Cultural Power and Utopianism in Laurie Halse Anderson\u27s Prom and M.T. Anderson\u27s Feed

Author\u27s abstract: Resourcefully and responsibly obtaining a sense of power is central to quality young adult literature. Laurie Halse Anderson\u27s Prom and M.T. Anderson\u27s Feed show their adolescent protagonists\u27 struggles with identity formation, consumerism, and the adult world. In order to address power relationships, the two novels address the rise of a global electronic and print media system that collapses traditional notions of time and space and the excessive consumption associated with the culture such a system creates. However, these two novels explore postmodern consumer culture from different perspectives. Prom functions as a utopian, revisionist fairy tale in which the consequences of rampant consumerism are combated through individual agency and sustained community involvement, whereas Feed acts as an apocalyptic dystopia in which any quest for agency is thwarted by the rampant consumerism connected to the rise of a transnational, info-age economy. The extent to which these two novels fit within the theoretical framework of utopian/dystopian fiction illuminates their disparate approaches to the power struggles associated with the culture industry

Optimization of a batch reactor process using statistical analysis

Master of ScienceDepartment of Chemical EngineeringJohn R. SchlupA batch reactor is used to remove an environmental concern (EC) from the wastewater stream of an industrial process at Novelis, Inc.’s, Oswego, NY, facility. Between May 2017 and February 2018 major process changes occurred across the machine centers that produce the wastewater. This led to expected decreases in the concentration of EC in the wastewater, how much wastewater was produced, and several other changes. As a result, the process engineer responsible for the reactor decided that the amount of Chemical A and Chemical B, the reactants, added to each batch would be reduced. Additionally, batches are run less frequently, often with smaller volumes. These changes were not expected to have any effects on reactor efficiency. However, after some time it was noted that the reaction was consistently taking longer to complete than previously and the final concentration of B was often higher than before the changes were made. With multiple changes having been made around the same time, to both the source of the wastewater and the reactor, it is difficult to understand which changes, or combination of changes, caused this shift. This report details a series of statistical analyses which were used to gain a better understanding of the connections between the changes observed, the resulting shifts, and optimization of the reactor operation. Through the use of factor analysis it was found that the seven potentially relevant input variables could be reduced to three components. Through ANOVA four variables were determined to have significant impacts on both the length of time for the reaction to complete and the final outcome of the reaction. Based on these findings adjustments were made, additional data was collected, and new analyses were run. From this second round of analyses the following change was recommended: the 42 liters of A and 36 liters of B should be used for every cubic meter of wastewater to be treated

A study of thirty-eight adult male probationers engaged in intensive casework treatment by the probation department of the Third District Court in the year 1956.

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston Universit

Composing in Their Own Language: Feminist Pedagogy in Richard LaGravenese’s Freedom Writers

This paper explores Richard LaGravenese’s 2007 film adaptation of Erin Gruwell’s teaching memoir, The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change Themselves and the World Around Them. LaGravenese’s adaptation chronicles the challenges and triumphs Gruwell faces as she earns her disenfranchised students’ trust and respect both inside and outside of the classroom. Gruwell uses feminist pedagogical practices in order to transgress institutional practices that seek to silence her “Students’ Right to their Own Language.” My purpose in analyzing this particular popular culture text is to evaluate the specific teaching practices that identify Gruwell not only as a feminist pedagogue, but as an exemplary composition instructor. While a considerable amount of scholarship has analyzed the way educators are both positively and negatively portrayed in film, there has been no attempt to critically assess how feminist pedagogical practices work to challenge traditional educational ideologies in film. My analysis also seeks to identify and evaluate some of Gruwell’s exemplary teaching practices in order to analyze the ways in which feminist pedagogy might enhance other theoretical approaches and pedagogical practices in education.

Transparency in repeated procurement. When hiding is better

In this paper we study the effect of transparency on the willingness to collude in repeated procurement competitive tenderings. We allow the buyer to postpone the revelation of the winner's identity and show that such a policy may make collusive agreements less stable in both simultaneous and sequential competitive procedures. When the buyer postpones the revelation of the winner's identity in a scenario in which colluding and "honest" (never colluding) firms participate to the same tendering, the threat of a retaliation, by means of an aggressive bidding by the colluding firms, is weakened and collusion is less stable

Prevalence of plasmid genetic elements among ESBL-producing E. coli isolated from a UK river and the effects of waste water effluent release

The global antibiotic resistance crisis is a growing issue which poses a significant threat to human and animal health, and will limit the effectiveness of infection treatment in clinical settings. Traditionally research efforts have concentrated on discovering novel antibiotics, however an alternative approach is being utilised which focuses on the control and removal of antibiotic resistance from the environment. A major source of environmental antibiotic resistance originates from the release of treated waste water effluent (WWE) from local waste water treatment plants (WWTP) into natural aquatic environments, such as canals and rivers. Study has shown released WWE contains high numbers of antibiotic resistant bacteria and residual active antibiotics. In particular members of the Enterobacteriaceae family expressing extended spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), such as the highly prevalent CTX-M group 1 genes, have been commonly identified in WWE and have been shown to be more prevalent in natural aquatic environments following the addition of WWE. These ESBL genes are commonly plasmid borne, and their prevalence has been attributed to their ability to be rapidly disseminated by horizontal gene transfer. Once spread through the bacterial population, antibiotic resistance plasmids are maintained by the selective pressure of high levels of antibiotics, introduced to the environment by WWE. This study aimed to identify the effect of WWE addition on the ESBL expressing Escherichia coli (ESBLEC) population of natural aquatic environments, and the genetic elements found on plasmids extracted from ESBLEC isolates. ESBLEC were isolated from the Sincil Dike, Lincoln, UK upstream, at the point of and downstream of WWE release. Plasmid DNA was then extracted from these isolates and the genetic elements they contained identified by PCR, CTX-M group 1, 3 addiction systems (Hok-Sok, PemK and ccdAB) and 3 incompatibility groups (IncF, IncN and IncP) were detected. This data was arranged into unique plasmid genotypes which were used to determine the effect of WWE addition on the individual genetic elements identified, and on the ESBLEC plasmid population as a whole. It was found that the number of ESBLEC isolated increased at sample sites that had received WWE and was attributed to the influx of ESBLEC producing organisms previously identified in WWE. Further genetic analysis revealed that the increase in the number of ESBLEC was accompanied by a shift from a few dominant plasmid types to a larger number of genetically diverse plasmids. This diversification event appeared to favour IncF plasmids containing alternate ESBL genes and multiple addiction systems, which allowed their persistence downstream while competing with naturally occurring genotypes. Overall it is clear that the addition of WWE to natural aquatic environments has a measurable impact on the number of ESBLEC and the plasmid genotype they contain. This may have a significant effect on the transfer and maintenance of antibiotic resistance in the environment. A larger study which detects a wider range of plasmid genetic elements across a larger number of sample sites would allow for a deeper insight into the effects of WWE release on plasmid containing ESBLEC in the environment

A Heuristic Ontological Model of Protein Complexes A Case Study Based on the E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Protein Complexes of Arabidopsis thaliana

Ontology (with a capital O) is the philosophical study of the nature of existence that was derived to define the relationships of entities that can be said to exist in nature. The concept of an ontology was later adopted by the biological sciences to formally represent knowledge within a biological domain in order to standardize the annotation of biological data, and further, enable more efficient and easier data collection, sharing, and reuse across biological and model organism databases. The Protein Ontology (PRO) is a specific biological ontology developed to represent the relationships between proteins and protein complexes. This thesis presents a revised PRO framework, modelled around Arabidopsis thaliana and associated SCF ubiquitin ligase complexes, with the aim to more adequately represent what is known about the process and dynamics of protein complex formation in order to better serve the broader scientific community

Step It Up ECU : Comparing a 10,000 Step a Day Goal to a Small, Relative Step Goal in a Pedometer-Based Physical Activity Intervention

Pedometers have been shown to be valid and effective tools for increasing physical activity, which is associated with improved overall health. While most research encourages participants to achieve 10,000 steps per day, there is little research conducted on the effectiveness of other types of step goals. The purpose of the present pilot study was to compare the effectiveness of a 10,000 step-a-day goal versus a small, relative, participant-selected step goal. Participants (N = 37) were primarily female (97%), obese (BMI M = 32.67, SD = 4.60), middle-aged (M = 43.49, SD = 9.14), borderline sedentary (M = 5497 steps/day, SD = 2964), Caucasian (59%) and African American (41%), university employees. Participants were randomly assigned to either a: 1) 10,000 daily step goal or b) small changes relative step goal (typically a 2,500-3,000 total step increase). Participants then engaged in weekly 15-minute sessions over a 12 week period. Seven meetings were face-to-face and 5 were conducted via phone. Seventy-three percent of participants completed the study. Measures were given to assess depression, life satisfaction, and cognitive and behavioral self-management strategies. A repeated-measures ANOVA showed a significant main effect of time on step counts (p < 0.001), but no differences between groups (p = 0.52). Notably, participants in the relative goal group achieved their step goal increase of approximately 3,000 steps, while participants in the 10,000 step group did not meet their 10,000 goal on average. Cognitive and behavioral self-management strategies were related to higher step counts (r = 0.57, p = 0.002) and step count changes (r = 0.43, p = 0.027). Depressive symptoms (p < 0.001) and life satisfaction (p = 0.016) improved over the course of the study, but did not differ between groups. While these data are preliminary, they suggest that both goal types can increase step counts, but a relative step count and psychological and behavioral factors play an important role in goal achievement.  M.A

Predicting Treatment Success : Assessing Theoretically-Driven Constructs that Impact the Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among African American Women in a Novel Peer-Delivered Small Changes Treatment Approach

Rural African American women have greater prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) and poorer treatment outcomes compared to Caucasians. Some research suggests that self-efficacy, subjective norms, and locus of control (LOC) impact this population differently and may be linked to behavioral treatment outcomes. However, these relationships have not been directly examined. EMPOWER, a culturally-tailored T2DM intervention that utilizes community health workers (CHWs) to provide patient-centered care using a Small Changes Model (SCM), was developed as an innovative treatment approach for African American women. This study was designed to explore the best predictors of treatment success within the EMPOWER program and to determine whether self-efficacy, subjective norms, and LOC impact outcomes.   Assessments utilized program results of two hundred middle aged (age=53.45±10.24) obese (BMI=37.67±8.02) African American women with poorly-controlled diabetes (HbA1c=9.09±1.83) enrolled in EMPOWER. Half (n=102) were randomly assigned to a phone-based EMPOWER group while half (n=98) were assigned to a mail-based didactic comparative group. Weight, HbA1c, medication adherence, self-care behaviors, self-efficacy, and depression were measured at 0, 6, and 12-months. At 12-month follow-up, subjective norms and LOC were measured. Repeated measures ANOVAs indicated that both groups had a reduction in weight F(1.82, 197)=4.15, p=0.020, but no changes in HbA1c. Independent samples t-tests revealed a significant difference in God LOC between the EMPOWER group (M=19.16, SD=8.20) and the Mail group (M=22.42, SD=7.48; t(143)=-2.49, p=0.014) and between participants who used insulin (M=21.86, SD=7.55) and those who do not (M=18.88, SD=8.21; t(139)=-2.18, p=0.031). Theoretically-based moderated-mediation models assessed self-efficacy and subjective norms as mediators and God and Internal LOC as moderators of outcomes. While no mediation interactions were found, models revealed that subjective norms significantly impacted self-care behavior change (ß=1.48, p=0.037). God LOC served as a moderator that enhanced this relationship (ß=0.078, p=0.013). Results suggest that subjective norms may play a more important role in diabetes management behavior change among African American women than previously understood. Further, God LOC was shown to be an important and complex treatment factor that likely relates to both internal and external LOC. These findings have important implications for future health behavior change programs for African American women.  Ph.D