Examining the Collegiate Experiences of African American Males with Same Race Mentors

African American males have a more meaningful college experience when they are mentored with people with whom they can culturally relate (Brown, 2013; Moore & Tolliver, 2010). Although studies indicate African American males who had same race mentors display higher self-efficacy (Stefon, 2011), improved graduation rates (U.S. Department of Education, 2017), and a more positive college experience (Chen, Ingram & Davis, 2014), additional research in this area is needed. Using a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study sought to determine the impact having a same race mentor had on the collegiate experiences of five African American males who successfully graduated from colleges in Georgia. Data collected through semi-structured interviews addressed the overarching research question: What are the perceptions of African American male college students regarding the impact of same race mentor relationships on their college experience? and the two sub-questions related to this study: 1) To what extent did having a same race mentor affect the African American male college students’ persistence in college?; 2) To what extent did having a same race mentor affect the African American male college students’ self-efficacy regarding feeling as though they belong in the higher education environment? The participants shared that same race mentor relationships improved their college experience through providing intentional guidance and support

The Influence of Body Mass Index on Self-Report and Performance-Based Measures of Physical Function in Adult Women

Obesity has a negative impact on physical function; however, little is known about limitations in physical function across BMI categories using both self-report and performance-based measures. Furthermore, the impact of BMI on the measurement of function has not been explored. PURPOSE: To assess physical function in adult women across BMI categories using self-report and performance-based measures and determine the influence of BMI on the relation of self-report and performance-based measures. METHODS: 50 sedentary females (10 in each BMI category: normal weight, overweight, and class 1, 2, and 3 obese) aged 51.2 ± 5.4 years participated. Assessments included demographics, past medical history, physical activity level, BMI, waist circumference, body composition, and self-report and performance-based measures of physical function. Correlation coefficients were computed between BMI and the measures of physical function. Physical function was compared between BMI categories using analysis of variance. The influence of BMI on the relation of self-report and performance-based measures was analyzed by computing correlation coefficients between the measures for the non-obese and obese and by using linear regression. Furthermore, questions from the self-report measure were compared to similar tasks on the performance-based measure for the non-obese and the obese. RESULTS: As BMI increased, physical function decreased on self-report and performance-based measures (all p <.01). Compared to those that were normal weight and overweight, the obese had poorer physical function on both types of measures (all p < .01). A large percentage of participants in the obese groups reported changes in how or how often they performed functional activities. While the performance-based and self-report measures of function were moderately correlated in the sample (p < .001), the association between the measures was significantly stronger for the non-obese compared to the obese. Compared to the non-obese, a greater number of individuals with obesity performed differently on walking tests compared to their report. CONCLUSIONS: High BMI had an adverse effect on common every-day functional tasks in adult women. Compared to those that are normal weight and overweight, individuals with obesity had the greatest impairments in physical function and tended to less accurately depict physical function abilities

MalStone: Towards A Benchmark for Analytics on Large Data Clouds

Developing data mining algorithms that are suitable for cloud computing platforms is currently an active area of research, as is developing cloud computing platforms appropriate for data mining. Currently, the most common benchmark for cloud computing is the Terasort (and related) benchmarks. Although the Terasort Benchmark is quite useful, it was not designed for data mining per se. In this paper, we introduce a benchmark called MalStone that is specifically designed to measure the performance of cloud computing middleware that supports the type of data intensive computing common when building data mining models. We also introduce MalGen, which is a utility for generating data on clouds that can be used with MalStone

Continuing to build community in qualitative research

YesThis short paper celebrates the tenth year Anniversary of QROM by highlighting the importance of continuing to build community and support for qualitative researchers across the world. It also elaborates the relationship between the journal and the biennial international Qualitative Research in Management conference. The paper aims to discuss these issues

Some observations on the puzzling world of self-regulation and depletion

AbstractThis paper identifies problems with ego depletion theory including failures to replicate, non-support for glucose as a mediator, the stress on single replication studies rather than replication with variation, the failure to document generalizability, the stress on physical as opposed to psychological moderators and mediators, and the overemphasis on deduction as the core scientific method

Rapid Test for Corrosion Effects of Deicing Chemicals in Reinforced Concrete

Research to develop tests that can accurately predict the effects of deicing chemicals on the corrosion of steel in reinforced concrete structures is reported. The research includes the development and evaluation of a standard test specimen and the use of three deicing chemicals to determine the sensitivity of both corrosion potential and macrocell corrosion to molal ion concentrations ranging from 0.4 to 6.4. The standard test specimen consists of a No. 4 reinforcing bar embedded in a 1.18 in. (30 mm) diameter, 4 in. (100 mm) long mortar cylinder. The mortar is made using portland cement, deionized water, and standard graded Ottawa sand. Specimens cured in lime-saturated water reach a passive condition within 14 days. The tests are easy to perform, require no special training, and can normally be completed within 60 days. Of the two tests, the corrosion potential test provides more consistent results and should prove to be a useful tool for comparing the effects of deicing chemicals on the corrosion of reinforcing steel. Additional modifications are needed in the macrocell test before it is ready for general use. Based on limited test data using sodium chloride, calcium chloride, and calcium magnesium acetate, calcium chloride appears to be the most detrimental, followed in order by sodium chloride and calcium magnesium acetate. Corrosion in the presence of calcium magnesium acetate appears to be highly sensitive to relative concentration, with no corrosion occurring at a molal ion concentration of 0.4. In contrast, specimens exposed to both calcium chloride and sodium chloride exhibit measurable corrosion potential at a concentration of 0.4 m. At the highest concentration for which comparisons were made (6.4 m), both the CMA and the CaC12 appear to be equally detrimental, while the NaCl appears to cause somewhat less corrosion

Organising people, contructing meanings : social and institutional dynamics in the production of art museum knowledges

PhD ThesisWhile some research has focused on what happens ‘behind the scenes’ in art museums and how this relates to ‘front stage’ museum representations, little has been written about how this relates to what happens ‘centre stage’: in other words, how the organisational structure and culture of an institution influence the art historical knowledges constructed and presented through display. While much work has been done on the relationship between collecting, collections and display, little has been done to examine interpretation practices in museums of art. This thesis attempts to address this gap in order to better understand the importance of the role of interpretation in the construction of art and art history. This thesis presents the results of research into the production of knowledge, understood as modes of representation, at three museums of art: the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, Tate Britain in London, and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. The research focuses on the relationship between changing organisational structures and interpretive practices in these institutions, with a focus on how the traditional divide between ‘educators’ and ‘curators’ is being blurred - suggesting a reinvention of the purpose and function of museums of art. Each case study institution had recently undergone (or was in the process of undergoing) significant organisational change, providing a chance to map out or reflect upon changes to interpretation over time. Combining qualitative, ethnographic methods and display analysis, the research attempts to trace the internal, social workings of each institution with the statements of position communicated to visitors. Proceeding from a social constructionist viewpoint that museum displays are a type of embodied theory, and that museums are not merely ‘reflective’ (Macdonald 1996), the research argues that the structural and cultural dynamics of organisations influence the knowledges communicated to visitors. The research argues that staffing structures (and the power and politics that exist within these structures) not only influence the content of exhibitions and displays, but are capable of altering museum representations. In revealing these connections and examining production practices, this research opens up new thinking about the significance of organisational structures in the production of museum knowledges. This thinking challenges naturalised assumptions about the nature of art and its histories, presenting new possibilities for representation, understanding and the experience of visiting exhibitions.Arts and Humanities Research Counci