A comparison of the Nordtest and Japanese test methods for the moisture buffering performance of building materials

Two test methods, one worked out in a Nordtest project and the other available as a Japanese Industrial Standard, both developed to characterize building materials with respect to moisture buffering performance, are analyzed in detail by a numerical study on four different materials. Both test methods are based on a similar kind of dynamic loading, but the specifications of each test protocol vary. Therefore, the sensitivity of the test protocols is investigated by varying different protocol parameters. Subsequently, the practical applicability of the obtained values is investigated by confronting the values obtained for the four materials with the dynamic response of a small room with each of the materials used in turns as finishing material. Finally, the results determined according to the dynamic test protocol are compared with values calculated from steady-state material data.status: publishe

FISH in analysis of gamma ray-induced micronuclei formation in barley

A micronucleus test in combination with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) using telomere-, centromere-specific probes and 5S and 25S rDNA was used for a detailed analysis of the effects of gamma ray irradiation on the root tip meristem cells of barley, Hordeum vulgare (2n = 14). FISH with four DNA probes was used to examine the involvement of specific chromosomes or chromosome fragments in gamma ray-induced micronuclei formation and then to explain their origin. Additionally, a comparison of the possible origin of the micronuclei induced by physical and chemical treatment: maleic hydrazide (MH) and N-nitroso-N-methylurea (MNU) was done. The micronuclei induced by gamma ray could originate from acentric fragments after chromosome breakage or from whole lagging chromosomes as a result of a dysfunction of the mitotic apparatus. No micronuclei containing only centromeric signals were found. An application of rDNA as probes allowed it to be stated that 5S rDNA–bearing chromosomes are involved in micronuclei formation more often than NOR chromosomes. This work allowed the origin of physically- and chemically-induced micronuclei in barley cells to be compared: the origin of micronuclei was most often from terminal fragments. FISH confirmed its usefulness in the characterization of micronuclei content, as well as in understanding and comparing the mechanisms of the actions of mutagens applied in plant genotoxicity

Unintentional high density p-type modulation doping of a GaAs/AlAs core-multi-shell nanowire

Achieving significant doping in GaAs/AlAs core/shell nanowires (NWs) is of considerable technological importance but remains a challenge due to the amphoteric behavior of the dopant atoms. Here we show that placing a narrow GaAs quantum well in the AlAs shell effectively getters residual carbon acceptors leading to an \emph{unintentional} p-type doping. Magneto-optical studies of such a GaAs/AlAs core multi-shell NW reveal quantum confined emission. Theoretical calculations of NW electronic structure confirm quantum confinement of carriers at the core/shell interface due to the presence of ionized carbon acceptors in the 1~nm GaAs layer in the shell. Micro-photoluminescence in high magnetic field shows a clear signature of avoided crossings of the $n=0$ Landau level emission line with the $n=2$ Landau level TO phonon replica. The coupling is caused by the resonant hole-phonon interaction, which points to a large 2D hole density in the structure.Comment: just published in Nano Letters (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/nl500818k

Mapping translocation breakpoints using a wheat microarray

We report mapping of translocation breakpoints using a microarray. We used complex RNA to compare normal hexaploid wheat (17 000 Mb genome) to a ditelosomic stock missing the short arm of chromosome 1B (1BS) and wheat-rye translocations that replace portions of 1BS with rye 1RS. Transcripts detected by a probe set can come from all three Triticeae genomes in ABD hexaploid wheat, and sequences of homoeologous genes on 1AS, 1BS and 1DS often differ from each other. Absence or replacement of 1BS therefore must sometimes result in patterns within a probe set that deviate from hexaploid wheat. We termed these ‘high variance probe sets’ (HVPs) and examined the extent to which HVPs associated with 1BS aneuploidy are related to rice genes on syntenic rice chromosome 5 short arm (5S). We observed an enrichment of such probe sets to 15–20% of all HVPs, while 1BS represents ∼2% of the total genome. In total 257 HVPs constitute wheat 1BS markers. Two wheat-rye translocations subdivided 1BS HVPs into three groups, allocating translocation breakpoints to narrow intervals defined by rice 5S coordinates. This approach could be extended to the entire wheat genome or any organism with suitable aneuploid or translocation stocks

Generating transgenic reporter lines for studying nervous system development in the cnidarian nematostella vectensis

Neurons often display complex morphologies with long and fine processes that can be difficult to visualize, in particular in living animals. Transgenic reporter lines in which fluorescent proteins are expressed in defined populations of neurons are important tools that can overcome these difficulties. By using membrane-attached fluorescent proteins, such reporter transgenes can identify the complete outline of subsets of neurons or they can highlight the subcellular localization of fusion proteins, for example at pre- or postsynaptic sites. The relative stability of fluorescent proteins furthermore allows the tracing of the progeny of cells over time and can therefore provide information about potential roles of the gene whose regulatory elements are controlling the expression of the fluorescent protein. Here we describe the generation of transgenic reporter lines in the sea anemone Nematostella vectensis, a cnidarian model organism for studying the evolution of developmental processes. We also provide an overview of existing transgenic Nematostella lines that have been used to study conserved and derived aspects of nervous system development.acceptedVersio

Genomic Legacy of the African Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus

Background Patterns of genetic and genomic variance are informative in inferring population history for human, model species and endangered populations. Results Here the genome sequence of wild-born African cheetahs reveals extreme genomic depletion in SNV incidence, SNV density, SNVs of coding genes, MHC class I and II genes, and mitochondrial DNA SNVs. Cheetah genomes are on average 95 % homozygous compared to the genomes of the outbred domestic cat (24.08 % homozygous), Virunga Mountain Gorilla (78.12 %), inbred Abyssinian cat (62.63 %), Tasmanian devil, domestic dog and other mammalian species. Demographic estimators impute two ancestral population bottlenecks: one \u3e100,000 years ago coincident with cheetah migrations out of the Americas and into Eurasia and Africa, and a second 11,084–12,589 years ago in Africa coincident with late Pleistocene large mammal extinctions. MHC class I gene loss and dramatic reduction in functional diversity of MHC genes would explain why cheetahs ablate skin graft rejection among unrelated individuals. Significant excess of non-synonymous mutations in AKAP4 (p\u3c0.02), a gene mediating spermatozoon development, indicates cheetah fixation of five function-damaging amino acid variants distinct from AKAP4 homologues of other Felidae or mammals; AKAP4 dysfunction may cause the cheetah’s extremely high (\u3e80 %) pleiomorphic sperm. Conclusions The study provides an unprecedented genomic perspective for the rare cheetah, with potential relevance to the species’ natural history, physiological adaptations and unique reproductive disposition

A High Resolution Genetic Map Anchoring Scaffolds of the Sequenced Watermelon Genome

As part of our ongoing efforts to sequence and map the watermelon (Citrullus spp.) genome, we have constructed a high density genetic linkage map. The map positioned 234 watermelon genome sequence scaffolds (an average size of 1.41 Mb) that cover about 330 Mb and account for 93.5% of the 353 Mb of the assembled genomic sequences of the elite Chinese watermelon line 97103 (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus). The genetic map was constructed using an F8 population of 103 recombinant inbred lines (RILs). The RILs are derived from a cross between the line 97103 and the United States Plant Introduction (PI) 296341-FR (C. lanatus var. citroides) that contains resistance to fusarium wilt (races 0, 1, and 2). The genetic map consists of eleven linkage groups that include 698 simple sequence repeat (SSR), 219 insertion-deletion (InDel) and 36 structure variation (SV) markers and spans ∼800 cM with a mean marker interval of 0.8 cM. Using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with 11 BACs that produced chromosome-specifc signals, we have depicted watermelon chromosomes that correspond to the eleven linkage groups constructed in this study. The high resolution genetic map developed here should be a useful platform for the assembly of the watermelon genome, for the development of sequence-based markers used in breeding programs, and for the identification of genes associated with important agricultural traits

Influence of Prior Influenza Vaccination on Antibody and B-Cell Responses

Currently two vaccines, trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) and live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), are licensed in the USA. Despite previous studies on immune responses induced by these two vaccines, a comparative study of the influence of prior influenza vaccination on serum antibody and B-cell responses to new LAIV or TIV vaccination has not been reported. During the 2005/6 influenza season, we quantified the serum antibody and B-cell responses to LAIV or TIV in adults with differing influenza vaccination histories in the prior year: LAIV, TIV, or neither. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 7–9 and 21–35 after immunization and used for serum HAI assay and B-cell assays. Total and influenza-specific circulating IgG and IgA antibody secreting cells (ASC) in PBMC were detected by direct ELISPOT assay. Memory B cells were also tested by ELISPOT after polyclonal stimulation of PBMC in vitro. Serum antibody, effector, and memory B-cell responses were greater in TIV recipients than LAIV recipients. Prior year TIV recipients had significantly higher baseline HAI titers, but lower HAI response after vaccination with either TIV or LAIV, and lower IgA ASC response after vaccination with TIV than prior year LAIV or no vaccination recipients. Lower levels of baseline HAI titer were associated with a greater fold-increase of HAI titer and ASC number after vaccination, which also differed by type of vaccine. Our findings suggest that the type of vaccine received in the prior year affects the serum antibody and the B-cell responses to subsequent vaccination. In particular, prior year TIV vaccination is associated with sustained higher HAI titer one year later but lower antibody response to new LAIV or TIV vaccination, and a lower effector B-cell response to new TIV but not LAIV vaccination