1,198 research outputs found
The end of the wor(l)d as we know it? : language in postapocalyptic novels
In recent times, the idea of apocalypse has consumed the public consciousness.
Naturally, this preoccupation with the end of the world has been a frequent subject for
literary exploration. Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and
Crake are two recent novels that are set in the aftermath of global destruction. In The
Road, an unnamed cataclysmic event has left the world in ruins, while in Oryx and
Crake, the human race has been nearly annihilated by a man-made pandemic. As a result
of these apocalyptic events, the postapocalyptic landscapes of the novels have been
radically changed and rendered unspeakable for many of the characters that have
survived. These characters are equipped only with the signifiers of the old world, and
these signifiers no longer hold meaning in the new, postapocalyptic world. Therefore, as
a result of the cataclysmic events, the postapocalyptic worlds of The Road and Oryx and
Crake become sites for linguistic transformation. Both novels feature protagonists, in the
father and Snowman, who represent the pre-apocalyptic world. These characters struggle
to find their place in the new world, since they are burdened by the signifiers of the old
world. Ultimately, their existences prove anachronistic, as they are unable to fully define themselves in the new world. Both novels also feature characters, in the boy and the
Crakers, who represent the postapocalyptic world. These characters are charged with
determining the linguistic transformation that will take place in the postapocalyptic
world. Both the boy and the Crakers employ a simple, pared-down language that stands
in stark contrast to the language of the pre-apocalyptic world. As a result of the
apocalyptic events in the novels, language has been restored to its essential elements.
Ultimately, both The Road and Oryx and Crake affirm language as a redemptive and
inextricable part of human existence. They also suggest, however, that if language is to
exist after an apocalyptic event, it must be radically re-imagined
Designing and implementing a new model for functional behavior assessments incorporating positive behavioral supports at a Native American middle school
The 1997 and 2004 reauthorizations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) have mandated the use of functional behavioral assessments and recommended the implementation of positive behavioral supports when developing behavior intervention plans for students exhibiting problem behaviors. However, functional behavioral assessments are traditionally based primarily on a behaviorist perspective, which overlooks the internal or cognitive processes operating within the student. The current study was conducted in order to design and implement a new model for conducting functional behavioral assessments based on a constructivist approach, which is derived from the ecological model of viewing student behavior and takes into account external as well as internal processes when assessing student behavior. In order to design behavior intervention plans incorporating positive behavioral supports, it is necessary to assess student behavior using a constructivist approach as well as a behaviorist approach. The study was conducted in a Native American Middle School in the South Eastern United States. The constructivist approach is more aligned with the cultural beliefs of the Native Americans than is the behaviorist approach
Optimization of a PS2.M-based catalytic beacon in preparation for use as a device to explore mRNA secondary structures
The DNA oligonucleotide PS2.M has been previously reported to have nanomolar
affinity for hemin. The PS2.M-hemin complex then exhibits peroxidase activity. It was
predicted that this sequence could be used in a catalytic beacon to facilitate the
development of a laboratory tool that would be effective at determining potential siRNA
target sites. The PS2.M-based beacon used for this study forms a stem-loop structure that
opens upon hybridization with a single-stranded target sequence. Once open, the PS2.M
part of the beacon can fold, locking hemin within a three level planer arrangement. Once
hemin is in place, the structure is catalytically active and can catalyze the oxidization of
the chromogenic substrate 2,2,’-azino-bis (3-ethylebenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)
(ABTS) in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Thus, binding of the beacon can be
monitored with absorbance readings at 414 nm. Although molecular beacons with a
stem-loop structure could potentially be used for this type of test, the cost would be
prohibitively expensive for most labs. Molecular beacons cost over 12. In general, development and optimization of a PS2.M-based catalytic beacon could provide a more economical and improved means of establishing siRNA target site accessibility within an mRNA. It was concluded that K+ and Mg+ are required for
folding of the PS2.M beacon. The substrate ABTS offered the highest absorbance values
at a concentration of 3.2 mM. Also, H2O2 concentrations of 3.6 mM and an extension of
the beacon stem by 10 nucleotides will result in reduced non-specific background absorbance activity
Hunter's Clarion, January/February 2000
Newsletter for Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N
Hunter's Clarion, Spring 2008
Newsletter for Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N
Hunter's Clarion, December 2014
Newsletter for Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N
Faculty Scholarship Celebration 2009
Program for Western Carolina University's annual Faculty Scholarship Celebration
Hunter's Clarion, April 2012
Newsletter for Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N
Hunter's Clarion, April 2013
Newsletter for Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N
Hunter's Clarion, January/February 2001
Newsletter for Hunter Library at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N
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