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Environmental Stability of the Simulated Forest Immersion Therapy (SFIT) Intervention
Get PDFBackground: Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing, has been shown to improve the pain experience in arthritis patients and the immune system in normal healthy patients. Yet, a simulated forest immersion therapy (SFIT) experience has not been tested in these two populations and specifically not in cancer patients. If SFIT complementary therapy in these two populations progresses, the intervention environment as designed needs to be tested. The purpose of this paper is to describe the SFIT setting and test the stability of the interventional environment. Methods: To operationalize SFIT, a protocol of dose delivery was designed and measured. Ambient and surface room temperatures, relative humidity, ambient ultrafine particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds, specifically terpenes, were measured prior to terpene dose delivery, every 15 min for 1 h, ending with the conclusion of terpene delivery. Results: There were nearly imperceptible differences within session means for ambient and surface room temperatures, relative humidity, ambient ultrafine particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds showing no practical significance. Room temperature and surface temperature were moderately correlated, as expected. Conclusions: The intervention room environment for the diffusion of terpenes remained stable throughout two studies. The next steps proposal to employ SFIT in the home setting is warranted, with precautions
Working Paper No. 91, The Emergence Of Industrial ‘Sabotage’ In The Evolution American Health Insurance
Get PDFThis inquiry seeks to establish that over the years the American health insurance industry has evolved in the direction of offering more and more disadvantages versus advantages to consumers as holders of insurance policies as well as healthcare products and services. In the tradition of Thorstein Veblen, this tendency should be considered as an institutional evolution that can be traced back in time to its origins in mutual aid societies and lodge practices. With the industrialization of the American economy, the healthcare industry exhibits signs of advancing, and but one indicator of this advance is that insurance plans became formalized. This inquiry advances the position that as America’s industrialization has continued inexorably and per capital incomes have increased, forms of industrial ‘sabotage’ have emerged concomitantly with the growing power of institutions, especially those focused upon offering health insurance
Comparative Three-Barcode Phylogenetics and Soil Microbiomes of Planted and Wild Strawberry Trees.
Get PDFTaxonomic identification of closely related plants can be challenging due to convergent evolution, hybridization, and overlapping geographic distribution. To derive taxonomic relationships among planted and wild plants across a large geographic range, we complemented three standard plastid barcodes , , and with soil and fruit chemistry, soil microbiome, and plant morphology analyses. Soil and plant sampling included planted from manicured sites in Southern California, USA, wild plants from Southern and Northern California, and wild populations from Mediterranean island of Hvar, Croatia. We hypothesized that phenotypic variation within and between sites correlates with plants\u27 genotype and geographic distribution. Similar fruit chemistry corresponds to geographical proximity and morphological resemblance, while bulk soil bacterial content defines three distinct clusters distinguishing planted versus wild trees and continent of origin. The soil microbiome of wild California was characterized by an abundance of , while the presence of was high in wild Hvar samples and most planted samples, but low in all wild California samples. Although all three barcodes resolved four main groups, the position of samples varies across barcodes. The phylogram is relatively unbalanced, suggesting slower diversification among wild California populations and exhibiting greater resolution than other barcodes among planted individuals. While our data demonstrate an overall agreement among standard plant barcodes relative to geo-distribution and plant morphology, sustained efforts on cost-effective global plant DNA barcode library standardization for closely related and geographically overlapping plants is recommended
“Through Science to Justice” Magnus Hirschfeld’s Role in Queer Liberation
Get PDFMagnus Hirschfeld was a scientist who researched sexuality and gender, as well as an activist for “sexual minorities.” He challenged previously held beliefs that homosexuality should be treated as an illness and is credited with being the first to view gender identity as separate from sexuality. Additionally, Hirschfeld argued that queer people simply act in accordance with their nature. Through the creation of various institutions, he worked to uplift the queer community through publishing his research, undertaking advocacy work, and creating safe spaces. Though not immune to the prejudices of his time, Hirschfeld was able to help improve the lives of queer people. While the rise of the Nazis prevented Hirschfeld from continuing his work and led to the destruction of his instructions and research, his legacy still lives on.
Keywords: Gender affirming care, advocacy, Weimar Republic
Part of the panel: Alternative Narratives and VisibilityModerator: Professor Patricia Schechte
Room 2: Open Textbooks in Criminal Justice
No full textDuring our discussion, we will center our conversation on our extensive experience in developing and refining Open Educational Resources (OER) textbooks, as well as the process of redesigning or developing courses with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Our intention is to impart valuable insights and practical advice on the effective creation or overhaul of educational materials, ensuring they are inclusive and representative of diverse perspectives
Identifying the Effect of Architecture Morphology on Wind Fields and Pm2.5 Dispersion at the Urban Block Scale via a Combined Scheme
No full textThis study explores the potential of architecture morphology to mitigate PM2.5 pollution through enhanced urban ventilation. Despite the recognized influence of building designs on wind and air pollution distribution at the urban block scale, specific mechanisms remain poorly understood. To address this gap, we have developed an integrative approach combining in-situ observations, Geographic Information System (GIS), Remote Sensing (RS), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and statistical modeling. Here, CFD simulates the flow field and PM2.5 dispersion, using in-situ observations for turbulence model selection. GIS quantify architecture morphology parameters to establish accurate CFD boundary conditions, ensuring simulations reflect real-world conditions and precise architectural impacts on air quality. In addition, statistical models and controlled experiments are adopted to detect the influence of architecture morphology on wind fields and PM2.5 dispersion. Our findings reveal that increased Floor Area Ratio (FAR) tends to create stagnant wind areas behind structures, reducing air circulation and trapping pollutants. Higher Building Density (BD) correlates with expanded zones of low wind speed, which further contributes to PM2.5 accumulation. In contrast, promoting open spaces and reducing architectural density can significantly enhance ventilation at the block level, facilitating pollutant dispersal. This research not only underscores the importance of architectural planning in pollution control but also offers practical guidelines for urban design aimed at fostering sustainable cities and communities
Deep Learning Classification of Drainage Crossings Based on High-Resolution Dem-Derived Geomorphological Information
Get PDFHigh-resolution digital elevation models (HRDEMs) from LiDAR and InSAR technologies have significantly improved the accuracies of mapping hydrographic features such as river boundaries, streamlines, and waterbodies over large areas. However, drainage crossings that facilitate the passage of drainage flows beneath roads are not often represented in HRDEMs, resulting in erratic or distorted hydrographic features. At present, drainage crossing datasets are largely missing or available with variable quality. While previous studies have investigated basic convolutional neural network (CNN) models for drainage crossing characterization, it remains unclear if advanced deep learning models will improve the accuracy of drainage crossing classification. Although HRDEM-derived geomorphological features have been identified to enhance feature extraction in other hydrography applications, the contributions of these features to drainage crossing image classification have yet to be sufficiently investigated. This study develops advanced CNN models, EfficientNetV2, using four co-registered 1-meter resolution geomorphological data layers derived from HRDEMs for drainage crossing classification. These layers include positive openness (POS), geometric curvature, and two topographic position index (TPI) layers utilizing 3 × 3 and 21 × 21 cell windows. The findings reveal that the advanced CNN models with HRDEM, TPI (21 × 21), and a combination of HRDEM, POS, and TPI (21 × 21) improve classification accuracy in comparison to the baseline model by 3.39, 4.27, and 4.93%, respectively. The study culminates in explainable artificial intelligence (XAI) for evaluating those most critical image segments responsible for characterizing drainage crossings
The Intersection of Education and Empowerment: How Comprehensive Sex Education Equips Adolescents to Navigate Complex Relational Dynamics
Get PDFThis thesis examines the impact of comprehensive sex education (CSE) on adolescents\u27 understanding of consent, personal boundaries, and relational competence. Drawing upon social learning theory, intersectionality, and relational-cultural theory, the study employs a multidisciplinary framework to analyze how CSE functions as both an instructional practice and a sociocultural intervention. Utilizing an integrative thematic review of empirical studies, policy analyses, and national curriculum standards, the research evaluates the extent to which CSE promotes emotional literacy, fosters ethical relationship skills, and addresses structural inequities in educational access. Findings indicate that well-implemented, inclusive CSE contributes to healthier developmental outcomes by enhancing students\u27 emotional awareness, communication abilities, and capacity for mutual respect in interpersonal contexts. Despite its demonstrated benefits, CSE remains unevenly implemented across the United States, constrained by ideological opposition, legislative barriers, and regional disparities. The thesis concludes that comprehensive, developmentally appropriate sex education is essential for advancing public health, educational equity, and the holistic well-being of youth
Plan Mano Dura: A Punctuated Political Act? Addressing Gang Violence in El Salvador
Get PDFOn July 23, 2003, Salvadoran President Francisco Flores introduced a punitive and militaristic gang-prevention measure, Plan Mano Dura (Plan Iron Fist), in an attempt to solve the gang phenomenon plaguing El Salvador. Although it turned out to be an abject policy failure, its future effects and significance would far outweigh its intended impact, essentially dictating how El Salvador would combat gang violence for the next 20 years and beyond. As such, it is essential to better understand how such an ineffective policy could arise as a policy approach. This paper examines whether Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) can account for the distinctive policy process that led to the implementation of Plan Mano Dura.
In the end, this paper finds that although Punctuated Equilibrium Theory (PET) provides a satisfactory explanation for the initial rise of the plan, other theoretical frameworks may help explain the rise and application of Plan Mano Dura (e.g., innovation diffusion) and shed light on the persistence of punitive approaches on subsequent policy approaches to gang violence in El Salvador (e.g., Path Dependence Theory)
Fear, Trembling, and Wonder: Psalms of Awe
Get PDFThis thesis proposes an expansion of genre form criticism within the Book of Psalms to include an additional category: Psalms of Awe. Building on scholarship that emphasizes the Psalms as expressions of religious experience, it draws from philosophical, theological, and critical scholarship to define the experience of awe as a distinct religious experience not fully captured by form critical scholarship. The thesis argues that awe is reflected in the Psalms through the combination of three key Hebrew roots: ירא (fear/reverence), פחד (fear/dread), and פלא (wonder). This is done by analyzing several psalms to explicate how each term captures a different dimension of awe. By framing awe as a legitimate and definable religious experience and showing its capture within the Psalms\u27 historical and literary context, this thesis offers a new lens for their interpretation