Merchants of Blood and Gunpowder: The English Arms Trade in West Africa

The period between 1500 and 1650 saw the development of a transoceanic trade network, multiple European colonial empires in the Americas, and rapid developments in firearms technology. Combined, these factors laid the groundwork for two interrelated phenomena, the transatlantic slave trade, and the emergence of a global trade in arms. Examining the documents of the Royal African Company and assembling a broad selection of secondary sources, this paper seeks to contribute to the ongoing debate over the role of slavery in the development of modern capitalism. This paper argues that the transatlantic slave trade was vital for the development of the English arms industry, and the trade in English arms for slaves contributed significantly to the destabilization and devastation of West Africa. Firearms did not constitute the majority of the goods carried on British ships, but they made up a substantial and vital section of the slave trade, offered enormous profit margins, and created far more immediate geopolitical ramifications than other goods

Detecting High-Lying Rydberg States using Two-Step Electromagnetically Induced Transparency and Frequency Modulation Spectroscopy Techniques

Resonant optical excitation of high-lying Rydberg states in room temperature 85Rb was investigated using light from two homemade external cavity diode lasers (ECDL). This was done using a ladder schema of the Electromagnetically Induced Transparency (EIT) technique. The approximate EIT wavelengths used were 780 nm (the probe beam) to provide step-wise excitation of valence rubidium electrons from the 5S1/2 → 5P3/2 tran- sition, and then 482 nm (the coupling beam) to excite from the 5P3/2 state to a high-lying Rydberg nD state with an orbital angular momentum = 2. Successful excitation of the Rydberg states was observed using Frequency Modulation Spectroscopy (FMS). Also included in this discussion is a description of efforts made to maximize the sensitivity of the FMS technique throughout this study. Similar work has been done in the past for Rb atoms but have employed very powerful commercial laser systems (for instance, those made by the German company Toptica) which typically exceed $100,000 in price (depending on power) and hence makes such research financially inaccessible in many institutions. The novel aspect of this research project is the use of homemade diodes which were assembled for a fraction of the price. Higher-n Rydberg transitions are relatively improbable quantum-mechanically; conse- quently, the 482 nm coupling beam at the highest power possible to boost the chances of this transition occurring which requires particular attention when using self-built cavity diode lasers. Here we attempt to demonstrate that the signal from a combination of EIT and FMS techniques can be equally strong as when using expensive commercial laser systems with the appropriate experimental methods

Stereotype Threat in Older Adults’ Episodic Memory Tests: Susceptibility and Protection

The objective of the present study was to investigate whether prior task success would protect older adults against stereotype threat in an episodic memory test. Previous experiments have established that, whereas stereotype threat negatively impacts older participants’ episodic memory performance, prior task success benefits it. However, up until this point, researchers had yet to combine the two manipulations to test their joint effect on episodic memory. Participants were randomly assigned to read a stereotype threat or neutral passage, after which they were placed in the success or no success group. Participants next received a stereotype condition reminder, and they then completed a memory encoding and free recall task. To conclude the experiment, the older adults filled out a manipulation check and responded to an open-ended threat reaction question, and they completed some measures of individual differences. Participants’ recall accuracy did not differ as a function of stereotype condition or prior task success group, indicating that success did not buffer threatened participants against the stereotype manipulation. Intrusion rate, however, varied based on stereotype condition: Threatened participants made significantly fewer intrusions than neutral participants, which is consistent with the regulatory fit hypothesis of stereotype threat. The Discussion includes an analysis of these results in the context of previous research. Moreover, interpretation of the nonsignificant findings in light of manipulation check and open-ended threat reaction data points toward a potential avenue of future research to examine the connection between internalized metamemory beliefs and susceptibility to old age-based stereotype threat

Thanks, It\u27s Second-Hand: Shifting Values of Second-Hand Clothing in Mexico City

This thesis is an analysis of the relationship between people and clothing in Mexico City. Using ethnographic snapshots, local histories and scholarly research on used clothing, this thesis looks at how the economic and emotional value attached to second-hand clothing is determined by place, story and social identity. This thesis questions how clothing changes value as it travels between the United States, open air markets that have existed since the Aztec empire and curated second-hand and vintage stores in Roma Norte, one the city’s most affluent neighborhoods. Second-hand clothing is unique in that it has an added narrative from its previous owner and time period. These identities contribute to value given by both sellers and consumers. Finally, this thesis considers how race and class structure economic and social relationships within the network of second-hand clothing exchange. This thesis seeks to provide insight about the network of second-hand clothing exchange in Mexico City and encourage readers to consider their own contribution to clothing consumption and disposal

The Effect of Blue Mussel (Mytilus edulis) Extinction on Ecosystem Function in the Gulf of Maine Rocky Intertidal

Stressors associated with climate change including thermal stress and ocean acidification inhibit the growth and reproduction of many species, including the ecologically and economically important blue mussel species in the Gulf of Maine (GOM). Established scaling relationships between mussel size, abundance, and water filtration suggests that the decline of mussels will stunt GOM water filtration. This change in the rate of water filtration could have large effects on the abundance of phytoplankton, abundance of invertebrate larvae, abundance of nutrients and organic material, food web stability, and biodiversity. Overall, this thesis explores the effect of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) extinction on the rate of water filtration, as well as the effect of secondary extinctions of rockweed (Fucus distichus) and acorn barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides) on water filtration by mussels. Using allometric relationships between size and filtration and combining these with data from the Barner Lab, an ongoing field extinction experiment that tracks the long-term shifts in species abundance and diversity after the experimental extinction of foundation species, I examined how species extinctions will affect mussel abundance and water filtration rates. Overall, the removal of both S. balanoides and Fucus distichus correlated with a dramatic decline in the total water filtration rate by M. edulis. Therefore, the projection of water filtration decline by mussels will likely be amplified by simultaneous species decline

Petroleum and the Politics of Decolonization in Indonesia: A Study of Economic Development and Nationalism

This study examines Indonesia’s reliance and independence on foreign direct investment (FDI) and multinational corporations (MNCs) in the oil and gas sector. Analyzing historical, economic, and political primary and secondary sources and conducting qualitative interviews, the research explores the friction between economic development aspirations and nationalist sentiments. The study reveals that the current ambiguity surrounding FDI and MNC policies in Indonesia’s oil and gas sector can be traced back to the country’s economic decolonization and demonstrates that Indonesia’s economic policies towards these factors shifted in the aftermath of political change. Since gaining independence, Indonesia has strived to balance the pursuit of economic sovereignty and the potential benefits of FDI and MNCs in driving growth and social welfare. This investigation pays particular attention to the interplay between the socialist Indonesian Constitution, specifically Article 33, and the more liberal regulations governing investments that led to the establishment of production-sharing regimes for resource extraction. The experiences of the oil and gas industry serve as a case study for broader discussions on natural resources

The Lie-brary of Congress: Misinformation’s Grip on the American Legislative Process

This thesis investigates the influence of misinformation on the policy-making pro- cess by examining its temporal relationship with congressional speech on the floor of Congress. Through the application of Granger causality tests, I aim to determine the extent to which misinformation permeates political discourse and affects representatives from both political parties. My findings reveal that misinformation drives congressional speech on certain issues, and it appears to have an asymmetrical impact on Republicans and Democrats. While not set up to answer the question about a false dichotomy, my thesis hints that Republicans spread significantly more systems-based misinformation than their Democratic counterparts

Tracing North Atlantic Continental Erosion Events During the Mid-Pleistocene Transition

The Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT), which occurred between 1.2 and 0.7 Mya, is characterized by changes in the periodicity and intensity of glacial-interglacial cycles. Early research into this event found that it was not triggered by changes in orbital forcing, but rather by internal climate processes. Previous studies have constrained a probable two-step mechanism, in which erosion of regolith under ice sheets increased glacial volumes and contributed to increased carbon sequestration in the Southern Ocean. Additional research has built on this, suggesting that increased glacial erosion of cratons surrounding the North Atlantic preceded a major weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (the AMOC disruption ) between MIS-25 and MIS-21 (~950-860 ka) (Yehudai et. al., PNAS, 2021; Kim et al. QSR, 2021). To better understand the evolution of regolith erosion in the North Atlantic, we present complementary K/Ar detrital provenance ages, ice-rafted debris (IRD) census counts, and mineralogical/textural analyses of IRD from 25 sediment samples spanning MIS 38-16 (1250-627.7 ka) from DSDP site 607 (41°00\u27N, 32°58\u27W; 3,427m). Initial data show increasingly older K/Ar ages in the detritus leading up to the AMOC disruption, thus indicating increased erosion of material from older areas of the Canadian shield. This is consistent with IRD census counts, which reveal an increase in IRD deposition during glacial intervals between MIS 30-23. Comparison of our census counts and K/Ar ages shows a correlation between provenance age and IRD accrual during this interval, supporting the removal of regolith by ice sheets, leading up to the AMOC disruption. Following the AMOC disruption, our data indicate younger detrital sources during glacials in the 100-kyr world. Through SEM analyses of IRD, this work establishes a record of changes in mineral abundances and microtextures during MIS 38-16 to better constrain the progression of erosional events across the MPT interval. This in-depth detrital chronology provides further insight into the origin of the MPT

On the Pursuit of Developer Happiness: Webcam-Based Eye Tracking and Affect Recognition in the IDE

Recent research highlights the viability of webcam-based eye tracking as a low-cost alternative to dedicated remote eye trackers. Simultaneously, research shows the importance of understanding emotions of software developers, where it was found that emotions have significant effects on productivity, code quality, and team dynamics. In this paper, we present our work towards an integrated eye-tracking and affect recognition tool for use during software development. This combined approach could enhance our understanding of software development by combining information about the code developers are looking at, along with the emotions they experience. The presented tool utilizes an unmodified webcam to capture video of software developers while interacting with code. The tool passes each frame (Figure 4) to two modules, an eye tracking module that estimates where the developer is looking on the screen, and an affect recognition module that infers developer emotion from their facial expressions. The proposed work has implications to researchers, educators, and practitioners, and we discuss some potential use cases in this paper

Food and Fuel: Investigating expert perspectives on the intersection of solar development and farmland in Maine

Maine has established lofty goals including a 100% renewable portfolio by 2050 and increasing local food production by 30% by 2030 (Final, 2020; Maine, 2020). The National Renewable Energy Laboratory conducted a study on state technical potential for solar installation and included 4% of Maine farmland, equivalent to 52,000 acres being taken out of the food system for energy generation (State, 2021). Increased pressure on farmers and demand for solar installations has created a land-use conflict. This study investigates expert perspectives on the intersection of solar development and farmland in Maine. A total of 17 interviews with farmers, policy advocates, and developers were conducted using a semi-structured interview protocol. Qualitative data analysis was used to identify and compare themes among stakeholder groups. Solar on farmland can be an additional source of income and reduce electricity bills, increasing the resilience of Maine’s food system. Farmers expressed concerns over the loss of farmland as a result of solar development, as well as uncertainty regarding the future of Maine’s farmland given a generational transition is in progress. Leased land is a particular concern because landowners are incentivized to lease to solar developers instead of farmers by the extreme financial disparity. The scale of both solar arrays and farms will dictate what a successful arrangement on farmland will look like in Maine. Investigating the optimal strategies for siting location and type of panel arrangements, along with coordination among stakeholder groups, will create a path forward for successful solar projects that provide mutual benefits to all parties