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Improved pea reference genome and pan-genome highlight genomic features and evolutionary characteristics
Get PDFComplete and accurate reference genomes and annotations provide fundamental resources for functional genomics and crop breeding. Here we report a de novo assembly and annotation of a pea cultivar ZW6 with contig N50 of 8.98 Mb, which features a 243-fold increase in contig length and evident improvements in the continuity and quality of sequence in complex repeat regions compared with the existing one. Genome diversity of 118 cultivated and wild pea demonstrated that Pisum abyssinicum is a separate species different from P. fulvum and P. sativum within Pisum. Quantitative trait locus analyses uncovered two known Mendel’s genes related to stem length (Le/le) and seed shape (R/r) as well as some candidate genes for pod form studied by Mendel. A pan-genome of 116 pea accessions was constructed, and pan-genes preferred in P. abyssinicum and P. fulvum showed distinct functional enrichment, indicating the potential value of them as pea breeding resources in the future
Paul Klee and War: ‘Art does not reproduce the visible, but makes visible’
Get PDFIn this thesis, I examine the life and work of Paul Klee and his struggle against the mechanisation of society which led not only to its industrialisation but also to the formalisation of the arts. I suggest further that Klee considered the mechanisation of society to be accelerated by the Great War. Klee strives to confront this increasingly industrialised world through the development of his art, while also reflecting on the very ability of art to address the industrialisation of the everyday life. I examine Klee’s path in this struggle, beginning with his Diaries and also examine his published text, the Creative Credo, written during the War. In the Creative Credo, Klee spells out his newly found understanding of art. The motto from this text: “Art does not reproduce the visible but makes visible” will guide my exploration of Klee’s artistic motivation. I also consider how the artwork of Klee enables the viewer to pull away from the preoccupations and individual involvement of everyday awareness to contemplate the complex “networks” that lay beneath. Klee’s art is not one-dimensional, instead, by investigating complex networks and associations that lay beneath art and life Klee challenges us to rethink art and life itself.1 Klee’s artwork is still able to speak to the contemporary viewer as it did then because we are still subjected to the same battles
Resistance to quambalaria shoot blight and myrtle rust in Corymbia calophylla seedlings
Get PDFCorymbia calophylla (marri), an endemic keystone tree species in southwest Western Australia, is increasingly impacted by the introduced basidiomycete smut Quambalaria pitereka. The basidiomycete rust Austropuccinia psidii (myrtle rust), an invasive pathogen recently introduced to Eastern Australia, is expected to spread to the southwest of Western Australia eventually. Austropuccinia psidii has similar epidemiology to Q. pitereka, and there is concern that C. calophylla may be susceptible. Preliminary pathogenicity tests showed significant differences in aggressiveness between twelve Q. pitereka isolates, and there was evidence of interactions between isolates and C. calophylla provenances. Seedlings from 59 open-pollinated families from 11 provenances covering the natural range of marri were screened for resistance to Q. pitereka and A. psidii under controlled glasshouse conditions. Resistance of seedlings within provenances to Q. pitereka and A. psidii differed significantly. There was no significant correlation between resistance to Q. pitereka and resistance to A. psidii. Seedlings of provenances from wetter regions were more resistant to both pathogens, but the correlation coefficients were insignificant. Seedlings of four families in three provenances (Serpentine, Chidlow, and Kingston) showed 100% resistance to Q. pitereka. Narrow-sense heritability estimates were 0.07 for quambalaria shoot blight resistance and 0.34 for myrtle rust resistance. The results indicate the potential to use selected families/individuals resistant to Q. pitereka and A. psidii for tree improvement programs and adaptive management strategies
Modelling the spatial extent of post‐fire sedimentation threat to estimate the impacts of fire on waterways and aquatic species
Get PDFAim
Fires can severely impact aquatic fauna, especially when attributes of soil, topography, fire severity and post-fire rainfall interact to cause substantial sedimentation. Such events can cause immediate mortality and longer-term changes in food resources and habitat structure. Approaches for estimating fire impacts on terrestrial species (e.g. intersecting fire extent with species distributions) are inappropriate for aquatic species as sedimentation can carry well downstream of the fire extent, and occur long after fire. Here, we develop an approach for estimating the spatial extent of fire impacts for aquatic systems, across multiple catchments.
Location
Southern Australian bioregions affected by the fires in 2019–2020 that burned >10 million ha of temperate and subtropical forests.
Methods
We integrated an existing soil erosion model with fire severity mapping and rainfall data to estimate the spatial extent of post-fire sedimentation threat in waterways and in basins and the potential exposure of aquatic species to this threat. We validated the model against field observations of sedimentation events after the 2019–20 fires.
Results
While fires overlapped with ~27,643 km of waterways, post-fire sedimentation events potentially occurred across ~40,449 km. In total, 55% (n = 85) of 154 basins in the study region may have experienced substantial post-fire sedimentation. Ten species—including six Critically Endangered—were threatened by post-fire sedimentation events across 100% of their range. The model increased the estimates for potential impact, compared to considering fire extent alone, for >80% of aquatic species. Some species had distributions that did not overlap with the fire extent, but that were entirely exposed to post-fire sedimentation threat.
Conclusions
Compared with estimating the overlap of fire extent with species' ranges, our model improves estimates of fire-related threats to aquatic fauna by capturing the complexities of fire impacts on hydrological systems. The model provides a method for quickly estimating post-fire sedimentation threat after future fires in any fire-prone region, thus potentially improving conservation assessments and informing emergency management interventions
Current assumptions for quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) of Norovirus contamination of drinking water catchments due to recreational activities: an update
Get PDFContamination of drinking water from Norovirus (NoV) and other waterborne viruses is a major public health concern globally. Increasingly, quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) is being used to assess the various risks from waterborne pathogens and evaluate control strategies. As urban populations grow and expand, there is increasing demand for recreational activities in drinking water catchments. QMRA relies on context-specific data to map out the pathways by which viruses can enter water and be transferred to drinking water consumers and identify risk factors and appropriate controls. This review examines the current evidence base and assumptions for QMRA analysis of NoV and other waterborne viral pathogens and recommends numerical values based on the most recent evidence to better understand the health risks associated with recreators in Australian drinking water sources; these are broadly applicable to all drinking water sources where recreational access is allowed. Key issues include the lack of an agreed upon data and dose-response models for human infectious NoV genotypes, faecal shedding by bathers, the extent of NoV infectivity and aggregation, resistance (secretor status) to NoV and the extent of secondary transmission
Combined application of inorganic and organic phosphorous with inoculation of phosphorus solubilizing bacteria improved productivity, grain quality and net economic returns of Pearl Millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br.)
Get PDFPearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum [L.] R. Br.) is a climate-smart cereal crop for environments prone to drought and heat stresses. Pearl millet is cultivated in Pakistan on marginal soils with phosphorus (P) deficiency, which significantly decreases its productivity. Moreover, P fixation in the country’s calcareous soils is another major constraint which requires attention. P solubilizing bacteria (PSB) have the potential to improve P availability in the soil. However, the potential of PSB in improving P availability in soil and pearl millet yield has been rarely tested in Pakistan. Therefore, this 2-year field study explored the role of combined application of organic and inorganic P sources along with PSB (i.e., Bacillus sp. MN54) inoculation to improve yield-related traits, P use efficiency (PUE), net economic returns and grain quality of pearl millet grown under semi-arid climatic conditions. Phosphorus was applied through inorganic sources, organic sources (farmyard manure) and 50% inorganic sources + 50% organic sources with or without PSB inoculation. In control treatment, pearl millet was grown without P application. The individual and combined application of P from different sources and PSB inoculation significantly improved yield-related traits and PUE of pearl millet. The highest grain yield was observed with combined (50% inorganic + 50% organic) application of P with PSB inoculation. The same treatments resulted in higher iron, zinc, protein and P contents in the grains during both years. Likewise, P application through organic and inorganic sources combined with PSB inoculation improved soil bulk density, fertility and microbial population during both years. The highest economic returns and benefit–cost ratio was recorded for combined P application (50% inorganic + 50% organic) and PSB inoculation. In crux, the combined application of organic and inorganic P fertilizers along with PSB (Bacillus sp. MN54) inoculation seemed a feasible approach to enhance productivity, grain quality and net economic returns of pearl millet. Therefore, it is recommended that P should be applied through both organic and inorganic sources combined with PSB inoculation to improve P availability and productivity of pearl millet in Pakistan. The current study has explored the potential of combined P application through organic and inorganic sources along with PSB inoculation. Future studies should focus on the determination of mobilized P with the application of PSB
Breastfeeding and maternal perceptions of infant sleep, settle and cry patterns in the first 9 months
Get PDFThis study evaluated relationships between maternal perceptions of infant sleep, settling and crying patterns and breastfeeding. A prospective observational study of 91 mothers of healthy, term infants was conducted with follow ups over 9 months after discharge from a Western Australian maternity hospital. Feeding information, sleep, settle and cry behaviours, maternal bother at infant behaviours and confidence were measured using the Sleep and Settle Questionnaire. Breastfeeding confidence was measured using the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale—Short Form. Questionnaires were administered at 2 and 6 weeks, 3, 6 and 9 months. Linear mixed models were used to assess associations between maternal bother, feeding method and infant characteristics. The feeding method was not associated with maternal bother, and cessation of breastfeeding did not result in a change in bother scores (p = 0.34). Duration of infant crying in the day, evening and night, frequency of night waking and duration of settling to sleep in the day were associated with increased bother scores. Higher breastfeeding self-efficacy and maternal confidence were associated with lower bother scores (both p < 0.01). Maternal bother is associated with infant behaviours that require parental input, but not breastfeeding status. Resources that address parental expectations regarding infant sleep while providing strategies to support maternal wellbeing and breastfeeding are needed
Neural network-based fixed-time sliding mode control for a class of nonlinear Euler-Lagrange systems
No full textIn this paper, the problem of robust fixed-time trajectory tracking control for a class of nonlinear Euler-Lagrange (EL) systems with exogenous disturbances and uncertain dynamics is addressed. A neural network (NN)-based adaptive estimation algorithm is employed to approximate the continuous uncertain dynamics, so that the dynamics of the EL system can be rebuild based on the estimations. In order to guarantee the EL system following the desired trajectory within a fixed-time, an adaptive fixed-time sliding mode control law is proposed to remedy the negative influence of uncertain dynamics and exogenous disturbances. Lyapunov stability theory is utilized to prove the stability and fixed-time convergence of the EL system. The efficiency of the developed NN-based adaptive fixed-time control strategy is substantiated with simulation results
Structural, surface electronic bonding, optical, and mechanical features of sputtering deposited CrNiN coatings with Si and Al additives
No full textHerein, the closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtered CrNiN, CrNiSiN, and CrNiAlN coatings are studied to gain insights into their structural, morphological, optical, and mechanical properties. Detailed characterizations of the thin films have been carried out through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), ultraviolet–visible–near infrared (UV–Vis) spectroscopy, nanoindentation, finite element modeling (FEM), and water contact angle measurements. XRD confirmed the hexagonal close-packed hcp-Cr2N (211) phase and face-centered cubic fcc-CrN (200) phase. The SEM images confirmed the compact, dense, and uniform distribution of gains in the coating structures. The average crystallite size of CrNiN coatings was 515 nm. The addition of substituents (Si and Al) to the CrNiN coatings resulted in increasing the crystallite sizes to 605 nm (for CrNiSiN) and 811 nm (for CrNiAlN) as well as grain size from 1.32 to 2.335 μm. XPS analysis was conducted to estimate the atomic constituents and measure the high-resolution XPS spectra of Ni2p photoelectron lines. The elastic modulus and hardness of the coatings are between 361 and 459 GPa, and 23.1–26.8 GPa, respectively. The Si, and Al additions enhanced both Young's modulus and the hardness of the coatings. Results of FEM modeling demonstrated the stress distribution within the coatings on steel and silicon substrates at different film thicknesses. The maximum stress level was increased by 30% at the coatings' upper portion, while that of the interface was reduced by 60%. The water contact angle values lay within the range of 102.4°–112.4°
Cyclometalated Ru(II)-isoquinoline complexes overcome cisplatin resistance of A549/DDP cells by downregulation of Nrf2 via Akt/GSK-3β/Fyn pathway
No full textBoth ruthenium (Ru) and isoquinoline (IQ) compounds are regarded as potential anticancer drug candidates. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of three novel cyclometalated Ru(II)-isoquinoline complexes: RuIQ-3, RuIQ-4, and RuIQ-5, and evaluation of their in vitro cytotoxicities against a panel of cell lines including A549/DDP, a cisplatin-resistant human lung cancer cell line. A549/DDP 3D multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTSs) were also used to detect the drug resistance reversal effect of Ru(II)-IQ complexes. Our results indicated that the cytotoxic activities against cancer cells of Ru(II)-IQ complexes, especially RuIQ-5, were superior compared with cisplatin. In addition, RuIQ-5 exhibited low toxicity towards both normal HBE cells in vitro and zebrafish embryos in vivo. Further investigation on cellular mechanism of action indicated that after absorption by A549/DDP cells, RuIQ-5 was mainly distributed in the nucleus, which is different from cisplatin. Besides, RuIQ-5 could induce apoptosis through mitochondrial dysfunction, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, ROS-mediated DNA damage, and cycle arrest at both S and G2/M phases. Moreover, RuIQ-5 could inhibit the overexpression of Nrf2 through regulation of Akt/GSK-3β/Fyn signaling pathway and hindering the nuclear translocation of Nrf2. Based on these findings, we firmly believe that the studied Ru(II)-IQ complexes hold great promise as anticancer therapeutics with high effectiveness and low toxicity