Enhancement of Secondary Cell Wall Formation in Poplar Xylem Using a Self-Reinforced System of Secondary Cell Wall-Related Transcription Factors

The secondary cell wall (SCW) in the xylem is one of the largest sink organs of carbon in woody plants, and is considered a promising sustainable bioresource for biofuels and biomaterials. To enhance SCW formation in poplar (Populus sp.) xylem, we developed a self-reinforced system of SCW-related transcription factors from Arabidopsis thaliana, involving VASCULAR-RELATED NAC-DOMAIN7 (VND7), SECONDARY WALL-ASSOCIATED NAC-DOMAIN PROTEIN 1/NAC SECONDARY WALL THICKENING-PROMOTING FACTOR3 (SND1/NST3), and MYB46. In this system, these transcription factors were fused with the transactivation domain VP16 and expressed under the control of the Populus trichocarpa CesA18 (PtCesA18) gene promoter, creating the chimeric genes PtCesA18pro::AtVND7:VP16, PtCesA18pro::AtSND1:VP16, and PtCesA18pro::AtMYB46:VP16. The PtCesA18 promoter is active in tissues generating SCWs, and can be regulated by AtVND7, AtSND1, and AtMYB46; thus, the expression levels of PtCesA18pro::AtVND7:VP16, PtCesA18pro::AtSND1:VP16, and PtCesA18pro::AtMYB46:VP16 are expected to be boosted in SCW-generating tissues. In the transgenic hybrid aspens (Populus tremula x tremuloides T89) expressing PtCesA18pro::AtSND1:VP16 or PtCesA18pro::AtMYB46:VP16 grown in sterile half-strength Murashige and Skoog growth medium, SCW thickening was significantly enhanced in the secondary xylem cells, while the PtCesA18pro::AtVND7:VP16 plants showed stunted xylem formation, possibly because of the enhanced programmed cell death (PCD) in the xylem regions. After acclimation, the transgenic plants were transferred from the sterile growth medium to pots of soil in the greenhouse, where only the PtCesA18pro::AtMYB46:VP16 aspens survived. A nuclear magnetic resonance footprinting cell wall analysis and enzymatic saccharification analysis demonstrated that PtCesA18pro::AtMYB46:VP16 influences cell wall properties such as the ratio of syringyl (S) and guaiacyl (G) units of lignin, the abundance of the lignin beta-aryl ether and resinol bonds, and hemicellulose acetylation levels. Together, these data indicate that we have created a self-reinforced system using SCW-related transcription factors to enhance SCW accumulation

Serious Play: The Role of Play in Dance in Higher Education

Play is integrated far more in children's lives than in adults' lives, and a variety of research supports the positive effects of play and creativity in education. However, once we enter into higher education and adulthood, play is less encouraged and may be even nonexistent. For many adults, work and play become two separate entities, and many adults believe that part of becoming an adult means to put aside the desires to play and be serious in order to succeed. To address the misconceptions of play and play in dance, the study investigates the potential of play in dance in higher education. Through the development of a curriculum, the study investigates a pedagogy of play within movement, creativity, and self-expression in dance. The evaluation of the design and outcomes of the curriculum and implemented study has resulted in identifying emergent themes as the fundamentals of play in dance

Low-Dose Pelvic Computed Tomography Using Adaptive Iterative Dose Reduction 3-Dimensional Algorithm:A Phantom Study

Objective To evaluate the image quality and radiation dose reduction in pelvic computed tomography (CT) achieved with an adaptive iterative dose reduction 3-dimensional (AIDR 3D) algorithm using a phantom model. Methods Two phantoms were scanned using a 320-detector row CT scanner with 8 tube current levels, and the images were reconstructed with a standard filtered back projection (FBP) algorithm and with an AIDR 3D algorithm. Results Compared with FBP, AIDR 3D reduced image noise and improved contrast-to-noise ratios. The diagnostic performance for detection of low-contrast targets of AIDR 3D images obtained with 100 mA at 120 kVp was almost as good as that of the FBP images obtained with 200 mA. Conclusions The AIDR 3D algorithm substantially reduced image noise and improved the image quality of pelvic CT images compared with those obtained with the FBP algorithm and can thus be considered a promising technique for low-dose pelvic CT examinations

Development of the Rotating Type Grain Sterilizer using Infrared Radiation Heating

We developed a grain sterilizer equipped with infrared radiation heating (IRH), and examined the disinfecting effect on wheat grain with various initial moisture contents (IMC). The greater microbicidal effect of IRH was obtained when the IMC of sample grain was high. When treatment was carried out a third time, more than 99% of initial microbial counts had been destroyed at higher IMCs. Even when the treatment was repeated twice, no significant increase in the fat acidity of wheat grains was obtained in comparison with the control sample at an IMC of either 14 or 24%(w.b.) (p＜0.05). However, the germination rate was markedly decreased as the treatment was repeated, especially at the higher IMC