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Civilian-Military Coordination in Humanitarian Crises: An Examination of Advances and Challenges
No full textCivil-Military Coordination refers to the overall collaborative efforts of military and civilian actors during crisis. This coordination involves an exchange of information and dialogue, shared operational environment, and joint planning to ensure effective and efficient response to disaster and crisis. With increasingly complex wars and crises, there has been a rise in Military involvement during humanitarian operations. There have been long-standing controversies on whether the Military should be involved in the provision of humanitarian aid, and whether coordination and joint efforts between Military and the humanitarian sectors are necessary. There is also a marked lack of collaboration between the Military and humanitarian sectors when it comes to response efforts. This thesis aims to find common ground in Civil-Military Relations Theory and to identify advances and challenges in Civil-Military Coordination. This thesis ends with the implementation of guidance and training, as well as recommendations for further collaboration during humanitarian response
The Role of Ethnic-Racial Identity Dissociation on the Association Between Appropriated Racial Oppression and Sleep Problems
No full textCollege students of color disproportionally experience sleep problems. Race-related sociocultural factors may influence sleep problems experienced among college students of color. The present study examined the association between appropriated racial oppression and sleep problems. In addition, the moderating role of ethnic-racial identity dissociation in the association between appropriated racial oppression and sleep problems was examined. Participants were 1st-year college students of color (N = 349) recruited from a medium-sized, private, predominantly White institution in the Northeastern US. Measures of appropriated racial oppression, ethnic-racial identity dissociation, nighttime disturbances, daytime dysfunction, and daytime sleepiness were assessed. Using multiple linear regression, results indicated that appropriated racial oppression was associated with higher levels of nighttime disturbances among college students of color with higher levels of ethnic-racial identity dissociation. Implications for college students of color attending predominantly White institutions and future directions for research are discussed
The Effects of State Mindfulness on Motivation to Quit and Smoking Risk Among Individuals With Mood Disorders
No full textIndividuals with mood disorders smoke at a disproportionate rate than the general population. Mindfulness appears as an effective intervention to reduce smoking cessation rates among this particular population. Previous studies explored different mechanisms (e.g., negative affect, response inhibition) to understand why mindfulness might be helpful for individuals who try to quit smoking. However, the role of motivation as a mediator has not been explored although theory and evidence state the positive relationship between mindfulness and motivation. This study investigated the mediating role of motivation to quit in the relationship between state mindfulness and smoking risk. As both motivation and mindfulness tend to fluctuate in a short period of time, this study examined the effects of state mindfulness on smoking risk within 6 hours through motivation to quit among individuals with mood disorders. This study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data which was collected in a randomized control smoking cessation trial (mindfulness-based intervention vs. enhanced standard treatment conditions) for adults with mood disorders (N=48). Based on our multilevel confirmatory factor analysis (MCFA), we ran all analyses with three facets of mindfulness (i.e., observing, acting with awareness and nonjudging). Our mediation models (for all three facets) failed to show that the relationship between state mindfulness and smoking risk within a 6-hour period was mediated by motivation to quit. However, within-person changes in the observing facet of the mindfulness, but not the acting with awareness and nonjudging facets, significantly increased motivation to quit in the same report at the within-person level (a path), and higher levels of motivation predicted lower levels of smoking risk in the subsequent report (b path) on both within- and between-person levels, consistent with our predictions. Our second hypothesis - the moderating role of the intervention on the relationship between mindfulness and motivation - was also not supported, indicating that the mindfulness-based intervention did not enhance the impacts of state mindfulness on motivation to quit smoking. Our study was the first to explore the role of motivation to quit as a mediator among individuals with mood disorders in a smoking cessation study using EMA. This study supported the dynamic structure of mindfulness and motivation, yet further research is needed to unpack other mechanisms and examine different time frames between state mindfulness and smoking risk
Exploring a Machine-Learning Approach to Assess the Construct and Criterion-Related Validity of Game-Based Cognitive Ability Assessment: A Secondary Study
No full textGame-based assessments (GBAs) are increasingly applied in various fields, making studying their validity crucial. Traditional methods of testing the validity of psychological assessments, such as structural equation modeling and correlation analysis, rely on statistical assumptions that real-world data often violate. Thus, those traditional approaches might not be suitable for GBAs due to the amount and complexity of GBAs data. A machine learning approach, emphasizing accurate predictions and requiring few assumptions of data, might offer an alternative to studying the validity of GBAs. This study explores a machine learning approach to assess the psychometric properties of Cognify, a game-based cognitive ability assessment, using secondary data from a study conducted by Landers et al. (2021). We used machine learning techniques like random forest regression models and variable importance calculation to support the predictive and construct validity of the GBA. The results showed the promising potential of utilizing a machine-learning approach to solve psychometric problems in game-based assessments
The Role of the Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Minor Capsid Protein L2 N Terminus During Infection of Human Keratinocytes
No full textHuman papillomaviruses include low-risk and high-risk types, where persistent infection of high-risk types, most commonly HPV16 and HPV18, is associated with the progression into anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers. HPV DNA is found in over 90% of cervical and anal cancers and over 60% of other genital cancers. Cervical cancer caused over 340,000 deaths in 2020. The minor capsid protein L2 is exposed after the initial binding to the cell or extracellular matrix and is involved in multiple roles including viral trafficking towards the nucleus. Current vaccines target the major capsid protein L1 and are effective against the select types they target, but are ineffective against types not covered as well as for those already infected with HPV. Additionally, vaccine distribution is impeded by a lack of economic infrastructure in developing countries, where incident rates are highest. Understanding of how the virus traffics is essential for the development of additional preventatives and antivirals.This dissertation focuses on the 43-DQILQ-47 sequence of HPV16 L2. Substitution of the isoleucine and leucine residues with alanine resulted in noninfectious virus that trafficked normally to the ER, but lacked association with ER proteins BiP and syntaxin 18. Mutant pseudovirions instead were deferred to the lysosome for degradation. Immunoprecipitation of syntaxin 18 and HPV16 was also lost in mutant pseudovirions that contained the substitution of isoleucine and leucine with alanine. To explore the interaction of this sequence with ER trafficking, an antibody targeting the 39-52 region of HPV16 L2 was produced to determine the time of sequence exposure from the capsid. The neutralizing antibody was able to bind to the 39-52 region after initial particle binding and before furin cleavage of the N terminus. The antibody was also able to cross react with HPV5, HPV6, and HPV31. To explore features of the ER utilized by HPV, the impact of a chemical inhibitor of BiP functionality, HA15, was assessed and determined to decrease infectivity of HPV. This data suggests that the 43-DQILQ-47 sequence of HPV16 L2 is exposed prior to entry to assist in the trafficking to the ER, potentially for uncoating of the viral capsid by BiP
Maribel Gonzalez Interview Part 1
No full textSummarized by Alan C. Ventura
Maribel Gonzalez is a small business owner in the Bronx and serves as sole operator of The South of France restaurant. As part of the Bronx COVID-19 Oral History Project, she sits with Fordham University senior Bethany Fernandez to share her experience of running a business during the pandemic.
Gonzalez begins by looking back at the history of the establishment, revealing the love story which gave The South of France its name and explaining the Puerto Rican-American roots of the restaurant’s cuisine. Gonzalez then shifts to reflect on the interactive pre-pandemic life in the Bronx and, by comparison, laments the missing community atmosphere of the South Bronx restaurant where people gathered for events, charitable meetings, and social gatherings. In spite of the increased workload and lack of support during the pandemic, Gonzalez continues to operate with the same philosophies, dedication, and spirit that made The South of France special and encourages customers to remember them and come back.
In recounting the tale of how she obtained control over the restaurant, Gonzalez details how her mother was abused and disrespected by The South of France’s original owner, leading to a legal battle and Gonzalez becoming the owner unbeknownst to him. Gonzalez then retired from the radio and television industry to focus on raising her daughter and helping her mother run the successful restaurant, allowing her to balance work and family life.
Gonzalez then gets into her personal struggles during the pandemic, including lost sleep and mental anguish, while continuing to run a restaurant and deliver food to the Bronx community. Gonzalez discusses the importance of positivity and faith in maintaining her business and serving her customers, despite the clear challenges she faces. The customers that have supported The South of France even during these trying times has had an ostensible emotional impact on Gonzalez, and she reflects on the times when she has cried with or given pep talks to customers during the pandemic as a means of offering emotional support. In making the most of a bad situation, Gonzalez explains how she has collaborated with Minerva Aponte to feed healthcare workers in the Bronx, providing hundreds of meals to hospitals and community centers around the borough.
Gonzalez discusses the financial challenges of running a restaurant during the pandemic, including reduced income and increased costs for ingredients and cleaning supplies. Be it the increased effort and time put into the process of buying ingredients and supplies in multiple locations or limited hours and staff, Gonzalez acknowledges the need to find ways to support herself and her community despite these challenges. Even still, Gonzalez reflects on the resilience and strength she has found in herself during this time, and how she is trying to take care of herself while also helping others.
Gonzalez makes clear that the work that she and so many other members of the Bronx community are doing during the pandemic is essential work, as it involves risking their health to provide services for the community at large. To this end, Gonzalez expresses gratitude for people\u27s awareness and appreciation of her work and remains hopeful for the future. Gonzalez closes by offering advice to aspiring restaurant owners, emphasizing the importance of passion, planning, and self-reliance
Emerging Adult Chinese Adoptees\u27 Perspectives on Family, Relationships, and Parenthood Amid COVID-19
No full textChinese transracial adoptees’ lived experiences are under-researched despite being one of the largest subgroups of transracial adoptees in the United States. The highest rates of adoption from China to the United States. occurred in the late 1990s and early 2000s, meaning that thousands of Chinese transracial adoptees have entered or are approaching emerging adulthood. Utilizing a constructivist paradigm and qualitative phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews explored 23 female Chinese transracial adoptees’ perspectives on family, romantic relationships, and parenthood amid COVID-19. Data revealed one superordinate theme: Decision-making processes surrounding developmental tasks in emerging adulthood served as catalysts for transracial adoptees’ renegotiation of their adoptive, racial, and ethnic identities. Six major themes emerged: (a) reflection on adoption, (b) re-evaluating racialized identity before and after onset of COVID-19, (c) appraisal of ethnic socialization, (d) racial preference for romantic partners, (e) vision for forming a family, and (f) compensating for gaps in socialization through parenting choices. Findings suggest that emerging adulthood prompts Chinese transracial adoptees to undergo a cyclical introspective process of evaluating and reformulating their relationship toward their adoption, race, and birth culture that integrates their past, present, and future selves. Given the dearth of literature, study findings serve as a foundation for future research on, and clinical practice with, transracial adoptees as the Chinese adoptee population ages and, more broadly, to provide insight into race relations, intersectional marginalized identities, and experiences of racial in-betweenness in a racially conscious society
A Leadership Study of Efforts to Improve Special Education Teachers Use of Tier I Strategies to Support SWD in Grades 4–5 in ELA
No full textThe focus of this study was to explore my leadership practices to improve teachers\u27 acumen and use of research-based Tier 1 strategies to propel student engagement, thereby increasing student achievement. More specifically, the problem addressed was the decline of student performance for students with disabilities in English Language Arts and the organizational change theories and practices used to eliminate this trajectory. Using improvement science, this 12-week study consisted of two iterative and consecutive Plan -Do-Study-Act cycles that focused on professionally developing teachers to incorporate Tier 1 strategies using the Lesson Study, a collaborative and collegial inquiry approach. The data confirmed that effective use of targeted Tier 1 strategies led to an increase in student learning outcomes, improvements in student engagement, and expansion of students’ ability to engage in more complex learning tasks. Teachers reported a desire to expand Lesson Study to the entire school as a professional development approach due to the shared learning experiences and collective teacher efficacy that resulted from their collaboration. They also noted the benefits of using improvement science to tackle an adaptive challenge. Additionally, teachers significantly benefited from shared leadership practices such as teacher facilitation that were utilized during the study. As a result, the intentional focus on adaptive leadership practices coupled with adult learning theory positively impacted the teachers and was successful in fostering academic improvement
Conflict and Coltan: Resource Extraction and Collision in The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Venezuela
No full textResource extraction has played an essential role in shaping human development and is an essential tool for technological improvement. However, resource extraction is also inherently exploitative of the environment, and therefore of people. This paper evaluates the relationship between Coltan, a mineral necessary for the creation of electronic capacitors, and the conflict it creates locally, regionally, and internationally through the case studies of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Venezuela. These case studies illustrate the relationship between export and consumption based countries and how this relationship keeps “developing” countries in a never ending cycle of development, and developed countries in a cycle of constant dependence. Given the complex relationship between export and consumer countries, the comparative case studies of the DRC and Venezuela help illuminate different layers of the resource curse especially in context of rare resources like coltan that are necessary for tech development and the green energy transition. Although policy will aid the transition to sustainable use of coltan, in its current iteration, coltan mining keeps society trapped in a cycle of conflict given that the export is necessary for funding developing countries while its use is necessary in technological development. Yet, the associated conflict creates instability at every level of society. Therefore, multi-prong policy with a focus on national investment and infrastructure development, supply-chain transparency, and global accountability is necessary
Considering the Role of Associates in the Future of Women’s Religious Communities: A Project Focusing on the Sisters of St Joseph of Carondelet and Consociates, St Paul Province
No full textThis project directly relates to my ministry role in the Membership and Association Office for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ), St. Paul Province. As in many other religious communities across the country, the Consociates (associates) now outnumber sisters. Given this changing demographic landscape, this project addresses ways that associates can contribute to the future of women\u27s religious communities.In this project, I gather information from Consociates and sisters about their hopes and dreams for the role of associates in the future of women\u27s religious communities, then create a work plan based on this information that could be carried out in my ministry work.Using Appreciative Inquiry as a research method, I led focus groups of sisters and Consociates in conversation. Beginning with what is working well now, participants shared ideas about hopes for the future and possible steps for achieving that future. Focus group participants were also asked to share ideas about a possible work plan.Chapter One outlines the project, gives an overview of the history of the Consociate community, and describes Appreciative Inquiry as a research method. Chapter Two presents the data from the focus groups. In Chapter Three, I analyze that data and reflect on my own role in this project. The final chapter outlines a work plan that draws on my analysis of the focus-group data