Simulating the impact of pattern-dependent poly-CD variation oncircuit performance

In this paper, we present a methodology for simulating the impact of within-die (die-level) polysilicon critical dimension (poly-CD) variation on circuit performance. The methodology is illustrated on a 0.25 μm 64×8 SRAM macrocell layout. For this example, the impact as measured through signal skew is found to be significant and strongly dependent on the input address of the SRAM cell     

Role of irrigation and wastewater reuse: comparison of subsurface irrigation and furrow irrigation.

Two different irrigation systems, subsurface drip irrigation and furrow irrigation, are tested to investigate the level of viral contamination and survival when tertiary effluent is used in arid and semi-arid regions. The effluent was injected with bacteriophages of PRD1 and MS2. A greater number of PRD1 and MS2 were recovered from the lettuce in the subsurface drip-irrigated plots as compared to those in the furrow-irrigated plots. Shallow drip tape installation and preferential water paths through cracks on the soil surface appeared to be the main causes of high viral contamination in subsurface drip irrigation plots, which led to the direct contact of the lettuce stems with the irrigation water which penetrated the soil surface. The water use efficiency of the subsurface drip irrigation system was higher than that of the furrow irrigation system. Thus, subsurface drip irrigation is an efficient irrigation method for vegetable crops in arid and semi-arid regions if viral contamination can be reduced. Deeper installation of drip tapes, frequent irrigations, and timely harvests based on cumulative heat units may further reduce health risks by ensuring viral die-off under various field conditions.     

Benzoxazinoids: Cereal phytochemicals with putative therapeutic and health‐protecting properties

Benzoxazinoids (BXs) are a group of natural chemical compounds with putative pharmacological and health‐protecting properties. BXs were formerly identified in and isolated from selected dicot medicinal plants and young cereal plants. Recently, BXs were found to be present in mature cereal grains and bakery products, such that knowledge about the pharmacological properties of BXs, which until now have unknowingly been consumed through the daily bread and breakfast cereals, has come into new focus. This review discusses published results from in vitro studies and a few human and animal model studies on the health effects and pharmacological responses of various BX compounds. Many of these studies have reported antimicrobial, anticancer, reproductive system stimulatory, central nervous system stimulatory, immunoregulatory, and appetite‐ and weight‐reducing effects of BXs and/or BX derivatives. The health benefits of wholegrain intake may be associated with the solitary and/or overlapping biological effects of fibers, lignans, phenolic acids, alkylresorcinols, BXs, and other bioactive compounds. In the context of BXs as dietary ingredients, further comprehensive investigations are required to understand their biological functions, to elucidate the underlying mechanisms, to explore their potential contribution on the health effects associated with wholegrain consumption, and to examine their potential as functional food ingredients.     

Application of microbial risk assessment to the development of standards for enteric pathogens in water used to irrigate fresh produce

Microbial contamination of the surfaces of cantaloupe, iceberg lettuce, and bell peppers via contact with irrigation water was investigated to aid in the development of irrigation water quality standards for enteric bacteria and viruses. Furrow and subsurface drip irrigation methods were evaluated with the use of nonpathogenic surrogates, coliphage PRD1, and Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. The concentrations of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and Salmonella in irrigation water necessary to achieve a 1:10,000 annual risk of infection, the acceptable level of risk used for drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, were calculated with a quantitative microbial risk assessment approach. These calculations were based on the transfer of the selected nonpathogenic surrogates to fresh produce via irrigation water, as well as previously determined preharvest inactivation rates of pathogenic microorganisms on the surfaces of fresh produce. The risk of infection was found to be variable depending on type of crop, irrigation method, and days between last irrigation event and harvest. The worst-case scenario, in which produce is harvested and consumed the day after the last irrigation event and maximum exposure is assumed, indicated that concentrations of 2.5 CFU/100 ml of Salmonella and 2.5 x 10(-5) most probable number per 100 ml of HAV in irrigation water would result in an annual risk of 1:10,000 when the crop was consumed. If 14 days elapsed before harvest, allowing for die-off of the pathogens, the concentrations were increased to 5.7 x 10(3) Salmonella per 100 ml and 9.9 x 10(-3) HAV per 100 ml.     

Characterization and quantification of pneumatic fracturing effects at a clay till site

Environmental fracturing offers assistance to remediation efforts at contaminated, low-permeability sites via creation of active fracture networks, and hence, reduction of mass transport limitations set by diffusion in low-permeability matrices. A pilot study of pneumatic fracturing, focusing on direct documentation of fracture propagation patterns and spacing, was performed at a typical basal clay till site. The study applied a novel package of documentation methods, including injection of five tracers with different characteristics (bromide, uvitex, fluorescein, rhodamine WT, and brilliant blue), subsequent tracer-filled fracture documentation via direct and indirect methods, and geological characterization of the fractured site. The direct documentation methods consisted of Geoprobe coring, augering, and excavation. A mass balance and conceptual model have been established for the distribution of the injected tracers in the subsurface. They reveal that tracer was distributed within 2 m of the fracturing well, mainly in existing fractures above the redox boundary (2 to 4 m.b.s.; 5 to 10 cm spacing). Spacing of observed tracer-filled fractures was large (>1 m) at greater depths. The number of fractures induced/activated could possibly be increased via adjustments to the fracturing equipment design.     

Female Crucian Carp, Carassius carassius, Lose Predator Avoidance Behavior when Getting Ready to Mate

In predator–prey interactions, the prey often have to compromise fitness-related behaviors such as feeding, courting, and territorial defense in order to avoid predators. In these trade-off situations, some behaviors have priority over others. These priorities are not rigid, and may be context-dependent; for instance, many animals show increased risk-taking during courtship behavior by paying less attention to potential predators. We investigated whether the fright reaction, a stereotypical avoidance response to olfactory cues from injured conspecifics, may be affected by reproductive status in a teleost fish, the crucian carp. We demonstrate that among individuals not responding to alarm substances with a fright reaction, the majority were ovulated or spermiated. In females, mean plasma concentrations of 17β-estradiol and testosterone, gonadal steroids known to decrease during the later stages of sexual maturation, were lower in the individuals not responding with a fright reaction compared to those responding. In males, there were no differences between responsive and non-responsive individuals in mean plasma levels of androgens (testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone) involved in spermatogenesis and male sexual behavior. As the fright reaction in crucian carp consists of behavior incompatible with spawning behavior, we hypothesize that this short-term suppression of the alarm response has evolved so that spawning can occur uninterrupted.     

Effects of a compensatory growth strategy on sensory and physical properties of meat from young bulls

The objective of the present study was to investigate the sensory properties, with special emphasis on tenderness, of meat from strategically fed young bulls (13 months of age) slaughtered when a plateau in protein turnover was observed. Twelve Holstein Friesian young bulls were divided into two feeding strategies. One group of young bulls (n = 6) were fed ad libitum throughout the rearing period (AD) whereas the second group (n = 6) was subjected to a compensatory growth feeding strategy (CO). Sensory profiling of beef longissimus dorsi (LD), semimembranosus (SM) and supraspinatus (SS) was performed in addition to physical measurements (shear force) and content of intramuscular fat of LD. The data was analysed using a regression-based multivariate data analytical strategy. In relation to predictivity of the various shear force measurement constituents for sensory texture, it was determined that a number of the responses collected (e.g. max_mm), in addition to the commonly used max_(N) may be utilised to predict subtlety in the sensory texture differences of the samples (e.g. Crumbliness) with respect to compensatory feeding. Through profiling LD and SS were found to have enhanced texture and flavour properties when the young bulls were fed ad libitum during rearing. However, the SM samples were found to improve in characteristics regarding texture and appearance when the young bulls had been fed compensatorily. Thus, compensatory feeding as a texture improvement strategy proved to be highly dependant on muscle type. Of note, LD and SS were found to develop an off-flavour designated as ‘steer taint’ when derived from compensatory feeding. This was postulated as potentially not a problem for the consumer, in LD as the level was not significant, and in SS due to sensory masking when commonly prepared as a stew or casserole. Considering the different preparation methods used for meat from LD, SM and SS, compensatory feeding may be considered to have improved the texture and elevated the eating quality where it was most relevant, namely in SM roasts.     

The TRPC1 Channel Forms a PI3K/CaM Complex and Regulates Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Cell Proliferation in a Ca2+-Independent Manner

Dysregulation of the transient receptor canonical ion channel (TRPC1) has been found in several cancer types, yet the underlying molecular mechanisms through which TRPC1 impacts pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell proliferation are incompletely understood. Here, we found that TRPC1 is upregulated in human PDAC tissue compared to adjacent pancreatic tissue and this higher expression correlates with low overall survival. TRPC1 is, as well, upregulated in the aggressive PDAC cell line PANC-1, compared to a duct-like cell line, and its knockdown (KD) reduced cell proliferation along with PANC-1 3D spheroid growth by arresting cells in the G1/S phase whilst decreasing cyclin A, CDK2, CDK6, and increasing p21^CIP1 expression. In addition, the KD of TRPC1 neither affected Ca²⁺ influx nor store-operated Ca²⁺ entry (SOCE) and reduced cell proliferation independently of extracellular calcium. Interestingly, TRPC1 interacted with the PI3K-p85α subunit and calmodulin (CaM); both the CaM protein level and AKT phosphorylation were reduced upon TRPC1 KD. In conclusion, our results show that TRPC1 regulates PDAC cell proliferation and cell cycle progression by interacting with PI3K-p85α and CaM through a Ca²⁺-independent pathway.