In response to a joint call from US’s NSF and UK’s EPSRC for applications that aim to utilize the combined computational resources
of the US and UK, three computational science groups from UCL, Tufts and Brown Universities teamed up with a middleware team
from NIU/Argonne to meet the challenge. Although the groups had three distinct codes and aims, the projects had the underlying
common feature that they were comprised of large-scale distributed applications which required high-end networking and advanced
middleware in order to be effectively deployed. For example, cross-site runs were found to be a very effective strategy to
overcome the limitations of a single resource.
The seamless federation of a grid-of-grids remains difficult. Even if interoperability at the middleware and software stack
levels were to exist, it would not guarantee that the federated grids can be utilized for large scale distributed applications.
There are important additional requirements for example, compatible and consistent usage policy, automated advanced reservations
and most important of all co-scheduling. This paper outlines the scientific motivation and describes why distributed resources
are critical for all three projects. It documents the challenges encountered in using a grid-of-grids and some of the solutions
devised in response. 相似文献
Suaeda fruticosa and S. monoica are important halophytes for ecological rehabilitation of saline lands. We report differential physio-chemical, photosynthetic, and chlorophyll fluorescence responses in these halophytes under 100 mM sodium chloride (NaCl), 50% strength (16.25 ppt) of seawater (SW)-imposed salinity, and 10% polyethylene glycol 6000 imposed osmotic stress at 380 (ambient) and 1200 (elevated) µmol mol–1 CO2 concentrations. SW salinity enhanced the growth in both species; however, compared with S. fruticosa, the S. monoica exhibited comparatively better growth and biomass accumulation under saline conditions at elevated CO2. Results demonstrated better photosynthetic performances of S. monoica under stress conditions at both levels of CO2, and this resulted in higher accumulation of carbon, nitrogen, sugar, and starch contents. S. monoica exhibited improved antenna size, electron transfer at PSII donor side, and efficient working of photosynthetic machinery at elevated CO2, which might be due to efficient upstream utilization of reducing power to fix the CO2. The δ13C results supported the operation of C4 CO2 fixation in S. monoica and C3 or intermediate pathway of CO2 fixation in S. fruticosa. Lower accumulation of reactive oxygen species, reduced membrane damage, lowered solute potential, and higher accumulation of proline and polyphenol contents indicated elevated CO2-induced abiotic stress tolerance in Suaeda. Higher activity of antioxidant enzymes in both species at both levels of CO2 help plants to combat the oxidative stress. Upregulation of NADP-dependent malic enzyme and NADP-dependent malate dehydrogenase genes indicated their role in abiotic stress tolerance as well as photosynthetic carbon (C) sequestration. Operation of C4 type CO2 fixation in S. monoica and an intermediate CO2 fixation in S. fruticosa could be the possible reason for the superior photosynthetic efficiency of S. monoica under stress conditions at elevated CO2.
DNA replication, repair, and recombination (DRRR) are the fundamental processes required for faithful transmission of genetic information within and between generations. The DRRR genes protect the cells from potential mutations and damage during the developmental phases and stress conditions. Thus, these genes indirectly regulate diverse important agronomic traits in a crop plant. A genome-wide survey of six DRRR pathway genes, namely, DNA replication, Base Excision Repair, Nucleotide Excision Repair, Homologous Recombination, Mismatch Excision Repair, and Non-Homologous End-Joining, identified 157 DRRR genes in chickpea. Phylogenetic analysis of these genes within the legume clades and model plant Arabidopsis identified 42 conserved DRRR genes exhibiting clade-specific evolutionary patterns. Integrating the gene-based association mapping with differential expression profiling identified the natural alleles of the potential DRRR genes, primarily regulating flowering and maturation time and involved in drought tolerance of chickpea. Identifying and understanding DRRR genes’ roles in regulating yield and stress tolerance traits in a vital grain legume like chickpea is requisite for its future crop improvement endeavors. Manipulation of promising functionally relevant DRRR genes will pave the way for simultaneous improvement in multiple beneficial agronomic traits in chickpea.
Molecular Biology Reports - Plant establishment, growth, development and productivity are adversely affected by abiotic stresses that are dominant characteristics of environmentally... 相似文献
Much of the world's terrestrial landscapes are being altered by humans in the form of agriculture, urbanization and pastoral systems, with major implications for biodiversity. Bumble bees are one of the most effective pollinators in both natural and cultivated landscapes, but are often the first to be extirpated in human‐altered habitats. Yet, little is known about the role of natural and human‐altered habitats in promoting or limiting bumble bee gene flow. In this study, I closely examine the genetic structure of the yellow‐faced bumble bee, Bombus vosnesenskii, across the southwestern US coast and find strong evidence that natural oceanic barriers, as well as contemporary human‐altered habitats, limit bee gene flow. Heterozygosity and allelic richness were lower in island populations, while private allelic richness was higher in island populations compared to mainland populations. Genetic differentiation, measured for three indices across the 1000 km study region, was significantly greater than the null expectation (FST = 0.041, F’ST = 0.044 and Dest = 0.155) and correlated with geographic distance. Furthermore, genetic differentiation patterns were most strongly correlated with contemporary (2011) not past (2006, 2001) resistance maps calibrated for high dispersal limitation over oceans, impervious habitat and croplands. Despite the incorporation of dramatic elevation gradients, the analyses reveal that oceans and contemporary human land use, not mountains, are the primary dispersal barriers for B. vosnesenskii gene flow. These findings reinforce the importance of maintaining corridors of suitable habitat across the distribution range of native pollinators to promote their persistence and safeguard their ability to provide essential pollination services. 相似文献
The extracellular enzyme alginate lyase produced from marine fungus Aspergillus oryzae isolated from brown alga Dictyota dichotoma was purified, partially characterized, and evaluated for its sodium alginate depolymerization abilities. The enzyme characterization
studies have revealed that alginate lyase consisted of two polypeptides with about 45 and 50 kDa each on 10% sodium dodecyl
sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and showed 140-fold higher activity than crude enzyme under optimized pH (6.5)
and temperature (35°C) conditions. Zn2+, Mn2+, Cu2+, Mg2+, Co2+ and NaCl were found to enhance the enzyme activity while (Ca2+, Cd2+, Fe2+, Hg2+, Sr2+, Ni2+), glutathione, and metal chelators (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid) suppressed the
activity. Fourier transform infrared and thin-layer chromatography analysis of depolymerized sodium alginate indicated the
enzyme specificity for cleaving at the β-1,4 glycosidic bond between polyM and polyG blocks of sodium alginate and therefore
resulted in estimation of relatively higher polyM content than polyG. Comparison of chemical shifts in 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of both polyM and polyG from that of sodium alginate also showed further evidence for
enzymatic depolymerization of sodium alginate. 相似文献