13251 research outputs found
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Child Life Student Approaches to and Purposes of Play
No full textThe aim of this study was to research and gain a greater understanding of what child life students are learning about play. Qualitative data was collected via Qualtrics. Participants reported learning child-led play, structured play, and expressive play as learned approaches to play. Students reported the most learned purpose of play being self–expression, and normalization. Participants provided self-given definitions of the theories and concepts of play as the survey prompted in keeping with the researcher’s goals. The Daisy model in the communication theory Coordinated Management of Meaning provided the theoretical framework, supporting preparation or familiarization, express emotions, process, or cope, assess, educate, or teach, and alternative focus or distract as the most reported approaches to and purpose of play seen in participants’ self-definitions
Performing Toxic Masculinity During the January 6 Insurrection
No full textThis essay examines the events of the January 6 attack on the United States Capitol through the theoretical lens of toxic masculinity. While toxic masculinity is not the sole cause of the attack on the Capitol, it does explain many of the events of the day, including the large percentage of men in the mob, their militaristic dress and demeanor, and the targeting of Constitutional officers. Moreover, the essay argues that the concepts of democracy, liberty and the peaceful transfer of power are gendered female, which further explains the violence fueled by the myths behind toxic masculinity
The Temple of Liberty as Fort Knox: The Securitization of Democratic Space in the U.S. Capitol
No full textIn response to security threats in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the U.S. Capitol was made less accessible to the public through a series of security upgrades, including an expansion of the Capitol Police force, new visitor registration programs, and the construction and implementation of physical barriers in and around the Capitol building itself. However, increased safety for members and staff has had consequences for the important symbolic representation that the Capitol building itself provides. As Parkinson (2009, 10) notes: “Capital cities are, by design, by usage or both, symbols of national institutions, values, myths, and norms – they contain such symbols and they are, in their own right, such symbols.” In this essay, we argue that by repeatedly prioritizing public displays of security over public access, Congress has inadvertently contributed to the alienation Americans feel from their government, with implications for January 6 and beyond
Their Eyes Were Always Watching and Other Stories
No full textIn this thesis, I cover discrimination in multiple forms, mostly racism and classism, through six short stories. The critical introduction includes my thought and revision process for each story. I discuss the academic works of Eugene Arya, Maggie Bowers, Lindsay Moore to explore the concepts of magical realism in my work and how it relates to the fiction of Carmen Maria Machado and N.K. Jemisin. Mikhail Bakhtin’s concept of skaz and Lubomir Dolezel’s concept of the alethic alien are used in two of my shared world stories. It is my intention to show how discrimination affects multiple types of people by displaying it in a fictional format to reach wider audiences
Characterization of Nanoparticles Using Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry
No full textNanomaterials are a relatively new class of materials that have many applications which span a wide host of fields from medical products to consumer products. The possible compositions and forms of nanomaterials are just as varied as the applications. Therefore, a versatile characterization method is needed for researchers and regulators alike to ensure nanomaterials are properly used. Single Particle Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) is a functional method that could fill the characterization need in the nanomaterial research field. Using data from both SP-ICP-MS tests and data from literature established characterization methods, the viability of making SP-ICP-MS the standard method was assessed. Initially, the data from the SP-ICP-MS seemed to vary significantly from the expected results until the data was checked against the conventional methods. After the comparison, the variance in the data appeared to come from the nanoparticles used in the study instead of the testing method. Then the data from SP-ICP-MS was analyzed using Excel, in accordance with the manufacturer’s application manual, in an attempt to recreate the observed results with limited success. In the end, the viability of SP-ICP-MS as a standard characterization method was not confirmed in practice because there were optimization issues and software problems that have not yet been resolved
Dot Product Bounds in Galois Rings
No full textWe consider the Erdős Distance Conjecture in the context of dot products in Galois rings and prove results for single dot products and pairs of dot products
Crutches
No full textThe following thesis is a collection of creative nonfiction essays, poems, and short stories. The overarching theme of this body of work is Millennial-aged adults grappling with a variety of traumas both personal and global; this dovetailing of personal grief alongside international grief is meant as an artistic expression of anxiety. In other words, the question posed here is: what does a young adult make of a world that is incessantly brutal? The answer is explored in both fictional and nonfictional ways, and no definitive conclusion is given. Rather, the events of the stories contained herein are representative of the constant tension between personal tragedy and tragic events transpiring in the world simultaneously, and the seeming inability to escape either
Chemical and Thermal Influence on Intermediate Magma Storage Conditions: Volcán Ollagüe, Chile-Bolivia, Central Andes
No full textContinental arc volcanoes are the single best portrayal of the evolution of recycled earth material stemming from subduction, one of the most important and foundational phenomena in global tectonics. Understanding the genesis of intermediate-composition magmas produced at arc volcanoes is a difficult process making them a focal point for investigation. Geochemical investigation of zircon and plagioclase mineral phases erupted from continental arcs can provide insight into magma process, generation, storage conditions, timescales and differentiation of sub-volcanic plumbing systems prior to eruption events. The Central Volcanic Zone is a prime example of continental arc volcanism through subduction, and is host to one of the largest magma reservoirs in the world, the Altiplano-Puna Magma Body (APMB). Specifically, Volcán Ollagüe, a continental arc volcano located on some of the thickest continental crust in the world (60-75km) and producing intermediate composition magmas is a prime candidate to investigate the magma source and storage conditions of intermediate-composition lavas and their interactions with the APMB. Using ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar eruption ages, U-Pb zircon crystallization ages, and zircon trace element contents I assess the storage conditions, zircon crystal residence times, and magma accumulation of the erupted magmas at Ollagüe. Additionally, plagioclase textural and geochemical analysis are used to suggest a model of evolution of the sub-volcanic plumbing system, and magma storage conditions at Ollagüe. These data reveal rejuvenation conditions and the complexities of the plumbing system of Ollagüe. Ultimately these data confirm that compositional hybridization is being controlled through periodic high-to-low volume injections from an external source. With Ollagüe located on the edge of the APMB, it is very likely that the complexities and geochemical constraints of Ollagüe’s magma plumbing system are linked to the APM
Effectiveness of Stabilized Hypochlorous Acid in Acute Peritonitis Treatment: A Murine Surgical Study
No full textPeritonitis is an inflammatory condition affecting the mesothelial cells that line the peritoneal cavity and is commonly induced by bowel perforations. This medical emergency is treated through antibiotic therapy and surgical intervention followed by tissue irrigation (lavage). Acute treatments aim to remove the bacterial burden, however recurring peritoneal infections occur at high rates and contribute to patient morbidity. These recurring infections are likely due to the inability of lavage solutions to remove the entire massive intra-abdominal bacterial load due to intestinal perforation. Numerous antiseptic solutions and antibiotic additives have been evaluated in their ability to improve source control by abdominal lavage, without apparent benefit when compared to sterile saline washout. Saline is a common surgical lavage solution; however, it does not possess antimicrobial properties. Consequently, stabilized hypochlorous acid (HOCl) has been proposed as a safer and more effective irrigation solution with hopes of reducing recurrent infections and improving survival rates. In this study, we compared the efficacy of stabilized HOCl and common irrigation solutions of saline and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) on the acute treatment of induced peritonitis. Adult Sprague Dawley rats underwent laparotomy surgeries where peritonitis was induced through cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Acute peritonitis was treated with resection of damaged tissue and peritoneal irrigation with either stabilized HOCl, saline, or CHX. Treatment efficacy was evaluated through the assessment of gross pathological investigation of peritoneal adhesions, histological analysis of pulmonary tissue, bacterial cultures of peritoneal fluid, analysis of pro-inflammatory TNFα levels, and survival rates. Stabilized HOCl, compared to saline, was found to provide no benefit for improving survival rates and decreasing pulmonary tissue injury; however, survival rates were improved when compared to CHX irrigation. Additionally, stabilized HOCl resulted in higher peritoneal bacterial contamination compared to saline and CHX, 24 hours post-irrigation. Stabilized HOCl also showed no detrimental peritoneal adhesion formation. Across all treatment groups, no serum TNFα was detected, 24 hours post-irrigation. This data suggests that normal saline remains the preferred lavage solution regarding peritonitis source control and further research is warranted to improve peritoneal lavage solutions
Intercropping Grain Sorghum Into Established Rhizoma Peanut: Greenhouse and Field Studies
No full textLand degradation and urbanization are among the top factors pushing the Kenyan Maasai community into an unstable future, with food insecurity and poverty amidst the most fragile components. Implementing conservation agricultural techniques into the Maasai nomadic lifestyle could potentially lead to a diversification of finances and food security. Intercropping is one technique of conservation agriculture that could provide the Maasai both. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of creating an intercropped environment between rhizoma peanut and grain sorghum. A greenhouse study was conducted from late 2020 to 2021 in an effort to investigate the effects of the rhizoma peanut, a perennial living mulch, on the growth of grain sorghum, in three different soil types (soil loam (SL), clay (CY), and sand (SA)) and fertilization methods (fertilized pots without rhizoma peanut (FN), fertilized pots with rhizoma peanut (FP), and unfertilized pots with rhizoma peanut (UP)). Sorghum plant height, leaf collar number, and relative chlorophyll SPAD estimates were collected throughout the study. SL and FP units produced taller sorghum plants and the most leaf collars at 35 days after planting (DAP). This significance could mean that starter fertilizer at time of planting helped increase the growth rate of the seedlings. However, FN units produced higher SPAD estimates which could mean that the rhizoma peanut acts as more of a competitor for nitrogen (N) than the sorghum. Alternatively, a field study was conducted in 2021 to explore the effects of intercropping grain sorghum into an established plot of rhizoma peanut. Differing mowing methods (mowed, scalped, and unmowed) to simulate grazing of the rhizoma peanut and starter fertilization post- planting of the grain sorghum were applied as treatments. There was no significance difference between mowed and scalped treatments, which could imply that any level of rhizoma peanut mowing would benefit young grain sorghum seedlings. All fertilized mowed treatments produced taller sorghum seedlings which could be a result of decomposing rhizoma peanut clippings at time of planting. Future studies with a longer timeframe would be needed to evaluate the possible effects of this intercropped environment