Searching for the Hero\u27s Code: Questioning (White) Hero Formation in Contemporary American Film

The desire for heroism never wavers in the imaginations of the movie-going public. When we go to the movies, we long to see a strong character, poised to save the world (tights and cape optional, of course). However, we rarely question what the hero looks like. Hollywood perpetuates an archaic form of heroism because that is what the audience has formed long ago in their collective imagination. Much of American culture is generated by the desire to see self-starters making it in the direst of conditions. With such a narrow construction of heroism, Hollywood has become void of equal representation of the movie-going public. A pre-packaged product is shipped to us in every canister of film. In the case of heroism, some man (it\u27s almost always a man) fits a list of impossible and arbitrary criteria that includes being white, heterosexual, strong, Christian, and alone. This representation is both racist and sexist, both in the constant forefronting of it instead of other heroic possibilities, and in its continual reliance on subordinated Otherness to define itself. As this thesis will explain in detail, two flaws emerge with this outdated representation of heroism: 1) The relationships that help establish the hero go unexamined, and 2) There are few heroes that challenge the current system. Using three offerings from popular film (The Matrix, Unbreakable, and O), I analyze interracial hero relationships, specifically the pairing of African American males with white males. The Matrix (1999) and Unbreakable (2000), make explicit use of the outdated system of interracial pairings, pitting a white hero with a nonwhite as a catalyst (as in The Matrix), or against one as a nemesis (as in Unbreakable). As this thesis will also explain, Hollywood has made a few attempts to debunk the standard white vs. black dichotomy by allowing antiheroes to be played by nonwhites, as in O (2001), though this film ultimately also falls back on the archaic system. However, there is hope to be found in the independent market. Suture (1993) presents two brothers whom the audience is supposed to believe are similar in appearance. The challenging twist for the audience is that although the characters are presented as brothers, one is played by a markedly white actor, and the other by a man who is undoubtedly black. The film forces the audience out of its comfort zone because they must actively think about the associations between race and class and how that combination effects a person\u27s position within the hierarchy. As a result of Hollywood\u27s typically racist and limiting portrayal of nonwhites, stock characters are underdeveloped, even though they play an integral part in the formation of the hero. Additionally, these stock characters remain locked into a role that neither shows a full range and depth of humanity nor focuses on their potential for attaining hero status, whereas their white counterparts are developed in such ways. However, a few elements have arisen to aid in breaking open the myth that only lone white males aided by supposedly inferior black males can attain hero status, such as nonwhite Hollywood actors who demand heroic roles, the tremendous growth in the independent film market, and continued interdisciplinary research into this area

Direct and indirect selection on flowering time, water-use efficiency (WUE, δ (13)C), and WUE plasticity to drought in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Flowering time and water-use efficiency (WUE) are two ecological traits that are important for plant drought response. To understand the evolutionary significance of natural genetic variation in flowering time, WUE, and WUE plasticity to drought in Arabidopsis thaliana, we addressed the following questions: (1) How are ecophysiological traits genetically correlated within and between different soil moisture environments? (2) Does terminal drought select for early flowering and drought escape? (3) Is WUE plasticity to drought adaptive and/or costly? We measured a suite of ecophysiological and reproductive traits on 234 spring flowering accessions of A. thaliana grown in well-watered and season-ending soil drying treatments, and quantified patterns of genetic variation, correlation, and selection within each treatment. WUE and flowering time were consistently positively genetically correlated. WUE was correlated with WUE plasticity, but the direction changed between treatments. Selection generally favored early flowering and low WUE, with drought favoring earlier flowering significantly more than well-watered conditions. Selection for lower WUE was marginally stronger under drought. There were no net fitness costs of WUE plasticity. WUE plasticity (per se) was globally neutral, but locally favored under drought. Strong genetic correlation between WUE and flowering time may facilitate the evolution of drought escape, or constrain independent evolution of these traits. Terminal drought favored drought escape in these spring flowering accessions of A. thaliana. WUE plasticity may be favored over completely fixed development in environments with periodic drought

Facts Matter! Black Lives Matter! The Trauma of Racism

This report is a summary of select research on the blocked opportunities and oppressive burden that young men of color experience. The authors hope that these findings fuel action by our government leaders, policy makers, advocacy and provider organizations and communities. In addition, this report highlights select promising policy and programmatic interventions that could provide steps to address the serious inequities that appear to be fueling the accumulating number of young men of color whose lives are cut short by violence or diminished by lack of opportunities, resources and supports

Mapping of Photoperiod-induced Growth Cessation in the Wild Grape Vitis riparia

In grapevines (Vitis spp.), the timing of growth cessation in the fall is an important aspect of adaptation and a key objective in breeding new grape cultivars suitable for continental climates. Growth cessation is a complex biological process that is initiated by environmental cues such as daylength and temperature, as well as water and nutrient availability. The genetic control of growth cessation in grapevines was studied by mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) in a hybrid grape population. An F2 mapping population was developed by selfing a single F1 plant derived from a cross between an accession of the North American species Vitis riparia and the Vitis hybrid wine cultivar Seyval (Seyve-Villard 5–276). A linkage map was constructed using 115 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers and six candidate genes in a population of 119 F2 progeny. The markers provided coverage of the 19 Vitis linkage groups with an average distance between markers of 8.4 cM. The critical photoperiod for growth cessation in lateral buds for the parents and F2 progeny was determined in a replicated field trial in 2001 and 2002 and under controlled photoperiod treatments in a greenhouse in 2002, 2003, and 2004. QTL analysis using composite interval mapping identified a single major QTL in the field and greenhouse trials. However, the field and greenhouse QTL mapped to different linkage groups in the two different environments, suggesting the presence of additional, nonphotoperiodic cues for induction of growth cessation in the field. In the greenhouse, where noninducing temperatures were maintained, a QTL on linkage group (LG) 13 explained 80.0% to 96.6% of the phenotypic variance of critical photoperiod for growth cessation. In the field, where vines experienced natural fluctuations in temperature and rainfall in addition to the naturally decreasing photoperiod, a QTL on LG 11 explained 85.4% to 94.3% of phenotypic variance

Prevalence and causes of prescribing errors: the prescribing outcomes for trainee doctors engaged in clinical training (PROTECT) study

Objectives Study objectives were to investigate the prevalence and causes of prescribing errors amongst foundation doctors (i.e. junior doctors in their first (F1) or second (F2) year of post-graduate training), describe their knowledge and experience of prescribing errors, and explore their self-efficacy (i.e. confidence) in prescribing. Method A three-part mixed-methods design was used, comprising: prospective observational study; semi-structured interviews and cross-sectional survey. All doctors prescribing in eight purposively selected hospitals in Scotland participated. All foundation doctors throughout Scotland participated in the survey. The number of prescribing errors per patient, doctor, ward and hospital, perceived causes of errors and a measure of doctors' self-efficacy were established. Results 4710 patient charts and 44,726 prescribed medicines were reviewed. There were 3364 errors, affecting 1700 (36.1%) charts (overall error rate: 7.5%; F1:7.4%; F2:8.6%; consultants:6.3%). Higher error rates were associated with : teaching hospitals (p&#60;0.001), surgical (p = &#60;0.001) or mixed wards (0.008) rather thanmedical ward, higher patient turnover wards (p&#60;0.001), a greater number of prescribed medicines (p&#60;0.001) and the months December and June (p&#60;0.001). One hundred errors were discussed in 40 interviews. Error causation was multi-factorial; work environment and team factors were particularly noted. Of 548 completed questionnaires (national response rate of 35.4%), 508 (92.7% of respondents) reported errors, most of which (328 (64.6%) did not reach the patient. Pressure from other staff, workload and interruptions were cited as the main causes of errors. Foundation year 2 doctors reported greater confidence than year 1 doctors in deciding the most appropriate medication regimen. Conclusions Prescribing errors are frequent and of complex causation. Foundation doctors made more errors than other doctors, but undertook the majority of prescribing, making them a key target for intervention. Contributing causes included work environment, team, task, individual and patient factors. Further work is needed to develop and assess interventions that address these.</p