THE EFFECT OF EASTERN KENTUCKY COAL FIRES ON LOCAL AIR QUALITY AND PERSONAL HEALTH

The purpose of this project was to investigate student learning in the areas of earth science and environmental responsibility using the subject of coal fires. Eastern Kentucky, where this study was performed, has several coal fires burning that affect the local air quality and may also affect the health of people living near them. This study was conducted during the regular education of 9th grade Earth Science classroom in Russell Independent Schools, located in Russell, Kentucky. Students conducted internet research, read current articles on the subject of coal fire emissions and effect on local ecology, and demonstrated what they learned through summative assessments. There were several aspects of coalmines and coal fires that students studied. Students were able to take this knowledge and information and use it as a learning tool to gain a better understanding of their own environment. Using the local history and geology of coalmines, along with the long tradition of mine production, was a very beneficial starting point, allowing students to learn about environmental impact, stewardship of their local environment, and methods of preserving and protecting the ecosystem

Stage-Specific Timing of the microRNA Regulation of \u3cem\u3elin-28\u3c/em\u3e by the Heterochronic Gene \u3cem\u3elin-14\u3c/em\u3e in \u3cem\u3eCaenorhabditis elegans\u3c/em\u3e

In normal development, the order and synchrony of diverse developmental events must be explicitly controlled. In the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the timing of larval events is regulated by hierarchy of proteins and microRNAs (miRNAs) known as the heterochronic pathway. These regulators are organized in feedforward and feedback interactions to form a robust mechanism for specifying the timing and execution of cell fates at successive stages. One member of this pathway is the RNA binding protein LIN-28, which promotes pluripotency and cell fate decisions in successive stages. Two genetic circuits control LIN-28 abundance: it is negatively regulated by the miRNA lin-4, and positively regulated by the transcription factor LIN-14 through a mechanism that was previously unknown. In this report, we used animals that lack lin-4 to elucidate LIN-14’s activity in this circuit. We demonstrate that three let-7 family miRNAs—miR-48, miR-84, and miR-241—inhibit lin-28 expression. Furthermore, we show genetically that these miRNAs act between lin-14 and lin-28, and that they comprise the pathway by which lin-14 positively regulates lin-28. We also show that the lin-4 family member mir-237, also regulates early cell fates. Finally, we show that the expression of these miRNAs is directly inhibited by lin-14 activity, making them the first known targets of lin-14 that act in the heterochronic pathway

Using Video as a Replacement or Complement for the Traditional Lecture/Demonstration Method in Agricultural Training in Rural Uganda

This study explored the effectiveness of video as a tool to either complement or replace existing lecture-demonstration training for small farmer groups. The effectiveness of video in decreasing the knowledge gap among farmers who differ by gender was also evaluated. Quantitative and qualitative data were gathered through a quasi-experiment including a pretest and a posttest design with three experimental groups. Results showed that video could be an effective complement and replacement for the traditional lecture-demonstration training method. Video alone or video plus traditional lecture-demonstration was as effective as traditional training in increasing learning. The training method that included both video and traditional lecture-demonstration was especially effective for groups with relatively low prior knowledge of the training topic. However, video only was not as effective as traditional training or traditional training plus video in decreasing gaps in learning between men and women. Video has advantages in rural areas because it does not require face-to-face presentation by skilled trainers. Video might be an attractive alternative or supplement if the production cost is low enough, or if traditional lecture-demonstration cannot meet the demand for training. Using local actors, shooting video in the local environment and using local languages add to video’s advantages for training purposes. When used to demonstrate a farming technique or practice in a group setting, videos were found to enhance interaction (e.g. discussion and peer learning) among farmers

Farm-to-Market (FM) 116 Improvements from US 84 to Cactus Lane, Coryell County, Waco

On March 17 and 25, 2015, archeologists from the Texas Department of Transportation Archeological Studies Branch conducted an archeological survey that included mechanical trenching along FM 116. The project Area of Potential Effects (APE) begins at United States Highway (US) 84 in Gatesville to the north and continues southward approximately 18.8 miles to Cactus Lane. All construction would occur in the existing right of way which is typically 100-feet-wide. The project would add sections of passing lanes and turn lanes at select locations and would replace the existing bridge at Cowhouse Creek with a new structure. The typical depth of impact is from 1 to 3 feet along the passing lane and approaches and up to 60 feet deep where shafts would be drilled for support columns. The potential impacts from the proposed project were greatest and Cowhouse Creek and field investigations and records research determined that this crossing at Cowhouse Creek was the only location in the APE with potential to contain intact archeological deposits. Mechanical Trenching was conducted at Cowhouse Creek along the west side of FM 116 with James T. Abbott, TxDOT staff geoarcheologist and Eric Oksanen, TxDOT District Archeologist conducting excavations. Four trenches were excavated and no archeological deposits were observed

The Ability of Training Approaches to Reduce Agricultural Knowledge Gaps between Men and Women in Rural Uganda

This study explores the effectiveness of three training methods (traditional lecture-field demonstration, lecture and field demonstration + video, and video only) to narrow the gap in knowledge about row bean planting between men and women farmers in Kamuli District,Uganda. Using a pretest-posttestquasi-experimental design, this study found that the method that combined video and lecture/demonstration was significantly more effective in narrowing the gender knowledge gap. Use of video alone improved women’s knowledge scores, but did not close the gap

Design of an Automated Ultrasonic Scanning System for In-Situ Composite Cure Monitoring and Defect Detection

The preliminary design and development of an automated ultrasonic scanning system for in-situ composite cure monitoring and defect detection in the high temperature environment of an oven was completed. This preliminary design is a stepping stone to deployment in the high temperature and high pressure environment of an autoclave, the primary cure method of aerospace grade thermoset composites. Cure monitoring with real-time defect detection during the process could determine when defects form and how they move. In addition, real-time defect detection during cure could assist validating physics-based process models for predicting defects at all stages of the cure cycle. A physics-based process model for predicting porosity and fiber waviness originating during cure is currently under development by the NASA Advanced Composites Project (ACP). For the design, an ultrasonic contact scanner is enclosed in an insulating box that is placed inside an oven during cure. Throughout the cure cycle, the box is nitrogen-cooled to approximately room temperature to maintain a standard operating environment for the scanner. The composite part is mounted on the outside of the box in a vacuum bag on the build/tool plate. The build plate is attached to the bottom surface of the box. The scanner inspects the composite panel through the build plate, tracking the movement of defects introduced during layup and searching for new defects that may form during cure. The focus of this paper is the evaluation and selection of the build plate material and thickness. The selection was based on the required operating temperature of the scanner, the cure temperature of the composite material, thermal conductivity models of the candidate build plates, and a series of ultrasonic attenuation tests. This analysis led to the determination that a 63.5 mm thick build plate of borosilicate glass would be utilized for the system. The borosilicate glass plate was selected as the build plate material due to the low ultrasonic attenuation it demonstrated, its ability to efficiently insulate the scanner while supporting an elevated temperature on the part side of the plate, and the availability of a 63.5 mm thick plate without the need for lamination

Baudelaire and Electronica: Strange Voices and Ruth White’s 1960s Experimentations

This article examines the under-frequented musical contexts for Baudelaire’s poetry, notably 1960s American experimental electronica (Ruth White, Flowers of Evil, 1969). By focusing on the role of the composer-translator, this article tests the hypothesis that the composer-translator adds further layers of complexity and distancing to the voices of his poetry, in such a way as to create challenging new soundworlds which shatter the already fragile categories of ‘poetry’ and ‘music’ as distinct elements. The alliance between text and sound, it is suggested, becomes increasingly complicated by dislocated voices in a foreign tongue and in an experimental musical genre such that the relationship between poem and music is suffused with heightened levels of strangeness. Moreover, by critiquing the dual (but complicated) role of the composer-translator, it is possible to re-examine accepted tenets of translation theory by pitting the notion of the translator as ‘literary critic’ (Scott: 2000) alongside recent word-music theory that perceives the composer as ‘critical reader’ (Allis: 2005). It is suggested that unusual song settings of Baudelaire (using the composer’s own translation) expand our understanding of Baudelaire’s poetic palette, his use of voice(s), and the cultural reception of his work

The \u3cem\u3elet-7\u3c/em\u3e MicroRNA Family Members \u3cem\u3emir\u3c/em\u3e-48, \u3cem\u3emir\u3c/em\u3e-84, and mir-241 Function Together to Regulate Developmental Timing in \u3cem\u3eCaenorhabditis elegans\u3c/em\u3e

The microRNA let-7 is a critical regulator of developmental timing events at the larval-to-adult transition in C. elegans. Recently, microRNAs with sequence similarity to let-7 have been identified. We find that doubly mutant animals lacking the let-7 family microRNA genes mir-48 and mir-84 exhibit retarded molting behavior and retarded adult gene expression in the hypodermis. Triply mutant animals lacking mir-48, mir-84, and mir-241 exhibit repetition of L2-stage events in addition to retarded adult-stage events. mir-48, mir-84, and mir-241 function together to control the L2-to-L3 transition, likely by base pairing to complementary sites in the hbl-1 3′ UTR and downregulating hbl-1 activity. Genetic analysis indicates that mir-48, mir-84, and mir-241 specify the timing of the L2-to-L3 transition in parallel to the heterochronic genes lin-28 and lin-46. These results indicate that let-7 family microRNAs function in combination to affect both early and late developmental timing decisions

Using Cross-Cultural Focus Groups as a Tool for Communication Campaign Design: An Example from Russia’s Forest Project

Focus groups can be a useful tool when working on a cross-cultural communication project in which the communication specialist may have a very different cultural background than that of the target audience. Ten focus groups were used as a part of a large crosscultural project to design a forest fire public awareness campaign for Russia’s Far East and Siberia. Three of the focus groups were used to gain an in-depth understanding of forest behaviors that might pose a risk for forest fires. These groups also probed what members of the target audience believe would be reasonably safe behaviors. The remaining seven focus groups were used to test prototype campaign materials. This article offers practical advice on effective use of focus groups for any communicator involved in cross-cultural communication activities