ESTIMATING THE EFFECTS OF PESTICIDE USE ON BURLEY AND FLUE-CURED TOBACCO

Crop Production/Industries,

Dysregulation of cadherins in the intercalated disc of the spontaneously hypertensive stroke-prone rat

The structural integrity of cardiac cells is maintained by the Ca2+-dependent homophilic cell-cell adhesion of cadherins. N-cadherin is responsible for this adhesion under normal physiological conditions. The role of cadherins in adverse cardiac pathology is less clear. We studied the hearts of the stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive (SHRSP) rat as a genetic model of cardiac hypertrophy and compared them to Wistar-Kyoto control animals. Western blotting of protein homogenates from 12-week old SHRSP animals indicated that similar levels of [beta], [gamma]-, and [alpha]-catenin and T, N and R-cadherin were expressed in the control and SHRSP animals. However, dramatically higher levels of E-cadherin were detected in SHRSP animals compared to controls at 6, 12 and 18áweeks of age. This was confirmed by quantitative Taqman PCR and immunohistochemistry. E-cadherin was located at the intercalated disc of the myocytes in co-localisation with connexin 43. Adenoviral overexpression of E-cadherin in rat H9c2 cells and primary rabbit myocytes resulted in a significant reduction in myocyte cell diameter and breadth. E-cadherin overexpression resulted in re-localisation of [beta]-catenin to the cell surface particularly to cell-cell junctions. Subsequent immunohistochemistry of the hearts of WKY and SHRSP animals also revealed increased levels of [beta]-catenin in the intercalated disc in the SHRSP compared to WKY. Therefore, remodelling of the intercalated disc in the hearts of SHRSP animals may contribute to the altered function observed in these animal

Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS ) will search for planets transiting bright and nearby stars. TESS has been selected by NASA for launch in 2017 as an Astrophysics Explorer mission. The spacecraft will be placed into a highly elliptical 13.7-day orbit around the Earth. During its two-year mission, TESS will employ four wide-field optical CCD cameras to monitor at least 200,000 main-sequence dwarf stars with I_C (approximately less than) 13 for temporary drops in brightness caused by planetary transits. Each star will be observed for an interval ranging from one month to one year, depending mainly on the star's ecliptic latitude. The longest observing intervals will be for stars near the ecliptic poles, which are the optimal locations for follow-up observations with the James Webb Space Telescope. Brightness measurements of preselected target stars will be recorded every 2 min, and full frame images will be recorded every 30 min. TESS stars will be 10-100 times brighter than those surveyed by the pioneering Kepler mission. This will make TESS planets easier to characterize with follow-up observations. TESS is expected to find more than a thousand planets smaller than Neptune, including dozens that are comparable in size to the Earth. Public data releases will occur every four months, inviting immediate community-wide efforts to study the new planets. The TESS legacy will be a catalog of the nearest and brightest stars hosting transiting planets, which will endure as highly favorable targets for detailed investigations

dlmap: An R Package for Mixed Model QTL and Association Analysis

dlmap is a software package capable of mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) in a variety of genetic studies. Unlike most other QTL mapping packages, dlmap is built on a linear mixed model platform, and thus can simultaneously handle multiple sources of genetic and environmental variation. Furthermore, it can accommodate both experimental crosses and association mapping populations within a versatile modeling framework. The software implements a mapping algorithm with separate detection and localization stages in a user-friendly manner. It accepts data in various common formats, has a flexible modeling environment, and summarizes results both graphically and numerically

SHORTFALLS IN 1997 NET FARM INCOME IN NORTH DAKOTA (Prepared for Senators Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad)

North Dakota net farm income declined in 1997 due to adverse weather conditions and low prices. The total income loss in 1997 was estimated to be $394 million, which was divided into$290 million due to weather and diseases, and $104 million due to lower-than-average prices. Net farm income losses were largest in Region 3 (Northeast), followed by Regions 1 (Northwest) and 6 (East Central). HRS wheat accounted for the largest income loss, followed by durum and barley.Net farm income, crop losses, weather conditions, North Dakota input output model, Agricultural Finance,

Potential Space Applications for Body-Centric Wireless and E-Textile Antennas

Space environment benefits of body-centric wireless communications are numerous, particularly in the context of long duration Lunar and Martian outposts that are in planning stages at several space agencies around the world. Since crew time for such missions is a scarce commodity, seamless integration of body-centric wireless from various sources is paramount. Sources include traditional data, such as audio, video, tracking, and biotelemetry. Newer data sources include positioning, orientation, and status of handheld tools and devices, as well as management and status of on-body inventories. In addition to offering lighter weight and flexibility, performance benefits of e-textile antennas are anticipated due to advantageous use of the body s surface area. In creating e-textile antennas and RF devices, researchers are faced with the challenge of transferring conventional and novel designs to textiles. Lack of impedance control, limited conductivity, and the inability to automatically create intricate designs are examples of limitations frequently attributed to e-textiles. Reliable interfaces between e-textiles and conventional hardware also represent significant challenges. Addressing these limitations is critical to the continued development and acceptance of fabric-based circuits for body-centric wireless applications. Here we present several examples of e-textile antennas and RF devices, created using a NASA-developed process, that overcome several of these limitations. The design and performance of an equiangular spiral, miniaturized spiral-loaded slot antenna, and a hybrid coupler are considered, with the e-textile devices showing comparable performance to like designs using conventional materials

Errors in statistical analysis and questionable randomization lead to unreliable conclusions

Dear Editor,We read with interest the paper, “The effect of food service system modifications on staff body mass index in an industrial organization”[1]. We noticed several substantial issues with data and calculations, calling into question the randomized nature of the study and validity of analyses.The distribution of baseline weight was significantly differentbetween groups (p-value = “0.00”). We replicated the test using reported means and standard deviations (SDs) andobtained a p-value of approximately 1.9*10-17. It is extraordinarily unlikely that any variable would be that different between two groups if allocation was truly random. Even it was truly random, the stated method of “the samples were randomly divided into two groups”[1] does not describe the “method used to generate the random allocation sequence” and the “type of randomization; details of any restriction (such as blocking and block size)” details specified by Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT)[2].Given the large difference in baseline weights, it is unusual that the difference in baseline body mass index (BMI) between groups is not more significant (p=0.032), raising the question of what the groups’ distributions of height were. Both groups have 30 males (58.8%), so sex differences are unlikely to explain this discrepancy. Height was not explicitly reported, but it was possible to estimate height utilizing geometric means from body weight and BMI[3,4]. We calculated the baseline control group geometric mean as 2.04 cm taller than the test group. These calculations also suggest the control group shrunk by 1.26 cm while the test group grew by 1.52 cm over the study. Neither change is explained by rounding error nor seems plausible for adult subjects over 40 days.Because there were no SDs of the change scores reported, we were unable to replicate the reported p-value (0.318) for the between-group test of weight change exactly. However, we were able to consider the pre and post-intervention SDs and calculate possible SDs of within-group change scores for a range of pre-post correlations. The largest p-value possible was 0.1282, calculated when each group had perfect negative pre-post correlation (correlation=-1), which is unlikely. If there was no or a positive correlation, the p-value would be much smaller (p=0.0449 when correlation=0 for each group) and plausibly indicates a significant difference between groups. Therefore, although the published results are impossible the correct analysis could make the intervention appear more effective than reported.The results section describes an initial sample size of 116 with 14 dropping out (p. 115). The tables report the remaining sample size to be 102, but the body of the text reports 101 subjects remained until study completion. It is unclear which values were correct; this lack of clarity also fails CONSORT guidelines[2].Considering that the reported findings are essentially impossible given the stated study design, we encourage the authors to explain the treatment allocationand make the raw data available, or the journal to act according to the Committee on Publication Ethics[5] in situations where findings are unreliabl