Thiobases in Escherchia coli Transfer RNA: 2-Thiocytosine and 5-Methylaminomethyl-2-thiouracil

Two new sulfur-containing pyrimidine nucleotides have been isolated from hydrolyzates of Escherichia coli transfer RNA. The structures, 2-thiocytosine and 5-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouracil, have been assigned to the bases as a result of study of ultraviolet and mass spectra. An acid-degradation product, S-methylamino-methyluracil, has been synthesized and is identical to that derived from the natural product.     

Genetic variation in bitter pit and fruit calcium concentrations within a diverse apple germplasm collection

Summary Genetic variability in the apple [Malus] fruit disorder bitter pit and fruit calcium concentrations ([Ca]) was determined in 25 seedling families at each of two sites from 1999 to 2000 and again for one site, in 2001. Most trees were free of pit or had low pit incidence, which could be approximated by an over-dispersed binomial distribution. A genetic component to external and internal pit incidence was found across both sites and all years. This effect was irrespective of the use of several cropping factors, average fruit weight or fruit mineral concentrations as covariates in the analyses. Year and/or site always had substantial effects on pit incidence. Interactions of genetic effects with site or year were also detected with large differences in mean pit incidence between sites or years for some families but not others. No relationship was found between mean family pit incidence and mean family [Ca] or mean family harvest date. However fruit [Ca] and harvest date were usually important predictors of within-family variation in pit incidence. For any one seedling, family had the largest effect on bitter pit incidence followed by site and [Ca] and the smallest effect was that of harvest date. [Ca] showed a strong genetic component and estimated family means of [Ca] were consistent at different sites and years. These results suggest that susceptibility of apple genotypes to bitter pit in breeding programmes may be best assessed through screening across multiple sites and seasons. Fruit [Ca] might be useful as an indirect selection index for bitter pit within, but not among families.     

Job Lock in Rural versus Urban Labor Markets

While the possible negative effect of employer‐sponsored health insurance on labor mobility (job lock) has spawned substantial research, little research has considered differences in job lock between rural and urban areas. Job lock might differ in rural areas because of specific features of rural economies, in particular, the thinness of rural labor markets. This paper estimates measures of job lock for rural and urban areas. Parameter estimates suggest that it is larger in rural areas. The results also indicate that nonwage benefits such as retirement plans, paid vacation, and sick pay are more important factors in married rural workers decisions to change jobs while wages are a more important factor in the transition decisions of single urban workers.     

;hycomyces: Interference Between the Light Growth Response nd the Avoidance Response

Phycomyces sporangiophores showl a growth response to a light stimus and an avoidance bending response to a physical barrier. A bluie-light stimnlluts Imninisteredl in conjunction with a barrier interferes with the avoidance bending sponse. This interference begins ifter a latency of abotit 3 minultes atndt continues a period of 4 to 5 minutes.     

Shenzhen in China's Financial Center Networks

Shenzhen, China, aspires to be an international financial center; however, its financial sector occupies an anomalous position in China's networks. The sector is tightly integrated into mainland networks, and Shenzhen's local banks provide access to Hong Kong's networks. Nonetheless, the city's proximity to Hong Kong, the Asia‐Pacific center of financial networks, confers few incremental benefits compared to those received by other mainland centers. The proposed Qianhai financial district, which is to be a laboratory for opening China's capital accounts, does not differentially boost Shenzhen because other financial centers will be allowed to experiment. A network theory of financial centers provides the explanatory framework for interpreting Shenzhen in China's financial center networks. Empirical analyses focus on Shenzhen's network ties with the Mainland and with Hong Kong. Shenzhen's future rests on the capacity of its financial firms to participate in the networks of South China, as well as to operate across the Mainland.     

Half-sib progeny evaluation and selection of potatoes resistant to the US8 genotype of Phytophthora infestans from crosses between resistant and susceptible parents

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the use of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) late blight (Phytophthora infestans (Mont.) de Bary) resistant parents in cultivar development and identify superior clones possessing moderate to high late blight resistance combined with acceptable maturity and tuber quality. Ninety-five crosses were made between eight unadapted parents with reported late blight resistance (B0718-3, Bertita, Bzura, Greta, Libertas, Stobrawa, Tollocan and Zarevo) and susceptible parents (cultivars or advanced breeding clones) adapted to North American growing conditions. A total of 408 field selected clones were assessed for late blight resistance in the greenhouse and in the field using a mixture of US8 P. infestans isolates (A2 mating type, metalaxyl resistant) that overcame all known R-genes except R8 and R9. Clones with ≤ 10% infected foliar area in the greenhouse test or ≤ 0.30 RAUDPC (relative area under the disease progress curve) value in the field in 1998 were re-tested in 1999. A total of 118 (29% of 408) putative late blight resistant clones were selected. The eight late blight resistant parents differed in both the ability to transmit late blight resistance and in the level of resistance transmitted to the progeny. The Tollocan and B0718-3 families (half-sib progeny) had the greatest degree of resistance and frequency of resistant clones. Scott-Knott cluster analysis ranked 79 clones (67% of 118) in the high and moderate late blight resistant groups. Among these 79 clones, 19 clones had vine maturity equal to or earlier than mid-season combined with acceptable tuber quality. Further selection in 2000 resulted in eight advanced selected clones (six from Tollocan and two from B0718-3 families) with the same level of resistance as the parent combined with vine maturity and tuber quality equivalent to Atlantic, a standard cultivar for chip processing in North America. The results indicate that this breeding approach can be used to select parents for late blight resistance breeding and to identify superior clones with high levels of late blight resistance and marketable vine maturity and tuber quality. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of Annealing and Concentration of Calcium Salts on Thermal and Rheological Properties of Maize Starch During an Ecological Nixtamalization Process

The objective of the present work was to study the effect of annealing and concentration of Ca(OH)₂ (lime) and calcium salts on the thermal and rheological properties of maize starch during an ecological nixtamalization process. Thermal and rheological properties of maize starch changed during the ecological nixtamalization process because of three main causes: the annealing phenomenon, type of calcium salt, and calcium salt concentration. In all treatments thermal properties (T_o, T_p, and T_f) of nixtamal starch increased owing to the annealing process, whereas the type of salt or lime increased thermal properties and decreased pasting properties in this order: CaCl₂ > CaSO₄ > Ca(OH)₂ ≈ CaCO₃. This behavior was because of the dissociation of each salt or lime in water. Anions (OH⁻) can penetrate much more easily into the starch granule and start the gelatinization process by rupturing hydrogen bonds. Additionally, amylose‐lipid complexes were formed during the nixtamalization processes, as indicated by an increasing peak at 4.5 Å in X‐ray diffraction patterns.     

日光温室保温被卷放位置对温度环境的影响

温室保温被卷放位置影响着室内的太阳能得热及通过前屋面的散热,从而影响着温室温度。该研究以室外气象因子为模拟输入条件,分别模拟晴天、阴天不同保温被卷放位置对12 m跨度日光温室温度环境的影响。保温被卷放位置分别为保温被卷至前屋面一半与至顶2种方案。模拟结果显示：白天保温被卷至前屋面一半的室内空气温度高于保温被卷至屋顶的温度,而夜间2种方案室内空气温度差异不明显;晴天保温被卷至屋顶与卷至前屋面一半相比,可明显提高夜间墙体表面温度,但对后坡的夜间表面温度影响较小。该研究结果对温室生产中晴天、阴天保温被卷的合理放