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INCARCERATED SPECTACLES: PRISON REALITY TELEVISION AND THE LEGACIES OF HUMAN ZOOS
No full textIndividuals and collectives living in different centuries and locales have been fetishized through violent narratives and media and alienated from their histories, turning them into spectacles for scientific inquiry and popular entertainment. In this presentation I demonstrate how narratives and media images that turned human beings into objects of spectacle in anthropology displays at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, tightly link to constructs about incarcerated people in the American prison reality television program, Lockdown. Organizers of anthropology displays employed social-evolutionist assumptions, masquerading as truth upheld by scientific authority, to justify the captivity of primitivized peoples deemed expendable. While on display, humans from diverse cultural contexts were situated as representations of innate and extreme human natures, linear temporalities, and of the supremacy of the American nation-state. The television show Lockdown, airing from 2007 to 2017 and continuing in reruns today, similarly displays incarcerated people as examples of the violent extremes of human existence and asserts that their captivity, in the form of incarceration, is necessary for the safety of the American nation-state. I argue that turning incarcerated people into spectacles through prison reality programming is central to how the prison-industrial complex remains a white supremacist settler fantasy based on dispossession and extermination
IMPACTS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE ON VOLUNTEERS\u27 MENTAL HEALTH
No full textCommunity service plays a major role to promote prosocial behaviors. However, the impact of participating in community service on the volunteers’ mental health is still unknown. Therefore, we conducted a survey to explore the possible relationship between community service and volunteers’ well-being. Participants, with more than 75% being K-12 grade students, agreed to participate in the current study. Results demonstrated that there is a positive correlation of community service among well-being, relationships, and stress management. Specifically, most participants showed an increase of social networks, received more compliments, felt accomplished, and reported feeling happier overall. Interestingly, participants volunteering with friends reported more positive emotional responses than that with family members. In addition, gaining of work-related experience was found in volunteers. Further analysis in high school students, we found that volunteering is negative correlated to stress factors including loneliness, pressure, and lack of confidence with a positive impact to increase the sense of purpose. Future study will continue to investigate the possibility and effectiveness of using volunteering activities as part of therapy to help improve mental health, especially that of teenagers
FRESHWATER MACROINVERTEBRATE COMMUNITIES IN BALDWIN COUNTY, GEORGIA
Get PDFFreshwater ecosystems are critical habitats for maintaining biodiversity, often providing refuge for organisms especially in urban settings. Baldwin County, GA is home to many freshwater lakes that are part of the Oconee River watershed. Despite ongoing water quality monitoring, aquatic macroinvertebrates are under studied in the area. Aquatic macroinvertebrate diversity of one forested and one residential lake in Milledgeville, GA was documented for the first time. Despite low sample size, community composition was significantly different between lakes, with 27 families in Lake Laurel (forested), 44 families in Lake Oliver Hardy (residential), and only 19 families collected from both lakes. Seasonal trends revealed the highest diversity in the summer. These data provide a baseline for the potential use of monitoring aquatic ecosystem health using aquatic macroinvertebrates in Milledgeville, GA
MONITORING GOPHER TORTOISE (GOPHERUS POLYPHEMUS) MORTALITY AND RELIABILITY OF PASSIVE INTERGRATED TRANSPONDERS (PIT TAGS) **
No full textThe Gopher tortoise is considered a keystone species as they create burrows that house over 300 different species of wildlife and play a vital role in the pollination process via scat dispersal. Therefore, it is imperative to encourage recruitment and survival of Gopher tortoise populations. Unfortunately, Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) populations have declined significantly in the past hundred years. This decline is due to multiple factors including but not limited to; predation (animal and human consumption), habitat destruction (degradation, fragmentation, climate warming, sea-level rise), human activity (urban expansion, tree harvest, gasoline in burrows, and poor habitat management) and introduced diseases. The purpose of this project is to conduct a demographic survey on a 2-year cohort of 174 Gopher tortoise hatchlings marked with Passive Integrated Transponders (PIT) tags and released during 2008-2009 at Reed Bingham State Park in Adel, Georgia. The survey will be limited to the Gopher Tortoise management area and Pioneer site at RBSP. A line sweep will be conducted on the areas all subadult and juvenile tortoise burrows and tortoises encountered will be recorded for data purposes. When encountered the Gopher Tortoise will be scanned for a PIT tag ID number and their weight, shell height, carapace width, and straight carapace length will be measured. Each recapture will have a record that includes the capture site\u27s flag or tag, GPS coordinates, date, weather information, and time of day. PIT tag identification number would be recorded for both individual identification purposes and to evaluate the tag’s usage over time. Results of this survey could provide demographic information on growth and survivability of Gopher tortoises and evaluate the reliability and usage of Passive Integrated Transponders over time in population monitoring.
ROLE OF REGULATORY MRNA STRUCTURES IN THE EXPRESSION OF CANCER-RELATED GENES**
No full textMessenger RNA (mRNA) translation, the synthesis of proteins based on genetic code, is an essential process in gene expression. Translation is often inhibited when cells are under stress, but there are mechanisms that allow certain genes to bypass stress-induced inhibition. Prior studies have identified a list of genes that disregard stress signals to continue mRNA translation using regulatory RNA structures to hijack the translational machinery. We hypothesize that stress-signals must alter the RNA structure to trigger structure-mediated mRNA translation. Our target genes include oncogenes HIF1A, FGF2, and tumor-suppressor gene TP53. We aim to amplify regulatory mRNA regions previously reported for each gene from A549 lung carcinoma cell lines. Next, we will build and compare structure models for regulatory regions under three conditions: (a) cell-free, (b) in-cell unstressed, and (c) in-cell stressed. For structure modeling we use SHAPE-MaP, a chemical-probing strategy analyzed using next-generation sequencing (NGS). We have successfully extracted, probed, and amplified the target regions using gene-specific primers, reverse transcription (RT), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We analyzed PCR products using gel electrophoresis. Here we describe our experimental workflow along with data from NGS library preparation. Applying NGS using the Illumina MiSeq platform on target mRNAs, we will build RNA secondary structures with Shapemapper2 and SuperFold software packages. Our long-term goal is to describe structure-based mechanisms by which translation of cancer-causing mRNAs can be blocked, and how translation in cancer-fighting mRNAs can be reengaged
VARIATION IN GROWTH RATES OF EASTERN BOX TURTLES (TERRAPENE CAROLINA CAROLINA) IN AN INVASIVE-DOMINATED HABITAT IN NORTH GEORGIA**
No full textHabitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation often leads to an increase in invasive, non-native plant species which can compete with native species for limiting resources, often reducing native biodiversity. Chinese privet (Ligustrom sinense) was introduced to the United States from China as an ornamental in the 19th century and is now a common invasive plant from Florida to Virginia and as far west as Texas and Oklahoma. Uncontrolled, Chinese privet (privet) can form dense understory stands that frequently shade out native plants and tree seedlings. The resulting monoculture may alter many ecological factors including hydrology, soil composition, vegetative food resources, and invertebrate community composition. Eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina), native to the eastern United States, are in decline throughout much of their range. Evidence shows that habitat loss and degradation are major contributing factors in the diminishing populations of Eastern Box Turtles (EBT). Habitat alterations have occurred in areas where Chinese privet and EBT ranges overlap; however, little data has been published regarding the impacts of privet on EBT ecology and physiology. Using morphological measurements collected on 37 EBT (19M, 18 F) radiotracked in northeastern Georgia between 2013-2022, we examined growth differences by sex and age class of individuals using habitats with varying amounts of privet coverage. Understanding how invasive habitats affect box turtle growth may be used to guide future conservation efforts and management decisions
REVISITING THE ENERGETICS HYPOTHESIS: CAN ACCELEROMETER MONITORING REVEAL HIDDEN VARIATION IN THE MOVEMENT PATTERNS OF SNAKES?
No full textHistorically, predators have been classified into two broad categories based upon how they search for and acquire prey. Active foragers move extensively through the environment in search of prey, while ambush foragers “sit-and-wait” in carefully selected positions for prey to pass within striking range. The clear difference in energetic demands between these strategies is expected to correlate with significant differences in the time species allocate to various behaviors. According to this energetics hypothesis, ambush foragers should exhibit reduced movement and space use relative to co-occurring active foragers, especially those of similar size. Snakes represent unique and traditionally overlooked model organisms for exploring these associations, particularly the interplay between movement, foraging mode, and thermal preferences. Radio telemetry has represented the primary tool for measuring snake movement and space use since the 1980’s, however, coarse measures of activity based on straight-line distances between relocation points hinder examination of the mechanisms that shape movement patterns at finer temporal scales. Our case study capitalizes on recently validated procedures integrating radio telemetry and accelerometry for continuous monitoring and recording of the spatial and temporal dimensions of movement behavior in snakes. Specifically, we will carry out an improved test of the energetics hypothesis by exploring associations between movement behavior, energetic requirements, and thermal profiles in ambush-foraging Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) and active-foraging Rat Snakes (Pantherophis alleghaniensis). This project will provide a blue-print for future hypothesis-driven studies on movement behavior in small and secretive species using emerging animal-borne datalogging technologies
THE EFFECT OF CALLERY PEAR (PYRUS CALLERYANA) ON SOIL MACROFAUNA (DIPLOPODA AND OLIGOCHAETA)**
No full textCallery pear (Pyrus calleryana) is a relatively recent invader of North America. Its ecological effects are still being explored, including those affecting soil macrofauna such as millipedes (Diplopoda) and earthworms (Clitellata: Oligochaeta). These animals play important roles in many soil processes so understanding how they respond to invasive species is vital to soil health. The goals of this study are two-fold: To determine the medium-term (3–4 years) effects of chemical control and to determine how soil macrofauna biodiversity is affected by the local plant community in the presence of invasive Callery pear. Soil fauna will be sampled using four methods for thorough investigation. 1) Leaf litter will be processed in Berlese funnels to draw out small millipedes. 2) Large millipedes will be collected on sight by hand. 3) Earthworms will be collected by digging soil monoliths and sorting through the soil by hand. 4) Additional earthworm collections will be done via the octet method, using an electroshock machine to drive fauna out of the ground. Surveying the plant communities and collecting soil for texture, pH, and C:N ratios will also help achieve the goals of this study. A previous study exploring potential herbicide control was completed in 2019, however as of 2022 there are still treatment zones with little to no Callery pear alongside fully invaded plots, providing an optimal habitat mosaic for comparison
PREPARING AND CHARACTERING PT AND PD SINGLE ATOM CATALYSTS ON ZrO2**
No full textCreating metal single atoms on irreducible oxide supports is a challenging but important research area. The purpose of this research is to prepare Pt and Pd single atom catalysts on the Zirconium Hydroxide supports. We prepared Pd catalysts with three different metal loadings on ZrO2 using a wetness impregnating method. In detail, xPt/ZrO2 catalysts (x wt.% =0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 wt.%) and xPd/ZrO2 catalysts (x wt.% = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 wt.%) were prepared using Pt(NO3)2 or Pd(NO3)2 solution and Zr(OH)x supports. We then tested our catalyst for single atom structure. To determine the state of Pt sites, in situ DRIFTS of CO adsorption was performed. IR frequencies (e.g., 2090 cm -1) assigned to CO adsorbed on Pt single atoms were observed on the samples. Similarly, IR frequencies (e.g., 2076 cm-1) for CO on Pd single sites were observed. These results indicate that single Pd species are present on the samples. After confirming the catalyst was single atom structure, we then tested to see how the prepared catalysts would deoxygenate certain gases. The gases that were deoxygenated for testing were Nitric Oxide and Carbon Dioxid
LATE PLEISTOCENE TURTLES FROM COASTAL GEORGIA
No full textThe Late Pleistocene fossil locality, Clark Quarry, was discovered in 2001 along the Brunswick Canal in Glynn County, Georgia. Since its discovery, excavations have yielded a variety of fossils representing 15 genera of amphibians, snakes, and lizards, 12 species of mammals, and 12 genera of birds. This collection of paleofauna is significant as it adds to our understanding of Georgia’s Late Pleistocene environmental conditions and biodiversity roughly 60,000 years ago. This study documents the turtle fauna from the locality. Turtles are non-migratory and therefore serve as reliable paleo-environmental indicators. Turtle fossils were collected in three ways: direct excavation at the quarry, wet screen washing, and dry sorting of concentrated quarry sediments. Taxa were identified based on comparison to modern specimens and literature descriptions. Identified species include the extinct Giant Land Tortoise, extinct Dwarf Land Tortoise, Musk Turtle, Pond Slider, River Cooter, Eastern Box Turtle, Diamondback Terrapin, Softshell Turtle, Common Snapper, and Chicken Turtle. These taxa suggest a dynamic environment containing several different habitats not significantly different from contemporary environments along the modern southeastern coastal plain. The tortoises and Eastern Box Turtle suggest an open, forested grassland environment. The modern distribution of the Diamondback Terrapin extends inland from the barrier islands to the farthest reaches of brackish water. Modern representatives of the other taxa occur in or at the edge of aquatic environments across Georgia’s coastal plain. As a whole, the turtle fauna suggests an environment similar to the one found today in Southeast Georgia with perhaps more open woodlands. This interpretation is reasonable in light of the reported occurrence of the Giant Bison and Columbian Mammoth from the same locality