Stability Analysis of a Bose-Einstein Condensate Trapped in a Generic Potential

We investigate the dynamical behavior of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation for a Bose-Einstein condensate trapped in a spherical power law potential restricted to the repulsive case, from the dynamical system formalism point of view. A five-dimensional dynamical system is found (due the symmetry of the Gross-Pitaevskii equation interacting with a potential), where the Thomas-Fermi approximation constrains the parameter space of solutions. We show that for values of the power law exponent equal or smaller than 2 the system seems to be stable. However, when the corresponding exponent is bigger than 2, the instability of the system grows when the power law exponent grows, indicating that large values of the aforementioned parameter can be related to a loss in the number of particles from the condensed state. This fact can be used also to show that the stability conditions of the condensate are highly sensitive to the exponent associated with the external potential.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Deregulation Of The Hippo Pathway Suppresses Differentiation And Promotes Sarcomagenesis

Terminal differentiation opposes proliferation in the vast majority of tissue types. As a result, loss of lineage differentiation is a hallmark of aggressive cancers, including soft tissue sarcomas (STS). Consistent with these observations, undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS), an STS subtype devoid of lineage markers, is among the most aggressive and lethal sarcomas in adults. Though tissue-specific features are lost in these mesenchymal tumors they are most commonly diagnosed in skeletal muscle and are thought to develop from transformed muscle progenitor cells. We have found that a combination of HDAC (Vorinostat) and BET bromodomain (JQ1) inhibition partially restores differentiation to skeletal muscle UPS cells and tissues, enforcing a myoblast-like identity. Importantly, differentiation is contingent upon downregulation of the Hippo pathway transcriptional effector, Yes-activated protein 1 (YAP1) and its downstream effectors in the NF-κB pathway. YAP1 and NF-κB are critical mediators of myoblast proliferation and their activity must be down regulated to permit differentiation. Previously, we observed that Vorinostat/JQ1 suppresses YAP1 and NF-κB activity and as a result, inhibits tumorigenesis, and promotes differentiation. Here I show that YAP1 and NF-B activity suppress circadian clock function, inhibiting differentiation and promoting unchecked proliferation. In most tissues clock activation is antagonized by the unfolded protein response (UPR). However, skeletal muscle differentiation requires both Clock and UPR, suggesting the molecular link between them is unique in muscle. In skeletal muscle-derived UPS we observed that YAP1 suppresses PERK and ATF6-mediated UPR target expression as well as clock genes. These pathways govern metabolic processes including autophagy and their disruption supports a shift in metabolism toward cancer cell-associated glycolysis and hyper-proliferation. Treatment with Vorinostat/JQ1 successfully inhibited glycolysis/MTOR signaling, activated the clock, and upregulated the UPR and autophagy via YAP1. These findings support the use of epigenetic modulators to treat human UPS and define the connection between these pathways and their effects on tissue differentiation. Additionally, we identify specific metabolic and differentiation genes as potential biomarkers of treatment efficacy

Students\u27 Task Interpretation and Conceptual Understanding in Electronics Laboratory Work

Task interpretation is a critical first step in the process of self-regulated learning and a key determinant of the goals students set while learning and the criteria used in selecting the strategy in their work. Laboratory activities have been proposed to improve students\u27 conceptual understanding when working independently and alongside peers while integrating new experiences in a lab setting. The purpose of this study was to investigate how the explicit and implicit aspects of student\u27s interpretation of the task assigned during laboratory work may change during the task process, and how that interpretation may influence the student\u27s coregulation and conceptual understanding. One-hundred and forty-three sophomore students enrolled in the course of Fundamental Electronics for Engineers participated in this study. Instruments designed to measure task interpretation and conceptual understanding were created and validated in a pilot study. They were applied before and after selected laboratory activities during the semester. The instrument used to measure correlation was applied at the end of every selected laboratory activity. Statistical analysis indicated differences between the student\u27s task interpretation before and after the laboratory activity. Students improved in approximately 15% in the level of task interpretation. From the 143 students, only 37 of them were identified with high levels of task interpretation and coregulation. Moreover, Pearson correlations identified a positive correlation between the students\u27 task interpretation and conceptual understanding of the students during the laboratory work. Findings suggested students\u27 task interpretation changed during the task process and increased after the completion of laboratory activity. Overall, the findings showed a low level of task interpretation. However, students with a high level of task interpretation reached high levels of coregulation. Findings confirmed previous research that round students generally have an incomplete understanding of the assigned tasks, and struggle to establish a connection between laboratory activities and theory. Lastly, this study reported a significant relationship between students\u27 task interpretation and conceptual understanding in laboratory work which has not been reported in the most recent published reports. Further investigation is necessary to unveil other factors related to these constructs in order to engage students in laboratory work

Satisfacción Laboral en los empleados de la Región Sanitaria Metropolitana, Tegucigalpa, M.D,C., Honduras C.A., I semestre, Año 2004.

Describe el grado de satisfacción laboral en los empleados de la Región Sanitaria Metropolitana, M.D.C., durante el primer semestre del año 2004 en relación a cinco facetas del trabajo como ser: el empleo actual, salario, oportunidades de ascenso, supervisión y compañerismo laboral; y algunas características biológicas y sociales de los trabajadoras

The implementation of storytelling in the native Language to promote L2 vocabulary in older adults

Este proyecto de aula presenta la implementación de la técnica de narración de cuentos utilizando mitos y leyendas colombianos para enseñar vocabulario en inglés a adultos mayores. Para este proyecto, establecimos algunos objetivos de enseñanza que se dividieron en dos; objetivos generales en los que los adultos mayores reconocen el vocabulario establecidos a través de la producción verbal y no verbal. También los objetivos específicos, por ejemplo, la implementación de la narración de cuentos como un medio para promover el vocabulario en inglés. La metodología utilizada en este proyecto de aula se centró en la andragogía, que es la ciencia de la educación de adultos, en base a esto enseñamos vocabulario en inglés utilizando mitos y leyendas colombianas. Los participantes involucrados fueron siete adultos mayores de una casa de retiro en Pereira, y los tres facilitadores los cuales usaron como instrumentos diarios, observaciones y artefactos de los participantes recolectar evidencia y su posterior análisis. Los resultados indicaron que los participantes pudieron recordar y utilizar el vocabulario presentado durante la sesión de narración de mitos y leyendas. Como conclusión, este proyecto de aula reveló que el uso de mitos y leyendas para enseñar vocabulario en inglés es una técnica favorable la cual permitió a los participantes sentirse cómodos y usar sus conocimientos previos en su idioma nativo con el propósito de aprender vocabulario en inglés