Transport Activity of Rice Sucrose Transporters OsSUT1 and OsSUT5

Expression in Xenopus oocytes and electrophysiology was used to test for transport activity of the five sucrose transporter (SUT) homologs from rice. Expression of OsSUT1 and OsSUT5 resulted in sucrose-dependent currents that were analyzed by two-electrode voltage clamping. We examined the transport kinetics, substrate specificity and pH dependence of sucrose transport and K0.5 for sucrose. OsSUT1 showed similar features to those of other type II SUTs from monocots examined previously, with a K0.5 value of 7.50 mM at pH 5.6. In contrast, OsSUT5 had a higher substrate affinity (K0.5 = 2.32 mM at pH 5.6), less substrate specificity and less pH dependence compared with all type II SUTs tested to date. Regulation of the rice SUTs, as well as ZmSUT1 from maize and HvSUT1 from barley, by reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) forms of glutathione was tested. GSSG and GSH were found to have no significant effect on the activity of sucrose transporters when expressed in Xenopus oocytes. In conclusion, differences in transport activity between OsSUT1 and OsSUT5 indicate that type II SUTs have a range of transport activities that are tuned to their function in the plant

Predicative Ability of QCD Sum Rules for Decuplet Baryons

QCD sum rules for decuplet baryon two-point functions are investigated using a comprehensive Monte-Carlo based procedure. In this procedure, all uncertainties in the QCD input parameters are incorporated simultaneously, resulting in realistic estimates of the uncertainties in the extracted phenomenological parameters. Correlations between the QCD input parameters and the phenomenological parameters are studied by way of scatter plots. The predicted couplings are useful in evaluating matrix elements of decuplet baryons in the QCD sum rule approach. They are also used to check a cubic scaling law between baryon couplings and masses, as recently found by Dey and coworkers. The results show a significant reduction in the scaling constant and some possible deviations from the cubic law.Comment: 13 pages, RevTeX, 5 PS figures embedded with psfig.st

Lower extremity vascular disease

Purpose: We performed a systematic review to assess (1) to what extent Incident Reporting Systems (IRS) on the adult ICU meet the criteria of the WHO Draft Guidelines for Adverse Event Reporting and Learning Systems, (2) to what extent the IRSs comply with the four aspects of the iterative quality loop and (3) whether IRSs have led to improvement measures in clinical practice. Data sources: The authors searched multiple electronic databases from 1966 until June 26th 2014. Study Selection: Studies were included if they reported incident reporting systems on the adult ICU. Data Extraction: Data on study design, characteristics of the incident reporting system, implementation, feedback and improvement measures were collected using structured data extraction forms. Results of data synthesis: A total of 2098 studies were identified and 36 studies reported IRSs on the adult ICU. Studies were divided into: ICU specific IRSs and general IRSs. Items of the WHO checklist were assessed and categorized into the four phases of the iterative quality loop. Conclusion: None of the IRSs completely fulfilled the WHO checklist criteria. With respect to the iterative loop, data input and data collection are well established but not much attention was given to analyzing incidents and to give feedback. This resulted in an administrative report system, rather than the much desired instrument for change of practice and increase of quality as an IRS can only effectively contribute to improve patient safety and quality of care if more attention is given to analyzing incidents and feedback.Perioperative Medicine: Efficacy, Safety and Outcom

Octet Baryons at Finite Temperature: QCD Sum Rules vs. Chiral Symmetry

Correlators of the octet baryons in the hot pion gas are studied in the framework of the QCD sum rule. The condensates appearing in the OPE side of the correlators become T-dependent through the interaction with thermal pions. We present an explicit demonstration that the $O(T^2)$-dependence of the condensates is completely compensated by the change of the pole residue and the $\pi + B \rightarrow B'$ scattering effect in the spectral functions. Therefore the baryon masses are constant to this order, although $\langle\bar{u}u\rangle_T\simeq\langle\bar{u}u\rangle_0(1-T^2/8f_\pi^2)$, which is consistent with the chiral symmetry constraint by Leutwyler and Smilga.Comment: 19 pages, MSUNSCL-870, LaTex files, 2 figs. consisting of simple Feynmann diagrams not included, Phys.Rev.D in pres

Functional traits of trees on and off termite mounds:Understanding the origin of biotically-driven heterogeneity in savannas

Questions In African savannas, Macrotermes termites contribute to small-scale heterogeneity by constructing large mounds. Operating as islands of high nutrient and water availability and low fire frequency, these mounds support distinct, diverse communities of trees that have been shown to be highly attractive to browsers. However, the distinct traits of tree species on termite mounds have hardly been studied, even though this may help to understand processes determining (1) their characteristic community structure and (2) attractiveness for browsers. Here, we compare functional trait and browser preference values between tree species on and off termite mounds. Location Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa. Methods We recorded tree community compositions for 16 large Macrotermes natalensis mounds and 16 control plots of 100 m2 each in a paired design. For each observed tree species we measured 22 traits, related to water and nutrient use, fire tolerance, light competition and anti-herbivore defence, and compared average trait values between mound and control communities. Furthermore, we investigated the feeding preferences of ungulate browsers for the most common tree species and how this was linked to their associated traits. Results Termite mounds supported tree communities that were distinct from the surrounding savanna vegetation. Mounds hosted more evergreen and less leguminous tree species than control communities, and the dominant species were less mechanically defended, less nutritious, had larger leaves and lower wood density than the species dominating control plots. Browsers preferred leguminous tree species with high leaf N and P content, which were relatively rare on termite mounds. Conclusions Overall, we conclude that termite mounds in this savanna form small refuges for tree species that seem less adapted to fire (more evergreens), have low nutrient availability (less nitrogen fixers) and suffer from water stress (larger leaf sizes) than typical savanna trees. Surprisingly, despite their reputation as browsing hotspots, the tree species dominating mounds are less nutritious and less preferred by browsers than tree species of the surrounding savanna, which may be explained by the relatively nutrient-rich nature of this savanna or intraspecific trait differences

S_3 and the L=1 Baryons in the Quark Model and the Chiral Quark Model

The S_3 symmetry corresponding to permuting the positions of the quarks within a baryon allows us to study the 70-plet of L=1 baryons without an explicit choice for the spatial part of the quark wave functions: given a set of operators with definite transformation properties under the spin-flavor group SU(3) x SU(2) and under this S_3, the masses of the baryons can be expressed in terms of a small number of unknown parameters which are fit to the observed L=1 baryon mass spectrum. This approach is applied to study both the quark model and chiral constituent quark model. The latter theory leads to a set of mass perturbations which more satisfactorily fits the observed L=1 baryon mass spectrum (though we can say nothing, within our approach, about the physical reasonableness of the parameters in the fit). Predictions for the mixing angles and the unobserved baryon masses are given for both models as well as a discussion of specific baryons.Comment: 24 pages, requires picte

Toepasssing van Aquanox in de glastuinbouw

Wageningen UR Glastuinbouw heeft samen met Reinders Vernevelings- en Ontsmettingstechniek het project uitgevoerd naar Toepassingen van Aquanox in de glastuinbouw. Gefinancierd door Productschap Tuinbouw en Ministerie EL&I. Screeningstesten onder laboratoriumcondities geven aan dat er een brede werking is tegen schimmels en bacteriën. Virusdeeltjes in plantensap werden echter nog onvoldoende gedood door geactiveerd water. Screening van het gedrag van insecten op overleving na 24 uur in een vernevelingsbehandeling met Aquanox gaf geen doding op natuurlijke plaagbestrijders. Een lichte bestrijdende werking werd gevonden op witte vlieg, spintmijt en Californische trips. De proeven met tomaat, komkommer, roos, Poinsettia en gerbera geven aan dat er een bestrijdend effect is van geactiveerd water tegen echte meeldauw en Botrytis. Het vervolgonderzoek zal gericht zijn op vermindering van corrosierisico’s en vermindering van risico op gewasschade binnen diverse toepassingen in de teel

What do heavy-light (Qqˉ Q\bar{q} ) quark systems tell us about QCD vacuum properties?

Arguments in favor of a large magnitude ( at least two- three times bigger than its factorized value) of the mixed vacuum condensate \la \bar{q}G_{\mu\nu}^a G_{\mu\nu}^a q \ra are given. The analysis is based on the strict inequalities which follow from the QCD sum rules method and on very plausible phenomenological assumptions like $m_{B_s} > m_{B_u}$ for the few lowest exited $Q\bar{q}$ states in a heavy quark limit $m_Q\rightarrow\infty$. The same arguments show the suppression of the $SU(3)$ symmetry breaking effects for vacuum condensates when the additional gluon fields are included.Comment: SMU-HEP-PH-9323, 18pages, LATE

White matter integrity as a predictor of response to treatment in first episode psychosis

The integrity of brain white matter connections is central to a patient's ability to respond to pharmacological interventions. This study tested this hypothesis using a specific measure of white matter integrity, and examining its relationship to treatment response using a prospective design in patients within their first episode of psychosis. Diffusion tensor imaging data were acquired in 63 patients with first episode psychosis and 52 healthy control subjects (baseline). Response was assessed after 12 weeks and patients were classified as responders or non-responders according to treatment outcome. At this second time-point, they also underwent a second diffusion tensor imaging scan. Tract-based spatial statistics were used to assess fractional anisotropy as a marker of white matter integrity. At baseline, non-responders showed lower fractional anisotropy than both responders and healthy control subjects (P < 0.05; family-wise error-corrected), mainly in the uncinate, cingulum and corpus callosum, whereas responders were indistinguishable from healthy control subjects. After 12 weeks, there was an increase in fractional anisotropy in both responders and non-responders, positively correlated with antipsychotic exposure. This represents one of the largest, controlled investigations of white matter integrity and response to antipsychotic treatment early in psychosis. These data, together with earlier findings on cortical grey matter, suggest that grey and white matter integrity at the start of treatment is an important moderator of response to antipsychotics. These findings can inform patient stratification to anticipate care needs, and raise the possibility that antipsychotics may restore white matter integrity as part of the therapeutic response