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More than trauma: The story of intergenerational survival
No full textParental trauma can have a profound effect on children. The process of passing along traumatic experiences, known as the intergenerational transmission of trauma (IGT) and the process of passing along adaptations to these adverse circumstances, known as the intergenerational transmission of resilience (IGR), have been explored in populations such as survivors of the Holocaust and war refugees (Danieli et al., 2017; Kellermann, 2001; Sangalang & Vang, 2017). This study sought to extend findings to Chinese American immigrant families, many of whom experienced trauma in the form of war, sociopolitical violence, and poverty in 20th-century China. Despite the presence of these traumatic circumstances, systemic erasure of Chinese American history and proliferation of the model minority myth have relegated these experiences outside of public consciousness, including that of second-generation Chinese Americans and the mental health professionals who work with them. As a result, Chinese Americans are overpathologized, conceptualized apart from cultural and historical factors, and obstructed from family strengths that can play a role in improving their mental health. This study amplified erased and unspoken experiences of Chinese Americans and their elders by using a phenomenological approach to collect 16 qualitative interviews, which were analyzed using narrative and thematic analyses. The study primarily sought to answer: what are the mechanisms by which trauma and resilience are passed on to the child generation? First, findings argued for the reconceptualization of IGT and IGR into a novel construct: intergenerational survival strategies. Second, findings presented ten mechanisms of the survival strategies transmission. Individual-level clinical implications, as well as institutional implications are discussed
The Social Aesthetics of Recognition
No full textThe history of social philosophy is a history of suspicion toward the aesthetic (1). However, since we apprehend social reality fundamentally through its aesthetic appearances, an account is needed of how “the aesthetic” must enter the social-philosophical discourse, particularly in reconstructive models of social critique. I call this account “social aesthetics.” Social aesthetics illuminates how certain social experiences generate normative claims even in the lack of discursive articulation. (2) I argue that the philosophy of recognition, concerned with this relationship between social experience and normative claim-making, contains an unacknowledged aesthetic dimension, which I uncover through a critical reading of Axel Honneth’s work (3). Finally, I demonstrate the connection between negative social experience and aesthetic expression through what I term “mass dandyism”—the practice whereby oppressed groups appropriate upper-class styles as a form of expressively articulating recognition claims, especially when discursive political channels are blocked (4)
Methylglyoxal Glycation Competes with Ubiquitination, Disrupting Sarcomere Funciton
No full textMethylglyoxal is a reactive carbonyl species that modifies lysine residues via a process called glycation and is elevated in high-risk conditions for heart failure, like diabetes and aging. Glycation is non-enzymatic and irreversible, thus modified proteins must be removed via degradation. We hypothesized methylglyoxal competes with and blocks protein lysine ubiquitination in a dangerous feed-forward cycle of decreasing protein turnover and increasing glycation. Indeed, mass spectrometry analysis of human and mouse cardiomyocytes confirm these two PTMs share target lysine residues on sarcomeric proteins, including β-myosin heavy chain. To determine whether methylglyoxal and ubiquitination directly compete, we exposed C2C12 myoblasts and neonatal rat ventricular myocytes to methylglyoxal (100μM; 10μM respectively for initial supraphysiological, and more physiological perspectives respectively); both exhibited reduced protein ubiquitination. To test whether reduced protein turnover results in accruing glycation, we utilized BAG3 KO mice (hetero-and-homozygous), which have decreased sarcomere protein turnover. Sarcomere protein glycation was increased in BAG3 KO mice, and residues overlapped with those glycated in diabetic humans, supporting these PTMs’ competition. Further, literature suggests SRX supports myosin turnover, reduces contraction, and increases relaxation. Our data (x-ray; MANT-ATP; cell culture) shows methylglyoxal increases SRX, decreases filament proximity, and impairs autophagy, suggesting methylglyoxal prevents myosin turnover by preventing myosin ubiquitination and interaction with chaperones. We previously showed sarcomere glycation reduced contractile function, so this feed-forward mechanism has the potential to worsen function. Thus, we tested whether increased glycation impacted sarcomere function in BAG3 KO mice. Force-calcium measurements were performed pre- and post-100μM methylglyoxal treatment. As previously, methylglyoxal caused a significant decrease in maximum calcium activated force (Fmax) in wild-type mice, but this effect was reduced in BAG3 KO mice, Indicating elevated protein glycation already impacted these mice. These results underscore the possibility that glycation/ubiquitination crosstalk impacts sarcomere function across multiple high-risk conditions. Breaking this loop therapeutically may be efficacious in treating diseases with increased glycation
Examining the Impact of Technology-Enhanced Peer Mentorship on First-Year University Students’ Mental Health and Academic Success
No full textPoor mental health among first-year college students has been associated with a plethora of unfavorable outcomes including worsening mental health problems later in college as well as declines in academic performance, rates of college retention, and postgraduate employment and income potential. While demand for mental health services on college campuses is high, there are various barriers to accessing these services. Peer mentoring is a resource-efficient solution for curbing college student mental health and academic challenges; however, the effects of past mentoring programs are inconsistent. Additionally, technology-delivered interventions (TDIs) have been shown to yield positive outcomes for young adults along various psychological domains, however the research on the efficacy of technology-enhanced mentoring models to specifically aid college students’ functioning is nascent. The current quasi-experimental study enrolled 38 first-year college students in an intervention (n = 11) or comparison group (n = 27). Linear mixed models revealed that while there were no significant group differences in any of the psychological distress or academic outcomes between students who were and were not enrolled in the intervention, there was an effect of time such that students across both study groups exhibited higher levels of depressive symptoms at the end of the semester than at its start (though this effect did not hold when adjusted for lifetime treatment history for a psychological problem). Mediation analyses overall identified no significant mediating effects of the level of engagement with the intervention (number of completed Check-Ins and mentee messages sent) on the relationship between students’ mental health at the start of the fall semester and their academic outcomes by the end of the semester. Lastly, a thematic analysis of the text message interactions between mentors and mentees identified 13 content- and process-related themes revealing that mentors and mentees discussed topics related to the logistics of the mentoring program, social and emotional adjustment to college and related resources, goal setting, and academic and non-academic-related experiences and resources. Additionally, mentors and mentees were observed employing various strategies related to progress monitoring, providing social and emotional support, and communication. This research offers a stepped-care approach to offloading the burden of addressing college students’ mental health and academic challenges from college counseling center and academic advising staff to paraprofessional support through the supplementation of a technology tool
The Impact of Lactobacillus Supplementation on Gut Microbiome Composition and Phage induction in Mice
No full textThe mammalian gastrointestinal (GI) tract harbors a dense and dynamic community of microbes known as the gut microbiota, which plays vital roles in digestion, immunity, and overall health. Among these, probiotic bacteria such as Lactobacillus strains have garnered attention for their ability to influence microbial community structure and host physiology. This study investigated the effects of five Lactobacillus strains, Lactobacillus casei R1A482, Lactobacillus casei O3, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus gasseri ATCC 33323, and Lactobacillus paragasseri UMB1065, on the gut microbiome of Swiss Webster mice over a six-week feeding period. To reduce stress, mice were fed Lactobacillus strains using gelatin pellets instead of traditional ga-vage methods, and stool samples were collected weekly. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and whole-genome shotgun metagenomics were used to assess microbial and bacteriophage commu-nity changes in response to treatment. Results showed that gut microbial composition changed slightly over time in response to some treatments. While strains such as L. casei O3, L. rhamno-sus GG, L. gasseri ATCC 33323, and L. paragasseri UMB1065 were associated with modest shifts in microbial structure, others like L. casei R1A482 had little measurable effect. Dynamic patterns of phage activity were also observed in mice treated with L. gasseri ATCC 33323 and L. rhamnosus GG, to see the effect of gut bacterial composition changes on gut phage life cycle dy-namics. However, a direct causal relationship between probiotic supplementation and phage in-duction could not be confirmed
Decoding the Origins of Infection: A Machine Learning Framework
No full textMany infections can be attributed to a specific microorganism. For example, while there can be many causes of urinary tract infections (UTIs), such as the bacterial species Klebsiella pneumoniae or Enterococcus sp., the most widespread cause for UTIs is uropathogenic Escherichia coli. Generally, diseases or infections that are the result of a single pathogenic organism are more easily understood. Other diseases, such as irritable bowel disease (IBD), cannot be attributed to one member in the community; rather, it is a result of dysbiosis of the microbial community (microbiota) of the gastrointestinal tract, a combination of an overgrowth of problematic members and a reduction of beneficial members. As such, the dynamic nature of such communities and their contributions to diseases is yet to be fully understood. The recent advancement of computational tools has enabled us to explore the roots of diseases due to dysbiosis. More specifically, scientists are developing predictive models to understand how biomarkers and microbial community compositions are associated with different disease states. Collectively, these studies serve as a precursor for future studies involving artificial intelligence applications to the microbiome. However, we need far more robust and extensive amounts of data for application to healthcare and personalized medicine. Further research will allow us to explore the novel, underlying causes of infections due to dysbiosis and understand the scope of metadata needed to improve the predictive power of these algorithms, in turn improving our ability to better diagnose and treat them in the future. This thesis work utilizes interpretable machine learning algorithms to identify potential sources of infection, such as opportunistic pathogens, genetic content, and taxa contributing to dysbiosis
The Effects of Targeted Interventions on Student Engagement with Feedback: A Meta-Analysis
No full textABSTRACT This meta-analysis examines the effects of classroom interventions aimed at enhancing student engagement with feedback in K–12 and higher education settings. Drawing on the framework developed by Winstone et al. (2017), interventions were categorized into four major feedback engagement categories and 14 subcomponents. A systematic review identified eligible experimental studies published between 2014 and 2023, each reporting outcomes relevant to student feedback engagement. Effect sizes were calculated using standardized mean differences, and subgroup analyses explored the relative influence of intervention categories, subcomponents, and moderators. Findings from this meta-analysis indicate that targeted interventions to enhance student engagement with feedback generally result in improved feedback engagement and use. Among the four major intervention categories examined, internalizing and applying standards and manner of feedback delivery yielded the strongest overall effects. At the subcomponent level, interventions involving dialogue and discussion, tailored feedback, and technology demonstrated the largest positive impacts on student engagement with feedback. These results provide empirical support for the effectiveness of strategically designed feedback interventions and offer actionable insights for both researchers and practitioners
Developing Chemically Defined Serum-Free Medium for Leukemic Blast and Stem Cell Expansion
No full textThe relapse and chemotherapy resistance are the major challenges of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment, driven by a rare population of leukemia stem cells (LSCs). LSCs are unique types of cells which evade standard chemotherapies and can regenerate AML post-treatment. Targeting LSC therapy remains limited, in part due to the lack of reliable in vitro AML culture systems to grow LSCs for drug discovery. This study aimed to engineer a chemically defined, serum-free 2D in vitro culture condition that supports either the expansion of leukemic blasts (LBs) or primary human LSCs by optimizing current protocols for hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) expansion and AML cell growth. This study was divided into two parts for short-term (7 days) and long-term (28 days) cultures. In the short-term protocol, ex vivo AML mononuclear cells (MNCs) were cultured in Iscove’s Modeified Dulbecco Medium (IMDM) and supplemented with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or Soluplus, PI3K-Akt and MPL agonists (SCF+TPO or 740Y-P+butyzamide), under physioxia (5% O2) to promote AML blast maintenance and expansion (Aim 1). In the long-term protocol, cells were cultured in hypoxic (1-3% O2) conditions, supplemented with PVA or Soluplus, and standard cytokines were replaced with stem- and quiescence-promoting and cell death-inhibiting factors (adiponectin AdipoRon, Necrostatin-1s) to preserve a stem-like phenotype and promote LSC expansion (Aim 2). Cell viability, immunophenotyping, functional colony forming assay, and morphological analysis were preformed to instruct the optimization of each condition. As a control, cells were also cultured in 20% O2 (normoxia) in parallel. Development of a protocol that can promote AML cell proliferation for at least one week could allow for clinicians to screen drugs for induction therapy. A long-term culture protocol for LSC expansion could help grow a large library of LSCs from different subtypes of AML cases and facilitate high-throughput screening to accelerate the discovery of novel targeted LSC therapies to overcome AML relapse
A Review Examining the Factors Contributory to the Socialization of a Culture of Environmental Stewardship
Get PDFEnvironmental stewardship is an ambiguous but significant term meaning that responsibility for the environment — and its quality — is shared between all individuals who interact with it. As a culture-wide phenomena, it is correlated with a mutualistic relationship with nature and the Earth. My study responds to a question as to which and how variables contribute to a societal mindset of environmental stewardship. This review synthesizes numerous studies across diverse cultures and contexts to examine trends therein. In doing so, I discovered that religion, policy, human development, linguistics, and economic roles play a part in socializing environmental stewardship into existence
Final Report - Portfolio Management
Get PDFThis final report is a compilation of all research performed by team members for the mutual fund, Mutualicious Capital. Research reports include various forms of stock valuation, analysis of the macroeconomy, relative value trades, earnings analysis, technical analysis, and convergence trading. Research performed on each company or sector motivated real trades in a StockTrak simulation