342 research outputs found

    Parental Perspectives and Decision-Making Processes About School Choice and Supplemental Educational Services Under No Child Left Behind in a Large Urban Elementary School

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    This case study explored the factors affecting parental thinking and decision making processes about school choice and supplemental educational services under No Child Left Behind (NCLB, 2002) in the largest Title I urban elementary school in the largest school district in a southeastern state, and which is currently identified by NCLB as a persistently “low-performing” school. This study also examined parents’ understanding of the term “low-performing” school. The following questions were used to guide this qualitative case study: What factors influence parents’ perspectives and decision making processes regarding school choice as provided under No Child Left Behind (2002)? What factors influence parents’ perspectives and decision making processes regarding supplemental education services under NCLB (2002), and, What are parents’ perspectives of the term low-performing school

    CORRECTION OF THE POST – NECKING TRUE STRESS – STRAIN DATA USING INSTRUMENTED NANOINDENTATION

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    The study of large plastic deformations has been the focus of numerous studies particularly in the metal forming processes and fracture mechanics fields. A good understanding of the plastic flow properties of metallic alloys and the true stresses and true strains induced during plastic deformation is crucial to optimize the aforementioned processes, and to predict ductile failure in fracture mechanics analyzes. Knowledge of stresses and strains is extracted from the true stress-strain curve of the material from the uniaxial tensile test. In addition, stress triaxiality is manifested by the neck developed during the last stage of a tensile test performed on a ductile material. This necking phenomenon is the factor responsible for deviating from uniaxial state into a triaxial one, then, providing an inaccurate description of the material’s behavior after the onset of necking The research of this dissertation is aimed at the development of a correction method for the nonuniform plastic deformation (post-necking) portion of the true stress- strain curve. The correction proposed is based on the well-known relationship between hardness and flow (yield) stress, except that instrumented nanoindentation hardness is utilized rather than conventional macro or micro hardness. Three metals with different combinations of strain hardening behavior and crystal structure were subjected to quasi- static tensile tests: power-law strain hardening low carbon G10180 steel (BCC) and electrolytic tough pitch copper C11000 (FCC), and linear strain hardening austenitic stainless steel S30400 (FCC). Nanoindentation hardness values, measured on the broken tensile specimen, were converted into flow stress values by means of the constraint factor from Tabor’s, the representative plastic strain and the post-test true plastic strains measured. Micro Vickers hardness testing was carried out on the sample as well. The constraint factors were 5.5, 4.5 and 4.5 and the representative plastic strains were 0.028, 0.062 and 0.061 for G101800, C11000 and S30400 respectively. The established corrected curves relating post-necking flow stress to true plastic strain turned out to be well represented by a power-law function. Experimental results dictated that a unique single value for and for is not appropriate to describe materials with different plastic behaviors. Therefore, Tabor’s equation, along with the representative plastic strain concept, has been misused in the past. The studied materials exhibited different nanohardness and plastic strain distributions due to their inherently distinct elasto-plastic response. The proposed post- necking correction separates out the effect of triaxiality on the uniaxial true stress-strain curve provided that the nanohardness-flow stress relationship is based on uniaxial values of stress. Some type of size effect, due to the microvoids at the tip of the neck, influenced nanohardness measurements. The instrumented nanoindentation technique proved to be a very suitable method to probe elasto-plastic properties of materials such as nanohardness, elastic modulus, and quasi-static strain rate sensitivity among others. Care should be taken when converting nanohardness to Vickers and vice versa due to their different area definition used. Nanohardness to Vickers ratio oscillated between 1.01 and 1.1

    Henry M. Misemer’s Letter to his wife Martha J. Misemer June 27th, 1864

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    This manuscript is a letter written from Henry M. Misemer to his wife, Martha J. Misemer. The letter is dated May 2nd, 1864, one year before the Sultana Disaster. Researchers indicate that 1,195 of the 2,200 passengers and crew died including Henry Misemer, 200 later died from burns sustained during the incident, making the Sultana incident the deadliest maritime disaster in U.S. history.This transcription and its attendant annotations, explanatory material, and bibliography were prepared by students in ENGL 618: Research Methods in English, the required gateway class for the MA in English at Western Carolina University

    Henry M. Misemer’s Letter to his wife Martha J. Misemer May 2nd 1864

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    This manuscript is a letter written from Henry M. Misemer to his wife, Martha J. Misemer. The letter is dated June, 1864, one year before the Sultana Disaster. Researchers indicate that 1,195 of the 2,200 passengers and crew died including Henry Misemer, 200 later died from burns sustained during the incident, making the Sultana incident the deadliest maritime disaster in U.S. history. This transcription and its attendant annotations, explanatory material, and bibliography were prepared by students in ENGL 618: Research Methods in English, the required gateway class for the MA in English at Western Carolina University

    Consensus recommendations for risk stratification in multiple myeloma: report of the International Myeloma Workshop Consensus Panel 2.

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    A panel of members of the 2009 International Myeloma Workshop developed guidelines for risk stratification in multiple myeloma. The purpose of risk stratification is not to decide time of therapy but to prognosticate. There is general consensus that risk stratification is applicable to newly diagnosed patients; however, some genetic abnormalities characteristic of poor outcome at diagnosis may suggest poor outcome if only detected at the time of relapse. Thus, in good-risk patients, it is necessary to evaluate for high-risk features at relapse. Although detection of any cytogenetic abnormality is considered to suggest higher-risk disease, the specific abnormalities considered as poor risk are cytogenetically detected chromosomal 13 or 13q deletion, t(4; 14) and del17p, and detection by fluorescence in situ hybridization of t(4; 14), t(14; 16), and del17p. Detection of 13q deletion by fluorescence in situ hybridization only, in absence of other abnormalities, is not considered a high-risk feature. High serum beta(2)-microglobulin level and International Staging System stages II and III, incorporating high beta(2)-microglobulin and low albumin, are considered to predict higher risk disease. There was a consensus that the high-risk features will change in the future, with introduction of other new agents or possibly new combinations. (Blood. 2011; 117(18): 4696-4700

    Cell-specific deletion of C1qa identifies microglia as the dominant source of C1q in mouse brain

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    BACKGROUND: The complement cascade not only provides protection from infection but can also mediate destructive inflammation. Complement is also involved in elimination of neuronal synapses which is essential for proper development, but can be detrimental during aging and disease. C1q, required for several of these complement-mediated activities, is present in the neuropil, microglia, and a subset of interneurons in the brain. METHODS: To identify the source(s) of C1q in the brain, the C1qa gene was selectively inactivated in the microglia or Thy-1(+) neurons in both wild type mice and a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and C1q synthesis assessed by immunohistochemistry, QPCR, and western blot analysis. RESULTS: While C1q expression in the brain was unaffected after inactivation of C1qa in Thy-1(+) neurons, the brains of C1qa (FL/FL) :Cx3cr1 (CreERT2) mice in which C1qa was ablated in microglia were devoid of C1q with the exception of limited C1q in subsets of interneurons. Surprisingly, this loss of C1q occurred even in the absence of tamoxifen by 1 month of age, demonstrating that Cre activity is tamoxifen-independent in microglia in Cx3cr1 (CreERT2/WganJ) mice. C1q expression in C1qa (FL/FL) : Cx3cr1 (CreERT2/WganJ) mice continued to decline and remained almost completely absent through aging and in AD model mice. No difference in C1q was detected in the liver or kidney from C1qa (FL/FL) : Cx3cr1 (CreERT2/WganJ) mice relative to controls, and C1qa (FL/FL) : Cx3cr1 (CreERT2/WganJ) mice had minimal, if any, reduction in plasma C1q. CONCLUSIONS: Thus, microglia, but not neurons or peripheral sources, are the dominant source of C1q in the brain. While demonstrating that the Cx3cr1 (CreERT2/WganJ) deleter cannot be used for adult-induced deletion of genes in microglia, the model described here enables further investigation of physiological roles of C1q in the brain and identification of therapeutic targets for the selective control of complement-mediated activities contributing to neurodegenerative disorders. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12974-017-0814-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

    AKL1, a botanical mixture for the treatment of asthma: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study

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    BACKGROUND: Despite effective treatments, asthma outcomes remain suboptimal. Interest exists in complementary therapies, particularly in herbal remedies for asthma treatment, currently with inconclusive evidence of efficacy. The encapsulated botanical mixture AKL1 has anecdotal evidence of effectiveness in asthma. METHODS: We performed a randomised controlled cross over study comparing the effectiveness of AKL1 with indistinguishable placebo as add-on therapy in patients uncontrolled on standard asthma treatment. Thirty two adult asthmatics completed a 36 week trial consisting of a 4 week single blind run in period, during which placebo was added to usual treatment, a 12 week double blind active phase in which subjects received AKL1 or placebo, a single blind 8 week washout period receiving placebo and a final 12 week double blind cross-over active treatment phase. Daily diaries were kept of peak expiratory flow and symptoms, and spirometry, validated symptom and health status questionnaire scores and adverse events were monitored at study visits. Paired T tests were used to compare the effects of placebo and AKL1 on outcomes. Changes in outcome measures over treatment phases are presented as means and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of means. RESULTS: No significant differences in lung function (active-placebo) were found (Forced Expiratory Volume in 1 second: mean difference [95% CI] = 0.01 [-0.12 to 0.14] L, p = 0.9. Peak Expiratory Flow: -4.08 [-35.03 to 26.89]. L/min, p = 0.8). Trends to clinical improvements favouring active treatment were however consistently seen in the patient-centered outcomes: Asthma Control Questionnaire mean difference (active – placebo) [95% CI] = -0.35 [-0.78 to 0.07], p = 0.10, Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire mean difference 0.42 [-0.08 to 0.93], p = 0.09, Leicester Cough Questionnaire mean difference 0.49, [-0.18 to 1.16], p = 0.15. Nine exacerbations occurred during placebo treatment and five whilst on AKL1. No significant adverse events were noted. CONCLUSION: AKL1 treatment was well tolerated. No significant improvements in lung function, symptoms, or quality of life were seen, although consistent trends were seen to improvements in patient-centered outcomes. Further studies are needed
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