Identification of tandem repeat families from long-read sequences of Humulus lupulus

Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) is known for its use as a bittering agent in beer and has a rich history of cultivation, beginning in Europe and now spanning the globe. There are five wild varieties worldwide, which may have been introgressed with cultivated varieties. As a dioecious species, its obligate outcrossing, non-Mendelian inheritance, and genomic structural variability have confounded directed breeding efforts. Consequently, understanding the hop genome represents a considerable challenge, requiring additional resources. In order to facilitate investigations into the transmission genetics of hop, we report here a tandem repeat discovery pipeline developed using k-mer filtering and dot plot analysis of PacBio long-read sequences from the hop cultivar Apollo. From this we identified 17 new and distinct tandem repeat sequence families, which represent candidates for FISH probe development. For two of these candidates, HuluTR120 and HuluTR225, we produced oligonucleotide FISH probes from conserved regions of and demonstrated their utility by staining meiotic chromosomes from wild hop, var. neomexicanus to address, for example, questions about hop transmission genetics. Collectively, these tandem repeat sequence families represent new resources suitable for development of additional cytogenomic tools for hop research

Lay explanations for poverty in Turkey and their determinants

The external and internal causal attributions for poverty in Turkey were examined in an exploratory survey. Factor analysis results confirmed Feagin's 3 conceptual categories (1975) of explanations for poverty: structural, fatalistic, and individualistic. Income, gender, age, and education were important determinants of explanations for poverty. All income groups favored structural (external) explanations. Poor persons preferred more tangible structural explanations, and nonpoor persons gave more abstract structural explanations. Poor persons also favored fatalistic (external) explanations more than higher income groups did. Women and older people offered individualistic and fatalistic explanations more than others. Men and people with higher levels of education preferred abstract structural explanations more than others

Identification of tandem repeat families from long-read sequences of Humulus lupulus.

Hop (Humulus lupulus L.) is known for its use as a bittering agent in beer and has a rich history of cultivation, beginning in Europe and now spanning the globe. There are five wild varieties worldwide, which may have been introgressed with cultivated varieties. As a dioecious species, its obligate outcrossing, non-Mendelian inheritance, and genomic structural variability have confounded directed breeding efforts. Consequently, understanding the hop genome represents a considerable challenge, requiring additional resources. In order to facilitate investigations into the transmission genetics of hop, we report here a tandem repeat discovery pipeline developed using k-mer filtering and dot plot analysis of PacBio long-read sequences from the hop cultivar Apollo. From this we identified 17 new and distinct tandem repeat sequence families, which represent candidates for FISH probe development. For two of these candidates, HuluTR120 and HuluTR225, we produced oligonucleotide FISH probes from conserved regions of and demonstrated their utility by staining meiotic chromosomes from wild hop, var. neomexicanus to address, for example, questions about hop transmission genetics. Collectively, these tandem repeat sequence families represent new resources suitable for development of additional cytogenomic tools for hop research

Vacancy and property values in shrinking downtowns: A comparative study of three New England cities

When a city loses people and jobs, downtowns tend to face high vacancy rates and diminished tax collections due to property abandonment. With fewer resources and structures in poorer condition, these shrinking downtowns become less and less attractive for investors. This paper tackles this paradox by examining overall patterns of decline and downtown change in three New England (USA) cities. Specifically we ask, how does the process of urban decline impact occupancy, building conditions and property values in downtown districts? We found that statistically significant relationships emerge between property valuations and occupancy patterns, though these relationships vary among the three cities

Public Policy Making Process in the United Arab Emirates

As “governance” gains momentum as one of the trajectories of the twenty-first century, the interest among ordinary citizens and practitioners in understanding how governments make policies is picking up speed as well. This chapter explores how policy agenda is set, formulated, and comes into law in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Selected theoretical models of policy making and how each might explain this important activity in the UAE are also examined