Narratives of Becoming: Conceptualization of Teacher Identity Through the Experiences of Educators from Racially, Linguistically, and Culturally Minoritized Backgrounds

Teacher education programs are predominantly White spaces with their faculty, teacher candidates, curriculum, and practices. In these spaces, the experiences of teacher candidates from minoritized backgrounds can be alienating and their voices can be overlooked or silenced. In three interrelated but distinct studies, this research aims to highlight the experiences and perspectives of educators from minoritized racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds as they are conceptualizing their professional identities as educators. These three studies are narratives of becoming as they explore conceptualization of teacher identity through three different narrative methods namely autoethnography, counterstories, and narrative inquiry. Although each study has its unique focus and specific research questions, the overarching questions this project answers are (1) How do the social and cultural contexts in which teaching, and learning occur empower/disempower minoritized identities? (2) How can the experiences of teacher candidates and novice teachers from minoritized racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds inform teacher education programs to create spaces that can support them to conceptualize their professional identities as teachers? The first study responds to these questions through an autoethnographic account of my own identity conceptualization as a novice teacher educator, a former language teacher, and an international doctoral student who identifies as a Turkish immigrant, a translingual and a transnational woman. The second study is a critical dialogue that I conducted with a colleague, who is a former student, as we explored how our linguistic identities influenced our pedagogies and approaches to language learning. In this smaller study, my collaborator discussed how she refrained from tapping into her African American Vernacular Dialect while teaching, whereas I talked about my insecurities with being positioned as a “non-native” English speaker. We discussed the ideologies we had internalized and analyzed how this affected the decisions we made when we first started teaching. Finally, the third study is a narrative inquiry following three novice teachers of color as they talk about their early schooling, teacher education programs, and their interactions with their students and colleagues in order to understand how they conceptualize their emergent teacher identities. Theoretical frameworks used throughout the studies are intersectionality, raciolinguistics, and teacher identity. Teacher identity in this work is theorized as multiple, and changes based on social interactions with other teachers, students, teacher educators, administrators, and the broader community (Barkhuizen, 2016) and is conceptualized in conjunction with teachers’ own social and cultural identities. Intersectionality helps analyze the conceptualization of teacher identity across the smaller studies through the complex ways that marginalization and privilege operate and it accounts for complexity and diversity within various identities and communities a person becomes a part of (Tefera et al., 2018). Thus, intersectionality was critical in analyzing how the social, cultural, and political contexts of participants, as well as their multiple identities, influenced their pedagogies and narratives of becoming. Completing my analytical lens was raciolinguistics, which explains how certain bodies are racialized and positioned as inferior and their linguistic practices are perceived as deficient (Rosa & Flores, 2017). As racial and linguistic identities were centers of discussions throughout the smaller studies, raciolinguistics helped frame participants’ experiences within the power dynamics that privilege whiteness and standard American English. Overall, the aim of this overarching project is to highlight the voices and experiences of educators from minoritized racial, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds in order to inform teacher education programs to better meet the needs of teacher candidates from non-dominant backgrounds. Moreover, this project contributes to the conversation about “who has power and what counts as “expertise” in teacher education (Pham, 2018). Synthesis of all three studies show that the participants, who are educators from minoritized racial, ethnic, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds, experience in-betweenness in one shape or form such as in-between two races, two cultures, or two communities, feel hesitant to take space in critical conversations around race and identity, and strive to claim agency over one or more aspects of their identities. Furthermore, participants across the three studies were using their own stories and experiences to empower their students. Overall, these narratives of becoming can be used to inform teacher education programs into more inclusive spaces. First of all, autoethnography, which is the methodology for the first study, can be used in teacher education curriculum as a self-reflexivity tool for teacher candidates and teacher educators to examine how their experiences influence their pedagogies and how these experiences are situated and influenced by the larger socio-political contexts. Secondly, exposure was a recurring concept that shaped the participants’ experiences in their programs. This includes exposure to diverse voices in the curriculum and exposure to diverse student populations within student teaching. This was particularly important for educators of Color in these studies because teachers of Color are assumed to inherently know how to work with diverse student populations simply on the basis of their race and ethnicity (Jackson et al., 2015). However, the narratives of participants demonstrate that although they were eager to have critical conversations with their students, they sometimes struggled or felt hesitant to do that. All in all, studies in this dissertation are limited in their scope to the experiences of a few participants but they provide valuable insight into the conceptualization of teacher identity at the intersections of race, ethnicity, language, and culture

Morpho-agronomic characters of oat growing with humic acid and zinc application in different sowing times

The objectives of the study were to determine the effects of humic acid (HA) and zinc (Zn) applications on winter tolerance and yield performance of oat (cv. Albatros) planted in winter and spring sowing times (ST). We conducted the study in the 2017/2018 growing season. The experimental layout was split-split plots with three replications. Sowing times (winter and spring) comprised of the main plots. Humic acid application (with HA and without HA) was in the sub-plots, and Zn application rates (0, 23 and 46 kg ha-1) were in the sub-sub-plots. Chlorophyll content of plants was measured at the heading stage, while plant height, panicle height, panicle weight, number of grain per panicle, weight of grains per panicle, harvest index and grain yield were determined at the harvest. The effects of HA and Zn applications in both ST increased the chlorophyll content, yield and yield components. The results showed that cold tolerance of oat plants can be increased by the application of HA and 46 kg ZnSO4.7H2O ha -1. Overall performance of winter season was better than spring; thus, oat can be cultivated in winter under warm winter climate conditions. In addition, the HA and Zn applications can be used for other cold sensitive plant species to increase the cold tolerance which is a prevalent environmental stress affecting productivity of crops

Ionic responses of bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) plants under salinity stress and humic acid applications

This study aimed to investigate the effects of different humic acid application methods (control, soil, foliar and soil + foliar) on chlorophyll content, dry matter weight of shoots and roots, concentrations of potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and sodium (Na), and K/Na and Ca/Na ratios of bean plants exposed to increasing salinity levels (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM). The effects of salt damage on shoots and roots of bean plants were significantly differed in humic acid application methods. Chlorophyll content decreased with the increase in salt doses at control and soil application of humic acid, while the decrease in chlorophyll content was lower in foliar application of humic acid. Shoot dry weight was not affected by humic acid applications, while root dry weight increased in soil + foliar application method. Soil + foliar humic acid application caused the highest shoot and root Na concentrations. Shoot Ca (2.61%) concentration in soil + foliar application was significantly higher compared to the other treatments, while the highest Ca concentration in roots (1.55%) was recorded in soil humic acid application method. The highest K concentration in roots was obtained in the control treatment (2.50%) followed by soil + foliar humic acid application (2.48%). The ratios of K/Na and Ca/Na in shoots decreased with the increase in salt application rates. The highest shoot K/Na (1456.1%) and Ca/Na (1274.1%) ratio in humic acid x salt interactions was found in soil application of humic acid without salt treatment. The root and shoot dry matter yield and K and Ca concentrations of the plants indicated that soil+foliar application method has a preventive effect for the plants against the 50 mM salt damage. The results showed that soil+foliar humic acid application in addition to the mineral fertilization required for beans can contribute to the growth and mineral nutrition of the plants under moderate salt stress (50 mM NaCl)

Relation between the Global Burden of Disease and Randomized Clinical Trials Conducted in Latin America Published in the Five Leading Medical Journals

Background: Since 1990 non communicable diseases and injuries account for the majority of death and disability-adjusted life years in Latin America. We analyzed the relationship between the global burden of disease and Randomized Clinical Trials (RCTs) conducted in Latin America that were published in the five leading medical journals.Methodology/Principal Findings: We included all RCTs in humans, exclusively conducted in Latin American countries, and published in any of the following journals: Annals of Internal Medicine, British Medical Journal, Journal of the American Medical Association, Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine. We described the trials and reported the number of RCTs according to the main categories of the global burden of disease. Sixty-six RCTs were identified. Communicable diseases accounted for 38 (57%) reports. Maternal, perinatal, and nutritional conditions accounted for 19 (29%) trials. Non-communicable diseases represent 48% of the global burden of disease but only 14% of reported trials. No trial addressed injuries despite its 18% contribution to the burden of disease in 2000.Conclusions/Significance: A poor correlation between the burden of disease and RCTs publications was found. Non communicable diseases and injuries account for up to two thirds of the burden of disease in Latin America but these topics are seldom addressed in published RCTs in the selected sample of journals. Funding bodies of health research and editors should be aware of the increasing burden of non communicable diseases and injuries occurring in Latin America to ensure that this growing epidemic is not neglected in the research agenda and not affected by publication bias

Mutual effects of humic acid content and nitrogen sources for vegetative development and flowering of snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.)

Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.), a garden plant cherished for its unique and colorful flowers, is widely used in bouquets and wreaths as a cut flower. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of nitrogen sources (ammonium sulfate, AS; ammonium nitrate, AN; and urea) and humic acids from lignite sources (TKI-Humas and HUM-Zn) on the growth and flower production of snapdragon that are grown in pots under controlled conditions. It has been observed that plants started to flower during applications of HUM-Zn with AN and urea, whereas they remained at the vegetative stage during the application of HUM-Zn with AS. Furthermore, it has been determined that the two humic acid sources with AS usage prolonged the vegetative development and did not induce flowering of plants. Simultaneous application of humic acid and nitrogen sources has caused an increase in the leaf width, peduncle diameter, floret weight, chlorophyll content, and biomass of the snapdragon. Results show that the application of HUM-Zn with AN and urea has been effective on the plant’s vegetative organs, flowering, and dry weight. It indicated that HUM-Zn contains zinc, which is effective in flowering and biomass development. In conclusion, it was concluded that the simultaneous application of humic acid with AN or urea rapidly affected the flowering process of snapdragon.Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus L.), a garden plant cherished for its unique and colorful flowers, is widely used in bouquets and wreaths as a cut flower. The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of nitrogen sources (ammonium sulfate, AS; ammonium nitrate, AN; and urea) and humic acids from lignite sources (TKI-Humas and HUM-Zn) on the growth and flower production of snapdragon that are grown in pots under controlled conditions. It has been observed that plants started to flower during applications of HUM-Zn with AN and urea, whereas they remained at the vegetative stage during the application of HUM-Zn with AS. Furthermore, it has been determined that the two humic acid sources with AS usage prolonged the vegetative development and did not induce flowering of plants. Simultaneous application of humic acid and nitrogen sources has caused an increase in the leaf width, peduncle diameter, floret weight, chlorophyll content, and biomass of the snapdragon. Results show that the application of HUM-Zn with AN and urea has been effective on the plant’s vegetative organs, flowering, and dry weight. It indicated that HUM-Zn contains zinc, which is effective in flowering and biomass development. In conclusion, it was concluded that the simultaneous application of humic acid with AN or urea rapidly affected the flowering process of snapdragon

Provision and uptake of routine antenatal services: a qualitative evidence synthesis

Background Antenatal care (ANC) is a core component of maternity care. However, both quality of care provision and rates of attendance vary widely between and within countries. Qualitative research can assess factors underlying variation, including acceptability, feasibility, and the values and beliefs that frame provision and uptake of ANC programmes. This synthesis links to the Cochrane Reviews of the effectiveness of different antenatal models of care. It was designed to inform the World Health Organization guidelines for a positive pregnancy experience and to provide insights for the design and implementation of improved antenatal care in the future. Objectives To identify, appraise, and synthesise qualitative studies exploring: · Women’s views and experiences of attending ANC; and factors influencing the uptake of ANC arising from women’s accounts; · Healthcare providers’ views and experiences of providing ANC; and factors influencing the provision of ANC arising from the accounts of healthcare providers. Search methods To find primary studies we searched MEDLINE, Ovid; Embase, Ovid; CINAHL, EbscoHost; PsycINFO, EbscoHost; AMED, EbscoHost; LILACS, VHL; and African Journals Online (AJOL) from January 2000 to February 2019. We handsearched reference lists of included papers and checked the contents pages of 50 relevant journals through Zetoc alerts received during the searching phase. Selection criteria We included studies that used qualitative methodology and that met our quality threshold; that explored the views and experiences of routine ANC among healthy, pregnant and postnatal women or among healthcare providers offering this care, including doctors, midwives, nurses, lay health workers and traditional birth attendants; and that took place in any setting where ANC was provided.We excluded studies of ANC programmes designed for women with specific complications. We also excluded studies of programmes that focused solely on antenatal education. Data collection and analysis Two authors undertook data extraction, logged study characteristics, and assessed study quality. We used meta- ethnographic and Framework techniques to code and categorise study data. We developed findings from the data and presented these in a 'Summary of Qualitative Findings' (SoQF) table. We assessed confidence in each finding using GRADE-CERQual. We used these findings to generate higher-level explanatory thematic domains. We then developed two lines of argument syntheses, one from service user data, and one from healthcare provider data. In addition, we mapped the findings to relevant Cochrane effectiveness reviews to assess how far review authors had taken account of behavioural and organisational factors in the design and implementation of the interventions they tested. We also translated the findings into logic models to explain full, partial and no uptake of ANC, using the theory of planned behaviour. Main results We include 85 studies in our synthesis. Forty-six studies explored the views and experiences of healthy pregnant or postnatal women, 17 studies explored the views and experiences of healthcare providers and 22 studies incorporated the views of both women and healthcare providers. The studies took place in 41 countries, including eight high-income countries, 18 middle-income countries and 15 low-income countries, in rural, urban and semi-urban locations. We developed 52 findings in total and organised these into three thematic domains: socio-cultural context (11 findings, five moderate- or high- confidence); service design and provision (24 findings, 15 moderate- or high-confidence); and what matters to women and staff (17 findings, 11 moderate- or high-confidence) The third domain was sub-divided into two conceptual areas; personalised supportive care, and information and safety. We also developed two lines of argument, using high- or moderate-confidence findings: For women, initial or continued use of ANC depends on a perception that doing so will be a positive experience. This is a result of the provision of good-quality local services that are not dependent on the payment of informal fees and that include continuity of care that is authentically personalised, kind, caring, supportive, culturally sensitive, flexible, and respectful of women’s need for privacy, and that allow staff to take the time needed to provide relevant support, information and clinical safety for the woman and the baby, as and when they need it. Women’s perceptions of the value of ANC depend on their general beliefs about pregnancy as a healthy or a risky state, and on their reaction to being pregnant, as well as on local socio-cultural norms relating to the advantages or otherwise of antenatal care for healthy pregnancies, and for those with complications. Whether they continue to use ANC or not depends on their experience of ANC design and provision when they access it for the first time. The capacity of healthcare providers to deliver the kind of high-quality, relationship-based, locally accessible ANC that is likely to facilitate access by women depends on the provision of sufficient resources and staffing as well as the time to provide flexible personalised, private appointments that are not overloaded with organisational tasks. Such provision also depends on organisational norms and values that overtly value kind, caring staff who make effective, culturally-appropriate links with local communities, who respect women’s belief that pregnancy is usually a normal life event, but who can recognise and respond to complications when they arise. Healthcare providers also require sufficient training and education to do their job well, as well as an adequate salary, so that they do not need to demand extra informal funds from women and families, to supplement their income, or to fund essential supplies. Authors' conclusions This review has identified key barriers and facilitators to the uptake (or not) of ANC services by pregnant women, and in the provision (or not) of good-quality ANC by healthcare providers. It complements existing effectiveness reviews of models of ANC provision and adds essential insights into why a particular type of ANC provided in specific local contexts may or may not be acceptable, accessible, or valued by some pregnant women and their families/communities. Those providing and funding services should consider the three thematic domains identified by the review as a basis for service development and improvement. Such developments should include pregnant and postnatal women, community members and other relevant stakeholders

Dynamic Frequency-Based Fingerprinting Attacks against Modern Sandbox Environments

The cloud computing landscape has evolved significantly in recent years, embracing various sandboxes to meet the diverse demands of modern cloud applications. These sandboxes encompass container-based technologies like Docker and gVisor, microVM-based solutions like Firecracker, and security-centric sandboxes relying on Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) such as Intel SGX and AMD SEV. However, the practice of placing multiple tenants on shared physical hardware raises security and privacy concerns, most notably side-channel attacks. In this paper, we investigate the possibility of fingerprinting containers through CPU frequency reporting sensors in Intel and AMD CPUs. One key enabler of our attack is that the current CPU frequency information can be accessed by user-space attackers. We demonstrate that Docker images exhibit a unique frequency signature, enabling the distinction of different containers with up to 84.5% accuracy even when multiple containers are running simultaneously in different cores. Additionally, we assess the effectiveness of our attack when performed against several sandboxes deployed in cloud environments, including Google's gVisor, AWS' Firecracker, and TEE-based platforms like Gramine (utilizing Intel SGX) and AMD SEV. Our empirical results show that these attacks can also be carried out successfully against all of these sandboxes in less than 40 seconds, with an accuracy of over 70% in all cases. Finally, we propose a noise injection-based countermeasure to mitigate the proposed attack on cloud environments