Recent our items

Frozen Chemistry and Fantastic Origins: Molecular Reactions and the Chemical Tapestry of Planet-Building Disks

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Interview with Dr. Jennifer Bergner

Phage Warfare: Mechanisms of Bacteriophages and Clinical Applications

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Phage Warfare: Mechanisms of Bacteriophages and Clinical Applications

Contrasting AI and Human Hallucinations

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Contrasting AI and Human Hallucinations

Chimera: Table of Contents

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Chimera: Table of Contents

Molecules, Memory, and the Mind: Psychedelics and the Future of Neuroplasticity

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Interview with Dr. Andrea Gomez

Tactics To Combat Visual Predators: Cryptic Coloration in Christmas Tree Worms

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Tactics To Combat Visual Predators: Cryptic Coloration in Christmas Tree Worms

Epigenetic Editing: The Temporary Tattoo of the Genome

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Epigenetic Editing: The Temporary Tattoo of the Genome

The Taste of Survival: How Maria Ylagan Orosa Used Nutritional Science to Combat Malnutrition, Colonialism, and Imperialism in the Philippines

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Taste of Survival: How Maria Ylagan Orosa Used Nutritional Science to Combat Malnutrition, Colonialism, and Imperialism in the Philippines

Thank You to Our Donors

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

List of donors from Fall 2025 crowdfunding campaign

Toxic Water, Toxic Systems: How Science Can Serve Justice For Toxic Policies

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Interview with Dr. Michael Mascarenhas

Rethinking the Prisoner’s Dilemma: How Quantum Games Lead to Classical Gains

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Rethinking the Prisoner’s Dilemma: How Quantum Games Lead to Classical Gains

Bioorthogonal Chemistry: A Revolution in Chemical Biology

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Bioorthogonal Chemistry: A Revolution in Chemical Biology

Gutsy Moves: Microbes in the Fight Against Colorectal Cancer

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Gutsy Moves: Microbes in the Fight Against Colorectal Cancer

Chimera: Back Cover

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Chimera: Back Cover

From Fever Dreams to Pharma Queens: How Plants Influenced Modern Medicine

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

From Fever Dreams to Pharma Queens: How Plants Influenced Modern Medicine

Chimera: Cover

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Chimera: Cover

Between Science and Spirit: Rethinking Mental Health with Psychedelic Therapy

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Interview with Dr. Brian Anderson

Breaking Barriers: CAR-T Therapy for Solid Cancers

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Breaking Barriers: CAR-T Therapy for Solid Cancers

The Lost Languages: A Journey Through History of Being Silenced and Language Attrition

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Lost Languages: A Journey Through History of Being Silenced and Language Attrition

Comparative Efficacy of Psilocybin and MDMA in PTSD Treatment: A Systematic Review of Long-Term Outcomes

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Comparative Efficacy of Psilocybin and MDMA in PTSD Treatment: A Systematic Review of Long-Term Outcomes

Flooding Treatment Effects on Sap Flow of Deciduous Trees in the Chesapeake Bay

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Flooding Treatment Effects on Sap Flow of Deciduous Trees in the Chesapeake Bay

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Recovering 100% of Your Plastics by Refining Polymer Synthesis

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Interview with Brooks Abel

Arresting Alzheimer’s: CRISPR as a Cure to Neurodegenerative Diseases

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Arresting Alzheimer’s: CRISPR as a Cure to Neurodegenerative Diseases

From Trash to Treasure: The Lysosome’s Role in Cancer, Aging, and Neurodegenerative Disorders

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Interview with Dr. Robert Zoncu

Rising Temperatures, Rising Threats: The Impact of Climate Change on Maternal Health

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Rising Temperatures, Rising Threats: The Impact of Climate Change on Maternal Health

How AI Has Changed the World of Healthcare Diagnoses

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

How AI Has Changed the World of Healthcare Diagnoses

Chimera: Editorial Note

Sat, 1 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Editorial Note

Characteristics and Effectiveness of Child Malnutrition Programs in the Philippines

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Child malnutrition remains a persistent problem in the Philippines despite the steady implementation of government-sponsored nutrition programs and policies. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of child malnutrition programs in the Philippines. Six child malnutrition programs were examined in the Philippines through in-person interviews and literature reviews. A semi-structured interview guide was used to address four major topics about each program: background information; target population; implementation and challenges; and evaluation methods. This study presented each malnutrition program with its implementation approach and scope. The six programs were compared in their approaches toward health education, feeding, gardening, and medical treatment. Five of these programs teach nutrition education, two of which cover health topics beyond nutrition. In regard to feeding, two programs provide malnourished children with ready-to-use-therapeutic-food (RUTF). Of the...

From People's Park Annex to Ohlone Park: The Wandering Body and Accessible Park Space

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This paper focuses on disability access in urban greenspace through the case study of Ohlone Park in Berkeley, California. Initially built as People’s Park Annex in the 1960s, Ohlone Park was used as an alternative space for political activism after the first closing of People’s Park. This paper argues that the development pattern of Ohlone Park as a controlled public space away from its radical past suggests an anticipation of an idealized type of user that occupies the park as a temporary recreational area, which perpetuates the exclusion of disabled and unhoused bodies in the park. This idealization extends to the questions of bodies and space as well as perpetuates the hypervisibility of crip movement. The combination of lawn and lane in the park suggests that the dichotomy of nature and culture in landscape design is inter-perpetual with the imagination of an able-bodied walker. This paper explores how the question of body underlies themes including elements of nature...

Volume 39 (2025) - Front Matter

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Volume 39 (2025) - Front Matter

Moved by the Immobile: A Phenomenological Study of the Moving Presence of Works in Alberto Giacometti’s Mature Period (1945–1966)

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The impetus of this thesis lies in the moving presence of the art of twentieth-century modern artist Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966), understood in the literal and figurative senses of the word “movement.” Its focus is on the way Giacometti’s inanimate works animate their viewers—stirring, moving, and inviting them to move through, around, and alongside his works. In this way, I liken the moving presence of Giacometti’s art to the presence of a human before us. Aided by the insights of twentieth-century philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty, readers will be moved to their own phenomenological experiences of Giacometti’s work. Formal studies will reveal the palpable relationships between stillness and movement as well as distance and proximity within Giacometti’s works’ texture, scale, and finally, his artistic process. Drawing upon both formal analysis and phenomenological aesthetic theory, I argue that Giacometti’s lifelong struggle to find an ending point to his works was his...

Movement or Moment?: Exploring the Modern Struggle for Democracy in Iran

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In a time where democratic backsliding threatens the sanctity of our democratic strongholds, studies on the world’s would-be democracies have been placed on the back-burner. The Middle East has commonly been called a democracy desert: a region where the branches of democracy are incapable of taking root. Whether it be an inhospitable culture or the looming effects of colonial influence, the Middle East has existed in a democracy deficit since its inception following Sykes-Picot. Although semblances of democracy have taken place in various Middle Eastern countries, Iran has remained under authoritarian rule for centuries: from the Qajars to the Islamic regime. Despite wide-spread civil unrest, a lively civil society, and a diaspora who yearns for a democratic Iran, Iran has never democratized. Analyzing the two most modern pro-democracy movements in Iranian history, the 2009 Green Revolution and 2022 Women, Life, Freedom Movement, this paper seeks to explore why Iran has been...

Forms of Social Solidarity in American Politics

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

On January 6, 2021, a mob of rioters attacked the U.S. Capitol and, in many ways, American democracy itself. QAnon, a conspiracy centered around the clandestine activities of the elite, was a key group in the attack. Since then, QAnon has featured in many headline-worthy national crimes, including multiple attempts to harm elected officials. While there is value in questioning how QAnon became so powerful, it is more instructive to consider why people are compelled to live, die, and kill for an ideology so outrageous. In this paper, I ask why pockets of mechanical solidarity exist within societies governed by organic solidarity. Following Émile Durkheim’s theory of social solidarity, I interrogate QAnon’s rise and conclude that QAnon exists within two large organic societies—the United States and the internet writ large. However, QAnon exists as a pocket of mechanical solidarity, and its rise is deeply connected to how people seek out and choose their communities. By comparing...

Exploring Current and Potential Solutions: The Rise of Deepfakes in Legislative, Legal, and Technological Arenas

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The rapid rise of deepfake technology, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), presents significant challenges to intellectual property (IP) and trademark enforcement. Deepfakes, created using machine learning algorithms like Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), generate hyper-realistic yet entirely fabricated digital content. These deepfakes have complicated the already intricate landscape of IP protection—particularly on social media platforms—where misinformation, fraud, and privacy violations are growing concerns. As these technologies evolve and become more accessible, distinguishing between genuine and manipulated media has become increasingly difficult. This paper examines the impact of deepfakes on IP and trademark enforcement, highlighting the shortcomings of current legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms. It reviews federal and state legislative efforts and assesses the role of technology corporations in detecting and preventing deepfake content....

Divided, We Stand in Agreement: The Obstructive Role of National Identity in Contemporary Taiwanese Society

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In the international arena, “Taiwan” brings to mind the conflict between Chinese dominance and American hegemony. Discourse surrounding Taiwan itself centers on its independence or unification with China. In media and popular consciousness, Taiwan’s preference for independence or unification is attributed to a difference in national identities—“Chinese” or “Taiwanese.” This reductive view masks the unique ways in which individuals in Taiwan construct their national identities, particularly given the lack of agreed definitions for basic terminology such as “Taiwan” or “Taiwanese.” Yet, qualitative data shows that national identity has little practical relevance in society, as the general consensus is that peacekeeping via maintenance of the status quo is the only current logical course of action. Despite proof of the population’s pragmatic indifference towards national identity, Taiwan’s primary political parties, the Kuomintang (KMT) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) persist...

The Harms of Withdrawal

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In this paper, I will explain: 1) Scanlon’s paradigm case of “Exit-Style Blame” (ESB), 2) how Agnes Callard’s “co-valuing” framework makes sense of our relational obligations in relationships of attachment, 3) how communicating one’s Strawsonian reactive attitudes is necessary for emotional vulnerability and valuing others, and 4) why exit-style blame is wrong and fails to express our subjective experience and solidify relational expectations. Some may argue that reactive communication of blame will only incite unproductive counter-anger or that this argument wrongly prescribes behavior universally. Nevertheless, without communicating some degree of our reactive attitudes when we are subject to them, we fail to express what we find valuable or harmful in the actions of those closest to us. This exclusion of our emotional experience wrongs the recipient of ESB, as it fails two epistemic and one practical obligation we have in relationships of attachment. Epistemically, we are...

Paths toward Sustainable Development in the 21st Century: A Comparative Analysis of “Exceptionalist” Development Models in Costa Rica and Kerala, India

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In working to overcome the greatest challenges of the century, populous societies and governments have not properly recognized how to improve social conditions within the limits of our biosphere. In search of paths toward sustainable development in the 21st century, I analyzed two case studies known for their remarkable development outcomes: Costa Rica and the Indian State of Kerala. Publicly available data was used to visualize their development and sustainability progress over time. My analysis reveals that Costa Rica serves as a model for sustainable development, although its egregious overuse of agrochemicals is generally overlooked and must be replaced with regenerative agriculture practices. Although the success of the Kerala model is evident in the data, Kerala should not be considered a model of sustainable development due to its rampant pollution, limited economic opportunities, and overreliance on remittances sourced from unsustainable economies. Instead, I call for...

Unlocking the Secrets of Protein Misfolding: AlphaFold’s Role in Cardiovascular Disease

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Unlocking the Secrets of Protein Misfolding: AlphaFold’s Role in Cardiovascular Disease

Fluidity of Brain States: Unihemispheric Sleep and Its Ties to Consciousness

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Fluidity of Brain States: Unihemispheric Sleep and Its Ties to Consciousness

The Heart of an Ecosystem: Pollinator Species in the Face of Climate Change

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Heart of an Ecosystem: Pollinator Species in the Face of Climate Change

Molecules in Motion: Molecular Mechanisms of Exercise’s Health Benefits

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Molecules in Motion: Molecular Mechanisms of Exercise’s Health Benefits

Deep Protein Feature Learning for Intrinsically Disordered Regions in Proteins Using Image Inpainting

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Deep Protein Feature Learning for Intrinsically Disordered Regions in Proteins Using Image Inpainting

Pulse: Cover

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Pulse: Cover

Decoding Smell: The Future of Odor Mapping with AI and Molecular Chemistry

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Decoding Smell: The Future of Odor Mapping with AI and Molecular Chemistry

Generational Starvation: Generational Starvation: The Link Between Ancestral Diets and Modern Disease

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Generational Starvation: Generational Starvation: The Link Between Ancestral Diets and Modern Disease

Pulse: Editorial Note

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Editorial Note

Effects of Abiotic and Biotic Stress on Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Properties of Haliclona sp.

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Effects of Abiotic and Biotic Stress on Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Properties of Haliclona sp.

Pulse: Table of Contents

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Pulse: Table of Contents

From Models to Medicine: Understanding Stem Cell Differentiation in Regenerative Therapy

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Interview with Dr. David Schaffer

A Double-Edged Sword: The Blood-Brain Barrier

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A Double-Edged Sword: The Blood-Brain Barrier

Sniffing Out a Cure to Malaria

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Sniffing Out a Cure to Malaria

From Giants to Jellyfish: The Evolution of Sleep Across Species

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

From Giants to Jellyfish: The Evolution of Sleep Across Species

Illuminating Insights: Using Fractals to Model Lightning

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Illuminating Insights: Using Fractals to Model Lightning

Thank You to Our Donors

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

List of Donors from Fall 2024 Crowdfunding Campaign

Quantizing Gravity: Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe's Most Well Known Force

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Interview with Professor Holger Müller

An Exposure Exposé: Talking Healthcare Accessibility and the Future of Crowd Control Weapons Research

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Interview with Professor Rohini Haar

Pulse: Back Cover

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Pulse: Back Cover

From Past to Future: Genomics, Evolution, and Aging

Mon, 24 Feb 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Interview with Dr. Peter Sudmant

Sex Work Regulation Across 85 Nations: The Political Economy of Prostitution

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Despite the popularity and efficacy of laws that criminalize consumers in the sex industry, adoption of such policies is slow and limited. In other cases, countries act to adopt legal frameworks that may leave sex workers unprotected from violence or harm. How do we explain such different choices across different countries? To address this, I undertake a political and economic view of sex work, which refers specifically to prostitution in this study, and subsequently investigate political and economic characteristics across 85 countries as factors that may affect their selection of different types of sex work policies. Furthermore, I examine the impact of diverse political value systems as well as economic conditions. The project employs a multinomial logistic regression model to examine the relationship between these factors and the adoption of five different sex work policies. The analysis of data demonstrated that total female participation in the labor force was the most...

"Woman. Life. Freedom. Queer. Trans. Liberation": Echoes of Azadi Breaking Free from the Inner-Panopticon

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This thesis delves into the Islamic Republic of Iran’s intricate construction and reinforcement of a cis-heteronormative national identity with an emphasis on the contemporary “Woman, Life, Freedom, Queer, Trans, Liberty” revolution. The study highlights the complex web of power dynamics, surveillance mechanisms, and regulatory frameworks that operate both within the public and private spheres. By utilizing a Foucauldian framework of the “inner-panopticon,” this research exposes how the Iranian state’s systematic imposition of heteronormative values extends beyond the confines of legal and social regulations, permeating the very fabric of individual consciousness. The paper contends that the omnipresent “War on Sex,” a strategic deployment of sexuality as a political tool, has fostered an environment of fear and self-policing, particularly for non-male-conforming individuals. As a result, this paper also focuses on severe social marginalization of queer and trans Iranians within...

An Autocrat's Playbook: Nicolás Maduro's Use of Social Media to Erode Venezuelan Democracy

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s autocratic techniques have pushed Venezuela closer to authoritarianism and farther from democracy. These techniques involve newer tactics that build on his predecessor’s success in suppressing democracy and work quietly and efficiently to disrupt elections. Dodging accountability for his hand in Venezuela’s democratic backsliding, Maduro avoids explicit breaches of international codes and laws, choosing instead to operate within the grey areas of misinformation and information manipulation around which legal consensus is still being formed. The Venezuelan 2020 parliamentary elections provide a clear and compelling image of Maduro’s use of misinformation on social media platforms to threaten election integrity and erode democracy. While Maduro still relies on traditional routes to suppress dissent and maintain authority, the development of discrete, targeted demonstrations of autocratic power on social media platforms must be taken seriously...

Neuroaesthetics, Sublime, and Well-Being: Positive Affect of Awe and Aesthetic Emotions, and a Practical Framework

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Aesthetic experiences influence the way we perceive the world, often at a subliminal level. But relatively little is known about how these aesthetic experiences affect us cognitively and how they shape our identity and improve our well-being. The purpose of this paper is thus to: (1) examine and review the current literature in the emerging field of neuroaesthetics—how the brain responds to beauty and sublime experiences; (2) extrapolate from current literature the properties of beauty and what it means when people perceive something to be beautiful; (3) synthesize the current literature and my own research on the topic to bring more awareness on the health benefits and transcendent power of experiencing awe or sublimity; (4) use the PERMA (positive emotion, engagement, relationship, meaning, achievement) theory of well-being proposed by positive psychologist Martin Seligman to present an action framework I established, acronymed NUMA (nature walks, unconditional love, meditation,...

Understanding the Needs and Experiences of Spiritual and Religious Clients Seeking Mental Health Counseling

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Currently, mental health clinicians lack training in spiritual and religious competence, while counseling psychology research does not give adequate attention to the spiritual and religious concerns of clients seeking mental health counseling. In order to improve the quality of mental healthcare, I argue for more research and training to better understand clients’ spiritual and religious needs. I review existing approaches to mental healthcare that integrate spirituality and religion, then outline my own survey- and interview-based research. My study assesses clients’ levels of religiosity and spirituality, discovers the role of spirituality and religion in their mental health, and finds out their experiences working with mental health clinicians. My data indicates that spiritual and religious interest often intersects with defining life events, such as traumatic experiences and existential crises, and that mental health clinicians should...

Intergenerational and Cultural Parent-Child Protective Factors against Depressive Symptoms in Filipino-American Adolescents

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The developmental years of adolescence are key to shaping an individual’s identity as they explore their place in the context of different communities they are a part of. Immigrant children may have a unique development of culture and identity because the environments between home and school may differ. Mental health is influenced by the interplay of their relational environment and individual development. The stigma surrounding mental health within the Filipino-American community can contribute to this environment. This can be challenging to balance within the Filipino-American community due to stigma surrounding mental health. Given the colonial mindset from historical contexts, strong filial ties, and mental health disparities within Filipino-American communities, in addition to the lack of disaggregated research done, it is beneficial to further delve into factors that can affect their mental health. Using data from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study, this paper...

Psycholinguistics: How Language Shapes Cognition

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Psycholinguistics, the bridge between language and cognition, has evolved through a rich history of theories and debates, shaping our comprehension of the human mind. But what role does language play in cognition? Language is far beyond just mere communication, as it molds cognition, perception, memory, and problem-solving skills. At its core, the study of language acquisition stands as a foundation for the study of psycholinguistics, spanning diverse theoretical landscapes from behaviorist theories to nativist perspectives. This paper aims to offer insights from a myriad of disciplines, offering a holistic understanding of how language is intertwined with cognitive development. Drawing upon the fields of psychology, linguistics, neuroscience, and anthropology, it unveils the profound impact language has in shaping the trajectory of cognitive development. This interdisciplinary approach illuminates the mechanisms by which language influences cognitive processes, underscoring...

Colonization and Queerness in South Asia: Understanding Evolving Public Perceptions of Queer Identities in Pre- and Post-Colonial India

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Ancient India has a strong history of accepting, highlighting, and celebrating queer identities, genders, homosexuality, and polyamory—often permanently commemorating these individuals in carvings, paintings, and other forms of art at Hindu temples and holy sites. Transgender, transexual, and homosexual gods are not only extremely popular, but also significant pillars of Hinduism and holy scriptures. As colonialism spread and the British Raj asserted more power over Indian culture, Western frameworks and definitions of “civil society” that mandated heteronormativity led to the outlawing of homosexuality under Section 377 of 1861. Although India gained independence in 1947, such discriminatory attitudes against queer people became embedded in Indian society and amplified over time—permanently altering the public’s perception and opinions on homosexuality. On September 6, 2018, the Indian Supreme Court ruling eradicated Section 377 and decriminalized queer sexual activities—a...

Algorithms and the "Anti-Preference": A Quantitative Investigation of “Reaching the Wrong Audience” on TikTok

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This paper provides an empirical hypothesis test and partial verification of the “algorithmic folk theory” of “reaching the wrong audience.” This user folk theory claims that content posted to TikTok can sometimes become sequestered to a hostile audience, resulting in a sharp influx of harassment and oppositional comments. To test this theory, this paper employs a graphical analysis to identify trends in interaction rates, comments over time, and comment sentiment. The data collected consisted of 1,455 posts and 454,540 comments, which were then evaluated using a natural language processing (NLP) sentiment analysis tool for a total of 297,009,882 effective observations of viewer sentiment response. Using this data, this paper employs a time-series analysis to identify a “resurrecting” post behavior characterized by a sudden increase in engagement of an otherwise “dead” TikTok post as far as ten months after the content’s initial post date. Further, the findings highlighted...

Emancipation through Modern Poetics: History, Politics, and Aesthetics in Muriel Rukeyser’s The Book of the Dead

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Book of the Dead by Muriel Rukeyser represents a collection of poetry riddled with a history of “relative neglect and obscurity.”1 For this reason, discourses surrounding the docupoetic collection often grapple with the ambition required when approaching a complex work addressing temporal tragedy. To contribute to this discourse, the literary research in this paper traverses an intersection with three primary angles: the political, the aesthetic, and the emancipatory. The analysis centers on The Book of the Dead and the modernist poetry that the author of the collection utilizes when portraying a uniquely chilling perspective of one of the most catastrophic industrial disasters in United States history. Understanding the poetry from Rukeyser, however, faces several obstacles given the rejection of literary convention within each stanza. This paper therefore provides necessary historical, sociological, and aesthetic background to contextualize the important...

Navigating a Post-Dobbs Era: Repercussions Faced by Marginalized Communities and the Future of Reproductive Justice

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In June 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States overturned Roe v. Wade, revoking the federal protection of the right to receive an abortion, and leaving abortion policymaking to state legislatures. Approximately thirteen states have already enforced abortion bans as of April 2023, while some states are still struggling with legal challenges of the ban. Across the U.S., individuals with the capacity for pregnancy are left without legal protection to such a necessary medical procedure. However, abortion access is only the surface of what is taken away from pregnant people with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Exacerbated by race, class, and location of residence, pregnant people face major health, socioeconomic, and social losses that ultimately contribute to a poorer quality of life and overall setback in the movement towards reproductive justice. This paper explores the effects of the Dobbs decision that overturned Roe v. Wade, by examining...

Death of California Solar? The Impact of Net Metering Policy on Californian Solar Installations

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Since 1995, net metering policy has provided a constant incentive for customers of California’s Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) to install solar panels. Under the IOUs’ net metering programs, customers with solar systems receive a full retail rate credit for each unit of excess energy they generate and export back to the grid. This has allowed customers with an appropriately sized solar system to zero out their electricity bills, applying credits from hours when they generate excess solar energy towards the cost of non-solar energy use. However, in December 2021, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced plans to significantly alter net metering policy beginning April 15, 2023. Under their new policy, colloquially referred to as “NEM3,” export credits are aligned with utilities’ avoided costs rather than customers’ retail rates, resulting in a roughly 80% reduction in excess generation compensation. However, NEM3 only applies to new solar customers; customers...

Volume 38 (2024) - Front Matter

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Volume 38 (2024) - Front Matter

The Constitution and the Kadhis: Women's Land Ownership Rights and Democracy in Kenya

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Though Kenya has been democratizing since the 1990s, this progress has stagnated when concerned with women’s rights to inheritance and land ownership—especially when comparing Muslim and non-Muslim women. The prevalence of legal pluralism, in which multiple judicial systems exist, navigating between common law courts and Islamic courts proves to be a greater challenge when dealing with inheritance. Under religious dictation, Muslim women are entitled to only half of what their brothers are entitled to in matters of inheritance, while non-Muslim women and their brothers have equal access to inheritance. An example from the Indian Hindu Succession Act of 1956 demonstrates the magnanimous power equal inheritance gives women; namely, a chance to engage independently in the economy, contribute to the labor force and accelerate modernization. By following a similar model and reinstating equal access to inheritance for all women, regardless of religious affiliation, Kenyan women too...

Dark Energy: A Possible Solution to the Hubble Tension

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Dark Energy: A Possible Solution to the Hubble Tension

An Anomaly in Phase Transition: Liquid Crystals

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

An Anomaly in Phase Transition: Liquid Crystals

Tick Tock: A Timely Look into the Science Behind Precise Clocks and their Implications (Professor Shimon Kolkowitz)

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Tick Tock: A Timely Look into the Science Behind Precise Clocks and their Implications (Professor Shimon Kolkowitz)

X-Linked Genetic Deviations Give Rise to Neural Developmental Disorders

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

X-Linked Genetic Deviations Give Rise to Neural Developmental Disorders

Dual Consciousness in Split-Brain Patients

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Dual Consciousness in Split-Brain Patients

Hearing on the Horizon: Exploring the Multifaceted Dynamics of Hearing, from Genes to Patient Realities (Dr. Dylan Chan)

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Hearing on the Horizon: Exploring the Multifaceted Dynamics of Hearing, from Genes to Patient Realities (Dr. Dylan Chan)

Restoring California’s Kelp Forests

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Restoring California’s Kelp Forests

Liquid Biopsy: Novel Progressions and Comparisons

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Liquid biopsy technology has evolved into a promising, minimally invasive clinical tool for cancer diagnosis and oncology research. Liquid biopsy is a broad term referring to the testing of bodily fluids: spinal fluid, sweat, urine, and most commonly blood as it is materially dense; it is an analysis technique that detects various biomarkers, including common biomarkers such as circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), and exosomes. There is particular interest in how effective early cancer diagnosis with liquid biopsies are, and its accuracy in early diagnosis prior to other prominent cancer testing/screenings. After studying a bibliometric review, we identified hot spot topics to focus on and wrote this non-systematic review article regarding new details about common biomarkers (ctDNA, exosomes, and CTC), novel technology, and recent tissue vs. liquid biopsy comparisons (non-small cell lung cancer and glioblastoma). More specifically, our study focuses...

Anomaly Editorial Note

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Anomaly Editorial Note

Area of Ignorance in Stellar Physics: Stellar Mass Black Hole Distribution; Lowest Initial Progenitor Mass Limit for Black Hole Evolution

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The creation and evolution of black holes have been the subject of ongoing debate and investigation due to their elusive nature, specifically in the mass distribution of stellar mass black holes. Using data and observations of changes in the remnant mass of stars, a mass distribution function for black hole formation was created. Coupled with an analysis of heavy element production, there is discussion of the mass minimum needed by a single-star stellar system to form a black hole. It can be concluded at the end of this paper that stellar progenitor systems of 20 or more solar masses with helium cores experience a fallback that propels the compact object past the maximum mass of a neutron star. This instigates its collapse into a black hole. According to current models, it can also be shown that progenitors surpassing 40M give rise to black holes without a preceding supernova explosion.

Unmasking Deep Fakes: A Candid Exploration of Our Synthetic Society (Professor Hany Farid)

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Unmasking Deep Fakes: A Candid Exploration of Our Synthetic Society (Professor Hany Farid)

The Menstrual Conundrum

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Menstrual Conundrum

The Tug-of-War of Emotion in Children with AuDHD

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Tug-of-War of Emotion in Children with AuDHD

Anomaly Table of Contents

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Anomaly Table of Contents

Exploring the Effects of GLP-1 Agonists on Weight Management in Non-Diabetic Individuals

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Exploring the Effects of GLP-1 Agonists on Weight Management in Non-Diabetic Individuals

Symphony of the Human Brain

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Symphony of the Human Brain

Traversing Tumors: How Single-cell RNA Sequencing Maps Malignant Tumors

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Traversing Tumors: How Single-cell RNA Sequencing Maps Malignant Tumors

Carbon Chronicles: Understanding the Oceanic Impact of Fossil Fuels (Professor James Bishop)

Thu, 3 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Carbon Chronicles: Understanding the Oceanic Impact of Fossil Fuels (Professor James Bishop)

Hacking Neural Networks: How Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Improves Functional and Structural Dysconnectivity

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Hacking Neural Networks: How Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Improves Functional and Structural Dysconnectivity

The Feasibility of Radically Translating Alien Language

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Feasibility of Radically Translating Alien Language

Expansion and Exploration: A Deeper Look into Hubble Tension, Supernovae, and Other Stellar Mysteries (Professor Alex Filippenko)

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Expansion and Exploration: A Deeper Look into Hubble Tension, Supernovae, and Other Stellar Mysteries (Professor Alex Filippenko)

Giving a Voice to Paralyzed Patients (Dr. David Moses)

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Giving a Voice to Paralyzed Patients (Dr. David Moses)

Magnitude Editorial Note

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Magnitude Editorial Note

The Search for Sustainable Biofuel

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

The Search for Sustainable Biofuel

Magnitude - Cover

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Magnitude - Cover

Nanomaterials in Regenerative Dentistry

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Nanomaterials in Regenerative Dentistry

Illuminating Parkinson’s Disease with STORM Microscopy

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Illuminating Parkinson’s Disease with STORM Microscopy

Magnitude Table of Contents

Tue, 14 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Magnitude Table of Contents