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Community as Safe Space for Survival: African American Women and the Great Migration in Gloria Naylor’s The Women of Brewster Place, Ann Petry’s The Street, and Toni Morrison’s Jazz
Get PDFAbstract This project closely examines the unique challenges African American women faced as migrants from the rural South to the urban North during the Great Migration and particularly how community and safe spaces were necessary for survival. This article will focus on the literary works of The Street by Ann Petry, The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor, and Jazz by Toni Morrison to specifically analyze the migrant stories of African American women. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson is used as a non-fiction anchor text to compare and contrast the fictitious accounts alongside the non-fiction accounts. Through the lens of New Historicism and Gender Critical theory, I will analyze the impact of the Great Migration and the effects on African American women who have migrated North and what the works say about oppression as a result of race and gender. I argue that intra-racial misogyny, economic barriers due to both race and gender, and sexual violence towards women appear as a common thread throughout each of these novels as a unique part of the migrant African American woman’s experience; however, women that are the most successful are not only strongly connected to their community but they also have a protected space outside of the surveillance of others. The promise of the North comes into direct conflict with the hopes and dreams of African American women due to the intersections of race and gender. Hopes and dreams are often deferred, but their spirits are not broken. All three texts are written by African American women and express different experiences from multiple points of view. They demonstrate both successes and defeats for Black women as a result of the Great Migration
Dynamics of Chemical Reaction Networks
Get PDFNetwork architecture imposes constrains on the types of dynamics a network system admits. Chemical reaction networks have further constrains coming from a special feature of reaction rate functions: the kinetic equations can be written as a product of a constant matrix (stoichiometric matrix) and its kinetics. Such special feature enables us to utilize the existing results from linear algebra to identify network conditions for addressing questions about dynamics. In this thesis, we reviewed some results by M. Feignberg and his collaborators regarding to the graphic conditions for multiplicity of equilibria (constant solutions), and also reviewed a result by Hirono et al, who considered reduction of chemical reaction network systems in the sense of identifying simpler ‘equivalent’ networks.
Teaching SQL in an On-line Learning Environment: Considering for Selecting a relational database
Get PDFIn today’s business environment, students entering the workplace are expected to have problem-solving skills as well as an understanding of fundamental database concepts. Interns and new hires must be able to identify, extract and manipulate data that typically reside in a relational database. To meet this expectation, students are introduced to database concepts and SQL in a variety of courses. This paper discusses instructor considerations when selecting a database management system for teaching SQ on-lin
Race and the Rush to Reopen Schools During COVID-19
Get PDFWhile the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted student learning in the spring of 2020 and impacted nearly all of the 55 million students in kindergarten to 12th grade nationwide, it also magnified significant racial inequities in schools and society. Generations of systemic racism left communities of color and their neighborhood schools more at risk during the crisis. Over the summer of 2020, school leaders and communities considered whether to reopen school campuses or keep buildings closed for the 2020-2021 academic school year, and media began to highlight racial and ethnic difference in attitudes about those plans. Consistent with popular accounts, we find significant differences in attitudes between white and non-white respondents in our analysis of survey data from two national public opinion polls conducted over the summer of 2020. We suggest that these differences are rooted in long-standing inequities due to structural racism and its effects on health, schools, and society, and associated gaps in political trust, as well as the disproportionate burden that communities of color have borne during the COVID-19 pandemic
Police Brutality in the United States of America and Nigeria; A Comparative Analysis
Get PDFThe recent spate of incidents regarding excessive use of force by law enforcement in the United States against mostly unarmed African Americans has elicited protests across the country. The ensuing outrage about police brutality brought to national attention the discriminatory practices in the criminal justice system. It also demonstrated that human rights violations by law enforcement are not an exclusive experience of developing nations, which are expected to look up to countries like the United States as a model for standard policing. Extant research, however, indicates excessive use of force is a common phenomenon in every country, including the United States of America. This comparative study examines the motive, cause, police culture, and effects of police brutality in Nigeria and the United States. This study looks at the history and structure of policing in the two countries, against a background of agitation for police reforms in Nigeria by scholars who look to the United States as a model of policing. This qualitative approach study relies on secondary data from articles, journals, agencies, news posts, and media and compares cases of police brutality in both countries from 2010 to 2020. Preliminary findings indicate lack of accountability is a common factor in law enforcement in the two countries, despite their different standings in the comity of nations. Other predictive factors evident in the police forces of the two countries, including the leadership problem and weakness in recruitment policy, are also outlined in the study. Finally, policy recommendations and suggestions for future research are outline
Students\u27 Perceptions of Foreign Professors at a Historically Black college and university (HBCU)
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the impact of gender, teaching styles, student cultural awareness, professor’s accent, and ethnicity on students’ perceptions of foreign professors at a Historically Black College and University. Multiple regression was used for the analysis of this study. The predictor variables were analyzed through a pilot study to ensure that they were related to the dependent or criterion variable, as required of multiple regression models. Two hundred students participated in this study, during the Fall semester of 2021. All the subjects completed a questionnaire on students’ perceptions of foreign professors. The results revealed that gender, teaching styles, cultural awareness, and student ethnicity had a statistically significant effect on students’ perceptions of foreign professors. Teacher accent was not statistically significant on students’ perceptions of foreign professors. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that students should learn and familiarize with foreign culture. Accepting cultural differences and embracing them can enhance student-teacher relationships with foreign professors
Multi Elemental Analysis of Cannabis Oil Based Products Using ICPMS and Microwave Assisted Digestion.
Get PDFDue to the presence of CBD-(cannabidiol), bioavailable elements as well as industry versatility and relatively low levels of toxicity to the environment. CBD oils have driven the overall demand for Cannabis based plant products in the commercial and medical sector. However, dependent upon the environmental circumstances upon which these plants are grown can leave them susceptible to toxic heavy metal exposure. In fact, the natural metabolism of Cannabis plants makes them a hyperaccumulator of trace metals. This creates a severe health risk for CBD product consumers especially for more vulnerable populations with pre-existing conditions. Furthermore, the risk of heavy metal contamination in cannabis can be reduced given the recent legalization and decriminalization policies of cannabis products. Unfortunately, despite these advancements to the cannabis industry, testing has trailed behind. In this study, quantitative multi elemental analysis of various CBD oil products were conducted using Inductive Coupled Mass Spectroscopy-(ICPMS). Analyte samples of cannabis oil-based products were prepared using acid-based microwave digestion. After digestion, an SPS4 autosampler was used to load analyte sample solutions to the ICPMS instrument for analysis. The results of the analyte sample data were calibrated and presented in individual elemental graphic schemes. Literature review was done for background information on the research topic. It was found that the CBD oil products under ICPMS multi elemental analysis did meet government regulatory guidelines however, each sample analyte varied in elemental composition of each trace metal detecte
Addressing Transportation Equity by Comparing In-Service Performance of Roadside Safety Devices through Machine Learning Modeling
Get PDFTransportation equity plays an important role in modern communities, and a fair distribution of transportation infrastructures is vital as an integral part of transportation planning process. The In-Service Performance Evaluation (ISPE) satisfies transportation safety requirements by identifying the problems of roadside safety devices during installation and maintenance process with proper solutions, and the performance results reveal the current statue of target devices in specific areas. Although several studies have been conducted to emphasize transportation equity, there is still a lack of equity research specifically focusing on the deploying of roadside safety devices associated with ISPE results. With proper comparison of in-service performance results in different areas, the importance of ensuring transportation equity of all communities and areas in the decision-making process is able to be demonstrated. This thesis utilizes Machine Learning models to analyze linked crash and roadway data related to major roadside safety devices implemented in Texas. Three typical roadside safety devices are selected to be assessed, including: (1) guardrail, (2) median barrier, and (3) bridge rail. By comparing both statistical and Machine Learning based modeling analysis with rural and metropolitan areas in specific counties, it is demonstrated that distributions of crashes that end up causing heavy property damage or serious injuries is higher in rural communities regardless of its lower crash frequency. The data analysis result suggests that parameters related to roadway conditions and transportation infrastructures tend to have higher influence over the performances of rural safety devices. Additional one year of crash data analysis also addresses the importance of transportation equity under the COVID-19 pandemic period. Recommendations on improving overall equity and Environmental Justice (EJ) within all regions are conducted with stated findings
Induced Cell Proliferation Initiated by Roxarsone (ROX) is not Sufficient to Prevent Acrylamide Impairments in Beas-2B Cells.
Get PDFNatural environmental contaminants and xenobiotic compounds consumed by humans are likely to be deleterious to human health. This study evaluates the effects of the organoarsenic compound roxarsone and the organic compound acrylamide on BEAS-2B cells. Arsenic occurs naturally in the environment in inorganic and organic forms. Inorganic arsenics are carcinogenic to humans. Organic arsenics (organoarsenics) are less toxic, yet their level of toxicity cannot be ignored. Roxarsone (4-hydroxy-3-nitrobenzenearsonate) is a compound used as a poultry feed additive and antimicrobial agent. It promotes cell proliferation and possesses angiogenesis properties. Roxarsone (ROX) can be found in chicken breast meat; along with a metabolite of ROX, thiolated roxarsone, which is more toxic than Roxarsone. Acrylamide is used in the manufacturing of paper, dye, and industrial products. It is also found in starchy food cooked at high temperatures. The body can be simultaneously exposed to ROX and acrylamide through food consumption. Acrylamide is known to cause cell damage, impair cell viability, and it affects cell proliferation. Experimental findings showed that 3.5 mM acrylamide destroys about half the population of BEAS-2B cells. Since acrylamide has deleterious effects on cells, it may be possible for ROX which stimulates cell proliferation, to ameliorate the deleterious effects of acrylamide. Previous studies showed that 10 µM Roxarsone induces cell proliferation. The specific aim of this study to demonstrate that the stimulation of BEAS-2B cell proliferation by 10 µM Roxarsone is not sufficient to protect the cells from damage induced by acrylamide. The first aim of this study is to demonstrate that treatment of BEAS-2B cells with ROX followed by treatment with acrylamide will alter cell morphology. The working hypothesis is that treatment of BEAS-2B cells with 10 µM ROX followed by 3.5 mM acrylamide will cause crenation, causing changes in cell morphology. The second aim of this study is to demonstrate that changes in cell morphology due to crenation will alter the PI3K/AKT pathway. The working hypothesis is that change in cell morphology will alter the proper functioning of genetic material and cellular responses, which is likely to destroy the PI3K/AKT cell survival pathway. Observation of cell morphology in response to ROX show that ROX induced cell proliferation in BEAS-2B cells with no morphological changes observed. Treatment of BEAS-2B cells with 10 µM ROX followed by 3.5 mM acrylamide changed cell morphology, which suggests that acrylamide is responsible for changes in cell morphology. Acrylamide-induced cell shrinkage and increased cell death were observed in treated BEAS-2B cells. ROX induced cell proliferation and caused significant upregulation of Ak strain transforming (AKT) levels after 24 hours of exposure. Cell proliferation stopped when the cells reached their maximum confluency at 48 hours. AKT and downstream genes in the PI3K/AKT pathway were analyzed in BEAS-2B cells treated with Roxarsone, or a combination of Roxarsone and acrylamide
An Analysis of Public Boys’ High School Location Using GIS: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Case Study
Get PDFThe research study area is the city of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Jeddah high schools are separated by gender due to cultural background. In 2018, a research was conducted related to public girls’ high schools (Belarem et al., 2018) and the research neglected boys’ public high schools which is considered a gap in the study. In addition, the emphasis of this research is on the male population because it is more than the female population in the city which will require more schools for boys in the future. Moreover, and from an urban planner point of view, public schools are part of the city infrastructure and the quality of physical, social, and academic of schools is part of the quality of the city. This research is to study Public Boys’ High school physical location distribution and population accessibility to these schools using Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis tools such as euclidian and network analysis. Furthermore, city historical Landsat imagery in the last 30 years to be used to study the city urban sprawl(population) to estimate future urban sprawl (population) direction in the city. Such analysis will enable urban planners and educators to come together to determine future school siting for better quality