Agronomic performance of high oleic,low linolenic soybean in Tennessee

Soybean oil hydrogenation alters the linolenic acid molecule to prevent the oil from becoming rancid, however, health reports have indicated trans-fat caused by hydrogenation, is not generally regarded as safe. Typical soybeans contain approximately 80 g kg⁻¹ to 120 g kg⁻¹ linolenic acid and 240 g kg⁻¹ of oleic acid. In an effort to accommodate the need for high-quality oil, the United Soybean Board introduced an industry standard for a high oleic acid greater than 750 g kg⁻¹ and linolenic acid less than 30 g kg⁻¹ oil. By combing mutations in the soybean plant at four loci, FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B, oleate desaturase genes and FAD3A and FAD3C, linoleate desaturase genes, and seed oil will not require hydrogenation to prevent oxidation and produce high-quality oil. In 2017 and 2018, a study comparing four near-isogenic lines across multiple Tennessee locations was performed to identify agronomic traits associated with mutations in FAD3A and FAD3C loci, while holding FAD2-1A and FAD2-1B constant in the mutant (high oleic) state. Soybean lines were assessed for yield and oil quality based on mutations at FAD2-1 and FAD3 loci. Variations of wild-type and mutant genotypes were compared at FAD3A and FAD3C loci. Analysis using a generalized linear mixed model in SAS 9.4, indicated no yield drag or other negative agronomic traits associated with the high oleic and low linolenic acid genotype. All four mutations of fad2-1A, fad2-1B, fad3A, and fad3C were determined as necessary to produce a soybean with the new industry standard (>750 g kg⁻¹ oleic and <30 g kg⁻¹ linolenic acid) in a maturity group-IV-Late cultivar for Tennessee growers.     

Effect of nitrogen on the antibacterial behavior of oxynitride glasses

The main drawback of bioglasses is their restricted use in load bearing applications and the consequent need to develop stronger glassy materials. This has led to the consideration of oxynitride glasses for numerous biomedical applications. This paper investigated two different types of glasses at a constant cationic ratio, with and without nitrogen (a N containing and a N-free glass composition) to better understand the effect of N on the biological properties of glasses. The results revealed that the addition of N increased the glass transition temperature, isoelectric point (IEP) and slightly increased wettability. Moreover, compared to N including glass, N-free glass exhibited better anti-bacterial activity against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), two key bacteria that infect implants. In summary, these in vitro results indicated that amine functional groups existing in N containing glasses which are missing in N-free glasses, caused a slight difference in wetting behavior and a more obvious change in isoelectric point and in bacterial response. N-free glasses exhibited better inhibitory results both against E. coli and S. aureus compared to N including glass suggesting that oxygen rich glasses should be further studied for their novel antibacterial properties.     

Epidemic contact tracing with smartphone sensors

ABSTRACT

Contact tracing is widely considered as an effective procedure in the fight against epidemic diseases. However, one of the challenges for technology based contact tracing is the high number of false positives, questioning its trust-worthiness and efficiency amongst the wider population for mass adoption. To this end, this paper proposes a novel, yet practical smartphone-based contact tracing approach, employing WiFi and acoustic sound for relative distance estimate, in addition to the air pressure and the magnetic field for ambient environment matching. We present a model combining six smartphone sensors, prioritising some of them when certain conditions are met. We empirically verified our approach in various realistic environments to demonstrate an achievement of up to 95% fewer false positives, and 62% more accurate than Bluetooth-only system. To the best of our knowledge, this paper was one of the first work to propose a combination of smartphone sensors for contact tracing.     

Extracellular Vesicles in CNS Developmental Disorders

The central nervous system (CNS) is the most complex structure in the body, consisting of multiple cell types with distinct morphology and function. Development of the neuronal circuit and its function rely on a continuous crosstalk between neurons and non-neural cells. It has been widely accepted that extracellular vesicles (EVs), mainly exosomes, are effective entities responsible for intercellular CNS communication. They contain membrane and cytoplasmic proteins, lipids, non-coding RNAs, microRNAs and mRNAs. Their cargo modulates gene and protein expression in recipient cells. Several lines of evidence indicate that EVs play a role in modifying signal transduction with subsequent physiological changes in neurogenesis, gliogenesis, synaptogenesis and network circuit formation and activity, as well as synaptic pruning and myelination. Several studies demonstrate that neural and non-neural EVs play an important role in physiological and pathological neurodevelopment. The present review discusses the role of EVs in various neurodevelopmental disorders and the prospects of using EVs as disease biomarkers and therapeutics.     

Transforming the Danish Film Field Via ‘Professionalization’, Penetration and Integration

Using a qualitative case study of the transformations of the infrastructure of the Danish film field by the Danish Film Institute and its CEO, three basic questions about entrepreneurial agency are raised. The first deals with the relationship between the institutional environment and the personal backgrounds of entrepreneurial actors. The study finds that certain actors can be seen as possessing extreme or unique levels of legitimacy resulting in being rewarded with tremendous resources and opportunities for strategic action. The second question has to do with how, and what sort of role transformations can take place from a structurally central, but static position in a field. Here ‘intermediary entrepreneurialism’ was used to penetrate and integrate the field in such a way as to turn a structurally fixed position from a weak to a strong nexus. The third question deals with how transformations can be effected by an organization that straddles three prominent institutional fields and logics – the state, market and artistic expression. Here, the key role of the term ‘professionalization’ is emphasized, arguing that this term proved evocative and compelling in each institutional field. The case also adds to our understanding of institutional and transformation processes in creative industries by focusing on two less‐studied contexts – the role and strategies of centrally placed actors in initiating and leading transformational activities, and the role that entrepreneurial ‘bureaucrats’ can play in transforming creative industries.     

微杯电子纸及其后加工制程

SiPix利用独特的微杯(Microcup)结构和顶部灌注封装技术，通过连续整卷高速涂布的制程成功地制造出高性能的双稳性、装填电泳微粒的电子纸。SiPix可提供下列两种规格形式任意的EPD卷式成品：(A)用于有源矩阵EPD和直接驱动产品的可剥离保护膜／已灌装及密封的Microcup／无图案导体膜夹层卷；及（P）用于无源矩阵的行导体膜／已灌装及密封的Microcup／列导体膜夹层卷。已经开发出将EPD卷制成不同的显示模块或产品的简单的后续加工制程。     

Comparative study of monoclonal antibody scan in diagnosing orthopaedic infection

When clinical data are insufficient to diagnose infection of bone or joints, nuclear scanning becomes crucial in making an accurate diagnosis. The efficacy of (99m)technetium antigranulocyte monoclonal antibody Fab' fragment (LeukoScan) is prospectively compared with (111)indium white blood cell and (99m)technetium methylene diphosphonate bone scans in 74 patients with suspected musculoskeletal infections. They were grouped according to site of suspected infection: 33 long bones, 23 prosthetic joints, and 18 diabetic feet. Sixty-two of these 74 patients had surgical verification with histopathology or culture. The remaining 12 patients had clinical followup as proof of absence of infection. The overall sensitivity of LeukoScan, (111)indium white blood cell, and (99m)technetium methylene diphosphonate bone scans was 93%, 85% and 92%, respectively. Specificity was 89%, 75% and 52%, and accuracy was 90%, 79% and 74%, respectively. The conclusion from this study is that LeukoScan is more accurate in detecting osteomyelitis, with better sensitivity and specificity in prosthetic joints. Compared with (111)indium white blood cell scans, LeukoScan++ gives superior images, and results are obtained in 1 to 6 hours without biohazard risk from handling blood products.     

Consistency-based and abductive diagnoses as generalised stable models

If realistic systems are to be successfully modelled and efficiently diagnosed using model-based techniques, a more expressive language than classical logic is required. In this paper, we present a definition of diagnosis which allows the use of a nonmonotonic construct, negation as failure, in the modelling language. This definition is based on thegeneralised stable model semantics of abduction. Furthermore, we argue that, if negation as failure is permitted in the modelling language, the distinction between abductive and consistency-based diagnosis is no longer clear. Our definition allows both forms of diagnosis to be expressed in a single framework. It also allows a single interference procedure to perform abductive or consistency-based diagnosis, as appropriate.This paper is an extended and revised version of ref. [29].     

MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM AT PROMUS Using IT to Ensure Customer Satisfaction

Information-based organizations are structured to function with as small and efficient a staff as possible. To this end, executives at The Promus Companies are using IT to spread decision-making authority and responsibility for customer satisfaction and customer service throughout the organization.     

Early patterning of prelimbic cortical axons to the striatal patch compartment in the neonatal mouse

The striatum receives excitatory input from virtually the entire cerebral cortex. In the adult, this input is segregated into two functionally distinct compartments of the striatum, the patch (striosome) and matrix regions. This study determined whether the patterning of corticostriatal afferents from the prelimbic cortex to the striatal patch compartment develops during the early period of collateral formation or instead at the time of peak synaptogenesis. Initial formation of corticostriatal axon collaterals was observed by embryonic day (E) 19. Quantification of corticostriatal collaterals revealed a significant increase in the number and complexity of collateral branches at postnatal day 6 as compared to E19. Concomitant with the increase in collateral branching, a heterogeneous pattern of collateralization consisting of parallel rows of corticostriatal collaterals was observed in the medial striatum. In addition to the rows, clusters of corticostriatal axons occurred more laterally. These clusters colocalized with patches of dense tyrosine hydroxylase-positive fibers, a marker for the striatal patch compartment in the neonatal mouse. Together, these data indicate that corticostriatal patterning occurs during the period of early axon collateralization resulting in a segregation of corticostriatal axon collaterals from the prelimbic cortex to the striatal patch compartment.