Facilitation by serum albumin of renal tubular secretion of organic anions.

The role of albumin in tubular secretion of the organic anions p-aminohippurate (PAH, 21% albumin-bound at 1 microM) and methotrexate (MTX, 55% bound at 1 microM), and of the organic cation N1-methylnicotinamide (NMN, not bound), was investigated in isolated rabbit S2 proximal tubules. PAH or MTX secretory rates were low in the absence of colloids or in the presence of 1 g/dl dextran 40, and were reversibly two- to sevenfold stimulated by either 1 g/dl bovine (BSA, either regular, defatted, and/or dialyzed) or rabbit serum albumin, or by dialyzed native rabbit plasma. NMN secretion was not stimulated by either dextran or albumin. Luminal BSA had no effect, but stimulation of PAH secretion was observed when albumin was present in both lumen and bath. This secretion was BSA concentration-dependent up to a 1 g/dl BSA. Saturation experiments suggested that 1 g/dl BSA may increase PAH apparent affinity for secretion, with no change in its maximum velocity. Albumin appears therefore to facilitate organic anion proximal secretion by an effect unrelated to oncotic pressure or to the extent of organic anion binding.

Iowa State Prison Industries - Farms Notification Letter, July 26, 2006

Other Audit Reports - Correctional Institution

Organic and inorganic geochemistry of Ljubija siderite deposits, NW Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Ljubija siderite deposits, hosted by a Carboniferous sedimentary complex within the Inner Dinarides, occur as stratabound replacement-type ore bodies in limestone blocks and as siderite-sulfides veins in shale. Three principal types of ore textures have been recognized including massive dark siderite and ankerite, siderite with zebra texture, and siderite veins. The ore and host rocks have been investigated by a combination of inorganic (major, trace, and rare earth element concentrations), organic (characterization of hydrocarbons including biomarkers), and stable isotope geochemical methods (isotope ratios of carbonates, sulfides, sulfates, kerogen, and individual hydrocarbons). New results indicate a marine origin of the host carbonates and a hydrothermal-metasomatic origin of the Fe mineralization. The differences in ore textures (e.g., massive siderite, zebra siderite) are attributed to physicochemical variations (e.g., changes in acidity, temperature, and/or salinity) of the mineralizing fluids and to the succession and intensity of replacement of host limestone. Vein siderite was formed by precipitation from hydrothermal fluids in the late stage of mineralization. The equilibrium fractionation of stable isotopes reveals higher formation temperatures for zebra siderites (around 245A degrees C) then for siderite vein (around 185A degrees C). Sulfur isotope ratios suggest Permian seawater or Permian evaporites as the main sulfur source. Fluid inclusion composition confirms a contribution of the Permian seawater to the mineralizing fluids and accord with a Permian mineralization age. Organic geochemistry data reflect mixing of hydrocarbons at the ore site and support the hydrothermal-metasomatic origin of the Ljubija iron deposits.

Discounting Spotted Apples: Investigating Consumers’ Willingness to Accept Cosmetic Damage in an Organic Product, November 2006

Organic producers have limited methods of avoiding plant diseases that result in cosmetic damage to produce. Therefore, the appearance of organic produce is often less than perfect. We use an experimental auction to investigate how cosmetic damage affects consumers’ willingness to pay for organic apples. We find that 75% of the participants are willing to pay more for organic than for conventional apples given identical appearance. However, at the first sight of any imperfection in the appearance of the organic apples, this segment is significantly reduced. Furthermore, we find that there is a significant effect of interaction between cosmetic damage and product methods. Even though most consumers say they buy organic products to avoid pesticides, we find that cosmetic damage has a larger impact on the willingness to pay for organic apples than for conventional apples.

Audit report on the Iowa State Prison Industries - Farms for the year ended June 30, 2006

Audit report on the Iowa State Prison Industries - Farms for the year ended June 30, 2006

Measuring and explaining farm inefficiency in a panel data set of mixed farms

This paper aims to estimate a translog stochastic frontier production function in the analysis of a panel of 150 mixed Catalan farms in the period 1989-1993, in order to attempt to measure and explain variation in technical inefficiency scores with a one-stage approach. The model uses gross value added as the output aggregate measure. Total employment, fixed capital, current assets, specific costs and overhead costs are introduced into the model as inputs. Stochasticfrontier estimates are compared with those obtained using a linear programming method using a two-stage approach. The specification of the translog stochastic frontier model appears as an appropriate representation of the data, technical change was rejected and the technical inefficiency effects were statistically significant. The mean technical efficiency in the period analyzed was estimated to be 64.0%. Farm inefficiency levels were found significantly at 5%level and positively correlated with the number of economic size units.

Organic Newsletter, January 2, 2008

A newsletter produced by Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about the changes of organic farming and raising livestock in Iowa.

Organic Newsletter, April 1, 2008

A newsletter produced by Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship about the changes of organic farming and raising livestock in Iowa.

Organic Newsletter, November 13, 2007

A newsletter produced by Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, this information is all about Iowa growers, what is new, what is going on around Iowa for growing.

Report of Iowa State Prison Industries – Farms for the year ended December 31, 2007

Report of Iowa State Prison Industries – Farms for the year ended December 31, 2007

SwissParam: a fast force field generation tool for small organic molecules.

The drug discovery process has been deeply transformed recently by the use of computational ligand-based or structure-based methods, helping the lead compounds identification and optimization, and finally the delivery of new drug candidates more quickly and at lower cost. Structure-based computational methods for drug discovery mainly involve ligand-protein docking and rapid binding free energy estimation, both of which require force field parameterization for many drug candidates. Here, we present a fast force field generation tool, called SwissParam, able to generate, for arbitrary small organic molecule, topologies, and parameters based on the Merck molecular force field, but in a functional form that is compatible with the CHARMM force field. Output files can be used with CHARMM or GROMACS. The topologies and parameters generated by SwissParam are used by the docking software EADock2 and EADock DSS to describe the small molecules to be docked, whereas the protein is described by the CHARMM force field, and allow them to reach success rates ranging from 56 to 78%. We have also developed a rapid binding free energy estimation approach, using SwissParam for ligands and CHARMM22/27 for proteins, which requires only a short minimization to reproduce the experimental binding free energy of 214 ligand-protein complexes involving 62 different proteins, with a standard error of 2.0 kcal mol(-1), and a correlation coefficient of 0.74. Together, these results demonstrate the relevance of using SwissParam topologies and parameters to describe small organic molecules in computer-aided drug design applications, together with a CHARMM22/27 description of the target protein. SwissParam is available free of charge for academic users at www.swissparam.ch.

Organic matter in upwelling off northern Peru, november 1977

Analiza la cantidad de carbon organico y nitrogeno en las costas del norte del Perú en noviembre de 1977

Evidence for an organic origin of pedogenic calcitic nanofibres

Calcium carbonate nanofibres are found in numerous terrestrial environments, often associated with needle fibre calcite. This study attempts to mimic the natural system and generate comparable crystalline structures. A comparison of natural and synthesized nanofibre structures, using HRTEM as well as electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) and electron spectroscopic imaging (ESI), has demonstrated that this type of nanocrystal can result from precipitation on organic templates, most likely cellulose nanofibres. This study emphasizes the fundamental role of organic templates in the precipitation of calcium carbonate in vadose environments, even at the nanoscale.