The Stories We Tell

These voices you will hear in this edition of First Gen Voices were crafted and cultivated in a summer trip to the Dominican Republic, where our writers had the opportunity to workshop and reflect on their experiences being first-generation. The purpose? To share their work, mind, and feelings about the struggles and incredible experiences they have made. It is their strength, resilience, and love. Enjoy

Novel JAK inhibitors to reduce graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation in a preclinical mouse model

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is a highly effective, well-established treatment for patients with various hematologic malignancies and non-malignant diseases. The therapeutic benefits of allo-HCT are mediated by alloreactive T cells in donor grafts. However, there is a significant risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), in which the donor T cells recognize recipient cells as foreign and attack healthy organs in addition to malignancies. We previously demonstrated that targeting JAK1/JAK2, mediators of interferon-gamma receptor (IFNGR) and IL-6 receptor signaling, in donor T cells using baricitinib and ruxolitinib results in a significant reduction in GvHD after allo-HCT. Furthermore, we showed that balanced inhibition of JAK1/JAK2 while sparing JAK3 is important for the optimal prevention of GvHD. Thus, we have generated novel JAK1/JAK2 inhibitors, termed WU derivatives, by modifying baricitinib. Our results show that WU derivatives have the potential to mitigate GvHD by upregulating regulatory T cells and immune reconstitution while reducing the frequencies of antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and CD80 expression on these APCs in our preclinical mouse model of allo-HCT. In addition, WU derivatives effectively downregulated CXCR3 and T-bet in primary murine T cells. In summary, we have generated novel JAK inhibitors that could serve as alternatives to baricitinib or ruxolitinib

The political economy of the Afar region of Ethiopia: a dynamic periphery

This thesis is not available on this repository until the author agrees to make it public. If you are the author of this thesis and would like to make your work openly available, please contact us: [email protected] Library can supply a digital copy for private research purposes; interested parties should submit the request form here: http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/departments/digital-content-unit/ordering-imagesPlease note that print copies of theses may be available for consultation in the Cambridge University Library's Manuscript reading room. Admission details are at http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/collections/departments/manuscripts-university-archive

"التكثيف الزمني" على مستوى السرد والشخصية والحدث "دراسة لمختارات روائية من تجربة إبراهيم نصر الله"

   يتناول هذا البحث دراسة التكثيف الزمني، وآليات توظيف الزمن النفسي في بعض روايات الكاتب إبراهيم نصر الله؛ بغية الوقوف على أشكاله، وأبعاده الفنية والدلالية على المستويين النصي – التخييلي والواقعي ، وإبراز أهميته في بناء الشخصية الروائية، وتكثيف الحدث.    أدّى التطوّر الروائي إلى تعدد الحبكات، وإلى التعمّق في وعي الشخصية، وهذا ما استوجب تحييد الزمن القصصي، وتكثيف الزمن النفسي، عبر تيار اللاشعور، فتأثر الزمن السردي بقلق الشخصية واضطرابها، وغدت الحبكة مضطربة أيضاً، يصعب تحديدها، وبدا السرد متوالياً غير محدّد الهدف.   وقد اهتمّ يعض الروائيين برصد أعماق الشخصية، وكشف عقدها النفسية وتقلباتها، من خلال تكثيف الزمن في وعيها، وتعميق شعورها المتدفق باللحظة المعيشة، فسادَ الزمن النفسي في كثير من الروايات التي تعالج  الأوضاع الاجتماعية والسياسية، وأزمة المثقف، وغيرها...؛ فبرز الزمن النفسي في مونولوجات الشخصيّات وتداعياتها، واضحاً عميقاً، متنامياً مع لحظة الحدث.   يُعدّ الكاتب "إبراهيم نصر الله " من الروائيين الذين اهتموا بقضايا الواقع، ورصد أعماق النفوس المثقلة بالهموم، في محاولة لتقصي أبعاد الواقع، واستشراف أفق المستقبل.   

The Effect of COVID-19 on Tawjeihi Students’ Anxiety and Depression in Jordan: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: The practicing of online learning by Tawjihi students left many experiencing different levels of anxiety and depression. Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the level of anxiety and depression among the students who practiced online learning through COVID-19. Methodology: The study used convenience sampling method to collect data. The total number of sample reached 390 students. The students were selected from the University of Jordan and Applied Science University inside Amman. The other part of the sample was collected from the governmental and private schools in Amman governorate. The questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection. Results: The results showed a wide variation of the conditions inside households that left deep impact on the students in Tawjihi. The previous conditions and the difficulties the families faced to save the internet with high criteria left high pressure on Tawjihi students. The results showed in the complete lockdown due to COVID-19 experienced different levels of depression and anxiety. The results showed that the students were depressed from online learning due to the difficulties they faced to reach the online sessions and the difficulty to manage the online platforms. Conclusions and recommendations: Online learning left different levels of depression and anxiety among the Tawjihi students as a result of the low experience in online. The study recommended the preparation of students and guide them on how to utilize online learning with the minimization of depression and anxiety through continuous training. &nbsp

Thermodynamic and structural properties related to the gelation of whey proteins

The gelling characteristics of whey proteins is governed by factors which affect the structural properties of the protein. To understand this structure gelling relationship, the following factors were investigated; protein concentration, heating temperature and time, pH, NaCl and sugars. The effect of these factors on the molecular structure and gelatin properties of whey protein concentrate (WPC), $beta$-lactoglobulin ($beta$-lg), $alpha$-lactalbumin ($alpha$-lac) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were studied using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, HPLC, mass spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The results showed that protein concentration affected textural properties without affecting the molecular structure of the whey proteins while heating temperature, pH and NaCl affected both molecular structure and the textural characteristics. NaCl and sugars increased the stability of whey proteins to thermal denaturation but decreased gel formation. $beta$-lg formed an opaque gel at pH 3 and a translucent gel at pH 9; the peak temperature of denaturation was 84$sp circ$C at pH 3 and 70$sp circ$C at pH 9. At both acid and alkaline pH, denaturation of $beta$-lg resulted in the formation of intermolecular $beta$-sheet structures associated with aggregation. These $beta$-sheet aggregate structures were also observed when $alpha$-lac was heated at pH 3 and 5 but not at pH 7 and 9. At pH 7, heating $alpha$-lac resulted in a loss of $alpha$-helix, $3 sb{10}$-helix and $beta$-sheet and an increase in turns. DSC showed two reversible transitions at 39.6$sp circ$C (A) and 64.8$sp circ$C (B). At pH 3, transition A was partially reversible (14%) while transition B was completely reversible. At pH 9, transitions A and B were completely irreversible and a translucent gel was formed. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) showed maximum stability to thermal denaturation at pH 5. Denaturation of BSA resulted in the loss of