A Complete Cleavage Map of Neurospora crassa mtDNA Obtained with Endonucleases Eco RI and Bam HI

A physical map of Neurospora crassa mitochondrial DNA has been constructed using specific fragments obtained with restriction endonucleases. The DNA has 5 cleavage sites for endonuclease Bam HI, 12 for endonuclease Eco RI and more than 30 for endonuclease Hind III. The sequence of the Eco RI and Bam HI fragments has been established by analysis of partial fragments. By digestion of the Eco RI fragments with Bam HI, a complete overlapping map has been constructed. The position of the largest Hind III fragment on this map has also been determined. The map is circular and the added molecular weight of the fragments is 40 • 10^6, which is in good agreement with earlier measurements on intact DNA, using the electron microscope

Oat-enriched diet reduces inflammatory status assessed by circulating cell-derived microparticle concentrations in type 2 diabetes

This work was funded by the Chief Scientists Office of the Scottish Government by a joint grant to the University of the Highland and Islands, Grampian Health Board, Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland and the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen. Additional support was provided by Provexis plc.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Upper limits for the photoproduction cross section for the phi(--)(1860) pentaquark state off the deuteron

We searched for the phi(--)(1860) pentaquark in the photoproduction process off the deuteron in the Xi(-)pi(-)-decay channel using CLAS. The invariant-mass spectrum of the Xi(-)pi(-) system does not indicate any statistically significant enhancement near the reported mass M = 1.860 GeV. The statistical analysis of the sideband-subtracted mass spectrum yields a 90%-confidence-level upper limit of 0.7 nb for the photoproduction cross section of phi(--)(1860) with a consecutive decay into Xi(-)pi(-) in the photon-energy range 4.5 GeV \u3c E-gamma \u3c 5.5 GeV

Energy efficiency parametric design tool in the framework of holistic ship design optimization

Recent International Maritime Organization (IMO) decisions with respect to measures to reduce the emissions from maritime greenhouse gases (GHGs) suggest that the collaboration of all major stakeholders of shipbuilding and ship operations is required to address this complex techno-economical and highly political problem efficiently. This calls eventually for the development of proper design, operational knowledge, and assessment tools for the energy-efficient design and operation of ships, as suggested by the Second IMO GHG Study (2009). This type of coordination of the efforts of many maritime stakeholders, with often conflicting professional interests but ultimately commonly aiming at optimal ship design and operation solutions, has been addressed within a methodology developed in the EU-funded Logistics-Based (LOGBASED) Design Project (2004–2007). Based on the knowledge base developed within this project, a new parametric design software tool (PDT) has been developed by the National Technical University of Athens, Ship Design Laboratory (NTUA-SDL), for implementing an energy efficiency design and management procedure. The PDT is an integral part of an earlier developed holistic ship design optimization approach by NTUA-SDL that addresses the multi-objective ship design optimization problem. It provides Pareto-optimum solutions and a complete mapping of the design space in a comprehensive way for the final assessment and decision by all the involved stakeholders. The application of the tool to the design of a large oil tanker and alternatively to container ships is elaborated in the presented paper

Whole body and splanchnic amino acid metabolism in sheep during an acute endotoxin challenge

Acknowledgements The expertise of A. Graham Calder and Susan Anderson for the various stable isotope analyses is gratefully recognised. Ngaire Dennison is also thanked for her surgical expertise with the trans-splanchnic tissue catheter preparations. This study was supported by funds provided to the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen and Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland by the Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division of the Scottish Government. S. O. H. was a recipient of a FoRST (NZ) award to study abroad.Peer reviewedPostprin

Valence, instrumentality, expectancy, and ability as determinants of faking, and the effects of faking on criterion-related validity

We investigated individual differences in faking in simulated high-stakes personality assessments through the lens of expectancy (VIE) theory, using a novel experimental paradigm. Three hundred ninety-eight participants (MTurk) completed a “low-stakes” HEXACO personality assessment for research purposes. Three months later, we invited all 398 participants to compete for an opportunity to complete a genuine, well-paid, one-off MTurk job, and 201 accepted. After viewing the selection criteria, which described high levels of perfectionism as critical for selection, these participants completed the HEXACO personality assessment as part of their applications (“high-stakes”). All 201 participants were then informed their applications were successful and were invited to complete the performance task, with 189 accepting the offer. The task, which involved checking text data for inconsistencies, captured two objective performance criteria. We observed faking on measures of diligence and perfectionism. We found that perceived job desirability (valence) was the strongest (positive) determinant of individual differences in faking, along with perceived instrumentality and expectancy. Honesty-humility was also associated with faking however, unexpectedly, the association was positive. When all predictors were combined, only perceived job desirability remained a significant motivational determinant of faking, with cognitive ability also being a positive predictor. We found no evidence that cognitive ability moderated the relations of motivation and faking. To investigate the role of faking on predictive validity, we split the sample into those who had faked to a statistically large extent, and those who had not. We found that the validity of high-stakes assessments was higher amongst the group that had faked

The Heavy Photon Search beamline and its performance

The Heavy Photon Search (HPS) is an experiment to search for a hidden sector photon, aka a heavy photon or dark photon, in fixed target electroproduction at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab). The HPS experiment searches for the e$^+$e$^-$ decay of the heavy photon with bump hunt and detached vertex strategies using a compact, large acceptance forward spectrometer, consisting of a silicon microstrip detector (SVT) for tracking and vertexing, and a PbWO$_4$ electromagnetic calorimeter for energy measurement and fast triggering. To achieve large acceptance and good vertexing resolution, the first layer of silicon detectors is placed just 10 cm downstream of the target with the sensor edges only 500 $\mu$m above and below the beam. Placing the SVT in such close proximity to the beam puts stringent requirements on the beam profile and beam position stability. As part of an approved engineering run, HPS took data in 2015 and 2016 at 1.05 GeV and 2.3 GeV beam energies, respectively. This paper describes the beam line and its performance during that data taking

Evaluating the Illinois Stream Valley Segment Model as an Effective Management Tool

Stream habitat assessments are conducted to evaluate biological potential, determine anthropogenic impacts, and guide restoration projects. Utilizing these procedures, managers must first select a representative stream reach, which is typically selected based on several criteria. To develop a consistent and unbiased procedure for choosing sampling locations, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Illinois Natural History Survey have proposed a technique by which watersheds are divided into homogeneous stream segments called valley segments. Valley segments are determined by GIS parameters including surficial geology, predicted flow, slope, and drainage area. To date, no research has been conducted to determine if the stream habitat within a valley segment is homogeneous and if different valley segments have varying habitat variables. Two abutting valley segments were randomly selected within 13 streams in the Embarras River watershed, located in east-central Illinois. One hundred meter reaches were randomly selected within each valley segment, and a transect method was used to quantify habitat characteristics of the stream channel. Habitat variables for each stream were combined through a principal components analysis (PCA) to measure environmental variation between abutting valley segments. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was performed on PCA axes 1–3. The majority of abutting valley segments were significantly different from each other indicating that habitat variability within each valley segment was less than variability between valley segments (5.37 B F B 245.13; P B 0.002). This comparison supports the use of the valley segment model as an effective management tool for identifying representative sampling locations and extrapolating reach-specific information