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Thorium-based Fuel as the Future of Nuclear Energy
No full textAs climate crises become more prevalent and the world’s energy needs simultaneously increase, a more efficient, sustainable energy source is required. Nuclear fission is one of the easiest ways to achieve clean and abundant energy in the short term, however, radioactive waste and safety is a cause for concern. Thorium-based fuels are an incredible solution to these issues, resulting in less waste, lower radioactivity, greater stability, and more efficient power. This paper discusses nuclear fission in general, including an analysis of the semi-empirical mass formula and the gas centrifuge uranium enrichment process. Then, this paper compares the thermodynamical power cycle for a typical uranium-based nuclear reactor to a new reactor: the thorium-fueled Molten Salt Reactor. Finally, we will discuss radioactivity and thorium’s minimal radioactive waste
Space: The Final Frontier?: An Exploration of Frontier Themes in Space Science Fiction Films of the Late 20th and Early 21st Centuries
No full textTriple Threat: Introducing a Three-Pronged Interaction Between Hormones, the Gut Microbiome, and Postpartum Depression Pathogenesis
No full textPostpartum depression (PPD) is a disease that more than one in seven pregnant people will experience and has adverse effects, both on the birthing parent’s emotional wellbeing and the relationship between parent and child (Carlson et al., 2024). Fluctuating levels of ovarian and stress hormones over the course of pregnancy may play a role in the development of PPD. The composition of the gut microbiome is another potential factor involved in PPD pathogenesis. However, few studies have considered how the interaction between each of these factors might be linked to PPD pathogenesis. This paper will explore the relationships between ovarian and stress hormone levels and gut microbiome diversity to better understand the complex pathogenesis of PPD. It will specifically examine how these factors interact within the microbiota-gut-brain axis (MGBA), a bidirectional communication pathway between the gut and the brain, therefore illuminating the importance of considering this system to better understand what leads certain individuals to be at risk for developing PPD (Chakrabarti et al., 2022; Verma et al., 2024)
Questioning Author(ity): Collaboration and Gender in the Work of Elisabeth Hauptmann and Bertolt Brecht
No full textBertolt Brecht is a legendary figure, and the mythology surrounding him is staggering, but most of the works that carry his name alone were actually a combined effort with multiple lesser-known collaborators. Elisabeth Hauptmann was one such close collaborator of Brecht’s, beginning when they met in Berlin in the early 1920s. Her ability to read and translate English texts would be essential to a number of his works, including the one which has become the most popular, Die Dreigroschenoper. In this paper I establish the role that Hauptmann had as a translator, co-author, and dramaturge in her work with Brecht, through primary and secondary literature. The collectivism of their creative efforts represents an important possibility for artistic production, one which offered both freedoms and difficulties for women and is not properly represented in current theories of authorship. I extend my analysis of the role of women in artistic and political contexts from the process to the product itself, by analyzing the representation of women in Die Dreigroschenoper. I find that there are several important parallels between the women in the play and the real women involved in its production: namely, their representation is at once subversive concerning their roles as independent women and reductive with regards to their identity as individuals. I look more closely at the prostitute characters in the play; their roles became less prominent as the play was revised but they maintain a stunning awareness of their material limitations and opportunities
Demystifying PMS and Mood: A Systematic Review of Measurement Practices
No full textThe menstrual cycle in women includes hormonal fluctuations which lead to ovulation and menstruation. These fluctuations can also cause mood-related symptoms such as volatility and anxious thoughts, known as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and end with the onset of menstruation. PMS is inconsistently defined across studies, leading to a wide variety of associated symptoms and prevalence reported in the literature. This paper aims to investigate variations in diagnostic measures and symptom reporting and evaluate methodological practices in this literature. This analysis was conducted through a systematic review which paved the way to a series of recommendations for future methodological choices when studying PMS. Future research recommendations include: use of the term PMS consistently, blind recruitment, stepwise prospective confirmation of PMS symptoms, prospective reporting, and use of the Daily Record of Severity of Problems (DRSP) (Endicott et al., 2006) as a symptomatic measure. More attention to measurement practice specificity will ultimately help researchers measure PMS, hopefully to create more consistent research and reliably provide information to women about their bodily processes
RBM39 Degradation Catalyzed Aberrant Splicing Confers Cellular “Sight” for Human Cancer Immune Response
No full textA Literature Review of Loneliness in the Elderly
No full textLoneliness is a global phenomenon that affects very many people. The feeling of loneliness is more than being alone. Loneliness is often defined as the perception of one\u27s unfulfilled social needs (e.g., Hawkely, 2010). The consequences of loneliness can have serious effects on one\u27s health and well-being. Although loneliness is a universal experience throughout life, our understanding of loneliness of all age groups is not equal. There is a myth that elderly people experience the most loneliness but on the contrary young adults record higher accounts of loneliness due to the lack of real-life coping skills that elderly adults have acquired. Elderly people with disabilities or illnesses reported a higher prevalence of loneliness than those without (Mushtaq et al., 2014). This paper reviews scales used to measure loneliness (UCLA Loneliness scale, The De Jong Gierveld Scale, etc.) and intervention measures for loneliness. The paper also suggests future work and recommendations for assessing loneliness. Overall, it showcases the importance of researching loneliness in older adults. Loneliness is more detrimental to the health of people than originally anticipated especially on more vulnerable older aged adults
Lie Groups of Symmetry and Their Application in Solving ODEs
No full textOrdinary differential equations (ODEs) are critical tools for mathematicians, engineers, or even social scientists to model dynamical systems, and on many occasions one need to solve for a general solution for a given ODE. However, students in an introductory ODE class often struggle to intuitively understand a variety of ad hoc methods tailored to solve only some specific types of ODEs. This expository paper introduces the Lie group theory as a more unifying way to craft general solutions to ODEs. After providing some background knowledge in both group theory and ODEs, I will first introduce the concept of one-parameter Lie groups of point symmetries, their infinitesimal generators, how they look like in an ODE (i.e. the symmetry condition), and how to reconstruct Lie symmetries by leveraging the symmetry condition. A big portion of this paper is devoted to developing canonical coordinate and using it to solve any first-order ODEs. In addition, I will briefly discuss Lie group\u27s application in high-order ODEs
