: Terrain ruggedness is often an important variable in wildlife habitat models. Most methods used to quantify ruggedness are indices derived from measures of slope and, as a result, are strongly correlated with slope. Using a Geographic Information System, we developed a vector ruggedness measure (VRM) of terrain based on a geomorphological method for measuring vector dispersion that is less correlated with slope. We examined the relationship of VRM to slope and to 2 commonly used indices of ruggedness in 3 physiographically different mountain ranges within the Mojave Desert of the southwestern United States. We used VRM, slope, distance to water, and springtime bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni) adult female locations to model sheep habitat in the 3 ranges. Using logistic regression, we determined that the importance of ruggedness in habitat selection remained consistent across mountain ranges, whereas the relative importance of slope varied according to the characteristic physiography of each range. Our results indicate that the VRM quantifies local variation in terrain more independently of slope than other methods tested, and that VRM and slope distinguish 2 different components of bighorn sheep habitat.

The WRKY proteins are a superfamily of regulators that control diverse developmental and physiological processes. This family was believed to be plant specific until the recent identification of WRKY genes in nonphotosynthetic eukaryotes. We have undertaken a comprehensive computational analysis of the rice (Oryza sativa) genomic sequences and predicted the structures of 81 OsWRKY genes, 48 of which are supported by full-length cDNA sequences. Eleven OsWRKY proteins contain two conserved WRKY domains, while the rest have only one. Phylogenetic analyses of the WRKY domain sequences provide support for the hypothesis that gene duplication of single-and two-domain WRKY genes, and loss of the WRKY domain, occurred in the evolutionary history of this gene family in rice. The phylogeny deduced from the WRKY domain peptide sequences is further supported by the position and phase of the intron in the regions encoding the WRKY domains. Analyses for chromosomal distributions reveal that 26% of the predicted OsWRKY genes are located on chromosome 1. Among the dozen genes tested, OsWRKY24, -51, -71, and -72 are induced by abscisic acid (ABA) in aleurone cells. Using a transient expression system, we have demonstrated that OsWRKY24 and -45 repress ABA induction of the HVA22 promoterb-glucuronidase construct, while OsWRKY72 and -77 synergistically interact with ABA to activate this reporter construct. This study provides a solid base for functional genomics studies of this important superfamily of regulatory genes in monocotyledonous plants and reveals a novel function for WRKY genes, i.e. mediating plant responses to ABA.

No abstract

Great Boiling Spring is a large, circumneutral, geothermal spring in the US Great Basin. Twelve samples were collected from water and four different sediment sites on four different dates. Microbial community composition and diversity were assessed by PCR amplification of a portion of the small subunit rRNA gene using a universal primer set followed by pyrosequencing of the V8 region. Analysis of 164 178 quality-filtered pyrotags clearly distinguished sediment and water microbial communities. Water communities were extremely uneven and dominated by the bacterium Thermocrinis. Sediment microbial communities grouped according to temperature and sampling location, with a strong, negative, linear relationship between temperature and richness at all taxonomic levels. Two sediment locations, Site A (87-80 1C) and Site B (79 1C), were predominantly composed of single phylotypes of the bacterial lineage GAL35 ( p ¼ 36.1%), Aeropyrum ( p ¼ 16.6%), the archaeal lineage pSL4 ( p ¼ 15.9%), the archaeal lineage NAG1 ( p ¼ 10.6%) and Thermocrinis ( p ¼ 7.6%). The ammonia-oxidizing archaeon 'Candidatus Nitrosocaldus' was relatively abundant in all sediment samples o82 1C ( p ¼ 9.51%), delineating the upper temperature limit for chemolithotrophic ammonia oxidation in this spring. This study underscores the distinctness of water and sediment communities in GBS and the importance of temperature in driving microbial diversity, composition and, ultimately, the functioning of biogeochemical cycles.

Cysteinyl-leukotrienes (cysteinyl-LTs), that is, LTC4, LTD4, and LTE4, trigger contractile and inflammatory responses through the specific interaction with G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) belonging to the purine receptor cluster of the rhodopsin family, and identified as CysLT receptors (CysLTRs). Cysteinyl-LTs have a clear role in pathophysiological conditions such as asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR), and have been implicated in other inflammatory conditions including cardiovascular diseases, cancer, atopic dermatitis, and urticaria. Molecular cloning of human CysLT1R and CysLT2R subtypes has confirmed most of the previous pharmacological characterization and identified distinct expression patterns only partially overlapping. Interestingly, recent data provide evidence for the immunomodulation of CysLTR expression, the existence of additional receptor subtypes, and of an intracellular pool of CysLTRs that may have roles different from those of plasma membrane receptors. Furthermore, genetic variants have been identified for the CysLTRs that may interact to confer risk for atopy. Finally, a crosstalk between the cysteinyl-LT and the purine systems is being delineated. This review will summarize and attempt to integrate recent data derived from studies on the molecular pharmacology and pharmacogenetics of CysLTRs, and will consider the therapeutic opportunities arising from the new roles suggested for cysteinyl-LTs and their receptors.

The aim of this study was to determine the shaping ability of ProFile 0.04 taper rotary nickel-titanium instruments with ISO sized tips in simulated canals. A total of 40 simulated root canals made up of four different shapes in terms of angle and position of curvature were prepared by ProFile instruments using the 'crown down' approach recommended by the manufacturer. Part 2 of this two-part report describes the efficacy of the instruments in terms of prevalence of canal aberrations, the amount and direction of canal transportation and the overall post-operative shape. Out of 37 completed specimens 9 zips (24%) and one ledge (3%) were created, but no perforations or danger zones were found. There were significant differences (P < 0.01) between canal shapes for the incidence of zips and elbows but not for their distance from the end-point of preparation. At specific positions along the canal length there were significant differences between the canal types in terms of their mean total width; overall, at the end-point of preparation and along the curved portion of the canals those specimens with 40 degrees curves were widest. This trend continued for the width of material removed from the outer aspect of the canal curves, whereas along the inner aspect of curves more material was removed in the 20 degrees canals. Overall, transportation was towards the outer aspect of the curve at the end-point of preparation and along the curved portion of canals but more balanced along the straight coronal section. Absolute transportation was small and below 0.1 mm at every position including the zips. Under the conditions of this study, ProFile nickel-titanium rotary instruments with ISO sized tips produced a larger number of zips than expected; however, the degree of zipping was limited and relatively minor.

Cortical evoked potentials in response to stimulation of the oesophagus may prove to be a powerful technique for assessing the oesophageal afferent pathway in health and disease. However, in order to maximize the potential of this technique it is essential that the optimal parameters for recording oesophageal CEP are established. The aim was to determine the optimal parameters required to record reproducible CEP. CEP were recorded from the vertex in eight subjects (age range 23-44 years). Electrical stimulation was performed 5 cm above the lower oesophageal sphincter using a bipolar ring electrode at 0.2 Hz. Protocol 1: to determine the stimulation intensity which generates the largest amplitude and shortest latency, two runs of 50 stimuli were applied at increasing intensities. Protocol 2: to determine the number of stimuli for optimal signal to noise ratio, 10 runs of 50 stimuli were recorded. Individual runs were averaged. Protocol 3: to determine the optimal inter-run interval, CEP evoked by 200 stimuli were averaged using randomly chosen inter-run intervals. Protocol 4: CEP reproducibility using parameters determined from Protocols 1-3 was assessed in three subjects on three separate occasions. The results were as follows: Protocol 1; P1 latency was shortest and P1-N1 amplitude largest at an intensity of 75% above threshold. Protocol 2; optimal signal-to-noise was achieved by averaging four runs of 50 stimuli. Protocol 3; the optimal interstudy interval was 10 min. Protocol 4; highly reproducible CEP were obtained in all individuals. Using these optimal parameters, it is possible to obtain highly reproducible oesophageal CEP to ES which can now be used for clinical study.

In order to quantify the response of birds to experimental manipulations of seed availability and densities of granivorous rodents and ants, we counted granivorous birds and measured diurnal and nocturnal seed removal on 24 plots during winter months in the Chihuahuan Desert. Removal of single, widely spaced millet seeds provided a reliable measure of bird and rodent foraging activity. Avian foraging activity increased in response to supplemental seeds, but decreased in response to long—term removal of all rodents and all ants. Although birds potentially compete for seeds with rodents and ants, these results suggest that, in the long term, indirect facilitation dominates the interactions among all three taxa. The positive effect of the other granivores on birds may be mediated through changes in habitat structure (e.g., reduction in the density of annual plants). The increase of avian foraging in response to seed addition and the high spatial and temporal variance in the patterns of seed removal by birds indicate that in desert habitats granivorous birds use their mobility to find and exploit high concentrations of seeds. Thus, birds may reduce the spatial variation in seed abundance and reduce the densities of seed available to other granivores. The foraging behavior of birds and rodents revealed by these experiments clarifies the response of granivores to experimental manipulations reported earlier, such as the lack of biomass compensation by rodents in response to seed addition.