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The Colby Echo (February 24, 2022)
No full textPublished by the students of Colby College since 1877, The Colby Echo is the weekly, editorially independent student-run newspaper of Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Published monthly, 1877-1886; semi-monthly; 1886-1897; and weekly during the academic year, 1898-present
The Role of Socioeconomic Status in Cognition and Brain Health Across the Lifespan
No full textDisparities in cognition are inevitable throughout the lifespan due to socioeconomic gaps. Individuals of lower socioeconomic status (SES) may have fewer access to environmental resources, especially with regard to education, than individuals of higher socioeconomic status. Differences in available resources from a young age may affect brain development, leading to detriments in cognition and behavior, further impacting socioeconomic success in adulthood. In the present study, we modeled the development of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and changes in cognitive function throughout the life trajectory in the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Rockland Sample. The DLPFC volume was predicted to be associated with SES and executive function, measured by Digit Span Backward, Color-Word Interference, Trail Making Test, and Verbal fluency tasks: lower SES would hinder DLPFC development, which would relate to progressively impaired executive functioning. Greater age would show increased detriments to executive functioning with lower SES due to accumulated effects from health and environmental disparities on the DLPFC. Results demonstrated that low SES impaired performance on all executive function tasks, with greater differences as age increases. The DLPFC failed to correlate with SES and executive function across the lifespan when we controlled for age, suggesting age is a critical factor in the impairment of executive function and reduction of DLPFC volume. The importance of age and SES in executive functioning and brain development patterns points to the urgency of support in young people to help mitigate the detrimental effects of SES throughout life
Challenges of Constructing Entrainment Map for Arbitrary Circadian Models
No full textThe entrainment map, developed by Dr.Diekman and Dr.Bose, is claimed to be a 1-dimensional map that produces a better prediction for phase-locking than methods than the phase response curve for circadian models. In his paper, he constructs the entrainment map for the two-dimensional circadian model, the Novak-Tyson model, and the other two higher-dimensional circadian models. For this thesis, we concentrate on exploring if it is viable to construct the entrainment map for other circadian models that are not included in his paper: the Becker-Weimann model and the Relogio model. In addition, we discuss the challenges of constructing the entrainment map in general
The Perceptions and Practices of Japanese Identity in Contemporary France
No full textFrance is well known for promoting dominant white ideals of “Frenchness” over all others, stemming from the French republican ideal of culture-blind and colorblind universalism.. This universalism, however, is often criticized for glossing over individual heritage and struggles, and studies surrounding this issue often focus on ethnic groups that have made headlines, such as Muslim and North African populations in France. But what about less studied communities, such as the Japanese in France? These less studied populations are worth investigating as we can look at their experiences to further understand the impact of French nationalism. Through a primarily interview-based ethnographic approach, this project examines the ways in which people of Japanese heritage living in France navigate their personal ethnic identity in relation to the promotion of French nationalism. My findings suggest that my interview subjects have not had similar experiences to the more researched minority groups living in France, perhaps as a result of positive associations of Japan within the media, as well as the economic statuses of my interview subjects. I also consider the comparisons between French and Japanese nationalism, and the consequent differences that my interviewees noticed in each culture as a result of their cosmopolitan lifestyles. Overall, because of the cosmopolitanism practiced by my interviews allowing them to experience nationalism in France and Japan, alongside other beneficial portrayals of Japan in French media, my interview subjects have been able to self-identify in various ways that differ from many other experiences of other minority groups living in France
“Green” Marketing in the Apparel Industry: The Spectrum of Veracity
No full textApparel companies’ propensity for manipulation in their marketing of environmental initiatives contributes to immense environmental pollution from petrochemical textile material production. Public scrutiny pressures these businesses to adopt “green” initiatives to avoid losing devoted consumers. In some cases, these initiatives disguise the real operations of a company or claim benignity for the company when this is not the reality. Previous business ethics research analyzed the emergence of “greenwashing” in corporations and thus concluded that corporations market themselves as eco-friendly to portray commodification as sustainable. In the form of case studies, this paper scrutinizes four companies: Zara, Patagonia, Lululemon, and Pact. Through discourse and visual analyses on the social media platform, Instagram, from 2016 until 2021, and annual reports from 2016, 2018, and 2020, the paper analyzes how each company narrates its environmental consciousness. My findings indicate that Zara and Lululemon elicit consumer support through strategies of ambiguous discourse and nature visuals while Pact and Patagonia emphasize their third-party certifications and data substantiated results. In sum, this research brings awareness to marketing narratives of apparel companies in hopes of informing consumers that company claims may mask the true environmental effects of a company’s production processes
Two Sided Matching: A Study of Underemployment
No full textThis paper lays out a general equilibrium framework to study and predict the underemployment rate. A heterogeneous labor market in which both workers and firms differ in skill type is considered and calibrated to simulate both unemployment and underemployment rates. Qualitatively, the model’s predictions match the empirical evidence suggesting underemployment decreases with increases to unemployment insurance. Quantitatively, the one-shot foundation limits the model’s predictive capabilities
The Chosen One?: Reflections on Mid-Century Egyptian Nationalism, Gamal Abdel Nasser\u27s Charismatic Leadership, and the Suez Crisis of 1956
No full textThis thesis considers Gamal Abdel Nasser\u27s 1956 nationalization of the Suez Canal and the subsequent Suez Crisis in the broader context of the histories of nationalism and charismatic leadership in a decolonial setting. Chapter one synthesizes the works of notable scholars into a cohesive historiography of nationalism\u27s emergence in Egypt and Nasser\u27s unique role within mid-century Egyptian society. Chapter two examines the direct causes of the Suez Crisis within the previously established context of nationalism and charismatic leadership, drawing new conclusions from memos, telegrams, and the Egyptian Government\u27s \u27White Paper on the Nationalization of the Suez Canal Maritime Company\u27 -- arguing that the latter presents a critically overlooked primary source. The conclusion relates the processes and events discussed to the modern example of Russia\u27s invasion of Ukraine, arguing that the successful use of mass media, propaganda, and the presence of strong leadership is crucial in ameliorating a nation\u27s position in times of crisis
Bean to Buck: Examining the Effects of the Global Coffee Commodity Market on Smallholders in Colombia
No full textUtilizing global coffee commodity prices as an exogenous variable on households\u27 consumption, I examine how global coffee commodity price fluctuations affect the well-being of households in the third-largest coffee-producing nation, Colombia. The results show that rural regions and regions designated as part of the Coffee Axis are most affected by fluctuations in prices. While results on other regional distinctions are not significant, the size of a household\u27s farming operation dictates how increases in consumption are affected. Lastly, I show that changes in coffee prices, do not have any effect on whether a small or large farm will switch to growing the bean, in the short term. Overall, this paper aims to understand how Colombians are exposed to price shifts from one of the world\u27s beloved beverages
IMPACTS OF PROFAMILIA PROGRAM SPREAD ON CONTRACEPTIVE USE AND FERTILITY RATES IN COLOMBIA DURING ITS INTRODUCTION
No full textI examine the effect of the Profamilia program during its beginning years over the 1960s and 1970s as it spread across Colombia. I find that Profamilia effectively delays first birth, intercourse, and age at marriage, and reduces the probability of having had a teen birth. These outcomes were also linked to increased literacy rates, improved educational attainment, and an increase in employment. Birth spacing and contraceptive use increased. These findings support current research that improving access to family planning services is an effective method for decreasing women’s fertility and improving educational and employment opportunities for women. The implication that having access to family planning services at younger ages has a more significant impact on each of these outcomes argues for a community-wide commitment to improved sexual and reproductive health access for all ages, even below fertility ages
