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The Normalization of Sin
Get PDFThis paper discusses the normalization of sin, specifically sex work. One question that emerges is how do some behaviors come to be seen as sinful, and then once those behaviors are accepted as sinful, how do they become normalized (ie., become socially acceptable again)? After identifying a gap in the existing literature pertaining to the lack of acknowledgement for the role of institutions in driving change, I seek to fill that gap by using pattern-matching to determine how closely aligned sex work is to the phases of Normalization Process Theory. Ultimately, I am expecting to find that, according to the phases of Normalization Process Theory, sex work is becoming normalized
A Short Time Ago in the Messaging of Children\u27s Media Very Close By
Get PDFMost children in the US grow up watching television that tries to teach them some kind of life lesson that they should carry with them as they grow up. The children’s show, Star Wars Rebels, does something similar but goes a step further to handle topics that would be considered more mature, such as the imperialistic nature of empires. The project looks at what the implications of such messages are. With an overview of studies that show how well children understand what they\u27re watching and an examination of why the themes in this show are overlooked, the project seeks to prove that Rebels can show children how the past and present empirical behavior of the US has caused so much harm. In order to create a better future, they must learn from the country’s past mistakes and reshape it to become a place that is truly free and safe for all
Book Review: Greta Lynn Uehling. Everyday War: The Conflict over Donbas, Ukraine. Cornell University Press (2023)
Get PDFGreta Lynn Uehling’s book offers a fresh perspective on the ongoing conflict between pro-Russian separatists and Ukrainian government backed forces over the provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk. Begun in March 2014, the conflict was partly due to the events following the Maiden Movement or Revolution of Dignity, which ousted pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych. Given the escalation of the conflict with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Uehling’s multiyear study of the war in the Donbas region represents a valuable addition to the broader discourse on the ongoing Ukraine-Russian war
Bring On The Heat
Get PDFAccording to the World Economic Forum, in retaliation to European Union sanctions and embargoes, Russia cut EU gas flows by around 80% between May and October 2022 (WEF, 2022). The EU, in turn, has had to not only reduce energy consumption within the public and private sectors but has also scrambled to find energy alternatives to compensate for its energy shortcomings. However, due to the EU’s rejection of Russian oil and gas, there are now opportunities to embrace more sustainable energy alternatives quicker than previously expected. This could lead to a faster transition towards the use of cleaner and more sustainable renewable energies and promote the development of green technologies, and a hope that potential climate goals can be achieved. How has the green transition in the EU accelerated since the start of the Russian war in Ukraine
Pop and Indie: What Do They Mean and Why Does It Matter? Genre and Marketing from Within the UK Music Scene
Get PDFThis paper aims to explore the evolution of “pop” and “indie” as words and as genres from within the London music scene, and to suggest the most appropriate or effective marketing techniques based on a standard understanding of each genre and its implications. For each of these genres, I establish two definitions: a semantic definition, based on the etymology of the word and the cultural implications of the genre’s origins and history, and a sonic definition, based on any overarching standards of how the genre’s music sounds. In defining each genre’s sound, its history and evolution are considered, as well as its modern connotations.
For this research, I conducted a series of interviews with the employees of a London-based music management firm regarding their own experiences with and understandings of genre from within the industry. These responses were synthesised with a number of historical and academic texts on the genres of pop, indie, and alternative music, as well as music publications from different years and eras of music.
Each genre’s differences are key to understanding how best to connect its music to its audience. A modern semantic definition of pop music is most relevant when marketing the genre today; marketing pop relies heavily on personality expressed through social media and can have a harder time being discovered through playlisting, or a placement of new music onto curated genre-specific playlists. Indie music’s sound is more historically consistent, so a historical sonic understanding is most useful for marketing indie; playlisting and live performances are a better fit for marketing this genre, whereas social media presence should pay homage to an indie lineage
So It Goes: Hauntology, Lost Futures, and Mac Miller
Get PDFHauntology is a relatively new concept born out of the current state of late capitalism, wherein it has become increasingly common for new releases of popular culture, art, and media to appease the societal desire to return to the past. First coined by Jacques Derrida in his book Specters of Marx, the term “Hauntology” was used to describe the phenomenon of the “death” of communism and how the capitalist powers that “killed” it essentially made the idea of communism immortal. They made it a specter, and ghosts cannot die. This concept was then altered by the late Mark Fisher, who considers both the political and economic side as well as the cultural side of a neoliberal capitalist society. In his book Ghosts of My Life: Writings on Depression, Hauntology, and Lost Futures, Fisher furthers his theories on the meaning of hauntology and the cancellation of the future by applying these concepts to various media important to him and his youth in England.
This essay synthesizes the scholarship surrounding past and present definitions of hauntology to build a common understanding of the concept. Then, with that understanding in mind, it thoroughly examines the life and music of the late Mac Miller. Through Miller’s music, it is determined that hauntology is still present in modern popular culture and the tragic deaths of both Fisher and Miller act as proof of the very real effects of neoliberal capitalism’s control of art, media, and creativity as a whole
Vitamin D Enhanced Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) Inhibition of NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation Can Attenuate the Development of Autoimmune Thyroiditis
Get PDFAutoimmune Thyroiditis (AIT) is a prevalent autoimmune disease affecting approximately 2% of the population. Characterized by the gradual loss of thyroid function through an autoimmune attack on the thyroid gland, the disease manifests symptoms that negatively affect one’s quality of life. The mechanisms behind the disease’s pathophysiology are not fully understood; however, researchers are examining the involvement of the NLRP3 inflammasome in the disease. This thesis will address the question of whether Vitamin D can act as an inhibitor of the NLRP3 inflammasome and attenuate the progression of AIT in mouse model. Current investigations explore the effects of NLRP3 inhibition on the AIT mouse model, Experimental Autoimmune Thyroiditis (EAT), and analyze the effect of Vitamin D on the inflammasome. Research conducted by Ding involved groups of AIT and non-AIT humans as well as EAT mice, with one group injected with known NLRP3 inhibitor, MCC950. Rao studied the signaling mechanism and activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome by Vitamin D Receptor (VDR) in two human cell lines, HEK293T cells and THP1 cells, and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) from two mouse strains, Nlrp3-/- and Vdr-/-. Major analyses of data from both studies were completed using qPCR, immunoblotting, and ELISAs for mRNA expression, cleaved caspase-1, caspase-1, and IL-1β levels, VDR expression, ASC oligomers, NLRP3 ubiquitination, and BRCC3 protein. These tests revealed increased NLRP3 expression and increased levels of cleaved caspase-1, caspase-1, and IL-1β in AIT/EAT thyroid samples. Results also presented that VDR suppressed NLRP3 activation via blocking BRCC3 binding and NLRP3 deubiquitination. VDR also inhibited caspase-1 activation and IL-1β secretion in VDR-restored Vdr-/- BMDMs, and this inhibition was further enhanced by Vitamin D treatment. These findings suggest that Vitamin D enhances the effects of VDR-mediated NLRP3 inhibition suppressing the progression of Autoimmune Thyroiditis
The Intersection of Judicial Interpretive Methods and Politics in Supreme Court Justices’ Due Process Opinions
Get PDFThe Supreme Court, a nine seat bench of unelected and lifetime tenured Justices, determines the constitutionality of dozens of cases each year. In this thesis, I research to what extent the political affiliation of the Justices affects the judicial decision making process and, ultimately, case outcomes. Using pattern matching, I evaluate due process opinions from Justice Breyer, Justice O’Connor, and Justice Scalia, all of whom have established constitutional analysis methods, in order to determine if they reasonably adhere to their established method. Due to the highly political nature of due process cases, variance between the expected (adherence to the Justices’ established style) and the observed outcomes (the adherence to or lack of adherence to the established style) can suggest political influence on the Justice in order to get a preferred outcome. Ultimately, I find that there is a significant variance between the three Justices and their adherence to their established constitutional analysis method, suggesting that Justices’ political affiliation can manipulate their decision making methods when it is necessary to achieve their preferred political outcome. This is an excerpt from a full thesis, and access to the full thesis, resources, methodology, and data collected can be accessed by contacting the author, Julie Castle, at: [email protected]
Circumcision in Early Childhood, Necessary or Not?
No full textCircumcision in infancy and early childhood is commonplace in the United States. This presentation will focus on the medical indications provided in support of performing the procedure as well as the counter arguments given as to why it is not necessary. As future medical professionals we should utilize this information to assist families in making informed decisions regarding the health of their sons
