Duane Isely (1918-2000): A Tribute

Duane Isely, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Botany, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, died on 6 December 2000. Dr. Isely was an outstanding plant taxonomist with expertise in other fields as well, especially in seed technology and weed identification and control. He was born in Bentonville, Arkansas, on 24 October 1918 into a family of academicians. His father, Dwight Isely, was professor and later Dean of Agriculture at the University of Arkansas, and his mother, Blessie Elise Dort Isely, also taught at the University of Arkansas and eventually received her Ph.D

Relative bioavailability of iron and folic acid from a new powdered supplement compared to a traditional tablet in pregnant women

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Deficiencies of iron and folic acid during pregnancy can lead to adverse outcomes for the fetus, thus supplements are recommended. Adherence to current tablet-based supplements is documented to be poor. Recently a powdered form of micronutrients has been developed which may decrease side-effects and thus improve adherence. However, before testing the efficacy of the supplement as an alternate choice for supplementation during pregnancy, the bioavailability of the iron needs to be determined. Our objective was to measure the relative bioavailability of iron and folic acid from a powdered supplement that can be sprinkled on semi-solid foods or beverages versus a traditional tablet supplement in pregnant women.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Eighteen healthy pregnant women (24 – 32 weeks gestation) were randomized to receive the supplements in a crossover design. Following ingestion of each supplement, the changes (over baseline) in serum iron and folate over 8 hours were determined. The powdered supplement contained 30 mg of iron as micronized dispersible ferric pyrophosphate with an emulsifier coating and 600 μg folic acid; the tablet contained 27 mg iron from ferrous fumarate and 1000 μg folic acid.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall absorption of iron from the powdered supplement was significantly lower than the tablet (p = 0.003). There was no difference in the overall absorption of folic acid between supplements. Based on the differences in the area under the curve and doses, the relative bioavailability of iron from powdered supplement was lower than from the tablet (0.22).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The unexpected lower bioavailability of iron from the powdered supplement is contrary to previously published reports. However, since pills and capsules are known to be poorly accepted by some women during pregnancy, it is reasonable to continue to explore alternative micronutrient delivery systems and forms of iron for this purpose.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00789490</p

Back to the Future with Higher Ed: A Sample of Drupal Sites at UGA

Consisting of a show and tell of a selection of large and small site installations from various departments, schools and colleges at the University of Georgia, panelists including back end and front end developers, public relations experts, librarians, and web coordinators will share their ship\u27s timeline with Drupal versions and examples from the past, present and future. A moderator will then ask questions of panelists including: the biggest challenges they have faced with migrations and upgrades, the issues or blessings of more cohesive branding initiatives over the last few years, and their visions, concerns, and hopes for the future. In a post pandemic world, everyone contributes to digital content creation and curation. What is the shifting and evolving landscape of open source web development in higher ed? We hope for a vibrant segment of questions and look forward to engaging discussions. This session will be accessible to those new to Drupal as well as experts. This session will give an overview of Drupal websites at UGA, and compare that to the other site installs (both paid and open source) across campus. Attendees will walk away having learned a variety of different uses from small internal sites to large scale implemebtations in higher ed (intranets, student portals, faculty and research sites, libraries, and entire school websites). The site-specific examples will be sure to inspire attendees, and the questions and answers to encourage a collaborative discussion to include sharing trouble-shooting tips and give rise to ideas or solutions. Panelists come from the University Libraries, Franklin College of Arts & Sciences, the School of Law & Law Library, and a moderator from Terry College of Business

Determining the Relationship Between Water Quality and Ulcerative Mycosis in Atlantic Menhaden

Project No. 92-15. ICMR Tech Report 93-08. The research on which the report is based was supported in part by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources (EHNR), through the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine Study. Contents of the publication do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute their endorsement by the United States or North Carolina Government.The objectives of this study were to investigate the possible causes of ulcerative mycosis (UM) in the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary. Ulcerative mycosis is the commonest disease affecting the finfish populations of the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary. While infectious agents have been isolated from UM lesions, the underlying environmental cause of the disease remains a mystery. We presently know very little of how water quality (including pollution) influences UM prevalence. The difficulty in reproducing the disease by simply challenging fish with the fungal pathogen suggests that environmental stress may play a very important role in disease development. Previous sampling surveys for UM that simultaneously examined water quality did not always show any consistent relationship to disease prevalence, perhaps because water quality monitored simultaneously with disease sampling may not be representative of the actual conditions that caused the disease outbreak. To obtain more reliable data on the risk factors influencing the development of UM, we placed clinically normal Atlantic menhaden in tanks at various sites along the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary and examined them periodically for the development of UM lesions. We also simultaneously measured ambient water quality, including dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, pH, ammonia, nitrite, chlorophyll a, and prevalence of a new toxic dinoflagellate that we have recently discovered in the Albemarle Pamlico Estuary.Institute for Coastal and Marine Resources, East Carolina Universit

Photodegradation modeling based on laboratory accelerated test data and predictions under outdoor weathering for polymeric materials

Photodegradation, driven primarily by ultraviolet (UV) radiation, is the primary cause of failure for organic paints and coatings, as well as many other products made from polymeric materials exposed to sunlight. Traditional methods of service life prediction involve the use of outdoor exposure in harsh UV environments (e.g., Florida and Arizona). Such tests, however, require too much time (generally many years) to do an evaluation. To overcome the shortcomings of traditional methods, scientists at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) conducted a multiyear research program to collect necessary data via scientifically-based laboratory accelerated tests. This paper presents the statistical modeling and analysis of the photodegradation data collected at NIST, and predictions of degradation for outdoor specimens that are subjected to weathering. The analysis involves identifying a physics/chemistry-motivated model that will adequately describe photodegradation paths. The model incorporates the effects of explanatory variables which are UV spectrum, UV intensity, temperature, and relative humidity. We use a nonlinear mixed-effects model to describe the sample paths. We extend the model to allow for dynamic covariates and compare predictions with specimens that were exposed in an outdoor environment where the explanatory variables are uncontrolled but recorded. We also discuss the findings from the analysis of the NIST data and some areas for future research

BCL-2 Protein Expression is Widespread in the Developing Nervous-System and Retained in the Adult PNS

Cell death is a common feature of neural development in all vertebrates. The bcl-2 proto-oncogene has been shown to protect a variety of cell types from programmed cell death. We have examined the distribution of bcl-2 protein in the developing and adult nervous systems. bcl-2 protein is widespread during embryonic development. Proliferating neuroepithelial cells of ventricular zones as well as the postmitotic cells of the cortical plate, cerebellum, hippocampus and spinal cord express bcl-2. Postnatally, bcl-2 is principally retained in the granule cells of the cerebellum and dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. bcl-2 expression in the CNS declines with aging. In the peripheral nervous system, neurons and supporting cells of sympathetic and sensory ganglia retain substantial bcl-2 protein throughout life. The widespread expression of bcl-2 in CNS and PNS neurons during embryonic development and its selective retention in the adult PNS is consistent with a role for bcl-2 in regulating neuronal survival. In addition, the expression of bcl-2 in some neuronal populations beyond the recognized period of cell death is suggestive of a role for bcl-2 beyond simply protecting neurons from developmental cell death

Clinical identification of feeding and swallowing disorders in 0-6 month old infants with Down syndrome

Feeding and swallowing disorders have been described in children with a variety of neurodevelopmental disabilities, including Down syndrome (DS). Abnormal feeding and swallowing can be associated with serious sequelae such as failure to thrive and respiratory complications, including aspiration pneumonia. Incidence of dysphagia in young infants with DS has not previously been reported. To assess the identification and incidence of feeding and swallowing problems in young infants with DS, a retrospective chart review of 174 infants, ages 0-6 months was conducted at a single specialty clinic. Fifty-seven percent (100/174) of infants had clinical concerns for feeding and swallowing disorders that warranted referral for Videofluroscopic Swallow Study (VFSS); 96/174 (55%) had some degree of oral and/or pharyngeal phase dysphagia and 69/174 (39%) had dysphagia severe enough to warrant recommendation for alteration of breast milk/formula consistency or nonoral feeds. Infants with certain comorbidities had significant risk for significant dysphagia, including those with functional airway/respiratory abnormalities (OR = 7.2). Infants with desaturation with feeds were at dramatically increased risk (OR = 15.8). All young infants with DS should be screened clinically for feeding and swallowing concerns. If concerns are identified, consideration should be given to further evaluation with VFSS for identification of dysphagia and additional feeding modifications