Non-autonomy of AGAMOUS function in flower development: use of a Cre/loxP method for mosaic analysis in Arabidopsis

Angiosperms use a multi-layered meristem (typically L1, L2 and L3) to produce primordia that then develop into plant organs, A number of experiments show that communication between the cell layers is important for normal development. We examined whether the function of the flower developmental control gene AGAMOUS involves communication across these layers. We developed a mosaic strategy using the Cre/loxP site-specific recombinase system, and identified the sector structure for mosaics that produced mutant flowers. The major conclusions were that (1) AGAMOUS must be active in the L2 for staminoid and carpelloid tissues, (2) that AGAMOUS must be active in the L2 and the L3 for floral meristem determinacy, and (3) that epidermal cell identity can be communicated by the L2 to the L1 layer

Predictor Aided Tracking in a System with Time Delay - Performance Involving Flat Surface, Roll, and Pitch Conditions

Predictor aided human tracking performance with time delay control under flat surface, roll, pitch, and roll and pitch condition

Coherence-enhanced imaging of a degenerate Bose gas

We present coherence-enhanced imaging, an in situ technique that uses Raman superradiance to probe the spatial coherence properties of an ultracold gas. Applying this method, we obtain a spatially resolved measurement of the condensate number and more generally, of the first-order spatial correlation function in a gas of $^{87}$Rb atoms. We observe the enhanced decay of propagating spin gratings in high density regions of a Bose condensate, a decay we ascribe to collective, non-linear atom-atom scattering. Further, we directly observe spatial inhomogeneities that arise generally in the course of extended sample superradiance.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

An experimental investigation of the relationships among race, prayer, and pain

Background and aims Compared to White individuals, Black individuals demonstrate a lower pain tolerance. Research suggests that differences in pain coping strategies, such as prayer, may mediate this race difference. However, previous research has been cross-sectional and has not determined whether prayer in and of itself or rather the passive nature of prayer is driving the effects on pain tolerance. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationships among race, prayer (both active and passive), and pain tolerance. Methods We randomly assigned 208 pain-free participants (47% Black, 53% White) to one of three groups: active prayer (“God, help me endure the pain”), passive prayer (“God, take the pain away”), or no prayer (“The sky is blue”). Participants first completed a series of questionnaires including the Duke University Religion Index, the Coping Strategies Questionnaire-Revised (CSQ-R), and the Pain Catastrophizing Scale. Participants were then instructed to repeat a specified prayer or distractor coping statement while undergoing a cold pressor task. Cold pain tolerance was measured by the number of seconds that had elapsed while the participant’s hand remained in the cold water bath (maximum 180 s). Results Results of independent samples t-tests indicated that Black participants scored higher on the CSQ-R prayer/hoping subscale. However, there were no race differences among other coping strategies, religiosity, or catastrophizing. Results of a 2 (Race: White vs. Black)×3 (Prayer: active vs. passive vs. no prayer) ANCOVA controlling for a general tendency to pray and catastrophizing in response to prayer indicated a main effect of prayer that approached significance (p=0.06). Pairwise comparisons indicated that those in the active prayer condition demonstrated greater pain tolerance than those in the passive (p=0.06) and no prayer (p=0.03) conditions. Those in the passive and no prayer distractor conditions did not significantly differ (p=0.70). There was also a trending main effect of race [p=0.08], with White participants demonstrating greater pain tolerance than Black participants. Conclusions Taken together, these results indicate that Black participants demonstrated a lower pain tolerance than White participants, and those in the active prayer condition demonstrated greater tolerance than those in the passive and no prayer conditions. Furthermore, Black participants in the passive prayer group demonstrated the lowest pain tolerance, while White participants in the active prayer group exhibited the greatest tolerance. Results of this study suggest that passive prayer, like other passive coping strategies, may be related to lower pain tolerance and thus poorer pain outcomes, perhaps especially for Black individuals. On the other hand, results suggest active prayer is associated with greater pain tolerance, especially for White individuals. Implications These results suggest that understanding the influence of prayer on pain may require differentiation between active versus passive prayer strategies. Like other active coping strategies for pain, active prayer may facilitate self-management of pain and thus enhance pain outcomes independent of race. Psychosocial interventions may help religiously-oriented individuals, regardless of race, cultivate a more active style of prayer to improve their quality of life

The Little Mexican Girl that Could: An Immigrant Child Becoming a Bilingual Teacher

This article reveals findings from a narrative inquiry into the experiences of Marlene, a young Latina woman, and her journey to becoming a Spanish Bilingual elementary teacher. The article begins by demonstrating the increasing need for certified Bilingual and ESL teachers that can effectively address the needs of linguistically and culturally diverse students within the context of shifting population and public school demographics in the United States. It then provides an overview of the inquiry and explores salient themes related to how Marlene’s stories reflect challenges and supports to becoming a Spanish Bilingual teacher, and how her experiences shaped her emerging professional identity as a teacher. The article concludes by considering potential implications for PK-12 and higher education institutions’ practices and policies

Predictors of improved clinical outcome following mechanical thrombectomy on South Texas patients with posterior circulation stroke

The South Texas population is well-acquainted with hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 (DM2), and hyperlipidemia, all well-known risk factors for stroke1. Both anterior and posterior circulation strokes can lead to detrimental life changes, and although posterior circulation, or vertebrobasilar, strokes make up about 20% of all ischemic strokes2, their elusive characteristics often overlap with anterior circulation symptoms. In this study, we study factors that may influence the outcome of patients with posterior circulation stroke (PCS) following successful recanalization using mechanical thrombectomy. In this paper, the clinical outcome is evaluated by the primary endpoint, Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at discharge. The outcomes (mild, moderate, severe) refer to the degree of severity of clinical impact. The current evidence that is available points towards a general poorer prognosis for recanalization of PCS than anterior circulation strokes (ACS)3. This paper seeks to investigate both patient related factors and treatment related factors that may influence the outcomes of cases PCS following mechanical thrombectomy and offers future direction that can improve our understanding of PCS

High-Resolution Magnetometry with a Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensate

We demonstrate a precision magnetic microscope based on direct imaging of the Larmor precession of a $^{87}$Rb spinor Bose-Einstein condensate. This magnetometer attains a field sensitivity of 8.3 pT/Hz$^{1/2}$ over a measurement area of 120 $\mu$m$^2$, an improvement over the low-frequency field sensitivity of modern SQUID magnetometers. The corresponding atom shot-noise limited sensitivity is estimated to be 0.15 pT/Hz$^{1/2}$ for unity duty cycle measurement. The achieved phase sensitivity is close to the atom shot-noise limit suggesting possibilities of spatially resolved spin-squeezed magnetometry. This magnetometer marks a significant application of degenerate atomic gases to metrology

Enhancing Seed Availability For the Hard Clam (Mercenaria mercenaria) Aquaculture Industry By Applying Remote Setting Techniques

The goal of this study was to test a technology that may help ensure a reliable and consistent supply of high quality and inexpensive clam seed to growers, thus fostering an emerging aquaculture industry by eliminating a seed shortage that limits sustainability. The overall objectives were to develop, test and demonstrate technical procedures and determine the financial feasibility of transferring remote setting technology from the Pacific Northwest molluscan shellfish industry to the hard clam aquaculture industry in Florida. (PDF has 44 pages.