Rupturing The Plane: Signifying(G) at the Junctures in Ishmael Reed\u27s Mumbo Jumbo

Most readings of Ishmael Reed’s Mumbo Jumbo come from a perspective that Reed establishes a series of binaries to be dissected. Many of these critics use Jacques Derrida’s theory of deconstruction because they assert that Reed is simply reversing the roles of the marginalized African and the centralized white man. These implications cover most of the major points in Reed’s work: the West vs. the East, Christianity vs. Hoodoo, white vs. black, etc. However, this type of reading is inadequate because it is too limiting. Reed goes beyond the binaries and beyond the Western assumption of one or the other. He creates a kind of hybrid notion, suggesting the text contains more of a crossroads motif than a simple inversion of dominance and oppression. Using Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism as a theoretical framework, I examine the protagonist, PaPa LaBas, as well as the text Mumbo Jumbo itself because they represent the points at which Reed’s notions of hybridity are most prominent. Cynthia Hamilton writes that which most closely summarizes my concept: “The ‘X’ of the crossing roadbeds signals the multidirectionality of the juncture and is simply a single instance in a boundless network that redoubles and circles . . . and branches over the vastness of hundreds of thousands of American miles” (237). The sense of redoubling and circling aligns with Gates’s theory of “Signifying(g),” and the process enables readers to go beyond the binaries to discover the complex nature of Reed’s work

Re-os isotope constraints on the age of the Lithospheric mantle beneath western Greenland.

Alkaline magmatic activity across Western Greenland (W.G.) provides a record of lithosphere evolution over the last 600 Ma. Ultra Mafic Lamprophyre (UML) magmatism in particular has erupted an exceptional inventory of mantle xenoliths allowing a detailed look at the lithospheric root beneath both the exposed craton and the re-worked Archean terrane (RAT) of the Kangerlussuaq region, S.W Greenland. Samples from within the re-worked Archean terrane more commonly have diopside plus garnet, i.e. they are more lherzolitic whereas highly depleted harzburgites and dunitic lithologies are prevalent amongst xenoliths erupted through the undisturbed Archean craton. W. Greenland peridotite xenoliths show a large range in bulk composition. The peridotites are MgO - rich (44-51 wt%), with most samples overlapping the range for cratonic peridotites and being generally more MgO-rich than non-cratonic or massif peridotites. In contrast SiO(_2) contents are relatively low (36-43 wt%), being at the lower end of the range for both cratonic and non-cratonic/massif peridotites, indicating that the W.G. mantle has not experienced significant SiO(_2) enrichment. The low SiO(_2) of most residual, minimally metasomatised harzburgites indicate particularly othopyroxene poor protoliths. This contributes to growing evidence that the Kaapvaal cratonic lithosphere is the exception rather than the rule in terms of craton lithosphere bulk compositions and evolution. A selection of dunitic, harzburgitic and lherzolitic lithologies have been analysed for Re-Os isotopes and PGE abundances. Os ranges from 0.86 to 5.02 ppb, scattering around the typical average for cratonic residues. Re contents range from 0.009 to 0.290 ppb, and are all less than primitive mantle. However, in extended PGE patterns Re can be seen to be anomalously high in numerous samples and has obviously experienced secondary enrichment, possibly by UML infiltration. Pt and particularly Pd demonstrate their incompatible behaviour during high degrees of melting, with Pt as low as 0.035 and Pd depleted to 0.007 ppb, comparable to highly depleted residues from other cratons (Pearson et al, 2004). The effects of metasomatism are also seen on Pd in some samples but this element is less disturbed than Re and, for some samples, (Pd/Ir) n correlates well with indices of melt depletion such as AI(_2)O(_3) consistent with high degrees of melting. Some disturbance relates to metasomatic introduction of clinopyroxene in certain rocks. Re-depletion ages for the most residual W.G. peridotites, corrected to the 600 My eruption age for the host UML, range from 1.8 to 3.0 Ga, with Archean depletion ages clearly evident in the lithosphere beneath the RAT of the Nagssugtoqidian. Archean (>2.5 Ga) ages are found in even the deepest derived (> 200 km) samples indicating that the basal lithosphere is of this age. The ages for W.G. peridotites together with pressure and temperature investigations by Sand (2007) indicate clearly that an Archean keel existed beneath the region that extended well into the diamond stability field at 600 Ma, both on the recognised craton and beneath the region of re-worked Archean crust suggesting that further exploration in this area can be targeted right across the region where UML's occur. The validity of these findings is emphasised by the recent new finds of macro-diamonds in the Kangerlussuaq region (Hudson Resources Website)

Green Building: Public Opinion, Semantics, And Heuristic Processing

Research on public support for green building has, to date, been incomplete. Understanding the demographics of individuals that support green building has remained secondary to merely determining real opinions on the topic. The identity of supporters and the motivation behind their support is the focus of this research. Specifically, is support for green building dependent on the way in which the issue is framed? This research aims to focus on those that are spreading the message about green building, industry experts, and the mass public. By exposing how green building experts talk about the issue, we may begin to understand why public support for green building has yet to reach the kind of mainstream acceptance other planning and design techniques have,such as New Urbanism. I predict that green building experts perceived low levels of public awareness, with the exception of those within the Northwest region, which I believ will perceive higher levels of awareness. In addition, I assume that industry experts will be most focused on energy efficiency as a primary concept of green building. As for the public, I hypothesize that those aware of green building and individuals age 50 and older will be more likely to support green building. With the introduction of source cues, I expect that support for green building will decrease when respondents received either an environmentalism cue or a government program cue. Using survey instruments, I was able to determine that all green building experts perceive public awareness as low and do, in fact, focus their efforts on energy efficiency. With regards to the public, support was highest among those that are aware, as well as those age 50 and older. In addition, insertion of source cues decreased support for green building, with the government program source cue providing the lowest levels of support for green building

Mechanisms of Resistance to Ionizing Radiation in Extremophiles

Extremophiles display an astonishing array of adaptations to harsh environmental conditions. We analyzed the mechanisms of ionizing radiation resistance from a diverse group of extremophilic archaea and bacteria. In Halobacterium salinarum IR resistance is conferred by antioxidant Mn2+-complexes, and protein-free cell extracts (ultrafiltrates, UFs) of super-resistant (IR+) isolates of H. salinarum had increased concentrations of Mn, PO4 and amino acids compared to the founder strain. Proteomic analysis determined that IR+ isolates with increased Mn had elevated protein expression for central carbon metabolism, suggesting a Mn-stimulated metabolic route to increased IR resistance. We examined the role of mannosylglycerate, di-myo-inositol phosphate, and trehalose in the IR resistance of various thermophiles; aerobic thermophiles had UFs which were radioprotective of enzyme activity under aerobic conditions, which is attributed to Mn, PO4 and trehalose accumulation. In contrast, anaerobic thermophile UFs did not contain significant amounts of Mn, and were radioprotective only under anaerobic conditions; we conclude the anaerobic environment confers their IR resistance

Analysis of Osteoarthritis on Appendicular Joint Surfaces in Known Age and Sex Samples from the Terry and Spitalfields Collections

Arthritis is one of the most common manifestations of aging and is the single largest cause of disability in the UK, US, Australia, and Canada among people age 30 years and older. Osteoarthritis of appendicular joint surfaces exhibits alterations of bony tissue in and around the joint surface. The degree to which osteoarthritis of articular surfaces occurs as a function of age and sex can be resolved with cemetery populations of known individuals, such as the Terry (19-20th century) and Spitalfields (17-18th century) collections upon which I report (n = 322; 162 males and 160 females). Using the five point scoring system 0-4 of lipping from the Chicago Standards Guide I ask whether (1) age has an influence on the accumulation of OA; (2) sex differences are present in patterns of OA; and (3) population origin is responsible for explaining intensity of OA

Understanding The Lived Experiences Of Parenting Adult Learners Regarding Persistence In Two-Year Community Colleges

This qualitative phenomenological study examined the results of semi-structured interviews conducted with six parenting adult learners (ParentALs) enrolled in three public two-year community colleges in the United States. This study investigated the problem of a lack of understanding of the experiences of ParentALs enrolled in community colleges. The purpose of this study was to examine how the lived experiences of ParentALs enrolled in community colleges may influence their persistence. Three themes emerged from the literature review and data analysis: the identity of the ParentAL, characteristics and intersectionality of factors, experiences, and perceptions that may influence ParentAL persistence in community college, and practices that support ParentAL persistence. This study affirmed that entry characteristics, student motivations, the external environment, internal campus and academic factors, and student sense of belonging influence ParentALs college experience as supported by the theory of adult learner persistence (Bergman et al., 2014; & Bergman and Olson, 2020) and the Terenzini and Reason framework (Reason, 2009). This study asserted that community college leaders must recognize that ParentALs experience college differently than traditional students. ParentALs lived college experiences are connected to their work, family, and life responsibilities. Recommendations include: increasing data and understanding, reducing barriers, evaluating institutional culture and recruitment, attendance, grading, and other practices that may place ParentALs at a disadvantage, and professional development which informs practice. This study confirmed a need to further study the experiences of ParentALs enrolled in four-year universities and graduate programs as well as the experiences and interactions shared between parenting faculty and ParentALs. Keywords: community college, student parent, parenting adult learner, persistence, 2Ge

Improving access to psychological therapies : a review of the progress made by sites in the first rollout year

Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) is a programme designed to make psychological therapies for common mental health problems widely available. Following pilot work in Doncaster and Newham, the first wave of roll‐out sites started operation in 2008. We report a study of their work in the year from October 2008 to September 2009. Allowing for varying start times, this was roughly their first full year of operation

The rise and fall of the Labour League of Youth

This thesis charts the rise and fall of the Labour Party’s first and most enduring youth organisation, the Labour League of Youth. The history of the League, from its birth in the early nineteen twenties to its demise in the late nineteen fifties, is placed in the context of the Labour Party’s subsequent fruitless attempts to establish and maintain a vibrant and functional youth organisation. A narrative is incorporated that illuminates the culture, organisation and political activism of the League and establishes it as a predominantly working class radical organisation. The reluctance on the part of the Labour Party to grant autonomy to its youth sections resulted in the history of the League of Youth being one of control, suppression and tension. This state of affairs ensured that subsequent youth groups, the Young Socialists and Young Labour, would be established in an atmosphere of reservation and scepticism. The thesis places the prime responsibility for the failure of the party’s youth organisations with the party leadership but also considers the contributory factors of changing social and political circumstances. A number of themes are explored which include the impact of structure and agency factors, the power of the Parliamentary Labour Party, the political socialisation of leading figures within the party, the social context in which each of the groups emerged and the extent to which the youth groups were prey to intra-party factionalism. The thesis redresses the balance of research where most accounts have focussed on the Young Socialists and traces the common characteristics that are prevalent in the way the party leadership has approached its relationship with its youth organisations. Use has been made of previously unpublished primary source material, the major source being the League of Youth members themselves whose recollections have helped to demonstrate the arguments put forward in this thesis.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Knowledge of Teacher Self-Efficacy: Designing Professional Learning Opportunities to Reduce the Discipline Gap for African American Students with Disabilities

The researcher used a socio-cultural framework to investigate the impact of teachers’ actions and beliefs on the risk of suspension for African American students who are eligible for special education services. A review of literature established that African American students and those with disabilities are more than twice as likely as their White, non-disabled peers to be suspended following matriculation to middle school. The literature further establishes that the issue of disproportionate school discipline is complex. Through analysis of extant demographic and suspension data from a large suburban school district, the researcher confirmed that challenges associated with disproportionate disciplinary outcomes for African American students with disabilities were a significant issue in the local context. The researcher sought to determine the levels of teacher self-efficacy in classroom disciplinary practices within the district's middle schools. Using a qualitative methodology, the researcher first administered a survey and interviewed a core group of informants, five professionals with extensive experience in planning professional development opportunities for teachers within the school district. She then compiled results of a survey on self-efficacy administered to 48 middle school teachers. This was followed by a second interview of the professional development planners, during which the results of the survey were presented. The goal of this interview was to determine the ways in which knowledge of the results of the teacher self-efficacy survey data supported planners of professional learning in examining the priorities of the school district in the development of culturally responsive and equitable disciplinary practices. Results indicated that, although planners see a need to expand the content for professional learning, there was a greater need to support consideration of the context in which professional learning is conducted. Implications are provided for continued investigation into the impact of teachers’ self-efficacy in implementing behavior supports, as required by the disciplinary provisions in the re-authorizations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Training and practice implications for school districts that seek to close the discipline gap through professional learning opportunities (PLO) are also provided

Differential activation of dendritic cell subsets by Schistosoma mansoni

Dendritic cells (DCs) play an essential role in bridging the innate and adaptive immune system, activating T cell responses against invading pathogens. It has been shown definitively that DCs fulfil the vital role of activating Th2 responses in the liver and spleen during infection with the parasitic helminth Schistosoma mansoni. However, DCs are an incredibly heterogeneous cell type, with diverse subsets displaying different phenotypes and functions in specific tissues in the body. Moreover, relatively little is known about how DCs become activated and stimulate T cells in response to Th2-associated parasitic helminths. This thesis addresses how distinct DC subsets function in response to schistosomes, both in vitro and in vivo. The primary DC differentiation factor, Flt3-L, generates DC subsets in vitro that are analogous to the subsets resident in the lymphoid organs in the steady-state: CD24+ conventional DCs (cDCs, CD8α+ equivalents), CD11b+ cDCs and plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs). These different DC subsets displayed distinct responses to the strongly Th2- polarising soluble egg antigens (SEA) from S. mansoni. pDCs are unlikely to play a role in priming the Th2 response against SEA, although pDCs upregulated surface expression of MHC II and co-stimulatory molecules, these markers were expressed only at very low-levels, and pDCs failed to migrate to the draining lymph node (dLN) following adoptive transfer. In contrast, cDCs migrated efficiently to the T cell zone of the dLN. CD11b+ and CD24+ cDCs also significantly upregulated expression of the surface markers associated with T cell priming in response to SEA, however, this was a muted surface phenotype when compared to the classical activation elicited by a bacterial stimulus. The DC subsets produced very little cytokine in response to SEA stimulation, with the exception of Type I Interferons (IFN-I), which were uniquely secreted by CD24+ cDCs. The Toll-like receptor (TLR) adaptor proteins, TRIF and MyD88, were revealed to have contrasting roles in the control of SEA-specific IFN-I production. TRIF was essential for this response, whilst MyD88 acted as a negative regulator. TLRs are not the only receptors involved in this response however, as the C-type lectin CD205 was also required for optimal IFN-I production by SEA-stimulated cells. IFN-I proved critical to the ability of Flt3L-generated cDCs (FL-cDCs) to polarise responses following adoptive transfer, as IFN-I receptor-deficient (Ifnar1-/-) cells failed to prime an SEA-specific Th2 response in the dLN. Ifnar1-/- cells were almost completely unresponsive to SEA stimulation, failing to upregulate co-stimulatory molecules on their surface or to produce IFN-I. However Ifnar1-/- FL-cDCs displayed no deficiency in their ability to initiate T cell proliferation or IL-4-dependent Th2 polarisation in vitro. As T cell priming was abrogated in vivo only, this suggests that optimal cDC migration may be abrogated in the absence of the IFN-I receptor, although this is yet to be demonstrated definitively. The importance of IFN-I responsiveness for optimal Th2 induction during helminth infection was also assessed. Th2 responses were normal in the liver of S. mansoni Ifnar1-/- mice; however, IL-4 and IL-13 levels in the mesenteric LN (MLN) were drastically reduced. It was found that Th2 induction in the MLN was also ablated in mice infected with the gastrointestinal helminth Heligomosoides polygyrus. This suggests that there is a selective dependency on IFN-I for the activation of Th2 responses in lymphoid organs. The small intestine and the MLN provided an ideal site for further investigation of the development of the schistosome-specific immune response in peipheral tissues versus the draining lymph nodes, as this site is directly affected by parasite egg traffic during S. mansoni infection. The intestine is a unique immune environment – with a propensity towards regulation and tolerance, and a large population of innate effectors. Intestinal DCs depend on Flt3-L for their generation; however, the importance of DCs resident in the intestinal lamina propria (LP) for the initiation of Th2 inflammation in response to helminths is not yet known. Characterisation of LP DCs indicated that the activation of these cells is modulated during acute S. mansoni infection, whilst a novel model of schistosome egg deposition in the intestinal tissue illustrated that CD11c+ cells are essential for induction of the egg-specific Th2 response in both the LP and MLN following egg challenge. These data demonstrate the importance of IFN-I signalling for the development of helminth-specific immune responses, highlighting for the first time a role for this pluripotent innate effector in Th2 induction. Development of an egg challenge model in the intestine also provides an ideal setting with which to further explore the importance of IFN-I for Th2 polarisation in peripheral tissues and lymphoid organs