2,744 research outputs found
Environmental Stewardship on the URI Campus
This poster campaign and report was an effort to get environmental stewardship to be more of a part of the student government at URI. It was used to raise awareness and link people\u27s actions to theory so that future work could be built off this and assessed for its effectiveness
Control and Regulation of Integrated Mitochondrial Function in Metabolic and Transport Networks
The pattern of flux and concentration control coefficients in an integrated mitochondrial energetics model is examined by applying a generalized matrix method of control analysis to calculate control coefficients, as well as response coefficients The computational model of Cortassa et al. encompasses oxidative phosphorylation, the TCA cycle, and Ca2+ dynamics. Control of ATP synthesis, TCA cycle, and ANT fluxes were found to be distributed among various mitochondrial processes. Control is shared by processes associated with ATP/ADP production and transport, as well as by Ca2+ dynamics. The calculation also analyzed the control of the concentrations of key regulatory ions and metabolites (Ca2+, NADH, ADP). The approach we have used demonstrates how properties of integrated systems may be understood through applications of computational modeling and control analysis
Simulations of slow positron production using a low energy electron accelerator
Monte Carlo simulations of slow positron production via energetic electron
interaction with a solid target have been performed. The aim of the simulations
was to determine the expected slow positron beam intensity from a low energy,
high current electron accelerator. By simulating (a) the fast positron
production from a tantalum electron-positron converter and (b) the positron
depth deposition profile in a tungsten moderator, the slow positron production
probability per incident electron was estimated. Normalizing the calculated
result to the measured slow positron yield at the present AIST LINAC the
expected slow positron yield as a function of energy was determined. For an
electron beam energy of 5 MeV (10 MeV) and current 240 A (30 A)
production of a slow positron beam of intensity 5 10 s is
predicted. The simulation also calculates the average energy deposited in the
converter per electron, allowing an estimate of the beam heating at a given
electron energy and current. For low energy, high-current operation the maximum
obtainable positron beam intensity will be limited by this beam heating.Comment: 11 pages, 15 figures, submitted to Review of Scientific Instrument
Using RNA-seq to characterize responses to 4 hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD) inhibitor herbicide resistance in waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus)
Background: Waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus (Moq.) J.D. Sauer) is a problem weed commonly found in the Midwestern United States that can cause crippling yield losses for both maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L. Merr). In 2011, 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate-dioxygenase (HPPD, EC 1.13.11.27) inhibitor herbicide resistance was first reported in two waterhemp populations. Since the discovery of HPPD-herbicide resistance, studies have identified the mechanism of resistance and described the inheritance of the herbicide resistance. However, no studies have examined genome-wide gene expression changes in response to herbicide treatment in herbicide resistant and susceptible waterhemp.
Results: We conducted RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) analyses of two waterhemp populations (HPPD-herbicide resistant and susceptible), from herbicide-treated and mock-treated leaf samples at three, six, twelve, and twenty-four hours after treatment (HAT). We performed a de novo transcriptome assembly using all sample sequences. Following assessments of our assembly, individual samples were mapped to the de novo transcriptome allowing us to identify transcripts specific to a genotype, herbicide treatment, or time point. Our results indicate that the response of HPPDherbicide resistant and susceptible waterhemp genotypes to HPPD-inhibiting herbicide is rapid, established as soon as 3 hours after herbicide treatment. Further, there was little overlap in gene expression between resistant and susceptible genotypes, highlighting dynamic differences in response to herbicide treatment. In addition, we used stringent analytical methods to identify candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that distinguish the resistant and susceptible genotypes.
Conclusions: The waterhemp transcriptome, herbicide-responsive genes, and SNPs generated in this study provide valuable tools for future studies by numerous plant science communities. This collection of resources is essential to study and understand herbicide effects on gene expression in resistant and susceptible weeds. Understanding how herbicides impact gene expression could allow us to develop novel approaches for future herbicide development. Additionally, an increased understanding of the prolific traits intrinsic in weed success could lead to crop improvement
Engineering Art Galleries
The Art Gallery Problem is one of the most well-known problems in
Computational Geometry, with a rich history in the study of algorithms,
complexity, and variants. Recently there has been a surge in experimental work
on the problem. In this survey, we describe this work, show the chronology of
developments, and compare current algorithms, including two unpublished
versions, in an exhaustive experiment. Furthermore, we show what core
algorithmic ingredients have led to recent successes
Amelioration of root disease of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) by mineral nutrients
Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) is a key pasture legume across southern Australia and elsewhere. Decline in subterranean clover pastures was first recognised in Australia during the 1960s and manifests as an increase in weeds and a decrease in desirable legume species. While both root disease and poor nutrition contribute to subterranean clover pasture decline, the relationships between root disease and nutrition have not been determined. The objective of this study was to define these relationships. Field experiments were undertaken to determine the nutritional and pathogen status of soils and subterranean clover from three Western Australian field sites. Subsequently, controlled environment experiments were undertaken to determine the relative severities of tap and lateral root disease and growth of plants when soil cores taken from these three field sites were amended with a complete nutrient solution or a range of individual macro- or micronutrient treatments. Application of a ‘Hoaglands’ complete nutrient solution decreased the severity of tap root disease by an average of 45% and lateral root disease by 32%. Amendment with K alone reduced the severity of tap root disease an average of 32%; while the application of N alone reduced the severity of tap root disease by 33% and lateral root disease by 27%. Application of Hoaglands, K, N or Zn increased shoot and root dry weight, while Mo only increased shoot dry weight. This is the first report to show that mineral nutrients can substantially ameliorate root disease in subterranean clover. The results demonstrate that while root disease limits plant growth, improvement in the nutritional status of nutrient-impoverished soils can significantly reduce root disease. There is significant potential to incorporate nutrient amendments into an integrated and more sustainable approach to better manage root disease and to increase productivity of pasture legumes where soils are inherently nutrient deficient in one or more nutrients
A Novel Approach for Ellipsoidal Outer-Approximation of the Intersection Region of Ellipses in the Plane
In this paper, a novel technique for tight outer-approximation of the
intersection region of a finite number of ellipses in 2-dimensional (2D) space
is proposed. First, the vertices of a tight polygon that contains the convex
intersection of the ellipses are found in an efficient manner. To do so, the
intersection points of the ellipses that fall on the boundary of the
intersection region are determined, and a set of points is generated on the
elliptic arcs connecting every two neighbouring intersection points. By finding
the tangent lines to the ellipses at the extended set of points, a set of
half-planes is obtained, whose intersection forms a polygon. To find the
polygon more efficiently, the points are given an order and the intersection of
the half-planes corresponding to every two neighbouring points is calculated.
If the polygon is convex and bounded, these calculated points together with the
initially obtained intersection points will form its vertices. If the polygon
is non-convex or unbounded, we can detect this situation and then generate
additional discrete points only on the elliptical arc segment causing the
issue, and restart the algorithm to obtain a bounded and convex polygon.
Finally, the smallest area ellipse that contains the vertices of the polygon is
obtained by solving a convex optimization problem. Through numerical
experiments, it is illustrated that the proposed technique returns a tighter
outer-approximation of the intersection of multiple ellipses, compared to
conventional techniques, with only slightly higher computational cost
Standardising practices improves ambulatory diabetic foot management and reduces amputations: the Queensland Diabetic Foot Innovation Project, 2006 – 2009
Background Diabetic foot complications are recognised as the most common reason for diabetic related hospitalisation and lower extremity amputations. Multi-faceted strategies to reduce diabetic foot hospitalisation and amputation rates have been successful. However, most diabetic foot ulcers are managed in ambulatory settings where data availability is poor and studies limited. The project aimed to develop and evaluate strategies to improve the management of diabetic foot complications in three diverse ambulatory settings and measure the subsequent impact on ospitalisation and amputation. Methods Multifaceted strategies were implemented in 2008, including: multi-disciplinary teams, clinical pathways and training, clinical indicators, telehealth support and surveys. A retrospective audit of consecutive patient records from July 2006 – June 2007 determined baseline clinical indicators (n = 101). A clinical pathway teleform was implemented as a clinical record and clinical indicator analyser in all sites in 2008 (n = 327) and followed up in 2009 (n = 406). Results Prior to the intervention, clinical pathways were not used and multi-disciplinary teams were limited. There was an absolute improvement in treating according to risk of 15% in 2009 and surveillance of the high risk population of 34% and 19% in 2008 and 2009 respectively (p 92% in perfusion, ulcer depth, infection assessment and management, offloading and education. Hospitalisation impacts recorded reductions of up to 64% in amputation rates / 100,000 population (p < 0.001) and 24% average length of stay (p < 0.001) Conclusion These findings support the use of multi-faceted strategies in diverse ambulatory services to standardise practice, improve diabetic foot complications management and positively impact on hospitalisation outcomes. As of October 2010, these strategies had been rolled out to over 25 ambulatory sites, representing 66% of Queensland Health districts, managing 1,820 patients and 13,380 occasions of service, including 543 healed ulcer patients. It is expected that this number will rise dramatically as an incentive payment for the use of the teleform is expanded
Does bariatric surgery improve adipose tissue function?
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134250/1/obr12429_am.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/134250/2/obr12429.pd
- …