McNair Scholars Symposium

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  Determination of Midgut Protease Activity in Zophobas morio Larvae Fed a Diet Containing Microplastic Particles

  Julia Martinez

  Microplastics (MPs) are pollutants in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems consisting of particles from 5000 mm to 0.01 mm in diameter. These small plastic particles persist in the environment; they are easily ingested by most organisms, and may produce degradation products known to disrupt endocrine systems. The abundance of MPs all over the planet is so immense and wide-ranging that many scientists today have begun studying their effect on biological organisms, which is still not well known. Superworms (Zophobas morio larvae) have been shown to be capable of breaking down major plastic polymers such as expanded polystyrene foam through both physical and biochemical mechanisms, but the effect of this degradation on their digestive enzyme activity has yet to be characterized. This study aimed to measure the effect of ingesting various microplastics on midgut protease activity in the larvae of Z. morio. The superworms were fed a standard diet, with some being “laced” with plain nylon, polyester, polyethylene, and polypropylene microparticles at various concentrations, as well as polystyrene foam. The protease activities of their midgut tissues were measured using azocasein. The ingestion of plastics appeared to cause alterations in midgut protease activity, particularly in the nylon, polypropylene, and polystyrene feedings. The mechanism of these alterations remains to be determined. Possible effectors include endocrine disruption, inflammation of the gut lining, or disruption of gut microbiota. Future directions include measuring the protease activities of gut contents (secreted enzymes), as well as examining specific proteases such as trypsin and chymotrypsin.

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  Ethnorace and Latine Decolonial Feminisms: Filling the Gaps of Erasure

  Marie Peterson

  This paper discusses how decolonial feminists, specifically from a Latine perspective, can mitigate issues of erasure using the concept of ‘ethnorace.’ One major figure in decolonial Latine feminist theory, María Lugones, has offered notable contributions to the field through her analysis of the modern/colonial gender system. Despite the advancements her work makes, her readings of Black feminist scholars have been critiqued for the potential erasures enacted by her account of decolonial feminism. For example, Kathryn Sophia Belle and Emma D. Velez have highlighted how Lugones’s interpretation of intersectionality may misrepresent the theoretical framework as developed by Kimberlé Crenshaw, as well as the history of intersectional approaches in Black feminist theory. In this paper, I argue that the concept of ethnorace can be used within decolonial feminism to address these erasures. Using Linda Martín Alcoff’s argument for Latine identity as an ethnoracial identity, I propose a new account of ethnorace as an identification category that considers the racial, ethnic, and historical/political aspects of an identity. Such an account, I argue, brings awareness to both the heterogeneity and racialization of such a group. If this account of ethnorace is used in a rereading of Lugones’s work, it can alleviate the erasures of Black feminist theory committed in her original reading of intersectionality and, moreover, bring into focus the experiences of multiply-marginalized Latine people. This paper therefore serves as a contribution to feminist decolonial theories concerned with coalition-building across marginalized communities.

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  Hidden Attunements: A Program Evaluator's Perspective on Student Course Evaluation at St. Mary's University

  Pamela Molina

  The essence of Pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus's observation, “The hidden attunement is better than the open,” underscores the importance of understanding the subtle, unseen connections within the teaching-learning process. In today's educational landscape, it is vital for stakeholders to look beyond superficial student feedback to uncover deeper insights that can drive meaningful pedagogical improvements. This paper explores the historical context and contemporary challenges of student course evaluations in higher education, emphasizing the need for a multi-faceted approach to assessment that transcends traditional metrics. Tracing the evolution of higher education evaluations from their inception in 1928 through post-WWII reforms and the Civil Rights era, this study examines the enduring reliance on empirical evidence and the complexities surrounding high-stakes decisions based solely on student evaluations. The evaluation of the Student Course Evaluation Survey is approached through the lens of a program evaluator, focusing on the instrument's capacity to yield valuable data, the stakeholders involved, and the implications for tenure, promotion, and overall educational quality. By identifying primary, secondary, and key stakeholders, this study highlights the economic, social, and health-related factors influencing student course evaluations. Recommendations include enhancing evaluation design, increasing response rates, implementing screening mechanisms for abusive comments, and separating evaluations from high-stakes decisions. Additionally, incorporating multiple measures of teaching quality and fostering transparency in feedback processes can lead to actionable improvements. The paper concludes by advocating for evidence-based assessment practices and sustainable improvement cycles, as exemplified by Albion College's approach, to optimize educational outcomes and maintain adaptability in a dynamic academic environment.

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  How LGBTQ+-friendly are the IPV resources recommended by the city of San Antonio?

  Elena Montiel

  After noticing the lack of information on domestic violence within the LGBTQ+ community, I wanted to turn to a local community, the city of San Antonio, and their recommended resources. With the lack of domestic violence resources that specialize in the LGBTQ+ community, it is important to recognize how experiences may differ whether or not a person identifies as a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Based in San Antonio, Texas, I conducted a content analysis on the friendliness of each website towards the LGBTQ+ community, using the websites linked to the Metropolitan Health District Domestic Violence page on the City of San Antonio website. Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, five themes emerged: community, safety, simplicity, inclusiveness, and education. Given these themes, I analyzed each organization's website for its explicit acknowledgment and consideration of a person who identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community and their well-being. Looking at each website at the surface level, I wanted to simulate a person in dire need who may be needing help quickly while also ensuring the safety of their identity. Each organization had its own unique approach to supporting survivors, some catering more to marginalized groups than others. Considering the lack of representation of the LGBTQ+ community within these resources, it is important to acknowledge how easy it is for them to get overlooked.

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  Importance of intervention: In children who witness IPV as to prevent development of detrimental effects on their developmental skills and efforts

  Megan "Lexi" Maldonado

  Recent increases in domestic violence and Intimate Partner Violence have raised concerns about the impact on children and need for early intervention. By understanding that there are crucial milestones during childhood and that there are correlating developmental moments that can be disrupted with along with environmental factors furthermore promotes that there should be a change in awareness around this issue. Trauma exposed children exhibit anger and aggression, possibly due to modeled behavior and if this continues, it can lead to exacerbated behavioral challenges. Children are highly impressionable, meaning they often mimic behaviors observed in their parents. Thus, parental involvement, especially maternal support, plays a crucial role. Yet children are also affected by other environmental factors such as cultural and social ones. By integrating cultural factors into IPV parenting programs, we can create more sensitive and effective support systems for both mothers and children. Additionally, teacher training should address cultural competence and awareness to better identify, and support students affected by IPV in diverse communities. By integrating trauma-informed practices into existing programs, we can create more resilient and healing environments for those affected by IPV. By meticulously examining groups often overlooked—those unaware they are outliers—we can proactively identify warning signs. Early intervention not only prevents the perpetuation of IPV but also safeguards children’s educational development and well-being. If we also focus on positive socio-emotional regulation and regulation prosocial skills may follow and develop as protective factors and therefore a form of resilience. By jumpstarting a conversation where we are collaborating with community organizations, policymakers, and legal experts to create culturally sensitive policies ensures equitable access to justice. By embracing an intersectional approach, policies and programs can better address the unique needs and challenges faced by marginalized populations.

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  Mobile Recruitment Service Quality and its Role in Applicant Attraction in Organization

  Lilian Hernandez Peregrino

  The adoption of mobile devices has transformed the way organizations conduct business. However, despite the prevalence of mobile technology in business, organizations still struggle to recruit and retain talent. In addition, Mobile Service Quality has been identified as a key driver of customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in several contexts (e.g., Mobile Banking, Mobile Shopping, Mobile Health Care). Unfortunately, little is known about its role in Mobile Recruitment. As a context-based construct (Parasuraman et al., 1988), it would be important to understand its role in recruitment. In particular, various scholars have identified a notable need for research on recruitment practices within small to medium-sized organizations. There have been calls to research information on the internal recruiting processes employed by these smaller-sized organizations (Biea et al., 2024). In this article, we aim to fill the gap in our understanding of Mobile Service Quality in the context of job applicant recruitment. Specifically, we propose a model that suggests the antecedents of attraction in the mobile context. We theorize that Mobile Service Quality, along with Job Information Quality (i.e., company and job information) and Company Reputation, could be key determinants of applicant attraction.

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  Narcissism in College Students: How Narcissism Relates to Attributions for Test Performance

  Carolina Pinales

  Narcissism, as understood by scientists today, operates in three dimensions. People with high narcissistic neuroticism show lower self esteem and attribute their success more to outside factors (Rohmann et. al, 2019). People with narcissistic extraversion display high self esteem and regularly attribute their success to themselves (Scharbert et al., 2024). Those with high narcissistic antagonism will be more competitive and hostile when their self esteem is threatened (Kwiatkowska et al., 2019;Miller et. al, 2021). In this experimental study, we examined how narcissism influences students’ attributions for their test performance. Participants (n = 201) from Trinity University completed a narcissism questionnaire before taking a test in their preferred major. They then received false feedback telling them either that they performed in the 27th percentile or 82nd percentile. They were then asked how much they attributed their performance to prior knowledge (versus luck and test difficulty). Extraversion and antagonistic dimensions of narcissism did not relate to attributions. However, students higher in neurotic narcissism were more likely to attribute poor performance to their prior knowledge, whereas students lower in neurotic narcissism were more likely to attribute good performance to their prior knowledge (interaction p = 0.015). These results align with prior literature and future studies should review more in depth how different types of narcissism make it so a person may attribute it to other factors than themselves.

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  Optimizing Wind Turbine Management Through AI-Driven Load and Placement Predictions

  Laurene Robinson

  The maintenance and operation of wind turbines create challenges when it comes to maximizing energy efficiency while also producing a minimal amount of wear. It is necessary to determine when is the optimal time to stop a turbine, that being if it's due to mechanical issues, lack of power demand, or environmental factors. Stopping the turbines can save companies resources and improve their system's longevity. In this study, we explore the feasibility of using machine learning to predict optimal loads for these conditions. By modeling variables such as wind availability and current power demand, the model aims to predict what factors lead to the most efficiency. Online simulated datasets might not involve environmental conditions, simulating the data with perfect laminar flow. So we simulated our own data in order to see how turbulence affects airflow patterns over time. To address ⁤⁤these challenges, this research proposes developing an ⁤⁤AI model capable of continuously optimizing turbine ⁤⁤load and placement decisions. Such a model would be able to integrate real-time data on wind conditions and power demand, and then adapt accordingly to environmental changes along with operational constraints. By using AI’s predictive capabilities, the study aims to increase energy production efficiency by making the systems that control the turbines dynamic in the way they continuously adapt to the conditions.

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  Sister Cities: The Secret to More Sustainable Urban Transportation

  Lucero Galvez

  Since the first establishment of Monterrey as a sister city in 1953 (Mexico), San Antonio has continued its efforts in gaining partnerships with cities like Gwangju, South Korea (1981), Kumamoto, Japan (1987), and Darmstadt, Germany (2017). The city boasts 12 agreements with sister cities around the world, with 2 friendship cities in the making. Through these partnerships, sister cities globally have made a commitment to collaborative efforts that support the development of educational, cultural, economic, social, industrial, and economic sectors. The focus now shifts to recent demands made by the UN regarding emission reduction. To explore more sustainable approaches for public transportation in urban settings, this study will provide a comparison between San Antonio and its sister cities when it comes to predominant modes of transport, project outlines in each respective transportation department and optimal examples of sustainable transportation. The goal of this research is to characterize the extent of collaborative influence stemming from sister city agreements on existing transportation policy, focusing on realistic projects that promote sustainability in the city of San Antonio, Texas.

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  Social Media and Film Marketing: A study on Genre Marketing Pre- and Post-Pandemic

  Zoe Parra

  The last few decades has introduced advancements of technology that have allowed for unprecedented connectivity among people worldwide through the utilization of mobile phones, social media, and new digital marketing trends. Marketing managers at film studios with the help of social media now utilize social media platforms such as Youtube, Tik-Tok, and Instagram. engagement. Movies such as the Barbie Movie (2023), Avatar the Way of Water (2022), Spider Man No Way Home (2021), Bad Boys for Life (2020), all employ different marketing methods in their various campaigns that are all ated by the genre in which the film’s story is being told. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic created large widespread restrictions that impacted consumers ability to physcially go out and see a film. This resulted in a major push in film marketers to change how they market their films. Part of the shifts in the prioritization of marketing methods from creating anticipation and informing consumers about a new film project; to the maximization of audience. There is a positive correlation between audience engagement and the success of a film with a trend of the highest amount of engagement being on the date of the initial trailer release of a film and the date that a film opens in theaters. Films that are marketed with their genre taken into a large consideration garner more positive consumer engagement. There are also outside factors that could affect the success of a movie such as how accurately and aggressively the correct audience demographic is being marketed to.

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  The Casualties of the Open-Border Debate: Latinx Feminist Voices on the Ethics of Migration

  Amely Logan

  This paper considers philosophical perspectives on immigration restrictions and the consequences of the open borders debate more generally. The open borders debate within the ethics of migration consists of arguments from philosophers who justify states’ rights to restrict immigration and arguments from philosophers who believe states should have open borders. In discussing the open borders debate, I introduce Christopher Heath Wellman’s “Immigration and Freedom of Association,” where he argues that states do in fact have a right to exclude immigrants from their territories based on the state’s responsibility to keep the state’s citizens’ best interests in mind. In response, I highlight how the language and framing around migrants in works in the ethics of migration, like Wellman’s, itself does harm to migrants. While border enforcement often results in literal mass casualties among immigrants, I argue that social terms that characterize immigrants as “illegals” and “aliens” constitute another type of causality migrants face that is overlooked in the open borders debate. These terms I consider to be a casualty because its causes the “death” of a migrant’s autonomy to find their own identity. They instead battle between society’s perception of their identity and their own, two sides that are almost impossible to connect. By taking seriously Latinx feminist voices, like those of Mariana Ortega and Gloria Anzaldúa, that are often neglected within the ethics of migration, it becomes clearer to understand the immigrant experience and difficulties immigrants face due to the way in which they are portrayed in the United States.

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  The Emergence of Optimal F: Applying Optimal t Logic to ANOVAs

  Fatima Gallardo Ibarra

  Practitioners often deal with missingness when using with-subject designs. While there are useful approaches for dealing with missingness, such as imputation, most are too sophisticated for practitioners to apply. Those that are more manageable, such as deletion methods, have deleterious effects on the interpretability of results. In attempts to reduce the loss of statistical power through preservation of data, research on the use of between-subjects test in within-subjects scenarios have been examined (Avila et. al.,2021). Rather than using a paired samples t-test on pretest/posttest data, an independent sample t-test is used for its potential to increase statistical power form the preservation of data. This method was applied in a previous study in the development of Optima t, where R code is used to identify and perform the t-test with the highest statistical power based on specified parameters. (Cuevas et al., 2023). This study examined whether the logic of Optimal t can be applied to within-subjects scenarios that have three or more measurement points. We considered specified sample sizes (25, 50, 75), correlation (0,0.15, 0.3), missingness (0, 0.15, 0.3), and differences in means (0 sd, 0.25 sd, 0.5 sd). Results were encouraging as this new method, which we refer to as Optimal F, showed promising outcomes with respect to both Type I and Type II error rates. Recommendations for future research are discussed.

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  The High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 using New Statistical Method, Optimal F

  Arianna Ortiz

  The High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 (HSLS:09) is a unique study that encapsulates data from 25,206 representative samples of students from 10 states in the U.S. ensuring that policymakers are provided reliable information about student trajectories within their state compared to other states and nationwide. The nationally representative longitudinal study of 9th graders showcased trends in continuation through their secondary and postsecondary years with a concentration on understanding the students' trajectories from the beginning of high school into their postsecondary education. The HSLS:09 study encompasses an extensive amount of missing data. Missingness interferes with the researcher’s ability to accurately interpret data of their studies as they are not representative of a population. This is especially true in longitudinal research as a study with a significantly large original sample size may include deletion or imputation methods into missing values resulting in a smaller subset of data. As stated previously, there are numerous solutions to dealing with missingness, such as regression, and multiple imputation, however, this study focuses on reporting mean difference through Type I and Type II error and replacing missing values at random using Optimal F’s repeated measures and one-way ANOVA. It is hypothesized statistical methods will support and stimulate new data creating a mean difference that will be representative of the population. Statistical techniques such as these alter missing values rather than delete cases altogether to conserve the sample size.

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  The Human Touch: Exploring Emotional Attachment Responses to Human and Artificial Intelligence (AI) -Generated Imagery

  Belyn Thompson

  The recent advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) powers numerous image generation tools for various purposes, including marketing. In this article, we are particularly exploring human’s emotional attachment towards human-generated images compared to AI-generated images. From the literature, we found that the mirror neuron network could play a major role in why humans have a stronger connection to human-generated images than AI-generated images. The effect of seeing oneself in an image and being able to relate can enhance the emotional interaction with the image whereas with AI-generated images we see a decrease. Finding a slight decrease in emotional attachment to AI-generated images in contrast to human-generated images often fails to evoke the same connection due to the lack of human elements. However, the reaction to AI-generated images can vary widely due to circumstance. In each case, any diminished emotional response to AI-generated images leads to lower purchase intent, since emotional attachment is a key driver in consumer decision-making. Therefore, by understanding the psychological reasoning of how consumers perceive images in advertising, marketers are better equipped to handle AI-image generation and advertising. As the world progresses, the need to have proficient knowledge of the usage of AI in marketing allows us to get ahead of the AI trend and refine target markets with the scope of AI and AI-image generation.

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  “Thy Will Be Done”: Exploring the Effects of Religious Salience on Intimate Partner Violence

  Carina Pawlak

  Religious beliefs bear a great significance on our lives, as they shape our personal belief systems and affect our relationships with others. Religion has been found to have a positive correlation with intimate partner violence (IPV), an increasingly prevalent issue when looking at male and female relationships. The traditional values such as purity culture and male gender roles associated with patriarchal societies and traditional religious beliefs may magnify the possibility of IPV perpetration. The Bible may also be taken literally by Christianity and misinterpreted to corroborate perpetrators’ abuse. In addition with the lack of proper IPV education and prevention, religious communities may be contributing to the IPV statistics. Several studies show that Christian leaders will encourage IPV victims to stay in their relationships due their unbelief in divorce. This analysis used data from the Crime, Health, and Intimate Partner Problems Survey (CHIPPS), a cross-sectional probability sample of St. Mary’s University undergraduate students (n = 180) designed to analyze differences in partner violence and religion. The focal variables asked participants a variety of examples in which it might be considered okay to hit your partner and religiosity according to religious attendance and personal affiliation. A chi square test was conducted between the variables and the results remain complex throughout. IPV poses a daunting subject amidst the traditional values associated with religion. Future research would be advised to consider variables such as socioeconomic and cultural factors and differences between different denominations of Christianity when examining IPV.

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  Carolina Pinales - 2023

  Carolina Pinales

  John Bowlby’s theory of attachment is found to be a way of explaining why bonds are important in being formed for both physiological and psychological needs to be met in human offspring. However, attachments also exist within and betweenspecies. This study examined 11.71 hours of video recordings of a beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) mother-calf pair housed at SeaWorld Texas over two years of the calf’s life.It was expected that as the calf matured, mother-calf swims would decrease while solo swimming increased. of the duration of myriad behaviors were recorded and included mother-calf swims, solo swims, affiliative behaviors and agonistic behaviors. Although mother-calf swims stayed consistent across the first two years, solo swimming initiated increased. Evidence of secure base and safe haven use was observed between the calf and his mother as was maternal intervention and other caregiving behaviors by his mother. These different interactions suggest that the bond between the mother and calf could be described as an attachment e. Additional study of beluga mother-calf relationships could determine if belugas form specific types of secure or insecure attachments

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  Esmeralda Lopez - 2023

  Esmeralda Lopez

  Past research has shown that cultural stressors are associated with increased symptoms of depression as well as alcohol and drug use and aggressive behavior among Hispanic/Latinx. Cultural stressors are defined as stressors rooted in navigating multiple cultural streams at once. Despite research documenting the detrimental impact of cultural stress, limited research has identified factors, such as acculturative strategies, biculturalism, and familismo, that may diminish experiences of cultural stress. Utilizing a subset of 1189 (74.5% female, Mage = 20.43 years, SD = 3.858 years) college students from the MUSIC survey, we looked to identify how specific cultural assets uniquely impact cultural stressors (i.e., pressure to acculturation, pressure against acculturation, and discrimination). Results indicated that greater Bicultural Identity Integration (BII) was associated with reduced pressure to acculturate, pressure against acculturation and whether these individuals will perceive higher levels of discrimination. In addition, Heritage and U.S. Cultural Endorsement had a positive association with heritage in pressure to acculturate, while Americanism had a negative association with pressure to acculturate. Finally, findings indicated familismo had a positive association with pressure to acculturate. Our findings emphasize that cultural stressors are heavily dependent on Hispanic/Latinx own acculturative configuration (i.e., endorsement of heritage and US cultures and familismo) as well as how they feel about their two identities. These results are discussed in relation to specific cultural stressors that Hispanic/Latinx face in the U.S. and the need for understanding the relationship these individuals faced with competing cultures.

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  Fatima Gallardo Ibarra- 2023

  Fatima Gallardo Ibarra

  Missingness interferes with practitioners’ ability to accurately interpret the results of their studies. This is especially true in within-subjects designs as a study with a sufficiently large original sample size might net a much smaller set of complete cases once missingness is taken into account. Contemporary solutions to dealing with missingness, such as regression and multiple imputation, have focused on replacing missing values. Methods such as these that replace missing values rather than delete cases altogether preserve sample size, but they also require a level of sophistication that far exceeds what practitioners can reasonably be expected to have. Recent research has supported the use of between-subjects methods in within-subject scenarios as a means by which to manage missingness in a highly accessible manner. The present study builds on this earlier research by considering whether a new strategy, Optimal t, maintains statistical power in the face of missingness without artificially inflating alpha. Optimal t selects the better option between a paired samples and an independent samples t-test based on simulated trials. Initial research has supported the use of Optimal t, although there has been some concern about inflated Type I error rates (Sperling et al., 2023). In this study, a correction formula is introduced which adjusts p-values in proportion to sample size and compared the results against original Optimal t, paired samples t-test and independent samples t-test. Results suggest that original Optimal t outperforms all other options across conditions. Implications for practice and recommendations for further research are provided.

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  Jacob Rodriguez - 2023

  Jacob Rodriguez

  This research aims to provide analytical review that explains the history and prospects of the Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble with its repertoire, investigate the production, the recorded works, and composers for the Backburner Tuba-Euphonium Collective’s debut album: “A Little Monster Music,” while also discussing the biography and objective of the Backburner Tuba-Euphonium Collective. This paper includes the oral and written history behind the Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble and the Backburner Tuba-Euphonium Collective; this paper provides two oral interviews with two professional Tuba-Euphonium players, named Dr. Clayton Maddox and Dr. Matthew Mireles. In these interviews, both Dr. Maddox and Dr. Mireles share their biography while also reviewing the general condition of Tuba-Euphonium ensembles and their motivations for Backburner. The approach to researching this topic involved an examination of all the recorded works and composers for the repertoire of the Backburner Tuba-Euphonium Collective, and then it was also required to collect the biographical data behind Backburner. After collecting data, it was instructed to communicate an analysis of the recorded works that are in the Backburner’s debut album: “A Little Monster Music.” This interpretation is also referred to as creating “liner notes,” which essentially illustrate a listener’s perspective of the portrayal and pervading theme or character of the piece. The contention for the reader was to explain why documenting the history and momentum of Tuba-Euphonium Ensembles is crucial to the continuity and respect for the instruments, while also inspiring a consensus to understanding and listening to the recorded works for Tuba-Euphonium Ensembles and Backburner.

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  Jacob Silva - 2023

  Jacob Silva

  Depression and anxiety are major public health concerns as they affect over a million Americans every year and have numerous adverse outcomes. Research exploring the linkages between depression and anxiety with drug abuse has remained minimal. Results derive from the Nashville Stress and Health Study (n = 1,252), a study that ascertained the stress and health status of predominantly African Americans and White Americans from Davidson County. Results indicated a significant relationship between depression and violent crime (rape), as well as depression and drug abuse. Similarly, a significant relationship was identified between anxiety and violent crime (rape and physical assault), as well as anxiety and drug use. This study provides insight into the prevalence of drug abuse in relation to depression and anxiety that developed due to traumatic experiences via violent crime victimization.

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  Kai Solonka - 2023

  Kai Solonka

  “Neuropenitentiary” utilizes the naturalist-compatibilist interpretation of free will presented by Daniel C. Dennett in “Freedom Evolves” (2003) to argue for the brain’s tragically natural fallibility in preserving autonomous agency when afflicted with trauma (PTSD, developmental trauma, etc.). When juxtaposed with the naturalistic framework provided by Dennett, Bessel Van Der Kolk’s recent (2014) in-depth medical and academic accounts of trauma (whether in the context of PTSD, intergenerational trauma, or developmental trauma) elucidated in “The Body Keeps the Score” present necessary and sufficient conditions for the loss or obstruction of autonomous agency on a physiological level – in that humans’ evolutionarily developed sense of rationality, made possible by the neurophysiological functions of the brain in an attempt to maintain homeostasis through hormonal regulation and conceptual recollection, is jeopardized by the overwhelming stressors of a traumatic event. Finally, this paper ties these points together to elucidate the loss of individual autonomy at the hands of trauma itself and provides an explanation for free will as an evolutionary development, contingent upon the efficiency of neurophysiological function. As an example, “Neuropenitentiary” encourages the continued study of naturalistic free will for the advancement of its ancillary application to other similarly concerned interdisciplinary fields.

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  Kevin Trinh - 2023

  Kevin Trinh

  This paper presents a Python-based toolset for translating custom language code into assembly language for a virtual machine. The toolset includes a lexer module for tokenizing the code, a parser module for generating an abstract syntax tree (AST), and a compiler or semantic analyzer module for translating the AST into assembly language instructions. The research focuses on the design and implementation of these components, utilizing top-down recursive parsing. Extensive testing ensures accurate translation and execution of custom language code. The toolset's flexibility enables future enhancements and support for diverse virtual machine architectures. The results demonstrate successful translation, highlighting the power and versatility of the developed toolset. This research advances language processing and compiler design, facilitating the seamless execution of domain-specific languages on virtual hardware platforms.

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  Lonni Lee Garcia - 2023

  Lonni Lee Garcia

  Intimate partner violence is an ongoing public health issue and accounts for 15% of all violent crimes. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 9 men experience severe intimate partner violence. This can lead to impacts such as injury, fearfulness, post-traumatic stress disorder, use of victim services, and contraction of sexually transmitted diseases. Research exploring the linkages between religion and PTSD has received limited attention. Data comes from the Nashville Stress and Health Study (2011–2014), a cross-sectional probability survey of black and white adults from Davidson County, Tennessee (n = 1,252). Results indicate that those with a high belief in divine control are expected to increase individual’s PTSD score. This study provides a fresh perspective on the links between partner violence and PTSD by (a) considering multiple religious and divine control variables and (b) focusing on the association between divine control and PTSD.

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  Maria Chiara Cossio - 2023

  Maria Chiara Cossio

  When a neuron receives a stimulus it will become depolarized and reach a certain threshold producing an action potential, which will fire, sending the electrical signal down the axon. In order to analyze the behavior of these neural systems and how they can be affected based on their input current (I.C.), a model called Leaky Integrate-and-fire neuron (LIF) was used. In this simple mathematical model, a simulation was run where the neuron's threshold was set to 4mV, and a set of 7 input currents was established; (I.C.= 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7), each was measured with the same stimulus duration, 500msec. Two different stimuli were sent from the alpha synapses, first with a value of α=1 and the second of α=0.5 to the neuron, if an action potential is generated it will produce a peak above 4mv, which is counted and then divided by the time in milliseconds. The firing rate (F.R.) for the first stimulus was (F.R.=0, 0, 0.016, 0.024, 0.032, 0.04, 0.048) respectively, while the second one was (F.R.=0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0.002, 0.006) respectively. Furthermore, the results from the experimental data collected and analyzed demonstrate a clear correlation between firing rate and input current. This suggests that the action potential occurs more frequently if there is a higher input current and higher alpha synapses.

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  Martina Flores Guillen - 2023

  Martina Flores Guillen

  Making a distinguishing line between individuals and how the law maintains it emphasizes a cognitive ideal of a preferable outcome in the Justice system. Polarizing appeals to the exterior and inner concept of the method that the Criminal System should genuinely implement. The primary idea that the Criminal Justice system in the U.S. targets it also depends on the location where offenses are committed and go based on the gender of the suspect. Earliest as the 1980s, it has been proven that the total average exonerating cases of individuals, most surrounding minority groups, that were wrongfully convicted under the U.S. judicial branch, 27,200+ of those cases were proven to have been misled. Addressing implementations of extraordinary progressive sentencing guidelines has depicted that more than half of the population cannot maintain blame for nonresponding policies that keep oppressing and neglecting both male and female groups. Utilizing sources of two distinct sides of the U.S. that depict relatively high or low rates from 1984 - 2023. A comparative response was obtained throughout Southern and Western sources' incarceration and prison population rates. The Southern side depicts an increase in incarceration and population even when utilizing sentencing guidelines under the SRA, deferring from the Western side of the U.S., depicting a lower incarceration and population outcome when following an SRA guideline across prison facilities. Men and women could be affected differently by the system under the SRA policies that depend on the location that the Sentencing Reform Act has had over the decades upon the system, which was inferred after obtaining the information.