Human amygdala responsivity to masked fearful eye whites

The amygdala was more responsive to fearful (larger) eye whites than to happy (smaller) eye whites presented in a masking paradigm that mitigated subjects' awareness of their presence and aberrant nature. These data demonstrate that the amygdala is responsive to elements of.     

Instrumental neutron activation analyses of lunar specimens

Ten Apollo 11 specimnens were divided into 24 samtples. Sodillim contents of 8 diverse specimens clluster tightly abolit 0.3 percent. Plagioclase separated from sample 10044 contains aboltt 1.09 percent Na; barium is not enriched in the plagioclase separate. Contents of the rare earths are strikingly high, and relative abtmndances resemble those of calcium-rich achondrites or abyssal basalts but are depleted in Eu by factors of 2 to 3 and in La by about 20 percent. The plagioclase separate is enriched in Eu and pyroxenes (and opaqtte minerals are Eu-depleted. Fine fractions of 10044 are abotit 20 to 40 percent richer in most rare earths (50 percent for Eu) than coarse fractions, probably becaitse of the presence of small grains in which rare earths are mnarkedly concentrated. "Microgabbro" 10045 is imnpoverished, relative to the soil, in rare eartlhs and Hf. Ratios by mass of Zr to Hf are comlparatively low. Abttndances of Mn, Co, Fe, Sc and Cr stiggest systematic differences between igneous rocks on one hanid and breccias and "soil" on the other. Fromn the Co abuindances, no more than about 3 percent of the present "soil" can consist of chondritic mleteorite conitamination.     

Mass and Nutrient Losses During the Composting Of Dairy Manure Amended with Sawdust or Straw

Composting has become an increasingly popular manure management method for dairy farmers. However, the design of composting systems for farmers has been hindered by the limited amount of information on the quantities and volumes of compost produced relative to farm size and manure generated, and the impact of amendments on water, dry matter, volume and nitrogen losses during the composting process. Amendment type can affect the free air space, decomposition rate, temperature, C:N ratio and oxygen levels during composting. Amendments also initially increase the amount of material that must be handled. A better understanding of amendment effects should help farmers optimize, and potentially reduce costs associated with composting. In this study, freestall dairy manure (83% moisture) was amended with either hardwood sawdust or straw and composted for 110-155 days in turned windrows in four replicated trials that began on different dates. Initial C:N ratios of the windrows ranged from 25:1 to 50:1 due to variations in the source and N-content of the manure. Results showed that starting windrow volume for straw amended composts was 2.1 to 2.6 times greater than for sawdust amendment. Straw amended composts had low initial bulk densities with high free air space values of 75-93%. This led to lower temperatures and near ambient interstitial oxygen concentrations during composting. While all sawdust-amended composts self-heated to temperatures >55°C within 10 days, maintained these levels for more than 60 days and met EPA and USDA pathogen reduction guidelines, only two of the four straw amended windrows reached 55°C and none met the guidelines. In addition, sawdust amendment resulted in much lower windrow oxygen concentrations (< 5%) during the first 60 days. Both types of compost were stable after 100 days as indicated by CO₂ evolution rates <0.5 mg CO₂-C/g VS/d. Both types of amendments also led to extensive manure volume and weight reductions even after the weight of the added amendments were considered. However, moisture management proved critical in attaining reductions in manure weight during composting. Straw amendment resulted in greater volume decreases than sawdust amendment due to greater changes in bulk density and free air space. Through composting, farmers can reduce the volume and weights of material to be hauled by 50 to 80% based on equivalent nitrogen values of the stabilized compost as compared to unamended, uncomposted dairy manure. The initial total manure nitrogen lost during composting ranged from 7% to 38%. P and K losses were from 14 to 39% and from 1 to 38%, respectively. There was a significant negative correlation between C:N ratio and nitrogen loss (R₂=0.78) and carbon loss (R₂=0.86) during composting. An initial C:N ratio of greater than 40 is recommended to minimize nitrogen loss during dairy manure composting with sawdust or straw amendments.     

Derivation of oocytes from mouse embryonic stem cells

Continuation of mammalian species requires the formation and development of the sexually dimorphic germ cells. Cultured embryonic stem cells are generally considered pluripotent rather than totipotent because of the failure to detect germline cells under differentiating conditions. Here we show that mouse embryonic stem cells in culture can develop into oogonia that enter meiosis, recruit adjacent cells to form follicle-like structures, and later develop into blastocysts. Oogenesis in culture should contribute to various areas, including nuclear transfer and manipulation of the germ line, and advance studies on fertility treatment and germ and somatic cell interaction and differentiation.     

Relative efficiency of three methods for chemical control of Pacific coast wireworms in potatoes

Data from six experiments with registered, nonpersistent chemical compounds for control of Pacific coast wireworm (Limonius canus Le-Conte) were combined to elucidate the relative efficiency of three types of treatments. The treatments were soil fumigation and band or broadcast applications of granular organophosphorus insecticides. Band treatments gave less effective and more variable control than broadcast treatments. Fumigation treatments were more effective than, and about equally as variable as, broadcast treatments. All treatments became progressively less effective and less dependable as the population of wireworms increased. It was not economical to treat infestations of less than 0.12 wireworms/ft². Band treatments were usually adequate for populations up to 0.4/ft² and broadcast treatments for populations up to 1.6/ft². However, it was considered most economical to broadcast for infestations between 0.15 and 0.7/ft². For heavier infestations, either fumigation or a combination of treatments appeared prudent. Because all treatments performed rather inconsistently, precautions to avoid underestimating an infestation are justified.     

Barley genotype expressing “stay-green”-like characteristics maintains starch quality of the grain during water stress condition

The identification of “stay-green” in sorghum and its positive correlation with yield increases has encouraged attempts to incorporate “stay-green”-like traits into the genomes of other commercially important cereal crops. However, knowledge on the effects of “stay-green” expression on grain quality under extreme physiological stress is limited. This study examines impacts of “stay-green”-like expression on starch biosynthesis in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grain under mild, severe, and acute water stress conditions induced at anthesis. The proportions of long amylopectin branches and amylose branches in the grain of Flagship (a cultivar without “stay-green”-like characteristics) were higher at low water stress, suggesting that water stress affects starch biosynthesis in grain, probably due to early termination of grain fill. The changes in long branches can affect starch properties, such as the rates of enzymatic degradation, and hence its nutritional value. By contrast, grain from the “stay-green”-like cultivar (ND24260) did not show variation in starch molecular structure under the different water stress levels. The results indicate that the cultivar with “stay-green”-like traits has a greater potential to maintain starch biosynthesis and quality in grain during drought conditions, making the “stay-green”-like traits potentially useful in ensuring food security.