Presenting Evolution in Public Schools; Is It indisputable?

The research question addressed is, how do 10 public school teachers present the theory of evolution? The motivation of this capstone was my experience with teachers presenting evolution (all life having evolved from a simple single celled organism) to students as indisputable, and the seemingly lack of discussion about any problems with the theory or unanswered questions. A key influence was an older sibling, a mechanical engineer, who often provides scientific answers for me and provided many resources that challenge the so-called indisputability and possibilities of evolution. This study interviewed 10 public school teachers to identify how they present the theory of evolution. This study showed that all ten participants teach the theory of evolution according to the Minnesota state standards. Nine of the ten participants tell students, without hesitation, yes life has evolved. One participant frames it as most scientists believe life has evolved

Enrichment of Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using Resveratrol

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) hold great promise for the application of tissue engineering to orthopedic problems such as critical-size defects. Cell sorting has indicated a benefit to enriching the MSC population, but is undesired for clinical applications. Pharmacological enrichment utilizing adipogenic inhibitors such as resveratrol represent a clinically viable alternative. Cells were isolated from rats, and treated with differentiation media to verify multipotency, and were then treated with 0, 12.5, and 25 µM resveratrol in growth media and osteogenic media. MSC and osteoprogenitor (OPC) populations were measured using flow cytometry and OPC quality was assessed with osteocalcin production, osteoprotegerin production, and alkaline phosphatase activity. Resveratrol increased the population percent and cell number of MSCs in both growth and osteogenic media, but only increased the number of OPCs in growth media. In both media types resveratrol increased alkaline phosphatase activity and osteocalcin levels. Resveratrol enriches ADMSCs for mesenchymal stem cells and osteoprogenitors.Boyan, Barbara - Faculty Mentor ; Guldberg, Robert - Committee Member/Second Reade

Comparison of Aerated and Non Aerated Cultures for Nitrogen Fixation Studies by Soils

In any good system of soil management the farmer has two natural ways of maintaining the nitrogen supply in the soil; (1) by the proper growth and use of inoculated legumes; and (2) by encouraging the development of the non-symbiotic nitrogen fixing microorganisms in the soil. Altho the first method is probably the more important especially in those regions where legumes are commonly grown, undoubtedly many farmers have unconsciously practised the second method. It has been definitely shown that even where legumes are not grown the nitrogen balance in the soil is automatically cared for, to some extent at least, by microorganisms which are capable of fixing large amounts of nitrogen from the air without the aid of a host plant. The exact relation of this process of non-symbiotic nitrogen fixation to soil fertility is an interesting problem of both practical and scientific importance. It has attracted the attention of many soil bacteriologists, but in spite of much accumulated information on the subject, there are many questions still to be answered before it will be known just how much nitrogen is fixed annually per acre of soil by this process

Black carbon as an additional indicator of the adverse health effects of airborne particles compared with PM10 and PM2.5.

Current air quality standards for particulate matter (PM) use the PM mass concentration [PM with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 10 μm (PM(10)) or ≤ 2.5 μm (PM(2.5))] as a metric. It has been suggested that particles from combustion sources are more relevant to human health than are particles from other sources, but the impact of policies directed at reducing PM from combustion processes is usually relatively small when effects are estimated for a reduction in the total mass concentration

Quantitative Determination of Phytate and Inorganic Phosphorus for Maize Breeding

Phytate is the dominant storage form of phosphorus (P) in mature cereal and oil grains. Phosphorus bound in phytate is nutritionally unavailable to monogastric animals and thus contributes to water pollution because it is excreted in the waste. Also, phytate can chelate certain minerals and exacerbate human mineral deficiencies. Our primary objective was to develop a rapid and inexpensive method of measuring phytate and inorganic P (Pi) concentrations in maize (Zea mays L.). The procedure reported herein was derived from previously published assays and used to screen 50 inbred lines to determine its potential in a selection program. Grain yield, protein, oil, methionine, lysine, tryptophan, and kernel weight were also measured. Field repeatability values for phytate and Pi (0.78 and 0.91, respectively) suggest that our protocol can be used to make heritable measurements on both traits. Phytate measurements taken with the procedure reported herein matched closely those obtained through ion exchange. The combination of adequate precision and simplicity make this method ideal for breeders interested in improving Pi and phytate levels simultaneously. The positive phytate:protein correlation reported commonly was also detected in this study. A relationship between phytate and kernel weight indicates that selection for low phytate may result in larger kernels

Real-Time Reverse Transcription–Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay for SARS-associated Coronavirus

A real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was developed to rapidly detect the severe acute respiratory syndrome–associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The assay, based on multiple primer and probe sets located in different regions of the SARS-CoV genome, could discriminate SARS-CoV from other human and animal coronaviruses with a potential detection limit of <10 genomic copies per reaction. The real-time RT-PCR assay was more sensitive than a conventional RT-PCR assay or culture isolation and proved suitable to detect SARS-CoV in clinical specimens. Application of this assay will aid in diagnosing SARS-CoV infection

Assisted partner notification services to augment HIV testing and linkage to care in Kenya: study protocol for a cluster randomized trial

Background: HIV case-finding and linkage to care are critical for control of HIV transmission. In Kenya, >50% of seropositive individuals are unaware of their status. Assisted partner notification is a public health strategy that provides HIV testing to individuals with sexual exposure to HIV and are at risk of infection and disease. This parallel, cluster-randomized controlled trial will evaluate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and feasibility of implementing HIV assisted partner notification services at HIV testing sites (clusters) in Kenya. Methods/design Eighteen sites were selected among health facilities in Kenya with well-established, high-volume HIV testing programs, to reflect diverse communities and health-care settings. Restricted randomization was used to balance site characteristics between study arms (n = 9 per arm). Sixty individuals testing HIV positive (‘index partners’) will be enrolled per site (inclusion criteria: ≥18 years, positive HIV test at a study site, willing to disclose sexual partners, and never enrolled for HIV care; exclusion criteria: pregnancy or high risk of intimate partner violence). Index partners provide names and contact information for all sexual partners in the past 3 years. At intervention sites, study staff immediately contact sexual partners to notify them of exposure, offer HIV testing, and link to care if HIV seropositive. At control sites, passive partner referral is performed according to national guidelines, and assisted partner notification is delayed by 6 weeks. Primary outcomes, assessed 6 weeks after index partner enrollment and analyzed at the cluster level, are the number of partners accepting HIV testing and number of HIV infections diagnosed and linked to care per index partner. Secondary outcomes are the incremental cost-effectiveness of partner notification and the costs of identifying >1 partner per index case. Participants are closely monitored for adverse outcomes, particularly intimate partner violence. The study is unblinded due to practical limitations. Discussion This rigorously designed trial will inform policy decisions regarding implementation of HIV partner notification services in Kenya, with possible application to other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Examination of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in diverse settings will enable targeted application and define best practices. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01616420

Epidemiology of severe pediatric adenovirus lower respiratory tract infections in Manitoba, Canada, 1991-2005

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Most pediatric adenovirus respiratory infections are mild and indistinguishable from other viral causes. However, in a few children, the disease can be severe and result in substantial morbidity. We describe the epidemiologic, clinical, radiologic features and outcome of adenovirus lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal children in Manitoba, Canada during the years 1991 and 2005.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This was a retrospective study of 193 children who presented to the department of pediatrics at Winnipeg Children's Hospital, Manitoba, Canada with LRTI and had a positive respiratory culture for adenovirus. Patients' demographics, clinical and radiologic features and outcomes were collected. Adenovirus serotype distributions and temporal associations were described. Approximate incidence comparisons (detection rates) of adenovirus LRTI among Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal children were estimated with 95% confidence intervals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Adenovirus infections occurred throughout the year with clusters in the fall and winter. Serotypes 1 to 3 were the predominant isolates (two thirds of the cases). The infection was more frequent among Canadian Aboriginals, as illustrated in 2004, where its incidence in children 0-4 years old was 5.6 fold higher in Aboriginals (13.51 vs. 2.39 per 10,000, <it>p </it>< 0.000). There were no significant differences in length of hospitalization and use of ventilator assistance between the two groups (<it>p </it>> 0.185 and <it>p </it>> 0.624, respectively) nor across serotypes (<it>p </it>> 0.10 and <it>p </it>> 0.05, respectively). The disease primarily affected infants (median age, 9.5 months). Most children presented with bronchiolitis or pneumonia, with multi-lobar consolidations on the chest x-ray. Chronic (residual) changes were documented in 16 patients, with eight patients showing bronchiectasis on the chest computerized tomography scan.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Adenovirus infection is associated with significant respiratory morbidities, especially in young infants. The infection appears to be more frequent in Aboriginal children. These results justify a careful follow-up for children with adenovirus LRTI.</p

SPARC, FOXP3, CD8 and CD45 Correlation with Disease Recurrence and Long-Term Disease-Free Survival in Colorectal Cancer

BACKGROUND: SPARC is a matricellular protein involved in tissue remodelling, cell migration and angiogenesis, while forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) protein functions as a transcription factor involved in immune cell regulation. Both SPARC and FOXP3 can play an anti-tumorigenic role in cancer progression. The aim was to determine if SPARC, FOXP3, CD8 and CD45RO expression levels are associated with colorectal cancer (CRC) stage, disease outcome and long-term cancer-specific survival (CSS) in stage II and III CRC. METHODS AND FINDINGS: SPARC expression was initially assessed in 120 paired normal and stage I-IV CRCs. Subsequently, approximately 1000 paired patient samples of stage II or III CRCs in tissue microarrays were stained for SPARC, FOXP3, CD8 or CD45RO. Proportional hazards modelling assessed correlations between these markers and clinicopathological data, including disease outcome and cancer specific survival (CSS). Both SPARC and FOXP3 expression were significantly greater in CRC than normal colon (p<0.0001). High SPARC expression correlated with good disease outcome (≥60 mths without disease recurrence, p = 0.0039) and better long-term CSS in stage II CRC (<0.0001). In stage III CRC, high SPARC expression correlated with better long-term CSS (p<0.0001) and less adjuvant chemotherapy use (p = 0.01). High FOXP3 correlated with a good disease outcome, better long-term CSS and less adjuvant chemotherapy use in stage II (p<0.0037, <0.0001 and p = 0.04 respectively), but not in stage III CRC. High CD8 and CD45RO expression correlated with better disease outcome in stage II CRC, and better CSS, but the differences were not as marked as for SPARC and FOXP3. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that high SPARC and FOXP3 are associated with better disease outcome in stage II CRC and may be prognostic indicators of CSS. Further assessment of whether these markers predict patients at high risk of recurrence with stage II CRC and functional studies of these effects are underway

Elevated Plasma Von Willebrand Factor and Propeptide Levels in Malawian Children with Malaria

In children with malaria plasma VWF and propeptide levels are markedly elevated in both cerebral and mild paediatric malaria, with levels matching disease severity, and these normalize upon recovery. High levels of both markers also occur in retinopathy-negative 'cerebral malaria' cases, many of whom are thought to be suffering from diseases other than malaria, indicating that further studies of these markers will be required to determine their sensitivity and specificity