Effect of Allocentric Landmarks on Primate Gaze Behaviour in a Cue Conflict Task

The brain can remember the location of a peripheral target relative to self (egocentric) or to an external landmark (allocentric). The relative reliabilities of egocentric and allocentric coding had been examined in reach, but it was never explored in the gaze control system. In this study, we utilized a cue conflict task to create a dissociation between egocentric and allocentric information to assess the effect of allocentric cues on gaze behaviour in two macaque monkeys. The results showed that the monkey gaze behaviour is a combination of both reference frames depending on the reliability of the allocentric cue. We also found that the allocentric cue was significantly more reliable when it is located closer to the fixation point, and when the cue shifts further away from the fixation point or the original target. Our findings suggest that the influence of allocentric cues on gaze behaviour depends on various gaze parameters

A novel integrated method of detection-grasping for specific object based on the box coordinate matching

To better care for the elderly and disabled, it is essential for service robots to have an effective fusion method of object detection and grasp estimation. However, limited research has been observed on the combination of object detection and grasp estimation. To overcome this technical difficulty, a novel integrated method of detection-grasping for specific object based on the box coordinate matching is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the SOLOv2 instance segmentation model is improved by adding channel attention module (CAM) and spatial attention module (SAM). Then, the atrous spatial pyramid pooling (ASPP) and CAM are added to the generative residual convolutional neural network (GR-CNN) model to optimize grasp estimation. Furthermore, a detection-grasping integrated algorithm based on box coordinate matching (DG-BCM) is proposed to obtain the fusion model of object detection and grasp estimation. For verification, experiments on object detection and grasp estimation are conducted separately to verify the superiority of improved models. Additionally, grasping tasks for several specific objects are implemented on a simulation platform, demonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of DG-BCM algorithm proposed in this paper

Aqueous copper-mediated reversible deactivation radical polymerization (RDRP) utilizing polyetheramine derived initiators

Copper-mediated reversible deactivation radical polymeriation (Cu-RDRP) in aqueous media has been employed to synthesize temperature-responsive block copolymers, utilizing both hydrophobic and hydrophilic amide functional macroinitiators derived from polyetheramines (Jeffamines™). The in situ and rapid diproportionation of Cu(I)Br/Me6TREN in water is exploited for the efficient homopolymerization of N-isopropyl acrylamide (NIPAM) and dimethyl acrylamide (DMA), at near full conversions (>99%), with low dispersity (Đ < 1.18) and with a range of molar masses. The Jeffamine™-derived macroinitiators were used for both the synthesis of homopolymer and for one-pot chain extensions and block copolymerizations (i.e. Jeffamine™-PNIPAM-b-PDMA). The obtained polymers exhibit controlled thermoresponsive aggregation behaviour which varies depending on the hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity of the macroinitiators and the composition of the block copolymers. Thermal analysis and dynamic light scattering (DLS) give an insight into the effect of these macroinitiators on the thermoresponsive aggregation behaviour of the synthesized polymers

Identification of candidate gene for the defective kernel phenotype using bulked segregant RNA and exome capture sequencing methods in wheat

Wheat is a significant source of protein and starch worldwide. The defective kernel (Dek) mutant AK-3537, displaying a large hollow area in the endosperm and shrunken grain, was obtained through ethyl methane sulfonate (EMS) treatment of the wheat cultivar Aikang 58 (AK58). The mode of inheritance of the AK-3537 grain Dek phenotype was determined to be recessive with a specific statistical significance level. We used bulked segregant RNA-seq (BSR-seq), BSA-based exome capture sequencing (BSE-seq), and the ΔSNP-index algorithm to identify candidate regions for the grain Dek phenotype. Two major candidate regions, DCR1 (Dek candidate region 1) and DCR2, were identified on chromosome 7A between 279.98 and 287.93 Mb and 565.34 and 568.59 Mb, respectively. Based on transcriptome analysis and previous reports, we designed KASP genotyping assays based on SNP variations in the candidate regions and speculated that the candidate gene is TraesCS7A03G0625900 (HMGS-7A), which encodes a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase. One SNP variation located at position 1,049 in the coding sequence (G&gt;A) causes an amino acid change from Gly to Asp. The research suggests that functional changes in HMGS-7A may affect the expression of key enzyme genes involved in wheat starch syntheses, such as GBSSII and SSIIIa

Plant Defense Responses Induced by Two Herbivores and Consequences for Whitefly Bemisia tabaci

Diverse herbivores are known to induce various plant defenses. The plant defenses may detrimentally affect the performance and preference to subsequent herbivores on the same plant, such as affecting another insect’s feeding, settling, growth or oviposition. Here, we report two herbivores (mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis and carmine spider mite Tetranychus cinnabarinus) which were used to pre-infest the cucumber to explore the impact on the plants and the later-colonizing species, whitefly Bemisia tabaci. The results showed that the whiteflies tended to select the treatments pre-infested by the mites, rather than the uninfected treatments. However, the result of treatments pre-infested by the mealybugs was opposite. Total number of eggs laid of whiteflies was related to their feeding preference. The results also showed that T. cinnabarinus were more likely to activate plant jasmonic acid (JA) regulated genes, while mealybugs were more likely to activate key genes regulated by salicylic acid (SA). The different plant defense activities on cucumbers may be one of the essential factors that affects the preference of B. tabaci. Moreover, the digestive enzymes and protective enzymes of the whitefly might play a substantial regulatory role in its settling and oviposition ability

Comparative Study Reveals Insights of Sheepgrass (Leymus chinensis) Coping With Phosphate-Deprived Stress Condition

Sheepgrass [Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel] is a valuable forage plant highly significant to the grassland productivity of Euro-Asia steppes. Growth of above-ground tissues of L. chinensis is the major component contributing to the grass yield. Although it is generally known that this species is sensitive to ecosystem disturbance and adverse environments, detailed information of how L. chinensis coping with various nutrient deficiency especially phosphate deprivation (-Pi) is still limited. Here, we investigated impact of Pi-deprivation on shoot growth and biomass accumulation as well as photosynthetic properties of L. chinensis. Growth inhibition of Pi-deprived seedlings was most obvious and reduction of biomass accumulation and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) was 55.3 and 63.3%, respectively, compared to the control plants grown under Pi-repleted condition. Also, we compared these characters with seedlings subjected to low-Pi stress condition. Pi-deprivation caused 18.5 and 12.3% more reduction of biomass and Pn relative to low-Pi-stressed seedlings, respectively. Further analysis of in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence and thylakoid membrane protein complexes using 2D-BN/SDS-PAGE combined with immunoblot detection demonstrated that among the measured photosynthetic parameters, decrease of ATP synthase activity was most pronounced in Pi-deprived plants. Together with less extent of lipid peroxidation of the thylakoid membranes and increased ROS scavenger enzyme activities in the leaves of Pi-deprived seedlings, we suggest that the decreased activity of ATP synthase in their thylakoids is the major cause of the greater reduction of photosynthetic efficiency than that of low-Pi stressed plants, leading to the least shoot growth and biomass production in L. chinensis

Comparative analysis of coal fatalities in Australia, South Africa, India, China and USA, 2006-2010

Coal mining (especially underground) is considered one of the most hazardous industries, and as a result considerable focus is applied to eliminating or mitigating hazards through careful mine planning, equipment selection and certification, and development of management systems and procedures. Regulatory agencies have developed in-house methods for reporting, classification and tracking of fatalities and other incidents according to the type of event, often including consideration of different hazard types. Unfortunately, direct comparison of mining safety statistics between countries is confounded by considerable differences in the way that individual countries classify specific fatalities or incidents. This paper presents a comparative analysis of coal mining fatality data in Australia, South Africa, India, China and the United States from 2006 to 2010. Individual classification definitions are compared between the five countries, and methods presented to normalise each country’s hazard definitions and reporting regimes around the RISKGATE framework of seventeen different priority unwanted events (or topics). Fatality data from individual countries is then re-classified according to the different RISKGATE topics, thereby enabling a comparative analysis between all five countries. This paper demonstrates the utility and value of a standard classification approach, and submits the RISKGATE framework as a model for classification that could be applied globally in coal mining. RISKGATE is the largest health and safety project ever funded by the Australian coal industry (http://www.riskgate.org) to build an industry body of knowledge to assist in managing common industry hazards. A comprehensive knowledge base has been captured for risk management of tyres, collisions, fires, isolation, strata underground, ground control open cut, explosions, explosives, manual tasks and slips/trips/falls. This has been extended to outburst, coal burst and bumps, interface displays and controls, tailings dams and inrush

An ancestral NB-LRR with duplicated 3'UTRs confers stripe rust resistance in wheat and barley.

Wheat stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is a global threat to wheat production. Aegilops tauschii, one of the wheat progenitors, carries the YrAS2388 locus for resistance to Pst on chromosome 4DS. We reveal that YrAS2388 encodes a typical nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptor (NLR). The Pst-resistant allele YrAS2388R has duplicated 3' untranslated regions and is characterized by alternative splicing in the nucleotide-binding domain. Mutation of the YrAS2388R allele disrupts its resistance to Pst in synthetic hexaploid wheat; transgenic plants with YrAS2388R show resistance to eleven Pst races in common wheat and one race of P. striiformis f. sp. hordei in barley. The YrAS2388R allele occurs only in Ae. tauschii and the Ae. tauschii-derived synthetic wheat; it is absent in 100% (n = 461) of common wheat lines tested. The cloning of YrAS2388R will facilitate breeding for stripe rust resistance in wheat and other Triticeae species

Progress in biological and medical research in the deep underground: an update

As the growing population of individuals residing or working in deep underground spaces for prolonged periods, it has become imperative to understand the influence of factors in the deep underground environment (DUGE) on living systems. Heping Xie has conceptualized the concept of deep underground medicine to identify factors in the DUGE that can have either detrimental or beneficial effects on human health. Over the past few years, an increasing number of studies have explored the molecular mechanisms that underlie the biological impacts of factors in the DUGE on model organisms and humans. Here, we present a summary of the present landscape of biological and medical research conducted in deep underground laboratories and propose promising avenues for future investigations in this field. Most research demonstrates that low background radiation can trigger a stress response and affect the growth, organelles, oxidative stress, defense capacity, and metabolism of cells. Studies show that residing and/or working in the DUGE has detrimental effects on human health. Employees working in deep mines suffer from intense discomfort caused by high temperature and humidity, which increase with depth, and experience fatigue and sleep disturbance. The negative impacts of the DUGE on human health may be induced by changes in the metabolism of specific amino acids; however, the cellular pathways remain to be elucidated. Biological and medical research must continue in deep underground laboratories and mines to guarantee the safe probing of uncharted depths as humans utilize the deep underground space