cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
DQE of wireless digital detectors: comparative performance with differing filtration schemes.

Purpose: Wireless flat panel detectors are gaining increased usage in portable medical imaging. Two such detectors were evaluated and compared with a conventional flat-panel detector using the formalism of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC 62220-1) for measuring modulation transfer function (MTF), normalized noise power spectrum (NNPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) using two different filtration schemes. Methods: Raw images were acquired for three image receptors (DRX-1C and DRX-1, Carestream Health; Inc., Pixium 4600, Trixell) using a radiographic system with a well-characterized output (Philips Super80 CP, Philips Healthcare). Free in-air exposures were measured using a calibrated radiation meter (Unfors Mult-O-Meter Type 407, Unfors Instruments AB). Additional aluminum filtration and a new alternative combined copper-aluminum filtration were used to conform the x ray output to IEC-specified beam quality definitions RQA5 and RQA9. Using the IEC 62220-1 formalism, each detector was evaluated at XN/2, XN, and 2XN, where the normal exposure level to the detector surface (XN) was set to 8.73 μGy (1.0 mR). The prescribed edge test device was used to evaluate the MTF, while the NNPS was measured using uniform images. The DQE was then calculated from the MTF and NNPS and compared across detectors, exposures, and filtration schemes. Results: The three DR systems had largely comparable MTFs with DRX-1 demonstrating lower values above 1.0 cycles/mm. At each exposure, DRX-1C and Pixium detectors demonstrated better noise performance than that of DRX-1. Zero-frequency DQEs for DRX-1C, Pixium, and DRX-1 detectors were approximately 74%, 63%, and 38% for RQA5 and 50%, 42%, and 28% for RQA9, respectively. Conclusions: DRX-1C detector exhibited superior DQE performance compared to Pixium and DRX-1. In terms of filtration, the alternative filtration was found to provide comparable performance in terms of rank ordering of different detectors with the added convenience of being less bulky for in-the-field measurements.
Ammonia-oxidizing archaea and nitrite-oxidizing nitrospiras in the biofilter of a shrimp recirculating aquaculture system.

This study analysed the nitrifier community in the biofilter of a zero discharge, recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) for the production of marine shrimp in a low density (low ammonium production) system. The ammonia-oxidizing populations were examined by targeting 16S rRNA and amoA genes of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and archaea (AOA). The nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) were investigated by targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Archaeal amoA genes were more abundant in all compartments of the RAS than bacterial amoA genes. Analysis of bacterial and archaeal amoA gene sequences revealed that most ammonia oxidizers were related to Nitrosomonas marina and Nitrosopumilus maritimus . The NOB detected were related to Nitrospira marina and Nitrospira moscoviensis, and Nitrospira marina -type NOB were more abundant than N. moscoviensis -type NOB. Water quality and biofilm attachment media played a role in the competitiveness of AOA over AOB and Nitrospira marina- over N. moscoviensis- type NOB.
The role of extracellular polysaccharide substance produced by Staphylococcus epidermidis in miliaria

Abstract Background: Previous studies have indicated that cutaneous bacteria, particularly coagulasenegative staphylococci, play a role in the pathogenesis of miliaria. An accumulation of periodic acid-Schiff (PAS)-positive material has been described as blocking the sweat duct in miliaria. Furthermore, a PAS-positive extracellular polysaccharide substance (EPS) has been indentified as a product of some strians of Staphylococcus epidermidis . Objective: We evaluated the relative ability of various species of coagulase-negative staphylococci to induce miliaria with particular reference to the potential role of EPS. Methods: We inoculated various strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci on the volar forearms of subjects under an occlusive dressing coupled with thermal stimulation. Ability to induce miliaria as well as microbiologic, histologic, and immunostaining features were evaluated. Results: Miliaria was induced only with strains of S. epidermidis ; other species including S. haemolyticus, S. hominis, S. cohnii, S. saprophyticus , and S. simulans were not capable of inducing miliaria. Moreover, only S. epidermidis strains capable of producing EPS were capable inducing miliaria. Conclusion: Our data indicate that EPS is the PAS-positive material that obstructs the delivery of sweat to the skin surface in miliaria and therefore demonstrate that the EPS produced by S. epidermidis plays a central role in the pathogenesis of miliaria. Furthermore, in a survey of staphylococcal flora isolated from 68 subjects, EPS-producing strains were found to be common.
Analysis of Transient Measurements Obtained for Thermal Insulations with the ORNL Flat Tester

A new technique for measuring the apparent thermal conductivity, k, and transient thermal behavior of insulations has been developed and tested at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The apparatus identified as the ORNL screen tester was built as part of the Materials Research subtask in the US Department of Energy sponsored program on Building Thermal Envelope Systems and Materials. Descriptions of the apparatus and procedure and experimental results have been reported. The present paper will be limited to a brief review of the equipment and a discussion of its use to obtain transient thermal data.
Presumed Testicular Rupture During a College Baseball Game: A Case Report and Review of the Literature for On-Field Recognition and Management

Scrotal rupture during athletic competition is considered a rare occurrence; however, blunt trauma to the scrotum is relatively common. Protective athletic cups are strongly recommended for both children and adults engaging in contact sports as they likely limit the amount of serious injury to the scrotal contents. Nonetheless, should the on-field assessment by the athletic trainer, coach, or team physician indicate that the athlete has increased pain, ecchymosis, swelling, and tenderness to palpation after blunt trauma, testicular rupture should be suspected and prompt ultrasound and urologic assessment should be undertaken, as early operative intervention is necessary for testicular preservation. This report reviews testicular trauma during athletic competition.
Strategic Management in a Multi-Program Technology Program Involving Convergence and Divergence of Programs: Observations from NASA

This paper contributes a framework for dealing with complex, technical program transitions. This paper offers a framework of strategic management tools. Tools such as scenario planning, organizational roadmaps, objectives, and measures are integrated into a systematic planning process. Using the KSC response to the new NASA Vision for Space Exploration, this paper offers a framework of strategy tools that leads from initial analysis to the business plan. An engineering manager can use this paper to follow a simple set of steps and tools to help manage strategy for an organizational transformation.
Does This Marriage Make Me Look Fat? Marital Quality as a Predictor of Perceptions of Body Weight, Activity Level, and Eating Habits

Survey data from the RELATE inventory (www.relate-institute.org) was gathered for married couples (N = 374) and was analyzed for effects of marital quality on perceptions of weight as a problem in the marriage, activity level, and eating habits. Results indicate that wife marital quality was positively associated with weight being a problem for wives, while husband marital quality was negatively associated with weight being a problem for both husbands and wives in the relationship. Wife marital quality was also positively associated with husband activity level, while husband marital quality was negatively associated with husband activity level. Implications for clinicians are discussed.
Molecular Details of the Mechanism of PS Recognition by TIM Proteins

Accumulating evidence suggests that an immune response can be triggered by the presence of abnormal lipid components, such as phosphatidylserine (PS), in the outer leaflet of the cellular membrane. The T-cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain (TIM) family of proteins recognize PS exposed on the surface of the membrane. TIM proteins are expressed by numerous cell types, and despite their close structural similarity, they are involved in triggering different immune responses. These specific roles have been attributed to different factors, including differential binding modes of TIM proteins to anionic membranes and their variable sensitivity to lipid composition of the membrane.In order to study the mechanism of membrane binding by TIM proteins, we have performed MD simulations of TIM1 and TIM3 employing our enhanced-dynamics HMMM membrane model. For each protein, we have performed a total of 30 independent simulations with different lipid compositions (1:1 PC:PS and 7:3 PC:PS), providing robust statistics to characterize the membrane-bound form of these proteins. The results suggest that, despite the overall structural similarity, TIM1 and TIM3 establish different interactions with the membrane upon binding. Moreover, simulations show that in addition to the PS-binding pocket found in TIM proteins, other specific protein-membrane ionic interactions can be formed in each case, suggesting a molecular basis for their different biological roles.In addition to MD simulations, the orientation of TIM1 and TIM3 in model PS-containing membranes has been characterized using X-ray scattering. The agreement between the X-ray experiments and the MD simulations provide a detailed description of the membrane-binding mechanism of TIM proteins.
The Canada U.S. free trade agreement: Competitive tradeoffs between foreign direct investment and trade

This paper assesses the impact of the Canada U.S. Free Trade Agreement on exports and foreign direct investment of processed foods. Results indicate that U.S. exports to Canada more than doubled, while Canadian exports to the U.S. nearly doubled after the implementation of the Canada U.S. Free Trade Agreement in 1989. Regression results of the covariance model on panel data show that U.S. and Canadian food processing firms appear to use both exports and foreign direct investments as complementary market access strategies.
ATG-anchored AFLP (ATG-AFLP) analysis in cotton

Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) marker system has had broad applications in biology. However, the anonymous AFLP markers are mainly amplified from non-coding regions, limiting their usefulness as a functional marker system. To take advantages of the traditional AFLP techniques, we propose substitution of a restriction enzyme that recognizes a restriction site containing ATG, called ATG-anchored AFLP (ATG-AFLP) analysis. In this study, we chose NsiI (recognizing ATGCAT) to replace EcoRI in combination with MseI to completely digest genomic DNA. One specific adaptor, one pre-selective primer and six selective amplification primers for the NsiI site were designed for ligation and PCR. Six NsiI and eight MseI primers generated a total of 1,780 ATG-AFLP fragments, of which 750 (42%) were polymorphic among four genotypes from two cultivated cotton species (Upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum and Pima cotton, G. barbadense). The number of ATG-AFLP markers was sufficient to separate the four genotypes into two groups, consistent with their evolutionary and breeding history. Our results also showed that ATG-AFLP generated less number of total and polymorphic fragments per primer combination (2–3 vs. 4–5) than conventional AFLP within Upland cotton. Using a recombination inbred line (RIL) population, 62 polymorphic ATG-AFLP markers were mapped to 19 linkage groups with known chromosome anchored simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Of the nine ATG-AFLP fragments randomly chosen, three were found to be highly homologous to cotton cDNA sequences. An in-silico analysis of cotton and Arabidopsis cDNA confirmed that the ATG-anchored enzyme combination NsiI/MseI did generate more fragments than the EcoRI/MseI combination.
Dose–response relationships in gene expression profiles in rainbow trout, Oncorhyncus mykiss, exposed to ethynylestradiol

Determining how gene expression profiles change with toxicant dose will improve the utility of arrays in identifying biomarkers and modes of toxic action. We exposed isogenic rainbow trout, Onorhyncus mykiss, to 10, 50 or 100 ng/L ethynylestradiol (a xeno-estrogen) for 7 days. Following exposure, fish were euthanized, livers harvested and RNA extracted. Fluorescently labeled cDNA were generated and hybridized against a commercially available Atlantic Salmon/Trout array (GRASP project, University of Victoria) spotted with 16,000 cDNA's. The slides were scanned to measure abundance of a given transcript in each sample relative to controls. Data were analyzed via Genespring (Silicon Genetics) to identify genes with altered expression, as well as to determine gene clustering patterns that can be used as ''expression signatures''. Array results were confirmed via qRT PCR. Our analysis indicates that gene expression profiles varied somewhat with dose. Established biomarkers of exposure to estrogenic chemicals, such as vitellogenin, vitelline envelope proteins, and the estrogen receptor alpha, were induced at every dose. Other genes were dose specific, suggesting that different doses induce distinct physiological responses. These findings demonstrate that cDNA microarrays could be used to identify both toxicant class and relative dose.
Synthesis and expression in Escherichia coli of DNA encoding the murine λ1 chain of a monoclonal antibody specific for Salmonella serotype B O-antigen

A 658 bp DNA sequence corresponding to the murine lambda 1 chain of a monoclonal antibody, Se155-4, specific for the Salmonella serotype B O-antigen, was designed using Escherichia coli preferred codons and chemically synthesized by ligation of synthetic fragments into a linearized plasmid followed by transformation into E. coli. A synthetic signal peptide (ompA) was fused to express the L chain as a free polypeptide into the periplasm of E. coli cells. After isolation and purification, heterologous recombination of the E. coli L chain with mouse H chain gave an active antigen-binding protein. The activity was 15-20% when compared to protein created by an equivalent association of isolated natural mouse L and H chains as measured by a direct EIA assay. In inhibition experiments with the polysaccharide antigen, the two proteins showed identical titration curves and 50% inhibition points, indicating comparable KA values.
Molecular Insight for the Effect of Lipid Raft on Thrombospondin-1 and Calreticulin Interactions

Thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) binding to calreticulin (CRT) on the cell surface stimulates association of CRT with LDL receptor-related protein (LRP1) to signal focal adhesion disassembly and engagement of cellular activities (J. Biol. Chem. 275:36358-68, 2000; J. Biol. Chem. 277: 37219-28, 2002). Study demonstrated that lipid rafts are necessary for TSP1-mediated focal adhesion disassembly (J. Biol. Chem. 279, 23510-16, 2004), but the molecular mechanism of the phenomenon is still unknown. In this study, we investigated the interactions of a lipid bilayer and a lipid raft with CRT and TSP1-CRT complex and their effects on the structural changes of CRT and TSP1-CRT complex via atomically detailed molecular dynamics simulations. The lipid bilayer was modeled as a 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3phosphocholine (POPC) bilayer with 1152 lipids. The lipid raft was modeled as a bilayer of POPC lipids mixed with cholesterol (CHOL) (40% of CHOL molecules in the lipid raft) or with both CHOL and sphingomyelin (SM) (the ratio of the number of POPC lipid, CHOL and SM is: 3:4:3). Results showed that TSP1 binding to CRT resulted in a more “open” conformation for CRT P-domain with respect to the CRT N-domain compared to that of single CRT in a lipid raft environment, but not in a POPC bilayer environment. Sphingomyelin enhanced the “open” CRT conformation by TSP1, which could expose the potential binding site(s) in CRT for binding to LRP1 to signal focal adhesion disassembly. Results also showed that micro- and mesoscopic properties of a lipid raft were significantly different from a POPC bilayer, which could also affect cell surface CRT interactions with TSP1. Results from this study provided molecular insight for the effect of lipid raft on TSP-CRT interactions and CRT-mediated focal adhesion disassembly.
The interaction of post-traumatic growth and post-traumatic stress symptoms in predicting depressive symptoms and quality of life

Abstract Objective: We sought to explore whether post-traumatic growth (PTG) (positive change orbeneﬁt ﬁnding resulting from trauma) moderates relationships between post-traumatic stresssymptoms (PTSS) and both depression and quality of life (QOL) among breast cancersurvivors.Methods: We interviewed 161 women previously treated for early stage breast cancer. Weassessed PTG using the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory, PTSS using the PTSD Checklist,depressive symptoms using the CES-D and QOL using the FACT-B.Results: Higher PTSS was associated with greater depressive symptoms and lower QOL(p50.01). The relationship between PTSS and depression was attenuated among women withhigher levels of PTG (PTSS PTG interaction, p50.05). The same pattern of results wasfound for QOL (interaction p50.01).Conclusions: We report the novel ﬁnding that PTG moderated relationships between PTSSand both depression and QOL. We speculate that ﬁnding positive meaning in response to adistressing event, such as diagnosis of cancer, may be psychologically protective and couldindirectly inﬂuence the long-term occurrence of depressive symptoms and impaired QOL.Copyright # 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Keywords: cancer; oncology; post-traumatic growth; post-traumatic stress; quality of life; depression
Supernumerary Spacing of Rainbows Produced by an Elliptical-Cross-Section Cylinder. II. Experiment

We measured the supernumerary spacing parameter of the first- and second-order rainbows of two glass rods, each having an approximately elliptical cross section, as a function of the rod's rotation angle. We attribute large fluctuations in the supernumerary spacing parameter to small local inhomogeneities in the rod's refractive index. The low-pass filtered first-order rainbow experimental data agree with the prediction of ray-tracing-wave-front modeling to within a few percent, and the second-order rainbow data exhibit additional effects that are due to rod nonellipticity.
MyoD, a Lesson in Widespread DNA Binding

There is growing recognition that animal transcription factors bind in vivo to far more genomic regions than generally assumed earlier. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Cao et al. show that the muscle specification factor MyoD binds to regions near most genes and modifies chromatin states at these sites.
Gender differences and a new adult eukaryotic record for upper thermal tolerance in the desert moss Syntrichia caninervis

Abstract 1. Two competing hypotheses relating to thermostress were proposed to understand skewed sex ratios in Syntrichia caninervis, a reproductive investment hypothesis and a wildfire selection hypothesis. 2. Nearly all shoots from both sexes remained viable (regenerated in culture) following exposure to 120 °C for 30 min, thus setting a new upper thermotolerance record for adult eukaryotic organisms for a minimum 30 min exposure time. 3. Males regenerated faster than females, produced more biomass, and suffered less fungal attack than females. Findings support the wildfire selection hypothesis.
Autonomic modulation of action potential and tension in guinea pig papillary muscles

Abstract The effects of α 1 -adrenoceptor and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor stimulation on action potential and tension were studied in guinea pig papillary muscles obtained from both right and left ventricles. Stimulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors with carbachol produced a reduction of the action potential duration and a positive inotropic effect in papillary muscles from both ventricles. Both effects were concentration dependent and atropine sensitive. However, differential responsiveness was found upon α 1 -adrenoceptor activation in muscles obtained from left and right ventricles. In right side papillary muscles, the α 1 -adreneceptor agonist, methoxamine, decreased the action potentail duration and produced a positive inotropic effect. In contrast, methoxamine decreased the action potential duration but failed to produce a positive inotropic effect in left side papillary muscles. All methoxamine effects were antagonized by prazosin. Responses to maximum concentration of carbachol and methoxamine on the action potential duration and contractility were additive in right side papillary muscles. Phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate (PDB), a direct protein kinase C activator, also decreases the action potential duration in a manner that was additive to both carbachol and methoxamine. However, PDB reversed the positive inotropic effect of carbachol indomethacin and nordihydroguaiaretic acid, blockers of arachidonic acid metabolism, but not by the protein kinase C antagonist, 1-(5-isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine (H-7). These results demonstrate (1) a side-dependent effect of methoxamine, and not carbachol, on muscle contraction, (2) additivity of the effects of α 1 -adrenoceptor and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor activation on the action potential duration and tension, and (3) that these receptor-mediated effects may involve different second messenger system and/or distinct substrate pools.
Deposition of optical coatings by laser-assisted evaporation and by photo-assisted chemical vapor deposition

Abstract In this paper two optical coating techniques that utilize photons, laser-assisted evaporation and photo-assisted chemical vapor deposition (photo-CVD), are reviewed. Laser-assisted evaporation can produce high quality thin films and can be used advantageously to reproduce the stoichiometry of source materials of multielement compounds. Photo-CVD is a deposition technique that can be used to coat large area substrates and selectively small area of a substrate. Both techniques are amenable for low substrate temperature deposition.
A New Class of Robust Control Laws for Tracking of Robots

A new class of robust control algorithms is proposed for the trajectory following problem of a robot manipulator. It is shown that every proposed control can guarantee three kinds of global stability results based on the designer's choice: uni formly and ultimately bounded stability, asymptotic stability, and exponential stability. Exact knowledge of robot dynamics is not required except that unknown dynamics must be bounded in Euclidean norm by a second-order polynomial function with known coefficients.
The effects of self-concept, trust, and imagined positive or negative self-disclosures on psychological space.

Summary This study focused on some of the determinants of schematic interactional distance based on an analysis of social learning processes. It was hypothesized that closer interpersonal constructions would be associated with a more positive rather than negative self-concept, a greater rather than lesser degree of trust, and a covert positive rather than negative self-disclosure to a significant other. One hundred fifty-nine male and female undergraduate students were administered the Tennessee Self Concept Scale and Jourard's Self-Disclosure Questionnaire. Of these Ss, 82 were also given either positive or negative covert self-disclosure conditions. Interactional distances consisted of “Self” placements in relation to several key social target representations. The results supported the hypothesis regarding the relationship between self-concept and psychological distance, but only for females. There was also a tendency for more trusting females to produce closer distances than less trusting females. Thes...
5-[I-125/123]lodo-3(2(S)-azetidinylmethoxy)pyridine, a radioiodinated analog of A-85380 for in vivo studies of central nicotinic acetylcholine receptors.

The in vivo biodistribution profile of the novel nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) radioligand 5-[I-125/123]Iodo-3(2(S)-azetidinylmethoxy)pyridine, [I-125/123]-5-IA, in mouse brain was examined. This radiotracer displayed good brain penetration (3.1% of the injected dose (ID) in whole brain at 15 min post-radioligand injection). Radioligand distribution was consistent with the density of high affinity nAChRs with highest uptake observed in the nAChR-rich thalamus (14.9 %ID/g at 60 min), moderate uptake in cortex (8.5 %ID/g at 60 min), and lowest uptake in the cerebellum (2.4 %ID/g at 60 min). Pretreatment with several different nAChR agonists (A-85380, (-)-nicotine, cytisine) significantly inhibited [I-125]-5-IA binding in all brain regions studied (P 3 mg/kg via intravenous injection in mice) and high in vivo specificity and selectivity, 5-IA labeled with the imaging radionuclide I-123 may prove useful for single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies of nAChRs in human subjects.
Psychotic Domestic Murder: Neuropsychological Differences Between Homicidal and Nonhomicidal Schizophrenic Men

There is substantial evidence that individuals with schizophrenia are at increased risk for violent criminal behavior and an even higher risk for committing murder, relative to the general population. Neuropsychological features of seven schizophrenic men who murdered family members were compared to neuropsychological features of seven schizophrenic men with no history of violence, criminal offenses or antisocial behavior. The two groups were matched for age, education, race, gender, handedness, and diagnosis, and had similar psychotic symptom profiles and substance abuse histories. The schizophrenic murderers demonstrated significantly worse neuropsychological impairment, involving executive dysfunction and memory dysfunction, relative to nonviolent schizophrenic men. Implications include: (1) specific neuropsychological deficits may increase the likelihood of some schizophrenic men to murder family members due to an impaired capacity to inhibit impulsive violent aggression; (2) neuropsychological status of schizophrenic defendants who commit domestic homicide should be considered by the trier-of-fact when they are tried for murder.
Remarks upon the modelling of heterogeneous catalytic reactors – the single fluid-solid cases†

To our benefit, the modelling of fluid-solid catalyzed reaction-reactor systems has long been the keen concern of Hanns Paul Hofmann. In the light of his instruction we remark upon key aspects of modelling for the (a) fixed bed (b) fluid bed and (c) moving bed/transport line reactors. There emerges from such analyses a properly renewed awareness of the need for a more sophisticated respect for reliable physical-chemical data. As Hanns has taught us, our models are no btter than our data.
Patterns of sex-role identification in alcoholic women

Thirty alcoholic women were compared with their nonalcoholic biological sisters on several measures of sex-role identification. Contrary to an earlier finding that alcoholic women are more masculine than nonalcoholic women in unconscious identification (Wilsnack, 1973), the present study found no significant differences between alcoholics and sister controls on any of the measures utilized. Both groups were more masculine in unconscious identification than the female norm, but control subjects evidenced more internal consistency between actual behavior and expressed attitudes than did alcoholic subjects. It was concluded that an unconscious masculine identification is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition of alcoholism in women. While it is possible that alcoholic women may have experienced more conflict about their masculine identification, this question awaits further study.
Airway obstruction secondary to tracheobronchial involvement of asymptomatic undiagnosed Crohn's disease in a pediatric patient

Tracheal involvement in Crohn's disease is extremely rare and can present with airway obstruction in any age group, including the pediatric patient. We describe the case of a 9-year-old female who presented with a 2-week history of intermittent stridor, resolving temporarily with the administration of systemic steroids. The patient denied any abdominal complaints and was otherwise healthy. Bronchoscopy revealed progressive tracheal inflammation necessitating an urgent tracheotomy. Subsequent laboratory investigation confirmed the diagnosis of Crohn's disease. This is the first reported case of previously undiagnosed Crohn's disease presenting with airway manifestations.
casanova Plays an Early and Essential Role in Endoderm Formation in Zebrafish

The cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate endoderm development in vertebrates have only recently begun to be explored. Here we show that the zebrafish locus casanova plays an early and essential role in this process. casanova mutants lack a gut tube and do not express any molecular markers of endoderm differentiation. The early endodermal expression of genes such as axial, gata5, and fkd2 does not initiate in casanova mutants, indicating that the endoderm is defective from the onset of gastrulation. Mosaic analysis demonstrates that casanova functions cell autonomously within the endodermal progenitors. We also report the isolation of a zebrafish homologue of Mixer, a gene important for early endoderm formation in Xenopus. casanova does not encode zebrafish Mixer, and mixer expression is normal in casanova mutants, indicating that casanova acts downstream of, or parallel to, mixer to promote endoderm formation. We further find that the forerunner cells, a specialized group of noninvoluting dorsal mesendodermal cells, do not form in casanova mutants. Studies of casanova mutants do not support an important role for the forerunner cells in either dorsal axis or tail development, as has been previously proposed. In addition, although different populations of mesodermal precursors are generated normally in casanova mutants, morphogenetic defects in the heart, vasculature, blood, and kidney are apparent, suggesting a possible role for the endoderm in morphogenesis of these organs.
Disease Activity, Proteinuria, and Vitamin D Status in Children with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Juvenile Dermatomyositis

Objective To evaluate relationships among vitamin D, proteinuria, and disease activity in pediatric systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). Study design Multiple linear regression was used to associate subject-reported race, sunscreen use, and vitamin D intake with physician-assessed disease activity and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) in 58 subjects with pediatric SLE (n=37) or JDM (n=21). Serum 25(OH)D was correlated with urinary vitamin D binding protein/creatinine ratio (DBP/C) and other indicators of proteinuria. Results Serum 25(OH)D levels in subjects with SLE were inversely associated with the natural log of urinary DBP/C (r=−0.63, P P Conclusions Low serum 25(OH)D in patients with SLE is associated with proteinuria and urinary DBP. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with disease activity in patients with JDM and SLE; this relationship in SLE may be confounded by proteinuria.
Normal sleep in African-Americans and Caucasian-Americans: A meta-analysis.

Abstract Objective This meta-analysis was designed to estimate the average magnitude of ethnic differences between African-Americans and Caucasian-Americans in normal sleep and to identify moderators of these differences. Methods Included studies had to have (1) sufficient information to estimate the difference between African-Americans and Caucasian-Americans on measures of subjective or objective sleep, (2) adult samples, and (3) samples of normal sleepers. Fourteen studies representing 1010 African-Americans and 3156 Caucasian-Americans aged 18 years and older met these criteria. Results Significant ethnic differences were found, with mean effect sizes ranging from −.23 to .57. African-Americans had poorer sleep continuity and duration, less slow wave sleep, and a greater proportion of stage 2 sleep. Differences in sleep continuity and duration variables were moderated by several biopsychosocial factors, whereas sleep architecture differences were not influenced by any examined moderating factor. Conclusions African-Americans slept worse objectively and subjectively than Caucasian-Americans. Sleep continuity and duration were moderated by biopsychosocial factors whereas sleep architecture was not. Implications and future research are discussed.
Functional asymmetry of photosystem II D1 and D2 peripheral chlorophyll mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Abstract The peripheral accessory chlorophylls (Chls) of the photosystem II (PSII) reaction center (RC) are coordinated by a pair of symmetry-related histidine residues (D1-H118 and D2-H117). These Chls participate in energy transfer from the proximal antennae complexes (CP43 and CP47) to the RC core chromophores. In addition, one or both of the peripheral Chls are redox-active and participate in a low-quantum-yield electron transfer cycle around PSII. We demonstrate that conservative mutations of the D2-H117 residue result in decreased Chl fluorescence quenching efficiency attributed to reduced accumulation of the peripheral accessory Chl cation, Chl. In contrast, identical symmetry-related mutations at residue D1-H118 had no effect on Chl fluorescence yield or quenching kinetics. Mutagenesis of the D2-H117 residue also altered the line width of the Chl EPR signal, but the line shape of the D1-H118Q mutant remained unchanged. The D1-H118 and D2-H117 mutations also altered energy transfer properties in PSII RCs. Unlike wild type or the D1-H118Q mutant, D2-H117N RCs exhibited a reduced CD doublet in the red region of Chl absorbance band, indicative of reduced energetic coupling between P680 and the peripheral accessory Chl. In addition, transient absorption measurements of D2-H117N RCs, excited on the blue side of the Chl absorbance band, exhibited a (≈400 fs) pheophytin QX band bleach lifetime component not seen in wild-type or D1-H118Q RCs. The origin of this component may be related to delayed fast-energy equilibration of the excited state between the core pigments of this mutant.
“Getting Along” and “Getting Ahead” as Motives for Self‐Presentation: Their Impact on Advertising Effectiveness

This research takes a multidimensional approach to the study of self-presentation by employing scales which measure protective and acquisitive motives for self-presentation termed getting-along and getting-ahead respectively (Lennox & Wolfe, 1984). The getting-along and getting-ahead motives for self-presentation are found to be positively related to the effectiveness of different types of image ads, supporting the hypothesis that consistency between the appeal type and the underlying motivation for self-presentation is positively associated with ad effectiveness.
Neuroadaptive Model Following Controller Design for Non-affine Non-square Aircraft System

Aircrafts with high performance requirements or structural damage, often operate in conditions characterized by rapidly changing nonlinear aerodynamic phenomena. A neural network based model-following adaptive control design is proposed in this paper for stable control of aircrafts in such scenarios. These systems have control dependent nonlinearities making their mathematical characterization non-affine in control and they are usually nonsquare too. The uncertainties that occur during the flight are estimated online with weight update adaptation laws derived by using the Lyapunov theory to ensure boundedness of the estimation errors and the weights. The nonsquare system model is re-structured by using slack variables to facilitate the design of control using the dynamic inversion technique. Typically, when large changes appear in the aerodynamic derivatives, fast adaptation is required to ensure the system stability. But the drawback with using high adaptive gains is that they could result in high frequency oscillations in the control signal that excite the unmodeled dynamics of the plant. A novel observer structure is employed in this paper that enables fast adaptation without inducing any high frequency oscillations. The proposed method is applied to the short period dynamics of a fighter aircraft and is compared with the recently popular L1 adaptive control technique. Simulation results demonstrate the potential of the proposed method.
Setting the Clock Forward or Back? Covenant Marriage and the “Divorce Revolution”

In 1997, Louisiana codified a new family form by becoming the first state to pass covenant marriage legislation. Soon after, Arizona and Arkansas followed suit. This act created two marriage types with substantially different marital and divorce provisions. In spring 1998, the authors conducted qualitative interviews with focus groups consisting of covenant married couples, feminist activists, and poor women living in public housing, examining their views on marriage and divorce trends, divorce consequences, and covenant marriage. All groups were concerned about the effects of divorce on children's well-being. Beyond that, the authors found little commonality in the discourse. Instead, they found major disagreements about whether family life is in decline and whether marriage law reinforcement will improve it. Covenant married couples and feminists polarized along familiar traditionalist-feminist axes; low-income women combined feminist, liberal, and conservative views in their understanding of contempora...
Pre-metatarsal skeletal development in tissue culture at unit- and microgravity

Explant organ culture was used to demonstrate that isolated embryonic mouse pre-metatarsal mesenchyme is capable of undergoing a series of differentiative and morphogenetic developmental events. Mesenchyme differentiation into chondrocytes, and concurrent morphogenetic patterning of the cartilage tissue, and terminal chondrocyte differentiation with subsequent matrix mineralization show that cultured tissue closely parallels in vivo development. Whole mount alizarin red staining of the cultured tissue demonstrates that the extracellular matrix around the hypertrophied chondrocytes is competent to support mineralization. Intensely stained mineralized bands are similar to those formed in pre-metatarsals developing in vivo. We have adapted the culture strategy for experimentation in a reduced gravity environment on the Space Shuttle. Spaceflight culture of pre-metatarsals, which have already initiated chondrogenesis and morphogenetic patterning, results in an increase in cartilage rod size and maintenance of rod shape, compared to controls. Older pre-metatarsal tissue, already terminally differentiated to hypertrophied cartilage, maintained rod structure and cartilage phenotype during spaceflight culture.
Patient characteristics and experiences associated with trust in specialist physicians.

Background Nearly half of all medical visits are to specialist physicians, yet little is known about patients' outpatient experiences with specialists or how patients' characteristics and experiences are related to trust in specialist physicians. Methods We surveyed patients who had a new patient visit with a cardiologist, neurologist, nephrologist, gastroenterologist, or rheumatologist practicing in hospital-based practices (response rate, 73%; N = 417) and inquired about their experiences with care and trust in the specialist physician. We used multivariable models to assess associations of patients' characteristics and experiences with trust. Results Most patients reported good experiences, and 79% reported complete confidence and trust in the specialist. Black patients were less trusting than white patients (risk ratio [RR], 0.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.2-0.8). Patients were more trusting if they reported that the consultant listened (RR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.0-2.5), received as much information as they wanted (RR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-1.9), were told what to do if problems or symptoms continued, got worse, or returned (RR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2-1.5), were involved in decisions as much as they wanted (RR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2-1.8), and spent as much time as they wanted with the specialist (RR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.3-2.2). Conclusions Patients reported high levels of trust in specialist physicians after an initial visit. Several specific experiences were associated with higher trust, suggesting that efforts to improve patient-physician interactions may be successful at achieving trust. Such efforts should especially aim to optimize physicians' interactions with black patients, who were less trusting of specialist physicians.
Displacement and Disaster Recovery: Transnational Governance and Socio-legal Issues Following the 2010 Haiti Earthquake

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti and its aftermath have highlighted inherent but understudied transnational governance and socio-legal complexities of disaster recovery and displacement. The aftermath of the earthquake and issues related to recovery were experienced not only domestically within in Haiti, but also transnationally, particularly in the South Florida region. This region has been particularly important in the recovery process, as it is home to over 300,000 Haitians, it served as a receiving area for severely injured earthquake survivors and for school-aged displacees, and it is an area that is rich with Haitian-American organizations, including activists who have for decades been fighting causes of immigration equality for people of Haitian descent. The specific objectives of this paper are to examine and analyze the key transnational governance and socio-legal issues that have arisen in the South Florida region for four distinct groups: (i) displacees and their related legal, social, cultural, and economic issues; (ii) host communities and governance, legal, and monetary complexities associated with compensation payments (e.g., to hospitals for their services to earthquake survivors); (iii) immigrants within the United States and related legalization and citizenship issues; and (iv) diaspora communities and socio-legal issues related to dual citizenship and their ongoing struggles to have a louder voice in the future of Haiti. Our methodology and data sources include interviews with key members of the Haitian-American diaspora, school districts, city and county governments, non-profit organizations, relief task forces, and local government agencies. We also looked at relevant plans/ policies modified or adopted by governmental and non-governmental institutions in response to governance and socio-legal issues that have arisen as part of our analysis and when referred to by our interviewees. We find that social constructions of the different groups in our study, along with other social, political and economic factors, were important in understanding policy responses to the issues that emerged.
Companion animal demographics and sterilization status: results from a survey in four Massachusetts towns

AbstractA survey was conducted in four Massachusetts communities to determine levels of pet ownership and the sterilization status of those pets, to analyze the impact of sterilization on pet overpopulation, to identify major reasons owners do or do not sterilize their animals, and to assess the impact of cost on an owner's decision to sterilize, among other factors. The survey was conducted by telephone using randomly generated telephone numbers. Interviews were conducted with 343 households of which 42% owned pets and 58% owned no pets. The percentages of households owning dogs (22%) and cats (21%) were lower than those reported in national surveys, as were the numbers of dogs (1.17) and cats (1.66) per owning household. Information was collected on 209 animals of which 42% were dogs and 52% were cats. Of the animals in the survey, 18.6% were intact and 81.3% were sterilized. Female dogs were sterilized at a significantly higher rate (87.8%) than were male dogs (45%). There was no difference in the ster...
The Rutgers School: A Zerubavelian Culturalist Cognitive Sociology

In this article, the Zerubavelian culturalist cognitive paradigm which comprises an emerging Rutgers School of Sociology is presented. This perspective employs a comparative cognitive pluralist approach to the study of cognition and takes as its central premise that the mind is social. The key roots of the perspective in Simmelian classical sociology and in the twentieth-century sociology of knowledge approaches of Fleck, Mannheim, Berger and Luckmann and others are outlined. The key concepts and parameters of the field and its concern with perception, attention, classification, meaning-making, memory, time and identity are discussed. Finally, its methodological approach is outlined and it is suggested that the Zerubavelian perspective provides a unique analytic literacy that cuts across the various subfields of contemporary sociology.
Dehydration of Uranyl Nitrate Hexahydrate to Uranyl Nitrate Trihydrate under Ambient Conditions as Observed via Dynamic Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy

Uranyl nitrate is a key species in the nuclear fuel cycle, but is known to exist in different states of hydration, including the hexahydrate [UO2(NO3)2(H2O)6] (UNH) and the trihydrate [UO2(NO3)2(H2O)3] (UNT) forms. Their stabilities depend on both relative humidity and temperature. Both phases have previously been studied by infrared transmission spectroscopy, but the data were limited by both instrumental resolution and the ability to prepare the samples as pellets without desiccating it. We report time-resolved infrared (IR) measurements using an integrating sphere that allow us to observe the transformation from the hexahydrate to the trihydrate simply by flowing dry nitrogen gas over the sample. Hexahydrate samples were prepared and confirmed via known XRD patterns, then measured in reflectance mode. The hexahydrate has a distinct uranyl asymmetric stretch band at 949.0 cm-1 that shifts to shorter wavelengths and broadens as the sample dehydrates and recrystallizes to the trihydrate, first as a blue edge shoulder but ultimately resulting in a doublet band with reflectance peaks at 966 and 957 cm-1. The data are consistent with transformation from UNH to UNT since UNT has two non-equivalent UO22+ sites. The dehydration of UO2(NO3)2(H2O)6 to UO2(NO3)2(H2O)3 is both a morphological and structural change that has the lustrous lime green crystals changing to the dull greenish yellow of the trihydrate. Crystal structures and phase transformation were confirmed theoretically using DFT calculations and experimentally via microscopy methods. Both methods showed a transformation with two distinct sites for the uranyl cation in the trihydrate, as opposed to a single crystallographic site in the hexahydrate.
Computational aspects of a scalable high-order discontinuous Galerkin atmospheric dynamical core

A new atmospheric general circulation model (dynamical core) based on the discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method is developed. This model is conservative, high-order accurate and has been integrated into the NCAR’s high-order method modeling environment (HOMME) to leverage scalable parallel computing capability to thousands of processors. The computational domain for this 3-D hydrostatic model is a cubed-sphere with curvilinear coordinates; the governing equations are cast in flux-form. The horizontal DG discretization employs a high-order nodal basis set of orthogonal Lagrange–Legendre polynomials and fluxes of inter-element boundaries are approximated with Lax–Friedrichs numerical flux. The vertical discretization follows the 1-D vertical Lagrangian coordinates approach combined with the cell-integrated semi-Lagrangian conservative remapping procedure. Time integration follows the third-order strong stability preserving explicit Runge–Kutta scheme. The domain decomposition is applied through space-filling curve approach. To validate the 3-D DG model in HOMME framework, a baroclinic instability test is used and the results are compared with those from the established models. Parallel performance is evaluated on IBM Blue Gene/L supercomputers.