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The Power of Science is Collaboration: Understanding the knowledge sharing practices of rare disease non-profit organizations in regard to repurposing sirolimus
Get PDFPurpose: This dissertation investigates the knowledge sharing practices and inefficiencies among Rare Disease Nonprofit Organizations (RDNPs) engaged in drug repurposing efforts, particularly focusing on the drug sirolimus. The goals of this research are to provide an understanding of the knowledge-sharing practices and challenges for RDNPs and to contribute to the academic discourse in knowledge sharing theory by applying it to a unique and practical use case. The motivation behind this research stems from the pivotal role RDNPs play in the rare disease treatment landscape. Given the limited financial incentives for pharmaceutical companies to invest in rare disease treatments, RDNPs are often at the forefront of innovative approaches like drug repurposing. However, the lack of centralized knowledge-sharing mechanisms among these organizations leads to significant inefficiencies. Design & Methodology: This research adopts a multi-method qualitative approach including thematic transcript analysis, network analysis, and detailed case studies of RDNPs. This approach allows for a comprehensive examination of both the micro-interactions of knowledge sharing and the broader organizational structures that support or inhibit these practices. Findings: The findings reveal that while RDNPs are pivotal in advancing drug repurposing initiatives, they face significant barriers in knowledge sharing due to the decentralized, volunteer-based nature of their operations and lack of systematic processes. Specifically, inefficiencies arise from a lack of centralized resources, varied levels of experience among RDNPs, and insufficient formal mechanisms for collaboration and information dissemination. These factors lead to duplicated efforts and missed opportunities for leveraging collective knowledge in drug repurposing. Originality & Value: This research contributes to the field of knowledge management by applying Nonaka’s Theory of Dynamic Organizational Knowledge Creation (Nonaka, 1994) in the novel context of rare disease nonprofits and drug repurposing and suggesting a framework of factors that affect the knowledge sharing practices from Yang and Maxwell (2011). It highlights the critical role of structured knowledge sharing practices and the potential of organized, systematic efforts to enhance the effectiveness of drug repurposing projects. The dissertation provides a theoretical framework for understanding interorganizational knowledge sharing among small nonprofit organizations and offers practical insights that can help RDNPs improve their operational strategies and enhance collective impact on drug development for rare diseases
A Molecular Toolbox to Study Dopamine and Serotonin Receptors for the Development of Improved Therapeutics
No full textDopaminergic and serotonergic signaling pathways are involved in numerous biological processes including behavior, mood regulation, and cognition. Dysfunction in these pathways can lead to neurological and mental health disorders, which are often treated with drugs targeting the dopamine and serotonin receptors. However, many of these drugs, along with those targeting other G protein couple receptors (GPCRs), suffer a lack of target specificity, leading to nonspecific binding and therefore side effects. In recent years, new advances in chemical biological techniques, including affinity-based protein profiling (ABPP) and optogenetics, have further elucidated the structure and function of GPCRs, which can in turn aid in the design of improved drugs. In this work, we demonstrate the use of (1) Photoaffinity labels to investigate drug-active site interactions and off-target binding of dopamine receptor D2 agonists; and (2) A light-responsive agonist-antagonist ligand pair for spatiotemporal control and study of serotonin receptor 2C (5HT2C) signaling. Ongoing research involves functional and binding assays of a novel clozapine-based covalent antagonist of serotonin receptor 2A (5HT2A), which can be used as a drug or probe. Taken together, these efforts represent an advancement in the field of chemical biology for the study of membrane-bound neuroreceptors. The insights gained from this work can be used to inform the development of more effective, subtype-specific small molecule therapeutics for the treatment of diseases including schizophrenia, drug addiction, and Parkinson’s Disease
PERCEPTION OF CRISIS RESPONSIBILITY: EXAMINING AI-GENERATED DEEPFAKE CONTENT AND PUBLIC RESPONSE TO TAYLOR SWIFT
Get PDFDue to the increase in deepfake technology, it is crucial to correctly confirm the truthfulness of information, especially in safeguarding reputation during challenging situations. This study applies theoretical frameworks to investigate the impact of deepfake content on the public perception of Taylor Swift, a prominent figure in American pop music. A quantitative content analysis will be conducted to analyze the top tweets produced by social media users (N=131) based on the source of the poster and the nature of the content, such as where the responsibility or blame for the deepfake crisis is attributed. The research explores the effects of AI-generated deepfake images of Taylor Swift on her image and public perception by examining its dissemination on social media. The key findings show a surprising lack of well-known influencers discussing the deepfake crisis with Taylor Swift. On the contrary, public perception was greatly influenced by nano-influencers and regular users working together. The involvement of these minor influencers emphasizes the impact of grassroots activities on social media. The findings were reliable, with high coefficients ranging from .85 to 1.0, ensuring their strength
Three Studies on Chance in Post-Aristotelian Philosophy
No full textThis dissertation is a study of the concept of chance in post-Aristotelian philosophy, focused on the Stoics, the Neoplatonist commentators Philoponus and Simplicius, and Avicenna. These philosophers are all influenced by Aristotle’s seminal treatment of chance. The post-Aristotelian philosophers approach the concept of chance with two significant changes in their cosmology from Aristotle. They believe that chance events are not only causally determined but also brought into harmony with the cosmos by the divine nature. These new commitments lead these thinkers to propose that chance events are not a per accidens end of an individual subject, as Aristotle suggests. Instead, chance events are the per se end of the divine nature and contribute to the harmony of the cosmos. In chapter 1, I offer a metaphysical account of Stoic claim that chance is “a cause obscure to human reasoning.” I contend that the different versions of this epistemic interpretation are unsatisfactory. On the basis of evidence that the Stoics take there to be a preconception and a primary name corresponding to chance, I argue that the Stoics adopt a metaphysical conception of chance and identify chance with the divine will insofar as it produces outcomes in ways that are inaccessible to our limited rational capacities. In chapter 2, I explore an account of chance different from the Aristotelian one in Philoponus’s and Simplicius’s commentaries on Aristotle’s Physics II.4-6. I argue that the two commentators believe the external cause, which prevents the per se efficient cause from attaining its per se end and produces something else, is the true cause of chance events. Based on their account of chance, I further discuss their disagreement about whether monstrosities (terata) should qualify as chance outcomes and their discussion of the involvement of providence in the production of chance events. In chapter 3, I challenge Wisnovsky’s and Belo’s strategies for explaining the compatibility between chance and causal determinism in Avicenna, and offer an alternative account of how Avicenna’s Aristotelian account of chance is compatible with his causal determinism. Finally, I argue that, for Avicenna, something comes to be by chance, if and only if it has no per se efficient cause and is not a result of material necessity
Tessa Murphy, The Creole Archipelago: Race and Borders in the Colonial Caribbean, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2021
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Potential for Trauma in Public Libraries Experiencing Book Banning and Material Challenges
Get PDFMaterial challenges in public libraries are at an all time high while also possessing a huge political and emotional weight. As such, library workers are defending against book banning in larger numbers, and their very work is coming into public scrutiny and questioning. In such stressful times, the potential for trauma from the library workplace is higher and more charged. This paper lays the groundwork for how trauma and materials challenges have the potential to interact in the library workplace, especially for those from marginalized communities. It also proposes a trauma cycle for deeper understanding of trauma during material challenges, and highlights the need for future work, study, and support in these areas
