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2021

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Vaccination: Religious Exemptions And Reasoning Of Individuals With Vaccine Hesitancy, Emmelia Lukensbull Jan 2021

Vaccination: Religious Exemptions And Reasoning Of Individuals With Vaccine Hesitancy, Emmelia Lukensbull

Theses & ETDs

Vaccination is a major public health accomplishment that acts to protect citizens, but it also acts as an exertion of state control that citizens may resist for multiple reasons. My thesis explores the intersections between religion and vaccination with a focus on religiously motivated vaccine hesitant decision making. I conducted a general population survey and a series of interviews with vaccine hesitant individuals. The goal of the interviews was to understand motivations around vaccine decision making, particularly religious motivations. The survey outcomes were focused on religion’s impact on vaccination, mass vaccination opinions, and new vaccine decisions making. My findings suggest …

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The University Of New Mexico Compost Initiative’S Role In Establishing Community Based Environmental Justice, Francesca Galliano Jan 2021

The University Of New Mexico Compost Initiative’S Role In Establishing Community Based Environmental Justice, Francesca Galliano

Theses & ETDs

My thesis project regards the creation of the University of New Mexico’s Compost Initiative (UNMCI), a newly emerging compost program that has been decades in the making. This was made possible through the partnership with UNM’s Sustainability Studies Program, Lobo Gardens, and UNM Recycling. The UNMCI offers an efficient, resilient on-campus solution to organic food waste management and fosters environmentally friendly loci of control. While compost programs and the action of composting hold fundamental value, our current society presents challenges, some of which are cognitive blocks concerning willingness to engage with sustainability efforts, such as composting, and other greater than …

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The Role Of Adr-2 In Regulating The Insulin/Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Signaling (Iis) Pathway In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Sean Wollard Jan 2021

The Role Of Adr-2 In Regulating The Insulin/Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Signaling (Iis) Pathway In Caenorhabditis Elegans, Sean Wollard

Theses & ETDs

The insulin/insulin-like growth factor (IIS) pathway and adenosine deaminases acting on RNA (ADARs) have both been found to be highly conserved in eukaryotic species and in their importance to aging and lifespan. The proposed research suggests that an up stream regulator of the IIS pathway, ASNA-1 ATPase, which is also highly conserved, may be regulated by the ADAR, ADR-2, in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). This would provide a mechanism in which ADARs act as regulators of the IIS pathway, which has been hypothesized by previous research. This research utilizes C. elegans adr-2/null mutants and RNAi suppression of the gene coding …

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The Fox In Between Wolves And Dogs, Katherine Moore Jan 2021

The Fox In Between Wolves And Dogs, Katherine Moore

Theses & ETDs

Katie Moore explores the social dynamics of atheists and Catholics through an allegorical play script authored by herself. Within the play atheists and Catholics are represented by wolves and dogs based on academic research of the two canines including, behavioral experiments, history, anthropology, and biology of both as well as the additional fox character. The basis of Katie’s interpretation of atheists and Catholics is mostly based on rich personal experience with both groups. Katie puts forth that atheists and Catholics should interact more and know and accept each other as individuals, which while they live by different beliefs are no …

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The Little Goldfish That Could: A Study Of Chaining And Sequential Memory In The Goldfish (Carassius Auratus), Jillian Weisselberg Jan 2021

The Little Goldfish That Could: A Study Of Chaining And Sequential Memory In The Goldfish (Carassius Auratus), Jillian Weisselberg

Theses & ETDs

This study aims to answer two questions: Can goldfish learn complex behaviors through a simple association sequence taught through chaining? If so, what did the goldfish learn, the path that was taught or the sequence of behaviors taught? This was done by training experimentally experienced goldfish (N=3) to perform three behaviors: swim through a hoop, through a tunnel, or up a chimney. Over a total of 68 days of training, it was determined that all three subjects were able to learn a sequence of two behaviors through chaining. There were then two days of extinction testing in which the second …

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Distribution Of The Bigg’S Killer Whale Ecotype In The Salish Sea With Regards To Seasonality And Pinniped Vulnerability, Marena Long Jan 2021

Distribution Of The Bigg’S Killer Whale Ecotype In The Salish Sea With Regards To Seasonality And Pinniped Vulnerability, Marena Long

Theses & ETDs

The Bigg’s killer whale ecotype (Orcinus orca) is found in the coastal waters of the Northeast Pacific and is the only ecotype known to prey on other marine mammals in the Northern Hemisphere. Studies on the population of Bigg’s killer whales in the Salish Sea have been conducted, almost continuously, since 1994. However, few studies have looked at density distribution in regards to season and pinniped haul out sites. In this study, the relationship between the Bigg’s killer whale and pinnipeds was mapped according to season to determine if there are any patterns of spatial use, particularly with density. Location …

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Exuberant Viscera, Freddie Obrion Jan 2021

Exuberant Viscera, Freddie Obrion

Theses & ETDs

We are surrounded and defined by objects: a vessel to brew coffee, the scissors with which we cut our hair, or identification documents which record our face, height, and sex. These items can be meaningful facets of identity, or they can be the source of categorization and marginalization. Especially for individuals with non-normative identities, objects can represent the experience of being consistently misrecognized, with uncomfortable or debilitating repercussions. Through glittering and disorienting 3D-modelled compositions, I examine how objects can disguise or obscure identity. exuberant viscera aestheticizes, depersonalizes, and takes control of the experience of misinterpretation. This project considers the synthesis …

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The Phenology Of Humpback (Megaptera Novaeangliae), Blue (Balaenoptera Musculus), Fin (Balaenoptera Physalus), Sperm (Physeter Macrocephalus), And Killer Whales (Orcinus Orca) Determined By Passive Acoustic Monitoring Near Barkley Canyon, Karianne Kapfer Jan 2021

The Phenology Of Humpback (Megaptera Novaeangliae), Blue (Balaenoptera Musculus), Fin (Balaenoptera Physalus), Sperm (Physeter Macrocephalus), And Killer Whales (Orcinus Orca) Determined By Passive Acoustic Monitoring Near Barkley Canyon, Karianne Kapfer

Theses & ETDs

Cetaceans are often found far offshore and require continuous observation, making them difficult to study using traditional methods. To combat these difficulties, we used a passive acoustic monitoring dataset from a bottom-mounted hydrophone (average depth: 391.67 m) deployed by Ocean Networks Canada near Barkley Canyon off the West Coast of Vancouver Island, Canada, to determine when various cetacean species were present. Each cetacean’s presence was based on the detection of their vocalizations in time-stamped recordings from the first four days of each month in 2014, though additional data from 2013-2014 was used for killer whales. The main call types detected …

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Protein Modeling And Binding Characterization Of C. Elegans 3-Hydroxyisobutyrate Dehydrogenase, Nicholas J. Hall Jan 2021

Protein Modeling And Binding Characterization Of C. Elegans 3-Hydroxyisobutyrate Dehydrogenase, Nicholas J. Hall

Theses & ETDs

Amino acids have many important roles in biology. For example, amino acids are linked together by peptide bonds to form proteins. Also, in metabolism, amino acids can be broken down via the process of transamination, in which they lose their amine group and are converted into keto acids. Keto acids can then be converted into precursors for many other biological pathways, such as to produce energy, fat or glucose. 3-Hydroxyisobutyrate dehydrogenase is an enzyme that plays a role in amino acid metabolism, specifically the catabolism of L-valine. In humans, this is encoded by the HIBADH gene and is responsible for …

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Directional Discrimination Of Goldfish Conditioned Under Pure Blue To Pure Green Light Spectrum, Shelbe Chenoah Dubree Jan 2021

Directional Discrimination Of Goldfish Conditioned Under Pure Blue To Pure Green Light Spectrum, Shelbe Chenoah Dubree

Theses & ETDs

The visual sensory ability of comet goldfish (Carassius auratus) was investigated using operant conditioning for discrimination between gradients of pure blue and pure green light. This study was conducted to further investigate their ability to differentiate between different saturation and hues of color, adding to previous works investigating the color vision from researchers such as Neumeyer and Arnold. The vision of goldfish can be used as a model for other aquatic species, especially teleost fish. Their ability to detect differences in color saturation in a controlled laboratory environment, based on conditioning, can predict how fish in the wild are able …

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Impacts Of The Diet And Behavior Of Hemidactylus Mabouia On Florida’S Native And Invasive Species, Carson Broadwater Jan 2021

Impacts Of The Diet And Behavior Of Hemidactylus Mabouia On Florida’S Native And Invasive Species, Carson Broadwater

Theses & ETDs

Hemidactylus mabouia, the tropical house gecko, is an exotic reptile species introduced to Florida in the late 1980s to early 1990s. Little is known about its behavior and impact on Florida’s herpetofauna. In this study, I examine the foraging behavior of wild H. mabouia on the campus of New College of Florida, and perform gut content analysis in order to identify niche overlap with native and invasive species, including Anolis carolinensis, A. sagrei, and Osteopilus septentrionalis. Data from two previous gut content studies were also used in the niche overlap analysis (Meshaka 2000, Meshaka 2004). H. mabouia was found to …

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Where Do The Deceased Go, And Should I Let Go?: An Examination Of Afterlife Belief, Attachments, Closeness, & The Utility Of Symbolic Memorial Objects For The Bereaved And Their Grief Outcomes, Lila Kreis Jan 2021

Where Do The Deceased Go, And Should I Let Go?: An Examination Of Afterlife Belief, Attachments, Closeness, & The Utility Of Symbolic Memorial Objects For The Bereaved And Their Grief Outcomes, Lila Kreis

Theses & ETDs

The present study aimed to investigate the relationships between bereaved individuals’ use of symbolic memorial objects to continue bonds, and how afterlife belief, attachments, perceived closeness, and relationship attributes, might relate to symbolic memorial object use as a form of bond continuation—and how this form of bond continuation paired with afterlife belief, may mitigate, or contribute to the development of complicated grief. Afterlife belief, in particular, is overlooked in continuing bonds literature. In an online questionnaire, participants (N = 401) completed a novel scale of the keeping of symbolic memorial objects, relationship attributes, and afterlife belief, along with measures of: …

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Emotional Regulation And Gender: An Exploration Of How Gender And Emotion Regulation Relate To Physiological And Psychological Responses To Emotionally Powerful Music, Jon-Douglas Werstler Jan 2021

Emotional Regulation And Gender: An Exploration Of How Gender And Emotion Regulation Relate To Physiological And Psychological Responses To Emotionally Powerful Music, Jon-Douglas Werstler

Theses & ETDs

Previous research has established that men and women differ in their physiological arousal and subjective response to emotional stimuli. The present study aimed to investigate why this difference occurs. Specifically, I explore how sex/gender and expressive suppression influence subjective-emotional response and physiological arousal when listening to music. This empirical study involved recruiting human subjects to a laboratory study in which self-reported emotional experiences and physiological measurements (heart rate and skin conductance responses) were assessed under either an expressive suppression or control condition. Importantly, whereas prior research has found effects on the basis of binary categorization of "sex", the present work …

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Addiction: Critique Of The Bdma And Development Of A Transdisciplinary, Biopsychosocial-Ecological Model, Alia Quadir Jan 2021

Addiction: Critique Of The Bdma And Development Of A Transdisciplinary, Biopsychosocial-Ecological Model, Alia Quadir

Theses & ETDs

Addiction is a pervasive public health problem, with around 20.4 million Americans struggling with some kind of addiction. Currently, our understanding of addiction is dominated by the “Brain Disease Model of Addiction” (BDMA), which posits that addiction is a chronic, relapsing brain disease resulting from the dysfunctional neurobiological changes in the brain caused by chronic drug use. I review the evidence for drug-induced neurobiological changes in the brain and provide a critique of the BDMA. I evaluate the usefulness BDMA from the perspective of the ongoing Opioid Crisis and sketch the outline of an alternative model of addiction, a trauma-informed, …

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From Chili Peppers To Big Macs: A Historical Survey Of Western Foods And Foodways In China, Dylan Freeman Jan 2021

From Chili Peppers To Big Macs: A Historical Survey Of Western Foods And Foodways In China, Dylan Freeman

Theses & ETDs

Western foodways have had significant impacts on Chinese foodways and culinary traditions, but many of these influences are not widely known. This thesis aims to provide a comprehensive survey of Western influence on Chinese foodways from the late Ming dynasty to the contemporary era. To this end, the thesis starts by providing an overview of the entry of new world foodstuffs into China. Then, it chronicles the history of Western impacts on Chinese food culture during the 20th century. Finally, it surveys the impact of Western fast-food chains on China and the development of China’s fast food industry. Overall, this …

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Examining And Assessing Big Cat Welfare: A Review And Proposed Set Of Guidelines For Big Cat Enrichment, Danielle Whiting Jan 2021

Examining And Assessing Big Cat Welfare: A Review And Proposed Set Of Guidelines For Big Cat Enrichment, Danielle Whiting

Theses & ETDs

Captive big cats - defined here as Panthera Leo (Lions), Panthera Tigris (Tigers), Panthera pardus (Leopards), Puma Concolor (Cougars), Acinonyx jubatus (Cheetahs), and Panthera Onca (Jaguars) - are understudied in the enrichment literature. This raises concerns about the number of big cats in captivity in the United States and the conditions they are housed in. Enrichment of big cats needs to be further understood in order to provide better captive care to big cats held in zoos and wildlife rehabilitation centers. Enrichment practices can also be used in breed-and-release programs to increase the survivability of endangered species, such as Panthera …

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Predicting Elasmobranch Habitat Partitining In A Coastal River, Simon Bustetter Jan 2021

Predicting Elasmobranch Habitat Partitining In A Coastal River, Simon Bustetter

Theses & ETDs

River systems are an understudied habitat type for elasmobranchs. In order to predict habitat use and partitioning across maturity states within the Manatee River, Florida, elasmobranch catch rates and environmental factors were analyzed using data from the 2018 to 2020 Gulf of Mexico Shark Pupping and Nursery (GULFSPAN) gillnet and longline survey. Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) analysis was conducted to determine the major environmental factors that impact species presence. General Linear Model (GLM) analysis was conducted on the principal species to determine significant environmental factors across species’ lengths. The Atlantic Sharpnose Shark (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae), Blacktip Shark (Carcharhinus limbatus), Bull Shark …

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Mask Wearing And The Cultural Divide: A Snapshot From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jacob Spence Jan 2021

Mask Wearing And The Cultural Divide: A Snapshot From The Covid-19 Pandemic, Jacob Spence

Theses & ETDs

COVID-19 has killed millions of people worldwide, and while multiple studies have shown that face masks are effective at mitigating the spread of the virus there are many people who refuse to wear them. Using qualitative and quantitative survey data collected online through pro- and anti-face mask Facebook groups, this study attempts to trace whether or not empathy or other determinants play a role in one’s decision to wear a face mask in public. While the findings do not show a direct link between empathy and mask wearing in public, other determinants such as political affiliation and news sources were …

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Holding One’S Own: The Impact Of Body Awareness On The Experience Of Embodiment & The Neural Correlates Of Embodiment Integrity In The Face Of Multimodal Mismatch, Hannah Hoogerwoerd Jan 2021

Holding One’S Own: The Impact Of Body Awareness On The Experience Of Embodiment & The Neural Correlates Of Embodiment Integrity In The Face Of Multimodal Mismatch, Hannah Hoogerwoerd

Theses & ETDs

A unified experience of oneself in the world is contingent on aspects of embodiment such as body ownership and the sense of agency. This thesis aimed to investigate a) the neural correlates of this bodily-self consciousness as impacted by differential levels of body awareness, and b) how body awareness is connected to a heightened experience of embodiment. Self-reports were used to assess subjects’ extent of body connection, qualities of embodied experience, and frequency of activity related to body awareness. These surveys were the basis for establishing creating an independent variable for participant grouping: high vs. low body-aware. Participants’ cortical activity …

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Varied Intraspecific Physiological Response Of Symbiodinium Microadriaticum Sensu Stricto To Varying Thermal And Light Stressors, Marcela Prado-Zapata Jan 2021

Varied Intraspecific Physiological Response Of Symbiodinium Microadriaticum Sensu Stricto To Varying Thermal And Light Stressors, Marcela Prado-Zapata

Theses & ETDs

Symbiodiniaceae is a symbiotic, photosynthetic algae most commonly associated with providing nutrients to marine organisms such as anemones, jellyfish, and corals (Weber & Medina, 2012). Unfortunately, an increase in sea water temperature causes coral bleaching, the disruption of the symbiosis between Symbiodiniaceae and corals. Coral bleaching has been the largest cause of coral mortality since the early 1980’s (Hoegh-Guldberg et al., 2019) . It is suspected that if the corals coevolve with thermotolerant Symbiodiniaceae, the corals will also increase in thermotolerance (Chakravarti & Van Oppen, 2018). Previous work has shown intra-specific variation of physiological thermotolerance in Symbiodiniaceae (Díaz-Almeyda et al., …

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The Prophet Q: Qanon’S Utilization Of Christian Apocalypticism In The Formation Of A New Religious Movement, Jake Pavao Jan 2021

The Prophet Q: Qanon’S Utilization Of Christian Apocalypticism In The Formation Of A New Religious Movement, Jake Pavao

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

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Prolific Mothers And Eternal Self-Sacrifice: Representations Of Women In Fascist German And Italian World War Ii Propaganda, Sarah Lane Jan 2021

Prolific Mothers And Eternal Self-Sacrifice: Representations Of Women In Fascist German And Italian World War Ii Propaganda, Sarah Lane

Theses & ETDs

This thesis argues that there are important similarities and trends in the representations and treatment of women in Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Both fascist regimes created gendered public and private spheres, used motherhood as a tool for expansion, and viewed women as subordinate and thus implemented policies that reflected this view. The time frame for this thesis is the early to mid-twentieth century, focusing specifically on the rise of fascism in Germany and Italy and the impact of World War II. Primarily government-produced images were used, mostly posters as well as some postcards and magazine covers. This thesis is …

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Future Directions For Analysis Of Reactive Oxygen Species-Related Signaling And Gene Expression In Gravistimulated Zea Mays (L.) Pulvini, Jasmyne Prophet Jan 2021

Future Directions For Analysis Of Reactive Oxygen Species-Related Signaling And Gene Expression In Gravistimulated Zea Mays (L.) Pulvini, Jasmyne Prophet

Theses & ETDs

Due to the growth response of their stem pulvini, Zea mays (L.) stalks undergo upward curvature in response to reorientation relative to the gravity vector. This change in growth, called gravitropism, can occur due to lodging incidence, which is a pressing problem in the agricultural industry. Gravistimulation can affect both cellular and physiological changes, as indicated by fluctuations in reactive oxygen species (ROS), gene expression, protein levels and activities, and phytohormone activities. The small cellular changes are ultimately reflected on a physiological level when the plant reorients itself after a tipping or lodging event. The lower maize pulvinus halves elongate, …

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Love Bugs?: An Examination Of Aversion Towards Insects With Special Attention To The Butterfly, Rigel Clapps Jan 2021

Love Bugs?: An Examination Of Aversion Towards Insects With Special Attention To The Butterfly, Rigel Clapps

Theses & ETDs

Insects tend to evoke feelings of fear or disgust and this thesis aims to examine potential reasons for such emotions. Fear itself is a complex neurobiological process, but it can be measured and reduced with proper efforts. Insects themselves, while plentiful, tend to evoke certain reactions due to several prevailing theories. One asserts that individuals tend to dichotomize insects into “good” or “bad” categories, while another claims that knowledge or the lack thereof may be at play. Insects also tend to be associated with contamination, suggesting that whether the insect is indoors or outdoors may play a role in determining …

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An Assessment Of The Minnesota Dnr 2001 Grey Wolf (Canis Lupus) Management Plan, Adam Reinschmidt Jan 2021

An Assessment Of The Minnesota Dnr 2001 Grey Wolf (Canis Lupus) Management Plan, Adam Reinschmidt

Theses & ETDs

Federal and state agencies are frequently faced with numerous challenges when drafting wildlife management policies for species of concern. There are often several stakeholder groups with differing management objectives, and a limited amount of funding, resources and available biological data make it challenging for these agencies to balance public, private and scientific concerns. One useful tool for providing a more informed picture of a species’ population status is to perform a population viability analysis (PVA), where aggregated life-history data is input into a simulation to model the projected population dynamics and evaluate the risk of extinction for the species. The …

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Metabolomic Analysis Of Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera L.) Response To Glyphosate Exposure, Calypso Habermehl Jan 2021

Metabolomic Analysis Of Honey Bee (Apis Mellifera L.) Response To Glyphosate Exposure, Calypso Habermehl

Theses & ETDs

Glyphosate (GLY) is among the world’s most commonly used herbicides in agriculture and weed control. In the past decade, research has come forth suggesting that agrochemical use could have unintended consequences for non-target organisms, such as the honey bee (Apis mellifera), earth’s most prominent insect pollinator. The present study tested whether oral exposure to a environmentally realistic concentration (7.12 mg/L) of GLY affects the regulation of honey bee metabolites in a laboratory setting. I performed an experiment in which honey bees were fed sugar solution containing GLY over the course of ten days, with a control group receiving pure sucrose …

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Integration Of Entomological Collections Methods Into The New College Entomology Teaching Collection, Andrew Levy Jan 2021

Integration Of Entomological Collections Methods Into The New College Entomology Teaching Collection, Andrew Levy

Theses & ETDs

The New College of Florida is home to a small entomological collection, consisting of only several thousand specimens. This collection is contributed to by any biology faculty members with a specialty in entomology, however there has never been any comprehensive management plan in place. A management plan is vital to the ongoing success and expansion of any entomological collection. In order to create such a management plan for the NCF entomological collection, I conducted a literature review, as well as formed and distributed a questionnaire, specifically targeting entomological collections professionals. Using this information, judgements were made about what the NCF …

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Microplastics In Elasmobranchs Of Sarasota Bay, Using Previous Studies To Hypothesize The Future Of This Growing Issue, Thomas Finnan Jan 2021

Microplastics In Elasmobranchs Of Sarasota Bay, Using Previous Studies To Hypothesize The Future Of This Growing Issue, Thomas Finnan

Theses & ETDs

No abstract provided.

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Fashioning The New Woman: Elsa Schiaparelli And The Illusion And Agency Of Feminine Performance, Megan O'Brian Jan 2021

Fashioning The New Woman: Elsa Schiaparelli And The Illusion And Agency Of Feminine Performance, Megan O'Brian

Theses & ETDs

Elsa Schiaparelli was an Italian fashion designer based in Paris during the interwar period of the early twentieth century. This thesis will examine her career from a feminist perspective and contextualize her unusual womenswear designs within the Surrealist movement and 1930s Paris, when “New Women” experienced increased freedom and agency, but also, as a consequence, backlash from society. As an active and independent business owner experiencing international success for her unique and “shocking” pieces, Schiaparelli herself was an exemplary New Woman. However, her triumphs did not come without a number of difficulties, and these obstacles and Schiaparelli’s complicated self-image inspired …

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Bacterial Communities Are Site Specific In Sediment Across Coastal Recreational Marine Sites In The Florida Keys., Elliot Schenker Jan 2021

Bacterial Communities Are Site Specific In Sediment Across Coastal Recreational Marine Sites In The Florida Keys., Elliot Schenker

Theses & ETDs

Marine bacterial communities in sediment can be an indicator of health and stability for the environments in which they reside. Previous studies have primarily focused on anthropogenic pollution in the form of wastewater or agricultural runoff. This study instead examines the impacts of human recreation across six sites in the Florida Bay and Western Atlantic: three beach sites, two reef sites, and a mangrove site. Travel restrictions enacted in the Florida Keys to prevent tourists from rapidly spreading COVID-19 in the summer of 2020 caused a drastic decrease in marine recreational activity in the area. Sediment samples were collected from …

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