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Sonora’s Sacred Soundscapes --Sones Sagrados Sonorenses—
No full textThis work begins with a research interest in the folklore of the U.S.–Mexico borderlands. The unexpected discovery of an archive at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage initiates an act of return: the repatriation of sound recordings made in 1944 in Desemboque, Sonora, by ethnomusicologist Henrietta Yurchenco. What starts as a general inquiry into cultural memory evolves into a deeper engagement with sound, place, and the enduring presence of ancestral knowledge. In reestablishing a living lineage between past and present, the researcher embarks on an ethnographic journey shaped by collaboration, introspection, and relational meaning-making. Grounded in a decolonial and autoethnographic approach, this ethnographic study challenges extractive models of research by centering reciprocity, community engagement, and the co-creation of knowledge. Central to this process are María Luisa Astorga and Adolfo Burgos, whose work as cultural bearers and scholars provides profound hermeneutical insight into sacred soundscapes and oral traditions rooted in spiritual practice. Ultimately, this research reframes sacred soundscapes through an environmental and collaborative lens, mapping a path of academic, spiritual, and cultural resonance across the landscapes and coastlines of the Sonoran Desert
Mathematical Modeling of Cancer Tumor Evolution
Get PDFSeveral mathematical models of cancer tumor evolution are presented. The aim of this endeavor is to write a thesis that fosters numerical and analytical understanding of certain mathematical models in the area of oncology as well as to offer potential predictive tools of therapeutic and clinical applicability. In this work, we give a panoramic view of the cancer phenotype, for to understand cancer, we need to see its biophysics. Indeed, the discovery of oncogenes led to the thinking that cancer tumor is perhaps a genetic disease. But the role of angiogenesis and other microenvironment-related discoveries (such as the role of the immune system in oncogenesis) suggest that it is more likely that tumor develops due to genetic aberrations within a suitable microenvironment. The go-to mathematical model in oncology has been the Fisher-KPP model, named after Ronald Fisher, Andrey Kolmogorov, Ivan Petrovsky, and Nikolai Piskunov. We start with a variation of this model and design three different ones that include contributions from Greenspan Theory and Keller-Segel modeling framework as shown in concept map. In model I we maintain a strict observer position; we do not interfere, we simply observe the tumor evolution based on our assumptions. The model performs a “passive spread”: cancer cells behave like ink diffusing in water; they wander randomly, divide when nutrients are available, and die naturally. Every field (cancer cells, dead matter, nutrients) simply spreads out from where it is released and smooths itself over time. This is the picture you get if cells have no “intentional” motility—only Brownian jostling—and the micro-environment does not push or pull them in any preferred direction. In model II we still maintain neutrality but allow for the microenvironment to direct cells’ motility. Here cancer cells experience “active drift” and a sense of direction: cells ’feel’ pressure in packed regions and drift outward, and sniff out richer nutrient pockets and swim toward them. Together, these rules act like tiny GPS instructions layered on top of the earlier random walk. Now the model mimics real tumour cells that migrate up nutrient gradients and away from mechanical stress—behavior often seen in vivo during invasion and metastasis. In model III, we do away with neutrality and introduce directed motility, using chemotaxis agents, as well as localized cytotoxicities to eradicate the cancerous tumor. Greenspan-type avascular spheroids introduce nutrient diffusion, proliferation–quiescence–necrosis zoning, and fixed Dirichlet nutrient at infinity. Our model III sits here but simplifies Greenspan’s three-phase description (viable, quiescent, necrotic) to a logistic–necrotic duality and keeps a fixed spatial domain instead of a moving free boundary. Likewise, the Keller-Segel framework, originally proposed for Dictyostelium discoideum aggregation, couples the population density of motile cells, n ( x , t ), with the concentration of a signaling chemical, c ( x , t ). Our model III sits between those two models as shown in concept map. Our main contributions reside in the theory behind our model III–designing a mathematical model that utilizes chemotaxis in combination with cytotoxicity to draw cancer cells towards the core of the tumor domain and apply therapeutic agents to degrade the tumor or eradicate it. We humbly believe that chemotaxis is a fundamental process that can be strategically manipulated to improve cancer treatment outcomes without damaging unaffected or critically sensitive non-targeted parts of tissues
The Relationship Between Historical Trauma, Ethnic Identity, and Well-Being in Sikh Emerging Adults
No full textSikhs have endured significant historical trauma, including colonial violence, displacement, and an unrecognized genocide (Tatla, 1999). Research suggests that a strong ethnic identity can mitigate the negative effects of historical trauma (Phinney, 1990; Phinney & Ong, 2007), particularly during emerging adulthood—a critical period for identity development. However, research has yet to examine how ethnic identity, historical trauma, and well-being intersect for Sikh emerging adults. The present dissertation sought to address this gap. To do so, this sequential exploratory mixed-methods dissertation comprised two distinct studies. Study 1 explored whether Sikh emerging adults come to a consensus on activities and experiences through which they express their ethnic identity. Using Cultural Consensus Theory (CCT), participants demonstrated moderate to strong agreement around key indicators of ethnic identity. Items with the highest consensus involved practicing seva (selfless service), engaging in Sikh religious practices, and maintaining strong family and community connections. These findings highlighted the importance of ethnoreligious identity as a central expression of ethnic identity. Study 2 examined the relationship between historical trauma and well-being among Sikh emerging adults, using quantitative methods to assess the moderating role of ethnic identity. Findings indicated that historical trauma was positively associated with some indicators of well-being and that participants reported high levels of life satisfaction despite also thinking about traumatic events. Importantly, ethnic identity moderated the relationship between historical trauma and life satisfaction, such that those with stronger ethnic identity reported greater well-being in the context of historical trauma. Together, these findings highlight the role of ethnoreligious identity as a protective factor and underscore the importance culturally grounded, responsive frameworks for understanding trauma and resilience in diasporic Sikh communities
Bridging Generations: Shou-yi Ch’en, Yanshuo Zhang, and Their Contribution to Asian Studies in American Higher Education
Get PDFThis thesis examines the lives and academic legacies of Dr. Shou-yi Ch’en (1899–1987) and Dr. Yanshuo Zhang (b. 1988), two Chinese scholars whose contributions have shaped Asian Studies in American higher education across nearly a century. Dr. Ch’en, educated in both China and the United States, played a foundational role in establishing Pomona College’s early Asian Studies program, fostering East–West intellectual exchange through extensive correspondence, and mentoring a generation of scholars. Dr. Zhang, also educated in China and the U.S., represents a new generation of interdisciplinary scholarship, focusing on China’s Qiang ethnic minority through oral history and a multicultural lens. The stories of Dr. Ch’en and Dr. Zhang reveal how Asian Studies has transformed from a text-centered discipline to a more interdisciplinary and community-engaged field. Despite differences in methodology and focus, both scholars underscore the enduring importance of transnational education, multicultural experiences, institutional networks, and academic mentorship. By building bridges between East and West and between scholars and future generations, their work has played a pivotal role in shaping the evolution of Asian Studies in American higher education
The Grammar of Approximating Number Pairs (ANPs) in Mandarin Chinese
Get PDFThere are twenty or thirty people. What exactly does this mean? Is it exactly twenty or thirty, or is it an approximate range? What about twenty or twenty-six people ?Approximating number pairs (ANPs) are a kind of approximative expression that takes a number pair and expresses a quantity close to it. There are constraints on the structure and choice of numerals: many combinations would be ungrammatical or denote a precise disjunction rather than being approximative. Studies like Eriksson et al. (2010) statistically generalized the grammar of ANPs through corpus studies on select European languages. However, these surface-level generalizations fail to apply straightforwardly to an analytical, classifier language like Mandarin.This paper offers a description of Mandarin ANPs, proposing a new set of rules for the well-formedness of ANPs based on grammatical rather than mathematical properties. The new proposals also align with theories of other approximatives in Mandarin, shedding light on the cognition of approximation
Modified N-heterocyclic Carbene Catalysts for Polyurethane Synthesis
Get PDFPolyurethanes are widely used polymers synthesized from diisocyanate and diol molecules. They are ubiquitous polymeric materials with important industrial applications. Their increasing market value prompts the need for selective and efficient production which can be achieved through N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis. N-heterocyclic carbenes are heterocyclic molecules containing a carbene atom and at least one nitrogen adjacent to the carbene center. The nitrogen substituents on the adjacent nitrogen play an important role in influencing their steric and electronic properties and resultant reactivity.1,2 There is a lack of a comprehensive understanding of the steric and electronic properties of NHCs and how these affect polyurethane reactions. This thesis seeks to fill the gap in understanding how the interplay of steric and electronic modifications to N-substitutions affects NHC catalysis for polyurethane synthesis.
First, I propose to synthesize 16 target NHCs with different steric and electronic properties, specifically examining factors such as alkyl chain length, steric hindrance, and variations in electron-donating or electron-withdrawing groups. Structural analysis of the NHCs will be carried out via Fourier Transforrm Infrared (FTIR), 1H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), and 13C NMR. I will then perform steric analysis of the NHCs using buried volume calculations, evaluate electronic effects through Tolman’s Electronic Parameter (TEP), and assess basicity by analyzing the acidity of the protonated NHC species using DFT calculations. The polyurethane products will be analyzed by 1H NMR and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC). Parameters such as the number average molecular weight (Mn), weight average molecular weight (Mw), conversion, dispersity (D), degree of polymerization will be determined. Thermal analysis of the polyurethanes will also be carried out using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). These data will allow for a comparative analysis of how NHC structure influences polymerization behavior and catalytic efficiency.
Overall, this research will investigate functionalized catalysis for applications in polyurethane synthesis by examining the effects of NHCs with varying electronic and steric properties
Huchum: The Legacy of Fire Suppression, Indigenous Land Management, and Media Representation
Get PDFIn my thesis, I examine how various forms of news media from the 1900s to present day in Ohlone territory have framed a particular hegemonic ideology around fire that matches early colonial journal entries – an ideology that is fueled by fear, sensationalism, and exclusion and directly commits violence against the Ohlone people. I investigate this time period because this is when modern news corporations, like The New York Times, rose into prominence. Specifically, I question how media representations of fire inform regulations over controlled burns; what are the similarities in discourse between media framing and policy? What tactics are utilized to form exclusionary narratives with militaristic undertones? How is the slow coverage of fires indicative of slow violence? How is the complexity of fire flattened and how is this connected to settler colonialism schemes? My work also heavily draws on my experiences as a media creator for the Costanoan Rumsen Carmel Tribe over the past two years
The Genetic Basis of Conical Petal Cells in Arabidopsis thaliana
No full textIn plants, pollinator interactions have been studied for more than 100 years, though these studies tend to focus on traits visible to the human eye, such as scent and petal color. Recently, traits more deceptive to humans, such as conical cells (those on the upward facing /adaxial surface of a petal), have been shown to play an important role in pollinator interactions. The genetic basis of conical cells must be investigated, as they are a fundamental part of plant pollinator interactions that we have yet to fully understand. The R2R3 MYB tfs (repeat 2 repeat 3 myeloblastosis transcription factors) have been shown to affect conical petal cell shape in several models including and beyond the Arabidopsis thaliana plant and thus we aimed to evaluate the viability of A. thaliana as a model to study the role that these R2R3 MYB tfs play in conical cell production. We approached this by growing A. thaliana with a knockout of atMYB16, a gene encoding an R2R3 MYB tf, identified by McAllister et al (2024). We then imaged its petal cells, quantitatively evaluated their conical nature, and identified three genotypic classes – homozygous for atMYB16 (WT), homozygous for the atMYB16 knockout (MT), and heterozygous (HT). We discovered that there was a significant difference between genotypic classes (p-value = 0.012). Our results indicate that there is a strong likelihood that atMYB16 plays a role in the formation of conical petal cells in A. thaliana