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Rituals of Belonging
Get PDFThis ensemble is a (geo)autobiographical affirmation of the activities of water bodies, fiberboard drum barrel containers, and sound as well as their attendant rituals of belonging amongst People of Sub-Saharan African descent, particularly those belonging to the Caribbean diaspora.
Water as an ever-present life source serves as a dynamic metaphor for Caribbean people’s instinctive travel in and outside of the region’s soluble boundaries. The barrel container, often in transit analogizes the apprehension of displacement, congregation, arrival, or destination towards the desired feeling of security or place.
Elements of ritualistic practices located in migratory movement, music and labor are means of reconciling the interconnectedness of diasporic Peoples through various forms of material and visual culture and customs
Design and Synthesis of Novel Synthetic Cannabinoid 5-Hydroxy-1H-Indazole-3-Carboxamide Metabolites
Get PDFSince the discovery of Δ9-THC, the pharmaceutical industry has continuously developed synthetic analogs intending to develop compounds that exhibit the bioactivity of natural cannabinoids but are devoid of its psychoactivity. Synthetic cannabinoids often exhibit potencies significantly greater than Δ9-THC, as do their metabolites. Phase I metabolism of synthetic cannabinoids bearing an indazole core predominantly proceeds through oxidative transformations to produce mono-hydroxylated variants of the parent compound. Recent studies have primarily focused on N-1/C-3 hydroxylated pentyl side chains and carboxamide linked groups. These compounds often retain affinity and potency for the CB1 receptor and are thought to contribute to the serious, sometimes fatal, toxic profiles associated with synthetic cannabinoids. Full pharmacokinetic profiles must be obtained for all major metabolites, including the relatively unexplored indazole core hydroxylations, to gain a complete understanding of the pharmacological effects of the parent compounds.
Methods to introduce hydroxylated N-1/C-3 moieties directly onto the indazole scaffold are well described in the literature; however, methods to directly introduce a hydroxyl moiety directly on the indazole core are nonexistent. Thus, the goal of this work was to develop a synthetic strategy to obtain synthetic cannabinoids with a hydroxylated indazole core directly from readily available and inexpensive 1H-indazole-carboxylic acid. A novel synthesis process comprised of simple, functional group transformation from readily available material was developed to obtain these enzyme-derived hydroxylated compounds. The process utilizes 1H-indazole-3-carboxylic acid as the starting material to obtain twelve synthetically novel cannabinoids with various N-1 side chains and C-3 linked groups in a seven-step process with overall yields between 10 and 19%. The synthesis described is functional group tolerant, does not require specialized equipment or extreme conditions, yields are reproducible, and could be used to produce a variety of compounds for future studies. These novel metabolites will ultimately be evaluated for their biological activity, and their pharmacological analysis may provide new insights into the biological effects of synthetic cannabinoids on the endocannabinoid system
Identity in the 21st Century Nigerian Fiction: A Case Study of Blackass by Igoni A. Barrett.
Get PDFThis paper attempts to examine the allegorical narrative strategies and politics of identity—race, and gender, using postcolonial and racial frameworks. The novel, Blackass written by a Nigerian writer is a 21st century fierce comic satirical adaptation of Metamorphosis, a novella by Franz Kafka. The intricacies and culture within a society and ethnicity in a nation such as patriarchy are explored through the language, characters, and development of the plot in Nigerian literature. For this essay, I enter into the discourse of race by analyzing the social and cultural phenomena that occur throughout the structure of the fictional work
Girlsaint
Get PDFThis is a creative nonfiction narrative mapping the narrator’s girlhood through the lens of her religious and cultural upbringing and diary entries while growing up on the island of St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. It combines personal experience, memory, reflection, and extensive research on the cultural and societal references of the late 1990s and early 2000s. The work is formatted in a cycle of essays joined by common themes and a central memory—the narrator’s desire to be bestowed sainthood as a child. The writing style and structure of the work are influenced and inspired by the writing of Carmen Maria Machado (In the Dream House), Melissa Febos (Girlhood and Abandon Me), Ocean Vuong (On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous), and Audre Lorde (Zami: A New Spelling of My Name). Ultimately, the reader is presented a story about self-identity, personal discovery, and the power of looking back and learning from our childhood selves
Tales from the Void
Get PDFIn “The Void,” a town is driven to violence when their nefarious wishing-well threatens to swallow them all. In “Love Struck,” Jenny finds love with a man who has an unusual physical deformity. In “Epicene Creek,” Ryan meets his girlfriend’s family, but discovers they have some strange ideas about marriage and family. In “Transformation,” a lucky woman spontaneously molts into a socially desirable blue reptile. In “Folk Medicine,” Shell takes alternative medicine home to her abusive husband. In “Nail in the Coffin,” a woman wars with an unidentified thief over missing Halloween decorations. In “The Disappearance,” Doug investigates a monster from his childhood after another boy goes missing. In “The Secrets of Glass,” Evander learns the craft of glassmaking, but has self-serving plans for this knowledge. In “Under His Skin,” Thurman struggles to care for his ill and temperamental grandmother and befriends a neighbor who is not what she seems
The Relationship between Political Contributions and Federal Earmarks and the Impact of State-owned Enterprises on U.S. Competition
Get PDFWith the reintroduction of hard earmarks in the U.S., it is essential to understand the factors that drive earmark receipt. Legislative earmarks have historically represented a significant source of revenue for several firms. We examine the relationship between political expenditure, federal earmarks, and subsequent firm performance. Using a sample of earmarks from 2008-2010 Appropriations bills, we demonstrate that Political Action Committee (PAC) contributions by firms to Senators and Representatives strongly predict both the size and number of earmarks directed to these companies. We also show that PAC contributions to a member of Congress increase the probability that a politician writes a hard earmark benefiting the firm, leading to an average return of 1,090%. However, PAC contributions to presidential candidates and lobbying expenditure is only marginally effective. Earmark receipt is associated with greater future industry-adjusted profitability, but politically connected earmark recipients exhibit poorer financial performance. Our empirical findings indicate a clear channel through which firms receive value from the U.S. federal government. We also provide evidence that the reintroduction of hard earmarks could negatively impact firm performance.
Using acquisition data from 2010-2018, we examine the impact of acquisitions by foreign SOEs on domestic U.S. competitors. We examine the initial response to such acquisition announcements, the attempts of industry incumbents to increase their own political connections, and the profitability and efficiency of such incumbents. When foreign state-owned enterprises (SOE) enter the U.S. market by acquiring domestic firms, they increase competition in the targeted industry. Politically connected market incumbents experience the greatest decline in shareholder value around such acquisitions. Such acquisitions also lead to decreased profitability, increased efficiency, and less reliance on political connections by incumbents