Digital Commons Network^™

Discerning The Roles Of Novel Glycosyltransferases In The Pathogenic Yeast Cryptococcus Neoformans, Liza Loza

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

Cryptococcus neoformans (Cn) is an opportunistic fungal pathogen responsible for over 112,000 deaths each year. This yeast is ubiquitous in the environment, where it is particularly associated with soil, trees, and bird excreta. When a susceptible host inhales infectious particles, Cn can proliferate in the lungs before disseminating to the brain to cause an often-fatal meningoencephalitis. Cryptococcosis primarily afflicts those living with uncontrolled HIV/AIDS, accounting for ~15% of AIDS-related mortality. The antifungals available to treat this devastating disease are few in number, toxic to patients, and largely inaccessible in resource-limited settings. The major virulence factor of Cn is its complex …

Effects Of Episodic Food Insecurity On Psychological And Physiological Responses In African American Women With Obesity (Responses): Protocol For A Longitudinal Observational Cohort Study, Candice A. Myers, Robbie A. Beyl, Daniel S. Hsia, Melissa N. Harris, Isabella J. Reed, Danielle D. Eliser, Lauren Bagneris, John W. Apolzan

School of Public Health Faculty Publications

Background; Food insecurity is a risk factor for multiple chronic diseases, including obesity. Importantly, both food insecurity and obesity are more prevalent in African American women than in other groups. Furthermore, food insecurity is considered a cyclic phenomenon, with episodes of food adequacy (ie, enough food to eat) and food shortage (ie, not enough food to eat). More research is needed to better understand why food insecurity is linked to obesity, including acknowledging the episodic nature of food insecurity as a stressor and identifying underlying mechanisms. Objective; The objective of this study is to investigate the episodic nature of food …

Quantum Diamonds At The Beach: Chemical Insights Into Silica Growth On Nanoscale Diamond Using Multimodal Characterization And Simulation, Perla J. Sandoval, Karen Lopez, Andres Arreola, Anida Len, Nedah Basravi, Pomaikaimaikalani Yamaguchi, Rina Kawamura, Camron X. Stokes, Cynthia Melendrez, Davida Simpson, Sang Jun Lee, Charles James Titus, Virginia Altoe, Sami Sainio, Dennis Nordlund, Kent Irwin, Abraham Wolcott

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Surface chemistry of materials that host quantum bits such as diamond is an important avenue of exploration as quantum computation and quantum sensing platforms mature. Interfacing diamond in general and nanoscale diamond (ND) in particular with silica is a potential route to integrate room temperature quantum bits into photonic devices, fiber optics, cells, or tissues with flexible functionalization chemistry. While silica growth on ND cores has been used successfully for quantum sensing and biolabeling, the surface mechanism to initiate growth was unknown. This report describes the surface chemistry responsible for silica bond formation on diamond and uses X-ray absorption spectroscopy …

Vermonters Divided On Holiday Greeting; More Likely To Have Real Christmas Tree 12/20/2023, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

A slightly larger proportion of Vermonters will have a real Christmas tree rather than an artificial tree this year, while a quarter won't have any tree. Those who prefer a real tree often cite tradition or a better look or smell, those who prefer an artificial tree mention less work or cost, and those who won't have a tree at all often say it is because they won't be home or because they do not celebrate Christmas. Vermonters are equally divided on their preferred holiday greeting, with Democrats favoring "Happy Holidays" and Republicans and Independents using "Merry Christmas" more often.

Christmas In Nh: More Fake Trees, Less Spending On Presents 12/20/2023, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Nearly half of Granite Staters will have an artificial Christmas tree this year, with many citing lower cost and less work as the reason why. Less than a third will have a real tree, citing tradition and the look and smell of a real tree. A majority of New Hampshire residents use "Merry Christmas" as their regular holiday greeting. Most plan on spending about the same or less on holiday gifts this year, particularly those with lower incomes, and Granite Staters plan to do a majority of their shopping online.

Mainers Prefer Merry Christmas To Happy Holidays; Plan On Spending Less On Holiday Presents 12/20/2023, Unh Survey Center

All UNH Survey Center Polls

Four in ten Mainers say they will have an artificial tree while slightly fewer will have a real tree this Christmas. Those who prefer a real tree often mention the sight, smell, or tradition as reasons why, while those who prefer an artificial tree mention less work and lower costs. Six in ten Mainers say "Merry Christmas" more often than "Happy Holidays" and a plurality of Maine residents plan on spending less on holiday gifts than they did last year.

Evaluation Of A Targeted Covid-19 Community Outreach Intervention: Case Report For Precision Public Health, Isela De La Cerda, Cici X Bauer, Kehe Zhang, Miryoung Lee, Michelle Jones, Arturo Rodriguez, Joseph B Mccormick, Susan P Fisher-Hoch

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Cameron County, a low-income south Texas-Mexico border county marked by severe health disparities, was consistently among the top counties with the highest COVID-19 mortality in Texas at the onset of the pandemic. The disparity in COVID-19 burden within Texas counties revealed the need for effective interventions to address the specific needs of local health departments and their communities. Publicly available COVID-19 surveillance data were not sufficiently timely or granular to deliver such targeted interventions. An agency-academic collaboration in Cameron used novel geographic information science methods to produce granular COVID-19 surveillance data. These data were used to strategically target an …

The Potential For Development Of Clinically Relevant Microbial Resistance To Rifaximin-Α: A Narrative Review, Herbert L Dupont

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Rifaximin-α is a gut-targeted antibiotic indicated for numerous gastrointestinal and liver diseases. Its multifaceted mechanism of action goes beyond direct antimicrobial effects, including alterations in bacterial virulence, cytoprotective effects on host epithelial cells, improvement of impaired intestinal permeability, and reduction of proinflammatory cytokine expression via activation of the pregnane X receptor. Rifaximin-α is virtually non-absorbed, with low systemic drug levels contributing to its excellent safety profile. While there are high concentrations of drug in the colon, low water solubility leads to low colonic drug bioavailability, protecting the gut microbiome. Rifaximin-α appears to be more active in the bile-rich small bowel. …

Riverton Sq., Llc V. New York State Div. Of Hous. & Community Renewal

All Decisions

No abstract provided.

Progress And Prospects On Institutional System Construction Of Ecological Civilization In China, Linsheng Yang, Yanan Guo, Huiyi Zhu, Gaodi Xie, Xiaoyong Liao, Quansheng Ge

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, the construction of Ecological Civilization (EC) in China has undergone historic, transitional, and comprehensive changes from theory to practice. The construction of system is the core content and the basic guarantee for the success of EC construction. Based on the government documents of EC construction and related research literatures, this study analyzes the formation and evolution characteristics of China’s EC construction system, parses the development process of representative innovation policies, and then predicts the trend of the further deepening reform of EC system. The results show that the relevant …

Synergism Utilization Of Urban Multi-Source Solid Waste And District Green Recycling Development—Taking Dongguan Haixinsha National Resource Recycling Demonstration Base As An Example, Yao Shi, Huiquan Li, Shaohua Chen, Weiqiang Chen, Caihong Xiong, Songgeng Li, Yin Wang, Peng Qian, Shuangde Li, Chao Hua, Ping Lu, Yupeng Liu, Chenmu Zhang, Jianwen Chu, Xin Lu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

The long-term storage and extensive disposal of solid waste have caused serious water soil air composite pollution. It is necessary to strengthen the scientific and effective utilization of solid waste, which is not only conducive to solving the major pollution problem of solid waste, but also alleviates the shortage of resources and energy in China. This study summarizes three typical types of urban solid waste comprehensive treatment experience models, and points out that the solid waste circular economy model characterized by centralization, resource utilization, and greening is the main way to solve the complex problem of solid waste. Therefore, it …

Synthetical Solution Of Disaster Risk Reduction And Green Development: A Novel Mode Promoting High-Quality Development In Mountain Areas Of China, Ming Li, Qin Liu, Yukuan Wang, Peng Cui, Xing Gao, Baofeng Di, Jinfeng Liu, Shengwen Qi, Rong Chen, Chunping Tan, Mengzhen Xu, Hao Sun, Jianqiang Zhang, Jiangang Chen, Qiang Zou

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

China is a mountainous country, with hills, mountains, and plateaus cover about two-thirds of its total land area. The vast area, huge population, rich natural resources, and great potential of development in mountain areas make them the most important “rear garden” supporting the sustainable development of the whole country. Nevertheless, China’s mountain areas are also prone to various kinds of natural disasters, and thus formed a scenario of high overlap between the high-risk zone of natural disasters and the lagging zone of social and economic development. And such scenario has caused significant waste of various related inputs, and becoming a …

Innovation And Practice On Biodiversity Conservation In Sanjiangyuan National Park, Xinquan Zhao, Shixiao Xu, Liang Zhao, Tongzuo Zhang, Linyong Hu, Qi Li, Tongqing Guo

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Sanjiangyuan National Park, is one of the first batch of national parks in China, and serves as the largest national park in China. As an important ecological security barrier and a alpine biological germplasm resource base, it has significant conservation value in China and even in the world. Lots of protocols have been taken aiming at ecological tacking protection issues including loss of biodiversity and wildlife habitats, degradation of alpine grassland and overgrazing in Sanjiangyuan National Park. It promotes the implementation of major ecological restoration projects, and has formed the Sanjiangyuan National Park Biodiversity Conservation and Ecological Protection Program with …

Conception On Asian Elephant Ecological Corridor Planning With Implications For Conservation, Xueyou Li, Qiupeng Yu, Zhechang Hu, Xuelong Jiang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In order to practice the concept of coordinated development of “Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains are Invaluable Assets” and “mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts are part of the community of life”, this study takes “pursuing green development and promoting harmony between humanity and nature” proposed in the report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China as the theoretical guidance. With the goal of enhancing ecosystem integrity and connectivity, enhancing population communication, enhancing population viability, and providing a model for the construction of ecological corridors for flagship species, based on the current distribution and …

Atmospheric 14Co2 Observation: A Novel Method To Evaluate Carbon Emissions, Zhenchuan Niu, Peng Wang, Shugang Wu, Weijian Zhou

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

As an important carbon emitter, China faces the stress of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and international carbon reduction duty. The accurate data of carbon emissions are important to evaluate the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and fulfill the international duty of carbon reduction. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report recommends the combination of top-down atmospheric CO₂ observation with atmospheric inversion to verify the bottom-up inventory of carbon emissions, and the atmospheric ¹⁴CO₂ observation can make the verification more accurate. Radiocarbon (14C) is the most precise tracer of fossil fuel CO₂ and …

Effectiveness And Challenges Of Aquatic Ecological Restoration Of Chishui River In Upper Yangtze River, Fei Liu, Huanzhang Liu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

“To set an example of green development and strength ecological environmental protection in the Chishui River basin” is an important proposal listed in the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021--2025) for National Economic and Social Development and Vision 2035 of the People’s Republic of China. Strengthening eco-environmental protection in the Chishui River will play an exemplary and leading role in maintaining fish diversity of the upper Yangtze River, promoting regional high-quality development, and creating a new situation of ecological civilization and Beautiful China. This study interprets the ecological functions of the Chishui River in the upper Yangtze River, expounds …

Impacts, Contributing Factors And Countermeasures Of Extreme Droughts In Poyang Lake, Qi Zhang, Chenyang Xue, Jun Xia

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

In the past 20 years, the hydrological regime of Poyang Lake changed significantly. The lake water level has been continuously decreasing, resulting in severe droughts. In particular, an extreme drought occurred in 2022, when the lake area shrank to less than 300 km2. The 2022 extreme drought in Poyang Lake had great impacts on economy, society and ecological environment, which aroused great attentions and wide concerns. Based on long-term data series of meteorological and hydrological data and the existing research outcomes and with the aid of hydrological modeling, this study analyzed the impacts and contributing factors of the 2022 drought …

An Innovative Restoration Mode “Macrophytes–Fishes–Benthons–Birds” Implemented In Aesthetic Plateau Wetlands, Junxing Yang, Xiaoai Wang, Xiaofu Pan, Yuanwe Zhang, Heqi Wu, Anli Wu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Affected by both increasing human activities and climate change, Yunnan Plateau lakes were faced with threats such as water level decreasing, water-body reducing, and severe pollution. Many indigenous species were endangered or even disappeared. The ecological restorations implemented since 1980s almost all used alien species. As an inevitable result, severe negative impacts from alien species were observed on the Plateau wetland ecosystem and indigenous species. To solve these problems, with the support of relevant projects, an innovative restoration mode mainly with indigenous flag-species “macrophytes – fishes – benthons – birds” was proposed. This innovative mode was implemented respectively in Dianchi …

Control Of Invasive Plant Spartina Alterniflora: Concept, Technology And Practice, Baohua Xie, Guangxuan Han

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Alien Species Spartina alterniflora occupy the living space of native animals and plants, and lead to the reduction of biodiversity in the intertidal zone and wetland ecological service functions. Therefore, it is urgent to curb the rapid expansion of S. alterniflora in China’s coastal areas. This paper introduced the invasion situation and main ecological hazards of S. alterniflora in China, as well as put forward the concept of S. alterniflora control of “hazard assessment – zoning control – monitoring and early warning”. We summarized the control technologies of S. alterniflora at home and abroad and the current situation of S. …

Spatial Agglomeration And Environmental Effects Of Heavy Polluting Industries In China: Characteristics And Enlightenment, Hongyang Chen, Jianhui Yu, Wenzhong Zhang

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Heavy polluting industries are the important sources of industrial pollutant. Understanding the spatial agglomeration characteristics, influencing factors, agglomeration mechanism and environmental effects of China’s heavy polluting industries can help identify potential pollution risk areas to cope with increasingly severe environmental pollution problems. Based on the industrial economic data from 1999 to 2021, the spatial distribution and agglomeration characteristics of heavy polluting industries are characterized. It is found that: (1) Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong are the regions with high output value of the development of heavy polluting industries in the past 20 years, while Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, …

Five Issues And Countermeasures Of China Cropland Resource Use, Sijing Ye, Changqing Song, Changxiu Cheng, Peichao Gao, Shi Shen, Wangshu Mu

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Understand the cropland use situation, analyze management countermeasures, and explore the regional suitable cropland use mode are important prerequisites for the implementation of the strictest protection of cultivated land strategy with Chinese characteristics. At present, the cropland resource utilization in China is facing the five issues of non-agricultural, non-grain, fragmentation, marginalization, and ecological degradation. This study estimates the spatial-temporal changes of these cropland use issues in China, analyzes the challenges of cropland use governance from the aspects of complex driving factors, phase characteristics, cognitive differences of responsible subjects, and dynamic changes of external factors. On this basis, the countermeasures of …

Bulletin Of Chinese Academy Of Sciences, Vol. 38 (2023) Subject Index

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

No abstract provided.

Prt543, A Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 5 Inhibitor, In Patients With Advanced Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma: An Open-Label, Phase I Dose-Expansion Study, Renata Ferrarotto, Paul Swiecicki, Dan Zandberg, Robert Baiocchi, Robert Wesolowski, Cristina Rodriguez, Meredith Mckean, Hyunseok Kang, Varun Monga, Rajneesh Nath, Neil Palmisiano, Naveen Babbar, William Sun, Glenn Hanna

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Currently, no systemic treatments are approved for patients with recurrent and/or metastatic (R/M) adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC). PRT543, a protein arginine methyltransferase 5 inhibitor that downregulates NOTCH1 and MYB signalling in tumours, is a potential candidate for R/M ACC treatment. We report the safety, tolerability and preliminary efficacy of PRT543 in a dose-expansion cohort of patients with R/M ACC.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This phase I multicentre, open-label, sequential-cohort, dose-escalation and dose-expansion study (NCT03886831) enrolled patients with advanced solid tumours and select haematologic malignancies. Dose-escalation study design and results were reported previously. In the dose expansion, patients with R/M ACC …

Stereotactic Mr-Guided On-Table Adaptive Radiation Therapy (Smart) For Borderline Resectable And Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Multi-Center, Open-Label Phase 2 Study, Michael Chuong, Percy Lee, Daniel Low, Joshua Kim, Kathryn Mittauer, Michael Bassetti, Carri Glide-Hurst, Ann Raldow, Yingli Yang, Lorraine Portelance, Kyle Padgett, Bassem Zaki, Rongxiao Zhang, Hyun Kim, Lauren Henke, Alex Price, Joseph Mancias, Christopher Williams, John Ng, Ryan Pennell, M Raphael Pfeffer, Daphne Levin, Adam Mueller, Karen Mooney, Patrick Kelly, Amish Shah, Luca Boldrini, Lorenzo Placidi, Martin Fuss, Parag Jitendra Parikh

Department of Radiation Oncology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Radiation dose escalation may improve local control (LC) and overall survival (OS) in select pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) patients. We prospectively evaluated the safety and efficacy of ablative stereotactic magnetic resonance (MR)-guided adaptive radiation therapy (SMART) for borderline resectable (BRPC) and locally advanced pancreas cancer (LAPC). The primary endpoint of acute grade ≥ 3 gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity definitely related to SMART was previously published with median follow-up (FU) 8.8 months from SMART. We now present more mature outcomes including OS and late toxicity.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective, multi-center, single-arm open-label phase 2 trial (NCT03621644) enrolled 136 …

Discussant Commentary On The Twenty-Fourth Annual Grotius Lecture, Karima Bennoune

Other Publications

I express my sincere thanks to the American Society of International Law and the International Legal Studies Program at American University Washington College of Law for the invitation to be this year’s commentator. It is indeed an honor to respond to Judge Charlesworth’s erudite Grotius Lecture: “The Art of International Law.”

Just Food? Navigating Collective Visions For Food Justice In Grand Rapids, Mi, Jack Boitel

Masters Projects

This research delves into the multifaceted realm of food justice within Grand Rapids, MI, exploring collective vision-making processes and their intersection with social innovation and systemic change. Grounded in the concepts of "Freedom Dreams" by Robin D.G. Kelley, the study investigates how envisioning change goes beyond goal-setting, encompassing actions and conversations pivotal to transformative processes. The literature review establishes a strong foundation, emphasizing the historical roots of food justice, integration of abolitionist principles, and the imperative of decolonization within broader social justice frameworks. Central to the inquiry is the role of the Michigan Good Food Charter in leading food systems …

Practice Profile Of Practicing Plastic Surgeons: A 20-Year Review Of Plastic Surgery Statistics, Kristof S. Gutowski, Emily S. Chwa, Joshua P. Weissman, Stuti P. Garg, Christopher J. Simmons, Keith E. Brandt, Arun K. Gosain

Student Publications

Background: Evaluation of practice patterns by American Board of Plastic Surgery (ABPS) diplomates allows for a greater understanding as to how the field is progressing. Understanding evolving procedural trends can give insight into plastic surgeons' subspecialty focus and influence resident training to prepare them for future practice.

Methods: American Society of Plastic Surgeons member only projections for aesthetic and reconstructive procedures were reviewed from 1999 to 2018 in 5-year increments to identify shifts in frequency between the beginning (1999-2003) and end (2014-2018) of the timeframe. Tracer utilization for all four ABPS modules were also examined between 2014 and 2018. Descriptive …

Research Priorities For Children’S Cancer: A James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership In The Uk, Susie Aldiss, Rachel Hollis, Bob Phillips, Ashley Ball-Gamble, Alex Brownsdon, Julia Chisholm, Scott Crowther, Rachel Dommett, Jonathan Gower, Nigel J Hall, Helen Hartley, Jenni Hatton, Louise Henry, Loveday Langton, Kirsty Maddock, Sonia Malik, Keeley Mcevoy, Jessica Elizabeth Morgan, Helen Morris, Simon Parke, Sue Picton, Rosa Reed-Berendt, Dan Saunders, Andy Stewart, Wendy Tarplee-Morris, Amy Walsh, Anna Watkins, David Weller, Faith Gibson

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: To engage children who have experienced cancer, childhood cancer survivors, their families and professionals to systematically identify and prioritise research questions about childhood cancer to inform the future research agenda.

DESIGN: James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership.

SETTING: UK health service and community.

METHODS: A steering group oversaw the initiative. Potential research questions were collected in an online survey, then checked to ensure they were unanswered. Shortlisting via a second online survey identified the highest priority questions. A parallel process with children was undertaken. A final consensus workshop was held to determine the Top 10 priorities.

PARTICIPANTS: Children and …

Exploring The Relationships Between Psychological Variables And Loot Box Engagement, Part 1: Pre-Registered Hypotheses, James Close, Stuart Gordon Spicer, Laura Louise Nicklin, Maria Uther, Ben Whalley, Chris Fullwood, Jonathan Parke, J Lloyd, H Lloyd

Peninsula Medical School

Loot boxes are purchasable randomized rewards in video games that share structural and psychological similarities with gambling. Systematic review evidence has established reproducible associations between loot box purchasing and both problem gambling and problem video gaming, perhaps driven by a range of overlapping psychological processes (e.g. impulsivity, gambling-related cognitions, etc.) It has also been argued that loot box engagement may have negative influences on player financial and psychological wellbeing. We conducted a pre-registered survey of 1495 loot box purchasing gamers (LB cohort) and 1223 gamers who purchase other, non-randomized game content (nLB cohort). Our survey confirms 15 of our 23 …

Bacterial Outer Membrane Vesicles Provide An Alternative Pathway For Trafficking Of Escherichia Coli O157 Type Iii Secreted Effectors To Epithelial Cells, Natalie Sirisaengtaksin, Eloise J O'Donoghue, Sara Jabbari, Andrew J Roe, Anne Marie Krachler

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are proteoliposomes shed by Gram-negative bacteria. Their secretion is enhanced by the transition into the intra-host milieu, and OMVs play critical roles during pathogenesis. Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157 (EHEC) can cause diarrheal disease in humans, and soluble toxins including Shiga-like toxins that contribute to disease severity and clinical complications like hemolytic uremic syndrome have been shown to be OMV associated. In addition to Shiga-like toxins, EHEC produces a type III secretion system (T3SS), and T3SS effectors are associated with colonization and disease severity in vivo. Here, we show that type III secreted substrates including translocators …