Cross-Cultural Communication Patterns In Computer Mediated Communication

There are important cultural differences in attitudes towards and use of electronic text communication.  Consistent with Hall’s high-context/low-context conceptualization of culture, electronic inter-cultural communication, just as verbal inter-cultural communication, is affected by the culturally-specific assumptions and preferences of message writers

Pathways for Synthesis, and Possibilities for Genetic Modification of Sugar Ester Acyl Groups Produced by Trichomes of Solanaceous Species

Glandular trichomes of many plant species synthesize and secrete a variety of phytochemicals that play an important protective role against pathogens and pests. Acyl sugars, in particular, are powerful natural insecticides. We demonstrated the existence of the α-ketoacid elongation (αKAE) pathway, an alternative to the fatty acid synthase (FAS) pathway, for the extension of carbon chains of acyl groups in sugar esters (SE). The α-KAE pathway utilizes one carbon elongation per cycle in contrast to two carbons per cycle in FAS, and it was found to function in a variety of tobaccos and petunia. FAS-mediated elongation was confirmed to participate in the synthesis of SE acyl groups in Solanum pennellii and Datura metel, and also in the synthesis of odd-carbon-length acids of epicuticular waxes from in tobacco and Brassica oleraceae. We attempted to knock down (RNAi-mediated) the central for the α-KAE pathway condensing enzyme isopropyl malate synthase (IPMS) using two IPMS-related genes from S. pennellii. The RNAi constructs were introduced via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of leaf discs of N. tabacum T.I. 1068, and the resulting plants displayed significant changes in 2-methylbutyric and 3-methylvaleric groups produced by glandular trichomes

Use of Several Natural Products from Selected \u3cem\u3eNicotiana\u3c/em\u3e Species to Prevent Black Shank Disease in Tobacco

Black shank is a major annual disease threat to all types of tobacco worldwide. It is caused by the fungus Phytophthora parasitica var. nicotianae (PPN). The major tobacco growing areas in US - Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina can experience devastating losses, reaching in some fields up to 100%. Thus far, the main approaches to control this disease have been creation of resistant varieties, fungicide treatments, and crop rotation. Some fungicides are reported to have negative effects on the environment. The goal of this work was to test the antifungal activity of several natural products that are synthesized by certain Nicotiana species, and secreted to the leaf surface. We hypothesized that phylloplanin, cis-abienol, labdenediol and sclareol can suppress PPN-race 0- and PPN-race 1-caused disease in Burley tobaccos KY 14 and MS KY 14 × L8LC in the greenhouse. We developed methods for leaf surface extraction, spore preparation and soil drench application of the natural compounds tested. Experiments were performed on 5–8 week-old greenhouse grown seedlings. cis-Abienol showed high inhibitory properties toward the disease. Race 0 infection was completely subdued in KY 14 while race 1 infection was reduced by 70–80%, and delayed by 6–10 days in KY 14 and MS KY14 × L8LC. Sclareol was very effective in inhibiting race 0-caused disease in both tobacco cultivars. In MS KY 14 × L8LC race 1 infection was inhibited while in KY 14 it was reduced by 85% and delayed by 6 days. Labdenediol reduced the disease by half in eight week-old KY 14 plants. Tobacco phylloplanin reduced plant infection by both races by 50–60% and delayed the disease by 6–10 days. Phylloplanin was least suppressive in both tobacco cultivars. We consider sclareol to be the best candidate for future studies due to its antifungal properties and availability. cis-Abienol, despite its good antifungal activity, is not feasible for large-scale use due to the production and stability limitations

Natural Variability in Acyl Moieties of Sugar Esters Produced by Certain Tobacco and Other Solanaceae Species

A unique feature of glandular trichomes of plants in the botanical family Solanaceae is that they produce sugar esters (SE), chemicals that have been shown to possess insecticidal, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. Sugar esters of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) provide pest resistance, and are important flavor precursors in oriental tobacco cultivars. Acyl moieties of SEs in Nicotiana spp., petunia, and tomato are shown to vary with respect to carbon length and isomer structure (2–12 carbon chain length; anteiso-, iso-, and straight-chain). Sugar esters and their acyl groups could serve as a model to explore the basis of phenotypic diversity and adaptation to natural and agricultural environments. However, information on the diversity of acyl composition among species, cultivars, and accessions is lacking. Herein, described is the analysis of SE acyl groups found in 21 accessions of Nicotiana obtusifolia (desert tobacco), six of Nicotiana occidentalis subsp. hesperis, three of Nicotiana alata, two of N. occidentalis, four modern tobacco cultivars, five petunia hybrids, and one accession each of a primitive potato (Solanum berthaultii) and tomato (Solanum pennellii). A total of 20 different acyl groups was observed that were represented differently among cultivars, species, and accessions. In Nicotiana species, acetate and iso- and anteiso-branched acids prevailed. Straight-chain groups (2–8 carbons) were prominent in petunias, while octanoic acid was prominent in N. alata and N. × sanderae. Two unexpected acyl groups, 8-methyl nonanoate and decanoate were found in N. occidentalis subsp. hesperis. Longer chain groups were found in the petunia, tomato, and potato species studied

Impacts of \u3cem\u3eT-Phylloplanin\u3c/em\u3e Gene Knockdown and of \u3cem\u3eHelianthus\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3eDatura\u3c/em\u3e Phylloplanins on \u3cem\u3ePeronospora tabacina\u3c/em\u3e Spore Germination and Disease Potential

T-phylloplanin proteins secreted to aerial surfaces of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) by short procumbent trichomes inhibit spore germination and blue mold disease caused by the oomycete pathogen Peronospora tabacina. Many other plants were found to contain water-washed leaf surface proteins (phylloplanins), but the functions and properties of these are not known. Here we extend earlier evidence for the antifungal activity of T-phylloplanins using a reverse genetics approach. RNA interference of the T-phylloplanin gene in tobacco ‘T.I. 1068’ resulted in loss of T-phylloplanin mRNA and protein, loss of in vitro spore germination inhibition activity, and leaf infection inhibition activity of leaf water washes from RNA interference plants, and young knockdown plants were susceptible to disease. The glycoprotein character, adaxial-leaf-surface enrichment of, and renewability of T-phylloplanins are also described. We also report that leaf water washes of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and jimson weed (Datura metel), but not soybean (Glycine max), like that of tobacco, possess ProteinaseK- and boiling-sensitive P. tabacina spore germination and tobacco leaf infection inhibition activities. Results establish that T-phylloplaninins of tobacco are active in P. tabacina inhibition, and indicate that leaf surface proteins of certain non-Nicotiana species that are not susceptible to P. tabacina disease can inhibit germination of spores of this oomycete pathogen and inhibit tobacco leaf infection by this pathogen

Broad-based employee stock options in the US: Company performance and characteristics

This paper analyses data on 490 companies with broad-based stock option plans, matched to data from CompuStat in order to compare their characteristics and performance to that of other public companies. Major findings are that 1) companies with broadbased plans have higher levels of labor productivity, employment growth, and sales growth than otherwise-similar firms; 2) productivity and profitability levels rise as broadbased plans are adopted, and 3) average compensation levels are higher among such companies both before and after the introduction of broad-based plans, indicating that stock options appear to come on top of other compensation

Patterns of Inheritance of Acylsugar Acyl Groups in Selected Interspecific Hybrids of Genus \u3cem\u3eNicotiana\u3c/em\u3e

Glandular trichomes on the surface of Solanaceae species produce acyl sugars that are species-, and cultivar-specific. Acyl sugars are known to possess insecticidal, antibiotic, and hormone-like properties, and as such have great potential as a class of naturally occurring pesticides and antibiotics. The objective of this work was to analyze the acyl composition of acyl sugars in the leaf trichome exudate from selected Nicotiana species and to follow the inheritance of acyl content in their hybrids. Trichome exudates were collected, and the acyl profiles of acyl sugars were identified via GC–MS. The variations in acyl group inheritance in the hybrids (a single parent resemblance, missing, complementary, and novel groups) matched the patterns described in the literature for a variety of secondary metabolites. However, we did not find a complementation of major parental acyl groups. Instead, in some hybrids we observed a dynamic change in the proportions of acyl groups, distinguishing the acyl group profiles as novel. We observed paternal (i.e. N. tabacum cv. Turkish Samsun × N. benthamiana hybrids) and maternal (i.e. N. tabacum cv. Samsun-nn × N. otophora) inheritance patterns, novel acyl profiles (N. excelsior hybrids), and missing acyl groups (N. excelsiana). Selective inheritance of some acyl groups in the hybrids of N. benthamiana (4- and 5-methylheptanoic isomers) or N. alata (octanoate) was found. Suggestions are given to explain certain patterns of inheritance. The data presented here contribute to the body of knowledge about the effect of interspecific hybridization on the secondary metabolites by including acylsugar acyl groups that have not been studied previously

Large ferroelectric polarization in the new double perovskite NaLaMnWO6_{6} induced by non-polar instabilities

Based on density functional theory calculations and group theoretical analysis, we have studied NaLaMnWO$_{6}$ compound which has been recently synthesized [Phys. Rev. B 79, 224428 (2009)] and belongs to the $AA'BB'{\rm O}_{6}$ family of double perovskites. At low temperature, the structure has monoclinic $P2_{1}$ symmetry, with layered ordering of the Na and La ions and rocksalt ordering of Mn and W ions. The Mn atoms show an antiferromagnetic (AFM) collinear spin ordering, and the compound has been reported as a potential multiferroic. By comparing the low symmetry structure with a parent phase of $P4/nmm$ symmetry, two distortion modes are found dominant. They correspond to MnO$_{6}$ and WO$_{6}$ octahedron \textit{tilt} modes, often found in many simple perovskites. While in the latter these common tilting instabilities yield non-polar phases, in NaLaMnWO$_{6}$ the additional presence of the $A$-$A^{'}$ cation ordering is sufficient to make these rigid unit modes as a source of the ferroelectricity. Through a trilinear coupling with the two unstable tilting modes, a significant polar distortion is induced, although the system has no intrinsic polar instability. The calculated electric polarization resulting from this polar distortion is as large as $\sim$ 16 ${\mu}{\rm C/cm^{2}}$. Despite its secondary character, this polarization is coupled with the dominant tilting modes and its switching is bound to produce the switching of one of two tilts, enhancing in this way a possible interaction with the magnetic ordering. The transformation of common non-polar purely steric instabilities into sources of ferroelectricity through a controlled modification of the parent structure, as done here by the cation ordering, is a phenomenon to be further explored.Comment: Physical Chemistry Chemical physics (in press