2199 research outputs found
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To Tour or Not to Tour: A Case Study in Music Education Ensemble Travel
No full texthttps://kent-islandora.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/node/9884/8781-thumbnail.jpgIn this multiple case study, purposeful sampling was used to identify three participants in music education who regularly engage in travel with their secondary ensembles. The research was guided by the following questions: What is the worth and value of travel opportunities from the perspectives of the music teacher with regards to the program, the school community, and to the music education profession? What ways do the teachers feel that school ensemble travel can be improved? Data was collected by holding an individual interview with each participant, a focus group interview, and through writing prompts that each participant completed. Each traveling institution is considered a case through which to explore similarities and differences in the complexities that exist in school travel. Though peer reviewed literature is limited in this field, it is hoped that this study will expand the literature for music educators. Thus, this study is framed around research on study abroad travel and educational travel in general. Within music, a look at many of the shorter, non-academic articles from magazines for band, choral and orchestra directors draws connections between them and the data from study participants. Questioning the relevance of the tradition of ensemble travel is important given that travel occurs regularly but seems researched infrequently. Data analysis using NVivo included 29 nodes, 4 themes and word frequency statistics. A close look at the data reveals that the benefits do indeed outweigh the disadvantages of ensemble music travel because of enhanced awareness during rehearsals and many non-musical factors that prove to be a holistic factor in our music students’ education.</p
One Nation Divided by Slavery: Remembering the American Revolution While Marching toward the Civil War
No full texthttps://kent-islandora.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/abolitionism/4/thumbnail.jpgThe centrality of the American Revolution in the antebellum slavery controversy In the two decades before the Civil War, free Americans engaged in “history wars” every bit as ferocious as those waged today over the proposed National History Standards or the commemoration at the Smithsonian Institution of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. In One Nation Divided by Slavery, author Michael F. Conlin investigates the different ways antebellum Americans celebrated civic holidays, read the Declaration of Independence, and commemorated Revolutionary War battles, revealing much about their contrasting views of American nationalism. While antebellum Americans agreed on many elements of national identity—in particular that their republic was the special abode of liberty on earth—they disagreed on the role of slavery. The historic truths that many of the founders were slaveholders who had doubts about the morality of slavery, and that all thirteen original states practiced slavery to some extent in 1776, offered plenty of ambiguity for Americans to “remember” selectively. Fire-Eaters defended Jefferson, Washington, and other leading patriots as paternalistic slaveholders, if not “positive good” apologists for the institution, who founded a slaveholding republic. In contrast, abolitionists cited the same slaveholders as opponents of bondage, who took steps to end slavery and establish a free republic. Moderates in the North and the South took solace in the fact that the North had managed to end slavery in its own way through gradual emancipation while allowing the South to continue to practice slavery. They believed that the founders had established a nation that balanced free and slave labor. Because the American Revolution and the American Civil War were pivotal and crucial elements in shaping the United States, the intertwined themes in One Nation Divided By Slavery provide a new lens through which to view American history and national identity.</p
International Entrepreneurship: Starting, Developing, and Managing a Global Venture (3rd ed.)
No full texthttps://kent-islandora.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/facultybooks/13/thumbnail.jpgCombining comprehensive coverage with a wide variety of real-life cases, International Entrepreneurship: Starting, Developing, and Managing a Global Venture gives entrepreneurs the tools they need to successfully launch international ventures in today’s hypercompetitive world. Bestselling author Dr. Robert D. Hisrich helps students and entrepreneurs develop global business plans, select international opportunities, and determine the best entry strategy. The text also covers practical considerations such as legal concerns, the global monetary systems, global marketing, and global human resource management for entrepreneurs. The fully updated Third Edition provides increased attention to culture and reflects recent changes in our increasingly globalized world. Readers will also be exposed to new cases featuring international activities of entrepreneurs and ventures throughout the world.</p
The Lost Territories: Thailand’s History of National Humiliation
No full texthttps://kent-islandora.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/facultybooks/27/thumbnail.jpgIt is a cherished belief among Thai people that their country was never colonized. Yet politicians, scholars, and other media figures chronically inveigh against Western colonialism and the imperialist theft of Thai territory. Thai historians insist that the country adapted to the Western-dominated world order more successfully than other Southeast Asian kingdoms and celebrate their proud history of independence. But many Thai leaders view the West as a threat and portray Thailand as a victim. Clearly Thailand\u27s relationship with the West is ambivalent. The Lost Territories explores this conundrum by examining two important and contrasting strands of Thai historiography: the well-known Royal-Nationalist ideology, which celebrates Thailand\u27s long history of uninterrupted independence; and what the author terms "National Humiliation discourse," its mirror image. Shane Strate examines the origins and consequences of National Humiliation discourse, showing how the modern Thai state has used the idea of national humiliation to sponsor a form of anti-Western nationalism. Unlike triumphalist Royal-Nationalist narratives, National Humiliation history depicts Thailand as a victim of Western imperialist bullying. Focusing on key themes such as extraterritoriality, trade imbalances, and territorial loss, National Humiliation history maintains that the West impeded Thailand\u27s development even while professing its support and cooperation. Although the state remains the hero in this narrative, it is a tragic heroism defined by suffering and foreign oppression. Through his insightful analysis of state and media sources, Strate demonstrates how Thai politicians have deployed National Humiliation imagery in support of ethnic chauvinism and military expansion. He shows how the discourse became the ideological foundation of Thailand\u27s irredentist strategy, the state\u27s anti-Catholic campaign, and its acceptance of pan-Asianism during World War II; and how the "state as victim" narrative has been used by politicians to redefine Thai identity and elevate the military into the role of national savior. The Lost Territories will be of particular interest to historians and political scientists for the light it sheds on many episodes of Thai foreign policy, including the contemporary dispute over Preah Vihear. The book\u27s analysis of the manipulation of historical memory will interest academics exploring similar phenomena worldwide.</p
Amylin reduces plaque forming amyloid fragments and upregulates APP cleavage mechanisms.
No full textAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by deposition of amyloid plaques in the brain. Amyloid-β (AB) fragments (1-42) are the main components of plaques and are formed by the sequential cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β-secretase and ϒ-secretase. Another enzyme, α-secretase, cleaves within the amyloid-β sequence preventing it from aggregating. Previous studies have shown that peripheral administration of a non-aggregating form of the metabolic hormone amylin, an amyloid with similar aggregating properties, improves cognitive function in mouse models of AD and reduces amyloid-β plaque levels. However, how this hormone regulates amyloid-β levels is not known. The purpose of our research was to study the effects of amylin administration on the levels of pro-aggregation soluble amyloid-β fragments (1-42) the expression of α- and β-secretases and the C-terminal fragments that result from enzyme cleavage in the APP/PS1 mouse model of AD. Our data indicate that amylin treatment reduced formic acid-soluble Amyloid-β 1-42 fragments (aggregates). These reductions were paralleled by general upregulation of cleavage enzymes. Taken together, our data demonstrate that amylin may be a potential new therapeutic target for Alzheimer’s disease through its ability to regulate amyloid-beta processing and aggregation. Keywords: Amylin, Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid-β, APP, α-secretase, β-secretase.</p
A canine model of brain inflammation in aged, cognitively impaired animals
No full textChronic inflammatory responses have adverse effects on the memory retaining areas of the brain, such as hippocampus and neocortex. Understanding how inflammation influences hippocampal neurobiology during aging is of significant importance to the study of normal senescence and neurodegenerative diseases, and knowledge of the various factors involved in cognitive impairment may lead to a better understanding of what causes the adverse effects to memory and what treatments could be used to fight memory loss. Microglia are an important line of defense against various brain insults, and as such are a key component of the inflammatory cascade. By examining the brains of cognitively assessed canines, we will determine the inflammatory response in the hippocampus using microglial immunohistochemistry as a marker for immune function. Immunostaining was performed on hippocampal sections of both normal and behaviorally impaired canines. Quantitative analyses will be conducted using unbiased stereological methods (Stereologer, St. Petersburg, FL). We hypothesize that we will observe elevated numbers of activated microglia in the hippocampi of cognitively impaired animals than in the hippocampi of aged, non-impaired canines, and that the observed increases will correlate with behavioral performance. Our results in the canine may provide a more relevant model of natural aging and disease processes in humans than do genetically modified mice, and help elucidate future targets in the inflammatory cascade upon which to focus treatments that may benefit patients with age-related cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s Disease, and dementias.</p
Online Religion? The Evolving Religious Information Landscapes of Zen Buddhism and Roman Catholicism
No full texthttps://kent-islandora.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/asir/vol5/iss1/2/thumbnail.jpgAdvances in technology allow for new modes of access to both secular and religious information. Historically, some religious groups seem to have been eager to accept technological developments, while others have done so reluctantly. Nevertheless, the sustainability of a religious tradition depends on the ability of its believers to continually access information in an evolving world. Modern technology has occasioned broader religious information landscapes than ever before, to the extent that religion can seemingly be practiced using entirely online tools. Is this possibility borne out in reality? Through a synthesis of the nature and historical development of Zen Buddhism and Roman Catholicism, this study identifies some aspects inherent in each tradition that have influenced each one’s religious information landscape. It then explores the extent to which each religion can be practiced without an in-person faith community. These findings suggest an opportunity for further investigation into the information behavior of technology-enabled believers as a means of better understanding the future of religious experience.</p
Research for Life 2015
No full texthttps://kent-islandora.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/researchforlife/vol3/iss1/1/thumbnail.jpgTable of contents Geographer puts violence in it place Bridging cultures with Big Data Putting flesh on to bones 150 years young Healthy housing Egypt: A scholar\u27s personal journey Chaucer\u27s pilgrims penetrate the human psyche From invention to inventory: A researcher goes to market 3D: the better to see you with Burn this letter, Delete this tweet Are E-cigarettes cool? Cool tools Sharing the research</p
The Graphic Narrative as a Creative and Therapeutic Vehicle
No full texthttps://kent-islandora.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/ugresearch/2015/Art_Fashion/5/thumbnail.jpgAs an artist I find the graphic narrative communicates my energies, thoughts, emotions, and experiences. My own personal struggles with intrusive thoughts, anxiety, and depression have crafted my work and style leading me to find focus and expression through creation. They have brought me to the decision to work with black ink and white paper. Increasingly, I am finding that by narrowing myself to work within the frame of these two colors I can widen my ability to portray strong emotion and shifting psychological states. Through this form I am able to depict, dramatize, and even process what I am going through; additionally, I am able to share with and inspire others to find meaning and perhaps \u27metabolize\u27 their own struggles. My aim is to complete a graphic novel that expresses my own inner workings and experiences. I have included representative pages that depict my experience of intrusive thoughts. I am submitting my work thus far to an "interactive colloquium" that wants to re-evaluate the role of comics. This conference, "Comics in Medicine & Teaching: Rethinking Comics as a Therapeutic and Educational Tool" is a perfect fit for my graphic narrative because their focus is in work that "demonstrates people\u27s own lived experiences with mental and physical illness." Attending this conference will help me further my research in comics as a therapeutic vehicle as well as help me to better understand and apply my practice as I continue to explore ways to narrate and give shape to inner conflict.</p
Root decomposition in forest ecosystems: chemical or morphological control?
No full textProblem: Roots are the major type of plant tissue that contributes to soil organic carbon. Our study was designed to test whether variation in root chemical and morphological traits change decomposition and soil carbon sequestration rates. Compared to tulip roots (Liriodendron tulipifera), elm roots (Ulmus americana) have higher lignin:Nitrogen ratio, but finer diameter, as well as greater root tip abundance. Based on morphological traits, we expect elm roots to decompose faster because of their higher surface area and fine morphology causing them to easily break into the soil. Based on chemical properties, we expect that tulip roots will decompose faster because they have lower lignin:nitrogen ratio. Since microbial communities can adapt to the quality of locally available nutrients, it is expected that decay rates will be accelerated for tissues that have a ‘home field advantage,’ being more similar to neighboring tree species. Methods: Litterbags filled with soil and elm or tulip roots, including treatment groups of either 1st and 2nd order roots, 3rd and 4th order roots, or entire root systems, were left to decompose for 42 weeks in under trees of both species in riparian forest at Jennings Woods. Results: Tulip roots decomposed faster than elm roots, implying that root tissue chemistry has a greater effect on decomposition than morphological characteristics. The strength of our predicted relationships varied between treatment groups. Decomposition occurred faster under tulip trees regardless of the identity of the roots, giving evidence against ‘home field advantage’ theory.</p