1,999 research outputs found
Agency as discursive practice: Taking up a position as an international student
No full textThe focus of this chapter is a Thai international student named Woody and the methods he uses to respond to the demands of his Master of Education program in Australia. Agency provides the interpretive lens in this discussion as an attempt to account for the strategic ways in which Woody engages with the discourses and practices in one of his university courses. I explore agency as it manifests in interviews conducted with Woody in his first semester of study. My analysis is guided by the model of critical discourse analysis (CDA) developed by Fairclough (2001b). CDA assumes a link between the linguistic and semiotic features of a text and the social context in which it exists. As such, the transcripts of my interviews with Woody can be viewed as repositories of the traces of textual, social, institutional and global practices that have impacted on his study experience. Through this analysis I hope to highlight how Woody, operating within this context, shapes his transition to an Australian academic subject through a program of agentive action
Interpreting basal sediments and plant fossils in kettle lakes: insights from Silver Lake, Michigan, USA
No full textWe report on pollen, plant macrofossils, and associated lithostratigraphy of a sediment core extracted from the base of Silver Lake, a kettle in northern Lower Michigan, USA, which reveal a complex deglacial scenario for ice block melting and lake formation, and subsequent plant colonization. Complementary multivariate statistical and squared-chord distance analyses of the pollen data support these interpretations. The basal radiocarbon age from the core (17,540 cal yr BP) is rejected as being anomalously old, based on biostratigraphic anomalies in the core and the dateâ s incongruity with respect to the accepted regional deglaciation chronology. We reason that this erroneous age estimate resulted from the redeposition of Middle Wisconsin- age fossils by the ice sheet, mixed with the remains of plants that existed as the kettle lake formed at ca. 10,940 cal yr BP by ice block ablation. Thereafter, the kettle lake became a reliable repository of Holocene- age fossils, documenting a mature boreal forest that existed until 10,640 cal yr BP, followed by a pine-dominated mixed forest, an early variant of the mixed conifer- hardwood forest that persists to the present day. Our study demonstrates that researchers investigating kettle lakes, a common depositional archive for plant fossils in deglaciated landscapes, should exercise caution in interpreting the basal (late Pleistocene/early Holocene- age) part of lake sediment cores.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author
As Expectations for Libraries Evolve, How Can We Rise to the Challenge?
No full textHigher Ed 360 author Jennifer Leigh Hoyt interviewed Maletta Payne, Head Technology and Information Services Librarian and Associate Professor at Southern University and A&M College, and Laura Saunders, Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Library and Information Sciences at Simmons University, for the article As Expectations for Libraries Evolve, How Can We Rise to the Challenge
Cult: A Composite Novel
No full textCult (redacted)
The first component of the thesis is a composite novel called Cult which falls into two parts with seven narratives in each. Part 1 tracks the protagonist, Ellen, from her first involvement with the cult through to her eventually leaving it. Although fiction, the first half of the book answers the kinds of questions the author is asked when people discover that she was once a sannyasin (a follower of the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). While the experiences of meditation, group therapy and communal living are all faithfully rendered within the stories, the need for strong characters, narrative drive and a lightness of touch takes precedence.
Part 2 picks up Ellen’s story some twenty or so years later and explores what becomes of her in middle age. It also looks at other groups in society, such as academia, the law and the internet dating community which each have their own jargon, hierarchies, rituals and rules but are not considered to be cults.
The book examines the question raised in the Epigraph, ‘how do we be together when we feel so alone’ with a focus on relationships other than the familial and the romantic.
Collisions, Chasms and Connections: a Performative Exploration of the Composite Novel Form
The second part of the thesis is both a critical and creative response to three contemporary American books: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout; A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan; and Legend of a Suicide by David Vann. The critical element comprises a close reading of the three books; a chronological reconstruction of their overarching storylines; and a consideration of what their authors have said about writing the books. It concludes that, in the composite novel, the simultaneous presentation of multiple views and storylines operate much like a 3D image to give the impression of depth to the characters and situations rendered. The creative element of the essay is a playful and personal response to the texts
Partner Facilitation and Partner Interference in Individuals' Weight Loss Goals
No full textDrawing on the logic of the relational turbulence model, this study examined the ways in which romantic partners facilitate and interfere with individuals’ weight loss goals. Participants (N = 122) described the ways in which their romantic partner had recently helped or hindered their weight loss at four times over the course of 2 months. We conducted a content analysis of responses to identify themes of partner facilitation (Research Question 1 [RQ1]) and partner interference (RQ2) in individuals’ weight loss goals. Results revealed seven themes of partner facilitation: (a) partner enabling diet, (b) motivation and encouragement, (c) emotional support and positive reinforcement, (d) exercising together, (e) partner enabling exercise, (f) dieting together, and (g) relationship influence and priorities. Four themes of partner interference emerged in the data: (a) inability to plan for healthy meals, (b) inability to control the food environment, (c) preventing or discouraging exercise, and (d) emotional or relational discouragement.Peer reviewe
A longitudinal assessment of relationship characteristics that predict new parents’ relationship satisfaction
No full textDrawing on the relational turbulence model, this study queries whether it is the amount of relational uncertainty and partner interference in a relationship, or the magnitude of an increase in these mechanisms over time, that accounts for decreased relationship satisfaction for new parents. To test these competing hypotheses, we conducted a longitudinal study of 78 couples in which both partners completed surveys about their relationship at four time points during the transition to parenthood. Multi-level modeling revealed that the amount and the increase of relational uncertainty and partner interference were negatively associated with relationship satisfaction when considered separately, but when evaluated in combination, the magnitude of an increase in these variables was the stronger predictor of relationship satisfaction.Peer reviewe
Study plan-leave tree and downed log monitoring
No full textJennifer M. Weikel (Monitoring Coordinator), Rod Krahmer (Fish and Wildlife Specialist), Jim Cathcart, Ph.D (Acting, Forest Health and Monitoring Manager).This archived document is maintained by the State Library of Oregon as part of the Oregon Documents Depository Program. It is for informational purposes and may not be suitable for legal purposes.Includes bibliographical references (pages 13-14).Mode of access: Internet from the Oregon Government Publications Collection.Text in English
Growth behavior of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris as a function of strain and culture conditions
No full textAlicyclobacillus acidoterrestris is an acidophilic, spore-forming spoilage organism of concern for the fruit juice industry. The occurrence of bacterial spore-formers in low pH foods was thought to be insignificant. However, in recent years, spoilage of acidic juice by Alicyclobacillus was recognized and the seriousness of this situation began to be appreciated. A. acidoterrestris has been associated with commercially pasteurized fruit juices as well as other low pH, shelf-stable products such as bottled tea and isotonic drinks. It has been isolated from garden and forest soils and may be introduced into the manufacturing process through unwashed or poorly washed fruit. If spores are not destroyed by processing, they can germinate, grow, and spoil product. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of A. acidoterrestris growth as a function of strain, pH and temperature so that growth of A. acidoterrestris spores might be inhibited by environmental control and product formulation. Four strains of A. acidoterrestris were used to investigate the growth kinetics in response to pH (3.0, 4.0, 5.0) and temperatures (30, 37.5, 45ºC) by measuring the optical density (OD) every hour for 48 hours using a microtitre plate reader to develop the growth curves. The growth rates were calculated using the software program DMFit and were used to illustrate the relationship between the growth kinetics of A. acidoterrestris strains. When examining the generated data, we observed that there were some differences between growth kinetics of tested strains at various pH and temperature conditions. The differences were random and did not follow any specific trend. The use of a reference strain allows for greater availability and reproducibility. Accordingly, the ATCC 49025 strain is representative of the food isolates (strain N1100, N1102 and N1139) and can be used as a reference strain.M.S.Includes bibliographical referencesby Jennifer M. Merl
A Comparative Analysis of the Equity Outcomes in Three Sugarcane–Ethanol Systems
No full textThis article identifies equity outcomes associated with three biofuel systems in Brazil, Ethiopia, and Guatemala. Acknowledging that winners and losers are socially and politically generated, the article identifies some of the factors behind the distribution of winners and losers along different stages of three sugarcane–ethanol supply chains. Analyzing the outcomes for equity within each case study reveals an uneven distribution that, we argue, is related to the procedure and structure of the given sugarcane–ethanol system, and the recognition of the impacts on different actors within those structures. Increasing equity in sugarcane–ethanol systems will require greater openness in decision-making processes, in order that multiple voices are taken into account in the promotion, production, and consumption of biofuels—particularly those of smaller and less powerful actors
Measuring acceptance of immigrant groups in the U.S.: the importance of the semantic differential scale in conjunction with the social distance scale
No full textImmediately following the attacks of September 11th, 2001, prejudice and discrimination against particular immigrant/ethnic groups in the United States increased immensely. I sought to understand if this backlash was consistent with previous times of war and the degree to which college students in New Jersey would tolerate prejudice, discrimination and a lessening of civil liberties.
A literature review of existing materials helps provide a context for my findings. The two opening chapters discusses historical immigration to the United States, and provide a backdrop and context of the current situation surrounding prejudice, discrimination and civil liberties of immigrants. Chapter Three describes prejudice and discrimination post-9/11 in the U.S. And, Chapter Four examines the work of Emory Bogardus and subsequent sociologists, to understand under what circumstances prejudice correlates directly with discrimination.
Utilizing data from studies conducted between 1920 and 2001, I compare these to my own study of social distance. I also include a semantic differential measure of prejudice to use in conjunction with the social distance measure to get a more complete measure of prejudice towards various pan-ethnic groups. Including questions about civil liberties, I measure if respondents are accepting of prejudice and discrimination at the personal level and/or national/governmental level.
Primary conclusions of this study include:
- Respondents indicate greater allowances and acceptance of the hindrance of civil liberties during both times of war and perceived terrorist threats. These threats may or may not be real and one must not take an impediment on civil liberties lightly given the potential of grave consequence (for example, the imprisonment of an innocent person for life without due process of law.)
- The realization that the Bogardus Social Distance Scale is not an effective measure by itself when calculating the degree of prejudicial attitudes towards a particular group. Since semantic differential measures can provide a more complete analysis of prejudicial attitudes by measuring the degree of positive and negative attributes towards that group, results from these two scales should be averaged together to provide a more accurate reading of a group’s total acceptance into society.Ph.D.Includes bibliographical references (p.192-194)by Jennifer M. Kolese
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