Cyclic cycle systems of the complete multipartite graph

In this paper, we study the existence problem for cyclic $\ell$-cycle decompositions of the graph $K_m[n]$, the complete multipartite graph with $m$ parts of size $n$, and give necessary and sufficient conditions for their existence in the case that $2\ell \mid (m-1)n$

Structure and functional motifs of GCR1, the only plant protein with a GPCR fold?

Whether GPCRs exist in plants is a fundamental biological question. Interest in deorphanizing new G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), arises because of their importance in signaling. Within plants, this is controversial as genome analysis has identified 56 putative GPCRs, including GCR1 which is reportedly a remote homologue to class A, B and E GPCRs. Of these, GCR2, is not a GPCR; more recently it has been proposed that none are, not even GCR1. We have addressed this disparity between genome analysis and biological evidence through a structural bioinformatics study, involving fold recognition methods, from which only GCR1 emerges as a strong candidate. To further probe GCR1, we have developed a novel helix alignment method, which has been benchmarked against the the class A – class B - class F GPCR alignments. In addition, we have presented a mutually consistent set of alignments of GCR1 homologues to class A, class B and class F GPCRs, and shown that GCR1 is closer to class A and /or class B GPCRs than class A, class B or class F GPCRs are to each other. To further probe GCR1, we have aligned transmembrane helix 3 of GCR1 to each of the 6 GPCR classes. Variability comparisons provide additional evidence that GCR1 homologues have the GPCR fold. From the alignments and a GCR1 comparative model we have identified motifs that are common to GCR1, class A, B and E GPCRs. We discuss the possibilities that emerge from this controversial evidence that GCR1 has a GPCR fol

Pemphigoid Antibody Mediated Attachment of Peripheral Blood Leukocytes at the Dermal-Epidermal Junction of Human Skin

It has been proposed that cutaneous inflammation and blister formation in bullous pemphigoid is caused by antibodies to the cutaneous basement membrane zone which activate complement, thereby, attracting leukocytes to the dermal-epidermal junction There is, however, no functional evidence which supports a role for pemphigoid antibodies in complement activation or leukocyte activity in skin. This study describes the in vitro attachment of human peripheral blood leukocytes to the dermal-epidermal junction of cryostat skin sections treated with 9/13 pemphigoid sera containing antibodies to the cutaneous basement membrane zone. A requirement for complement in the reaction was supported by the findings that only complement-fixing pemphigoid sera mediated the leukocyte response, a strong correlation existed between complement-fixation titers and leukocyte attachment titers and only leukocytes suspended in fresh serum but not buffer or heat in activated serum attached at the junction. A requirement for antibody was supported by the observation that IgG fractions of 4 pemphigoid sera were as effective as whole sera in mediating leukocyte attachment. The leukocyte response was shown to be specific for complement-fixing pemphigoid sera since it was not observed with non-complement-fixing sera or sera from 15 normal human and 22 non-pemphigoid disease controls. This study offers functional evidence for an interaction between pemphigoid anti-body, complement and leukocytes in the immunopathogenesis of bullous pemphigoid and demonstrates that complement fixing antibasement membrane zone antibodies may be important in initiating the cellular inflammatory events observed near the dermal-epidermal junction in viva

Effects of Backgrounding and Growing Programs on Beef Carcass Quality and Yield

Clearly, the future of the beef cattle industry in the United States depends on the quality of the product. The majority of calves are born in the spring; therefore, to have a consistent supply of feeders entering feedlots and to take advantage of forages, a variety of stocker programs exist. Cattle enter the feedlot at varying weights and ages and from different nutritional backgrounds, and this variation could produce differences in carcass quality. The economically important measures of carcass quality are yield grade and quality grade. They are directly related: as cattle fatten in the feedlot, both quality grade and yield grade increase. Because cattle are commercially fed to fat-constant end points, it is logical to make comparisons at equal fat end points. Then, marbling (percentage Choice) becomes the primary quality criterion. We analyzed data from 534 cattle serially slaughtered and found that the percentage grading Choice increased 12 ± 1 percentage units for each 1-mm increase in rib fat. Marbling score increased 30 units (200 = slight 00) for each 1-mm increase in fat. To determine the effect of rate of winter gain on carcass quality, 372 calves over 5 yr were wintered at .23 or .61 kg/d gain. When adjusted to equal rib fat after summer grazing and finishing, there was no difference in quality grade. To test the effect of summer gain on carcass quality, 418 calves over 7 yr were followed through the feedlot after gaining .57 or .84 kg/d on grass. When compared at equal rib fat, there was no difference in quality grade. Shear force values and consumer taste panels were used to evaluate steaks from 90 cattle from calf-fed and yearling production systems. Calf-feds were 14 mo of age at slaughter and yearlings were 19 or 21 mo. Each group was serially slaughtered. There was no effect of an additional .39 cm of rib fat on shear force, juiciness, tenderness, flavor, or overall palatability. Calf-feds were significantly more tender than yearlings, but the risk of an undesirable steak from yearlings was \u3c .2% based on shear force and \u3c 2.8% based on the consumer taste panel. If cattle are fed to a common rib fat end point, and within the range of rates of winter and summer gains reported herein, we conclude that the backgrounding program has little or no effect on marbling or carcass quality grade

Temperate Regenerative Agriculture practices increase soil carbon but not crop yield—a meta-analysis

We would like to thank R D Armstrong, S J Crittenden, J Deru, B Dumont, J Eriksen, C Garbisu, A Jacobs, T Kautz, H J Koch, B Mary, J Peigne and F Schulz for responding to requests for additional information on their studies, and Leo Petrokofsky for generating the online evidence map. Funding Information: This work was supported by funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (Grant No. BB/M011224/1). PCB would like to acknowledge funding by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy (EXC 2075–390740016). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

The Seven-sphere and its Kac-Moody Algebra

We investigate the seven-sphere as a group-like manifold and its extension to a Kac-Moody-like algebra. Covariance properties and tensorial composition of spinors under $S^7$ are defined. The relation to Malcev algebras is established. The consequences for octonionic projective spaces are examined. Current algebras are formulated and their anomalies are derived, and shown to be unique (even regarding numerical coefficients) up to redefinitions of the currents. Nilpotency of the BRST operator is consistent with one particular expression in the class of (field-dependent) anomalies. A Sugawara construction is given.Comment: 22 pages. Macropackages used: phyzzx, epsf. Three epsf figure files appende

Can Regenerative Agriculture increase national soil carbon stocks? : Simulated country scale adoption of reduced tillage, cover cropping, and ley-arable integration using RothC

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We would like to thank Dr Andrew C. Martin for advice on our modelling framework. The authors would like to acknowledge the use of the University of Oxford Advanced Research Computing facility in carrying out this work. This work was supported by funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) [grant number BB/M011224/1]. PCB would like to acknowledge funding by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy [EXC 2075 – 390740016]. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.Peer reviewedPostprin

Assessing the blank carbon contribution, isotope mass balance, and kinetic isotope fractionation of the Ramped Pyrolysis/Oxidation instrument at NOSAMS

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2017. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here under a nonexclusive, irrevocable, paid-up, worldwide license granted to WHOI. It is made available for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Radiocarbon 59 (2017): 179-193, doi:10.1017/RDC.2017.3.We estimate the blank carbon mass over the course of a typical Ramped PyrOx (RPO) analysis (150 to 1000 °C; 5 °C×min-1) to be (3.7 ± 0.6) μg C with an Fm value of 0.555 ± 0.042 and a δ13C value of (-29.0 ± 0.1) ‰ VPDB. Additionally, we provide equations for RPO Fm and δ13C blank corrections, including associated error propagation. By comparing RPO mass-weighted mean and independently measured bulk δ13C values for a compilation of environmental samples and standard reference materials (SRMs), we observe a small yet consistent 13C depletion within the RPO instrument (mean – bulk: μ = -0.8 ‰; ±1σ = 0.9 ‰; n = 66). In contrast, because they are fractionation-corrected by definition, mass-weighted mean Fm values accurately match bulk measurements (mean – bulk: μ = 0.005; ±1σ = 0.014; n = 36). Lastly, we show there exists no significant intra-sample δ13C variability across carbonate SRM peaks, indicating minimal mass-dependent kinetic isotope fractionation during RPO analysis. These data are best explained by a difference in activation energy between 13C- and 12C-containing compounds (13–12ΔE) of 0.3 to 1.8 J×mol-1, indicating that blank and mass-balance corrected RPO δ13C values accurately retain carbon source isotope signals to within 1 to 2‰.J.D.H. was partly supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program under grant number 2012126152; V.V.G. was partly supported by the US National Science Foundation (grants OCE- 0851015 and OCE-0928582), the WHOI Coastal Ocean Institute (grant 27040213) and an Independent Study Award (grant 27005306) from WHOI; G.S. and P.K.Z. were supported by the WHOI Postdoctoral Scholar Program with funding provided by NOSAMS (OCE-1239667)

Plasticity and Damage Modeling of Stress Asymmetry and Dynamic Behavior of AFS Additive Manufactured Aluminum Alloy 2219

The Solid State Additive Manufacturing (AM) process referred as MELD that fabricated the samples in this study, provides a new path for repairing, coating, joining and additive manufacturing metals and metal matrix composites. This research will be the first application of a physics-based microstructure dependent internal state variable (ISV) plasticity and damage material model to capture the mechanical response of an AM Aluminum Alloy (AA) 2219 via the MELD process. In this research, a microstructure-based internal state variable (ISV) plasticity-damage model was used to capture the mechanical behavior of AFS 2219 aluminum alloy. Aeroprobe Corporation, creator and patent holder for the MELD process, fabricated the material by pushing a solid filler rod of AA2219-T861 material through a hollow rotating tool onto an AA2219 T851 plate substrate. As feedstock, solid or powder precursor metals are pushed through a nonconsumable rotating cylindrical tool. Herein, added layers are deposited and metallurgically bonded to substrate material or previously deposited layers by the heat generated from the rotating tool through plastic deformation of the filler material. Once a layer has been added, the tool height increases, and starts the deposition of the next layer. This process results in beneficial properties such as grain refinement, homogenization and reduced porosity (fully dense). This process will experience temperatures similar to those in the weld nugget zone (WNZ) in friction stir welding (FSW), ranging from 0.6-0.9 Tm, with Tm being the melting point of the material. MELD is highly scalable with AA deposition rates reaching over 1000 cm3/hr, which allows for MELD being used for repairs, coatings, and building components. A motivating factor driving the research for physics-based history dependent material modeling of MELD components is the ability to accurately capture the stress-state and strain rate dependence in the material caused by variations in material microstructure from the MELD processing of new or repaired components. The ISV model incorporates microstructural content and is consistent with continuum level kinematics, kinetics, and thermodynamics. These features allow the ISV model to capture large deformations at the structural scale using the kinematic and isotropic hardening, while microscale damage is obtained from the microstructural features. The benefits of the ISV model arise from the inclusion of structure-property relationships identified from microstructural characterization and experimentation. The Bauschinger effect (BE) is an important concept, vital in the accurate prediction of cyclic stress-strain response of ductile materials such as metals. The ISV model has been successfully used to capture the behavior and damage, and the BE of different aluminum alloys and steels. The ISV model uses kinematic and isotropic hardening to help capture deformations of the material at the macro scale. To understand this hardening relationship, calculating the kinematic and isotropic hardening relationship in the material is warranted for a high-fidelity model. Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) was used to characterize the as-fabricated microstructure, where a fully-dense equiaxed grain morphology with average grain size of 2.5 m was observed. Microhardness mapping of the as-built structures, monotonic tension and compression experiments at both quasi-static (0.001/s) strain rates, tension-followed-by-compression and compression-followed-by-tension experiments were performed to obtain the set of plasticity and damage constants necessary to capture strain rate and stress state behavior of this additive material. To calibrate the plasticity-damage model, a single set of constants were determined to capture the different stress states the MELD AA2219. One set of the constants was determined from experimental true stress-strain curves for the tension and compression data. Additionally, microstructural information and data from the open literature were used as the other model constants. This research is a first of its kind for AFS AA2219, includes correlating the ISV model to the monotonic experimental results that capture the isotropic and kinematic plasticity mechanical response

Developing a training course to teach research skills to people with learning disabilities: “It gives us a voice. We CAN be researchers!”.

Background Within learning disability research, it is important to involve people with learning disabilities at all stages, but there are limited opportunities for them to learn about the research process or to gain research skills. Method An eight-session research training course for people with learning disabilities was developed and piloted at a university in London. The focus was on understanding the research process and gaining practical skills in collecting, analysing and presenting research data. Training methods were experimental, with an emphasis on learning by experience in a “fun” way. Results Ten people with learning disabilities completed the course, showing great enthusiasm and commitment. During the final sessions, students developed and conducted their own research projects, choosing “Employment” as their research topic. The training methods were well received. Benefits included an increase in confidence and new work opportunities for several of the students. This paper was co-authored by the tutors and most of the course graduates. Conclusion It is possible for people with learning disabilities to become skilled researchers, but in order to do so, it is important that they have adequate training opportunities. Funding should be made available for more such courses