Genetic changes induced by space flight factors in barley seeds on Soyuz-5 and Soyuz-9 craft

Air-dry seeds of the barley Zimujuschij moscowskyi of the 1969 harvest were taken into space onboard the spaceships Soyuz-5 and Soyuz-9. A cytological study of the mitoses in meristemic cells in rootlet terminals revealed that space flight factors (SFF) in nonirradiated seeds induced about 3% of aberrant cells. After irradiation the effect of SFF increased over two-fold. Although the radio protectors ensured the seeds against from the SFF-induced damage either in irradiated or nonirradiated seed cells which is inconsistent with the previously obtained data

Composite Effects of Polymorphisms near Multiple Regulatory Elements Create a Major-Effect QTL

Many agriculturally, evolutionarily, and medically important characters vary in a quantitative fashion. Unfortunately, the genes and sequence variants accounting for this variation remain largely unknown due to a variety of biological and technical challenges. Drosophila melanogaster contains high levels of sequence variation and low linkage disequilibrium, allowing us to dissect the effects of many causative variants within a single locus. Here, we take advantage of these features to identify and characterize the sequence polymorphisms that comprise major effect QTL alleles segregating at the bric-a-brac locus. We show that natural bric-a-brac alleles with large effects on cuticular pigmentation reflect a cumulative impact of polymorphisms that affect three functional regions: a promoter, a tissue-specific enhancer, and a Polycomb response element. Analysis of allele-specific expression at the bric-a-brac locus confirms that these polymorphisms modulate transcription at the cis-regulatory level. Our results establish that a single QTL can act through a confluence of multiple molecular mechanisms and that sequence variation in regions flanking experimentally validated functional elements can have significant quantitative effects on transcriptional activity and phenotype. These findings have important design and conceptual implications for basic and medical genomics

A new measure of irregularity of distribution

AbstractWe introduce a new measure of irregularity of distribution-the range, Ψ, that is similar to the nonuniformity ϕ∞ but much easier to compute. It is shown that for Pτ-nets and for initial segments of LPτ-sequences Ψ ≤ 2τ and as the number of points increases this is the lowest possible order of magnitude Ψ = O(1)

High-Q microcavities: characterization and optomechanical applications

In this thesis we tried to address several important problems in modern photonic research. We developed a novel tool for complex analysis of integrated photonic circuits and components. The technique allows to see the time-response of the studied structures on sub-picosecond scale and even to image the pulse propagation resolving the time-frames on the same scale. We report investigation of direct laser written polymeric photonic components and advances in double layered electron beam lithographically fabricated complex photonic circuits. Then introducing a smart material that is capable of changing the its shape in response to external stimuli, we show the material application in photonics and optomechanics. In a separate chapter we demonstrate a novel micro robotic device that is being several hundred microns in size can be controlled remotely by a laser beam. As presented micro gripper can catch and release different kinds of particles, it is also capable of autonomous action, when that act of gripping is triggered by a color of a target. In the last part we present a principle of optomechanical tuning of photonic components. Although this demonstration is not complete, the main principle, however, is evident

Similar patterns of linkage disequilibrium and nucleotide diversity in native and introduced populations of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The pea aphid, <it>Acyrthosiphon pisum</it>, is an emerging genomic model system for studies of polyphenisms, bacterial symbioses, host-plant specialization, and the vectoring of plant viruses. Here we provide estimates of nucleotide diversity and linkage disequilibrium (LD) in native (European) and introduced (United States) populations of the pea aphid. Because introductions can cause population bottlenecks, we hypothesized that U.S. populations harbor lower levels of nucleotide diversity and higher levels of LD than native populations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We sampled four non-coding loci from 24 unique aphid clones from the U. S. (12 from New York and 12 from California) and 24 clones from Europe (12 alfalfa and 12 clover specialists). For each locus, we sequenced approximately 1 kb from two amplicons spaced ~10 kb apart to estimate both short range and longer range LD. We sequenced over 250 kb in total. Nucleotide diversity averaged 0.6% across all loci and all populations. LD decayed slowly within ~1 kb but reached much lower levels over ~10 kb. Contrary to our expectations, neither LD nor nucleotide diversity were significantly different between native and introduced populations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Both introduced and native populations of pea aphids exhibit low levels of nucleotide diversity and moderate levels of LD. The introduction of pea aphids to North America has not led to a detectable reduction of nucleotide diversity or increase in LD relative to native populations.</p

Assassination of the Duke Louis of Orleans on Vieille du Temple Street on 23 November 1407

The problem of the outbreak of civil war in the French Kingdom in the early 15th century is studied. The author mentions the struggle for power in the government between two relatives of king Charles VI, Duke Louis of Orleans and Duke Jean the Fearless, as one of prerequisites. Their confrontation ended with the assassination of the Duke of Orleans on 23 November 1407. The article examines in depth the course of the investigation, which was conducted by the Provost of Paris, with the result that just in two days the circle of persons involved in the commission of the crime was defined, and the Duke of Burgundy was called the main suspect in its organization. On the basis of a wide range of sources the author has demonstrated the methodology of investigation in the Middle Ages. It is noted that it was quite effective for its time. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the reasons that pushed the Duke of Burgundy for the murder. The novelty of the research is seen in the fact that the author considers the opinion of modern researches about the exclusively political motives of the crime insufficiently reasoned. The article also shows the fates of the participants in the crime, including the Duke of Burgundy, who was murdered in Montero in 1419

Genome-Enabled Hitchhiking Mapping Identifies QTLs for Stress Resistance in Natural \u3ci\u3eDrosophila\u3c/i\u3e

Identification of genes underlying complex traits is an important problem. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) are mapped using marker-trait co-segregation in large panels of recombinant genotypes. Most frequently, recombinant inbred lines derived from two isogenic parents are used. Segregation pat-terns are also studied in pedigrees from multiple families. Great advances have been made through creative use of these techniques, but narrow sampling and inadequate power represent strong limi-tations. Here, we propose an approach combining the strengths of both techniques. We established a mapping population from a sample of natural genotypes and applied artificial selection for a com-plex character. Selection changed the frequencies of alleles in QTLs contributing to the selection re-sponse. We infer QTLs with dense genotyping microarrays by identifying blocks of linked markers undergoing selective changes in allele frequency. We demonstrated this approach with an experi-mental population composed from 20 isogenic strains. Selection for starvation survival was executed in three replicated populations with three control non-selected populations. Three individuals per population were genotyped using Affymetrix GeneChips. Two regions of the genome, one each on the left arms of the second and third chromosomes, showed significant divergence between control and selected populations. For the former region, we inferred allele frequencies in selected and control populations by pyrosequencing. We conclude that the allele frequency difference, averaging approx-imately 40% between selected and control lines, contributed to selection response. Our approach can contribute to the fine scale decomposition of the genetics of direct and indirect selection responses and genotype by environment interactions