Histological and biochemical criteria for objective and early selection of grapevine cultivars resistant to Plasmopara viticola

Grapevine breeding is the most effective way to create cultivars resistant to downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola), and to reduce the number of fungicide applications. Four criteria, including histological and biochemical analyses, based on the level of different mechanisms of resistance to grapevine downy mildew, were tested on 42 different cultivars. Plantlets were artificially inoculated with downy mildew and the sporangia density was measured spectrophotometrically 6 d after infection. Callose synthesis in stomata and δ- and ε-viniferin levels at the site of infection were recorded 48 h after inoculation. These observations have allowed the 42 cultivars to be divided into 5 groups: very resistant (VR), resistant (R), less susceptible (LS), susceptible (S) and highly susceptible (HS). All 4 criteria have to be applied to assign the resistance level closer to field conditions. This method allows to rapidly evaluate the level of resistance of seedlings to downy mildew thereby leading to a reduction in duration  of the breeding program by several years.

Skylab S-193 Radscat microwave measurements of sea surface winds

The S-193 Radscat made extensive measurements of many sea conditions. Measurements were taken in a tropical hurricane (Ava), a tropical storm (Christine), and in portions of extratropical cyclones. Approximately 200 scans of ocean data at 105 kilometer spacings were taken during the first two Skylab missions and another 200 during the final mission when the characteristics of the measurements changed due to damage of the antenna. Backscatter with four transmit/receive polarization combinations and emissions with horizontal and vertical receive polarizations were measured. Other surface parameters investigated for correlation with the measurements included sea temperature, air/sea temperature difference, and gravity-wave spectrum. Methods were developed to correct the microwave measurements for atmospheric effects. The radiometric data were corrected accurately for clear sky and light cloud conditions only. The radiometer measurements were used to recover the surface scattering characteristics for all atmospheric conditions excluding rain. The radiometer measurements also detected the presence of rain which signaled when the scattering measurement should not be used for surface wind estimation. Regression analysis was used to determine empirically the relation between surface parameters and the microwave measurements, after correction for atmospheric effects. Results indicate a relationship approaching square-law at 50 deg between differential scattering coefficient and wind speed with horizontally polarized scattering data showing slightly more sensitivity to wind speed than vertically polarized data

Psychotherapeutic benefits of compassion-focused therapy: an early systematic review

Background. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) is a relatively novel form of psychotherapy that was developed for people who have mental health problems primarily linked to high shame and self-criticism. The aim of this early systematic review was to draw together the current research evidence of the effectiveness of CFT as a psychotherapeutic intervention, and to provide recommendations that may inform the development of further trials. Method. A comprehensive search of electronic databases was undertaken to systematically identify literature relating to the effectiveness of CFT as a psychotherapeutic intervention. Reference lists of key journals were hand searched and contact with experts in the field was made to identify unpublished data. Results. Fourteen studies were included in the review, including three randomized controlled studies. The findings from the included studies were, in the most part, favourable to CFT, and in particular seemed to be effective for people who were high in self-criticism. Conclusions. CFT shows promise as an intervention for mood disorders, particularly those high in self-criticism. However, more large-scale, high-quality trials are needed before it can be considered evidence-based practice. The review highlights issues from the current evidence that may be used to inform such trials

Carbohydrate reserves in grapevine (Vitis vinifera L. 'Chasselas'): the influence of the leaf to fruit ratio

Seasonal dynamics of total non-structural carbohydrates (TNC) in relation to the leaf-fruit ratio were measured over five years at different grapevine phenological stages in one- and two-year-old canes, trunks and roots of the cultivar 'Chasselas' (Vitis vinifera L.). Carbohydrates were mainly stored as starch in different parts of the grapevine during the growing season. Soluble carbohydrates represented only a small part (< 7 % of dry weight, DW) of the TNC. In the roots and trunks, the starch content fluctuated during the growing season, reaching the lowest values between budbreak and flowering depending on the year, and the highest values between harvest and leaf fall. The soluble sugar content increased in the trunks and the two-year-old canes during the winter period with the decrease in temperatures. A negative correlation was established between the average air temperature recorded during the seven days before sample collection for carbohydrate analysis, and soluble carbohydrate content in the trunks and two-year-old canes. The leaffruit ratio (source-sink), expressed by the “light-exposed leaf area∙kg-1 fruit”, not only substantially influenced the soluble sugar content in berries but also the starch and TNC concentrations in the trunks and roots at harvest. Higher leaf-fruit ratios resulted in increased starch and TNC concentrations in the trunks and roots, which attained the maximum values when the leaf-fruit ratio neared 2.0 m2 of light-exposed leaf area∙kg-1 fruit. Canopy height and leaf area had no predominant influence on the soluble sugars, starch contents, or TNC in the permanent vine parts. 

h-Principles for the Incompressible Euler Equations

Recently, De Lellis and Sz\'ekelyhidi constructed H\"older continuous, dissipative (weak) solutions to the incompressible Euler equations in the torus $\mathbb T^3$. The construction consists in adding fast oscillations to the trivial solution. We extend this result by establishing optimal h-principles in two and three space dimensions. Specifically, we identify all subsolutions (defined in a suitable sense) which can be approximated in the $H^{-1}$-norm by exact solutions. Furthermore, we prove that the flows thus constructed on $\mathbb T^3$ are genuinely three-dimensional and are not trivially obtained from solutions on $\mathbb T^2$.Comment: 29 pages, no figure

Quantum protocols for anonymous voting and surveying

We describe quantum protocols for voting and surveying. A key feature of our schemes is the use of entangled states to ensure that the votes are anonymous and to allow the votes to be tallied. The entanglement is distributed over separated sites; the physical inaccessibility of any one site is sufficient to guarantee the anonymity of the votes. The security of these protocols with respect to various kinds of attack is discussed. We also discuss classical schemes and show that our quantum voting protocol represents a N-fold reduction in computational complexity, where N is the number of voters.Comment: 8 pages. V2 includes the modifications made for the published versio

Identification of key residues that confer Rhodobacter sphaeroides LPS activity at horse TLR4/MD-2.

The molecular determinants underpinning how hexaacylated lipid A and tetraacylated precursor lipid IVa activate Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) are well understood, but how activation is induced by other lipid A species is less clear. Species specificity studies have clarified how TLR4/MD-2 recognises different lipid A structures, for example tetraacylated lipid IVa requires direct electrostatic interactions for agonism. In this study, we examine how pentaacylated lipopolysaccharide from Rhodobacter sphaeroides (RSLPS) antagonises human TLR4/MD-2 and activates the horse receptor complex using a computational approach and cross-species mutagenesis. At a functional level, we show that RSLPS is a partial agonist at horse TLR4/MD-2 with greater efficacy than lipid IVa. These data suggest the importance of the additional acyl chain in RSLPS signalling. Based on docking analysis, we propose a model for positioning of the RSLPS lipid A moiety (RSLA) within the MD-2 cavity at the TLR4 dimer interface, which allows activity at the horse receptor complex. As for lipid IVa, RSLPS agonism requires species-specific contacts with MD-2 and TLR4, but the R2 chain of RSLA protrudes from the MD-2 pocket to contact the TLR4 dimer in the vicinity of proline 442. Our model explains why RSLPS is only partially dependent on horse TLR4 residue R385, unlike lipid IVa. Mutagenesis of proline 442 into a serine residue, as found in human TLR4, uncovers the importance of this site in RSLPS signalling; horse TLR4 R385G/P442S double mutation completely abolishes RSLPS activity without its counterpart, human TLR4 G384R/S441P, being able to restore it. Our data highlight the importance of subtle changes in ligand positioning, and suggest that TLR4 and MD-2 residues that may not participate directly in ligand binding can determine the signalling outcome of a given ligand. This indicates a cooperative binding mechanism within the receptor complex, which is becoming increasingly important in TLR signalling.This work was supported by a project grant from the Horserace Betting Levy Board to CEB and a Horserace Betting Levy Board Veterinary Research Training Scholarship to KLI. This work was also supported by a Wellcome Trust program grant to NJG and CEB. CEB is a BBSRC Research Development Fellow.This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from PLOS at http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0098776

Takin\u27 It to the Web : Updating Operations Manuals for Today\u27s Techno-Realities

Inspired by Chelle Batchelor\u27s Training Technologies A-Zed presentation from the 2010 NWILL conference, Kathleen Spring was determined to update the out-of-date operations manual for Linfield College\u27s interlibrary loan (ILL) department while simultaneously morphing it into a more user-friendly training tool and moving it to a web-based system. For those who haven\u27t yet made the leap to web-based training tools for ILL, this presentation offers one example of what you can do to improve the training experience for your employees. Using Blackboard Learn as the content management system to house materials, this presentation demonstrates: how to leverage existing content from other departments to maximize efficiency how to use web-authoring tools like Softchalk™ to create interactive learning materials that reinforce concepts and also serve as reference materials for those less-frequent processes how to incorporate wikis, short videos/screencasts, and evaluation mechanisms

Monte Carlo-based lung cancer treatment planning incorporating PET-defined target volumes

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/135172/1/acm20065.pd