Procedures and requirements for testing in the Langley Research Center unitary plan wind tunnel

Information is presented to assist those interested in conducting wind-tunnel testing within the Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. Procedures, requirements, forms and examples necessary for tunnel entry are included

The Striped Water Snake, Natrix rigida (Say), in Texas

Stejneger and Barbour (1943) give the range of the striped water snake as New Kent County, Virginia and South Carolina to Western Louisiana, excluding peninsular Florida. It was first recorded from Texas four years ago when Brown (1947) listed specimens from Leon (6 mi. nw. of Normangee), Jasper (12 mi. w. of Jasper), Henderson (7 mi. e. of Athens), and Hardin (4 mi. w. of Silsbee) counties. Later Brown (1950) noted specimens from Jefferson (2 mi. n. of Sabine Pass), Liberty (Daisetta), San Augustine (no specific locality), and Tyler (near Warren) counties

Virus taxonomy: the database of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) is charged with the task of developing, refining, and maintaining a universal virus taxonomy. This task encompasses the classification of virus species and higher-level taxa according to the genetic and biological properties of their members; naming virus taxa; maintaining a database detailing the currently approved taxonomy; and providing the database, supporting proposals, and other virus-related information from an open-access, public web site. The ICTV web site (http://ictv.global) provides access to the current taxonomy database in online and downloadable formats, and maintains a complete history of virus taxa back to the first release in 1971. The ICTV has also published the ICTV Report on Virus Taxonomy starting in 1971. This Report provides a comprehensive description of all virus taxa covering virus structure, genome structure, biology and phylogenetics. The ninth ICTV report, published in 2012, is available as an open-access online publication from the ICTV web site. The current, 10th report (http://ictv.global/report/), is being published online, and is replacing the previous hard-copy edition with a completely open access, continuously updated publication. No other database or resource exists that provides such a comprehensive, fully annotated compendium of information on virus taxa and taxonomy

Advances in homology directed genetic engineering of human pluripotent and adult stem cells

The ability to introduce precise genomic modifications in human cells has profound implications for both basic and applied research in stem cells, ranging from identification of genes regulating stem cell self-renewal and multilineage differentiation to therapeutic gene correction and creation of in vitro models of human diseases. However, the overall efficiency of this process is challenged by several factors including inefficient gene delivery into stem cells and low rates of homology directed site-specific targeting. Recent studies report the development of novel techniques to improve gene targeting efficiencies in human stem cells; these methods include molecular engineering of viral vectors o efficiently deliver episomal genetic sequences that can participate in homology directed targeting, as well as the design of synthetic proteins that can introduce double-stranded breaks in DNA to initiate such recombination events. This review focuses on the potential of these new technologies to precisely alter the human stem cell genome and also highlights the possibilities offered by the combination of these complementary strategies

MF2313

Donald Kropf & Curtis Kastner, Color and oxidative properties of irradiated beef, Kansas State University, January 1998