The Influence of pH Variation on CooA Activity

CooA, a CO-sensing heme protein, acts as a transcriptional activator of CO-metabolizing proteins in bacteria such as Rhodospirillum rubrum and Carboxydothermus hydrogenoformans through sequence-specific DNA binding. Previous research indicated a reduced iron center and CO gas were necessary for CooA to achieve its active conformation and bind DNA. To determine if other reaction conditions facilitate CooA activation, the role of pH on CooA function was tested. Specifically, a fluorescence anisotropy assay was employed to measure possible Fe(III) CooA DNA binding from pH 3 - 12. Interestingly, CooA was observed to bind DNA without CO at acidic conditions, with optimal binding observed at pH ~3. These results are discussed in light of the normal CO-dependent activation mechanism of CooA proteins

Psychologists Collaborating With Clergy

If a patient adheres to religious values and practices, should the treating psychologist get input from a clergyperson? How frequent is clergy-psychologist collaboration? What obstacles impede such collaboration? An exploratory survey questionnaire was sent to 200 clergy, 200 psychologists interested in religious issues, and 200 psychologists selected without regard to religious interests or values. Four themes were assessed: types of collaborative activities, frequency of collaboration, obstacles to collaboration, and ways to enhance collaboration. Strategies for promoting clergy-psychologist collaboration include challenging unidirectional referral assumptions, building trust through proximity and familiarity, and considering the importance of shared values and beliefs

Scale Dependence of Sex-Specific Movement in a Small-Bodied Stream Fish

Animal movement at localised scales is often modulated by competing pressures such as avoiding predators while acquiring resources and mates. The relative magnitude of these trade‐offs may affect males and females differently, often resulting in sex‐specific differences in movement. Sex‐biases in movement have been linked to mating systems (e.g. monogamy or polygamy) in birds and mammals; however, this relationship has received less attention among fishes. Using passive integrated transponder tags and a series of stationary antennas, we evaluated the movement dynamics of a small‐bodied, sexually dimorphic stream fish Fundulus olivaceus over a 30‐day period in a fourth‐order tributary to the Pascagoula River in Mississippi (U.S.A.). We documented dissimilar sex‐specific movement behaviours at different spatial scales that were likely to be facilitated by differential resource demands and competitive pressures. Females exhibited an increased propensity to engage in longer, exploratory moves (\u3e30 m); whereas most males remained active within an established territory, making few long‐distance longitudinal movements. Local activity levels (proportion of individuals moving) were positively related to density (manipulated during the study), and density was found to affect the magnitude of sex‐specific movement. In contrast to females, males increased local activity and movement distance at the reduced density, presumably to expand territory size or mate‐searching behaviours, suggesting local mate competition may suppress the movement distance of males. Despite some evidence substantiating a relationship between movement and mating system, our results suggest that the documented sex‐specific differences may be related to traits that co‐evolve with mating systems, rather than the mating system per se. Our findings also highlight the importance of spatial scale when evaluating patterns of sex‐biased movement tendencies

An engineering approach for the application of textile composites to a structural component

An engineering approach for the application of textile composites to a structural component is addressed. The main objective is to improve impact resistance of composite blades by using some form of 3-D reinforcement. Project goals, results, and conclusions are discussed

Sleep disturbance at pre-deployment is a significant predictor of post-deployment re-experiencing symptoms.

Background: Insomnia is common in service members and associated with many mental and physical health problems. Recently, longitudinal data have been used to assess the impact of disturbed sleep on mental health outcomes. These studies have consistently shown relationships between sleep disturbance and development of mental illness. Objective: The present study examined the longitudinal relationship between sleep disturbance and PTSD symptomatology in a cohort of Marines and Navy Corpsmen deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan (n = 2,404) assessed prior to deployment, as well as at -3 and 6 months post-deployment. Additionally, we aimed to investigate the extent to which these relationships are moderated by combat-stress severity, and to what extent these findings are replicated in a second, separate cohort of Marines and Navy corpsmen (n = 938) assessed with identical measures prior to deployment and within 3 months of return. Method: The present study employed latent variable path models to examine the relationships between pre-deployment sleep disturbance and post-deployment re-experiencing symptoms. Initial cross-lagged path models were conducted on discovery and replication samples to validate the hypothesized predictive relationships. Follow up moderation path models were then conducted to include the effect of combat-stress severity on these relationships. Results: Initial cross-lagged models supported a significant relationship between pre-deployment sleep disturbance and future re-experiencing PTSD symptoms at all time points. Initial moderation models showed a small moderator effect of combat-stress severity, though the main predictive relationship between pre-deployment sleep disturbance and PTSD symptoms remained significant. The moderator effect was not significant in the replication sample. Conclusions: The results of this study support pre-deployment sleep disturbance as a risk factor for development of post-deployment PTSD symptoms. Interventions aimed at normalizing sleep may be important in preventive measures for PTSD

β-turn mimics by chemical ligation

We report a simple reductive amination protocol to ligate two peptides, while simultaneously installing a β-turn mimic at the ligation junction. This strategy uses commercially available materials, mild chemical conditions, and a chemoselective ligation reaction of unprotected peptide substrates accessed through standard solid phase methods. This system was implemented in a designed β-hairpin system, and biophysical analysis demonstrates effective mimicry of the β-turn

Stability, Persistence and Habitat Associations of the Pearl Darter \u3ci\u3ePercina aurora\u3c/i\u3e in the Pascagoula River System, Southeastern USA

The southeastern United States represents one of the richest collections of aquatic biodiversity worldwide; however, many of these taxa are under an increasing threat of imperilment, local extirpation, or extinction. The pearl darter Percina aurora is a small-bodied freshwater fish endemic to the Pearl and Pascagoula river systems of Mississippi and Louisiana (USA). The last collected specimen from the Pearl River drainage was taken in 1973, and it now appears that populations in this system are likely extirpated. This reduced the historical range of this species by approximately 50%, ultimately resulting in federal protection under the US Endangered Species Act in 2017. To better understand the current distribution and general biology of extant populations, we analyzed data collected from a series of surveys conducted in the Pascagoula River drainage from 2000 to 2016. Pearl darters were captured at relatively low abundance (2.4 ± 4.0 ind. per collection) from 57% of 308 collections. We identified strong relationships between local habitat variables and occurrence and catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) of pearl darters. Pearl darters were frequently encountered and in greater abundance in depositional areas characterized by low-velocity habitats and finer substrates. Patterns of occurrence and CPUE were spatiotemporally variable across years; however, repeated collections from a subset of localities collected across a decade or more indicated long-term persistence and stability, suggesting population resilience throughout the Pascagoula River drainage

In defense of the personal/impersonal distinction in moral psychology research: Cross-cultural validation of the dual process model of moral judgment

The dual process model of moral judgment (DPM; Greene et al., 2004) argues that such judgments are influenced by both emotion-laden intuition and controlled reasoning. These influences are associated with distinct neural circuitries and different response tendencies. After reanalyzing data from an earlier study, McGuire et al. (2009) questioned the level of support for the dual process model and asserted that the distinction between emotion evoking moral dilemmas (personal dilemmas) and those that do not trigger such intuitions (impersonal dilemmas) is spurious. Using similar reanalysis methods on data reported by Moore, Clark, and Kane (2008), we show that the personal/impersonal distinction is reliable. Furthermore, new data show that this distinction is fundamental to moral judgment across widely different cultures (U.S. and China) and supports claims made by the DPM

Characterization of Fast Ion Transport via Position-Dependent Optical Deshelving

Ion transport is an essential operation in some models of quantum information processing, where fast ion shuttling with minimal motional excitation is necessary for efficient, high-fidelity quantum logic. While fast and cold ion shuttling has been demonstrated, the dynamics and specific trajectory of an ion during diabatic transport have not been studied in detail. Here we describe a position-dependent optical deshelving technique useful for sampling an ion's position throughout its trajectory, and we demonstrate the technique on fast linear transport of a $^{40}\text{Ca}^+$ ion in a surface-electrode ion trap. At high speed, the trap's electrode filters strongly distort the transport potential waveform. With this technique, we observe deviations from the intended constant-velocity (100 m/s) transport: we measure an average speed of 83(2) m/s and a peak speed of 251(6) m/s over a distance of 120 $\mu$