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Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry to Augment Middle-Down Fragmentation Coverage
No full textProteomics aims to characterize all proteins in a sample including their identification, quantification and any chemical modifications. Proteins are the primary functional molecules in all living organisms carrying out many processes necessary for life. To respond to external stimuli and accomplish these tasks, proteins are strictly regulated and a single gene will give rise to multiple proteoforms each possessing variability due to alternative splicing, sequence variations, and/or post-translational modifications (PTMs). Understanding this protein diversity helps us uncover how cells function, the mechanism of disease, and aid in the development of drug design.Mass spectrometry is a powerful tool and can rapidly identify and characterize proteins with high sensitivity and provide detailed information on the PTM status of proteins. There are three main mass-spectrometry proteomics approaches, and they are bottom-up, middle-down and top-down methods. Bottom-up is a well-developed and high-throughput technique involving the digestion of proteins into peptides and separation of the peptides by liquid chromatography and analysis by mass spectrometry. While bottom-up proteomics is highly mature and sensitive, there are frequent gaps in the sequence coverage due to the digestion process generating very short peptides that go undetected. Additionally, reliance on digestion can result in the inability to assign concurrent PTM modifications making it an unreliable method for technique for the analysis of proteoforms.
In middle-down analysis the protein is partially digested to generate larger peptides and subunits. Middle-down approach is able to preserve proteoform information better than bottom-up and assign concurrent PTM’s. This makes it an excellent option to study both mid-size proteins and big proteins like antibodies. Although the middle-down approach sounds promising, the larger peptides result in highly complex tandem mass spectra, overlapping product ions, decreased signal to noise ratios, and reduced fragmentation coverage when compared to bottom-up.
Ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) techniques have been successful in deconvoluting overlapping product ions, enabling their facile annotation. Trapped ion mobility spectrometry is a type of IMS which offers great resolution. The benefits of pairing collision-induced dissociation and this IMS technique to generate and separate product ions derived from protein ions has been extensively studied but its application to middle-down workflows has yet to be investigated. In this work, we utilize CIDtims to sequence middle-down peptides and subunits. We assess five proteins ranging in mass from 8.6 kDa ubiquitin to a 150 kDa immunoglobulin G. While the benefits for small proteins like cytochrome c and ubiquitin were minimal, increases in sequence coverage of 43.6%, 24.5%, and 39.3% were measured for myoglobin, carbonic anhydrase, and NIST antibody, respectively. We can conclude that CIDtims is an effective method to improve fragmentation coverage by middle-down approach
Nevada State Climate Office Drought Report April 2025
No full textThis report was created by the Nevada State Climate Office to provide a statewide drought summary for April 2025
Summary of Virtual Site Visit with the Virginia Department of Transportation (Memorandum B)
No full textThis effort aimed to conduct a comprehensive gap analysis on the use of high-polymer (HP) binders and mixtures, identifying critical limitations, gaps, and needs through a Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats (SWOT) framework. In addition to addressing these gaps, the scope included documenting effective practices and lessons learned by state Departments of Transportation (DOTs). The findings provided DOTs with valuable guidance for designing, constructing, and accepting HP binders and mixtures, complementing work completed under the FHWA EDC-6: Targeted Overlay Pavement Solutions (TOPS) program. To achieve this objective, information was gathered through virtual site visits and other outreach methods with five key agencies, including a session graciously hosted by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).Federal Highway AdministrationUnited States Department of Transportatio
Excellent sustained recognition: Criteria and processes for promotion to full professor at R1 academic libraries
No full textThis study sought to identify the procedures and criteria surrounding promotion to full professor for academic librarians. The researchers analyzed promotion documentation from 59 R1 academic libraries and found that guidance for achieving full professor was often vague and lacking in detail. What information that exists advises librarians to maintain a high level of productivity and a national or international reputation. Leadership and continued professional growth are also prized. Institutions wishing to encourage their librarians to apply for full professor should consider providing more explicit guidance and robust description of the criteria they use to evaluate candidates
Researching with Library Search - Student Version
No full textThis scavenger hunt is designed to familiarize students with UNR libraries’ “Library Search,” an aggregating platform that pulls from databases, physical collections, digital materials, and more. This activity does not address databases or journal
A Systematic Evaluation of Online Materials for Managing Hyperkalemia through Dietary Approaches in Individuals with Chronic Kidney Disease
No full textBackground: Hyperkalemia, a potentially life-threatening complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD), requires precise management to minimize adverse outcomes. Despite the growing reliance on online health resources, the consistency and reliability of dietary recommendations remain questionable. This study aims to systematically evaluate the quality and coherence of online dietary resources for hyperkalemia management in CKD.Methods: A systematic review of online dietary resources was conducted using Google and Bing search engines. Eight predefined search terms focusing on potassium-specific diet therapy in CKD were used to retrieve relevant patient-facing resources. The top 50 search results for each term were screened. Inclusion criteria required resources to address dietary potassium in hyperkalemia management, patient facing and written in English. Dietary recommendations were classified as “restricted,” “recommended,” or “mixed” across food categories, and dietary strategies. Additional data on publication source, author credentials, and publication date were collected.
Results: Among 800 initial results, 108 unique resources met inclusion criteria. These handouts reviewed 603 food items. The majority of resources focused on restricting high-potassium foods (n=402, 67%). Most resources were authored by healthcare professionals, including registered dietitians (31%) and medical doctors (18%), and originated from healthcare organizations (42%) and general health websites (33%).
Conclusion: This study highlights the continued focus on the restrictive low-potassium diets in online resources for hyperkalemia management, heavily limiting fruits and vegetables without considering other factors such as fiber and alkalinity. This narrow focus contrasts with emerging evidence supporting liberalized, plant-based approaches
Towards an Advanced Monitoring System for Leaching Heaps Based on Muon Radiography
No full textThis paper was presented at the Heap Leach Solutions Conference, October 19-21, 2025, Sparks, Nevada.In this paper we discuss potential use cases on how muon radiography, an emerging technology for the mining industry, can be applied to deliver a step change for leaching operations. Muon radiography is a well-established technique for the characterization and digital mapping of large objects above or below surface. Muon radiography and/or tomography has already been successfully utilized for cavity detection and exploration activities in mining. Muon radiography measurements are close analogues of medical or industrial X-ray. However, in place of a conventional radio-nuclide source or X-ray tube, muon radiography utilizes the naturally occurring flux of so-called cosmic ray particles (aka muons) originating in the earth's upper atmosphere. This benign background radiation is available for free everywhere on earth and is intrinsically safe. The muon flux is highly penetrating (up to several 100's m), extends over a very broad angular range (+-70deg from the vertical) and maintains excellent directionality even in the subsurface. In the case of leaching heaps, 2D (radiographic) or 3D (tomographic) density profiles can be reconstructed with high precision (~0.02g/cc relative) and good spatial resolution (few m2) a few days to a few weeks of observation time, depending on the heap height and sensor location. We will show how muon radiography can allow operators to maintain - over time - a precise, quantitative 3D map of actual volumetric fluid and air content in the pore space of a leaching heap. Both these parameters are hard to obtain at scale in the field but remain primary drivers of ultimate metal yields, operational costs, financial and geotechnical risk
Drivers of Mortality, Herbivory, and Disease in Whitebark Pine Across Climatically Heterogeneous Landscapes
No full textMany tree species globally are in decline, driven by environmental stress from a combination of biotic threats and climate change. Rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and increasing drought—hallmarks of a changing climate—are weakening tree defenses and amplifying vulnerability to insects and disease. In forested ecosystems, these stressors rarely act alone: interactions among climate, herbivores, and pathogens often create compounding effects that accelerate tree mortality. Understanding how these drivers operate in concert across heterogeneous landscapes is crucial for anticipating and managing forest decline. In light of escalating threats from climate change, insects, and pathogens, this study addresses the critical decline of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis; WBP), an imperiled keystone species in subalpine ecosystems across western North America. I used a plot network spanning diverse climatic and topographic gradients to examine how environmental stressors, alongside herbivore and pathogen interactions, influence WBP mortality. My results indicate that herbivory by mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and infection by the exotic pathogen, white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola) significantly impacted WBP mortality, with complex interactions among biotic and abiotic forces. Warmer spring temperatures and reduced water availability were key abiotic drivers linked to elevated beetle activity and increased mortality. These findings demonstrate that multiple stressors interact to shape the vulnerability of WBP, underscoring the urgency of conservation measures as this species faces intensifying threats. Understanding these dynamics is essential for developing targeted and effective forest management strategies
Canadian Fathers' Parental Leave-Taking: Decision-Making, Rationalizations, and Experiences
No full textDespite the availability of father-centered parental leave policies, many men continue to forego official parental leave or take less parental leave than their female counterparts. By examining novel insights into Canadian fathers’ parental leave-taking decision-making, rationalizations, and experiences, this thesis deepens our understanding of fathers’ persistent leave-taking hesitancy in a context where governmental parental leave benefits are available. A secondary analysis of 36 interviews conducted with Canadian fathers between 2020 and 2021 helps uncover common patterns in fathers’ motivations for taking parental leave and accounts for not taking parental leave. An investigation of structural, cultural, family, and individual level factors that shape fathers’ leave-taking reveals gendered perceptions that impede father involvement in the face of policy meant to facilitate it. These findings complement existing sociological research that helps inform effective policymaking surrounding fathers’ increased parental leave-taking—a practice associated with positive outcomes for men, women, and children, and the potential to reshape gender norms and roles.Keywords: parental leave, fathers, gender, masculinit
Individual Differences in musicality and social network properties of older adults
No full textAs the average lifespan continues to increase, cognitive decline becomes a morepressing concern for climbing ages. It is more important than ever to identify specific
interventions to help slow cognitive decline. This study examined how musical training,
musical sophistication, and social network diversity influenced cognitive, sensory, and
sensorimotor functioning in older adults aged 60–80. While none of the predictor
variables significantly influenced overall cognitive performance, social network diversity
was positively associated with working memory among participants with higher musical
expertise. In the sensory realm, greater musical sophistication unexpectedly predicted a
poorer performance on co-located speech-in-noise tasks. For sensorimotor outcomes,
rhythmic structure impacted tapping performance, with deviant rhythms prompting
greater accuracy but reduced consistency. Older adults showed a shift toward reactive
tapping, and social network diversity was linked to increased variability in self-paced
tapping, especially in individuals with lower musicality. These findings highlight domain-
specific and interactive effects of enrichment factors, emphasizing the importance of
individual differences in understanding and supporting healthy aging