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Tractors on the Mall: Unraveling the New Deal, Political Shifts, and the 1980s Farm Crisis
No full textIn the 1980s, Midwestern farmers faced an economic crisis that rivaled the Great Depression. Agricultural policy in the 1970s and 1980s led to a boom and bust for many of the nation’s farmers, causing the decline in rural communities in the middle of the country. During this period, more efficient agricultural production, shifting federal policy, high inflation, and devalued farmland led farmers in the Midwest to face incredible economic hardships, loss of land, changes in their communities, and challenges to their sense of purpose and identity. The Farm Crisis of the 1980s furnishes an extraordinary opportunity to investigate a confluence of forces, economic, political, social, cultural, and global, that can disrupt traditional narratives about farming communities while simultaneously extolling the long-touted virtues of American farmers. The United States began as a nation of farmers, and farming still carries cultural power as an occupation that encapsulates national values like self-sufficiency and a strong work ethic. The transition from family farms to agribusiness has shaken every aspect of the nation’s agrarian origins, real or imagined. This research seeks to address four key questions. First, how did the social and economic landscape shape a shift to conservatism in the United States. Second, what role did deregulatory and agricultural policies play in causing the Farm Crisis? Third, how did changes in farming practices also alter labor practices, social structures, and power dynamics in rural communities? Fourth, what effect did the changes in farming have on local ecologies and water resources in the region? It is important to note that American agricultural history makes sense only in context with broader economic and political trends
Reframing Information Seeking in the Age of Generative AI: A Critical and Humanistic Approach
No full textInformation-seeking has long been the subject of theoretical modeling, often drawing from cognitive, behavioral, computational, and even evolutionary perspectives to explain how individuals navigate, filter, and utilize information. Several dominant frameworks—Carol Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process, Marcia Bates’ Berrypicking Model, Peter Pirolli & Stuart Card’s Information Foraging Theory, Kiyohiko Nakamura’s Information Criteria framework, and Ian Ruthven’s Information Shaping Theory —have provided structured ways of understanding how people interact with information environments. However, while these frameworks offer valuable insights, they often operate within mechanistic or efficiency-driven paradigms, which risk overlooking the complex, embodied, and socioculturally situated nature of human information behaviors. These efficiency-oriented models, while useful in certain contexts, do not sufficiently account for the deeply affective, iterative, and socially embedded nature of information-seeking. A more humanistic and queer approach to AI literacy resists the assumption that information retrieval is purely rational or goal-directed, instead emphasizing the ways in which knowledge production is relational, contingent, and shaped by power. Queer theory provides a productive lens for interrogating the normative assumptions embedded in traditional information-seeking frameworks, particularly their optimizationist paradigms and their tendency to privilege dominant epistemologies. By conceptualizing AI literacy through a queer lens, this paper advocates for an approach that foregrounds uncertainty, performativity, and embodied subjectivity—principles that are vital in an era where AI systems increasingly mediate access to and interpretation of knowledge
Achilles Tendon Morphology Adaptations in Chronic Post-Stroke Hemiparesis: A Comparative Analysis With Neurologically Intact Controls
No full textIntroduction: In individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis, slow walking speed is a significant concern related to inadequate propulsion of the paretic limb. However, an overlooked factor is this population\u27s altered morphology of the Achilles tendon, which may compromise the propulsive forces by the paretic limb. This study aimed to explore changes in Achilles tendon morphology, including gross thickness and intra-tendinous collagen fiber bundle organization, following stroke-induced brain lesions.
Methods: Fifteen individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis (at least 6 months post-stroke) and 19 neurologically intact controls participated. Ultrasound imaging was used to evaluate Achilles tendon thickness and collagen organization in the paretic and non-paretic limbs of post-stroke participants, as well as in the right limb (control limb) of the neurologically intact control group.
Results and discussion: Compared to control individuals, the paretic limb in individuals post-stroke showed increased tendon thickness at the Achilles tendon insertion and 2 cm above it. The collagen fiber bundle at the Achilles tendon insertion of the paretic limb showed reduced organization compared to that in the control limb. Individuals post-stroke also exhibited slower walking speed, and increased plantarflexor muscle tone in the paretic limb compared to controls. In conclusion, individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis demonstrated tendon thickening and collagen disorganization in the paretic limb, particularly at the insertion site of the Achilles tendon, likely due to an abnormal loading environment influenced by increased plantarflexor muscle tone, muscle co-activation, and muscle disuse and atrophy. These changes may increase tendon compliance, impair force transmission and propulsion, and contribute to slower walking speed. Addressing Achilles tendon integrity should be incorporated as a component of strategies to improve neuromuscular control in this population
Highways to Hell: How the Intersections of Cinema, Rock Music and the Resurgence of Evangelicalism Influenced the 1985 Senate Hearing on Rock Music
No full textThe Senate hearing on the “Contents of Music and the Lyrics of Records, held on September 19, 1985, was as much a popular culture event as a public airing of concerns about explicit content in music. Much has been written about the significance of the Parents’ Music Resource Center (PMRC), the Senate hearing and the issues it engaged in, and how it colored conversations about censorship of the arts, the effectiveness of rating systems to police popular media and the effects of media on children’s behavior and development. The thesis will explore aspects of formative trends that influenced the PMRC’s presentation in 1985, specifically film, rock music and the resurgence of a public evangelical campaign convinced it had found a new mode of satanic influence bent on corrupting children’s morals and degrading the nation
The Cycle Paradox: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Excess Credit Accumulation in Public Higher Education
No full textThis dissertation explores the challenges of stagnating college degree completion in the United States, particularly at public institutions. The study focuses on the problem of excess credit accumulation as a barrier to degree completion. This phenomenon is understudied in the higher education literature, limiting empirical support to inform future policy and practice approaches. This study employs a concurrent mixed-methods design to explore the characteristics of students who accumulate excess credits and the circumstances contributing to that accumulation. The study is conducted at an R1 institution designated as an HSI, MSI, and AANAPISI, reflecting the rigor of its coursework and the diversity of its student body. Data are drawn from institutional records retained as part of a policy charging excess credit accumulators a financial penalty for their excessive accumulation. The framework of academic capitalism is used to analyze institutional data, which views students as consumers and prioritizes financial stability. Quantitative findings reveal a racially and economically diverse sample, demographic variation by major, and strong academic performance despite credit excess. Qualitative findings point to challenges with credit applicability, evolving academic pathways, and barriers to progression as key contributors. These findings suggest that vulnerable populations and those in demanding majors have the most difficulty navigating credit accumulation, such as degree applicability and evolving academic pathways. The integrated findings suggest institutional policies and student decisions reinforce one another, contributing to conditions that reinforce excess credit accumulation
“Do You Even Lift, Bro?”: Correlates of Muscle Dysmorphia Symptomatology in Filipino Male University Students
No full textMuscle Dysmorphia (MD) is a subtype of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) and is marked by the desire to increase muscularity and reduce body fat. MD is typically more prevalent among younger male populations, and it often drives comorbid disorders, including substance abuse, eating disorders, and social anxiety. Despite the growing literature on MD, it remains understudied in certain racial/ethnic populations, such as Filipinos. Acculturation, defined as the process in which an individual adopts, acquires, and adapts to a new cultural environment as a result of immigration, influences body image by reshaping an individual’s perceptions of beauty and muscularity standards. Guided by the Social Ecological Model (SEM), this study aimed to determine the severity of MD symptomatology among Filipino male university students in the United States and evaluate the associations among acculturation, MD symptomatology, and anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use and ideation. An anonymous primary data survey administered through Qualtrics was disseminated to university students who met the inclusion criteria. R statistical software was used to conduct all data analyses, including descriptive statistics, linear regression in a structural equation model framework, and logistic regression. Results show that Filipino men showed a higher MD symptom severity than other populations previously studied. Structural equation models revealed that language use and preference (LUP) were negatively associated with drive for size (DS) (β = -0.25, p = 0.004) and functional impairment (FI) (β = -0.29, p \u3c 0.001) but positively associated with appearance intolerance (AI) (β = 0.31, p = 0.004). Additionally, ethnic social relations (ESR) were negatively associated with AI (β = -0.19, p = 0.045). Logistic regression indicated LUP was negatively associated with AAS use (OR = 0.90, 95% CI [0.82, 0.97], p = 0.007), but ESR was positively associated with AAS use (OR = 1.37, 95% CI [1.15, 1.66], p \u3c 0.001). Meanwhile, ESR (OR = 1.18, 95% CI [1.04, 1.34], p = 0.01) and FI (OR = 1.14, 95% CI [1.01, 1.28], p = 0.03) were positively associated with the likelihood of AAS ideation. These findings will help emphasize the importance of body image issues, particularly in men, and guide the development of public health interventions based on the SEM
Identifying Alternatively Spliced Events and Exons Between Blood Cell Types
No full textTranscript isoforms arising from alternative splicing events can contribute to the development of a cell’s identity and function and overall protein diversity. Peripheral blood is a useful model to study and evaluate computational methods for alternative splicing detection due to its abundant data across various sequencing protocols. The alternative splicing events across different blood cell types have not been completely identified and detecting alternative splicing through short read sequencing is still a challenging problem. Here, we propose to integrate multiple bulk RNA-seq datasets of purified blood cells using a novel integration method to identify the cell-type specific alternative splicing events in different blood cell types. We applied the detection methods to three data sets across two cell type comparisons. We show that we can integrate the results of two independent approaches of alternative splicing detection that were previously considered too different to be reconciled. The results show very little concordance between the different approaches. It also allowed us to identify the few confident events that are commonly detected by both approaches. The integration allowed us to re-analyze past studies and produce a comprehensive list of alternatively spliced events based on multiple software. In conclusion, this work achieves an overarching list of significant parts/events associated with different cell types by integrating across multiple softwares and datasets
Functional Biopolymers Applied to Sustainable Technologies in the Environment and Healthcare
No full textBiodegradable polymeric materials (biopolymers) are naturally derived materials known for their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, sustainability, and versatile chemical functionality. They have attracted increasing attention in various applications as alternative to synthetic materials ranging from food packaging to tissue engineering. Meanwhile, with intrinsic advantages, biopolymers have also emerged as promising materials in addressing contemporary challenges in both biomedical and environmental fields. Motivated by the significant potential of biopolymers and the growing need for sustainable materials, my research focuses on the design and engineering of biodegradable polymers with novel modification methods and application directions. In this work, two representative biopolymers are selected: silk fibroin, a natural biodegradable protein, and polydopamine (PDA), a synthetic bioinspired polymer, to explore their unique properties and expand their functional application. Especially, this work applies them to addressing critical challenges in sustainable water remediation and wearable bioelectronics, respectively.The first project investigates silk fibroin as a sustainable bioadsorbent for wastewater treatment. Regarding silk fibroin with abundant functional groups, mechanical stability, and biodegradability, it has become an excellent candidate for pollutant removal in natural water resources. To meet the requirements of practical applications, silk fibroin has been integrated into an Automated Drone-Delivery Solar-Driven Water Monitoring and Treatment System (WMTS). This system combines silk bioadsorbents with wireless IoT sensors, cloud-based machine learning, satellite mapping, and autonomous drone deployment to collect and analyze real-time water quality data, then provide optimized and efficient onsite treatment, especially in difficult-to-access locations. This integrated platform offers a closed-loop, energy-efficient, and sustainable solution for managing natural water contamination. The second project focused on polydopamine (PDA), a bioinspired polymer that mimics the strong adhesive properties of mussels. In this part, we develop a self-adhesive, stretchable, and conductive PDA–polyacrylamide (PDA–PAM) hydrogel-based electrode for continuous electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring. Traditional gel-based silver/silver chloride electrodes often suffer from motion artifacts, signal loss, and skin irritation due to limited adhesion and stretchability. In contrast, the proposed PDA–PAM hydrogel-based electrode offers strong tissue adhesion, excellent flexibility, and intrinsic conductivity, making it an ideal candidate for skin conformal bioelectronic interfaces. Human subject testing demonstrated stable, high-quality ECG signal acquisition with up to 59% improvement in signal-to-noise ratio during intense physical activities, with no skin irritation after prolonged wear. This material shows great promise as a hypoallergenic and durable alternative for next-generation wearable health monitoring devices. In summary, these two projects the versatility and transformative potential of sustainable biopolymers in solving high-impact problems in environmental and health monitoring fields. By utilizing the unique properties of silk fibroin and PDA, this work contributes to the advancement of eco-friendly, human-compatible technologies for both sustainable water remediation and personal health monitoring, reinforcing the role of biopolymers as next-generation materials for a more sustainable future. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, I also worked on another two side projects focused on disposable face masks. To reduce the risk of fomite-based viral transmission in clinical settings, a superhydrophobic coating of fluorinated graphene (FG) was applied to N95 masks. This simple one-step spray coating dramatically increased water and mucus repellency, improved contact and roll-off angles, and demonstrated strong resistance to SARS-CoV-2-laden body fluid droplets. In another complementary project, I addressed the environmental burden of discarded face masks by repurposing their hydrophobic and superoleophilic properties for oil-water separation. Recycled non-woven masks exhibited high separation efficiency (up to 98.97%) and robustness under harsh conditions, including strong acids, bases, and salty environments. This work offers a practical pathway to mitigate microplastic pollution by turning PPE waste into functional environmental remediation tools
Teaching, Building, Learning: AI in Nursing Education
No full textThe session is grounded in two guiding frameworks. The ADDIE instructional design model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) structures how AI can be systematically integrated into teaching practice, from identifying learning needs to evaluating outcomes. The RISEN framework (Role, Input, Steps, Evaluation, Next) provides faculty with a structured method for developing effective AI prompts and maintaining academic rigor. Together, these frameworks highlight how AI can be embedded purposefully rather than opportunistically.
Participants will leave with strategies for incorporating AI into their own courses, including techniques for building equitable group work, creating adaptable case studies, and designing assignments that encourage students to critically evaluate AI as a partner in knowledge generation. By the end of the session, attendees will be equipped with replicable models to responsibly and creatively integrate AI into teaching and learning
School-Based Agricultural Educators’ Educational Technology Integration Self-Efficacy and Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Relational Study
No full textThe purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teacher Technological Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, and Technological Pedagogical Knowledge and teachers’ technology integration self-efficacy through the use of TPACK and the Intrapersonal Technology Integration Scale (ITIS). In-service SBAE teachers from four upper-Midwest states were surveyed to assess their current self-efficacy related to the integration and utilization of the educational technology available in their classroom and curriculum. According to the findings of this study, SBAE teachers are using educational technology in their classrooms and curriculum daily but are only slightly confident in their ability to use it effectively. Additionally, the findings identified an association between the amount of professional development and higher levels of technology integration self-efficacy, as well as a significant positive correlation between technology integration self-efficacy and technological content knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge. Thus, to increase the utilization of instructional technology in SBAE classrooms, we recommend teachers participate in professional development which is focused on not only how to use educational technology, but also on how to teach agriculture content using the educational technology specific to their accessible devices