Soil management legacy alters weed-crop competition through biotic and abiotic pathways

Plant and Soil - Agricultural practices often have persistent effects on soil physicochemical properties and soil biota, which can feedback to influence plant performance. We investigated...     

Hydrocarbon uptake in hydrocarbon fermentations

Candida lipolytica (strain ATCC 8662) was grown on a simple defined medium with n-hexadecane as the main carbon Source under batch fermentation conditions. The relative importance of the cells growing in the aqueous phase on the overall kinetics was studied. The effect of interfacial tension, unoccupied interfacial area, and pseudosolubility on the specific growth was also studied. Results are presented and discussed here.     

Descriptive epidemiology of small-bowel atresia in metropolitan Atlanta.

The epidemiological characteristics are presented of 46 children with small-bowel atresia, ascertained over a 6-year period by an active, population-based birth defect surveillance program in Atlanta, Georgia. The malformation occurred at a rate of 2.7/10,000 livebirths. The previously reported association of duodenal atresia and Down syndrome was confirmed was confirmed. No instances of familial association were noted, nor was any excessive prenatal exposure to drugs found. Thirty-two instances of isolated small-bowel atresia were analyzed in detail. The frequency of the isolated defect for blacks was twice that for whites because of a higher rate for black females. The isolated defect was commonest in the winter months. The relation between isolated small-bowel atresia, birth weight, and mortality was discussed. This small series cannot readily be subdivided into distinct epidemiological groups on the basis of the location of the atretic lesions along the length of the small bowel.     

Misfolding of vWF to Pathologically Disordered Conformations Impacts the Severity of von Willebrand Disease

The primary hemostatic von Willebrand factor (vWF) functions to sequester platelets from rheological blood flow and mediates their adhesion to damaged subendothelium at sites of vascular injury. We have surveyed the effect of 16 disease-causing mutations identified in patients diagnosed with the bleeding diathesis disorder, von Willebrand disease (vWD), on the structure and rheology of vWF A1 domain adhesiveness to the platelet GPIbα receptor. These mutations have a dynamic phenotypical range of bleeding from lack of platelet adhesion to severe thrombocytopenia. Using new rheological tools in combination with classical thermodynamic, biophysical, and spectroscopic metrics, we establish a high propensity of the A1 domain to misfold to pathological molten globule conformations that differentially alter the strength of platelet adhesion under shear flow. Rheodynamic analysis establishes a quantitative rank order between shear-rate-dependent platelet-translocation pause times that linearly correlate with clinically reported measures of patient platelet counts and the severity of thrombocytopenia. These results suggest that specific secondary structure elements remaining in these pathological conformations of the A1 domain regulate GPIbα binding and the strength of vWF-platelet interactions, which affects the vWD functional phenotype and the severity of thrombocytopenia.     

Guaraná (Paullinia cupana) as a commercial crop in Brazilian Amazonia

Guaraná (Paullinia cupana) is a woody vine or sprawling shrub native to the central Amazon Basin. The seeds are commercially produced on some 6,000 ha in the state of Amazonas near Manaus. The principal article of commerce is an amber-colored, carbonated soft drink. It is also widely used as a high caffeine stimulant and in local medicines. The plant is monoecious and is damaged by a number of diseases, the most severe being anthracnose. Prospects are excellent for greatly expanded international markets.