Investigation of lunar crustal structure and isostasy

The lunar mascon basins have strongly free air gravity anomalies, generally exceeding 100 milligals at an elevation of 100 km. The source of the anomalies is a combination of mantle uplift beneath the impact basins and subsequent infilling by high-density mare basalts. The relative contribution of these two components is still somewhat uncertain, although it is generally accepted that the amount of mantle uplift greatly exceeds the thickness of the basalts. Extensive studies have been carried out of the crustal structure of mare basins, based on gravity data, and their tectonic evolution, based on compressive and extensional tectonic features. The present study endeavored to develop a unified, self-consistent model of the lunar crust and lithosphere incorporating both gravity and tectonic constraints

170 Nanometer Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging using Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy

We demonstrate one-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance imaging of the semiconductor GaAs with 170 nanometer slice separation and resolve two regions of reduced nuclear spin polarization density separated by only 500 nanometers. This is achieved by force detection of the magnetic resonance, Magnetic Resonance Force Microscopy (MRFM), in combination with optical pumping to increase the nuclear spin polarization. Optical pumping of the GaAs creates spin polarization up to 12 times larger than the thermal nuclear spin polarization at 5 K and 4 T. The experiment is sensitive to sample volumes containing $\sim 4 \times 10^{11}$ $^{71}$Ga$/\sqrt{Hz}$. These results demonstrate the ability of force-detected magnetic resonance to apply magnetic resonance imaging to semiconductor devices and other nanostructures.Comment: Submitted to J of Magnetic Resonanc

Multiparental mapping of plant height and flowering time QTL in partially isogenic sorghum families.

Sorghum varieties suitable for grain production at temperate latitudes show dwarfism and photoperiod insensitivity, both of which are controlled by a small number of loci with large effects. We studied the genetic control of plant height and flowering time in five sorghum families (A-E), each derived from a cross between a tropical line and a partially isogenic line carrying introgressions derived from a common, temperate-adapted donor. A total of 724 F2:3 lines were phenotyped in temperate and tropical environments for plant height and flowering time and scored at 9139 SNPs using genotyping-by-sequencing. Biparental mapping was compared with multiparental mapping in different subsets of families (AB, ABC, ABCD, and ABCDE) using both a GWAS approach, which fit each QTL as a single effect across all families, and using a joint linkage approach, which fit QTL effects as nested within families. GWAS using all families (ABCDE) performed best at the cloned Dw3 locus, whereas joint linkage using all families performed best at the cloned Ma1 locus. Both multiparental approaches yielded apparently synthetic associations due to genetic heterogeneity and were highly dependent on the subset of families used. Comparison of all mapping approaches suggests that a GA2-oxidase underlies Dw1, and that a mir172a gene underlies a Dw1-linked flowering time QTL

A review of periodical literature on merit rating.

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Mitochondrial Membrane Permeability Inhibitors in Acute Myocardial Infarction Still Awaiting Translation

Despite therapeutic advances, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. One potential limitation of the current treatment paradigm is the lack of effective therapies to optimize reperfusion after ischemia and prevent reperfusion-mediated injury. Experimental studies indicate that this process accounts for up to 50% of the final infarct size, lending it importance as a potential target for cardioprotection. However, multiple therapeutic approaches have shown potential in pre-clinical and early phase trials but a paucity of clear clinical benefit when expanded to larger studies. Here we explore this history of trials and errors of the studies of cyclosporine A and other mitochondrial membrane permeability inhibitors, agents that appeared to have a promising pre-clinical record yet provided disappointing results in phase III clinical trials

Overweight and obesity among Indigenous children: individual and social determinants

Factors influencing obesity are not confined to the health portfolio, argues this paper. Instead the factors occur across portfolios including housing, education, employment, social welfare and community development. Executive summary What is the problem? Obesity rates are higher among Indigenous, compared to non-Indigenous, Australians, and this problem begins in early childhood. If this trend of increasing obesity among Indigenous children continues, there will be a corresponding negative impact on health, and the gap in life expectancy will widen, not close. Childhood is a critical life stage, and early intervention strategies can reap a lifetime of rewards. Childhood obesity prevention programs have predominantly targeted individual behaviours (such as physical inactivity and unhealthy diet) and have been unsuccessful to date. The approach needs to shift to addressing social and economic factors, rather than individual behaviours in isolation. Why is it relevant to policy makers? In February 2014, Prime Minister Tony Abbott acknowledged that progress against the Closing the Gap targets was disappointing and that a change of direction was needed. This should encompass a shift in focus away from individual factors and onto social and economic factors. As an example of relevance to state and territory policy makers, the ACT Chief Minister and Minister for Health Katy Gallagher has called for obesity prevention efforts to move beyond the health portfolio, towards a coordinated effort across all arms of government. This requires action on the food environment, schools, workplaces, urban planning and social inclusion. As part of her plan, Gallagher recently announced a ban on soft drinks in public schools in the ACT. What does the evidence say? To date, there has been a limited evidence base to guide the development of programs and policies for obesity prevention among Indigenous children. It has been recognised that social and economic factors are important, but empirical evidence is required to quantify the relative contribution of these factors and to work out which factors are the most important ones to target first. Data from the Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC), a national study managed by the Australian Government Department of Social Services, show that individual choices are strongly influenced by the broader context. In 2011, Indigenous children experiencing disadvantage at both the individual and the neighbourhood level consumed significantly more soft drink than more advantaged Indigenous children in the survey. Maternal education, housing stability, urbanisation and neighbourhood disadvantage are important factors affecting Indigenous children’s soft drink consumption, and therefore risk of obesity. What should policymakers do? If programs are to change the health behaviours and health outcomes of Indigenous children successfully, they must address social and economic factors — the context in which individual choices are made. Factors influencing obesity are not confined to the health portfolio; policy development should occur across portfolios including housing, education, employment, social welfare and community development. The broader benefits of such programs should be considered when weighing the cost. Research conducted at the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, University of Canberra, estimated that if Australia were to adopt the recommendations of the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health report "Closing the gap within a generation", half a million Australians could avoid suffering a chronic disease; 170,000 more Australians could enter the workforce (generating earnings of $8 billion); and$4 billion in redundant welfare support payments would be saved. The implications for the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians, and for health equity, have not been calculated, but are undoubtedly considerable

Analyses of anthropometric data in the longitudinal study of Indigenous children and methodological implications

Although publications in the field of Indigenous health have increased in number in recent decades, their impact remains inadequate (1, 2). This is partially attributable to the continued reliance on descriptive studies (1, 3, 4) and the underrepresentation of urban environments in research. The Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Children (LSIC), administered by the Department of Family and Housing Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA), addresses both concerns. LSIC is a cohort study of 1,759 Indigenous Australian children from environments ranging from very remote to urban. LSIC‘s retention rate has remained high; however, the dataset withstands a large amount of missing and implausible data. In the first section of this thesis, I evaluated the validity of LSIC anthropometric data. I developed a data cleaning method based on World Health Organization protocols, incorporating knowledge gained from interviews I conducted with LSIC data collectors. These conversations served to depict the process of conducting surveys and to exemplify barriers impeding data collection. They shed light upon the importance of the development of a trusting relationship between participants and the LSIC team, a difficult task within the rigid structure requisite of the conduct of a longitudinal study. Based on these interviews and quantitative analysis of the accuracy of LSIC data, I provided recommendations to facilitate the collection of anthropometric data within a variety of settings. After reviewing my data cleaning methods and the final cleaned data, FaHCSIA approved the release of the cleaned anthropometric data for public use on the 4th of December, 2012. The second part of this thesis contains analyses of the distribution of height, weight, and birth weight in the cleaned sample. In LSIC, 10% of infants were low birth weight and 11% were high birth weight; 6% of children aged three to 106 months were underweight, 74% were in the healthy weight range, 12% were overweight, and 8% were obese according to international Body Mass Index (BMI) cut-offs (5, 6). The third segment of this thesis explores the impact of birth weight on the growth trajectories of children through eight years of age. Low and high birth weight have both been identified as risk factors for overweight and chronic disease in adulthood, and this association may be mediated by early childhood growth. Multilevel mixed-effects modelling, adjusting for the repeated measurement of children and the study‘s clustered sampling, was used to examine the association between birth weight and childhood growth. Birth weight-for-gestational age z-score was a significant predictor of BMI-for-age z-score in childhood, and remained significant (coefficient = 0.166, p < 0.001) after accounting for age, gender, Indigenous identity (Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, or both), remoteness, breastfeeding duration, and maternal cigarette use during pregnancy. These findings demonstrate a long-lasting impact of birth weight on childhood growth, and suggest that interventions to improve prenatal care may have an effect beyond solely impacting birth weight. Subsequent follow-up of the LSIC cohort will enable examination of the association between of birth weight and childhood growth and later chronic disease incidence

Optimization of tyrosine hydroxylase antibody for immunohistochemistry fluorescence detection in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Dopamine is an important neurotransmitter produced through the catecholamine synthesis pathway that affects brain activity. Unregulated dopamine levels can lead to various diseases such as Parkinson’s Disease or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Optimization of an immunohistochemistry protocol will allow for the quantification of tyrosine hydroxylase antibody, which indirectly allows for dopamine quantification in dopaminergic regions within the brain. However, the antibody concentration to give the optimal signal-to-noise ratio in IHC varies across studies. Through this experiment, I determined the concentration of tyrosine hydroxylase (TyrH) antibody for immunohistochemistry that gave the best signal-to-background noise ratio within several known dopaminergic regions in the zebrafish brain. I tested the following primary antibody concentrations: 1:200, 1:500, 1:750, and 1:1000. While there was a significant difference in signal-to-noise ratio amongst the concentrations as determined by a Friedman’s ANOVA, the Wilcoxon Test failed to yield a significant difference between treatment groups. These findings allow for future experiments on the correlations between neurotransmitters and personality types in zebrafish