abstract: In the face of what many scientists and cultural theorists are calling the Anthropocene, a new era characterized by catastrophic human impact on the planet’s geologic, atmospheric, and ecological makeup, Latin American writers, artists, and filmmakers today from various disciplinary and geographical positionalities are engaging in debates about how to respond ethically to this global crisis. From an interdisciplinary perspective that incorporates cutting-edge theories in multispecies ethnography, material ecocriticism, and queer ecology, this study examines multispecies relationships unfolding in three telescoping dimensions—corporealities, companions, and communities—in contemporary Latin American cultural production while uncovering indigenous and other-than-dominant epistemologies about human-nonhuman entanglements. I argue that contemporary cultural expression uncovers long, overlapping histories of social and environmental exploitation and resistance while casting the moment of encounter between individuals of different species as hopeful figurations of human-nonhuman flourishing beyond the Anthropocene. Instead of remaining hopelessly mired in the dire geographies of planetary decline, the works of Uruguayan writer Teresa Porzecanski, Mexican author Daniela Tarazona, Mexican textile sculptor Alejandra Zermeño, Argentine filmmaker Lucía Puenzo, Colombian installation artist María Fernanda Cardoso, Colombian poet Juan Carlos Galeano, Colombian graphic artist Solmi Angarita, and Brazilian poet Astrid Cabral dramatize a multitude of multispecies encounters to imagine the possibility of a better world—one that is already as close as our skin and as present as the nonhuman “others” that constitute our existence. These works imagine the human itself as a product of multispecies interactions through evolutionary time, multispecies companionships as formed around queer kinships, and biocultural communities as emerging through communicative, ethical encounters. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Spanish 2017

<p>ABSTRACT Background In the US, the incidence and mortality rates of prostate cancer (PCa) are higher among African American men compared to European American men. Obesity is an important risk factor of PCa. Obesity is known to alter the gene expression profiles in prostate tumors. This study evaluates the impact of obesity and the expression of obesity-related genes on the progression of PCa in African American men. Methods The primary outcome of interest is biochemical recurrence (BCR) of PCa. There were 48 African American prostate cancer patients in the study. The tissue samples included 42 normal tissues, 40 Prostate Intraepithelial Neoplasia (PIN) and 45 tumor tissues (127 tissue samples in total). We assembled 99 obesity-related genes and determined the levels of their expression in the three types of tissue samples using Nanostring Technologies. An ANOVA test was used to compare the means for gene expression among normal, PIN and tumor tissue samples. Unconditional logistic regression models were used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and their respective 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to determine the association between obesity and BCR as well as gene expression and BCR. Results were regarded as statistically significant if p-values were less than 0.05. A Kaplan Meier Curve was constructed to depict the survival time and time to event (BCR) among obese and non-obese African American prostate cancer patients. Patients were followed up from the date of first surgery to the date of biochemical recurrence or date of last follow-up. Statistical analysis was done with SAS 9.4 software. Results Forty-three obesity-related genes were statistically significantly associated with biochemical recurrence. There was no association between obesity and biochemical recurrence (BCR) in obese African American men compared to non-obese African American men (OR= 2.03, 95% CI = 0.22 - 18.77, p-value= 0.53). Twenty genes showed an upward trend in gene expression among normal, PIN and tumor tissue samples including ADIPOR1, AKRIC4, ALOX12, ALOX15, CRYBB2, EIF5A, ERG, GNPDA2, HNF1B, HSD3B1, KLK4, LEP, MC4R, MTCH2, PCSK1, PIK3CB, SLC2A2, STAT1, SULT1A1, YY1. The probability of survival (not having BCR) is lower in obese African American men compared to non-obese African American men as indicted in the Kaplan Meier curve. In other words, the probability of developing BCR is higher in obese African American men compared to non-obese African American men. Conclusion We did not find a significant association between obesity and biochemical recurrence. However, we elucidated some obesity-related genes that could explain PCa carcinogenesis. Further studies are needed to determine functional significance of these selected obesity-related genes and the role they play in encouraging PCa progression in African American men.

<p> Culture and social norms influence sex roles and expression, according to previous studies. This leads to the research question of whether there a difference in sex-role characteristics and generational category among cisgender American adults from Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z. A gap in the research about sex-role evolution in generational and cultural shifts provided an open opportunity for this investigation to strengthen the literature. Data collection without making any changes or introducing any treatments was employed, via quantitative non-experimental means, using survey methodology. The population consisted of cisgender American adults from Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z. SurveyMonkey Audience was used to sample the population, through participant inclusion criteria outlined as being aged 18 to 50 years, a U.S. citizen, and identifying as cisgender, and able to read and understand English. The self-perceived sex-role characteristics of three generational groups (Generations X, Y, &amp; Z) were analyzed, employing a quantitative non-experimental design to determine whether there was a statistically significant difference between group means. Results concluded that a statistically significant difference was found for the interaction of generation and self-identified sex for both masculinity and femininity. Continuing research in this area will ensure that extending the body of knowledge of evolutionary psychology will enable the social support systems to allow for more flexibility in relation to socially dictated norms. Additionally, governing bodies, mental health workers, and medical professionals would benefit from more thorough and sensitive gender identity training.</p><p>

This thesis assesses the role conceptions of masculinity, more particularly hyper-masculinity play in male prisoners' strategies for coping with the challenges posed by a virtually unisexual prison environment. The study used eight autobiographies by former male prisoners who served sentences in either Canada or the United States in the last forty years. The findings were gathered using a qualitative three-stage coding process and were analyzed using masculinity theories. The results reveal that male prisoners use both hyper-masculine, violent coping strategies and non-violent strategies depending on the circumstances. Critical masculinity theory is better able to explain the violent strategies rather than the non-violent ones. This research is significant because it illuminates the impact of gender on male prisoners' lives and their abilities to cope with imprisonment. The results can be used to inform both treatment and policies regarding male prisoners' incarceration.

<p> This study is focused on exploring decision-making and leadership in two urban principalships. The study is focused on reflections from a former principalship in Baltimore City and the influences from the former experience that influence leadership and decision-making in the present context within a District of Columbia Public School. In his work studying school culture Bryk (2010) supports the idea that leadership is the driver of change in successful school improvement efforts. The study uses Bryk&rsquo;s framework as a foundation for the reflections on challenges related to Bryk&rsquo;s five essential supports for school improvement. The goal of this study is to seek a greater understanding of decision-making and leadership actions within an urban school principalship in order to inform current practice. Leadership as the driver of change as an essential component of school success has piqued my interest in reflecting on and understanding my leadership practices. Study of reflections on my leadership as a tool for further developing skill and practice could be a valuable resource for other school leaders within the field.</p><p>

<p> Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication, socialization, and restricted/repetitive behaviors. In 2012, one out of every 55 children (1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls) have been diagnosed with ASD in the United States. Only 30&ndash;40% of ASD has a known etiology (e.g., genetic predisposition) and the other 60&ndash;70% is unknown. Prior to this study, there was no known literature on age and gender differences related to neuro-developmental functioning of ASD. The purpose of this study was to examine how the differences in age and gender of people with ASD were related to total and domain scores, as measured by the <i>Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition</i> (ADOS-2). This quantitative research study included a sample size of 80 and 2 independent variables: age groupings (ages 1&ndash;4, 5&ndash;8, 9&ndash;17, and 18-older), and gender (male and female). The 4 dependent variables were the total and domain scores measured by the ADOS-2. The statistical analyses included a multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) and a 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to examine age and gender differences in the ADOS-2 domain and total scores. There was a statistically signi?cant difference for age on the domain dependent variables, <i>F</i>(9, 171) = 2.64, <i> p</i> = .007; Wilks&rsquo; Lambda = .73; partial &eta;² = .10. However, there were no statistically significant differences for gender on domain scores and there were no statistically significant differences for age and gender on the overall scores. Those with ASD between ages 5&ndash;8 were more severely impaired for socialization when compared to other age groups and other domains. This research can be used for the improvement of intervention strategies for the diverse ASD population, and to improve the understanding of the neurodevelopmental functioning of individuals with ASD based on age and gender.</p><p>

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<p> Alcoholism and alcohol use disorders are a major problem worldwide. Excessive alcohol consumption has been associated with cognitive impairment not only in drinkers but also in their offspring. Previous clinical reports have suggested that inherited drug use behavior in individuals, including the overall amount of alcohol consumed, originates from parents who engage in the consumption of alcohol both during and prior to conception. For example, mothers exposed to alcohol during pregnancy have been shown to produce offspring with neurodevelopmental, physiological, and behavioral deficits, in rodents. Additionally, several studies now support the idea that fathers exposed to alcohol prior to mating produce male offspring with developmental, physiological, and cognitive deficits as well. With this said, alcohol exposed fathers appear to pass different phenotypes to their sons than they do their daughters. To date, little research has been dedicated to examining cognitive deficits associated with paternal alcohol exposure or the volume of alcohol intake in daughters of male alcoholics. The purpose of this set of experiments is to explore possible changes in cognitive function and alcohol acceptance in both male and female offspring of alcohol-exposed fathers. Adult male rats were exposed to a repeated binge dose of alcohol and later mated with non-manipulated females. Offspring of exposed fathers were assessed for levels of alcohol consumption via Intraoral Cannulation, followed by a series of cognitive function tests via T-maze task performance. Accuracy percentage within the T- maze and volume of alcohol accepted were compared and analyzed using an ANOVA. Our findings suggest that paternal binge doses of ethanol exposure prior to breeding results in offspring that consume significantly more ethanol than controls, exhibit greater latency time to reach criterion in a T-maze, and having significantly fewer percent correct responses in T-maze task performance when including all trials. The results presented here add to the growing body of literature aimed at understanding the consequences of paternal pre-conception ethanol exposure and the effects on subsequent generations.</p><p>