Manual control analysis of drug effects on driving performance

The effects of secobarbital, diazepam, alcohol, and marihuana on car-driver transfer functions obtained using a driving simulator were studied. The first three substances, all CNS depressants, reduced gain, crossover frequency, and coherence which resulted in poorer tracking performance. Marihuana also impaired tracking performance but the only effect on the transfer function parameters was to reduce coherence

Identification of a gene encoding GMP synthetase from a Neurospora crassa cDNA library by bacterial complementation

We report the isolation and identification of a gene encoding GMP synthetase from a Neurospora crassa cDNA library. Phage infection of the purine-requiring Escherichia coli strain SØ3834 using the NO3- induced cDNA phage library from the Fungal Genetics Stock Center resulted in colonies able to grow on minimal media with no added purine source. A plasmid, termed pGMPS1, was isolated from one of these colonies and shown to reproducibly support growth of strain SØ3834 in the absence of purines in the media. Identification of this gene as one encoding GMP synthetase is confirmed by DNA sequencing and comparison to the known guaA gene from yeast

Global shifts in mammalian population trends reveal key predictors of virus spillover risk.

Emerging infectious diseases in humans are frequently caused by pathogens originating from animal hosts, and zoonotic disease outbreaks present a major challenge to global health. To investigate drivers of virus spillover, we evaluated the number of viruses mammalian species have shared with humans. We discovered that the number of zoonotic viruses detected in mammalian species scales positively with global species abundance, suggesting that virus transmission risk has been highest from animal species that have increased in abundance and even expanded their range by adapting to human-dominated landscapes. Domesticated species, primates and bats were identified as having more zoonotic viruses than other species. Among threatened wildlife species, those with population reductions owing to exploitation and loss of habitat shared more viruses with humans. Exploitation of wildlife through hunting and trade facilitates close contact between wildlife and humans, and our findings provide further evidence that exploitation, as well as anthropogenic activities that have caused losses in wildlife habitat quality, have increased opportunities for animal-human interactions and facilitated zoonotic disease transmission. Our study provides new evidence for assessing spillover risk from mammalian species and highlights convergent processes whereby the causes of wildlife population declines have facilitated the transmission of animal viruses to humans

A Meta-Analysis of Driving Performance and Crash Risk Associated with the Use of Cellular Telephones While Driving

This paper addresses the effects of cell phones on driving by means of a review of the literature and an analysis of scientifically credible epidemiological and driver performance studies. A total of 84 articles were obtained covering the period from 1969 to 2004. Sixty-eight articles were research papers measuring driving performance while using a cell phone and 16 articles were epidemiological studies that examined cell phone usage and their relationship to vehicular crashes. Epidemiological findings consistently showed an increase in crashes associated with use of cell phones. However, these studies did not control for exposure to cell phone use or to driving. The negative impact of cell phone usage is larger for responses to critical events than for vehicular control. Drivers responded about a quarter of a second later to stimuli in the presence of a cell phone distractor for all studies that were analyzed. Hands-free cell phones produced similar performance decrements to hand-held phones

The metabolism of small cellular RNA species during productive subgroup C adenovirus infection

AbstractDuring the late phase of subgroup C adenovirus infection, export of cellular mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm isinhibited. In one approach to investigate the mechanism whereby viral late mRNAs are selected for export, we have examined the metabolism of small cellular RNA species transcribed by all three RNA polymerases during the late phase of Ad5 infection. No changes in the quantities of [3H]uridine-labeled 5S rRNA or tRNAs entering the cytoplasm were observed in infected cells. Adenovirus type 5 infection reduced the nuclear and cytoplasmic populations of the newly synthesized, snRNP-associated snRNAs U1, U2, U4, U5, and U6. Transcription of a representative snRNA, U1 RNA, was not inhibited, indicating that the post-transcriptional metabolism of snRNAs was perturbed during the late phase of infection. The increased cytoplasmic concentration of newly synthesized U1 RNA in Ad5- compared to mock-infected cells, and the greater reduction of the snRNP-associated compared to the total U1 RNA population, indicated that snRNP assembly in the cytoplasm was impaired. As adenovirus infection does not perturb export from the nucleus of small cellular mRNAs transcribed by RNA polymerases II and III, viral mRNA must be distinguished for selective export at a nuclear step upstream of translocation to the cytoplasm via nuclear pore complexes