Differential Light Scattering Measurements of Heat-Treated Bacteria

Effects of heat on diameter, size distribution, and refractive index of Staphylococcus epidermidis suspensions were determined accurately by computer analysis of differential light scattering data.     

A decoy set for the thermostable subdomain from chicken villin headpiece,comparison of different free energy estimators

Background  

Estimators of free energies are routinely used to judge the quality of protein structural models. As these estimators still present inaccuracies, they are frequently evaluated by discriminating native or native-like conformations from large ensembles of so-called decoy structures.     

Milkweed—A war strategic material and a potential industrial crop for sub-marginal lands in the United States

In 1943 the U. S. Federal Government erected a milk weed floss- and seed-extracting plant at Petoskey, Michigan, the only one of its kind in the world, and in one year this plant furnished to the armed forces two million pounds of milkweed floss that was used in lieu of kapok from Java in the manufacture of life saving equipment. Two million pounds of seed and tons of fibers were by-products as potential commercial sources of oil and cellulose, respectively.     

Governing the Barents Sea Region: Current Status,Emerging Issues,and Future Options

The Barents Sea is an ecopolitical region bounded on the south by the north coasts of Norway and Russia, on the east by the 38th meridian, on the north by the Central Arctic Ocean, and on the west by the boundary of the Svalbard Fishery Protection Zone. The fact that much of this region has been largely ice free in modern times differentiates it from the rest of the maritime Arctic and has drawn the attention of both resource users and policymakers to the region. Norway and Russia, the key players in the Barents Sea Region, have developed a cooperative relationship in managing the shared natural resources of the region. Nevertheless, other states have interests in the region. Issues of governance in the Barents Sea Region involve growing needs for improved mechanisms to address the interplay among various elements of the complex of sectoral regimes applicable to the region and for agility in responding to rapid changes in the biophysical and socioeconomic conditions prevailing in the region.     

Points to Consider: Ethical,Legal, and Psychosocial Implications of Genetic Testing in Children and Adolescents

In 1995, the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) and American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) jointly published a statement on genetic testing in children and adolescents. In the past 20 years, much has changed in the field of genetics, including the development of powerful new technologies, new data from genetic research on children and adolescents, and substantial clinical experience. This statement represents current opinion by the ASHG on the ethical, legal, and social issues concerning genetic testing in children. These recommendations are relevant to families, clinicians, and investigators. After a brief review of the 1995 statement and major changes in genetic technologies in recent years, this statement offers points to consider on a broad range of test technologies and their applications in clinical medicine and research. Recommendations are also made for record and communication issues in this domain and for professional education.     

HistoChoice® as an alternative to formalin fixation of undecalcified bone specimens

We compared histochemical and immunohistochemical staining as well as fluorochrome labeling in murine bone specimens that were fixed with 10% neutral buffered formalin to those fixed with HistoChoice®. We showed that sections from undecalcified tibiae fixed for 4 h in HistoChoice® resulted in enhanced toluidine blue and Von Kossa histochemical staining compared to formalin fixation. HistoChoice® produced comparable or improved staining for alkaline phosphatase. Acid phosphatase localization was better in formalin fixed specimens, but osteoclasts were visuralized more easily in HistoChoice® fixed specimens. As expected, immunohistochemical labeling was antibody dependent; some antibodies labeled better in HistoChoice® fixed specimens while others were better in formalin fixed specimens. Toluidine blue, Von Kossa, and alkaline phosphatase staining of sections fixed for 12 h produced sections that were similar to 4 h fixed sections. Fixation for 12 h preserved acid phosphatase activity better. Increasing fixation to 12 h affected immunolocalization differentially. Bone sialoprotein labeling in HistoChoice® fixed specimens was comparable to formalin fixed samples. On the other hand, after 12 h formalin fixation, osteocalcin labeling was comparable to HistoChoice®. For most histochemical applications, fixing murine bone specimens for 4 h with HistoChoice® yielded superior staining compared to formalin fixation. If immunohistochemical localization is desired, however, individual antibodies must be tested to determine which fixation process retains antigenicity better. In addition, there was no detectable difference in the intensity of fluorochrome labeling using either fixative. Finally, fixation duration did not alter the intensity of labeling.     

WheatGenome.info: an integrated database and portal for wheat genome information

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) is one of the most important crop plants, globally providing staple food for a large proportion of the human population. However, improvement of this crop has been limited due to its large and complex genome. Advances in genomics are supporting wheat crop improvement. We provide a variety of web-based systems hosting wheat genome and genomic data to support wheat research and crop improvement. WheatGenome.info is an integrated database resource which includes multiple web-based applications. These include a GBrowse2-based wheat genome viewer with BLAST search portal, TAGdb for searching wheat second-generation genome sequence data, wheat autoSNPdb, links to wheat genetic maps using CMap and CMap3D, and a wheat genome Wiki to allow interaction between diverse wheat genome sequencing activities. This system includes links to a variety of wheat genome resources hosted at other research organizations. This integrated database aims to accelerate wheat genome research and is freely accessible via the web interface at http://www.wheatgenome.info/.