Digital Commons Network^™

Human Epidemiology And Response To Sars-Cov-2 (Heros): Objectives, Design, And Enrollment Results Of A 12-City Remote Observational Surveillance Study Of Households With Children, Using Direct-To-Participant Methods, Patricia C Fulkerson, Katherine Rivera-Spoljaric, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The Human Epidemiology and Response to SARS-CoV-2 (HEROS) Study is a prospective, multicity, 6-month incidence study conducted from May 2020 to February 2021. The objectives were to identify risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection and household transmission among children and people with asthma and allergic diseases, and to use the host nasal transcriptome sampled longitudinally to understand infection risk and sequelae at the molecular level. To overcome challenges of clinical study implementation due to the coronavirus pandemic, this surveillance study used direct-to-participant methods to remotely enroll and prospectively follow eligible children who are participants in other National Institutes of Health-funded pediatric …

The New Age Of Mining: Isa's Vision Of The Deep Seabed Mining, Ganeswar Matcha

Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs (2012 - Present)

No abstract provided.

Cryo-Em Analysis Of Pseudomonas Phage Pa193 Structural Components, Stephano M. Iglesias, Chun-Feng Hou, Johnny Reid, Evan Schauer, Renae Geier, Angela Soriaga, Lucy Sim, Lucy Gao, Julian Whitelegge, Pierre Kyme, Deborah Birx, Sebastien Lemire, Gino Cingolani

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty Papers

The World Health Organization has designated Pseudomonas aeruginosa as a critical pathogen for the development of new antimicrobials. Bacterial viruses, or bacteriophages, have been used in various clinical settings, commonly called phage therapy, to address this growing public health crisis. Here, we describe a high-resolution structural atlas of a therapeutic, contractile-tailed Pseudomonas phage, Pa193. We used bioinformatics, proteomics, and cryogenic electron microscopy single particle analysis to identify, annotate, and build atomic models for 21 distinct structural polypeptide chains forming the icosahedral capsid, neck, contractile tail, and baseplate. We identified a putative scaffolding protein stabilizing the interior of the capsid 5-fold …

A Framework For Nanoindentation Of Soft Biomaterials And Polymers, Donna M. Ebenstein, Sofia E. Arevalo, Lisa A. Pruitt

Nanomechanical Testing in Materials Research and Development IX

Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract.

Social Comparison And Self-Determination In Luxury Consumption Motivations, Maria Petrescu, Jose Ribamar Siqueira, Costinel Dobre, Selima Ben Mrad, Anca-Milovan Ciuta, Aycan Kara

Publications

This study integrates social comparison theory and self-determination theory to examine the roles of escapism, conformity, and individual cultural values in shaping luxury brand attitudes. Concepts related to consumer upward and downward social comparison are complemented by aspects related to self-determination and autonomy. Drawing on survey data from the United States and Colombia, the research employs partial least squares structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to investigate the complex drivers of luxury consumption. The findings reveal that escapism and conformity, complementary motivations grounded in social comparison and self-determination theories, positively influence luxury brand attitudes. Furthermore, individual cultural …

Plasma Proteomic Biomarkers In Alzheimer's Disease And Cardiovascular Disease: A Longitudinal Study, Laurie A. Theeke, Ying Liu, Silas Wang, Xingguang Luo, R Osvaldo Navia, Danqing Xiao, Chun Xu, Kesheng Wang

Health & Biomedical Sciences Faculty Publications

The co-occurrence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in older adults highlights the necessity for the exploration of potential shared risk factors. A total of 566 adults were selected from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database, including 111 individuals with AD, 383 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 410 with CVD. The multivariable linear mixed model (LMM) was used to investigate the associations of AD and CVD with longitudinal changes in 146 plasma proteomic biomarkers (measured at baseline and the 12-month follow-up). The LMM showed that 48 biomarkers were linked to AD and 46 to CVD ( …

Clustered Setation On The Pedipalps Of Buthid Scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Graeme Lowe, Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

Chaetotaxy of the external pedipalp femur and distal ventral pedipalp movable finger was studied in 120 species, 69 genera and 17 families of scorpions. Setation was generally denser in the ‘Buthus’ group, a major arid-adapted buthid lineage distributed across Palearctic deserts. On the external femur, macrosetae formed a prominent cluster, the ‘distal external macrosetal cluster’ (DEMC); on the distal ventral movable finger they formed a dense patch, the ‘distal ventral macrosetal cluster’ (DVMC). In other buthids and non-buthids, the DEMC and DVMC were mostly absent, except in a few arid-adapted genera. Relative setation densities of DEMC and DVMC in different …

Integrating Neuroscience Into The K-12 Computer Science Curriculum, Dr. Ashwin Mohan, Namrata Pandya, Nicole Ross, Sowmya Anjur, Satish S. Nair

Faculty Publications & Research

No abstract provided.

Performance Of Ag‑Doped Cuo Nanoparticles For Photocatalytic Activity Applications: Synthesis, Characterization, And Antimicrobial Activity, Samar A. Salim, Ahmed Mosleh, Elbadawy A. Kamoun, Shahira H El-Moslamy, Heba Zahran, Samer Zyoud, Ibrahim Yahia

Nanotechnology Research Centre

The auto-combustion method synthesized CuO NPs and Ag/CuO NPs. The Ag/CuO NPs were analyzed using Fourier-transform infrared, X-ray difraction, scanning electron microscope, and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy instrumental analyses. The energy band gap, as determined by DRS properties, decreases from 3.82 to 3.50 eV for pure CuO and 10% Ag/CuO NPs, respectively. The photodegradation efciency of Rhodamine-B & Carmine by 10% Ag/CuO NPs was nearly 98.9 and 97.8%, respectively. Antimicrobial trials revealed that the antimicrobial efficacy of Ag/CuO NPs at several dosages (20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 µg/mL) against human pathogens was initially assessed using the agar well-diffusion method, …

Human-Augmented Large Language Model-Driven Selection Of Glutathione Peroxidase 4 As A Candidate Blood Transcriptional Biomarker For Circulating Erythroid Cells., Bishesh Subba, Mohammed Toufiq, Fuadur Omi, Marina Yurieva, Taushif Khan, Darawan Rinchai, Karolina Palucka, Damien Chaussabel

Faculty Research 2024

The identification of optimal candidate genes from large-scale blood transcriptomic data is crucial for developing targeted assays to monitor immune responses. Here, we introduce a novel, optimized large language model (LLM)-based approach for prioritizing candidate biomarkers from blood transcriptional modules. Focusing on module M14.51 from the BloodGen3 repertoire, we implemented a multi-step LLM-driven workflow. Initial high-throughput screening used GPT-4, Claude 3, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet to score and rank the module's constituent genes across six criteria. Top candidates then underwent high-resolution scoring using Consensus GPT, with concurrent manual fact-checking and, when needed, iterative refinement of the scores based on user …

Synergistic Efficacy Of Zno Quantum Dots, Ag Nps, And Nitazoxanide Composite Against Multidrug-Resistant Human Pathogens As New Trend Of Revolutionizing Antimicrobial Treatment, Islam Gomaa

Nanotechnology Research Centre

No abstract provided.

Freshwater Mussels As High-Resolution Recorders Of Local Climate Data: Learning From An Imperiled Species, Mia Meighan, Linh Truong, Tristan Keane, Jens Hegg, Joel Saunder, Casey Mccormack

CURCI Student Research

Freshwater mussels are native bivalve mollusks and an important indicator species for water quality. Over 65% of the species present in North America are imperiled.

In the West, mussel populations are generally declining, and the western ridged mussel (Gonidea angulata), native to the Pacific Northwest, is under review by the US Fish & Wildlife Service for Endangered Species Act listing.

Just as scientists use dendrochronology to determine the climate conditions of a forest using tree rings, sclerochronology can be used to determine the condition of stream habitats using growth bands stored within mussel shells.

Histological Characterization Of Larch Mountain Salamander (Plethodon Larselli) Head Glands, Jaxon Hopkins, Nancy Staub

CURCI Student Research

In salamanders, successful reproduction requires communication. Most male salamanders communicate to the female during courtship via a gland on their chin, called the mental gland. The sexually dimorphic mental gland in the dermis of the lower jaw is typical in males of species in the family Plethodontidae and is considered ancestral to the family (Sever et al. 2016). The mental gland consists of an aggregate of modified granular glands (MGGs) that produce pheromones (Houck and Sever, 1994; Rupp and Sever, 2018). During courtship, pheromones secreted from mental glands are delivered to the female through head rubbing and biting (Houck and …

How Viruses Grant Superpowers To Their Hosts: Investigating Prophage-Dependent Immunity In Cluster F Phages Through Genetic Engineering Of The Immunity Repressor Gene, Kassidy Espinosa, Kirk Anders

Biology Student Scholarship

Using genetic engineering to clone the immunity repressor gene in Cluster F phages has provided insights into prophage-dependent immunity. My research builds on the work of previous students, offering a deeper understanding of how bacteriophages confer immunity to their bacterial hosts.

Fire And Ant Interactions Mediated By Honeydew And Extrafloral Nectar In An Australian Tropical Savanna, Fernanda M. P. Oliveira, Carlos H. F Silva, Melinda L. Moir, Inara R. Leal, Alan N. Andersen

Natural Resources Research Articles

Fire is a major disturbance affecting ecosystems globally, but its impact on mutualisms has received minimal attention. Here, we use a long-term field experiment to investigate the impact of different fire regimes on globally important ant–honeydew and ant–extrafloral nectar (EFN) mutualistic interactions in an Australian tropical savanna. These interactions provide ants with a key energy source, while their plant and hemipteran hosts receive protection services. We examined ant interactions on species of Eucalyptus (lacking EFNs) and Acacia (with EFNs) in three replicate plots each of burning every 2 and 3 years early in the dry season, burning late in the …

Can Supply Chain Management Be A Driver Of Change Or Is The Supply Chain Forever Doomed To By Driven By Change?, Gerard Glynn, Kevin Byrne

Research Outputs: 2025-Present

Purpose: This paper aims to stimulate the reader into thinking creatively about the long term future of supply chain management (SCM). The disciplines of organisational behaviour (OB) and SCM share much in terms of managing the ongoing occurrence of change. This paper explores the development of these fields with a particular emphasis on how the involvement and engagement of the people [human supply chain continuum] contributes to the achievement of satisfactory change management outcomes. It provides examples of how collective creative thinking was used to generate unique solutions, to solving problems, using scenario foresight planning methodology.Design/methodology/approach: The authors commenced an …

Multiregional Transcriptomic Profiling Provides Improved Prognostic Insight In Localized Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Chenyang Li, Thinh T Nguyen, Jian-Rong Li, Xingzhi Song, Junya Fujimoto, Latasha Little, Curtis Gumb, Chi-Wan B Chow, Ignacio I Wistuba, Andrew P Futreal, Jianhua Zhang, Shawna M Hubert, John V Heymach, Jia Wu, Christopher I Amos, Jianjun Zhang, Chao Cheng

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Lung Cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths in the USA and worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbors high transcriptomic intratumor heterogeneity (RNA-ITH) that limits the reproducibility of expression-based prognostic models. In this study, we used multiregional RNA-seq data (880 tumor samples from 350 individuals) from both public (TRACERx) and internal (MDAMPLC) cohorts to investigate the effect of RNA-ITH on prognosis in localized NSCLC at the gene, signature, and tumor microenvironment levels. At the gene level, the maximal expression of hazardous genes (expression negatively associated with survival) but the minimal expression of protective genes (expression positively associated with …

Genetic And Clinical Correlates Of Two Neuroanatomical Ai Dimensions In The Alzheimer's Disease Continuum, Junhao Wen, Aristeidis Sotiras, Daniel S Marcus, Pamela Lamontagne, Tammie L Benzinger, John C Morris, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with heterogeneous atrophy patterns. We employed a semi-supervised representation learning technique known as Surreal-GAN, through which we identified two latent dimensional representations of brain atrophy in symptomatic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD patients: the "diffuse-AD" (R1) dimension shows widespread brain atrophy, and the "MTL-AD" (R2) dimension displays focal medial temporal lobe (MTL) atrophy. Critically, only R2 was associated with widely known sporadic AD genetic risk factors (e.g., APOE ε4) in MCI and AD patients at baseline. We then independently detected the presence of the two dimensions in the early stages by deploying the trained …

Physiology Of Pe'a And Malu: Biocultural Case Studies Of Endocrine And Immune Responses To Samoan Tatau, Christopher D. Lynn, Tomasz Nowak, Courtney Manthey, Michael Muehlenbein

Pacific Journal of Health

Tattooing has become a prominent form of body modification worldwide since the 20^th century, leading to a revival of traditional hand-tap techniques, especially those from Samoa. The Samoan traditional pe’a (male tattoo) and malu (female) are distinctive, as they are administered by hand-tap tools in open-air bungalows and are to be completed in a short period of time, usually 1-2 days for the malu and a week to a month for the pe’a. This study involved systematically collecting saliva samples from participants undergoing traditional Samoan tattooing practices facilitated by Sulu’ape Tatau in Apia, Samoa. The Sulu’ape Tatau lineage …

Vol. 26, No. 11 - Whole No. 114, David Bratman

Mythprint

Mythprint is the monthly bulletin of the Mythopoeic Society, a nonprofit educational organization devoted to the study, discussion, and enjoyment of myth and fantasy literature, especially the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and Charles Williams. To promote these interests, the Society publishes three magazines, maintains a World Wide Web site, and sponsors the annual Mythopoeic Conference and awards for fiction and scholarship, as well as local and written discussion groups.

The Endocannabinoid System Signaling, A Precursor To Homeostasis: A Scoping Review, Madison Sikyta, Jeff G. Konin, Matthew Kutz

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

The Endocannabinoid System is a physiological system in the body that includes several receptors and ligands. Due to its relatively recent discovery, there is a need for healthcare professionals to be formally educated on the function of this system in the body. The endocannabinoid system is seen as having an increased research interest since the early 1990s given its current status of uncertainty amongst many. The goal of this scoping review is to provide a synoptic analysis of how the Endocannabinoid System functions and integrates within and between different systematic relationships in the body.

How Have Occupational Therapy Services Been Delivered During The Covid-19 Pandemic?, Hulya Yucel, Selen Aydoner

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

The provision of traditional healthcare services has encountered obstacles due to the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The inability of healthcare professionals and clients to survive the pandemic and the inadequacy of personal protective equipment have created uncertainties regarding the appropriate practices for addressing individuals' health conditions. Furthermore, the field of rehabilitation, including occupational therapy, has experienced changes in the delivery of traditional practices. Therefore, this review aimed to examine occupational therapy services delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the literature review, the most commonly provided services by occupational therapists during COVID-19 were discussed and a total of …

The History And Development Of Doctor Of Health Science (Dhsc) Programs In The United States - Past, Present, And Future Part I - Past, Helen Ewing, Richard Davis, Randy D. Danielsen, Eric Sauers, Robin Reesal

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: This three-part article series will elucidate how the Doctor of Health Science (DHSc) programs in the United States were envisioned and introduced. Method: Part I discusses relevant historical information about Higher Education and the traditional Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree to reach this goal. It describes the transition of PhD philosophies to professional doctorates by following the historical postgraduate program paths in education, nursing, and public health. Included is a brief discussion about the rapid growth of professional doctorates. Part I ends by identifying the origins of DHSc programs within the United States system of higher education. Part …

Uroplectes Ebogo Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Cameroon, František Kovařík, František Šťáhlavský, Valeriy Govorov

Euscorpius

A new species Uroplectes ebogo sp. n. is described from Cameroon, fully illustrated with color photos showing its morphology and habitus. Uroplectes ebogo sp. n. is the only species of the genus with a combination two characters: metasoma without carinae and metasoma V and telson without punctuation. In addition to morphology and hemispermatophore, we also present the information about the karyotype of Uroplectes ebogo sp. n. (2n=24).

Green Buddhism And W. S. Merwin’S Eco-Poetry, Jiyong Geng, Jie Zhang

Kritika Kultura

This article explores the profound influence of Buddhist environmental thought on the poetry of W.S. Merwin. It discusses how Merwin integrates Buddhist philosophies such as interdependent arising (pratītya-samutpāda), emptiness (śūnyatā), non-self (anātman), compassion (karunā), and the concept of Buddha nature into his poetic work, highlighting themes such as ecological interconnectedness, the rejection of anthropocentrism, and the intrinsic value of nature. The article examines how Merwin’s use of these themes not only enriches his poetic expression but also contributes to the broader discourse on green Buddhism, bridging the gap between human experience and ecological consciousness.

The Student Movement Volume 109 Issue 3: Alumni, Autumn, And Political Affairs, John Roosenberg, Andrew Francis, Marco Sciarabba, Melanie Webb, Amelia Stefanescu, Aiko J. Ayala Rios, Sumin Lee, Nora Martin, Addison Randall, Anna Rybachek, Nate Miller

The Student Movement V. 109 (2024-2025)

HUMANS

AUSA: Not Just Party Planners, Interviewed by John Roosenberg

Former AU Professor Honored with Renaming of Anatomy Lab, Andrew Francis

The Best and the Worst of AU Majors, Interviewed by Marco Sciarabba

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Going Swiftly to the Polls: Celebrities and Political Stances, Melanie Webb

Criminal: A Podcast Beyond Crime, Amelia Stefanescu

NEWS

Professor Emerita Presents Second Volume of Andrews University's History, Aiko J. Ayala Rios

Andrews University Drops in Niche Rankings, Amelia Stefanescu

IDEAS

El Norte: The Overlooked History of Hispanic North America, Sumin Lee

PULSE

I promise you, there is stuff to do around here: Eight …

Aridity Drives The Response Of Soil Total And Particulate Organic Carbon To Drought In Temperate Grasslands And Shrublands, Baoku Shi, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Alan K. Knapp, Melinda D. Smith, Sasha Reed, Brooke Osborne, Yolima Carrillo, Fernando T. Maestre, Yu Zhu, Anping Chen, Kate Wilkins, Martin C. Holdrege, Andrew Kulmatiski, Catherine Picon-Cochard, Christiane Roscher, Sally Power, Kerry M. Byrne, Amber C. Churchill, Anke Jentsch, Hugh A. L. Henry, Karen H. Beard, Max A. Schuchardt, Nico Eisenhauer, Rafael Otfinowski, Yann Hautier, Huitao Shen, Yonghui Wang, Zhongwu Wang, Chengliang Wang, Daniela Francis Cusack, Alessandro Petraglia, Michele Carbognani, T’Ai G.W. Forte, S. Luke Flory, Pengli Hou, Tao Zhang, Weifeng Gao, Wei Sun

Wildland Resources Faculty Publications

The increasing prevalence of drought events in grasslands and shrublands worldwide potentially has impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC). We leveraged the International Drought Experiment to study how SOC, including particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC) concentrations, responds to extreme drought treatments (1-in-100-year) for 1 to 5 years at 19 sites worldwide. In more mesic areas (aridity index > 0.65), SOC and POC concentrations decreased by 7.9% (±3.9) and 15.9% (±6.2) with drought, respectively, but there were no impacts on MAOC concentrations. However, drought had no impact on SOC, POC, or MAOC concentrations in drylands (aridity index < 0.65). The response of SOC to drought varied along an aridity gradient, concomitant with interannual precipitation variability and standing SOC concentration gradients. These findings highlight the differing response magnitudes of POC and MAOC concentrations to drought and the key regulating role of aridity.

Biology Of Aproida Balyi Pascoe, 1863 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Aproidini) On Its Host Plant, Eustrephus Latifolius R. Br. Ex Ker-Gawl (Asparagaceae) In Australia, Caroline Simmrita Chaboo, Vivian E., Mariana Campos, Geoff B. Monteith

Insecta Mundi

Within the leaf-beetle subfamily Cassidinae (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Aproida Pascoe, 1863 (Aproidini) from Australia has been considered a transitional genus between mining cassidines (“hispines”) and exophagous cassidines (“tortoise beetles”). To illuminate this transition, a detailed study was conducted over one year of the biology of Aproida balyi Pascoe, 1863 on the host plant, Eustrephus latifolius R. Br. ex Ker-Gawl (Asparagaceae). Distribution maps of the host plant and three Aproida species are provided. The life cycle of A. balyi comprises single eggs in a foamy ootheca, three larval instars that feed openly, a pupa suspended from the larva III exuvia, and …

Two New Species Of Agrilus Curtis From Arizona With Some New Distributional And Host Records Of Buprestids From The Southwest Usa (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), Norman E. Woodley

Insecta Mundi

Two new species of Agrilus Curtis (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), A. botzi Woodley, new species and A. vachellia Woodley new species, both from southeastern Arizona, are described. Agrilus barri Hespenheide and Westcott and Taphrocerus leoni Dugès are recorded from Arizona and represent new U.S. records. Sixteen new state distributional records are presented, along with a few other significant records.

Encyclopedia Of Scale Insect Pests: Corrigenda And Additions, Takumasa Kondo, Gillian W. Watson

Insecta Mundi

The Encyclopedia of Scale Insect Pests was published in 2022 by CABI Publishing. Some errors and omissions in Chapter 2, Table 2 have been brought to the attention of the Encyclopedia editors; since some of them have plant quarantine implications, they are corrected in this article.