Very-Heavy Precipitation in the Greater New York City Region and Widespread Drought Alleviation Tied to Western US Agriculture

Observed intensification of precipitation extremes, responsible for extensive societal impacts, are widely attributed to anthropogenic sources, which may include indirect effects of agricultural irrigation. However quantifying the effects of irrigation on far-downstream climate remains a challenge. We use three paired Community Earth System Model simulations to assess mechanisms of irrigation-induced precipitation trends and extremes in the conterminous US and the effect on the terrestrial carbon sink. Results suggest precipitation enhancement in the central US reduced drought conditions and increased regional carbon uptake, while further downstream, the heaviest precipitation events were more frequent and intense. Specifically, moisture advection from irrigation in the western U.S. and recycling of enhanced local convective precipitation produced very-heavy storm events that were 11% more intense and occurred 23% more frequently in the densely populated greater New York City region.     

Histochemical Methods for Dissociated Muscle Fibers

Skeletal or cardiac muscle fibers can be separated by brief (3-5 second) dissociation of formalin-fixed pieces with a Willems Polytron (Brinkmann Instrument Co.). Such separated fibers are useful for demonstration of abnormal accumulations of lipids, carbohydrates, proteins and minerals in metabolic diseases. Staining techniques for demonstration of various stored materials include: 1) toluidine blue at pH 2.8 for acid mucopolysaccharide in skeletal muscle fibers in Pompe's glycogenesis 2,2) one-step trichrome stain for nemaline myopathy and for abnormal mitochondria in X-linked infantile cardiomyopathy, 3) periodic acid-methenamine silver stain for glycolipid-containing lysosomes in I-cell disease (mucolipidosis 2), 4) Sudan black B stain for lipid in skeletal muscle fibers in Reye's syndrome, infantile lactic acidosis, Leigh's infantile subacute necrotizing encephalopathy and Jansky-Bielschowsky late infantile ceroid lipofuscinosis, 5) iron stain for iron in cardiac and skeletal muscle fibers in thalassemia with advanced hemosiderosis, and 6) autofluorescence for “ceroid” in skeletal muscle fibers in Jansky-Bielschowsky disease.     

Reciprocal Allogrooming in Dam-reared and Hand-reared Impala Fawns

Among adult females and males of African antelope impala are unique in their performance of reciprocal allogrooming. The occurrence of this behaviour in neonatal impala fawns was explored in a free-ranging impala herd at the San Diego Wild Animal Park where 5 dam-reared fawns were observed from birth through 10 weeks of age. One-way maternal grooming and reciprocal allogrooming with the dam and non dam partners emerged as distinct behavioural systems. Maternal grooming, directed mostly to the anogenital area, was typical of that seen in other ungulates, and sharply declined over the first two weeks. Reciprocal allogrooming, characterized by alternate exchanges of grooming bouts with a partner in the same manner as in adults, was seen as early as 3–8 d after birth. All fawns were grooming with unrelated adult females by the end of the second week. By week 2 virtually every measure of reciprocal allogrooming by fawns (grooming delivered per hour, reciprocity, and percent of encounters initiated) was as high as for adults. The appearance of this reciprocal allogrooming pattern, especially at such an early age, appears to be unique among ungulates, and possibly mammals in general. Three hand-reared impala fawns, deprived of the opportunity to interact with older herdmates, but having access to impala fawns and heterospecific fawns, were observed from 1–3 mo of age. The hand-reared impala showed no alteration in the occurrence of reciprocal allogrooming behaviour compared with the dam-reared control fawns, indicating that allogrooming experience with older animals was not required for the appearance of reciprocal allogrooming at an early age. Interestingly, hand-reared fawns persisted in grooming heterospecific fawns despite the fact that heterospecifics rarely reciprocated grooming. We postulate that the strong predisposition for impala young to groom others may be related to the threat of tick infestation in the impala's ecotone habitat.     

DNase I hypersensitivity and expression of the Shrunken-1 gene of maize

The local chromatin structure of the Shrunken-1 (Sh) gene of maize was probed by analyzing DNase I hypersensitivity. Sh encodes the gene for sucrose synthetase, a major starch biosynthetic enzyme, which is maximally expressed in the endosperm during seed maturation. In addition to general DNase I sensitivity, specific DNase I hypersensitive sites were identified in endosperm chromatin that mapped near the 5 end of the Sh gene. The pattern of hypersensitive sites and their relative sensitivity were altered in other non-dormant tissues that produce little or no enzyme. However, some changes in chromatin structure appear to be independent of Sh gene expression and may reflect general alterations associated with plant development. The chromatin structure of several sh mutations, induced by Ds controlling element insertions, was also analyzed. Although the insertions perturbed expression of the gene, there were no notable effects on local chromatin structure.     

Effects of membrane physical parameters on hematoporphyrin-derivative binding to liposomes: A spectroscopic study

Summary Physical parameters of membrane bilayers were studied for their effect on the binding of hematoporphyrin derivative (Hpd), which is used as a sensitizer in photodynamic therapy of cancerous tissues. The purpose of this study was to clarify which parameters were relevant, under physiological conditions, to the selectivity of Hpd binding to cancer cells. Fluorescence spectroscopy was used to measure the relative partitioning of the dye between the lipid and aqueous media. Increasing the microviscosity of the liposomes' membranes by various bilayer additives results in a strong reduction of Hpd binding, to an extent independent of the specific additive. The effect of temperature near the physiological value as well as the effect of cross membrane potential are small. Surface potential does not affect the binding constant, indicating that the binding species does not carry a net electric charge.     

Propeptide of human protein C is necessary for gamma-carboxylation

Protein C is one of a family of vitamin K dependent proteins, including blood coagulation factors and bone proteins, that contains gamma-carboxyglutamic acid. Sequence analysis of the cDNAs for these proteins has revealed the presence of a prepro leader sequence that contains a pre sequence or hydrophobic signal sequence and a propeptide containing a number of highly conserved amino acids. The pre region is removed from the growing polypeptide chain by signal peptidase, while the pro region is subsequently removed from the protein prior to secretion. In the present study, deletion mutants have been constructed in the propeptide region of the cDNA for human protein C, and the cDNAs were then expressed in mammalian cell culture. These deletions included the removal of 4, 9, 12, 15, 16, or 17 amino acids comprising the carboxyl end of the leader sequence of 42 amino acids. The mutant proteins were then examined by Western blotting, barium citrate adsorption and precipitation, amino acid sequence analysis, and biological activity and compared with the native protein present in normal plasma. These experiments have shown that protein C is readily synthesized in mammalian cell cultures, processed, and secreted as a two-chain molecule with biological activity. Furthermore, the pre portion or signal sequence in human protein C is 18 amino acids in length, and the pro portion of the leader sequence is 24 amino acids in length. Also, during biosynthesis and secretion, the amino-terminal region of the propeptide (residues from about -12 through -17) is important for gamma-carboxylation of protein C, while the present data and those of others indicate that the carboxyl-terminal portion of the propeptide (residues -1 through -4) is important for the removal of the pro leader sequence by proteolytic processing.     

Comparisons of eight commercial on-farm milk progesterone tests

To evaluate eight commercial on-farm milk progesterone kits, milk samples (50 ml each of foremilk and postmilk strippings) were collected during the estrous cycle from 10 cycling Holstein cows for 24 consecutive days. Relative concentrations of progesterone were classified as low or high by comparison with standard progesterone samples supplied with each kit. The concentration of progesterone in each milk sample was determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Accuracy of classification into low or high levels by commercial tests was determined by the percentage of similarity with RIA values using discriminant analysis. Accuracy of the eight tests ranged from 89.0 to 98.9% for low progesterone, 74.8 to 85.6% for high progesterone, and 80.3 to 87.3% for all samples (n = 238). The percentage of fat in milk or an interaction of the percentage of milkfat by day of estrous cycle influenced commercial test results for all tests except Accufirm and Calfcheck. Progesterone levels, estimated by the test-kits, were low from 1.5 +/- 0.5 to 2.8 +/- 0.9 days before estrus (X +/- SEM) and until 4.0 +/- 0.6 to 5.9 +/- 1.3 days after estrus. These data support the principle that a single low progesterone sample cannot be used to determine proper timing of insemination. All eight commercial kits can be used to determine accurately the relative concentrations of progesterone in milk samples.