The end of the wor(l)d as we know it? : language in postapocalyptic novels

In recent times, the idea of apocalypse has consumed the public consciousness. Naturally, this preoccupation with the end of the world has been a frequent subject for literary exploration. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake are two recent novels that are set in the aftermath of global destruction. In The Road, an unnamed cataclysmic event has left the world in ruins, while in Oryx and Crake, the human race has been nearly annihilated by a man-made pandemic. As a result of these apocalyptic events, the postapocalyptic landscapes of the novels have been radically changed and rendered unspeakable for many of the characters that have survived. These characters are equipped only with the signifiers of the old world, and these signifiers no longer hold meaning in the new, postapocalyptic world. Therefore, as a result of the cataclysmic events, the postapocalyptic worlds of The Road and Oryx and Crake become sites for linguistic transformation. Both novels feature protagonists, in the father and Snowman, who represent the pre-apocalyptic world. These characters struggle to find their place in the new world, since they are burdened by the signifiers of the old world. Ultimately, their existences prove anachronistic, as they are unable to fully define themselves in the new world. Both novels also feature characters, in the boy and the Crakers, who represent the postapocalyptic world. These characters are charged with determining the linguistic transformation that will take place in the postapocalyptic world. Both the boy and the Crakers employ a simple, pared-down language that stands in stark contrast to the language of the pre-apocalyptic world. As a result of the apocalyptic events in the novels, language has been restored to its essential elements. Ultimately, both The Road and Oryx and Crake affirm language as a redemptive and inextricable part of human existence. They also suggest, however, that if language is to exist after an apocalyptic event, it must be radically re-imagined

Designing and implementing a new model for functional behavior assessments incorporating positive behavioral supports at a Native American middle school

The 1997 and 2004 reauthorizations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have mandated the use of functional behavioral assessments and recommended the implementation of positive behavioral supports when developing behavior intervention plans for students exhibiting problem behaviors. However, functional behavioral assessments are traditionally based primarily on a behaviorist perspective, which overlooks the internal or cognitive processes operating within the student. The current study was conducted in order to design and implement a new model for conducting functional behavioral assessments based on a constructivist approach, which is derived from the ecological model of viewing student behavior and takes into account external as well as internal processes when assessing student behavior. In order to design behavior intervention plans incorporating positive behavioral supports, it is necessary to assess student behavior using a constructivist approach as well as a behaviorist approach. The study was conducted in a Native American Middle School in the South Eastern United States. The constructivist approach is more aligned with the cultural beliefs of the Native Americans than is the behaviorist approach

Optimization of a PS2.M-based catalytic beacon in preparation for use as a device to explore mRNA secondary structures

The DNA oligonucleotide PS2.M has been previously reported to have nanomolar affinity for hemin. The PS2.M-hemin complex then exhibits peroxidase activity. It was predicted that this sequence could be used in a catalytic beacon to facilitate the development of a laboratory tool that would be effective at determining potential siRNA target sites. The PS2.M-based beacon used for this study forms a stem-loop structure that opens upon hybridization with a single-stranded target sequence. Once open, the PS2.M part of the beacon can fold, locking hemin within a three level planer arrangement. Once hemin is in place, the structure is catalytically active and can catalyze the oxidization of the chromogenic substrate 2,2,’-azino-bis (3-ethylebenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Thus, binding of the beacon can be monitored with absorbance readings at 414 nm. Although molecular beacons with a stem-loop structure could potentially be used for this type of test, the cost would be prohibitively expensive for most labs. Molecular beacons cost over $300 a piece, and many of them would be needed to conduct an exploration for a suitable siRNA target site within an mRNA. In contrast, a PS2.M-based beacon would only cost approximately$12. In general, development and optimization of a PS2.M-based catalytic beacon could provide a more economical and improved means of establishing siRNA target site accessibility within an mRNA. It was concluded that K+ and Mg+ are required for folding of the PS2.M beacon. The substrate ABTS offered the highest absorbance values at a concentration of 3.2 mM. Also, H2O2 concentrations of 3.6 mM and an extension of the beacon stem by 10 nucleotides will result in reduced non-specific background absorbance activity

Hunter's Clarion, January/February 2000

Newsletter for Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N

Hunter's Clarion, Spring 2008

Newsletter for Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N

Hunter's Clarion, December 2014

Newsletter for Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N

Faculty Scholarship Celebration 2009

Program for Western Carolina University's annual Faculty Scholarship Celebration

Hunter's Clarion, April 2012

Newsletter for Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N

Hunter's Clarion, April 2013

Newsletter for Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N

Hunter's Clarion, January/February 2001

Newsletter for Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N