19304 research outputs found
Sort by
Development of a Novel Intervention Guided by Neuromuscular Control Principles for Upper Extremity Neurorehabilitation after Stroke
No full textStroke survivors often face upper extremity motor impairments that include abnormal intermuscular coordination, which negatively affects individualized joint control. This lack of individualized coordination is one of the fundamental motor control problems that explain voluntary movement impairment post-stroke. In recent years, the concept of muscle synergy, here defined as a consistent ratio of co-activation of muscle across multiple muscles required to perform a motor task, has been effectively applied to characterize intermuscular coordination in neurologically intact individuals and stroke survivors. However, it is still largely unexplored if muscle synergy characteristics can be targeted and improved to enhance stroke-induced intermuscular coordination. Thus, developing non-invasive neurorehabilitation strategies to improve altered muscle synergy holds promise for advancing rehabilitative therapies. This dissertation mainly covers two upper extremity studies: 1) the generalizability of neuromuscular coordination strategies following stroke and its implication for neurorehabilitation, and 2) the development of an isometric muscle-synergy guided intervention to improve intermuscular coordination after stroke through human-machine interaction. The first study compared the neuromuscular control strategies underlying static and dynamic tasks. This study showed evidence of shared muscle synergy patterns after stroke and found that abnormalities in the activation profile vary across biomechanical conditions. For the second study, a novel isometric neuromuscular-guided intervention to improve neuromuscular coordination was designed and tested. The results showed the feasibility of modulating and improving stroke-induced intermuscular coordination to reduce motor impairment after stroke
The Art and Science of Modern Petroleum Geochemistry: Educational Innovation and Analytical Advances with Applications to the Monterey Formation, Santa Maria Basin
No full textIn the context of big data and the evolving energy landscape, this dissertation examines how petroleum geochemistry can evolve to remain relevant and impactful. It focuses on three aspects: first, modernizing geosciences education by incorporating petroleum geochemistry into undergraduate curricula, because revitalizing a scientific discipline requires starting within academia; second, improving traditional source rock analysis through new geochemical perspectives; and third, incorporating novel data-driven methods, such as machine learning (ML), into geochemical workflows. Chapter 2 addresses the need to reimagine geosciences education in response to declining enrollment by proposing a rebranded undergraduate curriculum, Organic Geochemistry for Energy. The curriculum is designed to help students develop a more holistic understanding of the energy landscape: one in which traditional and low-carbon sectors are not mutually exclusive but interconnected. By promoting cross-disciplinary thinking and practical skill development early in a student’s academic journey, this approach aims to broaden the appeal of geosciences programs and better prepare students for the evolving challenges of the energy and environmental sectors. Chapter 3 shifts the focus to scientific innovation by challenging existing paleoenvironmental models of the Monterey Formation, Santa Maria Basin, using organic sulfur geochemistry. It identifies distinct sulfur chemistries between carbonaceous and siliceous-rich lithofacies and proposes a more complex paleoenvironment than previously described. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of sulfur-rich source rocks and their implications for petroleum systems. Chapter 4 introduces a novel ML workflow for organic facies identification in the Monterey Formation. Supported by well log data and kinetic analysis, the results highlight the importance of organic carbon dilution in kerogen chemistry. In this context, ML offers a complementary tool to traditional source rock evaluation methods and advances data-intensive geochemical analysis. Together, these chapters offer a multifaceted view of how petroleum geochemistry can evolve as a scientific discipline to ensure its continued relevance and impact in a rapidly changing world. This work contributes to ongoing efforts to make geosciences more socially responsive and relevant in an era shaped by artificial intelligence and a dynamic energy landscape
Killing Art, Killing History: Evaluating Institutional Responses to Far-Right Vandalism
No full textThis poster evaluates institutional responses to two instances of iconoclasm, the 2018 vandalism of Barnett Newman's Broken Obelisk, and the 2024 beheading of Shahzia Sikander's The Witness. Both statues faced far-right opposition due to their politically charged symbolism--one honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the other addressing the underrepresentation of women in the justice system. The responses from institutions, namely the Rothko Chapel and the University of Houston, ultimately reinforced the far-right agenda and alienated their communities by prioritizing the status quo over meaningful engagement with the issues at hand. Drawing on Victor Turner's concept of the social drama and the theories of iconoclasm and cultural memory, the poster critiques the institutions' failure to address these acts of vandalism as opportunities for structural change. The university's response to protests against The Witness and the subsequent violent beheading tended to reproduce the status quo while not coming to the defense of artistic expression. Similarly, the Rothko Chapel's treatment of Broken Obelisk illustrated a reluctance to confront the deeper social fissures revealed by the vandalism. By neglecting the potential for cultural innovation and dialogue that vandalism could spark, both institutions allowed the far-right to shape the narrative, thus missing an opportunity for societal reflection and transformation.Comparative Cultural Studies, Department ofHonors Colleg
Battery System Optimization in Energy Management
No full textThe use of renewable energy and ESSs help reduce electricity expenses for producers and consumers, as they don't solely depend on the grid for power. Battery arbitrage involves using battery storage systems to store energy at low prices when these resources are at their peak and not in high demand, later making them readily available for a higher cost when demanded. While enjoying the benefits of BESS, we also have to consider the battery cycle life and try to prevent quick degradation of the battery. poster summarizes the benefits of a battery system being integrated into the grid and also managing the battery's degradation.Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department ofHonors Colleg
Investigating SUMO-Interacting Motifs of Hsp27 and Their Effect on Protein Binding
No full textCancer onset is commonly accompanied with an accumulation of misfolded/unfolded proteins that disrupt proteostasis. A large family of heat shock proteins (HSPs) work collectively to ensure correct protein folding or target protein substrates for degradation. Hsp27 (heat shock protein 27) is an ATP-independent chaperone that guides correct protein folding or tags target proteins to the proteasome for degradation. It has a defined function in proteasomal degradation as a ubiquitin-specific E4 ligase. Hsp27 also functions as a SUMO-specific E3 ligase, accelerating the SUMO covalent modification of its protein target. Recent studies from our lab show that Hsp27 SUMO-E3 activity is upregulated in metastatic HR+ breast cancer and directly contributes to the metastatic phenotype of the cancer cells. As a ubiquitin E4 ligase, Hsp27 binds to ubiquitin, a ubiquitin-specific E3 ligase, and the target substrate to tag the protein for proteasomal degradation. To function as a SUMO-E3 ligase, Hsp27 must bind to SUMO, Ubc9 (the E2 conjugating enzyme), and the target substrate. To facilitate this function, SUMO E3 ligases must contain a SUMO-interacting motif (SIM), a short hydrophobic region that noncovalently binds SUMO to facilitate the covalent SUMO attachment to the lysine target. The Bawa-Khalfe lab has identified 3 SIMs for Hsp27 using modern biochemical and computational methods. My project aims to understand how Hsp27 SUMO E3 ligase activity impacts its ability to bind ubiquitin and if these novel SIMs impact Hsp27-ubiquitin binding. Using site-directed mutagenesis and molecular docking, we will characterize the Hsp27/SUMO interaction in detail for drug discovery and design.Biology and Biochemistry, Department ofHonors Colleg
From Boundary to Center: The Characteristic of Infant Fixation Clusters on Objects during Parent-Infant Object Play
No full textLearning, whether in animals or humans, requires the ability to recognize the things surrounding oneself, which is essential for one’s development and survival. A critical question in the literature on learning is how we come to recognize these objects. Object recognition works in infancy propose two main theories, object-based and view-based. The former suggests that infants are sensitive to geometric shapes of objects regardless of their viewed angles (Biederman, 1987; Marr & Nishihara, 1978) - a recognition strategy utilized in older infants reaching 2 years of life (Pereira & Smith, 2009). The latter suggests that infants utilize basic-category level fragments of the object dependent on their viewing angle to learn for object recognition (Ullman, 2007) - a strategy prevalent in younger infants (Rakison, 2003). With the use of head-mounted eye tracking systems, previous infant studies documented perceived object orientations taken from child-center viewing and suggested the effect of a child’s prior object knowledge on the looking strategies for recognition (Pereira et al., 2010); while adult vision works look into characteristics of fixation, suggesting the influence of object properties and important characteristics (i.e. location) of fixation withholding information about the object for recognition (Arizpe et al., 2012). However, it remains unknown how these strategies present and emerge in the early 2 years in everyday visual experiences. To bridge the knowledge gap between looking behaviors and object recognition while considering other influential factors such as object properties and social environment, this study examines the pattern of fixation clusters on objects being fixated in infants’ view during their interactive toy play with parents in respect to their played object complexity level, ages, and prior knowledge. Results showed that infants significantly fixate further from object center when objects are more complex and when infants are younger, suggesting the potential recognition mechanism begin by learning object from outside in, which aligns with the shift from view-based to object-based recognition strategy documented previously. Prior knowledge showed no effects in influencing where they fixate, raising potential questions for a stronger measurement of prior knowledge, different fixation outcomes other than distance to object center, and other social factors moderating the effect during play
The Other Side of the Coin: A Thematic Analysis of Men's Experience with Evangelical Purity Culture
No full textEvangelical Purity Culture (EPC) is a subculture in Evangelical Christianity characterized by an intense focus on abstinence and strict rules about gender and sexuality. Current research on EPC has widely focused on the effects on women. To fill this gap, the current research uses data collected from the social media site Reddit to examine men's experiences with EPC. 216 posts were collect analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Data from Reddit shows four major themes: 'Influences of EPC', 'Harms of EPC', 'Intersecting Identities', and 'The Long Road to Recovery'.Sociology, Department ofHonors Colleg
Assessing Coincidence of Satellite Acquisitions and Flood Events to Predict Suitability for Flood Map Synthesis
No full textFlooding is a global problem that impacts people, communities, and governments every year. A better understanding of flooding in an area can enable an improved emergency response before a flood hits. Flood maps are a crucial tool to translate what, for most, is an abstract streamflow into a more understandable and actionable representation of who and what is at risk. Satellite-based flood maps are a useful tool that has potential global applications. We developed methods to determine areas that are suitable for generating satellite-based synthetic flood maps. For our processes, we used Forecasting Inundation Extents using REOF analysis (FIER), a data-driven method of synthesizing flood maps by correlating extracted spatial and temporal patterns from satellite imagery with historical hydrological variables. To overcome the limitation of only using places where gauges are installed, we used large-scale hydrological models, namely the National Water Model (NWM) and the GEOGLOWS Streamflow Model, to provide simulated retrospective streamflow data to train our model. We evaluated locations where both optical and radar imagery would be suitable for creating these models. The procedures we developed and the results that we obtained are potentially transferable to many satellite data sources and methods of model generation
Internationalization of Internal Disputes: A Domestic Strategy
No full textThis dissertation examines the underexplored role of domestic actors in internationalizing conflicts by appealing for foreign military intervention. While existing literature predominantly examines the motivations and interests of external actors in driving internationalization processes, this study redirects attention to the role and strategies employed by domestic parties in requesting foreign military intervention and the conditions that shape such decisions. By analyzing novel data on domestic appeals for foreign military intervention, this research argues that calls for external military intervention by local actors are primarily influenced by two factors: the comparative strengths and capabilities of the conflicting groups and the nature and severity of the demands being made. This research does not aim at challenging existing theories asserting that civil wars can serve as opportunities for external state’s intervention, or that foreign military involvement is driven by foreign states' interests and motivations. While recognizing the validity of these theories, this study argues that they alone are insufficient for fully understanding internationalization processes in civil conflicts. This research, hence, extends the study of internationalization by emphasizing the crucial role that domestic actors play in advancing or inhibiting foreign military involvement in domestic disputes. Even when external factors are at play, domestic actors are far from being passive as they actively influence, shape, and even direct the course of internationalization of their conflicts
Essays on Climate Change, the Neutral Real Interest Rate, and Monetary Policy Rules
No full textThis dissertation is a compilation of two essays on the topic of monetary policy. The first essay, which is a joint work with Dr. David Papell and Dr. Ruxandra Prodan-Boul, uses real-time data to construct an empirical measure of the neutral real interest rate, r*, that is consistent with the definition in use at the U.S. Federal Reserve. We then apply our measure of r*, which we call the consistent measure, to two prominent policy rules, the Taylor rule and the Balanced Approach rule, and show that the consistent measure provides federal funds rate prescriptions comparable to measures that do not satisfy the Fed’s definition. Our second main finding shows that the broadly accepted view that the Balanced Approach rule was a better fit for monetary policy following the Financial Crisis is an artifact of assuming a value of r* equal to two percent. We show that policy prescriptions using the consistent measure of r* and Taylor rule coefficients is more consistent with actual Fed policy following the Financial Crisis and Great Recession. The second essay studies the effect that climate change may have on monetary policy through its effect on r*, trend GDP growth, and business cycle volatility. In this essay, I develop a suite of forward-looking climate scenarios, embedding both gradual structural changes and increasing macroeconomic volatility into a reduced-form New Keynesian model. Through stochastic Monte Carlo simulations, I assess how these climate-driven channels reshape the dynamics of policy interest rates, the risk of hitting the zero lower bound (ZLB), and aggregate economic performance through the end of the twenty-first century. The results emphasize the mounting challenges for conventional monetary policy, showing that the combination of persistent trend shocks and heightened volatility can interact synergistically to both amplify economic losses and restrict policy space, thereby increasing the likelihood of reliance on unconventional policy measures