Managing woodchuck problems in Missouri (2001)

New 10/01/5M

Managing skunk problems in Missouri (2001)

New 10/01/5M

Managing raccoon problems in Missouri (2001)

New 10/01/5M

Cross-species analysis traces adaptation of Rubisco towards optimality in a low dimensional landscape

Rubisco, probably the most abundant protein in the biosphere, performs an essential part in the process of carbon fixation through photosynthesis thus facilitating life on earth. Despite the significant effect that Rubisco has on the fitness of plants and other photosynthetic organisms, this enzyme is known to have a remarkably low catalytic rate and a tendency to confuse its substrate, carbon dioxide, with oxygen. This apparent inefficiency is puzzling and raises questions regarding the roles of evolution versus biochemical constraints in shaping Rubisco. Here we examine these questions by analyzing the measured kinetic parameters of Rubisco from various organisms in various environments. The analysis presented here suggests that the evolution of Rubisco is confined to an effectively one-dimensional landscape, which is manifested in simple power law correlations between its kinetic parameters. Within this one dimensional landscape, which may represent biochemical and structural constraints, Rubisco appears to be tuned to the intracellular environment in which it resides such that the net photosynthesis rate is nearly optimal. Our analysis indicates that the specificity of Rubisco is not the main determinant of its efficiency but rather the tradeoff between the carboxylation velocity and CO2 affinity. As a result, the presence of oxygen has only moderate effect on the optimal performance of Rubisco, which is determined mostly by the local CO2 concentration. Rubisco appears as an experimentally testable example for the evolution of proteins subject both to strong selection pressure and to biochemical constraints which strongly confine the evolutionary plasticity to a low dimensional landscape.Comment: http://www.pnas.org/content/107/8/3475.short http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20142476 http://www.weizmann.ac.il/complex/tlusty/papers/PNAS2010.pd

Improved u′g′r′i′z′u'g'r'i'z' to UBVRCICUBVR_CI_C Transformation Equations for Main Sequence Stars

We report improved transformation equations between the $u'g'r'i'z'$ and $UBVR_CI_C$ photometric systems. Although the details of the transformations depend on luminosity class, we find a typical rms scatter on the order of 0.001 magnitude if the sample is limited to main sequence stars. Furthermore, we find an accurate transformation requires complex, multi-color dependencies for the bluer bandpasses. Results for giant stars will be reported in a subsequent paper.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure

Congential Tritanopia: A Comparison of Two Clinical Cases

This poster discusses two patient cases of presumed blue-yellow color deficiency in order to help optometrists care for this rare class of patients. Since this condition is extremely uncommon at birth, and is not possible to see by looking in the eye, practitioners may miss the symptoms of this condition. Optical treatment options are also discussed

Role of dopamine D1-like receptors in methamphetamine locomotor responses of D2 receptor knockout mice

Behavioral sensitization to psychostimulants manifests as an increased locomotor response with repeated administration. Dopamine systems are accepted to play a fundamental role in sensitization, but the role of specific dopamine receptor subtypes has not been completely defined. This study used the combination of dopamine D2 receptor-deficient mice and a D1-like antagonist to examine dopamine D1 and D2 receptor involvement in acute and sensitized locomotor responses to methamphetamine. Absence of the dopamine D2 receptor resulted in attenuation of the acute stimulant effects of methamphetamine. Mutant and wild-type mice exhibited sensitization that lasted longer within the time period of the challenge test in the mutant animals. Pretreatment with the D1-like receptor antagonist SCH 23390 produced more potent reductions in the acute and sensitized locomotor responses to methamphetamine in D2 receptor-deficient mice than in wild-type mice; however, the expression of locomotor sensitization when challenged with methamphetamine alone was equivalently attenuated by previous treatment with SCH 23390. These data suggest that dopamine D2 receptors play a key role in the acute stimulant and sensitizing effects of methamphetamine and act in concert with D1-like receptors to influence the acquisition of methamphetamine-induced behavioral sensitization, traits that may influence continued methamphetamine use.Fil: Kelly, M. A.. Oregon Health And Science University; Estados UnidosFil: Low, M. J.. Oregon Health And Science University; Estados UnidosFil: Rubinstein, Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular "Dr. Héctor N. Torres"; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular; ArgentinaFil: Phillips, T. J.. Oregon Health And Science University; Estados Unido

The Trail, 1964-03-04

https://soundideas.pugetsound.edu/thetrail_all/1883/thumbnail.jp

Childhood exposure to external ionising radiation and solid cancer risk

The increasing use of ionising radiation for diagnostic purposes has raised concern about potential iatrogenic damage, especially in children. In this review, we discuss some aspects of radiation-induced cancer in relation to age at exposure and measures that should be taken for limiting exposure in this sensitive population