2022-2023 Open Access Publishing Fund
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Item Open Access Mammogram Uptake among Korean American Women in the South: Do Health Beliefs Matter?(2022-11-17) Lee, Mi Hwa; Schwartz, Abby J; Luo, Yan; Lee, Hee YunBackground: Breast cancer is commonly diagnosed in Korean American women (KAW), and its incidence rates continue to increase. Despite the increasing burden of breast cancer diagnosis, screening rates among KAW remain low. There is a growing body of literature on breast cancer screening behaviors in this population; however, current knowledge regarding cultural influences and KAW’s mammogram use is limited, particularly in the southern part of the United States. Using the Health Belief Model, this study examined the association of culturally embedded health beliefs and mammogram use among KAW. Methods: Cross-sectional data were obtained from 538 KAW recruited in North Carolina. A hierarchical binary logistic regression was conducted to examine cultural health beliefs associated with mammogram use. Findings: Preventive health orientation (OR=1.16, CI=1.02-1.32) and perceived susceptibility (OR=1.32, CI=1.10-1.58) were positively associated with having a mammogram in the past two years, while fear (OR=0.58, CI=0.36-0.94) was negatively related to getting screened in the past two years. Conclusions: The current study findings inform future intervention strategies to promote mammogram screening among KAW in sociocultural context.Item Open Access Photoplethysmographic imaging and analysis of pulsatile pressure wave in palmar artery at 10 wavelengths(2022-11-10) Jin, Jiahong; Lu, Jun Qing; Chen, Cheng; Zhou, Ruihai; Hu, Xin-HuaSignificance As a noncontact method, imaging photoplethysmography (iPPG) may provide a powerful tool to measure pulsatile pressure wave (PPW) in superficial arteries and extract biomarkers for monitoring of artery wall stiffness. Aim We intend to develop a approach for extraction of the very weak cardiac component from iPPG data by identifying locations of strong PPW signals with optimized illumination wavelength and determining pulse wave velocity (PWV). Approach Monochromatic in vivo iPPG datasets have been acquired from left hands to investigate various algorithms for retrieval of PPW signals, distribution maps and waveforms, and their dependence on arterial location and wavelength. Results A robust algorithm of pixelated independent component analysis (pICA) has been developed and combined with spatiotemporal filtering to retrieve PPW signals. Spatial distributions of PPW signals have been mapped in 10 wavelength bands from 445 to 940 nm and waveforms were analyzed at multiple locations near the palmar artery tree. At the wavelength of 850 nm selected for timing analysis, we determined PWV values from 12 healthy volunteers in a range of 0.5 to 5.8 m/s across the hand region from wrist to midpalm and fingertip.Item Open Access Collagen matricryptin promotes cardiac function by mediating scar formation(2023-05-15) Grilo, Gabriel A.; Cakir, Sirin N.; Shaver, Patti R.; Iyer, Rugmani P.; Whitehead, Kaitlin; McClung, Joseph M.; Vahdati, Ali; de Castro Brás, Lisandra E.Aims A peptide mimetic of a collagen-derived matricryptin (p1159) was shown to reduce left ventricular (LV) dilation and fibrosis after 7 days delivery in a mouse model of myocardial infarction (MI). This suggested p1159 long-term treatment post-MI could have beneficial effects and reduce/prevent adverse LV remodeling. This study aimed to test the potential of p1159 to reduce adverse cardiac remodeling in a chronic MI model and to elucidate p1159 mode-of-action. Materials and methods Using a permanent occlusion MI rodent model, animals received p1159 or vehicle solution up to 28 days. We assessed peptide treatment effects on scar composition and structure and on systolic function. To assess peptide effects on scar vascularization, a cohort of mice were injected with Griffonia simplicifolia isolectin-B4. To investigate p1159 mode-of-action, LV fibroblasts from naïve animals were treated with increasing doses of p1159. Key findings Matricryptin p1159 significantly improved systolic function post-MI (2-fold greater EF compared to controls) by reducing left ventricular dilation and inducing the formation of a compliant and organized infarct scar, which promoted LV contractility and preserved the structural integrity of the heart. Specifically, infarcted scars from p1159-treated animals displayed collagen fibers aligned parallel to the epicardium, to resist circumferential stretching, with reduced levels of cross-linking, and improved tissue perfusion. In addition, we found that p1159 increases cardiac fibroblast migration by activating RhoA pathways via the membrane receptor integrin α4. Significance Our data indicate p1159 treatment reduced adverse LV remodeling post-MI by modulating the deposition, arrangement, and perfusion of the fibrotic scar.Item Open Access High-resolution bathymetries and shorelines for the Great Lakes of the White Nile basin(2022-10-22) Hamilton, Stuart E.; McGehee, David D.; Nyamweya, Chrispine; Ongore, Collins; Makori, Amina; Mangeni-Sande, Richard; Kagoya, Esther; Kashindye, Benedicto B.; Elison, Mboni; Shaban, Sophia S.; Mlaponi, Enock; Mwainge, Venny M.; Ocaya, Henry; Krach, Noah; Ogari, Zachary; Mugeni, Bairon; Taabu-Munyaho, Anthony; Kayanda, Robert; Muhumuza, Elias; Natugonza, ViannyHRBS-GLWNB 2020 presents the first open-source and high-resolution bathymetry, shoreline, and water level data for Lakes Victoria, Albert, Edward, and George in East Africa. For each Lake, these data have three primary products collected for this project. The bathymetric datasets were created from approximately 18 million acoustic soundings. Over 8,200 km of shorelines are delineated across the three lakes from high-resolution satellite systems and uncrewed aerial vehicles. Finally, these data are tied together by creating lake surface elevation models collected from GPS and altimeter measures. The data repository includes additional derived products, including surface areas, water volumes, shoreline lengths, lake elevation levels, and geodetic information. These data can be used to make allocation decisions regarding the freshwater resources within Africa, manage food resources on which many tens of millions of people rely, and help preserve the region’s endemic biodiversity. Finally, as these data are tied to globally consistent geodetic models, they can be used in future global and regional climate change models.Item Open Access Reexamining Nebuchadnezzar II’s ‘Thirteen-Year’ Siege of Tyre in Phoenician Historiography(2022-12-01) Dixon, HelenThis study reexamines a lynchpin of Neo-Babylonian Levantine Phoenician historiography: Nebuchadnezzar II’s purported thirteen-year siege of Tyre in the early sixth century bce. This detail about the length of the siege can be found only in Josephus’ (first century ce) writings, but this study’s new assessment of the (sixth-fifteenth century ce) manuscript evidence shows that the more commonly transmitted length of the siege was “three years and ten months.” Other manuscript variations further illustrate that there was little continuous cultural memory of the length of the event. When coupled with (a) other chronological problems in Josephus’ works, (b) a review of the complex Biblical, Mesopotamian, and Classical relevant literary sources, and (c) the lack of current evidence for any destruction levels or siegeworks at the site of Tyre, the case for insisting other sources be synchronized with this thirteen-year framework weakens. Shorter sieges or raids, blockades of the island or inland ports, and periodic Babylonian military presence to extract personnel and resources are all likely scenarios for Tyre and other Levantine sites during Nebuchadnezzar’s 43-year reign. Discarding a single “thirteen-year siege” as a reliable historical detail allows scholars of the Neo-Babylonian period in the central coastal Levant to shift their attention to more interesting questions, including exploring the causes and impacts of the evident changes in Tyre’s seaward and inland trading patterns in the sixth-fifth centuries.Item Open Access The Effect of Grain Size on Porewater Radiolysis(2022-05-16) DeWitt, J.; McMahon, S.; Parnell, J.The radiolysis of porewaters by uranium, thorium, and potassium in mineral grains is a recognized source of molecular hydrogen in rock-hosted and sediment-hosted fluids. This radiolytic hydrogen is of geomicrobiological interest as a potential energy source (electron donor) for microbial metabolism, especially in energy-limited settings such as the marine deep biosphere or the subsurface of Mars. Previous efforts to predict the production of radiolytic hydrogen from columns of rock and sediment have tended to rely upon analytic models that cannot account for the attenuation of mineral radiation by grains larger than ∼30 μm. To address this, we have developed a Monte Carlo method to simulate the physics of mineral radiation and evaluate the production of H2 as a function of mineral grain size and radioisotope composition. The results confirm that grain size is a major control on radiolytic H2 yield. For example, using the standard geological classification of grain sizes, we find that clay can produce up to an order of magnitude more H2 per unit time than sand. The magnitude of this effect is illustrated using compositional data from real geological units in order to demonstrate the dependence of radiolytic hydrogen flux on natural radionuclide concentration and bulk porosity.Item Open Access Immigration from Africa to the United States: key insights from recent research(2023-06-08) Corra, MamadiImmigration from Africa to the United States has increased dramatically in the past three decades. This paper summarizes recent findings on the growth of African immigration to the United States in recent years. In doing so, it highlights shifting sociodemographic profiles of these “new African Americans” or “new Americans,” profiling the increasing diversity, yet also racialized portrait of this group. Key patterns of immigration shown include the changing racial and gender composition of immigrants, as well as rising immigration from a wider range of African countries. Some key theoretical and practical implications are outlined.Item Open Access Behavioral and Transcriptome Profiling of Heterozygous Rab10 Knock-Out Mice(2023-05-08) Bunner, Wyatt; Wang, Jie; Cohen, Sarah; Bashtovyy, Denys; Perry, Rachel; Shookster, Daniel; Landry, Taylor; Harris, Elizabeth M.; Stackman, Robert; Tran, Tuan D.; Yasuda, Ryohei; Szatmari, Erzsebet M.A central question in the field of aging research is to identify the cellular and molecular basis of neuroresilience. One potential candidate is the small GTPase, Rab10. Here, we used Rab101/ mice to investigate the molecular mecha-nisms underlying Rab10-mediated neuroresilience. Brain expression analysis of 880 genes involved in neurodegener-ation showed that Rab101/ mice have increased activation of pathways associated with neuronal metabolism, structural integrity, neurotransmission, and neuroplasticity compared with their Rab101/1 littermates. Lower activation was observed for pathways involved in neuroinflammation and aging. We identified and validated several differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including Stx2, Stx1b, Vegfa, and Lrrc25 (downregulated) and Prkaa2, Syt4, and Grin2d (upregulated). Behavioral testing showed that Rab101/ mice perform better in a hippocampal-dependent spatial task (object in place test), while their performance in a classical conditioning task (trace eyeblink classical condition-ing, TECC) was significantly impaired. Therefore, our findings indicate that Rab10 differentially controls the brain cir-cuitry of hippocampal-dependent spatial memory and higher-order behavior that requires intact cortex-hippocampal circuitry. Transcriptome and biochemical characterization of these mice suggest that glutamate ionotropic receptor NMDA type subunit 2D (GRIN2D or GluN2D) is affected by Rab10 signaling. Further work is needed to evaluate whether GRIN2D mediates the behavioral phenotypes of the Rab101/ mice. We conclude that Rab101/ mice de-scribed here can be a valuable tool to study the mechanisms of resilience in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) model mice and to identify novel therapeutical targets to prevent cognitive decline associated with normal and pathologic aging.Item Open Access Resident Perceptions of Riverbank Erosion and Shoreline Protection: a Mixed‑Methods Case Study from Bangladesh(2022-07-28) Popke, Jeff; Rahman, Mizanur; Crawford, Thomas W.Item Open Access Evaluating the Cost of Collection, Processing, and Application of Face Masks in Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) Pavements(2022) Massarr, Carol; Wang, George; Rahat, Hasibul Hasan; Sadek, HusamHuman activities significantly contribution to the yearly generated plastic wastes. Moreover, the enormous increase in face masks and face shields caused by the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has doubled the generated plastic wastes. Although there is an added benefit of using plastic waste in construction, the cost associated with their application, specifically the face mask, has not been addressed. This paper presents a simplified and rapid estimation of the cost associated with the collection, processing, and application of face masks in hot-mix asphalt (HMA) pavements. Two scenarios, mask modified asphalt pavement and conventional asphalt pavement, are considered. The total cost is based on market price and prices from waste management facilities and plastic processing companies. Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) is used to evaluate the long-term costs of mask modified asphalt pavement and conventional asphalt pavement. Results show that no significant difference in initial total cost between the two scenarios for pavement sections with lengths less than 500m and the number of lanes less than 6. The difference in total cost begins with lengths greater than 500 m for 5 and 6 Lanes. Despite the higher initial costs for the mask modified asphalt pavement, the LCCA shows that there is a 29% maintenance cost reduction over the 40 years life cycle of the asphalt pavement. The use of LCCA shows the benefit of the selection of the most cost-effective strategy and how the use of mask modified asphalt pavement over the conventional asphalt pavement can save money over the life cycle of the asphalt and improve rutting and stiffens.Item Open Access CRY–BARs: Versatile Light-Gated Molecular Tools for the Remodeling of Membrane Architectures(2022-08-18) Wurz, Anna I.; Hughes, Robert M.; Bunner, Wyatt P.; Szatmari, Erzsebet M.Item Open Access Are Construction Managers from Mars and Workers from Venus? Exploring Differences in Construction Safety Perception of Two Key Field Stakeholders(2022-05-19) Namian, Mostafa; Tafazzoli, Mohammadsoroush; Al-Bayati, Ahmed Jalil; Kermanshachi, ShararehItem Open Access Quantifying Mangrove Canopy Regrowth and Recovery after Hurricane Irma with Large-Scale Repeat Airborne Lidar in the Florida Everglades(2022-09-25) Xiong, Lin; Lagomasino, David; Charles, Sean P.Item Open Access Hybrid Computational Pregnant Female Phantom Construction for Radiation Dosimetry Applications(2022-09-30) Makkia, Rasha; Nelson, Keith; Dingfelder, Michael; Zaidi, Habib