Digital Commons Network^™

Strategies To Improve Work–Life Balance Among Remote Millennials To Increase Employee Productivity, Paige Frost

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A lack of effective strategies to improve work-life balance for remote millennial employees is a concern for healthcare leaders. Without such strategies, organizations may struggle to remain competitive and ensure sustainability. Grounded in Homans’s social exchange theory, this qualitative pragmatic inquiry identified and explored the effective strategies healthcare leaders use to improve work-life balance for remote millennial employees to increase productivity. Participants were six leaders of healthcare organizations located in the southeastern United States with at least 2 years of leadership experience managing remote employees. Data were collected through semistructured interviews and analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-step thematic analysis. …

A Novel Sialylation Pathway Mediated By Extracellular Vesicles In Aggressive Prostate Cancer, Camila A. Bach, Md Niamat Hossain, Ishan J. Chaudhari, Cecilia E. Verrillo, Nicole M. Naranjo, Isabella Amoroso, Anna Testa, Samuel Sey, W. Kevin Kelly, Susan L. Bellis, Aurelio Lorico, Ada G. Blidner, Gabriel A. Rabinovich, Lucia R. Languino

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Altered cell surface glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer; among aberrant glycan structures, hypersialylated proteins contribute to disease progression. The enzyme ST6 β-galactoside α2,6-sialyltransferase 1 (ST6GAL1) mediates α2,6-linked sialylation of N-glycosylated proteins and is upregulated in many cancers, including prostate cancer (PrCa). We propose that ST6GAL1 may be released by cancer cells in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) in the PrCa tumor microenvironment to potentially modulate cell surface sialylation in recipient cells. We isolated sEVs from PrCa cells by density gradient separation and characterized them by nanoparticle tracking analysis using ZetaView and immunoblotting analysis. We identified ST6GAL1 in both its membrane-bound …

Rural Providers' Attitudes Toward Integrating Harm Reduction Strategies And Prep Prescribing Into Rural Primary Care Settings In The Us. Southeast And Midwest, Phillip L Marotta, Miryam Biaid, Virginia Mckay, Hilary Reno, Lindsey Filiatreau, Kaileigh Backes, Patricia Cavazos-Rehg, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: People with opioid use disorders (OUD) living in the South and Midwest are under-prescribed pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) despite an increasing number of providers writing PrEP prescriptions in other regions of the United States. Greater research is needed into attitudes toward integrating harm reduction strategies into primary care and PrEP prescribing among prescribers working in rural primary care settings. The objective of this paper was to examine relationships between providers' attitudes toward buprenorphine and methadone, comprehensive harm reduction (e.g., fentanyl test strips) and self-reported PrEP prescribing in the past year.

METHODS: Relationships were examined between attitudes toward buprenorphine and harm …

In-Hospital Exposure And Opioids Prescribed After Total Knee Arthroplasty, Clifton Daigle, Robert Branstetter, Leland Van Deventer, Ravi Rajendra, Claudia Leonardi, Amy Bronstone, Vinod Dasa

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Opioids are frequently used intraoperatively and during postanesthesia care unit care in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) cases and are commonly prescribed after surgery despite known adverse effects. This study examined whether in-hospital opioid exposure is related to postoperative opioid prescribing in opioid-naïve TKA patients. METHODS: This retrospective study included opioid-naïve patients (no opioid prescriptions filled during the three months before TKA) who had unilateral primary TKA between May 1, 2020, and November 30, 2023, performed by an orthopaedic surgeon. All patients were treated using the same multimodal pain protocol. Opioid prescriptions filled by patients during the three months following …

Nevus Sebaceous Of Jadassohn With Secondary Cystic Papillary Hidradenoma, Jordan A. Book, Rosemary Prejean, Jonathan M. Joseph, Nicholas Culotta, Christopher Haas

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Nevus sebaceous of Jadassohn (NS) is a congenital cutaneous hamartoma that typically presents at birth as a plaque on the face, scalp, or neck. While NS is associated with a risk of neoplastic transformation, the majority of secondary tumors are benign, with the most common being trichoblastomas and syringocystadenomas. In this report, we present a rare case of a 63-year-old male with a right parietal scalp NS with a secondary cystic papillary hidradenoma (HP), which is a benign tumor that almost exclusively occurs in the perineal region. Histopathologic examination was consistent with NS, revealing hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis, increased sebaceous glands, ectopic …

Optimization Of Spinal Cord Perfusion Pressure For Improvement Of Neurological Outcome In Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Gabrielle E. Hovis, Brandon Sherrod, Nitin Agarwal, Berje H. Shammassian, Anthony M. Digiorgio, Ramesh Grandhi, Bryce Picton

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

The optimal hemodynamic management of traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI) is not well established. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of patients with acute tSCI to assess the role of lumbar cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSFD) and to identify factors predictive of neurological improvement. Three studies involving 46 patients with acute tSCI, lumbar drain placement with CSFD, and available pre- and post-intervention American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale or International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISNCSCI) motor scores were identified. One study was analyzed separately (Cohort A) using ASIA grade because post-intervention ISNCSCI motor scores were …

Carbonation For Enhancement Of Fine Recycled Aggregate Applied To Mortar, Henrique Comba Gomes, Augusto Cesar Da Silva Bezerra, Conrado De Souza Rodrigues, Flavia Spitale Jacques Poggiali, Boksun Kim

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Some of the challenges faced by the construction industry related to sustainability are the generation of construction and demolition waste (CDW), environmental impacts caused by the demand for natural aggregates, and associated carbon (CO₂) emissions. One potential solution is recycling CDW as recycled aggregates (RA). Though, RA generally performs poorly compared to natural aggregates (NA) in concretes. Researchers suggest that CO₂ curing via accelerated carbonation may improve the properties of RA. However, further investigation is needed to understand the impact of CO₂ curing on mortar made with fine recycled aggregates (FRA). This study explores the effects …

A Federated Approach To Scalable And Trustworthy Financial Fraud Detection, Yaser Alhasawi, Aljwhrh Abdalaziz Almtrf, Muhammad Asad

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Financial fraud remains a critical challenge for digital banking, requiring detection solutions that ensure both scalability and data privacy. Traditional centralized approaches face limitations due to security risks and system bottlenecks. This paper proposes FedFraud, a novel federated learning (FL) framework that detects fraudulent transactions without sharing raw data. FedFraud introduces two key innovations: (i) a trust-aware client aggregation mechanism that assigns weights based on update reliability and (ii) an asynchronous communication protocol enabling clients to contribute updates independently. Evaluated on the Credit Card Fraud Detection dataset under a nonidentically distributed (non-IID) data setting where client data distributions differ significantly, …

Clientelism And The Erosion Of Legislative Oversight: Examining The House Of Representative (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, Dpr) Role Under President Joko Widodo (2014–2024), Muhammad Tri Andika Kurniawan, Suseela Chandra Devi

Jurnal Wacana Politik

This article investigates the weakening of legislative oversight by The House of (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, DPR) during President Joko Widodo’s tenure from 2014 to 2024. Despite the expanded constitutional authority granted to the DPR following the 1998 political reforms, the quality of oversight function has diminished markedly in the Jokowi era. Drawing on theoretical and empirical literature, the article argues that this erosion is not solely the result of institutional shortcomings or inadequate reform, but is primarily driven by pervasive clientelistic relationships between the president and party elites. Such clientelism entrenches political patronage, enabling the executive to exert significant influence …

Political Empowerment Of West Java Pdi-P Women’S Cadres In The 2024 Legislative Election, Ahmad Rifki Nurfebriansyah, Mudiyati Rahmatunnisa, Ratnia Solihah

Jurnal Wacana Politik

The involvement of women in political parties cannot be ignored. This is because gender equality allows democracy to function properly. PDI-P is the only party that has the highest level of women participation. West Java is one of the crucial provinces in both the 2024 General Election or Regional Election. This study aims to explore how women’s empowerment is carried out by PDI-P West Java in each stage of their politics and what the results are. Qualitative research is conducted by collecting primary and secondary data. Primary data is conducted by interviewing selected informants and secondary data trough related document. …

A Picture Paints A Thousand Words: Understanding How People Conceptualise Autism Through Images, Gray Atherton, Emily Dawson, Andrea Piovesan, Lauren Hawksworth-Quill, Liam Cross

School of Psychology

Conceptions of autism and neurodiversity vary widely, with differing views on how they are portrayed in contemporary culture. Although autism scholars have long advocated for greater involvement of autistic individuals in knowledge creation, meaningful co-production between autistic stakeholders, researchers, and the broader community remains limited. To explore differences in autism knowledge between autistic and non-autistic people, we used a qualitative method called visual elicitation. We invited the public to upload an image they felt represented autism and explain their choice. Through thematic analysis of these images and their accompanying descriptions, we identified three key themes highlighting how autism is currently …

Structural Analysis Of Pseudomonas Phage Dev Virion-Associated Rna Polymerase (Gp71), James Scherer

All ETDs from UAB

DEV is a Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteriophage part of a newly reclassified genus called Schitoviridae. This group of bacteriophages is also referred to as “N4-like” phages, after the prototypical Escherichia coli phage N4, originally isolated from sewage water in 19661. N4, and other phages in the group, contain a large, virion-associated RNA polymerase (vRNAP). This vRNAP is vital to the proliferation of the phage, as it performs the transcription of the early gene products and potentially acts as a motor that helps eject the viral genome into the host bacteria. In DEV, the vRNAP is also known as gene product 71 …

Brian Gegel '94 To Receive Alumni Nursing Award, Chris Francis

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Erratum To “Cardiac Screening Findings And Referral Patterns In Male African-American Basketball Players: Analysis Of The Heartbytes Registry”[The American Journal Of Cardiology 243 (2025) 73-80], Douglas Corsi, Avinash Saraiya, Maggie Doyle, Vacha Shah, Blaise O’Malley, Grace Qiu, Renee Lanstaff, Imran Masood, Brian Osler, Alexander Hajduczok, Drew Johnson, David Shipon

Division of Cardiology Faculty Papers

No abstract provided.

Patterns Of Resilience, Patterns Of Tragedy: Perspectives From Inside And Outside To Theorize Beneficial Interventions Serving Urban African American Youth Struggling With Community Violence, Katherine Tyson Mccrea, Kevin Miller, Amzie Moore, Heather L. Watson

Social Work: School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Other Works

Community violence, defined as violence perpetrated in community as opposed to home settings, is a salient social problem, causing terror and tragedy, especially in urban, low-income communities of color. Interventions supporting youth struggling with community violence have been insufficiently studied and theorized, especially from strengths-focused, culturally relevant standpoints in the context of contemporary social policies. This paper outlines psychodynamic theoretical models for services that have been developed via participatory research and provided for 19 years for over 1000 youth. Then, to understand how youth make use of the programs from an “inside” perspective, four intensive case examples are described. From …

Investigating How Evolution Has Affected The Neuroanatomy Of Adult Astyanax Mexicanus, Peter Igwilo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The topology of the brain is highly conserved across phyla, yet the evolutionary processes driving anatomical divergence remain poorly understood. The fish Astyanax mexicanus, which exists in both surface- and cave-dwelling morphs within the same species, provides a powerful model for studying brain evolution. While previous studies have focused on larvae, imaging adult brains has been challenging due to their size and opacity. This study overcame these limitations using tissue clearing, light sheet imaging, and computational analysis to generate a comprehensive adult brain atlas. Using nuclear staining and antibody labeling, brain-wide 3D maps were created to compare regional size, shape, …

Infusion Of Blood From Young And Old Mice Modulates Amyloid Pathology, Matias Pizarro, Ruben Gomez-Gutierrez, Ariel Caviedes, Catalina Valdes, Ute Woehlbier, Cristian Vargas, Mauricio Hernandez, Claudia Duran-Aniotz, Rodrigo Morales

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the accumulation of misfolded proteins in the brain. Recently, the impact of blood components in the progression of this disease has come to attention. This study investigates the effects of infusing blood from young and old wild-type mice into transgenic mice that model AD brain amyloidosis. Impaired memory and Aβ accumulation were observed in mice infused with blood from old donors. A proteomic analysis in the brain of these mice identified alterations in components related to synaptogenesis and the endocannabinoid system. The α2δ2 protein, associated with neuronal calcium regulation, was validated …

Loss Of Ptdss1 In Tumor Cells Improves Immunogenicity And Response To Anti-Pd-1 Therapy, Jielin Liu, Shelley Herbrich, Sreyashi Basu, Yulong Chen, Ashwat Nagarajan, Swetha Anandhan, Sangeeta Goswami, Liangwen Xiong, Baoxiang Guan, Padmanee Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

PTDSS1 (phosphatidylserine synthase 1) encodes an enzyme that facilitates production of phosphatidylserine (PS), which mediates a global immunosuppressive signal. Here, based on in vivo CRISPR screen, we identified PTDSS1 as a target to improve anti-PD-1 therapy. Depletion of Ptdss1 in tumor cells increased expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-regulated genes, including B2m, Cxcl9, Cxcl10, and Stat1, even in the absence of IFN-γ stimulation in vitro. Loss of Ptdss1 in tumor cells also led to increased expression of MHC-I, enhanced cytotoxicity of CD8+ T cells, and increased frequency of an iNOS+ myeloid subset. A gene signature derived from the …

The Diamond, September 12, 2025, Dordt University

Dordt Diamond

• Front Page: Staffing and Service Challenges in the New Atrium; Summer Storm Recap: Historic 'Derecho' Wind Hits Sioux Center; In God's Hands, On Our Helmets: Honoring Liam Sorensen's Life
• News: The Cottages: A Place to Call Home; Sioux Center Welcomes New Pickleball Courts
• Feature: Construction Updates and Ripples Seen on Campus; Dr. Justin Bailey and the 2025-2026 Chapel Vision; Dordt Welcomes Kristin Brouwer as New Director of Campus Ministries
• Politics: 'Pursuing Peace': Trump's Meeting with Putin; Funding Cuts Hinder the "Second Space Race"
• Opinion: Jersey on the Wall: Recent Reflection on Grief; Kraft Korner: …

Distinct Transcriptional Regulation Of The Wnt And Tgfβ Signaling Families Associated With Wound Healing And Fibrotic Outcomes To Lens Injury, Catherine Lalman, Kylie R. Stabler, Joshua Disatham, Lisa A. Brennan, Marc Kantorow, Janice L. Walker

Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Cell Biology Faculty Papers

Posterior capsule opacification (PCO) is a fibrotic complication of cataract surgery caused by aberrant repair of residual lens cells. It remains unclear how the lens injury response shifts toward a pathological repair process. Here, we performed a transcriptional analysis of two major pro-fibrotic pathways, the TGF-β superfamily and Wnt signaling pathways to determine how they are differentially regulated during regenerative wound healing versus fibrosis in a lens injury model. For these studies, RNA sequencing was performed on an ex vivo lens explant system that models post-surgical healing within regenerative and fibrotic microenvironments, from 0 to 3 days post-injury. Fibrotic conditions …

Targeting Kinin B1r Attenuates Hypertension Through At1r-Dependent Mechanisms, Drew Theobald, Riley N. Bessetti, Yumei Feng Earley, Eric Lazartigues, Karen Litwa, Srinivas Sriramula

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Neurogenic hypertension is chronically high blood pressure that is initiated and maintained through excessive sympathetic nervous system activity and has been associated with increased B1R (kinin B1 receptor) activation. We previously reported a central role for B1R in mediating inflammatory pathways in the development of deoxycorticosterone acetate salt hypertension. Additionally, we identified a causal relationship between B1R expression after Ang II (angiotensin II) stimulation, and that B1R can mediate the bidirectional interaction between neuroinflammation and oxidative stress. However, whether there are any interactions between AT1R (Ang II-type I receptor) and B1R, and if B1R can mediate the effects of …

Integrating Identity-Based Identification Against Adaptive Adversaries In Federated Learning, Jakub Kacper SzeląG, Ji-Jian Chin, Lauren Ansell, Sook-Chin Yip

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Federated Learning (FL) has recently emerged as a promising paradigm for privacy-preserving, distributed machine learning. However, FL systems face significant security threats, particularly from adaptive adversaries capable of modifying their attack strategies to evade detection. One such threat is the presence of Reconnecting Malicious Clients (RMCs), which exploit FL’s open connectivity by reconnecting to the system with modified attack strategies. To address this vulnerability, we propose the integration of Identity-Based Identification (IBI) as a security measure within FL environments. By leveraging IBI, we enable FL systems to authenticate clients based on cryptographic identity schemes, effectively preventing previously disconnected malicious clients …

In Vivo Efficacy Of A Broad-Spectrum Antiviral Combination Against Yellow Fever In A Hamster Model, Abbie E. Weight, Hunter Stanger, Robert J. Geraghty, Laurent F. Bonnac, Justin G. Julander

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Science Student Research

Yellow fever virus (YFV) recurrently causes severe outbreaks in tropical regions of South America and Africa and an average of 30 to 40 thousand deaths worldwide each year. An effective vaccine is available but the coverage of the population in countries at risk is not optimal. No antivirals are currently approved for YFV treatment. Herein, we describe the evaluation of 6-MMPr, a de-novo-purine-nucleotide biosynthesis inhibitor, as a potentiator for enhanced activity of the broad-spectrum antiviral drug favipiravir in a hamster model of yellow fever. Administration of 6-MMPr was well-tolerated and a combination of favipiravir and 6-MMPr did not cause …

A Qualitative Exploration Of Child, Caregiver, And Clinician Perspectives On Mental Health In Children With Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Justin H Qian, Andrew D Wiese, Clarissa Gonzalez, Whitney S Shepherd, Hannah Cho, Gianna M Colombo, Julia M Morales, Selena Guo, Kristin M Kostick-Quenet, Dianne Nguyen, Sophie C Schneider, Kara Ayers, Members Of The Bbdc, Marie-Eve Robinson, Chaya N Murali, Brendan Lee, V Reid Sutton, Eric A Storch

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a heritable connective disorder with clinical manifestations including bone fragility and short stature. Previous research identified psychosocial themes related to mental health among children with OI and their caregivers, such as independence, social isolation, depression, and anxiety. Several studies have also examined clinicians of individuals with OI for their perspectives on mental health among their patients. However, no known studies have compared psychosocial themes among all three participant groups concurrently. This qualitative study examined mood and anxiety, along with risk and protective factors, from perspectives of youths, parents, and clinicians. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, which were …

Re: Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Final Insufficiently Reclaimed Sites Field Sampling Plan (Fsp): Bres No. 181 – Mountain Con-3 Dump., Mike Mcanulty

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

The Hidden Link Between Hiv And Cardiomyopathy: Unraveling Hiv's Impact On The Heart, Toluwalase Awoyemi, Oluwaremilekun Zeth Tolu-Akinnawo, Andrew Greek, Oluwakemi Adenuga, Chukwuebuka Asogwa, Isaac Ekundayo, Olamide Odusola, Oyinlola Fasehun, Mercy Ajayi, Onyinye Ugoala, Luther-King Fasehun, Adeleke Oluwaseun Dorcas, Michael Angarone

Student Publications

This comprehensive review examines the complex relationship between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and cardiomyopathy, focusing on the underlying molecular mechanisms, clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches, and treatment strategies. It highlights the significant global health burden posed by HIV and its potential to cause long-term cardiovascular complications. The review investigates the pathogenesis of HIV-associated cardiomyopathy. It elucidates the intricate cellular and molecular pathways involved, including the actions of neutrophils, monocytes, macrophages, and lymphocytes in cardiac inflammation. Key signaling pathways such as TNF-NF-κB and the caspase-1 inflammasome are detailed, as they contribute to cardiac infection and injury. The clinical manifestations of HIV-associated cardiomyopathy …

Opposing Synovial Cannabinoid Receptor Type 2 And Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Expression In Painful Osteoarthritis, Collin A. Toups, Lauren G. Guillot, Kaitlyn Redondo, Sydney Jensen, Jennifer Klein, Luis Marrero

School of Medicine Faculty Publications

Knee osteoarthritis (kOA) poses a major health challenge worldwide, but current non-surgical treatments have limited long-term success and do not address the underlying disease process. This study explores the complex relationship between the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and the endovanilloid system (EVS) in the synovial membrane of patients with kOA undergoing total knee replacement, focusing on how these systems relate to patient-reported pain and histological synovitis. Synovial tissues and fluid from patients grouped into high and low pain categories based on the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) were examined for cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2R), transient receptor potential vanilloid …

The Simcomp Tool For Simulation-Based Learning: Advancing Competency-Based Nursing Simulation, Heather S. Cole, Megan P. Lippe, Donna Guerra

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Background: Simulation-based learning experiences allow undergraduate nursing students to develop competence and confidence through deliberate practice with immediate feedback on the learner's performance. As nursing education shifts towards a competency-based framework, faculty require robust tools to evaluate student performance in simulation settings effectively. The purpose of this Delphi study was to develop the SimComp Tool – a competency-based evaluation tool aligned with the AACN (2021) Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education.

Methods: Utilizing the Delphi technique, we engaged a diverse panel of experts to refine and reach consensus on competency-based simulation evaluations. Panelists rated aggregated responses using a Likert …

Exploring Interprofessional Collaboration In A Rural Community’S Pandemic Response Efforts, Susan E. Young, Stephanie R. Duea

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Introduction: Community resilience refers to the capacity to prepare for, respond to, and recover from extreme events¹. While community leaders, health departments, faith-based organizations, and other agencies can greatly influence an area’s socioeconomic, physical, and mental well-being², building capacity through community competence involves interprofessional collaboration, community action, and empowerment³.

Methods: This qualitative study investigated the collaborative response by healthcare and community leaders to the recent pandemic in a rural North Carolina county. A community competence framework guided the inquiry by exploring the extent to which participants collaborated to identify problems, establish a working consensus, …

Alcohol Consumption Among Older Adults With Chronic Health Conditions: A National Study, Hon Lon Tam, Leona Yuen Ling Leung

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Older adults are common to have chronic health conditions, and alcohol consumption increases risk of illness and mortality. Reducing and stop consuming alcohol is recommended, especially those who have chronic health conditions. This study used an American national dataset, Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2023, to investigate the alcohol consumption among older adults with chronic health conditions. Data were collected from 48 states by random-digit-dialing telephone calls. After removal of missing data, 119,193 non-institutionalized adults aged 65 years and above were included in the analysis. Most of them was female (53.2%) and 91.5% reported to have a health check within …