Mentoring: The Factors that Contribute to Persistence to Graduation for African American Males in Predominantly White Institutions in Missouri

Due to several decisions by the United States Supreme Court in the 19th and 20th centuries, African Americans were granted access to PWI’s of higher education. However, African Americans still face challenges in obtaining post-secondary education. For example, in 2019 – 2020, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics (2021), 13.1% of African Americans graduated with master’s degrees. Additionally, in 2020, 19% of African Americans attained a post-secondary degree in Missouri (Towncharts.com, 2021). Despite access, the number of African Americans obtaining degrees remains low. And, when the lens is focused on African American males, the numbers are dismal (U. S. Census Bureau, 2021). The purpose of this study was to investigate how mentoring enabled African American males to persist and obtain master’s degrees in PWIs in Missouri. Tinto’s conceptual framework was used to explain what higher education institutions can do to retain and assist students in persisting to graduation. Tinto emphasizes the importance of higher education institutions being committed, intentional, and structured to establish forms of action that involve faculty, student affairs staff, and others to promote student retention and student persistence. Six African American males participated in the study. They ranged in age from 28 to 63 years old. Four of the participants were married. All but one had a degree in education. Five participants attended a public PWI. Using thematic analysis, three themes emerged: Academic Support Aspects, Relationships, and Mentoring Aspects. Categories identified were Personal, Academic, Professional, and Students. Recommendations for future research include a study of a team of cross-functional faculty, students, administrators, and support staff whose function is to oversee institutional planning and student success at PWIs and conducting a nation-wide study of African American males who obtained master’s degrees who received mentoring. Keywords: mentoring, persistence, engagement, PWI, conferment of master’s degrees, African American male

Incipient Speciation in Freshwater Fish Species from Two Isolated Watersheds

The process of speciation occurs as a result of restricted gene flow between segments of an interbreeding population occupying different geographic areas. This separation may result in isolated populations which undergo genetic and phenotypic changes. The Wisconsin glacial period, which ended approximately 17,500 years ago, dramatically altered the geography of North America. The glacier covered almost the entire North America as it advanced. Areas that were not covered with ice provided suitable habitats (refugia) for relict species that were previously widespread in the northern section of the continent. As the ice sheet retreated, animals and plants were able to return to the once glaciated areas. However, as the glacier retreated, it disrupted the distribution patterns of aquatic animals and produced large numbers of small isolated populations. As a result of the Wisconsin glaciation, the Bronx and Saw Mill Rivers now exist in separate but parallel watersheds. The main focus of this research was to decipher if there is evidence of incipient speciation between freshwater fish populations that reside in two isolated river systems: the Bronx and Saw Mill Rivers that have been separated since the Wisconsin glaciation approximately 17,500 years ago. Both rivers contain many of the same fish species. The target species were Rhinichthys atratulus (Blacknose Dace), Etheostoma olmstedi (Tessellated Darter) and Catostomus commersonii (White Sucker). In this study the number of chromosomes and their morphology, the morphological, meristic and osteological differentiation, and the genetic divergence of these fish populations from both rivers were investigated. The result of the chromosomal analyses indicated that for each fish species from both rivers there was no difference between populations. Three metaphase spreads were obtained for each of the 22 Blacknose Dace for a total of 66 spreads examined. The karyotype consisted of 16 metacentric, 28 submetacentric, 2 subtelocentric, and 4 telocentric, yielding a diploid number of 2n=50 chromosomes. The diploid number for the Tessellated Darter was 2n = 48. A total of ten fish from the Bronx River and twelve from the Saw Mill River was examined. Their karyotype consisted of 42 acrocentric and 6 telocentric chromosomes. The White Sucker had a diploid number 2n = 98 with 5 metacentric, 7 submetacentric and 86 subtelocentric chromosomes. Unlike the results for the chromosomal component of this study, morphometric, meristic, osteologic and genetic differences were observed between the different species from both rivers. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted on all morphometric, meristic, and osteologic characters. Morphometric analyses indicated that the differences were greater in the Blacknose Dace than in the Tessellated Darter and the White Sucker. Of the fifty-two morphometric characters examined for the Blacknose Dace and the White Sucker, twenty-seven characters (52 %) for the Blacknose Dace and seventeen (32%) for the White Sucker were significantly different (p \u3c 0.05). In addition, only fifteen of sixty-two characters (24%) for the Tessellated Darter were significantly different (p \u3c 0.05). Of the fifteen meristic counts conducted only 4 (26%) was significantly different (p \u3c 0.05) for the Blacknose Dace and for the White Sucker. There were no significant differences observed for the meristic count for the Tessellated Darter between the two rivers. The p-values for the osteological data were comparable to that of the meristic data as there was a significant difference between the populations for the Blacknose Dace (25 %) and the White Sucker (12 %), but not for the Tessellated Darter. Molecular data supported the morphometric, meristic and osteologic analyses in that there are genetic variations between the different populations of fish from both rivers. Using mtDNA control region for the Blacknose Dace and the White Sucker and cytochrome b gene for the Tessellated Darter, a similar pattern of divergence was observed between the populations from the Bronx and Saw Mill Rivers. Each fish species had haplotypes common to both rivers. However, there were haplotypes not shared between the two rivers. Significant differences in haplotype frequencies within the three fish species indicate the populations are beginning to diverge (P \u3c 0.0001). For this reason, due to genetic drift, genetic differences could lead to incipient speciation and eventually result in actual speciation if the present environmental conditions persist within the Bronx and Saw Mill Rivers

Characterization of IM7/8552 Thin-Ply and Hybrid Thin-Ply Composites

Composite materials have increasingly been used for aerospace applications due to improved performance and reduced weight compared to their metallic counterparts. Inclusion of thin-ply material, plies with cured thickness half or less than standard composites, have potential to improve performance and reduce structural weight. Limited characterization of thin-ply IM7/8552 material in 30 and 70 grams per square meter fiber areal weights has been carried out using a series of selected American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) tests. Tests included unnotched tension, unnotched compression, v-notched rail shear, open-hole tension, and open-hole compression. Unidirectional, cross-ply, quasiisotropic and hybrid hard laminates were included in the study, and were compared to standard-ply laminates. Properties compared include fiber volume, laminate moduli, and failure strength, with failure modes also being examined. The thin-ply specimens exhibited similar or superior performance to standard ply laminates in many of the cases compared. Improvements in strength for laminates containing thin-ply material were seen for unidirectional laminates under unnotched tension, quasi-isotropic laminates under unnotched tension and compression, and hard laminates under open hole tension. Additional investigation is required to determine appropriate ply stacking rules for hybrids of thin and standard plies to avoid undesirable failure modes such as axial splitting. However, the observed performance improvements demonstrated by the conducted ASTM tests of hybrid thin-ply hard laminates could have benefits for improved structural weight in aircraft

Collective response of self-organized clusters of mechanosensitive channels

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Explaining Risk to Clients: An Advisory Perspective

To illustrate how advisors explain risk to clients, we map our view of current advisory practice, with particular emphasis on risk management, to our view of the current mosaic of planning paradigms. We then apply that information to identify questions for further discussion and research. We conclude there has been an evolution in advisory practice from a focus on product, to policy, and now increasingly to process, with communication about risk remaining central throughout

An Unusual Hydrogen Migration/C−H Activation Reaction with Group 3 Metals

A novel hydrogen migration from the phenyl ring to the pyridine ring of an yttrium pyridyl complex supported by a 1,1′-ferrocene diamide ligand is reported. Density functional theory calculations were instrumental in probing the mechanism for this transformation

[MeNC5H5]2[TCNE]2 (TCNE = tetracyanoethylene). Single crystal X-ray and neutron diffraction characterization of an exceptionally long 2.8 Å C-C bond

Journal ArticleThe reaction of N-methylpyridinium iodide, Mepy+I-, and tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) forms [Mepy]2[TCNE]2, which possesses [TCNE]2 2' with an intradimer C-C bond distance of 2.806(1)Å at 50 K from X-ray diffraction, and 2.801(4)Å at 50 K from neutron diffraction. In the IR it exhibits nChN absorptions at 2191, 2174, 2169, 2163 and a nCC absorption at 1366 cm-1, with UV/Vis absorption bands at 26,880 and 18,520 cm-1. Analysis of the cation-hydrogen to [TCNE]2 2- interactions do not provide evidence that the cation stabilizes formation of the [TCNE]2 2- dimer, which is stabilized by the intradimer 2e--4 center C-C bonding interaction

Reaction of Group III Biheterocyclic Complexes

Group III alkyl complexes supported by a ferrocene diamide ligand (1,1′-fc(NSitBuMe_2)_2) have been found to be reactive toward aromatic N-heterocycles such as 1-methylimidazole and pyridines. These reactions were investigated experimentally and computationally. An initial C−H activation event is followed by a coupling reaction to form biheterocyclic complexes, in which one of the rings is dearomatized. In the case of 1-methylimidazole, the biheterocyclic compound could not be isolated and further led to an imidazole ring-opened product; in the case of pyridines, it transformed into an isomer with extended conjugation of double bonds. Mechanisms for both reactions are proposed on the basis of experimental and computational results. DFT calculations were also used to show that an energetically accessible pathway for the ring-opening of pyridines exists

Are There Really Two Sides of the Claim Construction Coin? The Application of the Broadest Reasonable Interpretation at the PTAB

The USPTO has applied the broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) claim construction standard during prosecution, reexamination, and other office proceedings for decades. The Supreme Court affirmed in Cuozzo Speed Technologies Inc. that BRI is also the appropriate standard for unexpired claims in post-grant proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). Leading up to Cuozzo, many parties speculated that the PTAB’s application of BRI might create confusion and result in inconsistent outcomes at the district court level. Notably, nothing in the America Invents Act establishes a standard of deference between PTAB and district court decisions. But so far, there has been minimal confusion. This Article explores the application of the BRI at the PTAB level and evaluates if there really is any difference in applying the BRI standard compared with the Phillips standard. This Article also discusses whether other distinctions, such as different evidentiary standards, or just plain different evidence being presented, had a greater effect than claim construction standards in the few cases where a district court and the PTAB have construed the same claim language differently. The Supreme Court recently affirmed the constitutionality of postgrant proceedings at the PTAB in Oil States Energy Services, LLC. v. Greene’s Energy Group, LLC. However, questions of “takings,” “retroactive application,” and “due process” remain on the judicial horizon