As the number falls,alternatives to the Hagberg–Perten falling number method: A review

This review examines the application, limitations, and potential alternatives to the Hagberg–Perten falling number (FN) method used in the global wheat industry for detecting the risk of poor end-product quality mainly due to starch degradation by the enzyme α-amylase. By viscometry, the FN test indirectly detects the presence of α-amylase, the primary enzyme that digests starch. Elevated α-amylase results in low FN and damages wheat product quality resulting in cakes that fall, and sticky bread and noodles. Low FN can occur from preharvest sprouting (PHS) and late maturity α-amylase (LMA). Moist or rainy conditions before harvest cause PHS on the mother plant. Continuously cool or fluctuating temperatures during the grain filling stage cause LMA. Due to the expression of additional hydrolytic enzymes, PHS has a stronger negative impact than LMA. Wheat grain with low FN/high α-amylase results in serious losses for farmers, traders, millers, and bakers worldwide. Although blending of low FN grain with sound wheat may be used as a means of moving affected grain through the marketplace, care must be taken to avoid grain lots from falling below contract-specified FN. A large amount of sound wheat can be ruined if mixed with a small amount of sprouted wheat. The FN method is widely employed to detect α-amylase after harvest. However, it has several limitations, including sampling variability, high cost, labor intensiveness, the destructive nature of the test, and an inability to differentiate between LMA and PHS. Faster, cheaper, and more accurate alternatives could improve breeding for resistance to PHS and LMA and could preserve the value of wheat grain by avoiding inadvertent mixing of high- and low-FN grain by enabling testing at more stages of the value stream including at harvest, delivery, transport, storage, and milling. Alternatives to the FN method explored here include the Rapid Visco Analyzer, enzyme assays, immunoassays, near-infrared spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging.     

Ferroelectric and electromechanical performance of diverse engineered states of Mn-doped 0.75Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.25PbTiO3 ceramics

The materials processing history has a great influence on their properties and finally determines their application effect. In this paper, the ferroelectric, polarization-switching current, and strain properties of Mn-doped 0.75Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃-0.25PbTiO₃ ceramics were studied in fresh state, aged state, and poled state, respectively. Compared with the symmetric polarization-electric-field (P-E) hysteresis loops, current-density-electric-field (J-E) curves, and bipolar electric-field-induced strain (S-E) curves in fresh state samples, asymmetric P-E loops, J-E curves, and bipolar S-E curves were obtained in poled state samples. Well-aged-state samples exhibit double hysteresis P-E loop, four peaks J-E curves, and symmetric S-E curves without negative strain. The symmetry-conforming short-range order (SC-SRO) principle of point defects and internal electric field E_i is employed to clarify the different phenomenon of three states. Results indicated that randomly oriented defect polarization P_D in aged samples can reverse the spontaneous polarization P_S back and result in the double hysteresis P-E loop and four peaks J-E curves. The oriented P_D and resulting E_i in poled-state samples will lead to the asymmetric loops and strain memory effect.     

Building up PtII−Thiosemicarbazone−Lysine−sC18 Conjugates

Three chiral tridentate N^N^S coordinating pyridine-carbaldehyde (S)-N4-(α-methylbenzyl)thiosemicarbazones (HTSCmB) were synthesised along with lysine-modified derivatives. One of them was selected and covalently conjugated to the cell-penetrating peptide sC18 by solid-phase peptide synthesis. The HTSCmB model ligands, the HTSCLp derivatives and the peptide conjugate rapidly and quantitatively form very stable Pt^II chlorido complexes [Pt(TSC)Cl] when treated with K₂PtCl₄ in solution. The Pt(CN) derivatives were obtained from one TSCmB model complex and the peptide conjugate complex through Cl⁻→CN⁻ exchange. Ligands and complexes were characterised by NMR, IR spectroscopy, HR-ESI-MS and single-crystal XRD. Intriguingly, no decrease in cell viability was observed when testing the biological activity of the lysine-tagged HdpyTSCLp, its sC18 conjugate HdpyTSCL-sC18 or the PtCl and Pt(CN) conjugate complexes in three different cell lines. Thus, given the facile and effective preparation of such Pt-TSC-peptide conjugates, these systems might pave the way for future use in late-stage labelling with Pt radionuclides and application in nuclear medicine.     

Synthesis of Precursors of Complex Oxide Systems Using Electrogenerated Reagents

Glass Physics and Chemistry - The scientific foundations for the synthesis of precursors of nanostructured oxide systems Al2O3–ZrO2–MxOy (M = Mg, Y) are developed. The processes...     

25CN-NBOH: A Selective Agonist for in vitro and in vivo Investigations of the Serotonin 2A Receptor

4-(2-((2-hydroxybenzyl)amino)ethyl)-2,5-dimethoxybenzonitrile (25CN-NBOH) was first reported as a potent and selective serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT_2AR) agonist in 2014, and it has since found extensive use as a pharmacological tool in a variety of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo studies. 25CN-NBOH is readily available from a synthetic perspective using standard chemical transformations, and displays favorable physiochemical properties in terms of stability and solubility. Due to its superior selectivity for 5-HT_2AR, 25CN-NBOH has been used to investigate the effects of selective 5-HT_2AR activation in vivo, and has thus become an important pharmacological tool for the exploration of 5-HT_2AR signaling in a range of animal models. In the present review, we outline the discovery of 25CN-NBOH, its pharmacological profile and major findings from studies where it has been used.     

Development and evaluation of sub-element testing of SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites at elevated temperatures

SiC/SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMCs) are being developed for use in aero-engines to replace nickel superalloy components. Sub-element testing acts as the key stepping stone in bridging understanding derived from basic coupon testing and more complex component testing. This study presents the development of high temperature C-shape sub-element testing with the use of digital image correlation to study damage progression. The specimen is designed with a bias towards a mixed mode-stress state more similar to what a CMC component may see in service. Both monotonic and fatigue tests were completed on C specimens and compared with predicted behaviour from modelling. Test data from both test types suggested that specimens were failing once they reached a critical radial stress level. However evidence from fractography of specimens showed that in both monotonic and fatigue tests radial cracks (driven by hoop stresses) are initiating prior to circumferential cracks.     

Direct writing of textured ceramics using anisotropic nozzles

Direct writing is a unique means to align anisotropic particles for the fabrication of textured ceramics by templated grain growth (TGG). We show that alignment of tabular barium titanate (BT) template particles (20–40 μm width and 0.5–2 μm thickness) in a PIN-PMN-PT matrix powder (d₅₀ = 280 nm) is significantly improved during direct writing using anisotropic nozzles at high printing rates. The particle orientation distribution in as-printed filaments, and the texture orientation distribution in sintered ceramic filaments are shown to directly correlate with COMSOL Multiphysics-predicted torque distributions for direct writing with aspect ratio 2, 3 and 5 oval nozzles. Electromechanical strain properties of the textured piezoelectric ceramics significantly improved relative to random ceramics when printed with anisotropic nozzles. Simulations of aspect ratio 20 nozzles and nozzles with interior baffles demonstrate significantly increased torque and near elimination of constant shear stress cores (i.e. plug flow).     

Combining Solutions of the Axial Assignment Problem

Automation and Remote Control - We consider the NP-hard integer three-index axial assignment problem. The task of optimal combination of the pairs of feasible solutions of the problem is posed, and...