Despite decades of mass drug administration campaigns, schistosomiasis remains one of the world’s most widespread neglected tropical diseases. Rice farmers and their families are particularly at risk, as the parasitic worms that cause the disease are spread by freshwater snails found in the standing water of rice fields.

New research published in has explored how rice-fish coculturing — an intervention technique that introduces fish into the rice fields — could help reduce disease incidence and poverty along the northern Senegal River basin, a hot spot for schistosomiasis.

“One of the most exciting aspects of this research is that it suggests we don’t always have to choose between improving human health, increasing food production and protecting the environment. By restoring native fish to rice fields, we may be able to reduce disease transmission while helping farmers produce more food and generate additional income. Those kinds of win-win-win solutions are rare, but they are exactly what sustainable development requires,” said , Ludmilla F., Stephen J. and Robert T. Galla College Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of 91�Թ� and corresponding author of the study.

Researchers used data from more than 400 households in rural Senegal and found that the children of rice farmers had higher prevalence of the disease than children of non-farmers, indicating the increased risk of contracting the disease that rice farmers and their families face. And while there is a drug that can treat the disease, it cannot prevent reinfections, which will continuously occur and contribute to a cycle of poverty and disease.

To reduce disease transmission, the research team led by Rohr introduced African Bonytongue and Nile tilapia into rice fields, two native fish species that naturally suppress snail populations by eating snails or competing with them for resources. Through two trials, the team found that although the fish were not actively fed, both species thrived.

The researchers found that fields containing both fish species had fewer of the snails that host the parasite that causes the dominant form of schistosomiasis in the region. Fewer snails could reduce the risk of infection faced by rice farmers and their families.

But benefits of the intervention reached beyond disease transmission. The research team also found the intervention increased rice yields by more than 25 percent and improved the soil nutrients of the rice fields, all while offering a potential secondary source of income through the sale of harvested fish.

“What is most meaningful to me about this work is that we’re taking an agricultural technique used in other regions and expanding it to infectious disease transmission,” said , lead author of the study and graduate student in the Rohr Lab at 91�Թ�. “We can tackle schistosomiasis and also support the development of these communities by designing a sustainable and multidisciplinary solution.”

Researchers believe the initial findings are encouraging, and additional work is already underway.

“The next step is determining how this approach can be scaled across schistosomiasis-endemic rice-growing regions. If these results hold, rice-fish coculturing could become a model for addressing health, food security and poverty simultaneously,” said Rohr, an affiliate of 91�Թ�’s and .

In addition to Rohr and Selland, other study coauthors include Alexandra Sack formerly from 91�Թ�; Nicolas Jouanard, Amadou Guisse, Momy Seck and Louis Dossou Magblenou from Station D'innovation Aquacole; Andrea J. Lund and Giulio A. De Leo from Stanford University; David López-Carr from University of California, Santa Barbara; and Molly J. Doruska and Christopher B. Barrett from Cornell University.

The study was funded by the National Science Foundation, the and the Stanford Sustainability Accelerator in the Biology for Sustainability program.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

Breast cancer rates in Native American women are low compared to white women, yet Native American women have . Although the overall breast cancer death rate has declined, it has remained stagnant for Native American women.

“The largest breast cancer database in the world, The Cancer Genome Atlas, contains more than a thousand breast cancer patients — and only one of them is Native American. That means today’s treatments and tests have effectively been built using data from other populations, and then assumed to work equally well for everyone,” said , a corresponding author of the study and professor in the at 91�Թ�. “Our study is the first to look closely at the biology of breast tumors in Native American women, and it's overdue.”

Researchers compared the genetic makeup of 17 Native American breast cancer tumor tissues to nearly 700 breast cancer tissues from white women from . Breast cancer tissue from Native American women in the study showed differences in which genes carried mutations, how the tumors used their DNA and which genes were turned on or off.

Many of those differences pointed to the immune system. Li said that tumors from Native American women compared to those from white women appeared to “hide” from the body’s immune defenses in fundamentally distinct ways. Researchers also found differences in the genes that protect against DNA damage.

“We found differences at every level we looked at. Several genes were mutated much more often in tumors from Native American women than white women, including some that are critical for the immune system to recognize cancer cells. A few of these immune-related genes were mutated only in Native American patients,” Li said.

Overall, these differences may affect how patients respond to immunotherapies and chemotherapies. However, Li explains the study is meant “to generate hypotheses, not change treatment guidelines.” More research is needed to determine the multiple factors that may impact Native American mortality rates including genetic, environmental, socioeconomic or other determinants.

This is the first study part of a new research focus from 91�Թ�’s that aims to collect tumor tissues from populations typically underrepresented in cancer research. The goal is to help fill gaps in the understanding of cancer biology.

“This research focus goes really hand in hand with the University’s mission to be a powerful means for doing good by working with underserved communities with worse cancer outcomes,” said , the Kleiderer-Pezold Professor of Biochemistry at 91�Թ�, the Ann F. Dunne & Elizabeth Riley Director of the Harper Cancer Research Institute and a corresponding author of the study. “While there may be many social determinants of health at play, at Harper we want to investigate if there are differences on the molecular level that impact cancer incidence and outcomes.”

The program will also continue collecting cancer tissues from partnering Native American communities, focusing on the cancer types that may be most prevalent for them, as well as collecting breast cancer tissues from other underrepresented populations such as Panamanian and Kenyan women.

The tissues will be sent to the Harper’s biosample and processed through their tissue banking service, which serves as a resource for researchers and doctors in South Bend and beyond.

“When you study a population that has been left out, you often discover biology that nobody knew was there,” said Li, also affiliated with the Harper Cancer Research Institute. “Those discoveries sharpen our understanding of cancer and ultimately, improve care for everyone.”

The lead author of the study was Fangfang Guo, a graduate student in Jun Li’s lab. , the Campbell Family Associate Professor of Cancer Research at 91�Թ�, also co-authored the study.

The study was funded by the Ryan Gee Excellence Fund for Cancer Research with additional support from the National Cancer Institute and Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program Breakthrough Award.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

This intricate communication network is built of billions of neurons connected by synapses and managed and modified by glial cells. When neurons die, this communication network is disrupted and since this loss is irreversible, neuron death causes sensory loss, motor impairment and cognitive decline.

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the University of 91�Թ� is investigating the mechanisms of neuron death caused by chronic compression — such as the pressure exerted by a brain tumor — to better understand how to prevent neuron loss.

Published in the , their study found that chronic compression triggers neuron death by a variety of mechanisms, both directly and indirectly. The research is helping lay the groundwork for identifying therapies to prevent indirect neuron death.

“The impetus for this project was to figure out those underlying mechanisms. In cancer research, most researchers are focused on the tumor itself, but in the meantime, while the tumor is sitting there and growing, it’s damaging the organ that it’s living in,” said , the Jane Schoelch DeFlorio Collegiate Professor of at 91�Թ� and co-lead author of the study. “We fully believe that these growth-induced mechanical forces of the tumor as it expands is part of the reason we see damage in the brain.”

As an engineer who leads the , Datta studies the mechanics of tumors and the microenvironment, specifically for glioblastoma, an incurable brain cancer. She had found in prior work that tumors damage the surrounding brain. But to understand the mechanisms by which tumors kill neurons from compression alone, Datta needed a “hardcore neuroscientist.”

That neuroscientist is , the John M. and Mary Jo Boler Assistant Professor in the at 91�Թ� and co-lead author of the study. Patzke utilizes induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are either obtained from external sources or generated directly in . Unlike cells derived from fetal tissue, iPSCs are created by reprogramming a donor's blood or skin cells — often collected during a routine medical visit.

These cells function like embryonic stem cells and can be differentiated or changed in the lab into any cell type in the body, including neurons.

For this study, iPSCs were used to create neural cells and develop a model system of neurons and glial cells that behave as a neuronal network would in the brain. Researchers grew the cells and then applied pressure to the system to mimic the chronic compression of a glioblastoma tumor.

After compressing the cells, graduate students Maksym Zarodniuk and Anna Wenninger, from Datta and Patzke’s labs respectively, compared how many neurons and glial cells died versus lived.

“For the neurons that are still alive, many of them have this programmed self-destruction signaling activated,” Patzke said. “We wanted to understand which molecular pathway was responsible for this; is there a way to save neurons from going down the drain to this cell death mechanism?”

By sequencing and analyzing all messenger RNA from the living neuronal and glial cells, the researchers found an increase in HIF-1 molecules, signalling for stress adaptive genes to improve cell survival, which leads to inflammation in the brain. The compression also triggered AP-1 gene expression, a type of neuroinflammatory response.

Both neurological reactions are indicators that neuronal damage and death is underway.

An analysis of data from the shows that glioblastoma patients also reflect these compressive stress patterns and gene expression changes as well as synaptic dysfunction in line with the experiment’s results. The researchers confirmed these results by mimicking force via a live compression system applied to preclinical models of brains.

Overall, the findings may help explain why glioblastoma patients experience cognitive impairments, motor deficits and elevated seizure risk. Additionally, the signaling pathways offer opportunities for researchers to explore as drug targets to reduce neuronal death.

“Our approach to this study was disease agnostic, so our research could potentially extend to other brain pathologies that affect mechanical forces in the brain such as traumatic brain injury,” Datta said. “I’m all in on mechanics. Whatever it is that you’re interested in when it comes to cancer, above your question of interest, mechanics is sitting there and many don’t even know they should be considering it.”

The mechanics of compression and its effect on neuron loss is key for future research.

“Understanding why neurons are so vulnerable and die upon compression is critical to prevent excessive sensory loss, motor impairment and cognitive decline,” Patzke said. “This is how we will help patients.”

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the (Harper) at 91�Թ�. Additional funding and research support from 91�Թ� was provided by the (Berthiaume), the , the , the and the . Both Datta and Patzke are affiliated with 91�Թ�’s and the .

Datta is a concurrent faculty member in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and faculty advisor for 91�Թ�’s graduate programs in and . She is affiliated with Harper, the , Berthiaume, and the .

Patzke is a faculty advisor for 91�Թ�’s graduate programs in and as well as affiliated with the .

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

Now research from the University of 91�Թ� is shedding light on biological factors that may play a role in this disparity. The found that a population of cells in breast tissues, dubbed PZP cells, send cues that prompt behavioral changes that could promote breast cancer growth.

Funded by the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, the study set out to explore what biological differences in breast tissue could be related to early onset or aggressive breast cancers. Most breast cancers are carcinomas, or a type of cancer that develops from epithelial cells. In healthy tissue, epithelial cells form linings in the body and typically have strong adhesive properties and do not move.

The researchers focused on PZP cells as previous studies had shown that these cells are naturally and significantly higher in healthy breast tissues of women of African ancestry than in healthy breast tissues of women of European ancestry. While PZP cell levels are known to be elevated in breast cancer patients in general, their higher numbers in healthy, African ancestry tissues could hold clues to why early-onset or aggressive breast cancers are more likely to occur in Black women.

“The disparity in breast cancer mortality rates, particularly among women of African descent, is multifaceted. While socioeconomic factors and delayed diagnosis may be contributing factors, substantial emerging evidence suggests that biological and genetic differences between racial groups can also play a role,” said , the Morris Pollard Professor of Biological Sciences at 91�Թ� and corresponding author of the study.

The study showed how PZP cells produce factors that activate epithelial cells to become invasive, where they detach from their primary site and invade the surrounding tissue.

For example, a particular biological signaling protein known as AKT is often overactive in breast cancers. This study showed that PZP cells can activate the AKT protein in breast epithelial cells, which in part allows them to invade the surrounding environment. PZP cells also secrete and deposit certain proteins outside the cell that guide the movement of breast epithelial cells as they invade.

Overall, the results of the study emphasize multiple mechanisms by which PZP cells may influence the early stages of breast cancer progression and their potential contribution to disease burden.

The researchers also looked at how a targeted breast cancer drug, capivasertib, which inhibits the AKT protein, impacted PZP cells and found it markedly reduced the effects of the PZP cells on breast epithelial cells.

“It’s important to understand the biological and genetic differences within normal tissue as well as tumors among racial groups, as these variations could potentially influence treatment options and survival rates. And consequently, in planning biomarker studies, cancer screenings or clinical trials, inclusivity is important,” said D'Souza-Schorey, also an affiliate of 91�Թ�’s and .

D'Souza-Schorey and her lab collaborated with the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center’s to access PZP cells and epithelial cells isolated from healthy breast tissues of both African and European ancestry. The cell lines were then grown in a three-dimensional environment, mimicking the way the cells would behave in living tissues and organs.

The research team also worked with the for the study.

In addition to D’Souza-Schorey, co-authors include Madison Schmidtmann, Victoria Elliott, James W. Clancy, and Zachary Schafer from 91�Թ� and Harikrishna Nakshatri from and IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

Last year, B.A.B.E. store “shoppers” were offered something new to help their families: free lead screening kits offered by the University of 91�Թ�’s . These kits allow parents to determine the risks of lead in their homes and to their children.

“During early childhood development, the body is rapidly changing, growing and doing everything it needs to do in those early years. Lead disrupts all of that,” said Heidi Beidinger-Burnett, professor of the practice at the and community health leader for the 91�Թ� Lead Innovation Team.

Lead poisoning is linked to developmental problems, anemia, and brain and nervous system damage in children. The and even low levels of lead can “reduce a child’s learning capacity, ability to pay attention and academic achievement.” Children under the age of six are considered to be of greater risk for lead poisoning due to their developing brains and nervous systems.

Unfortunately, the South Bend community is uniquely vulnerable to lead poisoning as and are likely to have lead paint. By focusing on B.A.B.E. store shoppers, the goal is to reach young families that may rent or own one of these houses.

“It’s critically important to work with young parents and new moms, such as those coming to the B.A.B.E. store, so we can find the lead early, ideally before a new baby is born or brought home,” Beidinger-Burnett said.

Initial testing from the program, a partnership with , showed that nearly half of returned lead screening kits tested positive for elevated lead levels. And of those lead-positive kits, Beidinger-Burnett said 95 percent were from a home with at least one child age six or younger.

If a home lead test comes back positive, the 91�Թ� Lead Innovation Team gets in touch with parents about available resources including options for lead testing for children under the age of seven.

But even if families confirm lead exposure in the home, removing it can be burdensome and expensive. However, is helping homeowners and landlords alleviate that potential cost.

“The City of South Bend offers funding to qualified families and landlords to repair homes with lead exposure. This is an incredibly important resource for our community. The City works to fix your house and make it safer for your family,” Beidinger-Burnett said.

Those eligible can apply for from the City of South Bend. The grant program allows qualifying homeowners to receive funding to pay contractors for necessary lead safety repairs.

“The Lead Hazard Reduction Program through the City of South Bend is set to expire in December 2025. Funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the City has been able to support homeowners, landlords and renters, focusing on homes built before 1978 with children under the age of six living in the home,” said Emily Bastine, director of neighborhood health and housing for the City of South Bend. “Working hard to meet their goal, the City currently has capacity to remediate another twenty homes. The Lead team looks for opportunities to collaborate with entities such as the 91�Թ� Lead Innovation Team and the St. Joseph County Department of Health in order to share with the target population.”

This is valuable, as Beidinger-Burnett shared that about 75 percent of the returned lead screening kits from the B.A.B.E. store were from those who live in rental homes.

“If a child is exposed to lead, even small amounts, over months or years, we get into some real scary territory in terms of health risk that we may not be able to come back from,” Beidinger-Burnett said. “Lead poisoning contributes to ADHD, reduced IQ and lower reading levels. But we have an opportunity here to stop the exposure, and prevent any kind of lead-poisoning progression.”

Beyond the partnership with WIC, home lead screening kits are available upon request or at designated pickup locations. To learn more about receiving a free kit, please visit .

In addition to Beidinger-Burnett, 91�Թ�’s Lead Innovation Team includes , and Vikrant Jandev in the College of Science as well as and in the Lucy Family Institute for Data and Society.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

found tumors that push — or put mechanical force on the brain — cause more neurological dysfunction than tumors that destroy tissue. But what else can these different tactics of tumor growth tell us?

Now, the same team of researchers from the University of 91�Թ�, Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston University has developed a technique for measuring a brain tumor’s mechanical force and a new model to estimate how much brain tissue a patient has lost. Published in , the study explains how these measurements may help inform patient care and be adopted into surgeons’ daily workflow.

“During brain tumor removal surgery, neurosurgeons take a slice of the tumor, put it on a slide and send it to a pathologist in real-time to confirm what type of tumor it is. Tumors that originally arise in the brain, like glioblastoma, are prescribed different treatments than tumors that metastasize to the brain from other organs like lung or breast, so these differences inform post-surgical care,” said , assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering at 91�Թ� and co-lead author of the study.

“By adding a two-minute step to a surgeon’s procedure, we were able to distinguish between a glioblastoma tumor versus a metastatic tumor based on mechanical force alone.”

Datta and collaborators collected data from 30 patients’ preoperative MRIs and their craniotomies, which include exposing the brain and using Brainlab neuronavigation technology. This technology provides surgeons with real-time, 3D visualization during brain surgeries and is considered commonly available for neurological procedures. Neurosurgeons can use this technique to measure the bulge caused by brain swelling from the tumor’s mechanical forces before the tumor is resected.

Then this patient data was used to determine whether brain tissue was displaced by a tumor’s mechanical force or replaced by a tumor. The researchers found that when there is more mechanical force on the brain (displacement), the swelling will be more substantial. But when a tumor invades and destroys surrounding tissue (replacement), the swelling will be less significant.

The researchers created computational models based on a point system of measurements and biomechanical modeling that can be employed by doctors to measure a patient’s brain bulge, to determine the mechanical force that was being exerted by the tumor, and to determine the amount of brain tissue lost in each patient.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and various cancer research foundations, this study is among the first to show how mechanics can distinguish between tumor types.

“Knowing the mechanical force of a tumor can be useful to a clinician because it could inform patient strategies to alleviate symptoms. Sometimes patients receive steroids to reduce brain swelling, or antipsychotic agents to counter neurological effects of tumors,” said Datta, an affiliate of 91�Թ�’s . Datta recently showed that even affordable and . “We’re hoping this measurement becomes even more relevant and that it can help predict outcomes of chemotherapy and immunotherapy.”

To get a better idea of what else mechanical force could indicate, the research team used animal modeling of three different brain tumors: breast cancer metastasis to the brain, glioblastoma and childhood ependymoma.

In the breast cancer metastasis tumor, researchers used a form of chemotherapy that is known to work in reducing metastasis brain tumor size. While waiting for the tumor to respond to the chemotherapy, the team found that a reduction in mechanical force changed before the tumor size was shown to change in imaging.

“In this model, we showed that mechanical force is a more sensitive readout of chemotherapy response than tumor size,” Datta said. “Mechanics are sort of disease-agnostic in that they can matter regardless of what tumor you are looking at.”

Datta hopes that doctors employ the patient models from the study to continue to grow the field’s understanding of how mechanical force can improve patient care management.

In addition to Datta, co-lead authors include Hadi T. Nia at Boston University, Ashwin S. Kumar at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and Saeed Siri at 91�Թ�. Other collaborators include Gino B. Ferraro, Sampurna Chatterjee, Jeffrey M. McHugh, Patrick R. Ng, Timothy R. West, Otto Rapalino, Bryan D. Choi, Brian V. Nahed, Lance L. Munn and Rakesh K. Jain, all at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

Datta is also affiliated with 91�Թ�’s , the , , the , the and the . She is also a concurrent faculty member in the and a faculty adviser for 91�Թ�’s graduate programs in and .

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

For the study published in , researchers collected different cancer medications from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya and Malawi and evaluated whether each drug met regulatory standards. Researchers considered a variety of factors, including appearance, packaging, labeling and, most importantly, the assay value.

The assay value is the quantity of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) found in each drug. To meet safety standards, most products should be within a range of 90 to 110 percent of the right amount of API. Researchers measured the API content of each product and compared that number to what was designated on the medication packaging.

“It is important that cancer medications contain the right amount of the active ingredients so the patient gets the correct dose,” said , professor of chemistry and biochemistry at 91�Թ� and lead author of the study. “If the patient’s dose is too small, the cancer can survive and spread to other locations. If the patient’s dose is too high, they can be harmed by toxic side effects from the medicine.”

One in six cancer medications tested was found to contain the incorrect quantity of API, with tested medications having APIs ranging from 28 to 120 percent. The study evaluated 251 samples of cancer medications collected from major hospitals and private markets in all four countries.

The study, funded by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, is among the first to evaluate cancer drug quality in sub-Saharan Africa. Currently, sub-Saharan Africa has no pharmaceutical regulatory laboratories carrying out chemical analyses for cancer drugs according to the standards required for regulatory purposes.

Yet, the need for cancer drugs is growing.

“We found bad-quality cancer medications in all of the countries, in all of the hospital pharmacies and in the private markets,” said Lieberman, an affiliate of 91�Թ�’s and . “We learned that visual inspection, which is the main method for detecting bad-quality cancer drugs in sub-Saharan Africa today, only found one in 10 of the bad products.”

In their study, the researchers explained how a combination of high demand for cancer medications, lack of regulatory capacity, and poor manufacturing, distribution and storage practices likely created a problematic environment throughout sub-Saharan Africa. They also argue that given these factors and the global supply chain for pharmaceuticals, substandard cancer medications are likely present in other low and middle-income countries as well.

Lieberman and her team identified several strategies that could help the global community address poor-quality cancer medications:

• Provide inexpensive technologies at the point of care to screen for bad-quality cancer medicines and create policies for how to respond to products that fail screening tests.
• Help regulatory agencies in low and middle-income countries get safety equipment and training so they can analyze the quality of cancer medicines in their markets, conduct root-cause investigations when products fail testing, take quick regulatory actions enabled by lab data and share data about bad-quality products.
• Perform cost-benefit analyses of interventions that tackle common problems (such as medications being out of stock, unsafe shipping, storage or dispensing practices, and lack of availability or affordability of medications) to help policymakers and funders get the most impact on patient outcomes from their available resources.
• Work with care providers to develop site-specific response policies and messaging for patients and engage regulators, donors and other resources.

Lieberman and her called the chemoPAD for screening cancer medications. This low-cost paper device could potentially help hospitals, pharmacies and health care professionals in low and middle-income countries monitor drug quality without restricting a patient’s access to the medication.

“This is all part of a bigger project aimed at developing the ChemoPAD as a point-of-care testing device that we can use, something that’s more accurate in detecting poor-quality products than just visual inspection,” Lieberman said.

“There are lots of medicines where the regulators don’t have enough resources to verify the quality, and some manufacturers take advantage of that to cut corners. There are also problems with distribution systems, so even if a product is good quality when it leaves the manufacturer, it may be degraded during shipping or storage. These products flow into low and middle-income countries, and they get used on patients. I want to change that.”

In addition to Lieberman, co-authors include Maximilian J. Wilfinger, Jack Doohan and Ekezie Okorigwe from 91�Թ�; Ayenew Ashenef and Atalay Mulu Fentie from Addis Ababa University; Ibrahim Chikowe from Kamuzu University of Health Sciences; Hanna S. Kumwenda from the University of North Carolina Project Malawi; Paul Ndom from University of Yaoundé; Yauba Saidu from the Clinton Health Access Initiative; Jesse Opakas from the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital; Phelix Makoto Were from AMPATH - Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital; and Sachiko Ozawa and Benyam Muluneh from the University of North Carolina.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

New research from the University of 91�Թ� found that the strength of early-life father-daughter relationships predicts meaningful differences in the survival of female baboons.

Published in , the study evaluated the impact father baboons may have when they choose to co-reside or interact with their daughters, even though baboon mothers provide all essential care. Until now, the consequences of early-life paternal relationships of offspring were mostly unknown.

“Male baboons tend to reach their peak reproductive success when they’re young adults,” said , professor of biological sciences at 91�Թ� and corresponding author of the study. “But once they’ve had a few kids and their condition declines, they sort of slide into ‘dad mode,’ where they don’t disperse as much and they don’t try as hard to mate. Then they have time to invest in and hang out with their kids.”

Looking at 216 female baboons and their fathers in the Amboseli ecosystem of East Africa, the researchers found about a third of the daughters lived in the same social group as their fathers for three years or more. The remaining two-thirds had fathers who either left the group or died within their daughter’s first three years of life.

Researchers also evaluated the grooming habits of juvenile females with their fathers and other adult males, which speaks to the potential strength of father-daughter and other relationships. Archie shared that grooming, which is used for hygiene and social bonding, could be considered the “human equivalent of sitting down, having a cup of coffee and a good chat.”

The study showed daughters who had a strong relationship with their fathers, who co-resided with their fathers for three years or more, or both, lived two to four years longer than females who had weak father-daughter relationships.

“Early life adversity has a powerful effect on lifespan, so this study suggests that having a dad allows females that have experienced other forms of adversity to recover some of those costs,” Archie said. “In a lot of mammals, dads have a reputation of not contributing very much to offering care, but we now know that even these seemingly minor contributions that males are making still have really important consequences, at least in baboons.”

Additionally, father-daughter pairs that lived together for longer had stronger grooming relationships. Meanwhile, strong relationships between juvenile females and other adult males did not predict adult survival. This could be because male baboons sometimes intervene on behalf of offspring in conflicts, protecting their daughters, and even the mothers, from other group members.

“Males seem to sort of expand a child’s social network, as they can be popular members of their social group. Lots of baboons are coming up and interacting with the male. So an infant who’s hanging out near a male has more diverse social interactions than if they’re only hanging out with mom,” Archie said. “And dads can create a sort of safety zone for their daughters.”

Although mammal fathers may not provide much, if at all, to their offspring, Archie believes this study may hold insight into the evolutionary roots of human parental care.

This study is part of the , which began in 1971 and is among the longest-running primate studies in the world. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the project is co-directed by Archie at 91�Թ�, Susan Alberts from Duke University and Jenny Tung at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

“We’re very grateful to the NSF and NIH for funding over the years that has allowed us to sustain this project. We could not have done over 50 years of this project without their support,” Archie said.

In addition to Archie, Alberts and Tung, study co-authors include David Jansen at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and J. Kinyua Warutere at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya. Archie is affiliated with 91�Թ�’s and .

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

As the weather warms and people begin to spend more time outside, ticks and mosquitoes will do the same. While these pests are annoying, even more than that, they can be a threat to our health.

As a medical entomologist, Associate Research Professor studies how insects spread diseases. Her research at the University of 91�Թ� focuses specifically on the complex relationships between insects, the microorganisms living in their bodies, and the disease-causing agents they transmit to humans and animals

In five questions, Haines explains the risks mosquitoes and ticks pose to the Midwest and discusses how the public can best protect themselves and family members from these bloodthirsty pests.

When can people expect to see ticks and mosquitoes outside?

Ticks are hardier than mosquitoes so they are out now, and have been since it warmed up in February. The last one I removed (from myself) was in mid-November. In this part of the world, it would appear that we are at risk all year from ticks; if the ground warms up to 40-45 degrees, they become active.

Bloodthirsty female mosquitoes need it to be much warmer to start hunting us — they love the heat as much as most people do. In colder weather (below 60 degrees), mosquitoes cannot fly well, so the cool temperatures are a natural mosquito repellent. Enjoy your barbecues now!

Mosquitoes thrive in temperatures above 70. The hotter the better, because the warmer a water body becomes (think of your bird bath), the quicker a mosquito can grow from egg to adult. Buy your repellents!

Which insect-borne diseases are we at risk for?

Here in the Midwest, we are relatively lucky. We don’t have deadly mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, dengue fever or chikungunya fever … yet. If the winters continually get warmer, the more tropical mosquitoes that spread these diseases will continue their migration north as they already are doing.

In Indiana, the most common mosquito-borne disease is , but only about 15 serious human cases are reported per year. However, for horses and birds, especially corvids like ravens, crows and jays, it is more of a concern.

The other menace to our health comes from , especially the black-legged or deer tick. This tick has a long life (roughly three years) and can transmit Lyme disease in all its life cycle stages. Since 2017, not only did more than 47 percent of adult ticks in St. Joseph County test positive for the Lyme bacteria, but also 356 people were diagnosed with Lyme disease. If Lyme disease is left untreated, it can cause severe, chronic health complications (such as arthritis and heart and neurological problems) in humans and animals.

A bite from a black-legged tick, and many other types of ticks, especially the lone star tick, can also cause an allergy to red meat called alpha-gal syndrome (AGS). Although thought to be for now, AGS causes a difficult allergy to live with as many goods contain meat products, including some types of vitamin gummies, desserts, tattoo ink and medications. Furthermore, the symptoms of AGS can be confusing as they range from delayed anaphylactic shock to irritable bowel-like syndrome, and consequently, it can take an to be diagnosed.

When shopping for insect repellent sprays, what should people look for?

What types of repellents and insecticides are available changes every year.

When using the gold standard “arm-in-cage” test, which involves putting a naked arm painted with bug repellent into a cage of ravenous female mosquitoes, it is clear that anything with 25-30 percent DEET was the most effective. DEET’s repellency power also lasts the longest — sometimes exceeding eight hours.

The good thing about DEET-based products is that they are also (unlike lemon eucalyptus); just keep them away from anything plastic. DEET has a nasty habit of making plastic turn foggy like your watch face or phone screen protector!

There are other options should you want an alternative to DEET; look for products containing at least 30 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR3535 or 20 percent picaridin, but be aware these products may have to be reapplied more frequently.

It is great to see that something like Consumer Reports exists, and its .

Beyond sprays, what other insect repellent products and methods work best?

To have an evening on your porch with fewer ankle-biting mosquitoes, in addition to using repellents and assuming you don’t mind the smell of citronella, you could get some big citronella candles and place them on the floor so the scent and smoke curl around your feet. Better yet, sit downwind from a fan so it blows the smoke into the flight path of the upwind-flying mosquitoes hunting for human scents.

An interesting way to suppress mosquito numbers and other insects is to encourage a healthy population of mosquito-eating predators like bats and swallows near your home. Also, designing your gardens with plants that mosquitoes dislike (such as lemongrass, citronella and lavender) can also sometimes help — but if you have pets, be careful as often these kinds of plants are also toxic to pets.

What other advice do you have for avoiding ticks? And mosquitoes?

For ticks, be vigilant. Get into the routine of checking yourself and your pets after strolling outside near longer grass or through the woods, especially where there are fallen oak leaves. Ticks love hiding in them! Check also that your bug repellent is tick-approved (look for ) as many are only specific for mosquitoes and other biting flies.

For mosquitoes, in the summer it is very hard to avoid them, but you can lessen your chances of becoming dinner by employing a few strategies. Make sure there is no standing water (e.g., planters with water trays, bird baths, ponds) near where you want to relax at dawn and dusk. Such water is a beacon to females wanting to lay their eggs and then, after, in their hunger-crazed state, catch a meal.

Another way to dampen down your mosquito attractiveness is to , especially black. Stick to brighter colors—many mosquitoes dislike yellows and whites, regardless of their night-biting or day-biting preferences.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

Several methods are currently used to reduce mosquito numbers and malaria risk. One of these includes the antiparasitic medication ivermectin. When mosquitoes ingest blood containing ivermectin, it shortens the insect’s lifespan and helps decrease the spread of malaria.

However, ivermectin has its own issues. Not only is it , but also, when it is overused to treat people and animals with worm and parasite infections, resistance to ivermectin becomes a concern.

Now a study in has identified another medication with the potential to suppress mosquito populations to help control malaria. Researchers found when patients take the drug nitisinone, their blood becomes deadly to mosquitoes.

“One way to stop the spread of diseases transmitted by insects is to make the blood of animals and humans toxic to these blood-feeding insects,” said , associate research professor of biological sciences at the University of 91�Թ�, honorary fellow at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and co-lead author of the study. “Our findings suggest that using nitisinone could be a promising new complementary tool for controlling insect-borne diseases like malaria.”

Typically, nitisinone is a medication for individuals with rare inherited diseases — such as alkaptonuria and tyrosinemia type 1 — whose bodies struggle to metabolize the amino acid tyrosine. The medication works by blocking the enzyme 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), preventing the build-up of harmful disease byproducts in the human body. When mosquitoes drink blood that contains nitisinone, the drug also blocks this crucial HPPD enzyme in their bodies. This prevents the mosquitoes from properly digesting the blood, causing them to quickly die.

The researchers analyzed the nitisinone dosing concentrations needed for killing mosquitoes, and how those results would stack up against ivermectin, the gold standard ectoparasitic drug (medication that specifically targets ectoparasites such as mosquitoes).

“We thought that if we wanted to go down this route, nitisinone had to perform better than ivermectin,” said , professor of biological sciences at 91�Թ� and co-corresponding author of the study. “Indeed, nitisinone performance was fantastic; it has a much longer half-life in human blood than ivermectin, which means its mosquitocidal activity remains circulating in the human body for much longer. This is critical when applied in the field for safety and economical reasons.”

The research team tested the mosquitocidal effect of nitisinone on female Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, the primary mosquito species responsible for spreading malaria in many African countries. If these mosquitoes become infected with malaria parasites, they spread the disease when they feast on a human.

To evaluate how the drug affected the mosquitoes when fed fresh human blood containing nitisinone, researchers collaborated with the at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. The center was performing nitisinone trials with people diagnosed with alkaptonuria, who then donated their blood for the study. Those taking nitisinone were found to have blood that was deadly to mosquitoes, which Haines describes as having a “hidden superpower.”

The research team collected data on how the drug was metabolized in peoples’ blood, allowing the team to fine-tune their modeling and provide pharmacological validation of nitisinone as a potential mosquito population control strategy.

Nitisinone was shown to last longer than ivermectin in the human bloodstream, and was able to kill not only mosquitoes of all ages — including the older ones that are most likely to transmit malaria — but also the hardy mosquitoes resistant to traditional insecticides.

“In the future, it could be advantageous to alternate both nitisinone and ivermectin for mosquito control,” Haines said. “For example, nitisinone could be employed in areas where ivermectin resistance persists or where ivermectin is already heavily used for livestock and humans.”

Next, the research team aims to explore a semi-field trial to determine what nitisinone dosages are best linked to mosquitocidal efficacy in the field.

“Nitisinone is a versatile compound that can also be used as an insecticide. What’s particularly interesting is that it specifically targets blood-sucking insects, making it an environmentally friendly option,” Acosta Serrano said.

As an unintended benefit, extending the use of nitisinone as a vector control tool could consequently increase drug production and decrease the price of the medication for patients suffering from rare genetic diseases in the tyrosine metabolism pathway.

The study was funded by the UK Medical Research Council, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Wellcome Trust Institutional Strategic Support Fund, the Medical Research Council Doctoral Training Partnership and the University of Glasgow Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology.

In addition to Acosta Serrano and Haines, co-authors include Anna Trett (co-first), Jeremy Burrows, Clair Rose, Natalia García, Giancarlo Biagini and Ghaith Aljayyoussi (co-corresponding) from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine; Dagmara McGuinness, Clément Regnault and Michael Barrett from the University of Glasgow Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology; Didier Leroy and Jeremy Burrows from the Medicines for Malaria Venture; Marcos Sterkel from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata; and Lakshminarayan Ranganath from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

This research was primarily conducted by Haines, Trett, Aljayyoussi and Acosta Serrano at the .

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

In his opening prayer, Father Dowd invited the audience to remember Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s call to build the Beloved Community — a community based on love, justice and equal opportunity, where all people are treated with dignity and respect and where poverty, hunger and homelessness are eliminated.

“May your Holy Spirit remind us all that you show no partiality toward nationality, race, ethnicity or gender. For us to do so is to go against your great commandment of love toward one another.

We pray that the Church will not be complicit in injustice by being silent, but that it can rise up with a prophetic voice that speaks with integrity and advances the values of your Kingdom,” said Father Dowd.

Following a reading from Luke’s Gospel (Luke 18:1-8), Babineaux-Fontenot offered the keynote reflection, focusing on the question at the center of this year’s 91�Թ� Forum, “What do we owe each other?”

Exploring this theme through the lens of the names we have each been given, Babineaux-Fontenot shared stories of the names in her family, including those of her son, her husband and her own name. Babineaux-Fontenot, who hails from Louisiana, is named after her great-grandmother, Clarice Richard, a woman of extraordinary courage and fortitude, who, as an enslaved woman, protected her daughter by bearing an inhumane punishment on her behalf. Babineaux-Fontenot reflected on the significance of carrying a family name that reflects such great love in action.

Babineaux-Fontenot also explored the significance of the terms “Christian” and “Catholic.” She observed that in calling ourselves Christian, we are called to love as Christ loved.

“I’m struck by the fact that He did not only tell us to love the people we like. He told us to love and pray for our enemies,” Babineaux-Fontenot said. “I understand that this can feel like a tall order, but He also taught us that we should seek redemption because He understood that none of us would be perfect at any of this.”

In closing, Babineaux-Fontenot reflected on Catholic social teaching, with its emphasis on a preferential option for the poor and a commitment to serve the most vulnerable. As CEO of Feeding America, Babineaux-Fontenot described witnessing kindness, generosity and compassion in action.

“I am buoyed by what I see in us and by what I have the opportunity to do with us,” she said. “If I had to boil down the lessons that I hope you hear from what I believe Christ is telling us, if it had to be reduced to just one word…it would be love.”

Following Babineaux-Fontenot’s reflections, Father Dowd invited student readers to offer prayers of intercession.

“God calls the people of the world into one human family, trusting in the Lord’s desire that we might all be one,” he said. “Let us offer our prayers to God for justice, healing and peace.”

Intercessions were offered in multiple languages including French, Igbo, Irish, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish.

The University’s Voices of Faith Gospel Choir provided the music for the prayer service.

At the conclusion of the service, those in attendance were invited to participate in the annual candlelight march to the Sacred Heart of Jesus statue. Walking along paths lit by luminaria, marchers placed their candles at the foot of the statue in silent prayer for peace, justice and unity.

Babineaux-Fontenot has served as CEO of Feeding America since 2018, and has spent decades as a leader and advocate dedicated to combating hunger, addressing food insecurity, and strengthening local communities. Feeding America is a national network of more than 200 food banks and 60,000 charitable and faith-based partners, and works to rescue, store and distribute food to more than 49 million people facing hunger each year. Babineaux-Fontenot has led the organization through a number of challenges, including navigating a global pandemic and the ensuing increase in food insecurity. Under her direction, Feeding America became the nation’s largest charitable organization in 2022, according to Forbes, and the network distributed 5.3 billion meals in 2023.

. Visit for information on upcoming events.

But are those policies and mechanisms enough to keep social media users safe?

New research from the University of 91�Թ� analyzed the AI bot policies and mechanisms of eight social media platforms: LinkedIn, Mastodon, Reddit, TikTok, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Meta platforms Facebook, Instagram and Threads. Then researchers attempted to launch bots to test bot policy enforcement processes.

The researchers successfully published a benign “test” post from a bot on every platform.

“As computer scientists, we know how these bots are created, how they get plugged in and how malicious they can be, but we hoped the social media platforms would block or shut the bots down and it wouldn’t really be a problem,” said , a faculty member and director in the at 91�Թ� and senior author of the study. “So we took a look at what the platforms, often vaguely, state they do and then tested to see if they actually enforce their policies.”

The researchers found that the Meta platforms were the most difficult to launch bots on — it took multiple attempts to bypass their policy enforcement mechanisms. Although the researchers racked up three suspensions in the process, they were successful in launching a bot and posting a “test” post on their fourth attempt.

The only other platform that presented a modest challenge was TikTok, due to the platform’s frequent use of CAPTCHAs. But three platforms provided no challenge at all.

“Reddit, Mastodon and X were trivial,” Brenner said. “Despite what their policy says or the technical bot mechanisms they have, it was very easy to get a bot up and working on X. They aren’t effectively enforcing their policies.”

As of the study’s publishing date, all test bot accounts and posts were still live. Brenner shared that interns, who had only a high school-level education and minimal training, were able to launch the test bots using technology that is readily available to the public, highlighting how easy it is to launch bots online.

Overall, the researchers concluded that none of the eight social media platforms tested are providing sufficient protection and monitoring to keep users safe from malicious bot activity. Brenner argued that laws, economic incentive structures, user education and technological advances are needed to protect the public from malicious bots.

“There needs to be U.S. legislation requiring platforms to identify human versus bot accounts because we know people can’t differentiate the two by themselves,” Brenner said. “The economics right now are skewed against this as the number of accounts on each platform are a basis of marketing revenue. This needs to be in front of policymakers.”

To create their bots, researchers used Selenium, which is a suite of tools for automating web browsers, and OpenAI’s GPT-4o and DALL-E 3. The research, on ArXiv, was led by Kristina Radivojevic, a doctoral student at 91�Թ�, and supported by CRC student interns Catrell Conley, Cormac Kennedy and Christopher McAleer.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

“It has been almost 30 years to the day since Michael, Marcia and Christa Parseghian were diagnosed with Niemann-Pick Type C disease, eventually taking their young lives. Since that time the Parseghian family and so many other families, researchers and volunteers have worked tirelessly to advance our understanding of NPC and bring treatments to those affected by this devastating disease. Today marks a momentous occasion with the FDA approval of Miplyffa and the start of a new era with the first official medication for the treatment of NPC disease. We will continue to fight for NPC families until this disease is eradicated,” Kassen said.

The APMRF is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a treatment or cure for Niemann-Pick Type C disease. The organization is named in honor of Ara Parseghian, the much beloved and well-known 91�Թ� football coach, and was founded by Mike and Cindy Parseghian, whose three children — Michael, Marcia and Christa — were diagnosed with NPC in 1994.

Gene mutations occur when one nucleotide in a codon is switched. In non-synonymous mutations, this disrupts the codon’s function to code for its amino acid. In synonymous mutations, the codon still codes the correct amino acid. As such, these mutations are dubbed “silent” and often considered inconsequential to human health.

Now, researchers from the University of 91�Թ� are adding new evidence to the emerging concept that these silent mutations may have crucial consequences. Their study, , showed how a synonymous mutation in one gene can significantly affect a neighboring gene, increasing its protein production.

“The dogma in the field right now is that within the protein coding part of the genome, the only mutations that matter are the ones that change the DNA to code from one amino acid to another,” said , the O’Hara Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at 91�Թ� and lead author of the study. “That’s a very oversimplified view — to the point of being detrimental — of what matters.”

For this study, funded by Clark’s Director’s Pioneer Award from the National Institutes of Health, researchers experimented with the genome of the bacteria E. coli, as its small genome and simple cell structure make it more straightforward to ask fundamental questions about the impact of mutations than human cells. They created nine different synonymous versions of the CAT (Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) gene, with each using different synonymous codons to encode the CAT protein.

When those different synonymous versions were expressed, they discovered that four of nine synonymous sequences affected the number of CAT proteins synthesized.

“Think about synonymous mutations like a huge quilt of possible DNA sequences that are all going to give you the same protein,” Clark said. “You can pick any part of the quilt and get the same protein, but will you get the same amount of protein? Will the protein fold be the same? Is the cell going to be healthy? This is what we were looking at.”

Clark’s initial hypothesis, as an expert in protein folding, was that these four synonymous mutations might be altering CAT protein folding, which occurs after gene expression. However, the researchers — including first author Anabel Rodriguez, then a doctoral student in Clark’s lab — went on to discover that the impact of the synonymous mutations occurs during the gene expression process, affecting the transcription of DNA to RNA.

“What Anabel showed was that the amount of CAT protein synthesis was correlated to the amount of CAT RNA synthesis,” Clark said. “This indicated that some synonymous mutations screwed up the synthesis of RNA from DNA. That Anabel was able to figure out this novel transcriptional regulation mechanism, while working in a lab with no previous experience studying transcription, is a remarkable achievement.”

The research showed that some of the synonymous mutations created cryptic transcription sites on the CAT DNA strand. RNA polymerase, the enzyme responsible for transcribing DNA to RNA, was binding to these cryptic transcription sites – instead of their expected binding site.

These polymerases synthesized an RNA that started within CAT, but extended to also encode the entire neighboring, upstream gene. In the case of CAT, the upstream gene encodes a repressor protein, so making more of it represses the expression of CAT.

The concept of a synonymous mutation impacting its own gene’s processes has only been considered in the last decade. So the idea that a synonymous mutation on one gene could also affect the transcription and translation processes of a neighboring gene is a significant expansion — and something Clark and her lab plan to further explore.

“There has been an increasing number of landmark studies that show how incomplete our understanding is on the impact of synonymous mutations. We should be considering how these mutations impact all diseases and genetic disorders,” Clark said. “I hope that our study will help accelerate the building of a comprehensive understanding.”

Next, the research team plans to analyze how some of the synonymous mutations of the CAT gene were able to recruit RNA polymerase to the cryptic binding location so efficiently. This is especially intriguing given that the currently available machine learning algorithms have not been able to accurately predict it.

Clark serves as an associate vice president of research and director of the at 91�Թ�. Anabel Rodriguez, former graduate student in Clark’s lab and current instructor at Coastal Carolina Community College, was the lead author of the study.

Other study co-authors include Jacob Diehl, Christopher Bonar, Taylor Lundgren, McKenze Moss, , , and from 91�Թ�; Gabriel Wright from the Milwaukee School of Engineering; and Scott Emrich from the University of Tennessee.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

The crux of the diagnostic is a biochip that uses electrokinetic technology to detect biomarkers, or active Epidermal Growth Factor Receptors (EGFRs), which are overexpressed in certain cancers such as glioblastoma and found in extracellular vesicles.

“Extracellular vesicles or exosomes are unique nanoparticles secreted by cells. They are big — 10 to 50 times bigger than a molecule — and they have a weak charge. Our technology was specifically designed for these nanoparticles, using their features to our advantage,” said , the Bayer Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at 91�Թ� and lead author of the published in Communications Biology.

The challenge for researchers was two-fold: to develop a process that could distinguish between active and non-active EGFRs, and create a diagnostic technology that was sensitive yet selective in detecting active EGFRs on extracellular vesicles from blood samples.

To do this, researchers created a biochip that uses an inexpensive, electrokinetic sensor about the size of a ball in a ballpoint pen. Due to the size of the extracellular vesicles, antibodies on the sensor can form multiple bonds to the same extracellular vesicle. This method significantly enhances the sensitivity and selectivity of the diagnostic.

Then synthetic silica nanoparticles “report” the presence of active EGFRs on the captured extracellular vesicles, while bringing a high negative charge. When extracellular vesicles with active EGFRs are present, a voltage shift can be seen, indicating the presence of glioblastoma in the patient.

This charge-sensing strategy minimizes interference common in current sensor technologies that use electrochemical reactions or fluorescence.

“Our electrokinetic sensor allows us to do things other diagnostics cannot,” said , a research associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at 91�Թ� and co-author of the study. “We can directly load blood without any pretreatment to isolate the extracellular vesicles because our sensor is not affected by other particles or molecules. It shows low noise and makes ours more sensitive for disease detection than other technologies.”

In total, the device includes three parts: an automation interface, a prototype of a portable machine that administers materials to run the test and the biochip. Each test requires a new biochip, but the automation interface and prototype are reusable.

Running one test takes under an hour, requiring only 100 microliters of blood. Each biochip costs less than $2 in materials to manufacture.

Although this diagnostic device was developed for glioblastoma, the researchers say it can be adapted for other types of biological nanoparticles. This opens up the possibility for the technology to detect a number of different biomarkers for other diseases. Chang said the team is exploring the technology for diagnosing pancreatic cancer and potentially other disorders such as , dementia and epilepsy.

“Our technique is not specific to glioblastoma, but it was particularly appropriate to start with it because of how deadly it is and the lack of early screening tests available,” Chang said. “Our hope is that if early detection is more feasible, then there is an increased chance of survival.”

Blood samples for testing the device were provided by the Centre for Research in Brain Cancer at the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia.

In addition to Chang and Senapati, other collaborators include former postdocs at 91�Թ� Nalin Maniya and Sonu Kumar; Jeffrey Franklin, James Higginbotham and Robert Coffey from Vanderbilt University; and Andrew Scott and Hui Gan from the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and La Trobe University. The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund.

Chang and Senapati are affiliated with 91�Թ�’s , the and .

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

In a study led by , the Clare Boothe Luce Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at 91�Թ�, 32 caseworkers across the U.S. were interviewed about the online risks encountered by adolescents ages 13-17 in foster care. Caseworkers shared how they are trained to manage online safety and the major challenges they face in their roles. Badillo-Urquiola then compared the results to , which included interviews with 29 foster parents of 42 foster teens on similar topics.

The research showed that caseworkers are mostly concerned with online activity that facilitates offline, physical risks such as sex trafficking, running away, illegal drug activity and physical fights. Additionally, caseworkers perceive technology as a facilitator for contacting unsafe people, such as previous abusers, and engaging in risky communication with strangers. Harassment like cyberbullying and more general online risks are considered secondary concerns, which caseworkers reported they don’t receive training for.

Both foster parents and caseworkers reported being overburdened with other challenges, forcing them to put online safety as a low priority.

“Foster parents shared that they don’t receive enough support from their caseworkers, but caseworkers said they are struggling too, with large caseloads and focusing on keeping kids physically safe,” Badillo-Urquiola said. “Online safety becomes an afterthought.”

In the U.S. child welfare system, caseworkers are legally responsible for the physical and social-emotional well-being of foster youths, with authority and responsibility over a child’s case. They also receive intense, mandatory training about sexual risks and sex trafficking for foster youth, but many depend on their personal experience instead when navigating these concerns.

Some caseworkers called the training outdated and obsolete due to technology advancing too quickly.

Meanwhile, foster parents receive no training and believe they do not get appropriate guidance from their caseworkers to address online safety concerns. However, the research showed that foster parents were more aware of foster youths’ interactions and experiences online, but they did not have the authority and preparation to manage these situations effectively.

“We see this tension between giving youth in foster care normalcy and keeping them safe,” Badillo-Urquiola said. “Foster parents may want to give foster children a phone because their other children have one and so do other teens, but the parents don’t want the foster child to fall into risky behaviors. The parents don’t know what measures to put in place that provides online access but keeps foster youth safe.”

Unfortunately, a lack of experience and a fear of online risks often cause foster parents to completely revoke access to technology for foster youths, contrary to the “normalcy” policies the U.S. child welfare system calls for.

“We get health services online, apply for jobs online, or even to buy a car you may want access to the internet. It’s also a way to connect and have a social system,” Badillo-Urquiola said. “Restricting technology so much can actually hinder the life skills that foster youth need.”

The study argues that the prioritization of physical safety over online and emotional well-being of foster youths is rooted in a lack of resources and support for caseworkers.

To help improve online safety for foster youths, the researchers proposed multiple socio-technical systems such as collaborative technologies for caseworkers and foster parents, a centralized incidents database to consolidate problem resolutions and best practices, online support forums for caseworkers and foster parents to connect and learn from each other, and training modules for caseworkers, foster parents and foster youths.

“Our world is shifting and society is becoming so technologically advanced, but our child welfare system isn’t advancing with it,” Badillo-Urquiola said. “The child welfare system is not supporting the challenges caseworkers, foster parents and foster youth are facing.”

This research was a multi-institutional collaboration among 91�Թ�’s Badillo-Urquiola, Vanderbilt University’s Zainab Agha and Pamela J. Wisniewski, University of Central Florida’s Denielle Abaquita and University of Colorado’s Scott B. Harpin.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

Now, a study from the University of 91�Թ� has identified a population that is more susceptible to developing a CAUTI.

Researchers showed that models with fibrinolytic deficiencies, or conditions that cause overactivation of the protein fibrin, had increased risk for developing severe and persistent CAUTIs. Additionally, they found these same models were more likely to develop sepsis.

Fibrin is vital in the formation of blood clots when the body attempts to repair injuries. When injured, the body calls on a process that uses fibrin to repair a wound, creating a fibrous structure to prevent bleeding during the healing process.

, the Hawk Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at 91�Թ�, studied how this healing process could promote infection during urinary catheterization in animal models.

“A urinary catheter is constantly rubbing against bladder tissue, causing continuous inflammation and mechanical damage,” Flores-Mireles said. “The body will activate healing for the damaged bladder by recruiting the protein fibrinogen from the bloodstream. Fibrinogen will convert into fibrin, which creates net-like structures that accumulate where pathogens then colonize and promote persistent infection.”

The found that the more fibrin “nets” the body creates, the more susceptible the model was to high pathogen colonization and the more fibrinogen was found in the circulatory system. As the amount of fibrinogen or fibrin increases in the bloodstream, the more likely a CAUTI is to spread to other organs and tissue.

However, when the researchers blocked fibrinogen recruitment or accumulation, it reduced CAUTIs because the pathogens needed the fibrin net-like structure to survive and persist.

The research suggests that catheterized patients given antifibrinolytic medications, or drugs that discourage bleeding, could be at a higher risk for developing a CAUTI. Antifibrinolytic medications are often used to treat postpartum hemorrhages, traumatic injuries and other surgical procedures — all of which could require catheters when treated.

Flores-Mireles believes that this study can be applied to better prevent and manage human CAUTI, especially due to the current lack of consensus on best practices for CAUTI treatment.

“We strongly believe these findings provide key data to inform urinary catheterization guidelines in health care facilities and intensive care units, which will provide a higher quality of life to patients and minimize risk for complications,” Flores-Mireles said.

To help prevent CAUTIs, Flores-Mireles and her lab are that minimizes the inflammation and mechanical damage caused by typical catheters, preventing fibrin structures from forming and pathogens from causing infection.

In addition to Flores-Mireles, the study, “Fibrinolytic-deficiencies predispose hosts to septicemia from a catheter-associated UTI,” was co-authored by 91�Թ�’s , Deborah Donahue, , Jonathan Molina, Andrew Paik, Kurt Kohler, Christopher Gager, Marissa Andersen, Ellsa Wongso and Elizabeth Lucas; Washington University’s Wei Xu, Michael Caparon, Scott J. Hultgren, Karla Bergeron, Aleksandra Klim and Alana Desai; and the University of North Carolina’s Matthew Flick. Mireles, Castellino, Donahue and Ploplis are affiliated with 91�Թ�’s .

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

, participants were invited to experiment with online privacy settings without consequence. To test how different data privacy settings work, the researchers created a Chrome browser plug-in called Privacy Sandbox that replaced participant data with personas generated by GPT-4, a large language model from OpenAI.

With Privacy Sandbox, participants could interact with different websites, such as social media platforms or news outlets. As they navigated to various sites, the browser plug-in applied AI-generated data, making it more obvious for participants to see how they were targeted based on their supposed age, race, location, income, household size and more.

“From a user perspective, allowing the platform’s access to private data may be appealing because you could get better content out of it, but once you turn it on, you cannot get that data back. Once you do, the site already knows where you live,” said , assistant professor of computer science and engineering and a faculty affiliate at the Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society at 91�Թ�, who led the research. “This is something that we wanted participants to understand, figure out whether the setting is worth it in a risk-free environment, and allow them to make informed decisions.”

— or the design features on digital platforms that subtly nudge users to perform specific actions — and how they are used on websites to manipulate customers. For the study, Li and his team looked at how dark patterns are applied by interface designers to encourage people to consume more content or make impulsive purchasing decisions.

The researchers developed a Chrome browser plug-in dubbed Dark Pita to identify dark patterns on five popular online platforms: Amazon, YouTube, Netflix, Facebook and X.

Using machine learning, the plug-in would first notify study participants that a dark pattern was detected. It would then identify the threat susceptibility of the dark pattern and explain the impact of the dark pattern — financial loss, invasion of privacy or cognitive burden. Dark Pita would then give participants the option to “take action” by modifying the website code through an easy-to-use interface to change the deceptive design features of the site and explain the effect of the modification.

The researchers plan to eventually make both browser plug-ins, Privacy Sandbox and Dark Pita, available to the public. Li believes these tools are great examples of how the use of AI can be democratized for regular users to benefit society.

“Companies will increasingly use AI to their advantage, which will continue to widen the power gap between them and users. So with our research, we are exploring how we can give back power to the public by allowing them to use AI tools in their best interest against the existing oppressive algorithms. This ‘fight fire with fire’ approach should level the playing field a little bit,” Li said.

“An empathy-based sandbox approach to bridge the privacy gap among attitudes, goals, knowledge, and behaviors” was presented this month at the 2024 Association of Computing Machinery CHI Conference. Led by Li, fellow study co-authors include Chaoran Chen and from 91�Թ�, Weijun Li from Zhejiang University, Wenxin Song at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Yaxing Yao at Virginia Tech.

The study “From awareness to action: Exploring end-user empowerment interventions for dark patterns in UX,” led by Li, has been published in the Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction (CSCW 2024). Co-authors include Yuwen Lu from 91�Թ�, Chao Zhang from Cornell University, Yuewen Yang from Cornell Tech and Yao from Virginia Tech.

This research was funded by a Google Research Scholar Award, a Google PSS Privacy Research Award and the National Science Foundation.

Contact: Brandi Wampler, associate director of media relations, 574-631-2632, brandiwampler@nd.edu

Bishop Rhoades: Today is the great solemnity of Pentecost. I invite you to please stand for this special blessing.

The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.

Bishop: May God, the Father of light, who was pleased to enlighten the minds of the disciples by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, grant you gladness by His blessings and make you always abound with the gifts of the same Spirit. 

All: Amen.

Bishop: May the wondrous flame that appeared above the disciples, powerfully cleanse your hearts from every evil and pervade them with its purifying light.

All: Amen.

Bishop: And may God, who has been pleased to unite many tongues in the profession of one faith, give you perseverance in that same faith and, by believing, may you journey from hope to clear vision. 

All: Amen.

Bishop: And may the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit come down on you and remain with you forever.

All: �������.��

Madam,

Animated by your faith and spirit of servant leadership, you have worked tirelessly to end the hunger crisis in the United States. Under your visionary leadership as chief executive officer, Feeding America has become the largest charitable organization in the U.S., distributing food to more than 49 million people facing hunger each year.

It is a cause that is close to your heart. Growing up as one of 108 siblings — thats 108 siblings who arrived in your family through a combination of birth, foster care and adoption — you saw firsthand the impact of the neglect, abuse and food insecurity many of your siblings faced before joining your home. And you witnessed the transformation that occurs when faithful servants of God feed the hungry and welcome the vulnerable to the table.

As the granddaughter of sharecroppers, you were not only the first in your family to attend college, but also in the first generation to finish high school. Your abiding faith in the power of education led you to complete both a Juris Doctor and a Master of Laws in taxation.

And almost 10 years ago, having reached the top rungs of the corporate ladder, while serving as global treasurer and executive vice president of finance for Walmart, you were called to a higher purpose. You did not hesitate to leave that world behind and make a leap of faith.

You have shepherded Feeding America through many challenges, including a global pandemic and the ensuing increase in food insecurity. And through it all, you have become a beacon of hope, inspiring many with your vision of a nation “where no one — no one — has to wonder where their next meal is coming from.”

In celebration of your steadfast dedication to those most in need, your remarkable compassion and generosity of spirit, and your embodiment of Christ’s love, the University of 91�Թ� rejoices to confer its highest honor, the Laetare Medal

On Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, Chicago, Illinois