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Between his initial proposal in February 1869 and his final table of November 1870, Mendeleev made radical improvements, linking his groups to highest oxidation states, clarifying the relationship of element and substance, and making detailed predictions of the properties of three missing elements. However, his inflexible belief in an alternating structure of rows of VII and VIII groups made it impossible for him to include the ‘rare earths’, and the relationship between the two rows of VII at the top confused the system. From 1873 onwards, other interests prevented him from thinking about his table, apart from accommodating the noble gases. His final table of 1906 shows no significant advance on that of 1870, and indeed, the top row contains absurd guesses about elements around hydrogen.

The first attempt to represent the Periodic system graphically was the Telluric Helix (Vis Tellurique) presented in 1862 by Alexandre-Emile Beguyer de Chancourtois, in which the sequence of elements was wound round a cylinder. This has hardly been attempted since, because the intervals between periodic returns vary in length from 2 to 32 elements, but Charles Janet presented a model wound round four nested cylinders. The rows in Janet’s table are defined by a constant sum of the first two quantum numbers, n and l, so that they end with the s-block, headed by hydrogen and helium. By combining Janet’s table, Edward Mazurs’ version, in which each row represents an electron shell and Valery Tsimmerman’s use of a half square for each element, I have produced a representation that can be printed out and wound round to make a cylinder with manageable dimensions. In the unwound version, I have placed the s-block in the middle, to emphasise its pivotal nature, since it both ends each (n + l) row and contributes electrons to the valence of elements in the next (n + l) row; it thus does not necessarily belong either on the left or the right side of a table. The downward arrows that link subshells within each (n + l) series graphically illustrate the Janet Effect (or Madelung Rule). To acknowledge my debt to Chancourtois, Janet, Mazurs and Tsimmerman, I call my design the ‘Telluric Remix’.

Dmitri Mendeleev’s detailed prediction in 1871 of the properties of three as yet unknown elements earned him enormous prestige. Eleven other predictions, thrown off without elaboration, were less uniformly successful, thanks mainly his unbending adherence to the structure of his table and his failure to account for the lanthanides. At the end of his life he returned to his table without making the required changes, and added a theoretical discussion of elements lighter than hydrogen. The overall balance of success and failure is nevertheless in his favour. There may now be a similar failure to understand the ultra-heavy elements because of adherence to the pattern of chemical groups.

The s, p, d and f blocks of the elements, as delimited by Charles Janet in 1928, can be represented as parallel slices of a regular tetrahedron. They also fit neatly on to the surface of a sphere. The reasons for this are discussed and the possible objections examined. An attempt is made to see whether there are philosophical implications of this unexpected geometrical regularity. A new tetrahedral design in transparent plastic is presented.

Amateurs Have Made Valuable contributions to various sciences, including astronomy, geology, biology, and engineering. In chemistry they have been drawn to the periodic system of the elements, with its deceptive simplicity, its density of information, its aesthetic potential, and its implication of deep order in the universe. They have suggested novel ways of representing it visually, in particular spirals and lemniscates in two or three dimensions. However, in the course of a century and a half, professional chemists have generally ignored the amateur versions of the table, and contented themselves with a couple of utilitarian tabulations. Edward Mazurs, one of the two great historians of the periodic system, surveyed approximately 700 graphic representations produced between 1862 and 1972. He was obsessed with classification, and he counted 146 different types. It seems astonishing that out of all these only two have ever attained any lasting and widespread currency among professionals. Dmitri Mendeleev’s short form was rapidly taken up by chemists and remained the standard for half a century. It was compact and easy to read, and by the clever device of combining three or four groups of elements as column VIII it concealed the difference in length between what we now call the p block and the d block. Indeed it confused the two; Mendeleev’s predicted properties of scandium (in the d block) were based on those of boron (in the p block). His inability to deal with the f block did not attract attention because as yet so few lanthanoids were known and that the early actinoids behave rather like the first members of the d-block. In the interwar years, the standard medium-long form gradually displaced Mendeleev’s short form, and since the 1940s it has become ubiquitous. Mazurs classified it as his type IIC2-4, and he referenced it 67 times—more than any other type (pp. 175–180)—but he thought so poorly of it that he accorded less than a page to discussing it.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the genetics of flowering in the strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) will aid in the development of breeding strategies. OBJECTIVE: To search for quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with remontancy and weeks of flowering in the strawberry. METHODS: Previously collected phenotypic data from two non-remontant ‘Honeoye’ × remontant ‘Tribute’ strawberry populations and simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers were used to search for QTL associated with repeat flowering, weeks of flowering and runner production, as well as the ability to produce flowers and runners at 17, 20 and 23 ◦ C. RESULTS: As was discovered in other studies, we found a major QTL that regulated remontancy and weeks of flowering on homeologous linkage group IV of ‘Tribute’. This QTL also had a negative effect on runner production and a positive influence on flower production under high temperatures. A number of additional QTL were discovered that significantly (LOD >3.0) influenced flower and runner production. CONCLUSIONS: Remontancy/non-remontancy is controlled by a major gene/locus and several minor modifying ones.

Ten seedlings from 36 crosses representing eastern and western North American short day and remontant genotypes were evaluated in 2011 and 2012 in California, Michigan, New Hampshire and Oregon, for phenology, flower related traits, plant characteristics, fruit characteristics and fruit chemistry traits. There was significant variability among genotypes, locations and evaluation year for most of the characteristics; however, few genotype × location and genotype × year interactions were detected. General combining ability variance components were significant for all traits and greater than SCA variance components for peduncle length, total flowering weeks, flowering cycles, truss size, growing degree days for harvest data, remontancy, achene position, ease of capping, fruit weight, percent soluble solids, titratable acidity and soluble solids/titratable acidity. ‘Sarian’ was identified as the best contributing parent for remontancy. Narrow-sense heritability estimates were moderate to high (0.33–0.78) for total flowering weeks, flowering cycle, truss size, remontancy, number of runners, fruit weight, pH, and titratable acidity. Having a better understanding of these attributes will provide breeders guidance on the most effective breeding strategies for incorporating superior traits from this germplasm into their programs.

UMR 1332 - Equipe OrFE; Perpetual-flowering (PF) is a highly desirable trait within cultivated strawberries (Fragaria ×ananassa) for the commercial and home garden markets. The most widely used source of the PF trait was originally introgressed from a wild F. virginiana subsp. glauca accession collected in the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City, UT in 1955. This source is conferred by a single dominant QTL, FaPFRU, and was recently identified in multiple bi-parental populations. Multiple markers have been proposed as diagnostic tests for marker-assisted selection (MAS). These markers were proposed after looking at a relatively small sample of germplasm. To identify the best diagnostic testing procedure for MAS, the markers were evaluated individually and in combination on a training set of cultivars with known genotypes and the best test was used to determine the distribution of the FaPFRU source of PF within a large sample of octoploid Fragaria germplasm. Of the tests evaluated, the microsatellite marker Bx215 alone was found to have the best diagnostic ability for MAS with an accuracy of 93.1% in controlled conditions. When utilizing the test on 390 F. ×ananassa accessions, 164 accessions were identified to likely have the FaPFRU locus. Nine octoploid Fragaria accessions were PF and did not have this marker, indicating possible recombination events or potentially novel sources of the PF trait. Future work will be needed to dissect the PF trait in these nine individuals.

Mendeleev’s successful predictions were the fruit of his insight into the structure of the periodic system. His failures were the result of pursuing the pattern he had perceived beyond the limits of its applicability. These two things are not equivalent.

One of the puzzles of Victorian literature is the eight-year silence of Arthur Hugh Clough (1819-61). He appears to have composed no verse at all between the middle of 1853 and the spring of 1861, apart from some experimental translations from Homer. (1) Special interest attaches therefore to the long poem that he poured out in the last summer of his life, Tales on Board or Mari Magno (referred to hereafter as Tales), and to the circumstances of its composition. If there is any expression of the thoughts and feelings of the missing years, it should be in Tales. However, many critics, especially in the last half century, have been rather dismissive of this last work, holding that Clough had become conventional and ordinary in his views and that his poetic imagination had grown weak. However, some earlier critics were more enthusiastic. W. Y. Sellar thought "he had here struck on one of his happiest veins"; J. A. Symonds said it showed him to be "a better Crabbe"; an anonymous reviewer in the Contemporary Review found that the tales "attract the reader in the way that Chaucer attracts"; H. W. Garrod believed that, if it could not be called his masterpiece, it was "only because he died in the middle of writing it." He wrote "There is nothing that I more desire than that someone who has not read Mari Magno should be lured into doing so." (2) Part of the trouble came from the title, Mari Magno, "on the great sea," which recalls the opening lines of Lucretius' De Rerum Natura, Book 2: "how pleasant, when the winds whip up the waters over a great sea, to watch from land the trouble of others!" (my translation). To those with a classical education, this could sound as if it meant that Clough was smugly satisfied to be able, from the refuge of a happy marriage, to look with equanimity on the suffering of others. However, there is no reason to suppose that he was thinking of anything more than the literal meaning of the two words, for he gave Norton the same title for two other poems, both composed in 1852-53: (3) "Where lies the land" (which appeared at one point as a possible envoi to Tales; see below) conveys the exhilaration of being in mid-ocean (Poems, p. 342); "Some future day" looks forward to being able to recollect emotion in tranquillity (Poems, p. 338). As for his feelings about Lucretian Schadenfreude, they are expressed in the following lines, deleted from the manuscript of Amours de Voyage, on Britain's failure to come to the aid of the Roman Republic in 1849: O happy Englishmen we! that so truly can quote from Lucretius Suave mari magno--how pleasant indeed in a tempest Safe from the window to watch and behold the great trouble of others, O blessed government ours, blessed Empire of Purse and Policeman! (Poems, p. 631) Mari Magno was a misleading title for another reason. Clough's education had been almost entirely classical, and most of his readers had the same background. It is not surprising that his previous poetry was full of allusions to ancient literature and history, and that many of his titles were in Latin or Greek. In Tales, however, he consciously addresses a wider audience in a style inspired by Chaucer or Crabbe. (4) The titles are in English, except for "Currente Calamo," (also "Primitiae" as an alternative to "Third Cousins," later "The Lawyer's First Tale"--hereafter "Lawyer I"--and "A La Banquette" for "A Modern Pilgrimage"). In this paper I use the English titles. Since interpretation of the poem has been influenced so much by ideas about the state of mind in which the reader believes it to have been written, it seems necessary to give some account of Clough's last years. Three things changed in his life after his return from America in June 1853: the immediate start of his humdrum job at the Office of Education, his marriage to Blanche Smith in June 1854 and the beginning of his exhausting voluntary work for Blanche's cousin Florence Nightingale in August 1856. …

Very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) are produced in the liver and contain apolipoprotein (apo) B-100 and endogenous lipids. By contrast, ingestion of fat leads to formation of chylomicrons containing apoB-48 secreted from the intestine. In this study, a 60-min intravenous infusion of a chylomicron-like triglyceride emulsion was given to healthy young men to examine whether competition between chylomicrons and VLDL for the same lipolytic pathway explains the increase in VLDL seen after meals. The responses of two major VLDL subfractions were determined by measuring the concentrations of apoB-100 in fractions of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins with Svedberg flotation rates of 60-400 (large VLDL) and 20-60 (small VLDL) that were separated from plasma by density gradient ultracentrifugation. A threefold elevation in plasma triglycerides was observed during the infusion together with a consistent linear increase of large VLDL. The rate at which large VLDL accumulated in plasma differed markedly among individuals and was not enhanced by doubling of the infusion rate. The response of small VLDL was more heterogeneous; however, a decrease was seen in most subjects. The combined pattern for the two VLDL species is what would be expected if large VLDL particles are the precursors of smaller VLDL species and if lipolysis of large VLDL is inhibited through competition from the triglyceride emulsion. The extent to which the triglyceride emulsion inhibited the lipolysis of VLDL and/or influenced the synthesis rate of large VLDL was estimated from simultaneous stable isotope studies. The emulsion caused a 75-90% block of the conversion of large VLDL apoB to small VLDL apoB and there was no sign of enhanced synthesis of large VLDL after infusion of the triglyceride emulsion. The corollary of these findings is that chylomicrons and their remnants impede the normal lipolytic degradation of VLDL and could thereby be indirectly implicated in the generation of atherogenic remnant lipoproteins.

Throughout the last century many researchers have examined the physiology and molecular events surrounding an important milestone in plant development—the transition to flowering. Breakthroughs over the last decade have brought great molecular resolution to the process, allowing researchers to peer into the former black box that once obfuscated the mechanisms governing this evolutionarily and agriculturally important transition. Foundational studies in the physiology of flowering regulation have been performed in many species, but the greatest mechanistic clarity has come from studies in Arabidopsis thaliana. At the same time parallel efforts by researchers, nurserymen and farmers queried the wide variation in strawberry (Fragaria spp) flowering habits. The complex ranging flowering behaviors driven by the cumbersome genetics of the cultivated octoploid strawberry have slowed the understanding in this crop, yet a remarkable literature exists that documents examination of flowering in the genus. Strawberry is a high-value crop and a comprehensive understanding of flowering behaviors is required to optimize production and streamline breeding efforts. Studies in strawberry may offer new insights into quantitative mechanisms that shape the floral transition, and new mechanisms may be identified. Moreover, strawberry is a member of the Rosaceae, a family containing valuable fruit, nut and ornamental crops. Findings in strawberry will likely translate well to other crops in the family. This review compiles a century of observations and experimental results, and looks forward to the unique opportunities that may arise from contemporary studies of flowering time in this genus.

Janet is known almost exclusively for his left-step periodic table (LSPT). A study of his writings shows him to have been a highly creative thinker and a brilliant draftsman. His approach was primarily arithmetic-geometric, but it led him to anticipate the discovery of deuterium, helium-3, transuranian elements, antimatter and energy from nuclear fusion. He recognized the (n + l) rule well before Madelung and correctly placed the actinides. His controversial treatment of helium at the head of the alkaline earth elements might be less provocative if his system were taken in one of its spiral representations.

Mendeleev’s failure to represent the periodic system as a continuum may have hidden from him the space for the noble gases. A spiral format might have revealed the significance of the wide gaps in atomic mass between his rows. Tables overemphasize the division of the sequence into ‘periods’ and blocks. Not only do spirals express the continuity; in addition they are more attractive visually. They also facilitate a new placing for hydrogen and the introduction of an ‘element of atomic number zero’.

Day-neutrality is a highly desirable trait in strawberry (Fragaria L.)-breeding programs worldwide due to its importance in extending the harvest season in commercial production. Day-neutral genotypes are photoperiod insensitive and will initiate flowers under any photoperiod conditions as long as temperatures are moderate (below 30/26 °C day/night). In the current study, the inheritance of day-neutrality was investigated using an F1 population derived from the cross ‘Tribute’ × ‘Honeoye’. The day-neutral trait was scored qualitatively [day-neutral (DN) or short-day (SD)], and quantitatively (number of weeks of flowering). When qualitatively scored in five locations, the DN trait fit a 1:1 segregation ratio in the hot summers of Maryland (MD), Minnesota (MN) and Michigan (MI). Segregation was skewed toward additional DN progeny in the cooler summers of California (CA) and Oregon (OR). Regardless of evaluation location, the trait was mapped on linkage group IV-T-1 of the ‘Tribute’ map near the markers ChFaM148-184T and ChFaM011-163T. Quantitative-trait loci (QTL) for number of weeks of flowering in MD and CA and for stolon or ‘runner’ production in MN, MI and OR also were identified on linkage group IV-T-1 of the ‘Tribute’ map. These QTL were significantly associated with the qualitatively scored trait and its closely linked molecular markers. The marker ChFaM148-184T explained 63.8 % of the total phenotypic variation for the number of weeks of flowering for MD and 32.4 % of the total phenotypic variation for runner production in MN. Consequently, it was hypothesized that a single major gene or tightly linked cluster of genes in coupling control day-neutrality in this population. The results found in the current study suggest that day-neutrality can be qualitatively scored at least in the locations where the temperatures do not allow SD plants to behave as DN.

Cultivated strawberry (Fragaria xananassa) is a valuable crop, yet the absence of a rapid, high-throughput transgenic system has precluded meaningful application of biotechnology and translation of information from plant models to this crop. A new octoploid strawberry genetic line Laboratory Festival #9 has been identified, selected solely for its rapid regeneration and efficient transformation. Direct organogenesis has been achieved from all tissues tested, with rapidly-growing shoot initials visible in as few as 13 days. The conditions for optimal shoot regeneration, transformant selection, root generation, and plant acclimatization are presented. The progression from explant to plant in soil can be achieved in about 60 days. The development of transformation protocols in this rapid-cycling genotype allows high-throughput studies of gene function in the octoploid strawberry genetic background.

Resistance to Botryosphaeria cane canker in blackberry (Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson) was studied in eleven cultivars (‘Apache’, ‘Arapaho’, ‘Chester Thornless’, ‘Chickasaw’, ‘Illini Hardy’, ‘Kiowa’, ‘Navaho’, ‘Ouachita’, ‘Prime-Jim™’, ‘Shawnee’ and ‘Triple Crown’) using a detached cane assay. Ends of stem segments were sealed with wax and wound-inoculated using squares of media with mycelium. Segments were kept in humid containers on a lab bench and reaction was evaluated ten days after inoculation by measuring the area of the resulting lesion. ‘Chicaksaw’ was found to be the most susceptible by this assay, while ‘Arapaho’ and ‘Triple Crown’ were found to be the most resistant.

Resistance to fire blight in blackberry (Rubus subgenus Rubus Watson) was studied in both seedling populations and clonally propagated plants. Seedling populations resulted from a partial diallel crossing of seven cultivars (Apache, Arapaho, Chester Thornless, Illini Hardy, Navaho, Triple Crown, and Prime-Jim™). Clonal material evaluated included eleven cultivars (Apache, Arapaho, Chester Thornless, Chickasaw, Kiowa, Illini Hardy, Navaho, Ouachita, Shawnee, Triple Crown, and Prime-Jim) and six breeding selections. Inoculations were made by injection of suspensions of Erwinia amylovora in sterile water. Significant differences in resistance were found among genotypes; `Navaho' was the most susceptible, and `Kiowa' and a breeding selection A-2095, the most resistant. Seedling inoculations showed resistance to be quantitatively inherited and mostly additive, with an overall narrow-sense heritability of h2 = 0.32.

The use of stable isotopes in conjunction with compartmental modeling analysis has greatly facilitated studies of the metabolism of the apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins in humans. The aim of this study was to develop a multicompartment model that allows us to simultaneously determine the kinetics of apoB and triglyceride (TG) in VLDL(1) and VLDL(2) after a bolus injection of [(2)H(3)]leucine and [(2)H(5)]glycerol and to follow the catabolism and transfer of the lipoprotein particles. Here, we describe the model and present the results of its application in a fasting steady-state situation in 17 subjects with lipid values representative of a Western population. Analysis of the correlations showed that plasma TG was determined by the VLDL(1) and VLDL(2) apoB and TG fractional catabolic rate. Furthermore, the model showed a linear correlation between VLDL(1) TG and apoB production. A novel observation was that VLDL TG entered the circulation within 21 min after its synthesis, whereas VLDL apoB entered the circulation after 33 min. These observations are consistent with a sequential assembly model of VLDL and suggest that the TG is added to a primordial apoB-containing particle in the liver.

Heparin given intravenously enhances lipolysis, although fasting lipids are not markedly altered in long-term administration. In the present study we investigated heparin-induced acute perturbation of VLDL subclass metabolism. Eight men were examined during a control study and during an 8.5 h infusion of heparin. 2H3-leucine was used as tracer and kinetic constants derived using a non-steady-state model. Heparin infusion increased both plasma lipoprotein and hepatic lipase activity and raised plasma FFAs two-fold (P < 0.001). The fractional catabolic rate (FCR) of VLDL1 apo B increased on heparin (25.7 +/- 4.2 and 10.8 +/- 1.7 pools/d, heparin vs. control, P < 0.02). The FCR of VLDL2 apo B increased to 12.6 +/- 1.9 pools/d on heparin vs. 8.8 +/- 1.1 pools/d during the control (NS). Total VLDL apo B production was not significantly changed (824 +/- 45 and 692 +/- 91 mg/d, heparin vs. control, NS). We conclude that during heparin infusion, the catabolism of especially large triglyceride-rich VLDL1 apo B is greatly increased. However, although the FFA levels were high during the heparin study, the production of total VLDL apo B did not rise. These findings are consistent with the known action of heparin on lipoprotein lipase but indicate that acute increase in plasma FFA levels does not lead to a rise in VLDL apo B production.

The objective of the study was to examine the potential differential effect of insulin and acipimox (both of which reduce free fatty acid [FFA] availability) on VLDL apolipoprotein (apo) B metabolism. We studied eight healthy men (age 40 +/- 4 years, BMI 25.8 +/- 0.9 kg/m2, plasma triglycerides 1.30 +/- 0.12 mmol/l) after an overnight fast (control study, n = 8), during inhibition of lipolysis with an antilipolytic agent, acipimox (n = 8), and under 8.5-h euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic conditions (n = 5). Plasma FFAs were similarly suppressed in the acipimox and insulin studies (approximately 70% suppression). 2H3-leucine was used to trace apo B kinetics in VLDL1 and VLDL2 subclasses (Svedberg flotation rates: 60-400 and 20-60), and a non-steady-state multicompartmental model was used to derive the kinetic constants. The mean rate of VLDL1 apo B production was 708 +/- 106 mg/day at the beginning and 602 +/- 140 mg/day at the end of the control study. Production of the lipoprotein decreased to 248 +/- 93 mg/day during the insulin study (P < 0.05 vs. control study) and to 375 +/- 92 mg/day (NS) during the acipimox study. Mean VLDL2 apo B production was significantly increased during the acipimox study (399 +/- 42 vs. 236 +/- 27 mg/day, acipimox vs. control, P < 0.05) but not during the insulin study (332 +/- 51 mg/day, NS). The fractional catabolic rates of VLDL1 and VLDL2 apo B were similar in all three studies. We conclude that acute lowering of FFAs does not change the overall production rate of VLDL particles, but there is a shift toward production of smaller and denser VLDL2 particles, and, thus, the amount of total VLDL particles secreted remained constant. Insulin acutely suppresses the total production rate of VLDL apo B by decreasing the production of large triglyceride-rich VLDL1 particles. Based on these findings, we postulate that insulin has a direct suppressive effect on the production of VLDL apo B in the liver, independent of the availability of FFAs.

Abstract The mechanism by which acute insulin administration alters VLDL apolipoprotein (apo) B subclass metabolism and thus plasma triglyceride concentration was evaluated in 7 normolipidemic healthy men on two occasions, during a saline infusion and during an 8.5-hour euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp (serum insulin, 490±30 pmol/L). During the insulin infusion, plasma triglycerides decreased by 22% ( P P 2 H]leucine was given on both occasions to trace apo B kinetics in the VLDL1 and VLDL2 subclasses (Svedberg flotation rate, 60-400 and 20-60, respectively), and the kinetic basis for the change in VLDL levels caused by insulin was examined using a non-steady-state multicompartmental model. The mean rate of VLDL1 apo B synthesis decreased significantly by 35% ( P P

Insulin administration to healthy subjects inhibits the production of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)1 (Svedbergs flotation (Sf) rate 60–400) without affecting that of VLDL2 (Sf 20–60) subclass. This study was designed to test whether this hormonal action is impaired in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). We studied six men with NIDDM (age 53 ± 3 years, body mass index 27.0 ± 1.0 kg/m2, plasma triglycerides 1.89 ± 0.22 mmol/l) during an 8.5 h infusion of saline (control) and then in hyperinsulinaemic (serum insulin ∼ 540 pmol/l) conditions during 8.5 h infusions of glucose and insulin to give either hyper- and normoglycaemic conditions. [3-2H]-leucine was used as tracer and kinetic constants derived using a non-steady-state multicompartmental model. Compared to the control study, patients with NIDDM reduced VLDL1 apo B production by only 3 ± 8 % after 8.5 h of hyperinsulinaemia (701 ± 102 vs 672 ± 94 mg/day respectively, NS) in hyperglycaemic conditions and by 9 ± 21 % under normoglycaemic conditions (603 ± 145 mg/day). In contrast, in normal subjects insulin induced a 50 ± 15 % decrement in VLDL1 apo B production (p < 0.05). Direct synthesis of VLDL2 apo B in patients with NIDDM was not markedly affected by insulin. We conclude that a contributory factor to hypertriglyceridaemia in NIDDM is the inability of insulin to inhibit acutely the release of VLDL1 from the liver, despite efficient suppression of serum non-esterfied fatty acids. [Diabetologia (1997) 40: 454–462]

Strawberry is one of the five fruit crops included in the USDA-funded multi-institutional and trans-disciplinary project, “RosBREED: Enabling Marker-Assisted Breeding in Rosaceae”. A Crop Reference Set (CRS) was developed of 900 genotypes and seedlings from 40 crosses representing the breadth of relevant diversity and encompassing founders used in breeding the domesticated strawberry. Individual native species and cultivar genotypes were included along with 10 progeny from 36 of the crosses of genotypes representing eastern and western North American and European short day and remontant cultivars. This CRS has been phenotyped in five U.S. states. Over 14 fruit quality traits have been studied, as well as remontancy, truss size, peduncle length, crop estimate, plant architecture, and disease resistance. The phenotyping conducted in the first growing season showed considerable variability amongst the genotypes and the locations for all of the characteristics. General and specific combining ability variance components were determined from the populations in order to provide breeders with guidance on the most effective breeding strategies for incorporating the superior traits from this germplasm into their programs.

The microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) is essential for the synthesis and secretion of apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins. We investigated the role the MTP −493G/T gene polymorphism in determining the apoB-100 secretion pattern and LDL heterogeneity in healthy human subjects. Groups of carriers of the T and the G variants ( n = 6 each) were recruited from a cohort of healthy 50-yr-old men. Kinetic studies were performed by endogenous [2H3]leucine labeling of apoB and subsequent quantification of the stable isotope incorporation. apoB production rates, metabolic conversions, and eliminations were calculated by multicompartmental modeling (SAAM-II). LDL subfraction distribution was analyzed in the entire cohort ( n = 377). Carriers of the MTP −493T allele had lower plasma LDL apoB and lower concentration of large LDL particles [LDL-I: 136 ± 57 (TT) vs. 175 ± 55 (GG) mg/l, P < 0.01]. Kinetic modeling suggested that MTP −493T homozygotes had a 60% lower direct production rate of intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) plus LDL compared with homozygotes for the G allele ( P < 0.05). No differences were seen in production rates of large and small VLDL, nor were there any differences in metabolic conversion or elimination rates of apoB between the genotype groups. This study shows that a polymorphism in the MTP gene affects the spectrum of endogenous apoB-containing lipoprotein particles produced in humans. Reduced direct production of LDL plus IDL appears to be related to lower plasma concentrations of large LDL particles.

Background Cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) represents one of the most valued fruit crops in the United States. Despite its economic importance, the octoploid genome presents a formidable barrier to efficient study of genome structure and molecular mechanisms that underlie agriculturally-relevant traits. Many potentially fruitful research avenues, especially large-scale gene expression surveys and development of molecular genetic markers have been limited by a lack of sequence information in public databases. As a first step to remedy this discrepancy a cDNA library has been developed from salicylate-treated, whole-plant tissues and over 1800 expressed sequence tags (EST's) have been sequenced and analyzed. Results A putative unigene set of 1304 sequences – 133 contigs and 1171 singlets – has been developed, and the transcripts have been functionally annotated. Homology searches indicate that 89.5% of sequences share significant similarity to known/putative proteins or Rosaceae ESTs. The ESTs have been functionally characterized and genes relevant to specific physiological processes of economic importance have been identified. A set of tools useful for SSR development and mapping is presented. Conclusion Sequences derived from this effort may be used to speed gene discovery efforts in Fragaria and the Rosaceae in general and also open avenues of comparative mapping. This report represents a first step in expanding molecular-genetic analyses in strawberry and demonstrates how computational tools can be used to optimally mine a large body of useful information from a relatively small data set.

Objective— We sought to compare the synthesis and metabolism of VLDL 1 and VLDL 2 in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and nondiabetic subjects. Methods and Results— We used a novel multicompartmental model to simultaneously determine the kinetics of apolipoprotein (apo) B and triglyceride (TG) in VLDL 1 and VLDL 2 after a bolus injection of [ 2 H 3 ]leucine and [ 2 H 5 ]glycerol and to follow the catabolism and transfer of the lipoprotein particles. Our results show that the overproduction of VLDL particles in DM2 is explained by enhanced secretion of VLDL 1 apoB and TG. Direct production of VLDL 2 apoB and TG was not influenced by diabetes per se. The production rates of VLDL 1 apoB and TG were closely related, as were the corresponding pool sizes. VLDL 1 and VLDL 2 compositions did not differ in subjects with DM2 and controls, and the TG to apoB ratio of newly synthesized particles was very similar in the 2 groups. Plasma glucose, insulin, and free fatty acids together explained 55% of the variation in VLDL 1 TG production rate. Conclusion— Insulin resistance and DM2 are associated with excess hepatic production of VLDL 1 particles similar in size and composition to those in nondiabetic subjects. We propose that hyperglycemia is the driving force that aggravates overproduction of VLDL 1 in DM2.

Free radicals can cause direct cellular damage, a role increasingly defined in cardiovascular disease, but less distinct in ophthalmology. Preservatives in topical medications are known to cause toxicity and cytotoxic damage to the corneal surface.1 We set out to evaluate if free radicals were present in commonly used ophthalmic preparations and if they were present in sufficient qualities to contribute to ocular surface instability. Samples of commonly used ophthalmic preparations were analysed for total free-radical presence by indirect analysis via Total Antioxidant Status (TAS kit, RANDOX Laboratories, Crumlin, UK). They were contrasted with preservative-free Minims preparations. Various solutions including 0.5% hydrogen peroxide were also assessed to provide an appropriate reference result. Fifty-six ophthalmic preparations available in outpatients were sampled, including 18 Minims preparations, seven topical …

The transition from vegetative growth to reproductive growth is carefully controlled by a number of independent signal transduction systems, one of which interprets photoperiod. Photoperiodic control of flowering time has been well-described in Arabidopsis and rice, revealing the presence of a generally common network of regulatory proteins. Timely and appropriate progression to flowering is critical to profitable production of cultivated strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa), a species that includes long-day, short-day, and day-neutral cultivars. In an effort to characterize the photoperiodic flowering control mechanism in strawberry, the Fragaria orthologs of the photoperiod pathway genes were cloned and sequenced. Strawberry versions of Constans, Constans-like, Leafy, Flowering Locus T, and Suppressor of Constans Overexpression 1 were identified by screening cDNA libraries and through degenerate PCR approaches. Expression of these transcripts in short-day and day-neutral cultivars was tested under long and short photoperiods. Functional complementation of Arabidopsis mutants was performed where appropriate, alleles were identified, genetic linkage was determined where possible, and relationships between the strawberry genes and homologs from other species were studied. These trials define the mechanistic elements of an agriculturally important pathway in this valuable crop, and lays the foundation for transgenic studies in strawberry to manipulate the floral transition.

Reaction of Li[C5H4Fe(C5H5)] with 2,3,4,5-tetramethylcyclopent-2-enone followed by acid work-up afforded the ferrocenyl-substituted cyclopentadiene [Fe(C5H5)(C5H4C5Me 4H)] 1. Lithiation of 1 with LiBun in hexane gave Li[C5Me4C5H4Fe(C5H 5)]. Reactions of this salt or the previously described lithium 3,4-dimethylcyclppentadienide or indenide homologues, Li[C5H2Me2C5H4Fe(C 5H5)] or Li[C9H6C5H4Fe(C5H 5)], with the allyl complexes [MoBr(MeCN)2(CO)2(η-C3H5)] or [WCl(MeCN)2(CO)2-(η-C3H5)] led to the corresponding fulvalene (and related)-bridged, Fe-Mo or Fe-W heterobimetallic derivatives [(C5H5)Fe(C5H4C5Me 4)Mo(CO)2(η-C3H5)] 2, [(C5H5)Fe(C5H4C5H 2Me2)M(CO)2(η-C3H5)] (M = Mo 3 or W 4) and [(C5H5)Fe(C5H4C9H 6)M(CO)2(η-C3H5)] (M = Mo 5 or W 6). The crystal structure of 5 has been determined. Reaction of the cinnamyl complex [MoBr(MeCN)2(CO)2(η-C3H4Ph)] with Li[C5H2Me2-C5H4Fe(C 5H5)] or Li[C9H6C5H4Fe(C5H 5)] yielded [(C5H5)Fe(C5H4C5H 2Me2)Mo(CO)2(H-C3H4Ph)] 7 or [(C5H5)Fe(C5H4C9H 6)Mo(CO)2(η-C3H4Ph)] 8 respectively, both of which exist as a mixture of isomers. Treatment of 7 with [Cr(CO)6] in Bun2O-tetrahydrofuran gave the Fe-Mo-Cr heterotrimetallic complex [(C5H5)Fe(CH4C5H2Me 2)(OC)2Mo(μ-η3:η6-C 3H4Ph)Cr(CO)3] 9. The new monometallic analogue [Mo(CO)2-(η-C3H5)(η-CMe5)] 10 has also been prepared. Cyclic voltammetric studies of some of the new heterobimetallic complexes and of 10, [Mo(CO)2(η-C3H5)(η -C5H5)] and [Mo(CO)2(η-C3H5)(η-C9H 7)] are described.

In their consideration of three ways of treating the f-block elements in the standard periodic table, Clark and White opt to footnote a set 15-elements-wide, including both La and Lu, Ac, and Lr. Their only grounds seem to be that this is what IUPAC chose in 2005, but that decision sounds like an attempt to please everyone, which in the end will please no one.

Fragaria ×ananassa, the cultivated octoploid strawberry, is an intensively cultivated fruit crop in which relatively small variations in disease susceptibility and flowering habit can have significant economic impacts. In order to facilitate future studies of the molecular mechansisms governing these characters, we have initiated studies to identify and sequence the strawberry homologs of a number of important genes known to be critical to pathogenesis response and photoperiodism in model systems such as arabidopsis, rice, and tomato. Using the primary Florida cultivar Strawberry Festival, we have employed a variety of techniques to identify such genes, including EST sequencing of a salicylate-induced cDNA library, PCR with degenerate primers, and colony hybridization. Possible homologs of the targeted genes and their relationships to similar genes in other species are presented. These results will form the basis of future studies of gene expression and evolutionary relationships among the Rosaceae and other species.

Cultivated strawberry (Fragari×ananassa) is a valuable crop, yet has benefitted little from recent advances in biotechnology and genomics. A high-throughput system for transformation and regeneration would hasten elucidation of gene function for strawberry and possibly the Rosaceae in general. In this report, a protocol for high-frequency octoploid strawberry transformation and regeneration is presented. The protocol uses leaf, petiole, and stolon as explants from a newly selected genotype, `Laboratory Festival #9'. This genotype was selected from progeny of a `Strawberry Festival' self-cross exclusively for its rapid regeneration and robust growth in culture. Direct organogenesis has been achieved from the leaf or from prolific callus with multiple shoots being visible in as few as 14 days. Over 100 viable regenerants may be obtained from a single leaf explant of about 3-cm2 size. This laboratory-friendly genotype allows high-throughput, statistically relevant, studies of gene function in the octoploid strawberry genetic background as well as generation of large transgenic populations.

The molecular mechanisms governing photoperiodic flowering has been well defined in the model systems of Arabidopsis thaliana(a facultative long-day plant) and rice (a short-day plant). Photoperiodic flowering control is of great interest to strawberry (Fragaria×ananassa) breeders and growers, and the genetics of photoperiodic flowering have been well studied, indicating that response to day-length is regulated by a small number of genetic loci. Cultivated strawberry is octoploid, so identification of these loci through forward genetic analyses is not practical. Since the componentry of the flowering response is generally conserved between monocots and dicots, we may assume that similar, if not identical, systems are functioning in strawberry as well. The goal of this work is to understand how cultivars likely containing identical photoperiod-sensing components are differentially sensitive to daylength. The expression patterns of genes relevant to the floraltransition were assessed under specific photoperiod conditions to assess similarities and/or differences to the model systems.

The increase of Earth's carrying capacity for human beings over the past few thousand years has been achieved by expansion of four main cultural complexes using relatively stable techniques to provide a narrow range of plant foods supplemented by a high proportion of animal protein. This process cannot continue much longer, reserves of arable land being inadequate even to replace durably land lost by erosion. Half the world's land is used for animal production. To assure future food and wood supplies, there should be changes in diet. Temperate countries should specialize In annual crops, and tropical ones in perennial crops and forestry.

Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus L.) are now found in relatively small and disjunct habitat pockets in the Rif, Moyen and Haut Atlas mountain ranges of Morocco, and in the Chiffa, Petite and Grande Kabylies mountain ranges of Algeria (fig. 4.1). Within these regions, the environments show a rich diversity, ranging from lowland scrub habitats through mid-altitude oak forests to high altitude coniferous woodland. The status of the species in all these areas is generally precarious (Taub, 1977; Drucker, Chap. 6; Mehlman, Chap. 7 this volume). Human encroachment is responsible for an ever increasing loss of habitat (Taub, Chap. 3 this volume), and its consequent disruption of monkey population. The purpose of this paper is to present current information on the distribution and status of Barbary macaque populations, and their habitats in Morocco and Algeria; to provide an inventory of all the currently known localities of occurrence and to prioritize these for future conservation strategies.