Political Repression in the Developing World: Does the Military Play a Role?

Also PCMA Working Paper #25.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/51201/1/434.pd

Development and application of molecular techniques for the detection of human enteric viruses in environmental samples

Shellfish and water have been implicated in the transmission of viral diseases. National surveillance data on waterborne and foodborne illnesses underestimate the public health significance of these viruses. The focus of this research was to evaluate, develop, and apply molecular techniques to detect human enteric viruses in environmental samples. The initial study evaluated a nucleic acid hybridization assay using a \sp{32}P labeled cDNA probe to detect poliovirus in clams. Clams (Mercenaria mercenaria) were harvested from Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. Poliovirus was detected in clams from the conditionally approved area in 3 of 9 collections and in the prohibited area in 4 of 9 collections. Once in the prohibited area, the coliform standards for water and shellfish were acceptable, although poliovirus was detected by the hybridization probe assay. This study demonstrated that nucleic acid hybridization can be used to detect enteric viruses, but was limited by its degree of sensitivity. There was a need to increase the sensitivity of viral diagnostics. Two alternative molecular tools were developed. First was the T7 polymerase-based amplification system designed to indirectly amplify target RNA without reverse transcriptase. The T7 amplification system contained a viral recognition sequence, a T7 polymerase recognition sequence and a detection sequence to generate RNA transcripts. Efficacy of the amplification sequence was measured by \sp{32}P incorporation in the RNA transcripts. Results demonstrated that the T7 amplification sequence was functional by its ability to produce radiolabeled RNA transcripts. The second system developed was a nucleic acid isolation procedure that used magnetic bead technology. A biotinylated oligonucleotide probe was hybridized to poliovirus-RNA in solution. Streptavidin-coated magnetic beads were used to isolate the RNA-oligonucleotide hybrid. This procedure could recover viral RNA suitable for amplification by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). This technique was used to recover viral RNA from concentrated groundwater samples. Results indicated that this capture system was effective in both concentrating, and purifying poliovirus RNA while removing environmental RT-PCR inhibitors. A detection sensitivity of one plaque-forming unit in 250 $\mu$l of a concentrated groundwater sample was routinely attained

The Great Highland Bagpipe in the Eastern United States :inception, development, and perpetuation

This study is an analysis of the inception, development, and perpetuation of the Great Highland Bagpipe (GHB) in the United States, and in particular examines the culture and community of competitive bagpiping. With a focus on the Eastern United States, the study traces the inception and development of bagpiping through three distinct eras. In the first two eras, the GHB enjoyed increasing degrees of popularity among various populations in the United States, before its presence declined almost to the point of extinction. The study then proceeds to the third era, still in progress, exploring the present state of competitive bagpiping in the Eastern United States including an in-depth examination of the Eastern United States Pipe Band Association (EUSPBA). Obstacles to the growth of bagpiping in the EUSPBA are considered, revealing growth trends, as well as attitudes toward and awareness of growth issues. Student perceptions and motivations are analyzed, followed by an examination of teacher attitudes. Specific teaching methods are compared and analyzed. Finally, learning environments, categorized as formal, non-formal, and informal, are described and examined

The synthesis and stereochemistry of allenee, acetylenes and related compounds

(±)-Marasin, claimed to be the product from the reduction of non-2-en-4,6,8-triyn-1-ol with lithium aluminium hydride, has been shown to be a minor product only, the major product being the allenene. Reduction with dialkoxylithium aluminium hydride gave improved yields of allenynes together with allenenes whereas the lithium aluminium hydride-butane-2,3-diol complex gave allenynes only. Reduction with the asymmetric complexes of lithium aluminium hydride with menthol, and 3-0-benzyl-1,2-0- cyclohexylidene-x-D-glucofuranose gave the optically active allenynes, A consideration of the stereochemistry of these reductions enabled the configuration of the product to be predicted. The absolute configurations of four allenynes, Including the naturally occurring marasin and its next higher homologue (9-methyl marasin) were determined. The lithium aluminium hydride-active amyl alcohol (2-methyl- butan-1-ol) complex was found to be unsuitable for producing optically active allenynes. The kinetically controlled reduction of 4-ohloro-2-yn-1-ols and the corresponding acetates with an asymmetric complex has been investigated. The absolute configuration of (+)-hexa-3,4-dienol has been determined by application of the Claisen rearrangement to optically active (-)-chloroethyl but-1-yn-3-yl ether. Trace impurities in 3-0-henzyl-1,2-0~cyclohexylidene- (X-D-glucofuranose have been isolated, and identified and the analytically pure compound prepared for the first time. 3,3,5-Trimethylcyelohexanone has been reduced with cyclic complexes of lithium aluminium hydride. The axial/equatorial ratio of the cyclohexanols obtained from these and other reductions has been Interpreted by postulating the participation of the flexible form of the ketone in the reduction. Bromopropargyl aldehyde has been synthesised for the first time and attempts to use this compound as an intermediate are described

Genetic Algorithm for Automated Parameterization of Network Hamiltonian Models of Amyloid Fibril Formation

The time scales of long-time atomistic molecular dynamics simulations are typically reported in microseconds, while the time scales for experiments studying the kinetics of amyloid fibril formation are typically reported in minutes or hours. This time scale deficit of roughly 9 orders of magnitude presents a major challenge in the design of computer simulation methods for studying protein aggregation events. Coarse-grained molecular simulations offer a computationally tractable path forward for exploring the molecular mechanism driving the formation of these structures, which are implicated in diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and type-II diabetes. Network Hamiltonian models of aggregation are centered around a Hamiltonian function that returns the total energy of a system of aggregating proteins, given the graph structure of the system as an input. In the graph, or network, representation of the system, each protein molecule is represented as a node, and noncovalent bonds between proteins are represented as edges. The parameter, i.e., a set of coefficients that determine the degree to which each topological degree of freedom is favored or disfavored, must be determined for each network Hamiltonian model, and is a well-known technical challenge. The methodology is first demonstrated by beginning with an initial set of randomly parametrized models of low fibril fraction (\u3c5% fibrillar), and evolving to subsequent generations of models, ultimately leading to high fibril fraction models (\u3e70% fibrillar). The methodology is also demonstrated by applying it to optimizing previously published network Hamiltonian models for the 5 key amyloid fibril topologies that have been reported in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). The models generated by the AI produced fibril fractions that surpass previously published fibril fractions in 3 of 5 cases, including the most naturally abundant amyloid fibril topology, the 1,2 2-ribbon, which features a steric zipper. The authors also aim to encourage more widespread use of the network Hamiltonian methodology for fitting a wide variety of self-assembling systems by releasing a free open-source implementation of the genetic algorithm introduced here

The Winter Issue 2022

This winter issue is the first issue of Fonds and Feathers, a newsletter of the Southern Miss Student Archivists. It was edited and contributed by Margaret Rodriguez, Rori Holford, Lara Taylor, and Patrick Regan. Dr. Jeff Hirschy is the faculty advisor.https://aquila.usm.edu/fondsandfeathers/1001/thumbnail.jp

Actuation of shape memory polymer using magnetic fields for applications in medical devices

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2004."June 2004."Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-105).A novel approach to the heating and actuation of shape memory polymer using dispersed Curie temperature thermo-regulated particles is proposed. Such a material has potential applications in medical devices which are delivered via catheters. A variety of tests were performed to determine the feasibility of this new approach to shape memory polymer actuation. Calorimetry tests were performed to quantify heat generation of various Nickel Zinc Ferrite particles. Dynamic Mechanical Thermal Analysis (DMTA), tensile strain recovery tests, and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) were used to measure the mechanical effects of various particle volume contents and sizes on shape memory polymer. These tests suggest that the proposed method of actuation is very feasible, rapid heating can be achieved and the addition of particles up to 10% volume content has a minimal effect on the mechanical properties of the shape memory polymer.by Patrick Regan Buckley.S.M

Foregrounding the Code: Computational Chemistry Instructional Activities Using a Highly Readable Fluid Simulation Code

Computational chemistry instructional activities are often based around students running chemical simulations via a graphical user interface (GUI). GUI-based activities offer many advantages, as they enable students to run chemical simulations with a few mouse clicks. Although these activities are excellent for introducing students to the capabilities of chemical simulations, the disadvantage is that the students’ experience is not representative of how professional computational chemists work. Just as it is important that students in an organic chemistry instructional lab gain hands-on experience with equipment commonly used by professional organic chemists, students of computational chemistry must gain hands-on experience with coding, as professional computational chemists do not rely on GUIs; we write code. Motivated by the need for instructional activities that provide hands-on experience with computer code, a pair of activities were created around a free lightweight (runs on standard laptops) open-source Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluid simulation code written in Python, a programming language that prioritizes readability. The first activity, aimed at undergraduate physical chemistry lab courses, involves students writing Python code in a Jupyter Notebook that is used to run LJ simulations and fit a van der Waals gas model to data produced by the LJ fluid simulations. The second is a jigsaw activity, aimed at advanced undergraduate or graduate students, where students are assigned different sections of the LJ fluid simulation code, and must demonstrate the functionality of their section to the class by both giving an oral presentation and sharing a Jupyter Notebook demonstration of their own design

Smoking Cessation Through Optimisation of Clinical Care in Pregnancy: the STOP randomised controlled trial

This is a pragmatic randomised controlled trial of a dedicated smoking cessation clinic versus routine antenatal care as an intervention to reduce cigarette smoking behaviour. Smoking mothers randomised to the Smoking cessation Through Optimisation of clinical care in Pregnancy (STOP) clinic will have all antenatal care provided by a team comprising an obstetrician, a midwife, and a smoking cessation practitioner. This intervention includes ultrasound screening for fetal growth restriction. The control arm comprises two groups: one receiving standard care with ultrasound screening for fetal growth restriction, and one receiving standard care with ultrasound screening for growth restriction only if clinically indicated by their healthcare provider. Four hundred and fifty women will be recruited and randomised to either intervention or control arms stratifying for age, parity, and history of fetal growth restriction