Environmental parameters, such as food level and water temperature, have been shown to be major factors influencing pearl oyster shell growth and molecular mechanisms involved in this biomineralization process. The present study investigates the effect of food level (i.e., microalgal concentration) and water temperature, in laboratory controlled conditions, on the last stages of pearl mineraliz...

This study explores farmer acceptance and valuation of a biofortified staple food crop in a developing country prior to its commercialization. We focus on the hypothetical introduction of a high-iron pearl millet variety in Maharashtra, India, where pearl millet is among the most important staple crops. A choice experiment is used to investigate farmer preferences for and trade-offs among vario...

In the artificial pearl industry, the epithelial cell of mantle grafting proliferates to form the pearl sac and secret organic matrix to guide pearl biomineralization. This article summarized the process of pearl formation, the involvement of matrix proteins in calcium carbonate (CaCO3) deposition and the genetic contribution of saibo in pearl formation. At last summarizes the existing issues a...

Expression patterns of the shell matrix protein genes MSI31 and MSI60 in the pearl sac epithelium were examined by in situ hybridization 38 days after implantation, and related to pearl quality. A pearl sac that produced a nacreous pearl showed very weak expression of MSI31 and strong expression of MSI60. A pearl sac, which yielded a prismatic pearl, strongly expressed MSI31 and very weakly exp...

The PEARL II portable laboratory computer integrates hardware and software to serve as an on-line, realtime, experimental control and data acquisition system. Although the system can be used in many areas of research, PEARL II development has emphasized investigation of physiological responses from human subjects performing complex experimental tasks. PEARL functions as a "turn-key" system whic...

Seven mouse pigment mutants, which have alterations at distinct genes, are known to have a defect in kidney lysosomal enzyme secretion. Two of these, beige and pale ear, have a bleeding abnormality associated with a deficiency in the number of platelet dense granules. In the present study, five other mutants with defective lysosomal enzyme secretion--pearl, pallid, light ear, maroon, and ruby-e...

Pulmonary inflammation, abnormalities in alveolar type II cell and macrophage morphology, and pulmonary fibrosis are features of Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS). We used the naturally occurring "pearl" HPS2 mouse model to investigate the mechanisms of lung inflammation observed in HPS. Although baseline bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell counts and differentials were similar in pearl and strain-...

A significant correlation between the occurrence of pearl pulsations at College, Alaska, and interplanetary magnetic field sector boundaries has been observed. Pearl pulsation data published by the Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, and sector data published by Wilcox and Ness have been used to show the following: pearl pulsations are more likely to occur on the day a sector boundary ...