Digital Commons Network^™

Righting Reproductive Wrongs: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Special Topoi In Alberto Fernández’S Pro-Voluntary Interruption Of Pregnancy Speeches, Kymberlie Crosby

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The reproductive rights movement argues that abortion rights are fundamental and necessary for women to enjoy their human rights. Politicians opposed to abortion rights around the world have made it clear that they plan to ban abortion both statewide and nationwide. A country that has proven to be successful in defending its reproductive rights is Argentina. In 2020, the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Bill (Interrupción Voluntaria del Embarazo; IVE) democratically passed and legalized abortion throughout Argentina. Argentine President, Alberto Fernández, supported IVE and delivered a series of speeches over four years highlighting IVE and the progress that has succeeded each …

Using Wasp Specimens In Taxonomic, Biogeographic, Evolution, And Informal Education Studies, Brenna Lynn Decker

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Entomology collections hold an untapped wealth of information, from insect morphology, genetics, locality and association data, and potential for use in education. Especially with insects that generate initial fears, such as wasps, seeing insect specimens provides a safe environment to learn about their behaviors. Wasps are insects in the order Hymenoptera, along with ants and bees. The public may hold fears against wasps, due to their negative portrayal in various media, but they serve as integral components of a functional ecosystem. Even with their importance, many groups of wasps are still highly understudies. This dissertation aims to tackle this fear …

To Pot Or Not To Pot: Understanding Technological Investment In Ceramics And Marine Mammal Oil Rendering In Kodiak, Alaska, Elizabeth Groat

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Why do groups choose to use certain technologies, but not others? This study focuses on an especially confusing instance of this question: the adoption of pottery in Kodiak, Alaska. This event was strange for two reasons. First, by AD 1500, when Alutiiq ancestors in the Kodiak Archipelago began making pottery, their neighbors on the mainland had already been doing it for centuries—so why did they wait so long? Second, pottery is also only found in the south of the islands—so why did some people use it, but not others? Whale and seal are more abundant in southern Kodiak, so one …

Exploring The Role Of Whiteness In Sociopolitical Development: Predictive Contexts And Trajectories, Jesiah P. Salazar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Critical consciousness is the ability to understand and challenge oppressive social systems, believe in one's power to create positive social change, and take actions toward making those changes. Sociopolitical development theory suggests that this awareness grows through a mix of social influences, opportunities for activism, and personal identity. Historically, this concept has been viewed as a way to empower youth of color to challenge systemic oppression, rather than just cope with it. Therefore, most research has focused on critical consciousness in youth of color. Recently, however, researchers have begun to explore critical consciousness among White adolescents. Using a person-centered approach, …

Working Together For Working Lands: Knowledge Braiding And Adaptive Capacity At The Confluence Of Rangelands, Climate Adaptation, And Watershed Stewardship, William Wesley Munger

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Working lands are a mosaic that hold critical opportunities for biodiversity, rural community wellbeing, and climate change adaptation. This landscape mosaic is made up of public lands, tribal lands, and private ranches, farms, and forests. The current era of ecological restoration and climate adaptation requires engaging in working lands conservation because the most promising strategies require working across multiple ownership boundaries. This dissertation argues that supporting working lands conservation, climate adaptation, and ecological restoration is a joint venture. Building adaptive capacity for climate change involves both social and ecological components. Adaptive capacity consists of building social collaborative capacity and ecological …

Siwa's Influence On Alexander The Great's Self-Presentation, Luke Boardman

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis analyzes the changes in Alexander the Great’s public image and how his visit to the Oracle of Ammon was a catalyst for these alterations. Examining moments of Alexander in isolation, his adoption of ostentatious habits, and enrobing himself in foreign attire and culture reveals a connection to his time in the Egyptian desert where Alexander was promised eventual authority over all mankind. The post-Siwa Alexander used these tools to leave behind the Hellenistic leader and become the Lord of Asia.

Invasion Potential Of Nonnative Fishes Through A Large Western Dam Into A Prized And Vulnerable Ecosystem, Barrett T. Friesen

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Native river fish face threats from habitat fragmentation, water overallocation, invasive species establishment, and powerful synergies amongst these factors. In the Colorado River Basin, USA, these threats coalesce at Glen Canyon Dam (GCD), which impounds the Colorado River to create Lake Powell, a reservoir inhabited by nonnative fish species. There is widespread concern low water level in Lake Powell may allow nonnative fish to escape through the dam, adversely affecting native fish species downstream in the Grand Canyon. In this study we characterized the seasonal distribution of nonnative fishes in the vicinity of GCD and identified environmental conditions that may …

Comparative Morphology And Development Of The Trigeminally Innervated Infrared-Imaging System In Boas And Pythons, Helen Bond Plylar

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Boas and pythons use specialized sense organs called pit organs to detect radiant heat. Pit organs in these lineages occur in paired arrays along the upper and lower jaws and are served by the trigeminal nerve (the fifth cranial nerve and one of the largest). Information from the pit organs travels via branches of the trigeminal to the brain and ultimately is processed in the optic tectum, along with information from the visual system. That means these snakes effectively “see” heat. While studies of the pitviper infrared-imaging system are numerous, very few studies of this system in pythons or boas …

The Importance Of Counting All Immigrants For Apportionment And Redistricting, Tye Rush, Samuel Hall, Matt A. Barreto

UC Law Journal

How are non-citizens counted and accounted for in representation? Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment requires that all whole persons residing in a state are to be counted for apportionment and districting. Courts have interpreted Section 2’s requirement to include women (before the Nineteenth Amendment), non-citizens, and people under 18 years old. Yet today, some states are attempting to exclude non-citizens from apportionment and representation by using a citizen population calculus. This stands in contrast to more than 225 years of practice and to nearly all modern legal interpretations of representation. In landmark 1960s cases such as Wesberry v. Sanders …

Weep The People, Leti Volpp

UC Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Large-Scale Genotype Prediction From Rna Sequence Data Necessitates A New Ethical And Policy Framework, Mary A Majumder, Jeffrey T Leek, Kasper D Hansen, Afrooz Razi, Amy L Mcguire

Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy Staff Publications

Genotype prediction from RNA-seq data has become widespread. RNA-seq data, unlike DNA-seq data, are available as raw reads for many projects, with related protocols and consent terms typically inaccessible. However, there is a lack of clarity in current policy and inconsistency in practice with regard to the handling of these data. Here, we call for a framework for management of RNA-seq data and the predicted genotypes that includes registered access for RNA-seq data, controlled access for predicted genotypes, and a code of conduct for data access and use, as well as enhanced downstream protections.

Deletion Of Mipep In Adipocytes Protects Against Obesity And Insulin Resistance By Boosting Muscle Metabolism, Belinda Yau, Stewart W C Masson, Dylan Harney, Oliver K Fuller, Meg Potter, Søren Madsen, Niamh R Craw, Yiju Zhang, Cesar L Moreno, Melkam A Kebede, G Gregory Neely, Jacqueline Stöckli, James G Burchfield, David E James

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Mitochondria facilitate thousands of biochemical reactions, covering a broad spectrum of anabolic and catabolic processes. Here we demonstrate that the adipocyte mitochondrial proteome is markedly altered across multiple models of insulin resistance and reveal a consistent decrease in the level of the mitochondrial processing peptidase miPEP.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the role of miPEP in insulin resistance.

METHODS: To experimentally test this observation, we generated adipocyte-specific miPEP knockout mice to interrogate its role in the aetiology of insulin resistance.

RESULTS: We observed a strong phenotype characterised by enhanced insulin sensitivity and reduced adiposity, despite normal food intake and physical activity. Strikingly, …

A Group 3 Medulloblastoma Stem Cell Program Is Maintained By Otx2-Mediated Alternative Splicing, Liam D Hendrikse, Paul Layug, Victor Gordon, Kimberly A Aldinger, Parthiv Haldipur, Stephanie Borlase, Ludivine Coudière-Morrison, Ting Cai, Emma Martell, Naomi M Gonzales, Gareth Palidwor, Christopher J Porter, Stéphane Richard, Tanveer Sharif, Kathleen J Millen, Brad W Doble, Michael D Taylor, Tamra E Werbowetski-Ogilvie

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

OTX2 is a transcription factor and known driver in medulloblastoma (MB), where it is amplified in a subset of tumours and overexpressed in most cases of group 3 and group 4 MB. Here we demonstrate a noncanonical role for OTX2 in group 3 MB alternative splicing. OTX2 associates with the large assembly of splicing regulators complex through protein-protein interactions and regulates a stem cell splicing program. OTX2 can directly or indirectly bind RNA and this may be partially independent of its DNA regulatory functions. OTX2 controls a pro-tumorigenic splicing program that is mirrored in human cerebellar rhombic lip origins. Among …

Bootstraps And Scaffolds: What A Cognitive-Historical Analysis Of The Complex Number System Reveals About Numerical Cognition, Charles R. Card, Gary G. Miller

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

The following investigation is a cognitive-historical analysis of the conceptual development of complex numbers. The history of this development spans nearly two millennia, from the earliest appearance of the square root of a negative quantity in the calculations of Heron of Alexandra (1st Century CE) to the full flowering of complex numbers in the first half of the 19th Century. The approach used for this analysis is Nersessian's, including her formulations of model-based reasoning and mental models. Additional aspects of the analysis feature the prominent roles played by process representations, including object-process complementarities, and by core numerical systems. Our analysis …

Mathematical Models And Pedagogy Of Marxist Political Economy, Christopher Perez

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

How can we teach people about the economics of labor and exploitation in mathematics courses? We define a mathematical model for describing the relationships embodied by commodities and labor. We then use this model to illustrate the exploitative nature of profit and the tendency for catastrophic chain-reactions that lead to market crashes. Lastly, we discuss applications to pedagogy in mathematics courses using a simplified version of the model.

The Braids On Your Blanket, Michelle Cheng, Robert Uwe Laugwitz

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

In this expository essay, we introduce some elements of the study of groups by analysing the braid pattern on a knitted blanket. We determine that the blanket features pure braids with a minimal number of crossings. Moreover, we determine polynomial invariants associated to the links obtained by closing the braid patterns of the blanket.

Sociomathematical Norms And Automated Proof Checking In Mathematical Education: Reflections And Experiences, Merlin Carl

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

According to a widely held view, mathematical proofs are essentially (indications of) formal derivations, and thus in principle mechanically checkable (this view is defended, for example, by Azzouni [3]). This should in particular hold for the kind of simple proof exercises typically given to students of mathematics learning to write proofs. If that is so, then automated proof checking should be an attractive option for math education at the undergraduate level. An opposing view would be that mathematical proofs are social objects and that what constitutes a mathematical proof can thus not be separated from the social context in which …

Mathematical Anxiety In The Turkish Context: Mathematical Experiences Of High School Students, Vahap Yorgun, Serdal Mert

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Although a handful of studies have investigated the prevalence of math anx- iety among Turkish school children and its relationship with several variables like attitudes toward math, gender, self-efficacy, parental style, there is as of now no study focusing on development psychological interventions to cope with math anxiety. Most of the extant studies use quantitative approaches, but in order to develop intervention programs, researchers need to know how math anxiety develops, what kinds of personal variables or factors take place in this process, and what kind of emotional and cognitive reactions hold by students about math. Thus in our research, …

Front Matter

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Blood Flow Restriction Training On Quadriceps Activity After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial, Florian Forelli, Camille Nguyen, Jean Mazeas, Georgios Kakavas, Timothy E. Hewett, Andreas Bjerregaard, Vasileios Korakakis, Alexandre Jm Rambaud

Marshall Journal of Medicine

Background

After anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, a crucial priority is restoring knee muscle strength, especially the quadriceps, to reach the pre-injury strength levels as fast as possible. A feasible alternative to heavy loading might be blood flow restriction training that may elicit quadriceps muscle strength adaptations using low external loads. This study assessed whether quadriceps strengthening using low load blood flow restriction (LL-BFR) would enhance electromyographic (EMG) activity of the vastus medialis (VMO), vastus lateralis (VLO), and rectus femoris (RF) similar to quadriceps strengthening using heavy loads resistance training (HLRT). The secondary objective was to assess intra-quadriceps regional EMG differences …

Hands-On For Whom?, Isabella Stuopis, Avneet Hira

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Hands-on technology-enhanced pedagogies have been hailed as a panacea for engaging K–12 students in engineering. We unpack how the entanglement of the sociopolitical with the educational, namely how factors pertaining to resources and individual characteristics, impact engagement with such pedagogies. In particular, we expand upon how school funding, teacher preparation and support, access to out-of- school resources, and family background impact the in-and out-of- school resources students have access to. Further, we explain how characteristics such as a sense of belonging, pedagogical approaches, and assumptions and gatekeeping by adults impact students’ ability to engage with hands-on engineering education. In doing …

Chanticleer | July 2024, Jacksonville State University

Chanticleer

No abstract provided.

Exploring The Dark And Gothic: An Analysis Of Edgar Allan Poe And Nathaniel Hawthorne’S Gothic Elements In American Literature, Alejandra Serna

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the significant contributions of Edgar Allan Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne to the development of American Gothic literature. Poe’s stories “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat” are renowned for their psychological elements and exploration of the human psyche, while Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” questions the nature of evil as a universal human experience. By examining the ways in which these authors engage with themes of mental disorders, symbolism, and science versus nature, this thesis explores how such work by Poe and Hawthorne play in shaping the readers' understanding of the darker elements of American Gothic literature and its …

Can Human Rights Be Reconciled With Citizenship: Reconsidering Marx's Zur Judenfrage Today, David Ingram

Philosophy: Faculty Publications and Other Works

This essay critically re-examines Marx’s youthful analysis of the separation of church and state and his complex views about the function of rights in the modern state. I argue that Marx’s condemnation of Christian nationalism and endorsement of citizenship for Jews is consistent with his view that the modern, secular state cannot emancipate itself entirely from religiosity, as evidenced by the continuing legacy of nationalism and cultural identity politics today. Although Marx correctly follows Hegel in identifying modernity with a structural differentiation between civil society and state, I argue that he misunderstands the nature of this separation and, along with …

Ethnic Differences In Parenting Beliefs: Discipline, General Welfare And Protection, And Negative Parenting Practices, Rachel Johnson

ETD Collection

Prior research reveals significant ethnic variations in parenting behaviors and beliefs. Despite widespread knowledge of the adverse effects of harsh parenting, the factors influencing support for such practices among different ethnic groups remain underexplored. This gap in the research highlights a need to investigate parenting beliefs across ethnic groups, particularly concerning discipline, meeting behavioral expectations, and children’s welfare and safety within the context of support for harsh parenting. Utilizing Parent Development Theory and the APA’s Multicultural Guidelines, this study analyzed archival data from the Parent Behavior Importance Questionnaire-Third Edition (PBIQ-3) to investigate ethnic differences in parenting beliefs, focusing on discipline, …

Respiratory Treatments In Post-Covid Patients To Improve Physical Activity, Pamela Tarver

Dissertations

A significant number of individuals affected by the coronavirus (COVID) developed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), causing respiratory dysfunction which led to decreased functional capacity. This project aimed to evaluate the project site's archival data for post-COVID patients to determine whether respiratory treatments improved physical activity, as evidenced by the results of the pre and post 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels. The Donabedian quality model was utilized to evaluate the resources, the interventions, and the outcomes of post-COVID patients.

Implementation Of An Evidence-Based Hospital Acquired Pressure Injury Strategy In The Intensive Care Unit, Tonya C.W. Brigman

Student Scholarly Projects

Practice Problem: Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) are a significant concern in healthcare with the most vulnerable group being the adult patients in ICUs leading to increased morbidity, longer hospital stays, and higher healthcare costs.

PICOT: In adult ICU patients (P) does the implementation of daily chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) baths with post bath barrier cream combined with intentional turning every 2-hours (I) compared to standard skin care practices and nonintentional turning (C) reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPI) (O) within 10-weeks (T)?

Evidence: The project was based on the analysis of the literature published in the …

Maximizing Generative Ai Benefits With Task Creativity And Human Validation, Charu Sinha, Veselina P. Vracheva, Cristina Nistor

Business Faculty Articles and Research

Much of the existing literature on generative AI applications is conflicting, with findings suggesting that investing in AI will lead to better organizational outcomes but also pointing out that incorporating AI may be a wasteful even counterproductive initiative. We develop a conceptual frame-work to characterize generative AI benefits based on the types of tasks that generative AI may be used for in management. Our work suggests that task creativity plays a key role in successful generative AI outcomes, but human validation - the extent to which a human engages in a supervisory role - is required to reap the benefits. …

Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania V. Curtis Smith,Jr.

2024 Decisions

USDC for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania

Karl Manuel V. Mark Capozza

2024 Decisions

USDC for the Western District of Pennsylvania