Introduction of Vegetative and Reproductive Characters into Trifolium Repens by Interspecific Hybridisation

Interspecific hybridization between white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and ball clover (T.nigrescens) and Caucasian clover (T.ambiguum) is a means of improving the reproductive growth and persistency of T.repens. F1 hybrids between T.repens and T.nigrescens were produced without ovule culture and confirmed as true hybrids by chromosome counts, isoenzyme analysis and leaf markers. Their growth habit was generally intermediate between the two parents. After backcrossing to T.repens the BC1 and BC2 hybrids had more of the characteristics associated with T.repens though they retained some of the greater reproductive growth of T.nigrescens. Hybrids between T.repens and T.ambiguum were produced using ovule culture. Two F1 seedlings were produced with a morphology intermediate to the two parents. 35 BC1 seedlings were produced with a similar morphology to the F1 but with less of the T.ambiguum growth habit. The BC2 population showed greater variability in the expression of characters from Caucasian clover and contained only 10% of plants with the combined stoloniferous and rhizomatous habit. The implications for improving the growth of T.repens by interspecific hybridization are discussed

Combined Aerostructural Wing and High-Lift System Optimization

A coupled-adjoint aerostrutctural wing optimization tool has been modified to include the optimization of high-lift devices from the start of the optimization process. The aerostructural tool couples a quasi-three-dimensional method with a finite beam element model. In this paper, the quasi-three-dimensional method is modified using a α method of Van Dam to enable high-lift aerodynamic analysis..

Energetic particle influence on the Earth's atmosphere

This manuscript gives an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the effects of energetic particle precipitation (EPP) onto the whole atmosphere, from the lower thermosphere/mesosphere through the stratosphere and troposphere, to the surface. The paper summarizes the different sources and energies of particles, principally galactic cosmic rays (GCRs), solar energetic particles (SEPs) and energetic electron precipitation (EEP). All the proposed mechanisms by which EPP can affect the atmosphere are discussed, including chemical changes in the upper atmosphere and lower thermosphere, chemistry-dynamics feedbacks, the global electric circuit and cloud formation. The role of energetic particles in Earth’s atmosphere is a multi-disciplinary problem that requires expertise from a range of scientific backgrounds. To assist with this synergy, summary tables are provided, which are intended to evaluate the level of current knowledge of the effects of energetic particles on processes in the entire atmosphere

Geographical and temporal distribution of SARS-CoV-2 clades in the WHO European Region, January to June 2020

We show the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 genetic clades over time and between countries and outline potential genomic surveillance objectives. We applied three available genomic nomenclature systems for SARS-CoV-2 to all sequence data from the WHO European Region available during the COVID-19 pandemic until 10 July 2020. We highlight the importance of real-time sequencing and data dissemination in a pandemic situation. We provide a comparison of the nomenclatures and lay a foundation for future European genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2.Peer reviewe

Effectiveness of GenoType MTBDRsl in excluding TB drug resistance in a clinical trial

OBJECTIVES: To assess the performance of the GenoType MTBDRsl v1, a line-probe assay (LPA), to exclude baseline resistance to fluoroquinolones (FQs) and second-line injectables (SLIs) in the Standard Treatment Regimen of Anti-tuberculosis Drugs for Patients With MDR-TB 1 (STREAM 1) trial. METHODS: Direct sputum MTBDRsl results in the site laboratories were compared to indirect phenotypic drug susceptibility testing (pDST) results in the central laboratory, with DNA sequencing as a reference standard. RESULTS: Of 413 multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) patients tested using MTBDRsl and pDST, 389 (94.2%) were FQ-susceptible and 7 (1.7%) FQ-resistant, while 17 (4.1%) had an inconclusive MTBDRsl result. For SLI, 372 (90.1%) were susceptible, 5 (1.2%) resistant and 36 (8.7%) inconclusive. There were 9 (2.3%) FQ discordant pDST/MTBDRsl results, of which 3 revealed a mutation and 5 (1.3%) SLI discordant pDST/MTBDRsl results, none of which were mutants on sequencing. Among the 17 FQ- and SLI MTBDRsl-inconclusive samples, sequencing showed 1 FQ- and zero SLI-resistant results, similar to frequencies among the conclusive MTBDRsl. The majority of inconclusive MTBDRsl results were associated with low bacillary load samples (acid-fast bacilli smear-negative or scantily positive) compared to conclusive results (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: MTBDRsl can facilitate the rapid exclusion of FQ and SLI resistances for enrolment in clinical trials