Heirs to Those Before us: An Exploration of the Influences on a Young Artist

The central concept of this thesis all started in March of 2018, when a friend of mine recommended I listen to Joni Mitchell\u27s album, Blue. I loved it immediately. There was something raw and honest about the words she wrote and something fresh about the melodies. Nothing was forced; everything was natural. Not only did I love it, but the melodies constantly swimming around in my head started to sound similar in style. The recitative-like rhythms and the flowing melodies had worked their way into my head. So I started to wonder- how can I use this in my art? I have always learned by imitating. In every aspect of my education, I always look for an example before I continue in my own way. Why not do the same in creating music? In his autobiography, Mark Twain said: There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages. Put simply, everything is derivative. So I set out to write and produce the album which accompanies this thesis, Heirs to Those Before Us. I did this by imitating four artists whose harmonic and lyrical style I felt were compatible with my own. In selecting my models, I tried to choose a well-rounded variety. I chose two late 20th century and two contemporary writers, one male and one female of each. Each of them has a different personal background. Each of them has a distinct process of writing. In the following pages, I will include: 1. a short biography of each artist-- Joni Mitchell, George Ezra, Regina Spektor, and Billy Joel; 2. a description of each of the writing process for each song; 3. and a description of the production process

Disfigurement: A visibly different approach to equality?

The Equality Act 2010 (“the Act”) provides that someone with a severe disfigurement should be treated as meeting the definition of disability1. However, a lack of clear statutory guidance and case law on the meaning of ‘disfigurement’ mean that the parameters of this section of the Act remain uncertain. These parameters are under particular tension from the related concepts of appearance and disability, which partially overlap with disfigurement. Through an analysis of the relationship between these three concepts, this paper will argue that ‘disfigurement’ should be read as encompassing a broader range of appearance-altering conditions than has, to date, been recognised. It will be argued that protection should extend beyond conditions such as scarring to include other visible differences. The first part of this paper sets out what we know about the meaning of disfigurement, and how interpretive approaches can ascribe a clearer meaning to the relevant statutory provision. The second part considers how disfigurement differs from the concepts of appearance and disability, and how the relationship between these terms can be defined through an analysis of models of disability and relevant case law. It identifies several respects in which the current statutory provision seems to fall short of the implicit logic which drove its inclusion in the Act. Finally, the third part evaluates the extent to which a new definition of disfigurement could alleviate some of the identified weaknesses in the current law

Adverse childhood experiences, stress, and emotional availability: an American Indian context

2016 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.American Indian individuals are at a heightened risk for experiencing trauma and high levels of life stress. Despite a preponderance of research demonstrating the long-term detrimental effects of early trauma on physical and mental health, no study has yet examined how caregivers' own traumatic experiences impact their children's social-emotional health. The primary purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which caregivers' trauma, stress, and mental health was associated with child social-emotional functioning. Results indicated that caregivers' early traumatic experiences have long-term effects on their own mental health, as well as their child's. These findings highlight the importance of assessing and intervening upon the effects of early life trauma. The secondary purpose of this study was to validate the Emotional Availability Scales, a measure of the parent-child relationship quality, in an American Indian/Alaska Native community. Results demonstrated that higher emotional availability, particularly structuring, was related to children's social-emotional competence, and lower caregiver non-hostility was associated with child externalizing symptoms. These results call attention to the relevance of multiple indicators of the quality of caregiver-child relationships, rather than a sole focus on sensitivity

Emotional availability, neuropsychological functioning, and psychopathology. The context of parental substance use disorder

Parental Substance Use Disorder (SUD) constitutes a high-risk condition for parent-child interactions and child development. Empirical evidence indicates high rates of psychopathology and neuropsychological impairments in individuals with SUD. Despite research indicating that parenting skills are related to psychological well-being and cognitive/neuropsychological functioning, prior studies have not examined the associations between these areas of parental functioning and the quality of parent-child interactions in the context of SUD. Aim(s). The present study adopts an integrated perspective to investigate the way in which maternal neuropsychological functioning and psychopathology are associated with mother-child emotional availability (EA), in the context of parental Substance Use Disorder. Methods. Twenty-nine mothers with SUD were assessed in interaction with their children, as well as with respect to their neuropsychological functioning and psychopathology. Results. In this group, high rates of maternal neuropsychological impairments and psychopathology, as well as generally low levels of EA, were uncovered. Regression analyses showed that maternal neuropsychological functioning was significantly associated with mother-child EA, specifically sensitivity; the role of maternal psychopathology, however, was only marginally significant. Conclusion. In the context of SUD, maternal neuropsychological impairments are significantly associated with mother-child EA. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed

The Transformation of the South as Presented in the Literature of Southern African American Women: Harriet Jacobs, Octavia Rogers, and Zora Neale Hurston

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (1861) by Harriet Jacobs, The House of Bondage (1890) by Octavia Rogers Albert, and Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937) by Zora Neale Hurston provide accounts of historical time periods as represented in literature that give more detail than history books alone ever could. The memoir of Jacobs, written under the pseudonym "Linda Brent", documents the horrors of slavery and shows that female slaves were considered of no value. It also provides a firsthand account of the harsh mistreatment endured, and the breakdown of the family structure. Jacobs also discusses the moral discrepancies that existed between slave owners and Christian practices. Albert also discussed religion and plight of slaves in the Southern United States and showed that the conditions existed not for one, but for many, through interviews with former slaves. Hurston's work shares many of the same themes, but presents them with a new style of writing that shows blacks in the South were more than their past; that they were humans with emotions and desires. When one looks at the works of Jacobs, Albert, and Hurston, one can, through analysis based on theoretical perspectives of New Historicism, Feminism and Realism, recognize commonalities of theme and symbolism that are unique and enlightening blue-prints for a better understanding of slavery and its aftereffects

Inactivation of Adenoviruses type 5 and 41 by Low and Medium Pressure UV Light

The effectiveness of ultraviolet radiation (UV) from low and medium pressure mercury lamps against relatively UV-resistant adenoviruses in drinking water is uncertain. Therefore, their effectiveness as collimated beams against adenoviruses 5 and 41 was investigated. In buffered saline (BS), log[10]Ad5 reductions at UVdoses of 40, 80, and 120 mJ/cm^2 were 1.8, 2.9, and 3.5, respectively, with LP lamps and 2.9, 3.8, and 4.7, respectively, with MP lamps. Ad41 log[10] reductions at UV doses of 50, 100, and 150 mJ/cm^2 were 0.35, 1.1, and 2.4, respectively with LP and 0.8, 1.6, and 3.4, respectively with MP. Log[10] Ad5 reductions by LP UV doses of 40, 80 and 120 mJ/cm^2 were 1.3, 2.2, and 3.0, respectively in colored natural water (DOC~20mg/L) and 1.6, 3.6, and 4.3 in this same water with 5NTU clay turbidity. These data inform decision-making on UV disinfection guidance for drinking water.Master of Science in Public Healt

Health and Nutrition in Vermont Children

Introduction. The AHA (American Heart Association) supports legislation in Ver- mont ensuring that restaurants’ children’s menu meals meet certain nutritional standards. This study investigated Vermont parents’ attitudes towards both dining at restaurants with their children and potential legislation to improve nutritional standards of restaurant food. Methods. An anonymous 21-question survey for parents with children under age 18 was distributed electronically to local organizations via Facebook groups and email, and as paper questionnaires at the Community Health Center of Burlington. Questions probed parents’ overall attitudes surrounding their children’s health, habits pertaining to eating at restaurants, and attitudes towards legislation to ensure healthier options for kids at restaurants. Results were analyzed to look for dominant themes and determine differences between subgroups. Results. 98% of survey participants agreed or strongly agreed that their children’s eating habits are important to them. When asked if they would support legislation to set nutrition standards on children’s menu meals in Vermont, 73% agreed or strongly agreed. Most survey participants eat at a restaurant once per week or less (95%). 53% of survey participants agreed or strongly agreed that there were enough restaurants with healthy kids’ meals in their area. Responses did not differ by county. Conclusion. Vermont parents are concerned about their children’s diets and acknowledge connections between nutrition, obesity, and overall health. Parents favor restaurants providing more nutritional items on children’s menus and support the AHA’s proposed standards. Next steps include investigating any financial impact on restaurants and studying nutritional standards in school cafeterias in Vermont.https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/comphp_gallery/1257/thumbnail.jp

Checklist for co-creating safe spaces with young people participating in research

Creating safe spaces in research As researchers, it is imperative that we provide safe spaces for young people to participate in research. This is particularly relevant to the field of mental health research, where participants may be asked to engage in activities that require them to discuss or reflect on experiences of poor mental health. Such activities can be upsetting for participants and so it is important to consider what actions can be taken to best reduce risks of negative experience for participants. This will also lead to improved research data quality. Currently, there is limited information to inform the creation of safe spaces for young people participating in research. We felt that there was a need to address this gap through the creation of a new checklist resource that was co-developed with young people. To facilitate this, we worked with the Institute for Mental Health’s Youth Advisory Group (IMH YAG), based at the University of Birmingham. The IMH YAG is made up of young people aged 18-25 with lived experience of mental health difficulty or experience of supporting a young person with lived experience of mental health difficulty. We identified three key themes: confidentiality and consent, fostering trust and feeling safe. Our checklist centres around how to best accommodate these needs and we have presented practical tips on how this can be addressed at three different stages of research participation: before, during and after.  We hope that this checklist will support researchers to consider what steps can be taken to ensure that children and young people participate in research that makes them feel safe and empowered.</p

We Are Not Pontius Pilate: Acknowledging Ethics and Policy

A new AI system is being developed to optimize vaccination strategies based on the structure and shape of a community's social contact network. The technology is minimally constrained and not bound by preconceived notions or human biases. With this come novel outside the box strategies; however, the system is only capable of optimizing what it is instructed to optimize, and does not consider any ethical or political concerns. With the growing concern for systematic discrimination as a result of artificial intelligence, we acknowledge a number of relevant issues that may arise as a consequence of our new technology and categorize them into three classes. We also introduce four normative ethical approaches that are used as a framework for decision-making. Despite the focus on vaccination strategies, our goal is to improve the discussions surrounding public concern and trust over artificial intelligence and demonstrate that artificial intelligence practitioners are addressing these concerns.Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canad