Zwischen Inter- und Transnationalismus : die Kommunikationspolitik der UNESCO nach 1989/1990

Die Dissertation mit dem Titel „Zwischen Inter- und Transnationalismus: Die Kommunikationspolitik der UNESCO nach 1989/1990“ von Sami Rabieh widmet sich dem Wandel in der UNESCO-Kommunikationspolitik seit dem Ende des Ost-West Konflikts, um zu klären, welche demokratisierenden Gestaltungspotenziale eine auf die Organisation gerichtete Kommunikationspolitik bietet und welche anderen Pfade gegebenenfalls noch darüber hinaus beschritten werden müssen. Aufbauend auf v.a. gramscianischen Theoriesträngen werden zunächst aktuelle soziale Transformationsprozesse („Globalisierung“) als Interpretationsrahmen für die Analyse der UNESCO dargestellt. Dem folgt eine historische Aufarbeitung der internationalen Kommunikationspolitik bzw. der UNESCO bis 1989/1990 sowie ein empirischer Teil, der die Entwicklung der Organisation im Politikfeld bis in die Gegenwart untersucht. Eine Synopse und Erörterung alternativer Handlungsoptionen schließen die Arbeit ab. Zusammengenommen erweist sich die Eingangsthese zur Herausbildung eines transnationalen Systems und die damit verbundene Skepsis bezüglich der Demokratisierungspotentiale inter-staatlicher Apparate als korrekt. Die politische Form und Praxis der UNESCO, in der ausschließlich Staatenvertreter zu Kommunikationsprozessen und Entscheidungen fähig und befugt sind, hat im Internetzeitalter keine Grundlage mehr und wird wegen neuer politischer Terrains sowie der Beliebtheit amerikanischer Pop- und Cyberkulturen kein „comeback“ mehr erleben. Emanzipatorische Strategien sollten sich deshalb auf eine basisdemokratische Vernetzung mittels neuer Medien konzentrieren

Arsenic speciation in biological samples using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and investigation of cellular uptake capabilities of arsenicals in different cell lines

A speciation technique for anionic arsenic species has been applied using an ion pair reverse phase-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC-ICP-MS). Six arsenic species (arsenite, arsenate, dimethylarsinic acid, dimethylarsinous acid, momomethylarsonic acid, and monomethylarsonous acid) have been separated with isocratic elution within less than 6 minutes. Furthermore, a cation exchange column was used for separation of AsB, AsC, tetra, and TMAsO. The chemical form and oxidation state of arsenic is very important with regards to toxicity, therefore analysis of total arsenic is insufficient for complete toxicological and risk assessment evaluation. Thus, arsenic speciation has been studied on some urine samples of the children from an arsenic-affected area in Iron Quadrangle, Brazil. DMAs(V) and MMAs(V) were the major urinary metabolites in these samples which have been detected. The mean value for total arsenic concentration of all urine samples analysed (n=15) is 26.33 ng As/mL with a range from 16.1 to 55.2 ng As/mL. TMAsO and AsC (arsenocholin) were not detected in any urine samples in this study. In the most of these samples, monomethylarsonous acid [MMAs(III)] was detected up to 2.0 ng As/mL. DMAs(III) was not detected at any time, most probably due to volatilisation and some oxidation to DMAs(V). The chromatographic recoveries calculated from [sum(species)×100]/total arsenic in urine samples were from 77.4 to 94.9 percent. To validate the method, a certified reference material NIES CRM No.18 human urine (National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba, Japan), the only CRM available for arsenic species in urine was analysed. Good agreement was obtained between certified and analyzed values for DMAs(V) and AsB in NIES CRM No.18. More investigation has been made on identification of monomethylarsonous acid (MMAs(III)): (i) The retention time interval of MMAs(III) from the HPLC run with urine samples from Brazilian children exposed to arsenic-rich drinking water was cut off, and then by hydride generation at pH 5 volatilized. The GC separation led to clear isolation of MMAsH2 as proven by its mass frangmentogram compared with a library standard. This shows that the analyte is either MMAs(III) (MMAs(V) is separated by HPLC separation and not volatilized under the applied pH conditions) or a compound, which contains a MMAs(III) group that can be cleaved under the reaction conditions applied. (ii) Mass of 48 and 50 monitored as sulphur oxide (48SO, 50SO) during arsenic speciation. The sulphur amount within the retention time interval of MMAs(III) in urine sample was not significant on the background of the chromatogram. (...

A Novel 3D+MEA Approach to Authentic Engineering Education for Teacher Professional Development: Design Principles and Outcomes

This paper describes the design principles and implementation of a novel approach for a K–12 teacher professional development (PD) program. The approach integrates training focused on development of model eliciting activities (MEAs) within authentic engineering design tasks, collaborative 3D model design and fabrication, and inspirational site visits with access to active engineers to enhance understanding of current issues faced by NASA aerospace researchers. Throughout the training, participants collaborated with program staff including engineering, 3D graphics, education, and MEA specialists to develop research-related MEAs with accompanying 3Dprinted manipulatives. The purpose of this article is to provide a framework for engineering education teacher PD in authentic contexts and examine teachers’ experience of the program, including comfort with and knowledge of integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instructional strategies. Pre–post survey results show high levels of satisfaction with the workshop and significant gains in integrated STEM understanding and comfort. Potential barriers to curriculum implementation include lack of a 3D printer and time. We provide a list of lessons learned from the PD development and implementation along with recommendations for developing similar PD programs

A survey of Erebidae, Nolidae and Euteliidae (Lepidoptera) in Southern and Northeastern of Iran.

Noctuoidea are the largest superfamily of Lepidoptera which have not yet fully investigated in Iran. In order to inventories such important group, faunistic studies on the families Erebidae, Nolidae and Euteliidae were made by light traps mainly in the three Iranian provinces of Fars, Khuzestan and Khorasan-e-Razavi during 2009-2011. Totally, 42 taxa belonging to 26 genera and 7 subfamilies were collected. Among these, one species – Drasteria kusnezovi (John, 1910) – is newly reported for the Iranian fauna, together with 23 new provincial records. For all species, illustrations of adults and their genitalia are given with remarks

The best part of valor, a study of Plato's treatment of courage in the Laches and the Republic

grantor: University of TorontoBeginning from the finding that contemporary liberalism offers little in response to the probing but ultimately flawed critique of traditional courage that feminist political theorists advance, I argue that there exists an urgent need today to reexamine courage. For despite its undeniably dangerous excesses, I show that courage is critical to both the survival and health even of peaceable liberal democracies and that we therefore need to explore both its risks and its rewards. I turn to Plato because he provides a balanced but richly complex treatment of courage. While it is alive and sympathetic to the multidimensional phenomenon of courage as ordinarily understood, i.e., as the virtue that enables one to act well in the face of dangers, Plato's treatment yields the paradoxical thesis that courage is both the cause and the consequence of wisdom. The ' Laches' and the Republic together illuminate what courage is and why courage is needed to understand what it is. Carefully following the development of Socrates' conversation in the 'Laches' with two Athenian generals who disagree with each other and even with themselves about courage, I argue that the generals' confusion stems from their deep-seated hopes about it, namely, that courage be both noble in itself and also good for the courageous individual. Their unwillingness or inability to examine these hopes is evidence, I argue, of a certain cowardice. Socrates' exploration in the 'Republic ' of spiritedness, which he characterizes as the psychological substratum of courage, shows why it takes (an incompletely developed) courage to examine the opinions that underlie its ordinary manifestations. By comparing the courage of the 'Republic''s guardians with that of its future philosophers, I argue that a failure to confront such opinions produces a courage that is confused and hence deficient; genuine courage requires at the very least knowledge of why it is worth possessing and exercising. But however much the refined spiritedness that underlies the guardians' courage falls short of the highest kind of courage, I argue that it still deserves respect as both politically reliable and suited for acquiring the wisdom that is the source of genuine courage.Ph.D

Studying the Interactions of Mill Media and Recycled Process Water on Media Wear and Downstream Operations During Gold Ore Processing

The focus of this thesis was to better understand the influence of grinding media on flotation of gold bearing pyrite and cyanide gold leaching in the presence of sulfide minerals (pyrrhotite, arsenopyrite and pyrite). The interactions of sulfide minerals with various grinding media (forged steel, low chromium and high chromium steel and ceramic media) were investigated and the galvanic effects are explored, as well as the effect on flotation and leaching

Attitudes About High School Physics in Relationship to Gender & Ethnicity: A Mixed Method Analysis

There is an achievement gap and lack of participation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by minority females. The number of minority females majoring in STEM related fields and earning advanced degrees in these fields has not significantly increased over the past 40 years. Prior research has evaluated the relationship between self-identity concept and factors that promote academic achievement as well the motivation to study different subject areas. This study examined the interaction between gender and ethnicity in terms of physics attitudes in the context of real world connections, personal interest, sense making/effort, problem solving confidence, and problem solving sophistication. The Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) was given to 131 students enrolled in high school physics classes. A Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was run on the data to compare gender, ethnicity, and a gender*ethnicity interaction. Additionally an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was run on data for each subgroup comparison. To triangulate the data, five black females were interviewed and the data was coded for themes. The data analysis provided a great deal of information regarding issues within the STEM classroom

Impairment in Leg Muscle Activity during a Balance Task Following a Stroke

Stroke leads to poor balance control, which in turn can lead to falls. Current rehabilitation methods to improve balance control in stroke patients have been found to be ineffective. To potentially enhance balance recovery post-stroke, we hope to fill in the knowledge gap in the changes in neural connectivities following a stroke on balance control. A multi-modal and multi-system approach was implemented to understand the impacts of cortical reorganization in stroke survivors' balance control. Balance performance was assessed through clinical-based testing via the Berg Balance Scale and Timed Up and Go, whereas lab-balance performance tasks were conducted via the NeuroCom to evaluate postural stability. Alongside balance assessment, cognitive ability, as well as muscle and brain activity were analyzed using MoCA, electromyography, and electroencephalography respectively. Due to COVID-19, we postponed further data collection, and focused on analysis of previous subjects, that included 4 stroke subjects and 1 healthy control. Focusing on EMG, we hypothesize stroke patients will show reduced leg muscle activity on affected side versus non-affected. Through analysis of the Tibialis Anterior muscle, visual analysis has concluded that a right side lesion shows weaker muscle signals in the affected left leg muscle and also larger muscle activity in high difficulty balance tasks vs medium difficulty. Addressing changes in cortical maps' will lead to potential improvements in therapeutic methods to enhance balance recovery and potentially the quality of life of many stroke survivors. The beginnings of EMG analysis shows promising findings, and we hope to continue data collection and analysis.Psychological, Health, and Learning Sciences, Department ofHonors Colleg

Leaching Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu from Wastewater Sludge Using Fenton Process

Background: High amount of heavy metals in sludge is one of the major obstacles to its use on farms. The present study aimed to investigate the possibility of leaching heavy metals from wastewater sludge by Fenton method and determine the optimum level of parameters, such as iron, hydrogen peroxide, time, and pH for Fenton reaction. Methods: The effects of various parameters, such as pH (2-9), hydrogen peroxide concentration (0.5-6 g/l), Fe concentration (0.5-4 g/l), and leaching time (5-60 min), were studied. Results: The results showed that the optimal condition for leaching of heavy metals occurred at pH of 2-3, hydrogen peroxide concentration of 3 g/l, iron concentration of 2 g/l, and leaching time of 15 min. Under these optimal conditions, 92% of Zn, 100% of Cd, 100% of Pb, and 80% of Cu were leached from the wastewater sludge. Conclusions: Fenton method can leach heavy metals from wastewater sludge through decomposition of organic materials at H2O2/Fe ratio of 1.5:2