5954 research outputs found
Sort by
FROM RIVER ROAD PLANTATIONS TO THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD: BRINGING THE TRUE STORY OF AMERICAN SLAVERY TO THE PRESENT RACIAL DIVIDE
Get PDFMuch of the discourse in the nation is centered on the racial divide in America. This essay traces that divide back to American slavery, using a visit to five historical plantations and Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad to illustrate the persistence of injustice beyond slavery to Jim Crow laws, color-blind rhetoric, and mass incarceration. At each plantation, I encounter a varied history of slavery and find that many of these historical sites trivialize the experience of the enslaved. The Whitney Plantation is the exception, focusing solely on the stories of the enslaved and revealing the power of narrative to undo the lies believed about American history. Borrowing from the Whitney’s example, I turn to the neo-slave narrative, The Underground Railroad, to better understand the story of the enslaved. This novel reveals the true history of enslavement, highlighting both the profit and violence of the institution and reflecting the many forms of oppression in the black American experience from the time of slavery to today. The protagonist Cora’s fight to embrace her own personhood and the personhood of others, despite the systematic denial of her own humanity, reveals empathy as the source of hope for America’s future
Behavior, Nest Site Selection and Success of Black Terns (Chlidonias niger)
Get PDFThe Black Tern (Chlidonias niger) population has markedly declined over several decades in northern North America, the causes of which are still largely unknown. I monitored nest success and wetland use by Black Terns in three colony sites in northern Michigan throughout 2017 and 2018 and used traditional survey methods coupled with nest cameras to document Black Tern nest success and mortality events. Colony sites included in this study were experiencing invasion by non-native plant species including Phragmites, hybrid and narrow-leaved cattail (Typha spp.), and European frog-bit (Hydrocharis morus-ranae). Statistically significant differences (P \u3c 0.05) were observed between the average percent cover of submerged aquatics and floating aquatics near nest sites and random points, which suggests that Black Terns may be avoiding areas with high levels of floating and submerged aquatic plants. While Phragmites and invasive cattails can degrade the overall structure of the marsh and limit suitable nesting habitat, European frog-bit and other invasive floating aquatic plant species may pose a greater threat to nest success by reducing the amount of open water at nest sites and preventing incubating terns from defending their nests from aquatic predators. I documented nest disturbance and predation events including an instance in which a common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) depredated an entire brood of chicks. This study is the first to document snapping turtles as a predator of Black Terns. My results provide further insight into potential factors limiting Black Tern chick survival in the Great Lakes region and the use of nest cameras to monitor nest success
THE HUMAN FACTORS WHICH ACTED AS A DRIVING FORCE FOR INSPIRING IMPOVERISHED, RURAL STUDENTS TO SUCCESSFULLY PURSUE POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
Get PDFABSTRACT
THE HUMAN FACTORS WHICH ACTED AS A DRIVING FORCE FOR INSPIRING IMPOVERISHED, RURAL STUDENTS TO SUCCESSFULLY PURSUE POST-SECONDARY EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
By
Adam E. Lucas
This qualitative study explored how students from rural poverty were able to find the motivation from an adult-role model to pursue post-secondary academic opportunity. This study used an open-ended questionnaire to elicit responses from four recent high school graduates who are currently enrolled in a post-secondary academic institution. The questionnaire asked the student participants to identify a specific adult individual, as well as the attributes about this individual that acted as motivation to successfully pursue post-secondary academics. In a second phase of questionnaires, the adult-role models identified by the student participants are asked about their perception of the student participants’ motivation to pursue post-secondary academic opportunities.
Results yielded eleven sub-themes and four overlying themes. Students were in-fact able to identify a specific adult who acted as a motivational factor for their pursuit of post-secondary academics; students could define attributes about this individual, which they deemed motivational; a differentiated and engaging relationship between the student and adult role-model participants developed; and due to the relationships cultivated in each student and adult-role model case, student participants were able to internalize how the actions exhibited by an adult-role model affected the adult-role model’s future and were therefore able to incorporate similar practices into their own lives in order to achieve successful outcomes of their own
KINETIC AND SUBJECTIVE ANALYSIS OF KNEE ROLLERS, HANDS FREE CRUTCH, AND CONVENTIONAL CRUTCHES
Get PDFThis study assessed the kinetic demands of ambulatory assistance devices and the subject’s perceptions of each. Twelve subjects used a knee roller (KR), a hands free crutch (HFC), and conventional axillary crutches (CC), while walking over a force platform. Ground reaction forces (GRF) were obtained for each device for the unaffected and the affected limb. Significant differences in GRF for each device were found for each limb (p ≤ 0.001). No gender interaction was found (p \u3e 0.05). The GRF of the un-affected limb was highest for the CC and lowest for the KR (p ≤ 0.05). The GRF of the affected limb was higher for the KR compared to the HFC (p =.045). For the unaffected limb, the CC produced 45% more kinetic demand than the KR, and 11% more than the HFC. However, the qualitative analysis suggested that the CC and KR were favored over the HFC
DOES HAND SPEED RELATE TO CLUB HEAD SPEED OR BALL SPEED DURING A GOLF SWING?
Get PDFMany golf swing analyses use club or ball speed to indicate performance, although these are difficult to obtain using motion capture. This study examined the relationship between hand speed and club head and ball speeds to examine if hand can indicate performance and if different capturing frequencies affect these relationships. A 10-camera Vicon system recorded golfers performing eight golf swings (500 Hz n=11, 100 Hz n=15). A TrackMan system recorded club head and ball speed. The resultant hand speed was calculated at peak velocity, the lowest position of the hands, and at ball impact. Hand speed at ball impact and club head speed had the strongest relationship (r=0.501, p\u3c0.001), though most correlations were r\u3c0.400. Higher capturing frequency had better relationships with the performance outcomes, and the ball impact was the best time point for analysis
RELATIONSHIP OF BODY MASS AND BILATERAL RUNNING GAIT PARAMETERS IN ELITE AMERICAN FOOTBALL PLAYERS
Get PDFSprinting is integral to American football and is thought to be influenced by the same gait parameters as track runners; however, the heavier mass of American football players may influence performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between mass, contact time (TC), aerial time (TA), swing time (TS), and stance-averaged vertical ground reaction forces (vGRF) for both limbs. Subjects ran on an instrumented treadmill for 5 sec at 6.5 m/s. Tc, TA, TS and stance-averaged vGRF were compared between limbs and examined for association with mass. All parameters were symmetrical between limbs, p\u3e.05. Mass (103.0+12.2 kg) was moderately associated with Tc (0.17+.02 sec) on the left, r=0.666, p=0.013, but not the right (r=0.551, p=.051). The high mass of American football players may affect variables associated with speed
EFFICACY OF SHOES AND BOOTS IN PREVENTING MOTORCYCLE-RELATED ANKLE INVERSION
Get PDFThe current investigation explored the potential prophylactic effects of shoes, work boots, and motorcycle boots in reducing ankle inversion associated with ankle sprain. While the majority of previous research has investigated the effects of protective equipment in crashes, rates of lower extremity loading in emergency stop contexts are comparable to jump landings and may induce frontal plane loading that could lead to ankle injury. Fifteen adults wore athletic shoes, work boots, and motorcycle boots in a motorcycle drop task. Motorcycle boots significantly (p = 0.03) decreased peak ankle inversion angles by 3.6 degrees, but also increased (p \u3c 0.01) vertical ground reaction forces by 0.21 bodyweights compared to the other shod conditions. Overall, it is suggested that motorcycle boots can potentially protect motorcycle riders from both crash-based and emergency-stop injuries
ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC INTER-LIMB ASYMMETRY IN BENCH PRESS EXERCISE IN ELITE PARALYMPICS WEIGHTLIFTERS
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to describe inter-limb asymmetry in three muscle groups in a sample of Paralympic weightlifters during an 80% RM bench press. The sample was composed of 7 subjects belonging to the Chilean elite powerlifting. Surface electromyography was assessed in major pectoral, deltoid anterior and triceps brachii. The magnitude of the response was calculated through root mean square (RMS). Symmetry Index was calculated for an interlimb differences measure. Only the pectoralis major muscle showed significant differences between limbs (right 84.7 ± 41.3; left 66.1 ± 19.3 RMS) (p=0.05) and the SI median greatest value (19.74 ± 24.59%). Anterior deltoid showed high individual differences in two athletes with upper 80% SI values. More studies should assess asymmetry with the objective to decrease this injuries risk factor
THE EFFECT OF TIGHT HIPS ON SQUAT TECHNIQUE
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine if tight hips would effect a dynamic activity such as the squat. Twenty subjects with squat experience were evaluated for hip contracture, 8 subjects were found to have iliopsoas contracture and 12 were found to have rectus femoris contracture. Two mixed model repeated measures ANOVAs were completed on hip flexion angles during a squat between a group with and without hip contracture for the iliopsoas and rectus femoris. A significant difference was found for the Iliopsoas (p=.014) and rectus femoris (p=.002) for the main effect of repetition. However, the interaction was not significant for iliopsoas (p=.20) or rectus femoris (p=.10). No significant differences were found between the hip contracture groups for the iliopsoas (p=.10) or the rectus femoris (p=.68), indicating tight hips do not have an impact on squat technique
ACTIVE LEARNING AND STUDENT BELIEFS ABOUT LEARNING
Get PDFThis study documented the potential change in student epistemology of learning biomechanical concepts over a 5-week introductory biomechanics course implementing low-tech AL exercises. Twenty-five students agreed to participate and completed a pre- and post-test consisting of the Biomechanics Concept Inventory version 2 and two questions on their perceptions about the nature of learning. The active learning instruction increased mastery of biomechanical concepts over levels previously reported for lecture alone. Most students had positive perceptions of active learning experiences, however, some (4-12%) students had negative perceptions and decreased their interest in working with other students. Student epistemology did not change over the course and was not related to mastery of biomechanics concepts