To help understand the process of carpel morphogenesis, the roles of three carpel development genes have been partitioned genetically. Mutants of CRABS CLAW cause the gynoecium to develop into a wider but shorter structure, and the two carpels are unfused at the apex. Mutants of a second gene, SPATULA, show reduced growth of the style, stigma, and septum, and the transmitting tract is absent. D...

This paper describes the molecular detection of influenza A, influenza B, respiratory syncytial virus and human metapneumovirus using real-time nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA) from respiratory samples collected on simple dry cotton swabs, non-invasively and in the absence of transport medium. Viral RNA was detectable on dry cotton and flocked swabs for at least 2 weeks at room...

Angled polyurethane fiber arrays are modified by adding soft spherical and spatula shaped tips via dipping. These fibers are characterized for adhesion and friction and compared with unmodified fibers and flat material samples. Sphere and spatula tip fiber samples demonstrate increased adhesion, with 10 and 23 times the maximum adhesion of the unmodified fiber sample, respectively. The sphere a...

Methods for detecting microorganisms on surfaces are needed to locate biocontamination sources and to relate surface and airborne concentrations. Research was conducted in an experimental room to evaluate surface sampling methods and quantitative PCR (QPCR) for enhanced detection of a target biocontaminant present on flooring materials. QPCR and culture analyses were used to quantitate Bacillus...

The Stethoscope— A Vector of Infection? To the Editor: In the course of investigating a hospital-wide outbreak of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 67 physicians' stethoscopes were cultured. Both the bell and the diaphragm were sampled with a sterile cotton swab, and this was immediately streaked onto Columbia Nutrient Agar (BBL), a selective medium for grampositive organisms. The ca...