We have performed photometric observations of nearly seven million stars with 8 < V < 15 with the SuperWASP-North instrument from La Palma between 2004 May to September. Fields in the right ascension ...range 17–18 h, yielding over 185 000 stars with sufficient quality data, have been searched for transits using a modified box least-squares (BLS) algorithm. We find a total of 58 initial transiting candidates which have high signal-to-noise ratio in the BLS, show multiple transit-like dips and have passed visual inspection. Analysis of the blending and the inferred planetary radii for these candidates leave, a total of seven transiting planet candidates which pass all the tests plus four which pass the majority. We discuss the derived parameters for these candidates and their properties and comment on the implications for future transit searches.
Objective-To compare isolates of Rhodococcus equi on the basis of geographic source and virulence status by use of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Sample Population-290 isolates of R ...equi(218 virulent isolates from foals and 72 avirulent isolates from feces, soil, and respiratory tract samples) obtained between 1985 and 2000 from horses and horse farms from 4 countries. Procedure-DNA from isolates was digested with the restriction enzyme AseI and tested by use of PFGE. Products were analyzed for similarities in banding patterns by use of dendrograms. A similarity matrix was constructed for isolates, and the matrix was tested for nonrandom distributions of similarity values with respect to groupings of interest. Results-There was little grouping of isolates on the basis of country, virulence status, or region within Texas. Isolates of R equi were generally < 80% similar, as determined by use of PFGE. Isolates from the same farm generally were rarely of the same strain. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Considerable chromosomal variability exists among isolates of R equi obtained from the same farm, sites within Texas, or among countries from various continents. Only rarely will it be possible to link infections to a given site or region on the basis of analysis of isolates by use of PFGE of chromosomal DNA.
A series of 1,2-dihydrochromeno3,4-
fquinoline derivatives was synthesized and tested in biological assays to evaluate the nonsteroidal progesterone receptor modulator pharmacophore (
4) as ...antiprogestins. A number of potent analogues were identified by modification of the substituents at the D-ring.
A series of the nonsteroidal progesterone receptor antagonists
11 and
12 were synthesized and evaluated.
A preliminary characterization is provided of a naturally occurring cyclic peptide with interesting and potent biological activity. A 31-residue cyclic peptide, designated cyclopsychotride A 1, was ...obtained from the organic extract of the tropical plant, Psychotria longipes. Compound 1 inhibited 125I neurotensin (NT) binding to HT-29 cell membranes (IC50 3 microM) and also stimulated increased levels of cytosolic Ca2+ in two unrelated cell lines that do not express NT receptors. The peptide was found to dose-dependently increase intracellular Ca2+ at concentrations ranging from 3 to 30 microM, and this response was not blocked by a known NT antagonist. Cyclopsychotride A 1 possesses three disulfide linkages and is thought to be the largest cyclic peptide isolated from a natural source. Both 1H-nmr and cd spectroscopy showed 1 to be highly structured.
Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 5B4.
An outbreak of malignant catarrhal fever (MCF) among ...bison sold at an auction market was studied for an 18-month period. Forty-five of 163 bison submitted for sale from 8 different bison farms died on 7 other destination farms. The outbreak began on day 50 after the sale, peaked between days 60 and 70, and ended on day 220. Twenty-one dead bison were confirmed to be MCF cases by clinical histories, pathology, and detection of ovine herpesvirus-2 DNA in their tissues with polymerase chain reaction assays. Twenty-four dead bison were classified as suspect MCF cases from clinical histories. No cases of MCF were observed among bison remaining on originating farms or resident bison mixed with sale bison on destination farms. There were no sheep reported within 3 km of originating or destination farms, limiting bison exposure to sheep to the auction facility, where sheep were present for less than 1 day. The outbreak provides an illustration of the temporal distribution of MCF mortality expected in bison and an estimate of the time from exposure until death from MCF after a single short exposure to sheep. The study provides evidence that bison with MCF do not transmit MCF to other bison.
Cryogenic scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis were used to investigate evidence of in situ biogenic clay formation occurring in experiments set up to simulate ...microbial–geochemical interactions in deep subsurface low-nutrient granitic environments. Packed-columns and stirred batch reactors contained crushed Äspö granodiorite, artificial groundwater mimicking that from Äspö Underground Research Laboratory (URL), and combinations of three types of subsurface chemolithotrophic bacteria, two of which were indigenous to the Äspö rocks. After 5 days the columns had become impermeable and analysis of the contents revealed that, despite the salinity and nutrient-depleted nature of the media, all of the experiments containing bacteria had produced copious biofilm including unusual biofilamentous networks across porespaces. Furthermore, these biofilaments were encrusted with finer-grained material and surrounded by neoformed fine-grained aluminosilicate deposits. In contrast, non-biological controls showed no evidence of aluminosilicate formation, implying that this process is biologically mediated. Subsequent sets of non-biological experiments designed to assess effects of bulk-scale pH changes and associated mineral dissolution (mimicking one of the possible effects of bacteria), revealed extensive mineral etching along with saturation of soluble species thought to be important in clay formation. However, there was little or no evidence of clay formation except at very high pH values (>
pH8) and the etching on mineral surfaces had not appeared previously in the biological reactors. This suggests that the bacteria either actively concentrate relevant chemical species for mineral formation in localised microenvironments rather than affecting the bulk chemical system, or they accelerate clay formation by acting as templates/nucleation points. These findings imply that bacteria indigenous to granitic environments could dramatically affect the hydrological regime, which could be particularly important if repository construction generates new nutrient supplies into the ground water system.
A series of 2(1
H)-pyrrolidino3,2-
gquinolinones was prepared and tested for the ability to modulate the transcriptional activity of the human androgen receptor (hAR). The parent compound. ...4-(trifluoromethyl)-2(1
H)-pyrrolidino3,2-
gquinolinone, displayed moderate interaction with hAR, but more substituted analogues, particularly 6,7-disubstituted compounds, were potent hAR agonists in vitro.
A series of linear tri- and tetra-cyclic 4-(trifluoromethyl)-2(1
H)-pyrrolidino3,2-
gquinolinones was prepared and tested for the ability to modulate the transcriptional activity of the human androgen receptor (hAR) in a mammalian cellular context. From the same pharmacophore, both potent hAR agonists (5–10 nM) and antagonists (10–30 nM) were prepared.
PDF
