Unmournable Bodies: Gothic Postcolonialism and The Spectre of Loss in Arundhati Roy\u27s The God of Small Things and Anuradha Roy\u27s Sleeping on Jupiter

My thesis compares Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Anuradha Roy’s Sleeping on Jupiter in order to demonstrate how a) each text is a product of its moment and a reflection of corresponding critical thought and b) how an inversion of gothic tropes in Sleeping reflects a changed world dynamic, a melancholic exploration of epistemological and traumatic loss that can be seen not only as a recognition of the continued power of oppressive systems but a reflection on the failure of cosmopolitanism to “rescue” the global subject from her own isolation and recolonization. I claim that this is not only demonstrated by a change in form and how gothic tropes are presented, but in how homosexuality and deviant sexuality in particular is treated, a reminder that even in texts that attempt to condemn and reject colonizing tendencies, the political moment and its theoretical appendages continue to haunt postcolonial discourse, enabling recolonization and restratifying spaces of resistance. I claim that this recognition need not be totalizing or nihilistic, but that in the recognition itself lies the possibility for resistance, an act of rebellion that must be constantly re-enacted in order to deterritorialize what has been captured and displaced, a fluid and imaginative negotiation that, much like literature, is limitless in interpretation and offers readers constant and multiplicitous possibilities for agency in the face of equally fluid oppressive systems. --Provided by the author

The Induction of Dendritic Cell Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress by Irradiated-Tumor Derived Extracellular Vesicles Supports the Adoption of a Pro-Tumor Phenotype

The Induction of Macrophage Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress by Irradiated-Tumor Derived Extracellular Vesicles Supports the Adoption of a Pro-Tumor Phenotype Sitara Mahmoodi, Depts. of Biology and Chemistry, with Dr. Sarah Golding, Dept. of Biology Recent studies have shown that long term exposure of tumor cells to sub-lethal levels of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress leads to the suppression of anti-tumor immunity through the manipulation of myeloid cells in the tumor microenvironment.1 While this effect seems to be dependent upon the ability of cancer cells to “transfer” the state of ER stress to myeloid cells, i.e. to initiate ER stress signaling in myeloid cells independent of the original stimulus, exactly how stressed cancer cells accomplish this is still not well understood1. Our focus is on exosomes which are extracellular vesicles and how they play a significant role in this mechanism. In recent studies, we demonstrated how extracellular vesicles secreted by irradiated melanoma cancer cells (IR-EVs) induce ER stress in Bone Marrow Dendritic Cells (BMDCs). In addition, BMDCs treated with IR-EVs demonstrated enhanced STAT3 and p38 signaling, two related pathways that have been demonstrated to induce tolerogenic DC phenotypes, in an ER stress dependent manner2. We have also found that IR- EVs stimulate the production of IL-10, a major negative regulator of antitumor immunity, from BMDCs and that this expression can be eliminated by STAT3 inhibition2. However, using a T-Cell Receptor/ tumor- associated antigen (TCR/TAA) system to model the interaction between BMDCs and cytotoxic T cells from a tumor rejection antigen (Pmel/gp100), we have observed that pharmaceutical ER stress or STAT3 inhibition dramatically inhibits T cell proliferation and IFN-gamma expression in response to antigen pulsed BMDCs. This suggests that ER stress and STAT3 signaling are both necessary for the presentation of tumor antigens to cytotoxic T cells, indicating that inhibition of these pathways would not be a desirable approach to enhance antitumor immunity in vivo. Thus, our current focus is on finding a way to inhibit the production or activity of these IR-EVs directly, inhibiting their effects on DCs in the body while leaving STAT3 signaling in proliferating T cells unaltered.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1346/thumbnail.jp

Maryland v. King: The Fourth Amendment Spirals Down the Double Helix

This commentary previews an upcoming Supreme Court case, Maryland v. King, in which the Court may decide whether requiring an arrestee to submit to a buccal swab for identification purposes violates the arrestee\u27s privacy interests under the Fourth Amendment

Characterizing Generation Z and its Implications to Booking Practices in the Hotel Industry

In an evaluation of preceding research, this study explores the characterization of Generation Z and, through a carefully designed questionnaire, its impact on consumer booking practices to prepare the hotel industry to better adapt to the incoming generation of travelers. Informed by the literature evaluated, the survey asks questions to (1) characterize the travel behavior of each participant, (2) ascertain the relative importance of multiple identified factors to their booking decision, and (3) characterize their individual profile. The results of this study illustrate the importance of price to the booking decision, over location, brand, online ratings, and amenities, reinforcing a concept recently introduced to the hospitality industry as “affordable luxury”

EVALUATING THE MULTIVARIATE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BREASTFEEDING, EARLY CHILDHOOD OBESITY, ASTHMA, AND MENTAL ILLNESS IN DALLAS, TX

The aim of this study was to examine the associations between breastfeeding, asthma and mental illness in North Texas children aged two to five years, and to explore whether these associations are explained by the presence of obesity. The study population comprised of 1,174 children whose caregivers responded to a 2015 survey administered by Children’s Health and the Health & Wellness Alliance for Children. Information on breastfeeding, BMI, asthma, and mental illness were self-reported by primary caregivers. Of the 1,174 children, 61% were breastfed, 13% had asthma, and 17% had a mental illness. The odds of having asthma were 2.28 times higher among children who were obese compared to non-obese children (95% CI: 1.37-3.79; p-value= 0.001). There were no statistically significant relationships between breastfeeding, obesity, or mental health illness. Children living in a household where the caregivers had more than a college education (OR: 2.07, p-value= 0.007) or a household income of $50,000 to$100,000 (OR: 1.80, p-value= 0.006) were more likely to have been breastfed. Obesity was not found to be a statistically significant mediator in the relationship between breastfeeding, asthma, and mental illness. This study hopes to inform future studies about the complex relationship among breastfeeding, early childhood obesity, asthma, and mental illness

Projects of Reform: Indian Classical Dance and Frictions of Generation and Genre

Abstract: The twentieth-century “reconstruction” of Indian classical dance forms can be regarded as part of a larger nationalist push to assert a sense of enduring cultural lineage in the wake of colonization. In this paper, I examine the different ways in which the reformist logic central to this project is reproduced outside its immediate historical and social context in the work of contemporary dancers in the UK. As I demonstrate, the British multicultural context becomes an extension of the colonial encounter as the generational frictions that exist between dancers and their predecessors speak to the tensions between temporal categories that shaped, and were shaped by, coloniality.Résumé : La « reconstruction », au XXe siècle, des formes classiques de danse en Inde peut être considérée comme relevant d ’ un élan nationaliste plus large visant à affirmer le sentiment que la lignée culturelle a perduré après la colonisation. Dans cet article, j ’ examine les différentes façons par lesquelles la logique réformiste au coeur de ce projet se reproduit à l ’ extérieur de son contexte historique et social immédiat, dans le travail de danseurs contemporains au Royaume-Uni. Ainsi que je le démontre, le contexte multiculturel britannique devient l ’ extension de la rencontre coloniale, tandis que les frictions générationnelles qui se produisent entre les danseurs et leurs prédécesseurs évoquent les tensions entre les catégories temporelles qui ont façonné le colonialisme, et ont été façonnées par lui

Assessing Nuclear Security Risks in Pakistan

Pakistan’s nuclear program and perceived nuclear security concerns have attracted global attention. The varying concerns range from the potential theft of nuclear weapons or materials to the unauthorized use of a nuclear device to terrorist groups taking control of the Pakistani government. The enduring debate, however, has oscillated between these doomsday scenarios and some optimistic considerations, where various quarters have shared their satisfaction over Pakistan’s nuclear security regime and its ability to deal with the emerging challenges. To address the evolving nature of these threats, Pakistan is constantly improving its nuclear security infrastructure. It has established a comprehensive legislative and institutional structure, nuclear security systems, and has also undertaken various international obligations. To further improve nuclear security perceptions, Pakistan should adopt a more transparent approach and learn from international best practices

A Drosophila Model for Clostridium difficile Toxin CDT Reveals Interactions with Multiple Effector Pathways.

Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) cause severe and occasionally life-threatening diarrhea. Hyper-virulent strains produce CDT, a toxin that ADP-ribosylates actin monomers and inhibits actin polymerization. We created transgenic Drosophila lines expressing the catalytic subunit CDTa to investigate its interaction with host signaling pathways in vivo. When expressed in the midgut, CDTa reduces body weight and fecal output and compromises survival, suggesting severe impairment of digestive functions. At the cellular level, CDTa induces F-actin network collapse, elimination of the intestinal brush border, and disruption of intercellular junctions. We confirm toxin-dependent re-distribution of Rab11 to enterocytes' apical surface and observe suppression of CDTa phenotypes by a Dominant-Negative form of Rab11 or RNAi of the dedicated Rab11GEF Crag (DENND4). We also report that Calmodulin (Cam) is required to mediate CDTa activity. In parallel, chemical inhibition of the Cam/Calcineurin pathway by Cyclosporin A or FK506 also reduces CDTa phenotypes, potentially opening new avenues for treating CDIs

Nuclear Security Education and Training in Pakistan

The world’s growing dependence on nuclear power as a reliable and clean source of energy demands equal safety and security considerations. The security challenges associated with nuclear materials, facilities, and technologies are emerging at an alarming rate, necessitating corresponding counter measures. Pakistan has invested significant resources in nuclear security education and training to meet the requirements of its expanding nuclear program. For example, Pakistan’s Center of Excellence for Nuclear Security is responding to the growing demands of this crucial area and imparting education and training in various sub-domains of nuclear security. Pakistan’s focus on nuclear security education and training has led to the development of a program that has received international acclaim, and has made significant contributions toward worldwide nuclear security