A Mask for Every Occasion: How the Face Mask Connects Medicine, Fashion, and Politics in Chinese Narratives

The presentation of this research won First Place at the Denman Undergraduate Research Forum in the category "History of People and Art" in 2018.The habit of mask wearing, which is now recognized internationally as a predominantly East Asian (especially Chinese) practice (although reputedly Chinese in origin), was grounded in Western medical ideology. Nowadays, people who wear masks in East Asia--and travelers from East Asia who wear masks abroad--wear them for many reasons, including but not limited to: to avoid infecting others with an illness the mask-wearer suffers from, to avoid being infected with an illness from those around them, to protect from smog, sandstorms, or other harmful airborne particulate matter, to avoid breathing in cold air, to cover a breakout of acne, or to be cute or fashionable. Instead of just reporting a list of the many reasons why people in China choose to wear face masks, this paper seeks to trace how the mask changed throughout several different historical contexts, how it came to be used for several different purposes, and how it became entangled in several different public connotations. By drawing upon facts and figures from history, anthropological theory, and narrative analyses of interviews with Chinese citizens, I explore the use of face masks, their history, and their influence. All at once, the mask is a medical device, a fashion statement, a visible narrative, and a cultural symbol. To know exactly in which ways the mask has influenced Chinese culture will require more research; it may have influenced the generally accepted definition of disease, cultural opinions on hygiene and the environment, and the modern state of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The history and impact of the mask illustrate the power of cultural narrative, and show how a simple device can facilitate the development and mutual influence of ideas.A one-year embargo was granted for this item.Academic Major: Chines

The life and poetry of Emily Dickinson.

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston Universit

A comparative study of the performance of two groups of basic professional students during their pediatric nursing experience

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

Short-term effect of soil disturbance by mechanical weeding on plant available nutrients in an organic vs conventional rotations experiment

The question whether soil disturbance from mechanical weeding in organic systems affects nutrient release from organic matter in compost-amended soil was examined in a long-term organic-versus-conventional rotational cropping system experiment over three years. The experimental design included continuous snap beans, and a fully phased snap beans/fall rye crop rotation sequence. Treatments were combinations of yearly applied fertiliser (synthetic fertiliser, 1× compost, 3× compost) and weed control (herbicide, mechanical weeding). The 1× compost rate was calculated to deliver the equivalent of 50 kg N ha-1: equal to the rate ofN in the synthetic fertiliser treatments. Ion exchange membranes were buried for 24 hours following mechanical weeding in bean plots. Adsorbed ions were then eluted and quantified. Available ammonium-nitrogen was not affected byweeding treatment, but nitrate-nitrogen was consistently less in mechanically weeded plots than in plots treated with herbicide. Principal component analysis of NH4-N, NO3-N, P, K, Ca and Mg availabilities showed distinct groupings of treatments according to fertility treatment rather than weeding treatment. The effect of cropping sequence on available nutrients was pronounced (P ≤ 0.001) only in plots amended with synthetic fertilisers

The acute effects of caffeinated versus non-caffeinated alcoholic beverage on driving performance and attention/reaction time

Marketing that promotes mixing caffeinated ‘energy’ drinks with alcoholic beverages (e.g. Red Bull with vodka) targets young drinkers and conveys the expectation that caffeine will offset the sedating effects of alcohol and enhance alertness. Such beliefs could result in unwarranted risk taking (e.g. driving while intoxicated). The aim of this study was to assess the acute effects of caffeinated versus non-caffeinated alcoholic beverages on a simulated driving task and attention/reaction time.We conducted a 2 × 2 between-groups randomized trial in which participants were randomized to one of four conditions: beer and non-alcoholic beer, with and without caffeine added. Caffeine was added in the same proportion as found in a commercially available caffeinated beer (69 mg/12 oz of beer at 4.8% alc. by vol).Participants were 127 non-dependent, heavy episodic, young adult drinkers (age 21–30) who were college students or recent graduates. The target breath alcohol level was 0.12 g%.Driving performance was assessed with a driving simulator; sustained attention/reaction with the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT).Across the driving and attention/reaction time we found main effects for alcohol, with alcohol significantly impairing driving and sustained attention/reaction time, with mainly large statistical effects; however, the addition of caffeine had no main or interaction effects on performance.The addition of caffeine to alcohol does not appear to enhance driving or sustained attention/reaction time performance relative to alcohol alone.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79153/1/j.1360-0443.2010.03219.x.pd

Fruitless endeavor

There has been a small storm brewing lately about an exhibit of photographs that has been placed in the union. A minority of the pictures in the exhibit have pictures of naked bodies, specifically, naked women. These particular photographs have some members of the university community up in arms

The influence of Isaiah's concept of faith upon that of St Paul

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University, 1935. This item was digitized by the Internet Archive