Increasing Oil Production in Camelina sativa Engineered to Synthesize Unusual Lipids

Different Euonymus species naturally produce acetyl-triacylglycerol (acTAG) in their seed oil. AcTAG are unusual structures of the triacylglycerols (TAG) typically found in vegetable oil, and have lower freezing points and viscosity compared to regular vegetable oil. Seed oil containing AcTAG can be used as biodiesel, plasticizers, and other alternatives to petroleum-based products. AcTAG can be synthesized in Camelina sativa by expressing key enzymes from Euonymus and by using RNA interference (RNAi) to suppress competing camelina biochemical pathways. Previous observations of high acetyl-TAG camelina lines have shown an increase in overall TAG molecules, but lower fatty acid levels compared to wild-type seeds. It is hypothesized the decrease in overall fatty acid content is due to a limited amount of glycerol-3-phosphate (G3P) backbone. To increase G3P, C. sativa seeds were transformed to overexpress the gene that encodes glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD1), which converts dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) to G3P. By increasing G3P synthesis, the fatty acid content is expected to increase to wild-type content or higher. C. sativa seeds were collected from third-generation homozygous transgenic lines for lipid analysis. These lines were analyzed in three or more replicates to measure the amount of AcTAG, TAG, and overall fatty acid per seed. The resulting data is expected to show increased fatty acid content closer to wild-type seeds. Higher fatty acid content using acTAG and TAG molecules can be used to decrease the number of plants needed to produce C. sativa oils and save agricultural space for farmers.

How can Apple be more Fruitful in India

Abstract How Apple Can become Fruitful in India: An International Marketing Case Study Izzy Bertolani, Pamela Diaz, Zack McPherson, Amani Elchaar, Michal Kardacz, Kamari Davis, Nakia Abdul, and Lawrence Ofili Apple, founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in the United States in 1976, is a $91.8 billion, leading global technology company with 61$280 billion GDP, 5% growth rate, and a mobile phone penetration of 502.2 million (Worldometer 2020; India GDP 2020; “15 coolest” 2019). India has about 400 million smartphone users which is expected to grow to 440 million by 2022 (“Number of smartphone users in India 2015-2022”, 2020). However, Apple soon discovered that the market was dominated by Asian brands like Samsung from South Korea and Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo from China, all providing devices with localized functionalities for lower or similar prices as Apple (“India-Popular smartphones by company 2019, 2020”). These Asian brands jointly have over fifty percent of the market share whereas Apple has less than two percent (India-Popular smartphones by company 2019, 2020”). While the middle class in India has grown exponentially, the $1,000 or higher price tag for an iPhone is a huge deterrent. The case study focuses on the mobile phone industry in India and the adaptations that Apple needs to make to its marketing mix in order to compete successfully. Key words: Apple, iPhone, India, Case Study, Pricing, Emerging Markets, International Marketing Strategy, Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo, Vivo, mobile phones, smartphones. Note: References available on reques

The AGN fuelling/feedback cycle in nearby radio galaxies - III. 3D relative orientations of radio jets and CO discs and their interaction

This is the third paper of a series exploring the multifrequency properties of a sample of eleven nearby low-excitation radio galaxies (LERGs) in the southern sky. We are conducting an extensive study of different galaxy components (stars, dust, warm and cold gas, radio jets) with the aim of better understanding the AGN fuelling/feedback cycle in LERGs. Here, we present new, deep, sub-kpc resolution Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (JVLA) data for five sample sources at 10 GHz. Coupling these data with previously acquired Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) CO(2–1) observations and measurements of comparable quality from the literature, we carry out for the first time a full 3D analysis of the relative orientations of jet and disc rotation axes in six FR I LERGs. This analysis shows (albeit with significant uncertainties) that the relative orientation angles span a wide range (≈30○–60○). There is no case where both axes are accurately aligned and there is a marginally significant tendency for jets to avoid the disc plane. Our study also provides further evidence for the presence of a jet-CO disc interaction (already inferred from other observational indicators) in at least one source, NGC 3100. In this case, the limited extent of the radio jets, along with distortions in both the molecular gas and the jet components, suggest that the jets are young, interacting with the surrounding matter and rapidly decelerating

The AGN fuelling/feedback cycle in nearby radio galaxies - I. ALMA observations and early results

This is the first paper of a series exploring the multi-frequency properties of a sample of eleven nearby low excitation radio galaxies (LERGs) in the southern sky. We are conducting an extensive study of different galaxy components (stars, warm and cold gas, radio jets) with the aim of improving our understanding of the AGN fuelling/feedback cycle in LERGs. We present ALMA Band 6 $^{12}$CO(2-1) and continuum observations of nine sources. Continuum emission from the radio cores was detected in all objects. Six sources also show mm emission from jets on kpc/sub-kpc scales. The jet structures are very similar at mm and cm wavelengths. We conclude that synchrotron emission associated with the radio jets dominates the continuum spectra up to 230 GHz. The $^{12}$CO(2-1) line was detected in emission in six out of nine objects, with molecular gas masses ranging from $2 \times 10^{7}$ to $2 \times 10^{10}$ M$_{\rm \odot}$. The CO detections show disc-like structures on scales from $\approx$0.2 to $\approx$10 kpc. In one case (NGC 3100) the CO disc presents some asymmetries and is disrupted in the direction of the northern radio jet, indicating a possible jet/disc interaction. In IC 4296, CO is detected in absorption against the radio core, as well as in emission. In four of the six galaxies with CO detections, the gas rotation axes are roughly parallel to the radio jets in projection; the remaining two cases show large misalignments. In those objects where optical imaging is available, dust and CO appear to be co-spatial.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS. The Appendix is provided as on-line only supplementary materia

A Common Place, Volume 3, Spring 2024

Fiction Widowmaker by Char Lavigne Waning Eve by Lee Kassay Smoker’s Diner by John Travis Bridgham The Rusty Scabbard by Hannah Rice Nonfiction Portraito of My Father by Jordan Mcpherson Poetry Angel Girl by Grace (Asher) Beverly Sons Of Actaeon by Grace (Asher) Beverly Good Soil by Pearl Siff Celestial by Nat Velez-Camp The Hill by Mallory Isabella Davis Hierba Mala Nunca Muere by Mallory Isabella Davis Visual Art Lips by Judson Atkins Discarded Cigarettes by Nyla Mceachin Open Space and Safety by Bradley Pugh Conte Crayon Self-Portrait by Shaylise Jones Untitled 2363 by Judson Atkinshttps://digitalcommons.longwood.edu/special_studentpubs/1218/thumbnail.jp

The AGN fueling/feedback cycle in LERGs: a multi-phase study of a sample of local early-type radio galaxies

Galaxy formation theories struggle to explain the role of Black Hole accretion in shaping galaxies over cosmic time. Radio feedback, associated to radio jets, is accepted as a fundamental component of the lifecycle of the most massive radio loud early-type galaxies (Radio Loud ETGs, i.e. Radio Galaxies, RGs), at least in the late stages of cosmic evolution (z < 1). The many details of such process, however, still remain poorly understood. It is generally accepted that High Excitation Radio Galaxies (HERGs) are triggered by cold gas transported to the center through merging or collisions with gas-rich galaxies, while accretion in Low Excitation Radio Galaxies (LERGs) may occur directly from the hot phase of the IGM. The most compelling evidence that cold gas can play a role in fuelling LERGs as well, is that in such systems dust and molecular gas are detected in larger quantities than in radio-quiet ETGs. The origin of this gas (external or secular) remains still unclear. Systematic high-resolution CO imaging of radio galaxies (in which radio jets are currently active) together with kinematic information on the stellar and ionized gas components, is fundamental to isolate the role played by radio-mode feedback in the overall formation and evolution of ETGs, allowing also to do a crucial comparison with existing studies of radio-quiet ETGs (e.g. ATLAS3D sample). For this purpose, we have selected a complete volume-limited sample of eleven nearby (z < 0.03) RGs associated with elliptical galaxies, selected from the Ekers et al. (1989) parent sample of 90 radio galaxies in the Southern sky. All the selected galaxies have low-power (P_1.4GHz ≤ 10^25 W Hz^-1), low accretion rate, and FRI type or (arcsec-scale) compact radio morphology. For all the sources, we have already acquired a set of multi-wavelength data, spanning from the radio to the mm regime. Here we present the results obtained so far by analyzing ALMA Cycle 3 CO(2-1) observations of 9 targets, with resolutions of few hundreds of parsecs at the source redshifts. The CO(2-1) line emission was detected in 6 out of 9 targets (detection significance from 8 to 45 sigma; 66% detection rate). CO(2-1) maps show rotating disc structures in all the sources, with some peculiar cases in which the gas disk shows a disturbed morphology that seems to suggest an interaction with the radio jets. The detected CO discs are mostly located in the inner kpc-sub-kpc scales of the host galaxy. Available optical images were used to investigate the relative distribution of gas and dust: they result mostly co-spatial, with dust extending on larger scales in some cases. The study of the CO kinematics is still ongoing, but preliminary results show hints of the presence of of non-circular motions (i.e. inflow/outflow) in at least one of the detected CO discs

Endometriosis and Organochlorinated Environmental Pollutants: A Case–Control Study on Italian Women of Reproductive Age

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a common gynecologic disease characterized by the ectopic growth of endometrial tissue. In industrialized countries, it affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age. Its etiology is unclear, but a multifactorial origin is considered to be most plausible. Environmental organochlorinated persistent pollutants, in particular dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), have been hypothesized to play a role in the disease etiopathogenesis. However, results of studies carried out on humans are conflicting. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the exposure to organochlorinated persistent pollutants as a risk factor for endometriosis. METHODS: We conducted a case-control study in Rome on 158 women comprising 80 cases and 78 controls. In all women, serum concentrations of selected non-dioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs) and dioxin-like PCBs (DL-PCBs), 1,1-dichloro-2,21-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-ethene (p p'-DDE), and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were determined by ion-trap mass spectrometry. DR-CALUX bioassay was employed to assess the 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxicity equivalent (TEQ) concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and DL-PCBs. RESULTS: We found an increased risk of endometriosis for DL-PCB-118 (odds ratio (OR) = 3.79; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.61-8.91), NDL-PCB-138 (OR = 3.78; 95% CI, 1.60-8.94), NDLPCB-153 (OR = 4.88; 95% CI, 2.01-11.0), NDL-PCB-170 (OR = 3.52; 95% CI, 1.41-8.79), and the sum of DL-PCBs and NDL-PCBs (OR = 5.63; 95% CI, 2.25-14. 10). No significant associations were observed with respect to HCB or to the sum of PCDDs, PCDFs1 and DL-PC13s given as total TEQs. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that an association exists between increased PCB and p,p'-DDE serum concentrations and the risk of endometriosis

The AGN fuelling/feedback cycle in nearby radio galaxies - IV. Molecular gas conditions and jet-ISM interaction in NGC 3100

This is the fourth paper of a series investigating the AGN fuelling/feedback processes in a sample of 11 nearby low-excitation radio galaxies (LERGs). In this paper, we present follow-up Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of one source, NGC 3100, targeting the 12CO(1-0), 12CO(3-2), HCO+(4-3), SiO(3-2), and HNCO(6-5) molecular transitions. 12CO(1-0) and 12CO(3-2) lines are nicely detected and complement our previous 12CO(2-1) data. By comparing the relative strength of these three CO transitions, we find extreme gas excitation conditions (i.e. Tex ≳ 50 K) in regions that are spatially correlated with the radio lobes, supporting the case for a jet–ISM interaction. An accurate study of the CO kinematics demonstrates that although the bulk of the gas is regularly rotating, two distinct non-rotational kinematic components can be identified in the inner gas regions: one can be associated to inflow/outflow streaming motions induced by a two-armed spiral perturbation; the second one is consistent with a jet-induced outflow with vmax ≈ 200 km s−1 and M˙≲0.12 M⊙ yr−1. These values indicate that the jet-CO coupling ongoing in NGC 3100 is only mildly affecting the gas kinematics, as opposed to what expected from existing simulations and other observational studies of (sub-)kpc scale jet–cold gas interactions. HCO+(4-3) emission is tentatively detected in a small area adjacent to the base of the northern radio lobe, possibly tracing a region of jet-induced gas compression. The SiO(3-2) and HNCO(6-5) shock tracers are undetected: this – along with the tentative HCO+(4-3) detection – may be consistent with a deficiency of very dense (i.e. ncrit > 106 cm−3) cold gas in the central regions of NGC 3100

Cuidados paliativos: o saber dos residentes de Medicina de Família e Comunidade do Centro-Oeste e Distrito Federal

RESUMO: Cuidados paliativos (CP) consistem na assistência multidisciplinar e holística ao paciente para melhoria de sua qualidade de vida e de seus parentes, por meio da prevenção e alívio de enfermidades, além de melhorar seus aspectos físicos, sociais, psicológicos e espirituais. Apesar de sua crescente necessidade de aplicação em uma grande quantidade de pacientes, apenas 14% recebem o devido tratamento até o fim de suas vidas. Por isso, o presente trabalho visa analisar o conhecimento dos residentes em Medicina de Família e Comunidade do Centro-Oeste e Distrito Federal acerca dos CP, além de avaliar a formação, aceitação e conhecimentos específicos sobre o assunto, por meio de um estudo epidemiológico, observacional, descritivo, transversal e de natureza quantitativa, com um questionário validado com modificações e perguntas objetivas e online. Os resultados esperados do estudo são verificar o nível de conhecimento dos residentes de MFC das regiões Centro-Oeste e Distrito Federal em relação aos CP, a fim de analisar se estão aptos ou não para lidarem com pacientes que necessitam desses cuidados, já que é cada vez mais crescente o número desses casos nas Unidades Básicas de Saúde.&nbsp; Sendo assim, esperamos encontrar que os residentes não possuem os conhecimentos necessários sobre CP, uma vez que as instituições de ensino brasileiras, geralmente, não têm disciplinas voltadas para essa área. &nbsp; &nbsp

The AGN fuelling/feedback cycle in nearby radio galaxies II. Kinematics of the molecular gas

This is the second paper of a series exploring the multicomponent (stars, warm and cold gas, and radio jets) properties of a sample of 11 nearby low-excitation radio galaxies, with the aim of better understanding the active galactic nuclei (AGN) fuelling/feedback cycle in these objects. Here, we present a study of the molecular gas kinematics of six sample galaxies detected in 12CO(2-1) with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). In all cases, our modelling suggests that the bulk of the gas in the observed (sub-)kpc CO discs is in ordered rotation. Nevertheless, low-level distortions are ubiquitous, indicating that the molecular gas is not fully relaxed into the host galaxy potential. The majority of the discs, however, are only marginally resolved, preventing us from drawing strong conclusions. NGC 3557 and NGC 3100 are special cases. The features observed in the CO velocity curve of NGC 3557 allow us to estimate a supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass of (7.10 ± 0.02) × 108 M⊙, in agreement with expectations from the MSMBH–σ* relation. The rotation pattern of NGC 3100 shows distortions that appear to be consistent with the presence of both a position angle and an inclination warp. Non-negligible radial motions are also found in the plane of the CO disc, likely consistent with streaming motions associated with the spiral pattern found in the inner regions of the disc. The dominant radial motions are likely to be inflows, supporting a scenario in which the cold gas is contributing to the fuelling of the AGN