The Recognition of Unusual Objects in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Color System

We present 5 filter photometry of 21 carbon stars, 15 asteroids, 15 cataclysmic variables, 6 metal-poor stars, 5 Cepheids, 1775 field stars, blue horizontal branch (BHB) stars and RR Lyrae stars in the globular clusters M 15 and M 2, two primary standards, and 19 secondary standards. The photometry was carried out using a filter set identical to that which will be used for the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We find that carbon stars, CVs, R-type, J-type, and V-type asteroids, BHB stars, and RR Lyr stars should be identifiable on the basis of SDSS photometry alone, while Cepheids, metal-poor stars, and many types of asteroids are indistinguishable from the stellar locus of field stars.Comment: 44 pages, 13 postscript figures. Accepted for publication in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, vol. 110, November 1998. Uses AAS Latex style file, version 4.

The Influence of Communication Leadership Qualities on Effective Crisis Preparedness Strategy Implementation: Insights from a Global Study

Based on an international online survey of communication management leaders in multiple countries, this study analyzed the responses from a total of 532 leaders who indicated crisis preparedness as a top issue for their organizations. Our results indicate: 1) Communication leaders in North America, Europe and a combination of Asia, Middle East and South America differed significantly in their implementation of crisis preparedness strategies; and 2) Different communication leadership qualities jointly predicted communication leaders’ implementation of each of the crisis preparedness strategies, respectively. Our findings provide important implications for global crisis leadership theory development. Research insights from this study also shed light on the importance for international organizations to integrate communication leadership qualities with crisis preparedness strategy development and implementation

How dietary arachidonic- and docosahexaenoic- acid rich oils differentially affect the murine hepatic transcriptome

INTRODUCTION: Herein, we expand our previous work on the effects of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) on the murine hepatic transcriptome using novel statistical and bioinformatic approaches for evaluating microarray data. The analyses focuses on key differences in the transcriptomic response that will influence metabolism following consumption of FUNG (rich in 20:4n6), FISH (rich in 20:5n3, 22:5n3, and 22:6n3) and COMB, the combination of the two. RESULTS: Using a variance-stabilized F-statistic, 371 probe sets (out of 13 K probe sets in the Affymetrix Mu11K chip set) were changed by dietary treatment (P < 0.001). Relative to other groups, COMB had unique affects on murine hepatic transcripts involved in cytoskeletal and carbohydrate metabolism; whereas FUNG affected amino acid metabolism via CTNB1 signaling. All three diets affected transcripts linked to apoptosis and cell proliferation, with evidence FISH may have increased apoptosis and decreased cell proliferation via various transcription factors, kinases, and phosphatases. The three diets affected lipid transport, lipoprotein metabolism, and bile acid metabolism through diverse pathways. Relative to other groups, FISH activated cyps that form hydroxylated fatty acids known to affect vascular tone and ion channel activity. FA synthesis and delta 9 desaturation were down regulated by COMB relative to other groups, implying that a FA mixture of 20:4n6, 20:5n3, and 22:6n3 is most effective at down regulating synthesis, via INS1, SREBP, PPAR alpha, and TNF signaling. Heme synthesis and the utilization of heme for hemoglobin production were likely affected by FUNG and FISH. Finally, relative to other groups, FISH increased numerous transcripts linked to combating oxidative such as peroxidases, an aldehyde dehydrogenase, and heat shock proteins, consistent with the major LC-PUFA in FISH (20:5n3, 22:5n3, 22:6n3) being more oxidizable than the major fatty acids in FUNG (20:4n6). CONCLUSION: Distinct transcriptomic, signaling cascades, and predicted affects on murine liver metabolism have been elucidated for 20:4n6-rich dietary oils, 22:6n3-rich oils, and a surprisingly distinct set of genes were affected by the combination of the two. Our results emphasize that the balance of dietary n6 and n3 LC-PUFA provided for infants and in nutritional and neutraceutical applications could have profoundly different affects on metabolism and cell signaling, beyond that previously recognized

Dynamics of the Quiet Solar Chromosphere

The solar chromosphere has never been static although it was often modeled so.Even the quiet-sun internetwork chromosphere has become thoroughly dynamic with the acoustic shock interpretation of the Ca II K 2V grains. We concentrate on the latter in this brief review. Recent analysis of ASP data confirms that their excitation is more likely set acoustically than magnetically.TRACE imagery permits seeing-free studies of their occurrence patterns

Safety-Net Suture for Aphakic Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to describe a low-cost, accessible method for reducing the risk of posterior donor dislocation in Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) performed in eyes with aphakia and a large iris defect (unicameral eyes)-the "safety-net suture." METHODS: We review 3 cases of aphakic bullous keratopathy in unicameral eyes treated successfully using DMEK aided by a simple technique to create a temporary, partial barrier between the anterior and posterior chambers. The safety-net suture technique is based on a continuous 10-0 polypropylene suture placed across the anterior chamber in a cat's-cradle pattern anterior to the trabecular meshwork. At the end of surgery, after air tamponade of the DMEK donor, the 10-0 polypropylene suture is removed. RESULTS: All 3 cases were completed with no intraoperative posterior dislocation. A partial postoperative detachment in 1 case was successfully treated with repeat air tamponade. The corneas remain clear in early follow-up, 1 to 10 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The safety-net suture is a simple, low-cost method of reducing the risk of intraoperative posterior dislocation for DMEK in unicameral, aphakic eyes

Dietary effects of arachidonate-rich fungal oil and fish oil on murine hepatic and hippocampal gene expression

BACKGROUND: The functions, actions, and regulation of tissue metabolism affected by the consumption of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) from fish oil and other sources remain poorly understood; particularly how LC-PUFAs affect transcription of genes involved in regulating metabolism. In the present work, mice were fed diets containing fish oil rich in eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, fungal oil rich in arachidonic acid, or the combination of both. Liver and hippocampus tissue were then analyzed through a combined gene expression- and lipid- profiling strategy in order to annotate the molecular functions and targets of dietary LC-PUFA. RESULTS: Using microarray technology, 329 and 356 dietary regulated transcripts were identified in the liver and hippocampus, respectively. All genes selected as differentially expressed were grouped by expression patterns through a combined k-means/hierarchical clustering approach, and annotated using gene ontology classifications. In the liver, groups of genes were linked to the transcription factors PPARα, HNFα, and SREBP-1; transcription factors known to control lipid metabolism. The pattern of differentially regulated genes, further supported with quantitative lipid profiling, suggested that the experimental diets increased hepatic β-oxidation and gluconeogenesis while decreasing fatty acid synthesis. Lastly, novel hippocampal gene changes were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Examining the broad transcriptional effects of LC-PUFAs confirmed previously identified PUFA-mediated gene expression changes and identified novel gene targets. Gene expression profiling displayed a complex and diverse gene pattern underlying the biological response to dietary LC-PUFAs. The results of the studied dietary changes highlighted broad-spectrum effects on the major eukaryotic lipid metabolism transcription factors. Further focused studies, stemming from such transcriptomic data, will need to dissect the transcription factor signaling pathways to fully explain how fish oils and arachidonic acid achieve their specific effects on health

A response to “Likelihood ratio as weight of evidence: a closer look” by Lund and Iyer

Recently, Lund and Iyer (L&amp;I) raised an argument regarding the use of likelihood ratios in court. In our view, their argument is based on a lack of understanding of the paradigm. L&amp;I argue that the decision maker should not accept the expert’s likelihood ratio without further consideration. This is agreed by all parties. In normal practice, there is often considerable and proper exploration in court of the basis for any probabilistic statement. We conclude that L&amp;I argue against a practice that does not exist and which no one advocates. Further we conclude that the most informative summary of evidential weight is the likelihood ratio. We state that this is the summary that should be presented to a court in every scientific assessment of evidential weight with supporting information about how it was constructed and on what it was based

Creativity vs. Ethics: Russian and U.S. Public Relations Students’ Perceptions of Professional Leadership and Leaders

The purpose of this study is to investigate possible similarities and differences in American and Russian public relations students’ (N=377) interpretations of such concepts as leaders and leadership in public relations. Three open-ended questions were designed to examine the participants’ perceptions of ethical issues and leadership in PR practice. After American (n=196) and Russian (n=181) students were surveyed, the authors coded their essay-like responses in accordance with emerged themes. American and Russian students were similar in their perceptions of the public relations profession as prestigious and glamorous and PR leaders as superior to other leaders. Significant differences emerged between American and Russian participants on the three main issues—professional ethics, creativity, and the nature of leadership. American students believed that public relations is inherently ethical and societyoriented, and they regarded moral values as the most important values for public relations leaders. Russian students perceived PR as an art that requires a talent, creative thinking, and knowledge of psychological methods of influence. U.S respondents believed that public relations practice is transparent, whereas Russian participants considered public relations hidden persuasion. American respondents perceived public relations leadership as the ability to effectively collaborate with followers, whereas Russian participants thought that public relations leadership is the ability to dominate and impose leaders’ opinions on team members. The fact that American and Russian public relations students might possess an idealized perception of the profession calls for an assessment of teachers’ instruction to create a more balanced and realistic image of the profession

A New Conceptualization and Approach to Learning and Teaching Motivational Interviewing

Type:&nbsp;Idea Pape

Initial Helioseismic Observations by Hinode/SOT

Results from initial helioseismic observations by Solar Optical Telescope onboard Hinode are reported. It has been demonstrated that intensity oscillation data from Broadband Filter Imager can be used for various helioseismic analyses. The k-omega power spectra, as well as corresponding time-distance cross-correlation function that promises high-resolution time-distance analysis below 6-Mm travelling distance, were obtained for G-band and CaII-H data. Subsurface supergranular patterns have been observed from our first time-distance analysis. The results show that the solar oscillation spectrum is extended to much higher frequencies and wavenumbers, and the time-distance diagram is extended to much shorter travel distances and times than they were observed before, thus revealing great potential for high-resolution helioseismic observations from Hinode.Comment: 6 pages, accepted for publication in PAS