Close-Range Photogrammetric Measurement of Static Deflections for an Aeroelastic Supercritical Wing

Close range photogrammetric measurements were made for the lower wing surface of a full span aspect ratio 10.3 aeroelastic supercritical research wing. The measurements were made during wind tunnel tests for quasi-steady pressure distributions on the wing. The tests were conducted in the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel at Mach numbers up to 0.90 and dynamic pressures up to 300 pounds per square foot. Deflection data were obtained for 57 locations on the wing lower surface using dual non-metric cameras. Representative data are presented as graphical overview to show variations and trends of spar deflection with test variables. Comparative data are presented for photogrammetric and cathetometric results of measurements for the wing tip deflections. A tabulation of the basic measurements is presented in a supplement to this report

Evidence of a Mira-like tail and bow shock about the semi-regular variable V CVn from four decades of polarization measurements

Polarization is a powerful tool for understanding stellar atmospheres and circumstellar environments. Mira and semi-regular variable stars have been observed for decades and some are known to be polarimetrically variable, however, the semi-regular variable V Canes Venatici displays an unusually large, unexplained amount of polarization. We present ten years of optical polarization observations obtained with the HPOL instrument, supplemented by published observations spanning a total interval of about forty years for V CVn. We find that V CVn shows large polarization variations ranging from 1 - 6%. We also find that for the past forty years the position angle measured for V CVn has been virtually constant suggesting a long-term, stable, asymmetric structure about the star. We suggest that this asymmetry is caused by the presence of a stellar wind bow shock and tail, consistent with the star's large space velocity.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, 1 table. Accepted for publication in A&

Essential Roles of Drosophila Inner Centromere Protein (Incenp) and Aurora B in Histone H3 Phosphorylation, Metaphase Chromosome Alignment, Kinetochore Disjunction, and Chromosome Segregation

We have performed a biochemical and double-stranded RNA-mediated interference (RNAi) analysis of the role of two chromosomal passenger proteins, inner centromere protein (INCENP) and aurora B kinase, in cultured cells of Drosophila melanogaster. INCENP and aurora B function is tightly interlinked. The two proteins bind to each other in vitro, and DmINCENP is required for DmAurora B to localize properly in mitosis and function as a histone H3 kinase. DmAurora B is required for DmINCENP accumulation at centromeres and transfer to the spindle at anaphase. RNAi for either protein dramatically inhibited the ability of cells to achieve a normal metaphase chromosome alignment. Cells were not blocked in mitosis, however, and entered an aberrant anaphase characterized by defects in sister kinetochore disjunction and the presence of large amounts of amorphous lagging chromatin. Anaphase A chromosome movement appeared to be normal, however cytokinesis often failed. DmINCENP and DmAurora B are not required for the correct localization of the kinesin-like protein Pavarotti (ZEN-4/CHO1/MKLP1) to the midbody at telophase. These experiments reveal that INCENP is required for aurora B kinase function and confirm that the chromosomal passengers have essential roles in mitosis

EC97-277 Minerals and Vitamins For Beef Cows

Introduction Mineral supplementation programs range from elaborate, cafeteria-style delivery systems to simple white salt blocks put out periodically by producers. The reason for this diversity: little applicable research available for producers to evaluate mineral supplement programs. There is a need of information regarding mineral composition and availability from various feedstuffs (i.e. pasture grasses, hays, by-products, etc.) and the possible interactions between minerals in the digestive system. Also lacking is a data base to establish accurate estimates of mineral requirements for beef cattle. Assessing the consequence of mineral deficiencies in the cow, calf or stocker animal is difficult because slightly lowered weight gains in calves, reduced milk production and/or decreased reproduction rates may occur without visible signs of deficiency. At the same time, excess mineral consumption may cause reduced cow and/or calf performance without obvious signs of toxicity. Potential problems can occur due to mineral undernutrition in the cow herd; however, producers need sufficient information to establish a least cost method of correcting mineral undernutrition

Message in a Bottleneck? Attitudes and Perceptions of Climate Change in the Cooperative Extension Service in the Southeastern United States

This paper addresses factors affecting climate change perceptions and attitudes among Cooperative Extension professionals in the Southeastern United States. Extension serves as a critical link between climate researchers and stakeholders who have the capacity to directly affect climate change impacts through on-the-ground action. We used the Six Americas scale, developed by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and George Mason Center for Climate Change Communication, as the basis for a webbased survey of 2,758 Extension professionals in eight Southeastern states between August 2011 and March 2012. Given their role as science communicators, one might expect Extension professionals to be as concerned as climate scientists about potential climate changes. We found, however, that Extension professionals are similar to the general public and represent the full range of Six Americas categories. Factors correlated with Six Americas results included: gender, political leaning, education, state Extension program, Extension program area, role within Extension, and coastal/inland location. Our results suggest the importance of engaging Extension staff in a long-term professional development strategy that involves improved training and climate education, preparing Extension professionals to effectively communicate climate change information to farmers and forest landowners whose actions impact climate outcomes

A dynamic microtubule cytoskeleton directs medial actomyosin function during tube formation

The cytoskeleton is a major determinant of cell-shape changes that drive the formation of complex tissues during development. Important roles for actomyosin during tissue morphogenesis have been identified, but the role of the microtubule cytoskeleton is less clear. Here, we show that during tubulogenesis of the salivary glands in the fly embryo, the microtubule cytoskeleton undergoes major rearrangements, including a 90° change in alignment relative to the apicobasal axis, loss of centrosomal attachment, and apical stabilization. Disruption of the microtubule cytoskeleton leads to failure of apical constriction in placodal cells fated to invaginate. We show that this failure is due to loss of an apical medial actomyosin network whose pulsatile behavior in wild-type embryos drives the apical constriction of the cells. The medial actomyosin network interacts with the minus ends of acentrosomal microtubule bundles through the cytolinker protein Shot, and disruption of Shot also impairs apical constriction

Is there a role for DAZL in human female fertility?

The RNA binding protein deleted in azoospermia-like (Dazl) is a key determinant of germ cell maturation and entry into meiosis in rodents and other animal species. Although the complex phenotype of Dazl deficiency in both sexes, with defects at multiple stages of germ cell development and during meiosis, demonstrates its obligate significance in fertility in animal models, its involvement in human fertility is less clear. As an RNA binding protein, identification of the in vivo mRNA targets of DAZL is necessary to understand its influence. Thus far, only a small number of Dazl targets have been identified, which typically have pivotal roles in germ cell development and meiotic progression. However, it is likely that there are a number of additional germ cell and meiosis-relevant transcripts whose translation is affected in the absence of Dazl. Efforts to identify these RNA targets have mainly been focused on spermatogenesis, and restricted to mouse. In women, prophase I occurs in fetal life and it is during this period that the ovarian follicle pool is established, thus factors that have a role in determining the quality and quantity of the ovarian reserve may have significant impact on reproductive outcomes later in adult life. Here, we suggest that DAZL may be one such factor, and there is a need for greater understanding of the role of DAZL in human oogenesis and its contribution to lifelong female fertility

Differential Cav2.1 and Cav2.3 channel inhibition by baclofen and α-conotoxin Vc1.1 via GABAB receptor activation

Neuronal Ca(v)2.1 (P/Q-type), Ca(v)2.2 (N-type), and Ca(v)2.3 (R-type) calcium channels contribute to synaptic transmission and are modulated through G protein-coupled receptor pathways. The analgesic. alpha-conotoxin Vc1.1 acts through. gamma-aminobutyric acid type B (GABA(B)) receptors (GABA(B)Rs) to inhibit Cav2.2 channels. We investigated GABA(B)R-mediated modulation by Vc1.1, a cyclized form of Vc1.1 (c-Vc1.1), and the GABA(B)R agonist baclofen of human Cav2.1 or Cav2.3 channels heterologously expressed in human embryonic kidney cells. 50 mu M baclofen inhibited Cav2.1 and Cav2.3 channel Ba2+ currents by. similar to 40%, whereas c-Vc1.1 did not affect Cav2.1 but potently inhibited Cav2.3, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration of. 300 pM. Depolarizing paired pulses revealed that. similar to 75% of the baclofen inhibition of Cav2.1 was voltage dependent and could be relieved by strong depolarization. In contrast, baclofen or Vc1.1 inhibition of Cav2.3 channels was solely mediated through voltage-independent pathways that could be disrupted by pertussis toxin, guanosine 5' -[beta-thio] diphosphate trilithium salt, or the GABABR antagonist CGP55845. Overexpression of the kinase c-Src significantly increased inhibition of Cav2.3 by c-Vc1.1. Conversely, coexpression of a catalytically inactive double mutant form of c-Src or pretreatment with a phosphorylated pp60c-Src peptide abolished the effect of c-Vc1.1. Site-directed mutational analyses of Cav2.3 demonstrated that tyrosines 1761 and 1765 within exon 37 are critical for inhibition of Cav2.3 by c-Vc1.1 and are involved in baclofen inhibition of these channels. Remarkably, point mutations introducing specific c-Src phosphorylation sites into human Cav2.1 channels conferred c-Vc1.1 sensitivity. Our findings show that Vc1.1 inhibition of Cav2.3, which defines Cav2.3 channels as potential targets for analgesic. alpha-conotoxins, is caused by specific c-Src phosphorylation sites in the C terminus

A selected ion flow tube study of the reactions of gas-phase cations with PSCl3

A selected ion flow tube was used to investigate the positive ion chemistry of thiophosphoryl chloride, PSCl$_3$. Rate coefficients and ion product branching ratios have been determined at room temperature for reactions with nineteen cations ; H$_3$O$^+$, CF$_3^+$, CF$^+$, NO$^+$, NO$_2^+$, SF$_2^+$, SF$^+$, CF$_2^+$, O$_2^+$, H$_2$O$^+$, N$_2$O$^+$, O$^+$, CO$_2^+$, CO$^+$, N$^+$, N$_2^+$, Ar$^+$, F$^+$ and Ne$^+$ (in order of increasing recombination energy). Complementary data described in the previous paper have been obtained for this molecule via the observation of threshold photoelectron photoion coincidences. For ions whose recombination energies are in the range 10-22 eV, comparisons are made between the product ion branching rations of PSCl$_3$ from photoionisation and from ion-molecule reactions. In most instances, the data from the two experiments are well correlated, suggesting that long-range charge transfer is the dominant mechanism for these ion-molecule reactions ; the agreement is particularly good for the atomic ions Ar$^+$, F$^+$ and Ne$^+$. Some reactions (e.g. O$_2^+$ + PSCl$_3$), however, exhibit significant differences; short-range charge transfer must then be occurring following the formation of an ion-molecule complex. For ions whose recombination energies are less than 10 eV (i.e. H$_3$O$^+$, CF$_3^+$, CF$^+$ and NO$^+$), reactions can only occur via a chemical process in which bonds are broken and formed, because the recombination energy of the cation is less than the ionisation energy of PSCl$_3$