The Semantic Differential as a Measure of Sexual Differences

The purpose of this research study was to determine whether the semantic differential could measure in the college population the variation in meaning of selected masculine and feminine concepts as a function of sex difference

Employment status and emotional health

Social psychologists have consistently reported that the unemployed are lower in emotional health than the employed, but have failed to explore the processes associated with unemployment that generate the differences in emotional health between the employed and unemployed groups. Moreover, the emotional impact of unemployment is not uniform, and satisfactory explanations for the individual variation in responses have not been developed. The present study was designed to overcome the absence of process explanations in the unemployment literature by developing social theory in a causal-process form that accounts for the detrimental and differential impact of unemployment. Two strategies were used: first, a causal modelling approach to evaluate causal-process explanations; second, a social cognition perspective in the form of learned-helplessness and frustrated-motivation theory to specify the processes that generate emotional health. A cross-sectional study with 200 young unemployed people was conducted to investigate the impact of unemployment upon emotional health. The data recorded the differences between individuals at one point-in-time and provided the foundation for a causal analysis of interindividual differences. The learned-helplessness theory was used to predict variation in general depression, and frustrated-motivation theory to predict situation-specific levels of anger, frustration and disappointment (“ unemployment frustration” ). The causal model specified by learned-helplessness theory was initially rejected, although post-hoc modifications consistent with the theory provided an acceptable model. In contrast, variables nominated by frustration motivation theory were good predictors of unemployment frustration, but the initial causal structure specifying behavior as a mediating variable failed to match the data. A major amendment with cognition as a mediating variable was proposed and found to be successful. A longitudinal study was also conducted. The longitudinal data recorded the change within individuals over time and provided the opportunity to conduct a causal analysis of intraindividual change that examines the dynamic processes that generate human behaviour. Of the 166 respondents interviewed at follow-up, 100 were employed and 43 were unemployed. The employed and unemployed groups enabled two investigations regarding the relationship between employment status and emotional health. The first was confined to the unemployed group and examined the impact unemployment had upon emotional health. Although the size of the unemployed group at follow-up restricted conclusions, learned-helplessness theory did provide a limited account for the variation in general depression, as did the frustrated motivation theory for unemployment frustration. The second investigation evaluated learned-helplessness theory, originally proposed as an explanation for the negative impact of unemployment, to account for the improvements in emotional health associated with the transition from unemployment to employment. The learned helplessness theory did not, however, explain the changes in emotional health for the newly employed. Two conclusions were drawn. The first was that a causal modelling approach is useful as a means to evaluate social theory in a causal-process form. The second was that the social-cognition perspective, as represented by learned-helplessness and frustrated-motivation theory, provides a viable account for the processes that generate depression and frustration in the unemployed. Learned-helplessness theory failed, however, to account for the variation in depression associated with the transition from unemployment to employment. The benefits of using the social-cognition perspective to provide a focus for preventative and therapeutic programmes are also discussed, along with recommendations for future research

Role of the CipA Scaffoldin Protein in Cellulose Solubilization, as Determined by Targeted Gene Deletion and Complementation in Clostridium thermocellum

The CipA scaffoldin protein plays a key role in the Clostridium thermocellum cellulosome. Previous studies have revealed that mutants deficient in binding or solubilizing cellulose also exhibit reduced expression of CipA. To confirm that CipA is, in fact, necessary for rapid solubilization of crystalline cellulose, the gene was deleted from the chromosome using targeted gene deletion technologies. The CipA deletion mutant exhibited a 100-fold reduction in cellulose solubilization rate, although it was eventually able to solubilize 80% of the 5 g/liter cellulose initially present. The deletion mutant was complemented by a copy of cipA expressed from a replicating plasmid. In this strain, Avicelase activity was restored, although the rate was 2-fold lower than that in the wild type and the duration of the lag phase was increased. The cipA coding sequence is located at the beginning of a gene cluster containing several other genes thought to be responsible for the structural organization of the cellulosome, including olpB, orf2p, and olpA. Tandem mass spectrometry revealed a 10-fold reduction in the expression of olpB, which may explain the lower growth rate. This deletion experiment adds further evidence that CipA plays a key role in cellulose solubilization by C. thermocellum, and it raises interesting questions about the differential roles of the anchor scaffoldin proteins OlpB, Orf2p, and SdbA

Progress Report of Grazing Experiments; 1945-1953 Southeast Oklahoma Pasture Fertility Research Station, Coalgate.

The Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station periodically issues revisions to its publications. The most current edition is made available. For access to an earlier edition, if available for this title, please contact the Oklahoma State University Library Archives by email at [email protected] or by phone at 405-744-6311

Coculture with hemicellulose-fermenting microbes reverses inhibition of corn fiber solubilization by Clostridium thermocellum at elevated solids loadings

Background: The cellulolytic thermophile Clostridium thermocellum is an important biocatalyst due to its ability to solubilize lignocellulosic feedstocks without the need for pretreatment or exogenous enzyme addition. At low concentrations of substrate, C. thermocellum can solubilize corn fiber \u3e 95% in 5 days, but solubilization declines markedly at substrate concentrations higher than 20 g/L. This differs for model cellulose like Avicel, on which the maximum solubilization rate increases in proportion to substrate concentration. The goal of this study was to examine fermentation at increasing corn fiber concentrations and investigate possible reasons for declining performance. Results: The rate of growth of C. thermocellum on corn fiber, inferred from CipA scaffoldin levels measured by LC–MS/MS, showed very little increase with increasing solids loading. To test for inhibition, we evaluated the effects of spent broth on growth and cellulase activity. The liquids remaining after corn fiber fermentation were found to be strongly inhibitory to growth on cellobiose, a substrate that does not require cellulose hydrolysis. Additionally, the hydrolytic activity of C. thermocellum cellulase was also reduced to less-than half by adding spent broth. Noting that \u3e 15 g/L hemicellulose oligosaccharides accumulated in the spent broth of a 40 g/L corn fiber fermentation, we tested the effect of various model carbohydrates on growth on cellobiose and Avicel. Some compounds like xylooligosaccharides caused a decline in cellulolytic activity and a reduction in the maximum solubilization rate on Avicel. However, there were no relevant model compounds that could replicate the strong inhibition by spent broth on C. thermocellum growth on cellobiose. Cocultures of C. thermocellum with hemicellulose-consuming partners—Herbinix spp. strain LL1355 and Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum—exhibited lower levels of unfermented hemicellulose hydrolysis products, a doubling of the maximum solubilization rate, and final solubilization increased from 67 to 93%. Conclusions: This study documents inhibition of C. thermocellum with increasing corn fiber concentration and demonstrates inhibition of cellulase activity by xylooligosaccharides, but further work is needed to understand why growth on cellobiose was inhibited by corn fiber fermentation broth. Our results support the importance of hemicellulose-utilizing coculture partners to augment C. thermocellum in the fermentation of lignocellulosic feedstocks at high solids loading

追加1. 胃切除術後の鼻腔ゾンデ早期抜去について(シンポジウム 中山式切除術をめぐって,第473回千葉医学会例会,第4回佐藤外科例会)

Additional file 4. Proteomic data of strains wild-type, AG553, AG553, AG601 and LL1210 of Clostridium thermocellum

High-Yield Hydrogen Production from Starch and Water by a Synthetic Enzymatic Pathway

BACKGROUND: The future hydrogen economy offers a compelling energy vision, but there are four main obstacles: hydrogen production, storage, and distribution, as well as fuel cells. Hydrogen production from inexpensive abundant renewable biomass can produce cheaper hydrogen, decrease reliance on fossil fuels, and achieve zero net greenhouse gas emissions, but current chemical and biological means suffer from low hydrogen yields and/or severe reaction conditions. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we demonstrate a synthetic enzymatic pathway consisting of 13 enzymes for producing hydrogen from starch and water. The stoichiometric reaction is C(6)H(10)O(5) (l)+7 H(2)O (l)→12 H(2) (g)+6 CO(2) (g). The overall process is spontaneous and unidirectional because of a negative Gibbs free energy and separation of the gaseous products with the aqueous reactants. CONCLUSIONS: Enzymatic hydrogen production from starch and water mediated by 13 enzymes occurred at 30°C as expected, and the hydrogen yields were much higher than the theoretical limit (4 H(2)/glucose) of anaerobic fermentations. SIGNIFICANCE: The unique features, such as mild reaction conditions (30°C and atmospheric pressure), high hydrogen yields, likely low production costs ($∼2/kg H(2)), and a high energy-density carrier starch (14.8 H(2)-based mass%), provide great potential for mobile applications. With technology improvements and integration with fuel cells, this technology also solves the challenges associated with hydrogen storage, distribution, and infrastructure in the hydrogen economy