1925 research outputs found
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Structured sense of community on academics and graduation: youth on their own in Tucson
No full textThe purpose of the study was to determine if a constructed sense of community would impact graduation rates or continuous enrollment and, if so, to what extent. Identity development for school-age adolescents extends beyond personal discovery. It includes how one’s identity is reflected in the community, how roles within a community are formed, and all the social transactions that reinforce or dispel one’s view of themselves. A sense of community is restricted to geography. It is any group that shares a focus and has a recognizable shared identity. The concept of sense of community is built on four categories: Belonging, Identity, Support, and Stability. As students develop individually, they also cultivate relationships within and among communities. Homeless or home insecurity is a disruption to the essential hierarchy of needs and can result in deficiencies in identity development.
The study focused on students who experienced homelessness or housing insecurity during the 2021 school year and participated in Youth on their Own. Youth on their Own is a constructed micro-community that provides support for students who qualify. The quantitative study used the Sense of Community Index II to survey students to compare graduation status to community index scores. Index questions were grouped into Reinforcement of Needs, Membership, Influence, and Shared Emotional Connection. Collected scores were analyzed for a median split and ranked as high sense of community or low sense of community.
The results of the study failed to show a statistically significant connection between graduation or continuous enrollment and a high sense of community index score. Analysis revealed a positive trend for Reinforcement of Needs and Graduated. Graduated students scored higher in all four categories overall, but only Reinforcement of Needs showed a positive association. Regression analysis indicated a significance between this Reinforcement of Needs and Graduated, but not between graduation status and overall community scores. A number of outliers were noted for some survey prompts which may reveal that the prompts themselves were ill-fitted for this type of multi-site community with protocols that prevent student exposure to the identity of other members. Further research in this area is needed
Investigating invasion dynamics of Pseudogymnoascus destructans in Texas bats reveals differential patterns of pathogen progression
Get PDFAs the modern world becomes more connected, the rapid spread of infectious fungal pathogens proves to be one of the leading threats to wildlife health. The fungal disease, white-nose syndrome (WNS), in North American bats is a prominent example of the devastating impact novel pathogens can have on naïve wildlife populations. The virulent disease has caused unprecedented declines in North American bat populations and threatens multiple species with extinction. The causative agent, Pseudogymnoascus destructans, is highly adapted to infecting cave-hibernating bats to complete its life cycle, however the extent and severity of WNS threat is highly variable across different bat species and geographic regions. The WNS epizootic presents a unique opportunity to study the disease dynamics and host species impacts of a novel pathogen as it spreads into new regions and populations. The emergence of WNS in the diverse and abundant bat communities of Texas is a significant phase of the pathogen’s invasion across the continent and merits examination. Frick et al. (2017) was the first study to examine the spatiotemporal progression of P. destructans prevalence and infection intensity during the continental-scale invasion of the pathogen in North America. We aim to build on their foundational study by investigating the prevalence and infection dynamics of P. destructans during its invasion and establishment in Texas and how they compare to the progression of the pathogen in the eastern and midwestern regions of the U.S. Here, we compare the temporal patterns of P. destructans progression in Myotis velifer and Perimyotis subflavus in Texas with the invasion dynamics of the pathogen in the East to better understand the divergent outcomes of host-pathogen interactions
Psychological impacts of a pandemic on the disadvantaged
No full textThe recent COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on people around the world, with populations everywhere experiencing varying economic and social affects that go well beyond the physical tolls of actual infection with the virus. Beyond these economic and social conditions, there has been a major impact on the mental health of various populations across the globe. While a virus itself does not discriminate, nor can it specifically target any particular race, sex, or level of social class – the virus, and a government’s response to it – can have different and unique impacts on particular population groups. The main goal of this research project aims to identify the mental health impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on disadvantaged, low-income people within a specific region of the United States (U.S.). The impacts of the pandemic on people considered middle-income that live in that same region were also identified for comparison. This project will examine and seek to answer the question: How has the pandemic, and the social measures implemented to control it, affected the mental health of a disadvantaged population within a specific area of the United States? The second aspect of this research project will help guide the creation of a framework of strategies and interventions that will help reduce issues for those that are considered disadvantaged, based on their low-income status. This examination will aid in identifying, giving clarity, and providing a foundation of interventions/strategies to help meet the needs of those that fall within this demographic during such a crisis
Touring the margins: geographies and experiences of Black and Chicano men at a historically White university
No full textRecent data shows a national decline in the number of men completing four-year degrees and a growing gap between men and the number of women who attain bachelor’s degrees (Parker, 2021; Reeves & Smith, 2021). Men of color have the lowest college enrollment and completion rates, and the gap in degree attainment is continuing to grow when compared to White men as well as women of color (Anthony et al., 2021; Harper & Harris, 2010; Kaufman, 1999). Black and Latino men are among the least likely to assimilate to a White campus environment (Cuyjet, 2009; Guardia & Evans, 2010; Hurtado & Carter, 1997). Creating institutions that are unwelcoming and hostile towards men of color. In addition, the male college student narrative is driven by the experiences of White men, rendering men of color invisible. The exclusion of men of color from higher education has been a centuries long practice that led to the promotion and institutionalization of whiteness on historically White college campuses (Gusa, 2010). Most research pertaining to men of color in college and their experiences interrogates their interactions with classrooms, faculty, and curriculum; there is little that seeks to understand how they interact with White spaces (Bukoski & Hatch, 2016; Harper & Hurtado, 2007; Samura, 2016). Separating men of color into more specific demographic groups is also necessary to begin disaggregating the data and better representing their unique experiences (Cuyjet, 2009; Kauffman, 1999).
This research was conducted using critical geography of education as the theoretical framework. This has most often been applied to the K-12 setting, and there is a need for further research in higher education (Brooks et al., 2016; Samura, 2016). Additionally, it provided the opportunity to explore the intersections of race and space, and how each influenced the other.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the ways in which Black and Chicano men navigated a historically White university and to better understand their day-to-day experiences in White spaces. This was conducted through walking/moving interviews and a semi-formal interview structure. The data is presented through composite counter storytelling followed by a thematic analysis of spaces and geographies encountered and created by the participants. The ten men who participated in this study bring visibility to how Black and Chicano men are navigating historically White universities and the spaces on these campuses. They paint a picture of the ways in which they are required to constantly negotiate their identities and presence on campus while also finding moments of liberation
Reimagining school safety through the removal of school resource officers: an abolitionist perspective
No full textThis thesis identifies abolitionist strategies to reimagine student safety without the use of School Resource Officers (SROs). Using a qualitative multiple-case study research design, this research utilized in-depth, semi-structured interviews with district officials from five school districts across the United States engaged in rethinking the role of law enforcement in schools. Through these conversations, this study explores how districts are reimagining safety, security, and harm, reports the challenges districts face in developing new safety models, and sheds light on the complex relationship between school districts and law enforcement. The study uses an abolitionist lens to interpret the findings to open a broader discussion around the intersection of abolitionist theory and praxis. In doing so, this thesis highlights the salient ways in which districts’ efforts to reimagine safety provide lessons for abolitionist strategies and offer a critique of potential challenges that might arise
Estrogen as a therapeutic agent to protect against oxidative stress in aging and endocrine disruptors in humans and murine models
No full textRedox dysfunction and oxidative stress are common etiology of some of the world’s most prominent and deadly diseases such are cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, pulmonary diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases. In many of these diseases, apparent sex differences have emerged. While some studies related to redox biology have included both sexes, the emphasis on comparing the differences across sex is lacking. Sources of reactive oxygen species can be both endogenous like mitochondria, peroxisomes, and lipids, and others are exogenous like foods, drugs, physical stressors (ischemia/reperfusion) or environmental (environmental toxins, pollutants, and contaminants). The goal of this dissertation was to investigate the effects of oxidative stressors on redox function across sex. Aerobic fitness has been shown to increase redox capacity in order adults, but whether adaptation differ between sexes remains unknown. Healthy men and women were evaluated for fitness levels and then underwent an ischemia-reperfusion (oxidative stress) trial. In response to the I/R trial, women had significantly higher lipid peroxidation levels at baseline compared to men, yet women recovered to baseline levels, where men continued to increase. While these data support that menopause may cause increases in oxidative stress due to a loss in estrogen, women are more responsive to the effects of physical fitness on attenuating oxidative stress, possibly mediated by body composition. Arsenic exposure is an exogenous environmental toxin and source of reactive oxygen species. It has been previously determined that the loss of estrogen associated with menopause can lead to an accumulation of oxidative stress and thus an unbalanced redox state. Therefore, the effects of estrogen as a therapeutic agent to combat oxidative stress caused by arsenic exposure was tested in murine models ovariectomized murine models. Ovariectomized 8-week old mice were split into four groups (controls, control + estrogen, arsenic, and arsenic + estrogen) and antioxidant capacity was assessed in enzymatic activity and gene expression. These data suggested that arsenic may play a role in inducing oxidative stress by interfering with antioxidant activity and that estrogen may play a role in increasing antioxidant capacity in acute arsenic exposure. Due to the effects of both arsenic and estrogen shown in our previous study, we decided to investigate sex differences in 8-week old intact females and age- matched male mice. Mice were either exposed to arsenic or a control. Mice were treated for 8 weeks via drinking water. These data demonstrate that sex differences only emerged under stimulated conditions (arsenic exposure) and support the protective role of estrogen in antioxidant defenses. In conclusion, this dissertation determined that there are sex-specific differences that only emerge in response to oxidative stressors and that estrogen may play a role in maintaining redox function
Controls on bending-related faulting offshore of the Alaska Peninsula
Get PDFBathymetric, seismic reflection, and modelling studies have demonstrated that subducting oceanic plates experience extensive normal faulting as they bend and subduct at the trench axis. However, the relative importance of pre-existing (usually abyssal-hill) faults, plate curvature and other factors in controlling the extent and style of bending-related faulting remain debated. The subduction zone off the Alaska Peninsula is an ideal place to investigate controls on outer-rise faulting. Pre-existing abyssal-hill fabric in the study area, inferred to be parallel to magnetic anomalies, show a range of orientations, from east-west trends west of a remnant triple junction at 158W and north-south oriented trends to the east. The orientation of the trench itself varies smoothly over this region, and plate curvature gradually increases to the west. Previous studies with limited data suggest that the style and magnitude of bending faulting also varies along this subduction zone. We analyze new multibeam bathymetry data collected as a part of the Alaska Amphibious Community Seismic Experiment (AACSE) to characterize bending faulting between longitudes of 161W and 156ºW. We also used a compilation of legacy and recently acquired seismic reflection data to constrain patterns of sediment thickness on the incoming plate, since sediment has the potential to mask bending faulting. Finally, we estimated along-strike changes in the degree of slab bending by calculating the bending from the seafloor and the top of oceanic crust, which was estimated using the sediment thickness map. Comparisons between trends of outer-rise faults and magnetic anomalies imply that orientations of faults are strongly influenced by pre-existing structures. We observe a decrease in summed scarp heights from west to east, with the highest amount of faulting in the Shumagin Gap region. Sediment cover increases from west to east, which has the potential to mask bending faulting outboard of the Semidi segment where we observe little to no seafloor fault expressions. However, the increase in sediment is likely due to the existence of the Eocene-to-Oligocene aged Zodiac Fan. Thus, most of these sediments are much older than bending faults and would be expected to be cut by extensional faults, and sediment masking is unlikely to be the cause for the decrease in summed faulting we see from west to east. Therefore, westward increase in the summed scarp heights on bending faults at the seafloor likely reflects an increase in the amount of faulting. The dip angle of the slab also varies along strike, increasing from a minimum bending angle of ~1.2 between longitudes 156-157W to ~2.4 between longitudes 160-161W in the west suggesting that the westward increase in the degree of slab bending contributes to the westward increase in summed faulting. In summary, bending faulting is influenced by both pre-existing structures and slab bending; pre-existing abyssal-hill faults are the primary control on the orientations, and the bending angle of the slab is the primary control on the summed amount of faulting
Sexual violence prevention work: engaging men while encouraging gender inclusivity
No full textIn recent decades, a large body of research has focused on the relationship between gender andsocialization that influences the experiences of women and men in society and the subsequent
connection to criminality and victimization (Cannon, Lauve-Moon, and Buttell, 2015; Harris III and
Harper, 2008; Hurst et al., 2020; Levant et al., 2003; Goffman 1976). However, only a small portion
of this research has explored masculinity in relation to sexual violence prevention efforts on college
campuses (Coaching Boys Into Men - Respect. Integrity. Nonviolence., 2021; Men Can Stop Rape:
Our Vision, n.d.; DeGue et al., 2014). In recent years, including men and highlighting the importance
of discussions of masculinity in sexual violence prevention work have been recognized as important
practices for sexual violence prevention work (Center for Disease Control, n.d.). Within universities,
the staff members responsible for sexual violence prevention work have a large amount of discretion
when performing their work. Despite this discretion that allows for staff educators to create programs
that best provide support and relevant information for their student populations, sexual violence
prevention educators across the United States have not systematically developed programs that
address manifestations of masculinity among college students through personalized intervention
programming. Current widespread bystander intervention approaches are limited in the inclusion of
masculinity-based examples and discussions The question remains whether masculinity is effectively
being explored in sexual violence prevention programming on college campuses in tandem with
bystander intervention programs. To investigate the ways in which colleges consider masculinity in
the context of sexual violence prevention, qualitative interviews with six sexual violence prevention
experts on four different university campuses were conducted to explore similarities and differences
between prevention work that exemplify common themes related to masculinity between universities
The design, validation, and performance evaluation of an untethered ankle exoskeleton
Get PDFIndividuals with neuromuscular impairment from conditions like cerebral palsy face reduced quality of life due to diminishing mobility and independence. Lower-limb exoskeletons, particularly ankle exoskeletons, have potential to aid mobility in impaired populations and augment performance in unimpaired populations and have been extensively researched for the past decade. Few untethered ankle exoskeletons exist due to the difficulty of providing enough mechanical power to offset the weight of the exoskeleton on top of improving human biomechanics and metabolic efficiency. Short battery life is also an obstacle to widespread adoption of untethered ankle exoskeletons in the clinic and at home. In this work, we assess the efficacy of our prototype devices during over-ground walking, design new exoskeleton controllers, develop a new ankle exoskeleton device from the ground up, and evaluate the potential for parallel elasticity to improve the performance of our refined exoskeleton platform. In the first study, we observed that our ankle exoskeleton prototype improved metabolic economy, increased walking speed, and lowered plantarflexor muscle activity in a small cohort of individuals with cerebral palsy during over-ground walking – a significant obstacle to the adoption of exoskeletons in free-living settings. In the second study, we presented a framework for developing adaptive, torque sensor-less open-loop controllers that were competitive with our standard closed-loop controllers in mechanical terms while reducing motor energy consumption and noise. The shortcomings of our prototypes in the first and second chapters inspired a third study to develop new lightweight and modular ankle exoskeleton design with a significantly higher torque and power output and joint-level sensing that improved metabolic economy in both unimpaired and impaired cohorts – our device is the second ever to improve metabolic economy in unimpaired adults. We also presented the first-ever lower-limb exoskeleton usability study. In the final study, we use our new hardware platform to design, validate, and demonstrate that a simple parallel elastic element can significantly improve the performance and battery life of our device. Together, these studies establish our untethered ankle exoskeletons as effective and versatile tools for rehabilitation and human augmentation and support the continued research of exoskeletons in clinical and at-home settings
Physiological ecology of free-living golden-mantled ground squirrels (Callospermophilus laterlias) before and during hibernation
No full textTo some extent, the annual biological cycle of free-living hibernators reflects local environmental conditions. The golden-mantled ground squirrel (Callospermophilus lateralis, GMGS), an obligate hibernating ground squirrel, is exposed to a range of conditions across its wide range; yet, the majority of studies on this model hibernator have been undertaken under laboratory conditions and there have been far fewer studies of free-living populations. To better understand how behavior and physiology of free-living GMGSs integrates with environmental conditions, I investigated seasonal patterns of above ground presence and body temperature (Tb) in a previously unstudied population in northern Arizona in relation to phase of the annual cycle and environmental conditions. In one chapter, I investigated above ground activity and Tb in the months prior to hibernation and the integration of those patterns with sex, environmental conditions, and survivorship. In another chapter, I characterized the phenology and Tb of the hibernation season in adult females in the context of geographical location.I found that, in the months prior to hibernation, free-living GMGSs structure the timing of above ground presence to certain patterns of light and temperature but modify the duration and timing of above ground presence when the thermal environment is energetically costly, particularly on humid days. As hibernation approaches, animals reduce time spent above ground and decrease mean and minimum Tb. Animals that survived the active season and were able to enter hibernation spent less time above ground and decreased Tb more rapidly and more than animals that died prior to entering hibernation, and these changes began about four weeks prior to hibernation onset. Confirmed survivorship was low (less than 12%) and was possibly related to drought, which likely precluded animals from reaching the adiposity threshold required for hibernation and caused animals to increase time above ground per day extend the duration of the active season. In the animals that survived and entered hibernation, all adult females, I was further able to characterize hibernation phenology and over-winter Tb patterns. I found that adult female GMGSs in northern Arizona exhibit a hibernation season of approximately 7 months, most of which is spent torpid, and resume above ground activity within 1-2 days of terminating heterothermy. Tb generally tracked Tsoil, and animals reached a minimum torpid Tb of 1.5 - 2°C. Seasonal patterns of torpor duration and torpid Tb from the northern Arizona population were comparable to published results of this and other free-living ground squirrel species and reflect geographical trends