High Spirits pilot

In this speculative script for a television pilot, I focus on the riches to rags fall from grace of an affluent young woman forced to take her first real job. Major themes for this work include realistic depictions of service industry workers and grounded depictions of LGBTQIA+ people. The chosen genre for this work is dramedy, which focuses on a slice of life narrative that combines elements of humor and consequence in equal measure, or there about, where the consequences of character choices transcend the end of the episode. My hope is that the audience will come away with a sense of empathy, catharsis, and feel that they relate to the struggles of the characters, if not the characters themselves. Major influences for this script are Dan and Eugene Levy’s Schitt’s Creek for its positive representation of LGBTQIA+ people and Michael Hurwitz’s Arrested Development for its wit and cleverness. In subsequent revisions I intend to expand on the humor to better reflect the tone of these shows. My intention with this work is to continue revising, and also to supplement it with a speculative cast list, series overview, season overview, and other materials used in pitching for a television production company. My overall goal is to be a professional writer for film and television and to that end this work will be included in my portfolio, among others I have started here at Ball State University.M. A

The role of word class and semantic congruency in L2 word associations

Word knowledge is integral to all aspects of second language acquisition (e.g., Nation, 2001). Word association, a cognitively semantic activity, entails the presentation of stimulus words to participants and asks them to respond with the first word that comes to mind upon see-ing a stimulus word. Word association performance is relevant to L2 lexical knowledge as it can provide insights into the vocabulary size (e.g., Fitzpatrick, 2006) and depth (e.g., Wolter, 2001), allowing researchers to assess specific aspects of L2 learners’ lexical structure (e.g., Fitzpatrick, 2020). Research into L2 word association has grown during the past decades due to its ability to provide a window to the L2 learners’ mental lexicons, revealing the cognitive connections formed between the L2 words the learners have acquired. This study contributes to the L2 lexical research by exploring the knowledge that native Arabic-speaking L2 learners of English have about L2 words, enhancing our understanding of how L2 learners’ mental lexicons are structured. Specifically, this study investigated the effects of word class and semantic congruency on word response behaviors of native Arabic-speaking L2 learners of English in comparison to native English speakers, since the cognitive and word recognition strategies of the former might be influenced by their L1 strategies. Two groups, an Arabic L1 group (n = 24) and an English L1 group (n = 23), performed a timed online word as-sociation task using Qualtrics, in which they typed the first word that came to mind after seeing each of fifty stimulus words on the screen. The stimulus words were from five different word class categories: verb, noun, adjective, adverb, and preposition, with ten items from each cate-gory, half of which were not semantically identical between Arabic and English. The results showed that both the word class and semantic congruency in the stimuli sig-nificantly affected the word response behaviors of native Arabic-speaking L2 learners of English and native speakers of English. All participants showed a preference for giving syntagmatic re-sponses for the word class Verb, while showing a preference for providing paradigmatic re-sponses for the other word classes presented. Additionally, the results revealed a statistically sig-nificant difference in response times across the word class categories investigated, with the word class Adjective having faster response times in comparison to the other word classes and more Paradigmatic responses, a type that the participants in both groups showed a preference for. The results also revealed a significant statistical distinction in response times between the two groups, revealing that native speakers (NS) responded faster than their counterparts (NNS).Ph. D

Methylprednisolone's influence on apoptotic signalling in human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK293T) cell under hypoxic condtions

Methylprednisolone is a corticosteroid mainly used to treat severe allergies, inflammation, and flares of chronic illnesses such as the kidney. This corticosteroid functions by mimicking the effects of glucocorticoid hormones that are naturally secreted by our adrenal glands and consequently slows down an overactive immune system or replaces cortisol in the body. This steroid is prescribed in large doses primarily to control serious diseases involving the kidneys and brain. Most commonly, methylprednisolone is used to treat inflammatory manifestations of lupus nephritis- kidney disease caused by a systemic lupus erythematosus link. Medrol, a popular brand of methylprednisolone has solidified its role in autoimmune response control with the management of skin rashes and subsequent flare-ups in immunocompromised patients. However, despite the steroid’s known role as an anti-inflammatory, its effects on apoptotic signaling pathways within hypoxic conditions are poorly understood. AIM: This study aims to investigate the influence of Methylprednisolone on the apoptotic signaling pathway in Human embryonic kidney 293T (HEK293T) cells under hypoxic conditions, providing insight into potential implications for cell viability and survival. METHODS: The optimal doses of 0.5 mg and 0.25 mg were validated by crystal violet staining and subjected to hypoxic conditions. Apoptotic signaling pathways was analyzed using immunoblotting to examine the expression levels of key apoptotic markers. Additionally, gene expression levels for Bcl-2 were determined by RTqPCR. RESULTS: Methylprednisolone treatment modulates apoptotic signaling pathways in HEK293T cells under hypoxic conditions. Specifically, methylprednisolone inhibits apoptotic pathways, leading to enhanced cell survival and decreased apoptosis. These effects may be mediated through the regulation of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic proteins, as well as downstream signaling cascades involved in cell death regulation. CONCLUSION: Methylprednisolone will inhibit apoptotic pathways in HEK293T cell lines under hypoxic conditions due to the Bcl-2 gene’s anti-apoptotic properties and Bax will be downregulated in response to the upregulation of Bcl-2 expression. By inhibiting apoptosis and promoting cell survival, methylprednisolone demonstrates potential as a therapeutic agent for mitigating tissue damage in conditions characterized by hypoxia or ischemia. Further research into the precise mechanisms underlying its effects on apoptotic pathways could provide valuable insights for the development of specified treatments for a range of inflammatory and ischemic diseases.M. A

Living invisibility: literature's role in everyday Palestinian resistance

The power of literature about and from Palestine is located in its ability to render Palestinian suffering visible, allowing readers to bear witness to the unfiltered violence of war and occupation. Living Invisibility explores the numerous ways that Palestinian resistance literature delineates the violent subjugation of life while reclaiming Palestinian history, agencies, and testimony. These texts simultaneously expose and challenge violence which has been made ordinary by the Western Empire and Israel’s military occupation. The first chapter highlights the impacts of bearing witness in Joe Sacco’s Palestine (1993) and Footnotes in Gaza (2009). I analyze the politics of (in)visiblity and graphic narratives as a medium for bearing witness and double witnessing for Western readers. The second chapter situates the Palestinian body in contrast to the natural environment, emphasizing how the occupation creates war in the everyday lives of Palestinian people and ecology. ʿAdanīyah Shiblī’s Minor Detail (2020) and Ghassān Kanafānī’s Men in the Sun (1962) explore invisibility in their depictions of Palestine’s natural environment being transformed by the interests of Western powers. Finally, the ordinary takes physical manifestation in Saḥar Khalīfah’s Passage to the Plaza (1990) in her representation of women’s lives during the First Intifāḍa. I aim to illuminate the impacts of colonial power’s penetration into Palestinian homes, situating the damage of Israel’s occupation as more drastic through its concealed consequences on an invisibilized, internal level.M. A

Chaos orbiting chaos

On Valentine’s Day of last year, after years of speculation, I was formally diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum—confirmation of something I had suspected for the last five years. Here, finally, was an explanation for everything: the bullying I experienced growing up in a single-sex school, the social alienation I’ve felt my entire life, my other neurodivergencies. Autism was the connecting thread. Imagine my surprise, then, when I found out that those who do not identity with the gender they were assigned at birth are three to six times more likely to be autistic as their cisgender counterparts. This is according to Spectrum, a news and science site at the forefront of autism research, used by lay people and scientists and clinicians alike to better understand the neurodevelopmental disorder. As I explained to Jill Christman recently, this was a lightbulb moment for me, as a trans individual and writer. Growing up was difficult for me for a number of reasons. Living in the buckle of the Bible Belt as a young queer and closeted trans person was difficult enough, but being queer and a closeted trans person in addition to neurodivergent with mental health struggles? I had a target on my back from My gender identity has been a frequent topic of my creative nonfiction, but because the autism diagnosis is so fresh, I’ve yet to explore the ways in which my autism has impacted all aspects of my life, including my gender identity as it has morphed and changed over the years. Certainly, growing up trans and queer at Girls Preparatory School was difficult enough, but with this new diagnosis, I’m able to look back on my life and see key events—the aforementioned bullying, and blips in time of my burgeoning gender dysphoria, being two important ones—in a new light and with a new lens. I’m interested in exploring just that, this intersection between my trans status and autistic brain, and how the two have impacted me and each other throughout my life.M. A

Performing the Laundries: embodiment as resistance to Ireland's Magdalene Laundries

Since the formation of a national theatre in 1904, Irish theatre as a genre has continued to serve the function of defining the nation. Using the stage as a mirror to reflect the nation back to itself, the stories embodied and staged in Ireland allow for audience members to see themselves more honestly and more fully. Yet, in 1992 the staging of Patricia Burke Brogan’s Eclipsed shocked the nation with the exposure of the church and state’s cruel actions toward Magdalene women, as the play marked the first look into what had previously been locked away. Nearly twenty years after Eclipsed, in 2011, ANU Productions created and produced Laundry, a site-specific work of theatre that not only allowed audience members to bear witness to the horrors of the Magdalene laundry but also to participate by hosting the production within a laundry building. Most recently, in 2021, Deirdre Kinahan’s The Saviour premiered with Landmark Productions, continuing a history of telling the story of Magdalene women onstage by highlighting the lingering trauma ever-present for survivors. This project uses these three plays to create a meaningful timeline to understand the activism fostered by theatre in the ongoing fight for justice for Magdalene women and their families. With each of the plays marking a distinct cultural and political moment in Ireland, this project traces the progression of social change and the shifts in conversation regarding the laundries. Most importantly, this project examines the unique function of theatre to shed light on Ireland’s Magdalene laundries, to demand social justice, and to directly resist the erasure of Magdalene laundries from Ireland’s collective memory

My life told as love: a study in people, places, and things

In the creative nonfiction essay collection My Life Told as Love, I explore questions of the relationships we experience and the ways they inform who we are. The bulk of these are romantic, but the concept of love expands far beyond this to include familial relationships, the love of pets, and even the love felt towards passions or hobbies that we choose to partake in. At the core of this collection also lies the question of self-discovery—for years I questioned whether or not I may be autistic, and so for this project conducted research into typically ‘autistic’ traits as well as the way they may present differently in people assigned male at birth (AMAB) versus assigned female at birth (AFAB). This neurodivergence greatly impacts the way I experience relationships, and so sheds light on the stories I tell about these throughout the collection. These essays also employ techniques gleaned from the study of other creative nonfiction authors such as Sonya Huber, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, and Abigail Thomas. These techniques include incorporation of research, organization of the collection, and use of voice. In summary, the collection explores the way I love, and the ways I have been impacted by those I have chosen to love and who have loved me.M. A

The effects of a novel model of care on acute and long-term readmission rates in heart failure patients

Purpose: Heart Failure (HF) is a chronic condition impacting millions of Americans. The burden of HF has intensified and negatively impacts the economy and society’s overall health and well-being. The purpose of this project is to examine the effectiveness of this novel cardiac rehabilitation program as a core for HF management in reducing acute and long-term readmission rates and improving patient care. Methods: Indiana University Ball Memorial Hospital has implemented a guideline-directed interdisciplinary HF model of care with cardiac rehabilitation as the central focus. The model’s components aim to improve care transitions, enhance self-management and selfefficacy of the patient, and improve patient outcomes through cardiac rehabilitation and the use of the HF mini-order set. Data collection occurred from January 2023 through December 2023 through electronic medical records (EMR) and Cerner to determine readmission rates. Results: All-cause 30-day readmission monthly rates of patients who participated in the model of care averaged 16.92 ± 9.12% in 2023. Long-term readmission rates since the establishment of the model of care in 2016 averaged <1% and were <1% for each month during 2023. Total Blue Dollar Savings using the Heart and Lung Center (HLC) and the Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) Community Paramedic team was ~$2,931,200 from March 2023 through December 2023. The breakdown of the total savings is the following: HLC saved ~$1,689,600, and the MIH Community Paramedic team saved ~$1,241,600 in 2023. Conclusion: Blue Dollar Savings and improved readmission rates in 2023 reflected the utilization of progressive care components, guideline medical-directed therapies, and cardiac rehabilitation as a central core component could be a cost-effective and care-effective solution. The multidisciplinary progressive HF model of care provides valuable insight for healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers seeking to implement effective models of care to improve patient outcomes.M. S

Trends of change in tree species compositional structure and measuring of coarse woody debris in Donaldson's woods, an old growth forest in Souther Indiana

Old growth forests, characterized by their large trees and complex structure, are particularly valuable for their ecological, social, and economic benefits. These mature forests grant us insight into tree species composition and community structures of the past (Butler, et al. 2018). The study site is within Donaldson’s Woods Nature Preserve; located in Spring Mill State Park, near Mitchell, Indiana. Our site was an old-growth forest permanent 1300x700m plot. The corners of the plot are marked with metal fence posts 76.2 cm tall. A grid was established on the plot with 12 transect lines, running west to east, and 7 lines running north to south resulting in 84-30x30m subplots and 12 transect corridors. A systematic sampling method was used for the collection of coarse woody debris (CWD) volume data. Ten total subplots, arranged in a checkerboard pattern, starting at the southwest most subplot. Subplots were all sampled for all CWD of at least 10cm in diameter. Each log was classified into one of five decay classes based on state of decay (adapted from Spetich et al. 1999, Idol et al. 2001). Diameter breast height (Dbh) and azimuth of any standing dead trees was also calculated for each plot. Species composition was dominated by Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple), Fagus grandifolia (American Beech), and Quercus alba (White Oak). Trees of the lower size-classes had the greatest number of stems across all sampled species. Species density was greatest in the species A. saccharum, F. grandifolia, and Q. alba. Acer saccharum had the highest value at 90.14 density/ha.M. S

Distributed leadership experiences in a stem certified Indiana elementary school

This qualitative case study aimed to investigate and gain a greater insight into understanding distributed leadership and the experiences of individuals at an elementary school who participated in the process of obtaining Indiana STEM-school certification. The ultimate objective was to explore the leadership interactions of multiple participants in a highly dynamic education environment. An interview protocol was created, and seven faculty members from an elementary school in one school district were interviewed. Four themes were developed from the data collected, including a realization that the framework of the certification process itself created an environment that fostered a form of distributed leadership. Secondly, the individuals within the school shared a common set of beliefs and culture centered around what is best for kids. In addition, the concept that administrative leadership was willing to embrace and encourage the leadership of all individuals within the school was apparent. Finally, through this shared culture and framework, individuals felt comfortable becoming involved in leadership activities regardless of their officially designated title within the school or district. The interaction of all four themes created an environment where distributed leadership helped the organization achieve its ultimate goal of obtaining Indiana STEM-school certification.D. Ed