Digital Commons Network^™

Disuse-Driven Plasticity In The Human Thalamus And Putamen, Roselyne J Chauvin, Dillan J Newbold, Ashley N Nielsen, Ryland L Miller, Samuel R Krimmel, Athanasia Metoki, Anxu Wang, Andrew N Van, David F Montez, Scott Marek, Vahdeta Suljic, Noah J Baden, Nadeshka Ramirez-Perez, Kristen M Scheidter, Julia S Monk, Forrest I Whiting, Babatunde Adeyemo, Jarod L Roland, Abraham Z Snyder, Benjamin P Kay, Marcus E Raichle, Timothy O Laumann, Evan M Gordon, Nico U F Dosenbach

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Subcortical plasticity has mainly been studied using invasive electrophysiology in animals. Here, we leverage precision functional mapping (PFM) to study motor plasticity in the human subcortex during 2 weeks of upper-extremity immobilization with daily resting-state and motor task fMRI. We found previously that, in the cortex, limb disuse drastically impacts disused primary motor cortex functional connectivity (FC) and is associated with spontaneous fMRI pulses. It remains unknown whether disuse-driven plasticity pulses and FC changes are cortex specific or whether they could also affect movement-critical nodes in the thalamus and striatum. Tailored analysis methods now show spontaneous disuse pulses and FC …

Sars-Cov-2 N Protein And Anti-Spike Serologies: Insights Into Covid-19 Disease Severity And Mortality-A Secondary Analysis Of The Activ-1 Trial, Alfredo J Mena Lora, Kimi Enders, Huimin Wu, Luis Parra-Rodriguez, Christopher Palma, Katy Saliba, Sylvain Laverdurre, P Brian Smith, Kevin J Anstrom, Samuel A Bozzette, William G Powderly

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Understanding factors that predict progression to severe COVID-19 is critical. Antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein confer protection, while the N protein of SARS-CoV-2 plays roles in viral replication and immune dysfunction. This study explores the significance of N protein and anti-spike antibodies on disease severity, progression, and mortality.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 N protein and anti-spike antibody levels with disease severity, clinical outcomes, and mortality in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

DESIGN: A secondary analysis of serologic data from participants in the ACTIV-1 randomized clinical trial, which evaluated immunomodulators for the treatment of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. …

Expanding The Horizons Of Nonagonal Neutrosophic Numbers As A Versatile Framework For Decision-Making And Scientific Applications In Covid-19, Muhammad Naveed Jafar, Kainat Muniba, Hamiden Abd El-Wahed Khalifa, Fahd Jarad

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

In this article, the concept of nonagonal neutrosophic numbers has been introducing in the disjunctive frame of reference. We also proposed the dependency and independency of membership function in regards to nonagonal neutrosophic number. We also introduce a new score function and its computation also formulated in a distinct rational viewpoint. We developed the concept of weighted arithmetic averaging operator and weighted geometric averaging operator for nonagonal neutrosophic numbers. It will open new doors for MCDM and develop the concept with new approaches. Additionally, we analyze the effect of COVID-19 for different ages.

An Approach To Model Uncertainty In Fluid Behaviour With Navier-Stokes Equations In Neutrosophic Environment, Muhammad Saeed, Attia Hameed, Neha Andaleeb Khalid, Muhammad Salman Habib

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

The complex discipline of fluid dynamics examines the behavior of fluids and their interactions with adjacent objects. The Navier-Stokes equations are very important for explaining how fluids move, but they are not linear and often give answers that depend on the starting point and the boundaries. Modeling fluid behavior is challenging due to the inherently chaotic and unpredictable character of fluid dynamics. To deal with unknown or uncertain values in this research, we used neutrosophic logic to look at the Navier-Stokes equations in a new way. Neosophic logic permits the existence of values that are partially true and partially false; …

A Novel Neutrosophic Decision-Making Approach For Optimizing Metaverse Headphone Design: Balancing Technical Performance And User Emotional Needs, Mai Mohamed, Amira Salam, Karam Sallam, Bilal Arain

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

The concept of the metaverse, which combines various technologies to create a wide range of virtual experiences, has gained significant popularity in recent years. To fully engage in these metaverse environments, users rely on access devices such as virtual reality (VR) headsets and smartphones for augmented reality (AR). These devices must be lightweight, compact, and user-friendly to ensure comfort and enhance customer satisfaction. There is a growing focus on innovating and designing products that not only meet technical requirements but also address the emotional needs of users, ultimately improving the overall experience. Selecting the ideal design for Metaverse headphones is …

Contact Graphs In Fuzzy And Neutrosophic Graphs, Takaaki Fujita

Neutrosophic Systems with Applications

Graph Theory is a branch of mathematics dedicated to studying graphs, which depict relationships between objects through vertices and edges. A significant focus in this field is the study of contact graphs, where vertices correspond to sets, and edges represent intersections between those sets. To better model uncertainties in real-world situations, several graph types---such as fuzzy, neutrosophic, and Plithogenic graphs---have been developed. This paper investigates the concept of contact graphs within these frameworks, offering insights into their behavior under various uncertain conditions.

Unveiling The Potential Of Urolithin A In Cancer Therapy: Mechanistic Insights To Future Perspectives Of Nanomedicine, Vinita Karumuru, Anupam Dhasmana, Narsimha Mamidi, Subhash Chauhan, Murali Yallapu

School of Medicine Publications

Cancer remains a leading global health challenge, with high mortality rates persisting despite significant advancements in therapeutic interventions. Major obstacles, including systemic toxicity, therapy resistance, metastasis, and relapses, emphasize the urgent need for safer, more effective, and readily accessible treatment strategies. Among emerging alternatives, natural bioactive compounds have gained considerable attention because of their diverse therapeutic potential and lower toxicity profiles. Urolithin A (UA), a metabolite derived from ellagic acid through gut microbiota metabolism, has emerged as a compelling anticancer agent. UA has multiple mechanisms of action, including the regulation of autophagy, enhancement of mitochondrial function, and inhibition of tumor …

Teacher Perceptions Of Factors Contributing To Special Educator Teacher Attrition, Carlesha Shanita King Douglas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem investigated in this study was the high attrition rate for special education teachers. Attrition rates have been associated with a variety of adverse outcomes, including heavy workloads, behavior problems, reduced student achievement, and increased levels of stress. High attrition rates also create a financial burden on school districts. Using Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory as the conceptual framework, this qualitative study aimed to identify job-related factors that contribute to special education teachers leaving the profession. The research question guiding this study identified the factors that cause special education teachers to leave the profession. Data were collected by interviewing 12 current …

Leadership Strategies For Increasing Access To Care For Persons Suffering From Anxiety And Depression, Brandee L. Downes

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leadership strategies and decisions can impact the accessibility of mental health services for those seeking services related to anxiety and depression. The impact of readiness of leadership through strategy, implementation, and decision-making was the focus of this study. When the preparedness of an organization is at its peak, it increases the utilization of mental health services among adults, children, and adolescents struggling with anxiety and depression. The problem addressed in this study was how leadership strategies within the behavioral health organization contributed to a lack of collaboration, outreach, and training due to the absence of strategic planning, implementation, and leadership. …

Risk Factors Of Self-Reported Prediabetes Status In New York State, Kari Ann Hunter Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Prediabetes affects over 4 million people in New York State and increases the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Prior research identified risk factors such as poor diet, inactivity, obesity, hypertension, and smoking; but no studies examined these collectively or assessed their interactions. This quantitative, cross-sectional study analyzed a sample of 289 non-institutionalized adults aged 18 or older with landline or cellular phone, from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. The study examined relationships between prediabetes and 16 factors in five categories: demographic (age, race, sex, education), socioeconomic (income, employment), behavioral (fruit intake, vegetable intake, physical activity, smoking), physiological (hypertension, BMI), …

Complementary Self-Care Therapies To Self-Manage Endometriosis In Association With Health-Related Quality Of Life, Sarah Cummins

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

There is a lack of understanding within the psychological and medical communities on the extent to which endometriosis impacts the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of people with endometriosis (PWE). This population is understudied in relation to the effects of endometriosis on HRQoL, the various methods used to treat and cope with endometriosis-related symptoms, the influence of self-managing endometriosis on PWE’s HRQoL, or the HRQoL outcomes associated with using nontraditional methods to self-manage endometriosis. As such, there is a lack of knowledge on the extent to which the use of various types of complementary self-care therapies to self-manage endometriosis is …

Investigating Behavioural Responses Of Tiger Sharks (Galeocerdo Cuvier) To Novel Stimuli By Means Of Benthic Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems, India Brawermann, Alexander Horne, Grant Smith, Alexander Wilson

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Inspection behaviour in sharks, involving their approach and assessment of potential prey or threats, is vital for their predatory efficiency and defensive strategies, heavily influencing ecological dynamics and predator-prey interactions. This study investigates object inspection behaviour in tiger sharks (Galeocerdo Cuvier) using Baited Remote Underwater Video systems (BRUVs) deployed within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (IWP) Marine Protected Area, in South Africa. Data collection and analysis focused on quantifying the frequency, duration, and characteristics of tiger shark interactions with BRUVs, and on assessing behavioural trends across demographic groups to facilitate the development of a behavioural ethogram. Key findings revealed adult females …

Samd9 Senses Cytosolic Double-Stranded Nucleic Acids In Epithelial And Mesenchymal Cells To Induce Antiviral Immunity, Gaopeng Hou, Wandy Beatty, Juhee Son, Yinxing Zhu, Qingyu Sheng, Wanyi Huang, Dian Li, Constin Liu, Chen Shen, L David Sibley, Siyuan Ding, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Sensing of cytosolic, double-stranded (ds) DNA or dsRNA molecules derived from microbial or endogenous sources triggers cell-intrinsic innate immunity, but sensors recognizing both cytosolic dsDNA and dsRNA are sparsely reported. Here we find that full-length human SAMD9 protein directly binds to synthetic or viral dsDNA or dsRNA. Overexpression of SAMD9 from various vertebrate species leads to robust production of interferons and pro-inflammatory cytokines. By contrast, loss of endogenous SAMD9 impairs the interferon responses to cytosolic dsDNA and dsRNA stimulation in multiple cell types and enhances the infectivity of pathogenic dsDNA and dsRNA viruses. Mice lacking Samd9l, the human SAMD9 homolog, …

Core Grade 1: Overview Of The Core Grade Approach, Gordon Guyatt, Thomas Agoritsas, Romina Brignardello-Petersen, Reem A. Mustafa, Jamie Rylance, Farid Foroutan, Manya Prasad, Arnav Agarwal, Hans De Beer, M. Hassan Murad, Stefan Schandelmaier, Alfonso Iorio, Liang Yao, Roman Jaeschke, Per Olav Vandvik, Linan Zeng, Sameer Parpia, Rohan D'Souza, David Rind, Derek K. Chu, Prashanti Eachempati, Kameshwar Prasad, Monica Hultcrantz, Victor M. Montori

Peninsula Dental School

This first article in a seven part series presents an overview of the essential elements of the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach that has proved extremely useful in systematic reviews, health technology assessment reports, and clinical practice guidelines. GRADE guidance has appeared in many articles dealing with both core issues and more specialised and complex guidance, and it has evolved over time. This series of articles presents GRADE essentials, Core GRADE, focusing on the core judgments necessary to summarise the comparative evidence about alternative care options and to make recommendations that apply to the care of …

Rethinking Human Rights: Critical Insights From Palestinian Youth, Mai Awad

International Journal of Human Rights Education

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted in 1948, articulating a bold vision of a future in which every human being has the essential rights of dignity, freedom, and justice. But so much of that promise may now be at risk, especially with regard to how the UDHR addresses systemic inequities rooted in colonial legacies. This contradiction is especially evident in the lived experiences of marginalized communities in the Global South—where structural inequalities are entrenched in the everyday fabric of life. In the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), for example, principles of human rights appear light years from the …

Youth Fiction And Trans Representation, D. Perez-Sornia, Emmanuel Te

International Journal of Human Rights Education

Tom Sandercock begins Youth Fiction and Trans Representation asserting that this is the first book to catalog and trace transgender and gender variant representation across various forms of media (Sandercock, p. i). Sandercock presents a compelling collection of transgender representation case studies, with an intended audience of transgender studies scholars, LGBTQ+ and allied educators seeking to add meaningful gender-explorative literature to their curriculum, and transgender people interested in a gender retrospective view of their childhood or adolescent media. Examining not only mere representation of young transgender and gender variant people, Sandercock explores the intersections of gender and various vertices of …

The Skin And Its Girl: A Novel, Michelle Simotas

International Journal of Human Rights Education

If you’re not reading queer Palestinian stories, you should start. Queer Palestinians have been fighting for their right to live and tell their stories, as queer stories have been criminalized and labeled as a threat to “morality and public decency” (Kakissis, 2017, para 10). In November 2023, “Queering the Map” became an online story wall for queer Palestinians living in Gaza to claim space and be remembered (O’Neal, 2023). Reading these and other queer Palestinians’ stories is an act of resistance. It is through these stories that readers can humanize and connect to the queer Palestinian experience, ensuring it cannot …

Literacies Of The Rainbow Corn Mother: A Queer Indigenous Eye For Dei, Paul David Terry, Jamal Epperson

International Journal of Human Rights Education

The landscape of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work is currently undergoing a critical evaluation and facing attacks, revealing the limitations of performative initiatives entrenched in colonial frameworks. These initiatives often fail to acknowledge and address the erasure of Indigenous and queer identities, alongside the need for genuine representation within institutional settings. This approach may lead to creating inclusivity shaped by colonial law rather than fostering the true inclusivity and belonging that communities seek.

Advocates are calling for a shift towards a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to DEI work, urging organizations to move beyond performative gestures and toward meaningful …

Queer Rights Learning Through Transnational, Digital Communities Of Practice, Hayley D’Souza, Brindaalakshmi Kumbakonam, Bren Kutch, Aparna Arora, Vani Bhardwaj

International Journal of Human Rights Education

Traditional human rights education (HRE), and education writ-large, often depends on and reinforces binary hierarchies. The Society of Gender Professionals (SGP) reflects on how its trans-national, digital communities of practice (“Gender Circles”) are actively “queering” traditional HRE. This article shares reflections and learnings from 14 one-on-one interviews with Gender Circle participants, most notably from the Breaking Gender/Sex Binaries Circles. By facilitating spaces that co-create knowledge, build community, and center lived experiences of people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC,) SGP disrupts and queers binaries and hierarchies in education and other constructs, such as with …

Fierce Love And Resistance: Lgbtqia2s+ Youth Thriving In The In-Between Spaces, Linsay Demartino, S. Gavin Weiser

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This article presents the preliminary ruminations of an ongoing project to build critical inclusion for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersex, asexual, two-spirit, and the countless affirmative ways in which people choose to self-identify (LGBTQIA2S+) youth. This article begins with a brief review of the current data on the LGBTQIA2S+ experience in preK-12 schools and pivots to the literature on hopeful practices, like gender and sexuality alliances (GSAs) and critical inclusivity, or the policies and processes that fully integrate the intersectional queer experience. This work is framed by the criticality of queering space by creating a nepantla, an …

(Don’T) Fight For Your Right To Party: Exploring The Educational Significance Of Trans Joy At Prom, Annaliese Devita

International Journal of Human Rights Education

Prom, a hallmark of American adolescence, is often dismissed as a frivolous tradition, yet it holds profound significance as a space for youth identity formation, social belonging, and cultural navigation. For trans and gender-expansive youth, the stakes of participation in this rite of passage are heightened amidst escalating attacks on their existence. This essay, drawing from graduate thesis research at the University of Edinburgh, examines the historical roots of prom, its embedded cis-heteronormative structures, and how Queer Youth Proms (QYPs) function as sites of resilience, joy, and self-determination for trans youth. While QYPs offer a critical refuge, their existence underscores …

Citizenship Education For Trans Inclusion, Jac Bastian, Hans Svennevig

International Journal of Human Rights Education

Amidst a backdrop of rising hate crimes and hostility towards the trans community, educational institutions have emerged as an area of contestation. How can educators navigate this to create rights respecting classrooms that empower active citizens who advocate for trans equality? This piece provides a community-based commentary that considers the legal responsibilities and duties of teachers to safeguard children and young people. It informs us on opportunities for the consideration of educators’ duties through the lens of Yogyakarta Principles+10 and the UNCRC.

Sociocultural Contexts Of Hiv Transmission For Newcomer Black Gay, Bisexual Men (Gbm) Who Have Sex With Men: Implications For Sexual Health Education And Human Rights In Ontario, Canada, Lance T. Mccready, Nadia Junaid

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This article examines the sociocultural and structural conditions that shape HIV vulnerability among newcomer Black gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (GBM) in Ontario, Canada. Based on qualitative data from focus groups with 22 newcomer Black GBM, the study explores how intersecting experiences of anti-Black racism, homophobia, trauma, and precarity during migration and resettlement impact access to sexual health education and care. Participants shared accounts of violence in their countries of origin, challenges navigating Canada’s housing and healthcare systems, and the ongoing mental health impacts of displacement and marginalization. Using a community-based participatory research framework, and …

Educational Joy, Queer Despair: Freirean Perspectives On Digital Queer Hre Initiatives In Russia, Anastasia Lavrenyuk, Anastasiia Lvova

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This study examines the contribution of recent digital queer educational projects aimed at a Russian-speaking audience, such as Queerorama and Lesbian Lobby, to the development of critical consciousness and transformative action within the queer communities in contemporary Russia. Analyzing the online discussion of the projects through the lens of Freirean critical pedagogy, the research reveals that while the projects educate their audiences on queer cultural history and highlight the contradictions within the current homophobic societal and legislative environment, they cannot be qualified as praxis, as they often fall short of translating said awareness into action. Users conceptualize the projects as …

Categories Are Made To Be Broken: Uncovering Strategies And Pedagogies Of Blaqueer Resistance, Femi Higgins

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This article explores the liberatory praxis and spaces of BlaQueer (Black & Queer) and Trans communities, focusing on educational settings that promote the rights and well-being of Black LGBTQ+ people and how these BlaQueer/Trans educational projects disrupt asymmetrical citizenship and violence. The analysis of BlaQueer/Trans educational projects, ranging from ballroom houses to community-based education programs, reveals core competencies that align with human rights education (HRE) and principles of ballroom culture. These include critical thinking and analysis of power structures and embodied resistance pedagogies that interrogate identity and unequal citizenship while building power to dismantle interlocking oppressive systems. The article contends …

Queer Youth Futures Now! Education And Research As A Transformative Praxis For Queer Youth Globally, Cody Freeman

International Journal of Human Rights Education

Despite growing movements, queer youth find themselves in the spotlight of intense backlash. While anti-queer activism becomes increasingly visible, queer youth activists engage in worldmaking practices through their educational activism. This narrative literature review examines how scholarly literature discusses education and research as a transformative praxis to further queer youths’ envisioned ways of being and their activism in the future. Employing the concept of queer futurity, this article highlights how queer youth move through time and space, co-create knowledge through participatory research, and engage in activism within and beyond school settings. It also underscores the need for critically reflexive, relational …

Introduction: Queering Human Rights Education: Research, Praxis And Liberation For Lgbtqia2s+, David Donahue, Lori Selke, Maria Autrey Noriega, Mauro Sifuentes

International Journal of Human Rights Education

No abstract provided.

Ijhre Vol. 9: Queering Human Rights Education: Research, Praxis And Liberation For Lgbtqia2s+, David Donahue, Lori Selke, Maria Autrey Noriega, Mauro Sifuentes

International Journal of Human Rights Education

This special issue of the International Journal of Human Rights Education, Queering Human Rights Education: Research, Praxis and Liberation for LGBTQIA2S+, presents research, reflection on practice, and reviews of new scholarship that highlight the experience of LGBTQIA2S+ students, educators, and activists through a human rights lens. The articles draw on diverse methodologies, perspectives, and intersecting identities to reimagine not just schools but all spaces of learning, from ballrooms to the internet, as sites for LGBTQ+ joy and liberation. The scholarship in this issue is “queer” not only in its focus on LGBTQ+ stakeholders in education but also in the …

The Specter Of Body Horror Haunting Joyce Carol Oates’S “The Chair Of Tranquility” And Charlotte Perkins Gilman’S “The Yellow Wall-Paper”, Tanya L. Tromble

Bearing Witness: Joyce Carol Oates Studies

Joyce Carol Oates is the editor of a 2023 collection entitled A Darker Shade of Noir: New Stories of Body Horror by Women Writers. Her own story in the collection, “The Chair of Tranquility (from the Diary of Mrs. Thomas Peele, Trenton, New Jersey, 1853),” takes on a fuller meaning when considered in a dialogic relationship to Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s 1892 story “The Yellow Wall-Paper.” By first outlining how Gilman’s and Oates’s stories can be seen as sister stories, then analyzing some essential differences operated in Oates’s story, the author is finally able to discuss the dialogic effect of …

Beyond “Do Not Disturb”: Alternatives And Possibilities Of Feminism In Joyce Carol Oates's Babysitter, Emilie Heude

Bearing Witness: Joyce Carol Oates Studies

“Sympathize/don’t rage” was Joyce Carol Oates’s call as she concluded a tweet on the rights of people who are transitioning (20 February 2023). This statement could well be considered a prism through which we might see her work. Indeed, the author depicts a variety of characters handling situations very differently – and readers are left dealing with their own sympathy with them. Babysitter (2022) is a case in point in this regard: Hannah, the main female character, appears as a submissive figure replete with gender and class prejudice and lacking agency. As Oyinkan Braithwaite wrote in a review for The …