We characterized pit and mound (PM) topography resulting from catastrophic wind in the Coweeta Basin, and located 48 PMs a across a variety of forest types. Our measurements included pit length, width, and depth; and mound height, thickness, and width. Species of fallen trees were identified, and DBH (diameter at breast height, 1.37 m) was measured for biomass determination. We identified five ...

Aquatic field studies were conducted in Tha Mai District, Chanthaburi Province, Thailand. Larval habitats of Anopheles dirus were examined from November 1986 through June 1988 in 42 manmade gem pits. Larvae were found in pits containing clear water under full or partial shade. The abundance of different kinds of mosquito larvae were related to seasonal changes in these aquatic habitats. Variati...

To test the role of wtPIT-1 (PITWT) or PIT-1 (R271W) (PIT271) in somatolactotroph cells, we established, using inducible lentiviral vectors, sublines of GH4C1 somatotroph cells that allow the blockade of the expression of endogenous PIT-1 and/or the expression of PITWT or PIT271, a dominant negative mutant of PIT-1 responsible for Combined Pituitary Hormone Deficiency in patients. Blocking expr...

Nuclear extracts prepared from growth hormone-secreting (GC) and prolactin-secreting (235-1) rat anterior pituitary cell lines were compared for their ability to bind to the DNA sequences conferring tissue-specificity to the expression of the rat growth hormone (rGH) gene promoter. Cell-specific differences in the interaction of Pit-1, a tissue-specific member of the POU-domain transcription fa...

Pavlovian to instrumental transfer (PIT) is a central factor in how cues influence animal behavior. PIT refers to the capacity of a Pavlovian cue that predicts a reward to elicit or increase a response intended to obtain the same reward. In the present study, using an equine model, we assessed whether PIT occurs in hoofed domestic animals and whether its efficacy can be modulated by temperament...

The oxyntic mucosa of the mouse stomach is lined with a heterogeneous population of cells that form numerous short pits continuous with long tubular glands. Tritiated thymidine radioautography has made it possible to pinpoint the origin of all cell types and to follow the differentiation/migration of different cell lineages along the pit-gland unit. The proliferating multipotent stem cells func...

The Pit-1 transcription factor (also know as POU1F1) plays a critical role in cell differentiation during organogenesis of the anterior pituitary in mammals and is a transcriptional activator for pituitary gene transcription. Increased expression of Pit-1 has been reported in human tumorigenic breast cells. Here, we found that Pit-1 overexpression or knockdown in human breast cancer cell lines ...

Intervessel pits act as safety valves that prevent the spread of xylem embolism. Pectin-calcium crosslinks within the pit membrane have been proposed to affect xylem vulnerability to cavitation. However, as the chemical composition of pit membranes is poorly understood, this hypothesis has not been verified. Using electron microscopy, immunolabeling, an antimonate precipitation technique, and r...

Cavitation resistance is a key parameter to understand tree drought tolerance but little is known about the mechanisms of air entry into xylem conduits. For conifers three mechanisms have been proposed: (1) a rupture of pit margo microfibrils, (2) a displacement of the pit torus from its normal sealing position over the pit aperture, and (3) a rupture of an air-water menisci in a pore of the pi...