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Bobes, Mames and Daughters: Uncovering Twentieth- and Twenty-First Century American Jewish and American Yiddish Feminist Genealogies
No full text“Bobes, Mames, and Daughters” investigates how feminist genealogies are established in Yiddish and American-Jewish literature of the late twentieth and twenty-first century and what role Yiddish plays therein. In pondering the question of how Jewish women establish a feminist goldene keyt, the dissertation aims to uncover models of female and feminist genealogies of grandmothers, mothers, and daughters in literature. The research is situated between the interdisciplinary fields of Yiddish Studies and Gender Studies and provides several necessary interventions with respect to the heretofore overlooked nexus of Yiddish and American-Jewish feminist discourses.
The dissertation examines Yiddish and English-language works by Jewish women as parallel and intertwining phenomena partaking in explicitly feminist discourses to differing degrees. By and large, my reading of these texts examines how these Yiddish and American-Jewish writers trace their personal histories and Jewish histories as formative for their present and intersecting identities as Jews, women, Americans, feminists and more. The juxtaposition of American-Yiddish with American-Jewish feminist literature challenges, then, the current understanding of Jewish-inflected (secular) feminism, Jewish womanhood, and gendered Jewishness as it emerges in the late twentieth and early twenty-first century in America
Quantum geometry and localization in crystalline and disordered solids
No full textWe study the localization properties of electrons in solid-state systems, both with and without disorder. A key focus is to describe how the real-space extent of electronic eigenstates influences measurable physical quantities, such as the AC conductivity and dielectric properties. An essential link in this analysis, which connects microscopic localization and macroscopic responses, is the quantum metric — a geometric measure that quantifies the strength of dipole fluctuations in the many-electron ground state.
In the first part of this thesis (Chapters 2 and 3), we study the quantum metric and the electric susceptibility (or capacitance), both analytically and numerically, across a diverse range of material systems, ranging from the microscale two-dimensional electron gases (2DEG) in magnetic fields to moiré systems, and down to nanoscale conventional and topological insulators and semiconductors. This analysis reveals that the dielectric properties of matter can serve as diagnostics for certain correlated states (e.g., fractional quantum Hall phases) and exotic localization phenomena, such as the zero flux localization occurring in twisted bilayer graphene at the magic angle. Moreover, we propose that the relationship between the quantum metric and the dielectric constant can be instrumental in determining the dominant bonding character of the valence electrons (covalent vs. ionic) and even in detecting the non-trivial wavefunction topology.
In the second part of the study (Chapters 4 and 5), we focus on Anderson insulators — materials where electrons are localized due to the destructive wavefunction self-interference induced by the presence of impurities. In these materials, hybridized pairs of localized eigenstates, known as Mott resonances, play a crucial role in the transport phenomena. We focus on investigating this mechanism in chiral disordered topological insulators, where we show that the hybridizing pairs of topological zero modes give rise to remarkable transport properties. In particular, in the chains with bond disorder, we identify the existence of an unusual “Anderson metal” phase, in which the electronic eigenstates appear localized yet exhibit finite DC conductivity. We also predict a novel phase, the superdielectric matter, characterized by a finite quantum metric (vanishing DC conductivity) and a divergent dielectric constant.
Our work establishes the quantum metric and the hybridization analysis of disorder-localized eigenstates as crucial and unifying frameworks for understanding how the features of microscopic localization influence macroscopic observables, providing insight into how the transport properties of correlated, disordered, and topological systems can be efficiently studied
Advancing the Science on Measurement, Determinants, and Outcomes of Pregnancy and Abortion Coercion in Global Settings: A Mixed Methods Study
No full textBackground
Reproductive coercion, which includes behaviors that undermine an individual’s autonomy in reproductive decision-making, is increasingly recognized as a critical issue within sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). However, evidence remains limited, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where structural and sociocultural factors shape reproductive agency in distinct ways. This dissertation seeks to advance a comprehensive understanding of reproductive coercion by examining its prevalence, determinants, and consequences, as well as the policy and programmatic responses addressing it. Through a mixed-methods approach, this research aims to generate evidence that informs interventions and policies to enhance reproductive autonomy, particularly in LMICs. Specifically, it comprises three interrelated studies: (1) a global scoping review synthesizing existing evidence on reproductive coercion; (2) a quantitative analysis of Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey (CDHS) data to identify factors associated with reproductive coercion and its health consequences; and (3) a qualitative study exploring policy and programmatic responses to reproductive coercion in LMICs through key informant interviews (KIIs) with global and regional experts.
Methods
A systematic scoping review was conducted to synthesize global evidence on reproductive coercion, including its measurement, determinants, and consequences. The quantitative component utilized nationally representative data from the 2021-2022 CDHS, employing logistic regression models to assess associations between reproductive coercion, demographic and social factors, and reproductive health outcomes such as intimate partner violence (IPV), contraceptive use, unintended pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The qualitative component consisted of 17 KIIs with academics, policymakers, health practitioners, and civil society actors engaged in reproductive coercion interventions and policy advocacy across LMICs. Thematic content analysis was used to identify key challenges, opportunities, and best practices in addressing reproductive coercion at policy and programmatic levels.
Results
The scoping review reveals that reproductive coercion remains inconsistently defined and measured, with most research originating from high-income countries and limited evidence from LMICs. While existing studies indicate strong associations between reproductive coercion, IPV, and adverse reproductive health outcomes, gaps remain in understanding contextual variations and intervention effectiveness in LMIC settings.
The quantitative analysis of Cambodia highlights that 4.4% of married or in-union women report experiencing pregnancy coercion, while 36.3% experience reproductive coercion when incorporating broader SRHR decision-making constraints (SDG 5.6.1). Younger age, lower education, economic disadvantage, limited social connectedness, and attitudes justifying domestic violence are significant predictors. Reproductive coercion is associated with higher risks of IPV and STIs, underscoring its intersection with gender-based violence. However, no significant associations were found with modern contraceptive use or unintended pregnancy, suggesting complex pathways between coercion and reproductive behaviors.
The qualitative findings indicate that while reproductive coercion is increasingly recognized within global and regional policy discussions, dedicated interventions remain scarce. Most LMIC policies address reproductive coercion indirectly within family planning and IPV frameworks, often without clear implementation guidance. Innovative interventions, such as the ARCHES model and gender-transformative community programs, have shown promise, yet face challenges related to policy fragmentation, limited provider training, social norms, and funding constraints. Experts emphasize the need for multi-sectoral strategies that integrate reproductive coercion responses into SRHR and GBV services, engage men and communities in norm change, and ensure sustainable financing beyond donor-driven initiatives.
Conclusion
This research underscores reproductive coercion as a complex, multi-faceted issue requiring coordinated responses across legal, health, and social systems. While Cambodia provides a case study of reproductive coercion’s prevalence and health implications, broader LMIC policy and programmatic responses remain underdeveloped. Strengthening measurement frameworks, expanding evidence-based interventions, and fostering cross-sector collaboration are critical for advancing reproductive autonomy and reducing coercion globally. Future research should focus on context-specific programmatic evaluations, policy integration strategies, and mechanisms to sustain reproductive coercion interventions within national health and gender equity agendas
In the Shadow of Postpartum Depression: An Investigation of the Heterogeneity of Perinatal Psychopathology During the COVID-19 Pandemic
No full textBackground:
Beginning in March 2020, pregnant, laboring, and postpartum women were dealing with the challenges inherent to the perinatal period against the backdrop of a global pandemic. By the beginning of 2022, as the risk of the Omicron wave loomed and the pandemic had closed on its second year, there was a cohort of women who had their entire pregnancy and some, if not almost all, of their postpartum period during the pandemic. When the crisis changed from acute to chronic, it became imperative to investigate how the prolonged nature of the pandemic affected perinatal women, and importantly, understand the nature and manifestation of perinatal symptomatology experienced by these women. Prior to the pandemic, there was growing scientific evidence of the heterogeneous nature of maternal psychopathology during the perinatal period. Therefore, it was important to investigate whether the same pattern of heterogeneity will underlie the perinatal mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to see whether this heterogeneity can be organized into phenotypic patterns of symptom expression. The overall aim of our study was to investigate the heterogeneity of perinatal psychopathology during the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying and describing symptom profiles, and to identify the correlates of symptom profile membership. Additionally, a secondary aim of our study was an in-depth investigation of the role and manifestation of irritability, an understudied and overlooked area in perinatal research, as it related to perinatal psychopathology during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method:
This study utilized cross-sectional data (N = 630) from the Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Parenting During a Pandemic Study (P-4) online survey, which included scales measuring demographic information, psychosocial risk factors, maternal emotional well-being and functioning, and COVID-19-related life events. First, we used confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory factor analysis to determine the factor structures of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) and Perinatal Anxiety Screening Scale (PASS) to create factor-based subscales. We then used these factor-based subscales as indicators for a latent class analysis (LCA) to identify symptom profiles (i.e., classes) of perinatal psychopathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. Afterwards, we investigated correlates that were associated with class membership, including demographic variables, psychosocial predictors, onset of symptoms, COVID-19-related life events, and COVID-19 changes to the perinatal period. We utilized analysis of variance (ANOVA) with the continuous variables and multinomial logistic regression with the categorical variables. Then, we characterized irritability in our sample and established its clinical relevance. We examined irritability’s relationship with depression, anxiety, maternal functioning, and suicidality via Spearman correlations and linear regressions. We also examined psychosocial predictors of irritability via stepwise regression. Finally, we used ANOVA to examine the differences in the levels of irritability symptoms, including state and trait irritability, as well as irritability’s impact on various domains (e.g., family relationships), across the symptom profiles.
Results:
Four depression factors from the CES-D and five anxiety factors from the PASS were used as factor-based indicators in the LCA. We determined that a five-class solution best fit the data. We identified three quantitative classes that primarily differed from each other in symptom severity, and we labeled them Non-Clinical (n = 268), Average (n = 167), and Severe Psychopathology (n = 60). We also identified two qualitative classes, which did not differ from each other in overall symptom severity, but instead, exhibited a set of unique elevations that suggested distinct phenotypic symptom expressions. We labeled the two classes Interpersonally Sensitive (n = 104) and Postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms (OCS) (n = 31). Generally, the correlates of class membership revealed that greater risk factors, and lower protective factors, were associated with greater symptom severity. However, there were some key exceptions to this pattern, as evidenced by the qualitative classes with similar severity levels, such as: 1) the Interpersonally Sensitive class reported the second highest rate of suicidal ideation; and 2) participants who endorsed a history of psychiatric symptoms or baby blues had the highest likelihood of belonging to the Postpartum OCS class, compared to the Non-Clinical class. As for irritability, it was associated with higher clinical depression and anxiety, as well as lower maternal functioning and higher suicidal ideation in the overall sample. Finally, we found that classes with greater symptom severity reported higher rates of irritability, and those with similar symptom severity levels (i.e., Interpersonally Sensitive and Postpartum OCS) reported comparable irritability levels. However, while overall irritability did not differ between the two qualitative classes, there was a trend towards state irritability being more relevant for the Postpartum OCS class and trait irritability being more relevant for the Interpersonally Sensitive class.
Conclusions:
Our results revealed significant heterogeneity in phenotypic symptom expression among perinatal women during the COVID-19 pandemic. All classes reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, underscoring that comorbid symptoms are the norm, not the exception, for this population. Critically, since two classes (i.e., Interpersonally Sensitive and Postpartum OCS) had similar levels of global severity, but exhibited distinct overall symptom profiles, it underscored the importance of using key symptom elevations, not total scores, to guide identification and treatment of perinatal psychopathology. Finally, irritability was a marker of distress and related to global severity, and as such, should be incorporated within the detection and treatment of perinatal psychopathology. Future research should examine whether the diverse symptom profiles identified in this study can be replicated outside the context of a global stressor, such as the COVID-19 pandemic
An Ecological Analysis of Post Traditional College Student Success
No full textIn the context of U.S. higher education, post-traditional students—those who may be older, work full-time, or have caregiving responsibilities—face unique challenges that are often overlooked by policies designed with the "traditional" student in mind. This dissertation explores how predictive metrics, policy interventions, and stakeholder perceptions influence college outcomes for post-traditional students, using Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, adapted by Perna and Thomas, as a framework. It presents three complementary studies that address the diverse challenges faced by students who do not fit the traditional college student profile.
Chapter 1 evaluates novel predictive metrics for older community college transfer students, emphasizing the role of both post-transfer academic momentum and program momentum in predicting college outcomes. Chapter 2 assesses the impact of various interventions on credit accumulation – considering their effects on both parents and non-parents. It finds that on average, interventions have similar impacts on post-traditional students such as parents compared to traditional students. Chapter 3 examines faculty and administrator perceptions of post-traditional students, highlighting how societal and institutional beliefs shape faculty and student interactions and policy implementation.
Taken together, the findings demonstrate interdependencies across ecological policy layers. This work contributes to the literature by illustrating the multiple, interconnected factors that should be considered to serve post-traditional learners more effectively and improve their outcomes in higher education
Assessing the use of geospatial data for immunization program implementation and associated effects on coverage and equity in the Democratic Republic of Congo
No full textBackground
The National Expanded Program on Immunization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo implemented a program in 9 Provinces to generate georeferenced immunization microplans to strengthen the planning and implementation of vaccination services. The intervention aimed to improve identification and immunization of zero-dose children and overall immunization coverage.
Methods
This study applies a mixed-methods design including survey tools, in-depth interviews and direct observation to document the uptake, use, and acceptance of the immunization microplans developed with geospatial data in two intervention provinces and one control province from February to June 2023. A total of 113 health facilities in 98 Health Areas in 15 Health Zones in the three provinces were included in the study sample. Select providers received training on gender-intentional approaches for the collection and use of geospatial data which was evaluated through a targeted qualitative study. A secondary analysis of immunization coverage survey data (2020–2022) was conducted to assess the associated effects on immunization coverage, especially changes in rates of zero dose children, defined as those aged 12–23 months who have not received a single dose of Pentavalent vaccine.
Results
This research study shows that georeferenced microplans are well received, utilized, and led to changes in routine immunization service planning and delivery. In addition, the gender intervention is perceived to have led to changes in the approaches taken to overcome sociocultural gender norms and engage communities to reach as many children as possible, leveraging the ability of women to engage more effectively to support vaccination services. The quantitative analyses showed that georeferenced microplans may have contributed to a dramatic and sustained trend of high immunization coverage in the intervention site of Haut-Lomami, which saw dramatic improvement in coverage for 3 antigens and little change in Pentavalent drop-out rate over three years of implementation.
Conclusion
The overall study identified positive contributions of the georeferenced data in the planning and delivery of routine immunization services. It is recommended to conduct further analyses in Kasai in 2024 and 2025 to evaluate the longer-term effects of the gender intervention on immunization coverage and equity outcomes. Trial registration The study was registered and given BMC Central International Standard. Randomised Controlled Trial Number ISRCTN65876428 on March 11, 2021
A phase 2 randomized, placebo-controlled trial of inulin for the prevention of gut pathogen colonization and infection among patients admitted to the intensive care unit for sepsis
No full textBackground
Patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) often have gut colonization with pathogenic bacteria and such colonization is associated with increased risk for death and infection. We conducted a trial to determine whether a prebiotic would improve the gut microbiome to decrease gut pathogen colonization and decrease downstream risk for infection among newly admitted medical ICU patients with sepsis.
Methods
This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of adults who were admitted to the medical ICU for sepsis and were receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics. Participants were randomized 1:1:1 to placebo, inulin 16 g/day, or inulin 32 g/day which were given for seven days. The trial primary outcome was a surrogate measure for gut colonization resistance, namely the within-individual change from ICU admission to Day 3 in the relative abundance of short chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria based on rectal swabs. Additional outcomes sought to evaluate the impact of inulin on the gut microbiome and downstream clinical effects.
Results
Ninety participants were analyzed including 30 in each study group. There was no difference between study groups in the within-individual change in the relative abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria from ICU admission to ICU Day 3 (placebo: 0.0% change, IQR − 8·0% to + 7·4% vs. combined inulin: 0·0% change, IQR − 10·1% to + 4·8%; p = 0·91). At end-of-treatment on ICU Day 7, inulin did not affect SCFA-producer levels, microbiome diversity, or rates of gut colonization with pathogenic bacteria. After 30 days of clinical follow-up, inulin did not affect rates of death or clinical, culture-proven infection. Patients who died or developed culture-proven infections had lower relative abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria at ICU admission compared to those who did not (p = 0·03).
Conclusions
Prebiotic fiber had minimal impact on the gut microbiome in the ICU and did not improve clinical outcomes.
Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03865706
Combinatorial protein engineering to identify improved CRISPR activators
Get PDFLaboratory-engineered proteins such as high-fidelity DNA polymerases, CRISPR base and primeeditors, and chimeric antigen receptors have transformed our ability to probe and manipulate biological systems. To craft these powerful tools, researchers fuse multiple domains into novel chimeras intended to retain the functional properties of their constituent parts. Although this approach has produced a number of important technologies, its low-throughout nature and high costs thwart efforts to explore complex combinatorial landscapes and limit our grasp on the “rules” governing synthetic protein assembly (e.g., which domains work best together, which domain orders are optimal, benefits of fusing multiple copies of the same domain, etc.). Previous state-of-the-art CRISPR activators, including the tripartite activator, VP64-P65- RTA (VPR) and the Synergistic Activation Mediator (SAM), have established the benefit of combining multiple activation domains (ADs) into a single complex for improved transcriptional modulation. While VPR and SAM have proven relatively successful in both in vitro and in vivo applications, neither activator shows uniform activity across targets and cell types. Furthermore, reports that these tools produce toxicity within cellular systems limit their utility in broad-ranging applications.
To probe a vast combinatorial landscape of multi-domain CRISPR activators while bypassing the arduous task of generating each construct one one-by-one, we developed a strategy for constructing large combinatorial libraries of protein variants en masse and used this method to functionally evaluate a library of >15,000 CRISPR activators. Importantly, we conduct our screen on multiple target genes to identify tools with consistent performance across the genome. Our findings bring to light a critical yet often overlooked feature of CRISPR activators: toxicity.
This work not only highlights the prevalence of this problem but also elucidates several biological factors that contribute to it. Our observation that many high-performing activators elicited minimal effects on cell fitness challenges the notion that toxicity is an inevitable byproduct of a potent activation – and suggests that this model greatly oversimplifies the nuanced relationship between these traits. We also explored how the biochemical properties of ADs (e.g., hydrophobicity and intrinsic disorder) and their combinatorial interactions drive activator performance. Finally, we identified two potent activators, MHV and MMH, that show enhanced activity across diverse targets and cell types over one of the gold-standard CRISPR activators, SAM. Our results underscore the power of high-throughput techniques for both improving our understanding of complex protein assemblies and identifying more powerful tools
Nishkulanand, Premanand, and the Musical Formation of the Swaminarayan Sampraday
Get PDFCentral to the formation and development of the Swaminarayan Sampraday over the past 200 years is the role played by a small group of poet-musicians who gathered around the founder, Swaminarayan (1781-1830) in Gujarat.
In this dissertation, I analyze the musical compositions of two prominent poet-musicians, Nishkulanand (1766-1848) and Premanand (1784-1855), and the way in which the community has received both their songs and their own life stories.
The purpose of this thesis is twofold: to show, through two paradigmatic examples, 1) how such a nexus of musical verse, performance, and word came into being, and 2) how this religious community formed around bodies of songs and the identities—in memory and history—of their creators and performers. I approach this study with a combination of textual studies, ethnographic and musicological analyses, and research in manuscript archives. My own experiences as a bhakti music and katha (didactic homily) exponent within the community also play a role
Where’s Xanthias?: Visualizing the Fifth-Century Comic Male Slave
No full textThe working assumption in the scholarship on Aristophanes is that fifth-century comic slaves were instantly recognizable in performance through aspects of their body, costume, and/or mask. This project seeks to corroborate the claim that the fifth-century comic male slave was probably not differentiated visually from other types of characters. In so doing, I stake out an additional set of new claims. Since the appearance of a comic actor in the playing space did not seem to instantly announce whether or not he was playing a slave role, slave identities were instead likely inflected through performance. Any delay in the inflection of a character’s identity as a slave would create the opportunity for that character’s identity to be ambiguous.
This potential for ambiguity is not exclusive to the comic slave but is rather inherent in the comic male body and costume which, in the fifth century, does not seem to have differentiated social type. Indeed, two early artifacts apparently display a recognition of the potential for the comic body to be ambiguous through depicting comic figures who bear a strong visual similarity to one another in scenes that seem to invite the exploitation of that ambiguity. The bulk of this project explores a range of ways in which that potential for ambiguity is activated and played with in the fifth-century comedies of Aristophanes, in particular in the case of comic slaves.
In the first two chapters, I consider how artifacts relating to the performance of comedy and the extant plays of Aristophanes both support the view that the fifth-century comic male slave probably looked like a typical comic character. In the third chapter, I explore the revelation of character identity in the opening scenes of Wasps and Women at the Thesmophoria. Through close readings that seek to reconstruct how these scenes would have unfolded in performance, I argue that where the reader sees slaves clearly in the opening scene of Wasps, the original audience might not have, and, conversely, where the reader tends not to see a slave in the opening of Women at the Thesmophoria, the original audience might have. In both plays, the ambiguities surrounding character identity contribute to a core function of the Aristophanic prologue—capturing audience interest and curiosity. Two chapter length studies on Knights and Frogs follow.
In Knights, I argue that the ambiguity of the comic body is politicized through an extensive engagement with oligarchic sentiments and attitudes. By not distinguishing slave from citizen, the ambiguity of the comic body underlies and visually develops the pervasive blurring of legal status categories in this play, while also becoming a sign and symbol of the perversion of social hierarchies that an oligarch might associate with democracy. The ambiguity of the comic body is further exploited in the contest between the Sausage Seller and Paphlagon, contributing to the difficulty in distinguishing whether the Sausage Seller will be similar to Paphlagon or not, as visual differences between the two are collapsed. Ultimately, the engagement with oligarchic sentiments about the perversion of social and moral hierarchies in the democracy are part of an elaborate form of misdirection. The Sausage Seller is not the same as Paphlagon, as he proves through restoring order. In this way, the ambiguity of the comic body is re-politicized as, through the figure of the Sausage Seller, it becomes emblematic of the potential of a citizen in the democracy, a potential that is not constrained by social background.
Finally, I argue that it is precisely when legal status boundaries become especially blurred in Athens with the mass enfranchisement of enslaved people who fought at the Battle of Arginusae that we begin to see a visual and verbal contraction of the potential ambiguity of the comic slave in Frogs. This curtailing of the potential for the comic slave to be ambiguous is a key contribution to the later development of the comic slave, as the visual code for the slave becomes much more defined in the fourth century. It is also essential for understanding how this play responds to that contemporary mass enfranchisement of the enslaved people who fought at the Battle of Arginusae