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Objects Against Convention: An Objective Study of Claude Cahun\u27s Overlooked Works
Get PDFThe French artist and writer Claude Cahun (1894-1954) is best known for her early self-portraiture. These photographs take place in theatrical spaces and witness the artist donning costumes and masks, playing out different identifiers and gender roles. Beginning with the discovery of Cahun\u27s work in the 1990s, the scholarly conversation has focused entirely on the artists early work based on a perceived kinship with postmodern notions of identity. While this early body of work is fascinating, attention to it has been singular, shaping how the rest of Cahun\u27s work is understood. To trouble this one-dimensional view of Cahun as an artist, this thesis focuses on the overlooked works and objects of the artists later work. Beginning in 1936 with Claude Cahun\u27s participation in the Surrealist Exhibition of Objects, we will explore Cahun\u27s engagement with Surrealist, domestic, and natural objects. This shift in viewpoint allows for a new consideration of how Cahun\u27s work unsettles societal and artistic conventions and offers a view of her later work as an integral culmination of her art practice
Exploring Muslim American Attitudes Toward Genetic Testing: Perceptions, Barriers, and Ethical Considerations
Get PDFThis thesis explores perceptions and attitudes toward genetic testing within the Muslim American community, a group often underrepresented in genomic research and public health discourse. Using a community-distributed digital survey, data was collected from 50 self-identified Muslim Americans on their familiarity with genetic testing, reproductive and ethical considerations, and the influence of religious factors. While only 18% had undergone genetic testing themselves, many were familiar through family or friends, and most expressed cautious interest—especially when results could influence future family planning. Education level, age, and religious values shaped both comfort and understanding.
A key theme was the desire for culturally sensitive and faith-informed healthcare, with 37% indicating they would be more likely to proceed with testing if their provider was Muslim or familiar with Muslim patients. Ethical concerns around prenatal testing, privacy, and stigma also surfaced, especially among women. The findings reveal strong community interest in genetic health, tempered by gaps in knowledge, trust, and representation. This study contributes new insights to the limited body of research on Muslim American genetic testing and calls for inclusive public health strategies that incorporate Islamic guidance, culturally competent providers, and accessible genetic counseling. Engaging faith-based frameworks in medical education and outreach could help bridge the gap between science and spiritual values, ultimately promoting more equitable access to improved medicine
Changing Minds, Changing Modes: Optimizing Public Perception Strategies for Urban Cycling Through Behavior Change Theory
Get PDFThis thesis addresses the recent decline in bicycle mode share in cities like Portland, Oregon, despite decades of investment in cycling infrastructure. While the build it, and they will come approach succeeded through the early 2000s, it no longer meets targets for bicycle use or broader goals related to sustainability, congestion, health, and safety. A new approach is needed that effectively rebuilds the cultural and behavioral components of cycling. This research asks: What role can behavior change theory play in increasing the effectiveness of public perception campaigns to promote urban cycling? Using a qualitative methodology, this study draws on behavior change theories, primarily the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), to analyze domestic and international cycling campaigns and relevant literature. TPB emphasizes the roles of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC), while TTM outlines behavioral change through stages of readiness. Findings suggest that infrastructure alone is insufficient and must be paired with interventions that target psychological and cultural barriers. Campaigns should promote the benefits of cycling (health, affordability, sustainability) without overstressing risk. Messaging should be inclusive and tailored to different demographic groups and stages of readiness. Life transitions offer key moments to disrupt existing habits and influence modal choice. Integrating behavior change theories with cyclist typologies like the Geller Four Types can help planners and policymakers create more effective, equity-focused strategies. A collaborative approach, which balances infrastructure with targeted social marketing is critical to reversing the decline in cycling and achieving long-term urban mobility and sustainability goals
Alloparenting and Male Infant Care Behaviors in \u3ci\u3eVarecia rubra\u3c/i\u3e (red-ruffed lemur)
Get PDFNonhuman primates are known for their complex social structures that sometimes includes cooperative breeding strategies. In recent years there has been an increase in investigating alloparenting (infant care provided by an adult or subadult that is not a genetic parent) and male infant care, and how such behaviors contribute to the overall assistance to the extreme energetic investment and costs of the mother for the rearing of offspring. There is also debate to how male care has evolved in the primate clade, be it through the theory of kin selection or theory of mutualism. However, there is not enough research to date to make any concrete assumptions either way, but rather that they work in tandem. There is also a general question of the relationship between alloparenting behaviors and primate neuroanatomy. This investigation attempts to determine if Varecia rubra alloparental and male care helpers have any effect on the amount of the demands to the mother. There is focus exploring not only if male Varecia rubra contributes significantly, but also what sort of behaviors they exhibit and how much time is spent providing infant care. This preliminary study will provide a fraction of the first quantitative data of alloparenting and male care in Varecia rubra and will add to a growing index of nonhuman primate studies of male reproductive strategies and behavior
Beauty In The Feed: Exploring the Role of Social Media In Women\u27s Body Image and Emotional Satisfaction
Get PDFThrough a thematic analysis assessing four peer-reviewed studies, this thesis explores the relationship between social media (e.g., content, engagement factors) and how it impacts women\u27s body image and emotional satisfaction. The studies varied in methodological approach and age demographics, but included only female participants. The research reviewed in this thesis calls attention to the harmful effects social media can have on women\u27s health such as body dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression and disordered eating. The two main themes that emerged were appearance-based social comparison, and psychological impacts on mental health (e.g., anxiety, depression, disordered eating). Exposure to idealized images on social media platforms promote body dissatisfaction and lower self esteem, which results in emotional distress, including anxiety and higher levels of depression. Key findings suggested that younger women are more susceptible to negative effects regarding body image, but that body positive content can help reduce these effects. Although most findings focused on the harmful effects of social media, there was one study that acknowledged the importance of body positive content in encouraging body appreciation and self-acceptance. The limitations included lack of diverse participants and reliance on self-reported data. This review emphasizes the need for further inclusive research that targets how social media platforms affect women\u27s self-perception, and how body-positive content can serve as a positive factor against these negative effects
BUDDY TEAM 9: The Legacies of HIV/AIDS Caregiving (New York City, 1990-1993)
Get PDFAn autoethnographic thesis asks, How were the volunteers of Gay Men\u27s Health Crisis (GMHC) Buddy Team 9 (NYC, circa 1990-1993) impacted by HIV/AIDS caregiving? The author, a former member of GMHC Buddy Team 9, provides context to the HIV/AIDS crisis in a particular era (1990-1993), place (New York City), and cultural setting (via volunteer work supporting a major AIDS service organization)
Assisted Living, Residential Care, and Memory Care Staffing Level Dynamics: Oregon, 2017–2023
Get PDFObjectives
To examine changes in staffing levels over time in Oregon assisted living and residential care (AL/RC) communities between 2017 and 2023.
Design
Longitudinal study of licensed AL/RC communities.
Setting and Participants
A total of 1720 setting-year observations from 535 individual AL/RC communities in Oregon between 2017 and 2023.
Methods
Primary data were collected through the Oregon Community-Based Care (CBC) study. Staffing levels were estimated as care staff hours per resident per day and reported overall and by staff type, including registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, certified medication aides, unlicensed care staff, life enrichment staff, and social workers. Fixed-effects linear regression models were estimated to account for the time-invariant characteristics in the panel data.
Results
The mean care staff hours per resident per day was 3 hours and 30 minutes (range, 3 hours and 11 minutes to 4 hours and 1 minute), depending on the survey setting year. The mean occupancy rate was 77.5% and declined significantly from 80.3% to 72.2% during the pandemic (P \u3c .001). Staffing levels (overall and by staff type) varied significantly across AL/RC settings. There was an increase in staffing levels immediately after the pandemic started. Most (64%) of the variation observed in staffing levels could be attributed to between-AL/RC differences. On average, total care staff levels were 19 minutes higher in 2021 and 28 minutes higher in 2023 compared with 2017.
Conclusions and Implications
The wide range of staffing levels points to significant differences in operational structures, resource allocations, and resident characteristics across different communities, with implications for the quality of care provided to residents. Understanding the significant changes to staffing patterns (levels and mix) after the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial for developing policies to improve adaptability and resilience of AL/RC settings.
Keywords: Direct care workers, nurse staffing, home and community-based services, workforc
Permafrost and Structural Controls on Holocene Bedrock Landslide Occurrence Around Eyjafjörður, North‐Central Iceland
Get PDFRapid, transient, landscape‐scale changes associated with deglaciation can condition slopes for failure and trigger bedrock landslides. However, the mechanisms leading to paleo rock slope failures following the last glacial period are challenging to infer because observations of how both landsliding and potential driving factors were distributed in space and time are limited. Here, we map and analyze the spatiotemporal pattern of 676 post‐glacial bedrock landslides around Eyjafjörður in north‐central Iceland using 2‐m resolution digital elevation data generated from optical stereo satellite imagery. Frequency‐ratio analysis demonstrates that after controlling for slope, landslides are most overrepresented within 2.6 km horizontal distances from surface projections of major Tertiary bedrock structures and at land surface elevations within 300 m of a modeled lower limit to permafrost. Surface roughness analysis of landslide deposits indicates that peak landslide frequency of at least 0.2 landslides yr 1 in the 5,579 km2 study area lagged deglaciation by several thousand years. This timing aligns well with that of rapid permafrost degradation from the Younger Dryas (12.9–11.7 cal ky BP) through the Holocene Thermal Maximum (∼10–7 cal ky BP). Landslide frequency has averaged about 0.014 landslides yr 1 since the Holocene Thermal Maximum when the climate has generally been cooler and permafrost has been more extensive. However, present day warming is likely to reduce permafrost extent and increase the potential for bedrock landslides in north‐central Iceland, as has already been observed for several recent shallower landslides in regolith
Gatekeeping as an Online Adjunct Clinical Instructor in Counselor Education
Get PDFThis interpretative phenomenological analysis study examined how adjunct instructors teaching online clinical counseling courses experienced gatekeeping in the context of the university system. The research question was: How do online, adjunct instructors teaching master’s level clinical counseling courses experience their university interactions as a part of gatekeeping? The participants described five experiential themes. These were: a) Balancing marginalization in the system with advocacy for the profession; b) Maneuvering through dependency on the system in gatekeeping; c) Finding consultation while navigating gatekeeping interactions; d) Managing the intensity of clinical courses; and e) Navigating the steep learning curve of learning how to gatekeep within university systems. The findings suggest multiple implications for counselor education departments utilizing adjunct hires to fill online clinical courses
Foliar Water Uptake Mitigation of Urban Drought Stress
No full textFoliar water uptake (FWU) is a process trees use to uptake water vapor into their leaves, which alleviates water stress in plants, potentially mitigating overall urban landscape water stress. This study aims to model FWU of water vapor through the leaf stomata and cuticle, assuming both saturated and unsaturated leaf internal air space, to understand the impact FWU can have on mitigating drought and heat crises in urban environments. FWU is crucial for tree survival in drought periods, leading to decreases in urban temperatures, shown using leaf temperature modeling.
Rates of foliar water uptake are assessed using a soil-plant-atmosphere continuum (SPAC) model, assuming that water can be taken up through the leaves by entering the substomatal cavity, where it condenses and is absorbed. The leaf cuticle is a hydrophobic layer that prevents water loss. During meteorological conditions such as dew formation and fog, the leaf may absorb water vapor through the cuticle, known as cuticular conductance. The values for these calculations and subsequent research are from Fagus grandifolia (American beech). Based on these results, the cuticle’s role in FWU appears passive and does not account for most water uptake in the leaf. Still, it is necessary to understand cuticular conductance, especially in unsaturated scenarios, to develop a nuanced model and understanding of FWU across different climates and conditions. FWU must be understood accurately to predict plant survivability in water-stressed environments such as the urban landscape and create more accurate predictions of water and carbon budgets during climate change