Kepler's First Rocky Planet: Kepler-10b

NASA's Kepler Mission uses transit photometry to determine the frequency of Earth-size planets in or near the habitable zone of Sun-like stars. The mission reached a milestone toward meeting that goal: the discovery of its first rocky planet, Kepler-10b. Two distinct sets of transit events were detected: (1) a 152 ± 4 ppm dimming lasting 1.811 ± 0.024 hr with ephemeris T [BJD] = 2454964.57375^(+0.00060)_(–0.00082) + N * 0.837495^(+0.000004)_(–0.000005) days and (2) a 376 ± 9 ppm dimming lasting 6.86 ± 0.07 hr with ephemeris T [BJD] = 2454971.6761^(+0.0020)_(–0.0023) + N * 45.29485^(+0.00065) _(–0.00076) days. Statistical tests on the photometric and pixel flux time series established the viability of the planet candidates triggering ground-based follow-up observations. Forty precision Doppler measurements were used to confirm that the short-period transit event is due to a planetary companion. The parent star is bright enough for asteroseismic analysis. Photometry was collected at 1 minute cadence for >4 months from which we detected 19 distinct pulsation frequencies. Modeling the frequencies resulted in precise knowledge of the fundamental stellar properties. Kepler-10 is a relatively old (11.9 ± 4.5 Gyr) but otherwise Sun-like main-sequence star with T_(eff) = 5627 ± 44 K, M_⋆ = 0.895 ± 0.060 M_⊙ , and R_⋆ = 1.056 ± 0.021 R_⊙. Physical models simultaneously fit to the transit light curves and the precision Doppler measurements yielded tight constraints on the properties of Kepler-10b that speak to its rocky composition: M_P = 4.56^9+1.17)_(–1.29) M_⊕, R_P = 1.416^(+0.033)_(–0.036) R_⊕, and ρ_P = 8.8^(+2.1)_(–2.9) g cm^(–3). Kepler-10b is the smallest transiting exoplanet discovered to date

The Writing on the Walls: Street art as a site of participation in discourse and a platform for voice in the Moroccan public sphere

Street art is a form of mass communication and a platform for public discourse (Chaffee, 1993, p. 4). Public discourse in the Moroccan context is undergoing a process of limited liberalization, characterized by the hybrid regime’s allowance of a greater plurality of voices to legitimately participate in public discourse while still maintaining surveillance and control over who participates and how they participate (Desrues, 2013). Through qualitative research methods, this study analyzes how individual actors and the Moroccan hybrid regime use street art in the Rabat-Casablanca urban space to participate in public discourse and how street art is related to the process of political liberalization. Because street artists often do not offer their audience a fixed meaning of their art, instead requiring the audience to find their own meaning for the art, it was hypothesized that street art creates space in the public sphere for a greater plurality of narratives, thus leading to higher levels of political liberalization. The findings of this study upheld this hypothesis with the reservation that street art, like all forms of public discourse, is constrained by the redlines set by the hybrid-regime that determine what can and cannot be said in the public sphere

An Exploration of the Pathway From Childhood Neglect to School Bullying Victimization

The objective of the current study was to explore the association between two widely prevalent sources of trauma occurring early in life, child neglect and bullying victimization (BV), via adult recollections of maltreatment experiences. One hundred and twenty participants, recruited from a mid-sized university in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, were ultimately included in the sample. Of the total sample, 30 participants (25%) endorsed a history of moderate to severe neglect in childhood and 62 participants (52%) endorsed experiencing at least one form of BV in school. Childhood maltreatment, including various forms of neglect and abuse, was measured by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and BV, including the frequency and severity of various forms of BV, was measured by a revised version of the Retrospective Bullying Questionnaire. A cross-sectional, correlational research design was implemented as participants were asked to complete a survey at one point in time. T-test analyses reported those with a history of neglect to be significantly more likely to report general peer BV experiences than those who reported childhood non-maltreatment. Regression analyses identified physical neglect to be consistently significant in predicting the frequency and severity of physical BV only, while emotional neglect was significant in predicting the frequency and severity of verbal and indirect BV only. The presence of significant physical and emotional neglect predicted stable BV rates across primary and secondary school. Implications for mental health professionals working in the schools largely cued the roles of preventative and remedial service delivery, consultation, and community resource outreach. Trauma-informed practices are at the center of service delivery for students who report current or prior childhood neglect. School psychologists are in a unique position to assist students with suspected or unknown histories of childhood neglect in building healthy relationships with others, regulating their emotions, bolstering their sense of self-worth, and ideally reducing the chances of maltreated students becoming revictimized by their peers

The biological determinism of John Steinbeck as seen in Sea of Cortez and as exemplified in his novels

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston UniversityBy thus searching for evidences of Steinbeck's philosophy as he bas outlined it in Sea of Cortez, and illustrated it in his fiction, it can be seen that a coherent philosophy dominates all of Steinbeck's writings. By analyzing this philosophy in terms of the accepted philosophical schools ot thought it can be seen that the theory of biological determinism is consistent with those concepts which are Steinbeck's and its application thereby justified

Reflections on Teaching Through Research Writing, Literature Analysis, Expressive Writing and the Graphic Novel

This is Natalie S. Johnson’s final portfolio for her M.A. in English (with a specialization in teaching). It includes a reflective narrative and four revised pieces: “Information Literacy Study and Teaching Student Writing of Research Papers,” “Notes on Baudelaire, Modernity and The Painter of Modern Life,” “Expressive Writing: A Literature Review,” and “Teaching of Social Constructs Through Graphic Novel Study: Challenge Factors.” The portfolio focuses on research and study that developed Johnson’s classroom pedagogy and philosophy toward improved teaching and learning

Eucharistic Undoings: Ecstatic Participation and Divine Incorporation in the Spirit

This project looks at the logical and experiential priority that Sarah Coakley gives to the Holy Spirit in her approach to trinitarian theology and its implications for human gender and sexuality. Coakley\u27s work tends to lean toward internalizing bodily categories, spiritualizing gender particularity as one\u27s posture toward God. My thesis is that a eucharistic understanding of gender and sexuality is needed to give Coakley\u27s understanding of gender bodily significance

The Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Two Pipeline Programs for Matriculation and Retention of Minority Students in a Medical School Program

There is a constant need for diversity in the physician workforce, which means that there is also a critical need to diversify the medical school population. The Liaison Committee on Medical Education, the accrediting body of all U.S. medical schools monitors the compliance of medical education programs with recognized accepted standards including includes diversifying the physician workforce through pipeline programs and partnerships. The objective of this project is to evaluate outcomes of the Medical University College of Medicine’s Summer Institute (SI) program and the Postbaccalaureate Reapplication Program (PREP) in matriculating and retaining underrepresented minorities (URM) in medicine students. Out of one-hundred and thirty-five underrepresented in medicine pipeline program participants between 2006-2016, sixty-two (46%) successfully graduated from the College of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina. Data suggest that the PREP and SI pipeline programs are effective in matriculating minority students to medical school and retaining them to graduation. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness pipelines programs and include additional variables to identify the specialties of medical school graduates and variable to determine if they are working in underserved areas

Bridges and Barriers: Patients\u27 Perceptions of the Discharge Process Including Multidisciplinary Rounds on a Trauma Unit

Discharge planning is a complex process and ideally begins early in the patient stay. Despite evidence about the importance of discharge readiness, there is limited literature about the patient\u27s view during this transition. The goal of this study was to explore patient perspectives about the discharge process, including multidisciplinary rounds. Multidisciplinary rounding is a process where care providers from various specialties meet to communicate, coordinate patient care, make decisions, and manage responsibilities. The theme found was “bridges and barriers to discharge.” Participants identified timelines and tasks, communication, social support, and motivation as helpful and medical setbacks, insurance limitations, and infrequent communication as hindrances to the discharge. Future research is recommended examining efficacy of various discharge models and examination of communication and support throughout hospitalization

The dance of sustaining technology innovations in teacher education: case of an award-winning program

This case study investigated the strategies, challenges, and leadership requirements for sustaining technology innovations in Iowa State University\u27s (ISU\u27s) teacher education program (TEP). In 1999, ISU\u27s TEP was granted 1.4 million dollars to renew pedagogy and practice in teacher education with technology. A qualitative case study approach was used to describe and analyze the process of sustaining technology innovations in teacher education. Activity Theory Framework (ATF) and Rogers Diffusion of Innovation Theory (R\u27DIT) were complementary theoretical lenses used to analyze this case study. Thirteen participants from five constituencies supporting teacher education were interviewed. Interview data were triangulated with evidence from document analysis and on-site observations carried out by the researcher.;Three major strategies for sustaining technology were identified from this study: (1) educating and supporting in-service teachers and teacher educators in using and integrating technology in their courses, through mentoring, course and curricular redesign, as well as co-curricular activities; (2) collaborative teamwork and partnerships among stakeholders across the five constituencies supporting teacher education; and (3) strong support from key personnel including administrators and master teachers.;Five major challenges also were identified as impacting the process of sustaining technology innovations in teacher education. They were time and funding, people, lack of resources, lack of support, and policy changes. These challenges mirrored the challenges found in the literature.;Finally, several characteristics of leaders capable of sustaining technology innovations in teacher education were identified. These characteristics were a goodness of fit with the literature reviewed on leadership and included being knowledgeable about technology and teacher education, visionary-building a shared vision, a systems thinker capable of seeing the big picture, a team player and team learner, strong communicator, good listener, ethos builder paying attention to organization climate and culture, thick-skinned as well as paying attention to community-building efforts, including formal and informal celebrations. The results of this in-depth case study provides valuable information not present in the literature on sustainability, with extensive detail of what makes an award-winning teacher education program succeed at sustaining technology innovations and it sets the stage for the development of an ecological model for sustainability

Successful Mentorship in Perioperative Surgical Services Can Happen! Developing the M.A.P.P. (Mentorship Amongst Peers Program)

Description of Team: Multidisciplinary team consisting of Nurse Educators, Registered Nurses, Certified Surgical Technologist, Administrative Staff, and a Health Care Partner. This team came together with a common goal of improving morale, breaking out of silos, and ultimately increasing retention throughout Perioperative Surgical Services. Preparation and Planning: Research was performed previously on retention by Clinical IV Registered Nurse as part of her Master’s in Nursing program thesis. She presented the research to department leaders as a method to improve satisfaction and in turn, increase retention. In April 2018 a mentoring planning workshop was held with team members from each unit within the department and representatives from the management team. The takeaways from the workshop were positive, but all acknowledged there was much work to be done to be successful. Assessment: The external turnover rates at the time for registered nurses in the department collectively were 16%, higher than the organization average of 12%. Team member morale was low, and the costs of onboarding new employees were increasing. The core team was identified, but patient care responsibilities and other project work often caused barriers for meeting attendance. After many weeks of attempting to move forward but lacking the time and resources, a proposal was developed to consult a professional mentoring company for guidance and structure. This proposal was presented to the Vice President of Perioperative Surgical Services, who was supportive of the plan and obtained the necessary authorizations for funding to move forward. Implementation: The core team started marketing for the start of the mentorship program and the value of mentorship in September 2018 through individual in-services, team huddles, and staff meetings. Flyers and brochures were also created to spread the word and spark interest. Employees were able to sign-up as interested in being a mentor or a mentee at meetings or by sending an email to a dedicated group email address. To start in our first cohort, participants had to meet a few requirements. Mentors and mentees had to be at least meeting expectations on their last formal review, be able to attend a 4-hour training class, and they needed to complete an online self-assessment. Mentees were paired with their mentors based on their individual goals. Over a two-week period, the core team provided the 4-hour mentor, mentee, and leadership training to all of the participants. The participants included operating room nurses, PACU nurses, surgical technologists, environmental services staff, anesthesia techs, and administrative staff. Over the next year, the core team provided monthly huddles and newsletters and provided helpful reminders and tips over social media. Quarterly surveys were sent to participants to complete anonymously for review by the core team. The answered surveys helped to identify opportunities for improvements and assess satisfaction with the program. Outcome: Twenty-four pairs were formed initially from the self-assessments in the first cohort. Time constraints and patient care responsibilities prevented a few mentees and mentors from attending the initial and make-up training sessions despite best efforts by the core team, leaving 17 pairs to begin the program. A majority of the mentee and mentor pairs have completed the mentorship program with several success stories that are shared throughout the organization. The team made improvements for cohort two of the program based on the survey feedback of the first cohort participants and further literature research. The most significant change was to the initial 4-hour training course. The length of the class was a barrier to many participants who could not be out of staffing for that long of a time. The program was modified to include a pre-course learning module, which included a learning-style inventory, and was pared down to only two hours of classroom instruction. The mentorship program grew to add team members from another unit and many of the senior leadership staff have signed up themselves to be mentors and mentees. The department has also seen a decrease in external turnover from 16% to 14.57% since implementation. Implications for Perioperative Nursing: Perioperative Surgical Services is a highly specialized area, and many programs in nursing schools have cut out training and observations for being too specific. Periop is also infamous for being a high-stress environment, having diva surgeons, and being an island by itself within the hospital. Lack of engagement and large numbers of veteran perioperative team members reaching retirement age has caused alarm for many hospitals and surgery centers. Having a formal mentorship program can help to decrease silos within the departments, improves multidisciplinary relationships, and fosters organizational longevity. When asked what being a mentor meant to her, one of our perioperative nurses said: being able to pass on to another person what was once taught to me as the basics and fundamentals and then being able to watch them grow into excellent perioperative nurses has helped me feel like I have something to give someone