Cytological characterization and allelism testing of anther developmental mutants identified in a screen of maize male sterile lines.

Proper regulation of anther differentiation is crucial for producing functional pollen, and defects in or absence of any anther cell type result in male sterility. To deepen understanding of processes required to establish premeiotic cell fate and differentiation of somatic support cell layers a cytological screen of maize male-sterile mutants has been conducted which yielded 42 new mutants including 22 mutants with premeiotic cytological defects (increasing this class fivefold), 7 mutants with postmeiotic defects, and 13 mutants with irregular meiosis. Allelism tests with known and new mutants confirmed new alleles of four premeiotic developmental mutants, including two novel alleles of msca1 and single new alleles of ms32, ms8, and ocl4, and two alleles of the postmeiotic ms45. An allelic pair of newly described mutants was found. Premeiotic mutants are now classified into four categories: anther identity defects, abnormal anther structure, locular wall defects and premature degradation of cell layers, and/or microsporocyte collapse. The range of mutant phenotypic classes is discussed in comparison with developmental genetic investigation of anther development in rice and Arabidopsis to highlight similarities and differences between grasses and eudicots and within the grasses

Features of bismuth and silicon oxides synthesis by pulsed laser ablation in water

Semiconductor nanomaterials are widely used in photocatalysis due to a number of advantages such as efficient electron separation and flexible choice of semiconductor with desired band gap for efficient light absorption. Bismuth silicates (BSO) are promising new photocatalytic materials for organic decomposition and hydrogen production [1]. Currently mainly chemical methods of synthesis are used to obtain BSO materials. In this work for the first time complex oxides BSO were prepared via pulsed laser ablation (PLA) in a liquid. PLA was performed by exposing Si and Bi targets to Nd:YAG laser radiation (1064 nm, 7 ns). Separately synthesized nanocolloids were mixed and subjected to additional laser irradiation and then dried. Using different Si/Bi ratios, as well as temperature treatment of the resulting powders, BSO of various compositions were synthesized, including monophases of the compounds Bi2SiO5, Bi4Si3O12 and Bi12SiO20. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was estimated by the decomposition of Rhodamine B under LED source irradiation with rad = 375 nm. The effect extra irradiation of colloids mixture on the formation of the structure of complex oxides BSO at different Si/Bi ratios has been studied. The correlations between the optical properties, composition and structure of catalysts and their photocatalytic properties has been established. It was shown that the best photocatalytic activity exhibits Bi12SiO20 powders

PLA synthesis and photocatalytic properties of bismuth silicates

In this work, bismuth silicates were obtained by pulsed laser ablation in a liquid (PLA)

Bismuth silicates: preparation by pulsed laser ablation and photocatalytic activity

Pulsed laser ablation (PLA) in liquid is advanced method for obtaining active nanoparticles in pure solvents without the use of chemical precursors. In this work, an original approach to the synthesis of complex oxides of bismuth and silicon (BSO) is proposed. The initial colloids obtained by PLA (Nd:YAG laser, 1064 nm, 7 ns) of Bi and Si targets in water were mixed and subjected to additional irradiation with the same laser parameters. Laser treatment stimulated the formation of complex oxides. Then the colloids were dried in air and nanopowders obtained were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of the materials was examined in the Rhodamine B degradation under LED source irradiation (375 nm)

The hospitality consumption experiences of parents and carers with children

Drawing on research conducted in Australia and the United Kingdom, this paper addresses two questions: first, how is parenting and childcare provision performed within restaurants, cafes and pubs; and second, how are different aspects of hospitality provision entangled with parent, carer and children’s experiences? The findings show how gestures of hospitality, particularly service interactions that are tailored to meet the specialist needs of these consumers, can create positive emotions and encourage customer loyalty. Furthermore, the data show the importance of recognising children as sovereign consumers. We conclude that responding directly to children’s needs can augment their experiences and hence, those of their carers and other patrons. The paper identifies a number of implications for management practice and several avenues for future research

Research into the Degree of Impact Made by Explication of Various Ethnic Stereotypes During the Educational Process

Introduction. The article explores the impact of various types of verbal representation of ethnic stereotypes in the framework of a polyethnical academic community, i.e. educational environment in modern international university. Although the educational process with subjects of different cultural backgrounds plays a crucial role in conveying world views of representatives of different cultures, the research on the linguistic representation of stereotyped views on representatives of other nationalities has not been conducted yet. This aspect determines the relevance of the study. The aim of the research is to compare the impact levels of purely linguistic and speech ways of verbalising heterostereotypes by ways of employing relevant linguistic data for academic purposes during foreign language classes. Materials and Methods. The first stage of the experiment resulted in preparation of the linguistic corpus for the research: by means of comprehensive vocabulary research the lexical database with ethnonyms or ethnonym-based adjectives was compiled. To reveal the potential of their usage in the education processes, the participants were offered the preliminary and final surveys held as free associatio n experiment. Results. The influential potential for purely linguistic and speech ways of representing national stereotypes was compared to find out if they relate to the descriptors and scripts revealed through analysis of phraseological units and national anecdote respectively, while the latter was marked as a more efficient way of delivering ethnic stereotypes. The conclusions based on the analysis of the data obtained were drawn on how to use relevant linguistic material for academic purposes in order to appropriately develop attitudes to other ethnic groups. Discussion and Conclusions. The conducted research revealed more significant impact degree for ethnic anecdotes against investigation of lexical-phraseological units containing ethnonyms or ethnonym-based adjectives. It was illustrated by collection and further analysis of verbal reactions provided by students of non-linguistic departments of the modern University who took part in the preliminary and final stages which were in line with the beginning and end of the academic term accordingly. The portraits of typical national representatives made by the students at the completion of the course which included sessions on studying dictionary extracts and national anecdotes, to a greater extent conformed with the stereotypes delivered by ethnic anecdotes than the linguistic corpus of lexical-phraseological units. The research results may be considered during the development of the curriculum for foreign language courses in international universities with polyethnical academic environment

Experiencing parenthood, care and spaces of hospitality

Drawing on research conducted in Australia and the United Kingdom, this paper explores how parenting and care provision is entangled with, and thus produced through, consumption in hospitality venues. We examine how the socio-material practices of hospitality provision shape the enactment of parenting, alongside the way child-parent/consumer-provider interactions impact upon experiences of hospitality spaces. We argue that venues provide contexts for care provision, acting as spaces of sociality, informing children’s socialization and offering temporary relief from the work of parenting. However, the data also highlight various practices of exclusion and multiple forms of emotional and physical labour required from careproviders. The data illustrate children’s ability to exercise power and the ways in which parents’/carers’ experiences of hospitality spaces are shaped by their enactment of discourses of ‘good parenting’. Finally, we consider parents’/carers’ coping behaviours as they manage social and psychological risks associated with consumption in such public spaces of leisure

Creating family-friendly pub experiences: A composite data study

Pubs have traditionally been important social and community spaces, hosting multiple consumer segments. Successful pubs have broadened their appeal, for example by expanding their food provision and targeting family segments. However, little is known about the features and practices that make pubs appealing to families. Drawing on a ‘composite’ data set, consisting of 40 qualitative interviews and 387 responses to a directed online discussion thread, this paper examines what contributes to making pubs family-friendly. Data show how parental consumption intersects with parenting work, highlighting how physical and symbolic design features, tailored services, social interactions, and socio-material practices of the food offerings can shape consumption experiences positively and negatively. The paper thus contributes to practical knowledge by identifying how pubs can create family-friendly experiences. It also contributes to theoretical knowledge by conceptualising how ‘framing’ processes or effects, shaped by personal, situational and socio-cultural ‘imperatives’, influence consumer perceptions, behaviours and experiences