African American Vernacular English: an analysis of verbs in the film "The Color Purple".

openThe dissertation focuses on African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and it aims to present the origins and structures of the language, as well as the social impacts that AAVE has on its speakers. Theories about its origins are introduced in the first part, together with an analysis of some typical grammatical structures of verb tenses, negative sentences and some phonological aspects.The second part focuses on impacts that AAVE has on its speakers, taking into account three main areas, in which AAVE speakers may encounter social issues: the education, the job market and the justice system. The last part aims to provide a further representation of verbs of AAVE found in the film “The Color Purple ''.The dissertation focuses on African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and it aims to present the origins and structures of the language, as well as the social impacts that AAVE has on its speakers. Theories about its origins are introduced in the first part, together with an analysis of some typical grammatical structures of verb tenses, negative sentences and some phonological aspects.The second part focuses on impacts that AAVE has on its speakers, taking into account three main areas, in which AAVE speakers may encounter social issues: the education, the job market and the justice system. The last part aims to provide a further representation of verbs of AAVE found in the film “The Color Purple ''

Low adherence to influenza vaccination campaigns: is the H1N1 virus pandemic to be blamed?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Over the last few months, debates about the handling of the influenza virus A (H1N1) pandemic took place, in particular regarding the change of the WHO pandemic definition, economic interests, the dramatic communication style of mass media. The activation of plans to reduce the virus diffusion resulted in an important investment of resources. Were those investments proportionate to the risk? Was the pandemic overrated? The workload of the Pediatric Emergency Room (P.E.R.) at a teaching hospital in Varese (Northern Italy) was investigated in order to evaluate the local diffusion and severity of the new H1N1 influenza epidemic.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>A 100% increase of the number of P.E.R. visits, particularly for influenza-like illness, was recorded during weeks 42-46 of 2009 (October, 17 to November, 2); the low rate of hospitalization and the mild presentation of the infection gave rise to the conclusion that the pandemic risk was overrated. Mass media communications concerning the new virus created a disproportionate fear in the population that significantly enhanced the burden of cares at the hospital. In the absence of generally implemented measures for etiological diagnosis, the actual incidence of the H1N1 infection could not be estimated. Virus identification, in fact, was limited to children showing severe symptoms after consultancy with an infectious disease specialist. The alarming nature of the communication campaign and the choice to limit etiologic diagnosis to severe cases created a climate of uncertainty which significantly contributed to the massive admissions to the P.E.R..</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>The communication strategy adopted by the mass media was an important element during the pandemic: the absence of clarity contributed to the spread of a pandemic phobia that appeared to result more from the sensationalism of the campaign than from infection with the novel influenza A variant of human, avian, swine origin virus. One relevant effect of the media coverage was the extremely low adherence rate to the vaccination campaign for the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, especially among the high- risk population and health care workers. One positive consequence was, however, the spread of preventive hygiene measures, such as hand washing.</p

Quantification of Microbial Robustness in Yeast

Stable cell performance in a fluctuating environment is essential for sustainable bioproduction and synthetic cell functionality; however, microbial robustness is rarely quantified. Here, we describe a high-throughput strategy for quantifying robustness of multiple cellular functions and strains in a perturbation space. We evaluated quantification theory on experimental data and concluded that the mean-normalized Fano factor allowed accurate, reliable, and standardized quantification. Our methodology applied to perturbations related to lignocellulosic bioethanol production showed that the industrial bioethanol producing strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ethanol Red exhibited both higher and more robust growth rates than the laboratory strain CEN.PK and industrial strain PE-2, while a more robust product yield traded off for lower mean levels. The methodology validated that robustness is function-specific and characterized by positive and negative function-specific trade-offs. Systematic quantification of robustness to end-use perturbations will be important to analyze and construct robust strains with more predictable functions

EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF PSYCHEDELIC-ASSISTED THERAPIES FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION IN SOCOM

A U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) funded study completed in 2017 found that U.S. special operations forces (SOF) have a 30% higher suicide rate than the U.S. military average. Nearly half of the twenty-nine suicide cases explored in the psychological autopsy study had a diagnosed mental health disorder. These findings underscore how suicide, and its contributing factors, are a growing threat to the health of the force and combat readiness across SOCOM. This thesis examined psychedelic-assisted therapy as a component of an overall holistic approach to addressing mental health conditions and combatting suicide across SOCOM. We reviewed two emerging psychedelic treatments for ameliorating mood and trauma-based mental health disorders, comparing them to two in-use novel therapies. Notwithstanding limits to existing data, our review found that psychedelic-assisted therapies show potential in three critical ways. There is a rapid and sustained decrease in disorder-related symptoms, exhibited efficacy in treatment-resistant cases, and minimal adverse events when administered in a controlled environment. Alone, no single weapon or piece of technology has ever won a war, and in a similar fashion, successful mental health treatment models for suicide prevention strategies require a multi-faceted approach. While psychedelic therapies are not a panacea for the mental health crisis within the military, they carry emended potential to be another tool for treatment and recovery.Major, United States ArmyMajor, United States ArmyMajor, United States ArmyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Exploring Microbial Robustness for a Sustainable and Efficient Bioproduction

Efficient microbial cell factories that produce valuable compounds are gaining increasing interest as one path towards a more sustainable economy. Therefore, there is an increasing need for robust microorganisms which can optimally perform even in harsh and challenging industrial conditions. The identification of robustness traits is crucial to improve the already-existing strains and develop new, better ones. Here, different approaches to study microbial robustness are presented. First, single-cell analysis in a cell population might give some insights on the development of more robust sub-populations. Physiological parameters (such as intracellular pH, fluxes, redox balance, etc.) and morphologic features were monitored with fluorescent biosensors and tagged proteins to study the single-cell status. Moreover, a barcoding technique will be used to discover and underline patterns in the development of population dynamics during the different industrial processes. Furthermore, an objective method to quantify robustness was developed for selection of useful strains and a large dataset was analysed to find predictive parameters for robustness. All together, these tools will give the possibility to identify robustness traits and understand robustness leading to improved industrial strains and processes

Robustness: linking strain design to viable bioprocesses

Microbial cell factories are becoming increasingly popular for the sustainable production of various chemicals. Metabolic engineering has led to the design of advanced cell factories; however, their long-term yield, titer, and productivity falter when scaled up and subjected to industrial conditions. This limitation arises from a lack of robustness – the ability to maintain a constant phenotype despite the perturbations of such processes. This review describes predictable and stochastic industrial perturbations as well as state-of-the-art technologies to counter process variability. Moreover, we distinguish robustness from tolerance and discuss the potential of single-cell studies for improving system robustness. Finally, we highlight ways of achieving consistent and comparable quantification of robustness that can guide the selection of strains for industrial bioprocesses