Basics of Missouri agricultural cooperatives

"In 1983, 105 locally owned agricultural cooperatives operated in Missouri. But although they strongly support the idea of cooperatives, farmers may not fully understand their role in the cooperative or the unique features of cooperatives. They have many questions about members' rights and director and cooperator responsibilities."--First page.J. Brian Griffith and C. Brice Ratchford (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri--Columbia)New 3/86/6

How agricultural cooperatives are taxed

"Many Missouri farmers are members of locally owned or regional agricultural cooperatives. Cooperatives are unique in that the owners are also the patrons of the business. The cooperative's purpose is to provide marketing or supply services to its farmer-owners. Farmers act collectively in this manner to get better terms of trade for their products and to provide themselves services and supplies at cost. Cooperatives often implement the cooperative principle of "service at cost" by refunding earnings to patrons."--First page.J. Brian Griffith and C. Brice Ratchford (Department of Agricultural Economics University of Missouri--Columbia )New 4/86/6

Physiological studies on micro-algae cultured in a multi-pass flat plate air lift photobioreactor

A flat plate air lift photobioreactor (FPALR) has been designed, constructed and patented which facilitates the growth and photosynthetic studies of micro-algae and cyanobacteria in a very accurately defined light field of known photon flux density and spectral radiant flux. Whilst being culture in the photobioreactor biomass concentrations of micro-algae were 2-5 times higher than those obtained using chemostats. Concentrations of between 6 and 8% carbon dioxide v/v were found to be toxic to cells of Chlorella vulgaris 211/11c and Scenedesmus sp. when cultured in the CSTR compared to the FPALR. The FPALR was found to significantly affect the cellular dynamics of Chlorella vulgaris 211/11c when cultured at different Reynolds numbers. At a Reynolds number of 6000 cells of Chlorella vulgaris 211/11c had approximately half the volume size of similar cells grown at a Reynolds number of 2500. The photosynthetic kinetics of unicellular green micro-algae were generally unaffected by the presence of HCO, however, Synechococcus 1479/5 was found to have a higher light saturated rate of photosynthesis in the presence of FICO. Species of micro-algae and cyanobacteria were found to exhibit different photosynthetic kinetics when incubated in the presence of phosphate buffer compared to ASM. The presence of nitrate in the incubating medium of irradiated cells of both micro-algae and cyanobacteria was found to have a significant affect on preventing the onset of photoinhibition. Centrifugation prior to P/I measurement was found to increase the respiration rates of all micro-algae and cyanobacteria, the levels of which, however, were species dependent. Increases in photon flux density were found to increase the respiration rates of both micro-algae and cyanobacteria during photosynthesis / irradiance -response measurements. Increases in P/I incubation temperature on cells of micro-algae and cyanobacteria cultured at low growth temperatures of 1

Species interactions and thermal constraints on ant community structure

Patterns of species occurrence and abundance are influenced by abiotic factors and biotic interactions, but these factors are difficult to disentangle without experimental manipulations. In this study, we used observational and experimental approaches to investigate the role of temperature and interspecific competition in controlling the structure of groundforaging ant communities in forests of the Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon. To assess the potential role of competition, we first used null model analyses to ask whether species partition temporal and/or spatial environments. To understand how thermal tolerances influence the structure of communities, we conducted a laboratory experiment to estimate the maximum thermal tolerance of workers and a field experiment in which we added shaded microhabitats and monitored the response of foragers. Finally, to evaluate the roles of temperature and interspecific competition in the field, we simultaneously manipulated shading and the presence of a dominant competitor (Formica moki). The foraging activity of species broadly overlapped during the diurnal range of temperatures. Species co-occurrence patterns varied across the diurnal temperature range: species were spatially segregated at bait stations at low temperatures, but co-occurred randomly at high temperatures. The decreased abundance of the co-occurring thermophilic Temnothorax nevadensis in shaded plots was a direct eff ect of shading and not an indirect eff ect of competitive interactions. Thermal tolerance predicted the response of ant species to the shading experiment: species with the lowest tolerances to high temperatures showed the greatest increase in abundance in the shaded plots. Moreover, species with more similar thermal tolerance values segregated more frequently on baits than did species that diff ered in their thermal tolerances. Collectively, our results suggest that thermal tolerances of ants may mediate competitive eff ects in habitats that experience strong diurnal temperature fluctuations. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Oikos

Growth in Patience in Christian Moral Wisdom and Contemporary Positive Psychology

Moral education requires interdisciplinary engagement across philosophy, psychology, and education. Positive psychologists regularly acknowledge the breadth and depth of wisdom regarding the cultivation of virtues present in philosophical and religious texts and consult such writings when creating constructs, but they are less prone to integrate scientific findings with historical texts as inquiry proceeds. Thus, we provide a comparative analysis of the advice given in Lorenzo Scupoli’s The Spiritual Combat, from traditional Christian moral wisdom literature and the research findings from positive psychology on the cultivation of the virtue of patience. Points of convergence relate to the utility of engaging activities that include cognitive reappraisal, habit formation through daily practice, activating positive motivation, prayer, mantra/transcendental meditation, and cultivating elevation through meditation on moral exemplars. Areas of divergence include the advisability of suppression, the role of motivation, and necessity of spiritual intervention, which suggest areas for future inquiry in moral education

Response of Conifer-Encroached Shrublands in the Great Basin to Prescribed Fire and Mechanical Treatments

In response to the recent expansion of piñon and juniper woodlands into sagebrush-steppe communities in the northern Great Basin region, numerous conifer-removal projects have been implemented, primarily to release understory vegetation at sites having a wide range of environmental conditions. Responses to these treatments have varied from successful restoration of native plant communities to complete conversion to nonnative invasive species. To evaluate the general response of understory vegetation to tree canopy removal in conifer-encroached shrublands, we set up a region-wide study that measured treatment-induced changes in understory cover and density. Eleven study sites located across four states in the Great Basin were established as statistical replicate blocks, each containing fire, mechanical, and control treatments. Different cover groups were measured prior to and during the first 3 yr following treatment. There was a general pattern of response across the wide range of site conditions. There was an immediate increase in bare ground and decrease in tall perennial grasses following the fire treatment, but both recovered by the second or third growing season after treatment. Tall perennial grass cover increased in the mechanical treatment in the second and third year, and in the fire treatment cover was higher than the control by year 3. Nonnative grass and forb cover did not increase in the fire and mechanical treatments in the first year but increased in the second and third years. Perennial forb cover increased in both the fire and mechanical treatments. The recovery of herbaceous cover groups was from increased growth of residual vegetation, not density. Sagebrush declined in the fire treatment, but seedling density increased in both treatments. Biological soil crust declined in the fire treatment, with no indications of recovery. Differences in plant response that occurred between mechanical and fire treatments should be considered when selecting management options

P2Y2 receptors Transactivate the EGFR/ERB1 and ERB3 Growth Factor Receptors in Human Salivary Gland Cells [abstract]

Abstract only availableThe epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ERB1) plays a key role in the regulation of epithelial cell development, differentiation and in the pathophysiology of hyperproliferative diseases such as cancer. Transactivation of the EGFR/ERB1 by G-protein coupled receptors has been shown to be dependent on proteolytic cleavage of membrane ligands such as heparin binding epidermal growth factor (HBEGF), EGF, transforming growth factor (TGF-), epiregulin, amphiregulin and betacellulin. Utilizing the human submandibular gland (HSG) cell line, we found that activation of the P2Y2 nucleotide receptor (P2Y2R) by its agonist UTP caused a time-dependent activation of EGFR/ERB1; however, neutralizing antibodies to the known ligands to EGFR/ERB1 failed to inhibit the UTP-induced phosphorylation of EGFR/ERB1. EGFR/ERB1 phosphorylation can also be induced by heterodimerization with one of the other ERB family members, ERB2, ERB3, and ERB4. HSG cells express ERB2 and ERB3 but not ERB4. Since ERB2 is a ligandless receptor, ERB3 is the likely dimerizing partner. Our results indicate that P2Y2R activation by UTP phosphorylates ERB3. Heregulin, the only known ligand for ERB3 is expressed in HSGs. Therefore, our results suggest that P2Y2R activation stimulates the formation of ERB3-EGFR/ERB1 heterodimers by cleavage of heregulin and its binding to ERB3

An improved measurement of muon antineutrino disappearance in MINOS

We report an improved measurement of muon anti-neutrino disappearance over a distance of 735km using the MINOS detectors and the Fermilab Main Injector neutrino beam in a muon anti-neutrino enhanced configuration. From a total exposure of 2.95e20 protons on target, of which 42% have not been previously analyzed, we make the most precise measurement of the anti-neutrino "atmospheric" delta-m squared = 2.62 +0.31/-0.28 (stat.) +/- 0.09 (syst.) and constrain the anti-neutrino atmospheric mixing angle >0.75 (90%CL). These values are in agreement with those measured for muon neutrinos, removing the tension reported previously.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. In submission to Phys.Rev.Let