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Marriage Selection in the 18th Century
No full textHistorians have long debated over what collective reasons influenced the selection of marriage in the long 18th century. The reasons that motivated individuals consist of affective, economic, political, cultural, and social motivation which varied in specification amongst the elite to middle class. The stumbling block that many historians face is if these reasons remained stagnant in continuity over developed over the duration of the 18th century. Finding legible and credible primary and secondary sources that accurately depict the construct of marriage from multiple angles has been a challenge for historians. In this paper, it will use comparative analysis to assess the continuities and changes of historians and personal accounts of individuals who lived in the 18th century. This paper’s use of comparative analysis will include qualitative and quantitative evidence that is found in newspapers and government articles. The quantitative evidence that is gathered consists of 18th century advertisements that market domestic items such as lamp shades to newly married couples seeking to buy homes. Companies aimed to generate wealth by using the construct of marriage as a vehicle to advance their own agendas. This evidence will and to the credibility of the project’s thesis pertaining to marriage choice being a primary socioeconomic decision. The cultural and social historical aspects of this paper will be found in diaries and other personal accounts to provide the affective point of view in the selection of marriage. The sources that have been used for this project have been gathered from the Gale database and the JSTOR database. This research project meets the definitive requirements of research by examining primary sources from the 18th century consisting of letters, diaries, and news articles as well as reviewing historiographical scholarly journal articles written about the 18th century
Reasonable Tulips: Women\u27s Education and Protofeminist Literature in Late Seventeenth- and Early Eighteenth-Century England
No full textEngland in the Early Modern period produced a surge of protofeminist literature in amounts never seen before in the country’s history. Protofeminist authors adamantly argued that access to education would improve the lives of women and those around them, but their motivations for this argument remain largely unexplored. Current historiography has focused on broader themes of expanded literacy and education in England during this period but falls short in exploring the connection between arguments for female education and the slow evolution of female agency. This project will attempt to fill that historiographical gap by examining the works of late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century English protofeminist authors, such as Bathsua Makin, Mary Astell, Judith Drake, and Lady Mary Chudleigh, as well as contemporary philosophy on knowledge, to better understand the motivations behind their arguments and to determine the desired effect of these publications
Exploring the Role of Hormones in Cancerous Growth
No full textHormones and their role in cancerous growth through the model Drosophila
Violet Coughlin, Joanna Wardwell-Ozgo, PhD
Abstract
Cancer, or uncontrolled cell growth, is a rapidly advancing and devastating disease that affects many. Cancer treatments often fail because cancer presents differently between patients and the treatment doesn’t effectively target each specific characteristic. This leads to the cancer mutating and recurring, but if we can improve our understanding of cancer biology, we can create better and more precise treatments fit to every individual patient. Some cancers, particularly breast cancers, are hormone-receptive. This means that when certain hormones are present, they can encourage cancerous cells to grow, but we still don’t fully know why this happens.To better understand why this occurs, I used the model Drosophila (fruit flies) to see how hormone signaling contributes to cancerous overgrowth. Drosophila is ideal to use in this study because they share 60% of their genes with humans. My project uses Drosophila eye tissue of the model organism to test this question. The Hippo growth pathway is responsible for regulating tissue and organ growth, and causes uncontrolled cell growth when dysregulated. Over- expression of Yorkie, the Drosophila equivalent to the proteins YAP and TAZ causes tissue overgrowth in Drosophila. Ecdysone, the main steroid hormone in insects, binds to its receptor (EcR) to regulate developmental transitions and coordinate cellular changes at each stage of development. My project specifically tests if ecdysone influences cancerous growth caused by the activation of the Hippo growth control pathway. I used the gal-4 driver, GMR-Gal4 to cause the over-expression of Yorkie specifically in Drosophila eyes. I cross those flies to UAS- RFP (negative control), with the experimental 1, UAS – EcRLBD and our experimental 2 UAS-EcRLBD-A483T, and UAS-EcR- all isoforms- RNAi (positive control). After these cross-hatched, I chopped the heads of the flies of the correct genotype and imaged the sides and tops to analyze the width and length of the eye. I hypothesize that ecdysone plays a crucial role in cancerous growth and loss of ecdysone will make the growth smaller. This discovery will support the idea that hormone signaling plays a crucial role in cancerous growth. This makes us one step closer to getting answers on how hormone-driven cancers may be treated in the future
Empire and Charity: Ideological Foundations of the London Foundling Hospital
No full textThe London Foundling Hospital received its charter in 1739 after seventeen years of diligent work on the part of its founder, Thomas Coram. Why did Thomas Coram find success in this unprecedented endeavor? Itself a home for children of impoverished women, the hospital was meant as an ameliorative measure to address the increasingly visible poverty in the heart of Britain’s Empire. The outpouring of humanitarian spirit that occurred during the mid to late 18th century has often been linked with the surge in commercialism and developing culture of sentimentality. This paper will argue that the London Foundling Hospital represented an expression of ever-increasing anxieties regarding the unfamiliar pressures of Britain’s rapidly expanding Empire. These anxieties were threefold. Socially, the Foundling Hospital addressed the obvious symptoms of growing class divides brought on by commercialism and provided some semblance of progress towards a civil society. Politically, the institution aligned with Patriot subversives intent on exposing the corruption of the Walpole regime. And culturally, it concretized the plight of the poor who had been thrust into the cultural consciousness by the engravings of William Hogarth. This research examines the London Foundling Hospital archives, a popular satirical publication known as the Foundling Hospital for Wit, and the public response to this new charity to create a narrative explaining why the London Foundling Hospital developed in the context of mid-18th century Great Britain
Alterations in Synaptic AMPA Receptor Function Following Prenatal Cannabinoid Exposure: Implications for Neurodevelopmental Deficits
No full textThe increasing legalization of cannabis has led to a marked rise in prenatal cannabinoid exposure (PCE), a trend projected to continue. PCE has been associated with long-term neurodevelopmental impairments, particularly affecting learning and memory; however, no therapeutic strategies currently exist to mitigate these cognitive deficits. This study examines the impact of PCE on the biophysical properties of synaptic AMPA (α-Amino-3-Hydroxy-5-Methyl-4-Isoxazole Propionic Acid) receptors, which are critical mediators of excitatory neurotransmission, synaptic plasticity, and memory processes. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying AMPA receptor dysfunction, pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were administered either sesame oil (control) or 5 mg/kg Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) via oral gavage from gestational day 5 to postnatal day 9. Electrophysiological recordings were performed on hippocampal synaptosomal AMPA receptors in adolescent offspring (postnatal days 40–50) from both experimental groups. Results demonstrated a significant reduction in AMPA receptor open channel probability and conductance in PCE offspring relative to controls. These findings indicate that prenatal THC exposure disrupts AMPA receptor function, potentially impairing synaptic plasticity mechanisms such as long-term potentiation (LTP) that is required for memory formation. Given the pivotal role of AMPA receptors in memory encoding, PCE-induced alterations in receptor function may contribute to the cognitive deficits observed in exposed offspring. This study provides critical insights into the synaptic pathophysiology underlying PCE-related learning and memory impairments, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions to counteract the neurodevelopmental consequences of prenatal cannabinoid exposure
Exploring Technology-Aided Education in Dementia Care
Get PDFBackground: Healthcare and allied professionals (HAP) play an important role in providing quality care for persons living with Alzheimer\u27s and related dementias (ADRD) and their families. With over 6.9 million Americans aged 65 and older living with ADRD, it is imperative that HAP students are properly educated in dementia care prior to graduating from their programs. Examples, registered nurses play an essential role in providing quality care to persons living with dementia, which is why it is important for nursing students to be given an education on ADRD-related care.
Objective: To explore the experience of HAP students in learning about dementia care and their use of educational technology in developing related competence.
Methods: This research used secondary analysis of qualitative and quantitative data from a larger study to explore the targeted populations’ experience and analyze the use of gamified virtual reality applications in dementia care education. Participants eligible for this study are enrolled in undergraduate healthcare or allied programs, aged 18 or older and have completed coursework focused on dementia care. Recruitment was then conducted through advertisements in student organizations using flyers and email correspondence with student groups. Three focus group sessions were conducted, lasting between 60-90 minutes and analyzed using a thematic approach. Socio-demographic data were collected. Preliminary findings: 18 final-year HAP students from diverse programs participated in the study, aged over 18 years old. Two main themes were revealed: (1) Limited dementia educational apps available for students and (2) Lack of dementia care experiential learning opportunities.
Conclusions: This study identified the limitations of the current pedagogical methodologies and the availability of technologies-aided teaching/learning apps about dementia care for HAP students
Documentary Film Production & Understanding of Film Festival
No full textThe objective of this project was to assist in the production of a short documentary film under Professor Sangsun Choi and to promote the 2025 Kennesaw Film Festival. To analyze Professor Choi’s previous films, the styles, approaches, strengths, and weaknesses of each film were analyzed. Additionally, various external documentaries were assessed to provide a summary of the styles, strengths, and weaknesses observed. To assist in the production of the film, fieldwork was conducted in Gwinnett County, utilizing a mirrorless camera and other production equipment. The functions of a camera, tripod, and lighting were examined in order to film B-Roll, establishing shots, and supplementary footage. Visual experimentation with lenses, angles, and depth of field was utilized in order to achieve optimal footage. During the visits to galleries and meetings of artists Professor Choi was supported by monitoring audio levels and camera feed during interviews. Research establishing background information on a variety of film festivals was conducted in order to optimize the function of the Kennesaw Film Festival. To increase the film festival’s online and campus presence, promotional materials were created, revised, and distributed across the Kennesaw campus and Instagram. For marketing via Instagram, both video and image materials were used to increase the overall interaction. Footage was also incorporated from interviews conducted with student and alumni filmmakers into promotional materials. Posters, T-shirts, and stickers were designed based on the color and theme of KSU and the Film Festival. Posters to acquire submissions were displayed in areas to target the desired audience of filmmakers. By restructuring the website used in previous years, updated information for the festival was added along with a revitalized theme to match that of promotional material. The festival will take place on March 28th
Beyond Copper: Ceramic Earspools and Cultural Markers at the Cummings Site
No full textThis study examines ceramic pulley-style ear spool fragments recovered at the Cummings site located in Cartersville, Georgia. This archaeological site is situated near the Etowah Mounds and the Leake site. Occupied during the Middle Woodland (300 BC-AD 600) and Middle Mississippian (1260-1300 CE) periods, the site presents an unusual context for ear spool deposition. This particular set of ear spools is interesting due to their material composition, the archaeological context in which they were found, their size, and their geographic location. In contrast to the more prevalent copper ear spools of the Hopewellian tradition of the Middle Woodland, the Cummings Site ear spools are crafted meticulously from clay. This material choice is rarely documented in the region. Furthermore, unlike typical mortuary contexts in which ear spools are often recovered, these fragments were discarded in a refuse pit, with no associated human remains. This study situates the Cummings Site ear spools within a broader archaeological and stylistic framework by comparing them to similar artifacts from other sites and contemporary examples. Through an analysis of form, material composition, and depositional context, this study explores their cultural significance, contributing to a deeper understanding of artifact distribution, craftspersonship, and social practices in the region
Identification of Potential Orthologous pmt-2 Genes in Parasitic Nematodes
No full textNematodes such as Caenorhabditis elegans and the parasitic Haemonchus contortus share a phosphobase methylation pathway, analogous to those in plants and Plasmodium species. This pathway converts phosphoethanolamine (pEA) to phosphocholine (pCho) for the Kennedy pathway to enable the production of phosphatidylcholine- an essential component for phospholipid biosynthesis. This pathway is divided into two functional domains of phosphoethanolamine methyltransferase: N-terminal (PMT-1), which initiates the methylation of pEA to phosphomonomethylethanolamine (pMME), and C-terminal (PMT-2) that continues to methylate the pMME and the phosphodimethylethanolamine (pDME) intermediate to yield pCho. In nematodes, the PMTs are encoded by two distinct paralogous genes. There is growing interest in studying the structure and biochemical function of PMT-2 for potential drug targeting, driven by the need to develop novel nematicides that can combat parasitic nematodes that infect animal, human, and plant hosts; fueled by recent concerns about anthelmintic resistance in nematodes and the rising prevalence of parasitic infections associated with the expanding human population, changes in climate, and agricultural intensification. We employed the NIH\u27s Basic Local Alignment Tool (BLAST) to detect probable nucleotide and protein sequences in parasites containing unannotated pmt-2 genes orthologous to those known in C. elegans and H. contortus across numerous sequence databases. Additionally, the Conserved Domain Search, also provided by the NIH, aided in locating conserved domains characteristic of PMT-2, namely the N-terminal vestigial domain and the S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase (SAM) binding site. The presence of a pmt-2 gene was further analyzed using gene prediction software like GENSCAN and GeneID, which are capable of identifying and estimating the exons of protein-coding genes to formulate hypothetical sequences that may be identified in the genomes of parasitic nematodes in future studies. To date, we have predicted a number of pmt-2 genes, including those in Teladorsagia circumcincta, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Globodera rostochiensis, and plan to expand our predictions to other nematodes listed in the neglected tropical diseases category, as well as others of significant medical, veterinary, and agricultural importance
AN ANALYSIS OF THE ARMORETTES’ MISSION TO HELP THE ATLANTA LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY
No full textThe Armorettes are a self-proclaimed camp drag troupe that have been performing in the Atlanta drag scene since 1979. First formed as a cheer group for a softball team associated with The Armory, a well known gay bar at the time, they quickly added drag performance and charity work to their name. The group came to be as the HIV/AIDS epidemic began affecting Atlanta. Atlanta was hit hard by the disease. Several comorbid factors contributed to the disproportionate numbers seen in the city beginning in the 1980s. They quickly took on the mission of raising money for charities and organizations that aided in fighting against HIV/AIDS by hosting drag shows at the Armory, a well known gay bar at the time before eventually moving to their current home of The Heretic. The manner in which the Armorettes have performed has aided their mission of fundraising by challenging commonly held notions of drag and going beyond what is expected of performers. Their ability to disrupt these notions of what drag is has led to their work having a stronger and longer lasting impact in their community. The Armorettes stand as more than comedy camp drag performers, they have become a pillar of the queer community in Atlanta, acting as educators and caretakers for the larger queer community in the city, as well as masters of using their bodies to their fullest potential in drag and drag performances, leading to their ability to raise money in pursuit of the mission of raising awareness of HIV/AIDS. Examining previous performances, I will highlight the various methods by which the Armorettes have worked their mission and how their performances have disrupted the drag scene in Atlanta, making them stand out as social activists and highlighting the power of the group in affecting change for the community