Scrutinizing the Signs of Times: the Catholic Church, Moral theology, and the Hiv/Aids Crisis

This thesis reflects my yearning to connect my faith to the modern world in a journey across disciplines and over continents to unpack the intersections of justice, faith, and Catholicism. As an English major, with minors in Business and Christian Leadership, I considered a wide array of subjects for the thesis. But this deepening investment in the Church\u27s justice work, fostered in my Jesuit undergraduate experience, led me to ponder the ways Catholic social teaching might propose a topic critically important to a marginalized community and one I could research for months without disenchantment. Searching for a subject area, I remembered once hearing that the Catholic Church provides twenty-five percent of AIDS care worldwide, a statistic that proved accurate after minimal investigation. As my primary research ensued, I quickly discovered tension within the discourses of Catholic moral theology and social thought on HIV/AIDS, sparking questions about the nature of the Church\u27s role in an issue rife with seemingly ubiquitous ethical controversy. The convergence of personal experience, academic probing, and the callings of faith lead me to search for the most compassionate and innovative Catholic response in a time of AIDS

Limits on Clouds and Hazes for the TRAPPIST-1 Planets

The TRAPPIST-1 planetary system is an excellent candidate for study of the evolution and habitability of M-dwarf planets. Transmission spectroscopy observations performed with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) suggest the innermost five planets do not possess clear hydrogen atmospheres. Here we reassess these conclusions with recently updated mass constraints and expand the analysis to include limits on metallicity, cloud top pressure, and the strength of haze scattering. We connect recent laboratory results of particle size and production rate for exoplanet hazes to a one-dimensional atmospheric model for TRAPPIST-1 transmission spectra. Doing so, we obtain a physically-based estimate of haze scattering cross sections. We find haze scattering cross sections on the order of 1e-26 to 1e-19 cm squared are needed in hydrogen-rich atmospheres for TRAPPIST-1 d, e, and f to match the HST data. For TRAPPIST-1 g, we cannot rule out a clear hydrogen-rich atmosphere. We also modeled the effects an opaque cloud deck and substantial heavy element content have on the transmission spectra. We determine that hydrogen-rich atmospheres with high altitude clouds, at pressures of 12mbar and lower, are consistent with the HST observations for TRAPPIST-1 d and e. For TRAPPIST-1 f and g, we cannot rule out clear hydrogen-rich cases to high confidence. We demonstrate that metallicities of at least 60xsolar with tropospheric (0.1 bar) clouds agree with observations. Additionally, we provide estimates of the precision necessary for future observations to disentangle degeneracies in cloud top pressure and metallicity. Our results suggest secondary, volatile-rich atmospheres for the outer TRAPPIST-1 planets d, e, and f.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, 2 tables, accepted in the Astronomical Journa

Comparison of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, surface plasmon resonance and biolayer interferometry for screening of deoxynivalenol in wheat and wheat dust

A sample preparation method was developed for the screening of deoxynivalenol (DON) in wheat and wheat dust. Extraction was carried out with water and was successful due to the polar character of DON. For detection, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was compared to the sensor-based techniques of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and biolayer interferometry (BLI) in terms of sensitivity, affinity and matrix effect. The matrix effects from wheat and wheat dust using SPR were too high to further use this screenings method. The preferred ELISA and BLI methods were validated according to the criteria established in Commission Regulation 519/2014/EC and Commission Decision 2002/657/EC. A small survey was executed on 16 wheat lots and their corresponding dust samples using the validated ELISA method. A linear correlation (r = 0.889) was found for the DON concentration in dust versus the DON concentration in wheat (LOD wheat: 233 g/kg, LOD wheat dust: 458 g/kg)

The association between previous running related injuries and isometric muscle strength among recreational and novice runners.

Running has many health benefits, but injuries associated with running can result in considerable health and economic burdens. This is particularly important given the reported injury incidence of between 18.2 to 92.4% Previous injury is the primary risk factor related to running injuries. As injured athletes often display deficits in neuromuscular strength, and these weaknesses may be evident at the time of return to sport it is thought that persistent residual weakness following injury may predispose an athlete to subsequent injury. To date, studies have mainly compared the neuromuscular strength of currently injured and uninjured runners. More information is needed to explore potential differences in strength among healthy runners with a history of injury, which may allow clinicians to address weaknesses and ultimately better direct treatment

In Search of Clearer Skies? Linking Planetary Aerosols from the Laboratory to Models

In this dissertation, I integrate atmospheric modeling and laboratory characterization of clouds and hazes for temperate sub-Neptune exoplanets and Neptune’s moon, Triton. I draw on advances in laboratory atmospheric experiments for the Solar System and in modeling for exoplanets, where previously a gap existed between the two. My work continues this laboratory characterization of exoplanet and Triton-like hazes, then ties this information to modeling of diverse worlds. These data are amenable for comparison to observations of exoplanet atmospheres in transmission and reflected light, as well as from potential future missions to the outer Solar System. The first chapter puts upper limits on the cloud and haze contents of the TRAPPIST-1 planets. Transmission spectroscopy performed with Hubble (HST) suggests these planets do not possess clear hydrogen atmospheres. I reassess this conclusion with updated masses and expand the analysis to include metallicity, cloud top pressure, and haze scattering. I connect laboratory results of particle size and production rate for exoplanet hazes to a one-dimensional atmospheric model, obtaining a physically-based estimate of haze scattering cross sections. I find larger haze scattering cross sections than supported by laboratory measurements are needed in H2-rich atmospheres for TRAPPIST-1 d, e, and f to match the HST data. By modeling a cloud deck and high metallicity atmospheres, I also determine that either H2-rich atmospheres with high altitude clouds (<12mbar) or that metallicities of at least 60x solar with tropospheric (0.1 bar) clouds are required to match HST data. My results therefore suggest secondary atmospheres for the TRAPPIST-1 planets. The second chapter delves specifically into the chemistry of the laboratory-made exoplanet hazes themselves. I use very high resolution mass spectrometry to measure the chemical components of solid particles produced in atmospheric chamber experiments for exoplanet atmospheres with hydrogen-, water-, and carbon dioxide-rich atmospheres at 300, 400, and 600 K. I detect many complex molecular species with general chemical formulas CwHxOyNz, including oxygen ratios of up to 20%, an order of magnitude greater than that assumed in typical exoplanet haze models. I also find molecular formulas of prebiotic interest in the data, including those for a variety of amino acids, nucleotide bases, and several sugar derivatives. Additionally, the exoplanetary haze analogues exhibit diverse solubilities, which provides insight into their further alteration and evolution in exoplanetary atmospheres. The final portion of this thesis centers on the physicochemical properties of laboratory hazes produced for a Triton-like atmosphere. Triton conditions have commonalities to the best characterized Titan tholin, yet include larger amounts of carbon monoxide, allowing for a deeper examination of the role of oxygen-bearing molecules on haze properties. Using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, I measure the spectra of the analog hazes and measure their composition with high resolution mass spectrometry. When carbon monoxide dominates over methane in the initial gas mixture, oxygen content of the solid particles greatly increases, with observable effects in the near-infrared spectra of the material. These Triton results emphasize the importance of understanding trace species in the pathway to haze formation, particularly regarding the role of carbon-carrier and oxygen-carrier species

Running related Injuries of Irish runners

The popularity of recreational running continues to grow nationally. Previous international research has demonstrated a very high risk of running related injuries (RRIs) in recreational runners. These injuries pose a barrier to continued training, as well as to the physical and mental health benefits associated with running. Currently, there is a paucity of epidemiological information on Irish recreational runners. Therefore, the aim of this study is to gain an understanding of the prevalence, location, type and severity of RRI’s in recreational runners in Ireland

The association between previous running related injuries and isometric muscle strength among recreational and novice runners.

Running can cause considerable health and economic burdens, with a reported injury incidence of between 18.2 to 92.4%. Strength is a factor that has widely been linked to injury, however its associations with injury among this population require further investigation. To date, studies have mainly compared the muscular strength of currently injured and uninjured runners. This study endeavours to investigate differences in isometric muscle strength among healthy runners with and without previous RRIs in the past 2 years