An Investigation of Career and Technical Education in Local School Districts and the Special School District of St. Louis County, Missouri

This investigation focuses on the perceptions of knowledge held by public high school guidance counselors in St. Louis County, Missouri regarding career and technical education (CTE), particularly North and South Technical High Schools, a division of the Special School District (SSD). At the time of this investigation 153 high school guidance counselors were identified in public high schools in St. Louis County. Each counselor was given a 35 item survey, which provided the investigator with demographic information and information regarding the counselor?s perceptions in three subsets of counselor knowledge: CTE candidates, CTE reform and post-secondary opportunities, and CTE program development and instruction. Three univariate three-factor ANOVAs were conducted in order to determine whether the factors impacted counselors? perceptions in the subsets of counselor knowledge; these three factors were region (north, south, or west), special education teacher training, and a personal connection to CTE as a student or through CTE teacher training. Chi-square tests were conducted to see if equal representation of other demographic information across these three factors existed. Because it was determined that there was unequal representation in two categories, age and gender, three-factor ANCOVAs were conducted with the original three factors and counselor knowledge subsets using age and gender as covariates. It was determined that there were no significant differences in the means of the counselors? perceptions in regard to region, special education teacher training, and a personal connection to CTE. The three ANOVA factors were chosen based upon student population in the two CTE high schools and the region(s) each serves, association with SSD, and the affect of a personal connection to CTE. Guidance counselors are presumably the most influential educators in determining whether students receive information and encouragement regarding CTE. It is of utmost importance to SSD and its CTE division to determine what impacts counselors? perceptions of CTE and their decisions to recommend CTE to students

Thin film superfluid optomechanics

Excitations in superfluid helium represent attractive mechanical degrees of freedom for cavity optomechanics schemes. Here we numerically and analytically investigate the properties of optomechanical resonators formed by thin films of superfluid $^4$He covering micrometer-scale whispering gallery mode cavities. We predict that through proper optimization of the interaction between film and optical field, large optomechanical coupling rates $g_0>2\pi \times 100$ kHz and single photon cooperativities $C_0>10$ are achievable. Our analytical model reveals the unconventional behaviour of these thin films, such as thicker and heavier films exhibiting smaller effective mass and larger zero point motion. The optomechanical system outlined here provides access to unusual regimes such as $g_0>\Omega_M$ and opens the prospect of laser cooling a liquid into its quantum ground state.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figure

Representation in Westminster in the 1990s : The ghost of Edmund Burke

Why are 'trustee' notions of representation still invoked in the UK House of Commons in the 1990s? In answering this question this article analyses the premises of Burkean theory and the arguments that these premises are of little relevance in the late twentieth century. Despite these dismissals of trusteeship, Burkean ideas are still articulated in the Commons some 200 years after they were first voiced. The idea of trusteeship can prove extremely useful to justify the actions of representatives when those actions conflict with constituency 'opinion', party policy or the wishes of interest groups. Examples of the occasions when Burkean notions have been invoked in the 1990s are provided

Mitochondrial DNA and temperature tolerance in lager yeasts

A growing body of research suggests that the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is important for temperature adaptation. In the yeast genus Saccharomyces, species have diverged in temperature tolerance, driving their use in high- or low-temperature fermentations. Here, we experimentally test the role of mtDNA in temperature tolerance in synthetic and industrial hybrids (Saccharomyces cerevisiae × Saccharomyces eubayanus or Saccharomyces pastorianus), which cold-brew lager beer. We find that the relative temperature tolerances of hybrids correspond to the parent donating mtDNA, allowing us to modulate lager strain temperature preferences. The strong influence of mitotype on the temperature tolerance of otherwise identical hybrid strains provides support for the mitochondrial climactic adaptation hypothesis in yeasts and demonstrates how mitotype has influenced the world’s most commonly fermented beverage.This work was supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Hatch project no. 1003258), the NSF (grant no. DEB-1253634), and in part by the DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (DOE BER Office of Science; nos. DE-SC0018409 and DE-FC02-07ER64494). E.P.B. was supported by a Louis and Elsa Thomsen Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship. C.T.H. is a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences and a Vilas Faculty Early Career Investigator, supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Vilas Trust Estate. D.P. is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie fellow of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement no. 747775). J.C.F. was supported by the NIH (no. GM080669)Peer Reviewe

Data management of on-line partial discharge monitoring using wireless sensor nodes integrated with a multi-agent system

On-line partial discharge monitoring has been the subject of significant research in previous years but little work has been carried out with regard to the management of on-site data. To date, on-line partial discharge monitoring within a substation has only been concerned with single plant items, so the data management problem has been minimal. As the age of plant equipment increases, so does the need for condition monitoring to ensure maximum lifespan. This paper presents an approach to the management of partial discharge data through the use of embedded monitoring techniques running on wireless sensor nodes. This method is illustrated by a case study on partial discharge monitoring data from an ageing HVDC reactor

Comprehensive Determination of the Hinode/EIS Roll Angle

We present a new coalignment method for the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS) on board the Hinode spacecraft. In addition to the pointing offset and spacecraft jitter, this method determines the roll angle of the instrument, which has never been systematically measured, and is therefore usually not corrected. The optimal pointing for EIS is computed by maximizing the cross-correlations of the Fe XII 195.119 \r{A} line with images from the 193 \r{A} band of the Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) on board the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). By coaligning 3336 rasters with high signal-to-noise ratio, we estimate the rotation angle between EIS and AIA and explore the distribution of its values. We report an average value of (-0.387 $\pm$ 0.007)\deg. We also provide a software implementation of this method that can be used to coalign any EIS raster.Comment: Accepted for publication in Solar Physics, 11 pages, 7 figure

Globalization and comparative education research: misconceptions and applications of neo-institutional theory

As globalization studies have become central to comparative education research, neo-institutional theory has become the focus of many debates among comparative education researchers investigating the effects of globalization on education. Yet, in spite of this focus, many comparative education researchers have difficulty interpreting neo-institutional theory and how it frames comparative education research. In particular, misconceptions persist related to which strand of neo-institutional theory is the most relevant to comparative education research, and whether or not neo-institutional theory advocates for the homogenization of education and society worldwide. This article addresses these misconceptions by explaining the theory in relation to comparative education research using a specific empirical case as an example. The documented theoretical and methodological diversity within the field of comparative education supports the assertion that neo-institutional theory provides a productive framework for understanding and interpreting comparative education phenomena, but that complementary approaches and methods are useful as well.La teoría neo-institucionalista se ha ubicado en el centro de los debates académicos debido al avance y proliferación de los estudios en educación comparada que sitúan los análisis en el en el marco del proceso de globalización. Sin embargo, a pesar de su relevancia para la educación comparada, la teoría neo-institucionalista sigue generando incertidumbre en cuanto a su empleo e interpretación en la investigación educativa comparada. Parte de esta incertidumbre proviene de la malinterpretación de sus principios, variantes y de su capacidad explicativa. Además, aún persisten varios malentendidos sobre el neo-institucionalismo como por ejemplo, la creencia que sostiene que la versión conocida como la “cultura global” es la única variante del neo-institucionalismo relevante a la investigación educativa comparada. Otra suposición errónea es la que considera que la homogeneización cultural global es uno de los objetivos avanzados por los investigadores que aplican el marco teórico neo-institucional para explicar los fenómenos educativos comparados. Este artículo tiene como propósito abordar esos malentendidos a través de un caso de estudio que utilizaremos como ejemplo. El mismo nos permitirá no sólo clarificar los errores sobre la teoría neo-institucionalista sino también demostrar una de las tantas aplicaciones posibles a la investigación comparada en educación. Los resultados nos permiten sostener que las distintas variantes del marco teórico neo-institucionalista son útiles como acercamiento a la problemática de la educación comparada. De la misma forma también dan cuenta de la necesidad de utilizar métodos y formas de aproximación al conocimiento en forma complementaria. La probada riqueza y diversidad teórica y metodológica del neo-institucionalismo en el campo de la educación comparada asevera fehacientemente que el neo-institucionalismo nos provee de un marco teórico productivo para el entendimiento e interpretación de los fenómenos educativos comparado

Author Correction: A cell-free platform for the prenylation of natural products and application to cannabinoid production.

In the original version of this Article, the genotype of the M30 mutant presented in Fig. 3b was given incorrectly as Y288V/A232S, and the M31 mutant was given incorrectly as M1/A232S. The correct genotype of the M30 mutant is Y288A/A232S and for M31 it is Y288V/A232S. In addition, to keep consistency in genotype formatting, the genotype of the M27 mutant should be Y288V/G286S. The errors have been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article

Evaluating the impact of hydropower on downstream migrating anguillid eels: Catchment-wide and fine-scale approaches to identify cost-effective solutions

Hydropower is an increasingly popular source of renewable and ‘green’ (in terms of emissions) energy, but reduced longitudinal connectivity and diverting flow through turbines can have negative impacts on catadromous anguillid eel species that have declined globally. There is an urgent need for environmental managers to perform remediation actions, such as protecting flows for migratory fish and providing passage solutions at infrastructure, under increasing legislative pressure. To deliver this, a more comprehensive understanding of eel migration in catchments with hydropower is required. Here, we illustrate the importance of catchment-wide and fine-scale acoustic telemetry, coupled with the influence of eel maturation (i.e. sex steroid levels), to determine the impact of Wairua run-of-river Power Station (WPS) on downstream migrating shortfin eels (Anguilla australis; n = 25) in Wairua River, New Zealand. Migration speed through the unregulated reach upstream of WPS was positively correlated with flow, but not eel length or sex steroids. Three eels passed a diversion weir (DW) to follow the natural watercourse and eight entered the WPS canal. Eels predominantly entered (95.2%) and were last detected (85.7%) in WPS forebay during hours of darkness. Eleven (52%) of the 21 eels that entered WPS forebay were impinged or entrained, all when three or four turbines were in operation (power generation >3.04 MW). Ten (48%) passed WPS spillway during significantly higher spill than impinged or entrained eels, with four passing during no turbine operation, after experiencing high flows near the intake (multiple receivers in WPS forebay used to quantify fine-scale behaviour). On average, eels were impinged or entrained at WPS significantly quicker (6.40 ± 11.13 days) than eels that entered the spillway (25.17 ± 15.12 days), but eel length and sex steroids did not significantly influence fate. Of the eels that migrated through the entire 55 km study reach, passage time at DW and WPS equated to 0.01–0.02% and 47.62–92.17% of their migration, respectively. Mitigation for WPS (and similar power schemes) should focus on operational or physical changes at DW to minimise eels entering power station forebay(s). Turbine shutdowns, ensuring WPS spillway is available and the provision of a bypass channel in WPS forebay are also discussed as ways to conserve the species with the potential to save costs for water resource managers