Catholic Schools and Multicultural Education: A Good Match

This article reflects on the place of multicultural education in Catholic schools. The authors review the history and development of Catholic schools in order to set a context for examination of the appropriateness of multicultural education

Spectral signatures of excess-proton waiting and transfer-path dynamics in aqueous hydrochloric acid solutions

Signatures of solvated excess protons in infrared difference absorption spectra, such as the continuum band between the water bend and stretch bands, have been experimentally known for a long time, but the theoretical basis for linking spectral signatures with the microscopic proton-transfer mechanism so far relied on normal-mode analysis. We analyze the excess-proton dynamics in ab initio molecular-dynamics simulations of aqueous hydrochloric acid solutions by trajectory-decomposition techniques. The continuum band in the 2000 - 3000 cm$^{-1 }$ range is shown to be due to normal-mode oscillations of temporary H$_3$O$^+$ complexes. An additional prominent peak at 400 cm$^{-1}$ reports on the coupling of excess-proton motion to the relative vibrations of the two flanking water molecules. The actual proton transfer between two water molecules, which for large water separations involves crossing of a barrier and thus is not a normal mode, is characterized by two characteristic time scales: Firstly, the waiting time for transfer to occur in the range of 200 - 300 fs, which leads to a broad weak shoulder around ~100 cm$^{-1}$, consistent with our experimental THz spectra. Secondly, the mean duration of a transfer event of about 14 fs, which produces a rather well-defined spectral contribution around 1200 cm$^{-1}$ and agrees in location and width with previous experimental mid-infrared spectra

Strong Anisotropy in Liquid Water upon Librational Excitation using Terahertz Laser Fields

Tracking the excitation of water molecules in the homogeneous liquid is challenging due to the ultrafast dissipation of rotational excitation energy through the hydrogen-bonded network. Here we demonstrate strong transient anisotropy of liquid water through librational excitation using single-color pump-probe experiments at 12.3 THz. We deduce a third order response of chi^3 exceeding previously reported values in the optical range by three orders of magnitude. Using a theory that replaces the nonlinear response with a material response property amenable to molecular dynamics simulation, we show that the rotationally damped motion of water molecules in the librational band is resonantly driven at this frequency, which could explain the enhancement of the anisotropy in the liquid by the external Terahertz field. By addition of salt (MgSO4), the hydration water is instead dominated by the local electric field of the ions, resulting in reduction of water molecules that can be dynamically perturbed by THz pulses

Women Scholars, Integration, and the Marianist Tradition: Learning from our Culture and Ourselves

In the fall of 1997, a group of junior tenure-track women faculty in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Dayton decided to meet regularly in order to support each other’s scholarly endeavors in the process of achieving promotion and tenure. The group of subsequently became known as the Writing-Writers’ Support Group (WWSG). In 2000, the group conducted a self-study of its group process to determine how the formation of women’s WWSG fit with the mission and characteristics of a Marianist university. The results suggest that, although each of the characteristics could be identified in the group processes, the group best identified with the Marianist mandate to educate in family spirit. Each member of the group considered the possible reasons for this outcome

Women Scholars, Integration, and the Marianist Tradition: Learning From Our Culture and Ourselves

In the fall of 1997, a group of junior tenure-track women faculty in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Dayton decided to meet regularly in order to support each others’ scholarly endeavors in the process of achieving promotion and tenure. The group of subsequently became known as the Writing ”“Writers’ Support Group (WWSG). In 2000, the group conducted a self-study of its group process to determine how the formation of women’s WWSG fit with the mission and characteristics of a Marianist university. The results suggest that, although each of the characteristics could be identified in the group processes, the group best identified with the Marianist mandate to educate in family spirit. Each member of the group considered the possible reasons for this outcome

Strawberry cultivars vary in productivity, sugars and phytonutrient content when grown in a greenhouse during the winter

In many areas of the US, fresh locally grown berries are not available during the winter. With this in mind, a research study comprised of three experiments was conducted focused on cultivar selection for berry yield, number, sweetness and phytonutrient content. Using a capillary mat system with under bench heating within a double-layer polyethylene greenhouse, strawberries were grown in the Great Plains Region of the US during the winter. During experiment 1, 12 cultivars were grown; berries were weighed, counted and analyzed for sugars and phytonutrients. “Albion” plants produced a high number/mass of berries, had relatively high sugar content but a lower level of phytonutrients when compared to other cultivars. Sugar and phytonutrients concentrations overlapped across cultivars and thus, one cultivar could not be statistically singled out as best. As all cultivars flowered and fruited, two additional 8-month-long experiments were conducted. It took only 7 weeks from potting of dormant crowns for most cultivars to produce fruit. Certain cultivars fruited more successfully during certain months than others, but this was not associated with response time. For example,” “Albion”, “Chandler”, “Darselect”, “Evie-2” and “Seascape” plants consistently produced fruit October to early January while “AC Wendy”, “Cavendish”, “Honeoye” and “Strawberry Festival” plants mainly produced berries in March/April. Summed over experiment 2, “Albion”, “ Cavendish”, “Chandler”, “ Evie-2”, “Portola” and “Seascape” plants produced the greatest mass of berries. “AC Wendy” and “Darselect” berries contained some of the highest levels of sugars while berries from “Chandler”, “Darselect”, “Evie-2”, “Seascape” and “Strawberry Festival” had some of the highest phytonutrient values. In the third experiment, of the 8 selected cultivars, “Evie-2”, “Evie−2+” and “Portola” plants had the highest total yield and average berry mass/plant. “Seascape” and” Chandler” plants were second in total production. Glucose, fructose and sucrose levels varied across cultivars with “Chandler” and “Seascape” berries possessing the lowest level of total sugars. Phytonutrient values varied among cultivars with some having better flavonoids (“Seascape”), phenols (“Seascape” and “Chandler”) and ant oxidant capacity (“Seascape”, “Evie-2” and “Cavendish”). Measurement of soluble solids concentration varied by week among the cultivars with “Seascape”, “Seascape+”, and “Albion” berries possessing higher levels than other cultivars such as “Cavendish”. Overall, under these winter greenhouse conditions using capillary mat fertigation and an under-bench heat delivery system, strawberries were successfully produced for the off-season market

Comparison of Winter Strawberry Production in a Commercial Heated High Tunnel versus a University Greenhouse

For the past 4 years, the University of Nebraska strawberry team has worked to develop low cost, sustainable methods for farmers and growers to produce strawberries in a double polyethylene greenhouse during the winter. This past year, this growing system was adapted to become a commercial grower’s heated high tunnel for the winter/spring of 2013-14. The idea was to scale up to a farm-size demonstration and compare it to the university greenhouse production system with a goal to expand marketing opportunities for strawberries into the winter season

GATA-3 Dose-Dependent Checkpoints in Early T Cell Commitment

GATA-3 expression is crucial for T cell development and peaks during commitment to the T cell lineage, midway through the CD4CD8 (double-negative [DN]) stages 1–3. We used RNA interference and conditional deletion to reduce GATA-3 protein acutely at specific points during T cell differentiation in vitro. Even moderate GATA-3 reduction killed DN1 cells, delayed progression to the DN2 stage, skewed DN2 gene regulation, and blocked appearance of the DN3 phenotype. Although a Bcl-2 transgene rescued DN1 survival and improved DN2 cell generation, it did not restore DN3 differentiation. Gene expression analyses (quantitative PCR, RNA sequencing) showed that GATA-3–deficient DN2 cells quickly upregulated genes, including Spi1 (PU.1) and Bcl11a, and downregulated genes, including Cpa3, Ets1, Zfpm1, Bcl11b, Il9r, and Il17rb with gene-specific kinetics and dose dependencies. These targets could mediate two distinct roles played by GATA-3 in lineage commitment, as revealed by removing wild-type or GATA-3–deficient early T lineage cells from environmental Notch signals. GATA-3 worked as a potent repressor of B cell potential even at low expression levels, so that only full deletion of GATA-3 enabled pro–T cells to reveal B cell potential. The ability of GATA-3 to block B cell development did not require T lineage commitment factor Bcl11b. In prethymic multipotent precursors, however, titration of GATA-3 activity using tamoxifen-inducible GATA-3 showed that GATA-3 inhibits B and myeloid developmental alternatives at different threshold doses. Furthermore, differential impacts of a GATA-3 obligate repressor construct imply that B and myeloid development are inhibited through distinct transcriptional mechanisms. Thus, the pattern of GATA-3 expression sequentially produces B lineage exclusion, T lineage progression, and myeloid-lineage exclusion for commitment