Well Water: A Parable

I endeavored to write the story, book, and lyrics of an original musical, then produce and direct a performance of the show. The process involved finding inspiration, using music composition and creative writing, securing funding and a venue, organizing a cast and crew, and directing the cast and crew to realize a common vision.Scholarly Activity Award for StudentsB.A

INSTRUMENTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS: THE INTERSECTIONS OF BLACK POWER AND ANTI-VIETNAM WAR ACTIVISM IN THE UNITED STATES, 1964-1972

Instruments of Righteousness investigates the class-, race-, and gender-based identities and intersections of women and men in the Black Power movement and their various organizing activities to gain certain and defined concessions from federal, state, and local governments. It argues that the intersections of Black Power and anti-Vietnam War activism created changing definitions of black masculinity and femininity, expressed through anti-draft and anti-war work. Black Power and anti-war activism cannot and should not be investigated separate from one another. The experiences of Black Power soldiers, antiwar members of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Black Panther Party, and the Third World Women’s Alliance, and exiled black Americans highlight the ways the anti-Vietnam War and Black Power activism depended on each other for rhetorical, theoretical, and personnel needs. Additionally, it explores the ways that Black Power organizations articulated “Third World” mentalities in their anti-war battles. By espousing a shared identity with people of color throughout the world, Black Power organizations placed themselves in a transnational conversation among radical, decolonizing nation-states. Black Power’s advocates’ roles as non-governmental actors in the Third World strengthened ties with and presented new images of United States citizens throughout the decolonizing world

Implications of book versus tax based patronage in agricultural cooperatives

Cooperative businesses are taxed under Sub-Chapter T of the IRS tax code. Under that provision, cooperative businesses are allowed to deduct profits distributed to their member-owners (termed patronage dividends). Any income remaining after patronage distributions is taxed at the regular corporate rate. Patronage calculations can be based on either "book" net income following the accrual method of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or on a tax basis reflecting a cooperative's IRS calculations. The difference between the two income calculations are referred to as "Book Tax Differences" (BTD). The two alternative methods for income calculation can lead to both permanent and temporary BTD. Permeant BTD are created when an income or expense is recorded on a book basis which will never be recognized on a tax basis or vice versa. A common permanent BTD in an agricultural cooperative would be the Section 199A deduction. Temporary BTDs occur when timing of income or expense recognition varies between book and tax methods. Common temporary BTD in agricultural cooperatives include accelerated or bonus depreciation and the receipt of nonqualified equity patronage from regional cooperatives. BTDs are particularly important for cooperative businesses because profits are shifted over time. The members doing business and receiving patronage in future years may be different from those patronizing the cooperative in the year the BTD was created. Because of that potential effect there is a clear need for research on the implications of book and tax based patronage on agricultural cooperatives and their members

Electronic portfolios in early childhood education: Parent-teacher communication

Electronic portfolios (ePortfolios) are a new phenomenon in early childhood education (ECE) and there is minimal existing research available on their use and effectiveness as a learning and communication tool in ECE. This thesis presents an exploratory case study of an ECE centre, positioned within a constructive-interpretivist paradigm, which investigated communication between teachers and families via ePortfolios. Data used in the study were drawn from online surveys, document analysis of ePortfolios, individual interviews, and focus group interviews with parents and teachers. Thematic analysis identified three main themes; the benefits and drawbacks of communicating via the ePortfolio, the online tools that supported or constrained communication, and the types of communication that were evident. Several implications for teachers’ practice arise from this study. First, the ePortfolio enabled communication to easily flow between settings, and provided another avenue for teachers and parents to communicate. Second, the different levels of communication parents and teachers engaged in via the ePortfolio had potential to influence their on-going communication, relationships, and children’s learning. To extend on-going learning and positive learning outcomes for children, online communication could be scaffolded so that a focus on relationships moves toward to a greater focus on children’s learning. Finally, levels of trust between teachers and parents were apparent, though more complex elements of trust such as competence and openness were less evident. Teachers could consider ways to develop these with parents to further enhance trust and communication

Effect of propranolol on facial processing in autism spectrum disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social interaction deficits, communication impairments, and restricted, repetitive behaviors. ASD, with estimates of incidence as high as 1 in 88 individuals, has a largely unknown etiology. Pharmacological intervention is currently being explored to improve symptoms of ASD, including those in the social domain. Social interaction deficits in this population may include facial processing abnormalities, such as reduced eye contact, and increased fixation on less socially-salient facial regions, such as the mouth. However, there is variability in the degree of these deficits in the current literature. Additionally, it has been previously hypothesized that stress mediates poor facial processing in individuals with ASD. This pilot study examines the effect of propranolol, a nonselective beta-adrenergic antagonist anxiolytic, on facial processing in individuals with ASD and typically developing controls

The high prevalence of Clostridioides difficile among nursing home elders associates with a dysbiotic microbiome

Clostridioides difficile disproportionally affects the elderly living in nursing homes (NHs). Our objective was to explore the prevalence of C. difficile in NH elders, over time and to determine whether the microbiome or other clinical factors are associated with C. difficile colonization. We collected serial stool samples from NH residents. C. difficile prevalence was determined by quantitative polymerase-chain reaction detection of Toxin genes tcdA and tcdB; microbiome composition was determined by shotgun metagenomic sequencing. We used mixed-effect random forest modeling machine to determine bacterial taxa whose abundance is associated with C. difficile prevalence while controlling for clinical covariates including demographics, medications, and past medical history. We enrolled 167 NH elders who contributed 506 stool samples. Of the 123 elders providing multiple samples, 30 (24.4%) elders yielded multiple samples in which C. difficile was detected and 78 (46.7%) had at least one C. difficile positive sample. Elders with C. difficile positive samples were characterized by increased abundances of pathogenic or inflammatory-associated bacterial taxa and by lower abundances of taxa with anti-inflammatory or symbiotic properties. Proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use is associated with lower prevalence of C. difficile (Odds Ratio 0.46; 95%CI, 0.22-0.99) and the abundance of bacterial species with known beneficial effects was higher in PPI users and markedly lower in elders with high C. difficile prevalence.C. difficile is prevalent among NH elders and a dysbiotic gut microbiome associates with C. difficile colonization status. Manipulating the gut microbiome may prove to be a key strategy in the reduction of C. difficile in the NH