Heteroalleles in Common Wheat: Multiple Differences between Allelic Variants of the Gli-B1 Locus

The Gli-B1-encoded γ-gliadins and non-coding γ-gliadin DNA sequences for 15 different alleles of common wheat have been compared using seven tests: electrophoretic mobility (EM) and molecular weight (MW) of the encoded major γ-gliadin, restriction fragment length polymorphism patterns (RFLPs) (three different markers), Gli-B1-γ-gliadin-pseudogene known SNP markers (Single nucleotide polymorphisms) and sequencing the pseudogene GAG56B. It was discovered that encoded γ-gliadins, with contrasting EM, had similar MWs. However, seven allelic variants (designated from I to VII) differed among them in the other six tests: I (alleles Gli-B1i, k, m, o), II (Gli-B1n, q, s), III (Gli-B1b), IV (Gli-B1e, f, g), V (Gli-B1h), VI (Gli-B1d) and VII (Gli-B1a). Allele Gli-B1c (variant VIII) was identical to the alleles from group IV in four of the tests. Some tests might show a fine difference between alleles belonging to the same variant. Our results attest in favor of the independent origin of at least seven variants at the Gli-B1 locus that might originate from deeply diverged genotypes of the donor(s) of the B genome in hexaploid wheat and therefore might be called “heteroallelic”. The donor’s particularities at the Gli-B1 locus might be conserved since that time and decisively contribute to the current high genetic diversity of common wheat.     

No Effect of Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation on Cognition and Mood in Individuals with Cognitive Impairment and Probable Alzheimer’s Disease: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Findings from epidemiological and observational studies have indicated that diets high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) may reduce the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). To determine if increasing intake of DHA and EPA through supplementation is beneficial to cognition and mood in individuals with cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) or Alzheimer’s disease (AD) a four month, randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled study was conducted. Fifty-seven participants with CIND and nineteen with AD were randomised to receive either omega-3 PUFAs (600 mg EPA and 625 mg DHA per day) or placebo (olive oil) over a four month period. Elevating depleted levels of EPA and DHA through supplementation in individuals with CIND or AD was found to have negligible beneficial effect on their cognition or mood. These findings confirm an overall negligible benefit of omega-3 PUFA supplementation for those with cognitive impairment and dementia. More intervention studies need to be undertaken with longer study durations and larger sample sizes. It may prove fruitful to examine effects of different doses as well as effects in other dementia subtypes.     

Phase development and pore stability of yttria- and ytterbia-stabilized zirconia aerogels

High-porosity yttria- and ytterbia-stabilized zirconia aerogels offer the potential of extremely low thermal conductivity materials for high-temperature applications. Yttria- and ytterbia-doped zirconia aerogels were synthesized using a sol-gel approach over the dopant range of 0-20 atomic percent. Surface area, pore volume, and morphology of the as-dried aerogels and materials thermally exposed for short periods of time to temperatures up to 1200°C were characterized by nitrogen physisorption, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The aerogels as supercritically dried all were X-ray amorphous. At a 5% dopant level, a tetragonal structure with a smaller monoclinic phase developed on thermal exposure. Mixed tetragonal and cubic phases or predominantly cubic materials were observed at higher dopant levels, depending on the dopant level, temperature and exposure time. The formation of crystalline phases was accompanied by loss of surface area and pore volume, although some mesoporous structure was maintained on short-term exposure to 1000°C. Incorporation of the smaller Yb atom into the lattice structure resulted in smaller lattice dimensions on crystallization than was seen with Y doping and favored a more highly equiaxed structure. Aerogels synthesized with 15% Y maintained the smallest particle size without evidence of sintering at 1100°C. Largest shrinkage and loss of pore volume occurred on crystallization from the amorphous phase, with further loss of pores at temperatures above 1000°C attributable to changes in lattice parameters.     

Experimental and numerical investigation of sands and Geldart A biomass co-fluidization

This article investigated the fluidization of sands and small Geldart A biomass mixtures. The mixture fluidized like Geldart A type particles with a uniform bed expansion regime before bubbling. The video recorded color distance between pure sands and sands–biomass mixtures was used to estimate the sands–biomass mixing. The coarse-grained computational fluid dynamics–discrete element method with a hybrid drag model which couples the Syamlal–O'Brien drag and a filtered drag can capture the mixing while the simulation with Gidaspow drag predicted a segregated bed. The simulations were further validated with experimental measured pressure drops. The time averaged pressure drop equals the weight of the bed material, however, its fluctuation is about three times of the bed material fluctuation.     

Durability of YSZ coated Ti2AlC in 1300°C high velocity burner rig tests

A thermal barrier coating (TBC) system survived 500 hours in aggressive, 1300°C burner rig testing. The yttria-stabilized zirconia (7YSZ) TBC was plasma sprayed on an oxidation-resistant Ti₂AlC-type MAX phase and tested in a jet fuel burner at 100 m/s, using 5 hours cycles. No coating spallation or surface recession was observed; Al₂O₃-scale growth produced a slight 2.4 mg/cm² mass gain. The coating surface exhibited craze-cracked colonies of [111]_flourite textured columns, with no visible moisture attack. The 20 μm alumina scale remained intact under the YSZ face, about twice that producing failure for TBC/superalloy systems. TiO₂ nodules, initially formed on the uncoated backside, were removed, and Al₂O₃ was etched through volatile hydroxides formed in water vapor (~10%). Overall, the test indicated exceptional stability of the YSZ/Al₂O₃/Ti₂AlC system under turbine conditions due in large part to close thermal expansion matching.     

Oxygen-Generating Cryogels Restore T Cell Mediated Cytotoxicity in Hypoxic Tumors

Solid tumors are protected from antitumor immune responses due to their hypoxic microenvironments. Weakening hypoxia-driven immunosuppression by hyperoxic breathing of 60% oxygen has shown to be effective in unleashing antitumor immune cells against solid tumors. However, efficacy of systemic oxygenation is limited against solid tumors outside of lungs and has been associated with unwanted side effects. As a result, it is essential to develop targeted oxygenation alternatives to weaken tumor hypoxia as novel approaches to restore immune responses against cancer. Herein, injectable oxygen-generating cryogels (O₂-cryogels) to reverse tumor-induced hypoxia are reported. These macroporous biomaterials are designed to locally deliver oxygen, inhibit the expression of hypoxia-inducible genes in hypoxic melanoma cells, and reduce the accumulation of immunosuppressive extracellular adenosine. The data show that O₂-cryogels enhance T cell-mediated secretion of cytotoxic proteins, restoring the killing ability of tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes, both in vitro and in vivo. In summary, O₂-cryogels provide a unique and safe platform to supply oxygen as a coadjuvant in hypoxic tumors and have the potential to improve cancer immunotherapies.     

Agent-based decentralised coordination for sensor networks using the max-sum algorithm

In this paper, we consider the generic problem of how a network of physically distributed, computationally constrained devices can make coordinated decisions to maximise the effectiveness of the whole sensor network. In particular, we propose a new agent-based representation of the problem, based on the factor graph, and use state-of-the-art DCOP heuristics (i.e., DSA and the max-sum algorithm) to generate sub-optimal solutions. In more detail, we formally model a specific real-world problem where energy-harvesting sensors are deployed within an urban environment to detect vehicle movements. The sensors coordinate their sense/sleep schedules, maintaining energy neutral operation while maximising vehicle detection probability. We theoretically analyse the performance of the sensor network for various coordination strategies and show that by appropriately coordinating their schedules the sensors can achieve significantly improved system-wide performance, detecting up to 50 % of the events that a randomly coordinated network fails to detect. Finally, we deploy our coordination approach in a realistic simulation of our wide area surveillance problem, comparing its performance to a number of benchmarking coordination strategies. In this setting, our approach achieves up to a 57 % reduction in the number of missed vehicles (compared to an uncoordinated network). This performance is close to that achieved by a benchmark centralised algorithm (simulated annealing) and to a continuously powered network (which is an unreachable upper bound for any coordination approach).     

Effects of lithium on Phaseolus vulgaris L.

The effects of lithium (Li) in growth media on Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Bush Blue Lake 290’ (snap bean) were studied under controlled environmental conditions. Concentrations of 4 to 12 ppm Li in the substrate produced toxic symptoms. The development of these symptoms is described and measurements of selected growth parameters presented. At 4 ppm Li, plant height, first trifoliate fresh weight and leaf area increased. At concentrations greater than 4 ppm stomatal diffusive resistance increased temporarily, indicating partial stomatal closure. It can be concluded that Li interferes with biomass accumulation and plant water relations.     

Patterns of family migration: two methodological approaches

"It is widely recognized that many internal migrations are undertaken by individuals whose moves are dependent on those of others. For example, children migrate with their parents and wives with their husbands. This paper suggests two formulations of family migration that permit the introduction of such family dependencies into the population projection process."