Dis-lodging literature from English: Challenging linguistic hegemonies

This paper problematises the location of literature "teaching" within the English (L1) curriculum, as is the case in New Zealand and other settings. It defamiliarises this arrangement by drawing attention to official New Zealand policies of biculturalism and to the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity in many New Zealand classrooms. It identifies a number of social justice issues arising from the current arrangement, and also raises issues in respect of educational policy and ways in which canonical subjects become constructed in practice. It then discusses ways in which a new qualifications template developed at the University of Waikato might provide a vehicle for establishing a new arrangement, in terms of which literature study is dislodged from English and reshaped as a course of study entitled Literature in Society. It indicates ways in which Comparative Literature, as a predominantly university-constituted discipline, might contribute to the theorisation of this new arrangement

\u3ci\u3eAgonopterix Alstroemeriana\u3c/i\u3e (Oecophoridae) and Other Lepidopteran Associates of Poison Hemlock \u3ci\u3e(Conium Maculatum)\u3c/i\u3e in East Central Illinois

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) (Apiaceae), a noxious Eurasian weed extensively naturalized throughout North America, is characteristically attacked by few insects. Over the past two decades, an introduced oecophorid caterpillar, Agonopterix alstroemeriana, has been reported infesting poison hemlock, its sole host in its area of indigeneity, in parts of the northeastern and western United States. We report for the first time evidence of established midwestern populations of this species. We also report poison hemlock as a host plant for the polyphagous lepidopterans Eupithecia miserulata, Trichoplusia ni, and Spilosoma virginica

Groundwater salinisation on atoll islands after storm-surge flooding: Modelling the influence of central topographic depressions

© 2015 CIWEM. Fresh groundwater lenses (FGLs) are of utmost importance for human survival on small and isolated atolls. This article examines saline damage to atoll FGLs from wave washover caused by storm surge and studies the particular influence of central topographic depressions (CTDs). We model storm surge over atoll islets of contrasting widths (400 and 800m), both with and without CTDs of various sizes. Three key findings emerge. First, under equilibrium undisturbed conditions, the CTD slightly reduces the size of the FGL compared to atoll islets without this feature. Second, during marine flooding, prior saturated conditions at the base of a CTD impede seawater infiltration into the substrate, thereby limiting saline damage in that location. Third and most crucial, however, the amount of salt accumulated within the CTD is significant, ranging from 2 to 10 times higher than the net subsurface infiltration during the period of the storm inundation

Synthesis and evaluation of inhibitors of cell wall biosynthesis in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The emergence of drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis has led to a demand for the development of new antibiotics. One new target is the cell wall biosynthesis enzyme UDP-Galp mutase (UGM), which aids the formation of the bacteria’s characteristic mycolic acid cell wall. LQ10 and LQ6 were discovered through a library screen. The synthesis of LQ10 was achieved along with 4 analogues. Another class of compounds, 2-aminothiazoles, were produced. Thirteen of these compounds were produced and along with the LQ10 analogues, initially gave encouraging results in silico. To test their biological activity, a fluorescent probe was synthesised for use in a high-throughput fluorescence polarization (FP) assay against UDP-Galp Mutase which was expressed from E. coli. The compounds were screened using the fluorescence polarisation assay initially at a concentration of 50 µM, 9 of which demonstrated >70 % inhibition of UGM. Two of which had inhibition greater than 90 %. These preliminary results suggest that some of these compounds are, and can be developed into potent UGM inhibitors. However, it should be noted that these are only single-point results due to limitations in the quantity of UGM available, and that these will need be repeated in triplicate to determine any errors and give more reliable values

Self vs. Parent: Factors Influencing Likelihood of Hiring a Healthcare Advocate

Objective: To determine how the factors that may lead an individual to hire a healthcare advocate to aid him/herself in navigating the healthcare system when dealing with chronic or complex health issues differ from the factors that are considered when deciding to hire a healthcare advocate for one’s parent.Methods: 1,740 randomly selected participants completed a brief vignette-based questionnaire that indicated their likelihood of hiring an HCA for oneself or a parent. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to test the effects of predisposing, enabling, and illness factors on the predicted likelihood.Results: Although neither model fit well statistically, both fit well descriptively. The direct path from predisposing to enabling factors and the indirect path from predisposing factors to illness level were significant in both models. Discussion: Understanding the factors that influence the decision to hire an HCA could help health providers target patients who are most likely to use HCA services, thereby reducing the burden on the healthcare system and improving quality of care

An MPA-IO interface to HPSS

This paper describes an implementation of the proposed MPI-IO (Message Passing Interface - Input/Output) standard for parallel I/O. Our system uses third-party transfer to move data over an external network between the processors where it is used and the I/O devices where it resides. Data travels directly from source to destination, without the need for shuffling it among processors or funneling it through a central node. Our distributed server model lets multiple compute nodes share the burden of coordinating data transfers. The system is built on the High Performance Storage System (HPSS), and a prototype version runs on a Meiko CS-2 parallel computer

Effects of Age, Mental Health, and Comorbidity on the Perceived Likelihood of Hiring a Healthcare Advocate

Background and Purpose: The projected increase in chronically ill older adults may overburden the healthcare system and compromise the receipt of quality and coordinated health care services. Healthcare advocates (HCAs) may help to alleviate the burden associated with seeking and receiving appropriate health care. We examined whether having dementia or depression, along with hypertension and arthritis, or having no comorbid medical conditions, and being an older adult, affected the perceived likelihood of hiring an HCA to navigate the health care system. Method: Participants (N = 1,134), age 18 or older, read a vignette and imagined themselves as an older adult with either a mood or cognitive disorder, and comorbid medical conditions or as otherwise being physically healthy. They were then asked to complete a questionnaire assessing their perceived likelihood of hiring an HCA. Results: Participants who imagined themselves as having dementia reported a greater likelihood of hiring an HCA than participants who imagined themselves as having depression (p < .001). Conclusion: It is imperative that health care professionals attend to the growing and ongoing needs of older adults living with chronic conditions, and HCAs could play an important role in meeting those needs

What Is the Professional Identity of Allied Health Managers?

Objective: This paper explores the professional identity (PI) of Allied Health Managers (AHMs) and how their identity is typically constructed. Methods: A qualitative research methodology utilising semi-structured interviews was employed for this research. Thematic analysis was used to extract relevant data from the transcripts. Settings: The study was undertaken in five acute hospitals within one of the largest metropolitan Local Health Districts in New South Wales, Australia. A total of sixteen AHMs and deputy AHMs were interviewed. Results: Three key themes identified were: PI of AHM, motivation of becoming a manager, and construction of their identity. Factors motivating AHMs to follow a management pathway were identified as being a natural progression and having interest in high-level decision-making. Despite AHMs sharing similar role conflict as the medical managers, they adapted to hybrid manager roles with minimal resentment. They also adopted to the hybrid manager role with a positive, realistic and flexible perspective. Conclusion: Despite facing role conflict as a hybrid-professional-manager, AHMs manage the transition from clinicians to managers with a positive approach. This indicates that AHMs may require certain skills or characteristics to successfully construct their PI