Genetic dissection of zinc, iron, copper, manganese and phosphorus in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain and rachis at two developmental stages

The development of high-yielding wheat genotypes containing micronutrient-dense grains are the main prio- rities of biofortification programs. At the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, breeders have successfully crossed high zinc progenitors including synthetic hexaploid wheat, T. dicoccum, T. spelta and landraces to generate high-zinc varieties. In this study, we report a genome-wide association using a wheat diversity panel to dissect the genetics controlling zinc, iron, copper, manganese and phosphorus concentrations in the grain and rachis during grain development and at physiological maturity. Significant marker-trait associations (MTAs) were identified for each nutrient using multi-locus mixed model methodologies. For mature grain, markers that showed significant pleiotropic effects were found on chromo- somes 1A, 3B and 5B, of which those on chromosome 5B at ∼95.5 cM were consistent over two growing seasons. Co-located MTAs were identified for the nutrient concentrations in developing grain, rachis and mature grain on multiple chromosomes. The identified genomic regions included putative candidate genes involved in metal uptake and transport and storage protein processing. These findings add to our understanding of the genetics of the five important nutrients in wheat grain and provide information on genetic markers for selecting high mi- cronutrient genotypes.Suong T. Cua, Georgia Guilda, Alison Nicolsona, Govindan Velub, Ravi Singhb, James Stangouli

Uniform bounds on complexity and transfer of global properties of Nash functions

We show that the complexity of semialgebraic sets and mappings can be used to parametrize Nash sets and mappings by Nash families. From this we deduce uniform bounds on the complexity of Nash functions that lead to first-order descriptions of many properties of Nash functions and a good behaviour under real closed field extension (e.g. primary decomposition). As a distinguished application, we derive the solution of the extension and global equations problems over arbitrary real closed fields, in particular over the field of real algebraic numbers. This last fact and a technique of change of base are used to prove that the Artin-Mazur description holds for abstract Nash functions on the real spectrum of any commutative ring, and solve extension and global equations in that abstract setting. To complete the view, we prove the idempotency of the real spectrum and an abstract version of the separation problem. We also discuss the conditions for the rings of abstract Nash functions to be noetherian

The large-scale environment of thermonuclear and core-collapse supernovae

The new generation of wide-field time-domain surveys has made it feasible to study the clustering of supernova (SN) host galaxies in the large-scale structure (LSS) for the first time. We investigate the LSS environment of SN populations, using 106 dark matter density realisations with a resolution of ∼3.8 Mpc, constrained by the 2M+ + galaxy survey. We limit our analysis to redshift z < 0.036, using samples of 498 thermonuclear and 782 core-collapse SNe from the Zwicky Transient Facility’s Bright Transient Survey and Census of the Local Universe catalogues. We detect clustering of SNe with high significance; the observed clustering of the two SNe populations is consistent with each other. Further, the clustering of SN hosts is consistent with that of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Baryon Oscillation Spectroscopic Survey DR12 spectroscopic galaxy sample in the same redshift range. Using a tidal shear classifier, we classify the LSS into voids, sheets, filaments, and knots. We find that both SNe and SDSS galaxies are predominantly found in sheets and filaments. SNe are significantly under-represented in voids and over-represented in knots compared to the volume fraction in these structures. This work opens the potential for using forthcoming wide-field deep SN surveys as a complementary LSS probe

Smallholder farmer experience with cassava related pests and diseases and their view on clean/certified planting materials

The recent boom in the global market for cassava has created livelihood opportunities for many smallholders in Southeast Asia. Research over many years by public agencies has generated an abundance of technologies that could enhance the productivity and sustainability of these cassava producers. While national government policies have not prioritised the dissemination of these technologies, we hypothesise that, in particular contexts, private-sector value-chain actors have incentives to invest in the promotion of suitable varieties, fertiliser regimes, pest control methods, and other production practices. In other contexts, however, there is little incentive for private-sector involvement, and support from public-sector or non-government actors will be required. In this paper we briefly analyse the drivers behind the recent boom and provide an overview of smallholder cassava production in the region. We then present a framework to analyse the incentives for private value-chain actors to invest in the promotion of different technologies, taking into account (1) the characteristics of the technology, (2) the nature of the production system, and (3) the features of the value chain, including the ability of value-chain actors to capture the benefits of any investment in technology dissemination. We test this framework through a preliminary analysis of three contrasting case studies: (1) a value chain centred on a large starch factory with a wide catchment area of smallholder suppliers in Dak Lak Province, Vietnam; (2) a cross-border value chain linking smallholders in Kratie Province, Cambodia, to starch factories in Vietnam; and (3) a local value chain for cassava as a food crop in Nusa Tenggara Timur Province, Indonesia

Machine learning can identify newly diagnosed patients with CLL at high risk of infection

Infections have become the major cause of morbidity and mortality among patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) due to immune dysfunction and cytotoxic CLL treatment. Yet, predictive models for infection are missing. In this work, we develop the CLL Treatment-Infection Model (CLL-TIM) that identifies patients at risk of infection or CLL treatment within 2 years of diagnosis as validated on both internal and external cohorts. CLL-TIM is an ensemble algorithm composed of 28 machine learning algorithms based on data from 4,149 patients with CLL. The model is capable of dealing with heterogeneous data, including the high rates of missing data to be expected in the real-world setting, with a precision of 72% and a recall of 75%. To address concerns regarding the use of complex machine learning algorithms in the clinic, for each patient with CLL, CLL-TIM provides explainable predictions through uncertainty estimates and personalized risk factors

Consensus recommendations for clinical assessment tools for the diagnosis of posterior cortical atrophy syndrome from the Atypical AD PIA of ISTAART

INTRODUCTION: Delay in diagnosis of posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) syndrome is common, and the lack of familiarity with assessment tools for identifying visual cortical dysfunction is a contributing factor. We propose recommendations for the approach to the evaluation of PCA clinical features during the office visit, the neuropsychological evaluation, and the research setting. A recommended screening battery for eye clinics is also proposed. METHODS: Recommendations were developed using results from a web-based survey of members of Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART) Atypical Alzheimer's Disease Professional Interest Area (PIA), literature review, and consensus by the PCA assessment working party of the Atypical Alzheimer's Disease PIA. RESULTS: Survey results revealed robust agreement for assessment tool preferences for PCA features, and many respondents indicated that they reserve assessment tools for use only when PCA is suspected. For some PCA features, curated tools were preferred over validated battery tools, particularly for the office visit. Consensus recommendations superseded survey preferences for two core cognitive features within the 2017 PCA diagnostic criteria. DISCUSSION: These consensus recommendations provide an evaluation framework for PCA clinical features and can facilitate timely and accurate recognition and diagnosis of PCA. Broader use of these tools should be sought, and development and validation of novel PCA clinical outcome assessments are needed to improve our understanding of atypical AD and other dementias and support the inclusion of those with PCA in treatment trials

A Search for Dark Higgs Bosons

Recent astrophysical and terrestrial experiments have motivated the proposal of a dark sector with GeV-scale gauge boson force carriers and new Higgs bosons. We present a search for a dark Higgs boson using 516 fb-1 of data collected with the BABAR detector. We do not observe a significant signal and we set 90% confidence level upper limits on the product of the Standard Model-dark sector mixing angle and the dark sector coupling constant.Comment: 7 pages, 5 postscript figures, published version with improved plots for b/w printin

Magnetic Coupling in the Quiet Solar Atmosphere

Three kinds of magnetic couplings in the quiet solar atmosphere are highlighted and discussed, all fundamentally connected to the Lorentz force. First the coupling of the convecting and overshooting fluid in the surface layers of the Sun with the magnetic field. Here, the plasma motion provides the dominant force, which shapes the magnetic field and drives the surface dynamo. Progress in the understanding of the horizontal magnetic field is summarized and discussed. Second, the coupling between acoustic waves and the magnetic field, in particular the phenomenon of wave conversion and wave refraction. It is described how measurements of wave travel times in the atmosphere can provide information about the topography of the wave conversion zone, i.e., the surface of equal Alfv\'en and sound speed. In quiet regions, this surface separates a highly dynamic magnetic field with fast moving magnetosonic waves and shocks around and above it from the more slowly evolving field of high-beta plasma below it. Third, the magnetic field also couples to the radiation field, which leads to radiative flux channeling and increased anisotropy in the radiation field. It is shown how faculae can be understood in terms of this effect. The article starts with an introduction to the magnetic field of the quiet Sun in the light of new results from the Hinode space observatory and with a brief survey of measurements of the turbulent magnetic field with the help of the Hanle effect.Comment: To appear in "Magnetic Coupling between the Interior and the Atmosphere of the Sun", eds. S.S. Hasan and R.J. Rutten, Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg, Berlin, 200