Modification of nitrogen remobilisation, grain fill and leaf senescence in maize (Zea mays L.) by transposon insertional mutagenensis in a protease gene

Donnison, I. S., Gay, A. P., Thomas, Howard, Edwards, K. J., Edwards, D., James, C. L., Thomas, A. M., Ougham, H. J. (2007). Modification of nitrogen remobilization, grain fill and leaf senescence in maize (Zea mays) by transposon insertional mutagenensis in a protease gene. New Phytologist, 173 (3), 481-494. Sponsorship: BBSRC RAE2008

Plasmid biology of natural Lactococcus lactis strains and molecular mechanisms of bacteriophage-host interaction

Lacticin 3147, enterocin AS-48, lacticin 481, variacin, and sakacin P are bacteriocins offering promising perspectives in terms of preservation and shelf-life extension of food products and should find commercial application in the near future. The studies detailing their characterization and bio-preservative applications are reviewed. Transcriptomic analyses showed a cell wall-targeted response of Lactococcus lactis IL1403 during the early stages of infection with the lytic bacteriophage c2, which is probably orchestrated by a number of membrane stress proteins and involves D-alanylation of membrane lipoteichoic acids, restoration of the physiological proton motive force disrupted following bacteriophage infection, and energy conservation. Sequencing of the eight plasmids of L. lactis subsp. cremoris DPC3758 from raw milk cheese revealed three anti-phage restriction/modification (R/M) systems, immunity/resistance to nisin, lacticin 481, cadmium and copper, and six conjugative/mobilization regions. A food-grade derivative strain with enhanced bacteriophage resistance was generated via stacking of R/M plasmids. Sequencing and functional analysis of the four plasmids of L. lactis subsp. lactis biovar. diacetylactis DPC3901 from raw milk cheese revealed genes novel to Lactococcus and typical of bacteria associated with plants, in addition to genes associated with plant-derived lactococcal strains. The functionality of a novel high-affinity regulated system for cobalt uptake was demonstrated. The bacteriophage resistant and bacteriocin-producing plasmid pMRC01 places a metabolic burden on lactococcal hosts resulting in lowered growth rates and increased cell permeability and autolysis. The magnitude of these effects is strain dependent but not related to bacteriocin production. Starters’ acidification capacity is not significantly affected. Transcriptomic analyses showed that pMRC01 abortive infection (Abi) system is probably subjected to a complex regulatory control by Rgg-like ORF51 and CopG-like ORF58 proteins. These regulators are suggested to modulate the activity of the putative Abi effectors ORF50 and ORF49 exhibiting topology and functional similarities to the Rex system aborting bacteriophage λ lytic growth.

Substance use disorders and co-morbidities among Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

© Cambridge University Press 2014.Background Asian Americans (AAs) and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders (NHs/PIs) are the fastest growing segments of the US population. However, their population sizes are small, and thus AAs and NHs/PIs are often aggregated into a single racial/ethnic group or omitted from research and health statistics. The groups' substance use disorders (SUDs) and treatment needs have been under-recognized. Method We examined recent epidemiological data on the extent of alcohol and drug use disorders and the use of treatment services by AAs and NHs/PIs. Results NHs/PIs on average were less educated and had lower levels of household income than AAs. Considered as a single group, AAs and NHs/PIs showed a low prevalence of substance use and disorders. Analyses of survey data that compared AAs and NHs/PIs revealed higher prevalences of substance use (alcohol, drugs), depression and delinquency among NHs than among AAs. Among treatment-seeking patients in mental healthcare settings, NHs/PIs had higher prevalences of DSM-IV diagnoses than AAs (alcohol/drug, mood, adjustment, childhood-onset disruptive or impulse-control disorders), although co-morbidity was common in both groups. AAs and NHs/PIs with an SUD were unlikely to use treatment, especially treatment for alcohol problems, and treatment use tended to be related to involvement with the criminal justice system. Conclusions Although available data are limited by small sample sizes of AAs and NHs/PIs, they demonstrate the need to separate AAs and NHs/PIs in health statistics and increase research into substance use and treatment needs for these fast-growing but understudied population groups.

Low temperature crystal structure of N-Acetyl-L-Glutamic acid: comparison with the DFT calculated structure

N-acetyl-L-glutamic acid, crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with unit cell parameters a = 4.747(3), b = 12.852(7), c = 13.906(7) Å, V = 848.5(8) Å3, Z = 4, density (calculated) = 1.481 mg/m3, linear absorption coefficient 0.127 mm−1. The crystal structure determination was carried out with MoKalpha X-ray data measured with liquid nitrogen cooling at 100(2) K temperature. In the final refinement cycle the data/restraints/parameter ratios were 1,691/0/131; goodness-of-fit on F(2) = 1.122. Final R indices for [I > 2sigma(I)] were R1 = 0.0430, wR2 = 0.0878 and R indices (all data) R1 = 0.0473, wR2 = 0.0894. The largest electron density difference peak and hole were 0.207 and −0.154 eÅ(−3). Details of the molecular geometry are discussed and compared with a model DFT structure calculated using Gaussian 98.

Drawing the net: internet identification, internet use, and the image of internet users

Theory and research suggest that Internet identification may account for some of the gender divide in Internet use. Internet identification is a type of domain identification, and is inherently bound with images of those who use the Internet, a domain traditionally conceived as masculine. Combining the “draw an Internet user” test with an Internet identification scale, this study tests two hypotheses: participants drawing gender-concordant images will (i) identify with and (ii) use the Internet more than those drawing gender-discordant images. Participants were 371 students (121 males, 250 females) from three universities in the United Kingdom and Australia. The need to challenge masculinized images of the Internet is discussed.

Temporal Variations In Annual Production And Biomass In Estuarine Populations Of 2 Polychaetes Nephtys-Hombergi And Ampharete-Acutifrons

Production rates and production/biomass ratios have been estimated for a large number of macrobenthic species (Hargrave, 1977; Robertson, 1979). The usefulness of such estimates is limited by a lack of information on their temporal and spatial stability; we are aware of only one study (Sarvala, 1980) in which production has been estimated for more than one year. The present study investigates the stability of the production (P), biomass (B) and P/B values of two polychaete species, Nephtys hombergi Savigny and Ampharete acutifrons (Grube), over a 5-year period.