Apomixis and the Reproductive Dynamics of Eastern Gamagrass Tripsacum Dactyloides L.

Studies were conducted to determine the reproductive characteristics of Tripsacum, a perennial, native pasture species and to identify methods for breeding agronomically superior cultivars. Reproductive methods and types of individuals generated were evaluated with triploid and hexaploids possessing a novel method for transferring sexual germplasm into apomictic tetraploids and tetraploid germplasm into sexual diploids. Triploids and hexaploids are demonstrated to be useful materials for introgressing and transferring desirable alleles across ploidy levels and reproductive barriers

Quasideuteron configurations in 46V and 58Cu

The data on low spin states in the odd-odd nuclei 46V and 58Cu investigated with the 46Ti(p,ngamma)46V, 32S(16O,pn)46V and 58Ni(p,ngamma)58Cu reactions at the FN-TANDEM accelerator in Cologne are reported. The states containing large quasideuteron components are identified from the strong isovector M1 transitions, from shell model calculations and from experimental data for low-lying states.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, proceedings of the "Nuclear Structure 2000" conference, East Lansing, Michigan, USA, August 15-19, 2000; to appear in Nucl. Phys.

Low-Spin Spectroscopy of 50Mn

The data on low spin states in the odd-odd nucleus 50Mn investigated with the 50Cr(p,ngamma)50Mn fusion evaporation reaction at the FN-TANDEM accelerator in Cologne are reported. Shell model and collective rotational model interpretations of the data are given.Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, to be published in the proceedings of the "Bologna 2000 - Structure of the Nucleus at the Dawn of the Century" Conference, (Bologna, Italy, May 29 - June 3, 2000

How to make experimental economics research more reproducible: lessons from other disciplines and a new proposal

Efforts in the spirit of this special issue aim at improving the reproducibility of experimental economics, in response to the recent discussions regarding the “research reproducibility crisis.” We put this endeavour in perspective by summarizing the main ways (to our knowledge) that have been proposed – by researchers from several disciplines – to alleviate the problem. We discuss the scope for economic theory to contribute to evaluating the proposals. We argue that a potential key impediment to replication is the expectation of negative reactions by the authors of the individual study, and suggest that incentives for having one’s work replicated should increase

Leptin deficiency, caused by malnutrition, makes you susceptible to sars-cov-2 infection but could offer protection from severe Covid-19

In much of the developing world, severe malnutrition is the most prevalent cause of immunodeficiency and affects up to 50% of the population in some impoverished communities. As yet, we do not know how severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) will behave in populations with immunodeficiency caused by malnourishment. Interestingly, researchers are now speculating that, in some instances, a defective cellular immune system could paradoxically be a protective factor against severe disease in certain patients contracting SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. This could be linked to the absence of T-cell activation. Based on available information presented here, it is plausible that the hyperimmune response, and subsequent cytokine storm often associated with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), could be “counteracted” by the defective immune response seen in individuals with malnutrition-induced leptin deficiency. In this paper, we proposed a theory that although those with malnutrition-linked leptin deficiency are at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection, they are at lower risk of developing severe COVID-19

Human coronaviruses: counteracting the damage by storm

Over the past 18 years, three highly pathogenic human (h) coronaviruses (CoVs) have caused severe outbreaks, the most recent causative agent, SARS-CoV-2, being the first to cause a pandemic. Although much progress has been made since the COVID-19 pandemic started, much about SARS-CoV-2 and its disease, COVID-19, is still poorly understood. The highly pathogenic hCoVs differ in some respects, but also share some similarities in clinical presentation, the risk factors associated with severe disease, and the characteristic immunopathology associated with the progression to severe disease. This review aims to highlight these overlapping aspects of the highly pathogenic hCoVs—SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2—briefly discussing the importance of an appropriately regulated immune response; how the immune response to these highly pathogenic hCoVs might be dysregulated through interferon (IFN) inhibition, antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE), and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA); and how these could link to the ensuing cytokine storm. The treatment approaches to highly pathogenic hCoV infections are discussed and it is suggested that a greater focus be placed on T-cell vaccines that elicit a cell-mediated immune response, using rapamycin as a potential agent to improve vaccine responses in the elderly and obese, and the potential of stapled peptides as antiviral agents

Pathogenic human Coronavirus envelope protein: A clear link to Immunopathology?

Since the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, human coronaviruses (hCoVs) have been identified as causative agents of severe acute respiratory tract infections. Two more hCoV outbreaks have since occurred, the most recent being SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The clinical presentation of SARS and MERS is remarkably similar to COVID-19, with hyperinflammation causing a severe form of the disease in some patients