Sample records for oat straw avena

  1. Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae: a threat to global oat production

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae causes crown rust disease in cultivated and wild oat. The significant yield losses inflicted by this pathogen makes crown rust the most devastating disease in the oat industry. P. coronata f. sp. avenae is a basidiomycete fungus with an obligate biotrophic lifestyle a...

  2. Identification, introgression, and molecular marker genetic analysis and selection of a highly effective novel oat crown rust resistance from diploid oat, Avena strigosa

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A new highly effective resistance to oat crown rust (Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae) was identified in the diploid oat Avena strigosa PI 258731 and introgressed into hexaploid cultivated oat. Young plants with this resistance show moderate susceptibility, whereas older plant tissues and adult plant...

  3. Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae: a threat to global oat production.

    PubMed

    Nazareno, Eric S; Li, Feng; Smith, Madeleine; Park, Robert F; Kianian, Shahryar F; Figueroa, Melania

    2018-05-01

    Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae (Pca) causes crown rust disease in cultivated and wild oat (Avena spp.). The significant yield losses inflicted by this pathogen make crown rust the most devastating disease in the oat industry. Pca is a basidiomycete fungus with an obligate biotrophic lifestyle, and is classified as a typical macrocyclic and heteroecious fungus. The asexual phase in the life cycle of Pca occurs in oat, whereas the sexual phase takes place primarily in Rhamnus species as the alternative host. Epidemics of crown rust happens in areas with warm temperatures (20-25 °C) and high humidity. Infection by the pathogen leads to plant lodging and shrivelled grain of poor quality. Disease symptoms: Infection of susceptible oat varieties gives rise to orange-yellow round to oblong uredinia (pustules) containing newly formed urediniospores. Pustules vary in size and can be larger than 5 mm in length. Infection occurs primarily on the surfaces of leaves, although occasional symptoms develop in the oat leaf sheaths and/or floral structures, such as awns. Symptoms in resistant oat varieties vary from flecks to small pustules, typically accompanied by chlorotic halos and/or necrosis. The pycnial and aecial stages are mostly present in the leaves of Rhamnus species, but occasionally symptoms can also be observed in petioles, young stems and floral structures. Aecial structures display a characteristic hypertrophy and can differ in size, occasionally reaching more than 5 mm in diameter. Taxonomy: Pca belongs to the kingdom Fungi, phylum Basidiomycota, class Pucciniomycetes, order Pucciniales and family Pucciniaceae. Host range: Puccinia coronata sensu lato can infect 290 species of grass hosts. Pca is prevalent in all oat-growing regions and, compared with other cereal rusts, displays a broad telial host range. The most common grass hosts of Pca include cultivated hexaploid oat (Avena sativa) and wild relatives, such as bluejoint grass, perennial ryegrass and

  4. Genome-wide association mapping of barley yellow dwarf virus tolerance in spring oat (Avena sativa L.)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Barley yellow dwarf (BYD) is one of the most destructive diseases of cereal crops worldwide. Barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDVs) are responsible for BYD and affect many cereals including oat (Avena sativa L.). Until recently, the molecular marker technology in oat has not allowed for many marker-t...

  5. Genetic variation and associations involving Fusarium head blight and deoxynivalenol accumulation in cultivated oat (Avena sativa L.)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Resistance in oats (Avena sativa L.) to infection by Fusarium graminearum was assessed in field trials in 2011-12 including 424 spring oat lines from North America and Scandinavia. Traits measured were Fusarium Head Blight (FHB), deoxynivalenol (DON) content, days to flowering (DTF) and days to matu...

  6. De novo assembly and phasing of dikaryotic genomes from two isolates of Puccini coronata f. sp. avenae, the causal agent of oat crown rust

    Treesearch

    Marisa E. Miller; Ying Zhang; Vahid Omidvar; Jana Sperschneider; Benjamin Schwessinger; Castle Raley; Jonathan M. Palmer; Diana Garnica; Narayana Upadhyaya; John Rathjen; Jennifer M. Taylor; Robert F. Park; Peter N. Dodds; Cory D. Hirsch; Shahryar F. Kianian; Melania Figueroa

    2018-01-01

    Oat crown rust, caused by the fungus Pucinnia coronata f. sp. avenae, is a devastating disease that impacts worldwide oat production. For much of its life cycle, P. coronata f. sp. avenae is dikaryotic, with two separate haploid nuclei that may vary in virulence genotype, highlighting...

  7. Genome-wide association study for crown rust (Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae) and powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. avenae) resistance in an oat (Avena sativa) collection of commercial varieties and landraces.

    PubMed

    Montilla-Bascón, Gracia; Rispail, Nicolas; Sánchez-Martín, Javier; Rubiales, Diego; Mur, Luis A J; Langdon, Tim; Howarth, Catherine J; Prats, Elena

    2015-01-01

    Diseases caused by crown rust (Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae) and powdery mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. avenae) are among the most important constraints for the oat crop. Breeding for resistance is one of the most effective, economical, and environmentally friendly means to control these diseases. The purpose of this work was to identify elite alleles for rust and powdery mildew resistance in oat by association mapping to aid selection of resistant plants. To this aim, 177 oat accessions including white and red oat cultivars and landraces were evaluated for disease resistance and further genotyped with 31 simple sequence repeat and 15,000 Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) markers to reveal association with disease resistance traits. After data curation, 1712 polymorphic markers were considered for association analysis. Principal component analysis and a Bayesian clustering approach were applied to infer population structure. Five different general and mixed linear models accounting for population structure and/or kinship corrections and two different statistical tests were carried out to reduce false positive. Five markers, two of them highly significant in all models tested were associated with rust resistance. No strong association between any marker and powdery mildew resistance at the seedling stage was identified. However, one DArT sequence, oPt-5014, was strongly associated with powdery mildew resistance in adult plants. Overall, the markers showing the strongest association in this study provide ideal candidates for further studies and future inclusion in strategies of marker-assisted selection.

  8. Carbon partitioning between oil and carbohydrates in developing oat (Avena sativa L.) seeds.

    PubMed

    Ekman, Asa; Hayden, Daniel M; Dehesh, Katayoon; Bülow, Leif; Stymne, Sten

    2008-01-01

    Cereals accumulate starch in the endosperm as their major energy reserve in the grain. In most cereals the embryo, scutellum, and aleurone layer are high in oil, but these tissues constitute a very small part of the total seed weight. However, in oat (Avena sativa L.) most of the oil in kernels is deposited in the same endosperm cells that accumulate starch. Thus oat endosperm is a desirable model system to study the metabolic switches responsible for carbon partitioning between oil and starch synthesis. A prerequisite for such investigations is the development of an experimental system for oat that allows for metabolic flux analysis using stable and radioactive isotope labelling. An in vitro liquid culture system, developed for detached oat panicles and optimized to mimic kernel composition during different developmental stages in planta, is presented here. This system was subsequently used in analyses of carbon partitioning between lipids and carbohydrates by the administration of 14C-labelled sucrose to two cultivars having different amounts of kernel oil. The data presented in this study clearly show that a higher amount of oil in the high-oil cultivar compared with the medium-oil cultivar was due to a higher proportion of carbon partitioning into oil during seed filling, predominantly at the earlier stages of kernel development.

  9. De novo assembly and phasing of dikaryotic genomes from two isolates of Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae, the causal agent of oat crown rust

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oat crown rust, caused by the fungus Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae (Pca), is a devastating disease that impacts worldwide oat production. For much of its life cycle Pca is dikaryotic with two separate haploid nuclei that may vary in virulence genotypes, which highlights the importance of understan...

  10. De Novo Assembly and Phasing of Dikaryotic Genomes from Two Isolates of Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae, the Causal Agent of Oat Crown Rust.

    PubMed

    Miller, Marisa E; Zhang, Ying; Omidvar, Vahid; Sperschneider, Jana; Schwessinger, Benjamin; Raley, Castle; Palmer, Jonathan M; Garnica, Diana; Upadhyaya, Narayana; Rathjen, John; Taylor, Jennifer M; Park, Robert F; Dodds, Peter N; Hirsch, Cory D; Kianian, Shahryar F; Figueroa, Melania

    2018-02-20

    Oat crown rust, caused by the fungus Pucinnia coronata f. sp. avenae , is a devastating disease that impacts worldwide oat production. For much of its life cycle, P. coronata f. sp. avenae is dikaryotic, with two separate haploid nuclei that may vary in virulence genotype, highlighting the importance of understanding haplotype diversity in this species. We generated highly contiguous de novo genome assemblies of two P. coronata f. sp. avenae isolates, 12SD80 and 12NC29, from long-read sequences. In total, we assembled 603 primary contigs for 12SD80, for a total assembly length of 99.16 Mbp, and 777 primary contigs for 12NC29, for a total length of 105.25 Mbp; approximately 52% of each genome was assembled into alternate haplotypes. This revealed structural variation between haplotypes in each isolate equivalent to more than 2% of the genome size, in addition to about 260,000 and 380,000 heterozygous single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 12SD80 and 12NC29, respectively. Transcript-based annotation identified 26,796 and 28,801 coding sequences for isolates 12SD80 and 12NC29, respectively, including about 7,000 allele pairs in haplotype-phased regions. Furthermore, expression profiling revealed clusters of coexpressed secreted effector candidates, and the majority of orthologous effectors between isolates showed conservation of expression patterns. However, a small subset of orthologs showed divergence in expression, which may contribute to differences in virulence between 12SD80 and 12NC29. This study provides the first haplotype-phased reference genome for a dikaryotic rust fungus as a foundation for future studies into virulence mechanisms in P. coronata f. sp. avenae IMPORTANCE Disease management strategies for oat crown rust are challenged by the rapid evolution of Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae , which renders resistance genes in oat varieties ineffective. Despite the economic importance of understanding P. coronata f. sp. avenae , resources to study the

  11. Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus Tolerance in Spring Oat (Avena sativa L.)

    PubMed Central

    Foresman, Bradley J.; Oliver, Rebekah E.; Jackson, Eric W.; Chao, Shiaoman; Arruda, Marcio P.; Kolb, Frederic L.

    2016-01-01

    Barley yellow dwarf viruses (BYDVs) are responsible for the disease barley yellow dwarf (BYD) and affect many cereals including oat (Avena sativa L.). Until recently, the molecular marker technology in oat has not allowed for many marker-trait association studies to determine the genetic mechanisms for tolerance. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed on 428 spring oat lines using a recently developed high-density oat single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array as well as a SNP-based consensus map. Marker-trait associations were performed using a Q-K mixed model approach to control for population structure and relatedness. Six significant SNP-trait associations representing two QTL were found on chromosomes 3C (Mrg17) and 18D (Mrg04). This is the first report of BYDV tolerance QTL on chromosome 3C (Mrg17) and 18D (Mrg04). Haplotypes using the two QTL were evaluated and distinct classes for tolerance were identified based on the number of favorable alleles. A large number of lines carrying both favorable alleles were observed in the panel. PMID:27175781

  12. Grinding energy and physical properties of chopped and hammer-milled barley, wheat, oat, and canola straws

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    J.S. Tumuluru; L.G. Tabil; Y. Song

    2014-01-01

    In the present study, specific energy for grinding and physical properties of wheat, canola, oat and barley straw grinds were investigated. The initial moisture content of the straw was about 0.13–0.15 (fraction total mass basis). Particle size reduction experiments were conducted in two stages: (1) a chopper without a screen, and (2) a hammer mill using three screen sizes (19.05, 25.4, and 31.75 mm). The lowest grinding energy (1.96 and 2.91 kWh t-1) was recorded for canola straw using a chopper and hammer mill with 19.05-mm screen size, whereas the highest (3.15 and 8.05 kWh t-1) was recorded for barleymore » and oat straws. The physical properties (geometric mean particle diameter, bulk, tapped and particle density, and porosity) of the chopped and hammer-milled wheat, barley, canola, and oat straw grinds measured were in the range of 0.98–4.22 mm, 36–80 kg m-3, 49–119 kg m-3, 600–1220 kg m-3, and 0.9–0.96, respectively. The average mean particle diameter was highest for the chopped wheat straw (4.22-mm) and lowest for the canola grind (0.98-mm). The canola grinds produced using the hammer mill (19.05-mm screen size) had the highest bulk and tapped density of about 80 and 119 kg m-3; whereas, the wheat and oat grinds had the lowest of about 58 and 88–90 kg m-3. The results indicate that the bulk and tapped densities are inversely proportional to the particle size of the grinds. The flow properties of the grinds calculated are better for chopped straws compared to hammer milled using smaller screen size (19.05 mm).« less

  13. Molecular mapping of powdery mildew resistance gene Eg-3 in cultivated oat (Avena sativa L. cv. Rollo).

    PubMed

    Mohler, Volker; Zeller, Friedrich J; Hsam, Sai L K

    2012-05-01

    Powdery mildew is a prevalent fungal disease affecting oat (Avena sativa L.) production in Europe. Common oat cultivar Rollo was previously shown to carry the powdery mildew resistance gene Eg-3 in common with cultivar Mostyn. The resistance gene was mapped with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers from Triticeae group-1 chromosomes using a population of F(3) lines from a cross between A. byzantina cv. Kanota and A. sativa cv. Rollo. This comparative mapping approach positioned Eg-3 between cDNA-RFLP marker loci cmwg706 and cmwg733. Since both marker loci were derived from the long arm of barley chromosome 1H, the subchromosomal location of Eg-3 was assumed to be on the long arm of oat chromosome 17. Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) marker technology featured as an efficient means for obtaining markers closely linked to Eg-3.

  14. Suppressors of oat crown rust resistance in interspecific oat crosses

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Attempts to transfer disease resistance genes between related species may be hindered by suppression, or lack of expression, of the trait in the interspecific combination. In crosses of diploid oat Avena strigosa (Schreb.) accession CI6954SP with resistance to oat crown rust Puccinia coronata f. sp....

  15. Cell wall and enzyme changes during the graviresponse of the leaf-sheath pulvinus of oat (Avena sativa)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gibeaut, David M.; Karuppiah, Nadarajah; Chang, S.-R.; Brock, Thomas G.; Vadlamudi, Babu; Kim, Donghern; Ghosheh, Najati S.; Rayle, David L.; Carpita, Nicholas C.; Kaufman, Peter B.

    1990-01-01

    The graviresponse of the leaf-sheath pulvinus of oat (Avena sativa) involves an asymmetric growth response and asymmetric processes involving degradation of starch and cell wall synthesis. Cellular and biochemical events were studied by investigation of the activities of related enzymes and changes in cell walls and their constituents. It is suggested that an osmotic potential gradient acts as the driving factor for growth, while wall extensibility is a limiting factor in pulvinus growth.

  16. New Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) markers for tetraploid oat (Avena magna Murphy et Terrell) provide the first complete oat linkage map and markers linked to domestication genes from hexaploid A. sativa L.

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Nutritional benefits of cultivated oat (Avena sativa L., 2n = 6x = 42, AACCDD genomes) are well recognized; however, seed protein levels are modest and genetic resources for protein improvement are scarce. The wild tetraploid A. magna Ladiz. contains approximately 31% seed protein and has been hybr...

  17. Microwave-Assisted Alkali Pre-Treatment, Densification and Enzymatic Saccharification of Canola Straw and Oat Hull

    PubMed Central

    Agu, Obiora S.; Tabil, Lope G.; Dumonceaux, Tim

    2017-01-01

    The effects of microwave-assisted alkali pre-treatment on pellets’ characteristics and enzymatic saccharification for bioethanol production using lignocellulosic biomass of canola straw and oat hull were investigated. The ground canola straw and oat hull were immersed in distilled water, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide solutions at two concentrations (0.75% and 1.5% w/v) and exposed to microwave radiation at power level 713 W and three residence times (6, 12 and 18 min). Bulk and particle densities of ground biomass samples were determined. Alkaline-microwave pre-treated and untreated samples were subjected to single pelleting test in an Instron universal machine, pre-set to a load of 4000 N. The measured parameters, pellet density, tensile strength and dimensional stability were evaluated and the results showed that the microwave-assisted alkali pre-treated pellets had a significantly higher density and tensile strength compared to samples that were untreated or pre-treated by microwave alone. The chemical composition analysis showed that microwave-assisted alkali pre-treatment was able to disrupt and break down the lignocellulosic structure of the samples, creating an area of cellulose accessible to cellulase reactivity. The best enzymatic saccharification results gave a high glucose yield of 110.05 mg/g dry sample for canola straw ground in a 1.6 mm screen hammer mill and pre-treated with 1.5% NaOH for 18 min, and a 99.10 mg/g dry sample for oat hull ground in a 1.6 mm screen hammer mill and pre-treated with 0.75% NaOH for 18 min microwave-assisted alkali pre-treatments. The effects of pre-treatment results were supported by SEM analysis. Overall, it was found that microwave-assisted alkali pre-treatment of canola straw and oat hull at a short residence time enhanced glucose yield. PMID:28952504

  18. Microwave-Assisted Alkali Pre-Treatment, Densification and Enzymatic Saccharification of Canola Straw and Oat Hull.

    PubMed

    Agu, Obiora S; Tabil, Lope G; Dumonceaux, Tim

    2017-03-26

    The effects of microwave-assisted alkali pre-treatment on pellets' characteristics and enzymatic saccharification for bioethanol production using lignocellulosic biomass of canola straw and oat hull were investigated. The ground canola straw and oat hull were immersed in distilled water, sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide solutions at two concentrations (0.75% and 1.5% w/v) and exposed to microwave radiation at power level 713 W and three residence times (6, 12 and 18 min). Bulk and particle densities of ground biomass samples were determined. Alkaline-microwave pre-treated and untreated samples were subjected to single pelleting test in an Instron universal machine, pre-set to a load of 4000 N. The measured parameters, pellet density, tensile strength and dimensional stability were evaluated and the results showed that the microwave-assisted alkali pre-treated pellets had a significantly higher density and tensile strength compared to samples that were untreated or pre-treated by microwave alone. The chemical composition analysis showed that microwave-assisted alkali pre-treatment was able to disrupt and break down the lignocellulosic structure of the samples, creating an area of cellulose accessible to cellulase reactivity. The best enzymatic saccharification results gave a high glucose yield of 110.05 mg/g dry sample for canola straw ground in a 1.6 mm screen hammer mill and pre-treated with 1.5% NaOH for 18 min, and a 99.10 mg/g dry sample for oat hull ground in a 1.6 mm screen hammer mill and pre-treated with 0.75% NaOH for 18 min microwave-assisted alkali pre-treatments. The effects of pre-treatment results were supported by SEM analysis. Overall, it was found that microwave-assisted alkali pre-treatment of canola straw and oat hull at a short residence time enhanced glucose yield.

  19. Screening wild oat accessions from Morocco for resistance to Puccinia coronata

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Here we report the screening of 338 new accessions of 11 different wild oat species (Avena) from the USDA Small Grains Collection for resistance to crown rust (Puccinia coronata). Wild oat species were originally collected in Morocco by C. Al Faiz, INRAT Rabat: Avena agadiriana, A. atlantica, A. bar...

  20. In vitro antioxidant activity and inhibitory effect, on oleic acid-induced hepatic steatosis, of fractions and subfractions from oat (Avena sativa L.) ethanol extract

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oats (Avena sativa L.) were extracted with 80% aqueous ethanol and the extract was successively isolated by liquid-liquid partition to yield n-hexane, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and water layers. Among these extractions the ethyl acetate (EA) layer exhibited the highest total phenolic content (TPC), t...

  1. Detection of race-specific resistance against Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae in Brachypodium species.

    PubMed

    Omidvar, Vahid; Dugyala, Sheshanka; Li, Feng; Rottschaefer, Susan; Miller, Marisa; Ayliffe, Michael; Moscou, Matthew James; Kianian, Shahryar F; Figueroa, Melania

    2018-06-20

    Oat crown rust caused by Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae is the most destructive foliar disease of cultivated oat. Characterization of genetic factors controlling resistance responses to Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae in non-host species could provide new resources for developing disease protection strategies in oat. We examined symptom development and fungal colonization levels of a collection of Brachypodium distachyon and B. hybridum accessions infected with three North American P. coronata f. sp. avenae isolates. Our results demonstrated that colonization phenotypes are dependent on both host and pathogen genotypes, indicating a role for race-specific responses in these interactions. These responses were independent of the accumulation of reactive oxygen species. Expression analysis of several defense-related genes suggested that salicylic acid and ethylene-mediated signaling, but not jasmonic acid are components of resistance reaction to P. coronata f. sp. avenae. Our findings provide the basis to conduct a genetic inheritance study to examine if effector-triggered immunity contributes to non-host resistance to P. coronata f. sp. avenae in Brachypodium species.

  2. Preferential recruitment of the maternal centromere-specific histone H3 (CENH3) in oat (Avena sativa L.) × pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) hybrid embryos.

    PubMed

    Ishii, Takayoshi; Sunamura, Naohiro; Matsumoto, Ayaka; Eltayeb, Amin Elsadig; Tsujimoto, Hisashi

    2015-12-01

    Chromosome elimination occurs frequently in interspecific hybrids between distantly related species in Poaceae. However, chromosomes from both parents behave stably in a hybrid of female oat (Avena sativa L.) pollinated by pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.). To analyze the chromosome behavior in this hybrid, we cloned the centromere-specific histone H3 (CENH3) genes of oat and pearl millet and produced a pearl millet-specific anti-CENH3 antibody. Application of this antibody together with a grass species common anti-CENH3 antibody revealed the dynamic CENH3 composition of the hybrid cells before and after fertilization. Despite co-expression of CENH3 genes encoded by oat and pearl millet, only an oat-type CENH3 was incorporated into the centromeres of both species in the hybrid embryo. Oat CENH3 enables a functional centromere in pearl millet chromosomes in an oat genetic background. Comparison of CENH3 genes among Poaceae species that show chromosome elimination in interspecific hybrids revealed that the loop 1 regions of oat and pearl millet CENH3 exhibit exceptionally high similarity.

  3. Preferred carbon precursors for lipid labelling in the heterotrophic endosperm of developing oat (Avena sativa L.) grains.

    PubMed

    Grimberg, Åsa

    2014-10-01

    Oat (Avena sativa L.) is unusual among the cereal grains in storing high amounts of oil in the endosperm; up to 90% of total grain oil. By using oat as a model species for oil metabolism in the cereal endosperm, we can learn how to develop strategies to redirect carbon from starch to achieve high-oil yielding cereal crops. Carbon precursors for lipid synthesis were compared in two genetically close oat cultivars with different endosperm oil content (about 6% and 10% of grain dw, medium-oil; MO, and high-oil; HO cultivar, respectively) by supplying a variety of (14)C-labelled substrates to the grain from both up- and downstream parts of glycolysis, either through detached oat panicles in vitro or by direct injection in planta. When supplied by direct injection, (14)C from acetate was identified to label the lipid fraction of the grain to the highest extent among substrates tested; 46% of net accumulated (14)C, demonstrating its applicability as a marker for lipids in the endosperm. Time course analyses of injected (14)C acetate during grain development suggested a more efficient transfer of fatty acids from polar lipids to triacylglycerol in the HO as compared to the MO cultivar, and turnover of triacylglycerol was suggested to not play a major role for the final oil content of oat grain endosperm despite the low amount of protective oleosins in this tissue. Moreover, availability of light was shown to drastically affect grain net carbon accumulation from (14)C-sucrose when supplied through detached panicles for the HO cultivar. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  4. Identification and Quantification of Avenanthramides and Free and Bound Phenolic Acids in Eight Cultivars of Husked Oat ( Avena sativa L) from Finland.

    PubMed

    Multari, Salvatore; Pihlava, Juha-Matti; Ollennu-Chuasam, Priscilla; Hietaniemi, Veli; Yang, Baoru; Suomela, Jukka-Pekka

    2018-03-21

    Finland is the second largest oat producer in Europe. Despite the existing knowledge of phenolics in oat, there is little information on the phenolic composition of oats from Finland. The aim of the study was to investigate the concentrations of free and bound phenolic acids, as well as avenanthramides in eight Finnish cultivars of husked oat ( Avena sativa L.). Seven phenolic acids and one phenolic aldehyde were identified, including, in decreasing order of abundance: p-coumaric, ferulic, cinnamic, syringic, vanillic, 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic, and o-coumaric acids and syringaldehyde. Phenolic acids were mostly found as bound compounds. Significant varietal differences ( p < 0.05) were observed in the cumulative content of phenolic acids, with the lowest level found in cv. 'Viviana' (1202 ± 52.9 mg kg -1 ) and the highest in cv. 'Akseli' (1687 ± 80.2 mg kg -1 ). Avenanthramides (AVNs) 2a, 2p, and 2f were the most abundant. Total AVNs levels ranged from 26.7 ± 1.44 to 185 ± 12.5 mg kg -1 in cv. 'Avetron' and 'Viviana', respectively.

  5. De Novo Assembly and Phasing of Dikaryotic Genomes from Two Isolates of Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae, the Causal Agent of Oat Crown Rust

    PubMed Central

    Miller, Marisa E.; Zhang, Ying; Omidvar, Vahid; Sperschneider, Jana; Raley, Castle; Palmer, Jonathan M.; Garnica, Diana; Upadhyaya, Narayana; Rathjen, John; Taylor, Jennifer M.; Park, Robert F.; Dodds, Peter N.; Hirsch, Cory D.

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT Oat crown rust, caused by the fungus Pucinnia coronata f. sp. avenae, is a devastating disease that impacts worldwide oat production. For much of its life cycle, P. coronata f. sp. avenae is dikaryotic, with two separate haploid nuclei that may vary in virulence genotype, highlighting the importance of understanding haplotype diversity in this species. We generated highly contiguous de novo genome assemblies of two P. coronata f. sp. avenae isolates, 12SD80 and 12NC29, from long-read sequences. In total, we assembled 603 primary contigs for 12SD80, for a total assembly length of 99.16 Mbp, and 777 primary contigs for 12NC29, for a total length of 105.25 Mbp; approximately 52% of each genome was assembled into alternate haplotypes. This revealed structural variation between haplotypes in each isolate equivalent to more than 2% of the genome size, in addition to about 260,000 and 380,000 heterozygous single-nucleotide polymorphisms in 12SD80 and 12NC29, respectively. Transcript-based annotation identified 26,796 and 28,801 coding sequences for isolates 12SD80 and 12NC29, respectively, including about 7,000 allele pairs in haplotype-phased regions. Furthermore, expression profiling revealed clusters of coexpressed secreted effector candidates, and the majority of orthologous effectors between isolates showed conservation of expression patterns. However, a small subset of orthologs showed divergence in expression, which may contribute to differences in virulence between 12SD80 and 12NC29. This study provides the first haplotype-phased reference genome for a dikaryotic rust fungus as a foundation for future studies into virulence mechanisms in P. coronata f. sp. avenae. PMID:29463655

  6. Herbicide resistance-endowing ACCase gene mutations in hexaploid wild oat (Avena fatua): insights into resistance evolution in a hexaploid species

    PubMed Central

    Yu, Q; Ahmad-Hamdani, M S; Han, H; Christoffers, M J; Powles, S B

    2013-01-01

    Many herbicide-resistant weed species are polyploids, but far too little about the evolution of resistance mutations in polyploids is understood. Hexaploid wild oat (Avena fatua) is a global crop weed and many populations have evolved herbicide resistance. We studied plastidic acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicide resistance in hexaploid wild oat and revealed that resistant individuals can express one, two or three different plastidic ACCase gene resistance mutations (Ile-1781-Leu, Asp-2078-Gly and Cys-2088-Arg). Using ACCase resistance mutations as molecular markers, combined with genetic, molecular and biochemical approaches, we found in individual resistant wild-oat plants that (1) up to three unlinked ACCase gene loci assort independently following Mendelian laws for disomic inheritance, (2) all three of these homoeologous ACCase genes were transcribed, with each able to carry its own mutation and (3) in a hexaploid background, each individual ACCase resistance mutation confers relatively low-level herbicide resistance, in contrast to high-level resistance conferred by the same mutations in unrelated diploid weed species of the Poaceae (grass) family. Low resistance conferred by individual ACCase resistance mutations is likely due to a dilution effect by susceptible ACCase expressed by homoeologs in hexaploid wild oat and/or differential expression of homoeologous ACCase gene copies. Thus, polyploidy in hexaploid wild oat may slow resistance evolution. Evidence of coexisting non-target-site resistance mechanisms among wild-oat populations was also revealed. In all, these results demonstrate that herbicide resistance and its evolution can be more complex in hexaploid wild oat than in unrelated diploid grass weeds. Our data provide a starting point for the daunting task of understanding resistance evolution in polyploids. PMID:23047200

  7. New sources of adult plant and seedling resistance to Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae identified among Avena sativa accessions of the national small grains collection

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Accessions of cultivated oat (A. sativa L.) from the USDA-ARS Small Grains Collection in Aberdeen, ID were characterized for adult plant resistance (APR) and seedling resistance to crown rust, caused by Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae (Pca). Initially, 607 oat accessions with diverse geographic orig...

  8. High-density marker profiling confirms ancestral genomes of Avena species and identifies D-genome chromosomes of hexaploid oat.

    PubMed

    Yan, Honghai; Bekele, Wubishet A; Wight, Charlene P; Peng, Yuanying; Langdon, Tim; Latta, Robert G; Fu, Yong-Bi; Diederichsen, Axel; Howarth, Catherine J; Jellen, Eric N; Boyle, Brian; Wei, Yuming; Tinker, Nicholas A

    2016-11-01

    Genome analysis of 27 oat species identifies ancestral groups, delineates the D genome, and identifies ancestral origin of 21 mapped chromosomes in hexaploid oat. We investigated genomic relationships among 27 species of the genus Avena using high-density genetic markers revealed by genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS). Two methods of GBS analysis were used: one based on tag-level haplotypes that were previously mapped in cultivated hexaploid oat (A. sativa), and one intended to sample and enumerate tag-level haplotypes originating from all species under investigation. Qualitatively, both methods gave similar predictions regarding the clustering of species and shared ancestral genomes. Furthermore, results were consistent with previous phylogenies of the genus obtained with conventional approaches, supporting the robustness of whole genome GBS analysis. Evidence is presented to justify the final and definitive classification of the tetraploids A. insularis, A. maroccana (=A. magna), and A. murphyi as containing D-plus-C genomes, and not A-plus-C genomes, as is most often specified in past literature. Through electronic painting of the 21 chromosome representations in the hexaploid oat consensus map, we show how the relative frequency of matches between mapped hexaploid-derived haplotypes and AC (DC)-genome tetraploids vs. A- and C-genome diploids can accurately reveal the genome origin of all hexaploid chromosomes, including the approximate positions of inter-genome translocations. Evidence is provided that supports the continued classification of a diverged B genome in AB tetraploids, and it is confirmed that no extant A-genome diploids, including A. canariensis, are similar enough to the D genome of tetraploid and hexaploid oat to warrant consideration as a D-genome diploid.

  9. Evolution of the Oat Genetic Road Map: From Tetraploid to Hexaploid

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The development of a genetic linkage map for hexaploid oat (Avena sativa L. 2n = 6 x = 42) that defines all 21 chromosomes has been hindered due to the lack of oat-based markers and the size and complexity of the oat genome. Recent efforts in oat DArT, SSR, and SNP marker development should improve...

  10. Genome-wide association mapping of crown rust resistance in oat elite germplasm

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oat crown rust, caused by Puccinia coronata f. sp. avenae, is a major constraint to oat production in many parts of the world. In this first comprehensive multi-environment genome-wide association map of oat crown rust, we used 2,972 SNPs genotyped on 631 oat lines for association mapping of quantit...

  11. Chromosome-anchored QTL conferring aluminum tolerance in hexaploid oat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Abstract Aluminum (Al) toxicity is a major constraint on crop production in acid soils around the world. Hexaploid oat (Avena sativa L.) possesses signi'cant Al tolerance making it a good candidate for production in these environments. Genetic improvement for Al tolerance in oat has traditionally be...

  12. Effects of intercropping of oat (Avena sativa L.) with white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) on the mobility of target elements for phytoremediation and phytomining in soil solution.

    PubMed

    Wiche, Oliver; Székely, Balazs; Kummer, Nicolai-Alexeji; Moschner, Christin; Heilmeier, Hermann

    2016-09-01

    This study aims to investigate how intercropping of oat (Avena sativa L.) with white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) affects the mobile fractions of trace metals (Fe, Mn, Pb, Cd, Th, U, Sc, La, Nd, Ge) in soil solution. Oat and white lupin were cultivated in monocultures and mixed cultures with differing oat/white lupin ratios (11% and 33% lupin, respectively). Temporal variation of soil solution chemistry was compared with the mobilization of elements in the rhizosphere of white lupin and concentrations in plant tissues. Relative to the monocrops, intercropping of oat with 11% white lupin significantly increased the concentrations of Fe, Pb, Th, La and Nd in soil solution as well as the concentrations of Fe, Pb, Th, Sc, La and Nd in tissues of oat. Enhanced mobility of the mentioned elements corresponded to a depletion of elements in the rhizosphere soil of white lupin. In mixed cultures with 33% lupin, concentrations in soil solution only slightly increased. We conclude that intercropping with 11% white lupin might be a promising tool for phytoremediation and phytomining research enhancing mobility of essential trace metals as well as elements with relevance for phytoremediation (Pb, Th) and phytomining (La, Nd, Sc) in soil.

  13. Gis-Based Crop Support System For Common Oatand Naked Oat in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wan, Fan; Wang, Zhen; Li, Fengmin; Cao, Huhua; Sun, Guojun

    The identification of the suitable areas for common oat (Avena sativa L.) and naked oat (Avena nuda L.) in China using Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) approach based on GIS is presented in the current article. Climate, topography, soil, land use and oat variety databases were created. Relevant criteria,suitability levels and their weights for each factor were defined. Then the criteria maps were obtained and turned into the MCE process, and suitability maps for common oat and naked oat were created. The land use and the suitability maps were crossed to identify the suitable areas for each crop. The results identified 397,720 km2 of suitable areas for common oats of forage purpose distributed in 744 counties in 17 provinces, and 556,232 km2 of suitable areas for naked oats of grain purpose distributed in 779 counties in 19 provinces. This result is in accordance with the distribution of farmingpastoral ecozones located in semi-arid regions of northern China. The mapped areas can help define the working limits and serve as indicative zones for oat in China. The created databases, mapped results, interface of expert system and relevant hardware facilities could construct a complete crop support system for oats.

  14. QTLs for important breeding characteristics in the doubled haploid oat progeny.

    PubMed

    Tanhuanpää, Pirjo; Manninen, Outi; Kiviharju, Elina

    2010-06-01

    A homozygous mapping population, consisting of doubled haploid (DH) oat (Avena sativa L.) plants generated through anther culture of F1 plants from the cross between the Finnish cultivar 'Aslak' and the Swedish cultivar 'Matilda', was used to construct an oat linkage map. Ten agronomic and quality traits were analyzed in the DH plants from field trials in 2005 and 2006. Leaf blotch (caused by Pyrenophora avenae) resistance was also evaluated in a greenhouse test with 2 different isolates. One to 8 quantitative trait loci (QTLs) were found to be associated with each trait studied. Some chromosomal regions affected more than 1 trait; for example, 4 regions affected both protein and oil content. This study gives valuable information to oat breeders concerning the inheritance of important traits, and it provides potential tools to assist breeding.

  15. New Advances in Marker Assisted Selection for Winter Hardiness in Oats.

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oat (Avena sativa L.) breeding and genetics research has lagged behind other small grains, such as wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), in the development of PCR based markers and map construction due to fewer oat researchers and reduced research funding. As a result, marke...

  16. Biochemical and molecular characterization of Avena indolines and their role in kernel texture.

    PubMed

    Gazza, Laura; Taddei, Federica; Conti, Salvatore; Gazzelloni, Gloria; Muccilli, Vera; Janni, Michela; D'Ovidio, Renato; Alfieri, Michela; Redaelli, Rita; Pogna, Norberto E

    2015-02-01

    Among cereals, Avena sativa is characterized by an extremely soft endosperm texture, which leads to some negative agronomic and technological traits. On the basis of the well-known softening effect of puroindolines in wheat kernel texture, in this study, indolines and their encoding genes are investigated in Avena species at different ploidy levels. Three novel 14 kDa proteins, showing a central hydrophobic domain with four tryptophan residues and here named vromindoline (VIN)-1,2 and 3, were identified. Each VIN protein in diploid oat species was found to be synthesized by a single Vin gene whereas, in hexaploid A. sativa, three Vin-1, three Vin-2 and two Vin-3 genes coding for VIN-1, VIN-2 and VIN-3, respectively, were described and assigned to the A, C or D genomes based on similarity to their counterparts in diploid species. Expression of oat vromindoline transgenes in the extra-hard durum wheat led to accumulation of vromindolines in the endosperm and caused an approximate 50 % reduction of grain hardness, suggesting a central role for vromindolines in causing the extra-soft texture of oat grain. Further, hexaploid oats showed three orthologous genes coding for avenoindolines A and B, with five or three tryptophan residues, respectively, but very low amounts of avenoindolines were found in mature kernels. The present results identify a novel protein family affecting cereal kernel texture and would further elucidate the phylogenetic evolution of Avena genus.

  17. A gene expression atlas of developing oat seeds for enhancing nutritional composition

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oat (Avena sativa L.) genome resources are less abundant than for wheat and barley, but next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have great potential to accelerate new genome information for oat in a cost-effective manner. We are employing RNA-Seq to develop a gene expression atlas of developin...

  18. Structural Development of the Oat Plant

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kaufman, Peter B.; Brock, Thomas G.

    1992-01-01

    The anatomical structure and morphology of the oat plant (Avena sativa L.) have been reviewed previously by Hector (1936), Bonnett (1961a,b) and Coffman (1977). In addition, Bonnett published detailed accounts of oat panicle development (1937, 1961a,b). This work has been summarized by Esau in her book, Anatomy of Seed Plants, in 1977. It is not the purpose of the present authors to simply go over all this same material again in a repetitive fashion, but rather, to emphasize some of the more recent and previously overlooked work on structural development of the oat plant, with emphasis on the major cultivated species, A. sativa (see Stanton, 1955; Coffman, 1977 for descriptions of this species). The material presented here should be of use to oat breeders, agronomists, and plant physiologists.

  19. Genetic diversity and crown rust resistance of oat landraces from various locations throughout Turkey

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A diversity study was carried out to identify the origin of 375 oat landraces (Avena sativa L. and A. byzantina C. Koch.) collected from Turkey and maintained in various gene banks. New assays interrogating oat-based microsatellite and single-nucleotide polymorphism loci were used to characterize t...

  20. Exploring the origin of the D genome of oat by fluorescence in situ hybridization.

    PubMed

    Luo, Xiaomei; Zhang, Haiqin; Kang, Houyang; Fan, Xing; Wang, Yi; Sha, Lina; Zhou, Yonghong

    2014-09-01

    Further understanding of the origin of cultivated oat would accelerate its genetic improvement. In particular, it would be useful to clarify which diploid progenitor contributed the D genome of this allohexaploid species. In this study, we demonstrate that the landmarks produced by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of species of Avena using probes derived from Avena sativa can be used to explore the origin of the D genome. Selected sets of probes were hybridized in several sequential experiments performed on exactly the same chromosome spreads, with multiple probes of cytological preparations. Probes pITS and A3-19 showed there might be a similar distribution of pITS between the Ac and D genomes. These results indicated that the Ac genome is closely related to the D genome, and that Avena canariensis (AcAc) could be the D-genome donor of cultivated oat.

  1. Recent research on inherent molecular structure, physiochemical properties, and bio-functions of food and feed-type Avena sativa oats and processing-induced changes revealed with molecular microspectroscopic techniques

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Prates, Luciana Louzada; Yu, Peiqiang

    Avena sativa oat is a cereal widely used as human food and livestock feed. However, the low metabolized energy and the rapid rumen degradations of protein and starch have limited the use of A. sativa oat grains. To overcome this disadvantage, new A. sativa oat varieties have been developed. Additionally, heat-related processing has been performed to decrease the degradation rate and improve the absorption of amino acids in the small intestine. The nutritive value is reflected by both chemical composition and inherent molecular structure conformation. However, the traditional wet chemical analysis is not able to detect the inherent molecular structuresmore » within an intact tissue. The advanced synchrotron-radiation and globar-based molecular microspectroscopy have been developed recently and applied to study internal molecular structures and the processing induced structure changes in A. sativa oats and reveal how molecular structure changes in relation to nutrient availability. This review aimed to obtain the recent information regarding physiochemical properties, molecular structures, metabolic characteristics of protein, and the heat-induced changes in new A. sativa oat varieties. The use of the advanced vibrational molecular spectroscopy was emphasized, synchrotron- and globar-based (micro)spectroscopy, to reveal the inherent structure of A. sativa oats at cellular and molecular levels and to reveal the heat processing effect on the degradation characteristics and the protein molecular structure in A. sativa oats. The relationship between nutrient availability and protein molecular inherent structure was also presented. Information described in this review gives better insight in the physiochemical properties, molecular structure, and the heat-induced changes in A. sativa oat detected with advanced molecular spectroscopic techniques in combinination with conventional nutrition study techniques.« less

  2. Physiological and nutritional status of black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.) grown in soil with interaction of high doses of copper and zinc.

    PubMed

    Tiecher, Tadeu L; Tiecher, Tales; Ceretta, Carlos A; Ferreira, Paulo A A; Nicoloso, Fernando T; Soriani, Hilda H; Tassinari, Adriele; Paranhos, Juçara Terezinha; De Conti, Lessandro; Brunetto, Gustavo

    2016-09-01

    Vineyard sandy acid soils from South Brazil have experienced heavy metal contamination due to replacement of copper (Cu)-based by zinc (Zn)-based products to control foliar diseases. Thus, we evaluate physiological and nutritional status of black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.), a common interrow crop in vineyards from this region. Soil was collected in a natural field from Santana do Livramento, in Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost state of Brazil. Black oat was cultivated for 30 days in a greenhouse with application of 0, 30, and 60 mg Cu kg(-1) combined with 0, 15, 30, 60, 120, and 180 mg Zn kg(-1). After the trial period, dry matter accumulation of roots and shoots, Cu and Zn contents in roots and shoots, chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthetic pigments and catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6) and peroxidase (POD, EC 1.11.1.7) activity were determined. Cu and Zn toxicity was evidenced by the decrease in plant growth of black oat as well as by the decrease of photochemical efficiency associated with the decrease in photosynthetic pigment content, especially with the highest doses of Cu and Zn. Furthermore, the activity of antioxidant enzymes (CAT and POD) was increased in intermediate doses of Zn, indicating the activation of the antioxidant system, but the stress condition in treatments with high levels of Cu and Zn was not reversed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Analysis, annotation, and profiling of the oat seed transcriptome

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Novel high-throughput next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are providing opportunities to explore genomes and transcriptomes in a cost-effective manner. To construct a gene expression atlas of developing oat (Avena sativa) seeds, two software packages specifically designed for RNA-seq (Trin...

  4. A SNP genotyping array for hexaploid oat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Recognizing a need in cultivated hexaploid oat (Avena sativa L.) for a reliable set of reference SNPs, we have developed a 6K BeadChip design containing 257 Infinium I and 5,486 Infinium II designs corresponding to 5,743 SNPs. Of those, 4,975 SNPs yielded successful assays after array manufacturing...

  5. Impact of process conditions on the density and durability of wheat, oat, canola, and barley straw briquettes

    DOE PAGES

    Tumuluru, J. S.; Tabil, L. G.; Song, Y.; ...

    2014-10-01

    The present study is to understand the impact of process conditions on the quality attributes of wheat oat, barley, and canola straw briquettes. Analysis of variance indicated that briquette moisture content and initial density immediately after compaction and final density after 2 weeks of storage are strong functions of feedstock moisture content and compression pressure, whereas durability rating is influenced by die temperature and feedstock moisture content. Briquettes produced at a low feedstock moisture content of 9 % (w.b.) yielded maximum densities >700 kg/m3 for wheat, oat, canola, and barley straws. Lower feedstock moisture content of <10 % (w.b.) andmore » higher die temperatures >110 °C and compression pressure >10 MPa minimized the briquette moisture content and maximized densities and durability rating based on surface plots observations. Optimal process conditions indicated that a low feedstock moisture content of about 9 % (w.b.), high die temperature of 120–130 °C, medium-to-large hammer mill screen sizes of about 24 to 31.75 mm, and low to high compression pressures of 7.5 to 12.5 MPa minimized briquette moisture content to <8 % (w.b.) and maximized density to >700 kg/m3. Durability rating >90 % is achievable at higher die temperatures of >123 °C, lower to medium feedstock moisture contents of 9 to 12 % (w.b.), low to high compression pressures of 7.5 to 12.5 MPa, and large hammer mill screen size of 31.75 mm, except for canola where a lower compression pressure of 7.5 to 8.5 MPa and a smaller hammer mill screen size of 19 mm for oat maximized the durability rating values.« less

  6. In vitro fermentation of oat flours from typical and high beta-glucan oat lines.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hyun Jung; White, Pamela J

    2009-08-26

    Two publicly available oat (Avena sativa) lines, "Jim" and "Paul" (5.17 and 5.31% beta-glucan, respectively), and one experimental oat line "N979" (7.70% beta-glucan), were used to study the effect of beta-glucan levels in oat flours during simulated in vitro digestion and fermentation with human fecal flora obtained from different individuals. The oat flours were digested by using human digestion enzymes and fermented by batch fermentation under anaerobic conditions for 24 h. The fermentation progress was monitored by measuring pH, total gas, and short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production. Significant effects of beta-glucan on the formation of gas and total SCFA were observed compared to the blank without substrate (P < 0.05); however, there were no differences in pH changes, total gas, and total SCFA production among oat lines (P > 0.05). Acetate, propionate, and butyrate were the main SCFA produced from digested oat flours during fermentation. More propionate and less acetate were produced from digested oat flours compared to lactulose. Different human fecal floras obtained from three healthy individuals had similar patterns in the change of pH and the production of gas during fermentation. Total SCFA after 24 h of fermentation were not different, but the formation rates of total SCFA differed between individuals. In vitro fermentation of digested oat flours with beta-glucan could provide favorable environmental conditions for the colon and these findings, thus, will help in developing oat-based food products with desirable health benefits.

  7. A Technical and Practical Study of Composting as a Solid Waste Management Alternative for the Air Force

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1992-09-01

    eye) until the course of the process nears its end. When they do become apparent, they appear as a blue-gray to light green powdery to somewhat...clippings 3-6 12-15 Nonlegume vegetable wastes 2.5-4 11-12 Mixed grasses 214 19 Paper nil --- Potato tops 1.5 25 Straw, wheat 0.3-0.5 128-150 Straw, oats...Certain Fungal Plant Pathogens Organisms Disease Temperature (°C) Ustilago avenae Loose oat smut 45-53 0C U. tritici Loose smut of wheat 45-480 C U. zeae

  8. Basis for changes in the auxin-sensitivity of Avena sativa (oat) leaf-sheath pulvini during the gravitropic response

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kim, D.; Kaufman, P. B.

    1995-01-01

    During the gravitropic response, auxin-sensitivity of the lower flanks of leaf-sheath pulvini of Avena sativa (oat) is at least 1000-fold higher than those of the upper flanks and non-gravistimulated pulvini. When the pulvini are treated with 1 mM Ca2+, a 10-fold increase in auxin-sensitivity of the pulvini is observed. Related to this difference in auxin-sensitivity, in vitro activation of the vanadate-sensitive H(-)-ATPase by IAA was observed. Results show that the activation of the H(+)-ATPase by IAA is probably mediated by soluble protein factors and that the H(+)-ATPase prepared from the lower flanks is activated by IAA with a 1000-fold higher auxin-sensitivity as compared with that from the upper flanks of the graviresponding pulvini. Ammonium sulfate fractionation experiments show that these soluble protein factors are in the 30 to 60% fraction. Auxin-binding assays reveal that lower flanks contain more high-affinity soluble auxin-binding sites (kD; on the order of 10(-9) M) and less low-affinity soluble auxin-binding sites (kD; on the order of 10(-6) M) than upper flanks. It is concluded that differential auxin-sensitivity of graviresponding oat-shoot pulvini is achieved by the modulation of affinities of auxin-binding sites in upper and lower flanks of the pulvini, that Ca2+ is involved in such modulation, and that one of the probable cellular functions of these auxin binding sites is the activation of the proton pump on the plasma membranes.

  9. A consensus map in cultivated hexaploid oat reveals conserved grass synteny with substantial sub-genome rearrangement

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Hexaploid oat (Avena sativa, 2n = 6x = 42) is a member of the Poaceae family with a very large genome (~13 Gb) containing 21 chromosome pairs: seven from each of two similar ancestral diploids (A and D) and seven from a more diverged ancestral diploid (C). Physical rearrangements among ancestral oat...

  10. Black oat cover crop management in watermelon production systems

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb.) were sown as a cover crop near Weslaco, Texas (Lat. 26 deg N) in Fall 2010. The cover crop was allowed to senesce naturally and was planted to watermelons in both the spring and in the fall of 2011. Watermelon transplants planted in the spring into mowed black o...

  11. Life-history trait plasticity and its relationships with plant adaptation and insect fitness: a case study on the aphid Sitobion avenae.

    PubMed

    Dai, Peng; Shi, Xiaoqin; Liu, Deguang; Ge, Zhaohong; Wang, Da; Dai, Xinjia; Yi, Zhihao; Meng, Xiuxiang

    2016-07-18

    Phenotypic plasticity has recently been considered a powerful means of adaptation, but its relationships with corresponding life-history characters and plant specialization levels of insects have been controversial. To address the issues, Sitobion avenae clones from three plants in two areas were compared. Varying amounts of life-history trait plasticity were found among S. avenae clones on barley, oat and wheat. In most cases, developmental durations and their corresponding plasticities were found to be independent, and fecundities and their plasticities were correlated characters instead. The developmental time of first instar nymphs for oat and wheat clones, but not for barley clones, was found to be independent from its plasticity, showing environment-specific effects. All correlations between environments were found to be positive, which could contribute to low plasticity in S. avenae. Negative correlations between trait plasticities and fitness of test clones suggest that lower plasticity could have higher adaptive value. Correlations between plasticity and specialization indices were identified for all clones, suggesting that plasticity might evolve as a by-product of adaptation to certain environments. The divergence patterns of life-history plasticities in S. avenae, as well as the relationships among plasticity, specialization and fitness, could have significant implications for evolutionary ecology of this aphid.

  12. Assembly and expression analysis of oat vitamin E biosynthesis gene homeologs during seed development

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Among the cereal grains, hexaploid oats (Avena sativa L.) are particularly rich in vitamin E, an essential liposoluble vitamin that maintains membrane stability and possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. To date, no gene sequences involved in vitamin E biosynthesis have been reporte...

  13. TOXICITY OF METHYL-TERT BYTYL ETHER (MTBE) TO PLANTS (AVENA SATIVA, ZEA MAYS, TRITICUM AESTIVUM, AND LACTUCA SATIVA)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Effects of Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) on the germination of seeds and growth of the plant were studied in some laboratory experiments. Test plants were wild oat (Avena sative), sweet corn (Zea mays), wheat (Triticum aestivum), and lettuce (Lactuca sativa). Seed germination,...

  14. Reference gene selection for molecular studies of dormancy in wild oat (Avena fatua L.) caryopses by RT-qPCR method.

    PubMed

    Ruduś, Izabela; Kępczyński, Jan

    2018-01-01

    Molecular studies of primary and secondary dormancy in Avena fatua L., a serious weed of cereal and other crops, are intended to reveal the species-specific details of underlying molecular mechanisms which in turn may be useable in weed management. Among others, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) data of comparative gene expression analysis may give some insight into the involvement of particular wild oat genes in dormancy release, maintenance or induction by unfavorable conditions. To assure obtaining biologically significant results using this method, the expression stability of selected candidate reference genes in different data subsets was evaluated using four statistical algorithms i.e. geNorm, NormFinder, Best Keeper and ΔCt method. Although some discrepancies in their ranking outputs were noticed, evidently two ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme homologs, AfUBC1 and AfUBC2, as well as one homolog of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase AfGAPDH1 and TATA-binding protein AfTBP2 appeared as more stably expressed than AfEF1a (translation elongation factor 1α), AfGAPDH2 or the least stable α-tubulin homolog AfTUA1 in caryopses and seedlings of A. fatua. Gene expression analysis of a dormancy-related wild oat transcription factor VIVIPAROUS1 (AfVP1) allowed for a validation of candidate reference genes performance. Based on the obtained results it can be recommended that the normalization factor calculated as a geometric mean of Cq values of AfUBC1, AfUBC2 and AfGAPDH1 would be optimal for RT-qPCR results normalization in the experiments comprising A. fatua caryopses of different dormancy status.

  15. Subgenome-specific assembly of vitamin E biosynthesis genes and expression patterns during seed development provide insight into the evolution of the oat genome

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Vitamin E is essential for humans and thus must be a component of a healthy diet. Among the cereal grains, hexaploid oats (Avena sativa L.) have high vitamin E content. To date, no gene sequences in the vitamin E biosynthesis pathway have been reported for oats. Using deep sequencing and orthology-g...

  16. Effect of chemical systemic acquired resistance elicitors on avenanthramide biosynthesis in oat (Avena sativa)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oats produce a group of phenolic antioxidants termed avenanthramides. These metabolites are, among food crops, unique to oats and have shown some desirable nutritional characteristics, in experimental systems, such as inhibiting atherosclerotic plaque formation and reducing inflammatory responses. ...

  17. Why Oats Are Safe and Healthy for Celiac Disease Patients.

    PubMed

    Gilissen, Luud J W J; van der Meer, Ingrid M; Smulders, Marinus J M

    2016-11-26

    The water-insoluble storage proteins of cereals (prolamins) are called "gluten" in wheat, barley, and rye, and "avenins" in oat. Gluten can provoke celiac disease (CD) in genetically susceptible individuals (those with human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 serotypes). Avenins are present at a lower concentration (10%-15% of total protein content) in oat as compared to gluten in wheat (80%-85%). The avenins in the genus Avena (cultivated oat as well as various wild species of which gene bank accessions were analyzed) are free of the known CD immunogenic epitopes from wheat, barley, and rye. T cells that recognize avenin-specific epitopes have been found very rarely in CD patients. CD patients that consume oats daily do not show significantly increased levels of intraepithelial lymphocyte (EIL) cells. The safety and the positive health effects of the long-term inclusion of oats in the gluten-free diet have been confirmed in long-term studies. Since 2009 (EC 41/2009) and 2013 (FDA) oat products may be sold as gluten-free in several countries provided a gluten contamination level below 20 ppm. Introduction of oats in the gluten-free diet of celiac patients is advised after the recovery of the intestine. Health effects of oat consumption are reflected in European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)- and Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved health claims. Oats can form a healthy, nutritious, fiber-rich, and safe complement to the gluten-free diet.

  18. Activation of Polyphenol Oxidase in Dormant Wild Oat Caryopses by a Seed-Decay Isolate of Fusarium avenaceum

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Incubation of dormant wild oat (Avena fatua L., isoline M73) caryopses for 1 to 3 days with Fusarium avenaceum seed-decay isolate F.a.1 induced activity of the plant defense enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO). Both extracts and leachates obtained from F.a.1-treated caryopses had decreased abundance of ...

  19. Accumulation of biomass and bioenergy in culms of cereals as a factor of straw cutting height

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zając, Tomasz; Synowiec, Agnieszka; Oleksy, Andrzej; Macuda, Jan; Klimek-Kopyra, Agnieszka; Borowiec, Franciszek

    2017-04-01

    Cereal straw is an important biomass source in Europe. This work assessed: 1) the morphological and energetic characteristics of culms of spring and winter cereals, 2) the energy deposited in the different aboveground parts of cereals, 3) losses of energy due to different cutting heights. The straw of winter and spring cereals was collected from arable fields during the seasons 2009/10 and 2010/11 in southern Poland. Detailed biometric measurements of culms and internodes were performed. The losses of straw biomass and energy were assessed during simulation of cutting the culm at different heights, up to 50 cm. Longer and heavier culms were developed by winter wheat and triticale and oat. Cutting of straw up to 10 cm did not lead to significant losses in straw yield. The total amount of energy in the culms was as follows: triticale > winter wheat > oat > spring wheat > winter barley > spring barley. Cutting the culms above 20 cm led to significant differences in terms of biomass energy between cereal species. The smallest losses of energy were recorded for spring and winter barley. Oat and barley accumulated the highest energy in grains.

  20. Characterization by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of monoclonal antibodies to pisum and Avena phytochrome.

    PubMed

    Cordonnier, M M; Greppin, H; Pratt, L H

    1984-01-01

    Nine monoclonal antibodies to pea (Pisum sativum L.) and 16 to oat (Avena sativa L.) phytochrome are characterized by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay against phytochrome from six different sources: pea, zucchini (Cucurbita pepo L.), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), oat, rye (Secale cereale L.), and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). All antibodies were raised against phytochrome with a monomer size near 120,000 daltons. Nevertheless, none of them discriminated qualitatively between 118/114-kilodalton oat phytochrome and a photoreversible, 60-kilodalton proteolytic degradation product derived from it. In addition, none of the 23 antibodies tested discriminated substantially between phytochrome-red-absorbing form and phytochrome-far red-absorbing form. Two antibodies to pea and six to oat phytochrome also bound strongly to phytochrome from the other species, even though these two plants are evolutionarily widely divergent. Of these eight antibodies, two bound significantly to all of the six phytochrome preparations tested, indicating that these two may recognize highly conserved regions of the chromoprotein. Since the molecular function of phytochrome is unknown, these two antibodies may serve as unique probes for regions of this pigment that are important to its mode of action.

  1. The heterotoxicity of Hordeum vulgare L. extracts in four growth stages on germination and seedlings growth of Avena ludoviciana.

    PubMed

    Kolahi, M; Peivastegan, B; Hadizade, I; Abdali, A

    2008-07-15

    Phytotoxicity of barley extracts (Hordeum vulgare L.) on wild oat (Avena ludoviciana Durieu) was investigated. Water extracts five varieties of barley were bioassayed on germination and seedling growth of wild-oat to test the heterotoxicity of barley on wild-oat, study the dynamics of allelopathic potential over four growth stages and identify the most allelopathic plant part of barley in each stage. Whole barley plants were extracted at growth stage 4 (stems not developed enough), whilst for the following growth stages roots, stems, panicles and leaves were extracted separately. Seedling growth bioassays demonstrated that the wild-oat responded differently to the allelopathic potential of barley. For wild-oat radical growth and coleoptile growth were more depressed than germination, though. The allelopathic potential of barley plant parts was not stable over its life cycle for wild-oat. Leaves and stems were the most phytotoxic barley plant parts for wild-oat in the all stages. Among the varieties Eizeh appeared as the best one showing toxicity to seed germination of wild oat at its stage 4 and 8. Results suggested that the response by wild-oat varied depending on the source of allelochemicals (plant part) and the growth stage of the barley plant and kind of variety. The results leaded to conclude that Eizeh variety of barley was good to grow as it has good check on seed germination of wild oat plants as well as it also retarded the growth of root and shoot length of oat.

  2. An investigation of konjac glucomannan-keratin hydrogel scaffold loaded with Avena sativa extracts for diabetic wound healing.

    PubMed

    Veerasubramanian, Praveen Krishna; Thangavel, Ponrasu; Kannan, Ramya; Chakraborty, Sudip; Ramachandran, Balaji; Suguna, Lonchin; Muthuvijayan, Vignesh

    2018-05-01

    We have developed a novel hydrogel composed of konjac glucomannan (KGM), human hair proteins (KER), and an ethanolic extract of Avena sativa (OAT) and evaluated its potential as a dressing material for diabetic wounds. KGM is an excellent biocompatible gelling agent that stimulates fibroblast proliferation and immunomodulation. Human hair proteins (KER) are biocompatible, biodegradable, and possess abundant cell adhesion sites. KER also promotes fibroblast attachment and proliferation, keratinocyte migration, and collagen expression, which can accelerate wound healing. OAT consists of oat β-glucans and several anti-inflammatory and antioxidant moieties that can reduce prolonged inflammation in chronic wounds. SEM images confirm the highly porous architecture of the scaffolds. When immersed in PBS, KGM+KER+OAT hydrogels absorb 7.5 times their dry weight. These hydrogels display a measured rate of degradation in lysozyme. KGM+KER+OAT hydrogels showed no significant cytotoxicity against NIH/3T3 fibroblasts. DAPI and SEM images obtained after 48h of cell culture illustrate the attachment and infiltration of fibroblasts. In vivo studies performed using a diabetic rat excision wound model showed that KGM+KER+OAT hydrogels significantly accelerated wound healing compared to the control and the KGM+KER hydrogels. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Polyamine binding to proteins in oat and Petunia protoplasts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mizrahi, Y.; Applewhite, P. B.; Galston, A. W.

    1989-01-01

    Previous work (A Apelbaum et al. [1988] Plant Physiol 88: 996-998) has demonstrated binding of labeled spermidine (Spd) to a developmentally regulated 18 kilodalton protein in tobacco tissue cultures derived from thin surface layer explants. To assess the general importance of such Spd-protein complexes, we attempted bulk isolation from protoplasts of Petunia and oat (Avena sativa). In Petunia, as in tobacco, fed radioactive Spd is bound to protein, but in oat, Spd is first converted to 1,3,-diaminopropane (DAP), probably by polyamine oxidase action. In oat, binding of DAP to protein depends on age of donor leaf and conditions of illumination and temperature, and the extraction of the DAP-protein complex depends upon buffer and pH. The yield of the DAP-protein complex was maximized by extraction of frozen-thawed protoplasts with a pH 8.8 carbonate buffer containing SDS. Its molecular size, based on Sephacryl column fractionation of ammonium sulfate precipitated material, exceeded 45 kilodaltons. Bound Spd or DAP can be released from their complexes by the action of Pronase, but not DNAse, RNAse, or strong salt solutions, indicating covalent attachment to protein.

  4. Polyamine binding to proteins in oat and Petunia protoplasts.

    PubMed

    Mizrahi, Y; Applewhite, P B; Galston, A W

    1989-01-01

    Previous work (A Apelbaum et al. [1988] Plant Physiol 88: 996-998) has demonstrated binding of labeled spermidine (Spd) to a developmentally regulated 18 kilodalton protein in tobacco tissue cultures derived from thin surface layer explants. To assess the general importance of such Spd-protein complexes, we attempted bulk isolation from protoplasts of Petunia and oat (Avena sativa). In Petunia, as in tobacco, fed radioactive Spd is bound to protein, but in oat, Spd is first converted to 1,3,-diaminopropane (DAP), probably by polyamine oxidase action. In oat, binding of DAP to protein depends on age of donor leaf and conditions of illumination and temperature, and the extraction of the DAP-protein complex depends upon buffer and pH. The yield of the DAP-protein complex was maximized by extraction of frozen-thawed protoplasts with a pH 8.8 carbonate buffer containing SDS. Its molecular size, based on Sephacryl column fractionation of ammonium sulfate precipitated material, exceeded 45 kilodaltons. Bound Spd or DAP can be released from their complexes by the action of Pronase, but not DNAse, RNAse, or strong salt solutions, indicating covalent attachment to protein.

  5. Biology and management of Avena fatua and Avena ludoviciana: two noxious weed species of agro-ecosystems.

    PubMed

    Bajwa, Ali Ahsan; Akhter, Muhammad Javaid; Iqbal, Nadeem; Peerzada, Arslan Masood; Hanif, Zarka; Manalil, Sudheesh; Hashim, Saima; Ali, Hafiz Haider; Kebaso, Lynda; Frimpong, David; Namubiru, Halima; Chauhan, Bhagirath Singh

    2017-08-01

    Avena fatua and Avena ludoviciana are closely related grass weed species infesting a large number of crops around the world. These species are widely distributed in diverse agro-ecosystems from temperate to sub-tropical regions due to their unique seed traits, successful germination ecology, high competitive ability, and allelopathic potential. A. fatua is more widespread, adaptable, and problematic than A. ludoviciana. Both these species infest major winter and spring crops, including wheat, oat, barley, canola, maize, alfalfa, and sunflower, causing up to 70% yield losses depending on crop species and weed density. Chemical control has been challenged by large-scale herbicide resistance evolution in these weed species. A. fatua is the most widespread herbicide-resistant weed in the world, infesting about 5 million hectares in 13 countries. The use of alternative herbicides with different modes of action has proved effective. Several cultural practices, including diverse crop rotations, cover crops, improved crop competition (using competitive cultivars, high seed rates, narrow row spacing, altered crop geometry), and allelopathic suppression, have shown promise for controlling A. fatua and A. ludoviciana. The integrated use of these cultural methods can reduce the herbicide dose required, and lower dependency on herbicides to control these grasses. Moreover, integrated management may successfully control herbicide-resistant populations of these weed species. The use of integrated approaches based on the knowledge of biology and ecology of A. fatua and A. ludoviciana may help to manage them sustainably in the future.

  6. Structural characterization and evaluation of antioxidant, anticancer and hypoglycemic activity of radiation degraded oat (Avena sativa) β- glucan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hussain, Peerzada R.; Rather, Sarver A.; Suradkar, Prashant P.

    2018-03-01

    Oat β-D-glucan after extraction was degraded at doses of 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 kGy. The average molecular weight decreased to 45 kDa at dose of 15 kGy from an initial value of 200 kDa in native sample. XRD analysis revealed no significant change in diffraction pattern of irradiated samples when compared with control, except a decrease in intensity of x-ray diffraction. The results of the antioxidant activity revealed decrease in EC50 values and corresponding increase in antioxidant activity of radiation degraded oat β-D-glucan. Results of the anticancer studies indicated that cytotoxicity of gamma irradiated oat β-D-glucan in cancer cell lines was highest against colo-205 and MCF7 cancer cells compared to T47D cell and no cytotoxicity was observed in normal cell lines at all concentrations used. Evaluation of hypoglycemic activity showed highest inhibition in α-glucosidase activity compared to α-amylase activity due to gamma irradiation of oat β-D-glucan. Comparison of the EC50 values of known standards and gamma irradiated oat beta-glucan samples indicates that radiation treatment significantly modified the biological activity of the beta-glucan samples. Therefore, it is suggested that gamma irradiation can be used for producing low molecular weight oat β-D-glucan; which can help in modifying the biological activities.

  7. Development of a model system to identify differences in spring and winter oat.

    PubMed

    Chawade, Aakash; Lindén, Pernilla; Bräutigam, Marcus; Jonsson, Rickard; Jonsson, Anders; Moritz, Thomas; Olsson, Olof

    2012-01-01

    Our long-term goal is to develop a Swedish winter oat (Avena sativa). To identify molecular differences that correlate with winter hardiness, a winter oat model comprising of both non-hardy spring lines and winter hardy lines is needed. To achieve this, we selected 294 oat breeding lines, originating from various Russian, German, and American winter oat breeding programs and tested them in the field in south- and western Sweden. By assaying for winter survival and agricultural properties during four consecutive seasons, we identified 14 breeding lines of different origins that not only survived the winter but also were agronomically better than the rest. Laboratory tests including electrolytic leakage, controlled crown freezing assay, expression analysis of the AsVrn1 gene and monitoring of flowering time suggested that the American lines had the highest freezing tolerance, although the German lines performed better in the field. Finally, six lines constituting the two most freezing tolerant lines, two intermediate lines and two spring cultivars were chosen to build a winter oat model system. Metabolic profiling of non-acclimated and cold acclimated leaf tissue samples isolated from the six selected lines revealed differential expression patterns of 245 metabolites including several sugars, amino acids, organic acids and 181 hitherto unknown metabolites. The expression patterns of 107 metabolites showed significant interactions with either a cultivar or a time-point. Further identification, characterisation and validation of these metabolites will lead to an increased understanding of the cold acclimation process in oats. Furthermore, by using the winter oat model system, differential sequencing of crown mRNA populations would lead to identification of various biomarkers to facilitate winter oat breeding.

  8. Mobilization of lipid reserves during germination of oat (Avena sativa L.), a cereal rich in endosperm oil.

    PubMed

    Leonova, Svetlana; Grimberg, Asa; Marttila, Salla; Stymne, Sten; Carlsson, Anders S

    2010-06-01

    Since the cereal endosperm is a dead tissue in the mature grain, beta-oxidation is not possible there. This raises the question about the use of the endosperm oil in cereal grains during germination. In this study, mobilization of lipids in different tissues of germinating oat grains was analysed using thin-layer and gas chromatography. The data imply that the oat endosperm oil [triacylglycerol (TAG)] is not a dead-end product as it was absorbed by the scutellum, either as free fatty acids (FFAs) released from TAG or as intact TAG immediately degraded to FFAs. These data were supported by light and transmission electron microscopy (LM and TEM) studies where close contact between endosperm lipid droplets and the scutellum was observed. The appearance of the fused oil in the oat endosperm changed into oil droplets during germination in areas close to the aleurone and the scutellar epithelium. However, according to the data obtained by TEM these oil droplets are unlikely to be oil bodies surrounded by oleosins. Accumulation of FFA pools in the embryo suggested further transport of FFAs from the scutellum. Noticeably high levels of TAG were also accumulated in the embryo but were not synthesized by re-esterification from imported FFAs. Comparison between two oat cultivars with different amounts of oil and starch in the endosperm suggests that an increased oil to starch ratio in oat grains does not significantly impact the germination process.

  9. Genetic basis and selection for life-history trait plasticity on alternative host plants for the cereal aphid Sitobion avenae.

    PubMed

    Dai, Xinjia; Gao, Suxia; Liu, Deguang

    2014-01-01

    Sitobion avenae (F.) can survive on various plants in the Poaceae, which may select for highly plastic genotypes. But phenotypic plasticity was often thought to be non-genetic, and of little evolutionary significance historically, and many problems related to adaptive plasticity, its genetic basis and natural selection for plasticity have not been well documented. To address these questions, clones of S. avenae were collected from three plants, and their phenotypic plasticity under alternative environments was evaluated. Our results demonstrated that nearly all tested life-history traits showed significant plastic changes for certain S. avenae clones with the total developmental time of nymphs and fecundity tending to have relatively higher plasticity for most clones. Overall, the level of plasticity for S. avenae clones' life-history traits was unexpectedly low. The factor 'clone' alone explained 27.7-62.3% of the total variance for trait plasticities. The heritability of plasticity was shown to be significant in nearly all the cases. Many significant genetic correlations were found between trait plasticities with a majority of them being positive. Therefore, it is evident that life-history trait plasticity involved was genetically based. There was a high degree of variation in selection coefficients for life-history trait plasticity of different S. avenae clones. Phenotypic plasticity for barley clones, but not for oat or wheat clones, was frequently found to be under significant selection. The directional selection of alternative environments appeared to act to decrease the plasticity of S. avenae clones in most cases. G-matrix comparisons showed significant differences between S. avenae clones, as well as quite a few negative covariances (i.e., trade-offs) between trait plasticities. Genetic basis and evolutionary significance of life-history trait plasticity were discussed.

  10. Hormonal and gravitropic specificity in the regulation of growth and cell wall synthesis in pulvini and internodes from shoots of Avena sativa L. (oat).

    PubMed Central

    Montague, M J

    1995-01-01

    Segments can be cut from the peduncular-1 internode of oat (Avena sativa L.) shoots so as to contain the graviresponsive leaf-sheath pulvinus and gibberellin-sensitive internodal tissue. Incorporation of [14C]glucose was used to monitor cell wall synthesis in these two tissues as affected by gravistimulus, indoleacetic acid (IAA), gibberellic acid (GA3), and fusicoccin (FC). Pulvinar cell wall synthesis was promoted by IAA and FC (both within about 1 h), as well as by gravistimulus (starting between 3 and 6 h), whereas GA3 had no effect on nongravistimulated pulvini. In contrast, GA3 and FC promoted internodal cell wall synthesis (initiated between 1 and 2 h), whereas IAA and gravistimulus caused a decrease in internodal uptake. FC preferentially promoted incorporation into the matrix component of the wall in both tissues. Gravistimulus failed to increase responsiveness of pulvinar tissue to IAA, whereas GA3 partially overcame gravistimulus-promoted incorporation into pulvinar cell wall, probably because of preferential movement of label into the rapidly elongating internode. The results demonstrate that these eight stimulus/tissue combinations can be examined easily in an isolated 10-mm stem segment, providing new opportunities for the comparative study of tissue- and stimulus-specific events in gene regulation and signal transduction in agronomically important cereals. PMID:11536686

  11. RADIATION-INDUCED MUTATIONS FOR STEM RUST RESISTANCE IN OATS

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Konzak, C.F.

    1959-01-01

    Stem rust rcsistant viriants from earlier experiments on the induction or resistance in oats by radiation were found to result from natural field hybridization. Recent controlled experiments did, however, yield new variants at a low frequency in one instance. and no variants in another. Both experiments included over 3,000 lines from irradiated seeds. One previously unknown type of rust resistance reaction was obtained in a mutant plant. This mutant shows a temperature sensitive response for resistance to race 7A of Puccinia graminis avenae. It was suggested that some, as yet unknown, mcdifying factors mav limit the development of induced changesmore » into mutations. (auth)« less

  12. Protein evaluation of four oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars adapted for cultivation in the south of Brazil.

    PubMed

    Pedó, I; Sgarbieri, V C; Gutkoski, L C

    1999-01-01

    Four oat cultivars adapted for soil and climate conditions in the southern region of Brazil were evaluated for protein nutritive value. Evaluations were done both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro evaluation was done by essential amino acid profile, available lysine, amino acid scoring, and protein digestibility corrected amino acid-scoring (PDCAAS). Nitrogen balance indices and PER were determined in vivo with rats. In all four cultivars (UFP-15, UFP-16, CTC-03, UFRGS-14), lysine was the most limiting amino acid. Available lysine, amino acid score and PDCAAS were highest for cultivar UFRGS-14 and lowest for CTC-03. When compared to casein, only nitrogen retention for UFRGS-14 did not differ statistically (p>0.05); all other indices of protein quality were inferior to casein for the oat cultivars. The oat cultivars tended to be identical among themselves, except for apparent protein digestibility which was significantly higher in the UFRGS-14 and CTC-03 cultivars. On average, the PER values of the oat cultivars were 82% of casein; the net protein utilization was 88% of casein as determined in vivo and 49% by the estimation in vitro (PDCAAS).

  13. The outer epidermis of Avena and maize coleoptiles is not a unique target for auxin in elongation growth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cleland, R. E.

    1991-01-01

    A controversy exists as to whether or not the outer epidermis in coleoptiles is a unique target for auxin in elongation growth. The following evidence indicates that the outer epidermis is not the only auxin-responsive cell layer in either Avena sativa L. or Zea mays L. coleoptiles. Coleoptile sections from which the epidermis has been removed by peeling elongate in response to auxin. The magnitude of the response is similar to that of intact sections provided the incubation solution contains both auxin and sucrose. The amount of elongation is independent of the amount of epidermis removed. Sections of oat coleoptiles from which the epidermis has been removed from one side are nearly straight after 22 h in auxin and sucrose, despite extensive growth of the sections. These data indicate that the outer epidermis is not a unique target for auxin in elongation growth, at least in Avena and maize coleoptiles.

  14. Biochemical changes in black oat (avena strigosa schreb) cultivated in vineyard soils contaminated with copper.

    PubMed

    Girotto, Eduardo; Ceretta, Carlos A; Rossato, Liana V; Farias, Julia G; Brunetto, Gustavo; Miotto, Alcione; Tiecher, Tadeu L; de Conti, Lessandro; Lourenzi, Cledimar R; Schmatz, Roberta; Giachini, Admir; Nicoloso, Fernando T

    2016-06-01

    Soils used for the cultivation of grapes generally have a long history of copper (Cu) based fungicide applications. As a result, these soils can accumulate Cu at levels that are capable of causing toxicity in plants that co-inhabit the vineyards. The aim of the present study was to evaluate growth parameters and oxidative stress in black oat plants grown in vineyard soils contaminated with high levels of Cu. Soil samples were collected from the Serra Gaúcha and Campanha Gaúcha regions, which are the main wine producing regions in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil. Experiments were conducted in a greenhouse in 2009, with soils containing Cu concentrations from 2.2 to 328.7 mg kg(-1). Evaluated parameters included plant root and shoot dry matter, Cu concentration in the plant's tissues, and enzymatic and non-enzymatic biochemical parameters related to oxidative stress in the shoots of plants harvested 15 and 40 days after emergence. The Cu absorbed by plants predominantly accumulated in the roots, with little to no translocation to the shoots. Even so, oat plants showed symptoms of toxicity when grown in soils containing high Cu concentrations. The enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems of oat plants were unable to reverse the imposed oxidative stress conditions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  15. Digital image sensor-based assessment of the status of oat (Avena sativa L.) crops after frost damage.

    PubMed

    Macedo-Cruz, Antonia; Pajares, Gonzalo; Santos, Matilde; Villegas-Romero, Isidro

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to classify the land covered with oat crops, and the quantification of frost damage on oats, while plants are still in the flowering stage. The images are taken by a digital colour camera CCD-based sensor. Unsupervised classification methods are applied because the plants present different spectral signatures, depending on two main factors: illumination and the affected state. The colour space used in this application is CIELab, based on the decomposition of the colour in three channels, because it is the closest to human colour perception. The histogram of each channel is successively split into regions by thresholding. The best threshold to be applied is automatically obtained as a combination of three thresholding strategies: (a) Otsu's method, (b) Isodata algorithm, and (c) Fuzzy thresholding. The fusion of these automatic thresholding techniques and the design of the classification strategy are some of the main findings of the paper, which allows an estimation of the damages and a prediction of the oat production.

  16. Digital Image Sensor-Based Assessment of the Status of Oat (Avena sativa L.) Crops after Frost Damage

    PubMed Central

    Macedo-Cruz, Antonia; Pajares, Gonzalo; Santos, Matilde; Villegas-Romero, Isidro

    2011-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to classify the land covered with oat crops, and the quantification of frost damage on oats, while plants are still in the flowering stage. The images are taken by a digital colour camera CCD-based sensor. Unsupervised classification methods are applied because the plants present different spectral signatures, depending on two main factors: illumination and the affected state. The colour space used in this application is CIELab, based on the decomposition of the colour in three channels, because it is the closest to human colour perception. The histogram of each channel is successively split into regions by thresholding. The best threshold to be applied is automatically obtained as a combination of three thresholding strategies: (a) Otsu’s method, (b) Isodata algorithm, and (c) Fuzzy thresholding. The fusion of these automatic thresholding techniques and the design of the classification strategy are some of the main findings of the paper, which allows an estimation of the damages and a prediction of the oat production. PMID:22163940

  17. Comparison of the lipid composition of oat root and coleoptile plasma membranes: lack of short-term change in response to auxin

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sandstrom, R. P.; Cleland, R. E.

    1989-01-01

    The total lipid composition of plasma membranes (PM), isolated by the phase partitioning method from two different oat (Avena sativa L.) tissues, the root and coleoptile, was compared. In general, the PM lipid composition was not conserved between these two organs of the oat seedling. Oat roots contained 50 mole percent phospholipid, 25 mole percent glycolipid, and 25 mole percent free sterol, whereas comparable amounts in the coleoptile were 42, 39, and 19 mole percent, respectively. Individual lipid components within each lipid class also showed large variations between the two tissues. Maximum specific ATPase activity in the root PM was more than double the activity in the coleoptile. Treatment of coleoptile with auxin for 1 hour resulted in no detectable changes in PM lipids or extractable ATPase activity. Differences in the PM lipid composition between the two tissues that may define the limits of ATPase activity are discussed.

  18. Quantitative trait loci from two genotypes of oat (Avena sativa L.) conditioning resistance to Puccinia coronata

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Developing oat cultivars with partial resistance to crown rust would be beneficial for disease management. Two recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations were derived by crossing the susceptible cultivar ‘Provena’ with two partially resistant sources, ‘CDC Boyer’ and breeding line 94197A1-9-2-2-2-5. ...

  19. Genome Sequence of the Rice-Pathogenic Bacterium Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae RS-1 ▿

    PubMed Central

    Xie, Guan-Lin; Zhang, Guo-Qing; Liu, He; Lou, Miao-Miao; Tian, Wen-Xiao; Li, Bin; Zhou, Xue-Ping; Zhu, Bo; Jin, Gu-Lei

    2011-01-01

    Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae is a phytobacterium which is the causative agent of several plant diseases with economic significance. Here, we present the draft genome sequence of strain RS-1, which was isolated from rice shoots in a rice field in China. This strain can cause bacterial stripe of rice. PMID:21742879

  20. The flounder organic anion transporter fOat has sequence, function, and substrate specificity similarity to both mammalian Oat1 and Oat3

    PubMed Central

    Aslamkhan, Amy G.; Thompson, Deborah M.; Perry, Jennifer L.; Bleasby, Kelly; Wolff, Natascha A.; Barros, Scott; Miller, David S.; Pritchard, John B.

    2007-01-01

    The flounder renal organic anion transporter (fOat) has substantial sequence homology to mammalian basolateral organic anion transporter orthologs (OAT1/Oat1 and OAT3/Oat3), suggesting that fOat may have functional properties of both mammalian forms. We therefore compared uptake of various substrates by rat Oat1 and Oat3 and human OAT1 and OAT3 with the fOat clone expressed in Xenopus oocytes. These data confirm that estrone sulfate is an excellent substrate for mammalian OAT3/Oat3 transporters but not for OAT1/Oat1 transporters. In contrast, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and adefovir are better transported by mammalian OAT1/Oat1 than by the OAT3/Oat3 clones. All three substrates were well transported by fOat-expressing Xenopus oocytes. fOat Km values were comparable to those obtained for mammalian OAT/Oat1/3 clones. We also characterized the ability of these substrates to inhibit uptake of the fluorescent substrate fluorescein in intact teleost proximal tubules isolated from the winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) and killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus). The rank order of the IC50 values for inhibition of cellular fluorescein accumulation was similar to that for the Km values obtained in fOat-expressing oocytes, suggesting that fOat may be the primary teleost renal basolateral Oat. Assessment of the zebrafish (Danio rerio) genome indicated the presence of a single Oat (zfOat) with similarity to both mammalian OAT1/Oat1 and OAT3/Oat3. The puffer fish (Takifugu rubripes) also has an Oat (pfOat) similar to mammalian OAT1/Oat1 and OAT3/Oat3 members. Furthermore, phylogenetic analyses argue that the teleost Oat1/3-like genes diverged from a common ancestral gene in advance of the divergence of the mammalian OAT1/Oat1, OAT3/Oat3, and, possibly, Oat6 genes. PMID:16857889

  1. Purification and Biochemical Properties of Phytochromobilin Synthase from Etiolated Oat Seedlings1

    PubMed Central

    McDowell, Michael T.; Lagarias, J. Clark

    2001-01-01

    Plant phytochromes are dependent on the covalent attachment of the linear tetrapyrrole chromophore phytochromobilin (PΦB) for photoactivity. In planta, biliverdin IXα (BV) is reduced by the plastid-localized, ferredoxin (Fd)-dependent enzyme PΦB synthase to yield 3Z-PΦB. Here, we describe the >50,000-fold purification of PΦB synthase from etioplasts from dark-grown oat (Avena sativa L. cv Garry) seedlings using traditional column chromatography and preparative electrophoresis. Thus, PΦB synthase is a very low abundance enzyme with a robust turnover rate. We estimate the turnover rate to be >100 s−1, which is similar to that of mammalian NAD(P)H-dependent BV reductase. Oat PΦB synthase is a monomer with a subunit mass of 29 kD. However, two distinct charged forms of the enzymes were identified by native isoelectric focusing. The ability of PΦB synthase to reduce BV is dependent on reduced 2Fe-2S Fds. A Km for spinach (Spinacea oleracea) Fd was determined to be 3 to 4 μm. PΦB synthase has a high affinity for its bilin substrate, with a sub-micromolar Km for BV. PMID:11500553

  2. Field application of benzothiadiazole (BTH) to oats (Avena sativa): Effects on crown rust resistance and avenanthramide production

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Plant defense activators such as benzothiadiazole (BTH) are known to elicit the biosynthesis of plant phytoalexins. In oat, BTH treatment was shown to up-regulate avenanthramide production in both the vegetative tissue and filling grain in greenhouse studies. Avenanthramides are phenolic antioxidant...

  3. Tracking multi-walled carbon nanotubes inside oat (Avena sativa L.) plants and assessing their effect on growth, yield, and mammalian (human) cell viability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joshi, Anjali; Kaur, Simranjeet; Singh, Pargat; Dharamvir, Keya; Nayyar, Harsh; Verma, Gaurav

    2018-05-01

    Our findings show that oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) having serpent-like morphology and smaller sizes (diameter of 35 nm and lengths of 200-300 nm) are compatible with oat plant tissues. Applied by seed-priming method as 90 µg/ml concentration, these serpentine MWCNT (having open-end caps) enter the oat plant and traverse the cells. Tracking of MWCNT inside sections and tissues during growth of oat plant has been done using special sample preparation. We present clear images of MWCNT inside the primed seeds and vascular bundles, the conducting tissues of root and shoot of oat. A dye fluorescein isothiocyanate non-covalently bonded to MWCNT also helped in detecting the path through circumferential perimeters of the oat channels, using fluorescence and confocal microscopy. The presence of MWCNT inside oat enhanced the growth of xylem cells by about 1.85-fold in vasculature of shoots. Compared to controls, the chlorophyll content increased by 57%, while photosynthetic activity enhanced by 15% for the same sample in MWCNT-primed plants. Overall, the growth factors were also augmented leading to significant increase in yield components. No toxic effects of MWCNT were observed in the DNA of the primed plants, and in the human cell lines treated with grains harvested from the MWCNT-primed plants. Our study provides some new insights about the role of MWCNT in plants and their potential benefits in agriculture.

  4. Sodium and potassium fluxes and compartmentation in roots of atriplex and oat.

    PubMed

    Mills, D; Robinson, K; Hodges, T K

    1985-07-01

    K(+) and Na(+) fluxes and ion content have been studied in roots of Atriplex nummularia Lindl. and Avena sativa L. cv Goodfield grown in 3 millimolar K(+) with or without 3 or 50 millimolar NaCl. Compartmental analysis was carried out with entire root systems under steady-state conditions.Increasing ambient Na(+) concentrations from 0 to 50 millimolar altered K(+), in Atriplex, as follows: slightly decreased the cytoplasmic content (Q(c)), the vacuolar content (Q(v)), and the plasma membrane influx and efflux. Xylem transport for K(+) decreased by 63% in Atriplex. For oat roots, similar increases in Na(+) altered K(+) parameters as follows: plasma membrane influx and efflux decreased by about 80%. Q(c) decreased by 65%, and xylem transport decreased by 91%. No change, however, was observed in Q(v) for K(+). Increasing ambient Na(+) resulted in higher (3 to 5-fold) Na(+) fluxes across the plasma membrane and in Q(c) of both species. In Atriplex, Na(+) fluxes across the tonoplast and Q(v) increased as external Na(+) was increased. In oat, however, no significant change was observed in Na(+) flux across the tonoplast or in Q(v) as external Na(+) was increased. In oat roots, Na(+) reduced K(+) uptake markedly; in Atriplex, this was not as pronounced. However, even at high Na(+) levels, the influx transport system at the plasma membrane of both species preferred K(+) over Na(+).Based upon the Ussing-Teorell equation, it was concluded that active inward transport of K(+) occurred across the plasma membrane, and passive movement of K(+) occurred across the tonoplast in both species. Na(+), in oat roots, was actively pumped out of the cytoplasm to the exterior, whereas, in Atriplex, Na(+) was passively distributed between the free space, cytoplasm, and vacuole.

  5. Subgenome-specific assembly of vitamin E biosynthesis genes and expression patterns during seed development provide insight into the evolution of oat genome.

    PubMed

    Gutierrez-Gonzalez, Juan J; Garvin, David F

    2016-11-01

    Vitamin E is essential for humans and thus must be a component of a healthy diet. Among the cereal grains, hexaploid oats (Avena sativa L.) have high vitamin E content. To date, no gene sequences in the vitamin E biosynthesis pathway have been reported for oats. Using deep sequencing and orthology-guided assembly, coding sequences of genes for each step in vitamin E synthesis in oats were reconstructed, including resolution of the sequences of homeologs. Three homeologs, presumably representing each of the three oat subgenomes, were identified for the main steps of the pathway. Partial sequences, likely representing pseudogenes, were recovered in some instances as well. Pairwise comparisons among homeologs revealed that two of the three putative subgenome-specific homeologs are almost identical for each gene. Synonymous substitution rates indicate the time of divergence of the two more similar subgenomes from the distinct one at 7.9-8.7 MYA, and a divergence between the similar subgenomes from a common ancestor 1.1 MYA. A new proposed evolutionary model for hexaploid oat formation is discussed. Homeolog-specific gene expression was quantified during oat seed development and compared with vitamin E accumulation. Homeolog expression largely appears to be similar for most of genes; however, for some genes, homoeolog-specific transcriptional bias was observed. The expression of HPPD, as well as certain homoeologs of VTE2 and VTE4, is highly correlated with seed vitamin E accumulation. Our findings expand our understanding of oat genome evolution and will assist efforts to modify vitamin E content and composition in oats. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. Plant Biotechnology Journal published by Society for Experimental Biology and The Association of Applied Biologists and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Sorption of copper, zinc and cobalt by oat and oat products.

    PubMed

    Górecka, Danuta; Stachowiak, Jadwiga

    2002-04-01

    We determined copper, zinc and cobalt sorption by oat and its products under variable pH conditions as well as the content of neutral dietary fiber (NDF) and its fractional composition. Adsorbents in a model sorption system were: oat, dehulled oat, oats bran and oats flakes. Three various buffers (pH 1.8, 6.6 and 8.7) were used as dispersing solutions. Results collected during this study indicate that copper, zinc and cobalt sorption is significantly affected by the type of cereal raw material. Zinc and copper ions are subjected to higher sorption than cobalt ions. Examined metal ions were subjected to high sorption under conditions corresponding to the duodenum environment (pH 8.7), regardless of the kind of adsorbent. A little lower sorption capacity is observed under conditions close to the neutral environment, while the lowest one is found in environment reflecting conditions of stomach juice (pH 1.8). Zinc ions are bound intensively by dehulled oat, while oats flakes bound mostly copper and cobalt, independently on environmental conditions. Contents of dietary fiber in oat, dehulled oat, oat bran and oat flakes were: 40.1, 19.3, 20.3 and 14.3%, respectively. The dominating fraction in all oat products was the fraction of hemicelluloses. The content of remaining fractions varies in dependence on the product.

  7. Inhibition of gravitropism in oat coleoptiles by the calcium chelator, ethyleneglycol-bis-(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N'-tetraacetic acid

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Daye, S.; Biro, R. L.; Roux, S. J.

    1984-01-01

    A treatment period as brief as 8 h in 10(-3) M EGTA completely blocks gravitropism in 70-80% of the treated coleoptiles of oats (Avena sativa L. cv. Garry) without inhibiting growth. Only about 10% of the plants perfused in water failed to exhibit gravitropism. Subsequent perfusion of EGTA-treated plants with calcium completely restores gravitropism; post-perfusion with water does not. After perfusion in water for 10 h, gravistimulated oat coleoptile segments show the same asymmetry of 45Ca distribution as reported earlier for non-perfused coleoptiles and sunflower hypocotyls. The degree of this asymmetry is reduced in those coleoptiles partially inhibited by perfusion in EGTA and is essentially absent in those coleoptiles completely inhibited by EGTA. The fact that calcium reverses the inhibitory effects of EGTA on gravitropism indicates that the inhibition was probably due to a reduction in the availability of free calcium required for one or more of the transduction steps of gravitropism.

  8. Sodium and Potassium Fluxes and Compartmentation in Roots of Atriplex and Oat 1

    PubMed Central

    Mills, David; Robinson, Kenneth; Hodges, Thomas K.

    1985-01-01

    K+ and Na+ fluxes and ion content have been studied in roots of Atriplex nummularia Lindl. and Avena sativa L. cv Goodfield grown in 3 millimolar K+ with or without 3 or 50 millimolar NaCl. Compartmental analysis was carried out with entire root systems under steady-state conditions. Increasing ambient Na+ concentrations from 0 to 50 millimolar altered K+, in Atriplex, as follows: slightly decreased the cytoplasmic content (Qc), the vacuolar content (Qv), and the plasma membrane influx and efflux. Xylem transport for K+ decreased by 63% in Atriplex. For oat roots, similar increases in Na+ altered K+ parameters as follows: plasma membrane influx and efflux decreased by about 80%. Qc decreased by 65%, and xylem transport decreased by 91%. No change, however, was observed in Qv for K+. Increasing ambient Na+ resulted in higher (3 to 5-fold) Na+ fluxes across the plasma membrane and in Qc of both species. In Atriplex, Na+ fluxes across the tonoplast and Qv increased as external Na+ was increased. In oat, however, no significant change was observed in Na+ flux across the tonoplast or in Qv as external Na+ was increased. In oat roots, Na+ reduced K+ uptake markedly; in Atriplex, this was not as pronounced. However, even at high Na+ levels, the influx transport system at the plasma membrane of both species preferred K+ over Na+. Based upon the Ussing-Teorell equation, it was concluded that active inward transport of K+ occurred across the plasma membrane, and passive movement of K+ occurred across the tonoplast in both species. Na+, in oat roots, was actively pumped out of the cytoplasm to the exterior, whereas, in Atriplex, Na+ was passively distributed between the free space, cytoplasm, and vacuole. PMID:16664273

  9. Detection of gold nanoparticles signal inside wheat (Triticum Aestivum.L) and oats (Avena sativa) seedlings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joshi, Anjali; Nayyar, Harsh; Dharamvir, Keya; Verma, Gaurav

    2018-05-01

    Nanostructures have recently been reported by various research groups to induce growth enhancement in variety of crops. In this report 30-40 nm size gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) at two concentrations were found to enhance the total biomass yield of wheat and oats. Treating plants with up to 100 µl /mL and 200 µl /mL of AuNPs shows an increased growth and germination rate. The noticeable difference in fresh weight and relative leaf water content were recorded. The fluorescence and UV-Vis spectroscopy detected the gold nanoparticles inside the seedling.

  10. Evaluation of beneficial use of wood-fired boiler ash on oat and bean growth

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Krejsl, J.A.; Scanlon, T.M.

    An evaluation on the effects of pulp and paper mill combined boiler ashes on growth and nutrient uptake by oat (Avena sativa L., var. 501) and bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L., var. blue pole) was conducted in a greenhouse. Ash with a calcium carbonate equivalent of 29.1% and a pH of 12.1 was applied at the rates 30, 40, and 50 dry Mg ha{sup -1} to Chehalis silty clay loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Cumulic Ultic Haploxerolls), with pH 5.4. An agricultural dolomitic lime treatment of 7.4 Mg ha{sup -1} and a nonamended control were also included. Plants grown on ash-amended soilmore » had higher biomass compared to plants grown on lime and control treatments. Ash treatments 30, 40, and 50 dry Mg ha{sup -1} increased the bean (stems and leaves) dry matter (DM) yield over the control by 49, 57, and 64%, respectively. The lime treatment increased the bean DM yield by 31% compared with the control. The ash rate 30 dry Mg ha{sup -1}, equivalent to the recommended agronomic lime rate 7.4 Mg ha{sup -1}, increased oat (shoots) DM yields over the control by 45%, while the lime treatment increased biomass by 8% over control. The highest ash treatment, 50 Mg ha{sup -1}, produced the lowest oat biomass. The ash was as effective as dolomitic lime in raising soil pH. Ash-amended soils contained higher concentrations of P, S, and B for plant growth compared to lime and nonamended soils. Soil Zn, Fe, mn, and Cu concentrations decreased as ash application rates increased. Oat and bean plants grown in the ash-amended soil had increased concentrations of K, S, and B and decreased concentrations of Mn and Cu compared with plants grown in the nonamended control soil. Overall, oat and bean benefited from the increased nutrient availability and soil pH caused by the application of boiler ash. 20 refs., 6 tabs.« less

  11. Quantitative trait loci affecting oil content, oil composition, and other agronomically important traits in Oat (Avena sativa L.)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Groat oil content and composition are important determinants of oat quality. We investigated these traits in a population of 146 recombinant inbred lines from a cross between 'Dal' (high oil) and 'Exeter' (low oil). A linkage map consisting of 475 DArT markers spanning 1271.8 cM across 40 linkage gr...

  12. Differential Expression of In Vivo and In Vitro Protein Profile of Outer Membrane of Acidovorax avenae Subsp. avenae

    PubMed Central

    Qiu, Hui; Li, Bin; Jabeen, Amara; Li, Liping; Liu, He; Kube, Michael; Xie, Guanlin; Wang, Yanli; Sun, Guochang

    2012-01-01

    Outer membrane (OM) proteins play a significant role in bacterial pathogenesis. In this work, we examined and compared the expression of the OM proteins of the rice pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae strain RS-1, a Gram-negative bacterium, both in an in vitro culture medium and in vivo rice plants. Global proteomic profiling of A. avenae subsp. avenae strain RS-1 comparing in vivo and in vitro conditions revealed the differential expression of proteins affecting the survival and pathogenicity of the rice pathogen in host plants. The shotgun proteomics analysis of OM proteins resulted in the identification of 97 proteins in vitro and 62 proteins in vivo by mass spectrometry. Among these OM proteins, there is a high number of porins, TonB-dependent receptors, lipoproteins of the NodT family, ABC transporters, flagellins, and proteins of unknown function expressed under both conditions. However, the major proteins such as phospholipase and OmpA domain containing proteins were expressed in vitro, while the proteins such as the surface anchored protein F, ATP-dependent Clp protease, OmpA and MotB domain containing proteins were expressed in vivo. This may indicate that these in vivo OM proteins have roles in the pathogenicity of A. avenae subsp. avenae strain RS-1. In addition, the LC-MS/MS identification of OmpA and MotB validated the in silico prediction of the existance of Type VI secretion system core components. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to reveal the in vitro and in vivo protein profiles, in combination with LC-MS/MS mass spectra, in silico OM proteome and in silico genome wide analysis, of pathogenicity or plant host required proteins of a plant pathogenic bacterium. PMID:23166741

  13. Yield of four Agaricus bisporus strains in three compost formulations and chemical composition analyses of the mushrooms

    PubMed Central

    de Andrade, Meire Cristina Nogueira; Zied, Diego Cunha; de Almeida Minhoni, Marli Teixeira; Kopytowski Filho, João

    2008-01-01

    Three compost formulations, consisting of two varieties of Cynodom dactylon (L.) Pers. (Coast-cross and Tyfton) and oat (Avena sativa) straw were tested for the cultivation of A. bisporus strains ABI-01/01, ABI-04/02, ABI-05/03, and ABI-06/04. A completely randomized experimental design in a factorial scheme was adopted, with 12 treatments (4 A. bisporus strains × 3 types of compost) and 8 replicates. Each experimental unit corresponded to one box containing 12 – 12.5 kg fresh wet compost. The data were submitted to analysis of variance and the means were compared by Tukey test. According to the results, productivity of mushrooms was influenced by strain and/or compost type. It was also verified that crude protein, ash, and crude fiber contents in the mushroom varied with A. bisporus strain and straw used in the formulation of the compost. PMID:24031271

  14. Interaction between the physical form of the starter feed and straw provision on growth performance of Holstein calves.

    PubMed

    Terré, M; Castells, Ll; Khan, M A; Bach, A

    2015-02-01

    Two experiments were conducted to assess the effect of physical form of a starter feed with or without straw supplementation on growth performance of Holstein calves. In experiment 1, a total of 32 calves were randomly assigned at 7 d of age to texturized starter feed (containing rolled barley, corn, and oats) without straw, texturized starter feed with chopped straw, and pelleted starter feed with chopped straw. All calves were offered 4 L of pasteurized whole milk twice daily from 7 to 35 d of age, 2 L of milk twice daily from 36 to 42 d of age, and 2 L of milk from 43 to 49 d of age. Animals were weaned at 50 d of age, and the study finished when calves were 63 d old. In experiment 2, a total of 60 calves (8 d of age) were randomly assigned to texturized starter feed (containing whole corn) without straw, pelleted starter feed without straw, and pelleted starter feed with chopped straw. All calves were offered the same milk replacer (MR; 23% crude protein and 19.5 fat) at 11% dry matter concentration, 4 L/d of MR until 14 d of age, 6 L/d of MR from 14 to 37 d, 3 L/d of MR from 38 to 44 d, and 1.5 L/d of MR from 45 to 52 d of age. The experiment finished when calves were 58 d old (1 wk after weaning). Rumen liquid pH was measured after weaning. In both studies, calves were individually housed in pens on sawdust bedding and starter feed and chopped straw were offered free choice in separate buckets. In experiment 1, starter feed and straw intake and growth did not differ among treatments. However, calves receiving straw showed a greater rumen pH compared with those not receiving straw. In experiment 2, pelleted started feed supplemented with straw fostered an increase in solid feed intake (as percentage of body weight) compared with a pelleted or texturized starter feed without straw supplementation. However, calves that received the texturized starter feed containing whole corn had rumen pH similar to those fed a pelleted starter feed with straw. Feeding a

  15. Quantification of betaglucans, lipid and protein contents in whole oat groats (Avena sativa L.) using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Whole oat has been described as an important healthy food for humans due to its beneficial nutritional components. Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is a powerful, fast, accurate and non-destructive analytical tool that can be substituted for some traditional chemical analysis. A total o...

  16. Heavy metal phytoextraction-natural and EDTA-assisted remediation of contaminated calcareous soils by sorghum and oat.

    PubMed

    Mahmood-Ul-Hassan, Muhammad; Suthar, Vishandas; Ahmad, Rizwan; Yousra, Munazza

    2017-10-30

    The abilities of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) and oat (Avena sativa L.) to take up heavy metals from soils amended with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were assessed under greenhouse conditions. Both plants were grown in two soils contaminated with heavy metals (Gujranwala-silty loam and Pacca-clay loam). The soils were treated with 0, 0.625, 1.25, and 2.5 mM EDTA kg -1 soil applied at both 45 and 60 days after sowing (DAS); the experiment was terminated at 75 DAS. Addition of EDTA significantly increased concentrations of Cd, Cr, and Pb in roots and shoots, and bio-concentration factors and phytoextraction rates were also increased. Post-harvest soil analysis showed that soluble fractions of metals were also increased significantly. The increase in Cd was ≈ 3-fold and Pb was ≈ 15-fold at the highest addition of EDTA in Gujranwala soil; in the Pacca soil, the increase was less. Similarly, other phytoremediation factors, such as metal translocation, bio-concentration factor, and phytoextraction, efficiency were also maximum when soils were treated with 2.5 mM EDTA kg -1 soil. The study demonstrated that sorghum was better than oat for phytoremediation.

  17. Fall-grown oat to extend the fall grazing season for replacement dairy heifers.

    PubMed

    Coblentz, W K; Brink, G E; Hoffman, P C; Esser, N M; Bertram, M G

    2014-03-01

    Our objective was to assess the pasture productivity and forage characteristics of 2 fall-grown oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars, specifically for extending the grazing season and reducing reliance on harvested forages by replacement dairy heifers. A total of 160 gravid Holstein heifers (80 heifers/yr) were stratified by weight, and assigned to 1 of 10 identical research pens (8 heifers/pen). Initial body weights were 480 ± 43.5 kg in 2011 and 509 ± 39.4 kg in 2012. During both years of the trial, four 1.0-ha pasture replicates were seeded in August with Ogle oat (Schumitsch Seed Inc., Antigo, WI), and 4 separate, but similarly configured, pasture replicates were seeded with Forage Plus oat (Kratz Farms, Slinger, WI). Heifer groups were maintained as units, assigned to specific pastures, and then allowed to graze fall-oat pastures for 6h daily before returning to the barn, where they were offered a forage-based basal total mixed ration. Two heifer groups were retained in confinement (without grazing) as controls and offered the identical total mixed ration as pasture groups. During 2011, available forage mass increased with strong linear and quadratic effects for both cultivars, peaking at almost 9 Mg/ha on October 31. In contrast, forage mass was not affected by evaluation date in 2012, remaining ≤ 2,639 kg/ha across all dates because of droughty climatic conditions. During 2012, Ogle exhibited greater forage mass than Forage Plus across all sampling dates (2,678 vs. 1,856 kg/ha), largely because of its more rapid maturation rate and greater canopy height. Estimates of energy density for oat forage ranged from 59.6 to 69.1% during 2011, and ranged narrowly from 68.4 to 70.4% during 2012. For 2011, responses for both cultivars had strong quadratic character, in which the most energy-dense forages occurred in mid November, largely due to accumulation of water-soluble carbohydrates that reached maximum concentrations of 18.2 and 15.1% for Forage Plus and Ogle

  18. Tissue-specific changes of glutamine synthetase activity in oats after rhizosphere infestation by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci. Final report

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Knight, T.J.; Temple, S.; Sengupta-Gopalan, C.

    1996-05-15

    Oats (Avena sativa L. lodi) tolerant of rhizosphere infestation by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci when challenged by the pathogen experience tissue-specific alterations of ammonia assimilatory capabilities. Altered ammonia assimilatory potentials between root and leaf tissue result from selective inactivation of glutamine synthetase (GS) by the toxin Tabtoxinine-B-lactam (TBL). Root GS is sensitive and leaf GSs are resistant to TBL inactivation. With prolonged challenge by the pathogen root GS activity decreases but leaf GS specific activity increase. Higher leaf GS activity is due to decreased rates of degradation rather than increased GS synthesis. Higher leaf GS activity and elevated levels ofmore » GS polypeptide appear to result from a limited interaction between GS and TBL leading to the accumulation of a less active but more stable GS holoenzyme. Tolerant challenged oats besides surviving rhizosphere infestation, experience enhanced growth. A strong correlation exists between leaf GS activity and whole plant fresh weight, suggesting that tissue-specific changes in ammonia assimilatory capability provides the plant a more efficient mechanism for uptake and utilization of nitrogen.« less

  19. Regulation of callus status and cell-suspending culture in naked seed oat (Avena nuda).

    PubMed

    Cui, L; Fan, Y

    1998-01-01

    The original calli were obtained by inducing culture of mature embryos of naked seed oat on N6 medium. The original calli were white-colored tumor forms, soft outside and hard inside. These kinds of calli are easy to differentiate into plantlets, and they are not the friable type. Friable embryogenic calli could be obtained by cycled regulated culture on IM1-IM4 medium for 7-8 months from the original calli. They became vigorous, lightish yellow in color, with small grainy forms. Well-separated and fast-growing suspending cell lines have been obtained from the above-mentioned embryogenic calli in the liquid medium. Regenerated plants have been obtained for this kind of suspension line by culturing on the medium for differentiation. The surviving percentage for such plantlets was over 95% after planting in the soil.

  20. Competency for graviresponse in the leaf-sheath pulvinus of Avena sativa: onset to loss

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brock, T. G.; Kaufman, P. B.

    1988-01-01

    The development of the leaf-sheath pulvinus of oat (Avena sativa L. cv. Victory) was studied in terms of its competency to respond to gravistimulation. Stages of onset of competency, maximum competency and loss of competency were identified, using the length of the supertending internode as a developmental marker. During the early phases in the onset of competency, the latency period between stimulus and graviresponse decreased and the steady state response rate increased significantly. When fully competent, the latency period remained constant as the plant continued to develop, suggesting that the latency period is relatively insensitive to quantitative changes (e.g., in carbohydrate or nutrient availability) at the cell level within the plant. In contrast, the response rate was found to increase with plant development, indicating that graviresponse rate is more strongly influenced by quantitative cellular changes. The total possible graviresponse of a single oat pulvinus was confirmed to be significantly less than the original presentation angle. This was shown to not result from a loss of competency, since the graviresponse could be reinitiated by increasing the presentation angle. As a result of the low overall graviresponse of individual pulvini, two or more pulvini are required to bring the plant apex to the vertical. This was determined to occur though the sequential, rather than simultaneous, action of successive pulvini, since a given pulvinus lost competency to gravirespond shortly after the next pulvinus became fully competent.

  1. Metabolic Changes in Avena sativa Crowns Recovering from Freezing

    PubMed Central

    Henson, Cynthia A.; Duke, Stanley H.; Livingston, David P.

    2014-01-01

    Extensive research has been conducted on cold acclimation and freezing tolerance of fall-sown cereal plants due to their economic importance; however, little has been reported on the biochemical changes occurring over time after the freezing conditions are replaced by conditions favorable for recovery and growth such as would occur during spring. In this study, GC-MS was used to detect metabolic changes in the overwintering crown tissue of oat (Avena sativa L.) during a fourteen day time-course after freezing. Metabolomic analysis revealed increases in most amino acids, particularly proline, 5-oxoproline and arginine, which increased greatly in crowns that were frozen compared to controls and correlated very significantly with days after freezing. In contrast, sugar and sugar related metabolites were little changed by freezing, except sucrose and fructose which decreased dramatically. In frozen tissue all TCA cycle metabolites, especially citrate and malate, decreased in relation to unfrozen tissue. Alterations in some amino acid pools after freezing were similar to those observed in cold acclimation whereas most changes in sugar pools after freezing were not. These similarities and differences suggest that there are common as well as unique genetic mechanisms between these two environmental conditions that are crucial to the winter survival of plants. PMID:24675792

  2. Using brown midrib 6 dwarf forage sorghum silage and fall-grown oat silage in lactating dairy cow rations.

    PubMed

    Harper, M T; Oh, J; Giallongo, F; Lopes, J C; Roth, G W; Hristov, A N

    2017-07-01

    Double cropping and increasing crop diversity could improve dairy farm economic and environmental sustainability. In this experiment, corn silage was partially replaced with 2 alternative forages, brown midrib-6 brachytic dwarf forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) or fall-grown oat (Avena sativa) silage, in the diet of lactating dairy cows. We investigated the effect on dry matter (DM) intake, milk yield (MY), milk components and fatty acid profile, apparent total-tract nutrient digestibility, N utilization, enteric methane emissions, and income over feed cost. We analyzed the in situ DM and neutral detergent fiber disappearance of the alternative forages versus corn silage and alfalfa haylage. Sorghum was grown in the summer and harvested in the milk stage. Oats were grown in the fall and harvested in the boot stage. Compared with corn silage, neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber concentrations were higher in the alternative forages. Lignin content was highest for sorghum silage and similar for corn silage and oat silage. The alternative forages had less than 1% starch compared with the approximately 35% starch in the corn silage. Ruminal in situ DM effective degradability was similar, although statistically different, for corn silage and oat silage, but lower for sorghum silage. Diets with the alternative forages were fed in a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square design experiment with three 28-d periods and 12 Holstein cows. The control diet contained 44% (DM basis) corn silage. In the other 2 diets, sorghum or oat silages were included at 10% of dietary DM, replacing corn silage. Sorghum silage inclusion decreased DM intake, MY, and milk protein content but increased milk fat and maintained energy-corrected MY similar to the control. Oat silage had no effect on DM intake, MY, or milk components compared to the control. The oat silage diet increased apparent total-tract digestibility of dietary nutrients, except starch, whereas the sorghum diet slightly

  3. Repetition of the classical Boysen-Jensen and Nielsen's experiment on phototropism of oat coleoptiles.

    PubMed

    Yamada, K; Nakano, H; Yokotani-Tomita, K; Bruinsma, J; Yamamura, S; Hasegawa, K

    2000-03-01

    The classical experiment of phototropic response as reported by Boysen-Jensen and Nielsen (1926), which supports the Cholodny-Went theory, was repeated in detail. In the original experiment, etiolated oat (Avena sativa L. cv. Victory) coleoptiles with mica inserted into their tip only showed a positive response when the mica was placed parallel toward the light source and not if it was inserted perpendicularly. On the contrary, we found a positive response irrespective of whether the mica was inserted parallel or perpendicularly to the light source. Damage owing to rude splitting severely reduced the response upon perpendicular insertion. These results invalidate the Boysen-Jensen and Nielsen's experiment as a support of the Cholodny-Went theory and lend support to the Bruinsma-Hasegawa theory ascribing phototropism to the local light-induced accumulation of growth inhibitors against a background of even auxin distribution, the diffusion of auxin being unaffected.

  4. Inoculum Potential of Fusarium spp. Relates to Tillage and Straw Management in Norwegian Fields of Spring Oats

    PubMed Central

    Hofgaard, Ingerd S.; Seehusen, Till; Aamot, Heidi U.; Riley, Hugh; Razzaghian, Jafar; Le, Vinh H.; Hjelkrem, Anne-Grete R.; Dill-Macky, Ruth; Brodal, Guro

    2016-01-01

    The increased occurrence of Fusarium-mycotoxins in Norwegian cereals over the last decade, is thought to be caused by increased inoculum resulting from more cereal residues at the soil surface as a result of reduced tillage practices. In addition, weather conditions have increasingly promoted inoculum development and infection by Fusarium species. The objective of this work was to elucidate the influence of different tillage regimes (autumn plowing; autumn harrowing; spring plowing; spring harrowing) on the inoculum potential (IP) and dispersal of Fusarium spp. in spring oats. Tillage trials were conducted at two different locations in southeast Norway from 2010 to 2012. Oat residues from the previous year’s crop were collected within a week after sowing for evaluation. IP was calculated as the percentage of residues infested with Fusarium spp. multiplied by the proportion of the soil surface covered with residues. Fusarium avenaceum and F. graminearum were the most common Fusarium species recovered from oat residues. The IP of Fusarium spp. was significantly lower in plowed plots compared to those that were harrowed. Plowing in either the autumn or spring resulted in a low IP. Harrowing in autumn was more effective in reducing IP than the spring harrowing, and IP levels for the spring harrowed treatments were generally higher than all other tillage treatments examined. Surprisingly low levels of F. langsethiae were detected in the residues, although this species is a common pathogen of oat in Norway. The percentage of the residues infested with F. avenaceum, F. graminearum, F. culmorum, and F. langsethiae generally related to the quantity of DNA of the respective Fusarium species determined using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Fusarium dispersal, quantified by qPCR analysis of spore trap samples collected at and after heading, generally corresponded to the IP. Fusarium dispersal was also observed to increase after rainy periods. Our findings are in line with the

  5. Histological analysis and 3D reconstruction of winter cereal crowns recovering from freezing: a unique response in oat (Avena sativa L.)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The crown is the below ground portion of the stem of a grass which contains meristematic cells that give rise to new shoots and roots following winter. To better understand mechanisms of survival from freezing, histological analysis was performed on rye, wheat, barley and oat plants that had been fr...

  6. Methotrexate-loxoprofen interaction: involvement of human organic anion transporters hOAT1 and hOAT3.

    PubMed

    Uwai, Yuichi; Taniguchi, Risa; Motohashi, Hideyuki; Saito, Hideyuki; Okuda, Masahiro; Inui, Ken-ichi

    2004-10-01

    Human organic anion transporters hOAT1 (SLC22A6) and hOAT3 (SLC22A8) are responsible for renal tubular secretion of an antifolic acid methotrexate, and are considered to be involved in drug interaction of methotrexate with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). In our hospital, a delay of methotrexate elimination was experienced in a patient with Hodgkin's disease, who took loxoprofen, a commonly used NSAID in Japan, which suggested a cause. In this study, we examined the drug interaction via hOAT1 and hOAT3, using Xenopus laevis oocytes. hOAT1 and hOAT3 mediated the methotrexate transport with low affinity (K(m) of 724.0 muM) and high affinity (K(m) of 17.2 muM), respectively. Loxoprofen and its trans-OH metabolite, an active major metabolite, markedly inhibited the methotrexate transport by both transporters. Their inhibition concentrations (IC(50)) were in the range of the therapeutic levels. These findings suggest that loxoprofen retards the elimination of methotrexate, at least in part, by inhibiting hOAT1 and hOAT3.

  7. Evidence from Studies with Acifluorfen for Participation of a Flavin-Cytochrome Complex in Blue Light Photoreception for Phototropism of Oat Coleoptiles 12

    PubMed Central

    Leong, Ta-Yan; Briggs, Winslow R.

    1982-01-01

    The diphenyl ether acifluorfen enhances the blue light-induced absorbance change in Triton X100-solubilized crude membrane preparations from etiolated oat (Avena sativa L. cv. Lodi) coleoptiles. Enhancement of the spectral change is correlated with a change in rate of dark reoxidation of a b-type cytochrome. Similar, although smaller, enhancement was obtained with oxyfluorfen, nitrofen, and bifenox. Light-minus-dark difference spectra in the presence and absence of acifluorfen, and the dithionite-reduced-minus oxidized difference spectrum indicate that acifluorfen is acting specifically at a blue light-sensitive cytochrome-flavin complex. Sodium azide, a flavin inhibitor, decreases the light-induced absorbance change significantly, but does not affect the dark reoxidation of the cytochrome. Hence, it is acting on the light reaction, suggesting that the photoreceptor itself is a flavin. Acifluorfen sensitizes phototropism in dark-grown oat seedlings such that the first positive response occurs with blue light fluences as little as one-third of those required to elicit the same response in seedlings grown in the absence of the herbicide. Both this increase in sensitivity to light and the enhancement of the light-induced cytochrome reduction vary with the applied acifluorfen concentration in a similar manner. The herbicide is without effect either on elongation or on the geotropic response of dark-grown oat seedlings, indicating that acifluorfen is acting specifically close to, or at the photoreceptor end of, the stimulus-response chain. It seems likely that the flavin-cytochrome complex serves to transduce the light signal into curvature in phototropism in oats, with the flavin moiety itself serving as the photoreceptor. PMID:16662593

  8. Identification and Quantitative Assessment of Uremic Solutes as Inhibitors of Renal Organic Anion Transporters, OAT1 and OAT3.

    PubMed

    Hsueh, Chia-Hsiang; Yoshida, Kenta; Zhao, Ping; Meyer, Timothy W; Zhang, Lei; Huang, Shiew-Mei; Giacomini, Kathleen M

    2016-09-06

    One of the characteristics of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is the accumulation of uremic solutes in the plasma. Less is known about the effects of uremic solutes on transporters that may play critical roles in pharmacokinetics. We evaluated the effect of 72 uremic solutes on organic anion transporter 1 and 3 (OAT1 and OAT3) using a fluorescent probe substrate, 6-carboxyfluorescein. A total of 12 and 13 solutes were identified as inhibitors of OAT1 and OAT3, respectively. Several of them inhibited OAT1 or OAT3 at clinically relevant concentrations and reduced the transport of other OAT1/3 substrates in vitro. Review of clinical studies showed that the active secretion of most drugs that are known substrates of OAT1/3 deteriorated faster than the renal filtration in CKD. Collectively, these data suggest that through inhibition of OAT1 and OAT3, uremic solutes contribute to the decline in renal drug clearance in patients with CKD.

  9. Inhibitory effect of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor lumiracoxib on human organic anion transporters hOAT1 and hOAT3.

    PubMed

    Uwai, Yuichi; Honjo, Hiroaki; Iwamoto, Kikuo

    2010-01-01

    Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) delay renal excretion of antifolate methotrexate by inhibiting human organic anion transporters hOAT1 (SLC22A6) and hOAT3 (SLC22A8). In this study, we performed uptake experiments using Xenopus laevis oocytes to assess the inhibitory effect of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors on hOAT1 and hOAT3. The uptake of methotrexate into oocytes was increased by the injection of hOAT1 and hOAT3 cRNA, and transport was strongly inhibited by lumiracoxib. The apparent 50% inhibitory concentrations of lumiracoxib were estimated to be 3.3 µM and 1.9 µM for uptake of p-aminohippurate by hOAT1 and of estrone sulfate by hOAT3, respectively. Eadie-Hofstee plot analysis showed that lumiracoxib inhibited hOAT1 and hOAT3 in a competitive manner. For other cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors celecoxib, etoricoxib, rofecoxib and valdecoxib, slight to moderate inhibition of hOAT3 only was observed. These findings show that lumiracoxib has inhibitory potential toward hOAT1 and hOAT3, comparable to that of nonselective NSAIDs.

  10. Prospects in straw disintegration for biogas production.

    PubMed

    Maroušek, Josef

    2013-10-01

    The pretreatment methods for enhancing biogas production from oat straw under study include hot maceration, steam explosion, and pressure shockwaves. The micropore area (9, 55, and 64 m(2) g(-1)) inhibitor formations (0, 15, and 0 mL L(-1)) as well as the overall methane yields (67, 179, and 255 CH4 VS t(-1)) were robustly analyzed. It was confirmed that the operating conditions of the steam explosion must be precisely tailored to the substrate. Furthermore, it was beneficial to prepend the hot maceration before the steam explosion and the pressure shockwaves. The second alternative may give increased methane yields (246 in comparison to 273 CH4 VS t(-1)); however, the application of pressure shockwaves still faces limitations for deployment on a commercial scale.

  11. Defense Enzyme Responses in Dormant Wild Oat and Wheat Caryopses Challenged with a Seed Decay Pathogen.

    PubMed

    Fuerst, E Patrick; James, Matthew S; Pollard, Anne T; Okubara, Patricia A

    2017-01-01

    Seeds have well-established passive physical and chemical defense mechanisms that protect their food reserves from decay-inducing organisms and herbivores. However, there are few studies evaluating potential biochemical defenses of dormant seeds against pathogens. Caryopsis decay by the pathogenic Fusarium avenaceum strain F.a .1 was relatively rapid in wild oat ( Avena fatua L.) isoline "M73," with >50% decay after 8 days with almost no decay in wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) var. RL4137. Thus, this fungal strain has potential for selective decay of wild oat relative to wheat. To study defense enzyme activities, wild oat and wheat caryopses were incubated with F.a .1 for 2-3 days. Whole caryopses were incubated in assay reagents to measure extrinsic defense enzyme activities. Polyphenol oxidase, exochitinase, and peroxidase were induced in whole caryopses, but oxalate oxidase was reduced, in response to F.a .1 in both species. To evaluate whether defense enzyme activities were released from the caryopsis surface, caryopses were washed with buffer and enzyme activity was measured in the leachate. Significant activities of polyphenol oxidase, exochitinase, and peroxidase, but not oxalate oxidase, were leached from caryopses. Defense enzyme responses were qualitatively similar in the wild oat and wheat genotypes evaluated. Although the absolute enzyme activities were generally greater in whole caryopses than in leachates, the relative degree of induction of polyphenol oxidase, exochitinase, and peroxidase by F.a .1 was greater in caryopsis leachates, indicating that a disproportionate quantity of the induced activity was released into the environment from the caryopsis surface, consistent with their assumed role in defense. It is unlikely that the specific defense enzymes studied here play a key role in the differential susceptibility to decay by F.a .1 in these two genotypes since defense enzyme activities were greater in the more susceptible wild oat, compared to

  12. Histological Analysis and 3D Reconstruction of Winter Cereal Crowns Recovering from Freezing: A Unique Response in Oat (Avena sativa L.)

    PubMed Central

    Livingston, David P.; Henson, Cynthia A.; Tuong, Tan D.; Wise, Mitchell L.; Tallury, Shyamalrau P.; Duke, Stanley H.

    2013-01-01

    The crown is the below ground portion of the stem of a grass which contains meristematic cells that give rise to new shoots and roots following winter. To better understand mechanisms of survival from freezing, a histological analysis was performed on rye, wheat, barley and oat plants that had been frozen, thawed and allowed to resume growth under controlled conditions. Extensive tissue disruption and abnormal cell structure was noticed in the center of the crown of all 4 species with relatively normal cells on the outside edge of the crown. A unique visual response was found in oat in the shape of a ring of cells that stained red with Safranin. A tetrazolium analysis indicated that tissues immediately inside this ring were dead and those outside were alive. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that the barrier fluoresced with excitation between 405 and 445 nm. Three dimensional reconstruction of a cross sectional series of images indicated that the red staining cells took on a somewhat spherical shape with regions of no staining where roots entered the crown. Characterizing changes in plants recovering from freezing will help determine the genetic basis for mechanisms involved in this important aspect of winter hardiness. PMID:23341944

  13. Molecular cloning and characterization of two novel human renal organic anion transporters (hOAT1 and hOAT3).

    PubMed

    Race, J E; Grassl, S M; Williams, W J; Holtzman, E J

    1999-02-16

    The cloned organic anion transporters from rat, mouse, and winter flounder (rOAT1, mOAT1, fROAT) mediate the coupled exchange of alpha-ketoglutarate with multiple organic anions, including p-aminohippurate (PAH). We have isolated two novel gene products from human kidney which bear significant homology to the known OATs and belong to the amphiphilic solute facilitator (ASF) family. The cDNAs, hOAT1 and hOAT3, encode for 550- and 568-amino-acid residue proteins, respectively. hOAT1 and hOAT3 mRNAs are expressed strongly in kidney and weakly in brain. Both genes map to chromosome 11 region q11.7. PAH uptake by Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with hOAT1 mRNA is increased 100-fold compared to water-injected oocytes. PAH uptake is chloride dependent and is not further increased by preincubation of oocytes in 5 mM glutarate. Uptake of PAH is inhibited by probenicid, alpha-ketoglutarate, bumetanide, furosemide, and losartan, but not by salicylate, urate, choline, amilioride, and hydrochlorothiazide. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

  14. Microstructure and nutrient distribution in oats: influence on quality

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, S. Shea; Frégeau-Reid, Judith

    2009-05-01

    Oats have long been recognized as having superior quality among cereals with respect to protein and lipid composition as well as soluble dietary fibre (β-glucan). The microstructure and chemistry of oats influence oat quality, and thus are determinants of the end products derived from oats. Light and scanning electron microscopies have been used to elucidate microstructure and nutrient distribution in oats. The influence of variation in these parameters on oat quality can be demonstrated, from milling through to oat products for consumption. Milling quality is determined in part by hull architecture. SEM examination of oat hulls can help predict ease of dehulling, which affects the efficiency and economics of oat milling. In addition to protein and lipid, β-glucan is an important nutritional component of oats. Fluorescence microscopy can reveal both the relative amount and distribution of β-glucan in oat kernels. Consumption of oats or oat products containing β-glucan has been shown to have beneficial effects on carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. These health benefits have generated a demand for new and palatable ways to incorporate oats into the diet as consumer demand increases. To help meet this need, we have been investigating the use of micronized naked oats as a whole grain to be cooked and consumed as a rice alternative. Different varieties of naked oats had dramatically different acceptance levels from a sensory panel. SEM of the pericarp, light microscopy of the endosperm, and analyses of starch properties of the different varieties revealed differences that corresponded with sensory data.

  15. De novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis of the cereal cyst nematode, Heterodera avenae.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Mukesh; Gantasala, Nagavara Prasad; Roychowdhury, Tanmoy; Thakur, Prasoon Kumar; Banakar, Prakash; Shukla, Rohit N; Jones, Michael G K; Rao, Uma

    2014-01-01

    The cereal cyst nematode (CCN, Heterodera avenae) is a major pest of wheat (Triticum spp) that reduces crop yields in many countries. Cyst nematodes are obligate sedentary endoparasites that reproduce by amphimixis. Here, we report the first transcriptome analysis of two stages of H. avenae. After sequencing extracted RNA from pre parasitic infective juvenile and adult stages of the life cycle, 131 million Illumina high quality paired end reads were obtained which generated 27,765 contigs with N50 of 1,028 base pairs, of which 10,452 were annotated. Comparative analyses were undertaken to evaluate H. avenae sequences with those of other plant, animal and free living nematodes to identify differences in expressed genes. There were 4,431 transcripts common to H. avenae and the free living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and 9,462 in common with more closely related potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida. Annotation of H. avenae carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZy) revealed fewer glycoside hydrolases (GHs) but more glycosyl transferases (GTs) and carbohydrate esterases (CEs) when compared to M. incognita. 1,280 transcripts were found to have secretory signature, presence of signal peptide and absence of transmembrane. In a comparison of genes expressed in the pre-parasitic juvenile and feeding female stages, expression levels of 30 genes with high RPKM (reads per base per kilo million) value, were analysed by qRT-PCR which confirmed the observed differences in their levels of expression levels. In addition, we have also developed a user-friendly resource, Heterodera transcriptome database (HATdb) for public access of the data generated in this study. The new data provided on the transcriptome of H. avenae adds to the genetic resources available to study plant parasitic nematodes and provides an opportunity to seek new effectors that are specifically involved in the H. avenae-cereal host interaction.

  16. De Novo Transcriptome Sequencing and Analysis of the Cereal Cyst Nematode, Heterodera avenae

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, Mukesh; Gantasala, Nagavara Prasad; Roychowdhury, Tanmoy; Thakur, Prasoon Kumar; Banakar, Prakash; Shukla, Rohit N.; Jones, Michael G. K.; Rao, Uma

    2014-01-01

    The cereal cyst nematode (CCN, Heterodera avenae) is a major pest of wheat (Triticum spp) that reduces crop yields in many countries. Cyst nematodes are obligate sedentary endoparasites that reproduce by amphimixis. Here, we report the first transcriptome analysis of two stages of H. avenae. After sequencing extracted RNA from pre parasitic infective juvenile and adult stages of the life cycle, 131 million Illumina high quality paired end reads were obtained which generated 27,765 contigs with N50 of 1,028 base pairs, of which 10,452 were annotated. Comparative analyses were undertaken to evaluate H. avenae sequences with those of other plant, animal and free living nematodes to identify differences in expressed genes. There were 4,431 transcripts common to H. avenae and the free living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, and 9,462 in common with more closely related potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida. Annotation of H. avenae carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZy) revealed fewer glycoside hydrolases (GHs) but more glycosyl transferases (GTs) and carbohydrate esterases (CEs) when compared to M. incognita. 1,280 transcripts were found to have secretory signature, presence of signal peptide and absence of transmembrane. In a comparison of genes expressed in the pre-parasitic juvenile and feeding female stages, expression levels of 30 genes with high RPKM (reads per base per kilo million) value, were analysed by qRT-PCR which confirmed the observed differences in their levels of expression levels. In addition, we have also developed a user-friendly resource, Heterodera transcriptome database (HATdb) for public access of the data generated in this study. The new data provided on the transcriptome of H. avenae adds to the genetic resources available to study plant parasitic nematodes and provides an opportunity to seek new effectors that are specifically involved in the H. avenae-cereal host interaction. PMID:24802510

  17. Oats

    MedlinePlus

    ... saturated fat. For each gram of soluble fiber (beta-glucan) consumed, total cholesterol decreases by about 1.42 ... total cholesterol than foods containing oat bran plus beta-glucan soluble fiber. The FDA recommends that approximately 3 ...

  18. Studies on the plasma membrane H sup + -ATPase of oat roots: Preparation and assay, cytological localization, and sulfhydryl chemistry

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Katz, D.B.

    1989-01-01

    Biochemical and cytological studies were performed on the plasma membrane proton pump (H{sup +}-ATPase) of oat roots (Avena sativa cv. Stout). H{sup +}-ATPase activity in oat root plasma membranes is inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), a covalent modifier of protein sulfhydryl groups. The rate of inhibition is reduced in the presence of ADP or MgADP. An M{sub r} = 100,000 plasma membrane polypeptide showed reduced labelling by ({sup 3}H)NEM in the presence of ADP. When tryptic peptides from ({sup 3}H)NEM-labeled M{sub r} = 100,000 polypeptide were separated by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), only one radioactive peak consistently showed labeling inmore » the presence of ADP. In order to determine the location and identity of the NEM-reactive residue, the radioactive peptide in this peak was further purified by HPLC. The amino acid sequence(s) in the resulting sample were then determined by Edman degradation on an automated gas-phase sequenator. The PTH-amino acids released at each cycle of the degradation were separated by HPLC. Analysis of the chromatograms suggested that the radio-labeled residue was located in a peptide of sequence V-E-N-Q-D-A-I-D-A-C{sup *}-M-V-G-M-L-A-D-P-K. The NEM-reactive residue was cysteine, based on the retention time of the radioactivity released. The ATP-hydrolyzing activity observed in electron micrographs by lead-precipitation of enzymically released inorganic phosphate was compared with that observed in in vitro assays of the soluble and plasma membrane fractions of oat root homogenates. Although an ATP-hydrolyzing activity was observed on the plasma membrane in the electron micrographs, its substrate specificity and inhibitor sensitivity was identical to that observed for phosphatase activity.« less

  19. Defense Enzyme Responses in Dormant Wild Oat and Wheat Caryopses Challenged with a Seed Decay Pathogen

    PubMed Central

    Fuerst, E. Patrick; James, Matthew S.; Pollard, Anne T.; Okubara, Patricia A.

    2018-01-01

    Seeds have well-established passive physical and chemical defense mechanisms that protect their food reserves from decay-inducing organisms and herbivores. However, there are few studies evaluating potential biochemical defenses of dormant seeds against pathogens. Caryopsis decay by the pathogenic Fusarium avenaceum strain F.a.1 was relatively rapid in wild oat (Avena fatua L.) isoline “M73,” with >50% decay after 8 days with almost no decay in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) var. RL4137. Thus, this fungal strain has potential for selective decay of wild oat relative to wheat. To study defense enzyme activities, wild oat and wheat caryopses were incubated with F.a.1 for 2–3 days. Whole caryopses were incubated in assay reagents to measure extrinsic defense enzyme activities. Polyphenol oxidase, exochitinase, and peroxidase were induced in whole caryopses, but oxalate oxidase was reduced, in response to F.a.1 in both species. To evaluate whether defense enzyme activities were released from the caryopsis surface, caryopses were washed with buffer and enzyme activity was measured in the leachate. Significant activities of polyphenol oxidase, exochitinase, and peroxidase, but not oxalate oxidase, were leached from caryopses. Defense enzyme responses were qualitatively similar in the wild oat and wheat genotypes evaluated. Although the absolute enzyme activities were generally greater in whole caryopses than in leachates, the relative degree of induction of polyphenol oxidase, exochitinase, and peroxidase by F.a.1 was greater in caryopsis leachates, indicating that a disproportionate quantity of the induced activity was released into the environment from the caryopsis surface, consistent with their assumed role in defense. It is unlikely that the specific defense enzymes studied here play a key role in the differential susceptibility to decay by F.a.1 in these two genotypes since defense enzyme activities were greater in the more susceptible wild oat, compared to

  20. Influence of Aphelenchus avenae on Vesicular-arbuscular Endomycorrhizal Growth Response in Cotton.

    PubMed

    Hussey, R S; Roncadori, R W

    1981-01-01

    The influence of Aphelenchus avenae on the relationship between cotton (Gossypium hirsutum 'Stoneville 213') and Gigaspora margarita or Glomus etunicatus was assessed by its effect on the mycorrhizal stimulation of plant growth and microorganism reproduction. The mycophagous nematode usually did not suppress stimulation of shoot growth resulting from mycorrhizae (G. margarita) at inoculum levels of 3,000 or 6,000 nematodes per pot, but retarded root growth at 6,000 per pot. When the nematode inoculum was increased to 10, 40, or 80 thousand, G. margarita stimulation of shoot or root growth was retarded at the two higher rates. Shoot growth enhancement by G. etunicatus was suppressed by 10 thousand A. avenae but not by 40 or 80 thousand. A. avenae reproduced better when the nematode was added 3 wk after G. margarita than with simultaneous inoculations. Sporulation of both fungi was affected little by the mycophagous nematode. The high numbers of A. avenae required for an antagonistic effect probably precludes the occurrence of any significant interaction between these two organisms under field conditions.

  1. Functional properties of teff and oat composites

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Teff-oat composites were developed using gluten free teff flour containing essential amino acids and minerals along with oat products containing ß-glucan known for lowering blood cholesterol. Teff-oat composites were evaluated for their pasting and rheological properties by a Rapid Visco Analyzer (R...

  2. P-gp, MRP2 and OAT1/OAT3 mediate the drug-drug interaction between resveratrol and methotrexate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jia, Yongming

    The purpose of present study was to investigate the effect of resveratrol (Res) on altering methotrexate (MTX) pharmacokinetics and clarify the related molecular mechanism. Res significantly increased rat intestinal absorption of MTX in vivo and in vitro. Simultaneously, Res inhibited MTX efflux transport in MDR1-MDCK and MRP2-MDCK cell monolayers, suggesting that the target of drug interaction was MDR1 and MRP2 in the intestine during the absorption process. Furthermore, there was a significant decrease in renal clearance of MTX after simultaneous intravenous administration. Similarly, MTX uptake was markedly inhibited by Res in rat kidney slices and hOAT1/3-HEK293 cell, indicating that OAT1more » and OAT3 were involved in the drug interaction in the kidney. Additionally, concomitant administration of Res decreased cytotoxic effects of MTX in hOAT1/3-HEK293 cells, and ameliorated nephrotoxicity caused by MTX in rats. Conversely, intestinal damage caused by MTX was not exacerbated after Res treatment. In conclusion, Res enhanced MTX absorption in intestine and decreased MTX renal elimination by inhibiting P-gp, MRP2, OAT1 and OAT3 in vivo and in vitro. Res improved MTX-induced renal damage without increasing intestinal toxicity. - Highlights: • DDI between MTX and Res will occur when they are co-administered. • The first targets of the DDI are P-gp and MRP2 located in intestine. • The second targets of the DDI are OAT1 and OAT3 in kidney. • Res improved MTX-induced renal damage without increasing intestinal toxicity.« less

  3. Forward phenomics of oat panicles

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    There is a growing need for adapted and more productive germplasm to expand oat production, optimize its yield, improve groat quality, and satisfy farmers and consumers demand, especially in the Upper Midwest of the US. Oat germplasm, representing different eco-geographical origins and breeding stat...

  4. JBP485 improves gentamicin-induced acute renal failure by regulating the expression and function of Oat1 and Oat3 in rats

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Guo, Xinjin; Meng, Qiang; Liu, Qi

    2013-09-01

    We investigated the effects of JBP485 (an anti-inflammatory dipeptide and a substrate of OAT) on regulation of the expression and function of renal Oat1 and Oat3, which can accelerate the excretion of accumulated uremic toxins (e.g. indoxyl sulfate) in the kidney to improve gentamicin-induced ARF in rats. JBP485 caused a significant decrease in the accumulation of endogenous substances (creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and indoxyl sulfate) in vivo, an increase in the excretion of exogenous compounds (lisinopril and inulin) into urine, and up-regulation of the expressions of renal Oat1 and Oat3 in the kidney tissues and slices via substrate induction. Tomore » determine the effect of JBP485 on the accelerated excretion of uremic toxins mediated by Oat1 and Oat3, the mRNA and protein expression levels of renal basolateral Oats were assessed by quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, immunohistochemical analysis and an immunofluorescence method. Gentamicin down-regulated the expression of Oats mRNA and protein in rat kidney, and these effects were reversed after administration of JBP485. In addition, JBP485 caused a significant decrease in MPO and MDA levels in the kidney, and improved the pathological condition of rat kidney. These results indicated that JBP485 improved acute renal failure by increasing the expression and function of Oat1 and Oat3, and by decreasing overoxidation of the kidney in gentamicin-induced ARF rats. - Highlights: • JBP485 could up-regulate function and expression of Oat1 and Oat3 in kidney. • Effects of JBP485 on ARF are mediated by stimulating excretion of uremic toxins. • JBP485 protected against gentamicin-induced ARF by decreasing MPO and MDA.« less

  5. PAH clearance after renal ischemia and reperfusion is a function of impaired expression of basolateral Oat1 and Oat3.

    PubMed

    Bischoff, Ariane; Bucher, Michael; Gekle, Michael; Sauvant, Christoph

    2014-02-01

    Determination of renal plasma flow (RPF) by para-aminohippurate (PAH) clearance leads to gross underestimation of this respective parameter due to impaired renal extraction of PAH after renal ischemia and reperfusion injury. However, no mechanistic explanation for this phenomenon is available. Based on our own previous studies we hypothesized that this may be due to impairment of expression of the basolateral rate limiting organic anion transporters Oat1 and Oat3. Thus, we investigated this phenomenon in a rat model of renal ischemia and reperfusion by determining PAH clearance, PAH extraction, PAH net secretion, and the expression of rOat1 and rOat3. PAH extraction was seriously impaired after ischemia and reperfusion which led to a threefold underestimation of RPF when PAH extraction ratio was not considered. PAH extraction directly correlated with the expression of basolateral Oat1 and Oat3. Tubular PAH secretion directly correlated with PAH extraction. Consequently, our data offer an explanation for impaired renal PAH extraction by reduced expression of the rate limiting basolateral organic anion transporters Oat1 and Oat3. Moreover, we show that determination of PAH net secretion is suitable to correct PAH clearance for impaired extraction after ischemia and reperfusion in order to get valid results for RPF.

  6. Comparative study of the effects of solid-state fermentation with three filamentous fungi on the total phenolics content (TPC), flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of subfractions from oats (Avena sativa L.).

    PubMed

    Cai, Shengbao; Wang, Ou; Wu, Wei; Zhu, Songjie; Zhou, Feng; Ji, Baoping; Gao, Fengyi; Zhang, Di; Liu, Jia; Cheng, Qian

    2012-01-11

    The aim of present work was to investigate the effect of solid-state fermentation with filamentous fungi (Aspergillus oryzae var. effuses, Aspergillus oryzae, and Aspergillus niger) on total phenolics content (TPC), flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of four subfractions of oat, namely, n-hexane, ethyl acetate (EA), n-butanol, and water, and compare them to their corresponding subfractions of unfermented oat. The TPC and total flavonoids increased dramatically, especially in EA subfractions (p < 0.05). The levels of antioxidant activity of subfractions were also significantly enhanced (p < 0.05). The highest antioxidant activities were also found in the EA subfractions. The polyphenols in EA were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography at 280 nm. Most polyphenols were increased remarkably, especially ferulic and caffeic acids. There was a clear correlation between the TPC and antioxidant activity. In conclusion, fungi fermentation is a potential bioprocess for increasing the TPC, flavonoids, and antioxidant activities of oat-based food.

  7. Light qualities and dose influence ascorbate pool size in detached oat leaves.

    PubMed

    Mastropasqua, Linda; Borraccino, Giuseppe; Bianco, Laura; Paciolla, Costantino

    2012-02-01

    In this work, we studied the mechanism of light influence on AsA pool size in Avena sativa L. under the effects of low intensity light at different wavelengths. Exposure to low intensity light of oat leaf segments incubated in water or in l-galactono-1,4-lactone (GL), resulted in an increase in AsA content compared with the dark control. This increase was due to modulation of l-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GLDH; EC 1.3.2.3) light-dependent activity and was dependent on the size of the endogenous GL pool. Both blue and red light were effective in increasing AsA, and this increase depended on both exposure time and light intensity. Protein biosynthesis, photosynthesis and calcium were involved in controlling the level of light-dependent AsA. We suggest that multiple checkpoints correlated to the presence of light underlie the ascorbate pool size. The presence of a light-activated switch for the maintenance of an adequate AsA level seems to be necessary for the various tasks of scavenging reactive oxygen species, in response to the dark-light cycle which plants experience under natural conditions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Sugarcane transcriptome analysis in response to infection caused by Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae

    PubMed Central

    Grativol, Clícia; de Armas, Elvismary M.; Entenza, Júlio O. P.; Thiebaut, Flávia; Lima, Marcelo de F.; Farrinelli, Laurent; Hemerly, Adriana S.; Lifschitz, Sérgio; Ferreira, Paulo C. G.

    2016-01-01

    Sugarcane is an important tropical crop mainly cultivated to produce ethanol and sugar. Crop productivity is negatively affected by Acidovorax avenae subsp avenae (Aaa), which causes the red stripe disease. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms triggered in response to the infection. We have investigated the molecular mechanism activated in sugarcane using a RNA-seq approach. We have produced a de novo transcriptome assembly (TR7) from sugarcane RNA-seq libraries submitted to drought and infection with Aaa. Together, these libraries present 247 million of raw reads and resulted in 168,767 reference transcripts. Mapping in TR7 of reads obtained from infected libraries, revealed 798 differentially expressed transcripts, of which 723 were annotated, corresponding to 467 genes. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that several metabolic pathways, such as code for proteins response to stress, metabolism of carbohydrates, processes of transcription and translation of proteins, amino acid metabolism and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were significantly regulated in sugarcane. Differential analysis revealed that genes in the biosynthetic pathways of ET and JA PRRs, oxidative burst genes, NBS-LRR genes, cell wall fortification genes, SAR induced genes and pathogenesis-related genes (PR) were upregulated. In addition, 20 genes were validated by RT-qPCR. Together, these data contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms triggered by the Aaa in sugarcane and opens the opportunity for the development of molecular markers associated with disease tolerance in breeding programs. PMID:27936012

  9. Sugarcane transcriptome analysis in response to infection caused by Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae.

    PubMed

    Santa Brigida, Ailton B; Rojas, Cristian A; Grativol, Clícia; de Armas, Elvismary M; Entenza, Júlio O P; Thiebaut, Flávia; Lima, Marcelo de F; Farrinelli, Laurent; Hemerly, Adriana S; Lifschitz, Sérgio; Ferreira, Paulo C G

    2016-01-01

    Sugarcane is an important tropical crop mainly cultivated to produce ethanol and sugar. Crop productivity is negatively affected by Acidovorax avenae subsp avenae (Aaa), which causes the red stripe disease. Little is known about the molecular mechanisms triggered in response to the infection. We have investigated the molecular mechanism activated in sugarcane using a RNA-seq approach. We have produced a de novo transcriptome assembly (TR7) from sugarcane RNA-seq libraries submitted to drought and infection with Aaa. Together, these libraries present 247 million of raw reads and resulted in 168,767 reference transcripts. Mapping in TR7 of reads obtained from infected libraries, revealed 798 differentially expressed transcripts, of which 723 were annotated, corresponding to 467 genes. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed that several metabolic pathways, such as code for proteins response to stress, metabolism of carbohydrates, processes of transcription and translation of proteins, amino acid metabolism and biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were significantly regulated in sugarcane. Differential analysis revealed that genes in the biosynthetic pathways of ET and JA PRRs, oxidative burst genes, NBS-LRR genes, cell wall fortification genes, SAR induced genes and pathogenesis-related genes (PR) were upregulated. In addition, 20 genes were validated by RT-qPCR. Together, these data contribute to a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms triggered by the Aaa in sugarcane and opens the opportunity for the development of molecular markers associated with disease tolerance in breeding programs.

  10. Volatile Compounds Produced by Lactobacillus paracasei During Oat Fermentation.

    PubMed

    Lee, Sang Mi; Oh, Jieun; Hurh, Byung-Serk; Jeong, Gwi-Hwa; Shin, Young-Keum; Kim, Young-Suk

    2016-12-01

    This study investigated the profiles of volatile compounds produced by Lactobacillus paracasei during oat fermentation using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupled with headspace solid-phase microextraction method. A total of 60 compounds, including acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, furan derivatives, hydrocarbons, ketones, sulfur-containing compounds, terpenes, and other compounds, were identified in fermented oat. Lipid oxidation products such as 2-pentylfuran, 1-octen-3-ol, hexanal, and nonanal were found to be the main contributors to oat samples fermented by L. paracasei with the level of 2-pentylfuran being the highest. In addition, the contents of ketones, alcohols, acids, and furan derivatives in the oat samples consistently increased with the fermentation time. On the other hand, the contents of degradation products of amino acids, such as 3-methylbutanal, benzaldehyde, acetophenone, dimethyl sulfide, and dimethyl disulfide, decreased in oat samples during fermentation. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to discriminate the fermented oat samples according to different fermentation times. The fermented oats were clearly differentiated on PCA plots. The initial fermentation stage was mainly affected by aldehydes, whereas the later samples of fermented oats were strongly associated with acids, alcohols, furan derivatives, and ketones. The application of PCA to data of the volatile profiles revealed that the oat samples fermented by L. paracasei could be distinguished according to fermentation time. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®.

  11. Distinguishing Heterodera filipjevi and H. avenae using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and cyst morphology.

    PubMed

    Yan, Guiping; Smiley, Richard W

    2010-03-01

    The cereal cyst nematodes Heterodera filipjevi and H. avenae impede wheat production in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Accurate identification of cyst nematode species and awareness of high population density in affected fields are essential for designing effective control measures. Morphological methods for differentiating these species are laborious. These species were differentiated using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-ribosomal (r)DNA with up to six restriction endonucleases (TaqI, HinfI, PstI, HaeIII, RsaI, and AluI). The method was validated by inspecting underbridge structures of cyst vulval cones. Grid soil sampling of an Oregon field infested by both species revealed that H. filipjevi was present at most of the infested grid sites but mixtures of H. avenae and H. filipjevi also occurred. These procedures also detected and differentiated H. filipjevi and H. avenae in soil samples from nearby fields in Oregon and H. avenae in samples from Idaho and Washington. Intraspecific polymorphism was not observed within H. filipjevi or PNW H. avenae populations based on the ITS-rDNA. However, intraspecific variation was observed between H. avenae populations occurring in the PNW and France. Methods described here will improve detection and identification efficiencies for cereal cyst nematodes in wheat fields.

  12. Auxin-induced growth of Avena coleoptiles involves two mechanisms with different pH optima

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cleland, R. E.

    1992-01-01

    Although rapid auxin-induced growth of coleoptile sections can persist for at least 18 hours, acid-induced growth lasts for a much shorter period of time. Three theories have been proposed to explain this difference in persistence. To distinguish between these theories, the pH dependence for auxin-induced growth of oat (Avena sativa L.) coleoptiles has been determined early and late in the elongation process. Coleoptile sections from which the outer epidermis was removed to facilitate buffer entry were incubated, with or without 10 micromolar indoleacetic acid, in 20 millimolar buffers at pH 4.5 to 7.0 to maintain a fixed wall pH. During the first 1 to 2 hours after addition of auxin, elongation occurs by acid-induced extension (i.e. the pH optimum is <5 and the elongation varies inversely with the solution pH). Auxin causes no additional elongation because the buffers prevent further changes in wall pH. After 60 to 90 minutes, a second mechanism of auxin-induced growth, whose pH optimum is 5.5 to 6.0, predominates. It is proposed that rapid growth responses to changes in auxin concentration are mediated by auxin-induced changes in wall pH, whereas the prolonged, steady-state growth rate is controlled by a second, auxin-mediated process whose pH optimum is less acidic.

  13. Insights into molecular structure and digestion rate of oat starch.

    PubMed

    Xu, Jinchuan; Kuang, Qirong; Wang, Kai; Zhou, Sumei; Wang, Shuo; Liu, Xingxun; Wang, Shujun

    2017-04-01

    The in vitro digestibility of oat starch and its relationship with starch molecular structure was investigated. The in vitro digestion results showed that the first-order kinetic constant (k) of oat starches (OS-1 and OS-2) was lower than that of rice starch. The size of amylose chains, amylose content and degree of branching (DB) of amylopectin in oat starch were significantly higher than the corresponding parameters in rice starch. The larger molecular size of oat starch may account for its lower digestion rate. The fine structure of amylopectin showed that oat starch had less chains of DP 6-12 and DP>36, which may explain the small difference in digestion rate between oat and rice starch. The biosynthesis model from oat amylopectin fine structure data suggested a lower starch branching enzyme (SBE) activity and/or a higher starch synthase (SS) activity, which may decrease the DB of oat starch and increase its digestion rate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Resistance of Wheat Accessions to the English Grain Aphid Sitobion avenae

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Xiang-Shun; Liu, Ying-Jie; Wang, Yu-Han; Wang, Zhe; Yu, Xin-lin; Wang, Bo; Zhang, Gai-Sheng; Liu, Xiao-Feng; Hu, Zu-Qing; Zhao, Hui-Yan; Liu, Tong-Xian

    2016-01-01

    The English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, is a major pest species of wheat crops; however, certain varieties may have stronger resistance to infestation than others. Here, we investigated 3 classical resistance mechanisms (antixenosis, antibiosis, and tolerance) by 14 wheat varieties/lines to S. avenae under laboratory and field conditions. Under laboratory conditions, alatae given the choice between 2 wheat varieties, strongly discriminated against certain varieties. Specifically, the ‘Amigo’ variety had the lowest palatability to S. avenae alatae of all varieties. ‘Tm’ (Triticum monococcum), ‘Astron,’ ‘Xanthus,’ ‘Ww2730,’ and ‘Batis’ varieties also had lower palatability than other varieties. Thus, these accessions may use antibiosis as the resistant mechanism. In contrast, under field conditions, there were no significant differences in the number of alatae detected on the 14 wheat varieties. One synthetic line (98-10-30, a cross between of Triticum aestivum (var. Chris) and Triticum turgidum (var. durum) hybridization) had low aphid numbers but high yield loss, indicating that it has high antibiosis, but poor tolerance. In comparison, ‘Amigo,’ ‘Xiaoyan22,’ and some ‘186Tm’ samples had high aphid numbers but low yield loss rates, indicating they have low antibiosis, but good tolerance. Aphid population size and wheat yield loss rates greatly varied in different fields and years for ‘98-10-35,’ ‘Xiaoyan22,’ ‘Tp,’ ‘Tam200,’ ‘PI high,’ and other ‘186Tm’ samples, which were hybrid offspring of T. aestivum and wheat related species. Thus, these germplasm should be considered for use in future studies. Overall, S. avenae is best adapted to ‘Xinong1376,’ because it was the most palatable variety, with the greatest yield loss rates of all 14 wheat varieties. However, individual varieties/lines influenced aphid populations differently in different years. Therefore, we strongly recommend a combination of

  15. Structures, properties, modifications, and uses of oat starch.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Fan

    2017-08-15

    There has been increasing interest to utilise oats and their components to formulate healthy food products. Starch is the major component of oat kernels and may account up to 60% of the dry weight. Starch properties may greatly determine the product quality. As a by-product of oat processing and fractionation, the starch may also be utilised for food and non-food applications. This mini-review updates the recent advances in the isolation, chemical and granular structures, physicochemical properties, chemical and physical modifications, and food and non-food uses of oat starch. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Purification and identification of the fusicoccin binding protein from oat root plasma membrane

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    de Boer, A. H.; Watson, B. A.; Cleland, R. E.

    1989-01-01

    Fusicoccin (FC), a fungal phytotoxin, stimulates the H(+) -ATPase located in the plasma membrane (PM) of higher plants. The first event in the reaction chain leading to enhanced H(+) -efflux seems to be the binding of FC to a FC-binding protein (FCBP) in the PM. We solubilized 90% of the FCBP from oat (Avena sativa L. cv Victory) root PM in an active form with 1% octyl-glucoside. The FCBP was stabilized by the presence of protease inhibitors. The FCBP was purified by affinity chromatography using FC-linked adipic acid dihydrazide agarose (FC-AADA). Upon elution with 8 molar urea, two major protein bands on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyaerylamide gel electrophoresis with molecular weights of 29,700 and 31,000 were obtained. Successive chromatography on BBAB Bio-Gel A, hexyl agarose, and FC-AADA resulted in the same two bands when the FC-AADA was eluted with sodium dodecyl sulfate. A direct correlation was made between 3H-FC-binding activity and the presence of the two protein bands. The stoichiometry of the 29,700 and 31,000 molecular weight bands was 1:2. This suggests that the FCBP occurs in the native form as a heterotrimer with an apparent molecular weight of approximately 92,000.

  17. Aluminum ions induce oat protoplasts to produce an extracellular (1 yields 3). beta. -D-glucan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schaeffer, H.J.; Walton, J.D.

    1990-09-01

    Aluminum chloride induced mesophyll protoplasts of oat (Avena sativa) to produce an extracellular polysaccharide (EPS). EPS induced by AlCl{sub 3} appeared identical to that produced in response to the phytotoxin victorin. Al ions at 1 millimolar were toxic to protoplasts, but maximum EPS production occurred at a sublethal concentration of 200 micromolar, assayed at pH 6.0. As measured by incorporation of ({sup 14}C)glucose, AlCl{sub 3} stimulated EPS production 10- to 15-fold. Pretreatment of protoplasts with cycloheximide prevented EPS production but not cell death in response to AlCl{sub 3}, indicating that protein synthesis was necessary for EPS production but not formore » the phytotoxicity of Al ions. The trivalent salts of Y, Yb, Gd, and In also induced EPS production but those of Sc, Fe, Ga, Cr, and La did not. Mesophyll protoplasts from an acid-soil tolerant oat cultivar produced less EPS in response to AlCl{sub 3} than the acid-soil sensitive cultivar Fla 501. EPS was also produced by wheat (Triticum aestivum) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) protoplasts in response to AlCl{sub 3}. An Al-tolerant cultivar of wheat, Atlas, produced less EPS than an Al-sensitive cultivar, Scout, but an Al-tolerant cultivar of barley, Dayton, produced more than the Al-sensitive cultivar Kearney. Therefore, production of EPS by protoplasts in response to Al ions did not appear to be related to Al ion tolerance at the level of whole plants. EPS fluoresced in the presence of Calcofluor and Sirofluor and was degraded by purified laminarinase ((1{yields}3){beta}-D-glucanase) but did not pectinase (polygalacturonase). EPS was composed solely of glucose in 1{yields}3 linkages; hence it is a (1{yields}3){beta}-D-glucan (callose).« less

  18. The U.S. Oats Industry. Agricultural Economic Report Number 573.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoffman, Linwood A.; Livezey, Janet

    This report describes the United States oats industry from producers to consumers and provides a single source of economic and statistical information on oats. Background information on oats is provided first. The report then examines the basic factors of supply, demand, and price to determine what caused the decline in the importance of oats and…

  19. Characterization of celiac disease related oat proteins: bases for the development of high quality oat varieties suitable for celiac patients.

    PubMed

    Giménez, María J; Real, Ana; García-Molina, M Dolores; Sousa, Carolina; Barro, Francisco

    2017-02-17

    Some studies have suggested that the immunogenicity of oats depends on the cultivar. RP-HPLC has been proposed as a useful technique to select varieties of oats with reduced immunogenicity. The aim of this study was to identify both the avenin protein patterns associated with low gluten content and the available variability for the development of new non-toxic oat cultivars. The peaks of alcohol-soluble avenins of a collection of landraces and cultivars of oats have been characterized based on the RP-HPLC elution times. The immunotoxicity of oat varieties for patients with celiac disease (CD) has been tested using a competitive ELISA based on G12 monoclonal antibody. The oat lines show, on average, seven avenin peaks giving profiles with certain similarities. Based on this similarity, most of the accessions have been grouped into avenin patterns. The variability of RP-HPLC profiles of the collection is great, but not sufficient to uniquely identify the different varieties of the set. Overall, the immunogenicity of the collection is less than 20 ppm. However, there is a different distribution of toxicity ranges between the different peak patterns. We conclude that the RP-HPLC technique is useful to establish groups of varieties differing in degree of toxicity for CD patients.

  20. Characterization of celiac disease related oat proteins: bases for the development of high quality oat varieties suitable for celiac patients

    PubMed Central

    Giménez, María J.; Real, Ana; García-Molina, M. Dolores; Sousa, Carolina; Barro, Francisco

    2017-01-01

    Some studies have suggested that the immunogenicity of oats depends on the cultivar. RP-HPLC has been proposed as a useful technique to select varieties of oats with reduced immunogenicity. The aim of this study was to identify both the avenin protein patterns associated with low gluten content and the available variability for the development of new non-toxic oat cultivars. The peaks of alcohol-soluble avenins of a collection of landraces and cultivars of oats have been characterized based on the RP-HPLC elution times. The immunotoxicity of oat varieties for patients with celiac disease (CD) has been tested using a competitive ELISA based on G12 monoclonal antibody. The oat lines show, on average, seven avenin peaks giving profiles with certain similarities. Based on this similarity, most of the accessions have been grouped into avenin patterns. The variability of RP-HPLC profiles of the collection is great, but not sufficient to uniquely identify the different varieties of the set. Overall, the immunogenicity of the collection is less than 20 ppm. However, there is a different distribution of toxicity ranges between the different peak patterns. We conclude that the RP-HPLC technique is useful to establish groups of varieties differing in degree of toxicity for CD patients. PMID:28209962

  1. Molecular Properties of Drugs Interacting with SLC22 Transporters OAT1, OAT3, OCT1, and OCT2: A Machine-Learning Approach

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Henry C.; Goldenberg, Anne; Chen, Yuchen; Lun, Christina; Wu, Wei; Bush, Kevin T.; Balac, Natasha; Rodriguez, Paul; Abagyan, Ruben

    2016-01-01

    Statistical analysis was performed on physicochemical descriptors of ∼250 drugs known to interact with one or more SLC22 “drug” transporters (i.e., SLC22A6 or OAT1, SLC22A8 or OAT3, SLC22A1 or OCT1, and SLC22A2 or OCT2), followed by application of machine-learning methods and wet laboratory testing of novel predictions. In addition to molecular charge, organic anion transporters (OATs) were found to prefer interacting with planar structures, whereas organic cation transporters (OCTs) interact with more three-dimensional structures (i.e., greater SP3 character). Moreover, compared with OAT1 ligands, OAT3 ligands possess more acyclic tetravalent bonds and have a more zwitterionic/cationic character. In contrast, OCT1 and OCT2 ligands were not clearly distinquishable form one another by the methods employed. Multiple pharmacophore models were generated on the basis of the drugs and, consistent with the machine-learning analyses, one unique pharmacophore created from ligands of OAT3 possessed cationic properties similar to OCT ligands; this was confirmed by quantitative atomic property field analysis. Virtual screening with this pharmacophore, followed by transport assays, identified several cationic drugs that selectively interact with OAT3 but not OAT1. Although the present analysis may be somewhat limited by the need to rely largely on inhibition data for modeling, wet laboratory/in vitro transport studies, as well as analysis of drug/metabolite handling in Oat and Oct knockout animals, support the general validity of the approach—which can also be applied to other SLC and ATP binding cassette drug transporters. This may make it possible to predict the molecular properties of a drug or metabolite necessary for interaction with the transporter(s), thereby enabling better prediction of drug-drug interactions and drug-metabolite interactions. Furthermore, understanding the overlapping specificities of OATs and OCTs in the context of dynamic transporter tissue

  2. Genome size variation in the genus Avena.

    PubMed

    Yan, Honghai; Martin, Sara L; Bekele, Wubishet A; Latta, Robert G; Diederichsen, Axel; Peng, Yuanying; Tinker, Nicholas A

    2016-03-01

    Genome size is an indicator of evolutionary distance and a metric for genome characterization. Here, we report accurate estimates of genome size in 99 accessions from 26 species of Avena. We demonstrate that the average genome size of C genome diploid species (2C = 10.26 pg) is 15% larger than that of A genome species (2C = 8.95 pg), and that this difference likely accounts for a progression of size among tetraploid species, where AB < AC < CC (average 2C = 16.76, 18.60, and 21.78 pg, respectively). All accessions from three hexaploid species with the ACD genome configuration had similar genome sizes (average 2C = 25.74 pg). Genome size was mostly consistent within species and in general agreement with current information about evolutionary distance among species. Results also suggest that most of the polyploid species in Avena have experienced genome downsizing in relation to their diploid progenitors. Genome size measurements could provide additional quality control for species identification in germplasm collections, especially in cases where diploid and polyploid species have similar morphology.

  3. Physical properties of sugar cookies containing chia-oat composites

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Omega-3 of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) and soluble ß-glucan of oat products could be beneficial for lowering blood cholesterol and preventing coronary heart disease. Nutrim, oat bran concentrate (OBC), and whole oat flour (WOF) were dry-blended with finely ground chia for improving nutritional ...

  4. Inhibition of organic anion transporter (OAT) activity by cigarette smoke condensate.

    PubMed

    Sayyed, Katia; Le Vee, Marc; Abdel-Razzak, Ziad; Fardel, Olivier

    2017-10-01

    Cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) has previously been shown to impair activity and expression of hepatic drug transporters. In the present study, we provided evidence that CSC also hinders activity of organic anion transporters (OATs), notably expressed at the kidney level. CSC thus cis-inhibited OAT substrate uptake in OAT1- and OAT3-transfected HEK293 cells, in a concentration-dependent manner (IC 50 =72.1μg/mL for OAT1 inhibition and IC 50 =27.3μg/mL for OAT3 inhibition). By contrast, OAT4 as well as the renal organic cation transporter (OCT) 2 were less sensitive to the inhibitory effect of CSC (IC 50 =351.5μg/mL and IC 50 =226.2μg/mL, for inhibition of OAT4 and OCT2, respectively). OAT3 activity was further demonstrated to be blocked by some single chemicals present in cigarette smoke such as the heterocyclic amines AαC (IC 50 =11.3μM) and PhIP (IC 50 =1.9μM), whereas other major cigarette smoke components used at 100μM, like nicotine, the nitrosamine NNK and the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons benzo(a)pyrene and phenanthrene, were without effect. AαC and PhIP however failed to trans-stimulate activity of OAT3, suggesting that they were not substrates for this transporter. Taken together, these data establish OAT1 and OAT3 transporters as targets of cigarette smoke chemicals, which may contribute to smoking-associated pharmacokinetics alterations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. 7 CFR 810.1001 - Definition of oats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) GRAIN INSPECTION, PACKERS AND STOCKYARD ADMINISTRATION (FEDERAL GRAIN INSPECTION SERVICE), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Oats Terms Defined § 810.1001 Definition of oats. Grain that consists...

  6. 7 CFR 1437.310 - Sea grass and sea oats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 10 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Sea grass and sea oats. 1437.310 Section 1437.310 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT... Determining Coverage Using Value § 1437.310 Sea grass and sea oats. (a) Sea grass and sea oats are value loss...

  7. 7 CFR 1437.310 - Sea grass and sea oats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 10 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Sea grass and sea oats. 1437.310 Section 1437.310 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT... Determining Coverage Using Value § 1437.310 Sea grass and sea oats. (a) Sea grass and sea oats are value loss...

  8. 7 CFR 1437.310 - Sea grass and sea oats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 10 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Sea grass and sea oats. 1437.310 Section 1437.310 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COMMODITY CREDIT CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT... Determining Coverage Using Value § 1437.310 Sea grass and sea oats. (a) Sea grass and sea oats are value loss...

  9. Discovery and Validation of Pyridoxic Acid and Homovanillic Acid as Novel Endogenous Plasma Biomarkers of Organic Anion Transporter (OAT) 1 and OAT3 in Cynomolgus Monkeys.

    PubMed

    Shen, Hong; Nelson, David M; Oliveira, Regina V; Zhang, Yueping; Mcnaney, Colleen A; Gu, Xiaomei; Chen, Weiqi; Su, Ching; Reily, Michael D; Shipkova, Petia A; Gan, Jinping; Lai, Yurong; Marathe, Punit; Humphreys, W Griffith

    2018-02-01

    Perturbation of organic anion transporter (OAT) 1- and OAT3-mediated transport can alter the exposure, efficacy, and safety of drugs. Although there have been reports of the endogenous biomarkers for OAT1/3, none of these have all of the characteristics required for a clinical useful biomarker. Cynomolgus monkeys were treated with intravenous probenecid (PROB) at a dose of 40 mg/kg in this study. As expected, PROB increased the area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) of coadministered furosemide, a known substrate of OAT1 and OAT3, by 4.1-fold, consistent with the values reported in humans (3.1- to 3.7-fold). Of the 233 plasma metabolites analyzed using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based metabolomics method, 29 metabolites, including pyridoxic acid (PDA) and homovanillic acid (HVA), were significantly increased after either 1 or 3 hours in plasma from the monkeys pretreated with PROB compared with the treated animals. The plasma of animals was then subjected to targeted LC-MS/MS analysis, which confirmed that the PDA and HVA AUCs increased by approximately 2- to 3-fold by PROB pretreatments. PROB also increased the plasma concentrations of hexadecanedioic acid (HDA) and tetradecanedioic acid (TDA), although the increases were not statistically significant. Moreover, transporter profiling assessed using stable cell lines constitutively expressing transporters demonstrated that PDA and HVA are substrates for human OAT1, OAT3, OAT2 (HVA), and OAT4 (PDA), but not OCT2, MATE1, MATE2K, OATP1B1, OATP1B3, and sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide. Collectively, these findings suggest that PDA and HVA might serve as blood-based endogenous probes of cynomolgus monkey OAT1 and OAT3, and investigation of PDA and HVA as circulating endogenous biomarkers of human OAT1 and OAT3 function is warranted. Copyright © 2018 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

  10. Management of cereal cyst nematodes, Heterodera spp., in Norway.

    PubMed

    Holgado, R; Andersson, S; Magnusson, C

    2006-01-01

    Cereal cyst nematodes, Heterodera spp., are known worldwide as parasites of cereals and grasses. Surveys of cereal fields in Norway have revealed that nematodes belonging to the H. avenae complex occur throughout the country, and that H. avenae (the oat cyst nematode) is the most common species, followed by H. filipjevi (the rye cyst nematode). Both species are of economic importance in Scandinavia. H. avenae has been found in two common pathotypes, Ha 11 and Ha 12. Work in Sweden, however, has detected three additional pathotypes, H. avenae "Knislinge", H. avenae "Ringsisen" and H. avenae "Våxtorp". These pathotypes were found also in the Norwegian surveys. In Sweden H. filipjevi has two pathotypes, "East" and "West". In Norway, only pathotype "West" has been detected so far. Nematode management practices must be based on the knowledge of the relationship between initial nematode density and yield, the population dynamics, and the measures capable of reducing or keeping the population density below the threshold for economic damage. Crop rotation and the use of cultivars with resistance are important measures for controlling cereal cyst nematodes. Several cereal cultivars with resistance to H. avenae are on the market. As to H. filipjevi, resistance may be found in some commercial cultivars, although no intentional breeding for resistance against this nematode species has been attempted. In 2004 and 2005 the majority of the cereal cultivars on the Norwegian market were tested for susceptibility/resistance towards H. avenae pathotype Ha 11, H. avenae pathotype "Våxtorp" and H. filipjevi pathotype "West". Management systems, based on careful nematode identification and good knowledge of appropriate resistant cultivars, are in operation in Norway. Resistant barley is generally recommended when nematode populations are high due to its high tolerance compared to resistant oats. Farmers implementing this program have reported increased cereal yields on the average of

  11. No harm from five year ingestion of oats in coeliac disease

    PubMed Central

    Janatuinen, E K; Kemppainen, T A; Julkunen, R J K; Kosma, V-M; Mäki, M; Heikkinen, M; Uusitupa, M I J

    2002-01-01

    Background: Six to 12 months of ingestion of moderate amounts of oats does not have a harmful effect in adult patients with coeliac disease. As the safety of long term intake of oats in coeliac patients is not known, we continued our previous 6–12 month study for five years. Aim: To assess the safety of long term ingestion of oats in the diet of coeliac patients. Patients: In our previous study, the effects of a gluten free diet and a gluten free diet including oats were compared in a randomised trial involving 92 adult patients with coeliac disease (45 in the oats group, 47 in the control group). After the initial phase of 6–12 months, patients in the oats group were allowed to eat oats freely in conjunction with an otherwise gluten free diet. After five years, 35 patients in the original oats group (23 still on an oats diet) and 28 in the control group on a conventional gluten free diet were examined. Methods: Clinical and nutritional assessment, duodenal biopsies for conventional histopathology and histomorphometry, and measurement of antiendomysial, antireticulin, and antigliadin antibodies. Results: There were no significant differences between controls and those patients consuming oats with respect to duodenal villous architecture, inflammatory cell infiltration of the duodenal mucosa, or antibody titres after five years of follow up. In both groups histological and histomorphometric indexes improved equally with time. Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence of the long term safety of oats as part of a coeliac diet in adult patients with coeliac disease. It also appears that the majority of coeliac patients prefer oats in their diet. PMID:11839710

  12. Molecular Properties of Drugs Interacting with SLC22 Transporters OAT1, OAT3, OCT1, and OCT2: A Machine-Learning Approach.

    PubMed

    Liu, Henry C; Goldenberg, Anne; Chen, Yuchen; Lun, Christina; Wu, Wei; Bush, Kevin T; Balac, Natasha; Rodriguez, Paul; Abagyan, Ruben; Nigam, Sanjay K

    2016-10-01

    Statistical analysis was performed on physicochemical descriptors of ∼250 drugs known to interact with one or more SLC22 "drug" transporters (i.e., SLC22A6 or OAT1, SLC22A8 or OAT3, SLC22A1 or OCT1, and SLC22A2 or OCT2), followed by application of machine-learning methods and wet laboratory testing of novel predictions. In addition to molecular charge, organic anion transporters (OATs) were found to prefer interacting with planar structures, whereas organic cation transporters (OCTs) interact with more three-dimensional structures (i.e., greater SP3 character). Moreover, compared with OAT1 ligands, OAT3 ligands possess more acyclic tetravalent bonds and have a more zwitterionic/cationic character. In contrast, OCT1 and OCT2 ligands were not clearly distinquishable form one another by the methods employed. Multiple pharmacophore models were generated on the basis of the drugs and, consistent with the machine-learning analyses, one unique pharmacophore created from ligands of OAT3 possessed cationic properties similar to OCT ligands; this was confirmed by quantitative atomic property field analysis. Virtual screening with this pharmacophore, followed by transport assays, identified several cationic drugs that selectively interact with OAT3 but not OAT1. Although the present analysis may be somewhat limited by the need to rely largely on inhibition data for modeling, wet laboratory/in vitro transport studies, as well as analysis of drug/metabolite handling in Oat and Oct knockout animals, support the general validity of the approach-which can also be applied to other SLC and ATP binding cassette drug transporters. This may make it possible to predict the molecular properties of a drug or metabolite necessary for interaction with the transporter(s), thereby enabling better prediction of drug-drug interactions and drug-metabolite interactions. Furthermore, understanding the overlapping specificities of OATs and OCTs in the context of dynamic transporter tissue

  13. Life-history responses of insects to water-deficit stress: a case study with the aphid Sitobion avenae.

    PubMed

    Liu, Deguang; Dai, Peng; Li, Shirong; Ahmed, Syed Suhail; Shang, Zheming; Shi, Xiaoqin

    2018-05-29

    Drought may become one of the greatest challenges for cereal production under future warming scenarios, and its impact on insect pest outbreaks is still controversial. To address this issue, life-history responses of the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (Fabricius), from three areas of different drought levels were compared under three water treatments. Significant differences were identified in developmental time, fecundity and adult weight among S. avenae clones from moist, semiarid and arid areas under all the three water treatments. Semiarid and arid area clones tended to have higher heritability for test life-history traits than moist area clones. We identified significant selection of water-deficit on the developmental time of 1st instar nymphs and adult weight for both semiarid and arid area clones. The impact of intermediate and severe water-stress on S. avenae's fitness was neutral and negative (e.g., decreased fecundity and weight), respectively. Compared with arid-area clones, moist- and semiarid-area clones showed higher extents of adaptation to the water-deficit level of their respective source environment. Adult weight was identified as a good indicator for S. avenae's adaptation potential under different water-stress conditions. After their exposure to intermediate water-deficit stress for only five generations, adult weight and fecundity tended to decrease for moist- and semiarid-area clones, but increase for arid-area clones. It is evident from our study that S. avenae clones from moist, semiarid and arid areas have diverged under different water-deficit stress, and such divergence could have a genetic basis. The impact of drought on S. avenae's fitness showed a water-level dependent pattern. Clones of S. avenae were more likely to become adapted to intermediate water-deficit stress than severe water-deficit stress. After continuous water-deficit stress of only five generations, the adaptation potential of S. avenae tended to decrease for moist

  14. 7 CFR 1437.310 - Sea grass and sea oats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 10 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Sea grass and sea oats. 1437.310 Section 1437.310... Determining Coverage Using Value § 1437.310 Sea grass and sea oats. (a) Sea grass and sea oats are value loss... paragraphs (c) through (h) of this section, except to the extent that similar provisions apply to claims...

  15. 7 CFR 1437.310 - Sea grass and sea oats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Sea grass and sea oats. 1437.310 Section 1437.310... Determining Coverage Using Value § 1437.310 Sea grass and sea oats. (a) Sea grass and sea oats are value loss... paragraphs (c) through (h) of this section, except to the extent that similar provisions apply to claims...

  16. Calcium bridges are not load-bearing cell-wall bonds in Avena coleoptiles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rayle, D. L.

    1989-01-01

    I examined the ability of frozen-thawed Avena sativa L. coleoptile sections under applied load to extend in response to the calcium chelators ethyleneglycol-bis-(beta-aminoethylether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and 2-[(2-bis-[carboxymethyl]amino-5-methylphenoxy)methyl]-6-methoxy-8-bis[car boxymethyl]aminoquinoline (Quin II). Addition of 5 mM EGTA to weakly buffered (0.1 mM, pH 6.2) solutions of 2(N-morpholino) ethanesulfonic acid (Mes) initiated rapid extension and wall acidification. When the buffer strength was increased (e.g. from 20 to 100 mM Mes, pH 6.2) EGTA did not initiate extension nor did it cause wall acidification. At 5 mM Quin II failed to stimulate cell extension or wall acidification at all buffer molarities tested (0.1 to 100 mM Mes). Both chelators rapidly and effectively removed Ca2+ from Avena sections. These data indicate that Ca2+ chelation per se does not result in loosening of Avena cells walls. Rather, EGTA promotes wall extension indirectly via wall acidification.

  17. Large-scale identification of wheat genes resistant to cereal cyst nematode Heterodera avenae using comparative transcriptomic analysis.

    PubMed

    Kong, Ling-An; Wu, Du-Qing; Huang, Wen-Kun; Peng, Huan; Wang, Gao-Feng; Cui, Jiang-Kuan; Liu, Shi-Ming; Li, Zhi-Gang; Yang, Jun; Peng, De-Liang

    2015-10-16

    Cereal cyst nematode Heterodera avenae, an important soil-borne pathogen in wheat, causes numerous annual yield losses worldwide, and use of resistant cultivars is the best strategy for control. However, target genes are not readily available for breeding resistant cultivars. Therefore, comparative transcriptomic analyses were performed to identify more applicable resistance genes for cultivar breeding. The developing nematodes within roots were stained with acid fuchsin solution. Transcriptome assemblies and redundancy filteration were obtained by Trinity, TGI Clustering Tool and BLASTN, respectively. Gene Ontology annotation was yielded by Blast2GO program, and metabolic pathways of transcripts were analyzed by Path_finder. The ROS levels were determined by luminol-chemiluminescence assay. The transcriptional gene expression profiles were obtained by quantitative RT-PCR. The RNA-sequencing was performed using an incompatible wheat cultivar VP1620 and a compatible control cultivar WEN19 infected with H. avenae at 24 h, 3 d and 8 d. Infection assays showed that VP1620 failed to block penetration of H. avenae but disturbed the transition of developmental stages, leading to a significant reduction in cyst formation. Two types of expression profiles were established to predict candidate resistance genes after developing a novel strategy to generate clean RNA-seq data by removing the transcripts of H. avenae within the raw data before assembly. Using the uncoordinated expression profiles with transcript abundance as a standard, 424 candidate resistance genes were identified, including 302 overlapping genes and 122 VP1620-specific genes. Genes with similar expression patterns were further classified according to the scales of changed transcript abundances, and 182 genes were rescued as supplementary candidate resistance genes. Functional characterizations revealed that diverse defense-related pathways were responsible for wheat resistance against H. avenae. Moreover

  18. Large-Scale Identification and Characterization of Heterodera avenae Putative Effectors Suppressing or Inducing Cell Death in Nicotiana benthamiana

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Changlong; Chen, Yongpan; Jian, Heng; Yang, Dan; Dai, Yiran; Pan, Lingling; Shi, Fengwei; Yang, Shanshan; Liu, Qian

    2018-01-01

    Heterodera avenae is one of the most important plant pathogens and causes vast losses in cereal crops. As a sedentary endoparasitic nematode, H. avenae secretes effectors that modify plant defenses and promote its biotrophic infection of its hosts. However, the number of effectors involved in the interaction between H. avenae and host defenses remains unclear. Here, we report the identification of putative effectors in H. avenae that regulate plant defenses on a large scale. Our results showed that 78 of the 95 putative effectors suppressed programmed cell death (PCD) triggered by BAX and that 7 of the putative effectors themselves caused cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. Among the cell-death-inducing effectors, three were found to be dependent on their specific domains to trigger cell death and to be expressed in esophageal gland cells by in situ hybridization. Ten candidate effectors that suppressed BAX-triggered PCD also suppressed PCD triggered by the elicitor PsojNIP and at least one R-protein/cognate effector pair, suggesting that they are active in suppressing both pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Notably, with the exception of isotig16060, these putative effectors could also suppress PCD triggered by cell-death-inducing effectors from H. avenae, indicating that those effectors may cooperate to promote nematode parasitism. Collectively, our results indicate that the majority of the tested effectors of H. avenae may play important roles in suppressing cell death induced by different elicitors in N. benthamiana. PMID:29379510

  19. Physical properties of sugar cookies containing chia-oat composites.

    PubMed

    Inglett, George E; Chen, Diejun; Liu, Sean

    2014-12-01

    Omega-3 fatty acids of chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) and soluble β-glucan of oat products are known for lowering blood cholesterol and preventing coronary heart disease. Nutrim, oat bran concentrate (OBC), and whole oat flour (WOF) were composited with finely ground chia, and used in cookies at 20% replacement of wheat flour for improved nutritional and physical quality. The objective was to evaluate physical properties of chia-oat composites, dough, and cookies. These composites had improved water-holding capacities compared to the starting materials. The geometrical properties and texture properties of the cookies were not greatly influenced by a 20% flour replacement using chia-OBC or chia-WOF composites. There was a decrease in the cookie diameter, and increases in the height of cookies and dough hardness using 20% Chia- Nutrim composite. These fine-particle chia-oat composites were prepared by a feasible procedure for improved nutritional value and physical properties of foods. The cookies containing chia-oat composites can be considered a health-promoting functional food. Published 2014. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  20. Grazing management for fall-grown oat forages

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Fall forage production of oat generally will out-yield winter wheat or cereal rye by about a 2:1 ratio, regardless of weather conditions or harvest date because oat plants will joint, elongate, and produce a seedhead before winter, while winter wheat or cereal rye will remain vegetative until spring...

  1. In vitro antioxidant capacity and anti-inflammatory activity of seven common oats

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oats have received increased scientific and public interest for their purported antioxidant-associated health benefits, however most reported studies have concentrated on oat extracts or specific oat phytochemicals, such as beta-glucans, tocols (vitamin E) or avenanthramides. Studies on whole oat gr...

  2. The Organic Anion Transporter (OAT) Family: A Systems Biology Perspective

    PubMed Central

    Nigam, Sanjay K.; Bush, Kevin T.; Martovetsky, Gleb; Ahn, Sun-Young; Liu, Henry C.; Richard, Erin; Bhatnagar, Vibha; Wu, Wei

    2015-01-01

    The organic anion transporter (OAT) subfamily, which constitutes roughly half of the SLC22 (solute carrier 22) transporter family, has received a great deal of attention because of its role in handling of common drugs (antibiotics, antivirals, diuretics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), toxins (mercury, aristolochic acid), and nutrients (vitamins, flavonoids). Oats are expressed in many tissues, including kidney, liver, choroid plexus, olfactory mucosa, brain, retina, and placenta. Recent metabolomics and microarray data from Oat1 [Slc22a6, originally identified as NKT (novel kidney transporter)] and Oat3 (Slc22a8) knockouts, as well as systems biology studies, indicate that this pathway plays a central role in the metabolism and handling of gut microbiome metabolites as well as putative uremic toxins of kidney disease. Nuclear receptors and other transcription factors, such as Hnf4α and Hnf1α, appear to regulate the expression of certain Oats in conjunction with phase I and phase II drug metabolizing enzymes. Some Oats have a strong selectivity for particular signaling molecules, including cyclic nucleotides, conjugated sex steroids, odorants, uric acid, and prostaglandins and/or their metabolites. According to the “Remote Sensing and Signaling Hypothesis,” which is elaborated in detail here, Oats may function in remote interorgan communication by regulating levels of signaling molecules and key metabolites in tissues and body fluids. Oats may also play a major role in interorganismal communication (via movement of small molecules across the intestine, placental barrier, into breast milk, and volatile odorants into the urine). The role of various Oat isoforms in systems physiology appears quite complex, and their ramifications are discussed in the context of remote sensing and signaling. PMID:25540139

  3. Lipid-modifying enzymes in oat and faba bean.

    PubMed

    Yang, Zhen; Piironen, Vieno; Lampi, Anna-Maija

    2017-10-01

    The aim was to study lipase, lipoxygenase (LOX) and peroxygenase (POX) activities in oat and faba bean samples to be able to evaluate their potential in formation of lipid-derived off-flavours. Lipase and LOX activities were measured by spectroscopy, and POX activities via the formation of epoxides. An ultra-high performance liquid chromatography method was developed to study the formation of fatty acid epoxides. The epoxides of esters were measured by gas chromatography. Mass spectroscopy was used to verify the identity of the epoxides. Both oat and faba bean possessed high lipase activities. In faba bean, LOX catalysed the formation of hydroperoxides, whose break-down products are the likely cause of off-flavours. Since oat had low LOX activity, autoxidation is needed to initiate lipid oxidation. Oat had high POX activity, which is able to convert hydroperoxides to epoxy and hydroxy fatty acids that could contribute significantly to off-flavours. POX activity in the faba bean was low. Thus, in faba bean volatile lipid oxidation products could rapidly be formed by LOX, whereas in oat reactions are slower due to the need of autoxidation prior to further reactions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Genome Sequence of Acidovorax avenae Strain T10_61 Associated with Sugarcane Red Stripe in Argentina

    PubMed Central

    Fontana, Cecilia A.; Bassi, Daniela; Puglisi, Edoardo; Salazar, Sergio M.; Vignolo, Graciela M.; Coccocelli, Pier S.

    2016-01-01

    Red stripe of sugarcane in Argentina is a bacterial disease caused by Acidovorax avenae. The genome sequence from the first isolate of this bacterium in Argentina is presented here. The draft genome of the A. avenae T10_61 strain contains 5,646,552 bp and has a G+C content of 68.6 mol%. PMID:26847889

  5. Properties of amaranth flour with functional oat products

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Amaranth flour containing the essential amino acid, lysine, was composited with oat products that contain ß-glucan known for lowering blood cholesterol and preventing heart disease. The pasting and rheological properties of amaranth-oat composites were evaluated. The amaranth-Nutrim composites showe...

  6. Pasting and rheological properties of quinoa-oat composites

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Quinoa (Chenopodium, quinoa) flour, known for its essential amino acids, was composited with oat products containing ß-glucan known for lowering blood cholesterol and preventing heart disease. Quinoa-oat composites were developed and evaluated for their pasting and rheological properties by a Rapid ...

  7. Assessment of Sublethal and Transgenerational Effects of Pirimicarb on the Wheat Aphids Rhopalosiphum padi and Sitobion avenae

    PubMed Central

    Desneux, Nicolas; Han, Peng; Gao, Xiwu

    2015-01-01

    The wheat aphids, Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus) and Sitobion avenae (Fabricius), are key pests on wheat crops worldwide. Management practices rely primarily on insecticides. The pirimicarb (carbamate) is used extensively as an effective insecticide to control these two aphids. In addition to the mortality caused by pirimicarb, various sublethal effects may occur in aphids when exposed to low lethal or sublethal doses. Understanding the general effect of pirimicarb on aphids could help increasing rational use of this insecticide. Under laboratory conditions, we assessed the sublethal effects of a low lethal concentration of pirimicarb (LC25) on biological traits and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity of R. padi and S. avenae. Both direct and transgenerational effects, i.e. on parent and the F1 generations were assessed, respectively. We found that R. padi and S. avenae responded differentially to the LC25 of pirimicarb. The parent generation of R. padi showed a 39% decrease in fecundity and multiple transgenerational effects were observed in the F1 generation; overall juvenile development, reproductive period, adult longevity and lifespan were longer than those of the control group. By contrast, LC25 of pirimicarb showed almost no effects on S. avenae biological traits in both the parent and F1 generations; only the pre-reproductive duration was reduced in F1 generations. Demographic parameter estimates (e.g. rm) showed similar trend, i.e. significant negative effect on R. padi population growth and no effect on S. avenae. However, AChE activity decreased in both R. padi and S. avenae treated by the LC25 of pirimicarb. We demonstrated sublethal and transgenerational effects of pirimicarb in the two wheat aphid species; it hinted at the importance of considering sublethal effects (including hormesis) of pirimicarb for optimizing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of wheat aphids. PMID:26121265

  8. 40 CFR 180.339 - MCPA; tolerances for residues.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Barley, straw 25 Clover, forage 0.5 Clover, hay 2.0 Flax, seed 0.1 Grain, aspirated fractions 3.0 Grass, forage 300 Grass, hay 20 Lespedeza, forage 0.5 Lespedeza, hay 2.0 Oat, forage 20 Oat, grain 1.0 Oat, hay...

  9. 40 CFR 180.339 - MCPA; tolerances for residues.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Barley, straw 25 Clover, forage 0.5 Clover, hay 2.0 Flax, seed 0.1 Grain, aspirated fractions 3.0 Grass, forage 300 Grass, hay 20 Lespedeza, forage 0.5 Lespedeza, hay 2.0 Oat, forage 20 Oat, grain 1.0 Oat, hay...

  10. A role for the organic anion transporter OAT3 in renal creatinine secretion in mice

    PubMed Central

    Eraly, Satish A.; Rao, Satish Ramachandra; Gerasimova, Maria; Rose, Michael; Nagle, Megha; Anzai, Naohiko; Smith, Travis; Sharma, Kumar; Nigam, Sanjay K.; Rieg, Timo

    2012-01-01

    Tubular secretion of the organic cation, creatinine, limits its value as a marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) but the molecular determinants of this pathway are unclear. The organic anion transporters, OAT1 and OAT3, are expressed on the basolateral membrane of the proximal tubule and transport organic anions but also neutral compounds and cations. Here, we demonstrate specific uptake of creatinine into mouse mOat1- and mOat3-microinjected Xenopus laevis oocytes at a concentration of 10 μM (i.e., similar to physiological plasma levels), which was inhibited by both probenecid and cimetidine, prototypical competitive inhibitors of organic anion and cation transporters, respectively. Renal creatinine clearance was consistently greater than inulin clearance (as a measure of GFR) in wild-type (WT) mice but not in mice lacking OAT1 (Oat1−/−) and OAT3 (Oat3−/−). WT mice presented renal creatinine net secretion (0.23 ± 0.03 μg/min) which represented 45 ± 6% of total renal creatinine excretion. Mean values for renal creatinine net secretion and renal creatinine secretion fraction were not different from zero in Oat1−/− (−0.03 ± 0.10 μg/min; −3 ± 18%) and Oat3−/− (0.01 ± 0.06 μg/min; −6 ± 19%), with greater variability in Oat1−/−. Expression of OAT3 protein in the renal membranes of Oat1−/− mice was reduced to ∼6% of WT levels, and that of OAT1 in Oat3−/− mice to ∼60%, possibly as a consequence of the genes for Oat1 and Oat3 having adjacent chromosomal locations. Plasma creatinine concentrations of Oat3−/− were elevated in clearance studies under anesthesia but not following brief isoflurane anesthesia, indicating that the former condition enhanced the quantitative contribution of OAT3 for renal creatinine secretion. The results are consistent with a contribution of OAT3 and possibly OAT1 to renal creatinine secretion in mice. PMID:22338083

  11. Interplanting Annual Ryegrass, Wheat, Oat, and Corn to Mitigate Iron Deficiency in Dry Beans

    PubMed Central

    Omondi, Emmanuel Chiwo; Kniss, Andrew R.

    2014-01-01

    This study evaluated whether grass intercropping can be used to alleviate Fe deficiency chlorosis in dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown in high pH, calcareous soils with low organic matter. Field studies were conducted at the University of Wyoming Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center in 2009 and 2010. Black- and navy beans were grown alone or intercropped with annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), oat (Avena sativa L.), corn (Zea mays L.), or spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a two-factor factorial strip-plot randomized complete block design. All four grass species increased chlorophyll intensity in dry beans. However, grass species did not increase iron (Fe) concentration in dry bean tissues suggesting inefficient utilization of Fe present in the dry bean tissues. In 2009, nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) and manganese (Mn) concentration in bean tissue were greater in bean monoculture than in grass intercropped beans. Bean monoculture also had greater soil NO3-N concentrations than grass intercropped treatments. In 2009, grass intercrops reduced dry bean yield >25% compared to bean monoculture. Annual ryegrass was the least competitive of the four annual grass species. This suggests that competition from grasses for nutrients, water, or light may have outweighed benefits accruing from grass intercropping. Additional studies are required to determine the appropriate grass and dry bean densities, as well as the optimum time of grass removal. PMID:25536084

  12. Interplanting annual ryegrass, wheat, oat, and corn to mitigate iron deficiency in dry beans.

    PubMed

    Omondi, Emmanuel Chiwo; Kniss, Andrew R

    2014-01-01

    This study evaluated whether grass intercropping can be used to alleviate Fe deficiency chlorosis in dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) grown in high pH, calcareous soils with low organic matter. Field studies were conducted at the University of Wyoming Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center in 2009 and 2010. Black- and navy beans were grown alone or intercropped with annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.), oat (Avena sativa L.), corn (Zea mays L.), or spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in a two-factor factorial strip-plot randomized complete block design. All four grass species increased chlorophyll intensity in dry beans. However, grass species did not increase iron (Fe) concentration in dry bean tissues suggesting inefficient utilization of Fe present in the dry bean tissues. In 2009, nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) and manganese (Mn) concentration in bean tissue were greater in bean monoculture than in grass intercropped beans. Bean monoculture also had greater soil NO3-N concentrations than grass intercropped treatments. In 2009, grass intercrops reduced dry bean yield >25% compared to bean monoculture. Annual ryegrass was the least competitive of the four annual grass species. This suggests that competition from grasses for nutrients, water, or light may have outweighed benefits accruing from grass intercropping. Additional studies are required to determine the appropriate grass and dry bean densities, as well as the optimum time of grass removal.

  13. Pasting and rheological properties of oat products dry-blended with ground chia seeds

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oat products containing ß-glucan are documented for lowering blood cholesterol that could be beneficial for preventing coronary heart disease. Oat products (oat flour, oat bran concentrate, and Nutrim) were dry-blended with ground chia (Salvia hispanica L.) that contains omega-3 polyunsaturated fatt...

  14. Oat raw materials and bakery products - amino acid composition and celiac immunoreactivity.

    PubMed

    Mickowska, Barbara; Litwinek, Dorota; Gambuś, Halina

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the biochemical and immunochemical properties of avenins in some special oat raw materials and additionally the possibility of using them as a raw material for the gluten-free bakery products. The compared oat raw materials were - oat flakes, commercial oat flours (including gluten-free oat flour) and residual oat flour, which is by-product of β-glucan preparation. Biochemical characteristic included amino acid compositions and SDS-PAGE profiles of extracted avenins. The immunochemical reactivity with polyclonal anti-gluten and monoclonal anti-gliadin antibodies was evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively by immunoblotting and ELISA methods. Additionally, experimental bakery products made of examined raw materials were assessed according to their suitability for the celiac patients' diet. The highest protein content was measured in the β-glucan preparation "Betaven" and gluten-free oat flour. Proteins of all materials are rich in glutamic and aspartic acid, leucine and arginine. Proportions of amino acids in avenins extracted from most of oat raw materials are similar, excluding gluten-free oat flour, which has a very low avenin content and proportions of individual amino acids are different. The SDS-PAGE protein pattern consisted of proteins with molecular weight of about 25-35 kDa. Polyclonal anti-gluten anti-body recognized all protein fractions of molecular weight higher than 20 kDa. Quantitative ELISA analysis shows that the majority of samples has a gliadin-like protein content within the range of 80-260 mg/kg, excluding gluten-free flours and corresponding bakery products. Altogether, β-glucan preparation has extremely high level of gliadin-like proteins. In the examined oat raw materials and foods the contents of immunoreactive amino acid sequences exceeded the limit of 20 mg/kg (considered as gluten-free) except for gluten-free flours (oat and  the prepared mixture) and the bakery products based on gluten

  15. Flavonoids Are Inhibitors of Human Organic Anion Transporter 1 (OAT1)–Mediated Transport

    PubMed Central

    An, Guohua; Wang, Xiaodong

    2014-01-01

    Organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1) has been reported to be involved in the nephrotoxicity of many anionic xenobiotics. As current clinically used OAT1 inhibitors are often associated with safety issues, identifying potent OAT1 inhibitors with little toxicity is of great value in reducing OAT1-mediated drug nephrotoxicity. Flavonoids are a class of polyphenolic compounds with exceptional safety records. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of 18 naturally occurring flavonoids, and some of their glycosides, on the uptake of para-aminohippuric acid (PAH) in both OAT1-expressing and OAT1-negative LLC-PK1 cells. Most flavonoid aglycones produced substantial decreases in PAH uptake in OAT1-expressing cells. Among the flavonoids screened, fisetin, luteolin, morin, and quercetin exhibited the strongest effect and produced complete inhibition of OAT1-mediated PAH uptake at a concentration of 50 μM. Further concentration-dependent studies revealed that both morin and luteolin are potent OAT1 inhibitors, with IC50 values of <0.3 and 0.47 μM, respectively. In contrast to the tested flavonoid aglycones, all flavonoid glycosides had negligible or small effects on OAT1. In addition, the role of OAT1 in the uptake of fisetin, luteolin, morin, and quercetin was investigated and fisetin was found to be a substrate of OAT1. Taken together, our results indicate that flavonoids are a novel class of OAT1 modulators. Considering the high consumption of flavonoids in the diet and in herbal products, OAT1-mediated flavonoid-drug interactions may be clinically relevant. Further investigation is warranted to evaluate the nephroprotective role of flavonoids in relation to drug-induced nephrotoxicity mediated by the OAT1 pathway. PMID:25002746

  16. Unravelling mycorrhiza-induced wheat susceptibility to the English grain aphid Sitobion avenae

    PubMed Central

    Simon, Amma L.; Wellham, Peter A. D.; Aradottir, Gudbjorg I.; Gange, Alan C.

    2017-01-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are root symbionts that can increase or decrease aphid growth rates and reproduction, but the reason by which this happens is unknown. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of this interaction, we examined the effect of AM fungi on the English Grain aphid (Sitobion avenae) development, reproduction, attraction, settlement and feeding behaviour on two naturally susceptible varieties Triticum aestivum (L.) variety Solstice and T. monococcum MDR037, and two naturally resistant lines, T. monococcum MDR045 and MDR049. Mycorrhizal colonisation increased the attractiveness of T. aestivum var. Solstice to aphids, but there was no effect on aphid development on this variety. Using the Electrical Penetration Graph (EPG) technique, we found that mycorrhizal colonisation increased aphid phloem feeding on T. monococcum MDR037 and MDR045, colonisation also increased growth rate and reproductive success of S. avenae on these varieties. Mycorrhizas increased vascular bundle size, demonstrating that these fungi can influence plant anatomy. We discuss if and how this could be related to an enhanced success rate in phloem feeding in two varieties. Overall, we present and discuss how mycorrhizal fungi can affect the feeding behaviour of S. avenae in wheat, inducing susceptibility in a resistant variety. PMID:28406246

  17. Unravelling mycorrhiza-induced wheat susceptibility to the English grain aphid Sitobion avenae

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simon, Amma L.; Wellham, Peter A. D.; Aradottir, Gudbjorg I.; Gange, Alan C.

    2017-04-01

    Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are root symbionts that can increase or decrease aphid growth rates and reproduction, but the reason by which this happens is unknown. To investigate the underlying mechanisms of this interaction, we examined the effect of AM fungi on the English Grain aphid (Sitobion avenae) development, reproduction, attraction, settlement and feeding behaviour on two naturally susceptible varieties Triticum aestivum (L.) variety Solstice and T. monococcum MDR037, and two naturally resistant lines, T. monococcum MDR045 and MDR049. Mycorrhizal colonisation increased the attractiveness of T. aestivum var. Solstice to aphids, but there was no effect on aphid development on this variety. Using the Electrical Penetration Graph (EPG) technique, we found that mycorrhizal colonisation increased aphid phloem feeding on T. monococcum MDR037 and MDR045, colonisation also increased growth rate and reproductive success of S. avenae on these varieties. Mycorrhizas increased vascular bundle size, demonstrating that these fungi can influence plant anatomy. We discuss if and how this could be related to an enhanced success rate in phloem feeding in two varieties. Overall, we present and discuss how mycorrhizal fungi can affect the feeding behaviour of S. avenae in wheat, inducing susceptibility in a resistant variety.

  18. Tested R-value for straw bale walls and performance modeling for straw bale homes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Commins, T.R.; Stone, N.I.

    1998-07-01

    Since the late 1800's, houses have been built of straw. Contrary to nursery rhymes, these houses have proved sturdy and comfortable and not at all easy to blow down. In the last several years, as people have experimented with new and old building materials and looked for ways to halt rice field stubble burning, there has been a resurgence of homes built with straw. Unfortunately, there has been very little testing to determine the thermal performance of straw bale walls or to discover how these walls affect a home's heating and cooling energy consumption. Reported R-values for straw bale wallsmore » range from R-17 to R-54, depending on the test procedure, the type of straw used and the type of straw bale wall system. This paper reports on a test set-up by the California Energy Commission (Commission) and conducted in a nationally accredited lab, Architectural Testing Inc. (ATI) in Fresno, California. The paper describes the tested straw bale wall assemblies, the testing process, and problems encountered in the construction and testing of the walls. The paper also gives a reasonable R-value to use in calculating thermal performance of straw bale houses and presents findings that show that straw bale construction can decrease the heating and cooling energy usage of a typical house by up to a third over conventional practice.« less

  19. Modularity of Plant Metabolic Gene Clusters: A Trio of Linked Genes That Are Collectively Required for Acylation of Triterpenes in Oat[W][OA

    PubMed Central

    Mugford, Sam T.; Louveau, Thomas; Melton, Rachel; Qi, Xiaoquan; Bakht, Saleha; Hill, Lionel; Tsurushima, Tetsu; Honkanen, Suvi; Rosser, Susan J.; Lomonossoff, George P.; Osbourn, Anne

    2013-01-01

    Operon-like gene clusters are an emerging phenomenon in the field of plant natural products. The genes encoding some of the best-characterized plant secondary metabolite biosynthetic pathways are scattered across plant genomes. However, an increasing number of gene clusters encoding the synthesis of diverse natural products have recently been reported in plant genomes. These clusters have arisen through the neo-functionalization and relocation of existing genes within the genome, and not by horizontal gene transfer from microbes. The reasons for clustering are not yet clear, although this form of gene organization is likely to facilitate co-inheritance and co-regulation. Oats (Avena spp) synthesize antimicrobial triterpenoids (avenacins) that provide protection against disease. The synthesis of these compounds is encoded by a gene cluster. Here we show that a module of three adjacent genes within the wider biosynthetic gene cluster is required for avenacin acylation. Through the characterization of these genes and their encoded proteins we present a model of the subcellular organization of triterpenoid biosynthesis. PMID:23532069

  20. Conversion of Isatin to Isatate as Related to Growth Promotion in Avena Coleoptile and Pisum Stem Sections 1

    PubMed Central

    Chen, H.-R.; Galston, A. W.; Milstone, L.

    1966-01-01

    Isatin, (indole 2,3-dione), which promotes elongation of Pisum stem sections at concentrations exceeding 0.1 mm, promotes elongation of Avena coleoptile sections only at higher concentrations, exceeding 1 mm. Aged isatin solutions are more active than fresh solutions, due to the slow, spontaneous conversion to isatate (o-aminophenylglyoxylate). A concentration of 0.1 mm aged isatin is as active in Avena coleoptile sections as in peas. Isatate has been independently synthesized and its auxin activity in both Avena coleoptile and Pisum stem sections confirmed. The synthetic isatate is more effective than isatin in both systems. This suggests that the auxin activity of isatin is due to its conversion to isatate. PMID:16656429

  1. Plant defense activators as elicitors of oat avenanthramide biosynthesis

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oats produce a group of phenolic secondary metabolites termed “avenanthramides”. Among food crops these metabolites are unique to oat. In addition to their biological role as phytoalexins, the avenanthramides are potent antioxidants in vitro and have potential as nutraceuticals. In cellular assays ...

  2. Dielectric properties of wheat flour mixed with oat meal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Łuczycka, D.; Czubaszek, A.; Fujarczuk, M.; Pruski, K.

    2013-03-01

    Possibilities of using electric methods for determining admixtures of oat meal to wheat flour, type 650 are presented. In wheat flour, oat meal and mixtures containing 10, 20 and 30% of the oat meal, moisture, protein, starch and ash content, sedimentation value, yield and softening of wet gluten were determined. In samples containing 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 100% of oat meal, the dielectric loss factor and conductivity were determined using an impedance analyzer for electromagnetic field frequency ranging from 0.1-20 kHz. It was found that the dielectric loss factor varied for tested material. The best distinguishing between tested mixtures was obtained at the measuring electromagnetic field frequency of 20 kHz. The loss factor was significantly correlated with the yield of wet gluten and the sedimentation value, parameters indicating the amount and quality of gluten proteins in flour.

  3. Non-target Site Tolerance Mechanisms Describe Tolerance to Glyphosate in Avena sterilis.

    PubMed

    Fernández-Moreno, Pablo T; Alcantara-de la Cruz, Ricardo; Cruz-Hipólito, Hugo E; Rojano-Delgado, Antonia M; Travlos, Ilias; De Prado, Rafael

    2016-01-01

    Sterile wild oat (Avena sterilis L.) is an autogamous grass established in warm climate regions. This species has been used as a cover crop in Mediterranean perennial crops during the spring period prior to initiating competition with the main crop for water and nutrients. However, such cover crops need to be controlled (by glyphosate or tillage) before the beginning of summer period (due to the possibility of intense drought stress). In 2011, the olive grove farmers of southern Spain expressed dissatisfaction because of the ineffective control with glyphosate on A. sterilis. Experiments were conducted to determine whether the continued use of glyphosate over a 5 year period had selected a new resistant or tolerant species. The GR50 values obtained for A. sterilis were 297.12 and 245.23 g ae ha(-1) for exposed (E) and un-exposed (UE) glyphosate accessions, respectively. The spray retention and shikimic acid accumulation exhibited a non-significant difference between the two accessions. The results of (14)C- glyphosate absorption was the same in the two accessions (E and UE), while the translocation from the treated leaf to the rest of the shoots and roots was similar in A. sterilis accessions. Glyphosate metabolism to aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and glyoxylate was similar in both accessions, but increased after treatment with glyphosate, indicating that metabolism plays an important role in tolerance. Both A. sterilis accessions, present similarity in the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) activity enzyme with different glyphosate concentrations and without glyphosate, confirming that both accessions present the same genomic characteristics. The above-mentioned results indicate that innate tolerance to glyphosate in A. sterilis is probably and partly due to reduced herbicide absorption and translocation and metabolism compared to the susceptibility of other grasses weeds like Chloris inflata, Eleusine indica, and Lolium rigidum.

  4. Non-target Site Tolerance Mechanisms Describe Tolerance to Glyphosate in Avena sterilis

    PubMed Central

    Fernández-Moreno, Pablo T.; Alcantara-de la Cruz, Ricardo; Cruz-Hipólito, Hugo E.; Rojano-Delgado, Antonia M.; Travlos, Ilias; De Prado, Rafael

    2016-01-01

    Sterile wild oat (Avena sterilis L.) is an autogamous grass established in warm climate regions. This species has been used as a cover crop in Mediterranean perennial crops during the spring period prior to initiating competition with the main crop for water and nutrients. However, such cover crops need to be controlled (by glyphosate or tillage) before the beginning of summer period (due to the possibility of intense drought stress). In 2011, the olive grove farmers of southern Spain expressed dissatisfaction because of the ineffective control with glyphosate on A. sterilis. Experiments were conducted to determine whether the continued use of glyphosate over a 5 year period had selected a new resistant or tolerant species. The GR50 values obtained for A. sterilis were 297.12 and 245.23 g ae ha−1 for exposed (E) and un-exposed (UE) glyphosate accessions, respectively. The spray retention and shikimic acid accumulation exhibited a non-significant difference between the two accessions. The results of 14C- glyphosate absorption was the same in the two accessions (E and UE), while the translocation from the treated leaf to the rest of the shoots and roots was similar in A. sterilis accessions. Glyphosate metabolism to aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) and glyoxylate was similar in both accessions, but increased after treatment with glyphosate, indicating that metabolism plays an important role in tolerance. Both A. sterilis accessions, present similarity in the 5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS) activity enzyme with different glyphosate concentrations and without glyphosate, confirming that both accessions present the same genomic characteristics. The above-mentioned results indicate that innate tolerance to glyphosate in A. sterilis is probably and partly due to reduced herbicide absorption and translocation and metabolism compared to the susceptibility of other grasses weeds like Chloris inflata, Eleusine indica, and Lolium rigidum. PMID:27570531

  5. The impact of transgenic wheat expressing GNA (snowdrop lectin) on the aphids Sitobion avenae, Schizaphis graminum, and Rhopalosiphum padi.

    PubMed

    Miao, Jin; Wu, Yuqing; Xu, Weigang; Hu, Lin; Yu, Zhenxing; Xu, Qiongfang

    2011-06-01

    This study investigated the impact of transgenic wheat expressing Galanthus nivalis agglutinin (GNA), commonly known as snowdrop lectin, on three wheat aphids: Sitobion avenae (F.), Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), and Rhopalosiphum padi (L.). We compared the feeding behavior and the life-table parameters of aphids reared on GNA transgenic wheat (test group) and those aphids reared on untransformed wheat (control group). The results showed that the feeding behaviors of S. avenae and S. graminum on GNA transgenic wheat were affected. Compared with the control group, they had shorter initial probing period, longer total nonprobing period, shorter initial and total phloem sap ingestion phase (waveform E2), shorter duration of sustained ingestion (E (pd) > 10 min), and lower percentage of phloem phase of the total observation time. Moreover, S. graminum made more probes and had a longer total duration of extracellular stylet pathway (waveform C). The fecundity and intrinsic rate of natural increase (r(m)) of S. avenae and S. graminum on the transgenic wheat were lowered in the first and second generations, however, the survival and lifespan were not affected. The effects of the GNA expressing wheat on S. graminum and S. avenae were not significant in the third generation, suggesting rapid adaptation by the two aphid species. Despite the impact we found on S. avenae and S. graminum, transgenic GNA expressing wheat did not have any effects on R. padi.

  6. Ornithine aminotransferase (OAT): recombination between an X-linked OAT sequence (7.5 kb) and the Norrie disease locus.

    PubMed

    Ngo, J T; Bateman, J B; Spence, M A; Cortessis, V; Sparkes, R S; Kivlin, J D; Mohandas, T; Inana, G

    1990-01-01

    A human ornithine aminotransferase (OAT) locus has been mapped to the Xp11.2, as has the Norrie disease locus. We used a cDNA probe to investigate a 3-generation UCLA family with Norrie disease; a 4.2-kb RFLP was detected and a maximum lod score of 0.602 at zero recombination fraction was calculated. We used the same probe to study a second multigeneration family with Norrie disease from Utah. A different RFLP of 7.5 kb in size was identified and a recombinational event between the OAT locus represented by this RFLP and the disease loci was observed. Linkage analysis of these two loci in this family revealed a maximum load score of 1.88 at a recombination fraction of 0.10. Although both families have affected members with the same disease, the lod scores are reported separately because the 4.2- and 7.5-kb RFLPs may represent two different loci for the X-linked OAT.

  7. Physical properties and FTIR analysis of rice-oat flour and maize-oat flour based extruded food products containing olive pomace.

    PubMed

    Ying, DanYang; Hlaing, Mya Myintzu; Lerisson, Julie; Pitts, Keith; Cheng, Lijiang; Sanguansri, Luz; Augustin, Mary Ann

    2017-10-01

    Olive pomace, a waste stream from olive oil processing, was fractionated by centrifugation to obtain a supernatant and a flesh-enriched fraction, and freeze dried to obtain a powder. The dried supernatant contained 5.8% moisture, 4.8% protein, 3.5% fat, 3.5% ash, 82.4% carbohydrate (including 17.2% dietary fiber) and polyphenols (2970mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100g). The dried flesh-enriched fraction, contained 5.9% moisture, 13.4% protein, 14.2% fat, 3.5% ash, 63.1% carbohydrate (including 42.7% dietary fiber) and polyphenols (1960mg GAE/100g). The extruded products using rice-oat flour or maize-oat flour mixtures as the base were formulated to contain 5% or 10% olive pomace fractions (dry basis). The extruded products with added olive pomace fractions has higher fiber (2-7g/100g) and polyphenol contents (67-161mg GAE/100g) compared to the corresponding mixtures of rice-oat flour base (0.92g/100g fiber, 20mg GAE/100g) or maize-oat flour base (3.2g/100g fiber, 20mg GAE/100g) without olive pomace fractions. Addition of olive pomace fractions reduced the die pressure and specific mechanical energy during extrusion and resulted in lower radial expansion in the extruded product. The impact of the addition of olive pomace fraction on physical characteristics of the extruded product is higher for rice-oat flour base than maize-oat flour base. The underlining mechanism was explained by FTIR analysis. FTIR showed that there were significant changes in the carbohydrate components and the structure of the proteins on extrusion, with consequent effects on the expansion and density of the extruded product. This study showed the feasibility of preparing fiber and polyphenol enriched extruded products by incorporation of olive pomace. This shows the potential of recovery and diversion of edible components from waste streams of olive oil processing for formulation of extruded products. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Acute effects of a wild green-oat (Avena sativa) extract on cognitive function in middle-aged adults: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects trial.

    PubMed

    Kennedy, David O; Jackson, Philippa A; Forster, Joanne; Khan, Julie; Grothe, Torsten; Perrinjaquet-Moccetti, Tania; Haskell-Ramsay, Crystal F

    2017-02-01

    A wild green-oats extract (Neuravena ® ) containing a range of potentially bioactive components, including flavonoids and triterpene saponins, has previously been shown to enhance animal stress responses and memory, and improve cognitive performance in humans at a dose of 1600 mg. Methods This double-blind, placebo-controlled, counterbalanced cross-over study assessed the effects of single doses of the green-oat extract (GOE) across a broad range of cognitive domains in healthy adults aged 40-65 years who self-reported that they felt that their memory had declined with age. Participants attended on six occasions, receiving a single dose of either placebo, 800, or 1600 mg GOE on each occasion, with the counterbalanced order of treatments repeated twice for each participant. Cognitive function was assessed with a range of computerized tasks measuring attention, spatial/working/episodic memory, and executive function pre-dose and at 1, 2.5, 4, and 6 hours post-dose. Results The results showed that 800mg GOE increased the speed of performance across post-dose assessments on a global measure including data from all of the timed tasks. It also improved performance of a delayed word recall task in terms of errors and an executive function task (Peg and Ball) in terms of decreased thinking time and overall completion time. Working memory span (Corsi blocks) was also increased, but only on the second occasion that this dose was taken. Discussion These results confirm the acute cognitive effects of GOE seen in previous research, and suggest that the optimal dose lies at or below 800 mg.

  9. The Oat Newsletter: where we've been and where we're going

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The first Oat Newsletter was published by the National Oat Conference in 1950. It was published once a year and mailed out to “oat workers” only. The newsletter was designed to supplement the Uniform Nursery reports by providing short research updates, meeting information, community information,...

  10. Avenanthramide-enriched oats have an anti-inflammatory action: a pilot clinical trial

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Regular consumption of oats has been shown to benefit heart health by lowering serum lipids in humans, an effect mediated primarily via beta-glucan. Other components of oats, including the polyphenolic avenanthramides (AV), may also contribute to reducing the risk of atherogenesis. In vivo, oat AV e...

  11. Analysis of genetic diversity using SNP markers in oat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A large-scale single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery was carried out in cultivated oat using Roche 454 sequencing methods. DNA sequences were generated from cDNAs originating from a panel of 20 diverse oat cultivars, and from Diversity Array Technology (DArT) genomic complexity reductions fr...

  12. Functional Properties of a High Protein Beverage Stabilized with Oat-β-Glucan.

    PubMed

    Vasquez-Orejarena, Eva; Simons, Christopher T; Litchfield, John H; Alvarez, Valente B

    2018-05-01

    This study evaluated the effect of oat flour and milk protein on the functional properties and sensory acceptability of shelf stable high protein dairy beverages containing at least 0.75 g of oat-β-glucan per serving size. Formulations adjusted to levels of 1.50% to 2.30% oat flour and 2.50% to 4.00% milk protein isolate (MPI) were thermal processed in a rotary retort. The finished product exhibited good suspension stability (>80%). The increase of oat and MPI contents lead to nectar-like beverages (51 to 100 mPas). However, oat flour was the component showing the highest effect on the viscosity coefficient values of the beverages. Sensory evaluation indicated that formulations with less than 1.9% oat flour and 2.5% MPI (thin liquid, <50 mPas) were the most accepted. Mouthfeel (perceived thickness), sweetness and aftertaste had the most influence on overall liking of the beverages. Overall, this study comprises the development of a functional food product. Supplementation of beverages with fiber from oats is an innovative approach to stabilize high protein beverages. Ready to drink protein beverage formulations use gums to stabilize the product and provide a desirable mouthfeel. The levels of oat-β-glucan used in the beverage increased the thickness and meet the requirement of the FDA approved health claim for reduction of the cardiovascular disease risk (21 CFR 101.81). © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

  13. Identification and molecular characterization of oat peptides implicated on coeliac immune response

    PubMed Central

    Comino, Isabel; Bernardo, David; Bancel, Emmanuelle; Moreno, María de Lourdes; Sánchez, Borja; Barro, Francisco; Šuligoj, Tanja; Ciclitira, Paul J.; Cebolla, Ángel; Knight, Stella C.; Branlard, Gérard; Sousa, Carolina

    2016-01-01

    Background Oats provide important nutritional and pharmacological properties, although their safety in coeliac patients remains controversial. Previous studies have confirmed that the reactivity of the anti-33-mer monoclonal antibody with different oat varieties is proportional to the immune responses in terms of T-cell proliferation. Although the impact of these varieties on the adaptive response has been studied, the role of the dendritic cells (DC) is still poorly understood. The aim of this study is to characterize different oat fractions and to study their effect on DC from coeliac patients. Methods and results Protein fractions were isolated from oat grains and analyzed by SDS–PAGE. Several proteins were characterized in the prolamin fraction using immunological and proteomic tools, and by Nano-LC-MS/MS. These proteins, analogous to α- and γ-gliadin-like, showed reactive sequences to anti-33-mer antibody suggesting their immunogenic potential. That was further confirmed as some of the newly identified oat peptides had a differential stimulatory capacity on circulating DC from coeliac patients compared with healthy controls. Conclusions This is the first time, to our knowledge, where newly identified oat peptides have been shown to elicit a differential stimulatory capacity on circulating DC obtained from coeliac patients, potentially identifying immunogenic properties of these oat peptides. PMID:26853779

  14. Transcriptome analysis of hexaploid hulless oat in response to salinity stress

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Bin; Hu, Yani; Huo, Pengjie; Zhang, Qian; Chen, Xin; Zhang, Zongwen

    2017-01-01

    Background Oat is a cereal crop of global importance used for food, feed, and forage. Understanding salinity stress tolerance mechanisms in plants is an important step towards generating crop varieties that can cope with environmental stresses. To date, little is known about the salt tolerance of oat at the molecular level. To better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying salt tolerance in oat, we investigated the transcriptomes of control and salt-treated oat using RNA-Seq. Results Using Illumina HiSeq 4000 platform, we generated 72,291,032 and 356,891,432 reads from non-stressed control and salt-stressed oat, respectively. Assembly of 64 Gb raw sequence data yielded 128,414 putative unique transcripts with an average length of 1,189 bp. Analysis of the assembled unigenes from the salt stressed and control libraries indicated that about 65,000 unigenes were differentially expressed at different stages. Functional annotation showed that ABC transporters, plant hormone signal transduction, plant-pathogen interactions, starch and sucrose metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, and other secondary metabolite pathways were enriched under salt stress. Based on the RPKM values of assembled unigenes, 24 differentially expressed genes under salt stress were selected for quantitative RT-PCR validation, which successfully confirmed the results of RNA-Seq. Furthermore, we identified 18,039 simple sequence repeats, which may help further elucidate salt tolerance mechanisms in oat. Conclusions Our global survey of transcriptome profiles of oat plants in response to salt stress provides useful insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying salt tolerance in this crop. These findings also represent a rich resource for further analysis of salt tolerance and for breeding oat with improved salt tolerance through the use of salt-related genes. PMID:28192458

  15. Expression profiling and cross-species RNA interference (RNAi) of desiccation-induced transcripts in the anhydrobiotic nematode Aphelenchus avenae

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Some organisms can survive extreme desiccation by entering a state of suspended animation known as anhydrobiosis. The free-living mycophagous nematode Aphelenchus avenae can be induced to enter anhydrobiosis by pre-exposure to moderate reductions in relative humidity (RH) prior to extreme desiccation. This preconditioning phase is thought to allow modification of the transcriptome by activation of genes required for desiccation tolerance. Results To identify such genes, a panel of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) enriched for sequences upregulated in A. avenae during preconditioning was created. A subset of 30 genes with significant matches in databases, together with a number of apparently novel sequences, were chosen for further study. Several of the recognisable genes are associated with water stress, encoding, for example, two new hydrophilic proteins related to the late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) protein family. Expression studies confirmed EST panel members to be upregulated by evaporative water loss, and the majority of genes was also induced by osmotic stress and cold, but rather fewer by heat. We attempted to use RNA interference (RNAi) to demonstrate the importance of this gene set for anhydrobiosis, but found A. avenae to be recalcitrant with the techniques used. Instead, therefore, we developed a cross-species RNAi procedure using A. avenae sequences in another anhydrobiotic nematode, Panagrolaimus superbus, which is amenable to gene silencing. Of 20 A. avenae ESTs screened, a significant reduction in survival of desiccation in treated P. superbus populations was observed with two sequences, one of which was novel, while the other encoded a glutathione peroxidase. To confirm a role for glutathione peroxidases in anhydrobiosis, RNAi with cognate sequences from P. superbus was performed and was also shown to reduce desiccation tolerance in this species. Conclusions This study has identified and characterised the expression profiles of members

  16. Elevated CO2 changes interspecific competition among three species of wheat aphids: Sitobion avenae, Rhopalosiphum padi, and Schizaphis graminum.

    PubMed

    Sun, Yu Cheng; Chen, Fa Jun; Ge, Feng

    2009-02-01

    Effects of elevated CO2 (twice ambient) on the interspecific competition among three species of wheat aphids (Sitobion avenae, Rhopalosiphum padi, and Schizaphis graminum) and on wheat-aphid interactions were studied. Wheat plants had higher biomass and yield and lower water and nitrogen content of grain when grown under elevated CO2 than under ambient CO2; levels of condensed tannins, total phenols, and total nonstructural carbohydrates were also higher in wheat ears under elevated CO2. Compared with ambient CO2, elevated CO2 increased the abundance of R. padi when introduced solely but reduced its abundance when S. avenae was also present. The spatial distribution of wheat aphids was apparently influenced by CO2 levels, with significantly more S. avenae on ears and a more even distribution of R. padi on wheat plants under elevated CO2 versus ambient CO2. Elevated CO2 did not affect the abundance and spatial distribution of S. graminus when inoculated solely. Moreover, when S. avenae was present with either R. padi or S. graminum, spatial niche overlap was significantly decreased with elevated CO2. When three species co-occurred, elevated CO2 reduced spatial niche overlap between S. avenae and S. graminum and between R. padi and S. graminum. Our results suggest that increases in atmospheric CO2 would alleviate interspecific competition for these cases, which would accentuate the abundance of and the damage caused by these wheat aphids.

  17. Gene Expression of Type VI Secretion System Associated with Environmental Survival in Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae by Principle Component Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Cui, Zhouqi; Jin, Guoqiang; Li, Bin; Kakar, Kaleem Ullah; Ojaghian, Mohammad Reza; Wang, Yangli; Xie, Guanlin; Sun, Guochang

    2015-01-01

    Valine glycine repeat G (VgrG) proteins are regarded as one of two effectors of Type VI secretion system (T6SS) which is a complex multi-component secretion system. In this study, potential biological roles of T6SS structural and VgrG genes in a rice bacterial pathogen, Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) RS-1, were evaluated under seven stress conditions using principle component analysis of gene expression. The results showed that growth of the pathogen was reduced by H2O2 and paraquat-induced oxidative stress, high salt, low temperature, and vgrG mutation, compared to the control. However, pathogen growth was unaffected by co-culture with a rice rhizobacterium Burkholderia seminalis R456. In addition, expression of 14 T6SS structural and eight vgrG genes was significantly changed under seven conditions. Among different stress conditions, high salt, and low temperature showed a higher effect on the expression of T6SS gene compared with host infection and other environmental conditions. As a first report, this study revealed an association of T6SS gene expression of the pathogen with the host infection, gene mutation, and some common environmental stresses. The results of this research can increase understanding of the biological function of T6SS in this economically-important pathogen of rice. PMID:26378528

  18. Avenanthramides, unique polyphenols of oats with potential health effects

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oats in addition to being a good source of carbohydrate energy in food and animal feed are considered a grain with several health benefits. It is a grain with a well-accepted healthy heart effect due to its soluble fiber b-glucan content, which reduces blood cholesterol. For a long time, the oat bat...

  19. Physical properties of gluten free sugar cookies containing teff and functional oat products

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Teff-oat composites were developed using gluten free teff flour containing essential 15 amino acids with oat products containing ß-glucan, known for lowering blood cholesterol and improving texture. The teff-oat composites were used in sugar cookies for improving nutritional and physical properties....

  20. Termination of cover crops using rollers/crimpers

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    An integral component of conservation agriculture systems is the use of a high-residue winter cover crop; however, terminating cover crops is an addition expense and planting into high-residue can be a challenge. An experiment was conducted using black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb.), rye (Secale cere...

  1. STRAIGHT-A STUDENTS DISLIKE PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN ADOLESCENCE: MYTH OR TRUTH? THE AVENA, AFINOS AND UP&DOWN STUDIES.

    PubMed

    Cañadas, Laura; Esteban-Cornejo, Irene; Ortega, Francisco B; Gomez-Martinez, Sonia; Casajús, José Antonio; Cabero, María Jesús; Calle, Maria E; Marcos, Ascensión; Veiga, Oscar L; Martinez-Gomez, David

    2015-07-01

    to examine if those adolescents who dislike physical education classes get better results on academic and cognitive performance than their peers. participants included 4 226 adolescents from the AVENA, AFINOS and UP&DOWN studies. Physical education enjoyment was assessed with a 7-point Likert scale. Cognitive performance in the AVENA study was assessed using the Spanish version of the SRA Test of Educational Ability. Academic performance in the AFINOS and UP&DOWN studies was assessed through Mathematics and Language grades and the average of both subjects. in the AVENA study we found differences in verbal ability among girls who dislike physical education and their peers (P = 0.033). In the AFINOS study, boys who dislike physical education had higher scores in Language than their peers (P = 0.024). In the UP&DOWN study girls who disliked physical education had higher scores in Language and in the average of Language and Mathematics than their peers (P < 0.001). in the AVENA and AFINOS studies adolescents who disliked physical education had similar results in cognitive and academic performance than their peers, but in the UP&DOWN study girls who disliked physical education showed higher results in academic performance than their peers. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

  2. Intensive herbicide use has selected for constitutively elevated levels of stress-responsive mRNAs and proteins in multiple herbicide-resistant Avena fatua L.

    PubMed

    Keith, Barbara K; Burns, Erin E; Bothner, Brian; Carey, Charles C; Mazurie, Aurélien J; Hilmer, Jonathan K; Biyiklioglu, Sezgi; Budak, Hikmet; Dyer, William E

    2017-11-01

    Intensive use of herbicides has led to the evolution of two multiple herbicide-resistant (MHR) Avena fatua (wild oat) populations in Montana that are resistant to members of all selective herbicide families available for A. fatua control in US small grain crops. We used transcriptome and proteome surveys to compare constitutive changes in MHR and herbicide-susceptible (HS) plants associated with non-target site resistance. Compared to HS plants, MHR plants contained constitutively elevated levels of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with functions in xenobiotic catabolism, stress response, redox maintenance and transcriptional regulation that are similar to abiotic stress-tolerant phenotypes. Proteome comparisons identified similarly elevated proteins including biosynthetic and multifunctional enzymes in MHR plants. Of 25 DEGs validated by RT-qPCR assay, differential regulation of 21 co-segregated with flucarbazone-sodium herbicide resistance in F 3 families, and a subset of 10 of these were induced or repressed in herbicide-treated HS plants. Although the individual and collective contributions of these DEGs and proteins to MHR remain to be determined, our results support the idea that intensive herbicide use has selected for MHR populations with altered, constitutively regulated patterns of gene expression that are similar to those in abiotic stress-tolerant plants. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  3. Oyster mushroom cultivation with rice and wheat straw.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ruihong; Li, Xiujin; Fadel, J G

    2002-05-01

    Cultivation of the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus sajor-caju, on rice and wheat straw without nutrient supplementation was investigated. The effects of straw size reduction method and particle size, spawn inoculation level, and type of substrate (rice straw versus wheat straw) on mushroom yield, biological efficiency, bioconversion efficiency, and substrate degradation were determined. Two size reduction methods, grinding and chopping, were compared. The ground straw yielded higher mushroom growth rate and yield than the chopped straw. The growth cycles of mushrooms with the ground substrate were five days shorter than with the chopped straw for a similar particle size. However, it was found that when the straw was ground into particles that were too small, the mushroom yield decreased. With the three spawn levels tested (12%, 16% and 18%), the 12% level resulted in significantly lower mushroom yield than the other two levels. Comparing rice straw with wheat straw, rice straw yielded about 10% more mushrooms than wheat straw under the same cultivation conditions. The dry matter loss of the substrate after mushroom growth varied from 30.1% to 44.3%. The straw fiber remaining after fungal utilization was not as degradable as the original straw fiber, indicating that the fungal fermentation did not improve the feed value of the straw.

  4. Shaker Oats: Fortifying Musicality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Semmes, Laurie R.

    2010-01-01

    In this article, the author describes how an experiment in a class she taught called Minority Musics of North America developed into a surprisingly successful and flexible teaching tool known as "Shaker Oats," created to encourage the concepts of ensemble and community. Most music educators in the United States today are familiar with…

  5. 7 CFR 810.1002 - Definition of other terms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ..., rye, safflower, sorghum, soybeans, spelt, sunflower seed, sweet corn, triticale, and wheat. (e) Sieves... seeds. All matter that passes through a 5/64 triangular-hole sieve after sieving according to procedures...-damaged, or otherwise materially damaged. (g) Wild oats. Seeds of Avena fatua L. and A. sterillis L...

  6. 7 CFR 810.1002 - Definition of other terms.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ..., rye, safflower, sorghum, soybeans, spelt, sunflower seed, sweet corn, triticale, and wheat. (e) Sieves... seeds. All matter that passes through a 5/64 triangular-hole sieve after sieving according to procedures...-damaged, or otherwise materially damaged. (g) Wild oats. Seeds of Avena fatua L. and A. sterillis L...

  7. Bioconversion of Straw into Improved Fodder: Preliminary Treatment of Rice Straw Using Mechanical, Chemical and/or Gamma Irradiation

    PubMed Central

    2006-01-01

    Crude protein (CP) content of mechanically ground rice straw into small particles by an electric grinder and reducing value (RV) and soluble protein (SP) in the culture filtrate were lower than that of the chopped straw into 5~6 cm lengths when both ground and chopped straws were fermented with Aspergillus ochraceus, A. terreus or Trichoderma koningii, at steady conditions. The reduction rate of RV, SP and CP was 22.2, 2.4, 7.3%; 9.1, 4.9, 8.5% or 0.0, 0.0, 3.6% for the three fungi, respectively. Chemical pretreatment of straw by soaking in NH4OH for a day caused significant increase in CP of the fermented straw than the other alkali and acidic pretreatments. Gamma irradiation pretreatment of dry and wet straw with water, specially at higher doses, 100, 200 or 500 kGy, caused significant increase in RV and SP as CP in the fermented straw by any of these fungi. Chemical-physical combination pretreatment of rice straw reduced the applied dose of gamma irradiation required for increasing fermentable ability of fungi from 500 kGy to 10 kGy with approximately the same results. Significant increases in RV and SP of fermented straw generally occurred as the dose of gamma irradiation for pretreated straw, which combined with NH4OH, gradually rose. Whereas, the increase percentage in CP of fermented straw that was pretreated by NH4OH-10 kGy was 12.4%, 15.4% or 8.6% for A. ochraceus, A. terreus or T. koningii, respectively. PMID:24039464

  8. Impact of whole grains on the gut microbiota: the next frontier for oats?

    PubMed

    Rose, Devin J

    2014-10-01

    The gut microbiota plays important roles in proper gut function and can contribute to or help prevent disease. Whole grains, including oats, constitute important sources of nutrients for the gut microbiota and contribute to a healthy gut microbiome. In particular, whole grains provide NSP and resistant starch, unsaturated TAG and complex lipids, and phenolics. The composition of these constituents is unique in oats compared with other whole grains. Therefore, oats may contribute distinctive effects on gut health relative to other grains. Studies designed to determine these effects may uncover new human-health benefits of oat consumption.

  9. Ozone suppression of oat crown rust uredia development

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Heagle, A.S.

    1969-01-01

    First foliage leaves of 10-day-old crown rust differential varieties of Avena sativa were inoculated with urediospores of race 264 of Puccinia coronata var. avenae and placed for 16 hr in a mist chamber at 23 C. Infected plants were then placed in two separate chambers at 25C, 80% relative humidity, 3000 ft-c, and a 16-hr photoperiod. Plants in one chamber were exposed to 10 pphm ozone (KI corrected Mast value) for 6 hr daily in the light for 10 days. Plants in the other chamber were not exposed to ozone. Visible ozone injury was restricted to minor flecking. In severalmore » varieties, a slight reddening appeared on inoculated leaves near the end of the experiment. The reaction to rust on ozone-exposed plants of all varieties was resistant, whereas the reaction on nonexposed plants of all differentials except 8, 9, and 10 was susceptible. The level of ozone used in this experiment is often surpassed in rural areas near urban centers, indicating that air pollution can influence rust development in the field.« less

  10. Vulnerability of grain crops and croplands in the Midwest to climatic variability and adaptation strategies

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Maize (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Gylcine max (L.) Merr.) are the dominant grain crops across the Midwest and are grown on 75% of the arable land with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and oats (Avena sativa L.) small but economically important crops. Historically there have been variations in annual yiel...

  11. New DArT markers for oat provide enhanced map coverage and global germplasm characterization

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Genomic discovery in oat and its application to oat improvement have been hindered by a lack of common markers on different genetic maps, and by the difficulty of conducting whole-genome analysis using high throughput markers. In this study we developed, characterized, and applied a large set oat g...

  12. Excretion of Avenanthramides, Phenolic Acids and their Major Metabolites Following Intake of Oat Bran

    PubMed Central

    Schär, Manuel Y.; Corona, Giulia; Soycan, Gulten; Dine, Clemence; Kristek, Angelika; Alsharif, Sarah N. S.; Behrends, Volker; Lovegrove, Alison; Shewry, Peter R.

    2017-01-01

    Scope Wholegrain has been associated with reduced chronic disease mortality, with oat intake particularly notable for lowering blood cholesterol and glycemia. To better understand the complex nutrient profile of oats, we studied urinary excretion of phenolic acids and avenanthramides after ingestion of oat bran in humans. Methods and results After a 2‐d (poly)phenol‐low diet, seven healthy men provided urine 12 h before and 48 h after consuming 60 g oat bran (7.8 μmol avenanthramides, 139.2 μmol phenolic acids) or a phenolic‐low (traces of phenolics) control in a crossover design. Analysis by ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)–MS/MS showed that oat bran intake resulted in an elevation in urinary excretion of 30 phenolics relative to the control, suggesting that they are oat bran‐derived. Mean excretion levels were elevated between 0–2 and 4–8 h, following oat bran intake, and amounted to a total of 33.7 ± 7.3 μmol total excretion (mean recovery: 22.9 ± 5.0%), relative to control. The predominant metabolites included: vanillic acid, 4‐ and 3‐hydroxyhippuric acids, and sulfate‐conjugates of benzoic and ferulic acids, which accounted collectively for two thirds of total excretion. Conclusion Oat bran phenolics follow a relatively rapid urinary excretion, with 30 metabolites excreted within 8 h of intake. These levels of excretion suggest that bound phenolics are, in part, rapidly released by the microbiota. PMID:29024323

  13. Avenanthramide biosynthesis in oat cultivars treated with systemic acquired resistance elicitors

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The synthetic systemic acquired resistance elicitor benzothiadiazole (BTH) has been shown to elicit avenanthramide biosynthesis in the oat cultivar ‘Belle’. This report investigates the response of multiple oat cultivars to BTH as well as 2,6- dichloroisonicotinic acid (INA) at different growth stag...

  14. Application of an in vitro OAT assay in drug design and optimization of renal clearance.

    PubMed

    Soars, Matthew G; Barton, Patrick; Elkin, Lisa L; Mosure, Kathleen W; Sproston, Joanne L; Riley, Robert J

    2014-07-01

    1. Optimization of renal clearance is a complex balance between passive and active processes mediated by renal transporters. This work aimed to characterize the interaction of a series of compounds with rat and human organic anion transporters (OATs) and develop quantitative structure-activity relationships (QSARs) to optimize renal clearance. 2. In vitro inhibition assays were established for human OAT1 and rat Oat3 and rat in vivo renal clearance was obtained. Statistically significant quantitative relationships were explored between the compounds' physical properties, their affinity for OAT1 and oat3 and the inter-relationship with unbound renal clearance (URC) in rat. 3. Many of the compounds were actively secreted and in vitro analysis demonstrated that these were ligands for rat and human OAT transporters (IC50 values ranging from <1 to >100 µM). Application of resultant QSAR models reduced renal clearance in the rat from 24 to <0.1 ml/min/kg. Data analysis indicated that the properties associated with increasing affinity at OATs are the same as those associated with reducing URC but orthogonal in nature. 4. This study has demonstrated that OAT inhibition data and QSAR models can be successfully used to optimize rat renal clearance in vivo and provide confidence of translation to humans.

  15. Altered growth response to exogenous auxin and gibberellic acid by gravistimulation in pulvini of Avena sativa

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brock, T. G.; Kaufman, P. B.

    1988-01-01

    Pulvini of excised segments from oats (Avena sativa L. cv Victory) were treated unilaterally with indoleacetic acid (IAA) or gibberellic acid (GA3) with or without gravistimulation to assess the effect of gravistimulation on hormone action. Optimum pulvinus elongation growth (millimeters) and segment curvature (degrees) over 24 hours were produced by 100 micromolar IAA in vertical segments. The curvature response to IAA at levels greater than 100 micromolar, applied to the lower sides of gravistimulated (90 degrees) pulvini, was significantly less than the response to identical levels in vertical segments. Furthermore, the bending response of pulvini to 100 micromolar IAA did not vary significantly over a range of presentation angles between 0 and 90 degrees. In contrast, the response to IAA at levels less than 10 micromolar, with gravistimulation, was approximately the sum of the responses to gravistimulation alone and to IAA without gravistimulation. This was observed over a range of presentation angles. Also, GA3 (0.3-30 micromolar) applied to the lower sides of horizontal segments significantly enhanced pulvinus growth and segment curvature, although exogenous GA3 over a range of concentrations had no effect on pulvinus elongation growth or segment curvature in vertical segments. The response to GA3 (10 micromolar) plus IAA (1.0 or 100 micromolar) was additive for either vertical or horizontal segments. These results indicate that gravistimulation produces changes in pulvinus responsiveness to both IAA and GA3 and that the changes are unique for each growth regulator. It is suggested that the changes in responsiveness may result from processes at the cellular level other than changes in hormonal sensitivity.

  16. Fusarium mycotoxin content of UK organic and conventional oats.

    PubMed

    Edwards, S G

    2009-07-01

    Every year between 2002 and 2005 approximately 100 samples of oats from fields of known agronomy were analysed by GC/MS for 10 trichothecenes: deoxynivalenol (DON), nivalenol, 3-acetylDON, 15-acetylDON, fusarenone X, T-2 toxin (T2), HT-2 toxin (HT2), diacetoxyscirpenol, neosolaniol and T-2 triol. Samples were also analysed for moniliformin and zearalenone by HPLC. Of the 10 trichothecenes analysed from 458 harvest samples of oat only three, 15-acetylDON, fusarenone X and diacetoxyscirpenol, were not detected. Moniliformin and zearalenone were absent or rarely detected, respectively. HT2 and T2 were the most frequently detected fusarium mycotoxins, present above the limit of quantification (10 microg kg(-1)) in 92 and 84% of samples, respectively, and were usually present at the highest concentrations. The combined mean and median for HT2 and T2 (HT2 + T2) was 570 and 213 microg kg(-1), respectively. There were good correlations between concentrations of HT2 and all other type A trichothecenes detected (T2, T2 triol and neosolaniol). Year and region had a significant effect on HT2 + T2 concentration. There was also a highly significant difference between HT2 + T2 content in organic and conventional samples, with the predicted mean for organic samples five times lower than that of conventional samples. This is the largest difference reported for any mycotoxin level in organic and conventional cereals. No samples exceeded the legal limits for DON or zearalenone in oats intended for human consumption. Legislative limits for HT2 and T2 are currently under consideration by the European Commission. Depending on the limits set for unprocessed oats intended for human consumption, the levels detected here could have serious consequences for the UK oat-processing industry.

  17. Celiac Disease and Gluten-Free Oats: A Canadian Position Based on a Literature Review.

    PubMed

    La Vieille, Sébastien; Pulido, Olga M; Abbott, Michael; Koerner, Terence B; Godefroy, Samuel

    2016-01-01

    This paper provides an overview of the latest scientific data related to the safety of uncontaminated oats (<20 ppm of gluten) in the diet of individuals with celiac disease (CD). It updates the previous Health Canada position posted on the Health Canada website in 2007 and a related paper published in 2009. It considers a number of recent studies published between January 2008 and January 2015. While recognizing that a few people with celiac disease seem to be clinically intolerant to oats, this review concludes that oats uncontaminated by gluten-containing cereals (wheat, rye, and barley) can be safely ingested by most patients with celiac disease and that there is no conclusive evidence that the consumption of uncontaminated or specially produced oats containing no greater than 20 ppm gluten by patients with celiac disease should be limited to a specific daily amount. However, individuals with CD should observe a stabilization phase before introducing uncontaminated oats to the gluten-free diet (GFD). Oats uncontaminated with gluten should only be introduced after all symptoms of celiac disease have resolved and the individual has been on a GFD for a minimum of 6 months. Long-term regular medical follow-up of these patients is recommended but this is no different recommendation to celiac individuals on a GFD without oats.

  18. The Effect of Chemical Systemic Acquired Resistance Elicitors on Oat Avenanthramide Biosynthesis

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Abstract. Oats produce a group of phenolic antioxidants termed “avenanthramides”. These metabolites are, among food crops, unique to oats. They are known to be potent antioxidants and have shown certain desirable nutritional characteristics such as inhibiting atherosclerotic plaque formation and ...

  19. Dietary fiber and satiety: the effects of oats on satiety

    PubMed Central

    O’Neil, Carol E.; Greenway, Frank L.

    2016-01-01

    This review examines the effect of β-glucan, the viscous soluble fiber in oats, on satiety. A literature search for studies that examined delivery of the fiber in whole foods or as an extract was conducted. Viscosity interferes with the peristaltic mixing process in the small intestine to impede digestion and absorption of nutrients, which precipitates satiety signals. From measurements of the physicochemical and rheological properties of β-glucan, it appears that viscosity plays a key role in modulating satiety. However, the lack of standardized methods to measure viscosity and the inherent nature of appetite make it difficult to pinpoint the reasons for inconsistent results of the effects of oats on satiety. Nevertheless, the majority of the evidence suggests that oat β-glucan has a positive effect on perceptions of satiety. PMID:26724486

  20. Studying the Effect of Light Quality on the Size of the Photosystem II Light Harvesting Complex

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muhoz, Romualdo; Quiles, Maria J.

    2003-01-01

    In this article the effect of light quality on the size of the photosystem II (PSII) light harvesting complex (LHCII) is studied by measuring the chlorophyll fluorescence emitted by leaf sections of oat ("Avena sativa," var. Prevision) plants previously treated with either white light or with light filtered through blue, green, red or farred…

  1. Changes in soil microbial community structure influenced by agricultural management practices in a mediterranean agro-ecosystem.

    PubMed

    García-Orenes, Fuensanta; Morugán-Coronado, Alicia; Zornoza, Raul; Cerdà, Artemi; Scow, Kate

    2013-01-01

    Agricultural practices have proven to be unsuitable in many cases, causing considerable reductions in soil quality. Land management practices can provide solutions to this problem and contribute to get a sustainable agriculture model. The main objective of this work was to assess the effect of different agricultural management practices on soil microbial community structure (evaluated as abundance of phospholipid fatty acids, PLFA). Five different treatments were selected, based on the most common practices used by farmers in the study area (eastern Spain): residual herbicides, tillage, tillage with oats and oats straw mulching; these agricultural practices were evaluated against an abandoned land after farming and an adjacent long term wild forest coverage. The results showed a substantial level of differentiation in the microbial community structure, in terms of management practices, which was highly associated with soil organic matter content. Addition of oats straw led to a microbial community structure closer to wild forest coverage soil, associated with increases in organic carbon, microbial biomass and fungal abundances. The microbial community composition of the abandoned agricultural soil was characterised by increases in both fungal abundances and the metabolic quotient (soil respiration per unit of microbial biomass), suggesting an increase in the stability of organic carbon. The ratio of bacteria:fungi was higher in wild forest coverage and land abandoned systems, as well as in the soil treated with oat straw. The most intensively managed soils showed higher abundances of bacteria and actinobacteria. Thus, the application of organic matter, such as oats straw, appears to be a sustainable management practice that enhances organic carbon, microbial biomass and activity and fungal abundances, thereby changing the microbial community structure to one more similar to those observed in soils under wild forest coverage.

  2. [The influence of straw, particularly rice straw, together with calcium-cyanamide on the microbiological activity of two Portuguese soils (author's transl)].

    PubMed

    Glathe, H; El Din, A; Scheuer, A

    1976-01-01

    The influence of calcium-cyanamide upon the microbiological activity was tested in pot experiments under controlled conditions in two Portuguese soils (sandy and loamy) after the addition of rice or wheat straw (rice straw 0.275% N, wheat straw 0.307% N). The amount of straw was equalled to 100 dz/ha, the application of calcium-cyanamide to 25, 50 and 100 kg N/ha. In the containers treated with straw the total amount of microorganisms (Koch-method) was higher in sandy than in loamy soil after 30 days, but after 70 days it was higher in loamy soil. The content of active nitrogen (NH4 + NO3) increased, when calcium-cyanamide was added, but decreased after the application of straw. After 70 days sandy soil again showed an increase of active nitrogen. Straw increased the rates of CO2-production considerably, wheat straw was superior to rice straw. Calcium-cyanamide increased the CO2-production more in sandy than in loamy soil or German loess, which was also used for this experiment. Only in the case of rice straw higher doses of calcium-cyanamide had a positive effect. After 70 days the CO2-production rose only when rice straw was applied. The dehydrogenase-activity was increased in both soils, but a superiority of wheat straw occurred in sandy soil only. The microbiological activity in the pots with straw was higher in sandy than in loamy soil, the addition of calcium-cyanamide accelerated it. Doses of 25-50 kg N/ha are sufficient generally. The period of the formation of insoluble organic N-compounds, usually connected with the application of organic matter with a wide N:C-ratio, seems to be reduced by the addition of calcium-cyanamide.

  3. Compostability and biodegradation study of PLA-wheat straw and PLA-soy straw based green composites in simulated composting bioreactor.

    PubMed

    Pradhan, Ranjan; Misra, Manjusri; Erickson, Larry; Mohanty, Amar

    2010-11-01

    A laboratory scale simulated composting facility (as per ASTM D 5338) was designed and utilized to determine and evaluate the extent of degradation of polylactic acid (PLA), untreated wheat and soy straw and injection moulded composites of PLA-wheat straw (70:30) and PLA-soy straw (70:30). The outcomes of the study revealed the suitability of the test protocol, validity of the test system and defined the compostability of the composites of PLA with unmodified natural substrate. The study would help to design composites using modified soy straw and wheat straw as reinforcement/filler to satisfy ASTM D 6400 specifications. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Cookies elaborated with oat and common bean flours improved serum markers in diabetic rats.

    PubMed

    Pérez-Ramírez, Iza F; Becerril-Ocampo, Laura J; Reynoso-Camacho, Rosalía; Herrera, Mayra D; Guzmán-Maldonado, S Horacio; Cruz-Bravo, Raquel K

    2018-02-01

    Common beans have been associated with anti-diabetic effects, due to its high content of bioactive compounds. Nevertheless, its consumption has decreased worldwide. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in the development of novel functional foods elaborated with common beans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-diabetic effect of oat-bean flour cookies, and to analyze its bioactive composition, using commercial oat-wheat cookies for comparative purposes. Oat-bean cookies (1.2 g kg -1 ) slightly decreased serum glucose levels (∼1.1-fold) and increased insulin levels (∼1.2-fold) in diabetic rats, reducing the hyperglycemic peak in healthy rats (∼1.1-fold). Oat-bean cookies (0.8 and 1.2 g kg -1 ) exerted a greater hypolipidemic effect than commercial oat-wheat cookies (1.2 g kg -1 ), as observed in decreased serum triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Furthermore, the supplementation with 1.2 g kg -1 oat-bean cookies decreased atherogenic index and serum C-reactive protein levels, suggesting their cardioprotective potential. The beneficial effect of oat-bean cookies was associated with their high content of dietary fiber and galacto oligosaccharides, as well as chlorogenic acid, rutin, protocatechuic acid, β-sitosterol and soyasaponins. These results suggest that common beans can be used as functional ingredients for the elaboration of cookies with anti-diabetic effects. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

  5. Bio-composites made from pine straw

    Treesearch

    Cheng Piao; Todd F. Shupe; Chung Y. Hse; Jamie Tang

    2004-01-01

    Pine straw is renewable natural resource that is under-utilized. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical and mechanical performances of pine straw composites. Three panel density levels (0.8, 0.9, 1.0 g/cm2) and two resin content levels (1% pMDI + 4% UF, 2% pMDI + 4% UF) were selected as treatments. For the pine-straw-bamboo-...

  6. The effect of thermo-mechanical processing on physical properties of processed amaranth and oat bran composites

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Amaranth-oat composites were developed using gluten free amaranth flour containing essential amino acids and minerals with oat products containing ß-glucan, known for lowering blood cholesterol. Amaranth flour and oat bran concentrate (OBC) composites (1:4) were processed using different technologie...

  7. Citizen Science: Dune Restoration with Sea Oats by Junior Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Allen, S.

    2016-12-01

    As a crucial part of the dune ecosystem, Sea Oats are a protected species in Florida. They provide excellent habitat for small birds and mammals and prevent dune erosion with their fibrous roots.Citizen science is a research and education tool that involves everyday people in real and meaningful forms of science. My volunteer group, Junior friends of Macarthur Beach State Park, used citizen science to restore dunes by growing and planting Sea Oats. Junior friends is a group of 6-12th grade students whose purpose is to support the park through monthly activities and special events. Junior Friends asked,what is the best way to germinate/grow/and plant Sea Oats to renourish the beach dune. Specifically, what planting medium is most conducive for maximizing growth of Sea Oats? We tested three scenarios: 100% potting soil, 100% sand from the beach, 50% sand-50% potting soil mixture.Using harvested Sea Oat seeds from Macarthur Beach State Park, we separated the seeds from their casings, known as spiklets. We then monitored the plant's weekly over the course of 14 weeks and charted their growth. All the seeds had similar growth rates, but the seeds that grew in 100% potting soil consistently grew the tallest. The second tallest Sea Oats were 100% sand; the 50% sand-50% potting soil mixture produced the least amount of growth. When seedlings reached their desired growth of 6-8 inches and established a root ball, we planted the Sea Oats on the dune for restoration. After planting them,we monitored the growth of the Sea Oats on the MacArthur Beach dune throughout the rest of the year, charting the height of the planted Sea Oats. Using Citizen science we had meaningful data that helped us have a better understanding of restoring Sea Oats on Florida dunes and will help further future restorations.

  8. Bioconversion of straw into improved fodder: fungal flora decomposing rice straw.

    PubMed

    Helal, G A

    2005-09-01

    The fungal flora decomposing rice straw were investigated all over the soil of Sharkia Province, east of Nile Delta, Egypt, using the nylon net bag technique. Sixty-four straw-decomposing species belonging to 30 genera were isolated by the dilution plate method in ground rice straw-Czapek's agar medium at pH 6. The plates were incubated separately at 5℃, 25℃ and 45℃, respectively. Twenty nine species belonging to 14 genera were isolated at 5℃. The most frequent genus was Penicillium (seven species), and the next frequent genera were Acremonium (three species), Fusarium (three species), Alternaria, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Mucor, Stachybotrys (two species) and Rhizopus stolonifer. At 25℃, 47 species belonging to 24 genera were isolated. The most frequent genus was Aspergillus (nine species), and the next frequent genera were ranked by Penicillium (five species), Chaetomium (three species), Fusarium (three species). Each of Alternaria, Cladosporium, Mucor, Myrothecium and Trichoderma was represented by two species. At 45℃, 15 species belonging to seven genera were isolated. These were seven species of Aspergillus, two species of Chaetomium and two species of Emericella, while Humicola, Malbranchea, Rhizomucor and Talaromyces were represented by one species respectively. The total counts of fungi the genera, and species per gram of dry straw were significantly affected by incubation temperature and soil analysis (P < 0.05).

  9. Production and nitrogen-use efficiency of oat forage receiving slurry or urea

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Recently, several research projects have evaluated fall-grown oat for use as emergency fall forage throughout the north-central US; however, using fall-grown oat in cropping programs also allows the practical benefit of summer manure distribution that is completely de-coupled from corn production. ‘...

  10. Photoinhibition of Photosystems I and II Using Chlorophyll Fluorescence Measurements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quiles, Maria Jose

    2005-01-01

    In this study the photoinhibition of photosystems (PS) I and II caused by exposure to high intensity light in oat ("Avena sativa," var Prevision) is measured by the emission of chlorophyll fluorescence in intact leaves adapted to darkness. The maximal quantum yield of PS II was lower in plants grown under high light intensity than in plants grown…

  11. Comparative Properties of Bamboo and Rice Straw Pellets

    Treesearch

    Xianmiao Liu; Zhijia Liu; Benhua Fei; Zhiyong Cai; Zehui Jiang; Xing' e Liu

    2013-01-01

    Bamboo is a potential major bio-energy resource. Tests were carried out to compare and evaluate the property of bamboo and rice straw pellets, rice straw being the other main source of biomass solid fuel in China. All physical properties of untreated bamboo pellets (UBP), untreated rice straw pellets (URP), carbonized bamboo pellets (CBP), and carbonized rice straw...

  12. Rice straw as a feedstock for biofuels: Availability, recalcitrance, and chemical properties: Rice straw as a feedstock for biofuels

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Satlewal, Alok; Agrawal, Ruchi; Bhagia, Samarthya

    The surplus availability of rice straw, its limited usage and environment pollution caused by inefficient burning has fostered research for its valorization to biofuels. This review elucidates the current status of rice straw potential around the globe along with recent advances in revealing the critical factors responsible for its recalcitrance and chemical properties. The role and accumulation of high silica content in rice straw has been elucidated with its impact on enzymatic hydrolysis in a biorefinery environment. The correlation of different pretreatment approaches in modifying the physiochemical properties of rice straw and improving the enzymatic accessibility has also been discussed.more » This study highlights new challenges, resolutions and opportunities for rice straw based biorefineries.« less

  13. Discriminating oat and groat kernels from other grains using near infrared spectroscopy

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oat and groats can be discriminated from other grains such as barley, wheat, rye, and triticale (non-oats) using near infrared spectroscopy. The two instruments tested were the manual version of the ARS-USDA Single Kernel Near Infrared (SKNIR) and the automated QualySense QSorter Explorer high-speed...

  14. Natural cellulose fibers from soybean straw.

    PubMed

    Reddy, Narendra; Yang, Yiqi

    2009-07-01

    This paper reports the development of natural cellulose technical fibers from soybean straw with properties similar to the natural cellulose fibers in current use. About 220 million tons of soybean straw available in the world every year could complement the byproducts of other major food crops as inexpensive, abundant and annually renewable sources for natural cellulose fibers. Using the agricultural byproducts as sources for fibers could help to address the concerns on the future price and availability of both the natural and synthetic fibers in current use and also help to add value to the food crops. A simple alkaline extraction was used to obtain technical fibers from soybean straw and the composition, structure and properties of the fibers was studied. Technical fibers obtained from soybean straw have high cellulose content (85%) but low% crystallinity (47%). The technical fibers have breaking tenacity (2.7 g/den) and breaking elongation (3.9%) higher than those of fibers obtained from wheat straw and sorghum stalk and leaves but lower than that of cotton. Overall, the structure and properties of the technical fibers obtained from soybean straw indicates that the fibers could be suitable for use in textile, composite and other industrial applications.

  15. Genetic progress in oat associated with fungicide use in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

    PubMed

    Follmann, D N; Cargnelutti Filho, A; Lúcio, A D; de Souza, V Q; Caraffa, M; Wartha, C A

    2016-12-19

    The State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS) is the largest producer of oat in Brazil with the aid of consolidated breeding programs, which are constantly releasing new cultivars. The main objectives of this study were to: 1) evaluate the annual genetic progress in grain yield and hectoliter weight of the oat cultivars in RS, with and without fungicide use on aerial parts of plants; and 2) evaluate the efficiency of oat breeding programs in introducing disease-resistant genes in the released cultivars through network yield trials conducted with and without fungicide use on aerial plant parts. The data on grain yield and hectoliter weight were obtained from 89 competition field trials of oat cultivars carried out from 2007 to 2014 in nine municipalities of RS. Of the total 89 trials, 44 were carried out with fungicide application on aerial plant parts and 45 were carried out without fungicide application. The annual genetic progress in oat cultivars was studied using the methodology proposed by Vencovsky (1988). The annual genetic progress in oat grain yield was 1.02% with fungicide use and 4.02% without fungicide use during the eight-year study period in RS. The annual genetic progress with respect to the hectoliter weight was 0.08% for trials with fungicide use and 0.71% for trials without fungicide use. Performing network yield trials with and without fungicide use on the aerial plants parts is a feasible method to evaluate the efficiency of oat breeding programs in introducing disease-resistant genes in the released cultivars.

  16. Gravitropism and phototropism of oat coleoptiles: post-tropic autostraightening and tissue shrinkage during tropism.

    PubMed

    Tarui, Y; Iino, M

    1999-01-01

    We measured changes in length on the two opposite sides of the red-light-grown oat (Avena sativa L.) coleoptiles subjected to either gravitropic or phototropic stimulation and subsequently rotated on a horizontal clinostat. The length measurement was conducted using three 5 mm-long zones delimited by ink markers from the tip. Curvature of each zone was analyzed from the length difference between the two sides. Gravitropism was induced by displacing the seedling from the vertical by 30 degrees or 90 degrees for 25 min. Phototropism was induced by exposing the coleoptile to unilateral blue light for 30 s, which provided a fluence (1.0 micromoles m-2) optimal for the pulse-induced positive phototropism or a lower, suboptimal fluence (0.03 micromoles m-2). After negatively gravitropic bending, the upper two zones straightened rapidly at either displacement angle. After positively phototropic bending, straightening occurred, but only in the top zone and at the lower fluence. The upper two zones straightened rapidly, however, when bilateral blue light (30 s; 15 micromoles m-2 from either direction) was applied 25 min after unilateral stimulation at the higher fluence. Bilateral blue light alone induced no curvature. These results confirm that the straightening of gravitropically bent coleoptiles is autonomic, and suggest that a similar autonomic response participates in the straightening of phototropically bent coleoptiles. Suppression of elongation on the concave side of the coleoptile mainly accounted for gravitropic and phototropic curvatures. The concave side of the top zone shrank during both tropisms. This shrinkage progressed at a high rate from the beginning of curvature response, suggesting that a drop in turgor pressure is the main and direct cause of the shrinkage.

  17. The Gluten-Free Diet: Can Oats and Wheat Starch Be Part of It?

    PubMed

    Poley, J Rainer

    2017-01-01

    Objective and Conclusion: Uncertainty still exists about the use of oats and wheat starch as part of a gluten-free diet in patients with celiac disease (CD). This review should help to clarify the issues at hand. Whereas uncontaminated (from gluten/gliadin) oats and oats from cultivars not containing celiac-activating sequences of proline and glutamine can be used without risk of intestinal damage, wheat starch should not be used, unless it is free of gluten-that is, deglutinized-because even small amounts of gluten over time are able to induce small intestinal mucosal damage.

  18. Partition coefficient of cadmium between organic soils and bean and oat plants

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Siddqui, M.F.R.; Courchesne, F.; Kennedy, G.

    Environmental fate models require the partition coefficient data of contaminants among two or more environmental compartments. The bioaccumulation of cadmium (Cd) by bean and oat plants grown on organic soils in a controlled growth chamber was investigated to validate the plant/soil partition coefficient. Total Cd was measured in the soils and in the different parts of the plants. The mean total Cd concentrations for soil cultivated with beans and oats were 0.86 and 0.69 {micro}g/g, respectively. Selective extractants (BaCl{sub 2}, Na-pyrophosphate and HNO{sub 3}-hydroxy) were used to evaluate solid phase Cd species in the soil. In the soil cultivated withmore » bean, BaCl{sub 2} exchangeable, Na-pyrophosphate extractable and HNO{sub 3}-NH{sub 2}OH extractable Cd represented 1.2, 1.6 and 50.9% of total soil Cd, respectively. For the soil cultivated with oats, the same extractants gave values of 1.1, 1.8 and 61.9%. Cd concentration levels in bean plants followed the sequence roots > fruits = stems > leaves (p < 0.01) while the following sequence was observed for oat plants: roots > fruits > stems > leaves (p < 0.05). The partition coefficient for total Cd (Cd{sub Plant tissue}/Cd{sub Soil}) was in the range of 0.28--0.55 for bean plants and 1.03--1.86 for oat plants.« less

  19. Manufacturing and process optimization of porous rice straw board

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Dejun; Dong, Bing; Bai, Xuewei; Gao, Wei; Gong, Yuanjuan

    2018-03-01

    Development and utilization of straw resources and the production of straw board can dramatically reduce straw waste and environmental pollution associated with straw burning in China. However, the straw board production faces several challenges, such as improving the physical and mechanical properties, as well as eliminating its formaldehyde content. The recent research was to develop a new straw board compound adhesive containing both inorganic (MgSO4, MgCO3, active silicon and ALSiO4) and organic (bean gum and modified Methyl DiphenylDiisocyanate, MDI) gelling materials, to devise a new high frequency straw board hot pressing technique and to optimize the straw board production parameters. The results indicated that the key hot pressing parameters leading to porous straw board with optimal physical and mechanical properties. These parameters are as follows: an adhesive containing a 4:1 ratio of inorganic-to-organic gelled material, the percentage of adhesive in the total mass of preload straw materials is 40%, a hot-pressing temperature in the range of 120 °C to 140 °C, and a high frequency hot pressing for 10 times at a pressure of 30 MPa. Finally, the present work demonstrated that porous straw board fabricated under optimal manufacturing condition is an environmentally friendly and renewable materials, thereby meeting national standard of medium density fiberboard (MDF) with potential applications in the building industry.

  20. Fungal diversity of rice straw for meju fermentation.

    PubMed

    Kim, Dae-Ho; Kim, Seon-Hwa; Kwon, Soon-Wo; Lee, Jong-Kyu; Hong, Seung-Beom

    2013-12-01

    Rice straw is closely associated with meju fermentation and it is generally known that the rice straw provides meju with many kinds of microorganisms. In order to elucidate the origin of meju fungi, the fungal diversity of rice straw was examined. Rice straw was collected from 12 Jang factories where meju are produced, and were incubated under nine different conditions by altering the media (MEA, DRBC, and DG18), and temperature (15°C, 25°C, and 35°C). In total, 937 strains were isolated and identified as belonging to 39 genera and 103 species. Among these, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Eurotium, Fusarium, and Penicillium were the dominant genera. Fusarium asiaticum (56.3%), Cladosporium cladosporioides (48.6%), Aspergillus tubingensis (37.5%), A. oryzae (31.9%), Eurotium repens (27.1%), and E. chevalieri (25.0%) were frequently isolated from the rice straw obtained from many factories. Twelve genera and 40 species of fungi that were isolated in the rice straw in this study were also isolated from meju. Specifically, A. oryzae, C. cladosporioides, E. chevalieri, E. repens, F. asiaticum, and Penicillium polonicum (11.8%), which are abundant species in meju, were also isolated frequently from rice straw. C. cladosporioides, F. asiaticum, and P. polonicum, which are abundant in the low temperature fermentation process of meju fermentation, were frequently isolated from rice straw incubated at 15°C and 25°C, whereas A. oryzae, E. repens, and E. chevalieri, which are abundant in the high temperature fermentation process of meju fermentation, were frequently isolated from rice straw incubated at 25°C and 35°C. This suggests that the mycobiota of rice straw has a large influence in the mycobiota of meju. The influence of fungi on the rice straw as feed and silage for livestock, and as plant pathogens for rice, are discussed as well.

  1. Reduction of lipid oxidation by formation of caseinate-oil-oat gum emulsions

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The concentration of oat gum, though important for formation of stable emulsion, has no effect on oxidation of Omega 3 oil; this is most prominent in fish-oil based Omega 3 oil. The optimal concentration of oat gum is about 0.2% wt for emulsion stability and visual appearance. We found that concentr...

  2. Functional response of Hippodamia convergens to Sitobion avenae on wheat plants in the laboratory

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    We investigated predation by adult convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, on English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae L., on wheat, Triticum aestivum L., plants in a laboratory arena and developed a functional response model for the number of aphids eaten by an adult female conv...

  3. Coproduction of xylose, lignosulfonate and ethanol from wheat straw.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Shengdong; Huang, Wangxiang; Huang, Wenjing; Wang, Ke; Chen, Qiming; Wu, Yuanxin

    2015-06-01

    A novel integrated process to coproduce xylose, lignosulfonate and ethanol from wheat straw was investigated. Firstly, wheat straw was treated by dilute sulfuric acid and xylose was recovered from its hydrolyzate. Its optimal conditions were 1.0wt% sulfuric acid, 10% (w/v) wheat straw loading, 100°C, and 2h. Then the acid treated wheat straw was treated by sulfomethylation reagent and its hydrolyzate containing lignosulfonate was directly recovered. Its optimal conditions were 150°C, 15% (w/v) acid treated wheat straw loading, and 5h. Finally, the two-step treated wheat straw was converted to ethanol through enzymatic hydrolysis and microbial fermentation. Under optimal conditions, 1kg wheat straw could produce 0.225kg xylose with 95% purity, 4.16kg hydrolyzate of sulfomethylation treatment containing 5.5% lignosulfonate, 0.183kg ethanol and 0.05kg lignin residue. Compared to present technology, this process is a potential economically profitable wheat straw biorefinery. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Oat consumption reduced intestinal fat deposition and improved health span in Caenorhabditis elegans model

    PubMed Central

    Gao, Chenfei; Gao, Zhanguo; Greenway, Frank L.; Burton, Jeffrey H.; Johnson, William D.; Keenan, Michael J.; Enright, Frederick M.; Martin, Roy J.; Chu, YiFang; Zheng, Jolene

    2015-01-01

    In addition to their fermentable dietary fiber and the soluble β-glucan fiber, oats have unique avenanthramides that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that reduce coronary heart disease in human clinical trials. We hypothesized that oat consumption will increase insulin sensitivity, reduce body fat, and improve health span in Caenorhabditis elegans through a mechanism involving the daf-2 gene, which codes for the insulin/insulin-like growth factor-1–like receptor, and that hyperglycemia will attenuate these changes. Caenorhabditis elegans wild type (N2) and the null strains sir-2.1, daf-16, and daf-16/daf-2 were fed Escherichia coli (OP50) and oat flakes (0.5%, 1.0%, or 3%) with and without 2% glucose. Oat feeding decreased intestinal fat deposition in N2, daf-16, or daf-16/daf-2 strains (P < .05); and glucose did not affect intestinal fat deposition response. The N2, daf-16, or sir-2.1 mutant increased the pharyngeal pumping rate (P < .05), a surrogate marker of life span, following oat consumption. Oat consumption increased ckr-1, gcy-8, cpt-1, and cpt-2 mRNA expression in both the N2 and the sir-2.1 mutant, with significantly higher expression in sir-2.1 than in N2 (P < .01). Additional glucose further increased expression 1.5-fold of the 4 genes in N2 (P < .01), decreased the expression of all except cpt-1 in the daf-16 mutant, and reduced mRNA expression of the 4 genes in the daf-16/daf-2 mutant (P < .01). These data suggest that oat consumption reduced fat storage and increased ckr-1, gcy-8, cpt-1, or cpt-2 through the sir-2.1 genetic pathway. Oat consumption may be a beneficial dietary intervention for reducing fat accumulation, augmenting health span, and improving hyperglycemia-impaired lipid metabolism. PMID:26253816

  5. Cryopreservation of boar semen in mini- and maxi-straws.

    PubMed

    Bwanga, C O; de Braganca, M M; Einarsson, S; Rodriguez-Martinez, H

    1990-10-01

    Split ejaculates from four boars were frozen with a programmable freezing machine, in mini- (0.25 ml) and maxi- (5 ml) plastic straws with an extender at either acidic (6.3) or alkaline (7.4) pH. Glycerol (3%) was used as cryoprotectant. The freezing of the semen was monitored by way of thermocouples placed in the straws. Post-thaw motility and acrosome integrity were evaluated; the latter using phase contrast microscopy, eosin-nigrosin stain and electron microscopy. Post-thaw sperm motility was significantly higher when semen was frozen in mini-straws than in maxi-straws. For the mini-straws, the motility was better when semen was exposed to an acidic environment during freezing, but this beneficial effect of the low extracellular pH was not evident when maxi-straws were thawed. The motility of the spermatozoa diminished significantly during the thermoresistance test (0 h and 2 h time) at 37 degrees C in a similar way for both straws and extracellular pH's. The freezing procedure, no matter the extracellular pH, did not cause major acrosomal damages, but significantly more normal apical ridges were present in the mini-straws than in the maxi-straws. This in vitro evaluation indicated that the freezing method employed was better for mini- than for maxi-straws since the freezing of the 5 ml volumes was not homogeneous, due to the large section area between the surface and the core of the straw.

  6. Processing of oats and the impact of processing operations on nutrition and health benefits.

    PubMed

    Decker, Eric A; Rose, Devin J; Stewart, Derek

    2014-10-01

    Oats are a uniquely nutritious food as they contain an excellent lipid profile and high amounts of soluble fibre. However, an oat kernel is largely non-digestible and thus must be utilised in milled form to reap its nutritional benefits. Milling is made up of numerous steps, the most important being dehulling to expose the digestible groat, heat processing to inactivate enzymes that cause rancidity, and cutting, rolling or grinding to convert the groat into a product that can be used directly in oatmeal or can be used as a food ingredient in products such as bread, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals and snack bars. Oats can also be processed into oat bran and fibre to obtain high-fibre-containing fractions that can be used in a variety of food products.

  7. Dietary fiber and satiety: the effects of oats on satiety.

    PubMed

    Rebello, Candida J; O'Neil, Carol E; Greenway, Frank L

    2016-02-01

    This review examines the effect of β-glucan, the viscous soluble fiber in oats, on satiety. A literature search for studies that examined delivery of the fiber in whole foods or as an extract was conducted. Viscosity interferes with the peristaltic mixing process in the small intestine to impede digestion and absorption of nutrients, which precipitates satiety signals. From measurements of the physicochemical and rheological properties of β-glucan, it appears that viscosity plays a key role in modulating satiety. However, the lack of standardized methods to measure viscosity and the inherent nature of appetite make it difficult to pinpoint the reasons for inconsistent results of the effects of oats on satiety. Nevertheless, the majority of the evidence suggests that oat β-glucan has a positive effect on perceptions of satiety. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Life Sciences Institute. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  8. The effect of long or chopped straw on pig behaviour.

    PubMed

    Lahrmann, H P; Oxholm, L C; Steinmetz, H; Nielsen, M B F; D'Eath, R B

    2015-05-01

    In the EU, pigs must have permanent access to manipulable materials such as straw, rope, wood, etc. Long straw can fulfil this function, but can increase labour requirements for cleaning pens, and result in problems with blocked slatted floors and slurry systems. Chopped straw might be more practical, but what is the effect on pigs' behaviour of using chopped straw instead of long straw? Commercial pigs in 1/3 slatted, 2/3 solid pens of 15 pigs were provided with either 100 g/pig per day of long straw (20 pens) or of chopped straw (19 pens). Behavioural observations were made of three focal pigs per pen (one from each of small, medium and large weight tertiles) for one full day between 0600 and 2300 h at each of ~40 and ~80 kg. The time spent rooting/investigating overall (709 s/pig per hour at 40 kg to 533 s/pig per hour at 80 kg), or directed to the straw/solid floor (497 s/pig per hour at 40 kg to 343 s/pig per hour at 80 kg), was not affected by straw length but reduced with age. Time spent investigating other pigs (83 s/pig per hour at 40 kg), the slatted floor (57 s/pig per hour) or pen fixtures (21 s/pig per hour) was not affected by age or straw length. Aggressive behaviour was infrequent, but lasted about twice as long in pens with chopped straw (2.3 s/pig per hour at 40 kg) compared with pens with long straw (1.0 s/pig per hour at 40 kg, P=0.060). There were no significant effects of straw length on tail or ear lesions, but shoulders were significantly more likely to have minor scratches with chopped straw (P=0.031), which may reflect the higher levels of aggression. Smaller pigs showed more rooting/investigatory behaviour, and in particular directed towards the straw/solid floor and the slatted floor than their larger pen-mates. Females exhibited more straw and pen fixture-directed behaviour than males. There were no effects of pig size or sex on behaviour directed towards other pigs. In summary, pigs spent similar amounts of time interacting with straw

  9. Pharmacokinetics of avenanthramides (AV) from AV-enriched malted oats in healthy older adults

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Avenanthramides (AV) are a unique group of phytochemicals found in oat bran. In vitro studies show both purified AV and concentrated oat AV mixtures have anti-atherogenic and anti-inflammatory activity, suggesting they may have similar effects in vivo if they are sufficiently bioavailable. The bioav...

  10. Effect of integrating straw into agricultural soils on soil infiltration and evaporation.

    PubMed

    Cao, Jiansheng; Liu, Changming; Zhang, Wanjun; Guo, Yunlong

    2012-01-01

    Soil water movement is a critical consideration for crop yield in straw-integrated fields. This study used an indoor soil column experiment to determine soil infiltration and evaporation characteristics in three forms of direct straw-integrated soils (straw mulching, straw mixing and straw inter-layering). Straw mulching is covering the land surface with straw. Straw mixing is mixing straw with the top 10 cm surface soil. Then straw inter-layering is placing straw at the 20 cm soil depth. There are generally good correlations among the mulch integration methods at p < 0.05, and with average errors/biases <10%. Straw mixing exhibited the best effect in terms of soil infiltration, followed by straw mulching. Due to over-burden weight-compaction effect, straw inter-layering somehow retarded soil infiltration. In terms of soil water evaporation, straw mulching exhibited the best effect. This was followed by straw mixing and then straw inter-layering. Straw inter-layering could have a long-lasting positive effect on soil evaporation as it limited the evaporative consumption of deep soil water. The responses of the direct straw integration modes to soil infiltration and evaporation could lay the basis for developing efficient water-conservation strategies. This is especially useful for water-scarce agricultural regions such as the arid/semi-arid regions of China.

  11. Genome-Wide Association Mapping of Crown Rust Resistance in Oat Elite Germplasm.

    PubMed

    Klos, Kathy Esvelt; Yimer, Belayneh A; Babiker, Ebrahiem M; Beattie, Aaron D; Bonman, J Michael; Carson, Martin L; Chong, James; Harrison, Stephen A; Ibrahim, Amir M H; Kolb, Frederic L; McCartney, Curt A; McMullen, Michael; Fetch, Jennifer Mitchell; Mohammadi, Mohsen; Murphy, J Paul; Tinker, Nicholas A

    2017-07-01

    Oat crown rust, caused by f. sp. , is a major constraint to oat ( L.) production in many parts of the world. In this first comprehensive multienvironment genome-wide association map of oat crown rust, we used 2972 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) genotyped on 631 oat lines for association mapping of quantitative trait loci (QTL). Seedling reaction to crown rust in these lines was assessed as infection type (IT) with each of 10 crown rust isolates. Adult plant reaction was assessed in the field in a total of 10 location-years as percentage severity (SV) and as infection reaction (IR) in a 0-to-1 scale. Overall, 29 SNPs on 12 linkage groups were predictive of crown rust reaction in at least one experiment at a genome-wide level of statistical significance. The QTL identified here include those in regions previously shown to be linked with seedling resistance genes , , , , , and and also with adult-plant resistance and adaptation-related QTL. In addition, QTL on linkage groups Mrg03, Mrg08, and Mrg23 were identified in regions not previously associated with crown rust resistance. Evaluation of marker genotypes in a set of crown rust differential lines supported as the identity of . The SNPs with rare alleles associated with lower disease scores may be suitable for use in marker-assisted selection of oat lines for crown rust resistance. Copyright © 2017 Crop Science Society of America.

  12. The effect of replacing fat with oat bran on fatty acid composition and physicochemical properties of meatballs.

    PubMed

    Yılmaz, İsmail; Dağlıoğlu, Orhan

    2003-10-01

    Oat bran was used as a fat substitute in the production of meatballs. The effect of oat bran addition on the fatty acid composition, trans fatty acids, total fat, some physicochemical and sensory properties of the samples was studied. Meatballs were produced with four different formulations; the addition of 5, 10, 15 and 20% oat bran. Control samples were formulated with 25% fat addition as in commercial production. The major fatty acids were cis-oleic, palmitic and stearic acid in all the meatball samples, those with oat bran added as well as the control. Meatballs containing oat bran had lower concentrations of total fat and total trans fatty acids than the control samples. Meatballs made with 20% oat bran had the highest protein, salt and ash contents, L value (lightness), b value (yellowness), and the lowest moisture content and a value (redness). There was no significant difference among the meatball samples with respect to sensory properties, and all samples had high acceptability.

  13. Inhibitory effect of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor etoricoxib on human organic anion transporter 3 (hOAT3).

    PubMed

    Honjo, Hiroaki; Uwai, Yuichi; Iwamoto, Kikuo

    2011-04-01

    It is well known that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) delay the elimination of methotrexate. One of the mechanisms is thought to be inhibition of methotrexate uptake via human organic anion transporter 3 (hOAT3, SLC22A8) in the renal proximal tubule by NSAIDs. In this study, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor etoricoxib on hOAT3 by uptake experiments using Xenopus laevis oocytes. The injection of hOAT3 cRNA stimulated the uptake of methotrexate into the oocytes, and its transport was inhibited by etoricoxib. Etoricoxib inhibited estrone sulfate uptake by hOAT3 dose dependently, and the 50% inhibitory concentration was estimated to be 9.8 µM. Eadie-Hofstee plot analysis showed that etoricoxib inhibited hOAT3 in a competitive manner. These findings show that etoricoxib has inhibitory effect on hOAT3, and that the potential is comparable to that of traditional NSAIDs. ©2011 Bentham Science Publishers Ltd.

  14. Microbial Activity and Silica Degradation in Rice Straw

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Esther Jin-kyung

    Abundantly available agricultural residues like rice straw have the potential to be feedstocks for bioethanol production. Developing optimized conditions for rice straw deconstruction is a key step toward utilizing the biomass to its full potential. One challenge associated with conversion of rice straw to bioenergy is its high silica content as high silica erodes machinery. Another obstacle is the availability of enzymes that hydrolyze polymers in rice straw under industrially relevant conditions. Microbial communities that colonize compost may be a source of enzymes for bioconversion of lignocellulose to products because composting systems operate under thermophilic and high solids conditions that have been shown to be commercially relevant. Compost microbial communities enriched on rice straw could provide insight into a more targeted source of enzymes for the breakdown of rice straw polysaccharides and silica. Because rice straw is low in nitrogen it is important to understand the impact of nitrogen concentrations on the production of enzyme activity by the microbial community. This study aims to address this issue by developing a method to measure microbial silica-degrading activity and measure the effect of nitrogen amendment to rice straw on microbial activity and extracted enzyme activity during a high-solids, thermophilic incubation. An assay was developed to measure silica-degrading enzyme or silicase activity. This process included identifying methods of enzyme extraction from rice straw, identifying a model substrate for the assay, and optimizing measurement techniques. Rice straw incubations were conducted with five different levels of nitrogen added to the biomass. Microbial activity was measured by respiration and enzyme activity. A microbial community analysis was performed to understand the shift in community structure with different treatments. With increased levels of nitrogen, respiration and cellulose and hemicellulose degrading activity

  15. Cellulose fibers extracted from rice and oat husks and their application in hydrogel.

    PubMed

    Oliveira, Jean Paulo de; Bruni, Graziella Pinheiro; Lima, Karina Oliveira; Halal, Shanise Lisie Mello El; Rosa, Gabriela Silveira da; Dias, Alvaro Renato Guerra; Zavareze, Elessandra da Rosa

    2017-04-15

    The commercial cellulose fibers and cellulose fibers extracted from rice and oat husks were analyzed by chemical composition, morphology, functional groups, crystallinity and thermal properties. The cellulose fibers from rice and oat husks were used to produce hydrogels with poly (vinyl alcohol). The fibers presented different structural, crystallinity, and thermal properties, depending on the cellulose source. The hydrogel from rice cellulose fibers had a network structure with a similar agglomeration sponge, with more homogeneous pores compared to the hydrogel from oat cellulose fibers. The hydrogels prepared from the cellulose extracted from rice and oat husks showed water absorption capacity of 141.6-392.1% and high opacity. The highest water absorption capacity and maximum stress the compression were presented by rice cellulose hydrogel at 25°C. These results show that the use of agro-industrial residues is promising for the biomaterial field, especially in the preparation of hydrogels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Pure Oats as Part of the Canadian Gluten-Free Diet in Celiac Disease: The Need to Revisit the Issue

    PubMed Central

    de Souza, M. Cristina P.; Deschênes, Marie-Eve; Laurencelle, Suzanne; Godet, Patrick; Roy, Claude C.; Djilali-Saiah, Idriss

    2016-01-01

    The question about recommending pure, noncontaminated oats as part of the gluten-free diet of patients with celiac disease remains controversial. This might be due to gluten cross contamination and to the possible immunogenicity of some oat cultivars. In view of this controversy, a review of the scientific literature was conducted to highlight the latest findings published between 2008 and 2014 to examine the current knowledge on oats safety and celiac disease in Europe and North America. Results showed that regular oats consumed in Canada are largely contaminated. Overall, the consumption of pure oats has been generally considered to be safe for adults and children. However, it appears that some oat cultivars may trigger an immune response in sensitive individuals. Therefore, further long-term studies on the impact of consumption of oats identifying the cultivar(s) constitute an important step forward for drawing final recommendations. Furthermore, a closer and more accurate monitoring of the dietary intake of noncontaminated oats would be paramount to better determine what its actual contribution in the gluten-free diet of adults and children with celiac disease are in order to draw sound recommendations on the safety of pure oats as part of the gluten-free diet. PMID:27446824

  17. Pure Oats as Part of the Canadian Gluten-Free Diet in Celiac Disease: The Need to Revisit the Issue.

    PubMed

    de Souza, M Cristina P; Deschênes, Marie-Eve; Laurencelle, Suzanne; Godet, Patrick; Roy, Claude C; Djilali-Saiah, Idriss

    2016-01-01

    The question about recommending pure, noncontaminated oats as part of the gluten-free diet of patients with celiac disease remains controversial. This might be due to gluten cross contamination and to the possible immunogenicity of some oat cultivars. In view of this controversy, a review of the scientific literature was conducted to highlight the latest findings published between 2008 and 2014 to examine the current knowledge on oats safety and celiac disease in Europe and North America. Results showed that regular oats consumed in Canada are largely contaminated. Overall, the consumption of pure oats has been generally considered to be safe for adults and children. However, it appears that some oat cultivars may trigger an immune response in sensitive individuals. Therefore, further long-term studies on the impact of consumption of oats identifying the cultivar(s) constitute an important step forward for drawing final recommendations. Furthermore, a closer and more accurate monitoring of the dietary intake of noncontaminated oats would be paramount to better determine what its actual contribution in the gluten-free diet of adults and children with celiac disease are in order to draw sound recommendations on the safety of pure oats as part of the gluten-free diet.

  18. Development of a species-specific PCR assay for differentiation of Heterodera filipjevi and H. avenae

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Heterodera avenae and H. filipjevi are economically important cyst nematodes that restrict production of cereal crops in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) USA and elsewhere in the world. Identification of these two species is critical for recommending and implementing effective management practices. Prime...

  19. Comparative Analysis of the Antioxidant Capacities and Phenolic Compounds of Oat and Buckwheat Vinegars During Production Processes.

    PubMed

    Yu, Xiao; Yang, Mei; Dong, Jilin; Shen, Ruiling

    2018-03-01

    This study aimed to explore the dynamic changes in the antioxidant activities and phenolic acid profiles of oat and buckwheat vinegars during different production stages. The results showed that both oat and buckwheat vinegar products comparably attenuated D-galactose-induced oxidative damage in mice serum and liver, indicating no obvious dose dependence within the tested concentrations. However, oat vinegar product revealed more favorable in vitro antioxidant activities than those in buckwheat vinegar product as evaluated by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging abilities. Moreover, the alcoholic fermentation, acetic acid fermentation and fumigating induced successive increase in DPPH radical scavenging abilities and phenolic acid contents of the fermentation substrates of oat and buckwheat vinegars. Importantly, the different fermentation processes of oat and buckwheat vinegars were accompanied by the dynamic migration and transformation of specific phenolic acids across bound, esterified and free fractions. Thus, the antioxidant activities of oat and buckwheat vinegars could be improved through targeted modulation of the generation of specific phenolic acid fractions during production processes. We had evaluated the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant activities and phenolic acid contents of oat and buckwheat vinegars, and further explored the dynamic changes of bound, esterified and free phenolic acid fractions during successive fermentation processes of oat and buckwheat vinegars. This study provided the theoretical guidance for obtaining minor grain vinegar with the optimal antioxidant activities through targeted modulation of fermentation processes. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

  20. Polyamine levels as related to growth, differentiation and senescence in protoplast-derived cultures of Vigna aconitifolia and Avena sativa

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kaur Sawhney, R.; Shekhawat, N. S.; Galston, A. W.

    1985-01-01

    We have previously reported that aseptically cultured mesophyll protoplasts of Vigna divide rapidly and regenerate into complete plants, while mesophyll protoplasts of Avena divide only sporadically and senesce rapidly after isolation. We measured polyamine titers in such cultures of Vigna and Avena, to study possible correlations between polyamines and cellular behavior. We also deliberately altered polyamine titer by the use of selective inhibitors of polyamine biosynthesis, noting the effects on internal polyamine titer, cell division activity and regenerative events. In Vigna cultures, levels of free and bound putrescine and spermidine increased dramatically as cell division and differentiation progressed. The increase in bound polyamines was largest in embryoid-forming callus tissue while free polyamine titer was highest in root-forming callus. In Avena cultures, the levels of total polyamines decreased as the protoplast senesced. The presence of the inhibitors alpha-difluoromethyl-arginine (specific inhibitor of arginine decarboxylase), alpha-difluoromethylornithine (specific inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase) and dicyclohexylamine (inhibitor of spermidine synthase) reduced cell division and organogenesis in Vigna cultures. Addition of low concentration of polyamines to such cultures containing inhibitors or removal of inhibitors from the culture medium restored the progress of growth and differentiation with concomitant increase in polyamine levels.

  1. Soil bacterial community shifts associated with sugarcane straw removal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pimentel, Laisa; Gumiere, Thiago; Andreote, Fernando; Cerri, Carlos

    2017-04-01

    In Brazil, the adoption of the mechanical unburned sugarcane harvest potentially increase the quantity of residue left in the field after harvesting. Economically, this material has a high potential for second generation ethanol (2G) production. However, crop residues have an essential role in diverse properties and processes in the soil. The greater part of the uncertainties about straw removal for 2G ethanol production is based on its effects in soil microbial community. In this sense, it is important to identify the main impacts of sugarcane straw removal on soil microbial community. Therefore, we conducted a field study, during one year, in Valparaíso (São Paulo state - Brazil) to evaluate the effects of straw decomposition on soil bacterial community. Specifically, we wanted: i) to compare the rates of straw removal and ii) to evaluate the effects of straw decomposition on soil bacterial groups over one year. The experiment was in a randomized block design with treatments arranged in strip plot. The treatments are different rates of sugarcane straw removal, namely: no removal, 50, 75 and 100% of straw removal. Soil sampling was carried out at 0, 4, 8 and 12 months after the sugarcane harvest (August 2015). Total DNA was extracted from soil using the PowersoilTM DNA Isolation kit. And the abundance of bacterial in each soil sample was estimated via quantification of 16S rRNA gene. The composition of the bacterial communities was estimated via terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis, and the T-RF sizes were performed on a 3500 Genetic Analyzer. Finally, the results were examined with GeneMapper 4.1 software. There was bacterial community shifts through the time and among the rates of sugarcane straw removal. Bacterial community was firstly determined by the time scale, which explained 29.16% of total variation. Rates of straw removal explained 11.55% of shifts on bacterial community. Distribution through the time is an important

  2. Fortification of yogurt with oat hydrocolloid

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    C-Trim 30, an oat hydrocolloid was added to milk such that fermented yogurt had 0, 0.75, 1.5, 2.25, and 3 g ß-glucan per serving. The fermentation rate and physical characteristics of yogurt were studied. Lactose fermentation was not inhibited by the addition of C-Trim. All yogurt mix reached the...

  3. Responses of Oat Grains to Fusarium poae and F. langsethiae Infections and Mycotoxin Contaminations

    PubMed Central

    Martin, Charlotte; Schöneberg, Torsten; Morisoli, Romina; Bertossa, Mario; Bucheli, Thomas D.; Mauch-Mani, Brigitte; Mascher, Fabio

    2018-01-01

    Recent increases of Fusarium head blight (FHB) disease caused by infections with F. poae (FP) and F. langsethiae (FL) have been observed in oats. These pathogens are producers of nivalenol (NIV) and T-2/HT-2 toxin (T-2/HT-2), respectively, which are now considered major issues for cereal food and feed safety. To date, the impact of FP and FL on oat grains has not yet been identified, and little is known about oat resistance elements against these pathogens. In the present study, the impact of FL and FP on oat grains was assessed under different environmental conditions in field experiments with artificial inoculations. The severity of FP and FL infection on grains were compared across three field sites, and the resistance against NIV and T-2/HT2 accumulation was assessed for seven oat genotypes. Grain weight, β-glucan content, and protein content were compared between infected and non-infected grains. Analyses of grain infection showed that FL was able to cause infection on the grain only in the field site with the highest relative humidity, whereas FP infected grains in all field sites. The FP infection of grains resulted in NIV contamination (between 30–500 μg/kg). The concentration of NIV in grains was not conditioned by environmental conditions. FL provoked an average contamination of grains with T-2/HT-2 (between 15–132 μg/kg). None of the genotypes was able to fully avoid toxin accumulation. The general resistance of oat grains against toxin accumulation was weak, and resistance against NIV accumulation was strongly impacted by the interaction between the genotype and the environment. Only the genotype with hull-less grains showed partial resistance to both NIV and T-2/HT-2 contamination. FP and FL infections could change the β-glucan content in grains, depending on the genotypes and environmental conditions. FP and FL did not have a significant impact on the thousand kernel weight (TKW) and protein content. Hence, resistance against toxin

  4. Fractionation of oats into products enriched with protein, beta-glucan, starch, or other carbohydrates

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A modified wet method was developed to fractionate ground oat groats into 4 fractions enriched with beta-glucan (BG), protein, starch, and other carbohydrates (CHO), respectively. Effects of defatting oats and centrifuge force for separation were also investigated. Results show that, depending on ...

  5. The Long-Term Consumption of Oats in Celiac Disease Patients Is Safe: A Large Cross-Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Aaltonen, Katri; Laurikka, Pilvi; Huhtala, Heini; Mäki, Markku; Kaukinen, Katri; Kurppa, Kalle

    2017-01-01

    A strict gluten-free diet (GFD) can be diversified by non-contaminated oats, but there is a shortage of long-term studies concerning its safety. We compared long-term treatment outcomes and factors associated with the introduction of oats between celiac patients on a GFD with or without oats. Eight hundred sixty-nine previously diagnosed celiac patients were interviewed. The validated Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), Psychological General Well-Being (PGWB), and Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) questionnaires were used to assess symptoms and quality of life, serological tests were performed, and results of histology were confirmed from patient records. We found the median duration of GFD to be 10 years and 82% using oats. Factors predicting the consumption of oats were diagnosis after the year 2000, advice from a dietitian, detection by screening, and mild clinical presentation. Oat consumers and non-consumers did not differ in dietary adherence (96.5% vs. 97.4%, p = 0.746), the prevalence of symptoms (22.9% vs. 22.5%, p = 0.931), positivity for endomysial antibodies (8.8% vs. 6.0%, p = 0.237), histological recovery after one year (63.1% vs. 60.0%, p = 0.773), malignancy (4.8% vs. 3.3%, p = 0.420), osteoporosis/osteopenia (9.2% vs. 11.0%, p = 0.489), or fractures (26.9% vs. 27.9%, p = 0.791). The oat consumers had better SF-36 physical role limitations and general health scores. Based on our results, the long-term consumption of oats in celiac disease patients is safe and may improve quality of life. PMID:28617328

  6. Gravitropism and phototropism of oat coleoptiles: Post-tropic autostraightening and tissue shrinkage during tropism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarui, Y.; Iino, M.

    1999-01-01

    We measured changes in length on the two opposite sides of the red-light-grown oat (Avena sativa L.) coleoptiles subjected to either gravitropic or phototropic stimulation and subsequently rotated on a horizontal clinostat. The length measurement was conducted using three 5 mm-long zones delimited by ink markers from the tip. Curvature of each zone was analyzed from the length difference between the two sides. Gravitropism was induced by displacing the seedling from the vertical by 30° or 90° for 25 min. Phototropism was induced by exposing the coleoptile to unilateral blue light for 30 s, which provided a fluence (1.0 μmol m-2) optimal for the pulse-induced positive phototropism or a lower, suboptimal fluence (0.03 μmol m-2). After negatively gravitropic bending, the upper two zones straightened rapidly at either displacement angle. After positively phototropic bending, straightening occurred, but only in the top zone and at the lower fluence. The upper two zones straightened rapidly, however, when bilateral blue light (30 s; 15 μmol m-2 from either direction) was applied 25 min after unilateral stimulation at the higher fluence. Bilateral blue light alone induced no curvature. These results confirm that the straightening of gravitropically bent coleoptiles is autonomic, and suggest that a similar autonomic response participates in the straightening of phototropically bent coleoptiles. Suppression of elongation on the concave side of the coleoptile mainly accounted for gravitropic and phototropic curvatures. The concave side of the top zone shrank during both tropisms. This shrinkage progressed at a high rate from the beginning of curvature response, suggesting that a drop in turgor pressure is the main and direct cause of the shrinkage.

  7. Response to low-dose herbicide selection in self-pollinated Avena fatua.

    PubMed

    Busi, Roberto; Girotto, Marcelo; Powles, Stephen B

    2016-03-01

    When applied at the correct plant stage and dose, herbicides are highly toxic to plants. At reduced, low herbicide doses (below the recommended dose) plants can survive and display continuous and quantitative variation in dose-survival responses. Recurrent (directional) selection studies can reveal whether such a phenotypic variation in plant survival response to low herbicide dose is heritable and leads to herbicide resistance. In a common experimental garden study, we have subjected a susceptible population of self-pollinated hexaploid Avena fatua to low-dose recurrent selection with the ACCase-inhibiting herbicide diclofop-methyl for three consecutive generations. Significant differences in response to low-dose diclofop-methyl selection were observed between the selected progenies and parent plants, with a twofold diclofop-methyl resistance and cross-resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides. Thus, the capacity of self-pollinated A. fatua to respond to low-dose herbicide selection is marginal, and it is much lower than in cross-pollinated L. rigidum. Lolium rigidum in the same experiment evolved 40-fold diclofop-methyl resistance by progressive enrichment of quantitative resistance-endowing traits. Cross-pollination rate, genetic variation and ploidy levels are identified as possible drivers affecting the contrasting capacity of Avena versus Lolium plants to respond to herbicide selection and the subsequent likelihood of resistance evolution at low herbicide dose usage. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

  8. Comparative analysis of homoeoallele expression in the tocol biosynthetic pathway during oat seed development

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Oats are a rich source of compounds that collectively constitute vitamin E, the tocols. Significant attention has been given to the health benefits of tocols in oats, but little is known about themolecular control of their accumulation during grain development. Next generation sequencing provides an...

  9. Effect of an oats-containing gluten-free diet on symptoms and quality of life in coeliac disease. A randomized study.

    PubMed

    Peräaho, M; Kaukinen, K; Mustalahti, K; Vuolteenaho, N; Mäki, M; Laippala, P; Collin, P

    2004-01-01

    Evidence suggests the acceptability of oats in a gluten-free diet in coeliac disease. We investigated the impact of an oats-containing diet on quality of life and gastrointestinal symptoms. Thirty-nine coeliac disease patients on a gluten-free diet were randomized to take either 50 g of oats-containing gluten-free products daily or to continue without oats for 1 year. Quality of life was assessed using the Psychological General Well-Being questionnaire and gastrointestinal symptoms using the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale. Small-bowel mucosal villous architecture, CD3+, alphabeta+, gammadelta+ intraepithelial lymphocytes, serum endomysial and tissue transglutaminase antibodies were investigated. Twenty-three subjects were randomized to the oats-containing diet and 16 to the traditional gluten-free diet. All adhered strictly to their respective diet. Quality of life did not differ between the groups. In general, there were more gastrointestinal symptoms in the oats-consuming group. Patients taking oats suffered significantly more often from diarrhoea, but there was a simultaneous trend towards a more severe average constipation symptom score. The villous structure did not differ between the groups, but the density of intraepithelial lymphocytes was slightly but significantly higher in the oats group. The severity of symptoms was not dependent on the degree of inflammation. Antibody levels did not increase during the study period. The oats-containing gluten-free diet caused more intestinal symptoms than the traditional diet. Mucosal integrity was not disturbed, but more inflammation was evident in the oats group. Oats provide an alternative in the gluten-free diet, but coeliac patients should be aware of the possible increase in intestinal symptoms.

  10. New DArT markers for oat provide enhanced map coverage and global germplasm characterization

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Background Genomic discovery in oat and its application to oat improvement have been hindered by a lack of genetic markers common to different genetic maps, and by the difficulty of conducting whole-genome analysis using high-throughput markers. This study was intended to develop, characterize, and ...

  11. Role of Ca++ in Shoot Gravitropism. [avena

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rayle, D. L.

    1985-01-01

    A cornerstone in the argument that Ca(2+) levels may regulate growth is the finding the EGTA promotes straight growth. The usual explanation for these results is that Ca(2+) chelation from cell walls results in wall loosening and thus accelerated straight growth. The ability of frozen-thawed Avena coleoptile tissue (subjected to 15g tension) to extend in response to EGTA and Quin II was examined. The EGTA when applied in weakly buffered (i.e., 0.1mM) neutral solutions initiates rapid extension. When the buffer strength is increased, similar concentrations of EGTA produce no growth response. This implies when EGTA liberated protons are released upon Ca(2+) chelation they can either initiate acid growth (low buffer conditions) or if consumed (high buffer conditions) have no effect. Thus Ca(2+) chelation in itself apparently does not result in straight growth.

  12. Interaction of human organic anion transporter 2 (OAT2) and sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP) with antineoplastic drugs.

    PubMed

    Marada, Venkata V V R; Flörl, Saskia; Kühne, Annett; Müller, Judith; Burckhardt, Gerhard; Hagos, Yohannes

    2015-01-01

    The ability of an antineoplastic drug to exert its cytostatic effect depends largely on the balance between its uptake into and extrusion from the cancer cells. ATP driven efflux transporter proteins drive the export of antineoplastic drugs and play a pivotal role in the development of chemoresistance. As regards uptake transporters, comparably less is known on their impact in drug action. In the current study, we characterized the interactions of two uptake transporter proteins, expressed mainly in the liver; the organic anion transporter 2 (OAT2, encoded by the SLC22A7 gene) and the sodium taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide (NTCP, encoded by the SLC10A1 gene), stably transfected in human embryonic kidney cells, with some antineoplastic agents that are routinely being used in cancer chemotherapy. Whereas NTCP did not show any strong interactions with the cytostatics tested, we observed a very strong inhibition of OAT2 mediated [(3)H] cGMP uptake in the presence of bendamustine, irinotecan and paclitaxel. The Ki values of OAT2 for bendamustine, irinotecan and paclitaxel were determined to be 43.3±4.33μM, 26.4±2.34μM and 10.4±0.45μM, respectively. Incubation of bendamustine with OAT2 expressing cells increased the caspase-3 activity, and this increase was inhibited by simultaneous incubation with bendamustine and probenecid, a well-known inhibitor of OATs, suggesting that bendamustine is a substrate of OAT2. A higher accumulation of irinotecan was observed in OAT2 expressing cells compared to control pcDNA cells by HPLC analysis of cell lysates. The accumulation was diminished in the presence of cGMP, the substrate we used to functionally characterize OAT2, suggesting specificity of this uptake and the fact that OAT2 mediates uptake of irinotecan. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Molecular and Immunological Characterization of Gluten Proteins Isolated from Oat Cultivars That Differ in Toxicity for Celiac Disease

    PubMed Central

    Real, Ana; Comino, Isabel; de Lorenzo, Laura; Merchán, Francisco; Gil-Humanes, Javier; Giménez, María J.; López-Casado, Miguel Ángel; Cebolla, Ángel; Sousa, Carolina; Barro, Francisco; Pistón, Fernando

    2012-01-01

    A strict gluten-free diet (GFD) is the only currently available therapeutic treatment for patients with celiac disease (CD). Traditionally, treatment with a GFD has excluded wheat, barley and rye, while the presence of oats is a subject of debate. The most-recent research indicates that some cultivars of oats can be a safe part of a GFD. In order to elucidate the toxicity of the prolamins from oat varieties with low, medium, and high CD toxicity, the avenin genes of these varieties were cloned and sequenced, and their expression quantified throughout the grain development. At the protein level, we have accomplished an exhaustive characterization and quantification of avenins by RP-HPLC and an analysis of immunogenicity of peptides present in prolamins of different oat cultivars. Avenin sequences were classified into three different groups, which have homology with S-rich prolamins of Triticeae. Avenin proteins presented a lower proline content than that of wheat gliadin; this may contribute to the low toxicity shown by oat avenins. The expression of avenin genes throughout the development stages has shown a pattern similar to that of prolamins of wheat and barley. RP-HPLC chromatograms showed protein peaks in the alcohol-soluble and reduced-soluble fractions. Therefore, oat grains had both monomeric and polymeric avenins, termed in this paper gliadin- and glutenin-like avenins. We found a direct correlation between the immunogenicity of the different oat varieties and the presence of the specific peptides with a higher/lower potential immunotoxicity. The specific peptides from the oat variety with the highest toxicity have shown a higher potential immunotoxicity. These results suggest that there is wide range of variation of potential immunotoxicity of oat cultivars that could be due to differences in the degree of immunogenicity in their sequences. PMID:23284616

  14. The Effect of Oat Fibre Powder Particle Size on the Physical Properties of Wheat Bread Rolls

    PubMed Central

    Kurek, Marcin; Wyrwisz, Jarosław; Piwińska, Monika; Wierzbicka, Agnieszka

    2016-01-01

    Summary In response to the growing interest of modern society in functional food products, this study attempts to develop a bakery product with high dietary fibre content added in the form of an oat fibre powder. Oat fibre powder with particle sizes of 75 µm (OFP1) and 150 µm (OFP2) was used, substituting 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20% of the flour. The physical properties of the dough and the final bakery products were then measured. Results indicated that dough with added fibre had higher elasticity than the control group. The storage modulus values of dough with OFP1 most closely approximated those of the control group. The addition of OFP1 did not affect significantly the colour compared to the other samples. Increasing the proportion of oat fibre powder resulted in increased firmness, which was most prominent in wheat bread rolls with oat fibre powder of smaller particle sizes. The addition of oat fibre powder with smaller particles resulted in a product with the rheological and colour parameters that more closely resembled control sample. PMID:27904392

  15. A mutation (L1014F) in the voltage-gated sodium channel of the grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, is associated with resistance to pyrethroid insecticides.

    PubMed

    Foster, Stephen P; Paul, Verity L; Slater, Russell; Warren, Anne; Denholm, Ian; Field, Linda M; Williamson, Martin S

    2014-08-01

    The grain aphid, Sitobion avenae Fabricius (Hemiptera: Aphididae), is an important pest of cereal crops. Pesticides are the main method for control but carry the risk of selecting for resistance. In response to reports of reduced efficacy of pyrethroid sprays applied to S. avenae, field samples were collected and screened for mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel, the primary target site for pyrethroids. Aphid mobility and mortality to lambda-cyhalothrin were measured in coated glass vial bioassays. A single amino acid substitution (L1014F) was identified in the domain IIS6 segment of the sodium channel from the S. avenae samples exhibiting reduced pyrethroid efficacy. Bioassays on aphids heterozygous for the kdr mutation (SR) or homozygous for the wild-type allele (SS) showed that those carrying the mutation had significantly lower susceptibility to lambda-cyhalothrin. The L1014F (kdr) mutation, known to confer pyrethroid resistance in many insect pests, has been identified for the first time in S. avenae. Clonal lines heterozygous for the mutation showed 35-40-fold resistance to lambda-cyhalothrin in laboratory bioassays, consistent with the reported effect of this mutation on pyrethroid sensitivity in other aphid species. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  16. Effect of Pleurotus ostreatus and Erwinia carotovora on wheat straw digestibility

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Streeter, C.L.; Conway, K.E.; Horn, G.W.

    1981-11-01

    The objectives of this study were to determine whether growing Pleurotus ostreatus and Erwinia carotovora on wheat straw would synergistically improve the digestibility of straw and whether there was a necessity of sterilizing the straw by autoclaving prior to inoculation. Dry matter decomposition of autoclaved and non-autoclaved straw was similar when both organisms were used in the system after 28 days incubation. However, in vitro ruminal dry matter digestibility of straw was significantly improved (P less than 10) only when the straw was autoclaved prior to inoculation with both organisms. (Refs. 21).

  17. Formulation Optimization of Gluten-Free Functional Spaghetti Based on Maize Flour and Oat Bran Enriched in b-Glucans.

    PubMed

    Padalino, Lucia; Mastromatteo, Marcella; Sepielli, Grazia; Nobile, Matteo Alessandro Del

    2011-12-08

    The aim of this work concerns the manufacturing process of gluten-free functional spaghetti based on maize flour and oat bran, enriched with b-glucans (22%). More specifically, the goal of the study was to obtain oat bran-loaded maize spaghetti with sensory properties close to unloaded pasta. To this aim, the study has been organized in two subsequent trials. In the first one, the oat bran amount added to spaghetti was continuously increased until the overall sensory quality of pasta reached the set sensory threshold (oat bran concentration = 20%). The second experimental step was aimed to improve the overall sensory quality of oat bran loaded maize spaghetti. In particular, an attempt was made to increase the sensory quality of spaghetti added with 20% oat bran by means of structuring agents. To this aim, the effects of different kinds of some hydrocolloids and egg white powder on the rheological properties of dough, as well as on quality attributes of pasta were examined. The rheological analysis showed that the addition of hydrocolloids and white egg to the dough enriched with 20% oat bran did not cause any substantial difference in the viscoelastic properties, compared to samples without any structuring agents. The best overall quality for both fresh and dry spaghetti was obtained by the addition of carboxymethylcellulose and chitosan at a concentration of 2%.

  18. Community Needs Assessment Office Administration & Technology (OAT).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pezzoli, J. A.; Lum, Ku'uipo; Meyer, Diane

    The purpose of this survey was to obtain from employers the requisite skills and potential employment demand for office workers on Maui. Of particular interest was: (1) the assessment of various clerical skills and computer software in its relevance to the Office Administration & Technology (OAT) curriculum at Maui Community College; and (2)…

  19. Bioconversion of Straw Into Improved Fodder: Mycoprotein Production and Cellulolytic Acivity of Rice Straw Decomposing Fungi

    PubMed Central

    2005-01-01

    Sixty two out of the sixty four species of fungal isolates tested could produce both exo-β1,4-gluconase (C1) and endo-β1,4-gluconase (Cx) on pure cellulose and rice straw as carbon source in Czapek's medium. Fifty-eight and fifteen species were able to grow at 25℃ and at 45℃, respectively. Eleven species could grow at both 25℃ and 45℃ while, four species appeared only at 45℃. The most cellulolytic species at 25℃ was Trichoderma koningii producing 1.164 C1 (mg glucose/1 ml culture filtrate/1 hr) and 2.690 Cx on pure cellulose, and 0.889 C1 and 1.810 Cx on rice straw, respectively. At 45℃, the most active thermotolerant species were Aspergillus terreus, followed by A. fumigatus. Talaromyces thermophilus was the highest active thermophilic species followed by Malbranchea sulfurea. Most of these species were also active in fermentation of rice straw at 25 and 45℃ (P<0.05). The most active ones were T. koningii, A. ochraceus and A. terreus, which produced 201.5, 193.1 and 188.1 mg crude protein/g dry straw, respectively. PMID:24049480

  20. Bioconversion of straw into improved fodder: mycoprotein production and cellulolytic acivity of rice straw decomposing fungi.

    PubMed

    Helal, G A

    2005-06-01

    Sixty two out of the sixty four species of fungal isolates tested could produce both exo-β1,4-gluconase (C1) and endo-β1,4-gluconase (Cx) on pure cellulose and rice straw as carbon source in Czapek's medium. Fifty-eight and fifteen species were able to grow at 25℃ and at 45℃, respectively. Eleven species could grow at both 25℃ and 45℃ while, four species appeared only at 45℃. The most cellulolytic species at 25℃ was Trichoderma koningii producing 1.164 C1 (mg glucose/1 ml culture filtrate/1 hr) and 2.690 Cx on pure cellulose, and 0.889 C1 and 1.810 Cx on rice straw, respectively. At 45℃, the most active thermotolerant species were Aspergillus terreus, followed by A. fumigatus. Talaromyces thermophilus was the highest active thermophilic species followed by Malbranchea sulfurea. Most of these species were also active in fermentation of rice straw at 25 and 45℃ (P<0.05). The most active ones were T. koningii, A. ochraceus and A. terreus, which produced 201.5, 193.1 and 188.1 mg crude protein/g dry straw, respectively.

  1. [Proximate analysis of straw by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)].

    PubMed

    Huang, Cai-jin; Han, Lu-jia; Liu, Xian; Yang, Zeng-ling

    2009-04-01

    Proximate analysis is one of the routine analysis procedures in utilization of straw for biomass energy use. The present paper studied the applicability of rapid proximate analysis of straw by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technology, in which the authors constructed the first NIRS models to predict volatile matter and fixed carbon contents of straw. NIRS models were developed using Foss 6500 spectrometer with spectra in the range of 1,108-2,492 nm to predict the contents of moisture, ash, volatile matter and fixed carbon in the directly cut straw samples; to predict ash, volatile matter and fixed carbon in the dried milled straw samples. For the models based on directly cut straw samples, the determination coefficient of independent validation (R2v) and standard error of prediction (SEP) were 0.92% and 0.76% for moisture, 0.94% and 0.84% for ash, 0.88% and 0.82% for volatile matter, and 0.75% and 0.65% for fixed carbon, respectively. For the models based on dried milled straw samples, the determination coefficient of independent validation (R2v) and standard error of prediction (SEP) were 0.98% and 0.54% for ash, 0.95% and 0.57% for volatile matter, and 0.78% and 0.61% for fixed carbon, respectively. It was concluded that NIRS models can predict accurately as an alternative analysis method, therefore rapid and simultaneous analysis of multicomponents can be achieved by NIRS technology, decreasing the cost of proximate analysis for straw.

  2. Pyrolysis of agricultural biomass residues: Comparative study of corn cob, wheat straw, rice straw and rice husk.

    PubMed

    Biswas, Bijoy; Pandey, Nidhi; Bisht, Yashasvi; Singh, Rawel; Kumar, Jitendra; Bhaskar, Thallada

    2017-08-01

    Pyrolysis studies on conventional biomass were carried out in fixed bed reactor at different temperatures 300, 350, 400 and 450°C. Agricultural residues such as corn cob, wheat straw, rice straw and rice husk showed that the optimum temperatures for these residues are 450, 400, 400 and 450°C respectively. The maximum bio-oil yield in case of corn cob, wheat straw, rice straw and rice husk are 47.3, 36.7, 28.4 and 38.1wt% respectively. The effects of pyrolysis temperature and biomass type on the yield and composition of pyrolysis products were investigated. All bio-oils contents were mainly composed of oxygenated hydrocarbons. The higher area percentages of phenolic compounds were observed in the corn cob bio-oil than other bio-oils. From FT-IR and 1 H NMR spectra showed a high percentage of aliphatic functional groups for all bio-oils and distribution of products is different due to differences in the composition of agricultural biomass. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Replacing Corn and Wheat in Layer Diets with Hulless Oats Shows Effects on Sensory Properties and Yolk Quality of Eggs.

    PubMed

    Winkler, Louisa R; Hasenbeck, Aimee; Murphy, Kevin M; Hermes, James C

    2017-01-01

    US organic poultry producers are under pressure to find feed alternatives to corn and wheat. Hulless oats offer advantages such as wide geographic adaptation of the plant and high concentrations of protein and oil in the grain. They have shown considerable potential in experimental work as a feed grain for poultry, but more research is needed into their influence on the sensory and nutritional properties of eggs. In this study, hulless oats were substituted for corn or wheat at 200 g kg -1 in diets fed to Hy-Line Brown hens and eggs were sampled for sensory evaluation after 8 weeks. Discrimination tests of blended and baked egg samples found evidence of difference between eggs from oat-based diets and those from the oat-free control ( p  < 0.05 for eggs from an oat-corn diet, p  < 0.01 for eggs from an oat-wheat diet). Acceptance tests of similar samples showed that eggs from the oat-wheat diet were significantly less liked than control eggs for their texture ( p  < 0.01) and response to cooking ( p  < 0.01), while eggs from the oat-corn diet were somewhat less liked. Yolk weight was greater ( p  < 0.05) in control eggs (34.1 g) than eggs from oat-corn (31.6 g) or oat-wheat (31.2 g) diets, leading to smaller yolk proportion in the oat-fed eggs. Fatty acid profile differences across treatments were not of nutritional significance, and no evidence was found that the feeding of hulless oats improved storage properties of eggs. In this study, modifying the carbohydrate source in layer diets was shown to change textural properties of cooked eggs in a way that was perceptible to untrained consumers, probably by reducing the yolk proportion. This finding was not commercially relevant owing to small effect size, and results overall add to existing evidence that hulless oats can be fed to poultry at a moderate proportion of the diet with no negative effect on consumer acceptability of eggs. Regardless of the small effect size, however, findings

  4. Replacing Corn and Wheat in Layer Diets with Hulless Oats Shows Effects on Sensory Properties and Yolk Quality of Eggs

    PubMed Central

    Winkler, Louisa R.; Hasenbeck, Aimee; Murphy, Kevin M.; Hermes, James C.

    2017-01-01

    US organic poultry producers are under pressure to find feed alternatives to corn and wheat. Hulless oats offer advantages such as wide geographic adaptation of the plant and high concentrations of protein and oil in the grain. They have shown considerable potential in experimental work as a feed grain for poultry, but more research is needed into their influence on the sensory and nutritional properties of eggs. In this study, hulless oats were substituted for corn or wheat at 200 g kg−1 in diets fed to Hy-Line Brown hens and eggs were sampled for sensory evaluation after 8 weeks. Discrimination tests of blended and baked egg samples found evidence of difference between eggs from oat-based diets and those from the oat-free control (p < 0.05 for eggs from an oat-corn diet, p < 0.01 for eggs from an oat-wheat diet). Acceptance tests of similar samples showed that eggs from the oat-wheat diet were significantly less liked than control eggs for their texture (p < 0.01) and response to cooking (p < 0.01), while eggs from the oat-corn diet were somewhat less liked. Yolk weight was greater (p < 0.05) in control eggs (34.1 g) than eggs from oat-corn (31.6 g) or oat-wheat (31.2 g) diets, leading to smaller yolk proportion in the oat-fed eggs. Fatty acid profile differences across treatments were not of nutritional significance, and no evidence was found that the feeding of hulless oats improved storage properties of eggs. In this study, modifying the carbohydrate source in layer diets was shown to change textural properties of cooked eggs in a way that was perceptible to untrained consumers, probably by reducing the yolk proportion. This finding was not commercially relevant owing to small effect size, and results overall add to existing evidence that hulless oats can be fed to poultry at a moderate proportion of the diet with no negative effect on consumer acceptability of eggs. Regardless of the small effect size, however, findings are

  5. Economic benefit analysis of cultivating Pleurotus ostreatus with rape straw

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guan, Qinlan; Gong, Mingfu; Tang, Mei

    2018-04-01

    The cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus with rape straw not only can save the cultivation cost of P. ostreatus, but also can reuse the resources and protect the environment. By adding different proportion of rape straw to the cultivation material of P. ostreatus, the reasonable amount of rape straw was selected and the economic benefit of P. ostreatus cultivated with the optimum amount of rape straw was analyzed. The results showed that adding 10% to 40% rape straw to the cultivation material of P. ostreatus did not affect the yield and biological conversion rate of P. ostreatus, and the ratio of production and investment of the amount of rape straw in the range of 10% to 50% was higher than of cottonseed husk alone as the main material of the formula.

  6. Alkali pretreated of wheat straw and its enzymatic hydrolysis.

    PubMed

    Han, Lirong; Feng, Juntao; Zhang, Shuangxi; Ma, Zhiqing; Wang, Yonghong; Zhang, Xing

    2012-01-01

    The efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose can be improved by various pretreatments of the substrate. In order to increase the efficiency of enzymatic saccharification of the wheat straw, we determined the effect of different pretreatments on the physical structure, chemical components and enzymatic saccharification of wheat straw. Our results showed that combination of grinding and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) treatment had high effect on the enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat straws. The optimal pretreatment condition was to grind the wheat straws into the sizes of 120 meshes followed by treatment with 1.0% NaOH for 1.5 h (121°C/15psi). Under this condition, the cellulose content of wheat straw was increased by 44.52%, while the content of hemicellulose and lignin was decreased by 44.15% and 42.52%, respectively. Scanning Electronic Microscopy and infrared spectrum analyses showed that significant changes occurred in the structure of wheat straws after pretreatment, which is favorable for the hydrolysis and saccharification. Cellulase produced by Penicillium waksmanii F10-2 was used to hydrolyze the pretreated wheat straw and the optimal condition was determined to be 30 h of enzymatic reaction under the temperature of 55°C, pH 5.5 and substrate concentration of 3%.

  7. Effect of natural flocculants on purity and properties of β-glucan extracted from barley and oat.

    PubMed

    Kurek, Marcin Andrzej; Karp, Sabina; Stelmasiak, Adrian; Pieczykolan, Ewelina; Juszczyk, Karolina; Rieder, Anne

    2018-05-15

    In this study, β-glucan was extracted from wholegrain oat and barley flours by a novel extraction and purification method employing natural flocculants (chitosan, guar gum and gelatin). The use of flocculants decreased the total amount of extracted gum, which was highest in control samples (9.07 and 7.9% for oat and barley, respectively). The β-glucan specific yield, however, increased with the use of chitosan and guar gum, which were able to remove protein and ash impurities resulting in gums with a higher purity.The highest concentration of chitosan (0.6 %) resulted in gums with the highest β-glucan content (82.0 ± 0.23 and 79.0 ± 0.19 for barley and oat, respectively) and highest β-glucan specific yield (96.9 and 93.3 % for oat and barley, respectively). Explanation is in R&D section. The use of gelatin was not successful. All gum samples had a high content of total dietary fiber (>74%) and a high water holding capacity (4.6-7.4 g/g), but differed in apparent viscosity, which was highest for the oat sample extracted with 0.6% chitosan. This sample also showed the highest β-glucan molecular weight among the oat samples, which were in general 10-fold higher than for the barley samples. Among the barley samples, β-glucan molecular weight was highest for the control. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Estimation and change tendency of rape straw resource in Leshan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guan, Qinlan; Gong, Mingfu

    2018-04-01

    Rape straw in Leshan area are rape stalks, including stems, leaves and pods after removing rapeseed. Leshan area is one of the main rape planting areas in Sichuan Province and rape planting area is large. Each year will produce a lot of rape straw. Based on the analysis of the trend of rapeseed planting area and rapeseed yield from 2008 to 2014, the change trend of rape straw resources in Leshan from 2008 to 2014 was analyzed and the decision-making reference was provided for resource utilization of rape straw. The results showed that the amount of rape straw resources in Leshan was very large, which was more than 100,000 tons per year, which was increasing year by year. By 2014, the amount of rape straw resources in Leshan was close to 200,000 tons.

  9. Utilization of new naturally occurring strains and supplementation to improve the biological efficiency of the edible mushroom Agrocybe cylindracea.

    PubMed

    Uhart, Marina; Piscera, Juan Manuel; Albertó, Edgardo

    2008-06-01

    To evaluate the importance of searching new naturally occurring strains to raise yields in mushroom production, eight wild and four commercial strains of Agrocybe cylindracea were cultivated on wheat straw. The highest biological efficiencies (BE) (54.5-72.4%) were obtained with three wild and two commercial strains when cultured on non-supplemented wheat straw. Rolled oats or soybean flour supplementation were tested using three selected strains, increasing BEs up to 1.2, 0.5 and 0.7-fold, respectively. This effect of supplementation was stronger in the Asiatic wild strain, yielding up to 41.1 and 30% more than the two other strains with rolled oats and soybean flour, respectively. The Asiatic wild strain cultivated with soybean flour supplementation achieved an average biological efficiency of 179%, to our knowledge, the highest reported for this species. These results show the importance of searching for new naturally occurring strains in combination with supplemented wheat straw substrate for raising yields in A. cylindracea cultivation.

  10. Effects of seeding rate on the dry matter yield and nutritive value of fall-oat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Several recent research projects have evaluated fall-grown oat as a fall-forage option for harvest as silage, or to extend the fall grazing season. Producers frequently ask about the appropriate seeding rates for fall-grown oat and whether or not it is the same as the traditional recommendation for ...

  11. Foraging by Hippodamia convergens for the aphid Sitobion avenae on wheat plants growing in greenhouse plots

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    We investigated predation by adult convergent lady beetle, Hippodamia convergens Guerin-Meneville, on English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae L., on wheat, Triticum aestivum L., growing in 1.8 x 1.8 m plantings in a greenhouse with a soil floor. The wheat was planted to simulate wheat in a typical pro...

  12. Iron and manganese oxides modified maize straw to remove tylosin from aqueous solutions.

    PubMed

    Yin, Yongyuan; Guo, Xuetao; Peng, Dan

    2018-08-01

    Maize straw modified by iron and manganese oxides was synthesized via a simple and environmentally friendly method. Three maize straw materials, the original maize straw, maize straw modified by manganese oxides and maize straw modified by iron and manganese oxides, were detected by SEM, BET, XPS, XRD and FTIR. The results showed that maize straw was successfully modified and maize straw modified by iron and manganese oxides has a larger surface area than MS. According to the experimental data, the sorption trend could conform to the pseudo-second-order kinetic model well, and the sorption ability of tylosin on sorbents followed the order of original maize straw < maize straw modified by manganese oxides < maize straw modified by iron and manganese oxides. The study indicated that manganese oxides and iron-manganese oxides could significantly enhance the sorption capacity of original maize straw. The sorption isotherm data of tylosin on original maize straw fit a linear model well, while Freundlich models were more suitable for maize straw modified by manganese oxides and maize straw modified by iron and manganese oxides. The pH, ionic strength and temperature can affect the sorption process. The sorption mechanisms of tylosin on iron and manganese oxides modified maize straw were attribute to the surface complexes, electrostatic interactions, H bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Germination of oat and quinoa and evaluation of the malts as gluten free baking ingredients.

    PubMed

    Mäkinen, Outi E; Zannini, Emanuele; Arendt, Elke K

    2013-03-01

    Germination can be used to improve the sensory and nutritional properties of cereal and pseudocereal grains. Oat and quinoa are rich in minerals, vitamins and fibre while quinoa also contains high amounts of protein of a high nutritional value. In this study, oat and quinoa malts were produced and incorporated in a rice and potato based gluten free formulation. Germination of oat led to a drastic increase of α-amylase activity from 0.3 to 48 U/g, and minor increases in proteolytic and lipolytic activities. Little change was observed in quinoa except a decrease in proteolytic activity from 9.6 to 6.9 U/g. Oat malt addition decreased batter viscosities at both proofing temperature and during heating. These changes led to a decrease in bread density from 0.59 to 0.5 g/ml and the formation of a more open crumb, but overdosing of oat malt deteriorated the product as a result of excessive amylolysis during baking. Quinoa malt had no significant effect on the baking properties due to low α-amylase activity. Despite showing a very different impact on the bread quality, both malts influenced the electrophoretic patterns of rice flour protein similarly. This suggests that malt induced proteolysis does not influence the technological properties of a complex gluten free formulation.

  14. Delignification of wheat straw by Pleurotus spp. under mushroom-growing conditions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tsang, L.J.; Reid, I.D.; Coxworth, E.C.

    1987-06-01

    Pleurotus sajor-caju, P. sapidus, P. cornucopiae, and P. ostreatus mushrooms were produced on unsupplemented wheat straw. The yield of mushrooms averaged 3.6% (dry-weight basis), with an average 18% straw weight loss. Lignin losses (average, 11%) were lower than cellulose (20%) and hemicellulose (50%) losses. The cellulase digestibility of the residual straw after mushroom harvest was generally lower than that of the original straw. It does not appear feasible to simultaneously produce Pleurotus mushrooms and a highly delignified residue from wheat straw. (Refs. 24).

  15. Effects of cultivar and grazing initiation date on fall-grown oat for replacement dairy heifers.

    PubMed

    Coblentz, W K; Brink, G E; Esser, N M; Cavadini, J S

    2015-09-01

    Fall-grown oat has shown promise for extending the grazing season in Wisconsin, but the optimum date for initiating grazing has not been evaluated. Our objectives for this project were (1) to assess the pasture productivity and nutritive value of 2 oat cultivars [Ogle and ForagePlus (OG and FP, respectively)] with late-September (EG) or mid-October (LG) grazing initiation dates; and (2) to evaluate growth performance by heifers grazing these oat forages compared with heifers reared in confinement (CON). A total of 160 gravid Holstein heifers (80 heifers/yr) were assigned to 10 research groups (8 heifers/group). Mean initial body weight was 509±40.5 kg in 2013 and 517±30.2 kg in 2014. Heifer groups were assigned to specific pastures arranged as a 2×2 factorial of oat cultivars and grazing initiation dates. Grazing heifer groups were allowed to strip-graze oat pastures for 6 h daily before returning to the barn, where they were offered a forage-based basal total mixed ration. Main effects of oat cultivar and sampling date interacted for forage characteristics in 2013, but not in 2014. During 2013, oat forage mass increased until early November before declining in response to freezing weather conditions, thereby exhibiting linear and quadratic effects of sampling date, regardless of oat cultivar. Similar trends over time were observed in 2014. For 2013, the maximum forage mass was 5,329 and 5,046 kg/ha for FP and OG, respectively, whereas the mean maximum forage mass for 2014 was 4,806 kg/ha. ForagePlus did not reach the boot stage of growth during either year of the trial; OG matured more rapidly, reaching the late-heading stage during 2013, but exhibited only minor maturity differences from FP in 2014. For 2013, average daily gain for CON did not differ from grazing heifer groups (overall mean=0.63 kg/d); however, average daily gain from FP was greater than OG (0.68 vs. 0.57 kg/d), and greater from EG compared with LG (0.82 vs. 0.43 kg/d). For 2013, advantages in

  16. Design and performance of a straw tube drift chamber

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oh, S. H.; Wesson, D. K.; Cooke, J.; Goshaw, A. T.; Robertson, W. J.; Walker, W. D.

    1991-06-01

    The design and performance of the straw drift chambers used in E735 is reported. The chambers are constructed from 2.5 cm radius aluminized mylar straw tubes with wall thickness less than 0.2 mm. Also, presented are the results of tests with 2 mm radius straw tubes. The small tube has a direct detector application at the Superconducting Super Collider.

  17. Role of the Genes of Type VI Secretion System in Virulence of Rice Bacterial Brown Stripe Pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae Strain RS-2

    PubMed Central

    Masum, Md. Mahidul Islam; Yang, Yingzi; Li, Bin; Olaitan, Ogunyemi Solabomi; Chen, Jie; Zhang, Yang; Fang, Yushi; Qiu, Wen; Wang, Yanli; Sun, Guochang

    2017-01-01

    The Type VI secretion system (T6SS) is a class of macromolecular machine that is required for the virulence of gram-negative bacteria. However, it is still not clear what the role of T6SS in the virulence of rice bacterial brown stripe pathogen Acidovorax avenae subsp. avenae (Aaa) is. The aim of the current study was to investigate the contribution of T6SS in Aaa strain RS2 virulence using insertional deletion mutation and complementation approaches. This strain produced weak virulence but contains a complete T6SS gene cluster based on a genome-wide analysis. Here we compared the virulence-related phenotypes between the wild-type (RS-2) and 25 T6SS mutants, which were constructed using homologous recombination methods. The mutation of 15 T6SS genes significantly reduced bacterial virulence and the secretion of Hcp protein. Additionally, the complemented 7 mutations ΔpppA, ΔclpB, Δhcp, ΔdotU, ΔicmF, ΔimpJ, and ΔimpM caused similar virulence characteristics as RS-2. Moreover, the mutant ΔpppA, ΔclpB, ΔicmF, ΔimpJ and ΔimpM genes caused by a 38.3~56.4% reduction in biofilm formation while the mutants ΔpppA, ΔclpB, ΔicmF and Δhcp resulted in a 37.5~44.6% reduction in motility. All together, these results demonstrate that T6SS play vital roles in the virulence of strain RS-2, which may be partially attributed to the reductions in Hcp secretion, biofilm formation and motility. However, differences in virulence between strain RS-1 and RS-2 suggest that other factors may also be involved in the virulence of Aaa. PMID:28934168

  18. Repression of Pseudomonas putida phenanthrene-degrading activity by plant root extracts and exudates.

    PubMed

    Rentz, Jeremy A; Alvarez, Pedro J J; Schnoor, Jerald L

    2004-06-01

    The phenanthrene-degrading activity (PDA) of Pseudomonas putida ATCC 17484 was repressed after incubation with plant root extracts of oat (Avena sativa), osage orange (Maclura pomifera), hybrid willow (Salix alba x matsudana), kou (Cordia subcordata) and milo (Thespesia populnea) and plant root exudates of oat (Avena sativa) and hybrid poplar (Populus deltoides x nigra DN34). Total organic carbon content of root extracts ranged from 103 to 395 mg l(-1). Characterization of root extracts identified acetate (not detectable to 8.0 mg l(-1)), amino acids (1.7-17.3 mg l(-1)) and glucose (1.6-14.0 mg l(-1)), indicating a complex mixture of substrates. Repression was also observed after exposure to potential root-derived substrates, including organic acids, glucose (carbohydrate) and glutamate (amino acid). Carbon source regulation (e.g. catabolite repression) was apparently responsible for the observed repression of P. putida PDA by root extracts. However, we showed that P. putida grows on root extracts and exudates as sole carbon and energy sources. Enhanced growth on root products may compensate for partial repression, because larger microbial populations are conducive to faster degradation rates. This would explain the commonly reported increase in phenanthrene removal in the rhizosphere.

  19. Evaluation of the biomass potential for the production of lignocellulosic bioethanol from various agricultural residues in Austria and Worldwide

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kahr, Heike; Steindl, Daniel; Wimberger, Julia; Schürz, Daniel; Jäger, Alexander

    2013-04-01

    Due to the fact that the resources of fossil fuels are steadily decreasing, researchers have been trying to find alternatives over the past few years. As bioethanol of the first generation is based on potential food, its production has become an increasingly controversial topic. Therefore the focus of research currently is on the production of bioethanol of the second generation, which is made from cellulosic and lignocellulosic materials. However, for the production of bioethanol of the second generation the fibres have to be pre-treated. In this work the mass balances of various agricultural residues available in Austria were generated and examined in lab scale experiments for their bioethanol potential. The residues were pretreatment by means of state of the art technology (steam explosion), enzymatically hydrolysed and fermented with yeast to produce ethanol. Special attention was paid the mass balance of the overall process. Due to the pretreatment the proportion of cellulose increases with the duration of the pre-treatment, whereby the amount of hemicellulose decreases greatly. However, the total losses were increasing with the duration of the pre-treatment, and the losses largely consist of hemicellulose. The ethanol yield varied depending on the cellulose content of the substrates. So rye straw 200 °C 20 min reaches an ethanol yield of 169 kg/t, by far the largest yield. As result on the basis of the annual straw yield in Austria, approximately 210 000 t of bioethanol (266 million litres) could be produced from the straw of wheat (Triticum vulgare), rye (Secale cereale), oat (Avena sativa) and corn (Zea mays) as well as elephant grass (Miscanthus sinensis) using appropriate pre-treatment. So the greenhouse gas emissions produced by burning fossil fuels could be reduced significantly. About 1.8 million tons of motor gasoline are consumed in Austria every year. The needed quantity for a transition to E10 biofuels could thus be easily provided by bioethanol

  20. Influence of straw incorporation with and without straw decomposer on soil bacterial community structure and function in a rice-wheat cropping system.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Jun; Ni, Tian; Xun, Weibing; Huang, Xiaolei; Huang, Qiwei; Ran, Wei; Shen, Biao; Zhang, Ruifu; Shen, Qirong

    2017-06-01

    To study the influence of straw incorporation with and without straw decomposer on bacterial community structure and biological traits, a 3-year field experiments, including four treatments: control without fertilizer (CK), chemical fertilizer (NPK), chemical fertilizer plus 7500 kg ha -1 straw incorporation (NPKS), and chemical fertilizer plus 7500 kg ha -1 straw incorporation and 300 kg ha -1 straw decomposer (NPKSD), were performed in a rice-wheat cropping system in Changshu (CS) and Jintan (JT) city, respectively. Soil samples were taken right after wheat (June) and rice (October) harvest in both sites, respectively. The NPKS and NPKSD treatments consistently increased crop yields, cellulase activity, and bacterial abundance in both sampling times and sites. Moreover, the NPKS and NPKSD treatments altered soil bacterial community structure, particularly in the wheat harvest soils in both sites, separating from the CK and NPK treatments. In the rice harvest soils, both NPKS and NPKSD treatments had no considerable impacts on bacterial communities in CS, whereas the NPKSD treatment significantly shaped bacterial communities compared to the other treatments in JT. These practices also significantly shifted the bacterial composition of unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) rather than shared OTUs. The relative abundances of copiotrophic bacteria (Proteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, and Actinobacteria) were positively correlated with soil total N, available N, and available P. Taken together, these results indicate that application of straw incorporation with and without straw decomposer could particularly stimulate the copiotrophic bacteria, enhance the soil biological activity, and thus, contribute to the soil productivity and sustainability in agro-ecosystems.

  1. Relationship of carbohydrates and lignin molecular structure spectral profiles to nutrient profile in newly developed oats cultivars and barley grain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Prates, Luciana Louzada; Refat, Basim; Lei, Yaogeng; Louzada-Prates, Mariana; Yu, Peiqiang

    2018-01-01

    The objectives of this study were to quantify the chemical profile and the magnitude of differences in the oat and barley grain varieties developed by Crop Development Centre (CDC) in terms of Cornell Net Carbohydrate Protein System (CNCPS) carbohydrate sub-fractions: CA4 (sugars), CB1 (starch), CB2 (soluble fibre), CB3 (available neutral detergent fibre - NDF), and CC (unavailable carbohydrate); to estimate the energy values; to detect the lignin and carbohydrate (CHO) molecular structure profiles in CDC Nasser and CDC Seabiscuit oat and CDC Meredith barley grains by using Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR); to develop a model to predict nutrient supply based on CHO molecular profile. Results showed that NDF, ADF and CHO were greater (P < 0.05) in oat than in barley. The starch content was greater (P < 0.05) in barley than in oat. The CDC Meredith showed greater total rumen degradable carbohydrate (RDC), intestinal digestible fraction carbohydrate (FC) and lower total rumen undegradable carbohydrate (RUC). However, the estimated milk production did not differ for CDC Nasser oat and CDC Meredith barley. Lignin peak area and peak height did not differ (P > 0.05) for oat and barley grains as well as non-structural CHO. However, cellulosic compounds peak area and height were greater (P < 0.05) in oat than barley grains. Multiple regressions were determined to predict nutrient supply by using lignin and CHO molecular profiles. It was concluded that although there were some differences between oat and barley grains, CDC Nasser and CDC Meredith presented similarities related to chemical and molecular profiles, indicating that CDC Meredith barley could be replaced for CDC Nasser as ruminant feed. The FTIR was able to identify functional groups related to CHO molecular spectral in oat and barley grains and FTIR-ATR results could be used to predict nutrient supply in ruminant livestock systems.

  2. The effects of straw or straw-derived gasification biochar applications on soil quality and crop productivity: A farm case study.

    PubMed

    Hansen, Veronika; Müller-Stöver, Dorette; Imparato, Valentina; Krogh, Paul Henning; Jensen, Lars Stoumann; Dolmer, Anders; Hauggaard-Nielsen, Henrik

    2017-01-15

    Thermal gasification of straw is a highly efficient technology that produces bioenergy and gasification biochar that can be used as a soil amendment, thereby returning non-renewable nutrients and stable carbon, and securing soil quality and crop productivity. A Danish on-farm field study investigated the impact of traditional straw incorporation vs. straw removal for thermal gasification bioenergy production and the application of straw gasification biochar (GB) on soil quality and crop production. Two rates of GB were applied over three successive years in which the field was cropped with winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) and winter wheat, respectively, to assess the potential effects on the soil carbon pool, soil microorganisms, earthworms, soil chemical properties and crop yields. The application of GB did not increase the soil organic carbon content significantly and had no effect on crop yields. The application of straw and GB had a positive effect on the populations of bacteria and protists, but no effect on earthworms. The high rate of GB increased soil exchangeable potassium content and soil pH indicating its potassium bioavailability and liming properties. These results suggest, that recycling GB into agricultural soils has the potential to be developed into a system combining bioenergy generation from agricultural residues and crop production, while maintaining soil quality. However, future studies should be undertaken to assess its long-term effects and to identify the optimum balance between straw removal and biochar application rate. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  3. Bird cherry-oat aphid: do we have resistance?

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Bird cherry-oat aphid (BCOA), Rhopalosiphum padi (L.), is a highly efficient, non-propagative, persistent vector of the phloem limited leutovirus BYD-PAV. BYD is the most important viral disease of cereal grains in the world and PAV is the most prevalent strain of BYD in North America. Not all BCO...

  4. Bioconversion of rice straw into a soil-like substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Chengying; Liu, Hong; Xing, Yidong; Manukovsky, N. S.; Kovalev, V. S.; Gurevich, Yu. L.

    To increase the closure of bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS), the bioconversion of rice straw into a soil-like substrate (SLS) by mushrooms and worms has been studied. The results showed that rice straw could be treated better by aerobic fermentation and succeeding growth of mushrooms Pleurotus ostreatus. In this process the total content of lignocellulose in the straw was removed by 37.74%. Furthermore, 46.68 g (fresh weight) of mushrooms could be produced from 100.0 g (dry weight) of rice straw. During the conversion of rice straw into a starting SLS by mushrooms and worms, the matter loss was 77.31%. The lettuce has been planted in the SLS and the yield when lettuce was cultivated on the SLS (8.77gm-2day-1) was comparable to the yield obtained on the nutrient solution. In addition, the silicon in the SLS ash can reach upto 32% and the circulation of it is expected during the growth of rice.

  5. Evaluation of thermophilic fungal consortium for paddy straw composting.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Adesh; Gaind, Sunita; Nain, Lata

    2008-06-01

    Out of 10 thermophilic fungi isolated from wheat straw, farm yard manure, and soil, only three showed highest cellobiase, carboxymethyl cellulase, xylanase, and FPase activities. They were identified as Aspergillus nidulans (Th(4)), Scytalidium thermophilum (Th(5)), and Humicola sp. (Th(10)). A fungal consortium of these three fungi was used to compost a mixture (1:1) of silica rich paddy straw and lignin rich soybean trash. The composting of paddy straw for 3 months, during summer period in North India, resulted in a product with C:N ratio 9.5:1, available phosphorus 0.042% and fungal biomass 6.512 mg of N-acetyl glucosamine/100 mg of compost. However, a C:N ratio of 10.2:1 and highest humus content of 3.3% was achieved with 1:1 mixture of paddy straw and soybean trash. The fungal consortium was effective in converting high silica paddy straw into nutritionally rich compost thereby leading to economical and environment friendly disposal of this crop residue.

  6. Heat and microbial treatments for nutritional upgrading of wheat straw

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Milstein, O.; Vered, Y.; Sharma, A.

    1986-03-01

    The ligninolytic activities of four cellulolytic organisms were compared using straw. Only Aspergillus japonicus and Polyporous versicolor appreciably degraded lignin with A. japonicus yielding the most protein. In solid culture, most protein was produced by P. versicolor, closely followed by A. japonicus. Pertreatment of the straw by hot water facilitated biodegradation and protein production. The nutritional value of the residual straw was also increased by some fungal cultures. The greatest amount of degradable polysaccharide in the straw was made available by A. japonicus in liquid media and Pleurotus ostreatus in solid media. 29 references.

  7. Changes in preferences of gestating heifers fed untreated or ammoniated straw in different flavors.

    PubMed

    Atwood, S B; Provenza, F D; Wiedmeier, R D; Banner, R E

    2001-12-01

    We determined how a food's flavor and digestibility, along with an animal's recent experiences, influenced food preference and intake. In three experiments, pregnant heifers were fed a basal ration (7.75 kg/animal) of alfalfa, barley, corn silage, and a vitamin/mineral supplement from 1500 to 2200. Exp. 1 determined the influence of recent exposure to flavored straw. Animals were divided into two groups (n = 16/group) and fed either untreated or ammoniated straw with digestibilities of 43 and 58%, respectively. Within each group, half of the heifers were fed maple-flavored straw and the other half were fed coconut-flavored straw from 1100 one day to 0900 the next day, with no base ration. We then offered straw in both flavors from 1000 to 1200 for the next 5 d. Animals fed maple-flavored straw for 1 d generally preferred coconut- over maple-flavored straw for the next 5 d, whereas animals previously fed coconut-flavored straw preferred maple-flavored straw (P < 0.001). The change in preference was stronger when animals were fed untreated compared with ammoniated straw. Experiments 2 and 3 determined the influence of offering straw in different flavors, either in sequence (Exp. 2) or simultaneously (Exp. 3). In Exp. 2, we offered heifers (n = 16) straw in three flavors (maple from 0900 to 1100, coconut from 1100 to 1300, and unflavored from 1300 to 1500) and compared their intake with that of heifers (n = 16) offered unflavored straw throughout the day. In Exp. 3, we compared intake of heifers (n = 16) simultaneously offered straw in three flavors (coconut, maple, and unflavored) with that of heifers (n = 16) offered only unflavored straw from 1000 to 1500. In both experiments, straw intake and preference differed between heifers offered straw in a variety of flavors as opposed to only unflavored straw (P < 0.05), but animals fed a variety of flavors did not consistently eat more than those fed only one flavor. During a post-trial preference test, heifers previously

  8. Bacterially produced Pt-GFP as ratiometric dual-excitation sensor for in planta mapping of leaf apoplastic pH in intact Avena sativa and Vicia faba.

    PubMed

    Geilfus, Christoph-Martin; Mühling, Karl H; Kaiser, Hartmut; Plieth, Christoph

    2014-01-01

    Ratiometric analysis with H(+)-sensitive fluorescent sensors is a suitable approach for monitoring apoplastic pH dynamics. For the acidic range, the acidotropic dual-excitation dye Oregon Green 488 is an excellent pH sensor. Long lasting (hours) recordings of apoplastic pH in the near neutral range, however, are more problematic because suitable pH indicators that combine a good pH responsiveness at a near neutral pH with a high photostability are lacking. The fluorescent pH reporter protein from Ptilosarcus gurneyi (Pt-GFP) comprises both properties. But, as a genetically encoded indicator and expressed by the plant itself, it can be used almost exclusively in readily transformed plants. In this study we present a novel approach and use purified recombinant indicators for measuring ion concentrations in the apoplast of crop plants such as Vicia faba L. and Avena sativa L. Pt-GFP was purified using a bacterial expression system and subsequently loaded through stomata into the leaf apoplast of intact plants. Imaging verified the apoplastic localization of Pt-GFP and excluded its presence in the symplast. The pH-dependent emission signal stood out clearly from the background. PtGFP is highly photostable, allowing ratiometric measurements over hours. By using this approach, a chloride-induced alkalinizations of the apoplast was demonstrated for the first in oat. Pt-GFP appears to be an excellent sensor for the quantification of leaf apoplastic pH in the neutral range. The presented approach encourages to also use other genetically encoded biosensors for spatiotemporal mapping of apoplastic ion dynamics.

  9. Population structure and genome-wide association analysis for frost tolerance in oat using continuous SNP array signal intensity ratios.

    PubMed

    Tumino, Giorgio; Voorrips, Roeland E; Rizza, Fulvia; Badeck, Franz W; Morcia, Caterina; Ghizzoni, Roberta; Germeier, Christoph U; Paulo, Maria-João; Terzi, Valeria; Smulders, Marinus J M

    2016-09-01

    Infinium SNP data analysed as continuous intensity ratios enabled associating genotypic and phenotypic data from heterogeneous oat samples, showing that association mapping for frost tolerance is a feasible option. Oat is sensitive to freezing temperatures, which restricts the cultivation of fall-sown or winter oats to regions with milder winters. Fall-sown oats have a longer growth cycle, mature earlier, and have a higher productivity than spring-sown oats, therefore improving frost tolerance is an important goal in oat breeding. Our aim was to test the effectiveness of a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) for mapping QTLs related to frost tolerance, using an approach that tolerates continuously distributed signals from SNPs in bulked samples from heterogeneous accessions. A collection of 138 European oat accessions, including landraces, old and modern varieties from 27 countries was genotyped using the Infinium 6K SNP array. The SNP data were analyzed as continuous intensity ratios, rather than converting them into discrete values by genotype calling. PCA and Ward's clustering of genetic similarities revealed the presence of two main groups of accessions, which roughly corresponded to Continental Europe and Mediterranean/Atlantic Europe, although a total of eight subgroups can be distinguished. The accessions were phenotyped for frost tolerance under controlled conditions by measuring fluorescence quantum yield of photosystem II after a freezing stress. GWAS were performed by a linear mixed model approach, comparing different corrections for population structure. All models detected three robust QTLs, two of which co-mapped with QTLs identified earlier in bi-parental mapping populations. The approach used in the present work shows that SNP array data of heterogeneous hexaploid oat samples can be successfully used to determine genetic similarities and to map associations to quantitative phenotypic traits.

  10. Digestive development in neonatal dairy calves with either whole or ground oats in the calf starter.

    PubMed

    Suarez-Mena, F X; Heinrichs, A J; Jones, C M; Hill, T M; Quigley, J D

    2015-05-01

    A series of 3 trials was conducted to determine effects of whole or ground oats in starter grain on reticulorumen fermentation and digestive system development of preweaned calves. Male Holstein calves (43.1±2.3kg at birth; n=8, 9, and 7 for trials 1, 2, and 3, respectively) were housed in individual pens in a heated facility; bedding was covered with landscape fabric to prevent consumption of bedding by the calves. In trials 1 and 2 only, calves were fitted with rumen cannulas by wk 2 of life. In all trials, a fixed amount of starter (containing 25% oats either ground and in the pellet or whole) was offered daily; orts were fed through the cannula in trials 1 and 2. Calves were randomly assigned to an all-pelleted starter or pellets plus whole oats. Rumen contents (trials 1 and 2) were sampled weekly at -8, -4, 0, 2, 4, 8, and 12 h after grain feeding for determination of pH and volatile fatty acids. Calves were killed 3 wk (trial 1) or 4 wk (trials 2 and 3) after grain was offered; organs were harvested, emptied, rinsed, and weighed to gauge digestive organ development. Starter intake was not different between treatments. Weekly measurements of rumen digesta pH did not change and only subtle changes were observed in molar proportions of individual volatile fatty acids. Molar proportion of butyrate and pH linearly decreased with age, whereas acetate proportion increased. Reticulorumen weight and papillae length tended to be greater for calves fed pelleted starter, whereas abomasum weight was greater for calves fed pellets plus whole oats. Fecal particle size and starch content were greater for calves fed pellets plus whole oats. Under the conditions of this study, physical form of oats in starter grain did not affect rumen fermentation measurements; greater rumen weight and papillae length in calves fed pelleted starter may be the result of greater nutrient availability of ground oats. Under the conditions of this study with young calves on treatments for <4 wk

  11. Effect of water washing on the thermal behavior of rice straw.

    PubMed

    Said, N; Bishara, T; García-Maraver, A; Zamorano, M

    2013-11-01

    Rice straw can be used as a renewable fuel for heat and power generation. It is a viable mean of replacing fossil fuels and preventing pollution caused by open burning, especially in the areas where this residual biomass is generated. Nevertheless, the thermal conversion of rice straw can cause some operating problems such as slag formation, which negatively affects thermal conversion systems. So, the main objective of this research is studying the combustion behavior of rice straw samples collected from various regions by applying thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). In addition, the thermal behavior of ashes from rice straw was also analyzed in order to detect their melting points, and ash sintering was detected at different temperatures within the range between 550 and 1000°C. Since washing rice straw with water could reduce the content of undesirable inorganic compounds related to the ash fusibility, samples of washed rice straw were analyzed under combustion conditions to investigate its differences regarding the thermal behavior of rice straw. The results showed that rice straw washing led to a significant improvement in its thermal behavior, since it reduced the ash contents and sintering formation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Dynamics of Potassium Release and Adsorption on Rice Straw Residue

    PubMed Central

    Li, Jifu; Lu, Jianwei; Li, Xiaokun; Ren, Tao; Cong, Rihuan; Zhou, Li

    2014-01-01

    Straw application can not only increase crop yields, improve soil structure and enrich soil fertility, but can also enhance water and nutrient retention. The aim of this study was to ascertain the relationships between straw decomposition and the release-adsorption processes of K+. This study increases the understanding of the roles played by agricultural crop residues in the soil environment, informs more effective straw recycling and provides a method for reducing potassium loss. The influence of straw decomposition on the K+ release rate in paddy soil under flooded condition was studied using incubation experiments, which indicated the decomposition process of rice straw could be divided into two main stages: (a) a rapid decomposition stage from 0 to 60 d and (b) a slow decomposition stage from 60 to 110 d. However, the characteristics of the straw potassium release were different from those of the overall straw decomposition, as 90% of total K was released by the third day of the study. The batches of the K sorption experiments showed that crop residues could adsorb K+ from the ambient environment, which was subject to decomposition periods and extra K+ concentration. In addition, a number of materials or binding sites were observed on straw residues using IR analysis, indicating possible coupling sites for K+ ions. The aqueous solution experiments indicated that raw straw could absorb water at 3.88 g g−1, and this rate rose to its maximum 15 d after incubation. All of the experiments demonstrated that crop residues could absorb large amount of aqueous solution to preserve K+ indirectly during the initial decomposition period. These crop residues could also directly adsorb K+ via physical and chemical adsorption in the later period, allowing part of this K+ to be absorbed by plants for the next growing season. PMID:24587364

  13. Dynamics of potassium release and adsorption on rice straw residue.

    PubMed

    Li, Jifu; Lu, Jianwei; Li, Xiaokun; Ren, Tao; Cong, Rihuan; Zhou, Li

    2014-01-01

    Straw application can not only increase crop yields, improve soil structure and enrich soil fertility, but can also enhance water and nutrient retention. The aim of this study was to ascertain the relationships between straw decomposition and the release-adsorption processes of K(+). This study increases the understanding of the roles played by agricultural crop residues in the soil environment, informs more effective straw recycling and provides a method for reducing potassium loss. The influence of straw decomposition on the K(+) release rate in paddy soil under flooded condition was studied using incubation experiments, which indicated the decomposition process of rice straw could be divided into two main stages: (a) a rapid decomposition stage from 0 to 60 d and (b) a slow decomposition stage from 60 to 110 d. However, the characteristics of the straw potassium release were different from those of the overall straw decomposition, as 90% of total K was released by the third day of the study. The batches of the K sorption experiments showed that crop residues could adsorb K(+) from the ambient environment, which was subject to decomposition periods and extra K(+) concentration. In addition, a number of materials or binding sites were observed on straw residues using IR analysis, indicating possible coupling sites for K(+) ions. The aqueous solution experiments indicated that raw straw could absorb water at 3.88 g g(-1), and this rate rose to its maximum 15 d after incubation. All of the experiments demonstrated that crop residues could absorb large amount of aqueous solution to preserve K(+) indirectly during the initial decomposition period. These crop residues could also directly adsorb K(+) via physical and chemical adsorption in the later period, allowing part of this K(+) to be absorbed by plants for the next growing season.

  14. Comparative profiling of microRNAs in the winged and wingless English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.) (Homoptera: Aphididae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    English green aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.), show a classic polyphenic wing dimorphism among isogenic adults that is an intriguing model for the study of morphological plasticity in response to the environment. Short non-coding microRNA (miRNA) molecules regulate gene expression by post-transcriptiona...

  15. Wholegrain oat-based cereals have prebiotic potential and low glycaemic index.

    PubMed

    Connolly, M L; Tuohy, K M; Lovegrove, J A

    2012-12-28

    Population studies show a positive association between increased dietary intake of wholegrains and reduced risk of cardiometabolic disorders. Consumption of wholegrain food has been associated with lower blood glucose and therefore may contribute to a low-glycaemic load diet. The ability to mediate a prebiotic modulation of gut microbiota has recently been suggested to have an inverse correlation with risk of cardiometabolic disease. To date very little work has been carried out on the functionality of wholegrain breakfast cereals in terms of glycaemic response or impact on gut microbiota. An investigation into identifying wholegrain-based breakfast cereals demonstrating both low glycaemic index (GI) and prebiotic attributes was performed. After in vitro digestion, cereal samples were supplemented to pH-controlled anaerobic batch cultures of the human faecal microbiota. Total bacteria populations increased significantly (P < 0·05) in all treated cultures, and the fermentation of a wholegrain oat cluster cereal was associated with proliferation of the Bifidobacterium genus (P = 0·02). Smaller, but significant increases in the Bifidobacterium genus were observed for a further four oat-based cereals. Significant increases in the Lactobacillus-Enterococcus group were observed for granola (P = 0·01), 100 % wholegrain aggregate (P = 0·04) and 70 % wholegrain loops (P = 0·01). Cereals demonstrating prebiotic potential were selected for GI determination in twelve healthy subjects. The wholegrain oat aggregate cereal achieved the lowest GI value (40), three other cereals ranged between 44 and 74, with instant porridge resulting in a GI value similar to the standard glucose control. The present study suggests that wholegrain oat-based breakfast cereals may be prebiotics and have the potential to have low GI.

  16. Equine Cyathostominae can develop to infective third-stage larvae on straw bedding.

    PubMed

    Love, Sandy; Burden, Faith A; McGirr, Eoghan C; Gordon, Louise; Denwood, Matthew J

    2016-08-31

    Domesticated grazing animals including horses and donkeys are frequently housed using deep litter bedding systems, where it is commonly presumed that there is no risk of infection from the nematodes that are associated with grazing at pasture. We use two different approaches to test whether equids could become infected with cyathostomines from the ingestion of deep litter straw bedding. Two herbage plot studies were performed in horticultural incubators set up to simulate three straw bedding scenarios and one grass turf positive control. Faeces were placed on 16 plots, and larval recoveries performed on samples of straw/grass substrate over 2- to 3-week periods. Within each incubator, a thermostat was set to maintain an environmental temperature of approximately 10 °C to 20 °C. To provide further validation, 24 samples of straw bedding were collected over an 8-week period from six barns in which a large number of donkeys were housed in a deep litter straw bedding system. These samples were collected from the superficial bedding at 16 sites along a "W" route through each barn. No infective larvae were recovered from any of the plots containing dry straw. However, infective cyathostomine larvae were first detected on day 8 from plots containing moist straw. In the straw bedding study, cyathostomine larvae were detected in 18 of the 24 samples. Additionally, in the two barns which were sampled serially, the level of larval infectivity generally increased from week to week, except when the straw bedding was removed and replaced. We have demonstrated that equine cyathostomines can develop to infective larvae on moist straw bedding. It is therefore possible for a horse or donkey bedded in deep litter straw to become infected by ingesting the contaminated straw. This has implications for parasite control in stabled equids and potentially in housed ruminants, and further investigation is required in order to establish the relative infective pressure from pasture versus

  17. Combined pretreatment using ozonolysis and ball milling to improve enzymatic saccharification of corn straw.

    PubMed

    Shi, Feng; Xiang, Heji; Li, Yongfu

    2015-03-01

    Two clean pretreatments, ozonolysis (OZ) and planetary ball milling (BM) were applied separately and in combination to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of corn straw. Pretreatment of corn straw by OZ and BM alone improved the enzymatic hydrolysis significantly, primarily through delignification and decrystallization of cellulose, respectively. When combined, OZ-BM and BM-OZ pretreatments made the enzymatic hydrolysis more efficient. The glucose and xylose yield of corn straw treated with OZ for 90 min followed by BM for 8 min (OZ90-BM8) reached to 407.8 and 101.9 mg/g-straw, respectively under cellulase loading of 15 FPU/g-straw, which was fivefold more than that of untreated straw. Under much lower cellulase loading of 1.5 FPU/g-straw, the glucose and xylose yield of treated straw OZ90-BM8 remained at 416.0 and 108.4 mg/g-straw, respectively, while the yield of untreated straw decreased. These findings indicate that the combined OZ-BM can be used as a promising pretreatment for corn straw. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Cost-effectiveness of Maintaining Daily Intake of Oat β-Glucan for Coronary Heart Disease Primary Prevention.

    PubMed

    Earnshaw, Stephanie R; McDade, Cheryl L; Chu, YiFang; Fleige, Lisa E; Sievenpiper, John L

    2017-04-01

    Oat β-glucan reduces cholesterol levels and thus reduces the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). However, its economic impact has not been well studied. We examined the economic impact of daily intake of ≥3 g of oat β-glucan in primary prevention of CHD in patients receiving statins or no pharmacologic treatment. A decision model was developed to compare costs and outcomes associated with lowering cholesterol levels with no pharmacologic treatment and normal diet, no pharmacologic treatment plus ≥3 g/d of oat β-glucan, and statin therapy plus ≥3 g/d of oat β-glucan. The population comprised men 45, 55, or 65 years of age with no history of cardiovascular disease and a 10-year risk for CHD of 5%, 7.5%, or 10%. Clinical efficacy data were gathered from meta-analyses; safety data, costs, and utilities were gathered from published literature. Cost per quality-adjusted life years and number of first events were reported. Maintaining ≥3 g/d of β-glucan may be cost-effective in men aged 45, 55, and 65 years with 10-year CHD risks of 5.0%, 7.5%, and 10.0% taking no pharmacologic treatment or on statins. It may also reduce first events of myocardial infarction and CHD death. Results are sensitive to oat β-glucan cost but insensitive to changes in other parameters. Maintaining ≥3 g of oat β-glucan daily remains cost-effective within plausible range of values. β-glucan may be cost-effective for preventing CHD events in middle-aged men with no history of cardiovascular events whose 10-year CHD risk is ≥5%. Maintaining daily β-glucan intake may have considerable impact on first events. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Straw use and availability for second generation biofuels in England.

    PubMed

    Glithero, Neryssa J; Wilson, Paul; Ramsden, Stephen J

    2013-08-01

    Meeting EU targets for renewable transport fuels by 2020 will necessitate a large increase in bioenergy feedstocks. Although deployment of first generation biofuels has been the major response to meeting these targets they are subject to wide debate on their sustainability leading to the development of second generation technologies which use lignocellulosic feedstocks. Second generation biofuel can be subdivided into those from dedicated bioenergy crops (DESGB), e.g. miscanthus, or those from co-products (CPSGB) such as cereal straw. Potential supply of cereal straw as a feedstock for CPSGB's is uncertain in England due to the difficulty in obtaining data and the uncertainty in current estimates. An on-farm survey of 249 farms (Cereal, General Cropping and Mixed) in England was performed and linked with Farm Business Survey data to estimate current straw use and potential straw availability. No significant correlations between harvested grain and straw yields were found for wheat and oilseed rape and only a weak correlation was observed for barley. In England there is a potential cereal straw supply of 5.27 Mt from arable farm types; 3.82 Mt are currently used and 1.45 Mt currently chopped and incorporated. If currently chopped and incorporated cereal straw from arable farm types was converted into bioethanol, this could represent 1.5% of the UK petrol consumption by energy equivalence. The variations in regional straw yields (t ha -1 ) have a great effect on the England supply of straw and the potential amount of bioethanol that can be produced.

  20. Design, the "Straw" Missing from the "Bricks" of IS Curricula

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waguespack, Leslie J.

    2011-01-01

    As punishment in the biblical story of Moses the slaves were told they had to make bricks without straw. This was impossible because bricks made without straw had the appearance of strength and function but could not withstand the proof of actual use. The slaves' punishment was therefore not only to make bricks, but also to find the straw on their…

  1. Plant growth inhibitors isolated from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) straw.

    PubMed

    Sampietro, Diego Alejandro; Vattuone, Marta Amelia; Isla, María Ines

    2006-07-01

    Several compounds related with plant defense and pharmacological activities have been isolated from sugarcane. Straw phytotoxins and their possible mechanisms of growth inhibition are largely unknown. A bioassay-guided fractionation of the phytotoxic constituents leachated from a sugarcane straw led to the isolation of trans-ferulic (trans-FA), cis-ferulic (cis-FA), vanillic (VA) and syringic (SA) acids. The straw leachates and their identified constituents significantly inhibited root growth of lettuce and four weeds. VA was more phytotoxic to root elongation than FA and SA. The identified phenolic compounds significantly increased leakage of root cell constituents, inhibited dehydrogenase activity and reduced chlorophyll content in lettuce. VA and FA inhibited mitotic index while SA increased cell division. Additive (VA-FA and FA-SA) and synergistic (VA-SA) interactions on root growth were observed at the response level of EC(25). Although the isolated compounds differed in their relative phytotoxic activities, the observed physiological responses suggest that they have a common mode of action. HPLC analysis indicated that sugarcane straw can potentially release 1.43 (ratio 2:1, trans:cis), 1.14 and 0.14mmolkg(-1) (straw dry weight) of FA, VA and SA, respectively. As phenolic acids are often found spatially concentrated in the top soil layers under plant straws, further studies are needed to establish the impact of these compounds in natural settings.

  2. Physical Characterization of Natural Straw Fibers as Aggregates for Construction Materials Applications

    PubMed Central

    Bouasker, Marwen; Belayachi, Naima; Hoxha, Dashnor; Al-Mukhtar, Muzahim

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to find out new alternative materials that respond to sustainable development criteria. For this purpose, an original utilization of straw for the design of lightweight aggregate concretes is proposed. Four types of straw were used: three wheat straws and a barley straw. In the present study, the morphology and the porosity of the different straw aggregates was studied by SEM in order to understand their effects on the capillary structure and the hygroscopic behavior. The physical properties such as sorption-desorption isotherms, water absorption coefficient, pH, electrical conductivity and thermo-gravimetric analysis were also studied. As a result, it has been found that this new vegetable material has a very low bulk density, a high water absorption capacity and an excellent hydric regulator. The introduction of the straw in the water tends to make the environment more basic; this observation can slow carbonation of the binder matrix in the presence of the straw. PMID:28788605

  3. Population genetics related to adaptation in elite oat germplasm

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Six hundred thirty five oat lines and 2,635 SNP loci were used to evaluate population structure, linkage disequilibrium (LD) and genotype-phenotype association with heading date. The first five principal components (PC) accounted for 25.3% of genetic variation. Neither the eigenvalues of the first 2...

  4. The art of attrition: development of robust oat microsatellites

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Microsatellite or simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers are important tools for genetic analyses, especially those targeting diversity, based on the fact that multiple alleles can occur at a given locus. Currently, only 160 genomic-based SSR markers are publicly available for oat, most of which have...

  5. Coffee Stirrers and Drinking Straws as Disposable Spatulas

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turano, Morgan A.; Lobuono, Cinzia; Kirschenbaum, Louis J.

    2015-01-01

    Although metal spatulas are damaged through everyday use and become discolored and corroded by chemical exposure, plastic drinking straws are inexpensive, sterile, and disposable, reducing the risk of cross-contamination during laboratory procedures. Drinking straws are also useful because they come in a variety of sizes; narrow sample containers…

  6. Potential of pelleted wheat straw as an alternative bedding material for broilers.

    PubMed

    Kheravii, S K; Swick, R A; Choct, M; Wu, S-B

    2017-06-01

    Broiler chickens are commonly placed on wood shavings as litter, but alternative litter sources are required due to the scarcity of wood shavings in many parts of the world. This study aimed to compare pelleted straw, chopped wheat straw, wood shavings, rice hulls, and shredded paper as litter candidates. Three-hundred-sixty Ross 308 one-day-old male chicks were used in this study. There were 5 litter treatments with 6 replicate pens, each with 12 birds. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) of birds reared on pelleted straw was improved compared (P < 0.05) to that of birds raised on rice hulls, whereas it did not differ for birds placed on wood shavings, rice hulls, chopped straw, or shredded paper. It was observed that the birds reared on wood shavings had higher relative gizzard weight at d 24 compared to those reared on pelleted straw (P < 0.05). Gizzard pH and measured cecal bacterial groups were not affected by the type of bedding material. Cecal bacterial groups measured at d 10 were not affected by bedding material. Birds reared on pelleted wheat straw had a lower incidence of footpad lesions than those on chopped straw and shredded paper on d 24 (P < 0.001) and 29 (P < 0.01). Litter source did not affect the occurrence of breast blisters at d 24, 29, or 35. On d 24, 29, and 35, pelleted straw litter was less caked than chopped straw and shredded paper (P < 0.001) whereas no significant differences were observed among pelleted straw, wood shavings, and rice hulls. The study demonstrated the potential benefits to using pelleted wheat straw as a bedding material. Further assessment of pelleting of wheat straw and other materials on broiler health, performance, and welfare are needed to determine the economic benefits of pelleted litter. © 2017 Poultry Science Association Inc.

  7. Properties of high-quality long natural cellulose fibers from rice straw.

    PubMed

    Reddy, Narendra; Yang, Yiqi

    2006-10-18

    This paper reports the structure and properties of novel long natural cellulose fibers obtained from rice straw. Rice straw fibers have 64% cellulose with 63% crystalline cellulose, strength of 3.5 g/denier (450 MPa), elongation of 2.2%, and modulus of 200 g/denier (26 GPa), similar to that of linen fibers. The rice straw fibers reported here have better properties than any other natural cellulose fiber obtained from an agricultural byproduct. With a worldwide annual availability of 580 million tons, rice straw is an annually renewable, abundant, and cheap source for natural cellulose fibers. Using rice straw for high-value fibrous applications will help to add value to the rice crops, provide a sustainable resource for fibers, and also benefit the environment.

  8. GC-TOF-MS-based serum metabolomic investigations of naked oat bran supplementation in high-fat-diet-induced dyslipidemic rats.

    PubMed

    Gu, Jiaojiao; Jing, Lulu; Ma, Xiaotao; Zhang, Zhaofeng; Guo, Qianying; Li, Yong

    2015-12-01

    The present study aimed to explore the metabolic response of oat bran consumption in dyslipidemic rats by a high-throughput metabolomics approach. Four groups of Sprague-Dawley rats were used: N group (normal chow diet), M group (dyslipidemia induced by 4-week high-fat feeding, then normal chow diet), OL group and OH group (dyslipidemia induced, then normal chow diet supplemented with 10.8% or 43.4% naked oat bran). Intervention lasted for 12weeks. Gas chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry was used to identify serum metabolite profiles. Results confirmed the effects of oat bran on improving lipidemic variables and showed distinct metabolomic profiles associated with diet intervention. A number of endogenous molecules were changed by high-fat diet and normalized following supplementation of naked oat bran. Elevated levels of serum unsaturated fatty acids including arachidonic acid (Log2Fold of change=0.70, P=.02 OH vs. M group), palmitoleic acid (Log2Fold of change=1.24, P=.02 OH vs. M group) and oleic acid (Log2Fold of change=0.66, P=.04 OH vs. M group) were detected after oat bran consumption. Furthermore, consumption of oat bran was also characterized by higher levels of methionine and S-adenosylmethionine. Pathway exploration found that most of the discriminant metabolites were involved in fatty acid biosynthesis, biosynthesis and metabolism of amino acids, microbial metabolism in diverse environments and biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites. These results point to potential biomarkers and underlying benefit of naked oat bran in the context of diet-induced dyslipidemia and offer some insights into the mechanism exploration. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Environmental performance of straw-based pulp making: A life cycle perspective.

    PubMed

    Sun, Mingxing; Wang, Yutao; Shi, Lei

    2018-03-01

    Agricultural straw-based pulp making plays a vital role in pulp and paper industry, especially in forest deficient countries such as China. However, the environmental performance of straw-based pulp has scarcely been studied. A life cycle assessment on wheat straw-based pulp making in China was conducted to fill of the gaps in comprehensive environmental assessments of agricultural straw-based pulp making. On average, the global warming potential (GWP), GWP excluding biogenic carbon, acidification potential and eutrophication potential of wheat straw based pulp making are 2299kg CO 2 -eq, 4550kg CO 2 -eq, 16.43kg SO 2 -eq and 2.56kg Phosphate-eq respectively. The dominant factors contributing to environmental impacts are coal consumption, electricity consumption, and chemical (NaOH, ClO 2 ) input. Chemical input decrease and energy recovery increase reduce the total environmental impacts dramatically. Compared with wood-based and recycled pulp making, wheat straw-based pulp making has higher environmental impacts, which are mainly due to higher energy and chemical requirements. However, the environmental impacts of wheat straw-based pulp making are lower than hemp and flax based pulp making from previous studies. It is also noteworthy that biogenic carbon emission is significant in bio industries. If carbon sequestration is taken into account in pulp making industry, wheat straw-based pulp making is a net emitter rather than a net absorber of carbon dioxide. Since wheat straw-based pulp making provides an alternative for agricultural residue management, its evaluation framework should be expanded to further reveal its environmental benefits. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. The FINUDA straw tube detector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zia, A.; Benussi, L.; Bertani, M.; Bianco, S.; Fabbri, F. L.; Gianotti, P.; Giardoni, M.; Lucherini, V.; Mecozzi, A.; Pace, E.; Passamonti, L.; Qaiser, N.; Russo, V.; Tomassini, S.; Sarwar, S.; Serdyouk, V.

    2001-04-01

    An array of 2424 2.6- m-long, 15- mm-diameter mylar straw tubes, arranged in two axial and four stereo layers, has been assembled at National Laboratories of Frascati of INFN for the FINUDA experiment. The array covers a cylindrical tracking surface of 18 m 2 and provides coordinate measurement in the drift direction and along the wire with a resolution of the order of 100 and 300 μm, respectively. The array has finished the commissioning phase and tests with cosmic rays are underway. The status straw tubes array and a very preliminary result from cosmic rays test are summarized in this work.

  11. 7 CFR 810.1004 - Grades and grade requirements for oats.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Section 810.1004 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) GRAIN INSPECTION, PACKERS AND STOCKYARD ADMINISTRATION (FEDERAL GRAIN INSPECTION SERVICE), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OFFICIAL UNITED STATES STANDARDS FOR GRAIN United States Standards for Oats Principles Governing the...

  12. Effect of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation on oats in saline-alkali soil contaminated by petroleum to enhance phytoremediation.

    PubMed

    Xun, Feifei; Xie, Baoming; Liu, Shasha; Guo, Changhong

    2015-01-01

    To investigate the effect of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPR) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on phytoremediation in saline-alkali soil contaminated by petroleum, saline-alkali soil samples were artificially mixed with different amount of oil, 5 and 10 g/kg, respectively. Pot experiments with oat plants (Avena sativa) were conducted under greenhouse condition for 60 days. Plant biomass, physiological parameters in leaves, soil enzymes, and degradation rate of total petroleum hydrocarbon were measured. The result demonstrated that petroleum inhibited the growth of the plant; however, inoculation with PGPR in combination with AMF resulted in an increase in dry weight and stem height compared with noninoculated controls. Petroleum stress increased the accumulation of malondialdehyde (MDA) and free proline and the activities of the antioxidant enzyme such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase. Application of PGPR and AMF augmented the activities of three enzymes compared to their respective uninoculated controls, but decreased the MDA and free proline contents, indicating that PGPR and AMF could make the plants more tolerant to harmful hydrocarbon contaminants. It also improved the soil quality by increasing the activities of soil enzyme such as urease, sucrase, and dehydrogenase. In addition, the degradation rate of total petroleum hydrocarbon during treatment with PGPR and AMF in moderately contaminated soil reached a maximum of 49.73%. Therefore, we concluded the plants treated with a combination of PGPR and AMF had a high potential to contribute to remediation of saline-alkali soil contaminated with petroleum.

  13. Properties of Wheat-Straw Boards with Frw Based on Interface Treatment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhu, X. D.; Wang, F. H.; Liu, Y.

    This paper explored the effect of MDI, UF and FRW content on the mechanical and fire retardant property of straw based panels with surface alkali liquor processing. In order to manufacture the straw based panel with high quality, low toxic and fire retardant, the interface of wheat-straw was treated with alkaline liquid, and the orthogonal test was carried out to optimize the technical parameters. The conductivity and diffusion coefficient K of the straw material after alkaline liquid treatment increased obviously. This indicated that alkaline liquid treatment improved the surface wet ability of straw, which is helpful for the infiltration of resin. The results of orthogonal test showed that the optimized treating condition was alkaline liquid concentration as 0.4-0.8%, alkaline dosage as 1:2.5-1:4.5, alkalinetreated time as 12h-48 h.The physical and mechanical properties of wheat-straw boards after treated increased remarkably and it could satisfy the national standard. The improvement of the straw surface wet ability is helpful to the forming of chemical bond. Whereas the variance analysis of the fire retardant property of straw based panel showed that TTI, pkHRR and peak value appearance time were not affected by the MDI, UF and FRW content significantly. The results of orthogonal test showed that the optimized processing condition was MDI content as 3%, UF resin content as 6% and the FRW content as 10%.

  14. High levels of avenanthramides in oat-based diet further suppress high fat diet-induced atherosclerosis in Ldlr-/- mice

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Background: The consumption of oats reduces plasma cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease. Oats, in addition to cholesterol lowering properties through its beta-glucan content, are a good source of several antioxidants including Avenanthramides (Avns), a unique group of polyphenols prese...

  15. Effect of process variables on the quality attributes of briquettes from wheat, oat, canola and barley

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jaya Shankar Tumuluru

    2011-08-01

    Effect of process variables on the quality attributes of briquettes from wheat, oat, canola and barley straw Jaya Shankar Tumuluru*, L. G. Tabil, Y. Song, K. L. Iroba and V. Meda Biomass is a renewable energy source and environmentally friendly substitute for fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum products. Major limitation of biomass for successful energy application is its low bulk density, which makes it very difficult and costly to transport and handle. To overcome this limitation, biomass has to be densified. The commonly used technologies for densification of biomass are pelletization and briquetting. Briquetting offers many advantages atmore » it can densify larger particles sizes of biomass at higher moisture contents. Briquetting is influenced by a number of feedstock and process variables such as moisture content, particle size distribution, and some operating variables such as temperature and densification pressure. In the present study, experiments were designed and conducted based on Box-Behnken design to produce briquettes using barley, wheat, canola and barley straws. A laboratory scale hydraulic briquette press was used for the present study. The experimental process variables and their levels used in the present study were pressure levels (7.5, 10, 12.5 MPa), three levels of temperature (90, 110, 130 C), at three moisture content levels (9, 12, 15% w.b.), and three levels of particle size (19.1, 25.04, 31.75 mm). The quality variables studied includes moisture content, initial density and final briquette density after two weeks of storage, size distribution index and durability. The raw biomass was initially chopped and size reduced using a hammer mill. The ground biomass was conditioned at different moisture contents and was further densified using laboratory hydraulic press. For each treatment combination, ten briquettes were manufactured at a residence time of about 30 s after compression pressure setpoint was achieved. After compression, the

  16. Effects of high-fiber oat and wheat cereals on postprandial glucose and lipid responses in healthy men.

    PubMed

    Maki, Kevin C; Davidson, Michael H; Witchger, Mary Sue; Dicklin, Mary R; Subbaiah, Papasani V

    2007-09-01

    This randomized, crossover study compared the effects of consuming high-fiber oat and wheat cereals on postprandial metabolic profiles in healthy men. Twenty-seven subjects received oat (providing 5.7 g/day beta-glucan) or wheat (control) cereal products, in random order, incorporated into their usual diets for two weeks. Total energy and fiber (approximately 14 g/day) contents of the cereals were matched. A meal tolerance test that included the study cereal and a high-fat milkshake (1240 kcal, 105 g fat) was performed at the end of each treatment period. Postprandial insulin and glucose responses over 10 hours did not differ between treatments. Peak triglyceride concentration was lower after oat vs. wheat cereal consumption [2.3 +/- 1.2 (mean +/- standard deviation) vs. 2.9 +/- 1.3 mmol/L, p = 0.016]. Mean area under the triglyceride curve also tended to be lower (15.1 +/- 8.2 vs. 17.6 +/- 8.6 hours x mmol/L, p = 0.068). The free fatty acid area under the curve was elevated after the oat vs. the wheat products (3.64 +/- 0.91 vs. 3.38 +/- 0.98 hours x mmol/L, p = 0.018). These results suggest that high-fiber oat cereal influenced postprandial triglyceride and free fatty acid levels, which may have implications regarding cardiovascular disease risk.

  17. Application of ground bone and sheep manure on soils from two contaminated sites and influence on oat growth, uranium and radium uptake and translocation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abreu, M. M.; Pacheco, A.; Santos, E.; Magalhães, M. C. F.

    2012-04-01

    Past radium and uranium exploitation and processing in Urgeiriça mine and radium processing in Barracão (centre-north of Portugal) led to soils and waters contamination. Most of the soils, located in rural areas, are cultivated for vegetables, fruit trees, and/or pasturage, and the waters used for soils irrigation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the capacity of organic amendments and hydroxiapatite to reduce the soil available fraction of Utotal and 226Ra in soils of two areas after four months of incubation. Influence on oat growth, uranium and radium uptake and translocation was also studied. Pot experiments, under controlled conditions, were undertaken during four months of incubation at 70% of the soil water-holding capacity. Urgeiriça (Urg) and Barracão (Brc) soils containing large concentrations of Utotal (635 and 189 mg/kg, respectively), and 226Ra (2310 and 1770 Bq/kg, respectively) were used. The available fraction of these elements, extracted with ammonium acetate, corresponds to: 90 and 20% of total concentration of uranium and radium, respectively, for Urgeiriça soil, and 19 and 43% of total concentration of uranium and radium, respectively, for Barracão soil. Fine ground bone (FB), sheep manure (OM), and vermicompost (V) single or mixtures were used as amendments. Control (soil) and treatments were made in triplicate: (T1) soil+96 g FB/kg of soil; (T2) soil+168 g OM/kg of soil; (T3) soil+168 g OM/kg of soil+96 g FB/kg of soil; (T4) soil+168 g V/kg of soil. After incubation, soil subsamples were analysed for pH, electric conductivity (EC), and available fractions of Utotal and 226Ra. The remaining soils were used for oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivation. Soils had pH 5.15 (Urg) and 6.04 (Brc), and EC 57.3 µS/cm (Urg) and 36.3 µS/cm (Brc). After incubation soil pH increased to a maximum of 6.82 (Urg) and 7.10 (Brc) in amended samples, and EC showed a large increase (15-19 times) when compared to the control. A decrease of the available

  18. Microbial production of biopolymers from the renewable resource wheat straw.

    PubMed

    Gasser, E; Ballmann, P; Dröge, S; Bohn, J; König, H

    2014-10-01

    Production of poly-ß-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and the chemical basic compound lactate from the agricultural crop 'wheat straw' as a renewable carbon resource. A thermal pressure hydrolysis procedure for the breakdown of wheat straw was applied. By this means, the wheat straw was converted into a partially solubilized hemicellulosic fraction, consisting of sugar monomers, and an insoluble cellulosic fraction, containing cellulose, lignin and a small portion of hemicellulose. The insoluble cellulosic fraction was further hydrolysed by commercial enzymes in monomers. The production of PHB from the sugar monomers originating from hemicellulose or cellulose was achieved by the isolates Bacillus licheniformis IMW KHC 3 and Bacillus megaterium IMW KNaC 2. The basic chemical compound, lactate, a starting compound for the production of polylactide (PLA), was formed by some heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (LAB) able to grow with xylose from the hemicellulosic wheat straw hydrolysate. Two strains were selected which were able to produce PHB from the sugars both from the hemicellulosic and the cellulosic fraction of the wheat straw. In addition, some of the LAB tested were capable of producing lactate from the hemicellulosic hydrolysate. The renewable resource wheat straw could serve as a substrate for microbiologically produced basic chemicals and biodegradable plastics. © 2014 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  19. Effect of amaranth and oat bran on blood serum and liver lipids in rats depending on the kind of dietary fats.

    PubMed

    Grajeta, H

    1999-04-01

    The effect of amaranth and oat bran on the lipids of blood and liver in rats depending on the kind of fats in diet was the subject of our study. Sixty male Buffalo rats were fed for 28 days one of six diet containing 15% of fat (lard or sunflower oil), 20% of protein and 0.5% of cholesterol. Amaranth and oat bran added to diet provided 4-4.5% of dietary fiber, water soluble fraction of which amounted to 30%. Amaranth significantly decreased the level of total cholesterol in rats blood serum (by 10.7% in the case of diet with lard and by 14% with sunflower oil) and in liver (by 20% in the case of diet with lard and by 23% with sunflower oil). Similarly oat bran decreased the level of total cholesterol in the blood serum: by 19% in the case of diet with lard and by 22% with sunflower oil; and in liver by 22 and 27%, respectively. Amaranth and oat bran did not influence HDL-cholesterol in the blood of rats. The influence of amaranth and oat bran on the concentration of triglycerides in the blood serum depended on the kind of fats in a diet. The diets containing amaranth or oat bran with lard did not decrease the concentration of this lipids, however, the same diets but with sunflower oil decreased this concentration significantly (by 22%). In liver significant hypotriglyceridemic effect of amaranth and oat bran was observed for both of the diets: based on lard and sunflower. The decrease of triglycerides concentration under the influence of amaranth amounted to 10% (diet with lard) and 15% (diet with sunflower oil). Oat bran decreased the concentration of triglycerides in liver by 15% (diet with lard) and 20% (diet with sunflower oil). Sunflower oil added to the diets augmented the hypolipemic effect of amaranth and oat bran.

  20. Metabolism of HT-2 Toxin and T-2 Toxin in Oats

    PubMed Central

    Meng-Reiterer, Jacqueline; Bueschl, Christoph; Rechthaler, Justyna; Berthiller, Franz; Lemmens, Marc; Schuhmacher, Rainer

    2016-01-01

    The Fusarium mycotoxins HT-2 toxin (HT2) and T-2 toxin (T2) are frequent contaminants in oats. These toxins, but also their plant metabolites, may contribute to toxicological effects. This work describes the use of 13C-assisted liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry for the first comprehensive study on the biotransformation of HT2 and T2 in oats. Using this approach, 16 HT2 and 17 T2 metabolites were annotated including novel glycosylated and hydroxylated forms of the toxins, hydrolysis products, and conjugates with acetic acid, putative malic acid, malonic acid, and ferulic acid. Further targeted quantitative analysis was performed to study toxin metabolism over time, as well as toxin and conjugate mobility within non-treated plant tissues. As a result, HT2-3-O-β-d-glucoside was identified as the major detoxification product of both parent toxins, which was rapidly formed (to an extent of 74% in HT2-treated and 48% in T2-treated oats within one day after treatment) and further metabolised. Mobility of the parent toxins appeared to be negligible, while HT2-3-O-β-d-glucoside was partly transported (up to approximately 4%) through panicle side branches and stem. Our findings demonstrate that the presented combination of untargeted and targeted analysis is well suited for the comprehensive elucidation of mycotoxin metabolism in plants. PMID:27929394

  1. [Effects of legume-oat intercropping on abundance and community structure of soil N2-fixing bacteria].

    PubMed

    Yang, Ya Dong; Feng, Xiao Min; Hu, Yue Gao; Ren, Chang Zhong; Zeng, Zhao Hai

    2017-03-18

    In this study, real-time PCR and high-throughput sequencing approaches were employed to investigate the abundance and community structure of N 2 -fixing bacteria in a field experiment with three planting patterns (Oat monoculture, O; Soybean-oat intercropping, OSO; Mung bean-oat intercropping, OMO). The results showed that soil chemical properties varied significantly in different soil samples (P<0.05). The abundance of nifH gene varied from 1.75×10 10 to 7.37×10 10 copies·g -1 dry soil in all soil samples. The copy numbers of nifH gene in OSO and OMO were 2.18, 2.64, and 1.92, 2.57 times as much as that in O at jointing and mature stages, with a significant decline from jointing to mature stage for all treatments (P<0.05). Rarefaction curve and cove-rage results proved the nifH gene sequencing results were reliable, and the diversity index showed that the N 2 -fixing bacteria diversity of OSO was much higher than that of O. Azohydromonas, Azotobacter, Bradyrhizobium, Skermanella and other groups that could not be classified are the dominant genera, with significant differences in proportion of these dominant groups observed among all soil samples (P<0.05). Venn and PCA analysis indicated that there were greater differences of nifH gene communities between jointing and mature stages; however, the OSO and OMO had similar communities in both stages. All these results confirmed that legume-oat intercropping significantly increased the abundance and changed the community composition of N 2 -fixing bacteria in oat soils.

  2. [Creation of a unit for education in the self-management of oat].

    PubMed

    Camino Guiu, M Jesús; Cebollero Mata, M Luisa; Bolea Muro, Carmen; Borrel Roncalés, Mercedes

    2012-04-01

    Oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) with Vitamin K antagonists requires frequent analytical controls that create a certain degree of dependency and a loss of autonomy in the patient. These drugs have an undesirable variability due to food and drug interactions, febrile processes, etc. which can modify the patient's INR and predispose them to a thromboembolic or hemorrhagic event. OAT self-control is supported by more than 15 years of experience in countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, and by comparative studies that reflect a reduction of thromboembolism and other adverse effects. The reason of this is because these patients are in the correct therapeutic range for longer periods of time due to more frequent controls (once a week against every 4-5 weeks of traditional control) and also to a better understanding of their treatment. In Aragon, OAT is a free health service and in our hospital, OAT has been an institutional aim since 2070. After a training course, the patient is capable to make their own INR determinations at home, to evaluate their results and adjust their own dose. Additionally the patient should acquire the appropriate knowledge to detect any adverse symptom and to know how to react to any problem in their treatment. This article summarizes our experience regarding the implementation of the programme and creation of the specific unit: the organization and training of the professionals involved, establishment of the patient selection criteria, and design of the patients' training course, follow-up strategy and equipment. In addition, the results of the study conducted in our Unit, showing a high degree of patient satisfaction, are included. At this moment 20% of our patients are included in the self-control strategy.

  3. Effect of Consuming Oat Bran Mixed in Water before a Meal on Glycemic Responses in Healthy Humans-A Pilot Study.

    PubMed

    Steinert, Robert E; Raederstorff, Daniel; Wolever, Thomas M S

    2016-08-26

    Viscous dietary fibers including oat β-glucan are one of the most effective classes of functional food ingredients for reducing postprandial blood glucose. The mechanism of action is thought to be via an increase in viscosity of the stomach contents that delays gastric emptying and reduces mixing of food with digestive enzymes, which, in turn, retards glucose absorption. Previous studies suggest that taking viscous fibers separate from a meal may not be effective in reducing postprandial glycemia. We aimed to re-assess the effect of consuming a preload of a commercially available oat-bran (4.5, 13.6 or 27.3 g) containing 22% of high molecular weight oat β-glucan (O22 (OatWell(®)22)) mixed in water before a test-meal of white bread on glycemic responses in 10 healthy humans. We found a significant effect of dose on blood glucose area under the curve (AUC) (p = 0.006) with AUC after 27.3 g of O22 being significantly lower than white bread only. Linear regression analysis showed that each gram of oat β-glucan reduced glucose AUC by 4.35% ± 1.20% (r = 0.507, p = 0.0008, n = 40) and peak rise by 6.57% ± 1.49% (r = 0.582, p < 0.0001). These data suggest the use of oat bran as nutritional preload strategy in the management of postprandial glycemia.

  4. The Effect of Natural Mulches on Crop Performance, Weed Suppression and Biochemical Constituents of Catnip and St. John’s Wort

    PubMed Central

    Duppong, L. M.; Delate, K.; Liebman, M.; Horton, R.; Romero, F.; Kraus, G.; Petrich, J.; Chowdbury, P. K.

    2006-01-01

    Because of expanding markets for high-value niche crops, opportunities have increased for the production of medicinal herbs in the USA. An experiment was conducted in 2001 and 2002 near Gilbert, IA, to study crop performance, weed suppression, and environmental conditions associated with the use of several organic mulches in the production of two herbs, catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) and St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L. ‘Helos’). Treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design and included a positive (hand-weeded) control, a negative (nonweeded) control, oat straw, a flax straw mat, and a nonwoven wool mat. Catnip plant height was significantly greater in the oat straw than the other treatments at 4 wk through 6 wk in 2001; at 4 to 8 wk in 2002, catnip plant height and width was significantly lower in the negative control compared with the other treatments. Catnip yield was significantly higher in the flax straw mat than all other treatments in 2001. In 2002, St. John’s wort yields were not statistically different in any treatments. All weed management treatments had significantly fewer weeds than the non-weeded rows in 2002. Total weed density comparisons in each crop from 2 yr showed fewer weeds present in the flax straw and wool mat treatments compared with positive control plots. There was no significant weed management treatment effect on the concentration of the target compounds, nepetalactone in catnip and pseudohypericin–hypericin in St. John’s wort, although there was a trend toward higher concentrations in the flax straw treatment. PMID:17047728

  5. Transgenic Wheat, Barley and Oats: Future Prospects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dunwell, Jim M.

    Following the success of transgenic maize and rice, methods have now been developed for the efficient introduction of genes into wheat, barley and oats. This review summarizes the present position in relation to these three species, and also uses information from field trial databases and the patent literature to assess the future trends in the exploitation of transgenic material. This analysis includes agronomic traits and also discusses opportunities in expanding areas such as biofuels and biopharming.

  6. Structural Make-up, Biopolymer Conformation, and Biodegradation Characteristics of Newly Developed Super Genotype of Oats (CDC SO-I vs. Conventional Varieties): Novel Approach

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Damiran, D.; Yu, P

    Recently, a new 'super' genotype of oats (CDC SO-I or SO-I) has been developed. The objectives of this study were to determine structural makeup (features) of oat grain in endosperm and pericarp regions and to reveal and identify differences in protein amide I and II and carbohydrate structural makeup (conformation) between SO-I and two conventional oats (CDC Dancer and Derby) grown in western Canada in 2006, using advanced synchrotron radiation based Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (SRFTIRM). The SRFTIRM experiments were conducted at National Synchrotron Light Sources, Brookhaven National Laboratory (NSLS, BNL, U.S. Department of Energy). From the results, it wasmore » observed that comparison between the new genotype oats and conventional oats showed (1) differences in basic chemical and protein subfraction profiles and energy values with the new SO-I oats containing lower lignin (21 g/kg of DM) and higher soluble crude protein (530 g/kg CP), crude fat (59 g/kg of DM), and energy values (TDN, 820 g/kg of DM; NE{sub L3x}, 7.8 MJ/kg of DM); (2) significant differences in rumen biodegradation kinetics of dry matter, starch, and protein with the new SO-I oats containing lower EDDM (638 g/kg of DM) and higher EDCP (103 g/kg of DM); (3) significant differences in nutrient supply with highest truly absorbed rumen undegraded protein (ARUP, 23 g/kg of DM) and total metabolizable protein supply (MP, 81 g/kg of DM) from the new SO-I oats; and (4) significant differences in structural makeup in terms of protein amide I in the endosperm region (with amide I peak height from 0.13 to 0.22 IR absorbance unit) and cellulosic compounds to carbohydrate ratio in the pericarp region (ratio from 0.02 to 0.06). The results suggest that with the SRFTIRM technique, the structural makeup differences between the new genotype oats (SO-I) and two conventional oats (Dancer and Derby) could be revealed.« less

  7. Hyperaccumulator straw improves the cadmium phytoextraction efficiency of emergent plant Nasturtium officinale.

    PubMed

    Li, Keqiang; Lin, Lijin; Wang, Jin; Xia, Hui; Liang, Dong; Wang, Xun; Liao, Ming'an; Wang, Li; Liu, Li; Chen, Cheng; Tang, Yi

    2017-08-01

    With the development of economy, the heavy metal contamination has become an increasingly serious problem, especially the cadmium (Cd) contamination. The emergent plant Nasturtium officinale R. Br. is a Cd-accumulator with low phytoremediation ability. To improve Cd phytoextraction efficiency of N. officinale, the straw from Cd-hyperaccumulator plants Youngia erythrocarpa, Galinsoga parviflora, Siegesbeckia orientalis, and Bidens pilosa was applied to Cd-contaminated soil and N. officinale was then planted; the study assessed the effect of hyperaccumulator straw on the growth and Cd accumulation of N. officinale. The results showed that application of hyperaccumulator species straws increased the biomass and photosynthetic pigment content and reduced the root/shoot ratio of N. officinale. All straw treatments significantly increased Cd content in roots, but significantly decreased Cd content in shoots of N. officinale. Applying hyperaccumulator straw significantly increased the total Cd accumulation in the roots, shoots, and whole plants of N. officinale. Therefore, application of straw from four hyperaccumulator species promoted the growth of N. officinale and improved the phytoextraction efficiency of N. officinale in Cd-contaminated paddy field soil; the straw of Y. erythrocarpa provided the most improvement.

  8. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi diversity influenced by different agricultural management practices in a semi-arid Mediterranean agro-ecosystem

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Mar Alguacil, Maria; Torrecillas, Emma; Garcia-Orenes, Fuensanta; Torres, Maria Pilar; Roldan, Antonio

    2013-04-01

    The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are a key, integral component of the stability, sustainability and functioning of ecosystems. In this study a field experiment was performed at the El Teularet-Sierra de Enguera Experimental Station (eastern Spain) to assess the influence during a 6-yr period of different agricultural practices on the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The management practices included residual herbicide use, ploughing, ploughing + oats, addition of oat straw mulch and a control (land abandonment). Adjacent soil under natural vegetation was used as a reference for local, high-quality soil and as a control for comparison with the agricultural soils under different management practices. The AM fungal small-subunit (SSU) rRNA genes were subjected to PCR, cloning, sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. Thirty-six different phylotypes were identified, which were grouped in four families: Glomeraceae, Paraglomeraceae, Ambisporaceae and Claroideoglomeraceae. The first results showed significant differences in the distribution of the AMF phylotypes as consequence of the difference between agricultural management practices. Thus, the lowest diversity was observed for the plot that was treated with herbicide. The management practices including ploughing and ploughing + oats had similar AMF diversity. Oat straw mulching yielded the highest number of different AMF sequence types and showed the highest diversity index. Thus, this treatment could be more suitable in sustainable soil use and therefore protection of biodiversity.

  9. Ozone pretreatment and fermentative hydrolysis of wheat straw

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ben'ko, E. M.; Chukhchin, D. G.; Lunin, V. V.

    2017-11-01

    Principles of the ozone pretreatment of wheat straw for subsequent fermentation into sugars are investigated. The optimum moisture contents of straw in the ozonation process are obtained from data on the kinetics of ozone absorbed by samples with different contents of water. The dependence of the yield of reducing sugars in the fermentative reaction on the quantity of absorbed ozone is established. The maximum conversion of polysaccharides is obtained at ozone doses of around 3 mmol/g of biomass, and it exceeds the value for nonozonated samples by an order of magnitude. The yield of sugar falls upon increasing the dose of ozone. The process of removing lignin from the cell walls of straw during ozonation is visualized by means of scanning electron microscopy.

  10. Preparation and Mechanical Properties of Pressed Straw Concrete Brick

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sumarni, S.; Wijanarko, W.

    2018-03-01

    Rice straws have been widely used as wall filler material in China, Australia, and United States, by spinning them into hays with an approximate dimension of 40 cm of height, 40cm of thickness and 60 cm of width, using a machine. Then, the hays are placed into a wall frame until they fill it completely. After that, the wall frame is covered with wire mesh and plastered. In this research, rice straws are to be used as concrete brick fillers, by pressing the straws into hays and then putting them into the concrete brick mold along with mortar. The objective of this research is to investigate the mechanical properties of concrete brick, namely: compressive strength, specific gravity, and water absorption power. This research used experimental research method. It was conducted by using concrete bricks which had 400 cm of width, 200 cm of height, and 100 cm of thickness, made from rice straws, cement, sand, and water as the test sample. The straws were each made different by their volume. The mortars used in this research were made from cement, sand, and water, with the ratio of 1:7:0.5. The concrete bricks were made by pressing straws mixed with glue into hays, and then cut by determined variations of volume. The variations of hays volume were 0 m3, 0.000625 m3, 0.00075 m3, 0.000875 m3, 0.00125 m3, 0.0015 m3, 0.00175 m3, 0.001875 m3, 0.00225 m3, and 0.002625 m3. There were 3 samples for each volumes of hays. The result shows that the straw concrete bricks reached the maximum compressive strength of 1.92 MPa, specific gravity of 1,702 kg/m3, and water absorption level of 3.9 %. Based on the provided measurements of products in the Standar Nasional Indonesia (Indonesian product standardization), the concrete bricks produced attained the prescribed standard quality.

  11. Current status and environment impact of direct straw return in China's cropland - A review.

    PubMed

    Li, Hui; Dai, Mingwei; Dai, Shunli; Dong, Xinju

    2018-09-15

    With the development of grain production technologies and improvement of rural living standard, the production and utilization of straw have significantly been changed in China. More than 1 billion tones of straw are produced per year, and vast amount of them are discarded without effective utilization, leading various environmental and social impacts. Straw return is an effective approach of the straw utilization that has been greatly recommended by government and scientists in China. This paper discussed the current status of the straw return in China. Specifically, the production and models of straw return were explored and their environmental impacts were extensively evaluated. It was concluded that straw could be positively effective on the improvement of the soil quality and the grain production. However, it appeared that the straw return also had several neglect negative effects, implying that further research and assessment on the returned straw are required before its large-scale promotion in China. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Nutraceutical and functional scenario of wheat straw.

    PubMed

    Pasha, Imran; Saeed, Farhan; Waqas, Khalid; Anjum, Faqir Muhammad; Arshad, Muhammad Umair

    2013-01-01

    In the era of nutrition, much focus has been remunerated to functional and nutraceutical foodstuffs. The health endorsing potential of such provisions is attributed to affluent phytochemistry. These dynamic constituents have functional possessions that are imperative for cereal industry. The functional and nutraceutical significance of variety of foods is often accredited to their bioactive molecules. Numerous components have been considered but wheat straw and its diverse components are of prime consideration. In this comprehensive dissertation, efforts are directed to elaborate the functional and nutraceutical importance of wheat straw. Wheat straw is lignocellulosic materials including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. It hold various bioactive compounds such as policosanols, phytosterols, phenolics, and triterpenoids, having enormous nutraceutical properties like anti-allergenic, anti-artherogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, antioxidant, anti-thrombotic, cardioprotective and vasodilatory effects, antiviral, and anticancer. These compounds are protecting against various ailments like hypercholesterolemia, intermittent claudication, benign prostatic hyperplasia and cardiovascular diseases. Additionally, wheat straw has demonstrated successfully, low cost, renewable, versatile, widely distributed, easily available source for the production of biogas, bioethanol, and biohydrogen in biorefineries to enhance the overall effectiveness of biomass consumption in protected and eco-friendly environment. Furthermore, its role in enhancing the quality and extending the shelf life of bakery products through reducing the progression of staling and retrogradation is limelight of the article.

  13. Lingering Effects of Straw Phonation Exercises on Aerodynamic, Electroglottographic, and Acoustic Parameters.

    PubMed

    Kang, Jing; Xue, Chao; Piotrowski, David; Gong, Ting; Zhang, Yi; Jiang, Jack J

    2018-06-01

    This study aimed to investigate the duration of straw phonation effects using aerodynamic, electroglottographic, and acoustic metrics. Twenty-four participants were recruited to perform both a 5-minute and a 10-minute straw phonation exercise. Upon completion of the exercises, phonation threshold pressure (PTP), mean airflow, contact quotient, fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer, and noise-to-harmonics ratio were measured over a 20-minute time frame. Parameters were measured before the intervention (baseline), immediately after the intervention (m0), 5 minutes (m5), 10 minutes (m10), 15 minutes (m15), and 20 minutes (m20) after the intervention. PTP significantly decreased immediately after 5 minutes of straw phonation and returned to initial state within 5 minutes. PTP remained decreased over 5 minutes after 10 minutes of straw phonation. Mean airflow increased immediately after both 5 minutes and 10 minutes of straw phonations and remained improved for 20 minutes. No significant changes were obtained for contact quotient and acoustic parameters over the intervention period. The results extended our knowledge of proper clinical application of straw phonation regarding the duration of exercise. This study confirmed that 10 minutes of straw phonation lead to optimal and relatively continuous effects in PTP and mean airflow. Although straw phonation did show lingering effects in aerodynamics, repeated practices were recommended to obtain optimum and therapeutic effects. Copyright © 2018 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Rice straw-wood particle composite for sound absorbing wooden construction materials.

    PubMed

    Yang, Han-Seung; Kim, Dae-Jun; Kim, Hyun-Joong

    2003-01-01

    In this study, rice straw-wood particle composite boards were manufactured as insulation boards using the method used in the wood-based panel industry. The raw material, rice straw, was chosen because of its availability. The manufacturing parameters were: a specific gravity of 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8, and a rice straw content (10/90, 20/80, and 30/70 weight of rice straw/wood particle) of 10, 20, and 30 wt.%. A commercial urea-formaldehyde adhesive was used as the composite binder, to achieve 140-290 psi of bending modulus of rupture (MOR) with 0.4 specific gravity, 700-900 psi of bending MOR with 0.6 specific gravity, and 1400-2900 psi of bending MOR with a 0.8 specific gravity. All of the composite boards were superior to insulation board in strength. Width and length of the rice straw particle did not affect the bending MOR. The composite boards made from a random cutting of rice straw and wood particles were the best and recommended for manufacturing processes. Sound absorption coefficients of the 0.4 and 0.6 specific gravity boards were higher than the other wood-based materials. The recommended properties of the rice straw-wood particle composite boards are described, to absorb noises, preserve the temperature of indoor living spaces, and to be able to partially or completely substitute for wood particleboard and insulation board in wooden constructions.

  15. Impact of planting date on annual clover survival in oat

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Interseeding annual clovers in cereal grains may help organic producers reduce the need for tillage in their cropping systems. In this study in eastern South Dakota, we evaluated seedling emergence and survival of two annual clovers in oat as affected by planting date. Berseem clover (Trifolium al...

  16. Gluten-containing grains skew gluten assessment in oats due to sample grind non-homogeneity.

    PubMed

    Fritz, Ronald D; Chen, Yumin; Contreras, Veronica

    2017-02-01

    Oats are easily contaminated with gluten-rich kernels of wheat, rye and barley. These contaminants are like gluten 'pills', shown here to skew gluten analysis results. Using R-Biopharm R5 ELISA, we quantified gluten in gluten-free oatmeal servings from an in-market survey. For samples with a 5-20ppm reading on a first test, replicate analyses provided results ranging <5ppm to >160ppm. This suggests sample grinding may inadequately disperse gluten to allow a single accurate gluten assessment. To ascertain this, and characterize the distribution of 0.25-g gluten test results for kernel contaminated oats, twelve 50g samples of pure oats, each spiked with a wheat kernel, showed that 0.25g test results followed log-normal-like distributions. With this, we estimate probabilities of mis-assessment for a 'single measure/sample' relative to the <20ppm regulatory threshold, and derive an equation relating the probability of mis-assessment to sample average gluten content. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Comparison of different pretreatment strategies for enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat and barley straw.

    PubMed

    Rosgaard, Lisa; Pedersen, Sven; Meyer, Anne S

    2007-12-01

    In biomass-to-ethanol processes a physico-chemical pretreatment of the lignocellulosic biomass is a critical requirement for enhancing the accessibility of the cellulose substrate to enzymatic attack. This report evaluates the efficacy on barley and wheat straw of three different pretreatment procedures: acid or water impregnation followed by steam explosion versus hot water extraction. The pretreatments were compared after enzyme treatment using a cellulase enzyme system, Celluclast 1.5 L from Trichoderma reesei, and a beta-glucosidase, Novozyme 188 from Aspergillus niger. Barley straw generally produced higher glucose concentrations after enzymatic hydrolysis than wheat straw. Acid or water impregnation followed by steam explosion of barley straw was the best pretreatment in terms of resulting glucose concentration in the liquid hydrolysate after enzymatic hydrolysis. When the glucose concentrations obtained after enzymatic hydrolyses were related to the potential glucose present in the pretreated residues, the highest yield, approximately 48% (g g-1), was obtained with hot water extraction pretreatment of barley straw; this pretreatment also produced highest yields for wheat straw, producing a glucose yield of approximately 39% (g g-1). Addition of extra enzyme (Celluclast 1.5 L+Novozyme 188) during enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in the highest total glucose concentrations from barley straw, 32-39 g L-1, but the relative increases in glucose yields were higher on wheat straw than on barley straw. Maldi-TOF MS analyses of supernatants of pretreated barley and wheat straw samples subjected to acid and water impregnation, respectively, and steam explosion, revealed that the water impregnated + steam-exploded samples gave a wider range of pentose oligomers than the corresponding acid-impregnated samples.

  18. A solid state fungal fermentation-based strategy for the hydrolysis of wheat straw.

    PubMed

    Pensupa, Nattha; Jin, Meng; Kokolski, Matt; Archer, David B; Du, Chenyu

    2013-12-01

    This paper reports a solid-state fungal fermentation-based pre-treatment strategy to convert wheat straw into a fermentable hydrolysate. Aspergillus niger was firstly cultured on wheat straw for production of cellulolytic enzymes and then the wheat straw was hydrolyzed by the enzyme solution into a fermentable hydrolysate. The optimum moisture content and three wheat straw modification methods were explored to improve cellulase production. At a moisture content of 89.5%, 10.2 ± 0.13 U/g cellulase activity was obtained using dilute acid modified wheat straw. The addition of yeast extract (0.5% w/v) and minerals significantly improved the cellulase production, to 24.0 ± 1.76 U/g. The hydrolysis of the fermented wheat straw using the fungal culture filtrate or commercial cellulase Ctec2 was performed, resulting in 4.34 and 3.13 g/L glucose respectively. It indicated that the fungal filtrate harvested from the fungal fermentation of wheat straw contained a more suitable enzyme mixture than the commercial cellulase. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  19. Elongation growth of the leaf sheath base of Avena sativa seedlings: regulation by hormones and sucrose

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brock, T. G.; Kaufman, P. B.

    1991-01-01

    The leaf sheath base of the seedling of Avena sativa was characterized for growth response to hormones and sucrose. Six day old plants, raised under a 10:14 hr light:dark cycle, were excised at the coleoptilar node and 1 cm above the node for treatment. The growth of the leaf sheath base was promoted by gibberellic acid (GA3) and this response was dose dependent. The lag to response initiation was approximately 4 hr. Growth with or without GA3 (10 micromoles) was transient, diminishing appreciably after 48 hr. The addition of 10 mM sucrose greatly prolonged growth; the effect of GA3 and sucrose was additive. Neither indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) nor the cytokinin N6-benzyladenine (BA), alone or in combination, promoted the growth of leaf sheath bases. However, both significantly inhibited the action of GA3. The inhibitory effect of IAA was dose dependent and was not affected by the addition of BA or sucrose. These results indicate that the growth of leaf sheath bases of Avena sativa is promoted specifically by gibberellin, that this action depends on the availability of carbohydrates from outside of the leaf sheath base, and that the promotional effect of GA3 can be modified by either auxins or cytokinins.

  20. Structural makeup, biopolymer conformation, and biodegradation characteristics of a newly developed super genotype of oats (CDC SO-I versus conventional varieties): a novel approach.

    PubMed

    Damiran, Daalkhaijav; Yu, Peiqiang

    2010-02-24

    Recently, a new "super" genotype of oats (CDC SO-I or SO-I) has been developed. The objectives of this study were to determine structural makeup (features) of oat grain in endosperm and pericarp regions and to reveal and identify differences in protein amide I and II and carbohydrate structural makeup (conformation) between SO-I and two conventional oats (CDC Dancer and Derby) grown in western Canada in 2006, using advanced synchrotron radiation based Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (SRFTIRM). The SRFTIRM experiments were conducted at National Synchrotron Light Sources, Brookhaven National Laboratory (NSLS, BNL, U.S. Department of Energy). From the results, it was observed that comparison between the new genotype oats and conventional oats showed (1) differences in basic chemical and protein subfraction profiles and energy values with the new SO-I oats containing lower lignin (21 g/kg of DM) and higher soluble crude protein (530 g/kg CP), crude fat (59 g/kg of DM), and energy values (TDN, 820 g/kg of DM; NE(L3x), 7.8 MJ/kg of DM); (2) significant differences in rumen biodegradation kinetics of dry matter, starch, and protein with the new SO-I oats containing lower EDDM (638 g/kg of DM) and higher EDCP (103 g/kg of DM); (3) significant differences in nutrient supply with highest truly absorbed rumen undegraded protein (ARUP, 23 g/kg of DM) and total metabolizable protein supply (MP, 81 g/kg of DM) from the new SO-I oats; and (4) significant differences in structural makeup in terms of protein amide I in the endosperm region (with amide I peak height from 0.13 to 0.22 IR absorbance unit) and cellulosic compounds to carbohydrate ratio in the pericarp region (ratio from 0.02 to 0.06). The results suggest that with the SRFTIRM technique, the structural makeup differences between the new genotype oats (SO-I) and two conventional oats (Dancer and Derby) could be revealed.

  1. Effect of Gibberellic Acid on the Plasticity and Elasticity of Avena Stem Segments 1

    PubMed Central

    Adams, Paul A.; Montague, Michael J.; Tepfer, Mark; Rayle, David L.; Ikuma, Hiroshi; Kaufman, Peter B.

    1975-01-01

    Extensibility characteristics of Avena stem segments treated with gibberellic acid (GA) were investigated in living internodes using a microgrowth method and in partially extracted cell walls subjected to Instron extensometer analysis. Both techniques showed that treatment with GA greatly increases internodal plasticity, but has virtually no effect on internodal elasticity. The increase in plasticity occurred 1 to 2 hours after the initiation of hormone treatment, which is similar to the time of onset of GA-enhanced growth and cell wall synthesis. Cycloheximide was shown to inhibit the effect of GA on plasticity. PMID:16659388

  2. Selected properties of particleboard panels manufactured from rice straws of different geometries

    Treesearch

    Xianjun Li; Zhiyong Cai; Jerrold E. Winandy; Altaf H. Basta

    2010-01-01

    The objective is to evaluate the primary mechanical and physical properties of particleboard made from hammer-milled rice straw particles of six different categories and two types of resins. The results show the performance of straw particleboards is highly dependent upon the straw particle size controlled by the opening size of the perforated plate inside the hammer-...

  3. Population biology of Avena : IX. Gene flow and neighborhood size in relation to microgeographic variation in Avena barbata.

    PubMed

    Rai, Kedar N; Jain, Subodh K

    1982-06-01

    Pollen and seed dispersal patterns were analyzed in both natural and experimental populations of Avena barbata. Localized estimates of gene flow rates and plant densities gave estimates of neighborhood size in the range of 40 to 400 plants; the estimates of mean rate and distance of gene flow seemed to vary widely due to variable wind direction, rodent activity, microsite heterogeneity, etc. The relative sizes of neighborhoods in several populations were correlated with the patchy distribution of different genotypes (scored for lemma color and leaf sheath hairiness) within short distances, but patch sizes had a wide range among different sites. Highly localized gene flow patterns seemed to account for the observed pattern of highly patchy variation even when the dispersal curves for both pollen and seed were platykurtic in many cases. Measures of the stability of patches in terms of their size, dispersion in space and genetic structure in time are needed in order to sort out the relative roles of founder effects, random drift (due to small neighborhood size), and highly localized selection. However, our observations suggest that many variables and stochastic processes are involved in such studies so as to allow only weak inference about the underlying role of natural selection, drift and factors of population regulatien.

  4. Glycemic potency of muffins made with wheat, rice, corn, oat and barley flours: a comparative study between in vivo and in vitro.

    PubMed

    Soong, Yean Yean; Quek, Rina Yu Chin; Henry, Christiani Jeyakumar

    2015-12-01

    Muffins made with wheat flour are a popular snack consumed in western and emerging countries. This study aimed to examine the content of amylose, glycemic response (GR) and glycemic index (GI) of muffins baked with refined wheat and rice flours, as well as wholegrain corn, oat and barley flours. This study adopted a randomized, controlled, crossover, non-blind design. Twelve healthy participants consumed wheat, rice, corn, oat and barley muffins once and the reference glucose solution three times in a random order on non-consecutive day. Capillary blood samples were taken every 15 min in the first 60 min and every 30 min for the remaining 60 min for blood glucose analysis. The Megazyme amylose/amylopectin assay procedure was employed to measure amylose content. The GR elicited from the consumption of wheat, rice and corn muffins was comparable between these samples but significantly greater when compared with oat and barley muffins. Consumption of wholegrain muffins, apart from corn muffin, blunted postprandial GR when compared with muffins baked with refined cereal flours. Muffins baked with wheat, rice, corn, oat and barley flours gave rise to GI values of 74, 79, 74, 53 and 55, respectively. The content of amylose was significantly higher in corn, oat and barley muffins than wheat and rice muffins. The greater content of amylose and fibre may play a part in the reduced glycemic potency of oat and barley muffins. Wheat flour can be substituted with oat and barley flours for healthier muffins and other bakery products.

  5. Effect of low-level ozone fumigations on crown rust of oats

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Heagle, A.S.

    1970-02-01

    Exposure of crown rust differential varieties of Avena spp. to 10 pphm ozone for 6 hr in the light for 10 days after infection with Puccinia coronata significantly reduced the growth of uredia. Urediospores produced on the plants exposed to ozone germinated as well, produced as many appressoria, and resulted in as much infection as spores produced on unexposed leaves. Exposure on dry leaves to 20 pphm ozone for 3 hr for 1-5 days did not affect urediospore germination, appressoria formation, or penetration. 9 references, 1 figure, 3 tables.

  6. [Effects of different straw recycling and tillage methods on soil respiration and microbial activity].

    PubMed

    Li, Xiao-sha; Wu, Ning; Liu, Ling; Feng, Yu-peng; Xu, Xu; Han, Hui-fang; Ning, Tang-yuan; Li, Zeng-jia

    2015-06-01

    To explore the effects of different tillage methods and straw recycling on soil respiration and microbial activity in summer maize field during the winter wheat and summer maize double cropping system, substrate induced respiration method and CO2 release method were used to determine soil microbial biomass carbon, microbial activity, soil respiration, and microbial respiratory quotient. The experiment included 3 tillage methods during the winter wheat growing season, i.e., no-tillage, subsoiling and conventional tillage. Each tillage method was companied with 2 straw management patterns, i.e., straw recycling and no straw. The results indicated that the conservation tillage methods and straw recycling mainly affected 0-10 cm soil layer. Straw recycling could significantly improve the microbial biomass carbon and microbial activity, while decrease microbial respiratory quotient. Straw recycling could improve the soil respiration at both seedling stage and anthesis, however, it could reduce the soil respiration at filling stage, wax ripeness, and harvest stage. Under the same straw application, compared with conventional tillage, the soil respiration and microbial respiratory quotient in both subsoiling and no-tillage were reduced, while the microbial biomass carbon and microbial activity were increased. During the summer maize growing season, soil microbial biomass carbon and microbial activity were increased in straw returning with conservation tillage, while the respiratory quotient was reduced. In 0-10 cm soil layer, compared with conventional tillage, straw recycling with subsoiling and no-tillage significantly increased soil microbial biomass carbon by 95.8% and 74.3%, and increased soil microbial activity by 97.1% and 74.2%, respectively.

  7. Thermal transitions of the amorphous polymers in wheat straw

    Treesearch

    Wolfgang Stelte; Craig Clemons; Jens K. Holm; Jesper Ahrenfeldt; Ulrik B. Henriksen; Anand R. Sanadi

    2011-01-01

    The thermal transitions of the amorphous polymers in wheat straw were investigated using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). The study included both natural and solvent extracted wheat straw, in moist (8–9% water content) and dry conditions, and was compared to spruce samples. Under these conditions two transitions arising from the glass transition of lignin...

  8. The thermal behaviour of the co-combustion between paper sludge and rice straw.

    PubMed

    Xie, Zeqiong; Ma, Xiaoqian

    2013-10-01

    The thermal characteristics and kinetics of paper sludge, rice straw and their blends were evaluated under combustion condition. The paper sludge was blended with rice straw in the range of 10-95 wt.% to investigate their co-combustion behaviour. There was significant interaction between rice straw and paper sludge in high temperature. The combustion of paper sludge and rice straw could be divided into two stages. The value of the activation energy obtained by the Friedman and the Ozawa-Flynn-Wall (OFW) first decreased and then increased with the conversion degree rising. The average activation energy did not monotonically decrease with increasing the percentage of rice straw in the blends. When the percentage of rice straw in the blends was 80%, the value of the average activation energy was the smallest, which was 139 kJ/mol obtained by OFW and 132 kJ/mol obtained by Friedman, respectively. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. A Review of Extraction and Analysis of Bioactives in Oat and Barley and Scope for Use of Novel Food Processing Technologies.

    PubMed

    Gangopadhyay, Nirupama; Hossain, Mohammad B; Rai, Dilip K; Brunton, Nigel P

    2015-06-12

    Oat and barely are cereal crops mainly used as animal feed and for the purposes of malting and brewing, respectively. Some studies have indicated that consumption of oat and barley rich foods may reduce the risk of some chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, type II diabetes and cancer. Whilst there is no absolute consensus, some of these benefits may be linked to presence of compounds such as phenolics, vitamin E and β-glucan in these cereals. A number of benefits have also been linked to the lipid component (sterols, fatty acids) and the proteins and bioactive peptides in oats and barley. Since the available evidence is pointing toward the possible health benefits of oat and barley components, a number of authors have examined techniques for recovering them from their native sources. In the present review, we summarise and examine the range of conventional techniques that have been used for the purpose of extraction and detection of these bioactives. In addition, the recent advances in use of novel food processing technologies as a substitute to conventional processes for extraction of bioactives from oats and barley, has been discussed.

  10. Straw blood cell count, growth, inhibition and comparison to apoptotic bodies.

    PubMed

    Wu, Yonnie; Henry, David C; Heim, Kyle; Tomkins, Jeffrey P; Kuan, Cheng-Yi

    2008-05-20

    Mammalian cells transform into individual tubular straw cells naturally in tissues and in response to desiccation related stress in vitro. The transformation event is characterized by a dramatic cellular deformation process which includes: condensation of certain cellular materials into a much smaller tubular structure, synthesis of a tubular wall and growth of filamentous extensions. This study continues the characterization of straw cells in blood, as well as the mechanisms of tubular transformation in response to stress; with specific emphasis placed on investigating whether tubular transformation shares the same signaling pathway as apoptosis. There are approximately 100 billion, unconventional, tubular straw cells in human blood at any given time. The straw blood cell count (SBC) is 45 million/ml, which accounts for 6.9% of the bloods dry weight. Straw cells originating from the lungs, liver and lymphocytes have varying nodules, hairiness and dimensions. Lipid profiling reveals severe disruption of the plasma membrane in CACO cells during transformation. The growth rates for the elongation of filaments and enlargement of rabbit straw cells is 0.6 approximately 1.1 (microm/hr) and 3.8 (microm(3)/hr), respectively. Studies using apoptosis inhibitors and a tubular transformation inhibitor in CACO2 cells and in mice suggested apoptosis produced apoptotic bodies are mediated differently than tubular transformation produced straw cells. A single dose of 0.01 mg/kg/day of p38 MAPK inhibitor in wild type mice results in a 30% reduction in the SBC. In 9 domestic animals SBC appears to correlate inversely with an animal's average lifespan (R2 = 0.7). Straw cells are observed residing in the mammalian blood with large quantities. Production of SBC appears to be constant for a given animal and may involve a stress-inducible protein kinase (P38 MAPK). Tubular transformation is a programmed cell survival process that diverges from apoptosis. SBCs may be an important

  11. Mineral Ion Contents and Cell Transmembrane Electropotentials of Pea and Oat Seedling Tissue 1

    PubMed Central

    Higinbotham, N.; Etherton, Bud; Foster, R. J.

    1967-01-01

    The relationships of concentration gradients to electropotential gradients resulting from passive diffusion processes, after equilibration, are described by the Nernst equation. The primary criterion for the hypothesis that any given ion is actively transported is to establish that it is not diffusing passively. A test was made of how closely the Nernst equation describes the electrochemical equilibrium in seedling tissues. Segments of roots and epicotyl internodes of pea (Pisum sativum var. Alaska) and of roots and coleoptiles of oat (Avena sativa var. Victory) seedlings were immersed and shaken in defined nutrient solutions containing eight major nutrients (K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl−, NO3−, H2PO4− and SO42−) at 1-fold and 10-fold concentrations. The tissue content of each ion was assayed at 0, 8, 24, and 48 hours. A near-equilibrium condition was approached by roots for most ions; however, the segments of shoot tissue generally continued to show a net accumulation of some ions, mainly K+ and NO3−. Only K+ approached a reasonable fit to the Nernst equation and this was true for the 1-fold concentration but not the 10-fold. The data suggest that for Na+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ the electrochemical gradient is from the external solution to the cell interior; thus passive diffusion should be in an inward direction. Consequently, some mechanism must exist in plant tissue either to exclude these cations or to extrude them (e.g., by an active efflux pump). For each of the anions the electrochemical gradient is from the tissue to the solution; thus an active influx pump for anions seems required. Root segments approach ionic equilibrium with the solution concentration in which the seedlings were grown. Segments of shoot tissue, however, are far removed from such equilibration. Thus in the intact seedling the extracellular (wall space) fluid must be very different from that of the nutrient solution bathing the segments; it would appear that the root is the site of

  12. Integrated economic and environmental analysis of agricultural straw reuse in edible fungi industry

    PubMed Central

    Lu, Wencong; Yu, Shuao; Huang, Hairong

    2018-01-01

    Background China currently faces severe environmental pollution caused by burning agricultural straw; thus, resource utilization of these straws has become an urgent policy and practical objective for the Chinese government. Methods This study develops a bio-economic model, namely, “straw resource utilization for fungi in China (SRUFIC),” on the basis of a field survey of an edible fungi plant in Zhejiang, China, to investigate an integrated economic and environmental performance of straw reuse in fungi production. Five scenarios, which cover changes in the production scale, wage level, and price fluctuations of the main product and inputs, are simulated. Results Results reveal that (1) the pilot plant potentially provides enhanced economic benefits and disposes added agricultural residues by adjusting its production strategy; (2) the economic performance is most sensitive to fungi price fluctuations, whereas the environmental performance is more sensitive to production scale and price of fungi than other factors; (3) expanding the production scale can be the most efficient means of improving the performance of a plant economically and environmentally. Discussion Overall, agricultural straw reuse in the edible fungi industry can not only reduce the environmental risk derived from burning abandoned straws but also introduce economic benefits. Thus, the straw reuse in the fungi industry should be practiced in China, and specific economic incentive policies, such as price support or subsidies, must be implemented to promote the utilization of agricultural straws in the fungi industry. PMID:29682417

  13. Physical and molecular changes during the storage of gluten-free rice and oat bread.

    PubMed

    Hager, Anna-Sophie; Bosmans, Geertrui M; Delcour, Jan A

    2014-06-18

    Gluten-free bread crumb generally firms more rapidly than regular wheat bread crumb. We here combined differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), texture analysis, and time-domain proton nuclear magnetic resonance (TD (1)H NMR) to investigate the mechanisms underlying firming of gluten-free rice and oat bread. The molecular mobility of water and biopolymers in flour/water model systems and changes thereof after heating and subsequent cooling to room temperature were investigated as a basis for underpinning the interpretation of TD (1)H NMR profiles of fresh crumb. The proton distributions of wheat and rice flour/water model systems were comparable, while that of oat flour/water samples showed less resolved peaks and an additional population at higher T2 relaxation times representing lipid protons. No significant crumb moisture loss during storage was observed for the gluten-free bread loaves. Crumb firming was mainly caused by amylopectin retrogradation and water redistribution within bread crumb. DSC, texture, and TD (1)H NMR data correlated well and showed that starch retrogradation and crumb firming are much more pronounced in rice flour bread than in oat flour bread.

  14. Sugarcane straw removal effects on plant growth and stalk yield

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    There is growing interest in sugarcane straw removal from the field to use as raw material for bioenergy production. In contrast, sugarcane straw removal may have negative implications for many soil ecosystem services and subsequent plant growth. A two-year experiment was conducted at Bom Retiro and...

  15. [Change in soil enzymes activities after adding biochar or straw by fluorescent microplate method].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yu-Lan; Chen, Li-Jun; Duan, Zheng-Hu; Wu, Zhi-Jie; Sun, Cai-Xia; Wang, Jun-Yu

    2014-02-01

    The present work was aimed to study soil a-glucosidase and beta-glucosidase activities of and red soils based on fluorescence detection method combined with 96 microplates with TECAN Infinite 200 Multi-Mode Microplate Reader. We added biochar or straw (2.5 g air dry sample/50g air dry soil sample) into and red soils and the test was carried under fixed temperature and humidity condition (25 degrees C, 20% soil moisture content). The results showed that straw addition enhances soil alpha-glucosidase and beta-glucosidase activities, beta-glucosidase activity stimulated by rice straw treatment was higher than that of corn straw treatment, and activity still maintains strong after 40 days, accounting for increasing soil carbon transformation with straw inputting. Straw inputting increased soil nutrients contents and may promote microbial activity, which also lead to the increase oin enzyme Straw inputting increased soil nutrients contents and may promote microbial activity, which also lead to the increase oin enzyme activities. Different effects of straw kinds may be related to material source that needs further research. However, biochar inputting has little effect on soil alpha-glucosidase and beta-glucosidase activity. Biochar contains less available nutrients than straw and have degradation-resistant characteristics. Compared with the conventional spectrophotometric method, fluorescence microplate method is more sensitive to soil enzyme activities in suspension liquid, which can be used in a large number of samples. In brief, fluorescence microplate method is fast, accurate, and simple to determine soil enzymes activities.

  16. Microscopic Structural Changes in Paddy Straw Pretreated with Trichoderma reesei MTCC 164 and Coriolus versicolor MTCC 138.

    PubMed

    Phutela, Urmila Gupta; Sahni, Nidhi

    2013-06-01

    The present study reports the pretreatment of paddy straw by Trichoderma reesei MTCC 164 and Coriolus versicolor MTCC 138 to observe the changes in chemical composition and its correlation with change of surface structure, morphology and porosity of paddy straw. Compared with untreated straw, cellulose decreased by 15.9 and 19.3 % in T. reesei MTCC 164 and C. versicolor MTCC 138 pretreated paddy straw respectively. Lignin content increased by 41.4 % in T. reesei pretreated paddy straw whereas decreased by 19.1 % in C. versicolor pretreated straw. The microscopic structural changes were examined by scanning electron microscopy under reasonable conditions. Results showed that digestibility of paddy straw are increased by treating paddy straw with both the cultures. Both surface area and pore size of treated straw were increased partially due to solubilization of silica components.

  17. Long-term straw decomposition in agro-ecosystems described by a unified three-exponentiation equation with thermal time.

    PubMed

    Cai, Andong; Liang, Guopeng; Zhang, Xubo; Zhang, Wenju; Li, Ling; Rui, Yichao; Xu, Minggang; Luo, Yiqi

    2018-05-01

    Understanding drivers of straw decomposition is essential for adopting appropriate management practice to improve soil fertility and promote carbon (C) sequestration in agricultural systems. However, predicting straw decomposition and characteristics is difficult because of the interactions between many factors related to straw properties, soil properties, and climate, especially under future climate change conditions. This study investigated the driving factors of straw decomposition of six types of crop straw including wheat, maize, rice, soybean, rape, and other straw by synthesizing 1642 paired data from 98 published papers at spatial and temporal scales across China. All the data derived from the field experiments using little bags over twelve years. Overall, despite large differences in climatic and soil properties, the remaining straw carbon (C, %) could be accurately represented by a three-exponent equation with thermal time (accumulative temperature). The lignin/nitrogen and lignin/phosphorus ratios of straw can be used to define the size of labile, intermediate, and recalcitrant C pool. The remaining C for an individual type of straw in the mild-temperature zone was higher than that in the warm-temperature and subtropical zone within one calendar year. The remaining straw C after one thermal year was 40.28%, 37.97%, 37.77%, 34.71%, 30.87%, and 27.99% for rice, soybean, rape, wheat, maize, and other straw, respectively. Soil available nitrogen and phosphorus influenced the remaining straw C at different decomposition stages. For one calendar year, the total amount of remaining straw C was estimated to be 29.41 Tg and future temperature increase of 2 °C could reduce the remaining straw C by 1.78 Tg. These findings confirmed the long-term straw decomposition could be mainly driven by temperature and straw quality, and quantitatively predicted by thermal time with the three-exponent equation for a wide array of straw types at spatial and temporal

  18. Determination of the Airborne Sound Insulation of a Straw Bale Partition Wall

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teslík, Jiří; Fabian, Radek; Hrubá, Barbora

    2017-06-01

    This paper describes the results of a scientific project focused on determining of the Airborne Sound Insulation of a peripheral non-load bearing wall made of straw bales expressed by Weighted Sound Reduction Index. Weighted Sound Reduction Index was determined by measuring in the certified acoustic laboratory at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Brno University of Technology. The measured structure of the straw wall was modified in combinations with various materials, so the results include a wide range of possible compositions of the wall. The key modification was application of plaster on both sides of the straw bale wall. This construction as is frequently done in actual straw houses. The additional measurements were performed on the straw wall with several variants of additional wall of slab materials. The airborne sound insulation value has been also measured in separate stages of the construction. Thus it is possible to compare and determinate the effect of the single layers on the airborne sound insulation.

  19. Safety of Adding Oats to a Gluten-Free Diet for Patients With Celiac Disease: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Clinical and Observational Studies.

    PubMed

    Pinto-Sánchez, María Inés; Causada-Calo, Natalia; Bercik, Premysl; Ford, Alexander C; Murray, Joseph A; Armstrong, David; Semrad, Carol; Kupfer, Sonia S; Alaedini, Armin; Moayyedi, Paul; Leffler, Daniel A; Verdú, Elena F; Green, Peter

    2017-08-01

    Patients with celiac disease should maintain a gluten-free diet (GFD), excluding wheat, rye, and barley. Oats might increase the nutritional value of a GFD, but their inclusion is controversial. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the safety of oats as part of a GFD in patients with celiac disease. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases for clinical trials and observational studies of the effects of including oats in GFD of patients with celiac disease. The studies reported patients' symptoms, results from serology tests, and findings from histologic analyses. We used the GRADE approach to assess the quality of evidence. We identified 433 studies; 28 were eligible for analysis. Of these, 6 were randomized and 2 were not randomized controlled trials comprising a total of 661 patients-the remaining studies were observational. All randomized controlled trials used pure/uncontaminated oats. Oat consumption for 12 months did not affect symptoms (standardized mean difference: reduction in symptom scores in patients who did and did not consume oats, -0.22; 95% CI, -0.56 to 0.13; P = .22), histologic scores (relative risk for histologic findings in patients who consumed oats, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.01-4.8; P = .35), intraepithelial lymphocyte counts (standardized mean difference, 0.21; 95% CI, reduction of 1.44 to increase in 1.86), or results from serologic tests. Subgroup analyses of adults vs children did not reveal differences. The overall quality of evidence was low. In a systematic review and meta-analysis, we found no evidence that addition of oats to a GFD affects symptoms, histology, immunity, or serologic features of patients with celiac disease. However, there were few studies for many endpoints, as well as limited geographic distribution and low quality of evidence. Rigorous double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trials, using commonly available oats sourced from

  20. Cadmium-induced accumulation of putrescine in oat and bean leaves

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Weinstein, L. H.; Kaur-Sawhney, R.; Rajam, M. V.; Wettlaufer, S. H.; Galston, A. W.

    1986-01-01

    The effects of Cd2+ on putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), and spermine (Spm) titers were studied in oat and bean leaves. Treatment with Cd2+ for up to 16 hours in the light or dark resulted in a large increase in Put titer, but had little or no effect on Spd or Spm. The activity of arginine decarboxylase (ADC) followed the pattern of Put accumulation, and experiments with alpha-difluoromethylarginine established that ADC was the enzyme responsible for Put increase. Concentrations of Cd2+ as low as 10 micromolar increased Put titer in oat segments. In bean leaves, there was a Cd(2+)-induced accumulation of Put in the free and soluble conjugated fractions, but not in the insoluble fraction. This suggests a rapid exchange between Put that exists in the free form and Put found in acid soluble conjugate forms. It is concluded that Cd2+ can act like certain other stresses (K+ and Mg2+ deficiency, excess NH4+, low pH, salinity, osmotic stress, wilting) to induce substantial increases in Put in plant cells.

  1. Detoxification of Benzoxazolinone Allelochemicals from Wheat by Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, G. graminis var. graminis, G. graminis var. avenae, and Fusarium culmorum

    PubMed Central

    Friebe, A.; Vilich, V.; Hennig, L.; Kluge, M.; Sicker, D.

    1998-01-01

    The ability of phytopathogenic fungi to overcome the chemical defense barriers of their host plants is of great importance for fungal pathogenicity. We studied the role of cyclic hydroxamic acids and their related benzoxazolinones in plant interactions with pathogenic fungi. We identified species-dependent differences in the abilities of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici, Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis, Gaeumannomyces graminis var. avenae, and Fusarium culmorum to detoxify these allelochemicals of gramineous plants. The G. graminis var. graminis isolate degraded benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (BOA) and 6-methoxy-benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (MBOA) more efficiently than did G. graminis var. tritici and G. graminis var. avenae. F. culmorum degraded BOA but not MBOA. N-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)-malonamic acid and N-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxyphenyl)-malonamic acid were the primary G. graminis var. graminis and G. graminis var. tritici metabolites of BOA and MBOA, respectively, as well as of the related cyclic hydroxamic acids. 2-Amino-3H-phenoxazin-3-one was identified as an additional G. graminis var. tritici metabolite of BOA. No metabolite accumulation was detected for G. graminis var. avenae and F. culmorum by high-pressure liquid chromatography. The mycelial growth of the pathogenic fungi was inhibited more by BOA and MBOA than by their related fungal metabolites. The tolerance of Gaeumannomyces spp. for benzoxazolinone compounds is correlated with their detoxification ability. The ability of Gaeumannomyces isolates to cause root rot symptoms in wheat (cultivars Rektor and Astron) parallels their potential to degrade wheat allelochemicals to nontoxic compounds. PMID:9647804

  2. Molecular Basis of the Increase in Invertase Activity Elicited by Gravistimulation of Oat-Shoot Pulvini

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wu, Liu-Lai; Song, Il; Kim, Donghern; Kaufman, Peter B.

    1993-01-01

    An asymmetric (top vs. bottom) increase in invertase activity is elicited by gravistimulation in oatshoot pulvini starting within 3h after treatment. In order to analyze the regulation of invertase gene expression in this system, we examined the effect of gravistimulation on invertase mRNA induction. Total RNA and poly(A)(+)RNA, isolated from oat pulvini, and two oligonucleotide primers, corresponding to two conserved amino-acid sequences (NDPNG and WECPD) found in invertase from other species, were used for the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). A partial-length cDNA (550 base pairs) was obtained and characterized. There was a 52 % deduced amino-acid sequence homology to that of carrot beta-fructosi- dase and a 48 % homology to that of tomato invertase. Northern blot analysis showed that there was an obvious transient accumulation of invertase mRNA elicited by gravistimulation of oat pulvini. The mRNA was rapidly induced to a maximum level at 1h following gravistimulation treatment and gradually decreased afterwards. The mRNA level in the bottom half of the oat pulvinus was significantly higher (five-fold) than that in the top half of the pulvinus tissue. The induction of invertase mRNA was consistent with the transient enhancement of invertase activity during the graviresponse of the pulvinus. These data indicate that the expression of the invertase gene(s) could be regulated by gravistimulation at the transcriptional and/or translational levels. Southern blot analysis showed that there were four genomic DNA fragments hybridized to the invertase cDNA. This suggests that an invertase gene family may exist in oat plants.

  3. Swedish children with celiac disease comply well with a gluten-free diet, and most include oats without reporting any adverse effects: a long-term follow-up study.

    PubMed

    Tapsas, Dimitrios; Fälth-Magnusson, Karin; Högberg, Lotta; Hammersjö, Jan-Åke; Hollén, Elisabet

    2014-05-01

    The only known treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet (GFD), which initially meant abstention from wheat, rye, barley, and oats. Recently, oats free from contamination with wheat have been accepted in the GFD. Yet, reports indicate that all celiac disease patients may not tolerate oats. We hypothesized that celiac children comply well with a GFD and that most have included oats in their diet. A food questionnaire was used to check our patients; 316 questionnaires were returned. Mean time on the GFD was 6.9 years, and 96.8% of the children reported that they were trying to keep a strict GFD. However, accidental transgressions occurred in 263 children (83.2%). In 2 of 3 cases, mistakes took place when the patients were not at home. Symptoms after incidental gluten intake were experienced by 162 (61.6%) patients, mostly (87.5%) from the gastrointestinal tract. Small amounts of gluten (<4 g) caused symptoms in 38% of the cases, and 68% reported symptoms during the first 3 hours after gluten consumption. Oats were included in the diet of 89.4% of the children for a mean of 3.4 years. Most (81.9%) ate purified oats, and 45.3% consumed oats less than once a week. Among those who did not consume oats, only 5.9% refrained because of symptoms. General compliance with the GFD was good. Only the duration of the GFD appeared to influence adherence to the diet. Most patients did not report adverse effects after long-term consumption of oats. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Milled cereal straw accelerates earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris) growth more than selected organic amendments.

    PubMed

    Sizmur, Tom; Martin, Elodie; Wagner, Kevin; Parmentier, Emilie; Watts, Chris; Whitmore, Andrew P

    2017-05-01

    Earthworms benefit agriculture by providing several ecosystem services. Therefore, strategies to increase earthworm abundance and activity in agricultural soils should be identified, and encouraged. Lumbricus terrestris earthworms primarily feed on organic inputs to soils but it is not known which organic amendments are the most effective for increasing earthworm populations. We conducted earthworm surveys in the field and carried out experiments in single-earthworm microcosms to determine the optimum food source for increasing earthworm biomass using a selection of crop residues and organic wastes available to agriculture. We found that although farmyard manure increased earthworm populations more than cereal straw in the field, straw increased earthworm biomass more than manures when milled and applied to microcosms. Earthworm growth rates were positively correlated with the calorific value of the amendment and straw had a much higher calorific value than farmyard manure, greenwaste compost, or anaerobic digestate. Reducing the particle size of straw by milling to <3 mm made the energy in the straw more accessible to earthworms. The benefits and barriers to applying milled straw to arable soils in the field are discussed.

  5. Removal of Cu(II) from acidic electroplating effluent by biochars generated from crop straws.

    PubMed

    Tong, Xuejiao; Xu, Renkou

    2013-04-01

    The removal efficiency of copper (Cu(II)) from an actual acidic electroplating effluent by biochars generated from canola, rice, soybean and peanut straws was investigated. The biochars simultaneously removed Cu(II) from the effluent, mainly through the mechanisms of adsorption and precipitation, and neutralized its acidity. The removal efficiency of Cu(II) by the biochars followed the order: peanut straw char > soybean straw char > canola straw char > rice straw char > a commercial activated carbonaceous material, which is consistent with the alkalinity of the biochars. The pH of the effluent was a key factor determining the removal efficiency of Cu(II) by biochars. Raising the initial pH of the effluent enhanced the removal of Cu(II) from it. The optimum pyrolysis temperature was 400 degrees C for producing biochar from crop straws for acidic wastewater treatment, and the optimum reaction time was 8 hr.

  6. Impact of straw mulch on populations of onion thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in onion.

    PubMed

    Larentzaki, E; Plate, J; Nault, B A; Shelton, A M

    2008-08-01

    Development of insecticide resistance in onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), populations in onion (Allium spp.) fields and the incidence of the T. tabaci transmitted Iris yellow spot virus have stimulated interest in evaluating alternative management tactics. Effects of straw mulch applied in commercial onion fields in muck areas of western New York were assessed in 2006 and 2007 as a possible onion thrips management strategy. In trials in which no insecticides were applied for thrips control, straw mulch-treated plots supported significantly lower T. tabaci populations compared with control plots. In both years, the action thresholds of one or three larvae per leaf were reached in straw mulch treatments between 7 and 14 d later than in the control. Ground predatory fauna, as evaluated by pitfall trapping, was not increased by straw mulch in 2006; however, populations of the common predatory thrips Aeolothrips fasciatus (L.) (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) were significantly lower in straw mulch plots in both years. Interference of straw mulch in the pupation and emergence of T. tabaci was investigated in the lab and their emergence was reduced by 54% compared with bare soil. In the field the overall yield of onions was not affected by the straw mulch treatment; however, the presence of jumbo grade onions (>77 mm) was increased in 2006, but not in 2007. These results indicate that populations of T. tabaci adults and larvae can be significantly reduced by the use of straw mulch without compromising overall onion yield. The use of this cultural practice in an onion integrated pest management program seems promising.

  7. [Effect of Bt rice straw returning in soil on the growth and reproduction of Eisenia fetida.

    PubMed

    Cheng, Miao Miao; Shu, Ying Hua; Wang, Jian Wu

    2016-11-18

    Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) protein can enter the soil through Bt crops straw returning to field, which may affect the growth and reproduction of soil animals, such as earthworms. Here, Bt rice (b2B138) and conventional rice (Anfeng A) straw were returned in soil to evaluate the impact of Bt rice on Eisenia fetida. Two varieties of rice straw were added into soil to breed E. fetida at the rates of 2.5%, 5%, 7.5% and 10%. The survival rate, relative growth rate, reproduction of earthworm, the Cry1Ab content in soil-straw mixture and earthworm were detected after 7, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 d. The results showed that Bt rice straw returning at higher concentrations (7.5% and 10%) inhibited the survival rate of E. fetida. Bt rice straw returning had no adverse effect on relative growth rate (RGR) of E. fetida. Bt rice straw treatment improved the reproduction of earthworms under 5%, 7.5% and 10% straw returning in soil. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) results indicated that immunoreactive Cry1Ab was detectable in soil-straw mixture and E. fetida from Bt rice treatments, and a strong decline was observed in soil-straw mixture with the increase of treated time. Therefore, Cry1Ab released from Bt rice straw returning at 2.5% and 5% concentration had no adverse effects on the growth and reproduction of E. fetida.

  8. Organic anion transporter 4 (OAT 4) modifies placental transfer of perfluorinated alkyl acids PFOS and PFOA in human placental ex vivo perfusion system.

    PubMed

    Kummu, M; Sieppi, E; Koponen, J; Laatio, L; Vähäkangas, K; Kiviranta, H; Rautio, A; Myllynen, P

    2015-10-01

    Perfluorinated alkyl acids (PFAAs) are widely used in industry and consumer products. Pregnant women are exposed to PFAAs and their presence in umbilical cord blood represents fetal exposure. Interestingly, PFAAs are substrates for organic anion transporters (OAT) of which OAT4 is expressed in human placenta. To evaluate the contribution of OAT4 and ATP-binding cassette transporter G2 (ABCG2) proteins in the transplacental transfer of perfluoro octane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluoro octanoate (PFOA) an ex vivo dual recirculating human placental perfusion was used. Altogether 8 placentas from healthy mothers with uncomplicated pregnancies were successfully perfused. Both PFOS and PFOA crossed the placenta as suggested by in vivo data in the literature. The expression of OAT4 and ABCG2 proteins were studied by immunoblotting and correlation with the transfer index %(TI %) of PFOS and PFOA at 120 and 240 min (n = 4) was studied. The expression of OAT4 was in negative correlation with TI % of PFOA (R(2) = 0.92, p = 0.043) and PFOS (R(2) = 0.99, p = 0.007) at 120 min while at 240 min the correlation was statistically significant only with PFOA. The expression of ABCG2 did not correlate with TI% of PFOS or PFOA. Data obtained in this study suggest the involvement of OAT4 in placental passage of PFAAs. Placental passage of PFOS and PFOA is modified by the transporter protein OAT4 but not by ABCG2. This is the first study indicating that OAT4 may decrease the fetal exposure to PFAAs and protect the fetus after maternal exposure to PFAAs but further studies are needed to confirm our findings. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Effects of variety, cropping year, location and fertilizer application on nutritive value of durum wheat straw.

    PubMed

    Tolera, A; Tsegaye, B; Berg, T

    2008-04-01

    This study was carried out to assess the effects of variety, year, location and level of fertilizer application on chemical composition and in sacco dry matter (DM) degradability of durum wheat straw as well as to understand the relationship between straw quality and agronomic traits of the crop and to assess the possibilities of selecting wheat varieties that combine high grain yield with desirable straw quality. Two local (Arendeto and Tikur sinde) and two improved (Boohai and Gerardo) varieties of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum Desf.) were used in the experiment. The four varieties were grown at two locations (Akaki and Ejere) in the years 2001/2002 and 2002/2003 in 5 x 5 m plots in three replications. Diammonium phosphate and urea fertilizers were applied at four levels (0/0, 32/23, 41/23 and 64/46 kg/ha of nitrogen/phosphorus). Straw quality was assessed based on chemical composition and in sacco DM degradability. Correlation of straw quality with grain and straw yield and with other agronomic characteristics of the crop was determined. The potential utility index (a measure that integrates grain and digestible straw yield) was used for ranking of the varieties. The local varieties had higher crude protein (CP) and lower neutral detergent fibre contents and higher digestibility than the improved varieties. The cropping year and location had significant effect on CP content and degradability of the straw, which could be due to climatic variation. However, the fertilizer level did not have any significant effect on straw quality except that the CP content of the straw tended to increase with increasing level of fertilizer application. Based on the potential utility index the varieties ranked, in a decreasing order, as Tikur sinde > Arendeto > Gerardo > Boohai and the ranking was consistent across years and locations. Except the CP content, straw quality was not negatively correlated with grain and straw yield. This indicates that there is a possibility of

  10. In vitro characterization of the antivirulence target of Gram-positive pathogens, peptidoglycan O-acetyltransferase A (OatA)

    DOE PAGES

    Sychantha, David; Jones, Carys S.; Little, Dustin J.; ...

    2017-10-27

    The O-acetylation of the essential cell wall polymer peptidoglycan occurs in most Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, including species of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Enterococcus. This modification to peptidoglycan protects these pathogens from the lytic action of the lysozymes of innate immunity systems and, as such, is recognized as a virulence factor. The key enzyme involved, peptidoglycan O-acetyltransferase A (OatA) represents a particular challenge to biochemical study since it is a membrane associated protein whose substrate is the insoluble peptidoglycan cell wall polymer. OatA is predicted to be bimodular, being comprised of an N-terminal integral membrane domain linked to a C-terminal extracytoplasmic domain.more » We present herein the first biochemical and kinetic characterization of the C-terminal catalytic domain of OatA from two important human pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Using both pseudosubstrates and novel biosynthetically-prepared peptidoglycan polymers, we characterized distinct substrate specificities for the two enzymes. In addition, the high resolution crystal structure of the C-terminal domain reveals an SGNH/GDSL-like hydrolase fold with a catalytic triad of amino acids but with a non-canonical oxyanion hole structure. Site-specific replacements confirmed the identity of the catalytic and oxyanion hole residues. A model is presented for the O-acetylation of peptidoglycan whereby the translocation of acetyl groups from a cytoplasmic source across the cytoplasmic membrane is catalyzed by the N-terminal domain of OatA for their transfer to peptidoglycan by its C-terminal domain. This study on the structure-function relationship of OatA provides a molecular and mechanistic understanding of this bacterial resistance mechanism opening the prospect for novel chemotherapeutic exploration to enhance innate immunity protection against Gram-positive pathogens.« less

  11. In vitro characterization of the antivirulence target of Gram-positive pathogens, peptidoglycan O-acetyltransferase A (OatA)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sychantha, David; Jones, Carys S.; Little, Dustin J.

    The O-acetylation of the essential cell wall polymer peptidoglycan occurs in most Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, including species of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Enterococcus. This modification to peptidoglycan protects these pathogens from the lytic action of the lysozymes of innate immunity systems and, as such, is recognized as a virulence factor. The key enzyme involved, peptidoglycan O-acetyltransferase A (OatA) represents a particular challenge to biochemical study since it is a membrane associated protein whose substrate is the insoluble peptidoglycan cell wall polymer. OatA is predicted to be bimodular, being comprised of an N-terminal integral membrane domain linked to a C-terminal extracytoplasmic domain.more » We present herein the first biochemical and kinetic characterization of the C-terminal catalytic domain of OatA from two important human pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Using both pseudosubstrates and novel biosynthetically-prepared peptidoglycan polymers, we characterized distinct substrate specificities for the two enzymes. In addition, the high resolution crystal structure of the C-terminal domain reveals an SGNH/GDSL-like hydrolase fold with a catalytic triad of amino acids but with a non-canonical oxyanion hole structure. Site-specific replacements confirmed the identity of the catalytic and oxyanion hole residues. A model is presented for the O-acetylation of peptidoglycan whereby the translocation of acetyl groups from a cytoplasmic source across the cytoplasmic membrane is catalyzed by the N-terminal domain of OatA for their transfer to peptidoglycan by its C-terminal domain. This study on the structure-function relationship of OatA provides a molecular and mechanistic understanding of this bacterial resistance mechanism opening the prospect for novel chemotherapeutic exploration to enhance innate immunity protection against Gram-positive pathogens.« less

  12. In vitro characterization of the antivirulence target of Gram-positive pathogens, peptidoglycan O-acetyltransferase A (OatA)

    PubMed Central

    Sychantha, David; Jones, Carys S.; Little, Dustin J.; Howell, P. Lynne

    2017-01-01

    The O-acetylation of the essential cell wall polymer peptidoglycan occurs in most Gram-positive bacterial pathogens, including species of Staphylococcus, Streptococcus and Enterococcus. This modification to peptidoglycan protects these pathogens from the lytic action of the lysozymes of innate immunity systems and, as such, is recognized as a virulence factor. The key enzyme involved, peptidoglycan O-acetyltransferase A (OatA) represents a particular challenge to biochemical study since it is a membrane associated protein whose substrate is the insoluble peptidoglycan cell wall polymer. OatA is predicted to be bimodular, being comprised of an N-terminal integral membrane domain linked to a C-terminal extracytoplasmic domain. We present herein the first biochemical and kinetic characterization of the C-terminal catalytic domain of OatA from two important human pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Using both pseudosubstrates and novel biosynthetically-prepared peptidoglycan polymers, we characterized distinct substrate specificities for the two enzymes. In addition, the high resolution crystal structure of the C-terminal domain reveals an SGNH/GDSL-like hydrolase fold with a catalytic triad of amino acids but with a non-canonical oxyanion hole structure. Site-specific replacements confirmed the identity of the catalytic and oxyanion hole residues. A model is presented for the O-acetylation of peptidoglycan whereby the translocation of acetyl groups from a cytoplasmic source across the cytoplasmic membrane is catalyzed by the N-terminal domain of OatA for their transfer to peptidoglycan by its C-terminal domain. This study on the structure-function relationship of OatA provides a molecular and mechanistic understanding of this bacterial resistance mechanism opening the prospect for novel chemotherapeutic exploration to enhance innate immunity protection against Gram-positive pathogens. PMID:29077761

  13. Organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1/SLC22A6) enhances bioluminescence based on d-luciferin-luciferase reaction in living cells by facilitating the intracellular accumulation of d-luciferin.

    PubMed

    Furuya, Takahito; Takehara, Issey; Shimura, Asuka; Kishimoto, Hisanao; Yasujima, Tomoya; Ohta, Kinya; Shirasaka, Yoshiyuki; Yuasa, Hiroaki; Inoue, Katsuhisa

    2018-01-15

    Bioluminescence (BL) imaging based on d-luciferin (d-luc)-luciferase reaction allows noninvasive and real-time monitoring of luciferase-expressing cells. Because BL intensity depends on photons generated through the d-luc-luciferase reaction, an approach to increase intracellular levels of d-luc could improve the detection sensitivity. In the present study, we showed that organic anion transporter 1 (OAT1) is useful, as a d-luc transporter, in boosting the BL intensity in luciferase-expressing cells. Functional screening of several transporters showed that the expression of OAT1 in HEK293 cells stably expressing Pyrearinus termitilluminans luciferase (HEK293/eLuc) markedly enhanced BL intensity in the presence of d-luc. When OAT1 was transiently expressed in HEK293 cells, intracellular accumulation of d-luc was higher than that in control cells, and the specific d-luc uptake mediated by OAT1 was saturable with a Michaelis constant (K m ) of 0.23 μM. The interaction between OAT1 and d-luc was verified using 6-carboxyfluorescein, a typical substrate of OAT1, which showed that d-luc inhibited the uptake of 6-carboxyfluorescein mediated by OAT1. BL intensity was concentration-dependent at steady states in HEK293/eLuc cells stably expressing OAT1, and followed Michaelis-Menten kinetics with an apparent K m of 0.36 μM. In addition, the enhanced BL was significantly inhibited by OAT1-specific inhibitors. Thus, OAT1-mediated transport of d-luc could be a rate-limiting step in the d-luc-luciferase reaction. Furthermore, we found that expressing OAT1 in HEK293/eLuc cells implanted subcutaneously in mice also significantly increased the BL after intraperitoneal injection of d-luc. Our findings suggest that because OAT1 is capable of transporting d-luc, it can also be used to improve visualization and monitoring of luciferase-expressing cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Lignocellulose degradation patterns, structural changes, and enzyme secretion by Inonotus obliquus on straw biomass under submerged fermentation.

    PubMed

    Xu, Xiangqun; Xu, Zhiqi; Shi, Song; Lin, Mengmeng

    2017-10-01

    This study examined the white rot fungus I. obliquus on the degradation of three types of straw biomass and the production of extracellular lignocellulolytic enzymes under submerged fermentation. The fungus process resulted in a highest lignin loss of 72%, 39%, and 47% in wheat straw, rice straw, and corn stover within 12days, respectively. In merely two days, the fungus selectively degraded wheat straw lignin by 37%, with only limited cellulose degradation (13%). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the fungus most effectively degraded the wheat straw lignin and rice straw crystalline cellulose. Scanning electronic microscopy showed the most pronounced structural changes in wheat straw. High activities of manganese peroxidase (159.0U/mL) and lignin peroxidase (123.4U/mL) were observed in wheat straw culture on Day 2 and 4, respectively. Rice straw was the best substrate to induce the production of cellulase and xylanase. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The difference between oats and beta-glucan extract intake in the management of HbA1c, fasting glucose and insulin sensitivity: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

    PubMed

    He, Li-xia; Zhao, Jian; Huang, Yuan-sheng; Li, Yong

    2016-03-01

    Increasing oats and beta-glucan extract intake has been associated with improved glycemic control, which is associated with the reduction in the development of diabetes. This study aims to assess the different effects between oat (whole and bran) and beta-glucan extract intake on glycemic control and insulin sensitivity. PubMed, Embase, Medline, The Cochrane Library, CINAHL and Web of Science were searched up to February 2014. We included randomized controlled trials with interventions that lasted at least four weeks that compared oats and beta-glucan (extracted from oats or other sources) intake with a control. A total of 1351 articles were screened for eligibility, and relevant data were extracted from 18 studies (n = 1024). Oat product dose ranged from 20 g d(-1) to 136 g d(-1), and beta-glucan extract dose ranged from 3 g d(-1) to 10 g d(-1). Compared with the control, oat intake resulted in a greater decrease in fasting glucose and insulin of subjects (P < 0.05), but beta-glucan extract intake did not. Furthermore, oat intake resulted in a greater decrease in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (P < 0.001, I(2) = 0%) and fasting glucose (P < 0.001, I(2) = 68%) after removing one study using a concentrate and a different design and fasting insulin of type 2 diabetes (T2D) (P < 0.001, I(2) = 0%). The intake of oats and beta-glucan extracted from oats were effective in decreasing fasting glucose (P = 0.007, I(2) = 91%) and fasting insulin of T2D (P < 0.001, I(2) = 0%) and tented to lower HbA1c (P = 0.09, I(2) = 92%). Higher consumption of whole oats and oat bran, but not oat or barley beta-glucan extracts, are associated with lower HbA1c, fasting glucose and fasting insulin of T2D, hyperlipidaemic and overweight subjects, especially people with T2D, which supports the need for clinical trials to evaluate the potential role of oats in approaching to the management of glycemic control and insulin sensitivity of diabetes or metabolic syndrome subjects.

  16. OATE Journal: Oklahoma Association of Teacher Educators. Volume 14, Spring 2010

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Malinda Hendricks, Ed.

    2010-01-01

    The "OATE Journal" is published annually by the Oklahoma Association of Teacher Educators. Articles in this issue include: (1) "The Transition of Middle School Students into High School" by Aric Sappington, Malinda Hendricks Green, Jennifer J. R. Endicott, and Susan C. Scott; (2) "Graduate Students' Perceptions of Teacher…

  17. Effects of dietary oat, barley, and guar gums on serum and liver lipid concentrations in diet-induced hypertriglyceridemic rats.

    PubMed

    Oda, T; Aoe, S; Imanishi, S; Kanazawa, Y; Sanada, H; Ayano, Y

    1994-04-01

    Effects of dietary oat, barley, and guar gums on serum and liver triglyceride or cholesterol concentrations were examined in diet-induced hypertriglyceridemic rats. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed a hypertriglyceridemic diet that contained 20% coconut oil, 17.5% fructose, 17.5% sucrose, and 5% cellulose at 4 weeks of age for 14 days. In the gum-supplemented diets, 2% cellulose was replaced by oat gum, barley gum, or guar gum. Hypertriglyceridemia was observed in the control group, whereas serum cholesterol concentration was not increased. All of the gums lowered serum and liver cholesterol concentrations except barley gum which had no significant effect on liver cholesterol. Both oat and barley gums suppressed the elevation of serum and liver triglyceride concentrations but guar gum had no effect.

  18. Experimental study of boron-coated straws with a neutron source

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xie, Zhaoyang; Zhou, Jianrong; Song, Yushou; Lacy, Jeffrey L.; Sun, Liang; Sun, Zhijia; Hu, Bitao; Chen, Yuanbo

    2018-04-01

    Multiple types of high quality neutron detectors are proposed for the first phase of the China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS), which will be commissioned in 2018. Considering the shortage of 3He supply, a detector module composed of 49 boron-coated straws (BCS) was developed by Proportional Technologies Inc. (PTI). Each straw has a length of 1000 mm and a diameter of 7.5 mm. Seven straws are tightly packed in a tube, and seven tubes are organized in a row to form a detector module. The charge division method is used for longitudinal positioning. A specific readout system was utilized to output the signal and simultaneously encode each straw. The performance of this detector module was studied using a moderated 252Cf source at the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP). The signal amplitude spectrum indicates its n-gamma discrimination capability. Despite the complex readout method, a longitudinal resolution of FWHM=6.1 ± 0.5 mm was obtained. The three-dimensional positioning ability qualifies this BCS detector module as a promising detector for small angle neutron scattering.

  19. Cellulose accessibility and microbial community in solid state anaerobic digestion of rape straw.

    PubMed

    Tian, Jiang-Hao; Pourcher, Anne-Marie; Bureau, Chrystelle; Peu, Pascal

    2017-01-01

    Solid state anaerobic digestion (SSAD) with leachate recirculation is an appropriate method for the valorization of agriculture residues. Rape straw is a massively produced residue with considerable biochemical methane potential, but its degradation in SSAD remains poorly understood. A thorough study was conducted to understand the performance of rape straw as feedstock for laboratory solid state anaerobic digesters. We investigated the methane production kinetics of rape straw in relation to cellulose accessibility to cellulase and the microbial community. Improving cellulose accessibility through milling had a positive influence on both the methane production rate and methane yield. The SSAD of rape straw reached 60% of its BMP in a 40-day pilot-scale test. Distinct bacterial communities were observed in digested rape straw and leachate, with Bacteroidales and Sphingobacteriales as the most abundant orders, respectively. Archaeal populations showed no phase preference and increased chronologically. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Quality characteristic of liquid smoked straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) ball during storage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kurniawan, C. W.; Atmaka, W.; Manuhara, G. J.; Sanjaya, A. P.

    2018-01-01

    Straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) ball was soaked for 15, 30, and 45 minutes with the concentration level 1%, 2%, and 3% (v/v) of the coconut shell liquid smoke. The chemical characteristics (water contains, total phenol, carbonil contains, total-N, TVB-N, and pH), microbiological characteristics (Total Plate Count), and sensory characteristics (color, flavor, taste, texture, and overalls) of the liquid smoked straw mushroom ball during 14 days storage at freezing temperature were investigated. The result showed that the water content and TVB-N were decreased after soaked and were increased after storaged. On the other hand, the result of total phenol, carbonyl content, and Total-N were increased after soaked and were decreased after storage. The level of pH and Total Plate Count of the straw mushroom ball were decreased during storage. Due to the sensory characteristics of the straw mushroom ball, the panelists provide high values for the straw mushroom ball which was soaked in 3% concentration level with 30 minutes soaked time. The best-soaked treatment was by soaked at 30 minutes with 3% concentration level liquid smoke. The straw mushroom ball has 70.95±0.10% water contains; 0.32±0.02% total phenol; 1.08±0.22% carbonyl contains; and 2.29±0.07% total-N.

  1. [Experimental investigation of the straw pre-treatment to enhance its high solid anaerobic digestion].

    PubMed

    Jiang, Jian-Guo; Zhao, Zhen-Zhen; Du, Xue-Juan; Sui, Ji-Chao; Wu, Shi-Yao

    2007-04-01

    The straw contains a high content of lignin, which cannot be well utilized by anaerobic bacteria in high solid anaerobic digestion process. This paper presents the experimental investigation of the straw pre-treatment, which aims to destroy the complex structure of the lignin to enhance its high solid anaerobic digestion. The straw is pre-treated in different solutions including NaOH, ammonia, H2SO4, and carbamide. The pre-treating effects are expressed by COD concentration dissolved in the solutions and the 14-day biogas generation in the enhanced aerogenic experiment. Different affecting factors, such as the concentration of the chemical solution, the species of the straw, the pre-treatment reaction time, the reaction temperature and the size of the straw, are investigated. The results show that NaOH solution is the most effective pre-treatment chemical among the four different solutions. The experimental results still indicate that the accumulative biogas production can be 1 500 mL (10 g straw) in 14 days after pre-treatment in 4 mg/L NaOH solution and the dissolved COD in the solution reaches 39 000 mg/L after 24 hours. In addition, the experiment shows that the lignin content in the straw is reduced from 28% to 19% after pre-treatment in 1.5% (in weight) NaOH solution, and it can improve the straw treatment efficiency using high solid anaerobic digestion process.

  2. Physical properties of gluten-free sugar cookies made from amaranth-oat composites

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Amaranth flour containing the essential amino acid, lysine, was blended with oat products that contain ß-glucan known for lowering blood cholesterol and preventing heart disease. These composites improved nutritional value, water holding capacity and the pasting properties along with their gluten fr...

  3. Functional properties of gluten-free sugar cookies made from amaranth-oat composites

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Amaranth flour containing the essential amino acid, lysine, was blended with oat products that contain ß-glucan known for lowering blood cholesterol and preventing heart disease. These composites improved nutritional value, water holding capacity and the pasting properties along with their gluten fr...

  4. Barley hulls and straw constituents and emulsifying properties of their hemicelluloses

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Barley hulls (husks) are potential by-products of barley ethanol production. Barley straw is an abundant biomass in the regions producing barley for malting, feeds, and fuel ethanol. Both barley hulls and straw contain valuable hemicelluloses (arabinoxylans) and other useful carbohydrate and non-car...

  5. Building a Straw Bridge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teaching Science, 2015

    2015-01-01

    This project is for a team of students (groups of two or three are ideal) to design and construct a model of a single-span bridge, using plastic drinking straws as the building material. All steps of the design, construction, testing and critiquing stages should be recorded by students in a journal. Students may like to include labelled diagrams,…

  6. An Inclusive Investigation on Conceivable Performance of Rice Straw Incinerated Electricity Generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhattacharjee, Subhadeep; Mohanta, Subhajit

    2018-06-01

    Biomass energy is one of the potential renewable energy sources which occupy 77% of the available natural resources of the world. In India, agro residues constitute a major part of the total annual production of the biomass resource. Rice is the major crop in India that leaves substantial quantity of straw in the field. 34% of rice straw residue produced in the country is surplus and is either left in the field as uncollected or to a large extent open-field burnt. Thus, the unutilized rice straw is found promising for heat and power generation either through incineration (direct combustion) or thermo chemical conversion. This present work envisages the comprehensive performative evaluation of a rice straw supported biomass incineration power plant mainly through plant performance characterization, plant economics, and co-firing issues with emission analysis.

  7. An Inclusive Investigation on Conceivable Performance of Rice Straw Incinerated Electricity Generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhattacharjee, Subhadeep; Mohanta, Subhajit

    2018-03-01

    Biomass energy is one of the potential renewable energy sources which occupy 77% of the available natural resources of the world. In India, agro residues constitute a major part of the total annual production of the biomass resource. Rice is the major crop in India that leaves substantial quantity of straw in the field. 34% of rice straw residue produced in the country is surplus and is either left in the field as uncollected or to a large extent open-field burnt. Thus, the unutilized rice straw is found promising for heat and power generation either through incineration (direct combustion) or thermo chemical conversion. This present work envisages the comprehensive performative evaluation of a rice straw supported biomass incineration power plant mainly through plant performance characterization, plant economics, and co-firing issues with emission analysis.

  8. Economic value of urea-treated straw fed to lactating buffaloes during the dry season in Nepal.

    PubMed

    Chemjong, P B

    1991-08-01

    An experiment was conducted to study the effects of feeding urea-treated rice straw to lactating buffaloes in the Koshi Hills. Six pairs of similar buffaloes on farms were selected. All were given a conventional diet based on rice straw for four weeks, then one of each pair was given 15 to 20 kg/day of urea-treated rice straw for a period of four weeks while the control group received untreated rice straw. In the final four week period all animals were given the conventional diet. Feeding straw treated with 4% urea increased the voluntary intake of straw by 25% and increased milk yield by 1.6 litres/day compared with buffaloes fed the conventional diet containing untreated straw. Milk production remained elevated after the four-week treatment period had finished. The results show that buffalo cows fed urea-treated straw achieved better weight gain, and milk yield increased significantly (P less than 0.01) compared with the control animals. During the treatment period the net benefit was 4.0 (i.e. US$1.16) Nepalese currency rupees (NCRs) per day and the incremental rate of return was 46 per cent. Moreover, in the four weeks following the treatment period the net benefit was 10.0 NCRs (i.e. US$0.40) per day. Ensiling rice straw with 4% urea can be recommended as a safe, economical and suitable method for improving the nutritional value of rice straw on small farms in Nepal thus increasing milk production and liveweight of lactating buffaloes. The practice of feeding urea-treated straw is economic for farmers during the dry season from January to April.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  9. [Effect of straw-returning on the storage and distribution of different active fractions of soil organic carbon].

    PubMed

    Wang, Hul; Wang, Xu-dong; Tian, Xiao-hong

    2014-12-01

    The impacts of straw mulching and returning on the storage of soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and mineral associated organic carbon (MOC), and their proportions to the total organic carbon (TOC) were studied based on a field experiment. The results showed that compared to the treatment of wheat straw soil-returning (WR), the storage of TOC and MOC decreased by 4.1% and 9.7% respectively in 0-20 cm soil in the treatment with wheat straw mulching (WM), but the storage of DOC and POC increased by 207.7% and 11.9%, and TOC and POC increased significantly in 20-40 cm soil. Compared to the treatment with maize straw soil-returning (MR), the storage of TOC and MOC in the plough pan soil of the treatment with maize straw mulching (MM) increased by 13.6% and 14.6% , respectively. Compared to the WR-MR treatment, the storage of TOC and MOC in top soil (0-20 icm) significantly decreased by 8.5% and 10.3% respectively in WM-MM treatment. The storage of TOC, and POC in top soil was significantly higher in the treatments with maize straw soil-returning or mulching than that with wheat straw. Compared to the treatment without straw (CK), the storage of TOC in top soil increased by 5.2% to 18.0% in the treatments with straw returning or mulching in the six modes (WM, WR, MM, MR, WM-MM,WR-MR) (P<0.05), but the storage of TOC in the plough pan soil decreased by 8.0% to 11.5% (P<0.05) except for the treatments of WM and MM. The storage of DOC and DOC/TOC ratio decreased significantly in top soil in the treatments with straw mulching or returning in six modes. The storage of POC and POC/TOC ratio in WM and WM-MM treatments, MOC and MOC/TOC ratio in WR treatment, increased significantly in top soil. In the other three treatments with straw mulching and returning (MM, MR, WR-MR), the storage of POC and MOC increased significantly in top soil. These results suggested that straw mulching had the potential to accumulate active organic carbon fraction

  10. [Effects of nitrogen application on decomposition and nutrient release of returned maize straw in Guanzhong Plain, Northwest China].

    PubMed

    Huang, Ting Miao; Wang, Zhao Hui; Hou, Yang Yi; Gu, Chi Ming; Li, Xiao; Zheng, Xian Feng

    2017-07-18

    With 15 N isotope labeled maize straw in nylon net bags and buried in the wheat field at two N rates of 0 and 200 kg N·hm -2 , the effects of nitrogen application on the decomposition of straw dry matter and the release dynamics of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (C, N, P and K) after maize straw retention were investigated in the winter wheat-summer maize rotation system in Guanzhong Plain, Shaanxi, China. Results showed that N application did not affect the decomposition of the returned straw C and dry matter, but promoted the release of P and inhibited the release of N and K from straw during sowing to wintering periods of winter wheat. From the grain filling to the harvest of winter wheat, the decomposition of the returned straw and the release of N, P and K were not affected, but the release of straw C was significantly enhanced by N application. The release dynamic of straw C was synchronized with the decomposition of the dry matter, and the C/N of straw declined gradually with the extension of wheat growing. Until the harvest of winter wheat, the accumulative decomposition rate of straw dry matter was less than 50%, and the total straw C release rate was around 47.9% to 51.1%. The C/N ratio of the returned straw was decreased from 32.2 to 20.2 and 17.9, respectively at N rates of 0 and 200 kg N·hm -2 . From sowing to harvest of winter wheat, the net release of N, P and K from the straw was observed. The N release was 7.2-9.4 kg·hm -2 and 12.7%-16.6% of the total straw N, and the P release was 1.29-1.44 kg·hm -2 and 29.0%-32.4% of the total straw P, while a great deal of K was released quickly, with approximately 80% of the straw K released before wintering, 51.8-52.5 kg·hm -2 and 90.5%-91.7% of the total straw K released at wheat harvest. It was suggested that the K fertilizer application should be decreased for the winter wheat due to the great amount K release from the returned maize straw, and an extra amount of N and P fertilizer should

  11. Carbon balance assessment by eddy covariance method for agroecosystems with potato plants and oats & vetch mixture on sod-podzolic soils of Russia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meshalkina, J. L.; Yaroslavtsev, A. M.; Vasenev, I. I.; Andreeva, I. V.; Tihonova, M. V.

    2018-01-01

    The carbon balance for the agroecosystems with potato plants and oats & vetch mixture on sod-podzolics soils was evaluated using the eddy covariance approach. Absorption of carbon was recorded only during the growing season; maximum values were detected for all crops in July. The number of days during the vegetation period, when the carbon stocked in the fields with potatoes and oats & vetch mixture was about the same and accounted for 53-55 days. During this period, the increase in gross primary production (GPP) is well correlated with the crop yields. The curve of the gross primary productivity is closely linked to the phases of development of plants; for potatoes, this graph differs significantly for all phases. Form of oats & vetch mixture biomass curve shown linear increases. Carbon losses were observed for all the studied agroecosystems: for fields with an oats & vetch mixture they were 254 g C m-2 y-1, while for fields with potato plants they were 307 g C m-2 y-1. Values about 250-300 g C m-2 per year may be considered as estimated values for the total carbon uptake for agroecosystems with potato plants and oats & vetch mixture on sod-podzolic soils.

  12. Bacterial symbionts, Buchnera, and starvation on wing dimorphism in English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae (F.) (Homoptera: Aphididae)

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Fangmei; Li, Xiangrui; Zhang, Yunhui; Coates, Brad; Zhou, Xuguo “Joe”; Cheng, Dengfa

    2015-01-01

    Wing dimorphism in aphids can be affected by multiple cues, including both biotic (nutrition, crowding, interspecific interactions, the presence of natural enemies, maternal and transgenerational effects, and alarm pheromone) and abiotic factors (temperature, humidity, and photoperiod). The majority of the phloem-feeding aphids carry Buchnera, an obligate symbiotic proteobacteria. Buchnera has a highly reduced genome size, but encode key enzymes in the tryptophan biosynthetic pathway and is crucial for nutritional balance, development and reproduction in aphids. In this study, we investigated the impact of two nutritional-based biotic factors, symbionts and starvation, on the wing dimorphism in the English grain aphid, Sitobion avenae, a devastating insect pest of cereal crops (e.g., wheat) worldwide. Elimination of Buchnera using the antibiotic rifampicin significantly reduced the formation of winged morphs, body mass, and fecundity in S. avenae. Furthermore, the absence of this primary endosymbiont may disrupt the nutrient acquisition in aphids and alter transgenerational phenotypic expression. Similarly, both survival rate and the formation of winged morphs were substantially reduced after neonatal (<24 h old) offspring were starved for a period of time. The combined results shed light on the impact of two nutritional-based biotic factors on the phenotypic plasticity in aphids. A better understanding of the wing dimorphism in aphids will provide the theoretical basis for the prediction and integrated management of these phloem-feeding insect pests. PMID:26042046

  13. Modeling the greenhouse gas budget of straw returning in China: feasibility of mitigation and countermeasures.

    PubMed

    Lu, Fei; Wang, Xiao-Ke; Han, Bing; Ouyang, Zhi-Yun; Zheng, Hua

    2010-05-01

    Straw returning is considered to be one of the most promising carbon sequestration measures in China's cropland. A compound model, namely "Straw Returning and Burning Model-Expansion" (SRBME), was built to estimate the net mitigation potential, economic benefits, and air pollutant reduction of straw returning. Three scenarios, that is, baseline, "full popularization of straw returning (FP)," and "full popularization of straw returning and precision fertilization (FP + P)," were set to reflect popularization of straw returning. The results of the SRBME indicated that (1) compared with the soil carbon sequestration of 13.37 Tg/yr, the net mitigation potentials, which were 6.328 Tg/yr for the FP scenario and 9.179 Tg/yr for the FP + P scenario, had different trends when the full budget of the greenhouse gases was considered; (2) when the feasibility in connection with greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation, economic benefits, and environmental benefits was taken into consideration, straw returning was feasible in 15 provinces in the FP scenario, with a total net mitigation potential of 7.192 TgCe/yr and the total benefits of CNY 1.473 billion (USD 216.6 million); (3) in the FP + P scenario, with the implementation of precision fertilization, straw returning was feasible in 26 provinces with a total net mitigation potential of 10.39 TgCe/yr and the total benefits of CNY 5.466 billion (USD 803.8 million); (4) any extent of change in the treatment of straw from being burnt to being returned would contribute to air pollution reduction; (5) some countermeasures, such as CH(4) reduction in rice paddies, precision fertilization, financial support, education and propaganda, would promote the feasibility of straw returning as a mitigation measure.

  14. Production of bio-based fiber gums from the waste streams resulting from the commercial processing of corn bran and oat hulls

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The U.S. food and non-food industries would benefit from the development of a domestically produced crude, semi-pure and pure bio-based fiber gum from corn bran and oat hulls processing waste streams. When corn bran and oat hulls are processed to produce a commercial cellulose enriched fiber gel, th...

  15. Processes of heat and mass transfer in straw bales using flue gasses as a drying medium

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goryl, Wojciech; Szubel, Mateusz; Filipowicz, Mariusz

    2016-03-01

    Moisture content is a main problem of using straw in form of bales for energy production. The paper presents possibility of straw drying in dedicated, innovative and patented in Poland straw dryers which using flue gasses as a drying medium. Paper presents an improved way of drying which proved to be very sufficient. Temperature and humidity of straw during the process of drying were measured. The measurements helped understand and perform numerical model of heat and mass transfer inside the straw bale. By using CFD codes it was possible to perform analysis of phenomenon occurring inside the dried straw bale. Based on the CFD model, proposals of the optimization and improvement process of drying have been discussed. Experimental and computational data have been compared in terms of convergence. A satisfying degree of agreement has been achieved. Applying improved drying method, homogenous field of moisture content and temperature in the straw bale is achieved in a very cost effective way.

  16. Tripartite Interactions of Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus, Sitobion avenae and Wheat Varieties

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Xiao-Feng; Hu, Xiang-Shun; Keller, Mike A.; Zhao, Hui-Yan; Wu, Yun-Feng; Liu, Tong-Xian

    2014-01-01

    The tripartite interactions in a pathosystem involving wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), the Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), and the BYDV vector aphid Sitobion avenae were studied under field conditions to determine the impact of these interactions on aphid populations, virus pathology and grain yield. Wheat varietal resistance to BYDV and aphids varied among the three wheat varieties studied over two consecutive years. The results demonstrated that (1) aphid peak number (APN) in the aphid + BYDV (viruliferous aphid) treatment was greater and occurred earlier than that in the non-viruliferous aphid treatment. The APN and the area under the curve of population dynamics (AUC) on a S. avenae-resistant variety 98-10-30 was significantly lower than on two aphid-susceptible varieties Tam200(13)G and Xiaoyan6. (2) The production of alatae (PA) was greater on the variety 98-10-30 than on the other varieties, and PA was greater in the aphid + BYDV treatment on 98-10-30 than in the non-viruliferous aphid treatment, but this trend was reversed on Tam200(13)G and Xiaoyan6. (3) The BYDV disease incidence (DIC) on the variety 98-10-30 was greater than that on the other two varieties in 2012, and the disease index (DID) on Tam200(13)G was lower than on the other varieties in the aphid + BYDV and BYDV treatments in 2012, but not in 2011 when aphid vector numbers were generally lower. (4) Yield loss in the aphid + BYDV treatment tended to be greater than that in the aphid or BYDV alone treatments across varieties and years. We suggested that aphid population development and BYDV transmission tend to promote each other under field conditions. The aphids + BYDV treatment caused greater yield reductions than non-viruliferous aphids or virus treatment. Wheat varietal resistance in 98-10-30 affects the aphid dispersal, virus transmission and wheat yield loss though inhibits aphid populations from increasing. PMID:25184214

  17. Influence of rice straw-derived dissolved organic matter on lactic acid fermentation by Rhizopus oryzae.

    PubMed

    Chen, Xingxuan; Wang, Xiahui; Xue, Yiyun; Zhang, Tian-Ao; Li, Yuhao; Hu, Jiajun; Tsang, Yiu Fai; Zhang, Hongsheng; Gao, Min-Tian

    2018-06-01

    Rice straw can be used as carbon sources for lactic acid fermentation. However, only a small amount of lactic acid is produced even though Rhizopus oryzae can consume glucose in rice straw-derived hydrolysates. This study correlated the inhibitory effect of rice straw with rice straw-derived dissolved organic matter (DOM). Lactic acid fermentations with and without DOM were conducted to investigate the effect of DOM on lactic acid fermentation by R. oryzae. Fermentation using control medium with DOM showed a similar trend to fermentation with rice straw-derived hydrolysates, showing that DOM contained the major inhibitor of rice straw. DOM assay indicated that it mainly consisted of polyphenols and polysaccharides. The addition of polyphenols and polysaccharides derived from rice straw confirmed that lactic acid fermentation was promoted by polysaccharides and significantly inhibited by polyphenols. The removal of polyphenols also improved lactic acid production. However, the loss of polysaccharides during the removal of polyphenols resulted in low glucose consumption. This study is the first to investigate the effects of rice straw-derived DOM on lactic acid fermentation by R. oryzae. The results may provide a theoretical basis for identifying inhibitors and promoters associated with lactic acid fermentation and for establishing suitable pretreatment methods. Copyright © 2018 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Rice straw addition as sawdust substitution in oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) planted media

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Utami, Christine Pamardining; Susilawati, Puspita Ratna

    2017-08-01

    Oyster mushroom is favorite by the people because of the high nutrients. The oyster mushroom cultivation usually using sawdust. The availability of sawdust become difficult to find. It makes difficulties of mushroom cultivation. Rice straw as an agricultural waste can be used as planted media of oyster mushroom because they contain much nutrition needed to the mushroom growth. The aims of this research were to analysis the influence of rice straw addition in a baglog as planted media and to analysis the concentration of rice straw addition which can substitute sawdust in planted media of oyster mushroom. This research used 4 treatment of sawdust and rice straw ratio K = 75 % : 0 %, P1 = 60 % : 15 %, P2 = 40 % : 35 %, P3 = 15 % : 60 %. The same material composition of all baglog was bran 20%, chalk 5%, and water 70%. The parameters used in this research were wet weight, dry weight, moisture content and number of the mushroom fruit body. Data analysis was used ANOVA test with 1 factorial. The results of this research based on statistical analysis showed that there was no influence of rice straw addition in a planted media on the oyster mushroomgrowth. 15% : 60% was the concentrationof rice straw additionwhich can substitute the sawdust in planted media of oyster mushroom.

  19. Application of the denitrification-decomposition model to predict carbon dioxide emissions under alternative straw retention methods.

    PubMed

    Chen, Can; Chen, Deli; Pan, Jianjun; Lam, Shu Kee

    2013-01-01

    Straw retention has been shown to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emission from agricultural soils. But it remains a big challenge for models to effectively predict CO2 emission fluxes under different straw retention methods. We used maize season data in the Griffith region, Australia, to test whether the denitrification-decomposition (DNDC) model could simulate annual CO2 emission. We also identified driving factors of CO2 emission by correlation analysis and path analysis. We show that the DNDC model was able to simulate CO2 emission under alternative straw retention scenarios. The correlation coefficients between simulated and observed daily values for treatments of straw burn and straw incorporation were 0.74 and 0.82, respectively, in the straw retention period and 0.72 and 0.83, respectively, in the crop growth period. The results also show that simulated values of annual CO2 emission for straw burn and straw incorporation were 3.45 t C ha(-1) y(-1) and 2.13 t C ha(-1) y(-1), respectively. In addition the DNDC model was found to be more suitable in simulating CO2 mission fluxes under straw incorporation. Finally the standard multiple regression describing the relationship between CO2 emissions and factors found that soil mean temperature (SMT), daily mean temperature (T mean), and water-filled pore space (WFPS) were significant.

  20. Application of the Denitrification-Decomposition Model to Predict Carbon Dioxide Emissions under Alternative Straw Retention Methods

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Deli; Pan, Jianjun; Lam, Shu Kee

    2013-01-01

    Straw retention has been shown to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emission from agricultural soils. But it remains a big challenge for models to effectively predict CO2 emission fluxes under different straw retention methods. We used maize season data in the Griffith region, Australia, to test whether the denitrification-decomposition (DNDC) model could simulate annual CO2 emission. We also identified driving factors of CO2 emission by correlation analysis and path analysis. We show that the DNDC model was able to simulate CO2 emission under alternative straw retention scenarios. The correlation coefficients between simulated and observed daily values for treatments of straw burn and straw incorporation were 0.74 and 0.82, respectively, in the straw retention period and 0.72 and 0.83, respectively, in the crop growth period. The results also show that simulated values of annual CO2 emission for straw burn and straw incorporation were 3.45 t C ha−1 y−1 and 2.13 t C ha−1 y−1, respectively. In addition the DNDC model was found to be more suitable in simulating CO2 mission fluxes under straw incorporation. Finally the standard multiple regression describing the relationship between CO2 emissions and factors found that soil mean temperature (SMT), daily mean temperature (T mean), and water-filled pore space (WFPS) were significant. PMID:24453915

  1. Straw and Xylan Utilization by Pure Cultures of Nitrogen-Fixing Azospirillum spp

    PubMed Central

    Halsall, Dorothy M.; Turner, Graham L.; Gibson, Alan H.

    1985-01-01

    Azospirillum spp. were shown to utilize both straw and xylan, a major component of straw, for growth with an adequate combined N supply and also under N-limiting conditions. For most strains examined, a semisolid agar medium was satisfactory, but several strains appeared to be capable of slow metabolism of the agar. Subsequently, experiments were done with acid-washed sand supplemented with various carbon sources. In these experiments, authenticated laboratory strains, and all 16 recent field isolates from straw-amended soils, of both A. brasilense and A. lipoferum possessed the ability to utilize straw and xylan as energy sources for nitrogen fixation. Neither carboxymethyl cellulose nor cellulose was utilized. The strains and isolates differed in their abilities to utilize xylan and straw and in the efficiency of nitrogenase activity (CO2/C2H2 ratio). Reasonable levels of activity could be maintained for at least 14 days in the sand cultures. Nitrogenase activity (acetylene reduction) was confirmed by 15N2 incorporation. The level of nitrogenase activity observed was dependent on the time of the addition of acetylene to the culture vessels. PMID:16346730

  2. Carbon and nitrogen mineralization and persistence of organic residues under conservation and conventional tillage

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A combination of high biomass cover crops with organic mulches may be an option for no-till vegetable production, but mineralization rates from these residues is lacking. The objective of this study was to assess nutrient release rates and persistence from mimosa, lespedeza, oat straw, and soybean r...

  3. Cryoprotectant redistribution along the frozen straw probed by Raman spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Karpegina, Yu A; Okotrub, K A; Brusentsev, E Yu; Amstislavsky, S Ya; Surovtsev, N V

    2016-04-01

    The distribution of cryoprotectant (10% glycerol) and ice along the frozen plastic straw (the most useful container for freezing mammalian semen, oocytes and embryos) was studied by Raman scattering technique. Raman spectroscopy being a contactless, non-invasive tool was applied for the straws filled with the cryoprotectant solution and frozen by controlled rate programs commonly used for mammalian embryos freezing. Analysis of Raman spectra measured at different points along the straw reveals a non-uniform distribution of the cryoprotectant. The ratio between non-crystalline solution and ice was found to be increased by several times at the bottom side of the solution column frozen by the standard freezing program. The increase of the cryoprotectant fraction occurs in the area where embryos or oocytes are normally placed during their freezing. Possible effects of the cooling rate and the ice nucleation temperature on the cryoprotectant fraction at the bottom side of the solution column were considered. Our findings highlight that the ice fraction around cryopreserved embryos or oocytes can differ significantly from the averaged one in the frozen plastic straws. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Arginine Decarboxylase Is Localized in Chloroplasts.

    PubMed Central

    Borrell, A.; Culianez-Macia, F. A.; Altabella, T.; Besford, R. T.; Flores, D.; Tiburcio, A. F.

    1995-01-01

    Plants, unlike animals, can use either ornithine decarboxylase or arginine decarboxylase (ADC) to produce the polyamine precursor putrescine. Lack of knowledge of the exact cellular and subcellular location of these enzymes has been one of the main obstacles to our understanding of the biological role of polyamines in plants. We have generated polyclonal antibodies to oat (Avena sativa L.) ADC to study the spatial distribution and subcellular localization of ADC protein in different oat tissues. By immunoblotting and immunocytochemistry, we show that ADC is organ specific. By cell fractionation and immunoblotting, we show that ADC is localized in chloroplasts associated with the thylakoid membrane. The results also show that increased levels of ADC protein are correlated with high levels of ADC activity and putrescine in osmotically stressed oat leaves. A model of compartmentalization for the arginine pathway and putrescine biosynthesis in active photosynthetic tissues has been proposed. In the context of endosymbiote-driven metabolic evolution in plants, the location of ADC in the chloroplast compartment may have major evolutionary significance, since it explains (a) why plants can use two alternative pathways for putrescine biosynthesis and (b) why animals do not possess ADC. PMID:12228631

  5. Shifts in comparative advantages for maize, oat and wheat cropping under climate change in Europe.

    PubMed

    Elsgaard, L; Børgesen, C D; Olesen, J E; Siebert, S; Ewert, F; Peltonen-Sainio, P; Rötter, R P; Skjelvåg, A O

    2012-01-01

    Climate change is anticipated to affect European agriculture, including the risk of emerging or re-emerging feed and food hazards. Indirectly, climate change may influence such hazards (e.g. the occurrence of mycotoxins) due to geographic shifts in the distribution of major cereal cropping systems and the consequences this may have for crop rotations. This paper analyses the impact of climate on cropping shares of maize, oat and wheat on a 50-km square grid across Europe (45-65°N) and provides model-based estimates of the changes in cropping shares in response to changes in temperature and precipitation as projected for the time period around 2040 by two regional climate models (RCM) with a moderate and a strong climate change signal, respectively. The projected cropping shares are based on the output from the two RCMs and on algorithms derived for the relation between meteorological data and observed cropping shares of maize, oat and wheat. The observed cropping shares show a south-to-north gradient, where maize had its maximum at 45-55°N, oat had its maximum at 55-65°N, and wheat was more evenly distributed along the latitudes in Europe. Under the projected climate changes, there was a general increase in maize cropping shares, whereas for oat no areas showed distinct increases. For wheat, the projected changes indicated a tendency towards higher cropping shares in the northern parts and lower cropping shares in the southern parts of the study area. The present modelling approach represents a simplification of factors determining the distribution of cereal crops, and also some uncertainties in the data basis were apparent. A promising way of future model improvement could be through a systematic analysis and inclusion of other variables, such as key soil properties and socio-economic conditions, influencing the comparative advantages of specific crops.

  6. Effects of oat β-glucan consumption at breakfast on ad libitum eating, appetite, glycemia, insulinemia and GLP-1 concentrations in healthy subjects.

    PubMed

    Zaremba, Suzanne M M; Gow, Iain F; Drummond, Sandra; McCluskey, Jane T; Steinert, Robert E

    2018-06-18

    There is evidence that oat β-glucan lowers appetite and ad libitum eating; however, not all studies are consistent, and the underpinning mechanisms are not entirely understood. We investigated the effects of 4 g high molecular weight (MW) oat β-glucan on ad libitum eating, subjective appetite, glycemia, insulinemia and plasma GLP-1 responses in 33 normal-weight subjects (22 female/11 male, mean age (y): 26.9 ± 1.0, BMI (kg/m 2 ): 23.5 ± 0.4). The study followed a randomised double-blind, cross-over design with subjects fed two test breakfasts with and without oat β-glucan followed by an ad libitum test meal on two different days. Blood samples and ratings for subjective appetite were collected postprandially at regular time intervals. Oat β-glucan increased feelings of fullness (p = 0.048) and satiety (p = 0.034), but did not affect energy and amount eaten at the ad libitum test meal. There was a treatment by time interaction for plasma GLP-1, plasma insulin and blood glucose. GLP-1 was significantly reduced at 90 min (p = 0.021), blood glucose at 30 min (p = 0.008) and plasma insulin at 30 and 60 min (p = 0.002 and 0.017, respectively) following the oat β-glucan breakfast when compared with the control breakfast. Four grams of high MW oat β-glucan lowers appetite but not ad libitum eating and beneficially modulates postprandial glycaemia, it does however, not increase plasma GLP-1 secretion. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Microbial utilization of rice straw and its derived biochar in a paddy soil.

    PubMed

    Pan, Fuxia; Li, Yaying; Chapman, Stephen James; Khan, Sardar; Yao, Huaiying

    2016-07-15

    The application of straw and biochar to soil has received great attention because of their potential benefits such as fertility improvement and carbon (C) sequestration. The abiotic effects of these materials on C and nitrogen (N) cycling in the soil ecosystem have been previously investigated, however, the effects of straw or its derived biochar on the soil microbial community structure and function are not well understood. For this purpose, a short-term incubation experiment was conducted using (13)C-labeled rice straw and its derived biochar ((13)C-labeled biochar) to deepen our understanding about soil microbial community dynamics and function in C sequestration and greenhouse gas emission in the acidic paddy soil amended with these materials. Regarding microbial function, biochar and straw applications increased CO2 emission in the initial stage of incubation and reached the highest level (0.52 and 3.96mgCkg(-1)soilh(-1)) at 1d and 3d after incubation, respectively. Straw amendment significantly (p<0.01) increased respiration rate, total phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and (13)C-PLFA as compared to biochar amendment and the control. The amount and percent of Gram positive bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes were also significantly (p<0.05) higher in (13)C-labeled straw amended soil than the (13)C-labeled biochar amended soil. According to the (13)C data, 23 different PLFAs were derived from straw amended paddy soil, while only 17 PLFAs were derived from biochar amendments. The profile of (13)C-PLFAs derived from straw amendment was significantly (p<0.01) different from biochar amendment. The PLFAs18:1ω7c and cy17:0 (indicators of Gram negative bacteria) showed high relative abundances in the biochar amendment, while 10Me18:0, i17:0 and 18:2ω6,9c (indicators of actinomycetes, Gram positive bacteria and fungi, respectively) showed high relative abundance in the straw amendments. Our results suggest that the function, size and structure of the microbial

  8. Comparison of acid-induced cell wall loosening in Valonia ventricosa and in oat coleoptiles

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tepfer, M.; Cleland, R.E.

    The acid-induced loosening of cell walls of Valonia ventricosa has been compared to that of frozen-thawed oat coleoptiles. The two acid extension responses are similar in regard to the shape of the pH response curve and the increase in plastic compliance induced by acid treatment. In both systems the acid response can be inhibited by Ca/sup 2 +/ and in both the removal of the protons leads to a rapid termination of wall loosening. The two responses differ in several significant ways, however. The acid-induced extension of Valonia walls is more rapid than that of coleoptile walls, but of smallermore » total magnitude. Acid-induced loosening can occur in Valonia without the wall being under tension, but not in coleoptiles. The acid-induced extension of Valonia walls is not inhibited by 8 molar urea, whereas the response in oat coleoptiles is completely inhibited by this treatment. Ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) can cause wall loosening in Valonia comparable to that produced by low pH, whereas in coleoptiles EDTA causes a much smaller response. These results with Valonia are consistent with a mechanism of acid-induced wall loosening in which a central role is played by the displacement of Ca/sup 2 +/ from the wall, while the larger part of acid-induced wall loosening in oat coleoptiles appears to be via a different mechanism.« less

  9. Qualitative and quantitative trait loci conditioning resistance to Puccinia coronata pathotypes NQMG and LGCG in the oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars Ogle and TAM O-301.

    PubMed

    Jackson, E W; Obert, D E; Menz, M; Hu, G; Bonman, J M

    2008-02-01

    Mapping disease resistance loci relies on the type and precision of phenotypic measurements. For crown rust of oat, disease severity is commonly assessed based on visual ratings of infection types (IT) and/or diseased leaf area (DLA) of infected plants in the greenhouse or field. These data can be affected by several variables including; (i) non-uniform disease development in the field; (ii) atypical symptom development in the greenhouse; (iii) the presence of multiple pathogenic races or pathotypes in the field, and (iv) rating bias. To overcome these limitations, we mapped crown rust resistance to single isolates in the Ogle/TAM O-301 (OT) recombinant inbred line (RIL) population using detailed measurements of IT, uredinia length (UL) and relative fungal DNA (FDNA) estimates determined by q-PCR. Measurements were taken on OT parents and recombinant inbred lines (RIL) inoculated with Puccinia coronata pathotypes NQMG and LGCG in separate greenhouse and field tests. Qualitative mapping identified an allele conferred by TAM O-301 on linkage group (LG) OT-11, which produced a bleached fleck phenotype to both NQMG and LGCG. Quantitative mapping identified two major quantitative trait loci (QTL) originating from TAM O-301 on LGs OT-11 and OT-32 which reduced UL and FDNA of both isolates in all experiments. Additionally, minor QTLs that reduced UL and FDNA were detected on LGs OT-15 and OT-8, originating from TAM O-301, and on LG OT-27, originating from Ogle. Detailed assessments of the OT population using two pathotypes in both the greenhouse and field provided comprehensive information to effectively map the genes responsible for crown rust resistance in Ogle and TAM O-301 to NQMG and LGCG.

  10. Effects of sand and straw bedding on the lying behavior, cleanliness, and hoof and hock injuries of dairy cows.

    PubMed

    Norring, M; Manninen, E; de Passillé, A M; Rushen, J; Munksgaard, L; Saloniemi, H

    2008-02-01

    This experiment compared the effects of sand and straw bedding in free stalls on resting time, cleanliness, hock injuries, and hoof health of dairy cows and tested whether cow preferences for a bedding material depended on the familiarity with the material. A total of 52 dairy cows were kept either on straw bedded concrete stalls or sand stalls for at least 21 wk. The lying behavior was observed, and hock lesions, hoof health, and cleanliness of the cows and stalls were measured. A 5-d preference test between sand and straw stalls was conducted at the end of the experiment. The total daily duration of lying was longer for cows on straw bedding than on sand bedding (straw 749 +/- 16 vs. sand 678 +/- 19 min). During the preference test, cows that had been kept on straw bedding preferred lying in straw stalls [straw 218.7 (133.4 to 239.7) vs. sand 9.0 min (2.8 to 44.8)]; however, cows that had been kept on sand showed no preference [straw 101.3 (51.7 to 205.9) vs. sand 94.3 min (54.1 to 156.1, median and interquartile range)]. Although there were no differences in the dirtiness of stalls, the cows using straw stalls were dirtier than cows using sand stalls [straw 6.04 (5.39 to 6.28) vs. sand 4.19 (3.62 to 5.16)]. At the end of experiment the severity of hock lesions was lower for cows on sand than for cows on straw [sand 0.5 (0.0 to 1.0) vs. straw 1.0 (1.0 to 2.0)]. The improvement in overall hoof health over the observation period was greater for cows kept on sand compared with cows kept on straw [sand -2.00 (-3.75 to -0.25) vs. straw 0.00 (-2.00 to 2.00)]. Straw bedding increased the time that cows spend lying, and cows preferred straw stalls to sand stalls. However, previous experience with sand reduces avoidance of sand stalls. Sand stalls were advantageous for cow cleanliness and health; hock lesions and claw diseases healed more quickly for cows using sand stalls compared with straw.

  11. Thermophysical and mechanical characterization of clay bricks reinforced by alfa or straw fibers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elhamdouni, Y.; Khabbazi, A.; Benayad, C.; Mounir, S.; Dadi, A.

    2017-03-01

    This work is part of the valuation of local materials such as clay (earth), alfa fiber and straw fiber. The goal is to use these materials as bricks in rural construction. These materials are abundant, natural, and renewable. The objective of this work is to study the thermal and mechanical behavior of a new material by mixing clay (chosen as the binder) with different mass percentages of alfa fiber (0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%), and to compare these results with those of materials often used in the construction of individual houses in rural Morocco (clay + straw). The results obtained prove to us that using straw fibers can reduce the thermal conductivity compared to alfa fiber, which allows to have energy savings of 2% to 7%. By against, alfa fibers can improve the mechanical behavior of clay-based materials when compared to the clay + straw material (an increase of 8% to 17% in the tractive resistance by bending and 6% to 18% for compression resistance). These results also specify the optimal usage conditions of these fibers (alfa and straw) in the clay bricks.

  12. Wood strands as an alternative to agricultural straw for erosion control

    Treesearch

    Randy B. Foltz; James H. Dooley

    2004-01-01

    Agricultural straw is used in forested areas of the United States for erosion control on burned areas, harvest landings, decommissioned road prisms, road cuts and fills, and other areas of disturbed soil. However, an increased agronomic and ecological value for straw; an increased utilization for energy production, fiber panels, and other higher value uses; a...

  13. Reduction of Ochratoxin A in Oat Flakes by Twin-Screw Extrusion Processing.

    PubMed

    Lee, Hyun Jung; Dahal, Samjhana; Perez, Enrique Garcia; Kowalski, Ryan Joseph; Ganjyal, Girish M; Ryu, Dojin

    2017-10-01

    Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the most important mycotoxins owing to its widespread occurrence and toxicity, including nephrotoxicity and potential carcinogenicity to humans. OTA has been detected in a wide range of agricultural commodities, including cereal grains and their processed products. In particular, oat-based products show a higher incidence and level of contamination. Extrusion cooking is widely used in the manufacturing of breakfast cereals and snacks and may reduce mycotoxins to varying degrees. Hence, the effects of extrusion cooking on the stability of OTA in spiked (100 μg/kg) oat flake was investigated by using a laboratory-scale twin-screw extruder with a central composite design. Factors examined were moisture content (20, 25, and 30% dry weight basis), temperature (140, 160, and 180°C), screw speed (150, 200, and 250 rpm), and die size (1.5, 2, and 3 mm). Both nonextruded and extruded samples were analyzed for reductions of OTA by high-performance liquid chromatography, coupled with fluorescence detection. The percentage of reductions in OTA in the contaminated oat flakes upon extrusion processing were in the range of 0 to 28%. OTA was partially stable during extrusion, with only screw speed and die size having significant effect on reduction (P < 0.005). The highest reduction of 28% was achieved at 180°C, 20% moisture, 250 rpm screw speed, and a 3-mm die with 193 kJ/kg specific mechanical energy. According to the central composite design analyses, up to 28% of OTA can be reduced by a combination of 162°C, 30% moisture, and 221 rpm, with a 3-mm die.

  14. Digestibility of carbohydrates from rice-, oat- and wheat-based ready-to-eat breakfast cereals in children.

    PubMed

    Brighenti, F; Casiraghi, M C; Ciappellano, S; Crovetti, R; Testolin, G

    1994-09-01

    To study the effect of the presence and quality of dietary fibre in ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereals on completeness of carbohydrate digestion in children and on starch susceptibility to alpha-amylase in vitro. A controlled intervention study. Eight 3-8-year-old healthy children. Completeness of digestion was evaluated by assessing the amount of carbohydrates apparently fermented into the colon using the breath-H2 technique after consumption in random order, of five breakfast tests containing boiled rice (either alone or supplemented with 3 g of lactulose) as reference food, or RTE cereals based on rice (low-fibre), wheat (high insoluble fibre) and oats (high-soluble fibre). The potential glycaemic impact of the products was estimated in vitro by assessing starch susceptibility to alpha-amylolysis using an enzymatic-dialysis method. Compared to boiled rice and to rice-based RTE cereal, wheat- and oat-based RTE cereals both significantly (P < 0.05) increased the amount of apparently fermented carbohydrates (+1.1 +/- 1.7% of total breakfast carbohydrate fermented for rice, +5.6 +/- 0.9% for wheat and +9.4 +/- 3.7% for oats; mean +/- SEM), calculated using the excess H2 in breath after lactulose as standard. All products showed similar in vitro digestibility, resulting in estimated glycaemic indexes of 117.5 (24.0) for rice, and 105.7 (14.1) for oats-based, 128.4 (17.6) for wheat-based, and 129.8 (16.6) [mean 95% CI)] for rice-based RTE cereals. Results suggest that the presence of fibre in RTE breakfast cereals, in particular soluble fibre, increases colonic fermentation in children whereas it seems not to affect glucose availability.

  15. Efficient bioconversion of rice straw to ethanol with TiO2/UV pretreatment.

    PubMed

    Kang, Hee-Kyoung; Kim, Doman

    2012-01-01

    Rice straw is a lignocellulosic biomass that constitutes a renewable organic substance and alternative source of energy; however, its structure confounds the liberation of monosaccharides. Pretreating rice straw using a TiO(2)/UV system facilitated its hydrolysis with Accellerase 1000(™), suggesting that hydroxyl radicals (OH·) from the TiO(2)/UV system could degrade lignin and carbohydrates. TiO(2)/UV pretreatment was an essential step for conversion of hemicellulose to xylose; optimal conditions for this conversion were a TiO(2) concentration of 0.1% (w/v) and an irradiation time of 2 h with a UV-C lamp at 254 nm. After enzymatic hydrolysis, the sugar yields from rice straw pretreated with these parameters were 59.8 ± 0.7% of the theoretical for glucose (339 ± 13 mg/g rice straw) and 50.3 ± 2.8% for xylose (64 ± 3 mg/g rice straw). The fermentation of enzymatic hydrolysates containing 10.5 g glucose/L and 3.2 g xylose/L with Pichia stipitis produced 3.9 g ethanol/L with a corresponding yield of 0.39 g/g rice straw. The maximum possible ethanol conversion rate is 76.47%. TiO(2)/UV pretreatment can be performed at room temperature and atmospheric pressure and demonstrates potential in large-scale production of fermentable sugars.

  16. Total antioxidant capacity and starch digestibility of muffins baked with rice, wheat, oat, corn and barley flour.

    PubMed

    Soong, Yean Yean; Tan, Seow Peng; Leong, Lai Peng; Henry, Jeya Kumar

    2014-12-01

    Muffins are a popular snack consumed in western and emerging countries. Increased glycemic load has been implicated in the aetiology of diabetes. This study examined the starch digestibility of muffins baked with rice, wheat, corn, oat and barley flour. Rapidly digested starch (RDS) was greatest in rice (445 mg/g) and wheat (444 mg/g) muffins, followed by oat (416 mg/g), corn (402 mg/g) and barley (387 mg/g). Total phenolic content was found to be positively correlated with total antioxidative capacity and inversely related to the RDS of muffins. The phenolic content was highest in muffin baked with barley flour (1,687 μg/g), followed by corn (1,454 μg/g), oat (945 μg/g), wheat (705 μg/g), and rice (675 μg/g) flour. Browning was shown not to correlate with free radical scavenging capacity and digestibility of muffins. The presence of high phenolic content and low RDS makes barley muffin an ideal snack to modulate glycemic response. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Comparison of Seven Chemical Pretreatments of Corn Straw for Improving Methane Yield by Anaerobic Digestion

    PubMed Central

    Song, Zilin; GaiheYang; Liu, Xiaofeng; Yan, Zhiying; Yuan, Yuexiang; Liao, Yinzhang

    2014-01-01

    Agriculture straw is considered a renewable resource that has the potential to contribute greatly to bioenergy supplies. Chemical pretreatment prior to anaerobic digestion can increase the anaerobic digestibility of agriculture straw. The present study investigated the effects of seven chemical pretreatments on the composition and methane yield of corn straw to assess their effectiveness of digestibility. Four acid reagents (H2SO4, HCl, H2O2, and CH3COOH) at concentrations of 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% (w/w) and three alkaline reagents (NaOH, Ca(OH)2, and NH3·H2O) at concentrations of 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% (w/w) were used for the pretreatments. All pretreatments were effective in the biodegradation of the lignocellulosic straw structure. The straw, pretreated with 3% H2O2 and 8% Ca(OH)2, acquired the highest methane yield of 216.7 and 206.6 mL CH4 g VS −1 in the acid and alkaline pretreatments, which are 115.4% and 105.3% greater than the untreated straw. H2O2 and Ca(OH)2 can be considered as the most favorable pretreatment methods for improving the methane yield of straw because of their effectiveness and low cost. PMID:24695485

  18. Comparison of seven chemical pretreatments of corn straw for improving methane yield by anaerobic digestion.

    PubMed

    Song, Zilin; GaiheYang; Liu, Xiaofeng; Yan, Zhiying; Yuan, Yuexiang; Liao, Yinzhang

    2014-01-01

    Agriculture straw is considered a renewable resource that has the potential to contribute greatly to bioenergy supplies. Chemical pretreatment prior to anaerobic digestion can increase the anaerobic digestibility of agriculture straw. The present study investigated the effects of seven chemical pretreatments on the composition and methane yield of corn straw to assess their effectiveness of digestibility. Four acid reagents (H2SO4, HCl, H2O2, and CH3COOH) at concentrations of 1%, 2%, 3%, and 4% (w/w) and three alkaline reagents (NaOH, Ca(OH)2, and NH3·H2O) at concentrations of 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% (w/w) were used for the pretreatments. All pretreatments were effective in the biodegradation of the lignocellulosic straw structure. The straw, pretreated with 3% H2O2 and 8% Ca(OH)2, acquired the highest methane yield of 216.7 and 206.6 mL CH4 g VS(-1) in the acid and alkaline pretreatments, which are 115.4% and 105.3% greater than the untreated straw. H2O2 and Ca(OH)2 can be considered as the most favorable pretreatment methods for improving the methane yield of straw because of their effectiveness and low cost.

  19. Preference by horses for bedding pellets made from switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) straw

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The bedding system used for stalled horses can impact their health and well-being. This study examined the saponin concentration in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) straw, and bedding pellets made from switchgrass straw. Further, this study determined the palatability of bedding pellets made from sw...

  20. A Large Tracking Detector In Vacuum Consisting Of Self-Supporting Straw Tubes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wintz, P.

    2004-02-01

    A novel technique to stretch the anode wire simply by the gas over-pressure inside straw drift tubes reduces the necessary straw weight to an absolute minimum. Our detector will consist of more than 3000 straws filling up a cylindrical tracking volume of 1m diameter and 30cm length. The projected spatial resolution is 200μm. The detector with a total mass of less than 15kg will be operated in vacuum, but will have an added wall thickness of 3mm mylar, only. The detector design, production experience and first results will be discussed.

  1. Pine straw harvesting, fire, and fertilization affect understory vegetation within a Louisiana longleaf pine stand

    Treesearch

    James D. Haywood

    2012-01-01

    Pine straw harvesting can provide an economic benefit to landowners, but the practice may also change the composition of plant communities. This research was initiated in a 34-year-old stand of longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) established in 1956 to study how pine straw management practices (fertilization, prescribed fire, and straw harvesting) affected plant...

  2. Effect of the combined physical and chemical treatments with microbial fermentation on corn straw degradation.

    PubMed

    Guo, Hongwei; Chang, Juan; Yin, Qingqiang; Wang, Ping; Lu, Min; Wang, Xiao; Dang, Xiaowei

    2013-11-01

    In order to improve corn straw degradation, steam explosion, sodium hydroxide soaking and Aspergillus oryzae fermentation were used. The optimal sodium hydroxide pretreatment condition for lignin degradation was obtained. The degradation rates of hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin were 54.68%, 17.76% and 33.14% for the exploded straw (P<0.05); 67.92%, 2.44% (P>0.05) and 76.54% for the alkali-treated straw (P<0.05); 75.98%, 39.93% and 77.88% for the exploded and alkali-treated straw (P<0.05), respectively. The following microbial fermentation could degrade hemicellulose and cellulose further (P<0.05). Cellulase, amylase and protease activities produced during microbial fermentation in the pretreated corn straw were lower than that in the untreated one (P<0.05); however, glucose content was increased by microbial fermentation (P<0.05). It can be concluded that the combined treatments of steam explosion, sodium hydroxide and microbial fermentation will be a good method for straw degradation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Integrated production of cellulosic bioethanol and succinic acid from rapeseed straw after dilute-acid pretreatment.

    PubMed

    Kuglarz, Mariusz; Alvarado-Morales, Merlin; Dąbkowska, Katarzyna; Angelidaki, Irini

    2018-05-29

    The aim of this study was to develop an integrated biofuel (cellulosic bioethanol) and biochemical (succinic acid) production process from rapeseed straw after dilute-acid pretreatment. Rapeseed straw pretreatment at 20% (w/v) solid loading and subsequent hydrolysis with Cellic® CTec2 resulted in high glucose yield (80%) and ethanol output (122-125 kg of EtOH/Mg of rapeseed straw). Supplementation the enzymatic process with 10% dosage of endoxylanases (Cellic® HTec2) reduced the hydrolysis time required to achieve the maximum glucan conversion by 44-46% and increased the xylose yield by 10% compared to the process with Cellic® CTec2. Significantly higher amounts of succinic acid were produced after fermentation of pretreatment liquor (48 kg/Mg of rapeseed straw, succinic acid yield: 60%) compared to fermentation of xylose-rich residue after ethanol production (35-37 kg/Mg of rapeseed straw, succinic yield: 68-71%). Results obtained in this study clearly proved the biorefinery potential of rapeseed straw. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. UV-C induces K sup + efflux from bean but not from oat leaves

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huerta, A.J.; Gueltig, B.G.

    Previous reports have shown that ultraviolet radiation (UV) induces a specific leakage of K{sup +} from cells in culture as well as from guard cells of bean leaves resulting in stomatal closure. In an effort to determine how general this response may be in photosynthetic leaf cells, we measured the UV-C-induced K{sup +} efflux from irradiated 10-14 day-old bean and oat leaf sections. Our results show that oat leaves do not respond to UV-C irradiation with K{sup +} efflux. However UV-C irradiated bean leaves leaked K{sup +} at a rate of approximately 47 nmoles cm{sup {minus}2} h{sup {minus}1} and themore » leakage was linear for at least 3.5 hours. The source cells for K{sup +} efflux and the possible mechanisms responsible for this difference in UV-sensitivity will be discussed.« less

  5. Biogas production from wheat straw and manure--impact of pretreatment and process operating parameters.

    PubMed

    Risberg, Kajsa; Sun, Li; Levén, Lotta; Horn, Svein Jarle; Schnürer, Anna

    2013-12-01

    Non-treated or steam-exploded straw in co-digestion with cattle manure was evaluated as a substrate for biogas production compared with manure as the sole substrate. All digestions were performed in laboratory-scale CSTR reactors (5L) operating with an organic loading late of approximately 2.8 g VS/L/day, independent of substrate mixture. The hydraulic retention was 25 days and an operating temperature of 37, 44 or 52°C. The co-digestion with steam exploded straw and manure was evaluated with two different mixtures, with different proportion. The results showed stable performance but low methane yields (0.13-0.21 N L CH4/kg VS) for both manure alone and in co-digestion with the straw. Straw appeared to give similar yield as manure and steam-explosion treatment of the straw did not increase gas yields. Furthermore, there were only slight differences at the different operating temperatures. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Biorefining of wheat straw using an acetic and formic acid based organosolv fractionation process.

    PubMed

    Snelders, Jeroen; Dornez, Emmie; Benjelloun-Mlayah, Bouchra; Huijgen, Wouter J J; de Wild, Paul J; Gosselink, Richard J A; Gerritsma, Jort; Courtin, Christophe M

    2014-03-01

    To assess the potential of acetic and formic acid organosolv fractionation of wheat straw as basis of an integral biorefinery concept, detailed knowledge on yield, composition and purity of the obtained streams is needed. Therefore, the process was performed, all fractions extensively characterized and the mass balance studied. Cellulose pulp yield was 48% of straw dry matter, while it was 21% and 27% for the lignin and hemicellulose-rich fractions. Composition analysis showed that 67% of wheat straw xylan and 96% of lignin were solubilized during the process, resulting in cellulose pulp of 63% purity, containing 93% of wheat straw cellulose. The isolated lignin fraction contained 84% of initial lignin and had a purity of 78%. A good part of wheat straw xylan (58%) ended up in the hemicellulose-rich fraction, half of it as monomeric xylose, together with proteins (44%), minerals (69%) and noticeable amounts of acids used during processing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Unique interrelationships between fiber composition, water-soluble carbohydrates, and in vitro gas production for fall-grown oat forages.

    PubMed

    Coblentz, W K; Nellis, S E; Hoffman, P C; Hall, M B; Weimer, P J; Esser, N M; Bertram, M G

    2013-01-01

    Sixty samples of 'ForagePlus' oat were selected from a previous plot study for analysis of in vitro gas production (IVGP) on the basis of 2 factors: (1) high (n=29) or low (n=31) neutral detergent fiber (NDF; 62.7±2.61 and 45.1±3.91%, respectively); and (2) the range of water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) within the high- and low-NDF groups. For the WSC selection factor, concentrations ranged from 4.7 to 13.4% (mean=7.9±2.06%) and from 3.5 to 19.4% (mean=9.7±4.57%) within high- and low-NDF forages, respectively. Our objectives were to assess the relationships between IVGP and various agronomic or nutritional characteristics for high- and low-NDF fall-oat forages. Cumulative IVGP was fitted to a single-pool nonlinear regression model: Y=MAX × (1 - e ([-)(K)(× (t - lag)])), where Y=cumulative gas produced (mL), MAX=maximum cumulative gas produced with infinite incubation time (mL), K=rate constant, t=incubation time (h), and lag=discrete lag time (h). Generally, cumulative IVGP after 12, 24, 36, or 48h within high-NDF fall-oat forages was negatively correlated with NDF, hemicellulose, lignin, and ash, but positively correlated with WSC, nonfiber carbohydrate (NFC), and total digestible nutrients (TDN). For low-NDF fall-grown oat forages, IVGP was positively correlated with growth stage, canopy height, WSC, NFC, and TDN; negative correlations were observed with ash and crude protein (CP) but not generally with fiber components. These responses were also reflected in multiple regression analysis for high- and low-NDF forages. After 12, 24, or 36h of incubation, cumulative IVGP within high-NDF fall-oat forages was explained by complex regression equations utilizing (lignin:NDF)(2), lignin:NDF, hemicellulose, lignin, and TDN(2) as independent variables (R(2)≥0.43). Within low-NDF fall-grown oat forages, cumulative IVGP at these incubation intervals was explained by positive linear relationships with NFC that also exhibited high coefficients of determination (R(2)

  8. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF BIO-ETHANOL MADE FROM RICE STRAW CONSIDERING LAND OCCUPATION EFFECTS ON ECOSYSTEM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Motoshita, Masaharu; Yang, Cuifen; Genchi, Yutaka; Tahara, Kiyotaka; Inaba, Atsushi

    Most of rice straw produced as a byproduct is not or low utilized in Japan. However, it may be available for the production of bio-ethanol without threatening food supply because of its characteristics as one of the lignocellulosic materials. Though it has already been revealed in previous studies that bio-ethanol made from rice straw can contribute to reducing energy consumption and repressing greenhouse gas emissions, effects on ecosystem due to land occupation for rice straw production and ethanol refinery plant have not been evaluated. Thus, environmental impacts of bio-ethanol made from rice straw including effects on ecosystem caused by land occupation were evaluated in this study. Some differences among three representative assessment methods could be found in results of the effect on ecosystem due to land occupation for rice straw production and ethanol refinery plant. However, it is common among all assessment methods that the effect on ecosystem caused by land occupation dominates large part of total environmental impact of ethanol made from rice straw (72-83% of total impact). Bio-ethanol made from rice straw showed larger environmental impact compared to that of gasoline due to land occupation. The improvement of the operating rate and the productivity of ethanol refinery plants is especially necessary for repressing the environm ental impacts related to bio-ethanol production made from rice straw.

  9. A stepwise, 'test-all-positives' methodology to assess gluten-kernel contamination at the serving-size level in gluten-free (GF) oat production.

    PubMed

    Chen, Yumin; Fritz, Ronald D; Kock, Lindsay; Garg, Dinesh; Davis, R Mark; Kasturi, Prabhakar

    2018-02-01

    A step-wise, 'test-all-positive-gluten' analytical methodology has been developed and verified to assess kernel-based gluten contamination (i.e., wheat, barley and rye kernels) during gluten-free (GF) oat production. It targets GF claim compliance at the serving-size level (of a pouch or approximately 40-50g). Oat groats are collected from GF oat production following a robust attribute-based sampling plan then split into 75-g subsamples, and ground. R-Biopharm R5 sandwich ELISA R7001 is used for analysis of all the first15-g portions of the ground sample. A >20-ppm result disqualifies the production lot, while a >5 to <20-ppm result triggers complete analysis of the remaining 60-g of ground sample, analyzed in 15-g portions. If all five 15-g test results are <20ppm, and their average is <10.67ppm (since a 20-ppm contaminant in 40g of oats would dilute to 10.67ppm in 75-g), the lot is passed. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  10. Vocal tract and glottal function during and after vocal exercising with resonance tube and straw.

    PubMed

    Guzman, Marco; Laukkanen, Anne-Maria; Krupa, Petr; Horáček, Jaromir; Švec, Jan G; Geneid, Ahmed

    2013-07-01

    The present study aimed to investigate the vocal tract and glottal function during and after phonation into a tube and a stirring straw. A male classically trained singer was assessed. Computerized tomography (CT) was performed when the subject produced [a:] at comfortable speaking pitch, phonated into the resonance tube and when repeating [a:] after the exercise. Similar procedure was performed with a narrow straw after 15 minutes silence. Anatomic distances and area measures were obtained from CT midsagittal and transversal images. Acoustic, perceptual, electroglottographic (EGG), and subglottic pressure measures were also obtained. During and after phonation into the tube or straw, the velum closed the nasal passage better, the larynx position lowered, and hypopharynx area widened. Moreover, the ratio between the inlet of the lower pharynx and the outlet of the epilaryngeal tube became larger during and after tube/straw phonation. Acoustic results revealed a stronger spectral prominence in the singer/speaker's formant cluster region after exercising. Listening test demonstrated better voice quality after straw/tube than before. Contact quotient derived from EGG decreased during both tube and straw and remained lower after exercising. Subglottic pressure increased during straw and remained somewhat higher after it. CT and acoustic results indicated that vocal exercises with increased vocal tract impedance lead to increased vocal efficiency and economy. One of the major changes was the more prominent singer's/speaker's formant cluster. Vocal tract and glottal modifications were more prominent during and after straw exercising compared with tube phonation. Copyright © 2013 The Voice Foundation. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. KSC 50-MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (DRWP) Operational Acceptance Test (OAT) Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barbre, Robert E.

    2015-01-01

    This report documents analysis results of the Kennedy Space Center updated 50-MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (DRWP) Operational Acceptance Test (OAT). This test was designed to demonstrate that the new DRWP operates in a similar manner to the previous DRWP for use as a situational awareness asset for mission operations at the Eastern Range to identify rapid changes in the wind environment that weather balloons cannot depict. Data examination and two analyses showed that the updated DRWP meets the specifications in the OAT test plan and performs at least as well as the previous DRWP. Data examination verified that the DRWP provides complete profiles every five minutes from 1.8-19.5 km in vertical increments of 150 m. Analysis of 5,426 wind component reports from 49 concurrent DRWP and balloon profiles presented root mean square (RMS) wind component differences around 2.0 m/s. The DRWP's effective vertical resolution (EVR) was found to be 300 m for both the westerly and southerly wind component, which the best EVR possible given the DRWP's vertical sampling interval. A third analysis quantified the sensitivity to rejecting data that do not have adequate signal by assessing the number of first-guess propagations at each altitude. This report documents the data, quality control procedures, methodology, and results of each analysis. It also shows that analysis of the updated DRWP produced results that were at least as good as the previous DRWP with proper rationale. The report recommends acceptance of the updated DRWP for situational awareness usage as per the OAT's intent.

  12. Cardiovascular fitness in adolescents: the influence of sexual maturation status-the AVENA and EYHS studies.

    PubMed

    Ortega, Francisco B; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Mesa, Jose L; Gutiérrez, Angel; Sjöström, Michael

    2007-01-01

    The purposes were: (1) to determine the influence of sexual maturation status and body composition by comparing cardiovascular fitness (CVF) level in two adolescent populations from the south and the north of Europe; (2) to describe the associations between CVF and sexual maturation status in adolescence. A total of 1,867 Spanish adolescents from the AVENA study and 472 from the Swedish part of the EYHS were selected for this report (aged 14-16 years). CVF (expressed by the maximal oxygen consumption) was estimated from 20 m shuttle run test in the AVENA study and from a maximal ergometer cycle test in the EYHS. Sexual maturation status was classified according to Tanner stages. Body fat percentage (BF%) was estimated from skinfold thicknesses. Expressing CVF in different ways (in absolute value and in relation to weight or fat free mass; FFM) resulted in two different results with regard to CVF interpretation and comparison between the study populations. A higher CVF, as expressed in relation to FFM, was observed in the Spanish when compared to Swedish adolescents (P = 0.001). However, after adjusting for both sexual maturation status and BF%, the difference disappeared in males, while it remained significant in females (P = 0.001). CVF was negatively associated with sexual maturation status in males (P = 0.001). However, after adjusting for BF%, the association disappeared in males, while it was significant in females (P = 0.05). These results suggest that for CVF comparisons and interpretation in adolescent populations, sexual maturation status and BF%, as well as the way to express the CVF, should be taken into account. Copyright 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  13. Soil aggregate and organic carbon distribution at dry land soil and paddy soil: the role of different straws returning.

    PubMed

    Huang, Rong; Lan, Muling; Liu, Jiang; Gao, Ming

    2017-12-01

    Agriculture wastes returning to soil is one of common ways to reuse crop straws in China. The returned straws are expected to improve the fertility and structural stability of soil during the degradation of straw it selves. The in situ effect of different straw (wheat, rice, maize, rape, and broad bean) applications for soil aggregate stability and soil organic carbon (SOC) distribution were studied at both dry land soil and paddy soil in this study. Wet sieving procedures were used to separate soil aggregate sizes. Aggregate stability indicators including mean weight diameter, geometric mean diameter, mean weight of specific surface area, and the fractal dimension were used to evaluate soil aggregate stability after the incubation of straws returning. Meanwhile, the variation and distribution of SOC in different-sized aggregates were further studied. Results showed that the application of straws, especially rape straw at dry land soil and rice straw at paddy soil, increased the fractions of macro-aggregate (> 0.25 mm) and micro-aggregate (0.25-0.053 mm). Suggesting the nutrients released from straw degradation promotes the growing of soil aggregates directly and indirectly. The application of different straws increased the SOC content at both soils and the SOC mainly distributed at < 0.53 mm aggregates. However, the contribution of SOC in macro- and micro-aggregates increased. Straw-applied paddy soil have a higher total SOC content but lower SOC contents at > 0.25 and 0.25-0.053 mm aggregates with dry land soil. Rape straw in dry land and rice straw in paddy field could stabilize soil aggregates and increasing SOC contents best.

  14. OAT3-mediated extrusion of the 99mTc-ECD metabolite in the mouse brain

    PubMed Central

    Kikuchi, Tatsuya; Okamura, Toshimitsu; Wakizaka, Hidekatsu; Okada, Maki; Odaka, Kenichi; Yui, Joji; Tsuji, Atsushi B; Fukumura, Toshimitsu; Zhang, Ming-Rong

    2014-01-01

    After administration of the 99mTc complex with N,N'-1,2-ethylenediylbis-L-cysteine diethyl ester (99mTc-ECD), a brain perfusion imaging agent, the radioactive metabolite is trapped in primate brain, but not in mouse and rat. Here, we investigate the involvement of metabolite extrusion by organic anion transporter 3 (OAT3), which is highly expressed at the blood–brain barrier in mice, in this species difference. The efflux rate of radioactivity in the cerebrum of Oat3−/− mice at later phase was 20% of that of control mice. Thus, organic anion transporters in mouse brain would be involved in the low brain retention of radioactivity after 99mTc-ECD administration. PMID:24496177

  15. Environmentally friendly education: A passive solar, straw-bale school

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stone, L.; Dickinson, J.

    The Waldorf students in the Roaring Fork Valley of western Colorado are learning their reading, writing and arithmetic in the cozy confines of a solar heated, naturally lit, straw-bale school. The Waldorf education system, founded in 1919 by Austrian Rudolph Steiner, stresses what's appropriate for the kids, not what's easiest to teach. In constructing a new school, the Waldorf community wanted a building that would reflect their philosophy. There was a long list of requirements: natural, energy efficient, light, warm, alive, and earthy. Passive solar straw-bale construction brought together all those qualities.

  16. Temporal changes of the bacterial community colonizing wheat straw in the cow rumen.

    PubMed

    Jin, Wei; Wang, Ying; Li, Yuanfei; Cheng, Yanfen; Zhu, Weiyun

    2018-04-01

    This study used Miseq pyrosequencing and scanning electron microscopy to investigate the temporal changes in the bacterial community tightly attached to wheat straw in the cow rumen. The wheat straw was incubated in the rumens and samples were recovered at various times. The wheat straw degradation exhibited three phases: the first degradation phase occurred within 0.5 h, and the second degradation phase occurred after 6 h, with a stalling phase occurring between 0.5 and 6 h. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the colonization of the microorganisms on the wheat straw over time. The bacterial communities at 0.5, 6, 24, and 72 h were determined, corresponding to the degradation phases. Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the two most dominant phyla in the bacterial communities at the four time points. Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) showed that the bacterial communities at the four time points were distinct from each other. The wheat straw-associated bacteria stabilized at the phylum level after 0.5 h of rumen incubation, and only modest phylum-level and family-level changes were observed for most taxa between 0.5 h and 72 h. The relative abundance of the dominant genera, Butyrivibrio, Coprococcus, Ruminococcus, Succiniclasticum, Clostridium, Prevotella, YRC22, CF231, and Treponema, changed significantly over time (P < .05). However, at the genus level, unclassified taxa accounted for 70.3% ± 6.1% of the relative abundance, indicating their probable importance in the degradation of wheat straw as well as in the temporal changes of the bacterial community. Thus, understanding the function of these unclassified taxa is of great importance for targeted improvement of forage use efficiency in ruminants. Collectively, our results revealed distinct degradation phases of wheat straw and corresponding changes in the colonized bacterial community. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Production of bioethanol from wheat straw: An overview on pretreatment, hydrolysis and fermentation.

    PubMed

    Talebnia, Farid; Karakashev, Dimitar; Angelidaki, Irini

    2010-07-01

    Wheat straw is an abundant agricultural residue with low commercial value. An attractive alternative is utilization of wheat straw for bioethanol production. However, production costs based on the current technology are still too high, preventing commercialization of the process. In recent years, progress has been made in developing more effective pretreatment and hydrolysis processes leading to higher yield of sugars. The focus of this paper is to review the most recent advances in pretreatment, hydrolysis and fermentation of wheat straw. Based on the type of pretreatment method applied, a sugar yield of 74-99.6% of maximum theoretical was achieved after enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat straw. Various bacteria, yeasts and fungi have been investigated with the ethanol yield ranging from 65% to 99% of theoretical value. So far, the best results with respect to ethanol yield, final ethanol concentration and productivity were obtained with the native non-adapted Saccharomyses cerevisiae. Some recombinant bacteria and yeasts have shown promising results and are being considered for commercial scale-up. Wheat straw biorefinery could be the near-term solution for clean, efficient and economically-feasible production of bioethanol as well as high value-added products. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Comparing the performance of Miscanthus x giganteus and wheat straw biomass in sulfuric acid based pretreatment.

    PubMed

    Kärcher, M A; Iqbal, Y; Lewandowski, I; Senn, T

    2015-03-01

    The objective of this study was to assess and compare the suitability of Miscanthus x giganteus and wheat straw biomass in dilute acid catalyzed pretreatment. Miscanthus and wheat straw were treated in a dilute sulfuric acid/steam explosion pretreatment. As a result of combining dilute sulfuric acid- and steam explosion pretreatment the hemicellulose hydrolysis yields (96% in wheat straw and 90% in miscanthus) in both substrates were higher than reported in literature. The combined severity factor (=CSF) for optimal hemicellulose hydrolysis was 1.9 and 1.5 in for miscanthus and wheat straw respectively. Because of the higher CSF value more furfural, furfuryl alcohol, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and acetic acid was formed in miscanthus than in wheat straw pretreatment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Mycotoxin co-occurrence in rice, oat flakes and wheat noodles used as staple foods in Ecuador.

    PubMed

    Ortiz, Johana; Van Camp, John; Mestdagh, Frédéric; Donoso, Silvana; De Meulenaer, Bruno

    2013-01-01

    The co-occurrence of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁), B₂ (AFB₂), G₁ (AFG₁) and G₂ (AFG₂), ochratoxin A (OTA), deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisin B₁ (FB₁), zearalenone (ZEN), and HT-2 and T-2 toxins in the main Ecuadorian staple cereals (rice, oat flakes, and yellow and white wheat noodles) was evaluated. A ultra high performance liquid chromatography/time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC/TOFMS) method was developed and validated to screen for the presence of these mycotoxins in those cereal matrices. Matrix-matched calibration curves were used to compensate for ion suppression and extraction losses and the recovery values were in agreement with the minimum requirements of Regulation 401/2006/EC (70-110%). For most mycotoxins, the LODs obtained allowed detection in compliance with the maximum permitted levels set in Regulation EC/2006/1881, with the exception of OTA in all cereals and AFB1 in yellow noodles. Extra target analysis of OTA in oat flakes and wheat noodles was performed by HPLC with fluorescence detection. High rates of contamination were observed in paddy rice (23% DON, 23% FB₁, 7% AFB₁, 2% AFG₁ and 2% AFG₂), white wheat noodles (33% DON and 5% OTA) and oat flakes (17% DON, 2% OTA and 2% AFB₁), whereas the rates of contamination were lower in polished rice (2% AFG₁ and 4% HT-2 toxin) and yellow noodles (5% DON). Low rates of co-occurrence of several mycotoxins were observed only for white wheat noodles (5%) and paddy rice (7%). White noodles were contaminated with DON and/or OTA, while combinations of AFG₁, AFB₁, DON and FB₁ were found in paddy rice. Yellow noodles were contaminated with DON only; oat flakes contained DON, OTA or AFB₁, and polished rice was contaminated with AFG₁ and HT-2 toxin.

  20. Effects of Mulching Tolerant Plant Straw on Soil Surface on Growth and Cadmium Accumulation of Galinsoga parviflora

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Lijin; Liao, Ming’an; Ren, Yajun; Luo, Li; Zhang, Xiao; Yang, Daiyu; He, Jing

    2014-01-01

    Pot and field experiments were conducted to study the effects of mulching with straw of cadmium (Cd) tolerant plants (Ranunculus sieboldii, Mazus japonicus, Clinopodium confine and Plantago asiatica) on growth and Cd accumulation of Galinsoga parviflora in Cd-contaminated soil. In the pot experiment, mulching with M. japonicus straw increased the root biomass, stem biomass, leaf biomass, shoot biomass, plant height and activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, peroxidase and catalase) of G. parviflora compared with the control, whereas mulching with straws of R. sieboldii, C. confine and P. asiatica decreased these parameters. Straws of the four Cd-tolerant plants increased the Cd content in roots of G. parviflora compared with the control. However, only straws of M. japonicus and P. asiatica increased the Cd content in shoots of G. parviflora, reduced the soil pH, and increased the soil exchangeable Cd concentration. Straw of M. japonicus increased the amount of Cd extraction in stems, leaves and shoots of G. parviflora by 21.11%, 29.43% and 24.22%, respectively, compared with the control, whereas straws of the other three Cd-tolerant plants decreased these parameters. In the field experiment, the M. japonicus straw also increased shoot biomass, Cd content in shoots, and amount of Cd extraction in shoots of G. parviflora compared with the control. Therefore, straw of M. japonicus can be used to improve the Cd extraction ability of G. parviflora from Cd-contaminated soil. PMID:25490210

  1. 210Pb and 210Po in Finnish cereals.

    PubMed

    Turtiainen, Tuukka; Kostiainen, Eila; Hallikainen, Anja

    2011-05-01

    A survey was carried out on the activity concentrations of (210)Pb and (210)Po in cereal grains produced in Finland. The cereal species were wheat (Triticum aestivum), rye (Secale cereale), oats (Avena sativa) and barley (Hordeum vulgare), which account for 90% of the Finnish consumption of cereal products. The survey consisted of 18 flour and 13 unprocessed cereal samples and one hulled grain sample from 22 flour mills. According to the results, the mean (210)Pb/(210)Po concentrations in wheat grains, wheat flour, rye flour, oat grains and barley grains were 0.29, 0.12, 0.29, 0.36 and 0.36 Bq kg(-1), respectively. Combined with the consumption rates of the products, we assess that the mean effective doses from (210)Pb and (210)Po in cereal products for the adult male and female population are 22 and 17 μSv per year, respectively. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Augmented multivariate image analysis applied to quantitative structure-activity relationship modeling of the phytotoxicities of benzoxazinone herbicides and related compounds on problematic weeds.

    PubMed

    Freitas, Mirlaine R; Matias, Stella V B G; Macedo, Renato L G; Freitas, Matheus P; Venturin, Nelson

    2013-09-11

    Two of major weeds affecting cereal crops worldwide are Avena fatua L. (wild oat) and Lolium rigidum Gaud. (rigid ryegrass). Thus, development of new herbicides against these weeds is required; in line with this, benzoxazinones, their degradation products, and analogues have been shown to be important allelochemicals and natural herbicides. Despite earlier structure-activity studies demonstrating that hydrophobicity (log P) of aminophenoxazines correlates to phytotoxicity, our findings for a series of benzoxazinone derivatives do not show any relationship between phytotoxicity and log P nor with other two usual molecular descriptors. On the other hand, a quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) analysis based on molecular graphs representing structural shape, atomic sizes, and colors to encode other atomic properties performed very accurately for the prediction of phytotoxicities of these compounds against wild oat and rigid ryegrass. Therefore, these QSAR models can be used to estimate the phytotoxicity of new congeners of benzoxazinone herbicides toward A. fatua L. and L. rigidum Gaud.

  3. Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in rice straw smoke and their origins in Japan.

    PubMed

    Minomo, Kotaro; Ohtsuka, Nobutoshi; Nojiri, Kiyoshi; Hosono, Shigeo; Kawamura, Kiyoshi

    2011-08-01

    Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs), and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCBs) contained in the smoke generated from rice straw burning in post-harvest paddy fields in Japan were analyzed to determine their congener profiles. Both the apportionment of toxic equivalent (TEQ) by using indicative congeners and the comparison of the homolog profiles showed that the PCDDs/PCDFs/DL-PCBs present in the rice-straw smoke were greatly influenced by those present as impurities in pentachlorophenol (PCP) and chlornitrofen (CNP, 4-nitrophenyl-2,4,6-trichlorophenyl ether) formulations that had been widely used as herbicides in paddy fields in Japan. Further, in order to investigate the effects of paddy-field soil on the PCDDs/PCDFs/DL-PCBs present in rice-straw smoke, PCDD/PCDF/DL-PCB homolog profiles of rice straw, rice-straw smoke and paddy-field soil were compared. Rice-straw smoke was generated by burning rice straw on a stainless-steel tray in a laboratory. The results suggested that the herbicides-originated PCDDs/PCDFs/DL-PCBs and the atmospheric PCDDs/PCDFs/DL-PCBs contributed predominantly to the presence of PCDDs/PCDFs/DL-PCBs in the rice-straw smoke while the contribution of PCDDs/PCDFs/DL-PCBs formed during rice straw burning was relatively minimal. The major sources of the PCDDs/PCDFs/DL-PCBs found in the rice-straw smoke were attributed primarily to the paddy-field soil adhered to the rice straw surface and secondarily to the air taken by the rice straw. The principal component analysis supported these conclusions. It is concluded that rice straw burning at paddy fields acts as a driving force in the transfer of PCDDs/PCDFs/DL-PCBs from paddy-field soil to the atmosphere. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Progressive Colonization of Bacteria and Degradation of Rice Straw in the Rumen by Illumina Sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Cheng, Yanfen; Wang, Ying; Li, Yuanfei; Zhang, Yipeng; Liu, Tianyi; Wang, Yu; Sharpton, Thomas J.; Zhu, Weiyun

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to improve the utilization of rice straw as forage in ruminants by investigating the degradation pattern of rice straw in the dairy cow rumen. Ground up rice straw was incubated in situ in the rumens of three Holstein cows over a period of 72 h. The rumen fluid at 0 h and the rice straw at 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h were collected for analysis of the bacterial community and the degradation of the rice straw. The bacterial community and the carbohydrate-active enzymes in the rumen fluid were analyzed by metagenomics. The diversity of bacteria loosely and tightly attached to the rice straw was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and Miseq sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. The predominant genus in the rumen fluid was Prevotella, followed by Bacteroides, Butyrivibrio, unclassified Desulfobulbaceae, Desulfovibrio, and unclassified Sphingobacteriaceae. The main enzymes were members of the glycosyl hydrolase family, divided into four categories (cellulases, hemicellulases, debranching enzymes, and oligosaccharide-degrading enzymes), with oligosaccharide-degrading enzymes being the most abundant. No significant degradation of rice straw was observed between 0.5 and 6 h, whereas the rice straw was rapidly degraded between 6 and 24 h. The degradation then gradually slowed between 24 and 72 h. A high proportion of unclassified bacteria were attached to the rice straw and that Prevotella, Ruminococcus, and Butyrivibrio were the predominant classified genera in the loosely and tightly attached fractions. The composition of the loosely attached bacterial community remained consistent throughout the incubation, whereas a significant shift in composition was observed in the tightly attached bacterial community after 6 h of incubation. This shift resulted in a significant reduction in numbers of Bacteroidetes and a significant increase in numbers of Firmicutes. In conclusion, the degradation pattern of rice straw in the dairy cow rumen

  5. Pretreatment of rapeseed straw by sodium hydroxide.

    PubMed

    Kang, Kyeong Eop; Jeong, Gwi-Taek; Park, Don-Hee

    2012-06-01

    Pretreatment method for rapeseed straw by sodium hydroxide was investigated for production of bioethanol and biobutanol. Various pretreatment parameters, including temperature, time, and sodium hydroxide concentration were optimized using a statistical method which is a central composite design of response surface methodology. In the case of sodium hydroxide pretreatment, optimal pretreatment conditions were found to be 7.9% sodium hydroxide concentration, 5.5 h of reaction time, and 68.4 °C of reaction temperature. The maximum glucose yield which can be recovered by enzymatic hydrolysis at the optimum conditions was 95.7% and the experimental result was 94.0 ± 4.8%. This experimental result was in agreement with the model prediction. An increase of surface area and pore size in pretreated rapeseed straw by sodium hydroxide pretreatment was observed by scanning electron microscope.

  6. Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C in oat roots: association with the actin cytoskeleton.

    PubMed

    Huang, Chiung-Hua; Crain, Richard C

    2009-10-01

    Phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) activities are involved in mediating plant cell responses to environmental stimuli. Two variants of PI-PLC have been partially purified from the roots of oat seedlings; one cytosolic and one particulate. Although the cytosolic enzyme was significantly purified, the activity still co-migrated with a number of other proteins on heparin HPLC and also on size-exclusion chromatography. The partially purified PI-PLC was tested by Western blotting, and we found that actin and actin-binding proteins, profilin and tropomyosin, co-purified with cytosolic phospholipase C. After a non-ionic detergent (Triton X-100) treatment, PI-PLC activities still remained with the actin cytoskeleton. The effects of phalloidin and F-buffer confirmed this association; these conditions, which favor actin polymerization, decreased the release of PI-PLC from the cytoskeleton. The treatments of latrunculin and G-buffer, the conditions that favor actin depolymerization, increased the release of PI-PLC from the cytoskeleton. These results suggest that oat PI-PLC associates with the actin cytoskeleton.

  7. Resin straw as an alternative system to securely store frozen microorganisms.

    PubMed

    Thammavongs, Bouachanh; Poncet, Jean-Marc; Desmasures, Nathalie; Guéguen, Micheline; Panoff, Jean-Michel

    2004-05-01

    Freezing of prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms is the main interest in the study of cold stress responses of living organisms. In parallel, applications which arise from this approach are of two types: (i) optimization of the frozen starters used in food processing; and (ii) improvement of the ex situ preservation of microorganisms in collections. Currently, cryopreservation of microorganisms in collections is carried out in cryotubes, and bibliographical references related to freezing microorganisms packaged in straws are scarce. In this context, a preliminary study was completed to evaluate the technological potential of ionomeric resin straws compared to polycarbonate cryo-tubes. Survival under freezing stress was tested on three microorganisms selected for their biotechnological interest: two lactic acid bacteria, Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and a deuteromycete fungus, Geotrichum candidum. The stress was carried out by repeated freezing-thawing cycles to artificially accelerate the lethal effect of freezing on the microorganisms. Two main results were obtained: (i) the survival rate values (per freezing-thawing cycle) seems to depend on the thermal type of the studied microorganism, and (ii) there was no, under our experimental conditions, significant difference between straws and tubes. However, conservation in the resin straws lead to a slight increase in the survival of L. cremoris and G. candidum compared to microtubes. In those conditions, straws seems an alternative system to securely store frozen microorganisms with three main characteristics: (i) a high resistance to thermal stress, (ii) a safe closing by hermetic weld, and (iii) a system for inviolable identification.

  8. Manufacture and characterization of a yogurt-like beverage made with oat flakes fermented by selected lactic acid bacteria.

    PubMed

    Luana, Nionelli; Rossana, Coda; Curiel, José Antonio; Kaisa, Poutanen; Marco, Gobbetti; Rizzello, Carlo Giuseppe

    2014-08-18

    This study aimed at investigating the suitability of oat flakes for making functional beverages. Different technological options were assayed, including the amount of flakes, the inoculum of the starter and the addition of enzyme preparations. The beverage containing 25% (wt/wt) of oat flakes and fermented with L. plantarum LP09 was considered optimal on the basis of sensory and technological properties. The enzyme addition favored the growth of the starter, shortened the time needed to reach pH4.2 to ca. 8h, and favored a decrease of the quotient of fermentation. Fermentation increased the polyphenols availability and the antioxidant activity (25 and 70% higher, respectively) and decreased the hydrolysis index in vitro. Sensory analyses showed that fermented oat flakes beverage had the typical features of a yogurt-like beverage, enhancing the overall intensity of odor and flavor compared to the non-fermented control. Selection of proper processing and fermentation condition allowed the obtainment of a beverage with better nutritional and sensory properties. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Whole slurry saccharification and fermentation of maleic acid-pretreated rice straw for ethanol production.

    PubMed

    Jung, Young Hoon; Park, Hyun Min; Kim, Kyoung Heon

    2015-09-01

    We evaluated the feasibility of whole slurry (pretreated lignocellulose) saccharification and fermentation for producing ethanol from maleic acid-pretreated rice straw. The optimized conditions for pretreatment were to treat rice straw at a high temperature (190 °C) with 1 % (w/v) maleic acid for a short duration (3 min ramping to 190 °C and 3 min holding at 190 °C). Enzymatic digestibility (based on theoretical glucose yield) of cellulose in the pretreated rice straw was 91.5 %. Whole slurry saccharification and fermentation of pretreated rice straw resulted in 83.2 % final yield of ethanol based on the initial quantity of glucan in untreated rice straw. These findings indicate that maleic acid pretreatment results in a high yield of ethanol from fermentation of whole slurry even without conditioning or detoxification of the slurry. Additionally, the separation of solids and liquid is not required; therefore, the economics of cellulosic ethanol fuel production are significantly improved. We also demonstrated whole slurry saccharification and fermentation of pretreated lignocellulose, which has rarely been reported.

  10. Rice straw mulch for post-fire erosion control: assessing non-target effects on vegetation communities

    Treesearch

    Kristen L. Shive; Becky L. Estes; Angela M. White; Hugh D. Safford; Kevin L. O' Hara; Scott L. Stephens

    2017-01-01

    Straw mulch is commonly used for post-fire erosion control in severely burned areas but this practice can introduce non-native species, even when certified weed-free straw is used. Rice straw has recently been promoted as an alternative to wheat under the hypothesis that non-native species that are able to grow in a rice field are unlikely to establish in dry forested...

  11. Enhanced yields and soil quality in a wheat-maize rotation using buried straw mulch.

    PubMed

    Guo, Zhibin; Liu, Hui; Wan, Shuixia; Hua, Keke; Jiang, Chaoqiang; Wang, Daozhong; He, Chuanlong; Guo, Xisheng

    2017-08-01

    Straw return may improve soil quality and crop yields. In a 2-year field study, a straw return method (ditch-buried straw return, DB-SR) was used to investigate the soil quality and crop productivity effects on a wheat-corn rotation system. This study consisted of three treatments, each with three replicates: (1) mineral fertilisation alone (CK0); (2) mineral fertilisation + 7500 kg ha -1 wheat straw incorporated at depth of 0-15 cm (NPKWS); and (3) mineral fertilisation + 7500 kg ha -1 wheat straw ditch buried at 15-30 cm (NPKDW). NPKWS and NPKDW enhanced crop yield and improved soil biotical properties compared to mineral fertilisation alone. NPKDW contributed to greater crop yields and soil nutrient availability at 15-30 cm depths, compared to NPKWS treatment. NPKDW enhanced soil microbial activity and bacteria species richness and diversity in the 0-15 cm layer. NPKWS increased soil microbial biomass, bacteria species richness and diversity at 15-30 cm. The comparison of the CK0 and NPKWS treatments indicates that a straw ditch buried by digging to the depth of 15-30 cm can improve crop yields and soil quality in a wheat-maize rotation system. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

  12. Improvement of Aluminum-Air Battery Performances by the Application of Flax Straw Extract.

    PubMed

    Grishina, Ekaterina; Gelman, Danny; Belopukhov, Sergey; Starosvetsky, David; Groysman, Alec; Ein-Eli, Yair

    2016-08-23

    The effect of a flax straw extract on Al corrosion inhibition in a strong alkaline solution was studied by using electrochemical measurements, weight-loss analysis, SEM, and FTIR spectroscopy. Flax straw extract added (3 vol %) to the 5 m KOH solution to act as a mixed-type Al corrosion inhibitor. The electrochemistry of Al in the presence of a flax straw extract in the alkaline solution, the effect of the extract on the Al morphology and surface films formed, and the corrosion inhibition mechanism are discussed. Finally, the Al-air battery discharge capacity recorded from a cell that used the flax straw extract in the alkaline electrolyte is substantially higher than that with only a pure alkaline electrolyte. This improved sustainability of the Al anode is attributed to Al corrosion inhibition and, consequently, to hydrogen evolution suppression. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Association analysis of resistance to cereal cyst nematodes (Heterodera avenae) and root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus neglectus and P. thornei) in CIMMYT advanced spring wheat lines for semi-arid conditions.

    PubMed

    Dababat, Abdelfattah A; Ferney, Gomez-Becerra Hugo; Erginbas-Orakci, Gul; Dreisigacker, Susanne; Imren, Mustafa; Toktay, Halil; Elekcioglu, Halil I; Mekete, Tesfamariam; Nicol, Julie M; Ansari, Omid; Ogbonnaya, Francis

    2016-12-01

    To identify loci linked to nematode resistance genes, a total of 126 of CIMMYT advanced spring wheat lines adapted to semi-arid conditions were screened for resistance to Heterodera avenae , Pratylenchus neglectus , and P. thornei , of which 107 lines were genotyped with 1,310 DArT. Association of DArT markers with nematode response was analyzed using the general linear model. Results showed that 11 markers were associated with resistance to H. avenae (pathotype Ha21), 25 markers with resistance to P. neglectus , and 9 significant markers were identified to be linked with resistance to P. thornei . In this work we confirmed that chromosome 4A (~90-105 cM) can be a source of resistance to P. thornei as has been recently reported. Other significant markers were also identified on chromosomal regions where no resistant genes have been reported for both nematodes species. These novel QTL were mapped to chromosomes 5A, 6A, and 7A for H. avenae ; on chromosomes 1A, 1B, 3A, 3B, 6B, 7AS, and 7D for P. neglectus ; and on chromosomes 1D, 2A, and 5B for P. thornei and represent potentially new loci linked to resistance that may be useful for selecting parents and deploying resistance into elite germplasm adapted to regions where nematodes are causing problem.

  14. Macroaggregation and soil organic carbon restoration in a highly weathered Brazilian Oxisol after two decades under no-till.

    PubMed

    de Oliveira Ferreira, Ademir; de Moraes Sá, João Carlos; Lal, Rattan; Tivet, Florent; Briedis, Clever; Inagaki, Thiago Massao; Gonçalves, Daniel Ruiz Potma; Romaniw, Jucimare

    2018-04-15

    Conclusions based on studies of the impacts of soil organic carbon (SOC) fractions and soil texture on macroaggregation and SOC stabilization in long-term (>20years) no-till (NT) fields remain debatable. This study was based on the hypothesis that the amount and frequency of biomass-C input associated with NT can be a pathway to formation of macroaggregates and to SOC buildup. The objectives were to: 1) assess the macroaggregate distribution (proportional mass, class mass) and the SOC and particulate organic carbon (POC) stocks of extra-large (8-19mm), large (2-8mm) and small (0.25-2mm) macroaggregate size classes managed for two decades by NT, and 2) assess the recovery of SOC stocks in extra-large macroaggregates compared to adjacent native vegetation (Andropogon sp., Aristida sp., Paspalum sp., and Panicum sp.). The crop rotation systems were: soybean (Glycine max L.), maize (Zea mays L.) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in summer; and black oat (Avena strigosa Schreb), white oat (Avena sativa), vetch (Vicia sativa L.), black oat.+vetch (Avena strigosa Schreb+vetch) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in winter. The experimental was laid out as 2×2 randomized block factorial with 12 replicates of a NT experiment established in 1997 on two highly weathered Oxisols. The factors comprised of: (a) two soil textural types: clay loam and sandy clay, and (b) two sampling depths: 0-5 and 5-20cm. The three classes of macroaggregates were obtained by wet sieving, and the SOC content was determined by the dry combustion method. The extra-large macroaggregate classes in 0-20cm depth for sandy clay (SdC) and clay loam (CL) Oxisol represented 75.2 and 72.4% of proportional mass, respectively. The SOC and POC stocks among macroaggregate classes in 0-5 and 5-20cm depths decreased in the order: 8-19mm>2-8mm ≈ 0.25-2mm. The SdC plots under soybean/maize at 3:1 ratio recovered 58.3%, while those at 1:1 ratio (high maize frequency) in CL recovered 73.1% of SOC stock in the extra

  15. Influence of moisture content, particle size and forming temperature on productivity and quality of rice straw pellets

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ishii, Kazuei, E-mail: k-ishii@eng.hokudai.ac.jp; Furuichi, Toru

    Highlights: • Optimized conditions were determined for the production of rice straw pellets. • The moisture content and forming temperature are key factors. • High quality rice pellets in the lower heating value and durability were produced. - Abstract: A large amount of rice straw is generated and left as much in paddy fields, which causes greenhouse gas emissions as methane. Rice straw can be used as bioenergy. Rice straw pellets are a promising technology because pelletization of rice straw is a form of mass and energy densification, which leads to a product that is easy to handle, transport, storemore » and utilize because of the increase in the bulk density. The operational conditions required to produce high quality rice straw pellets have not been determined. This study determined the optimal moisture content range required to produce rice straw pellets with high yield ratio and high heating value, and also determined the influence of particle size and the forming temperature on the yield ratio and durability of rice straw pellets. The optimal moisture content range was between 13% and 20% under a forming temperature of 60 or 80 °C. The optimal particle size was between 10 and 20 mm, considering the time and energy required for shredding, although the particle size did not significantly affect the yield ratio and durability of the pellets. The optimized conditions provided high quality rice straw pellets with nearly 90% yield ratio, ⩾12 MJ/kg for the lower heating value, and >95% durability.« less

  16. Evaluation of Biogas Production Performance and Archaeal Microbial Dynamics of Corn Straw during Anaerobic Co-Digestion with Cattle Manure Liquid.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Benyue; Zhao, Hongyan; Yu, Hairu; Chen, Di; Li, Xue; Wang, Weidong; Piao, Renzhe; Cui, Zongjun

    2016-04-28

    The rational utilization of crop straw as a raw material for natural gas production is of economic significance. In order to increase the efficiency of biogas production from agricultural straw, seasonal restrictions must be overcome. Therefore, the potential for biogas production via anaerobic straw digestion was assessed by exposing fresh, silage, and dry yellow corn straw to cow dung liquid extract as a nitrogen source. The characteristics of anaerobic corn straw digestion were comprehensively evaluated by measuring the pH, gas production, chemical oxygen demand, methane production, and volatile fatty acid content, as well as applying a modified Gompertz model and high-throughput sequencing technology to the resident microbial community. The efficiency of biogas production from fresh straw (433.8 ml/g) was higher than that of production from straw silage and dry yellow straw (46.55 ml/g and 68.75 ml/g, respectively). The cumulative biogas production from fresh straw, silage straw, and dry yellow straw was 365 l(-1) g(-1) VS, 322 l(-1) g-1 VS, and 304 l(-1) g(-1) VS, respectively, whereas cumulative methane production was 1,426.33%, 1,351.35%, and 1,286.14%, respectively, and potential biogas production was 470.06 ml(-1) g(-1) VS, 461.73 ml(-1) g(-1) VS, and 451.76 ml(-1) g(-1) VS, respectively. Microbial community analysis showed that the corn straw was mainly metabolized by acetate-utilizing methanogens, with Methanosaeta as the dominant archaeal community. These findings provide important guidance to the biogas industry and farmers with respect to rational and efficient utilization of crop straw resources as material for biogas production.

  17. Bioaugmentation with an acetate-type fermentation bacterium Acetobacteroides hydrogenigenes improves methane production from corn straw.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jie; Guo, Rong-Bo; Qiu, Yan-Ling; Qiao, Jiang-Tao; Yuan, Xian-Zheng; Shi, Xiao-Shuang; Wang, Chuan-Shui

    2015-03-01

    The effect of bioaugmentation with an acetate-type fermentation bacterium in the phylum Bacteroidetes on the anaerobic digestion of corn straw was evaluated by batch experiments. Acetobacteroides hydrogenigenes is a promising strain for bioaugmentation with relatively high growth rate, hydrogen yields and acetate tolerance, which ferments a broad spectrum of pentoses, hexoses and polyoses mainly into acetate and hydrogen. During corn straw digestion, bioaugmentation with A. hydrogenigenes led to 19-23% increase of the methane yield, with maximum of 258.1 mL/g-corn straw achieved by 10% inoculation (control, 209.3 mL/g-corn straw). Analysis of lignocellulosic composition indicated that A. hydrogenigenes could increase removal rates of cellulose and hemicelluloses in corn straw residue by 12% and 5%, respectively. Further experiment verified that the addition of A. hydrogenigenes could improve the methane yields of methyl cellulose and xylan (models for cellulose and hemicelluloses, respectively) by 16.8% and 7.0%. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Induction of wheat straw delignification by Trametes species

    PubMed Central

    Knežević, Aleksandar; Stajić, Mirjana; Jovanović, Vladimir M.; Kovačević, Višnja; Ćilerdžić, Jasmina; Milovanović, Ivan; Vukojević, Jelena

    2016-01-01

    Wheat straw is the major crop residue in European countries which makes it the most promising material for bioconversion into biofuels. However, cellulose and hemicellulose are protected with lignin, so delignification is an inevitable phase in lignocellulose processing. The organisms predominantly responsible for its degradation are white-rot fungi and among them Trametes species represent promising degraders due to a well-developed ligninolytic enzyme system. Although numerous studies have confirmed that low molecular weight compounds can induce the production and activity of ligninolytic enzymes it is not clear how this reflects on the extent of delignification. The aim of the study was to assess the capacity of p-anisidine and veratryl alcohol to induce the production and activity of Mn-oxidizing peroxidases and laccases, and wheat straw delignification by six Trametes species. Significant inter- and intraspecific variations in activity and features of these enzymes were found, as well as differences in the potential of lignocellulose degradation in the presence or absence of inducers. Differences in the catalytic properties of synthesized enzyme isoforms strongly affected lignin degradation. Apart from enhanced lignin degradation, the addition of p-anisidine could significantly improve the selectivity of wheat straw ligninolysis, which was especially evident for T. hirsuta strains. PMID:27216645

  19. Effect of hydrogen peroxide pretreatment on the structural features and the enzymatic hydrolysis of rice straw.

    PubMed

    Wei, C J; Cheng, C Y

    1985-10-01

    Assessment was made to evaluate the effect of hydrogen peroxide pretreatment on the change of the structural features and the enzymatic hydrolysis of rice straw. Changes in the lignin content, weight loss, accessibility for Cadoxen, water holding capacity, and crystallinity of straw were measured during pretreatment to express the modification of the lignocellulosic structure of straw. The rates and the extents of enzymatic hydrolysis, cellulase adsorption, and cellobiose accumulation in the initial stage of hydrolysis were determined to study the pretreatment effect on hydrolysis. Pretreatment at 60 degrees C for 5 h in a solution with 1% (w/w) H(2)O(2) and NaOH resulted in 60% delignification, 40% weight loss, a fivefold increase in the accessibility for Cadoxen, an one times increase in the water-holding capacity, and only a slight decrease in crystallinity as compared with that of the untreated straw. Improvement on the pretreatment effect could be made by increasing the initial alkalinity and the pretreatment temperature of hydrogen peroxide solution. A saturated improvement on the structural features was found when the weight ratio of hydrogen peroxide to straw was above 0.25 g H(2)O(2)/g straw in an alkaline H(2)O(2) solution with 1% (w/w) NaOH at 32 degrees C. The initial rates and extents of hydrolysis, cellulase adsorption, and cellobiose accumulation in hydrolysis were enhanced in accordance with the improved structural features of straw pretreated. A four times increase in the extent of the enzymatic hydrolysis of straw for 24 h was attributed to the alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment.

  20. Biosorption of copper ions from aqueous solution using rape straw powders: Optimization, equilibrium and kinetic studies.

    PubMed

    Liu, Xin; Chen, Zhao-Qiong; Han, Bin; Su, Chun-Li; Han, Qin; Chen, Wei-Zhong

    2018-04-15

    In this paper, the adsorption behaviors of Cu(II) from the aqueous solution using rape straw powders were studied. The effects of initial Cu(II) concentration, pH range and absorbent dosage on the adsorption efficiency of Cu(II) by rape straw powder were investigated by Box-Behnken Design based on response surface methodology. The values of coefficient constant of the nonlinear models were 0.9997, 0.9984 and 0.9944 for removal Cu(II) from aqueous solution using rape straw shell, seed pods and straw pith core, respectively, which could navigate the design space for various factors on effects of biosorption Cu(II) from aqueous solution. The various factors of pH and biosorbents dosage were the key factors that affecting the removal efficiency of Cu(II) from aqueous solution. The biosorption equilibrium data presented its favorable monolayer adsorption Cu(II) onto shell, seed pods and straw pith core, respectively. The pseudo-second order kinetic model was the proper approach to determine the adsorption kinetics. The biosorption of Cu(II) onto surfaces of rape straw powders were confirmed and ion-exchanged in the adsorption process by energy dispersive spectrometer. The critical groups, -OH, -CH, -NH 3 + , -CH 3 , -NH and -C-O, exhibited by the infrared spectra results, changed to suggest that these groups played critical roles, especially -CH 3 in the adsorption of copper ions onto rape straw powders. The study provided evidences that rape straw powders can be used for removing Cu(II) from aqueous water. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Accuracy and training population design for genomic selection in elite north american oats

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Genomic selection (GS) is a method to estimate the breeding values of individuals by using markers throughout the genome. We evaluated the accuracies of GS using data from five traits on 446 oat lines genotyped with 1005 Diversity Array Technology (DArT) markers and two GS methods (RR-BLUP and Bayes...

  2. Effect of wheat and Miscanthus straw biochars on soil enzymatic activity, ecotoxicity, and plant yield

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mierzwa-Hersztek, Monika; Gondek, Krzysztof; Klimkowicz-Pawlas, Agnieszka; Baran, Agnieszka

    2017-07-01

    The variety of technological conditions and raw materials from which biochar is produced is the reason why its soil application may have different effects on soil properties and plant growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of wheat straw and Miscanthus giganteus straw (5 t DM ha-1) and biochar obtained from this materials in doses of 2.25 and 5 t DM ha-1 on soil enzymatic activity, soil ecotoxicity, and plant yield (perennial grass mixture with red clover). The research was carried out under field conditions on soil with the granulometric composition of loamy sand. No significant effect of biochar amendment on soil enzymatic activity was observed. The biochar-amended soil was toxic to Vibrio fischeri and exhibited low toxicity to Heterocypris incongruens. Application of wheat straw biochar and M. giganteus straw biochar in a dose of 5 t DM ha-1 contributed to an increase in plant biomass production by 2 and 14%, respectively, compared to the soil with mineral fertilisation. Biochars had a more adverse effect on soil enzymatic activity and soil ecotoxicity to H. incongruens and V. fischeri than non-converted wheat straw and M. giganteus straw, but significantly increased the grass crop yield.

  3. The use of steam explosion to increase the nutrition available from rice straw.

    PubMed

    Li, Bin; Chen, Kunjie; Gao, Xiang; Zhao, Chao; Shao, Qianjun; Sun, Qian; Li, Hua

    2015-01-01

    In the present study, rice straw was pretreated using steam-explosion (ST) technique to improve the enzymatic hydrolysis of potential reducing sugars for feed utilization. The response surface methodology based on central composite design was used to optimize the effects of steam pressure, pressure retention time, and straw moisture content on the yield of reducing sugar. All the investigated variables had significant effects (P < 0.001) on the reducing sugar yield. The optimum yield of 30.86% was obtained under the following pretreatment conditions: steam pressure, 1.54 MPa; pressure retention time, 140.5 Sec; and straw moisture content, 41.6%. The yield after thermal treatment under the same conditions was approximately 16%. Infrared (IR) radiation analysis showed a decrease in the cellulose IR crystallization index. ST noticeably increases reducing sugars in rice straw, and this technique may also be applicable to other cellulose/lignin sources of biomass. © 2014 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  4. Installation of straw barriers and silt fences.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1976-01-01

    The most common types of temporary sediment control structures used by the Virginia Department of Highways and Transportation are straw barriers and silt fences. Based on observations made in Virginia and other parts of the nation, filter barriers ha...

  5. Co-pyrolysis of rice straw and polypropylene using fixed-bed pyrolyzer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Izzatie, N. I.; Basha, M. H.; Uemura, Y.; Mazlan, M. A.; Hashim, M. S. M.; Amin, N. A. M.; Hamid, M. F.

    2016-11-01

    The present work encompasses the impact of temperature (450, 500, 550, 600 °C) on the properties of pyrolysis oil and on other product yield for the co-pyrolysis of Polypropylene (PP) plastics and rice straw. Co-pyrolysis of PP plastic and rice straw were conducted in a fixed-bed drop type pyrolyzer under an inert condition to attain maximum oil yield. Physically, the pyrolysis oil is dark-brown in colour with free flowing and has a strong acrid smell. Copyrolysis between these typically obtained in maximum pyrolysis oil yields up to 69% by ratio 1:1 at a maximum temperature of 550 °C. From the maximum yield of pyrolysis oil, characterization of pyrolysis product and effect of biomass type of the composition were evaluated. Pyrolysis oil contains a high water content of 66.137 wt.%. Furfural, 2- methylnaphthalene, tetrahydrofuran (THF), toluene and acetaldehyde were the major organic compounds found in pyrolysis oil of rice straw mixed with PP. Bio-char collected from co-pyrolysis of rice straw mixed with PP plastic has high calorific value of 21.190 kJ/g and also carbon content with 59.02 wt.% and could contribute to high heating value. The non-condensable gases consist of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and methane as the major gas components.

  6. Scale-up of wheat straw conversion to fuel ethanol at 100 liter scale

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Wheat straw can serve as low cost feedstock for conversion to ethanol. Pretreatment is crucial prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. We have used dilute H2SO4 pretreatment at a high temperature for pretreatment of wheat straw. The pretreated hydrolyzate was bioabated using a novel fungal strain able to ...

  7. Barley and oat beta-glucan content measured by calcofluor fluorescence in a microplate assay

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Beta-glucan levels in grains, particularly barley and oats, are receiving increased interest in part due to their recognized benefits to human health. While a number of methods to determine grain beta-glucan levels are available, each suffers from significant drawbacks for routine implementation. ...

  8. Development of a bifunctional xylanase-cellulase chimera with enhanced activity on rice and barley straws using a modular xylanase and an endoglucanase procured from camel rumen metagenome.

    PubMed

    Khalili Ghadikolaei, Kamran; Akbari Noghabi, Kambiz; Shahbani Zahiri, Hossein

    2017-09-01

    The camel rumen metagenome is an untapped source of glycoside hydrolases. In this study, novel genes encoding for a modular xylanase (XylC) and a cellulase (CelC) were isolated from a camel rumen metagenome and expressed in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3). XylC with xylanase (Xyn), CBM, and carbohydrate esterase (CE) domains was characterized as a β-1,4-endoxylanase with remarkable catalytic activity on oat-spelt xylan (K cat  = 2919 ± 57 s -1 ). The implication of XylC's modular structure in its high catalytic activity was analyzed by truncation and fusion construction with CelC. The resulting fusions including Cel-CBM, Cel-CBM-CE, and Xyn-CBM-Cel showed remarkable enhancement in CMCase activity with K cat values of 742 ± 12, 1289 ± 34.5, and 2799 ± 51 s -1 compared to CelC with a K cat of 422 ± 3.5 s -1 . It was also shown that the bifunctional Xyn-CBM-Cel with synergistic xylanase/cellulase activities was more efficient than XylC and CelC in hydrolysis of rice and barley straws.

  9. Improving enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency of wheat straw through sequential autohydrolysis and alkaline post-extraction.

    PubMed

    Wu, Xinxing; Huang, Chen; Zhai, Shengcheng; Liang, Chen; Huang, Caoxing; Lai, Chenhuan; Yong, Qiang

    2018-03-01

    In this work, a two-step pretreatment process of wheat straw was established by combining autohydrolysis pretreatment and alkaline post-extraction. The results showed that employing alkaline post-extraction to autohydrolyzed wheat straw could significantly improve its enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency from 36.0% to 83.7%. Alkaline post-extraction lead to the changes of the structure characteristics of autohydrolyzed wheat straw. Associations between enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency and structure characteristics were also studied. The results showed that the factors of structure characteristics such as delignification, xylan removal yield, crystallinity, accessibility and hydrophobicity are positively related to enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency within a certain range for alkaline post-extracted wheat straw. The results demonstrated that autohydrolysis coupled with alkaline post-extraction is an effective and promising method to gain fermentable sugars from biomass. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. The effects of different types of crop straw on the transformation of pentachlorophenol in flooded paddy soil.

    PubMed

    Lin, Jiajiang; Meng, Jun; He, Yan; Xu, Jianming; Chen, Zuliang; Brookes, Philip C

    2018-02-01

    The incorporation of various types of crop straw to agricultural soils has long been practiced to improve soil fertility. However, the effects of crop straw on the fate of organo-chlorine pesticides in flooded paddy soils are not well understood. The dechlorination of pentachlorophenol (PCP) in four vertical profiles (0-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-50 mm depth) of two flooded paddy soils, a Plinthudult (Soil 1) and a Tropudult (Soil 2) was investigated following the application of four crop straws (rice, wheat, rape and Chinese milk vetch) to them. In all treatments, PCP dechlorination decreased with increasing soil depth. In the crop straw treatments, PCP was almost completely dechlorinated within 60 days, and rapidly transformed to 2,3,4,5-tetrachlorophenol, and further to 3,4,5-trichlorophenol. Further dechlorination of 3,4,5-trichlorophenol also occurred in all treatments except for the rape straw. It is possible that the NH 4 + and NO 3 - derived from the straw are responsible for the inhibition of the 3,4,5-trichlorophenol dechlorination. The reduction of Fe (III) and SO 4 2- increased following application of the crop straws. The RDA analysis indicated that the Fe (III) reducing bacteria might be involved in the ortho-dechlorination, while SO 4 2- reducing bacteria were involved in para- and meta-dechlorination of PCP. The complete detoxification of PCP depended upon both the crop straw type and soil properties. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Stoichiometric Correlation of Malate Accumulation with Auxin-dependent K+-H+ Exchange and Growth in Avena Coleoptile Segments 12

    PubMed Central

    Haschke, Hans-Peter; Lüttge, Ulrich

    1975-01-01

    The action of auxin in the promotion of growth has been suggested in the literature to depend on cell wall acidification. In a former investigation by the present authors the electrochemical balance in auxin-induced proton extrusion was shown to be maintained by potassium net uptake. The present paper reports data demonstrating that the elongation of Avena coleoptile segments is accompanied by an accumulation of malate, which is stoichiometrically correlated with potassium uptake. We concluded that this malate accumulation is required in a mechanism regulating intracellular pH. PMID:16659374

  12. Involvement of Fenton chemistry in rice straw degradation by the lignocellulolytic bacterium Pantoea ananatis Sd-1.

    PubMed

    Ma, Jiangshan; Zhang, Keke; Huang, Mei; Hector, Stanton B; Liu, Bin; Tong, Chunyi; Liu, Qian; Zeng, Jiarui; Gao, Yan; Xu, Ting; Liu, Ying; Liu, Xuanming; Zhu, Yonghua

    2016-01-01

    Lignocellulolytic bacteria have revealed to be a promising source for biofuel production, yet the underlying mechanisms are still worth exploring. Our previous study inferred that the highly efficient lignocellulose degradation by bacterium Pantoea ananatis Sd-1 might involve Fenton chemistry (Fe 2+  + H 2 O 2  + H +  → Fe 3+  + OH· + H 2 O), similar to that of white-rot and brown-rot fungi. The aim of this work is to investigate the existence of this Fenton-based oxidation mechanism in the rice straw degradation process of P. ananatis Sd-1. After 3 days incubation of unpretreated rice straw with P. ananatis Sd-1, the percentage in weight reduction of rice straw as well as its cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin components reached 46.7, 43.1, 42.9, and 37.9 %, respectively. The addition of different hydroxyl radical scavengers resulted in a significant decline ( P  < 0.001) in rice straw degradation. Pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis revealed the consistency of chemical changes of rice straw components that exists between P. ananatis Sd-1 and Fenton reagent treatment. In addition to the increased total iron ion concentration throughout the rice straw decomposition process, the Fe 3+ -reducing capacity of P. ananatis Sd-1 was induced by rice straw and predominantly contributed by aromatic compounds metabolites. The transcript levels of the glucose-methanol-choline oxidoreductase gene related to hydrogen peroxide production were significantly up-regulated (at least P  < 0.01) in rice straw cultures. Higher activities of GMC oxidoreductase and less hydrogen peroxide concentration in rice straw cultures relative to glucose cultures may be responsible for increasing rice straw degradation, which includes Fenton-like reactions. Our results confirmed the Fenton chemistry-assisted degradation model in P. ananatis Sd-1. We are among the first to show that a Fenton-based oxidation mechanism

  13. Net mitigation potential of straw return to Chinese cropland: estimation with a full greenhouse gas budget model.

    PubMed

    Lu, Fei; Wang, Xiaoke; Han, Bing; Ouyang, Zhiyun; Duan, Xiaonan; Zheng, Hua

    2010-04-01

    Based on the carbon-nitrogen cycles and greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and emission processes related to straw return and burning, a compound greenhouse gas budget model, the "Straw Return and Burning Model" (SRBM), was constructed to estimate the net mitigation potential of straw return to the soil in China. As a full GHG budget model, the SRBM addressed the following five processes: (1) soil carbon sequestration, (2) mitigation of synthetic N fertilizer substitution, (3) methane emission from rice paddies, (4) additional fossil fuel use for straw return, and (5) CH4 and N2O emissions from straw burning in the fields. Two comparable scenarios were created to reflect different degrees of implementation for straw return and straw burning. With GHG emissions and mitigation effects of the five processes converted into global warming potential (GWP), the net GHG mitigation was estimated. We concluded that (1) when the full greenhouse gas budget is considered, the net mitigation potential of straw return differs from that when soil carbon sequestration is considered alone; (2) implementation of straw return across a larger area of cropland in 10 provinces (i.e., Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan) will increase net GHG emission; (3) if straw return is promoted as a feasible mitigation measure in the remaining provinces, the total net mitigation potential before soil organic carbon (SOC) saturation will be 71.89 Tg CO2 equivalent (eqv)/yr, which is equivalent to 1.733% of the annual carbon emission from fossil fuel use in China in 2003; (4) after SOC saturation, only 13 of 21 provinces retain a relatively small but permanent net mitigation potential, while in the others the net GHG mitigation potential will gradually diminish; and (5) the major obstacle to the feasibility or permanence of straw return as a mitigation measure is the increased CH4 emission from rice paddies. The paper also suggests that comparable

  14. Effect of thermal pretreatment on chemical composition, physical structure and biogas production kinetics of wheat straw.

    PubMed

    Rajput, Asad Ayub; Zeshan; Visvanathan, Chettiyappan

    2018-05-21

    Hard lignocellulosic structure of wheat straw is the main hindrance in its anaerobic digestion. Thus, a laboratory scale batch experiment was conducted to study the effect of thermal pretreatment on anaerobic digestion of wheat straw. For this purpose, different thermal pretreatment temperatures of 120, 140, 160 and 180 °C were studied and the results were compared with raw wheat straw. Significant differences in biogas production were observed at temperature higher than 160 °C. Highest biogas yield of 615 Nml/gVS and volatile solids reduction of 69% was observed from wheat straw pretreated at 180 °C. Wheat straw pretreated at 180 °C showed 53% higher biogas yield as compared to untreated. Further, FTIR analysis revealed change in chemical bonds of lignocellulosic structure of wheat straw. Modified Gompertz model was best fitted on biogas production data and predicted shorter lag phase time and higher biogas production as the pretreatment temperature increased. Overall, change in lignocellulosic structure and increase in cellulose content were the main reason in enhancing biogas production. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Sod-seeding to modify coastal bermuda grass on reclaimed lignite overburden in Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Skousen, J.G.

    1986-01-01

    This study was conducted to investigate the ability of nine low-maintenance species to establish and persist with Coastal bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.) established on reclaimed lignite overburden; to evaluate the establishment and persistence of seventeen low-maintenance species seeded in overburden with no vegetation cover; and to examine seeding mixtures and rates for establishing low-maintenance species into three cover types (bermuda grass, oats, (Avena fatua L.) and no cover). Seventeen low-maintenance species established and persisted in overburden without fertilization during years of low precipitation. Several seeded grasses showed sufficient stand development in monoculture for erosion control. Most of themore » other seeded species were slower in establishment, yet persisted on the site and promoted multiple use of the reclaimed area. Recommended seeding rates were generally adequate for seedling establishment in oat, bermuda grass, and no vegetation cover types. Sod-seeding into bermuda grass resulted in higher seedling densities than those in oats and no cover because of stored moisture beneath the sod during bermuda grass dormancy. Using /sup 15/N-labelled fertilizer, Coastal bermuda grass demonstrated the ability to rapidly recovery applied N. Maximilian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani Schrad.) was suppressed by Coastal bermuda grass in mixture at all fertilizer N rates.« less

  16. Changes in cadmium mobility during composting and after soil application

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hanc, Ales; Tlustos, Pavel; Szakova, Jirina

    2009-08-15

    The effect of twelve weeks of composting on the mobility and bioavailability of cadmium in six composts containing sewage sludge, wood chips and grass was studied, along with the cadmium immobilization capacity of compost. Two different soils were used and Cd accumulation measured in above-ground oat biomass (Avena sativa L.). Increasing pH appears to be an important cause of the observed decreases in available cadmium through the composting process. A pot experiment was performed with two different amounts of compost (9.6 and 28.8 g per kg of soil) added into Fluvisol with total Cd 0.255 mg kg{sup -1}, and contaminatedmore » Cambisol with total Cd 6.16 mg kg{sup -1}. Decrease of extractable Cd (0.01 mol l{sup -1} CaCl{sub 2}) was found in both soils after compost application. The higher amount of compost immobilized an exchangeable portion of Cd (0.11 mol l{sup -1} CH{sub 3}COOH extractable) in contaminated Cambisol unlike in light Fluvisol. The addition of a low amount of compost decreased the content of Cd in associated above-ground oat biomass grown in both soils, while a high amount of compost decreased the Cd content in oats only in the Cambisol.« less

  17. Effect of torrefaction on the properties of rice straw high temperature pyrolysis char: Pore structure, aromaticity and gasification activity.

    PubMed

    Chen, Handing; Chen, Xueli; Qin, Yueqiang; Wei, Juntao; Liu, Haifeng

    2017-03-01

    The influence of torrefaction on the physicochemical characteristics of char during raw and water washed rice straw pyrolysis at 800-1200°C is investigated. Pore structure, aromaticity and gasification activity of pyrolysis chars are compared between raw and torrefied samples. For raw straw, BET specific surface area decreases with the increased torrefaction temperature at the same pyrolysis temperature and it approximately increases linearly with weight loss during pyrolysis. The different pore structure evolutions relate to the different volatile matters and pore structures between raw and torrefied straw. Torrefaction at higher temperature would bring about a lower graphitization degree of char during pyrolysis of raw straw. Pore structure and carbon crystalline structure evolutions of raw and torrefied water washed straw are different from these of raw straw during pyrolysis. For both raw and water washed straw, CO 2 gasification activities of pyrolysis chars are different between raw and torrefied samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. [Influence of Different Straws Returning with Landfill on Soil Microbial Community Structure Under Dry and Water Farming].

    PubMed

    Lan, Mu-ling; Gao, Ming

    2015-11-01

    Based on rice, wheat, corn straw and rape, broad bean green stalk as the research object, using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) method, combining principal component analysis method to study the soil microbial quantity, distribution of flora, community structure characteristics under dry and water farming as two different cultivated land use types. The PLFA analysis results showed that: under dry farming, total PLFA quantity ranged 8.35-25.15 nmol x g(-1), showed rape > broad bean > corn > rice > wheat, rape and broad bean significantly increased total PLFA quantity by 1.18 and 1.08 times compared to the treatment without straw; PLFA quantity of bacterial flora in treatments with straws was higher than that without straw, and fungal biomass was significantly increased, so was the species richness of microbial community. Under water faming, the treatments of different straws returning with landfill have improved the PLFA quantity of total soil microbial and flora comparing with the treatment without straw, fungi significantly increased, and species richness of microbial communities value also increased significantly. Total PLFA quantity ranged 4.04-22.19 nmol x g(-1), showed rice > corn > wheat > broad bean > rape, which in rape and broad bean treatments were lower than the treatment without straw; fungal PLFA amount in 5 kinds of straw except broad bean treatment was significantly higher than that of the treatment without straw, bacteria and total PLFA quantity in broad bean processing were significantly lower than those of other treatments, actinomycetes, G+, G- had no significant difference between all treatments; rice, wheat, corn, rape could significantly increase the soil microbial species richness index and dominance index under water faming. The results of principal component analysis showed that broad bean green stalk had the greatest impact on the microbial community structure in the dry soil, rape green stalk and wheat straw had the biggest influence on

  19. Growth of Pleurotus ostreatus on wheat straw and wheat-grain-based media: Biochemical aspects and preparation of mushroom inoculum.

    PubMed

    Sainos, E; Díaz-Godínez, G; Loera, O; Montiel-González, A M; Sánchez, C

    2006-10-01

    Mycelial growth, intracellular activity of proteases, laccases and beta-1,3-glucanases, and cytoplasmic protein were evaluated in the vegetative phase of Pleurotus ostreatus grown on wheat straw and in wheat-grain-based media in Petri dishes and in bottles. The productivity of the wheat straw and wheat-grain-based spawn in cylindrical polyethylene bags containing 5 kg of chopped straw was also determined. We observed high activity of proteases and high content of intracellular protein in cultures grown on wheat straw. This suggests that the proteases are not secreted into the medium and that the protein is an important cellular reserve. On the contrary, cultures grown on wheat straw secreted laccases into the medium, which could be induced by this substrate. P. ostreatus grown on media prepared with a combination of wheat straw and wheat grain showed a high radial growth rate in Petri dishes and a high level of mycelial growth in bottles. The productivities of wheat straw and wheat-grain-based spawn were similar. Our results show that cheaper and more productive mushroom spawn can be prepared by developing the mycelium on wheat straw and wheat-grain-based substrates.

  20. The Impact of Post-Pretreatment Conditioning on Enzyme Accessibility and Water Interactions in Alkali Pretreated Rice Straw

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karuna, Nardrapee

    Rice straw, a high-abundance lignocellulosic residue from rice production has tremendous potential as a feedstock for biofuel production in California. In this study, the impact of post-alkali pretreatment conditioning schemes on enzyme saccharification efficiency was examined, particularly focusing on understanding resulting biomass compositional impacts on water interactions with the biomass and enzyme accessibility to the cellulose fraction. Rice straw was pretreated with sodium hydroxide and subsequently washed by two different conditions: 1) by extensive washing with distilled water to reduce the pH to the optimum for cellulases which is pH 5--6, and 2) immediate pH adjustment to pH 5--6 with hydrochloric acid before extensive washing with distilled water. The two post-pretreatment conditions gave significant differences in ash, acid-insoluble lignin, glucan and xylan compositions. Alkali pretreatment improved cellulase digestibility of rice straw, and water washing improved enzymatic digestibility more than neutralization. Hydrolysis reactions with a purified Trichoderma reesei Cel7A, a reducing-end specific cellulase, demonstrated that the differences in saccharification are likely due to differences in the accessibility of the cellulose fraction to the cellulolytic enzymes. Further analyses were conducted to study the mobility of the water associated with the rice straw samples by measuring T2 relaxation times of the water protons by 1H-Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) relaxometry. Results showed significant changes in water association with the rice straw due to the pretreatment and due to the two different post-pretreatment conditions. Pretreatment increased the amount of water at the surface of the rice straw samples as indicated by increased amplitude of the shortest T2 time peaks in the relaxation spectra. Moreover, the amount of water in the first T2 pool in the water washed sample was significantly greater than in the neutralized sample. These