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Identifying Key Factors in Predicting Plasmodium Falciparum Malaria Transmission in Maharashtra: A Data-Driven Mathematical Model
No full textMalaria continues to be a significant health problem across India, with Plasmodium falciparum being the most deadly species of parasites that carry the disease. This research develops a data-driven mathematical model to predict malaria transmission dynamics in Maharashtra, focusing on three districts with varying transmission levels: Nashik, Brihan Mumbai, and Gadchiroli. A modified SIR-SI model, which incorporates both human and mosquito populations, was used to analyze the spread of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Using real-world data from the Open Government Data Platform India, differential equations, and parameter estimation, the models were optimized for best fit. Key factors such as seasonality, immunity loss, control measures, and mosquito breeding dynamics were integrated to increase the models\u27 accuracy. Results indicate regional differences in transmission rates, influenced by climate, population density, healthcare access, and vector control strategies. Sensitivity analysis highlights the role of human-to-mosquito transmission rates and control interventions in reducing Plasmodium falciparum malaria prevalence. These findings provide insights into targeted policy recommendations for malaria prevention and control in Maharashtra, with broader implications for other endemic regions
Magic in the Air: An Understanding of the Distinction Between Magic and Religion
No full textThis project aims to describe a distinction between magic and religion that is centered around practices, focusing specifically on the intent of these practices, using the language and context surrounding them to describe their intent. I use this to define what both a magical and religious practice look like, and separate them from being tied to specific systems of belief. I compared primary sources of practices from Greco-Roman antiquity and modern Christianity under this distinction in order to highlight how magic and religion are considered within practices of western culture itself against how western culture considers the practice of other cultures. Many of my sources from antiquity come from The Greek Magical Papyri in translation, and I pulled my modern sources from modern church websites in order to look at how the individual person interacts with these concepts. The inconsistency of how the distinction between practices is used in western scholarship for other culture practices and how it is applied to practices within western culture is shown through these comparisons. This is caused in part by Christian influences on the ideals of western culture from the period of Imperial Rome to today
Golden Years, Meaningful Minds: Exploring Purpose, Psychological Well-Being, and Self-Efficacy in Independent Living
No full textResearch on older adults regarding purpose in life, psychological well-being, and self-efficacy has been often overlooked due to the lack of urgency to research this age group. Most psychological research has primarily focused on younger age groups due to ageism as well as the belief that interventions in early life are believed to have more of a long-lasting impact. However, in more recent years, it has become crucial to research older adults and their experiences in life due to the increasing life expectancy of human beings. For this reason, I designed a study that included an interview and surveys (N = 32) or only the surveys due to time constraints (N = 27) to older adults residing in an independent living community by the name of ‘Friendship Village of South Hills.’ Every participant (N = 59) was asked to fill out 5 different surveys regarding general demographics, lived experiences they partake in at Friendship Village, Purpose in Life Test (PIL), Psychological Well-Being (PWB), and Self-Efficacy for Social Participation Scale (SOSA). Participants that were interviewed were asked to elaborate on their experiences throughout life as well as a resident of Friendship Village to provide additional anecdotes to support their survey responses. I hypothesized that residents self-efficacy, purpose in life, and psychological well-being scores would be positively correlated as well as the more lived experiences they partake in, the higher the self-efficacy score. The results from the analysis showed that self-efficacy, psychological well-being, and purpose in life scores were all correlated to one another and that there was no statistically significant correlation between self-efficacy scores and number of lived experiences. The results highlight the importance of socialization to promote self-efficacy, purpose in life, and psychological well-being as an older adult residing in an independent living community
The Impact of USD/CNY Exchange Rate Fluctuations on China\u27s Manufacturing Export Volume
No full textThis paper analyses how the changes in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollars (USD) and the Chinese yuan (CNY) affect the volume of manufacturing exports in China. With China being a manufacturing center, the information on the impact of currency volatility on trade performance is very important to policymakers and other stakeholders in the industry. Using theories of the Marshall-Lerner condition and the J-Curve effect, the study will employs econometric models namely a baseline regression model, ARDL modeling, and J-Curve analysis, which will help estimate the effects of exchange rate volatility in the short-run and the long-run trends. The model reliability is tested through diagnostic tests. The empirical findings shows that the appreciation of the real exchange rate has a significant effect in decreasing the amount of exports especially in price-elastic industries. However, not all industries exhibit the same degree of sensitivity, and the paper identifies sector-specific responses to exchange rate movements. Regarding global demand, the paper uses world GDP as a proxy, and while it shows strong significance in several regressions, its influence varies across sectors and time horizons. Therefore, while global demand plays an important role in export performance, its impact is not uniformly robust across all specifications. The paper contributes to the ongoing debate on exchange rate pass-through by providing evidence of the fact that although all sectors are impacted, the degree of sensitivity differs among industries. Throughout the analysis, a clear distinction is made between the level of the exchange rate and its volatility, ensuring conceptual consistency. The results provide useful information about the dynamics of China’s export-oriented economy in response to currency fluctuations, which has implications in the trade policy, risk management, and international competitiveness
Fair and Just?: How Victim Impact Submissions Affect Sentencing Lengths in Ohio
No full textUsing a fixed effects model this study explores how the submission of victim impact statements affects sentencing lengths for defendants in Ohio. Previous research was examined to explore how extraneous variables affect judicial decision-making as victim impact statements have potential to insert bias into legal happenings. Additionally, theory such as consumer choice theory, employer discrimination theory, and negative externalities was used to explain how judicial decision-making is affected by the injection of victim impact statements during hearings, and how biased sentences can affect legal systems. Through an examination of 76 cases across two counties in Ohio, and the examination of 4 judges, the results of the study indicated that there was no relationship between the submission of victim impacts statements and sentencing length in terms of months. However other tests like t-tests and boxplots showed a varied relationship between prison and sentencing length and race and sentencing length. These findings help implore that further examination of Marsy’s Law and the relationship between race and sentencing lengths in Ohio are needed.
À l\u27aide d\u27un modèle à effets fixes, cette étude explore la façon dont la présentation de déclarations de la victime affecte la durée des peines pour les accusés dans l\u27Ohio. Les recherches antérieures ont été examinées afin d\u27étudier comment les variables externes affectent la prise de décision judiciaire, car les déclarations de la victime sont susceptibles d\u27introduire un biais dans les événements juridiques. En outre, des théories telles que la théorie du choix du consommateur, la théorie de la discrimination de l\u27employeur et les externalités négatives ont été utilisées pour expliquer comment la prise de décision judiciaire est affectée par l\u27injection de déclarations de la victime au cours des audiences et comment les sentences partiales peuvent affecter les systèmes juridiques. L\u27examen de 76 affaires dans deux comtés de l\u27Ohio et de 4 juges a montré qu\u27il n\u27y avait pas de lien entre la présentation de la déclaration de la victime et la durée de la peine en termes de mois. Cependant, d\u27autres tests, tels que les tests t et les graphiques, ont montré une relation variée entre la prison et la durée de la peine, ainsi qu\u27entre la race et la durée de la peine. Ces résultats soulignent la nécessité d\u27un examen plus approfondi de la loi Marsy et de la relation entre la race et la durée des peines dans l\u27Ohio
Storying Indigenous Food Sovereignty in Aotearoa: A Journey Through Learning Sustainable Māori Food Sovereignty
No full textSustainability in agriculture and environmentalism has been dominated by colonial powers and framed as modern, novel, and innovative. Indigenous scholars work to reframe sustainability as a process of returning to traditional forms of agriculture. I study the ways in which Māori food sovereignty meets needs of sustainability while decolonizing land, body, and mind. Originally planned as a qualitative case study of Māori food sovereignty initiatives, this work shifted to reflect the need to decenter colonial modes within my field. Using narrative analysis and autoethnography, I instead tell the story of my own learning process. Just as recentering indigenous narratives requires communicating the story of colonization, decolonizing the environmental studies requires stripping the historically invisible researcher of credentials. To understand Traditional Ecological Knowledge means to respect Indigenous ways of knowing, in academia as well as agriculture
An Analysis and Critique of International Space Law: Monitoring Orbital Space
No full textThe rapid proliferation of satellites has intensified competition for the limited and increasingly congested resource of orbital space. As states and private entities continue to engage in the activities of satellites, often without cohesive coordination or oversight, the sustainability of this shared international resource is compromised. Orbital space is finite, and as these slots are consumed, space for future ventures becomes increasingly scarce. Moreover, the accumulation of satellites in Earth\u27s orbit exacerbates light pollution, interfering with ground-based astronomical observation. Efforts to mitigate overcrowding, including the removal or decommissioning of defunct satellites, often result in the creation of hazardous space debris. Fragments of space debris can damage operational satellites and further restrict safe access to orbit.
These technical and environmental challenges are underpinned by a deeper geopolitical issue: inequity in space access and participation as this resource has a high subtractability. These issues persist in part due to the fragmented and underdeveloped framework of international space governance. While foundational treaties such as the Outer Space Treaty provide broad principles, they lack specific mechanisms for enforcement. The absence of a centralized, authoritative body to regulate orbital usage allows for self-serving implementations of space law by individual states. In response to this governance vacuum, this project undertakes a comparative analysis of internationally shared resource management regimes, such as those for oceans and the Antarctic, to identify applicable models in the management of satellites in orbital space. Based on a qualitative analysis of the data, updating the currently established Outer Space Treaty is necessary and requires greater power is ceded to individual actors while still limiting harmful actions by strengthening agreed upon international legislation and information sharing networks
Re-Remembering: An Archaeological Guide to Proactively Locate African American Burials in Ohio.
No full textAfrican American burial locations have been actively “forgotten” in Ohio throughout history. A recent bill passed by in 2023 established funding to encourage future research on the location of these burials. This senior thesis develops an archaeological guide to help interested parties proactively locate unmarked African American burials in Ohio. Research methods recommend within the guide were chosen from five case studies involving African American burials from New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and South Carolina. Practice theory, agency, and memory were theoretical frameworks applied throughout the thesis and development of guide protocols. The guide is separated into three parts: identification of “forgotten” cemeteries and burials, working with cemeteries and burials, and commemoration of cemeteries and burials. Community involvement is emphasized in these protocols to ensure that they actively are participating in research that aims to benefit them