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Politics of the Belly: Why People Participate in Election Violence
No full textBuilding on the model of clientelism, this study examines the incentives of party activists to participate in election violence. Specifically, it addresses the following fundamental question: Why do party activists participate in election violence that directly benefits the party elites? Fieldwork was conducted in Ghana over a 4-month period, with the researcher living in three different election violence-prone constituencies and interviewing party activists. Drawing insights from 158 interviewees consisting of party activists and supporters of the two major political parties in Ghana, the study finds that when it is difficult for people to access the state without a party card, they may seek affiliation with a political party in return for special favors. However, affiliation alone is insufficient to ensure exclusive access to state resources, given the large number of party members. Thus, individuals must work hard (i.e., engage in visible activities) to be assessed for the exclusive reward. So, to be visible and eligible for the selective reward, some party activists engage in violence to demonstrate their value and commitment to the party. This research contributes to the understanding of clientelism as an agent model of election violence at the lower level, explaining how political elites and party supporters co-produce election violence. It also highlights the election security challenges faced by emerging democracies. Creating inclusive governance, building trust in the electoral system, and establishing proper electoral resolution systems to address electoral conflicts will significantly help reduce party activists' incentives to participate in election violence
Culturally informed literacy instruction: A case study provisionally licensed speical educators
Full text linkThis study explored the implementation of state-mandated culturally informed literacy instruction policies by special educators. Utilizing Butler et al.'s Alignment Framework and Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT), the research examined state documents and special educators’ lived experiences on both macro- and micro-levels impacting the implementation of culturally informed literacy instruction.Findings revealed significant discrepancies between policy intentions and classroom practices. Despite mandates emphasizing cultural responsiveness, educators faced challenges such as inadequate resources, insufficient training, and limited administrative support. Teachers adapted policies to fit their classroom contexts, integrating culturally relevant texts and differentiated instruction. However, these efforts were often hampered by systemic challenges. The study underscored the complex relationship between macro-level policies and micro-level practices, advocating for a more integrated approach to culturally informed literacy instruction in special education
Merchant Elites: Habitual Activity Through Cross-Sectional Geometry at the Postclassic Maya Site of Santa Rita Corozal
Full text linkCross-sectional geometry allows bioarchaeologists to understand the activity patterns of archaeological populations. In this study cross-sectional geometry is used to understand the habitual activity at Santa Rita Corozal during the Postclassic period. Results show that males at the site maintained long-distance networks of exchange, albeit to different degrees. Females at the site continued to serve domestic roles that correspond with previous archaeological and ethnohistorical research at Maya sites. Furthermore, compared to the Classic period, labor investment by elites at this site increased reflecting recent archaeological research demonstrating a changing political economy during the Postclassic period
Combinatorial Aspects of the Alternating Sign Matrix Polytope
Full text linkThe Alternating Sign Matrix Polytope, is the convex hull of matrices whose entries are 0, 1, and -1, whose non-zero entries alternate in sign, and whose row and column sums are 1. These polytopes were initially defined by Striker, and by Behrend and Knight. Brualdi and Dahl, as well as Lascoux, initiated the study of paths in the graph of the polytope. As with the earlier authors, we are looking for an upper bound on the distance in the graph from an to the nearest permutation matrix. We will also investigate the combinatorial properties of faces of the polytope
ACTIVITY THEORY AND THE DESIGNATION OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AS TACTICAL TECHNICAL COMMUNICATORS: FEMALE VETERAN FARMERS AS KNOWLEDGE-MAKERS IN THE USE OF AGRICULTURE TOOLS
Full text linkABSTRACTACTIVITY THEORY AND THE DESIGNATION OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS AS TACTICAL TECHNICAL COMMUNICATORS: FEMALE VETERAN FARMERS AS KNOWLEDGE-MAKERS IN THE USE OF AGRICULTURE TOOLS H. Ellie Donodeo, M.S. George Mason University, 2024 Dissertation Director: Dr. Isidore Kafui Dorpenyo This research uses a multi-method design ethnography methodology combined with thematic analysis and an activity theory framework to empower female veteran farmers as knowledge-makers in the use of agriculture tools. I combine Miles Kimball’s call for tactical technical communicators integration into technical communications and Emma Rose’s request for methods to designate minoritized groups as knowledge-makers in the use of technologies to answer, “How do female veteran farmers’ everyday practices and means of doing contribute to knowledge of the use of agriculture tools?” I theorize that female veterans habitually use metis during military service, particularly in relation to tools not designed for their bodies, and carry that metis into agriculture and other masculine-dominated career fields. The combination of activity theory and thematic analysis provides the means to designate knowledge-makers and tactical technical communicators in the use of tools
Targeting a Non-Structural Viral Protease That Plays an Essential Role in Alphavirus Infection to Develop a Broad-Spectrum Therapeutic Strategy Against Alphaviruses
No full textThis work is embargoed by the author and will not be publicly available until May 2029.Alphaviruses, including Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV), western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV), Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), and Sindbis virus (SINV), are mosquito-transmitted viruses that cause disease in humans. VEEV, EEEV, and WEEV are endemic to the western hemisphere and cause encephalitis, while CHIKV and SINV cause arthralgia. CHIKV and SINV are endemic to the eastern hemisphere, but CHIKV has spread to the Americas and has become endemic in Central and South America. There are currently no FDA-approved vaccines or antiviral therapeutics to treat disease caused by these alphaviruses. We have worked testing small molecule inhibitors that target the alphaviruses nsP2 protease via the covalent mode of action. The nsP2 protease is critical for viral replication. Without it, the non-structural polyprotein is not processed into functional components for viral replication. Here we examined five compounds that inhibit the nsP2 protease in a preclinical pipeline which tests efficacy in vitro, in an organ-on-a-chip model (OOC) of the blood-brain-barrier (BBB) and in an in vivo mouse model. Initial in vitro studies of cytotoxicity and antiviral efficacy against VEEV TC-83 led to down selection from five compounds to two with the highest selectivity index. Mechanism of action studies confirm that the nsP2 protease inhibitors prevent processing of the nonstructural polyprotein and inhibit negative-strand RNA synthesis required for productive infection. These two inhibitors also show broad-spectrum activity against new-world and old-world alphaviruses. In our OOC of the BBB, these compounds reduce permeability of the barrier and reduce VEEV TrD replication in the brain and vascular compartments. Additionally, these compounds reduce proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines at the protein and genes expression levels in the OOC and prevent the downregulation of tight-junction proteins during infection. During in vivo studies, these compounds were found to be non-toxic in mice and provide protection from infection in a VEEV TC-83 lethal mouse model. Treatment with the nsP2 protease inhibitors also result in a reduction in viral load in the brain and lung tissues of infected mice. Overall, preclinical assessment of the nsP2 protease demonstrates their ability to inhibit alphaviruses in vitro, VEEV TrD in a human OOC model of the BBB, and VEEV TC-83 in a lethal mouse model.2029-05-1
Understanding Culture and Women's Work
Full text linkMy dissertation examines the relationship between culture and women's decisions regarding work. Drawing from the fields of Austrian economics and economic sociology, I examine the role of informal norms, customs, and traditions in shaping economic behavior. And to accomplish this, I rely on both quantitative and qualitative methods, examining empirical evidence, historical archives, ethnographic collections, surveys, and interviews. The discourse surrounding women’s participation in the workforce has evolved from merely economic considerations to a multifaceted exploration of cultural norms, social dynamics, and institutional structures. This transformation reflects a growing recognition of the interplay between culture, social change, and women’s work. Understanding the relationship between culture and social change is essential for understanding the drivers of gender disparities in the labor market. It also reveals the strengths and weaknesses of various policies and interventions aimed at promoting gender equality. By adopting a multidisciplinary approach, I aim to identify the mechanisms through which cultural norms, beliefs, and practices influence women’s decisions regarding work, while simultaneously exploring how changes in women’s work shape broader cultural shifts. The opening chapter explores the question: How do we achieve lasting social change? Lasting change is often observed after cultural shifts, technological change, and formal legislation is passed, but how these factors work together, or in opposition, of change is harder to disentangle. Are top-down efforts necessary to shake up the status quo, or must culture and norms drive change from the bottom-up? This chapter explores these questions by attempting to understand the top-down government efforts to advance women’s liberation in Cuba between 1960 and 1980. The second chapter shifts the focus to contemporary society and examines the emergence of social media influencing. It explores the role of influence in society over time, how influencers are entrepreneurs and their role in the competitive market process and analyzes why women have been able to dominate this modern market. We argue that the flexibility and remote nature of social media give women (1) more options than traditional jobs, by lowering the cost of entry and sustainability of careers, as well as (2) more options for building community. The third chapter examines the role that language plays in shaping culture, social norms, and social change over time. Given the role of language in influencing and being influenced by the social world, it can be a powerful tool for bottom-up social change. Specifically, this chapter explores how language influences views on gender, gender norms, labor participation, and occupational sorting
ENHANCING KIDNEY TRANSPLANTATION OUTCOMES THROUGH PRECISION IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE THERAPY: A MACHINE LEARNING APPROACH
Full text linkImmunosuppressive therapy is vital for the success of a kidney transplant, yet it entails potential risks and side effects. The challenge lies in finding the right balance between suppressing the immune response enough to prevent rejection while minimizing the risk of infections, organ toxicity, and other complications associated with long-term immunosuppression. This study leverages machine learning to predict optimal immunosuppressive therapies in kidney transplantation. Using data from the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS) national registry (2010 - 2021), diverse patient cohorts were examined to assess predictive model generalizability. Model performance was evaluated using diverse metrics, with Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) values adding interpretation through summary plots. This research sheds light on the potential of data-driven approaches to enhance personalized medicine in the field of kidney transplantation, ultimately aiming to improve patient outcomes and long-term graft survival
Harvesting Home: Economies, Gender, and Identity in the Crop Over Festival
Full text linkIn 1974, the former Harvest Home festival in Barbados was revived and rebranded as the Crop Over Festival under the direction of the country’s Board of Tourism. The 8-week festival was heralded as a celebration of Barbadian history, culture, and tradition. While new in its branding, the festival’s roots harkened back to the island’s end-of-harvest festival dating back to plantation mills in the late 1700s. Organized by the Tourism Board, the summer festival aimed to celebrate culture and nationhood, seeking to boost the island’s visitor numbers during what had historically been referred to as the “hard times.” Building upon this historical foundation, this dissertation analyzes the Crop Over Festival and its role in navigating the island’s postcolonial condition. Specifically, it examines the spaces for identity-making, economic independence, and gendered labor that are reproduced in an attempt to construct a postcolonial identity while sometimes holding on to colonial vestiges
Activist Museums - History, Memory, and the Politics of Exhibition
Full text linkA growing trend for history museums in the 21st century has seen a move away from traditional, object-based, politically neutral exhibitions to more idea-based and explicitly political exhibitions. I call these museums, “activist museums” because of the work they do to connect the past and present with a specific future. This project examines activist history museums from the United States and Canada that have been influential in their local, national, and international contexts and aims to capture the ways these museums have utilized the museum form to shape and challenge dominant historical discourse(s) and political subject formation(s) by centering memories and histories that are left out or marginalized within the national imaginary, employing alternative temporalities to challenge those narratives, and encouraging visitors to become activists themselves. I argue that they use their visibility and their potential audiences to subvert and challenge the museum form for their different political projects