| 1. |
- Cowan-Turner, Daniel, et al.
(författare)
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Sequencing complex plants on a budget: The development of Kalanchoë blossfeldiana as a C3, CAM comparative tool
- 2024
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Ingår i: Plants, People, Planet. - : WILEY. - 2572-2611.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the increasing number of well-studied plant species with well-annotated genomes across plant life, there are few densely sampled genera with more than a couple of genome sequences representing the diversity of whole genera. Here, we develop an economic approach to full-genome sequencing that could be used to sequence many species within a genus. We made use of the Nanopore rapid sequencing kit to assist in plant genome assembly, dramatically reducing the cost. Here we applied this method to cost-effectively develop genomic resources for Kalancho & euml; blossfeldiana, a commercially important ornamental, in which Crassulacean Acid Metabolism (CAM), a water-conserving mode of photosynthesis can be induced. We present a physiological and biochemical characterisation of Kalanchoe blossfeldiana with its nuclear and chloroplastic genome and a comparative C3, CAM dusk transcriptome. We apply this approach to a complex tetraploid genome, making use of a relative species for chromosomal scaffolding to reduce assembly ploidy, we provide a resource for future gene expression studies. We highlight its limitations, e.g. the need for deeper sequencing to accurately resolve genome structure and haplotypes without using a relative species for scaffolding. T he study demonstrates the merits of K. blossfeldiana as a comparative system for studying C3 and CAM within a plant and has identified substantial changes in the dusk transcriptome between young C3 and mature CAM K. blossfeldiana leaves in response to age-induced CAM, and shows that in the absence of abiotic stress, CAM induction still involves the engagement of drought and abscisic acid (ABA) response pathways.
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| 2. |
- Hertting, Krister, 1972-, et al.
(författare)
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Ping pong health! : A table tennis intervention for improved health at the workplace
- 2018
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Ingår i: The Science and Practice of Racket Sport for Improved Performance and Health: Special Focus on Table Tennis. - Halmstad : Halmstad University. - 9789163971297 ; , s. 22-23
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Physical activity has a positive impact on physical and psychological well-being (Delisle, Werch, Wong, Bian, & Weiler, 2010), as well as social relations and skills development (Lamu & Olsen, 2016; Perkins & Williamon, 2014). Adopting a “healthy organization” culture through health programs, with strong senior and middle management support, and using interventions can promote health at workplaces (Rajaratnam et. al., 2014). We, therefore, consider it relevant to have physical activity, social relations and skill development as the starting point in a tabletennis intervention at the workplace.Aim: The aim was to develop, implement, and evaluate an intervention for improving health and wellbeing in the workplace by introducing table tennis.Methods and results: The intervention design consisted of two workshops and five table tennis sessions. Thirteen employees from a warehouse within the retail sector participated in the intervention. The participants had various backgrounds in table tennis and sport in general, different motives to participate, and came from different groups of employees (management and stock). After an introductory workshop, two table tennis coaches held one training session a week over the fiveweek intervention period. The employees were divided in to two groups and each group had a 45-minute session. The evaluation is in progress at present. Pre- and post-measurement has been conducted using health questionnaires Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). These will be analysed using a Bayesian paired t-test analysis. Based on the results of the questionnaire focus group interviews will be conducted with participants. Three focus groups of 4-5 participants in each group. The questions will focus on 24 experiences of the intervention and reflections on future directions for table-tennis and wellbeing activities at the workplace. Finally, there will be a workshop pointing out future directions for sport-based health activities at the workplace.
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| 3. |
- Oikonomou, Vasileios, et al.
(författare)
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Elucidating the Bulk Morphology of Cellulose-Based Conducting Aerogels with X-Ray Microtomography
- 2023
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Ingår i: Advanced Materials Technologies. - : WILEY. - 2365-709X. ; 8:23
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Conducting cellulose composites are promising sustainable functional materials that have found application in energy devices, sensing and water purification. Herein, conducting aerogels are fabricated based on nanofibrillated cellulose and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate, using the ice templating technique, and their bulk morphology is characterized with X-ray microtomography. The freezing method (−20 °C in a freezer vs liquid nitrogen) does not impact the mean porosity of the aerogels but the liquid-N2 aerogels have smaller pores. The integration of carbon fibers as addressing electrodes prior to freezing results in increased mean porosity and pore size in the liquid-N2 aerogels signifying that the carbon fibers alter the morphology of the aerogels when the freezing is fast. Spatially resolved porosity and pore size distributions also reveal that the liquid-N2 aerogels are more inhomogeneous. Independent of the freezing method, the aerogels have similar electrochemical properties. For aerogels without carbon fibers, freezer-aerogels have higher compression modulus and are less stable under cycling compression fatigue test. This can be explained by higher porosity with larger pores in the center of liquid-N2 aerogels and thinner pore walls. This work demonstrates that micro-CT is a powerful tool for characterizing the morphology of aerogels in a non-destructive and spatially resolved manner.
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| 4. |
- Oikonomou, Vasileios, et al.
(författare)
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eSoil : A low-power bioelectronic growth scaffold that enhances crop seedling growth
- 2024
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : NATL ACAD SCIENCES. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 121:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Active hydroponic substrates that stimulate on demand the plant growth have not been demonstrated so far. Here, we developed the eSoil, a low-power bioelectronic growth scaffold that can provide electrical stimulation to the plants' root system and growth environment in hydroponics settings. eSoil's active material is an organic mixed ionic electronic conductor while its main structural component is cellulose, the most abundant biopolymer. We demonstrate that barley seedlings that are widely used for fodder grow within the eSoil with the root system integrated within its porous matrix. Simply by polarizing the eSoil, seedling growth is accelerated resulting in increase of dry weight on average by 50% after 15 d of growth. The effect is evident both on root and shoot development and occurs during the growth period after the stimulation. The stimulated plants reduce and assimilate NO-3more efficiently than controls, a finding that may have implications on minimizing fertilizer use. However, more studies are required to provide a mechanistic understanding of the physical and biological processes involved. eSoil opens the pathway for the development of active hydroponic scaffolds that may increase crop yield in a sustainable manner.
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