and to investigate the luminescent properties of the Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ doped materials. The emission spectra of the NaBaLu(BO₃)₂:Ln (Ln = Eu, Tb) crystals are presented. The most …

What Drives Schoolchildren's Food Choices? Insights From A Gamified Stated-Preference Choice Experiment In Tunisia, Ali Chalak, Christelle Akl, Joanne Haddad, Nehmat El Helou, Sonia Sassi, Houda Ben Gharbia, Rawan Traboulsi, Marc Haber, Jalila El Ati, Hala Ghattas Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

This paper models the drivers of schoolchildren's food choices in urban Tunisia using a gamified Stated-Preference Choice Experiment (SPCE), which includes scenario attributes (food placement, preparation, and price) and contextual factors (parental/peer modeling eating behaviors). A representative sample of 2465 schoolchildren aged 8 to 12 years in Greater Tunis participated in a SPCE, which simulates real-life food choice scenarios on a typical school day. The game includes six nodes (breakfast, recess, lunch, snack on the road to/from school, afternoon snack, dinner) in various locations (home, school, neighborhood). Each choice task includes nine items to choose from (3 beverages, 3 side-meals, …

Molecular Refinement Of The Taxonomy Of Pyrgulopsis Springsnails In Western North America, Michael K. Young, Kristine L. Pilgrim, Eric S. Miskow, Chante L. Lundskog, Kathryn E. Perez, Michael K. Schwartz

School of Integrative Biological & Chemical Sciences Faculty Publications

Springsnails in the genus Pyrgulopsis in western North America have long been a dilemma for taxonomists. Defining species boundaries has been complicated by the presence of undiscovered or cryptic taxa, range over- or underestimation, species complexes representing an unknown number of species, and named species synonymous with other taxa. To address these issues, we conducted an array of molecular species delimitation analyses using sequences from up to 2 mitochondrial and 2 nuclear genes from over 5000 specimens representing 140 of the 151 currently recognized taxa. These analyses reaffirmed most species hypotheses, favored synonymy for some taxa and redrawing of species …

Automated Guided Wave Characterization Of Marcelling: In-Plane Fiber Waviness In Thermoplastic Composites, Sourav Banerjee, Ana Tudor, Corey Leydig, Thomas Ferguson, Tally Bovender, Darun Barazanchy, Josh Widosky, Paul Ziehl

Faculty Publications

Thermoplastic composite (TPC) materials often develop in-plane fiber waviness during manufacturing, a defect known as marcelling. Marcelling negatively impacts the strength and overall performance of the composite and are hard to control. While it may appear as a surface imperfection, it can also extend partially through the thickness of the material. Currently, there is no established nondestructive evaluation (NDE) method to reliably detect and quantify marcelling in composites after manufacturing. As marcelling is not a local defect but spans across the surface in in-plane dimensions of the structure, traditional pulse-echo and phased-array ultrasonic NDE are ineffective. Automated multi-directional guided …

2026-08-18 Executive Council Minutes, Susie Salazar

Executive Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026-08-06 Executive Council Minutes, Susie Salazar

Executive Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026-07-21 Executive Council Minutes, Susie Salazar

Executive Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

2026-05-28 Executive Council Minutes, Susie Salazar

Executive Council Minutes

No abstract provided.

A Word From The Writing Team (August 2026), Pam Walter, Mfa, Laura Deloretta, Phd

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Surgeon Health And Well-Being Initiative: A Survey Of General And Orthopedic Surgery Residents' Reports Of Musculoskeletal Pain., Maryam Mohamed, Grace J Kim, Kristen Conrad-Schnetz, Zhan Yang, Mary Carneval

Ambulatory and Primary Care Articles

Background Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain is a well-known risk among surgeons, resulting from the multifactorial physical demands of the occupation. Because of the demands faced by resident surgeons, many individuals find themselves with sometimes debilitating MSK pain. Although these risks are well documented and there have been proposed solutions, there is little discussion on the role that osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) can play in relief of MSK pain over time in this population. Objective The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence and distribution of MSK pain among general and orthopedic surgery residents at Cleveland Clinic Foundation (CCF). Based …

Digital Commons Statistics For August 2026, Liberty University

Digital Commons Statistics

No abstract provided.

The Startup: Critical Perspectives On Technology Entrepreneurship And Digital Labor, Kochav Koren

All Duquesne Faculty Scholarship

Communication and media studies are rapidly reshaped by socio-technological forces within the framework of informational capitalism, where startups emerge as key drivers of the global creative economy. This study critically examines the global startup movement through political economy, classical sociology, and Southern perspectives to assess whether digital entrepreneurship fosters genuine, decentralized innovation or perpetuates speculative financialization and labor precarity. Employing a multi-layered theoretical framework—including Schumpeterian creative destruction, Marxist commodity fetishism, and Weberian charismatic authority—and qualitative fieldwork across North and Latin American tech hubs, the analysis reveals startups as network enterprises that both disrupt markets and reproduce structural inequalities. The findings …

Medicare’S Hospital Wage Index Exceptions Grew By Nearly 60% From 2016 To 2024, Geoffrey J. Hoffman, Jun Li

Center for Policy Design and Governance

This brief summarizes "Medicare’s hospital wage index exceptions grew by nearly 60% from 2016 to 2024," co-authored by Geoffrey J. Hoffman and Jun Li in Health Affairs.