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Better understanding the risks and costs of motherhood in the post-Roe United States
Get PDFThis paper reviews the literature on the risks and costs of motherhood. The paper compares and analyzes various studies conducted between 1990 and 2023 relating to family planning, pregnancy, and maternal health in America. Changes in healthcare legislation and policies, as well as access to contraception and abortion, have all had an impact on the economic costs of pregnancy and motherhood. These changes emphasize the importance of better understanding the economic costs of pregnancy and motherhood in all its stages— from timing pregnancy to recovering from pregnancy and birth and experiencing childrearing costs. When analyzing previous studies, I discovered that many were conducted using effective methodology on noisy data and should be revisited with more recent and updated data. Nevertheless, even after reviewing the results of these studies, the risks and economic consequences of motherhood in the post-Roe United States remain substantial and should be thoroughly examined and understood
“Bad taste, bad hygiene, and bad morals:” dress reform movements and women’s fight for greater independence during the late 1800s.
Get PDFThe Victorian Age is debated as a time of brilliant growth, beauty, and prosperity for people living in England. While this era is described as a glory age for England, it was also an age of great inequality. There were significant advancements in learning and new societal freedom, like the widespread availability of education and abundance of jobs. However, freedom was not experienced equally by everyone in the public. One of the main things women sought to change was freedom in their wardrobe. It was nearly impossible to progress in society under the rigid restrictions women’s clothes put on them. Women’s bodies were supposed to be hidden and modest, representing the future that lay ahead. As an integral part of their identity, women’s wardrobes became a source of increased scrutiny. Fashion was one of the first notable factors that changed the way women participated in overall outside life. In this research project, I will cover two dress reform movements that relate to the change in women’s fashion and why fashion was an important catalyst to gaining women’s independence. These two movements are the Aesthetic Movement, which emerged in the latter years of the Victorian Era, and the Rational Dress Movement, which picked up the Aesthetic Movement’s mission in achieving change in women’s wardrobes. Both movements follow the struggles that women had to face to achieve just a fraction of the amount of freedom that others had through their fashion. While other movements like the suffrage and temperance movement coincided with these fashion movements, the change in clothes was an undervalued factor that helped women gain further independence. The change in women’s clothes and fashion movements was a major catalyst in the fight for bodily autonomy and the breakdown of the public and private spheres. Without the fashion movements in the 1800s and women speaking up when they did, other freedoms for women might not have been realized. The evolution of women’s fashion changed the course for women in the new century
Blithe Spirit: an inside look at the scenic design process
Get PDFBy engaging in the theatrical scenic design research process and documenting it thoroughly, this thesis seeks to explain how theatre designers go about creating a production from start to finish
Weathering the workplace: temperature extremes and their effects on job insecurity and perceived income adequacy
Get PDFSeasonal shifts, particularly in winter, have been linked to increased job insecurity (JI) and perceived income adequacy (PIA). Rizqita and Mulamukti (2024) found that during the winter months, temperatures drop and business activity and investment significantly decline, increasing job insecurity and turnover intentions. This increased insecurity causes stress that negatively impacts these individuals’ work attitudes and behaviors.Wealth-induced resources play an important role in managing eco-stress, causing individuals with lower incomes to suffer psychosocially, leading to lower levels of perceived income adequacy in these extreme temperatures. (Vliert & Joshanloo 2024). Based on prior research highlighting the effects of temperature extremes on workplace outcomes, we pose that: H1: Individuals who reside in zip codes that experience temperature extremes will report higher levels of job insecurity. H2: Individuals who reside in zip codes that experience temperature extremes will report lower levels of perceived income adequacy. A sample of 660 working individuals in the United States was obtained from Prolific. All participants were over 18 and worked at least 30 hours per week.To measure perceived income adequacy (PIA), a three-item measure was adapted from Sears (2008). For job insecurity, three items were adapted from the Survey section of the Job Diagnostic Survey (Olham et al., 1986). Temperature extremes were measured using participant zip codes. Weather and climate data were obtained from a City Report database based on participant zip codes. Our analysis revealed that higher temperatures are significantly associated with more job insecurity. The January low was negatively associated with JI (-0.012, p \u3c 0.01). Additionally, the July high was negatively associated with PIA (-0.024, p \u3c 0.05). As temperatures get warmer, individuals may be less worried about their economic well-being. These findings accept H1 that individuals in areas experiencing temperature extremes will report lower levels of perceived income adequacy. Given the findings of our study, our research highlights the urgent need for policymakers to consider the far-reaching impacts of climate change on the workforce. By addressing these complex obstacles, policymakers can play a pivotal role in creating a more adaptable workforce to climate shifts, ensuring economic resilience and social well-being in the face of environmental challenges
Attitude changes among college students post-pandemic
Get PDFThe COVID-19 pandemic forced students across the nation to attend school virtually and thus dramatically altered the college experience for many students. Stay at home mandates and loss of social interaction may have contributed to increased isolation and poor mental health. Although mandates have been lifted, and normal college life has resumed in most places, it is unknown if a lingering social impact was left on college students. Numerous studies provide evidence through in-depth examinations indicating altered mental health and psychological behavior of adults, specifically college aged individuals. The present study measured happiness, optimism, and psychological well-being in a sample of 182 college students via an electronic Qualtrics questionnaire to identify predictors of state optimism and examine potential differences in these variables between class rankings. Results indicated a strong relationship between optimism and happiness as well as differences between class rankings on several psychological measures. Limitations and future directions are discussed
Investigating Healthcare Provider Knowledge and Treatment of the Non-Motor Symptoms of Parkinson\u27s Disease
Get PDFParkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative condition affecting thousands of older adults in the United States (Poewe et al., 2017). It is characterized by a combination of motor symptoms and non-motor symptoms (NMS) (Bhat et al., 2018). The NMS of PD have the biggest impact on the individual’s quality of life, however, they are often dismissed by healthcare providers (Yilmaz et al., 2023).
The data for this exploratory study was collected via an online survey. Potential participants were required to work in healthcare treating patients with PD, be above the age of 18, and agree to a statement of informed consent. The survey consisted of 20 questions about place of work, years of experience, and habits related to treatment of patients’ NMS.
25 respondents completed the survey. 96% of participants are aware of PD related NMS but only 50% believe that their patients are aware of possible NMS. 64% of participants spend at least 20 minutes per visit discussing motor symptoms with patients, while only 22% of participants spend at least 20 minutes per visit discussing NMS. The majority of participants address NMS on an as-needed basis. 48% of participants reported that they lacked a protocol for addressing NMS.
Our results confirm that healthcare providers recognize the prevalence and negative impacts of NMS related to PD. However, there continues to be a gap in treatment of NMS. More research is needed to determine specific barriers to treatment of NMS and effective methods for clearly delineating each discipline’s role in treatment of PD
Elucidation of the Overexpression of Taf2 in Eukaryotic Cells
Get PDFThrough several studies, Taf2 has been found to be upregulated in various cancer cells. However, the mechanism through which this increased expression of Taf2 occurs remains unknown. As evolutionarily conserved ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) maintains protein homeostasis for normal cellular function, we hypothesized that stability of Taf2 may be regulated by this UPS and this UPS may be dysregulated in cancer cells causing overexpression of Taf2. To test our hypothesis, we assessed the role of the UPS in the regulation of the stability of Taf2 by 26S proteasome-mediated degradation. To do so, we performed molecular experiments mainly through two steps: 1st step includes the analysis of the ubiquitination status of Taf2, and 2nd step includes the analysis to determine if Taf2 is regulated by the 26S proteasome. Similarly to UPS, Taf2 is evolutionarily conserved and found in both yeast and humans as we conducted these experiments in yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). To perform the 1st step, we conducted molecular cloning to introduce the pUB221 plasmid, expressing the hexahistidine-tagged ubiquitin under the CUP1 promoter, into the yeast strain containing TAP-tagged Taf2. Next, using this strain, we performed Ni2+- NTA-based ubiquitination assay to see if Taf2 is regulated by ubiquitination or not. Notably, for the 1st time we found that Taf2 undergoes polyubiquitination. Generally, if a protein undergoes polyubiquitination, it is likely to be degraded by the 26S proteasome. To evaluate this possibility, we investigated the activity of the 26S proteasome in regulating Taf2 stability. Briefly, we performed MG132 based proteasomal inhibition assay (2nd step). MG132 inhibits the proteolytic function of the 26S proteasome and therefore, if Taf2 is regulated by the proteasome we would observe increased abundance of Taf2 following proteasomal inhibition by MG132. However, yeast cells contain the multidrug resistance gene, therefore, to perform the MG132 based proteasomal inhibition assay, we knocked out of the multidrug resistance gene, PDR5, in the yeast strain expressing TAP-tagged Taf2, and treat these cells with MG132. Importantly, we found that polyubiquitylated Taf2 is targeted for degradation by the 26S proteasome. Our results showed for the first time that Taf2 abundance is regulated by the UPS. In addition, our bioinformatics data suggest that protein overexpression, as opposed to mRNA overexpression, plays a role in several cancers implicating a mismanaged UPS system. Thus, our results reveal novel UPS regulation of Taf2 with potentials for future therapeutic intervention
Perceptions of Disabled Instructors
Get PDFNegative perceptions can lead to social and professional exclusion of disabled individuals. Negative perceptions of disability are especially detrimental to disabled academics (Brown & Ramlackhan, 2022). Research specifically examining the perceptions of disabled instructors is lacking. This study reviews factors influencing student perceptions of people with disabilities and provides insight for promoting the individual and professional development of people with disabilities in instructional roles in higher education. We recruited 109 undergraduate college students to participate in this study. Participants completed the study on-line using the Qualtrics platform, and they were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. For the experimental condition, the video displayed a 12-minute lecture in which the instructor appears to be blind. For the control condition, the video displayed the same lecture presented by the same instructor, without the instructor appearing to be visually impaired. Following the video, participants responded to a brief attention and comprehension check. Then, participants completed measures evaluating professor competence and warmth (Smith & Anderson, 2005; Anderson & Kanner, 2014), as well as affective and cognitive evaluations of the lecture. Finally, participants responded to a measure of overt ableism, the Interactions with Disabled Persons Scale (Gething, 1991; Thomas et al., 2003). Students who observed the disabled instructor (m = 23.79, SD = 4.297) lecture reported significantly higher levels of perceived competence then students who viewed the able-bodied lecture (m = 22.19, SD = 4.67), t (107) = -1.859, p \u3c .05, d = -.356. There was no difference between the two groups on perceived warmth, or evaluations of the lecture. These findings are inconsistent with previous literature showing individuals with physical disabilities being perceived as less competent than their able-bodied counterparts (Minks et al., 2024). These findings could be affected by social desirability bias. Replication of this study should include a measure of social desirability. This study should also be replicated using examining behavioral or developmental disabilities as the literature suggests that the public has more positive perceptions of individuals with physical disabilities
Stress and vigilance toward social approval versus disapproval: assessing the interactions between childhood maltreatment severity and coping styles among highly socially anxious young adults
Get PDFChildhood maltreatment (CM) can impact the development of social anxiety (SA), influencing behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and social outcomes. This study explored the relationship between CM severity and SA among young adults through real-time social interaction using Zoom. This approach combined objective behavioral and physiological data with self-report measures. Results showed a significant positive relationship between CM severity and trait SA. Higher CM levels were linked to increased state anxiety during anticipation and peak levels of a speech task. No significant correlations were found between CM severity and mean skin conductance levels (SCLs), indicating SCLs may not reflect emotional responses. Similarly, weak, non-significant correlations were observed between CM severity and heart rate during speech delivery. A significant positive association was found between maladaptive coping and trait SA. Contrary to expectations, participants allocated less attention to disapproving faces. No significant interaction was found between CM severity and emotional valence on attention allocation
The teacher\u27s voice: a mixed methods study regarding the perceived motivations of teacher retention and attrition in Hamilton County
Get PDFThis mixed methods study was designed to analyze and interpret teacher experiences in the Hamilton County School District to understand why teachers stay in the profession or consider leaving. Teacher attrition rates across all schools in Hamilton County over a three-year period were analyzed. Interviews were conducted with teachers from schools with both high and low attrition rates across different school settings and grade levels, and common themes were identified from the interview analysis. Quantitative analysis addressed the research question: Which schools are most effective in retaining teachers in Hamilton County? It examined differences in teacher retention and attrition rates based on school setting (urban, rural, magnet, other) and grade level taught (elementary, middle, middle/high, other). Findings indicated higher attrition rates in urban schools compared to rural, magnet, or other settings, with no significant variation based on grade level. Qualitative research explored five questions: What is the perception of teachers as to why they stay in certain schools? What are the perceived common factors of schools who retain teachers? What motivates teachers to remain in the education profession? What perceived factors cause teachers to consider leaving the teaching profession? What is the most common motivation for teachers to remain in the teaching profession? The analysis identified themes such as support from stakeholders, ongoing professional growth, impact on students\u27 lives, communication challenges, and professionalism issues affecting teacher retention and attrition. Based on study findings and existing literature, recommendations for improving teacher retention include the following for urban schools: enhancing support systems, ensuring adequate planning time in schedules, providing professional development opportunities within job contexts, revising feedback mechanisms for teachers, and reviewing communication protocols among stakeholders. The qualitative data analysis provided themes for schools to consider in order to retain teachers in any school setting. The themes included increased planning time, job embedded professional learning, purposeful feedback to educators, and improved communication between stakeholders. Overall, this study provides insights into the complex factors influencing the perceived motivations for teacher retention and suggests practical strategies for school districts to foster a supportive environment that encourages teachers to remain in the profession