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Think of the Children: Conservative Women and Educational Controversies
No full textThis Senior Independent Study looks to examine the role of conservative female activism in the educational controversies throughout the twentieth century. This project argues that long-lasting gender norms dating back to the founding of the United States have shaped the development of conservative educational controversies. By building on the works of other scholars on conservative women and education, this project seeks to examine a wide span of educational controversies from the turn of the twentieth century to the 1980s. This project differs from other scholarship on this topic as it examines the longer history of these controversies as well as the role women played in them. By examining these textbook controversies in a much broader context, this independent study sheds a light on the traditional gender norms found throughout these conflicts. Newspaper articles, conservative organizational materials, government documents, and other sources flesh out the perspectives of these conservative education warriors as well as the thoughts of those surrounding them
Overrun and Understory: A Study of Deer Herbivory and Its Impact on Young Forest Regeneration in Wooster Memorial Park, Ohio
No full textForest regeneration is a critical component of ecosystem sustainability, ensuring biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and long-term habitat stability. However, overbrowsing by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) has become a significant threat to this natural cycle, particularly in regions with high deer populations. This study investigates the impact of deer overabundance on forest regeneration by constructing eight exclosures, each paired with an adjacent control plot, to assess the effects of herbivory on seedling growth and survival. Each plot contained five seedlings of Acer rubrum (red maple) and Ulmus rubra (slippery elm), two species commonly affected by deer browsing. Over a three-month period, seedlings were monitored for growth metrics, leaf size, herbivory damage, and mortality rates. Results indicate that seedlings within the control plots experienced significantly higher rates of herbivory, evidenced by smaller leaf sizes, increased foliar damage, and greater mortality compared to those in the exclosures. These findings support the hypothesis that deer overbrowsing inhibits forest regeneration by disproportionately affecting young saplings, reducing their ability to reach maturity and contribute to forest succession. The implementation of exclosures was found to be an effective deterrent against herbivory, highlighting its potential as a cost-effective management strategy to mitigate the negative effects of deer overpopulation. This study underscores the importance of active management techniques in promoting sustainable forest growth and suggests that further research should explore long-term ecological impacts and scalable solutions for balancing deer populations with forest regeneration efforts
Democracies versus Dictatorships: Which Political System Drives Sustainable Economic Development in Africa?
No full textThis study examines the relationship between political regimes and economic development in developing countries in Africa. The research addresses the ongoing debate over whether democracies or dictatorships have a positive impact on long-term economic development in Africa’s developing countries. Using a large-scale quantitative analysis, this research employs regression models to assess the impact of regime type on the Human Development Index, a proxy to long-term economic development. The research selects and groups 13 African countries into two major groups namely, Stable and Fragile democracies after their period of democratization with the addition of key indicators such as the Human Development Index (HDI) and ethnic diversity. The findings of the research indicate that while governance structures influence economic outcomes, institutional quality, education, and social cohesion play significant roles in shaping long-term economic development. This research concludes that while democracies do tend to perform better in relation to the Human Development Index in African countries, the presence of solely a democracy is not enough to guarantee a positive relationship between HDI and regime type in African countries
Menopause and the Adaptive Post-Reproductive Lifespan in Vertebrates: A Review
No full textReproductive senescence is often tied to organismal senescence, that is, an organism’s reproductive output continues throughout the lifespan and only ends when an organism reaches the end of its life. In some species, reproductive senescence occurs before organismal senescence, known as the post-reproductive lifespan (PRLS). Some species have an adaptive PRLS, meaning that this trait is present across multiple populations and that they receive a fitness benefit over those that do not have a PRLS. Species known to have an adaptive PRLS include humans (Homo sapiens), orcas (Orcinus orca), short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus), and potentially Asian elephants (Elephas maximus). The physiological processes and evolutionary pressures that led to the appearance and persistence of adaptive PRLSs are understudied. In this paper, I review current literature on ovarian cycles and reproductive aging in vertebrates, as well as literature on the hypotheses for the appearance of adaptive PRLSs to answer two main questions: 1) Why is the adaptive PRLS seemingly so rare? and 2) What other species potentially have an adaptive PRLS? My research suggests that PRLSs are rare because the ecological conditions that favor them are rare, and that adaptive PRLSs may be found in some primates, most odontocetes, and some species of bird and fish
Sharp Young Things
No full textThis English Independent Study is a writing and art collection about the moments in which bones as fundamental, yet invisible structures have made themselves visible throughout my life and what that has illuminated for me. Through bones, this project explores the ways in which unique, individual structures are intrinsically linked to each other to create particular functioning wholes, and what happens when those individual structures or links change; what happens to us or shifts inside of us when the fundamental wholes we often take for granted are suddenly not what they used to be. Under this umbrella topic, my Independent Study uses poems, essays, stories, and drawings to explore the intersections and separations between subtopics of human-human and human-nonhuman relationships, mental and physical health, movement and freedom, the environment as we can understand it, conservation, food, communication and storytelling, internal thoughts and feelings, gender – really, what it means to be a college student living in the Midwest or even, more broadly, what it means to be a human being living in our own individual worlds while also moving around this larger, shared world
Effects of Glyphosate Treatment on C. Elegans Health: Implications for Migrant Communities with Elevated Pesticide Exposure
No full textPesticides are incredibly powerful agricultural tools that serve to increase food production and protect crops from a variety of pests. However, many pesticides also produce toxic effects on non-target organisms. Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide worldwide and has been deemed to not likely be a carcinogen by the EPA. However, studies done across many different organisms have shown that Roundup and Touchdown, both commercial formulations of glyphosate, can induce both lethal and sublethal effects. Because of this, there has been an increased interest in uncovering the toxicology of this compound, especially in regard to impacts on human health and the mechanism of action in non-target organisms. Many of these studies are done using commercial formulations of glyphosate rather than just the active ingredient, though it is important to understand the toxicology of both. In this study, we investigated the physiological effects of glyphosate treatment on C. elegans lifespan and reproductive capacity. We found that treatment did not induce any significant differences in lifespan. However, treatment with glyphosate significantly reduced both the number of eggs laid and the viability of eggs in C. elegans. These results carry heavy physical and cultural implications communities that commonly experience elevated levels of exposure through a variety of routes, including migrant farming communities. We also explored these implications through two texts that focus on the cultural impacts of pesticide abuse, which refers to the improper or excessive use of pesticides, finding that it has largely been used to dominate and exploit these communities
The Impact of ADHD on Academic Self-Efficacy and Locus of Control
No full textAttention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that interfere with functioning or development. This study examines symptoms of ADHD and how they relate to academic self-efficacy. It also examines certain aspects of academic life, such as major choice and GPA, to conclude about the impact of ADHD on students. 245 participants with and without ADHD, were asked a series of questions aimed at devising measurement scales for ADHD, Locus of Control, and Academic Self-Efficacy. As predicted, ADHD symptoms were negatively associated with Academic Self-Efficacy scores. Interestingly, there was no correlation when examining symptoms of ADHD and Locus of Control, and Academic Self-Efficacy and Locus of Control
To Slay or Not to Slay: An Investigation into Gender- based Dialectical Differences in Standard American English
No full textPrior research has shown that certain linguistic styles are stereotypically associated with men or women, but it remains unclear whether readers/listeners can passively make the distinction (Coates, 2015; Lakoff, 1973; Tannen, 1992). The present study evaluated participants’ subconscious perceptions of author gender when provided a written excerpt. To accomplish this, participants completed a deceptive task in which they were prompted to identify the author gender for three excerpts when given a gender- neutral name. The task included two versions of written excerpts across three genres—academic writing, newspaper articles, and romantic fiction. Each version was manipulated to follow either a traditionally masculine or feminine linguistic style, based on established genderlect frameworks (Coates, 2015; Lakoff, 1973; Tannen, 1992). Participants were exposed to only one excerpt version per genre (e.g. either the male or female formatted newspaper excerpt). Additionally, participants provided character trait ratings of the author based on the quality of the text. The results were not significant; however, newspaper excerpts were often attributed to female authors, romantic fiction to male authors, and academic writing was predominantly perceived as male, regardless of formatting
Comparison of the Efficacy of Graft Types Used in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery
No full textApproximately 200,000 Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries occur per year in the United States with 100,000 to 150,000 of these undergoing reconstruction surgery. More than three-quarters of these injuries occur in non-contact situations (i.e., when no direct contact is made with the knee at the time of injury), typically involving sudden deceleration, abrupt changes in direction, or jump landings. Due to its limited blood supply, the ACL cannot heal on its own when torn, and surgical reconstruction is the standard treatment for this injury. Graft selection is critical for optimal outcomes in ACL reconstruction. This literature review provides an up-to-date comparison of the efficacy of available tissue types—autografts (i.e., tissue taken from the patient), allografts (i.e., cadaver tissue), and synthetic materials—for ACL reconstruction. The efficacy of each graft is based on comparisons of knee stability, functional test scores, patient reported pain, and rerupture rates post-surgery. Autografts, such as the patellar tendon and hamstring tendon graft remain the most common options, with the patellar tendon autograft continuing to be considered the gold standard. The quadriceps tendon autograft shows promising preliminary results but requires further long-term research. Allografts have improved in efficacy with the removal of sterilization techniques like irradiation and may be more suitable for older, less active patients, though they carry higher rerupture risks for younger, active individuals. Synthetic grafts do not replicate human tissue accurately and are not recommended, though advances in bioengineering may offer future improvements. My review concludes that more research is needed on the long-term efficacy of the quadriceps tendon autograft, the sex disparity in ACL injuries, and the importance of individualized patient care when choosing a graft type for ACL reconstruction surgery. Additionally, greater emphasis should be placed on evidence-based decision-making in healthcare along with increased patient education about all available options to ensure they receive the best care possible