Relay and sequential cropping corn with winter oilseed crops in northern climates

Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems - Winter oilseed crops camelina [Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz] and field pennycress (Thlaspi arvense L.) are potential candidates for diversifying the...     

Phase Stability and Optoelectronic Properties of the Bixbyite Phase in the Gallium–Indium–Tin–Oxide System

X‐ray diffraction techniques were used to determine the phase boundaries of the In₂O₃ solid solution phase in the Ga₂O₃–In₂O₃–SnO₂ ternary system. The effects of Ga and Sn content on the unit cell dimensions of the bixbyite phase were calculated by a linear regression fit, the results of which indicate the two substitutive cations have opposite and independent effects on the lattice parameter. These results suggest that the cations do not strongly interact with each other in the crystal. Measurements of optoelectronic properties were also taken on single‐phase bulk specimens within the solid solution to establish their dependence on composition. As anticipated, Sn doping yields corresponding increases in conductivity, reduction in the absolute value of Seebeck coefficient, and increase in optical band gap. In contrast, these properties are not significantly affected by varying Ga content, confirming that Ga behaves as an isovalent dopant at the low doping levels involved.     

Identification and Optimization of 4‐Anilinoquinolines as Inhibitors of Cyclin G Associated Kinase

4‐Anilinoquinolines were identified as potent and narrow‐spectrum inhibitors of the cyclin G associated kinase (GAK), an important regulator of viral and bacterial entry into host cells. Optimization of the 4‐anilino group and the 6,7‐quinoline substituents produced GAK inhibitors with nanomolar activity, over 50 000‐fold selectivity relative to other members of the numb‐associated kinase (NAK) subfamily, and a compound (6,7‐dimethoxy‐N‐(3,4,5‐trimethoxyphenyl)quinolin‐4‐amine; 49 ) with a narrow‐spectrum kinome profile. These compounds may be useful tools to explore the therapeutic potential of GAK in prevention of a broad range of infectious and systemic diseases.     

Automated High-Throughput Fatty Acid Analysis of Umbilical Cord Serum and Application to an Epidemiological Study

Large population studies show that polyunsaturated fatty acids are important for human health, but determining relationships between the health benefits and the fatty acid content has been hampered by the unavailability of labor-effective high-throughput technologies. An automated high throughput fatty acid analysis was developed from a previous procedure based on direct transesterification including the automation of chemical procedures, data acquisition and automatic data processing. The method was validated and applied to umbilical cord serum samples in an epidemiological study. The method was linear in the range of 1–600 μg/mL serum with r ² ≥0.99. The within-run CV was <5.4% for 23 fatty acids and a range of recoveries over three concentrations were 76–119% in a low-lipid matrix with the exception of 14:0. The fatty acid concentration as measured by the robotic method for human plasma was in good agreement with the Lepage & Roy method. The fatty acid profile in umbilical cord serum from American subjects (n = 287) showed an average of 38.0, 24.9, 32.0 and 4.6% of total fatty acids for saturates, monounsaturates, n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturates, respectively. This is the first report of a complete, validated, cost-effective, automated, high throughput fatty acid measurement method along with application to a population-based study. Automated fatty acid analysis coupled with automated data processing greatly facilitates the high throughput, 72 samples transesterified in 6 h, required for large population-based studies.     

Inorganic Chromatography on Cellulose: Some Applications to the Analysis of Electroplating Solutions with Special Reference to Nickel Plating Baths

The paper describes the technique of inorganic chromatography using paper strips and columns of cellulose pulp in combination with organic solvents, for the detection and determination of metals in electroplating baths. Special reference is made to nickel plating baths in which sulphate ion is present. It is shown that satisfactory separations can be achieved of a number of metals as chlorides, even in the presence of sulphates, providing acidity of the sample solution and organic solvent are carefully controlled. The following metals have been examined: Ni, Co, Fe, Cu, Mn, Cd, Cr, Al and Pb. The methods for final determination have also been described.     

Investigating T Cell Immunity in Cancer: Achievements and Prospects

T cells play a key role in tumour surveillance, both identifying and eliminating transformed cells. However, as tumours become established they form their own suppressive microenvironments capable of shutting down T cell function, and allowing tumours to persist and grow. To further understand the tumour microenvironment, including the interplay between different immune cells and their role in anti-tumour immune responses, a number of studies from mouse models to clinical trials have been performed. In this review, we examine mechanisms utilized by tumour cells to reduce their visibility to CD8⁺ Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), as well as therapeutic strategies trialled to overcome these tumour-evasion mechanisms. Next, we summarize recent advances in approaches to enhance CAR T cell activity and persistence over the past 10 years, including bispecific CAR T cell design and early evidence of efficacy. Lastly, we examine mechanisms of T cell infiltration and tumour regression, and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different strategies to investigate T cell function in murine tumour models.     

Summer water circulation in Frenchman's Bay,a shallow coastal embayment connected to Lake Ontario

Water movements due to temperature gradients and short-term water level fluctuations control the flushing timescale of the many shallow embayments in the Great Lakes. In this article the water circulation within Frenchman's Bay is reported and estimates made of the hydraulic flushing timescale. This shallow freshwater embayment is permanently connected to Lake Ontario through a channel of width 30 m and depth of 2 m. The water flushing timescale is estimated by using a salt mass budget, leading to a flushing timescale of 7–10 days. During the summer, the exchange of water between the bay and the lake can be driven by a combination of horizontal thermal gradients, and by small but ubiquitous 1–5 cm oscillations in the water level of Lake Ontario. The water movements that are predicted due to water level fluctuations (caused by seiches, storm surges and tides) and due to horizontal thermal gradients leads to estimates of the flushing time of water within Frenchman's Bay in the range of 12–13.5 days, i.e. the same order of magnitude as the salt budget. One consequence of the temperature driven exchange flows is to cause strong and persistent temperature stratification within the bay, which in combination with high nutrient loading and low winds in summer leads to frequent anoxic events.     

The fate of fenitrothion in a stream environment and its effect on the fauna,following aerial spraying of a Scottish forest

In order to control an infestation of Pine Beauty moth (Panolis flammea Schiff.) fenitrothion was applied at a rate of 300 g ha^?1 to a forest plantation consisting primarily of Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta Loud.) and Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis Carriere) using the ultra-low volume spraying technique. The concentration of fenitrothion in the forest stream rose to a maximum of 18μgl^?1 within the treated area an hour after spraying, but fell to 0.5 μgl^?1 after 24 hs. There was no evidence that the resident fish population was disturbed by the treatment and no short term effects were noticeable in caged fish. The concentration—time profile in the fish followed closely the profile in the water, and in each of the four fish tissues studied fell to 0.02 mg kg^?1 after 24 hs. Invertebrate drift increased markedly 12–16 hs after spraying, but decreased to around pretreatment levels within 48 hs. Caged insects remained alive during the five-day post-spray observation period, suggesting that drifting insects were displaced rather than killed by the insecticide. Concentration of fenitrothion in Willow Moss (Fontinalis antipyretica) fell from 0.139 mg kg^?1 to 0.003 mg kg^?1 (wet weight) after 48 hs. Fenitrothion was not detected in sediment but his was possibly due to the low surface area/weight ratio of the particles.     

Association of the serotonin transporter gene promoter region (5-HTTLPR) polymorphism with biased attention for emotional stimuli.

A deletion polymorphism in the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) has been associated with vulnerability to affective disorders, yet the mechanism by which this gene confers vulnerability remains unclear. Two studies examined associations between the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and attentional bias for emotional stimuli among nondepressed adults. Biased attention, attention engagement, and difficulty with attention disengagement were assessed with a spatial cuing task using emotional stimuli. Results from Study 1 (N = 38) indicated that short 5-HTTLPR allele carriers experienced greater difficulty disengaging their attention from sad and happy stimuli compared with long allele homozygotes. Study 2 participants (N = 144) were genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, including single nucleotide polymorphism rs25531 in the long allele of the 5-HTTLPR. Consistent with Study 1, individuals homozygous for the low-expressing 5-HTTLPR alleles (i.e., S and LG) experienced greater difficulty disengaging attention from sad, happy, and fear stimuli than high-expressing 5-HTTLPR homozygotes. Because this association exists in healthy adults, it may represent a susceptibility factor for affective disorders that becomes problematic during stressful life experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dissemination of the Coping Power program: Importance of intensity of counselor training.

This study examined an important but rarely investigated aspect of the dissemination process: the intensity of training provided to practitioners. Counselors in 57 schools were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: Coping Power–training plus feedback (CP-TF), Coping Power–basic training (CP-BT), or a comparison condition. CP-TF counselors produced reductions in children’s externalizing behavior problems and improvements in children’s social and academic skills in comparison to results for target children in both the comparison and the CP-BT conditions. Training intensity was critical for successful dissemination, although the implementation mechanism underlying this effect remains unclear, as condition effects were not significant for completion of session objectives but were significant for the quality of counselors’ engagement with children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)