The zygotic origin of hybrids from Thompson Seedless grape, Vitis vinifera L.

Seedlings from open pollination and controlled crosses of Thompson Seedless were different from the parent in either fruit color, seed size, flavor or isozyme pattern. These results confirm that plants produced by in ovulo embryo culture of Thompson Seedless are usually zygotic in origin. This is a useful tool for producing hybrid plants from stenospermic seedless genotypes, allowing the hybridization of seedless by seedless and permitting many crosses previously unattainable.Die zygotische Herkunft von Hybriden der Rebsorte Thompson Seedless (Vitis vinifera L.)Um die zygotische Herkunft von Nachkommen der stenospermokarpen Sorte Thompson Seedless abzusichern, wurden aus in vitro kultivierten Samenanlagen Pflanzen herangezogen und eine Reihe von Merkmalen analysiert. Die Sämlinge aus unkontrollierter Bestäubung oder aus gezielter Kreuzung von Thompson Seedless unterschieden sich von der Muttersorte entweder in Beerenfarbe, Samengröße, Aroma oder Isoenzymmuster. Diese Befunde bestätigen, daß die durch in vitro-Kultur der Samenanlagen von Thompson Seedless erzeugten Pflanzen in der Regel zygotischen Ursprungs sind. Die Embryokultur aus Samenanlagen ist eine wertvolle Technik zur Erzeugung von Hybriden aus stenospermokarpen Genotypen; sie erlaubt die Kreuzung mit anderen kernlosen Sorten und ermöglicht viele bisher nicht realisierbare Kreuzungskombinationen

EVALUATING CLINICAL MASTITIS IN DAIRY CATTLE FED MONENSIN

The effect of Monensin on clinical mastitis in dairy cattle was evaluated from data collected at nine geographical clinical field trials using 966 Holstein cows and heifers in the United States and Canada. At each site, a randomized complete block design was conducted. Monensin (Rumensin®) was fed at concentrations of 0, 8, 16, or 24 ppm in a total mixed ration beginning 21 days before first calving for all nine sites, up to 7 days after second calving for six sites, and 203 days after second calving for three sites. Quarter milk samples were taken and cultured to determine the causative pathogen for each mastitis case and if clinical signs were observed the disease data were grouped according to etiology and analyses conducted. Analyses were conducted for all clinical mastitis cases as well as for a breakdown of the clinical mastitis cases into microorganism group levels. A generalized linear mixed model and a linear mixed model were used to determine if there were significant differences in clinical mastitis between the non-zero concentrations of Monensin and controls. Response variables for the clinical mastitis cases that were analyzed using a generalized linear mixed model were Animal rate, Quarter rate, Observation rate, and Incident rate. An additional response variable, Average case duration, was analyzed using a linear mixed model. Inferences from the analyses indicate that Monensin does not influence the susceptibility of dairy cattle to clinical mastitis

THE EFFECT OF MONENSIN ON LACTATION DAIRY COWS: A DOSE RESPONSE EVALUATION

Monensin (Rumensin®) was fed at doses of 0, 8, 16, or 24 ppm to 966 dairy cows in nine different geographical locations in the USA and Canada. A dose response analysis was conducted on the primary variable, milk production efficiency, to determine the most appropriate dose response function, establish a minimum effective dose, and, when possible, determine a maximum effective dose. Linear mixed models (SAS® Proc Mixed v6.12) were fit to the data. Linear contrasts comparing the non-zero doses of monensin to the control were done to initially determine a minimum effective dose from the 3 non-zero design points. In addition, eight predefined linear contrasts were used to initially determine the general linear-plateau shape of a dose response function for each primary variable. A weighted regression analysis of the least squares means and corresponding standard errors was used when it was necessary to discriminate between the competing linear-plateau functions. A non-overlapping confidence interval process was followed, if it was deemed appropriate, to establish a minimum effective dose for a nondesign point. In cases where the dose response function had a plateau, the dose where the plateau began was classified as the “maximum effective dose” (minimum dose for maximum effect). In cases where the dose response function did not have a plateau, the maximum effective dose was the largest dose used in the study if the response rate was significant

Near-Surface Interface Detection for Coal Mining Applications Using Bispectral Features and GPR

The use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) for detecting the presence of near-surface interfaces is a scenario of special interest to the underground coal mining industry. The problem is difficult to solve in practice because the radar echo from the near-surface interface is often dominated by unwanted components such as antenna crosstalk and ringing, ground-bounce effects, clutter, and severe attenuation. These nuisance components are also highly sensitive to subtle variations in ground conditions, rendering the application of standard signal pre-processing techniques such as background subtraction largely ineffective in the unsupervised case. As a solution to this detection problem, we develop a novel pattern recognition-based algorithm which utilizes a neural network to classify features derived from the bispectrum of 1D early time radar data. The binary classifier is used to decide between two key cases, namely whether an interface is within, for example, 5 cm of the surface or not. This go/no-go detection capability is highly valuable for underground coal mining operations, such as longwall mining, where the need to leave a remnant coal section is essential for geological stability. The classifier was trained and tested using real GPR data with ground truth measurements. The real data was acquired from a testbed with coal-clay, coal-shale and shale-clay interfaces, which represents a test mine site. We show that, unlike traditional second order correlation based methods such as matched filtering which can fail even in known conditions, the new method reliably allows the detection of interfaces using GPR to be applied in the near-surface region. In this work, we are not addressing the problem of depth estimation, rather confining ourselves to detecting an interface within a particular depth range

Atomic diffraction from nanostructured optical potentials

We develop a versatile theoretical approach to the study of cold-atom diffractive scattering from light-field gratings by combining calculations of the optical near-field, generated by evanescent waves close to the surface of periodic nanostructured arrays, together with advanced atom wavepacket propagation on this optical potential.Comment: 8 figures, 10 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Updated International Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Diagnostic Criteria and Surveillance and Management Recommendations

Background: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease affecting multiple body systems with wide variability in presentation. In 2013, Pediatric Neurology published articles outlining updated diagnostic criteria and recommendations for surveillance and management of disease manifestations. Advances in knowledge and approvals of new therapies necessitated a revision of those criteria and recommendations. Methods: Chairs and working group cochairs from the 2012 International TSC Consensus Group were invited to meet face-to-face over two days at the 2018 World TSC Conference on July 25 and 26 in Dallas, TX, USA. Before the meeting, working group cochairs worked with group members via e-mail and telephone to (1) review TSC literature since the 2013 publication, (2) confirm or amend prior recommendations, and (3) provide new recommendations as required. Results: Only two changes were made to clinical diagnostic criteria reported in 2013: “multiple cortical tubers and/or radial migration lines” replaced the more general term “cortical dysplasias,” and sclerotic bone lesions were reinstated as a minor criterion. Genetic diagnostic criteria were reaffirmed, including highlighting recent findings that some individuals with TSC are genetically mosaic for variants in TSC1 or TSC2. Changes to surveillance and management criteria largely reflected increased emphasis on early screening for electroencephalographic abnormalities, enhanced surveillance and management of TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders, and new medication approvals. Conclusions: Updated TSC diagnostic criteria and surveillance and management recommendations presented here should provide an improved framework for optimal care of those living with TSC and their families

Sex Differences in the Brain: A Whole Body Perspective

Most writing on sexual differentiation of the mammalian brain (including our own) considers just two organs: the gonads and the brain. This perspective, which leaves out all other body parts, misleads us in several ways. First, there is accumulating evidence that all organs are sexually differentiated, and that sex differences in peripheral organs affect the brain. We demonstrate this by reviewing examples involving sex differences in muscles, adipose tissue, the liver, immune system, gut, kidneys, bladder, and placenta that affect the nervous system and behavior. The second consequence of ignoring other organs when considering neural sex differences is that we are likely to miss the fact that some brain sex differences develop to compensate for differences in the internal environment (i.e., because male and female brains operate in different bodies, sex differences are required to make output/function more similar in the two sexes). We also consider evidence that sex differences in sensory systems cause male and female brains to perceive different information about the world; the two sexes are also perceived by the world differently and therefore exposed to differences in experience via treatment by others. Although the topic of sex differences in the brain is often seen as much more emotionally charged than studies of sex differences in other organs, the dichotomy is largely false. By putting the brain firmly back in the body, sex differences in the brain are predictable and can be more completely understood

Updated international tuberous sclerosis complex diagnostic criteria and surveillance and management recommendations

Background Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant genetic disease affecting multiple body systems with wide variability in presentation. In 2013, Pediatric Neurology published articles outlining updated diagnostic criteria and recommendations for surveillance and management of disease manifestations. Advances in knowledge and approvals of new therapies necessitated a revision of those criteria and recommendations. Methods Chairs and working group cochairs from the 2012 International TSC Consensus Group were invited to meet face-to-face over two days at the 2018 World TSC Conference on July 25 and 26 in Dallas, TX, USA. Before the meeting, working group cochairs worked with group members via e-mail and telephone to (1) review TSC literature since the 2013 publication, (2) confirm or amend prior recommendations, and (3) provide new recommendations as required. Results Only two changes were made to clinical diagnostic criteria reported in 2013: “multiple cortical tubers and/or radial migration lines” replaced the more general term “cortical dysplasias,” and sclerotic bone lesions were reinstated as a minor criterion. Genetic diagnostic criteria were reaffirmed, including highlighting recent findings that some individuals with TSC are genetically mosaic for variants in TSC1 or TSC2. Changes to surveillance and management criteria largely reflected increased emphasis on early screening for electroencephalographic abnormalities, enhanced surveillance and management of TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders, and new medication approvals. Conclusions Updated TSC diagnostic criteria and surveillance and management recommendations presented here should provide an improved framework for optimal care of those living with TSC and their families