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Helping without Hurting: Thinking Critically About Global Poverty Alleviation
Get PDFPrinciples of Microeconomics students read, discuss, and write about the philosophy of Asset-Based Community Development and potential responses of Christians to this thought-provoking approach to fighting poverty through reconciliation. The material is drawn heavily from _When Helping Hurts_ (Corbett and Fikkert, 2012) and writings by Robert Lupton of FCS Urban Ministries
The 1745 Scottish Rebellion—Interpreting the Reality of a Romanticized Rebellion
No full textThe remembrance of battles throughout history is often left to the devices of the winner of the war. In many instances the history is skewed or romanticized to amplify the accomplishments of the winning party or to create a woeful story of the defeated. During the 1745 Scottish Rebellion, the English defeated the Scottish at the final battle of Culloden. This battle has been romanticized over time through various media and propaganda and has created an image that is skewed into a version that is not a historically accurate representation of the battle. My research shows various types of media and propaganda that support this romanticized view over time. Particular attention to current propaganda and media shows the misinterpreted reality of the rebellion. Such current propaganda includes films, paintings, press coverage of monarchial attention to the highlands, poetry, and even novels. It is through the interpretation of the Scottish rebellion by these forms of media and propaganda that the truth of the rebellion has been masked behind the romanticized description, which has become the reality
Explorations in Surrealism: Myth, the Occult, and Experimental Writing in the Works of Mexican and European Surrealist Women Artists (1930’s to 1960’s): An Analysis of the Life and Works of Tina Modotti, Kati Horna, and Bridget Bate Tichenor
No full textThere has been very little scholarly research and writing done in regards to the writings and artwork of female surrealist artists, who were often overshadowed by their male counterparts and contemporaries. With this in mind, a group of six students under the supervision and mentoring of Professor María André have worked together to create a digital archive, which will shed light upon the significant role that these women played in the Surrealist movement in twentieth century Mexico. The objective of this research is to create a digital archive on the lives and works of female Surrealist artists and to examine their contributions to Surrealist art and literature in Europe, the United States, and Mexico. My research began in the summer of 2012 in Paris and Provence, where I researched the lives and works of Tina Modotti, Bridget Bate Tichenor, and Kati Horna. Tina Modotti was an actress, model, and photographer who used the camera as an instrument of inquiry and political communication during the Mexican Revolution. Kati Horna was a Mexican photographer by adoption who produced several political documentary series and whose photography resembled that of a political reporter. Bridget Bate Tichenor was a model, painter, and fashion editor for Vogue Magazine. The archive includes a biography, artistic influences, analysis, and a literary analysis for each artist, which can be viewed online. Each artist’s page also includes an interactive feature, videos, as well as a bibliography of critical sources. A link to the archive can be found at http://faculty.hope.edu/andre/hompage.html
Dissecting the Regulation of the OLE1 Gene in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae: Examining the Role of Fatty Acid Species and Concentration
No full textThe OLE1 gene product, the delta-9 desaturase, inserts a double bond in saturated fatty acids to create unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs). OLE1 expression is controlled in part through the transcription factors Mga2p and Spt23p in response to the supply of UFAs. These proteins reside in the endoplasmic reticulum, and when insufficient supply of UFAs is detected, they are proteolytically cleaved and translocated into the nucleus, where they activate OLE1 expression. Recently our lab has isolated a mutant that is deficient in regulation of OLE1, called nro1 (no regulation of OLE1). The mechanism for the NRO1 protein’s action is unknown. In this study, growth tests and enzyme assays using reporter genes controlled by the OLE1 promoter region suggest that Nro1p responds more strongly to the fatty acids 16:1 Δ9 and 18:2 Δ9, 12, than 18:1 Δ9 and 17:1 Δ9. When wild type cells are fed 16:1 Δ9 and 18:2 Δ9, 12, fatty acid profiles revealed them present at a higher percentage than when fed other UFAs, probably because endogenous UFA production is more severely curtailed. The concentration of the fed fatty acid also impacted the regulation of OLE1, with higher concentrations bringing about more robust regulation. However, in nro1 cells, there was diminished regulation of expression in response to feeding certain UFAs as compared to wild type cells. Western blot analysis showed no evidence that Mga2p and Spt23p regulate OLE1 through the NRO1 signaling system. We conclude that the expression of OLE1 is dependent on properties of the fed fatty acid, the amount in the cell, and that the NRO1 gene product may be working through other regulatory networks besides Mga2p/Spt23p
Single-Molecule Florescence Spectroscopy at Hope College
No full textThis research involves the design and construction of a confocal microscope for single-molecule fluorescence-detected resonance energy transfer experiments. Single-molecule FRET is useful for determining structural characteristics and structural dynamics of systems under study. Donor and acceptor dyes will be attached to small biologically important molecules such as RNA, DNA, or protein. These samples will be used at very small (picomolar) concentrations, such that either zero or one will be in the focal volume of the microscope at any given time. As the system passes through the focal volume, it will be excited by the laser light, and the detection of the corresponding fluorescence originating from either the donor or acceptor will allow calculation of FRET efficiency. Experimentally determined FRET efficiencies will be compared to simulated FRET data calculated using MD simulation experiments. This comparison will lead to a better understanding of FRET and will eventually refine the process of extracting structural information from the raw FRET data
Complete Analysis on the Two Base Pair Sequence Recognition by Hx (pAnisylbenzimidazole)•Pyrrole and Hx•Imidazole Pairings
No full textPyrrole (Py) and Imidazole (Im) polyamide analogs of distamycin are small molecules that bind in the minor groove at specific sequences of DNA and regulate gene function. Despite their potential in drug discovery or as tools in molecular and cell biology, their usefulness is limited by their ability to enter cells and concentrate in the nucleus. There is thus an effort to develop polyamides that are trackable in cells. Thus there is an immediate need for the design of novel heterocyclic DNA sequence cognitive units that exhibit all the positive qualities as Py and Im, and be inherently fluorescent. Our group has recently published a novel class of hybrid Hx-amides, which contain a fluorescent p-anisylbenzimidazole or Hx group. Pairing of Hx with PI, PP and IP provided evidence that it mimics “PyPy” in recognizing two contiguous base pairs in a similar way as polyamides. To complete our examination of the Hx functionality, the remaining molecule in this series, HxII, was successfully synthesized. The DNA binding properties of HxII will be reported along with a discussion on sequence recognition by Hx/polyamide pairings and gene control
The Growth of Epidote and Tianite During Upper Amphibolite to Lower Granulite Facies Metamorphism in Stensjoestrand, Southwest Sweden
No full textTitanite and epidote minerals were observed in the Stensjöstrand area of southwest Sweden within a metamorphic reaction zone between two rock types. These minerals are characteristic of rocks with low-grade metamorphism and tend to be consumed when exposed to higher metamorphic conditions. A sequence of lens-like, calcsilicate enclave rocks contain higher calcium and iron concentrations than the titanium-rich, host amphibolite rock in which it occurs. Textures of three traverses between the two rocks were examined by SEM at Hope College and mineral analyses were performed via microprobe at the GeoForschungZentrum in Potsdam, Germany. Iron and calcium-rich minerals such as anorthite and hedenbergite increase in concentration from the host rock to the core of the enclaves. Iron oxides containing titanite occur throughout both rocks, with higher concentrations of titanium found within the oxides of the host rock. Epidote grains contain high concentrations of rare earth elements (REE) in the host rock and outer enclave rims (REE up to 13 wt%), small concentrations in the middle of the enclaves (REE \u3c 0.1 wt%), and a moderate amount in the enclave cores (0.5 \u3c REE \u3c5 wt%). Textural and mineralogical patterns both suggest titanite and REE-poor epidote formed by diffusion from a higher gradient in the enclave to a lower gradient in the host. More recently-crystallized epidote appears to have formed by nucleating on pre-existing REE-rich epidote, while titanite formed by a reaction of the iron titanium oxides
Mapping Movement of Coastal Sand Dunes on Lake Michigan Using GigaPan Photo Technology
No full textDunes along Lake Michigan are one of the most dynamic environments on our planet. This means that they are one of the most exciting areas to do research in. These dunes have been monitored and mapped in the past, but the process of mapping and tracking their motion is both time inefficient, and destructive to the environment itself. Like in our project, most people track the motion of the sand dunes by placing pins out in the sand, and measuring the height of the sand in relation to the pin, which shows how the sand has shifted in that area. However, this needs to be done by hand for each pin, which can take hours. Also, when walking into the dunes to measure these pins, the footprints can damage both the measurements and the stability of the environment itself. In order to remedy these problems, we decided to try to use photo technology to eliminate this physical measurement step. The key to being able to do this was the GigaPan panoramic system. This system takes a panorama of the sample area consisting of hundreds of pictures, which are then stitched together, creating one panorama. Since the panorama is hundreds of individual photographs, we are able to zoom in to the resolution of the original photos and measure each pin individually on the screen in pixels. After measuring in pixels, we are able to convert this measurement to centimeters, giving us an accurate measurement of the pins. We were not able to use this system in any situations where the sand shifted drastically, like after a storm, but we were able to generate some positive results in terms of proof of concept. We were able to measure many of the pins, and most of these measurements were accurate to within a fraction of a centimeter
There are Two Kinds of Bean Beetles in this World- Those that are Easy to Catch, and Those that Aren’t: A Study of Polymorphic Traits in Callosobruchus maculatus
No full textWhen food resources, percent relative humidity, and population density are satisfactory, the bean beetle will present itself in a sexually dimorphic state referred to as the sedentary morph that renders males and females easily distinguishable. However, when food availability, humidity, and population density become environmental stressors for adult bean beetles they convert to dispersal morphology. In the dispersal morph, the males and females react by changing behavior and morphology. There has been very little study on the differences in oviposition behavior between sedentary and dispersal morphologies in the bean beetle. We designed a set of experiments to better understand how this change may affect oviposition rate, development rate, and adult longevity. We found that an increase in available substrate for egg-laying resulted in an increase in adult longevity and an increase in the fecundity of adult females. Furthermore, we found that beetles in the sedentary morph were much more likely to initiate oviposition on the first day of the experiment, while beetles in the dispersal morph were seen to delay first oviposition even into the tenth day. Lastly, we found that ovipostion rates for sedentary beetles were greatest within the first few days, laying almost all of their eggs before day five. Females in the dispersal morph laid fewer eggs, and laid almost all of their eggs between days four and five
Elevated Systolic Blood Pressure in Femoral Artery Sheath Removal
No full textMultiple methods of arterial closure after femoral arteriotomy are used to reach hemostasis. Research has not yet determined which method is most effective when considering different patient risk factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact systolic blood pressure (SBP) has on complication rates associated with different closure methods. The study was based on Neuman’s Systems Model that recognizes people have unique interacting characteristics that affect response to illness and treatment. A retrospective observational analysis of patient charts was conducted. Data was collected from a convenient sample of 21 patients at a small private hospital in West Michigan. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS 19.0. A chi-squared test of independence was completed using stage of hypertension, complication, and type of closure device. No significant relationship was found (p=.813). Results imply that complications are independent from elevated SBP and closure method. This implies that closure method does not need to be selected based on patient’s SBP in order to prevent complications. Limitations of the study include the single collection site, homogenous convenience sample, small sample size and incomplete data records that could make generalization inaccurate. Further research should include a larger sample size from multiple sites and needs to consider other risk factors affecting hemostasis. By determining the best methods for reaching hemostasis, an algorithm could be developed to assist heath care providers in determining the safest method considering patient comorbidities