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Age-Related differences in arm acceleration and center of mass control during a slip incident
No full textArm abduction motion can help reduce lateral center of mass (CoM) excursion and restore balance within the frontal plane during slip perturbations. This study aimed to quantify and compare frontal plane arm kinematics and their relationship with CoM control between older and younger adults experiencing a slip. Eleven older adults (age: 72.0 ± 5.0 years) and eleven younger adults (age: 25.5 ± 6.1 years) underwent an induced slip perturbation while walking. Although peak arm abduction angles were similar between groups, younger adults achieved peak arm abduction significantly earlier (542 ± 67 ms) compared to older adults (853 ± 509 ms; p = 0.03). Additionally, younger adults exhibited significantly higher peak arm abduction acceleration compared to older adults (3593.21 ± 1144.80 vs. 2309.83 ± 1428.48 degrees/s2; p = 0.03). Younger adults also demonstrated significantly reduced lateral CoM excursion relative to older adults (4.6 ± 3.5 cm vs. 10.47 ± 6.6 cm; p < 0.01). Peak arm abduction acceleration negatively correlated with lateral CoM excursion (r = -0.52, p < 0.02), indicating that rapid arm movements are associated with improved balance control. A regression analysis confirmed arm abduction acceleration as a significant predictor of lateral CoM displacement (p = 0.005) meaning every 1000 degrees/s2 increase in arm acceleration results in an approximate 2 cm decrease in lateral CoM displacement during a slip. These findings suggest older adults’ diminished arm acceleration in response to slips potentially compromises their ability to stabilize their CoM effectively, highlighting a possible target for fall-prevention interventions.Open access journalThis item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at [email protected]
What Can Better Solar Education Do?
No full textSustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone ProjectWhile Arizona has abundant solar resources, policy decisions, regulatory changes, and the absence of state level incentive programs has limited the states solar adoption rate. This study examines if better solar education can change the way people in Pima County, Arizona purchase, manage, or make decisions about solar energy technologies. With the counties high solar irradiance of almost 300 days of sunshine (80%) a year, solar power has serious potential, but adoption remains limited due to knowledge gaps, economic barriers, and policy challenges. This longitudinal survey was conducted across two semesters of Fall 2024 and Spring 2025, and there were 68 participants in the first survey and 74 participants in the second survey. Results show that better solar education is supported by over half (56%) of the participants surveyed, because they believe better solar education improves solar purchasing/management decisions. The interviews confirm the survey results, with cost savings as the main consumer driver, distrust in some solar companies, and the affordable option of Power Purchasing Agreement’s for people who cannot afford the cost of solar installation. The study further finds that solar education plays an important role in boosting solar adoption, addressing misinformation, and improving policy. The public’s support for solar education, incentives/rebates, and energy conservation programs, says that Pima County could greatly expand its clean energy sector, providing jobs, and clean energy for the future generations of this region.This item is part of the Sustainable Built Environments collection. For more information, contact http://sbe.arizona.edu
Rebuilding Knowledge: Using Gamified Education to Shift Perceptions of Natural Building
No full textSustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone ProjectAs climate change accelerates, bringing higher temperatures and more aggressive storms and natural disasters, the need for our built environment to reflect a place of resilience is becoming increasingly urgent. The construction and building sector is responsible for nearly 40% of global carbon emissions, and this doesn’t include its broader environmental damage, including issues like deforestation, toxic air and water pollution, excessive waste, and other forms of ecological degradation. Despite the proven benefits of natural building materials like adobe, straw bale, and earthbag, these and other natural building styles remain on the fringe of mainstream construction. This capstone investigates the role that education, training and outreach play in furthering understanding and acceptance of these building methods, and explores the potential of gamification in contributing to that shift. Drawing from expert interviews, a public feedback survey, and iterative design and testing of a gamified learning tool titled Rebuild, this project examines how the creation of an immersive, emotionally engaging board game can shift perspectives on natural building, and the sustainability of the construction industry as a whole. By targeting learners outside conventional sustainability spaces, the game offers a tangible entry point that helps normalize natural building concepts, and support wider adoption. Findings from the study suggest that Rebuild is a promising tool for expanding natural building education, and could be further refined into a scalable, innovative pathway for knowledge distribution.This item is part of the Sustainable Built Environments collection. For more information, contact http://sbe.arizona.edu
The Rise of Distinct "Common Law" Financial Zones in Islamic Countries [Article]
No full textArticleThis article investigates four instances of the transplantation of English commercial law (broadly defined) into a different legal environment. The financial centers in Dubai (UAE), Abu Dhabi (UAE), Doha (Qatar), and Astana (Kazakhstan) have adopted a legal regime based on English Common Law, despite their national civil law and Islamic traditions. This choice on the face of it seeks to create an attractive business environment through optimal protection of market participants’ rights. This research appraises comprehensively, through a comparative perspective, the unique institutional and regulatory model adopted and practiced by the four zones: the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC), Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), Qatar Financial Center (QFC), and Astana International Financial Center (AIFC). There are three dimensions of comparison: (1) comparing the centers’ rules and regulations with their U.K. counterparts to reveal the degree of legal transplantation; (2) comparing the centers’ rules and regulations with their domestic counterparts to explore a potential regulatory gap between the two systems; and (3) comparing the four different regimes to reveal their potentially different experiences. Through a rigorous comparative examination of the experiences of the four zones, this research provides fresh perspectives to the need for robust law in economic and financial development, through legal transplantation to achieve such purpose. The four zones have provided an excellent natural experiment for these enduring theoretical debates.This material published in Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law is made available by the James E. Rogers College of Law, the Daniel F. Cracchiolo Law Library, and the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact the AJICL Editorial Board at http://arizonajournal.org/contact-us/
Integrating Erosion Model Predictions into Mine Rehabilitation: A Data-Driven Approach to Predicting Rill and Gully Erosion at the Landform Scale
No full textWaste material resulting from surface and underground mining operations create large stockpiles or repositories of waste material which must be managed due to its sensitive chemical or material properties. Rehabilitation of these post-mining waste landforms aims to mitigate the risks associated with the transport of the waste material by surface water, groundwater or wind. One goal of mine rehabilitation, and the focus of this study, is to minimize the risk of runoff-driven erosion. Predictive mathematical models of rill and gully erosion can estimate the likely erosional performance of rehabilitated post-mining landforms. While predictive erosion models used in mine rehabilitation applications vary in their complexity, model architecture, and predictive accuracy, they all fundamentally assess the balance between erosive forces (e.g., from rainfall or runoff), and the resistance of the cover materials for a given landform design (i.e., topography). In this dissertation, I present three studies that advance the prediction of rill and gully erosion at rehabilitated mine sites and provide guidance for integrating erosion model predictions into landform and cover designs. The first study (Appendix A) focuses on the forcing side of the problem, presenting a method to predict runoff-driven shear stress at every location across a hillslope or small (≲10 ha) catchment using input data for rainfall and topography. The second study (Appendix B) evaluates the ability of commonly used predictive erosion models to retrodict the observed rill and gully erosion at a rehabilitated mine site in southern Arizona where rock-armored covers provide the primary resistance to erosion. The third study (Appendix C) tests the ability of a newly developed predictive model of rill and gully erosion, Rillgen2D, to retrodict the observed rill/gully erosion at three rehabilitated mine sites in Queensland, Australia where covers with soil and/or vegetation provide the primary resistance to erosion.Release after 05/16/202
Reconstructing Body Image: A Thematic Analysis From Queer, Trans, and Two-Spirit Perspectives
No full textThis systematic literature review explores the relationship between body image, sexuality, and gender diversity, centering the experiences of Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other sexual orientations and gender expressions (2SLGBTQ+). Specifically, the review examines how demographic representation and sociocultural factors, such as race, gender, community norms, and dominant beauty ideals, shape body image experiences within these populations. A structured search was conducted to identify peer-reviewed, full-text English-language articles published between 2019 and 2024. Studies were included if they focused on body image among 2SLGBTQ+ populations, resulting in a final sample of twenty-five eligible articles. These studies were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Population characteristics varied across studies and included a range of demographic variables such as age, gender expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and cultural background. Two overarching themes were identified: (1) Cultural and Societal Norms Influencing Body Image and (2) media and the construction of beauty ideals, supported by six sub-themes. The findings highlight critical gaps in body image research, particularly the underrepresentation of 2SLGBTQ+ communities and the inconsistent or inaccurate use of identity-based terminology. This review highlights the need for culturally responsive and intersectional frameworks to inform future body image research and more effectively support the mental and public health of 2SLGBTQ+ individuals.Release after 11/23/202
Revealing the Mechanisms of Tumorigenesis Through Multi-Omics Analyses
No full textOver the past two decades, our understanding of cancer has undergone a paradigm shift. What was once thought of as an abnormal population of proliferating cells, is now recognized as a complex system shaped by dynamic interactions across genomic and environmental scales. Advances in research have revealed a multifaceted etiology of tumorigenesis, extending from just hallmark oncogenic mutations to include large-scale genomic alterations, transcriptomic dysregulation, epigenetic reprogramming, and external influences such as environmental carcinogens and oncogenic pathogens. This heterogeneity, coupled with genomic evolution and multilayered crosstalk within tumor ecosystems, highlighted the complexity of cancer.
The advancement of high-throughput sequencing technologies has revolutionized cancer research, enabling comprehensive profiling of tumors through integrative multi-omics approaches. Large-scale cohort studies leveraging these tools have identified diverse cancer phenotypes, offering insights into the molecular diversity of malignancies. Yet, a critical challenge remains: the inability to systematically trace tumor evolution from the very beginning to progression in humans, which hinders the development of targeted therapeutic strategies. To address this challenge, my research employs controlled in vitro models to dissect early tumorigenic mechanisms of two understudied oncogenic drivers which also lack clinically actionable therapies: viral infection induced Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) and transient centrosome loss induced chromosomal instability (CIN) in prostate cancer (PCa). By integrating multi-omics profiling with network biology and machine learning algorithms, this work systematically maps the potential molecular mechanism driving malignancy in these cancers. For MCC, I identified that viral infection rewires key signaling circuits that force normal cells transform into neuroendocrine state tumor cells; in PCa, I defined stratification signatures linked to transient centrosome-loss associated CIN. These findings not only demonstrate foundational mechanisms of tumorigenesis but also reveal novel targets for precision therapies, advancing translational strategies for two malignancies with unmet clinical needs.Release after 05/23/202
Structural Geology and Geochronology of Cordilleran Forearc Assemblages, Baja California and British Columbia
No full textSubduction complexes and ophiolites are primary geologic records of orogenesis, fromsubduction initiation to continental collision to orogenic collapse. However, the subducted rock record is often variably incomplete along convergent margins due to local removal of material from the upper plate via subduction erosion, periods of no net-accretion due to lack of sedimentation in the trench, strike-slip displacement of forearc material, and/or relatively shallow structural levels of exposure. In this dissertation, I present new findings from field and geochronologic investigations of subduction complex rocks conducted along two less-well studied portions of the Cordilleran margin in Baja California and southern British Columbia. Through new geologic mapping and field observations, I show that the structural architecture of these two regions are broadly similar and defined by low-grade to non-metamorphosed upper plates composed of arc/ophiolitic basement and overlying arc-derived marine siliciclastic forearc basin strata structurally overlying blueschist-bearing subduction complexes along variably attenuated but regionally extensive serpentinite-matrix mélange shear zones. 40Ar/39Ar, garnet Lu-Hf, and zircon U-Pb geochronology provide new age constraints for the accretion, metamorphism, and exhumation of the forearc assemblages in response to regional plate kinematic shifts and terrane accretion. These findings provide new challenges to current ideas
around subduction initiation in the Cordillera and new opportunities for evaluating the geologic history and the thermomechanical evolution of Cordilleran subduction systems margin back through time.Release after 05/16/202
Fantastical Ethics in Romantic Situations
No full textIn recent years, we have seen an abundance of published philosophical work concerning the topic of imagination. Yet, there still seems to be one subset of imagination that has not been widely researched, which is fantasy. My analysis of fantasy concerns its relationship with ethics. I mainly consider whether we can expand the boundaries of applied ethical principles by considering whether fantasies can be evaluated as morally right or wrong. When we discuss the topics of imagination and fantasy philosophically, it’s not easy to see how such mental phenomena could have an ethical component to them. More specifically, I want to propose an account of fantastical ethics for situations where fantasies seem to occur most often, which is within romantic situations. I argue that for a fantasy regarding romantic situations to be unethical, the fantasist has to be imagining the fantasizee in such a way that the fantasizee would not approve of themselves being imagined as, and/or they do not obtain the fantasizee’s consent to fantasize about them in such a way
Identifying and Validating Pantothenate Kinase Isoforms and Identifying the Insertion Site of PanK Transgenes in Anopheles Stephensi
No full textMalaria, a mosquito-borne illness, is one of the leading causes of death in Africa and a major epidemic in nearly every continent. This disease is transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes, primarily A. gambiae in Africa and A. stephensi in the Indian subcontinent. Since 2012, A. stephensi has become widespread across horn of Africa, posing a great risk as an “urban mosquito” residing in city centers and having near-constant human interaction. This spread is accompanied by a rise in insecticide resistant mosquitoes and drug resistant parasites, demonstrating an urgent need for novel malaria control strategies. Coenzyme A (CoA), an essential coenzyme in multiple biological pathways, provides an alternative method for malaria control within the mosquito. Malaria parasites require CoA for growth and development but can only uptake the primary substrate for CoA synthesis, pantothenate, from the mosquito or vertebrate hosts. To limit malaria parasite growth, pantothenate stores can be shifted to bio-unavailable CoA for the parasite inside of the mosquito host. To do so, the rate-limiting enzyme pantothenate kinase (PanK) can be activated or upregulated to rapidly increase flux through the CoA synthesis pathway. The primary use of pantothenate in the mosquito is for the biosynthesis of CoA, so reduced pantothenate levels shouldn’t impact mosquito fitness. In mammals and other arthropods, the PanK gene has multiple isoforms with unique structures and functions. To successfully manipulate PanK in A. stephensi, a further understanding of the gene is required. In silico analysis of the A. stephensi PanK gene predicted three unique isoforms that hadn’t been experimentally validated. Using 5’ rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5’ RACE), two isoforms were validated, and one eliminated as a biologically relevant isoform. Isoform-specific qPCR of different tissues and time points following a blood meal found that the short form isoform peaks at 48 hours post-blood meal with a ten fold increase from sugar fed with a relative mRNA level of five, with a smaller peak at 6 hours post-blood meal, about a three fold increase from sugar fed. It also showed that the long form isoform peaks at 48 hours in the thorax with a three fold increase from sugar fed, which had a relative mRNA level of 2. Long form expression in the ovaries had a relative expression level of 5 before blood feeding but drops to 1 immediately following a blood meal, then increases gradually to a peak of 5 at 48 hours post-blood meal. Subcellular fractionation of mosquito tissues into cytosol and mitochondrial fractions found that the long form is primarily cytosolic while the short form is primarily mitochondrial. Following these studies, a PanK transgene using the long form isoform was randomly inserted into the A. stephensi genome, generating 7 transgenic lines. Inverse PCR of these lines found that 2 midgut lines - M5A and M5VA - and 2 fat body lines - VGM2 and VGM4, - have favorable insertions away from gene coding regions and are utilizable for future studies on malaria parasite development and mosquito fitness