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WeMigration: Remapping Women´s Voices in Contemporary Brazilian Writing
No full text In this dissertation I explore the voice of the nordestina through the literary and cultural analysis of three different migration stories told by Marilene Felinto´s The Women of Tijucopapo (1982), Clarice Lispector´s The Hour of the Star (1977), and Helena Parente Cunha´s Woman Between Mirrors (1984). The cultural and historical context in which they are writing correspond to the opening to democracy (abertura) phase within the military coup from 1964-1984 in Brazil. Through their stories, these women writers respond to different contexts of marginalization and silencing that are products of an ideal of nation commonly propagated by authoritarian regimes. “WeMigration” conceptualizes the framework that guides my analysis, inspired by Marilene Felinto´s story of reverse migration. Therefore, remapping means to question and challenge official discourses and representations that has a history of erasure of women´s voices and racialization. Through the exploration of the transformative element of displacement in these different types of migration, I discuss the intersection of gender, race, social class and geography. Chapter 1 comprises mythical reverse migration as claiming of an identity and a manifesto of the nordestina voice against racism and misogyny in Brazil. Chapter 2 explores the resistance of the nordestina through geographical and metaphysical displacement to debunk racialization myths of Northeast Brazil and the nordestina identity. Chapter 3 explores psychological migration through the self-reflections of the female protagonist in the mirror while raising questions on colonial and patriarchal context in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. My critical analysis focuses on the writers´ poetics and ethics to amplify marginalized voices from the Northeast by transforming the female objectified body into the subject of enunciation. </p
Shared Spaces, Shared Voices: Predicting Social Vocalizations among Preschoolers With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder
No full textChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly exhibit differences in social communication behaviors that form the foundation for peer engagement. While prior research has indicated that autistic children vocalize at a reduced rate during classroom social contact with their peers, it is unknown whether these difficulties are influenced by limited social contact with peers, a reduced vocalization rate overall, or both. This study investigated predictors of preschoolers’ rate of vocalizations during peer social contact (i.e., social vocalizations) from their proportion of classroom time in peer social contact and overall classroom vocalization rate (i.e., talkativeness) in children with ASD (n = 51), developmental disabilities (DD; n = 36), and typical development (TD; n = 44) across 14 inclusive classrooms. Automated, child-worn sensors dynamically tracked children’s location, orientation, and vocalizations throughout the school day. Multi-level modeling indicated that, compared to their typically developing peers, autistic preschoolers spent a lower proportion of their classroom time in social contact with peers, did not differ in their overall vocalization rate in the classroom, and vocalized at lower rates while in social contact with peers. While both time in peer social contact and talkativeness positively predicted social vocalization rates for all children, autistic preschoolers showed smaller increases in their social vocalization rate with more social contact time compared to their TD peers. No significant differences emerged between the ASD and DD group on any measure. Overall, these findings highlight the importance of increasing opportunities for social contact while leveraging autistic preschoolers’ existing talkativeness to enhance their social communication with peers.</p
Safety and Efficacy of a Pan-Caspase Inhibitor Combined with Therapeutic Hypothermia for Noise-Induced Inner Ear Injury
No full textNoise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and noise-induced vestibular loss (NIVL) are major public health concerns that arise from a complex interplay of oxidative stress, glutamateexcitotoxicity, and apoptotic cell death, ultimately leading to irreversible damage to cochlear and vestibular structures. The basal turn of the cochlea and the saccule of the vestibular system are particularly susceptible to acoustic trauma due to their anatomical and embryological characteristics. Despite the growing incidence and life-altering consequences of NIHL and NIVL, there are currently no FDA-approved pharmacological treatments to prevent or mitigate this form of sensory degeneration. This study explores a novel therapeutic strategy centered on the post-exposure administration of Z-VAD-FMK, a broad-spectrum pan-caspase inhibitor known for its ability to block apoptotic pathways, and evaluates its potential alone and in combination with mild therapeutic hypothermia (MTH), a non-invasive intervention that reduces inflammation, oxidative stress, and synaptic degradation. We hypothesize that Z-VAD-FMK will preserve inner ear function by preventing cellular degeneration and that its combination with MTH will produce additive neuroprotective effects. To test this hypothesis, we conducted three specific aims: (1) evaluate the safety and efficacy of Z-VAD-FMK in preserving auditory and vestibular function in a rat model of noise trauma through ABRs, cVEMPs, immunohistochemistry, and protein analysis; (2) assess the additive benefit of combining Z-VAD-FMK with noninvasive, precisely controlled localized hypothermia, using a custom-designed fluorocarbon cooling system; and (3) determine the feasibility of delivering targeted cooling to human inner ear structures using non-invasive external devices in cadaveric specimens, with real-time temperature measurements validated by computational modeling. </p
Engineering Functional Materials: Microwire Platforms and Carbon Dots for Versatile Biomedical Applications
No full textThe treatment of spinal cord injuries, infections such as SARS-CoV-2, and the early detection of cancer present significant challenges in modern biomedicine. Neuroprosthetics are plagued by device failure and chronic inflammation, and severe side effects accompany systemic treatment. Chronic inflammation is also a major in SARS-CoV-2 infection. The pandemic caused by the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 proved a need for advancement in both prevention and treatment of similar diseases. Equally pressing is the requirement for early cancer detection as a leading cause of death worldwide. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach combining materials chemistry and traditional medicine. Hydrogel-based neural interfaces present a promising approach to combat the inflammation, oxidative stress, and tissue encapsulation that rapidly degrades neural interfaces post-implantation. This work investigates a novel platform that exploits covalent attachment of hydrogels to achieve mechanical compatibility while enabling sustained, localized delivery of anti-inflammatory agents at the implant interface. Concurrently, carbon dots (CDs) have emerged as versatile nanomaterials in therapeutics and diagnostics. Strategic design of heteroatom-doped CDs can mitigate viral infections and reduce oxidative stress. Thiol-functionalized CDs exhibit promising in vitro results in reducing SARS-CoV-2 uptake and free radicals involved in the inflammatory cascade. Exploiting tunable surface chemistry of CDs enables the development of a highly specific biosensing platform that relies on the intrinsic fluorescence of CDs to detect key biomarkers. Carbon nitride dots are presented as a biosensor for mushroom-derived tyrosinase enzyme —a model biomarker for human malignant melanoma—demonstrating selectivity over other analytes. Together, these investigations underscore the vital role of materials chemistry in tackling urgent biomedical challenges, laying a foundation for next-generation devices and therapies that can outperform existing methodologies.</p
Photochemistry and Photophysics of Organic Molecules Modulated by Supramolecular Effects
No full textThis dissertation investigates how supramolecular encapsulation within octa acid (OA), a water-soluble deep-cavity cavitand, can be used to control the photophysical and photochemical behavior of organic molecules in aqueous environments. Conventional photochemical studies in water are often limited by solubility issues, aggregation, and quenching by molecular oxygen. OA offers a confined hydrophobic cavity that isolates guest molecules from bulk solvent, enabling modulation of their excited-state behavior. Room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) of thiocoumarin (TC) derivatives is significantly enhanced upon encapsulation, as shown in Chapter 2, with microsecond triplet lifetimes observed. Chapter 3 explores photorelease of acidic products from OA-encapsulated TCs, where confinement enables solubilization and promotes triplet-mediated bond cleavage. Chapter 4 introduces sequential and orthogonal photorelease by encapsulating structurally distinct PRPGs with different absorption profiles, allowing wavelength-selective and sequential guest release in water. Chapter 5 focuses on [2+2] photocycloaddition of 1,n-dienes, where OA confinement facilitates selective triplet-sensitized cycloaddition without external sensitizers. Across these studies, OA acts not only as a host but also as a reaction modulator and, in some cases, an intrinsic triplet donor. Collectively, this work demonstrates the utility of OA as a supramolecular platform for harnessing and controlling light-driven reactivity in aqueous media, with implications for phototriggered drug delivery, biological imaging, and green photochemistry.</p
Core Mechanisms that Contribute to Inhibition of Wound Healing in Diabetic Foot and Venous Leg Ulcers
No full textDiabetic foot ulcers (DFU) and venous leg ulcers (VLU) are prevalent chronic wounds with a debilitating impact on patient morbidity and mortality. Effective treatments for chronic wounds are limited and the absence of valid chronic wound animal models has driven the use of bioinformatics to gain new insights into dysregulated mechanisms shared in chronic wound healing. Because chronic wounds share features such as a hyperproliferative, non-migratory epidermis, fibrosis, decreased angiogenesis, and a de-regulated inflammatory response, it was predicted that a bioinformatic comparison of DFUs and VLUs would identify a core chronic wound transcriptome. Analysis of the newly identified core chronic wound transcriptome highlighted shared mechanisms, including a host response pathway modulated by the microbiome: the aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling pathway. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling was found to be suppressed in chronic wounds which contributes to wound healing inhibition. Additionally, comparisons of prototypical skin commensal bacteria strains isolated from chronic wounds found that increased antimicrobial resistance was a driver of bacterial fitness, pathogenicity, and wound healing impairment in chronic wounds. Further studies of the chronic wound microbiome identified an intracellular niche of S. aureus present which contributes to inflammatory cell death, pyroptosis. A postbiotic derived from Lactobacillus was found to effectively reduce the intracellular niche of S. aureus in keratinocytes while simultaneously promoting wound healing and strengthening the skin barrier. To validate the core chronic wound transcriptome and impacts of the microbiome, an integrative approach that included patients’ wound samples, primary human cells, and human skin ex vivo infection models were used. The results herein characterize mechanisms important for chronic wound healing and for future development of targeted therapeutics.</p
Power to the People: A Guide to Community-Based Initiatives
No full textThe term “community-based” has become a buzzword with organizations and individuals using the phrase as a self-proclaimed badge. Oftentimes, initiatives that have the intention of assisting a vulnerable population with a social problem further subject the community to being victims of the "system". Communities replete with social injustices are led to believe that institutions are outside of their influence. The powerlessness induced by this belief promotes the notion that individuals are destined by chance, thereby removing self-agency and initiative from the people. In this thesis, through the exploration of community-based supportive theories, power is found in the people. In order to adopt a community-based philosophy, initiatives must allow organizational operations to be fully guided by the community. Local knowledge and local control are paramount to community-based work. This work begins with communities defining themselves and utilizing individual and community realities to inform the direction of an initiative. Organizations are required to facilitate dialogue that interprets community members in the manner in which they wish to be understood. Dialogue serves as the foundation to understanding the needs and lived experiences of a community. Community-based instruments are explored and a critique of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) addresses the cardinal flaws of NGOs and the fundamental traits of community-based initiatives. This thesis concludes with an action-oriented call to become community-based.</p
Climate Disclosure Mandates, Climate Reporting Specialists, and Labor Market Constraints
No full textThis paper examines the labor-related costs of climate disclosure mandates and whether labor market constraints increase these costs and decrease the climate reporting activities driven by these mandates. I first classify a sample of climate reporting specialists (CRS) to measure firms’ hiring practices for job positions related to climate reporting. Using the European Union (EU)’s Non-Financial Reporting Directive (NFRD) as a setting, I find a significant increase in the acquisition of CRS in EU firms after the passage of the NFRD, compared to matched US firms. More importantly, EU firms pay a persistent wage premium to CRS that cannot be explained by position, firm, and individual characteristics and fill CRS positions with less qualified individuals, indicating that the increased demand for CRS leads to constraints in the labor market for CRS. These effects are more pronounced in positions that are non-entry level and in countries with fewer climate-related education programs. Lastly, I show that labor market constraints decrease firms’ climate reporting activities, undermining the effectiveness of the NFRD. Overall, this study quantifies the labor-related costs of climate disclosure mandates and highlights the labor-related challenges of implementing these mandates.</p
Breast and Gynecological Cancer in Diverse Populations: From Clinical Outcomes to Pathogenesis
No full textWomen of African ancestry diagnosed with breast, endometrial and ovarian cancer experience the worst survival outcomes. The Caribbean region has one of the highest breast cancers (BC) mortality rates. In the Caribbean, BC is prevalent among premenopausal women and is commonly diagnosed at a younger age. Similarly, endometrial cancer (EC) incidence is increasing, whereas ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic cancer. Increasing African ancestry has been associated with a concurrent increase in the odds of both serous and copy number high EC, the most aggressive subtypes. Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) accounts for 75% cases, with high-grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) being the most common subtype. In HGSC, hormonal therapy is commonly used as a treatment option in patients with recurrent HGSC who have exhausted or are not suitable for further standard lines of systemic chemotherapy. Immunohistochemical profiles have demonstrated differential expression of ERα and PR in HGSC and correlation with survival outcomes. Preliminary data indicate that in a cohort of HGCS, 79% expressed ER of which 51% were ER+/PR-. ER+/PR- patients have worse overall survival compared to ER+/PR+ patients (overall survival Log-Rank p=0.031). Tumors in the TCGA genomically assigned to African Americans with breast, head and neck, and endometrial cancers exhibited a higher level of chromosomal instability and the frequencies of TP53 mutations and CCNE1 amplification were also increased. These features are independently linked to worse survival in ovarian cancer. Women of African ancestry are at higher risk of BC, EC and HGSC because of distinct pathways and exposures driving aggressive disease: in BC, we have found that based on nativity, Black US born women, who have higher African ancestry, are experiencing worse survival outcomes. In EC, we found that increasing African ancestry increases the odds of being diagnosed with aggressive EC. In HGSC, we have found that lower progesterone receptor expression confers worse survival outcomes.</p
Integration of Holistic Admissions in the University of Miami Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
No full textThe University of Miami Doctor of Physical Therapy (UMDPT) program and DPT programs nationwide are experiencing unprecedented change in their admissions processes as they transition to holistic admissions (HA). The movement to HA stems from elimination of the GRE as a considered metric and the emphasis on promoting diversity in the physical therapy workforce. Due to a lack of evidence on how to implement HA successfully, the purpose of this dissertation was to synthesize current evidence and best practices related to HA from other DPT programs, medical schools, and colleges of health sciences. The goal was to provide data-driven, evidence-based policy and procedure recommendations for the implementation of HA at UMDPT. Based on the literature, guidance should be derived from the mission/vision of each DPT program and two frameworks inherent to physical therapy. Specific recommendations for UMDPT include: 1) continuing applicant interviews with the addition of bias training for interviewers, 2) holding a holistic admissions workshop for faculty, 3) using personal statements and letters of recommendation minimally, 4) providing a better capture of key elements of the department’s vision (leadership and community service), 5) modifying current rubrics, and 6) embarking on retrospective and prospective cohort studies to determine which elements of GPA predict academic outcomes for students. Successful integration may position UMDPT at the forefront of the HA movement nationally.</p