Minnesota Undergraduate Research & Academic Journal

Letter from the Editor

Allison L. Graper, Ayush D. Shah, Viktoria Tadlock, Ethan Voss — Thu, 26 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Optimizing Carrot Growth in Static Hydroponic Systems

Priscilla Trinh — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The experimental investigation evaluates static hydroponics systems to sustainably produce carrots and alleviate food insecurity via alternative modes of small-scale agriculture. The research compares different carrot cultivars in a variety of substrates to determine which combinations yielded the most produce (fresh weight) and aesthetic product (length). The focus was on four carrot cultivars: ‘Danvers’, ‘Yaya Hybrid’, ‘Chantenay’, and ‘Imperator’. These cultivars were selected due to their commercial popularity, sugar content, soil type durability, and observed yield potential from previous research done by the Michaels lab.^11,12 Substrates included a mix of nonrenewable and renewable materials including perlite, coconut coir, coarse sand, and vermiculite. Hydroponics is commercially used for leafy greens; however, this study aims to expand its applications to root vegetables like carrots to diversify dietary nutrients for consumers and provide growers with more options. Results from this study indicated that sand-dominated substrates, especially 75% sand medium, yielded on average the longest taproot length and fresh weight. Yaya produced the longest carrot. However, Chantenay, while much stouter in appearance, yielded similar fresh weights. Overall, sand-dominated substrates outperformed mediums with perlite.

Defining a Cultural Context to Underutilized Crops in the Minnesota Food System

Shannon Anderson — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Culture can be used as a tool to provide significant insights in numerous contexts. Yet, culture has yet to be defined within a food system. As communities are subject to food system(s) increasingly operating on international scales, not only is the biodiversity of various organisms being affected but cultural diversity as well.1 In order to fully develop and identify barriers and challenges in food systems, culture as operationalized within a system needs to be understood and represented as a part of the entire framework.2 This article makes an attempt to define the Food System Cultural Analysis Tool (FSCAT) developed from independent research and analysis conducted remotely within the context of the barley food system. The resulting FSCAT was developed with the intent of use in rural food systems to identify the cultural barriers within.

Effects of pH Changes on Zebrafish Microbiome

Aishwarya Belhe, Grace Ha, Dana Kang, Jayzryn Thompson, Philip Truong — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The pH values of the different regions of the human gastrointestinal tract are known, though their effects on the prevalent microbiota in the respective regions are unknown. This is important to note because digestion in warm-blooded animals, like humans, can only occur within a restricted range of pH and temperature. Here we tested the effects of varying pH values on the microbiome of our model organisms: zebrafish embryos. A 16S rRNA sequencing analysis was performed to compare the relative abundance and the alpha diversity of the different bacterial families present in the zebrafish embryo gut. The derived microbial isolates of the two main bacterial genera under observation, Aeromonas and Vibrio, from the zebrafish embryo water were then assessed for growth by performing various bioassays to see the effects of pH level changes on growth related factors. It was hypothesized that Aeromonas, being an acidophile, would better grow and survive in acidic conditions and that Vibrio, being a basophile, would better grow and survive in basic conditions. The results obtained from the various bioassays indicated a higher relative fitness of Aeromonas compared to Vibrio. They also showed the tendency of Aeromonas to grow better in an acidic medium and that of Vibrio to grow better in a basic medium. Overall, the diversity of the microbiota increased due to changes in the pH value of the surroundings. This increase was observed to be greater with an acidic treatment (i.e., lowering of pH) compared to a basic treatment (i.e., increasing the pH).

Inhibition of MCT1 to Reduce Tumor Invasion During Early Malignant Progression in HNSCC

Ethan Wong, Ali Khammanivong, Erin B. Dickerson — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a widespread and common cancer, ranking as the sixth most prevalent form of cancer within the last decade. Treatment resistance and tumor persistence are large contributing factors to the mortality of HNSCC. One mechanism of treatment resistance is the maintenance of stem cell-like properties of cancer cells and their subsequent adaptability to changes in the tumor microenvironment (TME). Monocarboxylate transporter-1 (MCT1) is an important transport protein that aids in cancer cell invasion, supports cell growth, and improves cell adaptivity in the TME through transport of important monocarboxylates. This study aimed to inhibit MCT1 both genetically through CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and pharmacologically through use of AZD3965, an MCT1 inhibitor, in order to measure the effect of cancer cell invasion and determine if MCT1 can be a therapeutic target for HNSCC. Genetic knockout of MCT1 led to substantial decreases in invasion of an HNSCC cell line; pharmacological inhibition of MCT1 also decreased invasion, though not significantly. These findings suggest that MCT1 plays a major role in the invasion of HNSCC cells and targeting this protein may provide novel solutions to treating resistant HNSCC.

Mesalamine and Immunosuppressant Treatment in Crohn’s Disease

Kevin Sun — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The effects of medicines are not always well understood, and some may worsen the diseases that they are intended to treat. The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of mesalamine (MM) and/or immunosuppressives (IS) causes an amplification or mitigation of the dysbiosis that the gut microbiome experiences during Crohn’s Disease (CD). CD is an inflammatory bowel disease that results in chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. It was hypothesized that MM and IS mitigate the dysbiosis caused by CD individually, as well as when used together. The research subset bacterial DNA samples from the Gevers et al. study into five distinct groups based on CD and medication status (i.e. presence/absence of MM and/or IS) (Gevers et al. 2014). These were analyzed to determine if there were statistically significant differences of the alpha, beta, and taxonomic diversities between CD patients taking different medications. The study concluded that MM is likely able to mitigate CD dysbiosis and be kept as a treatment, while IS likely do not mitigate dysbiosis and may even amplify it. These findings are significant for medical practitioners to consider as a factor for what treatments should be used against CD.

The Relation Between the Brain-Gut Axis and Parkinson's Disease

Kevin Sun — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

This article is intended to cover the connection between the brain-gut axis and Parkinson’s Disease (PD). Neurodegenerative diseases are currently a major area of research in neuroscience, and many have sought to uncover the underlying causes behind these disorders. Many scientific studies suspect that gut bacteria are involved in neurological disorders, but no clear role has been defined. A better understanding of how the intestinal microbiota interact with the brain would be a major advance in neuroscience and could lead to the development of important new treatments for diseases that currently lack effective remedies. This work will cover PD and its specific relationship to the brain-gut axis.

African Americans and Type 2 Diabetes: Social Determinants of Health in Prevalence and Outcomes

Brittany Raab — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that is more prevalent and has worse outcomes in Black Americans than White Americans. Structural racism has led to fewer health promoting resources in African American communities, preventing access and treatment for diabetes. Fewer opportunities result in lower median income for African Americans which creates difficulties for these communities to afford the high cost of diabetes care. Additionally, racist ideals are perpetuated in the healthcare institution that prevent access to equal treatment in diabetes care. Despite numerous organizations that support diabetes prevention and care, they fail to incorporate strategies that oppose racial disparities. Through the findings of this paper, it is recommended that various social policies are implemented simultaneously to improve the racial gap in type 2 diabetes.

An Analysis of Icelandic Pagan Rituals and Norse Mythology

Emily Paulus — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Viking Age burials have been extensively studied over recent years, and Icelandic, pre-Christian burials have been specifically investigated for trends and patterns in funerary rites. However, there are hardly any investigations that pair the archaeological material and literary material together. What were the religious influences on funerary rites in the pre-Christian Icelandic landscape? An analysis of pagan rituals from Viking Age Iceland was conducted, and connections to Norse mythology were made in order to understand the relationship Icelanders had to the pagan religion. Based on archaeological and literary evidence, it can be concluded that certain burial rites bare resemblance to mythological stories and gods.

Economic Growth of the Republic of Armenia versus Caucasus region during the Period 2017– 2019: A Case Study

Hayk Mardanyan — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

The economic development of the Transcaucasian countries of Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan has been determined by a multitude of regional as well as international factors since their independence from the USSR in the early 1990s. Historically, Georgia and Azerbaijan constantly outperformed Armenia in terms of annual nominal GDP growth. This study concentrates on the period 2017–2019 when the reverse process was registered. Nahapetyan (2020) correlated this phenomenon of increased relative growth in Armenia with the Velvet Revolution that took place in 2018, resulting in the displacement of the former government notorious for their levels of corruption. I use data from the World Bank Open Data website and the Statistical Yearbooks of respective countries to conduct a difference-in-differences regression analysis on the change between 2017–2019 and 2010–2016 average growth rates of these countries. Sectoral-level data is utilized to conduct a similar difference-in-differences comparison to reinforce the conclusions reached from examining overall changes in average GDP growth rates between the countries. Contrary to the conclusions reached in previous studies, the higher-than-usual economic growth rates of Armenia in 2017–2019 are largely attributable to the combination of the economic recovery of Russia from its economic crisis in 2014–2017 and the high energy dependence of Armenia on Russia. My findings indicate a clear relationship between the growth rates of the Russian and Armenian economies in 2017–2019 and the one immediately preceding it, which coincided with the Russian Economic Crisis of 2014–2017.

Ethics and Discrimination in the Hiring Process: An Overview of Gender and Race

Grace Stelzner — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

A look into the current research on both gender and racial discrimination has called into question ethical decision making in organizations. When organizations claim to be ethical but still exhibit evidence of discrimination in their processes, minority groups suffer the consequences. This overview considers the experiences of various genders and nationalities during the hiring process in order to conclude how discrimination persists currently. White individuals and men were found to be favored while women encountered the most restricted path. Transgender applicants were also found to receive a disproportionate number of responses though the relationship between gender and responses was more complex in this case. Though little differences were found between White Americans and Native Americans, the research was exceedingly limited.

Government Transparency and Data: FOIA Evidence from Law Enforcement Agencies

Ayse Eldes — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Government transparency is the center of vast media coverage and legal debates. Freedom of Information laws facilitate this transparency both at the state and federal level. But few conduct systemic analysis of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) responsiveness, even as some claim responsiveness exhibits various biases. As part of an ongoing research project, we filed FOIA requests to Michigan law enforcement agencies and measured response behavior by tracking the wait time for each response, requested fees, type of initial response, and requests for clarification. Contrary to the requirements of the law, many agencies did not reply to our request. The most common initial responses were extension requests and full responses. Our findings suggest that there is no association between any agency characteristic and its behavior in response to records requests. In short, we find no evidence that using FOIA requests for data collection from law enforcement will lead to bias.

Masculinity Development, Gender Stereotypes, and Gender Equality

Zhenye Jiang — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

This literature review focuses on how masculinity affects males’ health conditions, gender stereotypes, gender equality and whether alternative masculinity can replace current masculinity. Previous literature found negative outcomes of masculinity compared to positive ones. By discussing masculinity's negative effect, I propose that masculinity should be challenged for males’ good and to build the groundwork for development towards gender equality. I examine whether alternative masculinity is mature enough to replace current masculinity and suggest it could be seen as a progress of masculinity development. In the future, researchers could focus on challenging masculinity definition and identifying valuable traits for the development of masculinity to benefit both genders and gender equality.

PANDILLEROS Y POLÍTICOS: Cyclical Violence in El Salvador

Emily Eaton — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

El Salvador is one of the most violent countries on the planet. MS13 and Barrio 18, gangs notorious for their brutality, control a large portion of the nation. Scholars often look to the impact of United States immigration policies when it comes to explaining how these gangs came to be in El Salvador. In this paper, I build on that history to explore why MS13 and Barrio 18 can maintain control over an entire country. Immigration policies of the United States have left a stain on modern-day El Salvador, but it is the failings of the Salvadoran state that encourage the persistent violence of gangs. Societal stigmas, institutional weaknesses, and an unwillingness to address past violence push El Salvador deeper into the cycle of violence. Today, the United States provides aid to El Salvador, but encouraging punitive action and military-level training only serve to exacerbate the conflict between the government and the gangs. However, a path beyond cyclical violence is on the horizon; Nicaragua has successfully implemented community-based programs that have dramatically decreased gang presence and murder rates within the country. With the help of the United States, El Salvador could do the same.

Psycholinguistic Indicators of Anxiety During White Self-reflection on Racial Privilege

Kyra Boorsma Bergerud — Sun, 15 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Stress-based anxiety is connected to changes in prosodic elements of speech such as fundamental frequency, jitter, and shimmer. Emotional dysregulation and White racial anxiety surrounding racial confrontation (e.g. DiAngelo, 2011; Liebow & Glazer 2019; Matias et al. 2016) have been well observed. Despite this, deeper analysis on an interdisciplinary, biopsychosocial level remains limited. Moreover, the relationship between emotional dysregulation, race, and linguistics has not been sufficiently interrogated. This study aims to determine if there are observable psycholinguistic differences seen when White people engage in racial self-reflection as opposed to general self-reflection. This study includes 24 White, liberal participants randomly assigned to give a speech about race and privilege (treatment) or an unrelated control topic. Audio data were collected and analyzed for fundamental frequency, jitter, and shimmer and compared across treatment and control groups. These data provide a more detailed understanding of linguistic changes that arise in White people when discussing race by contextualizing their associated anxiety. Psycholinguistic indicators of anxiety (fundamental frequency, jitter, and shimmer) can provide important routes to study emotional regulation on a psychological and linguistic level. Additionally, these indicators can provide a mechanism to explain how emotional dysregulation manifests on a material level within a racial discussion. To facilitate more productive dialogue, White individuals must be aware of, and actively combative against their disengagement from productive discussion. Psycholinguistic analyses such as these may provide insight into White people’s strategies when avoiding racial discussion. It is critical to look deeper at microscopic aspects of discussion such as psycholinguistics to raise awareness about uninterrogated biases to intervene and change these engagements.

Trust in the New Normal: The Effect of Face Mask Wearing on Perceived Trustworthiness

Paul Leheste, Max Graves, Yasmeen Balayah, Luke Delacey, Emily Doetkott — Sun, 15 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Interpersonal trust is a multifaceted concept that has changed and become integral in everyday interactions throughout the Coronavirus pandemic. Recent pandemic-era research on how wearing face masks affects interpersonal trust has yielded inconclusive results. This study attempted to extrude the true effect through a survey that presented participants with questions referencing masked and non-masked digital faces. Eighty-eight participants were asked to rank how likely the digital masked and non-masked faces were to possess various socially desirable characteristics as a means of creating an overall “trustworthiness score.” The findings were significant and suggest that participants perceived those who wear a face mask to exhibit more socially desirable characteristics. This finding is possibly due to the perceived protection from disease that participants feel with masked target faces. The finding suggests that wearing a face mask not only protects one’s physical wellbeing, but also promotes an increased social standing.

An Insight into the World of SPAC Fraud

Lawrence Volodarsky — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) is an alternative way to take a company public and avoid the traditional initial public offering (IPO) route. It has no business model or commercial operations: it is to raise capital to acquire or merge with an existing company, known as a “blank check” (Chen). SPACs are nothing new to the public markets, but the SPAC world has surged over the last two years. For example, in 2020, $80 billion was invested into 247 SPACs, and in the first quarter of this year alone, $96 billion was invested into 295 SPACs (Chen).

The research in this paper revolves primarily around two SPAC transactions that occurred in 2020. Nikola (NASDAQ: NKLA) and Clover Health Investments (NASDAQ: CLOV) were two of the biggest SPACs to become public in 2020 and consequently are both currently undergoing fraud investigations conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Department of Justice (DOJ). The insight will be provided into both business models, their founders, and the severity of their respective investigations by short-seller Hindenburg and the DOJ.

Ultimately, these investigations will be connected to other significant SPACs that have been accused of fraudulent business operations by comparing them to what happened with reverse mergers in 2011-2012. The lack of morality from reverse mergers resulted in the SEC posting a bulletin that warned investors to be cautious when investing in such companies, noting that they are risky investments.

An Investigation of Intent and Genocide in the 1930s Kazakh Famine

Maya Mehra — Sun, 15 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

In the 1930s, Kazakhstan, then a republic of the Soviet Union, experienced a devastating famine, resulting in the deaths of 1.5 million people. It is widely accepted that this famine occurred due to the Soviet Union's forced collectivization and sedentarization campaigns. This article summarizes the famine's causes and consequences to use the existing legal definition of intent to critically evaluate Stalin's mindset at the time of the famine. This summary is used to conclude that the famine was likely an intentional act of violence. Further, with this establishment of intent in mind, this article uses the United Nations' definition of genocide to consider whether the horrors endured by and inflicted upon the Kazakh people constitute a genocide. Using the same framework as the legal evaluation of intent, the article concludes that the Great Famine in Kazakhstan cannot be legally classified as a genocide.

The Effect of Wage Increases on Judicial Corruption

Devin Wesenberg — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

This paper explores the relationship between judicial corruption and judicial wages in state-level U.S. courts. Specifically, this paper studies whether increases in wages lead to a decrease in the frequency with which prosecutors charge judges with ethics violations. Many previous scholars focus on public service job performance and wage increases; however, little research exists surrounding judicial corruption and wage increases. To test this relationship, the study utilizes empirical data from 1974 to 2020, collected from the judicial conduct boards of each state, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the National Center for State Courts website. In addition, the researcher conducted a difference-in-differences analysis of state prosecutions using salary as a predictor with number of jurists, state GDP per capita, and conduct board budget as possible confounding variables. The findings suggest that, in general, there is a statistically insignificant relationship between judicial corruption and salary increases. In fact, the variable that impacted corruption the greatest was a conduct board’s budget. Furthermore, conduct board budgets had a positive correlation with the number of corruption complaints, meaning that as a conduct board’s budget increases, the number of corruption complaints also increases. These results provide the important insight that a conduct board’s budget has a significant impact on the number of judicial complaints. Future research could explore how variables such as cost of living, wages of judicial peers, and number of statewide corruption prosecutions influence judicial corruption.

Keywords: judicial corruption, civil servants, salary, Efficiency Wage Theory, Fair Wage Effort Hypothesis, prosecutions

Political Stability and Agriculture: A Case Study of Egypt

Alexa Carlson — Tue, 24 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Climate change is at the forefront of national discussion regarding the future of global stability; however, the role of environmental changes in political stability, including the extent to which the political systems rely on the natural world for stability is relatively underexplored. In recent studies of nations in the Arab Spring, scholars focused on the causes of the uprisings with very little focus on long-term stability factors (Hussain et al., 2013; Weidmann et al., 2019). To investigate the role of environmental factors in political stability, my research compares the 1920s to 1950s with the 1960s to 2010s in Egypt using a qualitative approach to gain a more in-depth understanding of stability changes over time. This paper is markedly different from previous scholarship because most studies on environmental challenges and political implications in the Middle East focus on international conflict instead of domestic relations, such as the large body of work on 'water wars' (Postel et al., 2001; Gleick and Peter, 1993). Exploring intra-national changes can give insights into another realm of critical research on the effects of climate change. Increasing our awareness of how environmental changes have impacted states in the past can help to prepare for future challenges. The results of the research in this paper indicate that arable land and agricultural production do affect political stability since declining conditions for arable land and agricultural production in both case studies contributed to the revolutions by putting pressure on the social and economic systems.

A Statistical Investigation on Workforce Automation

Kevin Jacobson — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

A handful of highly automated businesses are continuing to profit handsomely in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper takes interest in the underlying relationship between an occupation’s susceptibility to automation and variables of economic interest, controlling for a number of factors to identify high-risk characteristics. Using datasets from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration’s Occupational Information Network, we find the degree of computerized tasks and wage level to be statistically significant variables. Other predictors, such as the programming skill of workers, are borderline statistically significant, with p-values slightly exceeding 0.10. Overall, we determine that occupational susceptibility to automation is negatively correlated with educational attainment (in the absence of related predictors), wage, and employment growth rates from 2010-2019. However, we find it is positively correlated with real wage growth rates over the same period and again during the pandemic recession. The methods and final results vary from that of the existing literature, most likely due to differences in variable and model selection. This study accomplishes the following: (1) forms a probabilistic model of workforce automation that is accessible to both economists and public policy makers; (2) provides economic interpretations to our model’s predictions with additional parametric models.

Expanding Queer Indigenous Traditions as a Vehicle of Futurity

Declan Smith — Sun, 15 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

In this paper, I bring into conversation the work of Billy-Ray Belcourt to discuss Indigenous concepts of queerness. I argue that Belcourt defines queer Indigenous identities and bodies as distinct from settler concepts of queerness, and the existences of the Indigenous body indicates an Indigenous futurity (Indigenous future existence). Additionally, I draw from the works of Qwo-Li Driskill and June Scudeler. I elaborate how Native concepts of queerness are intrinsically distinct from colonial understandings and practices of queerness, connecting this to how Belcourt distinguishes Indigenous concepts and definitions of queerness from those of settler-colonial society. I also draw upon Sonja Boon and Kate Lahey’s work on drift to further explore how Belcourt evades colonial definitions and expectations. Simultaneously, Belcourt expands and reworks traditions of queer Indigeneity.

A Flame Fate Dares Not Move

Josi Brickman — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

This article proposes that "To Mrs. M. A. at Parting," a poem by Katherine Philips, portrays a sapphic relationship between its two characters, Orinda and Rosania, and the romantic relationship as inherently powerful and companionate. Secondary literature has broached this topic regarding Katherine Philips but has barely touched this particular poem. This article explores how the poem directly describes this relationship by examining the poem’s syntax, tenses, and pronouns as well as its literary context. The idea of companionate romantic relations was relatively underground at the time; this poem’s portrayal not only argues for the relationship itself but also against the heteronormativity of the time.

MURAJ 2021-2022 Vol. 5 No. 4 Masthead

Chloe Wick — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Constructed Value Systems Across Interpersonal Relationships

Jack Magnus — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Increasingly hypersexual narratives in digital and physical environments have warranted the need to understand how they affect the constructed value schemes of emerging adults. The complexities of these values are first constructed in digital media, then close social networks and spaces, and finally are internalized within the self. This research begins with a survey of existing analyses. Particular attention is given to hypersexual individuals and the resulting behavior and creation of self-identity. Within sexual relationships, non-sexual relationships, and the relationship with the self, the body of existing work is understood. The research ends with a survey distributed to fifty-one individuals, aged nineteen to twenty-three years old. Along with the survey were two, one on one interviews. The results found statistical relationships between effort in friendships and wellbeing, and frequency of sexual thoughts and perceived desirability of self. Conclusions were able to be made about the threats of more sexual environments on the target group, and how these can add detrimental narratives to existing social pressures.

Finding the Sun: An Effort in Retracting and Relearning One’s Past

Samantha Steman — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

Colonization of the Philippines has affected the realities of generations of Filipinos and members of the Filipino diaspora through cultural imperialism and the implementation of colonial hierarchies and institutions. My research analyzes my lived experiences as a Filipino American and passages detailing Filipino American experiences in Elaine Castillo's America is Not the Heart and Malaka Gharib's I Was Their American Dream. I use the lens provided to me through sources dealing with empire, colonialism, and identity to question how Filipino Americans continuously deal with and are influenced by displacement. I seek to place my location and trace it through a history of colonialism, migration, and forced alliances. I explore ideas such as the erasure of Filipino culture and history, the creation of narratives, and the acceptance of one's identity in hopes of better understanding my heritage and encouraging others to examine their own critically.

Rape Culture

Eiley Kuhlmey — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

This three-piece, oil paint on canvas series is titled “Rape Culture” and is inspired by the societal normalization of sexual assault and harassment directed at women. While the matter of rape culture is far from a new issue, for the first time in American history, the tolerance of the sexual violation of women has faced serious scrutiny, leading to the recent era of the Me Too and Time’s Up movements. Witnessing this critical historical shift towards acknowledging and reframing a culture that traditionally victimized rapists and sexual abusers and simultaneously blamed women has inspired this work. This series analyzes the past, present, and future of American rape culture. The first piece depicts a dumpster with the words “Boys will be boys” written across it and relates to the case in which Brock Turner brutally raped a woman behind a dumpster. Turner was sentenced to only six months in jail (though he only served three months) because the judge maintained that he did not want to see Turner’s life ruined as a result of his actions, while entirely dismissing the consequences felt by the victim. Tragically, cases similar to this one are all too common in American society, where the abuser is prioritized over justice for the victim. The second painting is a martini glass with the words “She asked for it” written upon it, which speaks to the commonplace occurrence of date rape drugs being added to drinks and victim blaming associated with rape and sexual assault -- both of which are still persistent threats today. In the third piece, women’s undergarments are painted with the phrase “This is not consent”. This piece recognizes that women are not deserving of sexual aggression, regardless of what they are wearing, and pays homage to the current women’s movements (with particular ties to the This is Not Consent movement in Ireland). This painting emphasizes a future in which consent is respected and in which women subjected to sexual violation are given the justice they deserve.

Decay

Tony Miller — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

This piece is a digital collage, made from photographs I had taken from late winter to mid-summer of 2020. I was inspired by nature, and in particular the melting snow of spring, which revealed wet objects in various states of decay, but also objects in the midst of regrowth. I took pictures of much of these objects, and tried to display them as abstractly as I could, without completely losing their figurative forms. In much of my other collage work I usually use found images, but by using photos taken by me, this piece has become very personal to me and easy to decipher. Thus, I think it is important that a viewer interprets it for themself, as my interpretation is biased from the perspective of the pieces maker

Utilizing the Hamiltonian Dynamics to Study Resonant Interactions of Whistler-Mode Waves and Electrons in the Solar Wind

Tien Vo — Mon, 23 May 2022 00:00:00 -0500

To study the interaction of solar wind electrons and large-amplitude whistler waves, a vectorized test particle simulation was developed with a variational component to calculate the Lyapunov exponents. A description of particle dynamics using the Hamiltonian formulation and secular perturbation theory confirmed that the electron’s pitch angle diffusion was along the constant Hamiltonian surface and that it was driven by the interaction with the resonance surfaces. Also, the role of large-amplitude whistlers in the scattering of solar wind electrons was established. Oblique whistlers were shown to be able to efficiently scatter field-aligned strahl electrons into the halo population in the solar wind. These waves could generate horn-like features in the velocity distribution function, consistent with the behavior reported in recent Particle-In-Cell studies.