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HACK24F: AI Attacking AI
Get PDFAs MLaaS gains popularity, it also attracts new threats, in particular, model extraction attacks. These attacks involve unauthorized attempts to access and replicate AI models by querying and analyzing the response. Not only do these attacks pose a threat to security and safety but also compromises valuable intellectual property. Because businesses are increasing accessibility to their models that contain sensitive data, it is crucial that they are able to keep them safe and secure
HACK24F: Beacon Pathway
Get PDFThe problem: There are a multitude of students from different backgrounds who are feeling lost in their academic journey at UMass Boston & need help with finding opportunities that fit their needs.
The solution: Developing Beacon Pathway, a user-centered platform designed to empower UMass Boston students from diverse backgrounds by streamlining their academic journey. This solution focuses on providing personalized resources, tailored opportunities, and community engagement, ensuring every student feels supported and connected as they navigate their unique paths to succes
HACK24F: PainSync
Get PDFPain is one of the most disruptive human experiences, influencing not only physical well-being but also emotional and mental health. The PainSync project proposes a technology-assisted framework for pain recognition, monitoring, and management, using AI-driven tools to bridge the gap between patient experiences and professional care. PainSync begins by recognizing an individual’s discomfort and offering immediate support through a chatbot that collects symptom information and provides preliminary guidance. The system then tracks vital signs and daily activities, generating data that is subsequently analyzed by custom-built AI models to detect patterns, assess severity, and identify potential causes of pain. This analysis equips healthcare professionals with insights to deliver personalized treatment recommendations. The process concludes with ongoing support for recovery, ensuring that patients’ progress is continuously monitored. By combining real-time data collection, AI-based pattern recognition, and professional medical oversight, PainSync addresses the subjectivity and complexity of pain
PH Dependent Product Selectivity of Manganese(I) Polypyridyl-Based Electrocatalysts for CO2 Reduction
Get PDFEfforts to mitigate environmental changes are at the forefront of research advancements with the target of urging society toward a carbon neutral fuel economy. Sequestering atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and reducing it to useful fuels (e.g. formic acid, HCO2H) or petrochemical precursors (e.g. carbon monoxide, CO) is a major focus in this regard, though the electrocatalytic conversion of CO2 is a critical challenge. Homogeneous transition metal complexes are prime candidates for the development of selective CO2 reduction catalysts as they offer easy access to a diverse range of metal oxidation states and ligand structures for fine–tuning of electronic properties. Of particular focus, the [fac–MnI(X)(N^N)(CO)3]n class of pre–catalysts (X = Br–, n = 0; X = CH3CN, n = +1; N^N = polypyridyl ligand) have seen a rapid growth in popularity as CO2 reduction catalysts, in both electrocatalytic and photocatalytic systems, as more sustainable substitutes for their well–established Re congeners. The overarching theme of this dissertation is to improve upon the mechanistic understanding of product selectivity by enhancing our knowledge of the variables that influence competing reaction pathways such as second coordination sphere (SCS) effects of the catalyst, electrolyte acidity, and electrolyte composition. Pairing of SCS and acid source effects will allow for the investigation of CPET mediated metal–hydride (M–H) generation in CO2 to HCO2– conversion. Chapter 1 provides the reader with an overview of Mn(I) metal complexes for CO2 reduction by discussing previous literature as well as the catalytic mechanism observed for Mn(I) polypyridyl catalysts. Chapter 2 studies the influence of including a bridging N-H group in the bipyridine ring of a Mn(I) catalyst. In Chapter 3, ligands are functionalized with amino groups of varying substitution to study structure-activity relationships in [fac–MnICH3CN(R2bpy)(CO)3]+ pre-catalysts to form each desired product in the presence of varied acid sources. Following suit, Chapter 4 studies ligands functionalized with H-bond donor groups to once again understand the relationship of pre-catalyst and acid source to products formed. Finally, in Chapter 5, CPET mediators are incorporated in CO2 electrocatalysis with previously studied catalysts to observe if mediated HAT may influence product selectivity
Challenging Aspects of Caregiving: The Unique Perspective of Children 65+ Caring for Parents 90+ with Dementia
Get PDFPopulation aging has given rise to a relatively new phenomenon: many retirement-aged adult children are finding themselves providing care and support to their very old parents. The onset of cognitive impairment is common among the very old, which only stands to further complicate this relationship. Very little is known about the experiences of older adult children caring for their very old parents with dementia. Given current treatment options and population aging, it is important to investigate the experiences of those in this burgeoning group, as this situation is likely to become a lot more common in the future. This three-paper dissertation explored challenging aspects of caring for parents with dementia from the unique perspective of children aged 65 and older caring for their parents aged 90 and older with dementia. All three papers utilized data from the Boston Aging Together Study (Boerner, PI). In the first paper, I explored the strategies used by dementia caregivers in response to care recipient behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Applied thematic analysis revealed seven strategies used by child caregivers in managing BPSD—including ‘setting the record straight,’ ‘going along with it,’ distracting and redirecting, ignoring, telling ‘fiblets’ or lies, medicating their parent, and altering their physical environment. Overall, there were relatively low rates of co-occurrence; however, the most frequently co-occurring strategies employed by caregivers included ‘setting the record straight’ and ‘going along with it’. In the second paper, I investigated the challenge of relationship conflict between the caregiver and care recipient. More specifically, I was interested in exploring the role of relationship factors in contributing to potentially harmful behaviors by a caregiver, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of the sources of conflict within these relationships. Regression models revealed that poorer caregiver relationship quality was associated with higher levels of PHCB, accounting for caregiver, care recipient, and care environment characteristics. Relationship conflict emerged as the strongest predictor of PHCB. Qualitative analysis revealed that the main sources of conflict included power struggles related to parents’ resistance to assistance and navigating parents’ dementia-related delusions and mistrust. In the final paper, I explored how adult children navigated providing care for their parents with dementia during COVID-19. Applied thematic analysis was used to identify key challenges and positive experiences faced by caregivers and their parents during the pandemic. Challenges included worries related to joint vulnerability to COVID-19, communication, providing care, accessing paid and unpaid support, parent not understanding or practicing regulations around COVID-19, and social isolation. Despite these challenges, the study also identified some positive experiences, including long term care (LTC) facilities handling COVID-19 well, COVID-19 creating more space in life, and experiencing positive emotions related to the pandemic. Overall, this dissertation explored the complexities of three especially burdensome aspects of dementia caregiving: managing BPSD, relationship conflict, and caregiving amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. I outlined how the specific characteristics of older children caring for very old parents with dementia place them at increased risk for experiencing negative outcomes related to each challenge. Findings provide invaluable insight into the context surrounding each of these challenges, in caregivers own words, to advance our understanding of their needs
Exploring Substance Use Among Asian Americans: Seven Themes from Interviews with Service Providers and Community Residents
Get PDFThis report describes the aims, approaches, and findings of an exploratory research study that researchers in the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston conducted in collaboration with the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services in the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. The study aimed to shed light on substance use and its associated harms among Asian Americans in Massachusetts. The researchers used focus group and individual interviews to learn about the participants’ perceptions, observations, and opinions about substance use in Asian American communities. Recruitment targeted participants in two categories: health and social service providers serving Asian American populations and residents of one Boston neighborhood. The study began in fall 2022 and was concluded in spring 2024.
To view the research brief for this report, visit https://scholarworks.umb.edu/iaas_pubs/55
Addressing the Cliff-Effect Problem in Massachusetts Legislation to Expand Affordable Quality Child Care and Early Education: Policy Brief #1
Get PDFThe goal of this brief is to explain the cliff effects that currently exist in Massachusetts Senate Bill 2707 and a method for mitigating the abrupt cliffs. Senate Bill 2707 is a slightly amended version of Senate Bill 301 filed in early 2023 and expanding access to childcare financial assistance is a core aim of the legislation. The key eligibility and financial assistance parameters remain the same. It is referred to here and accompanying tables and figures by its original number—Senate Bill 301—for easy tracking. The effects analyzed in this brief are based on the Early Education Cost and Usage Simulator Project (CUSP), a simulator developed by a multi-disciplinary UMass Boston team of researchers to better understand some of the impacts of expanding financial assistance to families for early education and child care
Front Matter and Table of Contents
Get PDFFront matter and table of contents for Volume 36, Issue 2 of the New England Journal of Public Policy
Working on Documentary Films about World War II and Japan
Get PDFWorking on Documentary Films about World War II and Japan. Volume 36, Issue 2 of the New England Journal of Public Policy
Second Symposium Discussion
Get PDFSecond Symposium Discussion. Volume 36, Issue 2 of the New England Journal of Public Policy