Digital Commons Network^™

Mass Spectrometry Footprinting Reveals How Kinetic Stabilizers Counteract Transthyretin Dynamics Altered By Pathogenic Mutations, Francisca Pinheiro, Ravi Kant, Saketh Chemuru, Nathalia Varejão, Adrián Velázquez-Campoy, David Reverter, Irantzu Pallarès, Michael L Gross, Salvador Ventura

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The aggregation of transthyretin (TTR) results in life-threatening transthyretin amyloidosis. Familial forms of the disease arise from point mutations that destabilize the TTR tetramer, leading to its dissociation and/or monomer unfolding and subsequent formation of amyloid fibrils. Small molecules that kinetically stabilize the native tetramer effectively inhibit this aggregation. Although over 300 X-ray crystal structures of TTR have been determined, these data refer to a static structure and do not capture the conformational effects of mutations and ligand binding. Here, we demonstrate that hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDX) and fast photochemical oxidation of proteins (FPOP) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) offer critical …

Polymer Conformational Entropy As The Driver Of Complex Coacervation, Tommaso Inzani, Giovanni Nava, Marco Buscaglia, Andrea Soranno, Alessandro Gori, Greta Bergamaschi, Samir Suweis, Amos Maritan, Tommaso Bellini

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Understanding the mechanisms leading to complex coacervation is a fundamental challenge in biomolecular sciences. Here, we explored the condensation transition and pretransitional behavior of an archetypal system consisting of polyuridylic acid chains (PolyU) and short cationic peptides in buffered aqueous solutions. By combining static and dynamic light scattering with confocal microscopy, we determined the location of the transition and the partitioning of PolyU and peptides between the coexisting phases as a function of the total peptides/PolyU ratio. We find that upon adding peptides in the system, the size of PolyU coils in the single-phase region is progressively reduced by peptide-mediated …

High Spatiotemporal Resolution Monitoring Of Crop Water Stress Across The Contiguous United States Using Harmonized Landsat And Sentinel-2 Data, Na Chen, Yanlei Feng, Na Wang, Jevan Yu, Mohammad Reza Alizadeh, Yifeng Cui, Ning Ye, Wenzhe Jiao, Joshua B. Fisher, César Terrer

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Accurate and timely monitoring of crop water stress is essential for efficient agricultural water management, ultimately maintaining and improving crop productivity. While Landsat has been used for this purpose, its temporal resolution hampers timely detection of crop water stress. The recently released Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 Version 2.0 dataset, which enables a higher-frequency time series of satellite observations (2–3 days, 30 m), offers a promising solution to this challenge. However, its potential for crop stress monitoring remained unexplored. In this study, we utilized 923 HLS satellite tiles to assess crop water stress across the contiguous United States (CONUS). Crop water …

Modality-Agnostic, Patient-Specific Digital Twins Modeling Temporally Varying Digestive Motion, Jorge Tapias Gomez, Nishant Nadkarni, Lando S Bosma, Jue Jiang, Ergys D Subashi, James M Balter, Neelam Tyagi, Harini Veeraraghavan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

No abstract provided.

Haze Processing Of Atmospheric Particles During Wintertime In The Indo-Gangetic Plains, Susan Mathai, Amna Ijaz, Tania Gautam, Zezhen Cheng, Nurun Nahar Lata, Harsh Bhotika, David Tseng, Rosalie K. Chu, Lynn Mazzoleni, Claudio Mazzoleni, Swarup China

Michigan Tech Publications

The impacts of haze on visibility, air quality, and climate are not well quantified due to a lack of understanding of the evolution of the mixing state and phase state of atmospheric particles during haze processing. The variability of the mixing state of atmospheric particles contributes significantly to uncertainties associated with the estimated aerosol radiative forcing. We collected particle samples in January 2018 from the highly polluted Indo-Gangetic plain during hazy conditions to study haze-processed particles. Single particle analysis using multi-modal micro-spectroscopy techniques revealed an abundance (40–70% by number) of potassium-rich sulfate particles from biomass-burning influenced smoke. Tilted view imaging …

Multiple Myeloma Risk Linked To Dna Damage Response Genes, Michael Conry, Irina Ostrovnaya, Yelena Kemel, Saloni Sinha, Linda B. Baughn, Brian Avery, Kylee Maclachlan, Victoria Groner, Lauren Banaszak, Aaron Norman, Nicholas J. Boddicker, Alyssa I. Clay-Gilmour Ph.D., Shaji Kumar, Ellen Kim, Sita Dandiker, Mitul Waghmare, Susan Slager, Douglas Sborov, Judy Garber, Elizabeth E. Brown, Michelle Hildebrandt, Et. Al.

Faculty Publications

Background DNA damage response genes (DDRG), implicated in several cancers as both predisposing risk factors as well as biomarkers for aggressiveness, have not been fully explored in multiple myeloma (MM).

Methods Herein, we analyzed disease associations of pathogenic variations in nine putative candidate genes using 3 446 MM cases and 323 233 cancer-free controls.

Results Increased MM risk was found to be associated with inherited rare pathogenic mutations in TP53, ATM, CHEK2, KDM1A, and ARID1A, with an enrichment of these variants among individuals with early onset or family history of MM. Individuals with TP53 or ATM germline mutations are also …

A Caregiver’S Perspective Of Caring For Children With Intellectual Disabilities, Lajoy Johnson Law

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current estimates reported by the National Institute of Health suggest that between 1.4 and 2.2 million children in the United States have some form of intellectual disability. These children need caregivers, yet in the literature there is a lack of studies focusing on the experiences of caregivers raising children with intellectual disabilities. Further, there is a lack of public policies and programs for Washington, D.C. caregivers. The purpose of this general qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of these caregivers in Washington, D.C. and to identify what policies, programs, and services are needed to support them. Guided by …

Female Military Sexual Trauma Survivors’ Experiences With Seeking Treatment From The Veterans Health Administration, Sherry Sophia Bolden Rivers

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides free healthcare related to those who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST); however, many female veterans either go without or delay accessing such care. This generic qualitative study was conducted to answer the research question about the reasons behind female veterans’ decisions to seek or not seek VHA services following the experiences of MST. The framework for this study was Wollstonecraft’s feminist theory. An additional question was how, if at all, the stigma of MST and the military’s male-dominated culture play a role in the reporting of these incidents. Data were collected through semistructured …

Factors Affecting The Level Of Grief Experienced By Men Whose Female Partner Died In The United States, Keona C. Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Grief is an emotional reaction to the loss of a loved one through death. Although grief is a universal human experience, its perspective is unique, and research has often ignored the varied experiences of racial/ethnic and cultural groups, particularly men of color in the United States. The purpose of this quantitative study was to measure the level of grief experienced by men whose female partner died and to determine whether ethnicity, having a prior mental health diagnosis, social support, and traumatic or anticipated loss significantly impacted their level of grief. The study was guided by the social-ecological model to explain …

Exploring The Impact Of Antidiscrimination Laws On Child-Welfare Workers Working With Lgbtq Foster Youth, Heather Kesterson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth are overrepresented in the foster care system and have unique needs compared to their peers. In the state of Virginia, there is an antidiscrimination policy that protects LGBTQ foster youth; however, it is unclear how this impacts child welfare workers. Past literature has explored the needs of LGBTQ youth, the experiences of foster parents, and policy implications, but not the impact of antidiscrimination laws on child welfare workers. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to explore the understanding of child welfare workers’ knowledge, integration, training, and implications of Virginia’s antidiscrimination …

Optimal Placement Of Electric Vehicle Chargers: A Mixed-Integer Linear Programming Model, Joubin Zahiri Khameneh, Emmanuel Fagbenle

Faculty Publications

Electric vehicle adoption is growing, but New Hampshire lags in public charging infrastructure, especially in rural areas. This gap increases range anxiety and economic inefficiencies. In this study, we developed a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model to optimally locate new electric vehicle chargers statewide, maximizing coverage and equity under budget constraints. The model includes geographic coverage requirements, population-weighted equity, capacity limits, and a $28 million budget. Moreover, the model recommends 855 Level 2 chargers and 149 Direct Current Fast Chargers (DCFCs) across 247 ZIP Codes, nearly doubling public charging capacity and achieving 98.8% coverage within defined service radii. The plan …

Merging Terrestrial And Satellite Gravity Data For Africa: A Possibility To Fill-In The Data Gaps, Hussein A. Abd-Elmotaal, Norbert Kuhtreiber

Mansoura Engineering Journal

The major challenge that the IAG Sub-Commission on gravity and geoid in Africa faces is the significantly large gravity data gaps. It is essential to properly tackle this issue for all geodetic applications in Africa due to the large interpolation errors occur at these large gaps. Simple interpolation (using any type of interpolation technique) of the gravity data does not add new information at the large data gaps, and the solution is free there. Global Earth gravity models offer themselves as a possible way to fill-in such large data gaps, provided that they approximate the African gravity field to an …

Navigating Federal Work-Study: How Informational And Structural Barriers Shape First-Year Student Participation, Sooji Kim

Journal of Student Financial Aid

Understanding the complex nature of institutional and student behaviors regarding the federal work-study program (FWS) is critical to bolstering federal and institutional efforts to implement tangible policy interventions and practical improvements to the program. However, there is scant literature about the mechanisms of students’ FWS decision-making processes. To better understand the “why” of students’ decisions and behaviors around the FWS program, this study explores the determinants of imperfect FWS aid take-up among lower-income, first-year college students. Drawing upon multidisciplinary views on students’ work decisions while in college, a survey was developed and administered at a large public four-year university in …

Forging Pathways: How Low-Income Stem Students Navigate College On A Free Tuition Program, Taylor Wilby, Sarah Madsen, Nathan F. Alleman

Journal of Student Financial Aid

In light of the ever-increasing cost of tuition, colleges and universities are turning to free tuition programs to make college more affordable – especially for those students demonstrating the most financial need. Concurrently, students from low-income backgrounds continue to enroll in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) majors, navigating rigorous fields of study and anticipating highly lucrative career opportunities following graduation. This project, therefore, sought to answer the following question: How and in what ways is the college-going navigation of low-income STEM students influenced by a free tuition pathway in a selective, affluent university? Utilizing a qualitative, symbolic interactionist …

Refusing To Run Away From The Hard Part: Notes On Reflexivity Towards Abolitionist Pedagogy & Teaching, Julissa O. Muñiz, Casey P. Wong

Feminist Pedagogy

In this critical commentary, we enter into conversation with educators who have practiced abolition, culturally sustaining pedagogy, and critical pedagogies, and consider what it means to sustain a learning community experiencing harm in real time. We assess a case involving a teacher-student interaction at a private minimum security women’s state prison in Texas. Following one of the author's critical reflections, we think about the importance of abolitionist educators giving benefit of the doubt, grasping at the roots of harm, and controlling their affective responses. We argue that community is a practice and a discipline that must be continuously sustained and …

Beta Boule Program, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated

Josie Green Washington Papers

A program for the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority 32nd National Boule.

32nd National Boule & 42nd Anniversary Conclave, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated

Josie Green Washington Papers

A sorority/fraternity program for the 32nd National Boule for the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated and the 43rd Anniversary Conclave for the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated. This copy belongs to Josie Green Washington.

Model-Based Investigation Of The Influence Of Environmental Conditions On The Energy Supply Of Multirotor Uavs, Morten Roßberg, Hanna Dibbern, Claudia Werner

Journal of Aviation Technology and Engineering

Flight time of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is limited by available energy, which is affected by the mission profile and external factors, such as environmental conditions. Two main environmental conditions that need to be considered are the impact of wind and ambient temperature on the UAV and its energy supply. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of wind and ambient temperature to conduct a preliminary evaluation of flight performance and flight limitations. For this reason, three locations in the United States—New York City, Miami, and Fairbanks—are selected and the impact of the considered environmental conditions of …

Appropriations Of Women And Children In World War I Propaganda Posters And Beyond, R. Asli Kilci, G. Azra Yetișkin, Muhammet Öztürk, Jessy Ohl

Speaker & Gavel

WWI has received renewed attention in recent years as a foil for contemporary society. While often overlooked in comparison to other conflicts, WWI shares with the present day a devastating global pandemic, growing geopolitical hostilities in Europe, and the proliferation of new communication technologies. As an example of “total war,” WWI involved mass recruitment of civilians through a variety of means, one of which was the innovative use of propaganda posters. In this article, we analyze one prevalent rhetorical strategy in WWI propaganda posters that continues to influence audiences today— depictions of women and children. By studying the visual and …

Navigating Privacy Boundaries: Communication Privacy Management And Faculty, Ashlee Ellinwood, Chloee Robison, Sarah Steimel

Speaker & Gavel

College students experience high levels of stress that impact their academic performance and persistence in higher education. While faculty support has been shown to enhance student success, little is known about the privacy management rules students use when deciding whether to disclose personal stressors to their instructors. This study uses Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory to examine how undergraduate students develop and apply privacy rules regarding stress-related disclosures to faculty. Four key factors emerged through qualitative interviews and focus groups with 40 students: cultural norms, motivation, contextual influences, and risk-benefit assessments. Findings underscore the importance of faculty-student communication in student …

American Dental Association And Academy For Sports Dentistry Announce Collaboration To Advance Oral Health And Athlete Safety

New Orleans Dental Association News

Article announcing a new collaboration between the American Dental Association (ADA) and the Academy for Sports Dentistry (ASD) on as-yet undecided initiatives that could include educational opportunities and broader professional awareness of sports dentistry topics among current and future dentists.

The Illusion Of Sex-Ed As Panacea: Addressing Adolescent Sexual And Reproductive Health Disparities In Minnesota, Bernadette E. Whitely

Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

Although many praise Minnesota for its strong healthcare system, the state still faces significant disparities in access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services and comprehensive sexuality education (CSE). These disparities in access are compounded by geographic location, socioeconomic status (SES), and race, with barriers across transportation, cost, and clinic availability further complicating these issues. Based on this understanding, this paper examines adolescent SRH disparities between the Twin Cities metropolitan area and northern rural regions in Minnesota, focusing specifically on unintended adolescent pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Building on this foundation, I apply Dr. Vanessa Voller’s “CSE-as-panacea” framework, which …

Awkward Voices: How Storytelling Challenges Preconceived Notions To Lessen Affective Polarization In American Politics, Charlie A. Gee

Tapestries: Interwoven voices of local and global identities

The United States is no stranger to violence, whether it be in the past or the present, structural or physical. In recent years, however, tensions within the country have increased, particularly between political parties. Operating under the philosophy that a better world cannot be built upon the mistakes of the past, and that peace is a radical act, it is necessary to urgently address this polarization in order to prevent further violence. This article explores the question of whether storytelling between conflicting groups is a method to address these issues.

This paper is divided into two central parts. The first …

Noda News January 2026

New Orleans Dental Association News

New Orleans Dental Association (NODA) News includes regular columns with regional news impacting the New Orleans membership including: columns from the President and Executive Director, feature articles relating to the field of dentistry, association events and upcoming activities, component news, continuing education opportunities, and classifieds.

This issue welcomes a new president, Dr. Claudia Cavallino.

Kibbutz Megiddo (Al-Lajjun): The Faunal Remains, Guy Bar-Oz, Laila Abado

Qadum: Journal of Excavation Reports from Israel

This report discusses a small bone assemblage retrieved from the Hellenistic–Mamluk strata at Kibbutz Megiddo (al-Lajjun). The assemblage is predominantly composed of livestock taxa, including sheep, goats, cattle and chickens. Notably, camel bones are present in almost all strata, with the exception of the Hellenistic period stratum. Pathological analysis of cattle foot bones suggests that these animals were also used as beasts of burden.

Another Flavian Inscription Near The Temple Mount Of Jerusalem, Ronny Reich, Ya‘Akov Billig

'Atiqot

No abstract provided.

Excavations At Beit Safafa: Iron Age Ii And Byzantine Agricultural Installations South Of Jerusalem, Nurit Feig

'Atiqot

No abstract provided.

Perception Of Prosodic Speech Patterns Of Autistic Individuals, Rebecca Lunt

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the perception that neurotypical individuals have of autistic individuals’ speech, including their speech prosody. Speech samples were collected from four neurotypical and four autistic young adults as they answered interview questions. Then, 50 neurotypical listeners (28 female, 22 male) were recruited to listen to the speech samples and rate the speech on visual analogy scales on their likeability and ability to communicate. Participants were told prior to listening to the speech samples whether or not the speaker had autism; however, there were both deceptive and truthful listening conditions, with some autistic speakers …

Exploring China’S Belt And Road Initiative In Southeast Asia’S Sustainability Agenda: From Growth To Equity?, Munjin Syafik Asy’Ari, Andi Axl Azslam Fadillah, Aswin Baharuddin, Nandito Oktaviano, Abdul Razaq Cangara

Global: Jurnal Politik Internasional

This article evaluates the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) through the analytical framework of sustainable development. The framework is crucial, as China frequently disseminates sustainability claims to promote the BRI. To assess these claims, it is necessary to examine the realisation of BRI projects alongside the empirical consequences they have generated across recipient countries. Southeast Asia constitutes one of the most prominent target regions for BRI investment. Four Southeast Asian countries occupy a significant position due to the scale and number of projects they have received: Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand. Each country exhibits distinct political–economic systems and structural conditions, …

Intimate Partner Violence Experience, Support Seeking And Coping Strategies Among Pregnant Women In Southwestern Uganda, Eve Katushabe, John Baptist Asiimwe, John Bosco Ndinawe, Editor Abeneitwe, Agnes Katusiime, Gladys Nakidde, Vincent Batwala

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy remains a global health challenge. This study aimed to explore pregnant women’s experiences of IPV, support seeking, and coping strategies in Southwestern Uganda. Pregnant women who had experienced IPV during pregnancy were purposively selected and completed in-depth interviews, with data saturation reached after 25 participants. Guided by the feminist theory, data were analyzed deductively and inductively using thematic analysis. Participating pregnant women were exposed to physical violence (e.g., the gravid abdomen being stepped on), psychological violence (e.g., verbal abuse), sexual violence (e.g., being forced into uncomfortable sexual positions), and financial control and manipulation (e.g., …