Digital Commons Network^™

Rock Galaxy Album Release Concert And Lunar New Year Celebration

Bailey School of Music Concert Programs

featuring music composed using feng shui by Zack Browning

Engineering Chimeric Antigen Receptor Cd4 T Cells For Alzheimer's Disease, Pavle Boskovic, Rotem Shalita, Wenqing Gao, Hailey Vernon, Yu Lin Deng, Marco Colonna, Robbie G Majzner, Ido Amit, Jonathan Kipnis

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the prevailing cause of age-associated dementia worldwide. Current standard of care relies on antibody-based immunotherapy. However, antibody-based approaches carry risks for patients, and their effects on cognition are marginal. Increasing evidence suggests that T cells contribute to AD onset and progression. Unlike the cytotoxic effects of CD8

Evaluating The American Society Of Hematology Quality Measure On Timeliness Of Analgesics For Sickle Cell Disease Pain Crisis, Ibrahim Gwarzo, Harish Chandra Dega, Paula Tanabe, Robin Miller, David C. Brousseau

Department of Medicine Faculty Papers

The American Society of Hematology (ASH) proposed the median time to first emergency department (ED) administration of pain medication for patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) vaso-occlusive pain episodes (VOE) as a site-level quality measure. Generalizable studies assessing current guideline adherence recommending pain medications within 60 minutes are lacking. We leveraged multisite electronic health record data from Epic's Cosmos research platform to analyze ED encounters for SCD VOE from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2024, with administration of at least 1 pain medication. We calculated the quality measure (median time to first pain medication) and ranked sites based on …

Aiw26s: Linkedin Optimization Using Ai, Saisumedha Billapati

Paul English Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) Institute Publications

This workshop was part of the PEAAII and SAC AI Workshop Series at the University of Massachusetts Boston. The session focused on using artificial intelligence to improve LinkedIn profiles and professional branding. Participants learned how to use AI tools to enhance summaries, keywords, and overall digital presence for career development.

Unravelling Antecedents And Bidirectional Impacts Of Nurse Work Rumination: A Scoping Review To Enhance Nurses’ Well-Being And Improve Nursing Quality, Wenjun Hu, Xiaofeng Xie, Xun Xu, Siying Wei, Ling Zhu, Yawen An

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background Globally, work rumination is a common phenomenon related to nurse burnout. However, most existing studies focus on the single negative impacts of rumination, with less exploration of its dual effects and antecedents. Therefore, comprehensively exploring the effect of nurse work rumination and its influencing factors is crucial for enhancing the accuracy of nursing management. Objectives Identify the antecedents and dual effects of nurse work rumination to deepen understanding of this phenomenon and provide references for formulating interventions that enhance nurses’ well-being and improve the quality of nursing work. Eligibility criteria Included studies were original research articles focusing on work-related …

A Prospective Study Of Individuals At Risk Of Multiple Sclerosis Informs The Design Of Primary Prevention Studies, Amy Laitinen

All Publications

Objective: In multiple sclerosis, the optimal time for deploying a therapeutic intervention is before the central nervous system is damaged; given the success of trials treating the earliest stage of MS, the radiologically isolated syndrome, developing primary prevention strategies is an important next challenge. To inform this question, we examined the conversion of asymptomatic family members to a diagnosis of MS among Genes and Environment in Multiple Sclerosis (GEMS) project participants. We also evaluated an updated Genetic and Environmental risk score (GERS) and interest in participation in primary prevention trials.

Methods: GEMS is a nationwide prospective study of first-degree relatives …

The Recent Rash Of Biotechnology Risks: A Call To Fortify Force Capability, James Giordano

Strategic Insights

This commentary looks at recent incidents that highlight emerging national security risks posed by advances in biotechnology and synthetic biology. The discovery of suspicious biological materials stored in a residential facility in Reedley, California, and reports that a rare neurotoxin may have been used against Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny illustrate how barriers to acquiring and operationalizing biological and chemical agents are declining. Tools such as gene editing, modular DNA assembly, laboratory automation, and AI-enabled biological design are expanding the range of actors capable of producing or modifying bioagents while complicating detection and attribution. Strengthened biodefense measures, including “biosecurity-by-design,” improved …

Accurate Interpretation Of Within-Host Dissemination Using Barcoded Bacteria, Rachel T Giorgio, My T Le, Ting Zhang, Caitlyn L Holmes, Karthik Hullahalli

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Bacterial dissemination across tissues is a critically important process influencing infection outcomes. Monitoring within-host dissemination is challenging because conventional measures of bulk bacterial burden cannot distinguish between lineages that are shared between tissues and those that replicate locally. This limitation can be overcome using barcoded bacteria, where deep sequencing of the barcode locus and comparisons of barcodes between tissues define which lineages spread within the host. Numerous studies have used barcoded bacteria to generate high-resolution maps of dissemination. However, since multiple cells in the infectious inoculum can contain identical barcodes, inferences about dissemination can be confounded when distinct lineages from …

Community-Associated Quinolone-Resistant And Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Escherichia Coli Isolates Are Similar To Clinical Infection Isolates By Sequence Type And Resistome, Emily E Benedict, Wesley Agee, Tiffany Hink, Katelyn L Parrish, Kimberly A Reske, Kate Peacock, Rachel E Bosserman, Alyssa Valencia, Akshay Saluja, Elianora Ovchiyan, Olivia Arter, Kevin Jolani, Erik R Dubberke, Gautam Dantas, Jennie H Kwon

2020-Current year OA Pubs

No abstract provided.

Financial Stability Success Strategies For Nursing Homes, Jennifer Helene Garrison

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Ineffective regulatory strategies can lead to reduced financial stability. Nursing home leaders who wrestle to improve regulatory practices may find their business facing reduced financial sustainability. Grounded in management by objectives theory, the purpose of this qualitative pragmatic inquiry research project was to identify and explore the effective strategies nursing home leaders used to implement regulatory compliance practices that increase financial sustainability. The participants were nine nursing home leaders who had successfully implemented regulatory compliance strategies within their organizations. Data was collected through semistructured interviews, public websites, and current and archival public documents. Through thematic analysis, three themes were identified: …

Larval Zebrafish Minimize Energy Consumption During Hunting Via Adaptive Movement Selection, Thomas Darveniza, Robert Wong, Shuyu I Zhu, Zac Pujic, Biao Sun, Matthew Levendosky, Ramesh Agarwal, Michael H Mccullough, Geoffrey J Goodhill

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Animals must balance behavioral goals with the energetic costs of movement. How such trade-offs are implemented algorithmically during natural behavior, and how they adapt to changing energetic constraints, remains poorly understood. Here we show that larval zebrafish adjust their motor strategies during prey hunting to minimize energy expenditure. Using high-speed video tracking and 3D computational fluid dynamics simulations, we quantified the energy costs (in Joules) of different movement types across three developmental stages. While the structure of discrete movement types ("bouts") remained stable with age, their selection probabilities changed depending on their energetic cost, such that more expensive bouts were …

Empowering Neurodiverse Talent In Cybersecurity Through Fair And Inclusive Ai Education, Sheikh Rabiul Islam, Yansi Keim, Mohiuddin Ahmed, Maanak Gupta, Ingrid Russell, Mahmoud Abdelsalam

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Cybersecurity demands creativity, persistence, and sharp pattern recognition—strengths frequently reported among neurodivergent people (e.g., autism, ADHD, dyslexia). Yet AI-driven hiring pipelines can systematically disadvantage neurodivergent applicants by misreading communication styles or valuing narrow proxies of “fit.” Demand for cybersecurity talent is growing, and experts note that neurodiverse individuals are both underrepresented and highly valuable to security teams. However, progress remains uneven without targeted educational interventions [1]. We present a curricular module that simultaneously (a) centers neurodiversity as a strength in the cybersecurity workforce and (b) trains students to audit and redesign AI hiring systems using open-source fairness and explainability toolkits …

Remnant Cholesterol And Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk In Populations With Different Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Elevations: A Prospective Cohort Study, Hong Zheng, Guanlin Chen, Zhenyu Huo, Yulong Lan, Yuxian Wang, Peng Fu, Weiqiang Wu, Haixiang Zheng, Kuangyi Wu, Zegui Huang, Dan Wu, Shouling Wu, Youren Chen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and remnant cholesterol (RC) are risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, the extent to which differences in RC levels affect ASCVD risk in populations with varying degrees of LDL-C elevation remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether RC can provide additional risk stratification value across different sexes, ages, and elevated LDL-C statuses. Methods: This study included 12 743 elevated LDL-C participants (LDL-C ≥3.4 mmol/L) and 50 073 age- and sex-matched non-elevated LDL-C controls from the Kailuan Study. Elevated LDL-C participants were categorized by RC levels into <0.5, 0.5 to <1.0, and ≥1.0 mmol/L subgroups. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the relationship between RC levels and ASCVD risk across different sexes, ages, and high LDL-C statuses. Results: During a median follow-up of 12.8 years, 1686 elevated LDL-C participants (13.2%) and 5252 non-elevated LDL-C participants (10.5%) developed ASCVD. In the borderline-high LDL-C group (3.4 ≤ LDL-C < 4.1 mmol/L), those with the lowest RC levels showed no significant risk difference compared with controls (hazard ratio [HR], 1.03 [95% CI, 0.93-1.13]), and this pattern remained consistent across different sexes and ages. In contrast, in the high LDL-C group (LDL-C ≥4.1 mmol/L), even when RC was at the lowest level, ASCVD risk remained significantly higher than that of controls (HR, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.02-1.41]). CONCLUSIONS: In the borderline-high LDL-C population, those with the lowest RC levels showed no significant risk difference compared with controls, and this pattern remained consistent across different sexes and age subgroups. In the high LDL-C population, even when RC was at the lowest level, ASCVD risk remained significantly higher than that of controls.

Satellites, Urban Heat, And Environmental Justice: Community As The Bridge Between Analysis And Action, Joshua B. Fisher, Ambar Rivera, Ava Cison, Ashley Agatep, Kainani Tacazon, Sophia Spiegleman, Alison Mckenery, Rio E. Fisher, Reginald Archer, Jason A. Douglas

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Heat waves are increasing in frequency, intensity, magnitude, and duration, causing a disproportionate impact on marginalized communities exposed to urban heat islands. Newly emerging spaceborne thermal sensing instruments, such as ECOSTRESS and Hydrosat, now have the capabilities to measure urban surface temperatures accurately at the block level (< 100 m) and with enough frequency to capture transient heat waves (daily to subweekly). Such data are critical for monitoring and informing policy and mitigation efforts, such as resurfacing, green space, cooling stations, and medical mobilization. These serve to advance environmental justice and reduce health risks—and deaths—among the most vulnerable: minority, low-income, elderly, those with physical- and mental-health preconditions, unhoused, children, and outdoor workers. While scientists have increasingly used satellite data to quantify urban heat islands and risks to communities, there remains a significant gap in action resulting from such analyses—a figurative and literal “valley of death.” Reviewing over 500 scientific publications, we identify a critical lack of engagement with the communities being analyzed (10.9%; n = 58); yet, community engagement is key to bridging such analysis with subsequent action. Here, we demonstrate how participatory community engagement directly with data and analysis leads to increased policy changes and mitigation efforts. Our framework has immediate implications for how scientists may augment their work and thought processes to achieve …

Spatiotemporal Histogenesis Of The Developing Human Cerebellum Reveals Dynamic Layering Of Bergmann Glia, Guanyi He, Simon Du, Henry Tan, Sri Yellampally, Anders W Erickson, Virginia Fernandez, Ferechte Encha-Razavi, Kimberley A Phillips, Christine Haberler, Nicole Amberg, Victor Borrell, Paul A Northcott, Michael D Taylor, Kathleen J Millen, Parthiv Haldipur

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Bergmann glia (BG) are a specialized glial population essential for cerebellar development, yet their developmental timeline and molecular identity in the human cerebellum remain poorly understood. Here, we combined detailed histopathological analysis with spatial transcriptomics and single-nucleus RNA sequencing to generate a developmental atlas of human cerebellar BG. Histology revealed that BG emerge around 11 post-conception weeks (PCW), initially serving as a scaffold for Purkinje cells (PCs) migrating into the PC layer of the cerebellar cortex. Following the establishment of a multilayered PC arrangement, BG form a distinct parallel layer separated from the PCs by the lamina dissecans (LD), with …

Cannabis And Psychedelics Among U.S. Young Adults: Use, Messaging Exposure, Perceptions, And Legalization Support, Carla J Berg, Cassidy R Loparco, Darcey M Mccready, Laura C Schubel, Patricia A Cavazos-Rehg, Erin Kasson, Shriya Thakkar, Diane M Ndisebuye, Y Tony Yang

2020-Current year OA Pubs

This study assessed the correlates of cannabis and psychedelic use and legalization support among young adults in the United States (US). Using 2025 data among adults ages 18-34 (

Micro-Refuges Or Ecological Traps: Context-Dependent Effects Of Rock Pools On Intertidal Biodiversity Across Latitudes, Louise B. Firth, Andrea Desiderato, Antony M. Knights, J. David Aguirre, Juan C. Astudillo, Juan C. Azofeifa-Solano, David T. Bilton, Su Yin Chee, Hartvig C. Christie, Ronaldo A. Christofoletti, Amelia Curd, Katherine A. Dafforn, Megan N. Dethier, Yun Wei Dong, Gabin Droual, Stanislas F. Dubois, Free Espinosa, Ally J. Evans, Andy Foggo, Stephen J. Hawkins, Mick E. Hanley, Ben P. Harvey, Eliza Heery, Seokwoo Hong, Amanda R. Hsiung, Tommy T.Y. Hui, Mar Humet, Katrin Iken, Soniya B. Jethva

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

AimWe investigated how local-scale environmental heterogeneity influences biodiversity patterns across broad biogeographic gradients, using intertidal microhabitats as a model system within one of the most environmentally stressful ecosystems on Earth.LocationIntertidal habitats at 26 locations (two rocky shore sites per location) across six continents, spanning 98° of latitude (38°S to 60°N).Time Period2019–2022.Major Taxa StudiedAlgae, sessile and mobile invertebrates.MethodsWe compared biodiversity and thermal environments across contrasting microhabitats (rock pools and adjacent emergent rock) along a latitudinal gradient, sampling during environmentally ‘milder’ and ‘harsher’ periods. Biodiversity was quantified using multiple richness metrics (mean, total, unique taxa) and functional diversity.ResultsMicrohabitat differences strongly influenced biodiversity …

General Anesthesia Versus Conscious Sedation For Mechanical Thrombectomy In Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke In The Most Trial, Umeshkumar Athiraman, Akash Roy, Andrew Barreto, Joseph Broderick, Colin Derdeyn, Jordan Elm, James C Grotta, James Ingles, Achala Vagal, Max Wintermark, Opeolu Adeoye

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Several observational studies have supported the use of conscious sedation (CS) for endovascular thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke and associated general anesthesia (GA) with poor functional outcomes. Recently, few randomized controlled trials have shown no difference in the functional outcomes between GA and CS. The aim of this paper is to compare the outcomes of GA versus CS in patients with acute ischemic stroke undergoing mechanical thrombectomy in the MOST (Multi-arm Optimization of Stroke Thrombolysis) trial.

METHODS: Patients who underwent mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke under GA or CS in the MOST trial were included. The …

Community Engagement And Implementation Science: A Hermeneutic Review For Implementation Scientists, Minh X Nguyen, Zhuoheng Yin, Ye Liu, Cory D Bradley, Elvin Geng, Mayuko Itofukunaga, Nyanyiwe M Mbeye, Rayner K J Tan, Sherika Hanley, Radhika Sundararajan, Joseph D Tucker

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Community engagement is increasingly part of implementation research. However, some implementation scientists are less familiar with how to use community engagement approaches in implementation research. This hermeneutic review explores the gaps in community engagement within implementation research and examines community engagement approaches for implementation researchers.

METHODS: We conducted a hermeneutic review to synthesize information in the literature on community engagement in implementation research. We searched PubMed related to community engagement and implementation research. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they were published in English, had full-text available and were likely to add meaning and valuable insights to address our …

Long-Acting Interleukin-7 Improves The Efficacy Of Oncolytic Viral Therapy In Glioblastoma, Yuping Derek Li, David A Giles, Yi Huang, Ashwani Kesarwani, Tong Hu, Logan Page, Amanda De Andrade Costa, Jingqin Luo, Mai T Dang, Albert H Kim, John F Dipersio, David T Curiel, Michael S Diamond, Milan G Chheda, Et Al.

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Despite advances in immunotherapy, the prognosis for patients with glioblastoma (GBM) remains poor. The efficacy of GBM-targeted immunotherapies is limited by the paucity of functional T cells in the tumor microenvironment, a consequence of the local and systemic immunosuppression prevalent in patients with GBM. To overcome these challenges, here we develop a treatment strategy we term "expand and pull," which uses systemic administration of rhIL-7-hyFc, a long-acting recombinant human interleukin-7, to increase peripheral T cell abundance ("expand"), followed by intratumoral oncolytic virus treatment to recruit these cells to the tumor microenvironment ("pull"). We show that rhIL-7-hyFc improves the efficacy of …

Associations Between The Microbiome And Immune Responses To An Adenovirus-Based Hiv-1 Candidate Vaccine Are Distinct Between African And Us Cohorts, Yuhao Li, Daniel J Stieh, Lindsay Droit, Andrew Hyoungjin Kim, Rachel Rodgers, Kathie A Mihindukulasuriya, Leran Wang, Maria G Pau, Olive Yuan, Herbert W Virgin, Dan H Barouch, Megan T Baldridge, Scott A Handley

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Optimization of prophylactic vaccine regimens to elicit strong, long-lasting immunity is an urgent need highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Stronger vaccine immunogenicity is frequently reported in individuals living in high-income countries compared to individuals living in low- and middle-income countries. While numerous host genetic and immune factors may influence vaccine responses, geographic restrictions to vaccine effectiveness may also be influenced by the intestinal microbiota, which modulates host immune systems. However, the potential role of the gut microbiota on responses to HIV-1 vaccines has not yet been explored. We analyzed the bacteriome by targeted 16S sequencing and the virome by virus-like …

Variable And Conserved Features Of Copy-Back Viral Genome Populations Generated De Novo During Sendai Virus Infection, Yanling Yang, Yuchen Wang, Carolina B López

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Copy-back viral genomes (cbVGs) are generated during the replication of negative-sense RNA viruses when the polymerase drops off from the genome and reattaches to the nascent strand. cbVGs have strong immunostimulatory properties and impact infection outcomes. Despite their importance, the composition and mechanisms of

Lowering Morbidity And Readmissions Of Underserved Preterm Infants To Reduce Acute Care Hospital Spend, Adaugo Amuta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Neonatal readmissions remain a significant challenge in urban acute care hospitals serving indigent preterm infants. These readmissions impose substantial financial burdens, with high-cost conditions such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, and retinopathy of prematurity driving recurring expenditures. This integrative review examined strategies that healthcare administrators can implement to reduce neonatal readmissions, improve care equity, and optimize healthcare spending in hospitals serving vulnerable populations in the Commonwealth of Virginia. A comprehensive literature search of empirical and non-empirical studies yielded 105 results for quality assessment using the Johns Hopkins appraisal tools. A total of 29 were included for thematic analysis. Five main …

Impact Of Suicide Literacy In Hispanic/Latinx Communities, Denisse Centeno Lamas

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

No abstract provided.

The Relationship Between Social Determinants And Primary Care Utilization Among Medicaid Recipients In A Managed Care Community Health Worker Program, Rachel Elaine Rosensteel

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community health worker (CHW) programs are an increasingly important strategy for addressing social determinants of health (SDOH) within Medicaid systems. However, evidence on how specific SDOH impact healthcare utilization remains limited. In this quantitative, correlational study, the relationship between SDOH factors like housing instability, food insecurity, and transportation barriers, and primary care utilization among adult Medicaid recipients aged 18–65 who participated in a Medicaid managed care organization’s CHW program in Clark County, Nevada, during 2023 were examined. Retrospective administrative data from 441 participants were analyzed using negative binomial regression to assess associations between SDOH factors and postintervention primary care visits …

Assessing The Appropriateness Of Mental Health Patients For Telehealth Care, Jacquelyn Hamed

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project developed an evidence-based clinical practice guideline (CPG) to address the inconsistent selection of patients for telepsychiatry services. Using the Johns Hopkins evidence-based practice model and evaluated through the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument, the project translated research findings into a practical tool for improving clinical decision-making. Telepsychiatry has been shown to produce outcomes comparable to in-person care for mild to moderate psychiatric conditions. However, without clear criteria, some patients with complex or high-acuity disorders are inappropriately scheduled for virtual visits, posing safety and quality risks. The CPG …

Educators Of Color’S Perceptions On The Influence Of Induction Practices, Malia Oshiro Lee

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The problem addressed in this this study is the low retention of educators of color despite increased funding and resources aimed at supporting early career teachers in Washington State public schools. Elfers et al. noted that in Washington State over the course of 4 periods of time, early career educators of color are more likely to leave the profession than their White counterparts. Grounded in Holtom et al.’s job embeddedness theory, the purpose of this qualitative study was to explore educators of color’s perceptions about the usefulness of induction practices as it relates to their professional needs and career retention. …

Mitigating Vicarious Traumatization From Exposure To Human Trafficking For Human Services Professionals, Andrea T. Charles-Alleyne

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human trafficking is a devastating form of exploitation that not only has detrimental impacts to its victims but also the human services practitioners charged with and committed to their service provision. The secondary impact for professionals is not to be underestimated, as repeated exposure to the traumatic experiences of their clients can potentially lead to physical as well as emotional symptoms such as vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue, and burnout. Often, practitioners prioritize the needs of their clients with a relentless focus on advocacy and the overall well-being of those they serve. The purpose of this qualitative action research study was …

Secondary Students’ Mental Health And Absenteeism Post-Covid-19: School Social Workers’ Perspectives, Tiffany Hines Sutton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

School social workers practice in a post-COVID-19 educational context where anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation are closely associated with chronic absenteeism among middle school students. This practice problem is central to clinical social work because distress-based avoidance is often misinterpreted as defiance, resulting in punitive responses that intensify disengagement. The purpose of this doctoral project was to explore how school social workers perceive and respond to the interconnected dynamics of student mental health and chronic absenteeism following COVID-19. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory guided the inquiry. A qualitative descriptive design was employed using semi-structured interviews with 10 middle school social workers …

To Shape A New World, Robin Friedman

Dewey Studies

No abstract provided.