669 research outputs found
The characterisation of AOP2: a gene associated with the biosynthesis of aliphatic alkenyl glucosinolates in Arabidopsis thaliana
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Glucosinolates, a group of nitrogen and sulfur containing compounds associated with plant-insect interactions, are produced by a number of important <it>Brassicaceae </it>crop species. In <it>Arabidopsis </it>the <it>AOP2 </it>gene plays a role in the secondary modification of aliphatic (methionine-derived) glucosinolates, namely the conversion of methylsulfinylalkyl glucosinolates to form alkenyl glucosinolates, and also influences aliphatic glucosinolate accumulation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>This study characterises the primary structural variation in the coding sequences of the <it>AOP2 </it>gene and identifies three different <it>AOP2 </it>alleles based on polymorphisms in exon two. To help determine the regulatory mechanisms mediating <it>AOP2 </it>expression amongst accessions, <it>AOP2 </it>5' regulatory regions were also examined however no major differences were identified. Expression of the <it>AOP2 </it>gene was found to be most abundant in leaf and stem tissue and was also found to be light dependent, with a number of light regulatory elements identified in the promoter region of the gene. In addition, a study was undertaken to demonstrate that the <it>Arabidopsis AOP2 </it>gene product is functional <it>in planta</it>. The over-expression of a functional <it>AOP2 </it>allele was found to successfully convert the precursor methylsulfinyl alkyl glucosinolate into the alkenyl form.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The expression of the <it>AOP2 </it>gene has been found to be influenced by light and is most highly expressed in the photosynthetic parts of the <it>Arabidopsis </it>plant. The level of <it>AOP2 </it>transcript decreases rapidly in the absence of light. <it>AOP2 </it>exists as at least three alleles in different <it>Arabidopsis </it>accessions and we have demonstrated that one of these, <it>AOP2-2</it>, is functionally able to convert methylsulfinyl glucosinolates into the alkenyl form. The demonstration of the <it>in planta </it>functionality of the <it>Arabisopsis AOP2 </it>gene is an important step in determining the feasibility of engineering glucosinolate profiles in food plants.</p
Desperately seeking fixedness: practitioners accounts of 'becoming doctoral researchers
We draw upon the concept of liminality to explore the experiences of practitioners enrolled on a UK Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme. We analyse twenty practitionersâ reflective journals to detail how the DBA liminal space was negotiated. More specifically, we describe how practitioners deal with their struggles of identity incoherence or âmonsters of doubtâ which are amplified in the DBA context owing to the complex nature of the separation phase of liminality. We identify three broad methods deployed in this endeavour: âscaffoldingâ; âputting the past to workâ and âbracketingâ- which evidence practitioners âdesperately seeking fixednessâ. We make three contributions â first, we provide empirical insights into the experiences of the increasingly significant, but still under researched, DBA student. Second, we develop our understandings of monsters of doubt through illustrating how these are negotiated for learning to progress. Finally, we contribute to wider discussions of âbecomingâ to demonstrate the simultaneous and paradoxical importance of movement and fixedness in order to learn and become
Numerical Investigation of a Fuselage Boundary Layer Ingestion Propulsion Concept
In the present study, a numerical assessment of the performance of fuselage boundary layer ingestion (BLI) propulsion techniques was conducted. This study is an initial investigation into coupling the aerodynamics of the fuselage with a BLI propulsion system to determine if there is sufficient potential to warrant further investigation of this concept. Numerical simulations of flow around baseline, Boundary Layer Controlled (BLC), and propelled boundary layer controlled airships were performed. Computed results showed good agreement with wind tunnel data and previous numerical studies. Numerical simulations and sensitivity analysis were then conducted on four BLI configurations. The two design variables selected for the parametric study of the new configurations were the inlet area and the inlet to exit area ratio. Current results show that BLI propulsors may offer power savings of up to 85% over the baseline configuration. These interim results include the simplifying assumption that inlet ram drag is negligible and therefore likely overstate the reduction in power. It has been found that inlet ram drag is not negligible and should be included in future analysis
Mapping Children's Discussions of Evidence in Science to Assess Collaboration and Argumentation
The research reported in this paper concerns the development of children's skills of interpreting and evaluating evidence in science. Previous studies have shown that school teaching often places limited emphasis on the development of these skills, which are necessary for children to engage in scientific debate and decision-making. The research, undertaken in the UK, involved four collaborative decision-making activities to stimulate group discussion, each was carried out with five groups of four children (10-11 years old). The research shows how the children evaluated evidence for possible choices and judged whether their evidence was sufficient to support a particular conclusion or the rejection of alternative conclusions. A mapping technique was developed to analyse the discussions and identify different "levels" of argumentation. The authors conclude that suitable collaborative activities that focus on the discussion of evidence can be developed to exercise children's ability to argue effectively in making decisions
Aircraft Conceptual Design Using Vehicle Sketch Pad
Vehicle Sketch Pad (VSP) is a parametric geometry modeling tool that is intended for use in the conceptual design of aircraft. The intent of this software is to rapidly model aircraft configurations without expending the expertise and time that is typically required for modeling with traditional Computer Aided Design (CAD) packages. VSP accomplishes this by using parametrically defined components, such as a wing that is defined by span, area, sweep, taper ratio, thickness to cord, and so on. During this phase of frequent design builds, changes to the model can be rapidly visualized along with the internal volumetric layout. Using this geometry-based approach, parameters such as wetted areas and cord lengths can be easily extracted for rapid external performance analyses, such as a parasite drag buildup. At the completion of the conceptual design phase, VSP can export its geometry to higher fidelity tools. This geometry tool was developed by NASA and is freely available to U.S. companies and universities. It has become integral to conceptual design in the Aeronautics Systems Analysis Branch (ASAB) here at NASA Langley Research Center and is currently being used at over 100 universities, aerospace companies, and other government agencies. This paper focuses on the use of VSP in recent NASA conceptual design studies to facilitate geometry-centered design methodology. Such a process is shown to promote greater levels of creativity, more rapid assessment of critical design issues, and improved ability to quickly interact with higher order analyses. A number of VSP vehicle model examples are compared to CAD-based conceptual design, from a designer perspective; comparisons are also made of the time and expertise required to build the geometry representations as well
Quantum corrections to the dynamics of interacting bosons: beyond the truncated Wigner approximation
We develop a consistent perturbation theory in quantum fluctuations around
the classical evolution of a system of interacting bosons. The zero order
approximation gives the classical Gross-Pitaevskii equations. In the next order
we recover the truncated Wigner approximation, where the evolution is still
classical but the initial conditions are distributed according to the Wigner
transform of the initial density matrix. Further corrections can be
characterized as quantum scattering events, which appear in the form of a
nonlinear response of the observable to an infinitesimal displacement of the
field along its classical evolution. At the end of the paper we give a few
numerical examples to test the formalism.Comment: published versio
Chandra High-Resolution X-Ray Spectrum of Supernova Remnant 1E0102.2-7219
Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer observations of the
supernova remnant 1E0102.2-7219 in the Small Magellanic Cloud reveal a spectrum
dominated by X-ray emission lines from hydrogen-like and helium-like ions of
oxygen, neon, magnesium and silicon, with little iron. The dispersed spectrum
shows a series of monochromatic images of the source in the light of individual
spectral lines. Detailed examination of these dispersed images reveals Doppler
shifts within the supernova remnant, indicating bulk matter velocities on the
order of 1000 km/s. These bulk velocities suggest an expanding ring-like
structure with additional substructure, inclined to the line of sight. A
two-dimensional spatial/velocity map of the SNR shows a striking spatial
separation of redshifted and blueshifted regions, and indicates a need for
further investigation before an adequate 3D model can be found. The radii of
the ring-like images of the dispersed spectrum vary with ionization stage,
supporting an interpretation of progressive ionization due to passage of the
reverse shock through the ejecta. Plasma diagnostics with individual emission
lines of oxygen are consistent with an ionizing plasma in the low density
limit, and provide temperature and ionization constraints on the plasma.
Assuming a pure metal plasma, the mass of oxygen is estimated at ~6 solar
masses, consistent with a massive progenitor.Comment: 47 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
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A phase II study of temozolomide vs. procarbazine in patients with glioblastoma multiforme at first relapse.
A randomized, multicentre, open-label, phase II study compared temozolomide (TMZ), an oral second-generation alkylating agent, and procarbazine (PCB) in 225 patients with glioblastoma multiforme at first relapse. Primary objectives were to determine progression-free survival (PFS) at 6 months and safety for TMZ and PCB in adult patients who failed conventional treatment. Secondary objectives were to assess overall survival and health-related quality of life (HRQL). TMZ was given orally at 200 mg/m(2)/day or 150 mg/m(2)/day (prior chemotherapy) for 5 days, repeated every 28 days. PCB was given orally at 150 mg/m(2)/day or 125 mg/m(2)/day (prior chemotherapy) for 28 days, repeated every 56 days. HRQL was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30 [+3]) and the Brain Cancer Module 20 (BCM20). The 6-month PFS rate for patients who received TMZ was 21%, which met the protocol objective. The 6-month PFS rate for those who received PCB was 8% (P = 0.008, for the comparison). Overall PFS significantly improved with TMZ, with a median PFS of 12.4 weeks in the TMZ group and 8.32 weeks in the PCB group (P = 0.0063). The 6-month overall survival rate for TMZ patients was 60% vs. 44% for PCB patients (P = 0.019). Freedom from disease progression was associated with maintenance of HRQL, regardless of treatment received. TMZ had an acceptable safety profile; most adverse events were mild or moderate in severity
Non-equilibrium Gross-Pitaevskii dynamics of boson lattice models
Motivated by recent experiments on trapped ultra-cold bosonic atoms in an
optical lattice potential, we consider the non-equilibrium dynamic properties
of such bosonic systems for a number of experimentally relevant situations.
When the number of bosons per lattice site is large, there is a wide parameter
regime where the effective boson interactions are strong, but the ground state
remains a superfluid (and not a Mott insulator): we describe the conditions
under which the dynamics in this regime can be described by a discrete
Gross-Pitaevskii equation. We describe the evolution of the phase coherence
after the system is initially prepared in a Mott insulating state, and then
allowed to evolve after a sudden change in parameters places it in a regime
with a superfluid ground state. We also consider initial conditions with a "pi
phase" imprint on a superfluid ground state (i.e. the initial phases of
neighboring wells differ by pi), and discuss the subsequent appearance of
density wave order and "Schrodinger cat" states.Comment: 16 pages, 11 figures; (v2) added reference
Quadruped Gait and Regulation of Apoptotic Factors in Tibiofemoral Joints following Intra-Articular rhPRG4 Injection in \u3cem\u3ePrg4\u3c/em\u3e Null Mice
Camptodactyly-arthropathy-coxa vara-pericarditis (CACP) syndrome leads to diarthrodial joint arthropathy and is caused by the absence of lubricin (proteoglycan 4âPRG4), a surface-active mucinous glycoprotein responsible for lubricating articular cartilage. In this study, mice lacking the orthologous gene Prg4 served as a model that recapitulates the destructive arthrosis that involves biofouling of cartilage by serum proteins in lieu of Prg4. This study hypothesized that Prg4-deficient mice would demonstrate a quadruped gait change and decreased markers of mitochondrial dyscrasia, following intra-articular injection of both hindlimbs with recombinant human PRG4 (rhPRG4). Prg4â/â (N = 44) mice of both sexes were injected with rhPRG4 and gait alterations were studied at post-injection day 3 and 6, before joints were harvested for immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 activation. Increased stance and propulsion was shown at 3 days post-injection in male mice. There were significantly fewer caspase-3-positive chondrocytes in tibiofemoral cartilage from rhPRG4-injected mice. The mitochondrial gene Mt-tn, and myosin heavy (Myh7) and light chains (Myl2 and Myl3), known to play a cytoskeletal stabilizing role, were significantly upregulated in both sexes (RNA-Seq) following IA rhPRG4. Chondrocyte mitochondrial dyscrasias attributable to the arthrosis in CACP may be mitigated by IA rhPRG4. In a supporting in vitro crystal microbalance experiment, molecular fouling by albumin did not block the surface activity of rhPRG4
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