Legitimization of Regulatory Norms: Waterfowl Hunter Acceptance of Changing Duck Bag Limits

Few studies have examined response to regulatory change over time, or addressed hunter attitudes about changes in hunting bag limits. This article explores Minnesota waterfowl hunters’ attitudes about duck bag limits, examining attitudes about two state duck bag limits that were initially more restrictive than the maximum set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), but then increased to match federal limits. Results are from four mail surveys that examined attitudes about bag limits over time. Following two bag limit increases, a greater proportion of hunters rated the new bag limit “too high” and a smaller proportion rated it “too low.” Several years following the first bag limit increase, the proportion of hunters who indicated that the limit was “too high” had declined, suggesting hunter acceptance of the new regulation. Results suggest that waterfowl bag limits may represent legal norms that influence hunter attitudes and gain legitimacy over time.     

Comparison of Doppler,oscillometric, auricular and carotid arterial blood pressure measurements in isoflurane anesthetized New Zealand white rabbits

ObjectiveTo assess agreement between carotid arterial pressure and auricular arterial, thoracic limb Doppler or thoracic limb oscillometric blood pressure measurements.Study designProspective experimental study.AnimalsSix adult New Zealand white rabbits.MethodsRabbits were anesthetized with isoflurane in oxygen at 1, 1.5 and 2 MAC on two separate occasions. Catheters in the auricular and the contralateral external carotid artery were connected to calibrated pressure transducers via non-compliant tubing. Inflatable cuffs of width equal to approximately 40% of the limb circumference were placed above the carpus on both thoracic limbs with a Doppler transducer placed distal to the cuff on one. Systolic (SAP) and mean (MAP) arterial blood pressure measurements were obtained at each dose, on each occasion. Agreement between measurement techniques was evaluated by repeated measures Bland Altman analysis with carotid pressure as the reference. Variation in bias over the measurement range was evaluated by regression analysis.ResultsCarotid MAP and SAP ranged from 20 to 65 mmHg and 37 to 103 mmHg respectively. Bias and 95% limits of agreement for auricular and oscillometric MAP were 7 (0–14) and ?5 (?21–11) mmHg, respectively, and for auricular, oscillometric and Doppler SAP were 23 (8–37), ?2 (?24–20) and 13 (?14–39) mmHg, respectively. Bias varied significantly over the measurement range (p < 0.001) for all three SAP techniques but not for MAP measurements.Conclusions and clinical relevanceLimits of agreement for all measurements were large but less so for MAP than SAP. Variation in bias with SAP should be considered when using these measurements clinically.     

The role of carbon dioxide during the onset of Antarctic glaciation

Earth's modern climate, characterized by polar ice sheets and large equator-to-pole temperature gradients, is rooted in environmental changes that promoted Antarctic glaciation ~33.7 million years ago. Onset of Antarctic glaciation reflects a critical tipping point for Earth's climate and provides a framework for investigating the role of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)) during major climatic change. Previously published records of alkenone-based CO(2) from high- and low-latitude ocean localities suggested that CO(2) increased during glaciation, in contradiction to theory. Here, we further investigate alkenone records and demonstrate that Antarctic and subantarctic data overestimate atmospheric CO(2) levels, biasing long-term trends. Our results show that CO(2) declined before and during Antarctic glaciation and support a substantial CO(2) decrease as the primary agent forcing Antarctic glaciation, consistent with model-derived CO(2) thresholds.     

Phosphorylation by cyclin B-Cdk underlies release of mitotic exit activator Cdc14 from the nucleolus

Budding yeast protein phosphatase Cdc14 is sequestered in the nucleolus in an inactive state during interphase by the anchor protein Net1. Upon entry into anaphase, the Cdc14 early anaphase release (FEAR) network initiates dispersal of active Cdc14 throughout the cell. We report that the FEARnetwork promotes phosphorylation of Net1 by cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) complexed with cyclin B1 or cyclin B2. These phosphorylations appear to be required for FEAR and sustain the proper timing of late mitotic events. Thus, a regulatory circuit exists to ensure that the arbiter of the mitotic state, Cdk, sets in motion events that culminate in exit from mitosis.     

Phosphoproteomic analysis identifies Grb10 as an mTORC1 substrate that negatively regulates insulin signaling

The evolutionarily conserved serine-threonine kinase mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) plays a critical role in regulating many pathophysiological processes. Functional characterization of the mTOR signaling pathways, however, has been hampered by the paucity of known substrates. We used large-scale quantitative phosphoproteomics experiments to define the signaling networks downstream of mTORC1 and mTORC2. Characterization of one mTORC1 substrate, the growth factor receptor-bound protein 10 (Grb10), showed that mTORC1-mediated phosphorylation stabilized Grb10, leading to feedback inhibition of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) and extracellular signal-regulated, mitogen-activated protein kinase (ERK-MAPK) pathways. Grb10 expression is frequently down-regulated in various cancers, and loss of Grb10 and loss of the well-established tumor suppressor phosphatase PTEN appear to be mutually exclusive events, suggesting that Grb10 might be a tumor suppressor regulated by mTORC1.     

Methods to increase the starch content of potato tuber callus tissue

Summary Attempts were made to increase the starch content of callus tissue from tubers of cvs Lemhi Russet and Russet Burbank by varying growth regulator concentration, sugar source, sugar concentration, temperature and callus shape. Starch content was always higher in media containing no growth regulators. Callus spread over the media contained more starch than unbroken rectangular or cube-shaped callus. Sucrose was superior to glucose and fructose for starch formation. A sucrose concentration of 20 % produced more starch than lower concentrations. Callus growth decreased as the sucrose concentration increased. ‘Lemhi Russet’ callus incubated with 8 % sucrose at 20, 25 and 30 °C contained 1.2, 0.4 and 0.8 % starch respectively, which was much higher than in ‘Russet Burbank’ callus. With varying amounts of mannitol as an osmoticum in 8 % sucrose, the most starch was found in the medium containing 5 % mannitol. Research Paper 92B2 of the Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station     

Hypersensitive and enzyme responses in potato tuber tissue treated withVerticillium dahliae and arachidonic acid

Wound-healing tuber tissues from two potato cultivars, one resistant (cv. Reddale) and one susceptible (cv. Kennebec) to Verticillium wilt caused by the fungusVerticillium dahliae were treated with elicitor preparations of either an autoclaved mycelial extract of the fungus or with the fungal component arachidonic acid (AA). Wound-healing tissues were analyzed for hypersensitive cell browning (HCB) and alterations in lipoxygenase (LOX), polyphenoloxidase (PPO), and peroxidase (PER) activities, because all three enzymes are thought to be involved in the hypersensitive response and plant defense. Healing Reddale tissues that were treated with the elicitors exhibited a much more rapid and intense HCB than did the healing Kennebec tissues. By 96 h, Reddale tissues treated with either elicitor preparation appeared dark brown and necrotic. Treated Kennebec tissues appeared only slightly darker than the controls after 96 h. LOX, PPO and PER activities in treated Reddale tissues were significantly less than that found in the control after 48 h, and by 96 h PPO and PER activities were nearly zero. In contrast, LOX activity in AA-treated Kennebec disks was higher than in the control at 96 h, while the activities of PPO and PER had decreased to about 60% of the control at the same time period. Our results show that HCB is strongly correlated withV. dahliae and AA elicitor treatments in the resistant vs. the susceptible cultivar, while the overall role of the three enzymes in cell browning and death remain unclear.     

Imaging genome abnormalities in cancer research

Increasing attention is focusing on chromosomal and genome structure in cancer research due to the fact that genomic instability plays a principal role in cancer initiation, progression and response to chemotherapeutic agents. The integrity of the genome (including structural, behavioral and functional aspects) of normal and cancer cells can be monitored with direct visualization by using a variety of cutting edge molecular cytogenetic technologies that are now available in the field of cancer research. Examples are presented in this review by grouping these methodologies into four categories visualizing different yet closely related major levels of genome structures. An integrated discussion is also presented on several ongoing projects involving the illustration of mitotic and meiotic chromatin loops; the identification of defective mitotic figures (DMF), a new type of chromosomal aberration capable of monitoring condensation defects in cancer; the establishment of a method that uses Non-Clonal Chromosomal Aberrations (NCCAs) as an index to monitor genomic instability; and the characterization of apoptosis related chromosomal fragmentations caused by drug treatments.