Social Network Analysis on Wisconsin Archival Facebook Community

The purpose of this study was to understand how Wisconsin archives are using Facebook (Wisconson archives Facebook community, WAFC). Few archive studies use quantitative measurements to draw conclusions from social media application use. Quantitative data is needed in order to identify the various ways that social media is being used in an archive. Without the data behind the assumptions, it is impossible to improve service and outreach to the archive users. This study proposed a mixed methods approach to aid in the process, using social network analysis, inferential statistics and thematic analysis. This study measured the effects of implementation of social media in areas of archives in order to begin to identify and evaluate social media for future use by the archive community. These methods provide a better understanding of archives’ use of social media, thus enabling researchers and practitioners with a foundational point to continue research. Social networks allow individuals to connect with individuals and groups with whom they share common interests either personally or professionally. Four research questions and six hypotheses were developed to determine the main actors, the role of the actors, content of each online activity (‘tagging’, ‘sharing’, ‘commenting’, and ‘liking’), and post characteristics. Unique findings of this study were found regarding the information flow of the WAFC and the content. For instance, the research questions determined that archives are a central hub within the WAFC; however, other affiliations like cultural institutions and universities are other contributors to the information flow. Four different themes were discovered by the thematic analysis: archive story, communication, information, and outreach. These findings have theoretical, methodological, and practical implications

The Diatom Flora of Phosphorus-Enriched And Unenriched Sites in an Everglades Marsh

Diatoms are used as environmental indicators in the Florida Everglades, a large subtropical wetland highly impacted by phosphorus pollution. However, the taxonomy of the diatom flora, a mix of temperate and tropical diatoms, is understudied. Therefore, we analyzed the taxonomy of 71 diatom taxa collected in Water Conservation Area 2A (WCA-2A). Diatoms were analyzed from sediment cores and from floating algal mats collected in phosphorus-enriched northern WCA-2A and in relatively unenriched southern WCA-2A. In addition, diatoms were analyzed from experimental mesocosms in southern WCA- 2A dosed with 0-126 µgL-1 P-PO4. Total phosphorus optima were calculated for dominant taxa. Average percent abundances in phosphorus-enriched and unenriched conditions are given for all taxa. Eleven taxa were dominant (\u3e5% abundance in at least one sample) in unenriched conditions, 17 taxa were observed only in phosphorus-enriched conditions, and 9 taxa were observed only below 2 cm in sediment cores. We compared the flora to taxonomical accounts of diatoms from temperate and tropical regions, with a special focus on nearby Antillean islands (Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico). Light microscope images of each taxon and SEM images of selected taxa are presented. Taxonomical measurements are given for each taxon, and differences from descriptions in other taxonomical accounts are discussed. A new combination, Achnanthes caledonica Lange-Bertalot = Achnanthidium caledonicum (Lange-Bertalot) comb nov. is proposed

Fighting Back Against Anti-Asian Xenophobia: Addressing Global Issues in a Distance Learning Classroom

This practitioner essay will outline a project designed by a team of three critical educators at The Experiential School of Greensboro (TESG), a new grassroots charter school in Greensboro, North Carolina. In this essay, we will describe the social context of TESG, discuss how we built towards addressing complicated topics related to systemic racism, and outline the ways we addressed anti-Asian racism and xenophobia in a remote learning context during the COVID-19 pandemic

Factors underlying natural reward devaluation by cocaine: effects of dose and exercise

In a preclinical model developed in the Carelli lab, when a palatable saccharin solution predicts impending, but delayed, cocaine availability the saccharin solution becomes devalued, as evidenced by the emergence of aversive taste reactivity during intraoral tastant infusion (Wheeler et al. 2008, 2011). Importantly, this negative affective state predicts the motivation to self-administer cocaine. The primary goal of this work is to extend the current knowledge of this preclinical model of natural reward devaluation and examine several other variables that may influence this process. In the original set of studies (Wheeler et al., 2008, 2011) only a single dose of cocaine was used. The first aim examined if rats receiving varying doses (0.167, 0.33, 0.66 mg/inf) of cocaine paired to the same concentration of saccharin (0.15%), would alter taste reactivity to the predictive cue in a dose-dependent manner. This study revealed that the emergence of negative affect and the associated increase in motivation for the drug was not dependent on cocaine dose. Exercise has been shown to reduce cocaine-seeking in animal models. Additional studies examined if exercise (i.e., access to a running wheel in their home cage), either following (Aim 2) or prior to (Aim 3) training on the preclinical model would reverse or attenuate the development of the negative affective state, and the motivation to consume cocaine. The results of Aim 2 indicate a trend toward a protective effect against the established negative affective state, however these results were not strong. Further, exercise had some protective effect against the motivation to consume cocaine when rats were reintroduced to the paradigm, although it did not completely reverse the negative affective state. The results of Aim 3 showed exercise does have a protective effect against the development of the negative affective state in this model, however, the motivation to consume cocaine continued after it had developed. Taken together, the results of these studies indicate that although the development of the negative affective state observed in our preclinical model is not cocaine dose-dependent, it can be altered to some degree by physical activity.Doctor of Philosoph

Grassroots Market Research on Grass: Predicting Cannabis Brand Performance Using Social Media Scraping

[EN] Social media listening has become a useful tool to marketers in studying behavior for a wide variety of consumer applications, from political leanings and drug abuse to common product choices. Although most cannabis products are illegal at the U.S. Federal level, it is legal in 30 states for medical use and 8 states and the District of Columbia for recreational use. Despite the legal issues, cannabis is projected to reach over $31 billion in sales world-wide by 2021. The industry is both rapidly evolving and highly fragmented, making it challenging for companies operating in the space to access the insights and the data to help design communications, product development and branding strategies. The research presented here will show that the application of social media listening can be helpful for cannabis brand marketers to gauge size, scope and nuances of these markets and tailored social media mining can accurately predict a brand’s future performance. Later research will show that social media scraping will help identify and segment consumers at a fraction the cost of traditional consumer research methods.Kregor, J.; Gomez, B.; Kelly, JS.; Stevenson, K. (2018). Grassroots Market Research on Grass: Predicting Cannabis Brand Performance Using Social Media Scraping. En 2nd International Conference on Advanced Reserach Methods and Analytics (CARMA 2018). Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 201-208. https://doi.org/10.4995/CARMA2018.2018.8348OCS20120

The Effect of Child Characteristics and Environmental Demands on Parenting Across Intact and Divorced Families: An Exploratory View

Minimal attention has been directed toward learning how children may influence parenting practices and styles within a divorce setting, and - more significantly - how children may influence the co-parenting practices and behaviors of divorced parents. The roles of child temperament, parenting, and their reciprocal interaction werereviewed as they relate to the development of externalizing and internalizing problems in childhood. Literature regarding the impact of divorce on the parent-child relationship was also discussed. A cluster analytic approach was utilized in order to identify three groups of individuals with internalizing, externalizing, and adaptive characteristics. Parenting features were then evaluated across both intact and divorced family settings to explore for any influence of the child and the environmental demands on parenting. Only one significant interaction was revealed between marital status and child characteristics in relation to maternal discipline. Significant findings were discussed within light of prior literature

An Assessment of the Neurobiological and Behavioral Changes that Occur During Abstinence Following Chronic Alcohol Drinking

Although many alcoholics experience periods of abstinence, most will relapse. Indeed, the inability to resist alcohol drinking is central to alcohol addiction. The emergence of negative affective states during abstinence is thought to be a key mediator of relapse behavior. The data presented here indicate that abstinence from voluntary alcohol drinking leads to the emergence of depression-like behavior and reductions in neurogenesis. C57BL/6J mice were allowed to self-administer ethanol (10% v/v) vs H2O in the home cage for 28 days. Alcohol was then removed for 1-d or 14-d, and mice were tested in the forced swim test to measure depression-like behavior. After 14 days, but not 1 day of abstinence from alcohol drinking, mice showed a significant increase in depression-like behavior. The significant increase in depression-like behavior during abstinence was associated with a reduction in neurogenesis. Chronic treatment (14-d) with the antidepressant desipramine during abstinence prevented both the emergence of depression-like behavior and the reduction in new neurons indicating that abstinence-induced depression is associated with structural plasticity in the hippocampus. Alterations in CREB expression and CREB activation, as measured by CREB and pCREB immunoreactivity, have been linked to changes in alcohol reinforcement, as well as depression; therefore, the changes in CREB in response to desipramine or vehicle treatment were investigated during the abstinence period. The most significant changes noted were in the CA3 subregion of the hippocampus which showed significant reduction in CREB and pCREB immunoreactivity due to 14-d abstinence, and complete prevention of this reduction by desipramine treatment. Dysregulation of the HPA axis is examined in this dissertation not only because it can lead to depression, but also because alcohol drinking, alcohol withdrawal, and alcohol abstinence are all associated with HPA axis dysregulation. Changes in the HPA axis as a result of 14-d abstinence were not evident. Overall, the results of this study support the conclusion that profound functional (i.e., behavioral) and structural changes occur during abstinence from alcohol use and suggest that antidepressant treatment may alleviate some of these pathological neurobehavioral adaptations