Washington State University

About: Washington State University is a education organization based out in Pullman, Washington, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Gene. The organization has 26947 authors who have published 57736 publications receiving 2341509 citations. The organization is also known as: WSU & Wazzu.

GW150914: First results from the search for binary black hole coalescence with Advanced LIGO

Abstract: On September 14, 2015, at 09∶50:45 UTC the two detectors of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) simultaneously observed the binary black hole merger GW150914. We report the results of a matched-filter search using relativistic models of compact-object binaries that recovered GW150914 as the most significant event during the coincident observations between the two LIGO detectors from September 12 to October 20, 2015 GW150914 was observed with a matched-filter signal-to-noise ratio of 24 and a false alarm rate estimated to be less than 1 event per 203000 years, equivalent to a significance greater than 5.1 σ.

Identification of the pollen determinant of S-RNase-mediated self-incompatibility

Abstract: Many flowering plants have adopted self-incompatibility mechanisms to prevent inbreeding and promote out-crosses1. In the Solanaceae, Rosaceae and Scrophulariaceae, two separate genes at the highly polymorphic S-locus control self-incompatibility interactions: the S-RNase gene encodes the pistil determinant and the previously unidentified S-gene encodes the pollen determinant2,3,4. S-RNases interact with pollen S-allele products to inhibit the growth of self-pollen tubes in the style. Pollen-expressed F-box genes showing allelic sequence polymorphism have recently been identified near to the S-RNase gene in members of the Rosaceae and Scrophulariaceae5,6,7,8; but until now have not been directly shown to encode the pollen determinant. Here we report the identification and characterization of PiSLF, an S-locus F-box gene of Petunia inflata (Solanaceae). We show that transformation of S1S1, S1S2 and S2S3 plants with the S2-allele of PiSLF causes breakdown of their pollen function in self-incompatibility. This breakdown of pollen function is consistent with ‘competitive interaction’, in which pollen carrying two different pollen S-alleles fails to function in self-incompatibility1,9,10. We conclude that PiSLF encodes the pollen self-incompatibility determinant.

Bringing Identity Theory into Environmental Sociology

Abstract: In an effort to explain pro-environmental behavior, environmental sociologists often study environmental attitudes. While much of this work is atheoretical, the focus on attitudes suggests that res...

The Role of Cytokines in Sleep Regulation

Abstract: Interleukin-1 beta (IL1) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) promote non-rapid eye movement sleep under physiological and inflammatory conditions. Additional cytokines are also likely involved but evidence is insufficient to conclude that they are sleep regulatory substances. Many of the symptoms induced by sleep loss, e.g. sleepiness, fatigue, poor cognition, enhanced sensitivity to pain, can be elicited by injection of exogenous IL1 or TNF. We propose that ATP, released during neurotransmission, acting via purine P2 receptors on glia releases IL1 and TNF. This mechanism may provide the means by which the brain keeps track of prior usage history. IL1 and TNF in turn act on neurons to change their intrinsic properties and thereby change input-output properties (i.e. state shift) of the local network involved. Direct evidence indicates that cortical columns oscillate between states, one of which shares properties with organism sleep. We conclude that sleep is a local use-dependent process influenced by cytokines and their effector molecules such as nitric oxide, prostaglandins and adenosine.