Reading Our Land Use Legacy in Groundwater: Nitrate Dynamics in the Judith River Watershed

Elevated nitrate in groundwater is common is agricultural areas where fertilizer has been added at high rates for decades. Within the Judith River Wastershed, high native soil fertility allowed for dryland wheat production without N fertilization until the 1980s, yet elevated nitrate levels were frequently observed in shallow aquifers. Dr. Stephanie Ewing presents results for soil, groundwater and surface water analyses from a hydrologically isolated strath terrace near Moccasin, MT. In context of this uniquely well constrained field setting, these observed data, along with land use history and a simple mass balance model, revel the long term development and perturbation of native soil fertility with cultivation.

Internet video telephony allows speech reading by deaf individuals and improves speech perception by cochlear implant users

OBJECTIVE To analyze speech reading through Internet video calls by profoundly hearing-impaired individuals and cochlear implant (CI) users. METHODS Speech reading skills of 14 deaf adults and 21 CI users were assessed using the Hochmair Schulz Moser (HSM) sentence test. We presented video simulations using different video resolutions (1280 × 720, 640 × 480, 320 × 240, 160 × 120 px), frame rates (30, 20, 10, 7, 5 frames per second (fps)), speech velocities (three different speakers), webcameras (Logitech Pro9000, C600 and C500) and image/sound delays (0-500 ms). All video simulations were presented with and without sound and in two screen sizes. Additionally, scores for live Skype™ video connection and live face-to-face communication were assessed. RESULTS Higher frame rate (>7 fps), higher camera resolution (>640 × 480 px) and shorter picture/sound delay (<100 ms) were associated with increased speech perception scores. Scores were strongly dependent on the speaker but were not influenced by physical properties of the camera optics or the full screen mode. There is a significant median gain of +8.5%pts (p = 0.009) in speech perception for all 21 CI-users if visual cues are additionally shown. CI users with poor open set speech perception scores (n = 11) showed the greatest benefit under combined audio-visual presentation (median speech perception +11.8%pts, p = 0.032). CONCLUSION Webcameras have the potential to improve telecommunication of hearing-impaired individuals.

Mixing-cell boundary conditions and apparent mass balance errors for advective-dispersive solute transport

In many field or laboratory situations, well-mixed reservoirs like, for instance, injection or detection wells and gas distribution or sampling chambers define boundaries of transport domains. Exchange of solutes or gases across such boundaries can occur through advective or diffusive processes. First we analyzed situations, where the inlet region consists of a well-mixed reservoir, in a systematic way by interpreting them in terms of injection type. Second, we discussed the mass balance errors that seem to appear in case of resident injections. Mixing cells (MC) can be coupled mathematically in different ways to a domain where advective-dispersive transport occurs: by assuming a continuous solute flux at the interface (flux injection, MC-FI), or by assuming a continuous resident concentration (resident injection). In the latter case, the flux leaving the mixing cell can be defined in two ways: either as the value when the interface is approached from the mixing-cell side (MC-RT -), or as the value when it is approached from the column side (MC-RT +). Solutions of these injection types with constant or-in one case-distance-dependent transport parameters were compared to each other as well as to a solution of a two-layer system, where the first layer was characterized by a large dispersion coefficient. These solutions differ mainly at small Peclet numbers. For most real situations, the model for resident injection MC-RI + is considered to be relevant. This type of injection was modeled with a constant or with an exponentially varying dispersion coefficient within the porous medium. A constant dispersion coefficient will be appropriate for gases because of the Eulerian nature of the usually dominating gaseous diffusion coefficient, whereas the asymptotically growing dispersion coefficient will be more appropriate for solutes due to the Lagrangian nature of mechanical dispersion, which evolves only with the fluid flow. Assuming a continuous resident concentration at the interface between a mixing cell and a column, as in case of the MC-RI + model, entails a flux discontinuity. This flux discontinuity arises inherently from the definition of a mixing cell: the mixing process is included in the balance equation, but does not appear in the description of the flux through the mixing cell. There, only convection appears because of the homogeneous concentration within the mixing cell. Thus, the solute flux through a mixing cell in close contact with a transport domain is generally underestimated. This leads to (apparent) mass balance errors, which are often reported for similar situations and erroneously used to judge the validity of such models. Finally, the mixing cell model MC-RI + defines a universal basis regarding the type of solute injection at a boundary. Depending on the mixing cell parameters, it represents, in its limits, flux as well as resident injections. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Identification and phenotypic characterization of a second collagen adhesin, Scm, and genome-based identification and analysis of 13 other predicted MSCRAMMs, including four distinct pilus loci, in Enterococcus faecium.

Attention has recently been drawn to Enterococcus faecium because of an increasing number of nosocomial infections caused by this species and its resistance to multiple antibacterial agents. However, relatively little is known about the pathogenic determinants of this organism. We have previously identified a cell-wall-anchored collagen adhesin, Acm, produced by some isolates of E. faecium, and a secreted antigen, SagA, exhibiting broad-spectrum binding to extracellular matrix proteins. Here, we analysed the draft genome of strain TX0016 for potential microbial surface components recognizing adhesive matrix molecules (MSCRAMMs). Genome-based bioinformatics identified 22 predicted cell-wall-anchored E. faecium surface proteins (Fms), of which 15 (including Acm) had characteristics typical of MSCRAMMs, including predicted folding into a modular architecture with multiple immunoglobulin-like domains. Functional characterization of one [Fms10; redesignated second collagen adhesin of E. faecium (Scm)] revealed that recombinant Scm(65) (A- and B-domains) and Scm(36) (A-domain) bound to collagen type V efficiently in a concentration-dependent manner, bound considerably less to collagen type I and fibrinogen, and differed from Acm in their binding specificities to collagen types IV and V. Results from far-UV circular dichroism measurements of recombinant Scm(36) and of Acm(37) indicated that these proteins were rich in beta-sheets, supporting our folding predictions. Whole-cell ELISA and FACS analyses unambiguously demonstrated surface expression of Scm in most E. faecium isolates. Strikingly, 11 of the 15 predicted MSCRAMMs clustered in four loci, each with a class C sortase gene; nine of these showed similarity to Enterococcus faecalis Ebp pilus subunits and also contained motifs essential for pilus assembly. Antibodies against one of the predicted major pilus proteins, Fms9 (redesignated EbpC(fm)), detected a 'ladder' pattern of high-molecular-mass protein bands in a Western blot analysis of cell surface extracts from E. faecium, suggesting that EbpC(fm) is polymerized into a pilus structure. Further analysis of the transcripts of the corresponding gene cluster indicated that fms1 (ebpA(fm)), fms5 (ebpB(fm)) and ebpC(fm) are co-transcribed, a result consistent with those for pilus-encoding gene clusters of other Gram-positive bacteria. All 15 genes occurred frequently in 30 clinically derived diverse E. faecium isolates tested. The common occurrence of MSCRAMM- and pilus-encoding genes and the presence of a second collagen-binding protein may have important implications for our understanding of this emerging pathogen.

The use of second-generation antipsychotics and the changes in physical growth in children and adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV.

Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are increasingly prescribed to treat psychiatric symptoms in pediatric patients infected with HIV. We examined the relationship between prescribed SGAs and physical growth in a cohort of youth with perinatally acquired HIV-1 infection. Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (PACTG), Protocol 219C (P219C), a multicenter, longitudinal observational study of children and adolescents perinatally exposed to HIV, was conducted from September 2000 until May 2007. The analysis included P219C participants who were perinatally HIV-infected, 3-18 years old, prescribed first SGA for at least 1 month, and had available baseline data prior to starting first SGA. Each participant prescribed an SGA was matched (based on gender, age, Tanner stage, baseline body mass index [BMI] z score) with 1-3 controls without antipsychotic prescriptions. The main outcomes were short-term (approximately 6 months) and long-term (approximately 2 years) changes in BMI z scores from baseline. There were 236 participants in the short-term and 198 in the long-term analysis. In linear regression models, youth with SGA prescriptions had increased BMI z scores relative to youth without antipsychotic prescriptions, for all SGAs (short-term increase = 0.192, p = 0.003; long-term increase = 0.350, p < 0.001), and for risperidone alone (short-term = 0.239, p = 0.002; long-term = 0.360, p = 0.001). Participants receiving both protease inhibitors (PIs) and SGAs showed especially large increases. These findings suggest that growth should be carefully monitored in youth with perinatally acquired HIV who are prescribed SGAs. Future research should investigate the interaction between PIs and SGAs in children and adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV infection.

Impacts of a word-picture training on reading in youth with mixed intellectual disabilities. A waiting-list control group comparison

Individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) often struggle with learning how to read. Reading difficulties seem to be the most common secondary condition of ID. Only one in five children with mild or moderate ID achieves even minimal literacy skills. However, literacy education for children and adolescents with ID has been largely overlooked by researchers and educators. While there is little research on reading of children with ID, many training studies have been conducted with other populations with reading difficulties. The most common approach of acquiring literacy skills consists of sophisticated programs that train phonological skills and auditory perception. Only few studies investigated the influence of implicit learning on literacy skills. Implicit learning processes seem to be largely independent of age and IQ. Children are sensitive to the statistics of their learning environment. By frequent word reading they acquire implicit knowledge about the frequency of single letters and letter patterns in written words. Additionally, semantic connections not only improve the word understanding, but also facilitate storage of words in memory. Advances in communication technology have introduced new possibilities for remediating literacy skills. Computers can provide training material in attractive ways, for example through animations and immediate feedback .These opportunities can scaffold and support attention processes central to learning. Thus, the aim of this intervention study was to develop and implement a computer based word-picture training, which is based on statistical and semantic learning, and to examine the training effects on reading, spelling and attention in children and adolescents (9-16 years) diagnosed with mental retardation (general IQ  74). Fifty children participated in four to five weekly training sessions of 15-20 minutes over 4 weeks, and completed assessments of attention, reading, spelling, short-term memory and fluid intelligence before and after training. After a first assessment (T1), the entire sample was divided in a training group (group A) and a waiting control group (group B). After 4 weeks of training with group A, a second assessment (T2) was administered with both training groups. Afterwards, group B was trained for 4 weeks, before a last assessment (T3) was carried out in both groups. Overall, the results showed that the word-picture training led to substantial gains on word decoding and attention for both training groups. These effects were preserved six weeks later (group A). There was also a clear tendency of improvement in spelling after training for both groups, although the effect did not reach significance. These findings highlight the fact that an implicit statistical learning training in a playful way by motivating computer programs can not only promote reading development, but also attention in children with intellectual disabilities.

Cleverer than we thought: the change in discourse of the Georgian Orthodox Church

This paper will focus on three episodes of contemporary church-state relations in Georgia, in particular, the conflicting interaction between law and religion in the public space. The first episode will be an open confrontation between the church and the state over the law on Registration of Religious Minority organizations (2011) which allowed the religious minorities to freely register; second: the Law on Self-governance (2013) which Georgian Orthodox Church considered “a threat to territorial integrity of Georgia”; and lastly: the Law on Anti-discrimination (2014) which was deemed “legitimization of Sodomic sin”. By reflecting on the three examples where for the first time after the collapse of Soviet Union, the Georgian state openly confronted the church and made a decision notwithstanding its position, I will attempt to argue that the role of the Orthodox Church in influencing the law making process is in gradual decline. However, on the other hand, by presenting the results of an ethnographic study conducted in 23 eparchies and perishes in 7 regions of Georgia in 2014, I will also show that church has adapted to its declining role over policy making, and to regain its political influence it gradually started to employ a civic rather than ethno nationalist discourse on matters of religious freedom while engaging with government. The paper will suggest that both unilateral decision-making of the state and civic shift in the discourse of the church constitute an important change in understanding church-state dynamics in the post-communist Orthodox Christianity dominated society.

Mass spectrometric study of molecular and ionic sublimation of lanthanum triiodide

The molecular and ionic composition of saturated vapor over lanthanum triiodide was studied by Knudsen effusion mass spectrometry. The (LaI3)n molecules (n = 1–3) and the [I(LaI3)n]− ions (n = 0–4) were observed. The partial pressures of the molecules were determined and the enthalpies of sublimation, ΔsH° (298.15 K) in kJ mol−1, in the form of monomers (304 ± 7), dimers (428 ± 25), and trimers (455 ± 50) were obtained by the second and third laws of thermodynamics. The enthalpy of formation, ΔfH° (298.15 K) in kJ mol−1, of the LaI3 (−376 ± 10), La2I6 (−932 ± 25), La3I9 (−1585 ± 50) molecules and the LaI4− (−841 ± 24), La2I7− (−1486 ± 32) ions were determined. The electron work function, φe = 3.5 ± 0.3 eV, for the LaI3 crystal was calculated from the thermochemical cycle.

VERIFICATION OF DNA PREDICTED PROTEIN SEQUENCES BY ENZYME HYDROLYSIS AND MASS SPECTROMETRIC ANALYSIS

The focus of this thesis lies in the development of a sensitive method for the analysis of protein primary structure which can be easily used to confirm the DNA sequence of a protein's gene and determine the modifications which are made after translation. This technique involves the use of dipeptidyl aminopeptidase (DAP) and dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase (DCP) to hydrolyze the protein and the mass spectrometric analysis of the dipeptide products.^ Dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase was purified from human lung tissue and characterized with respect to its proteolytic activity. The results showed that the enzyme has a relatively unrestricted specificity, making it useful for the analysis of the C-terminal of proteins. Most of the dipeptide products were identified using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). In order to analyze the peptides not hydrolyzed by DCP and DAP, as well as the dipeptides not identified by GC/MS, a FAB ion source was installed on a quadrupole mass spectrometer and its performance evaluated with a variety of compounds.^ Using these techniques, the sequences of the N-terminal and C-terminal regions and seven fragments of bacteriophage P22 tail protein have been verified. All of the dipeptides identified in these analysis were in the same DNA reading frame, thus ruling out the possibility of a single base being inserted or deleted from the DNA sequence. The verification of small sequences throughout the protein sequence also indicates that no large portions of the protein have been removed after translation. ^

Tending the Vineyard: Maritime Religion on Martha's Vineyard from 1824-1978

The first part of this paper will give a brief introduction to maritime missiology, the second section will trace the beginnings of the Boston Seaman’s Friend Society in the nineteenth century and the third will focus on the Vineyard Haven branch of that work well into the twentieth century. Using source material from the American Seamen’s Friend Society - there is a 5,000 document collection of the ASFS papers in the G.W. Blunt White Library at Mystic Seaport, the Boston Seaman’s Friend Society - whose papers are mostly in the Congregational House on Beacon Hill in Boston, and other secondary works from the nineteenth and twentieth century. I am especially indebted to George Wiseman’s book, They Kept the Lower Lights Burning, Wiseman was the pastor of Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church in Oak Bluff during WWII and the son-in-law of Austin Tower. This presentation will look at the many facets that made up religious work among seafarers.

Church and State

Church and state have historically had an uneasy relationship, sometimes close allies, at others harsh adversaries, and at still others largely independent of one another. This paper develops an economic model of this relationship, where the state's objective is to maximize net tax revenue, while the church provides religious goods. Religious goods benefit the state in two ways: first, they provide utility to citizens, thus allowing the state to extract more taxes before running up against citizens' reservation utility (the point at which they would revolt), and second, they potentially provide legitimacy to the state, thereby lowering the costs of tax collection. If the latter effect is strong enough, the state may find it optimal to take control of the church, either to enhance its legitimizing effect, or to suppress its de-legitimizing effect. To evaluate the model's implications, we use recent cross-country data on the relationship between religion and state, including measures coded from the 2001, 2003, and 2005 International Religious Freedom reports. We also examine in more detail some of the paradigmatic cases indicated by the model, presenting various types of evidence from current and historical examples of each case.

Lifetime changes in body mass index and risk of breast cancer in minority women

Introduction: Obesity is an epidemic in the United States, especially among Hispanics and African-Americans. Studies of obesity and breast cancer risk and subtype have been conducted primarily in non-Hispanic whites. Obesity is inversely associated with premenopausal breast cancer, but both obesity and weight gain increase the risk of postmenopausal disease. Obesity has been associated with breast cancer subtype in many studies. Methods: To assess the association between changes in body mass index (BMI) over the lifetime, weight gain, and breast cancer in Mexican-American women, we conducted a case-control study using 149 cases and 330 age-matched controls. In a second study, we identified 212 African-American and 167 Mexican-American women with breast cancer in the ongoing ELLA Bi-National Breast Cancer Study, abstracted medical charts to classify tumors as ER+/PR+, HER2+, or ER-/PR-/HER2-, and assessed the association between lifetime changes in body mass index, weight gain, and breast cancer subtype. In both studies, growth mixture modeling was use to identify trajectories of change in BMI over the lifetime, and these trajectories were used as exposures in a logistic regression model to calculate odds ratios (OR). Results: There was no association between trajectories of change in BMI and breast cancer risk in Mexican-American women. In addition, BMI at ages 15 and 30 and at diagnosis was not associated with breast cancer. However, adult weight gain was inversely associated with breast cancer risk (per 5kg, OR=0.92, 95% CI: 0.85-0.99). The case-only analysis found no association between obesity at ages 15 and 30 and at diagnosis and breast cancer subtype. Further, there was no association between adult weight gain (defined as weight change from age 15 to time of diagnosis) and breast cancer subtype. Conclusions: Obesity was not associated with breast cancer risk in Mexican-American women, while adult weight gain reduced the risk independently of menopausal status. These results are contradictory of those in non-Hispanic white women and suggest that the etiology of breast cancer may differ by race/ethnicity. Further, obesity was not associated with breast cancer subtype in African-American and Mexican-American women, contrary to results in non-Hispanic white women. ^

Development of combined micro -preparation, separation, and mass spectrometry methods and application in the microdialysis study of neuropeptide metabolism

Two sets of mass spectrometry-based methods were developed specifically for the in vivo study of extracellular neuropeptide biochemistry. First, an integrated micro-concentration/desalting/matrix-addition device was constructed for matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) to achieve attomole sensitivity for microdialysis samples. Second, capillary electrophoresis (CE) was incorporated into the above micro-liquid chromatography (LC) and MALDI MS system to provide two-dimensional separation and identification (i.e. electrophoretic mobility and molecular mass) for the analysis of complex mixtures. The latter technique includes two parts of instrumentation: (1) the coupling of a preconcentration LC column to the inlet of a CE capillary, and (2) the utilization of a matrix-precoated membrane target for continuous CE effluent deposition and for automatic MALDI MS analysis (imaging) of the CE track.^ Initial in vivo data reveals a carboxypeptidase A (CPA) activity in rat brain involved in extracellular neurotensin metabolism. Benzylsuccinic acid, a CPA inhibitor, inhibited neurotensin metabolite NT1-12 formation by 70%, while inhibitors of other major extracellular peptide metabolizing enzymes increased NT1-12 formation. CPA activity has not been observed in previous in vitro experiments. Next, the validity of the methodology was demonstrated in the detection and structural elucidation of an endogenous neuropeptide, (L)VV-hemorphin-7, in rat brain upon ATP stimulation. Finally, the combined micro-LC/CE/MALDI MS was used in the in vivo metabolic study of peptide E, a mu-selective opioid peptide with 25 amino acid residues. Profiles of 88 metabolites were obtained, their identity being determined by their mass-to-charge ratio and electrophoretic mobility. The results indicate that there are several primary cleavage sites in vivo for peptide E in the release of its enkephalin-containing fragments. ^