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Go with Me on this Journey: The Figured World of Equity-Oriented White Women Educators
No full textIUIMy qualitative dissertation examined how white women who identify as equityoriented
educators understand, discuss, and carry out their roles as teachers and teacher
leaders while challenging oppression and marginalization in their educational settings.
My research specifically focused on the experiences of two white women who worked as
district equity leaders and identify as antiracist and anti-oppressive teachers. Drawing on
the concepts of figured worlds from sociocultural identity theory and CWS, I collected
and analyzed data from semi-structured interviews and a process of stimulated recall in
which participants reflect on their actions in teaching and facilitating antiracist
professional learning. This approach allowed me to examine how these participants shape
their identities and how they intentionally confront their whiteness and address
inequitable, oppressive, and racist systems, language, policies, and practices that support
white supremacy
Soft Power
No full textIUIMy work explores care as a radical, gendered, and relational force. One that challenges dominant
systems through presence, repetition, and tenderness rather than coercion. Drawing on feminist theory,
global perspectives, and lived experience as a single mother and first-generation college graduate, I
consider the invisible labor of care and its entanglement with identity, autonomy, and resistance. Using
upcycled garments, soft sculpture, printed fabric, and found objects, I construct installations that
intertwine text with tactile processes like sewing, binding, and mending, ritual gestures that hold,
remember, and rebuild.
Influenced by five years living in Japan, my practice integrates collectivist values such as omoiyari
(empathetic consideration) and jishuku (voluntary restraint), which emphasize interdependence and
community-oriented action. I draw on feminist scholar Nancy Snow’s reformulation of “soft power” to
frame care as a subtle yet potent strategy for social change, where empathy, visibility, and attention
become tools of resilience. My work navigates the paradoxes of visibility and erasure imposed on
women, trans, and non-binary individuals within systems that exploit care while devaluing those who
provide it.
Through tactile materiality and language-as-textile, I investigate care’s potential to map histories, hold
vulnerability, and affirm agency. My sculptures often pair soft fabrics with rigid materials, evoking the
tension between tenderness and control. These forms serve as monuments to the unseen labor of care,
spaces that refuse domination, instead inviting viewers to listen, feel, and witness. In doing so, my
practice asserts that collective care is not a weakness, but a deeply political ethic capable of transforming
how we live, relate, and resist
Scalable long-read nanopore HPV16 amplicon-based whole-genome sequencing
No full textHuman papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) drives precursor cervical lesions that often progress to cervical cancer (CC). Variation within the HPV16 genome has been associated with CC risk. Here, we developed an affordable and portable amplicon-based long-read whole genome sequencing (WGS) approach using Oxford Nanopore Technologies to investigate HPV16 genetic diversity among women in sub-Saharan African countries. Applied to a control CaSki cell line and clinical samples (n = 12), our method generated complete HPV16 genomes at high coverage (median read coverage: 5,899–15,279 ×). Benchmarking our HPV16 controls showed high accuracy for two variant calling pipelines (Clair3 and PEPPER-Margin DeepVariant). Phylogenetic analysis identified all four previously defined HPV16 lineages (A–D) and their high-risk sublineages. All lineages exhibited strong concordance across de novo assembly, reference-based phylogenetics, and unsupervised clustering. Our pipeline effectively captured the full extent of genomic variation, including putative lineage-informative SNPs. This method offers a robust amplicon-based WGS and analysis pipeline for HPV16, making it well-suited for integration into surveillance, diagnostics, and epidemiological efforts in low-resource areas.
Supplementary Information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-18664-w
Research Letter: Relationship of blood biomarkers of inflammation with acute concussion symptoms and recovery in the CARE Consortium
No full textObjective: Determine the association of inflammatory biomarkers with clinical measures and recovery in participants with concussion.
Setting: Multicenter study in National Collegiate Athletic Association member institutions including military service academies.
Participants: Four hundred twenty-two participants with acute concussion.
Design: Clinical visits and blood draws were completed preinjury and at multiple visits postconcussion (0-12 hours, 12-36 hours, and 36-60 hours postinjury). Clinical measures included Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) symptom severity, Balance Error Scoring System, Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC), Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18) scores, time to initiation of graduated return-to-play (RTP) protocol, and time to RTP. Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, IL-8, IL-1 receptor antagonist (RA), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), c-reactive protein, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured in serum. Prespecified analyses focused on IL-6 and IL-1RA at 0 to 12 hours; exploratory analyses were conducted with false discovery rate correction.
Results: For prespecified analyses, IL-1RA at 0 to 12 hours in female participants was positively associated with more errors on the SAC (B(standard error, SE) = 0.58(0.27), P < .05) and worse SCAT symptom severity (B(SE) = 0.96(0.44), P < .05). For exploratory analyses, higher levels of IL-1RA at 12 to 36 hours were associated with higher global (B(SE) = 0.55(0.14), q < 0.01), depression (B(SE) = 0.45(0.10), q < 0.005), and somatization scores on the BSI (B(SE) = 0.46(0.12), q < 0.01) in participants with concussion; Higher TNF at 12 to 36 hours was associated with fewer errors on the SAC (B(SE) = - 0.46(0.14), q < 0.05). Subanalyses showed similar results for male participants and participants who were athletes. No associations were discovered in nonathlete cadets. Higher IL-8 at 0 to 12 hours was associated with slower RTP in female participants (OR = 14.47; 95% confidence interval, 2.96-70.66, q < 0.05); no other associations with recovery were observed.
Conclusions: Peripheral inflammatory markers are associated with clinical symptoms following concussion and potentially represent one mechanism for psychological symptoms observed postinjury. Current results do not provide strong support for a potential prognostic role for these markers
Combining Microwave Ablation With CAR-T-Cell Therapy in Tumor-Bearing Mouse Models
No full textMicrowave ablation (MWA) is a thermal ablation technique widely used for local tumor control that has the added potential to stimulate systemic anti-tumor immunity. Although MWA alone rarely eliminates recurrent or metastatic disease, its ability to remodel the tumor microenvironment makes it a promising partner for adoptive cell therapies such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells. However, reproducible protocols for combining these approaches remain limited. This protocol describes the integration of MWA with CAR-T therapy in tumor-bearing mouse models. Human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines (Hep3B and SK-HEP-1) are inoculated subcutaneously into NOG mice to establish tumors. Localized MWA is performed at adjustable power and duration to induce partial or complete ablation. At defined intervals following MWA, CAR-T cells derived from healthy donor T cells and transduced with a lentiviral vector are injected intravenously. This experimental design uniquely separates MWA and CAR-T delivery, enabling precise evaluation of thermal preconditioning effects on the tumor microenvironment and subsequent CAR-T activity. By combining localized ablation with adoptive immunotherapy, the protocol provides a translationally relevant platform to optimize treatment timing, enhance CAR-T efficacy in solid tumors, and address key barriers in tumor immunology and cancer therapy. Key features • Practical protocol to investigate MWA and CAR-T-cell combination therapy in mouse tumor models. • Includes detailed procedures for tumor cell preparation, subcutaneous inoculation, MWA treatment, and CAR-T-cell administration. • Novel protocol design separates MWA and CAR-T delivery, allowing rigorous analysis of preconditioning effects on the tumor microenvironment and therapy response. • Offers translational relevance for improving CAR-T therapy in solid tumors, addressing a critical barrier to clinical application
Global Trends in CD4 Measurement and Immunosuppression at ART Initiation Among Children With HIV
No full textEligibility for antiretroviral therapy is no longer based on immune criteria. In a global cohort of 97,453 children, between 2005 and 2021, we observed large declines in CD4 measurement, from 51% to 12% among <5 seconds, and from 74% to 20% among those 5-14 years of age. Lack of CD4 testing may negatively affect clinical care and surveillance of severe immune suppression
FNA diagnosis of secondary malignancies in the parotid gland: over 20 years of experience from a single institute
No full textIntroduction: Metastatic solid tumors account for a significant portion of malignancies in the parotid gland. Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is a primary tool to diagnose these tumors.
Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed 134 FNA cases of metastatic solid tumors affecting the parotid gland, spanning from 2000 to 2023 at our institute. We summarized the medical histories, cytology diagnoses, correlations with surgical resections, clinical treatments, and follow-up outcomes.
Results: The patient cohort included 107 male and 27 female patients, with a median age of 71 years (range: 4-96 years). Eighty-five percent of metastases (113 of 134) originated from head and neck (H&N) malignancies, comprising 66% from cutaneous source and 19% from mucosal sites. The most frequent primary sites outside the H&N were lung (4%), kidney (2%), and non-H&N skin (2%). Sixty-eight percent of metastases (92 of 134) were squamous cell carcinoma (SqCC) including 61% conventional type and 7% human papillomavirus-related SqCC. Melanoma is the second most common metastatic malignancy (28 of 134, 21%). The median time from primary diagnosis to metastasis was 10 months (range: 0 to 132 months). During clinical follow-up, 59 (44%) patients died from the disease in a median follow-up of 10 months (range: 2 to 56 months).
Conclusions: This study represents one of the largest series of secondary malignancies in the parotid gland collected from a single institution. Most of these tumors are metastases from H&N malignancies, with cutaneous SqCC being the most prevalent primary site and histology. Accurate diagnosis relies heavily on clinical history, morphologic evaluation, and ancillary studies
Of Zebrafish, Mice, and Men: Identifying New Biology and Developing New Treatments for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria
No full textCirculating Immune Complexes and Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Deficiency Predict Recurrent Blackwater Fever in Ugandan Children With Severe Malaria
No full textBackground: Recently, there has been an unexplained increase in the incidence of blackwater fever (BWF) in Eastern Uganda. In this study, we evaluated the association between immune complexes, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, and the occurrence and recurrence of BWF in children with severe malaria (SM).
Methods: Between 2014 and 2017, children aged 6 months to <4 years hospitalized with SM and community children (CC) were recruited at 2 hospitals in Central and Eastern Uganda. We measured serum circulating immune complexes (cIC) and their relationship to SM complications and postdischarge outcomes, and evaluated effect mediation through G6PD deficiency.
Results: In total, 557 children with SM and 101 CC were enrolled. The mean age was 2.1 years. Children with SM had higher cIC levels than CC (P < .001). After controlling for age, sex, and site, cIC were associated with severe anemia, jaundice, and BWF: adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 7.33 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.45-15.58), P < .0001; aOR, 4.31 (95% CI, 1.68-11.08), P = .002; and aOR, 5.21 (95% CI, 2.06-13.18), P < .0001, respectively. cIC predicted readmissions for SM, severe anemia, and BWF: adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRR), 2.11 (95% CI, 1.33-3.34), P = .001; aIRR, 8.62 (95% CI, 2.80-26.59), P < .0001; and aIRR, 7.66 (95% CI, 2.62-22.45), P < .0001, respectively. The relationship was most evident in boys where the frequency of the G6PD African allele (A-) was 16.8%. G6PD deficiency was associated with increases in cIC in boys (P = .01) and mediation analysis suggested G6PD deficiency contributes to recurrent severe anemia and BWF via increased cIC.
Conclusions: Immune complexes are associated with hemolytic complications and predict recurrences in SM survivors
MicroRNA‐153‐3p targets repressor element 1‐silencing transcription factor (REST) and neuronal differentiation: Implications for Alzheimer's disease
No full textIntroduction: Small non-coding microRNAs (miRNAs) play essential roles in Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. Repressor element 1-silencing transcription factor (REST) is involved in AD, though its regulation remains unclear.
Methods: We performed real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in autopsied brain tissues to determine miR-153-3p and AD associations. A reporter-based assay measured the activity of REST mRNA 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC)-derived neurons and human cell lines were applied to determine miR-153-3p regulation of endogenous proteins.
Results: Elevation of miR-153-3p is associated with a reduced probability of AD, while elevated REST is associated with a greater probability of AD. The 3'-UTR functional assay pinpointed the miR-153-3p binding sites. miR-153-3p treatment reduced REST, amyloid precursor protein (APP), and α-synuclein (SNCA) 3'-UTR activities and protein levels. miR-153-3p treatment altered REST and neuronal differentiation in iPSC-derived neuronal stem cells. RNA-sequencing and proteomics revealed miR-153-3p-associated networks.
Discussion: miR-153-3p reduces REST, APP, and SNCA expression, pointing toward its therapeutic and biomarker potential in neurodegenerative diseases.
Highlights: With the increased emphasis on comorbidities of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases, we identified that miR-153-3p, as a master regulator, reduced a group of neurodegeneration related proteins: REST, amyloid precursor protein (APP) and α-synuclein (SNCA) levels. The elevation of miR-153-3p levels is associated with reduced probability of AD in posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), while REST, by contrast, is associated with a greater probability of AD. miR-153-3p treatment alters REST protein levels and neuronal differentiation in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) derived neuronal cells. RNA sequencing proteomics and interactome analysis revealed the role of miR-153-3p in axonal guidance