A Differential Abundance Analysis of Very Metal-Poor Stars

We have performed a differential, line-by-line, chemical abundance analysis, ultimately relative to the Sun, of nine very metal-poor main sequence halo stars, near [Fe/H]=$-$2 dex. Our abundances range from $-2.66\leq\mathrm{[Fe/H]}\leq-1.40$ dex with conservative uncertainties of 0.07 dex. We find an average [$\alpha$/Fe]$=0.34\pm0.09$ dex, typical of the Milky Way. While our spectroscopic atmosphere parameters provide good agreement with HST parallaxes, there is significant disagreement with temperature and gravity parameters indicated by observed colors and theoretical isochrones. Although a systematic underestimate of the stellar temperature by a few hundred degrees could explain this difference, it is not supported by current effective temperature studies and would create large uncertainties in the abundance determinations. Both 1D and $\langle$3D$\rangle$ hydrodynamical models combined with separate 1D non-LTE effects do not yet account for the atmospheres of real metal-poor MS stars, but a fully 3D non-LTE treatment may be able to explain the ionization imbalance found in this work.Comment: 18 pages, 13 tables, 5 figures, Accepted in Ap

Evaluating contemporary sources of stress in middle school teachers

Teacher stress is a concern for modern day school systems because of the relationship between teacher stress and negative outcomes such as absenteeism, poorer work performance, and increased likelihood of physical and mental illness (Joseph, 2000). Teaching is reported to be one of the top highest stressful professions (Kyriacou, 2001). Much of the research identifying sources of stress is out of date when compared to the changes in education over the past ten years. Middle school has been under researched in the previous literature because the concept of the middle school is more recent compared to elementary and high school. The purpose of this study is to identify the level of stress and sources of stress perceived by middle school teachers. Further, identifying trends will aid in targeting support and interventions to decrease the level of stress felt by teachers. Each potential stressor is rated by teachers on both the frequency the factor causes stress and the intensity of the stress felt. The data was compared based on gender, years of teaching experience, and subject area to identify trends and most vulnerable populations. While no significant differences were identified between gender and years of experiences, overall level of stress varied significantly dependent upon the subject area the teacher taught

Child Sex Abuse Victims: How Will Their Stories be Heard after Crawford v. Washington?

This comment focuses on the Confrontation Clause\u27s interpretation throughout history and demonstrates the adverse effects the current state of the law has on child sex abuse victims like Alice and Bonnie. As such, the United States Supreme Court should declare that current statutory protections for child sex abuse victims are valid exceptions to the Confrontation Clause. Additionally, states should be encouraged to establish these statutes where they do not exist

Successes and Failures of Self-Regulatory Regimes Governing Museum Holdings of Nazi-Looted Art and Looted Antiquities

American museums have long recognized that their collections sometimes include two categories of artwork whose prior owners parted with the pieces unwillingly: Nazi-looted art and illicitly exported archaeological objects. The relevant industry associations—the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Art Museum Directors—have promulgated self-regulatory regimes that purport to ensure that museums return any objects to their rightful owners when they do not hold good title. However, the success of these regimes has varied widely based on whether the artwork is an archaeological antiquity or a Nazi-looted piece. This Article identifies the ways in which the regimes and the contexts in which they were created diverge. It argues that museums dealing with looted antiquities require outside scrutiny and internal convergence of opinion, elements present in the effective self-regulatory regime surrounding Nazi-looted art. These factors would assure the compliance that is lacking in antiquities regimes, which have little outside scrutiny and are fraught with extreme differences in opinion within the museum community as to how to solve the problem, or whether there is a problem at all

Effects of Violent and Nonviolent Life Stressors Among Urban Early Adolescents: Testing Competing Models of Comorbid Distress and Externalizing Symptoms

The strong association between stressful life events and the wide-ranging spectrum of psychopathology has led some to advocate for the reconceptualization of traumatic stress. There has been a longstanding debate on whether these symptoms are best represented by using dimensional versus categorical approaches. Moreover, further understanding of the risk factors associated with various dimensions or patterns of comorbid emotional and behavioral problems could inform future research and intervention efforts. The current study tested competing variable- and person-centered approaches and examined how stressful life events are associated with different patterns of distress and externalizing symptoms among a predominantly African American and Latinx sample of early adolescents (M age= 12.9, 51% female) living in neighborhoods with high rates of violence. The study was conducted through secondary analysis of data collected from 2,722 early adolescents from a project that evaluated the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. Gender differences in these relations were also explored. Results indicated that distress and externalizing symptoms were best represented as separate constructs yet were comorbid among subgroups of adolescents. Findings suggested that variable- and person-centered approaches provided important yet distinct information regarding the association between exposure to violent and nonviolent life stressors and distress and externalizing symptoms. Next steps should include the examination of protective factors that buffer the effects of life stressors on psychopathology, longitudinal analyses that examine moderators and mediators of these relations, as well as the development and examination of interventions aimed to reduce a range of symptoms post-trauma, including comorbid distress and externalizing symptoms

Child Sex Abuse Victims: How Will Their Stories be Heard after Crawford v. Washington?

This comment focuses on the Confrontation Clause\u27s interpretation throughout history and demonstrates the adverse effects the current state of the law has on child sex abuse victims like Alice and Bonnie. As such, the United States Supreme Court should declare that current statutory protections for child sex abuse victims are valid exceptions to the Confrontation Clause. Additionally, states should be encouraged to establish these statutes where they do not exist

Deconstructing “Jack”: How Jack the Ripper Became More Fiction Than Fact

Serial killers have become as much a part of popular culture as athletes and celebrities in the modern age. However, no killer in history remains as identifiable in today’s culture as Jack the Ripper. His name appears in over one hundred books, films, and television shows despite the fact that the murders he committed and the subsequent investigations remain relatively unclear. Regardless, for over a century scholars and historians alike have attempted to understand and unmask Jack the Ripper. While the identity of this elusive killer remains unknown, the stories that Jack the Ripper inspired have led to the creation of a legend. This mythical version of Jack the Ripper continues to be the real-life example of a gothic monster created in the nineteenth century, as his story brought the social anxieties and dangerous unknowns surrounding East London together with the population’s morbid curiosity about the dark side of humanity. The consequences of the overwhelming press coverage and the perpetuation of unverifiable and often sensational claims about “Jack’s” identity have had a lasting effect on society’s fascination with serial killers. The persistent disconnect between killers and the “legend” that their name takes on afterward began with the creation of the gothic genre and its impact on perceptions of Jack the Ripper in poverty-stricken East London

Templeton High School - Teacher Internship Program

This internship report addresses documentation required per quality criteria in secondary programs of agricultural education in California. The internship also included the development of instructional materials for a course now recognized as a UC/CSU approved Agriculture Biology course

Reciprocal Relations Between Traumatic Stress and Physical Aggression During Middle School

There is convincing evidence that demonstrates traumatic stress and aggressive behavior are highly related among adolescents. The evidence is less clear regarding the direction of this relation. The purpose of this study was to examine the reciprocal longitudinal relations between physical aggression and traumatic stress among a predominantly African American sample of middle school students. Support was found for traumatic stress predicting increased levels of physical aggression across the winter to the spring of the sixth grade for boys and across all waves from the fall of the seventh grade to the fall of the eighth grade for both boys and girls. Conversely, physical aggression during the winter of the sixth grade predicted a decrease in traumatic stress in the spring of the sixth grade for both boys and girls. These findings suggest that interventions may need to incorporate skills that are aligned with trauma-informed care practices in order to reduce traumatic stress and physical aggression among adolescents

Cultural Losses and Cultural Gains: Ethical Dilemmas in WWII-Looted Art Repatriation Claims Against Public Institutions

Alongside their campaign of physically exterminating the Jewish population of Europe, the Nazis carried out a highly organized plan of cultural genocide which involved the confiscation or forced sale of hundreds of thousands of pieces of art. Although a sizable number of these works were returned to their owners or their heirs by the Allied forces after the war, many disappeared into the hands of private possessors. Many remain hidden in private collections, but a number of these artworks were given to or purchased by museums or other public institutions. In recent decades, the heirs of Holocaust victims have been using the American court system to make claims for the return of these artworks. This article examines one little examined, but ethically problematic aspect of these claims: the fact that the vast majority of them are made against public institutions rather than private collectors. The article begins with a short survey of the history of art looting during World War II and explains the proliferation of legal claims for restitution of looted art in the late 1980s, with the majority of these claims made against public institutions. Part II of the article then discusses the public interest in keeping art in museums. Part III lays out the current state of relevant statutory and case law, leading to an analysis of the reasons why claims are easier to make against museums and other public institutions than against private collectors. Part IV continues with a exploration of the goals and attitudes of both claimants and their attorneys, and the ethical dilemmas inherent in making claims against public institutions. Finally, Part V proposes a better means for heirs, their attorneys, and museums to work together to preserve both the private and the public good