Effects of Salinity and Temperature on Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis of Gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) has been proposed as an easy and accurate technique for a non-lethal index of condition in fish; however, factors affecting its accuracy have yet to be properly identified. The technique uses the resistance (R) and reactance (Xc) of water and lipids in contiguous tissues to estimate lipid content. Studies have investigated the use of BIA on fish, but with mixed results, possibly caused by unrecognized sources of influences. Our study explored possible sources of variance for BIA measurements in gulf killifish, Fundulus grandis, through laboratory feeding and fasting experiments, and experimental exposures to acute changes in temperature and salinity. In our feeding and fasting experiments, wild caught F. grandis were held in recirculating tanks and either fed ad libitum or withheld food for 28 days and sampled every 7 days. In the fed and fasted experiments, BIA measurements, plasma osmolarity, Lecren’s Kn, and % organ lipid were significantly different by day with most variables showing a gradual change over time (ANOVA, p \u3c.05). However, in the fasted experiment BIA measurements did not follow the trends of declining condition indicated by Kn and % organ lipid In our experiments with environmental factors, fish acclimated to 24⁰C and 12 ppt salinity where exposed to tanks randomly assigned treatments of salinities 2, 12, 24 and temperatures 2, 12, 24⁰C. Reactance was consistently significantly higher at salinity 2 ppt, and R significantly decreased as temperature increased (ANOVA,Tukey-Kramer p \u3c.05). Our results indicate additional possible sources of variance including sex, size, temperature and changes in body chemistry. Some of the mixed results from other studies may be explained by these sources of variance. If these sources of variance are shown to be easily correctable, BIA may prove to be an effective index of condition

Smart Local Map Displays with Integrated Localized Advertisements and Extended Applications to Users’ Devices

A technique is provided for providing local advertisements and maps to users. An example display device broadcasts advertisements to users in the vicinity of the device. When a user interacts with an example interactive display device, the image on display changes from an advertisement to an interactive local map. An example interactive display device shows users directions to products, places, or events that have been advertised on the device and allows the user to receive or download the directions and information to the user’s personal device so that the directions or map can be used offline or away from the interactive device

Preliminary Evaluation of Lectins as Fluorescent Probes of Seed Structure and Composition

Several commercially available fluoresceinisothiocyanate and rhodamine isothiocyanateconjugated plant lectins have been applied to cereal and oilseed tissues to permit identification and localization of specific structures and carbohydrates by fluorescence microscopy . Ulex europeaus Agglutinin I (UEAl) and Ricinis communis Agglutinin I (RCA I) showed specificity for the amyloids in rapeseed cotyledonary cell walls . Wheat Germ Agglutinin (WGA) bound to rapeseed coat mucilage, as well as fungal hyphae in infected wheat . Lens culinaris Agglutinin (LCA) bound only to starch in cereal sections, and at higher magnifications of isolated starch granules , the annular structure was clearly visible

Fostering online learning at the workplace : a scheme to identify and analyse collaboration processes in asynchronous discussions

Research has shown that providing participants with high‐quality learning material is not sufficient to help them profit most from online education. The level of interaction among participants is another key determinant for learning outcomes. However, merely proposing interaction does not automatically lead to fruitful discussion and collaboration. Specifically, social presence and facilitation activities add value to online discussions. In Murphy's collaboration framework, social presence represents the basis of successful online collaboration from which more reflective discussions and co‐construction can evolve. In this paper, an adjusted version of this framework was applied in a workplace learning context. The content analysis of 1170 comments in an online course for careers practitioners of a public employment service showed that the extended framework generated deeper insights into the dynamics of online discussions. The results show that involvement in collaborative learning at the workplace was supported by a high social presence and influenced by course topic and tasks. Facilitation played an important role in creating a sympathetic sense of community and stimulating co‐creation processes

Dynamics of An Underdamped Josephson Junction Ladder

We show analytically that the dynamical equations for an underdamped ladder of coupled small Josephson junctions can be approximately reduced to the discrete sine-Gordon equation. As numerical confirmation, we solve the coupled Josephson equations for such a ladder in a magnetic field. We obtain discrete-sine-Gordon-like IV characteristics, including a flux flow and a ``whirling'' regime at low and high currents, and voltage steps which represent a lock-in between the vortex motion and linear ``phasons'', and which are quantitatively predicted by a simple formula. At sufficiently high anisotropy, the fluxons on the steps propagate ballistically.Comment: 11pages, latex, no figure

Infant mental health home visiting therapists- reflective supervision self- efficacy in community practice settings

In recent years, there has been an increase in the research on reflective supervision, including the development of tools designed to measure reflective practice in the context of reflective supervision. The Reflective Supervision Self- Efficacy Scale for Supervisees (RSSESS) is a self- report measure that has been used in previous evaluations and is designed to assess perceived reflective practice self- efficacy for Infant Mental Health- Home Visiting (IMH- HV) therapists. Properties of the RSSESS including factor structure and reliability are explored in a first study that lays the foundation for the use of the RSSESS in an IMH- HV evaluation in the State of Michigan. IMH- HV therapists completed the RSSESS at 4 time points over a 12- month period and also completed a Clinician Profile Form that included questions about their IMH background and their work experience, including job satisfaction and burnout. Results indicated that the RSSESS is a reliable tool to measure change in reflective practice skills. IMH- HV therapists demonstrated growth in their use of reflective practice skills with families and their observational skills over the 12- month period. In addition, results indicated correlations between reflective supervision self- efficacy and job satisfaction as well as burnout.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154909/1/imhj21834.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154909/2/imhj21834_am.pd

Cooperativity and the origins of rapid, single-exponential kinetics in protein folding

The folding of naturally occurring, single domain proteins is usually well-described as a simple, single exponential process lacking significant trapped states. Here we further explore the hypothesis that the smooth energy landscape this implies, and the rapid kinetics it engenders, arises due to the extraordinary thermodynamic cooperativity of protein folding. Studying Miyazawa-Jernigan lattice polymers we find that, even under conditions where the folding energy landscape is relatively optimized (designed sequences folding at their temperature of maximum folding rate), the folding of protein-like heteropolymers is accelerated when their thermodynamic cooperativity enhanced by enhancing the non-additivity of their energy potentials. At lower temperatures, where kinetic traps presumably play a more significant role in defining folding rates, we observe still greater cooperativity-induced acceleration. Consistent with these observations, we find that the folding kinetics of our computational models more closely approximate single-exponential behavior as their cooperativity approaches optimal levels. These observations suggest that the rapid folding of naturally occurring proteins is, at least in part, consequences of their remarkably cooperative folding

Meta-parametric design

Parametric modelling software often maintains an explicit history of design development in the form of a graph. However, as the graph increases in complexity it quickly becomes inflexible and unsuitable for exploring a wide design space. By contrast, implicit low-level rule systems can offer wide design exploration due to their lack of structure, but often act as black boxes to human observers with only initial conditions and final designs cognisable. In response to these two extremes, the authors propose a new approach called Meta-Parametric Design, combining graph-based parametric modelling with genetic programming. The advantages of this approach are demonstrated using two real case-study projects that widen design exploration whilst maintaining the benefits of a graph representation

Intraperitoneal Nanotherapy for Metastatic Ovarian Cancer Based on siRNA-Mediated Suppression of DJ-1 Protein Combined with a Low Dose of Cisplatin

Herein, we report an efficient combinatorial therapy for metastatic ovarian cancer based on siRNA-mediated suppression of DJ-1 protein combined with a low dose of cisplatin. DJ-1 protein modulates, either directly or indirectly, different oncogenic pathways that support and promote survival, growth, and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. To evaluate the potential of this novel therapy, we have engineered a cancer-targeted nanoplatform and validated that DJ-1 siRNA delivered by this nanoplatform after intraperitoneal injection efficiently downregulates the DJ-1 protein in metastatic ovarian cancer tumors and ascites. In vivo experiments revealed that DJ-1 siRNA monotherapy outperformed cisplatin alone by inhibiting tumor growth and increasing survival of mice with metastatic ovarian cancer. Finally, three cycles of siRNA-mediated DJ-1 therapy in combination with a low dose of cisplatin completely eradicated ovarian cancer tumors from the mice, and there was no cancer recurrence detected for the duration of the study, which lasted 35 weeks