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Despite efforts to identify and address the social needs of patients in U.S. healthcare settings, researchers consistently find high rates of patients who decline social interventions after reporting that they have unmet social needs. It is an open question as to why people who screen positive for social risks decline assistance. This question was qualitatively explored in a community health center in Rhode Island.From 2020 to 2021, a total of 26 patients with a positive screen for social risks were telephonically interviewed. Zoom focus groups with clinic staff and Community Advisory Board members were also conducted. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were read and analyzed by 4 investigators using an open-coding framework to identify themes emerging from the data and across interviews.A total of 6 dominant themes related to why patients decline social assistance emerged from the data and were identified across interviews and study populations. Participants explained that the wording of screening questions, along with voluminous paperwork and time constraints of the clinic sometimes resulted in inaccurate reporting. Patients' knowledge of limited resources from previous experiences of requesting social support but not receiving help was a theme. Shame/pride, stigma/discrimination, beliefs and lack of understanding, and fear/mistrust were also described.Barriers to patients' acceptance of services to support social needs were influenced by multiple factors, both internal and external to the health center. These findings can inform best practices related to and the reliability of social risk screening processes in clinic settings to promote social justice and ensure health equity.

Summary Cardiac induction requires stepwise integration of BMP and WNT pathway activity. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are developmentally and clinically relevant for studying the poorly understood molecular mechanisms downstream of these cascades. We show that BMP and WNT signaling drive cardiac specification by removing sequential roadblocks that otherwise redirect hESC differentiation toward competing fates, rather than activating a cardiac program per se. First, BMP and WNT signals pattern mesendoderm through cooperative repression of SOX2, a potent mesoderm antagonist. BMP signaling promotes miRNA-877 maturation to induce SOX2 mRNA degradation, while WNT-driven EOMES induction transcriptionally represses SOX2. Following mesoderm formation, cardiac differentiation requires inhibition of WNT activity. We found that WNT inhibition serves to restrict expression of anti-cardiac regulators MSX1 and CDX2/1. Conversely, their simultaneous disruption partially abrogates the requirement for WNT inactivation. These results suggest that human cardiac induction depends on multi-stage repression of alternate lineages, with implications for deriving expandable cardiac stem cells.

Control of alkalinity, dissolved carbon dioxide (dCO 2 ), and pH are critical in marine recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) in order to maintain health and maximize growth. A small-scale prototype aragonite sand filled fluidized bed reactor was tested under varying conditions of alkalinity and dCO 2 to develop and model the response of dCO 2 across the reactor. A large-scale reactor was then incorporated into an operating marine recirculating aquaculture system to observe the reactor as the system moved toward equilibrium. The relationship between alkalinity dCO 2 , and pH across the reactor are described by multiple regression equations. The change in dCO 2 across the small-scale reactor indicated a strong likelihood that an equilibrium alkalinity would be maintained by using a fluidized bed aragonite reactor. The large-scale reactor verified this observation and established equilibrium at an alkalinity of approximately 135 mg/L as CaCO 3 , dCO 2 of 9 mg/L, and a pH of 7.0 within 4 days that was stable during a 14 day test period. The fluidized bed aragonite reactor has the potential to simplify alkalinity and pH control, and aid in dCO 2 control in RAS design and operation. Aragonite sand, purchased in bulk, is less expensive than sodium bicarbonate and could reduce overall operating production costs.

There is ample evidence that human primates strive for social contact and experience interactions with conspecifics as intrinsically rewarding. Focusing on gaze behavior as a crucial means of human interaction, this study employed a unique combination of neuroimaging, eye-tracking, and computer-animated virtual agents to assess the neural mechanisms underlying this component of behavior. In the interaction task, participants believed that during each interaction the agent's gaze behavior could either be controlled by another participant or by a computer program. Their task was to indicate whether they experienced a given interaction as an interaction with another human participant or the computer program based on the agent's reaction. Unbeknownst to them, the agent was always controlled by a computer to enable a systematic manipulation of gaze reactions by varying the degree to which the agent engaged in joint attention. This allowed creating a tool to distinguish neural activity underlying the subjective experience of being engaged in social and non-social interaction. In contrast to previous research, this allows measuring neural activity while participants experience active engagement in real-time social interactions. Results demonstrate that gaze-based interactions with a perceived human partner are associated with activity in the ventral striatum, a core component of reward-related neurocircuitry. In contrast, interactions with a computer-driven agent activate attention networks. Comparisons of neural activity during interaction with behaviorally naïve and explicitly cooperative partners demonstrate different temporal dynamics of the reward system and indicate that the mere experience of engagement in social interaction is sufficient to recruit this system.

Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains the major immunological complication preventing more widespread application of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants (aHSCTs). Mobilized hematopoietic stem / progenitor cells (HSPC) is the predominant choice for adult HSCT (CIBMTR, 2017), but unfortunately still frequently results in the development of GVHD. Our lab and others have been exploring the potential application of CD4+FoxP3+ T cells (Tregs) to ameliorate GVHD. A useful advance in the field would be the ability to concomitantly mobilize stem cell donors and efficiently expand the peripheral Treg compartment. We have utilized a two-pathway Treg expansion strategy previously reported from our lab (Wolf, 2017; Copsel 2018) to amplify suppressor activity in the donor inoculum to diminish GVHD. The present studies developed a protocol to concurrently induce mobilization of mouse progenitor cells and expansion of Tregs for use in pre-clinical aHSCT. Donor mice were treated with recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) for 4 days (2ug/mouse) followed by plerixafor (5mg/kg) on D-1 and D0 (day of transplant). Peripheral blood was then assessed and significant elevations in granulocytes ( Figure 1 A) as well as multiple progenitor populations including c-Kit+ stem cells, CLP's and Lin-Sca-1ckit+ cells was observed ( Figure 1 B). We then employed a strategy beginning on D-6 through D-1 of transplant administering a fusion protein (TL1A-Ig) targeting TNFRSF25 and low dose IL-2 (two-pathway expansion). Peripheral blood was then assessed for Treg levels in donors on the day of transplant. We identified a marked increase in the frequency of CD4+FoxP3+ Treg cells ranging from (26-31%) within the CD4 compartment during the mobilization process ( Fig. 2 A). Peripheral blood was pooled from donors from both mobilized and Treg unexpanded (“TrUM”) or mobilized and Treg expanded (“TrEM”) donors and transplanted into lethally irradiated, complete MHC-mismatched BALB/c recipients. Recipients of TrUM lost weight and developed clinical signs of GVHD ( Fig. 2 B). In contrast, recipients of TrEM donors exhibited significantly reduced weight loss and clinical GVHD scores ( Figure 2 B). Transplants were also performed utilizing donors similarly prepared and transplanted into MHC-matched mice. The recipients of TrEM peripheral blood exhibited reduced GVHD compared to recipients of TrUM. Notably, mobilized donor HSPC were found to be functional as donor derived progeny (ex. CD19) were identified >1 month post-HSCT. In total, these findings support the notion that during the donor stem / progenitor cell mobilization process, manipulation of Treg cells using our two-pathway strategy can be successfully accomplished in peripheral blood resulting in an effective and translational approach to ameliorate GVHD following allo-HSCT.

Tracking eye-movements provides easy access to cognitive processes involved in visual and sensorimotor processing. More recently, the underlying neural mechanisms have been examined by combining eye-tracking and functional neuroimaging methods. Apart from extracting visual information, gaze also serves important functions in social interactions. As a deictic cue, gaze can be used to direct the attention of another person to an object. Conversely, by following other persons' gaze we gain access to their attentional focus, which is essential for understanding their mental states. Social gaze has therefore been studied extensively to understand the social brain. In this endeavor, gaze has mostly been investigated from an observational perspective using static displays of faces and eyes. However, there is growing consent that observational paradigms are insufficient for an understanding of the neural mechanisms of social gaze behavior, which typically involve active engagement in social interactions. Recent methodological advances have allowed increasing ecological validity by studying gaze in face-to-face encounters in real-time. Such improvements include interactions using virtual agents in gaze-contingent eye-tracking paradigms, live interactions via video feeds, and dual eye-tracking in two-person setups. These novel approaches can be used to analyze brain activity related to social gaze behavior. This review introduces these methodologies and discusses recent findings on the behavioral functions and neural mechanisms of gaze processing in social interaction.

Using Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance scores from KLD STAT, we investigate whether CSR performance affects information asymmetry. We find that both positive and negative CSR performance reduce information asymmetry. Moreover, we find that the influence of negative CSR performance is much stronger than that of positive CSR performance in reducing information asymmetry. We also investigate the effect of informed investors on the CSR performance-asymmetry relation. We find that the negative association between CSR performance and bid-ask spread decreases for firms with a high level of institutional investors compared to those with a low level of institutional investors. This finding suggests that informed investors may exploit their CSR information advantage. Overall, our results suggest that CSR performance plays a positive role for investors by reducing information asymmetry and that regulatory action may be appropriate to mitigate the adverse selection problem faced by less-informed investors.

Three different commercially available structural plastic media were evaluated in triplicate in moving bed biofilters under low salinity (11–12 ppt) warm water culture conditions and two different feed loading rates. The culture system consisted of nine separate modules that include a double drain fish culture tank paired to a moving bed biofilter. The biofilters were filled with 0.11 m 3 of one of three different types of floating plastic structured media. The three types of media evaluated were K1 kaldnes media, MB3 media, and AMB media. Volumetric total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) removal rates (g TAN removed/m 3 media-day), TAN removal efficiency, and biofilm kinetic constants, K i (h −1 ) were determined for the three media types at two different daily feed load rates of 3.5 and 8.2 kg feed/m 3 media. The feed provided was a 4.8 mm slow sinking marine grower diet pellet (45% protein, 17% fat). Average (±standard deviation, SD) volumetric TAN removal rates (VTR) at the lower feed load for the three media types were 92.2 ± 26.3, 86.1 ± 27.5, and 82.5 ± 25.9 for the MB3, AMB, and K1 kaldnes media, respectively. At the higher feed load the average VTR for the three media types was 186.4 ± 53.7, 172.9 ± 47.8, and 139.9 ± 38.9 for the MB3, AMB, and K1 kaldnes media, respectively. Influent TAN concentrations varied by the feed load rate and ranged from 0.55 to 0.93 mg/L and 0.83 to 1.87 mg/L for the low and higher feed loads, respectively. The percent TAN removal rates for the MB3 media was the highest of the three media types at both the low and high feed load rates averaging 12.3% and 14.4%, respectively. The MB3 media was selected for use in the moving bed biofilters because of the greater VTR and removal efficiency results for use in the 0.11 m 3 moving bed biofilters of the hatchery recirculating aquaculture system.

Many methods are available for the measurement of dissolved carbon dioxide in an aqueous environment. Standard titration is the typical field method for measuring dissolved CO2 in aquaculture systems. However, titrimetric determination of dissolved CO2 in marine water aquaculture systems is unsuitable because of the high dissolved solids, silicates, and other dissolved minerals that interfere with the determination. Other methods used to measure dissolved carbon dioxide in an aquaculture water included use of a wetted CO2 probe analyzer, standard nomographic methods, and calculation by direct measurements of the water's pH, temperature, and alkalinity. The determination of dissolved CO2 in saltwater based on partial pressure measurements and non-dispersive infra-red (NDIR) techniques with a CO2 gas analyzer are widely employed for oceanic surveys of surface ocean CO2 flux and are similar to the techniques employed with the head space unit (HSU) in this study. Dissolved carbon dioxide (DC) determination with the HSU using a infra-red gas analyzer (IRGA) was compared with titrimetric, nomographic, calculated, and probe measurements of CO2 in freshwater and in saltwater with a salinity ranging from 5.0 to 30ppt, and a CO2 range from 8 to 50mg/L. Differences in CO2 measurements between duplicate HSUs (0.1–0.2mg/L) were not statistically significant different. The coefficient of variation for the HSU readings averaged 1.85% which was better than the CO2 probe (4.09%) and that for the titrimetric method (5.84%). In all low, medium and high salinity level trials HSU precision was good, averaging 3.39%. Differences existed between comparison testing of the CO2 probe and HSU measurements with the CO2 probe readings, on average, providing DC estimates that were higher than HSU estimates. Differences between HSU and titration based estimates of DC increased with salinity and reached a maximum at 32.2ppt. These differences were statistically significant (P

Non-invasive characterization of fracture callus structure and composition may facilitate development of surrogate measures of the regain of mechanical function. As such, quantitative computed tomography- (CT-) based analyses of fracture calluses could enable more reliable clinical assessments of bone healing. Although previous studies have used CT to quantify and predict fracture healing, it is unclear which of the many CT-derived metrics of callus structure and composition are the most predictive of callus mechanical properties. The goal of this study was to identify the changes in fracture callus structure and composition that occur over time and that are most closely related to the regain of mechanical function. Micro-computed tomography (microCT) imaging and torsion testing were performed on murine fracture calluses (n=188) at multiple post-fracture timepoints and under different experimental conditions that alter fracture healing. Total callus volume (TV), mineralized callus volume (BV), callus mineralized volume fraction (BV/TV), bone mineral content (BMC), tissue mineral density (TMD), standard deviation of mineral density (sigma(TMD)), effective polar moment of inertia (J(eff)), torsional strength, and torsional rigidity were quantified. Multivariate statistical analyses, including multivariate analysis of variance, principal components analysis, and stepwise regression were used to identify differences in callus structure and composition among experimental groups and to determine which of the microCT outcome measures were the strongest predictors of mechanical properties. Although calluses varied greatly in the absolute and relative amounts of mineralized tissue (BV, BMC, and BV/TV), differences among timepoints were most strongly associated with changes in tissue mineral density. Torsional strength and rigidity were dependent on mineral density as well as the amount of mineralized tissue: TMD, BV, and sigma(TMD) explained 62% of the variation in torsional strength (p

Recirculating aquaculture systems offer potential finfish production units for small-scale entities as well as large-scale operations. However, the water treatment components of such systems require efficient and proper operation to assure successful production. This study evaluated the solids removal ability of three water treatment components in a two-tank recirculating aquaculture system (28 m 3 ) utilized for the warmwater production of tilapia. The components include a swirl separator, a floating plastic bead bioclarifier, and a fluidized sand filter. Sampling was conducted at five different points in the system with each sample volume being serially fractionated through sieves in size ranging from 23 to 500 μm. Total suspended solids analysis was completed on each sample set to determine the particle size distribution of the influent and effluent water and removal efficiency of each component. The removal efficiency of the swirl separator was over 90% for particles larger than 250 μm and the propeller-wash bead filter had removal efficiencies greater than 85% for particles larger than 55 μm. The fluidized sand filter had the best removal for the smaller size particles with over 65% removal efficiency for particles between 23 and 55 μm. The overall reduction in total suspended solids for the treatment loop of the three components of this small-scale experimental unit was over 85% and adequately removed the suspended solids from the recirculating water for tilapia growout production.

Engineering considerations for paddlewheel aeration in vegetated shallow water ponds for the production of procambarid crawfish is necessary to ensure cost-effective application. Three experimental ponds (approximately 2 ha each) were planted with rice in August as forage for the resident pond population of red swamp crawfish, Procambarus clarkii, and flooded in October. Two 2.2 kW (3 hp), single-phase electric motor (110 Vac) paddlewheel aerators were placed in each pond. The aerator rotors were 160-cm long and 95-cm in diameter. The aerator rotor had 36 paddles with half the paddles 27.3-cm long and half 34.9-cm long. Rotor speed was set at 83 rpm and operated at three paddle submergence settings: 7.6, 12.7, and 17.8 cm below the water surface. Over a 20-week period between November and April, channel velocity, head difference, and aerator amperage was measured for both one and two aerators in operation in each pond. Results indicated that circulation of oxygenated water from the aerators can be accomplished as efficiently with a single aerator set at a lower paddle depth (7.6-cm) compared to operating two aerators set at a greater paddle depth (12.7 or 17.8-cm). However, based on the apparent efficiency of the aerators and the calculated channel roughness coefficients values obtained from the channel velocities, paddlewheel aerators are an inefficient option for circulating the pond water especially when rice foliage dominants the total vegetative biomass of the pond.

We present long-wavelength vertical-cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) with a new approach for control of singlemode emission at 1285 nm wavelength. The VCSELs show singlemode optical output powers of 1.0 mW and a serial resistance between 70 Ω and 100 Ω.

Purpose: Sexual abstinence has become the primary response to adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention. However, most abstinence programs are based on adult ideas of abstinence, and little is known about how adolescents themselves conceptualize sexual abstinence. Methods: In this qualitative study, we conducted semi-structured exploratory interviews with 42 adolescents aged 11-17 years recruited from primary care clinics. Results: We observed marked confusion over the term "abstinence." However, the concept of absti- nence, or choosing not to have sex, was clear and relevant. Participants viewed sexual abstinence as part of a normal developmental continuum. All adolescents were abstinent for a period of time, and then transitioned to sexual activity when they were ready. Readiness was determined by (1) individual factors, such as age, life events, physical maturity and social maturity, (2) relationship factors such as being with the "right" person, or having a committed relationship, (3) moral and religious beliefs, and (4) the balance of health, social, and family risks and benefits. Sex was considered something powerful, and the transition to first sex a rite of passage in which adolescents took on what they perceived to be adult roles. We observed differences by age, gender, and sexual experience in how adolescents determined readiness. Conclusions: Adolescents conceptualize sexual abstinence differently than adults, with differences by age, gender and sexual experience. Rather than a simple behavioral decision, our participants viewed abstinence as a broader part of normal development and viewed the transition to sex as an important rite of passage to adulthood. © 2006 Society for Adolescent Medicine. All rights reserved.

Predicting the performance of biofilters is an engineering challenge that is critical to both designers and managers. The task is complicated by the wide variety of water quality expectations and environmental conditions displayed by a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS). A myriad of biofilters designs have been generated reflecting approaches of engineers attempting to maximize specific surface area and oxygen transfer within the context of a biofilm management strategy. A rating strategy is presented for biofilters to facilitate the identification of appropriate matches between biofiltration formats and RAS applications. As a foundation, a previously proposed RAS classification system based upon salinity, temperature and trophic levels is upgraded to create 17 systems classifications. A biofilter classification system identifies seven combinations of trophic level and pH which should be sufficient to serve the RAS demands. Temperature and salinity are neglected as a means of simplifying the approach. An experimental methodology based upon chemical feeds is proposed to represent the steady-state RAS performance of the biofilters. Data is summarized by linear analysis of filter performance for concentration ranges below 1.0 g TAN m−3 and simple averaging is proposed for higher trophic levels. Input from the aquacultural engineering community and RAS aquaculturists is required to further refine the approach prior to endorsement.

The most commonly identified mutations causing Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) classic type result in haploinsufficiency of proα1(V) chains of type V collagen, a quantitatively minor collagen that co-assembles with type I collagen as heterotypic fibrils. To determine the role(s) of type I/V collagen interactions in fibrillogenesis and elucidate the mechanism whereby half-reduction of type V collagen causes abnormal connective tissue biogenesis observed in EDS, we analyzed mice heterozygous for a targeted inactivating mutation in col5a1 that caused 50% reduction in col5a1 mRNA and collagen V. Comparable with EDS patients, they had decreased aortic stiffness and tensile strength and hyperextensible skin with decreased tensile strength of both normal and wounded skin. In dermis, 50% fewer fibrils were assembled with two subpopulations: relatively normal fibrils with periodic immunoreactivity for collagen V where type I/V interactions regulate nucleation of fibril assembly and abnormal fibrils, lacking collagen V, generated by unregulated sequestration of type I collagen. The presence of the aberrant fibril subpopulation disrupts the normal linear and lateral growth mediated by fibril fusion. Therefore, abnormal fibril nucleation and dysfunctional fibril growth with potential disruption of cell-directed fibril organization leads to the connective tissue dysfunction associated with EDS.

A novel silica-bonded stationary phase containing a functionalized resorcinarene selector was prepared by a straightforward synthesis. The complete modification of all resorcinic hydroxyl groups was achieved by reaction with isopropyl isocyanate. The derivatized resorcinarene selector was subsequently immobilized via the four alkenyl chains containing a terminal double bond by a free radical-induced reaction on mercaptopropyl-functionalized silica. A comprehensive characterization of the resulting bonded stationary phase was carried out by solid state NMR, IR and elemental analysis. The resulting selector is defined as a “polar headed” reversed phase since the highly ordered polar carbamate groups of the new stationary phase are located, compared to conventional polar embedded stationary phases, at a greater distance from the silica surface. Thus a new concept is introduced in the field of polar modified reversed-phase HPLC. The properties of the novel stationary phase are demonstrated by comparison with commercially available reversed phases.

Background: Ever since Charles Baxter's recommendations the standard regime for burn shock resuscitation remains crystalloid infusion at a rate of 4 ml/kg/% burn in the first 24 h following the thermal injury. A growing number of studies on invasive monitoring in burn shock, however, have raised a debate regarding the adequacy of this regime. The purpose of this prospective, randomised study was to compare goal-directed therapy guided by invasive monitoring with standard care (Baxter formula) in patients with burn shock. Patients and methods: Fifty consecutive patients with burns involving more than 20% body surface area were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. The control group was resuscitated according to the Baxter formula (4 ml/kg BW/% BSA burn), the thermodilution (TDD) group was treated according to a volumetric preload endpoint (intrathoracic blood volume) obtained by invasive haemodynamic monitoring. Results: The baseline characteristics of the two treatment groups were similar. Fluid administration in the initial 24 h after burn was significantly higher in the TDD treatment group than in the control group ( P = 0.0001). The results of haemodynamic monitoring showed no significant difference in preload or cardiac output parameters. Signs of significant intravasal hypovolemia as indicated by subnormal values of intrathoracic and total blood volumes were present in both treatment groups. Mortality and morbidity were independent on randomisation. Conclusion: Burn shock resuscitation due to the Baxter formula leads to significant hypovolemia during the first 48 h following burn. Haemodynamic monitoring results in more aggressive therapeutic strategies and is associated with a significant increase in fluid administration. Increased crystalloid infusion does not improve preload or cardiac output parameters. This may be due to the fact that a pure crystalloid resuscitation is incapable of restoring cardiac preload during the period of burn shock.

This paper examines whether financial analysts’ forecasts of annual earnings reflect an over-weighting of working-capital accruals that is comparable to the over-weighting implicit in securities prices documented in Sloan [Account. Rev. 71 (1996) 289] and Bradshaw et al. [J. Account. Res. 39 (2001) 45]. Our results indicate that the over-weighting of working-capital accruals in analysts’ earnings forecasts is less than one-third of the over-weighting by investors that is implicit in stock prices. Moreover, we are able to attribute less than 40% of the delayed securities returns associated with working-capital accruals to subsequent errors in analysts’ annual earnings forecasts, for firms with lower analyst coverage. These findings suggest that securities market inefficiencies that are unrelated to financial analysts’ earnings forecasts underlie at least part of the accruals-related anomaly.

Both a resorcinarene with pendant l -valine diamide groups (used as hydrogen-bonding selector) and a permethylated β-cyclodextrin (used as inclusion-type selector) were chemically bonded to poly(hydromethyl)dimethylsiloxane in a one-pot reaction via Pt-catalyzed alkene hydrosilylation. This novel mixed chiral stationary phase (mixCSP) named Chirasil-Calixval-Dex resembles a combination of the known chiral stationary phases (CSPs) Chirasil-Calixval and Chirasil-Dex and it was used successfully in enantioselective gas chromatography toward a unified enantioselective GC separation system. It is demonstrated that Chirasil-Calixval-Dex retains the individual enantioselectivites of the single components. Thus the enantiomers of apolar hydrocarbons as well as polar amino acid derivatives can be separated with the mixed CSP.

We investigate the narratives accompanying earnings announcements made by industry-leading companies (leaders) to determine whether there are information transfers for narratives in the same way there are for earnings announcements. For a group of industry-leading firms with quarterly losses, we find evidence that when their CEO attributes the company's poor performance to external causes (defensive attributions) or issues negative industry forecasts, the market’s reaction to industry followers is strongly more negative and more persistent than when the CEO issues internal attributions or positive industry forecasts. Our findings of a persistent price decline occur despite the subsequent release of positive earnings surprises by industry followers. Our results suggest that the market overreacts to the information in industry leaders’ narratives and followers’ stock prices suffer significant price declines that are only partially corrected. We characterize investors’ behavior as an overreaction potentially due to their attentional constraints.

Novel collagen glomerulopathy in a homotrimeric type I collagen mouse ( oim ). Background: Oim/oim mice [osteogenesis imperfecta model; homozygous null for the proα2(I) collagen gene] synthesize exclusively the homotrimeric type I collagen isotype, α1(I) 3 , and are unable to synthesize the normal heterotrimeric type I collagen isotype, α1(I) 2 α2(I). Previous studies of the oim/oim mouse have focused on the musculoskeletal system, with no systematic evaluation of other organ systems. Methods: Multiple tissues from oim/oim , oim /+ (heterozygous) and +/+ (wild-type) mice were examined for gross and histological abnormalities. Tissues were stained with ( 1 ) hematoxylin and eosin (to assess lesion formation), ( 2 ) picrosirius red (collagen content), and ( 3 ) periodic acid methenamine silver (basement membrane). Kidneys were further evaluated ultrastructurally by electron microscopy and immunohistochemically with anti-α1(I) and anti-α1(III) collagen antibodies. Results: Histological analyses revealed accumulations of picrosirius red-positive material, consistent with collagen, in glomeruli of 28/29 oim/oim mice, with no evidence of mesangial cell proliferation. Only the most severely affected animals had evidence of increased capillary basement membrane thickening or mild inflammation around the affected glomeruli. Electron microscopy confirmed the presence of fibrillar collagen. Immunohistochemistry with anti-α1(I) collagen antibodies confirmed accumulation of type I collagen in the oim/oim glomeruli. The +/+ and oim /+ kidneys had normal mesangium with no evidence of infiltration of collagenous material. Conclusions This study demonstrates the first evidence, to our knowledge, of abnormal glomerular collagen deposition associated with a type I collagen defect. Further in vivo and in vitro studies are necessary to elucidate the mechanistic, functional, and pathological significance of the oim/oim collagen glomerulopathy.

The synthesis of a new enantiomerically pure resorcinarene by reaction of all resorcinic groups with N -bromoacetyl- l -valine- tert -butyl-amide is described. The chiral macrocyclic product was chemically bonded to a poly(hydro)dimethylsiloxane by hydrosilylation using a platinum catalyst. The resulting chiral polysiloxane Chirasil-Calix can be used as chiral stationary phase (CSP) in capillary gas chromatography. 1

Purpose: Elastin and collagen (types I and III) are the primary load-bearing elements in aortic tissue. Deficiencies and derangements in elastin and type III collagen have been associated with the development of aneurysmal disease. However, the role of type I collagen is less well defined. The purpose of this study was to define the role of type I collagen in maintaining biomechanical integrity in the thoracic aorta, with a mouse model that produces homotrimeric type I collagen [α1(I)] 3 , rather than the normally present heterotrimeric [α1(I)] 2 α2(I) type I collagen isotype. Methods: Ascending and descending thoracic aortas from homozygous ( oim/oim ), heterozygous ( oim /+), and wildtype (+/+) mice were harvested. Circumferential and longitudinal load-extension curves were used as a means of determining maximum breaking strength (F max ) and incremental elastic modulus (IEM). Histologic analyses and hydroxyproline assays were performed as a means of determining collagen organization and content. Results: Circumferentially, the ascending and descending aortas of oim / oim mice demonstrated significantly reduced F max , with an F max of only 60% and 23%, respectively, of wildtype mice aortas. Oim/oim descending aortas demonstrated significantly greater compliance (decreased IEM), and the ascending aortas also exhibited a trend toward increased compliance. Reduced breaking strength was also demonstrated with longitudinal extension of the descending aorta. Conclusion: The presence of homotrimeric type I collagen isotype (absence of α2(I) collagen) significantly weakens the aorta. This study demonstrates the integral role of type I collagen in the biomechanical and functional properties of the aorta and may help to elucidate the role of collagen in the development of aneurysmal aortic disease or dissection. (J Vasc Surg 2001;33:1263-70.)

A PC-controlled integrated system for the production of algae and culture of northern quahog seed was constructed. The diatom, Chaetoceros muelleri, was cultured in covered 550 l tanks. The harvested alga was the food source for the land-based nursery seed clam system. The nursery clam system consisted of six culture units constructed of clear PVC tubing, a 400 l feed reservoir, a solids separator, and a bead filter (0.03 m3). The culture units were 5 cm in diameter and 76 cm in height. The total system volume was 450 l and the recirculation flow rate was 40 lpm. Components of the computer control system include a laptop computer, a multiport connector, analog to digital converter (ADC) boards, and solid-state relays for each control output. Sampling, harvesting, refilling, and redosing of the algal chambers, seed clam feeding operations, cleaning of the seed bed by increased fluid flow, purging of the separator wastes, and backflushing of the bead filter were all computer controlled. The integrated system was tested using Mercenaria seed clams. The initial shell length of the seed clams were 2.5 (±0.5) mm, and were stocked at a density of 3.0 g whole wet weight cm−2. During 83 days of culture using the system the seed clams were sorted twice and reached an average shell length of 7.9 (±0.8) mm. The percentage of survival percent was determined at different stages of growth during the culture period and ranged from 67.3 to 88.0%.

Investigations were undertaken to elucidate in a marine mammal renal cell culture system the toxicity and some of the mechanisms of cytopathology in a standardized preparation following exposure to No. 1 fuel oil. Cell survivability of a cultured SP1K renal cell line from the Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella plagiodon was reduced in a dose-dependent manner after a 12-h exposure to fuel oil. Early morphologic changes reflecting cytotoxicity, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy, included enlarged rough endoplasmic reticula, cytoplasmic vacuolization, and degenerative cytoplasmic inclusions, but mitochondria remained resistant. Assessment of extracellular proton loss by microphysiometry of cultured cells revealed fuel oil-induced enhancement of proton loss that was dependent upon both protein kinase C and renal epithelial Na+/H+ counter-transport functioning, as the specific inhibitors H-7 and amiloride reduced this stimulatory petroleum effect. Cell cycle progression and apoptosis (programmed cell death) were studied in dolphin renal cells exposed to fuel oil for 12, 24, and 48 hours. The toxicant increased the percentage of cells in GO/GI phase and decreased the percentage of cells in S phase starting after 24 hours. The number of cells undergoing early apoptosis was also increased after 24 hours.

In this work we report on micromechanically tunable Fabry–Perot filter concepts for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) systems. The optical resonator is designed for a cavity length around 30 μm in order to increase the filter selectivity while relaxing the demands on the required mirror reflectance. The introduction of micromechanical actuators, utilizing electrothermal and electrostatic principles, allows wavelength tuning of the filter over a range of more than 40 nm in the 1.55 μm wavelength regime. The movable Bragg mirror, designed as suspended membrane and fabricated with an InP bulk-micromachining technology, consists of a molecular beam epitaxy-grown InAlGaAs quarter-wavelength multilayer stack. The influence of micromechanical actuation and the effect of intrinsic mechanical stress on the mirror deformation has been investigated systematically to optimize the optical filter performance. Filter losses induced by the light absorption within the epitaxial Bragg mirror have been minimized using a highly doped InGaAs/InAlAs composition. Furthermore, low-loss Fabry–Perot filters have been fabricated using InAlGaAs/InAlAs Bragg mirrors. The measured full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) is 0.24 nm and a filter insertion loss of 2.8 dB has been observed. The FWHM is kept below 0.35 nm over an entire tuning range of 40 nm for an actuation power of 1.3 mW. The bulk-micromachining technology presented here is open for the future development of WDM components, e.g. tunable receivers or laser diodes.

A transpulmonary thermal-dye dilution (TDD) technique using cold indocyanine green dye was utilized to monitor cardiac index (CI) and preload in patients after heart transplantation. Preload, determined by intrathoracic blood volume index (ITBVI) and global end-diastolic volume index (GEDVI), was compared to central venous pressure (CVP) and pulmonary artery occlusion pressure (PAOP) and was correlated with stroke volume index (SVI).Prospective study.Cardiac surgery ICU at a university hospital.Forty patients (34 men, 6 women) with a mean (+/- SD) age of 54.4+/-8.5 years after orthotopic heart transplantation.CI and preload measurements were performed with TDD and pulmonary artery catheters in the ICU at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 h postoperatively. The femoral artery CI was compared with the pulmonary artery CI. Changes in the ITBVI, GEDVI, CVP, and PAOP were correlated with changes in the SVI. No difference was found between the femoral and pulmonary arterial CIs (r = 0.98 [bias, 0.35 L/min/m(2)]; p0.01). There was no statistically significant correlation between changes in the SVI and changes in CVP (r = -0.23,) and PAOP (r = -0.06). However, the ITBVI (r = 0.65; p0.01) and the GEDVI (r = 0.73; p0.01) were significantly correlated to changes in the SVI. Changes in the same direction occurred between the SVI and the GEDVI as well as between the SVI and the ITBVI in 76.3% and 71.9% of patients, respectively, while CVP and PAOP also changed in the same direction as SVI in only 35.1% and 36.9% of patients, respectively.ITBVI and GEDVI are more reliable preload parameters than CVP and PAOP. Even in denervated hearts, ITBVI and GEDVI show significant correlations with SVI. The transpulmonary indicator dilution technique is promising and should be investigated further.

The high demand and price of the northern quahog, Mercenaria mercenaria , enable this species to be an excellent commercial aquaculture candidate for coastal Georgia. The most economical method to grow clams is in the natural environment at controlled densities. Commercial nurseries grow small seed from the hatchery (1–2 mm) to a size suitable for planting in the field (8–10 mm). The pivotal role of the nursery phase to the success of bivalve mariculture has prompted research into improving nursery culture systems. Utilizing recirculation technology can contribute to the development and success of land-based nursery systems that offer higher survival and faster growth than field-based systems. This paper presents baseline excretion data that can be useful in the design of a recirculating system for culturing bivalve Mercenaria seed clams in a land-based system. The total ammonia nitrogen excretion rate based on a 24-h isolation period ranged from 20.0 to 89.4 μg NH 4 N g clam −1 day −1 for Mercenaria seed clams with a shell length ranging from 3.0 to 12.6 mm. The low ammonia production rate combined with the high ammonia tolerance limits of bivalves minimizes the need for a biofilter unit. The BOD 5 loading rate was highly variable and ranged from 0.05 to 0.32 mg l −1 -O 2 g clam −1 day −1 . For the seed clams that were less than 8 mm in shell length, the effluent total suspended solids concentration was three times greater than the larger size clams (10–12 mm shell length). Results indicated the importance of a solids removal mechanism to decrease the BOD 5 loading rate and reduce potential psuedofaeces production.

A new resorc[4]arene basket-type selector containing chiral diamide groups was synthesized and bonded to a dimethylpolysiloxane backbone. Fifteen proteinogenic amino acids could be separated into their enantiomers as N(O,S)-trifluoroacetylmethyl esters. The new stationary phase exhibited excellent column efficiency above 100°C and thermal stability up to 200°C.

The synthesis of new chiral calix[n]arenes, related to Corey's phenyl-menthol, is described. Starting from enantiomerically pure (R)-(+)-pulegone, calix[n]arenes with different ring sizes could be obtained in reasonable yield.

For the measurement of the lifetime of the Λ hyperon in very heavy hypernuclei we have used proton projectiles for the production of strangeness and the recoil shadow method in the circulating beam of COSY-Julich. This permitted us to use a very thin ribbon target without loss in luminosity. The target fabrication and frameless mounting is described in detail. A special mode of operating COSY was developed in order to bump the beam onto the target and to apply a supercycle. A description is given of the apparatus, tests, the calibration and the data analysis. As an example the p+Bi results are presented and discussed.

This paper examines the value relevance of a previously unexplored off-balance-sheet asset: originated mortgage servicing rights. Also, it provides evidence regarding an assertion that mortgage bank managers manage their reported earnings by swapping portfolios of originated servicing rights with other servicers. The evidence suggests that despite the absence of originated servicing rights in the balance sheet, they are priced by investors. Regarding the earnings management assertion, the evidence suggests that firms facing net losses before recognizing gains on sales of servicing are more likely to recognize discretionary gains, ceteris paribus. This work makes several contributions: (1) It provides evidence about investors' valuation of off-balance-sheet items in a setting where the sample firms are homogeneous and the item in question is of substantial economic importance to the firms; (2) It provides evidence regarding an off-balance-sheet item that has not been studied previously; (3) It provides a test of earnings management in a setting that does not require the estimation of discretionary accruals; and (4) It investigates an issue of current interest to accounting policy makers and to firms in the mortgage banking industry.

Modern telecommunication demands tunable detectors that are needed for optical demultiplexing of fibre-transmitted data. The receiver therefore consists of a wavelength-selective detector sensitive around 1550 nm. Since detectors for this wavelength are typically fabricated on gallium arsenide (GaAs) or indium phosphide (InP), a monolithic integration with the filter provides additional functionality and reduces coupling problems. This article presents a long-resonator Fabry-Perot filter that has been fabricated by bulk micromachining and can be tuned by deflection of one or both of the Bragg mirrors that are realized as floating membranes. Thermal actuation of the membrane yields mechanical sensitivities up to 153 nm mW −1 under vacuum conditions and 13 nm mW −1 under normal pressure. This is high enough to tune the free spectral range with less than 5 mW.

Altaira is a visual language intended for the control of small mobile (e.g. LEGO) robots. It is a rule-based language, combining information from sensors, navigation, and current state to determine actions to be taken by the robot and changes required in the system state. The language is simple enough to be used by children to develop simple robotic behaviors, but powerful enough to have been used to solve the compulsory and impromptu problems used in the 1997 Visual Programming Challenge, as well as to implement a standard Turing Machine demonstration algorithm (unary addition). The language is novel in its explicit, separate representation of local and global state, and in its uniform treatment of state and sensor inputs, and of state and actuator outputs, in a visual environment.

We present a systematic study on properties of calix[n]arenes as a high resolution negative tone electron beam resist. From experiments changing the ring sizes of the calix[n]arenes with n=4,6,8 as well as the functionalisation of the arenes we conclude that electron beam irradiation causes the arenes to break up and link to other arenes or functionalizing groups. This is confirmed by exposing resorcin[4]arene. We demonstrate that this material also shows negative tone high resolution resist features, and patterns are transferred into silicon.

The SEC and the FASB are deliberating how to address the substantial repetition contained in firms’ 10-K filings. However, little systematic evidence exists regarding the content or determinants of redundant disclosures. We produce important descriptive evidence regarding the evolution and current content of redundant disclosures. Using panel data, we find that redundant disclosures increased substantially around 2002, and that industry and firm-operating characteristics explain cross-sectional variation in disclosure redundancy. We also find evidence that managers repeat text within the 10-K more often when current and future earnings performance is worse. Finally, we find that disclosure redundancy is associated with less efficient price discovery after 10-K filings. While managers’ intentions are unobservable, our evidence is consistent with the theory that managers repeat certain disclosures opportunistically — attempting to hide or downplay bad news — to make 10-Ks more difficult to read when earnings are worse. Overall, our findings are consistent with the view that managers exploit overlapping disclosure rules by presenting more redundant information when incentives to obfuscate the content of the 10-K are higher. This study supports calls from market participants urging the SEC and FASB to work together to streamline disclosure requirements.