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The Syntax of Natural Language
Get PDFAn introductory textbook to the syntax of natural language from the perspective of generative syntactic theory. Suitable for undergraduate courses and introductory graduate courses.https://scholarship.claremont.edu/pomona_facbooks/1050/thumbnail.jp
Synthesis, Characterization, and Biological Activity of Ni(II) and Co(III) Thiosemicarbazone Complexes as Potential Anticancer Agents
Get PDFThe mechanics by which Reactive Oxygen Species work is an area of great interest given ROS’s wide range of biological applications. From cell signaling and mitochondrial regulation to pathogenesis and tumor cell death, varying concentrations of ROS in a system can lead to a whole host of positive and negative effects. In a similar vein, thiosemicarbazones are known to be equally useful for their myriad of antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antitumoral effects. They have been at the core of the pharmaceutical world or the better part of the last century. The purpose of this work is to synthesize, characterize and investigate the bioactivity of a series of thiosemicarbazone ligands chelated with both Cobalt (III) and Nickel (II). Characterization was done with 1 HNMR, 13 CNMR, IR, Mass Spec., and Elemental Analysis. Further tests included ROS scavenging tests, stability assays, cytotoxic analysis with G. mellonella, and IC 50 toxicity assays – performed against four human tumor cell lines, A549 (lung cancer), HL60 (human acute promyelocytic leukaemia), HT29 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma) and H2052 (human mesothelioma), by the Medicine and Surgery Department of the University of Parma. Thiosemicarbazone ligands (L1, L2, L3, and L4), included variations on the peripheral N4 amine group. With these ligands we synthesized and characterized coordination complexes with Cobalt (III) and Nickel (II). Of these complexes, we found that Ni(L2) 2 and Ni(L4) 2 were the most volatile towards tumor cell lines like HL60 and HT29. This tracked with DPPH quenching analysis, which showed that for Ni(L2) 2 and Ni(L4) 2 had significant negative change in RSA%. Further investigation into the cytotoxicity of these compounds is necessary due to inconclusive data from G. mellonella tests. Continued ROS tests are also necessary to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms by which these complexes interact with larger biosystems
Mind the Machine: A Philosophical Inquiry into AI Consciousness
Get PDFThis paper explores existing tests for machine consciousness, specifically focusing on the AI Consciousness Test (ACT) proposed by Susan Schneider. I will begin by assessing why historic tests such as the Turing Test and subsequent modified versions of the Turing Test are not adequate for modern artificial intelligence (AI) systems given their limitations. Then, I will provide an analysis of the existing objections to the ACT which involve methodological concerns. Following this discussion, I will argue that though such methodological concerns are substantial, the most significant flaw with the ACT is Schneider’s lack of guidance on how the test ought to be evaluated, which proves to be problematic should we wish to correctly identify conscious AI systems. Then, in an attempt to reconcile with the merit of the ACT, I will offer possible evaluative criteria that focus on the language used by an AI system during the ACT that can be used to help judge whether an AI system is conscious. As I will argue, with such criteria, the ACT remains a promising test for AI consciousness but is still in need of further development
A Nation in Decline: Exploring Immigration as a Solution to Japan’s Demographic Crisis
Get PDFThis thesis assesses the role of immigration in the economy, particularly as a potential solution to the demographic crisis in Japan. Using data from the United Nations and the World Bank, I conduct a comprehensive panel study of ten countries and regions over the time period spanning 1960 to 2023. My goal is to test the relationship between immigration levels and economic performance, focusing on GDP growth and unemployment rates as key indicators. Regression results reveal that higher net migration rates are associated with modest but statistically significant increases in GDP growth, and measurably significant decreases in unemployment. These findings support the notion that immigration can help mitigate the challenges posed by Japan’s shrinking and aging population, while fostering overall economic growth
Polarization Nation: A Historical Comparative Analysis of the American Media
Get PDFA common narrative that persists in our current political age is that the American public is more divided than ever before. Survey data and scholarship points to the mass media as being a driving force for increased polarization among Americans. However America has historically been a nation founded on division and partisanship, with a free press working in the backdrop since the founding. So what is it about the modern mass media that contributes to this narrative about record levels of polarization? Scholarship points to four key metrics of polarization to understand the modern media landscape and polarization– partisan rhetoric, sensationalism, misinformation, and perceived polarization. This thesis analyzes how these metrics hold up historically, by measuring them during different periods of media evolution. It then compares those periods to our contemporary age, assessing whether those metrics are what makes our current age of media and polarization fundamentally different from the past. This thesis argues that the metrics which we believe cause unprecedented levels of polarization today, were used consistently since the founding of our nation. Therefore in order to prove the claim today’s age is more polarizing than before, we must consider factors outside of these metrics
The Silent Cycle of Violence: The Consequences of Forced Return Migration and Strategies for Sustainable Reintegration
Get PDFThe consequences of weaponizing deportations reshape human security in countries receiving high levels of forcibly returned migrants. Through a comparative case study, this thesis examines how different forms of organized crime — cartels in México and gangs in El Salvador — interact with and capitalize on returnee populations. While the origins and manifestations of organized crime differ between México and El Salvador, both demonstrate clear linkages between forced return migration from destination countries and declining human security in countries of origin through three key mechanisms: imported criminal structures, targeted recruitment of vulnerable returnees, and trickle-down effects on local communities.
Many state-led reintegration efforts are frequently weakened by placement of reception centers in high-crime areas, limited follow-up services, and insufficient economic opportunities for returnees. Specifically, young male returnees with limited native language skills and those with criminal records face heightened risks of recruitment by criminal organizations. This thesis ultimately argues that deportation as a migration control mechanism generates paradoxical consequences that subverts both human security and migration management goals. By examining reintegration strategies in México and El Salvador, I propose targeted interventions that prioritize preventing recruitment into criminal networks while acknowledging origin countries\u27 capacity constraints. These recommendations emphasize the need for differentiated services based on length of residency in the destination country language abilities, and criminal history
Addressing Chronic Stress: Activating the Healing Responses
Get PDFThis paper seeks to explore the negative effects of chronic stress on the body, emphasize the tissue, cellular, and genetic healing responses that exist to combat these effects, and illustrate the behavioral and physiological interventions that can activate these responses. The concepts of stress and chronic stress have been explained through a progression of models that have been updated over the decades. This includes early theories such as The General Adaptation Syndrome and the Homeostatic Model, as well as more recent depictions such as the Reactive Scope Model. The healing responses are explored on a variety of levels to illustrate its global and comprehensive nature. Examined processes include wound healing, selective autophagy, antioxidant defense, DNA repair, and telomere repair. Practices to activate the healing responses were chosen based on personal and professional experience as well as available literature. They include food as medicine, optimizing sleep, mindfulness (yoga and meditation), breath, legs up the wall, binaural beats, gratitude, and social support. Overall, proven benefits of these practices were found, but further research is needed. Public education and examinations of root causes are also necessary. The prevalence of chronic stress and chronic disease provides a strong basis for the importance of this research
NMR Fecal Metabolomics of Peromyscus maniculatus
No full textThis study explored the effect of medicinal plants on the health of wild mice. Relationships between diet, immune function, and parasite load in Peromyscus maniculatus were studied at the Robert J. Bernard Field Station in Claremont, CA. Mouse fecal and blood samples were collected in 2019 (n = 9), and plant samples were gathered in 2024 (n = 11). Fecal and plant samples were analyzed through NMR metabolomics to determine consumption of medicinal plants. Fecal egg count and white blood cell differentials were conducted to determine the health of the sampled animals. This study concluded that the metabolite eugenol is associated with a trend in decreased systemic stress. Larger mice had increased systemic stress biometrics, potentially due to unhealthy excess weight being carried on the mouse. Future directions include increasing the sample size and working with freshly collected samples to further explore the trends found in this study
Math is a Tiger and a Pecan
Get PDFUsing perfect secrecy and the ability to identify gibberish in a given language, we encode two poems in one. This allows for a single cipherpoem to have multiple plainpoems associated with it. The result is a form of superposition where neither poem is the more correct interpretation than the other.
The poem presented is about two distinct aspects of mathematics: the tiger to be sought after and hunted; or a pecan that we have surrounded but cannot crack open