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A key issue in the design of pile-supported structures on sloping ground is soil–pile interaction, which becomes more complicated in case of dynamic loading. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of slope on the dynamic behavior of pile-supported structures by performing a series of centrifuge tests. Three models were prepared by varying the slope and soil density of dry sand grounds. The mass supported on 3 by 3 group piles was shaken applying sinusoidal wave with various amplitudes. Test results showed that the location of maximum values and distribution shape of the bending moment below the ground surface varied noticeably with the pile position in the slope case. The relationship between the soil resistance and pile deflection (p–yp loops) was carefully evaluated by applying the piecewise cubic spline method to fit the measured bending moment curves along piles. It was found that the shape of the p–yp loops was irregular due to the effect of slope, and immensely influenced by the movement of the unstable zone. In addition, the effect of the pile group in the horizontal case was evaluated by comparing with the previously suggested curves that represent the relationship between the soil resistance and pile–soil relative displacement (p–y curves) to propose the multiplier coefficients.

Studying endosperm development in crop species enables us to understand the molecular mechanisms for producing and metabolizing carbohydrates as a main energy source. A significant accumulation of genome-wide transcriptome data can enhance the performance of metaexpression data for diverse applications. Using a gene search tool in Genevestigator (https://genevestigator.com/) for anatomical samples, we first conducted a meta-anatomical expression analysis based on 2566 Affymetrix array data in rice (Oryza sativa) and intended to identify 400 endospermpreferred probes. Tissue-preferred expression patterns were confirmed by performing an additional meta-analysis of anatomical expression data comprising 219 spatial or temporal Agilent 44K array data. We then identified 299 genes that showed strong endosperm-preferred expression. The functional significance of 24 previously characterized genes was evaluated, and tissue-specific expression patterns of two genes were validated using a GUS reporter system. This second approach demonstrated that new tools are available for delivering agronomic traits in the endosperm. MapMan (mapman.gabipd.org/) analysis revealed the Metabolism and Regulation overviews associated with the process of endosperm development. In particular, the starch metabolism pathway is very closely related to that process in rice. We then constructed a regulatory network using both KEGG (www. genome.jp/ kegg/) pathway information for our candidate genes and a predicted protein–protein interaction network tool. Examination of an osbzip58-1 mutant with defects in endosperm development was combined with global transcriptome data in the network. Our results indicated that osbzip58-1 regulates the starch and sucrose metabolism pathways as well as the production of seed storage protein precursors. This new fundamental information adds to our understanding about the molecular mechanism for endosperm development in rice, and the resulting data will contribute to future studies that work to enhance the agronomic trait(s) associated with the endosperm.

Blast2 alignment of amino acid sequences from Os1-CysPrxA and Os1-CysPrxB. (PDF 41Â kb)

Genes that are expressed ubiquitously throughout all developmental stages are thought to be necessary for basic biological or cellular functions. Therefore, determining their biological roles is a great challenge. We identified 4034 of these genes in rice after studying the results of Agilent 44K and Affymetrix meta-anatomical expression profiles. Among 105 genes that were characterized by loss-of-function analysis, 79 were classified as members of gene families, the majority of which were predominantly expressed. Using T-DNA insertional mutants, we examined 43 genes and found that loss of expression of six genes caused developing seed- or seedling-defective phenotypes. Of these, three are singletons without similar family members and defective phenotypes are expected from mutations. Phylogenomic analyses integrating genome-wide transcriptome data revealed the functional dominance of three ubiquitously expressed family genes. Among them, we investigated the function of Os03g19890, which is involved in ATP generation within the mitochondria during endosperm development. We also created and evaluated functional networks associated with this gene to understand the molecular mechanism. Our study provides a useful strategy for pheonome analysis of ubiquitously expressed genes in rice.