Nitrogen Oxyanion-dependent Dissociation of a Two-component Complex That Regulates Bacterial Nitrate Assimilation

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for growth and is readily available to microbes in many environments in the form of ammonium and nitrate. Both ions are of environmental significance due to sustained use of inorganic fertilizers on agricultural soils. Diverse species of bacteria that have an assimilatory nitrate/nitrite reductase system (NAS) can use nitrate or nitrite as the sole nitrogen source for growth when ammonium is limited. In Paracoccus denitrificans, the pathway-specific two-component regulator for NAS expression is encoded by the nasT and nasS genes. Here, we show that the putative RNA-binding protein NasT is a positive regulator essential for expression of the nas gene cluster (i.e. nasABGHC). By contrast, a nitrogen oxyanion-binding sensor (NasS) is required for nitrate/nitrite-responsive control of nas gene expression. The NasS and NasT proteins co-purify as a stable heterotetrameric regulatory complex, NasS-NasT. This protein-protein interaction is sensitive to nitrate and nitrite, which cause dissociation of the NasS-NasT complex into monomeric NasS and an oligomeric form of NasT. NasT has been shown to bind the leader RNA for nasA. Thus, upon liberation from the complex, the positive regulator NasT is free to up-regulate nas gene expression

NASS

In the United States, over 440 clinics provide services to patients seeking to overcome infertility. CDC collects the data from all fertility clinics in the United States and calculates standardized success rates for each clinic. This gives a potential ART user an idea of their average chances of success. While ART relieves the burden of infertility for many couples, it presents significant public health challenges due to the substantial risk for multiple birth delivery, which is associated with poor maternal and infant health outcomes. For this reason, it is important to monitor the safety and effectiveness of ART procedures in the United States.How do we monitor Assisted Reproductive Technology? -- Data Submission -- How do we ensure data accuracy? -- What Improvements Does NASS 2.0 Bring? -- Accessing National ART Surveillance Data -- States Monitoring ART (SMART) Collaborative -- History of ART Surveillance -- Related Links.20211040

Prognostic factors for esophageal squamous cell Carcinoma-A Population-Based study in Golestan province, Iran, a high incidence area

Golestan Province in northern Iran is an area with a high incidence of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). We aimed to investigate prognostic factors for ESCC and survival of cases in Golestan, on which little data were available. We followed-up 426 ESCC cases participating in a population-based case-control study. Data were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox proportional hazard models. Median survival was 7 months. Age at diagnosis was inversely associated with survival, but the association was disappeared with adjustment for treatment. Residing in urban areas (hazard ratio, HR = 0.70; 95 CI 0.54-0.90) and being of non-Turkmen ethnic groups (HR = 0.76; 95 CI 0.61-0.96) were associated with better prognosis. In contrast to other types of tobacco use, nass (a smokeless tobacco product) chewing was associated with a slightly poorer prognosis even in models adjusted for other factors including stage of disease and treatment (HR = 1.38; 95 CI 0.99-1.92). Opium use was associated with poorer prognosis in crude analyses but not in adjusted models. Almost all of potentially curative treatments were associated with longer survival. Prognosis of ESCC in Golestan is very poor. Easier access to treatment facilities may improve the prognosis of ESCC in Golestan. The observed association between nass chewing and poorer prognosis needs further investigations; this association may suggest a possible role for ingestion of nass constituents in prognosis of ESCC. © 2011 Aghcheli et al

Plant-process model corn yield forecasts for Iowa

The objective was to develop a plant-process corn yield forecasting model and examine how effective these forecasts might be in improving corn yield forecasts made at the state and crop reporting district level in Iowa. This study was conducted in light of recent budget cuts by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and elimination of the reporting of district corn yield forecasts in Iowa;Results indicated that district and state plant-process model (PPM) corn yield forecasts perform well compared to NASS forecasts in August and September but not very well in October and November. Also, the PPM forecasts did not perform well in the southern districts of Iowa. The PPM does not appear to be a comparable substitute for past NASS district corn yield forecasts;Combining PPM and NASS forecasts gives composite yield forecasts that are superior to both PPM and NASS forecasts, especially for the August forecast. At this stage in development, therefore, the usefulness of PPM forecasts would come from supplementing NASS sample yield information

Use of Livestock Guarding Animals to Reduce Predation on Livestock

Predation by coyotes (Canis latrans), domestic dogs, mountain lions (Felis concolor), black bears (Ursus americanus), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), and bobcats (Felis rufus) has been a major problem faced by domestic sheep, goat (NASS, 2000), and cattle (NASS, 2001) producers. Predators were reported to kill 273,000 sheep and lambs (NASS, 2000) and 147,000 cattle and calves (NASS, 2001) in the United States, and 61,000 goats in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas (NASS, 2000) during either 1999 or 2000. Several methods, including the use of livestock guarding dogs, llamas, and donkeys, have been used to reduce these mortalities (Andelt, 1996, 2001). In this paper, I summarize use and effectiveness of livestock guarding animals for reducing predation on domestic sheep and goats. Recent reviews of livestock guarding animals are provided by Smith et al. (2000) and Rigg (2001)

Economic Contribution of the Agricultural Sector to the Arkansas Economy in 2012

This report is the ninth in a series of reports examining agriculture’s economic contribution on the Arkansas economy. Utilizing data from the United States Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), and IMPLAN Group, LLC , the economic contribution of agriculture on the Arkansas economy was estimated for the most recent year available, 2012

Nurse’s Attitudes towards the Effectiveness of the Finnegan NASS

Illicit drug usage among pregnant mothers is a significant problem. The consequence is that their infants are at risk for the development of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) because of intrauterine exposure. NAS is defined as a cluster of signs and symptoms exhibited by newborn infants as they undergo withdrawal. The Finnegan Neonatal Abstinence Scoring System (NASS) allows the nurse to score the signs and symptoms exhibited by the infant who is experiencing NAS. Areas scored include the central nervous, gastrointestinal, and respiratory/vasomotor systems. The infant’s score guides healthcare providers in the initiation, management, and titration of pharmacologic intervention. Proper treatment of NAS allows infants to achieve growth-promoting rest and earlier hospital discharge. Criticisms of the NASS include the subjective nature of the assessment and a lack of consideration of environmental influences on the infant’s behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of nurses from a large postpartum unit in Central Ohio who routinely complete the NASS. The nurses were asked to complete an anonymous survey comprised of nine open-ended questions. Components of the survey included overall view of the scoring system, outside influences on the scoring, and the perceived subjectivity of the scoring. Content analysis was used to analyze the survey data. Preliminary analyses indicate that nurses do not believe they were adequately trained to use the NASS. The nurses report that the NASS does not effectively capture the infant’s clinical situation making these infants difficult to care for. Nurses employ multiple strategies to care for these infants. Lastly, environmental factors are not taken into consideration when completing the NASS. Further education is necessary to ensure correct usage of the NASS in clinical practice as well as use of the most effective non-pharmacologic strategies. This will ensure that the infants with NAS are receiving appropriate care.No embarg

Methodology and Applications of Christian Leadership Ethics

A fundamental methodology for Christian leadership ethics will be proposed, which has long been pending in the discourse on ethical leadership. It is necessary to first clarify what characterizes leadership ethics, and secondly, what Christian leadership ethics imply and how this methodology should be classified with regard to alternative paradigms. Thirdly, the practical impact for selected areas of application will be pointed out. It will be demonstrated that leadership ethics in general is based on a transparent basis of values and apply to specific scopes. It defines the relationship between economic efficiency and human utility in a narrower sense as objective dualism. Christian leadership ethics is based on the biblical conception of man and therefore the arguments are metaphysical. The related answer to objective-dualism implies direct consequences for the design of human resource management, motivation and communication. At least from a Christian point of view, it is undisputable that there are and should be Christian leaders in management. But can or should there be Christian leadership ethics? This has been questioned in principle by the example of Ferdinand Rohrhirsch – even though recently, several approaches have raised this claim: for instance, the model of Servant Leadership, which comes from the U.S. and is slowly being established in Europe. The perspective leadership ethics by Cornelius Keppeler or the Business Metaphysics by Michael Schramm, is another example. In this article we clear the way for a Christian methodology which goes beyond virtue. We clarify what is meant by corresponding Christian leadership ethics and where, from a fundamental ethical point of view, such a system can be classified in relation to alternative paradigms. Corresponding consequences for selected areas of application will be shown