Small angle neutron scattering on an absolute intensity scale and the internal surface of diatom frustules from three species of differing morphologies.

The internal nanostructure of the diatoms Cyclotella meneghiniana, Seminavis robusta and Achnanthes subsessilis was investigated using small angle neutron scattering (SANS) to examine thin biosilica samples, consisting of isotropic (powder) from their isolated cell walls. The interpretation of SANS data was assisted by several other measurements. The N2 adsorption, interpreted within the Branuer-Emmet-Teller isotherm, yielded the specific surface area of the material. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy indicates that the isolated material is amorphous silica with small amounts of organic cell wall materials acting as a filling material between the silica particles. A two-phase (air and amorphous silica) model was used to interpret small angle neutron scattering data. After correction for instrumental resolution, the measurements on two SANS instruments covered an extended range of scattering vectors 0.0011 nm(-1) < q < 5.6 nm(-1), giving an almost continuous SANS curve over a range of scattering vectors, q, on an absolute scale of intensity for each sample. Each of the samples gave a characteristic scattering curve where log (intensity) versus log (q) has a -4 dependence, with other features superimposed. In the high-q regime, departure from this behaviour was observed at a length-scales equivalent to the proposed unitary silica particle. The limiting Porod scattering law was used to determine the specific area per unit of volume of each sample illuminated by the neutron beam. The Porod behaviour, and divergence from this behaviour, is discussed in terms of various structural features and the proposed mechanisms for the bio-assembly of unitary silica particles in frustules.

Declaración de Valencia: "Hacia el compromiso y la responsabilidad social de la Medicina del Trabajo" / No disponible

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Soybean Cyst Nematode Reproduction in the North Central United States.

An experiment was conducted in Heterodera glycines-infested fields in 40 north central U.S. environments (21 sites in 1994 and 19 sites in 1995) to assess reproduction of this nematode. Two resistant and two susceptible soybean cultivars from each of the maturity groups (MG) I through IV were grown at each site in 6.1 m by 4 row plots. Soil samples were collected from each plot at planting and harvest and processed at Iowa State University to determine H. glycines initial (Pi) and final (Pf) population densities as eggs per 100 cm3 of soil. Overall, reproduction (Pf/Pi) of H. glycines on susceptible cultivars in all MG was similar. Reproduction was higher on MG III and IV susceptible cultivars than on those in MG I and II. Resistant MG I and II cultivars reduced nematode population densities more consistently than those in MG III and IV. Reproduction of the nematode was similar among sites within the same maturity zone (MZ), defined as the areas of best adaptation of the corresponding MG. Nonetheless, careful monitoring of nematode population densities is necessary to assess changes that occur over time in individual fields.

An Efficient New Device to Release Eggs From Heterodera glycines.

A new apparatus to release eggs from cysts of soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines) is described and its efficiency evaluated. A rubber stopper was mounted on a bolt, and cysts were ground against a 60-mesh screen. Eggs and second-stage juveniles were washed into a series of screens nested underneath the apparatus. This method was fast and efficient, and had no ill effect on prepared inoculum.

Regional Assessment of Soybean Brown Stem Rot, Phytophthora sojae, and Heterodera glycines Using Area-Frame Sampling: Prevalence and Effects of Tillage.

ABSTRACT The prevalence of brown stem rot (caused by Phialophora gregata), Heterodera glycines, and Phytophthora sojae in the north central United States was investigated during the fall of 1995 and 1996. Soybean fields were randomly selected using an area-frame sampling design in collaboration with the National Agricultural Statistics Service. Soil and soybean stem samples, along with tillage information, were collected from 1,462 fields in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio. An additional 275 soil samples collected from Indiana were assessed for H. glycines. For each field, the incidence and prevalence of brown stem rot was assessed in 20 soybean stem pieces. The prevalence and recovery (expressed as the percentage of leaf disks colonized) of P. sojae and the prevalence and population densities of H. glycines were determined from the soil samples. The prevalence of brown stem rot ranged from 28% in Missouri to 73% in Illinois; 68 and 72% of the fields in Minnesota and Iowa, respectively, showed symptomatic samples. The incidence of brown stem rot was greater in conservation-till than in conventional-till fields in all states except Minnesota, which had few no-till fields. P. sojae was detected in two-thirds of the soybean fields in Ohio and Minnesota, whereas 63, 55, and 41% of the fields in Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois, respectively, were infested with the pathogen. The recovery rates of P. sojae were significantly greater (P

Phylogenetic Relationships of Globodera millefolii, G. artemisiae, and Cactodera salina Based on ITS Region of Ribosomal DNA.

Globodera millefolii and G. artemisiae are interesting because their type localities (Estonia and Russia, respectively) are geographically distant from those of the potato cyst nematodes and other Globodera species that seem to have originated in the Western world, and because the type host for each is a member of Compositae rather than Solanaceae. Sequence data for ITS1, ITS2, and 5.8S ribosomal DNA (ITS rDNA) for G. millefolii and G. artemisiae were nearly identical to sequence data for Cactodera salina from the rhizosphere of the estuary plant Salicornia bigelovii in Sonora, Mexico. The ITS rDNA sequences of these three species were all about 94% similar to those of two other Cactodera species for which ITS rDNA data were obtained. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that, based on the ITS rDNA data, G. millefolii and G. artemisiae are more closely related phylogenetically to the Cactodera species than to other nominal Globodera species. The molecular data further suggest that the genus Cactodera may comprise two or more morphologically similar but separate groups.

Association of RFLP markers with loci conferring broad-based resistance to the soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines).

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is a major soybean yield-limiting pest. The present study was conducted to map broad-based SCN resistance loci from the cultivar 'Hartwig'. Two-hundred F2∶3 lines derived from the cross 'Williams 82' x 'Hartwig' were screened with a fourth-generation SCN inbred and 56 polymorphic molecular markers. Allele states and phenotypes were analyzed using stepwise regression and the model selection was made at P [Symbol: see text] 0.01. Four unlinked RFLP markers (A006, A567, A487, A112) were associated with SCN resistance and the partial coefficient of determinations (R(2)) were 91%, 1%, 1%, and 1%. We have mapped a new, major SCN resistance locus (A006) and three minor loci (A567, A487, A112). This complete mapping will accelerate the transfer of broad-based resistance without linkage drag and aid in the determination of relationships among various SCN-resistant germplasm sources.

Ribosomal DNA comparisons of globodera from two continents.

Ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequence data were compared for five species of Globodera, including G. rostochiensis, G. pallida, G. virginiae, and two undescribed Globodera isolates from Mexico collected from weed species and maintained on Solanum dulcamara. The rDNA comparisons included both internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2), the 5.8S rRNA gene, and small portions of the 3' end of the 18S gene and the 5' end of the 28S gene. Phylogenetic analysis of the rDNA sequence data indicated that the two potato cyst nematodes, G. pallida and especially G. rostochiensis, are closely related to the Mexican isolates, whereas G. virginiae is relatively dissimilar to the others and more distantly related. The data are consistent with the thesis that Mexico is the center of origin for the potato cyst nematodes.

Resistance Genes in a 'Williams 82' x 'Hartwig' Soybean Cross to an Inbred Line of Heterodera glycines.

The number of resistance genes in soybean to soybean cyst nematode (SCN) Heterodera glycines was estimated using progeny from a cross of 'Williams 82' x 'Hartwig' (derived from 'Forrest'(3) x PI 437.654) screened with a fourth-generation inbred nematode line derived from a race 3 field population of SCN. Numbers of females developing on roots of inoculated seedlings were assigned to phenotype cells (resistant, susceptible, or segregating) using Ward's minimum variance cluster analysis. The ratio obtained from screening 220 F soybean families was not significantly different from a 1:8:7 (resistant:segregating:susceptible) ratio, suggesting a two-gene system for resistance. The ratio obtained from screening 183 F plants was not significantly different from a 3:13 (resistant:susceptible) ratio, indicating both a dominant (Rhg) and a recessive (rhg) resistance gene.

Comparisons of Isolates of Heterodera avenae using 2-D PAGE Protein Patterns and Ribosomal DNA.

Six geographic isolates of Heterodera avenae, including two isolates each from Sweden, Australia, and the United States, were compared on the basis of 2-D PAGE protein patterns and the complete DNA sequence for the two internal transcribed ribosomal DNA spacers (rDNA ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene. The protein pattern data and rDNA ITS sequence data both indicated that the Swedish Gotland strain of H. avenae differed markedly from the rest of the isolates. Protein patterns for the Australia isolates differed more from a Swedish strict H. avenae isolate and isolates from Oregon and Idaho, than the two U.S. isolates and the Swedish strict H. avenae isolate differed from each other. Except for the Gotland strain isolate, the rDNA ITS sequences were highly conserved among all of the H. avenae isolates, just as we earlier found them to be conserved among species of the schachtii group of Heterodera.

The double-edged sword of social service contracting: public accountability versus nonprofit autonomy.

The increased role of government contracts in the funding of nonprofits has heightened tensions as governments seek accountability and nonprofits seek to preserve autonomy. Considering both sides of the contract market this article suggests that the threat of government funding is exaggerated. Nonprofits are attractive contractor options because of their experience and trustworthiness. Governments should recognize that excessive intrusions limit the advantages of the nonprofit sector. At the same time, nonprofits should be conscious of the implications of public funding, just as they must be of other sources of funding.

Why ecologists need systematics: importance of systematics to ecological research.

Ecologists are concerned with population dynamics of organisms and with the spatial patterns of single or multiple populations. The goal of the ecologist is usually to explain the observed patterns in terms of processes. Field samples of nematodes from different habitats may contain similar but not identical specimens of a nominal taxon, and the systematist can help the ecologist decide whether the specimens are ecophenotypes of a single taxon or represent distinct species. A correct decision may be important or trivial, depending on the parameters and goals of the ecological study. When a precise identification is crucial to the success of the study, new biochemical methodologies of systematists may provide rapid and accurate diagnoses. Systematists can provide additional help in the assignment of taxa to trophic groups. For clarifying host-parasite associations, often a goal in ecological investigations, modern analytical methods of systematists can facilitate the ordering of systematic relationships.

Phylogenetic analyses in dorylaimida using data from 2-d protein patterns.

Data from two-dimensional protein patterns for nine dorylaimid isolates were analyzed using PAUP, a computer program for inferring phylogenies under the principle of maximum parsimony. With a variety of available options, including branch swapping and rooting, essentially the same tree was obtained. When isolates of the genus Labronema were analyzed alone, all trees obtained had the same topology, although tree length varied considerably, depending on whether a hypothetical ancestral taxon was included.

What governs the decision to contract out for local hospital services?

Increasing hospital costs coupled with increasing numbers of individuals dependent on local governments for health care, at a time of reduced abilities to finance these expenditures, are causing local governments to reexamine their role in the delivery of hospital services. A potentially cost-reducing option for governments is to contract out for service delivery. In this paper we examine the decision of local governments to contract out for hospital services. Factors believed to influence this production choice decision are the cost savings that can be expected from economies of scale or increased competition, the willingness of local officials to trade control for such cost savings, and the political incentives and obstacles to contracting out. Our empirical analysis indicates that the pivotal factors in the contracting-out decision are the availability of external suppliers and the potential for scale economies.

Two-dimensional Protein Patterns in Labronema, Aporcelaimellus, and Eudorylaimus (Nematoda: Dorylaimida).

Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic patterns of proteins for two isolates of Labronema from Indiana were nearly identical to the pattern for L. vulvapapillatum from Europe. The pattern for a nominal isolate of L. pacificum from Florida was very different from the patterns of nominal L. pacificum isolates from Hawaii and Fiji (which had patterns very similar to each other). Patterns for four other isolates (in Eudorylaimus and Aporcelaimellus) were different from the Labronema patterns and from each other, although some constellations of protein spots were shared among all the isolates. The study demonstrates the utility of 2-D PAGE for clarifying taxonomic problems that cannot be resolved using classical morphological data alone.

Heterodera glycines in Indiana: I. Reproduction of Geographical Isolates on Soybean Differentials.

Four of five geographical isolates of Heterodera glycines from Indiana classified as Race 3 using standard differentials showed many differences when classified using another group of differentials comprised of five soybean breeding lines and cultivars. Two isolates from northern Indiana produced cysts on more of the differentials tested than did three isolates from southern Indiana, suggesting that potential resistant lines should be tested on a range of H. glycines populations originating from the areas for which cultivars are being developed.

Heterodera glycines in Indiana: II. Morphology of Geographical Isolates.

Although much morphometric overlap occurs among five geographical isolates of Heterodera glycines in Indiana, significant differences in means exist among the isolates for various comparisons of second-stage juveniles. By using combinations of means, most of the isolates can be distinguished from the rest: e.g., the Vanderburgh County isolate (southern Indiana) has the longest esophagus, tail, and tail terminus; the Vigo County isolate (also from the south) has the shortest esophagus; the White County isolate (northern Indiana) has the shortest tail and tail terminus and the greatest total length; the Benton County isolate (north) is the shortest. Morphological similarities and differences do not appear to be coordinated with reproductive behavioral patterns we observed in the northern versus the southern isolates.

Heterodera glycines in Indiana: III. 2-D Protein Patterns of Geographical Isolates.

Protein patterns obtained by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for three isolates of Heterodera glycines from southern Indiana appear qualitatively similar and have higher pairwise Jaccard similarity coefficients with each other than with isolates from northern Indiana. Three isolates from three northern counties share proteins not present in the southern isolates, but as a group the northern isolates are less similar to each other than are the southern Indiana isolates.

Two-Dimensional Protein Patterns in Heterodera glycines.

Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoretic protein patterns of H. glycines from southern Indiana (Posey County) and northern Indiana (Pulaski County) were largely similar, but many differences existed. The pattern of the Posey isolate was similar to patterns from isolates collected in other areas of the United States. Unique dense protein spots in the pattern of an isolate from Hokkaido, Japan, distinguished it from patterns of six U.S. isolates.

Population Development of Pratylenchus hexincisus in Eight Corn Inbreds.

Of eight corn inbreds tested in the greenhouse and field, three (H60, H95, and H84) supported lower populations of Pratylenchus hexincisus than other inbreds included in this study. No apparent differences existed among inbreds in nematode invasion or development in the roots, or in population structure. Differences in population were therefore attributed to differential reproduction.