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Background: Black bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) has been widely grown in China and is popular in the international market. However, to decrease production costs, growers require cultivars with an upright growth pattern that enables them to be harvested directly. Longyundou 19, which was developed by the Crop Resources Institute of the Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences was released in 2020 as an upright, high-yielding black bean cultivar with resistance to anthracnose and common bacterial blight. Methods: Cross breeding is an effective way of improving common bean varieties. Longyundou 19 was developed from the Longyundou 4 (female) × Longyundou 5 (male) hybridization and the subsequent systematic selection for upright, yield, disease resistance, quality and agronomic traits over six generations. Result: The average yield of Longyundou 19 during yield trials from 2016 to 2019 was 1,888.5 kg ha-1, which was 10.3% greater than that of the check cultivar. Disease investigations conducted in fields from 2016 to 2019, indicated Longyundou 19 exhibits some resistance to anthracnose, common bacterial blight and BCMV. This new variety combined the disease resistance and black seed coat of the female parent with the upright growth pattern of the male parent, while retaining the high yield of both parents.

Steam gasification performance of char pellets for typical technique solid waste (gloves, paper towel, coveralls, sawdust and their mixture) in nuclear power plant were examined between 700 °C and 900 °C at four steam concentrations (20 %, 40 %, 60 % and 80 %) in a lab-scale fixed-bed gasifier. There was certain synergistic effect in mixture gasification. The average percentage of solid residues for mixture char pellets was 32 % at the steam concentration of 20 %, which fell down about 71 % with lifting the steam concentration to 80 %. The activation energy of the mixture char pellets was 82.7 kJ mol−1. The kinetic parameters of steam gasification for all samples were well estimated based on shrinking core model. The maximum mass reduction ratio of mixture char through gasification was 98 %. The total maximum mass reduction ratios of primary samples through further gasification treatment were over 98 % that was much higher than that only through pyrolysis.

Isothermal pyrolysis characteristics of typical technical solid wastes (polyethylene, paper towel and textiles, and their mixture with a blending ratio of 4:1:1) were carried out in a fixed bed between 475 °C and 550 °C. The influence of the temperature on the pyrolysis index, kinetic parameters and products of the samples was addressed. The interaction between the three individuals during their co-pyrolysis was identified. As the temperature was from 475 °C to 550 °C, the pyrolysis index of the polyethylene increased by about 78 times, while that for paper towel and textiles only increased by about 1 and 6 times, respectively. Solid residues from the mixture pyrolysis were about 11.6 % wt. More alkanes and alkenes were in liquid products of the mixture. The shrinking core model would represent well the mixture pyrolysis. The pre-exponential factor of polyethylene was much higher than other two individuals. There was a significant synergistic effect detected for mixture during the co-pyrolysis. The pyrolysis of mixture was dominated by a third order reaction mechanism. This study can provide basic data for the thermal treatment of solid waste in nuclear power plants.

We report 2 cases of neonatal Legionella infection associated with aspiration of contaminated water used in hospitals to make infant formula. The molecular profiles of Legionella strains isolated from samples from the infants and from water dispensers were indistinguishable. Our report highlights the need to consider nosocomial legionellosis among neonates who have respiratory symptoms.

Bi-alkali metal (Li, Na, K, Rb) binary systems have been systematically assessed based on the available phase diagrams and thermodynamic data. The modified quasichemical model, which takes short-range ordering into account, is used to describe the liquid phase. All intermetallic phases are treated as stoichiometric compounds. A set of self-consistent model parameters is obtained and the experimental data are reproduced well within experimental error limits. The enthalpy of mixing, entropy of mixing, and activity of element are calculated, showing the liquid phase exhibits maximum short-range ordering at 75 at% X (X=Li, Na, K, Rb). Some systematic variations and regularities are presented, indicating the enthalpy and entropy of mixing for the liquid phase at the maximum short-range ordering along with the enthalpy of formation and melting temperature of intermediate compound BiX3 change with the atomic radius of alkali metals regularly.

In this work, fracture properties of two different powder-metallurgy (PM) tungsten materials have been studied. Two sets of mini bend bar specimens were fabricated either from a cross-rolled tungsten plate (prepared by a conventional PM fabrication route) and from a HIPed tungsten plate (prepared by Powder Injection Molding). Different specimen surface conditions were applied in order to investigate the effect of surface roughness on the bending properties of tungsten. In order to determine transition from ductile to brittle regime, three-point bending tests were performed in the temperature range of 25-300 degrees C. While the flexure strength (regardless of surface finishing) at room temperature (RT) for the rolled tungsten is significantly higher than that for the HIPed tungsten, the transition from brittle to ductile fracture was found to be rather similar, in the range of 180-230 degrees C, for both studied materials. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Al matrix composite containing high volume fraction silicon has been promising candidate for lightweight and low-thermal-expansion components. Whereas, optimization of its mechanical properties still is an open challenge. In this article, a flexile powder metallurgy processing was used to produce a fully dense Al–4.0Cu (wt%) alloy composite reinforced with 65 vol.% Si particles. In this composite, Si particles were homogenously distributed, and the particle size was refined to the range of 3–15 μm. Tensile and flexural strength of the composite were 282 and 455 MPa, respectively, about 100% and 50% higher than the best properties reported in literature. The measured fracture toughness of the composite was 4.90 MPa m 1/2 . The improved strength of 65%Si/Al was attributed to the optimized particle characteristics and matrix properties. This investigation is expected to provide a primary understanding of the mechanical behaviors of Si/Al composites, and also promote the structural applications of this low-thermal-expansion material.

The microstructure features of a representative Zr48Cu45Al7 bulk metallic glass (BMG) were investigated via a series of simulations and calculations coupled with the synchrotron radiation-based experiments. It was revealed that bond shortening occurs in the atomic pairs, due to the strong interaction between the Al dopant atoms and their neighbors. The bond shortening leads to the atomic and cluster level dense packing in the local structures, which should be the structural mechanism of the high glass-forming ability in Al-microalloyed BMGs. This work not only reveals the atomic and cluster level microstructures in this class of glass materials, but also has implications for developing other BMGs with relatively large critical sizes.

Thioredoxin h (Trxh) is a ubiquitous protein that reduces disulfides in target proteins, and is itself reduced by NADPH-thioredoxin reductase. In the current study, the complementary DNA sequence and the genomic sequence of the three-pistil (TP) line of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were obtained from spikes through reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and touchdown-PCR. Sequence alignment of amino acids of TPTrxh then allowed for predictions of its physicochemical properties, secondary structures, tertiary structures, and functional domains. Furthermore, the TPTrxh gene was overexpressed in Escherichia coli and its activity was demonstrated using a dithiothreitol-dependent insulin assay. The expression patterns of TPTrxh were analyzed through real-time RT-PCR in different tissues and across different developmental stages of young spikes. The complementary DNA of TPTrxh was found to be 411 bp in length, encoding 118 amino acids. Its genomic sequence was determined to be 2632 bp, possessing 3 exons and 2 introns. Functional domain analysis indicated that TPTrxh contained a WCGPC motif located at the end of the second β-fold and on the initial side of the second α-helix. The TPTrxh protein reduces intramolecular and intermolecular disulfide bridges in target proteins. Young spikes contain higher levels of TPTrxh transcripts than do stems and leaves. The transcript levels in the young spikes (2-5 mm in length) of the Chinese Spring TP line increased 2.84-fold relative to those of young spikes (2-5 mm in length) of the Chinese Spring line. These data provide a basis for future research into the function of Trxh, and offer further insight into the molecular mechanism of the TP mutation in wheat.

Summary Background Heavy ions represent the best tool for external radiotherapy (RT) of inoperable tumours. Heavy ion RT has been used in the treatment of various tumours, especially for radioresistant tumours mediated by hypoxia, localized near organs at risk. Most of these treatments are concentrated in deep-seated tumours such as those of the brain, head, lung, liver, rectum and urogenital organs, and treatment of skin carcinomas is limited. Objectives To evaluate the outcome and toxicity after carbon ion RT for skin carcinomas at the Heavy Ion Research Facility in Lanzhou, China. Methods Between November 2006 and March 2009, 45 patients with skin carcinoma [squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (n = 16), basal cell carcinoma (BCC) (n = 12), malignant melanoma (MM) (n = 7), Bowen disease (n = 8) and Paget disease (n = 2)] were treated with carbon ion RT within a clinical Phase I trial. Patients received total doses of 60–70 GyE for SCC and BCC, 61–75 GyE for MM, 60 GyE for Bowen disease and 42·5 GyE for Paget disease, administered in 6–11 fractions over 6–11 days, with a fraction dose of 7–10 GyE. Results The mean follow-up was 24 months, range 12–36 months. The actuarial local control rates at 1 and 3 years were 90·9% and 65·5% for SCC, 91·7% and 80·2% for BCC, 85·7% and 42·9% for MM, 90% and 90% for Bowen and Paget diseases, respectively. The actuarial 1- and 3-year overall survival rates for 45 patients were 88·9% and 86%, respectively. No severe side-effects greater than Common Toxicity Criteria grade 3 have been observed. Conclusions The results demonstrated that heavy ion RT offers high local tumour control and progression-free survival rates without significant radiation-induced toxicity for patients with skin carcinomas.

SummaryThe aim of the present study was to investigate the epidemiology of Legionnaires’ disease (LD) caused by Legionella longbeachae in Taiwan during 2006–2010. A total of six cases were identified prospectively, accounting for 1.6% of all laboratory-confirmed LD cases and 4.4% of culture-positive LD cases. All six cases occurred between April and August. The male to female ratio was 0.5. These six LD patients had a higher median age than those with LD due to Legionella pneumophila. Four of the six patients presented with pleural effusion and five survived the infection episode. Only two patients had a potential soil contact history prior to LD onset. The patients resided in divergent geographical areas without a common exposure history. The individual genomic DNA banding patterns of the six L. longbeachae isolates analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were unique, supporting the hypothesis that the L. longbeachae infections occurred sporadically.

Wheat WAG-1 is a C-class MADS-box gene, which is orthologous to AGAMOUS in Arabidopsis. In this study, we report the cloning, characterization, and expression patterns of WAG-1 in the pistillody mutant HTS-1 and its sib-line CSTP. The cDNA of WAG-1 was found to be 765 bp in length, which was equal to the length of its open reading frame, encoding 254 amino acids. The location of WAG-1 revealed that it has three homologous genes from the short arm of chromosome 1A, 1B, and 1D. Their genomic sequences were determined to be 5864, 6454, and 6447 bp long, respectively, and possessed seven exons and six introns. Young spikes from HTS-1 contained higher levels of WAG-1 transcript than did those from CSTP, and the transcript levels in the young spikes (7-10 mm in length) of HTS-1 increased 3.3-fold relative to those of the CSTP line. The transcript level in the pistil and pistil-like stamens of HTS-1 was over 2-fold higher than that in the stamens of CSTP, and expression in the pistil-like stamens of HTS-1 was slightly higher than that in its pistils. These data provide a basis for future research into the function of WAG-1, and offer further insight into the molecular mechanism of the pistillody mutation in common wheat.

HTS-1 is a new kind of pistillody wheat. All or parts of its stamen are transformed into pistils or pistil-like structures, and it has more seed sets per floret than normal wheat under normal cultivation conditions. To investigate the expression divergence in this mutant, an annealing control primer system was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the young spikelets. As a result, three DEGs, including HDB2, HGF2, and HCG4, were detected, with variable expression in HTS-1 and the control. After further confirmation using real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis, these genes were overexpressed in HTS-1 wheat. NGF2 was identified in the double ridge to floret differentiation stages; HDB2 and HCG4 were identified in the stage of pistil and stamen-differentiating. Therefore, we inferred that the homeotic transformation of stamens into pistil-like structures occurred during the early stage of stamen development. Sequence alignment analysis revealed that HDB2 encodes a putative protein of 189 amino acids, with high homology to the DEAD-box ATP-dependent RNA helicase, and HCG4 was identical to the Chinese spring wheat cDNA clone predicted protein according to GenBank. However, NGF2 was not found to have significant similarity to any reported proteins, suggesting it is a new functional gene in wheat. The results suggest that HDB2, HCG4, and HGF2 are minor genes contributing to pistillody trait formation in HTS-1.

The diversity and prevalence of Fusarium species and their chemotypes on wheat in the North-West and North of Iran was determined. Wheat in these areas is severely affected by Fusarium head blight, with Fusarium graminearum as prevalent species causing 96% of the infections in the North-West and 50% in the Northern provinces. Fungal isolates were identified based on morphological characters and sequences of the internal transcribed spacer region, and parts of translation elongation factor 1-? and RNA polymerase subunit II sequences. Phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses show little haplotype variation between the F. graminearum strains collected from the different locations, but the isolates differ significantly in their trichothecene chemotypes as determined with a multilocus genotyping assay. F. graminearum strains producing 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol were abundant in Ardabil (North-West of Iran), while in Golestan province (North of Iran) at the other side of the Caspian Sea especially nivalenol producing strains and a variety of other Fusarium species were observed. Strains producing 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol were rarely found in both areas. This is the first detailed study on Fusarium infections in Iranian wheat, showing large differences in prevalent etiological agents and in mycotoxin chemotypes geographically.

A purified protein kinase obtained from rabbit skeletal muscle catalyzed the conversion of transferase I to transferase D. The same enzyme preparation also activated phosphorylase b kinase (phosphorylase b kinase kinase activity) and catalyzed the phosphorylation of casein. Under the conditions employed the transferase I kinase activity was essentially dependent upon cyclic AMP. The K A value of cyclic AMP for transferase I kinase activity was 70 nM. The activation was quite specific for cyclic AMP. Changing the base moiety (cyclic GMP, cyclic CMP or cyclic UMP) increased the K A value 60–100-fold. The binding was even more adversely affected by changes in the ribose moiety (cyclic dAMP and cyclic TMP). The maximum activation for all of the 3′,5′-cyclic nucleotides studied varied only about 20%. A 3′, 5′-cyclic phosphate group appeared to be a requirement for activation as 2′, 3′-cyclic AMP, 3′-AMP and 5′ AMP were without activity

Summary Human subjects were immunized against V. cholerae by the injection of vaccines which were prepared by different methods. The method of preparation did not seem to have any appreciable effect on the antibody response following the injections. Intracutaneous vaccination appeared to be more effective than subcutaneous injections. It was, however, followed in some instances by abscess formation, which although insignificant in extent and not accompanied by discomfort, should at present be considered as contraindicating its general application.