Pre-Harvest Sprouting Tolerance in 36 Bread Wheat Genotypes

Pre-harvest sprouting (PHS), promoted by rainfall during crop maturity, is a high problem in many wheat-producing regions of the world. Considering its importance in Brazil, 36 national and international varieties and advanced lines of wheat were evaluated for their tolerance to PHS. For this purpose, two experiments were conducted over three years. Seed pericarp rupture was used as an indicator of the beginning of germination. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance, the Scott-Knott test, and the Lin and Binns method. The wide range of germination percentage values allowed the genotypes to be classified as tolerant (in experiment 1 - ND 674 and Grandin*2/RL 4137 and experiment 2 - Frontana and Grandin) and moderately tolerant (Alsen, CD 114, and Milan/3/Attila//Fang 69/CIMMYT 3 in Experiment 1; Avante, BRS 177, IAC 5-Maringá, Onix, OR 1, RL 4137, and Rubi in Experiment 2). Because tolerance to PHS is under genetic control and can be improved through breeding programs, the challenge for wheat breeders is to combine increased PHS tolerance with other requirements to meet market demands

Exploring jasmonates in the hormonal network of drought and salinity responses

Present and future food security is a critical issue compounded by the consequences of climate change on agriculture. Stress perception and signal transduction in plants causes changes in gene or protein expression which lead to metabolic and physiological responses. Phytohormones play a central role in the integration of different upstream signals into different adaptive outputs such as changes in the activity of ion-channels, protein modifications, protein degradation, and gene expression. Phytohormone biosynthesis and signaling, and recently also phytohormone crosstalk have been investigated intensively, but the function of jasmonates under abiotic stress is still only partially understood. Although most aspects of jasmonate biosynthesis, crosstalk and signal transduction appear to be similar for biotic and abiotic stress, novel aspects have emerged that seem to be unique for the abiotic stress response. Here, we review the knowledge on the role of jasmonates under drought and salinity. The crosstalk of jasmonate biosynthesis and signal transduction pathways with those of abscisic acid (ABA) is particularly taken into account due to the well-established, central role of ABA under abiotic stress. Likewise, the accumulating evidence of crosstalk of jasmonate signaling with other phytohormones is considered as important element of an integrated phytohormonal response. Finally, protein post-translational modification, which can also occur without de novo transcription, is treated with respect to its implications for phytohormone biosynthesis, signaling and crosstalk. To breed climate- resilient crop varieties, integrated understanding of the molecular processes is required to modulate and tailor particular nodes of the network to positively affect stress tolerance. © 2015 Riemann, Dhakarey, Hazman, Miro, Kohli and Nick

Magneto-optical Kerr Effect Studies of Square Artificial Spin Ice

We report a magneto-optical Kerr effect study of the collective magnetic response of artificial square spin ice, a lithographically-defined array of single-domain ferromagnetic islands. We find that the anisotropic inter-island interactions lead to a non-monotonic angular dependence of the array coercive field. Comparisons with micromagnetic simulations indicate that the two perpendicular sublattices exhibit distinct responses to island edge roughness, which clearly influence the magnetization reversal process. Furthermore, such comparisons demonstrate that disorder associated with roughness in the island edges plays a hitherto unrecognized but essential role in the collective behavior of these systems.Comment: Physical Review B, Rapid Communications (in press

Childlessness and Intergenerational Transfers in Later Life

First Online: 13 January 2017Childlessness in later life has been attracting increased attention from researchers and policy makers. Yet a number of misconceptions about childlessness among the elderly remain, such as the claim that elderly childless people are mainly on the receiving end of intergenerational exchanges, or that they are a homogeneous group. Contrary to these assumptions, we find that elderly childless people give as well as receive, and that parental status is a continuum, ranging from full childlessness across several intermediary conditions to full current natural parenthood. In a study of the elderly population across 11 European countries, we show that non-parents make significant contributions to their social networks of family and friends through financial and time transfers, and that the latter in particular differ little from those of natural parents. The same applies to their participation in charitable and voluntary work. Different parental statuses are significantly associated with the various dimensions of giving and receiving. Social parents (i.e., people who have no natural children, but who have adopted, foster, or stepchildren) are shown to be much more similar to natural parents than to non-parents. Family recomposition thus does not seem to inhibit intergenerational exchanges, as long as social parents have sufficient contact with their non-natural social children. On the other hand, parents who have lost contact with their children – natural or otherwise – are likely to require more formal care in later life

Educational needs of patients, families, and healthcare professionals to support the patient journey in haemophilia gene therapy in the UK

With the first gene therapies for haemophilia approved by the European Commission, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, it is important to consider the remaining unmet needs and challenges that may arise throughout patients’ treatment journeys. We discuss existing unmet needs and important considerations prior to, during, and following haemophilia gene therapy treatment in the UK, and propose potential next steps. Key areas for attention are education, psychological support, and guidance on implementation. Strategies are urgently required to fulfil these needs. An immediate priority for information providers should be comprehensive education for people with haemophilia (PWH) and healthcare professionals (HCPs). Greater access to resources and training in psychological services will be required throughout the treatment pathway. More specific guidance is required to define the implementation model, criteria for accreditation, and responsibilities of care centres. Furthermore, PWH may revisit discussions with HCPs multiple times pre-infusion, thus the patient journey is unlikely to be linear. Consideration of these challenges, and of potential strategies to address them, will be integral to optimising the future success of this promising therapy

X-ray characterization of oriented β-tantalum films

Includes bibliographical references (pages 408-409).Tantalum (Ta) metal films (10-70 nm) were deposited on a Si(100) substrate with a 500 nm silicon dioxide (SiO2) interlayer by ion-beam assisted sputtering. The as-deposited films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray reflectivity (XRR) techniques. XRD measurements showed the presence of films of the tetragonal phase of tantalum (β-Ta) oriented along the (00l) plane. XRR measurements indicated the presence of graded Ta films, with a thin interface layer between the 500 nm SiO2 layer and the Ta films. The thickness and density of this interface layer was estimated to be 1.9±0.2 nm and 10.5±0.5 g/cm3, respectively. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to probe the chemical composition of this interface layer. XPS investigative studies indicated that the interface was likely composed of tantalum silicide (TaSi2) and tantalum silicate (TaSiOx). However, the TaSiOx layer was reduced during Ar ion sputter depth profile analysis

Elastic constants of nematic liquid crystals of uniaxial symmetry

We study in detail the influence of molecular interactions on the Frank elastic constants of uniaxial nematic liquid crystals composed of molecules of cylindrical symmetry. A brief summary of the status of theoretical development for the elastic constants of nematics is presented. Considering a pair potential having both repulsive and attractive parts numerical calculations are reported for three systems MBBA, PAA and 8OCB. For these systems the length-to-width ratio ${x_0}$ is estimated from the experimentally proposed structure of the molecules. The repulsive interaction is represented by a repulsion between hard ellipsoids of revolution (HER) and the attractive potential is represented by the quadrupole and dispersion interactions. From the numerical results we observe that in the density range of nematics the contribution of the quadrupole and dispersion interactions are small as compared to the repulsive HER interaction. The inclusion of attractive interaction reduces the values of elastic constants ratios. The temperature variation of elastic constants ratios are reported and compared with the experimental values. A reasonably good agreement between theory and experiment is observed

Evidence for a Semisolid Phase State of Aerosols and Droplets Relevant to the Airborne and Surface Survival of Pathogens

The phase state of respiratory aerosols and droplets has been linked to the humidity-dependent survival of pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2. To inform strategies to mitigate the spread of infectious disease, it is thus necessary to understand the humidity-dependent phase changes associated with the particles in which pathogens are suspended. Here, we study phase changes of levitated aerosols and droplets composed of model respiratory compounds (salt and protein) and growth media (organic-inorganic mixtures commonly used in studies of pathogen survival) with decreasing relative humidity (RH). Efflorescence was suppressed in many particle compositions and thus unlikely to fully account for the humidity-dependent survival of viruses. Rather, we identify organic-based, semisolid phase states that form under equilibrium conditions at intermediate RH (45 to 80%). A higher-protein content causes particles to exist in a semisolid state under a wider range of RH conditions. Diffusion and, thus, disinfection kinetics are expected to be inhibited in these semisolid states. These observations suggest that organic-based, semisolid states are an important consideration to account for the recovery of virus viability at low RH observed in previous studies. We propose a mechanism in which the semisolid phase shields pathogens from inactivation by hindering the diffusion of solutes. This suggests that the exogenous lifetime of pathogens will depend, in part, on the organic composition of the carrier respiratory particle and thus its origin in the respiratory tract. Furthermore, this work highlights the importance of accounting for spatial heterogeneities and time-dependent changes in the properties of aerosols and droplets undergoing evaporation in studies of pathogen viability

How IT investments help hospitals gain and sustain reputation in the media: the role of signaling and framing

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from INFORMS via the DOI in this recordHow can information technology (IT) help hospitals gain and sustain reputation in the media? Combining signaling theory and technology frames, we examine if, how, and to what extent IT investments over time shape three facets of reputation: generalized favorability, being known, and being known for something. In accessing healthcare services, most patients are unable to assess a hospital’s quality of care directly. Faced with such information asymmetries, patients tend to consider a hospital’s reputation in the media when making care decisions. Indeed, journalists are well positioned to detect even the weaker quality signals – among which are state-of-the-art IT – that a hospital emits. As information intermediaries, journalists aggregate and interpret IT-related signals against the backdrop of their technology frames, that reflect their expectations of how a modern hospital IT should look. Perceived congruence between their IT-related expectations and observations on the ground is likely to translate into less critical writing about a hospital. We test our theorizing based on a comprehensive panel dataset of 152 English hospital organizations spanning five consecutive years of IT investments and subsequent changes in media reputation as reflected in 175,973 articles in English newspapers. We find that investments in IT staff increase the “being known” facet of reputation as evidenced in the volume of media coverage. Investments in IT equipment, in contrast, positively affect a hospital’s general favorability as mirrored in the tenor of its media coverage. Our econometric analysis as well as our complementary content analysis of newspaper articles and follow up interviews with journalists allow us to attribute this effect primarily to more visible IT equipment investments that prompt journalists to write less negatively about a hospital. These findings suggest that investments in IT equipment can buffer hospitals from negative press, thereby helping them to gain and maintain a strong reputation in the media