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Vengeance, Violence, and Vigilantism: An Exploration of the 1891 Lynching of Eleven Italian-Americans in New Orleans
Get PDFThis thesis examines the 1891 lynching of Italian immigrants in New Orleans, the subsequent news coverage by the American Press, and how the lynching was memorialized. The Italians were killed because most of the city’s whites blamed them for the assassination of the chief of police. The turbulent political arena and strict racial hierarchy of post-Reconstruction New Orleans was a precarious environment for Italian immigrants; the assassination of the police chief was a pretext for their lynching. This lynching soon became national news and took on different meanings to different groups of Americans. Throughout the past century the meaning of this lynching has fluctuated based on prevailing cultural values.
This paper analyzes a variety of primary sources such as newspaper articles, letters, speeches and census data. Secondary scholarly sources are used to provide context
Energetics and Vibrational Signatures of Nucleobase Argyrophilic Interactions
Get PDFThis study investigates the interactions of both purine (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidine (cytosine, thymine, and uracil) nucleobases with a pair of silver atoms (Ag2). Full geometry optimizations were performed on several structures of each nucleobase/Ag2 complex and the corresponding isolated monomers using the M06-2X density functional theory (DFT) method with a correlation consistent triple-ζ basis set augmented with diffuse functions on all atoms and a relativistic pseudopotential on Ag (aug-cc-pVTZ for H, C, N, and O and aug-cc-pVTZ-PP for Ag; denoted aVTZ). Harmonic vibrational frequency computations indicate that each optimized structure corresponds to a minimum on the M06-2X/aVTZ potential energy surface. Relative electronic energies for interactions between Ag2 and each nucleobase were compared to elucidate energetic differences between isomers. Further analysis of the changes in vibrational frequencies, infrared intensities, and Raman scattering activities reveals how different Ag2 binding sites might be identified spectroscopically. These results provide molecular-level insight into the interactions between nucleobases and silver, which may lead to better understanding and interpretation of surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) experiments on nucleobases and related systems
Evaluation of New Antimalarial Drug Combinations
Get PDFMalaria is a disease that has affected people throughout the world for centuries and
is still responsible for over 200 million clinical cases per year. While a number of
developed countries have eradicated the disease, its prevalence in tropical regions poses a
significant global health challenge. The disease is caused by the Plasmodium genus, an
obligate, intracellular parasite that is carried by the female Anopheles mosquito. While
there are effective antimalarial drugs in clinical use, Plasmodium’s resilient nature has
allowed it to develop resistance to multiple drugs. This fact makes it imperative to seek out
novel drugs to combat resistant strains. Combination therapies are one effective way to
treat malaria and prevent the incidence of drug resistance. The most commonly used class
of combination therapy is the Artemisinin Based Combination Therapy. However, there is
evidence that artemisinin resistance could be occurring in the field.
In this study, new combinations were tested between the standard antimalarial
drugs namely, chloroquine (CQ) and artemisinin (ART) along with the experimental
antimalarial drugs namely an artemisinin dimer oxime (DIOX) and NPC1161B (NPC) (an
8-aminoquinoline). The combinations were tested in vitro using the SYBR Green-I based
fluorescence assay with a drug-resistant W2 strain of Plasmodium falciparum (P.f.) in a
checkerboard assay template. Resistance of Pf (W2) towards CQ was confirmed. Both
DIOX and NPC showed partial antagonistic effect on the antimalarial action of CQ and
artemisinin. Further in vivo evaluation of these combinations in rodent malarial models
would be important for confirmation of these results
Development of a scn1a Null Zebrafish Model for Screening Potential Anti-Epileptic Natural Products
Get PDFEpilepsy affects around 50 million people in the world. Thus, it is imperative that new more effective and safe treatments be found. This study was designed to use zebrafish to screen potential anti-epileptic natural products. We utilized two scn1Lab null zebrafish models (morpholino-injected fish where scn1Lab was transiently knocked down and a transgenic scn1Lab -/- fish line). Alternatively, we used AB wildtype fish to test compounds in a chemically-induced seizure model. Natural compounds including cannabidiol, CBD, and Tapinanthus globiferous, TG, extracts were screened for their anti-seizure activity. When scn1Lab -/- fish were treated with CBD (0.075 and 0.3 mg/L) from 5 to 7 days post fertilization (dpf), a non-significant reduction of seizure-like activity, compared to control, was found. Additional exposures are needed to verify this reduction. In wildtype fish where seizures were induced by treatment of pentylenetetrazole, TG extracts were tested for anti-epileptic potential from 5 to 6 dpf. Our results showed that one extract of TG, AF.1.11.TG.4 (0.2, 1, and 5 mg/L) showed some promise in reducing seizure-like activity. We conclude that certain extracts of TG show promise as anticonvulsants, and CBD requires further research to verify its reduction. The transgenic scn1Lab -/- fish once acquired and raised proved to a better model for screening natural products for Dravet-specific seizures than morpholino-based approaches
Vulnerabilities, Variability, and Remedies: An Analysis of United States Electoral Systems Security
Get PDFElections in the United States are vulnerable on multiple fronts both physically and in cyberspace. In this paper four main vulnerabilities are discussed: voter rolls, political parties, social media, and voting machines. These four aspects of electioneering are particularly vulnerable due to their age, availability of unprotected data, and ease of misuse. This paper assesses the policy implications of deeming election administration as critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security, and the proposed policy options focused on maintaining decentralization along with necessary upgrades provide adequate security to ensure the United States’ free and fair electoral process
Out of the margins: Mississippi English language learner curriculum practices and their implications
Get PDFThis thesis concerns itself with Mississippi school’s effectiveness in educating the state’s budding, primarily Spanish-speaking, immigrant population. I answer three questions: 1) How does Mississippi English language curriculum require state socialization of its students? 2) How does its curriculum provide for effective language learning practices? And 3) Does Mississippi EL curriculum provide for the magnified existence of immigrant students, or does, and how does, state curriculum continue to push immigrant students into the margins? Using inductive qualitative analysis, I explore both Mississippi Department of Education’s ELL program guidelines and individual district plans
Contemporary Terrorism Paradigm: Terrorist Attacks on Transportation Systems
No full textThe Contemporary Terrorism Paradigm has been examined in concept, but little research has applied the theory to specific targeting of terrorist organizations. To build on this limited research, the current study analyzed the number of terrorist incidents targeting the transportation infrastructure in North America, Western Europe, and East Asia between 2001 and 2016 to ascertain if the Contemporary Terrorism Paradigm explains the variance between number of incidents and number of casualties. The use of North America, Western Europe, and East Asia created an opportunity to examine vulnerabilities in the transportation infrastructure and identify areas in the United States transportation infrastructure for target hardening. The incidents were subsequently divided into incidents targeting road transportation and rail transportation. However, some research questions address the transportation infrastructure. The study also examined weapon type and number of incidents resulting in casualty. The study found statistically significant results that support the application of the Contemporary Terrorism Paradigm to the targeting of the transportation infrastructure
Catholicism and Feminism: A Chilean Paradox
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and women in Chile, as well as how this relationship might be influenced by the authoritarian regime under Augusto Pinochet from 1973-1990. Chile is known as one of the most Catholic and conservative countries in Latin America, and is considered a “late female mobilization state” that has just recently legalized divorce and has not legalized abortion. The Church played a pivotal role in the defeat of the dictatorship and continues to influence the country’s society, culture, and politics. Even as women have entered the public sphere in the past few decades, intense machismo (or sexism) is still strongly at play and has led to a number of femicides that have sparked women’s movements across the nation. The study utilizes empirical research conducted in Valparaíso, Chile, and builds an ethnographic analysis to answer the research question: What relationship, if any, exists between the modern Catholic Church and female mobilization today in Chile, and how has the Church’s relationship with Pinochet’s regime influenced that potential relationship? The paper suggest ways in which the Catholic Church can speak to, aid, and empower women in Chile fighting against femicide and other gender equality issues. The relationships between these three variables, the Church, women, and dictatorship, may be indicative of the country’s future for the Catholic Church, women, and democracy
Integrated Solution For Financial Analysis Case Studies
Get PDFI completed an internship in the summer of 2017 with the same company, so I have a fairly concrete concept of what my full-time role will entail, specifically which skills will be helpful to me on the job. One of my cases during the summer internship involved determining the impact of a city’s fiscal policies and resource allocation on city departmental performances to inform future budgetary decisions. I was able to locate the city’s budget documents (usually between 100 and 200 pages) and financial statements and quickly find the numbers my team needed since I was familiar with the format of governmental financial statements and adept at finding and interpreting the figures within them. Correlating the revenue and expenditure numbers to the corresponding budget categories and broader budgetary objectives was not an intimidating task as I had completed similar analyses before in my accounting coursework.
After locating and extracting the relevant data, I completed many analyses using Excel- some of which I had performed before in Dr. Dickinson’s class. The new calculations I needed to learn were easy to pick up because I was familiar with most of Excel’s features and deft in executing complex commands. Though this is only one example, the advanced Excel skills and comfortability with dissecting large financial documents that I developed in Dr. Dickinson’s class were critical to my performance in my internship and undoubtedly contributed to my positive performance reviews and receipt of a return offer at the end of the summer
Analyzing the Use of Expressive Writing Among College Students
Get PDFThis is among the first studies to investigate the naturalistic use of expressive writing in college students. To do so, 255 undergraduate students from the University of Mississippi anonymously completed an online survey. Participants first answered basic demographic questions followed by questions assessing their sadness or depression, happiness, and overall adjustment in college. Next, participants responded to questions concerning expressive writing and ways in which they handled demands of college. Finally, respondents then completed a well-researched, standardized measure of depression, anxiety, and stress. Independent-samples t tests revealed that students who engaged in expressive writing demonstrated lower mean levels of sadness or depression on a single-item assessment in the college adjustment questions (but not on the standardized measure). Results also show that among those who endorsed a history of expressive writing, women were significantly more represented than men. No other significant differences were found, but future research may still benefit from including attention to base rates of expressive writing and gender differences in this behavior among college students