The Ethical Composition of Every Bite

While the physical process of eating fulfills a natural human instinct, food choice continues to fill us with anxiety. Driven by a burgeoning awareness of the many factors involved in our food choices and the impact our meals have upon the environment, ourselves, and others, we are increasingly being forced to make the right eating choices. This poses a complex moral question: how are we to eat? The purpose of this project was to research perspectives that address this question to find an achievable and applicable solution to this uncertainty. This research compares the ideas of Peter Singer and Michael Pollan to explore the depth of the human ethical dilemma with food through their discussions of the factors which influence who we are and what – and how – we eat. The conclusions produced demonstrate the holistic experience necessary to virtuously interact with food

Observations from Shadowed Collodion Replicas of Teeth with Amalgam Restorations

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68294/2/10.1177_00220345570360041901.pd

Sensitivity analysis of time-step in modeling river and aquifer interaction

Center for Water and the Environmen

Hydraulic performance of temporary construction traffic barriers

Center for Water and the Environmen

In vivo Remineralization Using a Sustained Topical Fluoride Delivery System

The efficacy of a new remineralization system was determined in vivo by maintaining a low concentration of approximately 1 ppm fluoride for 48 hrs against a demineralized human tooth. Human subjects were selected who wore removable partial dentures containing two or more of the demineralized teeth with film system. The findings indicate levels of fluoride uptake to 500 ppm at 50 micron depths in experimental sites.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/66607/2/10.1177_00220345800590030501.pd

Impact of Burkholderia Infection on Lung Transplantation in Cystic Fibrosis

Rationale: Lung transplantation offers the only survival option for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) with end-stage pulmonary disease. Infection with Burkholderia species is typically considered a contraindication to transplantation in CF. However, the risks posed by different Burkholderia species on transplantation outcomes are poorly defined. Objectives: To quantify the risks of infection with Burkholderia species on survival before and after lung transplantation in patients with CF. Methods: Multivariate Cox survival models assessed hazard ratios of infection with Burkholderia species in 1,026 lung transplant candidates and 528 lung transplant recipients. Lung allocation scores, incorporating Burkholderia infection status, were calculated for transplant candidates. Measurements and Main Results: Transplant candidates infected with different Burkholderia species did not have statistically different mortality rates. Among transplant recipients infected with B. cenocepacia, only those infected with nonepidemic strains had significantly greater post-transplant mortality compared with uninfected patients (hazard ratio [HR], 2.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04–6.12; P 5 0.04). Hazards were similar between uninfected transplant recipients and those infected with B. multivorans (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.27–1.56; P 5 0.34). Transplant recipients infected with B. gladioli had significantly greater post-transplant mortality than uninfected patients (HR, 2.23; 95% CI, 1.05–4.74; P 5 0.04). Oncehazards for species/strainwereincluded,lung allocation scores of B. multivorans–infected transplant candidates were comparable to uninfected candidate scores, whereas those of candidates infected with nonepidemic B. cenocepacia or B. gladioli were lower. Conclusions: Post-transplant mortality among patients with CF infected with Burkholderia varies by infecting species. This variability should be taken into account in evaluating lung transplantation candidates.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/91898/1/Murray LiPuma AJRCCM 2008.pd

Ambient current effects on vertical selective flow withdrawal in a two layer reservoir system

Withdrawal from a two-layer flow field is examined in terms of the degree of selectivity of the withdrawal flow and its dependence on an ambient current. Selectivity is defined as the bias of withdrawing one layer more strongly than the other; the extreme' case is complete selective withdrawal, where one layer is drawn in alone. Relevant physical parameters included in the study are: the rate of withdrawal, dimensions of the intake, the depth of each layer, and the elevation of the intake above the two strata density-interface. The fluid parameters of interest are density and viscosity. Significant flow phenomena include: the limiting conditions of selective withdrawal, stability of the interface, interfacial waves, velecity shear and mass transport. Withdrawal from a two strata flow field to a point sink located in the upper strata is examined experimentally. Tests are made for various density differentials across the interface, elevations between the intake and the interface, and relative velocities between the flow field and the intake. The results show that within a range of separating heights of the intake from the interface the degree of selectivity is a quasi-linear function of the separating height. Of special interest is the observation that the degree of selectivity approaches unity slowly after passing a critical value of the dimensionless separation height. The influence of the density difference across the interfacial region is negligible when the intake is close to the density-interface, but increases in importance as the separating height is increased. For selective stratifies flow withdrawal the influence of ambient currents is complex. Generation of interfacial waves caused by the moving intake (which acts as a moving low-pressure area) can both increase and decrease the selective withdrawal. If such waves can be excluded then an ambient current would be expected to enhance the phenomena of selective withdrawal

Conditional disruption of interactions between Gαi2 and regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins protects the heart from ischemic injury

Abstract Background Regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins suppress G protein coupled receptor signaling by catalyzing the hydrolysis of Gα-bound guanine nucleotide triphosphate. Transgenic mice in which RGS-mediated regulation of Gαi2 is lost (RGS insensitive Gαi2 G184S) exhibit beneficial (protection against ischemic injury) and detrimental (enhanced fibrosis) cardiac phenotypes. This mouse model has revealed the physiological significance of RGS/Gαi2 interactions. Previous studies of the Gαi2 G184S mutation used mice that express this mutant protein throughout their lives. Thus, it is unclear whether these phenotypes result from chronic or acute Gαi2 G184S expression. We addressed this issue by developing mice that conditionally express Gαi2 G184S. Methods Mice that conditionally express RGS insensitive Gαi2 G184S were generated using a floxed minigene strategy. Conditional expression of Gαi2 G184S was characterized by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and by enhancement of agonist-induced inhibition of cAMP production in isolated cardiac fibroblasts. The impact of conditional RGS insensitive Gαi2 G184S expression on ischemic injury was assessed by measuring contractile recovery and infarct sizes in isolated hearts subjected to 30 min ischemia and 2 hours reperfusion. Results We demonstrate tamoxifen-dependent expression of Gαi2 G184S, enhanced inhibition of cAMP production, and cardioprotection from ischemic injury in hearts conditionally expressing Gαi2 G184S. Thus the cardioprotective phenotype previously reported in mice expressing Gαi2 G184S does not require embryonic or chronic Gαi2 G184S expression. Rather, cardioprotection occurs following acute (days rather than months) expression of Gαi2 G184S. Conclusions These data suggest that RGS proteins might provide new therapeutic targets to protect the heart from ischemic injury. We anticipate that this model will be valuable for understanding the time course (chronic versus acute) and mechanisms of other phenotypic changes that occur following disruption of interactions between Gαi2 and RGS proteins.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109553/1/40360_2014_Article_315.pd

Profile Characteristics of Cut Tooth Surfaces Developed by Rotating Instruments

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68018/2/10.1177_00220345570360062301.pd