Effect of intermittent drought on phenotypic traits of F5 RIL Andean intra-gene cross population (BRB 191 X SEQ 1027) of common bean

Drought is a major constraint to common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) production in East Africa, where irrigation for the crop is very uncommon. The objective of this study was to identify drought tolerant lines and phenotypic traits underlying drought tolerance among 128 F5 recombinant inbred lines (RILs), derived from intra gene pool population, between drought tolerant BRB 191 (source of bc-3) and SEQ 1027. The population was evaluated with eight experimental checks that included BAT 477, CAL 96, DAB 441, DAB 494, and Diacol Calima, NABE 4, SCR 9 and SEQ 1003. A total of 20 phenological, morphological and physiological shoot traits were evaluated, under drought and non-stress conditions, in the field for 2 years (2014 and 2015) at Kawanda in Uganda. New sources of drought tolerance, and previously identified sources of drought tolerance in common bean (BAT 477, DAB 441 and DAB 494), were confirmed based on their superior geometric means and low drought susceptibility. Drought stress in the field significantly affected all measured traits, except harvest index and stem dry weight reduction (P<0.001). Drought significantly reduced yield, yield components and pod harvest index (P<0.01). However, chlorophyll content, canopy temperature, stem dry mass reduction, and 100 seed weight remained stable under season by genotype by water regime treatment interactions (S x G x T). The stability of these traits highlighted their usefulness in selecting for drought tolerance across different environments. Furthermore, pod partitioning index (PPI), harvest index (HI), chlorophyll content and stem dry weight reduction also remained stable under G x T effects. Significant correlations (P<0.001) were maintained between HI and PPI with seed yield under drought stress in field conditions, indicating that photosynthate remobilisation increases yield under drought stress conditions.La s\ue9cheresse est une contrainte major \ue0 la production du haricot commun ( Phaseolus vulgaris L.) en Afrique de l\u2019Est, o\uf9 l\u2019irrigation pour la culture est tr\ue8s rare. L\u2019objectif de cette \ue9tude a \ue9t\ue9 d\u2019identifier les lign\ue9es tol\ue9rantes \ue0 la s\ue9cheresse et les traits ph\ue9notypiques contr\uf4lant la tol\ue9rance \ue0 la s\ue9cheresse parmi les 128 F5 de lign\ue9es consanguines recombinantes, d\ue9riv\ue9es d\u2019une population intra-g\ue8ne de la r\ue9gion andine, entre la lign\ue9e tol\ue9rante \ue0 la s\ue9cheresse BRB191 (source du bc-3) et SEQ 1027. La population a \ue9t\ue9 \ue9valu\ue9e avec huit contr\uf4les exp\ue9rimentaux comprenant BAT 477, CAL 96, DAB 441, DAB 494, et Diacol calima, NABE 4, SCR 9 et SEQ 1003. Un total de 20 traits phr\ue9nologiques, morphologiques et physiologiques a \ue9t\ue9 \ue9valu\ue9, sous les conditions de stress hydrique, dans le champ pour 2 ans (2014 et 2015) \ue0 Kwanda en Uganda. De nouvelles sources de tol\ue9rance, et des sources de tol\ue9rance pr\ue9c\ue9demment identifi\ue9es dans le haricot commun (BAT 477, DAB 441 et DAB 494), ont \ue9t\ue9 confirm\ue9es sur la base des moyens de sup\ue9riorit\ue9 g\ue9om\ue9triques et de susceptibilit\ue9 de faible s\ue8cheresse. Le stress hydrique dans le champ a significativement affect\ue9 tous les traits mesur\ue9s, \ue0 l\u2019exception de l\u2019indice de r\ue9colte et la r\ue9duction du poids sec de la tige (P<0,001). La s\ue9cheresse a significativement r\ue9duit le rendement, les composantes du rendement et l\u2019indice de la r\ue9colte de la gousse (P<0.01). Toutefois, la temp\ue9rature de la canop\ue9e, la r\ue9duction du poids sec de la tige, et le poids de 100 graines sont rest\ue9s stables sous le traitement de l\u2019interaction entre la saison x g\ue9notype x r\ue9gime d\u2019eau de m\ueame que l\u2019interaction entre le g\ue9notype x le traitement (G X T) (P<0,001). La stabilit\ue9 de ces traits a montr\ue9 leur utilit\ue9 dans la s\ue9lection pour la tol\ue9rance \ue0 la s\ue9cheresse \ue0 travers les diff\ue9rents environnements. De plus, l\u2019indice du partitionnement de la gousse (PPI), l\u2019indice de r\ue9colte (HI), la teneur en chlorophylle et la r\ue9duction du poids sec de la tige sont rest\ue9s \ue9galement stables sous les effets de G x T. Des corr\ue9lations significatives (P<0,001) ont \ue9t\ue9 maintenues entre HI et PPI avec le rendement en graine sous le stress hydrique dans les conditions de champ, indiquant la viabilit\ue9 de la remobilisation de la photosynthate dans l\u2019augmentation du rendement potentiel sous les conditions de stress hydrique

Simulation of Integrated Actuators for Electrostatic Self-Assembly

Die Montage ist ein Kostentreiber in der Produktion, insbesondere wenn die Anforderungen an die Präzision stei-gen. Ein Ansatz für die kostengünstige Feinpositionierung von planaren Bauteilen ist die elektrostatische Self-Assembly, bei dem Aktoren in die Bauteile integriert werden. In diesem Artikel werden die Grundlagen des Designs solcher Systeme thematisiert, da diese Ausschlaggebend für die resultierenden Positionierkräfte sind. Zum Feststellen der Zusammenhänge werden Simulationen für einzelne Elektrodenpaare durchgeführt, wobei die Geometrien Kreis, Quadrat, Rechteck, Sechseck und Dreieck miteinander verglichen werden. Die Auswertung erfolgt mit der simulierten Maximalkraft und der Kraftverteilung innerhalb der xy-Ebene. In Hinblick auf die Prozessgrößen Präzision und maximalen Wirkbereich werden die Ergebnisse interpretiert und Rückschlüsse auf die sinnvolle Gestaltung von Self-Assembly Systemen gezogen. Abschließend erfolgt ein Ausblick auf weitere Forschungen zu elektrostatischen Self-Assembly Systemen.Assembly is a high-cost process in production, especially when the precision requirements are high. One approach for cost-effective fine positioning of planar components is electrostatic self-assembly. Therefore, actuators are integrated into the components. This paper deals with the fundamental design principles of such systems, because they are significantly influencing the alignment force. This paper presents simulations of individual electrode pairs, comparing the geometries circle, square, rectangle, hexagon and triangle. The evaluation shows the results of the simulated maximum force and the force distribution within the xy-plane. Aiming for high precision and a wide range of force distribution, conclusions are made about the appropriate design of self-assembly systems. In conclusion, there is an outlook on additional research into electrostatic self-assembly systems

Automation of flexible handling of hot forged Tailored Forming components

Universalgreifer sind flexibel einsetzbar und können sich an verschiedene Situationen und Objekte anpassen. Aktuelle formvariable Universalgreifer bestehen überwiegend aus monolithischen polymeren Werkstoffen, deren maximale Einsatztemperaturen bei 300 °C liegen. Somit kann von der Formflexibilität nicht in Bereich profitiert werden in denen höhere Temperaturen vorherrschen und die zu handhabenden Objekte Umformungsprozesse durchschreiten. Solch ein Bereich ist der Schmiedesektor, bei dem die Objekte Temperaturen von bis zu 1250 °C erreichen. Die vorliegende Diskrepanz zwischen der Formvariabilität der Greifer und den Prozesstemperaturen im Schmiedesektor versuchen wir zu schließen. In dieser Arbeit stellen wir das von uns entwickelte Konzept eines formvariablen hochtemperaturbeständigem Handhabungssystem und deren praktische Umsetzung vor, sowie die noch zu lösenden Herausforderungen.Universal grippers are flexible and can adapt to different situations and objects. The shape variability has limitations, for example, the temperature. For manufacturing such shape variable grippers, elastic polymer materials are used. The material has an upper limit of the operating temperature of 300 °C. In the forging sector, the manufactured object change their geometry during the process and reaches temperature up 1250 °C. Here, we see the potential of the utilization of shape variable grippers. Therefore, we developed a system that overcomes the gap between the temperature limitation of current shape variable grippers and the high temperature in forging environments. This paper presents our gripper and the task to be solved in future works

Coherent control of solid state nuclear spin nano-ensembles

Detecting and controlling nuclear spin nano-ensembles is crucial for the further development of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and for the emerging solid state quantum technology. Here we present the fabrication of a $\approx$ 1 nanometre thick diamond layer consisting of $^{13}$C nuclear spins doped with Nitrogen-Vacancy centres (NV) embedded in a spin-free $^{12}$C crystal matrix. A single NV in the vicinity of the layer is used for polarization of the $^{13}$C spins and the readout of their magnetization. We demonstrate a method for coherent control of few tens of nuclear spins by using radio frequency pulses and show the basic coherent control experiments - Rabi oscillations, Ramsey spectroscopy and Hahn echo, though any NMR pulse sequence can be implemented. The results shown present a first steps towards the realization of a nuclear spin based quantum simulator

Agreements between Industry and Academia on Publication Rights: A Retrospective Study of Protocols and Publications of Randomized Clinical Trials.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about publication agreements between industry and academic investigators in trial protocols and the consistency of these agreements with corresponding statements in publications. We aimed to investigate (i) the existence and types of publication agreements in trial protocols, (ii) the completeness and consistency of the reporting of these agreements in subsequent publications, and (iii) the frequency of co-authorship by industry employees. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We used a retrospective cohort of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) based on archived protocols approved by six research ethics committees between 13 January 2000 and 25 November 2003. Only RCTs with industry involvement were eligible. We investigated the documentation of publication agreements in RCT protocols and statements in corresponding journal publications. Of 647 eligible RCT protocols, 456 (70.5%) mentioned an agreement regarding publication of results. Of these 456, 393 (86.2%) documented an industry partner's right to disapprove or at least review proposed manuscripts; 39 (8.6%) agreements were without constraints of publication. The remaining 24 (5.3%) protocols referred to separate agreement documents not accessible to us. Of those 432 protocols with an accessible publication agreement, 268 (62.0%) trials were published. Most agreements documented in the protocol were not reported in the subsequent publication (197/268 [73.5%]). Of 71 agreements reported in publications, 52 (73.2%) were concordant with those documented in the protocol. In 14 of 37 (37.8%) publications in which statements suggested unrestricted publication rights, at least one co-author was an industry employee. In 25 protocol-publication pairs, author statements in publications suggested no constraints, but 18 corresponding protocols documented restricting agreements. CONCLUSIONS: Publication agreements constraining academic authors' independence are common. Journal articles seldom report on publication agreements, and, if they do, statements can be discrepant with the trial protocol

Prevalence, characteristics, and publication of discontinued randomized trials.

IMPORTANCE: The discontinuation of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) raises ethical concerns and often wastes scarce research resources. The epidemiology of discontinued RCTs, however, remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence, characteristics, and publication history of discontinued RCTs and to investigate factors associated with RCT discontinuation due to poor recruitment and with nonpublication. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective cohort of RCTs based on archived protocols approved by 6 research ethics committees in Switzerland, Germany, and Canada between 2000 and 2003. We recorded trial characteristics and planned recruitment from included protocols. Last follow-up of RCTs was April 27, 2013. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Completion status, reported reasons for discontinuation, and publication status of RCTs as determined by correspondence with the research ethics committees, literature searches, and investigator surveys. RESULTS: After a median follow-up of 11.6 years (range, 8.8-12.6 years), 253 of 1017 included RCTs were discontinued (24.9% [95% CI, 22.3%-27.6%]). Only 96 of 253 discontinuations (37.9% [95% CI, 32.0%-44.3%]) were reported to ethics committees. The most frequent reason for discontinuation was poor recruitment (101/1017; 9.9% [95% CI, 8.2%-12.0%]). In multivariable analysis, industry sponsorship vs investigator sponsorship (8.4% vs 26.5%; odds ratio [OR], 0.25 [95% CI, 0.15-0.43]; P < .001) and a larger planned sample size in increments of 100 (-0.7%; OR, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.92-1.00]; P = .04) were associated with lower rates of discontinuation due to poor recruitment. Discontinued trials were more likely to remain unpublished than completed trials (55.1% vs 33.6%; OR, 3.19 [95% CI, 2.29-4.43]; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this sample of trials based on RCT protocols from 6 research ethics committees, discontinuation was common, with poor recruitment being the most frequently reported reason. Greater efforts are needed to ensure the reporting of trial discontinuation to research ethics committees and the publication of results of discontinued trials

Limited Effect of Dietary Saturated Fat on Plasma Saturated Fat in the Context of a Low Carbohydrate Diet

We recently showed that a hypocaloric carbohydrate restricted diet (CRD) had two striking effects: (1) a reduction in plasma saturated fatty acids (SFA) despite higher intake than a low fat diet, and (2) a decrease in inflammation despite a significant increase in arachidonic acid (ARA). Here we extend these findings in 8 weight stable men who were fed two 6-week CRD (12%en carbohydrate) varying in quality of fat. One CRD emphasized SFA (CRD-SFA, 86 g/d SFA) and the other, unsaturated fat (CRD-UFA, 47 g SFA/d). All foods were provided to subjects. Both CRD decreased serum triacylglycerol (TAG) and insulin, and increased LDL-C particle size. The CRD-UFA significantly decreased plasma TAG SFA (27.48 ± 2.89 mol%) compared to baseline (31.06 ± 4.26 mol%). Plasma TAG SFA, however, remained unchanged in the CRD-SFA (33.14 ± 3.49 mol%) despite a doubling in SFA intake. Both CRD significantly reduced plasma palmitoleic acid (16:1n-7) indicating decreased de novo lipogenesis. CRD-SFA significantly increased plasma phospholipid ARA content, while CRD-UFA significantly increased EPA and DHA. Urine 8-iso PGF2α, a free radical-catalyzed product of ARA, was significantly lower than baseline following CRD-UFA (−32%). There was a significant inverse correlation between changes in urine 8-iso PGF2α and PL ARA on both CRD (r = −0.82 CRD-SFA; r = −0.62 CRD-UFA). These findings are consistent with the concept that dietary saturated fat is efficiently metabolized in the presence of low carbohydrate, and that a CRD results in better preservation of plasma ARA

Environmental variability in aquatic ecosystems: Avenues for future multifactorial experiments

The relevance of considering environmental variability for understanding and predicting biological responses to environmental changes has resulted in a recent surge in variability-focused ecological research. However, integration of findings that emerge across studies and identification of remaining knowledge gaps in aquatic ecosystems remain critical. Here, we address these aspects by: (1) summarizing relevant terms of variability research including the components (characteristics) of variability and key interactions when considering multiple environmental factors; (2) identifying conceptual frameworks for understanding the consequences of environmental variability in single and multifactorial scenarios; (3) highlighting challenges for bridging theoretical and experimental studies involving transitioning from simple to more complex scenarios; (4) proposing improved approaches to overcome current mismatches between theoretical predictions and experimental observations; and (5) providing a guide for designing integrated experiments across multiple scales, degrees of control, and complexity in light of their specific strengths and limitations