I'm not buying it : a rhetorical study of mediation during Hurricane Katrina

At 6:10 AM on August 29th, 2005, with sustained winds reaching 145 miles per hour, Hurricane Katrina made landfall near Buras, Louisiana. Thousands of people were left with no access to food, or water, or shelter. The affected area was in need of immediate assistance. They needed action. Their local government, their federal government, and we as fellow citizens, as fellow human beings, watched the victims of this horrible tragedy through some form of mass media as they were forced to wait for food, water, and shelter and little was done to help them. Inherent in our national failure was a lack of understanding as to how our information was delivered to us and how it both shaped and manipulated our understanding of Hurricane Katrina. Our national mediation through mass media was neither examined nor thoroughly understood. I examine the mediation of Hurricane Katrina through the mass media sources of television news, including both broadcast news and cable news, as well as through the Internet phenomenon of blogging. Many factors motivate our mediation within these mass media sources, including our own capitalism, our immersion in literacy and progression away from oral culture, and a continual push towards individuality and self-awareness. The purpose of this thesis then, is to examine the mediation present in Hurricane Katrina coverage in order to better understand the overarching vehicles of mediation present in the presentation of our world. Understanding where our information comes from allows us to become more active participants in the formation of our world and the ideas that govern it so that our individuality and our literacy are allowed to become compliments to our social obligations as citizens of America and our newly globalized world rather than vehicles of isolation and suffering

Increase in penguin populations during the Little Ice Age in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Penguins are an important seabird species in Antarctica and are sensitive to climate and environmental changes. Previous studies indicated that penguin populations increased when the climate became warmer and decreased when it became colder in the maritime Antarctic. Here we determined organic markers in a sediment profile collected at Cape Bird, Ross Island, high Antarctic, and reconstructed the history of Adélie penguin colonies at this location over the past 700 years. The region transformed from a seal to a penguin habitat when the Little Ice Age (LIA; 1500–1800 AD) began. Penguins then became the dominant species. Penguin populations were the highest during ca. 1490 to 1670 AD, a cold period, which is contrary to previous results in other regions much farther north. Different responses to climate change may occur at low latitudes and high latitudes in the Antarctic, even if for same species

The effects of dietary lipid on spawning performance and egg quality in black sea bass Centropristis striata

The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of dietary lipid on spawning performance and egg quality in black sea bass (BSB) (Centropristis striata). The study was conducted over two consecutive spawning seasons. During year one, adult broodstock (N=162) were held in 1.8-m dia. Controlled environment tanks in sea water (35 g/L) and were fed three different dietary treatments: two commercially-prepared diets each with 45% protein and two different lipid levels (12% and 20%), and a natural diet of frozen fish, Atlantic silversides Menidia menidia. Broodstock were fed to satiation 6d/week beginning 3 mos. Before the spawning season and were subjected to photothermal conditions that mimicked natural variation until the spawning season (Apr.-Jul. 2005) when constant temperature (mean = 20.2) and photoperiod (13 L:11 D) were maintained. Mature females (mean oocyte diameter (MOD) = 330 µm) were implanted with a lutenizing hormone releasing hormone analog (LHRHa) pellet at a nominal dose of 72 µm/kg body weight (BW) and then held with 5 running males for volitional spawning. Egg collectors were monitored daily, and non-viable (sinking) eggs and viable (floating) eggs were quantified. Buoyant eggs were transferred to 18-L incubators at 35 g/L and 19ºC where fertilization and hatching success were determined as indices of egg quality. A total of 6 induced spawning trials were conducted for fish fed a natural diet of silversides, 7 for fish fed a 20% lipid diet, and 6 for fed a 12% lipid diet. Spawning performance varied widely among individual females within each treatment; however, fish fed a diet of silversides (31.9% lipid) had a significantly (P < 0.05) higher fertilization success (22.4%) than the commercially prepared diets with 20% and 12% lipid (4.8 and 0.6%, respectively). The silverside diet treatment also produced significantly more yolk sac larvae (YSL) per female (21.8 x 103) than the 12% treatment (0.3 x 103). Hatching success of the fertilized eggs was similar in all diets (silverside diet: 51.3%; 20% lipid diet: 58.6%; and 12% lipid diet: 40.0%), but only two spans from the 12% lipid diet yielded viable yolk-sac larvae. Eggs from the silverside treatment contained a significantly greater proportion of n-3 series fatty acids with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (22:6n-3) as the largest fraction. The eggs from commercially prepared dietary treatments contained significantly more n-6 fatty acids. The proportions of egg n-3 and n-6 fatty acids were similar to those found in the diets and are likely associated with the higher fertilization success of fish fed a diet of silversides. During year two, broodstock were fed three different dietary treatments: frozen Atlantic silversides, and two commercially-prepared diets with 45% protein and two different lipid levels (18% and 23%). Spawning protocols were the same as for the previous season, with the following exception: mean nominal dose of LHRHa was 50 µg/kg BW. A total of 8 spawning trials was conducted for fish in each dietary treatment. No significant (P<0.05) differences were detected among dietary treatments for spawning performance or egg quality parameters. As in year 1, eggs from the silverside treatment contained significantly (P<0.05) more n-3 fatty acids than eggs from the commercially prepared dietary treatments and significantly (P<0.05) fewer n-6 fatty acids. Docosahxaenoic acid was the largest portion of fatty acids in eggs of all treatments, with eggs from the silverside treatment containing a significantly larger proportion. The results suggested that dietary lipid has pronounced effects on spawning performance, egg fatty acid composition, and egg quality in BSB. For fish fed the commercially prepared diets, a dietary lipid level of 12% was clearly inadequate for successful reproduction. The poor spawning performance from the fish fed the 12% lipid diet may have been related to higher levels of linoleic acid (18:2n-6) found in this diet. For fish fed silversides, spawning performance varied greatly between experiments, which may indicate a variation in the quality of this natural diet

Miserable business of war afloat : the August 1864 cruise of the CSS Tallahassee

The focus of this thesis is the August 1864 cruise of the Confederate commerce raider CSS Tallahassee. Commanded by John Taylor Wood, the cruise up and down the coasts of New York and New England lasted only twenty days but resulted in the destruction or bonding of thirty-one merchant vessels. Naval historians have addressed this cruise as an isolated example of Confederate commerce raiding and failed to place the cruise in the larger context of the war. This study is an attempt to investigate the cruise in greater depth and breadth. The mission was specifically designed to alleviate the pressure of the Federal blockade off Wilmington and harass the Union merchant marine, but other motivations have not been adequately examined. This thesis ties the cruise of the Tallahassee into the grand strategy of the Confederacy in the summer of 1864, including plan to secure independence by influencing the United States presidential election of November 1864. The reaction of the Northern populace to the cruise is considered, as well as effect the cruise had on Anglo-Confederate relations. Finally, in addition to providing a glimpse of the cruise itself, the long-term implications of the cruise are considered. Ironically, the cruise contributed to the downfall of the Confederate States of America. Northern officials and the press viewed the Tallahassee as a pirate, strengthening the call to close the port from whence the raider embarked, Wilmington, North Carolina. The disagreements among Confederate leaders over the cruise highlighted other problems that plagued the Confederacy. The object of this study is to bring the motivations and ramifications of this cruise to light. Historians have only recounted the events of the cruise without carefully considering why the cruise was designed or the overarching results of the mission. Careful primary and secondary research was undertaken for this thesis. While this study fits into the realm of naval and military history, the writer uses the fields of political history, diplomatic history, and social history to better tell the story of the CSS Tallahassee

Media influence on deviant behavior in middle school students

In recent years, there has been growing concern over the possible influence of aggressive and sexually-explicit media on children and teenagers (Gore, 1987). It is believed that graphic depictions of violence, disrespect of women, and the glamorization of drug use are fostering similar behavior in the school-aged population. This anti-social subject matter is presented in movies, on television (programs and music videos), the internet, in the lyrics of popular music, and in video games. A generation ago, families would not have tolerated the sex and violence presented to children. The questions remains, have the behavior problems of America’s youth increased over the past ten to twenty years? And is there a correlation between an increase in media presentations of sex and violence to children, and an increase in public tolerance or ignorance of graphic adult themes presented to children? This thesis addresses the possible effects of exposure to various forms of violent and anti-social media as a significant factor contributing to anti-social and disruptive behaviors in middle school students in the school setting. The thesis also provides an overview of other factors identified in a review of relevant literature. These factors include lack of familial support, poor self-esteem and external locus of control. In addition, the thesis describes a study conducted with middle school students who have varying disciplinary records. The results of this study indicate that negative media, as a single factor, does not appear to be sufficient to account for anti-social or disruptive behavior of these students at school

The removal of Cremophor® EL from paclitaxel for quantitative analysis by HPLC-UV

The most common technique for analysis of drug substances is high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a variable wavelength detector (UV). Cremophor® EL (ethoxylated castor oil, CrEL) is a non-ionic emulsifier that is used to assist in the solubilization of hydrophobic drugs such as the antineoplastic agent, paclitaxel. However, the molecular weight distribution of CrEL creates difficulties in the analysis of potency and related substances of hydrophobic drugs via UV detection. Using a precipitation method, CrEL was selectively removed from the paclitaxel by pre-treating the injectable dosage form with mercuric chloride and analyzing the filtered extract by HPLC-UV. The removal of CrEL from the injectable dosage form of paclitaxel by precipitation with mercuric chloride resulted in a solution that was suitable to quantitate active and related substances by HPLC-UV. The precipitate was then characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared spectrophotometry and x-ray diffraction to elucidate its mechanism of action. The combination of these analyses provided sufficient evidence that the complex formed between CrEL and mercuric chloride is from the coordination of the mercury atom to the ether oxygens present in the CrEL

Development of a sensitive [delta]¹5 N analysis for photopigments

A method for the oxidation and nitrogen isotopic analysis of photopigments (chlorophyll and phaeophytin) has been developed. Homogenous single source materials (spinach and diatom culture) as well as mixed matrix (estuarine water) natural samples were tested with this approach. This method first uses extraction and purification of photopigments by column chromatography, followed by UV irradiation to convert photopigment N to nitrate and nitrite in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. d15N of bulk samples and chlorophyll extracts were determined with an Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (IRMS) with an Elemental Analysis (EA) Interface. Quantification of post-oxidation products (nitrate and nitrite) and determination of oxidation efficiency were performed using ion chromatography. For isotopic analysis, the resulting nitrate/nitrite was converted to N2O at the USGS Reston Stable Isotope Laboratory (RSIL) using a strain of bacteria Pseudomonas aureofaciens, which lacks N2O-reductase activity. The N2O is analyzed on an IRMS to provide the d15N ratio of the product. Comparisons were made between bulk source material (spinach and diatom), the respective extracted photopigments, and the post-oxidation products. Isotopic offsets of homogenous samples were isotopically depleted by a range of 3 to 6 ‰ from bulk to extract and again from extract to post-oxidiation. This stepwise lightening of the isotopic signature was consistent with isotopic fractionation during each of these steps, although no clear Rayleigh fractionation relationship was discernable. Natural mixed matrix samples exhibited irreproducible isotopic results following both extractions and oxidation. We suggest that these results were due at least, in part, to very high amounts of co-extracted compounds potentially extracting other nitrogen sources and/or severely depressing oxidation efficiencies of photopigment nitrogen. Although isotopic offsets for each step of the mixed matrix samples varied considerably, they all yielded end products which were substantially isotopically depleted (up to -12‰) relative to bulk isotopic values of the starting material

Blurring the lines between fantasy and reality : the cultural pervasiveness of The Lord of The Rings

The Lord of the Rings, by J. R. R. Tolkien, is considered by many to be the definitive work of epic fantasy. Many critics have even gone as far as to declare Tolkien one of the primary authors of the Twentieth Century. The scope and depth of meaning contained within the pages of his trilogy, which consists of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, have touched millions of readers, especially as evidenced by the way the works have garnered a broad and fanatical audience within the United States. Although the trilogy has maintained a consistently high degree of popularity and acclaim worldwide since the first publication of the books in the 1950s, certain periods of history have witnessed a marked increase in attention given to Tolkien’s work. This has been particularly apparent during times in American history when the nation has been faced with internal strife or external conflict such as terrorism or the prospect of war. Recent periods of history, which have exhibited these cultural characteristics and which are the focus of this study, are the counterculture era of the 1960s, the Reagan administration’s efforts to restore a sense of nationalism in the 1980s, and the era of fear and uncertainty that began with the tragedy of September 11th, 2001. Focusing primarily on the facets of American society that find a shared cultural relevance within the pages of Tolkien’s epic, this study traces many of the possible causes for this resurgence in popularity of The Lord of the Rings. Hence, the cultural theories of Stuart Hall, Edward Soja, and Michel Foucault are applied within, as well as Sigmund Freud’s writings on the nature of the collective subconscious, and the repression of trauma. The application of these critical approaches to the tendency of American culture to turn to fantasy in times of strife enables an examination of the socio-political interaction between the themes inherent in The Lord of the Rings and the characteristic traits of American culture that has embraced Tolkien’s fantasy

Olfactory matching-to-sample in rats using a novel apparatus

The present study used a semi-automated device to test olfactory matching-to-sample in rats. The apparatus was a modified operant chamber with three nose ports that were covered with three independently-operating guillotine doors. The center door was opened to allow access to the sample scent and once the photo beam inside the nose port was broken for 2 s, the comparison doors were raised. In Experiment I, rats were trained on an identity matching-to-sample procedure using olfactory stimuli that were presented beneath the nose ports. This training continued until the performance criterion of 75% or higher accuracy over ten sessions was achieved. When the subject met the criterion, they were introduced to a novel set of five olfactory stimuli. In Experiment I, rats were exposed to the same set of stimuli throughout the entire experiment because the performance criteria were never met. In Experiment II, in which some procedural refinements were implemented, one subject (Z2) progressed through three MTS sets and showed some evidence of generalized matching, but the other two rats did not meet any of the matching criteria. These results suggest that response topography may be an important factor in conditional discrimination in rats

The role of female's alcohol consumption and clothing on attitudes towards date rape

Both alcohol consumption and clothing that is labeled provocative have been shown to increase people’s negative judgment towards women in a sexual aggression situation. Two experiments assessed the role that these two factors play in conjunction with one another. Experiment One assessed the types of women’s clothing that college students consider provocative or conservative, as well as an independent rating of how fashionable students consider the clothing. The photographs rated as most provocative, conservative and fashionable were used in Experiment Two. In Experiment Two, participants read an incident/police report, accompanied by the photograph of a woman wearing either a provocative outfit or a conservative outfit, as determined by Experiment One. The incident/police report is about a woman who reported a sexual assault. In one report, she reported drinking beforehand; in the alternate version, she reported being completely sober. Participants will then make judgments of the man’s versus the woman’s responsibility. The Attitudes towards Women Scale (AWS) (Spence, Helmreich, & Stapp, 1973) and the Revised Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire will also be completed. Results will be analyzed using a repeated measures analysis of variance in Experiment One and in Experiment Two, a between subjects 2 x 2 factorial analysis of variance. Expected results are a main effect for clothing type and for alcohol. Further, an interaction is expected with a woman dressed provocatively and consuming alcohol on a date viewed as much more responsible for sexual assault (a synergistic versus an additive effect)