Digital Commons Network^™

"He Just Wants Someone To Hear Him And Listen To Him": Barriers And Facilitators To Autistic Youth With Anxiety Receiving Quality Mental Healthcare, Daylin Delgado, Shannon C Lapoint, Grace Lee Simmons, Julia M Heinly, Whitney S Shepherd De, Bridgett Kiernan, Lauren Brookman-Frazee, Eric A Storch, Brenna B Maddox

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

About half of autistic youth present with clinically interfering anxiety. Psychotherapies with exposure-focused elements are effective in academic clinical settings and controlled trials. However, there is relatively less research examining the implementation of modified interventions for autistic youth with anxiety in community mental health settings. The current study explores community members' perceptions of barriers and facilitators that impact autistic youth with anxiety's receipt of quality mental health services in their community. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 autistic youth, 15 caregivers of autistic youth, 11 community mental health clinicians, and 8 community mental health clinic leaders. Interviews were analyzed thematically. …

Evaluating The Genetic Overlap Between Congenital Heart Disease And Neuroblastoma Risk., Ji Yun Tark, Alexander Renwick, Yao Yu, Aniko Sabo, Andrew F Olshan, Sharon E Plon, Chad D Huff, Philip J Lupo

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) have elevated neuroblastoma (NB) risk, potentially due to shared neural crest origins. We analyzed rare exonic de novo single-nucleotide variants in 702 CHD and 454 NB trios from the Neuroblastoma Epidemiology in North America Study, Gabriella Miller Kids First Program, and a published cohort. Seven genes, including CHD risk genes POGZ and LZTR1 (linked to Noonan syndrome and Schwannomatosis), showed nominal (p < 0.05) enrichment in both cohorts. CIC, IREB2, POGZ, and PCDHG cluster are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders, supporting shared developmental mechanisms. Findings warrant investigation of pathways linking congenital anomalies and childhood cancer.

Flexible Funding Authorities To Support Tribal Climate Adaptation, Monte Mills, Sydney Anderson, Lauren Young

Articles

This project is part of a policy research effort intended to support Tribes, federal agencies, and Tribal and non-Tribal organizations in addressing some of the climate adaptation barriers and needs experienced by Northwest coastal Tribes. Accessing and administering Federal funds is a significant challenge for Tribes. Existing federal funding sources are often accompanied by rigid rules that make it difficult for Tribes to flexibly allocate funds as needed, and include strict qualification criteria that limit Tribal access to funds. Short-term funding cycles can be disruptive to long-term staffing and project needs, and are often misaligned with Tribal priorities.

Preliminary In Vivo Evaluation Of Coracoclavicular Ligament Mechanics During Shoulder Elevation After Acromioclavicular Joint Reconstruction, Jason Konrath, Sydney Wheaton, Alonso Figueroa, James Gregory, Payam Zandiyeh

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Persistent instability and altered scapular mechanics after acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) reconstruction may stem from inadequate replication of native coracoclavicular (CC) ligament function. However, in vivo data on postoperative CC ligament behavior during dynamic shoulder motion remain lacking.

Purpose: To assess in vivo functional distance and timing characteristics of the conoid and trapezoid ligaments during active shoulder elevation after ACJ reconstruction, using dynamic stereo x-ray (DSX) imaging and patient-specific 3-dimensional (3D) models.

Study design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: Twelve participants (10 men and 2 women, mean age 39 ± 10 years, mean body mass 92 ± 17 …

Outcomes Of Witnessed Versus Unwitnessed Patients With Stroke After Endovascular Therapy In The Extended Time Window, Liisa Tomppo, Nicolas Martinez-Majander, Muhammad M Qureshi, Thanh N Nguyen, Raul G Nogueira, Simon Nagel, Jelle Demeestere, Volker Puetz, Hilde Henon, Marta Olive-Gadea, João Pedro Marto, Anne Dusart, Peter A Ringleb, Osama O Zaidat, Diogo C Haussen, Mahmoud H Mohammaden, Mohamad Abdalkader, Jean Raymond, Santiago Ortega-Gutierrez, Sunil A Sheth, Hiroshi Yamagami, João Nuno Ramos, Francois Caparros, Daniel P O Kaiser, Marc Ribo, Sergio Salazar-Marioni, Kanta Tanaka, Pekka Virtanen, Ajit S Puri, James E Siegler, Syed F Zaidi, Mouhammad Jumaa, Eugene Lin, Jordi Mayol, Rita Ventura, Simon Winzer, Piers Klein, Flavio Bellante, Jorge Cespedes, Anke Wouters, Hesham E Masoud, Liqi Shu, Alicia C Castonguay, Christian Herweh, Monica Cheng, Wei Hu, Daniel Roy, Shadi Yaghi, Robin Lemmens, Charlotte Cordonnier, Markus A Möhlenbruch, Daniel Strbian

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: It remains unclear whether outcomes of patients treated with endovascular thrombectomy with large-vessel occlusion and unwitnessed onset of stroke differ from those with witnessed onset in the extended time window.

Methods: We enrolled patients with anterior circulation large-vessel occlusion (internal carotid artery, M1, or M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery) undergoing endovascular thrombectomy within 6 to 24 hours from the time last seen well, from 2014 to 2022, at 66 sites in Europe, North America, and Asia. Patients with a prestroke modified Rankin Scale score of >3 or age < 18 were excluded. We categorized patients by onset mode as witnessed or unwitnessed. The primary outcome was the modified Rankin Scale shift at 90 days. Secondary outcomes were functional independence, a composite of functional independence or return of Rankin to prestroke level, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, mortality, and a composite of severe disability or mortality at 90 days. We applied inverse probability of treatment weighting to compare outcomes between the groups.

Results: Of 5098 patients assessed for eligibility, we included …

Uterine Tachysystole And Associated Outcomes: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Fabrizio Zullo, Benedetta Licitra, Nandini Raghuraman, Alison G Cahill, Aaron W Roberts, Stephanie Roth, Daniele Di Mascio, Antonella Giancotti, Giuseppe Rizzo, Kristen A Cagino, Hector Mendez-Figueroa, Anthony C Sciscione, Suneet P Chauhan

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To determine whether uterine tachysystole is associated with adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes.

Data sources: A search strategy for PubMed (National Library of Medicine) was created, and the medical librarian translated the search for every database. The search strategy was peer reviewed by another medical librarian following the Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies checklist. The databases included in this search were PubMed, Embase.com, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL Ultimate, and Scopus; a combination of key words and subject headings was used.

Methods of study selection: Trials of nulliparous or multiparous parturients exposed to uterine tachysystole were included. Included studies compared …

Sleep-Disordered Breathing In Newborns After Myelomeningocele Repair, Renée A Shellhaas, Fauziya Hassan, Thornton A Mason, Jagruti Anadkat, Ellen Bendel-Stenzel, Stephanie Eyerly-Webb, Cindy K Jon, Robin M Lloyd, Julie S Moldenhauer, Ramesha Papanna, John E Pascoe, Stefanie Riddle, Regina Reynolds, Brandon G Rocque, Narong Simakajornboon, Marjorie C Treadwell, R Bradley Troxler, Lydia S Youmans, Niko A Kaciroti, Harlan Mccaffery, Hemant A Parmar, Lora Merley, Stephanie Md Rau, Ronald D Chervin, John D E Barks

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background & objective: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) may be a remediable contributor to abnormal cognitive outcomes for children with myelomeningocele. We investigated the frequency of SDB among neonates with fetal vs postnatal myelomeningocele repair.

Methods: In this nine-center, prospective, observational study, neonates with myelomeningocele born at more than 30 weeks gestational age underwent a 10-hour bedside polysomnogram at at least 35 weeks postmenstrual age, before hospital discharge. The primary outcome was SDB severity, reflected by the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI; number of respiratory events per hour of sleep). Decisions regarding surgical timing (fetal vs postnatal), technique (open fetal vs fetoscopic approach), and …

Association Of Intended Mode Of Delivery With Neonatal And Maternal Outcomes At 22-25 Weeks Of Gestation, Jameaka L Hamilton, Paula L Mcgee, Baha M Sibai, Michael W Varner, Alan T N Tita, Monica Longo, Edward F Bell, Barbara J Stoll, John M Thorp, Uma M Reddy, Heather A Frey, Emily S Miller, Dwight J Rouse, Hyagriv N Simhan, Jennifer L Bailit, Lorraine Dugoff, George R Saade

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Objective: To compare the risk of neonatal and maternal morbidity and mortality among individuals who delivered between 22 and 25 weeks of gestation by intended mode of delivery.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of an observational cohort including participants with a singleton pregnancy delivered by planned cesarean delivery or after a trial of labor from 22 0/7 to 25 6/7 weeks of gestation. This analysis was limited to those who received both antenatal steroids and neonatal resuscitation. The primary outcome was a composite of neonatal death or severe neonatal morbidity. Secondary outcomes included neonatal mortality and measures of neonatal …

Bayesian Posthoc Trial Analysis Of Cerclage Management In Preterm Prelabor Rupture Of The Membranes, Beth L Pineles, Kyung Hyun Lee, Baha M Sibai

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: There is inadequate evidence on whether to retain or remove a cervical cerclage after preterm prelabor rupture of the membranes (PPROM). The PROMCerclage trial was the only study to randomize patients to cerclage retention or immediate cerclage removal after PPROM. The trial was terminated early, and results were not statistically significant but the cerclage retention group had shorter latency and more chorioamnionitis. Bayesian post-hoc trial analysis maximizes available clinical trial data by formally integrating information from preexisting studies or prior beliefs into statistical modeling to estimate the probability of a treatment effect.

Objective: To re-analyze published results of the …

Stimulated Cytokine Production, Attachment, And Emotional Well-Being In Dementia Spousal Caregivers, Daniel L Argueta, Sarah Roberts, Kelly N Brice, E Lydia Wu-Chung, Vincent D Lai, Jensine Paoletti-Hatcher, Bryan T Denny, Charles Green, Samantha Henry, Luis D Medina, Paul E Schulz, Jennifer Stinson, Cobi Heijnen, Christopher P Fagundes

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Proinflammatory cytokine production may be related to poor emotional adjustment in dementia spousal caregivers. People who display attachment insecurity may be at increased risk for adverse caregiving experiences and poor psychosocial outcomes.

Objective: This study aimed to understand whether proinflammatory cytokine production was associated with anticipatory grief, caregiver burden, and depressive symptoms and whether those relationships were stronger for caregivers higher on attachment anxiety or avoidance.

Method: A sample of 103 dementia spousal caregivers provided self-report data on demographics, health information, and psychosocial outcomes. We also determined lipopolysaccharide-induced whole-blood interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, and interleukin-10 production and combined …

Medical Aid In Dying: A Narrative Review Of The Recent Academic Literature In The United States., Holland Kaplan, Soraira Pacheco, Keziah M Thomas, Christopher L Ulmschneider, Anjiya Sulaiman, Chandni Lotwala, Derek Dawes, Issa A Hanna, Courtney Nguyen, Caroline G Snider, Gabriel M Aisenberg

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Medical aid in dying (MAiD) is a practice in which a healthcare professional provides assistance to a terminally ill patient seeking to end their life. To assess how academic discourse may shape public opinion and policy in the United States, we conducted a narrative review of the literature published between 2020 and 2024. Articles were categorized as supportive, opposing, or neutral, and patterns were examined across authorship, disciplinary focus, and target populations. Our findings reveal that most recent publications adopt supportive or neutral stances toward MAiD, with a slight increase in opposition beginning in 2022. Authorship discipline strongly influenced position, …

Are Fewer Damage Control Laparotomies Associated With A Decrease In The Rate And Severity Of Surgical Site Infections?, Stephanie Martinez Ugarte, Mokunfayo O Fajemisin, Chelsea J Guy-Frank, William D Rieger, Renee W Green, John A Harvin, Lillian S Kao

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Damage control laparotomy (DCL) rates have declined and remained low. Given DCL's association with surgical site infections (SSIs), we hypothesize that SSI rates and severity, as per Clavien-Dindo (CD) classification, have decreased concurrently.

Patients and methods: A retrospective study was performed on patients (≥16 y) who underwent trauma laparotomy from January 2011 to December 2020. Patients who survived ≤48 hours were excluded. Data were divided into period 1 (January 2011-December 2015, DCL rates declined) and period 2 (January 2016-December 2020, low DCL rates were sustained). SSIs were defined as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and severity …

International Arbitration & Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities,Challenges,And Evolving Regulations, Martínez Quintanilla, Javier Antonio

Santa Clara Journal of International Law

This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the regulatory framework; the opportunities and the challenges associated with the use of artificial intelligence in international arbitration. First, it addresses relevant regulatory instruments such as the Guideline on the Use of AI in Arbitration of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIARB); the Guidelines on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Arbitration of the Silicon Valley Arbitration and Mediation Center (SVAMC); the Principles Supporting the Use of AI in Alternative Dispute Resolution of the International Centre for Dispute Resolution(ICDR); the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act; and the New Task Force on AI in …

Mechanical Properties And Reproducibility Of One-Part Ambient-Cured Slag And Fly Ash-Based Geopolymer Concrete, Daro Sun, Jessey Lee, Alireza Mohyeddin, Janitha Migunthanna

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The cement industry is a major source of anthropogenic CO2 emissions due to its energy-intensive production process and calcination of limestone. Producing one ton of cement emits approximately one ton of CO2, and cement accounts for about 5% to 8% of global CO2 emissions. In this context, cement-less one-part (“just-add-water”) ambient-cured geopolymer concrete (GPC) has gained attention due to its environmental friendliness and practicality for large-scale cast-in-situ construction. However, field adoption remains limited, mainly due to the scarcity of data on mechanical properties and durability, as well as the lack of widely accepted standards and specifications. This paper is part …

2026 February, Morehead State University. Office Of Communications & Marketing.

Morehead State Press Release Archive, 1961 to the Present

Press releases for February of 2026.

The Powerful Teacher: A Power Hypothesis For The Benefits Of Learning-By-Teaching, Sarah Shi Hui Wong, Stephen Lim

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Why does teaching others enhance one's learning? This study advanced a novel power hypothesis of learning-by-teaching: When assuming the role of a teacher, students experience a heightened sense of power in influencing others, which increases their own learning. University students (N = 242) studied a scientific text using one of three learning methods: notetaking, explaining, or teaching. The notetaking group prepared to be tested and wrote study notes about the topic; the explaining group prepared to explain and wrote an explanation about the topic as how they would write a textbook for their peers; the teaching group prepared to teach …

Higher Education Student Engagement In Learning Activities: Clarifying Concepts And Introducing A Short-Scale, Feliciano Veiga, Johnmarshall Reeve, Carlota M. Veiga, Zi Yang Wong, Isabel Martinez, Anabela Pereira Nuno Archer De Carvalho

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Student engagement plays a vital role in higher education due to its significant influence on academic outcomes, such as academic achievement and course completion. However, the concept of student engagement is often ambiguously defined, with a lack of distinction between engagement in learning and involvement in the academic community. Although the current student engagement measures have contributed to advancing knowledge in the area, they are often too long and exclude agentic engagement, which is seen as a key dimension in higher education. This research aimed to (a) clarify the concept of student engagement and the conceptual problems of the existing …

How Consistent Friendlike Conversation With Ai Companions Influences Our Attitudes And Perceptions Toward Ai: An Exploratory Experiment, Qi Hui Jerlyn Ho, Meilan Hu, Adalia Yin Hui Goh, Emma Jane Pragasam, Andree Hartanto

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Despite skepticism and distrust in artificial intelligence (AI), it is increasingly integrated into daily life, with its potential benefits drawing interest. Yet little is known about the attitudinal and psychological effects of human–AI interactions, and whether consistent interactions with AI chatbots can change users’ attitudes and perceptions. Our within-subjects experiment (N = 52) investigated how five days of socially oriented, friendlike interactions with an AI chatbot, versus a journaling control, influenced changes in attitudes and perceptions of AI. Participants’ attitudes towards AI, trust, perceived empathy, anthropomorphism, animacy, likeability, perceived intelligence and safety, dependency, and exploratory well-being indicators were recorded. Results …

A Feminine Flame In The Midst Of Repression: The Concealed Role Of Women In The Isolated Siberian Tundra, Jenny N. Liang

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

The modern Russian state is distinctive in her history of utilizing the isolated Siberian tundra for eliminating political dissent, with millions of dissidents disappearing into penal colonies, labor camps, and gulags, some never to reappear. Of the incomprehensible mass of numbers are the stories of steadfast wives refusing to abandon their husbands, women surviving the brutal political prison camps, and girls manipulated as political pawns into Siberia. In a historically patriarchal Slavic society, the stories of women have been conveniently pushed aside. The distinctive Russian practice of exiling political dissidents to the remote Siberian tundra has led to stories of …

Nude: A Transition To Subjectivity In Japanese Art And Beauty, Bomi Park

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

This essay examines the tumultuous shift the Meiji Era of Japan encountered towards conventions of arts and the notion of ‘beauty,’ visually analyzed through the collisions in the depiction of nudes. Nudity identifies westernization and a new input in the Japanese arts system, becoming a hybrid of tradition and modern. Accompanied by the early influence pioneered through Kuroda Seiki and the creation of a lineage and teaching of yoga art—the appropriation of Western art practices. This essay highlights that this convention of beauty, wherever it comes from and taught by precursors, capturing and expressing an ambiguous concept of ‘beauty,’ can …

American Women's Clubs In The Nineteenth Century: The Case Of The Female Relief Society Of Nauvoo (1842-1844), Adithi Nythruva

Armstrong Undergraduate Journal of History

Throughout the nineteenth century, women’s clubs provided American women with the space to influence the patriarchal-dominated public sphere and venture beyond their traditional domestic roles. This paper demonstrates that the Relief Society women developed a more nuanced relationship with feminist agency through their initiatives. Through an analysis of 33 sets of meeting notes from the society’s early years, this paper argues that the Relief Society women established feminist agency by exercising female authority, addressing scandals and injustices, and building a sisterhood. Additionally, through feminist agency, the Relief Society paralleled, and pre-dated the activities of many popular women’s clubs during the …

Design And Implementation Of An Aapm Volunteer Database For Advancing Global Medical Physics Initiatives., Teh Lin, Minsun Kim, Courtney Morrison, Jiahan Zhang, Kevin Little, Yan-Hong Xin, Michael Woodward, Peter Sandwall, Eun Young Han

Oncology Articles

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to assess American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) members' availability to volunteer, share their expertise, and promote global collaboration in medical physics by partnering with international colleagues who seek support in strengthening their medical physics practice.

METHODS: The questionnaire was administered to AAPM members to assess their willingness to volunteer, preferred engagement modalities, and availability for different types of volunteer activities. The questionnaire was integrated into the AAPM member profile and covered therapy, diagnostic, and nuclear medicine disciplines, capturing participants' visiting preferences and expertise in teaching and training. Respondents were categorized based …

Cardiometabolic Parameter Change By Weight Regain On Tirzepatide Withdrawal In Adults With Obesity: A Post Hoc Analysis Of The Surmount-4 Trial, Deborah B Horn, Bruno Linetzky, Melanie J Davies, Luke J Laffin, Hui Wang, Madhumita A Murphy, Sarah Zimner-Rapuch, Eva Lau, Avigdor D Arad, Clare J Lee

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Importance: In the SURMOUNT-4 trial, most adults with obesity who had tirzepatide withdrawn following a 36-week treatment regained weight. The association between the degree of weight regain and cardiometabolic parameters after tirzepatide withdrawal is unknown.

Objective: To assess changes in cardiometabolic parameters by degree of weight regain after withdrawal of tirzepatide.

Design, setting, and participants: This post hoc analysis of the SURMOUNT-4 trial included tirzepatide-treated participants with 10% or greater weight reduction at week 36 initially randomized to placebo. Data were collected from March 2021 to May 2023, and data were analyzed from February 2024 to March 2025.

Interventions: After …

Role Of Childhood Trauma In Interoception And Alexithymia In Schizophrenia, Samantha Narvaez, Krista Wisner, Alina Siatka, L Elliot Hong, Joshua Chiappelli

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Childhood trauma (CT) is a notable risk factor for schizophrenia. Separately, CT has been associated with alexithymia, referring to difficulties in identifying and describing one's own feelings, as well as disturbed interoception, referring to difficulties sensing and responding to signals that originate from within the body. Both self-perception impairments have been observed in schizophrenia; however, the role of CT in these observations in schizophrenia is unclear. To address this gap, interoception was assessed using the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), alexithymia was assessed using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and CT was measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) …

Dopamine Agonist Therapy Induced Fatal Pneumocephalus In Giant Prolactinoma, Archana M H, Anurag Ranjan Lila, Manjiri Karlekar, Saba Samad Memon, Rohit Barnabas, Tushar Bandgar

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We report a man in the fifth decade of his life with an invasive giant prolactinoma (size: 7.3 cm; serum prolactin 56820 ng/mL [SI: 2470.4 nmol/L], reference range, 5-25 ng/mL [SI: 0.22-1.09 nmol/L]) who presented with hypogonadism and headache. Dopamine agonist (DA) cabergoline (0.25 mg twice weekly) was initiated, and serum prolactin levels reached 3941 ng/mL (SI: 171.3 nmol/L) after 2 doses. Two weeks later, he developed acute symptoms of headache, vomiting, and drowsiness associated with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea. He presented to the casualty after 48 hours of the onset of these acute symptoms in an altered state. Neuroimaging demonstrated …

Cultural Influences On Camouflaging And Autistic Burnout: Examining The Experiences Of Latino Autistic Young Adults, Antonio F Pagán, Katherine A Loveland, Ron Acierno

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The present study explored the relationship between camouflaging, autistic burnout, and cultural factors in Latino young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While autistic burnout and camouflaging have been widely studied in general ASD populations, limited research has focused on Latino individuals, who may experience unique pressures due to cultural values such as collectivism, familism, and traditional gender roles. Participants (N = 56) from the ¡Iniciando! la Adultez therapy program completed measures assessing burnout, camouflaging, acculturation, and cultural values. Results indicate that participants reported moderate to high levels of autistic burnout, with the highest levels observed in heightened self-awareness …

Influence Of Wicking Geotextile Installation On Moisture Migration In Silt Under Rainfall Infiltration, Yipeng Guo, Dahao Zou, Min Hu, Xiong Zhang, Fang Xu, Yongjie Zhang, Jiejing Chen

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Silt is widely used in subgrade construction in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River in China due to limited availability of high-quality fill. However, its high moisture sensitivity and low strength often lead to pumping, settlement, and deformation. This study investigates the hydraulic performance of a wicking geotextile in silt under simulated rainfall infiltration using one-dimensional soil column experiments. Three installation configurations were evaluated: (i) a control sample (CS) without geotextile, (ii) an embedded sample (ES) with the geotextile fully installed as a capillary barrier, and (iii) a surface-exposed sample (SES) with the geotextile extended to the …

Revolutionary Governance, Culture, And The Party-State In Postcolonial Guinea: Political Thought And Practice Under Ahmed Sékou Touré, M. Sekani Corbie

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis reexamines the political thought of Ahmed Sékou Touré by taking seriously the theoretical ambition of the Guinean revolution. Rather than treating Touré as either a failed democrat or a mere ideologue, the study reads his writings and political interventions as a sustained attempt to resolve a core postcolonial problem: how to construct collective power and mass participation in societies fractured by colonial rule, economic dependency, and weak institutional capacity.

Through close readings of Touré’s major texts and the ideological materials of the Parti Démocratique de Guinée, the thesis reconstructs his theory of the Party-State as a distinctive …

Mechanistic Studies Of Aerobic Photochemistry: Gold Nanoclusters, Nanoparticles, And Solution-Phase Systems, Serah Essang

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This thesis comprises five chapters as enumerated below.

Chapter 1 describes our findings on the reactions of Au glutathione nanocluster (Au₂₀SG₁₆) with singlet oxygen (¹O₂) in D₂O. We noticed it underwent a self-photooxidation reaction. Leading us to mechanistic studies using photophysical, photochemical, theoretical, and indirect trapping methods. We found rapid total quenching of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) by ground-state Au₂₀(SG)₁₆, with evidence for dioxygen insertion into the nanocluster. Supported by analyses with IR, ESI-MS, and density functional theory, we propose the formation of …

4e-Bp1 Differentially Regulates Translation Of A Subset Of Human Mrnas, Mehreen Mahbub

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Elevated levels of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E-binding protein 1 (4E-BP1) influence cap-independent translation by forming a complex with eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) (eIF4E•4E-BP1). Certain mRNAs—including those encoding hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α), fibroblast growth factor-9 (FGF-9), and two isoforms of tumor suppressors, p53 (p53_A, and p53_B)—contain structured 5’untranslated regions (UTRs) that enable translation either via cap-independent translation enhancer (CITE)-like or internal ribosomal entry site (IRES)-like mechanisms. However, how 4E-BP1 modulates these mechanisms remains unclear. Using fluorescence-based anisotropy assays, we showed that the eIF4E•4E-BP1 binds more tightly to the 5’ m⁷G-cap of these mRNAs than eIF4E …