1,923 research outputs found
English opens doors...for whom?: an ethnography exploring the tensions between English language policy creation, implementation and students' expectations
No full textThis dissertation looks to explore the ways in which social actors make meaning about the role of English language policy in the current global and neoliberal context. My goal is to recognize how English language policy requirements are being created and implemented in Chile in effort to understand the larger social issue, which is tied to the global spread of English.
In order to do this, I analyze the discourses used by teachers and students at a technical- professional school in Chile, as they make sense of English and English language policy. Part of this analysis recognizes the language ideologies being indexed by these social actors, which speak to how we form our beliefs about language. In addition to examining participants' voices, I also engage in critical discourse analysis so that I can identify the public discourses being disseminated by the media and the technical-professional institute, since these ideas could influence the way in which participants understand the role of English language policy in this neoliberal context. By using ethnography, I am able to gain multiple perspectives about this phenomenon in order to better understand how to amend the policy process.
As such, the findings of this study demonstrate that there are several steps that policymakers can take in order to create policy that applies to the lives and experiences of teachers and students. First, a student/teacher forum should be established so the voices of the people involved in the implementation of the policy are heard. Second, the current neoliberal curricular goals must be amended based on students’ needs. Lastly, English has to be reconceptualized according to the contexts and aspirations of students.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'Closed Access', the embargo will last until 2018-05-01The student, Michelle Castro, accepted the attached license on 2016-04-12 at 14:25.The student, Michelle Castro, submitted this Dissertation for approval on 2016-04-12 at 14:29.This Dissertation was approved for publication on 2016-04-13 at 15:01.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #9192 on 2016-07-07 at 14:16:35Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-07T21:14:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3
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Previous issue date: 2016-04-13Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 93245
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Michelle Obama’s Impact on African American Women and Girls
No full textRachelle Brunn-Bevel is a contributing author (with Kristin Richardson), Let’s Move! with Michelle Obama.
Book description:
This edited collection explores how First Lady Michelle Obama gradually expanded and broadened her role by engaging in social, political and economic activities which directly and indirectly impacted the lives of the American people, especially young women and girls. The volume responds to the various representations of Michelle Obama and how the language and images used to depict her either affirmed, offended, represented or misrepresented her and its authors. It is an interdisciplinary evaluation by African American women and girls of the First Lady’s overall impact through several media, including original artwork and poetry. It also examines her political activities during and post-election 2016.https://digitalcommons.fairfield.edu/sociologyandanthropology-books/1065/thumbnail.jp
Genetic influences on level and stability of self-esteem
No full textWe attempted to clarify the relation between self-esteem level (high vs. low) and perceived self-esteem stability (within-person variability) by using a behavioral genetics approach. We tested whether the same or independent genetic and environmental influences impact on level and stability. Adolescent twin siblings (n = 183 pairs) completed level and stability scales at two time points. Heritability for both was substantial. The remaining variance in each was attributable to non-shared environmental influences. Shared environmental influences were not significant. Level and stability of self-esteem shared common antecedents via genetic and non-shared environmental influences. Nonetheless, stability was influenced by substantial unique genetic and non-shared environmental influences. The results validate the notion that level and stability are partially autonomous components of self-esteem
Ashes col' darg lay dong: Trinidadian students' response to the UK
No full textThis research investigates how Trinidadian students in the United Kingdom (UK) respond to their new environment. The research explores and conceptualises the participants? experiences in the UK. It investigates Trinidadian student adjustment in the UK from a postcolonial perspective. To acquire data on Trinidadian experiences in the UK I created a private, password-protected group blog (interactive webpage) where eight respondents interacted and shared aspects of their everyday life and experiences over six months. After the blogging period follow-up face-to-face individual interviews were conducted with five of the eight participants. The research design was formulated so that the two methods would work together to paint a vivid, multidimensional and dynamic picture of the participants? experiences. These two techniques together are referred to as the blog-interview method. The experiences of three of the participants were captured as in-depth case studies. Grounded Theory was used to analyze the data and generate a working theory of the participants? experiences. A theory of adjustment, called (dis)juncture, was developed. The theory views the students? adjustment as a continuous process of negotiation among simultaneous connecting and disconnecting forces. This can create a student who is a synergy of global experiences, signifying systems, representations, identities, worldviews and perspectives that are not exclusively in one domain: they are hybrid. Unlike much work in this area, (dis)juncture does not view adjustment in stages nor does it assume that adjustment is something that can be achieved. Adjustment is advanced as a process of continuous transformation as a result of constant contact with multiple signifying systems simultaneously. (Dis)Juncture breaks important ground in the field by reconceptualising and re-imaging the process of international student adjustment. The theory thus makes a significant contribution to research on international student experience
Matrix-isolation photochemistry of halogen-containing molecules
No full textNuestro grupo de investigación posee una amplia trayectoria en el estudio de sustancias halogenadas, entre las que se destacan moléculas con formula general XC(W)ZY (X,Y = Cl, F, Br y Z,W = O, S, Se). Estas especies pueden presentar dos confórmeros, syn y anti, respecto a la posición de los enlaces C═W y Z–Y. Se realizó un estudio DFT de 72 moléculas con formula general XC(W)ZY. Los resultados presentaron una marcada tendencia en la estabilidad relativa de estos confórmeros en función del calcógeno W y de los halógenos X e Y. Este comportamiento se explicó a partir de las interacciones conjugativas y anomericas, interpretadas mediante cálculos NBO (1).Los halometanos CH3I, CH3Br y CH3Cl poseen relevancia en la química atmosférica, por su contribución a la concentración de halógenos en la estratósfera, y su capacidad de agotamiento del ozono. Se aislaron las especies CH3Br y CH3Cl en matrices criogénicas de Ar, y se detectaron sus agregados moleculares. Además, se estudió, la formación de heteroagregados de estas sustancias con H2O, con el objetivo de contribuir al entendimiento del proceso de micro-hidratación que podría ocurrir en la atmósfera. De esta manera, se identificaron dos complejos diferentes (1:1 y 1:2) en cada caso. Se realizó el estudio teórico de todos los sistemas empleando el software Gaussian 16. En primer lugar, se optimizó la geometría de los posibles agregados. Luego, se simularon sus espectros IRy finalmente, se interpretaron las posibles interacciones a partir del formalismo NBO. Los resultados teóricos presentaron alta correspondencia con los obtenidos experimentalmente. Se investigó además la naturaleza de la interacción de CH3I con hielo en matrices criogénicas. Se estudiaron las estructuras amorfa (ASW) y cristalina (Ih y Ic) del hielo. La estructura ASW se encuentra presente en el medio interestelar, mientras que Ih y Ic en la atmósfera terrestre. Se irradió la matriz, para simular las condiciones fotoquímicas de la atmósfera, encontrando que el hielo no cataliza la fotofragmentación del CH3I. Se encontró una relación entre la evolución fotoquímica del sistema y la naturaleza de la interacción con las diferentes estructuras (2).1) Custodio Castro, M. T., Della Védova, C. O., Romano, R. M. J. Phys. Org. Chem. 2024, e4654.2) Sobanska S., Custodio Castro, M. T., Romano, R. M., Mascetti J., Coussan S. ACS Earth Space Chem. 2024, 8, 992−999.Carrera: Doctorado de la Facultad de Cs. Exactas, Área Química
Lugar de trabajo: Otro
Organismo: CONICET
Año de inicio de beca: 2020
Año de finalización de beca: 2026
Apellido, Nombre del Director/a/e: Romano, Rosana M.
Lugar de desarrollo: Otro
Áreas de conocimiento: Química
Tipo de investigación: BásicaFacultad de Ciencias Exacta
The rise and fall of the Labour league of youth
No full textThis thesis charts the rise and fall of the Labour Party’s first and most enduring youth organisation, the Labour League of Youth. The history of the League, from its birth in the early nineteen twenties to its demise in the late nineteen fifties, is placed in the context of the Labour Party’s subsequent fruitless attempts to establish and maintain a vibrant and functional youth organisation. A narrative is incorporated that illuminates the culture, organisation and political activism of the League and establishes it as a predominantly working class radical organisation. The reluctance on the part of the Labour Party to grant autonomy to its youth sections resulted in the history of the League of Youth being one of control, suppression and tension. This state of affairs ensured that subsequent youth groups, the Young Socialists and Young Labour, would be established in an atmosphere of reservation and scepticism.
The thesis places the prime responsibility for the failure of the party’s youth organisations with the party leadership but also considers the contributory factors of changing social and political circumstances. A number of themes are explored which include the impact of structure and agency factors, the power of the Parliamentary Labour Party, the political socialisation of leading figures within the party, the social context in which each of the groups emerged and the extent to which the youth groups were prey to intra-party factionalism.
The thesis redresses the balance of research where most accounts have focussed on the Young Socialists and traces the common characteristics that are prevalent in the way the party leadership has approached its relationship with its youth organisations. Use has been made of previously unpublished primary source material, the major source being the League of Youth members themselves whose recollections have helped to demonstrate the arguments put forward in this thesis
DNA fusion gene vaccination mobilizes effective anti-leukemic cytotoxic T lymphocytes from a tolerized repertoire
No full textThe majority of known human tumor-associated antigens derive from non-mutated self proteins. T cell tolerance, essential to prevent autoimmunity, must therefore be cautiously circumvented to generate cytotoxic T cell responses against these targets. Our strategy uses DNA fusion vaccines to activate high levels of peptide-specific CTL. Key foreign sequences from tetanus toxin activate tolerance-breaking CD4+ T cell help. Candidate MHC class Ibinding tumor peptide sequences are fused to the C terminus for optimal processing and presentation. To model performance against a leukemia-associated antigen in a tolerized setting, we constructed a fusion vaccine encoding an immunodominant CTL epitopederived from Friend murine leukemia virus gag protein (FMuLVgag) and vaccinated tolerant FMuLVgag-transgenic (gag-Tg) mice. Vaccination with the construct induced epitopespecificIFN-c-producing CD8+ T cells in normal and gag-Tg mice. The frequency and avidity of activated cells were reduced in gag-Tg mice, and no autoimmune injury resulted. However, these CD8+ T cells did exhibit gag-specific cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. Also, epitope-specific CTL killed FBL-3 leukemia cells expressing endogenous FMuLVgag antigen and protected against leukemia challenge in vivo. These results demonstrate a simple strategy to engage anti-microbial T cell help to activate epitope-specific polyclonal CD8+ T cell responses from a residual tolerized repertoire
Evaluation of pediatric oncological pain through an artificial intelligence tool
No full textEl dolor oncológico infantil impacta la calidad de vida y su evaluación es un reto por las limitaciones comunicativas de los niños. Este estudio diseñó una herramienta multidimensional para evaluar el dolor pediátrico oncológico, administrada mediante un bot conversacional. Se desarrolló en tres fases: validación lingüística con expertos, entrevistas cognitivas con tres niños (6-10 años) y prueba piloto con 81 participantes (6-12 años) en tratamiento oncológico. Los resultados mostraron comprensión adecuada y buena aceptación. El análisis factorial exploratorio identificó una estructura bidimensional de cinco ítems que explicaron el 48.2% de la varianza (RMSEA = 0.109; TLI = 0.827; CFI = 0.983). La confiabilidad fue moderada (α = 0.56; ω = 0.59), acorde con la etapa exploratoria y la brevedad del instrumento. Estos hallazgos respaldan el uso preliminar del bot para evaluar el dolor infantil y destacan el potencial de las tecnologías 4.0 en salud pediátrica. Se recomienda continuar con estudios ampliados para fortalecer su validez y aplicación en ColombiaPsicólogoPregradoPediatric cancer pain affects quality of life, and its assessment is challenging due to children's communicative limitations. This study designed a multidimensional tool to evaluate pediatric oncological pain, administered through a conversational bot. The tool was developed in three phases: linguistic validation with experts, cognitive interviews with three children (ages 6–10), and a pilot test with 81 participants (ages 6–12) undergoing cancer treatment. Results showed adequate comprehension and good acceptance. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a two-dimensional structure with five items explaining 48.2% of the total variance (RMSEA = 0.109; TLI = 0.827; CFI = 0.983). Reliability was moderate (α = 0.56; ω = 0.59), consistent with the exploratory phase and the brevity of the instrument. These findings support the preliminary use of the bot for pediatric pain assessment and highlight the potential of 4.0 technologies in pediatric healthcare. Further studies with larger samples are recommended to strengthen its validity and implementation in Colombia
The operation of biopower and biopolitics in the implementation process of reproductive health policies in Peru
No full textIn present-day societies, human life is often an arena of debate within which claims of morality, knowledge, and truth are contested. The meaning of human life, as well as the right to exert control over the bodies that create this life, are constructed by various discourses. In this process, special attention is paid to human bodies with particular capacities and needs, such as women’s bodies. The reproductive capacity of women’s bodies has long been considered central to defining the meaning of being a woman in Western societies. This gender essentialism related to the maternal role guides some reproductive health policies, which are implemented within a complex architecture of discourses, institutionalized social stratification, biopower and biopolitics. The Peruvian case offers clear examples of this situation.
In Peru, reproductive healthcare policy has been irregularly implemented throughout the last twenty years, mostly due to the strong influence that conservative Catholic groups have been able to exert on the Peruvian Government. The discourse articulated by these groups asserts that human life begins at the moment of conception and is a gift from God; therefore, no one should be permitted to interfere in the processes of human life from conception until death. This sacralisation of human life has been progressively constructed within Catholic doctrine, which today incorporates selective interpretations of scientific knowledge in support of its claims. This discourse about human life directly and adversely affects Peruvian women’s bodies and lives. Due to their reproductive capacity, the conservative Catholic discourse considers women as bearers of human life. However, their decision-making power about the creation of this life is not taken into account in this discourse, especially when this decision-making power is linked to the exertion of sexual and reproductive rights. The influence of conservative Catholic discourse on the implementation process of Peru’s reproductive health policy is thus the central focus of this thesis.
The analysis offered in this thesis is informed by a feminist critical discourse analysis of Peruvian politics, policy and law relating to three key issues: coercive sterilisation of indigenous Peruvian women during the regime of Fujimori (1996-2000), the ongoing lack of access to safe and legal abortion, and the 2009 Constitutional Court ban on the distribution of free emergency contraception within the public health sector. My analysis reveals that the Catholic interest in, and influence on, reproductive health policy was largely stimulated by Fujimori’s policy of coercive sterilization, which was in turn prompted by a eugenic discourse that conservative Catholic groups, among others within Peruvian civil society, actively denounced. This opposition consolidated the influence of conservative Catholic discourse within the political domain. Further, I suggest that the actions of the State, increasingly influenced by Catholic interests, can best be understood in terms of Foucault’s concept of biopower, with reproductive health policy being the primary tool used to effect the State’s biopolitical agenda. As I illustrate, the influence of Catholic discourse on reproductive policy and practice is most clearly evident in the ongoing impediments placed in the way of women trying to access therapeutic abortions, and the prohibition of the free distribution of the emergency contraceptive pill via the public health system. Even in the face of local and international condemnation, the State persists in its non-compliance with the provisions of international human rights agreements, a failure which I suggest can only be understood by acknowledging the defining influence of Catholic discourse and interests within Peru’s political domain.
The significance of this thesis thus lies in its analysis of the discourses and political machinations that restrict the exertion of Peruvian women’s sexual and reproductive rights. These constraints are achieved through the operation of biopower enacted through the implementation of various reproductive health policies. This situation, I suggest, confines women via a constructed “naturalness” that reproduces essentialist notions of gender. As the case studies presented in this thesis demonstrate, a vital component of this discursive essentialisation of the maternal role is the identification of women as reproductive bodies that can be regulated and managed in accordance with the interests and discursive affiliations of the State, as opposed to individual citizens with autonomous decision-making power over their bodies and their own lives
Reinforcement and cascade reinforcement in the lucania system: the effects of experimental design, sex, and heterospecific pairings on mate preference
No full textReinforcement and cascade reinforcement are potentially very potent evolutionary forces (Butlin 1987; Servedio and Noor 2003; Fuller 2016; Pfennig 2016). Their pervasiveness in nature, however, can only be determined through documentation. Currently, the only way to document these processes is to compare levels of reproductive isolation between areas of sympatry and allopatry (Servedio and Noor 2003; Hoskin and Higgie 2010; Pfennig 2016). This often involves using behavioral assays and metrics to determine conspecific or native mate preference in the laboratory. Despite the importance of using assays and metrics that correctly detect reproductive isolation, studies often do not test whether their experimental design accurately measures mate preference. Here, I aimed to determine the best way to measure reproductive isolation using the Lucania (Lucania goodei and Lucania parva) system as a model organism. In my first experiment, I tested multiple assays and metrics of behavior to determine which most accurately measured conspecific and native mate preference for male and female L. goodei. I found that measurements of mating behaviors (i.e. egg production and courting behavior) reliably detected mate preference for male and female L. goodei, while measurements of association time failed to do the same. I also found that only female L. goodei exhibited native mate preference. In my second experiment, I investigated whether previous estimates of reproductive isolation inflated sympatric estimates due to their limited heterospecific pairings. I found that reproductive isolation in male sympatric L. parva is far weaker than previously estimated. Ultimately, I highlight the importance of: using appropriate behavioral assays and metrics to determine reproductive isolation, using both sympatric and allopatric heterospecific stimulus mates when determining levels of reproductive isolation, and measuring reproductive isolation in both sexes.Submission published under a 24 month embargo labeled 'U of I Access', the embargo will last until 2019-08-01The student, Michelle St John, accepted the attached license on 2017-07-18 at 12:05.The student, Michelle St John, submitted this Thesis for approval on 2017-07-18 at 15:59.This Thesis was approved for publication on 2017-07-19 at 13:37.DSpace SAF Submission Ingestion Package generated from Vireo submission #11511 on 2018-03-02 at 13:02:30Made available in DSpace on 2018-03-02T19:59:44Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2
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Previous issue date: 2017-07-19Embargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 105072
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Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemEmbargo set by: Seth Robbins for item 105072
Lift date: 2020-03-02T20:02:46Z
Reason: Author requested U of Illinois access only (OA after 2yrs) in Vireo ETD systemU of I Only Restriction Lifted for Item 105072 on 2020-03-03T10:15:29Z
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