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THE EFFECT OF MATERNAL STRESSORS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE FETAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
No full textMaternal stress (MS) during pregnancy is a critical factor influencing fetal development, with implications for the long-term health of offspring. This thesis investigates the biological, neuroendocrine, psychological, and sociocultural mechanisms by which maternal stress exerts its effects on the gestational environment, in turn affecting fetal growth, brain development, and neurobehavioral trajectories. Drawing on data from human cohort studies, animal models, neuroimaging research, and sociocultural analyses, I developed two novel conceptual frameworks, the Allostatic Load Cascade Model and the Neuroimmune Placental Convergence Model, that can be used to explain how different types of stressors dysregulate maternal physiology and immune function, leading to placental dysfunction and increased fetal exposure to cortisol, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative stress. These gestational disruptions contribute to adverse fetal outcomes, including reduced birth weight, shortened gestational periods, impaired cortical maturation, and altered brain connectivity in regions associated with emotional regulation and executive function. Understanding these mechanisms creates a foundation for targeted intervention strategies discussed in the context of early detection of MS and prevention of negative fetal outcomes. These strategies include screening for biomarkers indicative of maladaptive levels of MS (i.e., maternal cortisol, C-reactive protein levels, pro-inflammatory cytokine levels), fetal neuroimaging in utero, pharmacological interventions for the pregnant individual such as SSRIs, and culturally sensitive psychosocial support that addresses both psychological and sociocultural stressors. Despite research progress in understanding how maternal stress influences fetal health, critical gaps remain. There is currently no consensus on which maternal stressors are the most predictive of fetal risk, how they should be measured, and how they may vary across populations. This lack of standardization limits their clinical utility in prenatal screening. Additionally, many studies do not integrate cultural, environmental, and social dimensions of MS, or follow offspring beyond early childhood. This literature review emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary, longitudinal, and equity-centered approaches to maternal-fetal health and highlights opportunities to reduce the impact of MS and promote healthier development across generations through combining biological insight with sociocultural context and aligning mechanistic models with practical screening and support strategies
A comparison of stress indicators in Gambel’s White-crowned Sparrow and California Towhee populations in natural and suburban habitats
No full textUrbanization continues to alter natural landscapes at an accelerating rate, often threatening native biodiversity and reshaping wildlife habitats. This study aims to assess the habitat suitability of natural and suburban areas by using heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (H/L) and body condition as a medium-term measure of stress levels in two common Southern California songbirds, Gambel’s White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii), a migratory species found along the West Coast from Southern Oregon to California, and the California Towhee (Melozone crissalis), a year-round resident of California. We compared populations in two environments: a protected natural habitat at the Robert J. Bernard Biological Field Station (BFS), and a suburban neighborhood in Claremont, California. We predicted that both White-crowned Sparrows and California Towhees would have higher H/L ratios and lower body condition in the suburbs compared to the BFS. Field data collected in the spring and fall of 2024 included using automated cameras to observe banded birds, standard bird-banding procedures on captured birds, morphometric measurements, and blood smears that were analyzed in the lab to count for heterophils and lymphocytes. Contrary to our prediction, White-crowned Sparrow H/L ratios were lower in suburban areas than in the BFS, suggesting they experienced lower stress in the suburbs. No such effects were observed in California Towhees. In addition, body condition did not differ between sites for either species. However, White-crowned Sparrows had poorer body condition in the fall than in the spring, perhaps because of recent weight loss during fall migration. This ongoing research will explore how the expansion of urban areas affects stress and habitat quality for these species
Stable Isotope Analysis and Localization of Copper Carbonates (Malachite and Azurite) within the Bisbee-Warren Mining Region, Arizona
No full textThis thesis investigates the geologic history of malachite and azurite samples in the mineral collection of the Pomona College Geology Department, utilizing stable carbon and oxygen isotopes. Samples in this study are concentrated in the copper-rich Southwestern United States, particularly around the historically significant Bisbee-Warren mining district in Arizona. Malachite(Cu₂CO₃(OH)₂) and azurite (Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂) are copper carbonate minerals that form as pseudomorphs under various environmental conditions. These minerals crystallize in oxidized zones of copper ore deposits and display diverse crystal habits reflective of unique formation conditions with influences from formation fluid, depth of mineralization, carbonate activity, and atmospheric CO₂. Given the extensively undocumented nature of the collection, a major goal of the thesis was to test whether stable isotope signatures could serve as a geochemical fingerprint for provenance. Analysis of stable oxygen and carbon isotope ratios of carbon dioxide liberated from selected malachite and azurites show a broad trend of increasing oxygen-18 values correlated with decreasing carbon-13 values, with most malachites reflecting near-surface, meteoric water-influenced environments. Isotopic analysis of azurite-malachite pseudomorphs exhibited additional trending, with azurite consistently higher in oxygen-18 and carbon-13 than its malachite counterparts. These isotopic offsets reinforce the understanding of environmental transitions during pseudomorphic transformation. The narrow clustering of isotopic results provides strong evidence to support the hypothesis that the majority of the samples studied originated from the Southwestern U.S. This thesis integrates mineralogical observations with stable isotope geochemistry to study the environmental conditions under copper carbonate formation to help trace their geographic origin
Latino Health Care Disparities: Examining the Stress-Induced Effects on the Human Body
No full textChronic psychosocial stress is known to impact gut microbiota and long-term health. Undocumented Latino populations—particularly Guatemalans—face heightened stress due to legal precarity, limited healthcare access, and socioeconomic hardship. We hypothesize that undocumented Guatemalan Latinos experience greater gut microbiota disruption due to higher stress levels and unhealthy coping mechanisms, increasing their vulnerability to chronic diseases.This 10-week mixed-method study included Guatemalan and Mexican participants, both documented and undocumented. Psychosocial stress was measured using a culturally adapted plática-style administration of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), alongside a coping questionnaire. Biological data included blood pressure, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, and stool samples analyzed via 16S rRNA sequencing. Gut microbial diversity was assessed through Shannon Index (alpha diversity) and PCA (beta diversity). Undocumented Guatemalan participants reported the highest PSS scores and exhibited the lowest gut microbial diversity. Beta diversity analyses revealed distinct clustering patterns for undocumented groups, suggesting compositional shifts in their microbiota. Additionally, this group showed elevated blood pressure and CRP levels compared to all others. Undocumented Guatemalan Latinos appear to experience worsened stress-related health risks, reflected in both self-reported stress and biological indicators. These disruptions in gut microbial diversity and inflammation-related biomarkers may contribute to increased chronic disease susceptibility. In order to improve outcomes for this vulnerable population, structural inequities and enhancement of culturally responsive mental and gut health interventions are needed to be improved
Language and the Navigation of Individual Understandings of Multiracial Belonging in Hong Kong
Full text linkThis thesis explores how self-identified multiracial individuals in Hong Kong navigate identity, belonging, and community within the city’s unique historical, political, and cultural landscape. Through interviews with young adults who grew up in Hong Kong, the project examines how language, family dynamics, schooling, and social spaces shape the formation and performance of multiracial identities. It argues that although Hong Kong’s environment offers a degree of fluidity, societal expectations, language hierarchies, and shifting political dynamics often challenge this flexibility. Moreover, Cantonese emerged as a key site where cultural competency, belonging and acceptance intersect, highlighting the tension for multiracial individuals when trying to balance a sense of belonging with societal expectations. This suggests that in Hong Kong, belonging is negotiated through language and cultural fluency and is not a fixed state. Rather, it is an ongoing process constantly being negotiated across personal and public spaces and influenced by both local and transnational forces
Spells of Resistance: Witchcraft, Power, and the Politics of Identity
No full textThis thesis explores the historical development of identity formation in Western culture. I argue that the modern understanding of the self is largely shaped by systems of power, particularly disciplinary power, as theorized by Michel Foucault. Tracing the shift from sovereign power to disciplinary power, showing how institutions like prisons, schools, and medical facilities utilize techniques like surveillance and examination to produce normalized and governable subjects, these external forces deeply affect a person\u27s inner relationship to their subjecthood. Using the genealogy of sexuality as an example for how confession evolved into scientific discourse to categorize and control individuals, these historys can give us more agency in deciding how we want to self-constitute. Finally, the thesis examines modern Witchcraft as a form of resistance to these normalizing forces, highlighting how spiritual practices and reclaiming the word ‘Witch’ as an identity can offer alternative ways of knowing and being, fostering community, healing, and self-constitution outside dominant frameworks
They Themself Said: An Innovative Grammar of Reflexive They
No full textSingular they, particularly in its use for nonbinary individuals, has become both more well-known and well discussed in recent years, and past research has picked out innovative grammars that include the innovative reflexive form themself. This paper collects and analyzes data from syntactic elicitation of an innovative grammar, using a framework of multiple different theories of binding. It shows that the innovative singular reflexive pronoun is preferred for singular antecedents, while the conservative plural reflexive is preferred for plural antecedents, and delves into more complex interactions of structure and agreement. Overall, this paper shows that this innovative grammar has fairly consistent grammaticality judgments, ones which may serve to disrupt or provide interesting challenges to existing theories of binding, particularly those based in Minimalist Agree
I miss my teeth; I feel your teeth
Full text linkI miss my teeth and I feel your teeth are two projects that build on one another in an exploration of the mouth as a vessel for embodied experience and interpersonal translation. These pieces represent the mouth as an ever-changing landscape, one that requires multisensorial modes of understanding. I feel your teeth counters overreliance on the visual, introducing gum-chewing as a way to comprehend the translation from the visual to the tactile and back to the visual
Not in My Community: Exploring the Hidden Human Trafficking Network in San Diego, California
No full textHuman trafficking is one of the most serious human rights issues of our time. Trafficking is widespread, profitable, and devastating in its impact. This thesis takes a closer look at the complex trafficking landscape in the United States, focusing specifically on San Diego County, California. As a region shaped by its proximity to the border, vibrant tourism industry, and active gang presence, San Diego offers a unique lens through which to understand how trafficking operates. San Diego’s geographic and demographic features are central to its role as a hotspot for both labor and sex trafficking.
The thesis studies the broader history of human trafficking in the US and narrows in on how it has evolved in San Diego. It draws on legal documents, historical records, sociopolitical analysis, and empirical research to examine the different types of trafficking, the stages victims experience, and the systems traffickers use.
This thesis also examines existing laws, public opinions, and governmental and non-governmental responses at international, national, and local levels, identifying key gaps in policy, data collection, and victim support and offering actionable recommendations to build more effective, victim-centered solutions. This thesis aims to show how understanding the local context is crucial for addressing trafficking and making real progress in the fight against it
You Lose, You Lag: Evidence from 2020 and 2024 on U.S. Partisan Bias, Presidential Election Defeat, and Perceived Future Real Income
Full text linkRecent presidential elections, in particular the two most recent ones, have revealed striking partisan divides, not only in political attitudes but also in household economic expectations. This study investigates how partisan electoral loss shapes perceived changes in real income across income groups, using data from the University of Michigan Survey of Consumers surrounding the 2020 and 2024 U.S. presidential elections. I employ ordered logistic regression models for the baseline models and generalized ordered logistic regression models for those models with pertinent demographic controls in order to analyze the probability of respondents expecting real income losses, stability, or gains, respectively. Generating predictive probabilities for the typical voter with each specification, the results show that following partisan defeat, optimism among poor Republicans in 2020 fell by nearly 40%, while the likelihood of pessimism rose by 16 percentage points to approximately 58%. In 2024, poor Democrats exhibited a 60% collapse in optimism and a 40% surge in pessimism. These shifts persist after accounting for education, sex, and age, suggesting that political identity, rather than demographic composition, primarily drives expectation changes. The findings highlight that elections materially influence economic perceptions, which, in turn, shape broader narratives circulated through the financial press. Understanding these partisan biases is essential for researchers modeling consumer sentiment, policymakers interpreting survey data, and investors anticipating post-election market behavior