Oral History Interview: Robert Barbour

This interview is one of a series conducted concerning the Marshall University Society of Yeager Scholars. At the time of the interview, Mr. Barbour was the first Diplomat- in-Residence of the Society of Yeager Scholars and a past Ambassador of Suriname. He discusses: his personal history, education, and family; his tour of foreign service, including Italy, France, Spain, Iraq, and Viet Nam, and the varied duties of those posts; how he came to be involved with the Yeager Scholars program; his work for the program; his plans for when he leaves the program; and other topics relating to his career.https://mds.marshall.edu/oral_history/1380/thumbnail.jp

Synthesis and Biological Activity of Macrocyclic Diesters of Synthanecine A

This thesis covers three areas of research relating to pyrrolizidine alkaloids, (a) Synthesis of macrocyclic pyrrolizidine alkaloid analogues based on synthanecine A; (b) Biological activity of these pyrrolizidine alkaloid analogues, and (c) Structural studies. (a) Synthesis of macrocyclic pyrrolizidine alkaloid analogues based on synthanecine A. The synthesis of macrocyclic pyrrolizidine alkaloid analogues based on synthanecine A [(+-)-2,3-bishydroxymethyl-l-methyl-3-pyrroline] has been achieved by three routes. In the first, treatment of synthanecine A with various succinic and glutaric derivatives selectively yielded 6-monoester hydroxy acids which were lactonised via their corresponding pyridine-2-thiol esters (Corey-Nicolaou lactonisation). The macrocyclic nature of these 10- and 11-membered pyrrolizidine alkaloid analogues was established by spectroscopic studies. In the second route, (+-)-3-chloromethyl-2-hydroxymethyl-l-methyl-3-pyrrolinium chloride, prepared by the reaction of synthanecine A and thionyl chloride, was treated with a series of aliphatic, olefinic and aromatic 5- and 6-membered anhydrides, in the presence of base, to yield macrocyclic diesters. Lactonisation was effected by the intramolecular nucleophilic substitution of the allylic chloride by carboxylate anion. This simple and efficient procedure resulted in higher yields of the 10- and 11-membered pyrrolizidine alkaloid analogues than by the first procedure. In the final route, macrocyclic diesters of synthanecine A with 12- to 16-membered rings were prepared by a combination of the above two methods. Treatment of (+-)-3-chloromethyl-2-hydroxymethyl-1-methyl-3-pyrrolinium chloride with the appropriate diacid, in the presence of base, gave a monoester hydroxy acid which was lactonised by the Corey-Nicolaou method. Attempts to prepare these analogues via the non-hydrolytic conversion of an intermediate monoester phenyl ester into a monoester N-acylimidazolide failed; oligomeric products were probably formed. (b) Biological activity of pyrrolizidine alkaloid analogues. The biological activity of a series of these analogues based on synthanecine A was examined. Dilactones of synthanecine A are metabolised in a similar manner to pyrrolizidine alkaloids and thus are hepatotoxic if they are resistant to esterase hydrolysis. The structure of the diacid moiety was seen to have a significant influence on the metabolic rate of these macrocyclic diesters. (c) Structural analysis. The structure of emiline, a macrocyclic pyrrolizidine alkaloid, has been revised. The original structure proposed, containing an 11-membered ring, was inconsistent with 1H and 13C n.m.r. spectroscopic data. The use of advanced n.m.r. spectroscopic techniques was invaluable in this structural revision, which showed that emiline contains a 12-membered ring

An ethnography of students' extensive use of computers and digital technologies within further education classrooms

This thesis analyses how the extensive use of networked computers, which were the primary classroom learning resource for three Level 3 cohorts of Further Education students, impacted on how the students approached the academic elements of their coursework. Using an ethnographic methodology the students were followed as they progressed over one academic year, to identify how they engaged with their learning and used the technologies over this period. The study of students’ classroom academic and literacy practices when using the new digital technologies of computers and the Internet as resources in post-compulsory education is a relatively neglected area. At a time when there is the continued call for the increased use of these technologies across the curricula, this ethnography offers an insight into students’ responses to the technologies and how these significant educational resources can also divide the classroom into both educational and social-leisure spaces. What became apparent over the year was students’ superficial level of engagement with online research resources and how that information was then processed. Students’ use of software to manipulate digital text bypassed any evidencing of intermediary cognitive processes, therefore at times idea generation, critical development and level of ownership became challenging to identify. Notably, students’ extensive use of computers resulted in their gaze being primarily directed to their computer monitors and despite the sociality amongst students for non-educational activities, both in and out of the classrooms, the benefits of peer discussion and interaction for learning was absent due to this level of academic isolation. Students’ use of the technologies for either educational or social-leisure use was reflective of the learning conditions and what affected their levels of motivation and attention. For a number of students, their excessive use of the classroom computers to access online social-leisure resources came at a cost to their grades and their ambitions for progression had to be reduced. There is no doubting the value of computers and the Internet as classroom learning resources, however, this research identifies that they are certainly not a quick panacea for education. The evidence illustrates that to attain the potential they offer, there needs to be relative adjustments to pedagogy and learning cultures and how students conceptualise the space of computer-resourced classrooms

The American Darters

The darters are a fascinating group of colorful and diminutive freshwater fish whose beauty rivals that of the tropical reef fishes. Native only to North America, the darters occur widely, especially in the United States, but are little known to the general public, largely because of their small size—few exceed six inches and some measure a mere one inch at maturity. This book is the first comprehensive guide to the darters, covering all named and several undescribed forms—140 species in all. Each species account includes a synoptic description to aid in separation of similar species and subspecies, a range map, and discussion of the species\u27 distribution, natural heritage, abundance, and scientific name. An illustrated key and glossary will further assist scientists, students, fishermen, and aquarium specialists in identifying darter species. Central to this volume is the series of 144 handsome color photographs illustrating nearly all known darter species and several subspecies. Most of the specimens shown were caught by the authors at sites throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and photographed by them on site using a recently developed technique that captures the full brilliance of the living fish. Because of their importance as indicators of environmental quality, the darters are receiving increasing attention today from scientists and naturalists. Public interest was focused recently on the plight of the snail darter, but many other darter species are either threatened or endangered, and others face an uncertain future as human activities continue to degrade our waterways. All those with an interest in preserving the natural heritage of our rivers and streams will find this comprehensive guide to the darters an invaluable tool. Robert A. Kuehne is associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Kentucky and the author of many papers on ecology, fish taxonomy, and the distribution patterns of aquatic animals. Roger W. Barbour is professor of biological sciences at the University of Kentucky. His publications include Bats of America (with Wayne H. Davis), Turtles of America (with Carl H. Ernst), and authorship or co-authorship of six volumes in the Kentucky Nature Series. He has received many awards for his contributions to wildlife conservation.https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_biology/1001/thumbnail.jp

Professional Doctorate Taught Courses: Some Metaknowledge and Intellectual Property Implications

Professional doctorate candidates engage in discipline specific investigations linking practical questions with current developments and creating new knowledge in computing and information technology as an outcome. Course content and a constructivist pedagogy is described and exemplified for a professional doctorate in computing and information technology in New Zealand. Both academic and student responses to the program are described. Problems and points of tension are identified, and solutions discussed

2-Bromo-1,3-diphenyl­propan-1,3-dione

The title compound, C15H11BrO2, exists as a diketone in which the two benzoyl groups are nearly perpendicular to each other [dihedral angles = 79.9 (1) and 87.4 (1)° in the two independent mol­ecules]

Inverted orbital polarization in strained correlated oxide films

Manipulating the orbital occupation of valence electrons via epitaxial strain in an effort to induce new functional properties requires considerations of how changes in the local bonding environment affect the band structure at the Fermi level. Using synchrotron radiation to measure the x-ray linear dichroism of epitaxially strained films of the correlated oxide CaFeO3, we demonstrate that the orbital polarization of the Fe valence electrons is opposite from conventional understanding. Although the energetic ordering of the Fe 3d orbitals is confirmed by multiplet ligand field theory analysis to be consistent with previously reported strain-induced behavior, we find that the nominally higher energy orbital is more populated than the lower. We ascribe this inverted orbital polarization to an anisotropic bandwidth response to strain in a compound with nearly filled bands. These findings provide an important counterexample to the traditional understanding of strain-induced orbital polarization and reveal a new method to engineer otherwise unachievable orbital occupations in correlated oxides

Do consumers ‘Get the facts’? A survey of alcohol warning label recognition in Australia

BACKGROUND: There is limited research on awareness of alcohol warning labels and their effects. The current study examined the awareness of the Australian voluntary warning labels, the ‘Get the facts’ logo (a component of current warning labels) that directs consumers to an industry-designed informational website, and whether alcohol consumers visited this website. METHODS: Participants aged 18–45 (unweighted n = 561; mean age = 33.6 years) completed an online survey assessing alcohol consumption patterns, awareness of the ‘Get the facts’ logo and warning labels, and use of the website. RESULTS: No participants recalled the ‘Get the facts’ logo, and the recall rate of warning labels was 16 % at best. A quarter of participants recognised the ‘Get the facts’ logo, and awareness of the warning labels ranged from 13.1–37.9 %. Overall, only 7.3 % of respondents had visited the website. Multivariable logistic regression models indicated that younger drinkers, increased frequency of binge drinking, consuming alcohol directly from the bottle or can, and support for warning labels were significantly, positively associated with awareness of the logo and warning labels. While an increased frequency of binge drinking, consuming alcohol directly from the container, support for warning labels, and recognition of the ‘Get the facts’ logo increased the odds of visiting the website. CONCLUSIONS: Within this sample, recall of the current, voluntary warning labels on Australian alcohol products was non-existent, overall awareness was low, and few people reported visiting the DrinkWise website. It appears that current warning labels fail to effectively transmit health messages to the general public