DERIVED DEMAND FOR WHEAT BY CLASS

To quantify price responsiveness and economic substitutability among wheat classes, derived demand functions were specified from a normalized quadratic profit function. Own-price and cross-price elasticities were estimated for hard red winter, hard red spring, soft wheat (combined red and white), and durum wheat. In general, soft wheat varieties were less responsive to their own price than were hard wheat varieties. Cross-price elasticities indicate that hard red winter wheat, hard red spring wheat, and soft wheat varieties are economic substitutes. Cross-price elasticities are different from those previously reported, which can have important policy implications.elasticities, normalized quadratic, substitution, Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis,

Rapid detection of Listeria monocytogenes in food using culture enrichment combined with real-time PCR.

A rapid method for the detection of Listeria monocytogenes in foods combining culture enrichment and real-time PCR was compared to the ISO 11290-1 standard method. The culture enrichment component of the rapid method is based on the ISO standard and includes 24h incubation in half-Fraser broth, 4h incubation in Fraser broth followed by DNA extraction and real-time PCR detection of the ssrA gene of L. monocytogenes. An internal amplification control, which is co-amplified with the same primers as the L. monocytogenes DNA, was also included in the assay. The method has a limit of detection of 1-5CFU/25g food sample and can be performed in 2 working days compared to up to 7days for the ISO standard. A variety of food samples from retail outlets and food processing plants (n=175) and controls (n=31) were tested using rapid and conventional methods. The rapid method was 99.44% specific, 96.15% sensitive and 99.03% accurate when compared to the standard method. This method has the potential to be used as an alternative to the standard method for food quality assurance providing rapid detection of L. monocytogenes in food

tmRNA - a novel high-copy-number RNA diagnostic target - its application for Staphylococcus aureus detection using real-time NASBA

A real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification assay, targeting tmRNA, was designed for the rapid identification of Staphylococcus aureus. The selectivity of the assay was confirmed against a panel of 76 Staphylococcus strains and species and 22 other bacterial species. A detection limit of 1 cell equivalent was determined for the assay. A chimeric in vitro transcribed internal amplification control was developed and included in the assay. Application of the assay in natural and artificially contaminated unpasteurized (raw) milk enabled detection of 1-10 CFUS. aureus mL(-1) in 3-4 h, without the need for culture enrichment. Staphylococcus aureus was detected in all artificially contaminated milk samples (n=20) and none of the natural milk samples (n=20). Microbiological analysis of the natural milk samples was performed in parallel according to ISO 6888-3 and confirmed the absence of S. aureus. The method developed in this study has the potential to enable the specific detection of S. aureus in raw milk in a significantly shorter time frame than current standard methods. The assay further demonstrates the usefulness of tmRNA/ssrA as a nucleic acid diagnostic target

Rapid de-localization of actin leading edge components with BDM treatment

BACKGROUND: 2,3-Butanedione monoxime (BDM) has been widely used as a non-muscle myosin inhibitor to investigate the role of non-muscle myosinII in the process of actin retrograde flow and other actin cytoskeletal processes. Recent reports show that BDM does not inhibit any non-muscle myosins so far tested, including nm-myosinII, prompting the question, how were these process affected in BDM studies? RESULTS: We have found that treatment of mammalian cells with BDM for only 1 min blocks actin incorporation at the leading edge in a permeabilized cell system. We show that inhibition of actin incorporation occurs through de-localization of leading edge proteins involved in actin polymerization – the Arp2/3 complex, WAVE, and VASP – that de-localize concomitantly with the leading edge actin network. CONCLUSION: De-localization of actin leading edge components by BDM treatment is a newly described effect of this compound. It may explain many of the results previously ascribed to inhibition of non-muscle myosinII by BDM, particularly in studies of leading edge dynamics. Though this effect of BDM is intriguing, future studies probing actin dynamics at the leading edge should use more potent and specific inhibitors

Evaluation of Steel Bridges, Volumes I & II

This report is divided into two volumes. Volume I summarizes a structural health monitoring (SHM) system that was developed for the Iowa DOT to remotely and continuously monitor fatigue critical bridges (FCB) to aid in the detection of crack formation. The developed FCB SHM system enables bridge owners to remotely monitor FCB for gradual or sudden damage formation. The SHM system utilizes fiber bragg grating (FBG) fiber optic sensors (FOSs) to measure strains at critical locations. The strain-based SHM system is trained with measured performance data to identify typical bridge response when subjected to ambient traffic loads, and that knowledge is used to evaluate newly collected data. At specified intervals, the SHM system autonomously generates evaluation reports that summarize the current behavior of the bridge. The evaluation reports are collected and distributed to the bridge owner for interpretation and decision making. This volume (Volume II) summarizes the development and demonstration of an autonomous, continuous SHM system that can be used to monitor typical girder bridges. The developed SHM system can be grouped into two main categories: an office component and a field component. The office component is a structural analysis software program that can be used to generate thresholds which are used for identifying isolated events. The field component includes hardware and field monitoring software which performs data processing and evaluation. The hardware system consists of sensors, data acquisition equipment, and a communication system backbone. The field monitoring software has been developed such that, once started, it will operate autonomously with minimal user interaction. In general, the SHM system features two key uses. First, the system can be integrated into an active bridge management system that tracks usage and structural changes. Second, the system helps owners to identify damage and deterioration

Effects of traumatic brain injury on cognitive functioning and cerebral metabolites in HIV-infected individuals.

We explored the possible augmenting effect of traumatic brain injury (TBI) history on HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) associated neurocognitive complications. HIV-infected participants with self-reported history of definite TBI were compared to HIV patients without TBI history. Groups were equated for relevant demographic and HIV-associated characteristics. The TBI group evidenced significantly greater deficits in executive functioning and working memory. N-acetylaspartate, a putative marker of neuronal integrity, was significantly lower in the frontal gray matter and basal ganglia brain regions of the TBI group. Together, these results suggest an additional brain impact of TBI over that from HIV alone. One clinical implication is that HIV patients with TBI history may need to be monitored more closely for increased risk of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder signs or symptoms

Feeding Strategies of Optaflexx on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Feedlot Steers

Live BW and carcass traits of steer calves were evaluated after feeding Optaflexx (200mg/day) for 35 days on an intermittent basis or continuously. The negative control consisted of 63 days on the same diet without Optaflexx, whereas the positive control consisted of Optaflexx supplemented daily during the last 35 days prior to harvest. The four-day intermittent treatment consisted of feeding Optaflexx for seven days, followed by four days of no Optaflexx, while the seven-day intermittent treatment consisted of seven days on Optaflexx, followed by seven days off. In both the four-day and seven-day intermittent treatments, cattle received Optaflexx for a total of 35 days. Regardless of the delivery pattern, feeding Optaflexx increased ADG, DMI, and live BW. Feeding 200 mg per steer daily of Optaflexx for a total of 35 days in either four-day or seven-day intermittent patterns was as effective but no more so as continuous feeding for a 35-day period

Feeding Strategies of Optaflexx on Growth Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Feedlot Steers

Live BW and carcass traits of steer calves were evaluated after feeding Optaflexx (200mg/day) for 35 days on an intermittent basis or continuously. The negative control consisted of 63 days on the same diet without Optaflexx, whereas the positive control consisted of Optaflexx supplemented daily during the last 35 days prior to harvest. The four-day intermittent treatment consisted of feeding Optaflexx for seven days, followed by four days of no Optaflexx, while the seven-day intermittent treatment consisted of seven days on Optaflexx, followed by seven days off. In both the four-day and seven-day intermittent treatments, cattle received Optaflexx for a total of 35 days. Regardless of the delivery pattern, feeding Optaflexx increased ADG, DMI, and live BW. Feeding 200 mg per steer daily of Optaflexx for a total of 35 days in either four-day or seven-day intermittent patterns was as effective but no more so as continuous feeding for a 35-day period

A Synergistic Antiproliferation Effect of Curcumin and Docosahexaenoic Acid in SK-BR-3 Breast Cancer Cells: Unique Signaling Not Explained by the Effects of Either Compound Alone.

Background Breast cancer is a collection of diseases in which molecular phenotypes can act as both indicators and mediators of therapeutic strategy. Therefore, candidate therapeutics must be assessed in the context of multiple cell lines with known molecular phenotypes. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and curcumin (CCM) are dietary compounds known to antagonize breast cancer cell proliferation. We report that these compounds in combination exert a variable antiproliferative effect across multiple breast cell lines, which is synergistic in SK-BR-3 cells and triggers cell signaling events not predicted by the activity of either compound alone. Methods Dose response curves for CCM and DHA were generated for five breast cell lines. Effects of the DHA+ CCM combination on cell proliferation were evaluated using varying concentrations, at a fixed ratio, of CCM and DHA based on their individual ED50. Detection of synergy was performed using nonlinear regression of a sigmoid dose response model and Combination Index approaches. Cell molecular network responses were investigated through whole genome microarray analysis of transcript level changes. Gene expression results were validated by RT-PCR, and western blot analysis was performed for potential signaling mediators. Cellular curcumin uptake, with and without DHA, was analyzed via flow cytometry and HPLC. Results CCM+DHA had an antiproliferative effect in SK-BR-3, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-361, MCF7 and MCF10AT cells. The effect was synergistic for SK-BR-3 (ER- PR- Her2+) relative to the two compounds individually. A whole genome microarray approach was used to investigate changes in gene expression for the synergistic effects of CCM+DHA in SK-BR-3 cells lines. CCM+DHA triggered transcript-level responses, in disease-relevant functional categories, that were largely non-overlapping with changes caused by CCM or DHA individually. Genes involved in cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, inhibition of metastasis, and cell adhesion were upregulated, whereas genes involved in cancer development and progression, metastasis, and cell cycle progression were downregulated. Cellular pools of PPARγ and phospho-p53 were increased by CCM+DHA relative to either compound alone. DHA enhanced cellular uptake of CCM in SK-BR-3 cells without significantly enhancing CCM uptake in other cell lines. Conclusions The combination of DHA and CCM is potentially a dietary supplemental treatment for some breast cancers, likely dependent upon molecular phenotype. DHA enhancement of cellular curcumin uptake is one potential mechanism for observed synergy in SK-BR-3 cells; however, transcriptomic data show that the antiproliferation synergy accompanies many signaling events unique to the combined presence of the two compounds

First Science Observations with SOFIA/FORCAST: Properties of Intermediate-Luminosity Protostars and Circumstellar Disks in OMC-2

We examine eight young stellar objects in the OMC-2 star forming region based on observations from the SOFIA/FORCAST early science phase, the Spitzer Space Telescope, the Herschel Space Observatory, 2MASS, APEX, and other results in the literature. We show the spectral energy distributions of these objects from near-infrared to millimeter wavelengths, and compare the SEDs with those of sheet collapse models of protostars and circumstellar disks. Four of the objects can be modelled as protostars with infalling envelopes, two as young stars surrounded by disks, and the remaining two objects have double-peaked SEDs. We model the double-peaked sources as binaries containing a young star with a disk and a protostar. The six most luminous sources are found in a dense group within a 0.15 x 0.25 pc region; these sources have luminosities ranging from 300 L_sun to 20 L_sun. The most embedded source (OMC-2 FIR 4) can be fit by a class 0 protostar model having a luminosity of ~50 L_sun and mass infall rate of ~10^-4 solar masses per year.Comment: Accepted by ApJ Letter