University at Albany, State University of New York
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I Know Not Seems: Contemporary American Fiction And The New Sincerity
Get PDFSince the publication of David Foster Wallace’s essay, “E Unibus Plurum,” in 1993, critics have attended ever more closely to the problematic effects of postmodernism. Postmodernism, with its origins located in poststructuralism’s antifoundational philosophy, fashions a world without anchors or boundaries, where relativism holds sway and irony is the culture’s habitus. The twin concepts of relativism and irony are, of course, primary in postmodern literature, and therefore indicate why postmodernism’s trajectory terminates in overt metafiction, experimental excess, and nihilism. By reading postmodernism as a reflection of these principles, we begin to register how the literature of the period following postmodernism resists its predecessor by seeking out a means through which to solve the twin conceptual problems of irony and relativism. I Know Not Seems: Contemporary American Fiction and the New Sincerity, argues that sincerity serves as that means, and is thus a major periodizing concept for contemporary American literary fiction, codified in the New Sincerity movement. Functioning as both a heuristic solution to relativism and a pointed response to irony, sincerity is evident across many recent works of literary fiction, as not only a thematic element but also as a characterological and formal one. Moreover, by attending to the central place that sincerity holds in today’s literature, as well as to the nature of sincerity itself, we gain a greater understanding of how New Sincerity literature has sought to negotiate the epistemological and ontological crises imposed by poststructuralism’s antifoundational principles, and therefore to return to the culture a sense of both a truth and a reality seemingly lost to postmodernism
Association Of Illness Perceptions, Illness Perception Incongruence, And Psychological Distress Among Caregivers In The Context Of Chronic Multi-Symptom Illness
Get PDFFollowing the common sense model of self regulation (CSM), how individuals think about an illness (i.e., illness perceptions) influences one’s level of psychological distress (e.g., burden, depression). This is thought to be especially true for illnesses which lack any clear medical etiology, termed chronic multi-symptom illness (CMI). While the impact of illness perceptions are well established predictors of distress among those diagnosed CMI, no known study has considered if illness perceptions similarly impact informal caregivers caring for individuals with CMI. This study therefore sought to examine if illness perceptions held by caregivers caring for individuals with CMI predicted caregiver psychological distress. This study also sought to examine if caregivers’ perceived incongruence (i.e., caregivers perceiving themselves as holding differing illness perceptions than the recipients of their care) predicted caregiver psychological distress. It was expected that holding greater threat-related illness perceptions of CMI and experiencing greater perceived incongruence would result in greater caregiver burden and depression. Conversely, it was expected that holding greater protective illness perceptions of CMI would predict less caregiver burden and depression. Participants (N=201) were individuals who self-identified as caregivers caring for individuals with CMI. Results supported the hypothesis that threat-related illness perceptions among caregivers would predict greater caregiver burden and depression. Results however did not support the hypotheses that protective illness perceptions would predict lower burden and depression, nor that greater perceived incongruence would predict greater burden and depression. The discussion explores implication for both practice and research surrounding the needs of caregivers caring for individuals with CMI
Indecent Exposure And The Court As Custos Morum
Get PDFIndecent exposure has been a crime in America since colonial times. Laws governing this crime are a cornerstone of government regulation of morals in America, sharing a common history with the jurisprudence of religion, obscenity, marriage, and sexual relations. The first reported case of indecent exposure in English common law is a widely acknowledged source of American moral jurisprudence that justifies the courts’ role as custos morum, or custodian of the morals
Developing Historical Empathy For Enslaved African Americans: Teaching And Learning Difficult History During A Field Trip To A Historic Site
Get PDFThis case study examined how we ask students to engage in learning the difficult history of slavery by experiencing a field trip to a historic site where that history occurred, how that experience informs student development of historical empathy for the enslaved people who lived and labored there, the role it may play in supporting a more complex understanding of African American history, and how students engage civically upon that knowledge. This study found that place-based education to a site of difficult history immerses students in site-specific visual, textual, narrative, and physical resources that provide a frame to contextualize and support complex historical learning. Guided exposure to architectural elements and objects combined with primary texts first examined in the classroom and then re-examined in site-specific rooms along with other newly examined site-specific texts extended student learning beyond what classroom instruction achieved. Findings from this study indicate that relevant historical narratives presented in a purposeful tour path in conjunction with spatial interactions supported student cognitive understanding and emotional connection with the personal dilemmas, positionality, and agency of enslaved historical figures. Data further indicate participating students’ knowledge about contemporary legacies of slavery was informed by historical empathy fostered by place-based education at a historic site of enslavement. The results of this investigation provide evidence of limitations to the desired outcome that historical empathy and place-based education will conclude with student preparation to take action in the present based on their new understanding of the past in informed, active civic engagement
Comparative Population Genomics Of Bloodstream-Derived Staphylococcus Aureus From Disparate Geographic Origins In The United States
Get PDFStaphylococcus aureus is a commensal and an opportunistic pathogen that causes a variety of diseases in humans, from minor skin and soft tissue infections to life-threatening invasive diseases. The emergence and spread of multidrug-resistant and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) complicate treatment options, which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality of patients. In this study, we compared the clonal lineages and genomic features of bloodstream-derived S. aureus populations from different locations. We leveraged 957 previously published genomes derived from bloodstream infections across six hospitals located in Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, and New York, USA. We carried out pan-genome analysis, phylogenetic tree reconstruction, and in silico detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes. We identified 67 sequence types (STs), with ST5 and ST8 together accounting for 46.18% of the entire dataset. The five populations showed significant differences in genome-wide average nucleotide identity and in the number of AMR genes per genome. We identified a total of 26 distinct AMR genes associated with ten antimicrobial classes. The mobile genetic element SCCmec carrying the mecA gene, which confers resistance to nearly all beta-lactams, was present in 478 genomes and of which 82 are from ST5 and 247 from ST8. The most common SCCmec types were types II and IV, which were detected in all five locations. We find that the distribution of bloodstream-associated S. aureus is shaped by both the clonal expansion of lineages ST5 and ST8 across geographically disparate hospitals and of the sharing of different SCCmec types between lineages. These findings provide critical insights on how invasive S. aureus remains a persistent public health threat, particularly when considering its repository of mobile AMR determinants that can impinge on critical treatment options. Continuous and broader surveillance using whole genome sequencing will be important to track the spread of multidrug resistance
Role Of M6A Rna Methylation In Skeletal Muscle Regeneration
Get PDFSkeletal muscle is essential in orchestrating voluntary movement and contributes to approximately half of the body\u27s overall mass. Dysregulation in proper skeletal muscle development can lead to muscle degenerative disorders, such as severe Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Understanding the process of muscle development has been the central focus of numerous biological studies, focusing on myogenic transcription factors and signaling molecules like Pax3, Pax7, Myf5, MyoD, WNT, TGF-β, and BMP, IGF1, AKT/mTOR pathway. Also, studies have suggested that m6A (N6-methyladenosine) plays a crucial role in various biological processes, including skeletal muscle regeneration and development. m6A modification is the prevalent form of RNA methylation in eukaryotes, playing a pivotal role in the post-transcriptional control of gene expression. The goal of my library thesis is to review the significant role of m6A RNA methylation in processes encompassing skeletal muscle regeneration
The Effectiveness of Cybersecurity Training
Get PDFThis study seeks to answer the question of what kinds of cybersecurity training are effective by reviewing the existing literature, analyzing for gaps, and bridging the connection with known learning techniques. The research is exploratory in nature, and is inductive – intending to develop a theory. Additionally, this study seeks to offer a taxonomy of cybersecurity training methods to be evaluated.
This study did not include security operation center (SOC), cyber incident response teams (CIRTs), or other types of advanced cybersecurity professional training. This research specifically focuses on training to improve the average employee and population’s tactical cybersecurity skills.
Several findings developed from this research; (1) that our current cybersecurity training methods are mostly ineffective, (2) the body of cybersecurity training lacks cohesion and parsimony, (3) there are additional areas to explore, such as intrinsic motivation, training frequency, and communication techniques
Validation of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12 in a Sample of Pregnant People
Get PDFBackground: Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) has been proposed as a transdiagnostic mechanism driving anxiety, depression, and eating disorder symptoms. Pregnancy is a time of significant uncertainty, yet few studies have examined the measurement of IU and its impacts on pregnant people. The current study aimed to examine the psychometric performance of two versions of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS-27 and IUS-12) and its associations with psychopathologies common in pregnancy.
Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of participants (n = 254) recruited for a larger study of a single-session intervention targeting disordered eating in pregnancy. We examined fit of participant baseline data with IUS-27 and IUS-12 factor structures using confirmatory factor analyses. We also assessed associations between IU and emotion dysregulation and depression and eating disorder symptoms, controlling for age, parity, and perceived social status.
Results: The IUS-12 provided superior fit to the data (CFI = 0.95; TLI = 0.93; RMSEA = 0.09) compared to the IUS-27. The IUS-12 was significantly (all p \u3c 0.05) correlated with measures of emotion dysregulation (r = 0.67), depression (r = 0.15), and eating disorders (r = 0.37). Inhibitory IU rather than prospective IU was generally significantly associated with greater impairment (ß range = 0.46 – 3.51, p’s \u3c 0.01), with the exception of depression scores.
Conclusions: Results from this study provide initial support for the IUS-12 as a valid measure of IU in pregnant people and suggest that IU is strongly associated with measures of emotion dysregulation and eating disorder behaviors in this population. Severe psychological distress in pregnancy is associated with complications in gestation and delivery and overall poor birth outcomes. Clinicians and doctors should consider using the IUS-12 as a general measure of psychological distress among pregnant patients
A Study of Mercury Speciation Analysis of Blood Using Liquid Chromatography Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry for Human Biomonitoring and Clinical Applications
Get PDFMercury (Hg) exposure from environmental sources and consumer products presents a significant public health concern. The toxicity of methylmercury (MeHg) differs considerably from inorganic mercury (iHg), such that their separation and quantification in whole blood is helpful in identifying sources and possible pathways of exposure. Speciation methods provide a more detailed picture regarding human exposure to toxic mercury species and their effects on human health. This dissertation focuses on advanced analytical techniques for human biomonitoring and clinical diagnosis of Hg exposure. The primary aim of this research is to address important knowledge gaps and analytical challenges in studies of Hg species in whole blood.
A major contribution of this work is the development and validation of a novel, rapid, and robust analytical method for the speciation of MeHg and iHg in whole blood using isocratic liquid chromatography coupled with vapor generation inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometry (LC-VG-ICP-MS/MS). This method, optimized for high-throughput biomonitoring, allows for the quantification of Hg species at population levels. Validation studies demonstrated the method\u27s competitive limits of detection (LODs) compared to gas chromatography-based techniques, making it a promising tool for the analysis of human blood for Hg species.
The validated LC-VG-ICP-MS/MS method was applied to a pilot study involving archived blood samples from the New York City Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NYC HANES). Method robustness was assessed by analyzing over 300 samples for the distribution of Hg species collected over a decade, between 2004 and 2013–2014. These findings offer valuable preliminary data for understanding Hg exposure patterns in a NYC population, with implications for future public health biomonitoring studies.
Additionally, the method was employed in two individual case studies. One case focused on suspected exposure to iHg from skin lightening creams, and the other on suspected exposure to MeHg from excessive fish consumption. These case studies revealed detailed information on Hg speciation in blood, contributing to the clinical understanding of mercury poisoning and highlighting the importance of speciation analysis after excessive Hg exposures.
Finally, this dissertation extended the utility of the LC-VG-ICP-MS/MS method to non-biological matrices, such as skin lightening creams, and by integrating X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis for pre-analytical screening. The speciation analysis identified iHg contamination in skin lightening creams, many exceeding the FDA\u27s safety limits, highlighting the importance of speciation analysis in ensuring consumer product safety
Public - Private in Vietnamese Universities: Exploring Sectoral Distinctiveness in Program Offerings
Get PDFThe public-private issues in higher education have been a longstanding important topic of academic and policy interest, especially in the context of the public - private duality in most higher education systems. With PHE’s impressive growth over the past few decades, now enrolling one third of global HE enrollments, the study of PHE has also been expanded, with several national case studies and world/regional edited books yet being mostly ad hoc with minimal synthesis or comparative analysis (Levy, 2024). The current case study of Vietnam, employing Levy’s double distinctiveness approach in sectoral distinctiveness analysis with the intrasectoral dissection on the public side, rather than the private side, puts it at the forefront of PHE studies. It uses an exploratory data analysis approach, with quantitative data on regular, full-time undergraduate program offerings from 2005 to 2016 by discipline and field of study. As far as its PHE, VN is far from typical, given the dominance of the for-profit form while the public sector is unusual for having a public autonomous subsector. While the specifics of a country case study make it hard to generalize, the study answers mainstream questions posed in the forefront of the PHE literature, contributing importantly to the studies of PHE.
As studies after studies in PHE continue to show that the public - private sectors consistently exhibit strong and recurring patterns of distinctiveness and blurring, with more weight on the former, so do the findings from the current study. Importantly, by dissecting the public sector into the traditional and autonomous subsectors, the study finds remarkable distinctiveness between PHE and the public traditional subsector in their program offering behaviors while also finding extraordinary resemblance between PHE and the public autonomous subsector. Putting these findings in the twin privatization process, with PHE expansion and the decrease of state financial supports/increased proportion of private moneys (i.e., tuition revenues) in public institutions, these findings offer policy implications on private and public higher education institutions’ behaviors in program offerings: One of the strongest drivers of HEIs’ behaviors in program offerings, particularly among public universities, has seemingly been the partial privatization process. Furthermore, putting aside the “good” and the “bad” in viewing public universities behaving similarly to private, this finding suggests that public universities that participated in the public autonomous university policy pilot seem to have been entrepreneurial in changing and adapting to the partial privatization reality