6617 research outputs found
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Timeline 2019-2022
Get PDFDescription: Timeline of events during the college experience of Macalester American Studies major 2022-2023 graduates
First Generation Africans in the 21st Century “A young Somali American’s journey growing up in Atlanta, GA”
Get PDFStatement of Purpose
“At the heart of this thinking is the realization by [B]lacks that the most potent weapon in the hands of the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed” (Steve Biko, 1971). I have no desire to be sweet soft supple If I was to be either of these things, God would’ve made me a fruit, But instead, he made me a Black w o ma
Toward an Afrofuturist Landscape: A Refutation of the Deceptive Aesthetics of Spatial Violence in Wynberg, Cape Town
Get PDFStatement of Purpose: This essay represents a continuation of work that I was fortunate enough to be able to begin while I was studying abroad at the University of Cape Town in South Africa during the spring 2022 semester. Beyond this, however, this paper represents an exploratory dive into the spatial humanities, particularly with regard to architecture, history, and landscape–an interest of mine that has developed (and which I hope to pursue more [in/ex]tensively in my graduate studies) as I have had the opportunity to learn from Professor Walter Greason, one of my mentors here at Macalester College. Throughout this work, I weave together anecdote and a broad host of theory in order to expose insidious spatial violences I saw and moved throughout during my time in South Africa, and to consider what alternative negotiations of space–which I also witnessed–refute these violences. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that this essay, as is the case with all writing, is a fundamentally collaborative project: I would not have been able to complete it if not for the support and brilliance of those who I have been fortunate enough to work with and learn from. I am indescribably grateful for my peers in the senior seminar; for my mentors at Macalester College (Professors Walter Greason and Duchess Harris; and Hana Dinku) and the University of Cape Town (Drs. Shari Daya and Natasha Vally); and for all of my family and close friends
Un-Scene: How Responses to Sexual Violence Reproduce Legal Hegemony in the Bay Area’s Punk and DIY Community
Get PDFSociologists understand law as constitutive order that expresses solidarity and contributes to structural inequality. Yet, some communities seek to change existing orders and as Kathryne Young argues, cultivate a resistant collective identity. Drawing on legal consciousness theories, I examine the Bay Area DIY music scene as it addresses community members’ experiences with sexual violence without involving the legal system. I interviewed 28 community members and found that although they aim to resist law in favor of transformative justice, their resistant collective identity leads them to reproduce legalistic punishment through their response to sexual violence. Scene members told three intertwined cultural narratives about accountability: 1) scene members invoke the legal system to distance themselves from sexual violence; 2) they utilize punitive tactics that provide catharsis and solidarity; 3) they invoke reified images of law to legitimize an individualistic approach and create an illusion of order
Effects of Coordinated Reset Deep Brain Stimulation of Subthalamic Nucleus on Parkinsonian Gait in the Non-Human Primate Model
Get PDFParkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects over 10 million people worldwide. Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) has been a successful treatment for advanced PD, however, can be accompanied with current spread related side effects. Coordinated Reset (CR) DBS is a novel therapeutic approach that could reduce the risk of side-effects by using lower current. Previous research has shown therapeutic effects of CR DBS on PD motor symptoms including akinesia, bradykinesia, rigidity, and tremor that sustained after stimulation cessation (i.e., carryover effect), however its effect on gait dysfunction is unknown even though it can be one of the most difficult symptoms to treat. The goal of this study is to investigate the carryover effect of subthalamic CR DBS on PD gait. Two non-human primates (NHP) were rendered parkinsonian and implanted with a DBS lead in the subthalamic nucleus (STN). Each subject received STN CR DBS for 2 hours per day for 5 consecutive days. Gait was quantitatively assessed before and after the stimulation using a gait testing apparatus. A modified clinical rating scale (mUPDRS) was used to monitor carryover effects on other motor symptoms. Moreover, in one NHP, the differential effects of CR DBS using two additional burst frequencies were also explored. Our results showed that STN CR DBS induced carryover improvement in gait as well as in other symptoms. We also identified a significant impact of varying burst frequency on the effect of CR DBS in gait given that one burst frequency produced greater gait improvement than the others. Although preliminary, this study encourages the further advancement of CR DBS and emphasizes the importance of customizing parameter settings of CR DBS to treat specific symptoms of PD
Measuring the Pulse Duration of a Femtosecond Laser Using Intensity Autocorrelation
Get PDFIn this experiment, an intensity autocorrelator is set up in order to measure the pulse duration of a passively mode-locked Titanium-Sapphire laser with a power of 267mW producing femtosecond pulses. Then this measurement, as well as a measurement of the laser’s spectrum, is used to test the Uncertainty Principle. Intensity autocorrelation is a well-established technique for measuring pulse duration, and is among the more intuitive techniques for this purpose, which is why it was selected for this experiment. The experimental setup was computerized. The delay of one half of the pulse was controlled by a motorized translation stage which was itself controlled by a computer which could scan across the zero delay point of the pulse, and the data from the detector went to a digital oscilloscope and was then saved by a computer. Dispersion was compensated for by negative dispersion mirrors in the laser itself. To calculate the duration of the pulse, it was assumed that the pulses took the shape of sech^2(x). The duration of the laser pulses was determined to be 12.9 fs. The standard deviation of the pulse in time was found to be 6.6 fs, and the standard deviation of the pulse in energy was 1.15*10^(-20) J. When multiplied, the standard deviations give a value of 7.6*10^(-35) Js or 0.72 ħ, which is greater than the theoretical minimum limit given by the Uncertainty Principle of 0.50 ħ
Machine Learning Applications for Materials Science: Predicting Properties of Two-Dimensional Magnetic Materials
Get PDFWe trained successful neural networks to predict the formation energy and magnetic moment of 2-dimensional ferromagnetic materials of similar structure to Cr2Ge2Te6. We collect elemental data on materials with known and unknown properties from easily accessible sources to screen for viable materials for use in future research. Random forest regressors were used to identify the most important predictors of our target qualities, which perform better on predictions of formation energy than magnetic moment. We predict the properties of 1225 materials that are candidates for further research in two-dimensional magnetism and identify several potential sources of error in our models that can be targeted for further improvement
Valuation
Get PDFMy Studio Art honors project seeks to question the delineation between art, craft, and design and the lack of value placed on most everyday objects. While in our society homes are seen as an investment to be maintained and passed down, almost none of the objects that fill said home receive this level of care leading to mass consumerism of objects made merely to fit a function, not to last or hold their value. Valuation is a set of dining room furniture made of red oak and white ash accompanied by a full set of ceramic dinnerware and napkins. The table has three large interchangeable ceramic inserts along the center and is flanked by two benches and two chairs at either end. On top of the table is arranged a full set of ceramic plates, bowls, and cups all glazed to match the inserts and a set of accompanying linen napkins. Arranged to create a scene halfway between a home and a showroom with viewers encouraged to interact as much as they wish with the pieces. This project seeks to disrupt the often inaccessible, sterile and imposing nature of modern art galleries
Market Concentration and Political Outcomes
Get PDFU.S. industries have become more consolidated over the past decades. This trend has raised concerns regarding its impact on society. This paper delves into the connection between market concentration and political outcomes. By integrating lobbying data from the Center for Responsive Politics with industry-wide economic data from 2003 to 2019, I utilize several multivariate models to investigate the link between concentration and lobbying expenditures at the aggregate U.S. industry level. I also conduct three representative industry case studies: commercial banks, airlines, and general merchandise stores. The results are mixed. While there is a negative association between market concentration and lobbying expenditures in the overall and airline industry studies, there is a positive relationship in the case of general merchandise stores. I further suggest potential avenues for future research and antitrust policy