Relationship Between Scholastic and Health Behaviors and Reading Level in Adolescent Females

This was a study of 102 adolescent females, 12-20 years of age, presenting to a central city clinic for medical care. Participants completed an oral questionnaire that included demographics, and questions regarding scholastic history, sexual behavior, and substance use. Each subject completed the Accuracy Level Test (ALT), a reading test. The subject\u27s reading test grade level was subtracted from her appropriate grade in school to give a reading delay level (RDL). The mean reading grade level for all subjects was 6.7 ±2.6 and the average reading delay was 4.5 ±2.5 grades. Poor school attenders had greater reading delays (5.8 ±3.4 grades behind vs. 4.3 ±2.2 for good attenders

Asteroid team

The purpose of this task is to support asteroid research and the operation of an Asteroid Team within the Earth and Space Sciences Division at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The Asteroid Team carries out original research on asteroids in order to discover, better characterize and define asteroid properties. This information is needed for the planning and design of NASA asteroid flyby and rendezvous missions. The asteroid Team also provides scientific and technical advice to NASA and JPL on asteroid related programs. Work on asteroid classification continued and the discovery of two Earth-approaching M asteroids was published. In the asteroid photometry program researchers obtained N or Q photometry for more than 50 asteroids, including the two M-earth-crossers. Compositional analysis of infrared spectra (0.8 to 2.6 micrometer) of asteroids is continuing. Over the next year the work on asteroid classification and composition will continue with the analysis of the 60 reduced infrared spectra which we now have at hand. The radiometry program will continue with the reduction of the N and Q bandpass data for the 57 asteroids in order to obtain albedos and diameters. This year the emphasis will shift to IRAS follow-up observations; which includes objects not observed by IRAS and objects with poor or peculiar IRAS data. As in previous year, we plan to give top priority to any opportunities for observing near-Earth asteroids and the support (through radiometric lightcurve observations from the IRTF) of any stellar occultations by asteroids for which occultation observation expeditions are fielded. Support of preparing of IRAS data for publication and of D. Matson for his participation in the NASA Planetary Astronomy Management and Operations Working Group will continue

Interaction of the Yersinia pestis type III regulatory proteins LcrG and LcrV occurs at a hydrophobic interface

BACKGROUND: Secretion of anti-host proteins by Yersinia pestis via a type III mechanism is not constitutive. The process is tightly regulated and secretion occurs only after an appropriate signal is received. The interaction of LcrG and LcrV has been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in secretion control. Previous work has shown that when LcrG is incapable of interacting with LcrV, secretion of anti-host proteins is prevented. Therefore, an understanding of how LcrG interacts with LcrV is required to evaluate how this interaction regulates the type III secretion system of Y. pestis. Additionally, information about structure-function relationships within LcrG is necessary to fully understand the role of this key regulatory protein. RESULTS: In this study we demonstrate that the N-terminus of LcrG is required for interaction with LcrV. The interaction likely occurs within a predicted amphipathic coiled-coil domain within LcrG. Our results demonstrate that the hydrophobic face of the putative helix is required for LcrV interaction. Additionally, we demonstrate that the LcrG homolog, PcrG, is incapable of blocking type III secretion in Y. pestis. A genetic selection was utilized to obtain a PcrG variant capable of blocking secretion. This PcrG variant allowed us to locate a region of LcrG involved in secretion blocking. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that LcrG interacts with LcrV via hydrophobic interactions located in the N-terminus of LcrG within a predicted coiled-coil motif. We also obtained preliminary evidence that the secretion blocking activity of LcrG is located between amino acids 39 and 53

Monotelechelic Poly(oxa)norbornenes by Ring-Opening Metathesis Polymerization Using Direct End-Capping and Cross-Metathesis

Two different methodologies for the synthesis of monotelechelic poly(oxa)norbornenes prepared by living ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) are presented. The first method, termed direct end-capping, is carried out by adding an internal cis-olefin terminating agent (TA) to the reaction mixture immediately after the completion of the living ROMP reaction. The second method relies on cross-metathesis (CM) between a methylene-terminated poly(oxa)norbornene and a cis-olefin TA mediated by the ruthenium olefin metathesis catalyst (H_(2)IMes)(Cl)_(2)Ru(CH-o-OiPrC_(6)H_4) (H_(2)IMes = 1,3-dimesitylimidazolidine-2-ylidene). TAs containing various functional groups, including alcohols, acetates, bromides, α-bromoesters, thioacetates, N-hydroxysuccinimidyl esters, and Boc-amines, as well as fluorescein and biotin groups, were synthesized and tested. The direct end-capping method typically resulted in >90% end-functionalization efficiency, while the CM method was nearly as effective for TAs without polar functional groups or significant steric bulk. End-functionalization efficiency values were determined by ^(1)H NMR spectroscopy

Impacts of climate change of seaports: A survey of knowledge, perceptions, and planning efforts among port administrators

Port authorities from around the world were surveyed to ascertain how administrators feel climate change might impact their operations, what level of change would be problematic, and how they plan to adapt to new conditions. The survey was distributed to 350 major ports through two leading international port organizations, the International Association of Ports and Harbors and the American Association of Port Authorities. (PDF contains 4 pages

Organizational and Operating Structures of a National Pork Producers Cooperative; Evaluation of Alternatives for Implementation of the Pork America "Umbrella" Model

This paper summarizes the structural components, activities and processes evaluated during the implementation of a national pork producers' cooperative. It reviews and compares various organizational structures considered and identifies the components, activities and processes that would best allow Pork America to fulfil its mission. The paper adds detail to the organizational structure of the "umbrella model" designed by the National Pork Producers Council Cooperative Task Force. More concretely, it outlines, evaluates, and compares alternative activities and processes to implement operations within that structure. It identifies strengths and weakness of each alternative, needs for internal and external competencies, potential business models, management scenarios, and financing options for the alternative approaches considered by Pork America. This approach supported the development of Pork America's master business plan. Governance and operational structures to allow Pork America to function successfully; incorporating local, state and regional groups as members; and be responsive to the restructuring occurring in the pork industry were described. The paper describes the essential components of each structure that was considered, including, but not limited to the following areas: (1) Relationships within operating units, among operating units, between a national headquarters and operating units, and between the board and management. (2) Groupings of employees into departments or operating divisions, within business units, and between business units and the scope of those operating divisions or business units. (3) Systems for communications, coordination, and integration among various divisions and units that make up Pork America, both vertically and horizontally. Methodologically this report is a descriptive case study of the Pork America Cooperative. It outlines the structure of the pork industry in which the cooperative is operating, and develops aspects of the New Generation Cooperative structure that are applicable to this cooperative. Furthermore, the paper identifies alternative activities and processes that Pork America considered or will be considering to implement this structure. Advantages and disadvantages of potential activities and processes are identified and compared. The organizational models discussed are based on those actually considered by the NPPC Task Force and the Pork America Board including: (1) a large-scale three-plant model; (2) a large-scale single-plant format, (3) a service company model, (4) a joint marketing model and (5) a national network model. The paper identifies the alternatives judged to best fulfill Pork America's objectives given the structural components implied in the umbrella model and the changing structure of the pork industry.Agribusiness,

Detecting Unresolved Binaries in TESS Data with Speckle Imaging

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is conducting a two-year wide-field survey searching for transiting exoplanets around nearby bright stars that will be ideal for follow-up characterization. To facilitate studies of planet compositions and atmospheric properties, accurate and precise planetary radii need to be derived from the transit light curves. Since 40 - 50% of exoplanet host stars are in multiple star systems, however, the observed transit depth may be diluted by the flux of a companion star, causing the radius of the planet to be underestimated. High angular resolution imaging can detect companion stars that are not resolved in the TESS Input Catalog, or by seeing-limited photometry, to validate exoplanet candidates and derive accurate planetary radii. We examine the population of stellar companions that will be detectable around TESS planet candidate host stars, and those that will remain undetected, by applying the detection limits of speckle imaging to the simulated host star populations of Sullivan et al. (2015) and Barclay et al. (2018). By detecting companions with contrasts of delta m < 7 - 9 and separations of ~0.02 - 1.2'', speckle imaging can detect companion stars as faint as early M stars around A - F stars and stars as faint as mid-M around G - M stars, as well as up to 99% of the expected binary star distribution for systems located within a few hundred parsecs.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journal; 16 pages, 8 figures, 2 table