How Leaders Invest Staffing Resources for Learning Improvement

Analyzes staffing challenges that guide school leaders' resource decisions in the context of a learning improvement agenda, staff resource investment strategies that improve learning outcomes equitably, and ways to win support for differential investment

A new rock-based definition for the Cryogenian Period (circa 720 - 635 Ma)

The Cryogenian Period was first established in 1988 along with other Precambrian eon, era and period-level subdivisions that were defined numerically by Global Standard Stratigraphic Ages (GSSAs). As absolute age constraints have improved, some of these time intervals no longer bracket adequately the geological event(s), for which they were named. For example, the age discrepancy between the basal Cryogenian GSSA at 850 Ma and the onset of widespread glaciation ca. 717 Ma has rendered the 850 Ma boundary obsolete. The International Commission on Stratigraphy has now formally approved the removal of the Cryogenian GSSA from its International Chronostratigraphic Chart and supports its replacement with a rock-based Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP). The new Cryogenian GSSP will be placed at a globally correlative level that lies stratigraphically beneath the first appearance of widespread glaciation and is assigned in the interim a 'calibrated age' of circa 720 Ma. This new definition for the Tonian/Cryogenian boundary should be used in future publications until a formal Cryogenian GSSP can be ratified. The change marks progress towards establishment of a 'natural' (rock-based) scale for Precambrian time

Calcium Pyrophosphate Crystal Deposition: The Effect of Monosodium Urate and Apatite Crystals in a Kinetic Study Using a Gelatin Matrix Model

The kinetics of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal growth was studied by allowing calcium and pyrophosphate (PPi-4) ions to diffuse through a denatured collagen matrix (biological grade gelatin) in the presence of either monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) or hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals. In this in vitro model system, MSU crystals significantly altered the kinetics of PPi-4 ionic diffusion through the gelatin matrix by allowing the [PPi-4] gradient to fall off much more rapidly, suggesting an increased level of scavenging of PPi-4 ions into crystalline materials. Even more significantly, the presence of MSU crystals markedly influenced the crystal growth morphology of triclinic CPPD, producing that observed in vivo. A large number of epitaxially dimensional matches between MSU and triclinic (t) and monoclinic (m) CPPD were identified, suggesting that MSU crystals can epitaxially induce CPPD crystal growth. This finding supports the hypothesis that the association of urate gout and CPPD crystal deposition disease is based on the nucleating potential of MSU crystals for CPPD crystal growth. In contrast, the HA crystal structure did not appear to serve as a nucleating agent for CPPD crystals. However, HA crystals did serve as effective traps for PPi-4 ions and their presence led to more stable CPPD crystal growth

Calcium Pyrophosphate Crystal Deposition: The Effect of Soluble Iron in a Kinetic Study Using a Gelatin Matrix Model

The kinetics of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal growth was studied by allowing calcium and pyrophosphate (PPi-4) ions to diffuse through a denatured collagen matrix (biological grade gelatin) in the presence of either ferric or ferrous ions. Ferric and, to some extent, ferrous ions blocked the migration of the PPi-4 diffusion gradient. This retardation in the [PPi-4] gradient led to numerous changes in the patterns of CPPD crystal formation. At the initial stages of crystal growth, the iron ions induced more crystal growth compared to control. At later incubation times, ferrous and ferric ions enhanced crystal growth at the expense of crystal nucleation. The presence of both ferrous and ferric ions resulted in the more rapid formation of the two crystals observed in vivo, triclinic CPPD and monoclinic CPPD. Further, both ferrous and ferric ions also reduced the solubility of the crystalline material in the broad diffuse band which formed when the Ca+2 and PPi-4 gradients first met. In this system, the presence of either ferrous or ferric ions increased the amount of hydroxyproline included in the crystalline precipitates. Iron was also incorporated into the crystals, particularly into the triclinic CPPD and monoclinic CPPD crystals

Rheology of Ring Polymer Melts: From Linear Contaminants to Ring/Linear Blends

Ring polymers remain a major challenge to our current understanding of polymer dynamics. Experimental results are difficult to interpret because of the uncertainty in the purity and dispersity of the sample. Using both equilibrium and non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations we have systematically investigated the structure, dynamics and rheology of perfectly controlled ring/linear polymer blends with chains of such length and flexibility that the number of entanglements is up to about 14 per chain, which is comparable to experimental systems examined in the literature. The smallest concentration at which linear contaminants increase the zero-shear viscosity of a ring polymer melt of these chain lengths by 10% is approximately one-fifth of their overlap concentration. When the two architectures are present in equal amounts the viscosity of the blend is approximately twice as large as that of the pure linear melt. At this concentration the diffusion coefficient of the rings is found to decrease dramatically, while the static and dynamic properties of the linear polymers are mostly unaffected. Our results are supported by a primitive path analysis.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures, accepted by PR

Calcium Pyrophosphate Crystal Deposition: A Kinetic Study Using a Type I Collagen Gel Model

Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition disease is characterized by deposits of triclinic (t) and monoclinic (m) CPPD crystals in articular and fibrocartilage. Many investigators have attempted to model CPPD crystal growth using both solution and a variety of gel systems. We have investigated the effect of type I collagen fibrils on CPPD crystal nucleation and growth using an ionic diffusion model. Collagen was isolated from porcine menisci using a pepsin solubilization procedure and gelled in three layers, with one containing 10 mM pyrophosphate (PPi) plus physiologic ions, the middle containing only the ions, while the third contained 25 mM Ca plus physiologic ions. Initially, amorphorous calcium pyrophosphate formed at the Ca-PPi interface. Monoclinic CPPD crystallized in 6 weeks when the [Ca] was between 2 and 3 mM and the [PPi] was between 50 and 75 μM. At 13 weeks, t-CPPD formed when the [Ca] was also between 2 and 3 mM, but the PPi was less than 25 μM. One of the most striking differences between this system and all previous solution and gel model systems is the total absence of orthorhombic calcium pyrophosphate tetrahydrate (o-CPPT) from the gels made of collagen fibrils in near native conformation. Further, crystals of t-CPPD appear as large single crystals with the classic prismatic growth habit observed in vivo, and crystals of m-CPPD also evidence the in vivo rod habit. In contrast, the crystal growth habits of t-CPPD, m-CPPD, and o-CPPT grown in all of the other model systems never matched that observed in vivo. When compared to the previous studies, these results, particularly the crystal growth habit data, suggest that the native collagen fibrils themselves can nucleate CPPD crystal formation

Modified Chaplygin Gas and Constraints on its B parameter from CDM and UDME Cosmological models

We study Modified Chaplygin Gas (MCG) as a candidate for dark energy and predict the values of parameters of the gas for a physically viable cosmological model. The equation of state of MCG ($p=B \rho - \frac {A}{\rho^\alpha}$) involves three parameters: $B$, $A$ and $\alpha$. The permitted values of these parameters are determined with the help of dimensionless age parameter ($H_{o}t_{o}$) and $H(z)-z$ Data. Specifically we study the allowed ranges of values of B parameter in terms of $\alpha$ and $A_{s}$ ($A_{s}$ is defined in terms of the constants in the theory). We explore the constraints of the parameters in Cold Dark Matter(CDM) model and UDME(Unified Dark Matter Energy) model respectively.Comment: 5 pages, 10 fig

What's Behind Acoustic Peaks in the Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies

We give a brief review of the physics of acoustic oscillations in Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) anisotropies. As an example of the impact of their detection in cosmology, we show how the present data on CMB angular power spectrum on sub-degree scales can be used to constrain dark energy cosmological models.Comment: 6 pages, proceedings to the TAUP2001 conference, LNGS, Italy, Sept. 200

Microwave Treatment as a Pesticide Alternative for Stored-Products

This CRADA was a continuation of earlier work with Micro-Grain, Inc. to develop power, high frequency microwave treatment process to treat insect infested grain. ORNLs role was as a subcontractor to Micro-Grain's Phase II SBIR project funded by the US Department of Agriculture. The primary objective was to develop a commercial scale prototype unit capable of treating infested grain at flow rates approaching 1 kg/sec, which is required to be viable in the grain handling industry. A flow rate of {approx} 0.12 Kg/second was demonstrated at 20 kW microwave power level with 100% kill rate. The system is capable of 200 kW however waveguide arcing due to grain dust in the waveguide limited the power to 20 kW during the tests. Development tasks performed during the project included modification of an existing high-power microwave exposure facility to uniformly process large grain samples at high flow rates and improved instrumentation to detect grain flow and uniformity. Microwave processing tasks include a series of controlled exposure tests using infested grain samples provided and analyzed by the University of Oklahoma. Grain samples were infested with red flour beetles which proved the most difficult to kill in earlier tests. Most of the samples processed resulted in quite successful kill rates and a maximum grain temperature of 46 C. The facilities utilized at ORNL are located in the Fusion Energy building (9201-2 at Y-12) and include the 28 GHz 200 kW CW high power microwave facility and microwave test equipment associated with the FED Microwave Development Laboratory in 9201-2. An improved microwave exposure chamber and grain flow control and handling equipment were designed and build as a joint effort between Micro-Grain and ORNL. A number of insect infested grain tests were successfully performed although the higher power, higher flow rates were limited by arcing in the microwave waveguide and damage to the gyrotron output window. Test results and the overall performance of the applicator system are very favorable for continued development of the concept. Further tests were performed in a large high power 2.45 GHz microwave applicator in batches. These samples were also quite effectively treated which supports the concept that a lower cost, lower frequency microwave system might be more successful due to the improved economics and simpler operation and maintenance of the low frequency system. Follow-on work is still possible however the untimely death of Steve Halverson, founder of Micro-grain, has essentially brought the development work to a close for now. Micro-Grain is being run by relatives at a low level who are not actively pursuing further funding