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Curating in the Wake of the Sea: Reimagining the Keta Library in Coastal Ghana as a Site of Eʋe Cultural and Ecological Knowledge
Get PDFAnimated by questions of memory, erasure, and landscape that inform Black Geographies, this thesis provides a case study of the Keta Library in southeast Ghana. One of several libraries established in the 1960s during Ghana’s early independence era, the aspiration for the library remains largely unfulfilled, hampered both by the lingering influences of colonial history and intensifying coastal erosion in Keta.In the face of this dual erasure, this research examines the Keta Library’s potential as a space of sustaining collective memory and future possibility. It asks: How (and whether) to approach the practice of preservation in a place projected to disappear over the next few decades? What is necessary to reimagine or repurpose physical colonial forms into emancipatory spaces? Building on what poet Kofi Anyidoho calls “the ghosts at memory’s door,” this thesis presents a proposed redesign of the Keta Library that revitalizes Eʋe language, culture, and ecological knowledge.Master of Art
The Mediating Role of Biculturalism in the Association Between Discrimination and Adolescent Adjustment
Get PDFEthnic-racial discrimination poses a significant threat to psychosocial adjustment among immigrant and ethnic-racial minoritized adolescents. This study examines how biculturalism mediates the discrimination-adjustment link, focusing on bicultural harmony, blendedness, and facility. Guided by cultural ecological and cognitive-developmental frameworks, we tested whether discrimination erodes adolescents' capacity to integrate ethnic-racial and national identities, thereby undermining adjustment. Participants were 145 minoritized and immigrant-identifying 9th graders (Mage = 14.1; 42.1% male; 83% with at least one immigrant parent) surveyed three times across the school year. Multivariate path analyses revealed that higher perceived discrimination at Time 1 predicted decreases in bicultural blendedness at Time 2, which in turn predicted decreases in psychosocial adjustment at Time 3. No other bicultural dimensions mediated these effects. Findings highlight bicultural blendedness as a key mechanism in how discrimination disrupts youth development, emphasizing the need to support identity integration during major developmental transitions like the transition to high school.Master of Art
Black Students Belong Here: An Equity-Focused Human-Centered Design Approach to Developing a School Connectedness Intervention
Get PDFBlack adolescents are facing rising rates of depression, suicide attempts, and death by suicide. These mental health concerns are exacerbated by barriers to quality services, stigma, and systemic racial oppression. Although school connectedness scores as a critical protective factor against negative emotional and behavioral outcomes, Black students report feeling more disconnected from school than their peers, emphasizing a need for effective interventions. This case study explored how an equity-focused human-centered design approach to intervention development can be used within school contexts through engagement in the initial phases of the process to codesign a school connectedness intervention. The study’s primary aim was to codesign a positive youth development intervention to be embedded within a structured design thinking curriculum to support school connectedness and promote mental well-being in minoritized students. Research questions examined how the design team defined the problem and explored team member experiences and perceptions throughout the human-centered design process. Findings from the case study highlighted current supports, including positive relationships, shared cultural identity, and supportive leadership, and barriers, such as lack of mutual respect and teacher and peer bias, to school connectedness and intervention development in schools. Design workshop outcomes identified key programming features to consider for intervention development, including format and scheduling options and opportunities for structured skill application. Transcripts were analyzed for features of psychological safety and equity during the design workshops. Participants demonstrated signs of psychological safety, including acknowledging contributions of others, voicing concerns, and acknowledging implicit biases. Features of equity that emerged during analysis include discussions related to opportunity gaps, mitigating biases, and critiquing privileged systems. The present case study serves as a proof of concept of using human-centered design as a n approach for intervention development in schools. Study limitations and implications for using human centered design in research and practice, as well as implications related to the present intervention, are discussed.Doctor of Philosoph
Innovations in MSK Radiology: Harnessing the Power of AI
Get PDFThis review explores how emerging technologies are reshaping musculoskeletal radiology. It examines recent advances where computer-based algorithms assist in interpreting complex imaging data, aiming to improve diagnostic accuracy and streamline clinical workflows. The discussion centres on practical applications, including automated lesion detection, fracture identification and the quantitative evaluation of degenerative conditions. Drawing on a range of clinical studies and technological evaluations, the review highlights the potential benefits of these tools while also addressing the challenges of data integrity, regulatory compliance and the need for comprehensive training among radiology professionals. The analysis emphasises that while many of these systems demonstrate significant promise in reducing human error and increasing efficiency, their integration into everyday practice must be approached with caution. Key hurdles include ensuring reliable data quality and balancing technological capabilities with established radiological methods. The review advocates for a measured adoption strategy that combines technological innovation with the expertise of seasoned radiologists. By assessing both the transformative potential and the inherent limitations of current AI applications, this article provides a balanced perspective on future directions in musculoskeletal imaging. The overall goal is to encourage further collaboration among clinicians, engineers and policymakers to foster innovations that enhance patient care without compromising safety or diagnostic standards
Diagnostic Performance of Artificial Intelligence in Predicting Malignant Upgrade of B3 Breast Lesions: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Get PDFBackground/Objectives: High-risk (B3) breast lesions are a heterogeneous group with uncertain malignant potential. Methods: We systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the ability of artificial-intelligence (AI) models to predict malignant upgrades (a ductal carcinoma in situ or an invasive carcinoma) after biopsy. A comprehensive search of medical and engineering databases through 27 July 2025 identified retrospective studies that developed or validated AI models for upgrade prediction in cohorts with ≥20 B3 lesions and confirmed outcomes at surgical excision or after ≥24 months of follow-up. Results: Three single-center studies (557 lesions, 91 upgrades) met the eligibility criteria. Pooled analysis focused on clinically meaningful operating points rather than raw accuracy metrics. Models tuned for high sensitivity achieved high negative predictive values (pooled 0.95), suggesting reliable identification of lesions suitable for surveillance, but positive predictive values were modest and heterogenous (0.15–1.00), reflecting trade-offs between avoiding missed upgrades and reducing unnecessary excisions. Only two studies reported area-under-the-receiver-operating-characteristic curves, which pooled to 0.72, indicating moderate discrimination. Conclusions: Although limited by small sample sizes and single-center designs, these findings suggest that AI could aid decision-making for B3 lesion management. Prospective multicenter validation and standardized reporting are needed to evaluate clinical utility
Bulk RNA Sequencing Reveals Signature Differences in Key Cell Signaling Pathways Between Porcine Venous and Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells
Get PDFWe recently identified significant differences between porcine arterial and venous smooth muscle cells (ApSMCs and VpSMCs) in the expression of numerous genes and activity of several important signaling pathways. To understand the mechanisms that are responsible for these differences, we performed a genome-wide comparison of VpSMCs and ApSMCs using bulk RNA sequencing. A principal component analysis (PCA) plot and heatmaps revealed a clear separation of the two groups of samples. Using a standard cutoff (≥2-fold change, false discovery rate (FDR) ≤ 0.05), 466 genes were highly expressed in ApSMCs, and 358 genes were highly expressed in VpSMCs. Functional pathway analyses were conducted using the Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) tool. The top 15 enriched pathways of the GSEA and Overrepresentation Analysis (ORA) results were detected by comparing the dataset against the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), Gene Ontology (GO) biological process, GO cellular component, GO molecular function, and WikiPathways databases. Both the GSEA and ORA results revealed that the top enriched pathways are mostly linked to cell cycle, cell structure, and cell differentiation. Further analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in a specific pathway identified that different sets of genes were utilized to regulate the same pathway between ApSMCs and VpSMCs. For example, in the cell cycle pathway, TGFB1, GADD45A, and TP53 were expressed highly in ApSMCs, while SKP2, PCK1, CDK1, and PPP2CA were expressed highly in VpSMCs. This study identified key differences in the gene expression patterns of two subsets of VSMCs and found that different sets of genes are utilized in specific signaling pathways within the different subtypes of cells, which provides crucial information for developing vein- or artery-specific strategies to prevent corresponding vascular diseases
Catalytic asymmetric P(III)-additions to salicylaldehydes enable divergent stereoselective dearomatizations of phenols
Get PDFOxidative dearomatizations are useful tools in complex molecule synthesis and the development of enantioselective variants offers substantial opportunities for the field. In this article, we describe a platform for a formal enantioselective dearomatization that employs chiral nonracemic α-hydroxyphosphonates derived from salicylaldehydes to direct diastereoselective functionalization of the phenolic core. As a requisite first step, we developed a new bis(oxazoline)Cu(ii)-catalyzed hydrophosphonylation (Pudovik reaction) of salicylaldehydes, allowing access to enantioenriched material in one step. The derived α-hydroxyphosphonates participated in complementary stereoselective dearomatization sequences. A tandem phosphono-Adler–Becker oxidation/[4 + 2]-cycloaddition furnished bicyclo[2.2.2]-octanes bearing phosphonoepoxyketone functionalities in excellent regio- and diastereoselectivity for both steps. Alternatively, oxidation with phenyliodine(iii) diacetate (PIDA) provided access to either 2,5- or 2,4-cyclohexadienones, with the latter reacting in a complementary [4 + 2]-cycloaddition. Experimental and computational studies of the two paths reveal distinct modes of stereochemical relay from the α-hydroxyphosphonate adducts to the derived dearomatized Diels–Alder products. The removable α-hydroxyphosphonate and phosphonoepoxide functionalities enable downstream synthetic modifications to the stereochemically defined cycloadducts
Somatic Psychoeducational Intervention Is Associated with Increased Oxytocin Levels, Improved Autonomic Function, and Reduced Psychological Distress Symptoms in Medical and Social Care Professionals
Get PDFBackground/Objectives. Medical and social care professionals (MSCPs) are disproportionately affected by chronic occupational stress, placing them at elevated risk for autonomic dysregulation, affective disorders, and burnout. Method. This preliminary study includes data obtained from two samples. The data protocols were approved by University of Florida’s IRB (IRB202200233 approved 24 February 2023 and IRB202401217 approved on 2 October 2024) and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05766852 and NCT06580119). With a total sample of 39 female MSCPs, we investigated the effects of the novel Somatic Psychoeducational Intervention (SPI), grounded in Polyvagal Theory, on autonomic reactivity, psychological distress symptoms, and salivary oxytocin levels. Participants engaged in a three- to four-week intervention integrating psychoeducation, interoceptive training, breathwork, and somatic movement. A subset was randomly assigned via a random number generator to allow for comparison of the intervention group (n = 8) to control group (n = 7). Results. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed increases in salivary oxytocin (ηp2 = 0.46) and reductions in autonomic reactivity (ηp2 = 0.24) and psychological distress symptoms (ηp2 ranging from 0.24 to 0.47). Benefits were sustained at one-month follow-up. Subset analyses focused on participants receiving the intervention at the same time found that only the participants in the intervention group improved with regard to autonomic reactivity and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Correlational analyses showed that changes in oxytocin and autonomic reactivity were associated with mindfulness improvements, which in turn predicted symptom reduction. Conclusions. These preliminary findings support SPI as a potentially scalable intervention with neurophysiological and psychological benefits. However, high attrition and small subgroup sizes necessitate cautious interpretation
Prevalence of symptomatic toxicities for novel therapies in adult oncology trials: A scoping review
Get PDFBACKGROUND: Patients' self-report of their symptoms can provide important data for the evaluation of treatment benefit and tolerability of oncology drugs. Contemporary treatment approaches, including immunotherapy and molecular targeted therapies, have unique toxicities based on their novel mechanisms of action. This scoping review aimed to summarize evidence from existing reviews and clinical practice guidelines to examine the type and prevalence of toxicities including symptomatic adverse events (sympAEs) for adult cancer patients to inform clinical care and therapeutic trials. METHODS: A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase was performed using predefined eligibility criteria. Thirty-one literature reviews and 3 clinical practice guidelines met inclusion criteria and were selected for review and data abstraction. RESULTS: Findings from this scoping review demonstrated several leading sympAEs that were reported across immunotherapy and targeted therapy drugs, including fatigue, diarrhea and rash. In addition to these more prevalent sympAEs, there were some less frequently reported class-specific sympAEs, which had potential for significant harm or disability to the patient if not properly identified and treated. Many studies reported toxicities as AEs or syndromes solely using data reported by clinicians without additional self-report from patients. CONCLUSION: We identified several core sympAEs experienced by patients participating in oncology trials using immunotherapy and targeted therapy agents, which has implications for future trial design and drug labeling. Future cancer trials should assess patient-reported sympAEs based on identified drug mechanism to inform the tolerability of these newer agents and enhance patient safety during trial participation and clinical care
The impact of circadian rhythm disruption on oxaliplatin tolerability and pharmacokinetics in Cry1−/−Cry2−/− mice under constant darkness
Get PDFCircadian rhythms, the 24-h oscillations of biological activities guided by the molecular clock, play a pivotal role in regulating various physiological processes in organisms. The intricate relationship between the loss of circadian rhythm and its influence on the tolerability and pharmacokinetic properties of anticancer drugs is poorly understood. In our study, we investigated the effects of oxaliplatin, a commonly used anticancer drug, on Cry1−/− and Cry2−/− mice (Cry DKO mice) under darkness conditions, where they exhibit free-running phenotype. We administered oxaliplatin at a dosage of 12 mg/kg/day at two distinct circadian times, CT8 and CT16, under constant darkness conditions to Cry DKO mice and their wild type littermates. Our results revealed a striking disparity in oxaliplatin tolerance between Cry DKO mice and their wild-type counterparts. Oxaliplatin exhibited severe toxicity in Cry DKO mice at both CT8 and CT16, in contrast to the wild type mice. Pharmacokinetic analyses suggested that such toxicity was a result of high concentrations of oxaliplatin in the serum and liver of Cry DKO mice after repeated dose injections. To understand the molecular basis of such intolerance, we performed RNA-seq studies using mouse livers. Our findings from the RNA-seq analysis highlighted the substantial impact of circadian rhythm disruption on gene expression, particularly affecting genes involved in detoxification and xenobiotic metabolism, such as the Gstm gene family. This dysregulation in detoxification pathways in Cry DKO mice likely contributes to the increased toxicity of oxaliplatin. In conclusion, our study highlights the crucial role of an intact molecular clock in dictating the tolerability of oxaliplatin. These findings emphasize the necessity of considering circadian rhythms in the administration of anticancer drugs, providing valuable insights into optimizing treatment strategies for cancer patients