1025 research outputs found
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Plato is a Feminist: An Examination of The Republic, Book V
No full textIn ancient philosophy, women\u27s issues were not really considered by those in power. Scholars who study this time in philosophy are very uninterested in the ways women were treated, simply because that was not a topic of discussion among the famous philosophers. Some researchers have begun working on feminist interpretations of ancient works, in order to be able to decide whether or not a philosopher can and should be called a feminist. One specific philosopher who is at the center of several debates over this matter is Plato. Plato, student of Socrates, was one of the first men who believed that women have the potential to do several things in the same way men can. After reviewing works such as Plato\u27s Republic Book V, I believe there is enough evidence to support the idea that Plato is a feminist
Identifying a Potentially Novel Microbiospora Species from Centralia, PA Through Physiological and Genetic Comparisons of Closely Related Species
No full textCentralia, Pennsylvania is the location of an underground mine fire that has continued to burn since 1962. Due to the fire, gases such as carbon monoxide seeped into homes and that, combined with the fear of sinkholes, forced all but a few residents to evacuate the area. As the fire burns, it also elevates soil temperatures and alters the environment in which bacteria grow, selecting for rare thermophilic species. A potentially novel species of thermophilic Microbispora has been shown to produce antimicrobial agents that inhibit Staphylococcus aureus growth. This research focuses on determining if this species is in fact novel, and on identifying the antimicrobials that it produces. To do this, the isolate (CENT-2) is being compared genetically and physiologically to its three most closely related species, according to 16S rRNA gene sequencing; M. rosea, M. mesophila and M. corallina. Thus far, the physical characteristics of each of the species, such as fatty acid composition, physical appearance and growth temperature ranges have been compared, and support the hypothesis that CENT-2 is a novel species. Genomic DNA has also been isolated from CENT-2 and its closely related species; they will then undergo full genome sequencing. Comparisons between these genomes and the published genome sequences for M. corallina, M. rosea and M. mesophila will help determine if CENT-2 is, in fact, novel. The analysis will focus specifically on genes like DNA polymerase, DNA gyrase, the 16S rRNA genes-that are commonly used in species identification, and on genes such as PKSII and NRPS that are known to be involved in antibiotic production. In understanding the identity of this species, and its potential for antibiotic production, we hope to identify new forms of antibiotics for medicinal use
Does in-group bias influence the processing of emotional expressions?
No full textIdentification of emotional expressions plays an important role in human interaction. Tanaka et al. (2012) found that people rely primarily on the lower half of the face to identify happy expressions and the upper half to identify angry expressions. Individuals use both holistic and analytic processing when determining facial emotions; therefore, researchers argue that holistic and analytic processing should be viewed on a continuum. However, social factors may also influence face processing. Hugenberg and Corneille (2009) found that social categorization leads to improved memory for faces belonging to an individual’s in-group. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether in-group bias created by social categorization affects the speed, accuracy, and eye gaze fixation patterns of the processing of emotions
Effects of environmental enrichment on exploratory and foraging behaviors in the wolf spider Pardosa milvina
No full textMany animals experience shifts in habitat during their lifetime. The fitness costs or benefits associated with these shifts is often difficult to quantify but certainly relates to the interaction between individual personalities and behavioral accommodations by the animal. The wolf spider Pardosa milvina is common in agricultural systems and regularly encounters dramatic seasonal changes in habitat both temporally and spatially. We reared field-collected juvenile spiders within enriched or impoverished environments over forty days. Impoverished environments consisted of bare plastic containers with a single moistened cotton ball. Enriched environments consisted of loose soil, small rocks and coffee stirrers. We then measured shifts in exploratory behavior, activity level, and prey capture performance within novel simple or complex environments different than their rearing environments. We also measured differences in mass, size and mortality over the forty days for all spiders among each rearing environment treatment (N=75). Spiders reared in enriched environments showed significantly more exploratory behavior, shorter attack latencies toward prey and quicker prey capture in novel complex or simple environments compared to spiders reared in impoverished environments. We found no significant difference in body condition, mass or mortality based on rearing environments however. Rearing environments over a one-month period generated significant shifts in spider responses to novel environments. Spiders from enriched environments appeared bolder in general while impoverished environments resulted in more sedentary spiders. Since these behaviors resulted in no significant change in body condition or mortality suggests that these are adaptive behavioral responses to these environments
Broadway and Economics: Economic Lessons from Show Tunes
No full textEconomics has often been described as the dismal science , with TV and movies reinforcing this description. However, economics is a powerful tool that can be used to understand how the world works, helping to answer confusing puzzles and solve the world\u27s problems. Surprisingly, Broadway musicals are an excellent way of showing this. Musicals tell engaging stories through song and many are rich with economic concepts. This book analyses 161 songs from 90 musicals to explore what they can teach us about supply and demand, monetary policy and numerous other core economic concepts. While some songs have an obvious connection to economics, other connections may seem less apparent. When you hear Let it Go from Frozen, does your mind think about a firm\u27s production decisions? After reading this book, it will. Whether showing how Hamilton can illustrate concepts of central banking, or how Stars from Les Miserables provides a perfect example of inelastic demand, the author presents complicated topics in an understandable and entertaining way. Featuring classic songs from some of the most popular shows ever produced, along with some hidden gems, Broadway and Economics will be of interest to anybody studying an introductory economics course as well as theatre aficionados.https://scholarlycommons.susqu.edu/facultybooks/1072/thumbnail.jp
Caribbean Masala: Indian Identity in Guyana and Trinidad
No full textIn 1833, the abolition of slavery in the British Empire led to the import of exploited South Asian indentured workers in the Caribbean under extreme oppression. Dave Ramsaran and Linden F. Lewis concentrate on the Indian descendants\u27 processes of mixing, assimilating, and adapting while trying desperately to hold on to that which marks a group of people as distinct.In some ways, the lived experience of the Indian community in Guyana and Trinidad represents a cultural contradiction of belonging and non-belonging. In other parts of the Caribbean, people of Indian descent seem so absorbed by the more dominant African culture and through intermarriage that Indo-Caribbean heritage seems less central.In this collaboration based on focus groups, in-depth interviews, and observation, sociologists Ramsaran and Lewis lay out a context within which to develop a broader view of Indians in Guyana and Trinidad, a numerical majority in both countries. They address issues of race and ethnicity but move beyond these familiar aspects to track such factors as ritual, gender, family, and daily life. Ramsaran and Lewis gauge not only an unrelenting process of assimilative creolization on these descendants of India, but also the resilience of this culture in the face of modernization and globalization.https://scholarlycommons.susqu.edu/facultybooks/1086/thumbnail.jp
Parenting Styles in Relation to Contingencies of Self-Worth, Self-Esteem, and Deviant Behavior
No full textIndividuals develop contingencies of self-worth based on the way people they look up to (e.g., parental figures) value them. We investigated whether the parenting styles displayed by their parents would correlate with subjects’ self-worth contingencies as well as their likelihood of engaging in deviant behaviors typical for college students (e.g., underage drinking). We surveyed 88 college students and found that contingencies of self-worth were more strongly related to deviance than were parenting styles
Studying the Interactions between DNA and Metal Complexes using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy
No full textThe interactions between DNA and various transition-metal complexes were characterized using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). Using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as the signal enhancer, shifts and intensity changes in the vibrational peaks of the metal complexes were used to characterize the interactions. Water-soluble zinc and nickel metal complexes with different ligands in octahedral or square planar geometries were used. Various quadruplex and duplex DNA sequences were added to these solutions at different concentrations to characterize the interactions with the metal complexes. Previous studies showed that the DNA and metal complexes interact, and changes in vibrational peak intensity and position for the metal complexes were used to determine the nature of the interaction. The goal of this study is to develop another method of biodetection for DNA or targeted drug delivery using these metal complexes
A comparison of five similar headwater streams and a river continuum study in central Pennsylvania during the fall of 2017
No full textWe compared the benthic macroinvertebrate (BMI) communities between the five headwater streams located on Penns Creek Mountain in Bald Eagle State Forest during the fall of 2017. The five headwater streams, Little Weikert Run, Green Gap Run, Lick Run, Coral Run, and Henstep Run are similar in size and substrate (sand, cobble, and boulder). In addition to a study of the headwaters a river continuum concept was studied using Little Weikert Run, Weikert Run, and Penn’s Creek. Alkalinity averaged 109.84, 268.33, 247.38, 228.71, and 98.04 µeq/L for the five headwater sites and 82.16 and 2,107.79 µeq/L for the remaining streams, respectively. We collected the BMI during the first half of July using the 6-kick method, and processed them by PA DEP protocols. Based on the summer 2017 samples, the fall samples should also show that the five streams are moderate replicates of each other
Effect of Low Pressure on Ovarian development in Drosophila melanogaster
No full textGlobal surface temperatures that have been rising steadily over recent centuries, largely due to anthropogenic carbon emissions, are extending the potential habitat ranges of insect disease vector populations into higher altitudes. While a number of investigations have examined the effect of low oxygen levels on development and gene expression, we are unaware of any that have examined this using air at low pressure rather than via novel gas mixes. We exposed newly eclosed fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) to a low-pressure environment equivalent to an altitude of approximately 6,000m above sea level in a custom-built hypobaric chamber. This altitude approximates the highest permanent human habitations in the Himalayas, an area where climate change is having profound effects. The chamber was housed at 26oC in a photoperiod of L12:D12 to examine the effects of hypoxia due to low pressure on ovarian development; a control group was maintained under the same conditions at ambient pressure (sea level). Ovaries were removed 36h post eclosion and examined for size and the extent of egg development. The ovaries are now stored in RNAlater® for subsequent RT-PCR analysis of the expression of hypoxia inducible factors and those genes involved in yolk protein synthesis and trafficking. Our investigation revealed no difference in ovarian length or width attributable to the low-pressure environment (p=0.176 and 0.484 respectively) indicating at least tentatively that these environments are a possible habitat for invasive insect populations. Similar experiments to determine fecundity and reproductive timing of Drosophila development under these conditions are ongoing