Oat (Avena sativa L.) quality improvement for increased beta-glucan concentration

Oat (Avena sativa L.) is a grass crop highly recognized for its positive human health benefits when consumed as a whole grain. These health benefits are due in part to mixed-linkage-(1,3;1,4)-beta-D-glucan (referred to as beta-glucan), a soluble fiber found mainly in the endosperm cell walls. Because of the implications associated with consumption of oat beta-glucan, this research explores the genetic basis of beta-glucan synthesis in oats

Formal Verification of Real-Time Function Blocks Using PVS

A critical step towards certifying safety-critical systems is to check their conformance to hard real-time requirements. A promising way to achieve this is by building the systems from pre-verified components and verifying their correctness in a compositional manner. We previously reported a formal approach to verifying function blocks (FBs) using tabular expressions and the PVS proof assistant. By applying our approach to the IEC 61131-3 standard of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs), we constructed a repository of precise specification and reusable (proven) theorems of feasibility and correctness for FBs. However, we previously did not apply our approach to verify FBs against timing requirements, since IEC 61131-3 does not define composite FBs built from timers. In this paper, based on our experience in the nuclear domain, we conduct two realistic case studies, consisting of the software requirements and the proposed FB implementations for two subsystems of an industrial control system. The implementations are built from IEC 61131-3 FBs, including the on-delay timer. We find issues during the verification process and suggest solutions.Comment: In Proceedings ESSS 2015, arXiv:1506.0325

The Santee Canal Sanctuary - Part I

A proposed recreational and environment and historical interpretive park has been planned by the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism (PRT) jointly with the Santee Cooper Public Service Authority for the land along the west side of the Tailrace Canal extending between US Route 52 and Stoney Landing in Berkeley County, South Carolina. The Santee Canal Sanctuary, as it has been named, encompasses the southernmost ca. 2.0km (1.25mi) of the abandoned Santee Canal and Biggin Creek which essentially bisect the property longitudinally. Development of the park and related construction activities dictated that archaeological investigations be executed. A terrestrial archaeological survey was conducted in August 1986 and the results published the following year in a thorough report produced by Tommy Charles and James O. Mills (1987) of the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology (SCIAA). Dredging operations planned for that portion of the Santee Canal on sanctuary property necessitated a comprehensive archaeological survey within this structure. The entire 32.6km (20.4mi) length of the Santee Canal was placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in May 1982 and is listed in the State of South Carolina Site Files as 38BKI02. In addition, two areas of Biggin Creek were singled out for investigation: the remains of an apparently ship-built vessel (38BK877) eligible for inclusion on the NRHP; and an area of scattered artifacts associated with a domestic site (38BK876) at Stoney Landing. PRT and Santee Cooper contracted with SCIAA\u27s Underwater Antiquities Management Program to perform this survey. The archaeological survey conducted as a result of this contract was performed over a 20-day period during November and December 1987

Reproductive performance of resident and migrant males, females and pairs in a partially migratory bird

We thank everyone from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (CEH) who contributed to data collection, and Scottish Natural Heritage for access to the Isle of May National Nature Reserve. We thank the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club (SOC) for their support, and all volunteer observers, particularly Raymond Duncan, Moray Souter and Bob Swann. HG was funded by a Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) CASE studentship supported by CEH and SOC, FD, SW, MPH, MN and SB were funded by NERC and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and JMR was part-funded by the Royal Society. Finally, we thank the Associate Editor and two reviewers for constructive comments on the manuscript. The data are available from the Dryad Digital Repository https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.532j0 (Grist et al., 2017)Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Evaluating ecosystem response to oyster restoration and nutrient load reduction with a multispecies bioenergetics model

Many of the world\u27s coastal ecosystems are impacted by multiple stressors each of which may be subject to different management strategies that may have overlapping or even conflicting objectives. Consequently, management results may be indirect and difficult to predict or observe. We developed a network simulation model intended specifically to examine ecosystem-level responses to management and applied this model to a comparison of nutrient load reduction and restoration of highly reduced stocks of bivalve suspension feeders (eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica) in an estuarine ecosystem (Chesapeake Bay, USA). Model results suggest that a 50% reduction in nutrient inputs from the watershed will result in lower phytoplankton production in the spring and reduced delivery of organic material to the benthos that will limit spring and summer pelagic secondary production. The model predicts that low levels of oyster restoration will have no effect in the spring but does result in a reduction in phytoplankton standing stocks in the summer. Both actions have a negative effect on pelagic secondary production, but the predicted effect of oyster restoration is larger. The lower effect of oysters on phytoplankton is due to size-based differences infiltration efficiency and seasonality that result in maximum top-down grazer control of oysters at a time when the phytoplankton is already subject to heavy grazing. These results suggest that oyster restoration must be achieved at levels as much as 25-fold present biomass to have a meaningful effect on phytoplankton biomass and as much as 50-fold to achieve effects similar to a 50% nutrient load reduction. The unintended effect of oyster restoration at these levels on other consumers represents a trade-off to the desired effect of reversing eutrophication

Effects of an extreme weather event on seabird breeding success at a North Sea colony

Quantifying the effects of extreme weather is a critical question in population ecology since climate models predict increased climate variability. Effects will vary among and within species due to exposure or susceptibility, yet few studies have considered these sources of variation simultaneously. We investigated the effects of a summer storm on the breeding success of 4 seabird species at a North Sea colony in relation to aspect, height above sea-level, distance to cliff edge and laying date. The storm lasted 8 h with gusts of >60 m s−1. In exposed plots, razorbills Alca torda had higher failure rates (28.5%) than European shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis (15.1%), black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla (15.6%) and common guillemots Uria aalge (10.4%). Conversely, failure rates in sheltered plots were negligible (shags 0.0%; kittiwakes 1.9%; no guillemot or razorbill plots in sheltered locations). Guillemots breeding closer to sea-level were more likely to fail, but cliff edge proximity did not affect failure rate. In razorbills, pairs that laid early were more likely to survive the storm. In all species, some failed pairs re-laid, and success of re-lays was lower than that of pairs that survived. Thus, re-laying only provided partial compensation, and, overall, the storm caused a net reduction in annual population production of 4.6, 10.7, 8.9 and 22.8% for shags, kittiwakes, guillemots and razorbills, respectively. Increased storm frequency may therefore have important consequences on seabird populations, but orientation of storms relative to colonies and timing in relation to the breeding season are likely to be critical in determining the overall effect

Underwater Archaeological Survey of the Proposed James Island Expressway Corridor Across the Ashley River and Wappoo Creek, Charleston County, S.C.

Between April 15th and May 10th, 1985, Institute personnel directed and carried out an underwater archeological survey of a section of the bottom of the Ashley River and Wappoo Creek where the James Island Bridge is to be constructed (Fig.2). Two types of survey methodology were employed: electronic sensing using a side scan sonar and magnetometer, and a visual investigation of the river and creek bottom using divers. Sonar and magnetometer lines were run up and down the river over a distance of 2,000 yards, covering the impact area where the Ashley River Bridge is to be located. The diver\u27s visual investigation was restricted to a corridor 550 feet wide by the distance across the river. This was the area to be most heavily impacted by the bridge construction activity. In Wappoo Creek, divers investigated a 300 ft corridor across the creek where a section of the bridge is to be built. No remote sensing was carried out in this area because previous channel deepening and widening in the past would have destroyed any significant cultural remains. Through analysis of the records from both electronic and diver investigations, it was determined that there were no discernible archeological or paleontological reasons to delay the construction of the bridge.https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/archanth_books/1188/thumbnail.jp

The historic working small craft of South Carolina : a general typology with a study of adaptations of flatboat design

The following dissertation presents a typology for historic working watercraft of the State of South Carolina, United States of America. The background investigation for this typology addressed research design questions concerning the geographic and ethnic origins of the builders of these craft, the history of transportation growth in the area and other factors which are thought to have influenced basic design, and construction methods. These factors were the environments in which craft operated, the materials and skills available for their construction, and the shapes and eights of typical cargoes they were designed to transport. In addition to archival sources, data was developed by surveying regions of South Carolina where specific types of craft were known to operate. These areas included lower coastal plain riverine environments, abandoned rice plantations, abandoned ferry crossings, historic canals, and marine phosphate mining areas. Where remains of craft were discovered, a survey was conducted to gather sufficient information to determine the basic design, construction, and function of the vessel. Experimental archaeological projects also were undertaken during the last stages of the research to determine if it were possible to gather viable data concerning construction economy, construction sequence, and performance. The projects consisted of the construction of one full scale 'replica' rice plantation barge, one full scale 'reconstruction' of an upland cotton boat, and one large scale model of a plantation chine-girder barge. These projects also constituted an examination of the value of experimental archaeology to this type of research. The work also provided an opportunity to compare the relative values of the construction of replicas using historic techniques and materials, versus 'reconstruction' to visually accurate standards using modern materials. It was determined, given certain factors dictated by funding and labor, that experimental archaeology can indeed contribute worthwhile data for research purposes. The archival and field data generated by this activity were analyzed and a typology developed. It was determined that at least fourteen specific types of paddled or wind and tide driven watercraft were operated in the study area from the pre-historic period to approximately 1930. These craft included dugout canoes, dugout-form based plantation craft, flat bottomed sailing vessels, round hulled ocean going sailing vessels, barge-form ferry craft, rice flats and phosphate carriers, extreme length-to-beam ratio mountain river craft, and highly specialized canal craft. The data also indicate that working environments and cargo form were specific and direct influences on watercraft design. In some cases, such as aboriginal dugout canoes produced prior to European contact, ethnic influences were readily discernible. This proved not to be the case after the contact period. Archival data clearly indicate that both European and Africans and African Americans were engaged in watercraft construction and operation during the study period. Evidence is presented to show that Europeans sought specific skills among imported Africans ranging from the cultivation of agricultural crops to blacksmithing. Further evidence demonstrates African skills in watercraft construction and operation, especially of dugout canoes and dugout based designs. It is hypothesized that craft of these type are most likely to be representative of the craft produced by this ethnic group in South Carolina. This hypothesis is supported by presentation of archival data showing that these types of craft were the vessels of choice of African and African American crews. Further evidence is presented to show that widely ranging European boat building skills also are represented in the archaeological record, including English, French and possibly middle European influences. It is further determined that specific identification of the influence of anyone ethnic group is made unlikely as a result of the early absorption of ethnic traditions and the training of one group, Africans and African Americans, in the boat-building and carpentry traditions of the dominant European group. Extensive additional field data is presented on barge-form craft as remains of this type of vessel contributed to the archaeological record in far greater numbers than any other. The preponderance of this form is interpreted as a manifestation of the magnitude of the South Carolina rice industry and the catastrophic nature of its cessation due to the Civil War of 1860-1865. Two types of construction are identified, one based on plank and frame (as opposed to plank on frame) methods, the other method utilizing massive chine-girder logs. Evidence is presented to demonstrate that, while the basic barge or flat design was similar throughout the study area, details of construction including chine-girder shaping, fastening methods, scarphing techniques, and bow/stern to side construction methods varied greatly. This is interpreted as a reflection of the individual skills of the plantation carpenters who were primarily responsible for the building of these craft. Evidence also is presented for an emerging dating technique based on the nature of construction methods, types of fastenings, and the size of lumber components of barge form craft. The research also suggests predictive models for determining the likelihood of further remains of specific vessel types ranging from rice cuIture flats to phosphate barges. Finally, appendices to this dissertation include 106 illustrations, a glossary of terms, a procedure for barge documentation, tables of conversions for metric measurements to English measurement on barges, and a discussion of weights and measurements for historic period cargoes and containers

Predicting the subsurface

Britain is blessed with a magnificent variety of landscapes, much of it the result of the diverse range of rock types that form our small island, and the different ways in which they respond to weathering and erosion. Nowhere is this clearer than when enjoying a walk along many of the paths that snake around our coastline; dramatic colour changes in the cliffs, steep climbs and descents between headlands and bays all reflect changes in the underlying geology. Sometimes the connection is obvious, such as the contrast between the low, sandy and muddy cliffs that tumble into the sea along the coast of Essex, and the rugged white cliffs on the south coast of England. These natural features, which we take for granted, have a significant impact on how we live and move about our island