The “American Dream” in Black and White Populations: A Perceptions Versus Reality Analysis

Do White and Black Americans equally believe in the American Dream? Does the American Dream offer hope for Black Americans to hold on to, or has racial oppression made the dream feel out of reach? Since such ideas, like the promise of social mobility offered by freedom, motivate and inform economic, social, and political beliefs, understanding how such narratives function is of critical need. In this study, I used the 2012 Outlook on Life Survey (N=2,294) to analyze the differences in attitudes about the American Dream between Black and White populations in the United States. I analyzed data about how far along the American Dream participants will progress, how hard it will be for them to have a financially secure retirement, and how hard it will be for them to do better than their parents. I hypothesized that Black participants would be more pessimistic about the American Dream and would view that it is harder for them to do better than their parents based on previous studies about institutional, cultural, and internalized racism. My findings did not support my hypotheses. I found no significant differences in Black and White attitudes about American Dream progression and found that Black participants were more likely to report that it would be easier for them to do better than their parents and to have a financially secure retirement. My findings suggest that Americans generally feel similarly about the American Dream, despite racial differences

A search for the 835 Hz835\,\text{Hz} superburst oscillation signal in the regular thermonuclear bursts of 4U 1636-536

Burst oscillations are brightness asymmetries that develop in the burning ocean during thermonuclear bursts on accreting neutron stars. They have been observed during H/He-triggered (Type I) bursts and Carbon-triggered superbursts. The mechanism responsible is not unknown, but the dominant burst oscillation frequency is typically within a few Hz of the spin frequency, where this is independently known. One of the best-studied burst oscillation sources, 4U 1636-536, has oscillations at $581\,\text{Hz}$ in both its regular Type I bursts and in one superburst. Recently however, Strohmayer \& Mahmoodifar reported the discovery of an additional signal at a higher frequency, $835\,\text{Hz}$, during the superburst. This higher frequency is consistent with the predictions for several types of global ocean mode, one of the possible burst oscillation mechanisms. If this is the case then the same physical mechanism may operate in the normal Type I bursts of this source. In this paper we report a stacked search for periodic signals in the regular Type I bursts: we found no significant signal at the higher frequency, with upper limits for the single trial root mean square (rms) fractional amplitude of 0.57(6)\%. Our analysis did however reveal that the dominant $581\,\text{Hz}$ burst oscillation signal is present at a weak level even in the sample of bursts where it cannot be detected in individual bursts. This indicates that any cutoff in the burst oscillation mechanism occurs below the detection threshold of existing X-ray telescopes.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures. Accepted for publication by Ap

Richard Galbraith, Mariner: or, Life Among the Kaffirs

https://commons.und.edu/settler-literature/1213/thumbnail.jp

"The Wimmin Are With Us to Stay": Women's Social Activities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1897 to 1946

Women made a place for themselves at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill through their social activities. Upon first arrival at the university, women had no dormitory, extracurricular opportunity, and very few privileges beyond attending class. Throughout the first half of the twentieth-century, female students at UNC engaged in a myriad of social activities that helped them become a more integral part of campus life.Bachelor of Art

Impacts of epigeic, anecic and endogeic earthworms on metal and metalloid mobility and availability

The introduction of earthworms into soils contaminated with metals and metalloids has been suggested to aid restoration practices. Eisenia veneta (epigeic), Lumbricus terrestris (anecic) and Allolobophora chlorotica (endogeic) earthworms were cultivated in columns containing 900 g soil with 1130, 345, 113 and 131 mg kg1 of As, Cu, Pb and Zn, respectively, for up to 112 days, in parallel with earthworm-free columns. Leachate was produced by pouring water on the soil surface to saturate the soil and generate downflow. Ryegrass was grown on the top of columns to assess metal uptake into biota. Different ecological groups affected metals in the same way by increasing concentrations and free ion activities in leachate, but anecic L. terrestris had the greatest effect by increasing leachate concentrations of As by 267%, Cu by 393%, Pb by 190%, and Zn by 429% compared to earthworm-free columns. Ryegrass grown in earthworm-bearing soil accumulated more metal and the soil microbial community exhibited greater stress. Results are consistent with earthworm enhanced degradation of organic matter leading to release of organically bound elements. The degradation of organic matter also releases organic acids which decrease the soil pH. The earthworms do not appear to carry out a unique process, but increase the rate of a process that is already occurring. The impact of earthworms on metal mobility and availability should therefore be considered when inoculating earthworms into contaminated soils as new pathways to receptors may be created or the flow of metals and metalloids to receptors may be elevated

Evidence on Scotland's Adult Social Care System for People with Learning Disabilities

The system that delivers social care and support for adults with learning disabilities in Scotland is not doing enough to enable people to live safe, secure and fulfilling lives. This is the clear finding from our analysis in this, our latest report, on adults with learning disabilities in Scotland. This is not necessarily through want of trying. The last thirty years have seen enormous changes in how people with learning disabilities are supported in society, with a shift from people living in long stay hospitals to community-based support. There have been new initiatives to improve people’s choice of care, a move to align their health and social care support, and an ambitious plan articulated by the Scottish Government that recognised that more needed to be done to help people realise their human rights

Learning Disabilities and the Value of Unpaid Care

People with learning disabilities draw on different types of support to enable them to live rich and fulfilling lives. But the support given by unpaid carers is often overlooked and undervalued. We surveyed unpaid carers of adults with a learning disability and found that: ■ On average, the support delivered by each unpaid carer in our sample would have cost the taxpayer £114,000 per year to deliver equivalent care. The provision of unpaid personal care alone delivered the taxpayer an annual saving of £55,000 for each carer in our sample. ■ Total hours of unpaid care provided per day ranged from 8 to 16 hours for those cohabiting with the person they provide care for, and 5.5 to 8.5 hours for those who provide unpaid care for an adult with learning disabilities that lives elsewhere. ■ Unpaid caring roles for adults with learning disabilities differ from what might be expected. Personal care, such as support with washing, dressing and eating, comprised only part of the care delivered. Not to be overlooked is the impact of providing other essential care, such as supervision to ensure safety, assisting with leisure activities, providing transport, ordering medications, and liaising with health and social care staff. This means that the unpaid carers in our sample got little genuine downtime. ■ Caring responsibilities limit unpaid carers’ opportunity to earn income through employment, leaving them more reliant on the social security system for support, which is often insufficient. Just over half the unpaid carers in our sample had household income below or around the poverty line. ■ The unpaid carers in our sample generally scored far lower than the national average on wellbeing measures. This was particularly notable for measures of loneliness and burnout. ■ Because learning disabilities are by definition lifelong, the impact of caring responsibilities for family members (especially parents) can differ from other caring roles, such as caring for an elderly relative. The lifelong caring commitment creates a loss of agency and limits the long term choices unpaid carers can make. ■ When asked for their priorities for better support, all but one of the unpaid carers in our sample wanted more respite and services for the person they care for. This points to a social care system that is not doing enough to support people with learning disabilities and their families. ■ During the Covid-19 pandemic, unpaid carers have filled in the gaps left by the care system, leaving many exhausted. None of the unpaid carers in our sample have seen support return to pre-pandemic levels, even as Scotland moves “beyond level 0”. With no clear plan for a return to normality, unpaid carers are facing an uncertain future. The findings in this report demonstrate the vital role that unpaid carers of adults with a learning disability play, but also the pressure that is placed on them due to a lack of support from society’s network of support systems. It is clear that the status quo is not sustainable. Support needs are likely to increase for adults with learning disabilities and unpaid carers. As we emerge from the pandemic and begin a new parliament, many will be looking to policy makers for a deliverable plan to meet those needs

The recovery of semen from bathwater using the Evidence Recovery System (ERS)

Sexual offences are under-reported and ascertaining accurate offence numbers is difficult. Any methods which could increase the ability to obtain biological evidence or reduce the additional distress associated with reporting a sexual offence may result in an increase in reporting this crime type. The Evidence Recovery System (ERS) is designed to collect trace evidence, including hairs, fibres and biological evidence, from bath or shower water in a non-invasive manner. Initially, samples of semen were placed in baths filled with water, and washing was simulated using a range of body wash products. The water was then drained through the ERS before its filters were subjected to acid phosphatase testing and haematoxylin and eosin staining of spermatozoa. Recovered spermatozoa were then graded accordingly. Following this, the experiment was repeated with the addition of dirt/dust particulates during the washing stage, to simulate recovery of biological evidence in a more realistic environment. The results showed that spermatozoa considered ‘easy to find’ could regularly be obtained from bathwater using the ERS. It appeared that this recovery was not affected by the presence of different body wash products. When dust/dirt particles were added, the number of spermatozoa recovered increased at two of the evidence collection stages. The difference in recovery was considered to be statistically significant. This study provides evidence to suggest the feasibility of use of the ERS as a method to collect semen evidence from individuals subjected to sexual offences. The recovery of spermatozoa does not appear to be affected by the presence of a body wash, but does appear to be improved when skin cells, hair and other debris are transferred into the water, as would be likely during a bath/shower. Further to this, the possibility of obtaining spermatozoa from the home bath or shower of a victim following a post-offence bathing experience is implied

Scotland's Employment Landscape for People with Learning Disabilities

It is clear that many people with learning disabilities would like more opportunities to have a paid job and, just as importantly, to keep their job and build a career. For many, this would unlock more choice and control over how to live their lives. But it is also clear that very few people with a learning disability in Scotland have the support and opportunities that would enable them to work. In this report – the latest in our wider learning disabilities research project – we set out the challenges and potential solutions to improving outcomes. We analyse the learning disability employment rate in the context of the Scottish Government’s ambition to halve the disability employment gap, we set out the key barriers to improving outcomes, and we highlight success stories that might provide a blueprint for improving outcomes on a wider scale