Journal Article31 October 2025
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Current Articles
- Journal Article31 October 2025
A Light-Dependent Resistor Based Embedded Image Acquisition System for use in Low-Resolution Application-Specific Data Processing
This paper proposes an efficient hardware-based approach to image acquisition & processing to replace complex camera systems in simple industrial & commercial applications. - Journal Article31 October 2025
The El Mozote Massacre of 1981: Central American Human Rights and United States Cold War Policy
This research explores the motivations behind the denial of the 1981 El Mozote Massacre in El Salvador. In this event, the US-backed Atlácatl battalion of the Salvadoran Army brutally killed over 500 Indigenous peoples in the department of Morazán. Despite multiple eyewitness accounts of the massacre, both the United States and Salvadoran governments repeatedly denied responsibility for the event. This project is based on official US governmental documents from the Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, Department of State, and Congress. These documents illuminate conversations within the government concerning knowledge about the massacre, plans for continuing foreign aid, and further military actions. This information is supplemented by eyewitness accounts of the massacre and reports made by international human rights groups, which significantly differ from what is presented in the governmental documents. Although few scholars have closely examined El Mozote, there is a significant body of scholarship that explores US Cold War foreign relations and the primacy of militarization in foreign policy decisions. Scholarship on Latin American human rights is scant, exploring general trends in rights violations across the continent. Most American research does not consider Spanish-language sources. This investigation adds to foreign relations and human rights scholarship by presenting original, bilingual research on this insufficiently examined event. Research findings clarify the motivations of US Cold War foreign policy in El Salvador and highlight its overlooked effects on human rights. This project seeks to promote greater awareness of the El Mozote massacre, along with current human rights violations involving the US and El Salvador, to encourage support for the achievement of justice for the victims and their families. - Journal Article31 October 2025
Art Therapy in Social Work Practice
Art therapy is an emerging practice among mental health professionals looking for new ways to engage with their clients and encourage nonverbal communication. Creativity is a means of processing memories, improving relationships, and strengthening the mind-body connection across a variety of age groups and practice settings. The efficacy of art therapy has led to its integration into social work practice, benefitting a diverse range of client populations within the field. While a lack of macro-level research studies has prevented the implementation of standardized art therapy techniques in social work, clinical research trials have examined art therapy across several areas of practice to address common issues that clients are facing like trauma, relationship problems, mental illness, and the marginalization of LGBTQIA+ youth. - Journal Article31 October 2025
The Art of Movement
I wanted to do this project for my Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone to showcase some of my skills and to articulate what I want to do with my degree. I want to go into Medical Illustration, and I want to make science easier for people to learn. To do this I want to take complicated subjects and remake them into simpler terms. For my capstone, I decided to take anatomy of the arm, leg, and abdominal organs and draw them on professional women athletes. I thought that expressing this anatomy in less of a clinical way is one strategy to make it easier for people to learn. To make these art pieces I first brainstormed athletes I wanted to include in the pieces and settled on Ilona Maher, Caitlin Clark, and Tara Davis-Woodhall. I decided after that to do the leg muscles on Maher, arm muscles on Clark, and the abdominal organs on Davis-Woodhall. I chose to use a variety of different mediums including charcoal, graphite, colored pencils, watercolor, and acrylic paint. Once everything was illustrated, I took out a handful of muscles I wanted to highlight, so I made little labels for the muscle or organ shown. - Journal Article31 October 2025
From "Pata Pata" to Come Back, Africa: Miriam Makeba and Her Fight Against Apartheid, 1953-1990
Perhaps one of the most notorious periods in African history was that of Apartheid – a system of racial, political, social, and economic discrimination placed upon the non-white majority of South Africa. Beginning in 1948 and lasting until the early 1990s, Apartheid marked a significant transformation in not only African liberation movements but also those happening across the globe, including the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. While the efforts to overcome Apartheid and empower the overall messages of African liberation and solidarity are well-documented, there are several methods of achieving these goals that have been unfortunately overlooked. Figures such as Nelson Mandela and Steve Biko have become synonymous with the fight against Apartheid in the political and judicial spheres, but one incredibly effective sphere has remained somewhat shrouded in the background: music. During Apartheid, a woman by the name of Miriam Makeba used her music to spread messages about black South African community and resilience while simultaneously reflecting on the struggles of black South Africans among the discrimination and oppression they were experiencing. This project’s purpose is to analyze and discuss Miriam Makeba’s role in the Anti-Apartheid Movement through the lens of her music and acting career, and it will cover the Anti-Apartheid Movement as a whole using a variety of sources, including films, journal articles, documentaries, and more. - Journal Article31 October 2025
What We Watch on Social Media Makes an Impact
Prior research has demonstrated that certain social media content consumed can create unrealistic expectations of themselves; however, some hypothesize that social media provides empowering and supportive spaces. Unfortunately, many studies rely on cross-sectional data, limiting the ability to infer causality. This study looked at one of the most-used social media platforms by teens in the United States, TikTok. For this study, it was predicted that viewing “body check” videos would negatively affect body image. If significant, we could try and restrict those videos from being posted. The findings supported the hypothesis, but not significantly. However, there were quite a few limitations, with the number of participants being the main one. The participants were recruited college students. - Journal Article31 October 2025
Exploring Cultural Perspectives on Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Literature Review
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impairments in personal, social, academic, or occupational functioning. Despite its universal recognition, perceptions and responses to autism vary widely across different cultural contexts. This paper explores the impact of cultural perspectives on the diagnosis, intervention, and support for individuals with autism. It highlights how cultural beliefs, values, and societal norms shape the understanding and management of ASD, revealing significant differences in diagnostic practices and support systems around the world. The paper discusses how cultural factors influence the interpretation of autism, using case studies from diverse settings, including Africa, Southeast Asia, China, and indigenous communities such as the Navajo. For instance, in many African societies, autism is often perceived as a spiritual condition, complicating access to appropriate medical care. Conversely, the Western medical model often frames autism as a disorder to be fixed, which can lead to a deficit-focused view. By bridging cultural gaps and fostering a more inclusive understanding of autism, this paper advocates for improved diagnostic practices and support services, ultimately promoting a more equitable and compassionate global approach to ASD. - Journal Article31 October 2025
A Case Study on the Use of Cultural Violence and its Contribution to the Third Reich's 'Euthanasia' Program
The genocidal actions taken by the Third Reich during the mid-20th century were horrific and dehumanizing. While the Holocaust often focuses on the tragic genocide that occurred against the Jewish people carried out by the Third Reich, the genocide that they carried out against the disabled community is often overlooked. With the deaths of tens of thousands of disabled people occurring through this genocide, it is important to understand how this genocide occurred, without any worldwide protest. Nazi Leaders including Alfred Rosenberg, Adolf Hitler, and Ernest Rüdin used widespread cultural indoctrination to dehumanize the disabled community and horrifically justify their deaths. This system of indoctrinated beliefs, often referred to as the Volk, ultimately contributed to widespread death and discrimination of the disabled community in Europe during the mid-20th century. - Journal Article31 October 2025
Three Good Things and Family Process
There is a need for adaptive and affordable prevention/intervention strategies to promote happiness, health, and well-being in families. Three Good Things (3GT) is a free exercise from the field of positive psychology meant to shift an individual’s focus and perceptions towards gratitude. 3GT promotes focusing on gratitude by reflecting on what an individual is grateful for from the past day/week. Persons are encouraged to write down and share their 3GT with another individual. A mindset of gratitude is closely associated with improved happiness, health, and well-being. The exercise of reflecting on 3GT is adaptive to most individuals/families. To date, most studies using the 3GT intervention have focused on individuals, leaving a gap in the literature for family process. This one-time, cross-sectional qualitative study (n = 89) examined how families experienced the 3GT intervention, together. Researchers conducted a systematic qualitative thematic analysis to determine prominent themes and supportive quotes. Findings from this study may be used to inform educators, clinicians and individuals who work with families on strategies to promote overall family happiness, health, and well-being.
Most Popular Articles
- Journal Article31 October 2025
Environment Mapping and GPS-Based Trailer Parking Using Low-Cost Peripheral Sensors and Post-Processing Algorithms
This paper explores the merit of software data optimization through two practical examples: environment mapping & GPS navigation. - Journal Article31 October 2025
A Light-Dependent Resistor Based Embedded Image Acquisition System for use in Low-Resolution Application-Specific Data Processing
This paper proposes an efficient hardware-based approach to image acquisition & processing to replace complex camera systems in simple industrial & commercial applications. - Journal Article31 October 2025
The El Mozote Massacre of 1981: Central American Human Rights and United States Cold War Policy
This research explores the motivations behind the denial of the 1981 El Mozote Massacre in El Salvador. In this event, the US-backed Atlácatl battalion of the Salvadoran Army brutally killed over 500 Indigenous peoples in the department of Morazán. Despite multiple eyewitness accounts of the massacre, both the United States and Salvadoran governments repeatedly denied responsibility for the event. This project is based on official US governmental documents from the Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, Department of State, and Congress. These documents illuminate conversations within the government concerning knowledge about the massacre, plans for continuing foreign aid, and further military actions. This information is supplemented by eyewitness accounts of the massacre and reports made by international human rights groups, which significantly differ from what is presented in the governmental documents. Although few scholars have closely examined El Mozote, there is a significant body of scholarship that explores US Cold War foreign relations and the primacy of militarization in foreign policy decisions. Scholarship on Latin American human rights is scant, exploring general trends in rights violations across the continent. Most American research does not consider Spanish-language sources. This investigation adds to foreign relations and human rights scholarship by presenting original, bilingual research on this insufficiently examined event. Research findings clarify the motivations of US Cold War foreign policy in El Salvador and highlight its overlooked effects on human rights. This project seeks to promote greater awareness of the El Mozote massacre, along with current human rights violations involving the US and El Salvador, to encourage support for the achievement of justice for the victims and their families. - Journal Article31 October 2025
Art Therapy in Social Work Practice
Art therapy is an emerging practice among mental health professionals looking for new ways to engage with their clients and encourage nonverbal communication. Creativity is a means of processing memories, improving relationships, and strengthening the mind-body connection across a variety of age groups and practice settings. The efficacy of art therapy has led to its integration into social work practice, benefitting a diverse range of client populations within the field. While a lack of macro-level research studies has prevented the implementation of standardized art therapy techniques in social work, clinical research trials have examined art therapy across several areas of practice to address common issues that clients are facing like trauma, relationship problems, mental illness, and the marginalization of LGBTQIA+ youth. - Journal Article31 October 2025
The Art of Movement
I wanted to do this project for my Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone to showcase some of my skills and to articulate what I want to do with my degree. I want to go into Medical Illustration, and I want to make science easier for people to learn. To do this I want to take complicated subjects and remake them into simpler terms. For my capstone, I decided to take anatomy of the arm, leg, and abdominal organs and draw them on professional women athletes. I thought that expressing this anatomy in less of a clinical way is one strategy to make it easier for people to learn. To make these art pieces I first brainstormed athletes I wanted to include in the pieces and settled on Ilona Maher, Caitlin Clark, and Tara Davis-Woodhall. I decided after that to do the leg muscles on Maher, arm muscles on Clark, and the abdominal organs on Davis-Woodhall. I chose to use a variety of different mediums including charcoal, graphite, colored pencils, watercolor, and acrylic paint. Once everything was illustrated, I took out a handful of muscles I wanted to highlight, so I made little labels for the muscle or organ shown. - Journal Article31 October 2025
From "Pata Pata" to Come Back, Africa: Miriam Makeba and Her Fight Against Apartheid, 1953-1990
Perhaps one of the most notorious periods in African history was that of Apartheid – a system of racial, political, social, and economic discrimination placed upon the non-white majority of South Africa. Beginning in 1948 and lasting until the early 1990s, Apartheid marked a significant transformation in not only African liberation movements but also those happening across the globe, including the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. While the efforts to overcome Apartheid and empower the overall messages of African liberation and solidarity are well-documented, there are several methods of achieving these goals that have been unfortunately overlooked. Figures such as Nelson Mandela and Steve Biko have become synonymous with the fight against Apartheid in the political and judicial spheres, but one incredibly effective sphere has remained somewhat shrouded in the background: music. During Apartheid, a woman by the name of Miriam Makeba used her music to spread messages about black South African community and resilience while simultaneously reflecting on the struggles of black South Africans among the discrimination and oppression they were experiencing. This project’s purpose is to analyze and discuss Miriam Makeba’s role in the Anti-Apartheid Movement through the lens of her music and acting career, and it will cover the Anti-Apartheid Movement as a whole using a variety of sources, including films, journal articles, documentaries, and more.