Variability of the height of plants of hybrid forms of spring common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under different ecological and geographical conditions

The results of two-year research (2013–2014) of the variability of plant height in spring common wheat hybrid forms (F4, F5) in three geographical localities, including Russia (Tyumen region) and Germany (Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony), which differ considerably in soil and climatic conditions, are presented. These three localities also differ in temperature and availability of water during the growing seasons of spring wheat. Differences between the geographical points in water supply and aridity during two growing seasons (2013–2014) were assessed on the basis of G.T. Selyaninov’s hydrothermal coefficient (HTS). The height of plants of different hybrids showed different responses to differences in environmental factors. Hybrids demonstrated a moderate degree of height variability (CV = 11–25 %). Hybrid forms characterized by the largest range in plant height within a locality were identified. The morphotypes of the hybrids were presented by undersized and moderately sized plants. It was found that hybrids formed higher plants under conditions of sufficient moisture. The contributions of the major factors (point, year, a genotype) to the formation of the height of plants were investigated by three-way analysis of variance. The results of this analysis demonstrated that the environmental conditions were responsible for the largest proportion of the explained variation of the variable under study (plant height). Two hybrid forms ( Hybrid × Lutescens 70 and Cara × Skent 3) with the least expressed variation in plant height and the highest lodging resistance were identified. Height of plants is considered one of the indicators characterizing the environmental plasticity of genotypes under different soil and climatic conditions

OPTIMAL DESIGN OF A COMPOSITE SCARF REPAIR PATCH UNDER TENSILE LOADING

ABSTRACT Mechanics of the composite scarf repair under tensile loading with and without overlay plies was examined for nontraditional patch ply orientations. Three-dimensional nonlinear analysis was performed for repair failure prediction and good baseline comparison for open-hole scarfed panels and panels repaired by using standard ply-by-ply replacement patch composition was achieved. Multidimensional optimization was performed to calculate the repair patch ply orientations which minimize the von Mises stresses in the adhesive. These optimal stacking sequences achieved significant reduction of the stress levels and resulted in predicted up to 75% and 85% strength restoration for flush and single ply thickness over-ply repair. These results are intended to illustrate additional design variables available for efficient composite repair design, namely the composition of the repair patch

Resistance of hybrid (F4, F5) forms of the spring soft wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) to leaf phytopathogens under different ecological and geographical conditions

The search for and creation of the initial material steady against adverse environmental factors and adapted to constantly changing weather conditions have always been some of the most promising directions of selection of agricultural plants. Results of studying the resistance of spring soft wheat (F4, F5) hybrids to the main leaf phytopathogens (Erysiphe graminis DC. f. sp. tritici Em. Marchal, Alternaria spp., Helminthosporium spp. and Puccinia recondita Rob. ex. Desm f. sp. tritici Eriks) under different soil and climatic conditions are presented. Tests were carried out within two vegetative periods (2013–2014) in three geographic locations: Tyumen region (Russia), Baden-Württemberg (Germany) and Lower Saxony (Germany). These areas significantly differed in climatic conditions during the study years. The assessment of resistance to leaf diseases in the hybrids was carried out in the settings of natural infection. The influence of a complex of abiotic factors on the prevalence of phytopathogenic fungi at the study sites has been demonstrated. Hybrid combinations that were less susceptible to powdery mildew, brown rust and spot blotch than other hybrids have been identified, and so have been the hybrids that have resistance to all the phytopathogens identified. It was noted that the hybrid forms under the ecological test had different indicators of biological resistance of plants across the geographic study sites. The ♀Cara × ♂Lutescents 70 hybrid at both German sites had rather a high index of biological resistance of plants and possessed, according to field data, complex resistance to the main phytopathogenic fungi at all geographic sites.  Ecological testing of new plant genotypes under environmental conditions strongly differing in biotic and abiotic factors is one of effective methods to reveal resistance to phytopathogens and to identify highly adapted cultured plants

Trust in Government Agencies in the Time of COVID-19

As the US faced its lowest levels of reported trust in government, the COVID-19 crisis revealed the essential service that various federal agencies provide as sources of information. This Element explores variations in trust across various levels of government and government agencies based on a nationally-representative survey conducted in March of 2020. First, it examines trust in agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services, state health departments, and local health care providers. This includes variation across key characteristics including party identification, age, and race. Second, the Element explores the evolution of trust in health-related organizations throughout 2020 as the pandemic continued. The Element concludes with a discussion of the implications for agency-specific assessments of trust and their importance as we address historically low levels of trust in government. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under grant no. RAPID-2026763. The authors would also like to thank the offices of the Senior Vice President and Provost and the Vice President for Research and Partnerships for their financial support. This support allowed us to make this volume available as Open Access permanently so that as many people as possible have access to the volume.Ye

Semiallogenic fusions of MSI+ tumor cells and activated B cells induce MSI-specific T cell responses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Various strategies have been developed to transfer tumor-specific antigens into antigen presenting cells in order to induce cytotoxic T cell responses against tumor cells. One approach uses cellular vaccines based on fusions of autologous antigen presenting cells and allogeneic tumor cells. The fusion cells combine antigenicity of the tumor cell with optimal immunostimulatory capacity of the antigen presenting cells.</p> <p>Microsatellite instability caused by mutational inactivation of DNA mismatch repair genes results in translational frameshifts when affecting coding regions. It has been shown by us and others that these mutant proteins lead to the presentation of immunogenic frameshift peptides that are - in principle - recognized by a multiplicity of effector T cells.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We chose microsatellite instability-induced frameshift antigens as ideal to test for induction of tumor specific T cell responses by semiallogenic fusions of microsatellite instable carcinoma cells with CD40-activated B cells. Two fusion clones of HCT116 with activated B cells were selected for stimulation of T cells autologous to the B cell fusion partner. Outgrowing T cells were phenotyped and tested in functional assays.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The fusion clones expressed frameshift antigens as well as high amounts of MHC and costimulatory molecules. Autologous T cells stimulated with these fusions were predominantly CD4⁺, activated, and reacted specifically against the fusion clones and also against the tumor cell fusion partner. Interestingly, a response toward 6 frameshift-derived peptides (of 14 tested) could be observed.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Cellular fusions of MSI⁺carcinoma cells and activated B cells combine the antigen-presenting capacity of the B cell with the antigenic repertoire of the carcinoma cell. They present frameshift-derived peptides and can induce specific and fully functional T cells recognizing not only fusion cells but also the carcinoma cells. These hybrid cells may have great potential for cellular immunotherapy and this approach should be further analyzed in preclinical as well as clinical trials. Moreover, this is the first report on the induction of frameshift-specific T cell responses without the use of synthetic peptides.</p

Bayesian versus politically motivated reasoning in human perception of climate anomalies

In complex systems where humans and nature interact to produce joint outcomes, mitigation, adaptation, and resilience require that humans perceive feedback-signals of health and distress-from natural systems. In many instances, humans readily perceive feedback. In others, feedback is more difficult to perceive, so humans rely on experts, heuristics, biases, and/or identify confirming rationalities that may distort perceptions of feedback. This study explores human perception of feedback from natural systems by testing alternate conceptions about how individuals perceive climate anomalies, a form of feedback from the climate system. Results indicate that individuals generally perceive climate anomalies, especially when the anomalies are relatively extreme and persistent. Moreover, this finding is largely robust to political differences that generate predictable but small biases in feedback perception at extreme ends of the partisan spectrum. The subtlety of these biases bodes well for mitigation, adaptation, and resilience as human systems continue to interact with a changing climate system.Peer reviewedSociolog

Nonsense Mediated Decay Resistant Mutations Are a Source of Expressed Mutant Proteins in Colon Cancer Cell Lines with Microsatellite Instability

BACKGROUND: Frameshift mutations in microsatellite instability high (MSI-High) colorectal cancers are a potential source of targetable neo-antigens. Many nonsense transcripts are subject to rapid degradation due to nonsense-mediated decay (NMD), but nonsense transcripts with a cMS in the last exon or near the last exon-exon junction have intrinsic resistance to nonsense-mediated decay (NMD). NMD-resistant transcripts are therefore a likely source of expressed mutant proteins in MSI-High tumours. METHODS: Using antibodies to the conserved N-termini of predicted mutant proteins, we analysed MSI-High colorectal cancer cell lines for examples of naturally expressed mutant proteins arising from frameshift mutations in coding microsatellites (cMS) by immunoprecipitation and Western Blot experiments. Detected mutant protein bands from NMD-resistant transcripts were further validated by gene-specific short-interfering RNA (siRNA) knockdown. A genome-wide search was performed to identify cMS-containing genes likely to generate NMD-resistant transcripts that could encode for antigenic expressed mutant proteins in MSI-High colon cancers. These genes were screened for cMS mutations in the MSI-High colon cancer cell lines. RESULTS: Mutant protein bands of expected molecular weight were detected in mutated MSI-High cell lines for NMD-resistant transcripts (CREBBP, EP300, TTK), but not NMD-sensitive transcripts (BAX, CASP5, MSH3). Expression of the mutant CREBBP and EP300 proteins was confirmed by siRNA knockdown. Five cMS-bearing genes identified from the genome-wide search and without existing mutation data (SFRS12IP1, MED8, ASXL1, FBXL3 and RGS12) were found to be mutated in at least 5 of 11 (45%) of the MSI-High cell lines tested. CONCLUSION: NMD-resistant transcripts can give rise to expressed mutant proteins in MSI-High colon cancer cells. If commonly expressed in primary MSI-High colon cancers, MSI-derived mutant proteins could be useful as cancer specific immunological targets in a vaccine targeting MSI-High colonic tumours

Microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer is associated with local lymphocyte infiltration and low frequency of distant metastases

Colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) with high microsatellite instability (MSI-H) share clinicopathological features distinctly different from their microsatellite stable (MSS) counterparts. Unlike MSS cancers, MSI-H CRCs occur predominantly in the right-sided colon and are often characterised by a strong lymphocyte infiltration. A poor differentiation pattern is found in most MSI-H CRCs, even though patients with MSI-H carcinomas seem to have a significantly longer survival after surgical resection. To clarify which factors contribute to the obvious paradoxon of a more favourable prognosis of MSI tumours, several clinical and histopathological features as well as the microsatellite status were evaluated in 120 colorectal cancer cases fulfilling clinical criteria (Bethesda) indicative for familial colorectal cancer. Microsatellite instablity status and lymphocyte infiltration were related to tumour stage and patients' follow-up. Statistical analysis confirmed well-known relations, such as enhanced lymphocyte infiltration accompanied by Crohn's like reaction (CLR) in MSI-H cancers (CLR+ in 27 out of 47 MSI-H vs 14 out of 71 MSS CRCs, P<0.001). However, after stratification for depth of local invasion and penetration of the primary tumour, T3 tumours displaying MSI had a significantly lower rate of distant metastases (M1 in four out of 35 MSI-H vs 20 out of 41 MSS CRCs, P<0.001). A similar tendency was observed for CLR-positive CRCs (M1 in six out of 29 CLR+ vs 17 out of 45 CLR− CRCs, P=0.13). In a logistic regression model, the MSI-H phenotype and the presence of CLR were independent predictors of a low UICC stage (P=0.006 and 0.04, respectively). These data, together with the recent definition of highly immunogenic neo-antigens expressed in MSI-H tumour cells, suggest that MSI-H CRCs elicit a protective host response that may prevent metastasis formation

Variability of characteristics of productivity of the spike of the hybrid forms Triticum aestivum L. as the way of adaptation in various ecological and geographical conditions

В течение двух лет (2013-2014) изучено влияние экологических факторов на формирование основных признаков продуктивности колоса гибридных форм (F4; F5) мягкой яровой пшеницы в трех географических пунктах: Россия (Тюменская область) и Германия (земля Баден-Вюртемберг и земля Нижняя Саксония). Пункты исследований значительно различались по почвенно-климатическим условиям и географическому расположению. Показано, что лучшие гибридные формы по биологической урожайности превосходили стандартные сорта в Тюменской области на 62,2%, Баден-Вюртемберге на 44,1%, в Нижней Саксонии преимущества не выявлены. Реакция гибридов на резко различающиеся условия окружающей среды по признакам количества и массы зерен в колосе была неоднозначна. Установлено, что у гибридных форм по признаку количества зерен в колосе преобладала средняя степень изменчивости (CV=11-25%), по признаку массы зерна в колосе сильная (CV>25%). Выделены гибридные комбинации с минимальным и максимальным размахом варьирования изучаемых признаков. С помощью трехфакторного дисперсионного анализа установлена доля основных факторов в фенотипической изменчивости двух количественных признаков колоса. По признаку количества зерен в колосе выделены гибридные комбинации, характеризовавшиеся экологической пластичностью и стабильностью в различных почвенно-климатических условиях России (Западная Сибирь) и Германии.Within two years of research (2013-2014), the impact of ecological factors on the formation of the main characteristics of the productivity of the spike of hybrid (F4; F5) forms of soft spring wheat was studied in the three geographical spots: in Russia (Tyumen region) and Germany (Baden-Wrttemberg and Lower Saxony). The spots considerably differ in their soil climatic conditions and geographical position. It is shown that the best hybrid forms surpassed standard grades in terms of biological productivity by 62,2% in the Tyumen region and by 44,1% in Baden-Wrttemberg, whereas no advantages were revealed in Lower Saxony. The reaction of the hybrids to sharply differing environmental conditions according to the quantity and mass of grains per spike was ambiguous. It is established that the hybrid forms had an average degree of variability according to the amount of grains per spike (CV=11-25%) and a strong degree of variability according to the mass of grain per spike (CV>25%). Hybrid combinations with the minimum and maximum scope of variation of the studied signs are observed. By means of the three-factorial dispersive analysis the share of the major factors in the phenotypic variability of the two quantitative signs of the spike is established. On the basis of the amount of grains per spike, the hybrid combinations characterized by ecological plasticity and stability in various soil climatic conditions of Russia (Western Siberia) and Germany are pointed out