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What\u27s Love Got To Do With It? A Content Analysis of Romantic Depictions in Tween Television Programming
Get PDFIn the streaming era of entertainment, television programming is available at the touch of a fingertip to any pre-adolescent tween (those between the ages of 8-13) with a smartphone. Previous content analyses have examined romantic relationship content on television programming in a limited manner, covering mostly teen shows and sexual behavior, rather than tween shows and romantic relationship behavior. And so, despite the fact that tweens tend to use media as a socializing agent for learning acceptable romantic relationship norms, not much is known about how television programs likely watched by this age demographic are depicting romantic relationships. Therefore, it is crucial to learn more about what is being depicted to understand if the romantic relationship norms pre- and early adolescents might be learning from these depictions are healthy or unhealthy in nature. Based on television ratings (TV-PG and TV-14) and Common Sense Media’s age recommendation tool, a population of 11 television programs consisting of 326 episodes was identified, and 177 episodes were coded as a sample. The results indicated that there was a high amount of healthy romantic relationship language and behaviors depicted, including instances of flirting (both verbal and nonverbal), affectionate interpersonal touching, talk about liking or loving a person romantically, talk about building or maintaining a romantic relationship, and talk about romance in general. Other behaviors, such as kissing, were present less frequently and were often more present in television shows rated TV-14 as opposed to TV-PG. Romantic relationship language and behavior, both healthy and unhealthy, were more likely to appear in shows rated TV-14 as opposed to TV-PG. This content analysis provides evidence that romantic relationship language and behaviors are depicted in television shows likely consumed by tweens for those who want to study the context of these depictions further
Development and Investigation of a Novel Near-Wall Methodology for Large-Eddy Simulation Based on Dynamic Hybrid RANS-LES
Get PDFThe use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to test engineering designs with reduced cost and time compared to physical testing has become increasingly common in a range of industries and research fields. While numerical methods exist that can accurately solve the equations that govern the flow of fluids, these methods are computationally expensive for practical engineering problems due to the large amount of computational power needed to resolve the fluid flow over the entire range of length and time scales. Several different approaches have been introduced to address this computational cost issue, namely Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) modeling and scale resolving methods. Reynolds averaging is the least computationally expensive approach, however due to assumptions made in the formulations this method also tends to be the least physically accurate as it only solves for the mean flow field. Scale resolving approaches such as Large-Eddy simulation (LES) provide more accurate results by resolving the large turbulent eddies primarily responsible for momentum and energy transfer. In free shear flows the grid resolution requirements for LES models are comparable in size to that of RANS models. However, for LES to produce accurate results for wall bounded flows by resolving even the largest eddy present in the boundary layer, the computational grid must be significantly more refined than that of RANS simulations. Hence, fully resolved LES for wall-bounded flows remain computationally expensive and are rarely used for simulation of practical engineering problems. There have been several different methods presented to mitigate the cost of modeling in the near wall region while still providing results that are comparable to fully resolving the eddies in this region.
The present work presents a new approach for wall modeling in large-eddy simulation. The wall mean resolved LES method (WMRLES) utilizes the dynamic hybrid RANS-LES (DHRL) framework to solve a RANS model in the near wall region and transition to LES further from the wall. This approach differs from other hybrid RANS-LES methods. The choice of RANS model differs as a zero-equation mixing length model is used. This does not require the solution of additional transport equations, significantly reducing computational cost. Since the transition between RANS and LES modes is affected by a physics-based blending function which is computed locally in the flow domain, prior knowledge of the flow is not required to denote RANS and LES regions prior to the simulation. Finally, WMRLES does not require the use of analytical or numerical wall functions, which are limited in their flexibility and universality for numerical simulations. The new modeling approach is developed, presented, and applied to two separate classes of problem: an attached boundary layer case represented by a fully developed channel flow and a separated shear layer case represented by a two-dimensional channel with periodic restrictions. Results are compared to available direct numerical simulation data and other wall modeling methods. The new method is found to produce results comparable to the full dynamic hybrid RANS-LES method in terms of accuracy, while using a simpler and more computationally efficient implementation
Fragments of a Note Written then Destroyed
No full textFragments of a Note Written then Destroyed is a meditation upon grief, memory, and transience. The titular ‘note’ refers to a lengthy journal entry in which the poet experienced an outpouring of emotion regarding the death of her beloved grandmother (mom’s mom) two years prior. The January 2025 death of the poet’s grandfather (mom’s dad) and the realization that, in the natural order of things, there was no longer anyone standing between death and her mother triggered an extreme and prolonged state of despair. This state culminated in a nearly four-page piece of writing which the poet refers to as “the closest thing I’ve ever written to a suicide note.” The poet tore the note to pieces then set them aside. The poet kept these pieces because, in spite of the darkness they held, they were the fruit of a labor-intensive writing session that the poet was not willing to let go to waste.
The fragments of this note appear alongside ekphrastic poems which are centered upon very old photographs from the childhood of the poet’s grandmother. Taken in Lansing, Michigan from 1947 to 1957, these photographs came into the poet’s possession after her grandmother’s death in December 2022. These photos are themselves fragments—representations of moments past that the poet will never be able to ask her grandmother about. In collecting and responding to these fragments, the poet struggles to find balance between imagination and oblivion
On and Off the Court: Who am I?
Get PDFFrom a very young age, athletically gifted individuals are encouraged to pursue their sport. This can lead to a strong maturity in an athletic sense, yet it comes at the expense of other areas of development. The early commitments to sport require the individual to make sacrifices that allow them to gain competency over others, as a result, additional values and identifying characteristics get pushed aside. Further, athletes are known for performing in the spotlight. Every game has an audience and one team ends up a winner, the other a loser. Typically, the athletes experience the highs of victory and the lows of losing to the fullest extent. This means the individual learns to measure worth through physical production (points scored, games won, plays made, etc.). When an athlete reaches the end of their career, what does this transition out of sport look like? What effect does it have on the individual in terms or mental and emotional toll? How tightly woven is athleticism to the individual’s identity and what role does it play in their perspective as a person?
Through three interviews with former professional athletes, this project explores the topic of athletic identity creation and loss. This 40-minute documentary shares the story of the three athlete\u27s introduction to athletics, adolescence with the sport through high school, the collegiate experience as well as the professional experience, and finally the transition out of sport into retirement. In conclusion, this research project aims to better understand when and how athletic identity is created, which factors reinforce the athlete’s motivations and finally what helps an athlete transition out of their sport in a positive way
Dream Eater
No full textThis collection of poems follows a set of fictional children as they try to make sense of a rural Southern town and the gods and disasters that beset it. Emerging from the children’s wanderings are questions, but never answers, about the South, trauma, gender, and religion. The plot of this collection is a loose chiasmus, where the first thing that happens is also the last thing that happens. Everything that takes place leads, both forwards and backwards, to the inevitable flood that occurs in the center of the book. The first section is told from the perspective of the children, who miss their mother and seem to be growing bigger by the second. The second half of the book is narrated by the gods, who re-trace all that has occurred as they try to unzip what caused the flood, what destroyed the children, and who the mother is. dream eater presents the reader with a vision of the world similar to the visual folk art of creators like Howard Finster and Theora Hamblett. There is a sense of uneasiness and unfamiliarity to the work that is sometimes crude, sometimes frightening, but always charged. Like visual folk art, dream eater creates its own vision of the world that rewards the reader who chooses to step inside.
In terms of craft, dream eater contains no periods; just commas and the occasional question mark. The commas help to propel the book forward and point the reader towards the inevitability of the flood. The occasional question punctuates this pacing, bringing to the surface questions about the world that cannot be answered, and answers “we cannot bear to hear.” The syntax is heavily influenced by a sense of orality, while the diction helps conjure another world through unique and at times nonsensical idioms, objects, and strung-together lists. Parallelisms are frequently used to equate disparate things that can’t make sense together but do, a reflection of the children’s conflicting feelings about growing up in the South (“and because none of it added up, and because all of it added up…”). This allows the book to attempt to reach a better understanding of the mother, the town, and the gods, who are all complex and contradictory, evading capture.
Who (or what) is dream eater? I think dream eater is some kind of god, or maybe God, but the more I think about it the more I lose it, which is what, I think, makes them a god to me. All throughout writing this book I’ve had a quote by Carolyn Forché on my mind: “The silence of God is God.” I think this is why the horses bother the children so much. They’re always “just standing there.” The children can’t reach them, like they can’t reach the gods, the mother, or anything. But as the children grow too big–grow enormous, even–their presence itself becomes a kind of question for the world of the book as well as the reader
Be Curious, Not Judgmental: Neurodiversity in Legal Education
Get PDFThis Article takes the position that the curiosity associated with legal education is limited to those who are neurotypical. For students who are neurodivergent, law school is a place of judgment, not curiosity. The number of neurodiverse law students is increasing, yet they are not sufficiently supported in law school. This Article will seek to show how the current structures of legal education, although fundamentally sound, have become overly rigid. Instead of providing students with intellectual foundations of legal doctrine that prepare them for the challenges of practicing law, the existing status quo stifles those goals. By limiting our practices to what we currently know and what we are comfortable doing, we limit our potential for excellence. In Part I, I introduce what neurodiversity means, especially for law students, the problems they face, how law schools fall short, and why law schools should care about this. In Part II, I explain the legal mandates designed to remove barriers and the roadblocks legal education and law schools erect. In Part III, I lay out concrete solutions and strategies for engaging our curiosity rather than our judgment
Food for Thought: Funding the National School Lunch Program While Simultaneously Providing Tax Incentives to Farmers
Get PDFThis note will focus primarily on the National School Lunch Program (“NSLP”) and propose a solution aimed at reducing the costs of implementing it. It begins with a historical background into how the NSLP came to be and the various adaptations and programs that came out of it. This note then covers current programs and organizations that have arisen to support nutritional education and provide healthy meals to school children. It then compares several contribution-based tax incentive programs, which serve as inspiration for the final proposed tax incentive program for farmers in the closing section. Through the years, rising costs have increased the financial burden of the NSLP and increased the stresses faced by families providing meals for their school-age children. At the same time, farmers experience extreme difficulties in providing food goods while trying to break even for the year, often working without taking any pay for themselves. Reducing the tax burden of farmers through a contribution-based tax incentive program in support of the NSLP, may reduce the cost of providing school meals while simultaneously supporting farmers and contributing to the nutritional support of our nation’s school children. This proposal seeks to pair the nation’s agricultural output from farmers with the supply needs of the NSLP in a way that is beneficial to both groups
A Multicomponent Microneedle Patch for the Delivery of Meloxicam for Veterinary Applications
No full textVeterinary medicine requires innovative drug delivery strategies to enhance therapeutic efficacy while minimizing stress and handling. This dissertation explores the development and application of biodegradable microneedle patches for the transdermal delivery of meloxicam in livestock, offering a minimally invasive alternative to traditional administration methods. The research investigates the fabrication and characterization of microneedles using polyvinyl alcohol, collagen, and chitosan blends, demonstrating their mechanical strength, biocompatibility, and ability to facilitate sustained drug release. In vitro and in vivo evaluations confirm effective skin penetration, dissolution, and localized drug delivery. Pharmacokinetic studies highlight anatomical site-dependent variations in drug absorption, emphasizing the need for strategic placement to optimize systemic bioavailability. Additionally, the limited solubility of MEL is identified as a key factor influencing drug uptake, prompting consideration of solubility-enhancing approaches. Beyond technical validation, this work explores the translational potential of microneedle technology in veterinary pain management, addressing challenges such as regulatory compliance, market adoption, and economic feasibility. Findings underscore the potential of microneedle patches to improve livestock welfare and streamline drug administration practices. Future research should focus on optimizing formulation strategies, expanding therapeutic applications, and advancing commercialization efforts to integrate this technology into routine veterinary care
Three Essays on Investment Choices and Outside Influences
No full textIn this dissertation, I explore the effects outside influences, such as media and gambling, can have on investor decisions, particularly those of retail traders. Chapter 1 explores how the reporting of news over time, the news cycle, affects intraday investor behavior. We measure news events as the time from the first major news agency report relevant to a stock during the trading day until when news about that firm reaches its highest level of coverage during the remainder of the trading day. We find that the impact of news is determined by its place within the news cycle. Trading volume is more responsive to news before a story reaches peak coverage. Overall, we conclude that the context in which news is reported relative to the news cycle is important in understanding its effects on markets. Chapter 2 explores how retail trading is affected by the recent surge in gambling awareness and accessibility due to legal changes in sports betting. We measure and compare the impact of skilled (sports betting) and non-skilled (lottery) gambling on retail traders’ preferences for stock characteristics. We use a staggered diff-in-diff approach to capture the impact of legalization. Stocks headquartered in states which legalize sports betting see an increase in retail trading volume in lottery-like stocks by ~12%. This effect is weaker in states with higher Catholic populations, possibly due to catholic acceptance of gambling. We see a decrease during the NFL season, possibly due to the popularity of the sport. Chapter 3 explores the effect of media attention on investor decision making. Using intraday trading and news data from January 2014 through December 2023, we examine the impact of news publications on the trading of retail and institutional investors. We find retail traders as quick as institutional investors to respond to both the existence of news and its level of coverage across multiple news outlets. Trading responds often during the 10-minute period the news is reported, followed by reduced volume over the following 20-30 minutes. Overall, we find retail traders as responsive as institutional traders to news and this activity may impact prices
Hierarchical Model for Multivariate Spatial Data with Application to Occurrence of Chronic Diseases: Hypertension and Diabetes
No full textChronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly hypertension and diabetes, are growing public health concerns in low- and middle-income countries like Bangladesh. These diseases often co-occur and exhibit notable spatial heterogeneity influenced by socio-demographic and environmental factors. This thesis presents a Bayesian multivariate spatial probit modelling framework to jointly analyze the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes using data from the 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS). The study incorporates individual-level covariates—such as age, sex, BMI, education, and wealth index—and a spatially structured random effects model, which is modelled via intrinsic Conditional Autoregressive (ICAR) priors at the district level. Gibbs sampling is employed to estimate model parameters and latent spatial effects. Results reveal significant spatial clustering in disease risk and strong associations between chronic conditions and socio-demographic factors. The joint modelling approach enhances estimation efficiency and facilitates the identification of high-risk districts where public health interventions are likely to have the most significant impact. Model performance is evaluated using the Deviance Information Criterion (DIC), effective parameter count, and Moran’s I statistic to confirm spatial dependencies. This research provides an integrated statistical tool for understanding the co-distribution of chronic diseases and supports evidence-based policy planning in Bangladesh