Phytochemical Analysis of Pfaffia glomerata Inflorescences by LC-ESI-MS/MS

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Daniele F. Felipe

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Pfaffia glomerata contains high levels of β-ecdysone, which has shown a range of beneficial pharmacological effects. The present study demonstrated that inflorescences of P. glomerata contain other important bioactive compounds in addition to β-ecdysone. The identification of compounds from inflorescences using liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS was performed for the first time. The eight compounds identified were β-ecdysone, flavonoid glycosides such as quercetin-3-O-glucoside, kaempferol-3-O-glucoside and kaempferol-3-O-(6-p-coumaroyl-glucoside, oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins such as ginsenoside Ro and chikusetsusaponin IV, in addition to oleanonic acid and gluconic acid. This study provided information on the phytochemicals contained in P. glomerata inflorescences revealing the potential application of this plant part as raw material for the phytotherapeutic and cosmetic industries.

Animal diversity in Baltic rocky shore macroalgae: can Cladophora glomerata compensate for lost Fucus vesiculosus?

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Kraufvelin, Patrik; Salovius, Sonja

2004-10-01

The substitution of canopy-forming perennial algae by annual filamentous algae is a common phenomenon on eutrophicated rocky shores with potential consequences for marine biodiversity. In the upper littoral of the northern Baltic Sea, this process is exemplified by decreased occurrence of the brown alga Fucus vesiculosus and increased amounts of filamentous algae (e.g. Cladophora glomerata and Pilayella littoralis). In this study, macrofauna communities of F. vesiculosus and C. glomerata during summer have been compared and the effects on littoral macroinvertebrates of a total or partial replacement of F. vesiculosus by C. glomerata have been estimated. The animal abundance and biomass were higher in C. glomerata than in corresponding amounts of F. vesiculosus (g dwt). Similar results were also obtained when animal abundance and biomass were extrapolated to algal cover per m 2 rocky substrate in the study area. Margalef's species richness was, on the other hand, higher in F. vesiculosus, whereas the Shannon-Wiener diversity was the same. The results indicate that C. glomerata maintains a high diversity of macroinvertebrates in the upper littoral zone of the northern Baltic Sea during summer. A possible substitution of F. vesiculosus by C. glomerata does not immediately affect macroinvertebrate diversity negatively in the littoral zone, although, it is difficult to assess the full consequences due to lack of comparable algal data at wider temporal and spatial scales.

Quantitative proteomic analysis of CMS-related changes in Honglian CMS rice anther.

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Sun, Qingping; Hu, Chaofeng; Hu, Jun; Li, Shaoqing; Zhu, Yingguo

2009-10-01

Honglian (HL) cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is one of the rice CMS types and has been widely used in hybrid rice production in China. The CMS line (Yuetai A, YTA) has a Yuetai B (maintainer line, YTB) nuclear genome, but has a rearranged mitochondrial (mt) genome consisting of Yuetai B. The fertility of hybrid (HL-6) was restored by restorer gene in nuclear genome of restorer line (9311). We used isotope-code affinity tag (ICAT) technology to perform the protein profiling of uninucleate stage rice anther and identify the CMS-HL related proteins. Two separate ICAT analyses were performed in this study: (1) anthers from YTA versus anthers from YTB, and (2) anthers from YTA versus anthers from HL-6. Based on the two analyses, a total of 97 unique proteins were identified and quantified in uninucleate stage rice anther under the error rate of less than 10%, of which eight proteins showed abundance changes of at least twofold between YTA and YTB. Triosephosphate isomerase, fructokinase II, DNA-binding protein GBP16 and ribosomal protein L3B were over-expressed in YTB, while oligopeptide transporter, floral organ regulator 1, kinase and S-adenosyl-L: -methionine synthetase were over-expressed in YTA. Reduction of the proteins associated with energy production and lesser ATP equivalents detected in CMS anther indicated that the low level of energy production played an important role in inducing CMS-HL.

Research on cotton anther development of three male-sterile lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dou Liping; Tang Canming; Yue Jieyu; Wang Qingya

2009-01-01

Pollens of Sumian 22 were irradiated by 60 Co γ-rays at a dose of 20Gy, then fertilized to pistil and harvested seed. Three male-sterile lines were selected from M 1 plants, their anther observed by paraffin slice technique. Although there were some different characteristics during the abortion anther development, the abortion was consistent: the abortion stage from the development periods of pollen mother cells to microspore, pollen mother cells, tapetum, middle layer cells and the shape of anther were affected, the results contained micronucleus and double nucleus, cytoplasm expansion during the period of meiosis, tapetum and middle layer cells and so on were abnormal. (authors)

Small-scale isolation of meiocytes from arabidopsis thaliana anthers for cytological analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan, J.; Zhang, S.; Wang, J.; Li, N.; Li, M.

2016-01-01

In flowering plants, the meiocytes develop within nourishing tissues the anthers or the ovaries. Although most plants bear one or more anthers in each bisexual or male flower, the size of anthers that undergo meiosis is relatively small, and each anther contains only a small fraction of male meiocytes. As a consequence, the isolation of plant meiocytes is very challenging due to their relative inaccessibility. Efficient manual dissection of meiocytes from young Arabidopsis anthers for cytological and cytogenetic analyses is technically challenging. Indirect detection of cellular or nuclear phenotypes is impaired by poor penetration of the reagents, and cell type-specific imaging is deminished by the lack of clarity in whole-mount tissues. Here, we describe a method that allows the efficient isolation of male meiocytes of Arabidopsis. Anthers undergoing meiosis were dissected and collected into appropriate isolation/labeling buffer, depending on the downstream application. Meiocytes were released by crushing with a cover slip on a glass slide. The isolated meiocytes could be analyzed using a microscope. The technical skills required are simple, and the procedure does not require any special equipment. Isolated meiocytes are suitable for a variety of dowstream applications, such as cell morphological investigation, reporter gene assays, chromosome analyses, and callose staining. (author)

Anther and isolated microspore culture of wheat lines from northwestern and eastern Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holme, I B; Olesen, A; Hansen, N J P

1999-01-01

Hexaploid wheat genotypes from north-western Europe show low responses to current anther culture techniques. This phenomenon was investigated on 145 north-western European wheat lines. Twenty-seven lines from eastern Europe were included to observe the response pattern of wheat from an area, where...... the technique has been used successfully. On average, eastern European wheat lines produced 3.6 green plants per 111 anthers, while only 1.4 green plants per 111 anthers were obtained in north-western European lines. This difference was due to the high capacity for embryo formation among the eastern European...... lines, while the ability to regenerate green plants was widespread in both germplasm groups. Isolated wheat microspore culture performed on 85 of these wheat lines gave an average 3.7-fold increase in green plants per anther compared with the anther culture response. The increased recovery of green...

Gibberellin modulates anther development in rice via the transcriptional regulation of GAMYB.

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Aya, Koichiro; Ueguchi-Tanaka, Miyako; Kondo, Maki; Hamada, Kazuki; Yano, Kentaro; Nishimura, Mikio; Matsuoka, Makoto

2009-05-01

Gibberellins (GAs) play important roles in regulating reproductive development, especially anther development. Our previous studies revealed that the MYB transcriptional factor GAMYB, an important component of GA signaling in cereal aleurone cells, is also important for anther development. Here, we examined the physiological functions of GA during anther development through phenotypic analyses of rice (Oryza sativa) GA-deficient, GA-insensitive, and gamyb mutants. The mutants exhibited common defects in programmed cell death (PCD) of tapetal cells and formation of exine and Ubisch bodies. Microarray analysis using anther RNAs of these mutants revealed that rice GAMYB is involved in almost all instances of GA-regulated gene expression in anthers. Among the GA-regulated genes, we focused on two lipid metabolic genes, a cytochrome P450 hydroxylase CYP703A3 and beta-ketoacyl reductase, both of which might be involved in providing a substrate for exine and Ubisch body. GAMYB specifically interacted with GAMYB binding motifs in the promoter regions in vitro, and mutation of these motifs in promoter-beta-glucuronidase (GUS) transformants caused reduced GUS expression in anthers. Furthermore, a knockout mutant for CYP703A3 showed gamyb-like defects in exine and Ubisch body formation. Together, these results suggest that GA regulates exine formation and the PCD of tapetal cells and that direct activation of CYP703A3 by GAMYB is key to exine formation.

Mutant in tobacco anther culture induced by 60Co γ-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tong Daoru; Jia Xinghua

1991-01-01

The tobacco anthers at uninucleate eccentric stage were irradiated by 60 Co γ-rays for the purpose of inducing desirable mutants. The results showed that the induction frequency of plantlets increased following 1kR of 60 Co γ-rays treatment. However, the time of plantlet induction was delayed and the percentage of responding anthers as well as the number of plantlets induced per anther significantly decreased after 3kR of 60 Co γ-ray radiation which was considered as a semilethal exposure. The plantlet numbers induced per anther were extremely low following 6kR of 60 Co γ-ray radiation. A white flower mutant appeared in the induced progenies. The tobacco leaf quality of this mutant were significantly improved as compared with its parental line. The mutant line has been tested and proved to have commercial value though the resistance to the black shank of tobacco slightly decreased as compared with the parental line

Isolation and prebiotic activity of inulin-type fructan extracted from Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng) Pedersen roots.

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Caleffi, Edilainy Rizzieri; Krausová, Gabriela; Hyršlová, Ivana; Paredes, Larry Ladislao Ramos; dos Santos, Marcelo Müller; Sassaki, Guilherme Lanzi; Gonçalves, Regina Aparecida Correia; de Oliveira, Arildo José Braz

2015-09-01

Pfaffia glomerata (Amaranthaceae) is popularly known as "Brazilian ginseng." Previous studies have shown that fructose is the major carbohydrate component present in its roots. Inulin-type fructans, polymers of fructose, are the most widespread and researched prebiotics. Here, we isolated and chemically characterized inulin extracted from P. glomerata roots and investigated its potential prebiotic effect. Fructans were isolated and their structures were determined using colorimetric, chromatography, polarimetry, and spectroscopic analysis. The degree of polymerization (DP) was determined, and an in vitro prebiotic test was performed. The structure of inulin was confirmed by chromatography and spectroscopic analysis and through comparison with existing data. Representatives from the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium utilized inulin from P. glomerata, because growth was significantly stimulated, while this ability is strain specific. The results indicated that inulin extracted from P. glomerata roots represents a promising new source of inulin-type prebiotics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SHI/STY Genes Affect Pre- and Post-meiotic Anther Processes in Auxin Sensing Domains in Arabidopsis

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Leandro H. Estornell

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In flowering plants, mature sperm cells are enclosed in pollen grains formed in structures called anthers. Several cell layers surrounding the central sporogenous cells of the anther are essential for directing the developmental processes that lead to meiosis, pollen formation, and the subsequent pollen release. The specification and function of these tissues are regulated by a large number of genetic factors. Additionally, the plant hormone auxin has previously been shown to play important roles in the later phases of anther development. Using the R2D2 auxin sensor system we here show that auxin is sensed also in the early phases of anther cell layer development, suggesting that spatiotemporal regulation of auxin levels is important for early anther morphogenesis. Members of the SHI/STY transcription factor family acting as direct regulators of YUC auxin biosynthesis genes have previously been demonstrated to affect early anther patterning. Using reporter constructs we show that SHI/STY genes are dynamically active throughout anther development and their expression overlaps with those of three additional downstream targets, PAO5, EOD3 and PGL1. Characterization of anthers carrying mutations in five SHI/STY genes clearly suggests that SHI/STY transcription factors affect anther organ identity. In addition, their activity is important to repress periclinal cell divisions as well as premature entrance into programmed cell death and cell wall lignification, which directly influences the timing of anther dehiscence and the pollen viability. The SHI/STY proteins also prevent premature pollen germination suggesting that they may play a role in the induction or maintenance of pollen dormancy.

Aquaporins of the PIP2 class are required for efficient anther dehiscence in tobacco.

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Bots, Marc; Vergeldt, Frank; Wolters-Arts, Mieke; Weterings, Koen; van As, Henk; Mariani, Celestina

2005-03-01

Several processes during sexual reproduction in higher plants involve the movement of water between cells or tissues. Before flower anthesis, anther and pollen dehydration takes place before the release of mature pollen at dehiscence. Aquaporins represent a class of proteins that mediates the movement of water over cellular membranes. Aquaporins of the plasmamembrane PIP2 family are expressed in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) anthers and may therefore be involved in the movement of water in this organ. To gain more insight into the role these proteins may play in this process, we have analyzed their localization using immunolocalizations and generated plants displaying RNA interference of PIP2 aquaporins. Our results indicate that PIP2 protein expression is modulated during anther development. Furthermore, in tobacco PIP2 RNA interference plants, anther dehydration was slower, and dehiscence occurred later when compared with control plants. Together, our results suggest that aquaporins of the PIP2 class are required for efficient anther dehydration prior to dehiscence.

The epiphytic microbiota of the globally widespread macroalga Cladophora glomerata (Chlorophyta, Cladophorales).

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Zulkifly, Shahrizim; Hanshew, Alissa; Young, Erica B; Lee, Philip; Graham, Melissa E; Graham, Michael E; Piotrowski, Michael; Graham, Linda E

2012-09-01

The filamentous chlorophyte Cladophora produces abundant nearshore populations in marine and freshwaters worldwide, often dominating periphyton communities and producing nuisance growths under eutrophic conditions. High surface area and environmental persistence foster such high functional and taxonomic diversity of epiphytic microfauna and microalgae that Cladophora has been labeled an ecological engineer. We tested the hypotheses that (1) Cladophora supports a structurally and functionally diverse epiphytic prokaryotic microbiota that influences materials cycling and (2) mutualistic host-microbe interactions occur. Because previous molecular sequencing-based analyses of the microbiota of C. glomerata found as western Lake Michigan beach drift had identified pathogenic associates such as Escherichia coli, we also asked if actively growing lentic C. glomerata harbors known pathogens. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon pyrosequencing to examine the microbiota of C. glomerata of Lake Mendota, Dane, Wisconsin, United States, during the growing season of 2011, at the genus- or species-level to infer functional phenotypes. We used correlative scanning electron and fluorescence microscopy to describe major prokaryotic morphotypes. We found microscopic evidence for diverse bacterial morphotypes, and molecular evidence for ca. 100 distinct sequence types classifiable to genus at the 80% confidence level or species at the 96-97% level within nine bacterial phyla, but not E. coli or related human pathogens. We inferred that bacterial epiphytes of lentic C. glomerata have diverse functions in materials cycling, with traits that indicate the occurrence of mutualistic interactions with the algal host.

The causes and consequences of algal blooms: the Cladophora glomerata bloom and the Neva Estuary (eastern Baltic Sea).

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Gubelit, Yulia I; Berezina, Nadezhda A

2010-01-01

The biomass dynamics of the green alga Cladophora glomerata was studied in the shallow-water littoral zone of the Neva estuary during May-October of 2003-2005. Additionally, the average production rate of C. glomerata, the biomass of drifting algae and oxygen depletion were examined during period of algae decomposition. Two peaks in C. glomerata biomass, in July and in September, were observed during all years studied, reaching a maximum 300+/-100 g DW m(-2). The primary production of C. glomerata varied from 3.6 to 7.9 g C m(-2) contributing to around 90% of the total primary production in this habitat. From the middle of July to late August the biomass of drifting C. glomerata exceeded the biomass of the attached algae, accounting for 62% of the total algal biomass in shallow areas (0-1m). The hypoxia (a minimum oxygen level of 5% or 0.62 mg dm(-3)) in the water was recorded near shore (to 20-m distance from the shore), negatively influencing the quality of shallow-water habitats. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrothermal liquefaction of Gracilaria gracilis and Cladophora glomerata macro-algae for biocrude production.

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Parsa, Mehran; Jalilzadeh, Hamoon; Pazoki, Maryam; Ghasemzadeh, Reza; Abduli, MohammadAli

2018-02-01

The potential of Gracilaria gracilis (G. gracilis) and Cladophora glomerata (C. glomerata) macro-algae species harvested from Caspian Sea for biocrude oil production under Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) reaction at 350 °C and 15 min has been investigated. Furthermore, the effect of using recycled aqueous phase as the HTL reaction solvent was studied. The biocrude yield for G. gracilis and C. glomerata was 15.7 and 16.9 wt%, respectively with higher heating value (HHV) of 36.01 and 33.06 MJ/kg. The sources of each existing component in bio-oil were identified by GC-MS based on their suggested reaction pathways. Moreover, after two series of aqueous solution recycling, experiments showed that the bio-oil yield significantly increased compared with the initial condition. This increasing directly relates with recovery of carbon content from the aqueous solution residue. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Antioxidant and antibacterial activities of Cladophora glomerata (L ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Cladophora is one of the largest filamentous green-algal genus and has a widespread distribution in Caspian Sea Coast. This study aimed at assaying the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of Cladophora glomerata in South of Caspian sea. The antioxidant activity of the extract was investigated, including the total ...

Anther development and microsporogenesis in date palm (phoenix dactylifera l.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jazinizadeh, E.; Majd, A.; Pourpak, Z.

2017-01-01

Microsporogenesis and pollen morphology of Phoenix dactylifera L. was studied in this study. Anther, in different developmental stages, was removed, fixed in Formalin-glacial acetic acid-alcohol (FAA), stored in 70% ethanol, embedded in paraffin and then sliced at 8-10mu m by rotary microtome. Staining was carried out with Hematoxylin-Eozin. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to analyze the mature pollen grains. The pollen protein extracts of date palm were obtained from pollen by phosphate buffer saline (PBS). They were separated by 10% SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The anther wall is constituted of five cellular strata: epidermis, monostratified endothecium, middle layer formed by two cellular strata and the secretory tapetum. The microspore mother cells begin meiosis and form tetrads of tetragonal microspores. The mature anther wall consists of an epidermis and an endothecium. Mature pollen grains are two-celled and monosulcate, semitectate -reticulate. SDS- PAGE analysis of mature pollen grains showed protein bands of 10-110 kDa regions. (author)

Anther and pollen development in some species of Poaceae (Poales

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AT. Nakamura

Full Text Available Anther and pollen development were studied in Olyra humilis Nees, Sucrea monophylla Soderstr, (Bambusoideae, Axonopus aureus P. Beauv., Paspalum polyphyllum Nees ex Trin. (Panicoideae, Eragrostis solida Nees, and Chloris elata Desv. (Chloridoideae. The objective of this study was to characterise, embryologically, these species of subfamilies which are considered basal, intermediate and derivate, respectively. The species are similar to each other and to other Poaceae. They present the following characters: tetrasporangiate anthers; monocotyledonous-type anther wall development, endothecium showing annular thickenings, secretory tapetum; successive microsporogenesis; isobilateral tetrads; spheroidal, tricellular, monoporate pollen grains with annulus and operculum. Nevertheless, the exine patterns of the species studied are distinct. Olyra humilis and Sucrea monophylla (Bambusoideae show a granulose pattern, whereas in the other species, it is insular. In addition, Axonopus aureus and Paspalum polyphyllum (Panicoideae have a compactly insular spinule pattern, while Chloris elata and Eragrostis solida (Chloridoideae show a sparsely insular spinule pattern. The exine ornamentation may be considered an important feature at the infrafamiliar level.

Cold stress alters transcription in meiotic anthers of cold tolerant chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

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Sharma, Kamal Dev; Nayyar, Harsh

2014-10-11

Cold stress at reproductive phase in susceptible chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) leads to pollen sterility induced flower abortion. The tolerant genotypes, on the other hand, produce viable pollen and set seed under cold stress. Genomic information on pollen development in cold-tolerant chickpea under cold stress is currently unavailable. DDRT-PCR analysis was carried out to identify anther genes involved in cold tolerance in chickpea genotype ICC16349 (cold-tolerant). A total of 9205 EST bands were analyzed. Cold stress altered expression of 127 ESTs (90 up-regulated, 37 down-regulated) in anthers, more than two third (92) of which were novel with unknown protein identity and function. Remaining about one third (35) belonged to several functional categories such as pollen development, signal transduction, ion transport, transcription, carbohydrate metabolism, translation, energy and cell division. The categories with more number of transcripts were carbohydrate/triacylglycerol metabolism, signal transduction, pollen development and transport. All but two transcripts in these categories were up-regulated under cold stress. To identify time of regulation after stress and organ specificity, expression levels of 25 differentially regulated transcripts were also studied in anthers at six time points and in four organs (anthers, gynoecium, leaves and roots) at four time points. Limited number of genes were involved in regulating cold tolerance in chickpea anthers. Moreover, the cold tolerance was manifested by up-regulation of majority of the differentially expressed transcripts. The anthers appeared to employ dual cold tolerance mechanism based on their protection from cold by enhancing triacylglycerol and carbohydrate metabolism; and maintenance of normal pollen development by regulating pollen development genes. Functional characterization of about two third of the novel genes is needed to have precise understanding of the cold tolerance mechanisms in chickpea anthers.

High production of wheat double haploids via anther culture

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Kondić-Šipka Ankica

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Androgenous and regeneration abilities of 14 randomly selected F1 hybrids of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. were analyzed. Anthers were grown in vitro on a modified Potato-2 inductive medium. The hybrid NS111-95/Ana had the highest average values for androgenous capacity (33% and callus yield (119%, while the hybrid NS 92-250/Tiha had the lowest values for these traits (9 and 21%, respectively. Seven genotypes (50% had a frequency of green plants relative to the number of isolated anthers of over 10%, with the highest frequency of 21.3% (NS111-95/Sremica. This hybrid produced 12.8 doubled haploid (DH lines per spike used for isolation. In the other genotypes, the number of produced DH lines per spike ranged from 1 (30­Sc.Smoc.88-89/Hays-2 to 11.2 (NS111-95/Ana. As half of the randomly selected genotypes exhibited high green plant regeneration ability and a high production of DH lines per spike, it can be concluded that in vitro anther culture can be successfully used in breeding programs for rapid production of homozygous wheat lines.

The Distribution Features of Polysaccharides and Lipids in the Development of Tomato Anthers

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Zhu Yun

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The regulation of nutrient transportation and transformation in developing anthers is very complex. We analyzed the distribution and features of polysaccharides and lipids in the developing anthers of tomatoes using histochemical methods. Some starches appeared in the connective somatic tissue of anthers during the sporogenous cell stage. Before meiosis of the microspore mother cell, a thick polysaccharide callose wall was formed, accompanied by a reduction in the connective tissue starches. During the tetrad stage after meiosis, the polysaccharide material in the anther did not change. At the early microspore stage, the starches in the connective cells again increased, and polysaccharide material appeared in the partial intine of pollen. At the late microspore stage, a large vacuole formed that did not contain lipids or starches, and only the pollen wall contained red polysaccharides. At this stage, the connective somatic cell starch amounts decreased, and the tapetal cells changed shape and degenerated. After microspore division, abundant lipids appeared in the bicellular pollen, and starches accumulated following pollen development. As the anthers matured, many lipids and some starches accumulated in the epidermal cells. Nutrient metabolism within the tomato pollen characteristically accumulated lipids first and then starches, while the mature pollen accumulated starches and lipids simultaneously. This characteristic pattern of nutrient metabolism in tomato pollen shows species specificity among plants.

Investigation on resistance to drought and efficiency of water usage in two range species, Dactylis glomerata and Eragrostis curvula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jafari, M.; Saiedian, F.; Heydari, H.; Azarnayvand, H.; Farzaneh, Z.

2000-01-01

Determination of water efficiency and resistance to drought in range plants are important factors that have essential role in selection of range development methods. As there is not any comprehensive study in resistance to drought, present research was done with selection of two range species. Selected species were two kinds of Gramineae, namely Dactylis glomerata and Eragrostis curvula. Some parameters such as used water, length, width and number of leaves, dry mass of leaves were studies. Obtained results showed that length and width of leaves were not under stress in irrigation periods, but number of leaves, dry mass of leaf and stem decreased under drought stress. Amount of decrease in Eragrostis curvula was less than Dactylis glomerata Increment of irrigation periods, increased root growth rather than stem, but root growth in Dactylis glomerata was more than Eragrostis curvula for production of dry matter, Dactylis glomerata species has less water requirement and higher water usage efficiency in terms of amount of water usage. In terms of resistance to drought, Eragrostis curvula has more resistance rather than Dactylis glomerata because of high water potential and lower witt ing point

Comparison of the nodule vs. root transcriptome of the actinorhizal plant Datisca glomerata: actinorhizal nodules contain a specific class of defensins.

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Irina V Demina

Full Text Available Actinorhizal root nodule symbioses are very diverse, and the symbiosis of Datisca glomerata has previously been shown to have many unusual aspects. In order to gain molecular information on the infection mechanism, nodule development and nodule metabolism, we compared the transcriptomes of D. glomerata roots and nodules. Root and nodule libraries representing the 3'-ends of cDNAs were subjected to high-throughput parallel 454 sequencing. To identify the corresponding genes and to improve the assembly, Illumina sequencing of the nodule transcriptome was performed as well. The evaluation revealed 406 differentially regulated genes, 295 of which (72.7% could be assigned a function based on homology. Analysis of the nodule transcriptome showed that genes encoding components of the common symbiosis signaling pathway were present in nodules of D. glomerata, which in combination with the previously established function of SymRK in D. glomerata nodulation suggests that this pathway is also active in actinorhizal Cucurbitales. Furthermore, comparison of the D. glomerata nodule transcriptome with nodule transcriptomes from actinorhizal Fagales revealed a new subgroup of nodule-specific defensins that might play a role specific to actinorhizal symbioses. The D. glomerata members of this defensin subgroup contain an acidic C-terminal domain that was never found in plant defensins before.

Analysis of biochemical characteristics of maize anthers from male fertilizable plant and male sterile plant induced by space flight

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Lingbi; Rong Tingzhao; Zhang Caibo; Sichuan Agricultural Univ., Ya'an; Zhu Yingguo; Cao Moju; Sichuan Agricultural Univ., Ya'an; Wuhan Univ., Wuhan

2007-01-01

The contents of soluble sugar, starch, protein and free praline in anthers were analyzed and compared between male fertilizable and male sterile induced by space flight at different developmental stages. The results showed that all contents were lower in male sterile anthers than in fertilisable ones. With anther developing, the contents of soluble starch, protein and free proline increased obviously in male fertilizable anthers, but not in sterile ones. (authors)

Regrowth of cocksfoot, Dactylis glomerata (L.) in response to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Frequent clipping of Dactylis glomerata after 15-, 30- and 45-day regrowth periods showed that higher foliage yields and better root development are obtained after the longer periods of regrowth. While these longer periods of regrowth, larger quantities of available carbohydrates were translocated to the roots. Clipping at ...

Biochemical Changes during Development Process of Anther ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ERCAN

2012-02-20

Feb 20, 2012 ... The main metabolic substances changes during the development process of anther-derived embryos in loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl. ... provide energy for the new development phase (Zang et al., 2004; He and Qi, 2002). ... were used for experimental materials (Figure 1) such as embryogenic calluses ...

Efficiency of anther culture technique in the production of wheat double haploids

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Kondić-Špika Ankica Đ.

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study was to investigate efficiency of anther culture in the production of spontaneous double haploids from randomly selected heterozygous genotypes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.. Anthers of 20 F1 wheat combinations were grown in vitro on a modified Potato-2 medium. All of the examined genotypes have shown the ability to produce pollen calluses as well as to regenerate green plants. On average for the whole experiment material, 47.2 calluses were produced per 100 cultured anthers. The green plant regeneration ranged from 0.8 to 13.4 green plants per spike, with an overall mean of 5.8. From the total of 582 regenerated green plants, 47.9% (279 were spontaneous double haploids. The final average yield from the study was 2.8 double haploids per spike.

Hypnotic effect of ecdysterone isolated from Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen

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Raquel Fenner

Full Text Available In this study the depressant effect of fractions from P. glomerata was initially evaluated using the mice barbiturate sleeping time test as reference. The fractions tested were the CHCl3, the EtOAc, the n-BuOH and the aqueous fraction obtained from P. glomerata subterraneous parts. Only the pretreatment with the lipophilic fraction (CHCl3: EtOAc, 1:1, w/w increased the barbiturate sleeping time (i.p 500 mg/kg; v.o. 1000 mg/kg. Ecdysterone, the main substance isolated from this lipophilic fraction, was identified by spectroscopic methods and its content in the ethanol extract was determined as 1.4% (w/w by HPLC. In order to investigate the hypothesis of ecdysterone displaying a depressant effect on nervous central system, an evaluation toward the hypnotic-sedative and anxiolytic effects of this drug was carried out. Ecdysterone 100 mg/kg, i.p, increased the barbiturate sleeping time without provoking hypothermia; when administered by oral route its minimal effective dose was 400 mg/kg. On the other hand, ecdysterone (100 mg/kg, i.p; 400 mg/kg, p.o did not impair motor coordination and was ineffective on pentylenetetrazole-induced convulsion, elevated plus-maze and step-down inhibitory avoidance tests, indicating that at these doses the drug does not present an anxiolytic profile and does not cause manifest neurotoxic effects as well. In conclusion, the lipophilic fraction from P. glomerata presents a hypnotic effect being ecdysterone one of the compounds responsible for this CNS activity.

Analyses of advanced rice anther transcriptomes reveal global tapetum secretory functions and potential proteins for lipid exine formation.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ming-Der; Wei, Fu-Jin; Wu, Cheng-Cheih; Hsing, Yue-Ie Caroline; Huang, Anthony H C

2009-02-01

The anthers in flowers perform important functions in sexual reproduction. Several recent studies used microarrays to study anther transcriptomes to explore genes controlling anther development. To analyze the secretion and other functions of the tapetum, we produced transcriptomes of anthers of rice (Oryza sativa subsp. japonica) at six progressive developmental stages and pollen with sequencing-by-synthesis technology. The transcriptomes included at least 18,000 unique transcripts, about 25% of which had antisense transcripts. In silico anther-minus-pollen subtraction produced transcripts largely unique to the tapetum; these transcripts include all the reported tapetum-specific transcripts of orthologs in other species. The differential developmental profiles of the transcripts and their antisense transcripts signify extensive regulation of gene expression in the anther, especially the tapetum, during development. The transcriptomes were used to dissect two major cell/biochemical functions of the tapetum. First, we categorized and charted the developmental profiles of all transcripts encoding secretory proteins present in the cellular exterior; these transcripts represent about 12% and 30% of the those transcripts having more than 100 and 1,000 transcripts per million, respectively. Second, we successfully selected from hundreds of transcripts several transcripts encoding potential proteins for lipid exine synthesis during early anther development. These proteins include cytochrome P450, acyltransferases, and lipid transfer proteins in our hypothesized mechanism of exine synthesis in and export from the tapetum. Putative functioning of these proteins in exine formation is consistent with proteins and metabolites detected in the anther locule fluid obtained by micropipetting.

Analysis of Anther Cell Differentiation

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Ma, Hong [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

2015-01-19

This grant supports research on genes that regulate Arabidopsis anther development. The proposed research largely concerns that functions of two key regulatory genes: SPL and DYT1, which encode two putative transcription factors, as well as genes that interact with these genes. Last year, we reported progress in preparation for ChIP analysis with SPL and DYT1, in dyt1 and ams microarray experiments and initial data analysis, in functional analysis of one of the DYT1 target gene, MYB35.

Organelles genome stability of wheat plantlets produced by anther ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Yomi

2012-03-15

Mar 15, 2012 ... 1Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Al-Balqa' Applied University, ... genetic stability of wheat organelles genomes for plantlets produced by anther culture using restriction ..... of transgenic plants.

Transcriptome Analysis of the Sydney Rock Oyster, Saccostrea glomerata: Insights into Molluscan Immunity.

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Nicole G Ertl

Full Text Available Oysters have important ecological functions in their natural environment, acting as global carbon sinks and improving water quality by removing excess nutrients from the water column. During their life-time oysters are exposed to a variety of pathogens that can cause severe mortality in a range of oyster species. Environmental stressors encountered in their habitat can increase the susceptibility of oysters to these pathogens and in general have been shown to impact on oyster immunity, making immune parameters expressed in these marine animals an important research topic.Paired-end Illumina high throughput sequencing of six S. glomerata tissues exposed to different environmental stressors resulted in a total of 484,121,702 paired-end reads. When reads and assembled transcripts were compared to the C. gigas genome, an overall low level of similarity at the nucleotide level, but a relatively high similarity at the protein level was observed. Examination of the tissue expression pattern showed that some transcripts coding for cathepsins, heat shock proteins and antioxidant proteins were exclusively expressed in the haemolymph of S. glomerata, suggesting a role in innate immunity. Furthermore, analysis of the S. glomerata ORFs showed a wide range of genes potentially involved in innate immunity, from pattern recognition receptors, components of the Toll-like signalling and apoptosis pathways to a complex antioxidant defence mechanism.This is the first large scale RNA-Seq study carried out in S. glomerata, showing the complex network of innate immune components that exist in this species. The results confirmed that many of the innate immune system components observed in mammals are also conserved in oysters; however, some, such as the TLR adaptors MAL, TRIF and TRAM are either missing or have been modified significantly. The components identified in this study could help explain the oysters' natural resilience against pathogenic microorganisms

Effect of the genotype and gamma irradiation on the anther cultures of a 10x10 diallel cross of wheat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molina, L.; Aldana, F.

2001-01-01

Anther culture responsiveness, irradiation effect and reciprocal effect were evaluated on ten genotypes (V1-V10) and a 101x0 diallel cross. Gamma irradiation dose of 100 Gy was applied to seeds of parents and F 1 cross from which the donor plants were grown. Non-irradiated donor plants were also used for comparison. Anthers were plated on potato-2 callus induction medium and calli formed were transferred to MS medium supplemented with sucrose (3%), indolacetic acid (1.0 mg/L), kinetin (1.0 mg/L), inositol (100 mg/L) and solidified with agar (0.7%). Genotypes showed big differences for callus induction, plant regeneration and anther culturability rate. The most responsive materials were V2, V10 and V5 with 76.0, 27.4 and 10.8 green plants per 100 anthers respectively. No irradiation effect was found for the parents nor the F 1 crosses on the pooled data. Mean anther culture response of specific genotypes showed that irradiation significantly increased anther culturability rate of V3 from 0.1 to 27.6 green plants per 100 anthers. No reciprocal effect was observed. (author)

Antioxidant and anticancer activities of freshwater green algae, Cladophora glomerata and Microspora floccosa, from Nan River in northern Thailand

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Warawut Chulalaksananukul

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Organic solvent and hot water extracts of freshwater macroalgae, Cladophora glomerata and Microspora floccosa, harvested from Nan River in northern Thailand were screened for antioxidant and anticancer activities using DPPH free radical scavenging assay and inhibition of proliferation of the KB human oral cancer cell lines respectively. The ethyl acetate extract of C. glomerata showed the highest total phenol content (18.1±2.3 mg GAE/g, radical scavenging activity (49.8±2.7% DPPH scavenging at 100 g/ml and in vitro growth inhibition (IC50=1420.0±66 g/g of the KB cell lines. These results indicate that C. glomerata could be a source of valuable bioactive materials.

Enhanced nitrogen deposition exacerbates the negative effect of increasing background ozone in Dactylis glomerata, but not Ranunculus acris

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Wyness, Kirsten, E-mail: kirnes@ceh.ac.uk [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW (United Kingdom); Newcastle Institute for Research on the Environment and Sustainability - NIRES, Devonshire Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Mills, Gina; Jones, Laurence [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH), Environment Centre Wales, Deiniol Road, Bangor LL57 2UW (United Kingdom); Barnes, Jeremy D. [Newcastle Institute for Research on the Environment and Sustainability - NIRES, Devonshire Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 7RU (United Kingdom); Jones, Davey L. [School of the Environment and Natural Resources, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UW (United Kingdom)

2011-10-15

The combined impacts of simulated increased nitrogen (N) deposition (75 kg N ha{sup -1} yr{sup -1}) and increasing background ozone (O{sub 3}) were studied using two mesotrophic grassland species (Dactylis glomerata and Ranunculus acris) in solardomes, by means of eight O{sub 3} treatments ranging from 15.5 ppb to 92.7 ppb (24 h average mean). A-C{sub i} curves were constructed for each species to gauge effects on photosynthetic efficiency and capacity, and effects on biomass partitioning were determined after 14 weeks. Increasing the background concentration of O{sub 3} reduced the healthy above ground and root biomass of both species, and increased senesced biomass. N fertilisation increased biomass production in D. glomerata, and a significantly greater than additive effect of O{sub 3} and N on root biomass was evident. In contrast, R. acris biomass was not affected by high N. The study shows the combined effects of these pollutants have differential implications for carbon allocation patterns in common grassland species. - Highlights: > Dactylis glomerata and Ranunculus acris enhanced senescence with increasing O{sub 3}. > Ozone effects on root biomass were larger than on shoot biomass in both species. > N deposition exacerbated the negative O{sub 3} effect on D. glomerata root biomass. > Inter-specific differences in the response to O{sub 3} and N combined exposure. - Synergistic effects of elevated O{sub 3} and N were observed in below ground C-partitioning in the grass Dactylis glomerata, but not in the forb Ranunculus acris.

Comparison of anther and microspore culture in androgenic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this study was to compare the efficiency of broccoli anther and microspore culture methods for doubled haploid (DH) lines production. We evaluated the main influencing factors and optimized the culture methods to improve embryo induction and plant regeneration for efficient doubled haploid production in ...

Improvement of bananas (Musa cvs.) through in vitro anther culture

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Perea Dallos, M [Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogota (Colombia). Dept. de Biologia

1995-06-01

Agricultural products play a great role in the Colombian economy, and the banana is one of the most important. Since 1981, one of the more serious problems effecting production of this crop is the fungus Mycosphaerella fijensis sp. difformis, that causes black sigatoka disease. Most of the recent efforts to control this disease have been directed towards the identification of clones tolerant or resistant to this disease. One alternative approach is the use of anther culture to obtain resistant haploid plants. Diploid clones (Musa - AA) have been used as a model in this study. The results presented here identify the most appropriate stage of anther development for callus induction and proliferation, and treatments that reduce tissue browning. (author). 12 refs, 1 fig., 1 tab.

Effects of cadmium accumulation from suspended sediments and phytoplankton on the Oyster Saccostrea glomerata

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Schmitz, Helena A.; Maher, William A., E-mail: bill.maher@canberra.edu.au; Taylor, Anne M.; Krikowa, Frank

2015-03-15

Highlights: • Saccostrea glomerata accumulated cadmium from sediments and phytoplankton. • Effects were similar for both pathways. • Antioxidant capacity, lipid peroxidation and lysosomal destabilisation were affected. • Clear exposure–dose–response relationships were demonstrated. - Abstract: Metals are accumulated by filter feeding organisms via water, ingestion of suspended sediments or food. The uptake pathway can affect metal toxicity. Saccostrea glomerata were exposed to cadmium through cadmium-spiked suspended sediments (19 and 93 μg/g dry mass) and cadmium-enriched phytoplankton (1.6–3 μg/g dry mass) and cadmium uptake and effects measured. Oysters accumulated appreciable amounts of cadmium from both low and high cadmium spiked suspended sediment treatments (5.9 ± 0.4 μg/g and 23 ± 2 μg/g respectively compared to controls 0.97 ± 0.05 μg/g dry mass). Only a small amount of cadmium was accumulated by ingestion of cadmium-enriched phytoplankton (1.9 ± 0.1 μg/g compared to controls 1.2 ± 0.1 μg/g). In the cadmium spiked suspended sediment experiments, most cadmium was desorbed from sediments and cadmium concentrations in S. glomerata were significantly related to dissolved cadmium concentrations (4–21 μg/L) in the overlying water. In the phytoplankton feeding experiment cadmium concentrations in overlying water were <0.01 μg/L. In both exposure experiments, cadmium-exposed oysters showed a significant reduction in total antioxidant capacity and significantly increased lipid peroxidation and percentage of destabilised lysosomes. Destabilised lysosomes in the suspended sediments experiments also resulted from stress of exposure to the suspended sediments. The study demonstrated that exposure to cadmium via suspended sediments and to low concentrations of cadmium through the ingestion of phytoplankton, can cause sublethal stress to S. glomerata.

ECOLOGY OF CLADOPHORA GLOMERATA (L.) KÜTZ IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO(1).

Science.gov (United States)

Bellis, V J; McLarty, D A

1967-06-01

Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kütz. was the dominant attached alga in streams and along lake shores in southern Ontario. Maximum production occurred in summer and resulted from 2 short periods of intensive vegetative growth (June and September). Optimum habitat conditions consist of a firm substrate in shallow alkaline water. These conditions are provided by harbor facilities where man-made structures supplement naturally occurring rock outcrops or cobble beaches and where nutrients are available from tributaries draining agricultural and urban land areas. Periodicity appears to be related to temperature; the interval between the 2 periods of intensive growth during warm weather decreases at successively more northern locations. Frequent observation of Cladophora growing at a single stream station revealed that variations in thallus morphology and relative cell dimensions of C. glomerata are greater than has generally been recognized. These variations can be attributed to changes in environmental conditions and events in the annual life cycle of the alga.

Down-Regulation of OsEMF2b Caused Semi-sterility Due to Anther and Pollen Development Defects in Rice

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Luchang Deng

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Anther and pollen development are crucial processes of plant male reproduction. Although a number of genes involved in these processes have been identified, the regulatory networks of pollen and anther development are still unclear. EMBRYONIC FLOWER 2b (OsEMF2b is important for rice development. Its biological function in floral organ, flowering time and meristem determinacy have been well-studied, but its role, if only, on male reproduction is still unknown, because null mutants of OsEMF2b barely have anthers. In this study, we identified a weak allele of OsEMF2b, osemf2b-4. The T-DNA insertion was located in the promoter region of OsEMF2b, and OsEMF2b expression was significantly decreased in osemf2b-4. The osemf2b-4 mutant exhibited much more normal anthers than null mutants of OsEMF2b, and also showed defective floret development similar to null mutants. Cytological analysis showed various defects of anther wall and pollen development in osemf2b-4, such as slightly or extremely enlarged tapetum, irregular or normal morphology microspores, and partial or complete sterility. OsEMF2b was highly expressed in tapetum and microspores, and the protein was localized in the nucleus. The expression of 15 genes essential for anther and pollen development was investigated in both WT and osemf2b-4. Fourteen genes including GAMYB was up-regulated, and only PTC1 was down-regulated in osemf2b-4. This suggests that up-regulated GAMYB and down-regulated PTC1 might contribute to the defective anther and pollen development in osemf2b-4. Overall, our work suggests that OsEMF2b plays an essential role during post-meiotic anther and pollen development.

Hydrothermal gasification of Cladophora glomerata macroalgae over its hydrochar as a catalyst for hydrogen-rich gas production.

Science.gov (United States)

Safari, Farid; Norouzi, Omid; Tavasoli, Ahmad

2016-12-01

A tubular batch micro-reactor system was used for hydrothermal gasification (HTG) of Cladophora glomerata (C. glomerata) as green macroalgae found in the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, Iran. Non-catalytic tests were performed to determine the optimum condition for hydrogen production. Hydrochar, as a solid residue of non-catalytic HTG was characterized by BET, FESEM, and ICP-OES methods to determine its physiochemical properties. Surface area and pore volume of C. glomerata increased drastically after HTG. Also, the aqueous products were identified and quantified by GC-MS and GC-FID methods. Hydrochar was loaded to the reactor to determine its catalytic effect on HTG. HTG was promoted by inorganic compounds in the hydrochar and its porosity. The maximum hydrogen yield of 9.63mmol/g was observed in the presence of algal hydrochar with the weight ratio of 0.4 to feedstock. Also, acids production was inhibited while phenol production was promoted in the presence of hydrochar. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phytochemical and molluscicidal activity of Mikania glomerata Sprengel (Asteraceae in different lifestages of Subulina octona (Mollusca, Subulinidade

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Bruna Aparecida de Souza

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to study the molluscicidal activity of aqueous extract of Mikania glomerata on the land snail Subulina octona and to assess the changes caused on the snail's fecundity, growth, hatchability and the offspring produced after exposure. Eggs, newly hatched and 30 day old snails were exposed to the sublethal concentration of M. glomerata extract for 24 and 48 h and the observations were made for 120 days. The presence of tannins, flavonoids and saponins were shown by phytochemical tests. The extract reduced significantly the hatchability and the survival of the offspring hatched from the exposed eggs. The eggs exposed for 48 h presented lower hatchability rates. There was a reduction on survival and growth of newly hatched and 30-days old snails exposed to the extract. These results indicated that the aqueous extract of M. glomerata could be applied as an alternative molluscicide for the control of this snail species efficiently.

Establishment of plant regeneration system from anther culture of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ajl yemi

2011-11-28

Nov 28, 2011 ... Plant regeneration of Tagetes patula was achieved from anther explants via adventitious shoot differentiation from callus. The effects of genotype, temperature pretreatment, plant growth regulators, light regimes and sucrose concentration were studied. Eight of ten genotypes tested were successfully.

Study of Androgenesis Ability and Callus Induction in Four Varieties of Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill by Anther Culture

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R. Najib

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill is one of the most important vegetables which in addition of its importance as a food, is utilized as a model plant for cytological and cytogenetic studies. Tomato breeding programs are often based on the production and selection of hybrid plants. Producing hybrid plants and application of features that is needed to breed pure lines with high specific combining abilities, is highly required.New technologies such as doubled haploid can be an effective strategy to provide pure lines in tomato. Generation of homozygous doubled haploid lines through induction of androgenesis is a promising alternative method to the classical breeding programs. However, this technology is poorly developed in tomato so that some improvements in methodology are required. Genotype and stages of microspore development are critical factors for induction of androgenesis in tomato. Among them, the genotype is more important than other factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibility of callus induction from anthers in some tomato genotypes. Materials and Methods: In order to investigate the androgenic response and callus induction through anther culture in tomato, four varieties including Mobil-Netherlands, Baker, U. S. Agriseed and Khoram were chosen. To determine the appropriate stage of microspore development for anther culture, cytologycal studies were accomplished at different size length of flower buds (2-7.9 mm. Flower buds were incubated at 4oC for 15 minutes and stained in acetocarmin %4 solution. Based on cytological studies in four tested cultivars, flower buds with size length 4-4.9 mm were chosen, as they had the highest frequency of meiotic microspores to microspores mid uninucleate. Pretreatments were colchicine solution (250 mgr/L at 4 °C for 48 h. The anthers were cultured on MS medium containing 2 mgr/L IAA and 1 mgr/L 2ip. All changes in frequency of callus induction and diameter of

Ocean acidification narrows the acute thermal and salinity tolerance of the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Laura M; Scanes, Elliot; O'Connor, Wayne A; Coleman, Ross A; Byrne, Maria; Pörtner, Hans-O; Ross, Pauline M

2017-09-15

Coastal and estuarine environments are characterised by acute changes in temperature and salinity. Organisms living within these environments are adapted to withstand such changes, yet near-future ocean acidification (OA) may challenge their physiological capacity to respond. We tested the impact of CO 2 -induced OA on the acute thermal and salinity tolerance, energy metabolism and acid-base regulation capacity of the oyster Saccostrea glomerata. Adult S. glomerata were acclimated to three CO 2 levels (ambient 380μatm, moderate 856μatm, high 1500μatm) for 5weeks (24°C, salinity 34.6) before being exposed to a series of acute temperature (15-33°C) and salinity (34.2-20) treatments. Oysters acclimated to elevated CO 2 showed a significant metabolic depression and extracellular acidosis with acute exposure to elevated temperature and reduced salinity, especially at the highest CO 2 of 1500μatm. Our results suggest that the acute thermal and salinity tolerance of S. glomerata and thus its distribution will reduce as OA continues to worsen. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Involvement of CAT in the detoxification of HT-induced ROS burst in rice anther and its relation to pollen fertility.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Qian; Zhou, Lujian; Liu, Jianchao; Cao, Zhenzhen; Du, Xiaoxia; Huang, Fudeng; Pan, Gang; Cheng, Fangmin

2018-05-01

HT-induced ROS burst in developing anther is closely related to the lowered CAT activity as the result of the markedly suppressed OsCATB transcript, thereby causing severe fertility injury for rice plants exposed to HT at meiosis stage. The reproductive stage of rice plants is highly sensitive to heat stress. In this paper, different rice cultivars were used to investigate the relationship of HT-induced floret sterility with reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification in rice anthers under well-controlled climatic conditions. Results showed that high temperature (HT) exposure significantly enhanced the ROS level and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in developing anther, and the increase in ROS amount in rice anther under HT exposure was closely associated with HT-induced decline in the activities of several antioxidant enzymes. For various antioxidant enzymes, SOD and CAT were more susceptible to the ROS burst in rice anther induced by HT exposure than APX and POD, in which SOD and CAT activity in developing anther decreased significantly by HT exposure, whereas APX activity was relatively stable among different temperature regimes. HT-induced decrease in CAT activity was attributable to the suppressed transcript of OsCATB. This occurrence was strongly responsible for HT-induced increase in ROS level and oxidative-damage in rice anther, thereby it finally caused significant reduction in pollen viability and floret fertility for the rice plants exposed to HT during meiosis. Exogenous application of 1000 µM salicylic acid (SA) may alleviate HT-induced reduction in pollen viability and floret fertility, concomitantly with the increased CAT activity and reduced ROS level in rice anther.

COMPRIMENTO DA ESTACA DE RAMO NO ENRAIZAMENTO DE GINSENG BRASILEIRO (Pfaffia glomerata SHOOT CUTTING LENGTH ON ROOTING OF BRAZILIAN GINSENG (Pfaffia glomerata

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Fernando Teixeira Nicoloso

2001-02-01

Full Text Available A Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen é uma dentre várias espécies conhecidas como ginseng brasileiro e é usada como planta medicinal. O objetivo desse trabalho foi determinar se o comprimento da estaca de ramo influencia o enraizamento da P. glomerata. Os tratamentos usados consistiram de três comprimentos de estacas (10, 15 e 20cm; ± 1cm de variação. As estacas foram obtidas dos 70cm basais de ramos, com 80 a 140cm de comprimento, de plantas possuindo dois anos de idade, cultivadas no Jardim Botânico da UFSM. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental de blocos ao acaso com três repetições e 30 estacas por unidade experimental. O bloco experimental consistiu de uma bandeja plástica com capacidade para 36 litros de solução nutritiva. O experimento foi instalado no dia 15 de julho de 1998 e conduzido por 44 dias sob condições controladas de temperatura, luminosidade e umidade do ar. Os resultados indicaram que (i o tamanho da estaca não afeta a percentagem de enraizamento, a produção de massa seca de folhas e raízes. Por outro lado, as mudas obtidas de estacas de 10cm apresentam maior número de brotações, comprimento das brotações, massa seca de talos e massa seca total produzida por estaca que as de 20cm; e (ii o uso de estacas com 10cm de comprimento é viável e, conseqüentemente, possibilita a obtenção de um maior número de estacas por ramo.Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen is among several species known as Brazilian ginsengs and it is used as medicinal plant. The aim of this work was to evaluate the length of the shoot cuttings on rooting of P. glomerata. Treatments consisted of three length of cuttings (10, 15, and 20cm; ± 1cm of variation. Cuttings were obtained from the 70cm of the basal portion from shoots of 80 to 140cm of length, from two-year-old plants grown in the Botanical Garden at State University of Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Treatments were distributed in a completely randomized block design with

Determination of suitable microspore stage and callus induction from anthers of kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Ahmed Mahmood; Kayat, Fatimah Binti; Hussin, Zeti Ermiena Surya Mat; Susanto, Dwi; Ariffulah, Mohammed

2014-01-01

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is one of the important species of Hibiscus cultivated for fiber. Availability of homozygous parent lines is prerequisite to the use of the heterosis effect reproducible in hybrid breeding. The production of haploid plants by anther culture followed by chromosome doubling can be achieved in short period compared with inbred lines by conventional method that requires self pollination of parent material. In this research, the effects of the microspore developmental stage, time of flower collection, various pretreatments, different combinations of hormones, and culture condition on anther culture of KB6 variety of Kenaf were studied. Young flower buds with immature anthers at the appropriate stage of microspore development were sterilized and the anthers were carefully dissected from the flower buds and subjected to various pretreatments and different combinations of hormones like NAA, 2,4-D, Kinetin, BAP, and TDZ to induce callus. The best microspore development stage of the flower buds was about 6-8 mm long collected 1-2 weeks after flower initiation. At that stage, the microspores were at the uninucleate stage which was suitable for culture. The best callus induction frequency was 90% in the optimized semisolid MS medium fortified with 3.0 mg/L BAP + 3.0 mg/L NAA.

Determination of Suitable Microspore Stage and Callus Induction from Anthers of Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.

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Ahmed Mahmood Ibrahim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L. is one of the important species of Hibiscus cultivated for fiber. Availability of homozygous parent lines is prerequisite to the use of the heterosis effect reproducible in hybrid breeding. The production of haploid plants by anther culture followed by chromosome doubling can be achieved in short period compared with inbred lines by conventional method that requires self pollination of parent material. In this research, the effects of the microspore developmental stage, time of flower collection, various pretreatments, different combinations of hormones, and culture condition on anther culture of KB6 variety of Kenaf were studied. Young flower buds with immature anthers at the appropriate stage of microspore development were sterilized and the anthers were carefully dissected from the flower buds and subjected to various pretreatments and different combinations of hormones like NAA, 2,4-D, Kinetin, BAP, and TDZ to induce callus. The best microspore development stage of the flower buds was about 6–8 mm long collected 1-2 weeks after flower initiation. At that stage, the microspores were at the uninucleate stage which was suitable for culture. The best callus induction frequency was 90% in the optimized semisolid MS medium fortified with 3.0 mg/L BAP + 3.0 mg/L NAA.

Determination of Suitable Microspore Stage and Callus Induction from Anthers of Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.)

Science.gov (United States)

Binti Kayat, Fatimah; Ermiena Surya Mat Hussin, Zeti; Susanto, Dwi; Ariffulah, Mohammed

2014-01-01

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is one of the important species of Hibiscus cultivated for fiber. Availability of homozygous parent lines is prerequisite to the use of the heterosis effect reproducible in hybrid breeding. The production of haploid plants by anther culture followed by chromosome doubling can be achieved in short period compared with inbred lines by conventional method that requires self pollination of parent material. In this research, the effects of the microspore developmental stage, time of flower collection, various pretreatments, different combinations of hormones, and culture condition on anther culture of KB6 variety of Kenaf were studied. Young flower buds with immature anthers at the appropriate stage of microspore development were sterilized and the anthers were carefully dissected from the flower buds and subjected to various pretreatments and different combinations of hormones like NAA, 2,4-D, Kinetin, BAP, and TDZ to induce callus. The best microspore development stage of the flower buds was about 6–8 mm long collected 1-2 weeks after flower initiation. At that stage, the microspores were at the uninucleate stage which was suitable for culture. The best callus induction frequency was 90% in the optimized semisolid MS medium fortified with 3.0 mg/L BAP + 3.0 mg/L NAA. PMID:24757416

Leaf dynamics of Festulolium and Dactylis glomerata L. at the end of the growing season

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Jiří Skládanka

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The paper is focused on the assessment of leaf extension rate (LER, leaf appearance rate (LAR and leaf senescence rate (LSR in the Festulolium (Festuca arundinacea Schreb. × Lolium multiflorum Lam. and in the Dactylis glomerata L. at the end of the growing season from the end of September to the beginning of December. In summer, the swards were used for a single cut (beginning of June or for a double cut (beginning of June and end of July. Measurements were made in three periods from 14 Sept. to 11 Oct., from 11 Oct. to 29 Oct., and from 29 Oct. to 6 Dec. In the first period, LER was higher in Dactylis glomerata L. (3.770 mm tiller−1 d−1 than in Festulolium (2.376 mm tiller−1 d−1. In the second and third period, LER was higher in Festulolium (0.859 resp. 0.271 mm tiller−1 d−1 than in Dactylis glomerata L. (0.694, resp. 0.199 mm tiller−1 d−1. LAR values measured in Festulolium in the studied pe­riods were 0.277 leaf tiller−1 d−1, 0.079 leaf tiller−1 d−1 and 0.038 leaf tiller−1 d−1 and LAR values of Dactylis glomerata L. were 0.225 leaf tiller−1 d−1, 0.054 leaf tiller−1 d−1 and 0.027 leaf tiller−1 d−1. In the course of the whole pe­riod of study, LSR showed the highest values in Dactylis glomerata L. (7.869 mm til­ler−1 d−1, 5.947 mm til­ler−1 d−1 and 4.757 mm tiller−1 d−1 while the LSR values of Festulolium were lower (2.904 mm tiller−1 d−1, 2.375 mm tiller−1 d−1 and 1.205 mm tiller−1 d−1. The influence of both the species and the period of measurement on the LER, LAR and LSR values was statistically highly significant (P < 0.01 to very highly significant (P < 0.001. The interaction between the species and the period of measurement was very highly significant (P < 0.001 in the LER characteristic. The influence of the intensity of sward use in summer on the LSR values was very highly significant (P < 0.001, too.

Improvement of rice anther culture and application of the technique in mutation breeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Qiufang; Wang Cailian; Lu Yimei; Jin Wei

2001-01-01

The ability of callus formation and green plant regeneration was very different for different rice type and varieties in anther culture. The differentiation and regeneration of green plants were obviously improved when the rice anthers at about 30 d after culture on induction medium were irradiated with 20 Gy of γ-rays and calli were cultured on the differentiation medium containing 30 mg/L colchicines. The stimulation effect of γ-irradiation combined with colchicines was much better than that of their single use. Mutation frequency and selective efficiency in M 2 were obviously increased by application of the technique

Genetic Architecture of Anther Extrusion in Spring and Winter Wheat

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Quddoos H. Muqaddasi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Hybrid wheat breeding is gaining prominence worldwide because it ensures higher and more static yield than conventionally bred varieties. The cleistogamous floral architecture of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. impedes anthers inside the floret, making it largely an inbreeder. For hybrid seed production, high anther extrusion is needed to promote cross pollination and to ensure a high level of pollen availability for the seed plant. This study, therefore, aimed at the genetic dissection of anther extrusion (AE in panels of spring (SP, and winter wheat (WP accessions by genome wide association studies (GWAS. We performed GWAS to identify the SNP markers potentially linked with AE in each panel separately. Phenotypic data were collected for 3 years for each panel. The average levels of Pearson's correlation (r among all years and their best linear unbiased estimates (BLUEs within both panels were high (r(SP = 0.75, P < 0.0001;r(WP = 0.72, P < 0.0001. Genotypic data (with minimum of 0.05 minor allele frequency applied included 12,066 and 12,191 SNP markers for SP and WP, respectively. Both genotypes and environment influenced the magnitude of AE. In total, 23 significant (|log10(P| > 3.0 marker trait associations (MTAs were detected (SP = 11; WP = 12. Anther extrusion behaved as a complex trait with significant markers having either favorable or unfavorable additive effects and imparting minor to moderate levels of phenotypic variance (R2(SP = 9.75−14.24%; R2 (WP = 9.44−16.98%. All mapped significant markers as well as the markers within their significant linkage disequilibrium (r2 ≥ 0.30 regions were blasted against wheat genome assembly (IWGSC1+popseq to find the corresponding genes and their high confidence descriptions were retrieved. These genes and their orthologs in Hordeum vulgare, Brachypodium distachyon, Oryza sativa, and Sorghum bicolor revealed syntenic genomic regions potentially involved in flowering-related traits. Moreover, the

Cloning and sequence analysis of the defective in anther ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

To clone the defective in anther dehiscence1 (DAD1) gene fragment of Chinese kale, about 700 bp product was obtained by PCR amplification using Chinese kale genomic DNA as the template and a pair of specific primers designed according to the conserved sequence of DAD1 genes of Arabidopsis thaliana and ...

Development of anthers and pollen in Brazilian heterostylic species of Erythroxylum (Erythroxylaceae): an ecological approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, L.D.; Fernandes, C. L.

2016-01-01

This study describes the development of anthers and pollen in heterostylic flowers of two species of Erythroxylum. The features of anthers and their developmental pattern, which is of the dicotyledonous type, do not vary according to morphs or species. The pollen grains of both morphs show differences in their morphology, development, and content stored as a reserve source. In both species, thrum (short-styled) flowers presented bicellular pollen grains, while pin (long-styled) ones yielded bi- and tricellular pollen grains. The presence of inviable pollen grains in the two flower morphs of both species and the malformation of one of the four microsporanges in the thrum flowers of E. campestre are noteworthy. We verified that features found both in the anther wall and in the pollen grains could be related to the reproductive success and adaptation of the species to the Brazilian savanna biome. (author)

Dynamical Messengers for Gauge Mediation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hook, Anson; Torroba, Gonzalo; /SLAC /Stanford U., Phys. Dept.

2011-08-17

We construct models of indirect gauge mediation where the dynamics responsible for breaking supersymmetry simultaneously generates a weakly coupled subsector of messengers. This provides a microscopic realization of messenger gauge mediation where the messenger and hidden sector fields are unified into a single sector. The UV theory is SQCD with massless and massive quarks plus singlets, and at low energies it flows to a weakly coupled quiver gauge theory. One node provides the primary source of supersymmetry breaking, which is then transmitted to the node giving rise to the messenger fields. These models break R-symmetry spontaneously, produce realistic gaugino and sfermion masses, and give a heavy gravitino.

Regulation of Arabidopsis Early Anther Development by Putative Cell-Cell Signaling Molecules and Transcriptional Regulators

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Yu-Jin Sun; Carey LH Hord; Chang-Bin Chen; Hong Ma

2007-01-01

Anther development in flowering plants involves the formation of several cell types, including the tapetal and pollen mother cells. The use of genetic and molecular tools has led to the identification and characterization of genes that are critical for normal cell division and differentiation in Arabidopsis early anther development. We review here several recent studies on these genes, including the demonstration that the putative receptor protein kinases BAM1 and BAM2 together play essential roles in the control of early cell division and differentiation. In addition, we discuss the hypothesis that BAM1/2 may form a positive-negative feedback regulatory loop with a previously identified key regulator, SPOROCYTELESS (also called NOZZLE),to control the balance between sporogenous and somatic cell types in the anther. Furthermore, we summarize the isolation and functional analysis of the DYSFUNCTIONAL TAPETUM1 (DYT1) gene in promoting proper tapetal cell differentiation. Our finding that DYT1 encodes a putative transcription factor of the bHLH family, as well as relevant expression analyses, strongly supports a model that DYT1 serves as a critical link between upstream factors and downstream target genes that are critical for normal tapetum development and function. These studies, together with other recently published works, indicate that cell-cell communication and transcriptional control are key processes essential for cell fate specification in anther development.

Activity of selected hydrolytic enzymes in Allium sativum L. anthers.

Science.gov (United States)

Winiarczyk, Krystyna; Gębura, Joanna

2016-05-01

The aim of the study was to determine enzymatic activity in sterile Allium sativum anthers in the final stages of male gametophyte development (the stages of tetrads and free microspores). The analysed enzymes were shown to occur in the form of numerous isoforms. In the tetrad stage, esterase activity was predominant, which was manifested by the greater number of isoforms of the enzyme. In turn, in the microspore stage, higher numbers of isoforms of acid phosphatases and proteases were detected. The development of sterile pollen grains in garlic is associated with a high level of protease and acid phosphatase activity and lower level of esterase activities in the anther locule. Probably this is the first description of the enzymes activity (ACPH, EST, PRO) in the consecutives stages of cell wall formation which is considered to be one of the causes of male sterility in flowering plant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Changes in root morphology and dry matter production in Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen accessions in response to excessive zinc

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K. BERNARDY

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Zinc (Zn participates of numerous metabolic processes in plants. However, it can become toxic to plants in excessive concentrations in the soil. Pfaffia glomerata is a Brazilian medicinal species that has stood out because of its numerous chemical and functional properties, mainly by the triterpene saponins and ecdysteroids accumulated in its roots. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of zinc excess on many root morphological parameters of Pfaffia glomerata. A 4 x 3 factorial design was employed in a completely randomized scheme with 3 replicates. The treatments consisted of four concentrations of Zn (2, 100, 200, and 300 µM and three accessions of P. glomerata (BRA, GD, and JB grown in a hydroponic system for 7 and 14 days. Differences in root morphology and dry mass production were observed among the three accessions in response to excessive Zn. Some growth parameters of GD accession increased with the addition of Zn, ranging from 36 to 79 µM. However, the GD and JB accessions presented reduction in dry mass production, root area, length, and volume with increasing Zn levels. The BRA accession, which had the lowest growth among accessions, presented chlorotic leaves. The shoot/root dry mass ratio and root diameter increased linearly for BRA and GD accessions at 7 days. Based on the evaluated parameters, we observed the following order of Zn excess tolerance in P. glomerata accessions: GD> JB> BRA.

Local plant responses to global problems: Dactylis glomerata responses to different traffic pollutants on roadsides.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez, M D; de Torre, R; Mola, I; Casado, M A; Balaguer, L

2018-04-15

The growing number of road vehicles is a major source of regional and global atmospheric pollution increasing concentrations of CO 2 in the air, and levels of metals in air and soil. Nevertheless, the effects of these pollutants on plants growing at roadsides are poorly documented. We carried out an observational study of unmanipulated plants growing by the road, to identify the morpho-physiological responses in a perennial grass Dactylis glomerata. Firstly, we wanted to know the general effect of traffic intensity and ambient CO 2 and its interactions on different plant traits. Accordingly, we analyzed the photosynthetic response by field A/Ci Response Curves, SLA, pigment pools, foliar nitrogen, carbohydrates and morphological traits in plants at three distances to the road. Secondly, we wanted to know if Dactylis glomerata plants can accumulate metals present on the roadside (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Sr) in their tissues and rhizosphere, and the effect of these metals on morphological traits. The MANCOVA whole model results shown: 1) a significant effect of road ambient CO 2 concentration on morphological traits (not affected by traffic intensity, P interaction CO2 x traffic intensity >0.05), that was mainly driven by a significant negative relationship between the inflorescence number and ambient CO 2 ; 2) a positive and significant relationship between ambient CO 2 and the starch content in leaves (unaffected by traffic intensity); 3) a reduction in J max (electron transport rate) at high traffic intensity. These lines of evidences suggest a decreased photosynthetic capacity due to high traffic intensity and high levels of ambient CO 2 . In addition, Pb, Cu, Zn and Sr were detected in Dactylis glomerata tissues, and Cu accumulated in roots. Finally, we observed that Dactylis glomerata individuals growing at the roadside under high levels of CO 2 and in the presence of metal pollutants, reduced their production of inflorescences. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All

A comparison of cellulose nanofibrils produced from Cladophora glomerata algae and bleached eucalyptus pulp

Science.gov (United States)

Zhouyang Xiang; Wenhua Gao; Liheng Chen; Wu Lan; Junyong Zhu; Troy Runge

2016-01-01

Cladophora, a fresh-water green macroalgae, has unique cellulose properties and thus may be promising for production of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs). Cellulose was extracted from Cladophora glomerata and subjected to microfluidization with or without enzymatic hydrolysis pretreatment to produce CNFs. Increasing...

Efeitos do estádio de desenvolvimento da antera e da radiação gama na formação de calos derivados de anteras de tomate Anther development stage and gamma radiation effects on tomato anther-derived callus formation

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Ana Christina R. Brasileiro

1999-10-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho foi conduzido visando: (I determinar a influência do estádio de desenvolvimento de anteras de tomate sobre a formação de calos e (II analisar o efeito da radiação gama no cultivo in vitro de anteras. No primeiro experimento, anteras de híbridos de tomate IPA 5 x Rotam 4 (F1 foram cultivadas em três meios nutritivos. Apesar da formação de calos ter sido induzida em todos os estádios de desenvolvimento, variando de prófase I à micrósporo mononucleado, a freqüência de calos produzidos decresceu com o avanço do estádio de desenvolvimento e se apresentou de forma semelhante nos meios testados. Anteras contendo meiócitos em estádio de prófase I mostraram maior freqüência de formação de calos. Tanto o comprimento da antera quanto o do botão floral apresentaram correlação significativa com o estádio de desenvolvimento. No segundo experimento, sementes e botões florais dos híbridos IPA 5 x Rotam 4 (F2, IPA 6 x Rotam 4 (F2 e IPA 8 x 217.1 (F2 foram submetidos à radiação gama e suas anteras foram cultivadas em dois meios descritos por Gresshoff & Doy (1972, contendo 2,0 mg L-1 de ANA + 5,0 mg L-1 de cinetina e 2,0 mg L-1 de ANA + 1,0 mg L-1 de cinetina. Não foram constatadas diferenças significativas, no que se refere à formação de calos, para os genótipos e doses estudadas - 200 Gy, para sementes e 20 Gy, para botões florais.Two experiments were carried (I to determine tomato anther development stage influence on callus production; and (II to investigate gamma radiation effects on anther culture. In the first experiment, anthers of a tomato hybrid (IPA 5 x Rotam 4 - F1 were grown on three media. Although calli were induced at all stages of anther development, varying from prophase I to mononucleate microspore, callus frequency decreased as anther development progressed and calli induction were not significantly affected by all media tested. Anthers containing prophase I meiocytes produced the highest

The Messenger Mission to Mercury

CERN Document Server

Domingue, D. L

2007-01-01

NASA’s MESSENGER mission, launched on 3 August, 2004 is the seventh mission in the Discovery series. MESSENGER encounters the planet Mercury four times, culminating with an insertion into orbit on 18 March 2011. It carries a comprehensive package of geophysical, geological, geochemical, and space environment experiments to complete the complex investigations of this solar-system end member, which begun with Mariner 10. The articles in this book, written by the experts in each area of the MESSENGER mission, describe the mission, spacecraft, scientific objectives, and payload. The book is of interest to all potential users of the data returned by the MESSENGER mission, to those studying the nature of the planet Mercury, and by all those interested in the design and implementation of planetary exploration missions.

iTRAQ-facilitated proteomic profiling of anthers from a photosensitive male sterile mutant and wild-type cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ji; Pang, Chaoyou; Wei, Hengling; Song, Meizhen; Meng, Yanyan; Ma, Jianhui; Fan, Shuli; Yu, Shuxun

2015-08-03

Male sterility is a common phenomenon in flowering plants, and it has been successfully developed in several crops by taking advantage of heterosis. Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is an important economic crop, used mainly for the production of textile fiber. Using a space mutation breeding technique, a novel photosensitive genetic male sterile mutant CCRI9106 was isolated from the wild-type upland cotton cultivar CCRI040029. To use CCRI9106 in cotton hybrid breeding, it is of great importance to study the molecular mechanisms of its male sterility. Here, histological and iTRAQ-facilitated proteomic analyses of anthers were performed to explore male sterility mechanisms of the mutant. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy of the anthers showed that the development of pollen wall in CCRI9106 was severely defective with a lack of exine formation. At the protein level, 6121 high-confidence proteins were identified and 325 of them showed differential expression patterns between mutant and wild-type anthers. The proteins up- or down-regulated in MT anthers were mainly involved in exine formation, protein degradation, calcium ion binding,etc. These findings provide valuable information on the proteins involved in anther and pollen development, and contribute to elucidate the mechanism of male sterility in upland cotton. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Sacarose e período de cultivo in vitro na aclimatização ex vitro de ginseng brasileiro (Pfaffia glomerata Spreng. Pedersen Sucrose and duration of in vitro growth on ex vitro acclimatization of Brazilian ginseng (Pfaffia glomerata Spreng. Pedersen

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Etiane Caldeira Skrebsky

2004-10-01

Full Text Available Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen é uma planta extensivamente usada na medicina popular em decorrência de possuir propriedades fitoterápicas. Devido à sua baixa capacidade fotossintética, as plantas cultivadas in vitro requerem uma fonte extra de carboidratos para suprir suas necessidades metabólicas. O tempo de cultivo in vitro influencia as taxas de crescimento das raízes e da parte aérea de P. glomerata. Este trabalho teve como objetivos avaliar os efeitos da sacarose e do período de cultivo in vitro na aclimatização ex vitro de plântulas de P. glomerata. Os tratamentos consistiram de uma combinação bifatorial (5x2 entre cinco concentrações de sacarose (15, 30, 45, 60 e 75g L-1 e dois períodos de cultivo in vitro (25 e 32 dias após a inoculação. No cultivo in vitro, a parcela experimental consistiu de um tubo de ensaio contendo 10mL de meio MS e um segmento nodal, obtidos de plântulas mantidas in vitro, de 1,0cm de comprimento e sem folhas. O procedimento de aclimatização consistiu de quatro fases sucessivas de cultivo ex vitro: (i abertura dos tubos de ensaio e exposição das plântulas ao ambiente de câmara climatizada por três dias; (ii transplantio para substrato Plantmax e cultivo em condições de câmara climatizada por 21 dias; (iii transferência das mudas para ambiente natural parcialmente sombreado, com duração de 24 dias; e (iv transplantio para solo em condições de cultivo a campo. O maior crescimento das plantas obtido pelo aumento da disponibilidade de sacarose (concentrações entre 45 e 60g L-1 no cultivo in vitro contribuiu para a aclimatização. Independente do período de retirada das plantas do cultivo in vitro, as mudas obtiveram adequada aclimatização. O procedimento de aclimatização foi 100% eficiente na produção de mudas de P. glomerata.Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen is an extensively used plant in popular medicine due to its phytotherapic characteristics. Due to low

Flavonoids in white and yellow perianths and yellow anthers of tulips (Tulipa gesneriana L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcin Horbowicz

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The content of flavonoids in white and yellow perianths and yellow anthers of a few tulip cultivars were determined at the stage of full flowering. To analyses of flavonols a HPLC method was used. In anthers (yellow of all analyzed cultivars (Oscar, Pax, Profesor Wóycicki, Biała Dama, White Virgin, Calypso, Diana high content of quercetin (2,35 - 6,01 mg·g-1 F.W., kaempferol (1,09 - 9,47 mg·g-1 F.W. and apigenin (1,34 - 8,24 mg·g-1 F.W. was found. In analyzed white perianth of cvs. Oscar and White Virgin also high content of quercetin (1,3 - 1,80 mg·g-1 F.W. and kaempferol (1,90 mg·g-1 F.W. was documented and only traces of apigenin was found. In the yellow perianth of cv. Profesor Wóycicki the level of quercetin and kaempferol was much lower than in perianth of cvs. Oscar and White Virgin, and apigenin was absent. Thus, yellow anthers and white and yellow perianth of tulip cultivars are a rich source of flavonols.

Androgenesis in chickpea: Anther culture and expressed sequence tags derived annotation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Panchangam, Sameera Sastry; Mallikarjuna, Nalini; Gaur, Pooran M.

2014-01-01

Double haploid technique is not routinely used in legume breeding programs, though recent publications report haploid plants via anther culture in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.). The focus of this study was to develop an efficient and reproducible protocol for the production of double haploids wit...

Selectivity of Some Herbicides to Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L., Grown for Seed Production

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Tsvetanka Dimitrova

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The study was conducted to determine selectivity of some herbicides to cocksfoot(Dactylis glomerata L., and their influence on the seed production, during the years 2008-2010. The trial was set on the experimental field of the Institute of Forage Crops – Pleven, onslightly leached chernozem. As a result of the research the following was found: herbicidesArat (500 g/l dicamba + 250 g/l tritosulfuron at the dose of 100 ml/ha, Korida 75 VDG (750g/kg tribenuron-methyl – 15 g/ha and Cambio SL (320 g/l bentazon + 90 g/l dicamba –1250 ml/ha and Grasp 25SK (250 g/l tralkoxyidim + Atplus at rate of 1000 + 1000 ml/ha hadhigh selectivity to cocksfoot, applied at 2-4 leaf stage during establishing year of the stand,and until the stage of the beginning of shooting up in seed production year.Herbicide Topik 080EK (80 g/l clodinofop – propargyl + antidote at rate of 300 ml/ha,showed phytotoxic effect to D. glomerata and caused the reduction of seed and dry biomassproductivity.

AN ECOLOGICAL REVIEW OF CLADOPHORA GLOMERATA (CHLOROPHYTA) IN THE LAURENTIAN GREAT LAKES(1).

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, Scott N; Malkin, Sairah Y; Todd Howell, E; Guildford, Stephanie J; Campbell, Linda; Hiriart-Baer, Veronique; Hecky, Robert E

2008-08-01

Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kütz. is, potentially, the most widely distributed macroalga throughout the world's freshwater ecosystems. C. glomerata has been described throughout North America, Europe, the Atlantic Islands, the Caribbean Islands, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. Cladophora blooms were a common feature of the lower North American Great Lakes (Erie, Michigan, Ontario) from the 1950s through the early 1980s and were largely eradicated through the implementation of a multibillion-dollar phosphorus (P) abatement program. The return of widespread blooms in these lakes since the mid-1990s, however, was not associated with increases in P loading. Instead, current evidence indicates that the resurgence in blooms was directly related to ecosystem level changes in substratum availability, water clarity, and P recycling associated with the establishment of dense colonies of invasive dreissenid mussels. These results support the hypothesis that dreissenid mussel invasions may induce dramatic shifts in energy and nutrient flow from pelagic zones to the benthic zone. © 2008 Phycological Society of America.

Virus incidence in orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) seed production fields in the Willamette Valley

Science.gov (United States)

A survey was conducted over the course of three years (2014-2016) for the presence of Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV-MAV and BYDV-PAV), Cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV-RPV), and Cocksfoot mottle virus (CfMV) in orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) fields in the Willamette Valley, Oregon. There was an ...

MESSENGER'S First Flyby of Mercury

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin, James A.

2008-01-01

The MESSENGER mission to Mercury offers our first opportunity to explore this planet's miniature magnetosphere since Mariner 10's brief fly-bys in 1974-5. The magnetosphere of Mercury is the smallest in the solar system with its magnetic field typically standing off the solar wind only - 1000 to 2000 km above the surface. An overview of the MESSENGER mission and its January 14th close flyby of Mercury will be provided. Primary science objectives and the science instrumentation will be described. Initial results from MESSENGER'S first flyby on January 14th, 2008 will be discussed with an emphasis on the magnetic field and charged particle measurements.

Stimulation effects of γ-irradiation combined with colchicine on callus formation and green plant regeneration in rice anther culture

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin Wei; Chen Qiufang; Wang Cailian; Lu Yimei

1999-09-01

The ability of callus formation and green plant regeneration was very different for various rice types and varieties in rice anther culture. It was quite effective that rice anthers were irradiated with 10-40 Gy of γ-rays after 30 d incubation on induction medium and calli were treated on differentiation medium contained 10-75 mg/L of colchicine for increase of callus formation and green plant regeneration. Among these treatments, 10 Gy of γ-rats was the best for callus formation, and 20 Gy of γ-rays or 30 mg/L of colchicine was the most favourable for green plant regeneration. The simulation effect of 20 Gy of γ-irradiation combined with 30 mg/L of colchicine on green plant regeneration was much better than that of their separate use in rice anther culture

Mikania glomerata Spreng: desenvolvimento de um produto fitoterápico

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Leandro Rocha

Full Text Available Apesar da atividade farmacológica de Mikania glomerata Spreng. ser conhecida desde longa data, existem poucos estudos visando a preparação de produtos padronizados que garantam uma produção uniforme, doses eficazes e estabilidade. Nesse trabalho, foram realizados ensaios objetivando a otimização do processo extrativo; tratamento da droga vegetal para o preparo de tinturas; determinação da melhor forma de estocagem e otimização da preparação da forma farmacêutica (xarope.

Translational Influence on Messenger Stability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eriksen, Mette

-termination to be a global phenomena in gene regulation. The influence of codon usage in the early coding region on messenger stability was examined, in order to establish how fast or slow the ribosome has to decode the sequence for it to protect the messenger from degradation. The experiments demonstrated that very fast...

Polymorphic Microsatellite Markers for the Tetrapolar Anther-Smut Fungus Microbotryum saponariae Based on Genome Sequencing

Science.gov (United States)

Fortuna, Taiadjana M.; Snirc, Alodie; Badouin, Hélène; Gouzy, Jérome; Siguenza, Sophie; Esquerre, Diane; Le Prieur, Stéphanie; Shykoff, Jacqui A.; Giraud, Tatiana

2016-01-01

Background Anther-smut fungi belonging to the genus Microbotryum sterilize their host plants by aborting ovaries and replacing pollen by fungal spores. Sibling Microbotryum species are highly specialized on their host plants and they have been widely used as models for studies of ecology and evolution of plant pathogenic fungi. However, most studies have focused, so far, on M. lychnidis-dioicae that parasitizes the white campion Silene latifolia. Microbotryum saponariae, parasitizing mainly Saponaria officinalis, is an interesting anther-smut fungus, since it belongs to a tetrapolar lineage (i.e., with two independently segregating mating-type loci), while most of the anther-smut Microbotryum fungi are bipolar (i.e., with a single mating-type locus). Saponaria officinalis is a widespread long-lived perennial plant species with multiple flowering stems, which makes its anther-smut pathogen a good model for studying phylogeography and within-host multiple infections. Principal Findings Here, based on a generated genome sequence of M. saponariae we developed 6 multiplexes with a total of 22 polymorphic microsatellite markers using an inexpensive and efficient method. We scored these markers in fungal individuals collected from 97 populations across Europe, and found that the number of their alleles ranged from 2 to 11, and their expected heterozygosity from 0.01 to 0.58. Cross-species amplification was examined using nine other Microbotryum species parasitizing hosts belonging to Silene, Dianthus and Knautia genera. All loci were successfully amplified in at least two other Microbotryum species. Significance These newly developed markers will provide insights into the population genetic structure and the occurrence of within-host multiple infections of M. saponariae. In addition, the draft genome of M. saponariae, as well as one of the described markers will be useful resources for studying the evolution of the breeding systems in the genus Microbotryum and the

Higgs mass from neutrino-messenger mixing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byakti, Pritibhajan; Khosa, Charanjit K.; Mummidi, V.S.; Vempati, Sudhir K.

2017-01-01

The discovery of the Higgs particle at 125 GeV has put strong constraints on minimal messenger models of gauge mediation, pushing the stop masses into the multi-TeV regime. Extensions of these models with matter-messenger mixing terms have been proposed to generate a large trilinear parameter, A t , relaxing these constraints. The detailed survey of these models (DOI: 10.1007/JHEP05(2013)055; 10.1007/JHEP08(2013)093 ) so far considered messenger mixings with only MSSM superfields. In the present work, we extend the survey to MSSM with inverse-seesaw mechanism. The neutrino-sneutrino corrections to the Higgs mass in the inverse seesaw model are not significant in the minimal gauge mediation model, unless one considers messenger-matter interaction terms. We classify all possible models with messenger-matter interactions and perform thorough numerical analysis to find out the promising models. We found that out of the 17 possible models 9 of them can lead to Higgs mass within the observed value without raising the sfermion masses significantly. The successful models have stop masses ∼1.5 TeV with small or negligible mixing and yet a light CP even Higgs at 125 GeV.

The Arabidopsis GASA10 gene encodes a cell wall protein strongly expressed in developing anthers and seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Trapalis, Menelaos; Li, Song Feng; Parish, Roger W

2017-07-01

The Arabidopsis GASA10 gene encodes a GAST1-like (Gibberellic Acid-Stimulated) protein. Reporter gene analysis identified consistent expression in anthers and seeds. In anthers expression was developmentally regulated, first appearing at stage 7 of anther development and reaching a maximum at stage 11. Strongest expression was in the tapetum and developing microspores. GASA10 expression also occurred throughout the seed and in root vasculature. GASA10 was shown to be transported to the cell wall. Using GASA1 and GASA6 as positive controls, gibberellic acid was found not to induce GASA10 expression in Arabidopsis suspension cells. Overexpression of GASA10 (35S promoter-driven) resulted in a reduction in silique elongation. GASA10 shares structural similarities to the antimicrobial peptide snakin1, however, purified GASA10 failed to influence the growth of a variety of bacterial and fungal species tested. We propose cell wall associated GASA proteins are involved in regulating the hydroxyl radical levels at specific sites in the cell wall to facilitate wall growth (regulating cell wall elongation). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Messengers of the universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, J.K.; Spurio, M.

2011-01-01

The observation of the solar neutrinos and of a neutrino burst from the supernova explosion 1987A opened a new observation field which in the next years could be complemented with the detection of astrophysical highenergy neutrinos. Neutrino astronomy is a young discipline derived from the fundamental necessity of extending conventional astronomy beyond the usual electro-magnetic messengers. This is a summary of recent results on those new 'messengers of the universe', based on the presentations in Branch IV of the Neutrino Oscillation Workshop 2010 (NOW2010).

The Cladophora glomerata Enriched by Biosorption Process in Cr(III) Improves Viability, and Reduces Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Equine Metabolic Syndrome Derived Adipose Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cells (ASCs) and Their Extracellular Vesicles (MV's).

Science.gov (United States)

Marycz, Krzysztof; Michalak, Izabela; Kocherova, Ievgeniia; Marędziak, Monika; Weiss, Christine

2017-12-08

This study investigated in vitro effects of freshwater alga Cladophora glomerata water extract enriched during a biosorption process in Cr(III) trivalent chromium and chromium picolinate on adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal stem cells (ASCs) and extracellular microvesicles (MVs) in equine metabolic syndrome-affected horses. Chemical characterisation of natural Cladophora glomerata was performed with special emphasis on: vitamin C, vitamin E, total phenols, fatty acids, free and protein-bound amino acids as well as measured Cr in algal biomass. To examine the influence of Cladophora glomerata water extracts, in vitro viability, oxidative stress factor accumulation, apoptosis, inflammatory response, biogenesis of mitochondria, autophagy in ASCs of EMS and secretory activity manifested by MV release were investigated. For this purpose, various methods of molecular biology and microscopic observations (i.e., immunofluorescence staining, SEM, TEM, FIB observations, mRNA and microRNA expression by RT-qPCR) were applied. The extract of Cladophora glomerata enriched with Cr(III) ions reduced apoptosis and inflammation in ASCs of EMS horses through improvement of mitochondrial dynamics, decreasing of PDK4 expression and reduction of endoplastic reticulum stress. Moreover, it was found, that Cladophora glomerata and Cr(III) induce antioxidative protection coming from enhanced SOD activity Therefore, Cladophora glomerata enriched with Cr(III) ions might become an interesting future therapeutic agent in the pharmacological treatment of EMS horses.

Higgs mass from neutrino-messenger mixing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byakti, Pritibhajan [Center for High Energy Physics, Indian Institute of Science,C.V. Raman Ave, Bangalore 560012 (India); Department of Theoretical Physics, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science,2A & 2B Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata 700 032 (India); Khosa, Charanjit K. [Center for High Energy Physics, Indian Institute of Science,C.V. Raman Ave, Bangalore 560012 (India); Mummidi, V.S. [Harish-Chandra Research Institute,Chhatnag Road, Jhusi, Allahabad 211019 (India); Vempati, Sudhir K. [Center for High Energy Physics, Indian Institute of Science,C.V. Raman Ave, Bangalore 560012 (India)

2017-03-06

The discovery of the Higgs particle at 125 GeV has put strong constraints on minimal messenger models of gauge mediation, pushing the stop masses into the multi-TeV regime. Extensions of these models with matter-messenger mixing terms have been proposed to generate a large trilinear parameter, A{sub t}, relaxing these constraints. The detailed survey of these models (DOI: 10.1007/JHEP05(2013)055; 10.1007/JHEP08(2013)093 ) so far considered messenger mixings with only MSSM superfields. In the present work, we extend the survey to MSSM with inverse-seesaw mechanism. The neutrino-sneutrino corrections to the Higgs mass in the inverse seesaw model are not significant in the minimal gauge mediation model, unless one considers messenger-matter interaction terms. We classify all possible models with messenger-matter interactions and perform thorough numerical analysis to find out the promising models. We found that out of the 17 possible models 9 of them can lead to Higgs mass within the observed value without raising the sfermion masses significantly. The successful models have stop masses ∼1.5 TeV with small or negligible mixing and yet a light CP even Higgs at 125 GeV.

Nitrogênio e fósforo no crescimento de plantas de ginseng brasileiro [Pfaffia glomerata(Spreng. Pedersen] cultivadas in vitro Nitrogen and phosphorus on growth of brazilian ginseng [Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen] in vitro cultured plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise Russowski

2003-02-01

Full Text Available O ginseng brasileiro [Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen] apresenta propriedades medicinais marcantes e, por isso, atualmente, é largamente explorado de forma extrativista, tanto por parte dos coletores de ervas como pela indústria farmacêutica. Este trabalho objetivou caracterizar o efeito da variação isolada da concentração de N e P do meio MS no crescimento de plantas de P. glomerata cultivadas in vitro. Segmentos nodais de 1,0cm de comprimento e sem folhas, de plantas já estabelecidas in vitro, foram cultivados em meio MS contendo cinco concentrações (0, 25, 50, 100 e 150% da concentração padrão do meio de cultura MS de nitrogênio ou fósforo. Aos 15 dias após a inoculação (DAI, o número de raízes e o percentual de enraizamento são maiores na concentração de N e P equivalentes a 50% daquela do meio de cultura MS. Aos 40 DAI, o crescimento em altura das brotações, número de segmentos nodais, índice de área foliar, número de folhas, matéria seca de raízes, da parte aérea e total da planta é maior na concentração de N e P, em média, próxima a 80% daquela do meio de cultura MS.Brazilian ginseng [Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen] has expressionable medicinal properties, and therefore, nowadays it is extensively exploited either by the herb collectors as well as the pharmaceutical industry. The aim of this work was to characterize the effect of N and P concentrations from the MS medium on growth of P. glomerata in vitro cultured plants. 1-node segment without leaves, from in vitro cultivated plants, were grown on five levels (0, 25, 50, 100, and 150% of the strength of the MS medium of N and P. After 15 days of inoculation, root number and rooting percentage are greater on N and P levels of the MS medium with 50% strength. After 40 days of inoculation, growth, based on sprout height, number of nodal segments per plant, leave area index per plant, number of leaves per plant, dry weight of aerial parts, roots

The Cladophora glomerata Enriched by Biosorption Process in Cr(III) Improves Viability, and Reduces Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Equine Metabolic Syndrome Derived Adipose Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cells (ASCs) and Their Extracellular Vesicles (MV’s)

Science.gov (United States)

Marycz, Krzysztof; Marędziak, Monika; Weiss, Christine

2017-01-01

This study investigated in vitro effects of freshwater alga Cladophora glomerata water extract enriched during a biosorption process in Cr(III) trivalent chromium and chromium picolinate on adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal stem cells (ASCs) and extracellular microvesicles (MVs) in equine metabolic syndrome-affected horses. Chemical characterisation of natural Cladophora glomerata was performed with special emphasis on: vitamin C, vitamin E, total phenols, fatty acids, free and protein-bound amino acids as well as measured Cr in algal biomass. To examine the influence of Cladophora glomerata water extracts, in vitro viability, oxidative stress factor accumulation, apoptosis, inflammatory response, biogenesis of mitochondria, autophagy in ASCs of EMS and secretory activity manifested by MV release were investigated. For this purpose, various methods of molecular biology and microscopic observations (i.e., immunofluorescence staining, SEM, TEM, FIB observations, mRNA and microRNA expression by RT-qPCR) were applied. The extract of Cladophora glomerata enriched with Cr(III) ions reduced apoptosis and inflammation in ASCs of EMS horses through improvement of mitochondrial dynamics, decreasing of PDK4 expression and reduction of endoplastic reticulum stress. Moreover, it was found, that Cladophora glomerata and Cr(III) induce antioxidative protection coming from enhanced SOD activity Therefore, Cladophora glomerata enriched with Cr(III) ions might become an interesting future therapeutic agent in the pharmacological treatment of EMS horses. PMID:29292726

The Cladophora glomerata Enriched by Biosorption Process in Cr(III Improves Viability, and Reduces Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Equine Metabolic Syndrome Derived Adipose Mesenchymal Stromal Stem Cells (ASCs and Their Extracellular Vesicles (MV’s

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krzysztof Marycz

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This study investigated in vitro effects of freshwater alga Cladophora glomerata water extract enriched during a biosorption process in Cr(III trivalent chromium and chromium picolinate on adipose-derived mesenchymal stromal stem cells (ASCs and extracellular microvesicles (MVs in equine metabolic syndrome-affected horses. Chemical characterisation of natural Cladophora glomerata was performed with special emphasis on: vitamin C, vitamin E, total phenols, fatty acids, free and protein-bound amino acids as well as measured Cr in algal biomass. To examine the influence of Cladophora glomerata water extracts, in vitro viability, oxidative stress factor accumulation, apoptosis, inflammatory response, biogenesis of mitochondria, autophagy in ASCs of EMS and secretory activity manifested by MV release were investigated. For this purpose, various methods of molecular biology and microscopic observations (i.e., immunofluorescence staining, SEM, TEM, FIB observations, mRNA and microRNA expression by RT-qPCR were applied. The extract of Cladophora glomerata enriched with Cr(III ions reduced apoptosis and inflammation in ASCs of EMS horses through improvement of mitochondrial dynamics, decreasing of PDK4 expression and reduction of endoplastic reticulum stress. Moreover, it was found, that Cladophora glomerata and Cr(III induce antioxidative protection coming from enhanced SOD activity Therefore, Cladophora glomerata enriched with Cr(III ions might become an interesting future therapeutic agent in the pharmacological treatment of EMS horses.

Sweet Spot Supersymmetry and Composite Messengers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibe, Masahiro; Kitano, Ryuichiro

2007-01-01

Sweet spot supersymmetry is a phenomenologically and cosmologically perfect framework to realize a supersymmetric world at short distance. We discuss a class of dynamical models of supersymmetry breaking and its mediation whose low-energy effective description falls into this framework. Hadron fields in the dynamical models play a role of the messengers of the supersymmetry breaking. As is always true in the models of the sweet spot supersymmetry, the messenger scale is predicted to be 10 5 GeV ∼ mess ∼ 10 GeV. Various values of the effective number of messenger fields N mess are possible depending on the choice of the gauge group

Co-occurrence and hybridization of anther-smut pathogens specialized on Dianthus hosts.

Science.gov (United States)

Petit, Elsa; Silver, Casey; Cornille, Amandine; Gladieux, Pierre; Rosenthal, Lisa; Bruns, Emily; Yee, Sarah; Antonovics, Janis; Giraud, Tatiana; Hood, Michael E

2017-04-01

Host specialization has important consequences for the diversification and ecological interactions of obligate pathogens. The anther-smut disease of natural plant populations, caused by Microbotryum fungi, has been characterized by specialized host-pathogen interactions, which contribute in part to the isolation among these numerous fungal species. This study investigated the molecular variation of Microbotryum pathogens within the geographic and host-specific distributions on wild Dianthus species in southern European Alps. In contrast to prior studies on this pathogen genus, a range of overlapping host specificities was observed for four delineated Microbotryum lineages on Dianthus hosts, and their frequent co-occurrence within single-host populations was quantified at local and regional scales. In addition to potential consequences for direct pathogen competition, the sympatry of Microbotryum lineages led to hybridization between them in many populations, and these admixed genotypes suffered significant meiotic sterility. Therefore, this investigation of the anther-smut fungi reveals how variation in the degrees of host specificity can have major implications for ecological interactions and genetic integrity of differentiated pathogen lineages. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mercury's Reference Frames After the MESSENGER Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Stark, A.; Oberst, J.; Preusker, F.; Burmeister, S.; Steinbrügge, G.; Hussmann, H.

2018-05-01

We provide an overview of Mercury's reference frames based on MESSENGER observations. We discuss the dynamical, the principal-axes, the ellipsoid, as well as the cartographic frame, which was adopted for MESSENGER data products.

Temporal changes in elemental composition in decomposing filamentous algae (Cladophora glomerata and Pilayella littoralis) determined with PIXE and PIGE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lill, J.-O., E-mail: jlill@abo.fi [Accelerator Laboratory, Turku PET Centre, Abo Akademi University, Porthansg. 3, FI-20500 Turku (Finland); Department of Natural Sciences, Abo Akademi University, Porthansg. 3, FI-20500 Turku (Finland); Salovius-Lauren, S. [Department of Biosciences, Abo Akademi University, Artillerig. 6, FI-20520 Turku (Finland); Harju, L. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Abo Akademi University, Biskopsg. 8, FI-20500 Turku (Finland); Rajander, J. [Accelerator Laboratory, Turku PET Centre, Abo Akademi University, Porthansg. 3, FI-20500 Turku (Finland); Department of Chemical Engineering, Abo Akademi University, Biskopsg. 8, FI-20500 Turku (Finland); Saarela, K.-E. [Department of Chemical Engineering, Abo Akademi University, Biskopsg. 8, FI-20500 Turku (Finland); Lindroos, A. [Department of Natural Sciences, Abo Akademi University, Porthansg. 3, FI-20500 Turku (Finland); Heselius, S.-J. [Accelerator Laboratory, Turku PET Centre, Abo Akademi University, Porthansg. 3, FI-20500 Turku (Finland)

2012-01-01

Particle-induced X-ray emission and particle-induced gamma-ray emission spectrometry were successfully applied in a study of the elemental composition of decomposing filamentous algae. Fresh brown (Pilayella littoralis) and green (Cladophora glomerata) algal materials were placed in cages at 4 m depth in a water column of 8 m in the Archipelago Sea, northern Baltic Sea. Every second week decaying algae were sampled from the cages to allow measurements of changes in the elemental compositions. In the study of the elemental losses the concentrations were compensated for the mass reduction. The results show that sulphur, chlorine and partly potassium were lost during decomposition of P. littoralis and C. glomerata. Most of the other elements studied were recovered in the remaining algal mass. Special attention was paid to sorption and desorption of elements, including metal binding capacity, in the decaying algal materials. The affinity order of different cations to the two algal species was established by calculation of conditional distribution coefficients, D Prime {sub M}. For instance for P. littoralis the following series of binding strength (affinity) of cations were obtained: Al > Ti > Fe Much-Greater-Than Mn > Ni, Cu > Ba, Cr, Zn Much-Greater-Than Rb > K, Sr > Pb Much-Greater-Than Ca Much-Greater-Than Na > Mg. Notably is that the binding strength of strontium was more than 10 times higher for P. littoralis than for C. glomerata. Due to their high binding capacity and good affinity and selectivity for heavy metal ions these algae have great potential as biological sorbents. Large variations in elemental content during decomposition complicate the use of algae for environmental monitoring. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Elemental concentrations in P. littoralis and C. glomerata from the Archipelago Sea in Finland were measured during decomposition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer PIXE and PIGE were successfully used for chemical analysis of 24 elements

Temporal changes in elemental composition in decomposing filamentous algae (Cladophora glomerata and Pilayella littoralis) determined with PIXE and PIGE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lill, J.-O.; Salovius-Laurén, S.; Harju, L.; Rajander, J.; Saarela, K.-E.; Lindroos, A.; Heselius, S.-J.

2012-01-01

Particle-induced X-ray emission and particle-induced gamma-ray emission spectrometry were successfully applied in a study of the elemental composition of decomposing filamentous algae. Fresh brown (Pilayella littoralis) and green (Cladophora glomerata) algal materials were placed in cages at 4 m depth in a water column of 8 m in the Archipelago Sea, northern Baltic Sea. Every second week decaying algae were sampled from the cages to allow measurements of changes in the elemental compositions. In the study of the elemental losses the concentrations were compensated for the mass reduction. The results show that sulphur, chlorine and partly potassium were lost during decomposition of P. littoralis and C. glomerata. Most of the other elements studied were recovered in the remaining algal mass. Special attention was paid to sorption and desorption of elements, including metal binding capacity, in the decaying algal materials. The affinity order of different cations to the two algal species was established by calculation of conditional distribution coefficients, D′ M . For instance for P. littoralis the following series of binding strength (affinity) of cations were obtained: Al > Ti > Fe ≫ Mn > Ni, Cu > Ba, Cr, Zn ≫ Rb > K, Sr > Pb ≫ Ca ≫ Na > Mg. Notably is that the binding strength of strontium was more than 10 times higher for P. littoralis than for C. glomerata. Due to their high binding capacity and good affinity and selectivity for heavy metal ions these algae have great potential as biological sorbents. Large variations in elemental content during decomposition complicate the use of algae for environmental monitoring. - Highlights: ► Elemental concentrations in P. littoralis and C. glomerata from the Archipelago Sea in Finland were measured during decomposition. ► PIXE and PIGE were successfully used for chemical analysis of 24 elements. ► The chemical affinity of different elements to the algae was established by calculation of conditional

Cloning and expression analysis of a new anther-specific gene CaMF4 in Capsicum annuum.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Xuefeng; Chen, Changming; Chen, Guoju; Cao, Bihao; Lei, Jianjun

2017-03-01

Our previous study on the genic male sterile-fertile line 114AB of Capsicum annuum indicated a diversity of differentially expressed cDNA fragments in fertile and sterile lines. In this study, a transcript-derived fragment (TDF), male fertile 4 (CaMF4) was chosen for further investigation to observe that this specific fragment accumulates in the flower buds of the fertile line. The full genomic DNA sequence of CaMF4 was 894 bp in length, containing two exons and one intron, and the complete coding sequence encoded a putative 11.53 kDa protein of 109 amino acids. The derived protein of CaMF4 shared similarity with the members of PGPS/D3 protein family. The expression of CaMF4 was detected in both the flower buds at stage 8 and open flowers of the male fertile line. In contrast to this observation, expression of CaMF4 was not detected in any organs of the male sterile line. Further analysis revealed that CaMF4 was expressed particularly in anthers of the fertile line. Our results suggest that CaMF4 is an anther-specific gene and might be indispensable for anther or pollen development in C. annuum.

Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of extracts of freshwater green algae, Cladophora glomerata Kützing andMicrospora floccosa (Vaucher Thuret

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ratiphan Laungsuwon

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Freshwater macroalgae, Cladophora glomerata Kützing and Microspora floccosa (Vaucher Thuret, harvested from Nan River in northern Thailand, were extracted with hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and hot water. The extracts were screened for antibacterial activities. Hexane and ethyl acetate extracts of both algae showed the activities against Bacillus cereus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. The extracts were further separated using column chromatography and chemically characterized by GC–MS in order to be tentative identify the compounds responsible for such activities. The main compositions were fatty acid and other organic compounds, in which have not been reported in these algae. These results indicate that extracts of C. glomerata and M. floccosa exhibited appreciable antimicrobial activity and could be a source of valuable bioactive materials for health products.

Meiosis of anther culture regenerants in asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonardo Galli

1998-03-01

Full Text Available Pollen mother cells obtained from regenerated plants of asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L., in a population composed exclusively of male plants, through the process of anther culture from the hybrid G27 X 22-8, were analyzed during meiosis. It was observed that, during theprocess of anther culture by organogenesis, the pollen mother cells of the regenerants had great genomic instability, as evidenced by disturbances in all the meiotic phases of the first and second division. Furthermore, structural chromosomal abnormalities, in addition to aneuploidy and polyploidy, were observed.Foi analisada a meiose em células mãe de pólen de plantas de aspargo (Asparagus officinalis L. de uma população composta exclusivamente de plantas masculinas, obtidas através do processo de cultura de anteras do híbrido G27 X 22-8. Foi observado que, durante o processo de cultura de anteras, via calogênese, as células mãe de pólen dos regenerantes apresentaram grande instabilidade genômica, evidenciada por irregularidades nas fases de diacinese, assim como de metáfase, anáfase, telófase da primeira e segunda divisão meiótica. Além disto, o processo originou anormalidades cromossômicas estruturais em adição às aneuploidias e poliploidias.

Avaliação do potencial antimicrobiano de Plinia glomerata (Myrtaceae

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Claudia Serafin

Full Text Available A planta Plinia glomerata (Myrtaceae, popularmente conhecida como cabeludinha ou " jabuticaba-amarela" , ocorre amplamente no sul do Brasil e é cultivada como ornamental e frutífera comestível. O presente trabalho avaliou as propriedades antimicrobianas dos extratos, frações e substâncias puras isoladas da planta contra bactérias e fungos patogênicos. As concentrações inibitórias mínimas (CIM foram determinadas através do método de diluição em ágar. As frações acetato de etila (AE e fração aquosa (AQ demonstraram a melhor atividade contra Staphylococcus aureus. A fração AQ também foi efetiva contra Escherichia coli. As substâncias puras, ácido 3,4,3’-trimetóxi-flavelágico-4’-O-glicosídeo e ácido 3,4,3’-trimetóxi-flavelágico foram inativas até a concentração de 500 µg/mL contra os microrganismos testados. Em relação aos resultados antifúngicos, os extratos metanólico (EM e acetônico (EA e a fração aquosa (AQ mostraram boa atividade somente contra dermatófitos. Os resultados obtidos permitem concluir que a Plinia glomerata possui princípios ativos com ação antimicrobiana, sugerindo que outras substâncias da planta estão agindo contra os microrganismos indicados ou a existência de efeitos sinérgicos.

Effect of 60Co γ-rays irradiation pretreatment on callus inductivity and differentiation of strawberry anther

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Huiqin; Xie Ming; Jiang Guihua; Sun Congbo; Huang Pule; Wu Yanjun; Wu Qing

2007-01-01

Strawberry buds, in which a majority of pollen had single nuclear keeping to the side, were pretreated by 60 Co γ-rays irradiation at different doses. The irradiation effect on the callus inductivity and plant differentiation rate of strawberry anther were studied. The results indicated that the pretreatment by 60 Co γ-rays could increase the anther callus inductivity and plant differentiation rate significantly, and 20 Gy was the best dose. The callus inductivity of Akihime and Toyonoka increased by 39.09% and 35.68%, respectively, compared with the no-pretreatment materials. On the same media, the plant differentiation rate of Akihime and Toyonoka were also increased by 6.67%-6.72% and 4.73%-6.45%, respectively, compared with the two varieties of no-pretreatment. (authors)

Mercury's Messenger

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Clark R.

2004-01-01

Forty years after Mariner 2, planetary exploration has still only just begun, and many more missions are on drawing boards, nearing the launch pad, or even en route across interplanetary space to their targets. One of the most challenging missions that will be conducted this decade is sending the MESSENGER spacecraft to orbit the planet Mercury.…

Mobile MSN Messenger: Still a Complement?

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Marcus Nyberg

2008-10-01

Full Text Available In order to understand how mobile instant messaging services can fit into the users’ current communication behavior, Ericsson Research performed a qualitative user study in Sweden in May 2007. The results showed that the respondents were positive towards (free of charge mobile MSN Messenger and perceived it as an ex¬tension of the computer-based version that could be used anywhere. However, although MSN Messenger on the com¬puter definitely was considered as a ‘must-have’ application, the mobile version was only perceived as a ‘nice-to-have’ application and a complement to text mes¬saging (SMS. Almost one year later, in April 2008, Ericsson Research performed a short qualita¬tive follow-up study with the same set of respondents to un¬derstand if and how the mobile MSN Messenger usage had changed. The results actually revealed that none of the re¬spondents used mobile MSN Messenger anymore as the application no longer was free of charge. On a general level, the study highlights important considera¬tions when intro¬ducing computer-based concepts and Internet services in a mo¬bile environment.

Transformation and analysis of tobacco plant var Petit havana with T-urf13 gene under anther-specific TA29 promoter

OpenAIRE

Arun, V.; Kuriakose, Boney; Sridhar, Vaniyambadi V.; Thomas, George

2011-01-01

T-urf13, a well-documented cms-associated gene from maize, has been shown to render methomyl sensitivity to heterologous systems like rice, yeast and bacteria when expressed constitutively. Since these transgenic plants were fertile, it was hypothesized that T-urf13 gene if expressed in anthers may result in male sterility that could be used for hybrid seed production. Hence, this work was aimed at analysing whether T-urf13 gene when expressed in anthers can result in male sterile plants or r...

Embryogenesis induction, callogenesis, and plant regeneration by in vitro culture of tomato isolated microspores and whole anthers.

Science.gov (United States)

Seguí-Simarro, José M; Nuez, Fernando

2007-01-01

In this work, some of the different in vitro developmental pathways into which tomato microspores or microsporocytes can be deviated experimentally were explored. The two principal ones are direct embryogenesis from isolated microspores and callus formation from meiocyte-containing anthers. By means of light and electron microscopy, the process of early embryogenesis from isolated microspores and the disruption of normal meiotic development and change of developmental fate towards callus proliferation, morphogenesis, and plant regeneration have been shown. From microspores isolated at the vacuolate stage, embryos can be directly induced, thus avoiding non-androgenic products. In contrast, several different morphogenic events can be triggered in cultures of microsporocyte-containing anthers under adequate conditions, including indirect embryogenesis, adventitious organogenesis, and plant regeneration. Both callus and regenerated plants may be haploid, diploid, and mostly mixoploid. The results demonstrate that both gametophytic and sporophytic calli occur in cultured tomato anthers, and point to an in vitro-induced disturbance of cytokinesis and subsequent fusion of daughter nuclei as a putative cause for mixoploidy and genome doubling during both tetrad compartmentalization and callus proliferation. The potential implications of the different alternative pathways are discussed in the context of their application to the production of doubled-haploid plants in tomato, which is still very poorly developed.

Geodesy at Mercury with MESSENGER

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, David E.; Zuber, Maria t.; Peale, Stanley J.; Phillips, Roger J.; Solomon, Sean C.

2006-01-01

In 2011 the MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft will enter Mercury orbit and begin the mapping phase of the mission. As part of its science objectives the MESSENGER mission will determine the shape and gravity field of Mercury. These observations will enable the topography and the crustal thickness to be derived for the planet and will determine the small libration of the planet about its axis, the latter critical to constraining the state of the core. These measurements require very precise positioning of the MESSENGER spacecraft in its eccentric orbit, which has a periapsis altitude as low as 200 km, an apoapsis altitude near 15,000 km, and a closest approach to the surface varying from latitude 60 to about 70 N. The X-band tracking of MESSENGER and the laser altimetry are the primary data that will be used to measure the planetary shape and gravity field. The laser altimeter, which has an expected range of 1000 to 1200 km, is expected to provide significant data only over the northern hemisphere because of MESSENGER's eccentric orbit. For the southern hemisphere, radio occultation measurements obtained as the spacecraft passes behind the planet as seen from Earth and images obtained with the imaging system will be used to provide the long-wavelength shape of the planet. Gravity, derived from the tracking data, will also have greater resolution in the northern hemisphere, but full global models for both topography and gravity will be obtained at low harmonic order and degree. The limiting factor for both gravity and topography is expected to be knowledge of the spacecraft location. Present estimations are that in a combined tracking, altimetry, and occultation solution the spacecraft position uncertainty is likely to be of order 10 m. This accuracy should be adequate for establishing an initial geodetic coordinate system for Mercury that will enable positioning of imaged features on the surface, determination of

HS-SPME-GC-MS ANALYSIS OF VOLATILE AND SEMI-VOLATILE COMPOUNDS FROM DRIED LEAVES OF Mikania glomerata Sprengel

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Esmeraldo A. Cappelaro

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper reports on the identification of volatile and semi-volatile compounds and a comparison of the chromatographic profiles obtained by Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction/Gas Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry detection (HS-SPME-GC-MS of dried leaves of Mikania glomerata Sprengel (Asteraceae, also known as 'guaco.' Three different types of commercial SPME fibers were tested: polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene (PDMS/DVB and polyacrylate (PA. Fifty-nine compounds were fully identified by HS-SPME-HRGC-MS, including coumarin, a marker for the quality control of guaco-based phytomedicines; most of the other identified compounds were mono- and sesquiterpenes. PA fibers performed better in the analysis of coumarin, while PDMS-DVB proved to be the best choice for a general and non-selective analysis of volatile and semi-volatile guaco-based compounds. The SPME method is faster and requires a smaller sample than conventional hydrodistillation of essential oils, providing a general overview of the volatile and semi-volatile compounds of M. glomerata.

MESSENGER'S First and Second Flybys of Mercury

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Slavin, James A.

2009-01-01

The MESSENGER mission to Mercury offers our first opportunity to explore this planet's miniature magnetosphere since Mariner 10's brief fly-bys in 1974-5. The magnetosphere of Mercury is the smallest in the solar system with its magnetic field typically standing off the solar wind only approximately 1000 km above the surface. An overview of the MESSENGER mission and its January 14th and October 6th, 2008 close flybys of Mercury will be provided. Primary science objectives and the science instrumentation will be described. Initial results from MESSENGER will be discussed with an emphasis on the magnetic field and charged particle measurements.

PIP1 and PIP2 aquaporins are differentially expressed during tobacco anther and stigma development.

Science.gov (United States)

Bots, Marc; Feron, Richard; Uehlein, Norbert; Weterings, Koen; Kaldenhoff, Ralf; Mariani, Titti

2005-01-01

Several processes during sexual reproduction in higher plants involve the movement of water between cells or tissues, such as occurs during dehiscence of the anther and hydration of the pollen grain after it is deposited on a stigma. To get more insight in these processes, a set of putative aquaporins was cloned and it was found that at least 15 are expressed in reproductive organs, which indicates that the control of water flow is important for reproduction. Functional studies in Xenopus laevis oocytes using two of the cDNAs showed that NtPIP2;1 is an efficient aquaporin, whereas NtPIP1;1 is not. Expression studies on RNA and protein levels showed that PIP1 and PIP2 genes are differently expressed in reproductive organs: PIP1 RNA accumulates in the stigma, and PIP1 and PIP2 RNA can be detected in most tissues of the anther.

Influência de diferentes meios de cultura sobre o crescimento de Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen (Amaranthaceae para conservação in vitro Influence of different culture media on the growth of Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pendersen (Amaranthaceae for conservation in vitro

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R.B.N. Alves

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Pfaffia glomerata ocorre em vários estados do Brasil e países limítrofes da região Sul às margens de rios e nas orlas das matas de galerias, é espécie hidrófita e heliófita. As raízes de espécies do gênero Pfaffia são usadas na medicina popular brasileira, especialmente como tônico, afrodisíaco e no controle do diabete. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estabelecer um banco de germoplasma in vitro de Pfaffia glomerata. O experimento em delineamento inteiramente casualizado foi conduzido com seis tratamentos: 1 MS + 2% de sacarose + 4% de sorbitol; 2 MS/2 + 2% de sacarose + 4% de sorbitol; 3 MS + 2% de sacarose + 4% de sorbitol + 2 mg L-1 de pantotenato de cálcio; 4 MS/2 + 2% de sacarose + 4% de sorbitol + 2 mg L-1de pantotenato de cálcio; 5 MS + 2% de sacarose + 3% de manitol + 2 mg L-1de pantotenato de cálcio; 6 MS/2 + 2% de sacarose + 3% de manitol + 2 mg L-1de pantotenato de cálcio. Os resultados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância e ao teste de separação de médias de Scott Knott. Os tratamentos um, três e quatro apresentaram, significativamente, o maior número de segmentos nodais por haste, quando comparados com os tratamentos dois, cinco e seis. O tratamento dois foi o mais indicado para a conservação in vitro da espécie por ter promovido menor crescimento das plantas (altura de 3,1±1,9 cm, alto índice de sobrevivência, 100% de explantes com brotação e o maior número de brotos por explante, após seis meses de cultivo. Todas as plântulas produziram raízes e não houve formação de calos, também não ocorreu hiperhidricidade nos tratamentos avaliados. As plantas aclimatizadas apresentaram 100% de sobrevivência no ambiente ex vitro. A manutenção de acessos de P. glomerata no banco de germoplasma in vitro é viável tanto do ponto de vista da conservação quanto economicamente.Pfaffia glomerata occurs in several states of Brazil and its neighboring countries in the south region at riverbanks

MESSENGER at Mercury: Early Orbital Operations

Science.gov (United States)

McNutt, Ralph L., Jr; Solomon, Sean C.; Bedini, Peter D.; Anderson, Brian J.; Blewett, David T.; Evans, Larry G.; Gold, Robert E.; Krimigis, Stamatios M.; Murchie, Scott L.; Nittler, Larry R.;

Three-dimensional organization of the glomeruli in the antennal lobe of the parasitoid wasps Cotesia glomerata and C. rubecula

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smid, H.M.; Bleeker, M.A.K.; Loon, van J.J.A.; Vet, L.E.M.

2003-01-01

Two closely related parasitoid wasp species, Cotesia glomerata and C. rubecula, differ in their use of associative learning. To investigate the neural basis underlying these differences, it is necessary to describe the olfactory pathway of both wasp species. This paper focuses on the organization of

IN VIVO STUDIES AND STABILITY STUDY OF CLADOPHORA GLOMERATA EXTRACT AS A COSMETIC ACTIVE INGREDIENT.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabrowska, Joanna; Kapuscinska, Alicja; Leska, Boguslawa; Feliksik-Skrobich, Katarzyna; Nowak, Izabela

2017-03-01

Marine algae are widely used as cosmetics raw materials. Likewise, freshwater alga Cladophora glomerata may be a good source of fatty acids and others bioactive agents. The aims of this study was to find out if the addition of the extract from the freshwater C. glonerata affects the stability of prepared cosmetic emulsions and to investigate in vivo effects of the extract in cosmetic formulations on hydration and elasticity of human skin. Extract from the freshwater C. glonierata was obtained using supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). Two forms of O/W emulsions were prepared: placebo and emulsion containing 0.5% of Cladophora SFE extract. The stability of obtained emulsions was investigated by using Turbiscan Lab Expert. Emulsions were applied by .volunteers daily. Corneometer was used to evaluate skin hydration and cutometer to examine skin elasticity. Measurements were conducted at reference point (week 0) and after 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th week of application. The addition of Cladophora extract insignificantly affected stability of the emulsion. The extract from C. glomerata in the emulsion influenced the improvement of both skin hydration and its elasticity. Thus, freshwater C. glonierata extract prepared via SFE method may be considered as an effective cosmetic raw material used as a moisturizing and firming agent.

Phylogenetic and Diversity Analysis of Dactylis glomerata Subspecies Using SSR and IT-ISJ Markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Defei; Zhao, Xinxin; Cheng, Yajuan; Ma, Xiao; Huang, Linkai; Zhang, Xinquan

2016-10-31

The genus Dactylis , an important forage crop, has a wide geographical distribution in temperate regions. While this genus is thought to include a single species, Dactylis glomerata , this species encompasses many subspecies whose relationships have not been fully characterized. In this study, the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of nine representative Dactylis subspecies were examined using SSR and IT-ISJ markers. In total, 21 pairs of SSR primers and 15 pairs of IT-ISJ primers were used to amplify 295 polymorphic bands with polymorphic rates of 100%. The average polymorphic information contents (PICs) of SSR and IT-ISJ markers were 0.909 and 0.780, respectively. The combined data of the two markers indicated a high level of genetic diversity among the nine D. glomerata subspecies, with a Nei's gene diversity index value of 0.283 and Shannon's diversity of 0.448. Preliminarily phylogenetic analysis results revealed that the 20 accessions could be divided into three groups (A, B, C). Furthermore, they could be divided into five clusters, which is similar to the structure analysis with K = 5. Phylogenetic placement in these three groups may be related to the distribution ranges and the climate types of the subspecies in each group. Group A contained eight accessions of four subspecies, originating from the west Mediterranean, while Group B contained seven accessions of three subspecies, originating from the east Mediterranean.

Innate responses of the parasitoids Cotesia glomerata and C. rubecula (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) to volatiles from different plant-herbivore complexes.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geervliet, J.B.F.; Vet, L.E.M.; Dicke, M.

1996-01-01

To determine and compare innate preferences of the parasitoid species Cotesia glomerata and C. rubecula for different plant-herbivore complexes, long-range (1-m) foraging behavior was studied in dual-choice experiments in a wind tunnel. In this study we tested the hypothesis that naive females of

Bioactive phenolic compounds from aerial parts of Plinia glomerata.

Science.gov (United States)

Serafin, Cláudia; Nart, Viviane; Malheiros, Angela; de Souza, Márcia Maria; Fischer, Luiz; Delle Monache, Giuliano; Della Monache, Franco; Cechinel Filho, Valdir

2007-01-01

The present work describes the antinociceptive properties and chemical composition of the aerial parts of Plinia glomerata (Myrtaceae). Both of the extracts evaluated, acetonic and methanolic, showed potent antinociceptive action, when analyzed against acetic acid-induced abdominal constrictions in mice, with calculated ID50 (mg/kg, i. p.) values of 24.8 and 3.3, respectively. Through usual chromatographic techniques with an acetonic extract, the following compounds were obtained: 3,4,3'-trimethoxy flavellagic acid (1), 3,4,3'-trimethoxy flavellagic acid 4'-O-glucoside (3) and quercitrin (4), which were identified based on spectroscopic data. Compounds 1 (ID50 = 3.9 mg/kg, i. p., or 10.8 micromol/kg) and 3 (ID50 = 1.3 mg/kg or 2.5 micromol/kg) were notably more active than some well-known analgesic drugs used here for comparison.

Messenger Observations of Mercury's Bow Shock and Magnetopause

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin J. A.; Acuna, M. H.; Anderson, B. J.; Benna, M.; Gloeckler, G.; Krimigis, S. M.; Raines, M.; Schriver, D.; Travnicek, P.; Zurbuchen, T. H.

2008-01-01

The MESSENGER spacecraft made the first of three flybys of Mercury on January 14.2008 (1). New observations of solar wind interaction with Mercury were made with MESSENGER'S Magnetometer (MAG) (2.3) and Energetic Particle and Plasma Spectrometer (EPPS) - composed of the Energetic Particle Spectrometer (EPS) and Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer (FIPS) (3,4). These MESSENGER observations show that Mercury's magnetosphere has a large-scale structure that is distinctly Earth-like, but it is immersed in a comet-like cloud of planetary ions [5]. Fig. 1 provides a schematic view of the coupled solar wind - magnetosphere - neutral atmosphere - solid planet system at Mercury.

Bacterial nucleotide-based second messengers.

Science.gov (United States)

Pesavento, Christina; Hengge, Regine

2009-04-01

In all domains of life nucleotide-based second messengers transduce signals originating from changes in the environment or in intracellular conditions into appropriate cellular responses. In prokaryotes cyclic di-GMP has emerged as an important and ubiquitous second messenger regulating bacterial life-style transitions relevant for biofilm formation, virulence, and many other bacterial functions. This review describes similarities and differences in the architecture of the cAMP, (p)ppGpp, and c-di-GMP signaling systems and their underlying signaling principles. Moreover, recent advances in c-di-GMP-mediated signaling will be presented and the integration of c-di-GMP signaling with other nucleotide-based signaling systems will be discussed.

Expression of the nuclear gene TaF(A)d is under mitochondrial retrograde regulation in anthers of male sterile wheat plants with timopheevii cytoplasm.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Pei; Yang, Yuwen; Zhang, Zhengzhi; Chen, Weihua; Zhang, Caiqin; Zhang, Lixia; Zou, Sixiang; Ma, Zhengqiang

2008-01-01

Alterations of mitochondrial-encoded subunits of the F(o)F(1)-ATP synthase are frequently associated with cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) in plants; however, little is known about the relationship of the nuclear encoded subunits of this enzyme with CMS. In the present study, the full cDNA of the gene TaF(A)d that encodes the putative F(A)d subunit of the F(o)F(1)-ATP synthase was isolated from the wheat (Triticum aestivum) fertility restorer '2114' for timopheevii cytoplasm-based CMS. The deduced 238 amino acid polypeptide is highly similar to its counterparts in dicots and other monocots but has low homology to its mammalian equivalents. TaF(A)d is a single copy gene in wheat and maps to the short arm of the group 6 chromosomes. Transient expression of the TaF(A)d-GFP fusion in onion epidermal cells demonstrated TaF(A)d's mitochondrial location. TaF(A)d was expressed abundantly in stem, leaf, anther, and ovary tissues of 2114. Nevertheless, its expression was repressed in anthers of CMS plants with timopheevii cytoplasm. Genic male sterility did not affect its expression in anthers. The expression of the nuclear gene encoding the 20 kDa subunit of F(o) was down-regulated in a manner similar to TaF(A)d in the T-CMS anthers while that of genes encoding the 6 kDa subunit of F(o) and the gamma subunit of F(1) was unaffected. These observations implied that TaF(A)d is under mitochondrial retrograde regulation in the anthers of CMS plants with timopheevii cytoplasm.

Cosmic Microwave Background Mapmaking with a Messenger Field

Science.gov (United States)

Huffenberger, Kevin M.; Næss, Sigurd K.

2018-01-01

We apply a messenger field method to solve the linear minimum-variance mapmaking equation in the context of Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) observations. In simulations, the method produces sky maps that converge significantly faster than those from a conjugate gradient descent algorithm with a diagonal preconditioner, even though the computational cost per iteration is similar. The messenger method recovers large scales in the map better than conjugate gradient descent, and yields a lower overall χ2. In the single, pencil beam approximation, each iteration of the messenger mapmaking procedure produces an unbiased map, and the iterations become more optimal as they proceed. A variant of the method can handle differential data or perform deconvolution mapmaking. The messenger method requires no preconditioner, but a high-quality solution needs a cooling parameter to control the convergence. We study the convergence properties of this new method and discuss how the algorithm is feasible for the large data sets of current and future CMB experiments.

Effect of Mikania glomerata (Asteraceae leaf extract combined with anti-venom serum on experimental Crotalus durissus (Squamata: Viperidae envenomation in rats

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Rafael Stuani Floriano

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Crotalic envenomation represents the highest number of deaths when compared to other snakebite envenomations of medical interest. Crotalic venom has important characteristics such as neurotoxicity, myotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, and clotting and hemolytic action. We evaluated the clinical and laboratory aspects of Crotalus durissus terrificus experimental envenomation in Wistar rats treated with antivenom and the aqueous extract of the plant Mikania glomerata. The animals were divided into three groups: Group C (control; Group VS-venom and antivenom; Group VSM-venom, antivenom and aqueous extract of M. glomerata. Crotalic poison caused clinical and laboratory alterations in Wistar mice. Significant linical alterations were: temperature decrease, edema in the venom inoculated member, sedation and a locomotion decrease in groups VS and VSM when compared with group C. A faster recovery from sedation was observed only for animals of group VSM when compared to VS. There was an increase in the number of leukocytes, neutrophils and creatine kinase in the VS and VSM groups, compared to group C. Wistar rats showed a high resistance to crotalic venom. Additional studies with different doses, time of treatment, different administration methods and histopathological and immunological studies are necessary to understand the action of M. glomerata in crotalic accidents. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (4: 929-937. Epub 2009 December 01.El envenamiento crotálico representa el número más alto de muertes cuando es comparado con envenenamientos por mordeduras de otras serpientes de interés médico. El veneno crotálico tiene importantes características de acción neurotóxica, miotoxicidad, nefrotoxicidad, coagulación y acción hemolítica. Este trabajo evaluó los aspectos clínicos y de laboratorio del envenenamiento experimental con el veneno de la serpiente Crotalus durissus terrificus en las ratas Wistar tratadas con suero antiofídico y extracto acuoso de M

Messenger RNA 3' end formation in plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, A G

2008-01-01

Messenger RNA 3' end formation is an integral step in the process that gives rise to mature, translated messenger RNAs in eukaryotes. With this step, a pre-messenger RNA is processed and polyadenylated, giving rise to a mature mRNA bearing the characteristic poly(A) tract. The poly(A) tract is a fundamental feature of mRNAs, participating in the process of translation initiation and being the focus of control mechanisms that define the lifetime of mRNAs. Thus messenger RNA 3' end formation impacts two steps in mRNA biogenesis and function. Moreover, mRNA 3' end formation is something of a bridge that integrates numerous other steps in mRNA biogenesis and function. While the process is essential for the expression of most genes, it is also one that is subject to various forms of regulation, such that both quantitative and qualitative aspects of gene expression may be modulated via the polyadenylation complex. In this review, the current status of understanding of mRNA 3' end formation in plants is discussed. In particular, the nature of mRNA 3' ends in plants is reviewed, as are recent studies that are beginning to yield insight into the functioning and regulation of plant polyadenylation factor subunits.

Avaliação do efeito de polietilenoglicóis no perfil de extratos de Mikania glomerata Spreng., Asteraceae, e Passiflora edulis Sims, Passifloraceae Evaluation of PEG effects on the extracts obtaining from Passiflora edulis Sims, Passifloraceae, and Mikania glomerata Spreng., Asteraceae

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Jorge de Medeiros

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Os polietilenoglicóis (PEG são polímeros hidrossolúveis capazes de reduzir a constante dielétrica de solventes como a água, e assim são utilizados como cossolventes para solubilização de diferentes fármacos. Atualmente, o PEG tem sido empregado satisfatoriamente na obtenção de extratos de matérias-primas vegetais por favorecer a extração de substâncias com polaridades semelhantes às extraídas pelos solventes hidroetanólicos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da concentração e da massa molar de PEG (400 e 4000 g/mol sobre a extração de flavonoides totais a partir de Passiflora edulis Sims, Passifloraceae, (maracujá e de cumarina a partir da Mikania glomerata Spreng., Asteraceae, (guaco. Este estudo revelou que o aumento da concentração de PEG promoveu um aumento na capacidade extrativa de flavonoides totais e cumarina a partir da Passiflora edulis e Mikania glomerata respectivamente, comportamento atribuído a alterações da constante dielétrica. Apesar de elevar a capacidade extrativa, os líquidos extratores contendo PEG exigiram elevada relação planta:solvente para alcançar teores extrativos semelhante ao solvente hidroetanólico utilizado, com exceção da extração de flavonoides totais com PEG 4000 g/mol a partir da Passilfora edulis.Polyethylene glycols (PEG are hydrosoluble polymers able to reducing dielectric constant of solvents like water and thus are used as cosolvents to enhance the aqueous solubility of several drugs. Actually, the PEG have been successful applied to obtain extracts of plant raw material once can facilitate the extraction of substances with polarities similar to those extracted by hydroethanol solvents. In this study, the objective was to evaluate the effect of PEG concentration and molecular weight (400 and 4000 g/mol on the extraction of total flavonoids from Passiflora edulis Sims, Passifloraceae, and coumarin from Mikania glomerata Spreng., Asteraceae. The results

Soil mycoflora as a factor limiting the occurrence of fungi pathogenic for 3 varieties of Dactylis glomerata L. II

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Maria Kutrzeba

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The investigations concerned fungal associations found in the rhizosphere, rhizoplane and on roots of three varieties of Dactylis glomerata: 'Brudzyńska', 'Motycka' and 'Nakielska' infected with Fusarium avenaceum and F. culmorum and subsequently planted in sterilized and unsterilizes soil. The value of particular varieties in neahing and environment giving good plant health was examined.

Extraction and Quantitative HPLC Analysis of Coumarin in Hydroalcoholic Extracts of Mikania glomerata Spreng: ("guaco" Leaves

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Celeghini Renata M. S.

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Methods for preparation of hydroalcoholic extracts of "guaco" (Mikania glomerata Spreng. leaves were compared: maceration, maceration under sonication, infusion and supercritical fluid extraction. Evaluation of these methods showed that maceration under sonication had the best results, when considering the ratio extraction yield/extraction time. A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC procedure for the determination of coumarin in these hydroalcoholic extracts of "guaco" leaves is described. The HPLC method is shown to be sensitive and reproducible.

Holographic gauge mediation via strongly coupled messengers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McGuirk, Paul; Shiu, Gary; Sumitomo, Yoske

2010-01-01

We consider a relative of semidirect gauge mediation where the hidden sector exists at large 't Hooft coupling. Such scenarios can be difficult to describe using perturbative field theory methods but may fall into the class of holographic gauge mediation scenarios, meaning that they are amenable to the techniques of gauge/gravity duality. We use a recently found gravity solution to examine one such case, where the hidden sector is a cascading gauge theory resulting in a confinement scale not much smaller than the messenger mass. In the original construction of holographic gauge mediation, as in other examples of semidirect gauge mediation at strong coupling, the primary contributions to visible sector soft terms come from weakly coupled messenger mesons. In contrast to these examples, we describe the dual of a gauge theory where there are significant contributions from scales in which the strongly coupled messenger quarks are the effective degrees of freedom. In this regime, the visible sector gaugino mass can be calculated entirely from holography.

Energetic Materials Effects on Essential Soil Processes: Decomposition of Orchard Grass (Dactylis glomerata) Litter in Soil Contaminated with Energetic Materials

Science.gov (United States)

2014-02-01

availabilities of their respective food sources (bacteria and fungi ), were also unaffected-or-increasing in soil with CL-20 treatments. This is...ENERGETIC MATERIALS EFFECTS ON ESSENTIAL SOIL PROCESSES: DECOMPOSITION OF ORCHARD...GRASS (DACTYLIS GLOMERATA) LITTER IN SOIL CONTAMINATED WITH ENERGETIC MATERIALS ECBC-TR-1199 Roman G. Kuperman Ronald T. Checkai Michael Simini

Efeito hipinótico de ecdisterona isolada de Pfaffi a glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen

OpenAIRE

Fenner, Raquel; Zimmer, Aline Rigon; Neves, Gilda Angela; Kliemann, Michele Patricia; Gosmann, Grace; Rates, Stela Maris Kuze

2008-01-01

Neste trabalho foi avaliado, em roedores, o efeito depressor das frações clorofórmio (CHCl3), acetato de etila (EtOAc) e n-butanol, obtidas das partes subterrâneas de Pfaffi a glomerata, empregando-se o teste de tempo de sono barbitúrico como referência. Somente a fração lipofílica (CHCl3:EtOAc, 1:1, m/m) (i.p. 500 mg/kg; v.o. 1000 mg/kg) potenciou o tempo de sono induzido por pentobarbital. A ecdisterona foi isolada e identifi cada como constituinte majoritário (1,4% m/m) desta fração, atrav...

Cultivate in vitro of wheat Anthers (Triticum Aestivum L.) In the ICA-TENZA and PAV -76 varieties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manrique O, Olga L.

1994-01-01

The objective of the present work consisted, in determining the cultivation conditions under which it was possible to induce through the technique of the cultivation of anthers, the callus formation and possible regeneration of green plants of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the varieties ICA-Tenza and Pav -76. With the purpose of identifying the but appropriate state of development of the grain of pollen for the inoculation of the anthers, a cytologic study was made in which was correlation among the moriolic parameters of the plant; (inter liguler distances, auricle-knot distances and longitude of the edges) and the state of development of the microspore; Of the parameters, it was recommended to keep in mind the longitude from the edges when harvesting the experimental material. The anthers of both genotypes were inoculated in the means bases Pope 4 and N6, with hormonal levels of ELL (naftalen acetic acid) of 0.0, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/I. the answers of the genotypes were evaluated before the means of basal cultivation, in connection with the induction of tripes and the plants regeneration. Of the two used genotypes, the Pav -76 it presented bigger capacity to induce the formation of tripes, while the ICA-Tenza genotype presented a bigger answer capacity in the regeneration of plants so much green as albino. The results obtained allowed to establish that a relationship exists between the means of cultivation and the capacity of the genotypes to regenerate as much tripes as plants. Due to the drop survival of the regenerated plants, it was not possible to settle down with clarity a relationship of the ploidia level

MESSENGER MERCURY RSS/MLA LEVEL 5 DERIVED DATA V1.0

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This data set contains archival results from radio science investigations conducted during the MESSENGER mission. Radio measurements were made using the MESSENGER...

Some Metabolites Act as Second Messengers in Yeast Chronological Aging

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Karamat Mohammad

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The concentrations of some key metabolic intermediates play essential roles in regulating the longevity of the chronologically aging yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. These key metabolites are detected by certain ligand-specific protein sensors that respond to concentration changes of the key metabolites by altering the efficiencies of longevity-defining cellular processes. The concentrations of the key metabolites that affect yeast chronological aging are controlled spatially and temporally. Here, we analyze mechanisms through which the spatiotemporal dynamics of changes in the concentrations of the key metabolites influence yeast chronological lifespan. Our analysis indicates that a distinct set of metabolites can act as second messengers that define the pace of yeast chronological aging. Molecules that can operate both as intermediates of yeast metabolism and as second messengers of yeast chronological aging include reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH, glycerol, trehalose, hydrogen peroxide, amino acids, sphingolipids, spermidine, hydrogen sulfide, acetic acid, ethanol, free fatty acids, and diacylglycerol. We discuss several properties that these second messengers of yeast chronological aging have in common with second messengers of signal transduction. We outline how these second messengers of yeast chronological aging elicit changes in cell functionality and viability in response to changes in the nutrient, energy, stress, and proliferation status of the cell.

Toxicological screening of Mikania glomerata Spreng., Asteraceae, extract in male Wistar rats reproductive system, sperm production and testosterone level after chronic treatment Triagem toxocológica do extrato de Mikania glomerata Spreng., Asteraceae, no sistema reprodutor, produção espermática e nível de testosterona em machos de ratos Wistar após tratamento crônico

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Rita de Cássia da Silveira e Sá

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Some compounds present in therapeutic plants may be responsible for the occurrence of adverse side effects. Coumarin and flavonoids are substances found in many plant species that showed antifertility activity in female rats and dogs, respectively. Mikania glomerata Spreng., Asteraceae, known as guaco in Brazil, is a plant largely used in folk medicine and its leaves are reported to have coumarin and flavonoids. This work analyzes the effect of chronic administration of M. glomerata on the reproductive system of male rats. Thirty-day-old Wistar rats were treated with M. glomerata hydroalcoholic extract at a dose of 3.3 g/kg of body weight for ninety days. Body and organ weights, gamete concentration on the epididymis cauda, serum testosterone level and food consumption were evaluated. No significant alteration was observed in any of the variables analyzed, suggesting the absence of toxic action or antifertility activity of the M. glomerata hydroalcoholic extract.As plantas medicinais podem apresentar na sua constituição compostos capazes de causar efeitos adversos no organismo. Cumarina e flavonoides são substâncias encontradas em muitas espécies vegetais, cuja interferência na fertilidade de ratas e cadelas, respectivamente, foi evidenciada em estudos prévios. Mikania glomerata Spreng., Asteraceae, (guaco é uma planta usada no tratamento de doenças respiratórias e em suas folhas foi detectada a presença de cumarina e flavonoides. Neste estudo, avaliou-se o efeito do extrato hidroalcoólico, preparado com partes aéreas de guaco, no sistema reprodutor de ratos submetidos a tratamento crônico. Ratos Wistar (trinta dias de idade foram tratados com extrato hidroalcoólico de guaco na dose de 3,3 g/kg de peso corporal durante noventa dias. O peso corporal e de órgãos, a produção de espermatozoides, a concentração de testosterona plasmática e o consumo de ração foram avaliados. Não foi observada nenhuma alteração significativa

Overexpression of rice black-streaked dwarf virus p7-1 in Arabidopsis results in male sterility due to non-dehiscent anthers.

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Feng Sun

Full Text Available Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV, a member of the genus Fijivirus in the family Reoviridae, is propagatively transmitted by the small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus Fallén. RBSDV causes rice black-streaked dwarf and maize rough dwarf diseases, which lead to severe yield losses in crops in China. Although several RBSDV proteins have been studied in detail, the functions of the nonstructural protein P7-1 are still largely unknown. To investigate the role of the P7-1 protein in virus pathogenicity, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants were generated in which the P7-1 gene was expressed under the control of the 35S promoter. The RBSDV P7-1-transgenic Arabidopsis plants (named P7-1-OE were male sterility. Flowers and pollen from P7-1-transgenic plants were of normal size and shape, and anthers developed to the normal size but failed to dehisce. The non-dehiscent anthers observed in P7-1-OE were attributed to decreased lignin content in the anthers. Furthermore, the reactive oxygen species levels were quite low in the transgenic plants compared with the wild type. These results indicate that ectopic expression of the RBSDV P7-1 protein in A. thaliana causes male sterility, possibly through the disruption of the lignin biosynthesis and H2O2-dependent polymerization pathways.

Overexpression of rice black-streaked dwarf virus p7-1 in Arabidopsis results in male sterility due to non-dehiscent anthers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Feng; Yuan, Xia; Xu, Qiufang; Zhou, Tong; Fan, Yongjian; Zhou, Yijun

2013-01-01

Rice black-streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV), a member of the genus Fijivirus in the family Reoviridae, is propagatively transmitted by the small brown planthopper (Laodelphax striatellus Fallén). RBSDV causes rice black-streaked dwarf and maize rough dwarf diseases, which lead to severe yield losses in crops in China. Although several RBSDV proteins have been studied in detail, the functions of the nonstructural protein P7-1 are still largely unknown. To investigate the role of the P7-1 protein in virus pathogenicity, transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants were generated in which the P7-1 gene was expressed under the control of the 35S promoter. The RBSDV P7-1-transgenic Arabidopsis plants (named P7-1-OE) were male sterility. Flowers and pollen from P7-1-transgenic plants were of normal size and shape, and anthers developed to the normal size but failed to dehisce. The non-dehiscent anthers observed in P7-1-OE were attributed to decreased lignin content in the anthers. Furthermore, the reactive oxygen species levels were quite low in the transgenic plants compared with the wild type. These results indicate that ectopic expression of the RBSDV P7-1 protein in A. thaliana causes male sterility, possibly through the disruption of the lignin biosynthesis and H2O2-dependent polymerization pathways.

How MESSENGER Meshes Simulations and Games with Citizen Science

Science.gov (United States)

Hirshon, B.; Chapman, C. R.; Edmonds, J.; Goldstein, J.; Hallau, K. G.; Solomon, S. C.; Vanhala, H.; Weir, H. M.; Messenger Education; Public Outreach (Epo) Team

2010-12-01

How MESSENGER Meshes Simulations and Games with Citizen Science In the film The Last Starfighter, an alien civilization grooms their future champion—a kid on Earth—using a video game. As he gains proficiency in the game, he masters the skills he needs to pilot a starship and save their civilization. The NASA MESSENGER Education and Public Outreach (EPO) Team is using the same tactic to train citizen scientists to help the Science Team explore the planet Mercury. We are building a new series of games that appear to be designed primarily for fun, but that guide players through a knowledge and skill set that they will need for future science missions in support of MESSENGER mission scientists. As players score points, they gain expertise. Once they achieve a sufficiently high score, they will be invited to become participants in Mercury Zoo, a new program being designed by Zooniverse. Zooniverse created Galaxy Zoo and Moon Zoo, programs that allow interested citizens to participate in the exploration and interpretation of galaxy and lunar data. Scientists use the citizen interpretations to further refine their exploration of the same data, thereby narrowing their focus and saving precious time. Mercury Zoo will be designed with input from the MESSENGER Science Team. This project will not only support the MESSENGER mission, but it will also add to the growing cadre of informed members of the public available to help with other citizen science projects—building on the concept that engaged, informed citizens can help scientists make new discoveries. The MESSENGER EPO Team comprises individuals from the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS); Carnegie Academy for Science Education (CASE); Center for Educational Resources (CERES) at Montana State University (MSU) - Bozeman; National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE); Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL); National Air and Space Museum (NASM); Science

Avaliação da atividade anti-inflamatória intestinal de Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen

OpenAIRE

Tanimoto, Alexandre [UNESP

2013-01-01

Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng.) Pedersen (“ginseng brasileiro”) é uma planta medicinal que apresenta um amplo espectro de usos como tônico, antiestresse e afrodisíaco. Esta espécie pertence ao complexo grupo de plantas medicinais conhecidas como “ginseng” e compõe um grupo específico de plantas denominadas adaptógenas, definidas como produtos capazes de aumentar a resistência não específica do organismo frente a diferentes estímulos estressores; considerando-se tal definição, é previsível que os ...

Nuclear Export of Messenger RNA

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Jun Katahira

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Transport of messenger RNA (mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is an essential step of eukaryotic gene expression. In the cell nucleus, a precursor mRNA undergoes a series of processing steps, including capping at the 5' ends, splicing and cleavage/polyadenylation at the 3' ends. During this process, the mRNA associates with a wide variety of proteins, forming a messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP particle. Association with factors involved in nuclear export also occurs during transcription and processing, and thus nuclear export is fully integrated into mRNA maturation. The coupling between mRNA maturation and nuclear export is an important mechanism for providing only fully functional and competent mRNA to the cytoplasmic translational machinery, thereby ensuring accuracy and swiftness of gene expression. This review describes the molecular mechanism of nuclear mRNA export mediated by the principal transport factors, including Tap-p15 and the TREX complex.

Nuclear Export of Messenger RNA

Science.gov (United States)

Katahira, Jun

2015-01-01

Transport of messenger RNA (mRNA) from the nucleus to the cytoplasm is an essential step of eukaryotic gene expression. In the cell nucleus, a precursor mRNA undergoes a series of processing steps, including capping at the 5' ends, splicing and cleavage/polyadenylation at the 3' ends. During this process, the mRNA associates with a wide variety of proteins, forming a messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) particle. Association with factors involved in nuclear export also occurs during transcription and processing, and thus nuclear export is fully integrated into mRNA maturation. The coupling between mRNA maturation and nuclear export is an important mechanism for providing only fully functional and competent mRNA to the cytoplasmic translational machinery, thereby ensuring accuracy and swiftness of gene expression. This review describes the molecular mechanism of nuclear mRNA export mediated by the principal transport factors, including Tap-p15 and the TREX complex. PMID:25836925

Expressed sequences tags of the anther smut fungus, Microbotryum violaceum, identify mating and pathogenicity genes

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Devier Benjamin

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The basidiomycete fungus Microbotryum violaceum is responsible for the anther-smut disease in many plants of the Caryophyllaceae family and is a model in genetics and evolutionary biology. Infection is initiated by dikaryotic hyphae produced after the conjugation of two haploid sporidia of opposite mating type. This study describes M. violaceum ESTs corresponding to nuclear genes expressed during conjugation and early hyphal production. Results A normalized cDNA library generated 24,128 sequences, which were assembled into 7,765 unique genes; 25.2% of them displayed significant similarity to annotated proteins from other organisms, 74.3% a weak similarity to the same set of known proteins, and 0.5% were orphans. We identified putative pheromone receptors and genes that in other fungi are involved in the mating process. We also identified many sequences similar to genes known to be involved in pathogenicity in other fungi. The M. violaceum EST database, MICROBASE, is available on the Web and provides access to the sequences, assembled contigs, annotations and programs to compare similarities against MICROBASE. Conclusion This study provides a basis for cloning the mating type locus, for further investigation of pathogenicity genes in the anther smut fungi, and for comparative genomics.

THE EFFECT OF SOIL CONDITIONERS ON CELLULOSE, HEMICELLULOSE, AND THE ADL FIBRE FRACTION CONCENTRATION IN DACTYLIS GLOMERATA AND LOLIUM PERENNE

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Milena Truba

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Replicated three times, the research was conducted in the experimental field between 2011 and 2014. Three soil conditioners with the following trade names: UGmax, Eko-Użyźniacz, and Humus Active Papka were used in the experiment, separately or together with NPK fertilisers. They were all used on plots sown with two species of grass, Dactylis glomerata of the Bora variety and Lolium perenne of the Info variety. The plant material from both grass species was tested for the concentration of ADL fraction (% DM, cellulose (% DM, and hemicellulose (% DM. It was found that the concentration of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and the ADL fraction was significantly higher in the biomass of Dactylis glomerata than in the biomass of Lolium perenne. The grass from the plot with the UGmax soil conditioner applied had the highest amount of cellulose and hemicellulose. The lowest amount of those organic compounds was found in the grass treated with UGmax together with mineral fertilisers and in plants treated with Humus Active, together with mineral fertilisers. However, the fertilisers and conditioners did not increase the ADL content in both grass species.

Seasonal differences in the content of phenols and pigments in thalli of freshwater Cladophora glomerata and its habitat.

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Fabrowska, Joanna; Messyasz, Beata; Pankiewicz, Radosław; Wilińska, Patrycja; Łęska, Bogusława

2018-05-15

Polyphenols are chemicals that primarily inhibit the growth of various autotrophic organisms. The presence of these metabolites greatly boosts the ecological dominance of eg. Cladophora, which creates large surface mats. The main goal of our work was to quantify the phenol and polyphenols (allelopathic substances) secreted by the macroalgae as a result of exposure to biotic stress caused by competition. The research was carried out on the Cladophora glomerata biomass collected from two freshwater ecosystems located in Wielkopolska Region (Poland, Fig. 1): Oporzynskie Lake (N52° 55', E 17° 9') and Nielba River (N52˚48', E 17° 12'). Seasonal variability (May-October 2015) in the properties of C. glomerata mats in the river and lake ecosystem was also analyzed in relation to the physicochemical parameters of water. In addition, the content of pigments in the analyzed biomass was determined during the appearance of algae mats in water reservoirs. Biomass extraction was performed to determine the phenolic and carotenoid contents (chlorophyll and carotenoids) by using two extraction methods: microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). After isolation of the phenols from the thalli (mats) and the habitat, they were analyzed using the Folin-Ciocalteu method with some modifications, while the pigment content (chlorophyll and carotenoids) was evaluated by the spectrophotometric method Liechtenthaler (1987) with some variations. Analysis of the content of these components in algae extracts indicates that the tendency of changes in their contents was similar or the same. Growth and decrease of phenolic content (Cladophora T MAE and Cladophora T SFE) and pigments (MAE chlorophyll, SFE and MAE carotenoids) at the same time were independent of the insulation method used. The mats formed by C. glomerata on the surface of Lake Oporzyńskie were more stable and larger surface area than those on the Nielba River, which could explain

Promotion of hydrogen-rich gas and phenolic-rich bio-oil production from green macroalgae Cladophora glomerata via pyrolysis over its bio-char.

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Norouzi, Omid; Jafarian, Sajedeh; Safari, Farid; Tavasoli, Ahmad; Nejati, Behnam

2016-11-01

Conversion of Cladophora glomerata (C. glomerata) as a Caspian Sea's green macroalgae into gaseous, liquid and solid products was carried out via pyrolysis at different temperatures to determine its potential for bio-oil and hydrogen-rich gas production for further industrial utilization. Non-catalytic tests were performed to determine the optimum condition for bio-oil production. The highest portion of bio-oil was retrieved at 500°C. The catalytic test was performed using the bio-char derived at 500°C as a catalyst. Effect of the addition of the algal bio-char on the composition of the bio-oil and also gaseous products was investigated. Pyrolysis derived bio-char was characterized by BET, FESEM and ICP method to show its surface area, porosity, and presence of inorganic metals on its surface, respectively. Phenols were increased from 8.5 to 20.76area% by the addition of bio-char. Moreover, the hydrogen concentration and hydrogen selectivity were also enhanced by the factors of 1.37, 1.59 respectively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Messengers of the universe: Session IV Summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernardini, Elisa; Serpico, Pasquale Dario

2013-01-01

Being stable, light and neutral weakly interacting particles, neutrinos are ideal messengers of the deep universe and a channel of choice in particular to explore the very high energy Galactic and Extragalactic sky, playing a synergic role most notably with gamma-ray observations. Neutrino astronomy—long after the SN1987A detection in the MeV range—is mature enough for decisive tests of astrophysical paradigms. Its current status constitutes one of the two big pillars of the “Messengers of the universe” session of the Neutrino Oscillation Workshop 2012. Neutrinos may also play a role in some cosmological contexts, such as the early universe and the dark matter problem. We review both aspects in this session summary report

The Influence of Land Use Intensity on the Plant-Associated Microbiome of Dactylis glomerata L.

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Jennifer Estendorfer

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In this study, we investigated the impact of different land use intensities (LUI on the root-associated microbiome of Dactylis glomerata (orchardgrass. For this purpose, eight sampling sites with different land use intensity levels but comparable soil properties were selected in the southwest of Germany. Experimental plots covered land use levels from natural grassland up to intensively managed meadows. We used 16S rRNA gene based barcoding to assess the plant-associated community structure in the endosphere, rhizosphere and bulk soil of D. glomerata. Samples were taken at the reproductive stage of the plant in early summer. Our data indicated that roots harbor a distinct bacterial community, which clearly differed from the microbiome of the rhizosphere and bulk soil. Our results revealed Pseudomonadaceae, Enterobacteriaceae and Comamonadaceae as the most abundant endophytes independently of land use intensity. Rhizosphere and bulk soil were dominated also by Proteobacteria, but the most abundant families differed from those obtained from root samples. In the soil, the effect of land use intensity was more pronounced compared to root endophytes leading to a clearly distinct pattern of bacterial communities under different LUI from rhizosphere and bulk soil vs. endophytes. Overall, a change of community structure on the plant–soil interface was observed, as the number of shared OTUs between all three compartments investigated increased with decreasing land use intensity. Thus, our findings suggest a stronger interaction of the plant with its surrounding soil under low land use intensity. Furthermore, the amount and quality of available nitrogen was identified as a major driver for shifts in the microbiome structure in all compartments.

MS26/CYP704B is required for anther and pollen wall development in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L. and combining mutations in all three homeologs causes male sterility.

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Manjit Singh

Full Text Available Development of anthers and pollen represents an important aspect of the life cycle in flowering plants. Genes contributing to anther and pollen development have been widely studied in many plant species. Ms26/CYP704B genes play an important role in pollen development through biosynthesis of sporopollenin for pollen exine formation. To investigate the role of Ms26/CYP704B genes in anther and pollen development of bread wheat, mutations in the A-, B-, and D-homeologs of the putative Ms26/CYP704B gene were analyzed. Single and double homozygous mutants in any of the homeologs did not affect pollen development and male fertility. Triple homozygous mutants resulted in completely male sterile plants that were defective in pollen and anther development. Additionally, double homozygous-single heterozygous mutants were also male sterile although with varying levels of residual fertility. The fertility of these triple mutants was dependent upon the homeolog contributing the wild-type allele. Two heterologous Ms26/CYP704B genes, when transformed into a triple homozygous mutant background, completely restored male fertility, whereas a single gene was unable to restore fertility. Functional analysis of Ms26/CYP704B furthers the understanding of male fertility genes which can be utilized for the development of novel hybrid seed production systems in wheat.

Differential expression of genes encoding anti-oxidant enzymes in Sydney rock oysters, Saccostrea glomerata (Gould) selected for disease resistance.

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Green, Timothy J; Dixon, Tom J; Devic, Emilie; Adlard, Robert D; Barnes, Andrew C

2009-05-01

Sydney rock oysters (Saccostrea glomerata) selectively bred for disease resistance (R) and wild-caught control oysters (W) were exposed to a field infection of disseminating neoplasia. Cumulative mortality of W oysters (31.7%) was significantly greater than R oysters (0.0%) over the 118 days of the experiment. In an attempt to understand the biochemical and molecular pathways involved in disease resistance, differentially expressed sequence tags (ESTs) between R and W S. glomerata hemocytes were identified using the PCR technique, suppression subtractive hybridisation (SSH). Sequencing of 300 clones from two SSH libraries revealed 183 distinct sequences of which 113 shared high similarity to sequences in the public databases. Putative function could be assigned to 64 of the sequences. Expression of nine ESTs homologous to genes previously shown to be involved in bivalve immunity was further studied using quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR). The base-line expression of an extracellular superoxide dismutase (ecSOD) and a small heat shock protein (sHsP) were significantly increased, whilst peroxiredoxin 6 (Prx6) and interferon inhibiting cytokine factor (IK) were significantly decreased in R oysters. From these results it was hypothesised that R oysters would be able to generate the anti-parasitic compound, hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) faster and to higher concentrations during respiratory burst due to the differential expression of genes for the two anti-oxidant enzymes of ecSOD and Prx6. To investigate this hypothesis, protein extracts from hemolymph were analysed for oxidative burst enzyme activity. Analysis of the cell free hemolymph proteins separated by native-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) failed to detect true superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity by assaying dismutation of superoxide anion in zymograms. However, the ecSOD enzyme appears to generate hydrogen peroxide, presumably via another process, which is yet to be elucidated. This

Anther-preferential expressing gene PMR is essential for the mitosis of pollen development in rice.

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Liu, Yaqin; Xu, Ya; Ling, Sheng; Liu, Shasha; Yao, Jialing

2017-06-01

Phenotype identification, expression examination, and function prediction declared that the anther-preferential expressing gene PMR may participate in regulation of male gametophyte development in rice. Male germline development in flowering plants produces the pair of sperm cells for double fertilization and the pollen mitosis is a key process of it. Although the structural features of male gametophyte have been defined, the molecular mechanisms regulating the mitotic cell cycle are not well elucidated in rice. Here, we reported an anther-preferential expressing gene in rice, PMR (Pollen Mitosis Relative), playing an essential role in male gametogenesis. When PMR gene was suppressed via RNAi, the mitosis of microspore was severely damaged, and the plants formed unmatured pollens containing only one or two nucleuses at the anthesis, ultimately leading to serious reduction of pollen fertility and seed-setting. The CRISPR mutants, pmr-1 and pmr-2, both showed the similar defects as the PMR-RNAi lines. Further analysis revealed that PMR together with its co-expressing genes were liable to participate in the regulation of DNA metabolism in the nucleus, and affected the activities of some enzymes related to the cell cycle. We finally discussed that unknown protein PMR contained the PHD, SWIB and Plus-3 domains and they might have coordinating functions in regulation pathway of the pollen mitosis in rice.

On cryptographic security of end-to-end encrypted connections in WhatsApp and Telegram messengers

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Sergey V. Zapechnikov

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work is to analyze the available possibilities for improving secure messaging with end-to-end connections under conditions of external violator actions and distrusted service provider. We made a comparative analysis of cryptographic security mechanisms for two widely used messengers: Telegram and WhatsApp. It was found that Telegram is based on MTProto protocol, while WhatsApp is based on the alternative Signal protocol. We examine the specific features of messengers implementation associated with random number generation on the most popular Android mobile platform. It was shown that Signal has better security properties. It is used in several other popular messengers such as TextSecure, RedPhone, GoogleAllo, FacebookMessenger, Signal along with WhatsApp. A number of possible attacks on both messengers were analyzed in details. In particular, we demonstrate that the metadata are poorly protected in both messengers. Metadata security may be one of the goals for further studies.

Purification and partial characterization of haloperoxidase from fresh water algae Cladophora glomerata.

Science.gov (United States)

Verdel, E F; Kline, P C; Wani, S; Woods, A E

2000-02-01

Many haloperoxidases have been purified from diverse organisms, including lichen, fungi, bacteria, and marine algae. In this study a haloperoxidase was purified from the fresh water algae, Cladophora glomerata, by homogenization and centrifugation, ammonium sulfate fractionation, ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography. Molecular weight was determined by SDS-PAGE and by size exclusion HPLC and found to be approximately 43 kDa. The isoelectric point was determined to be approximately 8.1 by isoelectric focusing. The UV spectrum of the peroxidase showed a strong absorbance in the Soret band indicating a heme protein, unlike vanadium-dependent haloperoxidases from marine algae. Fresh water algal haloperoxidase catalyzed the iodination of tyrosine at a pH of 3.1. This haloperoxidase also catalyzes the oxidation of guaiacol and oxidation of iodide as well as catalyzing a peroxide-dependent reaction in both the presence and absence of chloride and bromide ions.

Morpho-anatomy of the leaf of Myrciaria glomerata

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Nemes Veiga Pacheco-Silva

Full Text Available Abstract Myrciaria glomerata O. Berg., Myrtaceae, popularly known as "cabeludinha", has high content of ascorbic acid and anti-inflammatory property and is used in folk medicine. The objectives of this study were the morphological, anatomical and histochemical characterization of the leaves. Leaf studies were made with optical, scanning electron and confocal microscopy. The collection of botanical material was held at the Tijuca Forest, Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Histochemical tests aimed the identification of lipids, starch grains, phenolic compounds and crystals. The leaves are simple, opposite, lanceolate, pinnate, hairy, with involute margins, hypostomatic and dorsiventral. The stomata are anomocytic. The epidermis presents simple trichomes. Epidermal cells show uneven thickening of their periclinal outer walls, mainly on the adaxial side of the leaf. Secretory cavities of essential oils are subepidermal and exceed, in height, the palisade parenchyma, formed by one cell layer. Four to five cellular layers, rich in phenolic compounds and lipids form the spongy parenchyma. The bundles are collateral and there are many crystals of calcium oxalate spread throughout the mesophyll. In the midrib and petiole the bundles are bicollateral. Analysis by scanning electron revealed epicuticular wax rod-shaped and as grains. In confocal microscopy, the adaxial epidermis, the fibers and the secretory epithelium of the cavities show autofluorescence. The data obtained are important in quality control exams of samples of this species.

Candidatus Frankia Datiscae Dg1, the Actinobacterial Microsymbiont of Datisca glomerata, Expresses the Canonical nod Genes nodABC in Symbiosis with Its Host Plant

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Persson, Tomas; Battenberg, Kai; Demina, Irina V.; Vigil-Stenman, Theoden; Vanden Heuvel, Brian; Pujic, Petar; Facciotti, Marc T.; Wilbanks, Elizabeth G.; O'Brien, Anna; Fournier, Pascale; Cruz Hernandez, Maria Antonia; Mendoza Herrera, Alberto; Médigue, Claudine; Normand, Philippe; Pawlowski, Katharina; Berry, Alison M.

2015-01-01

Frankia strains are nitrogen-fixing soil actinobacteria that can form root symbioses with actinorhizal plants. Phylogenetically, symbiotic frankiae can be divided into three clusters, and this division also corresponds to host specificity groups. The strains of cluster II which form symbioses with actinorhizal Rosales and Cucurbitales, thus displaying a broad host range, show suprisingly low genetic diversity and to date can not be cultured. The genome of the first representative of this cluster, Candidatus Frankia datiscae Dg1 (Dg1), a microsymbiont of Datisca glomerata, was recently sequenced. A phylogenetic analysis of 50 different housekeeping genes of Dg1 and three published Frankia genomes showed that cluster II is basal among the symbiotic Frankia clusters. Detailed analysis showed that nodules of D. glomerata, independent of the origin of the inoculum, contain several closely related cluster II Frankia operational taxonomic units. Actinorhizal plants and legumes both belong to the nitrogen-fixing plant clade, and bacterial signaling in both groups involves the common symbiotic pathway also used by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. However, so far, no molecules resembling rhizobial Nod factors could be isolated from Frankia cultures. Alone among Frankia genomes available to date, the genome of Dg1 contains the canonical nod genes nodA, nodB and nodC known from rhizobia, and these genes are arranged in two operons which are expressed in D. glomerata nodules. Furthermore, Frankia Dg1 nodC was able to partially complement a Rhizobium leguminosarum A34 nodC::Tn5 mutant. Phylogenetic analysis showed that Dg1 Nod proteins are positioned at the root of both α- and β-rhizobial NodABC proteins. NodA-like acyl transferases were found across the phylum Actinobacteria, but among Proteobacteria only in nodulators. Taken together, our evidence indicates an Actinobacterial origin of rhizobial Nod factors. PMID:26020781

Intraspecific competition and mating between fungal strains of the anther smut Microbotryum violaceum from the host plants Silene latifolia and S-dioica.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Putten, W.F.; Biere, A.; Van Damme, J.M.M.

2003-01-01

We studied intraspecific competition and assortative mating between strains of the anther smut fungus Microbotryum violaceum from two of its host species, Silene latifolia and S. dioica. Specifically, we investigated whether strains from allopatric host populations have higher competitive ability on

Intraspecific competition and mating between fungal strains of the anther smut Microbotryum violaceum from the host plants Silene latifolia and S-dioica

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Putten, WF; Biere, A; Van Damme, JMM

We studied intraspecific competition and assortative mating between strains of the anther smut fungus Microbotryum violaceum from two of its host species, Silene latifolia and S. dioica. Specifically. we investigated whether strains from allopatric host populations have higher competitive ability on

Solid-stemmed spring wheat cultivars give better androgenic response than hollow-stemmed cultivars in anther culture

OpenAIRE

Weigt, Dorota; Kiel, Angelika; Nawraca?a, Jerzy; Pluta, Mateusz; ?acka, Agnieszka

2016-01-01

Solid-stemmed spring wheat cultivars (Triticum aestivum L.) are resistant to the stem sawfly (Cephus cinctus Nort.) and lodging. Anthers of 24 spring wheat cultivars with varying content of pith in the stem were used in the experiment. All were classified into three groups: solid, medium?solid and hollow stems. There was considerable influence of the cultivar on callus formation and green plant regeneration. The highest efficiency of green plant regeneration (24%) was observed for the solid-s...

Messenger RNA surveillance: neutralizing natural nonsense

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weischelfeldt, Joachim Lütken; Lykke-Andersen, Jens; Porse, Bo

2005-01-01

Messenger RNA transcripts that contain premature stop codons are degraded by a process termed nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD). Although previously thought of as a pathway that rids the cell of non-functional mRNAs arising from mutations and processing errors, new research suggests a more general...

Mercury's Na Exosphere from MESSENGER Data

Science.gov (United States)

Killen, Rosemary M.; Burger, M. H.; Cassidy, T. A.; Sarantos, M.; Vervack, R. J.; McClintock, W. El; Merkel, A. W.; Sprague, A. L.; Solomon, S. C.

2012-01-01

MESSENGER entered orbit about Mercury on March 18, 2011. Since then, the Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UWS) channel of MESSENGER's Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) has been observing Mercury's exosphere nearly continuously. Daily measurements of Na brightness were fitted with non-uniform exospheric models. With Monte Carlo sampling we traced the trajectories of a representative number of test particles, generally one million per run per source process, until photoionization, escape from the gravitational well, or permanent sticking at the surface removed the atom from the simulation. Atoms were assumed to partially thermally accommodate on each encounter with the surface with accommodation coefficient 0.25. Runs for different assumed source processes are run separately, scaled and co-added. Once these model results were saved onto a 3D grid, we ran lines of sight from the MESSENGER spacecraft :0 infinity using the SPICE kernels and we computed brightness integrals. Note that only particles that contribute to the measurement can be constrained with our method. Atoms and molecules produced on the nightside must escape the shadow in order to scatter light if the excitation process is resonant-light scattering, as assumed here. The aggregate distribution of Na atoms fits a 1200 K gas, with a PSD distribution, along with a hotter component. Our models constrain the hot component, assumed to be impact vaporization, to be emitted with a 2500 K Maxwellian. Most orbits show a dawnside enhancement in the hot component broadly spread over the leading hemisphere. However, on some dates there is no dawn/dusk asymmetry. The portion of the hot/cold source appears to be highly variable.

Response of different genotypes of wheat, rice and black beans to anther, embryo and other tissue cultures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Franco, E.; Amador, D.; Calderon, J.; Alvarez, G.; Alvarado, J.; Ramazzini, H.; Ramos, S.; Acuna, G.; Zuniga, B.

1996-01-01

The objective of the basic studies we have been conducting in our laboratory is to establish callus induction and in vitro plant regeneration protocols starting with several tissues of Guatemalan varieties of wheat (Triticum aesticum L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.) and especially black bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in order to obtain disease resistance, earliness, and dwarf plants. Wheat anthers and immature embryos of varieties Patzun, Comalapa, Chocoyo, and Xequijel cultured in N 6 , Potato II, and MS basal media supplemented with auxin and cytokinin gave the best responses in callus induction and plant regeneration. Anthers and mature embryos of indica rice varieties Precozicta and Virginai, when cultured in MS, B 5 , N 6 , and Potato II basal media with different hormonal combinations gave a good response in callus induction. However, a satisfactory response in plant regeneration was not obtained. With black beans, when hypocotyls and mature embryos of black bean varieties Quinack Che and Parramos were cultured in MS basal medium supplemented with different concentrations of NAA and kinetin, more than 60% callus induction was produced. When Quinack Che calli were transferred to MS basal medium supplemented with 1 mg/l NAA plus 0.5 mg/l BAP, green points of regeneration were visible in these calli. (author). 34 refs, 28 tabs

Pathogen Trojan Horse Delivers Bioactive Host Protein to Alter Maize Anther Cell Behavior in Situ.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Linde, Karina; Timofejeva, Ljudmilla; Egger, Rachel L; Ilau, Birger; Hammond, Reza; Teng, Chong; Meyers, Blake C; Doehlemann, Gunther; Walbot, Virginia

2018-03-01

Small proteins are crucial signals during development, host defense, and physiology. The highly spatiotemporal restricted functions of signaling proteins remain challenging to study in planta. The several month span required to assess transgene expression, particularly in flowers, combined with the uncertainties from transgene position effects and ubiquitous or overexpression, makes monitoring of spatiotemporally restricted signaling proteins lengthy and difficult. This situation could be rectified with a transient assay in which protein deployment is tightly controlled spatially and temporally in planta to assess protein functions, timing, and cellular targets as well as to facilitate rapid mutagenesis to define functional protein domains. In maize ( Zea mays ), secreted ZmMAC1 (MULTIPLE ARCHESPORIAL CELLS1) was proposed to trigger somatic niche formation during anther development by participating in a ligand-receptor module. Inspired by Homer's Trojan horse myth, we engineered a protein delivery system that exploits the secretory capabilities of the maize smut fungus Ustilago maydis , to allow protein delivery to individual cells in certain cell layers at precise time points. Pathogen-supplied ZmMAC1 cell-autonomously corrected both somatic cell division and differentiation defects in mutant Zm mac1-1 anthers. These results suggest that exploiting host-pathogen interactions may become a generally useful method for targeting host proteins to cell and tissue types to clarify cellular autonomy and to analyze steps in cell responses. © 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Generalized messengers of supersymmetry breaking and the sparticle mass spectrum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, S.P.

1997-01-01

We investigate the sparticle spectrum in models of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking. In these models, supersymmetry is spontaneously broken at an energy scale only a few orders of magnitude above the electroweak scale. The breakdown of supersymmetry is communicated to the standard model particles and their superpartners by open-quotes messengerclose quotes fields through their ordinary gauge interactions. We study the effects of a messenger sector in which the supersymmetry-violating F-term contributions to messenger scalar masses are comparable to the supersymmetry-preserving ones. We also argue that it is not particularly natural to restrict attention to models in which the messenger fields lie in complete SU(5) ground unified theory multiplets, and we identify a much larger class of viable models. Remarkably, however, we find that the superpartner mass parameters in these models are still subject to many significant contraints. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Construção e avaliação de um protótipo de máquina coletora de anteras Construction and evaluation of an anther collector prototype machine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Tonet

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Um protótipo de máquina coletora de anteras foi projetado e construído, e seu desempenho foi avaliado, comparando - se com o método de coleta manual, em flores rosáceas e campanuladas de pessegueiro (Prunus persica. O trabalho foi conduzido utilizando-se do delineamento experimental inteiramente ao acaso, arranjado em um esquema bifatorial (2 métodos de remoção x 2 formas florais, com 12 repetições de 30 balões florais. O protótipo apresentou maior velocidade de processamento, sem diminuir a qualidade do pólen, mesmo sendo armazenadas anteras com maior quantidade de filetes e descartado maior número de anteras do que o método manual.An anther collector prototype machine was projected and built. Its performance was evaluated by comparisons between the use of the prototype and the traditional manual method, both for showy and non-showy peach-tree flowers (Prunus persica. The study was accomplished in August 2011 using a completely randomized experimental design, arranged in a bi-factorial scheme (2 collection methods x 2 flower forms, with 12 repetitions, each consisted by 30 flowers. The prototype proved to be faster in the anther extraction time without losses in the pollen quality, even harvesting anthers with higher fillet amounts and discarding a higher quantity of anthers than the manual method.

The Gravity Field of Mercury After the Messenger Low-Altitude Campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Mazarico, Erwan; Genova, Antonio; Goossens, Sander; Lemoine, Frank G.; Smith, David E.; Zuber, Maria T.; Neumann, Gary A.; Solomon, Sean C.

2015-01-01

The final year of the MESSENGER mission was designed to take advantage of the remaining propellant onboard to provide a series of lowaltitude observation campaigns and acquire novel scientific data about the innermost planet. The lower periapsis altitude greatly enhances the sensitivity to the short-wavelength gravity field, but only when the spacecraft is in view of Earth. After more than 3 years in orbit around Mercury, the MESSENGER spacecraft was tracked for the first time below 200-km altitude on 5 May 2014 by the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN). Between August and October, periapsis passages down to 25-km altitude were routinely tracked. These periods considerably improved the quality of the data coverage. Before the end of its mission, MESSENGER will fly at very low altitudes for extended periods of time. Given the orbital geometry, however the periapses will not be visible from Earth and so no new tracking data will be available for altitudes lower than 75 km. Nevertheless, the continuous tracking of MESSENGER in the northern hemisphere will help improve the uniformity of the spatial coverage at altitudes lower than 150 km, which will further improve the overall quality of the Mercury gravity field.

Alterations in polyribosome and messenger ribonucleic acid metabolism and messenger ribonucleoprotein utilization in osmotically stressed plant seedlings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mason, H.S.

1986-01-01

Polyribosome aggregation state in growing tissues of barley and wheat leaf of stems of pea and squash was studied in relation to seedling growth and water status of the growing tissue in plants at various levels of osmotic stress. It was found to be highly correlated with water potential and osmotic potential of the growing tissue and with leaf of stem elongation rate. Stress rapidly reduced polyribosome content and water status in growing tissues of barley leaves; changes were slow and slight in the non-growing leaf blade. Membrane-bound and free polyribosomes were equally sensitive to stress-induced disaggregation. Incorporation of 32 PO 4 3- into ribosomal RNA was rapidly inhibited by stress, but stability of poly(A) + RNA relative to ribosomal RNA was similar in stressed and unstressed tissues, with a half-life of about 12 hours. Stress also caused progressive loss of poly(A) + RNA from these tissues. Quantitation of poly(A) and in vitro messenger template activity in polysome gradient fractions showed a shift of activity from the polysomal region to the region of 20-60 S in stressed plants. Messenger RNA in the 20-60 S region coded for the same peptides as mRNA found in the polysomal fraction. Nonpolysomal and polysome-derived messenger ribonucleoprotein complexes (mRNP) were isolated, and characteristic proteins were found associated with either fraction. Polysomal mRNP from stressed or unstressed plants were translated with similar efficiency in a wheat germ cell-free system. It was concluded that no translational inhibitory activity was associated with nonpolysomal mRNP from barley prepared as described

ESTRADIOL-INDUCED SYNTHESIS OF VITELLOGENIN .3. ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF VITELLOGENIN MESSENGER-RNA FROM AVIAN LIVER

NARCIS (Netherlands)

AB, G.; Roskam, W. G.; Dijkstra, J.; Mulder, J.; Willems, M.; van der Ende, A.; Gruber, M.

1976-01-01

The messenger RNA of the hormone-induced protein vitellogenin was isolated from the liver of estrogen-treated roosters. Starting from total polysomal RNA, the vitellogenin messenger was purified 67-fold by oligo (dT)-cellulose chromatography and sizing on a sucrose gradient. The messenger was

High-resolution fine mapping of ps-2, a mutated gene conferring functional male sterility in tomato due to non-dehiscent anthers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gorguet, B.J.M.; Schipper, E.H.; Heusden, van A.W.; Lindhout, P.

2006-01-01

Functional male sterility is an important trait for the production of hybrid seeds. Among the genes coding for functional male sterility in tomato is the positional sterility gene ps-2. ps-2 is monogenic recessive, confers non-dehiscent anthers and is the most suitable for practical uses. In order

12 CFR 7.1012 - Messenger service.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... service” means any service, such as a courier service or armored car service, used by a national bank and... service do not advertise, or otherwise represent, that the bank itself is providing the service, although the bank may advertise that its customers may use one or more third party messenger services to...

MESSENGER: Exploring Mercury's Magnetosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin, James A.

2008-01-01

The MESSENGER mission to Mercury offers our first opportunity to explore this planet's miniature magnetosphere since Mariner 10's brief fly-bys in 1974-5. Mercury's magnetosphere is unique in many respects. The magnetosphere of Mercury is the smallest in the solar system with its magnetic field typically standing off the solar wind only - 1000 to 2000 km above the surface. For this reason there are no closed dri-fi paths for energetic particles and, hence, no radiation belts; the characteristic time scales for wave propagation and convective transport are short possibly coupling kinetic and fluid modes; magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause may erode the subsolar magnetosphere allowing solar wind ions to directly impact the dayside regolith; inductive currents in Mercury's interior should act to modify the solar In addition, Mercury's magnetosphere is the only one with its defining magnetic flux tubes rooted in a planetary regolith as opposed to an atmosphere with a conductive ionosphere. This lack of an ionosphere is thought to be the underlying reason for the brevity of the very intense, but short lived, approx. 1-2 min, substorm-like energetic particle events observed by Mariner 10 in Mercury's magnetic tail. In this seminar, we review what we think we know about Mercury's magnetosphere and describe the MESSENGER science team's strategy for obtaining answers to the outstanding science questions surrounding the interaction of the solar wind with Mercury and its small, but dynamic magnetosphere.

Effects of auxins and cytokinins on tomato callus from anthers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janina H. Rogozińska

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An investigation was carried out on growth substance requirements of tomato callus derived from anthers for culture in vitro. Linsmaier and Skoog (1965 medium was used with various levels of auxins (IAA and NAA and cytokinins (K and BAP. The results show that cytokinin is an absolute requirement for callus growth irrespective of the auxin level. The optimum concentration of auxin in combination with cytokinin was found to be 5 μM of NAA or 25 μM of IAA, with 5 μM of K or BAP. Callus growth on media with NAA and cytokinin was superior to that on IAA, amounting to 6.05 g per piece on medium with 5 μM of NAA and BAP. Tissues grown on this medium have the highest water content. At the onset of culture the tissue is characterized by weak growth and attains its maximal increase in fresh weight after 6 weeks.

Multi-Messenger Astronomy with Gravitational Waves

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Sound + images show Bailey was out in the India-Australia match on 12 Jan 2016. Image credit: Rediff / Fox news / Twitter. Page 10. Electromagnetic follow up: the Indian context. Page 11. Multi-Messenger Astronomy with Gravitational Waves | LIGO-G1601377-v2. Varun Bhalerao (IUCAA) | 1 July 2016. 11. 20 – 60 keV:.

Multi-Messenger Astronomy and Dark Matter

Science.gov (United States)

Bergström, Lars

This chapter presents the elaborated lecture notes on Multi-Messenger Astronomy and Dark Matter given by Lars Bergström at the 40th Saas-Fee Advanced Course on "Astrophysics at Very High Energies". One of the main problems of astrophysics and astro-particle physics is that the nature of dark matter remains unsolved. There are basically three complementary approaches to try to solve this problem. One is the detection of new particles with accelerators, the second is the observation of various types of messengers from radio waves to gamma-ray photons and neutrinos, and the third is the use of ingenious experiments for direct detection of dark matter particles. After giving an introduction to the particle universe, the author discusses the relic density of particles, basic cross sections for neutrinos and gamma-rays, supersymmetric dark matter, detection methods for neutralino dark matter, particular dark matter candidates, the status of dark matter detection, a detailled calculation on an hypothetical "Saas-Fee Wimp", primordial black holes, and gravitational waves.

Método espectroscópico para determinação de cumarina em xarope de Mikania glomerata Sprengel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cleinils R. da Silva

Full Text Available Este trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver uma metodologia analítica por espectroscopia UV, para doseamento de cumarina em xaropes de Mikania glomerata. A técnica foi baseada na extração da cumarina utilizando solventes como o clorofórmio e hexano. Após a seleção do solvente, o comprimento de onda foi definido através da sobreposição dos espectros da cumarina, metil parabeno, diluição do xarope e solução extrativa do xarope. Foram preparadas curvas analíticas de cinco soluções de cumarina com concentração variando de 0,002 a 0,03 mg/mL. Para análise da exatidão do método, foram preparados três lotes de xarope de Mikania glomerata Sprengel e o teor de cumarina determinado pela técnica espectrofotométrica foi comparado a técnica por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência. O solvente selecionado para extração foi o clorofórmio, o comprimento de onda 320 nm. A curva analítica apresentou R² de 0,99978, demonstrando linearidade. A comparação estatística do doseamento da cumarina pela técnica espectrofotométrica estudada com a técnica cromatográfica desenvolvida por Celeghini et al. (2001 demonstrou não existir diferenças significativas, indicativo de exatidão da técnica.

Phenotypic characterization of neurotensin messenger RNA-expressing cells in the neuroleptic-treated rat striatum: a detailed cellular co-expression study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Emson, P C; Westmore, K; Augood, S J [MRC Molecular Neuroscience Group, The Department of Neurobiology, The Babraham Institute, Babraham, Cambridge (United Kingdom)

1996-12-11

The chemical phenotype of proneurotensin messenger RNA-expressing cells was determined in the acute haloperidol-treated rat striatum using a combination of [{sup 35}S]-labelled and alkaline phosphatase-labelled oligonucleotides. Cellular sites of proneurotensin messenger RNA expression were visualized simultaneously on tissue sections processed to reveal cellular sites of preproenkephalin A messenger RNA or the dopamine and adenylate cyclase phosphoprotein-32, messenger RNA. The cellular co-expression of preproenkepahlin A and preprotachykinin messenger RNA was also examined within forebrain structures. Cellular sites of preproenkephalin A and dopamine and adenylate cyclase phosphoprotein-32 messenger RNAs were visualized using alkaline phosphatase-labelled oligonucleotides whilst sites of preprotachykinin and proneurotensin messenger RNA expression were detected using [{sup 35}S]-labelled oligos. Cellular sites of enkephalin and dopamine and adenylate cyclase phosphoprotein-32 gene expression were identified microscopically by the concentration of purple alkaline phosphatase reaction product within the cell cytoplasm, whereas sites of substance P and proneurotensin gene expression were identified by the dense clustering of silver grains overlying cells.An intense hybridization signal was detected for all three neuropeptide messenger RNAs in the striatum, the nucleus accumbens and septum. Dopamine and adenylate cyclase phosphoprotein-32 messenger RNA was detected within the neostriatum but not within the septum. In all forebrain regions examined, with the exception of the islands of Cajella, the cellular expression of enkephalin messenger RNA and substance P messenger RNA was discordant; the two neuropeptide messenger RNAs were detected essentially in different cells, although in the striatum and nucleus accumbens occasional isolated cells were detected which contained both hybridization signals; dense clusters of silver grains overlay alkaline phosphatase

Phenotypic characterization of neurotensin messenger RNA-expressing cells in the neuroleptic-treated rat striatum: a detailed cellular co-expression study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emson, P.C.; Westmore, K.; Augood, S.J.

1996-01-01

The chemical phenotype of proneurotensin messenger RNA-expressing cells was determined in the acute haloperidol-treated rat striatum using a combination of [ 35 S]-labelled and alkaline phosphatase-labelled oligonucleotides. Cellular sites of proneurotensin messenger RNA expression were visualized simultaneously on tissue sections processed to reveal cellular sites of preproenkephalin A messenger RNA or the dopamine and adenylate cyclase phosphoprotein-32, messenger RNA. The cellular co-expression of preproenkepahlin A and preprotachykinin messenger RNA was also examined within forebrain structures. Cellular sites of preproenkephalin A and dopamine and adenylate cyclase phosphoprotein-32 messenger RNAs were visualized using alkaline phosphatase-labelled oligonucleotides whilst sites of preprotachykinin and proneurotensin messenger RNA expression were detected using [ 35 S]-labelled oligos. Cellular sites of enkephalin and dopamine and adenylate cyclase phosphoprotein-32 gene expression were identified microscopically by the concentration of purple alkaline phosphatase reaction product within the cell cytoplasm, whereas sites of substance P and proneurotensin gene expression were identified by the dense clustering of silver grains overlying cells.An intense hybridization signal was detected for all three neuropeptide messenger RNAs in the striatum, the nucleus accumbens and septum. Dopamine and adenylate cyclase phosphoprotein-32 messenger RNA was detected within the neostriatum but not within the septum. In all forebrain regions examined, with the exception of the islands of Cajella, the cellular expression of enkephalin messenger RNA and substance P messenger RNA was discordant; the two neuropeptide messenger RNAs were detected essentially in different cells, although in the striatum and nucleus accumbens occasional isolated cells were detected which contained both hybridization signals; dense clusters of silver grains overlay alkaline phosphatase-positive cells

Phenomenologies of Higgs messenger models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng Sibo; Yu Yao; Wu Xinggang [Department of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing 401331 (China)

2011-08-11

In this Letter, we investigate the phenomenologies of models where the Higgs sector plays the role of messengers in gauge mediation. The minimal Higgs sector and its extension are considered respectively. We find that there exist viable models when an appropriate parity is imposed. Phenomenological features in these kind of models include three sum rules for scalar masses, light gluino as well as one-loop {mu} and two-loop B{mu} terms.

Método espectroscópico para determinação de cumarina em xarope de Mikania glomerata Sprengel

OpenAIRE

Silva, Cleinils R. da; Gomes, Víctor S.; Kulkamp, Irene C.; Kanis, Luiz A.

2008-01-01

Este trabalho teve como objetivo desenvolver uma metodologia analítica por espectroscopia UV, para doseamento de cumarina em xaropes de Mikania glomerata. A técnica foi baseada na extração da cumarina utilizando solventes como o clorofórmio e hexano. Após a seleção do solvente, o comprimento de onda foi definido através da sobreposição dos espectros da cumarina, metil parabeno, diluição do xarope e solução extrativa do xarope. Foram preparadas curvas analíticas de cinco soluções de cumarina c...

Astronomy's New Messengers: A traveling exhibit on gravitational-wave physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavaglia, Marco; Hendry, Martin; Marka, Szabolcs; Reitze, David H; Riles, Keith

2010-01-01

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory exhibit Astronomy's New Messengers: Listening to the Universe with Gravitational Waves is traveling to colleges, universities, museums and other public institutions throughout the United States. Astronomy's New Messengers primarily communicates with an adolescent and young adult audience, potentially inspiring them into the field of science. Acknowledging that this audience is traditionally a difficult one to attract, the exhibit publicly announces itself in a charismatic fashion to reach its principal goals of broadening the community of people interested in science and encouraging interest in science among young people.

Efficient transformation of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana and production of male-sterile plants by engineered anther ablation.

Science.gov (United States)

García-Sogo, Begoña; Pineda, Benito; Castelblanque, Lourdes; Antón, Teresa; Medina, Mónica; Roque, Edelín; Torresi, Claudia; Beltrán, José Pío; Moreno, Vicente; Cañas, Luis Antonio

2010-01-01

Engineered male sterility in ornamental plants has many applications such as facilitate hybrid seed production, eliminate pollen allergens, reduce the need for deadheading to extend the flowering period, redirect resources from seeds to vegetative growth, increase flower longevity and prevent gene flow between genetically modified and related native plants. We have developed a reliable and efficient Agrobacterium-mediated protocol for the genetic transformation of different Kalanchoe blossfeldiana commercial cultivars. Transformation efficiency for cv. 'Hillary' was 55.3% whereas that of cv. 'Tenorio' reached 75.8%. Selection was carried out with the nptII gene and increasing the kanamycin concentration from 25 to 100 mg l(-1) allowed to reduced escapes from 50 to 60% to virtually 0%. This method was used to produce male-sterile plants through engineered anther ablation. In our approach, we tested a male sterility chimaeric gene construct (PsEND1::barnase) to evaluate its effectiveness and effect on phenotype. No significant differences were found in the growth patterns between the transgenic lines and the wild-type plants. No viable pollen grains were observed in the ablated anthers of any of the lines carrying the PsEND1::barnase construct, indicating that the male sterility was complete. In addition, seed set was completely abolished in all the transgenic plants obtained. Our engineered male-sterile approach could be used, alone or in combination with a female-sterility system, to reduce the invasive potential of new ornamentals, which has become an important environmental problem in many countries.

Comparative Analysis of Anther Transcriptome Profiles of Two Different Rice Male Sterile Lines Genotypes under Cold Stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Bai

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Rice is highly sensitive to cold stress during reproductive developmental stages, and little is known about the mechanisms of cold responses in rice anther. Using the HiSeq™ 2000 sequencing platform, the anther transcriptome of photo thermo sensitive genic male sterile lines (PTGMS rice Y58S and P64S (Pei’ai64S were analyzed at the fertility sensitive stage under cold stress. Approximately 243 million clean reads were obtained from four libraries and aligned against the oryza indica genome and 1497 and 5652 differentially expressed genes (DEGs were identified in P64S and Y58S, respectively. Both gene ontology (GO and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG analyses were conducted for these DEGs. Functional classification of DEGs was also carried out. The DEGs common to both genotypes were mainly involved in signal transduction, metabolism, transport, and transcriptional regulation. Most of the DEGs were unique for each comparison group. We observed that there were more differentially expressed MYB (Myeloblastosis and zinc finger family transcription factors and signal transduction components such as calmodulin/calcium dependent protein kinases in the Y58S comparison group. It was also found that ribosome-related DEGs may play key roles in cold stress signal transduction. These results presented here would be particularly useful for further studies on investigating the molecular mechanisms of rice responses to cold stress.

Evaluation of antibacterial properties on polysulfone composite membranes using synthesized biogenic silver nanoparticles with Ulva compressa (L.) Kütz. and Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kütz. extracts.

Science.gov (United States)

Minhas, Fozia T; Arslan, Gulsin; Gubbuk, I Hilal; Akkoz, Cengiz; Ozturk, Betul Yılmaz; Asıkkutlu, Baran; Arslan, Ugur; Ersoz, Mustafa

2018-02-01

Polysulfone (PS) composite membrane using green synthesized biogenic silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) with Ulva compressa (L.) Kütz. and Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kütz. extract were prepared by spin coating technique and are tested for antimicrobial activity using a direct contact test for the first time. Initially green synthesis of Ag-NPs was accomplished utilizing green macro algae i.e. U. compressa (L.) Kütz. and C. glomerata (L.) Kütz. by the reduction of AgNO 3 . The Ag-NPs/PS composite membranes from both algae revealed outstanding antimicrobial activity against all bacteria i.e. K. pneumonia, P. aeruginasa, E. coli, E. faecium and S. aureus. Bacterial growth was monitored for 17h with a temperature controlled microplate spectrophotometer. The kinetics of the outgrowth in each well were recorded continuously at 630nm every 60min. Thus present work remarkably offers a feasible, cheap and efficient alternative for making Ag-NPs and their utilization as antimicrobial agent on the PS composite membrane. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Light third-generation squarks from flavour gauge messengers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brümmer, Felix; McGarrie, Moritz; Weiler, Andreas

2014-01-01

We study models of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking with a gauged horizontal SU(3) F symmetry acting on the quark superfields. If SU(3) F is broken non-supersymmetrically by F-term vacuum expectation values, the massive gauge bosons and gauginos become messengers for SUSY breaking mediation. These gauge messenger fields induce a flavour-dependent, negative contribution to the soft masses of the squarks at one loop. In combination with the soft terms from standard gauge mediation, one obtains large and degenerate first- and second-generation squark masses, while the stops and sbottoms are light. We discuss the implications of this mechanism for the superparticle spectrum and for flavour precision observables. We also provide an explicit realization in a model with simultaneous SUSY and SU(3) F breaking

Light third-generation squarks from flavour gauge messengers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruemmer, Felix; McGarrie, Moritz; Univ. of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg; Weiler, Andreas; CERN - European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva

2014-04-01

We study models of gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking with a gauged horizontal SU(3) F symmetry acting on the quark superfields. If SU(3) F is broken non-supersymmetrically by F-term vacuum expectation values, the massive gauge bosons and gauginos become messengers for SUSY breaking mediation. These gauge messenger fields induce a flavour-dependent, negative contribution to the soft masses of the squarks at one loop. In combination with the soft terms from standard gauge mediation, one obtains large and degenerate first- and second-generation squark masses, while the stops and sbottoms are light. We discuss the implications of this mechanism for the superparticle spectrum and for flavour precision observables. We also provide an explicit realization in a model with simultaneous SUSY and SU(3) F breaking.

Localization of calcium-binding proteins and GABA transporter (GAT-1) messenger RNA in the human subthalamic nucleus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Augood, S.J.; Waldvogel, H.J.; Muenkle, M.C.; Faull, R.L.M.; Emson, P.C.

1999-01-01

The distribution of messenger RNA encoding the human GAT-1 (a high-affinity GABA transporter) was investigated in the subthalamic nucleus of 10 neurologically normal human post mortem cases. Further, the distribution of messenger RNA and protein encoding the three neuronally expressed calcium-binding proteins (calbindin D28k, parvalbumin and calretinin) was similarly investigated using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical techniques. Cellular sites of calbindin D28k, parvalbumin, calretinin and GAT-1 messenger RNA expression were localized using human-specific oligonucleotide probes radiolabelled with [ 35 S]dATP. Sites of protein localization were visualized using specific anti-calbindin D28k, anti-parvalbumin and anti-calretinin antisera. Examination of emulsion-coated tissue sections processed for in situ hybridization revealed an intense signal for GAT-1 messenger RNA within the human subthalamic nucleus, indeed the majority of Methylene Blue-counterstained cells were enriched in this transcript. Further, a marked heterogeneity was noted with regard to the expression of the messenger RNA's encoding the three calcium-binding proteins; this elliptical nucleus was highly enriched in parvalbumin messenger RNA-positive neurons and calretinin mRNA-positive cells but not calbindin messenger RNA-positive cells. Indeed, only an occasional calbindin messenger RNA-positive cell was detected within the mediolateral extent of the nucleus. In marked contrast, numerous parvalbumin messenger RNA-positive cells and calretinin messenger RNA-positive cells were detected and they were topographically distributed; parvalbumin messenger RNA-positive cells were highly enriched in the dorsal subthalamic nucleus extending mediolaterally; calretinin messenger RNA-positive cells were more enriched ventrally although some degree of overlap was apparent. Computer-assisted analysis of the average cross-sectional somatic area of parvalbumin, calretinin and GAT-1 messenger RNA

Altered expression of estrogen receptor-α variant messenger RNAs between adjacent normal breast and breast tumor tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leygue, Etienne; Dotzlaw, Helmut; Watson, Peter H; Murphy, Leigh C

2000-01-01

Using semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays, we investigated the expression of variant messenger RNAs relative to wild-type estrogen receptor (ER)-α messenger RNA in normal breast tissues and their adjacent matched breast tumor tissues. Higher ER variant truncated after sequences encoding exon 2 of the wild-type ER-α (ERC4) messenger RNA and a lower exon 3 deleted ER-α variant (ERD3) messenger RNA relative expression in the tumor compartment were observed in the ER-positive/PR-positive and the ER-positive subsets, respectively. A significantly higher relative expression of exon 5 deleted ER-α varient (ERD5) messenger RNA was observed in tumor components overall. These data demonstrate that changes in the relative expression of ER-α variant messenger RNAs occur between adjacent normal and neoplastic breast tissues. We suggest that these changes might be involved in the mechanisms that underlie breast tumorigenesis. Estrogen receptor (ER)-α and ER-β are believed to mediate the action of estradiol in target tissues. Several ER-α and ER-β variant messenger RNAs have been identified in both normal and neoplastic human tissues. Most of these variants contain a deletion of one or more exons of the wild-type (WT) ER messenger RNAs. The putative proteins that are encoded by these variant messenger RNAs would therefore be missing some functional domains of the WT receptors, and might interfere with WT-ER signaling pathways. The detection of ER-α variants in both normal and neoplastic human breast tissues raised the question of their possible role in breast tumorigenesis. We have previously reported an increased relative expression of exon 5 deleted ER-α variant (ERD5) messenger RNA and of another ER-α variant truncated of all sequences following the exon 2 of the WT ER-α (ERC4) messenger RNA in breast tumor samples versus independent normal breast tissues. In contrast, a decreased relative expression of exon 3 deleted ER

Planetary Ions at Mercury: Unanswered Questions After MESSENGER

Science.gov (United States)

Raines, J. M.

2018-05-01

We will discuss the key open questions relating to planetary ions, including the behavior of recently created photoions, the near absence of Ca+ / K+ in MESSENGER ion measurements, and the role of ion sputtering in the system.

Proteomic discovery of biomarkers of metal contamination in Sydney Rock oysters (Saccostrea glomerata)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thompson, Emma L., E-mail: emma.thompson@mq.edu.au [Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 (Australia); Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Chowder Bay, NSW 2088 (Australia); Taylor, Daisy A. [Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 (Australia); Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Chowder Bay, NSW 2088 (Australia); Nair, Sham V. [Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 (Australia); Birch, Gavin [Department of Geochemistry, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia); Haynes, Paul A. [Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 (Australia); Raftos, David A. [Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109 (Australia); Sydney Institute of Marine Science, Chowder Bay, NSW 2088 (Australia)

2012-03-15

In the current study we examined the effects of metal contamination on the protein complement of Sydney Rock oysters. Saccostrea glomerata were exposed for 4 days to three environmentally relevant concentrations (100 {mu}g/l, 50 {mu}g/l and 5 {mu}g/l) of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc. Protein abundances in oyster haemolymph from metal-exposed oysters were compared to those from non-exposed controls using two-dimensional electrophoresis to display differentially expressed proteins. Differentially expressed proteins were subsequently identified using tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), to assign their putative biological functions. Unique sets of differentially expressed proteins were affected by each metal, in addition to proteins that were affected by more than one metal. The proteins identified included some that are commonly associated with environmental monitoring, such as HSP 70, and other novel proteins not previously considered as candidates for molecular biomonitoring. The most common biological functions of proteins were associated with stress response, cytoskeletal activity and protein synthesis.

Effects of ionizing radiation and partial hepatectomy on messenger RNA synthesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Halim, M.N.

1979-01-01

Newly synthesized messenger RNA, as measured by a 40 min uptake of the radioactive precursor (6- 14 C) orotic acid, was studied in the regenerating livers of non-irradiated and gamma-irradiated (1800 rad) adrenal-intact and adrenalectomized rats 24 and 48 hours after partial hepatectomy. Two groups of rats, one with and one without adrenal glands were each divided into four subgroups: (1) control rats, (2) irradiated rats, (3) partially hepatectomized rats and (4) irradiated, partially hepatectomized rats. The radioactive profile of polyribosome formation and distribution was determined by sucrose density gradient centrifugation (10 to 40 per cent). The result of this study indicates that ionizing radiation decreases the synthesis of newly formed messenger RNA in regenerating livers of adrenal-intact rats. However, adrenalectomy largely abolished that inhibition. These data suggest that the decrease in messenger RNA synthesis may be explained by the disturbance of adrenal hormones induced by partial hepatectomy and ionizing radiation. (author)

Mercury's Atmosphere and Magnetosphere: MESSENGER Third Flyby Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin, James A.; Anderson, Brian J.; Baker, Daniel N.; Benna, Mehdi; Johnson, Catherine L.; Gloeckler, George; Killen, Rosemary M.; Krimigis, Stamatios M.; McClintock, William; McNutt, Ralph L., Jr.;

Pathophysiological implications of the chemical messengers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blazquez Fernandez, E.

2009-01-01

To maintain a physical organization and a different composition of its surroundings environment, living beings use a great part of the energy that they produce. Vital processes require an elevated number of reactions which are regulated and integrated by chemical messengers. They use autocrine, paracrine, endocrine and synaptic signals through receptors of cell surface, nuclear or associated with ionic channels, enzymes, trim eric G proteins and to intracellular kinases. Through these mechanisms pheromones play an important role in the relationships between different individuals, and hormones are able to regulate the integrative functions of our organism. In the nervous system, neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, sensors and receptors between other messengers, play functions of great relevance, while growth factors stimulate cell proliferation and cytokines have many effects but the most important is the ones related with the control of the immflamatory process. Alterations of these messengers permit us a better understanding of the diseases and possibly of its treatments in a near future. Modifications of the expression of genes from the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes are responsible of monogenic, polygenic and mitochondrial diseases, while alterations in the activities of dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters are related with schizophrenia, Parkinson disease and depression, respectively. Other example is the hyperthyroidism of the Graves-Bassedow disease due to the competitive interference of the LATS immunoglobulin with TSH at the level of the follicular cells producing thyroid hormones Twenty five years ago in the reviews on the mechanisms of insulin action, there was presentations in which the insulin receptor was located in the plasma membrane of the target cells while in the cytoplasm only a big interrogative was observed, that at present is replaced by chemical mediators cascades responsible of the multiple effects of insulin. This finding is similar

Clostridium botulinum type E occurs and grows in the alga Cladophora glomerata

Science.gov (United States)

Byappanahalli, M.N.; Whitman, R.L.

2009-01-01

In recent years, massive avian die-offs from Clostridium botulinum type E infection have occurred in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SLBE) area of Lake Michigan. These outbreaks have been coincidental with massive blooms of the green algae Cladophora, mostly Cladophora glomerata. We tested the hypothesis that Clostridium botulinum type E can grow under suitable conditions in these algal mats. In a lab mesocosm study, Cladophora from four outbreak-impacted beaches from SLBE were compared with four unimpacted beaches in the Milwaukee–Racine area for bontE gene of Clostridium botulinum. Frequency of the bontE gene was higher after incubation (25 °C for up to 6 weeks) of Cladophora from impacted vs. the unimpacted area. Since no type E gene was detected initially in Cladophora from any of the eight locations, we infer that the increased occurrence of type E gene arose from spore germination or vegetative Clostridium growth within the existing algal mats of SLBE. Moreover, we found that the congener Clostridium perfringens readily grows in mesocosms containing Cladophora.

Toxicity of Lavandula angustifolia oil constituents and spray formulations to insecticide-susceptible and pyrethroid-resistant Plutella xylostella and its endoparasitoid Cotesia glomerata.

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Chang Geun; Hieu, Tran Trung; Lee, Si Hyeock; Choi, Byeoung-Ryeol; Kwon, Min; Ahn, Young-Joon

2016-06-01

Plutella xylostella is one of the most serious insect pests of cruciferous crops. This study was conducted to determine the toxicity of 21 constituents from Lavandula angustifolia essential oil (LA-EO) and another 16 previously known LA-EO constituents and the toxicity of six experimental spray formulations containing the oil (1-6 g L(-1) sprays) to susceptible KS-PX and pyrethroid-resistant JJ-PX P. xylostella larvae, as well as to its endoparasitoid Cotesia glomerata adults. Linalool and linalool oxide (LC50 = 0.016 mg cm(-3) ) were the most toxic fumigant compounds and were 10.7-fold less toxic than dichlorvos to KS-PX larvae. Either residual or fumigant toxicity of these compounds was almost identical against larvae from either of the two strains. Against C. glomerata, dichlorvos (LC50 = 7 × 10(-6)  mg cm(-3) ) was the most toxic insecticide. LA-EO was ∼1430 times less toxic than dichlorvos. The oil applied as 6 g L(-1) spray and emamectin benzoate 21.5 g L(-1) emulsifiable concentrate provided 100% mortality against larvae from either of the two strains. Reasonable P. xylostella control in greenhouses can be achieved by a spray formulation containing the 6 g L(-1) oil as potential contact-action fumigant. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

WhatsApp Messenger as an Adjunctive Tool for Telemedicine: An Overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Giordano, Vincenzo; Koch, Hilton; Godoy-Santos, Alexandre; Dias Belangero, William; Esteves Santos Pires, Robinson; Labronici, Pedro

2017-07-21

The advent of telemedicine has allowed physicians to deliver medical treatment to patients from a distance. Mobile apps such as WhatsApp Messenger, an instant messaging service, came as a novel concept in all fields of social life, including medicine. The use of instant messaging services has been shown to improve communication within medical teams by providing means for quick teleconsultation, information sharing, and starting treatment as soon as possible. The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive systematic review of present literature on the use of the WhatsApp Messenger app as an adjunctive health care tool for medical doctors. Searches were performed in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library using the term "whatsapp*" in articles published before January 2016. A bibliography of all relevant original articles that used the WhatsApp Messenger app was created. The level of evidence of each study was determined according to the Oxford Levels of Evidence ranking system produced by the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. The impact and the indications of WhatsApp Messenger are discussed in order to understand the extent to which this app currently functions as an adjunctive tool for telemedicine. The database search identified a total of 30 studies in which the term "whatsapp*" was used. Each article's list of references was evaluated item-by-item. After literature reviews, letters to the editor, and low-quality studies were excluded, a total of 10 studies were found to be eligible for inclusion. Of these studies, 9 had been published in the English language and 1 had been published in Spanish. Five were published by medical doctors. The pooled data presents compelling evidence that the WhatsApp Messenger app is a promising system, whether used as a communication tool between health care professionals, as a means of communication between health care professionals and the general public, or as a learning tool for providing health care information

Segundos mensajeros Second messengers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diana Patricia Díaz Hernández

1989-01-01

Full Text Available

En esta revisión se describen, de manera esquemática, los mecanismos de acción empleados por los SEGUNDOS MENSAJEROS comenzando por el estimulo del receptor y continuando con las reacciones en cadena que conducen finalmente a una respuesta celular.

This review schematically describes the different mechanisms of action that Second Messengers employ to stimulate receptors and then Initiate a chain of reactions that finally lead to appropriate cellular responses.

A novel mitochondrial orf147 causes cytoplasmic male sterility in pigeonpea by modulating aberrant anther dehiscence.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatnagar-Mathur, Pooja; Gupta, Ranadheer; Reddy, Palakolanu Sudhakar; Reddy, Bommineni Pradeep; Reddy, Dumbala Srinivas; Sameerkumar, C V; Saxena, Rachit Kumar; Sharma, Kiran K

2018-05-01

A novel open reading frame (ORF) identified and cloned from the A4 cytoplasm of Cajanus cajanifolius induced partial to complete male sterility when introduced into Arabidopsis and tobacco. Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) is the only legume known to have commercial hybrid seed technology based on cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS). We identified a novel ORF (orf147) from the A4 cytoplasm of C. cajanifolius that was created via rearrangements in the CMS line and co-transcribes with the known and unknown sequences. The bi/poly-cistronic transcripts cause gain-of-function variants in the mitochondrial genome of CMS pigeonpea lines having distinct processing mechanisms and transcription start sites. In presence of orf147, significant repression of Escherichia coli growth indicated its toxicity to the host cells and induced partial to complete male sterility in transgenic progenies of Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum where phenotype co-segregated with the transgene. The male sterile plants showed aberrant floral development and reduced lignin content in the anthers. Gene expression studies in male sterile pigeonpea, Arabidopsis and tobacco plants confirmed down-regulation of several anther biogenesis genes and key genes involved in monolignol biosynthesis, indicative of regulation of retrograde signaling. Besides providing evidence for the involvement of orf147 in pigeonpea CMS, this study provides valuable insights into its function. Cytotoxicity and aberrant programmed cell death induced by orf147 could be important for mechanism underlying male sterility that offers opportunities for possible translation for these findings for exploiting hybrid vigor in other recalcitrant crops as well.

The Morphology of Craters on Mercury: Results from MESSENGER Flybys

Science.gov (United States)

Barnouin, Oliver S.; Zuber, Maria T.; Smith, David E.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Herrick, Robert R.; Chappelow, John E.; Murchie, Scott L.; Prockter, Louise M.

2012-01-01

Topographic data measured from the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) and the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) aboard the MESSENGER spacecraft were used for investigations of the relationship between depth and diameter for impact craters on Mercury. Results using data from the MESSENGER flybys of the innermost planet indicate that most of the craters measured with MLA are shallower than those previously measured by using Mariner 10 images. MDIS images of these same MLA-measured craters show that they have been modified. The use of shadow measurement techniques, which were found to be accurate relative to the MLA results, indicate that both small bowl-shaped and large complex craters that are fresh possess depth-to-diameter ratios that are in good agreement with those measured from Mariner 10 images. The preliminary data also show that the depths of modified craters are shallower relative to fresh ones, and might provide quantitative estimates of crater in-filling by subsequent volcanic or impact processes. The diameter that defines the transition from simple to complex craters on Mercury based on MESSENGER data is consistent with that reported from Mariner 10 data.

A utilização da Pfaffia glomerata no processo de cicatrização de feridas da pele Pfaffia glomerata in the process of healing of skin wounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marileide Inacio da Silva

2010-12-01

Full Text Available RACIONAL: Quando ocorre perda tecidual na pele surge a necessidade de reconstituir-se o tecido lesionado e atualmente cada vez mais surgem artifícios que se propõem neoformá-lo. O uso de fitoterápicos, como a Pfaffia glomerata, tem a finalidade de buscar nestes produtos princípios ativos que desempenhem efetivo papel no processo de cicatrização. OBJETIVO: Avaliar os resultados da utilização da Pfaffia glomerata na cicatrização de feridas cirúrgicas em ratos. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados 40 ratos, nos quais realizaram-se feridas cirúrgicas com punch de 3 mm de diâmetro no dorso da parte superior direita onde nenhuma substância foi aplicada e nesses mesmos animais foram também realizadas feridas cirúrgicas na região inferior, onde foi aplicado o extrato do fitoterápico. Foram divididos em quatro subgrupos de 48 horas, uma, duas e três semanas em relação ao sacrifício. Foram tomadas as medidas na circunferência para analisar a contração da ferida macroscopicamente. Microscopicamente os resultados foram analisados utilizando-se a coloração de Hematoxilina-Eosina, para verificar o processo inflamatório; imunohistoquímica, fator VIII, para observar a densidade vascular; e tricrômio de Masson para estudar a fibrose. RESULTADOS: Macroscopicamente o grupo planta obteve resultados superiores ao grupo controle. A análise da variável fator VIII mostrou significância estatística no grupo de uma semana do fitoterápico. Na variável fibrose, constatou-se que no período de 48 horas o grupo controle apresentou 70% de casos com fibrose mínima, ao passo que o da planta, 90%. Em uma semana, o grupo controle apresentou 10% de casos com ausência de fibrose , 60% com fibrose mínima e 30% com fibrose moderada, enquanto que o grupo planta apresentou 70% de casos com fibrose mínima e 30% com fibrose moderada. Já no período de duas semanas, o grupo controle manteve 60% dos casos com fibrose mínima e aumentou para 40% os com

Vitamina C em "cabeludinha" (Myrciaria glomerata Berg Vitamin C content in fruits of Myrciaria glomerata

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Soubihe Sobrinho

1955-01-01

" é a fonte mais rica de vitamina C entre as mirtáceas nacionais e de tôdas as frutas brasileiras. Comparando-se a "cabeludinha" com outras frutas exóticas, ricas em ácido ascórbico, nota-se que somente a cereja das Antilhas (Malpighia spp. lhe leva vantagem.The studies on the vitamin C content in fruits of Myrciaria glomerata Berg, reported in this paper were complementary to the breeding work on fruit plantas of Myrtacex, carried out cooperatively by the Seção de Frutas Tropicais, Instituto Agronômico, Campinas, and Seção de Genética, E.S.A. "Luiz de Queiroz", Piracicaba. The ascorbic acid content was determined in the blend obtained by running the pitted fruits in a blendor for 2 minutes in presence of a 0.4 per cent oxalic acid protecting solution. The quantitative determinations were made with an EEL portable colorimeter. The total vitamin C content in fresh fruits from trees exposed to full sunlight were as follows (in mg/100 g : tree n.° 1, 2,417 ; tree n.° 2, 2,389 ; tree n.° 3, 2,322. Assays made with fruits at different stages of maturity gave the following results : green fruits, 2,716 ; full developed fruits, 2,391 ; ripe fruits, 2,417. Green fruits had thus a higher vitamin C content than either partially or completely ripe fruits ; the difference between the last two types was not significant. Different parts of the fruit that were assayed separately had the following vitamin C content (mg/100 g : peel, 2,482 ; pulp (without seed, 3,018. The pulp which is the edible part of the fruit is thus richer than the peel. Vitamin C determinations in ripe fresh fruits from four shaded trees gave the following results (mg/100 g : tree n.° 1, 717.28 ; tree n.° 2, 838.66 ; tree n.° 3, 560.83 ; tree n.° 4, 713.38. Fruits produced on shaded trees are therefore poorer in ascorbic acid than those from trees exposed to full sunlight. The variations between trees in the shaded group may be ascribed to genetic origin. Myrciaria glomerata fruits have the

Nitric oxide: a physiologic messenger.

Science.gov (United States)

Lowenstein, C J; Dinerman, J L; Snyder, S H

1994-02-01

To review the physiologic role of nitric oxide, an unusual messenger molecule that mediates blood vessel relaxation, neurotransmission, and pathogen suppression. A MEDLINE search of articles published from 1987 to 1993 that addressed nitric oxide and the enzyme that synthesizes it, nitric oxide synthase. Animal and human studies were selected from 3044 articles to analyze the clinical importance of nitric oxide. Descriptions of the structure and function of nitric oxide synthase were selected to show how nitric oxide acts as a biological messenger molecule. Biochemical and physiologic studies were analyzed if the same results were found by three or more independent observers. Two major classes of nitric oxide synthase enzymes produce nitric oxide. The constitutive isoforms found in endothelial cells and neurons release small amounts of nitric oxide for brief periods to signal adjacent cells, whereas the inducible isoform found in macrophages releases large amounts of nitric oxide continuously to eliminate bacteria and parasites. By diffusing into adjacent cells and binding to enzymes that contain iron, nitric oxide plays many important physiologic roles. It regulates blood pressure, transmits signals between neurons, and suppresses pathogens. Excess amounts, however, can damage host cells, causing neurotoxicity during strokes and causing the hypotension associated with sepsis. Nitric oxide is a simple molecule with many physiologic roles in the cardiovascular, neurologic, and immune systems. Although the general principles of nitric oxide synthesis are known, further research is necessary to determine what role it plays in causing disease.

Breeding of a new early season indica rice variety Ganzaoxian 56 by irradiation, anther culture and hybridization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Yingjin; Liu Yibai; Kuang Huiyun; Xu Zhengjin

2005-01-01

Ganzaoxian 56 is a new early season indica rice variety, which was bred in the College of Agronomy of Jiangxi Agricultural University by the integrative breeding techniques of radiation, anther culture and hybridization. Its main characteristics were as follows: super quality, high yield, high tolerance to heat-forced maturity, suitable maturity and high resistance to rice blast. It was registered by Crop Cultivar Registration Committee of Jiangxi Province on March 19, 2004. The breeding process of Ganzaoxian 56, main characteristics and the value of its exploitation and application were described in this paper. (authors)

Mercury's Sodium Exosphere: Observations during the MESSENGER Orbital Phase

Science.gov (United States)

Killen, Rosemary M.; Cassidy, Timothy A.; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; Burger, Matthew H.; Merkel, Aimee W.; Sarantos, Menelaos; Sprague, Ann L.; McClintock, William E.; Benna, Mehdi; Solomon, Sean C.

2012-01-01

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft entered into orbit about Mercury on March 18,2011. We now have approximately five Mercury years of data from orbit. Prior to the MESSENGER mission, Mercury's surface-bounded exosphere was known to contain H, He, Na. K, and Ca. The Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVVS) began routine orbital observations of both the dayside and nightside exosphere on March 29. 2011, measuring altitude profiles for all previously detected neutral species except for He and K. We focus here on what we have learned about the sodium exosphere: its spatial, seasonal, and sporadic variation. Observations to date permit delineation of the relative roles of photon-stimulated desorption (PSD) and impact vaporization (IV) from seasonal and spatial effects, as well as of the roles of ions both as sputtering agents and in their possible role to enhance the efficiency of PSD. Correlations of Mercury's neutral sodium exosphere with measurements from MESSENGER's Magnetometer (MAG) and Energetic Particle and Plasma Spectrometer (EPPS) provide insight into the roles of ions and electrons. Models incorporating MAG observations provide a basis for identifying the location and area of the surface exposed to solar wind plasma, and EPPS observations reveal episodic populations of energetic electrons in the magnetosphere and the presence of planetary He(+), 0(+), and Na(+),

MESSENGER Observations of Magnetic Reconnection in Mercury's Magnetosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin. James A.

2009-01-01

During MESSENGER'S second flyby of Mercury on October 6,2008, very intense reconnection was observed between the planet's magnetic field and a steady southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). The dawn magnetopause was threaded by a strong magnetic field normal to its surface, approx.14 nT, that implies a rate of reconnection approx.10 times the typical rate at Earth and a cross-magnetospheric electric potential drop of approx.30 kV. The highest magnetic field observed during this second flyby, approx.160 nT, was found at the core of a large dayside flux transfer event (FTE). This FTE is estimated to contain magnetic flux equal to approx.5% that of Mercury's magnetic tail or approximately one order of magnitude higher fraction of the tail flux than is typically found for FTEs at Earth. Plasmoid and traveling compression region (TCR) signatures were observed throughout MESSENGER'S traversal of Mercury's magnetotail with a repetition rate comparable to the Dungey cycle time of approx.2 min. The TCR signatures changed from south-north, indicating tailward motion, to north-south, indicating sunward motion, at a distance approx.2.6 RM (where RM is Mercury's radius) behind the terminator indicating that the near-Mercury magnetotail neutral line was crossed at that point. Overall, these new MESSENGER observations suggest that magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause is very intense relative to what is found at Earth and other planets, while reconnection in Mercury's tail is similar to that in other planetary magnetospheres, but with a very short Dungey cycle time.

Adsorption studies on fruits of Gular (Ficus glomerata): Removal of Cr(VI) from synthetic wastewater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao, Rifaqat A.K.; Rehman, Fouzia

2010-01-01

The adsorption of Cr(VI) was studied in batch system using fruits of Ficus glomerata as adsorbent. The effect of temperature, pH, initial Cr(VI) concentration and time was investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to investigate surface morphology and active functional groups present on the adsorbent surface. Thermodynamic parameters like free energy change (ΔG 0 ), enthalpy (ΔH 0 ) and entropy (ΔS 0 ) indicate the spontaneous, endothermic and increased randomness nature of Cr(VI) adsorption. Equilibrium data were fitted well with Langmuir isotherm at 50 deg. C. The magnitude of mean free energy indicates chemical nature of adsorption. The breakthrough and exhaustive capacities were found to be 5 and 23.1 mg g -1 respectively. The applicability of the adsorbent has been demonstrated by removing Cr(VI) from electroplating wastewater.

Instant messenger-facilitated knowledge sharing and team performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ou, C.X.J.; Davison, R.M.; Leung, D.

2014-01-01

The instant messenger (IM) is frequently encountered as a facilitator of communication in both social and working contexts. Nevertheless, there are concerns about the extent to which IMs bring organizational benefits, thereby overcoming interruptions to work. In this study, we focus on how IM tools

Optimal and fast E/B separation with a dual messenger field

Science.gov (United States)

Kodi Ramanah, Doogesh; Lavaux, Guilhem; Wandelt, Benjamin D.

2018-05-01

We adapt our recently proposed dual messenger algorithm for spin field reconstruction and showcase its efficiency and effectiveness in Wiener filtering polarized cosmic microwave background (CMB) maps. Unlike conventional preconditioned conjugate gradient (PCG) solvers, our preconditioner-free technique can deal with high-resolution joint temperature and polarization maps with inhomogeneous noise distributions and arbitrary mask geometries with relative ease. Various convergence diagnostics illustrate the high quality of the dual messenger reconstruction. In contrast, the PCG implementation fails to converge to a reasonable solution for the specific problem considered. The implementation of the dual messenger method is straightforward and guarantees numerical stability and convergence. We show how the algorithm can be modified to generate fluctuation maps, which, combined with the Wiener filter solution, yield unbiased constrained signal realizations, consistent with observed data. This algorithm presents a pathway to exact global analyses of high-resolution and high-sensitivity CMB data for a statistically optimal separation of E and B modes. It is therefore relevant for current and next-generation CMB experiments, in the quest for the elusive primordial B-mode signal.

Dissection of the couplings between cellular messengers and the circadian clock

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tong Jian; Edmunds, L.N.

1995-12-01

It has been known in recent years that living cells can exhibit circadian rhythms in totally different physiological processes. Intracellular messengers were demonstrated to mediate the entrained pathways linking rhythmic components between circadian clock and its output signalling. Levels of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP in synchronized cells, and activities of the two key enzymes (AC and PDE) responsible for the cyclic AMP metabolism were measured by applying the isotopic techniques. Bimodal circadian oscillations of the messenger levels and the enzyme activities were disclosed in LD: 12, 12 cycle and constant darkness, as well as in the dividing and non-dividing cultures of the Euglena ZC mutant. Interference experiments with the enzyme activator and inhibitor such as forskolin, 8-Br-cGMP and LY 83583, and analysis of the cell division cycle (CDC) and coupling messengers suggested that the peak pulse of cyclic AMP, circadian oscillation of the AC-cAMP-PDE system and phase-dependent regulation by cyclic GMP might be important coupling factors in downstream mediation between the circadian clock and the CDC. (7 figs.)

Realising effective theories of tribrid inflation: are there effects from messenger fields?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antusch, Stefan; Nolde, David

2015-01-01

Tribrid inflation is a variant of supersymmetric hybrid inflation in which the inflaton is a matter field (which can be charged under gauge symmetries) and inflation ends by a GUT-scale phase transition of a waterfall field. These features make tribrid inflation a promising framework for realising inflation with particularly close connections to particle physics. Superpotentials of tribrid inflation involve effective operators suppressed by some cutoff scale, which is often taken as the Planck scale. However, these operators may also be generated by integrating out messenger superfields with masses below the Planck scale, which is in fact quite common in GUT and/or flavour models. The values of the inflaton field during inflation can then lie above this mass scale, which means that for reliably calculating the model predictions one has to go beyond the effective theory description. We therefore discuss realisations of effective theories of tribrid inflation and specify in which cases effects from the messenger fields are expected, and under which conditions they can safely be neglected. In particular, we point out how to construct realisations where, despite the fact that the inflaton field values are above the messenger mass scale, the predictions for the observables are (to a good approximation) identical to the ones calculated in the effective theory treatment where the messenger mass scale is identified with the (apparent) cutoff scale

Realising effective theories of tribrid inflation: are there effects from messenger fields?

Science.gov (United States)

Antusch, Stefan; Nolde, David

2015-09-01

Tribrid inflation is a variant of supersymmetric hybrid inflation in which the inflaton is a matter field (which can be charged under gauge symmetries) and inflation ends by a GUT-scale phase transition of a waterfall field. These features make tribrid inflation a promising framework for realising inflation with particularly close connections to particle physics. Superpotentials of tribrid inflation involve effective operators suppressed by some cutoff scale, which is often taken as the Planck scale. However, these operators may also be generated by integrating out messenger superfields with masses below the Planck scale, which is in fact quite common in GUT and/or flavour models. The values of the inflaton field during inflation can then lie above this mass scale, which means that for reliably calculating the model predictions one has to go beyond the effective theory description. We therefore discuss realisations of effective theories of tribrid inflation and specify in which cases effects from the messenger fields are expected, and under which conditions they can safely be neglected. In particular, we point out how to construct realisations where, despite the fact that the inflaton field values are above the messenger mass scale, the predictions for the observables are (to a good approximation) identical to the ones calculated in the effective theory treatment where the messenger mass scale is identified with the (apparent) cutoff scale.

Realising effective theories of tribrid inflation: are there effects from messenger fields?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Antusch, Stefan [Department of Physics, University of Basel,Klingelbergstr. 82, CH-4056 Basel (Switzerland); Max-Planck-Institut für Physik (Werner-Heisenberg-Institut),Föhringer Ring 6, D-80805 München (Germany); Nolde, David [Department of Physics, University of Basel,Klingelbergstr. 82, CH-4056 Basel (Switzerland)

2015-09-22

Tribrid inflation is a variant of supersymmetric hybrid inflation in which the inflaton is a matter field (which can be charged under gauge symmetries) and inflation ends by a GUT-scale phase transition of a waterfall field. These features make tribrid inflation a promising framework for realising inflation with particularly close connections to particle physics. Superpotentials of tribrid inflation involve effective operators suppressed by some cutoff scale, which is often taken as the Planck scale. However, these operators may also be generated by integrating out messenger superfields with masses below the Planck scale, which is in fact quite common in GUT and/or flavour models. The values of the inflaton field during inflation can then lie above this mass scale, which means that for reliably calculating the model predictions one has to go beyond the effective theory description. We therefore discuss realisations of effective theories of tribrid inflation and specify in which cases effects from the messenger fields are expected, and under which conditions they can safely be neglected. In particular, we point out how to construct realisations where, despite the fact that the inflaton field values are above the messenger mass scale, the predictions for the observables are (to a good approximation) identical to the ones calculated in the effective theory treatment where the messenger mass scale is identified with the (apparent) cutoff scale.

Comparing Strategies for Health Information Dissemination: Messengers That Can Help or Hinder.

Science.gov (United States)

Fishman, Jessica; Greenberg, Patricia; Bagga, Margy Barbieri; Casarett, David; Propert, Kathleen

2018-05-01

To test the effects of different messengers on the dissemination of health information. An experimental study exposed participants to 12 news articles pertaining to 1 of 3 health topics framed from the perspective of 4 generic messengers: religious figures, doctors, celebrity patients, or ordinary patients. Participants select as many of the 12 articles as desired. A cancer clinic within a large, urban hospital serving a sociodemographically diverse patient population. Eighty-nine patients with a history of cancer. The primary outcome was the frequency with which each news story was selected. Summary statistics and a general estimating equation model. For each health topic, news articles using celebrity messengers were the least likely to be selected; almost half of the participants (36 [41.4%] of 87) rejected all such articles. Articles linked to religious figures were equally unpopular ( P = .59). Articles that used doctors or ordinary patients as the messenger were very likely to be selected: Nearly all women (84 [96.6%] of 87) selected at least one of these. Furthermore, the odds of choosing articles linked to celebrities or religious leaders were statistically significantly lower than the odds of choosing those linked to ordinary patients or doctors ( P dissemination of information. Health materials linked to celebrities or religious figures were consistently less likely to be selected than those linked to ordinary patients, or doctors.

Effects of the foliar-applied protein "Harpin(Ea)" (messenger) on tomatoes infected with Phytophthora infestans.

Science.gov (United States)

Fontanilla, M; Montes, M; De Prado, R

2005-01-01

The active ingredient in Messenger, is Harpin(Ea), a naturally occurring protein derived from Erwinia amylovora, a causal agent of fire blight. When Messenger is applied to a plant, the protein Harpin(Ea) binds foliar receptors to it. The receptors recognize the presence of Harpin(Ea), sending a signal that a pathogen is present, actually "tricking" the plant into thinking that it is under attack. This binding process triggers a cascade of responses affecting a global change of gene expressions, stimulating several distinct biochemical pathways within the plant responsible for growth and disease and insect resistance. The objective of this work is to characterize the development of an induced resistance against Phytophthora infestans. No effective treatment is currently available against this pathogenic agent, which causes the loss of complete harvests of different crops. Tomato plants with and without Messenger applications were inoculated with Phytophthora infestans in the same way. In addition, some plants with and without Messenger applications were not inoculated. Inoculated plants were symptomatologically checked for local and systemic symptoms. Evaluations of the number of tomatoes produced, with or without damage, and their growth, were also carried out. Based on the data obtained from the assays, significant changes were observed in the parameters measured due to Messenger treatment. The severe damage of this disease was reduced in the plants which received Messenger applications. These results open up new pathways in the control of diseases like Phytophthora infestans, in which effective means to combat them still do not exist, or these means are harmful to the environment.

Early MESSENGER Results for Less Abundant or Weakly Emitting Species in Mercury's Exosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; McClintock, William E.; Killen, Rosemary M.; Sprague, Ann L.; Burger, Matthew H.; Merkel, Aimee W.; Sarantos, Menelaos

2011-01-01

Now that the Messenger spacecraft is in orbit about Mercury, the extended observing time enables searches for exospheric species that are less abundant or weakly emitting compared with those for which emission has previously been detected. Many of these species cannot be observed from the ground because of terrestrial atmospheric absorption. We report here on the status of MESSENGER orbital-phase searches for additional species in Mercury's exosphere.

Toxicological evaluation of Cladophora glomerata Kützing and Microspora floccosa Thuret in albino rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Fahprathanchai, Prannapus; Saenphet, Kanokporn; Peerapornpisal, Yuwadee; Aritajat, Salika

2006-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate the toxicity of Cladophora glomerata and Microspora floccosa ethanolic extracts in rats. Acute toxicity was tested with a single oral administration of the extract at a dose of 25 g/kg bd wt. Mortality, behavior, amount of food intake, body weight, and any abnormalities of the visceral organs, were observed. The results showed that the extract caused neither mortality, nor abnormalities. Subchronic toxicity was tested by administering the extract at doses of 0.5 g/kg and 1.0 g/kg for 60 days. Differences in body weight, hematology and blood biochemistry (alanine aminotransferase, ALT; aspartate aminotransferase, AST; blood urea nitrogen, BUN and creatinine, Cre) were not detected among the control and treatment groups. Although the packed cell volume of the male rats treated with 1.0 g/kg extract was significantly lower than the controls (p< or =0.05), the level was in the standard range for rat hematocrit.

The Crust of Mercury After the MESSENGER Gravity Investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Mazarico, E.; Genova, A.; Goossens, S.; Neumann, G. A.; Smith, D. E.; Zuber, M. T.

2018-05-01

We present the results of an improved analysis of the entire MESSENGER radio tracking dataset to derive key geophysical parameters of Mercury such as its gravity field. In particular, we derive and interpret a new crustal thickness model.

Insights into the Nature of Mercury's Exosphere: Early Results from the MESSENGER Orbital Mission Phase

Science.gov (United States)

McClintock, William E.; Burger, Matthew H.; Killen, Rosemary M.; Merkel, Aimee W.; Sarantos, Menelaos; Sprague, Ann L.; Solomon, Sean C.; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.

2011-01-01

The Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer aboard the MESSENGER spacecraft has been making routine observations of Mercury's exosphere since March 29, 2011. Correlations of the spatial distributions of Ca, Mg, and Na with MESSENGER magnetic field and energetic particle distribution data provide insight into the processes that populate the neutral exosphere

Ocean acidification but not warming alters sex determination in the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Laura M; O'Connor, Wayne A; Byrne, Maria; Dove, Michael; Coleman, Ross A; Pörtner, Hans-O; Scanes, Elliot; Virtue, Patti; Gibbs, Mitchell; Ross, Pauline M

2018-02-14

Whether sex determination of marine organisms can be altered by ocean acidification and warming during this century remains a significant, unanswered question. Here, we show that exposure of the protandric hermaphrodite oyster, Saccostrea glomerata to ocean acidification, but not warming, alters sex determination resulting in changes in sex ratios. After just one reproductive cycle there were 16% more females than males. The rate of gametogenesis, gonad area, fecundity, shell length, extracellular pH and survival decreased in response to ocean acidification. Warming as a sole stressor slightly increased the rate of gametogenesis, gonad area and fecundity, but this increase was masked by the impact of ocean acidification at a level predicted for this century. Alterations to sex determination, sex ratios and reproductive capacity will have flow on effects to reduce larval supply and population size of oysters and potentially other marine organisms. © 2018 The Author(s).

Effect of alcoholic extract of guaco (Mikania glomerata on the control of dark rot (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris in cauliflower/ Avaliação da eficácia da tintura etanólica de guaco (Mikania glomerata no controle da podridão negra (Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris em couve-flor

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Kátia Regina Freitas Schwan-Estrada

2006-06-01

Full Text Available With the use of irrigation and new hybrids of cauliflower, it is possible to get production during all the year with hight yield. However, the crop has been affected by diseases, as the dark rot caused by X. campestris pv. campestris. The objective of this research work was to study the potential of Mikania glomerata for the control of this disease. Alcoholic extract 50 ºGL of M. glomerata was evaluated regarding to: in vitro antimicrobial activity through bacterial growth in 100, 250, 500 and 1000 mg L-1 of the alcoholic extract; induction of local or systemic resistance in 25 days old cauliflower, with spray of alcoholic extract concomitantly and three days before the inoculation with the pathogen (water and bordeau mixture were used as control; peroxidases activity in leaves of cauliflower treated and not treated, and harvested concomitantly, 24, 48 and 72 hours after spraying the alcoholic extract and also after inoculation. The alcoholic extract of M. glomerata showed inhibition of the bacterial growth in vitro at the concentrations of 250, 500 and 1000 mg L-1. The concentrations of 500 mg L-1 and 1000 mg L-1 inhibited 24% and 38% of the bacterial growth. This inhibition could be due to antibacterial compounds in the alcoholic extract. An inhibition of the disease in vivo occurred only in the leaves treated with 100 and 500 mg L-1 of alcoholic extract when applied concomitantly with the bacteria. This result was similar to bordeau mixture, indicating a control by direct antimicrobial activity. There was no systemic resistence induction for all treatments. The peroxidases induction was due to infectious pathogen process and not to the treatments with alcoholic extract. The results indicate the potential of M. glomerata alcoholic extract for the preventive control of cauliflower dark rot disease.Com a prática da irrigação e novos híbridos de couve-flor, é possível produzir durante todo o ano e com alta produtividade. Mas, a cultura tem

The ASH1 HOMOLOG 2 (ASHH2 histone H3 methyltransferase is required for ovule and anther development in Arabidopsis.

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Paul E Grini

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: SET-domain proteins are histone lysine (K methyltransferases (HMTase implicated in defining transcriptionally permissive or repressive chromatin. The Arabidopsis ASH1 HOMOLOG 2 (ASHH2 protein (also called SDG8, EFS and CCR1 has been suggested to methylate H3K4 and/or H3K36 and is similar to Drosophila ASH1, a positive maintainer of gene expression, and yeast Set2, a H3K36 HMTase. Mutation of the ASHH2 gene has pleiotropic developmental effects. Here we focus on the role of ASHH2 in plant reproduction. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A slightly reduced transmission of the ashh2 allele in reciprocal crosses implied involvement in gametogenesis or gamete function. However, the main requirement of ASHH2 is sporophytic. On the female side, close to 80% of mature ovules lack embryo sac. On the male side, anthers frequently develop without pollen sacs or with specific defects in the tapetum layer, resulting in reduction in the number of functional pollen per anther by up to approximately 90%. In consistence with the phenotypic findings, an ASHH2 promoter-reporter gene was expressed at the site of megaspore mother cell formation as well as tapetum layers and pollen. ashh2 mutations also result in homeotic changes in floral organ identity. Transcriptional profiling identified more than 300 up-regulated and 600 down-regulated genes in ashh2 mutant inflorescences, whereof the latter included genes involved in determination of floral organ identity, embryo sac and anther/pollen development. This was confirmed by real-time PCR. In the chromatin of such genes (AP1, AtDMC1 and MYB99 we observed a reduction of H3K36 trimethylation (me3, but not H3K4me3 or H3K36me2. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The severe distortion of reproductive organ development in ashh2 mutants, argues that ASHH2 is required for the correct expression of genes essential to reproductive development. The reduction in the ashh2 mutant of H3K36me3 on down-regulated genes relevant to

Mercury Conditions for the MESSENGER Mission Simulated in High- Solar-Radiation Vacuum Tests

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Wayne A.

2003-01-01

The MESSENGER (Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft, planned for launch in March 2004, will perform two flybys of Mercury before entering a year-long orbit of the planet in September 2009. The mission will provide opportunities for detailed characterization of the surface, interior, atmosphere, and magnetosphere of the closest planet to the Sun. The NASA Glenn Research Center and the MESSENGER spacecraft integrator, the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, have partnered under a Space Act Agreement to characterize a variety of critical components and materials under simulated conditions expected near Mercury. Glenn's Vacuum Facility 6, which is equipped with a solar simulator, can simulate the vacuum and high solar radiation anticipated in Mercury orbit. The MESSENGER test hardware includes a variety of materials and components that are being characterized during the Tank 6 vacuum tests, where the hardware will be exposed to up to 11 suns insolation, simulating conditions expected in Mercury orbit. In 2002, ten solar vacuum tests were conducted, including beginning of life, end of life, backside exposure, and solar panel thermal shock cycling tests. Components tested include candidate solar array panels, sensors, thermal shielding materials, and communication devices. As an example, for the solar panel thermal shock cycling test, two candidate solar array panels were suspended on a lift mechanism that lowered the panels into a liquid-nitrogen-cooled box. After reaching -140 C, the panels were then lifted out of the box and exposed to the equivalent of 6 suns (8.1 kilowatts per square meters). After five cold soak/heating cycles were completed successfully, there was no apparent degradation in panel performance. An anticipated 100-hr thermal shield life test is planned for autumn, followed by solar panel flight qualification tests in winter. Glenn's ongoing support to the MESSENGER program has been instrumental in

Coronal mass ejection hits mercury: A.I.K.E.F. hybrid-code results compared to MESSENGER data

Science.gov (United States)

Exner, W.; Heyner, D.; Liuzzo, L.; Motschmann, U.; Shiota, D.; Kusano, K.; Shibayama, T.

2018-04-01

Mercury is the closest orbiting planet around the sun and is therefore embedded in an intensive and highly varying solar wind. In-situ data from the MESSENGER spacecraft of the plasma environment near Mercury indicates that a coronal mass ejection (CME) passed the planet on 23 November 2011 over the span of the 12 h MESSENGER orbit. Slavin et al. (2014) derived the upstream parameters of the solar wind at the time of that orbit, and were able to explain the observed MESSENGER data in the cusp and magnetopause segments of MESSENGER's trajectory. These upstream parameters will be used for our first simulation run. We use the hybrid code A.I.K.E.F. which treats ions as individual particles and electrons as a mass-less fluid, to conduct hybrid simulations of Mercury's magnetospheric response to the impact of the CME on ion gyro time scales. Results from the simulation are in agreement with magnetic field measurements from the inner day-side magnetosphere and the bow-shock region. However, at the planet's nightside, Mercury's plasma environment seemed to be governed by different solar wind conditions, in conclusion, Mercury's interaction with the CME is not sufficiently describable by only one set of upstream parameters. Therefore, to simulate the magnetospheric response while MESSENGER was located in the tail region, we use parameters obtained from the MHD solar wind simulation code SUSANOO (Shiota et al. (2014)) for our second simulation run. The parameters of the SUSANOO model achieve a good agreement of the data concerning the plasma tail crossing and the night-side approach to Mercury. However, the polar and closest approach are hardly described by both upstream parameters, namely, neither upstream dataset is able to reproduce the MESSENGER crossing of Mercury's magnetospheric cusp. We conclude that the respective CME was too variable on the timescale of the MESSENGER orbit to be described by only two sets of upstream conditions. Our results suggest locally strong

Coulomb interactions between cytoplasmic electric fields and phosphorylated messenger proteins optimize information flow in cells.

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Robert A Gatenby

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Normal cell function requires timely and accurate transmission of information from receptors on the cell membrane (CM to the nucleus. Movement of messenger proteins in the cytoplasm is thought to be dependent on random walk. However, Brownian motion will disperse messenger proteins throughout the cytosol resulting in slow and highly variable transit times. We propose that a critical component of information transfer is an intracellular electric field generated by distribution of charge on the nuclear membrane (NM. While the latter has been demonstrated experimentally for decades, the role of the consequent electric field has been assumed to be minimal due to a Debye length of about 1 nanometer that results from screening by intracellular Cl- and K+. We propose inclusion of these inorganic ions in the Debye-Huckel equation is incorrect because nuclear pores allow transit through the membrane at a rate far faster than the time to thermodynamic equilibrium. In our model, only the charged, mobile messenger proteins contribute to the Debye length.Using this revised model and published data, we estimate the NM possesses a Debye-Huckel length of a few microns and find this is consistent with recent measurement using intracellular nano-voltmeters. We demonstrate the field will accelerate isolated messenger proteins toward the nucleus through Coulomb interactions with negative charges added by phosphorylation. We calculate transit times as short as 0.01 sec. When large numbers of phosphorylated messenger proteins are generated by increasing concentrations of extracellular ligands, we demonstrate they generate a self-screening environment that regionally attenuates the cytoplasmic field, slowing movement but permitting greater cross talk among pathways. Preliminary experimental results with phosphorylated RAF are consistent with model predictions.This work demonstrates that previously unrecognized Coulomb interactions between phosphorylated messenger

iTRAQ-Based Proteomics Analyses of Sterile/Fertile Anthers from a Thermo-Sensitive Cytoplasmic Male-Sterile Wheat with Aegilops kotschyi Cytoplasm

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Gaoming Zhang

2018-05-01

Full Text Available A “two-line hybrid system” was developed, previously based on thermo-sensitive cytoplasmic male sterility in Aegilops kotschyi (K-TCMS, which can be used in wheat breeding. The K-TCMS line exhibits complete male sterility and it can be used to produce hybrid wheat seeds during the normal wheat-growing season; it propagates via self-pollination at high temperatures. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification-based quantitative proteome and bioinformatics analyses of the TCMS line KTM3315A were conducted under different fertility conditions to understand the mechanisms of fertility conversion in the pollen development stages. In total, 4639 proteins were identified, the differentially abundant proteins that increased/decreased in plants with differences in fertility were mainly involved with energy metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, protein synthesis, translation, folding, and degradation. Compared with the sterile condition, many of the proteins that related to energy and phenylpropanoid metabolism increased during the anther development stage. Thus, we suggest that energy and phenylpropanoid metabolism pathways are important for fertility conversion in K-TCMS wheat. These findings provide valuable insights into the proteins involved with anther and pollen development, thereby, helping to further understand the mechanism of TCMS in wheat.

The models evaluating courier and messenger companies in Poland

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Chodakowska Ewa

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA is a well-established, popular, and often used method for efficiency evaluation of units from all sector, both commercial and non-profit organisations, of any scale of operations. Network DEA models are a relatively recent approach used to examine the efficiency of decision-making units (DMUs having an internal structure of sub-processes. The article presents the concept of DEA network models in estimating the efficiency of courier and messenger companies with relations to their business clients. The considerations are supported by an example of data concerning leaders from the sector of couriers and messengers in Poland and one of the biggest and most popular online stores. The results are compared with the traditional DEA approach. In addition, to measure reliability for DEA scores, the jackknife procedure was performed. The author proves the usefulness of network DEA as a research and management tool.

Influence of salinity on uptake rate and bioaccumulation of /sup 137/Cs in the oyster crassostrea glomerata

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mashiatullah, A.; Qureshi, R.M.; Khan, S.; Chaghtai, F.; Akhter, P.; Jabbar, A.

2008-01-01

This paper describes results of experiment on bioaccumulation and uptake rate of radiocesium /sup 137/Cs from dissolved phase in the flesh of the Oysters (Crassostrea glomerata) collected off Karachi coast. A radiotracer experiment was conducted under laboratory conditions to determine the uptake rate and bioaccumulation of /sup 137/Cs from dissolved phase in the flesh of the Oyster. Oysters (size: 6-7 cm) were subjected to radiocesium activity of 24 Kilobecquerel per liter (kBq L/sup -1/) under three salinity Ievels (25, 30 and 35 ppt). The uptake of /sup 137/Cs was monitored for a period of seven days. The results showed that bioaccumulation and uptake of /sup 137/Cs in oysters were considerably dependent of salinity levels. Higher bioaccumulation factors and uptake rates were found at low salinity levels. (author)

Dashboard Monitoring System Berbasis Web Sebagai Pemantau Layanan liteBIG Instant Messenger

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Gigih Forda Nama

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Saat ini hampir semua pengguna ponsel pintar menggunakan layanan perpesanan instan sebagai media komunikasi dikarenakan layanan perpesanan instan lebih hemat biaya dengan hanya menggunakan jaringan internet dibandingkan layanan pesan singkat (SMS. Layanan yang diberikan harus dapat melayani pengguna dengan baik agar pesan yang dikirim oleh pengirim dapat diterima oleh penerima dengan cepat dan akurat. Layanan ini juga harus dijaga keandalannya untuk menjamin kualitas pelayanan dan untuk menghindari ketidaknyamanan pengguna. Sehingga, diperlukan adanya sistem pemantauan berupa perangkat lunak untuk pengawasan status layanan setiap saat dapat diakses dari manapun dan kapanpun. PT.Sandika Cahaya Mandiri memiliki produk layanan perpesanan instan dengan brand name liteBIG Messenger. Perusahaan ini memerlukan perangkat lunak untuk pemantauan layanan liteBIG Messenger. Dengan adanya perangkat lunak pemantauan layanan, petugas pemantauan dapat melihat secara realtime status layanan utama pada setiap komputer server, pemakaian sumber daya (cpu, memory, dan harddisk, dan statistik pengguna baru liteBIG Messenger  melalui antarmuka web. Petugas pemantauan juga akan mendapat pemberitahuan ketika terjadi masalah pada layanan sehingga masalah dapat lebih dini diketahui dan downtime dapat dikurangi.

The Energy Messenger, Number 1, Volume 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stancil, J.

1995-01-01

'The Energy Messenger' is a Department of Energy publication on energy activities of interest to American Indians. The first issue of 1995 (in a magazine format) includes articles on: tribes winning grants to develop energy resources, recruiting of internships for DOE, information about Title XXVI-Indian Energy Resources, American Indian Heritage Month, tribal perspective on DOE actions, joint ventures between tribes and the DOE, and brief description of recent DOE activities

The Energy Messenger, Number 1, Volume 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stancil, J. [ed.

1995-01-01

`The Energy Messenger` is a Department of Energy publication on energy activities of interest to American Indians. The first issue of 1995 (in a magazine format) includes articles on: tribes winning grants to develop energy resources, recruiting of internships for DOE, information about Title XXVI-Indian Energy Resources, American Indian Heritage Month, tribal perspective on DOE actions, joint ventures between tribes and the DOE, and brief description of recent DOE activities.

The effect of extracts of Irvingia gabonensis (IGOB131 and Dichrostachys glomerata (Dyglomera™ on body weight and lipid parameters of healthy overweight participants

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Boris Azantsa

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Background: Previous work reported the benefits of extracts of 2 Cameroonian spices – Irvingia gabonensis and Dichrostachys glomerata— on obese people with metabolic syndrome. Considering the physio-metabolic changes that accompany obesity, the present study investigates the effects of these extracts on healthy overweight participants over an 8-week test period. Methods: The study was an 8 week randomized double-blind, placebo controlled design involving 48 overweight (BMI 26 – 30 participants (27 females and 19 males, divided into 3 groups – placebo, 300 mg I. gabonensis extract (IGOB131, or 300 mg D. glomerata extract (DyglomeraTM. Capsules containing the placebo or the test formulations were administered once daily before the main meal of the day. No major dietary changes or changes in physical activity were demonstrated during the study. Weight and blood lipid parameters were measured at baseline, and at the 4 and 8 weeks interval. Results: Compared to the placebo group, there were significant (p<0.05 reductions in weight of participants in both test groups over the 8 week period. However, these significant changes were not observed in the initial 4 weeks, even though the lipid parameters in the test groups changed significantly (p<0.05. Conclusion: The extracts of Irvingia gabonensis and Dichrostachys glomerata, at a dose of 300 mg per day, were effective in reducing weight and positively modifying lipid parameters in healthy overweight participants.

Initial segmentation patterns of microspores and pollen viability in soybean cultured anthers: indication of chromosome doubling

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Milena Barcelos Cardoso

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Anthers obtained from flowers buds of soybean cultivar IAS-5 were cultured in two basal culture media (B5 and B5 long. Cytological examinations of the in vitro anthers were performed during the first 20 days of culture to assay the viability (by propionic-carmine and fluorescein diacetate tests and the stage of development of pollen grains. The frequencies of viable pollen grains varied significantly between bud sizes on the propionic-carmine analysis. The basal culture media and bud size had no clear effect on the frequencies of binucleate symmetrical and multinucleate pollen grains. Chromosome counts of metaphasic microspores throughout the culture period showed microspores with higher ploidy level in addition to normal chromosome number (n=20.Anteras obtidas de botões florais da cultivar IAS-5 de soja foram cultivadas em dois meios de cultura basais (B5 e B5 longo. Análises citológicas das anteras cultivadas in vitro foram realizadas durante os primeiros 20 dias de cultura, a fim de avaliar a viabilidade (por testes de carmim propiônico e FDA e o estágio de desenvolvimento dos grãos de pólen. As freqüências de grãos de pólen viáveis variaram significativamente entre os tamanhos de botões florais na análise com carmim propiônico. O meio de cultura basal e o tamanho do botão floral não têm um claro efeito nas freqüências de pólens binucleados simétricos e multinucleados. Contagens cromossômicas de micrósporos metafásicos ao longo do período de cultura mostraram nível de ploidia superior ao normal (n=20.

Validação da metodologia de quantificação espectrofotométrica das saponinas de Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen - Amaranthaceae

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C.L.S. Vigo

Full Text Available Realizou-se validação analítica espectrofotométrica das saponinas totais das raízes de Pfaffia glomerata. Em testes iniciais utilizou-se saponina Merck em cinco concentrações (0,08-0,28 mg/ml para obtenção da curva de calibração e verificação da linearidade, repetibilidade e reprodutibilidade. As raízes foram avaliadas em extratos hidroalcoólicos purificados com n-butanol. O reagente cromogênico escolhido foi Cloreto de Cobalto 0,2% em pico experimental em 284nm. O tempo de leitura ideal foi de 10-20 minutos após o início da reação. O método mostrou linearidade para a faixa de concentrações utilizadas (R²= 0,9963. A precisão (coeficientes de variação situou-se entre 7-12%, indicando boa reprodutibilidade. O limite de quantificação situou-se em 0,08 mg/ml e o limite de detecção em 0,02 mg/ml. A exatidão do procedimento forneceu erro relativo de 6,3; 3,4; 3,5; 1,8 e 0,3% para as concentrações utilizadas. Os dados da curva-padrão foram aplicados em várias amostras de raízes levando ao valor média de 13,5±2,0%. Os dados obtidos permitem a quantificação espectrofotométrica das saponinas totais das raízes de P. glomerata.

Gravitational Waves and Multi-Messenger Astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Centrella, Joan M.

2010-01-01

Gravitational waves are produced by a wide variety of sources throughout the cosmos, including the mergers of black hole and neutron star binaries/compact objects spiraling into central black holes in galactic nuclei, close compact binaries/and phase transitions and quantum fluctuations in the early universe. Observing these signals can bring new, and often very precise, information about their sources across vast stretches of cosmic time. In this talk we will focus on thee opening of this gravitational-wave window on the universe, highlighting new opportunities for discovery and multi-messenger astronomy.

Turning an environmental problem into an opportunity: potential use of biochar derived from a harmful marine biomass named Cladophora glomerata as anode electrode for Li-ion batteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Salimi, Pejman; Javadian, Soheila; Norouzi, Omid; Gharibi, Hussein

2017-12-01

The electrochemical performance of lithium ion battery was enhanced by using biochar derived from Cladophora glomerata (C. glomerata) as widespread green macroalgae in most areas of the Iran's Caspian sea coast. By the utilization of the structure of the biochar, micro-/macro-ordered porous carbon with olive-shaped structure was successfully achieved through pyrolysis at 500 °C, which is the optimal temperature for biofuel production, and was activated with HCl. The biochar and HCl treatment biochar (HTB) were applied as anode electrode in lithium ion batteries. Then, electrochemical measurements were conducted on the electrodes via galvanostatic charge-discharge, cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) analyses. The electrochemical results indicated a higher specific discharge capacity (700 mAh g -1 ) and good cycling stability for HTB at the current density of 0.1 A g -1 as compared to the biochar. The reason that HTB electrode works better than the biochar could be due to the higher surface area, formation functional groups, removal impurities, and formation some micropores after HCl treatment. The biochar derived from marine biomass and treatment process developed here could provide a promising path for the low-cost, renewable, and environmentally friendly electrode materials. Graphical abstract Algal-biochar into Li-ion Battery.

Bioaccumulation and toxicity of zinc in the green alga, Cladophora glomerata.

Science.gov (United States)

McHardy, B M; George, J J

1990-01-01

The bioaccumulation and toxicity of zinc in Cladophora glomerata from two populations in the River Roding, Essex, UK, were examined in experimental laboratory flowing-water channels. Plants were subjected to zinc concentrations ranging from 0 to 4.0 mg litre(-1) at current velocities of 20-33 cm s(-1) for up to 3 h. Zinc in algal tissue was then quantified and toxicity was assessed by the ability of the alga to grow in a recovery medium after the experimental treatment. There was little difference in zinc bioaccumulation between Cladophora from the site showing mild organic pollution and that from the site subjected to considerable inputs from urban and motorway runoff. Uptake of zinc increased with increasing concentration in the test solution and was linear and proportional up to 0.4 mg litre(-1). Three stages of uptake were identified with the most dramatic accumulation occurring in the first 10 min. Experimental concentration factors ranged from 1.9-5.2 x 10(3), which were in agreement with those previously obtained in the field. Cellular damage was evident in Cladophora subjected to 0.4 mg litre(-1) zinc, and this increased with increasing zinc concentration, thus leading to the conclusion that, at times, the levels of zinc found in the river could be potentially damaging.

Sodium ion exosphere of Mercury during MESSENGER flybys

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Paral, Jan; Trávníček, Pavel M.; Rankin, R.; Schriver, D.

2010-01-01

Roč. 37, č. 19 (2010), L19102/1-L19102/5 ISSN 0094-8276 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517; CEZ:AV0Z10030501 Keywords : MESSENGER flybys * solar wind sputtering * photo-stimulated desorption Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 3.505, year: 2010 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2010GL044413/abstract

Mercury's Interior from MESSENGER Radio Science Data

Science.gov (United States)

Genova, A.; Mazarico, E.; Goossens, S. J.; Lemoine, F. G.; Neumann, G. A.; Smith, D. E.; Zuber, M. T.

2017-12-01

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft provided precise radio tracking data in orbit about Mercury for more than 4 years, from March 2011 to April 2015. These geodetic measurements enable us to investigate the interior structure of the planet from the inner core to the crust. The first three years of radio data allowed us to determine the gravity field of Mercury with a resolution of 150 km in the northern hemisphere (degree and order 50 in spherical harmonics) since the periapsis was located at higher latitudes (>65˚N) and 200-500 km altitudes. The comparison of this gravity solution with Mercury's topography, which was retrieved by using over 25 million individual measurements of the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA), resulted in a preliminary map of the crustal thickness of the planet. However, those results were limited by the resolution of the gravity field since the topography was defined in spherical harmonics up to degree and order 125. The last year of the MESSENGER extended mission was dedicated to a low-altitude campaign, where the spacecraft periapsis was maintained at altitudes between 25 and 100 km. The radio data collected during this mission phase allowed us to significantly improve the resolution of the gravity field locally in the northern hemisphere up to degree and order 100 in spherical harmonics. We present the gravity anomalies and crustal thickness maps that lead to a better understanding on the formation and evolution of specific regions. We present our estimated orientation model, which slightly differs from the solutions that were obtained by using Earth-based radar measurements and the co-registration of MESSENGER imaging and altimetry data. These previous estimates provide a direct measurement of the surface response, whereas the orientation model from gravity is more sensitive to the inner and outer core. A discrepancy between core and surface obliquities may provide fundamental

The effect of addiction to mobile messenger software and mental health among physical education students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostafa Bagherianfar

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The objective of the present study is to the effect of addiction to mobile messenger software on mental health among physical education university students of Torbat-e-Heydarieh city.  Materials and Methods: The statistical population of this descriptive-correlational study included all physical education university students of Torbat-e-Heydarieh city. 169 students out of 302 were chosen as the sample of study, for which stratified sampling method was applied. In order to collect data, Goldberg general health questionnaire and addiction to mobile messenger software inventory were used. Data were analyzed using descriptive and illative statistics.  Results: The research findings showed that there is a statistically significant relationship between addiction to mobile messenger software's and mental health among the students of physical education (P

Radiation sensitivity of messenger RNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponta, H.; Pfennig-Yeh, M.L.; Herrlich, P.; Karlsruhe Univ.; Wagner, E.F.; Schweiger, M.

1979-01-01

Messenger RNA function is inactivated by irradiation with ultraviolet light. A unit length mRNA (in bases) is 2-3 times more sensitive than a unit length of DNA (in base pairs) with respect to the inactivation of template function. These data stem from four experimental systems all of which do not repair DNA: the translation of E. coli mRNA in rifampicin-treated cells, of T7 mRNA in infected E.coli, of f2 phage RNA in vivo, and of stable mRNA in chromosomeless minicells. The comparison of relative sensitivities to UV is relevant to the technique of UV mapping of transcription units which enjoys increasing popularity in pro- and eukaryotic genetic research. (orig.) [de

Radiation sensitivity of messenger RNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ponta, H; Pfennig-Yeh, M L; Herrlich, P [Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe G.m.b.H. (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Genetik und Toxikologie von Spaltstoffen; Karlsruhe Univ. (TH) (Germany, F.R.). Inst. fuer Genetik); Wagner, E F; Schweiger, M [Innsbruck Univ. (Austria). Inst. fuer Biochemie

1979-08-01

Messenger RNA function is inactivated by irradiation with ultraviolet light. A unit length mRNA (in bases) is 2-3 times more sensitive than a unit length of DNA (in base pairs) with respect to the inactivation of template function. These data stem from four experimental systems all of which do not repair DNA: the translation of E. coli mRNA in rifampicin-treated cells, of T7 mRNA in infected E.coli, of f2 phage RNA in vivo, and of stable mRNA in chromosomeless minicells. The comparison of relative sensitivities to UV is relevant to the technique of UV mapping of transcription units which enjoys increasing popularity in pro- and eukaryotic genetic research.

Modeling MESSENGER Observations of Calcium in Mercury's Exosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Matthew Howard; Killen, Rosemary M.; McClintock, William E.; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; Merkel, Aimee W.; Sprague, Ann L.; Sarantos, Menelaos

2012-01-01

The Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) on the MESSENGER spacecraft has made the first high-spatial-resolution observations of exospheric calcium at Mercury. We use a Monte Carlo model of the exosphere to track the trajectories of calcium atoms ejected from the surface until they are photoionized, escape from the system, or stick to the surface. This model permits an exploration of exospheric source processes and interactions among neutral atoms, solar radiation, and the planetary surface. The MASCS data have suggested that a persistent, high-energy source of calcium that was enhanced in the dawn, equatorial region of Mercury was active during MESSENGER's three flybys of Mercury and during the first seven orbits for which MASCS obtained data. The total Ca source rate from the surface varied between 1.2x10(exp 23) and 2.6x10(exp 23) Ca atoms/s, if its temperature was 50,000 K. The origin of this high-energy, asymmetric source is unknown, although from this limited data set it does not appear to be consistent with micrometeoroid impact vaporization, ion sputtering, electron-stimulated desorption, or vaporization at dawn of material trapped on the cold nightside.

Microspores irradiation in anther culture: testing a new technique to obtain mutations immediatly detected and fixed (Application to Nicotiana tabacum)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mondeil, Fanja

1974-01-01

In order to consider the effects of microspores irradiation on embryo development, and in order to observe the morphological responses of haploid plantlets derived from androgenetic anthers to ionizing irradiation, 1000, 1500 and 2000r of gamma rays were delivered on anthers of Nicotiana tabacum (DL 50 range calculated: 1500r). The cytological studies of embryo development revealed an apparent increase in irradiated microspores: cell division is stimulated but followed by an early mortality. A sharp rise in lethality effects was observed when gamma rays were applied beyond the seventh day of culture, when the proembryo contains an average of 4 cells. Morphological aberrations and colour changes in the Mo progeny derived from irradiated microspores are diverse. But after chromosome doubling and mutation checking out, all the plants were not recorded to have transmitted their aberrant characters. Thus, heritable character 'mutations) and not heritable character (variations) were obtained. The variations characters include dwarfing, excessive branching, fasciation and dichotomy of the stems, altered flower form, especially of petals. As to the leaves, they usually show induced changes in their colour (chlorotic areas, mosaic-colour changes, or an over-all colour changes), in their form (irregularity in outline) and in their texture (thickening, hairless leaf). Among the mutants, a monster tobacco, with excrescences on the leaves and the flowers is certainly the most conspicuous. But mutants also include altered leaf colour (over-all pale green) and altered flower colour, (dark red, clear pink, white) [fr

Generalized messenger sector for gauge mediation of supersymmetry breaking and the soft spectrum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marques, Diego

2009-01-01

We consider a generic renormalizable and gauge invariant messenger sector and derive the sparticle mass spectrum using the formalism introduced for General Gauge Mediation. Our results recover many expressions found in the literature in various limits. Constraining the messenger sector with a global symmetry under which the spurion field is charged, we analyze Extraordinary Gauge Mediation beyond the small SUSY breaking limit. Finally, we include D-term contributions and compute their corrections to the soft masses. This leads to a perturbative framework allowing to explore models capable of fully covering the parameter space of General Gauge Mediation to the Supersymmetric Standard Model.

Mapping the Topography of Mercury with MESSENGER Laser Altimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiaoli; Cavanaugh, John F.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Smith, David E..; Zubor, Maria T.

2012-01-01

The Mercury Laser Altimeter onboard MESSENGER involves unique design elements that deal with the challenges of being in orbit around Mercury. The Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) is one of seven instruments on NASA's MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft. MESSENGER was launched on 3 August 2004, and entered into orbit about Mercury on 18 March 2011 after a journey through the inner solar system. This involved six planetary flybys, including three of Mercury. MLA is designed to map the topography and landforms of Mercury's surface. It also measures the planet's forced libration (motion about the spin axis), which helps constrain the state of the core. The first science measurements from orbit taken with MLA were made on 29 March 2011 and continue to date. MLA had accumulated about 8.3 million laser ranging measurements to Mercury's surface, as of 31 July 2012, i.e., over six Mercury years (528 Earth days). Although MLA is the third planetary lidar built at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), MLA must endure a much harsher thermal environment near Mercury than the previous instruments on Mars and Earth satellites. The design of MLA was derived in part from that of the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on Mars Global Surveyor. However, MLA must range over greater distances and often in off-nadir directions from a highly eccentric orbit. In MLA we use a single-mode diode-pumped Nd:YAG (neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet) laser that is highly collimated to maintain a small footprint on the planet. The receiver has both a narrow field of view and a narrow spectral bandwidth to minimize the amount of background light detected from the sunlit hemisphere of Mercury. We achieve the highest possible receiver sensitivity by employing the minimum receiver detection threshold.

Evidence for young volcanism on Mercury from the third MESSENGER flyby.

Science.gov (United States)

Prockter, Louise M; Ernst, Carolyn M; Denevi, Brett W; Chapman, Clark R; Head, James W; Fassett, Caleb I; Merline, William J; Solomon, Sean C; Watters, Thomas R; Strom, Robert G; Cremonese, Gabriele; Marchi, Simone; Massironi, Matteo

2010-08-06

During its first two flybys of Mercury, the MESSENGER spacecraft acquired images confirming that pervasive volcanism occurred early in the planet's history. MESSENGER's third Mercury flyby revealed a 290-kilometer-diameter peak-ring impact basin, among the youngest basins yet seen, having an inner floor filled with spectrally distinct smooth plains. These plains are sparsely cratered, postdate the formation of the basin, apparently formed from material that once flowed across the surface, and are therefore interpreted to be volcanic in origin. An irregular depression surrounded by a halo of bright deposits northeast of the basin marks a candidate explosive volcanic vent larger than any previously identified on Mercury. Volcanism on the planet thus spanned a considerable duration, perhaps extending well into the second half of solar system history.

MESSENGER Observations of Extreme Loading and Unloading of Mercury's Magnetic Tail

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin, James A.; Anderson, Brian J.; Baker, Daniel N.; Benna, Mehdi; Boardsen, Scott A.; Gloeckler, George; Gold, Robert E.; Ho, George C.; Korth, Haje; Krimigis, Stamatios M.;

MESSENGER observations of Mercury's exosphere: detection of magnesium and distribution of constituents.

Science.gov (United States)

McClintock, William E; Vervack, Ronald J; Bradley, E Todd; Killen, Rosemary M; Mouawad, Nelly; Sprague, Ann L; Burger, Matthew H; Solomon, Sean C; Izenberg, Noam R

2009-05-01

Mercury is surrounded by a tenuous exosphere that is supplied primarily by the planet's surface materials and is known to contain sodium, potassium, and calcium. Observations by the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer during MESSENGER's second Mercury flyby revealed the presence of neutral magnesium in the tail (anti-sunward) region of the exosphere, as well as differing spatial distributions of magnesium, calcium, and sodium atoms in both the tail and the nightside, near-planet exosphere. Analysis of these observations, supplemented by observations during the first Mercury flyby, as well as those by other MESSENGER instruments, suggests that the distinct spatial distributions arise from a combination of differences in source, transfer, and loss processes.

MESSENGER E/V/H GRNS 3 NEUTRON SPECTROMETER CDR V1.0

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Abstract ======== This data set consists of the MESSENGER Neutron Spectrometer (NS) calibrated data records (CDRs). The NS experiment is a neutron spectrometer...

MESSENGER E/V/H/SW EPPS CALIBRATED FIPS DDR V2.0

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Abstract ======== This data set consists of the MESSENGER Energetic Particle and Plasma Spectrometer (EPPS) calibrated observations, also known as DDRs. The system...

Neuronal chemokines : Versatile messengers in central nervous system cell interaction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Haas, A. H.; van Weering, H. R. J.; de Jong, E. K.; Boddeke, H. W. G. M.; Biber, K. P. H.

2007-01-01

Whereas chemokines are well known for their ability to induce cell migration, only recently it became evident that chemokines also control a variety of other cell functions and are versatile messengers in the interaction between a diversity of cell types. In the central nervous system (CNS),

Return to Mercury: a global perspective on MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby.

Science.gov (United States)

Solomon, Sean C; McNutt, Ralph L; Watters, Thomas R; Lawrence, David J; Feldman, William C; Head, James W; Krimigis, Stamatios M; Murchie, Scott L; Phillips, Roger J; Slavin, James A; Zuber, Maria T

2008-07-04

In January 2008, the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft became the first probe to fly past the planet Mercury in 33 years. The encounter revealed that Mercury is a dynamic system; its liquid iron-rich outer core is coupled through a dominantly dipolar magnetic field to the surface, exosphere, and magnetosphere, all of which interact with the solar wind. MESSENGER images confirm that lobate scarps are the dominant tectonic landform and record global contraction associated with cooling of the planet. The history of contraction can be related to the history of volcanism and cratering, and the total contractional strain is at least one-third greater than inferred from Mariner 10 images. On the basis of measurements of thermal neutrons made during the flyby, the average abundance of iron in Mercury's surface material is less than 6% by weight.

MESSENGER H XRS 5 REDUCED DATA RECORD (RDR) FOOTPRINTS V1.0

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Abstract ======== This data set consists of the MESSENGER XRS reduced data record (RDR) footprints which are derived from the navigational meta-data for each...

Radiative natural SUSY spectrum from deflected AMSB scenario with messenger-matter interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Fei [School of Physics, Zhengzhou University,Zhengzhou 450000 (China); State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics,Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100080 (China); Yang, Jin Min [State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics,Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100080 (China); Department of Physics, Tohoku University,Sendai 980-8578 (Japan); Zhang, Yang [State Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics,Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100080 (China)

2016-04-29

A radiative natural SUSY spectrum are proposed in the deflected anomaly mediation scenario with general messenger-matter interactions. Due to the contributions from the new interactions, positive slepton masses as well as a large |A{sub t}| term can naturally be obtained with either sign of deflection parameter and few messenger species (thus avoid the possible Landau pole problem). In this scenario, in contrast to the ordinary (radiative) natural SUSY scenario with under-abundance of dark matter (DM), the DM can be the mixed bino-higgsino and have the right relic density. The 125 GeV Higgs mass can also be easily obtained in our scenario. The majority of low EW fine tuning points can be covered by the XENON-1T direct detection experiments.

3',5'-cIMP as Potential Second Messenger in the Vascular Wall.

Science.gov (United States)

Leung, Susan W S; Gao, Yuansheng; Vanhoutte, Paul M

2017-01-01

Traditionally, only the 3',5'-cyclic monophosphates of adenosine and guanosine (produced by adenylyl cyclase and guanylyl cyclase, respectively) are regarded as true "second messengers" in the vascular wall, despite the presence of other cyclic nucleotides in different tissues. Among these noncanonical cyclic nucleotides, inosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cIMP) is synthesized by soluble guanylyl cyclase in porcine coronary arteries in response to hypoxia, when the enzyme is activated by endothelium-derived nitric oxide. Its production is associated with augmentation of vascular contraction mediated by stimulation of Rho kinase. Based on these findings, cIMP appears to meet most, if not all, of the criteria required for it to be accepted as a "second messenger," at least in the vascular wall.

Effect of ovary induction on bread wheat anther culture: ovary genotype and developmental stage, and candidate gene association.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana María Castillo

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Ovary pre-conditioned medium and ovary co-culture increased the efficiency of green doubled haploid plant production in bread wheat anther culture. The positive effect of this medium led to a 6- and 11-fold increase in the numbers of embryos and green plants, respectively, having a greater effect on a medium-low responding cultivar. Ovary genotype and developmental stage significantly affected microspore embryogenesis. By he use of Caramba ovaries it was possible to reach a 2-fold increase in the number of embryos and green plants, and to decrease the rate of albinism. Mature ovaries from flowers containing microspores at a late binucleate stage raised the number of embryos and green plants by 25% and 46% as compared to immature ovaries (excised from flowers with microspores at a mid-late uninucleate stage. The highest numbers of embryos and green plants were produced when using mature Caramba ovaries. Ovaries from Galeón, Tigre and Kilopondio cultivars successfully induced microspore embryogenesis at the same rate as Caramba ovaries. Moreover, Tigre ovaries raised the percentage of spontaneous chromosome doubling up to 71%. Attempts were made to identify molecular mechanisms associated to the inductive effect of the ovaries on microspore embryogenesis. The genes TAA1b, FLA26 and WALI6 associated to wheat microspore embryogenesis, the CGL1 gene involved in glycan biosynthesis or degradation, and the FER gene involved in the ovary signalling process were expressed and/or induced at different rates during ovary culture. The expression pattern of FLA26 and FER could be related to the differences between genotypes and developmental stages in the inductive effect of the ovary. Our results open opportunities for new approaches to increase bread wheat doubled haploid production by anther culture, and to identify the functional components of the ovary inductive effect on microspore embryogenesis.

Cyto-histological processes during the differentiation of the tapetal cells in the anthers of Anthemis tinctoria L., Erigeron annuus (L. Pers. and E. canadensis L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Bijok

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Tapetal cells in the anthers of Anthemis tinctoria, Erigeron annus and E. canadensis were uninucleate in the premeiotic stage of the PMC's. Ta-petum differentiation with inhibited cytokinesis took place during the period of meiotic divisions. In E. canadensis both mitoses were normal, wheareas in A. tinctoria and E. canadensis after both first and second mitotic divisions as a result of numerous disturbances polyploid nuclei were formed.

Elucidating the life cycle of Marteilia sydneyi, the aetiological agent of QX disease in the Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata).

Science.gov (United States)

Adlard, Robert D; Nolan, Matthew J

2015-05-01

Marteilia sydneyi (Phylum Paramyxea, Class Marteiliidea, Order Marteiliida) (the causative agent of QX disease) is recognised as the most severe parasite to infect Saccostrea glomerata, the Sydney rock oyster, on the east coast of Australia. Despite its potential impact on industry (>95% mortality), research towards lessening these effects has been hindered by the lack of an experimental laboratory model of infection as a consequence of our incomplete understanding of the life cycle of this parasite. Here, we explored the presence of this parasite in hosts other than a bivalve mollusc from two study sites on the Hawkesbury River, New South Wales, Australia. We employed PCR-based in situ hybridisation and sequence analysis of a portion of the first internal transcribed spacer of rDNA in an attempt to detect M. sydneyi DNA in 21 species of polychaete worm. Marteilia DNA was detected in 6% of 1247 samples examined by PCR; the analysis of all amplicons defined one distinct sequence type for first internal transcribed spacer, representing M. sydneyi. Of the polychaete operational taxonomic units test-positive in PCR, we examined 116 samples via in situ hybridisation DNA probe staining and identified M. sydneyi DNA in the epithelium of the intestine of two specimens of Nephtys australiensis. Two differing morphological forms were identified: a 'primordial' cell that contained a well-defined nucleus but had little differentiation in the cytoplasm, and a 'plasmodial' cell that showed an apparent syncytial structure. This finding represents the first known record of the identification of M. sydneyi being parasitic in an organism other than an oyster, and only the third record of any species of Marteilia identified from non-molluscan hosts. Future work aims at determining if N. australiensis and S. glomerata are the only hosts in the life cycle of this paramyxean, and the development of experimental models to aid the production of QX disease-resistant oysters. Copyright �

Mercury's exosphere: observations during MESSENGER's First Mercury flyby.

Science.gov (United States)

McClintock, William E; Bradley, E Todd; Vervack, Ronald J; Killen, Rosemary M; Sprague, Ann L; Izenberg, Noam R; Solomon, Sean C

2008-07-04

During MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby, the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer measured Mercury's exospheric emissions, including those from the antisunward sodium tail, calcium and sodium close to the planet, and hydrogen at high altitudes on the dayside. Spatial variations indicate that multiple source and loss processes generate and maintain the exosphere. Energetic processes connected to the solar wind and magnetospheric interaction with the planet likely played an important role in determining the distributions of exospheric species during the flyby.

Social and Virtual Networks: Evaluating Synchronous Online Interviewing Using Instant Messenger

Science.gov (United States)

Hinchcliffe, Vanessa; Gavin, Helen

2009-01-01

This paper describes an evaluation of the quality and utility of synchronous online interviewing for data collection in social network research. Synchronous online interviews facilitated by Instant Messenger as the communication medium, were undertaken with ten final year university students. Quantitative and qualitative content analysis of…

12th International Conference on Second Messengers and Phosphoproteins

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tuháčková, Zdena

2004-01-01

Roč. 32, č. 3 (2004), s. 89-91 ISSN 1211-2526. [International conference on second messengers and phosphoproteins /12./. Montreal, 03.08.2004-07.08.2004] R&D Projects: GA ČR GA301/04/0550; GA AV ČR KSK5020115 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5052915 Keywords : MTOR -PI3-K signalling * p70 S 6 kinase * v-Src Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry

MESSENGER E/V/H MLA 3/4 CDR/RDR DATA V1.0

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Abstract ======== This data set consists of the MESSENGER Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) Calibrated Data Record (CDR) and Reduced Data Record (RDR) products. The MLA...

Astronomy's New Messengers: A traveling exhibit to out to a young adult audience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavaglia, Marco; Hendry, Martin; Marka, Szabolcs; Reitze, David H; Riles, Keith

2010-01-01

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory exhibit Astronomy's New Messengers: Listening to the Universe with Gravitational Waves is traveling to colleges, universities, museums and other public institutions throughout the United States. In 2010, an extended version of this exhibit will appear in a New York City venue that is accessible to a large and diverse cross section of the general public. Astronomy's New Messengers primarily communicates with an adolescent and young adult audience, potentially inspiring them into the field of science. Acknowledging that this audience is traditionally a difficult one to attract, the exhibit publicly announces itself in a charismatic fashion to reach its principal goals of broadening the community of people interested in science and encouraging interest in science among young people.

Structural characterization of sulfated arabinans extracted from Cladophora glomerata Kützing and their macrophage activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Surayot, Utoomporn; Hun Lee, Ju; Kanongnuch, Chartchai; Peerapornpisal, Yuwadee; Park, WooJung; You, SangGuan

2016-05-01

Water-soluble sulfated heteropolysaccharides were extracted from Cladophora glomerata Kützing and fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography, which yielded two subfractions, F1 and F2. The crude and fractionated polysaccharides (F1 and F2) mostly consisted of carbohydrates (62.8-74.5%) with various amounts of proteins (9.00-17.3%) and sulfates (16.5-23.5%), including different levels of arabinose (41.7-54.4%), galactose (13.5-39.0%), glucose (0.80-10.6%), xylose (6.84-13.4%), and rhamnose (0.20-2.83%). Based on the size exclusion chromatography (SEC) profiles, the crude and fractions mainly contained one peak with shoulders having molecular weight (Mw) ranges of 358-1,501 × 10(3). The F1 fraction stimulated RAW264.7 cells to produce considerable amounts of nitric oxide and cytokines compared to the crude and F2 fraction. The backbone of the most potent immunostimulating fraction (F1) was α-(1→4)-L-arabinopyranoside with galactose and xylose residues as branches at O-2 position, and sulfates mainly at O-2 position as well.

MESSENGER E/V/H GRNS 3 GAMMA RAY SPECTROMETER CALIBDATA V1.0

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Abstract ======== This data set consists of the MESSENGER GRS calibrated observations (CDRs) and the reduced data product (RDR). The GRS experiment is a gamma ray...

Effects of Mikania glomerata Spreng. and Mikania laevigata Schultz Bip. ex Baker (Asteraceae) extracts on pulmonary inflammation and oxidative stress caused by acute coal dust exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Freitas, T.P.; Silveira, P.C.; Rocha, L.G.; Rezin, G.T.; Rocha, J.; Citadini-Zanette, V.; Romao, P.T.; Dal-Pizzol, F.; Pinho, R.A.; Andrade, V.M.; Streck, E.L. [University Extremo Catarinense, Criciuma (Brazil)

2008-12-15

Several studies have reported biological effects of Mikania glomerata and Mikania laevigata, used in Brazilian folk medicine for respiratory diseases. Pneumoconiosis is characterized by pulmonary inflammation caused by coal dust exposure. In this work, we evaluated the effect of pretreatment with M. glomerata and M. laevigata extracts (MGE and MLE, respectively) (100 mg/kg, s.c.) on inflammatory and oxidative stress parameters in lung of rats subjected to a single coal dust intratracheal instillation. Rats were pretreated for 2 weeks with saline solution, MGE, or MLE. On day 15, the animals were anesthetized, and gross mineral coal dust or saline solutions were administered directly in the lung by intratracheal instillation. Fifteen days after coal dust instillation, the animals were killed. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was obtained; total cell count and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity were determined. In the lung, myeloperoxidase activity, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) level, and protein carbonyl and sulfhydryl contents were evaluated. In BAL of treated animals, we verified an increased total cell count and LDH activity. MGE and MLE prevented the increase in cell count, but only MLE prevented the increase in LDH. Myeloperoxidase and TBARS levels were not affected, protein carbonylation was increased, and the protein thiol levels were decreased by acute coal dust intratracheal administration. The findings also suggest that both extracts present an important protective effect on the oxidation of thiol groups. Moreover, pretreatment with MGE and MLE also diminished lung inflammatory infiltration induced by coal dust, as assessed by histopathologic analyses.

Enraizamento e germinação na propagação de Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen (ginseng-brasileiro Rooting and germination in propagation of Pfaffia glomerata (Spreng. Pedersen (ginseng-brasileiro

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvana de Paula Quintão Scalon

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Conduziu-se este trabalho, com o objetivo de avaliar a propagação sexuada e assexuada de Pfaffia glomerata (ginseng brasileiro. As sementes foram pré-embebidas por 24 horas em KNO3 1%; ácido giberélico 50, 100 e 200 mg L-1 ; emágua e as sementes que não receberam tratamento serviram como testemunha. A semeadura foi em placas de petri sobre duas folhas de papel de filtro e a incubação a 25ºC, sob iluminação constante e na ausência de luz. As estacas com º15 cm foram imersas durante 6 horas em IAA 250 e IBA 500 mg L-1, ácido bórico 1% e em água e plantadas em embalagem plástica, contendo terra+areia (1:1. O primeiro experimento foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 2 (níveis de luz x 6 (tratamento de pré-embebição em 4 repetições de 20 sementes. O segundo em DIC com 5 tratamentos, 4 repetições de 15 estacas por repetição. As sementes de ginseng brasileiro necessitam de tratamento de pré-embebição para acelerar a germinação, sendo a imersão em KNO3 o método mais eficiente, proporcionando 63% de germinação. Apresentam fotoblastismo neutro, com germinação média de 45%. As estacas de ginseng brasileiro imersas apenas em água apresentaram 100% de enraizamento, maior número de brotos (2,5 e maior comprimento de raiz (8,6 cm. A espécie apresenta potencial para ambos os métodos de propagação.The objective of this study was to evaluate sexual and asexual propagation of Pfaffia glomerata (Brazilian Ginseng. The seeds were pre-soaked for 24 hours in KNO3 1% , gibberellic acid 50, 100, 200 mg L-1 , and in water. Untreated seeds served as control. Sowing was accomplished in petri dishes on 2 sheets of filter paper, at 25ºC incubation, under constant illumination, and in the absence of light. The cuttings with º1,5 cm were immersed for 6 hours in IAA 250 and 500mg L-1, boric acid1% ,and in water. Soon after they were planted in plastic containers with soil + sand (1:1. The

Mercury's Exosphere During MESSENGER's Second Flyby: Detection of Magnesium and Distinct Distributions of Neutral Species

Science.gov (United States)

McClintock, William E.; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; Bradley, E. Todd; Killen, Rosemary M.; Mouawad, Nelly; Sprague, Ann L.; Burger, Matthew H.; Solomon, Sean C.; Izenberg, Noam R.

2009-01-01

During MESSENGER's second Mercury flyby, the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer observed emission from Mercury's neutral exosphere. These observations include the first detection of emission from magnesium. Differing spatial distributions for sodium, calcium, and magnesium were revealed by observations beginning in Mercury's tail region, approximately 8 Mercury radii anti-sunward of the planet, continuing past the nightside, and ending near the dawn terminator. Analysis of these observations, supplemented by observations during the first Mercury flyby as well as those by other MESSENGER instruments, suggests that the distinct spatial distributions arise from a combination of differences in source, transfer, and loss processes.

Expression of μ, κ, and δ opioid receptor messenger RNA in the human CNS: a 33P in situ hybridization study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peckys, D.; Landwehrmeyer, G.B.

1999-01-01

The existence of at least three opioid receptor types, referred to as μ, κ, and δ, is well established. Complementary DNAs corresponding to the pharmacologically defined μ, κ, and δ opioid receptors have been isolated in various species including man. The expression patterns of opioid receptor transcripts in human brain has not been established with a cellular resolution, in part because of the low apparent abundance of opioid receptor messenger RNAs in human brain. To visualize opioid receptor messenger RNAs we developed a sensitive in situ hybridization histochemistry method using 33 P-labelled RNA probes. In the present study we report the regional and cellular expression of μ, κ, and δ opioid receptor messenger RNAs in selected areas of the human brain. Hybridization of the different opioid receptor probes resulted in distinct labelling patterns. For the μ and κ opioid receptor probes, the most intense regional signals were observed in striatum, thalamus, hypothalamus, cerebral cortex, cerebellum and certain brainstem areas as well as the spinal cord. The most intense signals for the δ opioid receptor probe were found in cerebral cortex. Expression of opioid receptor transcripts was restricted to subpopulations of neurons within most regions studied demonstrating differences in the cellular expression patterns of μ, κ, and δ opioid receptor messenger RNAs in numerous brain regions. The messenger RNA distribution patterns for each opioid receptor corresponded in general to the distribution of opioid receptor binding sites as visualized by receptor autoradiography. However, some mismatches, for instance between μ opioid receptor receptor binding and μ opioid receptor messenger RNA expression in the anterior striatum, were observed. A comparison of the distribution patterns of opioid receptor messenger RNAs in the human brain and that reported for the rat suggests a homologous expression pattern in many regions. However, in the human brain, κ

Mercury's complex exosphere: results from MESSENGER's third flyby.

Science.gov (United States)

Vervack, Ronald J; McClintock, William E; Killen, Rosemary M; Sprague, Ann L; Anderson, Brian J; Burger, Matthew H; Bradley, E Todd; Mouawad, Nelly; Solomon, Sean C; Izenberg, Noam R

2010-08-06

During MESSENGER's third flyby of Mercury, the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer detected emission from ionized calcium concentrated 1 to 2 Mercury radii tailward of the planet. This measurement provides evidence for tailward magnetospheric convection of photoions produced inside the magnetosphere. Observations of neutral sodium, calcium, and magnesium above the planet's north and south poles reveal altitude distributions that are distinct for each species. A two-component sodium distribution and markedly different magnesium distributions above the two poles are direct indications that multiple processes control the distribution of even single species in Mercury's exosphere.

Mercury's Complex Exosphere: Results from MESSENGER's Third Flyby

Science.gov (United States)

Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; McClintock, William E.; Killen, Rosemary M.; Sprague, Ann L.; Anderson, Brian J.; Burger, Matthew H.; Bradley, E. Todd; Mouawad, Nelly; Solomon, Sean C.; Izenberg, Noam R.

2010-01-01

During MESSENGER's third flyby of Mercury, the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer detected emission from ionized calcium concentrated 1 to 2 Mercury radii tailward of the planet. This measurement provides evidence for tailward magnetospheric convection of photoions produced inside the magnetosphere. Observations of neutral sodium, calcium, and magnesium above the planet's north and south poles reveal attitude distributions that are distinct for each species. A two-component sodium distribution and markedly different magnesium distributions above the two poles are direct indications that multiple processes control the distribution of even single species in Mercury's exosphere,

A Contemporary, Laboratory-Intensive Course on Messenger RNA Transcription and Processing

Science.gov (United States)

Carson, Sue; Miller, Heather

2012-01-01

Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) plays a pivotal role in the central dogma of molecular biology. Importantly, molecular events occurring during and after mRNA synthesis have the potential to create multiple proteins from one gene, leading to some of the remarkable protein diversity that genomes hold. The North Carolina State University…

Spatiotemporal dynamics of the bacterial microbiota on lacustrine Cladophora glomerata (Chlorophyta).

Science.gov (United States)

Braus, Michael J; Graham, Linda E; Whitman, Thea L

2017-12-01

The branched periphytic green alga Cladophora glomerata, often abundant in nearshore waters of lakes and rivers worldwide, plays important ecosystem roles, some mediated by epibiotic microbiota that benefit from host-provided surface, organic C, and O 2 . Previous microscopy and high-throughput sequencing studies have indicated surprising epibiont taxonomic and functional diversity, but have not included adequate consideration of sample replication or the potential for spatial and temporal variation. Here, we report the results of 16S rRNA amplicon-based phylum-to-genus taxonomic analysis of Cladophora-associated bacterial epibiota sampled in replicate from three microsites and at six times during the open-water season of 2014, from the same lake locale (Picnic Point, Lake Mendota, Dane Co., WI, USA) explored by high-throughput sequencing studies in two previous years. Statistical methods were used to test null hypotheses that the bacterial community: (i) is homogeneous across microsites tested, and (ii) does not change over the course of a growth season or among successive years. Results indicated a dynamic microbial community that is more strongly influenced by sampling day during the growth season than by microsite variation. A surprising diversity of bacterial genera known to be associated with the key function of methane-oxidation (methanotrophy), including relatively high-abundance of Crenothrix, Methylomonas, Methylovulum, and Methylocaldum-showed intraseasonal and interannual variability possibly related to temperature differences, and microsite preferences possibly related to variation in methane abundance. By contrast, a core assemblage of bacterial genera seems to persist over a growth season and from year to year, possibly transmitted by a persistent attached host resting stage. © 2017 Phycological Society of America.

MESSENGER E/V/H MASCS 5 VIRS DERIVED ANALYSIS DATA V2.0

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Abstract ======== This data set consists of the MESSENGER MASCS VIRS derived analysis product, also known as the DAP. The DAP is a 500 meter per pixel mosaic map of...

MESSENGER E/V/H MASCS 5 VIRS DERIVED ANALYSIS DATA V1.0

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Abstract ======== This data set consists of the MESSENGER MASCS VIRS derived analysis product, also known as the DAP. The DAP is a 500 meter per pixel mosaic map of...

MESSENGER E/V/H GRNS 2 GAMMA RAY SPECTROMETER RAW DATA V1.0

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Abstract ======== This data set consists of the MESSENGER GRS uncalibrated observations, also known as EDRs. The GRS experiment is a gamma ray spectrometer designed...

Longitudinal study of winter mortality disease in Sydney rock oysters Saccostrea glomerata.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiers, Zoe B; Gabor, Melinda; Fell, Shayne A; Carnegie, Ryan B; Dove, Michael; O'Connor, Wayne; Frances, Jane; Go, Jeffrey; Marsh, Ian B; Jenkins, Cheryl

2014-07-24

Winter mortality (WM) is a poorly studied disease affecting Sydney rock oysters Saccostrea glomerata in estuaries in New South Wales, Australia, where it can cause significant losses. WM is more severe in oysters cultured deeper in the water column and appears linked to higher salinities. Current dogma is that WM is caused by the microcell parasite Bonamia roughleyi, but evidence linking clinical signs and histopathology to molecular data identifying bonamiasis is lacking. We conducted a longitudinal study between February and November 2010 in 2 estuaries where WM has occurred (Georges and Shoalhaven Rivers). Results from molecular testing of experimental oysters for Bonamia spp. were compared to clinical disease signs and histopathology. Available environmental data from the study sites were also collated and compared. Oyster condition declined over the study period, coinciding with decreasing water temperatures, and was inversely correlated with the presence of histological lesions. While mortalities occurred in both estuaries, only oysters from the Georges River study site showed gross clinical signs and histological changes characteristic of WM (lesions were prevalent and intralesional microcell-like structures were sometimes noted). PCR testing for Bonamia spp. revealed the presence of an organism belonging to the B. exitiosa-B. roughleyi clade in some samples; however, the very low prevalence of this organism relative to histological changes and the lack of reactivity of affected oysters in subsequent in situ hybridisation experiments led us to conclude that this Bonamia sp. is not responsible for WM. Another aetiological agent and a confluence of environmental factors are a more likely explanation for the disease.

Public information in radiation emergencies - the messenger, the public and the message

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lackey, J.

1999-01-01

This paper is based on experience as a lecturer on emergency planning courses in east and west Europe, in the USA and in Hong Kong. The complex language of radiation protection confuses the public and so the messenger must avoid unnecessary jargon. In some cases the messenger may have little experience of speaking in public but this can be remedied in exercise and the fear of speaking in public may be reduced. Communication would be more efficient and possibly cause less anxiety if the public was better educated about ionizing radiation. A European initiative is described and the author' s revision of the CEC teacher's manual is reported. The debate over the linear-no-threshold model seems to undermine the credibility of the radiological protection message. The author proposes that a dose threshold should be set, preferably internationally, so those individual doses below threshold could be excluded from records and research effort redirected to more hazardous factors. Copyright (1999) Australasian Radiation Protection Society Inc

Effect of Thymine Starvation on Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Synthesis in Escherichia coli

Science.gov (United States)

Luzzati, Denise

1966-01-01

Luzzati, Denise (Institut de Biologie Physico-Chimique, Paris, France). Effect of thymine starvation on messenger ribonucleic acid synthesis in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 92:1435–1446. 1966.—During the course of thymine starvation, the rate of synthesis of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA, the rapidly labeled fraction of the RNA which decays in the presence of dinitrophenol or which hybridizes with deoxyribonucleic acid) decreases exponentially, in parallel with the viability of the thymine-starved bacteria. The ability of cell-free extracts of starved bacteria to incorporate ribonucleoside triphosphates into RNA was determined; it was found to be inferior to that of extracts from control cells. The analysis of the properties of cell-free extracts of starved cells shows that their decreased RNA polymerase activity is the consequence of a modification of their deoxyribonucleic acid, the ability of which to serve as a template for RNA polymerase decreases during starvation. PMID:5332402

Global Distribution of Mercury's Neutrals from MESSENGER Measurements Combined with a Tomographic Method

Science.gov (United States)

Sarantos, Menelaos; McClintock, Bill; Vervack, Ron, Jr.; Killen, Rosemary; Merkel, Aimee; Slavin, James; Solomon, Sean C.

2011-01-01

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft entered orbit about Mercury on March 18, 2011. Since then, the Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVVS) onboard this spacecraft has been observing Mercury's collisionless exosphere. We present measurements by MESSENGER UVVS of the sodium, calcium, and magnesium distributions that were obtained during multiple passes through the tail over a period of one month. Global maps of the exosphere were constructed daily from such measurements using a recently developed tomographic technique. During this period, Mercury moved towards the Sun from being about 0.44 astronomical units (AU) to approximately 0.32 AU from the Sun. Hence, our reconstructions provide information about the three-dimensional structure of the exosphere, the source processes for these species, and their dependence with orbital distance during the entire in-leg of Mercury's orbit.

Molecular characterization of three anther tissue culture varieties of tobaco (Nicotiana tabacum L. using RAPD analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gloria Azucena Fernández B.

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPO analysis was used to characterize two new Flue Cured and one black tobacco type varieties derived from in vitro anther tissue culture technique. RAPOs are proposed as an appropriate complement of the morphoagronomic characteristics evaluations to fulfil international seed registration standards established for the identification of tobacco varieties. The identification of three tobacco varieties and their parents was carried out using the RAPO analysis with 64 random primers. Polymorphic products, 214 in number, were amplified only from 14 primers. Statistical analysis realized with the NTSYS program version 1.2 using the Jaccard similarity coefficient. The visual inspection revealed that five primers allowed the separation of the varieties in two groups, according to the type of tobacco: the Flue Cured and Black; while a group of nine primers separates each variety and establish its genetic relationship with their parents. The results obtained show that this technique is appropiated to establish genetic differences between tobacco varieties.

Starch distribution in anthers, microspores and pollen grains in Aechmea recurvata (Klotzsch.) L.B.Sm., Dyckia racinae L.B.Sm. and Tillandsia aeranthos (Loisel.) L.B.Sm. (Bromeliaceae)

OpenAIRE

Oliveira,João Marcelo Santos de; Martins,Merielem Saldanha; Dorneles,Mariane Paludette; Freitas,Cesar Carvalho de

2015-01-01

This paper presents a comparative description of the starch distribution in the anthers, microspores and pollen grains of Aechmea recurvata, Dyckia racinae and Tillandsia aeranthos. Flowers at different stages of development were processed according to plant microtechniques for observation by light microscope. Ten stages of embryological development were used as references for the comparative analysis of starch distribution and dynamics. The structural data showed a greater starch accumulatio...

MESSENGER Searches for Less Abundant or Weakly Emitting Species in Mercury's Exosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; McClintock, William E.; Killen, Rosemary M.; Sprague, Ann L.; Burger, Matthew H.; Merkel, Aimee W.; Sarantos, Menelaos

2011-01-01

Mercury's exosphere is composed of material that originates at the planet's surface, whether that material is native or delivered by the solar wind and micrometeoroids. Many exospheric species have been detected by remote sensing, including H and He by Mariner 10, Na, K, and Ca by ground-based observations, and H, Na, Ca, Mg, and Ca+ by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft. Other exospheric species, including Fe, AI, Si, 0, S, Mn, CI, Ti, OH, and their ions, are expected to be present on the basis of MESSENGER surface measurements and models of Mercury's surface chemistry. Here we report on searches for these species made with the Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVVS) channel of the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS). No obvious signatures of the listed species have yet been observed in Mercury's exosphere by the UVVS as of this writing. It is possible that detections are elusive because the optimum regions of the exosphere have not been sampled. The Sun-avoidance constraints on MESSENGER place tight limits on instrument boresight directions, and some regions are probed infrequently. If there are strong spatial gradients in the distribution of weakly emitting species, a high-resolution sampling of specific regions may be required to detect them. Summing spectra over time will also aid in the ability to detect weaker emission. Observations to date nonetheless permit strong upper limits to be placed on the abundances of many undetected species, in some cases as functions of time and space. As those limits are lowered with time, the absence of detections can provide insight into surface composition and the potential source mechanisms of exospheric material.

Monte Carlo Modeling of Sodium in Mercury's Exosphere During the First Two MESSENGER Flybys

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Matthew H.; Killen, Rosemary M.; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; Bradley, E. Todd; McClintock, William E.; Sarantos, Menelaos; Benna, Mehdi; Mouawad, Nelly

2010-01-01

We present a Monte Carlo model of the distribution of neutral sodium in Mercury's exosphere and tail using data from the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft during the first two flybys of the planet in January and September 2008. We show that the dominant source mechanism for ejecting sodium from the surface is photon-stimulated desorption (PSD) and that the desorption rate is limited by the diffusion rate of sodium from the interior of grains in the regolith to the topmost few monolayers where PSD is effective. In the absence of ion precipitation, we find that the sodium source rate is limited to approximately 10(exp 6) - 10(exp 7) per square centimeter per second, depending on the sticking efficiency of exospheric sodium that returns to the surface. The diffusion rate must be at least a factor of 5 higher in regions of ion precipitation to explain the MASCS observations during the second MESSENGER f1yby. We estimate that impact vaporization of micrometeoroids may provide up to 15% of the total sodium source rate in the regions observed. Although sputtering by precipitating ions was found not to be a significant source of sodium during the MESSENGER flybys, ion precipitation is responsible for increasing the source rate at high latitudes through ion-enhanced diffusion.

Mercury's Hollows: New Information on Distribution and Morphology from MESSENGER Observations at Low Altitude

Science.gov (United States)

Blewett, D. T.; Stadermann, A. C.; Chabot, N. L.; Denevi, B. W.; Ernst, C. M.; Peplowski, P. N.

2014-12-01

MESSENGER's orbital mission at Mercury led to the discovery of an unusual landform not known from other airless rocky bodies of the Solar System. Hollows are irregularly shaped, shallow, rimless depressions, often occurring in clusters and with high-reflectance interiors and halos. The fresh appearance of hollows suggests that they are relatively young features. For example, hollows are uncratered, and talus aprons downslope of hollows in certain cases appear to be covering small impact craters (100-200 in diameter). Hence, some hollows may be actively forming at present. The characteristics of hollows are suggestive of formation via destruction of a volatile-bearing phase (possibly one or more sulfides) through solar heating, micrometeoroid bombardment, and/or ion impact. Previous analysis showed that hollows are associated with low-reflectance material (LRM), a color unit identified from global color images. The material hosting hollows has often been excavated from depth by basin or crater impacts. Hollows are small features (tens of meters to several kilometers), so their detection and characterization with MESSENGER's global maps have been limited. MESSENGER's low-altitude orbits provide opportunities for collection of images at high spatial resolutions, which reveal new occurrences of hollows and offer views of hollows with unprecedented detail. As of this writing, we have examined more than 21,000 images with pixel sizes Shadow-length measurements were made on 280 images, yielding the depths of 1343 individual hollows. The mean depth is 30 m, with a standard deviation of 17 m. We also explored correlations between the geographic locations of hollows and maps provided by the MESSENGER geochemical sensors (X-Ray, Gamma-Ray, and Neutron Spectrometers), including the abundances of Al/Si, Ca/Si, Fe/Si, K, Mg/Si, and S/Si, as well as total neutron cross-section. No clear compositional trends emerged; it is likely that any true compositional preference for terrain

Audience and Witnessing: Research into Dramatherapy using Vignettes and aMSN Messenger

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Phil

2008-01-01

This article describes the process of research undertaken to examine therapists' responses to the concept of the core processes of change in dramatherapy. The research uses a combination of vignette description and analysis using aMSN messenger. The article describes the theoretical underpinning and rationale to the approach, and the…

Emotion elicitor or emotion messenger? Subliminal priming reveals two faces of facial expressions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruys, Kirsten I; Stapel, Diederik A

2008-06-01

Facial emotional expressions can serve both as emotional stimuli and as communicative signals. The research reported here was conducted to illustrate how responses to both roles of facial emotional expressions unfold over time. As an emotion elicitor, a facial emotional expression (e.g., a disgusted face) activates a response that is similar to responses to other emotional stimuli of the same valence (e.g., a dirty, nonflushed toilet). As an emotion messenger, the same facial expression (e.g., a disgusted face) serves as a communicative signal by also activating the knowledge that the sender is experiencing a specific emotion (e.g., the sender feels disgusted). By varying the duration of exposure to disgusted, fearful, angry, and neutral faces in two subliminal-priming studies, we demonstrated that responses to faces as emotion elicitors occur prior to responses to faces as emotion messengers, and that both types of responses may unfold unconsciously.

Gravity, Topography, and Magnetic Field of Mercury from Messenger

Science.gov (United States)

Neumann, Gregory A.; Solomon, Sean C.; Zuber, Maria T.; Phillips, Roger J.; Barnouin, Olivier; Ernst, Carolyn; Goosens, Sander; Hauck, Steven A., II; Head, James W., III; Johnson, Catherine L.;

MESSENGER, MErcury: Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging; A Mission to Orbit and Explore the Planet Mercury

Science.gov (United States)

1999-01-01

MESSENGER is a scientific mission to Mercury. Understanding this extraordinary planet and the forces that have shaped it is fundamental to understanding the processes that have governed the formation, evolution, and dynamics of the terrestrial planets. MESSENGER is a MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging mission to orbit Mercury for one Earth year after completing two flybys of that planet following two flybys of Venus. The necessary flybys return significant new data early in the mission, while the orbital phase, guided by the flyby data, enables a focused scientific investigation of this least-studied terrestrial planet. Answers to key questions about Mercury's high density, crustal composition and structure, volcanic history, core structure, magnetic field generation, polar deposits, exosphere, overall volatile inventory, and magnetosphere are provided by an optimized set of miniaturized space instruments. Our goal is to gain new insight into the formation and evolution of the solar system, including Earth. By traveling to the inner edge of the solar system and exploring a poorly known world, MESSENGER fulfills this quest.

Multi-Messenger Astronomy: White Dwarf Binaries, LISA and GAIA

Science.gov (United States)

Bueno, Michael; Breivik, Katelyn; Larson, Shane L.

2017-01-01

The discovery of gravitational waves has ushered in a new era in astronomy. The low-frequency band covered by the future LISA detector provides unprecedented opportunities for multi-messenger astronomy. With the Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics (GAIA) mission, we expect to discover about 1,000 eclipsing binary systems composed of a WD and a main sequence star - a sizeable increase from the approximately 34 currently known binaries of this type. In advance of the first GAIA data release and the launch of LISA within the next decade, we used the Binary Stellar Evolution (BSE) code simulate the evolution of White Dwarf Binaries (WDB) in a fixed galaxy population of about 196,000 sources. Our goal is to assess the detectability of a WDB by LISA and GAIA using the parameters from our population synthesis, we calculate GW strength h, and apparent GAIA magnitude G. We can then use a scale factor to make a prediction of how many multi- messenger sources we expect to be detectable by both LISA and GAIA in a galaxy the size of the Milky Way. We create binaries 10 times to ensure randomness in distance assignment and average our results. We then determined whether or not astronomical chirp is the difference between the total chirp and the GW chirp. With Astronomical chirp and simulations of mass transfer and tides, we can gather more information about the internal astrophysics of stars in ultra-compact binary systems.

Cultivate in vitro of wheat Anthers (Triticum Aestivum L.) In the ICA-TENZA and PAV -76 varieties; Cultivo In Vitro De Anteras De Trigo (Triticum aestivum L.) EN Las Variedades De Icatenza Y PAVON-76

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Manrique O, Olga L

1994-07-01

The objective of the present work consisted, in determining the cultivation conditions under which it was possible to induce through the technique of the cultivation of anthers, the callus formation and possible regeneration of green plants of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in the varieties ICA-Tenza and Pav -76. With the purpose of identifying the but appropriate state of development of the grain of pollen for the inoculation of the anthers, a cytologic study was made in which was correlation among the moriolic parameters of the plant; (inter liguler distances, auricle-knot distances and longitude of the edges) and the state of development of the microspore; Of the parameters, it was recommended to keep in mind the longitude from the edges when harvesting the experimental material. The anthers of both genotypes were inoculated in the means bases Pope 4 and N6, with hormonal levels of ELL (naftalen acetic acid) of 0.0, 0.5 and 1.0 mg/I. the answers of the genotypes were evaluated before the means of basal cultivation, in connection with the induction of tripes and the plants regeneration. Of the two used genotypes, the Pav -76 it presented bigger capacity to induce the formation of tripes, while the ICA-Tenza genotype presented a bigger answer capacity in the regeneration of plants so much green as albino. The results obtained allowed to establish that a relationship exists between the means of cultivation and the capacity of the genotypes to regenerate as much tripes as plants. Due to the drop survival of the regenerated plants, it was not possible to settle down with clarity a relationship of the ploidia level.

Laser altimeter observations from MESSENGER's first Mercury flyby.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuber, Maria T; Smith, David E; Solomon, Sean C; Phillips, Roger J; Peale, Stanton J; Head, James W; Hauck, Steven A; McNutt, Ralph L; Oberst, Jürgen; Neumann, Gregory A; Lemoine, Frank G; Sun, Xiaoli; Barnouin-Jha, Olivier; Harmon, John K

2008-07-04

A 3200-kilometers-long profile of Mercury by the Mercury Laser Altimeter on the MESSENGER spacecraft spans approximately 20% of the near-equatorial region of the planet. Topography along the profile is characterized by a 5.2-kilometer dynamic range and 930-meter root-mean-square roughness. At long wavelengths, topography slopes eastward by 0.02 degrees , implying a variation of equatorial shape that is at least partially compensated. Sampled craters on Mercury are shallower than their counterparts on the Moon, at least in part the result of Mercury's higher gravity. Crater floors vary in roughness and slope, implying complex modification over a range of length scales.

Hydrogen and syngas production by catalytic gasification of algal biomass (Cladophora glomerata L.) using alkali and alkaline-earth metals compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebadi, Abdol Ghaffar; Hisoriev, Hikmat; Zarnegar, Mohammad; Ahmadi, Hamed

2018-01-02

The steam gasification of algal biomass (Cladophora glomerata L.) in presence of alkali and alkaline-earth metal compounds catalysts was studied to enhance the yield of syngas and reduce its tar content through cracking and reforming of condensable fractions. The commercial catalysts used include NaOH, KHCO 3 , Na 3 PO 4 and MgO. The gasification runs carried out with a research scale, biomass gasification unit, show that the NaOH has a strong potential for production of hydrogen, along with the added advantages of char converting and tar destruction, allowing enhancement of produced syngas caloric value. When the temperature increased from 700°C to 900°C, the tar content in the gas sharply decreased, while the hydrogen yield increased. Increasing steam/biomass ratio significantly increased hydrogen yield and tar destruction; however, the particle size in the range of 0.5-2.5 mm played a minor role in the process.

Evidence for a Messenger Function of Cyclic GMP During Phosphodiesterase Induction in Dictyostelium discoideum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haastert, Peter J.M. van; Pasveer, Frank J.; Meer, Rob C. van der; Heijden, Paul R. van der; Walsum, Hans van; Konijn, Theo M.

1982-01-01

Chemotactic stimulation of vegetative or aggregative Dictyostelium discoideum cells induced a transient elevation of cyclic GMP levels. The addition of chemoattractants to postvegetative cells by pulsing induced phosphodiesterase activity. The following lines of evidence suggest a messenger function

INSTANT MESSENGER (IM) APPLICATION USAGE AT WORKPLACE AND WORKING CULTURE OF A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SUPPORTING STAFF IN KOTA KINABALU SABAH.

OpenAIRE

Nading, Dorina; Morshidi, Azizan

2016-01-01

Instant Messenger (IM) has becoming a new form of social relations tool in which people interact, dialogue, collaborate and exchange information. Many organizations and companies have adapted their management strategies with the utilization of IM applications, both internally or externally. The popularity of IM in local organizational management in such a way that government agencies, companies, universities, colleges and schools. The use of applications such as wechat, whatsApp messenger...

Planetary science. Low-altitude magnetic field measurements by MESSENGER reveal Mercury's ancient crustal field.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Catherine L; Phillips, Roger J; Purucker, Michael E; Anderson, Brian J; Byrne, Paul K; Denevi, Brett W; Feinberg, Joshua M; Hauck, Steven A; Head, James W; Korth, Haje; James, Peter B; Mazarico, Erwan; Neumann, Gregory A; Philpott, Lydia C; Siegler, Matthew A; Tsyganenko, Nikolai A; Solomon, Sean C

2015-05-22

Magnetized rocks can record the history of the magnetic field of a planet, a key constraint for understanding its evolution. From orbital vector magnetic field measurements of Mercury taken by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft at altitudes below 150 kilometers, we have detected remanent magnetization in Mercury's crust. We infer a lower bound on the average age of magnetization of 3.7 to 3.9 billion years. Our findings indicate that a global magnetic field driven by dynamo processes in the fluid outer core operated early in Mercury's history. Ancient field strengths that range from those similar to Mercury's present dipole field to Earth-like values are consistent with the magnetic field observations and with the low iron content of Mercury's crust inferred from MESSENGER elemental composition data. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Expected Geochemical and Mineralogical Properties of Meteorites from Mercury: Inferences from Messenger Data

Science.gov (United States)

McCubbin, F. M.; McCoy, T. J.

2016-01-01

Meteorites from the Moon, Mars, and many types of asteroid bodies have been identified among our global inventory of meteorites, however samples of Mercury and Venus have not been identified. The absence of mercurian and venusian meteorites could be attributed to an inability to recognize them in our collections due to a paucity of geochemical information for Venus and Mercury. In the case of mercurian meteorites, this possibility is further supported by dynamical calculations that suggest mercurian meteorites should be present on Earth at a factor of 2-3 less than meteorites from Mars [1]. In the present study, we focus on the putative mineralogy of mercurian meteorites using data obtained from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, which has provided us with our first quantitative constraints on the geochemistry of planet Mercury. We have used the MESSENGER data to compile a list of mineralogical and geochemical characteristics that a meteorite from Mercury is likely to exhibit.

Ontogenia dos estratos parietais da antera de Tabebuia pulcherrima Sandw. (Bignoniaceae Ontogeny of the anther parietal layers of Tabebuia pulcherrima Sandw. (Bignoniaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nelson S Bittencourt Jr

1997-07-01

Full Text Available A ontogenia do tapete e dos demais estratos parietais, bem como o desenvolvimento do estômio e deiscência da antera de Tabebuia pulcherrima, foram presentemente estudados. O padrão de formação da parede do androsporângio é do tipo Dicotiledôneo. A camada parietal primária, a camada esporogênica e o tapete interno derivam-se diretamente do meristema fundamental. O tecido esporogênico, em cada androsporângio, visto em secção transversal, organiza-se numa fileira celular em forma de ferradura. O tapete é do tipo secretor e possui origem dual. O tapete interno diferencia-se precocemente em relação ao tapete externo. As duas camadas tapetais são discretamente dimórficas, mas tal dimorfismo é perdido no fim do estádio meiótico do esporângio. O dimorfismo tapetai e a precoce diferenciação do tapete interno são interpretados como expressão de um lapso ontogenético entre as duas camadas. Nas regiões dorso-laterais das tecas desenvolve-se um endotécio multiestratificado com espessamentos anelados ou helicoidais nas paredes celulares. A deiscência é precedida pela degeneração dos tecidos placentóides e ruptura dos septos interesporangiais. Apenas as células epidérmicas dos dois lados do sítio de ruptura do estômio (células estomiais estão envolvidas com a ruptura do mesmo.The ontogeny of the tapetum and parietal layers, as well as the stomium development and the dehiscence of the anther of Tabebuia pulcherima was studied. The anther wall formation follows the Dicotyledoneous type. The primary parietal layer, the sporogenous tissue, and the inner tapetum are differentiated directly from the ground meristem. The sporogenous tissue, as seeing in a transverse section, is organized in one cellular strip with a horseshoe outline. The tapetum is secretory and shows a distinct dual origin. The inner tapetai layer differentiates earlier than the outher. The two tapetai layers are moderately dimorphic. However, even such a

WhatsApp Messenger is useful and reproducible in the assessment of tibial plateau fractures: inter- and intra-observer agreement study.

Science.gov (United States)

Giordano, Vincenzo; Koch, Hilton Augusto; Mendes, Carlos Henrique; Bergamin, André; de Souza, Felipe Serrão; do Amaral, Ney Pecegueiro

2015-02-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the inter- and intra-observer agreement in the initial diagnosis and classification by means of plain radiographs and CT scans of tibial plateau fractures photographed and sent via WhatsApp Messenger. The increasing popularity of smartphones has driven the development of technology for data transmission and imaging and generated a growing interest in the use of these devices as diagnostic tools. The emergence of WhatsApp Messenger technology, which is available for various platforms used by smartphones, has led to an improvement in the quality and resolution of images sent and received. The images (plain radiographs and CT scans) were obtained from 13 cases of tibial plateau fractures using the iPhone 5 (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA, USA) and were sent to six observers via the WhatsApp Messenger application. The observers were asked to determine the standard deviation and type of injury, the classification according to the Schatzker and the Luo classifications schemes, and whether the CT scan changed the classification. The six observers independently assessed the images on two separate occasions, 15 days apart. The inter- and intra-observer agreement for both periods of the study ranged from excellent to perfect (0.75WhatsApp Messenger. The authors now propose the systematic use of the application to facilitate faster documentation and obtaining the opinion of an experienced consultant when not on call. Finally, we think the use of the WhatsApp Messenger as an adjuvant tool could be broadened to other clinical centres to assess its viability in other skeletal and non-skeletal trauma situations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consideraciones gráficas y lingüísticas del lenguaje cibernético: el chat y el Messenger.

OpenAIRE

Cabedo Nebot, Adrián

2009-01-01

Este trabajo pretende estudiar el comportamiento lingüístico de intercambios comunicativos en plataformas cibernéticas como el chat o el Messenger. Así mismo, el planteamiento inicial es investigar si el lenguaje cibernético constituye un código particular, diferenciado del código del lenguaje habitual. This work tries to study linguistic behavior of communicative exchanges in cybernetic platforms like chat or Messenger. Likewise, the initial approach is to investigate if the cybernetic la...

Calcium in Mercury's Exosphere: Modeling MESSENGER Data

Science.gov (United States)

Burger, Matthew H.; Killen, Rosemary M.; McClintock, William E.; Merkel, Aimee; Vervack, Ronald J.; Sarantos, Menelaos; Sprague, Ann L.

2011-01-01

Mercury is surrounded by a surface-bounded exosphere comprised of atomic species including hydrogen, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and likely oxygen. Because it is collisionless. the exosphere's composition represents a balance of the active source and loss processes. The Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) on the MErcury Surface. Space ENvironment. GEochemistry. and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft has made high spatial-resolution observations of sodium, calcium, and magnesium near Mercury's surface and in the extended, anti-sunward direction. The most striking feature of these data has been the substantial differences in the spatial distribution of each species, Our modeling demonstrates that these differences cannot be due to post-ejection dynamics such as differences in photo-ionization rate and radiation pressure. but instead point to differences in the source mechanisms and regions on the surface from which each is ejected. The observations of calcium have revealed a strong dawn/dusk asymmetry. with the abundance over the dawn hemisphere significantly greater than over the dusk. To understand this asymmetry, we use a Monte Carlo model of Mercury's exosphere that we developed to track the motions of exospheric neutrals under the influence of gravity and radiation pressure. Ca atoms can be ejected directly from the surface or produced in a molecular exosphere (e.g., one consisting of CaO). Particles are removed from the system if they stick to the surface or escape from the model region of interest (within 15 Mercury radii). Photoionization reduces the final weighting given to each particle when simulating the Ca radiance. Preliminary results suggest a high temperature ( I-2x 10(exp 4) K) source of atomic Ca concentrated over the dawn hemisphere. The high temperature is consistent with the dissociation of CaO in a near-surface exosphere with scale height <= 100 km, which imparts 2 eV to the freshly produced Ca atom. This

Characterization of callase (β-1,3-D-glucanase) activity during microsporogenesis in the sterile anthers of Allium sativum L. and the fertile anthers of A. atropurpureum.

Science.gov (United States)

Winiarczyk, Krystyna; Jaroszuk-Ściseł, Jolanta; Kupisz, Kamila

2012-06-01

We examined callase activity in anthers of sterile Allium sativum (garlic) and fertile Allium atropurpureum. In A. sativum, a species that produces sterile pollen and propagates only vegetatively, callase was extracted from the thick walls of A. sativum microspore tetrads exhibited maximum activity at pH 4.8, and the corresponding in vivo values ranged from 4.5 to 5.0. Once microspores were released, in vitro callase activity peaked at three distinct pH values, reflecting the presence of three callase isoforms. One isoform, which was previously identified in the tetrad stage, displayed maximum activity at pH 4.8, and the remaining two isoforms, which were novel, were most active at pH 6.0 and 7.3. The corresponding in vivo values ranged from pH 4.75 to 6.0. In contrast, in A. atropurpureum, a sexually propagating species, three callase isoforms, active at pH 4.8-5.2, 6.1, and 7.3, were identified in samples of microsporangia that had released their microspores. The corresponding in vivo value for this plant was 5.9. The callose wall persists around A. sativum meiotic cells, whereas only one callase isoform, with an optimum activity of pH 4.8, is active in the acidic environment of the microsporangium. However, this isoform is degraded when the pH rises to 6.0 and two other callase isoforms, maximally active at pH 6.0 and 7.3, appear. Thus, factors that alter the pH of the microsporangium may indirectly affect the male gametophyte development by modulating the activity of callase and thereby regulating the degradation of the callose wall.

Physicochemical and immunologic characterization of low-molecular-weight allergoids of Dactylis glomerata pollen proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Cirković, T D; Bukilica, M N; Gavrović, M D; Vujcić, Z M; Petrović, S; Jankov, R M

1999-02-01

Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) pollen proteins were chemically modified by means of acid anhydrides (maleic and succinic anhydride) to obtain low-molecular-weight allergoids. Chemical modification in both cases led to the replacement of one positive charge (epsilon amino group of Lys) by one negative charge, yielding proteins with changed physicochemical properties in comparison to the native orchard grass-pollen proteins. Physicochemical characterization of derivatives was done by gel chromatography, SDS-PAGE, and isoelectric focusing. To examine the IgE-binding properties of these derivatives, we carried out immunoblotting. To examine the ability of derivatives to induce IgG production, we immunized rabbits. Skin prick testing with the allergoids was performed on 15 individuals allergic to orchard grass pollens and on two healthy subjects. It was shown that the modified proteins retain their original molecular weights, but change pI to more acidic values. In the case of allergoids, a strong reduction in IgE binding was found. Immunization of rabbits with allergoids showed that the derivatives retain the ability to induce IgG production, and that the antisera obtained in such a way react to native (unmodified) extract. The ability of derivatives to induce allergic reaction was significantly reduced. The patients (86.6%) included in our study exhibited less than 50% of native extract response. Among them, 53.3% had no response to one or both allergoids. These modification procedures yield allergoids with a reduced allergenic activity and preserved immunogenic potential suitable for use in immunotherapy.

The MESSENGER mission to Mercury: scientific objectives and implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Solomon, Sean C.; McNutt, Ralph L.; Gold, Robert E.; Acuña, Mario H.; Baker, Daniel N.; Boynton, William V.; Chapman, Clark R.; Cheng, Andrew F.; Gloeckler, George; Head, James W., III; Krimigis, Stamatios M.; McClintock, William E.; Murchie, Scott L.; Peale, Stanton J.; Phillips, Roger J.; Robinson, Mark S.; Slavin, James A.; Smith, David E.; Strom, Robert G.; Trombka, Jacob I.; Zuber, Maria T.

2001-12-01

Mercury holds answers to several critical questions regarding the formation and evolution of the terrestrial planets. These questions include the origin of Mercury's anomalously high ratio of metal to silicate and its implications for planetary accretion processes, the nature of Mercury's geological evolution and interior cooling history, the mechanism of global magnetic field generation, the state of Mercury's core, and the processes controlling volatile species in Mercury's polar deposits, exosphere, and magnetosphere. The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission has been designed to fly by and orbit Mercury to address all of these key questions. After launch by a Delta 2925H-9.5, two flybys of Venus, and two flybys of Mercury, orbit insertion is accomplished at the third Mercury encounter. The instrument payload includes a dual imaging system for wide and narrow fields-of-view, monochrome and color imaging, and stereo; X-ray and combined gamma-ray and neutron spectrometers for surface chemical mapping; a magnetometer; a laser altimeter; a combined ultraviolet-visible and visible-near-infrared spectrometer to survey both exospheric species and surface mineralogy; and an energetic particle and plasma spectrometer to sample charged species in the magnetosphere. During the flybys of Mercury, regions unexplored by Mariner 10 will be seen for the first time, and new data will be gathered on Mercury's exosphere, magnetosphere, and surface composition. During the orbital phase of the mission, one Earth year in duration, MESSENGER will complete global mapping and the detailed characterization of the exosphere, magnetosphere, surface, and interior.

Comportamiento productivo del pasto ovillo (Dactylis glomerata L. en respuesta al pastoreo.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filogonio Jesús Hernández-Guzmán

2015-01-01

Full Text Available El objetivo del estudio fue determinar los patrones de variación en los componentes de la productividad forrajera del pasto ovillo (Dactylis glomerata L. bajo pastoreo. En Montecillo, Texcoco, Estado de México, México, de junio 2005 a junio 2006, se estudió la combinación de tres frecuencias (21, 28 y 35 días y dos intensidades (5-7 y 9-11 cm en el forraje residual de pastoreo, en un diseño de bloques al azar con tres repeticiones. Se evaluó el rendimiento anual y la distribución estacional de forraje, tasa de crecimiento, composición botánica y morfológica y densidad de tallos. La frecuencia de pastoreo de 35 días superó a las de 21 y 28 (P<0,05 en el rendimiento anual, durante primavera y verano. Independientemente de la frecuencia e intensidad de pastoreo, el rendimiento estacional se distribuyó de la siguiente forma: 49,5, 31,6, 14,1 y 4,8% para primavera, verano, invierno y otoño, respectivamente. La mayor tasa de crecimiento se registró en primavera al pastorear cada 35 días y la menor en otoño al pastorear cada 28 días (P<0,01. Durante invierno se dio mayor presencia de otras especies, siendo el pastoreo cada veintiún días a una intensidad ligera el que originó un aporte al rendimiento de otras especies del 60%. No se presentaron efectos de intensidad ni de frecuencia de pastoreo en la densidad de tallos. El mayor rendimiento y tasa de crecimiento se obtuvieron al pastorear cada 35 días.

Identification of messenger RNA of fetoplacental source in maternal plasma of women with normal pregnancies and pregnancies with intrauterine growth restriction.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayala Ramírez, Paola; García Robles, Reggie; Rojas, Juan Diego; Bermúdez, Martha; Bernal, Jaime

2012-07-01

to quantify placenta-specific RNA in plasma of women carrying foetuses with intrauterine growth restriction and pregnant women with normal pregnancies. 8 pregnant women with foetuses with intrauterine growth restriction were studied as well as 18 women with uncomplicated pregnancies in the third pregnancy trimester. Total free RNA was quantified in maternal plasma by spectrophotometry and the gene expression of hPL (Human Placental Lactogen) at the messenger RNA level through technical Real Time-Chain Reaction Polymerase. plasma RNA of fetoplacental origin was successfully detected in 100% of pregnant women. There were no statistically significant differences between the values of total RNA extracted from plasma (p= 0.5975) nor in the messenger RNA expression of hPL gene (p= 0.5785) between cases and controls. messenger RNA of fetoplacental origin can be detected in maternal plasma during pregnancy.

Pengaruh Social Media Marketing melalui Blackberry Messenger terhadap Minat Beli Konsumen di PT Agung Automall (Agung Toyota) Harapan Raya Pekanbaru

OpenAIRE

Lubis, Evawani Elysa; Pratama, Lian

2016-01-01

The rise of social media is the new media can be used as marketing at once to do consumer interaction, called social media marketing. One of the social media marketing which is now popular among business people, IE blackberry messenger. Through this application can send a message text, sound, and images for free about their business or place information and promotions offered from their products so that it formed an interest to buy from someone, with the blackberry messenger messages or infor...

Pathophysiological implications of the chemical messengers; Implicaciones fisiopatologicas de los mensajeros quimicos

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blazquez Fernandez, E.

2009-07-01

To maintain a physical organization and a different composition of its surroundings environment, living beings use a great part of the energy that they produce. Vital processes require an elevated number of reactions which are regulated and integrated by chemical messengers. They use autocrine, paracrine, endocrine and synaptic signals through receptors of cell surface, nuclear or associated with ionic channels, enzymes, trim eric G proteins and to intracellular kinases. Through these mechanisms pheromones play an important role in the relationships between different individuals, and hormones are able to regulate the integrative functions of our organism. In the nervous system, neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, sensors and receptors between other messengers, play functions of great relevance, while growth factors stimulate cell proliferation and cytokines have many effects but the most important is the ones related with the control of the immflamatory process. Alterations of these messengers permit us a better understanding of the diseases and possibly of its treatments in a near future. Modifications of the expression of genes from the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes are responsible of monogenic, polygenic and mitochondrial diseases, while alterations in the activities of dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitters are related with schizophrenia, Parkinson disease and depression, respectively. Other example is the hyperthyroidism of the Graves-Bassedow disease due to the competitive interference of the LATS immunoglobulin with TSH at the level of the follicular cells producing thyroid hormones Twenty five years ago in the reviews on the mechanisms of insulin action, there was presentations in which the insulin receptor was located in the plasma membrane of the target cells while in the cytoplasm only a big interrogative was observed, that at present is replaced by chemical mediators cascades responsible of the multiple effects of insulin. This finding is similar

MESSENGER Observations of ULF Waves in Mercury's Foreshock Region

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Guan; Chi, Peter J.; Bardsen, Scott; Blanco-Cano, Xochitl; Slavin, James A.; Korth, Haje

2012-01-01

The region upstream from a planetary bow shock is a natural plasma laboratory containing a variety of wave particle phenomena. The study of foreshocks other than the Earth s is important for extending our understanding of collisionless shocks and foreshock physics since the bow shock strength varies with heliocentric distance from the Sun, and the sizes of the bow shocks are different at different planets. The Mercury s bow shock is unique in our solar system as it is produced by low Mach number solar wind blowing over a small magnetized body with a predominately radial interplanetary magnetic field. Previous observations of Mercury upstream ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves came exclusively from two Mercury flybys of Mariner 10. The MESSENGER orbiter data enable us to study of upstream waves in the Mercury s foreshock in depth. This paper reports an overview of upstream ULF waves in the Mercury s foreshock using high-time resolution magnetic field data, 20 samples per second, from the MESSENGER spacecraft. The most common foreshock waves have frequencies near 2 Hz, with properties similar to the 1-Hz waves in the Earth s foreshock. They are present in both the flyby data and in every orbit of the orbital data we have surveyed. The most common wave phenomenon in the Earth s foreshock is the large-amplitude 30-s waves, but similar waves at Mercury have frequencies at 0.1 Hz and occur only sporadically with short durations (a few wave cycles). Superposed on the "30-s" waves, there are spectral peaks at 0.6 Hz, not reported previously in Mariner 10 data. We will discuss wave properties and their occurrence characteristics in this paper.

Mobile Immersion: An Experiment Using Mobile Instant Messenger to Support Second-Language Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Arthur

2016-01-01

Immersion has been an acclaimed approach for second-language acquisition, but is not available to most students. The idea of this study was to create a mobile immersion environment on a smartphone using a mobile instant messenger, WhatsApp™. Forty-five Form-1 (7th grade) students divided into the Mobile Group and Control Group participated in a…

MESSENGER observations of magnetic reconnection in Mercury's magnetosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin, James A; Acuña, Mario H; Anderson, Brian J; Baker, Daniel N; Benna, Mehdi; Boardsen, Scott A; Gloeckler, George; Gold, Robert E; Ho, George C; Korth, Haje; Krimigis, Stamatios M; McNutt, Ralph L; Raines, Jim M; Sarantos, Menelaos; Schriver, David; Solomon, Sean C; Trávnícek, Pavel; Zurbuchen, Thomas H

2009-05-01

Solar wind energy transfer to planetary magnetospheres and ionospheres is controlled by magnetic reconnection, a process that determines the degree of connectivity between the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) and a planet's magnetic field. During MESSENGER's second flyby of Mercury, a steady southward IMF was observed and the magnetopause was threaded by a strong magnetic field, indicating a reconnection rate ~10 times that typical at Earth. Moreover, a large flux transfer event was observed in the magnetosheath, and a plasmoid and multiple traveling compression regions were observed in Mercury's magnetotail, all products of reconnection. These observations indicate that Mercury's magnetosphere is much more responsive to IMF direction and dominated by the effects of reconnection than that of Earth or the other magnetized planets.

Time Domain Astronomy with Fermi GBM in the Multi-messenger Era

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.; Fermi GBM team, GBM-LIGO team

2018-01-01

As the Multi-Messenger era begins with detections of gravitational waves with LIGO/Virgo and neutrinos with IceCube, the Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) provides context observations of gamma-ray transients between 8 keV and 40 MeV. Fermi GBM has a wide field of view, high uptime, and both in-orbit triggering and high time resolution continuous data enabling offline searches for weaker transients. GBM detects numerous gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), soft gamma-ray repeaters, X-ray bursters, solar flares and terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. Longer timescale transients, predominantly in our galaxy so far, are detected using the Earth occultation technique and epoch-folding for periodic sources. The GBM team has developed two ground-based searches to enhance detections of faint transients, especially short GRBs. The targeted search uses the time and location of an event detected with another instrument to coherently search the GBM data, increasing the sensitivity to a transient. The untargeted search agnostically searches the GBM data for all directions and times to find weaker transients. This search finds about 80 short GRBs per year, adding to the 40 per year triggered on-orbit. With its large field of view, high duty cycle and increasingly sophisticated detection methods, Fermi GBM is expected to have a major role in the Multi-Messenger era.

Strontium, cessium, and cerium radioisotope concentration in water of superficial reservoirs as determined by their accumulation in alga Cladophora glomerata

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piskunov, L.I.; Gushchin, V.M.

1979-01-01

An indirect method of measuring concentrations of strontium-90,cesium-137 and cerium-144 in water is considered. The method is bsed on the accumulation of the nuclides in Cladophora glomerata Kutz, a fresh-water alga. During 10 days in the end of July, 1975, water samples (20 l) and alga samples (about 1 kg) were taken at 14 locations more or less evenly distributed along the bank of reservoir. Some locations were in coves or issues of small rivers so that almost all morphometric features of the reservoir were taken into account. The samples were processed and radiochemically analyzed, including the radiometry of standard techniques. The counting time was so selected that the statistical error did not exceed 10 %. The radionuclide concentration was calculated per unit weight of sample (pCi/l or pCi/kg of natural alga biomass). The method may be of particular importance for those radionuclides that are rapidly absorbed by bottom sediments and at the same time intensively accumulated by the hydrobios (radioisotopes of iron, cobalt, zinc, yttrium, zirconium and some others)

Gasification of algal biomass (Cladophora glomerata L.) with CO2/H2O/O2 in a circulating fluidized bed.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebadi, Abdol Ghaffar; Hisoriev, Hikmat

2017-11-28

Gasification is one of the most important thermochemical routes to produce both synthesis gas (syngas) and chars. The quality of produced syngas wieldy depends on the operating conditions (temperature, residence time, heating rate, and gasifying agent), hydrodynamic properties of gasifier (particle size, minimum fluidization velocity, and gasifier size), and type of feedstock (coal, biomass, oil, and municipal solid wastes). In the present study, simulation of syngas production via circulating fluidized bed (CFB) gasification of algal biomass (Cladophora glomerata L.) at different gasifying agents and particle sizes was carried out, using Aspen Plus simulator. The model which has been validated by using experimental data of the technical literature was used to evaluate the influence of operating conditions on gas composition and performance parameters. The results show that biomass gasification using pure oxygen as the gasification agent has great potential to improve the caloric value of produced gas and performance indicators. It was also found that the produced gas caloric value, syngas yield, and performance parameters (CCE and CGE) increase with reaction temperature but are inversely proportional to the biomass particle size.

Proteomic analysis of Sydney Rock oysters (Saccostrea glomerata) exposed to metal contamination in the field

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, Emma L.; Taylor, Daisy A.; Nair, Sham V.; Birch, Gavin; Hose, Grant C.; Raftos, David A.

2012-01-01

This study used proteomics to assess the impacts of metal contamination in the field on Sydney Rock oysters. Oysters were transplanted into Lake Macquarie, NSW, for two weeks in both 2009 and 2010. Two-dimensional electrophoresis identified changes in protein expression profiles of oyster haemolymph between control and metal contaminated sites. There were unique protein expression profiles for each field trial. Principal components analysis attributed these differences in oyster proteomes to the different combinations and concentrations of metals and other environmental variables present during the three field trials. Identification of differentially expressed proteins showed that proteins associated with cytoskeletal activity and stress responses were the most commonly affected biological functions in the Sydney Rock oyster. Overall, the data show that proteomics combined with multivariate analysis has the potential to link the effects of contaminants with biological consequences. - Highlights: ► Sydney Rock oyster haemolymph was analysed by proteomics after metal exposure in 3 field trials. ► 2-DE analysis was used to compare protein profiles between control and contaminated sites. ► Different protein expression profiles were revealed per field trial. ► Principal components analysis attributed profiles to different suites of metals and environmental variables per trial. ► The study highlights the need to do multiple field trials and to combine proteomic and enviro. data. - This study used proteomics to analyse impacts of metal contamination on Sydney Rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) haemolymph in multiple field trials.

Solid-stemmed spring wheat cultivars give better androgenic response than hollow-stemmed cultivars in anther culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Weigt, Dorota; Kiel, Angelika; Nawracała, Jerzy; Pluta, Mateusz; Łacka, Agnieszka

2016-01-01

Solid-stemmed spring wheat cultivars ( Triticum aestivum L.) are resistant to the stem sawfly ( Cephus cinctus Nort.) and lodging. Anthers of 24 spring wheat cultivars with varying content of pith in the stem were used in the experiment. All were classified into three groups: solid, medium-solid and hollow stems. There was considerable influence of the cultivar on callus formation and green plant regeneration. The highest efficiency of green plant regeneration (24%) was observed for the solid-stemmed AC Abbey cultivar. There was no regeneration from the explants of four cultivars: CLTR 7027, Alentejano, Marquis and Bombona. Principal component analysis showed no differences between the cases under observation (callus induction and green plant regeneration) in their response to pre-treatment temperatures (4 and 8°C). The examination of the effects of various auxin types in the induction medium on callus formation and green plant regeneration revealed that the strongest stimulation of these processes was observed in the C17 medium with 2,4-D and dicamba. The efficiency of callus formation and green plant regeneration was greater in solid-stemmed cultivars than in hollow-stemmed cultivars.

Online De-Radicalization? Countering Violent Extremist Narratives: Message, Messenger and Media Strategy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omar Ashour

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Is “online de-radicalization” possible? Given the two growing phenomena of “online radicalization” and “behavioral/ideological/organizational de-radicalization,” this article outlines a broad strategy for countering the narratives of violent extremists. It argues that an effective counter-narrative should be built on three pillars. The first is an effective comprehensive message that dismantles and counter-argues against every dimension of the extremist narrative, namely the theological, political, historical, instrumental and socio-psychological dimensions. The second pillar is the messengers. The article argues that for the first time in the history of Jihadism a “critical mass” of former militants, who rebelled not only against the current behaviour of their former colleagues but also against the ideology supporting it, has come into existence. This “critical mass” can constitute the core of credible messengers, especially the few de-radicalized individuals and groups that still maintain influence and respect among vulnerable communities. The third pillar is the dissemination and attraction strategy of the counter-narratives(s which focuses on the role of the media. The author of the article outlines a broad framework, which is a part of a UN-sponsored, comprehensive research project on countering the extremists narrative.

Exosomes as divine messengers: are they the Hermes of modern molecular oncology?

Science.gov (United States)

Braicu, C; Tomuleasa, C; Monroig, P; Cucuianu, A; Berindan-Neagoe, I; Calin, G A

2015-01-01

Exosomes are cell-derived vesicles that convey key elements with the potential to modulate intercellular communication. They are known to be secreted from all types of cells, and are crucial messengers that can regulate cellular processes by ‘trafficking' molecules from cells of one tissue to another. The exosomal content has been shown to be broad, composed of different types of cytokines, growth factors, proteins, or nucleic acids. Besides messenger RNA (mRNA) they can also contain noncoding transcripts such as microRNAs (miRNAs), which are small endogenous cellular regulators of protein expression. In diseases such as cancer, exosomes can facilitate tumor progression by altering their vesicular content and supplying the tumor niche with molecules that favor the progression of oncogenic processes such as proliferation, invasion and metastasis, or even drug resistance. The packaging of their molecular content is known to be tissue specific, a fact that makes them interesting tools in clinical diagnostics and ideal candidates for biomarkers. In the current report, we describe the main properties of exosomes and explain their involvement in processes such as cell differentiation and cell death. Furthermore, we emphasize the need of developing patient-targeted treatments by applying the conceptualization of exosomal-derived miRNA-based therapeutics. PMID:25236394

Navigating the MESSENGER Spacecraft through End of Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Bryan, C. G.; Williams, B. G.; Williams, K. E.; Taylor, A. H.; Carranza, E.; Page, B. R.; Stanbridge, D. R.; Mazarico, E.; Neumann, G. A.; O'Shaughnessy, D. J.; McAdams, J. V.; Calloway, A. B.

2015-12-01

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft orbited the planet Mercury from March 2011 until the end of April 2015, when it impacted the planetary surface after propellant reserves used to maintain the orbit were depleted. This highly successful mission was led by the principal investigator, Sean C. Solomon, of Columbia University. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) designed and assembled the spacecraft and served as the home for spacecraft operations. Spacecraft navigation for the entirety of the mission was provided by the Space Navigation and Flight Dynamics Practice (SNAFD) of KinetX Aerospace. Orbit determination (OD) solutions were generated through processing of radiometric tracking data provided by NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) using the MIRAGE suite of orbital analysis tools. The MESSENGER orbit was highly eccentric, with periapsis at a high northern latitude and periapsis altitude in the range 200-500 km for most of the orbital mission phase. In a low-altitude "hover campaign" during the final two months of the mission, periapsis altitudes were maintained within a narrow range between about 35 km and 5 km. Navigating a spacecraft so near a planetary surface presented special challenges. Tasks required to meet those challenges included the modeling and estimation of Mercury's gravity field and of solar and planetary radiation pressure, and the design of frequent orbit-correction maneuvers. Superior solar conjunction also presented observational modeling issues. One key to the overall success of the low-altitude hover campaign was a strategy to utilize data from an onboard laser altimeter as a cross-check on the navigation team's reconstructed and predicted estimates of periapsis altitude. Data obtained from the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) on a daily basis provided near-real-time feedback that proved invaluable in evaluating alternative orbit estimation strategies, and

Synaptic plasticity in the medial vestibular nuclei: role of glutamate receptors and retrograde messengers in rat brainstem slices.

Science.gov (United States)

Grassi, S; Pettorossi, V E

2001-08-01

The analysis of cellular-molecular events mediating synaptic plasticity within vestibular nuclei is an attempt to explain the mechanisms underlying vestibular plasticity phenomena. The present review is meant to illustrate the main results, obtained in vitro, on the mechanisms underlying long-term changes in synaptic strength within the medial vestibular nuclei. The synaptic plasticity phenomena taking place at the level of vestibular nuclei could be useful for adapting and consolidating the efficacy of vestibular neuron responsiveness to environmental requirements, as during visuo-vestibular recalibration and vestibular compensation. Following a general introduction on the most salient features of vestibular compensation and visuo-vestibular adaptation, which are two plastic events involving neuronal circuitry within the medial vestibular nuclei, the second and third sections describe the results from rat brainstem slice studies, demonstrating the possibility to induce long-term potentiation and depression in the medial vestibular nuclei, following high frequency stimulation of the primary vestibular afferents. In particular the mechanisms sustaining the induction and expression of vestibular long-term potentiation and depression, such as the role of various glutamate receptors and retrograde messengers have been described. The relevant role of the interaction between the platelet-activating factor, acting as a retrograde messenger, and the presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptors, in determining the full expression of vestibular long-term potentiation is also underlined. In addition, the mechanisms involved in vestibular long-term potentiation have been compared with those leading to long-term potentiation in the hippocampus to emphasize the most significant differences emerging from vestibular studies. The fourth part, describes recent results demonstrating the essential role of nitric oxide, another retrograde messenger, in the induction of vestibular

Tissue distribution of human acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase messenger RNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jbilo, O.; Barteles, C.F.; Chatonnet, A.; Toutant, J.P.; Lockridge, O.

1994-12-31

Tissue distribution of human acetyicholinesterase and butyryicholinesterase messenger RNA. 1 Cholinesterase inhibitors occur naturally in the calabar bean (eserine), green potatoes (solanine), insect-resistant crab apples, the coca plant (cocaine) and snake venom (fasciculin). There are also synthetic cholinesterase inhibitors, for example man-made insecticides. These inhibitors inactivate acetyicholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase as well as other targets. From a study of the tissue distribution of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase mRNA by Northern blot analysis, we have found the highest levels of butyrylcholinesterase mRNA in the liver and lungs, tissues known as the principal detoxication sites of the human body. These results indicate that butyrylcholinesterase may be a first line of defense against poisons that are eaten or inhaled.

Anther and pollen development in some species of Poaceae (Poales Desenvolvimento da antera e do grão de pólen em espécies de Poaceae (Poales

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AT. Nakamura

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Anther and pollen development were studied in Olyra humilis Nees, Sucrea monophylla Soderstr, (Bambusoideae, Axonopus aureus P. Beauv., Paspalum polyphyllum Nees ex Trin. (Panicoideae, Eragrostis solida Nees, and Chloris elata Desv. (Chloridoideae. The objective of this study was to characterise, embryologically, these species of subfamilies which are considered basal, intermediate and derivate, respectively. The species are similar to each other and to other Poaceae. They present the following characters: tetrasporangiate anthers; monocotyledonous-type anther wall development, endothecium showing annular thickenings, secretory tapetum; successive microsporogenesis; isobilateral tetrads; spheroidal, tricellular, monoporate pollen grains with annulus and operculum. Nevertheless, the exine patterns of the species studied are distinct. Olyra humilis and Sucrea monophylla (Bambusoideae show a granulose pattern, whereas in the other species, it is insular. In addition, Axonopus aureus and Paspalum polyphyllum (Panicoideae have a compactly insular spinule pattern, while Chloris elata and Eragrostis solida (Chloridoideae show a sparsely insular spinule pattern. The exine ornamentation may be considered an important feature at the infrafamiliar level.O desenvolvimento da antera e do grão de pólen de Olyra humilis Nees, Sucrea monophylla Soderstr. (Bambusoideae, Axonopus aureus P. Beauv., Paspalum polyphyllum Nees ex Trin. (Panicoideae, Eragrostis solida Nees and Chloris elata Desv. (Chloridoideae foi estudado visando caracterizar embriologicamente essas espécies de subfamílias consideradas basal, intermediária e derivada, respectivamente. As espécies são similares entre si e entre as demais Poaceae. Apresentam os seguintes caracteres: anteras tetrasporangiadas; desenvolvimento da parede da antera do tipo monocotiledôneo, endotécio com espessamento de parede anelar, tapete secretor; microsporogênese sucessiva; tétrades isobilaterais; grãos de

Early changes of placenta-derived messenger RNA in maternal plasma – potential value for preeclampsia prediction?

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Surugiu Sebastian

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: the pourpose of the study was to determine if there are any differences between placenta derived plasmatic levels of messenger RNA in normal and future preeclamptic pregnancies and if these placental transcripts can predict preeclampsia long before clinical onset

MESSENGER Observations of the Spatial Distribution of Planetary Ions Near Mercury

Science.gov (United States)

Zurbuchen, Thomas H.; Raines, Jim M.; Slavin, James A.; Gershman, Daniel J.; Gilbert, Jason A.; Gloeckler, George; Anderson, Brian J.; Baker, Daniel N.; Korth, Haje; Krimigis, Stamatios M.;

MESSENGER Orbital Observations of Large-Amplitude Kelvin-Helmholtz Waves at Mercury's Magnetopause

Science.gov (United States)

Sundberg, Torbjorn; Boardsen, Scott A.; Slavin, James A.; Anderson, Brian J.; Korth, Haje; Zurbuchen, Thomas H.; Raines, Jim M.; Solomon, Sean C.

2012-01-01

We present a survey of Kelvi\\ n-Helmholtz (KH) waves at Mercury's magnetopause during MESSENGER's first Mercury year in orb it. The waves were identified on the basis of the well-established sawtooth wave signatures that are associated with non-linear KH vortices at the magnetopause. MESSENGER frequently observed such KH waves in the dayside region of the magnetosphere where the magnetosheath flow velocity is still sub -sonic, which implies that instability growth rates at Mercury's magnetopau are much larger than at Earth. We attribute these greater rates to the limited wave energy dissipation in Mercury's highly resistive regolith. The wave amplitude was often on the order of ' 00 nT or more, and the wave periods were - 10- 20 s. A clear dawn-dusk asymmetry is present in the data, in that all of the observed wave events occurred in the post-noon and dusk-side sectors of the magnetopause. This asymmetry is like ly related to finite Larmor-radius effects and is in agreement with results from particle-in-cell simulations of the instability. The waves were observed almost exclusively during periods when the north-south component of the magnetosheath magnetic field was northward, a pattern similar to that for most terrestrial KH wave events. Accompanying plasma measurements show that the waves were associated with the transport of magnetosheath plasma into the magnetosphere.

Suppressing gravitino thermal production with a temperature-dependent messenger coupling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badziak, Marcin; Dalianis, Ioannis; Lalak, Zygmunt

2016-01-01

We show that the constraints on GMSB theories from the gravitino cosmology can be significantly relaxed if the messenger-spurion coupling is temperature dependent. We demonstrate this novel mechanism in a scenario in which this coupling depends on the VEV of an extra singlet field S that interacts with the thermalized plasma which can result in a significantly suppressed gravitino production rate. In such a scenario the relic gravitino abundance is determined by the thermal dynamics of the S field and it is easy to fit the observed dark matter abundance evading the stringent constraints on the reheating temperature, thus making gravitino dark matter consistent with thermal leptogenesis.

Farm Women, Solidarity, and "The Suffrage Messenger": Nebraska Suffrage Activism on the Plains, 1915-1917

Science.gov (United States)

Heider, Carmen

2012-01-01

In 1914 Nebraska men once again voted against the amendment that would have granted full suffrage to Nebraska women. This article focuses on the three years immediately after that defeat. It explores the remaining seventeen issues of the "Suffrage Messenger" and asks the following question: how did the suffrage newspaper portray and…

Vector-like fields, messenger mixing and the Higgs mass in gauge mediation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fischler, Willy; Tangarife, Walter [Department of Physics and Texas Cosmology Center,The University of Texas at Austin,TX 78712 (United States)

2014-05-30

In order to generate, in the context of gauge mediation, a Higgs mass around 126 GeV that avoids the little hierarchy problem, we explore a set of models where the messengers are directly coupled to new vector-like fields at the TeV scale in addition to the usual low energy degrees of freedom. We find that in this context, stop masses lighter than 2 TeV and large A-terms are generated, thereby improving issues of fine tuning.

Bifurcations in the interplay of messenger RNA, protein and nonprotein coding RNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhdanov, Vladimir P

2008-01-01

The interplay of messenger RNA (mRNA), protein, produced via translation of this RNA, and nonprotein coding RNA (ncRNA) may include regulation of the ncRNA production by protein and (i) ncRNA-protein association resulting in suppression of the protein regulatory activity or (ii) ncRNA-mRNA association resulting in degradation of the miRNA-mRNA complex. The kinetic models describing these two scenarios are found to predict bistability provided that protein suppresses the ncRNA formation

Anther response to high-temperature stress during development and pollen thermotolerance heterosis as revealed by pollen tube growth and in vitro pollen vigor analysis in upland cotton.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Guicheng; Wang, Miaomiao; Zeng, Bin; Zhang, Jing; Jiang, Chenliang; Hu, Qirui; Geng, Guangtao; Tang, Canming

2015-05-01

Pollen tube growth in styles was strongly inhibited by temperature above 35 °C, and the yield of cotton decreased because of the adverse effect of high temperatures during square development. High-temperature stress during flowering influences the square development of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and cotton yield. Although it is well known that square development is sensitive to high temperature, high-temperature sensitive stages of square development and the effects of high temperature on pollen tube growth in the styles are unknown. The effect of high temperature on anther development corresponding to pollen vigor is unknown during anther development. The objectives of this study were to identify the stages of square development that are sensitive to high temperatures (37/30 and 40/34 °C), to determine whether the abnormal development of squares influenced by high temperature is responsible for the variation in the in vitro germination percent of pollen grains at anthesis, to identify the effect of high temperature on pollen germination in the styles, and to determine pollen thermotolerance heterosis. Our results show that the stages from the sporogenous cell to tetrad stage (square length styles was strongly inhibited by temperature above 35 °C, and the yield of cotton decreased because of the effect of high temperature during square development. The thermotolerance of hybrid F1 pollen showed heterosis, and pollen viability could be used as a criterion for screening for high-temperature tolerance cultivars. These results can be used in breeding to develop new cotton cultivars that can withstand high-temperature conditions, particularly in a future warmer climate.

A relative contribution of carbon from green tide algae Cladophora glomerata and Ulva intestinalis in the coastal food webs in the Neva Estuary (Baltic Sea).

Science.gov (United States)

Golubkov, Sergey M; Berezina, Nadezhda A; Gubelit, Yulia I; Demchuk, Anna S; Golubkov, Mikhail S; Tiunov, Alexei V

2018-01-01

We analyzed stable isotope composition of carbon and nitrogen of suspended organic matter (seston) and tissues of macroalgae, macroinvertebrates and fish from the coastal area of the highly eutrophic Neva Estuary to test a hypothesis that organic carbon of macroalgae Cladophora glomerata and Ulva intestinalis produced during green tides may be among primary sources supporting coastal food webs. The Stable Isotope Bayesian mixing model (SIAR) showed that consumers poorly use organic carbon produced by macroalgae. According to the results of SIAR modeling, benthic macroinvertebrates and fish mostly rely on pelagic derived carbon as a basal resource for their production. Only some species of macroinvertebrates consumed macroalgae. Fish used this resource directly consuming zooplankton or indirectly via benthic macroinvertebrates. This was consistent with the results of the gut content analysis, which revealed a high proportion of zooplankton in the guts of non-predatory fish. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Interplanetary Magnetic Field Power Spectrum Variations in the Inner Heliosphere: A Wind and MESSENGER Study

Science.gov (United States)

Szabo, Adam; Koval, A.

2011-01-01

The newly reprocessed high time resolution (11/22 vectors/sec) Wind mission interplanetary magnetic field data and the similar observations made by the MESSENGER spacecraft in the inner heliosphere affords an opportunity to compare magnetic field power spectral density variations as a function of radial distance from the Sun under different solar wind conditions. In the reprocessed Wind Magnetic Field Investigation (MFI) data, the spin tone and its harmonics are greatly reduced that allows the meaningful fitting of power spectra to the approx.2 Hz limit above which digitization noise becomes apparent. The powe'r spectral density is computed and the spectral index is fitted for the MHD and ion inertial regime separately along with the break point between the two for various solar wind conditions. Wind and MESSENGER magnetic fluctuations are compared for times when the two spacecraft are close to radial and Parker field alignment. The functional dependence of the ion inertial spectral index and break point on solar wind plasma and magnetic field conditions will be discussed.

ANALISIS PREFERENSI KONSUMEN DALAM PENGGUNAAN SOCIAL MESSENGER DI KOTA BANDUNG TAHUN 2014 (Studi Kasus : LINE, KAKAOTALK, WECHAT, WHATSAPP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noventi Ersa Putri

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui “preferensi konsumen dalam penggunaan Social Messenger di kota Bandung”. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode eksploratif dan deskriptif, dengan meng- gunakan teknik Nonprobability sampling dan purposive sampling, dengan jumlah sampel 384 responden. Analisis data yang digunakan adalah Conjoint Analysis. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukan bahwa keseluruhan responden menjadikan atribut fasilitas fi tur sebagai preferensi utama dalam memilih social messenger dengan nilai kepentingan tertinggi yaitu 48.361% dan level tertinggi yang menjadi preferensi fasilitas fi tur adalah free chat dengan nilai kepentingan sebesar 0.603% dan atribut desain sesuai kebutuhan pelanggan sebagai atribut terendah dengan nilai kepentingan 15.256% dan level ter- tinggi yang menjadi preferensi desain sesuai kebutuhan pelanggan adalah memiliki tampilan yang menarik dengan nilai kepentingan sebesar 0.078%.

Preparation of Dry Extract of Mikania glomerata Sprengel (Guaco and Determination of Its Coumarin Levels by Spectrophotometry and HPLC-UV

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria da Penha Henriques do Amaral

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Guaco (Mikania glomerata Sprengel syrup is one of the most popular herbal medicines used to treat the symptoms of asthmatic bronchitis, cough and hoarseness. The coumarin 2H-1-benzopyran-2-one, is one of the major constituents of Guaco and contributes to its pharmacological effects. The pharmaceutical capsule form of dry extract of Guaco is recommended by the Brazilian Program of Medicinal Plants and Herbal Medicines and used in primary health care. In order to identify a new protocol to obtain the raw material for Guaco capsule production we evaluated two methods, including a freeze-drying process (lyophilization and the spray-dryer technique, as well as the use of two adjuvants, Maltodextrins and Aerosil^®, in different concentrations. The coumarin levels of the dried extracts were analyzed by UV-spectrophotometry and HPLC-UV/DAD. The adjuvant Aerosil^® 8% showed better dry powder physical appearance. Lyophilization was observed to be the best process to obtain the dry extract of Guaco based on the measured coumarin levels.

Prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes in bacterial communities associated with Cladophora glomerata mats along the nearshore of Lake Ontario.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibsen, Michael; Fernando, Dinesh M; Kumar, Ayush; Kirkwood, Andrea E

2017-05-01

The alga Cladophora glomerata can erupt in nuisance blooms throughout the lower Great Lakes. Since bacterial abundance increases with the emergence and decay of Cladophora, we investigated the prevalence of antibiotic resistance (ABR) in Cladophora-associated bacterial communities up-gradient and down-gradient from a large sewage treatment plant (STP) on Lake Ontario. Although STPs are well-known sources of ABR, we also expected detectable ABR from up-gradient wetland communities, since they receive surface run-off from urban and agricultural sources. Statistically significant differences in aquatic bacterial abundance and ABR were found between down-gradient beach samples and up-gradient coastal wetland samples (ANOVA, Holm-Sidak test, p Cladophora sampled near the STP had the highest bacterial densities overall, including on ampicillin- and vancomycin-treated plates. However, quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of the ABR genes ampC, tetA, tetB, and vanA from environmental communities showed a different pattern. Some of the highest ABR gene levels occurred at the 2 coastal wetland sites (vanA). Overall, bacterial ABR profiles from environmental samples were distinguishable between living and decaying Cladophora, inferring that Cladophora may control bacterial ABR depending on its life-cycle stage. Our results also show how spatially and temporally dynamic ABR is in nearshore aquatic bacteria, which warrants further research.

ALLTALK™- A Windows Phone Messenger With Cross Language Communication For Customer Care Services

OpenAIRE

Akhil Abraham; Royston Pinto

2014-01-01

In day to day life, messengers or chatting applications provide facility for instant messaging over the internet. Exchange of messages takes place in universally used languages like English, French, etc. where both the users know how to communicate in a common language. Thus chatting on mobile phones is a luxury when both the parties involved know a common language. When any company wants to provide customer care services to its customer they use mediums like talking to the cu...

Just How Important Is the Messenger versus the Message? The Case of Framing Physician-Assisted Suicide

Science.gov (United States)

Haider-Markel, Donald P.; Joslyn, Mark R.

2004-01-01

As a political issue, death and dying topics only sometimes reach the political agenda. However, some issues, such as physician-assisted suicide (PAS) have been highly salient. This article explores attitudes toward PAS by examining the malleability of opinion when respondents are exposed to issue frames and when specific messengers present those…

Seasonal dynamics in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization and spore numbers in the rhizosphere of dactylis glomerata l. and trifolium repens L

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xin, G.; Ye, S.; Wang, Y.; Wu, E.; Sugawara, K.

2012-01-01

The seasonal dynamics in the colonization of the rhizosphere of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) pastures by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and the production of spores in an artifical Japanese grassland was investigated over 12 months (between December 2001 and December 2002). The results showed that the AM fungal colonization fluctuated seasonally in the rhizosphere of both pastures. The total AM fungal colonization of the two pastures decreased during winter, then increased from March to June as the pastures grew, but slightly decreased again in July and August, and again followed an increase in September. There was significant difference of the colonization by arbuscules and vesicles between the two pastures ( p <0.05). Besides, the vesicular colonization of orchardgrass was higher than that of white clover, but the opposite trend was observed for arbuscular colonization. Similarly, the numbers of AM fungal spores in the pastures varied throughout the year, decreasing from spring to summer, then slowly increasing in late summer, reaching peak levels in winter. There is significant correlation between the frequency of spores in the rhizosphere soil and both soil temperature and pH. (author)

The space environment of Mercury at the times of the second and third MESSENGER flybys

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Baker, D. N.; Odstrčil, D.; Anderson, B.J.; Arge, C. N.; Benna, M.; Gloeckler, G.; Korth, H.; Mayer, L. R.; Raines, J.M.; Schriver, D.; Slavin, J.A.; Solomon, S.C.; Trávníček, Pavel M.; Zurbuchen, T.H.

2011-01-01

Roč. 59, č. 15 (2011), s. 2066-2074 ISSN 0032-0633 Grant - others: NASA (US) NASW-00002; NASA (US) NAS5-97271 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z30420517 Keywords : Mercury * Solar wind * Interplanetary magnetic field * Magnetospheres * MESSENGER Subject RIV: BN - Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astrophysics Impact factor: 2.224, year: 2011 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032063311000481

Effect of the Intelligent Health Messenger Box on health care professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and practice related to hand hygiene and hand bacteria counts.

Science.gov (United States)

Saffari, Mohsen; Ghanizadeh, Ghader; Fattahipour, Rasoul; Khalaji, Kazem; Pakpour, Amir H; Koenig, Harold G

2016-12-01

We assessed the effectiveness of the Intelligent Health Messenger Box in promoting hand hygiene using a quasiexperimental design. Knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices related to hand hygiene as well as hand bacteria counts and amount of liquid soap used were measured. The intervention involved broadcasting preventive audio messages. All outcomes showed significant change after the intervention compared with before. The Intelligent Health Messenger Box can serve as a practical way to improve hand hygiene. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Mercury Laser Altimeter Instrument for the MESSENGER Mission

Science.gov (United States)

Cavanaugh, John F.; Smith, James C.; Sun, Xiaoli; Bartels, Arlin E.; Ramos-Izquierdo, Luis; Krebs, Danny J.; Novo-Gradac, Anne marie; McGarry, Jan F.; Trunzo, Raymond; Britt, Jamie L.

2006-01-01

The Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) is one of the payload science instruments on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission, which launched on 3 August 2004. The altimeter will measure the round trip time-of-flight of transmitted laser pulses reflected from the surface of the planet that, in combination with the spacecraft orbit position and pointing data, gives a high-precision measurement of surface topography referenced to Mercury's center of mass. The altimeter measurements will be used to determine the planet's forced librations by tracking the motion of large-scale topographic features as a function of time. MLA's laser pulse energy monitor and the echo pulse energy estimate will provide an active measurement of the surface reflectivity at 1064 nm. This paper describes the instrument design, prelaunch testing, calibration, and results of post-launch testing.

Plant uptake of MBOCA (4,4'-methylene-bis (2-chloroaniline)). [Brassica oleracea L. ; Phaseolus vulgaris L. ; Beta vulgaris L. ; Sorghum vulgare Pers. ; Dactylis glomerata L. ; Daucus carrota L

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voorman, R; Penner, D

1986-09-01

(/sup 14/C)-MBOCA was absorbed by cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), and sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) leaves, but did not move beyond the absorption point. Radio autographs of bean, sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers.), orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and carrot (Daucus carrota L.) plants exposed to (/sup 14/C)-MBOCA via hydroponic culture showed considerable radioactivity associated with the roots with only limited translocation of (/sup 14/C) into upper plant parts. Bean and cucumber (Cucumis sativa L.) plants grown in (/sup 14/C)-MBOCA amended soil translocated virtually no (/sup 14/C) into aerial parts, but again considerable radioactivity was found on roots. Radioactivity could not be rinsed off roots with water or acetone, and a small amount of radioactivity was observed in the xylem-phloem layer of the carrot root.

Navajo Code Talker Joe Morris, Sr. shared insights from his time as a secret World War Two messenger

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

Navajo Code Talker Joe Morris, Sr. shared insights from his time as a secret World War Two messenger with his audience at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on Nov. 26, 2002. NASA Dryden is located on Edwards Air Force Base in California's Mojave Desert.

New Understanding of Mercury's Magnetosphere from MESSENGER'S First Flyby

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin, James A.; Acuna, Mario H.; Anderson, Brian J.; Baker, Daniel N.; Benna, Mehdi; Gloeckler, George; Gold, Robert E.; Ho, George C.; Killen, M.; Korth, Haje;

Probing the Milky Way electron density using multi-messenger astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

Breivik, Katelyn; Larson, Shane

2015-04-01

Multi-messenger observations of ultra-compact binaries in both gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation supply highly complementary information, providing new ways of characterizing the internal dynamics of these systems, as well as new probes of the galaxy itself. Electron density models, used in pulsar distance measurements via the electron dispersion measure, are currently not well constrained. Simultaneous radio and gravitational wave observations of pulsars in binaries provide a method of measuring the average electron density along the line of sight to the pulsar, thus giving a new method for constraining current electron density models. We present this method and assess its viability with simulations of the compact binary component of the Milky Way using the public domain binary evolution code, BSE. This work is supported by NASA Award NNX13AM10G.

The evolution of Mercury's crust: a global perspective from MESSENGER.

Science.gov (United States)

Denevi, Brett W; Robinson, Mark S; Solomon, Sean C; Murchie, Scott L; Blewett, David T; Domingue, Deborah L; McCoy, Timothy J; Ernst, Carolyn M; Head, James W; Watters, Thomas R; Chabot, Nancy L

2009-05-01

Mapping the distribution and extent of major terrain types on a planet's surface helps to constrain the origin and evolution of its crust. Together, MESSENGER and Mariner 10 observations of Mercury now provide a near-global look at the planet, revealing lateral and vertical heterogeneities in the color and thus composition of Mercury's crust. Smooth plains cover approximately 40% of the surface, and evidence for the volcanic origin of large expanses of plains suggests that a substantial portion of the crust originated volcanically. A low-reflectance, relatively blue component affects at least 15% of the surface and is concentrated in crater and basin ejecta. Its spectral characteristics and likely origin at depth are consistent with its apparent excavation from a lower crust or upper mantle enriched in iron- and titanium-bearing oxides.

Ubiquitous learning model using interactive internet messenger group (IIMG) to improve engagement and behavior for smart campus

Science.gov (United States)

Umam, K.; Mardi, S. N. S.; Hariadi, M.

2017-01-01

The recent popularity of internet messenger based smartphone technologies has motivated some university lecturers to use them for educational activities. These technologies have enormous potential to enhance the teaching and ubiquitous learning experience for smart campus development. However, the design ubiquitous learning model using interactive internet messenger group (IIMG) and empirical evidence that would favor a broad application of mobile and ubiquitous learning in smart campus settings to improve engagement and behavior is still limited. In addition, the expectation that mobile learning could improve engagement and behavior on smart campus cannot be confirmed because the majority of the reviewed studies followed instructions paradigms. This article aims to present ubiquitous learning model design and showing learners’ experiences in improved engagement and behavior using IIMG for learner-learner and learner-lecturer interactions. The method applied in this paper includes design process and quantitative analysis techniques, with the purpose of identifying scenarios of ubiquitous learning and realize the impressions of learners and lecturers about engagement and behavior aspect, and its contribution to learning.

Affleck-Dine baryogenesis, condensate fragmentation and gravitino dark matter in gauge-mediation with a large messenger mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doddato, Francesca; McDonald, John

2011-01-01

We study the conditions for successful Affleck-Dine baryogenesis and the origin of gravitino dark matter in GMSB models. AD baryogenesis in GMSB models is ruled out by neutron star stability unless Q-balls are unstable and decay before nucleosynthesis. Unstable Q-balls can form if the messenger mass scale is larger than the flat-direction field Φ when the condensate fragments. We provide an example based on AD baryogenesis along a d = 6 flat direction for the case where m 3/2 ≈ 2GeV, as predicted by gravitino dark matter from Q-ball decay. Using a phenomenological GMSB potential which models the Φ dependence of the SUSY breaking terms, we numerically solve for the evolution of Φ and show that the messenger mass can be sufficiently close to the flat-direction field when the condensate fragments. We compute the corresponding reheating temperature and the baryonic charge of the condensate fragments and show that the charge is large enough to produce late-decaying Q-balls which can be the origin of gravitino dark matter

MESSENGER Magnetic Field Observations of Upstream Ultra-Low Frequency Waves at Mercury

Science.gov (United States)

Le, G.; Chi, P. J.; Boardsen, S.; Blanco-Cano, X.; Anderosn, B. J.; Korth, H.

2012-01-01

The region upstream from a planetary bow shock is a natural plasma laboratory containing a variety of wave particle phenomena. The study of foreshocks other than the Earth's is important for extending our understanding of collisionless shocks and foreshock physics since the bow shock strength varies with heliocentric distance from the Sun, and the sizes of the bow shocks are different at different planets. The Mercury's bow shock is unique in our solar system as it is produced by low Mach number solar wind blowing over a small magnetized body with a predominately radial interplanetary magnetic field. Previous observations of Mercury upstream ultra-low frequency (ULF) waves came exclusively from two Mercury flybys of Mariner 10. The MESSENGER orbiter data enable us to study of upstream waves in the Mercury's foreshock in depth. This paper reports an overview of upstream ULF waves in the Mercury's foreshock using high-time resolution magnetic field data, 20 samples per second, from the MESSENGER spacecraft. The most common foreshock waves have frequencies near 2 Hz, with properties similar to the I-Hz waves in the Earth's foreshock. They are present in both the flyby data and in every orbit of the orbital data we have surveyed. The most common wave phenomenon in the Earth's foreshock is the large-amplitude 30-s waves, but similar waves at Mercury have frequencies at near 0.1 Hz and occur only sporadically with short durations (a few wave cycles). Superposed on the "30-s" waves, there are spectral peaks at near 0.6 Hz, not reported previously in Mariner 10 data. We will discuss wave properties and their occurrence characteristics in this paper.

Cyclic [G(2',5')pA(3',5')p] is the metazoan second messenger produced by DNA-activated cyclic GMP-AMP synthase.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Pu; Ascano, Manuel; Wu, Yang; Barchet, Winfried; Gaffney, Barbara L; Zillinger, Thomas; Serganov, Artem A; Liu, Yizhou; Jones, Roger A; Hartmann, Gunther; Tuschl, Thomas; Patel, Dinshaw J

2013-05-23

Recent studies identified cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) as a metazoan second messenger triggering an interferon response. cGAMP is generated from GTP and ATP by cytoplasmic dsDNA sensor cGAMP synthase (cGAS). We combined structural, chemical, biochemical, and cellular assays to demonstrate that this second messenger contains G(2',5')pA and A(3',5')pG phosphodiester linkages, designated c[G(2',5')pA(3',5')p]. We show that, upon dsDNA binding, cGAS is activated through conformational transitions, resulting in formation of a catalytically competent and accessible nucleotide-binding pocket for generation of c[G(2',5')pA(3',5')p]. We demonstrate that cyclization occurs in a stepwise manner through initial generation of 5'-pppG(2',5')pA prior to cyclization to c[G(2',5')pA(3',5')p], with the latter positioned precisely in the catalytic pocket. Mutants of cGAS dsDNA-binding or catalytic pocket residues exhibit reduced or abrogated activity. Our studies have identified c[G(2',5')pA(3',5')p] as a founding member of a family of metazoan 2',5'-containing cyclic heterodinucleotide second messengers distinct from bacterial 3',5' cyclic dinucleotides. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gravity field and internal structure of Mercury from MESSENGER.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, David E; Zuber, Maria T; Phillips, Roger J; Solomon, Sean C; Hauck, Steven A; Lemoine, Frank G; Mazarico, Erwan; Neumann, Gregory A; Peale, Stanton J; Margot, Jean-Luc; Johnson, Catherine L; Torrence, Mark H; Perry, Mark E; Rowlands, David D; Goossens, Sander; Head, James W; Taylor, Anthony H

2012-04-13

Radio tracking of the MESSENGER spacecraft has provided a model of Mercury's gravity field. In the northern hemisphere, several large gravity anomalies, including candidate mass concentrations (mascons), exceed 100 milli-Galileos (mgal). Mercury's northern hemisphere crust is thicker at low latitudes and thinner in the polar region and shows evidence for thinning beneath some impact basins. The low-degree gravity field, combined with planetary spin parameters, yields the moment of inertia C/MR(2) = 0.353 ± 0.017, where M and R are Mercury's mass and radius, and a ratio of the moment of inertia of Mercury's solid outer shell to that of the planet of C(m)/C = 0.452 ± 0.035. A model for Mercury's radial density distribution consistent with these results includes a solid silicate crust and mantle overlying a solid iron-sulfide layer and an iron-rich liquid outer core and perhaps a solid inner core.

Gravity Field and Internal Structure of Mercury from MESSENGER

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, David E.; Zuber, Maria T.; Phillips, Roger J.; Solomon, Sean C.; Hauck, Steven A., II; Lemoine, Frank G.; Mazarico, Erwan; Neumann, Gregory A.; Peale, Stanton J.; Margot, Jean-Luc;

Mercury's Seasonal Sodium Exosphere: MESSENGER Orbital Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Cassidy, Timothy A.; Merkel, Aimee W.; Burger, Matthew H.; Killen, Rosemary M.; McClintock, William E.; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; Sarantos, Menelaos

2014-01-01

The Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) Ultraviolet and Visible Spectrometer (UVVS) on the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft now orbiting Mercury provides the first close-up look at the planet's sodium exosphere. UVVS has observed the exosphere from orbit almost daily for over 10 Mercury years. In this paper we describe and analyze a subset of these data: altitude profiles taken above the low-latitude dayside and south pole. The observations show spatial and temporal variations, but there are no obvious year-to-year variations in most of the observations. We do not see the episodic variability reported by some ground-based observers. We used these altitude profiles to make estimates of sodium density and temperature. The bulk of the exosphere, at about 1200 K, is much warmer than Mercury's surface. This value is consistent with some ground-based measurements and suggests that photon-stimulated desorption is the primary ejection process. We also observe a tenuous energetic component but do not see evidence of the predicted thermalized (or partially thermalized) sodium near Mercury's surface temperature. Overall we do not see the variable mixture of temperatures predicted by most Monte Carlo models of the exosphere.

The jabber chat tool EFDA Messenger and screen sharing tool EFDATV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomsen, K. [EFDA Close Support Unit Garching, Boltzmannstr. 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany)], E-mail: Knud.Thomsen@efda.org; Beck, S. [EFDA Close Support Unit Garching, Boltzmannstr. 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Wilhelm, B. [EFDA CSU Barcelona, c/Josep Pla n.2, Torres Diag. Litoral Edificio B3, 7a planta, 08019 Barcelona (Spain)

2008-04-15

Two Remote Participation (RP) tools are described. The first tool, named EFDA Messenger, is a secure Instant Messaging (IM) tool based on a Jabber server that only accepts SSL encrypted communication and does not allow file transfers as well as audio and video transmissions. This tool is useful to have as another mean of communication during video or teleconferences. The second tool, named EFDATV, is a multipurposeVirtual Network Computing (VNC) based desktop screen sharing system used to share presentations via the Internet. A Java enabled web browser or a VNC client is sufficient for the presenter and the audience to use EFDATV. It is also possible from an EFDATV channel to connect to another VNC server and broadcast the view from that VNC server.

The jabber chat tool EFDA Messenger and screen sharing tool EFDATV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomsen, K.; Beck, S.; Wilhelm, B.

2008-01-01

Two Remote Participation (RP) tools are described. The first tool, named EFDA Messenger, is a secure Instant Messaging (IM) tool based on a Jabber server that only accepts SSL encrypted communication and does not allow file transfers as well as audio and video transmissions. This tool is useful to have as another mean of communication during video or teleconferences. The second tool, named EFDATV, is a multipurposeVirtual Network Computing (VNC) based desktop screen sharing system used to share presentations via the Internet. A Java enabled web browser or a VNC client is sufficient for the presenter and the audience to use EFDATV. It is also possible from an EFDATV channel to connect to another VNC server and broadcast the view from that VNC server

Postage for the messenger: Designating routes for Nuclear mRNA Export

Science.gov (United States)

Natalizio, Barbara J.; Wente, Susan R.

2013-01-01

Transcription of messenger(m) RNA occurs in the nucleus, making the translocation of mRNA across the nuclear envelope (NE) boundary a critical determinant of proper gene expression and cell survival. A major mRNA export route occurs via the NXF1-dependent pathway through the nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) embedded in the NE. However, recent findings have discovered new evidence supporting the existence of multiple mechanisms for crossing the NE, including both NPC-mediated and NE budding-mediated pathways. An analysis of the trans-acting factors and cis components that define these pathways reveals shared elements as well as mechanistic differences. We review here the current understanding of the mechanisms that characterize each pathway and highlight the determinants that influence mRNA transport fate. PMID:23583578

The Velocity Distribution Of Pickup He+ Measured at 0.3 AU by MESSENGER

Science.gov (United States)

Gershman, Daniel J.; Fisk, Lennard A.; Gloeckler, George; Raines, Jim M.; Slavin, James A.; Zurbuchen, Thomas H.; Solomon, Sean C.

2014-06-01

During its interplanetary trajectory in 2007-2009, the MErcury Surface, Space ENvrionment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft passed through the gravitational focusing cone for interstellar helium multiple times at a heliocentric distance R ≈ 0.3 AU. Observations of He+ interstellar pickup ions made by the Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer sensor on MESSENGER during these transits provide a glimpse into the structure of newly formed inner heliospheric pickup-ion distributions. This close to the Sun, these ions are picked up in a nearly radial interplanetary magnetic field. Compared with the near-Earth environment, pickup ions observed near 0.3 AU will not have had sufficient time to be energized substantially. Such an environment results in a nearly pristine velocity distribution function that should depend only on pickup-ion injection velocities (related to the interstellar gas), pitch-angle scattering, and cooling processes. From measured energy-per-charge spectra obtained during multiple spacecraft observational geometries, we have deduced the phase-space density of He+ as a function of magnetic pitch angle. Our measurements are most consistent with a distribution that decreases nearly monotonically with increasing pitch angle, rather than the more commonly modeled isotropic or hemispherically symmetric forms. These results imply that pitch-angle scattering of He+ may not be instantaneous, as is often assumed, and instead may reflect the velocity distribution of initially injected particles. In a slow solar wind stream, we find a parallel-scattering mean free path of λ || ~ 0.1 AU and a He+ production rate of ~0.05 m-3 s-1 within 0.3 AU.

HIGH-RESOLUTION TOPOGRAPHY OF MERCURY FROM MESSENGER ORBITAL STEREO IMAGING – THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE QUADRANGLES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Preusker

2018-04-01

Full Text Available We produce high-resolution (222 m/grid element Digital Terrain Models (DTMs for Mercury using stereo images from the MESSENGER orbital mission. We have developed a scheme to process large numbers, typically more than 6000, images by photogrammetric techniques, which include, multiple image matching, pyramid strategy, and bundle block adjustments. In this paper, we present models for map quadrangles of the southern hemisphere H11, H12, H13, and H14.

Haplodiploid androgenetic breeding in oat: genotypic variation in anther size and microspore development stage Melhoramento por haplodiploidização androgenética: variação genotípica no tamanho das anteras e no estágio de desenvolvimento dos micrósporos em aveia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Taniela De Cesaro

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Oat (Avena spp. is poorly responsive to the haplodiploidization process, which leads to the production of homozygous lines in one step, increasing breeding efficiency. Androgenetic haploids in small grain cereal crops are obtained from microspores cultured at the mononucleate stage, which can be identified by the size of anthers. In order to identify the appropriate anther size for in vitro culture, microspore cytological analyses were made in Avena sativa cultivars UPF 7, UPF 18, UFRGS 14, Stout and Avena sterilis CAV 3361, cultivated in growth chamber under controlled light and temperature conditions. Variation was observed within and among genotypes for anther size at each microspore developmental stage and according to the position of spikelets in the panicle. Architecture variation in panicle shape and non-linear microsporogenesis maturation increased the challenge of identifying potentially androgenetic oat anthers. Cytological screening before culture is critical in identifying microspores at the right stage for oat androgenesis.A aveia (Avena spp. tem sido pouco responsiva à haplodiploidização, um processo que aumenta a eficiência da seleção no melhoramento por gerar, em uma etapa, linhas puras homozigóticas. A fase mononucleada do micrósporo é critica para o sucesso da androgênese in vitro nos cereais de inverno e, em geral, pode ser inferida pelo tamanho da antera. Foram medidas anteras e analisados citológicamente micrósporos das cultivares de Avena sativa UPF 7, UPF 18, UFRGS 14, Stout e da linhagem CAV 3361 de Avena sterilis, cultivadas em câmaras de crescimento sob temperaturas dia-noite variando de 16ºC a 9ºC e 12 horas de intensidade luminosa de 300 mol m-2 s-1. O tamanho das anteras em cada fase de desenvolvimento dos micrósporos variou significativamente entre genótipos e de acordo com a região de inserção das espiguetas na panícula. A variação na arquitetura da panícula e a maturação não linear das

Modeling of the Magnetosphere of Mercury at the Time of the First MESSENGER Flyby

Science.gov (United States)

Benna, Mehdi; Anderson, Brian J.; Baker, Daniel N.; Boardsen, Scott A.; Gloeckler, George; Gold, Robert E.; Ho, George C.; Killen, Rosemary M.; Korth, Haje; Krimigis, Stamatios M.;

WhatsApp Messenger as a Learning Tool: An Investigation of Pre-Service Teachers' Learning without Instructor Presence

Science.gov (United States)

Alenazi, Ali A.

2018-01-01

This study investigated the extent to which pre-service teachers can utilize WhatsApp Messenger to create an effective learning platform without instructor interference. Twenty-six male pre-service teachers created a WhatsApp group and interacted through it independently for nine weeks. Each pre-service teacher was required to share a minimum of…

The Effectiveness of Using WhatsApp Messenger as One of Mobile Learning Techniques to Develop Students' Writing Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Fattah, Said Fathy El Said Abdul

2015-01-01

The present study was an attempt to determine the effectiveness of using a WhatsApp Messenger as one of mobile learning techniques to develop students' writing skills. Participants were 30 second year college students, English department from a private university in Saudi Arabia. The experimental group (N = 15) used WhatsApp technology to develop…

Two acid RNases from Dactylis glomerata seeds. Purification, properties and effect of polyamines and lectins on their activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janina Wiśniowska

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Two glycoproteidic acid RNases (RNase I and RNase II were obtained and purified from the seeds of Dactylis glomerata by extraction with acetate buffer, fractionation with ammonium sulfate, ion-exchange chromatography on DEAE-cellulose, DEAE-Sphadex, affinity chromatography on Con A-Sepharose and gel filtration on Bio-Gel P60. RNase I with a specific activity of 2582 U•mg-1 protein and an optimum pH of 4.9 and RNase II with a specific activity of 1928 U• mg-1 protein and optimum pH of 4.6, were isolated. They lacked nuclease, phosphodi- and monoesterase activities. Both forms of the enzyme hydrolyzed pyrimidine homopolymers with a preference for poly U and exhibited a low specificity for purine homopolymers (poly G and poly A. RNase I acted with a 3-fold higher hydrolytic activity on poly C homopolymer than RNase IL The hydrolytic activity of both enzymes was inhibited by Zn+2, Fe+2, Cu+2 ions when yeast RNA was the substrate. The amines spermine, spermidine and tyramine at a concentration of 0.1 mM increased the enzymatic activity of both RNases by 20 to 60% of the relative activity. The hydrolytic activity of RNases I and II was stimulated by the presence of lentil lectin (LL, soybean lectin (SBA and potato lectin (STA, and inhibited by the presence of concanavalin A. The 20-200% stimulation and 40-60% inhibition depended on the proportion, on a weight basis, of enzyme to lectin and were reversible in the presence of receptor sugars.

Genetic variation and comparison of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) cultivars and wild accessions as revealed by SSR markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, W G; Lu, X F; Zhang, X Q; Huang, L K; Cheng, L

2012-02-24

Orchardgrass is a highly variable, perennial forage grass that is cultivated throughout temperate and subtropical regions of the world. Despite its economic importance, the genetic relationship and distance among and within cultivars are largely unknown but would be of great interest for breeding programs. We investigated the molecular variation and structure of cultivar populations, compared the level of genetic diversity among cultivars (Baoxing, Anba, Bote, and Kaimo), subspecies (Dactylis glomerata ssp Woronowii) and advanced breeding line (YA02-116) to determine whether there is still sufficient genetic diversity within presently used cultivars for future breeding progress in China. Twenty individuals were analyzed from each of six accessions using SSR markers; 114 easily scored bands were generated from 15 SSR primer pairs, with an average of 7.6 alleles per locus. The polymorphic rate was 100% among the 120 individuals, reflecting a high degree of genetic diversity. Among the six accessions, the highest genetic diversity was observed in Kaimo (H = 0.2518; I = 0.3916; P = 87.3%) and 02-116 had a lower level of genetic diversity (H = 0.1806; I = 0.2788; P = 58.73%) compared with other cultivars tested. An of molecular variance revealed a much larger genetic variation within accessions (65%) than between them (35%). This observation suggests that these cultivars have potential for providing rich genetic resource for further breeding program. Furthermore, the study also indicated that Chinese orchardgrass breeding has involved strong selection for adaptation to forage production, which may result in restricted genetic base of orchardgrass cultivar.

ent-Kaurenoic acid-rich extract from Mikania glomerata: In vitro activity against bacteria responsible for dental caries.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Monique Rodrigues; Souza, Ariana Borges; Soares, Sandra; Bianchi, Thamires Chiquini; de Souza Eugênio, Daniele; Lemes, Danieli Cristina; Martins, Carlos Henrique Gomes; da Silva Moraes, Thaís; Tavares, Denise Crispim; Ferreira, Natália Helen; Ambrósio, Sergio Ricardo; Veneziani, Rodrigo Cassio Sola

2016-07-01

Many studies have reported that medicinal plant extracts can inhibit oral pathogen growth or adhesion to surfaces and therefore reduce dental caries formation. The addition of these extracts to oral products like mouthwashes and dentifrices is considered an important strategy in caries control. In this sense, we have developed a Mikania glomerata extract with high ent-kaurenoic acid content (KAMg). So, this work describes the preparation of such extract and the development of a validated HPLC-DAD method to determine its ent-kaurenoic acid (KA) content. Herein it is also described the KAMg in vitro antibacterial evaluation against several cariogenic bacteria in comparison with KA and the investigation of further aspects of the KAMg activity. Toxicological aspects of the developed extract were evaluated by assessing its cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. KA and a KA-rich extract like KAMg showed to inhibit the growth of microorganisms responsible for dental caries at relatively low MIC (Minimum inhibitory concentration) values, albeit not as low as the MIC value obtained for chlorhexidine digluconate (CHD), the golden anticariogenic standard approved by the American Dental Association Council on Dental Therapeutics. However, KAMg was more effective to inhibit the formation of a Streptococcus mutans biofilm with four times lower MICB50 (minimum inhibitory concentration that reduces 50% of the biofilm) value as compared with CHD. Taking into account all these data and considering the absence of genotoxic and cytotoxic activity under the tested conditions, it is suggested that KAMg is a natural product to be considered as active ingredient in oral care products. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new methodology of second messenger imaging for higher cortical functions by positron emission tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imahori, Yoshio; Ueda, Satoshi

1992-01-01

Neuronal manifestations are driven by second messenger systems in central nervous system through the neuronal transmission process. Receptor-mediated phosphatidylinositol (PI) response images may reflect neuronal activation in higher cortical function with a high sensitivity based on the common amplifying mechanism of the second messenger. Many bioactive compounds related to PI turnover have simple carbohydrate structures without amines and [ 11 C]ethylketene acylation has been found as the most effective labeling method of these compounds for positron emission tomography. [ 11 C]ethylketene was produced by the pyrolytic decomposition of [1- 11 C]butyric acid. This new method was made possible by the reaction under the no-carrier-added condition. To visualize the response in vivo, we synthesized sn-1,2-[ 11 C]diacylglycerols (DAGs) as a specific tracer for the PI response and [ 11 C]phorbol esters as a ligand for protein kinase C. In autoradiographic studies it was demonstrated that sn-1,2-[ 11 C]DAGs incorporation sites were discretely localized especially in the neocortex, which were concomitant with columnar structures. These results suggested that sn-1,2-[ 11 C]DAG can serve as an extrinsic substrate for the PI turnover by the phosphorylation mechanism and intensive neuronal processing, as a higher cortical function, occurs in these areas on the basis of receptor-mediated PI response. (author)

Plasma Distribution in Mercury's Magnetosphere Derived from MESSENGER Magnetometer and Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Korth, Haje; Anderson, Brian J.; Gershman, Daniel J.; Raines, Jim M.; Slavin, James A.; Zurbuchen, Thomas H.; Solomon, Sean C.; McNutt, Ralph L.

2014-01-01

We assess the statistical spatial distribution of plasma in Mercury's magnetosphere from observations of magnetic pressure deficits and plasma characteristics by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft. The statistical distributions of proton flux and pressure were derived from 10months of Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer (FIPS) observations obtained during the orbital phase of the MESSENGER mission. The Magnetometer-derived pressure distributions compare favorably with those deduced from the FIPS observations at locations where depressions in the magnetic field associated with the presence of enhanced plasma pressures are discernible in the Magnetometer data. The magnitudes of the magnetic pressure deficit and the plasma pressure agree on average, although the two measures of plasma pressure may deviate for individual events by as much as a factor of approximately 3. The FIPS distributions provide better statistics in regions where the plasma is more tenuous and reveal an enhanced plasma population near the magnetopause flanks resulting from direct entry of magnetosheath plasma into the low-latitude boundary layer of the magnetosphere. The plasma observations also exhibit a pronounced north-south asymmetry on the nightside, with markedly lower fluxes at low altitudes in the northern hemisphere than at higher altitudes in the south on the same field line. This asymmetry is consistent with particle loss to the southern hemisphere surface during bounce motion in Mercury's offset dipole magnetic field.

Adult exposure to ocean acidification is maladaptive for larvae of the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata in the presence of multiple stressors.

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Laura M; O'Connor, Wayne A; Byrne, Maria; Coleman, Ross A; Virtue, Patti; Dove, Michael; Gibbs, Mitchell; Spohr, Lorraine; Scanes, Elliot; Ross, Pauline M

2017-02-01

Parental effects passed from adults to their offspring have been identified as a source of rapid acclimation that may allow marine populations to persist as our surface oceans continue to decrease in pH. Little is known, however, whether parental effects are beneficial for offspring in the presence of multiple stressors. We exposed adults of the oyster Saccostrea glomerata to elevated CO 2 and examined the impacts of elevated CO 2 (control = 392; 856 µatm) combined with elevated temperature (control = 24; 28°C), reduced salinity (control = 35; 25) and reduced food concentration (control = full; half diet) on their larvae. Adult exposure to elevated CO 2 had a positive impact on larvae reared at elevated CO 2 as a sole stressor, which were 8% larger and developed faster at elevated CO 2 compared with larvae from adults exposed to ambient CO 2 These larvae, however, had significantly reduced survival in all multistressor treatments. This was particularly evident for larvae reared at elevated CO 2 combined with elevated temperature or reduced food concentration, with no larvae surviving in some treatment combinations. Larvae from CO 2 -exposed adults had a higher standard metabolic rate. Our results provide evidence that parental exposure to ocean acidification may be maladaptive when larvae experience multiple stressors. © 2017 The Author(s).

Viruses transfer the antiviral second messenger cGAMP between cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Bridgeman, A; Maelfait, J; Davenne, T; Partridge, T; Peng, Y; Mayer, A; Dong, T; Kaever, V; Borrow, P; Rehwinkel, J

2015-09-11

Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) detects cytosolic DNA during virus infection and induces an antiviral state. cGAS signals by synthesis of a second messenger, cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP), which activates stimulator of interferon genes (STING). We show that cGAMP is incorporated into viral particles, including lentivirus and herpesvirus virions, when these are produced in cGAS-expressing cells. Virions transferred cGAMP to newly infected cells and triggered a STING-dependent antiviral program. These effects were independent of exosomes and viral nucleic acids. Our results reveal a way by which a signal for innate immunity is transferred between cells, potentially accelerating and broadening antiviral responses. Moreover, infection of dendritic cells with cGAMP-loaded lentiviruses enhanced their activation. Loading viral vectors with cGAMP therefore holds promise for vaccine development. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dependence of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field on Heliocentric Distance between 0.3 and 1.7 AU from MESSENGER, ACE and MAVEN data

Science.gov (United States)

Hanneson, C.; Johnson, C.; Al Asad, M.

2017-12-01

Magnetometer data from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER), Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) and Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft were used to characterize the variation of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) with heliocentric distance from 0.3 to 1.7 AU. MESSENGER and ACE data form a set of simultaneous observations that spans eight years, from March 2007 until April 2015, with ACE observations continuing until the present. MAVEN data have been collected since November 2014. Furthermore, for the period 2008-2015, MESSENGER and ACE observations were taken over the same range of heliocentric distances: 0.31-0.47 AU and 0.94-1.00 AU respectively. The IMF varies with the solar sunspot cycle, and so data taken simultaneously at different heliocentric distances allow solar-cycle effects to be decoupled from the radial evolution of the IMF. The data were averaged temporally by taking 1-hour means, and median values were then computed in 0.01-AU bins. For the time interval spanned by all observations, the median value of the magnitude of the IMF decreases steadily from 30.1 nT at 0.3 AU to 4.3 nT at 1.0 AU and 2.5 nT at 1.6 AU. The magnitude of the IMF was found to decay with heliocentric distance according to an inverse power law with an exponent equal to the adiabatic index for an ideal monatomic gas, 5/3, within 95% confidence limits. The magnitude of the radial component decays with distance as an inverse square law within 95% confidence limits. We also consider temporal variations of the heliocentric-dependence of the IMF over the current solar cycle by computing power law fits to the simultaneous MESSENGER and ACE observations using a moving window. Our study complements the recent study of Gruesbeck et al. (2017) that used Juno data to consider the variation in IMF properties over the heliocentric distance range 1 to 6 AU.

MESSENGER observations of transient bursts of energetic electrons in Mercury's magnetosphere.

Science.gov (United States)

Ho, George C; Krimigis, Stamatios M; Gold, Robert E; Baker, Daniel N; Slavin, James A; Anderson, Brian J; Korth, Haje; Starr, Richard D; Lawrence, David J; McNutt, Ralph L; Solomon, Sean C

2011-09-30

The MESSENGER spacecraft began detecting energetic electrons with energies greater than 30 kilo-electron volts (keV) shortly after its insertion into orbit about Mercury. In contrast, no energetic protons were observed. The energetic electrons arrive as bursts lasting from seconds to hours and are most intense close to the planet, distributed in latitude from the equator to the north pole, and present at most local times. Energies can exceed 200 keV but often exhibit cutoffs near 100 keV. Angular distributions of the electrons about the magnetic field suggest that they do not execute complete drift paths around the planet. This set of characteristics demonstrates that Mercury's weak magnetic field does not support Van Allen-type radiation belts, unlike all other planets in the solar system with internal magnetic fields.

Star Messenger: Galileo at the Millennium

Science.gov (United States)

White, R. E.

1999-05-01

Smith College has recently established the Louise B. and Edmund J. Kahn Liberal Arts Institute to foster interdisciplinary scholarship among the faculty. In the 1999-2000 academic year, the Kahn Institute is sponsoring a project entitled "Star Messenger: Galileo at the Millennium." The project will explore the impact of the astronomical discoveries of Galileo and his contemporaries on the Renaissance world-view and also use Galileo's experience as a lens for examining scientific and cultural developments at the symbolic juncture represented by the year 2000. Seven faculty fellows and 10-12 student fellows will participate in a year-long colloquium pursuing these themes, aided by the participation of some five Visiting Fellows. The inaugural public event will be a symposium on the historical Galileo, with presentation by three noted scholars, each of whom will return to campus for a second meeting with the Kahn colloquium. Additional events will include an exhibit of prints, artifacts, and rare books related to Galileo and his time, an early music concert featuring music composed by Galileo's father, and a series of other events sponsored by diverse departments and programs, all related to the broad themes of the Galileo project. The culminating events will be the premiere of a new music theater work, which will encapsulate the insights of the colloquium about human reactions to novel insights about the world, and a symposium presenting the research results of faculty and student fellows. The symposium will feature a capstone lecture by an visionary scholar projecting the implication of historical and contemporary trends into the future.

Cyclic [G(2′,5′)pA(3′,5′)p] Is the Metazoan Second Messenger Produced by DNA-Activated Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase

OpenAIRE

Gao, Pu; Ascano, Manuel; Wu, Yang; Barchet, Winfried; Gaffney, Barbara L.; Zillinger, Thomas; Serganov, Artem A.; Liu, Yizhou; Jones, Roger A.; Hartmann, Gunther; Tuschl, Thomas; Patel, Dinshaw J.

2013-01-01

Recent studies identified cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) as a metazoan second messenger triggering an interferon response. cGAMP is generated from GTP and ATP by cytoplasmic dsDNA sensor cGAMP synthase (cGAS). We combined structural, chemical, biochemical, and cellular assays to demonstrate that this second messenger contains G(2′,5′)pA and A(3′,5′)pG phosphodiester linkages, designated c[G(2′,5′) pA(3′,5′)p]. We show that, upon dsDNA binding, cGAS is activated through conformational transitions, res...

Phytoremediation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Soils Artificially Polluted Using Plant-Associated-Endophytic Bacteria and Dactylis glomerata as the Bioremediation Plant.

Science.gov (United States)

Gałązka, Ann; Gałązka, Rafał

2015-01-01

The reaction of soil microorganisms to the contamination of soil artificially polluted with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was evaluated in pot experiments. The plant used in the tests was cock's foot (Dactylis glomerata). Three different soils artificially contaminated with PAHs were applied in the studies. Three selected PAHs (anthracene, phenanthrene, and pyrene) were used at the doses of 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg d.m. of soil and diesel fuel at the doses of 100, 500, and 1000 mg/kg d.m. of soil. For evaluation of the synergistic effect of nitrogen fixing bacteria, the following strains were selected: associative Azospirillum spp. and Pseudomonas stutzerii. Additionally, in the bioremediation process, the inoculation of plants with a mixture of the bacterial strains in the amount of 1 ml suspension per 500 g of soil was used. Chamber pot-tests were carried out in controlled conditions during four weeks of plant growth period. The basic physical, microbiological and biochemical properties in contaminated soils were determined. The obtained results showed a statistically important increase in the physical properties of soils polluted with PAHs and diesel fuel compared with the control and also an important decrease in the content of PAHs and heavy metals in soils inoculated with Azospirillum spp. and P. stutzeri after cock's foot grass growth. The bioremediation processes were especially intensive in calcareous rendzina soil artificially polluted with PAHs.

Orbital Normalization of MESSENGER Gamma-Ray Spectrometer Data

Science.gov (United States)

Rhodes, E. A.; Peplowski, P. N.; Evans, L. G.; Hamara, D. K.; Boynton, W. V.; Solomon, S. C.

2011-12-01

The MESSENGER Gamma-Ray Spectrometer (GRS) measures energy spectra of gamma rays emanating from the surface of Mercury. Analysis of these spectra provides elemental abundances of surface material. The MESSENGER mission necessarily provides some data normalization challenges for GRS analysis. So as to keep the spacecraft cool while orbiting the dayside of the planet, the orbits are highly eccentric, with altitudes varying from 200-500 km to ~ 15,000 km. A small fraction of time is spent at the low altitudes where gamma-ray signals are largest, requiring a large number of orbits to yield sufficient counting statistics for elemental analysis. Also, the sunshade must always shield the spacecraft from the Sun, which causes the orientation of the GRS often to be far from nadir-pointing, so the detector efficiency and attenuation of gamma rays from the planet must be known for a wide range of off-nadir orientations. An efficiency/attenuation map for the expected ranges of orientations and energies was constructed in a ground calibration experiment for a limited range of orientations using a nuclear reactor and radioisotope sources, and those results were extended to other orientations by radiation transport computations using as input a computer-aided design model of the spacecraft and its composition. This normalization has allowed abundance determinations of elements K, Th, and U from radioisotopes of these elements in the Mercury regolith during the first quarter of the year-long mission. These results provide constraints on models of Mercury's chemical and thermal evolution. The normalization of gamma-ray spectra for surface elements not having radioisotopes is considerably more complex; these gamma rays come from neutron inelastic-scatter and capture reactions in the regolith, where the neutrons are generated by cosmic ray impact onto the planet. A radiation transport computation was performed to generate the expected count rates in the neutron-generated gamma

Differences in Brand Image of Online Chat Application of Blackberry Messenger, Whatsapp, and Line for Bina Nusantara University’s Student

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Kuspuji C. B. Wicaksono

2016-05-01

Full Text Available This article was written to find out whether there were any differences on brand image for each online chat Application such as Blackberry Messenger, Whatsapp, and LINE based on six factors of the brand image which are: benefits, attributes, cultures, values, personality, and user. Data for the research were collected from questionnaires given to respondents who had used each mention online chat application. Then each respondent was asked to give scores based on the six factors of brand image for each online chat Application. Using the ANOVA method for testing the differences between brand images for each online chat application. The result reveales that there are differences in the brand image between BlackBerry Messenger, Whatsapp, and LINE for benefits, cultures, and values. There is no difference in attributes, and personality cannot be tested. The company that creates online chat application are expected to improve their brand image to distinguish one another differently.

The major-element composition of Mercury's surface from MESSENGER X-ray spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Nittler, Larry R; Starr, Richard D; Weider, Shoshana Z; McCoy, Timothy J; Boynton, William V; Ebel, Denton S; Ernst, Carolyn M; Evans, Larry G; Goldsten, John O; Hamara, David K; Lawrence, David J; McNutt, Ralph L; Schlemm, Charles E; Solomon, Sean C; Sprague, Ann L

2011-09-30

X-ray fluorescence spectra obtained by the MESSENGER spacecraft orbiting Mercury indicate that the planet's surface differs in composition from those of other terrestrial planets. Relatively high Mg/Si and low Al/Si and Ca/Si ratios rule out a lunarlike feldspar-rich crust. The sulfur abundance is at least 10 times higher than that of the silicate portion of Earth or the Moon, and this observation, together with a low surface Fe abundance, supports the view that Mercury formed from highly reduced precursor materials, perhaps akin to enstatite chondrite meteorites or anhydrous cometary dust particles. Low Fe and Ti abundances do not support the proposal that opaque oxides of these elements contribute substantially to Mercury's low and variable surface reflectance.

A Two-Sided Market Model of Optimal Price Structure for Instant Messenger

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Jun Xu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Instant messenger (IM is one of the most popular Internet applications all over the world. This paper examines the pricing problem of IM based on two-sided market model. IM serves as a two-sided platform, which gets both Internet users and advertisers on board. This paper concludes that IM operator adopts a heavily skewed price structure that favors IM users both under monopolistic case and under horizontal differentiated duopolistic case. When advertising revenue is large enough relatively to marginal cost for serving IM users, IM users can enjoy free service provided by IM operators. The competitive equilibrium of duopolistic case is not necessarily symmetric when advertisers choose singlehoming. Even in the symmetric equilibrium platform would rather deter all advertisers.

Internet messenger based smart virtual class learning using ubiquitous computing

Science.gov (United States)

Umam, K.; Mardi, S. N. S.; Hariadi, M.

2017-06-01

Internet messenger (IM) has become an important educational technology component in college education, IM makes it possible for students to engage in learning and collaborating at smart virtual class learning (SVCL) using ubiquitous computing. However, the model of IM-based smart virtual class learning using ubiquitous computing and empirical evidence that would favor a broad application to improve engagement and behavior are still limited. In addition, the expectation that IM based SVCL using ubiquitous computing could improve engagement and behavior on smart class cannot be confirmed because the majority of the reviewed studies followed instructions paradigms. This article aims to present the model of IM-based SVCL using ubiquitous computing and showing learners’ experiences in improved engagement and behavior for learner-learner and learner-lecturer interactions. The method applied in this paper includes design process and quantitative analysis techniques, with the purpose of identifying scenarios of ubiquitous computing and realize the impressions of learners and lecturers about engagement and behavior aspect and its contribution to learning

Topography of the Northern Hemisphere of Mercury from MESSENGER Laser Altimetry

Science.gov (United States)

Zuber,Maria T.; Smith, David E.; Phillips, Roger J.; Solomon, Sean C.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Hauck, Steven A., Jr.; Peale, Stanton J.; Barnouin, Oliver S.; Head, James W.; Johnson, Catherine L.;

Detailed mapping of serotonin 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D receptor messenger RNA and ligand binding sites in guinea-pig brain and trigeminal ganglion: clues for function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leysen, J.E.; Schotte, A.; Jurzak, M.; Luyten, W.H.M.L.; Voorn, P.; Bonaventure, P.

1997-01-01

The similar pharmacology of the 5-HT 1B and 5-HT 1D receptors, and the lack of selective compounds sufficiently distinguishing between the two receptor subtypes, have hampered functional studies on these receptors. In order to provide clues for differential functional roles of the two subtypes, we performed a parallel localization study throughout the guinea-pig brain and the trigeminal ganglia by means of quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry (using [ 35 S]-labelled riboprobes probes for receptor messenger RNA) and receptor autoradiography (using a new radioligand [ 3 H]alniditan).The anatomical patterns of 5-HT 1B and 5-HT 1D receptor messenger RNA were quite different. While 5-HT 1B receptor messenger RNA was abundant throughout the brain (with highest levels in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, cortex, hypothalamus, hippocampal formation, amygdala, thalamus, dorsal raphe and cerebellum), 5-HT 1D receptor messenger RNA exhibited a more restricted pattern; it was found mainly in the olfactory tubercle, entorhinal cortex, dorsal raphe, cerebellum, mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus and in the trigeminal ganglion. The density of 5-HT 1B/1D binding sites (combined) obtained with [ 3 H]alniditan autoradiography was high in the substantia nigra, superior colliculus and globus pallidus, whereas lower levels were detected in the caudate-putamen, hypothalamus, hippocampal formation, amygdala, thalamus and central gray. This distribution pattern was indistinguishable from specific 5-HT 1B receptor labelling in the presence of ketanserin under conditions to occlude 5-HT 1D receptor labelling; hence the latter were below detection level. Relationships between the regional distributions of the receptor messenger RNAs and binding sites and particular neuroanatomical pathways are discussed with respect to possible functional roles of the 5-HT 1B and 5-HT 1D receptors. (Copyright (c) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Intense energetic electron flux enhancements in Mercury's magnetosphere: An integrated view with high-resolution observations from MESSENGER.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Daniel N; Dewey, Ryan M; Lawrence, David J; Goldsten, John O; Peplowski, Patrick N; Korth, Haje; Slavin, James A; Krimigis, Stamatios M; Anderson, Brian J; Ho, George C; McNutt, Ralph L; Raines, Jim M; Schriver, David; Solomon, Sean C

2016-03-01

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission to Mercury has provided a wealth of new data about energetic particle phenomena. With observations from MESSENGER's Energetic Particle Spectrometer, as well as data arising from energetic electrons recorded by the X-Ray Spectrometer and Gamma-Ray and Neutron Spectrometer (GRNS) instruments, recent work greatly extends our record of the acceleration, transport, and loss of energetic electrons at Mercury. The combined data sets include measurements from a few keV up to several hundred keV in electron kinetic energy and have permitted relatively good spatial and temporal resolution for many events. We focus here on the detailed nature of energetic electron bursts measured by the GRNS system, and we place these events in the context of solar wind and magnetospheric forcing at Mercury. Our examination of data at high temporal resolution (10 ms) during the period March 2013 through October 2014 supports strongly the view that energetic electrons are accelerated in the near-tail region of Mercury's magnetosphere and are subsequently "injected" onto closed magnetic field lines on the planetary nightside. The electrons populate the plasma sheet and drift rapidly eastward toward the dawn and prenoon sectors, at times executing multiple complete drifts around the planet to form "quasi-trapped" populations.

The Effect of WhatsApp Messenger As Mobile Learning Integrated with Group Investigation Method of Learning Achievement

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Hendrik Pratama

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this research was determined the effect of application WhatsApp Messenger in the Group Investigation (GI method on learning achievement. The methods used experimental research with control group pretest-postest design. The sampling procedure used the purposive sampling technique that consists of 17 students as a control group and 17 students as an experimental group. The sample in this research is students in Electrical Engineering Education Study Program. The experimental group used the GI method that integrated with WhatsApp Messenger. The control group used lecture method without social media integration. The collecting data used observation, documentation, interview, questionnaire, and test. The researcher used a t-test for compared the control group and the experimental group’s learning outcomes at an alpha level of 0,05. The results showed differences between the experiment group and the control group. The study result of the experimental higher than the control groups. This learning was designed with start, grouping, planning, presenting, organizing, investigating, evaluating, ending’s stage. Integration of WhatsApp with group investigation method could cause the positive communication between student and lecturer. Discussion in this learning was well done, the student’s knowledge could appear in a group and the information could spread evenly and quickly.

Compact, Passively Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser for the MESSENGER Mission to the Planet Mercury

Science.gov (United States)

Krebs, Danny J.; Novo-Gradac, Anne-Marie; Li, Steven X.; Lindauer, Steven J.; Afzal, Robert S.; Yu, Antony

2004-01-01

A compact, passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser has been developed for the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) instrument which is an instrument on the MESSENGER mission to the planet Mercury. The laser achieves 5.4 percent efficiency with a near diffraction limited beam. It has passed all space flight environmental tests at system, instrument, and satellite integration. The laser design draws on a heritage of previous laser altimetry missions, specifically ISESAT and Mars Global Surveyor; but incorporates thermal management features unique to the requirements of an orbit of the planet Mercury.

Auxin Homeostasis in Arabidopsis Ovules Is Anther-Dependent at Maturation and Changes Dynamically upon Fertilization

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Emma Larsson

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The plant hormone auxin is a vital component for plant reproduction as it regulates the development of both male and female reproductive organs, including ovules and gynoecia. Furthermore, auxin plays important roles in the development and growth of seeds and fruits. Auxin responses can be detected in ovules shortly after fertilization, and it has been suggested that this accumulation is a prerequisite for the developmental reprogramming of the ovules to seeds, and of the gynoecium to a fruit. However, the roles of auxin at the final stages of ovule development, and the sources of auxin leading to the observed responses in ovules after fertilization have remained elusive. Here we have characterized the auxin readout in Arabidopsis ovules, at the pre-anthesis, anthesis and in the immediate post-fertilization stages, using the R2D2 auxin sensor. In addition we have mapped the expression of auxin biosynthesis and conjugation genes, as well as that of auxin transporting proteins, during the same developmental stages. These analyses reveal specific spatiotemporal patterns of the different auxin homeostasis regulators. Auxin biosynthesis genes and auxin transport proteins define a pre-patterning of vascular cell identity in the pre-anthesis funiculus. Furthermore, our data suggests that auxin efflux from the ovule is restricted in an anther-dependent manner, presumably to synchronize reproductive organ development and thereby optimizing the chances of successful fertilization. Finally, de novo auxin biosynthesis together with reduced auxin conjugation and transport result in an enhanced auxin readout throughout the sporophytic tissues of the ovules soon after fertilization. Together, our results suggest a sophisticated set of regulatory cascades that allow successful fertilization and the subsequent transition of the female reproductive structures into seeds and fruits.

The Effects of a Synchronous Communication Tool (Yahoo Messenger) on Online Learners' Sense of Community and Their Multimedia Authoring Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shiang-Kwei

2008-01-01

Literature suggests that developing a community of learners is the key to a successful online-learning experience. In this study, the instructor of a multimedia authoring course adopted a synchronous communication tool (Yahoo Messenger) to interact with learners orally on a weekly basis and, thereby, to establish a sense among the learners that…

Persistence of Positive Carryover Effects in the Oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, following Transgenerational Exposure to Ocean Acidification.

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Laura M Parker

Full Text Available Ocean acidification (OA is predicted to have widespread implications for marine organisms, yet the capacity for species to acclimate or adapt over this century remains unknown. Recent transgenerational studies have shown that for some marine species, exposure of adults to OA can facilitate positive carryover effects to their larval and juvenile offspring that help them to survive in acidifying oceanic conditions. But whether these positive carryover effects can persist into adulthood or the next generation is unknown. Here we tested whether positive carryover effects found in larvae of the oyster, Saccostrea glomerata following transgenerational exposure to elevated CO2, could persist into adulthood and whether subsequent transgenerational exposure of adults to elevated CO2 would facilitate similar adaptive responses in the next generation of larvae and juveniles. Following our previous transgenerational exposure of parental adults and first generation (F1 larvae to ambient (385 μatm and elevated (856 μatm CO2, newly settled F1 juveniles were transferred to the field at ambient CO2 for 14 months, until they reached reproductive maturity. At this time, the F1 adults were returned to the laboratory and the previous transgenerational CO2 exposure was repeated to produce F2 offspring. We found that the capacity of adults to regulate extracellular pH at elevated CO2 was improved if they had a prior history of transgenerational exposure to elevated CO2. In addition, subsequent transgenerational exposure of these adults led to an increase in the resilience of their larval and juvenile offspring. Offspring with a history of transgenerational exposure to elevated CO2 had a lower percentage abnormality, faster development rate, faster shell growth and increased heart rate at elevated CO2 compared with F2 offspring with no prior history of exposure to elevated CO2. Our results suggest that positive carryover effects originating during parental and larval

Photoacclimation in a tropical population of Cladophora glomerata (L.) Kützing 1843 (Chlorophyta) from southeastern Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Bautista, A I N; Necchi-Júnior, O

2008-02-01

Photoacclimation of photosynthesis was investigated in a tropical population of C. glomerata (São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil, 20 degrees 48' 24" S and 49 degrees 22' 24" W) by chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and chlorophyll a content. Plants were acclimated to two levels of irradiance: low (65 +/- 5 micromol.m(-2).s(-1)) and high (300 +/- 10 micromol.m(-2).s(-1)) and exposed short-term (4 days) and long-term (28 days) under a light-dark cycle of 12:12 hours. Photosynthesis-irradiance (PI) curves revealed distinct strategies of photoacclimation. In long-term exposure, plants acclimated by altering the photosynthetic units (PSU) number and keeping fixed the PSU size, revealed by increased rates of maximum photosynthesis (Pmax), lower photosynthetic efficiency (alpha) and higher values of the saturation parameter (Ik) under high irradiance. The short-term acclimation strategy consisted of changing the PSU size, with a fixed number of PSUs, as revealed by similar Pmax but higher alpha and lower Ik under low irradiance. Chlorophyll a contents followed the general pattern reported in green algae of higher concentrations under lower irradiance. Dark/light induction curves revealed consistently higher values of potential quantum yield under low irradiance. Initial and final values showed a higher recovery capacity in the short (84.4-90.6%) term exposure than in the long-term case (81.4-81.5%). ETR (electron transport rate) and NPQ (non-photochemical quenching) values were consistently higher under low irradiance. ETR showed a continuous and steady increase along the light exposure period in the short and long-term experiments, whereas NPQ values revealed a rapid increase after 15 seconds of light exposure, kept a slightly increasing trend and stabilized in most treatments. Lower photosynthetic performance (ETR) and recovery capacity of potential quantum yield were observed, particularly in long-term exposure, suggesting that this population is constrained by the

Shopping Orientation And Sales Promotion On Sales Purchase Intention At Blackberry Messenger Group Clothing Sales In Manado

OpenAIRE

Suratman, Richo Eko

2015-01-01

Online shopping becomes a new phenomenon in the society due to the various benefits offered. Blackberry Messenger (BBM) as a chatting application began to be used by marketer to promote their products and to attract customers through the BBM group of online shop. People in Manado tend to fashionable, stylish, up to date about the trend, and consumptive, and therefore affect the consumer purchase intention. There are some factors which affect sales purchase intention some of them are shopping ...

Topicality and impact in social media: diverse messages, focused messengers.

Science.gov (United States)

Weng, Lilian; Menczer, Filippo

2015-01-01

We have a limited understanding of the factors that make people influential and topics popular in social media. Are users who comment on a variety of matters more likely to achieve high influence than those who stay focused? Do general subjects tend to be more popular than specific ones? Questions like these demand a way to detect the topics hidden behind messages associated with an individual or a keyword, and a gauge of similarity among these topics. Here we develop such an approach to identify clusters of similar hashtags in Twitter by detecting communities in the hashtag co-occurrence network. Then the topical diversity of a user's interests is quantified by the entropy of her hashtags across different topic clusters. A similar measure is applied to hashtags, based on co-occurring tags. We find that high topical diversity of early adopters or co-occurring tags implies high future popularity of hashtags. In contrast, low diversity helps an individual accumulate social influence. In short, diverse messages and focused messengers are more likely to gain impact.

POEMMA (Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics) Science and Design

Science.gov (United States)

Olinto, Angela V.; Perkins, Jeremy S.; POEMMA Collaboration

2018-01-01

In this poster we describe the preliminary design of POEMMA (Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics). The two satellites flying in formation consists of an innovative Schmidt telescope design optimized for low energy threshold and large geometry factor for observations. The 4 meter mirror was designed to fit in a dual manifest launch vehicle. A novel corrector lens and fast optics are design to optimized the full field of view to 45 degrees. The large focal surface will be populated by two systems: a multi-anode PMT (MAPMT) array for fluorescence detection and a Silicon PM (SiPM) array for Cherenkov detection around the limb of the Earth. At an altitude of 525 km, the LEO orbit will have a 28.5o inclination the mission can be launched from KSC and have a mission life of 3 years with a 5 year goal. The mission will improve by orders of magnitude the observations of ultra-high energy cosmic rays above tens of EeV and search for neutrinos above tens of PeVs.

Common observations of solar X-rays from SPHINX/CORONAS-PHOTON and XRS/MESSENGER

Science.gov (United States)

Kepa, Anna; Sylwester, Janusz; Sylwester, Barbara; Siarkowski, Marek; Mrozek, Tomasz; Gryciuk, Magdalena; Phillips, Kenneth

SphinX was a soft X-ray spectrophotometer constructed in the Space Research Centre of Polish Academy of Sciences. The instrument was launched on 30 January 2009 aboard CORONAS-PHOTON satellite as a part of TESIS instrument package. SphinX measured total solar X-ray flux in the energy range from 1 to 15 keV during the period of very low solar activity from 20 February to 29 November 2009. For these times the solar detector (X-ray Spectrometer - XRS) onboard MESSENGER also observed the solar X-rays from a different vantage point. XRS measured the radiation in similar energy range. We present results of the comparison of observations from both instruments and show the preliminary results of physical analysis of spectra for selected flares.

Genetic Diversity and Association of EST-SSR and SCoT Markers with Rust Traits in Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Haidong; Zhang, Yu; Zeng, Bing; Yin, Guohua; Zhang, Xinquan; Ji, Yang; Huang, Linkai; Jiang, Xiaomei; Liu, Xinchun; Peng, Yan; Ma, Xiao; Yan, Yanhong

2016-01-08

Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), is a well-known perennial forage species; however, rust diseases have caused a noticeable reduction in the quality and production of orchardgrass. In this study, genetic diversity was assessed and the marker-trait associations for rust were examined using 18 EST-SSR and 21 SCoT markers in 75 orchardgrass accessions. A high level of genetic diversity was detected in orchardgrass with an average genetic diversity index of 0.369. For the EST-SSR and SCoT markers, 164 and 289 total bands were obtained, of which 148 (90.24%) and 272 (94.12%) were polymorphic, respectively. Results from an AMOVA analysis showed that more genetic variance existed within populations (87.57%) than among populations (12.43%). Using a parameter marker index, the efficiencies of the EST-SSR and SCoT markers were compared to show that SCoTs have higher marker efficiency (8.07) than EST-SSRs (4.82). The results of a UPGMA cluster analysis and a STRUCTURE analysis were both correlated with the geographic distribution of the orchardgrass accessions. Linkage disequilibrium analysis revealed an average r² of 0.1627 across all band pairs, indicating a high extent of linkage disequilibrium in the material. An association analysis between the rust trait and 410 bands from the EST-SSR and SCoT markers using TASSEL software revealed 20 band panels were associated with the rust trait in both 2011 and 2012. The 20 bands obtained from association analysis could be used in breeding programs for lineage selection to prevent great losses of orchardgrass caused by rust, and provide valuable information for further association mapping using this collection of orchardgrass.

Antidiabetic and Renoprotective Effects of Cladophora glomerata Kützing Extract in Experimental Type 2 Diabetic Rats: A Potential Nutraceutical Product for Diabetic Nephropathy

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Chutima Srimaroeng

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Cladophora glomerata extract (CGE has been shown to exhibit antigastric ulcer, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hypotensive, and antioxidant activities. The present study investigated antidiabetic and renoprotective effects of CGE in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM rats. The rats were induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin and supplemented daily with 1 g/kg BW of CGE for 12 weeks. The renal transport function was assessed by the uptake of para-aminohippurate mediated organic anion transporters 1 (Oat1 and 3 (Oat3, using renal cortical slices. These two transporters were known to be upregulated by insulin and PKCζ while they were downregulated by PKCα activation. Compared to T2DM, CGE supplemented rats had significantly improved hyperglycaemia, hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance, and renal morphology. The baseline uptake of para-aminohippurate was not different among experimental groups and was correlated with Oat1 and 3 mRNA expressions. Nevertheless, while insulin-stimulated Oat1 and 3 functions in renal slices were blunted in T2DM rats, they were improved by CGE supplementation. The mechanism of CGE-restored insulin-stimulated Oat1 and 3 functions was clearly shown to be associated with upregulated PKCζ and downregulated PKCα expressions and activations. These findings indicate that CGE has antidiabetic effect and suggest it may prevent diabetic nephropathy through PKCs in a T2DM rat model.

Antidiabetic and renoprotective effects of Cladophora glomerata Kützing extract in experimental type 2 diabetic rats: a potential nutraceutical product for diabetic nephropathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Srimaroeng, Chutima; Ontawong, Atcharaporn; Saowakon, Naruwan; Vivithanaporn, Pornpun; Pongchaidecha, Anchalee; Amornlerdpison, Doungporn; Soodvilai, Sunhapas; Chatsudthipong, Varanuj

2015-01-01

Cladophora glomerata extract (CGE) has been shown to exhibit antigastric ulcer, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, hypotensive, and antioxidant activities. The present study investigated antidiabetic and renoprotective effects of CGE in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats. The rats were induced by high-fat diet and streptozotocin and supplemented daily with 1 g/kg BW of CGE for 12 weeks. The renal transport function was assessed by the uptake of para-aminohippurate mediated organic anion transporters 1 (Oat1) and 3 (Oat3), using renal cortical slices. These two transporters were known to be upregulated by insulin and PKCζ while they were downregulated by PKCα activation. Compared to T2DM, CGE supplemented rats had significantly improved hyperglycaemia, hypertriglyceridemia, insulin resistance, and renal morphology. The baseline uptake of para-aminohippurate was not different among experimental groups and was correlated with Oat1 and 3 mRNA expressions. Nevertheless, while insulin-stimulated Oat1 and 3 functions in renal slices were blunted in T2DM rats, they were improved by CGE supplementation. The mechanism of CGE-restored insulin-stimulated Oat1 and 3 functions was clearly shown to be associated with upregulated PKCζ and downregulated PKCα expressions and activations. These findings indicate that CGE has antidiabetic effect and suggest it may prevent diabetic nephropathy through PKCs in a T2DM rat model.

Reprogramming human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells to islet-like cells with the use of in vitro-synthesized pancreatic-duodenal homebox 1 messenger RNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xiao Li; Hu, Pei; Guo, Xing Rong; Yan, Ding; Yuan, Yahong; Yan, Shi Rong; Li, Dong Sheng

2014-11-01

Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells (hUC-MSCs) hold great potential as a therapeutic candidate to treat diabetes, owing to their unlimited source and ready availability. In this study, we differentiated hUC-MSCs with in vitro-synthesized pancreatic-duodenal homebox 1 (PDX1) messenger (m)RNA into islet-like cell clusters. hUC-MSCs were confirmed by both biomarker detection and functional differentiation. In vitro-synthesized PDX1 messenger RNA can be transfected into hUC-MSCs efficiently. The upregulated expression of PDX1 protein can be detected 4 h after transfection and remains detectable for 36 h. The induction of islet-like structures was confirmed by means of morphology and dithizone staining. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction results revealed the expression of some key pancreatic transcription factors, such as PDX1, NeuroD, NKX6.1, Glut-2 and insulin in islet-like cell clusters. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that differentiated cells express both insulin and C-peptide. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay analysis validated the insulin secretion of islet-like cell clusters in response to the glucose stimulation. Our results demonstrate the use of in vitro-synthesized PDX1 messenger RNA to differentiate hUC-MSCs into islet-like cells and pave the way toward the development of reprogramming and directed-differentiation methods for the expression of encoded proteins. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

cGAS produces a 2'-5'-linked cyclic dinucleotide second messenger that activates STING.

Science.gov (United States)

Ablasser, Andrea; Goldeck, Marion; Cavlar, Taner; Deimling, Tobias; Witte, Gregor; Röhl, Ingo; Hopfner, Karl-Peter; Ludwig, Janos; Hornung, Veit

2013-06-20

Detection of cytoplasmic DNA represents one of the most fundamental mechanisms of the innate immune system to sense the presence of microbial pathogens. Moreover, erroneous detection of endogenous DNA by the same sensing mechanisms has an important pathophysiological role in certain sterile inflammatory conditions. The endoplasmic-reticulum-resident protein STING is critically required for the initiation of type I interferon signalling upon detection of cytosolic DNA of both exogenous and endogenous origin. Next to its pivotal role in DNA sensing, STING also serves as a direct receptor for the detection of cyclic dinucleotides, which function as second messenger molecules in bacteria. DNA recognition, however, is triggered in an indirect fashion that depends on a recently characterized cytoplasmic nucleotidyl transferase, termed cGAMP synthase (cGAS), which upon interaction with DNA synthesizes a dinucleotide molecule that in turn binds to and activates STING. We here show in vivo and in vitro that the cGAS-catalysed reaction product is distinct from previously characterized cyclic dinucleotides. Using a combinatorial approach based on mass spectrometry, enzymatic digestion, NMR analysis and chemical synthesis we demonstrate that cGAS produces a cyclic GMP-AMP dinucleotide, which comprises a 2'-5' and a 3'-5' phosphodiester linkage >Gp(2'-5')Ap(3'-5')>. We found that the presence of this 2'-5' linkage was required to exert potent activation of human STING. Moreover, we show that cGAS first catalyses the synthesis of a linear 2'-5'-linked dinucleotide, which is then subject to cGAS-dependent cyclization in a second step through a 3'-5' phosphodiester linkage. This 13-membered ring structure defines a novel class of second messenger molecules, extending the family of 2'-5'-linked antiviral biomolecules.

Desenvolvimento de forma farmacêutica líquida de uso oral, isenta de substâncias glicogênicas, com extrato fluido de Mikania glomerata Sprengel - Asteraceae (guaco

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N.C. Lubi

Full Text Available Mikania glomerata Sprengel, Asteraceae (guaco é tradicionalmente empregado como expectorante na forma de infusão, extrato fluido, tintura e xarope. Este trabalho teve como objetivo o desenvolvimento de uma forma farmacêutica líquida, isenta de substâncias glicogênicas, veiculando o extrato fluido desta, como substituto do xarope de guaco para pessoas, que por alguma restrição não possam ingerir sacarose ou açúcar invertido, componente dos xaropes em geral. Desenvolveu-se uma formulação líquida, definindo-se as concentrações de conservantes, agentes umectantes, edulcorantes e flavorizantes, testaram-se polímeros, espessantes usuais em processos tecnológicos, para reproduzir a viscosidade fornecida pelos xaropes. Analisou-se o comportamento reológico e uma avaliação preliminar das características físicas do produto. Dos polímeros testados, o alginato de sódio (1% foi o que apresentou melhores resultados frente aos parâmetros analisados, com comportamento reológico semelhante ao dos fluidos Newtonianos, e pH adequado ao uso oral, além da compatibilidade frente ao extrato fluido de guaco.

Retinoic acid-induced granulocytic differentiation of HL60 human promyelocytic leukemia cells is preceded by downregulation of autonomous generation of inositol lipid-derived second messengers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porfiri, E.; Hoffbrand, A.V.; Wickremasinghe, R.G.

1991-01-01

Inositol phosphates (InsPs) and diacyglycerol (DAG) are second messengers derived via the breakdown of inositol phospholipids, and which play important signalling roles in the regulation of proliferation of some cell types. The authors have studied the operation of this pathway during the early stages of retionic acid (RA)-induced granulocytic differentiation of HL60 myeloid leukemia cells. The autonomous breakdown of inositol lipids that occurred in HL60 cells labeled with [3H] inositol was completely abolished following 48 hours of RA treatment. The rate of influx of 45Ca2+ was also significantly decreased at 48 hours, consistent with the role of inositol lipid-derived second messengers in regulating Ca2+ entry into cells. The downregulation of inositol lipid metabolism clearly preceded the onset of reduced proliferation induced by RA treatment, and was therefore not a consequence of decreased cell growth. The generation of InsPs in RA-treated cells was reactivated by the fluoroaluminate ion, a direct activator of guanine nucleotide-binding protein(s) (G proteins) that regulate the inositol lipid signalling pathway. Subtle alterations to a regulatory mechanism may therefore mediate the RA-induced downregulation of this pathway. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that the autonomous generation of inositol lipid-derived second messengers may contribute to the continuous proliferation of HL60 cells, and that the RA-induced downregulation of this pathway may, in turn, play a role in signalling the cessation of proliferation that preceedes granulocytic differentiation

Anti-inflammatory, anthropometric and lipomodulatory effects Dyglomera® (aqueous extract of Dichrostachys glomerata in obese patients with metabolic syndrome

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Dieudonne Kuate

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Background: Increased visceral fat, dyslipidemia and increased markers of inflammation and coagulation are cardiovascular risk factors commonly encountered in obese people with metabolic syndrome. Previous studies have shown that ground Dichrostachys glomerata (DG, a spice used in Western Cameroon, can have beneficial effects on inflammation and various other cardiovascular disease risk factors. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of Dyglomera®, an aqueous extract of DG (standardized to NLT 10% polyphenols on certain anthropometric, biochemical (including pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic states and hemodynamic parameters in obese patients with metabolic syndrome. Methods: The study was an 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involving 116 males and 202 females aged between 24 and 58 years. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: treatment and placebo. Capsules containing the active treatment (200 mg Dyglomera® or placebo (200 mg maize powder were administered 30–60 minutes before lunch and dinner throughout the study period. Various biochemical (namely, blood glucose, lipid profile, pro-inflammatory and pro-thrombotic markers, anthropometric and hemodynamic parameters were measured at baseline and after 4 and 8 weeks of treatment. Functional Foods in Health and Disease 2013; 3(11:416-427 Page 417 of 427 Results: At the end of the study, the Dyglomera® group showed statistically significant differences in all 16 parameters compared to baseline values. Changes in BMI and waist circumference were accompanied by changes in biochemical parameters, with the exception of adiponectin levels which were not correlated to waist circumference and PAI-1 values. The results confirm the hypothesis that Dyglomera®, the aqueous extract of DG, has antiinflammatory properties, and is effective in reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome in obese human subjects.

Rendimiento y calidad de forraje del pasto ovillo (Dactylis glomerata L. al variar la frecuencia e intensidad de pastoreo

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Jorge Armando Villareal González

2014-01-01

Full Text Available El objetivo fue determinar el rendimiento y calidad del pasto ovillo ( Dactylis glomerata L., al variar la frecuencia e intensidad de pastoreo. Se evaluaron tres frecuencias (2, 3 y 4 semanas en primavera y verano y 4, 5 y 6 semanas durante otoño y dos intensidades de pastoreo (severa: 3 a 5 cm y ligera: 6 a 8 cm de altura de forr aje residual. Se evaluó el rendimiento de forraje, tasa de acumulación neta de forraje (TANF, composición morfoló gica y calidad del forraje. El mayor rendimiento acumulado y TANF se presentaron con pastoreo severo cada 4 y 6 sem anas y en ambas intensidades cada 3 y 5 semanas. El mayor rendimiento estacional (7,844; 7,699; 7114 kg MS ha -1 se presentó en verano en las mismas frecuencias e intensidades de pastoreo, respectivamente ( P <0.05. Durante primavera no se observaron dife rencias en rendimiento y TANF entre frecuencias de pastoreo. En otoño la frecuencia de 5 semanas superó a la de 4 ( P <0.05, pero no diferente a la de 6 semanas. En todas las estaciones del año la intensidad de pastoreo severo superó a la ligera, siendo diferentes en primavera y verano ( P <0.05. En general, el contenido de proteína total y digestibilidad in vitro de la materia seca tendieron a disminuir conforme aumentó el intervalo de pastoreo, siendo en promedio de 20 y 65 %, respectivamente. Se concluye que para obtener el mayor re ndimiento y calidad de forraje, los pastoreos deben realizarse cada 4 semanas durante primavera-verano y cada 5 semanas en otoño, a una intensidad severa.

Detailed mapping of serotonin 5-HT{sub 1B} and 5-HT{sub 1D} receptor messenger RNA and ligand binding sites in guinea-pig brain and trigeminal ganglion: clues for function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leysen, J.E. [Graduate School Neurosciences, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Schotte, A.; Jurzak, M.; Luyten, W.H.M.L. [Department of Biochemical Pharmacology, Janssen Research Foundation, Beerse (Belgium); Voorn, P.; Bonaventure, P. [Graduate School Neurosciences, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

1997-10-17

The similar pharmacology of the 5-HT{sub 1B} and 5-HT{sub 1D} receptors, and the lack of selective compounds sufficiently distinguishing between the two receptor subtypes, have hampered functional studies on these receptors. In order to provide clues for differential functional roles of the two subtypes, we performed a parallel localization study throughout the guinea-pig brain and the trigeminal ganglia by means of quantitative in situ hybridization histochemistry (using [{sup 35}S]-labelled riboprobes probes for receptor messenger RNA) and receptor autoradiography (using a new radioligand [{sup 3}H]alniditan).The anatomical patterns of 5-HT{sub 1B} and 5-HT{sub 1D} receptor messenger RNA were quite different. While 5-HT{sub 1B} receptor messenger RNA was abundant throughout the brain (with highest levels in the striatum, nucleus accumbens, olfactory tubercle, cortex, hypothalamus, hippocampal formation, amygdala, thalamus, dorsal raphe and cerebellum), 5-HT{sub 1D} receptor messenger RNA exhibited a more restricted pattern; it was found mainly in the olfactory tubercle, entorhinal cortex, dorsal raphe, cerebellum, mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus and in the trigeminal ganglion. The density of 5-HT{sub 1B/1D} binding sites (combined) obtained with [{sup 3}H]alniditan autoradiography was high in the substantia nigra, superior colliculus and globus pallidus, whereas lower levels were detected in the caudate-putamen, hypothalamus, hippocampal formation, amygdala, thalamus and central gray. This distribution pattern was indistinguishable from specific 5-HT{sub 1B} receptor labelling in the presence of ketanserin under conditions to occlude 5-HT{sub 1D} receptor labelling; hence the latter were below detection level. Relationships between the regional distributions of the receptor messenger RNAs and binding sites and particular neuroanatomical pathways are discussed with respect to possible functional roles of the 5-HT{sub 1B} and 5-HT{sub 1D} receptors. (Copyright (c

Penggunaan Aplikasi Blackberry Messenger (BBM Sebagai Media Untuk Evaluasi Mahasiswa

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Toni Kus Indratno

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Penggunaaan teknologi ke dalam setiap sendi kehidupan mutlak diperlukan untuk masa sekarang ini. Hampir setiap orang mempunyai smartphone untuk mendukung aktivitasnya sehari-hari. Akan tetapi penggunaan teknologi yang serba canggih apabila tidak diimbangi dengan kearifan, akan berdampak pada hal negatif saja, bahkan mengaburkan fungsi penting dari teknologi itu sendiri. Blackberry messenger atau yang lebih dikenal BBM merupakan satu dari sekian banyak aplikasi yang hampir pasti ada di setiap smartphone. Sisi kecepatan transfer data dan kemudahan berkirim berkas (file menjadi daya tarik tersendiri dari aplikasi ini. Pemanfaatan BBM untuk mendukung proses evaluasi mahasiswa telah dilakukan pada penelitian ini. Mahasiswa diberikan soal kuis untuk dikerjakan pada dini hari (mulai Pkl. 03.00 s.d. 05.00, hasil pekerjaan mahasiswa dikirim menggunakan aplikasi BBM dalam bentuk gambar. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain penelitian studi lapangan. Jenis penelitian ini adalah deskriptif kualitatif. Teknik pengumpulan data menggunakan dokumentasi. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa mahasiswa merasa lebih leluasa dalam mengerjakan kuis, mereka bisa mengerjakan sesuai gaya belajar masing-masing, tidak dibatasi oleh ruang dan suasana yang menegangkan. Waktu pengerjaan dini haripun membawa pengaruh positif, dengan pikiran yang masih segar, mahasiswa bisa lebih optimal dalam mengerjakan kuis.

Radioactive elements on Mercury's surface from MESSENGER: implications for the planet's formation and evolution.

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Peplowski, Patrick N; Evans, Larry G; Hauck, Steven A; McCoy, Timothy J; Boynton, William V; Gillis-Davis, Jeffery J; Ebel, Denton S; Goldsten, John O; Hamara, David K; Lawrence, David J; McNutt, Ralph L; Nittler, Larry R; Solomon, Sean C; Rhodes, Edgar A; Sprague, Ann L; Starr, Richard D; Stockstill-Cahill, Karen R

2011-09-30

The MESSENGER Gamma-Ray Spectrometer measured the average surface abundances of the radioactive elements potassium (K, 1150 ± 220 parts per million), thorium (Th, 220 ± 60 parts per billion), and uranium (U, 90 ± 20 parts per billion) in Mercury's northern hemisphere. The abundance of the moderately volatile element K, relative to Th and U, is inconsistent with physical models for the formation of Mercury requiring extreme heating of the planet or its precursor materials, and supports formation from volatile-containing material comparable to chondritic meteorites. Abundances of K, Th, and U indicate that internal heat production has declined substantially since Mercury's formation, consistent with widespread volcanism shortly after the end of late heavy bombardment 3.8 billion years ago and limited, isolated volcanic activity since.

Mechanistic insights into induction of vitellogenin gene expression by estrogens in Sydney rock oysters, Saccostrea glomerata.

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Tran, Thi Kim Anh; MacFarlane, Geoff R; Kong, Richard Yuen Chong; O'Connor, Wayne A; Yu, Richard Man Kit

2016-05-01

Marine molluscs, such as oysters, respond to estrogenic compounds with the induction of the egg yolk protein precursor, vitellogenin (Vtg), availing a biomarker for estrogenic pollution. Despite this application, the precise molecular mechanism through which estrogens exert their action to induce molluscan vitellogenesis is unknown. As a first step to address this question, we cloned a gene encoding Vtg from the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata (sgVtg). Using primers designed from a partial sgVtg cDNA sequence available in Genbank, a full-length sgVtg cDNA of 8498bp was obtained by 5'- and 3'-RACE. The open reading frame (ORF) of sgVtg was determined to be 7980bp, which is substantially longer than the orthologs of other oyster species. Its deduced protein sequence shares the highest homology at the N- and C-terminal regions with other molluscan Vtgs. The full-length genomic DNA sequence of sgVtg was obtained by genomic PCR and genome walking targeting the gene body and flanking regions, respectively. The genomic sequence spans 20kb and consists of 30 exons and 29 introns. Computer analysis identified three closely spaced half-estrogen responsive elements (EREs) in the promoter region and a 210-bp CpG island 62bp downstream of the transcription start site. Upregulation of sgVtg mRNA expression was observed in the ovaries following in vitro (explants) and in vivo (tank) exposure to 17β-estradiol (E2). Notably, treatment with an estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist in vitro abolished the upregulation, suggesting a requirement for an estrogen-dependent receptor for transcriptional activation. DNA methylation of the 5' CpG island was analysed using bisulfite genomic sequencing of the in vivo exposed ovaries. The CpG island was found to be hypomethylated (with 0-3% methylcytosines) in both control and E2-exposed oysters. However, no significant differential methylation or any correlation between methylation and sgVtg expression levels was observed. Overall, the

MESSENGER observations of the composition of Mercury's ionized exosphere and plasma environment.

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Zurbuchen, Thomas H; Raines, Jim M; Gloeckler, George; Krimigis, Stamatios M; Slavin, James A; Koehn, Patrick L; Killen, Rosemary M; Sprague, Ann L; McNutt, Ralph L; Solomon, Sean C

2008-07-04

The region around Mercury is filled with ions that originate from interactions of the solar wind with Mercury's space environment and through ionization of its exosphere. The MESSENGER spacecraft's observations of Mercury's ionized exosphere during its first flyby yielded Na+, O+, and K+ abundances, consistent with expectations from observations of neutral species. There are increases in ions at a mass per charge (m/q) = 32 to 35, which we interpret to be S+ and H2S+, with (S+ + H2S+)/(Na+ + Mg+) = 0.67 +/- 0.06, and from water-group ions around m/q = 18, at an abundance of 0.20 +/- 0.03 relative to Na+ plus Mg+. The fluxes of Na+, O+, and heavier ions are largest near the planet, but these Mercury-derived ions fill the magnetosphere. Doubly ionized ions originating from Mercury imply that electrons with energies less than 1 kiloelectron volt are substantially energized in Mercury's magnetosphere.

FMRP acts as a key messenger for dopamine modulation in the forebrain.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hansen; Wu, Long-Jun; Kim, Susan S; Lee, Frank J S; Gong, Bo; Toyoda, Hiroki; Ren, Ming; Shang, Yu-Ze; Xu, Hui; Liu, Fang; Zhao, Ming-Gao; Zhuo, Min

2008-08-28

The fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) is an RNA-binding protein that controls translational efficiency and regulates synaptic plasticity. Here, we report that FMRP is involved in dopamine (DA) modulation of synaptic potentiation. AMPA glutamate receptor subtype 1 (GluR1) surface expression and phosphorylation in response to D1 receptor stimulation were reduced in cultured Fmr1(-/-) prefrontal cortex (PFC) neurons. Furthermore, D1 receptor signaling was impaired, accompanied by D1 receptor hyperphosphorylation at serine sites and subcellular redistribution of G protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) in both PFC and striatum of Fmr1(-/-) mice. FMRP interacted with GRK2, and pharmacological inhibition of GRK2 rescued D1 receptor signaling in Fmr1(-/-) neurons. Finally, D1 receptor agonist partially rescued hyperactivity and enhanced the motor function of Fmr1(-/-) mice. Our study has identified FMRP as a key messenger for DA modulation in the forebrain and may provide insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying fragile X syndrome.

Cyclic [G(2′,5′)pA(3′,5′)p] Is the Metazoan Second Messenger Produced by DNA-Activated Cyclic GMP-AMP Synthase

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Pu; Ascano, Manuel; Wu, Yang; Barchet, Winfried; Gaffney, Barbara L.; Zillinger, Thomas; Serganov, Artem A.; Liu, Yizhou; Jones, Roger A.; Hartmann, Gunther; Tuschl, Thomas; Patel, Dinshaw J.

2015-01-01

SUMMARY Recent studies identified cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) as a metazoan second messenger triggering an interferon response. cGAMP is generated from GTP and ATP by cytoplasmic dsDNA sensor cGAMP synthase (cGAS). We combined structural, chemical, biochemical, and cellular assays to demonstrate that this second messenger contains G(2′,5′)pA and A(3′,5′)pG phosphodiester linkages, designated c[G(2′,5′) pA(3′,5′)p]. We show that, upon dsDNA binding, cGAS is activated through conformational transitions, resulting in formation of a catalytically competent and accessible nucleotide-binding pocket for generation of c[G(2′,5′)pA(3′,5′)p]. We demonstrate that cyclization occurs in a stepwise manner through initial generation of 5′-pppG(2′,5′)pA prior to cyclization to c[G(2′,5′)pA(3′,5′)p], with the latter positioned precisely in the catalytic pocket. Mutants of cGAS dsDNA-binding or catalytic pocket residues exhibit reduced or abrogated activity. Our studies have identified c[G(2′,5′)pA(3′,5′)p] as a founding member of a family of metazoan 2′,5′-containing cyclic heterodinucleotide second messengers distinct from bacterial 3′,5′ cyclic dinucleotides. PMID:23647843

Surface mapping via unsupervised classification of remote sensing: application to MESSENGER/MASCS and DAWN/VIRS data.

Science.gov (United States)

D'Amore, M.; Le Scaon, R.; Helbert, J.; Maturilli, A.

2017-12-01

Machine-learning achieved unprecedented results in high-dimensional data processing tasks with wide applications in various fields. Due to the growing number of complex nonlinear systems that have to be investigated in science and the bare raw size of data nowadays available, ML offers the unique ability to extract knowledge, regardless the specific application field. Examples are image segmentation, supervised/unsupervised/ semi-supervised classification, feature extraction, data dimensionality analysis/reduction.The MASCS instrument has mapped Mercury surface in the 400-1145 nm wavelength range during orbital observations by the MESSENGER spacecraft. We have conducted k-means unsupervised hierarchical clustering to identify and characterize spectral units from MASCS observations. The results display a dichotomy: a polar and equatorial units, possibly linked to compositional differences or weathering due to irradiation. To explore possible relations between composition and spectral behavior, we have compared the spectral provinces with elemental abundance maps derived from MESSENGER's X-Ray Spectrometer (XRS).For the Vesta application on DAWN Visible and infrared spectrometer (VIR) data, we explored several Machine Learning techniques: image segmentation method, stream algorithm and hierarchical clustering.The algorithm successfully separates the Olivine outcrops around two craters on Vesta's surface [1]. New maps summarizing the spectral and chemical signature of the surface could be automatically produced.We conclude that instead of hand digging in data, scientist could choose a subset of algorithms with well known feature (i.e. efficacy on the particular problem, speed, accuracy) and focus their effort in understanding what important characteristic of the groups found in the data mean. [1] E Ammannito et al. "Olivine in an unexpected location on Vesta's surface". In: Nature 504.7478 (2013), pp. 122-125.

WhatsApp messenger as a tool to supplement medical education for medical students on clinical attachment.

Science.gov (United States)

Raiman, Lewis; Antbring, Richard; Mahmood, Asad

2017-01-06

Instant messaging applications have the potential to improve and facilitate communication between hospital doctors and students, hence generating and improving learning opportunities. This study aims to demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of instant messaging communication to supplement medical education for medical students whilst on clinical attachment. A total of 6 WhatsApp Messenger (WhatsApp Inc.) groups were created for medical students on clinical attachment. These were used to provide communication within Problem Based Learning (PBL) groups for a duration of 8 weeks. The frequency and type of communication were recorded. Students' opinions were evaluated through a structured interview process at the end of the study period. A thematic analysis was performed on the content of the instant messaging groups and on the results of the structured interviews. All of the participants were active in their respective messaging groups (19 students and 6 tutors). A total of 582 messages, 22 images and 19 webpage links were sent. Thematic analysis on content of the instant messaging groups identified the following themes: organisational, educational and social. Thematic analysis on the content of interviews identified themes such as the ease of use of instant messaging, benefit of instant messaging to foster understanding and learning, and the ability to access recorded discussions. The findings of this study illustrate a method by which communication within PBL groups can be facilitated by the use of instant messaging. The results indicate the feasibility and acceptability of WhatsApp Messenger in supplementing PBL teaching for medical students, and provides a framework for studies to investigate use amongst larger cohorts of students.

Control of Anther Cell Differentiation by the Small Protein Ligand TPD1 and Its Receptor EMS1 in Arabidopsis.

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Jian Huang

2016-08-01

Full Text Available A fundamental feature of sexual reproduction in plants and animals is the specification of reproductive cells that conduct meiosis to form gametes, and the associated somatic cells that provide nutrition and developmental cues to ensure successful gamete production. The anther, which is the male reproductive organ in seed plants, produces reproductive microsporocytes (pollen mother cells and surrounding somatic cells. The microsporocytes yield pollen via meiosis, and the somatic cells, particularly the tapetum, are required for the normal development of pollen. It is not known how the reproductive cells affect the differentiation of these somatic cells, and vice versa. Here, we use molecular genetics, cell biological, and biochemical approaches to demonstrate that TPD1 (TAPETUM DETERMINANT1 is a small secreted cysteine-rich protein ligand that interacts with the LRR (Leucine-Rich Repeat domain of the EMS1 (EXCESS MICROSPOROCYTES1 receptor kinase at two sites. Analyses of the expressions and localizations of TPD1 and EMS1, ectopic expression of TPD1, experimental missorting of TPD1, and ablation of microsporocytes yielded results suggesting that the precursors of microsporocyte/microsporocyte-derived TPD1 and pre-tapetal-cell-localized EMS1 initially promote the periclinal division of secondary parietal cells and then determine one of the two daughter cells as a functional tapetal cell. Our results also indicate that tapetal cells suppress microsporocyte proliferation. Collectively, our findings show that tapetal cell differentiation requires reproductive-cell-secreted TPD1, illuminating a novel mechanism whereby signals from reproductive cells determine somatic cell fate in plant sexual reproduction.

Processivity and coupling in messenger RNA transcription.

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Stuart Aitken

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The complexity of messenger RNA processing is now being uncovered by experimental techniques that are capable of detecting individual copies of mRNA in cells, and by quantitative real-time observations that reveal the kinetics. This processing is commonly modelled by permitting mRNA to be transcribed only when the promoter is in the on state. In this simple on/off model, the many processes involved in active transcription are represented by a single reaction. These processes include elongation, which has a minimum time for completion and processing that is not captured in the model.In this paper, we explore the impact on the mRNA distribution of representing the elongation process in more detail. Consideration of the mechanisms of elongation leads to two alternative models of the coupling between the elongating polymerase and the state of the promoter: Processivity allows polymerases to complete elongation irrespective of the promoter state, whereas coupling requires the promoter to be active to produce a full-length transcript. We demonstrate that these alternatives have a significant impact on the predicted distributions. Models are simulated by the Gillespie algorithm, and the third and fourth moments of the resulting distribution are computed in order to characterise the length of the tail, and sharpness of the peak. By this methodology, we show that the moments provide a concise summary of the distribution, showing statistically-significant differences across much of the feasible parameter range.We conclude that processivity is not fully consistent with the on/off model unless the probability of successfully completing elongation is low--as has been observed. The results also suggest that some form of coupling between the promoter and a rate-limiting step in transcription may explain the cell's inability to maintain high mRNA levels at low noise--a prediction of the on/off model that has no supporting evidence.

NEUTRINOS AS COSMIC MESSENGERS IN THE ERA OF ICECUBE, ANTARES AND KM3NET

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Uli F. Katz

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Using neutrinos as cosmic messengers for observation of non-thermal processes in the Universe is a highly attractive and promising vision, which has been pursued in various neutrino telescope projects for more than two decades. Recent results from ground-based TeV gamma-ray observatories and refinements of model calculations of the expected neutrino fluxes indicate that Gigaton target volumes will be necessary to establish neutrino astronomy. A first neutrino telescope of that size, IceCube, is operational at the South Pole. Based on experience with the smaller first-generation ANTARES telescope in the Mediterranean Sea, the multi-Gigaton KM3NeT device is in preparation. These neutrino telescopes are presented, and some selected results and the expected KM3NeT performance are discussed.

cCMP, cUMP, cTMP, cIMP and cXMP as possible second messengers: development of a hypothesis based on studies with soluble guanylyl cyclase α(1)β(1).

Science.gov (United States)

Beste, Kerstin Y; Seifert, Roland

2013-02-01

Adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate and guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate are second messengers that regulate multiple physiological functions. The existence of additional cyclic nucleotides in mammalian cells was postulated many years ago, but technical problems hampered development of the field. Using highly specific and sensitive mass spectrometry methods, soluble guanylyl cyclase has recently been shown to catalyze the formation of several cyclic nucleotides in vitro. This minireview discusses the broad substrate-specificity of soluble guanylyl cyclase and the possible second messenger roles of cyclic nucleotides other than adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate and guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate. We hope that this article stimulates productive and critical research in an area that has been neglected for many years.

Differences in Brand Image of Online Chat Application of Blackberry Messenger, Whatsapp, and Line for Bina Nusantara University’s Student

OpenAIRE

Kuspuji C. B. Wicaksono

2016-01-01

This article was written to find out whether there were any differences on brand image for each online chat Application such as Blackberry Messenger, Whatsapp, and LINE based on six factors of the brand image which are: benefits, attributes, cultures, values, personality, and user. Data for the research were collected from questionnaires given to respondents who had used each mention online chat application. Then each respondent was asked to give scores based on the six factors of brand image...

Serotonergic transmission at Merkel discs: modulation by exogenously applied chemical messengers and involvement of Ih currents.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Weipang; Kanda, Hirosato; Ikeda, Ryo; Ling, Jennifer; Gu, Jianguo G

2017-05-01

The Merkel disc is a main type of tactile end organ consisting of Merkel cells and Aβ-afferent endings that responds to tactile stimulation with slowly adapting type 1 (SA1) afferent impulses. Our recent study has shown that Merkel discs in whisker hair follicles are serotonergic synapses using endogenous serotonin to transmit tactile signals from Merkel cells to Aβ-afferent endings. In this study, we hypothesize that tactile sensitivity of Merkel discs can be modulated by chemical messengers. We tested this hypothesis by determining whether and how SA1 responses of mouse whisker hair follicles may be affected by exogenously applied chemical messengers. We found that SA1 responses were potentiated by serotonin at low concentration (10 μM) but almost completely occluded by serotonin at high concentration (2 mM). In contrast, SA1 responses were not significantly affected by ATP and its metabolically stable analog α,β-methylene-ATP, glutamate, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and histamine. SA1 responses were also not affected by antagonists for P2X receptors, ionotropic glutamate receptors, and ionotropic GABA and glycine receptors. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings reconfirm the presence of both ionotropic and metabotropic 5-HT receptors on afferent neurons and their terminals innervating whisker hair follicles. All whisker afferent neurons expressed hyperpolarization-activated inward currents (I h ), which are potentiated by serotonin through the activation of metabotropic 5-HT receptors. Taken together, the findings substantiate the serotonergic mechanism of tactile transmission at Merkel discs and identify the involvement of I h currents in postsynaptic excitatory actions of serotonin. In addition, the findings do not favor any significant involvement of ATP, glutamate, histamine, GABA, or glycine in tactile transmission at the Merkel discs of whisker hair follicles. © 2017 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Chemical hybridizing agent SQ-1-induced male sterility in Triticum aestivum L.: a comparative analysis of the anther proteome.

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Liu, Hongzhan; Zhang, Gaisheng; Wang, Junsheng; Li, Jingjing; Song, Yulong; Qiao, Lin; Niu, Na; Wang, Junwei; Ma, Shoucai; Li, Lili

2018-01-05

Heterosis is widely used to increase the yield of many crops. However, as wheat is a self-pollinating crop, hybrid breeding is not so successful in this organism. Even though male sterility induced by chemical hybridizing agents is an important aspect of crossbreeding, the mechanisms by which these agents induce male sterility in wheat is not well understood. We performed proteomic analyses using the wheat Triticum aestivum L.to identify those proteins involved in physiological male sterility (PHYMS) induced by the chemical hybridizing agent CHA SQ-1. A total of 103 differentially expressed proteins were found by 2D-PAGE and subsequently identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS/MS. In general, these proteins had obvious functional tendencies implicated in carbohydrate metabolism, oxidative stress and resistance, protein metabolism, photosynthesis, and cytoskeleton and cell structure. In combination with phenotypic, tissue section, and bioinformatics analyses, the identified differentially expressed proteins revealed a complex network behind the regulation of PHYMS and pollen development. Accordingly, we constructed a protein network of male sterility in wheat, drawing relationships between the 103 differentially expressed proteins and their annotated biological pathways. To further validate our proposed protein network, we determined relevant physiological values and performed real-time PCR assays. Our proteomics based approach has enabled us to identify certain tendencies in PHYMS anthers. Anomalies in carbohydrate metabolism and oxidative stress, together with premature tapetum degradation, may be the cause behind carbohydrate starvation and male sterility in CHA SQ-1 treated plants. Here, we provide important insight into the mechanisms underlying CHA SQ-1-induced male sterility. Our findings have practical implications for the application of hybrid breeding in wheat.

Arnold Sommerfeld. Atomic physicist and messenger of culture 1868-1951. A biography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckert, Michael

2013-01-01

Arnold Sommerfeld is beside Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, and Max Planck one of the founders of modern atomic and quantum theory. His career began in the 1890th years at the University of Goettingen, the world center of mathematics of that time. Since 1906 he created on the professorship for theoretical physics at the Munich university one of the most important schools of science, the students of which are well-known theorists of the atomic era like as the Nobel-price winners Hans Bethe, Peter Debye, Wolfgang Pauli, and Werner Heisenberg. He also developed far beyond his subject an unprecedented impact. He travelled as ''messenger of culture'' in many countries in order to advertise in the years after the first world war for the reputation of Germany as culture nation. By the nationalsocialism the Munich ''nursery of theoretical physics'' however was prepared an inglorious end, because Sommerfeld counted for a ''main propagandist of Jewish theories''. By the example of this life of a physicist also the eventful history of a whole subject.

Relationship of ascorbic acid metabolism with the cytoplasmic male sterility in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, J.; Deng, M.

2015-01-01

To elucidate the metabolic mechanism of Ascorbic Acid (ASA) in the CMS-pepper anthers, the metabolism changes in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) contents, antioxidants contents and ROS scavenging enzymatic activities were investigated in the anther mitochondria of CMS-9704A and maintainer-9704B. At the abortion stage, anthers of CMS-9704A had higher contents of ROS than those of the maintainer. Simultaneously, there were lower contents of ASA and glutathione (GSH) in stage 2 and 3, and the lower activities of ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione perodixase (GPX) in stage 3 in scavenging ROS in the anthers of the CMS line than maintainer. The expression level of APX and GPX in stage 3 in anthers of CMS-9704A was obviously inhibited when ROS produced with a great deal during anther stage; however the gene expression kept normal in the maintainer. Excessive accumulation of ROS, significant reduction activities and gene expression level of ROS-scavenging enzyme were coinstantaneous with CMS. (author)

The effect of 648 nm diode laser irradiation on second messengers in senescent human keratinocytes

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins Evans, D.; Abrahamse, H.

2009-02-01

Background/purpose: Stress induced premature senescence (SIPS) is defined as the long-term effect of subcytotoxic stress on proliferative cell types. Cells in SIPS display differences at the level of protein expression which affect energy metabolism, defense systems, redox potential, cell morphology and transduction pathways. This study aimed to determine the effect of laser irradiation on second messengers in senescent cells and to establish if that effect can be directly linked to changes in cellular function such as cell viability or proliferation. Materials and Methods: Human keratinocyte cell cultures were modified to induce premature senescence using repeated sub-lethal stresses of 200 uM H2O2 or 5% OH every day for four days with two days recovery. SIPS was confirmed by senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining. Control conditions included normal, repeated stress of 500 uM H2O2 to induce apoptosis and 200 uM PBN as an anti-oxidant or free radical scavenger. Cells were irradiated with 1.5 J/cm2 on day 1 and 4 using a 648 nm diode laser (3.3 mW/cm2) and cellular responses were measured 1 h post irradiation. The affect on second messengers was assessed by measuring cAMP, cGMP, nitric oxide and intracellular calcium (Ca2+) while functional changes were assessed using cell morphology, ATP cell viability, LDH membrane integrity and WST-1 cell proliferation. Results: Results indicate an increase in NO and a decrease in cGMP and Ca2+ in 200 uM H2O2 irradiated cells while PBN irradiated cells showed a decrease in cAMP and an increase in ATP viability and cell proliferation. Conclusion: Laser irradiation influences cell signaling which ultimately changes the biological function of senescent cells. If laser therapy can stimulate the biological function of senescent cells it may be beneficial to conditions such as immune senescence, skin ageing, muscle atrophy, premature ageing of arteries in patients with advanced heart disease, neurodegenerative disorders and

Differential effects of metal contamination on the transcript expression of immune- and stress-response genes in the Sydney Rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taylor, Daisy A.; Thompson, Emma L.; Nair, Sham V.; Raftos, David A.

2013-01-01

Environmental contamination by metals is a serious threat to the biological sustainability of coastal ecosystems. Our current understanding of the potential biological effects of metals in these ecosystems is limited. This study tested the transcriptional expression of immune- and stress-response genes in Sydney Rock oysters (Saccostrea glomerata). Oysters were exposed to four metals (cadmium, copper, lead and zinc) commonly associated with anthropogenic pollution in coastal waterways. Seven target genes (superoxide dismutase, ferritin, ficolin, defensin, HSP70, HSP90 and metallothionein) were selected. Quantitative (real-time) PCR analyses of the transcript expression of these genes showed that each of the different metals elicited unique transcriptional profiles. Significant changes in transcription were found for 18 of the 28 combinations tested (4 metals × 7 genes). Of these, 16 reflected down-regulation of gene transcription. HSP90 was the only gene significantly up-regulated by metal contamination (cadmium and zinc only), while defensin expression was significantly down-regulated by exposure to all four metals. This inhibition could have a significant negative effect on the oyster immune system, promoting susceptibility to opportunistic infections and disease. -- Highlights: ► Oysters were exposed to Cd, Cu, Pb or Zn, all commonly associated with coastal pollution. ► qPCR identified significant down-regulation in stress- and immune-response genes in oysters exposed to these metals. ► qPCR showed that each of the different metals elicited unique transcriptional profiles. ► The genes identified have the potential to lead to increased disease susceptibility in oysters. -- qPCR identified significant down-regulation in stress- and immune-response genes in oysters exposed to metals, which could lead to increased disease susceptibility

The synthesis of polyadenylated messenger RNA in herpes simplex type I virus infected BHK cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, T J; Wildy, P

1975-09-01

The pattern of polyadenylated messenger RNA (mRNA) synthesis in BHK cell monolayers, infected under defined conditions with herpes simplex type I virus has been investigated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis or pulse-labelled RNA isolated by oligo dT-cellulose chromatography. Two classes of mRNA molecules were synthesized in infected cells; these were not detected in uninfected cells. The rate of synthesis of the larger, 18 to 30S RNA class reached a maximum soon after injection and then declined, whereas the rate of synthesis of the 7 to 11 S RNA class did not reach a maximum until much later and did not decline. In the presence of cytosine arabinoside, the rate of mRNA synthesis in infected cells was reduced but the electrophoretic pattern remained the same.

LONGITUDINAL AND RADIAL DEPENDENCE OF SOLAR ENERGETIC PARTICLE PEAK INTENSITIES: STEREO, ACE, SOHO, GOES, AND MESSENGER OBSERVATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lario, D.; Ho, G. C.; Decker, R. B.; Roelof, E. C. [The Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States); Aran, A. [Departament d' Astronomia i Meteorologia, Institut de Ciencies del Cosmos, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona (Spain); Gomez-Herrero, R.; Dresing, N.; Heber, B., E-mail: david.lario@jhuapl.edu [Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel, Kiel (Germany)

2013-04-10

Simultaneous measurements of solar energetic particle (SEP) events by two or more of the spacecraft located near 1 AU during the rising phase of solar cycle 24 (i.e., STEREO-A, STEREO-B, and near-Earth spacecraft such as ACE, SOHO, and GOES) are used to determine the longitudinal dependence of 71-112 keV electron, 0.7-3 MeV electron, 15-40 MeV proton, and 25-53 MeV proton peak intensities measured in the prompt component of SEP events. Distributions of the peak intensities for the selected 35 events with identifiable solar origin are approximated by the form exp [ - ({phi} - {phi}{sub 0}){sup 2}/2{sigma}{sup 2}], where {phi} is the longitudinal separation between the parent active region and the footpoint of the nominal interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) line connecting each spacecraft with the Sun, {phi}{sub 0} is the distribution centroid, and {sigma} determines the longitudinal gradient. The MESSENGER spacecraft, at helioradii R < 1 AU, allows us to determine a lower limit to the radial dependence of the 71-112 keV electron peak intensities measured along IMF lines. We find five events for which the nominal magnetic footpoint of MESSENGER was less than 20 Degree-Sign apart from the nominal footpoint of a spacecraft near 1 AU. Although the expected theoretical radial dependence for the peak intensity of the events observed along the same field line can be approximated by a functional form R {sup -{alpha}} with {alpha} < 3, we find two events for which {alpha} > 3. These two cases correspond to SEP events occurring in a complex interplanetary medium that favored the enhancement of peak intensities near Mercury but hindered the SEP transport to 1 AU.

Regulatory networks in pollen development under cold stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamal Dev Sharma

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Cold stress modifies anthers’ metabolic pathways to induce pollen sterility. Cold-tolerant plants, unlike the susceptible ones, produce high proportion of viable pollen. Anthers in susceptible plants, when exposed to cold stress, increase abscisic acid (ABA metabolism and reduce ABA catabolism. Increased ABA negatively regulates expression of tapetum cell wall bound invertase and monosaccharide transport genes resulting in distorted carbohydrate pool in anther. Cold-stress also reduces endogenous levels of the bioactive gibberellins (GAs, GA4 and GA7, in susceptible anthers by repression of the GA biosynthesis genes. Here we discuss recent findings on mechanisms of cold susceptibility in anthers which determine pollen sterility. We also discuss differences in regulatory pathways between cold-stressed anthers of susceptible and tolerant plants that decide pollen sterility or viability.

DNA Methylation of MMP9 Is Associated with High Levels of MMP-9 Messenger RNA in Periapical Inflammatory Lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Campos, Kelma; Gomes, Carolina Cavalieri; Farias, Lucyana Conceição; Silva, Renato Menezes; Letra, Ariadne; Gomez, Ricardo Santiago

2016-01-01

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are the major class of enzymes responsible for degradation of extracellular matrix components and participate in the pathogenesis of periapical inflammatory lesions. MMP expression may be regulated by DNA methylation. The purpose of the present investigation was to analyze the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 in periapical granulomas and radicular cysts and to test the hypothesis that, in these lesions, their transcription may be modulated by DNA methylation. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction was used to evaluate the DNA methylation pattern of the MMP2 gene in 13 fresh periapical granuloma samples and 10 fresh radicular cyst samples. Restriction enzyme digestion was used to assess methylation of the MMP9 gene in 12 fresh periapical granuloma samples and 10 fresh radicular cyst samples. MMP2 and MMP9 messenger RNA transcript levels were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. All periapical lesions and healthy mucosa samples showed partial methylation of the MMP2 gene; however, periapical granulomas showed higher MMP2 mRNA expression levels than healthy mucosa (P = .014). A higher unmethylated profile of the MMP9 gene was found in periapical granulomas and radicular cysts compared with healthy mucosa. In addition, higher MMP9 mRNA expression was observed in the periapical lesions compared with healthy tissues. The present study suggests that the unmethylated status of the MMP9 gene in periapical lesions may explain the observed up-regulation of messenger RNA transcription in these lesions. Copyright © 2016 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Photoacclimation in a tropical population of Cladophora glomerata (L. Kützing 1843 (Chlorophyta from southeastern Brazil Fotoaclimatação em uma população tropical de Cladophora glomerata (L. Kützing 1843 (Chlorophyta do sudeste do Brasil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

AIN. Bautista

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Photoacclimation of photosynthesis was investigated in a tropical population of C. glomerata (São Paulo State, southeastern Brazil, 20º 48’ 24" S and 49º 22’ 24" W by chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and chlorophyll a content. Plants were acclimated to two levels of irradiance: low (65 ± 5 µmol.m-2.s-1 and high (300 ± 10 µmol.m-2.s-1 and exposed short-term (4 days and long-term (28 days under a light-dark cycle of 12:12 hours. Photosynthesis-irradiance (PI curves revealed distinct strategies of photoacclimation. In long-term exposure, plants acclimated by altering the photosynthetic units (PSU number and keeping fixed the PSU size, revealed by increased rates of maximum photosynthesis (Pmax, lower photosynthetic efficiency (alpha and higher values of the saturation parameter (Ik under high irradiance. The short-term acclimation strategy consisted of changing the PSU size, with a fixed number of PSUs, as revealed by similar Pmax but higher alpha and lower Ik under low irradiance. Chlorophyll a contents followed the general pattern reported in green algae of higher concentrations under lower irradiance. Dark/light induction curves revealed consistently higher values of potential quantum yield under low irradiance. Initial and final values showed a higher recovery capacity in the short (84.4-90.6% term exposure than in the long-term case (81.4-81.5%. ETR (electron transport rate and NPQ (non-photochemical quenching values were consistently higher under low irradiance. ETR showed a continuous and steady increase along the light exposure period in the short and long-term experiments, whereas NPQ values revealed a rapid increase after 15 seconds of light exposure, kept a slightly increasing trend and stabilized in most treatments. Lower photosynthetic performance (ETR and recovery capacity of potential quantum yield were observed, particularly in long-term exposure, suggesting that this population is constrained by the typical high light

A Bayesian approach to multi-messenger astronomy: identification of gravitational-wave host galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, XiLong; Messenger, Christopher; Heng, Ik Siong

2014-01-01

We present a general framework for incorporating astrophysical information into Bayesian parameter estimation techniques used by gravitational wave data analysis to facilitate multi-messenger astronomy. Since the progenitors of transient gravitational wave events, such as compact binary coalescences, are likely to be associated with a host galaxy, improvements to the source sky location estimates through the use of host galaxy information are explored. To demonstrate how host galaxy properties can be included, we simulate a population of compact binary coalescences and show that for ∼8.5% of simulations within 200 Mpc, the top 10 most likely galaxies account for a ∼50% of the total probability of hosting a gravitational wave source. The true gravitational wave source host galaxy is in the top 10 galaxy candidates ∼10% of the time. Furthermore, we show that by including host galaxy information, a better estimate of the inclination angle of a compact binary gravitational wave source can be obtained. We also demonstrate the flexibility of our method by incorporating the use of either the B or K band into our analysis.

Multi-messenger Light Curves from Gamma-Ray Bursts in the Internal Shock Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bustamante, Mauricio [Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP), The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Heinze, Jonas; Winter, Walter [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Platanenallee 6, D-15738 Zeuthen (Germany); Murase, Kohta, E-mail: bustamanteramirez.1@osu.edu, E-mail: walter.winter@desy.de, E-mail: jonas.heinze@desy.de, E-mail: murase@psu.edu [Center for Particle and Gravitational Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16802 (United States)

2017-03-01

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are promising as sources of neutrinos and cosmic rays. In the internal shock scenario, blobs of plasma emitted from a central engine collide within a relativistic jet and form shocks, leading to particle acceleration and emission. Motivated by present experimental constraints and sensitivities, we improve the predictions of particle emission by investigating time-dependent effects from multiple shocks. We produce synthetic light curves with different variability timescales that stem from properties of the central engine. For individual GRBs, qualitative conclusions about model parameters, neutrino production efficiency, and delays in high-energy gamma-rays can be deduced from inspection of the gamma-ray light curves. GRBs with fast time variability without additional prominent pulse structure tend to be efficient neutrino emitters, whereas GRBs with fast variability modulated by a broad pulse structure can be inefficient neutrino emitters and produce delayed high-energy gamma-ray signals. Our results can be applied to quantitative tests of the GRB origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, and have the potential to impact current and future multi-messenger searches.

Multi-messenger light curves from gamma-ray bursts in the internal shock model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bustamante, Mauricio [Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP); Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States). Dept. of Physics; Murase, Kohta [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Center for Particle and Gravitational Astrophysics; Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States). Dept. of Astronomy and Astrophysics; Winter, Walter [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Zeuthen (Germany)

2016-06-15

Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are promising as sources of neutrinos and cosmic rays. In the internal shock scenario, blobs of plasma emitted from a central engine collide within a relativistic jet and form shocks, leading to particle acceleration and emission. Motivated by present experimental constraints and sensitivities, we improve the predictions of particle emission by investigating time-dependent effects from multiple shocks. We produce synthetic light curves with different variability timescales that stem from properties of the central engine. For individual GRBs, qualitative conclusions about model parameters, neutrino production efficiency, and delays in high-energy gamma rays can be deduced from inspection of the gamma-ray light curves. GRBs with fast time variability without additional prominent pulse structure tend to be efficient neutrino emitters, whereas GRBs with fast variability modulated by a broad pulse structure tend to be inefficient neutrino emitters and produce delayed high-energy gamma-ray signals. Our results can be applied to quantitative tests of the GRB origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, and have the potential to impact current and future multi-messenger searches.

Opioid modulation of immunocompetence: Receptor characterization and second messenger involvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hemmick, L.M.

1989-01-01

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the effects of opioids on several indices of immunocompetence, determined the receptor specificity of these effects, and ascertain whether the actions of opioids on lymphocytes could be correlated with activation of second messenger systems. By measuring 45 Ca 2+ uptake into lymphocytes, it was demonstrated that β-endorphin 1-31 (β-END 1-31) enhanced rat thymocyte Ca 2+ uptake in response to concanavalin A (Con A) but not phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Related opioid peptides and alkaloids were unable to mimic the effect, and naloxone did not block it, suggesting that β-END 1-31 acted by binding to specific, non-opioid receptors on the thymocytes. Rat splenocyte Con A-stimulated Ca 2+ uptake was not affected by β-END 1-31. β-END 1-31 did not affect basal Ca 2+ uptake by either cell type. Using [ 3 H]thymidine uptake as an index of lymphocyte proliferation, β-END 1-31 and several related opioid peptides reversed prostaglandin E 1 (PGE 1 ) suppression of rat lymph node cell Con A- and PHA-stimulated proliferation. Naloxone did not block the reversal. β-END 1-31 was unable to reverse forskolin and cholera toxin suppression of proliferation, indicating that the lowering of cyclic AMP levels was not the mechanism involved. Verapamil inhibition of proliferation was also not reversed by β-END 1-31, suggesting that promotion of Ca 2+ influx was not a major mechanism involved

The MESSENGER mission to Mercury: new insights into geological processes and evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Head, James W., III; Solomon, Sean C.; McNutt, Ralph L., Jr.; Blewett, David T.; Chapman, Clark R.; Domingue, Deborah L.; Evans, Larry G.; Gillis-Davis, Jeffrey J.; Hawkins, S. Edward, III; Helbert, Jörn; Holsclaw, Gregory M.; Izenberg, Noam R.; McClintock, William E.; McCoy, Timothy J.; Merline, William J.; Murchie, Scott L.; Nittler, Larrz R.; Phillips, Roger J.; Prockter, Louise M.; Robinson, Mark S.; Sprague, Ann L.; Strom, Robert G.; Vilas, Faith; Watters, Thomas R.; Zuber, Maria T.

2008-09-01

The MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission, a part of NASA's Discovery Program, was designed to answer six questions [1]: (1) What planetary formational processes led to Mercury's high ratio of metal to silicate? (2) What is the geological history of Mercury? (3) What are the nature and origin of Mercury's magnetic field? (4) What are the structure and state of Mercury's core? (5) What are the radar-reflective materials at Mercury's poles? (6) What are the important volatile species and their sources and sinks near Mercury? MESSENGER is currently midway through a complex interplanetary cruise phase that involves three flybys of Mercury. The first of these, on 14 January 2008, provided important new information relating to several of the questions above [2-13]. Here we summarize observations made during the flyby that are most relevant to new insights about geological processes that have operated on Mercury and implications for the planet's history [3, 8-13]. The instruments that provided the most direct information on the geological history of Mercury during this first encounter were the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) [14], the Mercury Atmospheric and Surface Composition Spectrometer (MASCS) [15], and the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) [16]. Among the many specific questions remaining following the Mariner 10 mission to Mercury (1974- 1975) were (1) the level of mineralogical and compositional diversity of the crust, which appeared relatively bland in Mariner 10 data, (2) the nature of the rest of the huge Caloris impact basin seen only partially in Mariner 10 images, (3) the origin of the extensive plains observed on the surface (ponded impact ejecta or extrusive lava flows?), (4) the diversity and global distribution of tectonic features that have deformed the crust and their implications for strain as a function of time, and (5) the bombardment chronology and geological history of Mercury [1, 17-19]. The viewing

In-Flight performance of MESSENGER's Mercury dual imaging system

Science.gov (United States)

Hawkins, S.E.; Murchie, S.L.; Becker, K.J.; Selby, C.M.; Turner, F.S.; Noble, M.W.; Chabot, N.L.; Choo, T.H.; Darlington, E.H.; Denevi, B.W.; Domingue, D.L.; Ernst, C.M.; Holsclaw, G.M.; Laslo, N.R.; Mcclintock, W.E.; Prockter, L.M.; Robinson, M.S.; Solomon, S.C.; Sterner, R.E.

2009-01-01

The Mercury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, launched in August 2004 and planned for insertion into orbit around Mercury in 2011, has already completed two flybys of the innermost planet. The Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) acquired nearly 2500 images from the first two flybys and viewed portions of Mercury's surface not viewed by Mariner 10 in 1974-1975. Mercury's proximity to the Sun and its slow rotation present challenges to the thermal design for a camera on an orbital mission around Mercury. In addition, strict limitations on spacecraft pointing and the highly elliptical orbit create challenges in attaining coverage at desired geometries and relatively uniform spatial resolution. The instrument designed to meet these challenges consists of dual imagers, a monochrome narrow-angle camera (NAC) with a 1.5?? field of view (FOV) and a multispectral wide-angle camera (WAC) with a 10.5?? FOV, co-aligned on a pivoting platform. The focal-plane electronics of each camera are identical and use a 1024??1024 charge-coupled device detector. The cameras are passively cooled but use diode heat pipes and phase-change-material thermal reservoirs to maintain the thermal configuration during the hot portions of the orbit. Here we present an overview of the instrument design and how the design meets its technical challenges. We also review results from the first two flybys, discuss the quality of MDIS data from the initial periods of data acquisition and how that compares with requirements, and summarize how in-flight tests are being used to improve the quality of the instrument calibration. ?? 2009 SPIE.

Starch distribution in anthers, microspores and pollen grains in Aechmea recurvata (Klotzsch. L.B.Sm., Dyckia racinae L.B.Sm. and Tillandsia aeranthos (Loisel. L.B.Sm. (Bromeliaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Marcelo Santos de Oliveira

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a comparative description of the starch distribution in the anthers, microspores and pollen grains of Aechmea recurvata, Dyckia racinae and Tillandsia aeranthos. Flowers at different stages of development were processed according to plant microtechniques for observation by light microscope. Ten stages of embryological development were used as references for the comparative analysis of starch distribution and dynamics. The structural data showed a greater starch accumulation in the parietal layers and connective of D. racinae. It was observed that in the species studied, starch began to accumulate in microspore mother cell stage. The pollen grains in D. racinae and in T. aeranthos present two amylogenesis-amylolysis cycles, while A. recurvata presents only one. One amylogenesis-amylolysis cycle occurs in the parietal layers and/or connective tissue in all three species. The pollen grains in the three species are dispersed without starch and are characterized as the starchless type. Starch dynamics presents a close relation to the development of sporangia, microspores and pollen grains. It is believed that differences in the starch distribution and accumulation are related to the abiotic factors where the species are found.

Topographic Rise in the Northern Smooth Plains of Mercury: Characteristics from Messenger Image and Altimetry Data and Candidate Modes of Origin

Science.gov (United States)

Dickson, James L.; Head, James W.; Whitten, Jennifer L.; Fassett, Caleb I.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Smith, David E.; Zuber, Maria T.; Phillips, Roger J.

2012-01-01

MESSENGER observations from orbit around Mercury have revealed that a large contiguous area of smooth plains occupies much of the high northern latitudes and covers an area in excess of approx.6% of the surface of the planet [1] (Fig. 1). Smooth surface morphology, embayment relationships, color data, candidate flow fronts, and a population of partly to wholly buried craters provide evidence for the volcanic origin of these plains and their emplacement in a flood lava mode to depths at least locally in excess of 1 km. The age of these plains is similar to that of plains associated with and postdating the Caloris impact basin, confirming that volcanism was a globally extensive process in the post-heavy bombardment history of Mercury [1]. No specific effusive vent structures, constructional volcanic edifices, or lava distributary features (leveed flow fronts or sinuous rilles) have been identified in the contiguous plains, although vent structures and evidence of high-effusion-rate flood eruptions are seen in adjacent areas [1]. Subsequent to the identification and mapping of the extensive north polar smooth plains, data from the Mercury Laser Altimeter (MLA) on MESSENGER revealed the presence of a broad topographic rise in the northern smooth plains that is 1,000 km across and rises more than 1.5 km above the surrounding smooth plains [2] (Fig. 2). The purpose of this contribution is to characterize the northern plains rise and to outline a range of hypotheses for its origin.

siRNAs targeted to certain polyadenylation sites promote specific, RISC-independent degradation of messenger RNAs.

Science.gov (United States)

Vickers, Timothy A; Crooke, Stanley T

2012-07-01

While most siRNAs induce sequence-specific target mRNA cleavage and degradation in a process mediated by Ago2/RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC), certain siRNAs have also been demonstrated to direct target RNA reduction through deadenylation and subsequent degradation of target transcripts in a process which involves Ago1/RISC and P-bodies. In the current study, we present data suggesting that a third class of siRNA exist, which are capable of promoting target RNA reduction that is independent of both Ago and RISC. These siRNAs bind the target messenger RNA at the polyA signal and are capable of redirecting a small amount of polyadenylation to downstream polyA sites when present, however, the majority of the activity appears to be due to inhibition of polyadenylation or deadenylation of the transcript, followed by exosomal degradation of the immature mRNA.

MESSENGER Educator Fellows Taking the Nation on a Ride to the Innermost Planet

Science.gov (United States)

Vanhala, H. A.; Goldstein, J. J.; Chapman, C. R.; Edmonds, J. P.; Hallau, K. G.; Hirshon, B.; Weir, H. M.; Solomon, S. C.

2011-12-01

Exploration of the mysterious planet Mercury offers an unprecedented opportunity for teachers, students, and citizens to tag along for the ride, and the MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) Educator Fellows are making sure classrooms across the U.S. are treated to quite a show. The Fellows, a nationally selected team of 30 master science educator volunteers, conduct workshops to teachers on how to bring educational materials developed in support of the mission into the classroom. The goal of the program is to provide teachers and school districts with exceptional educational materials and professional development strongly tied to the space science curriculum, and the materials are designed to inspire the next generation of America's scientists and engineers through NASA missions. Since the program's inception in 2003, more than 17,000 educators have been trained by the Fellows. On the basis of data gathered from the Fellows, this figure could translate to over two million student experiences. The success of the Fellowship program can also be gauged by determining how well it has maintained its volunteer corps over the years. The Fellows, selected to the program through a national announcement of opportunity every two years, reflect a geographically and institutionally diverse mix of individuals from a variety of settings such as science centers, museums, school districts, and universities. The Fellows sign up to the program for two years at a time, and at the end of their term they have the option to reapply. To keep the number of Fellows at 30 in each cadre, new Fellows are recruited to replace those who have retired. The current, fourth cadre of Fellows includes 30 individuals in 19 states and territories. Of these, seven have been in the program since the first cadre, and the other 23 include Fellows from the second, third, and fourth recruitment campaigns in 2006, 2008, and 2010. The current cadre is conducting its work

Hypoxylon terricola Miller a new species for Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wanda Truszkowska

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Hypoxylon terricola Milter, known from a single collection in Michigan in USA and three sites in Southern France, has been found in Poland; isolated from the soil under Dactylis glomerata L. culture and from the dishwater of the roots of D. glomerata L. groving in the vicinity of the spruce (Picea abies (L. K a r s t mountainers forest.

Opioid modulation of immunocompetence: Receptor characterization and second messenger involvement

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hemmick, L.M.

1989-01-01

The purpose of this thesis was to examine the effects of opioids on several indices of immunocompetence, determined the receptor specificity of these effects, and ascertain whether the actions of opioids on lymphocytes could be correlated with activation of second messenger systems. By measuring {sup 45}Ca{sup 2+} uptake into lymphocytes, it was demonstrated that {beta}-endorphin 1-31 ({beta}-END 1-31) enhanced rat thymocyte Ca{sup 2+} uptake in response to concanavalin A (Con A) but not phytohemagglutinin (PHA). Related opioid peptides and alkaloids were unable to mimic the effect, and naloxone did not block it, suggesting that {beta}-END 1-31 acted by binding to specific, non-opioid receptors on the thymocytes. Rat splenocyte Con A-stimulated Ca{sup 2+} uptake was not affected by {beta}-END 1-31. {beta}-END 1-31 did not affect basal Ca{sup 2+} uptake by either cell type. Using ({sup 3}H)thymidine uptake as an index of lymphocyte proliferation, {beta}-END 1-31 and several related opioid peptides reversed prostaglandin E{sub 1} (PGE{sub 1}) suppression of rat lymph node cell Con A- and PHA-stimulated proliferation. Naloxone did not block the reversal. {beta}-END 1-31 was unable to reverse forskolin and cholera toxin suppression of proliferation, indicating that the lowering of cyclic AMP levels was not the mechanism involved. Verapamil inhibition of proliferation was also not reversed by {beta}-END 1-31, suggesting that promotion of Ca{sup 2+} influx was not a major mechanism involved.

Massive Higher Dimensional Gauge Fields as Messengers of Supersymmetry Breaking

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chacko, Z.; Luty, Markus A.; Ponton, Eduardo

2000-01-01

We consider theories with one or more compact dimensions with size r > 1/M, where M is the fundamental Planck scale, with the visible and hidden sectors localized on spatially separated 3 -branes''. We show that a bulk U(1) gauge field spontaneously broken on the hidden-sector 3-brane is an attractive candidate for the messenger of supersymmetry breaking. In this scenario scalar mass-squared terms are proportional to U(1) charges, and therefore naturally conserve flavor. Arbitrary flavor violation at the Planck scale gives rise to exponentially suppressed flavor violation at low energies. Gaugino masses can be generated if the standard gauge fields propagate in the bulk; μ and Bμ terms can be generated by the Giudice-Masiero or by the VEV of a singlet in the visible sector. The latter case naturally solves the SUSY CP problem. Realistic phenomenology can be obtained either if all microscopic parameters are order one in units of M, or if the theory is strongly coupled at the scale M. (For the latter case, we estimate parameters by extending n aive dimensional analysis'' to higher-dimension theories with branes.) In either case, the only unexplained hierarchy is the l arge'' size of the extra dimensions in fundamental units, which need only be an order of magnitude. All soft masses are naturally within an order of magnitude of m 3/2 , and trilinear scalar couplings are negligible. Squark and slepton masses can naturally unify even in the absence of grand unification. (author)

Limits to Mercury's Magnesium Exosphere from MESSENGER Second Flyby Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Sarantos, Menelaos; Killen, Rosemary M.; McClintock, William E.; Bradley, E. Todd; Vervack, Ronald J., Jr.; Benna, Mehdi; Slavin, James A.

2011-01-01

The discovery measurements of Mercury's exospheric magnesium, obtained by the MErcury Surface. Space ENvironment, GEochemistry. and Ranging (MESSENGER) probe during its second Mercury flyby, are modeled to constrain the source and loss processes for this neutral species. Fits to a Chamberlain exosphere reveal that at least two source temperatures are required to reconcile the distribution of magnesium measured far from and near the planet: a hot ejection process at the equivalent temperature of several tens of thousands of degrees K, and a competing, cooler source at temperatures as low as 400 K. For the energetic component, our models indicate that the column abundance that can be attributed to sputtering under constant southward interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions is at least a factor of five less than the rate dictated by the measurements, Although highly uncertain, this result suggests that another energetic process, such as the rapid dissociation of exospheric MgO, may be the main source of the distant neutral component. If meteoroid and micrometeoroid impacts eject mainly molecules, the total amount of magnesium at altitudes exceeding approximately 100 km is found to be consistent with predictions by impact vaporization models for molecule lifetimes of no more than two minutes. Though a sharp increase in emission observed near the dawn terminator region can be reproduced if a single meteoroid enhanced the impact vapor at equatorial dawn, it is much more likely that observations in this region, which probe heights increasingly near the surface, indicate a reservoir of volatile Mg being acted upon by lower-energy source processes.

Doubled haploid production in Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Obert, Bohus; Zácková, Zuzana; Samaj, Jozef; Pretová, Anna

2009-01-01

There is a requirement of haploid and double haploid material and homozygous lines for cell culture studies and breeding in flax. Anther culture is currently the most successful method producing doubled haploid lines in flax. Recently, ovary culture was also described as a good source of doubled haploids. In this review we focus on tissue and plants regeneration using anther culture, and cultivation of ovaries containing unfertilized ovules. The effect of genotype, physiological status of donor plants, donor material pre-treatment and cultivation conditions for flax anthers and ovaries is discussed here. The process of plant regeneration from anther and ovary derived calli is also in the focus of this review. Attention is paid to the ploidy level of regenerated tissue and to the use of molecular markers for determining of gametic origin of flax plants derived from anther and ovary cultures. Finally, some future prospects on the use of doubled haploids in flax biotechnology are outlined here.

Mutual friends' social support and self-disclosure in face-to-face and instant messenger communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Trepte, Sabine; Masur, Philipp K; Scharkow, Michael

2018-01-01

In the present study, we investigated long-term effects of self-disclosure on social support in face-to-face and instant messenger (IM) communication between mutual friends. Using a representative sample of 583 German IM users, we explored whether self-disclosure and positive experiences with regard to social support would dynamically interact in the form of a reinforcing spiral across three measurement occasions. If mutual friends self-disclose today, will they receive more social support 6 months later? In turn, will this affect their willingness to self-disclose another 6 months later? We further analyzed spill-over effects from face-to-face to IM communication and vice versa. We found that self-disclosure predicted social support and vice versa in IM communication, but not in face-to-face communication. In light of these results, the impact of IM communication on how individuals maneuver friendships through the interplay between self-disclosure and social support are discussed.

Programmed cell death promotes male sterility in the functional dioecious Opuntia stenopetala (Cactaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Flores-Rentería, Lluvia; Orozco-Arroyo, Gregorio; Cruz-García, Felipe; García-Campusano, Florencia; Alfaro, Isabel; Vázquez-Santana, Sonia

2013-09-01

The sexual separation in dioecious species has interested biologists for decades; however, the cellular mechanism leading to unisexuality has been poorly understood. In this study, the cellular changes that lead to male sterility in the functionally dioecious cactus, Opuntia stenopetala, are described. The spatial and temporal patterns of programmed cell death (PCD) were determined in the anthers of male and female flowers using scanning electron microscopy analysis and histological observations, focusing attention on the transition from bisexual to unisexual development. In addition, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling assays were used as an indicator of DNA fragmentation to corroborate PCD. PCD was detected in anthers of both female and male flowers, but their patterns differed in time and space. Functionally male individuals developed viable pollen, and normal development involved PCD on each layer of the anther wall, which occurred progressively from the inner (tapetum) to the outer layer (epidermis). Conversely, functional female individuals aborted anthers by premature and displaced PCD. In anthers of female flowers, the first signs of PCD, such as a nucleus with irregular shape, fragmented and condensed chromatin, high vacuolization and condensed cytoplasm, occurred at the microspore mother cell stage. Later these features were observed simultaneously in all anther wall layers, connective tissue and filament. Neither pollen formation nor anther dehiscence was detected in female flowers of O. stenopetala due to total anther disruption. Temporal and spatial changes in the patterns of PCD are responsible for male sterility of female flowers in O. stenopetala. Male fertility requires the co-ordination of different events, which, when altered, can lead to male sterility and to functionally unisexual individuals. PCD could be a widespread mechanism in the determination of functionally dioecious species.

Second messenger production in avian medullary nephron segments in response to peptide hormones.

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Goldstein, D L; Reddy, V; Plaga, K

1999-03-01

We examined the sites of peptide hormone activation within medullary nephron segments of the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) kidney by measuring rates of hormone-induced generation of cyclic nucleotide second messenger. Thin descending limbs, thick ascending limbs, and collecting ducts had baseline activity of adenylyl cyclase that resulted in cAMP accumulation of 207 +/- 56, 147 +/- 31, and 151 +/- 41 fmol. mm-1. 30 min-1, respectively. In all segments, this activity increased 10- to 20-fold in response to forskolin. Activity of adenylyl cyclase in the thin descending limb was stimulated approximately twofold by parathyroid hormone (PTH) but not by any of the other hormones tested [arginine vasotocin (AVT), glucagon, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), or isoproterenol, each at 10(-6) M]. Thick ascending limb was stimulated two- to threefold by both AVT and PTH; however, glucagon and isoproterenol had no effect, and ANP stimulated neither cAMP nor cGMP accumulation. Adenylyl cyclase activity in the collecting duct was stimulated fourfold by AVT but not by the other hormones; likewise, ANP did not stimulate cGMP accumulation in this segment. These data support a tubular action of AVT and PTH in the avian renal medulla.

Disturbances in lipid second messengers generation by stimulated blood lymphocytes in breast cancer

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Galstyan H. M.

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Aim. The main objective of this study was the comparative investigation of diverse lipid second messenger (LSM generation by human peripheral blood lymphocytes (HPBL at different (5, 10, 30 and 60 s time points of cell co-stimulation by anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 monoclonal antibodies in norm and breast cancer (BC. Methods. Ficoll-Hypaque gradient centrifugation. Results. The data obtained indicate that some mechanisms of LSM generation/utilization in stimulated crude HPBL were significantly altered in BC compared to norm. Particularly, the reliable generation of arachidonyl-1,2-diacylglycerol (1,2-DAG at the initial step (5 s of cell stimulation observed in norm was depressed in BC and reached the value below the basal level in unstimulated cells. It is important that the disturbances in 1,2-DAG formation in HPBL obtained from patients with BC were identical with those observed earlier in other forms of cancer. Conclusions. We conclude that the regularities revealed are common characteristics for all the types of malignancy studied and can be used as additional testing parameters for cancer definition and individual correction of the chemotherapy programs for disease treatment

Analisa Forensik Whatsapp dan LINE Messenger Pada Smartphone Android Sebagai Rujukan Dalam Menyediakan Barang Bukti yang Kuat dan Valid di Indonesia

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Syukur Ikhsani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Aplikasi pengolah pesan yang populer di Indonesia adalah WhatsApp dan LINE Messenger. Peningkatan penggunaan aplikasi tersebut berbanding lurus dengan peningkatan tingkat kejahatan yang menggunakan aplikasi pengolah pesan itu. Tidak jarang, aplikasi pengolah pesan digunakan untuk bertukar informasi yang ilegal ataupun tindakan pemerasan. Hal ini membutuhkan penanganan khusus dan peran forensika digital untuk menyelesaikan kasus yang ada. Penelitian ini menggunakan skenario percakapan dan eksperimen modifikasi terhadap kondisi aplikasi, diantaranya penggunaan normal, penghapusan percakapan dan aplikasi. Data setiap eksperimen akan diambil dengan menggunakan metode yang menyesuaikan dengan kondisi perangkat. Data yang berhasil diambil akan dianalisa menggunakan FTK Imager dan SQLite Browser untuk mencari data-data yang penting terkait pengungkapan kasus. Setelah data penting berhasil diketahui, maka dilakukan analisa lanjutan untuk membuktikan data tersebut dapat dipakai dalam pengungkapan sebuah kasus. Setelah data dapat dibuktikan maka dilanjutkan dengan analisa perbandingan data digital terkait eksperimen, perangkat, dan aplikasi pengolah pesan. Langkah terakhir adalah melakukan analisa keamanan dari setiap aplikasi untuk memberikan rekomendasi terkait aplikasi pengolah pesan yang terbaik pada bidang forensika digital. Didapatkan kesimpulan bahwa bukti data digital telah berhasil didapat dengan menggunakan dua metode, yaitu secara manual dan menggunakan aplikasi tambahan. Data yang berhasil didapatkan adalah data utama seperti data kontak dan percakapan serta data pendukung seperti media dan database cadangan. Faktor yang mempengaruhi keberhasilan mendapatkan bukti digital adalah aktivitas modifikasi pada kondisi aplikasi dan perangkat yang digunakan. Dan pada akhirnya WhatsApp merupakan aplikasi yang menjadi rujukan dalam forensika digital sedangkan LINE Messenger merupakan aplikasi yang lebih aman karena lebih sulit untuk dilakukan analisa

What Might We Learn About Magnetospheric Substorms at the Earth from the MESSENGER Measurements at Mercury?

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin, James A.

2008-01-01

Satellite observations at the Earth, supported by theory and modeling, have established a close connection between the episodes of intense magnetospheric convection termed substorms and the occurrence of magnetic reconnection. Magnetic reconnection at the dayside magnetopause results in strong energy input to the magnetosphere. This energy can either be stored or used immediately to power the magnetospheric convection that produces the phenomena that collectively define the 'substorm.' However, many aspects of magnetic reconnection and the dynamic response of the coupled solar wind - magnetosphere - ionosphere system at the Earth during substorms remain poorly understood. For example, the rate of magnetic reconnection is thought to be proportional to the local Alfven speed, but the limited range of changes in this solar wind parameter at 1 AU have made it difficult to detect its influence over energy input to the Earth's magnetosphere. In addition, the electrical conductance of the ionosphere and how it changes in response to auroral charged particle precipitation are hypothesized to play a critical role in the development of substorms, but the nature of this electrodynamic interaction remain difficult to deduce from Earth observations alone. The amount of energy the terrestrial magnetosphere can store in its tail, the duration of the storage, and the trigger(s) for its dissipation are all thought to be determined by not only the microphysics of the cross-tail current layer, but also the properties of the coupled magnetosphere - ionosphere system. Again, the separation of microphysics effects from system response has proved very difficult using measurements taken only at the Earth. If MESSENGER'S charged particle and magnetic field measurements confirm the occurrence of terrestrial-style substorms in Mercury's miniature magnetosphere, then it may be possible to determine how magnetospheric convection, field-aligned currents, charged particle acceleration

A comparison of cell-free placental messenger ribonucleic acid and color Doppler ultrasound for the prediction of placental invasion in patients with placenta accreta

OpenAIRE

Naghshineh, Elham; Khorvash, Elahe; Kamali, Sara

2015-01-01

Background: The aim of the present study was to comparison between cell-free placental messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and Doppler ultrasound for the prediction of placental invasion in women with placenta accreta. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 50 pregnant women at risk for placenta accreta underwent color Doppler and assessment of cell-free placental mRNA. Real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was used for measurement of cell-free placental m...

MESSENGER Observations of Extreme Magnetic Tail Loading and Unloading During its Third Flyby of Mercury: Substorms?

Science.gov (United States)

Slavin, James A.; Anderson, Brian J.; Baker, Daniel N.; Benna, Mehdi; Gloeckler, George; Krimigis, Stamatios M.; McNutt, Ralph L., Jr.; Schriver, David; Solomon, Sean C.; Zurbuchen, Thomas H.

2010-01-01

During MESSENGER's third flyby of Mercury on September 29, 2009, a variable interplanetary magnetic field produced a series of several minute enhancements of the tail magnetic field hy factors of approx. 2 to 3.5. The magnetic field flaring during these intervals indicates that they result from loading of the tail with magnetic flux transferred from the dayside magnetosphere. The unloading intervals were associated with plasmoids and traveling compression regions, signatures of tail reconnection. The peak tail magnetic flux during the smallest loading events equaled 30% of the magnetic flux emanating from Mercury, and may have reached 100% for the largest event. In this case the dayside magnetic shielding is reduced and solar wind flux impacting the surface may be greatly enhanced. Despite the intensity of these events and their similarity to terrestrial substorm magnetic flux dynamics, no energetic charged particles with energies greater than 36 keV were observed.

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, estrogenic responses and biotransformation system in the liver of salmon exposed to tributyltin and second messenger activator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavlikova, Nela [Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Hogskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim (Norway); RECETOX Research Centre for Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Masaryk University, Kamenice 3, CZ62500 Brno (Czech Republic); Kortner, Trond M. [Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Hogskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim (Norway); Arukwe, Augustine, E-mail: arukwe@bio.ntnu.no [Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Hogskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim (Norway)

2010-08-15

The mechanisms by which organotin compounds produce modulations of the endocrine systems and other biological responses are not fully understood. In this study, juvenile salmon were force-fed diet containing TBT (0: solvent control, 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/kg fish) for 72 h. Subsequently, fish exposed to solvent control and 10 mg TBT were exposed to waterborne concentration (200 {mu}g/l) of the adenylate cyclase (AC) stimulator, forskolin for 2 and 4 h. The overall aim of the study was to explore whether TBT endocrine disruptive effects involve second messenger activation. Liver was sampled from individual fish (n = 8) at the end of the exposures. The transcription patterns of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) isotype and acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1), aromatase isoform, estrogen receptor-{alpha} (ER{alpha}), pregnane X receptor (PXR), CYP3A and glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Our data showed a consistent increase in PPAR{alpha}, PPAR{beta} and PPAR{gamma} mRNA and protein expression after TBT exposure that were inversely correlated with ACOX1 mRNA levels. Forskolin produced PPAR isotype-specific mRNA and protein effects that were modulated by TBT. ACOX1 expression was decreased (at 2 h) and increased (at 4 h) by forskolin and the presence of TBT potentiated these effects. TBT apparently increased mRNA and protein levels of cyp19a, compared to the solvent control, whereas cyp19b mRNA levels were unaffected by TBT treatment. Combined TBT and forskolin exposure produced respective decrease and increase of mRNA levels of cyp19a and cyp19b, compared with control. TBT decreased ER{alpha} mRNA at low dose (1 mg/kg) and forskolin exposure alone produced a consistent decrease of ER{alpha} mRNA levels that were not affected by the presence of TBT. Interestingly, PXR and CYP3A mRNA levels were differentially affected, either decreased or increased, after exposure to TBT and forskolin, singly

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, estrogenic responses and biotransformation system in the liver of salmon exposed to tributyltin and second messenger activator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlikova, Nela; Kortner, Trond M.; Arukwe, Augustine

2010-01-01

The mechanisms by which organotin compounds produce modulations of the endocrine systems and other biological responses are not fully understood. In this study, juvenile salmon were force-fed diet containing TBT (0: solvent control, 0.1, 1 and 10 mg/kg fish) for 72 h. Subsequently, fish exposed to solvent control and 10 mg TBT were exposed to waterborne concentration (200 μg/l) of the adenylate cyclase (AC) stimulator, forskolin for 2 and 4 h. The overall aim of the study was to explore whether TBT endocrine disruptive effects involve second messenger activation. Liver was sampled from individual fish (n = 8) at the end of the exposures. The transcription patterns of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) isotype and acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1 (ACOX1), aromatase isoform, estrogen receptor-α (ERα), pregnane X receptor (PXR), CYP3A and glutathione S-transferase (GST) genes were measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Our data showed a consistent increase in PPARα, PPARβ and PPARγ mRNA and protein expression after TBT exposure that were inversely correlated with ACOX1 mRNA levels. Forskolin produced PPAR isotype-specific mRNA and protein effects that were modulated by TBT. ACOX1 expression was decreased (at 2 h) and increased (at 4 h) by forskolin and the presence of TBT potentiated these effects. TBT apparently increased mRNA and protein levels of cyp19a, compared to the solvent control, whereas cyp19b mRNA levels were unaffected by TBT treatment. Combined TBT and forskolin exposure produced respective decrease and increase of mRNA levels of cyp19a and cyp19b, compared with control. TBT decreased ERα mRNA at low dose (1 mg/kg) and forskolin exposure alone produced a consistent decrease of ERα mRNA levels that were not affected by the presence of TBT. Interestingly, PXR and CYP3A mRNA levels were differentially affected, either decreased or increased, after exposure to TBT and forskolin, singly and also in combination. GST mRNA was

Is inositol (1,3,4,5)-tetrakisphosphate a new second messenger?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansen, C.A.; Williamson, J.R.

1986-01-01

Hormone-stimulated hydrolysis of inositol (Ins) lipids results in the rapid formation of Ins(1,4,5)P 3 , the second messenger for intracellular Ca 2+ mobilization. Recently, a more polar inositol phosphate, Ins(1,3,4,5)P 4 as well as its probable hydrolysis product Ins(1,3,4)P 3 have been reported to accumulate in carbachol-stimulated brain slices. Vasopressin addition to hepatocytes prelabeled with [ 3 H]-Ins also showed a rapid increase of Ins(1,3,4,5)P 4 , which was similar to that of Ins(1,4,5)P 3 , while the accumulation of Ins(1,3,4)P 3 was slower. In order to examine whether Ins(1,3,4,5)P 4 has any functional effects on Ca 2+ homeostasis, it was synthesized enzymatically from [ 3 H]-Ins(1,4,5)P 3 using a partially purified phosphoinositol kinase activity from rat brain cortex. [ 3 H]-labeled inositol phosphates were separated by anion exchange chromatography and analyzed by HPLC using ammonium formate/phosphoric acid gradient elution. Preliminary experiments indicate that Ins(1,3,4,5)P 4 up to 10 μM does not release Ca 2+ from vesicular pools in saponin-permeabilized hepatocytes. It has a slight inhibitory effect on Ins(1,4,5)P 3 -induced Ca 2+ release. The effect of Ins(1,3,4,5)P 4 on plasma membrane Ca 2+ fluxes are presently being investigated

Reference: 298 [Arabidopsis Phenome Database[Archive

Lifescience Database Archive (English)

Full Text Available etophytes (pollen grains) takes place in a specialized structure called the anther. Successful pollen development, and thus reproduct...ion, requires high secretory activity in both anther tis

Calcium controls the formation of vacuoles from mitochondria to regulate microspore development in wheat.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Dong Xiao; Hu, Hai Yan; Li, Gan; Ru, Zhen Gang; Tian, Hui Qiao

2017-09-01

Potassium antimonite was used to investigate the localisation of calcium in developing wheat anthers to examine the relationship between Ca 2+ and pollen development. During anther development, calcium precipitate formation increased in anther wall cells prior to microspore mother cell meiosis and appeared in microspores, suggesting the presence of a calcium influx from anther wall cells into the locule. Initially, the precipitates in microspore cytoplasm primarily accumulated in the mitochondria and destroyed their inner membranes (cisterns) to become small vacuoles, which expanded and fused, ultimately becoming a large vacuole during microspore vacuolisation. After microspore division and large vacuole decomposition, many calcium precipitates again accumulated in the small vacuoles, indicating that calcium from the large vacuole moved back into the cytoplasm of bicellular pollen.

Structure of Human cGAS Reveals a Conserved Family of Second-Messenger Enzymes in Innate Immunity

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Philip J. Kranzusch

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Innate immune recognition of foreign nucleic acids induces protective interferon responses. Detection of cytosolic DNA triggers downstream immune signaling through activation of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS. We report here the crystal structure of human cGAS, revealing an unanticipated zinc-ribbon DNA-binding domain appended to a core enzymatic nucleotidyltransferase scaffold. The catalytic core of cGAS is structurally homologous to the RNA-sensing enzyme, 2′-5′ oligo-adenylate synthase (OAS, and divergent C-terminal domains account for specific ligand-activation requirements of each enzyme. We show that the cGAS zinc ribbon is essential for STING-dependent induction of the interferon response and that conserved amino acids displayed within the intervening loops are required for efficient cytosolic DNA recognition. These results demonstrate that cGAS and OAS define a family of innate immunity sensors and that structural divergence from a core nucleotidyltransferase enables second-messenger responses to distinct foreign nucleic acids.

Primary structure of the α-subunit of Na+, K+-ATPase. II. Isolation, reverse transcription, and cloning of messenger RNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrukhin, K.E.; Broude, N.E.; Arsenyan, S.G.; Grishin, A.V.; Dzhandzhugazyan, K.N.; Modyanov, N.N.

1986-01-01

The messenger RNA coding the α-subunit of Na + ,K + -ATPase has been isolated from the outer medullary layer of porcine kidneys. The mRNA gives a specific hybridization band in the 25S-26S region with three oligonucleotide probes synthesized on the basis of information on the structure of three peptides isolated from a tryptic hydrolyzate of the α-subunit of Na + ,K + -ATPase. The translation of the mRNA in Xenopus laevis oocytes followed by immunochemical identification of the products of synthesis confirmed the presence of the mRNA of the α-subunit of Na + ,K + -ATPase in an enriched fraction of poly(A + )-RNA. This preparation has been used for the synthesis of cloning of double-stranded cDNA

Solar system expansion and strong equivalence principle as seen by the NASA MESSENGER mission

Science.gov (United States)

Genova, Antonio; Mazarico, Erwan; Goossens, Sander; Lemoine, Frank G.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Smith, David E.; Zuber, Maria T.

2018-01-01

The NASA MESSENGER mission explored the innermost planet of the solar system and obtained a rich data set of range measurements for the determination of Mercury's ephemeris. Here we use these precise data collected over 7 years to estimate parameters related to general relativity and the evolution of the Sun. These results confirm the validity of the strong equivalence principle with a significantly refined uncertainty of the Nordtvedt parameter η = (-6.6 ± 7.2) × 10-5. By assuming a metric theory of gravitation, we retrieved the post-Newtonian parameter β = 1 + (-1.6 ± 1.8) × 10-5 and the Sun's gravitational oblateness, J2⊙J2⊙ = (2.246 ± 0.022) × 10-7. Finally, we obtain an estimate of the time variation of the Sun gravitational parameter, GM⊙°/GM⊙GM⊙°/GM⊙ = (-6.13 ± 1.47) × 10-14, which is consistent with the expected solar mass loss due to the solar wind and interior processes. This measurement allows us to constrain ∣∣G°∣∣/GG°/G to be <4 × 10-14 per year.

Medical Information Exchange: Pattern of Global Mobile Messenger Usage among Otolaryngologists.

Science.gov (United States)

Siegal, Gil; Dagan, Elad; Wolf, Michael; Duvdevani, Shay; Alon, Eran E

2016-11-01

Information technology has revolutionized health care. However, the development of dedicated mobile health software has been lagging, leading to the use of general mobile applications to fill in the void. The use of such applications has several legal, ethical, and regulatory implications. We examined the experience and practices governing the usage of a global mobile messenger application (WhatsApp) for mobile health purposes in a national cohort of practicing otolaryngologists in Israel, a known early adaptor information technology society. Cross-sectional data were collected from practicing otolaryngologists and otolaryngology residents via self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of a demographic section, a section surveying the practices of mobile application use, mobile health application use, and knowledge regarding institutional policies governing the transmission of medical data. The sample included 22 otolaryngology residents and 47 practicing otolaryngologists. Of the physicians, 83% worked in academic centers, and 88% and 40% of the physicians who worked in a hospital setting or a community clinic used WhatsApp for medical use, respectively. Working with residents increased the medical usage of WhatsApp from 50% to 91% (P = .006). Finally, 72% were unfamiliar with any institutional policy regarding the transfer of medical information by personal smartphones. Mobile health is becoming an integral part of modern medical systems, improving accessibility, efficiency, and possibly quality of medical care. The need to incorporate personal mobile devices in the overall information technology standards, guidelines, and regulation is becoming more acute. Nonetheless, practices must be properly instituted to prevent unwanted consequences. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

BAP, 2,4-D e ácido acetilsalicílico na indução e diferenciação de calos em anteras de Coffea arabica L BAP, 2,4-D and acetyl-salicylic acid on the callus induction and differentiation in Coffea arabica L. anthers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adelaide Siqueira Silva

2009-10-01

Full Text Available O melhoramento genético do cafeeiro por meio de métodos convencionais é um processo demorado para se obter uma nova cultivar. A redução desse tempo é possível através da produção de linhagens homozigóticas, oriundas de dihaplóides obtidas através da cultura de anteras. Objetivou-se aplicar a técnica da cultura de anteras em diferentes cvs. de Coffea arabica L. para induzir a formação de calos e regenerar plântulas di-haplóides, com uso de reguladores vegetais. Os experimentos foram conduzidos no laboratório de Biotecnologia Vegetal da Universidade Federal de Uberlândia (UFU. Anteras das cultivares Mundo Novo LCP-379-19 e Catuaí Vermelho H2077-2-5-44 foram inoculadas em meio MS suplementado com 2,0 mg L-1 de 2,4-D e AAS, nas concentrações de 0; 8; 16; 32 e 64 mg L-1. Calos de 'Catuaí Vermelho 44' foram subcultivados em meio MS acrescido de diferentes concentrações de BAP (0; 2; 4 e 8 mg L-1 e 2,4-D (0; 1; 2 e 4 mg L-1. Tanto para as cvs. Mundo Novo quanto para Catuaí Vermelho 44 o aumento das concentrações de AAS diminuiu a formação de próembrióides nos calos e somente o 2,4-D foi capaz de promover a formação de calos friáveis, porém o equilíbrio da auxina e da citocinina utilizadas no trabalho, favoreceram a produção de calos friáveis.Coffee plant breeding through conventional methods demands a long time to obtain new cultivars. The reduction of this period is possible through the production of homozygous lines, from dihaploids obtained via anther culture. The aim of this study was to apply the anther culture technique on different C. arabica L. cultivars to induce calli formation and to regenerate dihaploid seedlings with the use of plant growth regulators. The experiments were accomplished in the Plant Biotechnology laboratory at Uberlândia Federal University (UFU. Anthers of the cultivars Mundo Novo LCP-379-19 and Catuaí Vermelho H2077-2-5-44 were inoculated on MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg L-1

Loss of Arabidopsis GAUT12/IRX8 causes anther indehiscence and leads to reduced G lignin associated with altered matrix polysaccharide deposition

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Zhangying eHao

2014-07-01

Full Text Available GAUT12 (GAlactUronosylTransferase12/IRX8 (IRregular Xylem8 is a putative glycosyltransferase involved in Arabidopsis secondary cell wall biosynthesis. Previous work showed that Arabidopsis irregular xylem8 (irx8 mutants have collapsed xylem due to a reduction in xylan and a lesser reduction in a subfraction of homogalacturonan (HG. We now show that male sterility in the irx8 mutant is due to indehiscent anthers caused by reduced deposition of xylan and lignin in the endothecium cell layer. The reduced lignin content was demonstrated by histochemical lignin staining and pyrolysis Molecular Beam Mass Spectrometry (pyMBMS and is associated with reduced lignin biosynthesis in irx8 stems. Examination of sequential chemical extracts of stem walls using 2D 13C-1H Heteronuclear Single-Quantum Correlation (HSQC NMR spectroscopy and antibody-based glycome profiling revealed a reduction in G lignin in the 1 M KOH extract and a concomitant loss of xylan, arabinogalactan and pectin epitopes in the ammonium oxalate, sodium carbonate, and 1 M KOH extracts from the irx8 walls compared with wild-type walls. Immunolabeling of stem sections using the monoclonal antibody CCRC-M138 reactive against an unsubstituted xylopentaose epitope revealed a bi-lamellate pattern in wild-type fiber cells and a collapsed bi-layer in irx8 cells, suggesting that at least in fiber cells, GAUT12 participates in the synthesis of a specific layer or type of xylan or helps to provide an architecture framework required for the native xylan deposition pattern. The results support the hypothesis that GAUT12 functions in the synthesis of a structure required for xylan and lignin deposition during secondary cell wall formation.

Expression of somatotropin receptor messenger ribonucleic acid in bovine tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucy, M.C.; Boyd, C.K.; Koenigsfeld, A.T.; Okamura, C.S.

1998-01-01

The somatotropin receptor mRNA is controlled by at least two different gene promoters that generate 2 two variants with different exon 1 sequences (1A and 1B). The location of 1A and 1B somatotropin receptor mRNA within cattle tissues and, hence, the tissue specificity of the 1A and 1B promoters are unknown. In addition, the cDNA sequence of the 1B somatotropin receptor has not been determined. Our objective, therefore, was to sequence a cDNA for the 1B somatotropin receptor and to analyze bovine tissues for expression of 1A and 1B somatotropin receptor mRNA. Twenty adult tissues and six fetal tissues were collected at slaughter from each of four cows and two fetuses. Messenger RNA was analyzed using ribonuclease protection assays. The adult liver expressed both 1A and 1B mRNA. All other adult tissues expressed 1B mRNA but not 1A mRNA. The greatest amount of 1B mRNA was detected in liver and adipose (abdominal and subcutaneous) tissues. Other tissues had approximately one-half to one-tenth of the amount of 1B mRNA in the liver or adipose tissue. Fetal tissues (including fetal liver) expressed 1B mRNA and not 1A mRNA. Based on cDNA sequencing, the protein encoded by the 1A and 1B mRNA was nearly identical. We concluded that 1A somatotropin receptor mRNA is specific to adult bovine liver. Other adult and fetal bovine tissues expressed 1B somatotropin receptor mRNA with a predicted protein sequence that was similar to the 1A somatotropin receptor

The examination of Hevea brasiliensis plants produced by in vitro culture and mutagenesis by DNA fingerprinting techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Low, F.C.; Atan, S.; Jaafar, H.

1998-01-01

Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plants derived from anther and ovule culture as well as gamma-irradiated plants were examined by several DNA marker techniques. These include restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs), random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), sequence tagged microsatellite sites (STMS), DNA amplification fingerprinting (DAF) and amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). Compared to control plants produced by vegetative propagation (cutting and budding), plants produced by in vitro culture appeared to have a reduction in the number of rDNA loci. Two RAPD protocols were compared and found to be similar in amplification of the major DNA bands. After confirmation that the RAPD method adopted was reproducible, the technique was applied to the present studies. Eight out of the 60 primers screened were able to elicit polymorphisms between pooled DNA from in vitro culture plants. Variations in DNA patterns were observed between pooled DNA samples of anther-derived plants as well as between anther-derived and ovule-derived plants. Comparisons of RAPD patterns obtained between anther-derived plants exposed to increasing dosages of gamma-irradiation with non irradiated anther-derived plants revealed distinct DNA polymorphisms. The changes in DNA profiles did not appear to be correlated to the dosage of irradiation. Since somaclonal variation was detected, it was difficult to identify changes which were specifically caused by irradiation. Application of the STMS technique to tag micro satellite sequences (GA) n , (TA) n and (TTA) n in the hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase-1 (hmgr-1) gene failed to detect differences between plants derived from anther and ovule culture. Although restriction endonuclease digestions with methylation sensitive enzymes suggested that four in vitro culture plants examined exhibited similar digestion patterns as the controls, a change in cytosine methylation in one anther-derived plant was detected. Examination of

Cloning and characterisation of a putative pollen-specific polygalacturonase gene (CpPG1) differentially regulated during pollen development in zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Carvajal, F; Garrido, D; Jamilena, M; Rosales, R

2014-03-01

Studies in zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L. spp. pepo) pollen have been limited to the viability and morphology of the mature pollen grain. The enzyme polygalacturonase (PG) is involved in pollen development and pollination in many species. In this work, we study anther and pollen development of C. pepo and present the cloning and characterisation of a putative PG CpPG1 (Accession no. HQ232488) from pollen cDNA in C. pepo. The predicted protein for CpPG1 has 416 amino acids, with a high homology to other pollen PGs, such as P22 from Oenothera organensis (76%) and PGA3 from Arabidopsis thaliana (73%). CpPG1 belongs to clade C, which comprises PGs expressed in pollen, and presents a 34 amino acid signal peptide for secretion towards the cell wall. DNA-blot analysis revealed that there are at least another two genes that code for PGs in C. pepo. The spatial and temporal accumulation of CpPG1 was studied by semi-quantitative- and qRT-PCR. In addition, mRNA was detected only in anthers, pollen and the rudimentary anthers of bisexual flowers (only present in some zucchini cultivars under certain environmental conditions that trigger anther development in the third whorl of female flowers). However, no expression was detected in cotyledons, stem or fruit. Furthermore, CpPG1 mRNA was accumulated throughout anther development, with the highest expression found in mature pollen. Similarly, exo-PG activity increased from immature anther stages to mature anthers and mature pollen. Overall, these data support the pollen specificity of this gene and suggest an involvement of CpPG1 in pollen development in C. pepo. © 2013 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Clonal analysis of the cell lineages in the male flower of maize

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dawe, R.K.; Freeling, M.

1990-01-01

The cell lineages in the male flower of maize were characterized using X-rays and transposable elements to produce clonal sectors differing in anthocyanin pigmentation. Less than 50% of the somatic tassel mutations (caused by reversion of unstable color mutations) that were visible on the anther wall were sexually transmitted by the male gametes, unless the sectors were larger than half the tassel circumference. This result is explained by showing that: (a) both the outer (LI) and inner (LII) lineages of the shoot apical meristem form a cell layer in the bilayered anther wall, and that anther pigmentation can be derived from either cell layer; and that (b) the male germ cells are derived almost exclusively from the LII. Therefore, while reversion events in either the LI or LII are visible on the anther, only the LII events are heritable. Reversion events that occur prior to the organization of the shoot apical meristem however, produce large (usually more than one-half tassel) sectors that include both the outer and inner lineages. In contrast to the high level of cell layer invasion previously reported during leaf development, during anther development less than 10(-3) cells in the LI invade the LII to form male gametes. The strong correlation between cell lineage and cell fate in the maize anther has implications for studies on plant evolution and the genetic improvement of cereals by DNA transformation

The breeding of a wheat mutant pollen-derived variety Chuanfu No.5 and the related techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xuan Pu; Yin Chunrong; Yue Chunfang; Qu Shihong

2002-01-01

With the treatment of 150 Gy 60 Co-γ irradiation to the dry F 1 (Mianyang 88-334 x 8811525) hybrid seeds and the donor plants chosen from MF 2 , wheat anther culture was made based on MW 14 and modified MS media and the pure diploid lines of MH 1 derived from anther pollen were obtained. In 1996, the new mutant line 6086 and its sibling lines, 6086 and 6087, were selected and bred successfully. In 2002, the mutant pollen-derived line 6086 was denominated as Chuanfu No.5 by Sichuan Crop Variety Identification Committee and became the first mutant variety via anther culture of wheat in Sichuan. The success of Chuanfu No.5 shown that combining radiation induction and anther technique could shorten the breeding period and increase the efficiency of breeding of wheat

Práticas de produção textual no MSN Messenger: ressignificando a escrita colaborativa Text production practices on MSN: redifining collaborative writing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petrilson Alan Pinheiro

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Este artigo tem por objetivo articular as práticas de escrita escolarese as tecnologias da comunicação e da informação disponibilizadas na Internet, buscando, com isso, possibilitar um repensar e uma redefinição dos modelos de produção textual com os quais a escola ainda opera. Na tentativa de explorar tal relação, propomos a realização de um trabalho que aponte como o uso de alguns gêneros digitais do ciberespaço, como o MSN Messenger, contribuem para a construção de práticas colaborativas de escrita de alunos do ensino médio. Para tanto, tomaremos como base teórica os construtos bakhtinianos de gêneros do discurso e na teoria situada de gênero (ERICKSON, 1997; Yates; Orlikowski; Rennecker, 1997; SHEPHERD; WATTERS, 1999; Devitt, 2000 para dar conta do comportamento dos gêneros digitais. Trata-se de uma pesquisa empírica realizada com dezesseis aprendizes e um professor do ensino médio de uma escola estadual localizada no município de Campinas _ SP. Os alunos criaram um site para a divulgação de um jornal digital e, para produzir os textos que são expostos nesse jornal, eles fazem uso do e-mail e do MSN Messenger. Como proposta de análise multimodal da produção textual desses aprendizes na Internet, tomaremos como base as metafunções semióticas nos níveis apresentacional, orientacional e organizacional, propostas por Lemke (1995, 1998a, 1998b, como dispositivos teórico-analíticos dos dados gerados a partir dos registros dos diversos modos com que os alunos constroem sentidos ao aprenderem e desenvolverem seus textos de forma colaborativa a partir do uso dos gêneros digitais.The objective of this paper is to articulate school writing practices and the new communication and information technology from the Internet, by searching a way of rethinking and redefining the text production patterns with which schools still deal. In order to explore such relationship, we propose a paper which points out how the use of

Solar system expansion and strong equivalence principle as seen by the NASA MESSENGER mission.

Science.gov (United States)

Genova, Antonio; Mazarico, Erwan; Goossens, Sander; Lemoine, Frank G; Neumann, Gregory A; Smith, David E; Zuber, Maria T

2018-01-18

The NASA MESSENGER mission explored the innermost planet of the solar system and obtained a rich data set of range measurements for the determination of Mercury's ephemeris. Here we use these precise data collected over 7 years to estimate parameters related to general relativity and the evolution of the Sun. These results confirm the validity of the strong equivalence principle with a significantly refined uncertainty of the Nordtvedt parameter η = (-6.6 ± 7.2) × 10 -5 . By assuming a metric theory of gravitation, we retrieved the post-Newtonian parameter β = 1 + (-1.6 ± 1.8) × 10 -5 and the Sun's gravitational oblateness, [Formula: see text] = (2.246 ± 0.022) × 10 -7 . Finally, we obtain an estimate of the time variation of the Sun gravitational parameter, [Formula: see text] = (-6.13 ± 1.47) × 10 -14 , which is consistent with the expected solar mass loss due to the solar wind and interior processes. This measurement allows us to constrain [Formula: see text] to be <4 × 10 -14 per year.

Cyclic GMP-AMP as an Endogenous Second Messenger in Innate Immune Signaling by Cytosolic DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Kato, Kazuki; Omura, Hiroki; Ishitani, Ryuichiro; Nureki, Osamu

2017-06-20

The innate immune system functions as the first line of defense against invading bacteria and viruses. In this context, the cGAS/STING [cyclic guanosine monophosphate (GMP)-adenosine monophosphate (AMP) synthase/STING] signaling axis perceives the nonself DNA associated with bacterial and viral infections, as well as the leakage of self DNA by cellular dysfunction and stresses, to elicit the host's immune responses. In this pathway, the noncanonical cyclic dinucleotide 2',3'-cyclic GMP-AMP (2',3'-cGAMP) functions as a second messenger for signal transduction: 2',3'-cGAMP is produced by the enzyme cGAS upon its recognition of double-stranded DNA, and then the 2',3'-cGAMP is recognized by the receptor STING to induce the phosphorylation of downstream factors, including TBK1 (TANK binding kinase 1) and IRF3 (interferon regulatory factor 3). Numerous crystal structures of the components of this cGAS/STING signaling axis have been reported and these clarify the structural basis for their signal transduction mechanisms. In this review, we summarize recent progress made in the structural dissection of this signaling pathway and indicate possible directions of forthcoming research.

Transcriptional regulation of male-sterility in 7B-1 male-sterile tomato mutant.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vahid Omidvar

Full Text Available The 7B-1 tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv Rutgers is a male-sterile mutant with enhanced tolerance to abiotic stress, which makes it a potential candidate for hybrid seed breeding and stress engineering. To underline the molecular mechanism regulating the male-sterility in 7B-1, transcriptomic profiles of the 7B-1 male-sterile and wild type (WT anthers were studied using mRNA sequencing (RNA-Seq. In total, 768 differentially expressed genes (DEGs were identified, including 132 up-regulated and 636 down-regulated transcripts. Gene ontology (GO enrichment analysis of DEGs suggested a general impact of the 7B-1 mutation on metabolic processes, such as proteolysis and carbohydrate catabolic process. Sixteen candidates with key roles in regulation of anther development were subjected to further analysis using qRT-PCR and in situ hybridization. Cytological studies showed several defects associated with anther development in the 7B-1 mutant, including unsynchronized anther maturation, dysfunctional meiosis, arrested microspores, defect in callose degradation and abnormal tapetum development. TUNEL assay showed a defect in programmed cell death (PCD of tapetal cells in 7B-1 anthers. The present study provides insights into the transcriptome of the 7B-1 mutant. We identified several genes with altered expression level in 7B-1 (including beta-1,3 glucanase, GA2oxs, cystatin, cysteine protease, pectinesterase, TA29, and actin that could potentially regulate anther developmental processes, such as meiosis, tapetum development, and cell-wall formation/degradation.

Effects of n-butanol on barley microspore embryogenesis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Castillo, Ana Maria; Nielsen, Nanna; Jensen, Anni

2014-01-01

crosses with different microspore embryogenesis capacities were selected for n-butanol application in anther and isolated microspore cultures. Application of 0.1 % n-butanol after a mannitol stress treatment in anther culture significantly increased the number of embryos (up to almost twice) and green...

Calibration, Projection, and Final Image Products of MESSENGER's Mercury Dual Imaging System

Science.gov (United States)

Denevi, Brett W.; Chabot, Nancy L.; Murchie, Scott L.; Becker, Kris J.; Blewett, David T.; Domingue, Deborah L.; Ernst, Carolyn M.; Hash, Christopher D.; Hawkins, S. Edward; Keller, Mary R.; Laslo, Nori R.; Nair, Hari; Robinson, Mark S.; Seelos, Frank P.; Stephens, Grant K.; Turner, F. Scott; Solomon, Sean C.

2018-02-01

We present an overview of the operations, calibration, geodetic control, photometric standardization, and processing of images from the Mercury Dual Imaging System (MDIS) acquired during the orbital phase of the MESSENGER spacecraft's mission at Mercury (18 March 2011-30 April 2015). We also provide a summary of all of the MDIS products that are available in NASA's Planetary Data System (PDS). Updates to the radiometric calibration included slight modification of the frame-transfer smear correction, updates to the flat fields of some wide-angle camera (WAC) filters, a new model for the temperature dependence of narrow-angle camera (NAC) and WAC sensitivity, and an empirical correction for temporal changes in WAC responsivity. Further, efforts to characterize scattered light in the WAC system are described, along with a mosaic-dependent correction for scattered light that was derived for two regional mosaics. Updates to the geometric calibration focused on the focal lengths and distortions of the NAC and all WAC filters, NAC-WAC alignment, and calibration of the MDIS pivot angle and base. Additionally, two control networks were derived so that the majority of MDIS images can be co-registered with sub-pixel accuracy; the larger of the two control networks was also used to create a global digital elevation model. Finally, we describe the image processing and photometric standardization parameters used in the creation of the MDIS advanced products in the PDS, which include seven large-scale mosaics, numerous targeted local mosaics, and a set of digital elevation models ranging in scale from local to global.

Study of the epitope structure of purified Dac G I and Lol p I, the major allergens of Dactylis glomerata and Lolium perenne pollens, using monoclonal antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Mourad, W; Mécheri, S; Peltre, G; David, B; Hébert, J

1988-11-15

The use of mAb allowed us to further analyze the cross-reactivity between purified Dac g I and Lol p I, the major allergens of Dactylis glomerata (cocksfoot) and Lolium perenne (Rye grass), respectively. It was first shown, using IEF, followed by immunoprinting, that serum IgE antibodies from most grass-sensitive patients recognize both Dac g I and Lol p I. Second, three different anti-Lol p I mAb, 290A-167, 348A-6, and 539A-6, and one anti-Dac g I mAb, P3B2 were all shown to react with Dac g I and Lol p I, indicating that the two molecules share common epitopes. Epitope specificity of the mAb was determined by competitive binding inhibition of a given labeled mAb to solid phase fixed Dac g I or Lol p I by the mAb. The results indicated that the four mAb are directed against four different and non-overlapping epitopes present on both allergens. Using double-binding RIA, our data strongly suggest that the common epitopes are not repetitive on both molecules. In addition to their similar physicochemical characteristics, such as isolectric points and m.w., Dac g I and Lol p I share four identical epitopes. Binding inhibition of human IgE to Lol p I and Dac g I by the mAb was also assessed. The results indicated that each mAb was able to inhibit such reactions to variable degree but no additive inhibition was observed when two mAb of different specificities were used in combination, suggesting that the human IgE binding site is partially shared by each epitope recognized by the four mAb.

Studies on the application of radiation for genetic transformation in higher plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Young Il; Song, Hi Sup; Kim, Jae Sung; Shin, In Chul; Lee, Sang Jae; Lee, Ki Woon; Lim, Yong Taek

1992-02-01

Present research carried out to develop the radiation application on the mutation research of genetic engineering. Some variants selected in M1 generation derived from the plantlet by the nodal stem culture of three potato cultivars irradiated with gamma rays, and the optimum dosage for mutation induction was revealed the range of 30 - 50 Gy of gamma ray. In the rice anther culture of the plant irradiated with gamma rays at different developmental stage of microspore, the haploidy callus formation rates were much higher in gamma ray irradiated anthers than those of non-irradiated, and the occurrence of a typical pollen was significantly increased up to 47% in the anthers irradiated with 30 Gy of gamma ray compared with 11% of non-irradiated anthers at the stage of pollen mother cell. A lot of variants were selected in rice, soybean, perilla and red pepper irradiated with gamma rays for breeding of earliness, short culm, high yielding and disease resistant mutant. (Author)

The study of genotype, cold pretreatment, low-dose gamma irradiation and 2,4-D concentration effect on wheat doubled haploid production

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naserian, B.; Vedadi, C.; Karbalaii, S.

2005-01-01

Full text: In this study, response of a cultivar (Atrak) and two lines (F3 2005 and F3 2104) of wheat , and effect of cold pretreatment, low dose gamma irradiation and 2,4-D (2,4 mg l -1 ) were investigated to anther culture response. Donar plants were grown under field conditions in early spring. Anthers were plated on modified CHB medium containing 2, 4-D (2, 4 mg l -1 ), 0.5 mg l -1 Kinetin and 90 g l -1 Sucrose. Percent of Callus formation in 100 anther and percent of plantlet in 100 calli were measured. Results indicated that genotype, cold pretreatment and 2,4-D concentrations had significant effect on anther culture response. F3 2005 showed highest callus induction and plantlet production and F3 2104 had lowest response. This experiment indicated that androgenic traits are controlled by genotype and environmental factors. Further more these traits are controlled independently. (author)

Insulin-like growth factor II messenger RNA-binding protein-3 is an independent prognostic factor in uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Yasutake, Nobuko; Ohishi, Yoshihiro; Taguchi, Kenichi; Hiraki, Yuka; Oya, Masafumi; Oshiro, Yumi; Mine, Mari; Iwasaki, Takeshi; Yamamoto, Hidetaka; Kohashi, Kenichi; Sonoda, Kenzo; Kato, Kiyoko; Oda, Yoshinao

2018-04-01

The aim of this study was to identify the prognostic factors of uterine leiomyosarcoma (ULMS). We reviewed 60 cases of surgically resected ULMSs and investigated conventional clinicopathological factors, together with the expression of insulin-like growth factor II messenger RNA-binding protein-3 (IMP3), hormone receptors and cell cycle regulatory markers by immunohistochemistry. Mediator complex subunit 12 (MED12) mutation analysis was also performed. Univariate analyses revealed that advanced stage (P < 0.0001), older age (P = 0.0244) and IMP3 expression (P = 0.0011) were significant predictors of a poor outcome. Multivariate analysis revealed advanced stage (P < 0.0001) and IMP3 (P = 0.0373) as independent predictors of a poor prognosis. Expressions of cell cycle markers and hormone receptors, and MED12 mutations (12% in ULMSs) were not identified as prognostic markers in this study. IMP3 expression in ULMS could be a marker of a poor prognosis. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Alterations in messenger RNA and small nuclear RNA metabolism resulting from fluorouracil incorporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armstrong, R.D.; Cadman, E.C.

1985-01-01

Studies were completed to examine the effect of 5-fluorouracil (FUra) incorporation on messenger RNA (mRNA) and small molecular weight nuclear RNA (SnRNA) metabolism. Studies of mRNA were completed using cDNA-mRNA hybridization methods to specifically examine dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) mRNA. C 3 -L5178Y murine leukemia cells which are gene-amplified for DHFR, were exposed to FUra for 6, 12 or 24 hr, and the nuclear and cytoplasmic levels of DHFR-mRNA determined by hybridization with 32 P-DHFR-cDNA. FUra produced a dose-dependent increase in nuclear DHFR-mRNA levels, while total cytoplasmic DHFR-mRNA levels appeared to be unchanged. To examine only mRNA synthesized during FUra exposure, cells were also treated concurrently with [ 3 H] cytidine, and the [ 3 H]mRNA-cDNA hybrids measured following S 1 -nuclease treatment. FUra produced a concentration-dependent increase in nascent nuclear DHFR-mRNA levels, and a decrease in nascent cytoplasmic DHFR-mRNAs levels. These results suggest that FUra produces either an inhibition of mRNA processing, or an inhibition of nuclear-cytoplasmic transport. Preliminary experiments to examine ATP-dependent mRNA transport were completed with isolated nuclei from cells treated with FUra for 1 or 24 hr and then pulse-labeled for 1 hr with [ 3 H] cytidine. The results demonstrate a FUra-concentration and time-dependent inhibition of ATP-mediated mRNA efflux

Development of library preparation method able to correct gene expression levels in rice anther and isolate a trace expression gene mediated in cold-resistance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yamaguchi, Tomoya; Koike, Setsuo [Tohoku National Agricultural Experiment Station, Morioka (Japan)

2000-02-01

When cDNA library is prepared by a previously developed method, genes of which expression level is high are apt to be cloned at a high frequency, whereas genes of which expression level are low, are difficult to be cloned. A low-expression gene has been cloned at very low frequency. Therefore, the gene encoding the key enzyme that is involved in growth disturbance of rice pollen has not been identified. In this study, development of a library preparing method able to correct the expression level was attempted using highly sensitive detection method with radioisotope and some genes related to cold-resistance of rice were isolated. Double strand DNAs were synthesized using mRNA extract from rice anthers and annealed following heat-denaturation. It has been known that single strand DNA molecules abundantly existing in DNA solution can easily aggregate to form double strand DNA, but single stranded DNA molecules poor in the solution are apt to still remain as single strand after annealing. Thus, the amount of single strand DNA would be balanced in the solution between abundant DNA and poor DNA species. The authors succeeded to prepare a gene library including low and high expression genes at similar proportions. Moreover, spin trap method that allows RI labeling of DNA bound to latex particle, was developed to detect with high sensitivity, especially for genes that are expressed at low level. The present method could be used for recovery, detection and quantitative analysis of radiolabeled single strand DNA. Thus, it was demonstrated that the stage from tetrad sperm to small sperm might be easily affected by cold stress. The present results suggest that the expressions of {beta}-1 and {beta}-3 glucanase, which are involved in the release of small sperms following meiosis in the pollen formation, might be easily affected by cold stress. (M.N.)

Development of library preparation method able to correct gene expression levels in rice anther and isolate a trace expression gene mediated in cold-resistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamaguchi, Tomoya; Koike, Setsuo

2000-01-01

When cDNA library is prepared by a previously developed method, genes of which expression level is high are apt to be cloned at a high frequency, whereas genes of which expression level are low, are difficult to be cloned. A low-expression gene has been cloned at very low frequency. Therefore, the gene encoding the key enzyme that is involved in growth disturbance of rice pollen has not been identified. In this study, development of a library preparing method able to correct the expression level was attempted using highly sensitive detection method with radioisotope and some genes related to cold-resistance of rice were isolated. Double strand DNAs were synthesized using mRNA extract from rice anthers and annealed following heat-denaturation. It has been known that single strand DNA molecules abundantly existing in DNA solution can easily aggregate to form double strand DNA, but single stranded DNA molecules poor in the solution are apt to still remain as single strand after annealing. Thus, the amount of single strand DNA would be balanced in the solution between abundant DNA and poor DNA species. The authors succeeded to prepare a gene library including low and high expression genes at similar proportions. Moreover, spin trap method that allows RI labeling of DNA bound to latex particle, was developed to detect with high sensitivity, especially for genes that are expressed at low level. The present method could be used for recovery, detection and quantitative analysis of radiolabeled single strand DNA. Thus, it was demonstrated that the stage from tetrad sperm to small sperm might be easily affected by cold stress. The present results suggest that the expressions of β-1 and β-3 glucanase, which are involved in the release of small sperms following meiosis in the pollen formation, might be easily affected by cold stress. (M.N.)

Algunas citas recientes de especies del género Phoma Sacc. en Catalunya

OpenAIRE

Nadal i Puigdefabregas, Martí

1991-01-01

Se citan 14 táxones del género Phoma (Ph. cava, Ph. epicoccinu, Ph. exigua, Ph.exigua var. foveata, Ph. glomerata, Ph. hedericola, Ph. herbarum, Ph. jolyana, Ph. leveillei, Ph. lycopersici, Ph. macrostoma, Ph. medicaginis var. pinodella, Ph. pomorum y Ph.tracheiphila). Para cada uno de los táxones se indica la fecha de recolección y la especie vegetal sobre la cual se desarrollaba. On cite 14 taxons du genre Phoma (Ph. cava, Ph. epicoccina, Ph. exigua, Ph.exigua var. foveata, Ph. glomerata...

Electrochemical Branched-DNA Assay for Polymerase Chain Reaction-Free Detection and Quantification of Oncogenes in Messenger RNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Ai Cheng; Dai, Ziyu; Chen, Baowei; Wu, Hong; Wang, Jun; Zhang, Aiguo; Zhang, Lurong; Lim, Tit-Meng; Lin, Yuehe

2008-12-01

We describe a novel electrochemical branched-DNA (bDNA) assay for polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-free detection and quantification of p185 BCR-ABL leukemia fusion transcript in the population of messenger RNA (mRNA) extracted from cell lines. The bDNA amplifier carrying high loading of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) tracers was used to amplify targets signal. The targets were captured on microplate well surfaces through cooperative sandwich hybridization prior to the labeling of bDNA. The activity of captured ALP was monitored by square-wave voltammetric (SWV) analysis of the electroactive enzymatic product in the presence of 1-napthyl-phosphate. The specificity and sensitivity of assay enabled direct detection of target transcript in as little as 4.6 ng mRNA without PCR amplification. In combination with the use of a well-quantified standard, the electrochemical bDNA assay was capable of direct use for a PCR-free quantitative analysis of target transcript in total mRNA population. The approach thus provides a simple, sensitive, accurate and quantitative tool alternate to the RQ-PCR for early disease diagnosis.

Role of WhatsApp Messenger in the Laboratory Management System: A Boon to Communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Dorwal, Pranav; Sachdev, Ritesh; Gautam, Dheeraj; Jain, Dharmendra; Sharma, Pooja; Tiwari, Assem Kumar; Raina, Vimarsh

2016-01-01

The revolution of internet and specifically mobile internet has occurred at a blinding pace over the last decade. With the advent of smart phones, the hand held device has become much more than a medium of voice calling. Healthcare has been catching up with the digital revolution in the form of Hospital Information System and Laboratory Information System. However, the advent of instant messaging services, which are abundantly used by the youth, can be used to improve communication and coordination among the various stake holders in the healthcare sector. We have tried to look at the impact of using the WhatsApp messenger service in the laboratory management system, by forming multiple groups of the various subsections of the laboratory. A total of 35 members used this service for a period of 3 months and their response was taken on a scale of 1 to 10. There was significant improvement in the communication in the form of sharing photographic evidence, information about accidents, critical alerts, duty rosters, academic activities and getting directives from seniors. There was also some increase in the load of adding information to the application and disturbance in the routine activities; but the benefits far outweighed the minor hassles. We thereby suggest and foresee another communication revolution which will change the way information is shared in a healthcare sector, with hospital specific dedicated apps.

The mismatch of bioaccumulated trace metals (Cu, Pb and Zn) in field and transplanted oysters (Saccostrea glomerata) to ambient surficial sediments and suspended particulate matter in a highly urbanised estuary (Sydney estuary, Australia).

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jung-Ho; Birch, Gavin F

2016-04-01

A significant correlation between sedimentary metals, particularly the 'bio-available' fraction, and bioaccumulated metal concentrations in the native Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) tissues has been successfully demonstrated previously for Cu and Zn in a number of estuaries in New South Wales, Australia. However, this relationship has been difficult to establish in a highly modified estuary (Sydney estuary, Australia) where metal contamination is of greatest concern and where a significant relationship would be most useful for environmental monitoring. The use of the Sydney rock oyster as a biomonitoring tool for metal contamination was assessed in the present study by investigating relationships between metals attached to sediments and suspended particulate matter (SPM) to bioaccumulated concentrations in oyster tissues. Surficial sediments (both total and fine-fraction), SPM and wild oysters were collected over 3 years from three embayments (Chowder Bay, Mosman Bay and Iron Cove) with each embayment representing a different physiographic region of Sydney estuary. In addition, a transplant experiment of farmed oysters was conducted in the same embayments for 3 months. No relationship was observed between sediments or SPM metals (Cu, Pb and Zn) to tissue of wild oysters; however, significant relationship was observed against transplanted oysters. The mismatch between wild and farmed, transplanted oysters is perplexing and indicates that wild oysters are unsuitable to be used as a biomonitoring tool due to the involvement of unknown complex factors while transplanted oysters hold strong potential.

In vivo expression of ß-galactosidase by rat oviduct exposed to naked DNA or messenger RNA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MARIANA RIOS

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Intra-oviductal administration of RNA obtained from oviducts of estradiol-treated rats resulted in accelerated egg transport (Ríos et al., 1997. It is probable that estradiol-induced messenger RNA (mRNA entered oviductal cells and was translated into the proteins involved in accelerated egg transport. In order to test this interpretation we deposited in vivo 50 µg of pure ß-galactosidase (ß-gal mRNA, 50 µg of pure DNA from the reporter gene ß-gal under SV40 promoter or the vehicle (control oviducts into the oviductal lumen of rats. Twenty four hours later the ß-gal activity was assayed in oviductal tissue homogenates using o-nitrophenyl-ß-D-galactopyranoside as a substrate. The administration of ß-gal mRNA and pSVBgal plasmid increased ß-gal activity by 71% and 142%, respectively, over the control oviducts. These results indicate that naked DNA and mRNA coding for ß-gal can enter oviductal cells and be translated into an active enzyme. They are consistent with the interpretation that embryo transport acceleration caused by the injection of estradiol-induced RNA in the oviduct involves translation of the injected mRNA

The Gravity Field, Orientation, and Ephemeris of Mercury from MESSENGER Observations After Three Years in Orbit

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Mazarico, Erwan M.; Genova, Antonio; Goossens, Sander; Lemoine, Gregory; Neumann, Gregory A.; Zuber, Maria T.; Smith, David E.; Solomon, Sean C.

2014-01-01

We have analyzed three years of radio tracking data from the MESSENGER spacecraft in orbit around Mercury and determined the gravity field, planetary orientation, and ephemeris of the innermost planet. With improvements in spatial coverage, force modeling, and data weighting, we refined an earlier global gravity field both in quality and resolution, and we present here a spherical harmonic solution to degree and order 50. In this field, termed HgM005, uncertainties in low-degree coefficients are reduced by an order of magnitude relative to the earlier global field, and we obtained a preliminary value of the tidal Love number k(sub 2) of 0.451+/-0.014. We also estimated Mercury's pole position, and we obtained an obliquity value of 2.06 +/- 0.16 arcmin, in good agreement with analysis of Earth-based radar observations. From our updated rotation period (58.646146 +/- 0.000011 days) and Mercury ephemeris, we verified experimentally the planet's 3: 2 spin-orbit resonance to greater accuracy than previously possible. We present a detailed analysis of the HgM005 covariance matrix, and we describe some near-circular frozen orbits around Mercury that could be advantageous for future exploration.

HPLC-based quantification of bacterial housekeeping nucleotides and alarmone messengers ppGpp and pppGpp.

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Varik, Vallo; Oliveira, Sofia Raquel Alves; Hauryliuk, Vasili; Tenson, Tanel

2017-09-08

Here we describe an HPLC-based method to quantify bacterial housekeeping nucleotides and the signaling messengers ppGpp and pppGpp. We have replicated and tested several previously reported HPLC-based approaches and assembled a method that can process 50 samples in three days, thus making kinetically resolved experiments feasible. The method combines cell harvesting by rapid filtration, followed by acid extraction, freeze-drying with chromatographic separation. We use a combination of C18 IPRP-HPLC (GMP unresolved and co-migrating with IMP; GDP and GTP; AMP, ADP and ATP; CTP; UTP) and SAX-HPLC in isocratic mode (ppGpp and pppGpp) with UV detection. The approach is applicable to bacteria without the requirement of metabolic labelling with 32P-labelled radioactive precursors. We applied our method to quantify nucleotide pools in Escherichia coli BW25113 K12-strain both throughout the growth curve and during acute stringent response induced by mupirocin. While ppGpp and pppGpp levels vary drastically (40- and ≥8-fold, respectively) these changes are decoupled from the quotients of the housekeeping pool and guanosine and adenosine housekeeping nucleotides: NTP/NDP/NMP ratio remains stable at 6/1/0.3 during both normal batch culture growth and upon acute amino acid starvation.

Phloroglucinol functions as an intracellular and intercellular chemical messenger influencing gene expression in Pseudomonas protegens.

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Clifford, Jennifer C; Buchanan, Alex; Vining, Oliver; Kidarsa, Teresa A; Chang, Jeff H; McPhail, Kerry L; Loper, Joyce E

2016-10-01

Bacteria can be both highly communicative and highly competitive in natural habitats and antibiotics are thought to play a role in both of these processes. The soil bacterium Pseudomonas protegens Pf-5 produces a spectrum of antibiotics, two of which, pyoluteorin and 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG), function in intracellular and intercellular communication, both as autoinducers of their own production. Here, we demonstrate that phloroglucinol, an intermediate in DAPG biosynthesis, can serve as an intercellular signal influencing the expression of pyoluteorin biosynthesis genes, the production of pyoluteorin, and inhibition of Pythium ultimum, a phytopathogenic oomycete sensitive to pyoluteorin. Through analysis of RNAseq data sets, we show that phloroglucinol had broad effects on the transcriptome of Pf-5, significantly altering the transcription of more than two hundred genes. The effects of nanomolar versus micromolar concentrations of phloroglucinol differed both quantitatively and qualitatively, influencing the expression of distinct sets of genes or having opposite effects on transcript abundance of certain genes. Therefore, our results support the concept of hormesis, a phenomenon associated with signalling molecules that elicit distinct responses at different concentrations. Phloroglucinol is the first example of an intermediate of antibiotic biosynthesis that functions as a chemical messenger influencing gene expression in P. protegens. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Large Impact Basins on Mercury: Global Distribution, Characteristics, and Modification History from MESSENGER Orbital Data

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Fassett, Caleb I.; Head, James W.; Baker, David M. H.; Zuber, Maria T.; Neumann, Gregory A.; Solomon, Sean C.; Klimczak, Christian; Strom, Robert G.; Chapman, Clark R.; Prockter, Louise M.;

Flowering, nectar secretion, pollen shed and insect foraging on Aquilegia vulgaris L. (Ranunculaceae

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Bożena Denisow

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This study on blooming biology, nectar secretion, pollen production and insect visitation of Aquilegia vulgaris L. was carried out in 2009 and 2011 in Lublin. The peak of flower opening during the day was between 5.00 and 7.00 (GMT +2. The flowers are protandrous with the female phase beginning approx. on the 3rd day of anthesis. The dynamics of nectar secretion and pollen shed from anthers (progressing from the central part of the androecium outwards support the reproductive system. The amount of nectar accumulated in the spurs increased from the bud stage and was the highest in the phase with approx. ¾ of dehisced anthers, usually on the 3rd day of flower life. Then, towards the end of anthesis, the amount of secreted and accumulated nectar decreased. The number of anthers developed per flower varied from 41 to 61 (mean = 49.1. The mass of pollen per 100 anthers averaged 6.7 mg. Pollen production per flower (mean = 3.28 mg slightly varied between years and was mainly correlated with the number of developed anthers. Estimated pollen yield was 1.69 g per m2 and sugar yield 1.22 g per m2. Species from the genus Bombus were the main flower visitors, with B. terrestris being the most frequent forager.

Cloning and functional analysis in transgenic tobacco of a tapetum ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The 5'-flanking region of 1174 bp upstream of the translation start point (TSP) of a reported Arabidopsis anther-specific gene, Anther7 gene (ATA7), which putatively encodes a protein related to lipid transfer protein, was cloned and functionally analyzed in transgenic tobacco after been fused with β- glucuronidase (GUS) ...

genetic analysis of male sterility genes in different a and b sorghum ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

ACSS

2018-02-06

Feb 6, 2018 ... This can be achieved through removal of anthers. Manual removing of anthers is a tedious and time .... then 1 to 2 drops of 1% acetocarmine solution was added and the ... and ** Significant at 0.05 and 0.01 probability levels, respectively. Loc = Location .... relationship and path coefficient analysis between ...

MESSENGER and Mariner 10 Flyby Observations of Magnetotail Structure and Dynamics at Mercury

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Slavin, James A.; Anderson, Brian Jay; Baker, Daniel N.; Benna, Mehdi; Boardsen, Scott A.; Gold, Robert E.; Ho, George C.; Imber, Suzanne M.; Korth, Haje; Krimigis, Stamatios, M.;

Isolation of low erucic acid-containing genotype of Indian mustard ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Reciprocal crosses were done between two cultivars; cv. RJ15 and cv. RLM198 of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea). Anther derived lines designated as A1 plants, were raised through anther culture from these F1 hybrid plants. 45% germination was obtained from distinctly shriveled and small A1 seeds and grown along ...

Biologia floral e visitantes de Gaylussacia brasiliensis (Spr. Meissner (Ericaceae - uma espécie com anteras poricidas polinizada por beija-flores Floral biology and visitors of Gaylussacia brasiliensis (Spr. Meissner (Ericaceae - a poricidal anther species pollinated by hummingbirds

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Francielle Paulina de Araújo

2011-06-01

. brasiliensis were the hummingbirds: Chlorostlibon lucidus (Shaw, Amazilia fimbirata (Gmelin, Hylocharis chrysura (Shaw (Trochilinae and Phaethornis pretrei (Lesson & DeLattre (Phaethornithinae. G. brasiliensis has poricidal anthers with ample pores and the hummingbirds, while hovering with the bill inserted into the flowers to search for nectar, promote enough vibration in the anthers to permit pollen-grain release. Although presenting relatively low nectar volume and sugar content, the clusters of individuals with many flowers seem to attract territorial hummingbirds.

Growth characteristics and nutrient content of some herbaceous species under shade and fertilization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koukoura, Z.; Kyriazopoulos, A. P.; Parissi, Z. M.

2009-07-01

Herbage production and nutrient content are affected by light interception and soil fertility. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of artificial shade and fertilization on herbage production, growth characteristics, and nutrient content of the grass species Dactylis glomerata and Festuca ovina, and the legume species Trifolium subterraneum and Medicago lupulina. Each plant species was placed under three shading treatments of 90% (heavy shade), 50% (moderate shade) and 0% (control). Fertilization (225 kg ha{sup -}1 N, 450 kg ha{sup -}1 P, and 225 kg ha{sup -}1 K) was applied to half of the pots of every species and shading treatment. Reduced light intensity (90% shading) significantly lowered herbage production from 18% for F. ovina to 48% for D. glomerata and decreased the root:shoot (R/S) ratio of all species but the moderate reduction of light intensity (50%) did not affect R/S ratio and herbage production of the grasses and M. lupulina, while it resulted in an increase of the production of T. subterraneum by 10.5%. Reduced light intensity increased by 25% on average, the crude protein concentration of the grass species while moderate shading did not affect the crude protein concentration of T. subterraneum. Fertilization increased herbage production from 16% for F. ovina to 59% for D. glomerata and ameliorated its nutrient content. Among the tested species, D. glomerata and T. subterraneum demonstrated the highest shade tolerance and could be incorporated into silvopastoral systems of the Mediterranean region. (Author)

Changes in insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 messenger ribonucleic acid in endothelial cells of the human corpus luteum: a possible role in luteal development and rescue.

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Fraser, H M; Lunn, S F; Kim, H; Duncan, W C; Rodger, F E; Illingworth, P J; Erickson, G F

2000-04-01

In the human menstrual cycle, extensive angiogenesis accompanies luteinization; and the process is physiologically important for corpus luteum (CL) function. During luteolysis, the vasculature collapses, and the endothelial cells die. In a conceptual cycle, the CL persists both functionally and structurally beyond the luteoplacental shift. Although luteal rescue is not associated with increased angiogenesis, endothelial survival is extended. Despite the central role of the luteal vasculature in fertility, the mechanisms regulating its development and demise are poorly understood. There is increasing evidence that insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs) may be important effectors of luteal function. Here, we have found that IGFBP-3 messenger RNA is expressed in the endothelium of the human CL and that the levels of message change during luteal development and rescue by human CG. The signal was strong during the early luteal phase, but it showed significant reduction during the mid- and late luteal phases. Interestingly, administration of human CG caused a marked increase in the levels of IGFBP-3 messenger RNA in luteal endothelial cells that was comparable to that observed during the early luteal phase. We conclude that endothelial cell IGFBP-3 expression is a physiological property of the CL of menstruation and pregnancy. These observations raise the intriguing possibility that the regulated expression of endothelial IGFBP-3 may play a role in controlling angiogenesis and cell responses in the human CL by autocrine/paracrine mechanisms.