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The Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Political Aspects of Nuclear Power in a Modern Context
Get PDFThe Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was created in 1967 in response to the growing threat of nuclear weapon detonation.1 Today, it has been signed and ratified by 190 countries who pledge to pursue efforts towards non-proliferation, peaceful nuclear energy, and nuclear disarmament. Five states remain outside of the treaty, four of which are nuclear weapon states: Israel, Pakistan, India, and North Korea. The nuclear weapon states in the NPT have been established as Britain, France, the U.S., Russia, and China.
The NPT has been created and maintained through the existence of power dynamics between nuclear and non-nuclear states. The potential to use nuclear weapons in warfare, a fearful conception that induced this treaty, has since become unrealistic.2 Yet nuclear weapons continue to remain a source of political and diplomatic power for the five nuclear weapon states whose authority has been validated through the treaty. The perception of nuclear weapons as a manifestation of state power has enabled their persistence in a world of evolving approaches to conflict that render their use as an offensive and defensive strategy to be superseded by advanced forms of warfare.
This paper looks at the NPT in the context of the evolving global security dynamic, and analyzes how the importance of nuclear weapons has shifted from a defense strategy to a powerful symbol of political authority. Reports and publications from the ICRC and the Geneva Call support arguments of recent developments and challenges in defending against modern forms of conflict. The work of nuclear deterrence theorists such as Waltz, Brodie, and Glaser will contribute to elucidating the diminishing effect of nuclear weapons on deterrence and the impracticality of nuclear weapons in warfare. An analysis of historical events and proceedings will demonstrate the changing role of nuclear weapons and nuclear weapon states in a globalized world dependent on interstate cooperation
VARIABILITY OF LACUSTRINE SEDIMENT PROXY RESPONSES TO LATE HOLOCENE CLIMATE CHANGE AS MODIFIED BY LAKE SPECIFIC PROCESSES: A REVIEW OF ECOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL PROCESSES ACROSS NORTHERN AND EASTERN ICELAND
Get PDFConsistenly-deposited lake sediments provide some of the highest resolution records of local and global climates in the past, offering the potential to better understand modern climate change in the context of past climate variability. In relating proxies to their respective climate regimes, the environmental cues that the specific proxies reacted to must be isolated from the general noise of possible local influences. In this investigation, biogenic silica (BSi), total organic carbon (TOC), δ13C values, and carbon: nitrogen ratios were analyzed between lakes through northern Iceland, to review possible complicating factors specific to the use of lacustrine proxies in the interpretation of climate events through the Late Holocene. The chosen lakes are likey to have reacted similarly to large-scale climate trends as experienced by the north of Iceland, given the proximity of these bodies of water to eachother, and the decadal-scale periodicity that characterized the Late Holocene in this part of the northern North Atlantic. However, differences between the lakes’ sediment records may be linked to within-lake, catchment and region-specific influences involving both ecological threshold behavior and geological processes. This study aims to tease apart these links in the hopes of illustrating the appropriateness of conceptual models like Blenckner’s landscape and lake filters as applied to previously-published work in the field
Estigma y discriminación hacia hombres que tienen sexo con otros hombres (HSH) y mujeres trans: el impacto en la vulnerabilidad y riesgo frente al VIH/SIDA / Stigma and discrimination against men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women: the impact on vulnerability and risk of HIV / AIDS
No full textResearch Question – How does stigma and discrimination toward men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women affect their vulnerability toward HIV/AIDS?
Background – Although there has been progress over the years on improving attitudes towards, and knowledge about, sexual diversity, LGBT persons continue to be harshly discriminated against and stigmatized. The conservative and machista nature of Chilean society, as well as a lack of information about sexual diversity, perpetuates this treatment and marginalization of those who do not conform to the social expectations surrounding sexual relations and strict gender norms, specifically homosexual men and other MSM, as well as transgender women. This study seeks to identify what kinds of stigma and discrimination the two populations face in Chile, and describe how they influence their vulnerability and risk towards HIV through social, economic, and behavioral factors.
Methodology – This investigation consisted of 10 formal interviews, 5 with men who have sex with men, and 5 with transgender and transsexual women in Arica, Chile, and informal interviews with two professionals who have experience with both populations and HIV prevention.
Results – Various personal histories and interviews revealed that stigma and discrimination towards the two populations is still very prevalent in Chilean society. Reported stigma consistently took the form of stereotypes and generalizations while reported discrimination took a variety of forms, including social exclusion, direct aggressions, and structural violence among others. The perceptions of participants about the knowledge of HIV among their pertaining populations were mixed but generally revealed that there exists a great amount of misinformation, low perceived risk, and a lack of condom usage among both populations, especially among MSMs. Reoccurring themes include the danger of exposure or expression of sexuality, the high rates of sex work among transgender women, and the ignorance and lack of education as a starting point and reinforcement of stigma and discrimination.
Conclusions – Stigma and discrimination influence many different aspects of the lives of both populations. These influences manifest in a manner that marginalize gay men and other MSM as well as trans women, and create social and structural barriers that impede the knowledge, prevention, and timely diagnosis of HIV. Additionally these influences place them in situations of heightened risk towards the virus due to a lack of opportunity
Trends in Nectar Concentration and Hummingbird Visitation: Investigating different variables in three flowers of the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest: Guzmania jaramilloi, Gasteranthus quitensis, and Besleria solanoides
Get PDFMany variables affect hummingbird visitation to flowers, including nectar concentration, time of day, corolla length and other aspects of flower morphology, and elevation. Nectar concentration was measured from flowers of three Ecuadorian subtropical montane species: Guzmania jaramilloi, Gasteranthus quitensis, and Besleria solanoides. Concentration values were compared across varying times of day, corolla lengths, and elevations to determine the effects of these variables on flower nectar concentration. Camera traps were also used to observe hummingbird visitation to the above three flower species. After running regression and ANOVA analyses, nectar concentration was found to be positively correlated with time of day, negatively correlated with corolla length, and negatively correlated with elevation. Additionally, both flower morphology and elevation were determined to affect the species of hummingbirds that visited each flower species
Humanity balancing on a turtle’s back: perceptions and values of sea turtle conservation among different demographics at four sites in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago Bocas del Toro, Panama
Get PDFBeing the ancient, world traveling, iconic mega-fauna they are, sea turtles have found their way into cultures and traditions around the world, often holding great prestige. Along with their mystical qualities, sea turtles have also been intricately intertwined in the livelihoods of cultures around the globe, utilized for food, jewelry, income, and more recently, scientific research. The ways in which humans around the world perceive the value of this species varies greatly, often causing conflict between those who wish to protect and conserve sea turtles, and those looking to continue using turtles as either a source of income or food. Through the process of semi-structured interviews, the values of sea turtles held by varying demographics making up the diverse community of Bocas del Toro, Panama – including Colon Island, Bastimentos Island, Carenero, Zapatilla Cays, Almirante, and Changuinola – were evaluated. Expression of values were found to both overlap and vary in frequency between the demographics. The findings of this study emphasize the need for a multifaceted conservation program, focused on accommodating each demographic’s existing values, in order to serve the diverse needs of a community with diverse values
The effects of sub-lethal predation on the reproductive output of Acanthaster planci (crown-of-thorns starfish)
Get PDFWide-scale declines in live coral cover have been observed throughout history. Modern day coral populations face a multitude of environmental disturbances, however one of the most devastating to the reefs in the Indo-Pacific is the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci), which feeds on the tissues of live corals. The rate at which these individuals feed combined with the explosion of populations in times of outbreak have been seen to exert some of the biggest pressures on coral reefs to date. Following recent episodes of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) outbreaks, research on the organism has become increasingly prevalent on the scientific agenda. The following study was conducted to assess the reproductive output of COTS with and without naturally damaged arms to further analyze the role of predation on the population dynamics of this species. Images of histological slides were utilized in doing so, allowing the egg sizes of individuals with damaged arms to be compared with the egg sizes of those with fully intact arms. Overall, it was found that while there was no noticeable trend between size of the COT individual and their respective egg sizes and the severity of injury that the individual experienced and the eggs they produced, however it appears there is a correlation between the individual’s overall state of health and their reproductive output. In short, fully intact individuals produced larger eggs than those that were predated upon; however, in looking closely at the data collected from four specific individuals (two being fully intact and the other two being injured), it became clear that this trend does not always hold true. Therefore, it is possible that other factors confounded the results of this study, and these are specifically outlined. Future research may include examining the effect of predation on the abundance of eggs produced, as this study focused solely on measuring egg size
The Influence of Raja Ravi Varma’s Mythological Subjects in Popular Art
Get PDFThis paper will examine the aesthetic qualities that Raja Ravi Varma helped to introduce to mythological paintings and then to popular devotional prints with the Ravi Varma Press, as well as the influence of the aesthetic to other areas of visual culture in India. Prior to the 1993 retrospective exhibition in New Delhi on Raja Ravi Varma, little was known about his impact on the calendar prints of today. By tracing the rise of academic realism in late 19th and early 20th century India and Ravi Varma’s role within it, I gained a clearer understanding of the degree to which one man can impact an entire nation’s visual culture. There are conflicting opinions on exactly how much he is responsible for the innovations that led to the modernist movement in India, but my study concluded that popular prints are too imperative to visual culture in India to exclude from aesthetic and historical analysis.
Much of my work was done through gathering print sources, but I travelled to Ravi Varma’s home state of Kerala to visit his original oil paintings at the Sri Chatra Art Gallery. I also stayed in Madurai to observe the culture surrounding popular prints in urban settings, such as roadside chai and snack stalls. This study supports a growing academic interest in examining popular art’s place in the ever-developing definition art history
The Many Possibilities of a DIY Corpus
No full textCreating an original corpus is easy to do, informative, and rewarding for language teachers and learners alike. In this demonstration, the presenter will guide the audience in exploring how to build an original corpus as well as its potential applications in the language classroom
Using Poetry to Heighten Linguistic Awareness and Tap Creativity
No full textThis demo/workshop will introduce several ways in which poetry might be used in the ESL/EFL classroom and how its use can promote language learning and creativity. Participants will be encouraged to try activities firsthand and to brainstorm variations and adaptations that might suit their respective teaching contexts
Mindful Teaching: Integrating Mindfulness Into the Classroom
No full textMindfulness enhances attention, executive function, learning, and promotes prosocial behavior and well-being. This presentation explores holistic techniques that will help students develop their inner lives through yoga, meditation, and com- passion. Participants will develop a deeper understanding of mindfulness and participate in reflective practices that can be used in the classroom