zThe coding sequence is compared for each pair of genes. Comparisons were done using the gap program of the Wisconsin GCG sequence analysis package. yCHS = chalcone synthase; CHI = chalcone isomerase; DFR = dihydroflavonol reductase. xFirst row for each plant pair presents the percent amino acid similarity. wSecond row for each plant pair presents the percent amino acid identity. vThird row for...

BACKGROUND Research on the potentially adverse effects of occupational pesticide exposure on risk of spontaneous abortion (SAB) is limited, particularly among female agricultural workers residing in developing countries. METHODS Reproductive histories were obtained from 217 Ecuadorian mothers participating in a study focusing on occupational pesticide exposure and children's neurobehavioral d...

Camellia japonica L. is an evergreen shrub whose cultivars are of great ornamental value. In autumn, after flower bud differentiation, dormancy is initiated. As in many other spring flowering woody ornamentals, winter low temperatures promote dormancy release of both flower and vegetative buds. However, warm spells during late autumn and winter can lead to unfulfilled chilling requirements lead...

Flower induction in apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is regulated by complex gene networks that involve multiple signal pathways to ensure flower bud formation in the next year, but the molecular determinants of apple flower induction are still unknown. In this research, transcriptomic profiles from differentiating buds allowed us to identify genes potentially involved in signaling pathways that ...

Gentiana leucomelaena manifests dramatic flower color polymorphism, with both blue- and white-flowered individuals (pollinated by flies and bees) both within a population and on an individual plant. Previous studies of this species have shown that pollinator preference and flower temperature change as a function of flower color throughout the flowering season. However, few if any studies have e...

A novel, potential and efficient microwave direct contact hyperthermia applicator referred to as water-loaded box-horn for therapeutic heating of bio-medium is designed and developed at 915 and 2450 MHz. Also, theoretical expressions for fields in bio-medium as produced by a direct contact box-horn applicator have been derived using plane wave spectral technique. The box-horn is a special type ...

BACKGROUND The location of the temporal horn is important to neurosurgeons during procedures such as amygdalohippocampectomy and intraventricular electrode placement for temporal lobe seizure monitoring. However, sometimes the temporal horn is difficult to localize, especially without neuronavigation. The authors aimed to better localize this structure using superficial anatomic landmarks. ME...

The temporal and spatial expression pattern of Fos protein in spinal dorsal horn neurons was examined by immunohistochemistry in rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI) to the sciatic nerve. In normal animals, a few Fos-immunoreactive (-IR) neurons were detected in the dorsal horn of the lumbar spinal cord. Following induction of CCI, a very large number of Fos-IR neurons appeared in the sp...

Partially defined Boolean functions (pdBf) , where are disjoint sets of true and false vectors, generalize total Boolean functions by allowing that the function values on some input vectors are unknown. The main issue with pdBfs is the extension problem, which is deciding, given a pdBf, whether it is interpolated by a function from a given class of total Boolean functions, and computing a formu...

In animal-pollinated plants with unisexual flowers, sexual dimorphism in floral traits may be the consequence of pollinator-mediated selection. Experimental investigations of the effects of variation in flower size and floral display on pollinator visitation can provide insights into the evolution of floral dimorphism in dioecious plants. Here, we investigated pollinator responses to experiment...