This project will describe, in part, the central theoretical problem of the avant-garde, in phenomenological, theoretical, and ultimately ontological terms. The object of this chapter will be to acquire an understanding of the tension between the improvised phenomenality of the avant-garde, and its assumption and hypostatization into discourse. In doing...
The era of big data creates opportunities for carrying out scientific simulations at exascale.With increasing data size, the complexity of the design and execution of scientific
applications demand the use of high-level tools, namely workflow systems on supercomputers.
The performance of workflow systems has paramount importance since the goal of...
Transition metal oxides (TMOs) like perovskites are known to be versatile for functional properties such as ferroelectricity, magnetism, optical properties, and high-temperature superconductivity, because of their sensitive coupling between atomic structure and properties. By studying and understanding the fundamental structure-property relationships present in TMOs, it is possible to strategically engineer...
Over the past fifty years, techniques for synthesizing and manipulating matter on the 1-100 nanometer scale have led to the development of nanoparticle-based approaches to both disease diagnosis and treatment. The modification of nanoparticles with biological macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids has led to the development of highly...
Neural stem and progenitor cell (NPC) fate specification is a crucial component of central nervous system development, and the myriad signaling pathways that guide it are poorly understood. In my thesis work, I aimed to elucidate signaling mechanisms of the bone morphogenetic protein family (BMP) and some of its targets...
Current biomaterials-based methods for in vitro ovarian follicle culture enable individual follicles or follicle classes to survive and carry out basic functions of the ovary, including hormone and release of mature oocytes upon gonadotropin stimulation. However, these current strategies do not support the survival and maturation of isolated primordial and...
The relationship between law and war has evolved substantially over two centuries. One aspect of this evolution that merits further examination is legal accountability. Some international relations (IR) scholars maintain international law lacks meaningful influence without enforcement capabilities. But this critique of international law’s capacity to deliver meaningful influence in...
Although centrosomes nucleate and organize microtubules in mitotically-dividing cells, spindles in female reproductive cells (oocytes) form in their absence. In some organisms acentrosomal spindle assembly is mediated by acentriolar microtubule organizing centers (MTOCs) that are thought to functionally replace centrosomes. However, spindle assembly in human oocytes does not require MTOCs;...
Melanopsin-expressing, intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) represent a class of non-canonical, ganglion cell photoreceptors. These cells influence a variety of visual behaviors including contrast sensitivity, circadian photoentrainment, sleep, and even mood. These wide-ranging behavioral influences are attributed to the multiple subtypes (M1-6) that comprise the ipRGC population, with different...
The discovery of abundant reserves of shale gas over this past decade has reshaped the world’s energy landscape. It has renewed interests in the activation and conversion of methane as well as other light alkanes. While the oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) and oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) of ethane and propane...