Effect of plant growth regulators on in vitro shoot multiplication of Amygdalus communis L. cv. Yaltsinki

An efficient protocol was established for in vitro shoot multiplication from apical shoot tips derived from mature trees of almond (Amygdalus communis L.) cultivars, Yaltsinki. Explants were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (1962) (MS) medium containing various concentrations of 6-benzyladenin (BA) and kinetin (kin) for shoot multiplication. Shoot multiplication was best achieved from explant on MS medium containing 30 gl-1 sucrose, 7 gl-1 agar and 1.0 mgl-1 BA. This amount of BA (1.0 mgl-1) gave the best multiple shoot formation response with an average of 16.10 shoots per explant. In addition, shoots were cultured on the media containing 1.0 mgl-1 BA and kin combined with three different auxins (0.25 and 0.5 mgl-1 of IAA, IBA and NAA) separately. It was noted that 1.0 mgl-1 BA and kin combinated with NAA had inhibitory effect on new shoot formation and no shoot formation was induced. However, explants cultivated on medium containing 1.0 mgl-1 BA and 0.5 mgl-1 IAA resulted in 11.25 shoots per explant. The effect of four different sucrose concentrations (20, 30, 40, 50 gl-1) on the multiplication of shoots was also investigated. The best shoot multiplication was obtained in MS media containing 30 gl-1 sucrose with an average of 15.40 shoots per explant

Theoretical Inspecting of 211At Radionuclide via Coupled-Channel Model for Fusion Reaction of Stable Nuclei

This work has been carried out to obtain and inspect of 211At radionuclide through fusion reaction. Cross-sections for fusion reaction have been calculated with different interaction combinations and excitations for 19F + 192Os and 18O + 193Ir  reactions. All calculations have been performed on NRV Knowledge Base, CCFULL code, and Wong’s Formula. Firstly, we assigned reaction parameter values taking into account the compatibility with the experimental data 19F + 192Os reaction. Afterward, to enrich studies on 211At radionuclide, we proposed 18O + 193Ir reaction which did not have experimental data in the literature with the method and parameter values we determined. We examined the effects of phonon excitations in projectile and target nuclei on fusion cross sections and barrier distributions. With our research, we showed that the coupled channel model and the calculation codes used to explain the fusion cross-section data and barrier distributions well. This research sheds light on the importance of analyzing important medical radionuclides such as 211At by heavy-ion fusion reactions and encourages new researches

Atypical periosteal osteoid osteoma: a case report

Osteoid osteoma is a benign osteoblastic tumor usually seen in adolescent and young males. In the paediatric age group, since the history may be difficult to elicit, there are often problems in early diagnosis. The author reports an unusual presentation of osteoid osteoma in a ten-year-old girl, which could not be diagnosed by conventional X-rays and CT scan

Development and Evaluation of a One-Step Multiplex Real-Time TaqMan\u3csup\u3e®\u3c/sup\u3e RT-qPCR Assay for the Detection and Genotyping of Equine G3 and G14 Rotaviruses in Fecal Samples

Background: Equine rotavirus A (ERVA) is the leading cause of diarrhea in neonatal foals and has a negative impact on equine breeding enterprises worldwide. Among ERVA strains infecting foals, the genotypes G3P[12] and G14P[12] are the most prevalent, while infections by strains with other genomic arrangements are infrequent. The identification of circulating strains of ERVA is critical for diagnostic and surveillance purposes, as well as to understand their molecular epidemiology. Current genotyping methods available for ERVA and rotaviruses affecting other animal species rely on Sanger sequencing and are significantly time-consuming, costly and labor intensive. Here, we developed the first one-step multiplex TaqMan® real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay targeting the NSP3 and VP7 genes of ERVA G3 and G14 genotypes for the rapid detection and G-typing directly from fecal specimens. Methods: A one-step multiplex TaqMan® RT-qPCR assay targeting the NSP3 and VP7 genes of ERVA G3 and G14 genotypes was designed. The analytical sensitivity was assessed using serial dilutions of in vitro transcribed RNA containing the target sequences while the analytical specificity was determined using RNA and DNA derived from a panel of group A rotaviruses along with other equine viruses and bacteria. The clinical performance of this multiplex assay was evaluated using a panel of 177 fecal samples and compared to a VP7-specific standard RT-PCR assay and Sanger sequencing. Limits of detection (LOD), sensitivity, specificity, and agreement were determined. Results: The multiplex G3 and G14 VP7 assays demonstrated high specificity and efficiency, with perfect linearity. A 100-fold difference in their analytical sensitivity was observed when compared to the singleplex assays; however, this difference did not have an impact on the clinical performance. Clinical performance of the multiplex RT-qPCR assay demonstrated that this assay had a high sensitivity/specificity for every target (100% for NSP3, \u3e 90% for G3 VP7 and \u3e 99% for G14 VP7, respectively) and high overall agreement (\u3e 98%) compared to conventional RT-PCR and sequencing. Conclusions: This new multiplex RT-qPCR assay constitutes a useful, very reliable tool that could significantly aid in the rapid detection and G-typing of ERVA strains circulating in the field

Computerized ionospheric tomography with the IRI model

Abstract Computerized ionospheric tomography (CIT) is a method to estimate ionospheric electron density distribution by using the global positioning system (GPS) signals recorded by the GPS receivers. Ionospheric electron density is a function of latitude, longitude, height and time. A general approach in CIT is to represent the ionosphere as a linear combination of basis functions. In this study, the model of the ionosphere is obtained from the IRI in latitude and height only. The goal is to determine the best representing basis function from the set of Squeezed Legendre polynomials, truncated Legendre polynomials, Haar Wavelets and singular value decomposition (SVD). The reconstruction algorithms used in this study can be listed as total least squares (TLS), regularized least squares, algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) and a hybrid algorithm where the reconstruction from the TLS algorithm is used as the initial estimate for the ART. The error performance of the reconstruction algorithms are compared with respect to the electron density generated by the IRI-2001 model. In the investigated scenario, the measurements are obtained from the IRI-2001 as the line integral of the electron density profiles, imitating the total electron content estimated from GPS measurements. It has been observed that the minimum error between the reconstructed and model ionospheres depends on both the reconstruction algorithm and the basis functions where the best results have been obtained for the basis functions from the model itself through SVD

Processing of nano boron carbide reinforced flexible polymer composites with improved shielding properties

Aims: The main objective of the current research is to develop light-weight and flexible electromagnetic shielding materials with improved properties using nano/mikro boron carbide dispersed into polymer based matrices after surface modification. Methods: Nano/micro boron carbide particles with various morphologies were synthesized by sol-gel techniques and the obtained particles were surface modified with different functional groups. After mixing the particles with different polymers using high shear mixer, shielding composite plates were shaped using injection moulding and warm pressing. Results: It was shown that sol-gel technique was able to produce boron carbide particles with controlled morphology and better shielding properties could be obtained using these particles within polymeric matrices leading to the formation of flexible composites. Conclusions: Overall, it was found that light-weight and effective shielding materials could be obtained using boron carbide particles dispersed within polymeric matrices. Surface modification of the particles is critical for good dispersion and hence to get better final properties. The concentration of the reinforcing particles also affects the properties in terms of energy absorption and shielding

Maple-Swarm: programming collective behavior for ensembles by extending HTN-planning

Programming goal-oriented behavior in collective adaptive systems is complex, requires high effort, and is failure-prone. If the system's user wants to deploy it in a real-world environment, hurdles get even higher: Programs urgently require to be situation-aware. With our framework Maple, we previously presented an approach for easing the act of programming such systems on the level of particular robot capabilities. In this paper, we extend our approach for ensemble programming with the possibility to address virtual swarm capabilities encapsulating collective behavior to whole groups of agents. By using the respective concepts in an extended version of hierarchical task networks and by adapting our self-organization mechanisms for executing plans resulting thereof, we can achieve that all agents, any agent, any other set of agents, or a swarm of agents execute (swarm) capabilities. Moreover, we extend the possibilities of expressing situation awareness during planning by introducing planning variables that can get modified at design-time or run-time as needed. We illustrate the possibilities with examples each. Further, we provide a graphical front-end offering the possibility to generate mission-specific problem domain descriptions for ensembles including a lightweight simulation for validating plans

Under the influence::Using natural language in interactive storytelling

Interacting in natural language with virtual actors is an important aspect of the development of future Interactive Storytelling systems. We describe a paradigm for speech interfaces in interactive storytelling based on the notion of influence. In this paradigm, the user is mainly a spectator who is however able to interfere with the course of action by issuing advice to the characters. This is achieved by recognising corresponding speech acts and mapping them to the plans which implement characters' behaviours in the story. We discuss some examples based on a preliminary, yet fully implemented, prototype