The utility of NBS profiling for plant systematics: a first study in tuber-bearing Solanum species

Systematic relationships are important criteria for researchers and breeders to select materials. We evaluated a novel molecular technique, nucleotide binding site (NBS) profiling, for its potential in phylogeny reconstruction. NBS profiling produces multiple markers in resistance genes and their analogs (RGAs). Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is a crop with a large secondary genepool, which contains many important traits that can be exploited in breeding programs. In this study we used a set of over 100 genebank accessions, representing 49 tuber-bearing wild and cultivated Solanum species. NBS profiling was compared to amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP). Cladistic and phenetic analyses showed that the two techniques had similar resolving power and delivered trees with a similar topology. However, the different statistical tests used to demonstrate congruency of the trees were inconclusive. Visual inspection of the trees showed that, especially at the lower level, many accessions grouped together in the same way in both trees; at the higher level, when looking at the more basal nodes, only a few groups were well supported. Again this was similar for both techniques. The observation that higher level groups were poorly supported might be due to the nature of the material and the way the species evolved. The similarity of the NBS and AFLP results indicate that the role of disease resistance in speciation is limite

Punitive sanctions and the transition from welfare to work

social welfare;employment;labour policy;job search

Prediction of Corner Mechanical Properties for Stainless Steels Due to Cold Forming

The results of a study of the degree of workhardening on stainless steel Types 304, 409, 430 and Type 3CR12 corrosion resisting steel due to cold work of forming are presented in this paper. Analytical inelastic stress-strain relationships are established for virgin tensile specimens. An equation for predicting the yield strength of comers are developed

Burst Strength of Type 304L Stainless Steel Tubes Subjected to Internal Pressure and External Forces

The findings of an investigation concerning the burst strength of cold-formed Type 304L stainless steel tubes subjected to internal pressure and static external forces are reported in this study. The use of cold-formed stainless steel longitudinally welded tube in pressurised processes in industry are limited due to the belief that seamless tubes have superior resistance to internal pressure. The primary objective of this study was to experimentally and theoretically describe the failure criteria for thin-walled longitudinally welded Type 304L stainless steel tubes subjected to internal pressure and static external point loads and torsion loads. Due to the diversity of the pipe manufacturing process, problem areas which were most likely to cause failures were identified. A microscopic study was done of the weld region where failure was expected in order to support the test results. It was found that cold-formed longitudinally welded Type 304L stainless steel tubes could attain very high bursting pressure values and could compete with seamless tubes in this respect. It was also found that the internal pressure was the most important criteria in tube failure and that the effect of static external forces could be neglected to a certain extent

The Lateral Torsional Buckling Strength of Cold-formed Stainless Steel Lipped Channel Beams

The findings of an investigation into the lateral buckling strength of cold-formed singly-symmetric stainless steel beams are reported in this study. The singly-symmetric sections under consideration were lipped channel sections fabricated from a modified AISI stainless steel Type 409 designated 3CR12, a ferritic corrosion resisting steel. The purpose of this study was to compare the experimental strengths of singly-symmetric sections to the theoretical predictions proposed by the new ASCE Specification for the Design of Cold-Formed Stainless Steel Structural Members. It was concluded in this investigation that the tangent modulus approach adopted in the design specification for stainless steels, compared well with the experimental results

Health-related quality of life and mental health problems after a disaster: Are chronically ill survivors more vulnerable to health problems?

Studies have shown that the chronically ill are at higher risk for reduced health-related quality of life (HRQL) and for mental health problems. A combination with traumatic events might increase this risk. This longitudinal study among 1216 survivors of a disaster examines whether chronically ill survivors had a different course of HRQL and mental health problems compared to survivors without chronic diseases. HRQL and mental health problems were measured 3 weeks, 18 months and 4 years post-disaster. Data on pre-disaster chronic diseases was obtained from the electronic medical records of general practitioners. Random coefficient analyses showed significant interaction effects for social functioning, bodily pain and emotional role limitations at T2 only. Chronically ill survivors did not consistently have a different course of general health, physical role limitations, and mental health problems. In conclusion, chronic diseases were not an important risk factor for impaired HRQL and mental health problems among survivors