Self-incompatibility system of Oenothera organensis for the detection of genetic effects at low radiation doses.

The self-incompatibility system of Oenothera organensis is used to analyze the frequency of S locus mutations induced by low doses (2.5-20 rad) of fast neutrons and x-rays. Th principles and methods of the screening system for detection of low dose effects have been presented. The results show that low doses induced significantly higher frequencies of seeds and seedlings than those produced spontaneously. The analyses of part of the progenies derived from the control and treated series suggested that they were due to revertible mutations. A modified in vitro method of culturing pollinated cut styles has been developed for rapid screening of compatible pollen tubes

Abrasive water jet drilling of advanced sustainable bio-fibre-reinforced polymer/hybrid composites : a comprehensive analysis of machining-induced damage responses

This paper aims at investigating the effects of variable traverse speeds on machining-induced damage of fibre-reinforced composites, using the abrasive water jet (AWJ) drilling. Three different types of epoxy-based composites laminates fabricated by vacuum bagging technique containing unidirectional (UD) flax, hybrid carbon-flax and carbon fibre-reinforced composite were used. The drilling parameters used were traverse speeds of 20, 40, 60 and 80 mm/min, constant water jet pressure of 300 MPa and a hole diameter of 10 mm. The results obtained depict that the traverse speed had a significant effect with respect to both surface roughness and delamination drilling-induced damage responses. Evidently, an increase in water jet traverse speed caused an increase in both damage responses of the three samples. Significantly, the CFRP composite sample recorded the lowest surface roughness damage response, followed by C-FFRP, while FFRP exhibited the highest. However, samples of FFRP and hybrid C-FFRP recorded lowest and highest delamination damage responses, respectively. The discrepancy in both damage responses, as further validated with micrographs of colour video microscopy (CVM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray micro-computed tomography (X-ray μCT), is attributed to the different mechanical properties of the reinforced fibres, fibre orientation/ply stacking and hybridisation of the samples.Peer reviewe

"Always Contribute Back": A Qualitative Study on Security Challenges of the Open Source Supply Chain

Open source components are ubiquitous in companies’ setups, processes, and software. Utilizing these external components as building blocks enables companies to leverage the benefits of open source software, allowing them to focus their efforts on features and faster delivery instead of writing their own components. But by introducing these components into their software stack, companies inherit unique security challenges and attack surfaces: including code from potentially unvetted contributors, as well as the obligation to assess and mitigate the impact of vulnerabilities in external components. In 25 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with software developers, architects, and engineers from industry projects, we investigate their projects’ processes, decisions, and considerations in the context of external open source code. We find that open source components play an important role in many of our participants’ projects, that most projects have some form of company policy or at least best practice for including external code, and that many developers wish for more developer-hours, dedicated teams, or tools to better audit included components. Based on our findings, we discuss implications for company stakeholders and the open source software ecosystem. Overall, we appeal to companies to not treat the open source ecosystem as a free (software) supply chain and instead to contribute towards the health and security of the overall software ecosystem they benefit from and are part of

Variation for qualitative and quantitative traits and identification of trait-specific sources in new sorghum germplasm

Assembling, collecting and characterising the unique germplasm accessions for morphological and agronomic characteristics are essential activities of a dynamic genebank. The phenotypic diversity and agronomic performance of 667 newly acquired sorghum germplasm accessions, representing five basic races, eight intermediate races and two wild species, originating from 34 countries were assessed for seven qualitative and eight quantitative traits. Large variability was observed among these accessions for various qualitative and quantitative traits. Trait-specific accessions for early flowering (108), short plant height (8), medium panicle exsertion (34), and medium-sized seeds (78) have been identified. The diverse traitspecific promising accessions have the potential for their utilisation in future breeding programs for developing improved sorghum cultivars with a broad genetic base. The hierarchical cluster analysis grouped five races, six intermediate races, and two wild species into three clusters. The present study has played a significant role in filling up the gaps and has also identified region(s) to carry out future explorations, and in providing the trait-specific germplasm for use by the breeders

The Association of Physical Activity with Glaucoma and Related Traits in the UK Biobank

PURPOSE: To examine the association of physical activity (PA) with glaucoma and related traits, to assess whether genetic predisposition to glaucoma modified these associations, and to probe causal relationships using Mendelian randomization (MR). DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational and gene-environment interaction analyses in the UK Biobank. Two-sample MR experiments using summary statistics from large genetic consortia. PARTICIPANTS: UK Biobank participants with data on self-reported or accelerometer-derived PA and intraocular pressure (IOP; n = 94 206 and n = 27 777, respectively), macular inner retinal OCT measurements (n = 36 274 and n = 9991, respectively), and glaucoma status (n = 86 803 and n = 23 556, respectively). METHODS: We evaluated multivariable-adjusted associations of self-reported (International Physical Activity Questionnaire) and accelerometer-derived PA with IOP and macular inner retinal OCT parameters using linear regression and with glaucoma status using logistic regression. For all outcomes, we examined gene-PA interactions using a polygenic risk score (PRS) that combined the effects of 2673 genetic variants associated with glaucoma. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intraocular pressure, macular retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL) thickness, macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL) thickness, and glaucoma status. RESULTS: In multivariable-adjusted regression models, we found no association of PA level or time spent in PA with glaucoma status. Higher overall levels and greater time spent in higher levels of both self-reported and accelerometer-derived PA were associated positively with thicker mGCIPL (P < 0.001 for trend for each). Compared with the lowest quartile of PA, participants in the highest quartiles of accelerometer-derived moderate- and vigorous-intensity PA showed a thicker mGCIPL by +0.57 μm (P < 0.001) and +0.42 μm (P = 0.005). No association was found with mRNFL thickness. High overall level of self-reported PA was associated with a modestly higher IOP of +0.08 mmHg (P = 0.01), but this was not replicated in the accelerometry data. No associations were modified by a glaucoma PRS, and MR analyses did not support a causal relationship between PA and any glaucoma-related outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Higher overall PA level and greater time spent in moderate and vigorous PA were not associated with glaucoma status but were associated with thicker mGCIPL. Associations with IOP were modest and inconsistent. Despite the well-documented acute reduction in IOP after PA, we found no evidence that high levels of habitual PA are associated with glaucoma status or IOP in the general population. FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE(S): Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references

Eye movements during visual search in patients with glaucoma

Background: Glaucoma has been shown to lead to disability in many daily tasks including visual search. This study aims to determine whether the saccadic eye movements of people with glaucoma differ from those of people with normal vision, and to investigate the association between eye movements and impaired visual search. Methods: Forty patients (mean age: 67 [SD: 9] years) with a range of glaucomatous visual field (VF) defects in both eyes (mean best eye mean deviation [MD]: –5.9 (SD: 5.4) dB) and 40 age-related people with normal vision (mean age: 66 [SD: 10] years) were timed as they searched for a series of target objects in computer displayed photographs of real world scenes. Eye movements were simultaneously recorded using an eye tracker. Average number of saccades per second, average saccade amplitude and average search duration across trials were recorded. These response variables were compared with measurements of VF and contrast sensitivity. Results: The average rate of saccades made by the patient group was significantly smaller than the number made by controls during the visual search task (P = 0.02; mean reduction of 5.6% (95% CI: 0.1 to 10.4%). There was no difference in average saccade amplitude between the patients and the controls (P = 0.09). Average number of saccades was weakly correlated with aspects of visual function, with patients with worse contrast sensitivity (PR logCS; Spearman’s rho: 0.42; P = 0.006) and more severe VF defects (best eye MD; Spearman’s rho: 0.34; P = 0.037) tending to make less eye movements during the task. Average detection time in the search task was associated with the average rate of saccades in the patient group (Spearman’s rho = −0.65; P < 0.001) but this was not apparent in the controls. Conclusions: The average rate of saccades made during visual search by this group of patients was fewer than those made by people with normal vision of a similar average age. There was wide variability in saccade rate in the patients but there was an association between an increase in this measure and better performance in the search task. Assessment of eye movements in individuals with glaucoma might provide insight into the functional deficits of the disease