6810 research outputs found
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Sting of the Gallfly
No full textThis thesis contains the first volume of Sting of the Gallfly, a work of fantasy fiction with a setting inspired by marginalia in gothic medieval manuscripts. A child’s drawing comes to life with a dangerous appetite, causing her to flee her monastic home. She meets a thief on the road with secrets of his own, and the two embark on a journey to earn their livings and make their names in a mysterious and sinister world. Their story centers on evolving worldviews as they each come into their own and learn to accept nuance. The plot is heavily tied to the concept of dualisms, with a major goal of the narrative being to explore complications, quirks, and muddling events. These story turns expose the different sides of characters, forcing them to play multiple roles and occupy simultaneous realities, just as gothic illuminations supported and lampooned the reverent texts they accompanied. Additional themes include creativity, respect, and meaning making. This first volume follows the characters at their youngest and most vulnerable in a journey through bleak countryside. Their world is made up of stinking mud and freezing rain, and even in places of shelter, the food supply runs low. In such circumstances, the two protagonists must learn to accept the pain they encounter without being defined by it
In-Between Space: Latinas Sharing their Stories of Cultural Integration
Get PDFThis study explores how an art-based narrative allows Latinas to explore their own experiences of cultural integration in a way that honors their lived experience. The women used art materials to help them explore their identities and, through this process, discovered new truths about themselves through their stories of living between, within, and outside of both cultures. The art acted as a catalyst to express feelings the women had never before questioned or recognized in themselves and, in doing so, allowed them to create meaning and discover parts of their identities they had never explored before. This further allowed the women to amplify their voices, feel heard, and expose strengths they were not previously aware of. The multiplicity of identity and acknowledgment of the intersectionality of their lives facilitated a deeper clarity in participants’ Latinx – individuals of Latin American descent of all genders, including those who do not fit the binary gender - and American identities in a way that challenged the dominant oppressive narrative - the stories that uphold existing power dynamics - of both cultures. The overarching theme that the women hoped to attain was authenticity of self. Through the storytelling and art-making processes, the women were able to make meaning of their lived experiences in ways that they described as empowering. This research informs mental health practitioners by providing information about how to better understand the Latina experience and serve this growing population of mental health consumers. This research also contributes to the art therapy literature on how art plays a role in deepening these conversations
A Mechanistic Evaluation of Naturally Occurring IGF1R 3’UTR Gene Variants Altering Disease Outcomes in Women
No full textThe insulin-like growth factor (IGF) axis, including its IGF1R receptor and IGF-1 ligand, is evolutionarily conserved and essential for normal organismal growth, development, and longevity. However, when dysregulated, this IGF growth axis can also drive disease and cancer development. In the human genome there are many naturally occurring IGF axis gene variants, especially within the IGF1R gene locus. A subset of these variants are single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), and while none of these are known to be pathogenic, some (like rs2016347) are considered functional given their location within the IGF1R 3’ untranslated region (UTR), where they can potentially control tissue expression of IGF1R mRNA and protein. Prior population-based studies have shown that for reproductive age women diagnosed with either hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), endometriosis (ENDO), or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), their risk for subsequently developing either cancer (including breast cancer), hypertension (HTN) or cardiovascular disease (CVD) is significantly reduced if they inherit the rs2016347 T allele. This allele has been shown in the GTEx database to be associated with significantly reduced IGF1R mRNA expression (relative to expression of its reference G allele) in the normal tissues and organs of healthy men and women. How inheritance of this seemingly protective rs2016347 T allele produces lower IGF1R mRNA levels at the molecular level remains unexplored and undefined. Therefore, in this study, our lab hypothesized that the IGF1R mRNA-regulating mechanism of rs2016347 was due to its alteration in the 3’UTR mRNA secondary structure, producing differential access to a transcript stability-regulating RNA binding protein and/or binding by a candidate microRNA (miR). To address this, we used bioinformatic analyses and in vitro cell culture studies to compare the rs2016347 T and G encoded variants with those of two other IGF1R 3’UTR SNPs in linkage disequilibrium (LD), rs2684788 and rs265498. These three SNPs in LD show similar GTEx IGF1R mRNA expression patterns in normal human tissues. Further consideration of rs265498 in determining GTEx IGF1R mRNA expression was discounted based on its RNAfold predicted SNP secondary structure comparisons, free energy calculations, and lack of nearby miR binding sites. Employing a small molecule inhibitor (BCI-137) of the miR-regulating Argonaut 2 protein in cell culture studies indicated the lack of any mechanistic involvement by the only pair of closely mapping candidate miRs (365A-3p and 455-5p) potentially capable of regulating IGF1R 3’UTR allele-specific gene expression. In contrast, by measuring mRNA and protein levels from luciferase reporting gene constructs bearing 3’UTR sequences from specific rs2016347 and rs2684788 allelic combinations transfected into HEK293 and SKBR3 human cell lines, produced clear evidence of IGF1R 3’UTR allele-specific gene expression patterns. While the T allele of rs2016347 produced significantly lower mRNA and protein reporter expression in the cell line models, this reduced expression was also totally dependent on C allele co-expression from rs2684788, indicating a requirement for cooperativity between these two LD SNPs in producing their population study observed protective outcome impacts. Future efforts are expected to re-evaluate earlier population-based studies and ask if accounting for both SNPs improves the disease outcome risk predictions previously determined using only the rs2016347 SNP. Likewise, cell culture mechanistic studies are planned that will attempt to detect a transcript destabilizing RNA binding protein (RBP) that only binds to the IGF1R 3’UTR when both the T allele of rs2016347 and the C allele of rs2684788 are expressed
Reading Szymborska in a Time of Plague
No full textWritten during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, Joan Baranow’s Reading Szymborska in a Time of Plague contemplates the dread uncertainty of our life. Describing hospitalized sufferers, she writes: “A patient, no longer struggling, is wheeled away. / Another sits up, accepts the bent straw between his lips.” Likewise, her tough-minded yet always loving vision of domestic life invites us to inhabit a level of self-scrutiny that leaves us heartened even if also often troubled. And yet, despite the losses mourned throughout this book, the poet’s humor and hopefulness prevail. In “Advice from a Moth” she exhorts us to “enjoy the erratic path.” Deeply satisfying, Baranow’s unaffected language is as clear and natural as a tumbler of spring water. She possesses a scrupulously honed poetic gift that is precious and rare.
Arnold Rampersad, Stanford University. Author of The Life of Langston Hughes (2 vols.)https://scholar.dominican.edu/faculty-authored-books/1008/thumbnail.jp
At Home in the World: Reflections of a Travel Addict
No full textColliding with a kangaroo in Australia, navigating Italy’s strict dining customs, trying to avoid choking on a popular Japanese confection, dealing with car troubles in a remote part of Iceland, or strolling the shores of Israel’s Sea of Galilee – these are just a few of the hilarious, suspenseful, and introspective highlights of one traveler\u27s international adventures contained within this collection of travel memoirs.
With over 150 of the author\u27s original photos, this book will bring to life the exotic locations and extraordinary experiences of the author\u27s travels in a way that makes you feel that you are traveling right along beside him.
-publisher\u27s description-https://scholar.dominican.edu/faculty-authored-books/1020/thumbnail.jp
Cálao Bicorne
No full textThe protagonist of Cálao Bicorne immerses herself, from beginning to end, in an intimate bond with the written word, from which she is separated due to various circumstances. Her grandmother and her concern to find answers from her lead her to reconsider her relationship with writing, in which she will lay the foundations of her existence, of her memories, of her relationships with others. others, of its projection and its purposes.
In her search, the protagonist forges her path by joining her story to others, in a world bloodied by flags and borders, by the fight of guerrillas where poetry, memory and experiences make the environment a hostile and which, however, saves space for fantastic stories of love and illusions that keep alive the flames of internal and external battles
Nurse-Led Education for Postpartum Depression in Primiparous Asian-American Mothers
Get PDFThe postpartum period is a critical point when women remain a vulnerable in the hospital setting. This stems from various physical, emotional and psychological changes that women face after childbirth, when patient support and attention is vital. For instance, the postpartum stage poses risk to women for complications, such as postpartum depression (PPD). When left untreated and misdiagnosed, PPD can lead to adverse maternal outcomes, such as: problems with mother-infant bonding, difficulty breastfeeding, and an increased risk for suicide (Mayo Clinic, 2022).
Asian-American mothers with postpartum depression face unique challenges, including the stigma surrounding mental health, which remains prevalent within the this community. This can make it challenging for mothers to open up and seek mental health care for postpartum depression. As a result, it is important to investigate the Asian-American population of mothers in order to provide quality maternal healthcare for all patients.https://scholar.dominican.edu/nursing-student-research-posters/1040/thumbnail.jp
Unlocking VR Magic: Duration of Anxiety Relief for Pediatric Needle Procedures
Get PDFhttps://scholar.dominican.edu/nursing-student-research-posters/1057/thumbnail.jp
Furry Friends & Brighter Futures: Enhancing the Life Skills of Toddlers with Autism Through Animal Assisted Therapy
Get PDFhttps://scholar.dominican.edu/nursing-student-research-posters/1059/thumbnail.jp
Mesenchymal Stem Cell Use in the Treatment of Osteoarthritis: A Literature Review
Get PDFMesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapies have been growing in popularity in research due to their anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and regenerative properties. Many ongoing clinical trials are investigating the safety and efficacy of MSC therapies to treat osteoarthritis, also known as “wear and tear” arthritis. As the average life expectancy increases, with age people are more prone to developing this disease, therefore, increasing its prevalence. This condition is progressive and will lead to functional decline, decreased quality of life, and increased medical costs. Our focus is to discuss the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell injections in alleviating pain, improving functionality, and slowing the disease progression of osteoarthritis in adults. We systematically reviewed studies through multiple databases, including PubMed, ScienceDirect, AccessMedicine, and Iceberg using the search terms mesenchymal stem cells, osteoarthritis, stem cell therapy, and degenerative joint disease. We limited searches to 2018 and newer, studies in English, and human trials. A total of 20 studies that met the criteria out of 65 full-text studies were included in this review. Clinical outcomes such as pain, functionality, and tissue regeneration were assessed using WOMAC, KOOS, and other validated clinical outcome scales, and resonance imaging were used for disease progression rating. Studies reviewing mesenchymal stem cell injections in arthritic joints have shown positive clinical outcomes with results showing pain level, joint function and regeneration. To realize stem cell injections outside of studies, long-term and larger-scale randomized clinical trials are required to strengthen the interpretations and validity of current studies