The Effects of Child Sponsorship on younger Sibling Confidence

Do spillover effects occur between siblings in sponsored families? With both the approach of human figure drawings and a survey, this paper aims at identifying the possible spillover effects to non-sponsored, younger siblings of sponsored children with regards to the child’s confidence. Using the summary index method to create indices from the elements quantified in the child’s drawings and an instrumental variable OLS with clustered standard errors, children from both families with sponsored children and families with waitlisted children are interviewed. The spillover effects are then tested by taking the difference between the younger and older siblings of the sponsored child then comparing the difference between the younger and older sibling of the waitlisted child. The results show that there exist only spillover effects with regards to the level of aggression in females

Refractory porcelain enamel passive-thermal-control coating for high-temperature superalloys

Study was conducted to match thermal expansion coefficients thereby preventing enamels from cracking. Report discusses various enamel coatings that are applied to two different high-temperature superalloys. Study may be of interest to manufacturers of chemical equipment, furnaces, and metal components intended for high-temperature applications

The effects of Didemnum vexillum overgrowth on Mytilus edulis biology and ecology

Didemnum vexillum is an invasive colonial ascidian in the Gulf of Maine that readily colonizes hard substrates. These substrates include hard-shelled organisms, such as the common blue mussel Mytilus edulis. Preliminary observations and short-term studies showed potential effects of epibiosis on M. edulis growth, specifically lip thickness and tissue index. This dissertation study further examined the effects of D. vexillum on growth and reproduction of, and predation on, M. edulis. Shell thickness index, tissue index, shell mass to tissue mass ratio, lip thickness and mussel length were measured throughout a 12-month period in control and overgrown mussels. Additionally, histological preparations of the mussels were used to determine reproductive condition of the mussels in each of these treatments. These variables were measured every three months (November 2008, February 2009, May 2009, and August 2009). Laboratory choice and consumption experiments examined the effects of overgrowth of the ascidian on predation by Carcinus maenas. Finally, mussel primary settlement was measured from summer 2008 through summer 2009 and compared to historical data. This settlement was also correlated with the abundance of neighboring D. vexillum. Overgrowth had a negative impact on mussel growth. Tissue index and lip thickness were negatively affected as the mussel lip margin was overgrown. Overall mussel growth was significantly higher in control mussels by the end of the experiment. The pattern of spawning and gonad development was reversed in overgrown male mussels from the control mussels. Predation studies showed a potential positive effect for the mussel, as crabs consumed more control mussels than overgrown mussels in both a choice study and a consumption study. Finally, winter mussel settlement in 2008-2009 was lower than historical 1980-1981 settlement, and there was a decrease in mussel plantigrades with D. vexillum recruits. These studies show tradeoffs in the effects of overgrowth by D. vexillum; growth and reproduction are inhibited, while predation is decreased. As mussels are an important source of food and habitat for other Gulf of Maine organisms, overgrowth by D. vexillum has the potential to change ecosystem dynamics

Structural Characterization And Bioactivity Of Cranberry Oligosaccharides

Complex carbohydrates from plant sources, such as the fruits of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton), promote human health in a variety of ways. However, complete studies of carbohydrate function often hinge on a detailed understanding and thorough elucidation of the chemical structure. Several methods have been used in the structure elucidation of cranberry oligosaccharides, such as derivatization folloby analysis using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In this manner, the identity and quantity of glycosyl units within two cranberry oligosaccharides were investigated through hydrolysis of the oligomers and subsequent synthesis of trimethylsilyl and alditol acetate derivatives. Further analysis using partially methylated alditol acetate derivatives revealed the linkage position on each glycosyl unit. A complete structure was assembled through the compilation of data from the analysis of 1D and 2D NMR experiments yielding two novel oligosaccharides, the heptasaccharide β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-[α- D-xylopyranosyl-(1→6)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β- D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-[α-L-arabinofuranosyl-(1→2)-α- D-xylopyranosyl-(1→6)]-β-D-glucopyranose (1) and the octasaccharide β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-[α- L-arabinofuranosyl-(1→2)-α-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→6)]-β- D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-[α- L-arabinofuranosyl-(1→2)-α-D-xylopyranosyl-(1→6)]-β- D-glucopyranose (2). Cranberry products are known to contain several biological activities, such as antioxidant properties, antiproliferative properties against several cancer cell lines, and antimicrobial and antiviral properties. In addition, several clinical trials and in vitro analyses have assessed the ability of cranberry products and extracts to aid in the treatment of urinary tract infections via prevention of adhesion of bacteria to uroepithelial cells. Cranberry extracts enriched with oligosaccharides, including compounds 1 and 2, were assessed for biological activity. Bioassays included an antimicrobial screen against 10 different pathogenic organisms, a breast cancer cell viability assay, and an anti-adhesion assay involving Escherichia coli and human uroepithelial cells. While antimicrobial, anticancer, and anti-adhesion activity was not confirmed for purified compounds 1 and 2, the parent fraction exhibits activity which prevents the adhesion of P-fimbriated E. coli to uroepithelial cells. This activity suggests the importance of oligosaccharide-enriched fractions in the anti-adhesion activity of cranberry products

Plasticity in stomatal development and stomatal conductance as influenced by stomatal ratio and growth habitat

While the impact of what environmental conditions promote amphistomy or hypostomy is extensively recorded, the impact on stomatal anatomy and function in amphistomatous versus hypostomatous plants is poorly quantified. The objective of this study was to test two hypotheses: (H1) amphistomatous species have greater stomatal developmental plasticity in response to local environmental conditions than hypostomatous species, as demonstrated by anatomical measurements of stomatal density, size, and maximum potential conductance (gsmax); and (H2) the increased developmental plasticity associated with amphistomy will enable greater flexibility in operational conductance (gs) over the course of a growing season. Species pairs, with one amphistomatous and one hypostomatous species, in the genera Aralia, Populus, and Salix were found through an initial survey at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. The above anatomical and physiological variables were measured, and it was found that the first hyposthesis was supported by the results while the second hypothesis was not. Overall, this indicates that amphistomatous species have enhanced developmental plasticity but that plasticity does not extend to physiological performance. This opens up further areas of study in order to determine what other environmental factors or leaf traits impact gs

Their Dreams and Ours: Britten, Film, and 'The Turn of the Screw'

Britten’s 1954 opera The Turn of the Screw, based on Henry James’s ghost story, has been described by critics and academics as ‘cinematic’, but little serious academic study has been done to test this. Along with Peter Grimes, The Turn of the Screw is one of the most frequently filmed of Britten’s operas, mostly for television, some using location footage and/or studio work, and others based on live theatrical settings. This thesis explores the notion of cinematic opera in the context of The Turn of the Screw and filmed opera in general, and questions what inherent cinematic qualities exist in the work which make it particularly conducive for screen interpretation. The thesis will examine Britten’s engagement with film as both a cinemagoer and film music composer, and will find that these experiences informed his compositional and dramatic choices when creating The Turn of the Screw. Archival research reveals clues to the composer’s adaptation process by using a specific scene from the opera and unpicking its progress from the source story to stage production, via the development of Myfanwy Piper’s libretto and Britten’s score. A key part of the thesis looks at the subsequent interpretation of the opera on screen, using a case-study approach based on neoformalism as an analysis method, and referring to nearly a hundred screen shots. The case studies evaluate seven directors’ interpretations ranging from 1959 up to the 2010s, and include a study of Peter Morley’s 1959 ITV version which had previously been thought lost and was only rediscovered many years later. In addition, the influence of cinema on non-filmed productions of the opera will be assessed, together with an examination of the significance of non-opera screen adaptations of James’s story. Finally, in conclusion, the importance of other Britten operas on TV during his lifetime, and consideration of his TV opera Owen Wingrave as culmination of his engagement with film and TV will be examined