The structure of fibrous proteins of the collagen-gelatin group

Collagen is a very interesting protein. It has well-defined mechanical properties (great strength, reversible extensibility through only a small range) that make it suited to the special purposes to which it is put in the animal body, as in tendon, bone, tusk, skin, the cornea of the eye, intestinal tissue, and probably rather extensively in reticular structures of cells. During the last thirty years, following the pioneer work of Herzog and Jancke,(1) a number of investigators have attempted to find the structure of collagen (and of gelatin, which gives similar x-ray photographs), but no one has previously proposed any precisely described configuration, nor has attempted to account for the positions and intensities of the x-ray diffraction maxima

Hydrothermal Zoning in the Copper-Molybdenum System Beneath Red Cone Peak, Colorado

Red Cone Peak lies one mile south of the Continental Divide, about 50 miles southwest of Denver, Colorado, and five miles south of the town of Montezuma. The Red Cone igneous complex is within the Colorado Mineral Belt, a zone of igneous bodies and associated hydrothermal activity that crosses the mountainous part of the state from southwest to northeast. Mineralization within the Mineral Belt probably resulted from igneous activity that accompanied eastward-directed subduction of the Farallon Plate below North America as the Rocky Mountains formed. This research addresses a fundamental question: was there an early copper-rich event in the Mineral Belt that has gone unrecognized, and which may be related genetically to the well known molybdenum event that to date has characterized large-scale mineralization in the Belt? The Red Cone complex intruded from 42 to 38 million years ago, which was 5 to 10 million years before world-class molybdenum deposits at Climax (25 km to the southwest) and Henderson (20 km to the northeast). The timing of emplacement of the Red Cone complex, and the characteristics of the hydrothermal mineralization could put it in a category that is unique from the surrounding deposits. Samples from a 2000 foot drill core at Webster Pass, about 1.0km west of Red Cone Peak, will be used to characterize the lateral extent of the hydrothermal mineralization, and the presence of vertical zoning within the Red Cone complex. Rocks in the vicinity have been pervasively mineralized with pyrite, and polished thin sections have been made from samples collected at nine locations down the core. Copper and other trace elements (including molybdenum and gold) will be analyzed for using multi-element EDAX and electron microprobe techniques. The analysis will focus on individual pyrite grains, and these data will document variations in the trace element compositions of pyrite with depth into the igneous and hydrothermal system. Studies have shown that the Red Cone complex displays characteristics of a large porphyry-type metal system. The Climax and Henderson deposits have been well documented and are currently being mined. These bodies are two of the richest molybdenum deposits in the world, and they provide clues to understanding the emplacement and zoning of the rocks at Webster Pass. Results from the present study will provide a better understanding of the Red Cone system and a more complete picture of mineralization in this part of the Colorado Mineral Belt, which formed as the Rocky Mountains uplifted and western North America evolved over the past 70 million years

Variable Time Delays and Representational Capacity in Sparsely Connected Populations of Spiking Neurons

AbstractSuccessive generations of artificial neural networks have leveraged their multiplicity of connections and weights for significant improvements in information processing capability and memory capacity. The most recent generation of artificial neural networks, third generation networks, consist of spiking neuron models that attempt to mimic the complex dynamic features exhibited by real biological neurons in the hopes of improvements in computational and representational capacities. While the theoretical capabilities of these networks are impressive, understanding the nature and extent of their computational advantages, and the appropriate network architectures and algorithms necessary for their successful exploitation, have lagged far behind the theory. With this in mind, we herein explore the representational capacity of two related forms of neural networks: synfire chains, and polychronic networks. We find that the computational capacity of such cellular assembly based networks increases with the size of between-neural-pool time delays and that for relatively small changes in time delay, linear increases in network representational capacities are obtained

THE PRICE WE PAY: The Efficacy Requirement for New Drugs Under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act

The newly sworn Republican-controlled Congress has, as one of its primary objectives, the downsizing of government. Speaker Newt Gingrich has specifically targeted the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the conservative wrath. The political climate that led to the change in power in Congress is partly based on the nation's anti-regulatory demeanor -- the belief, whether correct or mistaken, that the regulators have run riot, that there is too much power in the hands of a few appointed bureaucrats. The FDA draws specific attention because of the palpable effects of its rulings in the lives of all citizens. Specifically, the requirements for the pre-market approval of new drugs have been criticized for being too cumbersome. This paper will attempt to draw a compromise between the observed problem of overregulation in that area and the still important policies underlying the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA). It will call for the elimination of the efficacy requirement for new drug applications (NDA) as a way to reduce the costs of developing new drugs, while maintaining the safely requirement in order to ensure the public health

Values Enhanced Design Guidelines: Balancing Expert Knowledge with Community Values When Regulating New Construction in Historic Districts

Research Question: This thesis intends to answer if non-professional stakeholder meanings can assess what is appropriate for new construction in historic districts, and whether those meanings coincide with the goals of the design review guidelines for Falmouth’s historic districts. Results: The meanings extrapolated from the non-professional Informants interviews, suggest new construction should be compatible with the surrounding streetscape, as suggested in the Falmouth’s design review guidelines Practical Implications: The study highlights that stakeholders with little or no background in the process of historic preservation design review can carefully understand and verbalize design criteria; and in addition, make decisions that are compatible with the goals set forth in Falmouth’s design review guidelines. This in turn can provide substantive information to the historic districts commissions, and provide a meaningful avenue for the public to become involved in the preservation planning process

Reflecting on EDAD 840 – College Student Development: A Peer Review of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio

This portfolio describes the intended learning outcomes of the EDAD 840 – College Student Development course and the course activities and assessment of student learning connected to those outcomes. The process of analyzing the course and implementation of various course activities, revisions to the course design, and assessment processes are also outlined and discussed. Planned changes based on that analysis are documented and a brief reflection on the process is included

Present Role of Ultrasonic Waves in Physics

The following are the significant results of modern researches in ultrasonics with regard to their contributions to theoretical and applied physics. Precision velocity measurements in gases, made over wide frequency ranges by means of the Pierce interferometer serve experimentally to substantiate the kinetic theory of gases; such measurements in liquids, made either by the interferometer, diffraction spectra, or visibility method, offer an independent and exact means for calculation of important physical constants of the liquids, and through detection of velocity dispersion, suggest a point of attack for investigation of liquid structure. Sound field amplitude photographs afford precise measurements of ultrasonic absorption in liquids. Certain physical constants of particular solids can be measured. Industrial applications are mentioned

Approaches to decision-making among late-stage melanoma patients: a multifactorial investigation.

PurposeThe treatment decisions of melanoma patients are poorly understood. Most research on cancer patient decision-making focuses on limited components of specific treatment decisions. This study aimed to holistically characterize late-stage melanoma patients' approaches to treatment decision-making in order to advance understanding of patient influences and supports.Methods(1) Exploratory analysis of longitudinal qualitative data to identify themes that characterize patient decision-making. (2) Pattern analysis of decision-making themes using an innovative method for visualizing qualitative data: a hierarchically-clustered heatmap. Participants were 13 advanced melanoma patients at a large academic medical center.ResultsExploratory analysis revealed eight themes. Heatmap analysis indicated two broad types of patient decision-makers. "Reliant outsiders" relied on providers for medical information, demonstrated low involvement in decision-making, showed a low or later-in-care interest in clinical trials, and expressed altruistic motives. "Active insiders" accessed substantial medical information and expertise in their networks, consulted with other doctors, showed early and substantial interest in trials, demonstrated high involvement in decision-making, and employed multiple decision-making strategies.ConclusionWe identified and characterized two distinct approaches to decision-making among patients with late-stage melanoma. These differences spanned a wide range of factors (e.g., behaviors, resources, motivations). Enhanced understanding of patients as decision-makers and the factors that shape their decision-making may help providers to better support patient understanding, improve patient-provider communication, and support shared decision-making