Guatemala: An Intercultural Perspective

In July 2001, a group of 14 bilingual/ESL educators from Illinois traveled to Guatemala as participants in a Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Aborad Program. The main purpose of the trip was to enhance the quality and quantity of intercultural education in K-12 schools, using Guatemala as a case study. The group, 12 bilingual/ESL teachers and the authors of this article, spent five weeks in Guatemala studying and working in bilingual schools in the Guatemalan highlands

Administrators' perceptions of teacher effectiveness in rural northwest Missouri secondary public schools

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to help identify administrators' perceptions of effective teaching in rural Northwest Missouri in secondary public schools in order to increase teacher and administrator effectiveness. Current members of the Northwest chapter of the Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals participated in surveys, interviews, and a focus group to collect data to find common themes and trends. These methodologies indicated effective teaching is rooted in establishing relationships, high student/teacher engagement, student growth in content, high critical thinking, good classroom management skills, and the use of well-rounded classroom observation feedback.Includes bibliographical reference

Spectroscopic measurements of streamer filaments in electric breakdown in a dielectric liquid

Emission spectroscopy has been utilized to provide information about the electron density and temperature in streamers and breakdown arcs in transformer oil. Recorded spectra include strongly broadened hydrogen Balmer-alpha lines and vibration/rotation band profiles of the C-2 molecule. The origin of the observed broadening of hydrogen lines is discussed and it is concluded that it arises mainly from collisions with charged particles, so-called dynamic Stark broadening. By assuming that the broadening is due solely to dynamic Stark broadening, electron densities between 1 x 10(18) and 1 x 10(19) cm(-3) were obtained for the rear of positive streamer filaments during the later stages of propagation. For negative streamers we obtained an upper limit of 3 x 10(16) cm(-3) and for breakdown arcs electron densities up to 4 x 10(18) cm(-3). The temperature information in the C-2 emission profiles and the intensity ratio of the hydrogen Balmer lines are discussed. Rough estimations of the temperature are presented both for positive and for negative streamers

Gender and Mobility – A Literature Review on Women\u27s (Non-)Use of Shared Mobility Services

In the context of the development of smart cities, the number and types of shared mobility solutions, such as carsharing and bikesharing, have increased in recent years. While the services are generally becoming more popular, there are comparatively few women among the users. With a view to gender-equitable mobility, this literature review explores gender-specific reasons for this low use of shared mobility solutions. Based on 35 relevant studies from multiple databases and disciplines, we identified four overarching barriers related to: security, availability, simplicity, and costs. By identifying these barriers and the reasons for them, and by linking them in a self-developed conceptual model with starting points for potential actions to address these issues, this literature review contributes to gender-equitable mobility

The role of mobility in the dynamics of the COVID-19 epidemic in Andalusia

Metapopulation models have been a popular tool for the study of epidemic spread over a network of highly populated nodes (cities, provinces, countries) and have been extensively used in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In the present work, we revisit such a model, bearing a particular case example in mind, namely that of the region of Andalusia in Spain during the period of the summer-fall of 2020 (i.e., between the first and second pandemic waves). Our aim is to consider the possibility of incorporation of mobility across the province nodes focusing on mobile-phone time dependent data, but also discussing the comparison for our case example with a gravity model, as well as with the dynamics in the absence of mobility. Our main finding is that mobility is key towards a quantitative understanding of the emergence of the second wave of the pandemic and that the most accurate way to capture it involves dynamic (rather than static) inclusion of time-dependent mobility matrices based on cell-phone data. Alternatives bearing no mobility are unable to capture the trends revealed by the data in the context of the metapopulation model considered herein

Experimental characterization of a catalytically active flagellin variant in Clostridium haemolyticum

The bacterial flagellum is made up of approximately 20,000 subunits of the monomeric protein, flagellin, and plays a role in cell motility and pathogenesis. The extreme sequence diversity within the hypervariable region of flagellin genes observed across phyla suggests hidden functional diversity. This thesis outlines the discovery of the first family of flagellin variants with proteolytic activity. A multi-faceted approach revealed a conserved HExxH motif within the hypervariable region (HVR) of these flagellin variants. The motif is characteristic of the Gluzincin family of thermolysin-like peptidases and was found to be conserved in 74 bacterial species spanning over 32 genera. Experimental validation began with the recombinant expression and purification of the HVR of the flagellin FliA(H) from the species Clostridium haemolyticum, an animal pathogen. An approach using mass spectrometry and proteomics revealed that the substrate specificity of this flagellin protease is similar to that of zinc-dependant matrix metallopeptidases (MMPs). Furthermore, peptide sequencing of harvested C.haemolyticum flagellar filaments revealed that the proteolytic flagellin was the second most dominant flagellin component and was also shown to have MMP-like protease activity. Considering the expanded functional repertoire of this organelle in the recent years, this flagellin-associated protease may play a role in chemotaxis, biofilm formation, adhesion and pathogenesis

Buiding in Dubai and Abu Dhabi - Field excursion of the faculty of civil engineering of the HTWG Konstanz 2009

Die 1,8-Millionenstadt Dubai und die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate sind eine der Regionen der Welt mit den größten Bauaktivitäten. Der Exkursionsbericht schildert die Eindrücke bei der Exkursion der Fakultät Bauingenieurwesen der HTWG Konstanz im März 2009. Auf dem Programm standen die Baustellen der künstlichen Palmeninsel "Palm Jebel Ali", des "Iris Bay"-Turms mit seiner außergewöhnlichen Architektur sowie des "Latifa Tower", einem "normalen" Hochhaus von 255 Meter Höhe. Geotechnik im Wüstensand unter der Leitung deutscher Firmen waren ebenso zu sehen wie der Bau des weltweit größten Trinkwasserreservoirs. Weitere Höhepunkte der Reise waren die Baustellen des "Khalifa National Stadium" und der 1455 Meter langen Saadiyat-Brücke in Abu Dhabi, die die zukünftige Kulturmeile Abu Dhabis auf der Saadiyat Insel mit dem Festland verbinden wird.Dubai and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are one of the regions in the world with the greatest building activities. The report depicts the impressions during a student field excursion of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Applied Sciences Konstanz, Germany, in March 2009

Evidence-based Kernels: Fundamental Units of Behavioral Influence

This paper describes evidence-based kernels, fundamental units of behavioral influence that appear to underlie effective prevention and treatment for children, adults, and families. A kernel is a behavior–influence procedure shown through experimental analysis to affect a specific behavior and that is indivisible in the sense that removing any of its components would render it inert. Existing evidence shows that a variety of kernels can influence behavior in context, and some evidence suggests that frequent use or sufficient use of some kernels may produce longer lasting behavioral shifts. The analysis of kernels could contribute to an empirically based theory of behavioral influence, augment existing prevention or treatment efforts, facilitate the dissemination of effective prevention and treatment practices, clarify the active ingredients in existing interventions, and contribute to efficiently developing interventions that are more effective. Kernels involve one or more of the following mechanisms of behavior influence: reinforcement, altering antecedents, changing verbal relational responding, or changing physiological states directly. The paper describes 52 of these kernels, and details practical, theoretical, and research implications, including calling for a national database of kernels that influence human behavior

HYBRID INSPIRED TRIBOELECTRIC NANOGENERATOR USING CONTACT SEPARATION MODE

The triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) concept was used to build four contact separation TENG models to harvest mechanical vibration from an aircraft wing on an unmanned air and surface vehicle. The first three models used a hexagonal base structure with cylindrical pegs and solid rectangular bar on top. The last design used a rectangular box structure with a free moving bar to convert mechanical vibration output into electrical power. To simulate the vibrational motion of an unmanned aerial vehicle wing, a linear arm motor was used at various speeds to test each model for harvesting mechanical motion. The experimental results showed that the model that produced the maximum voltage was the attached solid bar design. The free bar structure design allowed the use of two electrodes in one structure. The ability to use two electrodes for one model enhanced the electrical power production. The finite element method analysis showed that the rectangular bar models would produce the best electrical output based on their contact frequency, matching with the experimental results. In conclusion, the results showed that the two rectangular bar TENG models can harvest mechanical vibrational energy and convert it into electrical power. Further research into using additional free bar TENG models together in series would demonstrate the ability to harvest additional voltage to store and use for sensor power.Lieutenant, United States NavyApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited