Amherst College

External Debt Stress and Domestic Debt Restructuring: Resolving a Paradox

Abstract The ongoing sovereign debt crisis in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) was signalled by instances of default or failure to meet external debt obligations denominated in hard currencies. But the response to the crisis has included attempts to restructure domestic so...

Nonlinear dispersive waves in the discrete modified KdV equation

Abstract In this paper, we study the nonlinear dispersive waves including the numerically observed rarefaction and dispersive shock waves in the discrete modified KdV equation which has widespread applications in plasma physics. In particular, we propose three distinct quasi-cont...

The Finance Dilemma in Developing Countries: Balancing Debt Servicing and Climate Stabilization

Abstract This paper examines the dilemma faced by low- and lower-middle-income countries in balancing debt servicing with climate stabilization investments. The need to service external debt compels governments in developing countries to engage in extractive practices to generate...

A retrospective mixed methods analysis of maternal psychosocial health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ghana: lessons for future public health crises

Observed impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in countries in the global north include increasing rates of maternal anxiety and depression. However, little research has been done in sub-Saharan Africa assessing the impact of the pandemic on maternal psychosocial stress. This study ai...

Revisiting lithospheric dripping: Modern crustal xenoliths from the Colombian arc suggest heterogeneous viscosity and cyclic instability development

Lithospheric dripping is often invoked to remove dense material from arcs. However, the thickness, timing, and mechanical properties that lead to detachment of lower arc crust remains poorly constrained. The Mercaderes xenolith suite erupted <280 kyr in the Northern Volcanic Zone...

Transportation Is Not Just a Ride: How Transportation Shapes Prenatal Care Experiences Among Black Women

Introduction Prenatal care improves maternal and infant outcomes; however, transportation as a social determinant of health influences both access to care and the conditions under which care is experienced. Transportation is often conceptualized as a barrier to appointment attend...

Transferable FB-GNN-MBE framework for potential energy surfaces: Data-adaptive transfer learning in deep learned many-body expansion theory

Mechanistic understanding and rational design of complex chemical systems depend on fast and accurate predictions of electronic structures beyond individual building blocks. However, if the system exceeds hundreds of atoms, first-principles quantum mechanical (QM) modeling become...

An immersive multicomponent virtual reality intervention for cognitive and emotional health in community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is associated with both cognitive decline and increased risk of depression, highlighting the need for integrated interventions targeting multiple domains. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a promising tool for cognitive stimulation; however, evid...

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Health-Related Social Needs, and Cognitive Outcomes in US Veterans

Importance Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and health-related social needs (HRSNs) have been associated with cognitive decline, but their joint associations with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer disease (AD), and AD-related dementias (ADRD) are unclear. Objective T...

Nutrient stress reduces the extent but increases the intensity of root-driven destabilization of mineral-associated organic matter

Abstract Mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) constitutes a vast terrestrial carbon reservoir, yet its vulnerability to plant root activity remains poorly constrained. Here, we show that MAOM destabilization by plant roots is governed by two distinct factors: the overall exte...

Continuous Glucose Monitoring Hypoglycemia Alarms in Critical Care: Clinical Utility and Workflow Integration

Background: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has been associated with reductions in inpatient hypoglycemia; however, little is known about the performance and integration of CGM hypoglycemia alerts and alarms in the intensive care unit (ICU). We evaluated hypoglycemia signal f...

Fascism, Fashion, and the Plasticity of Gender

Abstract This article develops an account of the relationship between fascism and gender's plasticity as instantiated by practices of cross‐dressing. It centers on Gerhard Fritsch's novel Fasching (1967), which narrates a dual betrayal of fascism and masculinity that issues into...

CentroFinder: a multi-feature framework for de novo prediction of fungal regional centromeres

Abstract Motivation Centromeres are essential chromosomal loci, yet their computational identification remains challenging due to rapid sequence evolution, high repeat content, and the absence of conserved defining motifs. This challenge is particularly pronounced in fungi, where...

Dietary Fat Intake and Mortality Among Patients With Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer

Importance There are 3.5 million prostate cancer survivors in the US, with a need for evidence-based lifestyle recommendations that improve survivorship. Objective To assess whether consumption of specific dietary fats after diagnosis is associated with long-term survival among p...

Benchmark Brown Dwarfs as Chemical Laboratories: Linking System Bulk Properties to Atmospheric Retrievals

Abstract We present the first atmospheric retrieval analysis of two compositional benchmark mid-L dwarfs – SDSSJ141659.78+500626.4 and GJ 499 C – using the Brewster retrieval framework, where the wide benchmark nature of these systems provides independent constraints on age and b...

Atypical PI3Ks coordinate chemotaxis, signaling dynamics, and multicellular development in Dictyostelium

Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling regulates protrusion, polarity, membrane uptake, and multicellular development in Dictyostelium discoideum, but these functions have been interpreted largely through canonical Class I PI3Ks and PI(3,4,5)P₃ production. This framework does...

Dog ownership and healthy brain aging: a pilot study

Background Dog ownership may benefit brain and cognitive health by supporting physical activity and social connectedness, among other mechanisms. Studies that include brain health outcomes ( e.g. , neuroimaging outcomes) are lacking. As the population ages, studies investigating...