LATE HOLOCENE ACTIVATION HISTORY OF THE STANTON DUNES, NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA

The Nebraska Sandhills have been an important resource for better understanding dune activation and the nature of prehistoric Great Plains drought events. However, until recently, few studies have focused on documenting the activation histories of smaller dune fields found along the Great Plains\u27 eastern margin. This study focuses on the Stanton dune field, which lies about 145 km east of the Nebraska Sandhills on an alluvial terrace of the Elkhorn River in northeastern Nebraska. Sediments in the Stanton Dunes were dated with optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) to determine when these dunes were active. The ages indicate three activation periods that cluster into the following time periods: ~5,800-3,800, 960-630, and 510-410 years ago. The ages that fall into our two older clusters closely agree with dune activation records from the Nebraska Sandhills and other major central Great Plains dune fields, suggesting that these large-scale droughts also impacted eastern Nebraska. However, our youngest cluster of ages occurs at a time when the Nebraska Sandhills were thought to be largely inactive, suggesting that the Stanton Dunes may have been activated by a locally important drought event that had a more limited impact on dunes found to the west

Evolution of Morphological Integration: Developmental Accommodation of Stress-Induced Variation

Extreme environmental change during growth often results in an increase in developmental abnormalities in the morphology of an organism. The evolutionary significance of such stress-induced variation depends on the recurrence of a stressor and on the degree to which developmental errors can be accommodated by an organism\u27s ontogeny without significant loss of function. We subjected populations of four species of soricid shrews to an extreme environment during growth and measured changes in the patterns of integration and accommodation of stress-induced developmental errors in a complex of mandibular traits. Adults that grew under an extreme environment had lower integration of morphological variation among mandibular traits and highly elevated fluctuating asymmetry in these traits, compared to individuals that grew under the control conditions. However, traits differed strongly in the magnitude of response to a stressor - traits within attachments of the same muscle (functionally integrated traits) had lower response and changed their integration less than other traits. Cohesiveness in functionally integrated complexes of traits under stress was maintained by close covariation of their developmental variation. Such developmental accommodation of stress-induced variation might enable the individual\u27s functioning and persistence under extreme environmental conditions and thus provides a link between individual adaptation to stress and the evolution of stress resistance

Paper Session I-B - An Evaluation of Electronic Nose for Space Program Applications

The ability to monitor air contaminants in the Shuttle and the International Space Station is important to ensure the health and safety of astronauts. Three specific space applications have been identified that would benefit from a chemical monitor: organic contaminants in crew cabins, propellant contaminants in the airlock, and pre-combustion fire detection. NASA has assessed several commercial and developing electronic noses (e-noses) for these applications. A preliminary series of tests identified those e-noses that exhibited sufficient sensitivity to the vapors of interest. These e-noses were further tested to assess their ability to identify vapors, and in-house software has been developed to enhance identification. This paper describes the tests, the classification ability of selected e-noses, and the software improvements made to meet the requirements for these space program applications

Highly Coordinated Gene Regulation in Mouse Skeletal Muscle Regeneration

Mammalian skeletal muscles are capable of regeneration after injury. Quiescent satellite cells are activated to reenter the cell cycle and to differentiate for repair, recapitulating features of myogenesis during embryonic development. To understand better the molecular mechanism involved in this process in vivo, we employed high density cDNA microarrays for gene expression profiling in mouse tibialis anterior muscles after a cardiotoxin injection. Among 16,267 gene elements surveyed, 3,532 elements showed at least a 2.5-fold change at one or more time points during a 14-day time course. Hierarchical cluster analysis and semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR showed induction of genes important for cell cycle control and DNA replication during the early phase of muscle regeneration. Subsequently, genes for myogenic regulatory factors, a group of imprinted genes and genes with functions to inhibit cell cycle progression and promote myogenic differentiation, were induced when myogenic stem cells started to differentiate. Induction of a majority of these genes, including E2f1 and E2f2, was abolished in muscles lacking satellite cell activity after gamma radiation. Regeneration was severely compromised in E2f1 null mice but not affected in E2f2 null mice. This study identifies novel genes potentially important for muscle regeneration and reveals highly coordinated myogenic cell proliferation and differentiation programs in adult skeletal muscle regeneration in vivo

Levelling the Playing Field: The Role of Workshops to Explore How People With Parkinson's Use Music for Mood and Movement Management as Part of a Patient and Public Involvement Strategy

© 2022 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/From a humanistic perspective, participatory processes in research find support on both ethical and moral grounds. In practical terms however, it is often difficult to establish protocols that best honour (i.e., elicit, capture, and integrate) the opinions of individuals and groups that represent the various specific stakeholders (e.g., from allied health, scientific, and academic disciplines) needed to investigate complex phenomena. Here, we describe a consultation process (funded by Parkinson's UK) devised to explore use of music among people with Parkinson's in relation to potential applications to enhance quality of life. People with Parkinson's were paired with researchers in order to discuss music on an equal footing so as to enable participant empowerment. We describe outcomes that demonstrate avenues of success as a result of this approach and additional insights gained through these processes in the hope of informing future practise. It has been our experience that researchers must establish a balance between (a) ensuring methodological rigour within an appropriate framework, and (b) facilitating informal “playtime” that develops connectivity between participants and enables both creative thinking and reflexive practise amongst stakeholders. We encourage researchers not to underestimate “playtime” as an important vehicle to foster this social interactivity and fuel the good will required to conduct inclusive and relevant research.Peer reviewe

A Portable Electronic Nose For Hydrazine and Monomethyl Hydrazine Detection

The Space Program and military use large quantities Hydrazine (Hz) and monomethyl hydrazine (MMI-I) as rocket propellant. These substances are very toxic and are suspected human carcinogens. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienist set the threshold limit value to be 10 parts per billion (ppb). Current off-the-shelf portable instruments require 10 to 20 minutes of exposure to detect 10 ppb concentration. This shortcofriing is not acceptable for many operations. A new prototype instrument using a gas sensor array and pattern recognition software technology (i.e., an electronic nose) has demonstrated the ability to identify either Hz or MM}{ and quantify their concentrations at 10 parts per billion in 90 seconds. This paper describes the design of the portable electronic nose (e-nose) instrument, test equipment setup, test protocol, pattern recognition algorithm, concentration estimation method, and laboratory test results

The effect of experience, simulator-training and biometric feedback on manual ventilation technique

Objective To determine the frequency of provision and main providers (veterinary surgeons, nurses or trainees) of manual ventilation in UK veterinary practices. Furthermore, to determine the variation in peak inspiratory (inflation) pressure (PIP), applied to a lung model during manual ventilation, by three different groups of operators (inexperienced, experienced and specialist), before and after training. Study Design Questionnaire survey. Development of a lung model simulator with real-time biometric (manometry) feedback capability and its testing as a training tool on operators with a range of experiences. Methods Postal questionnaires were sent to 100 randomly selected veterinary practices. The lung model simulator was manually ventilated, in a staged process over three weeks, with and without real-time biometric feedback (PIP display), by three groups of volunteer operators: inexperienced, experienced and specialist. Results The questionnaires determined that veterinary nurses were responsible for providing the majority of manual ventilation in veterinary practices, mainly drawing on theoretical knowledge rather than any specific training. Thoracic surgery and apnoea were the main reasons for provision of manual ventilation. Specialists performed well when manually ventilating the lung model, regardless of feedback-training. Both inexperienced and experienced operators showed significant improvement in technique when using the feedback training tool: variation in PIP decreased significantly until subjects provided manual ventilation at peak inspiratory pressures within the defined optimum range. Preferences for different forms of feedback (graphical, numerical or scale display), revealed that the operators’ choice was not always the method which gave least variation in PIP. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance This study highlighted a need for training in manual ventilation at an early stage in veterinary and veterinary nursing careers and demonstrated how feedback is important in the process of experiential learning. A manometer device which can provide immediate feedback during training, or indeed in a real clinical setting, should improve patient safety

Large Scale Nanoparticle Screening for Small Molecule Analysis in Laser Desorption Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Nanoparticles (NPs) have been suggested as efficient matrixes for small molecule profiling and imaging by laser-desorption ionization mass spectrometry (LDI-MS), but so far there has been no systematic study comparing different NPs in the analysis of various classes of small molecules. Here, we present a large scale screening of 13 NPs for the analysis of two dozen small metabolite molecules. Many NPs showed much higher LDI efficiency than organic matrixes in positive mode and some NPs showed comparable efficiencies for selected analytes in negative mode. Our results suggest that a thermally driven desorption process is a key factor for metal oxide NPs, but chemical interactions are also very important, especially for other NPs. The screening results provide a useful guideline for the selection of NPs in the LDI-MS analysis of small molecules

A protocol for a feasibility randomised controlled trial to assess the difference between functional bracing and plaster cast for the treatment of ankle fractures

Background: UK Hospital Episode Statistics 2013–2014 recorded 57,286 fractures of the lower limb including the ankle. This figure is expected to continue to increase due to a greater population of older adults. Following an ankle fracture, patients usually have their ankle immobilised with a plaster cast. This provides maximum support for the healing ankle but is associated with stiffness and muscle wasting. A Cochrane Review has concluded that functional bracing may reduce muscle wasting and speed recovery of ankle movement. The aim of this study is to determine the feasibility of conducting a full randomised controlled trial in adults with an ankle fracture followed by functional bracing and exercises versus standard plaster cast care. Methods: This is a single-centre feasibility randomised controlled trial. All patients with a fractured ankle are potentially eligible. The trial will employ 1:1 random allocation, stratified by age and non-operative/operative management. Baseline demographic and pre-injury functional data, the Manchester-Oxford Foot and Ankle Questionnaire (MOXFQ) and Olerud and Molander Ankle Score (OMAS) will be collected alongside the EuroQol EQ-5D-5 L health-related quality of life questionnaire. A research associate will perform a clinical assessment and obtain X-rays in 6 weeks and 6 months post randomisation to record complications. Functional outcome and health-related quality of life will be collected in 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months post randomisation. Discussion: This feasibility trial will provide authoritative high-quality evidence to inform the design of a definitive trial in this important area