Immobilized Bis-Indenyl Ligands for Stable and Cost-Effective Metallocene Catalysts of Hydrogenation and Polymerization Reactions

Reactions of catalytic hydrogenations and polymerizations are widely used in industry for manufacture of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and plastics. Homogeneous catalysts for the processes that have low stability and their separation is difficult. Therefore, the development of new highly active and stable catalysts for hydrogenations and polymerizations is a necessity. The objective of this research was the development of a strategy for immobilization of heterogeneous metallocene catalysts. First, a methodology of immobilization of bis-indenyl ligands on the surface of mesoporous silica gel was designed. Four bis-indenyl ligands containing functionalized tethers of various lengths with terminal alkene groups were synthesized. All bis-indenyl ligands were immobilized on the surface of mesoporous functionalized silica gel by two methods: hydrosilylation and thiol-ene coupling of the double bond. After comparing the results, the second strategy was chosen as more efficient. The materials can be used further as intermediates for synthesis of supported metallocene catalysts

Teachers’ Perceptions of Students’ Readiness for Kindergarten

The increase in the number of parents who decide not to enroll their children into a formal kindergarten once they become of age has triggered questions of what impacts readiness. The act of redshirting has doubled since 1980. Redshirting is simply delaying a child’s entry into kindergarten by 1 year after they become age eligible to enroll. Parents want to make sure that with high stakes testing, a more demanding curriculum, and an increase in rigorous standards that their children are ready to start kindergarten with the best opportunity for success. The purpose of this study was to examine how preschool and kindergarten teachers perceive age, gender, prior preschool experience, and socioeconomic status impact a child’s readiness for kindergarten upon school entry. The study was also an examination of perceptions of preschool and kindergarten teachers as to whether or not readiness can be determined by a readiness test. The design method chosen for this study was nonexperimental quantitative. Teachers responded to an online survey. The survey was distributed via email to preschool and kindergarten teachers who were employed in 2 rural east Tennessee counties. This study included the responses of 46 participants who chose to respond to the survey

An Automatic Technique for MRI Based Murine Abdominal Fat Measurement

Because of the well-known relationship between obesity and high incidence of diseases, fat related research using mice models is being widely investigated in preclinical experiments. In the present study, we developed a technique to automatically measure mice abdominal adipose volume and determine the depot locations using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Our technique includes an innovative method to detect fat tissues from MR images which not only utilizes the T1 weighted intensity information, but also takes advantage of the transverse relaxation time(T2) calculated from the multiple echo data. The technique contains both a fat optimized MRI imaging acquisition protocol that works well at 7T and a newly designed post processing methodology that can automatically accomplish the fat extraction and depot recognition without user intervention in the segmentation procedure. The post processing methodology has been integrated into easy-to-use software that we have made available via free download. The method was validated by comparing automated results with two independent manual analyses in 26 mice exhibiting different fat ratios from the obesity research project. The comparison confirms a close agreement between the results in total adipose tissue size and voxel-by-voxel overlaps

The effect of email communication on adherence and compliance in a cardiac rehabilitation exercise session

This study investigated the impact of weekly email communication and email content on attendance adherence and exercise prescription compliance in a cardiac rehabilitation program. Fifteen cardiac rehabilitation patients aged 36 to 87 (7 males, 8 females) volunteered and were randomly assigned into one of three groups (informational email group, motivational email group, and control group). The informational email group received weekly emails with precise programmatic information, the motivational group received weekly emails with generic motivational sayings, and the control group received no emails. During the 12-week intervention, subjects'; exercise session attendance and attained heart rate, rating of perceived exertion, and duration at all exercise sessions were tracked. A one-way ANOVA found there was no difference in attendance adherence rates between groups (F = 3.161, p = 0.079). A 3 x 2 Chi Square test for independence found a significant difference between the three groups in heart rate compliance rates (X2(2, n = 540) = 19.5, p 2(2, n = 540) = 19.1, p 2(2, n = 540) = 6.1, p = 0.047).Descriptive statistics found the control group to have the highest compliance rates. A 2 x 2 Chi Square test for independence found a significant difference between the informational email group and the motivational email group in heart rate compliance(X2(1, n = 360) = 6.778, p = 0.009), rating of perceived exertion compliance(X2(1, n = 360) = 6.334, p = 0.012), and duration compliance (X2(1, n = 360) = 5.378, p = 0.020). In summary, email communication did not improve attendance adherence but an informational email may improve exercise prescription compliance more than a generic motivational email.Master of Art

Acrosome components after intracytoplasmic sperm injection: the decondensation frontier

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6T6K-43CBFGC-14/1/c122d3f8e7188ef9ec4a133a8068995

Src-family tyrosine kinase activities are essential for differentiation of human embryonic stem cells

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are characterized by pluripotency, defined as the developmental potential to generate cell lineages derived from all three primary germ layers. In the past decade, great progress has been made on the cell culture conditions, transcription factor programs and intracellular signaling pathways that control both murine and human ES cell fates. ES cells of mouse vs. human origin have distinct culture conditions, responding to some tyrosine kinase signaling pathways in opposite ways. Previous work has implicated the Src family of non-receptor protein-tyrosine kinases in mouse ES cell self-renewal and differentiation. Seven members of the Src kinase family are expressed in mouse ES cells, and individual family members appear to play distinct roles in regulating their developmental fate. Both Hck and c-Yes are important in self-renewal, while c-Src activity alone is sufficient to induce differentiation. While these findings implicate Src-family kinase signaling in mouse ES cell renewal and differentiation, the role of this kinase family in human ES cells is largely unknown. Here, we explored Src-family kinase expression patterns and signaling in human ES cells during self-renewal and differentiation. Of the eleven Src-related kinases in the human genome, Fyn, c-Yes, c-Src, Lyn, Lck and Hck were expressed in H1, H7 and H9 hES cells, while Fgr, Blk, Srm, Brk, and Frk transcripts were not detected. Of these, c-Yes, Lyn, and Hck transcript levels remained constant in self-renewing human ES cells vs. differentiated EBs, while c-Src and Fyn showed a modest increase in expression as a function of differentiation. In contrast, Lck expression levels dropped dramatically as a function of EB differentiation. To assess the role of overall Src-family kinase activity in human ES cell differentiation, cultures were treated with inhibitors specific for the Src kinase family. Remarkably, human ES cells maintained in the presence of the potent Src-family kinase inhibitor A-419259 retained the morphology of domed, pluripotent colonies and continued to express the self-renewal marker TRA-1-60 despite culture under differentiation conditions. Taken together, these observations support a role for Src-family kinase signaling in the regulation of human ES cell fate, and suggest that the activities of individual Src-family members are required for the initiation of the differentiation program

Background Pressure Profiles for Sonic Boom Vehicle Testing in the NASA Glenn 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel

In an effort to identify test facilities that offer sonic boom measurement capabilities, an exploratory test program was initiated using wind tunnels at NASA research centers. The subject of this report is the sonic boom pressure rail data collected in the Glenn Research Center 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel. The purpose is to summarize the lessons learned based on the test activity, specifically relating to collecting sonic boom data which has a large amount of spatial pressure variation. The wind tunnel background pressure profiles are presented as well as data which demonstrated how both wind tunnel Mach number and model support-strut position affected the wind tunnel background pressure profile. Techniques were developed to mitigate these effects and are presented

Examining the Impact of Art Therapy Related Activities and Emotional Well-being: Make & Take Mondays Program

Various emotional well-being issues often arise in college students. Participation in creative activities, regardless of previous art experience, contributes to a significant decrease in cortisol levels, resulting in less stress. However, to better understand the impact of art therapy related activities on well-being, it is important to examine what specific areas of emotional well-being may be applied to specific art activities. The Make and Take Mondays Program was implemented through the East Tennessee State University Counseling Center and provided students with the opportunity to participate in seven different art therapy related activities. Each activity examined a specific area of emotional well-being, which consisted of the following: balance stones, stress-relief hemp bracelets, self-awareness magnets, mindfulness painting, mental health awareness rock painting, gratitude journals and self-expression prayer flags. Students were then given informational handouts in reference to research on each specific activity, information about the counseling resources available on campus and the opportunity to complete an optional quick survey and/or additional survey. As a result of implementing the Make and Take Mondays program and compiling survey results, it was determined that the majority of students found the program to be helpful and reported feeling calm and positive while participating in the activities. It was also determined that art therapy related activities may be contrived to address specific areas of emotional well-being, which can lead to a decrease in emotional well-being issues in college students

Localization of Myosin and Actin in the Pelage and Whisker Hair Follicles of Rat

The combined effects of myosin II and actin enable muscle and nonmuscle cells to generate forces required for muscle contraction, cell division, cell migration, cellular morphological changes, the maintenance of cellular tension and polarity, and so on. However, except for the case of muscle contraction, the details are poorly understood. We focus on nonmuscle myosin and actin in the formation and maintenance of hair and skin, which include highly active processes in mammalian life with respect to the cellular proliferation, differentiation, and movement. The localization of nonmuscle myosin II and actin in neonatal rat dorsal skin, mystacial pad, hair follicles, and vibrissal follicles was studied by immunohistochemical technique to provide the basis for the elucidation of the roles of these proteins. Specificities of the antibodies were verified by using samples from the relevant tissues and subjecting them to immunoblotting test prior to morphological analyses. The myosin and actin were abundant and colocalized in the spinous and granular layers but scarce in the basal layer of the dorsal and mystacial epidermis. In hair and vibrissal follicles, nonmuscle myosin and actin were colocalized in the outer root sheath and some hair matrix cells adjoining dermal papillae. In contrast, most areas of the inner root sheath and hair matrix appeared to comprise very small amounts of myosin and actin. Hair shaft may comprise significant myosin during the course of its keratinization. These results suggest that the actin-myosin system plays a part in cell movement, differentiation, protection and other key functions of skin and hair cells

Wired for reproduction: organization and development of sexually dimorphic circuits in the mammalian forebrain.

Abstract Mammalian reproduction depends on the coordinated expression of behavior with precisely timed physiological events that are fundamentally different in males and females. An improved understanding of the neuroanatomical relationships between sexually dimorphic parts of the forebrain has contributed to a significant paradigm shift in how functional neural systems are approached experimentally. This review focuses on the organization of interconnected limbic-hypothalamic pathways that participate in the neural control of reproduction and summarizes what is known about the developmental neurobiology of these pathways. Sex steroid hormones such as estrogen and testosterone have much in common with neurotrophins and regulate cell death, neuronal migration, neurogenesis, and neurotransmitter plasticity. In addition, these hormones direct formation of sexually dimorphic circuits by influencing axonal guidance and synaptogenesis. The signaling events underlying the developmental activities of sex steroids involve interactions between nuclear hormone receptors and other transcriptional regulators, as well as interactions at multiple levels with neurotrophin and neurotransmitter signal transduction pathways. INTRODUCTION A principal goal of brain development is to produce the necessary neural architecture for integration of information from the external environment with internal cues that reflect important aspects of an animal's physiological state. This integration allows the elaboration of adaptive behavioral and physiological responses that are essential for an individual's survival, as well as for propagation of the species. From an evolutionary perspective, the most adaptive physiological responses are those that ensure successful reproduction. The long-term consequences of adaptive behavioral profiles that enhance survival are of little significance if an animal lacks the reproductive fitness necessary to pass on its genome. Moreover, the coordination of physiological events with behavior is a prerequisite to successful reproduction. For example, it is of no benefit to a mammalian species if females 0147-006X/02/0721-0507$14.00 507 Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 2002.25:507-536. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org by SCELC Trial on 10/23/10. For personal use only. 508 SIMERLY display appropriate solicitation behaviors and successfully copulate with conspecific males but have not ovulated. Males have similar requirements for physiological coordination; an individual that has mature sperm and is ready to impregnate a female will not get the chance if he displays agonistic behaviors. Thus, the future of a species often rests with the ability of its members to coordinate behavioral responses with physiological processes in response to sexually relevant cues. This coordination of behavior and physiology must also be reliable, which depends in part on how consistently the neural circuits underlying neuroendocrine integration are constructed and regulated. Mammals reproduce sexually; males and females of a species display distinct patterns of copulatory behaviors and neuroendocrine physiology (Gerall & Givon 1992, Gorski & Jacobson 1981. This array of sex-specific behaviors and physiological responses is so vital to the success of mammalian species that robust developmental mechanisms have evolved to produce distinct yet complimentary neural systems that ensure the coordinated expression of reproductive function in male and female mammals. In this review key aspects of sexually dimorphic neural systems in the rodent forebrain are examined to consider developmental mechanisms that may be responsible for specifying sex-specific aspects of these neural pathways. Although the regions dealt with in detail play major roles in reproduction, it is important to note that significant sexual dimorphisms have been documented throughout the central nervous system, from the cerebral cortex to spinal motor neurons; therefore, the process of sexual differentiation of the brain should be viewed as a widespread series of developmental events with functional significance for diverse behaviors and physiological responses. The central tenet of sexual differentiation is that the brain is bipotential but develops differently in males and females under the influence of sex steroid hormones during the perinatal period. In male rats, secretion of androgen from the differentiated testis produces two perinatal elevations in plasma testosterone, the first of which occurs on day 18 of gestation, and the second at approximately 2 h after birth Sexually Dimorphic Forebrain Pathways The hypothalamus plays a critical role in coordinating expression of reproductive behaviors and physiological responses with environmental cues. Its close anatomical and physiological relationship with the pituitary gland provides an effective means for coordinating diverse homeostatic processes through neuroendocrine regulation of hormone secretion. The hypothalamus also shares strong connections with the limbic region of the forebrain so it can effectively coordinate neuroendocrine responses with sensory cues that regulate motivated behavior. The preoptic region of the hypothalamus was the historical focus of early studies on morphological sex differences, owing in part to its dominant role in the regulation of copulatory behavior and gonadotropin secretion (Gerall & Givon 1992 The modern era of sexual differentiation research was ushered in when Raisman and Field used electron microscopy to identify the first clear sex difference in neuronal connectivity 510 SIMERLY the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) of the preoptic region was found to be larger in female rodents, suggesting that sexual dimorphisms may also favor females (Bleier et al. 1982). The demonstration that the AVPV contained a greater number of dopaminergic neurons in females, which can be reduced to that of males by a single injection of testosterone, indicated that sex steroid hormones may actually facilitate loss of neurons in certain regions THE MEDIAL PREOPTIC NUCLEUS The sexually dimorphic nucleus of the preoptic area comprises neurons that are part of the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN), a nucleus known for its dominant role in expression of male sexual behavior Each subdivision of the MPN shows a distinct pattern of connectivity: The MPNm sends its strongest projections to the periventricular zone of the hypothalamus, which is primarily involved in the control of hormone secretion from the anterior pituitary, while the MPNc sends its major projections to other sexually dimorphic forebrain nuclei 511 THE ANTEROVENTRAL PERIVENTRICULAR NUCLEUS (AVPV) Because gonadotropin secretion is perhaps the most significant sex difference in reproductive physiology, some of the earliest studies of sexual differentiation focused on the impact of sex steroid hormones on the phasic secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH), which initiates ovulation in female mammals (see Gerall & Givon 1992 for review). Treatment of ovariectomized adult female rats with estrogen causes a massive surge in LH secretion, yet similar treatments in males fail to induce a similar response. This sexually dimorphic response to hormone treatment can be reversed by castrating male rats at birth, and treatment of neonatal female rats with a single dose of testosterone results in permanent anovulatory sterility. Evidence from a variety of experimental approaches indicates that sex steroids act at the level of the preoptic region during postnatal life to organize the neural pathways controlling preovulatory gonadotropin secretion. The AVPV is a likely site of action because it plays a critical role in controlling the preovulatory LH surge and is sensitive to the developmental actions of sex steroid hormones (see The total number of neurons in the AVPV has not been determined in male and female rats, but cellular markers for dopaminergic neurons and peptidergic neurons According to a recent model for telencephalic projections onto hypothalamic motor regions proposed by FOREBRAIN SEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION 515 understanding sensory integration and control of reproduction seems clear, but the accuracy of its predictions remains to be validated experimentally. The accessory olfactory and ventral subiculoseptal pathways represent the major limbic-hypothalamic pathways impacting reproduction. The posterior nucleus of the amygdala (PA) (see Despite the robust innervation of sexually dimorphic nuclei in the hypothalamus by the BSTp and amgdala (MEApd and PA), neither the periventricular nor the medial zone dimorphic nuclei provide substantial return projections. Instead, feedback appears to be conveyed by the ventral premammillary nucleus (PMv), which Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 2002.25:507-536 However, even sensory influences transmitted to the hypothalamus along monomorphic pathways may contribute to sexually dimorphic responses because the hypothalamic regions innervated are sexually differentiated. For example, the LSv provides strong inputs to both the AVPV and MPNm/c, which may process the afferent multimodal information differently in each sex. Sexually dimorphic pathways such as the accessory olfactory pathway provide more robust sensory inputs to hypothalamic nuclei in males, which indicates that there is greater convergence of this information onto hypothalamic neurons in target nuclei. This convergence is even more profound in target regions with fewer neurons in males, as is the case with the AVPV. Alternatively, descending projections from the LSv appear to be more divergent in males since there are more neurons in target nuclei such as the MPNm/c in males relative to that of females. Although at present it is difficult to confidently predict the functional impact of sexually dimorphic patterns of sensory convergence and divergence on specific reproductive functions, it appears likely that the sexually dimorphic representations of these sensory routes and hypothalamic targets impose a sex-specific bias on information processing at nodal points in these circuits. The emerging appreciation of the sexually dimorphic organization of sensory pathways, and a detailed understanding of the cellular relationships that define the signaling balance encoded in patterns of sensory convergence and divergence onto hypothalamic circuits, is a Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 2002.25:507-536. Downloaded from www.annualreviews.org by SCELC Trial on 10/23/10. For personal use only. FOREBRAIN SEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION 517 prerequisite to an improved understanding of how these pathways function in the control of neuroendocrine physiology and behavior. The recent clarification of anatomical relationships between sexually dimorphic parts of the forebrain and new theoretical proposals on information processing in cortico-hypothalamic pathway