Gender Identity Work: Oppression and Agency as Described in Lifespan Narratives of Transgender and Other Gender Non-Conforming Identified People in the U. S.

The purpose of this research was to critically examine the gender identity work of white transgender and other gender non-conforming identified (TgNCi) people through their stories and the meanings they attach to important artifacts across the lifespan. A single question directed the investigation: How do TgNCi individuals describe gender identity work through lifespan narratives? Thirteen volunteers participated in two interviews: the first, a narration of their life stories and in the second, descriptions of the significance of personal artifacts selected by the participants and photographed by the investigator. Participants’ ages ranged from 22 to 66, according to four pre-determined age ranges of the study design. This allowed for investigation within each age group, and also across all age groups. Qualitative analyses were conducted in three layers: (1) content analysis, (2) Critical Discourse Analysis, and (3) multimodal analysis. Content analysis identified three primary categories describing gender identity work: (1) oppression (from outside), (2) suppression (of preferred gender expression), and (3) the desire for visibility (longing to be recognized by others, and to see the self, as Who-I-Am). Critical Discourse Analysis revealed that in response to violent oppression, participants interrupted their natural agentic actions, speech, and thought processes. The term Interrupted Agency was coined to convey these strategic responses of hiding and secrecy. Multimodal analysis of participants\u27 expressed relationships with material objects exposed three primary functions of the artifacts: (1) tools of visibility, (2) messengers, and (3) laminations. The closing discussion features the researcher’s meaning making of this gender identity work and addresses future study and research

The Great Unknown: Unlimited Artificial Intelligence (2023-2024)

O’Brien begins this argument essay with the following reminder that “We use A.I. every day without even realizing. There are so many different algorithms built into every single app we use, as well as search engines like Google.” She goes on to consider the use of Artificial Intelligence in algorithms, online information availability, healthcare, and the arts. Throughout the use of examples within these various contexts, O’Brien interrogates the need for limits to AI in order to counter bias, limit the prevalence of hate speech, and ultimately preserve our humanity.https://digitalcommons.cortland.edu/rhetdragonsargument/1003/thumbnail.jp

The Effects of Allergies and Anaphylaxis on the Body and Mind: A Survey of Opinions and Knowledge on these Disorders

Despite common knowledge, allergies and anaphylaxis are considered disabilities. As such, these disorders affect the daily lives of those who have them, including one\u27s mental health. In this paper, all the nuances of allergies and anaphylaxis will be discussed as the etiology and scientific aspects of allergies, anaphylaxis, and hypersensitivity are distinguished from one another. Furthermore, the findings are reported from two surveys; an assessment of how well educated and prepared teachers are for students with allergies and whether other students with food allergies have had similar experiences to the author\u27s and those described in research by other studies concerning the social and psychological aspects of having food allergies, such as that by Stewart et al, 2012. Finally, conclusions surmised from this project are discussed in relation to past and future research

The non-traditional student enrolled full-time in art school

The unique needs, experiences, and contributions to the classroom of non-traditional students enrolled in a full-time undergraduate art program have been under-addressed in academic research. In this thesis, the author surveys existing research and reports on a series of surveys and some follow-up interviews conducted with both students and their professors. This thesis aims to identify the unique circumstances of non-traditional students in higher education and particularly in art school. The author identifies specific opportunities for fruitful continued research and application

Liquid feeding in the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta Buren (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

In order to accurately test liquid bait effectiveness in the lab, we determined that a starvation time of 96h is more appropriate than 72h of starvation time for laboratory fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren) to better simulate foraging ants in the field. Densities and viscosities of two commercial baits and 20% sugar water at 25C were measured then compared to amount of material consumed per ant at these physical properties. Mean densities of 20% sugar water, Dr. Moss, and Terro were 1.051, 1.287, and 1.354 g/mL, respectively, and viscosity of each bait treatment varied in the same order but more drastically (1.7, 32, 400 centipoise, respectively). Ants that feed on formulated baits exhibit feeding behaviors different from those which occur when feeding on sugar water. At first glance, one might conclude that the difference is due to the toxicant, but our findings suggest that physical properties of baits may be a factor in this change in feeding behavior. In order to determine the effect of liquid physical properties on feeding, the method of liquid feeding was first determined. Next, sucrose solutions were prepared to test effects of viscosity and sucrose concentration on Solenopsis invicta separately. Solutions containing boric acid were also prepared to record the toxicant effect in these tests. Individual ants were offered a droplet of solution, then amount taken and time was recorded. Fire ants used suction to feed, whereas lapping movements of the glossa were not observed. Initial weight of ants explained about 40% of the variability in total crop load. Total crop load was found to depend on viscosity as well as initial ant weight. As viscosity increased in a 30% sucrose solution, relative crop load and intake rate decreased. According to these results, individual ants feeding from solutions without boric acid will leave with a total crop load that is 54% dependent on individual motivation whereas the crop load of ants feeding from a 0.5% boric acid solution only 46% depended on individual motivation. One explanation may be that boric acid solutions in this study acted as unique food sources

African American Male Student-Athletes: Identity and Academic Performance

The purpose of the current research was to examine racial, male and athletic identities and their individual and collective impact on the academic performance of African American male Division I student-athletes (AAMSAs). Data was collected using the Multidimensional Inventory of Black Identity (MIBI), the Male Role Norms Scale (MRNS), and the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS). The MIBI is a measure of racial identity and is comprised of seven subscales: (1) centrality, (2) private regard, (3) public regard, (4) assimilation, (5) humanist, (6) minority, and (7) nationalist. The MRNS takes status, toughness and antifemininity into account to calculate a masculinity score. Finally, athletic identity can be measured by the AIMS, which attempts to quantify the level of importance and centrality athletics has in a person\u27s life. Academic performance was measured by a student\u27s self-reported GPA. The aim of the study was to gather data that will better inform the work of athletic academic advisors (AAA) in the hope that it will allow the profession to best serve the AAMSA population. The goal was to determine if a link exists between any of the identities of interest and academic performance and what, if anything, AAAs need to know based upon the results. The stated purpose of this research was explored using two primary research questions: 1. To what extent are measures of racial, male, and athletic identities (MIBI, MRNS, and AIMS) psychometrically sound when used with a sample of AAMSAs? 2. To what extent do racial, male and athletic identities influence AAMSA\u27s academic performance above and beyond what is accounted for by demographic variables? The goal of this research was to determine if these non-cognitive factors impact the academic performance of AAMSAs in order to further inform the work of athletic academic advisors as they seek to increase the retention and graduation of this population. The following four hypotheses were tested: 1. Black racial identity, as measured by the MIBI, will have various relationships with academic performance based on the subscales of the MIBI. High public and private regard scores will be positively related to academic performance. Nationalist and oppressed minority ideologies will have a negative relationship to academic performance while the assimilation and humanist subscales will be positively related. Centrality will have a curvilinear relationship with academic performance. 2. Male identity, as measured by the MRNS, will be negatively related to academic performance. 3. Athletic identity, as measured by the AIMS, will be negatively related to academic performance. 4. The combination of racial identity, athletic identity and male identity will be a stronger predictor of academic performance than any one of the variables individually. Depending on the various combinations of racial ideology, regard and centrality, the relationship between racial identity and academic performance may be positive or negative

The Dynamic Proliferation of CanSINEs Mirrors the Complex Evolution of Feliforms

Background: Repetitive short interspersed elements (SINEs) are retrotransposons ubiquitous in mammalian genomes and are highly informative markers to identify species and phylogenetic associations. Of these, SINEs unique to the order Carnivora (CanSINEs) yield novel insights on genome evolution in domestic dogs and cats, but less is known about their role in related carnivores. In particular, genome-wide assessment of CanSINE evolution has yet to be completed across the Feliformia (cat-like) suborder of Carnivora. Within Feliformia, the cat family Felidae is composed of 37 species and numerous subspecies organized into eight monophyletic lineages that likely arose 10 million years ago. Using the Felidae family as a reference phylogeny, along with representative taxa from other families of Feliformia, the origin, proliferation and evolution of CanSINEs within the suborder were assessed. Results: We identified 93 novel intergenic CanSINE loci in Feliformia. Sequence analyses separated Feliform CanSINEs into two subfamilies, each characterized by distinct RNA polymerase binding motifs and phylogenetic associations. Subfamily I CanSINEs arose early within Feliformia but are no longer under active proliferation. Subfamily II loci are more recent, exclusive to Felidae and show evidence for adaptation to extant RNA polymerase activity. Further, presence/absence distributions of CanSINE loci are largely congruent with taxonomic expectations within Feliformia and the less resolved nodes in the Felidae reference phylogeny present equally ambiguous CanSINE data. SINEs are thought to be nearly impervious to excision from the genome. However, we observed a nearly complete excision of a CanSINEs locus in puma (Puma concolor). In addition, we found that CanSINE proliferation in Felidae frequently targeted existing CanSINE loci for insertion sites, resulting in tandem arrays. Conclusions: We demonstrate the existence of at least two SINE families within the Feliformia suborder, one of which is actively involved in insertional mutagenesis. We find SINEs are powerful markers of speciation and conclude that the few inconsistencies with expected patterns of speciation likely represent incomplete lineage sorting, species hybridization and SINE-mediated genome rearrangement

The Molloy Student Literary Magazine Volume 16

The Molloy Student Literary Magazine, sponsored by Molloy College’s Office of Student Affairs, is devoted to publishing the best previously unpublished works of prose, poetry, drama, literary review, criticism, and other literary genres, that the Molloy student community has to offer. The journal welcomes submissions, for possible publication, from currently enrolled Molloy students at all levels. All submitted work will undergo a review process initiated by the Managing Editor prior to a decision being made regarding publication of said work. Given sufficient content, The Molloy Student Literary Magazine is published twice annually in Spring and Fall.https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/eng_litmag/1007/thumbnail.jp

Sleep and Diet in Urban Pregnant African American Women

ABSTRACT Objective: Sleep disturbances during pregnancy are associated with gestational diabetes and excessive weight gain. Diet could potentially play a role in these relationships, yet examinations of sleep and diet in African American pregnant populations are scarce. Methods: The study population includes pregnant African American women from Detroit, MI (n=53). At the baseline study visit during late pregnancy, women were surveyed about typical bed and wake times, as well as usual food intake via a dietary screener. Sleep measures examined included time in bed and sleep midpoint (median of going to bed and wake time). Composite dietary measures included estimated fruit and vegetable (FV), dairy, and added sugar intake. Linear regression models were used to evaluate associations between sleep and dietary measures, adjusting for potential confounders. Results: On average, women with shorter time in bed (\u3c8 hours compared to ≥8 hours) had one cup/day higher intake of fruits and vegetables (95% CI 0.10 to 1.83), driven by the individual items tomato sauce, salsa, and fruit juice. Delayed sleep timing (a midpoint\u3e2:45 AM compared to midpoint≤2:45 AM) was associated with 0.78 cup/day lower fruit and vegetable intake (95% CI -1.67 to 0.12), mostly driven by whole fruit and vegetables (e.g. string beans, peas, corn rather than salad or cooked dried beans). Later midpoint was also associated with lower dairy intake (0.41 fewer servings/day; 95% CI -0.78 to -0.04), particularly milk. Shorter time in bed was associated with higher pastry intake, and delayed sleep timing was associated with lower pastry intake. Conclusions: Sleep characteristics were uniquely associated with diet in pregnant women

Phylogeographical Structure and Evolutionary History of Two Buggy Creek Virus Lineages in the Western Great Plains of North America

Buggy Creek virus (BCRV) is an unusual arbovirus within the western equine encephalitis complex of alphaviruses. Associated with cimicid swallow bugs (Oeciacus vicarius) as its vector and the cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and house sparrow (Passer domesticus) as its amplifying hosts, this virus is found primarily in the western Great Plains of North America at spatially discrete swallow nesting colonies. For 342 isolates collected in Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, and North Dakota, from 1974 to 2007, we sequenced a 2076 bp region of the 26S subgenomic RNA structural glycoprotein coding region, and analyzed phylogenetic relationships, rates of evolution, demographical histories and temporal genetic structure of the two BCRV lineages found in the Great Plains. The two lineages showed distinct phylogeographical structure: one lineage was found in the southern Great Plains and the other in the northern Great Plains, and both occurred in Nebraska and Colorado. Within each lineage, there was additional latitudinal division into three distinct sublineages. One lineage is showing a long-term population decline. In comparing sequences taken from the same sites 8–30 years apart, in one case one lineage had been replaced by the other, and in the other cases there was little evidence of the same haplotypes persisting over time. The evolutionary rate of BCRV is in the order of 1.6–3.6 × 10–4 substitutions per site per year, similar to that estimated for other temperate-latitude alphaviruses. The phylogeography and evolution of BCRV could be better understood once we determine the nature of the ecological differences between the lineages