Johnson Space Center's regenerative life support systems test bed

The Regenerative Life Support System (RLSS) Test Bed at NASA's Johnson Space Center is an atmospherically closed, controlled environment facility for the evaluation of regenerative life support systems using higher plants in conjunction with physicochemical life support systems. When completed, the facility will be comprised of two large scale plant growth chambers, each with approximately 10 m(exp 2) growing area. One of the two chambers, the Variable Pressure Growth Chamber (VPGC), will be capable of operating at lower atmospheric pressures to evaluate a range of environments that may be used in Lunar or Martian habitats; the other chamber, the Ambient Pressure Growth Chamber (APGC) will operate at ambient atmospheric pressure. The root zone in each chamber will be configurable for hydroponic or solid state media systems. Research will focus on: (1) in situ resource utilization for CELSS systems, in which simulated lunar soils will be used in selected crop growth studies; (2) integration of biological and physicochemical air and water revitalization systems; (3) effect of atmospheric pressure on system performance; and (4) monitoring and control strategies

A model for the prediction of antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli based on a comparative evaluation of fatty acid profiles

Antimicrobial resistance is a threat to agricultural production and public health. In this proof-of-concept study, we investigated predicting antimicrobial sensitive/resistant (S/R) phenotypes and host sources of Escherichia coli (n = 128) based on differential fatty acid abundance. Myristic (14:0), pentadecanoic acid (15:0), palmitic (16:0), elaidic (18:19) and steric acid (18:0) were significantly different (α = 0.05) using a two-way ANOVA for predicting nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin, aztreonam, cefatoxime, and ceftazidime S/R phenotypes. Additionally, analyses of palmitoleic (16:1), palmitic acid (16:0), methyl palmitate (i-17:0), and cis-9,10-methyleneoctadecanoic acid (19:0Δ) showed these markers were significantly different (α = 0.05) between isolates obtained from cattle and raccoons. S/R phenotype prediction for the above antibiotics or host source, based on linear regression models of fatty acid abundance, were made using a replicated-randomized subsampling and modeling approach. This model predicted S/R phenotype with 79% and 81% accuracy for nalidixic acid and ciprofloxacin, respectively. The isolate host source was predicted with 63% accuracy

Determination of 4,4\u27-Dinitrocarbanilide (DNC), a Component of Nicarbazin, in Canada Goose (\u3ci\u3eBranta canadensis\u3c/i\u3e) Eggshells Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

A method was developed using high-performance liquid chromatography to assay 4,4\u27-dinitrocarbanilide (DNC), the active ingredient in Nicarbazin, in eggshells collected from Canada geese fed a formulated feed fortified with Nicarbazin at doses of 0, 125, 250, and 500 μg/g. The method was developed using chicken eggshells fortified with DNC. The method was used to quantify DNC in both the shell-associated membranes and the calcified shell extracellular matrix. These values were compared to those obtained for a composite sample consisting of both the membranes and the calcified shell extracellular matrix. The validated method was used to quantify DNC in eggshells from geese fed fortified feed to ascertain the effect of Nicarbazin feed concentration on shell DNC concentration. DNC levels in the eggshells were highly correlated with feed dose. A method was developed using high-performance liquid chromatography to assay 4,4\u27-dinitrocarbanilide (DNC), the active ingredient in Nicarbazin, in eggshells collected from Canada geese fed a formulated feed fortified with Nicarbazin at doses of 0, 125, 250, and 500 μg/g. The method was developed using chicken eggshells fortified with DNC. The method was used to quantify DNC in both the shell-associated membranes and the calcified shell extracellular matrix. These values were compared to those obtained for a composite sample consisting of both the membranes and the calcified shell extracellular matrix. The validated method was used to quantify DNC in eggshells from geese fed fortified feed to ascertain the effect of Nicarbazin feed concentration on shell DNC concentration. DNC levels in the eggshells were highly correlated with feed dose

Determination of 4,4\u27-Dinitrocarbanilide (DNC), a Component of Nicarbazin, in Canada Goose (\u3ci\u3eBranta canadensis\u3c/i\u3e) Eggshells Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

A method was developed using high-performance liquid chromatography to assay 4,4\u27-dinitrocarbanilide (DNC), the active ingredient in Nicarbazin, in eggshells collected from Canada geese fed a formulated feed fortified with Nicarbazin at doses of 0, 125, 250, and 500 μg/g. The method was developed using chicken eggshells fortified with DNC. The method was used to quantify DNC in both the shell-associated membranes and the calcified shell extracellular matrix. These values were compared to those obtained for a composite sample consisting of both the membranes and the calcified shell extracellular matrix. The validated method was used to quantify DNC in eggshells from geese fed fortified feed to ascertain the effect of Nicarbazin feed concentration on shell DNC concentration. DNC levels in the eggshells were highly correlated with feed dose. A method was developed using high-performance liquid chromatography to assay 4,4\u27-dinitrocarbanilide (DNC), the active ingredient in Nicarbazin, in eggshells collected from Canada geese fed a formulated feed fortified with Nicarbazin at doses of 0, 125, 250, and 500 μg/g. The method was developed using chicken eggshells fortified with DNC. The method was used to quantify DNC in both the shell-associated membranes and the calcified shell extracellular matrix. These values were compared to those obtained for a composite sample consisting of both the membranes and the calcified shell extracellular matrix. The validated method was used to quantify DNC in eggshells from geese fed fortified feed to ascertain the effect of Nicarbazin feed concentration on shell DNC concentration. DNC levels in the eggshells were highly correlated with feed dose

Using Fatty Acid Profiles to Assess Dietary Intake of Sunflower in Red-Winged Blackbirds

In late summer, red-winged blackbirds forage heavily on ripening sunflower crops in the Dakotas. Sunflower achenes have a distinct fatty acid profile that should influence the fatty acid composition in tissues of these buds. To determine if fatty acid composition in tissue could be used as a biomarker indicating dietary history, we fed 18 red-winged blackbirds a sunflower diet for 2 weeks and compared fatty acid profiles in their muscle and liver tissues to a control group of red-winged blackbirds (n = 15) fed a birdseed mix supplemented with safflower seed. Three subjects from each treatment group were sacrificed at Day 0, 7, 14, and 21, with Day 0 the day the treated group was switched to sunflower. The remaining buds were sacrificed on Day 35. Breast muscle and liver tissue were collected, extracted, and analyzed for levels of linoleic, oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids. Differences existed in levels of all 4 fatty acids between treatment groups pooled across time (P ≤ 0.05, ANOVA). When comparing fatty acid profiles between treated and controls by day sacrificed, we observed differences in levels of ≥1 of the fatty acids at Day 7, 14, and 21 in breast muscle, and Day 7 and 14 in liver tissue (P ≤ 0.05, t-test).Within-bird comparisons of fatty acid levels in liver and breast indicated temporal lags in metabolism between tissue types (P ≤ 0.05, paired t-test). Our results demonstrated that fatty acids profiles in body tissues can be used as biomarkers to verify recent foraging in sunflower by red-winged blackbirds

Using pentosidine and hydroxyproline to predict age and sex in an avian species

All living organisms are subject to senescence accompanied by progressive and irreversible physiological changes. The error damage and cross-linking theories suggest that cells and tissues are damaged by an accumulation of cross-linked proteins, slowing down bodily processes and resulting in aging. A major category of these cross-linked proteins are compounds called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). We investigated the relationship between accumulation of the AGE, pentosidine (Ps), and hydroxyproline (HYP) a post-translationally modified amino acid, with age, sex, and breeding status (breeder/ nonbreeder) from skin samples of known age (i.e., banded as fledglings), free-ranging Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus, Lesson 1831). We developed multivariate models and evaluated the predictive capability of our models for determining age and breeding versus nonbreeding birds. We found significant relationships with Ps and HYP concentration and age, and Ps concentration and sex. Based on our two-class model using Ps and HYP as explanatory variables, we were able to accurately determine whether a cormorant was a breeder or nonbreeder in 83.5% of modeled classifications. Our data indicate that Ps and HYP concentrations can be used to determine breeding status of cormorants and potentially age of cormorants although sex-specific models may be necessary. Although the accumulation of Ps explained the greatest amount of variance in breeding status and age, importantly, Ps covaried with HYP and combined improved prediction of these demographics in cormorants. Our data support the error damage and cross-linking theories of aging. Both Ps and HYP increase predictably in cormorants and are predictive of age and breeding status. Given the ubiquity of these biomarkers across taxa, their use in estimating demographic characteristics of animals could provide a powerful tool in animal ecology, conservation, and management

Fecal Volatile Organic Ccompound Profiles from White-Tailed Deer (\u3ci\u3eOdocoileus virginianus\u3c/i\u3e) as Indicators of \u3ci\u3eMycobacterium bovis\u3c/i\u3e Exposure or \u3ci\u3eMycobacterium bovis\u3c/i\u3e Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) Vaccination

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) serve as a reservoir for bovine tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, and can be a source of infection in cattle. Vaccination with M. bovis Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) is being considered for management of bovine tuberculosis in deer. Presently, no method exists to non-invasively monitor the presence of bovine tuberculosis in deer. In this study, volatile organic compound profiles of BCG-vaccinated and non-vaccinated deer, before and after experimental challenge with M. bovis strain 95–1315, were generated using solid phase microextraction fiber head-space sampling over suspended fecal pellets with analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Chromatograms were processed using XCMS Online to characterize ion variation among treatment groups. The principal component scores resulting from significant (α = 0.05) ion responses were used to build linear discriminant analysis models. The sensitivity and specificity of these models were used to evaluate the feasibility of using this analytical approach to distinguish within group comparisons between pre- and post-M. bovis challenge: non-vaccinated male or female deer, BCG-vaccinated male deer, and the mixed gender non-vaccinated deer data. Seventeen compounds were identified in this analysis. The peak areas for these compounds were used to build a linear discriminant classification model based on principal component analysis scores to evaluate the feasibility of discriminating between fecal samples from M. bovis challenged deer, irrespective of vaccination status. The model best representing the data had a sensitivity of 78.6% and a specificity of 91.4%. The fecal head-space sampling approach presented in this pilot study provides a non-invasive method to discriminate between M. bovis challenged deer and BCG-vaccinated deer. Additionally, the technique may prove invaluable for BCG efficacy studies with free-ranging deer as well as for use as a non-invasive monitoring system for the detection of tuberculosis in captive deer and other livestock

Field Method for Analyzing Birds for Avicide 3-Chloro-P-Toluidine Hydrochloride

We developed a fast and simple method to detect presence or absence of DRC-1339 (CPTH: 3-Chloro-p-toluidine Hydrochloride) in birds that fed on DRC-1339 bait sites. We compared the effectiveness of the colorimetric method to the previously published analytical method using birds collected from DRC-1339 bait sites in Louisiana and Texas. We also conducted tests with caged red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) to determine if time from consumption of DRC-1339-treated bait to death and time from death to colorimetric analysis affected test results. The colorimetric assay was effective in detecting the presence or absence of DRC-1339 in birds collected from bait sites. In the tests with caged birds, the method resulted in the detection of four grains of treated rice consumed up to 120 minutes post consumption, but failed to detect 1 grain of treated rice consumed at 120 minutes. Frozen samples of 4 treated consumed rice grains could be detected up to 90 days post collection

Comparing a Bioenergetics Model With Feeding Rates of Caged European Starlings

ABSTRACT We tested a bioenergetics model integrated within a mortality model that estimates numbers of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) poisoned with the avicide, Compound DRC-1339 Concentrate. The bioenergetics model predicted daily metabolic rate. Accuracy and reliability of this variable is critical because other algorithms (e.g., toxicity regressions, feeding behavior) in the mortality model depend on metabolic rate to calculate the amount of DRC-1339 ingested per bird. We tested the bioenergetics model by comparing its estimates of metabolic rate with those generated from measuring feeding rates of caged starlings during a feeding trial conducted outdoors during January 2008. Over the 12-day feeding trial, daily feeding rates of caged starlings indicated that metabolic rates ranged from 157 kJ/bird per day to 305 kJ/bird per day. The bioenergetics model predicted metabolic rates ranging from 208 kJ/bird per day to 274 kJ/bird per day. There was no difference between these 2 independently derived estimates of daily metabolic rate (paired t-test: t (11) ¼ 1.4, P ¼ 0.18). Using 95% confidence intervals calculated from variation of feeding rates among cages (n ¼ 4, 6 birds/cage), the bioenergetics model's estimates were within 95% confidence intervals on 9 of 12 days and greater than the upper 95% confidence interval on 3 days. Daily estimates of metabolic rate were directly correlated between the bioenergetics model and the feeding-rate model (r 12 ¼ 0.57, P ¼ 0.05). A broad range of temperatures (À178C to 148C), wind speeds (0-40 km/ hr), and percent cloud cover (0-100%) were encountered during the feeding trial. The bioenergetics model's predictions appeared robust to varying meteorological conditions typical of winters in middle latitudes of the interior United States. Compound DRC-1339 Concentrate is used by USDA Wildlife Services to manage chronic infestations of starlings at livestock facilities, which occur mainly during fall and winter. Compared to other methods used for estimating DRC-1339 mortality (e.g., counting birds pre-and posttreatment), bioenergetics modeling should improve the mortality model's overall accuracy and precision.

Produksi Jamur Tiram Putih (Pleurotus Ostreatus) Pada Media Tambahan Molase Dengan Dosis Yang Berbeda

Jamur tiram putih disebut juga dengan jamur kayu karena jamur tersebut tumbuh pada media kayu lapuk. Jamur tiram putih banyak digemari masyarakat karena selain memiliki cita rasa yang enak juga memiliki banyak manfaat bagi tubuh. Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui adanya pengaruh molase dengan dosis berbeda pada produktivitas jamur tiram putih. Penelitian ini menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap satu faktorial yaitu pemberian molase dengan empat taraf konsentrasi 0 %, 7,5 %, 14,5 % dan 22 % / baglog dan dilakukan tiga ulangan. Untuk pengujian hipotesis dengan anova satu jalan (One Way Anova), hasil pengujian hipotesis pada pemenuhan miseliumdiperoleh nilai probabilitas 0,001 < 0.05 H0 ditolak artinya antara ke empat perlakuan tidak sama atau berbeda nyata maka dilakukan Pos Hok Test uji lanjut Anova dengan uji LSD. Berat buah jamur tiram putih panen I diperoleh nilai probabilitas 0,021 < 0.05 H0 ditolak artinya antara ke empat perlakuan tidak sama atau berbeda nyata nyata maka dilakukan Pos Hok Test uji lanjut Anova dengan uji LSD, sedangkan pada parameter yang lain diperoleh kesimpulan H0 diterima artinya tidak terdapat perbedaan antara ke empat perlakuan. Hasil penelitian pada pengamatan pemenuhan miseliumdiperoleh perlakuan yang memberikan pengaruh paling baik yaitu M1 (7,5 % molase/ baglog) dengan rata-rata pemenuhan miselium16,3 hari dan perlakuan yang memberikan pengaruh kurang baik yaitu M0 atau kontrol dengan rata-rata 27,7 hari. Pada jumlah total tubuh buah jamur diperoleh perlakuan yang memberikan pengaruh paling baik yaitu M3 (22 % molase/ baglog) dengan rata-rata 11,5 buah dan perlakuan yang memberikan pengaruh kurang baik yaitu M0 (kontrol) dengan rata-rata 9 buah. Pada berat buah jamur tiram putih perlakuan yang memberikan pengaruh paling baik yaitu M3 (22 % molase/ baglog) dengan rata-rata 78,2 g dan perlakuan yang memberikan pengaruh kurang baik yaitu M0 dengan rata-rata 48,85 g. Dari hasil tersebut diperoleh kesimpulan M1 dosis molase paling rendah (7,5%) berpengaruh pada pemenuhan miselium dan M3 dosis molase paling tinggi (22 %) berpengaruh pada jumlah tubuh buah dan berat buah jamur