Molecular characterization of different Triticum monococcum ssp. monococcum Glu-A1^mx alleles

High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) are important seed storage proteins associated with bread-making quality in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L., 2n = 6x = 42, AABBDD). Variation in the Glu-A1x locus in common wheat is scare. Diploid Triticum monococcum ssp. monococcum (2n = 2x = 14, AmAm) is the first cultivated wheat. In the present study, allelic variations at the Glu-A1mx locus were systematically investigated in 197 T. monococcum ssp. monococcum accessions. Out of the 8 detected Glu-A1mx alleles, 5 were novel, including Glu-A1m-b, Glu-A1m-c, Glu-A1m-d, Glu-A1m-g, and Glu-A1m-h. This diversity is higher than that of common wheat. Compared with 1Ax1 and 1Ax2*, which are present in common wheat, these alleles contained three deletions/insertions as well as some single nucleotide polymorphism variations that might affect the elastic properties of wheat flour. New variations in T. monococcum probably occurred after the divergence between A and Am and are excluded in common wheat populations. These allelic variations could be used as novel resources to further improve wheat quality

Collider aspects of flavour physics at high Q

This review presents flavour related issues in the production and decays of heavy states at LHC, both from the experimental side and from the theoretical side. We review top quark physics and discuss flavour aspects of several extensions of the Standard Model, such as supersymmetry, little Higgs model or models with extra dimensions. This includes discovery aspects as well as measurement of several properties of these heavy states. We also present public available computational tools related to this topic.Comment: Report of Working Group 1 of the CERN Workshop ``Flavour in the era of the LHC'', Geneva, Switzerland, November 2005 -- March 200

Wood smoke-induced airway hyperreactivity in guinea pigs: Time course, and role of leukotrienes and hydroxyl radical

A prior airway exposure to wood smoke induces a tachykinin-dependant increase in airway responsiveness to the subsequent smoke inhalation in guinea pigs (Life Sci. 63: 1513, 1998). To further investigate the time course of, and the contribution of other chemical mediators to, this smoke-induced airway hyperresponsiveness (SIAHR), two smoke challenges teach 10 mi) separated by 30 min were delivered into the lungs of anesthetized guinea pigs by a respirator. In the control animals, the SIAHR was evidenced by the bronchoconstrictive response to the second smoke challenge (SM2) which was similar to 5.2-fold greater than that to the first challenge (SM1). This SIAHR was alleviated by shortening the elapsed time between SM1 and SM2 to 10 min or by extending it to 60 min, and was abolished by extending it to 120 min. This SIAHR was reduced by pretreatment with either MK-571 (a leukotriene D-4-receptor antagonist) or dimethylthiourea (a hydroxyl radical scavenger), but was not affected by pretreatment with either pyrilamine (a histamine H-1-receptor antagonist) or indomethacin (a cyclooxygenase inhibitor). The smoke-induced reduction in the neutral endopeptidase activity (a major enzyme for tachykinin degradation) measured in airway tissues excised 30 min post SM1 was largely prevented by pretreatment with dimethylthiourea. However, this reduction was not seen in airway tissues excised 120 min post SM1. These results suggest that 1) the SIAHR to inhaled wood smoke has a rapid onset time following smoke inhalation and lasts for less than two hours, 2) leukotrienes and hydroxyl radical may play contributory roles in the development of this SIAHR, and 3) hydroxyl radical is the major factor responsible for the smoke-induced inactivation of airway neutral endopeptidase, which may possibly participate in the development of this SIAHR

Tempering of Steel during Laser Treatment

This study concentrates on the annealing effects of a laser-treated area by a successive laser pass in a plain carbon, a chromium, and a tungsten steel. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), optical microscopy (OM), and wear and hardness measurements revealed substantial effects on the properties and microstructure of the plain carbon and tungsten steel which have a partly martensitic cellular structure after the first laser treatment. Close to the melt zone, martensite was again formed, whereas further away, nucleation of carbides was observed. The hardness increased in the former area and decreased in the latter. An analytical model sustained that the softening is due to carbon diffusion and martensite tempering. The softer zone in the tungsten steel exhibited a decrease of wear rate relative to the not-annealed zone in contrast to the plain carbon steel. Besides some diffusion, no annealing effects were found in the chromium steel which possessed an austenitic cellular structure after the first laser treatment.