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We report the characterization of three Superoxide dismutase ( sod) genes isolated from a bacterium in the Geobacillus genus. We isolated the bacterium from high-temperature pond mud and used 16S rRNA gene sequence to confirm its identity in the Geobacillus genus. The three genes Mn- sod, Fe/Mn- sod, and Cu/Zn- sod were cloned and analyzed. Their open reading frames are Mn- sod: 615 bp encoding a 204 amino acid protein; Fe/Mn- sod: 1,236 bp encoding a 411 amino acid protein; Cu/Zn- sod: 522 bp encoding a 173 amino acid protein. When these sod genes were expressed in Escherichia coli, only Mn-SOD was able to be purified. The activity of the purified Mn-SOD we got was about 2,730 U/mg. Studies of this Mn-SOD showed that it was thermostable at 60°, had 70% activity at 80° after 2.5 h, and still had 30% activity at 90° after 2.5 h. Mn-SOD activity required the ion Mn. Based on gel electrophoresis, we deduced that this Mn-SOD was a homotetramer. No activity was detected after the other two genes ( Fe/Mn- sod, Cu/Zn- sod) were expressed in Escherichia coli, but activities were detected when expressed in Pichia pastoris. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared the effects of 2 supplemental interventions on the beginning reading-performance of kindergarteners identified as at risk of reading difficulty. Students (N = 206) were assigned randomly at the classroom level either to an explicit/systematic commercial program or to a school-designed practice intervention taught 30 min per day in small groups for approximately 100 sessions. Multilevel hierarchical linear analyses revealed statistically significant effects favoring the explicit/systematic intervention on alphabetic, phonemic, and untimed decoding skills with substantive effect sizes on all measures except word identification and passage comprehension. Group performance did not differ statistically on more advanced reading and spelling skills. Findings support the efficacy of both supplemental interventions and suggest the benefit of the more explicit/systematic intervention for children who are most at risk of reading difficulty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Single Model Algorithmic Control (SMAC) based on finite impulse response is developed. Model uncertainty is described by a range of possible plant impulse responses. The robustness of the SMAC closed-loop system is analyzed, and several robust stability conditions are derived. These results are benefit to design and analyze predictive control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]