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Dinner Was Literally Garbage: Tracking Inter-Annual Trends in Plastic Ingestion by Hawaiian Laysan Albatrosses
No full textPlastic pollution in the world\u27s oceans poses significant threats to marine ecosystems, with seabirds like the Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) particularly susceptible due to their surface foraging behaviors. This study examines the inter-annual variation in plastic ingestion by Hawaiian Laysan albatrosses, focusing on bolus contents collected between 2020 and 2023 from two breeding colonies in Oahu, Hawaii. A total of 59 boluses were analyzed for natural and non-natural materials, with plastics consistently present across all years. Plastic fragments were the most frequent non-natural item, followed by filaments and rope, although the relative proportions varied annually. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in bolus contents between years (p=0.002), particularly between 2021 and 2023 (p=0.005). No significant differences were found between the two colonies, suggesting overlapping foraging ranges and similar exposure to pollution. The results highlight the persistent and varying presence of marine debris, with the marked divergence in 2023 potentially reflecting shifts in oceanic pollution patterns or foraging behavior. These findings highlight the need for continued monitoring of plastic ingestion trends and their ecological implications, as well as the integration of environmental datasets to better understand the drivers of such variations
Racial Health Disparities Among Pregnant Women of Color in New York City: Biological and Systemic Impacts
Get PDFRacial Health Disparities Among Pregnant Women of Color in New York City: Biological and Systemic Impacts
Abstract
This thesis aims to explore how racial health disparities, underrepresentation in gynecology, and socioeconomic barriers contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes among women of color in New York City. Through an interdisciplinary approach that combines resources from medical anthropology and human biology, this research will examine the biological implications of chronic stress, specifically HPA axis dysregulation, and its role in maternal health outcomes. With the idea of intersectionality, as conceptualized by Kimberlé Crenshaw, the study analyzes the various effects of systemic inequities and social determinants on maternal health, analyzing how chronic stress that is linked to racial discrimination can dysregulate cortisol levels and contributes to negative outcomes like preterm birth and low birth weight. This work examines the historical inequities in maternal healthcare and assesses how they continue today through factors such as provider demographics, systematic discrimination, and economic burdens. It explores the structural barriers to reproductive justice for women of color and analyzes how these obstacles limit access to culturally competent and affordable care. By synthesizing both systemic and biological factors, the thesis exposes root causes of these health disparities and proposes actionable solutions for the future. These include increasing healthcare workforce diversity, providing younger generations with access to higher education, implementing culturally sensitive support programs, and integrating both medical and community-based stress reduction interventions. This approach aims to bridge racial health gaps and advocate for systemic changes to improve healthcare access and maternal outcomes for women of color in New York City and other culturally dense urban areas
Examining the Impact of Partisan News Coverage and Negative Campaign Advertising on Polarization in the United States and United Kingdom among Millennials and Generation Z
No full textThis thesis examines how partisan news coverage and negative campaign advertising affect political polarization among Millennials and Generation Z in the United States and the United Kingdom. Through comparative analysis of media regulatory frameworks, political cultures, and case studies, this thesis demonstrates that while both nations face increasing political division in the digital age, their distinct approaches to media oversight produce notably different outcomes. The UK\u27s more centralized regulatory system and strong public broadcasting tradition help moderate polarizing effects. Conversely, the US\u27s decentralized, market-driven approach, combined with unlimited campaign spending, enables deeper partisan divisions. Although both countries struggle to adapt regulations to digital platforms, where younger generations increasingly consume political content, the UK\u27s emphasis on impartial coverage and spending limits provides greater resilience against extreme polarization. The findings suggest that effective responses to political polarization must address both structural factors, like media regulation and campaign finance rules, and cultural elements that shape how younger citizens engage with political information in an increasingly digital environment. This research reveals how institutional frameworks and cultural traditions influence the relationship between media and political polarization among rising generations of voters
State Film Incentive Effectiveness: Analyzing Television and Film Production Response to Standard Incentives, Economic Conditions, and Program Structure
No full textIn this study, I replicate and extend Button\u27s (2019) analysis of state film incentives (SFIs) using state-of-the-art difference-in-differences (DiD) techniques (Roth et al., 2023). I analyze how incentive structure and varying unemployment conditions affect SFIs\u27 impact on film and television production in the United States. I find that SFIs significantly increase television series production by 23.0% and new episode creation by 26.4%, while showing no meaningful effect on movie production. These results align with Button\u27s core findings but now are examined through more robust econometric methods. I extend the analysis by considering both economic conditions and program structure. During periods of high unemployment, SFI effectiveness increases substantially with total effects on television production reaching 34.4%, compared to 18.6% during normal unemployment conditions. I also find that transferable tax credit structures have greater effects than refundable credits, with the variable TV Series increasing by 32.9% compared to 19.7% for refundable structures. My findings conclude that states should focus their incentive programs specifically on television production
Startup Equity to Stock Exchange: Key Drivers in Venture-Backed IPO Journeys
Get PDFThis study investigates the components that shape the probability of a venture capital (VC) backed company’s ability to transition from private to public markets through an Initial Public Offering (IPO). The study employs logistic regression models to analyze firm-specific and funding-related determinants of IPO likelihood. Key predictors in this study include total VC funding, number of VC rounds, average deal size growth, size of first round, average days between rounds, company age, number of employees, and primary industry sector. The findings reveal that higher total funding increases IPO likelihood, highlighting the critical role of robust capital access in fueling growth and preparedness to transition to public markets. Accelerated funding, indicated by a lower average number of days between venture rounds, emerges as a positive predictor of IPO likelihood, underscoring the importance of momentum in sustaining a company’s growth. Conversely, a higher number of total venture funding rounds negatively impacts IPO likelihood, reflecting internal challenges necessitating recurring capital injections and issues resulting from equity dilution. Company maturity and a larger employee base both positively influence IPO outcomes, indicating that organizational scale and operational stability are vital for a transition from private to public markets. A sectoral analysis identifies Healthcare, Information Technology, and Energy as conducive environments for higher IPO likelihood. Addressing gaps in existing literature, these results provide a strategic framework for venture capital firms to optimize their funding rounds and investment portfolios by targeting high-growth sectors, streamlining funding timelines, and prioritizing strategies that enhance IPO potential in their portfolio companies
Hollywood Heartbreak: Modern Love-Based Relationships Versus the Institution of Marriage
No full textThis thesis explores the relationship between evolving American norms around love and the institution of marriage as reflected in the romantic comedy genre from 1950 to 1999. Utilizing Stephanie Coontz’s framework on the historical shift of marriage, it argues that the transition from socio-economic partnerships to love-based unions weakened the institution of marriage by introducing heightened emotional expectations.
By analyzing the fifteen most commercially successful romantic comedies (three from each decade), this thesis highlights how these films mirrored and influenced societal anxieties surrounding love, individualism, and marital stability across five decades
Exploring Unicorns of India: What are the Factors that Allow Them to Fly?
Get PDFOver the past few decades, startups and entrepreneurial ventures have surged globally, with unicorns - private startups valued at over $1 billion - emerging as standout success stories. Today, India is home to the third largest number of unicorns in the world, and studying their success factors is becoming increasingly relevant. Using a novel dataset of 112 Indian unicorns, this paper studies economic, founder, regional and industrial factors influencing their valuation/revenue and valuation/profit ratios, in order to identify factors that lead to start-up success. I find that gender, age, total funding raised, and time taken to achieve unicorn status after founding do not significantly affect valuation metrics. However, advanced education and extensive job experience can significantly reduce valuation metrics, emphasizing the importance of innovation and risk-taking. Fintech and SaaS companies had significantly higher ratios, whereas Media companies had lower ones, underscoring the scalability of low-cost tech models. Unicorns based in Delhi outperform others in their valuation/revenue ratios, highlighting the effect of regional characteristics. The analysis also suggests the significance of external economic conditions like Covid-19, with startups entering the unicorn club in 2020 having significantly higher valuation/profit ratios likely due to reshaped investor attitudes and digital adoption. By integrating quantitative analysis with qualitative exploration, this research fills a gap in the literature on Indian unicorns, offering a well-rounded understanding of their success drivers
Likes, Comments, and Rhetoric: Demagoguery in the Age of the Internet and Social Media
Get PDFAs the internet and social media have created spaces for politics, they have also facilitated the opportunity for demagogic behavior to become accessible and widespread online. This thesis compares how Donald Trump and Kamala Harris utilized social media in their respective 2016 and 2024 campaigns. It examines why Donald Trump’s online use was demagogic and harmful to political practices. I begin by defining demagoguery, providing two case studies of how demagogic behavior has existed in politics, and explaining different constraints against demagoguery. Through a history of the impact of technology on politics, I describe how the internet has evolved to include political discourse. Then, I observe how politics online can have negative impacts on the individual and social levels. By placing these ideas in conjunction with how Harris and Trump used social media in their different campaigns, I explain how Trump’s demagoguery was most strongly presented online, specifically on the social media platform X. Donald Trump revolutionized social media as a new space to center politics as he infiltrated it with demagogic behavior such as the spread of information, reckless statements, encouraging national division, and attacking government institutions. The resurgence of demagoguery to online platforms prompts a close monitoring of the internet and the new influence it can have on American politics
The Tyranny of Two: An Epistemic Critique of The Two-Party System
No full textWhy is it inevitable for every U.S. national election to end up between Democrats and Republicans? Present in the works of scholars addressing this issue is the notion that some combination of individual voter agency and elite interests play a role in perpetuating this dichotomy. In this paper, I propose an account based on the literature on this issue: the thesis that elite interests ensure the reproduction of the two-party system by manufacturing consent to the system. I first introduce Noam Chomsky’s theory of manufactured consent. I then develop his model by situating manufactured consent within a broader discussion of the two-party system. Second, I defend the claim that political polarization is both a product of the two-party system and a tool wielded by elites to reinforce the two-party system. This ensures the system’s perpetuation and creates a feedbackloop within the system. Lastly, I provide one account of what motivates elites to perpetuate the two-party system. I examine the idea of elite capture, using Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò’s model to show how the two-party system serves the interests of elites. Finally, I demonstrate how elite capture of democracy inhibits class consciousness
Integrative Medicine Within Western Healthcare: Perspectives of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners & Chinese American Patients
No full textSince the mid-19th century, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been a powerful tool for San Francisco’s Chinese American immigrants in constructing an identity and building cultural connections among the community in a new society. Only through decades of legal battles and community efforts spearheaded by TCM practitioners & the city’s TCM patients did TCM survive and continue to thrive in San Francisco and throughout California. As we enter the 20th century, Chinese American patients and TCM practitioners alike have noticed differences between Western and TCM medical practices that have impacted the health-seeking behaviors of patients. Today, TCM falls under Complementary and Alternative Medicine, “a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine” (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine).
How do TCM practitioners & Chinese American patients in the United States, specifically in California, use Traditional Chinese Medicine in tandem with Western medicine in the 21st century? My research surveys TCM practitioners in California to understand how Traditional Chinese Medicine is used along with Western medicine to provide optimal care for patients. Additionally, my research also looks at TCM patients’ health-seeking behaviors between TCM and Western medicine. Providing these perspectives from two different groups will reveal the importance of complementary medicine, specifically Traditional Chinese Medicine, in patient care and emphasize the need for more awareness surrounding this medicine as a healthcare option