A study of organizational culture in campus recreation: A competing values approach

The purpose of this study was to assess organizational culture in campus recreation departments and its links with organizational effectiveness. The competing values theory and subsequent framework was used to determine if there were significant differences in the organizational cultures of campus recreation departments based upon specified dependent variables including their administrative unit (academics, athletics, business operations or student affairs), their institutional size (small, medium, medium-big, or large), and their institutional control (public or private). A quantitative survey instrument based upon the competing values framework was used to sample campus recreation directors and professional staff members in institutions of higher education. Cluster mapping, descriptive statistics and discriminant analysis were used as the primary methods of statistical analysis. The results indicated there were no significant patterns or classifications in the organizational culture maps based on the dependent variables, and the study was unable to provide any pattern of significant links between the organizational culture of campus recreation departments and their relative organizational effectiveness. There was one significant difference found in the discriminant analysis in public universities administered under athletics versus student affairs and a follow up study examining this relationship is advised. An exploratory analysis was conducted on the perceptions of organizational culture between campus recreation directors and professional staff members, and a significant difference was found between these two groups in group culture and hierarchical culture. The significant finding in the discriminant analysis, the inferential analysis of the cluster maps, and the exploratory findings in the perceptions of organizational culture between campus recreation leaders and professional staff members are identified as areas for further research

Effect of stereochemistry on ester hydrolysis by cholinesterases: Implications for radiotracer design

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91202/1/2580440138_ftp.pd

Two-dimensional Dirac fermions in a topological insulator: transport in the quantum limit

Pulsed magnetic fields of up to 55T are used to investigate the transport properties of the topological insulator Bi_2Se_3 in the extreme quantum limit. For samples with a bulk carrier density of n = 2.9\times10^16cm^-3, the lowest Landau level of the bulk 3D Fermi surface is reached by a field of 4T. For fields well beyond this limit, Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations arising from quantization of the 2D surface state are observed, with the \nu =1 Landau level attained by a field of 35T. These measurements reveal the presence of additional oscillations which occur at fields corresponding to simple rational fractions of the integer Landau indices.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Molecular detection and analysis of exosomes using surface-enhanced Raman scattering gold nanorods and a miniaturized device

Exosomes are a potential source of cancer biomarkers. Probing tumor-derived exosomes can offer a potential non-invasive way to diagnose cancer, assess cancer progression, and monitor treatment responses. Novel molecular methods would facilitate exosome analysis and accelerate basic and clinical exosome research. Methods: A standard gold-coated glass microscopy slide was used to develop a miniaturized affinity-based device to capture exosomes in a target-specific manner with the assistance of low-cost 3-D printing technology. Gold nanorods coated with QSY21 Raman reporters were used as the label agent to quantitatively detect the target proteins based on surface enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy. The expressions of several surface protein markers on exosomes from conditioned culture media of breast cancer cells and from HER2-positive breast cancer patients were quantitatively measured. The data was statistically analyzed and compared with healthy controls. Results: A miniaturized 17 × 5 Au array device with 2-mm well size was fabricated to capture exosomes in a target-specific manner and detect the target proteins on exosomes with surface enhanced Raman scattering gold nanorods. This assay can specifically detect exosomes with a limit of detection of 2×106 exosomes/mL and analyze over 80 purified samples on a single device within 2 h. Using the assay, we have showed that exosomes derived from MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468, and SKBR3 breast cancer cells give distinct protein profiles compared to exosomes derived from MCF12A normal breast cells. We have also showed that exosomes in the plasma from HER2-positive breast cancer patients exhibit significantly (P ≤ 0.01) higher level of HER2 and EpCAM than those from healthy donors. Conclusion: We have developed a simple, inexpensive, highly efficient, and portable Raman exosome assay for detection and protein profiling of exosomes. Using the assay and model exosomes from breast cancer cells, we have showed that exosomes exhibit diagnostic surface protein markers, reflecting the protein profile of their donor cells. Through proof-of-concept studies, we have identified HER2 and EpCAM biomarkers on exosomes in plasma from HER2-positive breast cancer patients, suggesting the diagnostic potential of these markers for breast cancer diagnostics. This assay would accelerate exosome research and pave a way to the development of novel cancer liquid biopsy for cancer detection and monitoring

Quantitative CEST derived maps from the representative animals.

(A) Cr-AREX map (B1sat = 1.47 μT; Δω = 2 ppm) from a representative WT (control) animal. (B) PCr-AREX map (B1sat = 1.47 μT; Δω = 2.64 ppm) from the same WT animal. (C) Normalized mean Z-spectra and normalized mean MT baseline corrected Z-spectra from the right hippocampus region of the representative WT animal. (D) Normalized mean Z-spectra and normalized mean MT baseline corrected Z-spectra from the right hippocampus region of the representative ARTE10 animal. (E) Cr-AREX map (B1sat = 1.47 μT; Δω = 2 ppm) from a representative ARTE10 animal. (F) PCr-AREX map (B1sat = 1.47 μT; Δω = 2.66 ppm) from the same ARTE10 animal. (G) Mean AREX asymmetry spectra from the right hippocampi of the representative WT (black line) and ARTE10 (red line) animals.</p

Partial correlation between MRS derived neurometabolite concentrations and CEST derived AREX parameters (N = 7 per group).

Partial correlation between MRS derived neurometabolite concentrations and CEST derived AREX parameters (N = 7 per group).</p

Numerical simulation of CEST contrasts as a function of B1 amplitude and saturation duration at 9.4 T.

The Glu-CEST contrast is shown at 3.00 ppm, PCr-CEST contrast at 2.64 ppm and Cr-CEST contrast at 2.0 ppm. The simulation parameters of the multi-pool model were obtained from the literature [41–44]. Each metabolite distribution map was obtained by taking the Z-spectra difference at the frequency of the metabolite of interest with and without the respective pool. ppm = parts per million.</p

Comparison of neurometabolite concentration in the right hippocampus measured by ¹H-MRS (N = 7 per group).

Comparison of neurometabolite concentration in the right hippocampus measured by 1H-MRS (N = 7 per group).</p