N’djili/Kinshasa (1952-2012): Local Spirit, Pentecostal Spirit and Spiritual Warfare. Trans-local Translations!

A trans-local ethnographic approach between N’djili/Kinshasa and different locations abroad provides access to a trans-historical approach of social transformations initiated through the prism of the "Spirit of Pentecost", diffracting the space into a multitude of "places" of belonging. It also raises awareness of a dual challenge of deterritorialization - in terms of exiting localism and ethnicity - and reterritorialisation in terms of anchors, very localized but interconnected. From local spirituality to the Spirit of Pentecost and Spiritual Warfare against territorial spirits, the aim of this contribution is to show a process of trans-localization, fighting to cross the borders of territoriality and ethno-nationality. The Spirit of Pentecost appears to give a good opportunity trying to leave territory, ethnicity, and discriminations due to corporeality

A Longitudinal Study of Growth in Literacy and Numeracy in the Primary School Years

This paper reports on a seven-year longitudinal study. In 1998 an extensive investigation of the nature of growth in literacy and numeracy across the years of primary school was established at ACER as a national longitudinal study. It was intended that scales of developing literacy and numeracy achievement would be developed within this study, making it possible to show growth from the first year at school until the end of primary school

A Longitudinal Investigation of Literacy Achievement and Development in the First Three Years of School

This paper describes a longitudinal study of literacy development in the early years of schooling. Monitoring the development of children’s literacy learning in the early years of school poses challenges for educational researchers, including the need for appropriate strategies for identifying the full range of literacy knowledge and skills demonstrated by young learners. The seven-year national ACER Longitudinal Literacy and Numeracy Study (LLANS) followed the growth in literacy of a single cohort of students across the years of primary school (Meiers, Khoo et al, 2006). A key research question in this study was: “What is the nature of literacy development amongst Australian school children?” The study created an opportunity to develop achievement scales describing growth in literacy and numeracy from the very first year of schooling

An Examination of Eisenia fetida Coelomic Fluid for Antimycobacterial Activity

Antibiotic resistance is a growing problem with real world consequences to human health and no known solution. The genus Mycobacterium contains several bacteria that can cause serious illnesses including tuberculosis and Johne’s disease. Some of these pathogens also have resistance to several antibiotics. This project sought to find antimycobacterial activity related to the phagocytic coelomocytes or soluble substances in the coelomic fluid of the earthworm Eisenia fetida. The phagocytic activity was determined by observing the adherence of phagocytes to Mycobacterium smegmatis (strain mc2155) bacteria. The antimycobacterial ability of the coelomic fluid was assessed by comparison of viable plate counts after treatment with coelomic fluid extracts. The effect of disrupting the microbial flora of the earthworm on these antimycobacterial affects was also investigated. No antimycobacterial activity was observed in coelomic cells or extracts from earthworms with intact or disrupted microbial flora. However, a trend of increasing coelomic cell concentration after treatment of the worm with antibiotics was seen. There are some aspects of the experiment that could be refined to examine the coelomic fluid for antimycobacterial activity or antibacterial activity against other problem bacteria more precisely. However, the more fruitful area of research would appear to be examining the discrepancy in coelomic cell concentration between antibiotic treated and untreated earthworms

ITEM RESPONSE THEORY SCALING OF AN ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER STUDENT SATISFACTION SURVEY

Item response theory scaling has been well established in achievement testing, but the practice has seen limited use in student development research. The purpose of this study was to explore the reliability and validity of a graded response model scaling of an existing college student satisfaction survey. The existing survey was found to measure three aspects of student satisfaction: community, diversity, and substance abuse. The three scales were found to have acceptable internal consistency. Parameter estimates using the grade response model were able to be obtained for the community and diversity but not the substance abuse subscale. A reliable community satisfaction score scale was created for the community subscale. Validity evidence was accumulated based on established research about student academic program, student involvement, and mode of survey. Differences in community satisfaction scores between involved and not-involved students were present, differences in community satisfaction scores between online- and paper-based surveys were present, and differences between community satisfaction scores and student academic program were not present

A generalized topological recursion for arbitrary ramification

The Eynard-Orantin topological recursion relies on the geometry of a Riemann surface S and two meromorphic functions x and y on S. To formulate the recursion, one must assume that x has only simple ramification points. In this paper we propose a generalized topological recursion that is valid for x with arbitrary ramification. We justify our proposal by studying degenerations of Riemann surfaces. We check in various examples that our generalized recursion is compatible with invariance of the free energies under the transformation (x,y) -> (y,x), where either x or y (or both) have higher order ramification, and that it satisfies some of the most important properties of the original recursion. Along the way, we show that invariance under (x,y) -> (y,x) is in fact more subtle than expected; we show that there exists a number of counter examples, already in the case of the original Eynard-Orantin recursion, that deserve further study.Comment: 26 pages, 2 figure

Desire And Influence: Male Self-Realization And Film Progression Due To The Influential Women In The Films Of Wes Anderson

My thesis is an analysis arguing that the roles of women in three of Wes Anderson\u27s films, Rushmore (1996), The Royal Tenenbaums (2001), and The Life Aquatic(2004), are vital in influencing the men that surround them to come to a self-realization and in the progression of the film as each character finds closure, despite critic\u27s claims. Critics Jesse Mayshark and Greg Carlson examine Anderson\u27s films to be basically about men stuck in arrested development that as they rival each other they grow and mature, and discount the roles of women as simply a side note. I build upon their analysis by using the theory of erotic triangles in literature as they are explained by Eve Sedgwick in her book Between Men: English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire. Much of her work builds off of Sigmund Freud and Girard\u27s theories, although they differ in the fact that Freud and Girard see the love triangle as being symmetrical despite gender and Sedgwick theorizes that the triangle is asymmetrical due to gender and the rivalry for power between the men that crave homosocial interaction in the form of rivalry over the woman placed at the center of the triangle. What I do different is build upon Sedgwick, Mayshark and Carlson\u27s examinations and includes the analysis of the women and how I believe that the women that anchor the triangle(s) are actually the most powerful and influential characters in the films. The women in Anderson\u27s films and that I analyze are very intelligent, beautiful, strong, yet damaged individuals, that influence the men and themselves to come to a self-realization and acceptance of themselves and others. I found that in a Eurocentric society, critics and audiences alike are more comfortable perceiving women as less influential and capable than their male counterpart, while being more vulnerable and emotional, although women have made headway in even the last twenty years and actually the last four (Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, 2009).