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Chronic Alcohol Consumption Reprograms Osteoclast Lineage Communications To Promote Osteoclastogenesis, Hami Hemati, Brianna M. Doratt, Ilhem Messaoudi

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Chronic alcohol consumption increases the risk of osteoporosis and fracture by disrupting bone remodeling, in part by enhancing osteoclastogenesis. However, the cellular mechanisms underlying this process remain incompletely defined. We analyzed scRNA-seq data from osteoclasts differentiated in vitro from bone marrow mononuclear cells obtained from macaques following 12 months of chronic ethanol or isocaloric control solution consumption. Module scoring, trajectory inference with generalized additive modeling (tradeSeq), and CellChat-based analyses of intercellular communication were applied to uncover ethanol-induced changes in metabolic reprogramming, lineage progression, and signaling network dynamics. Module scoring indicated metabolic reprogramming toward oxidative phosphorylation, with reduced glycolytic, migratory, and …

Alcohol Consumption Exacerbates High-Fat Diet- Mediated Disruptions In Myelopoiesis And Osteoclastogenesis In Mouse Models Of Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Liver Diseases, Hami Hemati, Madison B. Blanton, Lauren Rutt, Nicholas Keiran, Rebecca Geron, Florence Lima, Rebecca L. Mccullough, Ilhem Messaoudi

Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics Faculty Publications

Objective: Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Alcohol-related Liver Disease (MetALD) exhibit systemic immune abnormalities. Given that such immune dysregulation is closely linked to the skeletal complications frequently observed in MASLD and MetALD, we sought to comprehensively characterize the bone marrow hematopoietic compartment and its link to osteoclastogenesis.

Methods: We utilized bone marrow from mouse models of MASLD (high-fat diet, HFD) and MetALD (high-fat diet plus ethanol, HFD+EtOH), followed by flow cytometric analysis to phenotype hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), as well as in vitro and in vivo assays to evaluate osteoclastogenesis.

Results: We found that …

Public Schools: Immigration & Customs Enforcement’S Unconstitutional And Inhumane Hunting Ground, Ma Camille Briones

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Can We Close The Rhode Island Women’S Prison?, Nick Horton

Roger Williams University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Aggregation Bias In Multi-Industry Economic Contribution Analysis: The Case Of Kentucky Forest Sector, Domena A. Agyeman, Thomas Ochuodho, Omkar Joshi

Forestry and Natural Resources Faculty Publications

Closely related industries are often aggregated in US forest sector economic contribution analysis, yet the choice of aggregation scheme can influence results. The Impact Analysis for Planning (IMPLAN) system is the most widely applied input–output model for forest economic contribution analysis in the US. In IMPLAN, the level of industry aggregation determines which inter-industry transactions are restricted, thereby influencing the magnitude of estimated indirect and induced effects. Although IMPLAN practitioners can model individual industries to avoid aggregation bias, they must still decide whether to analyze forest industries as a single group, as traditional subsectors, or individually. This decision can alter …

Baobabs, Networks And Digital Sovereignty: Afro-Brazilian And Indigenous Community Digital Territories As Communitarian Dh, Eduard Arriaga-Arango

Language, Literature, and Culture

Baobáxia is an initiative developed by the Afro-Brazilian network Rede Mocambos that serves as a model of community digital organizing so they can propose data justice, digital sovereignty and autonomy. Baobáxia is a technology that interconnects diverse communities in Brazil (i.e, Quilombos, Indigenous communities and Favelas, among others), and also creates a structure to store, curate and disseminate local knowledge, traditions, histories and representations. This infrastructure demonstrates how non-expert communities can use digital strategies to defend their territory, preserve their cultural production, and affirm their human condition. Throughout this article I discuss how Baobáxia and Rede Mocambos work, as well …

Lionel Marcus Viggers.Course 20. Biography, Jenifer A. Harding

Documents: Lionel Marcus Viggers

Biography of RAF cadet Lionel Marcus Viggers who was killed in a plane crash on October 9, 1944, while training to be a pilot at 5BFTS. He is buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission British Plot. at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Arcadia.

Forbes Mckenzie Robertson - Biography 2, Jenifer A. Harding

Documents: Forbes McKenzie Robertson

Biography of RAF cadet Forbes McKenzie Robertson who was killed in a plane crash on April 24, 1943, while training to be a pilot at 5BFTS. He is buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission British Plot. at Oak Ridge Cemetery, Arcadia. This was written by Mike Willoughby for the ‘Henley-on-Thames Lest We Forget Project’, a Memorial Book for the men of Henley-on-Thames who died in WW2. Mike, a local historian, has researched and, with his wife, Lesley, has written two books on Henley servicemen who lost their lives in WW1 and WW2.

Plea Bargaining In The United States Military, Frank Rosenblatt

Journal Articles

This article offers a primer on plea bargaining in the U.S. military justice system. American military justice is like criminal justice in the rest of the country in that the lion’s share of cases are plea bargained. But there are key differences between military and civilian plea bargaining. First, a central factor of negotiations in military plea bargaining is whether the accused will keep his or her job. Second, the military has a wider range of disposition options than traditional penal sanctions, including nonjudicial punishment and administrative sanctions. Finally, the military seemingly permits more discretion and offers less binding guidance …

Institutional And Procedural Aspects Of Military Justice, Frank Rosenblatt

Journal Articles

The U.S. military justice system exists to “promote justice, to deter misconduct, to facilitate appropriate accountability, to assist in maintaining good order and discipline in the armed forces, to promote efficiency and effectiveness in the military establishment, and thereby to strengthen the national security of the United States.” It provides for disciplinary and penal sanctions of U.S. military members anywhere in the world. Given the size of the U.S. military and the scope of its operations around the world, the military justice system plays a consequential role in accountability for core international crimes, also known as atrocity crimes. The U.S. …

Discipline And Punishment, Frank Rosenblatt

Journal Articles

Armed forces must be disciplined, but two bodies of international law relating to military discipline are in tension. On the one hand, international humanitarian law requires armed forces to employ robust disciplinary measures to deter and address military misconduct. On the other hand, some international human rights law scholars recently singled out military disciplinary measures as insufficiently protective of soldiers from unfair treatment. Advocates of this new approach proposed to remedy disciplinary unfairness by permitting soldiers to opt out of disciplinary proceedings and elect military criminal trials instead. This Article critically examines four of the underlying assumptions of this new …

The Birth Of Modern International Criminal Law: The International Military Tribunal At Nuremberg, Frank Rosenblatt

Journal Articles

The International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg (IMT), the most famous and arguably most important international criminal trial in human history, almost did not occur. In fact, it might even be an accident of history that the most senior perpetrators of the Nazi regime’s atrocities eventually faced the courtroom instead of summary execution. That their fate was decided by rights over might has shaped the world; helped birth the fields of international criminal law and international human rights law; and become the starting point for conversations about international law, transitional justice, genocide, and human rights.

Outbreak Preparedness And Response In A Globalized World: Are We Ready?, Francesca F. Norman, David Brett-Major, Chiara Sepulcri, Emmanuel Bottieau, Theresa Sepulveda, Federica Toscanini, Laura A. Nicolini, Jesse J. Waggoner, Sami Alcedo, Davidson H. Hamer, Ralph Huits, Michael Libman, Geosentinel Network, Tropnet Network, Kevin O'Laughlin

Journal Articles: Epidemiology

BACKGROUND: Recent global epidemics and pandemics have highlighted the need for adequate diagnostic capacities to respond to emerging threats. Strengthening operational capacities can lead to improved preparation; investing in emergency response infrastructure may diminish progression of outbreaks and prevent escalation.

METHODS: An email-linked survey was sent January-March-2025 to two global infectious disease surveillance networks' (GeoSentinel and TropNet) participating clinics assessing capacity for Oropouche virus (OROV) diagnostic testing. Data on testing capacity for other arboviruses was also requested.

RESULTS: Responses were obtained for 58 GeoSentinel/TropNet sites (58/104, 55.8%): 50% responding sites (29/58) had OROV diagnostic testing available at a public reference …

Discovery Of Tidal Disruption Event Candidates In The Hubble Catalog Of Variables, Elliot M. Schweitzer

Pitzer Senior Theses

A tidal disruption event (TDE) occurs when a star passes within the tidal radius of the supermassive black hole (SMBH) likely to reside at the center of most galaxies. Within this radius, the star is torn apart as tidal forces overcome the star's binding energy, and roughly half of the stellar debris spirals back towards the SMBH. The formation of an accretion disk produces bright emissions for months to years, modeled to peak in the ultraviolet and extend well into x-ray and optical wavelengths. TDEs occur only about once every 10⁴-10⁵ years per galaxy. As one of …

Mathematics And Political Ideology: A Historical Argument Against The Cultural Understanding Of Mathematics As An Apolitical Field, And A Journalistic Report On The Impact Of The Trump Administration On American Mathematics In 2026, Philo Judson

Pitzer Senior Theses

The interplay between political ideology and mathematics is a recurring theme throughout the history of the academic field. Mathematics has been used as a tool of empire, while mathematicians have been elevated by states as symbols of national genius for political prestige. Political ideologies have also shaped the field from within, both through the suppression of mathematical thought and the enforcement of mathematical authority. Since 2025, the Trump administration has launched large-scale political attacks on American institutions of higher education, which include lawsuits, discrimination investigations, and the removal of federal funding from certain institutions that don’t adhere to the administration’s …

“Why Can’T I Do My Homework Without Crying?” Neurodivergence And The Gendered Expectations Of Functioning, Alia Wang

Pitzer Senior Theses

The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to examine the experiences of neurodivergent women and gender-diverse individuals regarding productivity. Neurodivergence is often understood in biological and medical terms; far less attention has been given to how neurodivergent individuals experience and navigate everyday life. Meanwhile, productivity is often framed as a neutral measure of efficiency, but in practice, it is shaped by social norms that shape particular ways of thinking, working, and behaving.

Particularly for women and gender diverse people, these expectations are compounded not only by cognitive differences but also by gendered norms around behavior. This creates a mismatch …

Buprenorphine Utilization Following Removal Of Prior Authorization Requirements In The Kentucky Medicaid Population, Dustin K. Miracle, Lindsey R. Hammerslag, Svetla Slavova, Michelle R. Lofwall, Sharon L. Walsh, Jeffery Talbert, Patricia R. Freeman

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

Purpose: To evaluate changes in buprenorphine dispensing for treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) among Kentucky Medicaid enrollees following the removal of prior authorization (PA) requirements for the transmucosal buprenorphine combination product.

Methods: We analyzed Kentucky Medicaid claims from 1/1/2016 through 6/30/2023 to identify enrollees with OUD during each quarter (Q1/2017–Q2/2023), using a 12-month lookback window. Segmented regression analysis was used for statistical modeling of an interrupted time series (ITS) design to assess changes in the quarterly proportion of enrollees with OUD receiving buprenorphine for OUD treatment, focusing on the effect of PA removal. The effective date of the PA …

Contemporary Trends In High-Potency P2y12 Receptor Inhibitor Use Among Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction Undergoing Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Ayman R. Fath, Binish Qureshi, Amro Aglan, Osamah Altaee, Hend Mansoor, Ahmed Almomani, Karim Al-Azizi, Marwan Saad, Andrew M. Goldsweig, Hani Jneid, Islam Y. Elgendy

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

Background: High‐potency P2Y12 receptor inhibitors (ticagrelor and prasugrel) reduce ischemic outcomes compared with clopidogrel among patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study aims to examine contemporary trends and identify predictors of their use among patients with AMI undergoing PCI in the United States.   Methods: This observational study used electronic health records from >95 US‐based health care organizations. Adults with AMI who underwent PCI between 2016 and 2023 were included. The primary outcome was the prescription of high‐potency P2Y12 receptor inhibitors versus clopidogrel. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of P2Y12 inhibitor …

Contraceptive Method Provision Patterns Among Rural And Urban Kentucky Medicaid Enrollees, Dustin K. Miracle, Svetla Slavova, Jeffery Talbert, Daniela C. Moga, Patricia R. Freeman

Pharmacy Practice and Science Faculty Publications

Purpose: To characterize contraceptive provision among the Kentucky Medicaid population and assess for rural−urban disparities.

Methods: Kentucky Medicaid claims from the calendar year 2019 were used to identify females at risk for unintended pregnancy (via a modified version of the criteria defined by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Population Affairs). Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the impact of rural−urban residence on contraceptive outcomes, while adjusting for relevant covariates. Outcomes for the multinomial regression model were provision of a: (1) less effective method (i.e., condoms) or no contraceptive; (2) moderately effective method (oral, transdermal, …

The Ukrainian Refugee Crisis And The Double Standard Of Western Humanitarianism, Masume Krol

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

The rapid displacement of almost six million Ukrainians following Russia’s 2022 invasion triggered one of the most significant human migration movements in contemporary history (UNHCR 2024). The refugee crisis has been widely praised as a landmark humanitarian achievement. Across Western powers, governments enacted emergency laws, expanded benefits, removed bureaucratic barriers, and framed Ukrainian displacement as a moral imperative demanding immediate action. However, this remarkable mobilization also reveals a double standard in migration governance. The treatment of Ukrainians is not merely generous; it is exceptional. By comparing the institutional, media, and civil society responses to Ukrainians with those extended to earlier …

Tuning In To The New Deal: A Regional Analysis Of American Responses To The Fireside Chats, Ashlyn Goodall

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office for his first term in March 1933. Within the first week of his presidency, he received nearly half a million letters from constituents who, amid the crisis of the Great Depression, reached out to voice their concerns to the new chief of state.1 On his eighth day in office, he addressed the unsettled American public by radio, marking the first of many Fireside Chats. Although Roosevelt was not the first president to use this medium to speak to the public—Warren G. Harding initiated this practice and both Calvin Coolidge and Herbert Hoover continued it—his use …

A Societal Critique: Reading Lady Audley’S Secret Through Its Periodical Context, Alison Marshall

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

Lady Audley’s Secret has been defined as a sensation novel, a melodramatic genre from the 1860s. It depicts the life and many personas of Helen Talboys. Helen lived a poor life with her father until she married her husband, George Talboys, a man with access to his father’s fortune. Upon hearing of this union, George’s father revokes access to those funds, leaving them with very little money. After George leaves with a promise to make his own fortune in the gold mines, Helen fakes her death and becomes Lucy Graham. While working as a governess, Lucy marries above her class, …

Prevalence, Perception, And Prevention: Tobacco And Nicotine Use Amongst Middle And High School Students, Samantha Fischer

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

This study examines data from a survey conducted with South Dakota middle and high school principals about tobacco and nicotine use on school grounds and school district tobacco policies. The project was implemented through the South Dakota State University Population Health Evaluation Center and was sponsored by the South Dakota Department of Health Tobacco Control Program. Over 1.58 million high school students and 640,000 middle school students reported using some type of tobacco product in a 2024 report (United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 2024). Of the middle and high school students who previously used tobacco products sometime in …

Inflation Dynamics: An Integrated Exploratory And Econometric Analysis, Adrián Calderón

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

This paper examines the drivers of U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation using a novel, integrated approach on high-frequency monthly data from 2003 to 2025. The analysis focuses on a comprehensive set of variables: money growth, a fiscal stance measure, long-term inflation expectations, labor market conditions, and real activity; to identify which forces consistently push inflation higher or lower. Our methodology begins with a Random Forest model to rank predictors, establishing lagged money growth and breakeven inflation expectations as dominant, while the fiscal stance shows weaker predictive power. This ranking guides the specification of a robust ARIMAX model that successfully …

Spanish Speakers And Healthcare: Experiences And Perceptions, Ainsley Boucher

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

The Spanish-speaking population in the United States is large and diverse. As such, individual perceptions regarding healthcare access and quality held by native Spanish speakers vary widely. In order to provide insight into local healthcare access, a customized survey was developed and distributed to a workplace in the Brookings area. Responses varied considerably, reflecting a diversity of experiences and perceptions. Determinants such as language barriers, occupational health risks, and various socioeconomic factors may affect healthcare access and quality for native Spanish speakers in the United States.

Homemaking In Hashtags: A Rhetorical Study Of Hannah Neeleman’S #Tradwife Narrative Across Social Media, Emma Areson

Schultz-Werth Award Papers

In a media landscape saturated with curated images of domesticity, the emergence of the “tradwife” aesthetic demands critical scrutiny as a site where gender, consumption, and ideology converge. Hannah Neeleman, better known to her followers as Ballerina Farm, has become a central figure in this phenomenon, leveraging Instagram and TikTok to craft an idealized vision of rural homemaking, motherhood, and faith. A former Juilliard-trained ballerina and beauty pageant winner, Neeleman now manages a multimillion-dollar farm brand that combines self-reliance with aspirational aesthetics. Her image gained even wider visibility and scrutiny after The Times published an in-depth profile that sparked debate …

Chronic Alcohol Consumption Disrupts The Gut Microbial And Metabolic Landscapes, Madison B. Blanton, Ethan G. Napier, Katelyn E. Keen, Ethan V. Stuart, Isaac R. Cinco, Hami Hemati, Ronald C. Bruntz, Landon Wilson, Stephen Barnes, Rupak Khadka, Kathleen A. Grant, Ilhem Messaoudi

Pharmaceutical Sciences Faculty Publications

Introduction: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) increases incidence of infections, organ damage, and cancers. Aberrant inflammation is likely a driver of these adverse outcomes. Indeed, chronic alcohol consumption (CAC) rewires macrophages/monocytes toward a hyper-inflammatory phenotype. Prior studies showed increased gut permeability and dysbiosis. Translocation of host- and microbial-derived metabolites could trigger the hyper-inflammatory responses generated by macrophages/monocytes. However, the exact changes in these metabolites remain poorly defined due to confounders that complicate clinical studies and the differences between human and rodent gut microbiomes.

Methods: Here, we utilized a non-human primate model of ethanol self-administration to characterize alcohol-induced alterations in gut microbes …

Optimized Nano-Bilosomes Loaded Ocular Insert As A Promising Approach For Boosting Voriconazole Ocular Bioavailability: In-Vitro, Microbiological, And In-Vivo Assessments, Eman Gomaa

Nanotechnology Research Centre

The eye possesses numerous physiological barriers that significantly limit the absorption of administered drugs, as only < 5 % get through. These barriers restrict drug bioavailability, often necessitating multiple dosing, which can lead to poor patient compliance. The study goal is to efficiently incorporate Voriconazole (VRC), a wide-spectrum antifungal candidate with a short half-life, into stable, biocompatible, non-irritating bile salt nanoparticles (Bilosomes, BLOs) to enhance its ocular delivery. Bilosomes were prepared by the ethanol injection method. Experimental (33) Box–Behnken Design (BBD) was employed; the amount of bile salt, cholesterol, and span-60 were chosen as independent variables, while entrapment efficiency (EE%), cumulative VRC release (Q8h), particle size (PS), zeta potential (ZP), and polydispersity index (PDI) were the dependent variables. The formula of optimization showed EE% (59.04 ± 1.88 %), cumulative release after 8 h (81.35 ± 0.69 %), PS (222.53 ± 2.04 nm), ZP (−72.53 ± 1.75 mV), and PDI (0.225 ± 0.03). It was chemically characterized using DSC and FTIR. Its spherical arrangement was confirmed using TEM. For ophthalmic application, the optimized formula was included in ocular inserts to extend ocular residence time while minimizing dosing frequency. The optimal VRC-loaded bilosomal ocular insert met the acceptable physicochemical criteria, was sterilized using UV radiation for conducting microbiological assay, in-vivo study, and pharmacokinetic analysis. For safety evaluation, an eye irritation study and histopathological examination were conducted. The results confirmed its effectiveness as evidenced by a significantly larger inhibition zone and 8.39-fold enhancement in VRC bioavailability compared to its suspension. These findings support the potential of bilosomes-loaded ocular insert as an effective ocular delivery of VRC.

Infantile Epileptic Spasms Syndrome: Clinical Profile And Outcomes At A Tertiary Hospital In Kenya, Peninah Mwangi, Katherine Oyieke, Sam Gwer, Pauline Samia

Paediatrics and Child Health, East Africa

Background: Infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) is characterised by onset of epileptic spasms between 3 and 12 months, with or without typical hypsarrhythmia, and developmental stagnation or regression. There are limited data on the clinical profile and treatment outcomes of IESS in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: To describe the clinical profile and treatment outcomes of infants diagnosed with and managed for IESS at Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi.

Methods: Records of children aged 3–24 months diagnosed with IESS between January 2012 and December 2021 were identified from the hospital information system using the terms “infantile spasm”, “epileptic spasms”, …

Beyond Fixed Thresholds: Per-Label Calibration For Fine-Grained Emotion Detection On The Goemotions Dataset, Sai Puneet Naga Venkata Subramanyam Patchipulusu

Selected Full-Text Master Theses 2021-

This study investigates the effectiveness of five community fine-tuned transformer models for fine-grained emotion detection on the GoEmotions dataset: SamLowe/roberta- base-go_emotions (RoBERTa-base), cirimus/modernbert-base-go-emotions (ModernBERT), mrm8488/deberta-v3-base-goemotions (DeBERTa-v3-base), bhadresh-savani/bert-base-go- emotion (BERT-base-cased),and tasinhoque/distilbert-go-emotions (DistilBERT) . While the original GoEmotions research by Demszky et al. (2020) established a BERT-base baseline with a macro-F1 of 0.46, this thesis extends that work through independent empirical evaluation of five derivative models, systematic per-label threshold optimization, and comparative analysis of architectural trade-offs across the full transformer model family. Using the GoEmotions simplified test split (5,427 examples across 28 categories), all five models were evaluated at a fixed 0.5 …