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The Influence of Specific Diagnosis and Trait Self-Relevance on Positive and Negative Perceptions of Individuals with Mental Illness
Get PDFWe investigated how participants perceived an individual with either depression, schizophrenia, or no disorder on negative and positive traits and then examined how these perceptions linked to desire for social distance (DSD), trait self-relevance, positive former contact with a person with mental health problems, and continuum beliefs. One hundred fifty undergraduates completed an online survey that described a vignette character with depression (VCWD), vignette character with schizophrenia (VCWS), or control character with no mental disorder (CC) and assessed participants’ perceptions of the character’s traits, DSD from the vignette character, perceptions of one’s own traits, and demographic characteristics. In general, the VCWD was viewed as thoughtful, unpredictable, and apathetic. The VCWS was viewed as interesting but less kind as well as more dangerous, irresponsible, and unpredictable than other characters. DSD correlated with perceived dangerousness, irresponsibility, and unpredictability. Because negative traits are strong predictors of DSD, participants showed more DSD from the VCWS than other characters. Neither positive former contact nor continuum beliefs correlated with DSD. Finally, high trait self-relevance increased the likelihood of perceiving one’s own traits in a VCWD but not a VCWS, suggesting participants saw less of themselves in someone with schizophrenia than someone with depression. Together, these results suggest that positive and negative perceptions of depression and schizophrenia exist but people identify less with and are less willing to socialize with someone diagnosed with schizophrenia than with depression
Music in the Sky Like Bombers: Representations of Airplanes in Interwar Futurist Music
Get PDFSince its founding in 1909 by F. T. Marinetti, the artistic movement of futurism gathered momentum as a politically charged avant-garde that challenged tradition and day-to-day life while promoting nationalism, war, and complete artistic expression. Marinetti and his artistic movement followed fascisms’ slow march to power through multiple aesthetic phases, beginning with the study of movement through plastic dynamism (1909-1919), engaging with speed and controlled power through machine aesthetics (1920-1929), cumulating with the more mystical aeroaesthetics (1929-1944), which Marinetti described as “the daughter of fascist aviation and Italian Futurism.”
This posturing was not done merely in support of fascism. In 1929, Marinetti was elected to the Academy of Italy, serving within Mussolini’s government. It was then that he published the Futurist Manifesto of Aeropainting and relabeled his own free-words poetry as aeropoesia. In seeking to establish futurism as a national art, Marinetti recognized that his movement must give up the political provocation that so defined it; but in order to preserve the avant-garde identity of futurism, he had to resist Mussolini’s reactionary preferences for realist art. With the conflicting fascist and avant-garde impulses as a guide, this thesis diagnoses aeromusic with a split personality. I contend that the representation of airplanes in aeromusic like that of Mario Monachesi’s, functions as a floating signifier of Italian supremacy under fascism, making it useful fascist propaganda; while the compositional practices of geometricism and synthesis subtly pushed back against conservative tastes in hopes of restoring the avant-garde Italian culture that futurism enjoyed in its first two decades. Aerofuturism, an institutionalized futurism in the 1930s, was a far more postured polemic than the anarcho-fasci-syndicalist futurism of the 1910s: a slap on the wrist of fascist taste.
My research explores the music created by the most prominent composer of aeromusic, Mario Monahcesi, and places his aeromusic within the broader narrative of the futurists’ reluctant assimilation into fascist culture by creating an inoffensive avant-garde that used the airplane, a fascist symbol, as a means of furthering the futurist fascination with dynamism, synthesis, nationalism, and war, while subtly critiquing the conservative reactions of Il Duce that had increased along with Mussolini’s ties to Nazi Germany
Into the Center: A Descriptive Study for Understanding the Post-Pandemic Tutor Experience at Butler University’s Writers’ Studio
Get PDFUniversity writing centers have become an important part of higher education, as the peer-to-peer tutoring model allows for student writers and tutors to collaborate throughout the writing process in ways that promote individualized learning. The Butler University Writers’ Studio is no exception; however, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic can still be felt on it, as on many university campuses and student populations. This descriptive project uses focus groups and survey data to suggest ways the tutoring experience at the Butler University Writers’ Studio has changed since the pandemic. While the tensions that may find their way into a writing center will be different at every university, the framework outlined in this project could be replicated by other writing center administrators to better understand their own tutor populations. At its core, this thesis highlights the importance of conducting research that brings tutors into the center of practice and allowing tutors—the pillars of writing center success—to discuss what they feel to be lacking in their roles. This study suggests prioritizing more constructive and honest conversations about the current state of writing centers may be the best way to continue building a stronger writing center community in the post-COVID university
New Algorithms for the Multiplication Table Problem
Get PDFIn 1955, Paul Erdős initiated the study of a function that counts the number of distinct integers in an (n × n) multiplication table. That is, he studied M(n) = |{i · j, 1 ≤ i, j ≤ n}|. Much research has been done in regards to both asymptotic and exact approximations of M(n) for increasingly large values of n. Recently, Brent et. al. investigated the algorithmic cost in computing this function. Instead of computing M(n) directly, their approach was to compute it incrementally. That is, given M(n−1), they could quickly compute M(n) using another function δ(n) to count the number of distinct values in the newly added column of a table. We improve on their incremental result by providing a faster algorithm for a large subset of their cases. This is based on an understanding of smaller rectangular shapes in a multiplication table and was also studied, from a purely theoretical point of view, by Koukoulopoulos. We conclude by offering new fast evaluation results for δ(n) and showing a possible recursive method for computing M(n)
Go Greek Or Cry Trying: The Relationship Between Sorority Recruitment and Self-Esteem
Get PDFThe present study delves into the relationship between sorority recruitment and self-esteem among college women, investigating the impact of participation in the recruitment process on individuals\u27 perceptions of self-worth and their attitudes towards sorority life and recruitment. Data was gathered from 264 female-identifying participants at Butler University during the 2024 formal sorority recruitment period. A survey was administered both before and after recruitment, which assessed participants\u27 self-esteem, desire to join a sorority, expectations of sorority life, and perceptions of recruitment\u27s necessity and positivity. Contrary to initial expectations, participants who withdrew from recruitment did not exhibit lower positive self-esteem levels post-recruitment. Additionally, individuals who received bids demonstrated significantly increased positive self-esteem and decreased negative self-esteem following recruitment, indicating that involvement in the process may foster feelings of belongingness and acceptance within the sorority community. Furthermore, participants\u27 perceptions of recruitment\u27s necessity and the positive aspects of sorority life significantly improved post-recruitment, underscoring the motivational and transformative aspects of the recruitment experience. These findings challenge negative stereotypes surrounding Greek life, and may suggest there is a potential for sorority recruitment to positively impact participants\u27 self-esteem
Hormonal Control of Axillary Meristem Establishment and Cytoskeleton Restructuring in Mnium cuspidatum
Get PDFIn many members of the plant kingdom, axillary meristem outgrowth occurs once the apical meristem is removed. These lateral outgrowths occur subapical to the stem tip and serve to reestablish stem growth. However, little is known about this process in Mnium cuspidatum and other mosses and bryophytes. This project aims to establish the normal events that occur post-apical meristem decapitation. The influential role of auxin and an auxin inhibitor on axillary meristem establishment were investigated in this thesis. Two-centimeter segments of M. cuspidatum were cut off a cultured specimen and the apical meristem was decapitated. Segments were replated on either standard BCD medium or standard medium inoculated with varying concentrations 2,4-D or TIBA. Growth was observed over a one-week period. 2,4-D did not appear to influence the total number of meristem outgrowths; however, increased concentrations show greater axillary meristem outgrowth lengths as compared to the control. TIBA concentrations decreased the number of axillary meristem outgrowths. M. cuspidatum phyllids were removed from the specimen and plated on a standard BCD medium, allowing them to transition into the protonemal growth stage. After 1-2 weeks of growth, protonemal outgrowths were stained with DAPI and a phalloidin antibody to visualize cytoskeleton restructuring. Stained micrographs show the transition of the meristem from the protomenal to gametophore growth stage. Future directions of research include investigating the role of additional hormones such as cytokinins in the control of growth of M. cuspidatum
Analyzing the Influence of Gender Biases on College Students\u27 Attitudes Towards Flexible Work Arrangements
Get PDFFlexible work arrangements are becoming more prominent after the Covid-19 pandemic. These flexible work arrangements, including flextime and flexplace structures, better allow for working individuals to find a work-life balance and have been shown to improve morale and productivity. However, previous studies have found that gender biases impact the utilization of flexible work arrangements as well as the attitudes and perceptions towards those who employ them. We propose that these gender bias impacts on the utilization and perception of flexible work arrangements will differ between college students with no work experience from the data collected using individuals in the workforce, broadening the understanding of when these gender biases on flexible work are formed and how current college students view flexible work. Data for testing research questions were collected from 120 student respondents using a Qualtrics survey. T-Tests and ANOVA were used to test the model. The findings suggest that college students are biased based on gender in regard to their attitudes towards flexible work practices. These biases are formed before entering the workforce and have significant implications when looking through a managerial lens. Several consequential suggestions for further research into gender biases and their connection to flexible work arrangements are discussed
Safety and Utility of Statins in Pregnancy
Get PDFThe recent removal of statin’s contraindication in pregnancy by the Food & Drug Administration opens the potential for exploring the use of this class of medications in pregnant women. Statins have shown potential in pregnancy not only as treatment for cardiovascular disease but also in its role in preventing preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a disorder that affects 2-8% of pregnancies in the US and is responsible for about 60,000 maternal deaths and more than 500,000 premature births worldwide. Despite preeclampsia’s relative prevalence, aspirin is still the only drug commonly used for prevention. Recent studies have found a lower risk of preeclampsia with the use of statin medications. Their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-coagulant effects are thought to improve placental and material health as well as counteract the negative effects of preeclampsia. While the safety of most statins in pregnancy is still unclear, pravastatin has been studied the most and appears to be relatively safe. The removal of the pregnancy contraindication indicates the importance of reevaluating old assumptions about drugs
