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Following the end of Fulgencio Batista’s regime and with the triumph of the
Revolution in January 1959, the new government joined efforts to give voice to
previously marginalized members of society. Examples of such marginalized groups
included peasants, afro-Cubans, and other low-class citizens. But homosexuals did not
fall under this social reform and were initially stigmatized with a conservative discourse.
Reinaldo Arenas explores this issue in his autobiography Before Night Falls (1992). The
text tells his story as a young man that was initially enthusiastic about the Cuban
Revolution, but who later grew resentful towards an oppressive political system that led
to his persecution, his incarceration, and finally in 1980 his exile. This research study
explores Arenas’ queer approach for an alternative interpretation of Cuban society that
challenges the Revolution’s homophobic political discourse during its first couple of
decades.

Upper Respiratory Tract Disease (URTD) is an extremely infectious illness whose
effect on Gopher tortoise populations is not fully understood and in need of more
extensive research. The occurrence of URTD in the Gopher tortoise population in the
Abacoa Greenway has been thoroughly documented over the past 11 years. In the current
study, blood samples were collected from 37 individuals in this location, 22 of which
were from previously tested individuals. Twenty-four of these individuals were also
sampled for blood chemistry testing. The test results for the 22 previously tested tortoises
were compared to past results. Results of this study show that some individuals continue
to test positive over several years, while others that have previously tested positive now
show lower levels of antibodies, suggesting the ability to recover from the disease.
Comments were also made on the associated hematology and blood chemistry results for
the 24 tortoises sampled.

Homelessness is a systemic issue in the United States, which significantly impacts both the individuals who are homeless and society as a whole. One of the major factors that drives homelessness is the loss of employment or the failure to maintain steady employment. Homeless individuals also have difficulty regaining steady employment or entering the workforce as their opportunities are often limited by their criminal records, limited employment history, and lack of a permanent address. This creates a vicious cycle keeping homeless individuals homeless. This paper argues that it is in the best interest of local governments and communities to end homelessness by providing a path towards steady employment. This paper will introduce the social enterprise model as a method of achieving this goal, specifically discussing the startup, growth, viability, and success of a landscaping social enterprise.

The
religious
architecture
of
Ladakh,
India,
reflects
a
rich
multicultural
history
defined
by
bodily
practices
of
remembrance
performed
on
an
individual
and
collective
basis.
The
focus
of
my
research
is
to
understand
how
the
religious
community
of
Ladakh
enshrines
memories
and
traditions
within
their
mosques
and
temples.
In
particular,
I
examine
how
literally
constructed
spaces
can
act
as
a
superstructure
to
which
memories
can
attach.
Using
as
a
point
of
reference
Paul
Connerton’s
work
on
social
bodily
practices
in
How
Societies
Remember
(1989),
I
conducted
interviews
with
members
of
the
Ladakhi
community
to
explore
the
idea
of
architecture
as
a
focal
point
of
remembrance.
By
examining
the
entwined
processes
of
layering
memories
and
constructing
traditions,
I
hope
to
better
understand
how
experiential
and
collective
memories
contribute
to
the
construction
of
these
Ladakhi
spaces
as
sacred.

Experience plays a critical role in maturation of cortical circuits. In visual cortex, experience-dependent development has been linked to the maturation of inhibitory interneurons. Parvalbumin-containing (PV) interneurons, a subtype of GABAergic interneurons, play an important role in cortical circuit function; however, it remains unknown how visual experience shapes their organization. We used immunohistochemistry to observe the organization of PV expression in visual cortex through visual maturity. Before visual experience, PV cell bodies and processes are most pronounced in layer 5, less in layer 2/3, and generally lacking in layer 4. Within 3 days of the onset of visual experience, PV organization undergoes a major shift, with PV expression found throughout layers 2-6. We performed dark rearing which determined that these morphological changes are due to visual experience. This rapid change in parvalbumin organization may play a role in functional changes associated with the onset of visual experience.

Dr. John Dee, 16th century advisor to Queen Elizabeth, conducted a series of
mystical sessions to converse with angelic spirits in the early 1580s, asking a variety of
questions ranging from hidden treasures to the organization of the cosmos. At a glance
the experiments appear focused solely on the field of magic, separated from organized
scientific research or religious belief. I argue that Dee’s research within this period does
not separate the three from one another, but instead serves as a meeting point where
magic, science, and religion overlap one another. They are not separate discourses, but
instead constantly mingling as practitioners like Dee pursue knowledge. Christopher
Marlowe, a playwright of the 16th century, mirrors Dee’s research in his play Doctor
Faustus, ultimately condemning the pursuits of magic as fruitless and useful only for
one’s damnation.

Oxidative stress, where oxygen has an unpaired electron, has been shown to damage cellular components. These electrons injure local cellular machinery and have the potential to interrupt major protein pathways. Aconitase is a key polypeptide with multiple niches in the cell, and has been shown to be a target for free radical impairment. We utilize artificial evolution using heat shock to cause major oxidative damage. With up to 99% fatality and repeated exposure we have an effective way to select against aconitase mutants via respiratory deficient yeast on glycerol, a non-fermentable growth medium. In this experiment, we use the previously described artificial evolution coupled with error-prone PCR to select for heat-resistant aconitase mutants. The results are in the form of purified DNA from different clones. These will give future insight on the important enzymatic domains of aconitase.

Quantum optics is a subsect of quantum mechanics focused on exploring the
properties of light due to its dual nature as both a particle and a wave. One such
property that has been of particular interest recently is that of light's momentum,
speci cally its linear and orbital-angular momentum (OAM). Light carrying both
types of momentum are of particular interest to the life sciences due to the linear
momentum of light's ability to directly manipulate particles and orbital-angular
momentum's potential to unravel DNA spirals. Light carrying orbital-angular
momentum has also shown promise in information technology as a new means
of sending large amounts of data over long distances. This thesis will provide
background on the quantum optics of particle manipulation and the results from
experimental studies performed on this topic. The results show evidence of light
with both types of momentum being created and used to manipulate particles to
di erent degrees.

Socioeconomic status has profound impact on one’s health. A person is
able to spend more on health and wellness when that person has more
disposable income. Socioeconomic status therefore affects people’s biology over
their lifetime, making them more or less susceptible to chronic illness. This rate
of chronic illness within a population will obviously be related to the life
expectancy of the community. Firstly, this thesis examines socioeconomic status
in Washington, D.C., where there is wide inequality between people living only
miles away. Secondly, this thesis correlates, among the eight wards in
Washington, D.C., the different aspects of socioeconomic status to life
expectancy. In an interdisciplinary manner, this thesis aims to analyze the
disparity in life expectancy in Washington, D.C. and the significant factor that
socioeconomic status plays in one’s biological destiny.

This thesis examines the role of food as a social critique in the picaresque genre of Spanish literature. The picaresque novel of 16th and 17th century Spain revolves around the pseudo-autobiographical narrative of a rogue hero who survives life by any means possible, including thievery and deception. The genre demonstrates that only the upper classes of society were enjoying the fruits of Golden Age Spain. In particular, Lazarillo de Tormes and El buscón are the novels used in this analysis to reveal that food, especially the lack thereof, is used satirically in picaresque novels to draw attention to the starvation and suffering of Spanish commoners.