Woodlawn: A Collection of Working Class Poems

This thesis includes a collection of working-class poems that explore such issues as poverty, work, racism, family, and substance abuse through the lens of class. It also includes a critical introduction that gives a brief overview of the history and current state of working-class studies, specifically poetry. In this thesis I relate the work of contemporary poets such as Jim Daniels and Simon J. Ortiz to my own work, while explaining the themes of contemporary poets compiled in anthologies such as Working Classics: An Anthology and American Working Class Literature

Cortisol and testosterone dynamics following exhaustive endurance exercise

Cortisol (C) and testosterone (T) are impacted significantly by prolonged endurance exercise with inverse responses. Increases in C are witnessed concurrently with decrements in T, possibly impacting recovery. This study was conducted to assess the dynamics of C and free T (fT) concentration and recovery time following an exhaustive endurance exercise session (EES)

Senior Recital

List of performers and performances

The Discovery and Analysis of PFAS (‘Forever Chemicals’) in Human Blood and Biological Materials

This paper reviews the development of analytical techniques used prior to the early 1980s in the identification of organofluorine compounds in human blood. The compounds of interest are industrial products, the so-called Forever Chemicals, which are stable long-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are highly resistant to breakdown. Because of their special properties they have been used since the 1950s in a wide range of commercial and domestic products. Academic research in the 1960s and 1970s that originally focused on fluoride in dentistry and human health led to the finding that PFAS were present in the blood of residents of several cities in the United States. This, and concerns over their toxic properties, encouraged industrial research into analytical methods for their detection. Notably, and because long-chain PFAS are nonvolatile, special techniques were developed for analysis by gas chromatography

Biological Investigation of Wing Motion of the Manduca Sexta

An investigation was conducted assessing the feasibility of reproducing the biological flapping motion of the wings of the hawkmoth, Manduca sexta (M.sexta) by artificially stimulating the flight muscles for Micro Air Vehicle research. Electromyographical signals were collected using bipolar intramuscular fine wire electrodes inserted into the primary flight muscles, the dorsal longitudinal and dorsal ventral muscles, of the adult M.sexta. These signals were recorded and associated with wing movement using high speed video. The signals were reapplied into the corresponding muscle groups with the intention of reproducing similar flapping motion. A series of impulse signals were also directed into the primary flight muscles as a means of observing muscle response through measured forewing angles. This study pioneered electromyographic research on M.sexta at the Air Force Institute of Technology with tests conducted with fine wire electrodes. Through this process, the research showed the deformational structural changes that take place when a wing is removed from an insect and proved that muscular stimulation is a viable method for generating wing movement. This study also assisted in developing an understanding related to the role that a thorax-like fuselage could play in future micro aircraft designs. This study has shown that partial neuromuscular control of the primary flight muscles of M.sexta is possible with electrical stimulants which could be used to directly control insect flight