Nonemployment Income and the Economic Base of Michigan Counties: 1959–1986

ABSTRACT Despite the fact that nonemployment income makes up approximately one-third of all personal income, its impact on local area economies has not been closely examined. This study uses Michigan county data to examine the impact of nonemployment income on nonbasic income over a twenty-seven-year period. This impact is compared to the impact of basic income by employing regression analysis to estimate comparative multiplier effects for both types of income. Nonemployment income is found to have a significant impact on nonbasic income, particularly in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan urban counties, where its impact appears to be stronger than that of basic income.     

Cross-species identification of Mendel's I locus

A key gene involved in plant senescence, mutations of which partially disable chlorophyll catabolism and confer stay-green leaf and cotyledon phenotypes, has been identified in Pisum sativum, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Festuca pratensis by using classical and molecular genetics and comparative genomics. A stay-green locus in F. pratensis is syntenically equivalent to a similar stay-green locus on rice chromosome 9. Functional testing in Arabidopsis of a homolog of the rice candidate gene revealed (i) senescence-associated gene expression and (ii) a stay-green phenotype after RNA interference silencing. Genetic mapping in pea demonstrated cosegregation with the yellow/green cotyledon polymorphism (I/i) first reported by Gregor Mendel in 1866.     

Endothelin-1 concentrations in clone calves, their surrogate dams, and fetal fluids at birth: association with oxygen treatment

Increased endothelin-1 (ET-1) plasma concentration in human infants is associated with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn, a problem also identified in calves derived from somatic cell clone technology. Increased ET-1 also is present in the amnionic fluid and plasma of the infant and mother in preeclampsia, a condition associated with abnormal placentation. Abnormalities in placentation are identified in clone calves. We measured ET-1 in fetal fluid, calf plasma, and surrogate dam plasma in 40 clone calves at the time of term delivery. Calves were subsequently identified as being either oxygen treated (O2) or non-oxygen treated based on their postpartum clinical course. Fetal fluid ET-1 concentration greater than 1.4 ng/mL carried a 3-fold increase in odds of the calf being treated with oxygen. Maternal plasma ET-1 concentration was greater in the O2 group (13 pg/ mL: [8-23 pg/mL] versus 25 pg/mL [12-40 pg/mL]; median, 25-75 percentile). Plasma ET-1 concentration in calves was not significantly different between groups. Fetal fluid ET-1 may serve as a marker for neonatal disorders of oxygenation in clone calves and the source of ET-1 may be the placenta.     

Direct observations of structural phase transitions in planar crystallized ion plasmas

Laser-cooled 9Be+ ions confined in two-dimensionally extended lattice planes were directly observed, and the images were used to characterize the structural phases of the ions. Five different stable crystalline phases were observed, and the energetically favored structure could be sensitively tuned by changing the areal density of the confined ions. The experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions for the planar (infinite in two dimensions) one-component plasma. Qualitatively similar structural phase transitions occur, or are predicted to occur, in other experimentally realizable planar systems.     

Changes of Connexin43 Expression in Non‐pregnant Porcine Myometrium Correlate with Progesterone Concentration During Oestrous Cycle

Connexin43 (Cx43) is a major protein of myometrial gap junctions. The number of Cx43 gap junctions increase dramatically with the onset of labour in association with development of synchronized uterine contractions. The formation of myometrial gap junctions follows an increase in the oestrogen to progesterone ratio indicating an important role of steroid hormones in regulating Cx43 expression at term. However, no relationship has been established between the expression of Cx43 in the non‐pregnant myometrium and concentration of steroid hormones during the oestrous cycle. Here, we used immunofluorescence and Western blotting to analyse the expression of Cx43 gap junctions in the myometrium of pre‐pubertal pigs (n = 7) and mature pigs at pre‐ovulatory (n = 7), luteal (n = 5) and late luteal (n = 3) stages of the oestrous cycle. The number of Cx43 gap junctions calculated per 1 mm² of the myometrial section was low in pre‐pubertal pigs and significantly higher (p < 0.022) in pre‐ovulatory animals. In relation to pre‐ovulatory animals the number of myometrial gap junctions was significantly lower (p < 0.019) at the luteal phase and correlated with significantly higher (p < 0.005) concentration of endogenous progesterone. Phosphorylated isoforms of Cx43 protein were expressed in the myometrium of pre‐pubertal pigs and mature animals at pre‐ovulatory and late luteal phases, while they were down regulated at the luteal stage. These results indicate that changes of Cx43 expression in the porcine myometrium during the oestrous cycle may be regulated by progesterone concentration and may contribute to the modulation of uterine motility.     

Localization of Transforming Growth Factor Beta3 in Squamous Metaplasia of the Porcine Oviduct: a Case Report

Squamous metaplasia of the oviduct epithelium is a rare disorder of reproductive organs. We noted squamous metaplasia of the oviduct epithelium in a sow routinely slaughtered at day 2 of the oestrous cycle. Expression of transforming growth factor beta3 (TGF beta3) in the metaplastic epithelia was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, because TGF beta3 appears to play a key role as regulator of a variety of tissue remodelling events. Our results show that TGF beta3 immunostaining was specifically localized to foci of squamous metaplasia of the epithelial linings. Non‐metaplastic epithelial cells of the oviduct were not immunostained with anti‐TGF beta3 antibody. At the subcellular level, TGF beta3‐labelled cells occasionally showed signs of apoptotic cell death. It is concluded that signals produced by TGF beta3 in metaplastic lesions of the oviduct are potentially involved in pathophysiological processes.     

Isolation of very virulent Marek''s disease viruses from vaccinated chickens in Australia

Very virulent Marek's disease viruses (vvMDV), defined as isolates against which the herpesvirus of turkey (HVT) vaccine provide poor protection, have been isolated from poultry flocks in both the United States and Europe. Twenty-one samples from vaccinated Australian flocks, experiencing problems with excessive Marek's disease (MD), were tested for the presence of transmissible MD viruses (MDV). Of the 16 samples which contained a transmissible agent, 14 were pathogenic in chickens, based on the development of MD lesions or depression of the bursa/body weight ratio. Of the pathogenic isolates which have been successfully typed 10 were serotype 1, and one was serotype 2 MDV. Pathogenicity of isolates varied. Several isolates caused tumours in 20-30% of both vaccinated and unvaccinated chickens. Two isolates, MPF6 and MPF23, caused tumours in more than 50% of chickens. When MPF6 and MPF23 were tested in vaccine trials bivalent vaccine gave no better protection against development of MD lesions than a monovalent vaccine. Isolate MPF23 was so pathogenic that lesions were produced in all chickens, regardless of the vaccine protocol used. Therefore vvMDV have been isolated in Australia, and unlike the vaccines tested overseas, bivalent Australian vaccines do not appear to provide greater protection against these vvMDV.