Identification And Characterization Of A Putative Populus E3 RING-H2 Ubiquitin Ligase That When Over-Expressed Is Correlated With Insect Resistance To Orgyia Leucostigma

Insect herbivory is a major stress on plants that results in significant economic losses to forest plantations and natural forests. In response, Populus have evolved a suite of constitutive and inducible defenses to deter insect feeding. Despite advances in technologies and the sequencing of the Populus trichocarpa genome, defensive pathways against insect herbivores are poorly understood. With the creation of activation tagged (AT) Populus we can use a forward genetics approach to identify genes involved in insect resistance (IR). To explore the genetic architecture of tree defenses, we conducted a forward genetics screen of AT Populus tremula x Populus alba (Pt x Pa) trees using choice bioassays with the purpose of identifying mutants with altered constitutive and induced defenses to Orgyia leucostigma. 770 AT mutants from Michigan Technological University were screened using mutant-mutant pairs on unwounded and wounded leaves. Fourteen percent (108 mutants) were identified as candidates for additional choice bioassays against wildtype trees. From this screen we have identified a few candidates that can be investigated with additional bioassays. In addition, we conducted bioassays on nine AT mutants previously identified from a screen at Queen’s University to confirm that they had altered IR. One mutant from the QU population, E8-16, showed IR during two independent choice bioassays using unwounded leaves. Choice bioassays demonstrated that larvae consumed less area and less weight from E8-16 compared to wildtype leaf disks. No-choice bioassays, designed to determine if the AT mutant has an effect on insect weight gain and development, revealed larvae reared on E8-16 trees gained less wet and dry weight, consumed less leaf material, and delayed larval development. The next step was to identify where the T-DNA inserted within the Populus genome for E8-16 and which gene(s) were “activated” in response to being in close proximity to cauliflower mosaic virus enhancers on the T-DNA. We used SiteFinding and thermal asymmetric interlaced (TAIL) PCR to map a T-DNA insertion on chromosome 10 for the E8-16 mutant. Real-time PCR of three genes within 20 kb of the T-DNA revealed 10s12800 had elevated expression in E8-16 versus Pt x Pa wildtype leaves (6.9-fold, nested ANOVA, p\u3c0.00001). To begin to characterize the gene a bioinformatic analysis of the 10s12800 amino acid sequence was conducted which identified a really interesting new gene (RING) domain. 10s12800 is a putative E3 RING-H2 ubiquitin ligase involved in the terminal step of the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway that marks target proteins with ubiquitin for degradation by the 26S proteasome. Real-time PCR was used to measure absolute abundance of 10s12800 mRNA in a tissue panel consisting of mature leaves, immature leaves, phloem, bark, xylem, petioles, and roots. This analysis revealed 10s12800 is ubiquitously expressed in all tissues with greatest expression in mature leaves. To identify potential defensive pathways influenced by increased 10s12800 expression, we analyzed leaf transcriptomes of E8-16 and Pt x Pa wildtype trees on an Agilent 4x44K Populus microarray. Using criteria of p\u3c0.05 and a false discovery q value \u3c0.15, only 22 of the 43, 803 gene probes showed expression differences between Pt x Pa wildtype and E8-16. Among those 22 probes were MADS-box transcription factors and chitinases. To confirm 10s12800 is responsible for the IR phenotype, 10s12800 full length cDNA was inserted into the pCAMBIA S1300 vector behind a partial superpromoter and introduced into two different Populus genetic backgrounds. qPCR screening of transgenic lines revealed one line, TL4, with a two-fold increase in expression compared to a vector control (Nested ANOVA, p\u3c0.05, n=5). Choice assays revealed that Orgyia leucostigma larvae preferred to consume vector control trees compared to TL4 (Nested ANOVA, p\u3c0.05, n=8 pairs). However, we did not see a statistical difference in insect growth and development in a no-choice assay where larvae were caged on either TL4 or vector control trees (t-test, p\u3e0.05, n=9). Collectively, these results suggest that we have identified a putative E3 RING-H2 ubiquitin ligase that may be a regulator of plant defense against Orgyia leucostigma

Characterization of Fall Leaves as a Source of Cellulosic Ethanol

Ethanol is becoming increasingly popular as a fossil fuel additive or substitute. However, current production of ethanol from corn impacts food prices and appears to have an overall low net yield. New sources need to be identified and new processes developed for ethanol production. Cellulosic ethanol is one such new source. Plant material contains a large amount of cellulose and other polysaccharides which are potential feed stocks for ethanol production. The purpose of this experiment was to characterize the polysaccharide, lignin, and ash content of fall leaves to estimate their potential for ethanol production. A slight modification of the NREL procedure “Determination of Structural Carbohydrates and Lignin in Biomass” was used to characterize the leaves. Results of this analysis demonstrated that the leaves were composed of cellulose (23.8 +/- 1.6%), xylan (7.4+/- 0.7%), arabinan (7.9+/-0.8%), acid soluble lignin (22.3+/- 1.0%), acid insoluble lignin (27.6%), and acid insoluble ash (2.6%). It is estimated that approximately 60 gallons of ethanol could be produced per ton of leaf litter. In comparison to other cellulose sources, leaf litter has less sugars and will produce less ethanol. However, energy is already being expended to harvest leaf litter whereas addition energy would be consumed to harvest other cellulose sources

Dijagram zračenja sfernih i cilindričnih mikrotrakastih antena pravokutnog oblika

The program for calculating radiation properties of spherical and cylindrical rectangular microstrip patch antenna is presented. The patch can be embedded in or placed on a general multilayer spherical or circular-cylindrical structure. The solution procedure takes advantage of spectral-domain approach and the spherical/ cylindrical multilayer structure is rigorously taken into account by calculating appropriate spectral-domain Green\u27s functions. The results show the importance of rigorous analysis of curved patch antennas.U radu je predstavljen program za izračunavanje dijagrama zračenja sfernih i cilindričnih mikrotrakastih antena pravokutnog oblika. Mikrotrakasta antena može biti postavljena unutar ili na površinu općenite višeslojne sferne ili cilindrične strukture. U postupku rješavanja koriste se prednosti transformacije u spektralnu domenu pri čemu je sferna i cilindrična višeslojna struktura rigorozno uzeta u obzir uporabom odgovarajuće Greenove funkcije u spektralnoj domeni. Rezultati pokazuju važnost rigorozne analize zakrivljenih mikrotrakastih antena

Metoda unesenoga gubitka i optimizacijski algoritam roja čestica u dizajniranju filtra

A filter design using insertion loss method (ILM) and Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO) is presented in the paper. ILM is generally a preferred technique for the filter design with an arbitrary number of elements. This method can be used to create the filter which has different types of frequency responses. However, this procedure is not practical for a large number of elements. PSO algorithm can be a useful procedure for calculating values in filters with a large number of elements. This paper presents the procedure which takes an advantage of ILM for filter design and PSO for determination an unknown component values in filters with large number of elements. This is suitable approach for filter design with an arbitrary cutoff frequency and shape of pass band.U radu je prezentiran dizajn filtra s pomoću metode unesenoga gubitka i optimizacijskog algoritma roja čestica. Metoda unesenoga gubitka je česta tehnika za dizajniranje filtra s neodređenim brojem elemenata. Ova se metoda može primijeniti za kreiranje filtra s različitim vrstama frekvencijskih odziva. Unatoč tomu, ova procedura nije pogodna pri velikom broju elemenata. Ovdje je prezentirana unaprijeđena procedura dizajniranja filtra u usporedbi s klasičnom metodom unesenoga gubitka, za utvrđivanje nepoznate vrijednosti u filtrima s velikim brojem elemenata upotrijebljen je algoritam roja čestica. To je pogodno za dizajniranje filtra bilo koje granične frekvencije i pojasa propuštanja

Analiza svojstava sfernih mikrotrakastih antena s parazitskim rezonatorom

Arrays of circular stacked-patch antennas, mounted in a multilayer spherical structure, are analyzed using the spectral-domain approach and the moment method. The interest for spherical arrays is based on their possibility to scan a single or multiple beams over the entire hemisphere. The influence of structure radius on input impedance, mutual coupling and radiation pattern is investigated. It is shown that the properties the most affected by the variation of structure radius are the resonant frequency and the mutual coupling level. The results confirm the importance of rigorous analysis of curved patch antennas. Furthermore, a laboratory model is built to validate the developed program. The agreement between measured and calculated results is good.Zanimanje za sferne antenske nizove zasnovano je na njihovoj mogućnosti da usmjeravaju jednu ili više glavnih latica preko cijelog prostora. U ovom članku razmatrane su kružne mikrotrakaste antene s parazitskim rezonatorom ugrađene u općenitu višeslojnu sfernu strukturu. Postupak analize se temelji na metodi momenata u spektralnoj domeni. Razmatran je utjecaj zakrivljenosti strukture na ulaznu impedanciju, spregu između antenskih elemenata i dijagram zračenja. Pokazano je da promjena zakrivljenosti strukture najviše utječe na rezonantnu frekvenciju i na jačinu sprege između elemenata antenskog niza. Rezultati potvrđuju važnost rigorozne analize zakrivljenih mikrotrakastih antena. Nadalje, da bi se provjerili rezultati dobiveni razvijenim računalnim programom, izrađen je laboratorijski model sfernog antenskog niza. Ostvareno je dobro podudaranje izračunatih i izmjerenih rezultata

Metoda unesenoga gubitka i optimizacijski algoritam roja čestica u dizajniranju filtra

A filter design using insertion loss method (ILM) and Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (PSO) is presented in the paper. ILM is generally a preferred technique for the filter design with an arbitrary number of elements. This method can be used to create the filter which has different types of frequency responses. However, this procedure is not practical for a large number of elements. PSO algorithm can be a useful procedure for calculating values in filters with a large number of elements. This paper presents the procedure which takes an advantage of ILM for filter design and PSO for determination an unknown component values in filters with large number of elements. This is suitable approach for filter design with an arbitrary cutoff frequency and shape of pass band.U radu je prezentiran dizajn filtra s pomoću metode unesenoga gubitka i optimizacijskog algoritma roja čestica. Metoda unesenoga gubitka je česta tehnika za dizajniranje filtra s neodređenim brojem elemenata. Ova se metoda može primijeniti za kreiranje filtra s različitim vrstama frekvencijskih odziva. Unatoč tomu, ova procedura nije pogodna pri velikom broju elemenata. Ovdje je prezentirana unaprijeđena procedura dizajniranja filtra u usporedbi s klasičnom metodom unesenoga gubitka, za utvrđivanje nepoznate vrijednosti u filtrima s velikim brojem elemenata upotrijebljen je algoritam roja čestica. To je pogodno za dizajniranje filtra bilo koje granične frekvencije i pojasa propuštanja

Islamophobie im Modernen Deutschland

For a country terrified of repeating its Nazi past, Islamophobic sentiment and policies are becoming increasingly more popular in modern Germany. This paper explores the some of the historical and cultural underpinnings as well as provides some sociological theories to try and understand just why this type of ideology is festering amongst the German public. Discriminatory practices are veiled under the guise of “living together” and alt-right extremist parties such as the Alternative für Deutschland play to the insecurities of the majority and further support these injustices. As the Muslim minority’s legal rights become increasingly compromised, and human rights violations go completely ignored, it’s only a matter of time before the impact of such policies becomes catastrophic

Comparison of self-assessment of hearing performance of hearing aid users with moderate and severe hearing loss

Cilj ovog rada bio je izvršiti usporedbu samoprocjene kvalitete slušanja korisnika slušnih pomagala s umjerenom i teškom nagluhošću, kako bi se stekao uvid u odnos stupnja oštećenja sluha i njegovih percipiranih posljedica te doživljaja koristi od slušnog pomagala. Upitnikom samoprocjene Profil ishoda rehabilitacije slušanja (PIRS) prikupljeni su podatci 36 sudionika podijeljenih u dvije skupine ovisno o kategoriji nagluhosti. Temeljem rezultata analize razlika u percipiranim posljedicama Mann-Whitney U testom, utvrđeno je da osobe s većim stupanjem oštećenja sluha osjećaju veći utjecaj oštećenja na kvalitetu života. Korelacijskom analizom stupnja oštećenja sluha na boljem uhu, varijabli načina uporabe slušnog pomagala te samoprocjene kvalitete slušanja, zaključeno je da osobe koje redovitije i trajnije koriste slušno pomagalo prijavljuju lakše posljedice oštećenja sluha. Implikacije ovog istraživanja upućuju na potrebnu reorganizaciju pristupa rehabilitaciji stečenih oštećenja sluha kod odraslih u smislu ponude novih usluga koje će dopuniti uslugu dodjele slušnog pomagala.This paper aims to compare the results of the self-assessment of hearing quality and related hendicap between hearing aid users with moderate and severe hearing loss, in order to investigate the relation between the degree of hearing loss and its perceived communication consequences, socio-emotional impact and the perceived hearing aid benefit. Data from 36 adult subjects, divided in two groups regarding the hearing loss category (moderate vs severe), was collected using a self-assessment questionnaire 'Aural rehabilitation outcomes profile'. The analysis of the differences in perceived impact was carried out by using Mann- Whitney U test, showing that subjects with more severe hearing loss feel greater communication and socio-emotional consequences of their hearing loss. Correlation analysis between the self-assessment variables, better-ear-pure-tone average, and variables representing hearing aid use suggest that subjects who wear hearing aid more often and longer during the day report less communication and socio-emotional consequences due to their hearing loss. This research study implies that reorganization of rehabilitation approaches is needed, which can be done by offering new services, in addition to hearing aid fitting

Do Yourself a Favor: We Help Our Future Selves for the Same Reasons We Help Others

As humans we have a remarkable capacity to sacrifice for the future, and an equally remarkable capacity to shortchange it, leaving our future selves to pay the price. The research in this dissertation suggests that sacrifice for the future (patience) may be governed by the same rules that govern sacrifice for others (altruism). Studies found that (1) patience was positively correlated with altruism, and (2) patience was positively correlated with empathic accuracy, a measure that predicted altruism. A third set of studies found that (3) a pervasive influence on altruism--group membership--also influenced patience. Participants who expected to switch groups in the future felt less connected to their future selves and left more than twice as much unpleasant work to the future. This research provides converging support for the hypothesis that common factors promote altruism and patience, suggesting that we may be able to draw on the decades of research studying kindness toward others to promote a little more kindness toward our future selves.Psycholog