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Decoding AI Misconceptions and Their Impact on Creativity, Culture, and Equity
No full textA growing body of literature continues to suggest that artificial intelligence profoundly influences cultural production and reshapes the knowledge work in industries such as art, media, literature, and design. However, this transformation has been accompanied by a surge in exaggerated claims and misconceptions about AI’s capabilities. The result is a schism on how misconceptions affect creative practices, particularly in diverse cultural contexts like sub-Saharan Africa. This study, therefore, examines how exaggerated narratives about AI influence cultural production, decision-making in creative industries, and public perceptions in Tanzania and Zambia. Inspired by Arvind Narayanan’s framework on “AI snake oil,” and through interviews, focus groups, and document analyses, the study identifies two dominant misconceptions: first, the overstatement of AI’s autonomy in artistic creation, which obscures the human labor and algorithmic constraints shaping AI-generated content; and second, the ethical risks of algorithmic bias, cultural homogenization, and economic displacement within creative industries. Findings reveal that AI-driven content disproportionately favors Western artistic norms, marginalizes indigenous storytelling traditions, and threatens the economic sustainability of creative labor as AI automation expands into design, music, and literary production. These dynamics not only undermine cultural authenticity but also exacerbate epistemic inequality by reinforcing digital colonialism. The study argues for AI literacy initiatives, culturally inclusive algorithmic training, and ethical governance frameworks to ensure equitable AI integration in creative economies
CHARACTERIZATION OF A NEW DOMESTIC FELINE MACROPHAGE CELL LINE TO STUDY MOLECULAR MECHANISMS OF FELINE CORONAVIRUS
Get PDFFeline Coronavirus (FCoV) is a veterinary pathogen common in domestic cats. FCoV is transmitted via the fecal-oral route, results in mild enteric symptoms, and is considered feline enteric coronavirus (FECV). During infection the virus may transition from infecting host enteric epithelial cells to infecting host macrophages, resulting in a lethal systemic disease, and the virus is now considered feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). FIPV arises in an infected individual, is not shed in the feces, and is not transmitted from cat to cat. There is limited research defining the host molecular mechanisms driving FCoV lethal outcomes, with few feline cell lines available for researchers through American Type Culture Collection (ATCC). Here I report the characterization of a new domestic feline macrophage cell line, termed FMAC. I show FMAC survives many passages and resuscitation from cryopreservation. FMAC maintains macrophage morphology and phagocytosis of GFP expressing bacteria. I further show FMAC expresses the FCoV receptor, fAPN, and is susceptible to infection with both feline enteric coronavirus (FECV) and feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV). Interestingly, while FECV and FIPV replicate in FMAC and produce new virions, FMAC does not exhibit strong cytopathic effects during infection, in contrast to expectations. Our results suggest that in some domestic cats infected macrophage persist in the blood stream and release virus throughout the animal, causing systemic lethal infection. Upon publication our FMAC cell line will be deposited to ATCC for other researchers to utilize
Bilingual Budget-Friendly Hispanic Cookbook and Resource Guide for Food Pantries in San Bernardino County
Get PDFSan Bernardino County is faced with a significant issue of food insecurity with its residents relying on food pantries to meet their food and nutritional needs. However, the food items offered at food pantries are often limited in quantities and the variety is inconsistent, which makes it a challenge for families wanting to prepare healthier budget friendly meals while maintaining its cultural relevance. This project consists of two main key components: a bilingual, culturally relevant budget-friendly Hispanic cookbook and a comprehensive resource guide about ways and ingredient substitutions adaptable to the recipe based on what is available.
The cookbook included 25 healthier versions of traditional Hispanic recipes utilizing ingredients most commonly available at local food pantries in San Bernardino County. Each recipe contained step-by-step directions and the nutritional content per serving, while also preserving its cultural taste. In addition, the resource guide will provide information about the services available at these local food pantries and a table with substitutions for ingredients. This will include food pantry locations, hours, contact information, available food items, and other resources, such as personal and cleaning items for food-insecure communities.
The project aims to address the common misconceptions of nutrition that are found in previous research and promote awareness of available resources. Providing practical, yet culturally appropriate meals will provide support and empower food-insecure Hispanic households to prepare healthy, affordable dishes, make healthy dietary choices, and improve overall health outcomes. This bilingual budget-friendly cookbook and resource guide will serve as a valuable tool for the low-income Hispanic community and other underserved communities throughout San Bernardino County
THE IMPACT OF ATTACHMENT EDUCATION ON FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: A PROPOSED WORKSHOP
Get PDFFor young children with autism spectrum disorder, one important determinant of later social and emotional functioning is the development of a secure attachment. While there is extensive literature outlining the benefits of attachment security, there is a limited number of studies specifically examining programs intended to increase attachment security in this population. This project aims to create a four-session workshop designed to provide caregivers of children in this population with information about attachment theory and parental sensitivity in order to increase the amount of positive and emotionally validating experiences in child-caregiver interactions while reducing parental stress. Future research is necessary to understand the effects and expected benefits of attachment and sensitivity education in caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder
“JUST BROKEN ROCKS” THE LOWER COLORADO RIVER THROUGH THE LENS OF THE COASTAL MIGRATION THEORY
Get PDFMy thesis is that archaeological evidence from the Havasu Landing Site (CA-SBR-1456) in San Bernardino County, California, supports the Coastal Migration Theory (CMT) proposed by Davis and Madsen (2020). The CMT suggests that humans followed the Pacific coastline to America during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), approximately 24,000 years ago (Erlandson 2024). I examined the site’s minimally modified cobbles, described as “just broken rocks,” confirming them to meet the definition of “creative minimization tools,” a criterion of the CMT. I found clustering of the minimization and other atypical stone tools with siliceous blade cores representing a 30,000-year-old East Asian technology likely spreading to North America with coastal human migration, predating the 13,390-year-old Clovis points. The site’s tool assemblage resembles that of the Malpais Industry (Rogers 1939), which some archaeologists consider to signify the oldest human occupation in southern California. Related findings suggest that Native American oral history, mtDNA, linguistics, and rock art support the CMT. A spatial autocorrelation analysis reveals a strong non-random linear distribution of artifact hotspots along what geological data has shown to be a possible shoreline of a last glacial lake on the Lower Colorado River system. Human occupation of the conceptual lakefront suggests a site age from the LGM era, potentially as old as the 23,000-year-old Tularosa Basin footprints (Pigati et al., 2023). Future radiocarbon dating of potential lake shoreline biological materials could theoretically confirm site age
Odd Girls, Pulp Fiction and Lesbians
Get PDF1957’s Odd Girl Out, a novel written by Ann Bannon, reminds readers, past, present and future, of the ever-growing need for positive queer representation. This project’s main goal is to take a look at the genre of Pulp Fiction novels of the 1950s, and examine how queer representation – specifically lesbian representation – has been written. Paul Thompson’s Masculinity in Lesbian “Pulp” Fiction is a text I use throughout, as it not only examines the genre overall, but also delves into Bannon’s ever-growing impact, providing much-needed context for the novels. While the genre of Pulp Fiction novels, queer or not, has usually been viewed as something trashy and a low-brow, and not a particularly valid form of entertainment, the impact of the genre cannot be ignored. I will use Odd Girl Out in order to take a look at the history of this genre, including the tropes and how authors often had to compromise their endings. Next, using Last Night at the Telegraph Club (2021), I explore the ways in which readers and authors today view the genre.. Author Malinda Lo uses her characters to note how essential lesbian representation in literature is . Reading a novel akin to Odd Girl Out leads Lo’s protagonist, and many others like her, to realize that queerness not only exists, but is an experience more universal than one would think. Overall, I put an emphasis on the importance of lesbian representation, as well as overcoming gender expectations and stereotypes. I analyze the evolution from Bannon to Lo, and how we can continue to expand the conversation in the future
The Potential of National Parks and Protected Areas in the Anthropocene: Emerging Incubators of Environmental Justice and Co-stewardship Conservation
No full textNational parks are often praised as natural labs for physical science researchers and scholars. They are also cultural labs where ideas about public lands management, use, and access are reformulated and revised. In the Anthropocene, these sites hold special relevance. Within this context, parks can serve as active and evolving incubators of social and climate resilience guided by just conservation initiatives. Yet few studies have explored the new models of collaboration and partnerships between the U.S. National Park Service and Tribal Nations that seek to create co-stewardship conservation. This article addresses that gap with a qualitative and historical case study of Grand Canyon National Park. I argue that procedural environmental justice (EJ) is a key element to a more equitable distribution of use, access, and management of national parks. The findings of this research suggests that successful co-stewardship models should (1) honor traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), (2) recognize traditional homelands as contemporary places shaped by historic land and water dispossession, (3) restore use and access to traditional land and water, (4) build equitable co-stewardship partnerships with shared governance, and (5) establish pathways and career training for Native Americans and other historically excluded people as public lands managers. This article advances geographic insights gathered from national parks and protected areas research by highlighting approaches and analysis of EJ issues and discussing emerging practices and policy models that will be of interests to geographers from a range of subfields within the discipline as well as interdisciplinary environmental scholars and scientists
PREDICTING CRISES ON THE AFRICAN FRONTIER STOCK MARKETS WITH INVESTOR SENTIMENT INDICATORS: A MACHINE LEARNING APPROACH
Get PDFThis study examined the predictive ability of machine learning algorithms in identifying crises within African stock markets. The study employed seven distinct machine-learning models, analyzing historical stock prices from eight stock markets, three major sentiment indicators, and the exchange rates of local currencies against the US dollar, with each data spanning from May 1, 2007, to April 1, 2023. Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) emerged as the most effective algorithm for predicting crises. Historical stock prices and exchange rates were identified as the most critical features for prediction. On the sentiment side, investors’ perceptions of potential volatility on the S&P 500, as captured by the CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), and the daily News Sentiment Index were recognized as significant predictors.The study advances the understanding of market sentiment’s role in stock market dynamics and highlights the importance of employing advanced computational techniques for risk management and market stability