A design for a new catalog manager and associated file management for the Land Analysis System (LAS)

Due to the larger number of different types of files used in an image processing system, a mechanism for file management beyond the bounds of typical operating systems is necessary. The Transportable Applications Executive (TAE) Catalog Manager was written to meet this need. Land Analysis System (LAS) users at the EROS Data Center (EDC) encountered some problems in using the TAE catalog manager, including catalog corruption, networking difficulties, and lack of a reliable tape storage and retrieval capability. These problems, coupled with the complexity of the TAE catalog manager, led to the decision to design a new file management system for LAS, tailored to the needs of the EDC user community. This design effort, which addressed catalog management, label services, associated data management, and enhancements to LAS applications, is described. The new file management design will provide many benefits including improved system integration, increased flexibility, enhanced reliability, enhanced portability, improved performance, and improved maintainability

ORIGINS OF ISOPRENOID DIVERSITY: A STUDY OF STRUCTURE-FUNCTION RELATIONSHIPS IN SESQUITERPENE SYNTHASES

Plant sesquiterpene synthases catalyze the conversion of the linear substrate farnesyl diphosphate, FPP, into a remarkable array of secondary metabolites. These secondary metabolites in turn mediate a number of important interactions between plants and their environment, such as plant-plant, plant-insect and plant-pathogen interactions. Given the relative biological importance of sesquiterpenes and their use in numerous practical applications, the current thesis was directed towards developing a better understanding of the mechanisms employed by sesquiterpene synthases in the biosynthesis of such a diverse class of compounds. Substrate preference for sesquiterpene synthases initially isolated from Nicotiana tabacum (TEAS), Hyoscyamus muticus (HPS) and Artemisia annuna (ADS) were optimized with regards to a divalent metal ion requirement. Surprisingly, careful titration with manganese stimulated bona fide synthase activity with the native 15-carbon substrate farnesyl diphopshate (FPP) as well as with the 10-carbon substrate geranyl diphosphate (GPP). Reaction product analysis suggested that the GPP could be used to investigate early steps in the catalytic cascade of these enzymes. To investigate how structural features of the sesquiterpene synthases translate into enzymatic traits, a series of substrate and active site residue contacts maps were developed and used in a comparative approach to identify residues that might direct product specificity. The role and contribution of several of these residues to catalysis and product specificity were subsequently tested by the creation of site-directed mutants. One series of mutants was demonstrated to change the reaction product to a novel sesquiterpene, 4-epi-eremophilene, and while another series successfully transmutated TEAS into a HPS-like enzyme. This is the first report of a rational redesign of product specificity for any terpene synthase. The contact map provides a basis for the prediction of specific configurations of amino acids that might be necessary for as yet uncharacterized sesquiterpene synthases from natural sources. This prediction was tested by the subsequent isolation and validation that valencene synthase, a synthase from citrus, did indeed have the amino acid configuration as predicted. Lastly, an in vitro system was developed for analyzing the interaction between sesquiterpene synthases and the corresponding terpene hydroxylase. Development of this in vitro system is presented as a new important tool in further defining those biochemical features giving rise to the biological diversity of sesquiterpenes

Sesquiterpene Synthase Gene and Protein

The invention relates to sesquiterpene synthases and methods for their production and use. Particularly, the invention provides nucleic acids comprising the nucleotide sequence of citrus valencene synthase (CVS) which codes for at least one CVS. The invention further provides nucleic acids comprising the nucleotide sequence coding for amino acid residues forming the tier 1 and tier 2 domains of CVS. The invention also provides for methods of making and using the nucleic acids and amino acids of the current invention

Sesquiterpene Synthase Gene and Protein

The invention relates to sesquiterpene synthases and methods for their production and use. Particularly, the invention provides nucleic acids comprising the nucleotide sequence of citrus valencene synthase (CVS) which codes for at least one CVS. The invention further provides nucleic acids comprising the nucleotide sequence coding for amino acid residues forming the tier 1 and tier 2 domains of CVS. The invention also provides for methods of making and using the nucleic acids and amino acids of the current invention

Sesquiterpene Synthase Gene and Protein

The invention relates to sesquiterpene synthases and methods for their production and use. Particularly, the invention provides nucleic acids comprising the nucleotide sequence of citrus valencene synthase (CVS) which codes for at least one CVS. The invention further provides nucleic acids comprising the nucleotide sequence coding for amino acid residues forming the tier 1 and tier 2 domains of CVS. The invention also provides for methods of making and using the nucleic acids and amino acids of the current invention

Sequiterpene Synthase Gene and Protein

The invention relates to sesquiterpene synthases and methods for their production and use. Particularly, the invention provides nucleic acids comprising the nucleotide sequence of citrus valencene synthase (CVS) which codes for at least one CVS. The invention further provides nucleic acids comprising the nucleotide sequence coding for amino acid residues forming the tier 1 and tier 2 domains of CVS. The invention also provides for methods of making and using the nucleic acids and amino acids of the current invention

Magnitude and Consistency of Heterosis in Crosses among Plains-type Cotton Cultivars

This study was conducted to determine the magnitude and consistency of midparent (MP) and high parent (HP) heterosis over locations and/or years on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) lint yield, lint percents, and fiber properties. The parents, F1s, and F2s for all possible crosses among five Plains-type cultivars, ignoring reciprocals, were evaluated in replicated experiments conducted at three irrigated locations in Oklahoma for 3 years. Additional analyses were performed to determine general (GCA) vs. specific combining ability (SCA) effects of heterosis and the consistency of heterosis over locations, years, or both. MP heterosis in the F1 and F2 was detected for all traits except uniformity index in the F1 ; HP heterosis in the F1 was reported for all traits. MP heterosis for lint yield was relatively large with increases up to 173 kg/ha (34.0% heterosis) in the F1 and 102 kg/ha (18.6%) in the F2; and in the F1 , HP heterosis ranged up to 145 kg/ha (26.6%). Generally, heterosis was relatively small for the remaining traits in this study. Based on overall mean heterosis, among the 10 crosses studied, three could be eliminated from consideration, four displayed one or more negative trends, and three were highly promising for hybrid production. In the F2 , GCA effects for heterosis were found for all traits except 50% span length (SL) and micronaire while SCA effects for heterosis were found for all traits except lint yield, 50% SL, and 1/8-inch gauge stelometer (T1 ). Environmental interactions with GCA and SCA were observed for all traits except 50% SL and T1 . Significant inconsistencies over environments occurred for MP and/or HP heterosis for all traits except uniformity index and T1Agronom

LRO Diviner Soil Composition Measurements - Lunar Sample Ground Truth

The Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter [1,2] includes three thermal infrared channels spanning the wavelength ranges 7.55-8.05 microns 8.10-8.40 microns, and 8.38-8.68 microns. These "8 micron" bands were specifically selected to measure the "Christiansen feature". The wavelength location of this feature, referred to herein as CF, is particularly sensitive to silicate minerals including plagioclase, pyroxene, and olivine the major crystalline components of lunar rocks and soil. The general trend is that lower CF values are correlated with higher silica content and higher CF values are correlated with lower silica content. In a companion abstract, Greenhagen et al. [3] discuss the details of lunar mineral identification using Diviner data

Remote Analysis of Regional Lunar Pyroclastic Deposits - Consistency and Precision of LRO Diviner Estimates

Allen et al. recently published a new method of estimating the FeO abundances of lunar pyroclastic deposits. This method is derived from orbital thermal infrared measurements by the Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) spacecraft. The present study utilizes Diviner data from the Taurus Littrow regional pyroclastic deposit to assess the consistency and precision of such estimates

Virtual Laboratory for Flexural Beam Testing

As part of an ongoing project to build out a suite of enhanced curricular tools for the Valparaiso University Civil Engineering Department, a group from Computing and Information Systems (CIS) has been tasked with creating a curricular support product that presents data from flexural concrete beam testing. The project follows earlier prototyping conducted in previous semesters and builds on the designs and requirements captured through the earlier efforts; this provides an experience of building on prior software engineering products for the CIS team. Additionally, the latest iteration adds a MATLAB-based image processing tool that adapts the photos for proper display. The system also incorporates a back-end website for tool administrators that is constructed with PHP that allows faculty to manage uploaded data sets. The user-facing site then displays photos from the concrete flexural beam test concurrently with the numeric data from the tests in an interactive manner for the students. This reusable educational asset will allow students to experience a flexural concrete beam test and retrieve its data without wasting additional time and monetary resources. The long-term goal is for the project to become a starting point for a multi-institutional education asset, creating greater curricular flexibility and increasing cost savings