Impacts of a Court Mandatory Parenting Program

University of Missouri Outreach and Extension offered a court mandatory parenting program, Focus on Kids, in cooperation with two judicial circuits. The program reached 1,500 divorcing parents in two judicial circuits in 28 months. Overwhelmed parents felt that the program helped them be aware of their children\u27s reactions to divorce and feelings, stress reduction, and time-sharing. Ninety-three percent of the participants felt the program was worthwhile. Suggestions on how Extension can implement a similar program and work with the court system are discussed

The Investment Decision on Generation Z in Pontianak

In today's digital age, accessing information that can influence millennials to participate in capital markets has become more accessible. The desire to secure one's future is a motivating factor that drives individuals to act toward investing. This study assesses the effect of financial literacy, financial experience, locus of control, experience regret, and accounting information on investment decisions. Processed data is primary data obtained from distributing questionnaires with a purposive sampling technique to generation Z in Pontianak and analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis techniques. This study used a sample of 103 respondents and the SPSS (Statistical Program for Social Science) program to process the data. The results showed that Gen Z in Pontianak considers locus of control, experience regret, and accounting information to make investment decisions. Financial literacy and financial experience are outside the benchmark for making investment decisions on Gen Z in Pontianak.  These findings indicate that most respondents consider the locus of control, experience of regret, and accounting information in making investment decisions. Then, most respondents must focus more intensely on financial literacy and experience to make the right investment decisions. The implications of this research indicate that applying mental accounting and prospects can assist investors in managing finances and making the right investment decisions to maximize profits.   Keywords: Accounting Information, Experience Regret, Investment Decisions, Locus of Control   Abstrak Di era digital seperti sekarang ini, akses informasi yang dapat mempengaruhi generasi milenial untuk berpartisipasi di pasar modal menjadi lebih mudah. Keinginan untuk mengamankan masa depan merupakan faktor pendorong yang mendorong individu untuk melakukan investasi di pasar modal. Penelitian ini menilai pengaruh literasi keuangan, pengalaman keuangan, locus of control, pengalaman penyesalan, dan informasi akuntansi terhadap keputusan investasi. Data yang diolah merupakan data primer yang diperoleh dari penyebaran kuesioner dengan teknik purposive sampling kepada generasi Z di Pontianak dan dianalisis dengan menggunakan teknik analisis regresi linier berganda. Penelitian ini menggunakan sampel sebanyak 103 responden dan program SPSS (Statistical Program for Social Science) untuk mengolah data. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Gen Z di Pontianak memperhatikan locus of control, pengalaman penyesalan, dan informasi akuntansi dalam membuat keputusan investasi. Literasi keuangan dan pengalaman keuangan tidak menjadi tolak ukur dalam pengambilan keputusan investasi pada Gen Z di Pontianak. Temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa mayoritas responden mempertimbangkan locus of control, pengalaman penyesalan, dan informasi akuntansi dalam membuat keputusan investasi. Kemudian, mayoritas responden perlu memfokuskan lebih mendalam tentang literasi keuangan dan pengalaman untuk membuat keputusan investasi yang tepat. Implikasi penelitian ini mengindikasikan bahwa penerapan mental accounting dan prospek dapat membantu investor dalam mengelola keuangan dan pembuatan keputusan investasi yang tepat dalam memaksimalkan keuntungan.   Kata kunci: informasi akuntansi, pengalaman penyesalan, keputusan investasi, locus of contro

Nonlinear photonic lattices in anisotropic nonlocal self-focusing media

We analyze theoretically and generate experimentally two-dimensional nonlinear periodic lattices in a photorefractive medium. We demonstrate that the light-induced periodically modulated nonlinear refractive index is highly anisotropic and nonlocal, and it depends on the lattice orientation relative to the crystal axis. We discuss stability of such induced photonic structures and their guiding properties.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure

Topological Analysis of Mouse Brain Vasculature via 3D Light-sheet Microscopy Images

Vascular networks play a crucial role in understanding brain functionalities. Brain integrity and function, neuronal activity and plasticity, which are crucial for learning, are actively modulated by their local environments, specifically vascular networks. With recent developments in high-resolution 3D light-sheet microscopy imaging together with tissue processing techniques, it becomes feasible to obtain and examine large-scale brain vasculature in mice. To establish a structural foundation for functional study, however, we need advanced image analysis and structural modeling methods. Existing works use geometric features such as thickness, tortuosity, etc. However, geometric features cannot fully capture structural characteristics such as the richness of branches, connectivity, etc. In this paper, we study the morphology of brain vasculature through a topological lens. We extract topological features based on the theory of topological data analysis. Comparing of these robust and multi-scale topological structural features across different brain anatomical structures and between normal and obese populations sheds light on their promising future in studying neurological diseases

Human stem cell-derived astrocytes replicate human prions in a PRNP genotype-dependent manner.

Prions are infectious agents that cause neurodegenerative diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). The absence of a human cell culture model that replicates human prions has hampered prion disease research for decades. In this paper, we show that astrocytes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) support the replication of prions from brain samples of CJD patients. For experimental exposure of astrocytes to variant CJD (vCJD), the kinetics of prion replication occur in a prion protein codon 129 genotype-dependent manner, reflecting the genotype-dependent susceptibility to clinical vCJD found in patients. Furthermore, iPSC-derived astrocytes can replicate prions associated with the major sporadic CJD strains found in human patients. Lastly, we demonstrate the subpassage of prions from infected to naive astrocyte cultures, indicating the generation of prion infectivity in vitro. Our study addresses a long-standing gap in the repertoire of human prion disease research, providing a new in vitro system for accelerated mechanistic studies and drug discovery

High Conductivity Solid Oxide Electrolyte Composite-Laminates Utilizing Scandia/Ceria Co-Doped Zirconia Core with Yttria Stabilized Zirconia Outer Skins

Increasing the conductivity of electrolytes in lower temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) is of great importance. However, there are several challenges that are to be addressed, which include phase stability of electrolyte’s crystal structure, chemical stability in both oxidizing and reducing environments, and maintaining mechanical integrity and high ionic conductivity over time

Moving design for lives sans terre

Thesis (M.Arch.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1999.Includes bibliographical references (p. 72-73).How may design address the contemporary conditions of movement, relocation, and change? Today, 25 million Americans currently consider themselves to be free agents. That is, one out of six Americans have abandoned traditional jobs and are moving from company to company, unattached to any particular employer or institution. This may partly account for the higher numbers of people who out of opportunity or necessity are relocating themselves geographically at such frequency and consistency that the traditional notion of home associated with stasis or the act of settling is challenged. Such mobile conditions raise comp lex questions of identity, continuity and sense of property, and challenge the relationship to one's environs. Sans terre, which literally means "without ground", can also be taken to mean the ability to be at home everywhere. In questioning what the position of dwelling within mobility might be, the thesis embraces life sans terre as a positive potential, as a creative generative force. The exploration deliberately challenges the physical limits of the idea of home and tests the portability of its perception. Precedents of dwelling in motion exist. Models of inhabitation as portrayed by American Indians or nomadic tribes illustrate notions of expanded personal territory while involving the reduction of personal possessions. A proliferation of extended stay hotels now provide the role earlier caravanseri or monasteries once had. One modern medium yet to be explored, however, is the potential of current communication technologies. New relations to dwelling are now possible under conditions sans terre. This project attempts to channel technology into uses through which new associations and relationships between users, machines, nature, virtual life, physical beings, place, time, and space can be created . The thesis proposes that selecting the associations to form, positioning one thing relative to another may be considered equivalent to the act of dwelling, or the construction of one's home. The role of design is to strive to find ways to allow these self mandated connections to occur. Once this goal is accepted, it becomes clear that in formulating a response, a solitary object acting alone can in no way provide an adequate solution. The single question of dwelling and mobility requires an entire bag of answers, a whole kit of tools for inhabitation. Architecture as building alone is not sufficient. A building in this scheme can only be understood within the context of an ensemble, a system of instruments of various scales working together. In concert, the proposed solutions strive to radiate different pulsations of time, perspective and scale, pertinent to the dweller.Nina Chen.M.Arch

Direct Observationof DegenerateTwo-Photon Absorption and Its Saturation in WS2 and MoS2 Monolayer and Few-Layer Films

The optical nonlinearity of WS2, MoS2 monolayer and few-layer films was investigated using the Z-scan technique with femtosecond pulses from the visible to the near infrared. The dependence of nonlinear absorption of the WS2 and MoS2 films on layer number and excitation wavelength was studied systematically. WS2 with 1~3 layers exhibits a giant two-photon absorption (TPA) coefficient. Saturation of TPA for WS2 with 1~3 layers and MoS2 with 25~27 layers was observed. The giant nonlinearity of WS2 and MoS2 is attributed to two dimensional confinement, a giant exciton effect and the band edge resonance of TPA