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Navigating the Chaos of Liminality: A Narrative and Performative Exploration of Teenagers Telling Cancer Stories
No full textThrough combining a critical performative (auto)ethnography with performative writing, I explore the world of two teenage cancer patients as they share their stories online. I allow my own experiences as a former teenage cancer survivor to inform and shape my analysis, intertwining fragments of my own cancer journey with theirs. In doing so, I seek to create a sense of co-presence, a shared story of “we,” not just “me.” The narrative elements and self-presentation of each patient reveal their struggles in coping with sociocultural forces. This leads to a methodological intervention, mapping a performative framework in which the patients either embody liminality’s redress through reintegration into normative society or embody schism by embracing a nonnormal body
Characterization And Modeling Of Long-Term Device Performance In Resistive Random Access Memories
No full textMemristors are a type of non-volatile memory that possess several advantageous properties, including low latency, small device footprint, fast switching speeds, and low energyconsumption. These properties make them ideal candidates for implementation in neuromorphic hardware and analog accelerators. However, state-of-the-art devices are likely to suffer from critical performance degradation and device performance non-idealities. Key issues include nonlinear and asymmetric conductance tuning, along with device-to-device (D2D) and cycle-to-cycle (C2C) variability, potentially causing weight encoding and inference errors. In this work, I present a robust and novel characterization methodology to comprehensively analyze performance metrics, C2C, and D2D variability in commercial self-directed channel (SDC) memristors. I also present the crossbar array circuitry design based on the VTEAM memristor model. This array can accept inputs in the form of a series of pulses, apply a VMM operation, and convert the output back to voltage
Enhancing Healthcare Informatics Through Deep Learning With Graph-Based Models And Self-Distillation
No full textDeep learning has revolutionized the areas of computer vision, natural language processing, robotics, medical image processing and many others. In this dissertation, we focus on enhancing healthcare informatics by modeling healthcare data with deep neural networks for different downstream tasks such as classification, regression and image segmentation. In Chapter 2 of this dissertation, we present the relevant deep learning literature based on which we proposed our deep learning algorithms for enhancing healthcare informatics. In Chapter 3, we present a novel “dilated CNN+RN” which combines a dilated CNN with a relation network (RN) to deeply reason the dependencies of non-local axonal connections using whole brain connectome data from children suffering from Focal Epilepsy (FE). In Chapter 4, we present a novel Spatial-Temporal Synchronous Graph Transformer network (STSGT) to capture the complex spatial and temporal dependency of the COVID-19 time series data and forecast the future status of an evolving pandemic. In Chapter 5, we propose a novel dual self-distillation (DSD) framework in U-shaped networks for volumetric medical image segmentation which is a generalized training strategy that utilizes distillation across the encoder and decoder layers of U-Nets extensively to further improve its segmentation performance. In Chapter 6, we address the problem of Seizure Onset Zone (SOZ) localization for children with epilepsy with missing MRI sequence data, by proposing a novel Sequence-Agnostic (SA) model with cross-sequence distillation across the MRI sequence outputs both at the class level and at the feature map level to improve the representation learning of each individual MRI sequence. Finally, in Chapter 7, we conclude the dissertation by highlighting our original contributions for enhancing healthcare informatics with deep learning and discuss some promising future work in this direction
Stockholm Syndrome Or Love Story? A Socio-Historical Analysis Of Three Animal Bridegroom Tales In Early Modern France
No full textABSTRACT
In this dissertation, I analyze three early modern fairy tales: “Riquet à la Houppe” (1697) by Charles Perrault and two versions of “La Belle et la Bête” by Gabrielle-Suzanne Villeneuve (1740) and Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont (1756) within the context of women used as forms of exchange. I explore the process through which the female characters in these stories come to accept being used as currency. I ask whether the female characters develop love as a form of emotional self-defense, and I propose that the character of Beauty in the Villeneuve and Leprince de Beaumont versions go through a “learning period,” where, as captives, they learn to love the Beast. Using the work of early modern historians, fairy-tale scholars, and psychological and sociological researchers, I situate the concept of love, its development, the agency of a female character, and the concept of woman as a means of exchange for forming a “willing” alliance or agreement. I place this process in sociohistorical context using the work of historians; together with considerations of Bronwyn Reddan’s vocabulary of love in the seventeenth century and using the influence of such contemporary texts such as Madeleine de Scudéry’s La Carte de Tendre. I propose that, although they are presented as love stories by the authors of the tales, and although they may be perceived as such in popular culture, instead the two Beauty and the Beast tales portray a process undergone by the female character that more closely resembles Stockholm Syndrome, where a woman falls in love with her captor. This observation has previously been made in many articles in the popular press upon the 2017 cinematic release and is shared by Jennifer Tamas regarding four modern films. I explore whether the female characters have true agency, grounding this analysis in conceptions of love in the early modern period. Placing it into a social and historical context, I investigate whether these texts show situations where the female character is pressured and manipulated, and whether the feelings she develops show agency. I explore how the three female characters, who in the two Beauty and the Beast tales have been paid as a price in exchange for the life of the father, and in the Riquet a la Houppe tale has been paid as an exchange for wit, ultimately come to accept their destiny and develop love as the only solution. Like Tatiana Korneeva before me, I use the work of Luce Irigaray and Claude Levi-Strauss, albeit from some different angles. I also use Ruth Bottigheimer’s concept of a commercial marriage and Korneeva’s reference to the character of Beauty as part of a homosocial exchange, to elucidate the question of women-as-currency. I use Michel Foucault’s work in forms of control to analyze Villeneuve’s tale. I also use the work of Althusser in my analysis of Leprince de Beaumont’s tale, and I build upon Jack Zipes’ insight in using Norbert Elias’ work, which Zipes used to understand Perrault, in order to myself analyze Leprince de Beaumont’s tale. I frame my discussion on the theoretical work of feminist writers like Kate Manne, Manon Garcia, and Luce Irigaray; and use domestic violence materials as well as clinical psychology studies by Baldwin et al. and the work Moore et al. in the experiences of sex-trafficked minors to shed light on the methods used by some characters in Villeneuve’s text. I also situate Leprince de Beaumont’s character situation within education for girls in the eighteenth century and their economic situation in a changing cultural perception of marriage
The Mixed-Benefits Signaling Model
No full textManufacturers often display various types of product-related information that signal specific benefits. For example, claims such as “Hypoallergenic” signals an egoistic benefit (i.e., the product is good for the consumer), and “No Animal Testing” signals an altruistic benefit (i.e., the product is good for wildlife) of purchasing the product. However, no study has examined whether displaying single or mixed-benefits (i.e., altruistic and egoistic) has a stronger effect on behavioral outcomes toward the product. Therefore, the current study proposes the Mixed-Benefit Signaling Model, which suggests that mixed (vs. single)-benefit signals heighten product curiosity, enhancing purchase intentions. The paper also shows that the model is more effective when the altruistic (vs. egoistic) claim is certified. Findings from current research resolve extant uncertainty related to the effectiveness of mixed signals on behavioral outcomes by accounting for the important role of curiosity, which was previously overlooked. Through a multi-method approach (one field study and five lab studies), this paper suggests simple alterations (such as, highlighting mixed vs. single-benefits, and certifying the altruistic claim) that practitioners can make to their marketing communications to enhance digital ad engagement and purchase intentions. Therefore, this research has strong theoretical and practitioner implications
The X-Ray/uv Connection In Active Galactic Nuclei
No full textThe AGNs Fairall 9 and Mrk 817 were targeted by NICER, Swift, and other space- and ground-based observatories for the two longest (\u3e1000~day) coordinated multiwavelength AGN monitoring campaigns to date. The following analysis of NICER spectra taken at a two day cadence provides new insights into the structure and heating mechanisms of central black hole environments. At the start of the AGN STORM~2 campaign on Mrk~817 in 2020, NICER, HST, and XMM-Newton revealed the presence of a new partially-covering ionized obscurer, consistent with a clumpy disk wind launched from the inner broad line region. Observations of Fairall~9 with NICER and Swift revealed a strong relationship between the flux of the UV continuum and the X-ray soft excess, indicating the presence of a “warm” Comptonized region which may act as a second reprocessor between the “hot” X-ray corona and the accretion disk. This has previously been suggested as an explanation for the weak X-ray/UV correlation observed in many AGN, but could only be confirmed by NICER due to its unprecedented spectral coverage of X-ray variability on timescales of days to years. My separate NICER reverberation campaign on the AGN NGC~7469 provides no evidence for a warm corona, suggesting that there is no uniform prescription for the geometry of the inner accretion flow across all AGN. In this dissertation, I will present the X-ray spectral modeling results from each AGN in the context of understanding their geometries and how they affect their host galaxies
“but The Women Are On The Walls!”: A Gendered Analysis Of Holocaust Museums In The United States
No full textABSTRACT
“BUT THE WOMEN ARE ON THE WALLS!”: A GENDERED ANALYSIS OF HOLOCAUST MUSEUMS IN THE UNITED STATES
by
KATIE CHAKA PARKS
JUNE 2024
Advisor: Dr. Andrew Port
Major: History
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Museums act as conduits of historical information to the public. As such, these institutions are responsible for considering their role in creating and perpetuating historical narratives. One way of assessing the creation and transfer of historical knowledge is by analyzing museums, and for the purposes of this study, Holocaust museums throughout the United States. The Holocaust has become a prime example of not only the collection and transfer of memory, but also the use of historical memory as a tool to learn from the past and enact change in the present. However, when we discuss the history and stories illuminating the human experience during the Holocaust, whose stories are we referencing? When we think of the Holocaust, whether with respect to who committed these acts or who suffered from them, the names that come to mind are often male and, more specifically, male perpetrators. So how are we telling the complete history of the Holocaust by neglecting more than half of the people that experienced it?
Using gender as a category of historical analysis is essential to studying how women and men are represented within memorial spaces dedicated to the Holocaust and allows future generations to understand a fuller history of this catastrophic event and its implications for the world today. Therefore, this study will seek to explore how representations of specifically women’s experiences are displayed within major Holocaust museums throughout the United States and how these representations inform our understanding of the memory and history of the Holocaust
Impact Of Differential Localization Of Immune Cell Subsets In Two Prominent Layers Of Hsv-1 Infected Cornea On The Development Of Herpes Stromal Keratitis
No full textHerpes Stromal Keratitis is chronic immunoinflammatory condition caused by recurrent HSV-1 infection. This condition, characterized by severe ocular inflammation and tissue damage, poses substantial clinical burdens, necessitating a deeper understanding of its underlying immunopathology for effective therapeutic interventions. Despite significant advancements in elucidating the pathogenesis of HSK, several critical gaps persist in our understanding of the complex immune mechanisms driving disease progression.We standardized an approach to study the differential immune cell infiltration in HSV-1 infected corneal epithelium and stroma using flow cytometry. This technique enabled us to study localization of both innate and adaptive cells during lytic as well as clinical phase of disease. Our analysis of leukocyte dynamics in HSV-1-infected corneas reveals a biphasic influx of immune cells, particularly in the corneal epithelium, underscoring the tissue-specific immune responses underlying HSK. Furthermore, our study investigates the functional significance of innate immune cell infiltration, highlighting involvement of monocytes in preventing viral dissemination to leukocytes during lytic phase and heterogeneity in role of epithelial and stromal neutrophils in wound healing during clinical phase of HSK. Additionally, our study explores the localization and abundance of tissue resident memory T cells (TRMs) within the HSV-1 infected cornea, comparing their presence in the epithelium versus the stroma and between non-HSK and HSK corneas. While the corneal epithelium serves as a primary site for TRM localization, corneas developing HSK exhibit diminished TRM pools, potentially due to functional exhaustion mediated by persistent antigenic stimulation. These findings hold great clinical significance as it might explain as to why patients with history of stromal keratitis are at higher risk of recurrent stromal keratitis. Moreover, the indiscriminate use of topical corticosteroids may compromise HSV-1-induced TRM function, exacerbating viral reactivation and disease recurrence. Our research also examines the prevalence of senescent cells in the corneal epithelium and stroma following HSV-1 infection. It explores the possibility of a two-step senescence pattern within the epithelium and investigates the potential of senescence as an antiviral defense mechanism that limits viral replication by restricting the ability of corneal epithelial cells to proliferate. Furthermore, the presence of senescent monocytes in the corneal stroma might possibly be involved in secretion of pro inflammatory cytokines linking these monocytes with inflamm-aging. Moreover, these monocytes can affect the effectiveness of adaptive immune response by altering the dendritic cells’ antigen presentation capacity.
Next, our study reveals a significant upregulation of F10, the gene encoding Factor X, at both the gene and protein level. The research delves into the potential role of FX in driving the inflammatory response associated with HSK, considering its known link between blood coagulation and inflammatory pathways. Furthermore, the investigation suggests a systemic impact of HSV-1 infection by observing elevated levels of activated Factor Xa in the corneas and plasma samples of infected mice. Finally, the study examines the role of FXa, the activated form of Factor X, as a critical mediator of the inflammatory response, potentially triggering cellular responses through the activation of protease-activated receptors (PARs) and inducing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Immunohistochemistry findings revealed increased localization of F10 and receptor PAR-2 in the anterior stroma in HSK corneas, highlighting its potential role in the disease process. Future investigation is warranted to comment on the pathogenic or beneficial role of F10 in HSK
Jets And Underlying Event In √s_nn = 200 Gev P+au Collisions At Rhic
Get PDFSmall collision systems, such as that between a proton or deuteron and a heavy-ion, were originally studied to assess cold nuclear matter (CNM) effects but have produced surprising results at RHIC and the LHC over the last several years. Namely, observations of jet yield suppression (enhancement) in central (peripheral) p/d+A events have motivated further investigations into small systems, including the search for signs of Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP) formation. This thesis focuses primarily on an analysis of correlations of hard and soft particle production in √s_NN = 200 GeV p+Au collisions in STAR. Jets and Underlying Event (UE) are measured at mid-rapidity (perpendicular to each other) and correlated with Event Activity (EA) at large backward-rapidity. The UE is measured differentially with respect to pseudorapidity and the leading jet. This analysis takes an experimental approach to understanding the observed jet yield modification in small systems and whether it results from the production of a medium. The data disfavor QGP production and instead suggest that the observed jet yield modification is due to an anti-correlation between the leading jet and the soft particle production used to estimate centrality. This could result in jet events being mis-classified as more peripheral on average, manifesting as a suppression of jet yield in central relative to peripheral events. Further kinematic correlations are measured in an attempt to elucidate the underlying physics that are not yet properly described by small system models. Future data from sPHENIX could provide further jet measurements to understand the correlations between hard and soft particle production in small systems