Rapid on-site identification of volatile organic compounds （VOCs） in ambient air is an important first step in remediation efforts. This study describes modification of a commercially available, portable GC/MS syste...Rapid on-site identification of volatile organic compounds （VOCs） in ambient air is an important first step in remediation efforts. This study describes modification of a commercially available, portable GC/MS system and development of an analysis protocol for rapid （〈 3 min） sampling and identification of VOCs typically found at contaminated sites at the low ppbv level.展开更多
Background： Heifers not used as breeding stock are often implanted with steroids to increase growth efficiency thereby altering hormone profiles and potentially changing the environment in which ovarian follicles dev...Background： Heifers not used as breeding stock are often implanted with steroids to increase growth efficiency thereby altering hormone profiles and potentially changing the environment in which ovarian follicles develop. Because bovine granulosa cell culture is a commonly used technique and often bovine ovaries are collected from abattoirs with no record of implant status, the objective of this study was to determine if the presence of an implant during bovine granulosa cell development impacts follicle stimulating hormone-regulated steroidogenic enzyme expression. Paired ovaries were collected from 16 feedlot heifers subjected to 1 of 3 treatments： non-implanted （n = 5）, Revalor 200 for 28 d （n = 5）, or Revalor 200 for 84 d （n = 6）. Small follicle （1 to 5 mm） granulosa cells were isolated from each pair and incubated with phosphate buffered saline （n = 16） or 100 ng/mL follicle stimulating hormone （n = 16） for 24 h. Results： Granulosa cells of implanted heifers treated with follicle stimulating hormone produced medium concentrations of progesterone similar （P = 0.22） to non-implanted heifers, while medium estradiol concentrations were increased （P 〈 0.10） at 28 and 84 d compared to non-implanted heifers indicating efficacy of treatment. Additionally, real-time PCR analysis in response to follicle stimulating hormone treatment demonstrated a decrease in steroidogenic acute regulatory protein （P = 0.05） mRNA expression in heifers implanted for 84 d and an increase in P450 side chain cleavage mRNA in granulosa cells of heifers implanted for 28 （P 〈 0.10） or 84 d （P 〈 0.05） compared to non-implanted females. However, no difference in expression of 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase （P= 0.57） and aromatase （P = 0.23） were demonstrated in implanted or non-implanted heifers. Conclusions： These results indicate follicles which develop in the presence of high concentrations of androgenic and estrogenic steroids via an implant tend to demonstrate an alter展开更多
The study explores inequalities in the utilization of delivery care services in different administrative divisions in Bangladesh, by key socioeconomic factors. It estimates the extent of the relationship between women...The study explores inequalities in the utilization of delivery care services in different administrative divisions in Bangladesh, by key socioeconomic factors. It estimates the extent of the relationship between women’s socioeconomic inequalities and their place of delivery during 2004 and 2007. Trends in relation to place of delivery in relation to residency and education over a period of thirteen years (1993-2007) have also been measured. The study analyzed the trends and patterns in utilization of institutional delivery care among mothers, using data from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey (BDHS) conducted during 1993-2007. The data was disaggregated by area of residence in different divisions in Bangladesh. Bi-variate analyses, concentration curves and multivariate logistic regression were employed in the analysis of the data. The study indicated slow progress in the utilization of institutional delivery care among mothers in Bangladesh between 1993 and 2007. Large variations in outcome measures were observed among the different divisions. Multivariate analyses suggested growing inequalities in utilization of delivery care services between different economic groups and parents with different educational levels. The use of institutional delivery care remains substantially lower among poor and less educated rural mothers in Bangladesh, irrespective of age and employment. Further studies are recommended to explore the specific causes relating to the non-utilization of institutional delivery care.展开更多
The objective of this study was to investigate if the mothers’ demographics and household characteristics—including type of use of cooking fuel, energy and toilet facilities—have any implication for complete immuni...The objective of this study was to investigate if the mothers’ demographics and household characteristics—including type of use of cooking fuel, energy and toilet facilities—have any implication for complete immunisation rates among their children. A cross-sectional data analysis of a nationally representative sample of 4925 women with at least one child was performed. Chisquared tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used. Immunisation coverage was positively associated with the mother’s education and with household characteristics such as toilet facility, electricity and involvement in a microfinance group. These findings indicate the need for further advocacy for increased knowledge on the importance of vaccination and affordable public immunisation programs focusing on higher risk households such as those with pit facilities, lack of electricity and no participation in a microfinance group. Such households warrant further attention and can be targeted for immunisation coverage.展开更多
The dissolution of minerals plays an important role in the formation of soils and sediments. In nutrient limiting soils, minerals constitute a major reservoir of bio-essential cations. Of particular interest is granit...The dissolution of minerals plays an important role in the formation of soils and sediments. In nutrient limiting soils, minerals constitute a major reservoir of bio-essential cations. Of particular interest is granite as it is the major rock type of the continental land mass. Although certain bacteria have been shown to enhance weathering of granite-forming minerals, little is known about the dissolution of granite, at the whole rock scale, and the microbial community involved. In this study, both culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches were used to study the bacterial community at the interface between granite bedrock and nutrient limiting soil in Dartmoor National Park, United Kingdom. High throughput sequencing demonstrated that over 70% of the bacterial population consisted of the bacterial classes Bacilli, Beta-proteobacteria and Gamma-proteo-bacteria. Bacteria belonging to the genera Serratia, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Chromo-bacterium and Burkholderia were isolated from the sample site. All of the isolates were able to grow in a minimal growth medium, which contained glucose and ammonium chloride, with granite as the sole source of bio-essential elements. Sixty six percent of the isolates significantly enhanced basalt dissolution (p < 0.05). Dissolution of Si, K, Ca and Mg correlated with production of oxalic acid and acidification. The results of this study suggest that microorganisms in nutrient limiting soils can enhance the rate of granite dissolution, which is an important part of the biogeochemical cycle.展开更多
An individual’s morphology is shaped by the environmental pressures it experiences,and the resulting morphological response is the culmination of both genetic factors and environmental(non-genetic)conditions experien...An individual’s morphology is shaped by the environmental pressures it experiences,and the resulting morphological response is the culmination of both genetic factors and environmental(non-genetic)conditions experienced early in its life(i.e.phenotypic plasticity).The role that phenotypic plasticity plays in shaping phenotypes is important,but evidence for its influence is often mixed.We exposed female neonate diamond-backed watersnakes(Nerodia rhombifer)from populations experiencing different prey-size regimes to different feeding treatments to test the influence of phenotypic plasticity in shaping trophic morphology.We found that snakes in a large-prey treatment from a population frequently encountering large prey exhibited a higher growth rate in body size than individuals in a small-prey treatment from the same population.This pattern was not observed in snakes from a population that regularly encounters small prey.We also found that regardless of treatment,snakes from the smallprey population were smaller at birth than snakes from the large-prey population and remained so throughout the study.These results suggest that the ability to plastically respond to environmental pressures may be populationspecific.These results also indicate a genetic predisposition towards larger body sizes in a population where large prey items are more common.展开更多
Understanding how plants respond to nitrogen in their environment is crucial for determining how they use it and how the nitrogen use affects other processes related to plant growth and development. Under nitrogen lim...Understanding how plants respond to nitrogen in their environment is crucial for determining how they use it and how the nitrogen use affects other processes related to plant growth and development. Under nitrogen limitation the activity and affinity of uptake systems is increased in roots, and lateral root formation is regulated in order to adapt to low nitrogen levels and scavenge from the soil. Plants in the legume family can form associations with rhizobial nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and this association is tightly regulated by nitrogen levels. The effect of nitrogen on nodulation has been extensively investigated, but the effects of nodulation on plant nitrogen responses remain largely unclear. In this study, we integrated molecular and phenotypic data in the legume Medicago truncatula and determined that genes controlling nitrogen influx are differently expressed depending on whether plants are mock or rhizobia inoculated. We found that a functional autoregulation of nodulation pathway is required for roots to perceive, take up, and mobilize nitrogen as well as for normal root development. Our results together revealed that autoregulation of nodulation, root development, and the location of nitrogen are processes balanced by the whole plant system as part of a resource-partitioning mechanism.展开更多
基金supported by a grant from the Syracuse Center of Excellence
文摘Rapid on-site identification of volatile organic compounds （VOCs） in ambient air is an important first step in remediation efforts. This study describes modification of a commercially available, portable GC/MS system and development of an analysis protocol for rapid （〈 3 min） sampling and identification of VOCs typically found at contaminated sites at the low ppbv level.
基金supported by the Oklahoma Agric.Exp.Sta.,Stillwater(OKL02789)
文摘Background： Heifers not used as breeding stock are often implanted with steroids to increase growth efficiency thereby altering hormone profiles and potentially changing the environment in which ovarian follicles develop. Because bovine granulosa cell culture is a commonly used technique and often bovine ovaries are collected from abattoirs with no record of implant status, the objective of this study was to determine if the presence of an implant during bovine granulosa cell development impacts follicle stimulating hormone-regulated steroidogenic enzyme expression. Paired ovaries were collected from 16 feedlot heifers subjected to 1 of 3 treatments： non-implanted （n = 5）, Revalor 200 for 28 d （n = 5）, or Revalor 200 for 84 d （n = 6）. Small follicle （1 to 5 mm） granulosa cells were isolated from each pair and incubated with phosphate buffered saline （n = 16） or 100 ng/mL follicle stimulating hormone （n = 16） for 24 h. Results： Granulosa cells of implanted heifers treated with follicle stimulating hormone produced medium concentrations of progesterone similar （P = 0.22） to non-implanted heifers, while medium estradiol concentrations were increased （P 〈 0.10） at 28 and 84 d compared to non-implanted heifers indicating efficacy of treatment. Additionally, real-time PCR analysis in response to follicle stimulating hormone treatment demonstrated a decrease in steroidogenic acute regulatory protein （P = 0.05） mRNA expression in heifers implanted for 84 d and an increase in P450 side chain cleavage mRNA in granulosa cells of heifers implanted for 28 （P 〈 0.10） or 84 d （P 〈 0.05） compared to non-implanted females. However, no difference in expression of 3-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase （P= 0.57） and aromatase （P = 0.23） were demonstrated in implanted or non-implanted heifers. Conclusions： These results indicate follicles which develop in the presence of high concentrations of androgenic and estrogenic steroids via an implant tend to demonstrate an alter
文摘The study explores inequalities in the utilization of delivery care services in different administrative divisions in Bangladesh, by key socioeconomic factors. It estimates the extent of the relationship between women’s socioeconomic inequalities and their place of delivery during 2004 and 2007. Trends in relation to place of delivery in relation to residency and education over a period of thirteen years (1993-2007) have also been measured. The study analyzed the trends and patterns in utilization of institutional delivery care among mothers, using data from the Bangladesh Demographic Health Survey (BDHS) conducted during 1993-2007. The data was disaggregated by area of residence in different divisions in Bangladesh. Bi-variate analyses, concentration curves and multivariate logistic regression were employed in the analysis of the data. The study indicated slow progress in the utilization of institutional delivery care among mothers in Bangladesh between 1993 and 2007. Large variations in outcome measures were observed among the different divisions. Multivariate analyses suggested growing inequalities in utilization of delivery care services between different economic groups and parents with different educational levels. The use of institutional delivery care remains substantially lower among poor and less educated rural mothers in Bangladesh, irrespective of age and employment. Further studies are recommended to explore the specific causes relating to the non-utilization of institutional delivery care.
文摘The objective of this study was to investigate if the mothers’ demographics and household characteristics—including type of use of cooking fuel, energy and toilet facilities—have any implication for complete immunisation rates among their children. A cross-sectional data analysis of a nationally representative sample of 4925 women with at least one child was performed. Chisquared tests and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used. Immunisation coverage was positively associated with the mother’s education and with household characteristics such as toilet facility, electricity and involvement in a microfinance group. These findings indicate the need for further advocacy for increased knowledge on the importance of vaccination and affordable public immunisation programs focusing on higher risk households such as those with pit facilities, lack of electricity and no participation in a microfinance group. Such households warrant further attention and can be targeted for immunisation coverage.
文摘The dissolution of minerals plays an important role in the formation of soils and sediments. In nutrient limiting soils, minerals constitute a major reservoir of bio-essential cations. Of particular interest is granite as it is the major rock type of the continental land mass. Although certain bacteria have been shown to enhance weathering of granite-forming minerals, little is known about the dissolution of granite, at the whole rock scale, and the microbial community involved. In this study, both culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches were used to study the bacterial community at the interface between granite bedrock and nutrient limiting soil in Dartmoor National Park, United Kingdom. High throughput sequencing demonstrated that over 70% of the bacterial population consisted of the bacterial classes Bacilli, Beta-proteobacteria and Gamma-proteo-bacteria. Bacteria belonging to the genera Serratia, Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Paenibacillus, Chromo-bacterium and Burkholderia were isolated from the sample site. All of the isolates were able to grow in a minimal growth medium, which contained glucose and ammonium chloride, with granite as the sole source of bio-essential elements. Sixty six percent of the isolates significantly enhanced basalt dissolution (p < 0.05). Dissolution of Si, K, Ca and Mg correlated with production of oxalic acid and acidification. The results of this study suggest that microorganisms in nutrient limiting soils can enhance the rate of granite dissolution, which is an important part of the biogeochemical cycle.
基金the use of their animal facilities.All methods were approved by the University of Central Arkansas Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee(protocol#14-006)All collecting was approved by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission(permit#032520141).
文摘An individual’s morphology is shaped by the environmental pressures it experiences,and the resulting morphological response is the culmination of both genetic factors and environmental(non-genetic)conditions experienced early in its life(i.e.phenotypic plasticity).The role that phenotypic plasticity plays in shaping phenotypes is important,but evidence for its influence is often mixed.We exposed female neonate diamond-backed watersnakes(Nerodia rhombifer)from populations experiencing different prey-size regimes to different feeding treatments to test the influence of phenotypic plasticity in shaping trophic morphology.We found that snakes in a large-prey treatment from a population frequently encountering large prey exhibited a higher growth rate in body size than individuals in a small-prey treatment from the same population.This pattern was not observed in snakes from a population that regularly encounters small prey.We also found that regardless of treatment,snakes from the smallprey population were smaller at birth than snakes from the large-prey population and remained so throughout the study.These results suggest that the ability to plastically respond to environmental pressures may be populationspecific.These results also indicate a genetic predisposition towards larger body sizes in a population where large prey items are more common.
文摘Understanding how plants respond to nitrogen in their environment is crucial for determining how they use it and how the nitrogen use affects other processes related to plant growth and development. Under nitrogen limitation the activity and affinity of uptake systems is increased in roots, and lateral root formation is regulated in order to adapt to low nitrogen levels and scavenge from the soil. Plants in the legume family can form associations with rhizobial nitrogen-fixing bacteria, and this association is tightly regulated by nitrogen levels. The effect of nitrogen on nodulation has been extensively investigated, but the effects of nodulation on plant nitrogen responses remain largely unclear. In this study, we integrated molecular and phenotypic data in the legume Medicago truncatula and determined that genes controlling nitrogen influx are differently expressed depending on whether plants are mock or rhizobia inoculated. We found that a functional autoregulation of nodulation pathway is required for roots to perceive, take up, and mobilize nitrogen as well as for normal root development. Our results together revealed that autoregulation of nodulation, root development, and the location of nitrogen are processes balanced by the whole plant system as part of a resource-partitioning mechanism.
