Hey y'all : the disappearing southerner

Federal Reserve District, 5th ; Population

A new foundation : manufactured housing flourishes in South Carolina

Housing ; Federal Reserve District, 5th

An exploration of the development of academic identity in a School of Education

This paper explores the complex processes involved in the self-construction of academic identity in a UK School of Education. Building on seminal literature in this field and drawing on the research of four academics, it begins by discussing teacher educators’ varying perceptions of the need to re-configure their identity to meet the expectations of a twenty-first-century higher education workforce. The article proposes the formation of this identity to be a dynamic, career-long process. Diverse scaffolds for the development process are proposed, including opportunities for new teacher educators to be apprenticed into an aca- demic role, the centrality of communities of practice and the importance of the 15 supported development of academic skills such as writing for publication.Peer reviewe

The effects of PPAL-1 in Arabidopsis gamete development.

Prenylation is a type of post-translational modification in which a 15- or 20-carbon lipid is added to the carboxyl (C) terminus of the protein. Arabidopsis thaliana contains the PROTEIN PRENYLTRANSFERASE ALPHA SUBUNIT-LIKE (PPAL) gene, which encodes a protein with homology to the α-subunits of the three known prenylation enzymes, PFT, PGGT, and Rab-GGT. We previously identified two mutations in PPAL, one of which is ppal-1, which contains a T-DNA insertion in the fourth intron. We have previously observed that self-fertilizing heterozygous ppal-1 plants produce progeny in which homozygous ppal-1 is underrepresented. This project attempts to ascertain possible affects of ppal-1 in gametophyte growth and development that might cause this underrepresented homozygous ppal-1 population. Crosses were performed between homozygous ppal-1 and wild-type (WT) plants. Both F0 and F1 generations were genotyped. The results indicated that there was WT contamination of the ppal-1 F0 population. The data also indicated the ppal-1 primers were nonfunctional. Additionally, a pollen germination test was performed for both ppal-1 and WT plants. The results indicated that ppal-1 pollen had developmental delays for germination, but upon germination, they could form pollen tubules of equal length to the WT pollen. However, due to the likely WT contamination in the ppal-1 population used, these experiments must be replicated in further studies

Direct Ink Writing of Flexible Piezoelectric Sensors

Piezoelectric poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-trifluoroethylene), or PVDF-trFE, builds up significant electrical charges on its surface when stressed. By correlating the mechanical force with the resulting electrical charges or voltages, researchers have developed flexible, broadband, and biocompatible force sensors. PVDF-trFE force sensors are traditionally fabricated via spin coating or solvent casting, which result in large waste production and experience difficulties in forming complex geometries. To tackle these challenges, I leveraged a commercial direct ink writing system (nScrypt microdispenser) to additively manufacture PVDF-trFE force sensors. I first synthesized an unprecedented piezoelectric ink that is compatible with a commercial ink writing system at Boise State University, specifically the nScrypt microdispenser, by dissolving PVDF-trFE powders into a cosolvent system consisting of methyl ethyl ketone and dimethyl sulfoxide. The ink composition and substrate surface properties were optimized simultaneously to ensure consistent and uniform printing. Postprocessing procedures, including air-drying, thermal curing, electrical poling and non-contact corona poling were then investigated to facilitate polymerization and beta phase transformation in the printed PVDF-trFE films. With the knowledge acquired from these investigations, I prototyped a piezoelectric force sensor consisting of printed PVDF-trFE films and printed silver electrodes. From justifying the methods for sensor fabrication, unprecedented prototypes of PVDF-trFE sensor arrays were investigated

Death and Dying in Assisted Living

This study examined death and dying in assisted living (AL) and the various factors that influence these processes. The study is set in a 60-bed assisted living facility outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Data collection methods included participant observation and in-depth interviews with 28 residents and 6 staff. Data were analyzed using the grounded theory approach and focused on the 18 residents who were dying and/or died during the study period. Findings show that AL residents experience a variety of dying trajectories that vary in duration and shape; for the majority of residents, hospice is an important element in their death and dying experiences. In general, death is not communicated or acknowledged formally within the facility. Responses to deaths depend largely on the nature of the relationship the deceased resident had with others. Findings have implications for how to handle death and dying in AL and to improve residents‟ experiences