Family factors in tenure experience: Hamilton County, Iowa, 1946

This study was made to determine whether family relationships and farm activities within family groups affect the tenure situations and occupational experiences of farm operators. Farm people have always wanted to own the land they operate. They have thought that farm ownership would bring prestige, an end to moving about, freedom to improve the home and farm, greater profits or a chance to retire. For these reasons, and possibly others, most farmers have tried to climb the agricultural ladder2 as rapidly as possible.3 Recently another phase of farm tenure has become more important. Many farmers fear that next year, or the year after, they may be without a place. There aren\u27t enough farms to go around to all who want them.4 Because of different tenure circumstances, some farmers suffer from this insecurity more than others

The social status and occupational prospects of married farm laborers in Cherokee County, Iowa, 1949

In this study 100 married farm laborers in Cherokee County, Iowa were interviewed in 1949. For comparison, 100 married farm operators were randomly selected from age categories so that their ages were comparable to the ages of the married hired men. The same questions were asked of both groups. Similarities and differences are presented. Married hired men on farms in Cherokee County showed a number of significant differences when they were compared with an equal number of farm operators of the same age

How Iowans Get Started Farming

Every man who\u27s now farming for himself once faced the same problem that our young folks face today: How can I get started farming for myself

Married Hired Man

Farm people have begun to ask questions about the hired man with a family. How do the families of the hired men fit into neighborhood activities and organizations-the school, the church, the farm club

Measuring seepage from irrigation channels

CER59-47.Literature cited: pages 81-82.6 folded charts in pocket

An application of statistics to comparative metagenomics

BACKGROUND: Metagenomics, sequence analyses of genomic DNA isolated directly from the environments, can be used to identify organisms and model community dynamics of a particular ecosystem. Metagenomics also has the potential to identify significantly different metabolic potential in different environments. RESULTS: Here we use a statistical method to compare curated subsystems, to predict the physiology, metabolism, and ecology from metagenomes. This approach can be used to identify those subsystems that are significantly different between metagenome sequences. Subsystems that were overrepresented in the Sargasso Sea and Acid Mine Drainage metagenome when compared to non-redundant databases were identified. CONCLUSION: The methodology described herein applies statistics to the comparisons of metabolic potential in metagenomes. This analysis reveals those subsystems that are more, or less, represented in the different environments that are compared. These differences in metabolic potential lead to several testable hypotheses about physiology and metabolism of microbes from these ecosystems

A Winogradsky-based culture system shows an association between microbial fermentation and cystic fibrosis exacerbation.

There is a poor understanding of how the physiology of polymicrobial communities in cystic fibrosis (CF) lungs contributes to pulmonary exacerbations and lung function decline. In this study, a microbial culture system based on the principles of the Winogradsky column (WinCF system) was developed to study the physiology of CF microbes. The system used glass capillary tubes filled with artificial sputum medium to mimic a clogged airway bronchiole. Chemical indicators were added to observe microbial physiology within the tubes. Characterization of sputum samples from seven patients showed variation in pH, respiration, biofilm formation and gas production, indicating that the physiology of CF microbial communities varied among patients. Incubation of homogenized tissues from an explant CF lung mirrored responses of a Pseudomonas aeruginosa pure culture, supporting evidence that end-stage lungs are dominated by this pathogen. Longitudinal sputum samples taken through two exacerbation events in a single patient showed that a two-unit drop in pH and a 30% increase in gas production occurred in the tubes prior to exacerbation, which was reversed with antibiotic treatment. Microbial community profiles obtained through amplification and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene showed that fermentative anaerobes became more abundant during exacerbation and were then reduced during treatment where P. aeruginosa became the dominant bacterium. Results from the WinCF experiments support the model where two functionally different CF microbial communities exist, the persistent Climax Community and the acute Attack Community. Fermentative anaerobes are hypothesized to be the core members of the Attack Community and production of acidic and gaseous products from fermentation may drive developing exacerbations. Treatment targeting the Attack Community may better resolve exacerbations and resulting lung damage

PHACTS, a computational approach to classifying the lifestyle of phages

Motivation: Bacteriophages have two distinct lifestyles: virulent and temperate. The virulent lifestyle has many implications for phage therapy, genomics and microbiology. Determining which lifestyle a newly sequenced phage falls into is currently determined using standard culturing techniques. Such laboratory work is not only costly and time consuming, but also cannot be used on phage genomes constructed from environmental sequencing. Therefore, a computational method that utilizes the sequence data of phage genomes is needed