The Position of Acoelomorph Turbellarians Among Lower Worms

The Acoelomorpha is a group of worms of comparatively simple structure, and, accordingly, some biologists consider them to represent the most basic form of all multicellular animals. Acoelomorphs digest their food with a multinucleate mass of tissue instead of in the lumen or cavity of a gut, and their nervous system is only loosely organized into concentrations that could be compared to the brain and nerve cords of other animals. Taxonomists divide the group into 17 families, largely on the basis of the structure of the reproductive organs, but have fallen short of explaining how these families relate to each other or to other animal groups, including other flatworms. To better understand how these basic animal forms fit into the system of lower animals, members of the Acoelomorpha and other invertebrates believed to be related with electron and fluorescence microscopy, specifically looking at the musculature of the body wall and reproductive organs and the fine structure of the complexes of glands and sensory organs in the head. The characters discerned through this examination will then be applied to reconstructing relationships among acoelomorph families and relationships of acoelomorphs to other lower invertebrate groups. The ultimate goal of this research is to understand the causes of the diversity of these lower worms. This study will contribute to our understanding of the relationships of a very primitive or simple group of animals and will help clarify or explain radiations of many groups in the animal diversity of the earth

PEET: Lower Worms Of The Meiofauna - Models for Early Metazoan Evolution

Among the small invertebrates living between sand grains in the marine environment, are tiny, cryptic worms that many consider to be the most primitive of all bilaterally symmetrical animals (that is, all animals excluding the cnidarians and sponges). These worms include two small groups called acoel and catenulid turbellarians which are now classified in the phylum Platyhelminthes (flatworms) but that, according to some systematists, may not even be related to the more familiar flatworms such as planarians and polyclads. Another of these primitive worm groups is the Gnathostomulida, whose relationships to other phyla of invertebrates have been similarly controversial; by some theories, gnathostomulids are like the ancestors of the flatworms. S. Tyler and W. Sterrer, who have long studied these worms, propose training new students in how to find and handle them and in how to decipher systematic relationships. Students working in S. Tyler\u27s laboratory at the University of Maine will concentrate on microscopical techniques and taxonomy of flatworm groups. New characters discerned through applying fluorescence and electron microscopy on these animals show that the relationships among them are not well represented by the current classification system. Students working with Sterrer in his laboratory in Bermuda and accompanying him on sampling trips will gauge patterns of distribution of flatworms and gnathostomulids and gather specimens for the microscopical and molecular studies. He will also train students in curatorial techniques.The major focus of this project is the training of students-to give them the tools to discover and describe the many species of these difficult-to-find, yet remarkably abundant, enigmatic animals and to make sense of their diversity. Without new researchers being trained to identify these cryptic animals, we will lose the expertise needed to address important questions of animal origins. The knowledge these students unearth will likely provide critical clues to resolve far-reaching questions of how the major groups of animals are related. Identifying and characterizing the many undescribed species of lower flatworms will provide a better understanding of their biodiversity; knowledge of the geographic distribution of both these flatworms and gnathostomulids should provide a means for seeing where they arose and how they diversified and spread around the Earth. The results of these students\u27 research will be displayed on a Web site so that anyone with a Web browser can use that data to identify similar worms they might find or to gauge the historical relationships of geographic sites

Refugee Housing in Worcester: A Neighborhood Case Study of Bell Hill

This paper examines refugee resettlement practices at the neighborhood level, asking what neighborhood characteristics are conducive to achieving positive integration and housing stability outcomes. Using data from a quantitative study of refugee resettlement case files from Ascentria Care Alliance as a foundation, this research takes the form of an analysis of the Bell Hill neighborhood in Worcester, MA, a major resettlement destination. Using Ascentria data, secondary data sources such as US Census data and the Worcester Assessor’s Database, and site visits, this paper constructs a profile of Bell Hill along four major dimensions: community characteristics, housing, social infrastructure, and physical infrastructure. The results paint a picture of a diverse neighborhood in terms of residents, housing stock, amenities, and businesses that likely primes refugees for integration success. The paper concludes with a recommendation that resettlement agencies consider neighborhood characteristics, especially along the lines of those found in Bell Hill, as a key part of their refugee placement strategy

Swagelok\u27s Hand Tube Bender

In our project, we are assigned to develop a hand tube bender that is able to bend medium, high pressure, and standard 1/4” and 3/8” tubing. The bender also shall be capable of being used with two hands without the aid of a bench vise and have provisions for use in a bench vise for convenience. The bender shall not damage the tube during bending and induce a maximum of 8% ovality in the bent tubing. In addition, the cost of the bender shall be less than the existing hand tube bender and be resistant to rusting from ordinary use. The first step of our plan is to develop our conceptual designs by brainstorming and analyzing the function structure diagram of the hand tube bender in order to give us an idea how the bender works. Moreover, we created an objective tree to fulfill the expected needs of both customers and the manufacturer. We also developed our morphological chart based on our function solutions from function structure diagram and created four different possible designs for our project. Each design that we developed will be used in the weighted design matrix with specific criteria we developed in our objective tree so that we are able to choose the best design that is most suitable for our criteria. After selecting a single design, we will continue our project by developing our embodiment design. In our embodiment design, we start to add our design with the detailed layout of functions and connecting methods. We will also calculate the force and give an estimated cost for our bender so that we could calculate the total cost to produce the bender. In the second part of our project, we continued our plan by selecting a material for all components of our design. The materials chosen are based on their ability to fulfill the requirements of the project. After which we developed our prototype design in 3D CAD software in order to have a visual model that we can validate and improve upon. We continued our project by manufacturing prototypes and testing them. We performed three distinctive tests for validation of our prototypes. A bending test was performed to measure the ovality of the bent tubing and the maximum torque to bend. Secondly we tested the strength of the benders by attempting to bend hardened drill rod. Finally, a salt spray test was performed to validate the corrosion resistance of the benders

The Performance Profile of a Division I Football Team

Reporting athletic performance characteristics of a Division I collegiate football team may serve to inform coaching personnel and sports performance staff about the most versatile players to utilize for various competitions. Performance data may also help guide developing athletes about benchmarks to achieve for optimal competitiveness. PURPOSE: Our aim was to observe athletic performance characteristics of and differences between designated starters (ST) vs non-starters (NST). METHODS: 44 athletes – ST (n=22) vs NST (n=22) – were selected using a convenience sample and equally distributed between offense and defense positions. Preseason performance data were analyzed related to select power, including counter movement jump (CMJ), vertical jump (VJ), and Nordic hamstring (NH) tests; and select strength assessments, including 1 repetition max (RM) on power clean (PC), front squat (FS), and bench press (BP). All tests were conducted by sport performance staff using free weights and VALD Performance (Queensland, Australia) equipment (i.e., NordBord, ForceDecks) and software. Data were analyzed via a two sampled equal variance, right-tailed t-test with a significance level set at p \u3c 0.05 and reported as mean±SD. RESULTS: The average age, height, and weight for ST vs. NST, respectively, were 21.2±1.4 & 20.4±1.0 y, 1.8±.4 & 1.9±.1 m, and 104.3±32.1 & 100.4±20.0 kg. Power related to CMJ peak, VJ, NH max of right + left leg averaged, and NH impulse between ST vs. NST were, respectively: 62±9.3 vs. 67.5±12.4 W/kg (p=0.053), .7±.1 vs. .7±.1 m (p=0.444), 553.1±61.3 vs. 478.0±142.1 N (p=0.017), and 7982.1±2235.6 vs 6833.8±1952.4 NS (p=0.040). PC, FS, and BP for ST vs NST were, respectively: 133.4±13.8 vs. 122.4±10.9 kg (p=0.004), 164.5±23.5 vs. 146.7±38.2 kg (p=0.049), and 140.8±20.7 vs. 132.9±15.9 kg (p=0.095). CONCLUSION: Specific to the group observed, there appears to be select power and strength performance characteristics that separate ST and NST. ST might be advised to maintain and NST should strive to achieve explosiveness and strength as described herein via augmented bilateral NH force and impulse in addition to developing a high 1 RM PC. Despite the ambiguity of athletic performance tests to identify talent and skill, coaches and players still might be able to utilize these standards for individualized success

Structural Conservation and E2F Binding Specificity within the Retinoblastoma Pocket Protein Family

The human pocket proteins retinoblastoma (Rb), p107, and p130 are critical negative regulators of the cell cycle and contribute to tumor suppression. While strong structural conservation within the pocket protein family provides for some functional redundancy, important differences have been observed and may underlie the reason that Rb is a uniquely potent tumor suppressor. It has been proposed that distinct pocket protein activities are mediated by their different E2F transcription factor binding partners. In humans, Rb binds E2F1–E2F5, whereas p107 and p130 almost exclusively associate with E2F4 and E2F5. To identify the molecular determinants of this specificity, we compared the crystal structures of Rb and p107 pocket domains and identified several key residues that contribute to E2F selectivity in the pocket family. Mutation of these residues in p107 to match the analogous residue in Rb results in an increase in affinity for E2F1 and E2F2 and an increase in the ability of p107 to inhibit E2F2 transactivation. Additionally, we investigated how phosphorylation by Cyclin-dependent kinase on distinct residues regulates p107 affinity for the E2F4 transactivation domain. We found that phosphorylation of residues S650 and S975 weakens the E2F4 transactivation domain binding. Our data reveal molecular features of pocket proteins that are responsible for their similarities and differences in function and regulation

Docking and Bridging Devices

This disclosure describes core devices, like a phone, tablet, or other screen, and how they could be docked to a second device, like a speaker or charger, to take on a new role. This disclosure describes a system that offers more flexibility and allows users to benefit from different combinations of devices. The techniques allow an object to be docked to effectively create a new device, e.g., a tablet docking to a speaker would be like a home hub, and/or to alter their function, e.g., a phone can be placed in a stand or on a charging mat to default to a more passive role

Overutilization of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of moderate to severe osteoarthritis

Advanced imaging is a major driver of health care expenditures. Magnetic resonance imaging provides advantages over radiography because of its ability to visualize soft tissues within the knee joint. The clinical relevance of these findings in osteoarthritis, however, is not well understood. For example, MRI can detect meniscal tears, but these are frequent findings in patients with osteoarthritis, with no difference in prevalence among those with and without symptoms. In addition to concerns about excessive cost, it is possible that patients may undergo unnecessary procedures due to MRI findings. A randomized placebo-controlled trial showed no benefit of arthroscopy for osteoarthritis. Our goal was to examine how prevalent this practice is at this institution, and to examine the characteristics of physicians who ordered these MRIs. Our hypothesis is that many providers order MRI for evaluation of osteoarthritis before referring to an orthopedic surgeon, and that providers with higher levels of training are less likely to order these unnecessary MRIs