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Three Name Givers
Full text linkGrace Flores is a Sophomore Design Studies major and Honor Scholar at DePauw University. She enjoys expressing her creativity through pastels, drawing, and landscape photography. Outside of her artistic pursuits, Grace loves running, music, and thrifting
Who Defines the Refugee?: Analyzing the Limitations and Relevance of the 1951 UN Convention on Global Refugee Protection
Full text linkThis thesis consists of three chapters and a mini-fourth. In Chapter One, I examine the historical context of the 1951 Convention and its lasting implications. I discuss the early history of the international refugee law regime and the power dynamics that shaped the UN Convention’s drafting. Using a postcolonial lens, I evaluate how the historical context of the Convention continues to perpetuate inequalities and exclusions today, especially through the myth of difference. In Chapter Two, I address the limitations of the 1951 Convention through a comparative analysis with two regional conventions. By analyzing the definition of refugee in each convention, I highlight the constraints of the 1951 Convention and its effectiveness. In Chapter Three, I discuss the shifting dynamics of global governance by first examining the challenge to the Convention’s universality posed by regional conventions. In addition, I evaluate the impact of state noncompliance, through deterrence measures, which challenge the authority and legitimacy of both the UN Convention and the UNHCR. In the final, mini-chapter, I build upon Chapter Three and explore the emerging norm of meaningful refugee participation in international refugee law. This norm both challenges and serves as a potential complement to the current regime, as it may be a promising way to strengthen the framework by making it more inclusive and representative. Overall, the objective of this thesis is to critically assess the role and ongoing relevance of the 1951 Convention as the foundation of international refugee law today. To what extent does this 70-year-old legal instrument effectively protect refugees in today’s world? Also, to what extent do the norms and principles established by the Convention and maintained by the UNHCR remain relevant and authoritative today? These questions point to a larger issue for further research: How can the global community address issues within the current system and reform it to be more effective and equitable
Documenting Her Story: A Student Project Utilizing Biographical Research Methods
No full textThe mission of the U.S. Women’s History, 1890-Present Biography Project is to aid the DePauw University Archives and Special Collections by having students in collaborating history courses create detailed, accurate biographical notes within finding aids. They learn firsthand how to conduct archival research using primary and secondary sources. Importantly, their research is added to the finding aid for posterity and their work is credited to them
The Formation and Dynamics of Colonial “Lived Spaces” : Urban Space and Society in Colonial Hanoi, 1883–1916
No full textThis study examines the nuanced experiences and perceptions of urban space among different social groups in colonial Hanoi in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by analyzing the French colonial agendas, as reflected through modern urban planning and practices, and its reception among the colonial urban inhabitants, as suggested through their responses to the Statue of Liberty—a colonial urban monument. While existing scholarship has often framed colonial cities as stages for consolidating imperial power, introducing Western ideals of modernity, and forming systems of oppression and exploitation against colonial subjects, it has often overlooked the perceptions and experiences of colonial settlers and native communities, who account for the majority of the city’s population. To address this gap, this study utilizes Henri Lefebvre’s notion of “lived spaces” to explore the multiple layers of experiences of colonial subjects reflected in memoirs, records, and testimonies. A detailed analysis of these sources suggests that colonial subjects were not passive recipients of the colonial agendas but rather active agents constantly challenging and reinterpreting the imposed ideologies according to their interests. Hence, the colonial city, rather than a stage for advancing colonial rule, was a “contact zone” where colonial agendas clashed with subalterns’ resistance
Impact of Ionizable Lipid Variation on the Immunogenicity of Lipid Nanoparticles
No full textLipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are a leading nonviral delivery system for nucleic acid therapeutics due to their scalability and efficiency. However, certain formulations may trigger undesired immune responses. This study aimed to assess the inflammatory potential of LNPs formulated with different ionizable lipids using a murine macrophage reporter cell line (RAW-IRCs). RAW-IRCs express GFP upon successful mRNA delivery and mRFP1 upon activation of inflammatory pathways. A library of LNPs was synthesized via vortex mixing and characterized for hydrodynamic diameter, polydispersity index, and encapsulation efficiency. Treated RAW-IRCs were analyzed by flow cytometry to evaluate GFP and mRFP1 expression. Our results highlight seven ionizable lipids that show higher transfection with a lower inflammatory response. Additionally, when RAW-IRCs were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), an inflammatory stimulant, there is a drop in transfection efficiency regardless of the ionizable lipid being changed. These findings contribute to the rational design of LNPs with reduced immunogenicity for safer gene therapy applications.https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/1203/thumbnail.jp
3D Visualization for Teaching and Learning in Organic Chemistry: orbital hybridization and bonding
No full textThis research focuses on developing techniques to create 3D visualizations for use in an electronic textbook. In this age of technology, traditional textbooks have become less appealing to the new generation compared to phones or tablets. Student learning can be enhanced by not only bringing the textbook online but also elevating the comprehensive experience for the students with 3D animations. We will show how animations of orbital hybridization and chemical bonding are made in Blender using Signed Distance Field (SDF) modeling. The orbitals’ models are mathematically combined allowing for smooth animation. We have used this technique to animate the transformation of atomic orbitals to hybrid orbitals and to show sigma and pi bond formation in Ethane, Propene, Acetylene, and Allene. This technique has the potential to illustrate other important bonding concepts such as resonance and aromaticity. We hope that this process helps guide those who would like to upgrade their teaching materials.https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/1204/thumbnail.jp
The Heart of the Crab: Analyzing the VHE Emission from the Crab Pulsar
No full textThe Crab Nebula is one of the most studied astrophysical objects at very-high-energies (VHE) and is one of the brightest sources of VHE gamma-rays. The Crab Nebula is a pulsar wind nebula with the Crab pulsar providing the energy and particles to power the nebula. The gamma-ray emission from the nebula and pulsar are understood to come from relativistic particles but the processes that are responsible for accelerating these particles is not well understood. Studying the highest energy emission from the Crab Nebula can provide valuable insight into the underlying emission mechanisms at work. This project was intended to examine an additional 2 years of Crab Nebula data taken by the Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS) to be added to previous dataset. Due to some issues with our computational resources at NERSC, we shifted from analyzing the data with a focus on the nebula to analyzing the pulsed-emission from the pulsar. The central engine of the Crab nebula is the Crab pulsar. Timing studies of the pulsed emission from the pulsar can improve understanding of the physics at work near the pulsar. To date only two pulsars have been observed to emit VHE photons, so our current understanding of the VHE emission mechanisms is in its infancy.https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/1226/thumbnail.jp
Dimension of subalgebras of Fomin-Kirillov algebras
No full textOne of the central open problems concerning the Fomin-Kirillov algebras was whether their dimension is finite or infinite. This question was recently resolved in one research by C. Barligea, where it was shown that FK(n) is infinite-dimensional for all n ≥ 6. In our work, we investigate the dimension of a certain subalgebra of FK(6).https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/1229/thumbnail.jp
Communication Theory and Gen Z Popular Culture: Essays and Applications
No full textAll generations are shaped by narratives and artifacts, but Gen Z was born into in a golden age of media: endless choices of films, television shows, podcasts, celebrity figures, and social media content that entertains us and shapes our worldviews.This book is a collection of twenty-eight influential media forms and artifacts paired with cutting-edge ideas in communication. We hope you’ll enjoy viewing your favorite films and TV shows through the lens of communication theory - unlocking ideas of your own and continuing Gen Z’s practical approach to challenges in your own communication and in our shared world. You may never look at your favorite series or your social media feed in quite the same way
Energetic Particle Detection in the Pfotzer Maximum Methods and Equipments
No full textThe Balloon Assisted Stratospheric Experiments (BASE) measures atmospheric muons using an array of instruments carried by weather balloons. We seek to spend extended time in the region of highest intensity, the Regener-Pfotzer Maximum (Pfotzer Maximum) at 20 kilometers high. Using a set of Geiger Counters attached to a balloon, we can measure the secondary particles produced by atmospheric cascades at high altitudes. With risk of losing the balloon and the need to collect more data, we improved our payload with data-collecting components and experimented with a long-range data sender and receiver.https://scholarship.depauw.edu/srfposters/1238/thumbnail.jp