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Layers of Instructional Outreach: Strategies for Grafting New Growth in the First Year of Liaison Librarianship
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Therapeutic and Recreational Experiences from Psilocybin Ingestion
Get PDFMesoamerican cultures utilized the power of entheogenic substances for hundreds of years before the scientific interest in psilocybin - a natural growing, hallucinogenic mushroom. In the brief time before federal criminalization, psilocybin was used in a number of studies and trials that demonstrated therapeutic potential. Once psilocybin gained popularity for recreational use in the 1960s counterculture, the Controlled Substances Act scheduled both psilocybin and psilocin in Schedule I, where it remains today. It was not until nearly three decades later that psilocybin was reexamined for its efficacy in several mental illnesses and substance use disorders. With stricter guidelines, safer regulations, and technological advancements, we see a renaissance of psilocybin research and psilocybin- assisted therapies that exhibit safety and efficacy. Recreational psilocybin use is briefly examined with an emphasis on set and setting, a critical component to hallucinogenic experiences. This comprehensive literature review acknowledges both the Indigenous and modern-day contexts of psilocybin. In addition, participant diversity and psychedelic experiences in historically marginalized racial and ethnic communities are explored. More in-depth research on psilocybin is required, but current studies provide preliminary evidence that psilocybin is misscheduled due to its healing properties for patients with multiple forms of depression, near-death anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), substance use disorders, and addictions. In the recreational setting, on the other hand, life-changing increases in mindfulness and spirituality are commonly reported. Finally, the lack of racial and ethnic diversity among participants in emerging data is acknowledged, with solutions to this issue advocated for
Character rigging explorations: Basic skeleton to full simulated muscle
Get PDFThis thesis project focuses on furthering my knowledge in creating rigs for an organic 3D model with realistic skin deformations. Rigs are the controls used to animate a model. A 3D model\u27s skin deformation is how it squashes and stretches when moved. The project focuses on learning to use simulated muscles, which add the ability to imbue subtle secondary motion to the skin and deliver more realistic deformation as well as the creation of a smooth bind, a standard primary rigging technique. The aim is to compare and contrast their quality based on perceived realism. Subjectively, the muscle simulation was better and more realistic. Objectively, the smooth bind was best when time was accounted for, as it had fewer steps and involved fewer variables. I learned that subtlety in deformation can be worth it if you are willing and able to put in the time for it, but it is not necessary for all projects. Discovery and exploration of the implementation of the muscle tools for this project allowed me to become more skilled with higher level techniques and workflows that I can use to further my career in the animation industry
Coming around: A cost-benefit analysis of the Vegas Loop
Get PDFAn ex-ante cost benefit analysis of the Vegas Loop was executed, where the possible costs and benefits of implementing the entirety of the project were quantified in monetary terms to measure the consequences of it on all members of society. The Boring Company’s Vegas Loop is a tunnel system which utilizes human-controlled Tesla Model X and Y vehicles to move passengers around the city of Las Vegas, directly to their destination without additional stops. For this analysis, the considered benefits were: fares, reduced travel times, reduced emissions, and bolstering of tourism. Conversely, the considered costs included: the implementation cost, the maintenance costs, and construction costs. The current functioning portion of the Loop, meaning the 5 stations and 1.7 miles, were used to project results for the entire Loop, including the currently in-progress and unbuilt portions
Predictors of international students\u27 acculturation processes in the United States
Get PDFInternational students have unique acculturation experiences. There are several factors that can play a role in their acculturation process. This topic has not been widely investigated in midwestern middle sized universities in the United States. This study had four specific hypotheses. The first was that the assimilation model is going to be correlated to a stricter upbringing of the individual. The second was that the separation model is going to be correlated with higher religiosity. The third was that the integration model will be correlated with higher
levels of outgoingness. Lastly, that marginalization will be correlated with lower levels of self- esteem. Data was collected using a self-report questionnaire that measured the participants’
acculturation models and other factors such as personality traits, parenting style, religiosity, etc. Results have shown marginal support for the correlation between the integration model and higher outgoingness. However, findings failed to support the other hypotheses. Although the hypotheses were not supported, there were other significant findings. It was found that higher English fluency was negatively correlated with the separation model. Additionally, it was found that higher discrimination was correlated with the marginalization model. Moreover, the separation model was found to correlate with more negative views towards the United States. Finally, a negative correlation was found between religiosity and the marginalization model. This research could help universities better understand the international students’ acculturation processes, leading them to provide better support
The effect of body size on mate choice by Ambystoma laterale breeding with unisexual salamanders
Get PDFWithin the genus Ambystoma exists a complex of unisexual (all female) polyploid salamanders, which can breed with males of five sexual species of salamander. Unisexuals face intense sexual selection from diploid males, who prefer to mate with females of their own species. At the Edwin S. George Reserve (ESGR), it has been observed that LLJ unisexuals with large body sizes migrate to breeding ponds earlier than small unisexuals. A possible explanation for this behavior is that large LLJ unisexuals are sexually selected against, when compared to small unisexuals. We hypothesized that A. laterale males would prefer smaller LLJ unisexuals, when compared to larger LLJ unisexuals. To test this hypothesis, male A. laterale salamanders were placed in a breeding box with unisexuals differing in size; offspring were then genotyped to see which unisexual reproduced. Little to no correlation was found between unisexual size and A. laterale males mate choice. Our results were unable to explain the phenomenon behind large unisexuals arriving to breeding ponds early. However, there were several instances of unisexuals reproducing without access to spermatophores in the breeding boxes, which could indicate that the unisexuals acquired spermatophores before being collected in the wild and were able to store sperm or fertilized eggs within their cloaca for an extended period. This behavior has only been observed in a single unisexual specimen prior to this study
Loan debt burden, student experiences, and livelihood: A study examining relationships between students’ education costs, financial viability, and life impact
Get PDFThis dissertation investigates the complex connections among loan debt burden, student experiences, and post-bachelor’s outcomes, situated within the framework of systemic disparities in educational funding and opportunities. It identifies declines in state funding across educational levels as a systemic and politicized issue, disproportionately affecting students in underserved and underresourced school districts. The study emphasizes the impact of systemic racism and policymaking in perpetuating poverty through higher education, emphasizing the need for equitable policy establishment. Economic downturns and reduced higher education funding necessitate the exploration of alternative revenue streams, such as endowed funds and fundraising efforts, to prevent increased tuition costs that may limit accessibility. Navigating higher education poses challenges for students accumulating significant loan debt, impacting their life trajectories. Underserved students face unique barriers to education, including increased family responsibilities and the need to work, often multiple jobs. The critical quantitative study, utilizing a structural equation model, reveals associations between gender, race, dependents, and various life outcomes, emphasizing the influence of these factors on loan debt stress, federal loan debt, stop-outs, working hours, and loan borrowing. Notably, higher cumulative loan debt is linked to post-bachelor’s stress, employment impacts, and delays in major life events. The research emphasizes the pressing need for policy interventions to address systemic disparities, ensuring equitable access to education and promoting positive post-bachelor’s outcomes including financial viability, livelihoods, and well-being for all students
President James Smith, Oral History Interview, 2024
Get PDFJames Smith is Eastern Michigan University\u27s 23rd president, a role he has been in since 2016. In this interview, Smith recounts how he got into a career in educational policy, his time working in the K-12 public school system, and moving up the ranks from professor, to administrator, to dean, and finally to being a university president. Smith explores his passion for international issues, his commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and how he came to join the President’s Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration. Smith describes how he jumped at the chance to open on-campus housing to twelve Afghan families in early 2022, the impacts of this decision, the university’s collaboration with Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw county, and other efforts EMU is undertaking to ensure the campus is welcoming to all.https://commons.emich.edu/oral_histories/1166/thumbnail.jp