Middle Passage to Freedom: Black Atlantic Consciousness in Charles Johnson\u27s Middle Passage and S. I. Martin\u27s Incomparable World

Charles Johnson\u27s novel, Middle Passage, and S.I. Martin\u27s novel, Incomparable World, illustrate through mobile, culturally hybrid protagonists Paul Gilroy\u27s notion of Black Atlantic consciousness, which is based on cultural hybridity and physical mobility across the Atlantic between Europe and Africa, America and the Caribbean. I argue that both novels blur the line between freedom and slavery, between oppressed and oppressor, and disrupt the links between blackness and slavery, between mobility and freedom. In both novels the diasporic Black Atlantic experiences privilege masculinity, since neither novel includes black women who can experience the mobility that the male protagonists do

Improvements in management of corn rootworms (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

Northern corn rootworms, Diabrotica barberi Smith and Lawrence, and western corn rootworms, D. virgifera virgifera LeConte, are perennial insect pests of corn, Zea mays L., grown in the same field for successive years. The primary control tactics used against corn rootworms in Iowa are soil insecticides and crop rotation. However, in some regions of the Corn Belt, over-reliance on both tactics has resulted in control failures, indicating that alternative strategies need to be incorporated for sustainable management of these pests. The first objective was to determine if row spacing and plant population of corn influenced corn rootworm survival, larval injury, and plant tolerance to the injury. Although beetle survival was greater in 38-cm compared to 76-cm rows, the increase did not translate into greater root injury. There were no differences in tolerance to corn rootworm injury between row spacings. However, tolerance was suppressed at the high plant population. Growers who reduce row spacing from 76 cm to 38 cm to maximize grain yield should not increase the potential for corn rootworm injury. The second objective was to develop and validate models that accurately predicted adult corn rootworm emergence in Iowa. The models predicted adult emergence from the first day a beetle emerged in a field (biofix). Degree-days post-biofix explained 85% of the variability in total corn rootworm emergence over five years, and the model explained 89% of the variability in emergence observed in the validation year. The PheroconRTM CRW Trap (Trece, Inc. Salinas, CA 93907) was highly efficient at determining the biofix. The third objective was to use female ovarian development to determine if scouting could be made more efficient. Based on emergence, population estimates taken on plants, and ovarian development, the period between 120 and 400 degree-days post-biofix was the optimum time for scouting corn rootworm adults in Iowa. This represents approximately one third of the total time beetles could be present in the field. Scouting should be more efficient because grower can focus on a key period, rather than over the entire growing season

Reading and Writing Reciprocity: The Teacher’s Answer to Fostering Accelerated Learning for Striving Students in Small Group Reading Intervention

Wieseler Nowatzki, L. (2020). Writing: The striving student’s answer to accelerated learning in small group reading intervention. Reading and writing are reciprocal processes critical to core instruction. Oftentimes students who need additional support outside of the regular classroom receive reading services in small groups facilitated by experts, such as interventionists or specialists. Too often the link between reading and writing is broken or lost and the emphasis is placed solely on reading. Due to the disconnect of the two core practices not being taught together, much learning is lost. Influential names in the literacy world such as Fountas and Pinnell (1996, 2001, 2009, 2013, 2017a, 2017b, Clay (1975, 1991a, 1991b, 2001, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016), Richardson and Lewis (2018), Allington (2013), and Serravallo (2015, 2017) (to name a few) help define and model what effective reading intervention should entail to foster acceleration for students who are struggling in reading and writing. Research has shown that accelerated reading is possible through one-to-one instruction in Reading Recovery. Through the years as a reading interventionist, I have had the desire to search for an efficient structure for small group reading interventions that effectively weaves reading and writing together to promote acceleration in literacy. Reading and writing are closely related as they are both problem-solving activities. Reading is about receiving a message and writing is about message sending, therefore learning to read contributes to learning to write, and vice versa (Clay, 2001). The Capstone project was my desire to learn how to implement a reading intervention to accelerate striving students’ ability to read. The capstone informed my question: within the structure of small group interventions, how can integrating Reading Recovery’s writing/cut-up sentence component foster accelerated learning for striving students? To acquire the desired results, I have created a resource that marries the writing/cut-up sentence component of Reading Recovery to the lesson structure of small group intervention. The creation and implementation of this resource for teachers of literacy will provide the most effective small group intervention instruction, which will foster accelerated learning for our striving students

Character Education: Efficacy of Character Development Initiatives in High School Settings

An outcome study of a character education program (CEP) was conducted in a high school setting, in order to illustrate efficacy of high school character development initiatives. This study measured character education performance outcomes by comparing the survey results and record reviews of high school students before and after the implementation of a CEP. Over 300 students in grades 9-12 completed the presurvey, and over 300 participants completed the follow-up character education profile. Follow-up participants have taken part in a CEP for two years, prior to completion of the School as a Caring Community Profile. Performance outcomes were measured based on three factors. These three factors included teachers show respect to parents and students (factor 1), students helping students (factor 2), and students respecting students (factor 3). No mean differences in school climate factors from 2002 to 2004 were noted; however, a slight change in anticipated mean direction for students helping students (factor 2) was indicated. A correlation analysis between character education factors and school performance resulted in significantly positive results correlating the CEP to increases in all measured academic areas. In addition, factor 1 - Teachers showing respect to parents and students was negatively correlated with school absenteeism. A multiple regression analysis of three predictor variables serving as predictors accounted for 13% of the total variance. These factors were discipline, factor 1 - Teachers show respect to parents and students , and absences. Further research limitations and indications are also discussed

Constraint Centric Scheduling Guide

The advent of architectures with software-exposed resources (Spatial Architectures) has created a demand for universally applicable scheduling techniques. This paper describes our generalized spatial scheduling framework, formulated with Integer Linear Programming, and specifically accomplishes two goals. First, using the ?Simple? architecture, it illustrates how to use our open-source tool to create a customized scheduler and covers problem formulation with ILP and GAMS. Second, it summarizes results on the application to three real architectures (TRIPS,DySER,PLUG), demonstrating the technique?s practicality and competitiveness with existing schedulers

Geotechnical Investigation into Causes of Failure of a Gabion Retaining Wall

This paper describes the post-failure analysis of a 26m long x 4m high gabion retaining wall located in a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. The wall had been built just beyond the toe of a natural slope with most of the gabion units resting on the bed of a small river. The river bed soils consisted of approximately 2.5 m of soft, dark-grey, silty clay underlain by massive granite bedrock. The water table at the toe of the wall was within 0.1 m of the river bed surface. Failure of the wall occurred over the weekend after backfilling to grade behind the wall had been completed. Stability analyses were conducted using both total (undrained) and effective (drained) shear strength parameters for the clay. The results of the analyses showed that the wall should be stable with FS = 1.2 for effective stress parameters and that the wall should be unstable with FS = 1.0 for undrained strength parameters. The details of the testing program and the selection of strength parameters is described in the paper

Economics of Sourcing Cellulosic Feedstock for Energy Production

This study investigates the economics of supplying wheat straw and corn stover within 100 mile radius of a potential new biorefinery in southeast North Dakota. In particular, straw and stover total delivery costs, potential straw and stover supply sites and least cost transportation routes are identified using a linear programming transport model and a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) mapping system. We show that USDA/NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) future crop residue removal rate policies will be important for determining whether it is economically viable to harvest crop residues as potential feedstock for energy generation. Increase in residue removal rates narrow the size of residue supply areas and consequently result in lowering total transportation costs. There is an economic tradeoff between residue collection density and distance from the biorefinery. Most wheat residues are highly concentrated in the north, some distance from the biorefinery. Relying solely on wheat straw for supply needs require longer transportation distances which increases total cost. Using a combination of wheat and corn residues lowers total transportation costs. Since most wheat/corn residues are densely concentrated in north/south, regional highways would likely be the routes used often to transport the residues, as compared to interstate highways. Increased traffic volumes due to the hauling of crop residues would require additional investment in improving road conditions.Wheat Straw, Corn Stover, Density, Transportation Cost, GIS, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Crop Production/Industries,

Utilização de atributos topográficos no mapeamento preliminar de solos da Bacia Hidrográfica do Rio Pequeno (Antonina/PR)

Resumo: Os diferentes tipos de solos podem ser compartimentados de acordo com diversas características do relevo. A Pedometria se baseia nas características dos atributos topográficos primários e secundários, que são gerados a partir de um Modelo Digital do Terreno (MDT) por técnicas de geoprocessamento. Esses atributos podem representar a distribuição de Unidades Geomórficas, que indicam a presença de determinados tipos de solos. A Pedometria pode complementar mapeamentos tradicionais de solos, auxiliando-os na definição dos limites entre as classes. Com o objetivo de mapear Unidades Geomórficas, foram primeiramente mapeados sete atributos topográficos para a bacia hidrográfica do rio Pequeno (Antonina/PR), sendo os primários: Hipsometria, Clinografia, Perfil e Plano de Curvatura e os secundários: Índice de Corrente de Máximo Fluxo, Índice Topográfico de Umidade e Índice de Capacidade de Transporte de Sedimentos. Desses atributos, os que melhor representaram aspectos para a distinção de Unidades Geomórficas foram todos os atributos secundários e a Clinografia. Cada um dos atributos foi dividido em classes que representassem a realidade dos tipos de solos existentes no rio Pequeno, com base na consulta de mapeamentos preexistentes e pelas características topográficas locais. A partir das classes dos atributos escolhidos, foram feitos cruzamentos das classes por Tabulação Cruzada que resultou na identificação de quatro Grupos. Grupo 1: Áreas planas e úmidas características de solos hidromórficos/flúvicos. Grupo 2: Terço médio de vertente com declives intermediários onde podem ocorrer os Cambissolos Háplicos. Grupo 3: Áreas de terço superior com fortes declives com associação de Cambissolos Háplicos com Neossolos Litólicos. Grupo 4: Áreas escarpadas de Serra com Neossolos Litólicos e possibilidade de afloramentos rochosos. Foi realizado levantamento de campo que auxiliou o mapeamento dos Grupos, principalmente nas transições entre o 1 e o 2. O mapa de comparação engloba toda a área de drenagem da baía de Antonina. De acordo com o parâmetro da Exatidão Global, a concordância entre os dois mapeamentos foi de 65%. A partir de uma Matriz de Erros, foi possível analisar quais as classes que foram superestimadas e subestimadas através dos erros de inclusão e omissão, bem como a Exatidão do ponto de vista do Usuário (EU) e Produtor (UP). A classe que apresentou um melhor EU foi a do Grupo 1, com 88% de acertos com o Grupo 1 do mapeamento preexistente. A pior foi a do Grupo 3, com 42% pois existem áreas montanhosas superestimadas pertencentes ao Grupo 2. O método da Tabulação Cruzada permitiu chegar a resultados satisfatórios de acordo com os objetivos propostos e com essa metodologia de interpretação de variáveis do relevo, chegar a um mapeamento preliminar de solos