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Polarization In United States Media: From Barry Goldwater's 1964 Nomination To Nbc's Parks And Recreation
No full textThe social sorting taking place in the US is the division of social identities, such as race and religion, between the Democratic and Republican Party, thereby creating radically different political parties both in beliefs and social identity. This sorting fuels affective polarization, measured by the amount of dislike and hatred towards out-groups compared to in-groups. Hostilities and animosities between partisans due to affective polarization are increasingly visible in political and social relationships today. As a result, partisans dislike and mistrust members of the other party, change their behavior, fostering government gridlocks, and threatening democratic institutions by eroding democratic norms essential to its survival. This master’s thesis is divided into two parts. Part one employs a comparative analysis to explore a crucial moment in the process of social sorting among American voters, specifically the extent to which the African American newspapers addressed Goldwater's 1964 nomination for Republican presidential candidate through the lens of civil rights in ways that mainstream and conservative newspapers did not. All while shining light on the social sorting taking place and how attitudes on civil rights aided the transformation of the party system. The second chapter addresses a notable gap in the literature by examining the largely unexplored relationship between comedy and affective polarization. Using examples of the sit-com Parks and Recreation, I argue comedy can mitigate affective polarization by changing perceptions of party members by providing the right conditions to decrease the misperceptions that increase animosity towards members of the other party.American StudiesMaster of Arts (M.A.
Virulence And Transmission Of An Emergent Salmonid Virus After A Host Jump
Get PDFIn recent years, significant progress has been made toward understanding the complex interplay of viral traits that comprise overall viral fitness. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, special attention has been paid to phenotypes correlated to viral genetics. Emergence of new pathogens and their genetic strains is frequently marked by changes in virulence, or morbidity and mortality inflicted upon the host organism. Virulence is theorized to be a possible fitness benefit to the pathogen if it positively correlates with transmission via pathogen shedding, but the consistency and strength of this relationship are unknown. Gaining a holistic understanding of fitness and its relationships with quantifiable viral traits is critical to the field of epidemiology as emergent pathogens and zoonoses are documented at increasingly rapid rates across the globe. Due to the globally expanding aquaculture sector, which includes aquatic plants, invertebrates, and finfishes destined for human consumption, understanding the possible drivers of viral virulence and shedding is critical to mitigate disease risk and subsequent damage in managed populations. Few empirical studies of emergent aquatic pathogens exist, underscoring the urgent need for data in this discipline. Existing studies are frequently limited in the genetic resources needed to determine whether virulence and transmission phenotypes are traits upon which natural selection acts. This dissertation uses infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus and salmonid hosts to investigate how virulence has evolved since emergence in a novel host species (Chapter 1); how shedding phenotypes have evolved in the novel host (Chapter 2); whether virulence and shedding relationships with time are consistent across viral genetic subgroups (Chapter 3); and if shedding fitness translates to transmission fitness (Chapter 4).Virginia Institute of Marine ScienceDoctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.
Evaluating Large Language Model Performance on Haskell
No full textI introduce HaskellEval, a Haskell evaluation benchmark for Large Language Models. HaskellEval’s curation leverages a novel synthetic generation framework, streamlining the process of dataset curation by minimizing manual intervention. The core of this research is an extensive analysis of the trustworthiness of synthetic generations, ensuring accuracy, realism, and diversity. Additional, I provide a comprehensive evaluation of existing open-source models on HaskellEval.Computer ScienceBachelors of Arts (BA
How Films and Television See Cults
No full textThis thesis intends to outline how cults—commonly defined as “a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object”| “a relatively small group of people having religious beliefs of practices regarded by others as strange or sinister (Oxford Language Dictionary)”—are created through popular films and documentaries. Cults may be defined as highly regulated and organized social groups with religious and political affiliations. Many create idiosyncratic languages of terms members know and understand, rituals, initiations, and punishments. There are leading scholars in sociology, psychology, and anthropology that do not capture the gaps in the definition of cult. They have written about how why the word cult is pejorative, what leaders do in cults, depersonalization, and the truth about why young people join cults(Richardson, E. Levine, S. Levine, Eister). More holistic accounts of cults that include their inception, political influence, attraction to new members, or how extreme such groups are, how the news—both textual and visual—describe them, television, and documentaries. It is, therefore, particularly important to examine how cults are represented through media, which has perhaps become our main source of information. This project examines representations of cults in film and television that follow the journey of (ex-)members of cults, who critically and pejoratively view their respective group as a cult, and the eventual demise of these groups that were used for this thesis specifically. Focusing on the demise offers readers perspectives in how extreme the information in the group can make members. “How Film and Television Create Cults” is a scholarly analysis, by Kami Vigilant, of the fictional and non-fictional film and television representations of cults. It is an argumentative essay based on watching television, series, films, and movies and taking notes on how they show and display cults. It is a comparison of these two types of media—nonfiction and fiction. I also review academic literature on cults. I compare my academic research (which itself creates a representation of cults) to films and documentaries, and compare the latter two with each other. Just as written research is not entirely holistic, television series and films simply do not create critical views of what cults are, their relation to political participation and voting habits and choice issues because such topics are not discussed or displayed as they in written research. Moreover, the idea of cults is clearly impacting our culture.AnthropologyBachelors of Arts (BA
Marginalized Voices in Times of Drought: New Opportunities for Conservation Action by Women and Youth in Amboseli, Kenya
No full textThis research examines the experience of Maasai women and youth under climate-induced drought in Kenya’s Amboseli Basin and its implications for conservation. Amboseli has cultivated a reputation for balancing conservation and community-based development. During the 1970s, the Amboseli Basin was radically transformed by the creation of Amboseli National Park (ANP) and the division of surrounding Indigenous Maasai lands into “group ranches,” or communally owned parcels. Group ranch committees, first established in 1978 to oversee land management decisions, more recently gained the ability to establish conservancies within their ranches. Male-dominated decision-making in group ranches became tradition under patriarchal inheritance rules. Nature tourism is now one of the most important economic activities in the area, despite livestock continuing to be the central income source for Maasai households. As droughts intensify and become more frequent, new challenges of water insecurity, livestock losses, and human-wildlife conflicts are altering traditional ecological roles. A feminist political ecology analysis describes how land governance shapes the capacity of different social groups to adapt to these climate threats. Amidst recent climate threats faced by traditionally-patriarchal Maasai societies, how are gender and age dynamics shaping adaptation decisions? In July of 2023, forty-nine Maasai residents responded to a general questionnaire and fourteen interviews were held with Amboseli conservation experts. Responses contributed to a holistic analysis of stakeholder attitudes towards local conservation issues. Despite formal exclusion, women have fostered capacity-building skills through self-help networks and increased conservancy leadership. Youth, especially men, have lacked the same opportunities to develop organizationally. Even so, they suggest under-explored strategies which are becoming increasingly recognized by elders.Interdisciplinary StudiesBachelors of Science (BS
The Status of Virginia’s Public Oyster Resource 2024
No full textExcerpt from publication: "The Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) monitors recruitment of the Eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica (Gmelin, 1791), annually from late spring through early fall, by deploying spatfall1 (settlement and recruitment of larval oysters to the post metamorphic form termed spat) collectors (shellstrings) at various sites in three Virginia western Chesapeake Bay tributaries. The survey provides an estimate of a particular area’s potential for receiving a "strike" or settlement (set) of oysters on the bottom and helps describe the timing of recruitment events in a given year. Information obtained from this monitoring effort provides an overview of long-term recruitment trends in the lower Chesapeake Bay and contributes to the assessment of the current oyster resource condition and the general health of the Bay. These data are also valuable to parties on both the public side (Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC), Conservation Replenishment Department) and private industry who are interested in potential timing and location of shell plantings in order to optimize recruitment of spat on bottom cultch (shell that is available for larval oysters to settle on)..."Virginia Institute of Marine Scienc
Computational Methods in NMR Relaxometry
No full textNuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxometry is a versatile technique with applications spanning material science, biophysics, and chemical analysis. Computational approaches, including machine learning and simulations, have significantly advanced the understanding and deconvolution of relaxometry data. In this work, we present three projects aimed at improving the analysis and modeling of relaxometry systems. The first project employs a sparsity-based method to extract meaningful insights from relaxometry data. The second introduces a novel sample-grouping approach based on relaxation decay profiles that eliminates the need for computation ally expensive calculations. Finally, the third utilizes molecular dynamic simulations to enhance the modeling of relaxation behaviors and to provide a more comprehensive understanding of multi-component systemsChemistryBachelors of Science (BS
GIS Data: 2024 Westmoreland County, Virginia - Shoreline Inventory, Coastal Natural Buffers, & Marsh Migration Corridors.
No full textGeodatabase: Westmoreland_ShlInventory_NatBuffers_MarshCorridors_2024
Feature classes.
Westmoreland_BankHeightSlope_2024 - a polyline feature class containing bank height category and slope for segments of the upland shoreline.
Westmoreland_RecreationalStructures_2024 - a polygon feature class with locations of docks, community docks, dilapidated docks, private and public boat ramps, jetties, marinas ( 50 slips), and wharves.
Westmoreland_ErosionControlStructures_2024_Line (Shoreline Protection Structures & Living Shoreline Treatments) - a line feature class delineating hardened shoreline structures that are used for erosion control (i.e., revetment, sill, bulkhead, breakwaters, groins, unconventional, oyster structures, and dilapidated bulkhead), as well as living shoreline treatments (breakwater with beach nourishment, marsh with sill, marsh with oyster structures [oyster bags,
manufactured, natural materials), constructed oyster reef and coir logs).
Westmoreland_ErosionControlStructures_2024_Polygon (Shoreline Protection Structures & Living Shoreline Treatments) - a polygon feature class delineating hardened shoreline structures that are used for erosion control (i.e., revetment, sill, bulkhead, breakwaters, groins, unconventional, oyster structures, and
dilapidated bulkhead), as well as living shoreline treatments (breakwater with beach nourishment, marsh with sill, marsh with oyster structures [oyster bags, manufactured, natural materials), constructed oyster reef and coir logs).
Westmoreland_BeachesAndDunes_2024 - a polygon feature class that delineates the location of beaches and dunes.
Westmoreland_TMI_2024 - a polygon feature class that shows the location, size, and community type of tidal marshes. In 2023, the tidal marsh inventory update began in conjunction with the shoreline inventory update. Marsh boundaries (updated marsh extent and distribution) were identified and mapped remotely using high-resolution color imagery from the Virginia Base Map Program (VBMP). Plant community types and other historical data from the previous inventory were maintained for marshes that intersected the same geographic location. New marshes were initially classified as having an "undetermined" plant community type. This classification was only updated if high-resolution aerial imagery or drone-based photography provided conclusive evidence of the specific plant communities present.
Westmoreland_MarshMigrationCorridors_2ft_2024 & Westmoreland_MarshMigrationCorridors_4ft_2024- Polygons that show the potential area of the current upland expected to become marsh under 2ft and 4ft sea level rise scenario. This layer is the result of combining the outputs from four existing marsh migration models into marsh migration corridor envelopes.
The metadata file is embedded in the geodatabase and defines attribute
accuracy, data development, and any use restrictions that pertain to data.
Disclaimer: The Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) provides these data with the understanding that they are not guaranteed to be correct or complete, and conclusions drawn from the data set are the sole responsibility of the user. Every attempt has been made to ensure that these data and the documentation are reliable and accurate. CCRM, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program assume no liability for any damages caused by inaccuracies in the data or documentation; and make no warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness, or utility of this information, nor does the fact of distribution constitute a warranty.The 2024 Shoreline Inventory, Coastal Natural Buffers, and Migration Corridors layers for the City of Westmoreland were generated using on- screen, digitizing techniques in ArcGIS® Pro v. 3.x while viewing conditions observed in Bing high-resolution oblique imagery, Google Earth, and 2021 imagery from the Virginia Base Mapping Program (VBMP). A geodatabase was developed named Westmoreland_ShlInventory_NatBuffers_MarshCorridors_2024 containing the following eight features classes displaying bank conditions, shoreline features, natural buffers, and marsh migration corridors: Westmoreland_BankHeightSlope_2024, Westmoreland_RecreationalStructures_2024, Westmoreland_ErosionControlStructures_2024_Line, Westmoreland_ErosionControlStructures_2024_Polygon, Westmoreland_BeachesAndDunes_2024, Westmoreland_TMI_2024, Westmoreland_MarshMigrationCorridors_2ft_2024 and Westmoreland_MarshMigrationCorridors_4ft_2024.This project was funded in part by the Virginia Coastal Zone Management
Program at the Department of Environmental Quality through Grant #
NA23NOS4190255 of the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration.Virginia Institute of Marine Scienc
The Impact Of The North Carolina Promise On Student Loan Outcomes
No full textThe North Carolina Promise (NC Promise) is an education subsidy program that sets in-state tuition at 2500 per semester for all undergraduates at four campuses of the University of North Carolina (UNC) System campuses applies to all undergraduate students beginning with the Fall 2018 semester. A goal of the NC Promise is to reduce the number of student loans for students to complete a degree. The NC Promise represents a new way to structure a promise program with the state government taking on more responsibility for the cost of higher education. Due to the recent creation of the program, there is limited research about its efficacy and impact. This study investigates if the NC Promise delivers on its goal of reducing the amount of student loans students need to complete a degree. Data from IPEDS across a 10-year time series were collected and analyzed using a difference-in-difference method. In addition to focusing on student loan outcomes, student fees were studied to determine if the program had any impact on fees. This study found that a reduction in federal student loans across three NC Promise campuses could not be attributed to the NC Promise program. However, recommendations for policy changes and future research are presented. Overall, given the program's unique structure and other benefits, the program should continue despite the findings in this study.EducationDoctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.
“I got a migraine and that sucked”: College Students’ Affective Stance Towards their Migraine Experiences
No full textMigraines are a genetically influenced disorder and they are a common cause for disability (Ruschel & Jesus, 2023). This study seeks to examine the affective stance of college students towards their migraines. Affective stance refers to overt expressions of emotions in relation towards a particular entity to convey an emotional position in relation to that entity (Du Bois & Kärkkäinen, 2012, Kiesling 2022). Since this study was seeking to research a specific community, both participants were recruited because of their migraine experience. The findings of this study reveal that college students generally take a negative stance towards their migraine experiences, with various different emotions encoded in the stance. Further, as the researcher who is also a college student that experiences migraines, I was an interactant in these instances of stancetaking, and I use invitations to laughter and irony to align with participants and demonstrate investment in the alignment (Jefferson, 1979, Partington, 2006, Trouvain & Truong, 2017). I also use backchanneling to align. The results and the discussion reveal the heavy emotional toll that the physical aspect of the migraines takes on college students. The findings of this study highlight a weakness of the social model of disability, namely that the model often overly focuses on social barriers to define disability, instead of factoring in the impairment as it relates to disability, as the impairment is not always neutral to disabled people’s lived experiences (Shakespeare, 2017, Crow, 1992).Linguistic