Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE). The boundary pixel study in Kansas and North Dakota

The author has identified the following significant results. The statistical mapping approach to handling boundary pixels can be used as a standard for objectively comparing the cluster based technique, the maximum likelihood estimate based technique, and multicategory labeling

Evaluation of Classification Procedures for Estimating Wheat Acreage in Kansas

This report presents the results of experiments which were performed to evaluate procedures for estimating wheat acreage in intensive test sites (ITS\u27s) in Kansas. An analyst/interpreter (AI) selected and labeled fields from Landsat-1 satellite imagery. Statistics were generated for each selected ITS, and the imagery was classified using a maximum likelihood classifier. Various components of the classification process were tested

Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE). LACIE transition year plan for the direct estimation of wheat from LANDSAT imagery

There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Electron exchange model potential: Application to positronium-helium scattering

The formulation of a suitable nonlocal model potential for electron exchange is presented, checked with electron-hydrogen and electron-helium scattering, and applied to the study of elastic and inelastic scattering and ionization of ortho positronium (Ps) by helium. The elastic scattering and the $n = 2$ excitations of Ps are investigated using a three-Ps-state close-coupling approximation. The higher ($n\ge 3$) excitations and ionization of Ps atom are treated in the framework of Born approximation with present exchange. Calculations are reported of phase shifts, and elastic, Ps-excitation, and total cross sections. The present target elastic total cross section agrees well with experimental results at thermal to medium energies.Comment: 16 latex pages, 7 postscript figure

The natural stilbenoid (-)-hopeaphenol inhibits cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2 USA-WA1/2020, B.1.1.7, and B.1.351 variants

Antivirals are urgently needed to combat the global SARS-CoV-2/COVID- 19 pandemic, supplement existing vaccine efforts, and target emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Small molecules that interfere with binding of the viral spike receptor binding domain (RBD) to the host angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2) receptor may be effective inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 cell entry. Here, we screened 512 pure compounds derived from natural products using a high-throughput RBD/ACE2 binding assay and identified (-)-hopeaphenol, a resveratrol tetramer, in addition to vatalbinoside A and vaticanol B, as potent and selective inhibitors of RBD/ACE2 binding and viral entry. For example, (-)-hopeaphenol disrupted RBD/ACE2 binding with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.11 mM, in contrast to an IC50 of 28.3 mM against the unrelated host ligand/receptor binding pair PD-1/PD-L1 (selectivity index, 257.3). When assessed against the USA-WA1/2020 variant, (-)-hopeaphenol also inhibited entry of a VSVDG-GFP reporter pseudovirus expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike into ACE2-expressing Vero-E6 cells and in vitro replication of infectious virus in cytopathic effect and yield reduction assays (50% effective concentrations [EC50s], 10.2 to 23.4 mM) without cytotoxicity and approaching the activities of the control antiviral remdesivir (EC50s, 1.0 to 7.3 mM). Notably, (-)-hopeaphenol also inhibited two emerging variants of concern, B.1.1.7/Alpha and B.1.351/Beta in both viral and spike-containing pseudovirus assays with similar or improved activities over the USA-WA1/2020 variant. These results identify (-)-hopeaphenol and related stilbenoid analogues as potent and selective inhibitors of viral entry across multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern

Purification of chicken carbonic anhydrase isozyme-III (CA-III) and its measurement in White Leghorn chickens

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The developmental profile of chicken carbonic anhydrase-III (CA-III) blood levels has not been previously determined or reported. We isolated CA-III from chicken muscle and investigated age-related changes in the levels of CA-III in blood.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>CA-III was purified from chicken muscle. The levels of CA-III in plasma and erythrocytes from 278 female chickens (aged 1-93 weeks) and 68 male chickens (aged 3-59 weeks) were determined by ELISA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean level of CA-III in female chicken erythrocytes (1 week old) was 4.6 μg/g of Hb, and the CA-III level did not change until 16 weeks of age. The level then increased until 63 weeks of age (11.8 μg/g of Hb), decreased to 4.7 μg/g of Hb at 73 weeks of age, and increased again until 93 weeks of age (8.6 μg/g of Hb). The mean level of CA-III in erythrocytes from male chickens (3 weeks old) was 2.4 μg/g of Hb, and this level remained steady until 59 weeks of age. The mean plasma level of CA-III in 1-week-old female chickens was 60 ng/mL, and this level was increased at 3 weeks of age (141 ng/mL) and then remained steady until 80 weeks of age (122 ng/mL). The mean plasma level of CA-III in 3-week-old male chickens was 58 ng/mL, and this level remained steady until 59 weeks of age.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We observed both developmental changes and sex differences in CA-III concentrations in White Leghorn (WL) chicken erythrocytes and plasma. Simple linear regression analysis showed a significant association between the erythrocyte CA-III level and egg-laying rate in WL-chickens 16-63 weeks of age (p < 0.01).</p

The impact of smoking cessation on multiple sclerosis disease progression

The negative impact of smoking in MS is well established, however, there is much less evidence as to whether smoking cessation is beneficial to progression in MS. Adults with MS registered on the United Kingdom MS Register (2011-2020) formed this retrospective and prospective cohort study. Primary outcomes were changes in 3 patient reported outcomes (PROs): normalised MS Physical Impact Scale (MSIS-29-Phys), normalised MS Walking Scale (MSWS-12) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-Anxiety and HADS-Depression). Time to event outcomes were clinically significant increases in the PROs. 7983 participants were included, 4130 (51.7%) of these had ever smoked; of whom 1315 (16.5%) were current smokers and 2815/4130 (68.2%) were former smokers. For all PROs, current smokers at the time of completing their first questionnaire had higher PRO scores indicating higher disability compared to those who had never smoked (∼10 points difference in MSIS-29-Phys and MSWS-12; 1.5-1.8 point for HADS-anxiety and HADS-depression). There was no improvement in PRO scores with increasing time since quitting in former smokers. 923 participants formed the prospective parallel group, which demonstrated that MSIS-29-phy 5.03, [3.71, 6.34], MSWS-12 5.28, [3.62, 6.94] and HADS-depression 0.71, [0.47, 0.96] worsened over a period of 4 years, whereas HADS-anxiety remained stable. Smoking status was significant at year 4; current smokers had higher MSIS-29-Phys and HADS-Anxiety scores (3.05 [0.22, 5.88], 1.14 [0.52,1.76]) while former smokers had a lower MSIS-29 score of -2.91[-5.03, -0.79]. 4642 participants comprised the time to event analysis. Still smoking was associated with a shorter time to worsening event in all PROs (MSIS-29-Phys: n = 4436, p = 0.0013; MSWS-12: n = 3902, p = 0.0061; HADS-anxiety: n = 4511, p = 0.0017; HADS-depression: n = 4511, p &amp;lt; 0.0001). Worsening in motor disability (MSIS-29-Phys and MSWS-12) was independent of baseline HADS-anxiety and HADS-depression scores. There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of worsening between never and former smokers. When smokers quit, there is a slowing in the rate of motor disability deterioration so that it matches the rate of motor decline in those who have never smoked. This suggests that smoking cessation is beneficial for people with MS

Osteoarthritic changes in vervet monkey knees correlate with meniscus degradation and increased matrix metalloproteinase and cytokine secretion

Meniscus injury increases osteoarthritis risk but its pathobiology in osteoarthritis is unclear. We hypothesized that older adult vervet monkeys would exhibit knee osteoarthritic changes and the degenerative menisci from these animals would secrete matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and pro-inflammatory cytokines that contribute to the development of osteoarthritis

'High'-School: The Relationship between Early Marijuana Use and Educational Outcomes

We use unique survey data linked to nearly a decade of administrative welfare data to examine the relationship between early marijuana use (at age 14 or younger) and young people's educational outcomes. We find evidence that early marijuana use is related to educational penalties that are compounded by high-intensity use and are larger for young people living in families with a history of welfare receipt. The relationships between marijuana use and both high school completion and achieving a university entrance score appear to stem from selectivity into the use of marijuana. In contrast, early marijuana use is associated with significantly lower university entrance score for those who obtain one and we provide evidence that this effect is unlikely to be driven by selection. Collectively, these findings point to a more nuanced view of the relationship between adolescent marijuana use and educational outcomes than is suggested by the existing literature