Ecological and Evolutionary Trends of Lyme disease in the Northeastern United States
“Since the first reported outbreak in 1975 in Old Lyme Connecticut, Lyme disease has gained increasing prevalence as a major emerging infectious disease comparable to HIV and malaria and is currently the most common vector-borne illness in the United States (Steere et al., 2004; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Lyme disease is a blood-borne pathogen caused by the bacterial spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi which, when transferred from the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) to humans can cause skin lesions, chronic oligoarthritis, cardiac abnormalities, and in some cases fatal neurological disorders such as meningitis (Steere et al., 1983). Different strains of Lyme disease have been found in Europe and Asia, making the activity of this pathogen a global concern (Schmid, 1985).”
-Collin Hayes
Nobody’s Talking: Transgender and Intersex Topics in Sex Education
“Formal sex education in the United States is often surrounded by controversy –– some people want schools to teach mostly sexual abstinence; others want schools to focus on healthy relationships or contraceptive methods. Some feel that sex education should be mandatory for all students, while others feel that parents have the right to remove their children from any curriculum that doesn’t correspond with their personal beliefs. This controversy is fueled by a lack of federal regulation and widely varying state regulation, as well as recent changes in federally endorsed programs and federal funding towards sex education curricula (Guttmacher Institute 2013; Boonstra 2010; Dailard 2006).”
-Talia Kaatz
Converging Regulations for the Chemical Industries of ASEAN: Feasibility from a Political Perspective
“The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) lays the foundations of regional economic integration in Southeast Asia. The goal of the AEC is to result in facilitating free flow of trade, services and investment in the region. Economic integration provided by the AEC will be a great boon to the chemical industry in Singapore, but challenges remain in the form of divergence in regulations and the different levels of development among ASEAN nations. The difficulties are further compounded by the ASEAN founding principle of non-interference (also nicknamed the “ASEAN Way”), which hamper the pace of much-needed reform. This does not mean that meaningful reform towards a full implementation of the AEC is impossible.”
-Davin Ng
A Matter of Persuasion: The American Government’s Use of Psychological Warfare During World War II
“When most people think of the weaponry that is used in warfare, they immediately think of violent weapons such as guns, tanks, or grenades, but rarely do they consider the non-violent weapon that is often used by militaries and governments. This weapon, known as psychological warfare, is defined as, “…the use of propaganda against an enemy…to demoralize the enemy, to break his will to fight or resist, and sometimes to render him favourably disposed to one’s position. Propaganda is also used to strengthen the resolve of allies or resistance fighters.”1 Under this definition, psychological warfare involves propaganda tactics that are aimed at both enemies and supporters, and that primarily seek to manipulate their emotions in order to influence their attitudes and actions.”
–JoAnna Ramsey
Rainbow Herring: the Anti-Homosexuality Bill as a Case Study of Human Rights Violations and Cover-Ups in Uganda
“In a survey conducted in 2013 by Pew Research, it was found that 96% of Ugandans were against homosexuality and other non-traditional sexualities, making it one of the most anti-homosexual countries in the world. Findings from their 2007 report were similar, with an overall change of +1 in favor of homosexuality over five years (Pew Research, 2013). Several arguments are made for this viewpoint, the strongest being the religious argument; according to Leviticus and several sections of the New Testament, homosexuality is not allowed, and there are similar laws in the Qur’an.1 Other arguments made include biological and cultural.”
-Eliana Zimet
Helicobacter pylori and the Development of Gastric Cancer
“Helicobacter pylori infects more than half of the world’s population, and its CagA virulent strain induces 63% of the world’s gastric cancer cases. Although this gram-negative stomach pathogen is easily eradicated using antibiotics, antibiotic resistance is becoming more common and poses a significant concern for the future of all antibiotic-treated diseases. Due to this rise in antibiotic resistance, it is important to understand the mechanisms in which CagA-positive H. pylori induces gastric cancer in order to effectively prevent or treat Helicobacter pylori-induced gastric cancer that does not rely on the use of antibiotics. This mini review presents an overview of the mechanisms in which H. pylori causes gastric cancer. Although some of this research has led to half-hearted public funding for the development of a vaccine, integration of CagA-positive H. pylori with more recent groundbreaking studies such as Nelson et al.’s molecular labeling of Staphylococcus aureus (2010), or Mullis et al.’s targeting of Bacillus anthracis using a present condition of the body’s adaptive immune response (2013) may prove more successful in developing an effective gastric cancer treatment.”
-Colin Hayes
Characterization of the Interactions within Cleaning Stations of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and their Vertebrate Clients
“Cleaning stations are a beneficial service to the many occupants of the coral reef. Like the reef itself, the interactions between species at such cleaning stations can be quite diverse. Several dives were completed off the coast of Roatán, Honduras in order to observe coral reef cleaning stations and characterize the species-specific interactions between cleaner and client fish. Our study had three objectives: (1) to determine the species that frequented stations the most, (2) to characterize the orientation at which specific species posed when cleaned, and (3) to quantify the frequency of flinching behavior and whether it correlates with how many other clients are nearby.”
-Erin Collins and Kat Quintanilla
La agencia, la liberación, y un beso de la mujer araña
“Hoy en día, la idea de las orientaciones sexuales no-heterosexuales se entiende progresivamente como algo normal. Sin embargo, aunque tenemos la capacidad de entender que la sexualidad no es un binario, la idea de que el género tampoco funciona en una forma binaria es aún más difícil comprender para mucha gente. Por eso, el género no-normativo es una de las últimas fronteras que tenemos que superar como una sociedad. Se puede ver el género como espectro, en los dos extremos del cual están varón y hembra, pero con todo el intermedio también siendo normal. Sin la aceptación de este modelo, no vamos a poder aceptar a una minoridad grande de gente por todo el mundo.
En lugar, leemos de la vida de Molina por un narrador anónimo, significativo de que la agencia de Molina facilitaba su liberación, y puede proceder y entonces morirse con una mente libre de sus pensamientos liosos e incoherentes de antes.”
— Alissa Murray
Unity in Plurality: Bahasa Indonesia’s many incarnations
“The propaganda of a “Bahasa Indonesia yang baik dan benar” (“good and correct Indonesian”) hides a peculiar splintered reality. The duplicity stems from Bahasa Indonesia’s role as the quintessential symbol of community cohesion and democratic inclusion in Indonesia (Bertrand 282). Although the nation contained more than 700 languages at independence, membership in the post-colonial world entailed knowledge of this one ethnically anonymous and obscure language of commerce (Bertrand 265). Currently over 90 percent of the Indonesian population speaks it and 15 percent acquire it as a first language – a stunning feat, given that it had never been an organic mother tongue (Sneddon 524; Boellstorff 254). Nevertheless, this diffusion has not precluded the bifurcation of Bahasa Indonesia into standard and colloquial varieties that challenge the myth of a pure, single language.
Asian studies scholar Benedict Anderson beautifully captures the essence of Bahasa Indonesia which, in “forming a new and thin topsoil to the cultures of Indonesia, has proven only too subject to erosion once the winds begin to blow” (141). Germinating just beneath the surface, these brands of informal Indonesian speech alter Bahasa Indonesia but do not antagonize it. They redecorate it from within, allowing a democratically oriented generation of Indonesians to reclaim ownership of it and distill national concepts of inclusion into their own immediate communities.”
— Andrew Huff
History, Herstory, Hairstory: A History and Analysis of Body and Pubic Hair Removal in the United State
“Although it is a topic relevant to everyone in the United States, pubic hair is a subject rarely talked about. This research provides a comprehensive history of perceptions of body hair and body hair removal as well as a critique of the practice of removing body hair (and pubic hair in particular) and of promoting a culture of acceptable ephebophilia in the United States through analysis of literature, popular culture references and norms, and personal interviews.
When I initially thought of this topic, I knew it was something that I was interested in talking about, but I thought that I was the only one. Pubic hair is a topic that everyone thinks about, but nobody talks about. I was surprised and delighted by the amount of positive feedback I received from conducting interviews or sharing with peers (and professors and Goucher staff!) what I was researching. People want an outlet and a safe space to talk about things that might be uncomfortable but that everyone thinks about. Sex has become a culturally acceptable discussion topic, but pubic hair is still not talked about. I am very pleased to have been able to take on such a big topic and bring the conversation about pubic hair into the open.”
— Emma Trisolini
