A Nowhere Between Two Somewheres: The Church Street South Project and Urban Renewal in New Haven

“It is altogether too easy to forget the New Haven of a decade ago” New Haven’s Mayor Richard C. Lee began as he addressed the members of his Citizens Action Commission in 1965. “Neither our eyes, nor our memories are any longer jolted by the vision of the old produce market that had operated near the Railroad Station for more than half a century. The old market was a tangle of stress, often so congested that normal business was impossible. Most business was conducted from the tailgates of trucks. This was a truck market in every sense of the word, with little tax return to the City and few permanent jobs. The buildings that were used were obsolete and inefficient, relics of a bygone age. Streets were too often littered with refuse and filth and infested with rats and vermin. This was the sight that greeted visitors to New Haven as they left the railroad station. One can hardly imagine a less impressive entrance to a city.” Lee had come before the CAC, a group of New Haven’s business heavyweights that supported his goal to rebuild the city, with a proposal to replace the tangled market with a new development that would be “the showplace of twentieth century architecture.

Effects of Acute Ethanol Exposure on Learning in Zebrafish

Zebrafish are commonly used as model organisms in neuroscience research. Zebrafish have been shown to be capable of learning through operant conditioning. The objective of the proposed study is to examine the effects of alcohol on associative learning. Zebrafish were randomly assigned to different ethanol concentrations: no ethanol, low dose ethanol (6mL), and high dose ethanol (12 mL). Locomotion was observed and recorded during four different time periods: 10 minutes of acclimation, 10 minutes of baseline, 10 minutes of training, and 60 minutes of testing. During the training period, zebrafish learned to avoid shock by swimming on one side of the tank. During the testing period, we examined the persistence of this learned behavior. Our analysis indicates that fish exposed to greater concentrations of ethanol had more difficulties learning the conditioned behavior as reflected in patterns in freezing, triggering shock, and speed of locomotion during both the training and testing period

Differences and similarities between Drosophila and mammalian 3' end processing of histone pre-mRNAs

We used nuclear extracts from Drosophila Kc cells to characterize 3′ end processing of Drosophila histone pre-mRNAs. Drosophila SLBP plays a critical role in recruiting the U7 snRNP to the pre-mRNA and is essential for processing all five Drosophila histone pre-mRNAs. The Drosophila processing machinery strongly prefers cleavage after a fourth nucleotide following the stem–loop and favors an adenosine over pyrimidines in this position. Increasing the distance between the stem–loop and the HDE does not result in a corresponding shift of the cleavage site, suggesting that in Drosophila processing the U7 snRNP does not function as a molecular ruler. Instead, SLBP directs the cleavage site close to the stem–loop. The upstream cleavage product generated in Drosophila nuclear extracts contains a 3′ OH, and the downstream cleavage product is degraded by a nuclease dependent on the U7 snRNP, suggesting that the cleavage factor has been conserved between Drosophila and mammalian processing. A 2′O-methyl oligonucleotide complementary to the first 17 nt of the Drosophila U7 snRNA was not able to deplete the U7 snRNP from Drosophila nuclear extracts, suggesting that the 5′ end of the Drosophila U7 snRNA is inaccessible. This oligonucleotide selectively inhibited processing of only two Drosophila pre-mRNAs and had no effect on processing of the other three pre-mRNAs. Together, these studies demonstrate that although Drosophila and mammalian histone pre-mRNA processing share common features, there are also significant differences, likely reflecting divergence in the mechanism of 3′ end processing between vertebrates and invertebrates

A novel zinc finger protein is associated with U7 snRNP and interacts with the stem-loop binding protein in the histone pre-mRNP to stimulate 3'-end processing

The stem–loop binding protein (SLBP) is the posttranscriptional regulator of histone mRNA in metazoan cells. SLBP binds histone pre-mRNAs and facilitates 3′-end processing by promoting stable association of U7 snRNP with the pre-mRNA. To identify other factors involved in histone pre-mRNA processing, we used a modified yeast two-hybrid assay in which SLBP and its RNA target were coexpressed as bait. A novel zinc finger protein, hZFP100, which interacts with the SLBP/RNA complex but not with free SLBP, was cloned. The interaction requires regions of SLBP that are important for histone pre-mRNA processing. Antibodies to hZFP100 precipitate U7 snRNA, and expression of hZFP100 in Xenopus oocytes stimulates processing of histone pre-mRNA, showing that hZFP100 is a component of the processing machinery

APPLICATION OF SPORT PSYCHOLOGY TO MIXED MARTIAL ARTS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

This study, through a systematic review, analyzed scientific production concerning sport psychology in mixed martial arts. The review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA statement, and the search was performed using the SciELO, ScienceDirect, PsycInfo, and Web of Science databases. Of the 79 studies screened, eight satisfied the eligibility criteria, with explicit addressal of the topics of fear, aggression, emotional control, confidence, mental toughness, motivation, arousal, coping, rational emotive behavioral therapy for MMA athletes, fighting experience and MMA competition. Consequently, the scarce scientific production was found to evidence the need for further research in this modality. It is suggested that studies that investigate other variables of sport psychology such as mood, anxiety, and burnout

Binding of human SLBP on the 3′-UTR of histone precursor H4-12 mRNA induces structural rearrangements that enable U7 snRNA anchoring

In metazoans, cell-cycle-dependent histones are produced from poly(A)-lacking mRNAs. The 3′ end of histone mRNAs is formed by an endonucleolytic cleavage of longer precursors between a conserved stem–loop structure and a purine-rich histone downstream element (HDE). The cleavage requires at least two trans-acting factors: the stem–loop binding protein (SLBP), which binds to the stem–loop and the U7 snRNP, which anchors to histone pre-mRNAs by annealing to the HDE. Using RNA structure-probing techniques, we determined the secondary structure of the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of mouse histone pre-mRNAs H4–12, H1t and H2a–614. Surprisingly, the HDE is embedded in hairpin structures and is therefore not easily accessible for U7 snRNP anchoring. Probing of the 3′-UTR in complex with SLBP revealed structural rearrangements leading to an overall opening of the structure especially at the level of the HDE. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays demonstrated that the SLBP-induced opening of HDE actually facilitates U7 snRNA anchoring on the histone H4–12 pre-mRNAs 3′ end. These results suggest that initial binding of the SLBP functions in making the HDE more accessible for U7 snRNA anchoring

Development and application of Eulerian and Particle-in-Cell gyrokinetic codes for studying the effect of non-adiabatic passing electron dynamics on microturbulence

In tokamak fusion plasmas, micro-turbulence transport is known to be the cause of large losses of heat and particles. The present work deals with the study of electrostatic micro-turbulence transport driven by instabilities of essentially two types: the ion temperature gradient (ITG) modes and the trapped electron modes (TEM). The plasma is described within the gyrokinetic framework, which permits to save computational resources compared to the classical Vlasov kinetic description. In gyrokinetic simulations of fusion plasmas, the passing electrons are often assumed fast enough so that they respond instantaneously to the electrostatic perturbations. In this case, their response is computed adiabatically instead of kinetically. The main advantage is that this simplified model for the electron response is less demanding in computational resources. This assumption is nonetheless incorrect, in particular near mode rational surfaces where the non-adiabatic response of passing electrons cannot be neglected. This thesis work focuses on the study of this passing electron non-adiabatic response, whose influence on microturbulence is studied by means of numerical simulations carried out with the gyrokinetic codes GENE and ORB5. In the first part of this thesis work, the response of passing electrons in ITG and TEM microturbulence regimes is studied by making use of the flux-tube version of the GENE code. Results are obtained using two different electron models, fully kinetic and hybrid. In the hybrid model, passing particles are forced to respond adiabatically while trapped are handled kinetically. Comparing linear eigenmodes obtained with these two models enables one to systematically isolate fine radial structures located at corresponding mode rational surfaces, clearly resulting from the non-adiabatic passing-electron response. Nonlinear simulations show that these fine structures on the non-axisymmetric modes survive in the turbulent phase. Furthermore, through nonlinear coupling to axisymmetric modes, they induce radial modulations in the effective profiles of density, ion and electron temperature and zonal flows $E \times B$ shearing rate. Finally, the passing-electron channel is shown to significantly contribute to the transport levels, at least in our ITG case. Also shown is that the passing electrons significantly influence the $E \times B$ saturation mechanism of turbulent fluxes. Following this study in flux tube geometry, the influence of the non-adiabatic passing electron response near mode rational surfaces is further studied in global geometry with the global gyrokinetic code ORB5, in which a new field solver is implemented for the gyrokinetic quasi-neutrality equation valid at arbitrary wavelength, overcoming the former long wavelength approximation made in the original version of the code. A benchmark is conducted against the global version of the gyrokinetic code GENE, showing very good agreement. Nonlinear simulations are carried out with the new solver in conditions relevant to the TCV tokamak, with the physical deuterium to electron mass ratio ($m_i/m_e=3672$) and are compared to simulations carried out with heavy electrons ($m_i/m_e=400$). The particular spectral organization of the passing electron turbulent flux and its dependence on the radial profile of the safety factor are revealed. In particular, the formation of short-scale transport barriers is studied near low-order mode rational surfaces. Results show that quantitatively correct nonlinear fully-kinetic simulations of tokamak transport must be carried out in a full torus and with the physical mass ratio

Pesquisa em psicologia do esporte e o cenário de periódicos científicos específicos

Introdução: É notável o crescimento na produção de conhecimento na área da psicologia do esporte (PE). O conhecimento produzido pelos pesquisadores ocorre através da publicação de seus trabalhos no formato de artigos em periódicos científicos. Não existe na literatura análises considerando os periódicos específicos da área e suas características. Objetivo: Discutir acerca do cenário atual de periódicos específicos relacionados à PE. Métodos: Trata-se de uma pesquisa documental a respeito dos periódicos de PE. Foram extraídos e analisados dados como país, instituição, editora, língua de publicação, as métricas (JCR - ISI Web of Science, SJR, Citescore e SNIP – Scopus, e índice h5 – Google Scholar), periodicidade, período de publicações e número de artigos publicados em 2018. Resultados: Foram observados 14 periódicos na literatura relacionados diretamente a temática da PE. A maioria dos periódicos (5) é dos Estados Unidos, três da Espanha e três do Reino Unido. Brasil, Itália e Holanda apresentaram um periódico cada. A maioria dos periódicos publica na língua inglesa (13 dos 14). O fator de impacto (JCR) dos periódicos variou de 0,64 a 6,90, cinco periódicos não apresentaram essa métrica em 2018. Neste ano, os periódicos publicaram de 11 até 144 artigos. Conclusão: A partir da análise dos periódicos científicos específicos da PE, verificou-se que os de maior qualidade considerando as métricas analisadas, são dos Estados Unidos e da Europa. No Brasil ressalta-se a necessidade de fortalecimento do periódico específico existente na área, que pode ser realizado a partir da unificação das organizações que atuam na prática profissional e na pesquisa científica em PE. ABSTRACT. Sport psychology research and the specific journals scenario. Background: There is a remarkable growth in the production of knowledge in the field of sports psychology (SP). The knowledge produced by researchers occurs through the publication of their work in the format of articles in scientific journals. There are no analyses in the literature considering the specific journals of the area and their characteristics. Objective: To discuss about the current scenario of specific journals related to SP. Methods: This is a documentary research about the SP journals. The following data were extracted and analyzed: country, institution, publisher, publication language, metrics (JCR - ISI Web of Science, SJR, Citescore and SNIP – Scopus, and index h5 – Google Scholar), periodicity, publication period, and number of articles published in 2018. Results: It was observed 14 journals related to SP. Most of them are from United States, three from Spain and three from United Kingdom. Brazil, Italy and Netherlands showed one journal each. Most of the journals publish in English language (13 of 14). The impact factor ranged from 0.64 to 6.90, and five journals do not show this metric in 2018. In this year, the journals published from 11 to 144 articles. Conclusion: From the analysis of the specific scientific journals of the SP, it was found that the journals with highest quality are from the United States and Europe. In Brazil, there is a need to strengthen the existing specific journal in the area, which can be done by unifying the organizations that work in professional practice and scientific research of SP

LGB,T youth experiences of bullying: power, intersectionality and participation

The ensuing thesis is the result of an in-depth interrogation of the following research question: What are the school experiences of LGB,T youth? Despite much research on homophobic bullying in school, little is known about how power intersects and prolongs a bullying event after the initial victimization is over. This study sheds a light on this issue, examining how LGB,T youth understand bullying, their capacity within individual events, while uncovering how power shapes a bullying incident. The first part of the thesis forms the central argument demonstrating key principles underpinning challenges sexual minority youth face while at school. Interrogating political and neoliberal influences, this thesis introduces young people’s stories through multiple lenses. This thesis uncovers schools ineffectual use of inclusion policy revealing policy and practice are failing young people. Furthermore, LGB,T young people’s human rights are also largely overlooked in policy practice. Not treated as having the same rights as other students interferes with their education, and therefore, their human rights. The first two chapters are grounded in present literature as demonstrated in chapter three, which is followed by methodologies in chapter four, rounding out the first section. Chapters five through seven establish the second part of this thesis. Here the reader is introduced to young people’s accounts unpacking bullying incidents. Introducing critical incidents revealed through narrative inquiry, leads to an interrogation of bullying and how power punctuates, intersecting a single event. While chapter eight concludes this thesis. Up to thirty young people participated in sessions, ranging in ages from sixteen to nineteen. Eighteen filled out a questionnaire, while surveys ranged from eight to seventeen participants. Eighteen participated with the one-to-one interview lasting from 30 to 60 minutes. Interviews revealed all young people had experienced bullying at school while several were severely physically bullied and harmed. Girls reported experiencing and identifying bullying differently than boys, while boys reported struggling with homophobic bullying representing their lost male privilege suggesting girls and boys experienced, perceived and defined bullying and power differently. Results revealed not everything defined as bullying, is understood as such. Additionally, power exerted onto the victim during a bullying incident came from multiple sources. First, it came rom the initial attacker then moved to the teacher attempting to resolve the incident, and then to the administration. How they interrogated bullying informed and prolonged a bullying incident long after the initial event ceased. This thesis will reveal how bullying is understood and addressed in schools is ineffective due to its universal ideology considering all experience as the same, and is faulty