Supporting Sophomore Success Through a New Learning Community Model

The creation of a Sophomore Learning Community (SLC) model can help address concerns about the “sophomore slump” and sophomore attrition. While managing the logistics of a sophomore LC can be difficult, with proper faculty, staff, and administrative support, positive results can be produced. This article outlines the need for Sophomore Learning Communities and describes the process one university used to pilot an SLC program

Identification of H19 polymorphism for an assessment of biallelic expression

Abstract only availableAnimals produced from assisted reproductive technologies suffer from developmental abnormalities and early fetal death at a higher frequency than that observed in those produced by natural breeding. These symptoms are reminiscent of imprinting disruptions, suggesting the possibility of an alteration in the expression of imprinted genes such as biallelic expression or silencing. H19 is one of the imprinted genes first identified in mice and humans, but its imprinting status has not been determined in pigs. The objective of this study was to identify an H19 polymorphism and estimate its frequency in the commercial pig population. In this study a polymorphism in the H19 gene was identified. The PCR products contained a pooled genome with over 900 specimens to support this finding. From the positive PCR products, the DNA was cloned and transformed with a TOPO TA Cloning kit (Invitrogen). Positive colonies were identified and digested with an AciI enzyme, which cut the DNA in specific fragments that were identifiable in a gel. Analysis of the gel showed evidence that a polymorphism exists on the H19 gene.F.B. Miller Undergraduate Research Program in Animal Science

Predicting Infiltration and Surface Runoff from Reconstructed Spoils and Soils

A laboratory system was fabricated to measure infiltration and runoff from spoil and soil profiles constructed in rectangular bins. Construction, calibration and operation of a rainfall simulator is discussed and instrumentation used to measure transient infiltration and transmittance of water through experimental profiles is described. Spoil and soil materials from surface mines in Eastern and Western Kentucky were transported to the laboratory and used in constructing experimental profiles in rectangular bins (0.91 x 1.83 x 1.07 m). An extensive series of infiltration experiments were conducted utilizing a rainfall simulator and soil moisture monitoring instrumentation. A dual probe gamma density gauge was used to measure moisture content and tensiometers were used to measure soil matric suction. Initial moisture content, bulk density and rainfall rate were varied and respective responses of infiltration characteristics determined. Extremely low infiltration rates in Western Kentucky spoil material was attributed to relatively high bulk densities and well-graded particle constituency. Conversely, extremely high infiltration rates were observed for Eastern Kentucky shale material even at very high bulk densities. The sandstone material, however, exhibited infiltration rates of the same order of magnitude as that of Western Kentucky spoil material. Soil water characteristic curves were developed using the Brooks-Corey and Gardner procedures, based upon desortpion tensiometer data. Unsaturated hydraulic conductivity values were determined using the plane of zero flux procedure and compared with predictions resulting from models described by Campbell, Burdine and Mualem for situations involving reconstructed soil and spoil materials. There was generally good agreement between the models and plane of zero flux results, and excellent agreement with Campbell\u27s predictions. The infiltration process was modeled with the SCS curve number method, a modified form of Holtan\u27s equation, the Green-Ampt model and Richard\u27s equation. SCS curve numbers were determined by fitting the method to the observed results. Richards\u27 equation gave very good estimates of the infiltration process through the spoil profiles, but was only slightly better than the Green-Ampt model. None .of the models worked well for the profiles where macropore flow occurred through a two layer topsoil over spoil system

Review of Eocene Anthracobunidae (Mammalia, Proboscidea) with a New Genus and Species, Jozaria palustris, from the Kuldana Formation of Kohat (Pakistan)

117-139http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/48515/2/ID367.pd

Objectively measured physical activity and fat mass in a large cohort of children

Background Previous studies have been unable to characterise the association between physical activity and obesity, possibly because most relied on inaccurate measures of physical activity and obesity. Methods and Findings We carried out a cross sectional analysis on 5,500 12-year-old children enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Total physical activity and minutes of moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) were measured using the Actigraph accelerometer. Fat mass and obesity (defined as the top decile of fat mass) were measured using the Lunar Prodigy dual x-ray emission absorptiometry scanner. We found strong negative associations between MVPA and fat mass that were unaltered after adjustment for total physical activity. We found a strong negative dose-response association between MVPA and obesity. The odds ratio for obesity in adjusted models between top and the bottom quintiles of minutes of MVPA was 0.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.13, p-value for trend < 0.0001) in boys and 0.36 (95% CI 0.17-0.74, p-value for trend = 0.006) in girls. Conclusions We demonstrated a strong graded inverse association between physical activity and obesity that was stronger in boys. Our data suggest that higher intensity physical activity may be more important than total activity

Assessment of Alternative Sinusoidal Rumble Stripe Construction

Studies have shown that rumble strips installed on a roadway significantly reduce the number of accidents caused by lane departures. However, when a vehicle engages the strips, a loud exterior noise is generated in addition to the alerting in-cabin noise. The extraneous exterior noise can travel at least several hundred feet at a volume which is considered a nuisance by nearby residents. In the recent years, a new rumble strip design in the form of a sine wave has been reported to produce low exterior noise, while still providing adequate warnings for drivers. This study evaluated three sinusoidal rumble strips of different wavelengths—12, 18, and 24 inch. The rumble strips were quantitatively compared by measuring the noise inside and outside of the vehicle as well as the vibration of the front seat frame. Results showed that the sound responses varied across the vehicles. From the exterior, all three sinusoidal rumble strips were quieter than the traditional rumble strips, with a reduction in sound power by 5 to 11 dBA. Interior cabin sound level was similar to standard rumble strips, with some cases increasing between 2 and 9 dBA. The retro reflectivity tests also exceed the minimum threshold set by INDOT specifications. Sinusoidal rumbles strips are a promising technology that is well suited for lane departure warning in residential areas. The results from this study suggest that the 12 in wavelength has a desirable decrease in exterior noise while still maintaining adequate lane departure warning to the driver

The complement inhibitory protein DAF (CD55) suppresses T cell immunity in vivo

Decay-accelerating factor ([DAF] CD55) is a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored membrane inhibitor of complement with broad clinical relevance. Here, we establish an additional and unexpected role for DAF in the suppression of adaptive immune responses in vivo. In both C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice, deficiency of the Daf1 gene, which encodes the murine homologue of human DAF, significantly enhanced T cell responses to active immunization. This phenotype was characterized by hypersecretion of interferon (IFN)-γ and interleukin (IL)-2, as well as down-regulation of the inhibitory cytokine IL-10 during antigen restimulation of lymphocytes in vitro. Compared with wild-type mice, Daf1−/− mice also displayed markedly exacerbated disease progression and pathology in a T cell–dependent experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model. However, disabling the complement system in Daf1−/− mice normalized T cell secretion of IFN-γ and IL-2 and attenuated disease severity in the EAE model. These findings establish a critical link between complement and T cell immunity and have implications for the role of DAF and complement in organ transplantation, tumor evasion, and vaccine development