Biosynthesis of the spiroacetal suite in Bactrocera tryoni

In pursuit of a more environmentally benign method of controlling the highly pestiferous Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, the biosynthesis of the minor components in the suite of spiroacetals released by females has been investigated. This follows on the biosynthetic definition of the pathway to the major component, (E,E)-1. The origins of the C(12) and C(13) spiroacetals (E,E)-2 and (E,E)-3, respectively, have been investigated by the administration of over 30 deuterated potential precursors. Analysis of the relative incorporation levels and identification of some of the exceptionally minor spiroacetals that were biosynthesised established that B. tryoni processes fatty acids to 2,6-dioxygenated precursors by a modified β-oxidation pathway, with a suite of putative cytochromes P450 employed in the crucial oxidative steps, prior to cyclisation of the proposed ketodiol.     

The long term implications and constraints of alternate energy policies

The complexity of the current energy situation is such that conventional analysis does not provide sufficient foundation upon which to base energy-policy decisions. We have used an overview perspective in analyzing how a diverse range of phenomena, such as population, price, inflation, transportation, agriculture, international trade and city design, are linked to energy policy. A principle tool used in the study is the hierarchical simulation model SPECULATER.

Contrary to the “conventional wisdom”, present U.S. energy prices are exceedingly low, whether the standard of comparison is the historical level of U.S. energy prices or current energy prices in other countries, which are 3 to 115 times more expensive after correcting for ability to pay. We do not suggest that higher energy prices are not inflationary, but rather that lower energy prices are also inflationary. Widening the analytical scope reveals that the “benefits” of low energy prices are more illusionary than real. What may appear to be an immediate benefit of a particular policy often turns out to be a subsequent disaster. Unless policies are aimed at promoting long-term stability instead of short-term benefit, the difficult decisions we are facing today will seem trivial compared to the agonizing decisions we stand to face in the future.

Simulations using SPECULATER indicate some of the long-term implications of current energy policy. For example, a policy in which gasoline prices decline slightly until 1980 and then increase only with inflation leads to a year 2000 wheat price that is 21% higher than that produced by a policy which advocates an increase in the price of gasoline to $1.00 by 2000. Both policies would still require large imports of oil and, consequently, would push U.S. agricultural system to a point where necessary production levels could only be met by massive increases in capital (both human and monetary), energy and water. Alternatively, an energy policy that would increase gasoline prices to a level similar to that in West Germany (about three times current U.S. prices, after correcting for ability to pay) would result in lower wheat prices, since consumption would be decreased, with concomitant decreases in oil imports and wheat exports.

Failure of policy-makers to support a strong energy policy (culminating in decreased consumption and ultimately general conservation) will result in a diversity of other problems becoming more serious. Capital promises to be a critical factor in the future, as do water, health care service, and the U.S. international trade balance. In short, “cheap” energy is not cheap; energy will be paid for a true price in some roundabout fashion, either in the supermarket, through increased taxes, loss of jobs, lack of health care services, etc.     

Reducing gaseous losses of nitrogen from cattle slurry applied to grassland by the use of additives

Losses of nitrogen (N) through ammonia (NH₃) volatilisation and denitrification were determined following the application of cattle slurry to grassland in autumn or spring. Denitrification was examined on two contrasting soils. A system of small wind tunnels was used to measure NH₃ loss and an acetylene inhibition technique for denitrification. Between 31 and 84% of the ammonium N (NH-N) applied in slurry was lost through NH₃ volatilisation. Acidifying the slurry to pH c 5.5 prior to application reduced these losses to between 14 and 57%. On a freely drained loam soil, denitrification from unacidified slurry applied in the autumn at 80 m³ ha^?1 was continuous throughout the winter, with the maximum rate of 0.91 kg N ha^?1 day^?1 occurring a few weeks after slurry application. The total denitrification losses were equivalent to about 29% of the NH-N applied for this treatment and 41% for the acidified slurry. The nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide reduced the amount of N lost through denitrification by 70% when applied with the slurry at 25 kg ha^?1, by 55% at 20 kg ha^?1 and by 30% at 15 kg ha^?1. The nitrification inhibitor nitrapyrin did not appreciably reduce denitrification. Denitrification losses were consistently small from slurry applied to the freely drained loam soil in spring, or to a poorly drained, silty clay in autumn or spring. Neither nitrification inhibitor was of benefit in these situations.     

Effect of polymer,plasticizer and filler on orally disintegrating film

Context: Difficulty in swallowing tablets or capsules has been identified as one of the contributing factors to non-compliance of geriatric patients. Although orally disintegrating tablet was designed for fast disintegration in mouth, the fear of taking solid tablets and the risk of choking for certain patient populations still exist.

Objective: The objective of this study was to develop and characterize orally disintegrating film (ODF), which was prepared using different combinations of polymers, plasticizers and fillers.

Materials and methods: Effects of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400), glycerin, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), mannitol and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) on physical property of ODF formed were studied. The ODF was prepared using the solvent casting method.

Results: Increase in HPMC concentration formed ODF with greater tensile strength. Incorporation of plasticizer (PEG 400 and glycerin) reduced tensile strength but increased elasticity of the ODF formed. PVP increased both tensile strength and elasticity of the ODF. Increase in MCC:mannitol ratio reduced the tensile strength and elasticity of the ODF. Disintegration time of film decreased corresponding to decrease in tensile strength of the film. Formulation R with the optimum tensile strength (13.10?N/mm²), bending flexibility (40 times) and disintegration time (41.50?s) was chosen as final formulation. A total of 80% of the drug was released within five minutes and the ODF was stable at least for one year actual condition.

Conclusion: An ODF containing donepezil HCl was developed and characterized. The donepezil HCl ODF has the potential to improve the compliance of Alzheimer disease patients.     

Episodic remembering in a population-based sample of nonagenarians: Does major depression exacerbate the memory deficits seen in Alzheimer's disease?

Population-based samples of normal old adults and people with major depression (MD), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and coexisting MD and AD (MD + AD) between 90 and 100 years of age were assessed in face recognition, word recall, and object recall. Results indicated a consistent pattern across tasks: no differences between the normal old and the MD participants or between the AD and MD + AD participants in any task, a clear performance decrement in the AD and MD + AD participants in all task variables reflecting long-term episodic memory, and no group differences in those variables reflecting short-term memory. These data suggest that depression in very old age may not exacerbate the episodic memory deficit that accompanies AD. Further, differences between normal old and MD participants in episodic memory tasks appear to be negligible among the oldest old. The general lack of effects of MD may be due to the fact that those symptoms of this disease that are most likely to affect memory functioning (e.g., loss of energy, concentration difficulties) are common in AD as well as in nondepressed people in the 10th decade of life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of gender and sexual orientation on evolutionarily relevant aspects of human mating psychology.

Sexual selection theory provides a powerful model for the analysis of psychological sex differences. This research examined (1) tests of several sex differences in mating psychology predicted from sexual selection theory, (2) broad developmental hypotheses about sex differences in mating psychology—through the relationship of mating psychology to sexual orientation, and (3) the structure of within-sex differences in mating psychology. Scales measuring aspects of mating psychology were administered to heterosexual and homosexual Ss of both sexes. The structure of scale intercorrelations was similar across groups. All scales yielded sex differences consistent with sexual selection theory. Homosexual Ss generally obtained scores similar to those of same-sex heterosexual Ss though several scales were significantly related to sexual orientation. Findings constrain hypotheses concerning the origins of sex differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mood-congruent judgment is a general effect.

Mood congruency refers to a match in affective content between a person's mood and his or her thoughts. The mood-congruent judgment effect states in part that attributes will be judged more characteristic, and events more likely, under conditions of mood congruence. Thus, the happy person will believe good weather is more likely than bad weather (relative to such a judgment in a state of mood incongruence). Three studies showed that the effect generalizes to non-self-relevant judgments with natural mood. Study 1 (N?=?202) generalized it across a variety of specific emotions, Study 2 (N?=?1,065) generalized it across a variety of tasks, and Study 3 (N?=?524) generalized it to a nonlaboratory, statewide sample. The 3 studies redefine mood-congruent judgment more broadly and thereby inform the debate about its underlying mechanisms. The relation between mood-congruent judgment and personality is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A dual 4-bit 2-Gs/s full Nyquist analog-to-digital converter usinga 70-ps silicon bipolar technology with borosenic-poly process andcoupling-base implant

A dual 4-b analog-to-digital converter (ADC) with Nyquist operation to 2 gigasamples/second (Gs/s) and -29-dBc distortion at 1 GHz is presented. A novel evaluation method using an integral digital-to-analog converter is introduced. A trench-isolated, self-aligned, double-polysilicon bipolar process is used for the chip fabrication. This ADC has a resolution of 3.73 effective bits at 1-GHz analog input signal, without the use of a preceding sample-and-hold. Low-frequency untrimmed distortion is -48 dBc (not including quantizing error), and is independent of the sample rate of 2 Gs/s