Browsing by Subject "College of Liberal Arts"

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The 18th Annual Jankofsky Lecture (2017-03-14)
(2017) University of Minnesota Duluth. Department of English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies; University of Minnesota Duluth. Department of Geography; University of Minnesota Duluth. College of Liberal Arts
Adolescents' Coping with Relational Victimization
(2008-12-01) Bont, Erin M.
The effect of an intervention on adolescents’ relational victimization coping skills was investigated. Relational victimization refers to the victims of relational aggression--behavior that attempts to harm others through the manipulation of relationships
Adult Attachment and the Perception of Facial Expressions of Emotion: Activating the Attachment System with a Distress Manipulation
(2011-04-13) Steele, Ryan
Past research on attachment theory and the perception of facial expressions of emotion has revealed that individuals who exhibit higher attachment anxiety process facial emotions more quickly than do less anxiously attached individuals. In this study, I attempted to replicate and extend this previous research by adding a distress component to an experiment. Using a movie morph paradigm, participants viewed movies of faces in which emotional expressions changed from displaying an emotion to displaying no emotion. Participants were asked to indicate the point at which they could no longer tell that an emotional expression was present. Results revealed that participants who scored higher in attachment anxiety in the no-distress condition perceived the offset of angry emotions earlier than did less anxious participants in the no-distress condition. With respect to the offsetting of happy emotions, highly anxious participants in the distress condition perceived the offset of happy emotions later than did less anxious participants in the distress condition. These results suggest that the perception of facial expressions of emotion is dependent on the level of distress that an individual feels.
Advances in Solar Power with CZTS
(2012-04-18) Hanson, Parker
Finding renewable forms of energy has become one of the largest issues facing the modern world. One example of an alternative energy that shows incredible promise is solar power. The major way this solar power is harnessed is through the construction and usage of solar panels. One concern with these panels is the high cost of production due to expensive raw materials. The idea of creating inorganic nanoparticles using cheaper raw materials for application in solar power has great potential. Here we show how the production of copper (I) zinc tin sulfide (CZTS) can provide a cheaper, more efficient alternative to the compounds currently used. CZTS can be created using inexpensive precursors, such as copper (I) acetate, making this compound financially responsible. Overall, strides made in the formulation of a procedure over the previous semester have made the mass production and implementation of CZTS in solar energy a definite possibility.
Advertisements: Empire and War
(2013-04-19) Marrinan, Camille
Advocating for the Inclusion of Allergen Statements on Medication Labeling
(2020) Arman, Bailey;
As defined by the Society for Technical Communication (n.d.), the job of a technical communicator is to: “communicate about technical or specialized topics; communicate by using technology; and/or provide instructions about how to do something.” Though technical communication is frequently associated with software and engineering, it has important applications for other disciplines, including the medical field. In this thesis, allergen statements on a medical document are critiqued from a technical communication, and further usability, viewpoint. Allergen statements are primarily associated with food products and are rarely found on pharmaceutical labeling. However, pharmaceuticals, although they include medication (the API), they also include “filler” materials made from food products, including incendiary foods like lactose, wheat, and soy. The lack of an allergen statement on pharmaceuticals may endanger food sensitive individuals, like those with food allergies, celiac, or food intolerances. The following thesis provides a brief review of research done on allergen statements and incendiary foods in pharmaceuticals; results from a usability test conducted based on principles of technical communication, like comprehension and readability; an analysis and discussion of those results; and recommendations for the FDA and pharmaceutical manufacturers. Based on a literature review and the results from this usability test, it is highly recommended that the FDA require pharmaceutical companies to include an allergen statement somewhere on their product. This statement should include brief details on where cross-contamination could occur and be accessible to consumers, not just healthcare professionals.
Against Putschism: Paul Levi's Politics, the Comintern, and the Problems of a European Revolution 1918-1923
(2016) Berduc, Manuel;
In this paper I analyze the politics of Paul Levi, who became the leader of the German Communist Party after the deaths of Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht. Levi has for the most part been neglected in the historiography of the period, but Pierre Broué’s and David Fernbach’s recent publications in 2006 and 2009 respectively have brought his ideas back into the spotlight in English. I seek to see how his understanding of politics between 1918-1923 make him unique in what I argue is his model which laid the groundwork for a “mass party” of Communism for Europe early on. This model followed Luxemburg’s dream for a Communist party able to relate to millions of workers, a careful understanding of the role of insurrection in revolutions, and which would work through a more democratic framework than the one set up by the Bolsheviks under their specific circumstances. In particular, the early role played by the Comintern and its relationship to early European Parties was decisive in their failure to lead and grow early on. By understanding the context of European Socialism at the time and by looking closely at the period during 1919-1921, I will argue that Paul Levi set the foundation for a mass- Party in Germany, and that his political theory helps us understand why a revolution did not take place in Europe after World War I.
Agricultural Biotechnology Companies and the Crops of the Poor
(2009-10-07) Scott, Mary A.
Critics claim that some of the world’s largest agricultural biotechnology companies are prolonging world hunger by making their innovations, for which they charge high technology fees and establish exclusive intellectual property rights, inaccessible to the poor. The significant implication in such assertions is that these firms are not concerned with the public good. What are ag-biotech companies doing that could improve agriculture for poor farmers around the world? What kinds of projects are they investing in, how are they organized, and with whom are they partnering? What, specifically, do the companies contribute? What are the results? Do these projects produce technology that is both helpful and accessible to the poor?
All Care is Health Care: How Healthcare-Legal Partnerships Are Challenging the Biomedical Paradigm
(2018-05-05) Bhatnagar, Prashasti
This project comprehensively examines how healthcare-legal partnerships (HLPs) are challenging the biomedical paradigm. I explore this in clinics through rich semi-structured interviews with HLP advocates (social workers, healthcare administrators, nurses, lawyers, and physicians) and focus groups with patients. In this paper, I will highlight the ways in which on-site legal services in clinics help in breaking down barriers that limit access to care and thus reduce anxiety and stress in patients. I will also argue that while helpful, HLPs continue to operate under a neoliberal biomedical model-based health care system and hence, do not provide a comprehensive solution to the complex health needs of patients. Health issues are not just legal issues; they are social issues that need to be addressed using a structural care approach.
ALL OPPOSED: The Interwar Rhetoric of Peace at the University of Oxford
(2010-04-22) Wilz, Patrick G.
What I hope to achieve in the following analysis is a cogent illustration of the peace debate throughout the University of Oxford in the 1930s. The expressions of animosity and ideological dissension in local papers acknowledged the period’s many concerns, namely the possibility of a second world war and the hardship of economic downturn, but also prescribed what was by many thought its only cure—pacifism. The following analysis will, if at all successful, address these issues while also producing a faithful likeness of Oxford in the twentieth century.
An Analysis of Medical Journals from 18th Century Europe
(2010-10-05) Lubben, Carolyn
The common cures and medical beliefs in 18th century Europe are the root of modern-day medicine. This research explores how society viewed typical practice at the time of Dr. Samuel-Auguste Tissot of Switzerland, and what may be viewed differently after three centuries.
An Analysis of Model Organism Criteria in Developmental Biology: From Metazoans to Microbes
(2012-04-18) Spates, Matt
Model organisms are central to contemporary biology and the studies of embryogenesis in particular. Biologists utilize only a small number of organisms to experimentally elucidate various properties of ontogeny. These experimental models allow researchers to investigate the phenomena and mechanisms of development in great depth. Critics have questioned whether these models are good representatives of their targets because of the inherent biases involved in selecting these organisms (e.g., rapid development and short generation time). This line of criticism raises two questions: (a) is the criterion of representation for model organisms more complex than earlier discussions have emphasized? (b) is representation the only relevant criteria in deciding if a model organism is a good model? Here we provide an analysis of the criteria involved in choosing model organisms that answers these questions. We show that the criterion of representation is highly structured and a key additional criterion—manipulability— has been largely neglected. In combination, these criteria explain how developmental biologists respond to the criticism about biases in existing models and also accounts for why microbes have not been considered "good" models for ontogeny. This analysis has both scientific and philosophical consequences. Scientifically, it suggests new avenues of research by making criteria of model organism selection explicit. Philosophically, it shows how the practical aspects of experimental biology—exemplified in the criterion of manipulability—must be scrutinized in order to understand scientific reasoning.
Analysis of Wind-Driven and Water-Driven Transportation of Gross Solids in Urban Watersheds
(2023) Narváez, Natalie;
Watershed health is heavily influenced by urbanization and the export of associated pollutants such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) that leach into stormwater and accelerate the effects of eutrophication. In urban watersheds, gross solids materials have been shown to contribute significant amounts of P to stormwater runoff. Positive correlations have been identified between precipitation patterns and influxes of gross solids to stormwater runoff. However, the role of wind-driven transportation as a contributor of organic material to urban stormwater solids remains poorly understood in comparison to the role of water-driven transportation. Wind-blown leaf litter has the potential to travel beyond the hydrologically connected areas that bound much of the research on stormwater solids. To address this knowledge gap, a detailed analysis was conducted on identifiable tree material from gross solids samples captured at two different rain garden sites - one parking lot site and one residential street site - with low canopy cover in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan region in Minnesota, USA, to assess the possible mechanisms behind their deposition into the rain garden sites. It was assumed that material from outside of the watershed was transported by wind. Findings showed that material from outside the hydrologic watershed plays a significant role in the prevalence of gross solids, with an average percentage of 29% of material from outside the watershed and 71% from inside the watershed. Material from outside the watershed represented the majority of identified material from the residential street site. Material from within the watershed appeared to rise and fall along with precipitation patterns while material from outside the watershed appeared to fluctuate opposite them, suggesting that material from outside the watershed is more dominant in dryer conditions. Results of this study suggest that material from outside the watersheds represents a significant portion of leaf litter and other plant materials that constitute the organic fraction of urban stormwater solids.
Analyzing failures of the L1 minimization method in compressive sampling
(2012-04-18) Haiyun, Zhao
This article analyzes ways in which the L1 minimization method fails in a new theory of signal processing called “compressive sampling” or “compressive sensing”. This new theory aims to reconstruct original signals based on very few samples. The samples are taken by multiplying a sample matrix with sparse signals, and then the recovery can be obtained by L1 minimization. However, sometimes it is impossible to recover original signals by finding the solution which minimizes the L1 norm. Therefore, it is necessary to generate data sets to find when and why L1 minimization doesn’t work. We show that probabilistic sample matrices generated by Gaussian and uniform distributions fail for very different reasons than those generated by Bernoulli distributions.
Analyzing U.S. Media Discussion of Political Polarization
(2023) Dunk, Brandon;
How does the media cover political polarization in the United States, and with what effects? The effects of media coverage of political polarization vary based on the type of political polarization presented. Does political polarization manifest as issue position or affective polarization? Are elites or the mass public becoming politically polarized? Is political polarization beneficial or harmful? Depending on how the media answers these questions in coverage of political polarization, perceived polarization may have different effects. This paper provides the first accurate measure of the media coverage of different types of political polarization through a rigorous examination of media coverage of political polarization by the top five U.S. newspapers over a 27-year period. Using keyword sets to identify coverage, I find that media coverage of political polarization has been severely underestimated by past studies and that it is a major component of media coverage today. Since 2016, coverage has increased across all types of political polarization at a rapid pace. This may have a major impact on perceived polarization, resulting in strengthened effects. I additionally discuss the impact to those opposed to further political polarization and those looking to benefit from it.
Art Deco Tea Sets and Cocktail Sets: Making Modernity Accessible
(2014-02-25) Melanie, Keating;
This essay examines American Art Deco tea sets and cocktails sets and their accessibility to a large audience. It covers the origin of Art Deco and describes certain common features by visually analyzing relevant examples. It argues that Art Deco tea sets and cocktail sets blended aspects of modern and traditional design in order to appeal to progressive and conservative consumers. The designers studied include Jean Puiforcat, Norman Bel Geddes, Virginia Hamill, Gene Theobald, Louis W. Rice, Russel Wright, Howard Reichenbach, and Walter von Nessen.
Assessment of Face-Mask Ventilation Using an Airway Simulation Model
(2009-04-08) Crosby, Jill C.
The department of Emergency Medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center currently provides airway management training and education to a great number of health care professionals. Physicians, nurses, and paramedics among others, depend on this training for the development of a critical skill in the administration of emergency medical care. At this time, it is particularly difficult to evaluate the skill level of students trained in the application of face-mask (FM) ventilations. As an answer to this problem, an airway-training mannequin was modified to produce variable airway resistance. Health care providers performed 3 FM techniques on the mannequin while exhausted tidal volume and proximal peak flow pressure values were measured. Trends in pressure and volume were directly related to the effectiveness of FM seal, and results revealed that two-handed ventilation was more effective than one-handed ventilation. Furthermore, this simulation model demonstrated a positive potential in the analysis of FM ventilation performance and technique, and may prove useful in a variety of educational settings.
Autonomic Nervous System Functioning and Internalizing Disorders in Adolescents
(2011-10-17) Kramarevsky, Oxana; Klimes-Dougan, Bonnie; Hastings, Paul; Westlund, Melinda
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is used to describe the sympathetic (activation) and parasympathetic (inhibition) nervous system. Imbalance of the ANS is associated with negative cardiac health events and death. Coincidentally, those with internalizing or depressive symptoms and disorders have a higher occurrence rate of similar cardiac-related problems. Important to consider is the developing nervous system in adolescents with internalizing problems since changes taking place now could predispose them to future health risks. Some of the ways in which ANS dysregulation is evidenced are higher or lower heart rate (HR) or blood pressure (BP) level at rest, and exaggerated or blunted heart rate reactivity (HRR) or blood pressure reactivity (BPR) to stress. ANS differences could be a link between psychological and cardiac health in youth with internalizing problems. This study aimed to address some of the gaps in previous studies on ANS differences that have found inconsistent results by considering a larger sample of male and female adolescents with well-defined problem profiles. Participants were 215 adolescents who were identified as having elevated behavioral or emotional problems and healthy controls. ANS was measured using HR and BP as well as HRR and BPR within the context of two social stressors. Results revealed significant gender differences, with males having higher systolic blood pressure (SBP) resting level and reactivity while females showed higher HRR. When controlling for externalizing problems, males evidenced a positive correlation between internalizing problems and resting DBP, as well as with resting MAP. Internalizing problems in males were negatively correlated with DBP reactivity and MAP reactivity when controlling for externalizing symptoms. Emerging differences in ANS functioning in adolescents could have important health implications for future health and may explain current trends. The results of this study may suggest important ways in which regulating ANS functioning in adolescents may prevent emotional problems, as well as more long-term negative health consequences.
The Blessed Tome from Rome: the Political and Theological Aspirations of Pope Leo I in the context of the Robber Synod of Ephesus and the Council of Chalcedon
(2018) Henke, Jacob;
“There is nothing more serious than the sacrilege of schism, because there is no just cause for severing the unity of the Church.”1 With these words, Augustine, the bishop of Hippo Regius, firmly opined that those who embraced theological and doctrinal tenets, incompatible with catholic and orthodox teaching, were culpable of severing the unity of the Church. This particular criticism was leveled against the Donatist factions of Northern Africa, a sect of rigorists who denied the validity of the sacraments when administered by traditores, literally ‘the one[s] who had handed over’ the Scriptures and the names of their fellow Christians during the Roman persecutions. However, by the time Augustine wrote these words, the church had already weathered several waves of divisive theological controversies and several additional schisms, specifically pertaining to the nature of Christ, loomed on the horizon. The First Council of Ephesus in AD 431, the so-called Latrocinium, or Robber Synod of 449, and the Council of Chalcedon in 451 would all attempt to resolve these controversies and the bishops and patriarchs of the major sees would play substantial roles in the attempted clarification of orthodox christology. However, beneath the veneer of theological debate, these bishops and patriarchs sought not only to implement their own christology but also to further the political power of the disparate episcopal sees. Leo I of Rome (c. AD 400-461) provides a prime example of these overlapping theological and ecclesio-political ambitions. Through numerous epistles, sermons, and his dogmatic Tome to Flavian, he strategically used political compromise and shrewd theological interpretation in an effort to resolve the fifth-century christological controversies, to mend the rift between the Antiochene and Alexandrian factions, and to establish papal primacy over the various ecumenical sees, bringing them into communion with Rome.
Body Language in Central America
(2010-04-21) Svingen, Davis
Much can be deduced about a culture’s attitude towards the body and persons with disabilities from the language used to describe them. For example, in the United States, language has evolved alongside the manner in which we understand and relate to people with disabilities, from “invalid,” to “disabled person.” Disability and language are so connected that the percentage of persons with disabilities in Honduras, according to a 2002 report of the Instituto Nacional de Estadística, varies from 0.2% to 20.9% depending solely upon the language used to describe “disability.” The field of Disabilities Studies is virtually unknown in the international arena and the goal of Dr. Patrick McNamara’s research is to bring this field of study to a wider audience in Mexico.

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