An Investigation of Stress Experienced by the Novice Teacher

The research conducted during this study consisted of examining the stressors experienced by the novice-teacher. The purpose for conducting this study was to examine the steadily increasing teacher attrition rate among beginning teachers, which has reached the highest it has ever been. It is believed that stressors experienced by novice teachers are major contributors to the high teacher attrition rates in today’s teacher workforce. Extant data was gathered by analyzing a survey of perceptions and the and the first-hand experiences of a first year teacher through an autoethnographical methodology was used to determine the major stressors for first-year teachers. The aim was to discover possible solutions for those major stressors. The results of the study showed that lack of support, time-management skills, and working in a high-stakes testing environment created high levels of stress for the novice teacher. Effective solutions to aid in the reduction of stress levels included engaging in physical exercise, being assigned a mentor teacher, being well prepared, and leading a balanced lifestyle

An Investigation of Stress Experienced by the Novice Teacher

The research conducted during this study consisted of examining the stressors experienced by the novice-teacher. The purpose for conducting this study was to examine the steadily increasing teacher attrition rate among beginning teachers, which has reached the highest it has ever been. It is believed that stressors experienced by novice teachers are major contributors to the high teacher attrition rates in today’s teacher workforce. Extant data was gathered by analyzing a survey of perceptions and the and the first-hand experiences of a first year teacher through an autoethnographical methodology was used to determine the major stressors for first-year teachers. The aim was to discover possible solutions for those major stressors. The results of the study showed that lack of support, time-management skills, and working in a high-stakes testing environment created high levels of stress for the novice teacher. Effective solutions to aid in the reduction of stress levels included engaging in physical exercise, being assigned a mentor teacher, being well prepared, and leading a balanced lifestyle

A Role for Fucose α(1−2) Galactose Carbohydrates in Neuronal Growth

We report a fucose α(1−2) galactose-mediated pathway for the modulation of neuronal growth and morphology. Our studies provide strong evidence for the presence of Fucα(1−2)Gal glycoproteins and lectin receptors in hippocampal neurons. Additionally, we show that manipulation of Fucα(1−2)Gal-associated proteins using small-molecule and lectin probes induces dramatic changes in neuronal morphology. These findings may provide a novel pathway to stimulate neuronal growth and regeneration

Two-Arm Flexible Thermal Strap

Airborne and space infrared cameras require highly flexible direct cooling of mechanically-sensitive focal planes. A thermal electric cooler is often used together with a thermal strap as a means to transport the thermal energy removed from the infrared detector. While effective, traditional thermal straps are only truly flexible in one direction. In this scenario, a cooling solution must be highly conductive, lightweight, able to operate within a vacuum, and highly flexible in all axes to accommodate adjustment of the focal plane while transmitting minimal force. A two-armed thermal strap using three end pieces and a twisted section offers enhanced elastic movement, significantly beyond the motion permitted by existing thermal straps. This design innovation allows for large elastic displacements in two planes and moderate elasticity in the third plane. By contrast, a more conventional strap of the same conductance offers less flexibility and asymmetrical elasticity. The two-arm configuration reduces the bending moment of inertia for a given conductance by creating the same cross-sectional area for thermal conduction, but with only half the thickness. This reduction in the thickness has a significant effect on the flexibility since there is a cubic relationship between the thickness and the rigidity or bending moment of inertia. The novelty of the technology lies in the mechanical design and manufacturing of the thermal strap. The enhanced flexibility will facilitate cooling of mechanically sensitive components (example: optical focal planes). This development is a significant contribution to the thermal cooling of optics. It is known to be especially important in the thermal control of optical focal planes due to their highly sensitive alignment requirements and mechanical sensitivity; however, many other applications exist including the cooling of gimbal-mounted components

A chondroitin sulfate small molecule that stimulates neuronal growth

Chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans are sulfated polysaccharides involved in cell division, neuronal development, and spinal cord injury. Here, we report the synthesis and identification of a chondroitin sulfate tetrasaccharide that stimulates the growth and differentiation of neurons. These studies represent the first, direct investigations into the structure−activity relationships of chondroitin sulfate using homogeneous synthetic molecules and define a tetrasaccharide as a minimal motif required for activity

A sulfated carbohydrate epitope inhibits axon regeneration after injury

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) represent a major barrier to regenerating axons in the central nervous system (CNS), but the structural diversity of their polysaccharides has hampered efforts to dissect the structure-activity relationships underlying their physiological activity. By taking advantage of our ability to chemically synthesize specific oligosaccharides, we demonstrate that a sugar epitope on CSPGs, chondroitin sulfate-E (CS-E), potently inhibits axon growth. Removal of the CS-E motif significantly attenuates the inhibitory activity of CSPGs on axon growth. Furthermore, CS-E functions as a protein recognition element to engage receptors including the transmembrane protein tyrosine phosphatase PTPσ, thereby triggering downstream pathways that inhibit axon growth. Finally, masking the CS-E motif using a CS-E-specific antibody reversed the inhibitory activity of CSPGs and stimulated axon regeneration in vivo. These results demonstrate that a specific sugar epitope within chondroitin sulfate polysaccharides can direct important physiological processes and provide new therapeutic strategies to regenerate axons after CNS injury

Sulfation patterns of glycosaminoglycans encode molecular recognition and activity

Although glycosaminoglycans contribute to diverse physiological processes, an understanding of their molecular mechanisms has been hampered by the inability to access homogeneous glycosaminoglycan structures. Here, we assembled well-defined chondroitin sulfate oligosaccharides using a convergent, synthetic approach that permits installation of sulfate groups at precise positions along the carbohydrate backbone. Using these defined structures, we demonstrate that specific sulfation motifs function as molecular recognition elements for growth factors and modulate neuronal growth. These results provide both fundamental insights into the role of sulfation and direct evidence for a 'sulfation code' whereby glycosaminoglycans encode functional information in a sequence-specific manner analogous to that of DNA, RNA and proteins

Evaluación del estado de la preservación de los repositorios REBIUN 2018

Se presentan los resultados de una enquesta realizada por el grupo de trabajo de repositorios, entre los meses de mayo y junio, con el objetivo de evaluar las actuaciones en preservación digital que se están llevando a cabo por parte de las universidades españolas, en sus repositorios institucionales