United States Government Publications

There has never been a time in the history of this country when United States Government publications have been in as much demand or were being used as extensively as they are today. The fact that requests made to our Office show an increase of 300 per cent over those received twenty years ago is due in an overall sense to the greater recognition of the value which these publications have in so many of the activities involved in working and living in the modern world. Primary credit for this development must go, of course, to the government agencies which are the authors of these publications of such importance to our citizens and which cooperate with the Government Printing Office to produce a design and format both modern and attractive. We must not, however, overlook the increasingly fine job being done by librarians everywhere to foster a greater awareness of the almost limitless ways in which government publications can be utilized. Traditionally, these publications have been regarded as a sort of "ugly duckling" in relation to the library collection generally. They are, however, here to stay, and while it is well that some of the awe with which they have long been regarded is now being dispelled, it is also necessary that certain of their specialized features should be recognized in order that they can be utilized most effectively.published or submitted for publicatio

The Effects Of Psychoeducation On Thought-action Fusion, Thought Suppression, Magical Thinking, And Responsibility

Thought-action fusion (TAF) is the phenomenon whereby one has difficulty separating cognitions, particularly those that are intrusive and disturbing, from their corresponding behaviors. Recent work has suggested that TAF is malleable and amenable to change. The current study examined the effects of three different psychoeducational interventions on thought-action fusion, anxiety, thought suppression, magical thinking, and responsibility cognitions. Assessments were conducted both immediately following the interventions and after a two-week period. Results indicated that individuals who received a cognitive-based intervention that targeted irrational thoughts had significantly lower TAF scores than individuals who received an intervention that discussed thoughts from a non-evaluative framework and individuals in the control group, both immediately following the intervention and at the two-week follow-up. As hypothesized, all groups experienced a significant decrease in anxiety between the post-intervention and follow-up assessments; however, there was a trend towards significance for those who were exposed to the cognitive-based intervention to experience a greater decrease in anxiety than those in the control group. The cognitive-based intervention group was the only group that did not experience a significant increase in thought-suppression from baseline to post-intervention, and was also the only group to experience an increase in both frequency of and belief in low-responsibility thoughts from baseline to follow-up. No significant group differences were found for the construct of magical thinking. Implications are discussed

The Effects of Coffee Extract on Adipogenesis

The prevalence of obesity in the United States has increased from 30.5% in 1999 to 42.4% in 2018. Fat cells are created through a process called adipogenesis; in adipogenesis, a preadipocyte, which is an undifferentiated fibroblast, is differentiated into an adipocyte, which is a mature fat cell. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) are two transcription factors that play crucial roles in the process of adipogenesis. Prior research has shown that coffee extract can inhibit the adipogenesis pathway and decrease the number of adipocytes formed in mice. Previous studies have also published conflicting results concerning whether caffeine is the compound in the coffee responsible for the inhibition of adipogenesis. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes are embryonic fibroblasts derived from mice and are used as a model system to study adipogenesis in vitro. 3T3-L1 preadipocytes were differentiated into adipocytes using MDI induction media (IBMX, dexamethasone, and insulin), insulin media, and 10% FBS/DMEM. To determine the role of coffee on adipogenesis, 5% Starbucks Pike Place Roast caffeinated, or decaffeinated coffee extract were added during each differentiation step. Oil Red O staining was used to quantify the levels of adipogenesis in each of the treatments. Treatments with the coffee extracts inhibited the rate of adipogenesis compared to cells treated with the normal differentiation, indicating while caffeine had no effect, some compounds in the coffee extract inhibited adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells. By learning more about the process of adipogenesis, we may better understand causes of and develop treatments for obesity

The role of invented spelling in early literacy

An awareness and understanding of invented spelling in early literacy were presented in this research paper. The developmental stages and guidelines associated with invented spelling were discussed. Advantages and problems of invented spelling were examined. Conclusions were drawn from the literature review and recommendations were stated for future research concerning invented spelling

Linking Environmental Restoration and Stewardship in Colorado: Learning from the Rocky Mountain Conservancy

The Rocky Mountain Conservancy (RMC) is a well-known nonprofit organization supporting restoration and environmental stewardship and leadership in Rocky Mountain National Park. The RMC promotes stewardship of Rocky Mountain National Park and similar lands through education and philanthropy. Since 1931, the RMC (previously Rocky Mountain Nature Association) has been producing educational publications, offering seminars, supporting research, and providing aid and philanthropic support to Rocky Mountain National Park and their other public lands partners. The RMC has also established a unique Conservation Corps in which college students work side-by-side with park and forest service teams in Rocky Mountain National Park and regional national forests constructing and maintaining trails, restoring historic buildings, and learning from expert park and forest managers. The purpose of this study is to assess the restoration objectives and outcomes that have been undertaken by the RMC in Rocky Mountain National Park and the Arapaho National Forest (ANF). Since 1931, the RMC has implemented a restoration program designed to aid in constructing and restoring visitor use facilities (campgrounds, trail heads, etc.), promoting backcountry patrols to inform visitors of USFS regulations and leave-no-trace practices, and instigating standard trail maintenance including clearing downed trees from the trail, constructing drainage structures, and restoring trails through riparian areas. My approach to this study entailed three components. First, I served as a RMCC intern (June-August 2015) to be actively engaged in RMC restoration activities in ANF. Second, as an intern living and working in the ANF, I learned first-hand through my own participation about the ecological issues and the environmental history of the area. Lastly, during the fall of 2015 I collected historical data, analyzed my findings from the summer, and compiled my information into the following thesis. Taking a critical look at the conservation efforts of the RMC in a specific range of national forest has provided the opportunity to identify approaches geared toward protecting and restoring our natural resources, as well as to assess the efficacy of these methods. This study presents a field-based and geographically situated assessment of what has been learned and what lessons can be gained from work done by the RMC since its inception in 1931

A Study to Determine if the Tech Prep Program at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College has Academic Benefits Using Grade Point Average as a Predictor

The problem of this study was to compare the grade point averages of students in the Tech Prep program at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in Clifton Forge, Virginia, to students not in the Tech Prep program to determine if this career and technical education program has academic benefits

Design and construction of vertical axis wind turbines using dual-layer vacuum-forming

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 23).How does one visualize wind? Is it the way trees bend in a strong gust or the way smoke is carried in a breeze? What if wind could be visualized using design, technology, and light? This thesis documents the design of a large scale display of vertical axis wind turbines that can be used to visualize wind. The intent is to build a matrix of several hundred turbines at MIT as part of the 150th anniversary celebration in 2011. The main focus is the appearance of the turbines, which are fabricated using a novel dual-layer vacuum-forming process. In it, one layer of pre-cut plastic is sandwiched between a polyurethane foam mold and a top layer of plastic which is heated and forms the seal for the vacuum. The top layer is subsequently removed and discarded leaving a formed part with clean, smooth edges. In order to optimize the manufacturing process and achieve repeatable results, variables such as heating time and material alignment had to be controlled. PETG and polystyrene were tested in a variety of configurations to maximize the respective strengths of each material and minimize their weaknesses. Each turbine is also designed to power its own LEDs. Potential designs for the necessary electronics are also included.by Christopher T. Carper.S.B