Recent ucsd_aep items

Youth Mental Health Outcomes of Gender Confirmation Surgery Legislation

Fri, 5 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Youth Mental Health Outcomes of Gender Confirmation Surgery Legislation

Battling Biopolitics, Racialization, and Pariah Femininity: An Intersectional Reading of the “Female Titan” in Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan

Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Battling Biopolitics, Racialization, and Pariah Femininity: An Intersectional Reading of the “Female Titan” in Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan

Does California wildfire ash enter the coastal food web? Phytoplankton growth rates in response to California wildfire ash

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Does California wildfire ash enter the coastal food web? Phytoplankton growth rates in response to California wildfire ash

Consideration of Nineteenth-Century Literature in Modern Views of Asylums

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Consideration of Nineteenth-Century Literature in Modern Views of Asylums

Reconnecting to the Land: A Case Study of Cali-Baja Farmers

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Reconnecting to the Land: A Case Study of Cali-Baja Farmers

The Modern Luddite: A Comparison of Societal Responses Between the Industrial Revolution and AI Revolution

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The Modern Luddite: A Comparison of Societal Responses Between the Industrial Revolution and AI Revolution

“My Pronouns are USA”: The Impact of Right Wing Online Influencers on the LGBTQ+ Community

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

“My Pronouns are USA”: The Impact of Right Wing Online Influencers on the LGBTQ+ Community

Intermediality and Cross-Cultural Exchange Inspired by Hokusai (and other Ukiyo-e artists)

Mon, 13 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Intermediality and Cross-Cultural Exchange Inspired by Hokusai (and other Ukiyo-e artists)

Mental Health in South Asian Culture

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

In South Asian culture, the topic of mental health is extremely stigmatized. For young adults who are susceptible to facing various obstacles that impact their mental well-being, it is important to examine the cultural factors that contribute to the stigma surrounding this topic. Delving into the behaviors and perceptions of South Asian college students in the United States uncovers the multitude of intertwined influences that impact the development of one’s mental health. This study aims to answer the question, “What are the behaviors and perceptions surrounding mental health for UC San Diego students who are South Asian?” An online survey was implemented to collect data from 148 South Asian students at UC San Diego, introducing a mixed-method design to draw findings. The results revealed that mental well-being is significantly shaped by the interaction of sociocultural factors, such as family dynamics and pressures, experiences of stereotyping, comfortability with discussing...

Place Attachment to Sungod Lawn: Using Photovoice to Understand Student Perceptions of Public Open Space at the University of California San Diego (UCSD)

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Public open spaces are important parts of the campus landscape and serve a variety of roles. Previous research has shown that certain characteristics of public space, such as greenery and places to gather, provide community building and well-being benefits for students. These spaces may function as “third places” for students, a place to gather outside of home and work, and facilitate the place attachment process, the formation of deep and positive bonds between people and place. This project uses photovoice, a participatory research method, to understand the roles and meanings public open space has for some students at the the University of California San Diego (UCSD). After discussing their selected public open space with 10 students at UCSD, elements which promote place attachment was revealed, including: positive emotions, natural elements, social elements, and logistical elements. For students at UCSD, different spaces serve different functions, ranging from quiet, restorative...

Challenger Research Journal Volume 6

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Challenger Research Journal Volume 6

Alumni Spotlight: Mohnish Alishala

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Alumni Spotlight: Mohnish Alishala

Queer Mongering: The Violence of Asian American Fear on Queer Modalities

Tue, 28 Jan 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Asian America has historically been susceptible to white supremacist national manipulation, by way of fear mongering. Recruitments of Asian America to fulfill nationalist agendas often result in enactments of violence towards the wellbeing and affectiveness of queer modalities. This further ostracizes, invalidates, and commits acts of violence upon different queer modalities: bodies, griefs, existences, acts, and desires, as well as positions such modalities as an unconsenting site for political battles. Set in the Bay Area during the 1940’s to 1990’s, this paper examines a fictional novel, lesbian Asian American activist circles, and University of California Berkeley (UCB) hiring practices. These cases serve to illustrate ways in which unconsenting queer subjects are forced to succumb to battles of national politics and demonstrate processes that further enact violence and halt efforts towards collective liberation.

Prior Authorization and Referral Process in Health- care and its Administration Burden

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Prior authorization, a requirement for healthcare providers to obtain insurance approval before delivering services, has become a significant administrative challenge in the U.S. healthcare system. According to an American Physical Therapy Association survey, 75% of patients reported delays in accessing necessary care due to prior authorization. In comparison, 80% of healthcare staff see it as a factor in burnout. This paper examines the implications of preauthorization on healthcare service delivery, focusing on practitioner distribution, patient care accessibility, and financial impacts. The research explores the association between state-level preauthorization restrictions and the availability of healthcare practitioners, particularly in rural areas and specialties. Findings suggest that more restrictive prior authorization processes correlate with reduced practitioner availability, negatively affecting access to care and patient outcomes. Additionally, the paper discusses...

Climate-Responsive Equity: Addressing Racial Disparities in Healthcare Amidst Crises

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This paper examines how the absence of accessible healthcare intersects with the disproportionate burden that climate change places on marginalized communities. The paper reviews the current literature on the intersection of climate-related health crises and public policy, highlighting the lack of policies centered around this intersection. This review explores how the disproportionate impact of the current climate related health crisis on minority communities is a continuation of structural violence, inequality, and systemic neglect by both the government and public policy makers. Possible solutions, along with their practical and ethical limitations, are dissected. From a healthcare perspective, this paper emphasizes the need to highlight the incoming health crises, and to take measures to reform both healthcare and climate policies to tackle them.

Nyctinastic Leaf Folding Mimic Reduces Herbivory by Chromacris Trogon Grasshoppers (Orthoptera:Romaleidae)

Tue, 1 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Arachis pintoi (Fabaceae) is a common relative of the cultivated peanut, and folds its four leaflets up to look like one at night. The adaptive significance of this behavior (foliar nyctinasty) is unknown. To test the hypothesis that leaflet folding alone can deter herbivores, a leaf preference experiment was performed on Chromacris trogon grasshoppers. Small oval cutouts were made from leaves of the grasshopper’s preferred food source, Iochroma arborescens (Solanaceae), and were combined with small pieces of tape and dry grass to construct artificial leaves resembling the day and night form of A. pintoi. In the experiment, groups of three grasshoppers were starved for 24 hours and then placed in petri dishes containing one closed and one open artificial leaf. After 30 six-hour trials, the average herbivory of open leaves was 12.3%, while closed leaves was 5.2% (p = 0.00145), indicating a significant preference for open leaves. This suggests that the folded configuration...

Robust Design and Optimization of Turbo-machinery Compressors

Mon, 30 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This research is dedicated to advancing gas turbine technology for greener and more cost-effective commercial air transportation. The focus lies in optimizing the High Pressure Compressor (HPC) component of NASA’s Energy Efficient Engine (EEE) which compresses air prior to entering the combustion chamber. The goal for the research project was to improve the compressor’s pressure ratio from inlet to outlet to enhance the efficiency of the combustion process. Factors affecting compressor performance, such as blade twist angle, blade geometry, and shroud and hub tip clearance, are analyzed and optimized to improve efficiency and overall performance. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models were created within the Ansys software suite and successfully optimized by leveraging the San Diego Supercomputer Center. This research achieved a pressure ratio increase across the first four stages of a ten-stage compressor, surpassing NASA's 1980 model. This paper outlines the methodology,...

Challenger Research Journal Volume 5