4210 research outputs found
Sort by
Human Geography: A Connected Approach
No full textHuman Geography is, at its heart, the story of how we are connected—to one another, to the spaces we inhabit, and to the world at large. In this expanded textbook, covering the core concepts integral to the study of Human Geography, I invite you to explore these connections more deeply. It’s not just about where we are on the map, but about the intricate ways our lives intertwine with the world around us.
Our world today feels more interconnected than ever. The decisions we make—from the foods we eat to the places we travel to—are shaped by both global forces and personal choices. These decisions ripple outward, linking our individual lives to a web of larger, often unseen systems. But this story of connection isn’t new. It is as old as humanity itself. Our ancestors, navigating their worlds, made choices that shaped their environments, and in doing so, they shaped the course of history.https://scholar.umw.edu/oer/1002/thumbnail.jp
“4, 24”, and 4c”: The Shared Knowledge of Hair Terminology and Cultural Pride Among Black Women.
Get PDFThis paper aims to explain the significance of hairstyles and terms used by black women and seeks to explore how these choices can sway the negative perceptions about black womanhood. Past research has shown that what is “just hair” to others serves as a statement piece and an overall representation of black women. By observing and recording naturally occurring conversations in black hair salons and conducting interviews with black women, I investigated the following question: How do black women use specific terminology to discuss their hair while also constructing identity and reflecting on societal views? I conclude that black women’s use of word choice and diverse lexicon to describe their hair emphasized hair’s overall importance. Through the expansive vocabulary used by black women, we see the weight carried by hair alone respective to beauty, identity, and perception
Unwanted Pursuit Behaviors & Emotional Reactivity to Former Romantic Partners: An EEG Study
Get PDFRomantic relationships are extremely important connections for humans to make. When these relationships end, one partner will sometimes engage in unwanted pursuit behaviors (UPBs) to attempt to continue communication the other. Although previous research has demonstrated that these UPBs can result in psychological distress among victims, little is known about how they influence one’s emotional reactivity to the perpetrator. This study therefore sought to investigate the link between cyber and in-person UPBs and neural indicators of emotional reactivity when viewing photos of an ex-partner. Participants (n = 18) who experienced a breakup were asked to view pictures of their ex-partner while brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography (EEG). Specifically, researchers looked at the vertex positive potential (VPP) and late positive potential (LPP) as neural markers of emotional reactivity. Results indicated that those who experienced many cyber UPBs evidenced lower emotional reactivity to their former partners, while those who experienced many in-person UPBs demonstrated higher emotional reactivity. These findings indicate that UPBs after the end of a relationship have a significant effect on how one partner emotionally reacts to their ex-partner, though the direction of this effect varies based on whether the UPBs occur in person or online
The Effect of Gender Bias on the Confirmation Hearings of Federal District and Circuit Court Appointees
Get PDFI explore the presence of gender bias in the judicial confirmation process by turning to the number of judicial philosophy questions asked of lower federal court nominees. Prior research on the subject has found that the Senate uses judicial philosophy, an ideologically-based idea of justices’ interpretations of the law and Constitution, as a measure of competence for appointees to the courts and has been found to ask disproportionate percentages of judicial philosophy questions of female candidates to the Supreme Court, especially if nominated by a President dissimilar in ideology to the majority of the Senate. My goal in exploring this subject is to highlight gender-based discrimination in the federal judiciary. I categorized questions from federal district and circuit court confirmation hearings based on whether or not they were related to the nominee’s judicial philosophy and analyzed them based on nominee gender . These variables were not found to be significant in analyzing the number of judicial philosophy questions asked of appointees, but there are explanatory factors to mitigate these data inconsistencies, such as the tendency of gender bias to be more apparent in more public settings and the overarching importance of partisan affiliation
Exploring Fragmentation in Ali Smith’s Autumn
Get PDFThis paper seeks to explore the effect of fragmentation in Ali Smith’s Autumn. Through examination of academic literature that compares traditional fragmentation utilized in modernist literature to the effects of fragmentation and its reappearance in contemporary literature, this essay seeks to examine the effects, implications, and practice of using fragmentation in contemporary work. As seen in Autumn, the fragmented nature of contemporary works functions as a method of consistency rather than to create a disconnect between the author and their text. The use of fragmentation is seen in this text’s structure, the relationship of its main characters, and the disjointed nature of the timeline. Smith’s use of fragmentation serves as a critique on the reader’s experiences, expectations of life, and the things they give value to within society
FXR Agonism with Bile Acid Mimetic Reduces Pre-Clinical Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Burden
No full textBariatric surgery is associated with improved outcomes for several cancers, including breast cancer (BC), although the mechanisms mediating this protection are unknown. We hypothesized that elevated bile acid pools detected after bariatric surgery may be factors that contribute to improved BC outcomes. Patients with greater expression of the bile acid receptor FXR displayed improved survival in specific aggressive BC subtypes. FXR is a nuclear hormone receptor activated by primary bile acids. Therefore, we posited that activating FXR using an established FDA-approved agonist would induce anticancer effects. Using in vivo and in vitro approaches, we determined the anti-tumor potential of bile acid receptor agonism. Indeed, FXR agonism by the bile acid mimetic known commercially as Ocaliva (“OCA”), or Obeticholic acid (INT-747), significantly reduced BC progression and overall tumor burden in a pre-clinical model. The transcriptomic analysis of tumors in mice subjected to OCA treatment revealed differential gene expression patterns compared to vehicle controls. Notably, there was a significant down-regulation of the oncogenic transcription factor MAX (MYC-associated factor X), which interacts with the oncogene MYC. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) further demonstrated a statistically significant downregulation of the Hallmark MYC-related gene set (MYC Target V1) following OCA treatment. In human and murine BC analyses in vitro, agonism of FXR significantly and dose-dependently inhibited proliferation, migration, and viability. In contrast, the synthetic agonism of another common bile acid receptor, the G protein-coupled bile acid receptor TGR5 (GPBAR1) which is mainly activated by secondary bile acids, failed to significantly alter cancer cell dynamics. In conclusion, agonism of FXR by primary bile acid memetic OCA yields potent anti-tumor effects potentially through inhibition of proliferation and migration and reduced cell viability. These findings suggest that FXR is a tumor suppressor gene with a high potential for use in personalized therapeutic strategies for individuals with BC
Women Draw Women Better: How The Hypersexualization Of Women And Reinforcement Of Sexist Tropes In The Comic Book Industry Has Shifted.
Get PDFThis paper investigates the portrayal of sexist tropes in comic books, focusing on the hypersexualization and the marginalization of women. Utilizing a generic criticism methodology, this research critically examines various comic book texts and their impact on consumer perceptions and behaviors. Through the exploration of scholarly and journalistic sources, the paper outlines how societal pushback and an increase of women creators have initiated shifts within the comic book industry to move away from historical patriarchal norms. Additionally, the paper discusses the economic and pedagogical factors that have driven changes in the industry and suggests ways that the digital age can evolve it into a more inclusive and diverse industry. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and Cultivation Theory, the paper underscores the influence of comic books in shaping societal views on gender roles and offers insights into the historical context and potential future directions for the genre. This analysis highlights the evolving representation of women in comic books and explores the broader implications of these changes for gender dynamics in popular culture
Calculation and Statistical Analysis of Wins Above Replacement
Get PDFThe Wins Above Replacement (WAR) statistic in Major League Baseball is a prominent metric used to estimate player value by quantifying all aspects of play in terms of wins added to a baseball team. We will use R to calculate WAR for all players from 1871 to 2012 and use data from those years to construct multivariate predictive models to attempt to estimate WAR for players from 2013 to 2024. We find strong correlations between predicted and actual WAR values for most models, with the exception of the polynomial predictive model for non-qualified pitchers
Secrets, Soviets, and Sverdlovsk: Critiques of the Biological Weapons Convention and Biosecurity in the 1970s and 1980s
Get PDFThe Biological Weapons Convention, initially ratified in 1975, banned the production and stockpiling of biological weapons; however, it has faced considerable modern criticism for being unenforceable and not strong enough to ensure states\u27 compliance. These modern critiques are based on the knowledge that the Soviet Union was in violation of the Convention, which was not confirmed until 1989. By analyzing the reactions to the Biological Weapons Convention by scholars and scientists, American intelligence officials, and American news media, it becomes clear that concerns about the Convention did exist prior to 1989, even when for many it was not certain that there were existent violations. These reactions were diverse based on the knowledge available to each group, with varying amounts of concern about the strength of the Convention expressed
“This is Not a Game:” Exploring QAnon Conspiracy as an ARG Through the Lens of Theodor Adorno
Get PDFSince 2017, an insidious conspiracy theory has spawned and spread across various internet forums and social media platforms. Named QAnon (often shortened to simply Q ), this conspiracy exists as a catch-all conspiracy with an inherently ambiguous set of core beliefs and ever-changing end goal surrounding a mythical event named The Storm, a period of civil unrest that ends with the purported cabals prevalent in the American government being brought to justice and the heroic Q-adherents being placed in positions of power. However, this Storm has yet to occur, highlighting the myriad of non-occurring events and claims that, logically, should have caused QAnon to collapse under the weight of reality. This paper seeks to determine why and how QAnon has yet to disband or lose its small, but determined, group of followers. First, the conspiracy is connected to the niche phenomenon of Alternate Reality Games (ARGs), multimedia trans-narrative storytelling whose emphasis on community collaboration and group puzzle-solving echoes the environment of QAnon. Next, the works of philosopher Theodor Adorno are explored to discuss some of the rhetorical tactics and culture manipulation that both QAnon and ARGs utilize to gain a following, and how QAnon manipulates these tactics even further to create a captive audience. By approaching the conspiracy through unconventional means, a greater understanding of how it functions and gains an audience can be found, a crucial first step in countering the conspiracy for good