Coherent energy migration in solids: Determination of the average coherence length in one‐dimensional systems using tunable dye lasers

The coherent nature of energy propagation in solids at low temperatures was established from the time resolved response of the crystal to short optical pulses obtained from a dye laser (pumped by a nitrogen gas laser). The trapping and detrapping of the energy by shallow defects (x traps) was evident in the spectra and enabled us to extract the coherence length: l≳700 Å=186 molecules for the one‐dimensional triplet excitons of 1,2,4,5‐tetrachlorobenzene crystals at T<4.2° K. This length which clearly exceeds the stochastic random walk limit is related to the thermalization mechanisms in this coupled exciton–trap system, and its magnitude supports the notion that exciton–phonon coupling is responsible for the loss of coherence on very long molecular chains (trap concentration is 1/256 000)

Nanoshearing - Collective carbon nanotube micromechanics

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Targetable Multi-Drug Nanoparticles for Treatment of Glioblastoma with Neuroimaging Assessment

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Glioblastoma (GBM) is a deadly, malignant brain tumor with a poor long-term prognosis. The current median survival is approximately fifteen to seventeen months with the standard of care therapy which includes surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. An important factor contributing to recurrence of GBM is high resistance of GBM cancer stem cells (CSCs), for which a systemically delivered single drug approach will be unlikely to produce a viable cure. Therefore, multi-drug therapies are needed. Currently, only temozolomide (TMZ), which is a DNA alkylator, affects overall survival in GBM patients. CSCs regenerate rapidly and over-express a methyl transferase which overrides the DNA-alkylating mechanism of TMZ, leading to drug resistance. Idasanutlin (RG7388, R05503781) is a potent, selective MDM2 antagonist that additively kills GBM CSCs when combined with TMZ. By harnessing the strengths of nanotechnology, therapy can be combined with diagnostics in a truly theranostic manner for enhancing personalized medicine against GBM. The goal of this thesis was to develop a multi-drug therapy using multi-functional nanoparticles (NPs) that preferentially target the GBM CSC subpopulation and provide in vivo preclinical imaging capability. Polymer-micellar NPs composed of poly(styrene-b-ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) were developed investigating both single and double emulsion fabrication techniques as well as combinations of TMZ and RG7388. The NPs were covalently bound to a 15 base-pair CD133 aptamer in order to target a specific epitope on the CD133 antigen expressed on the surface of GBM CSC subpopulation. For theranostic functionality, the NPs were also labelled with a positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracer, zirconium-89 (89Zr). The NPs maintained a small size of less than 100 nm, a relatively neutral charge and exhibited the ability to produce a cytotoxic effect on CSCs. There was a slight increase in killing with the aptamer-bound NPs compared to those without a targeting agent. This work has provided a potentially therapeutic option for GBM specific for CSC targeting and future in vivo biodistribution studies

Bibliotherapy in the Elementary Classroom: Using Literature to Navigate Trauma

Suzanne PorathThe positive impacts of reading come together in a litany of benefits one cannot ignore: reduce stress levels, improve analytical thinking, enhance memory, expands intelligence, bolster vocabulary, strengthen writing skills, and many more. But what about the advantages on an individual’s overall mental wellness that may come from reading? Officially defined by the American Library Association in 1966, bibliotherapy is the use of books in the purpose of healing, flowing in the vein of creative arts therapy. Bibliotherapy uses an individual's relationship or connection to the content of a book to help address trauma, hardships, or mental disorders. Using books in bibliotherapy can open up a Children are not immune to traumatic life events. From divorce to loss of a loved one, young individuals may have difficulty navigating the breadth of emotions saddled with such negative instances. Bibliotherapy is yet another benefit of reading that may set students up for success academically, socially, emotionally, and developmentally. This literary review outlines the history of bibliotherapy, scholarly articles delineating the implementation of bibliotherapy at an elementary level, as well as my conclusive thoughts on using literature to comprehend life events and their inevitable impact. By exploring these academic avenues, I hope to be able to create a better sense of understanding how I may use bibliotherapy in my own classroom to teach and help students who have experienced hardships in their young lives, applying this information beyond my written work and in my professional career as an elementary educator

Lesbian Couple Dynamics and Heterosexist Stressors: Building a Foundation for Culturally Competent Relationship Interventions

Lesbian relationships are severely underrepresented in the couples and family literature (Hartwell, Serovich, Grafsky, & Kerr, 2012). The current study sought to expand the basic science on lesbian couples with the overarching goal of informing evidence-based relationship interventions. The first aim of this study was to examine processes found to be important to relationship success in previous studies of couples in general, including communication, external support, household tasks, intimacy, and sex, as these processes are typically targeted in relationship interventions. The second aim was to examine the role of factors more specific to lesbian couples and related to heterosexist stressors as these factors may provide content areas for creating more culturally sensitive and affirming relationship programs. The heterosexist stressors analyzed included sexual minority stress--conceptualized to consist of outness, internalized homophobia, and discrimination--as well as commitment behaviors given the variable legal climate for same-sex couples. Finally, the third aim was to assess the associations between relationship quality and mental health outcomes. Participants included 103 adult female same-sex couples who provided self-report data and participated in observational communication tasks. Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (Kenny, Kashy, & Cook, 2006) were utilized for most analyses. Findings suggest that processes traditionally addressed by relationship interventions would likely be beneficial to focus on with lesbian couples. At the same time, factors specific to lesbian couples were also found to be important, suggesting that some cultural adaptations that incorporate these factors may be beneficial for relationship interventions that serve lesbian couples. Finally, individual mental health outcomes were all found to have associations with relationship quality. Clinical implications are discussed, including how to incorporate cultural competence into relationship interventions for lesbian couples, the importance of challenging heteronormative biases, and which topics specific to lesbian relationships may be important to discuss with some clients. The study concludes with recommendations for future research to continue building a strong relationship science on lesbian couples and possible ideas for future interventions

The principal\u27s role in creating a school culture that fosters achievement of students with high incidence disabilities: A study of one school

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of the principal in shaping a school culture that fostered academic achievement of students with high incidence disabilities. Research was conducted by means of a qualitative case study approach with data courses of informant interviews, parent focus group, observations of the daily workings of the school, and artifact reviews. Data unveiled five prominent areas of school culture: rituals, collaboration, an individualized instructional focus, community, and social emotional support. Each of these findings are defined and discussed based on data collected throughout the study. Data also support four additional findings in regard to the roles the principal played to impact each component of school culture including: serving as an administrator, instructional leader, community liaison, and child advocate. Matrix analysis compared the interactions of the school culture and the impact the principal played in each to determine what roles the school principal filled that directly affected the culture including the academic performance of students with high incidence disabilities

The use of an application screening assessment as a predictor of teaching retention at a midwestern, K-12, public school district

This quantitative study examined the retention of new hires at a Midwestern, K-12, public school district using the scores of an application screening assessment as a predictor. New teacher hires' overall performance results on a screening assessment were compared to the retention of those hires after 1 year of employment. In addition to the overall scores, the impact of subscale results in the areas of cognitive ability, teaching skills, and attitudinal disposition were also compared to the retention of new hires. The study results indicate that differences exist in the application screening assessment scores of new hires and their retention after 1 year of employment. The study concludes with recommendations designed to aid school leaders in objective hiring practices that yield retention of teachers with a strong fit to the organization.Includes bibliographical reference

The role of cellular stress in intrauterine growth restriction and postnatal dysmetabolism

Disruption of the in utero environment can have dire consequences on fetal growth and development. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a pathological condition by which the fetus deviates from its expected growth trajectory, resulting in low birth weight and impaired organ function. The developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) postulates that IUGR has lifelong consequences on offspring well-being, as human studies have established an inverse relationship between birth weight and long-term metabolic health. While these trends are apparent in epidemiological data, animal studies have been essential in defining the molecular mechanisms that contribute to this relationship. One such mechanism is cellular stress, a prominent underlying cause of the metabolic syndrome. As such, this review considers the role of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and inflammation in the pathogenesis of metabolic disease in IUGR offspring. In addition, we summarize how uncontrolled cellular stress can lead to programmed cell death within the metabolic organs of IUGR offspring

Anisotropy and oblique total transmission at a planar negative-index interface

We show that a class of negative index (n) materials has interesting anisotropic optical properties, manifest in the effective refraction index that can be positive, negative, or purely imaginary under different incidence conditions. With dispersion taken into account, reflection at a planar negative-index interface exhibits frequency selective total oblique transmission that is distinct from the Brewster effect. Finite-difference-time-domain simulation of realistic negative-n structures confirms the analytic results based on effective indices.Comment: to appear in Phys. Rev.