Observation of Low-Lying Isomeric States in ^{136}Cs: A New Avenue for Dark Matter and Solar Neutrino Detection in Xenon Detectors

We report on new measurements establishing the existence of low-lying isomeric states in ^{136}Cs using γ rays produced in ^{136}Xe(p,n)^{136}Cs reactions. Two states with O(100)  ns lifetimes are placed in the decay sequence of the ^{136}Cs levels that are populated in charged-current interactions of solar neutrinos and fermionic dark matter with ^{136}Xe. Xenon-based experiments can therefore exploit a delayed-coincidence tag of these interactions, greatly suppressing backgrounds to enable spectroscopic studies of solar neutrinos and dark matter.

How thermal challenges change gene regulation in the songbird brain and gonad: implications for sexual selection in our changing world

In a rapidly warming world, exposure to high temperatures may impact fitness, but the gene regulatory mechanisms that link sublethal heat to sexually selected traits are not well understood, particularly in endothermic animals. Our experiment used zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), songbirds that experience extreme temperature fluctuations in their native Australia. We exposed captive males to an acute thermal challenge (43°C) compared with thermoneutral (35°C) and lower (27°C) temperatures. We found significantly more heat dissipation behaviors at 43°C, a temperature previously shown to reduce song production and fertility, and more heat retention behaviors at 27°C. Next, we characterized transcriptomic responses in tissues important for mating effort - the posterior telencephalon, for its role in song production, and the testis, for its role in fertility and hormone production. Differential expression of hundreds of genes in the testes, but few in the brain, suggest the brain is less responsive to extreme temperatures. Nevertheless, gene network analyses revealed that expression related to dopaminergic signaling in the brain co-varied with heat dissipation behaviors, providing a mechanism by which temporary thermal challenges may alter motivational circuits for song production. In both brain and testis, we observed correlations between thermally sensitive gene networks and individual differences in thermoregulatory behavior. Although we cannot directly relate these gene regulatory changes to mating success, our results suggest that individual variation in response to thermal challenges could impact sexually selected traits in a warming world.

Proton Compton Scattering from Linearly Polarized Gamma Rays

Differential cross sections for Compton scattering from the proton have been measured at scattering angles of 55°, 90°, and 125° in the laboratory frame using quasimonoenergetic linearly (circularly) polarized photon beams with a weighted mean energy value of 83.4 MeV (81.3 MeV). These measurements were performed at the High Intensity Gamma-Ray Source facility at the Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory. The results are compared to previous measurements and are interpreted in the chiral effective field theory framework to extract the electromagnetic dipole polarizabilities of the proton, which gives α_{E1}^{p}=13.8±1.2_{stat}±0.1_{BSR}±0.3_{theo},β_{M1}^{p}=0.2∓1.2_{stat}±0.1_{BSR}∓0.3_{theo} in units of 10^{-4}  fm^{3}.

Experimental detection of iron overload in liver through neutron stimulated emission spectroscopy

Iron overload disorders have been the focus of several quantification studies involving non-invasive imaging modalities. Neutron spectroscopic techniques have demonstrated great potential in detecting iron concentrations within biological tissue. We are developing a neutron spectroscopic technique called neutron stimulated emission computed tomography (NSECT), which has the potential to diagnose iron overload in the liver at clinically acceptable patient dose levels through a non-invasive scan. The technique uses inelastic scatter interactions between atomic nuclei in the sample and incoming fast neutrons to non-invasively determine the concentration of elements in the sample. This paper discusses a non-tomographic application of NSECT investigating the feasibility of detecting elevated iron concentrations in the liver. A model of iron overload in the human body was created using bovine liver tissue housed inside a human torso phantom and was scanned with a 5 MeV pulsed beam using single-position spectroscopy. Spectra were reconstructed and analyzed with algorithms designed specifically for NSECT. Results from spectroscopic quantification indicate that NSECT can currently detect liver iron concentrations of 6 mg g(-1) or higher and has the potential to detect lower concentrations by optimizing the acquisition geometry to scan a larger volume of tissue. The experiment described in this paper has two important outcomes: (i) it demonstrates that NSECT has the potential to detect clinically relevant concentrations of iron in the human body through a non-invasive scan and (ii) it provides a comparative standard to guide the design of iron overload phantoms for future NSECT liver iron quantification studies.

Direct nn-Scattering Measurement With the Pulsed Reactor YAGUAR

Although crucial for resolving the issue of charge symmetry in the nuclear force, direct measurement of nn-scattering by colliding free neutrons has never been performed. At present the Russian pulsed reactor YAGUAR is the best neutron source for performing such a measurement. It has a through channel where the neutron moderator is installed. The neutrons are counted by a neutron detector located 12 m from the reactor. In preliminary experiments an instantaneous value of 1.1 × 10(18)/cm(2)s was obtained for the thermal neutron flux density. The experiment will be performed by the DIANNA Collaboration as International Science & Technology Center (ISTC) project No. 2286.

Elicitors of Plant Defense Responses from Biocontrol Strains of Trichoderma viren

ABSTRACT Effective biocontrol strains of Trichoderma virens can induce the production of defense-related compounds in the roots of cotton. Ineffective strains do not induce these compounds to significant levels. This elicittation was found to be heat stable, insoluble in chloroform, passed through a 5K molecular weight cut-off (MWCO) filter, but not a 3K MWCO filter, and was sensitive to treatment by proteinase K. When the active material was subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, several bands were present in the material from biocontrol-active strains that were lacking in inactive strains. When eluted and tested for elicitation activity, with or without renaturation, four bands stimulated cotton terpenoid production. One band showed cross-reaction with an antibody to the ethylene-inducing xylanase from T. viride. Another band of approximately 18 kDa, gave significant stimulation of cotton terpenoid production and increased peroxidase activity in cotton radicles in all tests, with or without renaturation. The 18-kDa protein was subjected to amino-terminal sequence analysis, and the first 19 amino acids at the amino terminus were determined to be DTVSYDTGYDNGSRSLNDV. A database homology search using the BLASTp algorithm showed the highest similarity to a serine proteinase from Fusarium sporotrichioides.

Measurements of GnE/GnM from the 2H(e-->,en-->)1H Reaction to Q2=1.45 (GeV/c)2

We report new measurements of the ratio of the electric form factor to the magnetic form factor of the neutron, G(n)(E)/G(n)(M), obtained via recoil polarimetry from the quasielastic 2H(e-->,e(')n-->)1H reaction at Q2 values of 0.45, 1.13, and 1.45 (GeV/c)(2) with relative statistical uncertainties of 7.6% and 8.4% at the two higher Q2 points, which points have never been achieved in polarization measurements.

Cotton Seedling Preemergence Damping-Off Incited by Rhizopus oryzae and Pythium spp. and Its Biological Control with Trichoderma spp

ABSTRACT Planting the cotton cv. Sure-Grow 747 in cotton seedling disease plots during the 2001 growing season resulted in high levels of preemergence damping-off among the seedlings. Four cotton pathogens, Pythium aphanidermatum, P. ultimum, an unidentified Pythium sp., and Rhizopus oryzae, were isolated from diseased seed embryos and seedlings. Disease incited by the Pythium spp. could be controlled by seed treatment with Metalaxyl, but disease incited by R. oryzae could not. Seed treatment with Metalaxyl in naturally infested field soil was only partially effective; therefore, symptoms in 47% of the diseased seedlings could be attributed to R. oryzae. Susceptibility to disease appeared to be related to release in the spermosphere, by the germinating seeds, of compounds that stimulate pathogen propagule germination, because exudates from seed of the suscept Sure-Grow 747 and extracts from wheat bran induced pathogen germination and growth, whereas exudates from resistant cv. Stoneville 213 did not. However, even Stoneville 213 became susceptible when infested soil was amended with wheat bran. Seed treatment with preparations of Trichoderma virens parent, mutant, and hybrid strains gave effective biological control of preemergence damping-off. Disease control was attributable to metabolism by the biocontrol agent of pathogen germination stimulants released by the seed, because amendment of pathogen-infested soil with the propagule germination stimulants in wheat bran negated the protective effect of the seed treatment.

Precision measurement of the spin-dependent asymmetry in the threshold region of 3He(e, e')

We present the first precision measurement of the spin-dependent asymmetry in the threshold region of 3He(e,e') at Q2 values of 0.1 and 0.2 (GeV/c)2. The agreement between the data and nonrelativistic Faddeev calculations which include both final-state interactions and meson-exchange current effects is very good at Q2 = 0.1 (GeV/c)2, while a small discrepancy at Q2 = 0.2 (GeV/c)2 is observed.

Viability and stability of biological control agents on cotton and snap bean seeds

Cotton and snap bean were selected for a multi-year, multi-state regional (south-eastern USA) research project to evaluate the efficacy of both commercial and experimental bacterial and fungal biological control agents for the management of damping-off diseases. The goal for this portion of the project was to determine the viability and stability of biological agents after application to seed. The biological seed treatments used included: (1) Bacillaceae bacteria, (2) non-Bacillaceae bacteria, (3) the fungus Trichoderma and (4) the fungus Beauveria bassiana. Seed assays were conducted to evaluate the following application factors: short-term (< or = 3 months) stability after seed treatment; quality (i.e. isolate purity); compatibility with chemical pesticides and other biocontrol agents; application uniformity between years and plant species. For the bacterial treatments, the Bacillaceae genera (Bacillus and Paenibacillus) maintained the greatest population of bacteria per seed, the best viability over time and the best application uniformity across years and seed type. The non-Bacillaceae genera Burkholderia and Pseudomonas had the least viability and uniformity. Although Beauveria bassiana was only evaluated one year, the seed fungal populations were high and uniform. The seed fungal populations and uniformity for the Trichoderma isolates were more variable, except for the commercial product T-22. However, this product was contaminated with a Streptomyces isolate in both the years that it was evaluated. The study demonstrated that Bacillaceae can be mixed with Trichoderma isolates or with numerous pesticides to provide an integrated pest control/growth enhancement package.

Transverse asymmetry AT' from the quasielastic 3He(e,e') process and the neutron magnetic form factor

We have measured the transverse asymmetry A(T') in 3He(e,e(')) quasielastic scattering in Hall A at Jefferson Laboratory with high precision for Q2 values from 0.1 to 0.6 (GeV/c)(2). The neutron magnetic form factor G(n)(M) was extracted based on Faddeev calculations for Q2 = 0.1 and 0.2 (GeV/c)(2) with an experimental uncertainty of less than 2%.

Induction of Terpenoid Synthesis in Cotton Roots and Control of Rhizoctonia solani by Seed Treatment with Trichoderma virens

ABSTRACT Research on the mechanisms employed by the biocontrol agent Trichoderma virens to suppress cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) seedling disease incited by Rhizoctonia solani has shown that mycoparasitism and antibiotic production are not major contributors to successful biological control. In this study, we examined the possibility that seed treatment with T. virens stimulates defense responses, as indicated by the synthesis of terpenoids in cotton roots. We also examined the role of these terpenoid compounds in disease control. Analysis of extracts of cotton roots and hypocotyls grown from T. virens-treated seed showed that terpenoid synthesis and peroxidase activity were increased in the roots of treated plants, but not in the hypocotyls of these plants or in the untreated controls. Bioassay of the terpenoids for toxicity to R. solani showed that the pathway intermediates desoxyhemigossypol (dHG) and hemigossypol (HG) were strongly inhibitory to the pathogen, while the final product gossypol (G) was toxic only at a much higher concentration. Strains of T. virens and T. koningii were much more resistant to HG than was R. solani, and they thoroughly colonized the cotton roots. A comparison of biocontrol efficacy and induction of terpenoid synthesis in cotton roots by strains of T. virens, T. koningii, T. harzianum, and protoplast fusants indicated that there was a strong correlation (+0.89) between these two phenomena. It, therefore, appears that induction of defense response, particularly terpenoid synthesis, in cotton roots by T. virens may be an important mechanism in the biological control by this fungus of R. solani-incited cotton seedling disease.

The role of an extracellular chitinase from Trichoderma virens Gv29-8 in the biocontrol of Rhizoctonia solani

The role of extracellular chitinase in the biocontrol activity of Trichoderma virens was examined using genetically manipulated strains of this fungus. The T. virens strains in which the chitinase gene (cht42) was disrupted (KO) or constitutively over-expressed (COE) were constructed through genetic transformation. The resulting transformants were stable and showed patterns similar to the wild-type (WT) strain with respect to growth rate, sporulation, antibiotic production, colonization efficiency on cotton roots and growth/survival in soil. Biocontrol activity of the KO and COE strains were significantly decreased and enhanced, respectively against cotton seedling disease incited by Rhizoctonia solani when compared with the WT strain.

Cloning of Genes Involved in the Synthesis of Pyrrolnitrin from Pseudomonas fluorescens and Role of Pyrrolnitrin Synthesis in Biological Control of Plant Disease

A soil isolate of Pseudomonas fluorescens (BL915) was shown to be an effective antagonist of Rhizoctonia solani -induced damping-off of cotton. Investigation of the biological basis of this antagonism revealed that the strain produces pyrrolnitrin, a secondary metabolite known to inhibit R. solani and other fungi. Mutants of strain BL915 that did not produce pyrrolnitrin and did not suppress damping-off of cotton by R. solani were generated by exposure to N -methyl- N′ -nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine. A gene region that was capable of restoring pyrrolnitrin production to the non-pyrrolnitrin-producing mutants and of conferring this ability upon two other P. fluorescens strains not otherwise known to produce this compound or to be capable of suppressing damping-off caused by R. solani was isolated from strain BL915. The non-pyrrolnitrin-producing strains (mutants of BL915 and the other two P. fluorescens strains) which synthesized pyrrolnitrin after the introduction of the gene region from strain BL915 were also shown to be equal to strain BL915 in their ability to suppress R. solani -induced damping-off of cotton. These results indicate that we have isolated from P. fluorescens BL915 a gene(s) that has a role in the synthesis of pyrrolnitrin and that the production of this compound has a role in the ability of this strain to control damping-off of cotton by R. solani.

Virulence to cotton and tolerance to sanguinarine among Verticillium species

Seventy isolates of Verticillium dahliae, five isolates of Verticillium albo-atrum, and one isolate each of Verticillium nigrescens, Verticillium nubilum, and Verticillium tricorpus were compared for virulence to cotton and sensitivity to the alkaloid sanguinarine. Virulence of the V. albo-atrum and V. dahliae isolates to cotton was correlated with their growth rates on media containing sanguinarine. In the presence of sanguinarine 24 defoliating isolates all developed a blue fluorescence, which indicates detoxification to dihydrosanguinarine. Only 10 of 51 mild to moderately virulent strains fluoresced blue under the same conditions. Initial rates of uptake of sanguinarine and its toxicity to conidia was greater at pH 6.5 than at 4.5. After 18 h at pH 4.5, isolates tolerant to the alkaloid had removed 4–5 times as much sanguinarine from the medium as sensitive isolates; at pH 6.5 the amount of sanguinarine uptake was similar for all isolates. Uptake of sanguinarine from the medium occurred concurrently with an increasing blue fluorescence of intracellular areas in sanguinarine-tolerant isolates. These tolerant isolates of V. albo-atrum and V. dahliae appear to detoxify sanguinarine and accumulate the blue-fluorescent dihydrosanguinarine. A similar system may occur in the cotton – V. dahliae host–parasite relationship.