MR Safety Guide

This unit provides safety information for performing imaging sequences. Included are a checklist of common rules to abide by when performing MR imaging and an outline of the proper orientations required to be taken by staff members. In addition a guide thoroughly discussing important safety information is also provided.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/145304/1/cpmix03.pd

Piaget and Parables Assimilated: A Response to Cole

Dick T. Cole\u27s critique of our integration of Piagetian learning theory and Christ\u27s parabolic method focuses on two primary concerns. The first concern is that the Bible should not be used as data, and the second that current psychological concepts cannot be meaningfully related to biblical times. In response to these concerns it is argued that the parables are recorded lessons and not theological concepts as Cole suggests, that the underlying structure of biblical lessons is relevant to modem learning theory, and that cultural specificity does not hinder the learning process but rather is an essential part of it

The Visceral to Skin Temperature Gradient in Restraint Hypothermia

[Abstract Not Included] Summary: The effects of restraint on skin, subcutaneous, and deep visceral temperatures of rats exposed to environmental temperatures of 0°C, 8°C, 16°C, and 28°C are determined. The temperature gradients of restrained and unrestrained rats at 0°G are compared. From the data presented, it is felt that one factor in the thermolability of restrained animals is an increased heat loss. There is also evidence suggesting a decreased metabolic rate, the chemical nature of which is unknown Which of these two factors plays the greater role is yet to be determined

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources internal communications assessment

Today, most employees report problems in internal communication in the Department of Natural Resources, leading to dysfunctional behaviors such as guarding of information, mistrust of management, and lack of teamwork. As a result, morale problems, duplication of effort, breakdown of interdivisional cooperation, and diminished customer service have become the norm. The research objectives of this report are to assess DNR's current communication climate--including a close look at communication at three levels within the organization: employee/supervisor, inter- and intra-divisional, and agencywide communication, both upward and downward- and to evaluate the effectiveness of existing and potential formal communication tools for correcting defined problems

Resonant forcing of select degrees of freedom of multidimensional chaotic map dynamics

We study resonances of multidimensional chaotic map dynamics. We use the calculus of variations to determine the additive forcing function that induces the largest response, that is, the greatest deviation from the unperturbed dynamics. We include the additional constraint that only select degrees of freedom be forced, corresponding to a very general class of problems in which not all of the degrees of freedom in an experimental system are accessible to forcing. We find that certain Lagrange multipliers take on a fundamental physical role as the efficiency of the forcing function and the effective forcing experienced by the degrees of freedom which are not forced directly. Furthermore, we find that the product of the displacement of nearby trajectories and the effective total forcing function is a conserved quantity. We demonstrate the efficacy of this methodology with several examples.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Salt Tolerance of Oilseed Crops during Establishment

Abstract: Bioenergy production in arid and semi-arid regions is viewed as being limited due to water resource constraints and potential competition with food production. However, there are crop rotation niches as well as opportunities for utilizing saline soils and water which are not conducive to high value crop production. An exploratory study was thus conducted in a greenhouse for assessing salt tolerance of various oilseed crops during establishment, which is often the critical stage for successful production. Canola (Brassica napus), and safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) were salt-tolerant during germination, but emergence was curtailed owing to soil crusting. Camelina (C. sativa) germinated well, yet emergence was poor, probably due to weak hypocotyl. Field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense) and Lesquerella (L. fendleri) were salt sensitive, and could not germinate in NaCl solutions higher than 50 mM. Salicornia (S. bigelovii), a halophyte, is extremely salt-tolerant once established, but not during seedling emergence. Seedling emergence which had little correlation with salt tolerance of established plants, was constrained not only by salt tolerance at germination and the pattern of salt accumulation at the soil surface, but also by seed size and soil crust development. At the present state of field management capability, safflower and canola are among the most promising oilseed crops for saline areas, and can potentially be grown as a winter rotation crop with a comparatively low water requirement. For the species with small seed, crop improvements towards greater seedling vigor as well as the effective establishment methods have to be developed

Controlling Site to Evaluate History: Vegetation Patterns of a New England Sand Plain

The widespread and long-lasting impact of human activity on natural ecosystems indicates that land-use history must he treated as an integral aspect of ecological study and a critical component of conservation planning. The New England landscape has undergone a complete transformation as forests were converted to agriculture in the 18th and 19th centuries followed by succession to woodland as a result of widespread agricultural abandonment. Despite the prevalence of human impacts, the effect and longevity of land-use practices on modern forest conditions are poorly understood. In the present study of pitch pine-scrub oak vegetation on a sand plain in the Connecticut Valley of Massachusetts, we address the following questions: (1) what is the relative importance of human and natural disturbance and environmental factors in controlling vegetation composition, structure, and landscape patterns; (2) what are the mechanisms underlying human impacts on vegetation, and what is the duration of these impacts; and (3) what are the implications of land-use history for the interpretation and conservation of these communities? Sand plain vegetation was selected for investigation because the homogeneity of site conditions facilitates the interpretation of land-use and natural disturbance impacts, and because the uncommon vegetation and constituent species are priorities for conservation efforts. Paleoecological data suggest that pre-European fires were common on the study area, perhaps ignited by a large regional Indian population. The area was noted historically as an extensive pine plain and was used for wood products from the 18th to the mid-19th century. Eighty-two percent of the area was subsequently plowed for agriculture before being abandoned in the early 20th century. Soil analyses confirm the homogeneity of site conditions and suggest that land uses (plowing, woodlot/pasture) were determined according to ownership pattern rather than site factors. Previously cultivated parcels have distinct Ap (plow horizons) 15-33 cm deep, whereas uncultivated parcels have A horizons 3-10 cm in depth. Soil physical and chemical characteristics are similar among land uses and modern vegetation types. Aerial photographs document a dramatic transformation in plant cover over the last 50 yr. In 1939, the vegetation was grassland or shrub-heath (49%), open-canopy forest (29%), and scrub-oak shrublands (15%). In 1985, 73% of the study area was forested with pitch pine (40%), hardwood (12%), or mixed stands (21%), 9% was in open-canopy stands, and 3% was covered by grass or shrubs. Vegetation/land-use relations are striking. Pitch pine occurs almost exclusively (97%) on former plowed sites, whereas scrub oak stands occur preferentially (89%) on sites that have not been plowed. Land use explains the greatest variation in modern vegetation as well as the distribution and abundance of many taxa. Fire has been common across the study area but has influenced vegetation largely within patterns resulting from prior land use. Land-use patterns and factors controlling vegetation composition and structure are broadly paralleled at similar sites elsewhere in the Connecticut Valley. The study indicates that conservation biologists interested in preserving species, communities, and landscape patterns on sand plains in the northeastern United States need to incorporate a dynamic perspective of biological systems that includes the overriding impact of prior land use. In order to appreciate, study, and display these land-use and vegetation patterns it is essential to conserve the mosaic of assemblages and historical uses within a landscape setting.Organismic and Evolutionary Biolog

Combining Cardiac Monitoring with Actigraphy Aids Nocturnal Arousal Detection during Ambulatory Sleep Assessment in Insomnia

Study Objectives: The objective assessment of insomnia has remained difficult. Multisensory devices collecting heart rate (HR) and motion are regarded as the future of ambulatory sleep monitoring. Unfortunately, reports on altered average HR or heart rate variability (HRV) during sleep in insomnia are equivocal. Here, we evaluated whether the objective quantification of insomnia improves by assessing state-related changes in cardiac measures. Methods: We recorded electrocardiography, posture, and actigraphy in 33 people without sleep complaints and 158 patients with mild to severe insomnia over 4 d in their home environment. At the microscale, we investigated whether HR changed with proximity to gross (body) and small (wrist) movements at nighttime. At the macroscale, we calculated day-night differences in HR and HRV measures. For both timescales, we tested whether outcome measures were related to insomnia diagnosis and severity. Results: At the microscale, an increase in HR was often detectable already 60 s prior to as well as following a nocturnal chest, but not wrist, movement. This increase was slightly steeper in insomnia and was associated with insomnia severity, but future EEG recordings are necessary to elucidate whether these changes occur prior to or simultaneously with PSG-indicators of wakefulness. At the macroscale, we found an attenuated cardiac response to sleep in insomnia: patients consistently showed smaller day-night differences in HR and HRV. Conclusions: Incorporating state-related changes in cardiac features in the ambulatory monitoring of sleep might provide a more sensitive biomarker of insomnia than the use of cardiac activity averages or actigraphy alone