Lessons From the Historical City of Rome: How Organic Development Can Create a Lively City

The city of Rome, as its familiar appellation as “the Eternal City” suggests, is a home to the vast history of Italy and, indeed, Western civilization. It functions both as a destination for visitors, whether tourists or pilgrims, and a home to its residents. The city is one of the most famous in the world, and one of the most desired places to visit. It is in every history textbook. Yet, it was never strictly “planned” by architects or urban designers. Rome went through organic development, changing to fit what the people during different time periods needed from their homes. If Rome was able to become a notable city through the absence of “theory-driven” development, other cities throughout the world can do the same. When considering a city, planners must first identify the allure of the city, what makes it special, what people love about the area, and how the city suits the residents before they begin to work and change the area due to concepts like the Radiant City movement. While no city will be able to replicate the same “feel” one gets when visiting Rome, the city will be able to develop successfully by using the following lessons the city gave us. Cities built to serve the people must be built by and for the people. Pedestrian-oriented places are cities, street systems, or sections of cities that are designed to accommodate the comfort and enjoyment of the pedestrian. Originally developed as a characteristic of New Urbanism, the goal of pedestrian oriented places is to emphasize a network of movement using sidewalks, squares, and effective public transportation. The chapter on pedestrian-oriented places discusses importance of planned conservation, public transit networks and the use of cars, multiplicity of choice, and the reason people appreciate cities as a way to express their freedoms (“Pedestrian cities,” N.D.). Sense of place is defined as a multidimensional, complex construct to characterize the relationship between people and spatial settings. Some geographic places have it, and others do not because of a lack of attachment and belonging (Caves, 2004). This is the feeling that makes residents stay and tourists come back over and over again. Often, cities tend to lack a strong sense of place because of a lack of placemaking qualities, like monuments, stores, restaurants, and other memorable aspects of a city. Rome creates a sense of place by using its history, sidewalk systems, long term residents and their connection to the city, preservation of art, tourism, and the center of the city to its advantage. Variety speaks to the importance of differing elements throughout the city. Whether it be the variety of building ages, building heights, thickness, and lengths of streets, curved versus straight streets, these elements all work to give visual cues of difference to residents and visitors, thus making the city interesting. Rome is the city of layers. When looking at buildings, it is clear which are from different eras, which have reused parts of past architecture, and which are modern. Zoning systems should consider the creation of variety throughout the city, not letting a single area fall into a category, since the best cities are those of mixture. Finally, this study will conclude by determining what lessons the city of Rome has to offer. The goal of the piece is not to suggest a city will become Rome, which is impossible, but rather to note the elements that work the best in Rome and transform them into a list that can be applied to any city in the world. The lessons have a focus in history, organic development, and placemaking

A Tale of Two Transit Systems: Comparing Copenhagen, Denmark and Portland, Oregon\u27s Transit Networks

This research project aims to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the intercity train systems in Copenhagen and Portland based on their related scholarship and each system\u27s efficiency, ridership, and projected expansion. In 2008 and 2010, the International Metrorail conference cited the Copenhagen Metro as one of the most effective transit systems in the world for its stability and customer satisfaction (Institute for Human Centered Design, 2016). Given the accolades awarded to the Copenhagen Metro, this project will work to understand what elements of Copenhagen’s Metro systems make it so efficient, and how they can be applied in Portland. More specifically, this research will answer the following question: How can the existing light rail system in Portland, Oregon, the MAX, be compared and improved by examining the public transit strategies and designs that are used in the Metro system in Copenhagen, Denmark? This research question is two pronged. First, it aims to identify the qualities of the Metro that enables the system to work effectively, and second, it looks to underscore what aspects of the Metro could potentially be applied to the Portland MAX

Who Persists and Who Desists? A Prospective Study of Prescription Stimulant Misuse in College Graduates [post-print]

Prescription stimulant misuse (PSM) has been studied extensively in college populations, but few studies have examined how PSM changes after graduation. We used a longitudinal design to follow individuals at risk for PSM two years after college graduation to document PSM prevalence, motives, and predictors of PSM persistence. Participants from two small, private colleges completed online surveys focused on intrapersonal, interpersonal, and sociocultural predictors of PSM. Overall, PSM declined over time. Lack of premeditation, perceived peer norms, positive expectancies, media exposure, and other substance use were associated with continued PSM; however, only lack of premeditation, descriptive norms, and other substance use predicted PSM in a multivariate model. This preliminary study suggests dispositional and behavioral risk factors may help to explain why PSM persists after college. Interventions that enhance decision-making skills, correct misperceptions about peers\u27 PSM, and reduce polysubstance use may be effective in curbing PSM in college graduates

Alterations to the copulatory sequence in young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats administered a ketogenic diet [post-print]

Ketogenic diets (KDs) have shown therapeutic potential for a range of neuropsychiatric disorders; however, there is insufficient data regarding the behavioral impacts of KDs in healthy populations. Here, we examined the impact of a KD on sexual behavior in young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats maintained on either a KD or standard chow diet (SD). We found that KD males exhibited higher mount rates, higher intromission rates (third and fourth tests only), and lower ejaculation likelihood (second test only) compared to SD males. Consequently, it may be that experience-dependent changes in the processing of sexual stimuli are not occurring as efficiently in KD males, thereby yielding the observed copulatory sequence alterations

The Effect of Drawing Versus Clay Work on Emotion Regulation in College Students

Effective emotion regulation (ER) is critical for maintaining mental health and overall well-being. Art-making has been shown to boost emotions and help people cope with daily stressors, life transitions, and various mental health diagnoses. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of two of the most accessible and widely used art mediums––graphite pencils and clay––in promoting short-term ER and improving affect in college students. Following a negative mood induction, Trinity College undergraduate participants (n = 62) were randomly assigned to a crossword puzzle intervention (control) or one of two art-making interventions: drawing or clay work. ER was measured by the Emotion Regulation Strategies for Artistic Creative Activities Scale (ERS-ACA) and Self-Expression and Emotion Regulation in Art Therapy Scale (SERATS). Changes in affect were measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) across three time points. Results indicated that art-making, especially clay work, is an effective ER tool for college students. Both art-making interventions reduced negative affect more than the control intervention, but only clay work displayed a significant decrease compared to the control. In addition, only clay work significantly increased positive affect post-intervention. There were no significant differences in the measures of emotion regulation between the art-making and control conditions, nor between drawing and clay work. However, avoidance ER strategies were used significantly more with clay work. Future research should investigate the long-term implications of art-making on emotion regulation and affect, as well as the possibility of avoidance as a mediator of emotion regulation during clay work

Zamrock: Negotiating Masculine Urban Identity in Zambia and Music Success in a Postcolonial World

This thesis analyzes, through predominately an ethnomusicologist approach and methodology, the lyricism, instrumentation, performance, and album art of the movement of Zamrock in Zambia from 1970 to the mid-1980s. I explore the agency and construction of urban youth masculinity by Zamrock artists in the context of Zambia’s colonial history of the Copperbelt, into its decades after independence. First, I look at the socio-political and economic context of colonized and independent Zambia, and how out of these conditions Zambian rock music was fused and forged. I break down the negotiations and desires of Zamrock artists in their identity construction via their music, and how their music grapples with postcolonial dichotomies of pure Zambian nationality and the ‘traditional,’ and modernity (encompassing westernization, and rapid urbanization and industrialization). I argue that Zamrock was a masculine practice and project of liberation which articulated the agency and experience of masculine youth in this period across urban Zambia. In further, I analyze the re-emergence of Zamrock in the United States post-2010, and its dispersal and discovery amongst vinyl collectors in the west. I additionally argue that late globalization via the internet has fulfilled a certain set of desires of Zamrock artists’; however, I also critique music streaming platforms and their fine line of perpetuating colonial power structures in music

Windows of the World: Postmodern Urbanism in Los Angeles and Shenzhen

This work draws upon the ideas of Edward Soja and other spatial theorists to compare the postmodern urban development of Los Angeles and Shenzhen, China. Both cities have undergone rapid growth and become major urban metropolises, offering potential paradigmatic forms for contemporary urban studies. The thesis is based on the ideas of the LA School of Urbanism, of which Soja was a part, and reviews the school’s collective case for Los Angeles as a paradigmatic city for the postmodern age. This work then compares this account of Los Angeles with Shenzhen, a city that has risen from nothing to one of the most prominent cities in China in the last 50 years. I find that both cities exhibit similarly postmodern traits, with Shenzhen appearing as a manifestation of the other side of the globalization spurred by cities like Los Angeles. I conclude with a discussion of the continuing utility of Soja’s work and the postmodern label for contemporary urban development

Medical Trauma in Pediatric and Adult Patients with Crohn\u27s and Ulcerative Colitis

Inflammatory Bowel Disease is a term that is used to classify Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis. It is abundantly clear from past literature that hospitalizations and surgery can lead to PTSD (Taft et al., 2019). However, past research has not examined the impact that smaller procedures, such as infusions, can have on an individual’s mental health. Patients at Connecticut Children’s Infusion Center were recruited during their infusion appointments. After obtaining consent, patients completed questionnaires measuring their felt stigma and concealment, PTSD, and depression and anxiety symptoms. The research team completed medical chart reviews to identify the types of medications participants were taking and the amount of blood draws and infusions they have had in the past year. Our hypotheses were (1) repeated micro-medical procedures will be positively associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression in individuals with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis, and (2) repeated micro-medical procedures will be positively associated with symptoms of medical trauma in individuals with Crohn’s and Ulcerative Colitis. Hypothesis one was not supported. However, there was a positive correlation between number of medication types and PTSD symptoms in pediatric patients and adult patients, which is consistent with hypothesis two. Specifically, pediatric patients who were taking rectally-administered medication had higher PTSD scores than patients who were not. Surprisingly, we did not find associations between PTSD scores and patients’ number of blood draws and infusions or between micro-medical procedures and anxiety and depression

From Maiden to Malevolence: Marriage, Motherhood and the Descension to Evil

In the realm of folklore and storytelling, fairy tales have long captivated audiences with their enchanting tales and timeless themes. Originating from oral tradition and having been passed down from generation to generation, these short stories have evolved into a cornerstone of literature and culture, helping nurture the imaginations of children and adults alike. However, fairy tales have never been mere bedtime stories. They have become a very effective means of exerting power over women and maintaining gender inequality, for beneath the surface of these seemingly innocent narratives lie carefully crafted and deeply rooted misconceptions about both sex and gender, which have been imprinted on readers from the time they were young and often persist into adulthood. In particular, the portrayal of women and their roles within these narratives as either good or evil further reinforces this binary gender system, limiting the agency and autonomy of female characters, and villainizing all women who fail to conform to such a system. Accordingly, this dissertation will attempt to unravel the complex layers of female characterizations in some of the most famous and enduring fairy tales, and examine the subtler forms of social manipulation that they employ. Through a thorough investigation of the classic tale Snow White and a close read of several of its different iterations from Paul Sébillot’s “Les Bas enchantés” to the Grimm Brothers’ “Schneewitchen”, I hope to better understand the relationship between Snow White and the “Evil” Queen and how this figure has evolved over time from biological mother to stepmother as part of a larger movement to protect the sanctity of motherhood and vilify the childless woman. In addition, I hope to shed light on the ways in which these fairy tales contribute to a mercantile reward system that views marriage as the pinnacle of a woman’s achievement, and the broader ways in which such a system helps to encourage discord and further destroy the bonds between women. By delving into the underlying issues of competition between female characters and the reward system that is centered around marriage as the most important moment of a women’s life, I aim to challenge the traditional narrative that is set forth by these tales and instead suggest that marriage marks the transition of women from young and well-mannered heroines to the old and wicked antagonists that they fear