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No full textv, 28 p.The author’s collection of creative nonfiction combines her love of writing and biology. She writes “I decided to attempt this idea that had been just an idea for a very long time. I called what I was going to write ‘a collection of creative nonfiction pieces about nature.’ For a while, this was my only plan. The topic of nature was so broad that I was not sure how to start. And I was fixed on not letting my project turn into more of a memoir than just a retelling of fun nature facts with a bit of climate change sprinkled in. I did lots of things related to nature over the summer: I hiked with my grandma in Utah, I helped with some field research on a thistle plant on the northern shore of Lake Michigan, I traveled to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland on study abroad, and I helped lead our college’s outdoor pre-orientation program. There were so many new experiences with nature, and so many old childhood memories as well. What did I even want to write about? My aunt gave me the idea to write about different plants. She knows I love to point out plants I know and talk about fun plant facts, and this focusing of the grand topic of nature into the smaller, more manageable topic of plants helped me get started. I used much of what I had learned in my Plant Biology class, and while writing this collection I have really enjoyed doing more research into the plants I chose to write on. Although I could have chosen arguably more interesting plants, I was realizing how much this collection had turned into a memoir, and how certain plants have influenced my life in one way or another.” The final collection includes six sections: “Milkweed,” “Dandelions,” “Motherwort,” “Garlic Mustard,” “Sassafras,” and “Clover.
Hypothesizing Possible Influences on BDSM Sexual Desires in Young Adults
No full text28 p.Dr. Gary Gregg and his research team conducts life history interviews with young adults aged 20
to 29. His study focuses on life history as well as sexual history, and the goal of his research is to
analyze how one’s life history develops, interacts with, and impacts one’s sexuality. He and his
team interview heterosexual people as well as people who identify within the LGBTQ+1
community. These analyses provide rich information on how sexuality is impacted not only by
biology but society as well. Though all analyses are hypothetical and cannot concretely indicate
specific causation, they contribute gain in knowledge about sexuality experiences and individual
development. In the following study I have analyzed five of Dr. Gregg’s previous interviewees,
all of whom participated in BDSM (bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism,
and masochism) sex. My analyses hypothesize possible reasons as to how each interviewee’s life
history has influenced their desire for BDSM sex. Each analysis includes a brief overview of the
interviewee’s life and my overall analysis. Only the initials of each interviewee will be used to
ensure the privacy of the participants
Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Tryptophan-Maleimide Hybrids as Potential Antibacterial Agents
No full textix, 50 p.The rise in antibacterial resistance poses a threat to public health and national security. In the development of novel antibiotics, there is particular interest in scaffolds that have mechanisms of action with multiple bactericidal pathways to inhibit proliferation. The aim of this work was to investigate 5-bromotryptophan-maleimide molecular hybrids for activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. 5-bromotryptophan synthesis was optimized and purified, but in low yields (13%), so tryptophan-maleimide hybrids were investigated for simplicity. Substituted 3,4-diaryl maleimide controls (44-90%) and tryptophan-maleimide hybrids (9-79%) were successfully synthesized and purified. Kirby Bauer Disk Assay results indicated that hybrids bearing large aromatic electron-withdrawing substituent groups had greater biological activity against S. aureus. None of the tested control or hybrid compounds demonstrated activity against E. Coli. Thus, substituted tryptophan-maleimide hybrids are potential candidates for further investigation of activity against Gram-positive bacteria
On the Gendered Subject: Queering Heteronormativity
No full text88 p.The thinkers that I have chosen provide optimistic doctrines although it might not seem that way on the surface. They invite us to be more comfortable with the idea of gendered freedom and viewing our gender as more hypothetical and in line with Kantian reflective judgments. Queer visibility has been rapidly increasing in the West during the 21st Century, but it does not end there because, as Butler and others have noted, representation is not the end goal of identity-based political movements.2 The next task in the gender revolution, which is a term I use to summarize gendered existence understood in our contemporary and new visibility in the West, is queering heteronormativity. While that sounds oxymoronic, it simply means we ought to see that heteronormativity as just as strange as deviance from it. The title is inspired from the surrealist movement, which is inspired by psychoanalysis and makes the familiar seem strange. That is how I want us to view heteronormativity because it is rarely questioned. My research in Lacanian psychoanalysis and neo-Kantian aesthetic theory helps us play with our internalized and unconsciously registered gender norms. Lacanian psychoanalysis gives us insight into how we think about gender expression while inhabiting an increasingly polarized world. Lacan believes that “the agent of interest [is] the unconscious.”3 This differs from idealism or existentialism because it grapples with the non-empirical, unknown parts of ourselves. Psychoanalysis recognizes that transcendence and the liberal capitalist ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps’ mentality is not the whole picture. Instead, it acknowledges the passive component to perception and how the Other co-creates us. Contemporary gender studies often analyze gender through a biological or cultural lens, while a structural analysis is in between the two. It is situated after biology and before culture. Lacan’s structural psychoanalytic framework explores social and individual development, much of which involves gendered processes. By examining his framework, we can understand gender development and associated emancipatory movements on a deeper level that fits in with our current socio-political circumstances regarding these issues. I have briefly outlined my philosophical approach to gender and how contemporary gender studies’ tendency to go the biological or cultural route does not question language nor desire. In the sections that follow, I will use psychoanalysis, critical social theory, and aesthetic theory to make claims about the gender revolution. Before that, I will provide a summary and analysis of some dominant feminist and queer movements and theories to then show why a philosophical analysis of gender is necessary. While these theories and practices have their advantages, my selection of philosophers invite us to be more open with the binaries that pervade us. We have to know what we are fighting for before we form coalitions for emancipatory change
Alternative Methods for Ultrasonic Welding of Advanced Thermoplastic Composites
No full text35 p.The fusion bonding of advanced thermoplastic composites has a variety of applications in aerospace, automotive, medical, consumer electronics and energy markets. High-power ultrasonic welding is a state-of-the-art manufacturing process being used to join these materials. This welding process uses high frequency, moderate force, and low amplitude mechanical vibrations to generate heat. When adequate temperatures are reached at the weld interface, localized melting occurs and upon cooling, an intermolecular bond is formed between the materials. It is the viscoelastic nature of polymers that facilitates heating, enabling the bonding process. This project was done in collaboration with Agile Ultrasonics Corp, an American company based out of Hilliard, OH. Agile entered the industry in 2017, specializing in the joining and consolidation of thermoplastic materials, including carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (specifically: PEEK - Polyether ether ketone, PAEK - Polyaryletherketone, PEKK - Polyetherketoneketone, PPS - Polyphenylene sulfide) [1]. Agile collaborates with industry-leading manufacturers of aerospace and consumer electronic components on a variety of system design projects. They have been developing a unique process that continuously joins fiber reinforced thermoplastic tape, braid, or pre-consolidated plate materials. One of the primary objectives of this project is to help refine this process and make it more robust. The majority of the content in this report focuses on investigating anvil materials with properties that can improve the quality of the scan welds being produced by Agile. More specifically, this project investigates the effect that the elastic modulus within compliant anvil materials has on the amount of heat being generated at the weld joint. The first section will focus on background information, and the following two will go into the work that was performed and the test results. Data was collected on various materials and a variety of tests were designed and performed to find an array of compliant substrates that can be used by Agile
Personal and Economic Impact of COVID on Muslim-Owned Small Businesses
No full text29 p.Small Muslim-owned businesses are very common within the United States. There are restaurants, barbershops, massage parlors, and other kinds of companies managed by Muslims. It’s not easy for them as they are tasked with overcoming a myriad of obstacles not many people have to deal with. Obtaining proper documentation such as a green card and citizenship status is a challenge for them. In addition to dealing with these kinds of problems, there are other issues they have to deal with once they arrive in the United States. Although the attacks of 9-11 transpired almost two decades ago, Muslims still face a tremendous amount of unjust racism and bigotry and are still called “terrorists” and are recipients of other racist remarks. Hate crimes against Muslims are still among the highest compared to other oppressed and marginalized racial and religious groups. What occurred the past two years with the pandemic was especially difficult for Muslims across the globe; COVID-19 and the adjustments that were required due to social distancing were additions to the already substantial list of obstacles Muslim small business owners have to deal with
Conservation and Climate Change in the Southwestern Desert
No full textiv, 19 p.For my Senior Integrated Project (SIP), I worked as a conservation volunteer at American Conservation Experience (ACE). I chose to do my experience at ACE to gain some experience working in the field in a conservation setting. During my time at ACE, I completed trail maintenance across northern Arizona and gained a deeper respect and understand for both conservation and the environment. For my literature review, I reviewed scientific papers regarding climate changes affects in the desert of the American southwest. Especially its effect on monsoons, temperature, drought, and wildfires. The literature present on the topic shows that there is a need for more research on the topic
A Review of the Improvement in Diagnostic Accuracy for Acute Heart Failure (INDICATE-HF)
No full text27 p.The aim of the current study is to unearth a diagnostic model to improve the ruling-in of heart failure, rather than ruling out. The process of heart failure diagnosis is imperative to prevent recurring hospitalization. Through observation of previous approaches, it was determined that an improved clinical procedure to distinguishing heart failure could be achieved by including a multiple circulating biomarker proposal for the different pathophysiological pathways associated with heart failure. This advancement was done through proteomics and blood work assays, which would potentially achieve a multi-marker model to be carried out rapidly in the ED to rule-in heart failure with an increased accuracy. In a study sponsored by Vanderbilt University, the clinical research continues to be carried out in 4 EDs between Nashville, Tennessee and Detroit, Michigan. The title of the study is “Improving Diagnostic Accuracy for Acute Heart Failure” (INDICATE-HF), and is currently conducted at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Detroit Medical Center (DMC) Sinai-Grace Hospital, DMC Detroit Receiving Hospital, and DMC Harper University Hospital. After approaching patients that fit the inclusion/exclusion criteria, mainly dyspnea (shortness of breath), they were asked for voluntary admission into the study for further proteomic testing. Blood and urine samples were taken, and lab work was carried out for further testing of trends in various biomarkers associated with the pathology of the disease.
Prior studies, although few, have been conducted to deduce a multi-biomarker approach to identify heart failure in patients presenting to the ED with dyspnea. These studies have possessed limitations that include highly correlated markers from known biological pathways1, which create discrepancies in determination of elevated proteins correlated with heart failure or some other pathology. The current mode of diagnosis revolves around a pair of biomarkers, B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), which has a detailed physiology within the body, but is limited in capacity for elucidation of heart failure because of the diversity of the syndrome and presentation in the ED. The current hypothesis of the study is a hope of elucidating a multi-marker panel incorporating novel proteins discovered with plasma proteomics, which has the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy for acute heart failure. There have been many studies carried out, including those on myocardial injury and ischemic stroke, that transitioned from a single biomarker to a multi-marker panel, which allowed for a more accurate diagnosis of these various pathologies. The current review will provide an understanding of the pathology of heart failure, the current mode of diagnosis, and the potential of incorporating a panel of biomarkers for improved accuracy of ruling-in heart failure. These supporting studies argue for a promise of better outcomes in the diagnosis and could potentially reduce adverse outcomes as they pertain to heart failure
Health Literacy : Outcomes of Inadequate Health Education in Latin America
No full text22 p.The intent of a Senior Individualized Project is to gain experience and practical knowledge from hands on work with a project that is central to what you want to solidify your future career with. Through my time at Kalamazoo College, I have centered my focus on a pre-medical journey in hopes of becoming a physician through the United States Air Force Program. With investigation and some research, I found International Volunteer Headquarters (IVHQ) that distributes individuals from all around the world to volunteer in numerous locations with multiple different programs. I used this organization as a replacement for the study abroad program that my school offers, as the COVID-19 pandemic began when I originally planned a trimester abroad in Costa Rica. With my future in mind, I chose a program based on medical volunteering in a city that had a high need. I planned the trip as a single individual to give myself the advantage of being fully immersed in a culture that I had never been a part of. The thoughts behind going alone were to help me with becoming comfortable in a place that would bring a prominent level of uncertainty and stress while still being able to perform the tasks at hand