Young People\u27s Literature of Algerian Immigration in France

In her article Young People\u27s Literature of Algerian Immigration in France Anne Schneider discusses questions of language, hybridity, and heritage in some works for young people published in France about Algeria and/or Algerian-French identity, by Leïla Sebbar, Jean-Paul Nozière, Azouz Begag, and Michel Piquemal. She argues for the need for an intercultural education at primary school that uses literature about immigration to highlight questions of place, belonging, exile and language. Schneider\u27s focus is on Begag\u27s Un train pour chez nous (2001) and Piquemal\u27s Mon miel, ma douceur (2004). These texts use linguistic hybridity and an emphasis on common human experiences of (im)migration and exile as intercultural strategies that allow young readers to recognize their common humanity, as well as to value cultural differences. They also promote a sense of heritage among readers with a connection to Arabic and North Africa

The Activist Tale of Emergent Crowds & Mobilized Communities: Investigating the Interplay Between Consumer Activism & Consumer Collectives

Consumers are collaboratively and collectively engaging in activist performances in the marketplace to challenge market(er) hegemony and power. Facilitated and enabled by online technologies, consumer collectives are waging battles both behind and outside of the screen, but is the performance of activism from a collective perspective influenced by the nature of the collective itself? This dissertation explores the intersection and interplay between consumer activism and collectives by addressing the questions of how the nature of a primarily online consumer collective influences its performance of activism, and conversely, how the performance of activism influences the evolution of pre-existing collectives. Analyzing five activist campaign sites using a netnographic method, this dissertation proposes that two types of collectives, the Emergent Crowd and the Mobilized Community, differ significantly in terms of their identity work and leadership organization and structure. These differences impact the campaigning behaviors exhibited; knowledge, resources, and platforms used; and tactical choices developed and enacted that constitute the activist performances. Furthermore, Mobilized Communities are shown to experience relationship transformations within and external to the collective that impact both individual behavior and the collectives evolutionary trajectory. In particular, alliance formation efforts, particularly enabled by social media platforms, are examined and discussed, ranging from non-responders to collaborative partners. Conclusions for practical and research applications regarding the distinct performances of activism in light of the collective a company or cause encounters, including suggestions for managing and taking advantage of value-creating opportunities, are suggested and discussed

Climate Drivers of Wildfire Activity in the Magdalena Mountains of New Mexico, U.S.A.

In recent years, crown fires have raged through mixed-conifer forests in the American Southwest that historically experienced frequent, low-severity wildfires. Land management agencies now wish to restore wildfires to their historical range of variability, but this requires information on fire regimes before Euro-American disturbance took place. We characterized the historical fire regime of a high elevation, mixed-conifer forest in the Magdalena Mountains, New Mexico. This research evaluated the different climate drivers, represented by the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), that influence the occurrence of wildfire. To characterize the fire regime we developed fire frequency statistics and evaluated the seasonality of wildfire events across the period of 1630 to 1890. To test short-term (interannual) variations in climate and their influence on wildfire occurrence we relied on Superposed Epoch Analysis (SEA). To test the relationship between wildfire events and long-term climate oscillations (decadal to multidecadal), we used Bivariate Event Analysis (BEA). BEA was used to test whether fire events and climate events operate synchronously, asynchronously, or independently of each other. We found that fire frequency ranged from 7 to 8 years from 1630 to 1890, and fires primarily occurred in the early portion of the growing season (late spring to early summer). Fires ceased after 1890 with only two recorded fire events in 1906 and 1953. Based on SEA of PDSI, ENSO, and PDO, conditions 2 to 3 years before a fire event were wetter than average, while in the year prior to, and in the year of a fire event, conditions were drier than average. BEA revealed an asynchronous relationship with extreme wildfire years and El Niño events, while all other relationships between wildfire events and positive and negative phases of ENSO, PDO, and AMO were independent. We conclude that interannual climate variability is the main driver of the frequent, low-severity wildfire regime in the mixed-conifer forests of the Magdalena Mountains, while long-term (multidecadal) climate trends do not appear to influence the occurrence of wildfires

Towards Autonomous Microcystin Detection: Investigating Methods for Automation

Due to increased anthropogenic activity, severe eutrophication is occurring in bodies of water around the world. Effects include decreased water quality, decreased value of surrounding land and recreational use (estimated loss in revenue of 0.67 and 3.96 U.S. billion dollars per year), and increased occurrence of toxin producing Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). Microcystins are cyclic peptides made up of 7 amino acids and 800-1100 Daltons in size. They are one of the most predominantly produced of these toxins, and therefore was the focus of this study. Numerous structural variants of microcystin (referred to as congeners) exist, but microcystin-LR is one of the most common, having a World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limit of 1 µg/L in drinking water. In order to make informed public health decisions on potable and recreational water, an automated in situ instrument for detection of microcystin and its nucleic acids is needed. Very few detection systems have reached the market (i.e. Environmental Sample Processor, McLane Laboratories, USA), but all remain prohibitively costly and complex. Currently, research in many fields is directed towards developing a more cost effective automated in situ detection instrument that can collect and filter environmental samples, extract toxins and nucleic acids, and detect and quantify analytes, genes, and gene transcripts. In this study, a sample preparation method for on-filter collection, filtration, and dual extraction of microcystin and nucleic acids was developed during the summer of 2016 on environmental samples from two bodies of water, Lake Winnebago, WI and Veteran’s Park Lagoon, Milwaukee, WI. Results were compared to a traditional laboratory bead beating method. Results showed that the median extraction ratios (quantified by mass spectrometry) obtained with on-filter method compared to bead beat method (comparative recovery) for microcystin congeners MC-LR, MC-YR, MC-RR, and MC-LA were 43% ± 12%, 34% ± 9%, 46% ± 10% and 44% ± 13%, respectively for Lake Winnebago. The median comparative recovery for MC-LR, MC-YR, and MC-RR was 51% ± 9%, 49% ± 12%, and 53% ± 7%, respectively, for Veteran’s Park Lagoon. Total RNA extraction by the on-filter result showed lower and more inconsistent ratios. Comparative recovery values for the Veteran’s Park Lagoon ranged from 6% to 27% and 5% to 64% for Lake Winnebago. Further quantification with RT-qPCR is needed to evaluate extraction efficiency of the desired gene cluster (mcy). Methods that were evaluated for detection of microcystin included chemical derivatization (fluorescent derivatization) and optical signal amplification (direct and indirect hybridization schemes using DNA aptamers and oligonucleotide probes, nicking enzyme assisted fluorescent signal amplification (NEFSA)). Methods evaluated for detection of nucleic acids included optical signal amplification (direct and indirect hybridization, NEFSA, cascading amplification of nucleic acids (CANA)) and nucleic acid amplification (strand displacement amplification (SDA)). Of the techniques tested, SDA gave non-specific or no amplification, fluorescent derivatization was inconsistent, and all hybridization schemes resulted in non-specific binding. Preliminary results from NEFSA and CANA showed promise, but were inconsistent. Therefore, further optimization of reaction conditions is necessary to conclude if either could be viable options for use in an automated in situ detection system in combination with the on-filter sample preparation and extraction technique

Drugs In Sport, The Straight Dope: A Philosophical Analysis Of The Justification For Banning Performance-enhancing Substances And Practices In The Olympic Games

Many believe that doping has no place in sport, especially no place in the Olympic Games. Yet despite, or indeed perhaps because of, this belief remarkably little has been done in the way of attempting to justify those bans.;The arguments that are offered in support of bans fall into four categories: (i) that doping is cheating or unfair, (ii) that it is harmful, (iii) that it perverts the nature of sport, and (iv) that is is dehumanizing or unnatural.;I examine each of these categories of argument in turn. The cheating or unfairness argument is readily dismissed as question-begging. The substances or practices concerned are only cheating or unfair after they have been banned. This argument is therefore unavailable to justify a ban.;The argument from harm is inconsistent. Many sports, and many practices within sport, are more harmful and more risky, than the majority of the banned practices or substances. It is inconsistent to paternalistically ban some practices, claiming concern for athlete well-being as the justification, and then to permit other, equally harmful, activities.;The dehumanization argument in general looks promising. Unfortunately, however, it is not clear why substances such as anabolic steroids should be considered dehumanizing. This is partly so because we do not have a clear and uncontroversial picture of what it is to be human to start with.;There is a similar lack of clarity in the arguments that claim that doping perverts the nature of sport. While this may be so for some future possible performance-enhancing practice and sport, there are not extant arguments to show why, e.g., anabolic steroid use would pervert the nature of the 100 metre dash.;I offer a two-tiered approach to justifying bans on doping. The first tier examines the internal goods of sport and shows why athletes would rationally want to avoid doping. The second tier works from the community level and shows why those concerned about sport, especially those concerned about Olympic sport would rationally seek to promote doping-free sport

Guillotine Rubies and Weighted Tortoise Shells: An Exploration of Uncanny and Grotesque Aesthetics

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Languages and Literature of Bard College