Reviews

The following publications have been reviewed by the mentioned authors;CDT - Projects and Approaches by David Barlex and Richard Kimbell, reviewed by M. PattersonControl Technology (second edition) by Hodder & Stoughton, reviewed by John CaveGraphic Handbook. An Introduction to design and printing for the non-specialist by Richard McCann, reviewed by Lesley LordEngineering Technology by Liam Hennessy and Lawrence Smyth, reviewed by Stan ShawJoin in and Spin by Thames Valley, reviewed by Dorothea KaySchooling for the Dole: The New Vocationalism by Inge Bates, John Clark, Philip Cohen, Dan Finn, Robert Moore and Paul Willis, reviewed by John EgglestonGirls into Science and Technology by Judith Whyte, reviewed by John Egglesto

Feed for Milk-Eggs Pork

The biggest service that farmers can give to the nation in war is greater production of meat, milk and eggs. Uncle Sam is calling upon South Dakota farmers for greater production of these products throughout this winter and for next year. In many years of the past, it would not be possible for our state to provide this greater production but now it is different – we now have the greatest feed supply in our history, thanks to the bountifulness of nature last year. To use our vast feed supplies most efficiently- to get the maximum amount of human feed from them-stricter attention to proper winter feeding methods must be given. It will require the utmost cooperation and teamwork between farmers, U. S. Department of Agriculture Neighborhood Leaders, county extension agents and experiment stations to see that not a bit of feed is wasted; that it all goes to make every bit of human food possible

Feeding in Winter

In this circular, created by the Agriculture Extension Service at South Dakota State College, the information provided includes feeding techniques during the winter months. This information is provided through the guidance of the Agriculture Department during the year 1943

The Neutral Gas Dynamics of the Nearby Magellanic Irregular Galaxy UGCA 105

We present new low-resolution HI spectral line imaging, obtained with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA), of the star-forming Magellanic irregular galaxy UGCA 105. This nearby (D = 3.39+/-0.25 Mpc), low mass [M_HI=(4.3+/-0.5)x10^8 Solar masses] system harbors a large neutral gas disk (HI radius ~7.2 kpc at the N_HI=10^20 cm^-2 level) that is roughly twice as large as the stellar disk at the B-band R_25 isophote. We explore the neutral gas dynamics of this system, fitting tilted ring models in order to extract a well-sampled rotation curve. The rotation velocity rises in the inner disk, flattens at 72+/-3 km/s, and remains flat to the last measured point of the disk (~7.5 kpc). The dynamical mass of UGCA 105 at this outermost point, (9+/-2)x10^9 Solar masses, is ~10 times as large as the luminous baryonic components (neutral atomic gas and stars). The proximity and favorable inclination (55 degrees) of UGCA 105 make it a promising target for high-resolution studies of both star formation and rotational dynamics in a nearby low-mass galaxy.Comment: The Astronomical Journal, in pres

Glucosyltransferase-dependent and independent effects of Clostridioides difficile toxins during infection

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of nosocomial diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis in the USA. In addition to these symptoms, patients with CDI can develop severe inflammation and tissue damage, resulting in life-threatening toxic megacolon. CDI is mediated by two large homologous protein toxins, TcdA and TcdB, that bind and hijack receptors to enter host cells where they use glucosyltransferase (GT) enzymes to inactivate Rho family GTPases. GT-dependent intoxication elicits cytopathic changes, cytokine production, and apoptosis. At higher concentrations TcdB induces GT-independent necrosis in cells and tissue by stimulating production of reactive oxygen species via recruitment of the NADPH oxidase complex. Although GT-independent necrosis has been observed in vitro, the relevance of this mechanism during CDI has remained an outstanding question in the field. In this study we generated novel C. difficile toxin mutants in the hypervirulent BI/NAP1/PCR-ribotype 027 R20291 strain to test the hypothesis that GT-independent epithelial damage occurs during CDI. Using the mouse model of CDI, we observed that epithelial damage occurs through a GT-independent process that does not involve immune cell influx. The GT-activity of either toxin was sufficient to cause severe edema and inflammation, yet GT activity of both toxins was necessary to produce severe watery diarrhea. These results demonstrate that both TcdA and TcdB contribute to disease pathogenesis when present. Further, while inactivating GT activity of C. difficile toxins may suppress diarrhea and deleterious GT-dependent immune responses, the potential of severe GT-independent epithelial damage merits consideration when developing toxin-based therapeutics against CDI

Linkage between solid-phase apportionment and bioaccessible arsenic, chromium and lead in soil from Glasgow, Scotland, UK

The chemical composition of soil from the Glasgow (UK) urban area was used to identify the controls on the availability of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in soil to humans. Total and bioaccessible concentrations of arsenic (As), chromium (Cr) and lead (Pb) in 27 soil samples, collected from different land uses, were coupled to information on their solid-phase partitioning derived from sequential extraction data. The total element concentrations in the soils were in the range <0.1–135mgkg–1 for As; 65–3680mgkg–1 for Cr and 126–2160mgkg–1 for Pb, with bioaccessible concentrations averaging 27, 5 and 27% of the total values, respectively. Land use does not appear to be a predictor of contamination; however, the history of the contamination is critically important. The Chemometric Identification of Substrates and Element Distribution (CISED) sequential chemical extraction and associated self-modelling mixture resolution analysis identified three sample groupings and 16 geochemically distinct phases (substrates). These were related to iron (n=3), aluminium–silicon (Al–Si; n=2), calcium (n=3), phosphorus (n=1), magnesium (Mg; n=3), manganese (n=1) and easily extractable (n=3), which was predominantly made up of sodium and sulphur. As, Cr and Pb were respectively found in 9, 10 and 12 of the identified phases, with bioaccessible As predominantly associated with easily extractable phases, bioaccessible Cr with the Mg-dominated phases and bioaccessible Pb with both the Mg-dominated and Al–Si phases. Using a combination of the Unified Barge Method to measure the bioaccessibility of PHEs and CISED to identify the geochemical sources has allowed a much better understanding of the complexity of PHE mobility in the Glasgow urban environment. This approach can be applied to other urban environments and cases of soil contamination, and made part of land-use planning

CD1b-restricted GEM T cell responses are modulated by Mycobacterium tuberculosis mycolic acid meromycolate chains

Tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, remains a major human pandemic. Germline-encoded mycolyl lipid-reactive (GEM) T cells are donor-unrestricted and recognize CD1b-presented mycobacterial mycolates. However, the molecular requirements governing mycolate antigenicity for the GEM T cell receptor (TCR) remain poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate CD1b expression in tuberculosis granulomas and reveal a central role for meromycolate chains in influencing GEM-TCR activity. Meromycolate fine structure influences T cell responses in TB-exposed individuals, and meromycolate alterations modulate functional responses by GEM-TCRs. Computational simulations suggest that meromycolate chain dynamics regulate mycolate head group movement, thereby modulating GEM-TCR activity. Our findings have significant implications for the design of future vaccines that target GEM T cells

Oxidative Stress and Vascular Function: Implications for Pharmacologic Treatments

Production of considerable amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) eventually leads to oxidative stress. A key role of oxidative stress is evident in the pathologic mechanisms of endothelial dysfunction and associated cardiovascular diseases. Vascular enzymes such as NADPH oxidases, xanthine oxidase, and uncoupled endothelial nitric oxide synthase are involved in the production of ROS. The question remains whether pharmacologic approaches can effectively combat the excessive ROS production in the vasculature. Interestingly, existing registered cardiovascular drugs can directly or indirectly act as antioxidants, thereby preventing the damaging effects of ROS. Moreover, new compounds targeting NADPH oxidases have been developed. Finally, food-derived compounds appear to be effective inhibitors of oxidative stress and preserve vascular function