Analysis of electron-ion mixing in ion engines Final report, 30 Apr. 1964 - 30 Jun. 1965

Computer program for analysis of electron-ion mixing in ion engin

Are Green Bonds Just Another Financial Fad or Are They Here to Stay?

This paper analyses the existence of a greemium i.e., an investor or issuer green bond premium in the primary fixed income and securities market across time. To achieve this, I examine issue yield differentials and issue price differentials between matched samples of green and conventional bonds, which are examined through time series, regression and difference-in-difference analyses. The issuer premium is evaluated in terms of favorable price, while the investor premium is defined in terms of favorable yield. The results suggest that green bonds have had an investor premium based on a positive yield (3.6 basis points). There is no significant change in the price over time. The diff-in-diff analysis gives further clarity regarding the impact of the introduction of the Green Bond Principles in 2014. It was observed that prior to the introduction of the GBP there was an issuer price premium and an investor yield discount. However, after the GBP was introduced, the result was an issuer price discount or an investor yield premium. The target audience for this study is academics, along with issuers and investors in the bond market. The study expands upon academic research in the areas of environmentalism and finance to further understand the viability of green bonds both for improved social responsibility and financial performance

Sex- and tissue-specific Bkm(GATA)-binding protein in the germ cells of heterogametic sex

The ZZ male/ZW female system of sex determination (female heterogamety) is found in snakes and birds whereas XY male/XX female system of sex determination (male heterogamety) operates in mammals including humans. The W and Y chromosomes are largely heterochromatic and undergo cycles of condensation and decondensation in the germ cells of ovary and testis, respectively, whereas they remain highly condensed and transcriptionally inactive in all somatic cells. Both chromosomes have enriched stretches of GATA repeats along their entire length (which is identified as banded krait minor satellite DNA and called Bkm) that are highly conserved through widely separated orders of eukaryotes. Here we report the existence of a factor, which specifically binds to Bkm, in the germ cells of the heterogametic sex (ovary in female heterogamety and testis in male heterogamety) where decondensation (activation) of the W and Y chromosomes, respectively, occurs; it has been purified as a polypeptide of 57.5 kDa from the rat snake ovary and designated as Bkm-binding protein (BBP) by virtue of its binding to GATA repeats of Bkm. Such a sex- and tissue-specific BBP is also present in the ovary of other species of snakes and in the testis of mouse and human where the Y chromosome is highly decondensed. We suggest that GATA repeats of Bkm brings about a coordinated decondensation of the W and Y sex chromosomes in the germ cells of the heterogametic sex in response to BBP which may serve as a "switch" for the activation of the genes present on the W and Y chromosomes

EST-SSRs Provide a Good Measure of Genetic Diversity for Improvement of Gum Content in Cluster Bean

Cyamopsis tetragonoloba (L.) Taub., commonly known as guar is an important multipurpose arid leguminous crop of India, mainly cultivated in north-western parts of India. The pods of the guar plant grow in clusters giving guar the common name of clusterbean. It is mainly grown for feed, green fodder, vegetable and green manuring. Its seeds are also an important source of galactomannan (guar gum) which is used as a food ingredient and more recently as a neutraceutical. Guar gum is also having pharmaceutical importance and found to be effective in osteoarthritis, as artificial cervical mucus and for anticancer medicine in the treatment of colorectal cancer. Particularly in 2012, world demand for guar gum has skyrocketed and the price of guar has increased by approximately 230 per cent and even more, mainly because of increased oilfield shale gas demand. As a consequence, there has been a 75 per cent jump in exports from India, the largest guar producing country (Gresta et al., 2013) due to which India’s much neglected and little-known galactomannan became its biggest agricultural item of export. To fulfill all these purposes, the increasing demand of the guar seeds cannot be compensated by present resources. Therefore, new varieties with higher gum content are urgently needed. For this, knowledge of genetic diversity among the varieties has immense importance for plant breeders. Larger variability in the initial breeding material ensures better chances of producing new desired forms of a crop (Pathak et al., 2011). Molecular markers offer a promising tool for plant breeding efforts. SSRs are highly valued molecular markers for studying genetic diversity in crop plants. But unfortunately, clusterbean is a genomically poor crop as no genomic SSRs have been developed. Literature available on the nature and magnitude of diversity in clusterbean indicates that the studies of this kind are scanty and not properly documented. Studies were therefore, required to assess the extent of genetic variability in association with the galactomannan content using reliable EST-SSRs

Characterization of Ethanol Extracted Cell Wall Components of Mycobacterium avium Subsp. paratuberculosis

Antigens extracted using ethanol (EtOH) and incorporated in the EtOH vortex ELISA (EVELISA) test have previously shown high specificity and sensitivity for detecting Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map) and M. bovis infections in cattle. The objective of this study is to define the components present in the EtOH extract. We show that this extract is composed of lipid, carbohydrate, and proteins on the surface of the bacilli, and that EtOH removes the outer layer structure of Map which comprise these elements. To identify proteins, polyclonal antibodies to the EtOH prep were produced and used to screen a Map genomic expression library. Seven overlapping clones were identified with a single open reading frame, MAP_0585, common to all. MAP_0585, which encodes a hypothetical protein, was recombinantly produced and used to demonstrate strong reactivity in sera from hyperimmunized rabbits, but this protein is not strongly immunogenic in cattle with Johne’s disease. A panel of monoclonal antibodies was used to determine the presence of additional proteins in the EtOH extract. These antibodies demonstrated that a well-known antigen, termed MPB83, is present in M. bovis EtOH extracts and a fatty acid desaturase (MAP_2698c) is present in Map EtOH extracts, while lipoarabinomannan was common to both. The lipid and carbohydrate components of the extract were analyzed using thin layer chromatography and lectin binding, respectively. Lectin biding and protease treatment of the EtOH extract suggest the antigenic component is carbohydrate and not protein. These results give further insight into this important antigen prep for detecting mycobacterial diseases of cattle

Mortalin-p53 interaction in cancer cells is stress dependent and constitutes a novel target for liver cancer therapy

Poster AbstractsThis journal suppl. entitled: The International Liver Congress™ 2011 Abstract Book 46 annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the LiverBACKGROUND AND AIMS: The mortality rate of HCC is high due to tumor recurrence and lack of effective treatment. By proteomics analysis of matched tumor and non-tumor tissues, mortalin was identified as a marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) metastasis and recurrence, suggesting its tight link in HCC development and recurrence. The aim of this study is to examine the role of mortalin in hepatocarcinogenesis. METHODS: The mortalin expression ...postprin

Fractionation of MG Isotopes between the Sun’s Photosphere and the Solar Wind

The Genesis mission goal is to precisely determine the elemental and isotopic composition of the solar photosphere through measurements of solar wind; the photospheric composition being a proxy for the early solar nebula. So, how elements and isotopes are fractionated (or not) when accelerated out of the photosphere is fundamental to interpreting Genesis data