Implementing PCAC in Nonperturbative Models of Pion Production

Traditional few-body descriptions of pion production use integral equations to sum the strong interactions nonperturbatively. Although much physics is thereby included, there has not been a practical way of incorporating the constraints of chiral symmetry into such approaches. Thus the traditional few-body descriptions fail to reflect the underlying theory of strong interactions, QCD, which is largely chirally symmetric. In addition, the lack of chiral symmetry in the few-body approaches means that their predictions of pion production are in principle not consistent with the partial conservation of axial current (PCAC), a fact that has especially large consequences at low energies. We discuss how the recent introduction of the ``gauging of equations method'' can be used to include PCAC into traditional few-body descriptions and thereby solve this long standing problemComment: Contribution to Proceedings, 1st Asia-Pacific Conference on Few-Body Problems in Physics, Noda/Kashiwa, Japan, 23-28 August 1999, to be published by Springer-Verlag as "Few-Body Systems Supplement". 7 pages, revtex, epsf, 3 Postscript figure

Social and Emotional Barriers in Online Graduate Counseling Programs: Recommendations for Effective Practice for Working with Hispanic Adult Learners

Hispanic learners in higher education face unique challenges and barriers to success. An understanding of Adult Learning Theory through the lens of Hispanic culture is imperative, particularly in relation to both social and emotional barriers that are likely to disrupt the graduate learning process.  The responsibility to effectively lead and educate such learners falls into the hands of counselor educators in higher education. When considering ethnic diversity among adult learners, it is imperative to explore effective practice methodologies for students from specific cultures/ethnic origins. The purpose of this semi-systematic review was to explore the case of Jen, a Hispanic/Latina graduate student enrolled in an online masters in clinical mental health counseling program, and to synthesize implications for effective practice in educating and working with Hispanic students

Anitmicrobial Effects of Chemically Modified Essential Oils

Undergraduate Basi

The Impact of Parenting Classes on Incarcerated Mothers

With growing public attention to the problem of mass incarceration, many individuals want to know about the vast rise in women’s incarceration rate; particularly concerning, the increase of mothers in prison. For many mothers, the only source of hope and motivation they have while involved in the criminal justice system is the connection with their children. This article demonstrates that educational programs focusing on parenting can help incarcerated mothers renew their parental role upon release from prison. The target audience for this article includes, but is not limited to, correctional facility administrators, family counselors, educators, and anyone with an interest in parenting after prison. This article can also serve as a platform to advocate for quality parenting classes for incarcerated mothers

Dynamical hologram generation for high speed optical trapping of smart droplet microtools

This paper demonstrates spatially selective sampling of the plasma membrane by the implementation of time-multiplexed holographic optical tweezers for Smart Droplet Microtools (SDMs). High speed (>1000fps) dynamical hologram generation was computed on the graphics processing unit of a standard display card and controlled by a user friendly LabView interface. Time multiplexed binary holograms were displayed in real time and mirrored to a ferroelectric Spatial Light Modulator. SDMs were manufactured with both liquid cores (as previously described) and solid cores, which confer significant advantages in terms of stability, polydispersity and ease of use. These were coated with a number of detergents, the most successful based upon lipids doped with transfection reagents. In order to validate these, trapped SDMs were maneuvered up to the plasma membrane of giant vesicles containing Nile Red and human biliary epithelial (BE) colon cancer cells with green fluorescent labeled protein (GFP)-labeled CAAX (a motif belonging to the Ras protein). Bright field and fluorescence images showed that successful trapping and manipulation of multiple SDMs in x, y, z was achieved with success rates of 30-50% and that subsequent membrane-SDM interactions led to the uptake of Nile Red or GFP-CAAX into the SDM

Comparing the age-friendliness of different neighbourhoods using district surveys: an example from Hong Kong

Background To address the age-friendliness of living environment in cities, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the “Age-friendly cities” (AFC) initiative in 2005. To date, however, no universal standard tool for assessing age-friendliness of a community has been agreed. Methodology Two quantitative studies on AFC conducted in two Hong Kong districts—Sha Tin and Tuen Mun—were compared. A total of 801 residents aged ≥50 years were interviewed using structured questionnaires based on the WHO’s AFC criteria. District-wide differences in age-friendliness were compared on the basis of eight domain scores. Multiple linear regression was used to examine associations with demographic and socio-economic characteristics. The provision of services and amenities was also compared to help explain the difference in domain scores. Results Variations in mean domain scores were observed in both districts. Sha Tin showed significantly lower scores in outdoor spaces and buildings, transportation, social participation, respect and social inclusion, civic participation and employment, communication and information, as compared with Tuen Mun. Although a significantly higher score on the housing domain was observed in Sha Tin, differences in community and health services domains were insignificant. Socio-demographic factors, such as age group, gender, area of residence, type of housing, experience of elderly care, employment status, self-rated health and income, were associated with domain scores. However, variations in services and amenities provision appeared not to be strongly associated with district-wide difference in domain scores. Conclusions District differences in public opinions towards age-friendly characteristics were observed in this study. Except for two of the eight domains, Sha Tin had significantly lower scores than Tuen Mun. Some socio-demographic indicators seemed predictive to the differences. Paradoxically, Sha Tin had better services and infrastructure and higher socio-economic status, but lower age-friendliness. This warrants detailed research on psychosocial factors that may influence residents’ perceptions of local environments.published_or_final_versio

AN AUSTRALIAN DYNAMIC: REFLECTIONS ON THE ROLE OF PARTNERSHIPS IN THE TRANSFORMATION OF AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH, AND RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE AND CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT

Australian academic libraries first became partners in the transformation of Australian data and technology enabled research in 2008 through their involvement with the Australian National Data Service (ANDS) program to advance research data management capacity and capability. The partnership of academic libraries with ANDS enabled the development of new research support services and helped to shift the knowledge base of the academic community in research data management, in Australia. Recent training initiatives like the ANDS 23 Things was directed toward academic librarians to increase their knowledge of and capacity to help researchers use national research infrastructure and to manage their data well. The academic libraries have also partnered with ANDS, now part of the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) and the Australian Access Federation (AAF) on persistent identifier implementation, DOI (Digital Object Identifier) and ORCiD (Open Researcher and Contributor Identifier). In this next phase, AARNet is a partner in supporting academic librarian and researcher skills development. The three organisations are working together; to build on foundational knowledge and infrastructure. Academic librarians and researchers are being introduced to the principles of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data, infrastructure, and platforms, and taught data processing and movement techniques, through ARDC and AARNet (Australian Advanced Research Network) skills offerings. The focus of this presentation is on the changing role of academic libraries in supporting research data management and associated research infrastructures, and on the challenges. Australian national research infrastructures and academic libraries are co-evolving; together we are establishing pathways for the future, to foster new capabilities and advance our world-class research infrastructure. This transformation is enabled through our strategic alliance, an openness to dialogue and change, and by leveraging national and international partnerships

A study of resiliency among Chinese health care workers: Capacity to cope with workplace stress

This paper reports a study of resiliency to cope with workplace stress among Chinese health care workers. We adopted a qualitative-quantitative-biomarker approach to conduct interviews, focus group discussions, and a two-wave longitudinal survey. Wave 1 survey was conducted among health care workers in Hong Kong and Mainland China (N = 773). Amongst them, 287 took part in Wave 2 survey. A confirmatory factor analysis consistently supported a 9-item scale. A sub-sample's (N = 33) resiliency was positively related to salivary IgA levels (an immune marker). Results from hierarchical regressions demonstrated that resiliency measured in Wave 1 was positively related to job satisfaction, work-life balance, and quality of life; and negatively related to physical/psychological symptoms and injuries at work in Wave 2. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.postprin

Increasing dominance of large lianas in Amazonian forests

Ecological orthodoxy suggests that old-growth forests should be close to dynamic equilibrium, but this view has been challenged by recent findings that neotropical forests are accumulating carbon and biomass, possibly in response to the increasing atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide. However, it is unclear whether the recent increase in tree biomass has been accompanied by a shift in community composition. Such changes could reduce or enhance the carbon storage potential of old-growth forests in the long term. Here we show that non-fragmented Amazon forests are experiencing a concerted increase in the density, basal area and mean size of woody climbing plants (lianas). Over the last two decades of the twentieth century the dominance of large lianas relative to trees has increased by 1.7–4.6% a year. Lianas enhance tree mortality and suppress tree growth, so their rapid increase implies that the tropical terrestrial carbon sink may shut down sooner than current models suggest. Predictions of future tropical carbon fluxes will need to account for the changing composition and dynamics of supposedly undisturbed forests

COVID-19, ICT literacy, and Mental Health of University Students: A Three-Country Study

We ran a cross-national project examining the mental health of university students in Ghana, South Africa, and the United States against the backdrop of a surge in the digitalization of teaching at universities in these countries wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic