The Moderating Effect of Family Cohesion on the Association between Acculturation Gaps and Parent-Child Conflict in Immigrant Families

Intergenerational acculturation gaps have been found to be a source of conflict in many immigrant families. However, there has been limited research regarding variables that can moderate the association between acculturation gaps and parent-child conflict in immigrant families. Using a sample of 2,971 adolescents selected from the Children of Immigrants Longitudinal Study (CILS) and guided by the ABC-X model of family stress, the present study investigated the moderating effect of family cohesion. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis results revealed that gaps in both host culture acculturation and heritage culture acculturation were significant predictors of parent-child conflict. Family cohesion only moderated the association between heritage culture acculturation gap and parent-child conflict. Interestingly, the direction of the moderation was not in the expected direction: higher family cohesion increased the association between degree of heritage culture acculturation gap and parent-child conflict. Implications for reducing stress in immigrant families are discussed

Parenting stress and associated pathways to health outcomes in Latino parents: An investigation of longitudinal latent change

Prior parenting stress studies have been limited due to a primary focus on how parenting stress is associated with the well-being of children, use of samples consisting of predominately White parents, and reliance on cross-sectional data. Using longitudinal data collected from a randomized control trial of a parenting intervention for Latino parents with early adolescents, the present study investigated how changes in relational variables (parent-child conflict and parenting stress) were associated with changes in the parents’ psychological well-being across four months and ten months. Confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses were conducted on the study measures, and measurement invariance was subsequently tested for all of the study variables across the two time periods. Latent change models were imposed for the time periods of four months and ten months while controlling for treatment group membership (intervention vs. control), income, parent’s enculturation, and number of children in the family. The results from latent change analysis showed that across a period of four months, change in parent-child conflict was positively associated with changes in parenting stress and parent’s psychological distress, whereas across ten months, change in parent-child conflict was only associated with change in psychological distress. Examination of the control variable regarding group membership (intervention vs. control) showed that being assigned to the parenting intervention had protective indirect effects on change in parenting stress through its association with change in parent-child conflict across four months, and on change in psychological distress through change in parent-child conflict across ten months. The present findings showed that changes in parent-child relationships are related to changes in parenting stress and psychological distress of Latino parents with early adolescents. It seems that change in parent-child conflict may affect change in parenting stress in the shorter term but affect the parent’s individual psychological well-being in the longer term, and that community-based parenting interventions have the potential to protect and increase the well-being of Latino parents of early adolescents

Oscillation Control Algorithms for Resonant Sensors with Applications to Vibratory Gyroscopes

We present two oscillation control algorithms for resonant sensors such as vibratory gyroscopes. One control algorithm tracks the resonant frequency of the resonator and the other algorithm tunes it to the specified resonant frequency by altering the resonator dynamics. Both algorithms maintain the specified amplitude of oscillations. The stability of each of the control systems is analyzed using the averaging method, and quantitative guidelines are given for selecting the control gains needed to achieve stability. The effects of displacement measurement noise on the accuracy of tracking and estimation of the resonant frequency are also analyzed. The proposed control algorithms are applied to two important problems in a vibratory gyroscope. The first is the leading-following resonator problem in the drive axis of MEMS dual-mass vibratory gyroscope where there is no mechanical linkage between the two proof-masses and the second is the on-line modal frequency matching problem in a general vibratory gyroscope. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed control algorithms are effective. They ensure the proof-masses to oscillate in an anti-phase manner with the same resonant frequency and oscillation amplitude in a dual-mass gyroscope, and two modal frequencies to match in a general vibratory gyroscope

Topological phase transition and surface states in a non-Abelian charged nodal line photonic crystal

Topological charges of nodal lines in a multigap system are represented by non-Abelian numbers, and the Euler class, a topological invariant, can be used to explain their topological phase transitions, such as pair-annihilation of nodal lines. Up until now, no discussion of phase transitions of nodal lines in photonic crystals using the Euler class has been reported, despite the fact that the Euler class and topological phase transition have recently been addressed in metallic or acoustic crystals. Here, we show how the deformation of a photonic crystal causes topological phase transitions in the nodal lines, and the Euler class can be used to theoretically predict the nodal lines’ stability based on the non-Abelian topological charge theory. Specifically, by manipulating the separation between the two single diamond structures and the extent of structural distortion, we numerically demonstrate the topological transition of nodal lines, e.g., from nodal lines to nodal rings. We then demonstrate that the range of surface states is strongly influenced by the topological phase transition of nodal lines. Moreover, the Zak phase was used to explain the surface states’ existence

The Santo Sepulcro in Torres del Río (Navarra): Historiography, National Identity and a Reconsideration of “Mozárabic” and “Mudéjar” Architecture

The church of the Santo Sepulcro in Torres del Río in the region of Navarra in northern Spain was constructed between 1160 and 1180. Most scholarship conducted in Navarra presents its medieval history through the lens of Christian/Muslim duality, and generally disregards scholarship that investigates the polyethnic nature of medieval Iberian society. In this context the Santo Sepulcro, which is most famous for its interlacing ribbed vault that is often compared to Islamic domes, is an anomaly that challenges standard narratives of Navarra’s history and art history. The goal of this dissertation is to contextualize the Santo Sepulcro historically and art historically in a way that makes sense of some of its most salient features. The first chapter discusses the state of the problem and proposed avenues for the research presented in the remaining chapters. The second chapter presents the building in detail. Chapter Three builds a historical context for the region of Navarra from its prehistory to the death of Sancho el Fuerte in 1234, approximately fifty years after completion of the Santo Sepulcro. In addition to establishing details of political history that will facilitate later discussions, this chapter looks at the Ebro River Valley as a unified geographic area. Chapter Four turns to the historiography of Navarra and investigates how its national identity is dependent upon standard narratives of its medieval history. Chapter Five uses the analysis of Navarra’s history to demonstrate how historiography reflects contemporary political and cultural frameworks and impinges on art historical interpretation. I suggest that the Santo Sepulcro is representative of a local style that integrated “Christian” and “Islamicate” elements. Chapter Six bridges the historical and art historical inquiries with a reconsideration of the terms Mozárabic and Mudéjar, which designate ethnic groups that lived in medieval Iberia and periods and/or styles of art. The region of Navarra remains at the margins of scholarship conducted in the English-speaking academic community, and one of the goals of this dissertation is to make information available to those unable to engage with scholarship in the language of Castile

The Santo Sepulcro in Torres del Río (Navarra): Historiography, National Identity and a Reconsideration of “Mozárabic” and “Mudéjar” Architecture

The church of the Santo Sepulcro in Torres del Río in the region of Navarra in northern Spain was constructed between 1160 and 1180. Most scholarship conducted in Navarra presents its medieval history through the lens of Christian/Muslim duality, and generally disregards scholarship that investigates the polyethnic nature of medieval Iberian society. In this context the Santo Sepulcro, which is most famous for its interlacing ribbed vault that is often compared to Islamic domes, is an anomaly that challenges standard narratives of Navarra’s history and art history. The goal of this dissertation is to contextualize the Santo Sepulcro historically and art historically in a way that makes sense of some of its most salient features. The first chapter discusses the state of the problem and proposed avenues for the research presented in the remaining chapters. The second chapter presents the building in detail. Chapter Three builds a historical context for the region of Navarra from its prehistory to the death of Sancho el Fuerte in 1234, approximately fifty years after completion of the Santo Sepulcro. In addition to establishing details of political history that will facilitate later discussions, this chapter looks at the Ebro River Valley as a unified geographic area. Chapter Four turns to the historiography of Navarra and investigates how its national identity is dependent upon standard narratives of its medieval history. Chapter Five uses the analysis of Navarra’s history to demonstrate how historiography reflects contemporary political and cultural frameworks and impinges on art historical interpretation. I suggest that the Santo Sepulcro is representative of a local style that integrated “Christian” and “Islamicate” elements. Chapter Six bridges the historical and art historical inquiries with a reconsideration of the terms Mozárabic and Mudéjar, which designate ethnic groups that lived in medieval Iberia and periods and/or styles of art. The region of Navarra remains at the margins of scholarship conducted in the English-speaking academic community, and one of the goals of this dissertation is to make information available to those unable to engage with scholarship in the language of Castile

Sequence determinant of small RNA production by DICER

RNA silencing relies on specific and efficient processing of double-stranded RNA by Dicer, which yields microRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs)1,2. However, our current knowledge of the specificity of Dicer is limited to the secondary structures of its substrates: a double-stranded RNA of approximately 22 base pairs with a 2-nucleotide 3′ overhang and a terminal loop3–11. Here we found evidence pointing to an additional sequence-dependent determinant beyond these structural properties. To systematically interrogate the features of precursor miRNAs (pre-miRNAs), we carried out massively parallel assays with pre-miRNA variants and human DICER (also known as DICER1). Our analyses revealed a deeply conserved cis-acting element, termed the GYM motif (paired G, paired pyrimidine and mismatched C or A), near the cleavage site. The GYM motif promotes processing at a specific position and can override the previously identified ruler-like counting mechanisms from the 5′ and 3′ ends of pre-miRNA3–6. Consistently, integrating this motif into short hairpin RNA or Dicer-substrate siRNA potentiates RNA interference. Furthermore, we find that the C-terminal double-stranded RNA-binding domain (dsRBD) of DICER recognizes the GYM motif. Alterations in the dsRBD reduce processing and change cleavage sites in a motif-dependent fashion, affecting the miRNA repertoire in cells. In particular, the cancer-associated R1855L substitution in the dsRBD strongly impairs GYM motif recognition. This study uncovers an ancient principle of substrate recognition by metazoan Dicer and implicates its potential in the design of RNA therapeutics.N