Identification and nucleotide sequences of mxaA, mxaC, mxaK, mxaL, and mxaD genes from Methylobacterium extorquens AM1

The DNA sequence for a 4.4-kb HindIII-XhoI Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 DNA fragment that is known to contain three genes (mxaAKL) involved in incorporation of calcium into methanol dehydrogenase (I. W. Richardson and C. Anthony, Biochem. J. 287:709-7115, 1992) was determined. Five complete open reading frames and two partial open reading frames were found, suggesting that this region contains previously unidentified genes. A combination of sequence analysis, mutant complementation data, and gene expression studies showed that these genes correspond to mxaSACKLDorf1. Of the three previously unidentified genes (mxaC, mxaD, and orf1), mutant complementation studies showed that mxaC is required for methanol oxidation, while the function of the other two genes is still unknown

Applying rotorcraft modelling technology to renewable energy research

The perceived need to reduce mankind's impact on the global climate motivates towards a future society in which a significant proportion of its energy needs will be extracted from the winds and the tides of the planet. This paper shows several examples of the application of Brown's Vorticity Transport Model, originally developed to perform simulations of helicopter aeromechanics and wake dynamics, to the analysis of the performance of renewable energy devices and their possible impact on the environment. Prediction of the loading on wind turbines introduces significant additional challenges to such a model, including the need to account fully for the effects of radial flow on blade stall. The wake-mediated aerodynamic interactions that occur within a wind farm can reduce its power output significantly, but this problem is very similar to that where the aerodynamic unsteadiness of the coupled wake of the main and tail rotors of a helicopter can result in significantly increased pilot workload. The helicopter-related problem of brownout, encountered during operations in desert conditions, has its analogue in the entrainment of sediment into the wakes of tidal turbines. In both cases it may be possible to ameliorate the influence of the rotor on its environment by careful and well-informed design. Finally, calculations of the distortion and dispersal of the exhaust plumes of a helicopter by the wake of its rotor allow insight into how wind turbines might interfere with the dispersal of pollutants from nearby industrial sites. These examples show how cross-disciplinary information transfer between the rotorcraft field and the renewable energy community is helping to develop the technologies that will be required by our future society, as well as helping to understand the environmental issues that might need to be faced as these technologies become more prevalent

Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment for Nursing Home Residents with Dementia

Purpose Many nursing home (NH) residents with dementia receive burdensome, aggressive treatments at the end of life (EOL). The Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatments (POLSTs) paradigm is a strategy to enhance EOL care. This article describes the history and features of the POLST paradigm, discusses the potential advantages of using this paradigm for NH residents with dementia, and briefly explores challenges that nurse practitioners (NPs) face in using the POLST for persons with dementia. Data sources Review of the literature. Conclusions Potential advantages associated with implementation of POLST in NH residents with dementia include increased communication and documentation about residents’ EOL care preferences, increased concordance between care preferences documented in POLST forms and EOL care provided to residents, and lower rates of unwanted, burdensome treatments at EOL. POLST may also guide NPs in communicating EOL care options with residents and/or their surrogates. However, difficulty interpreting and explaining POLST care options, lack of understanding of POLST, limited discussions, and issues with surrogate authority and scope of practice are challenges that NPs may face in caring for NH residents with dementia. Implications for practice NPs should assess and optimize their knowledge and skills to conduct goals of care discussions, including POLST discussions

The Kinematic Structure of Magnetically Aligned HI Filaments

We characterize the kinematic and magnetic properties of HI filaments located in a high Galactic latitude region ($165^\circ < \alpha < 195^\circ$ and $12^\circ < \delta < 24^\circ$). We extract three-dimensional filamentary structures using \texttt{fil3d} from the Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array HI (GALFA-HI) survey 21-cm emission data. Our algorithm identifies coherent emission structures in neighboring velocity channels. Based on the mean velocity, we identify a population of local and intermediate velocity cloud (IVC) filaments. We find the orientations of the local (but not the IVC) HI filaments are aligned with the magnetic field orientations inferred from Planck 353 GHz polarized dust emission. We analyze position-velocity diagrams of the velocity-coherent filaments, and find that only 15 percent of filaments demonstrate significant major-axis velocity gradients with a median magnitude of 0.5 km s$^{-1}$ pc$^{-1}$, assuming a fiducial filament distance of 100 pc. We conclude that the typical diffuse HI filament does not exhibit a simple velocity gradient. The reported filament properties constrain future theoretical models of filament formation.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figure

Strategies for Successfully Completing Online Professional Development

Recently, increasing demand for teacher professional development and significant advances in information and communication technologies has led to a proliferation of online professional development. In spite of online professional development's popularity and advantages, research indicates that there is a concern of considerably high dropout rates of online learners. Therefore, to reduce the dropout rates of the learners, this paper is designed to help teachers identify professional development opportunities that are tailored to their needs as well as successfully complete these learning experiences. To achieve the purpose of the study, the paper explores the considerations for evaluating the characteristics of online learners and online professional development. Using these evaluations, this paper provides practical strategies for helping elementary and secondary education teachers successfully complete online professional development without dropping out an online course

Rat mesangial cell hypertrophy in response to transforming growth factor-β1

Rat mesangial cell hypertrophy in response to transforming growth factor-β1. Central features of progressive glomerular sclerosis are initial glomerular hypertrophy and subsequent accumulation of extracellular matrix proteins. Since TGF-β1 may play a key role in this glomerular response to injury, the present study sought to explore further TGF-β1 actions and regulated expression of its receptor in rat mesangial cells. The rat TGF-β type II receptor (TGF-βRII) homolog was cloned by screening a rat kidney cDNA library with a human TGF-βRII cDNA probe, and sequenced. Expression of this receptor subtype in rat mesangial cells was then demonstrated by RNase protection assay, and by Northern blot analysis of poly (A)+ RNA, TGF-βRII expression was down-regulated in cells treated with exogenous TGF-β1. Affinity cross linking studies demonstrated presence of this receptor on cell surface. Rat mesangial cells also expressed TGF-β1 and autoinduction by TGF-β1 was observed in the same cells, suggesting that this polypeptide may act in an autocrine fashion on mesangial cells, and that it may stimulate a positive autoamplification loop. TGF-β1 inhibited mesangial cell proliferation and stimulated significant overall protein and collagen production. Furthermore, mesangial cell size increased in response to chronic TGF-β1 treatment. These findings demonstrate that rat mesangial cells express key components of the TGF-β system and raise the intriguing possibility that in the glomerular mesangium, TGF-β1 may not only induce extracellular matrix synthesis, but may also participate in the process of glomerular hypertrophy in response to injury

Consumers' Shopping Patterns and Expenditures on Ethnic Produce: A Case Study from the Eastern Coastal U.S.A.

This study was undertaken to examine the possible niche markets which East Coast farmers might be able to use to regain their advantage. Their future economic success could hinge on shifting the focus from traditional fruits and vegetables to high-value specialty ethnic produce for which there might be a growing demand. The study results indicate that there is a strong market demand and interest for ethnic produce in the East Coast. Local producers can benefit by concentrating their efforts in producing ethnic vegetables and fresh produce and making these newer products available in the local and regional markets.Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Prospectus, March 8, 2000

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2000/1008/thumbnail.jp

Mothers\u27 Ways of Making It—or Making Do?: Making (Over) Academic Lives in Rhetoric and Composition with Children

This article focuses on five women\u27s experiences “making it” as rhetoricians with children. Expanding the definition of success Michelle Ballif, Diane Davis and Roxanne Mountford set forth in Women\u27s Ways of Making It in Rhetoric and Composition, the article offers suggestions for moving toward more family-friendly academic structures, not least by recognizing that the seemingly individualistic idea of choice—such as the choice to have children—rests uneasily with the often invisible structures that shape and delimit choices. The authors call for increased visibility of and acceptance for a greater range of possibilities for “making it” in the field today