Carbon-Isotope Chemostratigraphy and Fluvial Sedimentology of the Moenave Formation, Utah

The end Triassic extinction (ETE) is one of the largest mass extinction events of the Phanerozoic, and it has been hypothesized that this event, as well as the Triassic-Jurassic (TJ) boundary, are preserved within the Moenave Formation of the Colorado Plateau. Identification of this boundary within southwest Utah sections of the Colorado Plateau region is critical for better understanding the relationship between climate change and the ETE in terrestrial, low latitude paleoenvironments. The Moenave Formation is well exposed in Blacks Canyon of Zion National Park and in the nearby Warner Valley, where detailed sedimentologic observations and carbon isotope sampling have been conducted. Chemostratigraphic correlation of the bulk organic carbon (δ13Corg) (this study) with carbonate carbon (δ13Ccarbonate) and oxygen isotope (δ18Ocarbonate) chemostratigraphy, detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology, and biostratigraphy provide new constraints on the location of the Triassic—Jurassic boundary and the ETE within the Moenave Formation. This study identifies three negative δ13Corg excursions (NCIE) within the Moenave Formation of Blacks Canyon. The first represents the “initial NCIE” at ~36 m above the base of the Dinosaur Canyon Member (DCM) with a magnitude of ~ -5 ‰, a second NCIE with a magnitude of ~ -6.8 ‰ occurs at ~47 m above the base of the DCM, and the third NCIE has been correlated to the “main NCIE” in the WPM with a magnitude of ~ -5.9 ‰ at ~69 m above the base of the formation. The onset of the ETE is associated with the initial NCIE while the TJ boundary is correlated to the main NCIE. Therefore, these δ13Corg data, in conjunction with detrital zircon U-Pb age constrains from chemical abrasion-thermal ionization mass spectrometry (CA-TIMS), suggest that the ETE occurs in the middle DCM, ~24-36 m above the base of the formation, and the TJB occurs higher in the section in the upper DCM or Whitmore Point Member (WPM). The locations of these boundary events and field- and drone-based observations and measurements are used to quantify the impact of climatic warming across the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic boundary by relating sedimentologic observations to paleohydrologic processes. Observations indicate a trend toward upwards-increasing and then decreasing channelization in the fluvial DCM, with an increase in median and P95 grain size, and possibly fluvial channel depth, near the onset of the ETE. These data are interpreted to reflect an increase in precipitation during, and possibly before, the ETE that ultimately culminated in formation of Lake Dixie, manifested as lacustrine facies of the Whitmore Point Member. This research provides the first direct evidence for the preservation of the ETE within the Moenave Formation and provides insight into the sedimentologic and hydrologic response to the ETE within a low-latitude, arid environment

Monitoring transient repolarization segment morphology deviations in mouse ECG

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (p. 273-276).This thesis details the design, implementation and validation of a system that facilitates partial automation for detection of anomalous repolarization segment morphologies in the ECG of mice. The technology consists of hardware for signal conditioning of the electrocardiogram (ECG); software for the collection, archiving and real-time & retrospective Internet visualization of data; and an algorithm for morphology analysis of the repolarization segment in murine ECG. The system was validated using genetically engineered mouse subjects with elevated VLDL, analogous to LDL or "bad cholesterol" in humans, and elevated but modified HDL, or "good cholesterol." These subjects, so-called "double-knockout" or dKO mice, exhibit repolarization segment morphologies that are manifestations of severe cardiovascular pathophysiology. This thesis describes the technology in detail and its application to elucidating long-term trends in repolarization morphology deviations in dKO mice. The paper concludes with future work that will utilize the technology and potential clinical applications.by Matthew Blake OefingerPh.D

The Lecture Note-Taking Skills of Adolescents with and without Learning Disabilities

Specific learning disability is by far the most prevalent of the 13 special education categories recognized under the Individuals with Disabilities Educational Act (IDEA), consisting of approximately 2.5 million students and comprising 42% of all children receiving special education services in public schools (Cortiella, 2011). Research suggests that learning disabilities (LDs) are chronic conditions with lifetime implications (Morris, Schraufnagel, Chudhow, & Weinberg, 2009), and by high school, students identified with LDs are reading at an average of 3.4 years below grade level (Cortiella, 2011). Such profound reading deficits result in pervasive academic difficulties, as compared to their non-disabled peers. Thus, students with LDs are at a substantial disadvantage for accessing the curriculum (Cortiella, 2011; Shaywitz, 2003). Not surprisingly, students with LDs are more likely to drop out of high school, less likely to pursue postsecondary education, and twice as likely to be unemployed (Cortiella, 2011). In light of the drastic impact LDs have upon students and their academic success, schools must make concerted efforts to provide research-based supports for students with LDs in order to minimize these disadvantages. Research suggests that improvements in note-taking may be one way to increase academic achievement, and thus the prominence of lectures, coupled with the established benefits of lecture note-taking, provides unique intervention opportunities to target special education students. The purpose of this study was to compare the lecture note-taking skills of adolescents with and without LDs by exploring the role of cognitive processes speculated to impact note-taking ability and proficiency. While existing research identifies discrepancies between the quality of notes recorded by students with and without LDs, little is known about the underlying cognitive processes causing these differences. Building upon this previous research, with consideration to the unique characteristics of students with LDs, this study investigates the following cognitive processes theorized to impact the note-taking skills of adolescents with and without LDs: (1) handwriting speed, (2) listening comprehension, (3) sustained attention, and (4) background knowledge. The researcher hypothesized that 1) NLD students would outperform LD students across all independent and dependent variables, 2) LD status, listening comprehension, handwriting speed, background knowledge, and sustained attention would significantly predict notes, 3) LD status, listening comprehension, handwriting speed, background knowledge, sustained attention, and notes would significantly predict multiple-choice test performance, and 4) the prediction pattern for the LD group would be the same as the prediction pattern for the NLD group. Participants were recruited from two northeast high schools, located within the same urban school district, and specific selection criteria were identified for the LD and NLD groups. All students selected for the LD group were required to have an IQ score of 70 or above, based on the most recent psychological assessment. Additionally, all potential participants completed a screening session to assess their reading comprehension skills and confirm their appropriateness for the assigned group. The final sample included 70 adolescents with a mean age of 16.1 (SD= 1.23). After the screening, all participants completed two sessions in small groups within a ten-day period. During the first session, participants were asked to (a) view a video-recorded lecture while simultaneously taking notes on the lecture content, (b) complete a demographics questionnaire, (c) review their lecture notes, (d) complete a measure of handwriting speed, and (e) complete a multiple-choice test based on the lecture content. In the second experimental session, participants were asked to (a) complete a measure of listening comprehension, (b) complete a measure of background knowledge, and (c) complete a measure of sustained attention. Consistent with hypothesis, results of the study indicated that NLD students significantly outperformed LD students across all measures. However, contrary to hypotheses, LD status was the only significant predictor of notes' total. Additionally, LD status, handwriting speed, listening comprehension, and background knowledge predicted test performance. When the LD and NLD groups were analyzed separately, none of the independent variables predicted notes' quality. Interestingly, handwriting speed predicted multiple-choice test performance for the LD group, but listening comprehension and background knowledge predicted multiple-choice test performance for the NLD group. Overall, compared to their NLD peers, LD adolescents struggled significantly across all independent and dependent variables, and given the outcomes, it appears as though LD status mediated the relationship between the cognitive variables and note-taking

ProSAS: a database for analyzing alternative splicing in the context of protein structures

Alternative splicing is known to be one of the major sources for functional diversity in higher eukaryotes. Several splicing isoforms have been characterized in the literature that play important roles in cellular processes like apoptosis or signal transduction pathways. Splicing events can often be detected on the mRNA level by large-scale cDNA or EST experiments and such data is collected and annotated in several databases. Nevertheless, the effects of splicing on the structure of a protein are largely unknown. The ProSAS (Protein Structure and Alternative Splicing) database fills this gap and provides a unified resource for analyzing effects of alternative splicing events in the context of protein structures. ProSAS comprehensively annotates and models protein structures for several Ensembl genomes as well as SwissProt entries harbouring splicing events. Alternative isoforms annotated in Ensembl or SwissProt can be analyzed on the protein structure and protein function level using an intuitive user interface that provides several features and tools for a structure-based analysis of alternative splicing events. The ProSAS database is freely accessible at http://www.bio.ifi.lmu.de/ProSAS

Carbon isotope chemostratigraphy, geochemistry, and biostratigraphy of the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum, deepwater Wilcox Group, Gulf of Mexico (USA)

The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) represents the most pronounced hyperthermal of the Cenozoic era and is hypothesized to have resulted in an intensification of the paleohydrologic cycle, including enhanced seasonality and increased sediment discharge to the coastal ocean. Although the PETM has been widely documented, there are few records from deposits that form the distal, deepwater components of large sediment-routing systems. This study presents new constraints on the stratigraphic placement of the PETM in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico basin through analysis of geochemical, carbon isotopic, and biostratigraphic data within a ∼124 m cored interval of the Wilcox Group. Biostratigraphic and carbon isotopic data indicate that the PETM extends over ∼13 m based on acmes in the dinoflagellate Apectodinium homomorphum and calcareous nannoplankton Rhomboaster cuspis as well as a ∼-2 ‰ shift in bulk organic δ13C values. A decrease in bioturbation and benthic foraminifera suggests that a reduction in oxygen of Gulf of Mexico bottom waters and/or an increase in sedimentation rates were coincident with the onset of the PETM. A ∼2 m lag in the depositional record separates the onset of the PETM negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) and deposition of a 5.7 m thick interval of organic-lean claystone and marlstone that reflects a shut-off of the supply of sand, silt, and terrestrial palynomorphs to the basin. We interpret deposits of the PETM in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico to reflect the combined effects of increased erosional denudation and rising sea level that resulted in sequestration of sand and silt near the coastline but that allowed delivery of terrigenous mud to the deep sea. The similarity of oceanographic changes observed in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean during the PETM supports the inference that these water masses were connected during latest Paleocene–earliest Eocene times. Although deposition of typical Wilcox Group facies resumed during and after the PETM recovery, an increased influx of terrestrial detritus (i.e., pollen, spores, terrestrial organic debris) relative to marine dinoflagellates is suggestive of long-lasting effects of the PETM. This study illustrates the profound and prolonged effects of climatic warming on even the most distal reaches of large (≥1×106 km2) sediment-routing systems.</p

Randomized trial of achieving healthy lifestyles in psychiatric rehabilitation: the ACHIEVE trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Overweight and obesity are highly prevalent among persons with serious mental illness. These conditions likely contribute to premature cardiovascular disease and a 20 to 30 percent shortened life expectancy in this vulnerable population. Persons with serious mental illness need effective, appropriately tailored behavioral interventions to achieve and maintain weight loss. Psychiatric rehabilitation day programs provide logical intervention settings because mental health consumers often attend regularly and exercise can take place on-site. This paper describes the Randomized Trial of Achieving Healthy Lifestyles in Psychiatric Rehabilitation (ACHIEVE). The goal of the study is to determine the effectiveness of a behavioral weight loss intervention among persons with serious mental illness that attend psychiatric rehabilitation programs. Participants randomized to the intervention arm of the study are hypothesized to have greater weight loss than the control group.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>A targeted 320 men and women with serious mental illness and overweight or obesity (body mass index ≥ 25.0 kg/m²) will be recruited from 10 psychiatric rehabilitation programs across Maryland. The core design is a randomized, two-arm, parallel, multi-site clinical trial to compare the effectiveness of an 18-month behavioral weight loss intervention to usual care. Active intervention participants receive weight management sessions and physical activity classes on-site led by study interventionists. The intervention incorporates cognitive adaptations for persons with serious mental illness attending psychiatric rehabilitation programs. The initial intensive intervention period is six months, followed by a twelve-month maintenance period in which trained rehabilitation program staff assume responsibility for delivering parts of the intervention. Primary outcomes are weight loss at six and 18 months.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Evidence-based approaches to the high burden of obesity and cardiovascular disease risk in person with serious mental illness are urgently needed. The ACHIEVE Trial is tailored to persons with serious mental illness in community settings. This multi-site randomized clinical trial will provide a rigorous evaluation of a practical behavioral intervention designed to accomplish and sustain weight loss in persons with serious mental illness.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>Clinical Trials.gov NCT00902694</p

Erfuellung von Beratungsaufgaben in Unternehmungen durch interne und externe Berater - eine theoretisch-empirische Analyse

SIGLEBibliothek Weltwirtschaft Kiel A 167803 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

System for remote multichannel real-time monitoring of mouse electrocardiography via the Internet

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, September 2003."August 25, 2003."Includes bibliographical references (leaves 32-33).A hardware/software system was developed to allow real-time monitoring of multiple physiological signals simultaneously via the Internet. The hardware is specifically designed for measuring ECG signals from mice, while the software system is agnostic to the underlying data source. The software utilizes a client-server model and multicasting network technology to stream real-time data from a server to clients. The server software includes an intuitive graphical user interface (GUI) that allows lab technicians to start and stop data collection as well as a back-end SQL database for record archiving and management. The system is intended to facilitate real-time signal processing development as well as collaborative research of archived physiological data among geographically disjoint groups. The server is therefore equipped with a digital signal processing (DSP) board for real-time data analysis and password-protected access to physiological data archives.by Matthew Blake Oefinger.S.M

Erfuellung von Beratungsaufgaben in Unternehmungen durch interne und externe Berater: e. theoret.-empir. Analyse

Available from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, Duesternbrook Weg 120, D-24105 Kiel A 167803 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekSIGLEDEGerman

Erfuellung von Beratungsaufgaben in Unternehmungen durch interne und externe Berater - eine theoretisch-empirische Analyse

SIGLEBibliothek Weltwirtschaft Kiel A 167803 / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman