436 research outputs found
Consumer Preferences for Cluster Raisins: A Focus Group Investigation
The U.S. raisin industry has experienced a decline in acreage and in number of growers in recent years. One firm is trying a novel approach to marketing raisins, namely, by marketing them still attached to the vine. This product is called cluster raisins. In order to explore consumer preferences related to cluster raisins, and to generate new product ideas and preferred marketing methods, two focus group interviews were implemented. Findings included that a young (i.e., 18 - 25 years) market segment would be a recommended target market. Also included are recommendations regarding price, packaging, and methods of increasing consumer awareness. Recommended marketing channels include specialty markets (e.g., Trader Joe's or Whole Foods) and gift baskets.Marketing,
Ubiquitination of the protocadherin-ÎłA3 variable cytoplasmic domain modulates cell-cell interaction
The family of âŒ60 clustered protocadherins (Pcdhs) are cell adhesion molecules encoded by a genomic locus that regulates expression of distinct combinations of isoforms in individual neurons resulting in what is thought to be a neural surface âbarcodeâ which mediates same-cell interactions of dendrites, as well as interactions with other cells in the environment. Pcdh mediated same-cell dendrite interactions were shown to result in avoidance while interactions between different cells through Pcdhs, such as between neurons and astrocytes, appear to be stable. The cell biological mechanism of the consequences of Pcdh based adhesion is not well understood although various signaling pathways have been recently uncovered. A still unidentified cytoplasmic regulatory mechanism might contribute to a âswitchâ between avoidance and adhesion. We have proposed that endocytosis and intracellular trafficking could be part of such a switch. Here we use âstubâ constructs consisting of the proximal cytoplasmic domain (lacking the constant carboxy-terminal domain spliced to all Pcdh-Îłs) of one Pcdh, Pcdh-ÎłA3, to study trafficking. We found that the stub construct traffics primarily to Rab7 positive endosomes very similarly to the full length molecule and deletion of a substantial portion of the carboxy-terminus of the stub eliminates this trafficking. The intact stub was found to be ubiquitinated while the deletion was not and this ubiquitination was found to be at non-lysine sites. Further deletion mapping of the residues required for ubiquitination identified potential serine phosphorylation sites, conserved among Pcdh-ÎłAs, that can reduce ubiquitination when pseudophosphorylated and increase surface expression. These results suggest Pcdh-ÎłA ubiquitination can influence surface expression which may modulate adhesive activity during neural development
Evolution of the Near-Infrared Tully-Fisher Relation: Constraints on the Relationship Between the Stellar and Total Masses of Disk Galaxies since z=1
Using a combination of Keck spectroscopy and near-infrared imaging, we
investigate the K-band and stellar mass Tully-Fisher relation for 101 disk
galaxies at 0.2 < z < 1.2, with the goal of placing the first observational
constraints on the assembly history of halo and stellar mass. Our main result
is a lack of evolution in either the K-band or stellar mass Tully-Fisher
relation from z = 0 - 1.2. Furthermore, although our sample is not
statistically complete, we consider it suitable for an initial investigation of
how the fraction of total mass that has condensed into stars is distributed
with both redshift and total halo mass. We calculate stellar masses from
optical and near-infrared photometry and total masses from maximum rotational
velocities and disk scale lengths, utilizing a range of model relationships
derived analytically and from simulations. We find that the stellar/total mass
distribution and stellar-mass Tully-Fisher relation for z > 0.7 disks is
similar to that at lower redshift, suggesting that baryonic mass is accreted by
disks along with dark matter at z < 1, and that disk galaxy formation at z < 1
is hierarchical in nature. We briefly discuss the evolutionary trends expected
in conventional structure formation models and the implications of extending
such a study to much larger samples.Comment: ApJ, in press, 9 page
Three Dimensional Quantification of Angiotensin II-Induced Murine Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Using High Frequency Ultrasound
Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), a localized dilation of the vessel wall of 50% or more above normal, claims approximately 14,000 U.S. lives yearly due to aortic rupture. This commonly asymptomatic disease can only be treated by endovascular stent grafts or invasive surgery, usually after the AAA diameter reaches 5 cm. Because these treatment methods carry serious risk, stem cell therapy is being explored in order to provide a low risk option for managing smaller AAAs. To determine if stem cell therapy, once administered, could stabilize or reduce AAA growth, baseline 3D ultrasound measurements in a control group were first needed. High frequency ultrasound was used on apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE-/-) mice given angiotensin II (AngII) from subcutaneously implanted osmotic mini pumps. This mouse model developed dissecting AAAs, containing a false and true lumen, which were clearly visualized and quantified using 3D ultrasound imaging. With this ultrasound technique, we found that aneurysm diameter, total volume, and false lumen volume all increased steadily over a period of 28 days once AAAs formed. These data suggest our noninvasive, 3D ultrasound technique can be used to monitor the progression of aneurysms that may be delayed once stem cell therapy is administered
The Carnegie Supernova Project: Analysis of the First Sample of Low-Redshift Type-Ia Supernovae
We present the analysis of the first set of low-redshift Type Ia supernovae
(SNe Ia) by the Carnegie Supernova Project. Well-sampled, high-precision
optical (ugriBV) and near-infrared (NIR; YJHKs) light curves obtained in a
well-understood photometric system are used to provide light-curve parameters,
and ugriBVYJH template light curves. The intrinsic colors at maximum light are
calibrated to compute optical--NIR color excesses for the full sample, thus
allowing the properties of the reddening law in the host galaxies to be
studied. A low value of Rv~1.7, is derived when using the entire sample of SNe.
However, when the two highly reddened SNe in the sample are excluded, a value
Galactic standard of Rv~3.2 is obtained. The colors of these two events are
well matched by a reddening model due to circumstellar dust. The peak
luminosities are calibrated using a two-parameter linear fit to the decline
rates and the colors, or alternatively, the color excesses. In both cases,
dispersions in absolute magnitude of 0.12--0.16 mag are obtained, depending on
the filter-color combination. In contrast to the results obtained from color
excesses, these fits give Rv~1--2, even when the two highly reddened SNe are
excluded. This discrepancy suggests that, beyond the "normal" interstellar
reddening produced in the host galaxies, there is an intrinsic dispersion in
the colors of SNe Ia which is correlated with luminosity but independent of the
decline rate. Finally, a Hubble diagram is produced by combining the results of
the fits for each filter. The resulting scatter of 0.12 mag appears to be
limited by peculiar velocities as evidenced by the strong correlation between
the distance-modulus residuals among the different filters. The implication is
that the actual precision of SN Ia distances is 3--4%.Comment: 76 pages, 20 figures, accepted for publication in A
The DEEP Groth Strip Galaxy Redshift Survey. III. Redshift Catalog and Properties of Galaxies
The Deep Extragalactic Evolutionary Probe (DEEP) is a series of spectroscopic
surveys of faint galaxies, targeted at the properties and clustering of
galaxies at redshifts z ~ 1. We present the redshift catalog of the DEEP 1 GSS
pilot phase of this project, a Keck/LRIS survey in the HST/WFPC2 Groth Survey
Strip. The redshift catalog and data, including reduced spectra, are publicly
available through a Web-accessible database. The catalog contains 658 secure
galaxy redshifts with a median z=0.65, and shows large-scale structure walls to
z = 1. We find a bimodal distribution in the galaxy color-magnitude diagram
which persists to z = 1. A similar color division has been seen locally by the
SDSS and to z ~ 1 by COMBO-17. For red galaxies, we find a reddening of only
0.11 mag from z ~ 0.8 to now, about half the color evolution measured by
COMBO-17. We measure structural properties of the galaxies from the HST
imaging, and find that the color division corresponds generally to a structural
division. Most red galaxies, ~ 75%, are centrally concentrated, with a red
bulge or spheroid, while blue galaxies usually have exponential profiles.
However, there are two subclasses of red galaxies that are not bulge-dominated:
edge-on disks and a second category which we term diffuse red galaxies
(DIFRGs). The distant edge-on disks are similar in appearance and frequency to
those at low redshift, but analogs of DIFRGs are rare among local red galaxies.
DIFRGs have significant emission lines, indicating that they are reddened
mainly by dust rather than age. The DIFRGs in our sample are all at z>0.64,
suggesting that DIFRGs are more prevalent at high redshifts; they may be
related to the dusty or irregular extremely red objects (EROs) beyond z>1.2
that have been found in deep K-selected surveys. (abridged)Comment: ApJ in press. 24 pages, 17 figures (12 color). The DEEP public
database is available at http://saci.ucolick.org
Optical Rotation Curves of Distant Field Galaxies: Sub-L* Systems
Moderate-resolution spectroscopic observations from the Keck 10m telescope
are used to derive internal kinematics for eight faint disk galaxies in the
fields flanking the Hubble Deep Field. The spectroscopic data are combined with
high-resolution F814W WFPC2 images from the Hubble Space Telescope which
provide morphologies and scale-lengths, inclinations and orientations. The
eight galaxies have redshifts 0.15 < z < 0.75, magnitudes 18.6 < I_814 < 22.1
and luminosities -21.8 < M_B < -19.0 (H_0 = 75 and q_0 = 0.05). Terminal disk
velocities are derived from the spatially-resolved velocity profiles by
modeling the effects of seeing, slit width, slit misalignment with galaxy major
axis, and inclination for each source. These data are combined with the sample
of Vogt et al. (1996) to provide a high-redshift Tully-Fisher relation that
spans three magnitudes. This sample was selected primarily by morphology and
magnitude, rather than color or spectral features. We find no obvious change in
the shape or slope of the relation with respect to the local Tully-Fisher
relation. The small offset of < 0.4 B mag with respect to the local relation is
presumably caused by luminosity evolution in the field galaxy population, and
does not correlate with galaxy mass. A comparison of disk surface brightness
between local and high-redshift samples yields a similar offset, ~0.6 mag.
These results provide further evidence for only a modest increase in luminosity
with lookback time.Comment: Text is 9 pages (13 with figures, images in JPG format here for
brevity). Full text and postscript figures are available at
http://www.ucolick.org/~nicole/pubs/pubs.html#vfp2 and
http://tarkus.pha.jhu.edu/deep/publications.html . Accepted for publication
by The Astrophysical Journal Letter
Viral Networks: Connecting Digital Humanities and Medical History
This volume of original essays explores the power of network thinking and analysis for humanities research. Contributing authors are all scholars whose research focuses on a medical history topicâfrom the Black Death in fourteenth-century Provence to psychiatric hospitals in twentieth-century Alabama. The chapters take readers through a variety of situations in which scholars must determine if network analysis is right for their research; and, if the answer is yes, what the possibilities are for implementation. Along the way, readers will find practical tips on identifying an appropriate network to analyze, finding the best way to apply network analysis, and choosing the right tools for data visualization. All the chapters in this volume grew out of the 2018 Viral Networks workshop, hosted by the History of Medicine Division of the National Library of Medicine (NIH), funded by the Office of Digital Humanities of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and organized by Virginia Tech
Combining left atrial appendage closure and catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation: 2-year outcomes from a multinational registry
AIMS: Clinical practice guidelines do not recommend discontinuation of long-term oral anticoagulation in patients with a high stroke risk after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). Left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) with Watchman has emerged as an alternative to long-term anticoagulation for patients accepting of the procedural risks. We report on the long-term outcomes of combining catheter ablation procedures for AF and LAAC from multicentre registries. METHODS AND RESULTS: Data were pooled from two prospective, real-world
Scratching Beneath the Surface : Intentionality in Great Ape Signal production
Despite important similarities having been found between human and animal communication systems, surprisingly little research effort has focussed on whether the cognitive mechanisms underpinning these behaviours are also similar. In particular, it is highly debated whether signal production is the result of reflexive processes, or can be characterised as intentional. Here, we critically evaluate the criteria that are used to identify signals produced with different degrees of intentionality, and discuss recent attempts to apply these criteria to the vocal, gestural, and multimodal communicative signals of great apes and more distantly related species. Finally, we outline the necessary research tools, such as physiologically validated measures of arousal, and empirical evidence that we believe would propel this debate forward and help unravel the evolutionary origins of human intentional communication
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