Evaluation of the Water Stress-Inducible Promoter Wsi18 in the Model Monocot Brachypodium distachyon

Water deficit-inducible promoters that function in multiple species are valuable components for engineering stress-tolerant crops. Wsi18 is a water deficit-inducible promoter native to Oryza sativa. In this study, Brachypodium distachyon (B. distachyon) was used to determine if Wsi18 retained its water deficit-inducible characteristics in another monocot. Transgenic B. distachyon plants, in which the Wsi18 promoter drove the expression of the uidA reporter gene, were developed and exposed to osmotic stress generated by mannitol, salt stress conditions, and the water deficit-signaling phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). GUS histochemical assays demonstrated increased uidA expression in the leaves and stem of mannitol, NaCl, and ABA-treated plants. RT-qPCR demonstrated maximum expression increases of 8.5-fold following mannitol treatment, and 9.1-fold following ABA treatment, although no change was induced by the NaCl treatment. These findings suggest the Wsi18 promoter is induced by water deficit in B. distachyon, and could be an excellent tool for future crop improvement

Development and validation of the dentists' values scale

67 leaves ; 29 cm.Includes abstract and appendices.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-51).During the yearly dental school admissions process, decision makers focus on determining which applicants will become competent practitioners. As such, the admissions procedure may benefit from including a reliable, valid tool that can assist in predicting the degree to which applicants are likely to become successful students and practitioners. One factor that is related to success in the dental profession is values. (Values are encompassed by the concept of professionalism, which is deemed a crucial element of dental success; Chamberlain, Catano, & Cunningham, 2005). However, systematic research on the values of dentists is lacking. Therefore, we developed a measure of dentists' values and validated it using a sample of Canadian dentists. Exploratory factor analysis results indicated 5 factors: Altruism, Personal Satisfaction, Conscientiousness, Quality of Life, and Professional Status. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated the 5-factor model was a good fit. We also administered the measure to dental students to determine the relationship between dentist and student values. For the values of Altruism and Professional Status, t-tests suggested that there were no differences between the two groups

Stratospheric-trace-gas-profile retrievals from balloon-borne limb imaging of mid-infrared emission spectra

The Limb Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer Experiment (LIFE) instrument is a balloon-borne prototype of a satellite instrument designed to take vertical images of atmospheric limb emission spectra in the 700–1400 cm−1 wavenumber range from the upper-troposphere–lower-stratosphere (UTLS) altitude region of the atmosphere. The prototype builds on the success of past and existing instruments while reducing the complexity of the imaging design. This paper details the results of a demonstration flight on a stabilized stratospheric balloon gondola from Timmins, Canada, in August 2019. Retrievals of vertical trace gas profiles for the important greenhouse gases H2O, O3, CH4, and N2O, as well as HNO3, are performed using an optimal estimation approach and the SASKTRAN radiative transfer model. The retrieved profiles are compared to approximately coincident observations made by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) solar occultation and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) instruments. An evaluation of the LIFE measurements is performed, and areas of improvement are identified. This work increases the overall technical readiness of the approach for future balloon, aircraft, and space applications.</p

G(alpha)11 signaling through ARF6 regulates F-actin mobilization and GLUT4 glucose transporter translocation to the plasma membrane

The action of insulin to recruit the intracellular GLUT4 glucose transporter to the plasma membrane of 3T3-L1 adipocytes is mimicked by endothelin 1, which signals through trimeric G(alpha)q or G(alpha)11 proteins. Here we report that murine G(alpha)11 is most abundant in fat and that expression of the constitutively active form of G(alpha)11 [G(alpha)11(Q209L)] in 3T3-L1 adipocytes causes recruitment of GLUT4 to the plasma membrane and stimulation of 2-deoxyglucose uptake. In contrast to the action of insulin on GLUT4, the effects of endothelin 1 and G(alpha)11 were not inhibited by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin at 100 nM. Signaling by insulin, endothelin 1, or G(alpha)11(Q209L) also mobilized cortical F-actin in cultured adipocytes. Importantly, GLUT4 translocation caused by all three agents was blocked upon disassembly of F-actin by latrunculin B, suggesting that the F-actin polymerization caused by these agents may be required for their effects on GLUT4. Remarkably, expression of a dominant inhibitory form of the actin-regulatory GTPase ARF6 [ARF6(T27N)] in cultured adipocytes selectively inhibited both F-actin formation and GLUT4 translocation in response to endothelin 1 but not insulin. These data indicate that ARF6 is a required downstream element in endothelin 1 signaling through G(alpha)11 to regulate cortical actin and GLUT4 translocation in cultured adipocytes, while insulin action involves different signaling pathways

Evidence for the prepattern/cooption model of vertebrate jaw evolution

The appearance of jaws was a turning point in vertebrate evolution because it allowed primitive vertebrates to capture and process large, motile prey. The vertebrate jaw consists of separate dorsal and ventral skeletal elements connected by a joint. How this structure evolved from the unjointed gill bar of a jawless ancestor is an unresolved question in vertebrate evolution. To understand the developmental bases of this evolutionary transition, we examined the expression of 12 genes involved in vertebrate pharyngeal patterning in the modern jawless fish lamprey. We find nested expression of Dlx genes, as well as combinatorial expression of Msx, Hand and Gsc genes along the dorso-ventral (DV) axis of the lamprey pharynx, indicating gnathostome-type pharyngeal patterning evolved before the appearance of the jaw. In addition, we find that Bapx and Gdf5/6/7, key regulators of joint formation in gnathostomes, are not expressed in the lamprey first arch, whereas Barx, which is absent from the intermediate first arch in gnathostomes, marks this domain in lamprey. Taken together, these data support a new scenario for jaw evolution in which incorporation of Bapx and Gdf5/6/7 into a preexisting DV patterning program drove the evolution of the jaw by altering the identity of intermediate first-arch chondrocytes. We present this “Pre-pattern/Cooption” model as an alternative to current models linking the evolution of the jaw to the de novo appearance of sophisticated pharyngeal DV patterning

Spatial heterodyne observations of water (SHOW) from a high-altitude airplane: characterization, performance, and first results

The Spatial Heterodyne Observations of Water instrument (SHOW) is a limb-sounding satellite prototype that utilizes the Spatial Heterodyne Spectroscopy (SHS) technique, operating in a limb-viewing configuration, to observe limb-scattered sunlight in a vibrational band of water vapour within a spectral window from 1363 to 1366&thinsp;nm. The goal is to retrieve high vertical and horizontal resolution measurements of water vapour in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere. The prototype instrument has been configured for observations from NASA's ER-2 high-altitude airborne remote science airplane. Flying at a maximum altitude of ∼21.34&thinsp;km with a maximum speed of ∼760&thinsp;km&thinsp;h−1, the ER-2 provides a stable platform to simulate observations from a low-earth orbit satellite. Demonstration flights were performed from the ER-2 during an observation campaign from 15 to 22 July 2017. In this paper, we present the laboratory characterization work and the level 0 to level 1 processing of flight data that were obtained during an engineering flight performed on 18 July 2017. Water vapour profile retrievals are presented and compared to in situ radiosonde measurements made of the same approximate column of air. These measurements are used to validate the SHOW measurement concept and examine the sensitivity of the technique.</p

An online study combining the constructs from the theory of planned behaviour and protection motivation theory in predicting intention to test for chlamydia in two testing contexts

Chlamydia is a common sexually-transmitted infection that has potentially serious consequences unless detected and treated early. The health service in the UK offers clinic-based testing for chlamydia but uptake is low. Identifying the predictors of testing behaviours may inform interventions to increase uptake. Self-tests for chlamydia may facilitate testing and treatment in people who avoid clinic-based testing. Self-testing and being tested by a health care professional (HCP) involve two contrasting contexts that may influence testing behaviour. However, little is known about how predictors of behaviour differ as a function of context. In this study, theoretical models of behaviour were used to assess factors that may predict intention to test in two different contexts: self-testing and being tested by a HCP. Individuals searching for, or reading about chlamydia testing online were recruited using Google Adwords. Participants completed an online questionnaire that addressed previous testing behaviour and measured constructs of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and Protection Motivation Theory, which propose a total of eight possible predictors of intention. The questionnaire was completed by 310 participants. Sufficient data for multiple regression were provided by 102 and 118 respondents for self-testing and testing by a HCP respectively. Intention to self-test was predicted by vulnerability and self-efficacy, with a trend-level effect for response efficacy. Intention to be tested by a HCP was predicted by vulnerability, attitude and subjective norm. Thus, intentions to carry out two testing behaviours with very similar goals can have different predictors depending on test context. We conclude that interventions to increase self-testing should be based on evidence specifically related to test context

Blueberry Research Progress Report

The 1976 edition of the Blueberry Research Progress Report was prepared for the Blueberry Advisory Committee by researchers at the University of Maine, Orono. Projects in this report include: 1. Effect of Plant-Water Stress on Lowbush Blueberry Growth, Yield and Quality 2. Insects Affecting the Blueberry 3. The Development of Blueberry Varieties Adapted to Maine 4. Weed Control in Blueberry Fields 5. Pruning of Blueberries 6. Integrated Management of Blueberry Fields 7. The Physiology and Biochemistry of the Development of the Lowbush Blueberry Fruit 8. Survey of Red Leaf Disease of Blueberries 9. Blossom Blight of Blueberries 10. Blueberry Marketing and Cost Analysis of Producing Blueberries 11. Factors Regulating Rhizome Initiation and Development in the Lowbush Blueberry 12. New Food Products and Servic

Interactions in the microbiome: communities of organisms and communities of genes

YesA central challenge in microbial community ecology is the delineation of appropriate units of biodiversity, which can be taxonomic, phylogenetic, or functional in nature. The term ‘community’ is applied ambiguously; in some cases, the term refers simply to a set of observed entities, while in other cases, it requires that these entities interact with one another. Microorganisms can rapidly gain and lose genes, potentially decoupling community roles from taxonomic and phylogenetic groupings. Trait-based approaches offer a useful alternative, but many traits can be defined based on gene functions, metabolic modules, and genomic properties, and the optimal set of traits to choose is often not obvious. An analysis that considers taxon assignment and traits in concert may be ideal, with the strengths of each approach offsetting the weaknesses of the other. Individual genes also merit consideration as entities in an ecological analysis, with characteristics such as diversity, turnover, and interactions modeled using genes rather than organisms as entities. We identify some promising avenues of research that are likely to yield a deeper understanding of microbial communities that shift from observation-based questions of ‘Who is there?’ and ‘What are they doing?’ to the mechanistically driven question of ‘How will they respond?

The dental values scale: development and validation

Publisher's version/PDFThe purpose of this study was to produce a valid scale for use in measuring the values of dental students and practitioners—the lack of which has impeded research on professionalism in dentistry. Following standard scale development procedures, we had focus groups of dental practitioners (N=23) develop a ninety-nine-item pool of value terms related to dentistry. Next, Canadian dentists (N=449) rated the relevance of each item through an online survey. They also rated the values in a generic values measure, Schwartz’s Values Scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses identified twenty-five items representing five values: Altruism, Personal Satisfaction, Conscientiousness, Quality of Life, and Professional Status. These values correlate with related dimensions from Schwartz’s measure; they also correspond to the values in the American Dental Education Association’s statement on professionalism. We then administered the new Dental Values Scale to dental students (N=96) to determine the relationship between practitioner and student values. First-year students were higher in Conscientiousness, Altruism, and Personal Satisfaction than practitioners, but these values decreased over time to those held by the dentists. We discuss the implication of these results and the potential value of the new scale for dental education