Digital Commons Network^™

Mutations In Hsp40 Co-Chaperone Change The Canonical Interdomain Interactions Stimulating Lgmdd1 Myopathy, Ankan K Bhadra, Geetika Aggarwal, Anshuman Jaysingh, Daniel Chen, Jil Daw, Conrad C Weihl, Heather L True

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy D1 (LGMDD1) is a rare, dominantly inherited neuromuscular protein-misfolding chaperonopathy caused by mutations in the Hsp40 co-chaperone DNAJB6, primarily in the glycine-phenylalanine (GF) or J-domains. Currently, no treatments are available, and a challenge in understanding the disease is identifying a specific client protein for DNAJB6 in skeletal muscle. DNAJB6 has homology to the yeast DNAJ family member, Sis1. Our previous research indicated that LGMDD1 GF domain mutants in Sis1 exhibit substrate-specific effects, influenced by Hsp70 activity. Herein, we employed functional assays along with advanced molecular simulation studies to understand the regulatory interdomain interactions in disease-causing mutants of …

Genome-Wide Gene-Sleep Interaction Study Identifies Novel Lipid Loci In 732,564 Participants, Raymond Noordam, Karen Schwander, Lisa De Las Fuentes, Mary F Feitosa, Anh Do, C Charles Gu, Changwei Li, Michael A Province, Dabeeru C Rao, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Deviations from the population mean in sleep duration have been associated with increased risk for developing dyslipidemia and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, but the mechanism of effect is poorly characterized. We performed large-scale genome-wide gene-sleep interaction analyses of lipid levels to identify genetic variants underpinning the biomolecular pathways of sleep-associated lipid disturbances and to suggest possible druggable targets.

METHODS: We collected data from 55 cohorts with a combined sample size of 732,564 participants (87 % European ancestry) with data on lipid traits (high-density lipoprotein [HDL-c] and low-density lipoprotein [LDL-c] cholesterol and triglycerides [TG]). Short (STST) and long (LTST) …

Excellent Outcomes In Feasibility Study Of Radiation-Free Conditioning And Transplant In Pediatric Severe Aplastic Anemia, Mithra Lakshmi Narasimhan, Irem Eldem, Jeffrey J Bednarski, Ginny L Schulz, Robert J Hayashi, Shalini Shenoy

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Severe aplastic anemia (SAA) is treated with a hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT) in the presence of an HLA-matched sibling donor (MSD) with disease-free survival (DFS) of >90%. In the absence of an MSD, immunosuppressive therapy (IST) can induce remission but concerns for relapsed/refractory disease and clonal hematopoiesis persist. IST failure is an indication for HCT. Modern HCT approaches target barriers such as graft rejection (GR), graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and transplant-related toxicities. Traditionally, total body irradiation (TBI) inclusive HCT conditioning helps decrease GR, but the use of TBI in children increases concerns for late effects such as malignancies. To describe outcomes …

Perceived Hiv Risk, Barriers, And Preferences For Hiv Testing In Structurally Vulnerable Communities In St. Louis: A Best-Worst Scaling Survey, Emmanuel K Tetteh, Noelle Le Tourneau, Gregory Gross, Mckenzie Swan, Tyrell Manning, Justin Cole, Katie Wolf, Lawrence Hudson-Lewis, Julia D López, Todd Combs, Virginia R Mckay

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BackgroundPersistent gaps in efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the United States highlight the need for community-specific, evidence-based HIV testing strategies. This study investigated barriers and preferences around HIV testing among underserved populations, including Black, queer, and young adults in the St. Louis, Missouri area.MethodsWe conducted a Best-Worst Scaling (BWS) survey with adults (16+ years) recruited at community events, collecting responses electronically and providing a $25 incentive. The survey assessed the relative importance of 13 potential barriers to HIV testing such as stigma, structural barriers, and perceived HIV risk, chosen based on literature review and community input. Mean preference …

Comparison Of Breast And Gastric Her2 Immunohistochemistry (Ihc) Scoring Criteria In The Assessment Of Endometrial Carcinoma, Rachel L Furuya, Whitney Grither, Matthew A Powell, Premal H Thaker, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing is the primary method to determine HER2 status at many institutions, often with reflex to in situ hybridization (ISH). DNA- and RNA- based platforms are emerging for HER-2 assessment. While approved IHC algorithms exist for HER2 scoring in breast and gastric carcinomas, neither has been validated in endometrial cancer. This study seeks to compare them and evaluate patterns of DNA and RNA expression.

METHODS: 263 endometrioid endometrial adenocarcinoma (EEA), 275 serous endometrial carcinoma (SEC), and 214 uterine carcinosarcoma (UCS) specimens were randomly selected. Previously stained HER2 IHC slides underwent blinded review by two board-certified pathologists and …

A Single-Cell Atlas Characterizes Dysregulation Of The Bone Marrow Immune Microenvironment Associated With Outcomes In Multiple Myeloma, William C Pilcher, Lijun Yao, Yizhe Song, Kazuhito Sato, Julia T Wang, Reyka G Jayasinghe, Jennifer A Foltz, Mark A Fiala, Chiang I-Ling, Julie Fortier, Michael Slade, Stephen T Oh, Michael P Rettig, John F Dipersio, Shaji Kumar, Ravi Vij, Li Ding, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Multiple myeloma (MM) remains incurable despite advances in treatment options. Although tumor subtypes and specific DNA abnormalities are linked to worse prognosis, the impact of immune dysfunction on disease emergence and/or treatment sensitivity remains unclear. We developed an Immune Atlas of MM by generating profiles of 1,397,272 single cells from the bone marrow (BM) of 337 newly diagnosed participants and characterized immune and hematopoietic cell populations. Cytogenetic risk-based analysis revealed heterogeneous associations with T cells of BM, with 17p13 deletion showing distinct enrichment of a type 1 interferon signature. The disease progression-based analysis revealed the presence of a proinflammatory immune …

Atomic Models Of The Toxoplasma Cell Invasion Machinery, Jianwei Zeng, Yong Fu, Pengge Qian, Wei Huang, Qingwei Niu, Wandy L Beatty, Alan Brown, L David Sibley, Rui Zhang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Apicomplexan parasites, responsible for toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis and malaria, invade host cells through a unique gliding motility mechanism powered by actomyosin motors and a dynamic organelle called the conoid. Here, using cryo-electron microscopy, we determined structures of four essential complexes of the Toxoplasma gondii conoid: the preconoidal P2 ring, tubulin-based conoid fibers, and the subpellicular and intraconoidal microtubules. Our analysis identified 40 distinct conoid proteins, several of which are essential for parasite lytic growth, as revealed through genetic disruption studies. Comparative analysis of the tubulin-containing complexes sheds light on their functional specialization by microtubule-associated proteins, while the structure of the preconoidal …

Influence Of Obesity And Insulin Resistance With Hepatic Steatosis On The Human Plasma Lipidome, Max C Petersen, Gordon I Smith, Aaron M Armando, Xiong Su, Oswald Quehenberger, Edward A Dennis, Samuel Klein

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Insulin resistance accompanied by hepatic steatosis is a common complication of obesity. In an effort to identify plasma lipids that could be biomarkers or causes of insulin resistance with steatosis in people with obesity, we evaluated the plasma lipidome in three distinct groups separated by adiposity, hepatic steatosis, and insulin sensitivity, assessed by using the hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamp procedure: i) insulin-sensitive lean (ISL, n = 13); ii) insulin-sensitive obese (ISO, n = 14); and iii) insulin-resistant obese with hepatic steatosis (IROS, n = 13). We evaluated 759 complex lipid species in 16 subclasses (including phospholipids, glycerolipids, sphingolipids, acylcarnitines, and cholesteryl esters) …

On-Device Artificial Intelligence Solutions With Applications To Smart Environments, Fabrizio De Vita, Dario Bruneo, Sajal K. Das

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the increasing availability of computational power have accelerated the diffusion of Intelligent Cyber-Physical Systems (ICPSs), enabling smart applications with reasoning capabilities. However, the limited resources of embedded and Edge devices significantly constrain the complexity of deep learning models that can be effectively deployed. Traditional approaches rely on cloud-based training and edge-only inference, a paradigm that becomes inadequate when low latency, privacy, security, and high customization are required. In this context, On-device AI is emerging as a new paradigm in which both training and inference are performed directly on the device, avoiding data transfer …

Fairrfl: Fair And Robust Federated Learning In The Presence Of Selfish Clients, Andrea Augello, Ashish Gupta, Giuseppe Lo Re, Sajal K. Das

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Federated Learning (FL) is a paradigm that enables collaborative machine learning without disclosing the local data of the participants. However, in real-world FL deployment scenarios, some unscrupolous clients may alter the training process to skew the global model towards their local optimum, unfairly prioritizing their data distribution. Their influence can degrade overall model performance for normal clients and reduce fairness in the system. We call this novel category of misbehaving clients 'selfish'. This work proposes a Fair and Robust strategy for aggregation in the Federated Learning (FL) server to mitigate the effect of Selfish clients (FairRFL). FairRFL incorporates a novel …

Smartflow: A Communication-Efficient Sdn Framework For Cross-Silo Federated Learning, Osama Abu Hamdan, Hao Che, Engin Arslan, Md Arifuzzaman

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Cross-silo Federated Learning (FL) enables multiple institutions to collaboratively train machine learning models while preserving data privacy. In such settings, clients repeatedly exchange model weights with a central server, making the overall training time highly sensitive to network performance. However, conventional routing methods often fail to prevent congestion, leading to increased communication latency and prolonged training. Software-Defined Networking (SDN), which provides centralized and programmable control over network resources, offers a promising way to address this limitation. To this end, we propose SmartFLow, an SDN-based framework designed to enhance communication efficiency in cross-silo FL. SmartFLow dynamically adjusts routing paths in response …

Utility-Preserving Federated Graph Learning With Dual-Perspective Fairness, Renqiang Luo, Huafei Huang, Shuo Yu, Fengqi Yu, Feng Xia, Sajal K. Das, Chengqi Zhang

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fairness-aware federated graph neural networks (FedGNNs) necessitate consideration of both the server and the clients. However, fairness-aware methods struggle to enhance dual-perspective (i.e., server and clients) fairness without sacrificing utility due to the distributed learning framework. As a consequence, the utility sacrifices of fairness-aware graph learning methods are even exacerbated in federated frameworks. In this work we propose F3GL, a dual-perspective fairness federated graph learning method that enhances both global (for the server) and local fairness (for clients) while preserving utility. Through theoretical analysis, we delineate the similarity between original sensitive features and those after convolution under different spectra. Our …

Lost Before Forgetting: Objective Driving Metrics Track Navigation Deficits Tied To Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease, Yiqi Zhu, Ramkrishna K Singh, Semere Bekena, David C Brown, Chen Chen, Matthew Blake, Jean-François Trani, Ganesh M Babulal

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Navigation is a complex, multisensory process in which subtle changes may emerge before the onset of symptomatic Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study investigated whether navigation abilities were associated with amyloid and tau pathology in cognitively normal older adults.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Among 285 cognitively unimpaired older adults, navigation and objective driving behaviors were assessed using the self-reported Santa Barbara Sense of Direction Scale (SBSOD) and a datalogger, respectively. Amyloid and tau burden were quantified using PET-MRI 2 years post-initial driving data collection. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate the associations between biomarker status and longitudinal …

Advancing Inter-Brain Synchrony Measurement: A Comparative Hyperscanning Study Of Diffuse Optical Tomography And Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, Shuo Guan, Yuhang Li, Yingbo Geng, Dongyun Li, Qiong Xu, Peisong Niu, Dalin Yang, Adam Eggebrecht, Yingchun Zhang, Rihui Li

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Inter-brain synchrony (IBS), measured by hyperscanning, refers to the synchronization of multiple individuals' brain activities during social interactions. Traditional fNIRS-based hyperscanning suffers shortcomings like low spatial resolution and high susceptibility to superficial interference, causing imprecise estimation of IBS in complex social tasks. This study aims to fill the knowledge gap by comprehensively assessing diffuse optical tomography (DOT), an enhanced alternative to fNIRS, can benefit hyperscanning studies of complex social interactions. Sixteen dyads were engaged in both collaborative and individual tangram puzzle tasks, and their brain activities were recorded simultaneously using DOT and fNIRS. We found that DOT demonstrated significantly stronger …

Abnormalities In Sensorimotor Brain Function Are Related To Chronicity Of Low Back Pain, Jo Armour Smith, Rongwen Tain, Kelli G Sharp, Laura M Glynn, Linda R Van Dillen, Jesse V Jacobs, Steven C Cramer

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Maladaptive plasticity in the brain may contribute to chronic low back pain (LBP) and underlie the altered postural control of the lumbopelvic musculature that is evident in some individuals with LBP. We recently described an MRI-compatible leg-raise paradigm to measure brain activity associated with lumbopelvic postural control. The objective of this study was to compare brain function in young adults with and without a history of LBP and to determine relationships between brain function, pain, and postural control characteristics. We recruited 55 participants with a history of LBP, who were asymptomatic when studied, and 30 healthy controls. Postural control during …

Clinical Outcomes Following Mechanical Thrombectomy In Pulmonary Embolism Response Team-Consulted Patients: A Retrospective Analysis, Ryan Nolan, Maanasi Samant, Suresh Vedantham, Westley Ohman, Nathan Droz, Kristen Sanfilippo, Pavan Kavali

2020-Current year OA Pubs

PURPOSE: To determine if use of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) impacts survival and additional outcomes in patients with acute intermediate-high-risk and high-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) who were evaluated by a Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT).

METHODS: This retrospective, single-center study included patients with intermediate-high-risk and high-risk PE who received PERT evaluation over 3.5 years and were treated with anticoagulation (AC) alone or MT + AC. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality, measured with inverse probability of treatment weighting. Exploratory outcomes included survival during the study period, PE-associated/caused mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS), supplemental oxygen at discharge, and MT-related metrics. …

Knowledge, Interest, And Willingness Of Hematologists And Oncologists To Care For Adults With Vascular Anomalies, Bryan A Sisk, Anna M Kerr, Sally Cohen-Cutler, Margaret T Lee, Katie Harmoney, Alexandra Borst, Shelley E Crary, Shelbie Fishman, Stephanie Chen, Danielle Cicka, Stephanie Milam, Christine Bereitschaft, Kristen M Sanfilippo

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Vascular anomalies (VAs) are rare diseases that cause significant morbidity. Adults with VAs struggle to access expert care. Hematologists and oncologists in adult medicine are positioned to provide expert care, but no prior studies have characterized their openness to this role.

OBJECTIVES: This study characterized the experience, confidence, willingness, and motivating factors for hematologists/oncologists to care for adults with VAs.

METHODS: We surveyed United States hematologists and oncologists in adult medicine between October 2024 and March 2025. The questionnaire assessed knowledge, experience, confidence, and willingness to care for adults with VAs, as well as open-ended questions assessing factors influencing …

Mouse Alport Podocytes Are Susceptible To Aav9 Transduction In Vivo, Meei-Hua Lin, Kohei Omachi, Joshua F Begin, Jennifer L Richardson, Jeffrey H Miner

2020-Current year OA Pubs

INTRODUCTION: Alport syndrome features a defective glomerular basement membrane (GBM) due to variants in COL4A3, COL4A4, and COL4A5. The most severe forms, which lack the GBM's collagen α3α4α5(IV) network, progress from hematuria in early childhood to proteinuria, chronic kidney disease, and kidney failure by the age of ∼30. As a monogenic disease without specific treatments, and with podocytes being the only glomerular cells that synthesize collagen α3α4α5(IV), the ability to efficiently deliver genes to Alport podocytes could open up new possibilities for treatment.

METHODS: As a proof-of-concept study, we investigated whether podocytes in X-linked Alport mice were susceptible to transduction …

Cgrp Expression And Signaling Sensitization In A Mouse Model Of Chronic Oxaliplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy, Junwei Du, Leland C Sudlow, Margaret H Johnson, Kanishk Satish, Abraham Villagomez, Hongzhen Hu, Mikhail Y Berezin

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a frequent and dose-limiting side effect of oxaliplatin treatment, yet its molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Calcitonin gene-related peptide alpha (CGRPα, encoded by

Spinning-Induced Exertional Rhabdomyolysis Without Acute Kidney Injury, Yolanda V. Gutierrez, Ronald Shaju, Alyssa L. Sepulveda, Joaquin Rivera, Aamir Ahmad

School of Medicine Publications

Rhabdomyolysis is a condition with a myriad of causes, including both traumatic and non-traumatic. Traumatic conditions are observed in crush injuries, compartment syndrome, and fractures, while non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis is commonly seen due to exertional heat stroke, extreme physical exercise, and dehydration. This case report explores two cases of extreme non-traumatic rhabdomyolysis caused by indoor cycling, also known as spinning. A common complication of severe rhabdomyolysis is acute kidney injury (AKI), which increases the risk of renal failure. Rapid interventions such as aggressive intravenous fluids are necessary to prevent kidney function loss. In this case report, two sisters, on two separate …

Part 5: The Value Of Water, Dragas Center For Economic Analysis And Policy, Old Dominion University

State of the Region Reports: Hampton Roads

In this chapter, we examine how the Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD), in collaboration with localities, changed the regional approach to wastewater treatment, saving ratepayers from billions of dollars in additional costs. We discuss the SWIFT project and how it will inject treated, drinking quality water into the aquifer, partially offsetting the losses from residential and business use. We estimate the economic impacts associated with HRSD and SWIFT and note how HRSD serves as an example of how regional collaboration can produce innovative benefits to the residents of Hampton Roads.

Understanding The Potential Biogeochemical Effects Of Alternative Restoration Materials: A Study Of Basalt And Other Materials, Cadie L. Barnes

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Concern over the effects of microplastics on estuarine ecosystems and public health has prompted many restoration practitioners to switch from plastic materials to more “natural” substrates. These natural (BESE-biopolymer, cement-jute structures) and non-plastic (basalt fiber) materials should not contain harmful substances; however, their chemical composition is unknown. Natural materials may degrade faster in subtropical environments and release nutrients into surrounding waters, which is concerning for eutrophic restoration areas. Basalt fiber bags, made from melted basalt rock spun into fibers, have not been evaluated for biogeochemical impacts within estuaries. To address this knowledge gap, two field experiments and two laboratory experiments …

Establishing And Testing Experiential Critical Theory (Ect), Dolores M. Batten Mrs.

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

There is a current gap in academia which has been largely overlooked in both pedagogy and assessment: the value of personal experience as key evidence of interpretation and meaning-making correlation. Aside from narrative writing, most current methods of literary analysis writing do not place a high value on personal experience beyond the inclusion of brief anecdotes. Yet experience is the major pathway by which an individual forms their worldview, which then informs the ways in which they interpret the world—and by extension, text. This dissertation both establishes and examines the use of Experiential Critical Theory (ECT) in pedagogical application for …

The Place Between Places, Harrison Burke

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The Place Between Places is a collection of essays centered on belonging. Focusing on the composition of city streets, theme parks, and hidden pockets of wonder, belonging is explored as the product of place and culture. The perspective of the collection shifts between reflection and active exploration, using present moment journeys as catalysts to unravel the past. In every new discovery there is a ghost, past and present journeys fighting for their place in the constructed narrative called “self.”

The collection primarily makes use of braided essays and nonlinear storytelling. “Animal” blends together three night walks through New York, Seoul, …

Processing, Characterization And Performance Of Ceramic Liners For Hydrogen Gas Turbine Engines, Fahim Faysal

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Advanced ceramics and ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are known for their endurance at high temperatures. This study investigated the fabrication and testing of two material systems: silicon carbide nitride (SiCN) reinforced with yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) fiber manufactured through polymer infiltration and pyrolysis (PIP), and 3D-printed alumina (Al₂O₃) ceramics. The CMC thermal stability at high temperatures was explored through a hydrogen torch test. The CMC surface could withstand a temperature of 1,400°C for 10 minutes during the torch test. Furthermore, the internal surface of a hydrogen combustion chamber was coated with CMC to assess its applicability as a protective barrier against …

Reflection In Still Waters: Generative Ai's Production Of Language, Jonathan D. Hawks

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

Language is a conceptual process of meaning-making as well as a social construction as defined by Saussure, Bakhtin, and Lacan. Large Language Models (LLMs) engage with neither process and instead present language as a finished and consumable product which undermines its fundamental aspects. The difference between representing language through probability and its structural components instead of its more inherent qualities is not a pointless distinction. This paper utilizes Narcissus as a central metaphor to show how people misread the outputs of LLMs as language which imparts to those reflected words meaning on par with our own conceptualizations of reality. People …

Where Did All The Democrats Go? An Analysis Of Defection And Disengagement Of Biden 2020 Voters In The 2024 Election, Scott S. Healy

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

In the 2024 U.S. Presidential election, Donald Trump slightly increased his vote total compared to 2020 while the Democratic ticket led by Kamala Harris received several million fewer votes than Joe Biden had received four years earlier. Since third-party voting remained relatively flat, most of the Democratic decrease seems to be explained by voters who previously supported Biden but abstained from voting in the presidential race in 2024, though some appear to have switched support to Trump. This paper studies why some who voted for Biden in 2020 chose not to support the Democratic nominee four years later. Drawing on …

Improving First Case-On-Time Starts In The Operating Room By Implementing A Visual Patient Readiness Assessment Tool: A Pilot Quality Improvement Project, Xochitl I. Miranda-Khayat

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose

Delays in first case on-time starts (FCOTS) impact operating room (OR) efficiency, causing compounding schedule delays. This quality improvement (QI) project implemented a visual readiness tool to standardize communication and increase FCOTS rates.

Background

The project was implemented in a 5-room OR in an academic teaching hospital in the Texas Medical Center.

Methodology

Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) guided continuous improvement and contextual factors evaluation. Following multidisciplinary education, the visual tool was implemented. De-identified FCOTS data was extracted from the electronic health record (EHR). Qualitative feedback was gathered via Qualtrics (n=17 pre-implementation) and …

Enhancing Pre-Procedure Readiness Through A Standardized Medication Protocol In The Cath Lab ​, Adriana M. Fisher

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

No abstract provided.

Evaluating The Impact Of Proactive Rounding On Early Recognition And Rapid Response, Alicia Mcintosh

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Purpose: This quality improvement project evaluated the impact of a Rapid Response Team (RRT)-led proactive rounding model on the early recognition of clinical deterioration and selected patient outcomes.

Background: Delays in recognizing clinical deterioration contribute to preventable adverse events, highlighting the need for proactive strategies to support early identification and timely intervention. To address this need, the project was implemented on a 36-bed intermediate care unit at a community medical center in Southeast United States.

Methodology: Guided by the Plan-Do-Study-Act framework, the project used a six-week pre-post intervention in which an Advanced Practice Provider (APP) conducted proactive rounds on patients …