The new SAAO infrared photometric standards based on the E regions

Since 1974, when the Glass standards were published, four other infrared groups have been set up at the other main southern observatories, i.e. the two Australian observatories, Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatory CMSO) and Anglo-Australian Observatory (AAO) and the two observatories in Chile, European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (which uses the California Institute of Technology standard system) (CIT). Unfortunately there has been a serious lack of conformity. Each group has used a different set of filters and has different zero points. No standards are common to all the groups and only a few are in common between any of the systems. Several transformat1ons between the various systems have recently been published (Elias et al 1983 and Glass 1983) but the large errors in the transformation equations show the need for more accurate standard stars. Therefore, on the surface, the introduction by us of a new set of standards would appear in danger of adding confusion to the issue, but this is not, in fact, the case. Firstly, the new set is basically the same system as tha Glass standards but with greatly increased accuracy. Secondly, the work involved has shown up several anomalies and inaccuracies in other systems. Thirdly, this work has shown why such large errors are apparent when comparing the various sets of standards and where the causes probably lie. The observations for these new standards were started in August 1979. The standards were introduced at the SAAO at the beginning of March 1984. The set is likely to evolve with time, increase in number of stars and improve in accuracy

Does flexible grouping increase retention levels to improve test scores more than traditional lecture in the science classroom

The purpose of my research was to analyze the effect flexible grouping had on science retention scores. Education faces so many challenges today. The old way of teaching, traditional lecture is being challenged. For centuries, traditional lecture was the primary way of teaching and most colleges still use this teaching method. In this thesis traditional lecture and flexible grouping are compared. Through the use of pretests and posttests in my traditional and honors chemistry classes, I tested both strategies. Presentation of seven chapters were used for data collection and through the research, several things were discovered. In this study, honor students had more knowledge of subjects going into each subject than my traditional students. Data, collected for a year, showed no statistically significant differences between traditional lecture and flexible grouping. Through the normalized gain, it was discovered that flexible grouping did have a positive influence on student learning. The posttest scores on average were better for flexible grouping than traditional lecture

Examination of the Mental Health and Family Dynamics in Caribbean Immigrants using the National Survey of American Life

Previous studies have documented an association between mental illness rates and US-nativity, younger age at immigration, and recent immigration status among Caribbean immigrants to the US. This analysis examines these associations with the addition of important demographic controls and two indices of family support and conflict in Caribbean immigrants represented in the National Survey of American Life (n = 1623). The results indicate that previous correlates disappear when the index of family conflict is taken into account. Future efforts should focus on culturally appropriate identification and treatment methods addressing family dynamics in Caribbean immigrants. INDEX WORDS: immigrant mental health, family dynamics, National Survey of American Life

Paleoecological Reconstructions of the South African Plio-Pleistocene Based on Low-Magnification Dental Microwear of Fossil Primates.

Cercopithecines are common in hominid producing deposits and are a useful proxy for determining the ecological context of the early hominids. For this study, dental microwear is examined through low-magnification stereomicroscopy and used to reconstruct the diets of sampled primates. Those from the earliest sites, predominantly Parapapio, are primarily frugivorous while the incidence of gramnivory increases in the later Dinopithecus, Gorgopithecus, and Papio individuals denoting a general cooling and drying trend over the South African Plio-Pleistocene with a distinct pulse between 1.9-1.8 million years ago (mya). Australopithecus is reconstructed as a primary gramnivore which indicates that hominids adapted early in their evolution to expanding grasslands

Extracellular vesicles produced in B cells deliver tumor suppressor miR-335 to breast cancer cells disrupting oncogenic programming in vitro and in vivo.

The successful implementation of miRNA (miR) therapies in humans will ultimately rely on the use of vehicles with improved cellular delivery capability. Here we tested a new system that leverages extracellular vesicles (EVs) laden with a tumor suppressor miRNA (miR-335) produced in B cells by plasmid DNA induction (iEVs). We demonstrate that iEVs-335 efficiently and durably restored the endogenous miR-335 pool in human triple negative breast cancer cells, downregulated the expression of the miR-335 target gene SOX4 transcription factor, and markedly inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Remarkably, iEVs-335 mediated transcriptional effects that persisted in tumors after 60 days post orthotopic implantation. Genome-wide RNASeq analysis of cancer cells treated in vitro with iEVs-335 showed the regulation of a discrete number of genes only, without broad transcriptome perturbations. This new technology may be ideally suited for therapies aimed to restore tumor suppressor miRNAs in cancer cells, disrupting the oncogenic program established after escape from miRNA control

Do oil and gas platforms off California reduce recruitment of bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis) to natural habitat? An analysis based on trajectories derived from high-frequency radar

To investigate the possibility that oil and gas platforms may reduce recruitment of rockfishes (Sebastes spp.) to natural habitat, we simulated drift pathways termed “trajectories” in our model) from an existing oil platform to nearshore habitat using current measurements from high-frequency (HF) radars. The trajectories originated at Platform Irene, located west of Point Conception, California, during two recruiting seasons for bocaccio (Sebastes paucispinis): May through August, 1999 and 2002. Given that pelagic juvenile bocaccio dwell near the surface, the trajectories estimate transport to habitat. We assumed that appropriate shallow water juvenile habitat exists inshore of the 50-m isobath. Results from 1999 indicated that 10% of the trajectories represent transport to habitat, whereas 76% represent transport across the offshore boundary. For 2002, 24% represent transport to habitat, and 69% represent transport across the offshore boundary. Remaining trajectories (14% and 7% for 1999 and 2002, respectively) exited the coverage area either northward or southward along isobaths. Deployments of actual drifters (with 1-m drogues) from a previous multiyear study provided measurements originating near Platform Irene from May through August. All but a few of the drifters moved offshore, as was also shown with the HF radar-derived trajectories. These results indicate that most juvenile bocaccio settling on the platform would otherwise have been transported offshore and perished in the absence of a platform. However, these results do not account for the swimming behavior of juvenile bocaccio, about which little is known