Effective Principal Leadership Behaviors and AYP Attainment: An Examination of Distinguished and Needs Improvement Middle Schools in Georgia

The purpose of this study was to examine effective principal leadership behaviors in relation to the AYP attainment of middle schools in Georgia. The relationship was examined through analyses of teachers\u27 ratings of principals\u27 leadership behaviors via an e-mailed instrument. The instrument contained 32 specific leadership behaviors linked to the 11 Marzano et al.\u27s leadership responsibilities with the highest correlation to student achievement. Three major research questions guided the inquiry of the study. First, the study investigated the presence of the leadership behaviors in distinguished and needs improvement middle schools in Georgia. Secondly, the study investigated whether there were differences between principal leadership behaviors in distinguished and needs improvement middle schools in Georgia. Lastly, the study investigated whether the 11 leadership behaviors were related to and predictive of AYP status in Georgia middle schools. Descriptive statistics indicated that the mean ratings of teachers in distinguished middle schools were higher than the mean ratings of teachers in needs improvement schools for 10 of the 11 leadership responsibilities. Results of t-Test analyses indicated that teachers in distinguished middle schools had statistically higher ratings than teachers in needs improvement middle for the leadership responsibilities: order, resources, input, and change agent. Multiple Regression analyses were employed and revealed that the leadership responsibility, order, was positively related to and predictive of AYP status. The leadership responsibilities, flexibility and culture, as well the school variables, the size of the school, percentage of students in the school with disabilities, and percentage of students in the school receiving free and reduced lunch were all negatively related to and predictive of AYP status

Characterisation of the porous structure of Gilsocarbon graphite using pycnometry, cyclic porosimetry and void-network modeling

file: :C$$:/pdf/1-s2.0-S000862231400164X-main.pdf:pdfThe cores of the fourteen Advanced Gas-cooled nuclear Reactors (AGRs) within the UK comprise Gilsocarbon graphite, a manufactured material surrounded predominantly by CO2 at high pressure and temperature to provide heat exchange. The intense ionising radiation within the reactors causes radiolytic oxidation, and the resulting mass loss is a primary factor in determining reactor lifetime. The void structure of the porous Gilsocarbon graphite affects the permeability and diffusion of the carbon dioxide, and the sites of oxidation. To model this void structure, the porosities and densities of ten virgin Gilsocarbon graphite samples have been measured by powder and helium pycnometry. For comparison, results are also presented for highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG), and a fine-grained Ringsdorff graphite. Samples have been examined at a range of magnifications by electron microscopy. Total porosities and percolation characteristics have been measured by standard and cyclic mercury porosimetry up to an applied mercury pressure of 400MPa. Inverse modelling of the cyclic intrusion curves produces simulated void structures with characteristics which closely match those of experiment. Void size distributions of the structures are presented, together with much Supplementary Information. The simulated void networks provide the bases for future simulations of the radiolytic oxidation process itself

Current and Future constraints on Very-Light Axion-Like Particles from X-ray observations of cluster-hosted Active Galaxies

We discuss our recent constraints on the coupling of Very-Light Axion-Like Particles (of masses $<$$10^{-12} \ \mathrm{eV}$) to electromagnetism from $Chandra$ observations of the cluster-hosted Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) H1821+643 and NGC1275. In both cases, the inferred high-quality AGN spectra excluded all photon-ALP couplings $g_\mathrm{a\gamma} > (6.3 - 8.0) \times 10^{-13} \ {\mathrm{GeV}}^{-1}$ at the $99.7\%$ level, respectively, based on the non-detection of spectral distortions attributed to photon-ALP inter-conversion along the cluster line-of-sight. Finally, we present the prospects of tightening current bounds on such ALPs by up to a factor of 10 with next-generation X-ray observatories such as $Athena$, $AXIS$ and $LEM$ given their improved spectral and spatial resolution and collecting area compared to current missions.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure. Accepted for publication to Memorie della SAIt for the Proceedings of the European Astronomical Society 2022 (EAS 2022) Annual Meeting Symposium S3 "The Dark matter multi-messenger challenge

Mid-Infrared High-Contrast Imaging of HD 114174 B : An Apparent Age Discrepancy in a "Sirius-Like" Binary System

We present new observations of the faint "Sirius-like" companion discovered to orbit HD 114174. Previous attempts to image HD 114174 B at mid-infrared wavelengths using NIRC2 at Keck have resulted in a non-detection. Our new L'-band observations taken with the Large Binocular Telescope and LMIRCam recover the companion ($\Delta L$ = 10.15 $\pm$ 0.15 mag, $\rho$ = 0.675'' $\pm$ 0.016'') with a high signal-to-noise ratio (10 $\sigma$). This measurement represents the deepest L' high-contrast imaging detection at sub-arcsecond separations to date, including extrasolar planets. We confirm that HD 114174 B has near-infrared colors consistent with the interpretation of a cool white dwarf ($J-L'$ = 0.76 $\pm$ 0.19 mag, $K-L'$ = 0.64 $\pm$ 0.20). New model fits to the object's spectral energy distribution indicate a temperature $T_{\rm eff}$ = 4260 $\pm$ 360 K, surface gravity log g = 7.94 $\pm$ 0.03, a cooling age t$_{c} \approx$ 7.8 Gyr, and mass $M$ = 0.54 $\pm$ 0.01 $M_{\odot}$. We find that the cooling age given by theoretical atmospheric models do not agree with the age of HD 114174 A derived from both isochronological and gyrochronological analyses. We speculate on possible scenarios to explain the apparent age discrepancy between the primary and secondary. HD 114174 B is a nearby benchmark white dwarf that will ultimately enable a dynamical mass estimate through continued Doppler and astrometric monitoring. Efforts to characterize its physical properties in detail will test theoretical atmospheric models and improve our understanding of white dwarf evolution, cooling, and progenitor masses.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, to be published in the Astrophysical Journal Letter

Detection and characterisation of Eemian marine tephra layers within the sapropel S5 sediments of the Aegean and Levantine Seas

The Eemian was the last interglacial period (~130 to 115 ka BP) to precede the current interglacial. In Eastern Mediterranean marine sediments, it is marked by a well-developed and organic-rich “sapropel” layer (S5), which is thought to reflect an intensification and northward migration of the African monsoon rain belt over orbital timescales. However, despite the importance of these sediments, very little proxy-independent stratigraphic information is available to enable rigorous correlation of these sediments across the region. This paper presents the first detailed study of visible and non-visible (cryptotephra) layers found within these sediments at three marine coring sites: ODP Site 967B (Levantine Basin), KL51 (South East of Crete) and LC21 (Southern Aegean Sea). Major element analyses of the glass component were used to distinguish four distinct tephra events of Santorini (e.g., Vourvoulos eruption) and possible Anatolian provenance occurring during the formation of S5. Interpolation of core chronologies provides provisional eruption ages for the uppermost tephra (unknown Santorini, 121.8 ± 2.9 ka) and lowermost tephra (Anatolia or Kos/Yali/Nisyros, 126.4 ± 2.9 ka). These newly characterised tephra deposits have also been set into the regional tephrostratigraphy to illustrate the potential to precisely synchronise marine proxy records with their terrestrial counterparts, and also contribute to the establishment of a more detailed volcanic history of the Eastern Mediterranean

Effect of short term diet restriction on gene expression in the bovine hypothalamus using next generation RNA sequencing technology

peer-reviewedThis work was funded through Teagasc Walsh Fellowship to Daragh Matthews (Project Number: RMIS 5756).Background Negative energy balance (NEB) is an imbalance between energy intake and energy requirements for lactation and body maintenance affecting high-yielding dairy cows and is of considerable economic importance due to its negative impact on fertility and health in dairy herds. It is anticipated that the cow hypothalamus experiences extensive biochemical changes during the early post partum period in an effort to re-establish metabolic homeostasis. However, there is variation in the tolerance to NEB between individual cows. In order to understand the genomic regulation of ovulation in hypothalamic tissue during NEB, mRNA transcriptional patterns between tolerant and sensitive animals were examined. A short term dietary restriction heifer model was developed which induced abrupt onset of anoestrus in some animals (Restricted Anovulatory; RA) while others maintained oestrous cyclicity (Restricted Ovulatory; RO). A third control group (C) received a higher level of normal feeding. Results A total of 15,295 genes were expressed in hypothalamic tissue. Between RA and C groups 137 genes were differentially expressed, whereas between RO and C, 32 genes were differentially expressed. Differentially expressed genes were involved in the immune response and cellular motility in RA and RO groups, respectively, compared to C group. The largest difference between groups was observed in the comparison between RA and RO heifers, with 1094 genes shown to be significantly differentially expressed (SDE). Pathway analysis showed that these SDE genes were associated with 6 canonical pathways (P < 0.01), of which neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction was the most significant. Within the comparisons the main over-represented pathway functions were immune response including neuroprotection (CXCL10, Q1KLR3, IFIH1, IL1 and IL8; RA v C and RA v RO); energy homeostasis (AgRP and NPY; RA v RO); cell motility (CADH1, DSP and TSP4; RO v C) and prevention of GnRH release (NTSR1 IL1α, IL1β, NPY and PACA; RA v RO). Conclusions This information will assist in understanding the genomic factors regulating the influence of diet restriction on fertility and may assist in optimising nutritional and management systems for the improvement in reproductive performance.Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Programm

Toward a sustainable biomedical research enterprise: Finding consensus and implementing recommendations

The US research enterprise is under significant strain due to stagnant funding, an expanding workforce, and complex regulations that increase costs and slow the pace of research. In response, a number of groups have analyzed the problems and offered recommendations for resolving these issues. However, many of these recommendations lacked follow-up implementation, allowing the damage of stagnant funding and outdated policies to persist. Here, we analyze nine reports published since the beginning of 2012 and consolidate over 250 suggestions into eight consensus recommendations made by the majority of the reports. We then propose how to implement these consensus recommendations, and we identify critical issues, such as improving workforce diversity and stakeholder interactions, on which the community has yet to achieve consensus

Cardiac electrophysiological adaptations in the equine athlete-Restitution analysis of electrocardiographic features.

Exercising horses uniquely accommodate 7-8-fold increases in heart rate (HR). The present experiments for the first time analysed the related adaptations in action potential (AP) restitution properties recorded by in vivo telemetric electrocardiography from Thoroughbred horses. The horses were subjected to a period of acceleration from walk to canter. The QRS durations, and QT and TQ intervals yielded AP conduction velocities, AP durations (APDs) and diastolic intervals respectively. From these, indices of active, λ = QT/(QRS duration), and resting, λ0 = TQ/(QRS duration), AP wavelengths were calculated. Critical values of QT and TQ intervals, and of λ and λ0 at which plots of these respective pairs of functions showed unity slope, were obtained. These were reduced by 38.9±2.7% and 86.2±1.8%, and 34.1±3.3% and 85.9±1.2%, relative to their resting values respectively. The changes in λ were attributable to falls in QT interval rather than QRS duration. These findings both suggested large differences between the corresponding critical (129.1±10.8 or 117.4±5.6 bpm respectively) and baseline HRs (32.9±2.1 (n = 7) bpm). These restitution analyses thus separately identified concordant parameters whose adaptations ensure the wide range of HRs over which electrophysiological activation takes place in an absence of heart block or arrhythmias in equine hearts. Since the horse is amenable to this in vivo electrophysiological analysis and displays a unique wide range of heart rates, it could be a novel cardiac electrophysiology animal model for the study of sudden cardiac death in human athletes

Cytogenetic analysis of 130 renal oncocytomas identify three distinct and mutually exclusive diagnostic classes of chromosome aberrations

The cytogenetic alterations in renal oncocytoma (RO) are poorly understood. We analyzed 130 consecutive RO for karyotypic alterations. Clonal chromosome abnormalities were identified in 63 (49%) cases, which could be categorized into three classes of mutually exclusive cytogenetic categories. Class 1 (N = 20) RO had diploid karyotypes with characteristic 11q13 rearrangement in balanced translocations with 10 or more different chromosome partners in all cases. We identified recurrent translocation partners at 5q35, 6p21, 9p24, 11p13-14, and 11q23, and confirmed that CCND1 gene rearrangement at 11q13 utilizing fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Class 2 RO (N = 25) exhibited hypodiploid karyotypes with loss of chromosome 1 and/or losses of Y in males and X in females in all cases. The class 3 tumors comprising of 18 cases showed diverse types of abnormalities with the involvement of two or more chromosomes exclusive of abnormalities seen in classes 1 and 2 tumors. Furthermore, karyotypically uninformative cases were subjected to FISH analysis to identify classes 1 and 2 abnormalities. In this group, we found similar frequencies of CCND1 rearrangement, loss of chromosome 1 or Y as with karyotypically abnormal cases. We validated our results against 91 tumors from the Mitelman database. Correlation of clinical data with all the three classes of ROs showed no clear evidence of overall patient survival. Our findings support the hypothesis that RO exhibit three principal cytogenetic categories, which may have different roles in initiation and/or progression. These cytogenetic markers provide a key tool in the diagnostic evaluation of RO