Orientation Effects for LOS and NLOS OWC Characterisation Within Small Structures

This paper reports an experimental investigation of the orientation effect towards optical wireless channel parameters within small structures. The experiment has characterised the orientation effect of the line-of-sight (LOS) and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) infrared transmission when using different material and geometrical properties on significant infrared channel parameters. Two measurement setups were used, (1) the straight guiding structures, and (2) bending guiding structures, with three different bending angles (30o, 45o and 60o bend). In each of the measurement, the receiver/transmitter is rotated in the steps of 15˚ each time. The results revealed that the characteristic of the channel depends on the physical geometries, the orientation of the transmitter/receiver and also depend on reflection coefficient of the materials. The results are valid for both LOS and NLOS transmission

Orientation Effects For LOS And NLOS OWC Characterisation Within Small Structures

This paper reports an experimental investigation of the orientation effect towards optical wireless channel parameters within small structures.The experiment has characterised the orientation effect of the line-of-sight (LOS)and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) infrared transmission when using different material and geometrical properties on significant infrared channel parameters.Two measurement setups were used,(1) the straight guiding structures,and (2) bending guiding structures,with three different bending angles (30o,45o and 60o bend).In each of the measurement,the receiver/transmitter is rotated in the steps of 15˚ each time.The results revealed that the characteristic of the channel depends on the physical geometries,the orientation of the transmitter/receiver and also depend on reflection coefficient of the materials.The results are valid for both LOS and NLOS transmission

Phylogenetic Evidence That Two Distinct Trichuris Genotypes Infect both Humans and Non-Human Primates

Although there has been extensive debate about whether Trichuris suis and Trichuris trichiura are separate species, only one species of the whipworm T. trichiura has been considered to infect humans and non-human primates. In order to investigate potential cross infection of Trichuris sp. between baboons and humans in the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, we sequenced the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region of adult Trichuris sp. worms isolated from five baboons from three different troops, namely the Cape Peninsula troop, Groot Olifantsbos troop and Da Gama Park troop. This region was also sequenced from T. trichiura isolated from a human patient from central Africa (Cameroon) for comparison. By combining this dataset with Genbank records for Trichuris isolated from other humans, non-human primates and pigs from several different countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa, we confirmed the identification of two distinct Trichuris genotypes that infect primates. Trichuris sp. isolated from the Peninsula baboons fell into two distinct clades that were found to also infect human patients from Cameroon, Uganda and Jamaica (named the CP-GOB clade) and China, Thailand, the Czech Republic, and Uganda (named the DG clade), respectively. The divergence of these Trichuris clades is ancient and precedes the diversification of T. suis which clustered closely to the CP-GOB clade. The identification of two distinct Trichuris genotypes infecting both humans and non-human primates is important for the ongoing treatment of Trichuris which is estimated to infect 600 million people worldwide. Currently baboons in the Cape Peninsula, which visit urban areas, provide a constant risk of infection to local communities. A reduction in spatial overlap between humans and baboons is thus an important measure to reduce both cross-transmission and zoonoses of helminthes in Southern Africa

Expression of the Arabidopsis redox-related LEA protein, SAG21 is regulated by ERF, NAC and WRKY transcription factors

SAG21/LEA5 is an unusual late embryogenesis abundant protein in Arabidopsis thaliana, that is primarily mitochondrially located and may be important in regulating translation in both chloroplasts and mitochondria. SAG21 expression is regulated by a plethora of abiotic and biotic stresses and plant growth regulators indicating a complex regulatory network. To identify key transcription factors regulating SAG21 expression, yeast-1-hybrid screens were used to identify transcription factors that bind the 1685 bp upstream of the SAG21 translational start site. Thirty-three transcription factors from nine different families bound to the SAG21 promoter, including members of the ERF, WRKY and NAC families. Key binding sites for both NAC and WRKY transcription factors were tested through site directed mutagenesis indicating the presence of cryptic binding sites for both these transcription factor families. Co-expression in protoplasts confirmed the activation of SAG21 by WRKY63/ABO3, and SAG21 upregulation elicited by oligogalacturonide elicitors was partially dependent on WRKY63, indicating its role in SAG21 pathogen responses. SAG21 upregulation by ethylene was abolished in the erf1 mutant, while wound-induced SAG21 expression was abolished in anac71 mutants, indicating SAG21 expression can be regulated by several distinct transcription factors depending on the stress condition

Interaction of plant growth regulators and reactive oxygen species to regulate petal senescence in wallflowers (Erysimum linifolium)

Background In many species floral senescence is coordinated by ethylene. Endogenous levels rise, and exogenous application accelerates senescence. Furthermore, floral senescence is often associated with increased reactive oxygen species, and is delayed by exogenously applied cytokinin. However, how these processes are linked remains largely unresolved. Erysimum linifolium (wallflower) provides an excellent model for understanding these interactions due to its easily staged flowers and close taxonomic relationship to Arabidopsis. This has facilitated microarray analysis of gene expression during petal senescence and provided gene markers for following the effects of treatments on different regulatory pathways. Results In detached Erysimum linifolium (wallflower) flowers ethylene production peaks in open flowers. Furthermore senescence is delayed by treatments with the ethylene signalling inhibitor silver thiosulphate, and accelerated with ethylene released by 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid. Both treatments with exogenous cytokinin, or 6-methyl purine (which is an inhibitor of cytokinin oxidase), delay petal senescence. However, treatment with cytokinin also increases ethylene biosynthesis. Despite the similar effects on senescence, transcript abundance of gene markers is affected differentially by the treatments. A significant rise in transcript abundance of WLS73 (a putative aminocyclopropanecarboxylate oxidase) was abolished by cytokinin or 6-methyl purine treatments. In contrast, WFSAG12 transcript (a senescence marker) continued to accumulate significantly, albeit at a reduced rate. Silver thiosulphate suppressed the increase in transcript abundance both of WFSAG12 and WLS73. Activity of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes changed during senescence. Treatments that increased cytokinin levels, or inhibited ethylene action, reduced accumulation of hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, although auxin levels rose with senescence, treatments that delayed early senescence did not affect transcript abundance of WPS46, an auxin-induced gene. Conclusions A model for the interaction between cytokinins, ethylene, reactive oxygen species and auxin in the regulation of floral senescence in wallflowers is proposed. The combined increase in ethylene and reduction in cytokinin triggers the initiation of senescence and these two plant growth regulators directly or indirectly result in increased reactive oxygen species levels. A fall in conjugated auxin and/or the total auxin pool eventually triggers abscission

Recent advances in underwater optical wireless communications

Optical wireless communications (OWC) are being considered for use under water because sea water exhibits a window of reduced absorption in the visible spectrum, particularly between 400–550nm. Recent technology has demonstrated the ability to support mid-range links (<200m) and at high bandwidths (<1Gbps) in clear oceans. The present paper outlines the governing transmission characteristics and reviews current experimental research in underwater OWC, highlighting the importance of the local chlorophyll concentration, particulate concentration and the resultant wavelength selection. Ideal wavelengths are found to be from 430nm, which represents a deep blue colour, to beyond 550nm in areas where the chlorophyll concentration is high

Green human resource management for organisational citizenshipbehaviour towards the environment and environmental performance on a university campus

The slow and inefficient environmental performance of universities is drawing the attention of scholars towards behavioural change in employees rather than just relying on technological upgrades. Drawing upon the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) theory, the purpose of this study is first to examine the influence of Green Human Resource Management (HRM) practices (green competence building practices, green motivation enhancing practices, and green employee involvement practices) on the organisational citizenship behaviour towards the environment (OCBE) of academic staff and, in turn, its impact on the environmental performance. Second, the mediating impact of OCBE between each of Green HRM practices and environmental performance is assessed. The data were collected from September until November 2017 on two campuses of a renowned public research university in Malaysia. Using quantitative research design, a structured questionnaire was used among the academic staff of the university. Convenience sampling was used to select the respondents from both campuses, and the Partial Least Squares (PLS) modelling technique was used to analyse the data, which comprised 122 respondents. Overall findings showed that three sets of Green HRM practices based on the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity framework had a significant impact on OCBE. Furthermore, OCBE had a significant relationship with environmental performance. For the mediation analysis, the results showed that OCBE exhibited by academic staff acted as a means through which the Green HRM practices of a university can positively influence the environmental performance of a university campus. The originality of this study rests in shedding light on Green HRM practices in the higher education sector and highlighting the critical role of academic staff's environmentally friendly behaviour for improving the environmental performance of a university

Neighbour-joining phylogenetic tree based on a MUSCLE alignment of <i>ITS2</i> sequences from <i>Trichuris</i> spp. isolated from human, non-human primates and pigs.

<p>Bootstrap values are indicated as percentages on the branches of the consensus tree which was inferred from 1000 replicates <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0044187#pone.0044187-Felsenstein1" target="_blank">[33]</a>. The tree was rooted with <i>T. ovis and T. discolor</i>. The evolutionary distances were computed using the Tajima-Nei method <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0044187#pone.0044187-Tajima1" target="_blank">[32]</a> and the scale represents the number of base substitutions per site. Branches corresponding to Clade DG are highlighted in blue, while branches corresponding to the Clades CP-GOB and <i>T. suis</i> are highlighted in green and pink respectively. Clones H5a and H5k, H7b and H7e, H8b and H8c, derived from the worms H5, H7 and H8 <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0044187#pone.0044187-Nissen1" target="_blank">[18]</a> which clustered to different clades respectively, are highlighted with red stars.</p

GenBank Accession Numbers for full length ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 and ITS1 and ITS2 regions used in this study.

<p>A question mark is indicated when information on living conditions was not explicit in Genbank records.</p