Ambitious STS-7 mission to feature first landing at Kennedy

The STS-7 press briefing schedule, NASA select television schedule; launch preparations, countdown and liftoff; major countdown milestones; launch window; STS-7 flight sequence of events, landing timeline; STS-7 flight timeline; landing and post landing operations; flight objectives; Telesat's ANIK-C 2; PALAPA-B; STS-7 experiments; and spacecraft tracking and data network are presented

Social and Economic Impact of Solar Electricity at Schuchuli Village

Schuchuli, a small remote village on the Papago Indian Reservation in southwest Arizona, is 27 kilometers (17 miles) from the nearest available utility power. Its lack of conventional power is due to the prohibitive cost of supplying a small electrical load with a long-distance distribution line. Furthermore, alternate energy sources are expensive and place a burden on the resources of the villagers. On December 16, 1978, as part of a federally funded project, a solar cell power system was put into operation at Schuchuli. The system powers the village water pump, lighting for homes and other village buildings, family refrigerators and a communal washing machine and sewing machine

Isolation of a cDNA clone representing a gene with minimal expression in nit-4 mutant Neurospora crassa mycelia, yet not regulated by nitrate induction.

We report the isolation of a cDNA clone containing a segment of DNA representing a gene which appears to require the nit-4 gene product for expression, yet is not regulated by nitrate induction. Such a cDNA is a novel finding with respect to the known function of the nit-4 gene

Biological Invasions: The Case of Soybean Aphid Infestation

Soybeans, the second highest cash crop following corn in the U.S., have come under attack by invasive species, the soybean aphid from the North and soybean rust from the South. We estimated the economic losses resulting from soybean aphid infestation by using a dynamic equilibrium model. Results indicate that, first, the reduction of soybean production resulting from soybean aphid infestation is largely absorbed by reducing soybean exports, due to the higher price elasticity of export demand compared to the domestic demand. Second, the economic losses to U.S. soybean producers would grow on average annually between $12.8 million and$23.4 million during the first five years of infestation. In the longer-run, soybean producers would suffer greater economic losses as the dispersion rate of infested soybean acreage with soybean aphids rises. However, the successful discovery of the soybean aphid gene (TF04048) Rag-1 (which confers resistance) does not at this time warrant soybean growers and policy-makers becoming too seriously alarmed. Even so, time is an important factor in the eventual control of the soybean aphid.Crop Production/Industries,

Economic Impacts of the U.S. Soybean Aphid Infestation: A Multi-Regional Competitive Dynamic Analysis

We estimated the economic benefits resulting from controlling soybean aphid infestation by using a multi-regional competitive dynamic equilibrium model. Results indicate that the reduction of soybean production resulting from a soybean aphid infestation is largely absorbed by reducing soybean exports, due to the higher price elasticity of export demand compared to domestic demand. Producer benefits resulting from controlling soybean aphids would increase by between $949 million and$1.623 billion in ten years under various scenarios. Results also suggest that it is economically more efficient to control soybean aphids when the rate of intrinsic growth is relatively lower, the supply price elasticity of soybean acreage is relatively more elastic, and insecticide treatment costs per acre are lower. However, if the discovery of the gene Rag-1 (TF04048) leads to new cultivars that withstand the soybean aphid, our estimates will overestimate the actual damages. Even so, our analysis demonstrates that it is critical to control soybean aphids early in their infestation cycle to avoid a rapid increase in damages.soybean aphid, invasive species, producer surplus, consumer surplus, Rag-1, Crop Production/Industries,

An investigation into the feasibility of myoglobin-based single-electron transistors

Myoglobin single-electron transistors were investigated using nanometer- gap platinum electrodes fabricated by electromigration at cryogenic temperatures. Apomyoglobin (myoglobin without heme group) was used as a reference. The results suggest single electron transport is mediated by resonant tunneling with the electronic and vibrational levels of the heme group in a single protein. They also represent a proof-of-principle that proteins with redox centers across nanometer-gap electrodes can be utilized to fabricate single-electron transistors. The protein orientation and conformation may significantly affect the conductance of these devices. Future improvements in device reproducibility and yield will require control of these factors