Color differences among feral pigeons (Columba livia) are not attributable to sequence variation in the coding region of the melanocortin-1 receptor gene (MC1R)

Genetic variation at the melanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) gene is correlated with melanin color variation in many birds. Feral pigeons (Columba livia) show two major melanin-based colorations: a red coloration due to pheomelanic pigment and a black coloration due to eumelanic pigment. Furthermore, within each color type, feral pigeons display continuous variation in the amount of melanin pigment present in the feathers, with individuals varying from pure white to a full dark melanic color. Coloration is highly heritable and it has been suggested that it is under natural or sexual selection, or both. Our objective was to investigate whether MC1R allelic variants are associated with plumage color in feral pigeons.We sequenced 888 bp of the coding sequence of MC1R among pigeons varying both in the type, eumelanin or pheomelanin, and the amount of melanin in their feathers. We detected 10 non-synonymous substitutions and 2 synonymous substitution but none of them were associated with a plumage type. It remains possible that non-synonymous substitutions that influence coloration are present in the short MC1R fragment that we did not sequence but this seems unlikely because we analyzed the entire functionally important region of the gene.Our results show that color differences among feral pigeons are probably not attributable to amino acid variation at the MC1R locus. Therefore, variation in regulatory regions of MC1R or variation in other genes may be responsible for the color polymorphism of feral pigeons.

Internal arsenite bioassay calibration using multiple reporter cell lines

Bioassays with bioreporter bacteria are usually calibrated with analyte solutions of known concentrations that are analysed along with the samples of interest. This is done as bioreporter output (the intensity of light, fluorescence or colour) does not only depend on the target concentration, but also on the incubation time and physiological activity of the cells in the assay. Comparing the bioreporter output with standardized colour tables in the field seems rather difficult and error-prone. A new approach to control assay variations and improve application ease could be an internal calibration based on the use of multiple bioreporter cell lines with drastically different reporter protein outputs at a given analyte concentration. To test this concept, different Escherichia coli-based bioreporter strains expressing either cytochrome c peroxidase (CCP, or CCP mutants) or β-galactosidase upon induction with arsenite were constructed. The reporter strains differed either in the catalytic activity of the reporter protein (for CCP) or in the rates of reporter protein synthesis (for β-galactosidase), which, indeed, resulted in output signals with different intensities at the same arsenite concentration. Hence, it was possible to use combinations of these cell lines to define arsenite concentration ranges at which none, one or more cell lines gave qualitative (yes/no) visible signals that were relatively independent of incubation time or bioreporter activity. The discriminated concentration ranges would fit very well with the current permissive (e.g. World Health Organization) levels of arsenite in drinking water (10 µg l−1).

Calibration of Highway Safety Manual Work Zone Crash Modification Factors, TPF-5(081), 2014

The Highway Safety Manual is the national safety manual that provides quantitative methods for analyzing highway safety. The HSM presents crash modification factors related to work zone characteristics such as work zone duration and length. These crash modification factors were based on high-impact work zones in California. Therefore there was a need to use work zone and safety data from the Midwest to calibrate these crash modification factors for use in the Midwest. Almost 11,000 Missouri freeway work zones were analyzed to derive a representative and stratified sample of 162 work zones. The 162 work zones was more than four times the number of work zones used in the HSM. This dataset was used for modeling and testing crash modification factors applicable to the Midwest. The dataset contained work zones ranging from 0.76 mile to 9.24 miles and with durations from 16 days to 590 days. A combined fatal/injury/non-injury model produced a R2 fit of 0.9079 and a prediction slope of 0.963. The resulting crash modification factors of 1.01 for duration and 0.58 for length were smaller than the values in the HSM. Two practical application examples illustrate the use of the crash modification factors for comparing alternate work zone setups.

Vertebrate and nematode genes coding for yolk proteins are derived from a common ancestor.

One of the most obvious characteristics of the egg cells of oviparous animals is their large size resulting to a major extent from the deposition of nutritional reserves, mainly constituted of yolk proteins. In general, these are derived from a precursor called vitellogenin, which undergoes posttranslational modifications during secretion and during transport into and storage within the oocytes. Comparative analysis of the structural organization of the vitellogenin gene and of its product in different species shows that the vitellogenin gene is very ancient and that in vertebrates the gene may have more resemblance to the earliest gene than in invertebrates.

1.° Opus cujus is est titulus : tractatus instrumenti astronomici Magistri Leonis Judaei de Balneolis, ad summum Pontificem Clementem VI. ex hebraïca lingua in latinam anno Incarnationis 1342. conversus. — 2.° Anonymi tractatus de Deo ab aeterno, sive pars operis theologici majoris. — 3.° Anonymi postillae in epistolam ad Romanos ; et considerationes super passione Domini et Scriptura sacra.

Colbertinus

La Necròpolis protohistòrica de Milmanda (Vimbodí, Conca de Barberà, Tarragona) : un exemple del món funerari català durant el trànsit entre els segles VII i VI aC

La necròpolis protohistòrica de Milmanda (Vimbodí, Conca de Barberà, Tarragonès). Un exemple del món funerari català durant el trànsit entre els segles VII i VI aC és una monografia que documenta els materials que es van trobar en aquest jaciment i els posa en el context del món funerari del període ibèric antic a Catalunya.

El vi també alegra els gens antiedat

Un nou estudi a 'Science' descriu l'engranatge genètic que fa que el consum de resveratrol incideixi en la regeneració cel·lular

Effect of Density on Marshall Stability of Hot-Mix Asphaltic Concrete, MLR-82-01, 1982

The Iowa D.O.T. specifications do not require 100 percent of 50 blow Marshall density (generally 94%) for field compaction. However, stabilities are determined in the Laboratory on specimens compacted to 100 percent of Marshall density. The purpose of this study is to determine the stabilities of specimens compacted to various densities which are below 100 percent of the 50 blow Marshall density.

« Saturer les esprits » việt cộng par la propagande : l'incitation à la défection dans le programme chiêu hồi

Lancé en 1963 par le président Ngô Ðình Diệm, le programme chiêu hồi visait à susciter des défections dans les rangs Viêt cộng. Sa première phase, dite de persuasion, consistait en un intense effort de propagande réalisé par le largage de milliards de tracts, la diffusion de messages par haut-parleur aérien, l'affichage de banderoles ou de posters et plus généralement l'utilisation de tous les canaux de communication possibles. S'y ajoutait le déploiement d'unités de propagande armées, composées d'anciens Viêt cộng, chargées de plus particulièrement cibler les groupes prioritairement visés par les messages du programme. Le programme chiêu hồi fut la plus massive des opérations psychologiques conduites lors de la guerre du Vietnam et sans doute la plus importante des actions de guerre psychologique de l'histoire.

Calibration and Reliability of a Nuclear Asphalt Content Gauge, MLR-87-02, 1987

Based on results of an evaluation performed during the winter of 1985-86, six Troxler 3241-B Asphalt Content Gauges were purchased for District use in monitoring project asphalt contents. Use of these gauges will help reduce the need for chemical based extractions. Effective use of the gauges depends on the accurate preparation and transfer of project mix calibrations from the Central Lab to the Districts. The objective of this project was to evaluate the precision and accuracy of a gauge in determining asphalt contents and to develop a mix calibration transfer procedure for implementation during the 1987 construction. The first part of the study was accomplished by preparing mix calibrations in the Central Lab gauge and taking multiple measurements of a sample with known asphalt content. The second part was accomplished by preparing transfer pans, obtaining count data on the pans using each gauge, and transferring calibrations from one gauge to another through the use of calibration transfer equations. The transferred calibrations were tested by measuring samples with a known asphalt content. The study established that the Troxler 3241-B Asphalt Content Gauge yields results of acceptable accuracy and precision as evidenced by a standard deviation of 0.04% asphalt content on multiple measurements of the same sample. The calibration transfer procedure proved feasible and resulted in the calibration transfer portion of Materials I.M. 335 - Method of Test For Determining the Asphalt Content of Bituminous Mixtures by the Nuclear Method.