Workshop on Quantitative EPR

Presentations on quantitative EPR at the workshop that preceded the writing of our text, Quantitative EPR. Presented at the 31st Annual EPR Symposium in Breckenridge, Colorado on July 27, 2008

Copper Line Shapes

The spectrum of Cu2+ has 4 lines, since I = 3/2. Cu has two major isotopes, 63Cu (69.2%) and 65Cu (30.8%). The magnetic moment of 65Cu is 7% larger than that for 63Cu, so the hyperfine coupling is 7% larger. If the lines are narrow enough, one can observe superposition of spectra due to complexes of the two isotopes

Lab Practical: Nitroxides

How do you fill a capillary tube with an aqueous solution? How are capillaries positioned in the resonator? How does the spectrum of a nitroxide change when the viscosity of a solution is increased? How do you determine the concentration of the radical in the solution

Lab Practical: Transition Metals: EPR of a Vanadyl Complex

1. What information can you obtain from a spectrum of one orientation of a single crystal that is wide enough to encompass all of the vanadium hyperfine lines? 2. How does the spectrum change when you rotate the crystal? Look at both the position of the center of the spectrum and the hyperfine splitting

H.B. 22-1326: Analysis of Colorado’s Fentanyl Policy

Fentanyl is one the most potent drugs on the market, its synthetic nature makes it is one of the deadliest at the lowest quantities. Many of its injectors are entirely unaware of its existence when they consume cocaine, methamphetamine, Xanax, ecstasy, and heroin. Nationwide and within Colorado, the use of synthetic fentanyl has perpetuated a crisis that threatens the health and safety of numerous communities, with both fatal and non-fatal overdoses continually on the rise. In 2022, Colorado passed H.B. 22-1326, aimed at curbing fentanyl deaths and non-fatal overdoses, by further criminalizing fentanyl possession. Understanding the effectiveness of felony-heavy drug policies similar to this one is crucial in order to implement measures to curb the impact that fentanyl bears. Additionally, analyzing the significance of this measure in more ways than just death counts provides insight into secondary and tertiary effects, such as those on communities of color. Looking into two alternate policy strategies, as well as observing pre and post-implementation data from each, can provide important clarity on what elements of a fentanyl policy have compelling results that should be instituted in measures in the future. Adherence to the recommended policy changes and strategies will aid in minimizing the adverse impacts that fentanyl may have, as it continues to be synthetically manufactured and distributed

Examining Variations in the Kremlin’s Repression of Non-Systemic Political Opposition Parties Under the Putin Regime

What factors illustrate the differences in how the Kremlin under President Vladimir Putin has responded to non-systemic political opposition groups in Russia? While existing literature on opposition theory is expansive, more research concerning contemporary Russian opposition forces is necessary. In particular, it is useful to zoom in on specific opposition parties within Russia, as opposed to the customary method of using countries holistically as cases (Kubát 2010; Helms 2023; Eckstein 1967; Taylor 1988). As such, my research seeks to demonstrate the value of appropriate theoretical frameworks to understand and measure individual opposition parties’ actions rather than the trajectory of Russia’s non-systemic opposition as a whole. The content of my research is split into two sections. First, there is no academic database or repository of what non-systemic opposition parties exist under the Putin regime, so one must be created to better contextualize this research. Then, the focus can shift toward exploring the variations in the Kremlin’s responses to said parties. This allows for an answer to the question; what factors cause the Putin regime to repress some movements more remarkably than others? Primary sources in both Western media, Russian media, and opposition media will be compiled for several non-systemic opposition parties in Russia as case studies. Through a qualitative examination of these cases, the realities of what factors have played the largest role in the Kremlin’s reactions toward different non-systemic opposition parties during the Putin regime will be observed

Meditation in Qualitative Research for Bracketing and Beyond

In this study, I recounted my experience using mantra meditation during a phenomenological study for the purposes of bracketing. The efficacy and purpose of bracketing have been debated from Husserl (1931), whose aimed was to achieve objectivity, to Heidegger (1962) who advocated for immersion of the researcher, through the French school (Merleau-Ponty, 1964) of middle ground, by whom bracketing was seen as the process to unearth and suspend biases for the better understanding of participants’ experiences (Arsel, 2017; Creswell & Creswell, 2017; Creswell & Poth, 2016; Fischer & Guzel, 2023). In this study, however, I propose another approach to bracketing that expands beyond phenomenology and the duality of objectivity or immersion. I propose that bracketing, with the aim of meditation is inseparable from qualitative research. Meditation, as a form of bracketing, provokes the researcher to be fully present ensuring that participants’ experiences are heard and interpreted in a faithful manner. In this orientation, the goal of bracketing is not to rid one’s subjectivity but to allow subjectivity to be diminished and the researcher to be fully present to the other