Digital Commons Network^™

Risks Of Mercury Release From Disturbance Of Blue Carbon Ecosystems, Fan Zhang, Jingrou Hu, Ana Carolina Ruiz-Fernández, Christian J. Sanders, Xinxin Li, Ruotong Chen, Kunshan Bao, Bigyan Neupane, Aidah Baloch, Yanhui Zheng, Oscar Serrano

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs) function as dual repositories of organic carbon and legacy contaminants. While BCEs are recognized carbon sinks, their role as mercury (Hg) sinks and the risk of their conversion into sources due to human and climatic disturbances remain unexplored. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the drivers and risks of contaminant remobilization from threatened BCEs, with a primary focus on mercury. We explore how natural and human disturbances influence Hg storage, release, and bioavailability, while evaluating the risks posed to ecosystems and human health. Through a three-level meta-analysis, we show that physical disturbance remobilizes approximately 54% (95% …

Operationalising Equity In Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management, Riley Bibaud, Tom Mullier, Matthew Ashley, Holly Niner, Lauren Stewart, Siân Rees

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Equity is increasingly recognised as a critical dimension of sustainable ocean governance, yet operational frameworks for incorporating equity considerations into marine governance remain limited. Fisheries management practices have traditionally concentrated on stock sustainability and commercial extraction, often without fully addressing the broader ecosystem dynamics that underpin fish populations throughout key life stages. This study explores how Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM) can support more equitable outcomes by applying a beneficiary-centric natural capital framework to the Celtic Sea and Western Channel Pelagic Fisheries Management Plan. A typology of beneficiaries was developed to assess the distribution of ecosystem service benefits, followed by a …

Shabbat In The Orange Grove: Joseph Wittenstein's Early Orlando History, Deborah Gurt

University Faculty and Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Dipl 6104 Na The Art And Science Of International Negotiations, Claudia Abate M.S., Sergio Vieira De Mello Visiting Chair

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course provides an overview of academic theory and diplomatic practice on the art and science of international negotiations.

The Fall 2026 semester unfolds against the backdrop of the election of the next UN Secretary-General, with negotiations from UN Member States, the Security Council, and the General Assembly actively taking place. Students will analyze this process in real time and consider how various actors negotiate and come to agreements on processes leading to inter-governmental elections and negotiated agreements.

In addition, a study of selected international negotiators, negotiation techniques, practices, and standards will complement an analysis of internationally agreed documents such …

Dipl 6005 Aa Public International Law, Daimeon Shanks-Dumont J.D., Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

International law is a central framework for theorizing the international society of states. This course offers an introduction to public international law as a dynamic and contested topic through a wide array of issues that concern not only states and governments, but also international organizations, non-governmental organizations, international lawyers, and civil societies.

After the Second World War, public international law was re-envisioned with a promise to protect the sovereignty and integrity of vulnerable states against aggression, guarantee the self-determination of peoples, and to work towards fulfilling universal human rights in an interconnected world. However, the new global order maintained a …

Dipl 6180 Na Comparative Foreign Policy, Ann Marie Murphy Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course examines leading theoretical approaches to the study of foreign policy and their application to a variety of states and issue areas.  The goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the key concepts necessary to address the fundamental question of foreign policy analysis: how do states define and pursue their national interests in international affairs?   During the semester, we will explore some of the key debates in foreign policy analysis.  Do differences in the characteristics of states (large versus small, democratic versus authoritarian, industrialized versus developing) lead to differences in their foreign policies?  Or …

Dipl 6276 Global Health Governance, Yanzhong Huang Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

Public health challenges — pandemic influenza, HIV and AIDS, COVID-19, obesity, neglected diseases, tobacco use, climate change, and underperforming health systems — increasingly shape and are shaped by the political, economic, and social dimensions of globalization. At the same time, international rules that fall outside the traditional health sphere, such as those governing intellectual property, trade, and greenhouse gas emissions, can have profound consequences for human health. Strong national health systems remain essential, but the reach of health threats and the capacity to respond often extend beyond any single state and beyond the health sector itself. Translating development goals into …

Dipl 6000 Na/Wb Introduction To International Relations Theory And Diplomacy, Brian Muzas Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course introduces students to the major theoretical traditions of international relations and diplomacy, with particular attention to how these theories help us understand contemporary challenges including cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, technological disruption, and ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and Asia. We will begin with a critical investigation of the competing assumptions and concepts that form the heart of various theoretical approaches to the study of world politics. As a class we will grapple with the key actors, processes, and variables highlighted by each theory, and assess their relative strengths and weaknesses in explaining both traditional interstate relations …

Dipl 4555 Economic Aspects Of The International System, Jeremy Levine

Diplomacy Syllabi

This course reviews the current economic issues generated by globalization by emphasizing facts as well as theories. From the evolution of the post-WWII global order to economic theories like comparative advantage and free trade, this course explores the interconnectedness of international affairs and the global economy both historically and in the twenty-first century. Other topics discussed include the rise of American hegemony, the formation of economic blocs such as the European Union, the rise of India and China, oil politics in the Middle East, conflicts like the war in Ukraine, and more.

Dipl 4185 Aa Foreign Policies Of Post-Soviet States, Margarita M. Balmaceda Ph.D.

Diplomacy Syllabi

Russia’s full scale war on Ukraine presents key challenges to the international community. It is impossible to approach these challenges without a broader view of the sources of foreign policy in the former Soviet area. This course will survey the main issues in the history of Soviet relations with the foreign world, as well as the new foreign policies of Russia, the other Soviet successor states, and (to a lesser extent) the East and Central European states. The first part of the course explores topics such as longstanding sources of Russian and Soviet policies pre-dating 1917, the tensions between the …

Montana Kaimin, October 1, 2026, Students Of The University Of Montana, Missoula

Montana Kaimin, 1898-present

Student newspaper of the University of Montana, Missoula.

Allergic And Adverse Reactions To Hearing Aid Materials: Clinical Cases And A Proposed Preventive Screening Questionnaire, Margaret Hanger

AuD Capstone Projects - Communication Sciences and Disorders

Abstract (Case 1)

An adverse reaction of the external auditory canal for an adult hearing aid user

Introduction: Contact dermatitis, an allergic skin reaction triggered by exposure to irritants or allergens, has become more common with the widespread use of in-ear devices such as hearing aids. Prolonged contact may lead to redness, itching, pain, and skin breakdown, potentially impacting device use and user satisfaction.

Case Presentation: An adult male who wears a turban was fitted with binaural in-the-ear hearing aids. Shortly after initial use, he experienced bilateral ear discomfort. His hearing aids were remade to address presumed physical fit issues. …

Japanese "Picture Brides" And The Anti-Asian Immigration Discourse In The U.S. Media 1907-1924, Lex G. Coniglio

Student Honors Theses

In 1907, the U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt finalized the Gentlemen’s Agreement. This informal arrangement, made in part due to the continued American dissent against Japanese immigration during the early twentieth century, was designed to limit the number of Japanese migrant workers in the United States. In Roosevelt’s words, the only Japanese nationals that would be allowed for U.S. entry would be “students, travelers, business men and the like.”1 But, as it would be discovered, there were “loopholes” to this Agreement. The family members of Japanese immigrants already in the U.S. were allowed access into the country. Thus, single, Japanese men, …

Old Rulings, New Reasons, Jack Boeglin

Michigan Law Review

When the Supreme Court does away with a longstanding legal principle, what should become of the hundreds, if not thousands, of precedents across the judicial system that rely upon it? Does some residual precedential value continue to attach to a decision even after its reasoning has been rejected? Or should it be overturned unless it can be upheld on a new, independently persuasive legal basis?

These are the questions courts must ask when deciding whether to “reharmonize” precedent. A court reharmonizes a past decision by supporting it on alternative grounds that better fit with changing legal or factual understandings.

The …

Exploring The Placebo Effect On The Cortisol Stress Response, Enza Zeppegno-Mendonca, Olivia Huynh, Povheng Yam, Amanda Hahn

IdeaFest 2026

The placebo effect is well-studied on pain perception, but not many studies have examined the placebo effect on stress. The current study explores whether a deceptive stress‑reducing tincture (filled with water) influences participants’ cortisol responses and self‑reported stress while undergoing a modified acute stress task: the Sing-a-Song Stress Test (SSST). Given the rise of mental health concerns and misuse of medication, this area of research may provide new directions for developing treatments that incorporate the placebo effect, which may enhance treatment outcomes.

Genetically Driven Lipid Dysfunction And Neuroinflammation: An Agent-Based Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Anthony Wolfe, Mack Kona, Sela Raisl, Enrique Lopez, Kamila Larripa

IdeaFest 2026

Microglia are immune cells in the brain that switch phenotypes to maintain neural health, but disruptions in this regulation may contribute to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). We developed an agent-based model to link cell mechanisms to tissue-level patterns, incorporating both individual cell responses to localized signaling and the effects of APOE and TREM2 variants on microglial metabolism and clearance. Through computational experiments, we simulate how impaired lipid clearance and sensing lead to a pro-inflammatory microglial population and chronic inflammation. Our framework offers insight into how local dysfunction progresses to persistent neuroinflammation and promotes conditions like AD.

Impact Of Environmental Stressors On Pinniped Tags: Progress Toward Standardized Testing Protocol, Brodie Lyons, Deeksha Garige, Nathan Vasquez, Sean Shermer, Dr. Frank E. Cappuccio, Dr. Lonny Grafman, Dr. Dawn Goley

IdeaFest 2026

No abstract provided.

Reproductive Justice, Jennifer Whiteside

IdeaFest 2026

No abstract provided.

Bio 252/254: Genetics Fall 2026, Brian White

OER Textbooks

Bio 252/254 Genetics Fall 2026

This work was created by UMass Boston Professor Brian White using the support and funding from the OER Faculty Incentive Grant Program. This book is also available on LibreTexts, and can be viewed at this link: https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/University_of_Massachusetts_Boston/Bio_252_254%3A_Genetics

Table of Contents:

• Front Matter (opens in new tab)
• 1: SPOC I - DNA and Chromosome Structure (opens in new tab)
• 2: SPOC II- Genomes (opens in new tab)
• 3: SPOC III - Mitosis and Meiosis (opens in new tab)
• 4: SPOC IV - DNA Replication (opens in new tab)
• 5: SPOC V - Transcription and mRNA Processing …

Swk 200: Introduction To Social Work Syllabus, Samantha Norris

Open Educational Resources

This Open Educational Resources (OER) syllabus was created for Introduction to Social Work (SWK 200) at the College of Staten Island, thanks to support from the CUNY Graduate Center’s Open Knowledge Fellowship.

The focus of SWK 200 is on introducing students to the profession of social work. This course examines the profession of social work, its value base, areas of practice, and societal role. Major social problems; philosophies of social welfare, provision, program and policy initiatives; and the response of social work as a profession are addressed. The obligation of professional social workers to promote social and economic justice on …

Brochure: 49th Annual Literary Festival, 2026, Make Room For Wonder, Marina Cortez

49th Annual Literary Festival at ODU: October 4-8, 2026

No abstract provided.

Early Prediction Of The Breast Cancer Response To Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Based On Intratumoral Interstitial Fluid Pressure Using 3-D Subharmonic-Aided Pressure Estimation, Sung In Choi, Basak Dogan, Corinne E. Wessner, Jessica H. Porembka, Priscilla Machado, B. Bersu Ozcan, Nisha Unni, Maysa Abu-Khalaf, Kenneth Hoyt, Flemming Forsberg, Kibo Nam

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

Elevated intratumoral interstitial fluid pressure (IFP) may negatively impact the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). This study aimed to predict the breast cancer response to NAC based on intratumoral IFP using 3D contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) with subharmonic-aided pressure estimation (SHAPE). This prospective study enrolled breast cancer patients undergoing NAC from two clinical sites. 3D CEUS was performed at 0%, 10%, and 30% of NAC completion using a GE Logiq E9 with Definity. The pressure gradients between the tumor and adjacent normal tissue were estimated by SHAPE, utilizing the inverse linear relationship between the ultrasound contrast agent’s subharmonic signal amplitude and …

The Lender Center For Social Justice Bibliography 2025-2026, The Lender Center For Social Justice

The Lender Center for Social Justice

The Lender Center for Social Justice Bibliography (2025-2026) is a document containing all Lender-Center scholarship written between 2020-2026. The title references the newest entries, which were created in the 2025-2026 academic year.

Hidden Patterns: Revealing The Noise Exposure Habits Of College Musicians Throughout The Year, Maya Vallejo

Holster Scholar Projects

College musicians face elevated risk for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) due to extensive rehearsal, headphone use, and performance activity, yet most objective sound-exposure studies rely on personal dosimeters that capture only brief windows (1–3 weeks) during the academic year, and overlook headphone-specific exposure. This study leveraged historical Apple Watch and AirPods sound data from participants in the ongoing AMI study (Skoe lab, University of Connecticut) to compare environmental and headphone noise exposure between academic-year and academic-break periods in college-age lifelong, former, and non-musicians. Sound levels (dBA) were calculated using duration-weighted, log-power averaging to account for the logarithmic nature of decibels. …

Growing South Dakota (Fall 2026), College Of Agriculture, Food And, Environmental Sciences

Growing South Dakota (Publication of the College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences)

[Page] 2 Support from donors helping set SDSU dairy graduates above the rest
[Page] 4 A decade of impact: Celebrating 10 years of cow-calf, swine education and research facilitates
[Page] 8 98-year-old donor keeps decades-long scholarship going in honor of late husband
[Page] 11 Looking back at Michele Dudash's tenure in academia
[Page] 12Giving students opportunities, experience to build their futures
[Page] 16 A Jackrabbit's journey in growing agricultural leadership
[Page] 18 Building South Dakota's next generation of rural veterinarians
[Page] 19 Conservation: A family affair
[Page] 20 South Dakota Water Resources Institute finds solutions to South Dakota's water challenges …

Streamlining Diagnosis Of Bardet-Biedl Syndrome: New Diagnostic Algorithm With Updated Criteria., Jeremy J. Pomeroy, Jesse Richards, Brooke Sweeney, Seema Kumar, Katie E. Queen, Joshua Zaritsky, Carl H. Cramer, Elias I. Traboulsi, Brittni A. Scruggs, Erica E. Davis, Ekaterina Keifer, Emma Mcgibbon, Timothy Ogden, Bendert De Graaf, Tonia Hymers, Elizabeth Forsythe, Philip Beales

Manuscripts, Articles, Book Chapters and Other Papers

Considerable advances have been made in our understanding of Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), particularly in its core clinical features and molecular genetics, warranting an update to the existing diagnostic criteria framework. Using a rigorous, evidence-based, and consensus-driven process, a multidisciplinary group of international experts and patient-led organizations developed an updated diagnostic algorithm. This algorithm provides practical, updated guidance for clinicians, including a pathway for accurately incorporating genetic findings into the diagnostic process. We recommend that a clinical diagnosis requires either 4 major criteria or 3 major and 2 minor criteria. Revised major criteria are retinal dystrophy, obesity (or overweight in individuals <  2 years old), congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract or chronic kidney disease, hypogonadism/genital anomalies, neurodevelopmental/neurocognitive manifestations, and postaxial polydactyly. The diagnosis can also be established with a positive genetic testing result in patients exhibiting ≥ 1 major criterion, provided that genetic findings should be interpreted in the context of the patient's clinical presentation, age, family history, and overlap with related ciliopathies. These consensus criteria offer a simple algorithm incorporating updated definitions for major and minor criteria and genetic testing to support a timely and accurate diagnosis of patients with BBS, inform genetic counseling, and potentially facilitate earlier access to treatment. Trial Registration: CRIBBS Registry; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02329210.

Faculty Authors & Achievers Bibliography 2026, Luke Vilelle

WRL: Faculty Authors & Achievers Bibliographies

The office of Academic Affairs and the Wyndham Robertson Library congratulate all Hollins faculty who published or presented creative or scholarly works from Fall 2024 - Fall 2026. These pages comprise a list of that work.

Early Hands-On Surgical Exposure: Outcomes Of A Student-Led Surgical Externship Program For Preclinical Students, Meryem C. Guler, Elizabeth Spitz, Jennifer E. Geller, Talar Tatarian, Renee Tholey

Department of Surgery Faculty Papers

Objective: Early surgical exposure may potentially influence medical students' decision to pursue a surgical career. At our urban, academic medical school, senior medical students developed a Surgical Externship Program (SEP) to provide first-years with hands-on OR experience. This program is a structured 1- to 2-week immersive experience in which first-year students scrubbed into operations, participated in rounds, and engaged with surgical teams under resident and attending supervision. This study evaluates the SEP's impact on surgical interest, OR confidence, and clinical exposure.

Setting: Academic tertiary care hospital.

Participants: First-year medical students.

Design: First-year students participated in a 1- or 2-week SEP …

Quaker Campus, October 1, 2026 (Vol. 25, Issue 3), Whittier College

Quaker Campus

No abstract provided.

Climate Change Evidence: Driving Value-Added Use For Better Decisions, Tim Larson, Marina Lahowin, Sarah Hanck

The Foundation Review

This article examines the evolving ecosystem of climate solution evidence tools and distinguishes the different functions they serve, including evidence aggregation, assessment of evidence strength, comparison of solution options, spatial targeting, policy benchmarking, and adaptive management.

Drawing from research on evidence-informed policymaking and climate decision science, the authors identify persistent barriers to evidence use, including misalignment with decision needs, deep uncertainty, institutional incentives, and limited capacity for collective sensemaking.

The article argues philanthropy’s greatest leverage lies not in increasing the supply of evidence alone, but in strengthening the systems through which evidence is interpreted, governed, and embedded in decision processes. …