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Density dependence in HIV-1 envelope protein cell-cell fusion assays in the presence of transcription inhibitors
No full textHuman Immunodeficiency Virus Type-1 (HIV-1) when infecting a cell can cause the expression of viral proteins on the surface of a cell. This can allow for cell-cell fusion to occur, forming syncytia. Using mathematical models, we can model cell-cell fusion and gain information on the biological system such as the syncytia formation rate and fusion time. In Lineberger et al. (2002) a transcription inhibitor was applied to cells transfected with HIV-1 fusion proteins. By fitting the model to the cell-cell fusion data, it is found that the transcription inhibitor affects the syncytia formation rate and fusion time. By
introducing a revision to our model that applies density-dependence of syncytia present, we also find that density-dependence increases as dosage of our transcription inhibitor increases as well
Naming one's children: An examination of naming practices through race, class, and gender
No full textI use a womanist-accomplice lens to examine the historical, economic, and social influences on the post-exilic communities through the lens of four main birth narratives: Hagar and Ishmael, Ruth and Obed, Joseph and Asenath’s children, and Moses and Zipporah’s children. I draw out the complex ideologies at play within the text and its ancient context, in conversation with Ezra and Nehemiah’s exclusion of foreign women. Submerged within these stories is a counter-narrative that breaches the exclusionary borders of the upper class, literate elites, and re-establishes the interdependent nature of the lower classes. At the end of each chapter and in my conclusion, I bring this submerged reading into conversation with the modern world and the current geopolitical landscape. I contend with ongoing ideologies of dehumanization that have developed as a means of establishing who controls the land and draw out the similarities between modern ideologies and the ideologies presented in the text. This monograph contributes to the field of biblical studies in several ways. It is the first book-length study of naming practices in the Hebrew Bible and ancient Israel, and thus builds on the study of women as ethnic actors, which critically under-developed topic. In addition, this study contributes to the study of the Torah as a post-exilic document and the impact of the Persian Empire on the development of the biblical text and the Second Temple community as the people determined how they defined themselves and the Other. This study also contributes to the project of using biblical studies as a tool for understanding the modern world
Dataset: Return of the Justice: The Power of Justices to Improve Citizen Attitudes Towards the Supreme Court
No full textThe Supreme Court’s power depends on public support. While prior research has focused on threats to the Court’s reputation, scholars are only beginning to examine how justices might bolster public perceptions through rhetoric conveyed in news coverage. We add to this burgeoning literature with a two-wave survey experiment in which respondents were randomly assigned to a control group or to one of eight framed media messages emphasizing unanimous decisions, nonpartisanship, ethical commitments, or judicial restraint. Half of the messages also included context about current divisions on the Court. We evaluate the effects of our treatments on perceived politicization, specific approval, and evaluations of justices’ traits. Most messages shift attitudes in predicted directions, including those with explicit political context. Nonpartisanship appeals generate the largest and most persistent gains. A follow-up survey five to nine days later shows these effects persist, indicating that judicial rhetoric can meaningfully strengthen public support
Geodesic Nets - Construction and Existence
No full textGeodesic nets are types of graphs in Riemannian manifolds where each edge is a geodesic segment. We present an algorithm for constructing approximate geodesic nets connecting any given number of points in the Euclidean plane. One important object used in the construction of geodesic nets is a balanced vertex, where the sum of unit tangent vectors along adjacent edges is zero. We prove the existence of a balanced vertex of a triangle (with three unbalanced vertices) on a general two-dimensional Riemannian surface when all angles measure less than 2?/3, if the length of the sides of the triangle is not too large. This property is a generalization for the existence of the Fermat point of a planar triangle
Why Do Political Adversaries Continue Trade?
No full textThis study examines the persistence of trade between political adversaries, focusing on the case of Taiwan and China. Despite ongoing political tensions and competing sovereignty claims, Taiwan and China have maintained substantial trade relations, particularly in the semiconductor sector. The research explores the key factors that sustain this trade, including cultural connection, geographic proximity, power imbalance, and third-party state influence, with a focus on the role of Taiwan's economic dependence on China and the influence of the United States. The study proposes a new theoretical framework integrating these four variables, examining their interactions and their impact on trade continuity. Utilizing a comparative case study approach, the thesis analyzes Taiwan-China relations alongside other examples of trade persistence between adversarial states. The findings reveal that while cultural ties and geographic proximity facilitate trade, political considerations and external influences, particularly the U.S. role in Taiwan's security, play a critical role in shaping trade decisions. This research contributes to the understanding of how economic interdependence can endure despite political and military conflict, offering insights into global supply chains and international relations
Natural Law Theory and Flourishing: Revising John Finnis' Theory of Natural Law
No full textABSTRACT
In reading John Finnis' account of Natural Law theory, it became very clear to me that while his view had a good structure, its details needed more refinement- specifically pertaining to his basic goods which set a foundation for the rest of his theory. Finnis' basic goods include life, play, knowledge, aesthetic experiences, sociability, practical reasonableness, and religion, which he argues are all valued in themselves and are thus considered "basic". My central pushback on Finnis' model is in questioning the goods' basicness, as far as he presents them. Instead, I believe that they require further justification, and thus ought to be shifted up in his hierarchy of legal justification. I aim to strengthen his account, not reject it entirely. Thus, I propose a modification of his view where instead of the seven basic goods presented, we propose two: knowledge and flourishing. I find Finnis' argument for knowledge to be convincing, as he demonstrates its basicness via a reductio ad absurdum, showing that the denial of its basicness requires its value is presupposed. Thus, I maintain it as properly basic and turn my attention to the others for further analysis. My arguments and methodology consist in questioning the basicness of the goods by asking if we really value these goods in themselves, or for some other reason. If there is another reason, then it seems the goods are not properly basic and instead we should consider if the reason why we value these goods act as a more fundamental justification. When I considered life, play, aesthetic experiences, sociability, practical reasonableness, and religion, it is my argument that we value these things because they contribute to a flourishing life, which as Aristotle famously argued is the most basic good. In that regard, Finnis' basic goods ought to be knowledge and flourishing, which then allows him to maintain the rest of his system while strengthening his foundation
Examining The Impact of Device Type and Rural Health Grant Status on The Functional Listening Evaluation in Children who are and are not Deaf and Hard of Hearing
No full textThe purpose of this study was to determine whether functional listening skills are different across children with typical hearing, cochlear implants and hearing aids, and based on whether the child lives in an area that qualifies for a rural health grant. The study consisted of 63 children, using data collected as part of a larger longitudinal study (the Early Language and Literacy Acquisition Study). The data analyzed was Functional Listening Evaluation (FLE) scores, a quantitative measurement tool that assesses listening in both quiet and noisy environments that mirror functional listening. A mixed model analysis determined that hearing status was a significant factor in functional listening performance, with typical hearing children outperforming both cochlear implant children and hearing aid users, most dramatically in noise (F(2, 57.780) =15.456, p < .001). Though there was no significant effect of time, location, or interaction effect between hearing group and location, trends demonstrate that research needs to be continued to support children with cochlear implants, both in noisy environments and in rural areas
The mechanics of sprint running performance: Why getting even doesn’t help, but footwear can
No full textIntroduction: Sprint running performance is determined by ground force application and limited by fatigue. Although these phenomena are generally appreciated, how sequential steps and individual limb mechanics might account for them is not well understood. This dissertation investigates three key aspects of sprint running performance: (1) the effects of footwear on maximal sprinting speed and speed endurance, (2) the relationship between bilateral symmetry and sprinting performance, and (3) the gait and sprint performance consequences of an acutely introduced limb length asymmetry. Together, these studies aim to advance our understanding of the biomechanical determinants of sprinting performance.
Methods: Three experimental studies were conducted. Study 1 tested whether prototype footwear, designed with increased bending stiffness and a thicker, more cushioned midsole than conventional footwear, could improve overground sprinting performance in 15 athletes during 60 m, 100 m, and 130 m sprints. Step kinematics and ground force application were analyzed using radar, accelerometers, and high-speed video. Study 2 examined the symmetry of individual limb ground force application during high-speed treadmill running among 16 athletes, including sprinters, athlete non-sprinters, and sprinters with known anatomical asymmetries, running on a force-instrumented treadmill at speeds ranging from 60% to 100% of their maximum. Study 3 evaluated whether an acute, unilateral limb-length perturbation (2.5 cm elongation of one shoe) affected gait mechanics and maximal sprinting speed in 12 athletes, assessed through progressive treadmill tests to failure.
Results: The prototype footwear in Study 1 increased maximal speed (+2.3%), lengthened steps (+1.6–1.9%), and improved sprint endurance, with performance benefits tending to be larger at longer distances (e.g., +2.7% in the final 30 m of 130 m sprints). Study 2 revealed that faster sprinters exhibited greater between-limb asymmetries in stance-averaged force (7.90±3.5% vs. 5.30±2.8%, p<0.01) and impulse (10.5±4.7% vs. 7.6±3.9%, p<0.01) compared to non-sprinters, while anatomically asymmetrical sprinters (n=4) displayed significantly greater between-limb force application asymmetries than the competitive sprint and athlete, non-sprint groups. Study 3 demonstrated that an acute single-limb elongation intervention did not impair maximal speed (8.12±1.49 vs. 8.18±1.46 m/s), because runners adapted by redistributing between limbs forces to meet the gait requirements and thereby conserve maximal running speeds.
Conclusion: These findings indicate that: 1) sprint performance can be enhanced by footwear interventions that improve bilateral force application and reduce the fatigue particularly during longer sprints, 2) bilaterally symmetrical ground force application is not a prerequisite for achieving fast sprint running speeds, and 3) fast speeds ca be attained with both natural and induced asymmetries due to compensatory between-limb gait adaptations
Speech-language pathologists’ clinical practices for lingual strength assessment and exercise in adults with dysphagia
No full textBackground: The tongue plays key roles in efficient swallowing; speech-language pathologists (SLPs) utilize lingual strengthening exercises (LSE) in dysphagia rehabilitation for older adults. Though LSEs are often utilized, dosage, tool use, and implementation remain unclear.
Purpose: This study identified common dosage, clinical tools, and other factors SLPs consider when utilizing LSE.
Methods: 123 ASHA-certified SLPs participated in an online survey examining SLP demographics, lingual evaluation, treatment, home exercise, and professional development.
Results: There is no agreement among SLPs in all four parameters of dosage and tool use across the care continuum. Themes in open response data included multiple facilitators and barriers for LSE.
Discussion: Variation of LSE remains apparent in current clinical practice. Barriers faced by clinicians in their provision of LSE include tool access, patient variability, and clinical understanding of LSE.
Conclusions: Further research is needed to address these variations in dosage, tool use, and clinical factors for LSE implementation