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Toxic Masculinity and Super Bowl Advertising
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to understand how commercials in the modern era are slowly becoming parts of social movements and are being used as mediums for advocacy. The main topic of the study, toxic masculinity, is important to get involved in because it is an issue that extends beyond just Super Bowl viewership. Toxic masculinity occurs in multiple aspects of society, including the workplace, school, and the household. Discourse, power, and the gaze are several prevalent concepts from this study and show how commercials really can be used to create awareness for any sort of social movement
Is Love All You Need?
Get PDFThis project investigates Harry Frankfurt’s work on love and its role in his model of practical reason. Specifically, it identifies a number of shortcomings in Frankfurt’s view focused on his dismissal of objective practical value, putting all such value in terms of personal commitment to what one loves. In other words, this project finds fault in the claim that “love is all you need” to construct a compelling model of practical reason. However, I find that his model can overcome these shortcomings if it can be extended to include non-personal sources of practical value. I conclude by suggesting just such a source: if his view can be made to recognize objective practical value like autonomy, it would address my concerns while hopefully remaining true to the original spirit of the work
Redox Properties of Silver Nanoparticles
Get PDFIn this study, we use cyclic voltammetry to measure how nanoparticles would affect the redox potential of various electron transfer mediators (ETMs). The main class of ETMs tested was quinones, and the working electrode was decorated with gold nanoparticles. ETMs are major players in regulating redox processes in aquatic environments, and contamination of these aquatic systems with nanoparticles could drastically change these redox processes. To see if there is a difference in redox potential, we compared redox potentials between bare glassy carbon electrode, indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes with a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) layer, which was used to attach nanoparticles, and indium tin oxide electrodes with both PAH and gold nanoparticles. We find that on bare glassy carbon electrode, the redox potential was -0.005 V, ITO electrode with PAH surface had a redox potential of -0.004 V and an ITO electrode with PAH and gold nanoparticles had a redox potential of -0.067 V. As each layer is added, electrocatalysis increases and redox processes become more reversible, showing that gold nanoparticles have an electrocatalytic effect on ETMs
“Is it his Language?” A Neuroeducation Approach to Exploring the Connection Between Levels of Language Function and Prosocial Concepts for Elementary Students Identified with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Get PDFPreparing students to acquire prosocial behaviors is of growing concern for educators. Although a connection between language structures and students struggling to acquire prosocial behaviors has been established, students identified with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are not being consistently identified with language impairment (LI). Viewing language differently, the acquisition of language functions is theorized to play a role in the attainment of prosocial concepts resulting in prosocial behaviors. Currently, limited research exists that explores the connection between language functions and students struggling to acquire prosocial behaviors. The purpose of this study was to: (a) triangulate literature in the areas of cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and language to support a theoretical framework in neuroeducation to address the acquisition of prosocial behaviors; and, (b) apply this framework by exploring the connection between levels of language function and the acquisition of the underlying prosocial concepts through language function sampling analyses with elementary students identified with EBD and/or LI. Four methods of language sampling were used to address two main research questions: (a) What similarities and differences in language function levels and characteristics exist, if any, among varying educational levels of students with EBD, LI, and/or both? (b) Will students identified with EBD, LI and/or both make prosocial or antisocial relationships among the agents, their actions, and the context? This study of language sampling included nine participants identified with EBD and two identified with LI. Language samples were analyzed through deductive content analysis based off predefined codes from existing literature in language function. Key findings include: (a) Commensurate deficits of iv language function among participants with EBD and LI indicated by pre-language levels of language function; (b) a proclivity among the students with EBD to assign antisocial meaning to oral and cartooned responses to event-based pictures; and (c) limited production of prosocial responses from all participants to event-based pictures. The results of this study suggest the current structural methods of language assessment for educational eligibility may be inadequate among elementary students identified with EBD. The inclusion of language function measures is recommended for this student population. Additionally, this study suggests that (a) current behavioral curricula that do not factor in acquisition of language function may fail to provide the concepts necessary for acquisition of prosocial behaviors; and (b) a neuroeducation approach that considers the importance of prosocial concept acquisition may result in prosocial development
Combining Ordinary Kriging with wind directions to identify sources of industrial odors in Portland, Oregon
Get PDFThis study combines Ordinary Kriging, odor monitoring, and wind direction data to demonstrate how these elements can be applied to identify the source of an industrial odor. The specific case study used as an example of how to address this issue was the University Park neighborhood of Portland, Oregon (USA) where residents frequently complain about industrial odors, and suspect the main source to be a nearby Daimler Trucks North America LLC manufacturing plant. We collected 19,665 odor observations plus 105,120 wind measurements, using an automated weather station to measure winds in the area at five-minute intervals, logging continuously from December 2014 through November 2015, while we also measured odors at 19 locations, three times per day, using methods from the American Society of the International Association for Testing and Materials. Our results quantify how winds vary with season and time of day when industrial odors were observed versus when they were not observed, while also mapping spatiotemporal patterns in these odors using Ordinary Kriging. Our analyses show that industrial odors were detected most frequently to the northwest of the Daimler plant, mostly when winds blew from the southeast, suggesting Daimler’s facility is a likely source for much of this odor
Defining the role of two newly identified proteins in the Vibrio vulnificus TonB2 system
Get PDFVibrio vulnificus is a human pathogenic bacteria that is closely related to Vibrio cholera, the disease causing agent of cholera. Three TonB transport systems are found in the outer membrane of V. vulnificus and are responsible for powering the uptake of iron bound siderophores into the cell. Within the Ton82 and TonB3 systems are two proteins, Orf1 and Orf6. The function and necessity of Orf1 and Orf6 to the TonB systems were investigated through the use of growth, motility, and antibiotic sensitivity assays and RNA transcriptional level analysis
Student preconceptions and reality: A survey exercise to teach wealth inequality
Get PDFThis paper presents a way to enhance student interest and learning when teaching economic inequality. The approach draws on a well-known survey conducted by Norton and Ariely (2011). The approach involves surveying students, asking them to estimate the current level of wealth inequality in the US, and asking them to state their ideal level of wealth inequality. As in Norton and Ariely\u27s survey of a representative sample of Americans, our students underestimated actual wealth inequality and preferred a distribution of wealth for the US that was more equal than any country\u27s distribution. We suggest ways the student survey results can be presented and discussed. We also provide Stata code and an Excel workbook to ease effective classroom presentation of the survey results. This approach to beginning the study of inequality piqued our students\u27 interest and helped them understand how inequality is measured
Heterotrophic N2-fixation contributes to nitrogen economy of a common wetland sedge, Schoenoplectus californicus
Get PDFA survey of the ecological variability within 52 populations of Schoenoplectus californicus (C.A. Mey.) Soják across its distributional range revealed that it is commonly found in nitrogen (N) limited areas, but rarely in phosphorus limited soils. We explored the hypothesis that S. californicus supplements its nitrogen demand by bacterial N2-fixation processes associated with its roots and rhizomes. We estimated N2-fixation of diazotrophs associated with plant rhizomes and roots from several locations throughout the species’ range and conducted an experiment growing plants in zero, low, and high N additions. Nitrogenase activity in rhizomes and roots was measured using the acetylene reduction assay. The presence of diazotrophs was verified by the detection of the nifH gene. Nitrogenase activity was restricted to rhizomes and roots and it was two orders of magnitude higher in the latter plant organs (81 and 2032 nmol C2H4 g DW-1 d-1, respectively). Correspondingly, 40x more nifH gene copies were found on roots compared to rhizomes. The proportion of the nifH gene copies in total bacterial DNA was positively correlated with the nitrogenase activity. In the experiment, the contribution of fixed N to the plant N content ranged from 13.8% to 32.5% among clones from different locations. These are relatively high values for a non-cultivated plant and justify future research on the link between N-fixing bacteria and S. californicus production
A Pilot Project to Implement Follow-Up Guidelines for Pediatric Post-ECMO Patients
Get PDFExtracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is a short-term therapy that is used for all ages when conventional therapy has failed and the patient has an imminent risk of death. Although this modality is lifesaving, there are known problems of growth and development that are found within the population of survivors that can accompany its use in pediatrics. This practice improvement project implemented the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) guidelines for pediatric post-ECMO follow-up in a development and rehabilitation clinic. Initial implementation was successful but longer evaluation period is necessary to evaluate the true establishment of these guidelines. Many learning opportunities arose during this implementation process. It was learned that flexibility, individual education, and supportive staff could assist in implementation of a new guideline
Cultural Change and Differences on Accepting Help: Understanding how Cultures View and Accept Help Due to Differences and Change
Get PDFCultural influences are among the forces affecting people’s willingness and ability to accept assistance from other people. Such forces complicate matters when help recipients are in culturally vulnerable positions, such as while experiencing homelessness within US society. This study synthesized existing research relevant to this situation in order to propose and justify a particular interpersonal communication approach to providing help across cultural and power barriers. Such attitude- and skill-guidelines should increase people’s likelihood of accepting assistance offered via such communication practices while in the vulnerable, one-down power position associated with experiencing homelessness in US society