A Daily Diary Investigation of Latino Ethnic Identity, Discrimination, and Depression

The objectives of the current study were to document the effects of discrimination on Latino mental health and to identify the circumstances by which ethnic identity serves a protective function. Instances of discrimination and depressive symptoms were measured every day for 13 days in a sample of Latino adults (N = 91). Multilevel random coefficient modeling showed a 1-day lagged effect in which increases in depression were observed the day following a discriminatory event. The findings also revealed differential effects of ethnic identity exploration and commitment. Whereas ethnic identity exploration was found to exacerbate the influence of daily discrimination on next-day depression, ethnic identity commitment operated as a stress buffer, influencing the intensity of and recovery from daily discrimination. The findings are discussed within a stress and coping perspective that identifies appropriate cultural resources for decreasing the psychological consequences associated with daily discrimination

Microaggressions and Psychological Functioning among High Achieving African-Americans: A Mixed-Methods Approach

Racial microaggressions and their influence on mental health were examined among African American doctoral students and graduates of doctoral programs. Using a mixed-methods approach, the current study first identified the types of microaggressions reported by African American participants (N = 97) and then investigated the mechanism by which these experiences influence mental health over time with a separate sample of African Americans (N = 107). The qualitative findings revealed three categories of microaggressions including Assumption of Criminality/Second-Class Citizen, Underestimation of Personal Ability, and Cultural/racial Isolation. The quantitative analyses found support for a moderated-mediational model by which Underestimation of Personal Ability was associated with greater perceived stress at one-year follow-up, which in turn was related to greater depressive symptoms. Active coping was found to moderate the racial microaggression-perceived stress link such that individuals who endorse active coping behaviors reported lower perceived stress. These findings are discussed in terms of practical and theoretical implications regarding the role of racial micro-aggressions in the lives of high-achieving African Americans and the mechanisms by which these experiences contribute to mental health problems

The Role of Dax-1 in Regulating Pluripotency in mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

The orphan receptor Dax-1 is highly expressed in pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells and shows a correlative reduction in expression as these cells differentiate. While it is known that Dax-1 is expressed in pluripotent mouse ES cells, the precise function of Dax-1 in these cells is not as well understood. Recent studies employing RNA interference (RNAi) to specifically reduce the expression of the Dax-1 gene in mouse ES cells found that upon the knock down of Dax-1, ES cells differentiated. These findings indicate that Dax-1 functions in a novel role in the maintenance of a relatively undifferentiated state in ES cells. Dax-1 is important in early embryonic development and, when mutated, adrenal insufficiency and disruption of normal tissue architecture results. In our study, we silenced Dax-1 expression in mouse ES cells using RNAi followed by PCR array methodology to identify genes that were alternately regulated upon targeted knock-down of Dax-1. Several novel Dax-1 targets have been identified, including genes that are involved in the Wnt signaling pathway. In attempts to understand the mechanism of Dax-1 action in ES cells, we are investigating the effect of Dax-1 knockdown on the regulation and expression of the identified target genes

The development of a modified biaxial composite test specimen

Bi-axial testing of composite structures has been an important topic in the research community for some years now. Bi-axial test specimens in the past have typically been cruciform specimens with a tapered thickness gage section. This ensures that the specimen will fail under bi-axial loading rather than uni-axial loading due to high stress concentrations at the intersecting loading arms. To reduce the stress concentration in the loading arms the intersection points are rounded and curved inward toward the center of the specimen. By having the curvature of the intersecting arms come closer into the specimen it reduces the amount of uni-axial stress at that point. In order to reduce the stress even more, tapered thickness gage section milling is required to achieve adequate bi-axial failure. In the proposed research these specimens will be modified so that no milling of the gage section is required. The process of milling the gage section of the composite laminate could inflict initial damage to the specimen which would yield inaccurate results. The modified bi-axial specimen will instead have aluminum shims bonded to the rounded corner to ensure bi-axial failure. The location of the shims was determined using Finite Element Analyses which verified the location and magnitude of the stress concentrations. The use of the aluminum shims could allow the cruciform specimen to be completely unscathed of any initial damage. The specimens are thick woven carbon fiber/epoxy bi-axial specimens which previously havent been tested before. Two types of geometries were fabricated, one out of IM7/UF3352 and one out of IM7/PATZ materials, both with a [(0/90)]s lay-up. The first geometry had the aluminum shims. The second configuration consisted of a smaller composite laminate sandwiched in between two pre-fabricated G10 glass/epoxy panels and only machining away the G10 material, keeping the composite laminate unscathed. Both geometries had tapered thickness gage section counterparts for comparison purposes. The shimmed design showed undesirable failure modes but provided a reliable lower bound for bi-axial strength design. The sandwich panel design showed ideal failure conditions for all tests. This shows that a modified bi-axial composite specimen can be developed that limits the amount of machining and can still produce accurate results. Additional tests were conducted to study the effect of stress concentrations around holes of different diameter under biaxial load. Results were interpreted with the aid of Finite Element Analyses.\u2

Understanding the Role of Gravity in the Crystallization Suppression of ZBLAN Glass

Fluorozirconate glasses, such as ZBLAN (ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF), have the potential for optical transmission from 0.3 μm in the UV to 7 μm in the IR region. However, crystallites formed during the fiber drawing process prevent this glass from achieving its low loss-capability. Other researchers have shown that microgravity processing leads to suppressed crystal growth in ZBLAN glass, which can lead to lower transmission loss in the desired mid-IR range. However, the mechanism governing crystal growth suppression has not been thoroughly investigated. In the present research multiple ZBLAN samples were subjected to a heating and quenching test apparatus on a parabolic aircraft under controlled μ-g and hyper-g environments and compared with 1-g ground tests. Optical microscopy (transmission and polarized) along with SEM examination elucidates that crystal growth in ZBLAN is suppressed when processed in a microgravity environment. Hence crystallization occurs at a higher temperature in μ-g and the working temperature range at which the fiber can be manufactured has been extended. We postulate that the fundamental process of nano-scale mass transfer (lack of buoyancy driven convection) in the viscous glass is the mechanism responsible for crystal growth suppression in microgravity. Suppressing molecular mobility within the semi-molten glass starves nucleating crystallites and prevents any further growth. A COMSOL Multi-Physics model was developed to show the velocity contours due to convection processes in a 1-g, μ-g, and hyper-g environment. Analytical models show that while suppressing convection is relevant at fiber drawing temperatures (360°C), mass transfer due to diffusion dominates at higher temperatures leading to crystal growth at temperatures 65400°C. ZBLAN fibers are also known for their poor handling ability. Therefore an analysis of the thermal degradation of ZBLAN optical fibers based on fracture mechanics was also conducted. Conditions of crack initiation and stable versus unstable crack growth leading to fiber fracture were analyzed to explain behavior observed from controlled flexure tests of ZBLAN optical fibers exposed to various temperatures

Is fever suppression involved in the etiology of autism and neurodevelopmental disorders?

BACKGROUND: There appears to be a significant increase in the prevalence rate of autism. Reasons for the increase are unknown, however, there is a substantial body of evidence that suggests the etiology involves infections of the pregnant mother or of a young child. Most infections result in fever that is routinely controlled with antipyretics such as acetaminophen. The blocking of fever inhibits processes that evolved over millions of years to protect against microbial attack. Immune mechanisms in the central nervous system are part of this protective process. HYPOTHESIS: The blockage of fever with antipyretics interferes with normal immunological development in the brain leading to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism in certain genetically and immunologically disposed individuals. TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS: Epidemiological studies to determine associations between the use of antipyretics and neurodevelopmental disorders should be undertaken. Biochemical tests will involve the examination of fluids/serum by mass spectrometry and the determination of cytokine/chemokine levels in serum and cell culture fluids after stimulation with fever-inducing molecules from bacteria, viruses and yeast. Postmortem brain can be examined by immunohistochemistry or other methods such as fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to determine altered expression levels of chemokines/cytokines and other molecules. IMPLICATIONS OF THE HYPOTHESIS: 1) The use of antipyretics during pregnancy or in young children may be reserved for more severe fevers. 2) The perplexing genetic findings in autism may be better understood by categorizing genes along functional pathways. 3) New treatments based on immune, cell, pharmacological or even heat therapies may be developed

Efecto de una aplicación de realidad aumentada en la competencia Construye Interpretaciones Históricas en la I. E. Antonio Guillermo Urrelo - 2017

La presente investigación tuvo como finalidad el desarrollo e implementación de una aplicación de realidad aumentada como una posible solución al poco desarrollo de competencias en los estudiantes de secundaria. La aplicación fue implementada en la IE Antonio Guillermo Urrelo, se trabajó con ambas secciones de segundo grado de secundaria. La institución educativa estuvo contento con el trabajo realizado, brindando su apoyo en todo momento. El objetivo de la presente investigación fue determinar el efecto de una aplicación de realidad aumentada en la competencia “Construye interpretaciones históricas” de los estudiantes de segundo grado de la IE Antonio Guillermo Urrelo. La aplicación fue utilizada por estudiantes de segundo grado B, con un total de 38 estudiantes entre varones y mujeres, 2 veces por semana durante un mes. A su vez se evaluó a los estudiantes del segundo grado de la sección A, quienes no utilizaron la aplicación; sin embargo, tuvieron acceso a la misma información presentada en la aplicación pero en forma escrita. La metodología usada para el desarrollo del proyecto fue Open Up y para el desarrollo de la aplicación se utilizó el IDE Unity, El gestor de marcadores Vuforia y la plataforma Firebase de Google para el servicio de base de datos. La información de la aplicación fue revisada y corregida por el docente Víctor Alzamora. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que los estudiantes con la aplicación desarrollaron mejor 5 de 6 capacidades que contiene la competencia Construye interpretaciones históricas. Esa capacidad obtuvo resultados similares a la de la sección sin aplicación. Finalmente, se realizó la prueba T de Student comparando las notas de años anteriores con las notas obtenidas después de esta investigación y se muestra un efecto positivo en los estudiantes con la aplicación de realidad aumentada; es decir, los estudiantes sin la aplicación mostraron notas parecidas a la de años anteriores a diferencia de los estudiantes con aplicación, que muestran mejores notas.The purpose of the present investigation was the development and implementation of an augmented reality application as a possible solution to the little development of competences in high school students. The application was implemented in the IE Antonio Guillermo Urrelo, we worked with both sections of the second grade of secondary. The educational institution was pleased with the work done, providing their support at all times. The objective of the present investigation was to determine the effect of an application of augmented reality in the "Build Historical Interpretations" competition of second grade students of the IE Antonio Guillermo Urrelo. The application was used by students in second grade B, with a total of 38 students between men and women, twice a week for a month. At the same time, the students of the second grade of section A were evaluated, who did not use the application; however, they had access to the same information presented in the application but in written form. The methodology used for the development of the project was Open Up and for the development of the application we used the Unity IDE, the Vuforia bookmark manager and the Google Firebase platform for the database service. The information of the application was reviewed and corrected by the teacher Víctor Alzamora. The results obtained show that the students with the application developed better 5 out of 6 skills that the competition contains. Build historical interpretations. This capacity obtained results similar to that of the section without application. Finally, the Student T test was carried out comparing the grades of previous years with the grades obtained after this investigation and a positive effect is shown in the students with the application of augmented reality; that is, the students without the application showed notes similar to those of previous years, unlike the students with application, who show better grades

Is automation changing the translation profession?

La traducción y la interpretación, como profesiones que requieren un alto nivel de conocimientos lingüísticos, están en primera línea en la era de la automatización del lenguaje. En particular, el desarrollo de sistemas neuronales de traducción automática desde 2016 ha traído consigo el temor de que pronto no haya más traductores o intérpretes humanos. Sin embargo, si se considera en términos de la historia de la automatización, cualquier efecto de este tipo está lejos de ser obvio: la industria de la traducción sigue creciendo. Sin embargo, los datos sobre la remuneración indican una dispersión salarial estructural en los servicios profesionales de traducción e interpretación, y hay indicios de que esta dispersión está aumentando debido a la creciente automatización, que está siendo incorporada por los grandes proveedores de servicios lingüísticos más que por las empresas más pequeñas y los autónomos individuales. No obstante, una lista de comprobación de los conocimientos y habilidades de los traductores e intérpretes puede ayudar a identificar aquellos que son resistentes a la automatización en todos los niveles de servicio y que, por tanto, pueden permitir a los futuros traductores e intérpretes beneficiarse de la automatización. Se ha comprobado que las competencias resistentes a la automatización no se corresponden claramente con el éxito en el mercado de los grandes proveedores de servicios lingüísticos. Lo más útil es que pueden subrayar varios principios para la formación y la promoción profesional basados en los valores de la fiabilidad, el compromiso con la automatización y la capacidad de combinar la traducción con otras formas de comunicación.As a language-intensive profession, translation is of frontline interest in the era of language automation. In particular, the development of neural machine translation systems since 2016 has brought with it fears that soon there will be no more human translators. When considered in terms of the history of automation, however, any such direct effect is far from obvious: the translation industry is still growing and machine translation is only one instance of automation. At the same time, data on remuneration indicate structural wage dispersion in professional translation services, with some signs that this dispersion may increase in certain market segments as automated workflows and translation technologies are adopted more by large language-service providers more than by smaller companies and individual freelancers. An analysis of recent changes in discourses on and in the translation profession further indicates conceptual adjustments in the profession that may be attributed to growing automation, particularly with respect to expanding skills set associated with translation, the tendency to combine translation with other forms of communication, and the use of interactive communication skills to authorize and humanize the results of automatio