N-acetyldopamine quinone methide/1,2-dehydro-N-acetyl dopamine tautomerase A new enzyme involved in sclerotization of insect cuticle

AbstractThe enzyme system causing the side chain desaturation of the sclerotizing precursor, N-acetyldopamine (NADA), was solubilized from the larval cuticle of Sarcophaga bullata and resolved into three components. The first enzyme, phenoloxidase, catalyzed conversion of NADA to NADA quinone and provided it for the second enzyme (NADA quinone isomerase), which makes the highly unstable NADA quinone methide. Quinone methide was hydrated rapidly and nonenzymatically to form N-acetylnorepinephrine. In addition, it also served as the substrate for the last enzyme, quinone methide tautomerase, which converted it to 1,2-dehydro-NADA. Reconstitution of NADA side chain desaturase activity was achieved by mixing the last enzyme fraction with NADA quinone isomerase, obtained from the hemolymph of the same organism, and mushroom tyrosinase. Therefore, NADA side chain desaturation observed in insects is caused by the combined action of three enzymes rather than the action of a single specific NADA desaturase, as previously thought

A web-based learning system for software test professionals

Fierce competition, globalization, and technology innovation have forced software companies to search for new ways to improve competitive advantage. Web-based learning is increasingly being used by software companies as an emergent approach for enhancing the skills of knowledge workers. However, the current practice of Web-based learning is perceived as being less goal-effective due to a lack of alignment of learning with work performance. To solve this problem, a performance-oriented approach is presented in this study. Using this approach, a Web-based learning system has been developed for software testing professionals. An empirical study was conducted by inviting employees working in the software testing sector to use and evaluate the system. The results showed the effectiveness of the proposed approach. © 2011 IEEE.published_or_final_versio

Landscape, demographic, entomological, and climatic associations with human disease incidence of West Nile virus in the state of Iowa, USA

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>West Nile virus (WNV) emerged as a threat to public and veterinary health in the Midwest United States in 2001 and continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality annually. To investigate biotic and abiotic factors associated with disease incidence, cases of reported human disease caused by West Nile virus (WNV) in the state of Iowa were aggregated by census block groups in Iowa for the years 2002–2006. Spatially explicit data on landscape, demographic, and climatic conditions were collated and analyzed by census block groups. Statistical tests of differences between means and distributions of landscape, demographic, and climatic variables for census block groups with and without WNV disease incidence were carried out. Entomological data from Iowa were considered at the state level to add context to the potential ecological events taking place.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Numerous statistically significant differences were shown in the means and distributions of various landscape and demographic variables for census block groups with and without WNV disease incidence. Census block groups with WNV disease incidence had significantly lower population densities than those without. Landscape variables showing differences included stream density, road density, land cover compositions, presence of irrigation, and presence of animal feeding operations. Statistically significant differences in the annual means of precipitations, dew point, and minimum temperature for both the year of WNV disease incidence and the prior year, were detected in at least one year of the analysis for each parameter. However, the differences were not consistent between years.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The analysis of human WNV disease incidence by census block groups in Iowa demonstrated unique landscape, demographic, and climatic associations. Our results indicate that multiple ecological WNV transmission dynamics are most likely taking place in Iowa. In 2003 and 2006, drier conditions were associated with WNV disease incidence. In a significant novel finding, rural agricultural settings were shown to be strongly associated with human WNV disease incidence in Iowa.</p

RFID and multi-agent based architecture for information sharing in prefabricated component supply chain

With the increasing volume and scale of prefabricated architecture in China, there is urgent and critical need for the seamless integration of prefabricated component supply chain, which covers project design, component production, logistics and transportation, construction, and maintenance. Due to the coordination problem between the links in the supply chain, the overall operating cost of the upstream and downstream enterprises becomes uncontrollable and the scale effect does not materialize. In this paper, based on RFID application and multi-agent simulation, an information tracking and supply mechanism for prefabricated supply chain are proposed. The research builds the information connections along the whole supply chain using RFID and creates the possibility of zero inventory of prefabricated components along the supply chain. Besides, in order to lower the impact of the demand fluctuation on the supply chain, the research proposes the industry alliance mechanism to satisfy the dynamic supply requirements. This paper, first, summarizes relevant studies on RFID, multi-agent, and industry alliance, and then proposes an RFID and multi-agent-based system architecture for prefabricated component supply chain for information tracking and coordination. It uses a case study involving underground precast tunnel segments to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach in addition to establishing an industry alliance to solve the problem of demand fluctuation

Massive Mitochondrial Gene Transfer in a Parasitic Flowering Plant Clade

Recent studies have suggested that plant genomes have undergone potentially rampant horizontal gene transfer (HGT), especially in the mitochondrial genome. Parasitic plants have provided the strongest evidence of HGT, which appears to be facilitated by the intimate physical association between the parasites and their hosts. A recent phylogenomic study demonstrated that in the holoparasite Rafflesia cantleyi (Rafflesiaceae), whose close relatives possess the world's largest flowers, about 2.1% of nuclear gene transcripts were likely acquired from its obligate host. Here, we used next-generation sequencing to obtain the 38 protein-coding and ribosomal RNA genes common to the mitochondrial genomes of angiosperms from R. cantleyi and five additional species, including two of its closest relatives and two host species. Strikingly, our phylogenetic analyses conservatively indicate that 24%–41% of these gene sequences show evidence of HGT in Rafflesiaceae, depending on the species. Most of these transgenic sequences possess intact reading frames and are actively transcribed, indicating that they are potentially functional. Additionally, some of these transgenes maintain synteny with their donor and recipient lineages, suggesting that native genes have likely been displaced via homologous recombination. Our study is the first to comprehensively assess the magnitude of HGT in plants involving a genome (i.e., mitochondria) and a species interaction (i.e., parasitism) where it has been hypothesized to be potentially rampant. Our results establish for the first time that, although the magnitude of HGT involving nuclear genes is appreciable in these parasitic plants, HGT involving mitochondrial genes is substantially higher. This may represent a more general pattern for other parasitic plant clades and perhaps more broadly for angiosperms.Organismic and Evolutionary Biolog

Finding a Needle in the Haystack: A Technique for Ranking Matches Between Components

Abstract. Searching and subsequently selecting reusable components from com-ponent repositories has become a key impediment for not only component-based development but also for achieving the overall usability of component develop-ment environments and the ultimate re-usability of the components themselves. Component matching, a fundamental aspect of the component search problem, has been a well-studied problem, resulting in many different matching technique

Application of Geospatial Technologies for Understanding and Predicting Vector Populations and Vector-Borne Disease Incidence (Abstract)

Vector-borne diseases inflict a heavy health burden. Numerous vector species have expanded their ranges while some vector-borne diseases have emerged in new geographic areas or reemerged in former endemic areas, potentially due to global climate change. The continued health burden and the expansion in vector and vector-borne disease ranges have led to an increased need for understanding and predicting in space and time the potential abundance and distribution of vectors and the transmission of vector-borne diseases. Advances in computing technologies, increased spatial data availability, and greater understanding of ecological drivers have made it commonplace to attempt to understand and estimate, in time and space, vector populations and vector-borne disease incidence. Although there have been great advances there are still limitations due to complex and varying ecologies and epidemiological contexts of vector-borne diseases as well as data limitations. In this paper, we will provide an overview of and examine advances and limitations in the use of geospatial technologies for understanding and prediction of the drivers of vector populations and vector-borne diseases