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Racial Ideologies and Ethnoracial Social Inclusion Policy in Mexico and Peru
Get PDFMy study examines the covariation of racial ideologies and ethnoracial social inclusion policies with ethnoracial identity in Peru and Mexico. I begin by studying the history and evolution of racial ideologies in Latin America generally and then in Mexico and Peru more specifically. I use this research to help guide and inform my bivariate tabular analysis of data collected by the Project on Ethnicity and Race in Latin America (PERLA). From the PERLA survey questionnaires for Mexico and Peru, I choose questions pertaining to ethnoracial identity and attitudes towards specific social inclusion policies and racial ideologies. I measure the covariation of ethnoracial social inclusion policies and racial ideologies with ethnoracial identity to determine how highly supported they are in contemporary Mexico and Peru and, consequently, if the “shift” from mestizaje to multiculturalism is as prominent as the literature suggest. If there has been a shift to recognition of the multicultural nature of society that is unique from the mestizaje narratives of the past that has consequently led to the development and adoption of ethnoracial social inclusion policies in Latin America, the data should show high levels of support for ethnoracial social inclusion policies and low levels of support of mestizaje ideals. I control for ethnoracial identity to compensate for any variation in attitude between ethnoracial groups. My study results will hopefully provide greater insight into support for ethnoracial social inclusion policies as linked to the historical patterns of racial ideologies
Abortion Access and Child Maltreatment: A Cross-National Analysis
Get PDFThis thesis has examined the impact of restricted abortion access on different indicators of child maltreatment. Drawing from literature linking unwanted pregnancies to child maltreatment, I posited that given the proposed relationship between unintended pregnancies and child maltreatment, we should expect to see increased instances of maltreatment within countries that allow less of forbid women from accessing abortions.
For this purpose, I created an index of abortion access to numerically rate a country's level of liberality or restrictiveness. Then, using data from 49 countries, this thesis examined the potential linkage across a variety of measures that indicate child maltreatment while controlling for relevant alternative explanations. The results should be widely applicable across different cultures, given the wide-variety of countries that were examined.
In general, my results provide that even when controlling for impactful factors such as poverty rate and parental attitudes towards physical punishment, abortion access within a country still has a significant effect on some indicators of child maltreatment such as severe physical punishment.
This is significant because it shows that when governments make abortion hard to access this has negative effects that reach beyond merely the women denied these services. Forcing women to have children that are unwanted can negatively affect the children by increasing the likelihood of later maltreatment. These results add to the growing literature investigating the relationship between measures of child well-being and the effect of public policies. This should be considered when countries draft abortion policy
Electrocatalytic Oxygen Reduction Studies on Gold Nanoparticles
Get PDFAfter determining that the size of nanoclusters can be tuned such that they have a precise formula much like a chemical compound, much is still not known about nanoclusters, their properties, and how they interact if core size, ligand, and even environment is changed. One such mystery is how does the size of the nanoparticle tune its ability as a catalyst. As it is known that nanoparticles possess unique properties, studies have begun to look towards nanoclusters as catalysts for alternative forms of energy. Therefore, determining how size affects the ability of a nanoparticle catalyst becomes a very important question. To begin to understand how size affects the ability of the nanoparticle as a catalyst, two different series of nanoclusters were observed. Unlike previous studies, all the nanoparticles in the series have the same ligand in order to minimize ligand affects and concentrate on the effect of the size. It was found that for both series the largest AuNM, for both series, was the most selective when reducing O2 and produced the most OH- and the least HO2- for each series. The results suggest that as the size of the AuNM increase the ability as a catalyst does as well, implying that these studies could potential be used as a guide toward designing efficient fuel cells
Suffer the Children: A Collection of Biographical Stories from Patients, Families, and Professionals in the World of Pediatric Cancer
Get PDFOne area of cancer diagnoses that has garnered much attention in recent years is pediatric oncology. Many adults, certainly not all, increase likelihood of cancer, both directly and indirectly, through usually habitual lifestyles (tobacco use, alcoholism, etc). Meanwhile, children are plagued by cancer through seemingly no fault of their own, provoking widespread curiosity. Researchers tend to analyze pediatric cancer with quantitative data, but this investigation is based on qualitative information, by compiling a list of thirty individuals who have, in some way, been affected by pediatric cancer, and examining their attitudes and reflections in various time stages, outcomes, and relations to disease.
In order to maintain strength in the analysis without belaboring on a generally melancholy subject, the list of thirty was narrowed to a dozen subjects, each of which provides a unique perspective. At least one interview was conducted with each subject, and a first-person narrative setting was created respectively, based solely off the individual’s daily routines, which would then channel into a period of reflection where the musings of the subject were incorporated. In essence, each section serves to paint a picture of each subject to the reader, both in terms of a lifestyle and a mentality coping with cancer.
What I found time and again throughout the study was that, generally speaking, the subjects who had been patients were much more positive overall than non-afflicted individuals such as relatives and care providers. Moreover the healthcare professionals seemed much more affected by the patients than the patients were by the disease. Likewise, relatives of patients were much more emotional when discussing cancer than the sufferers themselves. Several interviewees admitted that in the most stressful moments, the children were the most stable beings, taking each blow in stride, regardless of severity.
After considering all of this, my conclusion is that though cancer levees children with a more substantial blow physically, the mental anguish and grief that it causes for witnesses is equally impactful. From a medical perspective, there seems to be very little correlation in backgrounds, demographics, or personalities when it comes to pediatric diagnosis or survival rates. Cancer appears to be a beast that, in regards to children, plays no favorites
Bit By Bit: An Analysis of the Role of Bilateral Investment Treaties on China’s Investment in Latin America
Get PDFOver the past 15 years, the political and economic relationship between China and Latin America has progressed rapidly. Chinese investment in Latin America has risen to unprecedented levels, and numerous Latin American leaders have praised and welcomed China’s growing influence in the region. A key component of this burgeoning relationship has been the emergence of bilateral investment treaties between China and Latin American nations. Over the past 30 years, China has signed a bilateral investment treaty with 12 different Latin American countries. In light of their increasing importance, this paper seeks to analyze the role of bilateral investment treaties in the Sino-Latin America relationship. Through both quantitative and qualitative analysis, this paper examines what factors motivate China and Latin American countries to sign bilateral investment treaties and also analyzes whether these agreements are useful tools for encouraging investment. The quantitative section of this paper establishes that factors traditionally recognized as motivations for Chinese investment in Latin America do not have a significant effect on signing a bilateral trade agreement. The qualitative section addresses and further examines this surprising finding, both by comparing Chinese investment in two different countries and analyzing the treaties themselves. Overall, the paper finds that normal motivations for Chinese investment in Latin America do not apply to the signing of bilateral investment treaties. Furthermore, the findings challenge the prevailing assumption that bilateral treaties stimulate foreign direct investment, at least in the context of the Sino-Latin American relationship
Purification Protocol Development and Analysis of Binding Properties of Calmodulin Collagen-Like Protein
Get PDFCalmodulin is an intensely studied, intracellular, calcium-binding protein that is involved in diverse physiological processes. When bound to calcium, calmodulin undergoes a conformational change that allows it to bind specific target peptides with high affinity, one being the calmodulin binding region of myosin light chain kinase, herein called M13. This high affinity, calcium dependent association has made it a desirable choice for use in a biomaterial for drug delivery for non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Two artificial genes have been designed by our lab for use in the proposed biomaterial: calmodulin collagen-like protein (CCLP), a construct composed of two calmodulin genes connected with a gene coding for three repeats of a short collagen sequence; and PCLP, a construct composed of two repeats of M13 connected with same collagen repeats. Mixture of the two recombinant protein products should form a gel in the high extracellular calcium concentration found in vivo. In order to establish the viability of this novel biomaterial, we had to establish 1) protocols for expression and purification of CCLP, and 2) whether or not the calmodulin regions of CCLP retained their calcium-dependent binding of M13. In order to proceed with experimentation, a consistent protocol for the production and purification of the CCLP protein was developed. Confirmation of purity and concentration was obtained with SDS- PAGE and UV-Visible spectroscopy, respectively. Second, because M13 undergoes a change in secondary structure upon binding, CCLP’s interaction with M13 was monitored via circular dichroism spectroscopic studies. Results of these studies indicate that we have an efficient expression and purification protocol for CCLP, and that CCLP binds calcium and M13 according to its design
A Journey of Knowledge Through Various Case Studies
Get PDFThis thesis projects the profound amount of knowledge in accountancy found within real world scenarios called ‘case studies.’ Each of the twelve chapters in this thesis presents a different topic or problem for Rutledge Consulting Group, in which I, CEO, must use tools like the FASB Codification and financial planning, to help find solutions for our clients. The twelve cases include scenarios dealing with financial analysis for investments, proper allocation of revenues and expenses, internal controls and fraud prevention, inventory, capitalization of costs, employee benefits and retraining, common stock, compensation plans, unearned revenue recognition, deferred income taxes, and differing lease agreements. These twelve case studies went hand-in-hand with the material being taught in Intermediate Accounting I and II. Therefore, the cases can be seen as an extension of knowledge because one would learn the basic material that each accountancy student learns in Intermediate, and then with Dr. Dickinson’s help, would be able to take their learnings from class and turn it into material substance with a real purpose, a solution
Crime and the Business Cycle in Mississippi
Get PDFThis thesis examines the relationship between crime and the business cycle in Mississippi. Working with a theoretical model of the individual’s decision to commit a crime, I show that an increase in legal income decreases an individual’s propensity to commit crime. I then use regressions to estimate the long-run and short-run income elasticities of violent crime, burglary, larceny, and vehicle theft. The long-run empirical model shows how income growth effects crime growth, and the short-run empirical model shows how income variability effects crime variability. In the long run, I find that as income increases (decreases), both burglary and larceny decrease (increase). In the short run, larceny again decreases (increases) as income increases (decreases), and burglary rises during years for which there are recessions. I find no long-run or short-run relationship between violent crime or vehicle theft and the business cycle
Voices
Get PDF“Voices” is a creative collection of fictional short stories based on perspectives from people residing in various locations worldwide. Research by way of historical documentaries, literature, and personal observation contributed to the completion of this project. Within this collection, multiple social justice issues are explored. These include but are not limited to the following: poverty, sex trafficking, educational opportunities, and malnourishment. Each individual story possesses its own set of characters, plot, and theme, but there are continuous thematic and structural consistencies throughout the collection. A few of these themes are desperation and survival, pain and suffering found in the human condition, and the significance of place. Interspersed between the fictional pieces are eight nonfictional, anecdotal micro-stories from the perspective of the author of the collection. These micro-stories are paired with various photographs taken by the author. These photographs display the settings where the fictional pieces occur
The Policy Evolution and Privatization of Commercial Space Systems
Get PDFFrom the Wright Brothers to SpaceX launching the Falcon Heavy, space systems, and the policies that govern these systems, continue to evolve at a rapid rate. However, as space travel becomes commercialized, the federal government is beginning to realize that it would be cost-ineffective to continue to manufacture, maintain, and operate space systems completely through their own agencies. In result of this, it would be proactive for policymakers to decide what policy tools would be most effective in regulating space systems and the space ports in which they travel. The purpose of this study is to present research on the background of space systems and examine privatization as a governmental policy tool within the context of these systems. This thesis concludes that it would be advantageous for policymakers to advocate for a policy agenda that would promote the complete public ownership of space ports while allowing space systems to be manufactured, maintained, and operated in a public-private partnership between private companies, such as SpaceX, and government agencies, like NASA. To draw this conclusion, this thesis presents many formats, approaches, and philosophical attributes of privatization, and analyzes the merits and failures of these different characteristics. Furthermore, this thesis critiques the presentation and analysis of privatization within the context of space systems and space ports