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“We understand each other, then”: Binaries at Play in The Reluctant Fundamentalist
Full text linkAs the United States grappled with the fallout of the September 11th terrorist attacks, another, subtler conundrum was arising. As Mohsin Hamid writes in The Reluctant Fundamentalist, a chasm of difference arose between the First World and the Third. In Derridian terms, the United States grew to center itself, forming its own complete national identity that defied the Third World\u27s cultural realm. In his writing, Hamid viciously attacks this deepening realm of cultural difference by taking aim at the violent domineering and heteronormative American culture whose imposition in the Middle East served to severe any ties between the two cultures. In this essay, I extrapolate on research by Aldalala\u27a (2012), Benmoh (2016), and Tilwani (2021), in conjunction with post-structural analytic theory to illustrate how Hamid deconstructs the binary opposition that the First World created against itself and the Third World
Perceptions of Agricultural Extension Practitioners After Undergoing Andragogical Training in Malawi
No full textThe effectiveness of Extension work is highly dependent on the preparedness and professional competencies of Extension practitioners. One area of training that is of importance to Extension practitioners is adult learning. According to Malcolm Knowles, andragogy is the art and science of adult learning. This study looked at the principles of adult learning necessary for effective Extension programming. Twenty Extension practitioners were trained in andragogical principles, and their perceptions of using andragogy to redesign Extension programming were examined. The researchers found that, upon training, Extension practitioners felt that andragogical principles would help Extension work to be viewed more positively and Extension programming to be more effective. The findings call for the following: continued training with current Extension practitioners to fully integrate the principles into programming, a look at university-level curriculum to better prepare future Extension practitioners in these principles, and ongoing support to help Extension practitioners perfect their skills
Exploring the Impacts of an Adaptive Haptic Heartbeat within a Socially Assistive Robot
No full textThis research investigates the therapeutic effects of an adaptive haptic heartbeat within Therabot, a stuffed robotic dog. A simulated haptic heartbeat that adjusts its own speed based on user heart rate was developed for integration within Therabot. A user study evaluated the effects of various heartbeat behaviors on user experiences with Therabot, with respect to improvements in self-reported state anxiety, physiological improvements, and perceptions of the robot. A relationship was found between improvements in self-reported state anxiety and positive opinions of Therabot, regardless of condition. Additionally, differences were found between conditions with respect to improved aspects of state anxiety, with the adaptive heartbeat condition showing significant improvements in the most aspects. There were no significant differences in overall user experiences between the no heartbeat, static heartbeat, and adaptive heartbeat conditions. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of haptic heartbeats in socially assistive robots
If I Just Wasn\u27t A Lady : A Study of the Belles Gone Bad in David Selznick\u27s Gone With The Wind and Sofia Coppola\u27s The Beguiled
No full textIn the mid-nineteenth century, a dark double to the antebellum belle appeared in southern white women’s fiction, quickly becoming a staple character in southern literature. A sister to the femme fatale, the bad belle is an expert in both manners and manipulation, known for twisting her skirts and the rules of Southern society to get what she wants. Since her inception, the bad belle has undergone many changes as a result and cause of shifting attitudes about women’s ambition and sexuality. Though her literary evolution has been well documented, her place in film remains largely unexplored. In this presentation, I will begin to remedy this critical gap by considering David Selznick’s Gone With The Wind (1939) and Sofia Coppola’s The Beguiled (2017), the two films which currently bookend the collection of films with a recognizable bad belle. Through a comparative analysis of each film\u27s bad belles, I will argue that the films make contrary arguments about the nature of women’s sexuality. In GWTW, Selznick conflates Scarlett’s desire with her greed, thereby condemning women’s pleasure as destructive and self-serving. In The Beguiled, however, Coppola presents Alicia’s desire as active but gentle, the natural and beautiful consequence of a girl becoming a woman. Furthermore, she presents Miss Martha\u27s authority as firm but benevolent, revealing that a woman\u27s leadership is not wicked but caring. These starkly different messages demonstrate that the filmic bad belle has changed as much in 70 years as her literary counterpart has changed in 150, a dramatic evolution which warrants more critical attention
Measuring Collective Impact of Extension Programs Addressing Substance Use and Mental Health
No full textExtension excels at working across program areas and disciplinary boundaries inside and outside land-grant institutions to address complex social issues within communities. However, evaluation of the collective impact of these concerted programmatic initiatives remains a persistent challenge for Extension. To better understand the broader impact of Extension’s cohesive, concurrent response to complex issues such as substance use and mental health, there is a need to shift from isolated evaluations of individual or single Extension programs to a focus on collective impact assessment. This article describes the University of Kentucky Extension planning process and outputs of a collective impact evaluation initiative to assess the outcomes of programmatic and outreach efforts addressing substance use and mental health crises in Kentucky. The article provides an illustrative example of how Extension and other community-serving organizations can employ the principles of collective impact evaluation to frame the program planning process and examine the broader outcomes of cross-area and collaborative programs that address multilayered social issues
Enhancing soybean seed protein content via Arabidopsis QQS gene, and commercial soil influence on plant development
No full textEnhancing soybean seed protein is essential for improving crop nutritional quality and addressing global food security challenges. In this study, the molecular mechanisms underlying protein enhancement through the Arabidopsis orphan gene QQS were investigated. Comparative RNA sequencing of Arabidopsis and soybean wild-type and QQS overexpression lines identified candidate genes associated with increased protein accumulation and concurrent reductions in starch deposition. Functional validation in Arabidopsis confirmed that these genes influence carbon and nitrogen allocation, making them promising targets for genetic improvement in soybean. In parallel, the impact of four commercial soil substrates on the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum were assessed under controlled conditions. While soil type did not significantly affect germination, a nutrient-rich potting mix notably enhanced biomass, stem elongation, and leaf production. Together, our findings highlight the potential of integrating molecular and agronomic approaches enhance crop quality and productivity
An investigation of ultra-short pulsed laser processing for novel improvement of body armor performance
No full textThe increased lethality of recently fielded anti-personnel projectiles mandates an escalation in personal armor performance. Concurrent advancements in ceramic technologies have allowed designers to incorporate harder but more brittle materials into hard armor designs to defeat yet more capable penetrating projectiles. Understanding the failure mechanics of such materials is vital to ensuring adequate performance in real-world conditions. By using modern technology to exploit favorable properties in armor materials, their protective capabilities may be improved. Preliminary testing of that premise was conducted in this experimental work. The first study examined the cracking properties of silicon carbide armor ceramic when impacted by an armor-piercing bullet to understand the physics involved when ceramic armor encounters a penetrating projectile. We utilized X-ray imaging and scanning electron microscopy to characterize the cracking patterns in armor. In the next study, we examined six boron carbide/silicon carbide hybrid body armor plates which were impacted by a standard 0.30-caliber M2AP (armor-piercing) bullet. This allowed examination of the failure modes and performance of the ceramic plates when backed by 32 layers of unadhered Kevlar KM2 woven aramid. The lack of adhered ballistic backer composite was intended to isolate the ceramic crack patterns from outside influence. Pre-etched crack patterns in both front and back sides of the armor appeared to guide crack propagation, indicating a novel direction for future study. The last experimental study was aimed at confirming the prior results in a more representative armor condition. As such, eight boron carbide armor plates with 55 layers of Kevlar KM2+ aramid fabric bonded to the rear of the ceramic, were impacted by a standard 5.56mm NATO M855 round. Laser etching of crack patterns into fully built ceramic armor was shown by statistical analysis to guide the paths of crack propagation in the ceramic when struck by a projectile without a reduction in single hit performance
How do tuition benefits affect university staff retention, social connection, and institutional commitment?
No full textEmployee retention is costly for many companies, including colleges and universities. Tuition benefits have been shown to be helpful in recruitment and retention. This study looked at how tuition benefits used by university staff members affected turnover intentions, workplace belonging and institutional commitment. Benefits eligible university staff members, who were in primarily non-teaching roles at one rural, four-years land grant university were asked to complete an electronic survey, and 250 responses were collected. To measure the variables of interest the survey combined scale items representing each of the dependent variables; turnover intention (Bothma & Roodt, 2013), workplace belonging (Jena & Pradham, 2017), and institutional commitment (Lorch, 2019). The quantitative, non-experimental study used multiple linear regression to analyze the data, and results showed that staff type and race had a significant relationship with institutional commitment and workplace belonging after accounting for utilization of tuition benefits. Support staff showed less institutional commitment and belonging, and executive staff showed more institutional commitment and belonging, in additional to higher turnover intentions. Additionally, white staff had more institutional commitment and other minoritized racial/ethnic staff had less institutional commitment. When comparing degree types of those employees who used tuition benefits to obtain a graduate degree compared to bachelor’s degree in the past, professional staff had less turnover intention. Furthermore, length of employment was significant for those who obtained a graduate degree using tuition benefits, showing that employees that worked for the instructions three years or less had more workplace belonging, but less institutional commitment. Additionally, white staff who obtained a graduate degree had more institutional commitment. Lastly, white employees who are currently enrolled in graduate programs using tuition benefits showed more institutional commitment, while staff with other minoritized racial/ethnic identities showed less institutional commitment. Further research on tuition benefits across other institutions and other institution type such as HBCUs could offer insights to how tuition benefits affect turnover intentions, workplace belonging and institutional commitment in distinct higher education contexts. This research offers university leaders information to better support staff and help shape policies around tuition benefits
Apatite entrapment of iodine for nuclear waste disposal applications
No full textThe purpose of this thesis is to provide baseline knowledge of iodine incorporation into calcium phosphate minerals, specifically apatite. Iodine-129 is a fission product in Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) that can administer significant amounts of radiation in small quantities. Apatite (Ca10(PO4)6 (OH, F, Cl)) has been studied for the use of radionuclide confinement. Experimental design was set up to mimic temperatures expected in geologic repositories from 40 to 250℃. Experiments are broken into 2 groups based on iodine species being examined. The first group focuses on iodate (IO3-) which is prevalent under oxidized conditions, and the second handles iodide (I-) the predominant reduced species. Iodate partition coefficients between apatite and liquid (DIAP/L) exceed 350. Iodide DIAP/L values are much lower with the highest found being ~0.5 showing that iodate is significantly confined by apatite, but iodide is only minimally confined
Perceptions of community college financial aid and admissions practitioners regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThe Higher Education Act of 1965 and Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds have paved the way for financial support to help Americans further their education. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to explore the perceptions of community college financial aid and admissions practitioners regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on themselves, their colleges, and their students before, during, and after the pandemic. The study sought to understand practitioners’ roles and interactions with students, college protocols and services, amount of information students sought and challenges they faced, and changes brought about due to the pandemic. In addition, the study sought to explore the practitioners’ perceptions of the effects, if any, of the policies and procedures implemented by the college due to the pandemic on students’ financial information seeking and enrolling behaviors. The study used a phenomenological approach and included community college practitioners in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee who were employed at those community colleges at any time during the academic years of 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23. Purposeful sampling and snowball sampling were used to identify study participants. Participants were interviewed via phone and an electronic virtual platform. Study participants included 10 participants from 3 different institutions in 3 different states. Study results revealed the pandemic forced colleges’ manual way of processing documents to become digital, students’ response time to institutional requested information increased, and sanitation protocols put in place during the pandemic extended beyond the pandemic. Practitioners discussed losing family members and personal health issues due to COVID-19, concerns of job stability, institutional enrollment fluctuations, and changing work environments in addition to internet and equipment challenges due to geographical location. Several practitioners expressed the challenges students faced and the impact the changes had on students’ decisions to further or delay their post-secondary education. Study implications provide researchers, policy makers, and institutions with information from a rarely studied subgroup of higher education professionals