1524 research outputs found
Sort by
Defending and Challenging American Empire: The 1927-28 University of Oregon Forensics Program World Debate Tour and the November 25, 1927, Manila Debate of the Century
No full textFrom October 1927 through April 1928, three Oregon debaters traveled more than 25,000 miles to seventeen countries on four continents, participating in thirty-two debates and seventy-five public speaking engagements as part of the first-ever Debate World Tour. This tour was audacious, but indicative of a remarkable history of debate at Oregon. Drawing on archival materials held by the Special Collections and University Archive at the University of Oregon and other primary and contemporary materials, we document that world tour and feature a November 25, 1927, debate on Filipino independence at the Manila Opera House and the tour of America by University of the Philippines debaters the following spring that it inspired. We conclude with a review of the tour\u27s impressive legacy and reflections on the expedition\u27s significance in the history of forensics and academic debate
Performing Democracy: US-USSR Exchange Debates and the Ethical Technologies of Cold War Diplomacy
No full textThis essay examines the US-USSR exchange debates of the 1970s, organized by the Committee on International Discussion and Debate (CIDD), as a cultural technology integral to Cold War liberalism. Moving beyond traditional narratives of détente-era cultural diplomacy, it argues that these exchanges served not merely as tools of soft power but as ethical performances that modeled free speech as a central democratic conviction. Drawing on the frameworks of Greene & Hicks (2005), Hicks & Greene (2010, 2022), and a Foucauldian conception of diplomacy, the essay analyzes how debate functioned as a practice of liberal democratic subject formation, shaping both participants and audiences through the enactment of deliberative norms. By humanizing Cold War adversaries, performing discursive struggles, and fostering long-term shifts among future policymakers, the CIDD exchanges illustrated the complex interplay between discourse, ethics, and power during the Cold War. The essay thus reinterprets these debates as pivotal moments in the subtle shaping of democratic practices and transnational identities
ROLE OF MACROPHAGE INDUCIBLE C TYPE LECTIN (CLEC4E) RECEPTOR IN METABOLIC DYSFUNCTION ASSOCIATED STEATOHEPATITIS (MASH) AND LIVER FIBROSIS
No full textMetabolic associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) is characterized by lipid deposition, immune cell infiltration and fibrosis in the liver. MASH is a disease with a diverse etiology and has limited therapeutic approaches which includes weight loss, dietary modifications and the only FDA approved therapy, Resmetirom. Macrophage Inducible C Type Lectin (CLEC4E) receptor is expressed on hepatic macrophages and is increased in MASH patients. Animal models of MASH , obesity and cellular systems have shown that CLEC4E receptor may play a role in chronic tissue inflammation and fibrosis. This research project is focused on elucidating the effect of CLEC4E receptor on liver fibrosis using primary human derived cellular (in vitro) assay systems. Stimulating the monocyte derived macrophages with ligands trehalose-6’6-dibehenate (TDB) and βGlucosylceramide (βGlcCer) increased CLEC4E receptor expression and induced secretion of proinflammatory cytokine Macrophage inflammatory protein 1α (MIP1α). The expression of CLEC4E receptor is also increased in liver tissues of patients with fibrosis (Stage 3 and 4). Evaluation of the publicly available single cell datasets show that CLEC4E receptor is expressed in macrophages in hepatic tissue and this expression is increased in patients with liver injury. Further, lipotoxicity induced primary human hepatocytes also induced receptor expression in monocyte derived macrophages which confirms that CLEC4E receptor plays a role in sensing cellular damage from hepatocytes in disease. The effect of CLEC4E receptor stimulation on hepatic stellate cells which are key drivers of liver fibrosis was also evaluated. RNA-seq study of the hepatic stellate cells treated with TDB stimulated macrophages showed an upregulation of inflammatory genes and pathway. Epithelial to Mesenchymal transition pathway, myogenesis pathway and markers of hepatic stellate cells activation were downregulated. Thus, this research project has demonstrated that even though CLEC4E receptor is upregulated in MASH, it does not influence hepatic stellate cell activation directly using human derived cellular assay systems. Instead, macrophages with increased CLEC4E expression induce an inflammatory fibroblast-like phenotype and secretion of Senescent associated secretory protein IL6 in hepatic stellate cells. Thus, effect of modulating CLEC4E on hepatic macrophages on liver fibrosis progression and its potential as a therapeutic for MASH needs to further be evaluated
ENHANCING EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO THE ACTIVE SHOOTER WITH NIMS
Get PDFThe purpose of the following study is to identify components of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) that can be used to improve first responder deployment in critical incidents, such as in the occurrence of an Active Shooter (AS) and Active Deadly Threat (ADT). The Incident Command System (ICS), a component of NIMS, is the on-scene emergency management organization designed to aid in managing resources during planned and unplanned catastrophic events. An AS/ADT incident is typically planned by the perpetrator and unexpected to first responders, leaving them with limited time to respond to and neutralize this type of threat effectively. A survey will be distributed to help identify other strategies that NIMS may have yet to consider. The target population for this survey will include full-time law enforcement professionals within the United States to ensure that the data obtained is cohesive with the strategy being developed for this study. Focusing on this population cluster will allow for a better understanding of the currently practiced response strategies and training these first and secondary responders receive in responding to AS/ADT incidents. Besides focusing on local and state level responders, an interview with two professionals with experience in AS/ADT response incidents, as well as incidents involving the usage of ICS. The intention here is to acquire additional information that will hopefully enrich the validity of the obtained findings. This paper will ultimately analyze the data of the disseminated survey, interviews, and the ICS model, where the most applicable attributes identified will be recommended for consideration in improving future emergency response efforts to these live deadly attacks. Keywords: active shooter, active deadly threat, critical incidents, NIMS, IC
HISPANIC PARADOX IN COVID-19: PROTECTIVE EFFECTS OF ETHNIC DENSITY
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic exposed racial and ethnic health disparities in the U.S., with Hispanic populations experiencing higher infection and population-mortality rates than non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Case fatality rates are closely tied to medical comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease, which are more prevalent among Hispanic individuals. Case-fatality rates showed mixed results. Some studies found no differences, while others reported better outcomes for Hispanics, aligning with the Hispanic Paradox, which suggests that despite socioeconomic disadvantages, Hispanics experience equal or better health outcomes. These effects may be tied to the immigrant health advantage, which suggests immigrants tend to be healthier than the general population. One factor which has led to better health outcomes for Hispanic patients and sometimes for Non-Hispanic White patients is Hispanic Ethnic Density (HED), the proportion of Hispanic residents in a neighborhood. Some studies linked HED to COVID-19 mortality. However, less is known about how HED relates to comorbidities, which increase fatality risk in COVID-19. This study examined the relationships between race/ethnicity, HED, comorbidities, and case-fatality in a sample of patients treated early in the pandemic, before vaccines were available. This study analyzed electronic medical records from 1,870 COVID-19 patients from New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital (March–December 2020), using geocoded address data linked to the American Community Survey. The sample included 1,228 Hispanic and 642 NHW patients. Hispanic patients were younger by 16 years on average, had higher BMI, and were more likely male. Despite socioeconomic disadvantages, their crude mortality rate (16.11%) was lower than NHWs (23.83%). This difference disappeared after adjusting for age, gender, and BMI. Comorbidity patterns varied: NHWs had higher hypertension, cardiovascular, and lung disease rates, whereas Hispanics had more diabetes and alcohol use. Age, male gender, and renal disease were the strongest mortality predictors. Higher Hispanic density was associated with lower odds of diabetes and pulmonary disease among Hispanics. However, HED was not linked to lower mortality rates. Neighborhood-level protective mechanisms, such as HED and foreign-born density, mitigate health risks for Hispanic patients, underscoring the importance of social and environmental factors in health outcomes during the pandemic
DO SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY OR DEPRESSION ASSESSED BY MOTHERS OR BY CHILDREN RESPOND MORE QUICKLY TO COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Get PDFAnxiety and depression are the two most common internalizing disorders reported in children and adolescents. The comorbidity of the disorders often undermines efforts to effectively differentiate these disorders in terms of their response to therapy. In this research, we identified two symptoms that are specific to Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and three symptoms that are specific to Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) from the Youth Outcomes Questionnaire (YOQ) and created specific anxiety and depression “testlets” based on these symptoms. We hypothesized that although the two types of symptoms would be correlated, that the GAD symptoms would respond more quickly to therapy than the MDD symptoms. We tested these hypotheses using longitudinal assessments of children undergoing psychotherapy from a sample of 79 children and 201 parents. At the beginning of therapy, the mean number of children\u27s GAD symptoms was 1.709 for the child self-report and 1.403 for the parents\u27 report. This difference corresponded to an effect size (Cohens d = 0.304). For MDD the mean was 1.243 for the child self-report and 1.099 for the parents’ report. This difference corresponded to an effect size (Cohens d = 0.163). The correlation between GAD and MDD was 0.747 for children and 0.417 for parents. Using fixed effects regression, we found the average change in symptoms per week was 0.005 for GAD and -0.002 for MDD. We did not find a moderating effect of informant on change. Consistent with our hypothesis, anxiety symptoms exhibit a stronger decrease in severity with therapy than depression symptoms
DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS: THE ROLE OF PARENTING STYLES AND CULTURAL DISSONANCE
Get PDFDepression is a prevalent mental health disorder among adolescents, with children of immigrants being disproportionately affected. This study examined the relationship between parent immigrant status and depressive symptoms in young adults and investigated the mediating roles of parenting styles, specifically authoritarian parenting, and intergenerational cultural dissonance. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted on Qualtrics among 193 undergraduate students between the ages 17-30, at St. John’s University, with 125 children of immigrants and 69 children of non-immigrants. Depression was measured using the Patient-Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), intergenerational cultural dissonance was measured using the Asian American Conflicts Scale, and parenting styles was measured using the Parenting Styles Questionnaire (PSQ). Two mediation analyses were conducted to examine if authoritarian parenting and intergenerational cultural dissonance mediated the relationship between parent immigrant status and depressive symptoms. The results indicated that children of immigrants (M = 7.31, SD = 5.75) reported higher depressive symptoms than children of non-immigrants (M = 5.04, SD = 4.65). Authoritarian parenting and cultural dissonance both mediated the relationship between parent immigrant status and depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that growing up in an immigrant household may introduce unique stressors such as high expectations and limited emotional support, contributing to mental health challenges. The study’s results have implications for the development of interventions aimed at reducing symptoms of depression in children of immigrants, such as educating parents about affective parenting behaviors
DIGITAL TOOLS: HOW SPECIFIC DIGITAL TOOLS SUPPORT SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHING PRACTICES
Get PDFEarly childhood education is intrinsically multimodal, involving many different digital tools. With such a big shift towards technology, this study is focusing on teaching strategies with the integration of flexible digital tools. It also presents how specific technologies can support different teaching strategies in elementary special education. The participants in this study are elementary special education teachers, working as special education teachers in an elementary school on Long Island, NY. The essential features of the research methodology are a digital survey for special education teachers to fill out. The researcher also conducted post-survey interviews about the use of flexible digital tools in special education classrooms and how this aligns with the teacher’s pedagogical teaching beliefs. This study is significant because it investigates a powerful lens on hands-on learning, augmenting, expanding, and complicating special education through flexible digital tools. Digital flexible tools also challenge fundamental assumptions about teaching practices that special education teachers hold
A NEW ORDER FROM OLD RUINS: THE FALL OF THE FIRST REPUBLIC AND THE ASCENT OF SILVIO BERLUSCONI
Get PDFThis research examines the political rise of Silvio Berlusconi in the context of Italy’s transition from the First to the Second Republic, analyzing how his populist rhetoric, media dominance, and coalition-building strategies enabled his electoral success in 1994. The research utilizes a behavioralist approach and the framework of political opportunity structures to explore how Berlusconi’s tactics intersected with broader structural transformations, including economic instability, institutional collapse, and shifting societal norms. The researcher conducted the study in Rome, Italy, and it draws on historical and political data from the early 1990s, as well as more contemporary research, analyzing electoral shifts, economic reports, and media content. Participants in this research include voters and political actors of the time, examined through existing survey data, electoral outcomes, and public discourse. Through this approach, the research was able to gain a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influenced voter behavior and the political landscape in Italy. Methodologically, this research employs qualitative content analysis of media narratives, political speeches, and policy documents, combined with a comparative historical approach to assess Italy’s political and economic transitions. It also integrates secondary sources, including scholarly literature on populism, democratic transitions, and media influence in politics. The study further applies a political behavior analysis to evaluate how Berlusconi’s messaging resonated with different voter demographics and how it capitalized on structural weaknesses within Italy’s democratic institutions. The findings indicate that Berlusconi’s success was not solely the result of his personal charisma or strategic maneuvering but rather the product of the confluence of economic, political, and societal crises that reshaped Italy’s democratic landscape. His use of media as a political tool, his appeal to masculinity and nationalism, and his coalition-building efforts highlight the broader transformation of Italian politics into a more personality-driven and media-centered model. Ultimately, this study contributes to understanding populist leadership, media influence in democracy, and the structural conditions that enable political outsiders to rise to power. Berlusconi’s legacy, while marked by controversy, is a testament to the enduring impact of media-driven politics and the vulnerabilities of democratic institutions in times of systemic turbulence
HOMEOSTATIC REGULATION OF ACCESS SEROTONIN IS SUGGESTED BY AN INCREASED NUMBER OF SEROTONIN TRANSPORTER (SLC6A4A) EXPRESSING NEURONS OF THE DORSAL RAPHE
Get PDFSerotonin is a neurotransmitter system that is essential for driving behavior related to movement, attention and foraging. In humans, an increase or decrease in healthy levels of serotonin result in neuropsychological issues, including anxiety and depression. Despite these health concerns, our understanding of serotonin regulation and homeostasis is still poorly understood and needs more research from a variety of model and non-model animal systems. This study was designed to study serotonin homeostasis in the blind Mexican cavefish, a non- model system for understanding complex biological traits. The blind Mexican cavefish provides a multi-population species that includes river dwelling fish with eyes, that are considered ancestral, and cave derived populations that lack eyes and pigment. Previous research found that cavefish exhibit increased levels of serotonin that is hypothesized to drive decreased sleep and increased activity in cavefish. We wanted to test the hypothesis that increased levels of serotonin are sequestered or degraded in the brain via genetic compensation. To test this hypothesis, we compared mRNA gene expression of the serotonin promoting enzymes tryptophan hydroxylase 1 and 2 (tph1 and tph2) between surface and cave larvae. However, we did not find significant differences in gene expression between the two populations. To further explore serotonin regulation, we quantified the number of cells in the locus coeruleus expressing the serotonin transporter solute carrier family 6 member 4 (slc6a4a). We did find a significant increase in neurons expressing slc6a4a in the dorsal raphe of cavefish. This research provides insight into the regulation of serotonin in a non-model species, the blind Mexican cavefish. Future work will functionally test whether free serotonin is sequestered more rapidly before being implemented in circuits