Randomization is considered the gold standard when it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of interventions, primarily due to its ability to avoid bias. However, in recent years, randomization has been heavily criticized in circumstances where subject randomization may not be ethical. In a randomized controlled trial, patients who are extremely...
Liquid helium-3 is a remarkable substance. Even prior to the discovery of superfluidity in 1972, liquid helium-3 was the paradigm of a strongly interacting Fermi liquid. At even lower temperatures, liquid helium-3 undergoes a phase transition to a p-wave Fermi superfluid. Over 40 years since its discovery, superfluid helium-3 is...
Many transcription factors (TFs) regulate oncogenic processes and are therefore desirable targets for drug intervention. However, few TF inhibitors have been developed to date due to a lack of specificity and few TF binding pockets. The Meade Lab has overcome these challenges by using cobalt-based complexes that disrupt Cys2His2 zinc...
A replication crisis has enveloped several scientific fields since the early 2000s (see Baker, 2016). This has given rise to improved research and reporting practices (e.g., F. S. Collins & Tabak, 2014), as well as a cottage industry of research into issues of replication and reproducibility (e.g., R. A. Klein...
My dissertation examines group dynamics of minority populations during times of violent conflict. By applying a comparative analysis to case studies drawn from the conflicts in Lebanon and Syria, I shed light on how and why minority groups decide to join a conflict, stay on the sidelines, go it alone,...
Mid-infrared lasers, emitting in the spectral region of 3-12 µm that contain strong characteristic vibrational transitions of many important molecules and two atmospheric transmission windows, are highly desirable for spectroscopy sensing, infrared countermeasures, and free space communications. Previously, single-element quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) have been demonstrated with up to watt-level...
Inflammasomes are signaling complexes that link the recognition of pathogen and danger associated molecular patterns (PAMPs and DAMPs) by cytosolic pattern-recognition receptors (PPRs) to the activation of Caspase-1, leading to the release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 and IL-18, and the induction of pyroptosis. In addition to the canonical...
Oxidation is an important process in synthesizing a broad range of useful products such as polymers, pharmaceuticals, and fine chemicals. While H2O2 is a highly attractive oxidant for oxidative chemistry due to its high percentage of oxygen and environmentally friendly water byproduct, it is often used in excess due to...
In knowledge-intensive work such as data analysis or emergency medicine, learning and collaboration is integral to the effective “production” process. Uncovering the mechanisms, benefits and costs of learning and collaboration is crucial for the design and operation of a successful process. My Ph.D. research centers on empirically investigating the ways...
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a gas-phase synthesis technique employed to manufacture thin films and metallic nanoparticles of various compositions and sizes, as well as individual, isolated species on various supports. An understanding of the dynamic surface chemistry that takes place during various ALD processes is vitally important for achieving...