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Juan Sánchez Cotán’s Still Lifes and Artistic Ingenio in Early Modern Toledo
No full textThis essay brings new light on the creation and early reception of the still lifes of the Toledan painter Juan Sánchez Cotán. It focuses on Cotán’s friendship with and professional relationship to the metalworker Diego de Valdivieso and the manuscript illuminator Juan de Salazar, both of whom are recorded as being among the first owners of his still lifes. An analysis of these artists’ works vis-j-vis Cotán’s still lifes reveals similar technical and conceptual concerns, as well as a shared will to elevate their crafts to demonstrate ingenio. This analysis therefore places Cotán’s still lifes in the context of artistic experimentation, supporting the long-held assumption that his first patrons appreciated these pictures foremost as ingenious novelties
Will Malaysia Become an Active Middle Power?
Get PDFMalaysia’s economic growth and democratisation since 2003 have vaulted it into the ranks of the middle powers in the international system. However, Malaysia remains hesitant about its middle power status. It has assumed a counterhegemonic or pro-multipolarity role; it has supported some new international rules and institutions; it leads regional governance institutions; and it advocates for small countries on development issues. However, these middle power behaviours are countered by a continuation of traditional Malaysia diplomacy which is inactive in shaping the emergence of superpower China as well as being disruptive and personalistic, most recently because of its embrace of radicalisms. It would require major shifts in international system structures and Malaysian national role conceptions for Malaysia to become a fully active middle power
How to Kill a Human: Creating an Immersive Learning Game
Get PDFHow to Kill a Human is an experiment in teaching through gameplay. The environmental crisis facing the planet, though denied by many, is a collection of well-documented historical environmental catastrophes. The purpose of this project was to design a method of relating the impacts of environmental systems on human health, highlighting the dangers of ill planned human tampering, by presenting hypothetical environmental catastrophes and then relating them to documented historical disasters. In pursuit of this goal, we designed a semi-collaborative game for three to six players with a suggested age rating of 10+, ideal for teaching individuals of middle school and above about the impacts of environmental disasters. We aimed to have players learn in an immersive format, disarming hesitancies about environmental impacts by subverting the common narrative—instead of attempting to prevent environmental disasters, the goal of the game is for players to work collaboratively to cause as many environmental disasters as possible
Immigrant Families and Stress
No full textBackground: An improved understanding of the stressors and supports that immigrant parents experience can inform our ability to provide support and interventions and potentially improve children’s health. The goal of this study was to use a mixed methods approach to describe how Latino immigrant parents experienced stressors and their psychologic and biologic responses to those stressors.
Methods: Parents of children 3-6 years of age were recruited from a community partner serving a large immigrant population. Parents were eligible to participate if they were born outside of the United States. We conducted a semi-structured interview on immigration stress and sources of resilience along with surveys examining stressors and biologic measures of stress among children and parents.
Results: We enrolled 13 families in this study with 13 mothers, 11 fathers and 13 children participating in data collection. Parents reported moderate levels of perceived stress, immigration and discrimination stress, with no substantial differences between mothers and fathers. In the qualitative analysis, themes were defined around traumatic immigration experiences, social supports and coping mechanisms. Biologic stress measured by hair cortisol was overall within normal with only a notable outlying parental high value.
Discussion: This study found parents had experienced substantial stressors via the immigration process, but had strong social support and coping strategies. The interaction between parental stress and parenting strategies and child behavior warrants further analysis to better inform support systems
Assessing the Potential for a Novel Composite Integrative Passive Sampler (CIPS) to Investigate Transboundary Movement of Organic Chemicals in the Tijuana River Estuary.
Get PDFNearly all environmental monitoring and research of chemical exposure in the aquatic environment relies on grab sampling of water and/or sediment providing only a snapshot in time. Passive sampling of water provides a more representative estimate of exposure compared to grab sampling, but current passive samplers have a limited working range of chemical properties. We tested a novel Composite Integrative Passive Sampler (CIPS) that simultaneously accumulates both hydrophobic and hydrophilic chemicals in water in the Tijuana River Estuary (TRE) on the U.S.-Mexico border. Quantitative targeted analysis detected 169 of the 193 targeted chemicals, and 128 of them were detected in all samples. These included polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, current-use and legacy organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, plasticizers, pharmaceuticals, consumer product chemicals, stimulants, steroid hormones, haloacetic acids, and fecal sterols. The detected chemicals had a range of log K values from 0.2 to 8, by far the largest range ever reported for a passive sampler, and included both legacy chemicals and chemicals of emerging concern. Our findings are in stark contrast to previous work in the TRE, where very few organic pollutants were detected. We conclude the reason for this discrepancy is the ability of the CIPS to preconcentrate a very large range of chemicals in situ during deployment. The highest contaminant concentrations were closest to the U.S.-Mexico border. This work is the first demonstration of a passive sampler that can accumulate such a wide range of chemicals and strong evidence for transboundary movement of chemicals from Tijuana, Mexico to the US
A Revolutionary Curtain Call: Yiddish Theatre, the Jewish Enlightenment, and the Russian Revolution
Get PDFThis paper explores the impact of Yiddish Theatre in Moscow and broader Russia in the era of the Russian Revolution as a Jewish cultural and political force. The intersection of the Russian Revolution and the Jewish Haskalah reformation created the space for Yiddish theatre, a cultural movement combining Jewish identity with revolutionary ideals, to thrive. Yiddish theatre became a space for community discourse and political critique during Stalin’s rule, preserving Russian-Jewish cultural identity amid growing Soviet hostility. By examining the Russian Jewish community and its relationship to Russian government and society through the lens of Yiddish theatre, this paper reveals the lasting impacts of Yiddish theatre on Jewish history and on broader theatre history. Research utilizes specific theatrical choices and interpretations by artists such as Marc Chagall and Solomon Mikhoels, highlighting the Moscow State Yiddish Theatre, to illustrate the history of Yiddish theatre and Russian-Jewish identity. Through scholarly analysis, historical photographs, audience reviews, and the writings of prominent Yiddish theatre artists, this paper illuminates Yiddish theatre as a profound example of artistic and political resistance, showcasing how theatre preserves community identity through changing historical landscapes.
Keywords: Yiddish Theater, Russian Revolution, Haskalah
Part of the panel: Tools of Resistance and UnityModerator: Professor William Yor
Why Democracy Has Lost the Trust of Modern People in the Modern Era
Get PDFThis thesis examines the growing crisis of democratic legitimacy among young people in the 21st century. Across the United States and globally, young people are increasingly disillusioned with formal democratic systems, not because they are disengaged or apathetic, but because they feel systematically excluded from structures that claim to represent them. Through an interdisciplinary framework rooted in political theory, affect studies, intersectionality, and critical media analysis, this research argues that democratic trust cannot be repaired without emotional truth, structural accountability, and reimagined participation.
Drawing on the work of Lipset (1959), Crenshaw (1989), Cohen (2020), Papacharissi (2015), and Spade (2020), this thesis integrates theories of legitimacy, learned helplessness, intersectional exclusion, affective publics, and mutual aid democracy. It challenges deficit models that pathologize youth non-participation, instead reframing disengagement as a political, affective, and rational response to historical exclusion and civic betrayal.
Methodologically, the thesis employs critical discourse analysis, interdisciplinary theory, and narrative-based case studies. It draws on examples such as the Sunrise Movement, Black Lives Matter, Portland Mutual Aid, End SARS in Nigeria, and Hong Kong\u27s pro-democracy protests, analyzing how young people mobilize emotions, grief, and care as political tools.
Ultimately, this research suggests that youth are not abandoning democracy--they are walking away from a system that was never fully designed for them. In its place, they are building new democratic imaginaries rooted in transparency, care, emotional honesty, and shared survival. The future of democracy depends not on returning to old norms but on evolving toward more inclusive and relational civic forms
Digital Child Labor Exploitation in Sharenting: Proposing Legislative Solutions for Enhanced Child Protection
Get PDFThis thesis explores the implications of sharenting -- the practice of sharing children\u27s information on mass media--raises urgent concerns about child safety and potential human rights violations -- and the exploitation of children in digital spaces, focusing on the risks of privacy, safety and mental health pose by the rise of kidfluencers – children influencers under the age of 18 – and family vlog channels. Through a comprehensive literature review, the research examines children\u27s online presence\u27s emotional, legal, and societal impacts, drawing from case studies such as Sheri Franke, Wren Eleanor, Ryan Kaji, and JoJo Siwa. The analysis reveals a significant gap in existing legal frameworks, such as the Coogan Law (governs their earnings and creates a fiduciary relationship between the parent and the child) and the Children\u27s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which fail to address the unique challenges of child labor and digital content creation (SAG-AFTRRA, Coogan Law). Key concerns include the lack of informed consent, the commercialization of childhood, and the potential for sexualization and psychological harm. This thesis also discusses potential strategies to mitigate these risks, including educational programs for parents, the right to erasure for children, the expansion of child labor laws, and the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC). The findings highlight the need for stronger regulations to protect children\u27s privacy, well-being, and mental health in the digital age, suggesting that legal reforms and international cooperation are essential for safeguarding children\u27s rights online. Future research should explore the effectiveness of these measures and address the role social media platforms play in enforcing privacy protections
Teaching Diffuse, Specular, and Total Internal Reflection via a Halo Effect
Get PDFInteresting and pedagogically useful physics can be found in the halo produced by a laser pointer directed into a shallow body of water. We describe a simple model for this phenomenon using geometric optics and support this model with empirical evidence. We also discuss and verify extensions to this model that explain variations in the visual pattern. These variants include a double halo pattern and a disk of dim light that can be produced with minor modifications of the single halo configuration. Although the level of complexity differs, all of these models rely on the same ray optics, specifically refraction and diffuse, specular, and total internal refection. We discuss several scenarios for integrating halo effects into undergraduate physics instruction. This phenomenon offers instructors a realistic application of many introductory optics concepts packed into single effect that is practical and appropriate for multiple teaching environments
Structure vs Agency: The Intersectionality of Race, Mental Health, and Homelessness
Get PDFThis project investigates the intersectionality between race, mental health, and homelessness, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between structural factors and individual characteristics. Through an integrative literature review, the research addresses the question of how race, mental health, and homelessness are interconnected. The findings suggest a distinct relationship between untreated mental illness and an increased risk of homelessness, particularly among marginalized racial groups. In addition, some mental illnesses, such as anxiety and depression, have a higher incidence among those who face conflict due to racial discrimination. Structural components such as systemic racism in social services and healthcare practices significantly impact access to mental health resources and contribute to disparities in housing stability. Simultaneously, individual agency is examined through a lens of personal experiences, often as the result of discrimination and stigmatization due to race and mental health status. By connecting the analysis to the Social Determinants of Health, this thesis emphasizes the necessity of comprehensive solutions to address both systematic inequities and individual circumstances. Ultimately, the research advocates for an intersectional public health approach to effectively address the intertwined challenges of race, mental health, and homelessness