A Review of Network Models for Internet of Vehicles

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Basalt Fibers in Modified Whisker Reinforced Cementitious Composites

The calcium carbonate whisker (CW) and basalt fiber are gaining popularity due to its enhanced mechanical properties in composites. Also, the short and long fibers provide bridging role and resistance against cracking from micro- to macro-scale, respectively. The usage of long and short hybrid basalt fiber along with addition of CW in cement-based composites is still a research gap. In this work, experimental behavior of CW basalt hybrid fiber reinforced mortar is considered with various content and length (3 mm, 6 mm, 12 mm, and 20 mm) of hybrid basalt fibers. In addition to this, synergy performance index is determined to quantitatively evaluate the positive interaction of hybrid basalt fiber in cementitious materials. The strengthening effect of whiskers and basalt fibers are also studied using scanning electron microscopy. The CW with various basalt fiber contents having different length of hybrid basalt fiber is used. It was found that the four various length of hybrid basalt fiber together with CW in cement mortar exhibited enhanced compressive, flexural, and split tensile strength than that of pure mortar and single length basalt fiber reinforced cementitious mortar. The results of synergy performance index showed similar trend with the experimental results. The strengthening effect caused by step by step crack arresting mechanism was also observed in cementitious material

Missense mutations at homologous positions in the fourth and fifth laminin A G-like domains of eyes shut homolog cause autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa

Purpose: To describe two novel mutations in the eyes shut homolog (EYS) gene in two families with autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP) from Pakistan and Indonesia. Methods: Genome-wide linkage and homozygosity mapping were performed using single nucleotide polymorphism microarray analysis in affected members of the two arRP families. Sequence analysis was performed to identify genetic changes in protein coding exons of EYS. Results: In the Indonesian and Pakistani families, homozygous regions encompassing the EYS gene at 6q12 were identified, with maximum LOD scores of 1.8 and 3.6, respectively. Novel missense variants in the EYS gene (p.D2767Y and p.D3028Y) were found in the Pakistani and Indonesian families, respectively, that co-segregate with the disease phenotype. Interestingly, the missense variants are located at the same homologous position within the fourth and fifth laminin A G-like domains of EYS. Conclusions: To date, mostly protein-truncating mutations have been described in EYS, while only few patients have been described with pathogenic compound heterozygous missense mutations. The mutations p.D2767Y and p.D3028Y described in this study affect highly conserved residues at homologous positions in laminin A G-like domains and support the notion that missense mutations in EYS can cause arRP

Assessment of biodiversity based on morphological characteristics and RAPD markers among genotypes of wild rose species

Conservation and utilization of the native plant resources is essential for long term sustainability of biodiversity. Wild native resources are adapted to specific and diverse environmental conditions and therefore, these adaptive features can be introduced into modern cultivars either through conventional breeding or advanced molecular genetic techniques. Understanding the genetic make up of the wildly growing plant species and of target desirable genes is a prerequisite for this purpose. Five wild rose (Rosa L.) genotypes were collected from different locations in northern hilly areas of Pakistan for this study. Different morphological characteristics and PCR based random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique was used to find out the diversity and relationship among the genotypes. On morphological basis, Rosa webbiana collected from Muree and Nathia gali showed maximum (83%) similarity, whereas on DNA pattern basis, Rosa brunonii collected from Bansra gali and Sunny bank showed maximum (72%) similarity, while R. webbiana showed maximum diversity among all the species.Key words: Genetic diversity, morphological differences, random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), Rosa

Identification and characterization of the Bcl-2- associated athanogene (BAG) protein family in rice

The Bcl-2-associated athanogene (BAG) proteins are involved in the regulation of Hsp70/HSC70 in animals. There are six BAG genes in human that encode nine isoforms with different subcellular locations. Arabidopsis thaliana is reported to contain seven BAG proteins. We searched BAG proteins in Oryza sativa using profile-sequence (Pfam) and profile-profile (FFAS) algorithms and found six homologs. The BAG protein family in O. sativa can be grouped into two classes based on the presence of other conserved domains. Class I consists of four OsBAG genes (1 to 4) containing an additional ubiquitin-like domain, structurally similar to the human BAG1 proteins and might be BAG1 orthologs in plants. Class II consists of two OsBAG genes (5 and 6) containing calmodulin-binding domain. Multiple sequence alignment and structural models of O. sativa BAG proteins showed conservation of surface charge (except OsBAG5) and critical residues for the binding of BAG domain to Hsp70 nucleotide binding domain (NB). Meta analysis of microarray data showed that OsBAG genes are up or down regulated under different stresses (biotic and abiotic). Data obtained from real-time PCR of OsBAG genes under heat stress showed that maximum induction in the expression of all the genes occurred after one hour exposure to heat stress, while reduction in the expression was observed in the following time course and ultimately returned to the basal level at 24 h treatment. These results suggest that OsBAG genes might play important role at the onset of heat stress. A further detailed study may explore the exact function of the members of this gene family and help to make understanding of programmed cell death (PCD) mechanism in plants.Key words: Rice, ubiquitin-like domain, nucleotide-binding domain, real-time PCR

Sand Mining and Its Social Impacts on Local Society in Rural Bangladesh : A Case Study of a Village in Tangail District

Focusing on sand mining and its social impacts, this paper seeks to examine conflict and problems that have been brought to local society by deepening and geographical expansion of industrialization in Bangladesh. In recent years, sand has emerged as important resource in Bangladesh for rapidly increasing construction demand as with the cases of other developing countries. Although sand mining has begun to draw attention from some organizations and researchers, for the absence of previous studies on the matter, it is not clear how it is carried out in actual and what impacts it has on local society in Bangladesh. This paper explores the process of and actors related with sand mining and business utilizing it, and social impacts of them on local society from a case study in Tangail district. Law and the rule on sediments extraction were not observed at all there; local influential residents illegally privatized sand and sold it for factory construction. The external factors such as industrialization allying with power structure in local society, the residents who were at risk of the loss of their property by riverbank erosion were put in the most unfair circumstance

The battle of the SNPs

This month’s Genome Watch highlights new perspectives on polygenic adaptation and its consequences for fitness in microbial populations

Quality of Experience (QoE) and Quality of Service (QoS) in UAV Systems

APPEAL FROM CONVICTIONS FOR UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE, A THIRD DEGREE FELONY, IN VIOLATION OF UTAH CODE ANN. §58-37-8(2)(a)(I) (1991); UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA, A CLASS B MISDEMEANOR, IN VIOLATION OF UTAH CODE ANN. §58-37-8(2)(a)(I) (1991); AND UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, A CLASS B MISDEMEANOR, IN VIOLATION OF UTAH CODE ANN. §58-37a-5 (1981), IN THE THIRD DISTRICT COURT, DIVISION 1, OF SALT LAKE COUNTY, STATE OF UTAH, THE HONORABLE TYRONE E. MEDLEY, DISTRICT COURT JUDGE, PRESIDING