Cultivating Environmental Stewardship in the Suburbs

My project examines the concept of environmental stewardship from two angles: first, an examination of the body of philosophical thought on the concept of “responsibility towards future generations.” I use this context to develop my own philosophical framework by which we might gauge our actions as they relate to the environment, and its relative improvement or destruction. Starting from this framework, I then explore different ways people have tried, and are trying to encourage stewardship in the modern world. I examine and critique the value and efficacy of these different practices. Finally, I bring both the philosophical and the practical together to examine a real neighborhood in unincorporated Wheaton. Using demographic information, real estate information, and satellite imagery, I consider how a small community might transition to improve their footprint and potential for lasting without degradation for future generations

Discursive power in the global political economy of agriculture and food: the case of the Bayer-Monsanto merger

Several mergers of big and powerful companies have led to a concentration in the global seed and agrochemical market to currently four big players. Public concerns about consequences for food security, the environment, or innovation in the market arose over this. Thus, the mergers were met with broad opposition, mainly from civil society, when they were announced. The companies, on the other hand, tried to reach the merger at as little cost and with as little interference as possible. During such struggles, different forms of power exerted by different actors are at play and influence the outcome. So far, very little research has examined the discursive power relations in the agrichemical merger context. This study explores what role discursive power relations in Europe played in the specific example of the Bayer-Monsanto merger. A critical discourse analysis (Fairclough) is conducted on press releases from both the merger opponents and the two merger companies, Bayer and Monsanto. Discourses and frames are identified and extracted, and their power is defined through reflection on prevalent social practices and norms. The study concludes that the discursive power relations played a relatively marginal role in the outcome of the Bayer- Monsanto merger itself. For different reasons, the opponents did not manage to discursively trigger the necessary social change and action required to achieve a change in the currently existing agrochem merger regulations in Europe. However, there are strong indications that the discursive practices of the opponents will influence the agrochem market in Europe in the longer term.M-I

Gender konkret: Vier Beispiele aus der Balser Ausbildung von Lehrpersonen

In der Basler Ausbildung von Lehrpersonen werden Genderkompetenzen in verschiedenen Ausbildungsgängen geschult. In der Ausbildung von Lehrpersonen für die Sekundarstufe I und II gibt es seit rund fünf Jahren das Wahlpflichtfach geschlechterbewusste Pädagogik. Primarlehrpersonen erhalten in der Schlusspraxis einen verbindlichen, konkreten Genderauftrag. In Projektphase ist ein Nachdiplomstudium Laufbahnvorbereitung an der neuen Hochschule für Pädagogik und Soziale Arbeit beider Basel, in dem Gender und Interkulturelles als Querschnittthemen systematisch verbunden werden sollen. Inwiefern dieser Anspruch genereller Standard in den neuen Ausbildungsgängen sein wird, hängt davon ab, wie Gleichstellung als Qualitätsmerkmal verankert werden kann

Molecular cloning and expression of subunit 9 of the 26S proteasome

AbstractSeven peptides from subunit 9 (S9) of the human 26S proteasome were sequenced and this information was used to clone a HeLa cDNA that encodes the 46 kDa subunit. Rabbit polyclonal antisera were made against a ubiquitin fusion protein containing 12 amino acids from S9 and against a full-length S9 expressed in E. coli. Western blot analysis showed that the S9-specific antibodies bound the 26S proteasome and its regulatory complex separated on non-denaturing gels. In SDS-PAGE samples of the two complexes, the S9-specific antibodies bound a single 46 kDa subunit. Thus, a cDNA encoding a novel 26S protease subunit has been isolated, sequenced, and expressed.©1997 Federation of European Biochemical Societies

Pyridine nucleotide cycle: studies in Escherichia coli and the human cell line D98/AH2

Journal ArticleDifferent metabolic steps comprise the pyridine nucleotide cycles in Escherichia coli and in the human cell line HeLa D98/AH2. An analysis of the "P-labeling patterns in vivo reveals that in E. coli, pyrophosphate bond cleavage of intracellular NAD predominates, while in the human cell line, cleavage of the nicotinamide ribose bond predominates