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The Unjust Family: Investigating the Distributive and Relational Inequalities of Single Mothers
Get PDFThe family is both a private association and a public institution that, through complex ideology, reinforces dominant norms and idealizes the nuclear family. Society then marginalizes those who do not fit into this model of family, such as single mothers. To attend to these inequalities, distributive theories of justice have been used to explain some of their material hardship but not the whole of their exclusion. To grasp the deeper injustice—how single mothers are stigmatized and denied equal standing—we must employ a relational egalitarian lens. This showcases how policies like TANF not only fail to support single mothers but actively undermine their social status. Bachelor of Art
Reframing Self-Defense: The Ruling of Domestic Abuse Cases and Premeditated Murder
Get PDFDespite growing awareness of domestic violence, legal protections for battered women remain constrained by self-defense definitions that prioritize immediate retaliation over broader contextual factors. This study investigates whether public jurors also place weight on such contexts like history of abuse and the severity of imminent threats in addition to the legal standard's emphasis on immediacy. Using a preregistered survey experiment (N = 400), this research examine how participants evaluate cases in which battered women kill their abusers, testing the interactive effects of abuse history, threat severity, and impulsivity of the crime. Results show that all three factors significantly influence perceptions of blame, justification, immorality, and empathy participants felt towards the decedent and defendant. Among the perceptions, the severity level of imminent threat most strongly shaped perceptions of who was morally at fault. Moreover, the introduction of the current legal definition of self-defense shifted participants’ attention from contextual abuse to the impulsive nature of the act, increasing the likelihood of self-defense claims, but only for cases where the homicide was committed instinctively. This selective leniency risks excusing unreasonable actions while excluding legitimate claims that fall outside the textbook definition of self-defense. These findings highlight the potential for unjust legal outcomes when courts fail to account for situational complexities of abuse, underscoring the need for a more inclusive and context-sensitive definition of self-defense. Bachelor of Art
Krein's Problem On Graphs
Get PDFIn Chapter 1, we explore the Krein 1 problem, beginning with an introduction to existing theoretical tools from the continuous setting for the Schrödinger operator. We then transition to the graph setting, where we derive key properties of the gradient and Hessian and develop an algorithm to determine the lowest energy state. Finally, we present numerical simulations that validate our theoretical findings.
In Chapter 2, we explore the generalized Krein problem, following the same structure as Chapter 1. We begin by introducing the necessary theoretical tools before transitioning to the graph setting. We then derive key properties of the gradient and Hessian and develop an algorithm to determine the desired energy state. To support our theoretical findings, we present numerical simulations and discuss potential challenges encountered in the simulations.
The Appendix includes the source code for both problems, along with additional details about the experimental setup.Bachelor of Scienc
Optotaxis: Light-Inducible Cytoskeletal Activators and the Automated Tracking of Directed Cell Migration
Get PDFCell migration in response to a stimulus is a complex and highly regulated whole-cell process. Detection of subtle phenotypic migration changes has been difficult at a single-cell level, necessitating the use of mass migration assays with many dozens or hundreds of individual cells migrating over the course of hours or days. However, the lack of automated tools has made this analysis highly tedious and prone to human bias. Additionally, cell migration can be directed by gradients of extracellular cues as intracellular cytoskeletal networks and regulatory pathways convert those signals into mechanical forces. Most migration assays provide stimulus in the form of a diffusible chemical gradient; however, such gradients are complex to maintain over the timescales necessary to monitor directed migration and are difficult to interpret mechanistically as single receptors activate parallel downstream pathways that become difficult to disentangle. In this work, we constructed an automated pipeline for the segmentation, tracking, and migration analysis of migrating fibroblasts visualized via low magnification widefield microscopy. Using optogenetically activated intracellular signaling proteins, such as the Rac-activating Tiam1, and projecting a tunable gradient of (488 nm) light onto the sample, we stimulated cellular migration - or “optotaxis” - in a consistent and measurable manner. 24 hour time-lapses were analyzed via the automated pipeline, and significant optotaxis towards brighter regions was observed consistent with hand-tracking analysis. Overall, these efforts establish the strong foundation of an adaptable high-throughput system for studying the internal signaling involved in directed cell migrationBachelor of Scienc
Between Humor and Truth: An Ethical Analysis of Political Satire in 2024 Election Coverage
Get PDFThe 2024 US presidential elections were a significant event not only for the political landscape of the country but also for the media, including satirical news shows. This study examined the ethical dimensions of the 2024 US presidential elections coverage by four prominent satirical news shows. Based on a mixed-methods content analysis of over fifty hours of selected episodes from Saturday Night Live (NBC), Last Week Tonight (HBO), The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS) and The Daily Show (Comedy Central) this study explored how these programs navigated the complexities of humor, critique, and journalistic integrity while satirizing a high-stakes political event.
Drawing on theories of media ethics, political humor, and satire’s social functions, the study developed a normative framework for evaluating the shows’ adherence to principles such as truthfulness, fairness, minimizing harm, and punching up. Quantitative analysis identified patterns in the shows allocation of airtime to candidates, use of satirical techniques, and issue framing, while qualitative case studies provided in-depth insights into their approaches to keyethical challenges. The study focused on the role of host gender in shaping the satirical commentary.
By offering a timely and nuanced assessment of satirical news shows’ ethical performance during a critical election cycle, this study contributes to ongoing discussions about satire’s place within the larger media landscape and its potential to inform, engage, and influence public discourse. The findings will have implications for scholars, media professionals, and concerned citizens seeking to understand and promote responsible political satire in an era of deepening polarization and evolving journalistic norms.
Keywords: satire, political humor, media ethics, content analysis, 2024 US presidential electionBachelor of Art
A community-engaged approach to developing common data elements: a case study from the RADx-UP Long COVID common data elements Task Force
Get PDFObjectives: In response to requests from several Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics-Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) community-engaged research projects to include Long COVID common data elements (CDEs) in the existing RADx-UP CDEs, the RADx-UP Coordination and Data Collection Center (CDCC) leadership formed the Long COVID CDEs Task Force. Materials and Methods: The Task Force, composed mainly of community partners and RADx-UP project members, participated in various activities to evaluate the Long COVID CDEs fit for purpose from the Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) program for RADx-UP use. Results and Discussion: The Task Force's efforts led to a compilation of lessons learned and the creation of a novel set of 28 CDEs that are appropriate for community-engaged research in Long COVID. Conclusion: Utilization of standardized CDEs does not always work for the communities involved in the research, but creation of a community-involved task force can lead to a meaningful, rich set of CDEs
Reclaiming Clinical Time: The Promise and Challenges of Ambient AI for Oncology Nurses in the Asia-Pacific Region
Get PDFThe administrative burden in healthcare, particularly documentation-related tasks, poses a critical challenge for oncology nurses in the Asia-Pacific region. This diverts valuable time from direct patient care and contributes significantly to cognitive overload, burnout, and workforce attrition. Empirical studies from India and South Korea highlight the mental health toll on oncology nurses, identifying clinical documentation as a consistent and substantial source of stress. Addressing this pressing issue demands innovative, evidence-based interventions. Ambient artificial intelligence (AI), as a transformative technology, holds significant promise in reducing the clerical burden faced by oncology nurses, thereby enabling more time for compassionate, patient-centred care
Chaos and Creativity: Understanding Ritual Potting Traditions in the Eastern Lowlands of the Central Mississippi River Valley, AD 1350-1600
Get PDFThis dissertation examines the social and religious significance of decorated potteryproduced by American Indian communities in the Eastern Lowlands of the central MississippiRiver Valley (CMV) during the Late Mississippian period (AD 1350–1600). During this time,areas of present-day northeast Arkansas and southeast Missouri experienced intense populationgrowth. Within this rapidly changing environment, communities established fortified towns thatnavigated a complex web of shifting alliances and rivalries. Unlike in other regions of theMississippian world, a single political or religious center did not emerge in the CMV. Amidst these changes, CMV potters created thousands of painted, incised, engraved, andmodeled vessels depicting religious imagery that reflects the structure and inhabitants of theNative cosmos. While Mississippian iconography has received increased scholarly attention inrecent decades, most work focuses on the crafting traditions of large mound centers, includingMoundville, Etowah, Spiro, and Cahokia. As a result, the CMV’s ceramic tradition – and itsarticulation with the region’s decentralized sociopolitical climate – has never beencomprehensively examined. This dissertation seeks to expand current understandings ofMississippian visual culture by analyzing how CMV communities crafted, used, and imbuedvessels with meaning. In doing so, it diversifies prevailing interpretations of Mississippianreligion and ideology. In this research, I assess dimensions of vessel use and production, combining thesefindings with an iconographic assessment of ceramic imagery informed by ethnohistoricaccounts of American Indian cultural traditions. More broadly, I interpret these vessels within atheoretical framework informed by fundamental tenets of contemporary American Indianphilosophy. Conducted with the full consent of the Osage Nation and the Quapaw Nations thisproject demonstrates how archaeological research on culturally sensitive materials can beconducted ethically and responsibly.Doctor of Philosoph
The Effects of Acute Sleep Deprivation in Developing Mice
Get PDFSleep is an evolutionarily conserved behavior that plays a fundamental role in human development. Previous research suggests that sleep may serve distinct biophysiological functions during developmental and adult periods. Furthermore, behavioral studies have shown that early-life chronic sleep deprivation (ELSD) can induce the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-like symptoms in heterozygous Shank3 mice, a model for ASD, even though undisturbed Shank3 mice do not exhibit such symptoms. This paper aims to bridge the gap between behavioral and cellular processes by examining critical developmental structures, such as perineuronal nets, which have previously been shown to be disproportionally affected only in juvenile mice by acute sleep deprivation (SD) in synaptic proteomic analyses. We utilize immunohistochemistry to stain for perineuronal net markers, as well as parvalbumin (PV) neurons, a type of inhibitory GABAergic interneuron, to explore potential cellular explanations of behavioral Shank3 ASD-like SD effects. Our results indicate that the intensity of perineuronal net markers remained unchanged between acute SD and control conditions. However, the intensity of PV (+) neurons increased as a result of acute SD. Existing literature suggests that altered PV (+) activity is linked to an excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) imbalance, which may contribute to the behavioral discrepancies observed in sleep-deprived and control Shank3 mice.Bachelor of Scienc
Association Between Empirically Derived Components and Outcomes of Emotional Resilience in Adolescents
Get PDF There is movement among psychologists away from solely managing symptoms of mental illness to also incorporating aspects of positive psychology to prevent mental health issues in the first place. Emotional resilience (ER) is one of them, and describes a complex, multicomponent phenomenon characterized by maintaining a reasonably positive mental state in the presence of trauma and adversity. The aim of this study is to integrate multiple experimentally derived components of ER and analyze how they correlate with outcomes of ER in adolescents. 33 adolescents ranging from 9 to 16 years of age filled out a variety of scales and questionnaires, from which principal component analysis (PCA) was used to derive ER components. The relationship between these components and common stress and anxiety ER markers was assessed through general linear models. None of the results were significant, except for the fact that more Perceived Stress decreased sadness after a one-year follow-up. The components analyzed in this study are a foundation for further analysis, and by extension the development of novel interventions to increase emotional resilience in children at this important developmental time point.Bachelor of Scienc