Some Results On Normal Homogeneous Ideals

In this article we investigate when a homogeneous ideal in a graded ring is normal, that is, when all positive powers of the ideal are integrally closed. We are particularly interested in homogeneous ideals in an N-graded ring generated by all homogeneous elements of degree at least m and monomial ideals in a polynomial ring over a field. For ideals of the first trype we generalize a recent result of S. Faridi. We prove that a monomial ideal in a polynomial ring in n indeterminates over a field is normal if and only if the first n-1 positive powers of the ideal are integrally closed. We then specialize to the case of ideals obtained by taking integral closures of m-primary ideals generated by powers of the variables. We obtain classes of normal monomial ideals and arithmetic critera for deciding when the monomial ideal is not normal.Comment: 19 page

Homelessness and adult education in the UK and Malta

In this piece, I aim to present a critical commentary on the relationship between adult education and homelessness in two different European contexts: the United Kingdom and Malta. As a developing adult educator from the UK, with experience of living in Malta, I am in a privileged position to be able to draw on knowledge and experience in both contexts to illuminate the topic in a comparative way. I position myself as a feminist adult educator who supports a capabilities or asset-based approach to development (see, for example bell hooks, 1994, Sen, 1999, Foot & Hopkins, 2010, and El Khayat, 2018). After several years working in community education with marginalized groups in the UK and Global South (South America and Southern Africa), I recently came to live in the small, southern Mediterranean island nation of Malta, where I undertook a student placement with a homelessness charity (January-June 2018). At the time of writing, there is limited data showing the scale and impact of homelessness in Malta so whilst focusing in particular on Malta and the UK, reference will also be made to research from other countries.peer-reviewe

Simul.

My work stems from a process-heavy and researched-based art practice. Many of the sculptures I create are biomorphic forms that invoke a sense of physicality and a body, while slipping in and out of renderings of natural and post-natural environmental landscapes. In this space of elusive identification, I aim to find merging points for the personal and political, as well as for feminism and environmentalism. My interest in the narrative histories, as well as emotional references of objects, drives my selection of materials. Often pulling from deposited trash, altered through natural processes as well as my own hand, I aim to cultivate a curiosity: in what we discard and how it becomes reclaimed or repurposed. Thus, I create an intersection between the synthetic and organic, while introducing a seam between image recognition and material abstraction. How a piece of plastic is turned over and excavated and then reburied until it almost embodies the image of moss

Application of Nitrate to an Anaerobic Subsurface Bioremediation

The highly contaminated subsurface matrix of the Baird and McGuire Superfund site is currently threatening the health and safety of the surrounding environment of Holbrook, MA. Contaminants of significant concern due to high concentration are inorganic arsenite and petroleum hydrocarbons, such as naphthalene. Parsons Corporation and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection have implemented a bioremediation pilot to attempt to degrade the hydrocarbons and arsenic with the application of nitrate. The nitrate would act as an electron acceptor for biodegradation of the hydrocarbon contaminants, produce nitrite that would oxidize reduced iron, and iron oxides would sequester arsenic. Preliminary data showed that nitrate was utilized quickly compared to lab rates and was not distributed to the entire contaminant plume. Additionally, arsenic that was sequestered began to be released into the aqueous phase again over time. The purpose of this study was to investigate nitrate utilizing metabolisms to determine how nitrate is being used by the microorganisms in the subsurface as well as determine what treatments create iron minerals that are capable of long-term arsenic sequestration. It was found that the addition of a labile carbon/electron source such as lactate can facilitate rapid denitrification and when the only source of carbon/electrons are the hydrocarbon contaminants, many metabolisms take place. The iron oxide mineral goethite is primarily produced under nitrate reducing conditions with an added carbon/electron source and is capable of arsenic sequestration. When an abundance of iron is present under nitrate reducing conditions, arsenic will be sequestered and will not be released over a six-month period --Abstract, p. i

An exploration of shifts in visual fixation prior to the execution of baseball batting: Evidence for oculomotor warm up, attentional processes or pre-performance routines?

The visual performance of athletes should be considered high on the list of variables fundamental to elite sport performance. One particular aspect of visual performance that has gained dominance over the last 25 years is the quiet eye. Quiet eye is the final visual fixation of long, steady duration prior to the execution of a motor skill. However, as the concept of quiet eye has achieved dominance in the field of motor control, we know increasingly less about the visual behavior that precedes the onset of it. This is especially true for externally-paced interceptive tasks such as baseball hitting. The present study collected data on the visual scene using mobile eye trackers, as experienced by 58 professional baseball players during batting practice. The results suggest that athletes exhibit multiple dynamic shifts in visual fixation prior to the onset of quiet eye and the pitcher's action. Furthermore, cluster analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between the number of shifts in visual fixations and batting average, indicating that this visual skill may contribute to more efficient interception of the ball. The purpose of these dynamic shifts in visual fixation are proposed, alongside a call for further research to develop a deeper understanding of this pre-task visual behavior and its role in sport performance

Reproductive isolation in smooth and palmate newts (Triturus vulgaris vulgaris and T. helveticus helveticus)

This thesis reports a study of reproductive isolation between two closely related sympatric British species of amphibian, the Smooth newt, Triturus vulgaris vulgaris and the Palmate newt, T, helveticus helveticus. Investigation shows that reproductive isolation is not attributable to differences in habitat, the timing of courtship or the failure of spermatophores to adhere to the cloaca of a heterospecific female and it is demonstrated that a proportion of FI hybrid larvae are capable of survival beyond metamorphosis; by elimination, the lack of naturally occurring hybrids is primarily a consequence of sexual isolation. Techniques for distinguishing both purebred and hybrid larvae and adult newts of both sexes and species based on differences in their external morphology are evaluated. The most suitable distinguishing characters (on which visual discrimination in newts may be based) are described. The variation in the courtship behaviour of T. h. helveticus is described in detail and compared to that of T. v, vulgaris. The similarity in form and transition of male acts suggests that qualitative differences in display and order of acts are not the primary source of information on which female discrimination is based. Quantitative differences in the proportion of acts performed probably serve to emphasise species-specific cues which play a direct role in sexual isolation. À causal analysis is carried out on a relatively recently recognised I. h. helveticus display act, the wiggle. Evidence is presented that the function of this act is to re- attract a female that is becoming unreceptive and it does not appear to contribute to reproductive isolation. Interspecific mating trials show that female J. h. helveticus are less receptive to heterospecific courtship than conspecific courtship. Male T. V. vulgaris display less vigorously to heterospecific females manipulated by means of a harness to perform positive behaviour than to conspecific females. It is demonstrated that male T. h. helveticus show selectivity towards conspecific females over heterospecific females on the basis of both visual and olfactory cues alone, whereas in male T. v. vulgaris and female T. v, vulgaris, the same preference is only observed on the basis of olfaction. When presented with an artificial fanning tail mimic, females of both species preferred the faster (T. h. helveticus) fan speed. It is suggested that sexual isolation is the consequence of a dual system in which males fail to recognise, or are less receptive to the olfactory and/or visual cues produced by heterospecific females and consequently do not initiate courtship with them. Where interspecific courtship does occur, the stimulation produced by the male is inadequate to raise the receptivity of the female at a high enough rate for the encounter to progress to spermatophore transfer

An Evaluation of the Sustainability of the Palm Oil Industry

The goal of this thesis is to critically analyze the sustainability of the rapidly growing palm oil industry in order to diagnose whether the benefits of production outweigh the varied costs incurred by stakeholders, how the industry can be improved, and what analytical tools consumers can use to make better purchasing decisions. The body of the thesis begins with a discussion on sustainability definitions and determines that for this paper, sustainability will be defined as analyzing the socioeconomic and environmental effects of palm oil and how they affect different actors of the value chain in order to allow for prescriptions of improvement. The next section identifies the main stakeholders of the industry as larger plantations/companies, smallholder farmers, the communities in producing countries, governments, certifying boards, and consumers. It is determined that although there are uneven power shares among the value chain, the actors are all influenced by the decisions and pressures of the others. Next, preexisting literature including case studies and scientific studies are analyzed in order to explain both the positive and negative socioeconomic and environmental effects that palm oil has. It is determined that the harms discussed are not unique to palm oil and are often less detrimental than that of alternative industries. Therefore, external and internal stakeholders need to work together to influence positive change versus denouncing the industry altogether. I suggest that the focus should be on encouraging more sustainability certification and regulation, supporting smallholders with education and resources, and demanding more accountability from the industry. To conclude, I discuss how this research and analysis can be applied to better understand complex industries and sustainability labels to make informed consumer and activist decisions

Charting the unknown: examining the prevalence and correlates of seconday traumatic stress in Kentucky probation and parole officers.

The purpose of this dissertation was to discern the prevalence and magnitude of both exposure to traumatic events and Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS); as well as potential correlates of STS in a group of Probation and Parole officers in the state of Kentucky Department of Corrections (KY DOC). Participants (N=302) completed a written survey which asked them to indicate demographic variables (age, gender, and ethnicity), as well as several important occupational variables, namely years of experience in the KY DOC, caseload volume, prison work experience, and whether or not they are responsible for a sexual offender caseload. Participants were also asked a series of questions related to violent and traumatic events they may have experienced in the workplace; information regarding frequency and recency of these events was collected. Further, participants were asked to complete Bride et al. (2004) Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS). Results of this study indicted 46.1% of the sample is at risk for Secondary Traumatic Stress Disorder (STSD). Participants were exposed to a variety of traumatic events in the workplace, results indicate exposure to indirect trauma was higher than exposure to direct trauma in this group. Analysis indicated that younger staff experienced higher rates of symptomology. Exposure to trauma, whether it was direct or indirect, significantly increased STS symptomology. However, when both direct and indirect traumas were included in regression models together, indirect trauma became insignificant. Implications of this study, as well as directions for future research, are discussed

The Challenges of Bilingual Speech-Language Therapy: Perspectives from Speech-Language Pathologists

In the United States, the increasing population of people who speak a language other than English, especially the Spanish-speaking population, has resulted in a greater number of linguistically diverse clients appearing on speech-language pathologists’ (SLPs’) caseloads and has also effectively increased the demand for bilingual SLPs. However, bilingual SLPs continually report a number of challenges in the field, which could explain why recruiting bilingual SLPs is difficult. This study highlighted the importance of assessing the challenges faced by bilingual SLPs through an analysis of the perspectives of four Spanish-English speaking bilingual clinicians in Central New York. The challenges the participants in the study reported varied from educational obstacles to linguistic and cultural obstacles to obstacles in performing effective diagnosis and treatment. All of the challenges reported by the participants were paralleled in the literature and research. By looking at the issues facing the specialty of bilingual speech-language pathology through the personal perspectives of the participants, possible solutions were suggested to address these issues