Adding Music to the Math Equation

Depending on the material covered on any particular day, students may end up with anywhere from 5 minutes to 35 minutes to do their homework in class. Unfortunately, students will only stay on task for so long before they get off task. This research project will investigate the effects of playing classical music during in-class work time on the work ethic and environment of the classroom

Factors related to the quality of the home environment and children's achievement

This study tested Belsky's model of the determinants of parenting. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), the study focused on 898 mothers (African Americans, n = 347; Caucasians, n = 551) and their 6- to 8-year-old children. Consistent with Belsky's model, mothers who provided better quality home environments had higher levels of education, intelligence, and self-esteem. Mothers with higher family incomes, fewer children, and higher marital quality provided more supportive home environments. In addition, age and gender of the children were significantly related to the quality of the children's home environments. Additional analyses indicated that the quality of the home environment that mothers of both ethnic groups provided was related to their children's achievement

The economic determinants of the number of minority farmers in the southern region of the United States, 1969-1997

Master of AgribusinessDepartment of Agricultural EconomicsAndrew P. BarkleyThe primary purpose of this research was to identify and quantify the determinants of the number of minority farms in the Southern region of the United States during the time period, 1969-1997. A second objective was to determine the impact of globalization and international trade agreements on the number of African-American farmers in the Southern region of the United States. Regression results indicate that minority farm labor was responsive to the returns to agriculture labor relative to nonfarm labor returns, as well as to cotton and rice prices. Increase in the cotton price increased minority farmer income, slowing the rate of agricultural migration from the Southern region of the United States. To the extent that globalization results in lower cotton prices, international agricultural trade agreements are likely to result in further movement of minority farmers out of agriculture in the Southern region of the United States

An Altered Derivatives Marketplace: Clearing Swaps Under Dodd-Frank

Though over a year has passed, the impact of the Dodd Frank Act remains unclear. This Note examines the provisions of the Act that relate to swap transactions within the context of pre-reform and postreform markets. In order to reduce the uncertainties inherent in unregulated swap transactions, the Act employs a comprehensive framework, which includes mandatory clearing through derivative clearing organizations, extensive reporting requirements, margin requirements, and position limits. This Note argues that, in doing so, the Dodd Frank Act addresses the fundamental failures of pre-reform derivative markets. However, the importance of the role for derivative clearing organizations under this framework creates a risk that these organizations will become systemically significant, mirroring problems with under-capitalized and over-exposed financial institutions in the downturn

EPR evidence for maghemitization of magnetite in a tropical soil

Electron paramagnetic spectroscopy (EPR) was used in combination with standard rock magnetic methods to study magnetic minerals in a tropical soil. The susceptibility and hysteresis measurements showed magnetite grains with a Curie temperature near 850 K as the dominant magnetic remanence carriers in the soil. A minor Ti content in the magnetite was found by energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In order to get insight into the weathering status of the magnetite, different chemical treatments, including oxalate and citrate—bicarbonate—dithionite (CBD) extraction, were applied to the soil samples. The hysteretic properties exhibited no significant differences between the untreated and the CBD or oxalate treated samples. By contrast, the comparison of the EPR spectra revealed a significant broadening of the linewidth (δB) and a shift of the g-values (geff) to lower fields after the CBD treatment. Furthermore, the spectral parameters geff and δB exhibited an angular dependence. At low temperature, the CBD treated samples showed a jump in δB between 120 and 100 K, the temperature range characteristic for the Verwey transition in magnetite. The changes in the spectral properties after the CBD treatment, which dissolves ferric oxides, were attributed to the removal of maghemite formed by the oxidation of magnetite, that is, during the maghemitization of the magnetite grain

Lung dendritic cells imprint T cell lung homing and promote lung immunity through the chemokine receptor CCR4

T cell trafficking into the lung is critical for lung immunity, but the mechanisms that mediate T cell lung homing are not well understood. Here, we show that lung dendritic cells (DCs) imprint T cell lung homing, as lung DC–activated T cells traffic more efficiently into the lung in response to inhaled antigen and at homeostasis compared with T cells activated by DCs from other tissues. Consequently, lung DC–imprinted T cells protect against influenza more effectively than do gut and skin DC–imprinted T cells. Lung DCs imprint the expression of CCR4 on T cells, and CCR4 contributes to T cell lung imprinting. Lung DC–activated, CCR4-deficient T cells fail to traffic into the lung as efficiently and to protect against influenza as effectively as lung DC–activated, CCR4-sufficient T cells. Thus, lung DCs imprint T cell lung homing and promote lung immunity in part through CCR4

Spatial and temporal variation in organic acid anion exudation and nutrient anion uptake in the rhizosphere of Lupinus albus L

We investigated in situ the temporal patterns and spatial extent of organic acid anion exudation into the rhizosphere solution of Lupinus albus, and its relation with the nutrient anions phosphate, nitrate and sulfate by means of a rhizobox micro suction cup method under P sufficient conditions. We compared the soil solution in the rhizosphere of cluster roots with that in the vicinity of normal roots, nodules and bulk soil. Compared to the other rhizosphere and soil compartments, concentrations of organic acid anions were higher in the vicinity of cluster roots during the exudative burst (citrate, oxalate) and nodules (acetate, malate), while concentrations of inorganic nutrient anions were highest in the bulk soil. Both active cluster roots and nodules were most efficient in taking up nitrate and phosphate. The intensity of citrate exudation by cluster roots was highly variable. The overall temporal patterns during the lifetime of cluster roots were overlaid by a diurnal pattern, i.e. in most cases, the exudation burst consisted of one or more peaks occurring in the afternoon. Multiple exudation peaks occurred daily or were separated by 1 or 2days. Although citrate concentrations decreased with distance from the cluster root apex, they were still significantly higher at a distance of 6 to 10mm than in the bulk soil. Phosphate concentrations were extremely variable in the proximity of cluster roots. While our results indicate that under P sufficient conditions cluster roots take up phosphate during their entire life time, the influence of citrate exudation on phosphate mobilization from soil could not be assessed conclusively because of the complex interactions between P uptake, organic acid anion exudation and P mobilization. However, we observed indications of P mobilization concurrent with the highest measured citrate concentrations. In conclusion, this study provides semiquantitative in situ data on the reactivity of different root segments of L. albus L. in terms of root exudation and nutrient uptake under nutrient sufficient conditions, in particular on the temporal variability during the lifetime of cluster root

Modified micro suction cup/rhizobox approach for the in-situ detection of organic acids in rhizosphere soil solution

Root-soil interactions can strongly influence the soil solution chemistry in the rhizosphere. In the present study we propose a modification of the classical rhizobox/micro suction cup system to make it suitable for the collection and analysis of organic acids in the rhizosphere. In order to show the potential of the method, we tested the modified system with Lupinus albus L. as a model plant known to exude large amounts of citrate. The suction cups were installed through the transparent front plate of the rhizoboxes just after the emergence of cluster roots in order to allow optimal localized collection of soil solution. A small dead-volume allowed almost immediate stabilisation with formaldehyde of the sampled soil solutions in the collection container to prevent microbial degradation. The concentrations of organic acids were significantly larger in the rhizosphere soil solution of active cluster roots of Lupinus albus L. than in the bulk soil solution (about 400µM of citrate versus <0.05µM). We were able to follow the exudation process in-situ, which occurred during 2-3days. Also the concentrations of other organic acids and inorganic anions differed between the bulk soil and the rhizosphere of cluster roots, normal roots, and nodule