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Echelon: Your AI Academic Advisor
No full textAcademic advising is a critical yet time-intensive process that often leaves students with limited access to timely, personalized guidance. This thesis introduces Echelon, an AI-powered academic advisor designed to augment the advising experience by leveraging semantic embeddings, large language models (LLMs), and retrieval-augmented generation (RAG). Echelon ingests institutional documents and student transcripts to deliver accurate, context-aware responses through a conversational web interface. Echelon is publicly accessible via echelongpt.com and can also be internally deployed on TCU's servers, offering enhanced privacy and security controls tailored for institutional use. This paper details Echelon's underlying technologies, system architecture, and deployment and outlines future enhancements such as proactive advising and domain expansion beyond academia. The result is a scalable, extensible framework for transforming how students interact with institutional knowledge
Beware for they are fearless: Finding female power and agency in Gothic literature
No full textThis thesis examines female agency, voice, and power amidst the patriarchal framework of Gothic literature. While Gothic literature often depicts traditional gender roles, it simultaneously allows women to challenge the limitations placed on them and redefine their identities. This thesis examines Frankenstein, The Castle of Otranto, and Jane Eyre to uncover how women are able to assert their voices amidst restrictive social parameters through the use of Gothic serving as a medium for exploring women’s empowerment amidst oppressive societal environments. Through the use of the uncanny, grotesque, and destabilized power structures the Gothic fiction provides a space in which women are able to find their voice agency amidst social structures that continually seeks to silence them
Bridging the gap: Development and evaluation of an online HIV education program
No full textIn the United States, 1.2 million people are living with HIV, with 31,800 new diagnoses in 2022. Those at risk of contracting HIV can take a preventative medication called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which is up to 99% effective at preventing HIV transmission. Increasing the awareness and uptake of PrEP is a crucial step toward ending the HIV epidemic. The Online Prevention Education Now (OPEN) Program module HIV Basics aims to provide comprehensive, accessible HIV education to the general population. The OPEN Program demonstrated a significant increase in HIV and PrEP knowledge, decrease in stigma, and increase in PrEP-seeking attitudes. The results of the current study show the impact and importance of HIV education in a general population and contribute to literature in the public health and online education fields
The Lockean Proviso and the Global South
No full textJohn Locke's Two Treatises of Government is one of the most influential works of political
philosophy since its publishing. Locke argues that government's purpose is to protect one's life,
liberty, and property. Many societies follow some of the principles laid out in his work. However,
one major principle often overlooked is the "enough, and as good" proviso, which may limit the
rights of individuals in order to promote the well-being of all in society. When acquiring property
or a holding, one should strive to leave enough and as good for everyone else, ensuring that he
does not take more than his share. This became known as the Lockean proviso. Since then, many
philosophers studying Locke have attempted to interpret the proviso in order to fully understand
Locke's concept of government. I will engage with three of those interpretations. Then, I will
discuss many of the exploitive practices creating inequality in the Global South that enrich the
lives of those in the Global North. After detailing these issues, I claim that the proviso has been
violated by investors inhibiting Global Southerners from flourishment through their exploitive
labor practices and undermining of national and local governments. These practices do not
leave enough and as good for others. A system that emphasized the proviso would allow for
greater opportunity for prosperity for all
A Comparative Study of Bitcoin and Commodity Markets
No full textThis research study investigates the performance, risk, liquidity, and diversification benefits of Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) relative to commodity ETFs. This study addresses three overarching questions: How do Bitcoin ETFs and commodity ETFs compare in terms of performance, risk, and liquidity? Can Bitcoin ETFs and commodity ETFs provide diversification to a portfolio of assets? Is Bitcoin a viable alternative investment vehicle? All the data gathered and analyzed in this study is quantitative, with Bloomberg being the source. To assess performance of the ETFs, historical price data is leveraged to calculate standard deviations, Sharpe ratios, Sortino ratios, maximum drawdowns, Value at Risk (VaR), and expected shortfall. Liquidity is assessed using proportional bid-ask spreads and total trading volume. To determine diversification benefits, four portfolios are constructed with varying combinations of Vanguard?s Total Stock Market ETF (VTI), Vanguard?s Total Bond Market ETF (BND), Bitcoin ETFs (GBTC and IBIT), and commodity ETFs (AAAU, SLV, USO, and DBA). Portfolio performance is compared using risk-adjusted return metrics and optimization to determine optimal asset allocations. Additionally, regressions are conducted between Bitcoin ETFs and commodity ETFs to determine the relationship between the two and how Bitcoin ETFs compare to more traditional alternative asset classes
Paradoxical Privatization; An Exploration of the Impact of Privacy on the Personhood of Shakespeare's Tragic Heroines
No full textThis thesis examines the inconsistencies in Renaissance women's access to privacy. Renaissance women are continually relegated to the private sphere, but within the private sphere, are denied actual privacy. From this paradox, a theoretical lens of paradoxical privatization emerges and can be utilized to understand the choices, or lack thereof, of Renaissance women. In this thesis, paradoxical privatization is applied in analysis of Juliet, Desdemona, and Ophelia, three fictional women of Shakespeare. Each character is explored in regards to a different realm: Juliet with space, Desdemona with possessions, and Ophelia with words. Ultimately, through paradoxical privatization, these women are not only denied agency, but are seen as possessions by male counterparts. Thus, this thesis utilizes a theoretical lens, paradoxical privatization, to understand the tangible realities of Renaissance women, both fictional and real
At the fringes of academia: The impact of intersectionality on the work experiences of Black women academic librarians
No full textBlack women remain significantly underrepresented across academia, and recent headlines have brought attention to the distinct and often challenging experiences of Black women leaders in higher education. While scholars have examined the experiences of Black women in faculty roles, leadership, and student affairs, little attention has been paid to those working as academic librarians. This group holds a unique position within the university setting, managing information resources and promoting information literacy among students, faculty, and staff. However, their experiences are often overlooked in academic research. This study seeks to fill a critical gap in the literature to apply an intersectional lens grounded in Black feminist thought to explore the work lives of Black women academic librarians.
This qualitative study explores how the intersection of race and gender influences the work experiences of Black women serving in academic librarian roles at four-year colleges and universities in Texas. Using the Sista Circle methodology, a culturally relevant approach that centers the voices of Black women, this study engaged participants in group discussions to examine their lived experiences. Thematic analysis of the data revealed eleven themes and one subtheme, organized around three guiding research questions. These questions focused on the nature of their daily work experiences, whether their professional positioning within the broader university contributed to additional challenges, and what forms of institutional support could help improve retention and workplace satisfaction.
Findings revealed that many participants were often the only Black person or the only Black woman in their library or department. Being mistaken for support staff, encountering persistent microaggressions, and navigating hostile or unwelcoming work environments was frequently reported. Participants also described limited opportunities for professional growth, institutional gatekeeping, and unequal access to advancement. Despite these challenges, they offered thoughtful recommendations for improving their work environments, including equitable pay, inclusive hiring practices, and increased access to identity-based professional organizations.
The study highlights the ongoing impact of gendered racism in academic spaces and confirms that intersectionality plays a significant role in shaping the work experiences of Black women academic librarians. The findings point to a recurring cycle of marginalization and exclusion that reflects broader patterns of inequality in higher education. This research contributes to ongoing conversations about equity in academia and offers practical recommendations for university and library leaders seeking to support and retain Black women in these important roles
A Contemporary Review of Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor Type 1: Structure, Function, Genetic Architecture, and Intracellular/Extracellular Roles
No full textPlasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) is the key regulator of the fibrinolytic system, thereby acting as a potent mediator in thrombosis. Plasminogen activators such as PAI-1 mediate the conversion of the inactive zymogen plasminogen to plasmin, an active serine protease. As a member of the serpin superfamily, the highly conserved structure of PAI-1 is critical for its regulatory function. This review elucidates PAI-1 structure, function, and genetic architecture, and then discusses intracellular and extracellular functions that have broad implications for proliferative signaling and cell death, angiogenesis, cellular transit, and emerging roles in cancer biology. By understanding the complex and elaborate mechanism of PAI-1 in the fibrinolytic system and as a biomarker, PAI-1 may have broad implications across many disease states not related to its historical roles in fibrinolysis and thrombosis
Investigation of graphene quantum dot endocytosis
No full textGraphene quantum dots (GQDs) have gained popularity in nano-biotechnology due to their multifunctional delivery and imaging capabilities. The outcome of their therapeutic delivery applications relies on understanding cell internalization routes. Current literature presents often conflicting results based on surveying only a few endocytosis inhibitors. Herein, a holistic approach to cell uptake studies by utilizing six different inhibitors while considering their on- and off-target effects on internalization of the GQDs of different charges is provided. Endocytosis paths are explored by tracking intracellular GQD fluorescence in HeLa or HEK-293 cells. Contrary to the previous assumptions of a singular entry route, findings suggest that GQDs enter the cells through several endocytosis paths with some more prevalent than others. Selectivity between the pathways is based on GQD charge and functional groups. Positively charged nitrogen-doped GQDs (NGQDs) predominantly utilize a fast endophilin-mediated endocytosis (FEME) in HeLa cells with a secondary preference for clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME). In HEK-293 cells NGQDs internalize via clathrin-independent, glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein-enriched compartments (CLIC/GEEC) and FEME. Conversely, GQDs with a substantial negative surface charge uptake through CME in HeLa cells. The optimization of these mechanisms can enhance GQD applications in biomedicine, ideally streamlining their translation into the clinic
Role of the pathway from the basolateral amygdala to the nucleus accumbens on recovery from frustration
No full textUnexpected reductions in reward typically induce a transient negative emotional state known as frustration, characterized by behavioral suppression and conflict between approach and avoidance. The present study examined whether the projection from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) contributes to recovery from consummatory suppression after a reward downshift. Using a double viral strategy, Cre-dependent excitatory or inhibitory DREADDs were expressed in BLA neurons projecting to the NAc. Rats were trained to consume 32% sucrose and later exposed to a downshift to 2% sucrose, generating a frustration response. Inhibition of the BLA→NAc pathway delayed recovery of normal licking behavior across postshift sessions, suggesting a prolonged impact of reward loss. This effect was not attributable to locomotor deficits. Effects of pathway excitation remain unclear due to inconsistent activity outcomes. These results indicate that the BLA→NAc projection facilitates behavioral recovery following violations of reward expectation