Plant canopy shape and the influences on UV exposures to the canopy

The solar spectra at selected sites over hemispherical, conical and pinnacle plant canopy models has been evaluated with a dosimetric technique. The irradiance at the sites varies by up to a factor of 0.31 compared to the irradiance on a horizontal plane. The biologically effective (UVBE) exposures evaluated with the dosimetric technique at sites over the plant canopy are up to 19% of that on a horizontal plane. Compared to a spectroradiometer, the technique provides a more practicable method of measuring the UVBE exposures at multiple sites over a plant canopy. Usage of a dosimeter at one site to provide the exposures at that site for different sun angles introduces an error of more than 50%. Knowledge of the spectra allowed the UV and UVBE exposures to be calculated at each site along with the exposures to the entire canopies. These were dependent on the sun angle and the canopy shape. For plant damage, the UVBE was a maximum of about 1.4 mJ cm-2/min. Compared to the hemispherical canopy, the UVBE exposure for generalised plant damage was 45% less for the pinnacle canopy and 23% less for the conical canopy. The canopy exposures could not be determined from measurements of the ambient exposure

Electronic and Magnetic Structures of Sr2FeMoO6

We have investigated the electronic and magnetic structures of Sr2FeMoO6 employing site-specific direct probes, namely x-ray absorption spectroscopy with linearly and circularly polarized photons. In contrast to some previous suggestions, the results clearly establish that Fe is in the formal trivalent state in this compound. With the help of circularly polarized light, it is unambiguously shown that the moment at the Mo sites is below the limit of detection (< 0.25mu_B), resolving a previous controversy. We also show that the decrease of the observed moment in magnetization measurements from the theoretically expected value is driven by the presence of mis-site disorder between Fe and Mo sites.Comment: To appear in Physical Review Letter

Genome-wide deficiency screen for the genomic regions responsible for heat resistance in Drosophila melanogaster

Background: Temperature adaptation is one of the most important determinants of distribution and population size of organisms in nature. Recently, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping and gene expression profiling approaches have been used for detecting candidate genes for heat resistance. However, the resolution of QTL mapping is not high enough to examine the individual effects of various genes in each QTL. Heat stress-responsive genes, characterized by gene expression profiling studies, are not necessarily responsible for heat resistance. Some of these genes may be regulated in association with the heat stress response of other genes. Results: To evaluate which heat-responsive genes are potential candidates for heat resistance with higher resolution than previous QTL mapping studies, we performed genome-wide deficiency screen for QTL for heat resistance. We screened 439 isogenic deficiency strains from the DrosDel project, covering 65.6% of the Drosophila melanogaster genome in order to map QTL for thermal resistance. As a result, we found 19 QTL for heat resistance, including 3 novel QTL outside the QTL found in previous studies. Conclusion: The QTL found in this study encompassed 19 heat-responsive genes found in the previous gene expression profiling studies, suggesting that they were strong candidates for heat resistance. This result provides new insights into the genetic architecture of heat resistance. It also emphasizes the advantages of genome-wide deficiency screen using isogenic deficiency libraries

Genome-wide deficiency mapping of the regions responsible for temporal canalization of the developmental processes of Drosophila melanogaster

Developmental processes of organisms are programed to proceed in a finely regulated manner and finish within a certain period of time depending on the ambient environmental conditions. Therefore, variation in the developmental period under controlled genetic and environmental conditions indicates innate instability of the developmental process. In this study, we aimed to determine whether a molecular machinery exists that regulates the canalization of the developmental period and, if so, to test whether the same mechanism also stabilizes a morphological trait. To search for regions that influence the instability of the developmental period, we conducted genome-wide deficiency mapping with 441 isogenic deficiency strains covering 65.5% of the Drosophila melanogaster genome. We found that 11 independent deficiencies significantly increased the instability of the developmental period and 5 of these also significantly increased the fluctuating asymmetry of wing shape although there was no significant correlation between the instabilities of developmental period and wing shape in general. These results suggest that canalization processes of the developmental period and morphological traits are at least partially independent. Our findings emphasize the potential importance of temporal variation in development as an indicator of developmental stability and canalization and provide a novel perspective for understanding the regulation of phenotypic variability

Clinical Significance of Intravenous Natural Interferon-beta Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C; Its Anti-viral and Adverse Effects Comparing with Natural Interferon-alpha Therapy

departmental bulletin pape

Anticholinergic drug burden tools/scales and adverse outcomes in different clinical settings: a systematic review of reviews

Background: Cumulative anticholinergic exposure (anticholinergic burden) has been linked to a number of adverse outcomes. To conduct research in this area, an agreed approach to describing anticholinergic burden is needed. Objective: This review set out to identify anticholinergic burden scales, to describe their rationale, the settings in which they have been used and the outcomes associated with them. Methods: A search was performed using the Healthcare Databases Advanced Search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, CINAHL and PsycINFO from inception to October 2016 to identify systematic reviews describing anticholinergic burden scales or tools. Abstracts and titles were reviewed to determine eligibility for review with eligible articles read in full. The final selection of reviews was critically appraised using the ROBIS tool and pre-defined data were extracted; the primary data of interest were the anticholinergic burden scales or tools used. Results: Five reviews were identified for analysis containing a total of 62 original articles. Eighteen anticholinergic burden scales or tools were identified with variation in their derivation, content and how they quantified the anticholinergic activity of medications. The Drug Burden Index was the most commonly used scale or tool in community and database studies, while the Anticholinergic Risk Scale was used more frequently in care homes and hospital settings. The association between anticholinergic burden and clinical outcomes varied by index and study. Falls and hospitalisation were consistently found to be associated with anticholinergic burden. Mortality, delirium, physical function and cognition were not consistently associated. Conclusions: Anticholinergic burden scales vary in their rationale, use and association with outcomes. This review showed that the concept of anticholinergic burden has been variably defined and inconsistently described using a number of indices with different content and scoring. The association between adverse outcomes and anticholinergic burden varies between scores and has not been conclusively established

Risk Factors for Hyperuricemia or Gout in Men and Women: The Circulatory Risk in Communities Study (CIRCS)

journal articl

Light-Promoted Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide¿An Overview

[EN] Hydrogenation of carbon dioxide is considered as a viable strategy to generate fuels while closing the carbon cycle (heavily disrupted by the abuse in the exploitation of fossil resources) and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The process can be performed by heat-powered catalytic processes, albeit conversion and selectivity tend to be reduced at increasing temperatures owing to thermodynamic constraints. Recent investigations, as summarised in this overview, have proven that light activation is a distinct possibility for the promotion of CO2 hydrogenation to fuels. This effect is particularly beneficial in methanation processes, which can be enhanced under simulated solar irradiation using materials based on metallic nanoparticles as catalysts. The use of nickel, ruthenium and rhodium has led to substantial efficiencies. Light-promoted processes entail performances on a par with (or even superior to) those of thermally-induced, industrially-relevant, commercial technologies.The author thanks the Spanish Government (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, MINECO) for financial support via a project for young researchers (CTQ2015-74138-JIN), and the ‘‘Severo Ochoa’’ programme (SEV 2012-0267). The European Union is also acknowledged for the SynCatMatch project (ERCAdG-2014-671093)Puga Vaca, A. (2016). Light-Promoted Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide¿An Overview. Topics in Catalysis. 59(15-16):1268-1278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11244-016-0658-zS126812785915-16Centi G, Perathoner S (2009) Opportunities and prospects in the chemical recycling of carbon dioxide to fuels. Catal Today 148:191–205Aresta M, Dibenedetto A, Angelini A (2014) Catalysis for the valorization of exhaust carbon: from CO2 to chemicals, materials, and fuels. technological use of CO2. 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