Application of aerospace-generated technology to water pollution and other public sector problems Quarterly report, 1 Dec. 1968 - 28 Feb. 1969

Aerospace-generated technology considered for solving 22 specific problems in water pollutio

State Leaders in Providing Common Core-Aligned Instructional Materials

The Education Trust (Ed Trust) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote academic achievement for all students at all levels nationwide. One of Ed Trust’s six main advocacy agenda items is support for college- and career-ready education standards in all states. As part of its commitment, Ed Trust supports state adoption of the Common Core State Standards (Common Core) to raise the bar for student achievement across the nation. Policy Questions (1) Which states can The Education Trust identify as leaders in providing instructional materials to support teachers in the transition to the Common Core State Standards? (2) What characteristics of the leader states’ efforts in providing Common Core-aligned instructional materials can promising states use as they develop Common Core-aligned curricula? Identifying Leader States Of the 45 states which have adopted the Common Core, only some of them have developed Common Core-aligned instructional materials for teachers at the state level. Among these participating states, the threshold criterion for a “leader” state in this study is development of Common Core-aligned instructional materials and making the materials available to teachers in their states. To determine which states have made the most progress in providing instructional materials for teachers, this project examines: the range of Common Core-aligned instructional materials provided in each state, the accessibility of materials, and differentiation of the materials for such special student populations as English Language Learners. The leader states are divided into three groups: Leader of the Pack states: New York and Tennessee Full Steam Ahead states: Colorado, Illinois, Maryland and Massachusetts Strong Start states: Delaware, Georgia and Kentucky Promising States Forty-five states have adopted the Common Core, and states are able to learn from one another during implementation. The leader states have learned valuable lessons which provide possible policies, strategies, and initiatives that “promising” states can use to support their teachers in the transition to the Common Core A promising state is a state with the beginning resources and political will to develop Common Core-aligned instruction materials for their teachers. Promising states have indicated interest in developing Common Core resources by planning for Common Core implementation in applications for Race to the Top grants or No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waivers. Promising States include: Louisiana North Carolina Pennsylvania New Jersey Ohio Rhode Island Recommendations for Promising States I recommend that promising states pursue the following strategies: (1) Partner with curriculum creators. Most state departments of education do not have the capacity, expertise, or time to create a comprehensive set of instructional materials by the 2014-2015 school year when teachers and students will be held accountable for their performance on the Common Core. In the past, most districts have purchased curriculum materials from independent companies specializing in curriculum creation. States can modify this practice by partnering with curriculum companies or non-profit education organizations to develop Common Core-aligned instructional materials. (2) Utilize additional sources of funding. Limited financial resources is a significant barrier for states working to create Common Core-aligned instructional materials. Fortunately, education is an area of emphasis for foundations looking to fund projects. States can access funds through such entities as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which prioritize Common Core implementation. (3) Establish “working groups” of state education experts to create instructional materials. Within every state, a group of experienced and knowledgeable educators can work together to develop instructional materials aligned to the Common Core. States can create working groups of teachers and administrators who can combine their knowledge of the Common Core, the needs of their students, and their instructional expertise. (4) Create resource-sharing spaces for educators to share Common Core-aligned instructional materials. A benefit of the Common Core is that teachers are able to share resources across schools, districts, and states, because they are teaching the same skills and concepts. States can encourage the practice of sharing Common Core-aligned materials by creating online spaces for teachers to post and search for ready-to-use instructional resources. (5) Build resources in stages. Almost every state included in this report developed their pool of Common Core-aligned instructional materials over time and built on previously created resources. States can purposefully plan the creation of instructional materials by phasing in resources and building upon previously created materials. (6) Encourage teachers to use resources from other states and organizations. Some states have not developed their own set of Common Core-aligned instructional materials for teachers because they lack the resources or are traditionally local-control states. States can take advantage of the common nature of the Common Core by utilizing quality standards-aligned materials created by other states or organizations

Density-functional-theory-based local quasicontinuum method: Prediction of dislocation nucleation

We introduce the density functional theory (DFT) local quasicontinuum method: a first principles multiscale material model that embeds DFT unit cells at the subgrid level of a finite element computation. The method can predict the onset of dislocation nucleation in both single crystals and those with inclusions, although extension to lattice defects awaits new methods. We show that the use of DFT versus embedded-atom method empirical potentials results in different predictions of dislocation nucleation in nanoindented face-centered-cubic aluminum

Suppression of reactive oxygen species generation in heart mitochondria from anoxic turtles: the role of complex I S-nitrosation.

Freshwater turtles (Trachemys scripta) are among the very few vertebrates capable of tolerating severe hypoxia and re-oxygenation without suffering from damage to the heart. As myocardial ischemia and reperfusion causes a burst of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) in mammals, the question arises as to whether, and if so how, this ROS burst is prevented in the turtle heart. We find that heart mitochondria isolated from turtles acclimated to anoxia produce less ROS than mitochondria from normoxic turtles when consuming succinate. As succinate accumulates in the hypoxic heart and is oxidized when oxygen returns, this suggests an adaptation to lessen ROS production. Specific S-nitrosation of complex I can lower ROS in mammals and here we show that turtle complex I activity and ROS production can also be strongly depressed in vitro by S-nitrosation. We detect in vivo endogenous S-nitrosated complex I in turtle heart mitochondria, but these levels are unaffected upon anoxia acclimation. Thus, while heart mitochondria from anoxia-acclimated turtles generate less ROS and have a lower aerobic capacity than those from normoxic turtles, this is not due to decreases in complex I activity or expression levels. Interestingly, in-gel activity staining reveals that most complex I of heart mitochondria from normoxic and anoxic turtles forms stable super-complexes with other respiratory enzymes and, in contrast to mammals, these are not disrupted by dodecyl maltoside. Taken together, these results show that although S-nitrosation of complex I is a potent mechanism to prevent ROS formation upon re-oxygenation after anoxia in vitro, this is not a major cause of the suppression of ROS production by anoxic turtle heart mitochondria

The Unique Hemoglobin System of Pleuragramma antarcticum, an Antarctic Migratory Teleost STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION OF THE THREE COMPONENTS

Pleuragramma antarcticum (suborder Notothenioidei, family Nototheniidae) is the most abundant fish in the antarctic shelf. This pelagic species has a circum-antarctic distribution and is characterized by spawning migration. This species displays the highest multiplicity of major hemoglobins (three); the other notothenioids have a single one (except one species, having two) with relatively low oxygen affinity regulated by pH and organophosphates. The hemoglobins of P. antarcticum display strong Bohr and Root effects; however, they reveal important functional differences in subunit cooperativity and organophosphate regulation and, above all, in the response of oxygenation to temperature. Despite the substitution ValbetaE11 --> Ile found in Hb 2, which decreases the affinity in human mutants, the hemoglobins have similar oxygen affinity, higher than that of the other notothenioids. Hb 1 has the alpha chain in common with Hb 2 and the beta in common with Hb 3. The amino acid sequence of all four chains has been established. Thus the hematological features of P. antarcticum differ remarkably from those of antarctic notothenioids. This unique and sophisticated oxygen transport system may adequately meet the requirements of the unusual mode of life of this fish

Natural history and evolution of an elevational generalist, the Cinereous Conebill (Conirostrum cinereum)

Elevational generalism is relatively rare in the tropical Andes Mountains, likely owing to the inherent requirements of enduring a high degree of climatic zonation and coping with hypoxic stress. The Cinereous Conebill (Conirostrum cinereum) appears to be an exception, and inhabits a continuous elevational distribution that spans over 4,500 m. Two subspecies, cinereum and fraseri, are restricted to high elevations and may be isolated, whereas the third and most widespread, littorale, occurs continuously along the western slope of the Andes from 0 to over 4,500 m. First, we aim to characterize the morphology, genetics, and climatic niche of the three subspecies using a comparative biogeographic approach to explore patterns and timing of differentiation and to consider possible mechanisms of diversification. Second, we study whether hemoglobin adaptation plays a role in this elevational generalist’s ability to thrive in high-elevation environments, and whether localized adaptation is possible despite altitudinal migration and gene flow. We used a comparative phylogeographic framework to examine whether lineage divergence within C. cinereum is associated with climatic, geographic, and/or physiological barriers leading to incipient speciation

An Antiapoptotic Neuroprotective Role for Neuroglobin

Cell death associated with mitochondrial dysfunction is common in acute neurological disorders and in neurodegenerative diseases. Neuronal apoptosis is regulated by multiple proteins, including neuroglobin, a small heme protein of ancient origin. Neuroglobin is found in high concentration in some neurons, and its high expression has been shown to promote survival of neurons in vitro and to protect brain from damage by both stroke and Alzheimer’s disease in vivo. Early studies suggested this protective role might arise from the protein’s capacity to bind oxygen or react with nitric oxide. Recent data, however, suggests that neither of these functions is likely to be of physiological significance. Other studies have shown that neuroglobin reacts very rapidly with cytochrome c released from mitochondria during cell death, thus interfering with the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Systems level computational modelling suggests that the physiological role of neuroglobin is to reset the trigger level for the post-mitochondrial execution of apoptosis. An understanding of the mechanism of action of neuroglobin might thus provide a rational basis for the design of new drug targets for inhibiting excessive neuronal cell death