Profiles of Missouri: Obesity Rate in Missouri

According to a recent report from the Trust for America's Health (TFAH), obesity rates in all but one of our fifty U.S. states rose last year at an alarming rate (the exception is Oregon, where the rate remained the same as the previous year, and data are not available for Hawaii). In this report, F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies are Failing in America, 2005, TFAH outlines the nation's growing problem. Approximately 119 million Americans, or 64.5 percent, are either overweight or obese, and the number of obese American adults rose, according to TFAH, from 23.7 percent in 2003 to 24.5 percent in 2004. Although the national goal is 15 percent or less of the population being obese, in 10 states more than 25 percent of adults are obese, and the national average of obese adults is 16 percent. This includes about 16 percent of active duty U.S. military personnel.Includes bibliographical reference

The geochemistry and petrogenesis of lavas from the Comores Archipelago, Western Indian Ocean

The islands of the Comores Archipelago define a short, NNW-trending, volcanic lineament across the northern entrance to the Mozambique Channel in the western Indian Ocean and are considered to represent the surface expression of the Comores mantle plume. New mineral and bulk-rock analyses, as well as selected rare earth element (REE), 87Sr/86Sr and 143Nd/144Nd compositions for lavas from three of the four main islands of the archipelago are presented. The alkaline lavas of the Comores range in texture from sparsely to strongly porphyritic, containing phenocrysts of olivine, clinopyroxene, amphibole, feldspar, Fe-Ti oxide and in one sample nepheline and garnet, which are typically set in a fine-grained groundmass of clinopyroxene, feldspar or nepheline, Fe-Ti oxide, lesser olivine and accessory apatite and titanite (sphene). With the exception of a few hypersthene- and even quartz-normative samples, all of the rocks analysed are moderately to strongly silica-undersaturated, nepheline-normative lavas. On Grande Comore, the youngest island in the archipelago, a clear distinction exists between the generally alkali basaltic lavas erupted by Karthala volcano and the basanites of La Grille volcano. The samples from the island of Moheli are classified as alkali basalts, basanites and nephelinites. The lavas of Mayotte, the oldest Comorean island, were erupted during three phases of volcanic activity and display greater chemical variation than both Grande Comore and Moheli lavas. Mayotte lavas range in composition from alkali basalt through trachybasalt, basaltic trachyandesite and trachyandesite to trachyte, and from basanite and nephelinite through phonotephrite to phonolite. Comorean lavas have high incompatible element abundances and display strongly light rare earth element-enriched chondrite-normalised REE patterns. On the basis of their primitive mantle-normalised incompatible element patterns (spidergrams), all of the lavas analysed may be assigned to one of two very distinct Comorean lava types: La Grille-type (LGT) lavas display strong relative depletions in K (and sometimes Rb), whereas Karthala-type (KT) lavas do not show such depletions. Both LGT and KT lavas were erupted on Grande Comore, Moheli and Mayotte. With the exception of the lavas erupted by La Grille volcano, which exhibit the petrographic and geochemical characteristics expected of primary mantle magmas, all Comorean lavas analysed have experienced compositional modifications after they segregated from their source regions. Quantitative major and trace element modelling suggests that much of the compositional variation observed amongst Comorean lavas is explicable in terms of fractional crystallisation processes dominated by the early fractionation of olivine and clinopyroxene. Plagioclase appears to have been an additional fractionating phase during the evolution of Moheli basanites. The more advanced stages of the differentiation history of Mayotte lavas were dominated by the fractionation of increasing quantities of feldspar and amphibole, as well as smaller amounts of clinopyroxene, Fe-Ti oxide and accessory apatite and titanite. The presence of high-pressure clinopyroxene, amphibole and possibly garnet crystals in Comorean lavas suggests that the crystal fractionation processes involved in their differentiation may have been initiated at relatively elevated pressures. Partial melting in the presence of residual amphibole is proposed to be the most likely mode of origin for the K-depletions which characterise LGT Comorean lavas. It is suggested that primary LGT magmas were generated by small degrees of partial melting of an amphibole-bearing garnet-lherzolite mantle source at depths corresponding to pressures greater than 25 kb. Primary KT magmas, on the other hand, are considered to be the product of somewhat larger degrees of partial melting of an amphibole-free spinel-lherzolite source at shallower depths. The Nd and Sr isotopic compositions of Comorean lavas bear evidence for a timeaveraged depletion in incompatible elements, whereas the high incompatible element abundances of these lavas are proposed to reflect the effects of a recent mantle enrichment event. It is suggested that the garnet-lherzolite source of LGT Comorean lavas experienced recent modal metasomatism, resulting in the precipitation of amphibole, whereas the shallower spinel-lherzolite source of KT lavas underwent cryptic metasomatism only, without the introduction of new minerals. The ambient subComorean upper mantle is proposed to consist of a mixture between the HIMU mantle component and a depleted component (DMM, PREMA or a component on the mantle array). The Nd and Sr isotope signature of the majority of Comorean lavas (both LGT and KT) may be explained as a mixture dominated by the components comprising the sub-Comorean mantle with limited contributions from the EM I-type Comorean mantle plume itself. The lavas erupted by Karthala volcano (the youngest Comorean lavas), however, have significantly different isotopic compositions than all other Comorean lavas (lower 143N d/144N d and higher 87S r / 86S r ), suggesting significantly increased contributions from the Comores mantle plume. An alternative model, equally consistent with the present data, involves an ambient sub-Comorean mantle consisting of a depleted component that is mixed with a Comores mantle plume which contains both HIMU and EM I components. In this scenario, the character of the plume would have to change from one dominated by the HIMU component during most of the volcanic history of the Comores, to one dominated by the EM I component during the generation of the lavas erupted by Karthala. An internally consistent, broadly chronological petrogenetic model for the evolution of Comorean volcanism is presented

Feasibility of integrating multiple types of electroactive polymers to develop a biomimetic inspired muscle actuator

The focus of this project is to see if it is possible to integrate multiple EAP materials in an electro- mechanical system to produce a closer representation of a biological muscle with smooth varying motion. In this preliminary study, two common types of EAPs, ionic and dielectric, were investigated to determine their mechanical and electrical properties in order to assess their potential to be combined into a working artificial electromechanical muscle prototype at a later time. A conceptual design for an artificial electromechanical muscle was created with biomimetic relationships between EAP materials and the human bicep muscle. With the assistance of the Rochester General Hospital, a human arm model, isolating the bicep muscle, was created to calculate mechanical characteristics of the bicep brachii. From the human arm model, bicep muscle characteristics were compared to those of the dielectric EAP because of the ability for the EAP to output relatively high force and strain during actuation. It was found that the current state of the art of EAPs is a long way from making this a reality due to their limiting force output and voltage requirements. The feasibility of developing an artificial electromechanical muscle with EAP actuators is not possible with current technology

Elsie: A Screenplay

Elsie is a 57 page, one-hour screenplay. A modern adaptation of a true story, Elsie tells the tale of Elsie Whitman, a young housewife unhappy in her marriage and looking for a way out. When her estranged sister arrives, she finally finds the strength to do the unthinkable. Our story opens with the arrival of Elsie\u27s sister, Marianne, and the departure of her husband, John. Alone in the house together, the sisters relationship grows complex. Marianne begins to see Peter, a young man with a mysterious past. However, when Elsie is wronged by John, she jumps into bed with Peter. The interweaving plot comes to a close as Elsie and Marianne finally decide to take matters into their own hands. The story explores the theme of women\u27s independence in a modern world. While women’s equality has progressed drastically in the last 50 years, major disparities still exist, especially in the way media portrays gender norms. Elsie seeks to engage in this discussion by portraying strong, modern women in oppressive situations and by deviating from traditional gender portrayals in modern media

Reenvisioning the Classroom: Making Time for Students and Teachers to Play

Explores the benefits of play for students and teachers alike in a New York City elementary school that provides students with time to explore their interests through long-term projects of their choosing

Effects of Three Swim Strokes Over 25 Yards in Labor-Wear with a Personal Flotation Device

We determined how three different swim strokes (breast, back, and American crawl) were affected by standard labor-wear while wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) over 22.8 meters (25 yards). The main research questions were, (1) which stroke would yield the fastest times over 22.8 meters and (2) Would there be a difference in the swim times between male and female subjects?  We addressed these questions with three hypotheses addressing whether or not there would be a statistically significant difference among the three strokes, and whether or not gender would have an effect on performance of the different strokes. The mean 22.8-m elementary back stroke swim time for all subjects (n = 51) was 59.98 sec; for the breast stroke it was 46.05 sec and for the crawl stroke it was 46.48 sec.  An ANOVA generated a P-value of less than .0001. Thus, we rejected null hypothesis 1 in favor of research hypothesis 1 at a significance level of 0.05. There was a difference in swim times over 22.8-m for each stroke for all subjects, with breast stroke being the fastest and the elementary back stroke being the slowest.  The mean 22.8-m elementary back stroke swim time for male subjects (n = 26) was 51.04 sec; for the breast stroke it was 41.41 sec and for the crawl stroke it was 34.73 sec.  An ANOVA generated a P-value of less than .0001. Thus, we rejected null hypothesis 2 in favor of research hypothesis 2 at a significance level of 0.05.   There was a difference in swim times over 22.8-m for each stroke, with the crawl stroke being the fastest and the elementary back stroke being the slowest.  The mean 22.8-m elementary back stroke swim time for female subjects (n = 25) was 69.28 sec; for the breast stroke it was 50.87 sec and for the crawl stroke it was 58.71 sec.  An ANOVA generated a P-value of .001. Thus, we rejected null hypothesis 3 in favor of research hypothesis 3 at a significance level of 0.05. There was a difference in swim times over 22.8-m for each stroke, with the breast stroke being the fastest and the elementary back stroke being the slowest

Identification of small RNAs in Staufen2 complexes from rat brain

MikroRNAs (miRNAs) sind ~22 nt lange, nicht kodierende RNAs, welche Gene post-transkriptionell regulieren können, indem sie die Translation hemmen oder den Abbau der mRNA auslösen. Im Nervensystem spielen miRNAs eine zentrale Rolle in der Entwicklung und wahrscheinlich auch bei der synaptischen Plastizität. Hierfür sind RNA-bindende Proteine (RBPs), welche mRNAs an die Synapsen lokalisieren, ebenso wichtig wie eine Stimulus-abhängige lokale Proteinsynthese. Während des Transports ist die Translation der mRNAs in neuronalen Ribonukleoprotein-Partikeln (RNPs) unterbunden, was entweder durch Regulator-Proteine oder durch miRNAs bewerkstelligt werden kann. Das im Kiebler Labor untersuchte Protein Staufen2 (Stau2) gehört zur Familie der dsRBPs und wird hauptsächlich im Nervensystem exprimiert. In der Taufliege Drosophila melanogaster spielt es eine Rolle bei der Gedächtnisbildung. In hippokampalen Neuronen stellen Staufen-Proteine wichtige Komponenten in RNA-enthaltenden Partikeln dar, welche sich bis in die distalen Dendriten erstrecken. Kürzlich wurde ein Zusammenhang zwischen Stau2 und miRNAs vorgeschlagen, da der Export von Stau2 aus dem Kern von Exportin-5 abhängig ist, dem primären Exportfaktor für Vorläufer-miRNAs. Deshalb war die Hauptaufgabe dieses Projekts zu untersuchen, ob kleine nicht-kodierende RNAs, im Besonderen miRNAs, in Stau2 Partikeln enthalten sind. Über Immunoprezipitationen mit affinitätsgereinigten Antikörpern gegen Stau2 gelang es, Stau2 RNPs mit allen enthaltenen Proteinen und RNAs zu isolieren. Auf Proteinebene wurden verschiedene RISC-assoziierte Komponenten wie Ago, PACT, FMRP und eIF6 in Stau2 Komplexen gefunden, was auf eine Beteiligung von miRNAs hindeutet. Auf RNA-Ebene gelang mittels radioaktiver Markierung von RNA der Nachweis kleiner RNAs mit einer Größe von 20-22 nt in den Stau2 Komplexen. Dies ist ein weiterer Hinweis auf einen Zusammenhang zwischen miRNAs und Stau2 Partikeln. Zusätzlich wurde das Vorhandensein von miR-18, 26a, 128a, 134 und let-7c in Stau2 Komplexen mittels RT-PCR nachgewiesen. In Folge soll die in den Stau2 Immunoprezipitationen vorkommende RNA kloniert und sequenziert werden, um eine vollständige Liste aller Stau2-assoziierten miRNAs zu erhalten. Eine Hypothese um den Zusammenhang zwischen miRNAs und Stau2 zu erklären, wäre dass miRNAs eventuell eine Funktion in der Inhibierung der Translation von mRNAs in den Stau2 Komplexen erfüllen. Während des Transports sind mRNAs in RNPs durch miRNAs gebunden, was die Translation verhindert. Dies wird später durch einen spezifischen Stimulus aufgehoben, welcher eine lokale Translation an der Synapse ermöglicht.microRNAs (miRNAs) are ~22 nt long non-coding RNAs which are involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation via mRNA silencing or degradation. miRNAs are abundant in the nervous system, where they have key roles in development and possibly in synaptic plasticity. Both RNA localization as well as stimulus-dependent local protein synthesis critically contribute to synaptic plasticity. During transport, the silencing of mRNAs within neuronal ribonucleoprotein particles (RNPs) can be achieved either by translational regulator-proteins or by miRNAs. Staufen2 (Stau2), an RNA-binding protein (RBP) investigated in the Kiebler lab, belongs to the family of dsRBPs and is mainly expressed in the nervous system. Staufen was shown to be involved in memory formation in Drosophila melanogaster. In hippocampal neurons, Staufen proteins are core components of distinct RNA-containing particles that reach out to distal dendrites. Recent evidence suggested a link between Stau2 and miRNAs. The export of Stau2 from the nucleus depends on Exportin-5, the main export factor for precursor-miRNAs. Therefore, this project aimed at investigating whether small non-coding RNAs, especially miRNAs, are part of Stau2-containing complexes in the rat brain. Immunoprecipitation, using affinity-purified anti-Stau2 antibodies, was performed to isolate Stau2 RNPs including all associated proteins and RNAs. On the protein level, the presence of different RISC-associated components like Ago, PACT, FMRP and eIF6 in Stau2 complexes suggested a participation of the miRNA pathway. On the RNA level, the specific association of small RNAs at the size of 20-22 nt with Stau2 RNPs in E17 rat brain provided further evidence for a connection between miRNAs and Stau2 complexes, as shown by radioactive labeling of RNA isolated after Stau2 immunoprecipitation. In addition, RT-PCR proved the presence of 5 candidate miRNAs, miR 18, 26a, 128a, 134 and let-7c, in Stau2 complexes. In the future, RNA isolated from Stau2 immunoprecipitations will be cloned and sequenced to obtain a complete list of miRNAs associated with Stau2 complexes. A hypothesis to explain this association between miRNAs and Stau2 would be that the miRNA translationally silences its target mRNAs during transport in Stau2 complexes. Upon a specific stimulus, the suppression would be relieved allowing translation to occur at the synapse