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The Quatrain - Volume 1

The Quatrain

The Quatrain is managed by students at Louisiana Tech University and advised by faculty from the College of Liberal Arts. The journal is housed in George T. Madison Hall, where undergraduates collect, assess, and edit submissions from student writers and artists.

The Quatrain is a print and electronic project for people who value quality undergraduate writing and art. Full-dress researched, academic essays and scholarly explorations; photography; life-writing; sculpture; cultural criticism; work that has a reflective, autobiographical style; and creative writing in all its forms: We simply seek to display samples of the interesting, original, and quality work being produced by …

The Quatrain - Volume 3

The Quatrain

The Quatrain is managed by students at Louisiana Tech University and advised by faculty from the College of Liberal Arts. The journal is housed in George T. Madison Hall, where undergraduates collect, assess, and edit submissions from student writers and artists.

The Quatrain is a print and electronic project for people who value quality undergraduate writing and art. Full-dress researched, academic essays and scholarly explorations; photography; life-writing; sculpture; cultural criticism; work that has a reflective, autobiographical style; and creative writing in all its forms: We simply seek to display samples of the interesting, original, and quality work being produced by …

The Quatrain - Volume 6

The Quatrain

The Quatrain is managed by students at Louisiana Tech University and advised by faculty from the College of Liberal Arts. The journal is housed in George T. Madison Hall, where undergraduates collect, assess, and edit submissions from student writers and artists.

The Quatrain is a print and electronic project for people who value quality undergraduate writing and art. Full-dress researched, academic essays and scholarly explorations; photography; life-writing; sculpture; cultural criticism; work that has a reflective, autobiographical style; and creative writing in all its forms: We simply seek to display samples of the interesting, original, and quality work being produced by …

The Quatrain - Volume 8

The Quatrain

The Quatrain is managed by students at Louisiana Tech University and advised by faculty from the College of Liberal Arts. The journal is housed in George T. Madison Hall, where undergraduates collect, assess, and edit submissions from student writers and artists.

The Quatrain is a print and electronic project for people who value quality undergraduate writing and art. Full-dress researched, academic essays and scholarly explorations; photography; life-writing; sculpture; cultural criticism; work that has a reflective, autobiographical style; and creative writing in all its forms: We simply seek to display samples of the interesting, original, and quality work being produced by …

Exploring Chinese Elements In J.D. Salinger’S Works: A Response To Mccarthyism In The Early Cold War Era, Yixin Lu

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Since the publication of “The Laughing Man” in 1949, various ideas about “China” have emerged in J. D. Salinger’s famously obscure works. This article aims to argue that Salinger’s incorporation of elements related to China and ancient Chinese philosophy in his works illustrates an artistic response to American anxieties during the McCarthy Era. The article uses “The Laughing Man” and “De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period” as case studies to demonstrate how Salinger’s engagement with “China,” including the concept of indiscrimination from Zen Buddhist ideas, as well as notions of naturalness and non-action from Taoist ideas, develops not only a mystical writing …

Cyborg Feminism And Toxic Colonialism In Chen Qiufan’S Waste Tide, Yuan Yuan

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

The article probes into the interrelationships among cyborg technology, sexual violence, and toxic colonialism represented in the Chinese SF novel Waste Tide by Chen Qiufan. It applies methodologies in posthumanism and ecofeminism and situates the text in the Chinese as well as a global context. It intends to provide a non-Western perspective to understand cyborg feminism by associating the Chinese historical reality with trans-species thinking. It argues that the SF author Chen Qiufan is critical about the anthropogenic body modifications which may challenge the process of female resistance and resilience in the face of gender and colonial oppression. By doing …

In Memoriam Gwangju: Transnational Memoryscapes Of Gwangju And Buenos Aires In The Works Of Han Kang And Im Heung-Soon, Heewon Chung

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

Currently acclaimed as the first Asian female author who won the Nobel Prize in literature, Korean writer Han Kang has persistently struggled with memoryscapes and traumascapes. Han’s collection of poems Winter Beyond the Mirror delineates the poetic “I”’s experiences of visiting Argentina and describes how she senses the interconnectedness between Gwangju and Buenos Aires. Korean artist-filmmaker Im Heung-soon’s recent film Good Light, Good Air addresses the same issue, and actually Im and Han have shared a mutual concern about it since Han’s novel Human Acts. This essay defines Winter Beyond the Mirror and Good Light, Good Air, coupled …

Daoist Philosophy And Stephen Mitchell’S The Frog Prince: A Fairy Tale For Consenting Adults, Yunfei Yu, Senlin Yu

CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture

In 1999, Stephen Mitchell published The Frog Prince: A Fairy Tale for Consenting Adults, in which he added “a good deal of background materials” and “a certain number of necessary explanations” to the “six-and-a-half-minute” world-famous Grimms’ fairy tale The Frog Prince, making it a psychological and philosophical novella. This paper illustrates how Daoist philosophy is entailed in Stephen Mitchell’s Frog Prince by analyzing the protagonists’ practice of Daoist philosophy: the Princess’s pursuit of a Daoist natural, simple and carefree life; the Frog’s transformation from an ugly frog to a handsome prince by practicing meditation; and the King’s love …

Representation Of Gender Online: The Case Of Moroccan Female Content Creators On Youtube, Basma Kaissy

Faits de Langue et Société (FLS)

Social media has revolutionised the way we communicate. On YouTube, Moroccan female creators negotiate their visibility and social status. My thesis examines their uses and discourses to better understand online gender dynamics, combining quantitative analysis and nethnography, enriched by a semiopragmatic reading of signs and their effects. From a reflexive perspective, my experience as a woman in the digital world becomes both an analytical asset and a limitation, requiring constant vigilance in the face of possible biases.

Social Science Methodologies Focusing On Women's Emancipation Through Religion Feedback On The Second Rima Doctoral Training Programme In Morocco, Fabienne Samson, Kae Amo, Aïcha Barkaoui, Nadège Chabloz, Anouk Cohen, Marie Nathalie Leblanc, Saliou Ngom

Faits de Langue et Société (FLS)

This article introduces the special issue, based on presentations by doctoral students who participated in a training school on social science methodologies in autumn 2024. The school took place in Morocco (Casablanca, Rabat and Mohammedia), in partnership with Hassan II University and the Jacques Berque Centre, and was organised as part of the ANR RIMA programme on women's empowerment through religion. This introduction presents the RIMA programme, the activities of the training school, and the various articles written by the students, in order to understand how they respond to the teachings on the themes of gender, inequalities and religiosity, with …

Direct Effects Of Capsaicin On Voltage-Dependent Calcium Channels Of Mammalian Skeletal Muscle, Dmytro Isaev, Tatiana Prytkova, Badarunnisa Mohamed, Mohamed Omar Mahgoub, Keun-Hang Susan Yang, Murat Oz

Pharmacy Faculty Articles and Research

Capsaicin, a naturally occurring polyphenol, is known to affect energy expenditure and muscle fatigue and modulate contractions in skeletal muscle. The L-type Ca²⁺ channels are known to be an important ion channel involved in the various muscle functions and the effect of capsaicin on the skeletal L-type Ca²⁺ channels is currently unknown. In this study, the effects of capsaicin and capsaicin analogs on depolarization-induced Ca²⁺ effluxes through L-type Ca²⁺ channels in transverse tubule membranes from rabbit skeletal muscle and L-type Ca²⁺ currents recorded using the whole-cell patch clamp technique in rat myotubes were examined. Capsaicin, …

Global Insight 2026, Masey Smith, Chance Carden, Hayley Pounds

Books

Global Insight 2026 is the annual publication of the International Institute at Mississippi State University, documenting the university’s global engagement across education, research, service, and institutional partnerships. This issue highlights Mississippi State University’s international impact through faculty‑led study abroad programs, international research and development initiatives, global fellowships, and comprehensive international student support services. Featured content includes narrative case studies of student and faculty experiences abroad, data‑driven insights into study abroad participation and international enrollment trends, and in‑depth examinations of international research collaborations spanning Africa, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. The magazine also showcases the work of the English Language Institute …

Comparative Evolution Of Caenorhabditis Hermaphrodites, James Francis Kennedy

Theses and Dissertations

The Caenorhabditis genus produced three independently-evolved hermaphroditic species, C. elegans, C. briggsae, and C. tropicalis. This convergence happened by the independent co-option of male programs for use in a female body. This required two distinct steps: (1) mutations in the sex-determination pathway that activated spermatogenesis in XX animals, and (2) mutations that expressed one of the redundant sperm activation signals in XX animals. My project focused on characterizing how sex-determination genes work in C. briggsae and C. tropicalis. Loss-of-function alleles were used to compare the core sex-determination pathway to that of C. elegans. I found that the somatic sex-determination pathway …

Contribution To The Chemotherapy Of Human Trypanosomiasis: Design, Synthesis, And Biological Evaluation Of Dimeric 2-Nitroimidazoles Against Trypanosoma Cruzi Amastigotes And Bloodstream Trypanosoma Brucei, Afonso Santine M.M. Velez, Otavio Augusto Chaves, Carlos Serpa, Fatma M. Salem, Bibo Li Ph.D., Bin Su Ph.D., Celio Geraldo Freire-De-Lima, Debra Decote-Ricardo, Marco Edilson Freire De Lima

Biological, Geological, and Environmental Faculty Publications

Effective and safe treatments for neglected tropical diseases caused by parasites, such as Chagas disease and sleeping sickness, remain lacking, posing a significant challenge for researchers worldwide. The rational design of dimeric compounds inspired solely by the pharmacophoric core of benznidazole (2-nitroimidazole) has proven to be a promising strategy for antiparasitic development. Thus, in the present work, it was increased the linker between the active units (2-nitroimidazole) to improve the interaction with TcNTR, facilitating the bioactivation of the longest dimers. Biological assays confirmed this, demonstrating that all compounds were active against replicative intracellular amastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi (Tulahuen C2C4-LacZ). Notably, …

Investigating The Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Towards Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus In A Student Population In The United Kingdom: A Quantitative Study, Philip Boadu Anim

Theses

Aim: To explore the knowledge on the risk factors, signs and symptoms, management, and complications of Diabetes, attitudes, and practices towards prevention of Diabetes Mellitus among university students in the United Kingdom.

Methods: The researcher utilised a quantitative study design in carrying out the study. The study was conducted at Cardiff Metropolitan University with Cardiff Met students being the target population. Thirty (30) participants were recruited through convenient sampling. Data was collected through questionnaires using closed ended questions. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 27 as used to analyse the data collected. Statics were performed to form a …

High-Dose Oral Pyrophosphate Inhibits Connective Tissue Calcification In Abcc6 Null Mice But May Affect Bone Structure, Ibtesam Rajpar, Nicholas Yancy, Jacob Beiriger, Christina Shao, Syed Naqvi, Deana Mancuso, Fatemeh Niaziorimi, Ryan E Tomlinson, Koen Van De Wetering

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

Pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) is a rare inherited disorder marked by abnormal calcium phosphate deposition in soft connective tissues, particularly the skin, arteries, and eyes. It is caused by inactivating mutations in the ABCC6 gene, which encodes a hepatic efflux transporter. Loss of ABCC6 function leads to reduced plasma levels of pyrophosphate (PPi), a key inhibitor of calcification, thereby promoting ectopic mineralization. Oral PPi therapy has emerged as a potential treatment, but its effectiveness is uncertain. Most ingested PPi is hydrolyzed in the gut to inorganic phosphate, which may worsen calcification. Moreover, its impact on mineralized tissues remains largely unexplored. Abcc6−/− …

Delegation And Agency Deference In Financial Regulation: A Comparative Eu-U.S. Perspective, Rosa M. Lastra, Patricia A. Mccoy

Law and Contemporary Problems

No abstract provided.

Alcohol And The Endocrine System: A Critical Review Of Disruptions, Potential Mechanisms, And Health Implications, Patricia E. Molina, Liz Simon

School of Graduate Studies Faculty Publications

The endocrine system coordinates and integrates cellular activity throughout the body by regulating cellular and organ function and maintaining homeostasis. Homeostasis, the dynamic maintenance of internal balance despite changing external or internal conditions, is essential for proper cellular function. The endocrine system achieves this through a complex regulatory network of hormone-mediated signaling among multiple endocrine organs, relying on precisely regulated synthesis and release of hormones and specific hormone-receptor interactions. Endocrine-mediated actions coordinate critical physiological processes, including growth, metabolism, reproduction, stress adaptation, and circadian rhythms throughout the lifespan. Endocrine glands—such as the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid glands, pancreas, adrenal glands, and …

Optimal Quantization Of Finite Uniform Data On The Sphere, Mrinal Kanti Roychowdhury

School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper develops a systematic and geometric theory of optimal quantization on the unit sphere 𝕊2, focusing on finite uniform probability distributions supported on the spherical surface—rather than on lower-dimensional geodesic subsets such as circles or arcs. We first establish the existence of optimal sets of n-means and characterize them through centroidal spherical Voronoi tessellations. Three fundamental structural results are obtained. First, a cluster-purity theorem shows that when the support consists of well-separated components, each optimal Voronoi region remains confined to a single component. Second, a ring allocation (discrete water-filling) theorem provides an explicit rule describing how optimal representatives are …

Faith-Based Organizations In Foreign Aid (Forfa) Codebook, Susan Turner Haynes

Faculty Works

This codebook was designed to guide undergraduate students in coding the faith status of USAID Grant recipients and is being made available to facilitate further use in the classroom. Please contact the author for any inquiries ([email protected]).

Fda Policy Shift On Clinical Efficacy Study Requirements For Monoclonal Antibody Biosimilars, Rileigh Rahrig, Madilyn Paphanchith, Allie Honigford, Daniella Egbujor, Haley Brown, Jenny Magana Figueroa, Connor Dains, Brenna Hissong, Kyle W. Parker

Pharmacy and Wellness Review

Biologic products are widely used in the treatment of various disease states, including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, cancers, and genetic diseases. These products are derived from proteins and genes produced by living organisms and are subsequently used to treat specific disease states. Due to the complexity of biological products, the costs of research and production are high. Currently, the United States approval pathway requires extensive testing for biologics to be designated as biosimilars, meaning there are no clinically meaningful differences in safety or purity of their active components. These required tests can be redundant, as biosimilars are developed using …

Tumor-Infiltrating Bacteria Disrupt Cancer Epithelial Cell Interactions And Induce Cell-Cycle Arrest, Jorge Luis Galeano Niño, Falk Ponath, Victor A Ajisafe, Clara R Becker, Andrew G Kempchinsky, Martha A Zepeda-Rivera, Javier A Gomez, Hanrui Wu, Jessica G Terrazas, Heather Bouzek, Elizabeth Cromwell, Pritha Chanana, Matthew Wong, Ashish Damania, Michael G White, Y Nancy You, Scott Kopetz, Nadim J Ajami, Jennifer A Wargo, Christopher D Johnston, Susan Bullman

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Tumor-infiltrating bacteria are increasingly recognized as modulators of cancer progression and therapy resistance. We describe a mechanism by which extracellular intratumoral bacteria, including Fusobacterium, modulate cancer epithelial cell behavior. Spatial imaging and single-cell spatial transcriptomics show that these bacteria predominantly localize extracellularly within tumor microniches of colorectal and oral cancers, characterized by reduced cell density, transcriptional activity, and proliferation. In vitro, Fusobacterium nucleatum disrupts epithelial contacts, inducing G0-G1 arrest and transcriptional quiescence. This state confers 5-fluorouracil resistance and remodels the tumor microenvironment. Findings were validated by live-cell imaging, spatial profiling, mouse models, and a 52-patient colorectal cancer cohort. Transcriptomics reveals …

Spatial Omics At The Forefront: Emerging Technologies, Analytical Innovations, And Clinical Applications, Yunhe Liu, Yibo Dai, Linghua Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Spatial omics transforms our understanding of cancer by revealing how tumor cells and the microenvironment are organized, interact, and evolve within tissues. Here, we synthesize advances in spatial technologies that map tumor ecosystems with unprecedented fidelity. We highlighted analytical breakthroughs-including multimodal integration and emerging spatial foundation models-that resolve functional niches and spatial communities, converting spatial patterns into mechanistic insights. We summarize how spatially organized features, from immune hubs to microbiota and neural interfaces, shape tumor evolution and clinical outcomes. We then outline how spatial approaches illuminate precancer biology, metastatic adaptation, and therapy response. Bridging discovery and translation, we provide a …

Tet2-Mutant Clonal Hematopoiesis Enhances Macrophage Antigen Presentation And Improves Immune Checkpoint Therapy In Solid Tumors, Shelley Herbrich, Mehdi Chaib, Swetha Anandhan, Samuel W Andrewes, Ashwat Nagarajan, Baoxiang Guan, Nishant Gandhi, Jared Gilliam, Milan Radovich, Padmanee Sharma

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Clonal hematopoiesis (CH) is detectable in upwards of 20% of patients with solid tumors and is associated with worsened prognosis; however, its role in tumor immunology and immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) is unknown. Using a bone marrow chimera model of Tet2+/mut CH in mice with solid tumors, we found the Tet2-mutant myeloid cells are abundant in the tumor microenvironment and contributed to an improved response to ICT. Mechanistically, Tet2+/mut macrophages inside the tumor act as immunogenic antigen-presenting cells that more effectively cross-prime naive CD8+ T cells in response to IFNγ. In human cohorts of 35,971 non-small cell lung cancer patients …

Adipose Stromal Cell-Derived Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Promote Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Progression Through Sfrp4 Signaling, Joseph Rupert, Lingyi Cai, Alexes C Daquinag, Dimitris Anastassiou, Mikhail G Kolonin

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background/objectives: Progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and other carcinomas relies on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). A subset of CAFs is derived from adipose stromal cells (ASCs) recruited by tumors and the ASC-CAF conversion has been associated with invasiveness and poor prognosis.

Methods: To explore the underlying molecular mechanisms, we used a model based on primary ASCs derived from human visceral adipose tissue co-cultured with human PDAC cell line Capan-1. To investigate cancer progression in vivo, we also used mice orthotopically grafted with mouse KPC cells.

Results: Genomic analysis revealed that Capan-1 co-culture induces Wnt and TGFβ signaling and extracellular matrix …

Chek2 Loss Endows Chemotherapy Resistance To Hematopoietic Stem Cells, Jing Zhou, Tianyuan Hu, Dian Li, Sanming Li, Minhua Li, Xiangguo Shi, Daisuke Nakada

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Individuals with history of chemo- or radiotherapy frequently exhibit somatic mosaicism in the blood, often involving mutations in genes responsible for DNA damage responses (DDR), such as CHEK2. However, the mechanisms by which CHEK2 mutations promote the expansion of mutant cells following chemo- or radiotherapy remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that loss of CHEK2 confers resistance to chemotherapy in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). Through a CRISPR-based screen, we identified CHEK2 as a gene whose loss enhances resistance to cytotoxic chemotherapies. A complementary drug screen revealed that CHEK2-mutant cells are also resistant to DNA hypomethylating agents. Chek2-deficient HSPCs …

Optimal Drought Management Actions For Cattle Operations On Navajo Nation, Tatiana Drugova, Kynda R. Curtis, Man-Keun Kim

All Current Publications

In this fact sheet, we examine the drought management options available to cattle operations on the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American reservation in the U.S. Specifically, we discuss the results of a study evaluating the economic outcomes of two common drought response strategies: herd reduction and supplemental hay purchases. We also provide recommendations for ranchers on optimal strategies, i.e., those that maximize profits, for two rancher types, differentiated by their willingness to accept (risk-neutral) or avoid risk (risk-averse).

Assessing Localized Recovery And Synchrony Of An Endangered Wetland Species., Aiyana Reissman

Theses

The state and federally endangered light-footed Ridgway’s rail (LFRR; Rallus obsoletus levipes) is central to regional conservation, yet the drivers of its population fluctuations remain poorly understood. The fragmented nature of coastal wetlands in Southern California is threatening the existence of endemic species like the LFRR. Tidal inundation, severe storms, and overpredation threaten the survival of LFRR. This study addresses population fluctuations by analyzing the spatial and temporal drivers of LFRR populations to inform effective, site-specific management.

To do this, a 45-year (1980–2024) LFRR census data set across 16 wetlands throughout its range in California was synthesized. A multi-faceted …

Smart Recurring Payment Auditor For Bait-And-Switch Mitigation, Prajna Shetty, Alok Roy

Defensive Publications Series

The present disclosure relates to the field of digital payment security, in particular to a system and method for mitigating bait-and-switch practices in recurring digital payment systems. The smart recurring payment auditor disclosed herein operates at a network layer of the payment infrastructure. The smart recurring payment auditor employs a multi-modal deep learning ensemble, advanced bitmapped feature encoding and temporal pattern synthesis to analyse recurring payment behaviour. Further, the smart recurring payment auditor integrates global merchant telemetry, user behavioural feedback, and descriptor intelligence to detect and score deceptive recurring billing schemes. Furthermore, upon identification of a suspicious pattern, the smart …

Non-Invasive Monitoring Of Camel Hair From A Free-Grazing Herd As A Biomarker In Linking Environmental Exposure And Nutritional Status In Desert Ecosystems, Ibrahim Albokhadaim

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Camels are vital livestock in arid regions, yet their elemental exposure remains underexplored, particularly through non-invasive biomarkers. This study is novel in applying camel hair as a non-invasive, long-term biomarker to assess nutritional adequacy and environmental exposure in a free-grazing desert herd, with age-stratified evaluation of essential and toxic element accumulation. For this purpose, a cross-sectional study was conducted on a herd of 18 apparently healthy camels (≤6 months: 28%; >6 months: 72%). Initially, hair samples were collected, washed, digested, and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The samples were then analyzed to determine the concentrations of 12 …