Chemical Vapor Detecting Passive RFID Tag

A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Tag is designed for threshold detection of certain chemical vapors. The vapor presence is signaled to the reader by a digital alert and communication between the tag and reader is not interrupted. The detection mechanism comprises an inkjet printed conducting track on an elastomer that swells in response to vapor exposure. The expanded track breaks and triggers a tamper detection circuit integrated into the RFID tag transponder chi

Simulation of growth and development of diverse legume species in APSIM

This paper describes the physiological basis and validation of a generic legume model as it applies to 4 species: chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), mungbean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek), peanut (Arachis hypogaeaL.), and lucerne (Medicago sativa L.). For each species, the key physiological parameters were derived from the literature and our own experimentation. The model was tested on an independent set of experiments, predominantly from the tropics and subtropics of Australia, varying in cultivar, sowing date, water regime (irrigated or dryland), row spacing, and plant population density. The model is an attempt to simulate crop growth and development with satisfactory comprehensiveness, without the necessity of defining a large number of parameters. A generic approach was adopted in recognition of the common underlying physiology and simulation approaches for many legume species. Simulation of grain yield explained 77, 81, and 70% of the variance (RMSD = 31, 98, and 46 g/m2) for mungbean (n = 40, observed mean = 123 g/m2), peanut (n = 30, 421 g/m2), and chickpea (n = 31, 196 g/m2), respectively. Biomass at maturity was simulated less accurately, explaining 64, 76, and 71% of the variance (RMSD = 134, 236, and 125 g/m2) for mungbean, peanut, and chickpea, respectively. RMSD for biomass in lucerne (n = 24) was 85 g/m2 with an R2 of 0.55. Simulation accuracy is similar to that achieved by single-crop models and suggests that the generic approach offers promise for simulating diverse legume species without loss of accuracy or physiological rigour

Genome-wide association analysis reveals QTL and candidate mutations involved in white spotting in cattle

International audienceAbstractBackgroundWhite spotting of the coat is a characteristic trait of various domestic species including cattle and other mammals. It is a hallmark of Holstein–Friesian cattle, and several previous studies have detected genetic loci with major effects for white spotting in animals with Holstein–Friesian ancestry. Here, our aim was to better understand the underlying genetic and molecular mechanisms of white spotting, by conducting the largest mapping study for this trait in cattle, to date.ResultsUsing imputed whole-genome sequence data, we conducted a genome-wide association analysis in 2973 mixed-breed cows and bulls. Highly significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) were found on chromosomes 6 and 22, highlighting the well-established coat color genes KIT and MITF as likely responsible for these effects. These results are in broad agreement with previous studies, although we also report a third significant QTL on chromosome 2 that appears to be novel. This signal maps immediately adjacent to the PAX3 gene, which encodes a known transcription factor that controls MITF expression and is the causal locus for white spotting in horses. More detailed examination of these loci revealed a candidate causal mutation in PAX3 (p.Thr424Met), and another candidate mutation (rs209784468) within a conserved element in intron 2 of MITF transcripts expressed in the skin. These analyses also revealed a mechanistic ambiguity at the chromosome 6 locus, where highly dispersed association signals suggested multiple or multiallelic QTL involving KIT and/or other genes in this region.ConclusionsOur findings extend those of previous studies that reported KIT as a likely causal gene for white spotting, and report novel associations between candidate causal mutations in both the MITF and PAX3 genes. The sizes of the effects of these QTL are substantial, and could be used to select animals with darker, or conversely whiter, coats depending on the desired characteristics

Overcoming the challenges of studying conservation physiology in large whales : a review of available methods

Large whales are subjected to a variety of conservation pressures that could be better monitored and managed if physiological information could be gathered readily from free-swimming whales. However, traditional approaches to studying physiology have been impractical for large whales, because there is no routine method for capture of the largest species and there is presently no practical method of obtaining blood samples from free-swimming whales. We review the currently available techniques for gathering physiological information on large whales using a variety of non-lethal and minimally invasive (or non-invasive) sample matrices. We focus on methods that should produce information relevant to conservation physiology, e.g. measures relevant to stress physiology, reproductive status, nutritional status, immune response, health, and disease. The following four types of samples are discussed: faecal samples, respiratory samples (‘blow’), skin/blubber samples, and photographs. Faecal samples have historically been used for diet analysis but increasingly are also used for hormonal analyses, as well as for assessment of exposure to toxins, pollutants, and parasites. Blow samples contain many hormones as well as respiratory microbes, a diverse array of metabolites, and a variety of immune-related substances. Biopsy dart samples are widely used for genetic, contaminant, and fatty-acid analyses and are now being used for endocrine studies along with proteomic and transcriptomic approaches. Photographic analyses have benefited from recently developed quantitative techniques allowing assessment of skin condition, ectoparasite load, and nutritional status, along with wounds and scars from ship strikes and fishing gear entanglement. Field application of these techniques has the potential to improve our understanding of the physiology of large whales greatly, better enabling assessment of the relative impacts of many anthropogenic and ecological pressures.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Uncovering the neuroanatomical correlates of cognitive, affective and conative theory of mind in paediatric traumatic brain injury: a neural systems perspective

Deficits in theory of mind (ToM) are common after neurological insult acquired in the first and second decade of life, however the contribution of large-scale neural networks to ToM deficits in children with brain injury is unclear. Using paediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a model, this study investigated the sub-acute effect of paediatric traumatic brain injury on grey-matter volume of three large-scale, domain-general brain networks (the Default Mode Network, DMN; the Central Executive Network, CEN; and the Salience Network, SN), as well as two domain-specific neural networks implicated in social-affective processes (the Cerebro-Cerebellar Mentalizing Network, CCMN and the Mirror Neuron/Empathy Network, MNEN). We also evaluated prospective structure–function relationships between these large-scale neural networks and cognitive, affective and conative ToM. 3D T1- weighted magnetic resonance imaging sequences were acquired sub-acutely in 137 children [TBI: n = 103; typically developing (TD) children: n = 34]. All children were assessed on measures of ToM at 24-months post-injury. Children with severe TBI showed sub-acute volumetric reductions in the CCMN, SN, MNEN, CEN and DMN, as well as reduced grey-matter volumes of several hub regions of these neural networks. Volumetric reductions in the CCMN and several of its hub regions, including the cerebellum, predicted poorer cognitive ToM. In contrast, poorer affective and conative ToM were predicted by volumetric reductions in the SN and MNEN, respectively. Overall, results suggest that cognitive, affective and conative ToM may be prospectively predicted by individual differences in structure of different neural systems—the CCMN, SN and MNEN, respectively. The prospective relationship between cerebellar volume and cognitive ToM outcomes is a novel finding in our paediatric brain injury sample and suggests that the cerebellum may play a role in the neural networks important for ToM. These findings are discussed in relation to neurocognitive models of ToM. We conclude that detection of sub-acute volumetric abnormalities of large-scale neural networks and their hub regions may aid in the early identification of children at risk for chronic social-cognitive impairment

Lowering of blood pressure after nitrate-rich vegetable consumption is abolished with the co-ingestion of thiocyanate-rich vegetables in healthy normotensive males

A diet rich in vegetables is known to provide cardioprotection. However, it is unclear how the consumption of different vegetables might interact to influence vascular health. This study tested the hypothesis that nitrate-rich vegetable consumption would lower systolic blood pressure but that this effect would be abolished when nitrate-rich and thiocyanate-rich vegetables are co-ingested. On four separate occasions, and in a randomised cross-over design, eleven healthy males reported to the laboratory and consumed a 750 mL vegetable smoothie that was either: low in nitrate (~ 0.3 mmol) and thiocyanate (~ 5 μmol), low in nitrate and high in SCN- (~ 72 μmol), high in nitrate (~ 4 mmol) and low in SCN- and high in nitrate and SCN-. Blood pressure as well as plasma and salivary [thiocyanate], [nitrate] and [nitrite] were assessed before and 3 hours after smoothie consumption. Plasma [nitrate] and [nitrite] and salivary [nitrate] were not different after consuming the two high-nitrate smoothies, but salivary [nitrite] was higher after consuming the high-nitrate low-thiocyanate smoothie (1183 ± 625 µM) compared to the high-nitrate high-thiocyanate smoothie (941 ± 532 µM; P<0.001). Systolic blood pressure was only lowered after consuming the high-nitrate low-thiocyanate smoothie (-3 ± 5 mmHg; P<0.05). The acute consumption of vegetables high in nitrate and low in thiocyanate lowered systolic blood pressure. However, when the same dose of nitrate-rich vegetables was co-ingested with thiocyanate-rich vegetables the increase in salivary [nitrite] was smaller and systolic blood pressure was not lowered. These findings might have implications for optimising dietary guidelines aimed at improving cardiovascular health

Recommendations for the use of common outcome measures in pediatric traumatic brain injury research

This article addresses the need for age-relevant outcome measures for traumatic brain injury (TBI) research and summarizes the recommendations by the inter-agency Pediatric TBI Outcomes Workgroup. The Pediatric Workgroup\u27s recommendations address primary clinical research objectives including characterizing course of recovery from TBI, prediction of later outcome, measurement of treatment effects, and comparison of outcomes across studies. Consistent with other Common Data Elements (CDE) Workgroups, the Pediatric TBI Outcomes Workgroup adopted the standard three-tier system in its selection of measures. In the first tier, core measures included valid, robust, and widely applicable outcome measures with proven utility in pediatric TBI from each identified domain including academics, adaptive and daily living skills, family and environment, global outcome, health-related quality of life, infant and toddler measures, language and communication, neuropsychological impairment, physical functioning, psychiatric and psychological functioning, recovery of consciousness, social role participation and social competence, social cognition, and TBI-related symptoms. In the second tier, supplemental measures were recommended for consideration in TBI research focusing on specific topics or populations. In the third tier, emerging measures included important instruments currently under development, in the process of validation, or nearing the point of published findings that have significant potential to be superior to measures in the core and supplemental lists and may eventually replace them as evidence for their utility emerges

Characterisation of PduS, the pdu Metabolosome Corrin Reductase, and Evidence of Substructural Organisation within the Bacterial Microcompartment

PduS is a corrin reductase and is required for the reactivation of the cobalamin-dependent diol dehydratase. It is one component encoded within the large propanediol utilisation (pdu) operon, which is responsible for the catabolism of 1,2-propanediol within a self-assembled proteinaceous bacterial microcompartment. The enzyme is responsible for the reactivation of the cobalamin coenzyme required by the diol dehydratase. The gene for the cobalamin reductase from Citrobacter freundii (pduS) has been cloned to allow the protein to be overproduced recombinantly in E. coli with an N-terminal His-tag. Purified recombinant PduS is shown to be a flavoprotein with a non-covalently bound FMN that also contains two coupled [4Fe-4S] centres. It is an NADH-dependent flavin reductase that is able to mediate the one-electron reductions of cob(III)alamin to cob(II)alamin and cob(II)alamin to cob(I)alamin. The [4Fe-4S] centres are labile to oxygen and their presence affects the midpoint redox potential of flavin. Evidence is presented that PduS is able to bind cobalamin, which is inconsistent with the view that PduS is merely a flavin reductase. PduS is also shown to interact with one of the shell proteins of the metabolosome, PduT, which is also thought to contain an [Fe-S] cluster. PduS is shown to act as a corrin reductase and its interaction with a shell protein could allow for electron passage out of the bacterial microcompartment