Characterization of the developing facial and hypoglossal motor systems in the neonatal Brazilian opossum

Aspects of development of the facial and hypoglossal motor systems were investigated in the neonatal Brazilian opossum, Monodelphis domestica. Monodelphis is a small pouchless marsupial whose young are born after 14 days of gestation in an extremely immature state while neurogenesis is still ongoing;1. The developmental time course for synaptogenesis in the facial motor nucleus (FMN) and the hypoglossal motor nucleus (HMN) was examined using immunohistochemistry against: synaptic vesicle-associated proteins, synaptophysin and synaptotagmin; a synaptic membrane protein, SNAP-25; a growth cone protein, GAP-43; and microtubule-associated proteins, Tau-1 and MAP-2. We found that appearance of synapse-associated proteins is delayed in the FMN as compared to the HMN during the first two weeks of postnatal life;2. To examine the postnatal development of the FMN and HMN we utilized retrograde tract tracing with cholera toxin subunit B (CtB). On the day of birth (1 PN), CtB labeled facial motoneurons were localized near the developing abducens nucleus. From 3 to 5 PN facial motoneurons were observed migrating to the FMN, and by 7 to 10 PN facial motoneurons had completed their migration. In contrast, CtB-labeled hypoglossal motoneurons were localized within the HMN from birth onward. Migrating facial motoneurons displayed a bipolar shape characteristic of migrating neurons, their rate of migration was faster than the rate of brainstem expansion, and they were localized in close proximity of vimentin immunostained radial glial fibers previously shown to guide migrating neurons;3. Utilizing immunohistochemistry against choline acetyltransferase, neurofilament, and synaptotagmin we demonstrated that both facial and hypoglossal motoneuron projections extend to their respective target muscles and appear to innervate them from the day of birth. These results suggest that facial and hypoglossal motoneurons innervate their target muscles at birth, during the period of facial motoneuron migration. Further, the FMN does not have synaptic or classical afferent innervation during this period. We suggest that the activity of facial motoneurons is regulated in a novel or distinct manner compared to hypoglossal motoneurons during this period of brain development

A Handbook for Lightboard Technology in the Kinesiology Classroom

Presenting pedagogical content on a digital platform is commonplace in the 21st century classroom. Now, presentations are given virtually to students who are learning both synchronously and asynchronously. With students learning from a distance, faculty must find means to elevate their delivery to foster engagement on an easily disconnected platform, thus winning the competition for their attention. Use of Lightboard technology meets the need to deliver innovative teaching and learning, but it is also simple for the faculty to use. This manuscript outlines the process of setting up, managing, and producing media from a Lightboard studio. We provide the framework needed to propose funding for this resource, building plans, as well as capture and editing tutorials to lessen the burden on faculty wishing to bring this technology to their campus. This fully online medium supports any classroom instruction (face-to-face, hybrid, and online), and with proper planning, can save the faculty’s time on reviewing concepts in and out of class periods. Lightboard studios are often shared across the campus community, potentially leading to long wait times for recording and impaired flexibility for rapid content production. In this resource, we document how smaller units (colleges, departments, and programs) can justify investing in this innovative technology

Evaluation of alcaftadine 0.25% ophthalmic solution in acute allergic conjunctivitis at 15 minutes and 16 hours after instillation versus placebo and olopatadine 0.1%

Jack V Greiner1,2, Kimberly Edwards-Swanson3, Avner Ingerman41Schepens Eye Research Institute, Boston, MA; 2Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; 3Johnson & Johnson Consumer and Personal Products Worldwide, Skillman, NJ; 4Ora Inc, Andover, MA, USAPurpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of alcaftadine 0.05%, 0.1%, and 0.25% ophthalmic solutions in treating the signs and symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis when compared with olopatadine hydrochloride 0.1% and placebo using the conjunctival allergen challenge (CAC) model.Methods: One hundred and seventy subjects were randomized and 164 subjects completed all visits. CAC was performed to determine and confirm subjects’ eligibility at visits 1 and 2, respectively. The CAC was repeated at visit 3 (day 0 ± 3), 16 hours after study medication instillation, and at visit 4 (day 14 ± 3), 15 minutes after instillation. Ocular itching and conjunctival redness were evaluated after an allergen challenge, along with several secondary endpoints.Results: Alcaftadine 0.25% and olopatadine 0.1% treatments exhibited significantly lower mean scores compared with placebo for ocular itching and conjunctival redness at visits 3 and 4. Most adverse events were self-limiting and mild in severity. No serious treatment-related adverse events occurred.Conclusion: Treatment with alcaftadine 0.25% ophthalmic solution resulted in mean differences of >1 unit (ocular itching) and approximately >1 unit (conjunctival redness), which was significant (P < 0.001) compared with placebo treatment. All doses of alcaftadine were safe and well tolerated in the population studied.Keywords: alcaftadine, allergic conjunctivitis, conjunctival allergen challeng

Laboratory measurements of electrostatic solitary structures generated by electron beam injection

Electrostatic solitary structures are generated by injection of a suprathermal electron beam parallel to the magnetic field in a laboratory plasma. Electric microprobes with tips smaller than the Debye length ($\lambda_{De}$) enabled the measurement of positive potential pulses with half-widths 4 to 25$\lambda_{De}$ and velocities 1 to 3 times the background electron thermal speed. Nonlinear wave packets of similar velocities and scales are also observed, indicating that the two descend from the same mode which is consistent with the electrostatic whistler mode and result from an instability likely to be driven by field-aligned currents.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.11500

The Crisis in Science Education: Problems and Recommendations: A Summary of the Iowa Academy of Science Symposium at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, April 22, 1983

There is a recognized state and national crisis in securing and maintaining qualified science teachers. To date the majority of effort has been expended toward identifying and redefining the problems with few attempts made to resolve them. The purpose of this symposium was to spend minimal time seeking to inform participants of the problems and then to present some recommendations for resolving them. Each of the presenters was uniquely to address this, to date, intractable problem

Flight Performance of a Spin-Stabilized 20-Inch-Diameter Solid-Propellant Spherical Rocket Motor

A successful flight test of a spin-stabilized 20-inch-diameter solid-propellant rocket motor having a propellant mass fraction of 0.92 has been made. The motor was fired at altitude after being boosted by a three-stage test vehicle. Analysis of the data indicates that a total impulse of 44,243 pound-second with a propellant specific impulse of approximately 185 was achieved over a total action time of about 12 seconds. These results are shown to be in excellent agreement with data from ground static firing tests of these motors. The spherical rocket motor with an 11-pound payload attained a velocity of 15,620 feet per second (m = 16.7) with an incremental velocity increase for the spherical motor stage of 12,120 feet per second

Stony Creek Creek Census

Division of Fisheries, Illinois Department of Conservationunpublishednot peer reviewedOpe

Muscleblind-like 1 interacts with RNA hairpins in splicing target and pathogenic RNAs

The MBNL and CELF proteins act antagonistically to control the alternative splicing of specific exons during mammalian postnatal development. This process is dysregulated in myotonic dystrophy because MBNL proteins are sequestered by (CUG)n and (CCUG)n RNAs expressed from mutant DMPK and ZNF9 genes, respectively. While these observations predict that MBNL proteins have a higher affinity for these pathogenic RNAs versus their normal splicing targets, we demonstrate that MBNL1 possesses comparably high affinities for (CUG)n and (CAG)n RNAs as well as a splicing target, Tnnt3. Mapping of a MBNL1-binding site upstream of the Tnnt3 fetal exon indicates that a preferred binding site for this protein is a GC-rich RNA hairpin containing a pyrimidine mismatch. To investigate how pathogenic RNAs sequester MBNL1 in DM1 cells, we used a combination of chemical/enzymatic structure probing and electron microscopy to determine that MBNL1 forms a ring-like structure which binds to the dsCUG helix. While the MBNL1 N-terminal region is required for RNA binding, the C-terminal region mediates homotypic interactions which may stabilize intra- and/or inter-ring interactions. Our results provide a mechanistic basis for dsCUG-induced MBNL1 sequestration and highlight a striking similarity in the binding sites for MBNL proteins on splicing precursor and pathogenic RNAs

PLUTONIUM-238 RECOVERY FROM IRRADIATED NEPTUNIUM TARGETS USING SOLVENT EXTRACTION

The United States Department of Energy proposes to re-establish a domestic capability for producing plutonium-238 (238Pu) to fuel radioisotope power systems primarily in support of future space missions. A conceptual design report is currently being prepared for a new 238Pu, and neptunium-237 (237Np) target fabrication and processing facility tentatively to be built at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in the USA. The facility would be capable of producing at least 5 kg of 238Pu-oxide powder per year. Production of 238Pu requires fabrication of 237Np targets with subsequent irradiation in the existing Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) located at the INL. The targets are 237Np oxide dispersed in a compact of powdered aluminum and clad with aluminum metal. The 238Pu product is separated and purified from the residual 237Np, aluminum matrix, and fission products. The unconverted 237Np is also a valuable starting material and is separated, purified and recycled to the target fabrication process. The proposed baseline method for separating and purifying 238Pu and unconverted 237Np post irradiation is by anion exchange (IX). Separation of Pu from Np by IX was chosen as the baseline method because of the method’s proven ability to produce a quality Pu product and because it is amenable to the relatively small scale, batch type production methods used (small batches of ~200g 238Pu are processed at a time). Multiple IX cycles are required involving substantial volumes of nitric acid and other process solutions which must be cleaned and recycled or disposed of as waste. Acid recycle requires rather large evaporator systems, including one contained in a hot cell for remote operation. Finally, the organic based anion exchange resins are rapidly degraded due to the high a-dose and associated heat production from 238Pu decay, and must be regularly replaced (and disposed of as waste). In summary, IX is time consuming, cumbersome, and requires substantial tankage to accommodate the process. The primary purpose of the preliminary study discussed here is to develop an alternative process flowsheet using well-known solvent extraction (SX) techniques based on decades of experience with PUREX processing of nuclear materials. Ultimately, this initial study will be used to determine if an SX approach would offer any significant processing advantages relative to the currently proposed anion exchange process

Surface and lightning sources of nitrogen oxides over the United States: Magnitudes, chemical evolution, and outflow

We use observations from two aircraft during the ICARTT campaign over the eastern United States and North Atlantic during summer 2004, interpreted with a global 3-D model of tropospheric chemistry (GEOS-Chem) to test current understanding of regional sources, chemical evolution, and export of NOx. The boundary layer NOx data provide top-down verification of a 50% decrease in power plant and industry NOx emissions over the eastern United States between 1999 and 2004. Observed NOx concentrations at 8–12 km altitude were 0.55 ± 0.36 ppbv, much larger than in previous U.S. aircraft campaigns (ELCHEM, SUCCESS, SONEX) though consistent with data from the NOXAR program aboard commercial aircraft. We show that regional lightning is the dominant source of this upper tropospheric NOx and increases upper tropospheric ozone by 10 ppbv. Simulating ICARTT upper tropospheric NOx observations with GEOS-Chem requires a factor of 4 increase in modeled NOx yield per flash (to 500 mol/ flash). Observed OH concentrations were a factor of 2 lower than can be explained from current photochemical models, for reasons that are unclear. A NOy-CO correlation analysis of the fraction f of North American NOx emissions vented to the free troposphere as NOy (sum of NOx and its oxidation products) shows observed f = 16 ± 10% and modeled f = 14 ± 9%, consistent with previous studies. Export to the lower free troposphere is mostly HNO3 but at higher altitudes is mostly PAN. The model successfully simulates NOy export efficiency and speciation, supporting previous model estimates of a large U.S. anthropogenic contribution to global tropospheric ozone through PAN export