Digital Commons Network^™

Immune Reconstitution And Tolerance-Inducing Therapies As Promising Therapeutic Approaches In Multiple Sclerosis, Alireza Beheshti Maal, Mandana Kazem Arki, Seyed Massood Nabavi, Mostafa Rezaei-Tavirani, Elham Rismani, Massoud Vosough, Gholamreza Azizi, Nikoo Hossein-Khannazer

Department of Neurology Faculty Papers

OBJECTIVES: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a complex, progressive neurodegenerative autoimmune disease and a major cause of neurological disability worldwide. MS affects approximately 2.8-3 million people, predominantly presenting as relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) that frequently converts to secondary progressive disease, while effective options for progressive phenotypes remain limited.

METHODS: This review reframes MS immunotherapy through a tolerance-centric paradigm, distinguishing continuous maintenance disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) from immune reconstitution therapies (IRTs) and emerging antigen-specific tolerance strategies.

RESULTS: Classical immune reconstitution therapies, including alemtuzumab, cladribine, and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (aHSCT), have demonstrated durable disease control and prolonged periods of no evidence of disease …

Campus-Wide Assessment Of Indoor Air Quality At A University In The United Arab Emirates, Nida Qafisheh, Hani Kour

All Works

In educational institutions with the use of mechanical ventilation especially in arid climates indoor air quality (IAQ) has significant implications to health and cognitive performance of occupants. The present study examined 35 different sites’ IAQ at Abu Dhabi University, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in January-February 2024 comparing the observations with 2024 IAQ Guideline in Dubai Municipality (DM-HSD-GU119-IAQ). Portable instruments were used to measure eleven parameters: temperature, relative humidity, CO 2 , CO, ozone, formaldehyde, total volatile organic compounds (TVOC), PM 10 and PM 2 . 5 . The count of viable bacteria and fungi was determined by 15-min passive sedimentation …

Acemannan/Alginate Composite Hydrogels Promote Sto Cell Spreading And Metabolic Activity, Hong Yongxing, Tharasanit Theerawat

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Alginate-based hydrogels are widely used as biocompatible scaffolds. However, their limited cell-adhesive properties restrict their application in tissue engineering. This study aimed to fabricate acemannan/alginate (ACE/ALG) composite hydrogels and evaluate their cytocompatibility and ability to support STO cell spreading and metabolic activity. Composite hydrogels were prepared by blending different concentrations of ACE with alginate, followed by Ca²⁺-mediated ionic crosslinking. Rheological analysis showed that ACE incorporation increased both the storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) of the hydrogels. Cell viability and morphology were evaluated using Live/Dead staining on day 7, and cellular growth was assessed using an MTT assay on …

Kinship As Ethical Caring In Genocidal Times, Khawla Badwan, Sunny Singh Prof

Gatherings

As the world bears witness to the first live-streamed genocide¹ in history with full collaboration of the so-called free world, whatever ethics had been defined and legally encoded by imperial powers in the aftermath of the Second World War are no longer functioning or indeed relevant. Instead at individual and collective levels, we must develop a more relational and nested approach to ethical caring; one that moves beyond saviourism and distant witnessing. To demonstrate this relationality, we present our thinking through a dialogic genre of creative and critical reflections and interventions. This dialogue draws and builds on entanglements of …

Gatherings 3.2 (Complete Issue), Besan Jaber, Asmaa Malik

Gatherings

p. 111: Echoes of Loss: Exploring Palestine and Feminism Through Art / Ala Alshadfan -- p. 117: In-Dialogue as Feminist Praxis: Palestine, Poetry, and Affective Knowing / Besan Jaber and Natalie El-Eid -- p. 130: Kinship as Ethical Caring in Genocidal Times / Khawla Badwan and Sunny Singh --  p.150: Roots That Refuse to Die: Narratives of Displacement and Solidarity in Palestinian and Chicanx Feminist Traditions / R. K. and Lea Colchado-Joaquín -- p.169: A Poem for Palestinian Liberation from Låguas yan Gåni / Ha’åni Lucia Falo San Nicolas -- p. 171: Embodying Palestinian Freedom: Yogis for Palestine as a …

Ruins And Remedies: Hospital Site Archaeology In Medieval Southeast Asia, Karen Hill

Classical Mediterranean and Middle East Honors Projects

No abstract provided.

Seabirds In 3d: A Framework To Evaluate Collision Vulnerability With Future Offshore Wind Developments In The California Current System, Stephanie R. Schneider, Eli Wallach, Charles Chamberlin, David G. Ainley, Scott B. Terrill, Sharon H. Kramer, R. Glenn Ford, Janet Casey, Jarrod A. Santora, Lisa T. Ballance, Sophie B. Bernstein, Sadie Trush, Arne Jacobson

Marine Ornithology

Since the 1970s, numerous vessel and aerial surveys of marine birds, covering many thousands of square kilometers, have been conducted in the California Current System (CCS), providing insights into seabirds' horizontal (2D) diversity and abundance, including the identification of “hotspots.” Addressing knowledge gaps regarding seabird distribution patterns from a 3D (vertical) perspective, however, will be required if California (CA) is to use offshore wind (OSW) facilities to assist in reaching the state's 2045 renewable energy goals. Such an analysis will allow seabirds' vertical distribution to be considered when assessing potential OSW impacts, as collision vulnerability is greatest for birds flying …

Seabirds As Ecosystem Engineers: Providing Arthropod Habitat On Oceanic Islands., Kanon Mizukoshi, Kazuto Kawakami, Takashi Kamijo

Marine Ornithology

Seabirds play several important ecological roles on oceanic islands through their high-density breeding. Their ecosystem functions—such as nutrient cycling through excretion or terrestrial vegetation disturbance through trampling—are well known; however, little is known of their roles as ecosystem engineers. Nests and burrows can be densely concentrated in seabird colonies, by which seabirds can affect adjacent terrestrial ecosystems, especially affecting arthropods that use these structures as food or habitats. However, studies investigating the species composition of arthropods that inhabit seabird nests are limited. To characterize the arthropod faunas in seabird nests, this study surveyed and analyzed 90 nests of three seabird …

Comparing Counts Made From Drone-Based And Boat-Based Photography For Surveying Thick-Billed Murre Uria Lomvia Cliff Colonies., Ewan Macdonnell, Sarah E. Gutowsky, Kyle H. Elliott

Marine Ornithology

Surveys of cliff-nesting seabirds from sea level or ground level often miss individuals hidden by topography, leading to underestimates of abundance. Thick-billed Murres Uria lomvia are especially challenging to survey accurately due to their dense nesting on vertical cliff ledges in remote northern regions. In Canada, updated colony surveys are needed, as currently used population estimates, done from boats, are outdated. Drones offer better vantage points and may reduce availability bias (i.e., the proportion of birds present but not visible), but direct comparisons with boat-based counts are essential. We compared murre counts from drone- and boat-based photographs of six vertical …

Unfamiliar Plumage Aberration Observed On A Razorbill Alca Torda At Machias Seal Island., Daniel Oliker, Antony W. Diamond, Heather L. Major

Marine Ornithology

Aberrant plumage variation in seabirds can be caused by both heritable genetic mutations and non-heritable somatic mutations due to environmental stressors. In Razorbills Alca torda, aberrant colouration has been documented four times: three as cases of melanism and one seemingly of leucism, both heritable mutations. Here, we describe the observation and subsequent capture of a Razorbill with an unfamiliar plumage phenotype we hypothesize to be caused by a somatic mutation. To our knowledge, this is the first reported instance of a somatic mutation affecting the plumage of a Razorbill in the primary literature.

Contents, Marine Ornithology

Marine Ornithology

No abstract provided.

Papers Concerning Robertson's Colony In Texas - Volume I, M. D. Mclean

Papers Concerning Robertson's Colony in Texas

Volume I of the Papers Concerning Robertson's Colony in Texas book collection. Compiled and edited by Malcolm D. McLean. Dated from 1788-1822.

System And Method For Ai-Generation And Personalized Music Playback In Social Venue Environments, Eric Zavesky, Miguel A. De La Lama

Defensive Publications Series

A system and method for generating and playing personalized music in a venue setting from multi-modal patron input. The system comprises a multi-modal input interface that accepts musical preferences, narrative text, voice, visual content, and social media links through QR-code-accessed mobile web, kiosk, and voice channels, fusing said inputs into a unified generation request. An AI music generation engine employs a progressive generation pipeline that begins generating preliminary musical content during input collection and refines iteratively as additional input arrives, producing complete songs with lyrics, melody, arrangement, and production. A venue audio integration module queues and plays generated songs through …

Zero-Shot Widget Configuration Via Natural Language Query, Ant Oztaskent, François Deschênes

Defensive Publications Series

Setting up a helpful tool on a phone or computer screen, like a live tile or weather display, usually takes too many steps. This publication describes a new, automated system that lets a user simply type or speak what they want, such as “weather in London,” and the device handles the rest. By acting as a smart broker (e.g., a multi-tier routing system), the system automatically finds the right application, places a live widget, glanceable, or dynamic home screen applet on the screen, and sets up the widget perfectly without any extra tapping from the user. If a matching application …

Career Plans And Seafaring Intentions Among Maritime Students In China, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, And The United Kingdom: A Cross-National Comparative Study, Ana Slišković, Birgit Pauksztat, Lijun Tang, Ioannis Katsounis, Senka Šekularac-Ivošević, Helen Devereux, Gesa Praetorius

Plymouth Business School

Concerns about current and future officer shortages have intensified interest in understanding maritime students’ career plans. While previous research has primarily examined motivations for entering maritime education and training (MET), comparative evidence on students’ seafaring intentions across national contexts remains limited. This study addresses this gap by examining career plans and seafaring intentions among 1,548 maritime students enrolled in MET programmes in China, Greece, Croatia, Montenegro, and the United Kingdom. Using cross-national survey data, the study analyses differences in students’ intended career trajectories and explores whether demographic characteristics (gender, age, prior sea experience) and programme-related factors (programme type, level, duration, …

E-Health Literacy And Cyberchondria Severity Among Adolescent High School Students: A Cross-Sectional Study, Seyda Çavmak, Adem Bilgin

Makara Journal of Health Research

Background: Amid rapid digitalization and the growing use of artificial intelligence-based search engines, adolescents increasingly seek health information online. This study examined the relationship between high school students' e-health literacy and their cyberchondria tendencies.

Methods: This quantitative, cross-sectional study included 683 students from public high schools in Mersin, Türkiye. Data were collected using a Demographic Information Form, the e-Health Literacy Scale (eHEALS), and the Cyberchondria Severity Scale Short Form (CSS-12). Descriptive statistics, comparative tests, and Pearson correlation were applied (p < 0.05).

Results: Students' e-health literacy and cyberchondria severity were moderate. Significant positive correlations emerged between e-health literacy …

Dark Hemlock, Michael Washburn

The Sucarnochee Review

No abstract provided.

Comments Re: Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program And Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Program, Fred D. Ledley M.D., Edward Zhou Pharm. D.

CISI Publication

Thank you for the opportunity to provide written comments in response to the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program proposed rule published on June 16, 2026 in the Federal Register. [1] We are answering as academic researchers with experience in medicine, pharmacy, biomedical research, and the biopharmaceutical industry. Our perspective is informed by extensive, published research on the economics and finance of pharmaceutical innovation, the value created by new medicines, and the impacts of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

We applaud the accomplishment of the IRA in establishing the precedent for the government to negotiate “fair market prices” for drugs on …

Political Linguistics And Epistemic Agency: Universal Write Publications And The Defense Of Global Black Knowledge, Ayo Sekai

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

As linguistic erasure intensifies across the African world, the preservation of African-centered knowledge systems has become both a scholarly and political imperative. This article examines the relationship between linguistic imperialism, epistemic agency, and scholarly sovereignty through the intellectual trajectory of Dr. Ayo Sekai, political linguist and founder of Universal Write Publications (UWP), a Black woman–owned academic press dedicated to culturally grounded scholarship. Expanding traditional understandings of linguistic imperialism, Dr. Sekai advances political linguistics beyond structural language dominance to examine who holds linguistic power and how that power operates through dog whistle politics, signaling terms, and policy language code—discursive patterns embedded …

Ọmọtẹ-Ohwo-Re, Gloria Udhedhe-Oze

Wagadu: A Journal of Transnational Women's & Gender Studies

This eponymous narrative Ọmọtẹ Ohwo Re, loosely transliterated “female is human” in Isoko, is set in Emede, Isoko kingdom, Niger Delta, Nigeria during the late 1960s to early 1970s. It explores the lived experiences of the eponymous character who is denied the opportunity to obtain Western education by Chief Ebọ, her influential father, the sitting traditional ruler. Born into a polygamous home, she is the fourth and last child of her mother; but the seventh among eleven females. None is deemed worthy of an education because of their sex. In a twist of events, she defies this institutionalized marginalization and …

Meeting Van Gogh, Yuan Changming

The Sucarnochee Review

No abstract provided.

Exploring Wearable Technology In Freshmen High School Physical Education: Effects On Engagement And Enjoyment, Danielle Madrid

Doctorate in Kinesiology

Wearable technology offers physical educators a potential tool for providing real-time feedback and supporting student engagement during physical activity. This mixed-methods study examined the influence of Polar A370 wearable fitness trackers on enjoyment and engagement among 99 ninth-grade students enrolled in high school physical education. During a two-week within-subject crossover intervention, students alternated between participating in physical education lessons with and without wearable technology. Physical activity enjoyment was assessed before and after the intervention using the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES), while a researcher-developed supplemental survey, open-ended responses, and observational field notes provided additional information regarding students’ motivation, engagement, and …

A Comparative Study Of Ladxs1 Gene Expression In Four Lavandula Angustifolia Callus Treatments, Sumaya F. Hamad, Zainab O. Salman, Emad H. Jassim, Bushra M. J. Alwash, Zainab Anwar Ali

Baghdad Science Journal

The current study was conducted to compare and evaluate the increasing or decreasing levels of LaDXS1 ``1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase'' gene expression of four treatments of callus initiate on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) with various application of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and Benzyl adenine (BA) from leaves of Lavandula Angustifolia consider one of species used for oil extraction through total RNA extraction from callus for the four treatments then reverse-transcribed to complementary DNA (cDNA) then amplified by RT-qPCR technique as a relative quantitation method .The results demonstrated that gene expression of LaDXS1 was varied between treatments. The highest gene expression of …

Local Farming Sustainability Nongovernment Organization’S Perceived Driving Forces For A Crisis Management Plan, Nthonoki Cynthia Tsepe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) operate in increasingly volatile environments characterized by financial uncertainty, political pressures, and climate-related disruptions; however, many lack formalized crisis management systems. The absence of structured crisis governance exposes organizations to operational instability, financial risk, and reputational damage. The purpose of this qualitative force field analysis study was to explore a local farming sustainability NGO’s perceived driving and restraining forces for developing a formal crisis management plan. Guided by Burnett’s crisis management model and Lewin’s force field analysis framework, data were collected from nine organizational leaders involved in governance and operational decision making. Round 1 included open-ended online …

Mexican Women Caregivers’ Support For Family Members With Type 2 Diabetes, Andrea Mesa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a persistent public health challenge in the United States, disproportionately affecting Hispanic populations. Mexican-origin women often serve as primary caregivers for relatives living with diabetes, yet their voices and lived experiences remain underrepresented in research. This study addressed the limited understanding of how cultural values and caregiving roles influence diabetes management within Hispanic families. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Mexican-origin women aged 40 to 60 who care for a family member with T2D. Guided by the theory of planned behavior and social cognitive theory, the study …

Teachers’ Perspectives About Early-Career Implementation Of Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices In Secondary Science Classrooms, Nicole D. Wilson-Pringle

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem that was addressed through this study was that little was known about how secondary science teachers use their training to implement culturally responsive teaching practices (CRTPs) during their early careers in classrooms with diverse student populations. Grounded in the culturally relevant pedagogy and the teacher identity development frameworks, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore secondary science teachers’ perspectives on the use of their training to implement CRTPs during their early careers in classrooms with diverse student populations. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 10 middle and high school science teachers who received certification …

Dung Removal And Tunneling Contributions: Ecomorphological Traits And Functional Performance Of Onthophagus Gazella And Onthophagus Ramosellus, Takhmina Nazir, Mubashar Hussain

Baghdad Science Journal

Dung beetles perform various functions in ecosystems, such as nutrient cycling, aeration of soil, and dung burial activities that increase soil properties. Genus Onthophagus is well known for its role in dung removal and decomposition. We appraised the role of Onthophagus ramosellus and Onthophagus gazella in dung removal under field conditions. Species-specific functional features like body size and dry body weight associate these dung beetle species with tunneling depth and dung removal. We installed mesocosms (18 cm height and 12 cm diameter) at three sites in district Gujrat, i.e., Chak, Chopala, and Kot Mir Hussain. Treatment groups used in the …

Engineering For Compromise, Ron Ross

Other Faculty Materials

Modern systems cannot credibly depend on every component, account, service, person, supplier, and supporting dependency remaining trustworthy secure throughout the system life cycle. Prevention-centered cybersecurity remains essential, but for mission-critical systems it is not a sufficient engineering strategy. This paper introduces the concept of Engineering for Compromise (EfC), a systems security engineering strategy that deliberately assumes selected system elements may fail, become malicious, lose integrity, or fall under adversary control and then asks whether the system can continue to prevent unacceptable loss. EfC separates component compromise, system compromise, and mission loss as distinct events and uses architecture to place barriers …

The Cul-De-Sac Paradox: The Relationship Between Walkability, Playability, And Children’S Physical Activity, Lydia Reader

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Walkability and playability are two constructs on how the built environment can support physical activity, the former most relevant to adults and the latter designed with children in mind. There are concerns that walkability and playability are intrinsically in competition with one another, with urban forms supportive of physical activity for adults detrimental toward the physical activity of children and vice versa. This thesis explores this conflict using agent-based modeling as a tool for refining the theoretical constructs behind playability and children’s physical activity. We examine the state of the current evidence for the relationship between walkability and children’s physical …

Data-Driven Staging Of Neurodegenerative Pathology Related To Alzheimer’S Disease, Thomas Earnest

McKelvey School of Engineering Graduate Student Theses & Dissertations

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, is a dual proteinopathy exhibiting deposits of extracellular amyloid-beta (Aβ) and intracellular tau in brain tissue. Models which describe the spatial and temporal trajectories of these pathologies have been invaluable for understanding AD and have the potential to support diagnosis, disease monitoring, and treatment development. Disease staging systems, which provide protocols for assessing individual disease severity based on their extent of brain pathology, have been crucial for explaining and diagnosing AD. However, these systems have been primarily informed by post-mortem histological assessments and are not directly applicable to disease assessment in …