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Diana in Augustan literature and culture
(2024) Matz, Alicia M.; Kronenberg, Leah
My dissertation examines the various ways in which representations of the goddess Diana reflect, comment upon, and constitute Augustan ideology. My approach unites literary, historical, and archaeological analysis: through close readings of Horace, Vergil, Ovid, and Grattius, along with material evidence from coins, inscriptions, buildings, sculptures, I show that we can piece together what the goddess Diana symbolized for Augustus, and that her importance to Augustus derived from more than just the fact that she is the sister of his “patron god” Apollo. My introduction aims to establish what Diana symbolized for Augustus through an exploration of numismatic evidence and the only officially commissioned work from the age, Horace’s Carmen Saeculare. I argue that Augustus utilized Diana as a patron goddess of his social legislation, as well as a symbol of the ‘Augustan peace,’ defined as the spread of Roman imperium in Italy and abroad and Augustus’ concomitant political and cultural reordering of Rome after the civil wars. My subsequent chapters explore how authors reflect or distort this ‘Augustan’ Diana. In my Vergil chapter, I use decolonial theory’s focus on indigenous experiences to argue that Vergil critiques Roman and Augustan imperialism by emphasizing Diana’s Italic background and deemphasizing her supposed support for Augustus. In my second chapter I argue that Ovid uses the rapes of Diana-like women as a way to critique the power hierarchies and abuse inherent in the Augustan moral legislation. In addition, I show how Ovid encourages audience identification with victims of Diana’s wrath to cast Diana and Augustus as cruel figures. Finally, in my last chapter I show how Grattius supports the ‘Augustan Diana’ by presenting her as the goddess of rational thought and associating her with the Augustan ideals of ‘civilizing’ through imperialism and moral reform, activities which Grattius represents allegorically as hunting.
"Venus Worked in Bronze": African American women writers and classical beauty myths
(2024) McGowan, Grace Bernadette; Patterson, Anita; Rezek, Joseph
“‘Venus Worked in Bronze’: African American Women Writers and Classical Beauty Myths” explores how African American women writers use the classical tradition from Ancient Greece and Rome in their work. It specifically centers and interrogates iterations of the Black Venus as she appears in African American women's writing. It asks what it means to be beautiful in America and offers multiple answering perspectives to Saidiya Hartman’s question from “Venus in Two Acts” (2007), “can beauty provide an antidote to dishonor?” It argues that white supremacist ideas of classical beauty dominate in American life and culture and that beauty is constantly wielded as a racialized and gendered weapon against women of color, specifically Black women. It uses the concept of transformative classicism to analyze the power, potential, and limitations of reclaiming a classical beauty aesthetic through the figure of Venus. Transformative classicism holds that Black women writers invoke classical myths of transformation and metamorphosis to interrogate racialized and gendered histories of objectification, particularly by reimagining myths from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. It particularly examines how the beauty, fashion, and cosmetics industries figure in the long afterlife of slavery. As slavery attempted to transform Black women into consumable commodity objects, to literally objectify them, the texts examine these objectifications in American contexts from 1773 to the present day, including work from Phillis Wheatley, Pauline Hopkins, Toni Morrison, and Robin Coste Lewis to demonstrate that classical beauty myths are often wielded as tools of white supremacy and so must be resisted and reclaimed.
Evaluation of printing orientation, layer thickness and auxilary cross-arch bar in 3-dimensional dental printing on the trueness and precision of full arch polymeric fixed dental prostheses
(2025) Alkandary, Abdulrahman R A A Y; Giordano II, Russell
OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the accuracy (Trueness and Precision) of 3D-printed full-arch fixed
dental prostheses by examining the effects of different printing angulations, layer thicknesses, and the inclusion of a horizontal cross-arch bar. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two 3D-printed dental resin materials for full-arch fixed dental prostheses were used in this study; Lucitone Digital IPN™ and OnX Tough 2. A standardized CAD design generated in Dental CAD 3.1 Rijeka software was exported as an STL file and served as the reference model. A total of 104 specimens were printed with
Carbon M2 printer at varying angulations (0°, 40°, and 70°), layer thicknesses (25 µm and 50 µm), with or without a horizontal cross-arch bar, and were post-processed following the manufacture recommendations. Specimens were analyzed using Geomagic Control X software, where they were superimposed onto the reference STL via best-fit alignment for 3D inspection analysis at a tolerance level of 50 µm. Trueness was assessed by calculating root mean square (RMS) and standard deviation (SD) values, while precision was
determined by measuring absolute linear deviations (mm) in pairwise comparisons within each group to evaluate reproducibility. RMS, SD and linear deviation data were analyzed using multivariate least square mean linear regression in JMP Pro 18 software to identify statistically significant effects (⍺ = 0.05). Microstructural analysis was conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to
examine surface morphology and elemental composition. Moreover, ash burnout testing
was employed to quantify the inorganic filler content and evaluate the residual mass of each material. RESULTS: The RMS and SD values varied among resin materials, with OnX Tough 2consistently showing lowest deviation values, and the highest accuracy in term of trueness across all tested variables. Overall, for both materials printing at a lower angulation (0°) resulted in superior trueness compared to 40° and 70° angulations. OnX Tough 2, exhibited improved trueness when printed at 50 µm layer thickness and without a cross-arch bar. In
contrast, for Lucitone Digital IPN™ the most accurate outcomes were achieved at 25 µm
layer thickness and with the addition of a horizontal cross-arch bar. No statistically significant differences in precision were evident across study variables: angulation, layer thickness and the presence of a cross-arch bar. IPN is an unfilled resin, primarily composed of an organic polymer matrix, whereas OnX is a filled resin with a complex composite formulation of silica and ytterbium-based inorganic reinforcements. CONCLUSION: OnX Tough 2 resin demonstrated superior trueness and precision compared to Lucitone Digital IPN™, as evidenced by lower RMS, SD, and absolute linear deviation values across all study groups. Printing at 0° angulation resulted in the highest levels of
both trueness and precision. The effects of layer thickness and the presence of a horizontal
cross-arch bar were found to be material-dependent, with filled resins such as OnX Tough
2 being more sensitive to these parameters. The most favorable combination for achieving
optimal accuracy with OnX was identified as 0° angulation, 50 µm layer thickness, and
without a cross-arch bar.
Evaluation of shear bond strengths of various resin cements with different surface treatments to 3D printed materials
(2028) Alshammari, Jarrah; Giordano, Russell
OBJECTIVES: This in vitro study aims to compare and evaluate the shear bond strength of various resin cements with different 3D printed resin materials. It also seeks to determine the effects of various surface treatments on shear bond strength. Finally, the study investigates the impact of thermocycling on shear bond strength values.MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study utilized two resin materials (n=360): Rodin Envision (Env)(n=180) and Varseosmile TriniQ (VST) (n=180). Vitablocs Mark II (MKII) (n=27) was used as a reference standard. The Asiga Max printer was used to print all specimens. The dimensions of the printed specimens were 15 x 15 x 2 mm, while the MKII specimens measured 12 x 14 x 3 mm. The MKII specimens were organized into groups of three, and the 3D printed resin specimens were organized into groups of 20. Groups were divided into three different surface treatments per cement. The surface treatments included in this experiment were sandblast treatment with 50 μm aluminum oxide particles, etching with 9.6% hydrofluoric acid (HF) for 30 seconds, and a combination treatment involving sandblast treatment followed by application of 9.6% HF etch. Three resin cements, along with their respective bonding/silane agents, were employed in this experiment: Ivoclar Esthetic DC (IDC) with Adhese Universal Bonding Agent (AB), Rodin Luting Cement (RLC) with Rodin Bond (RB), and Panavia V5 (PV5) with Clearfil Ceramic Primer Plus (CP). For the 3D printed resin specimens, half of the total number (n=180) underwent thermal aging with 5000 cycles prior to all specimens undergoing shear bond testing. The shear bond strength, measured in megapascals (MPa), was calculated, and the mode of failure was determined by examining the specimens under a digital 3D optical microscope. Results were analyzed using ANOVA, regression of least square means, Tukey HSD test, and Student’s t-test with a significant level of α = 0.05.
RESULTS: The PV5 cement groups were excluded from statistical analysis due to ongoing premature failures and their inability to bond effectively. For both 3D-printed resin materials, IDC cement demonstrated significantly higher SBS values than RLC. In both the control and thermocycled groups, the mean SBS for Env (29.33 MPa and 26.56 MPa, respectively) is significantly higher than that for VST (22.32 MPa and 14.65 MPa, respectively), both having p-value <0.0001. For Env, both the sandblast (30.49 MPa) and combination (28.81 MPa) treatments yielded significantly higher SBS values than the etched groups (24.56 MPa) with a p-value of 0.0021. For VST, the sandblast treatment (23.10 MPa) resulted in significantly higher values than the combination (16.57 MPa) and etched groups (15.79 MPa) with a p-value <0.0001. For Env, there is no significant difference in SBS values between the control and thermocycled groups (p-value = 0.049). However, when examining the cement-thermocycle interaction, the RLC thermocycle shows significantly lower values than those of IDC, with a p-value of 0.0021. For VST, there was a significant decrease in the mean SBS values of both cements after thermocycling with a p-value <0.0001. A significant correlation exists between the mode of failure and the mean SBS values, revealing that both cohesive and mixed failures occur at significantly higher mean SBS values compared to adhesive failures.
CONCLUSION: Significant differences in SBS exist between the two 3D printed resin materials, with Env having higher shear bond strength values. A strong correlation is observed between the filler percentage of the 3D printed material and SBS values. Both resin cements yielded significantly higher SBS values for Env. In both resin cements, the sandblast groups produced the highest SBS values, followed by the combination groups and, finally, the etching groups. Thermocycling has shown significant effects on VST for both cements, while it also significantly impacted RLC for Env.
A systematic review: osseous healing after mixing enamel matrix derivatives (EMD) or platelet-derived growth factor with graft material to aid in alveolar ridge preservation (ARP)
(2025) Salib Rasla, Klara Georgy; Price, Albert
Alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) is a technique used after tooth extraction to preserve bone volume within the extracted sockets. It involves a minimally traumatic tooth extraction protocol followed by immediate grafting. This is crucial for preventing alveolar ridge resorption and minimizing the early bone loss associated with wound healing after extraction. This systematic review was conducted to assess the effect of adding Enamel matrix derivatives (EMD) or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) to graft material used for alveolar ridge preservation (ARP) as measured by assessing their effect on the osseous healing of extraction sockets.
Using a systematic search process guided by PICO and PRISMA, a research question was formulated, and four electronic databases, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane, were searched for studies to answer the research question. The analysis was conducted by two independent reviewers, who were guided by defined inclusion and exclusion criteria.
The preliminary search, defined by PICO-derived mesh terms, resulted in a list of 292 publications. The titles and abstracts were further evaluated using the PRISMA checklist and defined inclusion and exclusion criteria, resulting in a refined list of 15 articles. A further full document review resulted in the exclusion of 11 more articles, leaving a final list of 4 articles. Analysis of these selected articles resulted in the following conclusion.
The lack of consistency in study designs and the individual investigator's criteria for data evaluation made it challenging to reach a definitive conclusion. The use of different bone graft and membrane materials introduced variables that raise the question of whether the additive effect on osseous quality is derived from PDGF, EMD, bone, or the membrane material.
Most available studies aimed to assess the impact of EMD or PDGF on either delayed ridge augmentation or intrabony periodontal defects, which added more variables to the equation, and we excluded them from our analysis. Further investigations and comparative human studies using randomized controlled clinical trial protocols are needed to confirm whether either EMD or PDGF has an additive effect on the socket graft quality of healing when added to a bone graft during Alveolar ridge preservation.
A review of literature: regeneration of the dentin/cementum-to-bone interface
(2025) Chang-Chien, Anna; Price, Albert; Yang, Julia
Periodontal regeneration is one of the key concepts in the treatment of periodontitis. However, current methods have achieved only limited success in the clinical setting, with the vast majority of outcomes falling under the definition of “repair” rather than true regeneration. This review aims to investigate whether cementum, an integral part of the periodontal-tooth interface, can be regenerated via guided tissue regeneration alone, supplemented with grafts including additives, or with the adjunct of stem cell therapy in periodontitis patients. Using a PICO-formatted question, MeSH terms were generated and run through four databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, Embase). The results were screened and selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, then summarized to create this narrative review. There was insufficient evidence to favor a single superior technique or material in the regeneration of cementum. The addition of Emdogain, growth factors, laser therapy, and stem cells appear to show some clinical benefit over conventional therapy in existing studies, but further higher-level studies are needed to confirm these findings.
Mechanical and physical properties of 3D-printed veneer materials
(2025) Nasir, Adnan Mohammedkamil; Giordano II, Russell
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate and compare the mechanical and physical properties of two 3D-printed dental veneer material, Rodin Envision and SprintRay OnX Tough 2. The primary focus was on determining minimum printable thickness, flexural strength, fracture toughness, wear resistance, translucency, color stability, surface roughness, gloss retention, and filler content by weight.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Two resin-based materials were analyzed: Rodin Envision (Pac-Dent, USA) and OnX Tough 2 (SprintRay, USA), fabricated using Asiga Max and Sprintray P95 printers, respectively. Specimens were designed and tested following ISO standards. Minimum printable thicknesses tested were 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4-, and 0.5-mm. Evaluations included three-point flexural strength, fracture toughness, wear resistance (extrapolated to 1 million cycles), translucency, and surface roughness pre- and post-immersion. Color stability was assessed using three staining solutions: coffee, tea, and 0.1 ppm toluidine blue. Gloss retention was measured before and after thermocycling, and filler content was determined using ash burnout. Microstructural analysis was conducted using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS).
RESULTS: Rodin Envision demonstrated significantly superior performance in print precision, mechanical strength, wear resistance, and gloss retention. It achieved accurate prints at 0.2 mm and higher, and exhibited higher flexural strength (155.3 MPa vs. 128.2 MPa) and modulus (5.72 GPa vs. 4.16 GPa). Envision also outperformed OnX Tough 2 in fracture toughness, translucency, and gloss retention. However, OnX Tough 2 showed better color stability in tea and retained lower surface roughness after staining. Filler content analysis revealed higher inorganic loading in Envision (51.73%) compared to OnX Tough 2 (35.3%).
CONCLUSION: Rodin Envision presents superior mechanical and physical properties across most tested domains, making it a more suitable candidate for high-performance esthetic dental restorations. OnX Tough 2 may be preferred in clinical scenarios prioritizing color stability and flexibility. These findings underscore the importance of material selection in optimizing the performance of 3D-printed veneers.
Differential expression of microRNAs in human External Cervical Root Resorption
(2025) Isaac, Liza; Chogle, Sami; Wei, Guoxian
External Cervical Root Resorption (ECR) is an inflammatory condition that involves localized destruction of tooth structure, often resulting in tooth loss. ECR has been reported since the 1900s, however a complete understanding of its pathogenicity is lacking. Currently no target therapies are available. miRNA are crucial noncoding RNAs that influence cell signaling pathways including proliferation, apoptosis, and activation. This study aims to quantify the level of expression of miRNAs in ECR to target lesion progression, using arrays for over 1,000 miRNAs Sample tissue of external cervical resorption (ECR), periapical radiolucent lesions (PARL) and periodontal ligament (PDL) was collected from 129 teeth of 62 patients at the BU GSDM in Boston, MA. The tissue was collected from surgical and nonsurgical root canal treatment as well as extractions, and then stored in RNAlater® (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Total RNA was isolated using miRNeasy Micro Kit, (Qiagen, Valencia, CA). Sample integrity in 18 PARL, 5 PDL, and 8 ECR samples was verified using the High Sensitivity RNA 6000 Pico Assay RNA run on an Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent Technologies). 4 PARL, 3 PDL, and 3 ECR yielded a RIN of 3-5, and were analyzed at the BUMC Microarray and Sequencing Resource Core Facility 100 Bioanalyzer. Of the 63 miRNAs found to be statistically significant in their association to ECR, 3 were upregulated and 60 downregulated in ECR compared to PARL. These miRNAs identified were found to be associated with inflammation processes, posing as potential explanation for the biological process of ECR and suggests therapeutic targets to block ECR progression in patients.
“Everything I Think About Looks Like Here”: navigating the repercussions of neoliberal urban planning in Harmony Korine’s filmography
(2025) Hall, Nicholas; Guaraná, Bruno; Jaramillo, Deborah
This thesis asserts that, by eschewing conventional narratives and traditional modes of psychological identification, Harmony Korine's films foreground their environments, rather than characters or narratives. Through the exploration of urban violence, adolescent ennui, and abject spaces, this thesis projects a critique of neoliberal urban planning to Korine’s filmography. While the structure of this project inherently embraces an auteur analysis given that this thesis focuses on the works of only one author. This thesis does not aim to suggest that the critique in my argument comes from Korine himself, but rather that this is an analysis projected onto the texts, partially given their openness, which allows for these latent criticisms to be applied to his works. This thesis repurposes Korine's filmography, through its distinct aesthetic style, medium, and reconstruction of normative modes of identification as well as realism, as a critique of contemporary neoliberal American urban landscapes.
Band, belonging, and becoming: a music educator's self-study
(2025) Howe, Matthew Kenneth; Silverman, Marissa
This study explores how reimagining high school wind band instruction through Communities of Musical Practice (CoMPs) and praxial music education can transform student experiences of identity, belonging, and collaboration. Using action research (AR) over twelve weeks in a suburban Title I school, thirty-five students engaged in three student-centered modes: small-group composition, collaborative repertoire selection, and chamber ensemble work. Findings indicate that shifting from a historically commonplace, top-down rehearsal model to a more collaborative, facilitative approach fostered student agency, peer mentorship, and emotional investment. Students reported greater identification as creative contributors, deeper connections with peers, and increased confidence in musical decision-making. These outcomes were especially meaningful for students from marginalized backgrounds, who described the ensemble as a space of trust and support. However, this shift also surfaced tensions, particularly around relinquishing traditional authority, navigating unfamiliar roles, and balancing structure with student autonomy. The study also documents the researcher’s evolution as a band director, moving from a conductor-centered model toward a more responsive, relational teaching practice. Letting go of control encouraged students to co-create meaning and revealed new possibilities for musical and personal growth.
Implications include strategies for equitable curriculum design, expanded teacher roles, and fostering CoMP-like environments that promote participation, leadership, and shared ownership. While limited to a single context, this study contributes to music education scholarship advocating for ethical, inclusive, and student-centered ensemble practices. Ultimately, it affirms that band classrooms can be powerful spaces for cultivating identity, community, and human flourishing through shared musicking.