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The Formation of Megacrysts in Migmatitic Amphibolites from Halland Province, Southwest Sweden
No full textThe growth of large mineral grains (megacrysts) can be promoted by a fluid phase that allows for rapid diffusion. Hence, the presence of megacrysts in metamorphic rocks can be one indicator of the presence of a silicate melt or other fluid phase during metamorphism. We studied megacrysts of hornblende (Hbl), garnet (Grt), clinopyroxene (Cpx) and orthopyroxene (Opx) associated with both tonalitic leucosomes and melanosomes in mafic migmatites from the Stensjӧ Nature Preserve and the area around Bjӧrkasjӧ Lake. Both localities are in the Eastern Belt of the Sveconorwegion Orogen, Halland Province, Sweden. We mapped both localities and examined samples with a polarizing microscope and SEM-EDS. We did quantitative mineral analyses by WDS on an electron microprobe. Whole rock analyses were done by X-ray florescence at Actlabs, Ontario. When the host rock contains Hbl+Pl (plagioclase) +/- Cpx without Grt or Bt (biotite) the megacrysts are either Hbl or Hbl+Cpx. The compositions of the megacrysts are similar to compositions of the same minerals in the host rock. Plagioclase in inclusions within and immediately surrounding Cpx megacrysts can contain up to 46 % more Ab (albite) than Pl away from the megacrysts. When the host rock contains Hbl+Pl+Grt+Cpx without biotite the megacrysts are either Grt or Cpx. When the host contains Hbl+Pl+Grt+Bt the megacrysts are Opx. These megacrysts are surrounded by a reaction rim of Hbl+Qtz+/-Cpx+/-Grt, and Hbl in the rims has distinctly lower Ti and K2O+Na2O concentrations than in the host. The anhydrous megacrysts, (Cpx, Opx, Grt), probably formed by vaporabsent (dehydration) melting. The different kinds of anhydrous megacrysts formed by different melting reactions controlled by the chemistry and mineralogy of the original rock. Hornblende megacrysts may have formed by the retrogression of Cpx during crystallization of the melt. Alternatively they may represent water-assisted melting, without partial melting, by a concentrated brine
Overall Quality of Life in Ventricular Assist Device Patients
No full textRecent studies have shown increased use of ventricular assist devices (VADs) as a new pathway in the treatment of heart failure patients. VADs are used in patients waiting for heart transplant or as destination therapy. The purpose of this research was to examine patients’ overall quality of life (QOL) based on their age and type of therapy. This research was done using Dorothy Johnson’s Behavior System Model, in which the patient is a behavioral system and is capable of adapting to stressors effectively and efficiently. VAD coordinators and Intermacs-trained RNs had previously collected data in person, by giving patients the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire to complete before their implant, and then again post-implant at three, six and twelve months. This questionnaire was used to determine patients’ overall QOL, as determined by a single numeric score. There were 84 patients, 13 females and 71 males, ranging in age from 19 to 80 years. Patients were drawn from a sample of heart failure patients either awaiting heart transplant or receiving the implant as destination therapy at a transplant clinic of a large hospital in Michigan. Independent t-tests were completed using SPSS software. Results include a higher mean age of patients receiving destination therapy. Conclusions regarding QOL based on age or therapy are insignificant. Limitations are a small sample size, a small number of females, and data collected from one clinic. Implications for future research include how nursing care can be adapted for these patients to help improve their QOL
Independent Skills Improve! Results of the Transition Planning Inventory
No full textThe purpose of this study was to determine whether the Friendship House roommates with disabilities believed that they have grown in their independent living skills. The Friendship House is a unique living situation where individuals with cognitive disabilities live side-by-side with university/college students. For this study, the residents with disabilities were surveyed using the assessment entitled the Transition Planning Inventory (TPI). The questions queried about these individuals’ employment, further education/training, daily living, leisure activities, community participation, health, self-determination, communication, and inter-personal relationships. Results from the TPI show that these roommates with disabilities believed that they improved in the areas of community, self-determination and communication. Overall, the Friendship House has shown a positive effect on these residents with disabilities in terms of improving their transition skills
The Effect of Beta- Alanine Supplementation on Time to Exhaustion in Collegiate Middle Distance Runners.
No full textBeta-alanine is an amino acid that has been shown to increase muscle carnosine concentrations, resulting in an increased buffer capacity and reduced muscle fatigue. Prior research has suggested that beta-alanine may have ergogenic effects in exercise bouts lasting 1-5 minutes. However, there have been no studies on trained runners who compete in events lasting 1-5 minutes. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the effect of beta-alanine supplementation on time to exhaustion in collegiate middle distance track athletes. Seventeen runners performed a treadmill pretest consisting of a VO2 max test followed by 90 seconds of rest and a time to exhaustion test. Participants were matched based on gender, time to exhaustion, running economy, max velocity and VO2 max. Participants were assigned to either a placebo group or a beta-alanine group. The experimental group took 4.5 grams of beta-alanine per day for four weeks. The placebo group ingested sucrose. The runners then participated in their standard training regimen, doing the same number of hard workouts per week and recording their total mileage. At the end of the supplementation period, the participants completed a treadmill posttest following the same protocol as the pretest. Differences in time to exhaustion were compared between the groups. It was hypothesized that beta-alanine supplementation would improve time to exhaustion performance more than the sucrose. Significant results would demonstrate the efficacy of beta-alanine supplementation in trained middle distance runners
Effects of Graduated Compression Tights on Repetitive Vertical Jumping
No full textWearing compression garments may reduce the severity of delayed onset muscle soreness and decrease the deleterious effects of prior exercise on muscle strength and power. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of graduated compression tights on repetitive vertical jumping and fatigue in a setting designed to simulate an athletic competition. Five men and five women with a background in power and strength-based competitive sports completed the study. All subjects initially reported to the laboratory for a familiarization session where they were introduced to the warm-up protocol and the procedures for the vertical jump testing. They were then randomly assigned to begin the testing procedures the following week wearing either graduated compression tights or running shorts. For each testing session the subjects dressed in the appropriate attire and then began with a standard dynamic warm-up procedure followed by three maximal vertical jumps separated by 10 seconds each. After these three maximal jumps the subjects performed 12 more vertical jumps with two minutes between jumps to simulate a competition situation. Subjects then rested in a seated position for a two-hour period. This break was provided to simulate the time period between games or track events before more activity takes place. Following the break the subjects repeated the warm up and vertical jump procedure. One week after the first testing session the entire protocol was repeated under the opposite condition. The results will be analyzed to determine if graduated compression tights can delay fatigue and improve repetitive vertical jump scores. The results of this study may be beneficial to anyone seeking to improve performance in strength and power based sports and may help to improve knowledge of mechanisms of action of compression gear on recovery from exercise
Selective Population Of Unbound States In Li-10
No full textUnbound positive-parity states in Li-10 have been populated with a two-proton removal reaction from a 71 MeV/u B-12 beam. The Li-9 fragments and emitted neutrons were measured with the MoNA-LISA-Sweeper setup. The measured decay energy spectrum was best fit with three states at 110 +/- 40, 500 +/- 100, and 1100 +/- 100 keV decay energy. This is the second observation of a resonance below 200 keV. The lower two states likely belong to the expected 1(+), 2(+) doublet. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Further insights into the reaction Be-14(CH2,X)He-10
No full textA previously published measurement of the reaction of a 59 MeV/nucleon Be-14 beam on a deuterated polyethylene target was further analyzed to search for He-12 as well as initial state effects in the population of the He-10 ground state. No evidence for either was found. A lower limit of about 1 MeV was determined for a possible resonance in He-12. In addition, the three-body decay energy spectrum of He-10 could not be described by a reaction mechanism calculation based on the halo structure of the initial Be-14 assuming a direct alpha-particle removal reaction
Surface Interactions And Degradation Of A Fluoroquinolone Antibiotic In The Dark In Aqueous Tio2 Suspensions
No full textFluoroquinolone Antibiotics (fqs) Are Important Drugs Used In Human And Veterinary Medicine. Their Detection In Natural Waters And Waste Water Treatment Plants, Along With Increased Resistance To Fqs Among Some Bacteria, Have Generated An Increased Interest In The Fate Of These Drugs In The Environment. Partitioning Of Fqs Between An Aqueous Solution And Attendant Substrates Depends, In Part, On The Surface Reactivity Of The Adsorbent, Commonly A Function Of Particle Size, Surface Charge, And Functional Groups. This Study Investigated The Surface Interactions Between The Fq Drug Ofloxacin (ofl) And Titanium Oxide (tio2), A Common Catalyst And Widely-observed Constituent In Many Consumer Products. Raman And Fluorescence Spectroscopic Techniques, As Well As Lc/ms, Were Used To Determine The Ofl Moieties Present On Tio2 Surfaces And In Attendant Solutions. Raman Spectra Indicate That The C=o (ketone) Group Of The Quinolone Core, The Nh+ Of The Piperazinyl Ring, And Ch3 Of Benzoxazine Core Are The Most Active In Sorption Onto The Tio2 Surface. Raman Spectra Also Show That The Sorbed Benzoxazine-quinolone Core And Piperazinyl Moieties Are Readily Desorbed From The Surface By Re-suspending Samples In Water. Importantly, We Found That Ofl Could Be Degraded By Reacting With Tio2 Even In The Dark. Complementary Lc/ms Analysis Of The Attendant Supernatants Indicates The Presence Of De-piperazinylated And De-carboxylated Ofl Breakdown Products In Supernatant Solutions. Together, Both Raman And Lc/ms Analyses Indicate That Tio2 Breaks The Compound Into Piperazinyl And Carboxylate Groups Which Attach To The Surface, Whereas Decarboxylated And Hydroxylated Quinolone Moieties Remain In Solution. The Present Study Thus Identifies The Sorption Mechanisms And Breakdown Products Of Ofl During Dark Reactions With Tio2, Which Is Critically Important For Understanding The Fate And Transport Of Ofl As It Enters The Soil And Aquatic Environment. (c) 2015 Elsevier B.v. All Rights Reserved
Defining the Mechanisms Underlying Extended Longevity in C. elegans Mitochondrial Mutants
No full textMutations affecting the function of the mitochondrial electron transport chain result in a long-lived phenotype in Caenorhabditis elegans. Recent work has shown that these mutations result in increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). As it was previously thought that damage caused by high levels of ROS leads to aging, it is surprising that these mitochondrial mutants exhibit higher levels of ROS and an increased lifespan. Subsequent studies have shown that the higher levels of ROS in the longlived mitochondrial mutants actually contribute to their increased lifespan. In this study, we sought to determine how the upregulation of stress response pathways and alterations in metabolism contribute to the longevity of three mitochondrial mutants:: clk-1, isp-1, and nuo-6. Using fluorescent reporters to visualize the activation of stress response pathways throughout the lifespan of the worm, we found that the mitochondrial unfolded protein response and the oxidative stress response are upregulated in all three mutants, while the antioxidant defense pathway is most upregulated in isp-1 worms. Since mutations to the electron chain likely lead to a deficiency in energy production, it has been hypothesized that mitochondrial mutants may shift toward using glycolysis as a larger source of energy and that this shift in metabolism may contribute to their longevity. We examined the effect of using RNAi to knockdown the expression of aldo-1, a gene necessary for glycolysis, on the longevity of the three mitochondrial mutants. We found that aldo-1 is required for the long lifespan of isp-1 and nuo-6 mutants but not clk-1. Overall, this work has provided additional insights into the roles of stress response pathways and metabolism in mitochondrial mutant longevity
Comparing the Training Effects of Slow Flow to Power Yoga on Flexibility, Balance and Aerobic Capacity in College-Aged Females
No full textYoga practice has become an increasingly popular form of exercise among various populations. However, a comprehensive comparison outlining the benefits from each of the many forms of yoga practice does not exist. This study was designed to determine whether participating in Vinyasa yoga (VIN, n=11) or Hatha yoga (HATHA, n=9) for 60 minutes, 2 times a week for 4.5 weeks would result in greater improvements in overall flexibility, balance, and aerobic fitness compared to a control group (n=6) that did not do any yoga training. It was hypothesized that participants in the VIN group would display a greater increase in aerobic capacity compared to the HATHA group and control group, and that those in the HATHA yoga group would improve more in flexibility and balance compared to the control group. Following 4.5 weeks of yoga training, significant improvements were seen in sit-and-reach score (HATHA pre: 40.9 +/- 2.1 cm, HATHA post: 42.6 +/- 1.7 cm, VIN pre: 39.1 +/- 1.9 cm, VIN post: 44.0 +/- 1.6 cm, p=0.003) and shoulder flexion (HATHA pre: 170. +/- 3.0 degrees, HATHA post: 178.1 +/- 1.7 degrees, VIN pre: 179.8 +/- 2.7 degrees, VIN post: 183.7 +/- 1.6 degrees, p=0.008). Improvements were also observed in time to hold single leg stance with eyes closed (HATHA pre: 18.9 +/- 5.5 seconds, post: 29.5 +/- 6.1 seconds, VIN pre: 35.5 +/- 5.0 seconds, VIN post: 41.4 +/- 5.5, p=0.058), but there was not enough statistical power to see significant differences between HATHA and VIN yoga groups or CON. Therefore, it may be suggested that participation in a yoga training program will result in increases in flexibility and balance, but neither Hatha nor power Vinyasa regimens will result in more significant gains than the other