1983 research outputs found
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In Front of the Many: Language and Public Life in Kazakhstan's Largest City
No full textThis dissertation examines how citizens in Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city, work to make the Kazakh language an ordinary medium of public life. Although the state has promoted Kazakh for more than three decades since independence, Russian remains the default language of efficiency, civility, and urban order. Based on 17 months of ethnographic fieldwork, including participant observation, interviews, and media analysis, the study follows independent publishers, consumer activists, and conversation clubs as they work to make Kazakh not just a marker of national identity, but a language of everyday use.
I argue that sincerity—doing things willingly and with feeling—functions as a developmental affect among my interlocutors, a sign that society is moving beyond a socialist past remembered for its top-down coordination of collective life. During the Soviet period, public life in Kazakhstan was organized through a dense network of institutions that operated largely in Russian. After independence, that system unraveled. While the Kazakhstani state elevates Kazakh as the “state language” and links its vitality to national modernization, it lacks the kind of authoritative capacity that once organized public life under socialism, and cannot openly act as if it did. As a result, the realization of ‘the public’ is left to be worked out elsewhere. In this gap between proclamation and enactment, citizens labor to do what the state does not: make Kazakh usable as a shared language among strangers.
In Part I, I show how independent publishers treat market-based demand as evidence of genuine desire and quality as a sign of sincere care, aiming to make Kazakh a medium for accessing a wider world without Russian mediation. In Part II, I show how consumer activists and ordinary citizens mobilize linguistic and consumer rights—despite unreliable enforcement—through polite, procedural requests, in order to make service in Kazakh the expected default rather than exception. In Part III, I show how conversation clubs support a chosen desire to practice and learn Kazakh through cultivating a distinctive type of togetherness, which collaboratively reworks shame and gives hesitant participants a space to practice appearing publicly as legitimate speakers.
Through these practices of “developing the language,” people seek to make social life feel coherent, shared, and oriented toward a common future. The Kazakh phrase köpşiliktiñ aldında (“in front of the many”), which can be glossed as both “publicly” and “before others,” captures how these everyday encounters among strangers make ‘the public’ itself tangible—an imagined collective moving forward through Kazakh as a shared civic language.Anthropolog
Deneys Reitz: “South African First, Dutchman Second” – A Case Study of the Evolution of South African Identity in South Africa in the First Half of the Twentieth Century
No full textThis thesis considers the life of Deneys Reitz, a South African soldier, author and politician who was a key member of the Afrikaner ruling elite in South Africa in the first half of the twentieth century. This was a seminal period in South African history, which included the formation of the new Union of South Africa in 1910. During this time, a distinctive new South African identity, known as “South Africanism” developed, centered around reconciliation between the two primary white linguistic groups in South Africa, and an acceptance of South Africa’s place within the British Empire. Over time, under the influence of his mentor and future Prime Minister Jan Smuts, Reitz became a fervent advocate of this new philosophy and an ardent Anglophile. Through a biographical examination of Reitz’s life and works (and that of certain of his contemporaries), this thesis considers the factors that influenced moderate Afrikaners like Reitz to embrace this new identity. It contends that these factors were complex and multifaceted, and, at least initially, had more to do with personal loyalties and internal Afrikaner politics than a genuine ideological belief in the importance of reconciliation and the values of Empire. In some cases, like Reitz and Smuts, the ideological belief evolved over time. However, this thesis argues that at the heart of many other moderate Afrikaners’ acceptance of South Africanism lay a more transactional trade-off – a willingness to reconcile with their English-speaking countrymen and accept British sovereignty, in exchange for a restoration and protection of Afrikaner political and cultural rights and the economic and security benefits of being part of the British Empire. For many Afrikaners (particularly those who didn’t necessarily share Reitz and Smuts’ Anglophilia) this trade-off was arguably made more palatable in the years between the two World Wars by the increasing degree of autonomy afforded to the Afrikaner-controlled South African government as a result of Britain’s slow-motion retreat from Empire after the First World War. This thesis further contends that a key motivating factor underpinning the philosophy of South Africanism was a belief in the necessity of white racial solidarity between Afrikaners and English South Africans of British origin, which was ultimately prioritized over other linguistic, ethnic and class divisions. Finally, this thesis considers the role played by moderate South African women in creating this new South African identity, with a particular focus on Deneys Reitz’s wife Leila (a strong advocate for women’s rights and South Africa’s first female parliamentarian). It argues that women, both South African and British, played a key role in encouraging Afrikaner / English reconciliation. It also seeks to show how white racial unity became an important justificatory factor in the fight for female rights such as suffrage and birth control, and ultimately helped ensure a political alignment across the gender divide.Extension Studie
Benefits and Challenges of Hiring Refugee Employees: U.S. Employers’ Perspective
No full textThis thesis examines the viewpoint of U.S. employers who employ refugees revealing the advantages and obstacles encountered by enterprises seeking to hire, train, and retain employees from this group. Exploratory research was conducted, focusing on several specific questions. Interviews were conducted with business leaders and managers, and Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA) was used to analyze data gathered from discussions. Findings reveal that refugees possess qualities and characteristics that appeal to employers. However, the lack of English proficiency often masks these attributes. Employers who successfully integrate refugees adopt practices to assist the process. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), as well as related agencies and organizations, can leverage these findings to encourage other employers to consider refugee labor and to develop procedures that assist businesses in overcoming these and other relevant obstacles
Supramolecular complex formation in bacterial anti-phage defense and viral immune evasion
No full textBacteria can encode many diverse nuclease-helicase defense systems that protect from viral infection and inhibit phage propagation. An emerging theme in anti-phage defense is the presence of nuclease-helicase operons. However, how nuclease-helicase systems defend against phage infection remains largely unknown. Gabija is one of the most prevalent nuclease-helicase defense systems, occurring in >15% of all sequenced bacterial and archaeal genomes. We discovered that Gabija proteins assemble into an ~500 kDa nuclease-helicase supramolecular complex that degrades phage DNA. Phages evolve diverse immune evasion mechanisms to inhibit host defense systems. We show that a phage-encoded protein, Gabija anti-defense 1 (Gad1), directly binds the Gabija complex by forming an octameric web inhibiting phage DNA recognition and cleavage. Phages can also encode another Gabija inhibitor, Gad2, which does not prevent Gabija DNA targeting in vitro, suggesting that Gad2 works upstream of DNA cleavage during infection. To understand nuclease-helicase system diversity, we biochemically screened 14 nuclease-helicase systems and found that they all form protein complexes of varying oligomeric state and have different phage nucleic acid cleavage specificity. Our results define mechanisms by which bacteria use nuclease-helicase anti-phage defense systems to inhibit viral infection and how phages fight back with unique viral immune evasion mechanisms.Virolog
Introspective Discrimination: Probing the accuracy of memory, metacognition, and psychobiological prediction models under negative emotional contexts
No full textEmotional experiences emerge from a complex amalgamation of objective and subjective information. However, due to the partially subjective nature of emotional experiences, objective and subjective measures of experience can sometimes dissociate. These dissociations can consequently affect the accuracy of memory, emotional well-being, and the conscious perception of emotional experiences. In the following body of work, I leverage a combination of statistical modeling, computational modeling, and machine learning alongside behavioral experiments and observational studies to provide insights into the alignment between objective and subjective measures of emotional experience. In study 1, I examined how objectively accurate autobiographical memory is for subjective emotional experiences. The results of this study conclusively demonstrate that autobiographical memories of subjective emotional experiences are objectively inaccurate in negatively valenced contexts, and that overestimating the subjective intensity of these remembered experiences is common and negatively associated with current emotional well-being. Study 2 examined how objectively accurate memory and associated subjective confidence judgements are under emotional contexts. Insights from this experiment suggest that negative valence influences how we think and respond – objectively biasing actions, and influences our self-monitoring capabilities – subjectively biasing self-confidence. Study 3 further develops this foundation of knowledge to examine the predictive validity of objective physiological information for predicting subjective reports about the intensity of emotional experiences. This study demonstrates that changes in electrodermal activity (a measure of physiological arousal) can effectively track the intensity of valenced experiences, but fail to capture nuanced variations of specific emotional states.
In other words, how we consciously feel and label our emotions is more complex than what can be measured by changes in physiological arousal alone. Altogether, this dissertation furthers our knowledge of the association between objective and subjective measures of emotional experience and begins to reveal how negative emotional contexts are linked to dissociations between these constructs – ultimately affecting emotional well-being, the accuracy of memory and metacognition, and the perception of emotional experiences.Psycholog
A Novel Peptide Hemostat for Enhanced Platelet Adhesion
No full textUncontrolled hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable death in trauma, particularly among individuals under 45 years of age. While significant progress has been made in managing external bleeding through pressure-based interventions and topical hemostats, internal, noncompressible hemorrhage at anatomically inaccessible sites continues to present a major clinical challenge. Current treatment strategies—such as transfusion of blood components and surgical intervention—are limited by logistical constraints, donor dependence, and inherent risks including pathogen transmission and immunogenicity. Critically, there are no systemically administered agents approved for point-of-care treatment of internal, non-compressible bleeding that could stabilize patients prior to definitive medical intervention.
To address this urgent unmet need, my PhD research focused on the design and evaluation of Covodutide (Collagen and von Willebrand Factor dual binding peptide), a novel, bivalent peptide designed to enhance hemostasis through targeted platelet adhesion. Covodutide consists of two defined functional domains: a collagen-binding motif and a von Willebrand factor (vWF)-
binding motif, enabling it to localize selectively to sites of vascular injury and reinforce the formation of the primary platelet plug. In contrast to conventional synthetic platforms that suffer from molecular heterogeneity and inconsistent functionalization, Covodutide is synthesized using solid-phase peptide chemistry, resulting in a molecule with fully defined architecture, fixed molecular weight, and exact stoichiometry between its functional units. This structural uniformity supports both predictable biological activity and clinically scalable manufacturing.
The research presented in this thesis is structured around three central aims: (1) to design Covodutide as a uniform agent targeting physiologically relevant surfaces at the injury site; (2) to investigate its mechanism of action in enhancing platelet adhesion and plug formation in vitro; and (3) to evaluate its systemic safety and hemostatic efficacy across multiple preclinical bleeding models. Covodutide’s selective binding to collagen and vWF, by virtue of its carefully designed binding domains was confirmed via microfluidic and flow cytometry assays, while its functional capacity to augment hemostasis was demonstrated in platelet aggregation studies. In vivo, Covodutide showed robust hemostatic activity across four bleeding models including tail transection and femoral artery injury—both as a pre-treatment and as a post-injury rescue agent.
Notably, Covodutide administration did not result in off-target effects, as validated by biodistribution, toxicity, and histopathological analyses. Formulated as a lyophilized powder that is easily reconstituted in saline, Covodutide is stable, rapidly deployable, and amenable to intravenous administration at precise doses in both military and civilian settings.
In summary, Covodutide represents a first-in-class, dual-targeting peptide hemostat that merges molecular precision with rapid-acting hemostatic function.Engineering and Applied Sciences - Engineering Science
Transforming City Operations with StatGPT
No full textCities today face mounting pressure to deliver more effective services using fewer resources. To meet these challenges, performance management systems must evolve. This paper proposes “StatGPT,” a next-generation, technology-enabled approach that builds on the successes of traditional Stat models by injecting them with modern artificial intelligence (AI) and data capabilities. A responsive city measures what matters and then does something about it. Yet, the management systems that determine what should be measured, what data to utilize, and by whom, require modernization. That is especially true now as demands on local government continue to exceed resources, and the legitimacy of elected officials depends on fulfilling residents' expectations. Delivering on daily tasks that matter to residents creates a “responsive cycle,” where trust builds the legitimacy necessary for mayors to rally followers in times of crisis or towards large aspirations.
Achieving these goals requires a new approach that leverages the power of generative AI (GenAI), the Internet of Things, ubiquitous mobile devices, open data, and advanced analytics. This new approach requires modernizing the Stat systems that cities have widely adopted over the past two decades, dating back to when New York City Police Chief Bill Bratton introduced CompStat to manage crime-fighting efforts and Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley applied CitiStat to municipal services. The Stat model combined data with accountability in a way city leaders had not seen before. Precinct commanders in New York, or department heads in Baltimore, would attend a high-level meeting where they would present their latest data on crime or service levels, which would be projected on large screens for everyone in the room to see. Then, senior executives – and sometimes Bratton or O’Malley themselves – would grill managers about the numbers. Why are robberies up on this block? Why are restaurant inspections down this quarter? Often, there was a theatrical element to these meetings. These events proved effective in keeping managers focused on results and surfacing hidden problems. Crime in New York plunged. Baltimore saved millions on employee overtime related to chronic absenteeism. When utilized correctly, Stat is today’s gold standard for performance management. Bob Behn, my colleague at the Harvard Kennedy School and an expert on Stat programs, underscores that using the model effectively requires hands-on leadership, timely data, regular meetings, active follow-through, a constructive culture, constant learning, and flexibility. These principles remain as cities rethink Stat, but now they are merely the table stakes for the broader transformation that leverages technology. This paper proposes a new approach to measuring and utilizing performance data as the gateway to management changes that lead to operational excellenceVersion of Recor
The Terror and Bliss of Impersonal Existence: Levinas and Śāntideva Śāntideva on (No)-Self
No full textThis thesis seeks explores the fear arising from impersonal existence, seeking philosophies to understand and respond to such existential anxiety through a comparative study of the thoughts of Emmanuel Levinas and Śāntideva. Although their philosophies are rooted in different cultural and historical contexts, both can be explored in relatively secular language, therefore offering possibilities for philosophical discussion in a contemporary context.
The paper first discusses the anxiety in Levinas' phenomenology arising from ‚Äúil y a‚Äù, a pure existence experienced especially during insomnia, where the inescapability of existence causes anxiety and fear. Levinas attempts to find an escape from this solitary and confined existence through encounters with alterity, particularly in the experiences of eros and fecundity in his earlier work. In contrast, the Buddhist philosophy presented by Śāntideva in the BodhicaryƒÅvatƒÅra confronts the fear of death and deconstructs the illusion of an independent self, offering an antidote by emphasizing the interconnectedness of beings and caring for others.
In the comparative analysis, this paper points out the methodological similarities in the way both thinks understand the constructed nature of self-identity as well as the differences in their paths to transcend the limitations of the self. While Levinas finds modes of relational existence, Śāntideva emphasizes the importance of meditative insight and ethics. The paper further examines how these two philosophical frameworks have the potential in addressing broader existential anxieties on the fear of annihilation, which often comes from the illusion of an isolated self.Author's Origina
Ancient metabolic switches underpinning organismal longevity
No full textBiguanides, including metformin, the world’s most prescribed drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, robustly extend lifespan and health-span across multiple invertebrate and vertebrate species. Given the safety, efficacy, and well-tolerated nature of metformin, there is an urgent need to identify how biguanides exert their favorable pro-longevity effects, to illuminate novel geroprotective targets and heretofore underappreciated molecular and cellular mechanisms that modulate aging. In this dissertation, we integrated functional genetic strategies with molecular metabolic assessment across metazoans to identify a series of genetic elements required for biguanide-mediated lifespan extension and the enabling of diverse pro-longevity paradigms.
First, through curated genetic screening in the nematode roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, we highlight ether lipid biosynthesis as a critical effector of the biological action of biguanides and further demonstrate that key ether lipid-producing enzymes are required to enable the pro-longevity effects of multiple conserved geroprotective interventions.
Second, we leveraged translatomics, metabolomics, and unbiased functional genetics to highlight post-transcriptional protection of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis as an ancient, conserved compensatory metabolic response that buffers against the onset of reductive stress, an underappreciated toxicity associated with chronic biguanide administration. We further demonstrate that inactivation of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis during biguanide treatment drives NADPH toxicity, resulting in aggravated electron spillover across NADH/GSH redox pools and subsequent acceleration of death. Moreover, we find that multiple NADPH-producing metabolic insults require de novo fatty acid biosynthesis to prevent accelerated death outcomes, suggesting that its compensatory protection is broadly mobilized across intervention and species. We thus propose that mRNA translation of de novo fatty acid biosynthesis functions as a tunable rheostat to minimize biguanide-induced reductive stress whilst reciprocally maximizing its geroprotective effects.
Finally, we demonstrate through unbiased classic genetic screening in C. elegans that activation of a cytoprotective nucleolar stress response through a conserved rRNA surveillance pathway may uncouple reductive-stress toxicity from the geroprotective action of biguanides. Combined, these studies illuminate a series of ancient metabolic pathways that may be leveraged to maximize the geroprotective action of biguanides and other related pro-longevity interventions across metazoans.Medical Science
Learning To Love The Backlog: How Backlogs Reduce Processing Times For Serials
No full textThis article describes the use of a project management approach to existing backlogs and to ongoing receipts in technical services for improved efficiency. Drawing from lessons from the COVID19 pandemic, successful strategies regarding timely backlog reduction, and improving efficiency for ongoing work are applied to new backlogs produced through a move and in absorption of additional workflows.Accepted Manuscrip