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The Morphosyntax of Deretu Manchu
No full textThis dissertation presents a detailed description of the morphosyntax of Deretu Manchu, an endangered variety of Manchu spoken traditionally within my mukvn, or clan. First, this work introduces the Manchu language, community-related information, revitalization, and recent speaker demographics. This information is followed by the Deretu Manchu description itself, comprising a brief introduction to its phonemic inventory and phonology, and a description of both its morphology and syntax. All descriptive portions of this text additionally provide examples of contemporary uses of our language in modern speaking domains – involving topics such as programming, linguistics, video games, and job searching. Finally, this work includes a Jurchen language SAS® Terms Dictionary intended for community use, as well as a discussion of the most frequent methods of developing neologisms used by myself and my ahvn Mukdexan in our revitalization work together
The Implications of Convergence and Divergence in Disease Comorbidities
No full textComorbidity is a medical term defined by the concurrent presence of two or more medical disorders within an individual. Comorbidities are likely to exhibit progressive exacerbation over time, complicate therapy, and often worsen disease outcomes. Research in comorbidity studies has traditionally focused on phenotypic characterizations of comorbid diseases to enhance prevention and management, while recent efforts have increasingly explored the biological commonalities convergently underlying these complex conditions. Convergence in network biology helps inform how shared genetic and biological factors can contribute to multiple diseases by affecting various levels of biology (from genes to phenotypes). Statistical models and computational methods can reveal divergence within subgroups that may have unique factors leading to different disease outcomes, thus creating distinct pathways in comorbid disease progression. Both directions benefit from the construction of extensive reservoirs of biological data amassed through the initiatives of biobanks, medical investigations, and electronic health records. Comorbidity research still faces gaps, especially when it comes to understanding how underlying interactions between diseases can converge or diverge to shape progression among subgroups. This composition addresses these gaps by investigating phenotypic divergences in populations, such as disparities in chronic pain progression for traditionally underrepresented populations in medical research, while also enhancing the understanding of convergent biological underpinnings between comorbid diseases (e.g., multiple myeloma and IgA nephropathy). The research also reviews how data fusion methods can be used in biomedical research to investigate comorbid diseases from multi-omics perspectives. Research Project 1 (Appendix A) investigates the divergence of chronic pains and disparities based on sociodemographic factors. Results showed instances of traditionally underrepresented groups in research such as females, blacks, and low-income earners, having significantly higher incidence rates of subsequent chronic pain or mental conditions when considering an initial condition. This finding is critical because it suggests that these groups may experience disproportionate burdens of disease, potentially due to differences in access to care, or treatment. By identifying disparities, the research emphasizes the value of studies that encompass diverse populations to deepen our understanding of diseases and their progression. Research Project 2 (Appendix B) shows a unique comorbidity of multiple myeloma and IgA nephropathy. Through multipartite network analysis and curation, evidence shows biological connections between two genes THOC5 and CBFA2T3. Network analysis associating them with the same gene ontology term “myeloid leukocyte differentiation” implies shared functional roles. This convergence shows a potential link for the genes to influence similar stem cell pathways, leading to dysregulation in hematopoietic cell development. There is considerable research on similar blood disorders like leukemias and monoclonal gammopathies, but knowledge gaps remain for myeloma, which suggests the need for further biological verification. Research Project 3 (Appendix C) offers a synthesis of multi-omics data fusion methods, emphasizing their application in studying disease comorbidities. The investigation highlights how integrative approaches can reveal shared molecular mechanisms across conditions by evaluating diverse computational frameworks. This positions data fusion as a foundational tool for identifying biological convergence in comorbidity research and advancing systems-level models of disease. Research Projects 1 and 2 tackle significant gaps in health research by exploring shared mechanisms in comorbidities and variability in population health, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of comorbidities. Research Project 3 shows how multi-omics data fusion techniques equipped with advanced computational methods can uncover latent biological relationships across diseases. Together, these studies demonstrate the value of investigating comorbidities from multi-scale frameworks, enabling a more nuanced understanding of the intersecting biological and social complexities that shape the progression of co-occurring diseases
Stigma, Stress, and Developmental Assets in the Lives and Educational Experiences of Latinx Pregnant and Parenting Adolescents
No full textThis two-paper dissertation explores the relationship between adolescent parents' reports of stigma and stress and their psychological and educational outcomes using quantitative analytic techniques. Guided by the integrative model (García Coll et al., 1996), study 1 examines associations among stigma, social support, familism, and self-esteem. It was hypothesized that there would be a negative relationship between stigma and self-esteem, and social support and familism would be positively associated with self-esteem. Moreover, social support and familism were hypothesized to moderate the stigma-self-esteem relationship. Study 2 utilized both the integrative model (García Coll et al., 1996) and life course theory (Elder, 1998) to explore the relationship between parental stress (i.e., rewards, stressors, and lack of control) and adolescents’ academic aspirations and expectations. In line with theoretical assumptions, ethnic-racial identity (ERI) and grit, as adaptative assets were hypothesized to be positively associated with students’ academic outcomes and moderators of the relationship between the subscales of parental stress and respondents' academic aspirations and expectations. Data for both studies are drawn from an ongoing school-program partnership serving pregnant and parenting adolescents in one southwestern region of the United States. The sample includes 314 (mothers: n = 259; fathers: n = 55), who were on average 16 years old (M = 16.88, SD = 1.27; range 14-21 years). Findings provided mixed support across studies. Findings specific to study 1 revealed that stigma was negatively associated with self-esteem, whereas social support was positively associated with self-esteem; however, familism was not associated with self-esteem. Neither social support nor familism emerged as significant moderators. Study 2 results were more nuanced; no significant direct effects between parental rewards, stress, and lack of control on adolescents’ academic outcomes were revealed. Similarly, ERI was not linked with academic aspirations or expectations. Consistency of interest was not associated with either outcome of interest; however, perseverance of effort was associated with academic expectation. Moderation hypotheses were partially supported by the significance of two interaction terms: lack of control X consistency of interest, and stress X perseverance of effort. Lack of control was only associated with adolescents’ academic aspirations at the highest-level of consistency of interest. Inversely, the effect of stress on adolescents' academic expectations was only significant at the lowest levels of perseverance. Implications for this work include the advancement of two theoretical frameworks, the integrative model (García Coll et al., 1996) and life course theory (Elder, 1998) by demonstrating how parenting factors intersect with broader discriminatory contexts to shape adolescent parents’ perceptions of stigma and stress during a critical developmental period. It extends understanding of adaptive assets by examining the direct and moderating roles of individual, familial, and cultural mechanisms, including social support, ERI, and grit, in influencing psychological and educational outcomes. The findings highlight the need for future longitudinal and mixed-methods research to explore additional parenting factors, institutional supports, and culturally sensitive measures. Practically, results underscore the importance of creating supportive school, program, and community environments that promote positive development while addressing structural barriers. In sum, this work emphasizes that adaptive assets operate contextually and may have thresholds, reinforcing the need for interventions that combine asset-building with reductions in stigma and stress
Influence of Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease on Cognitive and Brain Aging
No full textThe biological and cognitive heterogeneity observed in aging complicates the distinction of preclinical Alzheimer’s disease (AD) from normal aging. By utilizing well-validated core biomarkers of AD, such as amyloid β (Aβ) and phosphorylated tau (pTau) measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and analyzing their multivariate structure and relationships with measures of structural brain volumes and cognitive function in cognitively unimpaired (CU) healthy older adults, this approach may help to mitigate the effects of heterogeneity. Additionally, it may facilitate better identification of at-risk populations for recruitment into clinical trials and enhance our understanding of the early pathophysiological cascade of AD. This collection of three studies aims to investigate methods of using CSF biomarkers, specifically Aβ42 and pTau181, either directly by using them to identify healthy older adults at increased risk of cognitive decline, or indirectly by identifying the influence of aging, distinct from AD-related biomarkers and risk factors, by evaluating their impacts on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of regional brain volume. Initially, I employed a novel hybrid clustering approach to CSF Aβ42 and pTau181 data to identify subgroups within a cohort of CU healthy older adults. The clustering solution identified three subgroups, with a high-risk AD-like cluster containing a higher prevalence of known biomarker risk factors associated with the development of AD pathology, including a greater frequency of the apolipoprotein (APOE) ɛ4 allele, older age, and increased lateral ventricular and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes. The high-risk cluster group had lower baseline composite scores of memory and executive function, poorer performance on two baseline composite measures sensitive to the early cognitive effects of preclinical AD (mPACC), and greater two-year declines on the Clinical Dementia Rating – sum of boxes score (CDR-sb) and an mPACC measure. Next, I investigated how these cluster subgroups related to subcortical brain structures using a multivariate network analysis method. I identified a regionally distributed pattern of subcortical gray matter (SGM) volumes that was related to the three clusters (Cluster-SGM) defined by CSF Aβ42 and pTau181, which was characterized by relative reductions in bilateral hippocampus, amygdala, and thalamus with relative increases bilaterally in the caudate and putamen. Higher expression of the Cluster-SGM pattern was associated with greater two-year declines in the mPACC, but not the CDR-sb. Finally, I investigated the age-related differences in the regional pattern of hippocampal subfield volumes (Age-Hsub) in a separate group of CU older adults without the major genetic risk factor for AD, the APOE ɛ4 allele, and after additionally statistically adjusting for the effects of common risk factors and biomarkers of AD pathology. The Age-Hsub pattern was characterized by reductions of bilateral dentate gyrus (DG) and right Cornu Ammonis (CA) regions with relative preservation in bilateral subiculum. Additionally, multiple regression analysis showed that greater expression of the Age-Hsub pattern was associated with poorer performance on objective and subjective measures of memory. Taken together, these results highlight how CSF biomarkers of AD pathology can be used to enhance our understanding of those at greatest risk for cognitive decline and AD, as well as of the potentially distinct effects of brain aging separate from the risk for AD dementia in CU healthy older adults. The results support the use of clustering techniques for identifying CU healthy older adults at increased risk for cognitive dysfunction, as well as regionally distributed patterns of GM atrophy that are associated with cognitive decline. These findings help to advance our understanding of the early stages of the AD continuum and may also help in identifying those who might benefit most from early disease-modifying treatments and prevention therapies. Release after 06/16/202
SOLID-STATE ARRAY MEMS-BASED BEAM STEERING
No full textSolid-State MEMS Spatial Light Modulators (SLMs) stand out in the field of beam steering due to their large etendue and high reliability. Focusing on these two MEMS SLM variants: the Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) and the Phase Light Modulator (PLM), this dissertation expands the boundary of MEMS SLM-based beam steering through three contributions: First, we achieved quasi-continuous steering with PLM by displaying a grating with a non-integer period, enabling beam steering with any arbitrary diffraction angle. Second, we cascaded a DMD for coarse beams steering with a PLM for fine steering, achieving continuous beam steering without unnecessary diffraction orders over a FOV of 40° × 5.6°, which broke the FOV limitation of PLM-only beam steering. Third, we tailored the DMD frame-rate regime: a customed DMD driver board increases refresh to 90 kHz for high-speed beam steering, while an air/liquid damping method halves the mirror transition for low-speed beam steering. Together, these contributions deliver a MEMS-based continuous, wide FOV, diffraction order-free, and ultra-low/high-speed beam steering
How Urban Noise Levels Affect Pedestrian Comfort and Behavior at the Manuel Olguín–Javier Prado Intersection in Surco, Lima, Peru (2025)
No full textSustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone ProjectUrban noise is a common problem in large cities and can affect how people feel and act when they walk. In Lima, Peru, traffic noise is very strong, especially in places with many cars and little traffic control. This study looks at how noise affects pedestrian comfort, emotions, and behavior at the Manuel Olguín–Javier Prado intersection in the Surco district. This area has heavy traffic, frequent car horns, and many pedestrians because it is close to a shopping center and a university.
This research uses a mixed method approach. It combines pedestrian observation and short surveys. Observations were done at the intersection to see how people walk, cross the street, and react to noise. Surveys were given to 40 pedestrians who often pass through the area. The survey asked about noise levels, comfort, stress, and changes in walking behavior. The answers were studied using simple counts and common themes.
The results show that most pedestrians think the area is very noisy and uncomfortable. Many people said the noise makes them feel stressed, tired, or tense. Because of this, they walk faster, stay more alert, or try to avoid the intersection. During the observations, many people were seen rushing, hesitating, or using headphones, which confirms the survey results. Traffic and car horns were the main sources of noise.
This study shows that noise is an important part of the walking experience and should be considered in urban design. Better traffic control, less horn use, and more green areas could help reduce stress and improve pedestrian comfort. These results can help planners and designers create safer, calmer, and more comfortable streets in Lima and similar cities.This item is part of the Sustainable Built Environments collection. For more information, contact http://sbe.arizona.edu
Average Sales Price Erosion of Oncology Biologic Agents Following Biosimilar Entry Into The US Market
No full textBackground: Biologic therapies are central in cancer management, but the high acquisition costs limit patient access. Biosimilars, which are equivalent in quality and safety to a reference biologic, are a cost-efficient alternative. Objective: To quantify the longitudinal impact of biosimilar market entry on the US Average Sales Price (ASP) of four reference oncology biologics and their biosimilars (rituximab, bevacizumab, trastuzumab, pegfilgrastim), including patterns of price erosion. Methods: ASP Pricing Files were retrieved from 2011Q2 to 2024Q4 to calculate the respective ASPs. The evolution of ASP, including erosion patterns, was assessed using three strategies. First, we calculated multiple metrics: differences in biosimilar-to-reference biologic ASP at biosimilar entry, biosimilar ASP percent decline since entry, cumulative percent increase in reference biologic ASP pre-biosimilar entry, average quarterly percent increase in reference biologic ASP pre-biosimilar entry, average quarterly percent decrease in reference biologic ASP post-biosimilar entry, and the ratio of reference biologic projected to actual ASP. Second, we visualized the ASP trends. Third, we determined the statistical significance of the observed ASP differences. Results: Three biosimilars were included for rituximab, four for bevacizumab, five for trastuzumab, and six for pegfilgrastim. At market entry, biosimilars showed ASPs 6.2%-23.2% lower than the reference biologic ASPs. Reductions from initial ASPs continued over time, with biosimilars' ASPs decreasing over time by 9.8%-92.2%. Prior to biosimilar market entry, reference biologic ASPs increased cumulatively by 37.9%-84.9%, with average quarterly increases of 0.92%-2.00%. This reversed post-biosimilar entry, with average quarterly decreases of 0.52%-10.00%. Projected ASPs, assuming no biosimilar entry, were higher than actual ASPs by 1.31-17.08 multiples. Pegfilgrastim exhibited a unique pattern, as biosimilars had and continued to have higher ASPs than reference biologic ASPs, with a 2.17-9.17 times increase in 2024Q2. Significant differences were observed in ASP trends for reference biologics pre- vs. post-biosimilar entry, except for trastuzumab; between reference biologics and biosimilars post-entry, except for pegfilgrastim; and among biosimilars. Conclusion: Biosimilar market entry has reduced ASPs of reference biologics and biosimilars, demonstrating their role in mitigating growth in total healthcare expenditures, particularly in the oncology setting. By lowering total treatment costs, biosimilars improve patient access and enhance the affordability of biologic therapy.Release after 07/05/202
U.S. Pesticide Policy is Influenced by Stakeholder Comments
No full textThis qualitative research study shows that grower-centered, evidence-based stakeholder comments significantly influenced EPA pesticide registration reviews, improving the accuracy and practicality of federal pesticide policy while protecting human health, the environment, and agricultural viability.This work is supported through a Signature Program of the Western Integrated Pest Management Center, funded through the Regional Centers Program of the Crop Protection and Pest Management program from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture U.S. Department of Agriculture under award number 2022-70006-38003, and by the Extension Implementation Program of the Crop Protection and Pest Management program, Award Number 2024-70006-43563. Additional support from USDA Agricultural Marketing Service through and Arizona Specialty Crops Block Grant administered by the Arizona Department of Agriculture.Documents in the Arizona Pest Management Center collection are made available by the Arizona Pest Management Center (APMC) and the University Libraries at the University of Arizona. For more information about items in this collection, please contact https://acis.cals.arizona.edu/about-us/arizona-pest-management-center
Foundations of Virtual Fencing: Economics of Virtual Fence (VF) Systems
No full textThis analysis explores the economic considerations of investing in virtual fence (VF) systems, examining their application for representative cow-calf operations under different operating conditions. Virtual fencing (VF) is a tool for livestock management that uses collars and a radio or cellular systems to influence the movement of livestock using auditory and electrical cues (Antaya et al. 2024). Users program the system to establish invisible barriers on a landscape. The system detects the location of animals and if animals approach or cross a “virtual” fence, they receive an auditory or electrical cue encouraging them to move away from the barrier. VF systems have the potential to offset physical fencing costs, enable adoption of adaptive management practices (Boyd et al. 2022; Boyd et al. 2023; Golinski et al. 2023; Verdon et al. 2021), and save ranchers time in locating animals, among other benefits (Campbell et al. 2018; Boyd et al. 2022; Schillings et al. 2024). Commercial VF systems have varying fee structures and require labor to operate which is an additional cost of adoption. Cost and economies of scale are factors that affect livestock producers’willingness to adopt technologies (Pruitt et al. 2012; Lima et al. 2018).This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2021-38640-34695 through the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under project number WPDP22-016. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This work is supported by the AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program: Inter-Disciplinary Engagement in Animal Systems (IDEAS) [award no. 2022-10726] from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Additional funding for the University of Arizona’s Virtual Fence program was provided by Arizona Experiment Station, the Marley Endowment for Sustainable Rangeland Stewardship, and Arizona Cooperative Extension
Bioelectrical Impedance Assessment of Breast Density: Ex Vivo Reliability and Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening
No full textBreast density is one of the several risk factors for developing breast cancer. Many women do not know their breast density nor what it means to have dense or non-dense breasts. Understanding breast density is an important factor to incorporate into breast risk to improve risk assessment and identify higher risk women with dense breasts. The purpose of this study is to test whether a device designed to non-invasively assess breast density in the field operates reliably and to understand whether it would be helpful in educating women about their breast density. The ultimate goal, beyond the scope of this project, is to encourage women, who may be at a higher risk for developing breast cancer, to partake in recommended biennial mammogram screenings. Increasing breast screening rates aids in early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Screening mammograms provide breast density information. However, women who do not complete their recommended mammogram screenings are unaware of their breast density. The first aim of this study is to evaluate the reproducibility and repeatability of novel bioelectrical impedance testing method to determine breast density using a Quantum II Bioelectrical Impedance Analyzer (RJL Systems; Clinton Township, MI) connected to an experimental breast cup attachment. A variety of animal-derived excised soft tissues were used to test reliability and reproducibility of the device. The reliability was tested using Pearson correlation, Bland-Altman for agreement, and Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICC) for reliability between different reliability test types: repeatability, test-retest, intra-rater, and inter-rater. The second aim retrospectively analyses data in the context of an U.S. National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) immersive, entrepreneurial training program, involving interviews with 18 health community members associated with the oncology field to understanding barriers and identify facilitators for breast health, screening and education