Yield and yield components of six canola (Brassica napus L.) cultivars affected by planting date and water deficit stress

In order to study the effect of planting dates and different irrigation regimes on yield and yield components of six canola cultivars, an experiment was conducted in two growing seasons; 2008 to 2009 and 2009 to 2010. Six canola cultivars (Zarfam, GKH1103, GKH1605, GKH2005, GKH305 and GKH3705) were cultivated in two different dates (October 7th and November 6th) with two levels of irrigation regimes (irrigation after 60 mm evaporation from Class A evaporation pan and irrigation interrupting at flowering stage). The experiments were conducted in randomized complete block design arrangement in split factorial with four replications The results demonstrated that late planting date and interrupting of irrigation at flowering stage significantly decreased growth, yield and yield components the of canola cultivars. In addition, oil yield was affected by late planting and water stress and it was dramatically decreased. Also, there was no significant difference among the cultivars with respect to oil percentage. The highest seed yield (5930.4 kg. ha-1) was obtained from GKH1103 cultivars planted on October 7th under the conditions of full irrigation. Seed yield and oil yield in the second year was more than that of the first year; this increase was related to the increase in seed weight and pod number per plant but not to number of seed per pod. In general, canola cultivation on November 6th considerably decreased seed and oil yield and it is an important point to achieve desirable yield to seed sowing not done later than October 7th. Additionally, complementary irrigation was very important to gain high yield in canola under the conditions of this study.Key words: Canola, planting date, water stress, yield and yield components

GUDMAP - An Online GenitoUrinary Resource

The GenitoUrinary Development Molecular Anatomy Project (GUDMAP) is a consortium of laboratories working to provide the scientific and medical community with gene expression data and tools to facilitate research (see "www.gudmap.org":http://www.gudmap.org). The data provided by GUDMAP includes large _in situ_ hybridization screens (wholemount and section) and expression microarray analysis of components of the developing mouse urogenital system (including laser-captured material and FACS-isolated cells from transgenic reporter mice). In addition, a high-resolution anatomy ontology has been developed by members of the GUDMAP consortium to describe the subcompartments of the developing murine genitourinary tract. 

The GUDMAP Database Development Team and Editorial Office - both based in Edinburgh - function to ensure submission, curation, storage and presentation of the data submitted by the GUDMAP consortium. Our collective aim is twofold: 1) to simplify the process of submission so that data is publically available as soon as it is produced; and 2) to organize this information in a database and ensure that the online interface is continuously available and easy to use. Thus far, we have developed a range of tools that help both the submitter and the end user. These include: an online annotation tool that simplifies _in situ_ data submission through an ontology-based graphical user interface; a database interface that allows users to browse and query expression data, and to filter data by organ system; a heat-map display of microarray data and analyses. Furthermore, the Edinburgh team has developed a GUDMAP Disease Database that queries associations between genes, genitourinary diseases, and renal/urinary and reproductive phenotypes. In collaboration with GUDMAP consortium members at the CCHMC (Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center), the Disease Database is being extended to include mammalian phenotypes mapped to OMIM entries. 

By virtue of its impressive dataset and its ease of use we hope that the GUDMAP Website will continue to serve as a powerful resource for biologists, clinicians and bioinformaticians with an interest in the urogenital system

A Re-examination of the Portevin-Le Chatelier Effect in Alloy 718 in Connection with Oxidation-Assisted Intergranular Cracking

In Alloy 718, a sharp transition exists in the fracture path changing from an intergranular brittle mode to a transgranular ductile mode which is associated with a transition of flow behavior from smooth in the dynamic strain aging regime to a serrated one in the Portevin-Le Chatelier (PLC) regime. In order to better understand both deformation and rupture behavior, PLC phenomenon in a precipitation-hardened nickel-base superalloy was carefully investigated in a wide range of temperatures [573 K to 973 K (300°C to 700°C)] and strain rates (109^-5 to 3.2910^-2 s^-1 ). Distinction was made between two PLC domains characterized by different evolutions of the critical strain to the onset of the first serration namely normal and inverse behavior. The apparent activation energies associated with both domains were determined using different methods. Results showed that normal and inverse behavior domains are related to dynamic interaction of dislocations with, respectively, interstitial and substitutional solutes atoms. This analysis confirms that normal PLC regime may be associated to the diffusion of carbon atoms, whereas the substitutional species involves in the inverse regime is discussed with an emphasis on the role of Nb and Mo

Homeostatic regulation of the endoneurial microenvironment during development, aging and in response to trauma, disease and toxic insult

The endoneurial microenvironment, delimited by the endothelium of endoneurial vessels and a multi-layered ensheathing perineurium, is a specialized milieu intérieur within which axons, associated Schwann cells and other resident cells of peripheral nerves function. The endothelium and perineurium restricts as well as regulates exchange of material between the endoneurial microenvironment and the surrounding extracellular space and thus is more appropriately described as a blood–nerve interface (BNI) rather than a blood–nerve barrier (BNB). Input to and output from the endoneurial microenvironment occurs via blood–nerve exchange and convective endoneurial fluid flow driven by a proximo-distal hydrostatic pressure gradient. The independent regulation of the endothelial and perineurial components of the BNI during development, aging and in response to trauma is consistent with homeostatic regulation of the endoneurial microenvironment. Pathophysiological alterations of the endoneurium in experimental allergic neuritis (EAN), and diabetic and lead neuropathy are considered to be perturbations of endoneurial homeostasis. The interactions of Schwann cells, axons, macrophages, and mast cells via cell–cell and cell–matrix signaling regulate the permeability of this interface. A greater knowledge of the dynamic nature of tight junctions and the factors that induce and/or modulate these key elements of the BNI will increase our understanding of peripheral nerve disorders as well as stimulate the development of therapeutic strategies to treat these disorders

Gene Expression Programs of Mouse Endothelial Cells in Kidney Development and Disease

Endothelial cells are remarkably heterogeneous in both morphology and function, and they play critical roles in the formation of multiple organ systems. In addition endothelial cell dysfunction can contribute to disease processes, including diabetic nephropathy, which is a leading cause of end stage renal disease. In this report we define the comprehensive gene expression programs of multiple types of kidney endothelial cells, and analyze the differences that distinguish them. Endothelial cells were purified from Tie2-GFP mice by cell dissociation and fluorescent activated cell sorting. Microarrays were then used to provide a global, quantitative and sensitive measure of gene expression levels. We examined renal endothelial cells from the embryo and from the adult glomerulus, cortex and medulla compartments, as well as the glomerular endothelial cells of the db/db mutant mouse, which represents a model for human diabetic nephropathy. The results identified the growth factors, receptors and transcription factors expressed by these multiple endothelial cell types. Biological processes and molecular pathways were characterized in exquisite detail. Cell type specific gene expression patterns were defined, finding novel molecular markers and providing a better understanding of compartmental distinctions. Further, analysis of enriched, evolutionarily conserved transcription factor binding sites in the promoters of co-activated genes begins to define the genetic regulatory network of renal endothelial cell formation. Finally, the gene expression differences associated with diabetic nephropathy were defined, providing a global view of both the pathogenic and protective pathways activated. These studies provide a rich resource to facilitate further investigations of endothelial cell functions in kidney development, adult compartments, and disease

Amide-controlled, one-pot synthesis of tri-substituted purines generates structural diversity and analogues with trypanocidal activity

Anovel one-pot synthesis of tri-substituted purines and the discovery of purine analogues with trypanocidal activity are reported. The reaction is initiated by a metal-free oxidative coupling of primary alkoxides and diaminopyrimidines with Schiff base formation and subsequent annulation in the presence of large N,N-dimethylamides (e.g.N,N-dimethylpropanamide or larger). This synthetic route is in competition with a reaction previously-reported by our group1, allowing the generation of a combinatorial library of tri-substituted purines by the simple modification of the amide and the alkoxide employed. Among the variety of structures generated, two purine analogues displayed trypanocidal activity against the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei with IC50 , 5 mM, being each of those compounds obtained through each of the synthetic pathways.J.J.D.M. thanks Spanish Ministerio de Economı´a y Competitividad for a Ramon y Cajal Fellowship. A.U.B. thanks MRC IGMM for an academic fellowship. This work was partially supported by Grant SAF2011-30528 to J.A.G.S.

Atomic Species Associated with the Portevin–Le Chatelier Effect in Superalloy 718 Studied by Mechanical Spectroscopy

In many Ni-based superalloys, dynamic strain aging (DSA) generates an inhomogeneous plastic deformation resulting in jerky flow known as the Portevin--Le Chatelier (PLC) effect. This phenomenon has a deleterious effect on the mechanical properties and, at high temperature, is related to the diffusion of substitutional solute atoms toward the core of dislocations. However, the question about the nature of the atomic species responsible for the PLC effect at high temperature still remains open. The goal of the present work is to answer this important question; to this purpose, three different 718-type and a 625 superalloy were studied through a nonconventional approach by mechanical spectroscopy. The internal friction (IF) spectra of all the studied alloys show a relaxation peak P718 (at 885 K for 0.1 Hz) in the same temperature range, 700 K to 950 K, as the observed PLC effect. The activation parameters of this relaxation peak have been measured, Ea(P718){\thinspace}={\thinspace}2.68{\thinspace}{\textpm}{\thinspace}0.05 eV, $\tau$0{\thinspace}={\thinspace}2{\textperiodcentered}10-15 {\textpm} 1 s as well as its broadening factor $\beta${\thinspace}={\thinspace}1.1. Experiments on different alloys and the dependence of the relaxation strength on the amount of Mo attribute this relaxation to the stress-induced reorientation of Mo-Mo dipoles due to the short distance diffusion of one Mo atom by exchange with a vacancy. Then, it is concluded that Mo is the atomic species responsible for the high-temperature PLC effect in 718 superallo

Notch controls embryonic Schwann cell differentiation, postnatal myelination and adult plasticity

Notch signaling is central to vertebrate development, and analysis of Notch has provided important insights into pathogenetic mechanisms in the CNS and many other tissues. However, surprisingly little is known about the role of Notch in the development and pathology of Schwann cells and peripheral nerves. Using transgenic mice and cell cultures, we found that Notch has complex and extensive regulatory functions in Schwann cells. Notch promoted the generation of Schwann cells from Schwann cell precursors and regulated the size of the Schwann cell pool by controlling proliferation. Notch inhibited myelination, establishing that myelination is subject to negative transcriptional regulation that opposes forward drives such as Krox20. Notably, in the adult, Notch dysregulation resulted in demyelination; this finding identifies a signaling pathway that induces myelin breakdown in vivo. These findings are relevant for understanding the molecular mechanisms that control Schwann cell plasticity and underlie nerve pathology, including demyelinating neuropathies and tumorigenesi

Estimating NMR T2 distribution data from well log data with the use of a committee machine approach: A case study from the Asmari formation in the Zagros Basin, Iran

The Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) log is one of the most valuable logs in petroleum exploration which is used to precisely evaluate the reservoir and non-reservoir horizons. Along with porosity logs (neutron, density, sonic), NMR log is used to estimate the porosity and permeability of the hydrocarbon bearing intervals. The current study focuses on estimating NMR T2 distribution data from conventional well log data with the use of artificial intelligent systems. The eight bin porosities of the combinable magnetic resonance (CMR) T2 distribution alongside with the T2 logarithmic mean (T2LM) values are predicted using the intelligent models developed in this study. The methodology applied here combines the results of the individual models in a committee machine with intelligent systems (CMIS) for estimating the NMR T2 distribution and T2 logarithmic mean data. The Fuzzy logic (FL), the adaptive neuro fuzzy system (ANFIS) and artificial neural networks (ANNs) are utilized as intelligent experts of the CMIS. The NN models are developed with four different training algorithms (Levenberg–Marquardt (LM), scaled conjugate gradient (SCG), one step secant (OSS) and resilient back-propagation (RP)) and the best one is chosen as the optimal NN expert of the CMIS. The CMIS assigns a weight factor to each individual expert by the simple averaging and weighted averaging methods. A genetic algorithm (GA) optimization technique is used to derive the weighted averaging coefficients. The results indicate that the GA optimized CMIS performs better than the individual experts acting alone for synthesizing the NMR T2 curve and T2LM data from one specific set of conventional well logs

Construction of synthetic capillary pressure curves from the joint use of NMR log data and conventional logs

Capillary pressure (Pc) curves are important petrophysical parameters to characterize reservoir rock properties in hydrocarbon fields. Determination of Pc values conventionally relies on a variety of experimental processes. Although the experiments provide accurate outcomes, they may be extensive, time consuming and discontinues through the reservoir interval. The current study demonstrates the feasibility of synthesizing capillary pressure curves in carbonate reservoirs from conventional and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) logs by using a two-step approach. The first step is to simulate T2 (longitude relaxation time) distribution values from conventional logs by using intelligent systems. For this purpose, eight Combinable Magnetic Resonance Bin Porosities (CBPs) are estimated from well logs with a reasonable accuracy (Correlation Coefficient (CC)>0.90 for almost all CBPs). In the second step, the Pc values are predicted from CBPs through an inversion process. The simulated Pc curves show a good agreement with laboratory derived Mercury Injection Capillary Pressure (MICP) curves at low mercury saturations (0.70) at different mercury saturations