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“Mare Sentiw, Mete de pyew atè”: Contemporary Haitian Conceptualizations of Mothering, Autonomy, and Reproductive Decision-Making
No full textIn the afterlife of slavery, Haiti’s political, economic, and environmental conditions have created circumstances where many Haitian women grapple with their reproductive decision-making within restrictive environments. Today, Haitian women are widely considered the “Poto mitan” (central Pillars) of Haiti. They play a major role in Haiti’s economy, culture, and society. Despite this positioning, conversations surrounding their lives in relation to autonomy often paint them only in crisis and incapable of creating a life where autonomy is possible. This thesis makes the case that this misrepresentation is the result of the measurement of Haitian women’s decisionmaking practices through Eurocentric understandings of reproductive and bodily autonomy. More specifically, this thesis examines how Haitian mothers’ reproductive decision-making practices in restrictive modern-day Haiti can expand or challenge common understanding of autonomy as it relates to mothering and reproductive justice. Grounded in critical analysis of theory and 6 qualitative interviews with Haitian mothers living in Haiti and the United States, this body of work inquiries into the various ways that Haitian mothers enact alternative modes of autonomy to take control of their lives and the lives of their families under circumstances where they lack economic and institutional resources. The title of this thesis, “Mare sentiw, Mete de pyew atè,” is a Haitian saying which essentially means to brace yourself and stand firmly in reality. This is a saying that many of the interviewed mothers used to describe the mindset Haitian mothers must take to be able to mother in modern-day Haiti. By exploring alternative conceptualizations of autonomy and motherhood, this thesis offers a nuanced understanding of Haitian women’s agency and relationship to reproductive justice beyond the narrow confines of abortion advocacy and underscores the importance of contextualizing their experiences within broader socio-political contexts
JWST-TSTHigh Contrast: Asymmetries, Dust Populations, and Hints of a Collision in the β Pictoris Disk with NIRCam and MIRI
Get PDFWe present the first JWST Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) and Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) observations of the prominent debris disk around β Pictoris. Coronagraphic observations in eight filters spanning from 1.8 to 23 μm provide an unprecedentedly clear view of the disk at these wavelengths. The objectives of the observing program were to investigate the dust composition and distribution and to investigate the presence of planets in the system. In this paper, we focus on the disk components, providing surface brightness measurements for all images and a detailed investigation of the asymmetries observed. A companion paper by Kammerer et al. will focus on the planets in this system using the same data. We report for the first time the presence of an extended secondary disk in thermal emission, with a curved extension bent away from the plane of the disk. This feature, which we refer to as the “cat’s tail,” seems to be connected with the previously reported CO clump, mid-infrared asymmetry detected on the southwest side of the disk, and the warp observed in scattered light. We present a model of this secondary disk sporadically producing dust that broadly reproduces the morphology, flux, and color of the cat’s tail, as well as other features observed in the disk, and which suggests the secondary disk is composed largely of porous, organic refractory dust grains
Platform-Independent Estimation of Human Physiological Time from Single Blood Samples
Get PDFAbundant epidemiological evidence links circadian rhythms to human health, from heart disease to neurodegeneration. Accurate determination of an individual\u27s circadian phase is critical for precision diagnostics and personalized timing of therapeutic interventions. To date, however, we still lack an assay for physiological time that is accurate, minimally burdensome to the patient, and readily generalizable to new data. Here, we present TimeMachine, an algorithm to predict the human circadian phase using gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from a single blood draw. Once trained on data from a single study, we validated the trained predictor against four independent datasets with distinct experimental protocols and assay platforms, demonstrating that it can be applied generalizably. Importantly, TimeMachine predicted circadian time with a median absolute error ranging from 1.65 to 2.7 h, regardless of systematic differences in experimental protocol and assay platform, without renormalizing the data or retraining the predictor. This feature enables it to be flexibly applied to both new samples and existing data without limitations on the transcriptomic profiling technology (microarray, RNAseq). We benchmark TimeMachine against competing approaches and identify the algorithmic features that contribute to its performance
Design Framework for Thermal Energy Storage Integrated with Geothermal and Energy Transfer
No full textAiming to reach carbon neutrality in 2030, Smith College is transforming to geothermal energy for campus heating and cooling by replacing the aging fossil-fuel-fired steam heating system. To evaluate the potential associated with borehole drilling and heat pump installation, it is proposed to utilize thermal energy storage (TES). This thesis modeled the integration of TES into ground-source geothermal heating systems, applied sensitivity analysis on borehole parameters and design operating variables, evaluated the capital cost for a specific case at the Smith College Field House, and provided a recommended target TES cost to which future proposed TES materials can be compared. With integration of TES to shift up to 20% of the hourly peak load at the Field House, the total borehole depth L could be reduced. A maximum unit price of $ 56.5/kWh is required for any proposed TES material. Future work is recommended to conduct a life cycle cost analysis that includes the operational cost to further leverage TES by shifting the on-peak load
Shattering the Imperial Document: Fractured Speech in Contemporary American Experimental Longform Poetry
No full textConcussions in Paralympic Sports: A Systematic Review
Get PDF› Introduction: The Paralympic movement has grown rapidly over the last few years. As participation in Para sports increases, so do its sport-related injuries. A particular injury constitutes sport-related concussions (SRC). However, the data regarding its epidemiology in Para sports has been inadequately researched. Therefore, this review aimed to investigate the occurrence of SRC in Para sports. › Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. › Results: 13 articles were included in this review. Wheelchair Basketball, Sledge Hockey, Blind Football, Para Swimming, Para Judo, and Para Skiing are most commonly affected by SRC. Sledge hockey reported 4.5 SRC per 1000 athlete sports exposure hours (AEH) and Para Swimming reported 0.5-0.6 SRC per 1000 AEH. Visually impaired athletes reported 1.24 SRC per 1000 AEH. Women reported 0.8 SRC per 1000 AEH whereas men reported 0.3 per 1000 AEH. › Discussion: Para sports such as Wheelchair Basketball, Sledge Hockey, Blind Football, Para Swimming, Para Judo, and Para Skiing are differently affected by SRC compared to non Para sports. The increased incidence in Para Swimming and visually impaired athletes can be explained by the respective conditions due to different disabilities. The high incidence of SRC in women is similar to observations in non Para sports. Despite reported studies, SRC in Para sports may still be underreported
Reframing “climate refugees” by dismantling the racialization of Northern Triangle migrants
No full textThis thesis focuses on the racialization of climate refugees of the Northern Triangle - El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. It addresses the historical backdrop of the Northern Triangle due to the legacy of Spanish colonization and US intervention, both of which contributed to the push factors of Central American migration. The key finding is that Central Americans are displaced internally, before migrating to the North. With Honduras and Guatemala facing Hurricanes Eta and Iota in 2020, along with COVID-19, it became evident that natural disasters lead to a surge in food insecurity. This surge propelled displacement of the inhabitants, first internally and then externally. Moreover, studying the case of Hurricane Katrina serves as a road map to understand how the racialization of People of Color and the term “refugee is prominent in the treatment of migrants. Without the US acknowledging responsibility for its role in expediting climate change, Central Americans will continue to bear the dire consequences
The Influence of Habitual Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior on Objective and Subjective Hot Flashes at Midlife
Get PDFThe years surrounding the transition to menopause are marked by multiple challenges to health. Hot flashes are a commonly reported symptom of women at this time and their frequency has been associated with disease risk. Regular physical activity and reduced sedentary time are recommended for health and wellbeing. However, the effect of physical activity and sedentary behavior on hot flashes remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate relationships between physical activity, sedentary time and hot flashes during both waking and sleeping periods using concurrent objective and subjective measures of hot flashes in midlife women. METHODS: Women aged 45-55 (n=196) provided self-reported data on physical activity and underwent 24-hours of hot flash monitoring using sternal skin conductance. Participants used event marking and logs to indicate when hot flashes were perceived. Wake and sleep periods were defined by actigraphy. Mean ambient temperature and humidity were recorded during the study period. Generalized linear regression modeling was used to evaluate the effect of physical activity types and sedentary time on hot flash outcomes. Isotemporal substitution modeling was used to study the effect of replacing sedentary time with activity variables on hot flash frequency. RESULTS: Modeled results indicated that increasing sitting by one hour was associated with a 7% increase in the rate of objectively measured but not subjectively reported hot flashes during sleep. Replacing one hour of sitting with one hour of vigorous activity was associated with a 100% increase in subjectively reported but not objectively measured waking hot flashes. There was little evidence for an effect of temperature or humidity on any hot flash outcome. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide support for relations between sedentary time, physical activity and hot flashes and highlight the importance of using objective and subjective assessments to better understand the 24-hour hot flash experience