The role of genetic and chemical variation of Pinus sylvestris seedlings in influencing slug herbivory.

PubMed

O'Reilly-Wapstra, Julianne M; Iason, Glenn R; Thoss, Vera

2007-05-01

This study investigated the genetic and chemical basis of resistance of Pinus sylvestris seedlings to herbivory by a generalist mollusc, Arion ater. Using feeding trials with captive animals, we examined selective herbivory by A. ater of young P. sylvestris seedlings of different genotypes and correlated preferences with seedling monoterpene levels. We also investigated the feeding responses of A. ater to artificial diets laced with two monoterpenes, Delta(3)-carene and alpha-pinene. Logistic regression indicated that two factors were the best predictors of whether seedlings in the trial would be consumed. Individual slug variation (replicates) was the most significant factor in the model; however, alpha-pinene concentration (also representing beta-pinene, Delta(3)-carene and total monoterpenes due to multicollinearity) of needles was also a significant factor. While A. ater did not select seedlings on the basis of family, seedlings not eaten were significantly higher in levels of alpha-pinene compared to seedlings that were consumed. We also demonstrated significant genetic variation in alpha-pinene concentration of seedlings between different families of P. sylvestris. Nitrogen and three morphological seedling characteristics (stem length, needle length and stem diameter) also showed significant genetic variation between P. sylvestris families. Artificial diets laced with high (5 mg g(-1) dry matter) quantities of either Delta(3)-carene or alpha-pinene, were eaten significantly less than control diets with no added monoterpenes, supporting the results of the seedling feeding trial. This study demonstrates that A. ater selectively feed on P. sylvestris seedlings and that this selection is based, in part, on the monoterpene concentration of seedlings. These results, coupled with significant genetic variation in alpha-pinene concentration of seedlings and evidence that slug herbivory is detrimental to P. sylvestris fitness, are discussed as possible evidence for A

Larvicidal efficacies and chemical composition of essential oils of Pinus sylvestris and Syzygium aromaticum against mosquitoes

PubMed Central

Fayemiwo, Kehinde Adenike; Adeleke, Monsuru Adebayo; Okoro, Ovie Princewill; Awojide, Shola Hezekiah; Awoniyi, Ilias Olufemi

2014-01-01

Objective To assess the chemical composition and mosquito larvicidal potentials of essential oils of locally sourced Pinus sylvestris (P. sylvestris) and Syzygium aromaticum (S. aromaticum) against Aedes aegypti (A. aegypti) and Culex quinquefasciatus (C. quinquefasciatus). Method The chemical composition of the essential oils of both plants was determined using GC-MS while the larvicidal bioassay was carried out using different concentrations of the oils against the larvae of A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus in accordance with the standard protocol. Results The results as determined by GC-MS showed that oil of S. aromaticum has eugenol (80.5%) as its principal constituent while P. sylvestris has 3-Cyclohexene-1-methanol, .alpha., .alpha.4-trimethyl (27.1%) as its dominant constituent. Both oils achieved over 85% larval mortality within 24 h. The larvae of A. aegypti were more susceptible to the oils [LC50 (S. aromaticum)=92.56 mg/L, LC50(P. sylvestris)=100.39 mg/L] than C. quinquefasciatus [LC50(S. aromaticum)=124.42 mg/L; LC50(P. sylvestris)=128.00 mg/L]. S. aromaticum oil was more toxic to the mosquito larvae than oil of P. sylvestris but the difference in lethal concentrations was insignificant (P>0.05). Conclusion The results justify the larvicidal potentials of both essential oils and the need to incorporate them in vector management and control. PMID:24144127

A new pentacyclic phenol and other constituents from the root bark of Bauhinia racemosa Lamk.

PubMed

Jain, Renuka; Yadav, Namita; Bhagchandani, Teena; Jain, Satish C

2013-10-01

This work reported the isolation of one unknown (1) and 10 known compounds (2-11) from the root bark of Bauhinia racemosa Lamk. (family: Caesalpiniaceae). Racemosolone (1) was characterised as a pentacyclic phenolic compound possessing an unusual skeleton with a cycloheptane ring and a rare furopyran moiety. The structure elucidation was carried out on the basis of UV, infrared (IR), HR-ESI-MS, 1D and 2D NMR spectra and finally confirmed by the single crystal X-ray analysis. The known compounds were characterised as n-tetracosane, β-sitosteryl stearate, eicosanoic acid, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, racemosol, octacosyl ferulate, de-O-methyl racemosol, lupeol and 1,7,8,12b-tetrahydro-2,2,4-trimethyl-2H-benzo[6,7]cyclohepta [1,2,3-de] [1] benzopyran-5,10,11 triol on the basis of spectroscopic data comparison with the literature value. Compounds with skeleton similar to 1 have never been reported from any natural or other source.

Larvicidal efficacies and chemical composition of essential oils of Pinus sylvestris and Syzygium aromaticum against mosquitoes.

PubMed

Fayemiwo, Kehinde Adenike; Adeleke, Monsuru Adebayo; Okoro, Ovie Princewill; Awojide, Shola Hezekiah; Awoniyi, Ilias Olufemi

2014-01-01

To assess the chemical composition and mosquito larvicidal potentials of essential oils of locally sourced Pinus sylvestris (P. sylvestris) and Syzygium aromaticum (S. aromaticum) against Aedes aegypti (A. aegypti) and Culex quinquefasciatus (C. quinquefasciatus). The chemical composition of the essential oils of both plants was determined using GC-MS while the larvicidal bioassay was carried out using different concentrations of the oils against the larvae of A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus in accordance with the standard protocol. The results as determined by GC-MS showed that oil of S. aromaticum has eugenol (80.5%) as its principal constituent while P. sylvestris has 3-Cyclohexene-1-methanol, .alpha., .alpha.4-trimethyl (27.1%) as its dominant constituent. Both oils achieved over 85% larval mortality within 24 h. The larvae of A. aegypti were more susceptible to the oils [LC50 (S. aromaticum)=92.56 mg/L, LC50(P. sylvestris)=100.39 mg/L] than C. quinquefasciatus [LC50(S. aromaticum)=124.42 mg/L; LC50(P. sylvestris)=128.00 mg/L]. S. aromaticum oil was more toxic to the mosquito larvae than oil of P. sylvestris but the difference in lethal concentrations was insignificant (P>0.05). The results justify the larvicidal potentials of both essential oils and the need to incorporate them in vector management and control. Copyright © 2014 Asian Pacific Tropical Biomedical Magazine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The protective effect of Malva sylvestris on rat kidney damaged by vanadium

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The protective effect of the common mallow (Malva sylvestris) decoction on renal damages in rats induced by ammonium metavanadate poisoning was evaluated. On the one hand, vanadium toxicity is associated to the production of reactive oxygen species, causing a lipid peroxidation and an alteration in the enzymatic antioxidant defence. On the other hand, many medicinal plants are known to possess antioxidant and radical scavenging properties, thanks to the presence of flavonoids. These properties were confirmed in Malva sylvestris by two separate methods; namely, the Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay and the Nitroblue Tetrazolium reduction assay. Results In 80 rats exposed to ammonium metavanadate (0.24 mmol/kg body weight in drinking water) for 90 days, lipid peroxidation levels and superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were measured in kidney. A significant increase in the formation of free radicals and antioxidant enzyme activities was noticed. In addition, a histological examination of kidney revealed a structural deterioration of the renal cortical capsules and a shrinking of the Bowman space. In animals intoxicated by metavanadate but also given a Malva sylvestris decoction (0.2 g dry mallow/kg body weight), no such pathologic features were observed: lipid peroxidation levels, antioxidant enzyme activities and histological features appeared normal as compared to control rats. Conclusion Malva sylvestris is proved to have a high antioxidative potential thanks to its richness in phenolic compounds. PMID:21513564

Chemical and nutritional evaluation of two germplasms of the tribal pulse, Bauhinia racemosa Lamk.

PubMed

Mohan, V R; Janardhanan, K

1994-12-01

Two germplasms of the tribal pulse, Bauhinia racemosa Lamk. viz., Ayyanarkoil Forest and Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary, were analysed for proximate composition, total (true) seed proteins, seed protein fractions, amino acid composition, fatty acids, minerals and antinutritional factors. Crude proteins, crude lipids, ash and nitrogen free extractives constituted 19.84%, 9.52%, 3.31% and 60.65%, respectively in Ayyanarkoil Forest germplasm; whereas, in Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary germplasm they constituted 19.31%, 8.94%, 3.81% and 61.30%, respectively. The caloric values were found to be 407.64 KCal (Ayyanarkoil Forest) and 402.90 KCal (Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary) germplasms. Essential amino acids like isoleucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine and lysine were found to be high in the seed proteins of both the germplasms. The fatty acids, palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids, were found to be relatively higher in the seed lipids of both the germplasms. Both the germplasms seemed to be a rich source of calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, manganese and iron. Antinutritional substances like total free phenols, tannins, L-DOPA and phytohaemagglutinating activity also were investigated.

Evaluation of cutaneous wound healing activity of Malva sylvestris aqueous extract in BALB/c mice

PubMed Central

Afshar, Mohammad; Ravarian, Behdad; Zardast, Mahmoud; Moallem, Seyed Adel; Fard, Mohammad Hasanpour; Valavi, Masoomeh

2015-01-01

Objective(s): The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Malva sylvestris aqueous extract on cutaneous wound healing in BALB/c mice. Materials and Methods: Twenty seven male BALB/c mice (2.5 months of age) were used. A cut wound (superficial fascia depth) was made locally. The mice were then divided into three groups: the first, second and third groups received topical administration of M. sylvestris 1% aqueous extract, silver sulfadiazine topical cream and cold cream (positive and negative control groups), respectively. On days 4, 7 and 10 excisional biopsies were performed and wound healing was evaluated histopathologically. The data were analyzed by the ANOVA and Tukey statistical tests. Results: On days 4 and 7, the numbers of inflammatory cells in the silver sulfadiazine and M. sylvestris-treated groups were significantly lower than the control group and keratinization at the edges of the wound in both groups was significantly higher than the control group. On the tenth day of the study, the Malva-treated mice showed better healing features and less fibrosis and scar formation, and also fewer hair follicles were damaged in this group. On the tenth day of the study, the numbers of inflammatory cells in M. sylvestris and silver sulfadiazine-treated groups were significantly lower than the control group. Conclusion: The present study supports the beneficial effects of M. sylvestris on the wound healing process and suggests a potential clinical application. PMID:26221487

[Studies on chemical constituents from Elaeocarpus sylvestris].

PubMed

Zhang, Hong-Chao; Shi, Hai-Ming

2008-10-01

To study the chemical constituents of Elaeocarpus sylvestris. The compounds were isolated by chromatographic methods and their structures were elucidated by physico-chemical properties and spectral analysis. Six compounds were isolated and identified as: 2-hydroxy-benzaldehyde (1), coniferyl alcohol (2), umbelliferone (3), scopoletin (4), beta-sitosterol (5), daucosterol (6). All above compounds are isolated from Elaeocarpus Genus for the first time.

Neolignans from the Leaves of Casearia sylvestris Swartz

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Six new neolignans, casearialignans A-F (1-6) and one known lignan syringaresinol-ß-D-glucoside were isolated from the leaves of Casearia sylvestris. Their structures were determined on the basis of 1D and 2 D NMR and high resolution ESI-MS spectroscopic analyses. The relative and absolute configura...

Screening Pinus sylvestris grown for the production of Christmas trees for resistance to western gall rust Peridermium harknessii using different sources of aeciospores

Treesearch

Todd A. Burnes; Jennifer Juzwik; Robert A. Blanchette

1999-01-01

Results showed a moderate to high susceptibility of Pinus sylvestris to western gall rust Peridermium barknessii, from Pinna sylvestris in Michigan and Pinna banksiana in Minnesota. In general, Pinus sylvestris seed sources were more susceptible to aeciospores collected from...

[Pathways and rates of Pinus sylvestris L. and Picea species recolonization into Scandinavia in Holocene].

PubMed

Sannikov, S N; Sannikova, N S

2015-01-01

The results are presented of comparative analysis of pathways, rates, and timing of recolonization into Scandinavia, in Holocene, of Pinus sylvestris populations and those of Picea abies and P. obovata. The dispersion rate, starting from 12 thou years before present (BP), is calculated using palynological data from scientific literature on radiometric dating. It is found out that P sylvestris spread into Central Scandinavia from the Alps via the Danish Isthmus about 8.2 thou years BP with the speed of 500-1250 km per 1 thou years. A hypothesis is put forward suggesting that such a fast speed is due to pine seeds hydrochory, which is much faster than anemochory according to our researches. From the northern part of the East European Plain, P. sylvestris spread into Fennoscandia with lower speed (520 km per 1 thou years). Populations of Picea species dispersed from the same regions with speed (131-164 km per 1 thou years) 3-10 times lower than that of P. sylvestris. Therefore, invasion of Picea abies from the Alps into Scandinavia via the Danish Isthmus did not have time to happen before the formation of the Kattegat Strait. By circumferential pathway, through Karelia, both species of Picea reached the northern parts of Scandinavia only 3.5 thou years BP, its central parts - 2 thou years BP, and its southern parts - 1.5 thou years BP, i.e., later than P. sylvestris by 4, 6.2, and 8.5 thou years respectively. Probably, this may be explained by the fact that in pines the time to seeding is twofold shorter, while their sprouts were more tolerant to climatic extremums in periglacial habitats in middle Holocene.

Exceptional inheritance of plastids via pollen in Nicotiana sylvestris with no detectable paternal mitochondrial DNA in the progeny.

PubMed

Thyssen, Gregory; Svab, Zora; Maliga, Pal

2012-10-01

Plastids and mitochondria, the DNA-containing cytoplasmic organelles, are maternally inherited in the majority of angiosperm species. Even in plants with strict maternal inheritance, exceptional paternal transmission of plastids has been observed. Our objective was to detect rare leakage of plastids via pollen in Nicotiana sylvestris and to determine if pollen transmission of plastids results in co-transmission of paternal mitochondria. As father plants, we used N. sylvestris plants with transgenic, selectable plastids and wild-type mitochondria. As mother plants, we used N. sylvestris plants with Nicotiana undulata cytoplasm, including the CMS-92 mitochondria that cause cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) by homeotic transformation of the stamens. We report here exceptional paternal plastid DNA in approximately 0.002% of N. sylvestris seedlings. However, we did not detect paternal mitochondrial DNA in any of the six plastid-transmission lines, suggesting independent transmission of the cytoplasmic organelles via pollen. When we used fertile N. sylvestris as mothers, we obtained eight fertile plastid transmission lines, which did not transmit their plastids via pollen at higher frequencies than their fathers. We discuss the implications for transgene containment and plant evolutionary histories inferred from cytoplasmic phylogenies. © 2012 The Authors. The Plant Journal © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Xylem and Leaf Functional Adjustments to Drought in Pinus sylvestris and Quercus pyrenaica at Their Elevational Boundary

PubMed Central

Fernández-de-Uña, Laura; Rossi, Sergio; Aranda, Ismael; Fonti, Patrick; González-González, Borja D.; Cañellas, Isabel; Gea-Izquierdo, Guillermo

2017-01-01

Climatic scenarios for the Mediterranean region forecast increasing frequency and intensity of drought events. Consequently, a reduction in Pinus sylvestris L. distribution range is projected within the region, with this species being outcompeted at lower elevations by more drought-tolerant taxa such as Quercus pyrenaica Willd. The functional response of these species to the projected shifts in water availability will partially determine their performance and, thus, their competitive success under these changing climatic conditions. We studied how the cambial and leaf phenology and xylem anatomy of these two species responded to a 3-year rainfall exclusion experiment set at their elevational boundary in Central Spain. Additionally, P. sylvestris leaf gas exchange, water potential and carbon isotope content response to the treatment were measured. Likewise, we assessed inter-annual variability in the studied functional traits under control and rainfall exclusion conditions. Prolonged exposure to drier conditions did not affect the onset of xylogenesis in either of the studied species, whereas xylem formation ceased 1–3 weeks earlier in P. sylvestris. The rainfall exclusion had, however, no effect on leaf phenology on either species, which suggests that cambial phenology is more sensitive to drought than leaf phenology. P. sylvestris formed fewer, but larger tracheids under dry conditions and reduced the proportion of latewood in the tree ring. On the other hand, Q. pyrenaica did not suffer earlywood hydraulic diameter changes under rainfall exclusion, but experienced a cumulative reduction in latewood width, which could ultimately challenge its hydraulic performance. The phenological and anatomical response of the studied species to drought is consistent with a shift in resource allocation under drought stress from xylem to other sinks. Additionally, the tighter stomatal control and higher intrinsic water use efficiency observed in drought-stressed P. sylvestris

Xylem and Leaf Functional Adjustments to Drought in Pinus sylvestris and Quercus pyrenaica at Their Elevational Boundary.

PubMed

Fernández-de-Uña, Laura; Rossi, Sergio; Aranda, Ismael; Fonti, Patrick; González-González, Borja D; Cañellas, Isabel; Gea-Izquierdo, Guillermo

2017-01-01

Climatic scenarios for the Mediterranean region forecast increasing frequency and intensity of drought events. Consequently, a reduction in Pinus sylvestris L. distribution range is projected within the region, with this species being outcompeted at lower elevations by more drought-tolerant taxa such as Quercus pyrenaica Willd. The functional response of these species to the projected shifts in water availability will partially determine their performance and, thus, their competitive success under these changing climatic conditions. We studied how the cambial and leaf phenology and xylem anatomy of these two species responded to a 3-year rainfall exclusion experiment set at their elevational boundary in Central Spain. Additionally, P. sylvestris leaf gas exchange, water potential and carbon isotope content response to the treatment were measured. Likewise, we assessed inter-annual variability in the studied functional traits under control and rainfall exclusion conditions. Prolonged exposure to drier conditions did not affect the onset of xylogenesis in either of the studied species, whereas xylem formation ceased 1-3 weeks earlier in P. sylvestris . The rainfall exclusion had, however, no effect on leaf phenology on either species, which suggests that cambial phenology is more sensitive to drought than leaf phenology. P. sylvestris formed fewer, but larger tracheids under dry conditions and reduced the proportion of latewood in the tree ring. On the other hand, Q. pyrenaica did not suffer earlywood hydraulic diameter changes under rainfall exclusion, but experienced a cumulative reduction in latewood width, which could ultimately challenge its hydraulic performance. The phenological and anatomical response of the studied species to drought is consistent with a shift in resource allocation under drought stress from xylem to other sinks. Additionally, the tighter stomatal control and higher intrinsic water use efficiency observed in drought-stressed P. sylvestris

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

Cytotoxic Deoxypodophyllotoxin Can Be Extracted in High Purity from Anthriscus sylvestris Roots by Supercritical Carbon Dioxide.

PubMed

Seegers, Christel L C; Tepper, Pieter G; Setroikromo, Rita; Quax, Wim J

2018-05-01

Deoxypodophyllotoxin is present in the roots of Anthriscus sylvestris . This compound is cytotoxic on its own, but it can also be converted into podophyllotoxin, which is in high demand as a precursor for the important anticancer drugs etoposide and teniposide. In this study, deoxypodophyllotoxin is extracted from A. sylvestris roots by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. The process is simple and scalable. The supercritical carbon dioxide method extracts 75 - 80% of the total deoxypodophyllotoxin content, which is comparable to a single extraction by traditional Soxhlet. However, less polar components are extracted. The activity of the supercritical carbon dioxide extract containing deoxypodophyllotoxin was assessed by demonstrating that the extract arrests A549 and HeLa cells in the G 2 /M phase of the cell cycle. We conclude that biologically active deoxypodophyllotoxin can be extracted from A. sylvestris by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction. The method is solvent free and more sustainable compared to traditional methods. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Seasonal variations in phosphorus fractions in semiarid sandy soils under different vegetation types

Treesearch

Qiong Zhao; Dehui Zeng; Zhiping Fan; Zhanyuan Yu; Yalin Hu; Jianwei Zhang

2009-01-01

We investigated the seasonal patterns of soil phosphorus (P) fractions under five vegetation types – Ulmus macrocarpa savanna, grassland, Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantation, Pinus tabulaeformis plantation, and Populus simonii plantation ...

Genetic diversity of Casearia sylvestris populations in remnants of the Atlantic Forest.

PubMed

Araujo, F L; Siqueira, M V B M; Grando, C; Viana, J P G; Pinheiro, J B; Alves-Pereira, A; Campos, J B; Brancalion, P H S; Zucchi, M I

2017-01-23

Guaçatonga (Casearia sylvestris) is a native plant of the Atlantic Forest, with high medicinal potential and relevance for reforestation programs. The aim of this study was to characterize, with microsatellite markers, two populations of C. sylvestris from remaining areas of the Atlantic Forest in the State of São Paulo. High allelic variation was found in both populations (N A = 101 and 117; A R = 12.5 and 14.4), although with high endogamy coefficients (f = 0.640 and 0.363). Estimates of genetic structure suggested the presence of considerable genetic divergence between the populations (F ST = 0.103); however, there was no spatial genetic structure within the populations. Genetic divergence may have occurred due to decreased gene flow between the fragmented populations as the result of deforestation. The results of this study demonstrate the importance of genetic diversity and its characterization in native plants within remaining forest areas for the management and restoration of such areas.

Reduced gravitropic sensitivity in roots of a starch-deficient mutant of Nicotiana sylvestris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiss, J. Z.; Sack, F. D.

1989-01-01

Gravitropism was studied in seedlings of Nicotiana sylvestris Speg. et Comes wild-type (WT) and mutant NS 458 which has a defective plastid phosphoglucomutase (EC 2.7.5.1.). Starch was greatly reduced in NS 458 compared to the WT, but small amounts of starch were detected in rootcap columella cells in NS 458 by light and electron microscopy. The roots of WT are more sensitive to gravity than mutant NS 458 roots since: (1) in mutant roots, curvature was reduced and delayed in the time course of curvature; (2) curvature of mutant roots was 24-56% that of WT roots over the range of induction periods tested; (3) in intermittent-stimulation experiments, curvature of mutant roots was 37% or less than that of WT roots in all treatments tested. The perception time, determined by intermittent-stimulation experiments, was < or = 5 s for WT roots and 30-60 s for mutant roots. The growth rates for WT and NS 458 roots were essentially equal. These results and our previous results with WT and starchless mutant Arabidopsis roots (Kiss et al. 1989, Planta 177, 198-206) support the conclusions that a full complement of starch is necessary for full gravitropic sensitivity and that amyloplasts function in gravity perception. Since a presumed relatively small increase in plastid buoyant mass (N. sylvestris mutant versus Arabidopsis mutant) significantly improves the orientation of the N. sylvestris mutant roots, we suggest that plastids are the likeliest candidates to be triggering gravity perception in roots of both mutants.

Genetic diversity of stilbene metabolism in Vitis sylvestris

PubMed Central

Duan, Dong; Halter, David; Baltenweck, Raymonde; Tisch, Christine; Tröster, Viktoria; Kortekamp, Andreas; Hugueney, Philippe; Nick, Peter

2015-01-01

Stilbenes, as important secondary metabolites of grapevine, represent central phytoalexins and therefore constitute an important element of basal immunity. In this study, potential genetic variation in Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris, the ancestor of cultivated grapevine, was sought with respect to their output of stilbenes and potential use for resistance breeding. Considerable variation in stilbene inducibility was identified in V. vinifera ssp. sylvestris. Genotypic differences in abundance and profiles of stilbenes that are induced in response to a UV-C pulse are shown. Two clusters of stilbene ‘chemovars’ emerged: one cluster showed quick and strong accumulation of stilbenes, almost exclusively in the form of non-glycosylated resveratrol and viniferin, while the second cluster accumulated fewer stilbenes and relatively high proportions of piceatannol and the glycosylated piceid. For all 86 genotypes, a time dependence of the stilbene pattern was observed: piceid, resveratrol, and piceatannol accumulated earlier, whereas the viniferins were found later. It was further observed that the genotypic differences in stilbene accumulation were preceded by differential accumulation of the transcripts for chalcone synthase (CHS) and stilbene-related genes: phenylalanine ammonium lyase (PAL), stilbene synthase (StSy), and resveratrol synthase (RS). A screen of the population with respect to susceptibility to downy mildew of grapevine (Plasmopara viticola) revealed considerable variability. The subpopulation of genotypes with high stilbene inducibility was significantly less susceptible as compared with low-stilbene genotypes, and for representative genotypes it could be shown that the inducibility of stilbene synthase by UV correlated with the inducibility by the pathogen. PMID:25873669

Pre-clinical efficacy assessment of Malva sylvestris on chronic skin inflammation.

PubMed

Prudente, Arthur S; Sponchiado, Graziela; Mendes, Daniel A G B; Soley, Bruna S; Cabrini, Daniela A; Otuki, Michel F

2017-09-01

In the search for improved quality of life, the treatment of skin diseases like psoriasis (hyperproliferative disease) is valid, since it causes huge social discomfort to the patient. In this context, earlier studies showed that Malva sylvestris L. has anti-inflammatory activity demonstrated by acute animal models of skin inflammation, becoming a promising target for further studies. The present investigation aimed to verify the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of M. sylvestris (HEMS) on the chronic inflammatory and hyperproliferative response caused by multiple applications of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) on mouse ears. Topical application of HEMS reduced oedema, leukocyte migration (mono- and polymorphonuclear cells) and keratinocyte hyperproliferation, confirmed by histology and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunostaining. It was found that the anti-inflammatory effects of the extract did not involve the glucocorticoid system, and its incubation with HaCaT keratinocytes caused low toxicity and reduced cell proliferation by apoptosis. Thus, HEMS proved to be effective as an anti-psoriatic therapy, with the ability to prevent keratinocyte hyperproliferation and with low toxicity by topical application. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

4D-Var Developement at GMAO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelc, Joanna S.; Todling, Ricardo; Akkraoui, Amal El

2014-01-01

The Global Modeling and Assimilation Offce (GMAO) is currently using an IAU-based 3D-Var data assimilation system. GMAO has been experimenting with a 3D-Var-hybrid version of its data assimilation system (DAS) for over a year now, which will soon become operational and it will rapidly progress toward a 4D-EnVar. Concurrently, the machinery to exercise traditional 4DVar is in place and it is desirable to have a comparison of the traditional 4D approach with the other available options, and evaluate their performance in the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) DAS. This work will also explore the possibility for constructing a reduced order model (ROM) to make traditional 4D-Var computationally attractive for increasing model resolutions. Part of the research on ROM will be to search for a suitably acceptable space to carry on the corresponding reduction. This poster illustrates how the IAU-based 4D-Var assimilation compares with our currently used IAU-based 3D-Var.

[Distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon of burned area under different restorations.

PubMed

Li, Hong Yun; Xin, Ying; Zhao, Yu Sen

2016-09-01

The distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon (SOC), soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) under different restorations were studied in Larix gmelinii plantation, Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantation, artificial promotion poplar-birch forest and the natural secondary poplar-birch forest restored from burned area after the severe fire of Greater Xing' an Mountains in 1987. The results showed that the variations in SOC, DOC and MBC ranged from 9.63 to 79.72 g·kg -1 , from 33.21 to 186.30 mg·kg -1 and from 200.85 to 1755.63 mg·kg -1 , respectively, which decreased with soil depth increasing. There was significant diffe-rence in SOC, DOC and MBC among different restorations, with the maximum carbon contents for artificial promotion poplar-birch forest, followed by L. gmelinii plantation, natural secondary poplar-birch forest and P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantation successively. The soil microbial quotient va-ried from 1.1% under P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantation to 2.3% under artificial promotion poplar-birch forest, and its vertical distributions were different in the four restoration forests. Correlation analysis indicated that MBC had a significant positive correlation with SOC and DOC, respectively. The activity of soil organic carbon in artificial promotion poplar-birch forest was higher than in other forest stands, suggesting a stronger capacity of the soil carbon cycle through natural regeneration with artificial promotion on burned area in Greater Xing'an Mountains.

13C discriminations of Pinus sylvestris vs. Pinus ponderosa at a dry site in Brandenburg (eastern Germany): 100-year growth comparison.

PubMed

Wagner, Ralf; Insinna, Patrick A; Götz, Bernhard; Junge, Sebastian; Boettger, Tatjana

2007-06-01

The carbon isotope composition (delta(13)C, per thousand) and discrimination (Delta, per thousand) of old grown North American Pinus ponderosa Dougl. Ex P. et C. Laws. and European Pinus sylvestris L. were determined using trees grown under almost identical growing conditions in a mixed stand in Bralitz, Northeast Germany. Single-tree delta(13)C analyses of tree-ring cellulose of both species were carried out at a yearly resolution for the period 1901-2001 and the results compared with growth (basal area increment). Annual mean delta(13)C values for P. ponderosa ranged from-21.6 per thousand to-25.2 per thousand and for P. sylvestris from-21.4 per thousand to-24.4 per thousand. Accordingly, (13)C discrimination (Delta) showed higher values for P. ponderosa throughout the investigation period. Five characteristic periods of Delta were identified for both the tree species, reflecting positive and negative influences of environmental factors. Good growing conditions such as after-thinning events had a positive effect on Delta, reflecting higher values, while poor conditions like aridity and air pollution had a negative influence, reflecting lower values. The dynamics of Delta were likewise reflected in the growth (basal area increment, BAI). Higher (13)C discrimination values of P. ponderosa led to higher BAIs of P. ponderosa in comparison with P. sylvestris. Correlation function analyses confirmed that P. sylvestris was more dependent on precipitation than P. ponderosa, which showed a closer relationship with temperature. The results confirm that under predominantly dry growing conditions, P. ponderosa showed better growth performance than P. sylvestris, indicating better common intrinsic water-use efficiency and, therefore, higher rates of net photosynthesis at a given transpiration. In view of the prospect of climate change, the results are very significant for assessing both trees' physiological properties and, hence, their potential for coping with future growing

Clerodane and Ent-kaurane Diterpene Glycosyl and Glycoside Derivatives from the Leaves of Casearia sylvestris

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Five new clerodane diterpene glycosides caseariasides A-E (1-4) and three new ent-kaurane diterpene glucosides sylvestrisides C-E (6-8) were isolated from the leaves of Casearia sylvestris. Their structures were determined on the basis of chemical and spectroscopic analyses....

Chloroplast diversity in the genus Malus: new insights into the relationship between the European wild apple (Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill.) and the domesticated apple (Malus domestica Borkh.).

PubMed

Coart, E; VAN Glabeke, S; DE Loose, M; Larsen, A S; Roldán-Ruiz, I

2006-07-01

To unravel the relationship between the European wild apple, Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill., and its domesticated relative M. domestica Borkh., we studied chloroplast DNA variation in 634 wild and 422 domesticated accessions originating from different regions. Hybridization between M. sylvestris and M. domestica was checked using 10 nuclear microsatellites and a Bayesian assignment approach. This allowed us to identify hybrids and feral plants escaped from cultivation. Sixty-eight genotypes belonging to 12 other wild Malus species, including 20 M. sieversii (Ledeb.) Roem. accessions were also included in the analysis of chloroplast diversity. Marker techniques were developed to type a formerly described duplication and a newly detected transversion in the matK gene. Chloroplast DNA variation was further investigated using PCR-RFLP (Polymerase Chain Reaction-Random Fragment Length Polymorphism), and haplotypes were constructed based on all mutational combinations. A closer relationship than presently accepted between M. sylvestris and M. domestica was established at the cytoplasmic level, with the detection of eight chloroplast haplotypes shared by both species. Hybridization between M. sylvestris and M. domestica was also apparent at the local level with sharing of rare haplotypes among local cultivars and sympatric wild trees. Indications of the use of wild Malus genotypes in the (local) cultivation process of M. domestica and cytoplasmic introgression of chloroplast haplotypes into M. sylvestris from the domesticated apple were found. Only one of the M. sieversii trees studied displayed one of the three main chloroplast haplotypes shared by M. sylvestris and M. domestica. This is surprising as M. sieversii has formerly been described as the main maternal progenitor of the domesticated apple. This study hereby reopens the exciting discussion on the origin of M. domestica.

[A herbalogical study on traditional Mongolian medicine "zhanba"].

PubMed

Bao, Yintu; Bu, Ri'e; Zhao, Baisui

2003-02-01

By herbalogical study and investigation, "Zhanba" used by Mongolia doctors mainly contains 7 species from 3 genera of 1 family, but "Zhanba" in Inner Mongolia Standard of Medicinal Materials only contains 3 species which are Althaea rosea, Malva sylvestris L. var. mauritiana and M. verticillata.

Semi-automated stand delineation in Mediterranean Pinus sylvestris plantations through segmentation of LiDAR data: The influence of pulse density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varo-Martínez, Mª Ángeles; Navarro-Cerrillo, Rafael M.; Hernández-Clemente, Rocío; Duque-Lazo, Joaquín

2017-04-01

Traditionally, forest-stand delineation has been assessed based on orthophotography. The application of LiDAR has improved forest management by providing high-spatial-resolution data on the vertical structure of the forest. The aim of this study was to develop and test a semi-automated algorithm for stands delineation in a plantation of Pinus sylvestris L. using LiDAR data. Three specific objectives were evaluated, i) to assess two complementary LiDAR metrics, Assmann dominant height and basal area, for the characterization of the structure of P. sylvestris Mediterranean forests based on object-oriented segmentation, ii) to evaluate the influence of the LiDAR pulse density on forest-stand delineation accuracy, and iii) to investigate the algorithmś effectiveness in the delineation of P. sylvestris stands for map prediction of Assmann dominant height and basal area. Our results show that it is possible to generate accurate P. sylvestris forest-stand segmentations using multiresolution or mean shift segmentation methods, even with low-pulse-density LiDAR - which is an important economic advantage for forest management. However, eCognition multiresolution methods provided better results than the OTB (Orfeo Tool Box) for stand delineation based on dominant height and basal area estimations. Furthermore, the influence of pulse density on the results was not statistically significant in the basal area calculations. However, there was a significant effect of pulse density on Assmann dominant height [F2,9595 = 5.69, p = 0.003].for low pulse density. We propose that the approach shown here should be considered for stand delineation in other large Pinus plantations in Mediterranean regions with similar characteristics.

Real time-based targeted Metabolomic approach as risk assessment tools for controlling superficial scald in ‘Granny Smith’ apples during storage

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The risk of superficial scald incidence in ‘Granny Smith’ apple [Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill var. domestica (Borkh.) Mansf.] fruit during cold or controlled atmosphere (CA) storage increases with increased storage duration and oxygen level during CA storage. The objective of this study was to invest...

Variation in host resistance and pathogen selective value in the interaction between Pinus sylvestris and the fungus Crumenulopsis sororia.

PubMed

Ennos, R A; McConnell, K C

2003-09-01

There have been many studies of plant pathogen evolution in systems showing gene-for-gene control of host resistance. However little is known about situations, exemplified by Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris, and its fungal pathogen Crumenulopsis sororia, where variation in host resistance is quantitative. In a field experiment genetically marked isolates of C. sororia from three natural populations were reciprocally inoculated on 1- and 2-year-old branch tissue of P. sylvestris in the three sites from which they had been collected. Quantitative variation in host resistance was measured by comparing the performance of the same inocula on different host populations, individuals and tissues. The selective value of isolates derived from different populations was estimated by comparing the frequency of genotypes in lesion re-isolations with those in the initial inoculum mixtures. Host resistance varied significantly among populations, individuals within populations and between 1- and 2-year-old branch tissue of P. sylvestris. Large differences in the relative selective values of C. sororia isolates from different populations were detected. The selective value of pathogens was independent of the host population on which they were inoculated. However, their selective value did depend on the age of the tissue on which they grew. The implications of these results for modelling evolution in pathogen-host interactions that lack gene-for-gene determination of host resistance are discussed.

Living on the Edge: Contrasted Wood-Formation Dynamics in Fagus sylvatica and Pinus sylvestris under Mediterranean Conditions

PubMed Central

Martinez del Castillo, Edurne; Longares, Luis A.; Gričar, Jožica; Prislan, Peter; Gil-Pelegrín, Eustaquio; Čufar, Katarina; de Luis, Martin

2016-01-01

Wood formation in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) was intra-annually monitored to examine plastic responses of the xylem phenology according to altitude in one of the southernmost areas of their distribution range, i.e., in the Moncayo Natural Park, Spain. The monitoring was done from 2011 to 2013 at 1180 and 1580 m a.s.l., corresponding to the lower and upper limits of European beech forest in this region. Microcores containing phloem, cambium and xylem were collected biweekly from twenty-four trees from the beginning of March to the end of November to assess the different phases of wood formation. The samples were prepared for light microscopy to observe the following phenological phases: onset and end of cell production, onset and end of secondary wall formation in xylem cells and onset of cell maturation. The temporal dynamics of wood formation widely differed among years, altitudes and tree species. For Fagus sylvatica, the onset of cambial activity varied between the first week of May and the third week of June. Cambial activity then slowed down and stopped in summer, resulting in a length of growing season of 48–75 days. In contrast, the growing season for P. sylvestris started earlier and cambium remained active in autumn, leading to a period of activity varying from 139-170 days. The intra-annual wood-formation pattern is site and species-specific. Comparison with other studies shows a clear latitudinal trend in the duration of wood formation, positive for Fagus sylvatica and negative for P. sylvestris. PMID:27047534

Living on the Edge: Contrasted Wood-Formation Dynamics in Fagus sylvatica and Pinus sylvestris under Mediterranean Conditions.

PubMed

Martinez Del Castillo, Edurne; Longares, Luis A; Gričar, Jožica; Prislan, Peter; Gil-Pelegrín, Eustaquio; Čufar, Katarina; de Luis, Martin

2016-01-01

Wood formation in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) was intra-annually monitored to examine plastic responses of the xylem phenology according to altitude in one of the southernmost areas of their distribution range, i.e., in the Moncayo Natural Park, Spain. The monitoring was done from 2011 to 2013 at 1180 and 1580 m a.s.l., corresponding to the lower and upper limits of European beech forest in this region. Microcores containing phloem, cambium and xylem were collected biweekly from twenty-four trees from the beginning of March to the end of November to assess the different phases of wood formation. The samples were prepared for light microscopy to observe the following phenological phases: onset and end of cell production, onset and end of secondary wall formation in xylem cells and onset of cell maturation. The temporal dynamics of wood formation widely differed among years, altitudes and tree species. For Fagus sylvatica, the onset of cambial activity varied between the first week of May and the third week of June. Cambial activity then slowed down and stopped in summer, resulting in a length of growing season of 48-75 days. In contrast, the growing season for P. sylvestris started earlier and cambium remained active in autumn, leading to a period of activity varying from 139-170 days. The intra-annual wood-formation pattern is site and species-specific. Comparison with other studies shows a clear latitudinal trend in the duration of wood formation, positive for Fagus sylvatica and negative for P. sylvestris.

Malva sylvestris Inhibits Inflammatory Response in Oral Human Cells. An In Vitro Infection Model

PubMed Central

Benso, Bruna; Rosalen, Pedro Luiz; Alencar, Severino Matias; Murata, Ramiro Mendonça

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of Malva sylvestris extract (MSE) and fractions in a co-culture model of cells infected by Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. In addition, we evaluated the phytochemical content in the extract and fractions of M. sylvestris and demonstrated that polyphenols were the most frequent group in all samples studied. An in vitro dual-chamber model to mimic the periodontal structure was developed using a monolayer of epithelial keratinocytes (OBA-9) and a subepithelial layer of fibroblasts (HGF-1). The invasive periodontopathogen A. actinomycetemcomitans (D7S-1) was applied to migrate through the cell layers and induce the synthesis of immune factors and cytokines in the host cells. In an attempt to analyze the antimicrobial properties of MSE and fractions, a susceptibility test was carried out. The extract (MIC 175 μg/mL, MBC 500μg/mL) and chloroform fraction (MIC 150 μg/mL, MBC 250 μg/mL) were found to have inhibitory activity. The extract and all fractions were assessed using a cytotoxicity test and results showed that concentrations under 100 μg/mL did not significantly reduce cell viability compared to the control group (p > 0.05, viability > 90%). In order to analyze the inflammatory response, transcriptional factors and cytokines were quantified in the supernatant released from the cells. The chloroform fraction was the most effective in reducing the bacterial colonization (p< 0.05) and controlling inflammatory mediators, and promoted the down-regulation of genes including IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-10, CD14, PTGS, MMP-1 and FOS as well as the reduction of the IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8 and GM-CSF protein levels (p< 0.05). Malva sylvestris and its chloroform fraction minimized the A. actinomycetemcomitans infection and inflammation processes in oral human cells by a putative pathway that involves important cytokines and receptors. Therefore, this natural product may be considered as a

Antifungal compounds from Zanthoxylum chiloperone var. angustifolium.

PubMed

Thouvenel, Céline; Gantier, Jean-Charles; Duret, Philippe; Fourneau, Christophe; Hocquemiller, Reynald; Ferreira, Maria-Elena; Rojas de Arias, Antonieta; Fournet, Alain

2003-06-01

An alkaloidal extract of the stem barks of Zanthoxylum chiloperone var. angustifolium exhibited antifungal activity against Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus and Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale using a TLC bioautographic method. Bioassay-guided fractionation of this extract resulted in the isolation of two active compounds identi fi ed as canthin-6-one and 5-methoxycanthin-6-one. Canthin-6-one exhibited a broad spectrum of activities against Aspergillus fumigatus, A. niger, A. terreus, Candida albicans, C. tropicalis, C. glabrata, Cryptococcus neoformans, Geotrichum candidum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Trichosporon beigelii, Trichosporon cutaneum and Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale with MICs values between 5.3 and 46 micro mol/L. 5-methoxy-canthin-6-one was active against only Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. interdigitale with a MIC value of 12.3 micro mol/L. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Using ClinVar as a Resource to Support Variant Interpretations

PubMed Central

Harrison, Steven M.; Riggs, Erin R.; Maglott, Donna R.; Lee, Jennifer M.; Azzariti, Danielle R.; Niehaus, Annie; Ramos, Erin M.; Martin, Christa L.; Landrum, Melissa J.; Rehm, Heidi L.

2016-01-01

ClinVar is a freely accessible, public archive of reports of the relationships among genomic variants and phenotypes. To facilitate evaluation of the clinical significance of each variant, ClinVar aggregates submissions of the same variant, displays supporting data from each submission, and determines if the submitted clinical interpretations are conflicting or concordant. The unit describes how to (1) identify sequence and structural variants of interest in ClinVar with by multiple searching approaches, including Variation Viewer and (2) understand the display of submissions to ClinVar and the evidence supporting each interpretation. By following this protocol, ClinVar users will be able to learn how to incorporate the wealth of resources and knowledge in ClinVar into variant curation and interpretation. PMID:27037489

‘Fuji’ apple (Malus domestica Borkh) volatile production during high pCO2 controlled atmosphere storage

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

‘Fuji’apple [Malus sylvestris var. domestica (Borkh.) Mansf.] volatile compound dynamics were characterized during cold storage in air or at low pO2 controlled atmosphere (CA) with up to 5 kPa CO2. Volatile compounds in storage chambers were adsorbed onto solid sorbent traps and analyzed by GC-MS....

LAM-1 and FAT Genes Control Development of the Leaf Blade in Nicotiana sylvestris.

PubMed Central

McHale, NA

1993-01-01

Leaf primordia of the lam-1 mutant of Nicotiana sylvestris grow normally in length but remain bladeless throughout development. The blade initiation site is established at the normal time and position in lam-1 primordia. Anticlinal divisions proceed normally in the outer L1 and L2 layers, but the inner L3 cells fail to establish the periclinal divisions that normally generate the middle mesophyll core. The lam-1 mutation also blocks formation of blade mesophyll from distal L2 cells. This suggests that LAM-1 controls a common step in initiation of blade tissue from the L2 and L3 lineage of the primordium. Another recessive mutation (fat) was isolated in N. sylvestris that induces abnormal periclinal divisions in the mesophyll during blade initiation and expansion. This generates a blade approximately twice its normal thickness by doubling the number of mesophyll cell layers from four to approximately eight. Presumably, the fat mutation defines a negative regulator involved in repression of periclinal divisions in the blade. The lam-1 fat double mutant shows radial proliferation of mesophyll cells at the blade initiation site. This produces a highly disorganized, club-shaped blade that appears to represent an additive effect of the lam-1 and fat mutations on blade founder cells. PMID:12271096

Effects of environmental conditions on onset of xylem growth in Pinus sylvestris under drought

PubMed Central

Swidrak, Irene; Gruber, Andreas; Kofler, Werner; Oberhuber, Walter

2012-01-01

Summary We determined influence of environmental factors (air and soil temperature, precipitation, photoperiod) on onset of xylem growth in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) within a dry inner Alpine valley (750 m a.s.l., Tyrol, Austria) by repeatedly sampling micro-cores throughout 2007-2010 at two sites (xeric and dry-mesic) at the start of the growing season. Temperature sums were calculated in degree-days (DD) ≥ 5 °C from 1 January and 20 March, i.e. spring equinox, to account for photoperiodic control of release from winter dormancy. Threshold temperatures at which xylogenesis had a 0.5 probability of being active were calculated by logistic regression. Onset of xylem growth, which was not significantly different between the xeric and dry-mesic site, ranged from mid-April in 2007 to early May in 2008. Among most study years statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) in onset of xylem growth were detected. Mean air temperature sums calculated from 1 January until onset of xylem growth were 230 ± 44 DD (mean ± standard deviation) at the xeric and 205 ± 36 DD at the dry-mesic site. Temperature sums calculated from spring equinox until onset of xylem growth showed quite less variability during the four year study period amounting to 144 ± 10 and 137 ± 12 DD at the xeric and dry-mesic site, respectively. At both sites xylem growth was active when daily minimum, mean and maximum air temperatures were 5.3, 10.1 and 16.2 °C, respectively. Soil temperature thresholds and DD until onset of xylem growth differed significantly between sites indicating minor importance of root-zone temperature for onset of xylem growth. Although spring precipitation is known to limit radial growth in P. sylvestris exposed to dry inner Alpine climate, results of this study revealed that (i) a daily minimum air temperature threshold for onset of xylem growth in the range of 5-6 °C exists and (ii) air temperature sum rather than precipitation or soil temperature triggers start

Static and dynamic bending has minor effects on xylem hydraulics of conifer branches (Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris)

PubMed Central

Mayr, Stefan; Bertel, Clara; Dämon, Birgit; Beikircher, Barbara

2014-01-01

The xylem hydraulic efficiency and safety is usually measured on mechanically unstressed samples, although trees may be exposed to combined hydraulic and mechanical stress in the field. We analysed changes in hydraulic conductivity and vulnerability to drought-induced embolism during static bending of Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris branches as well as the effect of dynamic bending on the vulnerability. We hypothesized this mechanical stress to substantially impair xylem hydraulics. Intense static bending caused an only small decrease in hydraulic conductance (−19.5 ± 2.4% in P. abies) but no shift in vulnerability thresholds. Dynamic bending caused a 0.4 and 0.8 MPa decrease of the water potential at 50 and 88% loss of conductivity in P. sylvestris, but did not affect vulnerability thresholds in P. abies. With respect to applied extreme bending radii, effects on plant hydraulics were surprisingly small and are thus probably of minor eco-physiological importance. More importantly, results indicate that available xylem hydraulic analyses (of conifers) sufficiently reflect plant hydraulics under field conditions. PMID:24697679

A comparison between EDA-EnVar and ETKF-EnVar data assimilation techniques using radar observations at convective scales through a case study of Hurricane Ike (2008)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Feifei; Xu, Dongmei; Xue, Ming; Min, Jinzhong

2017-07-01

This study examines the impacts of assimilating radar radial velocity (Vr) data for the simulation of hurricane Ike (2008) with two different ensemble generation techniques in the framework of the hybrid ensemble-variational (EnVar) data assimilation system of Weather Research and Forecasting model. For the generation of ensemble perturbations we apply two techniques, the ensemble transform Kalman filter (ETKF) and the ensemble of data assimilation (EDA). For the ETKF-EnVar, the forecast ensemble perturbations are updated by the ETKF, while for the EDA-EnVar, the hybrid is employed to update each ensemble member with perturbed observations. The ensemble mean is analyzed by the hybrid method with flow-dependent ensemble covariance for both EnVar. The sensitivity of analyses and forecasts to the two applied ensemble generation techniques is investigated in our current study. It is found that the EnVar system is rather stable with different ensemble update techniques in terms of its skill on improving the analyses and forecasts. The EDA-EnVar-based ensemble perturbations are likely to include slightly less organized spatial structures than those in ETKF-EnVar, and the perturbations of the latter are constructed more dynamically. Detailed diagnostics reveal that both of the EnVar schemes not only produce positive temperature increments around the hurricane center but also systematically adjust the hurricane location with the hurricane-specific error covariance. On average, the analysis and forecast from the ETKF-EnVar have slightly smaller errors than that from the EDA-EnVar in terms of track, intensity, and precipitation forecast. Moreover, ETKF-EnVar yields better forecasts when verified against conventional observations.

Object-based semi-automatic approach for forest structure characterization using lidar data in heterogeneous Pinus sylvestris stands

Treesearch

C. Pascual; A. Garcia-Abril; L.G. Garcia-Montero; S. Martin-Fernandez; W.B. Cohen

2008-01-01

In this paper, we present a two-stage approach for characterizing the structure of Pinus sylvestris L. stands in forests of central Spain. The first stage was to delimit forest stands using eCognition and a digital canopy height model (DCHM) derived from lidar data. The polygons were then clustered into forest structure types based on the DCHM data...

Detection of Intracellular Bacteria in the Buds of Scotch Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) by In Situ Hybridization

PubMed Central

Pirttilä, Anna Maria; Laukkanen, Hanna; Pospiech, Helmut; Myllylä, Raili; Hohtola, Anja

2000-01-01

Bacterial isolates were obtained from pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) tissue cultures and identified as Methylobacterium extorquens and Pseudomonas synxantha. The existence of bacteria in pine buds was investigated by 16S rRNA in situ hybridization. Bacteria inhabited the buds of every tree examined, primarily colonizing the cells of scale primordia and resin ducts. PMID:10877808

Chemopreventive activity of compounds extracted from Casearia sylvestris (Salicaceae) Sw against DNA damage induced by particulate matter emitted by sugarcane burning near Araraquara, Brazil

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

Prieto, A.M.; Santos, A.G.; Csipak, A.R.

Ethanolic extract of Casearia sylvestris is thought to be antimutagenic. In this study, we attempted to determine whether this extract and casearin X (a clerodane diterpene from C. sylvestris) are protective against the harmful effects of airborne pollutants from sugarcane burning. To that end, we used the Tradescantia micronucleus test in meiotic pollen cells of Tradescantia pallida, the micronucleus test in mouse bone marrow cells, and the comet assay in mouse blood cells. The mutagenic compound was total suspended particulate (TSP) from air. For the Tradescantia micronucleus test, T. pallida cuttings were treated with the extract at 0.13, 0.25, ormore » 0.50 mg/ml. Subsequently, TSP was added at 0.3 mg/ml, and tetrads from the inflorescences were examined for micronuclei. For the micronucleus test in mouse bone marrow cells and the comet assay in mouse blood cells, Balb/c mice were treated for 15 days with the extract—3.9, 7.5, or 15.0 mg/kg body weight (BW)—or with casearin X—0.3, 0.25, or 1.2 mg/kg BW—after which they received TSP (3.75 mg/kg BW). In T. pallida and mouse bone marrow cells, the extract was antimutagenic at all concentrations tested. In mouse blood cells, the extract was antigenotoxic at all concentrations, whereas casearin X was not antimutagenic but was antigenotoxic at all concentrations. We conclude that C. sylvestris ethanolic extract and casearin X protect DNA from damage induced by airborne pollutants from sugarcane burning. -- Highlights: ► We assessed DNA protection of C. sylvestris ethanolic extract. ► We assessed DNA protection of casearin X. ► We used Tradescantia pallida micronucleus test as screening. ► We used comet assay and micronucleus test in mice. ► The compounds protected DNA against sugar cane burning pollutants.« less

Induction of discolored wood in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).

PubMed

Nilsson, Mikael; Wikman, Susanne; Eklund, Leif

2002-04-01

Induction of discolored wood in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees by treatment with ethylene, carbon dioxide, nitrogen (hypoxia) or wounding from early April to late September was investigated. All treatments induced formation of discolored wood upward and downward from the drill hole. The amount of discolored wood formed above the drill hole depended on the treatment in the following order: ethylene > carbon dioxide = nitrogen > wounding; and below the drill hole in the order: ethylene > carbon dioxide = nitrogen = wounding. Based on chemical analyses (HPLC/UV, GS/MS, LC/MS and 1H-NMR), discolored wood induced by wounding or treatment with ethylene or carbon dioxide showed compositional similarities to natural heartwood, whereas discolored wood induced by nitrogen treatment showed fewer similarities to natural heartwood. The results suggest that ethylene is an important factor controlling heartwood formation, although wounding and internal concentrations of carbon dioxide may also play a role.

Twenty-two year results of a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) provenance test in North Dakota

Treesearch

Richard A. Cunningham; David F. Van Haverbeke

1991-01-01

A provenance test of 49 seed sources of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) from eastern Europe, Russia, and Siberia was established in two plantations in north-central North Dakota. After 22 years, trees from seed sources within the region bounded by 20° to 57° east longitude and 50° to 58° north latitude were taller, and larger in diameter, and had denser crown and...

Static and dynamic bending has minor effects on xylem hydraulics of conifer branches (Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris).

PubMed

Mayr, Stefan; Bertel, Clara; Dämon, Birgit; Beikircher, Barbara

2014-09-01

The xylem hydraulic efficiency and safety is usually measured on mechanically unstressed samples, although trees may be exposed to combined hydraulic and mechanical stress in the field. We analysed changes in hydraulic conductivity and vulnerability to drought-induced embolism during static bending of Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris branches as well as the effect of dynamic bending on the vulnerability. We hypothesized this mechanical stress to substantially impair xylem hydraulics. Intense static bending caused an only small decrease in hydraulic conductance (-19.5 ± 2.4% in P. abies) but no shift in vulnerability thresholds. Dynamic bending caused a 0.4 and 0.8 MPa decrease of the water potential at 50 and 88% loss of conductivity in P. sylvestris, but did not affect vulnerability thresholds in P. abies. With respect to applied extreme bending radii, effects on plant hydraulics were surprisingly small and are thus probably of minor eco-physiological importance. More importantly, results indicate that available xylem hydraulic analyses (of conifers) sufficiently reflect plant hydraulics under field conditions. © 2014 The Authors. Plant, Cell & Environment published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii from Eucalyptus camaldulensis in India.

PubMed Central

Chakrabarti, A; Jatana, M; Kumar, P; Chatha, L; Kaushal, A; Padhye, A A

1997-01-01

Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii has an ecological association with five Eucalyptus species: E. blakelyi, E. camaldulensis, E. gomphocephala, E. rudis, and E. tereticornis. After human infections due to C. neoformans var. gattii were diagnosed in the states of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Karnataka, India, a study was undertaken to investigate the association of C. neoformans var. gattii with Indian eucalypts, especially in the state of Punjab. A total of 696 specimens collected from E. camaldulensis, E. citriodora and E. tereticornis (hybrid) trees were examined for the presence of C. neoformans var. gattii. Flowers from two trees of E. camaldulensis in the Chak Sarkar forest and one from the village of Periana near the Ferozepur area yielded five isolates of C. neoformans var. gattii. The origin of the trees could be traced to Australia, thus providing evidence that the distribution of E. camaldulensis correlated with the distribution of human cryptococcosis cases caused by C. neoformans var. gattii in northern India. PMID:9399553

Effects of environmental conditions on onset of xylem growth in Pinus sylvestris under drought.

PubMed

Swidrak, Irene; Gruber, Andreas; Kofler, Werner; Oberhuber, Walter

2011-05-01

We determined the influence of environmental factors (air and soil temperature, precipitation, photoperiod) on onset of xylem growth in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) within a dry inner Alpine valley (750 m a.s.l., Tyrol, Austria) by repeatedly sampling micro-cores throughout 2007-10 at two sites (xeric and dry-mesic) at the start of the growing season. Temperature sums were calculated in degree-days (DD) ≥5 °C from 1 January and 20 March, i.e., spring equinox, to account for photoperiodic control of release from winter dormancy. Threshold temperatures at which xylogenesis had a 0.5 probability of being active were calculated by logistic regression. Onset of xylem growth, which was not significantly different between the xeric and dry-mesic sites, ranged from mid-April in 2007 to early May in 2008. Among most study years, statistically significant differences (P<0.05) in onset of xylem growth were detected. Mean air temperature sums calculated from 1 January until onset of xylem growth were 230 ± 44 DD (mean ± standard deviation) at the xeric site and 205 ± 36 DD at the dry-mesic site. Temperature sums calculated from spring equinox until onset of xylem growth showed somewhat less variability during the 4-year study period, amounting to 144 ± 10 and 137 ± 12 DD at the xeric and dry-mesic sites, respectively. At both sites, xylem growth was active when daily minimum, mean and maximum air temperatures were 5.3, 10.1 and 16.2 °C, respectively. Soil temperature thresholds and DD until onset of xylem growth differed significantly between sites, indicating minor importance of root-zone temperature for onset of xylem growth. Although spring precipitation is known to limit radial growth in P. sylvestris exposed to a dry inner Alpine climate, the results of this study revealed that (i) a daily minimum air temperature threshold for onset of xylem growth in the range 5-6 °C exists and (ii) air temperature sum rather than precipitation or soil temperature triggers

Empirical analysis on future-cash arbitrage risk with portfolio VaR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Rongda; Li, Cong; Wang, Weijin; Wang, Ze

2014-03-01

This paper constructs the positive arbitrage position by alternating the spot index with Chinese Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) portfolio and estimating the arbitrage-free interval of futures with the latest trade data. Then, an improved Delta-normal method was used, which replaces the simple linear correlation coefficient with tail dependence correlation coefficient, to measure VaR (Value-at-risk) of the arbitrage position. Analysis of VaR implies that the risk of future-cash arbitrage is less than that of investing completely in either futures or spot market. Then according to the compositional VaR and the marginal VaR, we should increase the futures position and decrease the spot position appropriately to minimize the VaR, which can minimize risk subject to certain revenues.

Distribution Management System Volt/VAR Evaluation | Grid Modernization |

Science.gov Websites

NREL Distribution Management System Volt/VAR Evaluation Distribution Management System Volt/VAR Evaluation This project involves building a prototype distribution management system testbed that links a GE Grid Solutions distribution management system to power hardware-in-the-loop testing. This setup is

Charting novel allergens from date palm pollen (Phoenix sylvestris) using homology driven proteomics.

PubMed

Saha, Bodhisattwa; Bhattacharya, Swati Gupta

2017-08-08

Pollen grains from Phoenix sylvestris (date palm), a commonly cultivated tree in India has been found to cause severe allergic diseases in an increasing percentage of hypersensitive individuals. To unearth its allergenic components, pollen protein were profiled by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis followed by immunoblotting with date palm pollen sensitive patient sera. Allergens were identified by MALDI-TOF/TOF employing a layered proteomic approach combining conventional database dependent search and manual de novo sequencing followed by homology-based search as Phoenix sylvestris is unsequenced. Derivatization of tryptic peptides by acetylation has been demonstrated to differentiate the 'b' from the 'y' ions facilitating efficient de novo sequencing. Ten allergenic proteins were identified, out of which six showed homology with known allergens while others were reported for the first time. Amongst these, isoflavone reductase, beta-conglycinin, S-adenosyl methionine synthase, 1, 4 glucan synthase and beta-galactosidase were commonly reported as allergens from coconut pollen and presumably responsible for cross-reactivity. One of the allergens had IgE binding epitope recognized by its glycan moiety. The allergenic potency of date palm pollen has been demonstrated using in vitro tests. The identified allergens can be used to develop vaccines for immunotherapy against date palm pollen allergy. Identification of allergenic proteins from sources harboring them is essential in developing therapeutic interventions. This is the first comprehensive study on the identification of allergens from Phoenix sylvestris (date palm) pollen, one of the major aeroallergens in India using a proteomic approach. Proteomic methods are being increasingly used to identify allergens. However, since many of these proteins arise from species which are un-sequenced, it becomes difficult to interpret those using conventional proteomics. Date palm being an unsequenced species, the Ig

40 CFR 80.170 - Volumetric additive reconciliation (VAR), equipment calibration, and recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., the preceding twelve months of VAR formula records plus the preceding two months of VAR supporting... request, the preceding two months of VAR formula records and VAR supporting documentation. (3) Facilities... accurately and separately measured, either through the use of a separate storage tank, a separate meter, or...

40 CFR 80.170 - Volumetric additive reconciliation (VAR), equipment calibration, and recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., the preceding twelve months of VAR formula records plus the preceding two months of VAR supporting... request, the preceding two months of VAR formula records and VAR supporting documentation. (3) Facilities... accurately and separately measured, either through the use of a separate storage tank, a separate meter, or...

40 CFR 80.170 - Volumetric additive reconciliation (VAR), equipment calibration, and recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., the preceding twelve months of VAR formula records plus the preceding two months of VAR supporting... request, the preceding two months of VAR formula records and VAR supporting documentation. (3) Facilities... accurately and separately measured, either through the use of a separate storage tank, a separate meter, or...

40 CFR 80.170 - Volumetric additive reconciliation (VAR), equipment calibration, and recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., the preceding twelve months of VAR formula records plus the preceding two months of VAR supporting... request, the preceding two months of VAR formula records and VAR supporting documentation. (3) Facilities... accurately and separately measured, either through the use of a separate storage tank, a separate meter, or...

40 CFR 80.170 - Volumetric additive reconciliation (VAR), equipment calibration, and recordkeeping requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., the preceding twelve months of VAR formula records plus the preceding two months of VAR supporting... request, the preceding two months of VAR formula records and VAR supporting documentation. (3) Facilities... accurately and separately measured, either through the use of a separate storage tank, a separate meter, or...

Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus lamk) wood waste as a textile natural dye by micowave-assisted extraction method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qadariyah, Lailatul; Gala, Selfina; Widoretno, Dhaniar Rulandri; Kunhermanti, Delita; Bhuana, Donny S.; Sumarno, Mahfud, Mahfud

2017-05-01

The development of technology causes most of textile industries in Indonesia prefer to use synthetic dyes in the fabric dyeing process. In fact, synthetic dyes is able to have negative effect since it is is toxic to the health of workers and environment. To resolve this issues, one way to do is to use natural dyes. One of untapped potential in Indonesia is wood waste of jackfruit from furniture industry. Jackfruit wood itself containing dyestuffs which gives yellow color pigment so that it can be used as an alternative source of natural dyes. The purpose of this research is to study the effect of extraction time, mass to solvent volume ratio, and microwave power to yield of dyes. The extract of dye analyzed by UV-Visible Spectrophotometer and GC-MS, along the coloring and endurance tests of natural dyes on fabric and compare it with synthetic dyes. In this research, material is going to be extracted is the wood of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus lamk) with material size between 35 mesh - 60 mesh. The extraction process is done by using ethanol 96%. Extraction using MAE is carried out at the ratio of materials to solvent of 0,02-0,1 g/mL, the microwave power of 100-800 Watt, and the extraction time of 10-90 minutes. The conclusion is at microwave power of 400 Watt, material to solvent ratio of the 0,02 g/mL, the yield is 3,39% while at microwave power of 600 Watt, material to solvent ratio of the 0,02 g/mL, the yield is 3,67% with extraction time of 30 minutes. The highest recovery from ethanol 96% solvent is 60,41%. The result of UV-Vis Spectrophotometry and GC-MS test show that there is a chromophore compound in the extract of natural dye. The test results show the natural dyes of jackfruit wood can be used to coloring on the textile because it can gives staining result permanently.

Annual climate variation modifies nitrogen induced carbon accumulation of Pinus sylvestris forests.

PubMed

Lim, Hyungwoo; Oren, Ram; Linder, Sune; From, Fredrik; Nordin, Annika; Fahlvik, Nils; Lundmark, Tomas; Näsholm, Torgny

2017-09-01

We report results from long-term simulated external nitrogen (N) input experiments in three northern Pinus sylvestris forests, two of moderately high and one of moderately low productivity, assessing effects on annual net primary production (NPP) of woody mass and its interannual variation in response to variability in weather conditions. A sigmoidal response of wood NPP to external N inputs was observed in the both higher and lower productivity stands, reaching a maximum of ~65% enhancement regardless of the native site productivity, saturating at an external N input of 4-5 g N·m -2 ·yr -1 . The rate of increase in wood NPP and the N response efficiency (RE N , increase in wood NPP per external N input) were maximized at an external N input of ~3 g N·m -2 ·yr -1 , regardless of site productivity. The maximum RE N was greater in the higher productivity than the lower productivity stand (~20 vs. ~14 g C/g N). The N-induced enhancement of wood NPP and its RE N were, however, markedly contingent on climatic variables. In both of the higher and lower productivity stands, wood NPP increased with growing season precipitation (P), but only up to ~400 mm. The sensitivity of the response to P increased with increasing external N inputs. Increasing growing season temperature (T) somewhat increased the N-induced drought effect, whereas decreasing T reduced the drought effect. These responses of wood NPP infused a large temporal variation to RE N , making the use of a fixed value unadvisable. Based on these results, we suggest that regional climate conditions and future climate scenarios should be considered when modeling carbon sequestration in response to N deposition in boreal P. sylvestris, and possibly other forests. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Comparative ozone responses of cutleaf coneflowers (Rudbeckia laciniata var. digitata, var. ampla) from Rocky Mountain and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks, USA.

PubMed

Neufeld, Howard S; Johnson, Jennifer; Kohut, Robert

2018-01-01

Cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata L. var. digitata) is native to Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM) and an ozone bioindicator species. Variety ampla, whose ozone sensitivity is less well known, is native to Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO). In the early 2000s, researchers found putative ozone symptoms on var. ampla and rhizomes were sent to Appalachian State University to verify that the symptoms were the result of ozone exposure. In 2011, potted plants were exposed to ambient ozone from May to August. These same plants were grown in open-top chambers (OTCs) in 2012 and 2013, and exposed to charcoal-filtered (CF), non-filtered (NF), elevated ozone (EO), NF+50ppb in 2012 for 47days and NF+30/NF+50ppb ozone in 2013 for 36 and 36days, respectively. Ozone symptoms similar to those found in ROMO (blue-black adaxial stippling) were reproduced both in ambient air and in the OTCs. Both varieties exhibited foliar injury in the OTCs in an exposure-dependent manner, verifying that symptoms resulted from ozone exposure. In two of the three study years, var. digitata appeared more sensitive than var. ampla. Exposure to EO caused reductions in ambient photosynthetic rate (A) and stomatal conductance (g s ) for both varieties. Light response curves indicated that ozone reduced A, g s , and the apparent quantum yield while it increased the light compensation point. In CF air, var. ampla had higher light saturated A (18.2±1.04 vs 11.6±0.37μmolm -2 s -1 ), higher light saturation (1833±166.7 vs 1108±141.7μmolm -2 s -1 ), and lower Ci/Ca ratio (0.67±0.01 vs 0.77±0.01) than var. digitata. Coneflowers in both Parks are adversely affected by exposure to ambient ozone and if ozone concentrations increase in the Rocky Mountains, greater amounts of injury on var. ampla can be expected. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

VARS-TOOL: A Comprehensive, Efficient, and Robust Sensitivity Analysis Toolbox

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razavi, S.; Sheikholeslami, R.; Haghnegahdar, A.; Esfahbod, B.

2016-12-01

VARS-TOOL is an advanced sensitivity and uncertainty analysis toolbox, applicable to the full range of computer simulation models, including Earth and Environmental Systems Models (EESMs). The toolbox was developed originally around VARS (Variogram Analysis of Response Surfaces), which is a general framework for Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) that utilizes the variogram/covariogram concept to characterize the full spectrum of sensitivity-related information, thereby providing a comprehensive set of "global" sensitivity metrics with minimal computational cost. VARS-TOOL is unique in that, with a single sample set (set of simulation model runs), it generates simultaneously three philosophically different families of global sensitivity metrics, including (1) variogram-based metrics called IVARS (Integrated Variogram Across a Range of Scales - VARS approach), (2) variance-based total-order effects (Sobol approach), and (3) derivative-based elementary effects (Morris approach). VARS-TOOL is also enabled with two novel features; the first one being a sequential sampling algorithm, called Progressive Latin Hypercube Sampling (PLHS), which allows progressively increasing the sample size for GSA while maintaining the required sample distributional properties. The second feature is a "grouping strategy" that adaptively groups the model parameters based on their sensitivity or functioning to maximize the reliability of GSA results. These features in conjunction with bootstrapping enable the user to monitor the stability, robustness, and convergence of GSA with the increase in sample size for any given case study. VARS-TOOL has been shown to achieve robust and stable results within 1-2 orders of magnitude smaller sample sizes (fewer model runs) than alternative tools. VARS-TOOL, available in MATLAB and Python, is under continuous development and new capabilities and features are forthcoming.

Pinus halepensis, Pinus pinaster, Pinus pinea and Pinus sylvestris Essential Oils Chemotypes and Monoterpene Hydrocarbon Enantiomers, before and after Inoculation with the Pinewood Nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Ana M; Mendes, Marta D; Lima, Ana S; Barbosa, Pedro M; Ascensão, Lia; Barroso, José G; Pedro, Luis G; Mota, Manuel M; Figueiredo, A Cristina

2017-01-01

Pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is the causal agent of pine wilt disease, a serious threat to global forest populations of conifers, especially Pinus spp. A time-course study of the essential oils (EOs) of 2-year-old Pinus halepensis, Pinus pinaster, Pinus pinea and Pinus sylvestris following inoculation with the PWN was performed. The constitutive and nematode inoculation induced EOs components were analyzed at both the wounding or inoculation areas and at the whole plant level. The enantiomeric ratio of optically active main EOs components was also evaluated. External symptoms of infection were observed only in P. pinaster and P. sylvestris 21 and 15 days after inoculation, respectively. The EO composition analysis of uninoculated and unwounded plants revealed the occurrence of chemotypes for P. pinaster, P. halepensis and P. sylvestris, whereas P. pinea showed a homogenous EO composition. When whole plants were evaluated for EO and monoterpene hydrocarbon enantiomeric chemical composition, no relevant qualitative and quantitative differences were found. Instead, EO analysis of inoculated and uninoculated wounded areas revealed an increase of sesquiterpenes and diterpenic compounds, especially in P. pinea and P. halepensis, comparatively to healthy whole plants EOs. © 2017 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

VarDetect: a nucleotide sequence variation exploratory tool

PubMed Central

Ngamphiw, Chumpol; Kulawonganunchai, Supasak; Assawamakin, Anunchai; Jenwitheesuk, Ekachai; Tongsima, Sissades

2008-01-01

Background Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most commonly studied units of genetic variation. The discovery of such variation may help to identify causative gene mutations in monogenic diseases and SNPs associated with predisposing genes in complex diseases. Accurate detection of SNPs requires software that can correctly interpret chromatogram signals to nucleotides. Results We present VarDetect, a stand-alone nucleotide variation exploratory tool that automatically detects nucleotide variation from fluorescence based chromatogram traces. Accurate SNP base-calling is achieved using pre-calculated peak content ratios, and is enhanced by rules which account for common sequence reading artifacts. The proposed software tool is benchmarked against four other well-known SNP discovery software tools (PolyPhred, novoSNP, Genalys and Mutation Surveyor) using fluorescence based chromatograms from 15 human genes. These chromatograms were obtained from sequencing 16 two-pooled DNA samples; a total of 32 individual DNA samples. In this comparison of automatic SNP detection tools, VarDetect achieved the highest detection efficiency. Availability VarDetect is compatible with most major operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Linux, and Mac OSX. The current version of VarDetect is freely available at . PMID:19091032

Genomic resources and draft assemblies of the human and porcine varieties of scabies mites, Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis and var. suis.

PubMed

Mofiz, Ehtesham; Holt, Deborah C; Seemann, Torsten; Currie, Bart J; Fischer, Katja; Papenfuss, Anthony T

2016-06-02

The scabies mite, Sarcoptes scabiei, is a parasitic arachnid and cause of the infectious skin disease scabies in humans and mange in other animal species. Scabies infections are a major health problem, particularly in remote Indigenous communities in Australia, where secondary group A streptococcal and Staphylococcus aureus infections of scabies sores are thought to drive the high rate of rheumatic heart disease and chronic kidney disease. We sequenced the genome of two samples of Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis obtained from unrelated patients with crusted scabies located in different parts of northern Australia using the Illumina HiSeq. We also sequenced samples of Sarcoptes scabiei var. suis from a pig model. Because of the small size of the scabies mite, these data are derived from pools of thousands of mites and are metagenomic, including host and microbiome DNA. We performed cleaning and de novo assembly and present Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis and var. suis draft reference genomes. We have constructed a preliminary annotation of this reference comprising 13,226 putative coding sequences based on sequence similarity to known proteins. We have developed extensive genomic resources for the scabies mite, including reference genomes and a preliminary annotation.

A VaR Algorithm for Warrants Portfolio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Jun; Ni, Liyun; Wang, Xiangrong; Chen, Weizhong

Based on Gamma Vega-Cornish Fish methodology, this paper propose the algorithm for calculating VaR via adjusting the quantile under the given confidence level using the four moments (e.g. mean, variance, skewness and kurtosis) of the warrants portfolio return and estimating the variance of portfolio by EWMA methodology. Meanwhile, the proposed algorithm considers the attenuation of the effect of history return on portfolio return of future days. Empirical study shows that, comparing with Gamma-Cornish Fish method and standard normal method, the VaR calculated by Gamma Vega-Cornish Fish can improve the effectiveness of forecasting the portfolio risk by virture of considering the Gamma risk and the Vega risk of the warrants. The significance test is conducted on the calculation results by employing two-tailed test developed by Kupiec. Test results show that the calculated VaRs of the warrants portfolio all pass the significance test under the significance level of 5%.

Leaves, flowers, immature fruits and leafy flowered stems of Malva sylvestris: a comparative study of the nutraceutical potential and composition.

PubMed

Barros, Lillian; Carvalho, Ana Maria; Ferreira, Isabel C F R

2010-06-01

Malva sylvestris is widely used in Mediterranean and European traditional medicine and ethnoveterinary for the treatment of external and internal inflammation, as well as injuries. Moreover, its use is not only limited to therapeutic purposes; but also the species is locally regarded as a food wild herb. Considering that antioxidants and free radical scavengers can exert also an anti-inflammatory effect, the extracts of different parts of the medicinal/edible plant M. sylvestris (leaves, flowers, immature fruits and leafy flowered stems) were compared for their nutraceutical potential (antioxidant properties) and chemical composition. Particularly, mallow leaves revealed very strong antioxidant properties including radical-scavenging activity (EC(50)=0.43 mg/mL), reducing power (0.07 mg/mL) and lipid peroxidation inhibition in lipossomes (0.04 mg/mL) and brain cells homogenates (0.09 mg/mL). This part of the plant is also the richest in nutraceuticals such as powerful antioxidants (phenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, and tocopherols), unsaturated fatty acids (e.g. alpha-linolenic acid), and minerals measured in ash content. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

VarMod: modelling the functional effects of non-synonymous variants

PubMed Central

Pappalardo, Morena; Wass, Mark N.

2014-01-01

Unravelling the genotype–phenotype relationship in humans remains a challenging task in genomics studies. Recent advances in sequencing technologies mean there are now thousands of sequenced human genomes, revealing millions of single nucleotide variants (SNVs). For non-synonymous SNVs present in proteins the difficulties of the problem lie in first identifying those nsSNVs that result in a functional change in the protein among the many non-functional variants and in turn linking this functional change to phenotype. Here we present VarMod (Variant Modeller) a method that utilises both protein sequence and structural features to predict nsSNVs that alter protein function. VarMod develops recent observations that functional nsSNVs are enriched at protein–protein interfaces and protein–ligand binding sites and uses these characteristics to make predictions. In benchmarking on a set of nearly 3000 nsSNVs VarMod performance is comparable to an existing state of the art method. The VarMod web server provides extensive resources to investigate the sequence and structural features associated with the predictions including visualisation of protein models and complexes via an interactive JSmol molecular viewer. VarMod is available for use at http://www.wasslab.org/varmod. PMID:24906884

Influence ofArtemisia princeps var.orientalis components on callus induction and growth.

PubMed

Kil, B S; Yun, K W; Lee, S Y

1992-08-01

An in vitro study was performed to determine the potential application of tissue culture in determining allelopathic potentialof Artemisia princeps var.Orientalis (wormwood). Aqueous extracts and volatile substances ofA. princeps var.Orientalis were tested to determine their effects on callus induction and growth of several tested species. Extracts of 5%A. princeps var.Orientalis caused some reduction in concentration, induction, and growth of callus, although they looked normal, whereas the expiants of most receptor plants did not develop callus at higher concentration. Lettuce andEclipta prostrata were the most sensitive species, andA. princeps var.Orientalis was affected by its own extracts. The growth of calluses in MS 121 medium treated with essential oil ofA. princeps var.Orientalis was inhibited, and the degree of inhibition was proportional to the concentration of the essential oil.

[Chemical Constituents of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis Aerial Parts].

PubMed

Yin, Wei; Song, Zu-rong; Liu, Jin-qi; Zhang, Guo-sheng

2015-09-01

To study the chemical constituents of aerial parts of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis . Aerial parts of Paris polyphylla var. chinensis was extracted with 95% EtOH, and separated and purified by silica gel, RP 18 and Sephadex LH-20 col- umn chromatography. The structures were identified by spectroscopic analysis. A total of ten compounds were isolated and iden- tified as β-sitosterol (1) ergosta-7, 22-dien-3-one (2), β-ecdysone (3), kaempferol (4), daucosterol (5) luteolin (6) calonysterone (7), luteolin-7-O-glucoside (8), quercetin (9), and 3β, 5α, 9α-trihydroxyergosta-7, 22-dien-6-one (10). Compounds 2,6 and 10 are isolated from Paris polyphylla var. chinensis for the first time.

A hybrid swarm population of Pinus densiflora x P. sylvestris hybrids inferred from sequence analysis of chloroplast DNA and morphological characters

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To confirm a hybrid swarm population of Pinus densiflora × P. sylvestris in Jilin, China and to study whether shoot apex morphology of 4-year old seedlings can be correlated with the sequence of a chloroplast DNA simple sequence repeat marker (cpDNA SSR), needles and seeds from P. densiflora, P. syl...

Assessment of wild grapevine (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris) chlorotypes and accompanying woody species in the Eastern Adriatic region.

PubMed

Butorac, Lukrecija; Hančević, Katarina; Lukšić, Katarina; Škvorc, Željko; Leko, Mario; Maul, Erika; Zdunić, Goran

2018-01-01

The Eastern Adriatic region, encompassing Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, is considered an important area of natural populations of wild grapevines (Vitis vinifera ssp. sylvestris). The wild grapevine arises in the Eastern Adriatic region in a contact zone of the EU-Mediterranean and the sub-Mediterranean characterized by typical karst relief. This study focuses on the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) analysis of wild grapevines and the biodiversity of accompanying woody species to better understand the genetic variation of the sylvestris populations of the Eastern Adriatic region and to investigate how this variation fits within today's wild grapevine distribution in the European continent. The allelic variation at nine cpDNA microsatellite loci of wild individuals was used to characterize haplotype diversity in 53 individuals from four population sites. All individuals were grouped into two chlorotypes: A and D, D being the rare haplotype among wild populations on the European continent. In total, 52 woody plant species were identified. However, the studied vegetation structures have been affected by permanent human pressure on natural resources and the preservation status of the collection sites. Based on our results, we conclude that the investigated areas were probably shelter zones for wild grapevine preservation during the unfavorable glaciation era.

VarMod: modelling the functional effects of non-synonymous variants.

PubMed

Pappalardo, Morena; Wass, Mark N

2014-07-01

Unravelling the genotype-phenotype relationship in humans remains a challenging task in genomics studies. Recent advances in sequencing technologies mean there are now thousands of sequenced human genomes, revealing millions of single nucleotide variants (SNVs). For non-synonymous SNVs present in proteins the difficulties of the problem lie in first identifying those nsSNVs that result in a functional change in the protein among the many non-functional variants and in turn linking this functional change to phenotype. Here we present VarMod (Variant Modeller) a method that utilises both protein sequence and structural features to predict nsSNVs that alter protein function. VarMod develops recent observations that functional nsSNVs are enriched at protein-protein interfaces and protein-ligand binding sites and uses these characteristics to make predictions. In benchmarking on a set of nearly 3000 nsSNVs VarMod performance is comparable to an existing state of the art method. The VarMod web server provides extensive resources to investigate the sequence and structural features associated with the predictions including visualisation of protein models and complexes via an interactive JSmol molecular viewer. VarMod is available for use at http://www.wasslab.org/varmod. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Semi-nonparametric VaR forecasts for hedge funds during the recent crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Del Brio, Esther B.; Mora-Valencia, Andrés; Perote, Javier

2014-05-01

The need to provide accurate value-at-risk (VaR) forecasting measures has triggered an important literature in econophysics. Although these accurate VaR models and methodologies are particularly demanded for hedge fund managers, there exist few articles specifically devoted to implement new techniques in hedge fund returns VaR forecasting. This article advances in these issues by comparing the performance of risk measures based on parametric distributions (the normal, Student’s t and skewed-t), semi-nonparametric (SNP) methodologies based on Gram-Charlier (GC) series and the extreme value theory (EVT) approach. Our results show that normal-, Student’s t- and Skewed t- based methodologies fail to forecast hedge fund VaR, whilst SNP and EVT approaches accurately success on it. We extend these results to the multivariate framework by providing an explicit formula for the GC copula and its density that encompasses the Gaussian copula and accounts for non-linear dependences. We show that the VaR obtained by the meta GC accurately captures portfolio risk and outperforms regulatory VaR estimates obtained through the meta Gaussian and Student’s t distributions.

Growth Response of Drought-Stressed Pinus sylvestris Seedlings to Single- and Multi-Species Inoculation with Ectomycorrhizal Fungi

PubMed Central

Kipfer, Tabea; Wohlgemuth, Thomas; van der Heijden, Marcel G. A.; Ghazoul, Jaboury; Egli, Simon

2012-01-01

Many trees species form symbiotic associations with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, which improve nutrient and water acquisition of their host. Until now it is unclear whether the species richness of ECM fungi is beneficial for tree seedling performance, be it during moist conditions or drought. We performed a pot experiment using Pinus sylvestris seedlings inoculated with four selected ECM fungi (Cenococcum geophilum, Paxillus involutus, Rhizopogon roseolus and Suillus granulatus) to investigate (i) whether these four ECM fungi, in monoculture or in species mixtures, affect growth of P. sylvestris seedlings, and (ii) whether this effect can be attributed to species number per se or to species identity. Two different watering regimes (moist vs. dry) were applied to examine the context-dependency of the results. Additionally, we assessed the activity of eight extracellular enzymes in the root tips. Shoot growth was enhanced in the presence of S. granulatus, but not by any other ECM fungal species. The positive effect of S. granulatus on shoot growth was more pronounced under moist (threefold increase) than under dry conditions (twofold increase), indicating that the investigated ECM fungi did not provide additional support during drought stress. The activity of secreted extracellular enzymes was higher in S. granulatus than in any other species. In conclusion, our findings suggest that ECM fungal species composition may affect seedling performance in terms of aboveground biomass. PMID:22496914

Growth response of drought-stressed Pinus sylvestris seedlings to single- and multi-species inoculation with ectomycorrhizal fungi.

PubMed

Kipfer, Tabea; Wohlgemuth, Thomas; van der Heijden, Marcel G A; Ghazoul, Jaboury; Egli, Simon

2012-01-01

Many trees species form symbiotic associations with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, which improve nutrient and water acquisition of their host. Until now it is unclear whether the species richness of ECM fungi is beneficial for tree seedling performance, be it during moist conditions or drought. We performed a pot experiment using Pinus sylvestris seedlings inoculated with four selected ECM fungi (Cenococcum geophilum, Paxillus involutus, Rhizopogon roseolus and Suillus granulatus) to investigate (i) whether these four ECM fungi, in monoculture or in species mixtures, affect growth of P. sylvestris seedlings, and (ii) whether this effect can be attributed to species number per se or to species identity. Two different watering regimes (moist vs. dry) were applied to examine the context-dependency of the results. Additionally, we assessed the activity of eight extracellular enzymes in the root tips. Shoot growth was enhanced in the presence of S. granulatus, but not by any other ECM fungal species. The positive effect of S. granulatus on shoot growth was more pronounced under moist (threefold increase) than under dry conditions (twofold increase), indicating that the investigated ECM fungi did not provide additional support during drought stress. The activity of secreted extracellular enzymes was higher in S. granulatus than in any other species. In conclusion, our findings suggest that ECM fungal species composition may affect seedling performance in terms of aboveground biomass.

The utility of Pinus sylvestris L. in dendrochemical investigations: pollution impact of lead mining and smelting in Darley Dale, Derbyshire, UK.

PubMed

Lageard, J G A; Howell, J A; Rothwell, J J; Drew, I B

2008-05-01

This research investigates atmospheric pollution from an isolated and increasingly productive lead-smelting site by examining the dendrochemistry of Pinus sylvestris growing in the local environment and at control sites. Tree increment cores and soil in the rooting environment were analysed for lead content. Inter-site comparisons of lead-in-soil suggest that contamination of the soil may be a less important pathway for lead inclusion within wood than pathways via bark or needles. Levels of lead-in-wood (up to 38mgkg(-1)) are at the upper end of those previously reported. There is evidence of radial translocation of lead towards the heartwood and variability in intra-site dendrochemical records. Mean site lead-in-wood records can however be related to a well-documented pollution chronology and also suggest the importance of local topography in the dispersal and deposition of particulate lead. This study demonstrates that P. sylvestris can be used to estimate the scale and timing of past pollution episodes in similar environmental contexts to those investigated at Darley Dale, where precisely dated pollution chronologies are lacking.

Resistance to Southern Root-knot Nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) in Wild Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides)

PubMed Central

Thies, Judy A.; Ariss, Jennifer J.; Kousik, Chandrasekar S.; Hassell, Richard L.; Levi, Amnon

2016-01-01

Southern root-knot nematode (RKN, Meloidogyne incognita) is a serious pest of cultivated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) in southern regions of the United States and no resistance is known to exist in commercial watermelon cultivars. Wild watermelon relatives (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) have been shown in greenhouse studies to possess varying degrees of resistance to RKN species. Experiments were conducted over 2 yr to assess resistance of southern RKN in C. lanatus var. citroides accessions from the U.S. Watermelon Plant Introduction Collection in an artificially infested field site at the U.S. Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston, SC. In the first study (2006), 19 accessions of C. lanatus var. citroides were compared with reference entries of Citrullus colocynthis and C. lanatus var. lanatus. Of the wild watermelon accessions, two entries exhibited significantly less galling than all other entries. Five of the best performing C. lanatus var. citroides accessions were evaluated with and without nematicide at the same field site in 2007. Citrullus lanatus var. citroides accessions performed better than C. lanatus var. lanatus and C. colocynthis. Overall, most entries of C. lanatus var. citroides performed similarly with and without nematicide treatment in regard to root galling, visible egg masses, vine vigor, and root mass. In both years of field evaluations, most C. lanatus var. citroides accessions showed lesser degrees of nematode reproduction and higher vigor and root mass than C. colocynthis and C. lanatus var. lanatus. The results of these two field evaluations suggest that wild watermelon populations may be useful sources of resistance to southern RKN. PMID:27168648

Resistance to Southern Root-knot Nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) in Wild Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides).

PubMed

Thies, Judy A; Ariss, Jennifer J; Kousik, Chandrasekar S; Hassell, Richard L; Levi, Amnon

2016-03-01

Southern root-knot nematode (RKN, Meloidogyne incognita) is a serious pest of cultivated watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) in southern regions of the United States and no resistance is known to exist in commercial watermelon cultivars. Wild watermelon relatives (Citrullus lanatus var. citroides) have been shown in greenhouse studies to possess varying degrees of resistance to RKN species. Experiments were conducted over 2 yr to assess resistance of southern RKN in C. lanatus var. citroides accessions from the U.S. Watermelon Plant Introduction Collection in an artificially infested field site at the U.S. Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston, SC. In the first study (2006), 19 accessions of C. lanatus var. citroides were compared with reference entries of Citrullus colocynthis and C. lanatus var. lanatus. Of the wild watermelon accessions, two entries exhibited significantly less galling than all other entries. Five of the best performing C. lanatus var. citroides accessions were evaluated with and without nematicide at the same field site in 2007. Citrullus lanatus var. citroides accessions performed better than C. lanatus var. lanatus and C. colocynthis. Overall, most entries of C. lanatus var. citroides performed similarly with and without nematicide treatment in regard to root galling, visible egg masses, vine vigor, and root mass. In both years of field evaluations, most C. lanatus var. citroides accessions showed lesser degrees of nematode reproduction and higher vigor and root mass than C. colocynthis and C. lanatus var. lanatus. The results of these two field evaluations suggest that wild watermelon populations may be useful sources of resistance to southern RKN.

Optimizing expression of the pregnancy malaria vaccine candidate, VAR2CSA in Pichia pastoris.

PubMed

Avril, Marion; Hathaway, Marianne J; Cartwright, Megan M; Gose, Severin O; Narum, David L; Smith, Joseph D

2009-06-29

VAR2CSA is the main candidate for a vaccine against pregnancy-associated malaria, but vaccine development is complicated by the large size and complex disulfide bonding pattern of the protein. Recent X-ray crystallographic information suggests that domain boundaries of VAR2CSA Duffy binding-like (DBL) domains may be larger than previously predicted and include two additional cysteine residues. This study investigated whether longer constructs would improve VAR2CSA recombinant protein secretion from Pichia pastoris and if domain boundaries were applicable across different VAR2CSA alleles. VAR2CSA sequences were bioinformatically analysed to identify the predicted C11 and C12 cysteine residues at the C-termini of DBL domains and revised N- and C-termimal domain boundaries were predicted in VAR2CSA. Multiple construct boundaries were systematically evaluated for protein secretion in P. pastoris and secreted proteins were tested as immunogens. From a total of 42 different VAR2CSA constructs, 15 proteins (36%) were secreted. Longer construct boundaries, including the predicted C11 and C12 cysteine residues, generally improved expression of poorly or non-secreted domains and permitted expression of all six VAR2CSA DBL domains. However, protein secretion was still highly empiric and affected by subtle differences in domain boundaries and allelic variation between VAR2CSA sequences. Eleven of the secreted proteins were used to immunize rabbits. Antibodies reacted with CSA-binding infected erythrocytes, indicating that P. pastoris recombinant proteins possessed native protein epitopes. These findings strengthen emerging data for a revision of DBL domain boundaries in var-encoded proteins and may facilitate pregnancy malaria vaccine development.

Optimizing expression of the pregnancy malaria vaccine candidate, VAR2CSA in Pichia pastoris

PubMed Central

Avril, Marion; Hathaway, Marianne J; Cartwright, Megan M; Gose, Severin O; Narum, David L; Smith, Joseph D

2009-01-01

Background VAR2CSA is the main candidate for a vaccine against pregnancy-associated malaria, but vaccine development is complicated by the large size and complex disulfide bonding pattern of the protein. Recent X-ray crystallographic information suggests that domain boundaries of VAR2CSA Duffy binding-like (DBL) domains may be larger than previously predicted and include two additional cysteine residues. This study investigated whether longer constructs would improve VAR2CSA recombinant protein secretion from Pichia pastoris and if domain boundaries were applicable across different VAR2CSA alleles. Methods VAR2CSA sequences were bioinformatically analysed to identify the predicted C11 and C12 cysteine residues at the C-termini of DBL domains and revised N- and C-termimal domain boundaries were predicted in VAR2CSA. Multiple construct boundaries were systematically evaluated for protein secretion in P. pastoris and secreted proteins were tested as immunogens. Results From a total of 42 different VAR2CSA constructs, 15 proteins (36%) were secreted. Longer construct boundaries, including the predicted C11 and C12 cysteine residues, generally improved expression of poorly or non-secreted domains and permitted expression of all six VAR2CSA DBL domains. However, protein secretion was still highly empiric and affected by subtle differences in domain boundaries and allelic variation between VAR2CSA sequences. Eleven of the secreted proteins were used to immunize rabbits. Antibodies reacted with CSA-binding infected erythrocytes, indicating that P. pastoris recombinant proteins possessed native protein epitopes. Conclusion These findings strengthen emerging data for a revision of DBL domain boundaries in var-encoded proteins and may facilitate pregnancy malaria vaccine development. PMID:19563628

Efficient transformation and expression of gfp gene in Valsa mali var. mali.

PubMed

Chen, Liang; Sun, Gengwu; Wu, Shujing; Liu, Huixiang; Wang, Hongkai

2015-01-01

Valsa mali var. mali, the causal agent of valsa canker of apple, causes great loss of apple production in apple producing regions. The pathogenic mechanism of the pathogen has not been studied extensively, thus a suitable gene marker for pathogenic invasion analysis and a random insertion of T-DNA for mutants are desirable. In this paper, we reported the construction of a binary vector pKO1-HPH containing a positive selective gene hygromycin phosphotransferase (hph), a reporter gene gfp conferring green fluorescent protein, and an efficient protocol for V. mali var. mali transformation mediated by Agrobacterium tumefaciens. A transformation efficiency up to about 75 transformants per 10(5) conidia was achieved when co-cultivation of V. mali var. mali and A. tumefaciens for 48 h in A. tumefaciens inductive medium agar plates. The insertions of hph gene and gfp gene into V. mali var. mali genome verified by polymerase chain reaction and southern blot analysis showed that 10 randomly-selected transformants exhibited a single, unique hybridization pattern. This is the first report of A. tumefaciens-mediated transformation of V. mali var mali carrying a 'reporter' gfp gene that stably and efficiently expressed in the transformed V. mali var. mali species.

Murine Model for Preclinical Studies of Var2CSA-Mediated Pathology Associated with Malaria in Pregnancy

PubMed Central

Dechavanne, Sebastien; Sousa, Patrícia M.; Barateiro, André; Cunha, Sónia F.; Nunes-Silva, Sofia; Lima, Flávia A.; Murillo, Oscar; Marinho, Claudio R. F.; Gangnard, Stephane; Srivastava, Anand; Braks, Joanna A.; Janse, Chris J.; Gamain, Benoit; Penha-Gonçalves, Carlos

2016-01-01

Plasmodium falciparum infection during pregnancy leads to abortions, stillbirth, low birth weight, and maternal mortality. Infected erythrocytes (IEs) accumulate in the placenta by adhering to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) via var2CSA protein exposed on the P. falciparum IE membrane. Plasmodium berghei IE infection in pregnant BALB/c mice is a model for severe placental malaria (PM). Here, we describe a transgenic P. berghei parasite expressing the full-length var2CSA extracellular region (domains DBL1X to DBL6ε) fused to a P. berghei exported protein (EMAP1) and characterize a var2CSA-based mouse model of PM. BALB/c mice were infected at midgestation with different doses of P. berghei-var2CSA (P. berghei-VAR) or P. berghei wild-type IEs. Infection with 104 P. berghei-VAR IEs induced a higher incidence of stillbirth and lower fetal weight than P. berghei. At doses of 105 and 106 IEs, P. berghei-VAR-infected mice showed increased maternal mortality during pregnancy and fetal loss, respectively. Parasite loads in infected placentas were similar between parasite lines despite differences in maternal outcomes. Fetal weight loss normalized for parasitemia was higher in P. berghei-VAR-infected mice than in P. berghei-infected mice. In vitro assays showed that higher numbers of P. berghei-VAR IEs than P. berghei IEs adhered to placental tissue. Immunization of mice with P. berghei-VAR elicited IgG antibodies reactive to DBL1-6 recombinant protein, indicating that the topology of immunogenic epitopes is maintained between DBL1-6–EMAP1 on P. berghei-VAR and recombinant DBL1-6 (recDBL1-6). Our data suggested that impairments in pregnancy caused by P. berghei-VAR infection were attributable to var2CSA expression. This model provides a tool for preclinical evaluation of protection against PM induced by approaches that target var2CSA. PMID:27045035

Characterization of 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci of Pityopsis graminifolia var. latifolia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pityopsis graminifolia (Michx.) Small var. latifolia (Fern.) Semple is an herbaceous perennial that grows in close proximity to the federally endangered species P. ruthii (Small) Small. Twelve polymorphic microsatellite loci were identified from 87 samples of P. graminifolia var. latifolia and addit...

Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Malva sylvestris, Sida cordifolia, and Pelargonium graveolens Is Related to Inhibition of Prostanoid Production.

PubMed

Martins, Cleverson Antonio Ferreira; Campos, Michel Leandro; Irioda, Ana Carolina; Stremel, Dile Pontarolo; Trindade, Angela Cristina Leal Badaró; Pontarolo, Roberto

2017-11-03

The ability of plant extracts and preparations to reduce inflammation has been proven by different means in experimental models. Since inflammation enhances the release of specific mediators, inhibition of their production can be used to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of plants widely used in folk medicine for this purpose. The study was performed for leaves and flowers of Malva sylvestris , and leaves of Sida cordifolia and Pelargonium graveolens . These are three plant species known in Brazil as Malva. The anti-inflammatory activity of extracts and fractions (hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, and residual) was evaluated by quantitation of prostaglandins (PG) PGE₂, PGD₂, PGF 2α , and thromboxane B₂ (the stable nonenzymatic product of TXA₂) concentration in the supernatant of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- induced RAW 264.7 cells. Inhibition of anti-inflammatory mediator release was observed for plants mainly in the crude extract, ethyl acetate fraction, and residual fraction. The results suggest superior activity of S. cordifolia , leading to significantly lower values of all mediators after treatment with its residual fraction, even at the lower concentration tested (10 μg/mL). M. sylvestris and P. graveolens showed similar results, such as the reduction of all mediators after treatment, with leaf crude extracts (50 μg/mL). These results suggest that the three species known as Malva have anti-inflammatory properties, S. cordifolia being the most potent.

Antifungal activities of the essential oil and its fractions rich in sesquiterpenes from leaves of Casearia sylvestris Sw.

PubMed

Pereira, Flaviane G; Marquete, Ronaldo; Domingos, Levy T; Rocha, Marco E N; Ferreira-Pereira, Antonio; Mansur, Elisabeth; Moreira, Davyson L

2017-01-01

Casearia genus (Salicaceae) is found in sub-tropical and tropical regions of the world and comprises about 160-200 species. It is a medicinal plant used in South America, also known as "guaçatonga", "erva-de-tiú", "cafezinho-do-mato". In Brazil, there are about 48 species and 12 are registered in the State of Rio de Janeiro, including Casearia sylvestris Sw. There are many studies related to the chemical profile and cytotoxic activities of extracts from these plants, although few studies about the antifungal potential of the essential oil have been reported. In this work, we have studied the antifungal properties of the essential oil of C. sylvestris leaves, as well as of their fractions, against four yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisae, Candida albicans, C. glabrata and C. krusei) for the first time. The chemical analysis of the essential oil revealed a very diversified (n = 21 compounds) volatile fraction composed mainly of non-oxygenated sesquiterpenes (72.1%). These sesquiterpenes included α-humulene (17.8%) and α-copaene (8.5%) and the oxygenated sesquiterpene spathulenol (11.8%) were also identified. Monoterpenes were not identified. The fractions are mainly composed of oxygenated sesquiterpenes, and the most active fraction is rich in the sesquiterpene 14-hydroxy -9-epi-β-caryophyllene. This fraction was the most effective in inhibiting the growth of three yeast strains.

Individual traits as determinants of time to death under extreme drought in Pinus sylvestris L.

PubMed

Garcia-Forner, Núria; Sala, Anna; Biel, Carme; Savé, Robert; Martínez-Vilalta, Jordi

2016-10-01

Plants exhibit a variety of drought responses involving multiple interacting traits and processes, which makes predictions of drought survival challenging. Careful evaluation of responses within species, where individuals share broadly similar drought resistance strategies, can provide insight into the relative importance of different traits and processes. We subjected Pinus sylvestris L. saplings to extreme drought (no watering) leading to death in a greenhouse to (i) determine the relative effect of predisposing factors and responses to drought on survival time, (ii) identify and rank the importance of key predictors of time to death and (iii) compare individual characteristics of dead and surviving trees sampled concurrently. Time until death varied over 3 months among individual trees (from 29 to 147 days). Survival time was best predicted (higher explained variance and impact on the median survival time) by variables related to carbon uptake and carbon/water economy before and during drought. Trees with higher concentrations of monosaccharides before the beginning of the drought treatment and with higher assimilation rates prior to and during the treatment survived longer (median survival time increased 25-70 days), even at the expense of higher water loss. Dead trees exhibited less than half the amount of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) in branches, stem and relative to surviving trees sampled concurrently. Overall, our results indicate that the maintenance of carbon assimilation to prevent acute depletion of NSC content above some critical level appears to be the main factor explaining survival time of P. sylvestris trees under extreme drought. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Postglacial recolonization history of the European crabapple (Malus sylvestris Mill.), a wild contributor to the domesticated apple.

PubMed

Cornille, A; Giraud, T; Bellard, C; Tellier, A; Le Cam, B; Smulders, M J M; Kleinschmit, J; Roldan-Ruiz, I; Gladieux, P

2013-04-01

Understanding the way in which the climatic oscillations of the Quaternary Period have shaped the distribution and genetic structure of extant tree species provides insight into the processes driving species diversification, distribution and survival. Deciphering the genetic consequences of past climatic change is also critical for the conservation and sustainable management of forest and tree genetic resources, a timely endeavour as the Earth heads into a period of fast climate change. We used a combination of genetic data and ecological niche models to investigate the historical patterns of biogeographic range expansion of a wild fruit tree, the European crabapple (Malus sylvestris), a wild contributor to the domesticated apple. Both climatic predictions for the last glacial maximum and analyses of microsatellite variation indicated that M. sylvestris experienced range contraction and fragmentation. Bayesian clustering analyses revealed a clear pattern of genetic structure, with one genetic cluster spanning a large area in Western Europe and two other genetic clusters with a more limited distribution range in Eastern Europe, one around the Carpathian Mountains and the other restricted to the Balkan Peninsula. Approximate Bayesian computation appeared to be a powerful technique for inferring the history of these clusters, supporting a scenario of simultaneous differentiation of three separate glacial refugia. Admixture between these three populations was found in their suture zones. A weak isolation by distance pattern was detected within each population, indicating a high extent of historical gene flow for the European crabapple. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Mitochondrial respiratory pathways modulate nitrate sensing and nitrogen-dependent regulation of plant architecture in Nicotiana sylvestris

PubMed Central

Pellny, Till K; Van Aken, Olivier; Dutilleul, Christelle; Wolff, Tonja; Groten, Karin; Bor, Melike; De Paepe, Rosine; Reyss, Agnès; Van Breusegem, Frank; Noctor, Graham; Foyer, Christine H

2008-01-01

Mitochondrial electron transport pathways exert effects on carbon–nitrogen (C/N) relationships. To examine whether mitochondria–N interactions also influence plant growth and development, we explored the responses of roots and shoots to external N supply in wild-type (WT) Nicotiana sylvestris and the cytoplasmic male sterile II (CMSII) mutant, which has a N-rich phenotype. Root architecture in N. sylvestris seedlings showed classic responses to nitrate and sucrose availability. In contrast, CMSII showed an altered ‘nitrate-sensing’ phenotype with decreased sensitivity to C and N metabolites. The WT growth phenotype was restored in CMSII seedling roots by high nitrate plus sugars and in shoots by gibberellic acid (GA). Genome-wide cDNA-amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) analysis of leaves from mature plants revealed that only a small subset of transcripts was altered in CMSII. Tissue abscisic acid content was similar in CMSII and WT roots and shoots, and growth responses to zeatin were comparable. However, the abundance of key transcripts associated with GA synthesis was modified both by the availability of N and by the CMSII mutation. The CMSII mutant maintained a much higher shoot/root ratio at low N than WT, whereas no difference was observed at high N. Shoot/root ratios were strikingly correlated with root amines/nitrate ratios, values of <1 being characteristic of high N status. We propose a model in which the amine/nitrate ratio interacts with GA signalling and respiratory pathways to regulate the partitioning of biomass between shoots and roots. PMID:18318685

Selectivity of Pinus sylvestris extract and essential oil to estrogen-insensitive breast cancer cells Pinus sylvestris against cancer cells

PubMed Central

Hoai, Nguyen Thi; Duc, Ho Viet; Thao, Do Thi; Orav, Anne; Raal, Ain

2015-01-01

Background: So far, the anticancer action of pine tree extracts has mainly been shown for the species distributed widely around the Asian countries. Objective: Therefore, this study was performed to examine the potential cytotoxicity of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) native also to the European region and growing widely in Estonia. Materials and Methods: The cytotoxic activity of methanol extract and essential oil of Scots pine needles was determined by sulforhodamine B assay in different human cancer cell lines. Results: This needle extract was found to suppress the viability of several human cancer cell lines showing some selectivity to estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231(half maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] 35 μg/ml) in comparison with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells, MCF-7 (IC50 86 μg/ml). It is the strongest cytotoxic effect at all measured, thus far for the needles and leaves extracts derived from various pine species, and is also the first study comparing the anticancer effects of pine tree extracts on molecularly different human breast cancer cells. The essential oil showed the stronger cytotoxic effect to both negative and positive breast cancer cell lines (both IC50 29 μg/ml) than pine extract (IC50 42 and 80 μg/ml, respectively). Conclusion: The data from this report indicate that Scots pine needles extract and essential oil exhibits some potential as chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic agent for mammary tumors unresponsive to endocrine treatment. PMID:26664017

Selectivity of Pinus sylvestris extract and essential oil to estrogen-insensitive breast cancer cells Pinus sylvestris against cancer cells.

PubMed

Hoai, Nguyen Thi; Duc, Ho Viet; Thao, Do Thi; Orav, Anne; Raal, Ain

2015-10-01

So far, the anticancer action of pine tree extracts has mainly been shown for the species distributed widely around the Asian countries. Therefore, this study was performed to examine the potential cytotoxicity of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) native also to the European region and growing widely in Estonia. The cytotoxic activity of methanol extract and essential oil of Scots pine needles was determined by sulforhodamine B assay in different human cancer cell lines. This needle extract was found to suppress the viability of several human cancer cell lines showing some selectivity to estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231(half maximal inhibitory concentration [IC50] 35 μg/ml) in comparison with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells, MCF-7 (IC50 86 μg/ml). It is the strongest cytotoxic effect at all measured, thus far for the needles and leaves extracts derived from various pine species, and is also the first study comparing the anticancer effects of pine tree extracts on molecularly different human breast cancer cells. The essential oil showed the stronger cytotoxic effect to both negative and positive breast cancer cell lines (both IC50 29 μg/ml) than pine extract (IC50 42 and 80 μg/ml, respectively). The data from this report indicate that Scots pine needles extract and essential oil exhibits some potential as chemopreventive or chemotherapeutic agent for mammary tumors unresponsive to endocrine treatment.

Yeast two-hybrid and pull-down assays propose an interaction between P50 of apple chlorotic leaf spot virus and PR-10 of Malus sylvestris cv. R12740-7A.

PubMed

Wang, Y; Li, N; Zhao, X; Hu, J; He, Y; Hu, T; Wang, S; Wang, Y; Cao, K

Apple chlorotic leaf spot virus (ACLSV) movement protein (P50) is involved in cell-to-cell transport and influences the long-distance spread of silencing activity. Previously, we obtained 69 P50-interacting proteins from Malus sylvestris cv. R12740-7A and using bioinformatics analyzed their biological functions. In this study, we used the GAL4-based two-hybrid yeast system and His pull-down assays to confirm an interaction between PR-10 of M. sylvestris cv. R12740-7A and ACLSV P50. Our results provide a theoretical basis for further research on the biological function of PR-10 in ACLSV infection and the interacting mechanism between host and virus.

Arundina graminifolia var. revoluta (Arethuseae, Orchidaceae) has fern-type rheophyte characteristics in the leaves.

PubMed

Yorifuji, Eri; Ishikawa, Naoko; Okada, Hiroshi; Tsukaya, Hirokazu

2015-03-01

Morphological and molecular variation between Arundina graminifolia var. graminifolia and the dwarf variety, A. graminifolia var. revoluta, was examined to assess the validity of their taxonomic characteristics and genetic background for identification. Morphological analysis in combination with field observations indicated that A. graminifolia var. revoluta is a rheophyte form of A. graminifolia characterized by narrow leaves, whereas the other morphological characteristics described for A. graminifolia var. revoluta, such as smaller flowers and short stems, were not always accompanied by the narrower leaf phenotype. Molecular analysis based on matK sequences indicated that only partial differentiation has occurred between A. graminifolia var. graminifolia and A. graminifolia var. revoluta. Therefore, we should consider the rheophyte form an ecotype rather than a variety. Anatomical observations of the leaves revealed that the rheophyte form of A. graminifolia possessed characteristics of the rheophytes of both ferns and angiosperms, such as narrower palisade tissue cells and thinner spongy tissue cells, as well as fewer cells in the leaf-width direction and fewer mesophyll cell layers.

Extremum Seeking Control of Smart Inverters for VAR Compensation

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

Arnold, Daniel; Negrete-Pincetic, Matias; Stewart, Emma

2015-09-04

Reactive power compensation is used by utilities to ensure customer voltages are within pre-defined tolerances and reduce system resistive losses. While much attention has been paid to model-based control algorithms for reactive power support and Volt Var Optimization (VVO), these strategies typically require relatively large communications capabilities and accurate models. In this work, a non-model-based control strategy for smart inverters is considered for VAR compensation. An Extremum Seeking control algorithm is applied to modulate the reactive power output of inverters based on real power information from the feeder substation, without an explicit feeder model. Simulation results using utility demand informationmore » confirm the ability of the control algorithm to inject VARs to minimize feeder head real power consumption. In addition, we show that the algorithm is capable of improving feeder voltage profiles and reducing reactive power supplied by the distribution substation.« less

VarDict: a novel and versatile variant caller for next-generation sequencing in cancer research

PubMed Central

Lai, Zhongwu; Markovets, Aleksandra; Ahdesmaki, Miika; Chapman, Brad; Hofmann, Oliver; McEwen, Robert; Johnson, Justin; Dougherty, Brian; Barrett, J. Carl; Dry, Jonathan R.

2016-01-01

Abstract Accurate variant calling in next generation sequencing (NGS) is critical to understand cancer genomes better. Here we present VarDict, a novel and versatile variant caller for both DNA- and RNA-sequencing data. VarDict simultaneously calls SNV, MNV, InDels, complex and structural variants, expanding the detected genetic driver landscape of tumors. It performs local realignments on the fly for more accurate allele frequency estimation. VarDict performance scales linearly to sequencing depth, enabling ultra-deep sequencing used to explore tumor evolution or detect tumor DNA circulating in blood. In addition, VarDict performs amplicon aware variant calling for polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based targeted sequencing often used in diagnostic settings, and is able to detect PCR artifacts. Finally, VarDict also detects differences in somatic and loss of heterozygosity variants between paired samples. VarDict reprocessing of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) Lung Adenocarcinoma dataset called known driver mutations in KRAS, EGFR, BRAF, PIK3CA and MET in 16% more patients than previously published variant calls. We believe VarDict will greatly facilitate application of NGS in clinical cancer research. PMID:27060149

iVAR: a program for imputing missing data in multivariate time series using vector autoregressive models.

PubMed

Liu, Siwei; Molenaar, Peter C M

2014-12-01

This article introduces iVAR, an R program for imputing missing data in multivariate time series on the basis of vector autoregressive (VAR) models. We conducted a simulation study to compare iVAR with three methods for handling missing data: listwise deletion, imputation with sample means and variances, and multiple imputation ignoring time dependency. The results showed that iVAR produces better estimates for the cross-lagged coefficients than do the other three methods. We demonstrate the use of iVAR with an empirical example of time series electrodermal activity data and discuss the advantages and limitations of the program.

An unusual clinical presentation of tinea faciei caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. erinacei.

PubMed

Lee, Deok-Woo; Yang, Ji-Hye; Choi, Seok-Joo; Won, Chong-Hyun; Chang, Sung-Eun; Lee, Mi-Woo; Choi, Jee-Ho; Moon, Kee-Chan; Kim, Mi-Na

2011-01-01

Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. erinacei, the natural host of which is the hedgehog, has been found to cause highly inflammatory and pruritic eruptions, including tinea manuum, tinea corporis, nail infection, kerion, scalp infection, and tinea barbae. To our knowledge, however, no reports have been made of tinea faciei caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. erinacei in the English language literature. We provide here the case of tinea faciei caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes var. erinacei. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Population genetic relationships between Casearia sylvestris (Salicaceae) varieties occurring sympatrically and allopatrically in different ecosystems in south-east Brazil.

PubMed

Cavallari, Marcelo Mattos; Gimenes, Marcos Aparecido; Billot, Claire; Torres, Roseli Buzanelli; Zucchi, Maria Imaculada; Cavalheiro, Alberto Jose; Bouvet, Jean-Marc

2010-10-01

Species delimitation can be problematic, and recently diverged taxa are sometimes viewed as the extremes of a species' continuum in response to environmental conditions. Using population genetic approaches, this study assessed the relationship between two Casearia sylvestris (Salicaceae) varieties, which occur sympatrically and allopatrically in the landscape of south-east Brazil, where intermediate types are also found. In total, 376 individuals from nine populations in four different ecosystems were sampled, and nine microsatellite markers were used to assess the relative effects of the ecosystems and varieties on the distribution of genetic diversity among populations of this species. As a by-product of this study, several PCR products with more than two alleles were observed. The possibility that extra bands represent non-specific amplification or PCR artefacts was discarded by sequencing a sample of these bands. We suggest that (partial) genome duplication in C. sylvestris most probably explains this phenomenon, which may be a key factor in the differentiation of the two taxa, as it was markedly more frequent in one of the varieties. AMOVA indicated that approx. 22 % of the total genetic diversity was found between the two varieties. Bayesian analysis identified varieties and ecosystems as evolutionary units, rather than the individual populations sampled. The results are in agreement with field observations and support the recognition of two varieties, as well as documenting the occurrence of hybridization between them.

Feasibility of Stochastic Voltage/VAr Optimization Considering Renewable Energy Resources for Smart Grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Momoh, James A.; Salkuti, Surender Reddy

2016-06-01

This paper proposes a stochastic optimization technique for solving the Voltage/VAr control problem including the load demand and Renewable Energy Resources (RERs) variation. The RERs often take along some inputs like stochastic behavior. One of the important challenges i. e., Voltage/VAr control is a prime source for handling power system complexity and reliability, hence it is the fundamental requirement for all the utility companies. There is a need for the robust and efficient Voltage/VAr optimization technique to meet the peak demand and reduction of system losses. The voltages beyond the limit may damage costly sub-station devices and equipments at consumer end as well. Especially, the RERs introduces more disturbances and some of the RERs are not even capable enough to meet the VAr demand. Therefore, there is a strong need for the Voltage/VAr control in RERs environment. This paper aims at the development of optimal scheme for Voltage/VAr control involving RERs. In this paper, Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) method is used to cover full range of variables by maximally satisfying the marginal distribution. Here, backward scenario reduction technique is used to reduce the number of scenarios effectively and maximally retain the fitting accuracy of samples. The developed optimization scheme is tested on IEEE 24 bus Reliability Test System (RTS) considering the load demand and RERs variation.

Pinosylvin and monomethylpinosylvin, constituents of an extract from the knot of Pinus sylvestris, reduce inflammatory gene expression and inflammatory responses in vivo.

PubMed

Laavola, Mirka; Nieminen, Riina; Leppänen, Tiina; Eckerman, Christer; Holmbom, Bjarne; Moilanen, Eeva

2015-04-08

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is known to be rich in phenolic compounds, which may have anti-inflammatory properties. The present study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of a knot extract from P. sylvestris and two stilbenes, pinosylvin and monomethylpinosylvin, isolated from the extract. Inflammation is characterized by increased release of pro-inflammatory and regulatory mediators including nitric oxide (NO) produced by the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) pathway. The knot extract (EC50 values of 3 and 3 μg/mL) as well as two of its constituents, pinosylvin (EC50 values of 13 and 15 μM) and monomethylpinosylvin (EC50 values of 8 and 12 μM), reduced NO production and iNOS expression in activated macrophages. They also inhibited the production of inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and MCP-1. More importantly, pinosylvin and monomethylpinosylvin exerted a clear anti-inflammatory effect (80% inhibition at the dose of 100 mg/kg) in the standard in vivo model, carrageenan-induced paw inflammation in the mouse, with the effect being comparable to that of a known iNOS inhibitor L-NIL. The results reveal that the Scots pine stilbenes pinosylvin and monomethylpinosylvin are potential anti-inflammatory compounds.

Designing a VAR2CSA-based vaccine to prevent placental malaria.

PubMed

Fried, Michal; Duffy, Patrick E

2015-12-22

Placental malaria (PM) due to Plasmodium falciparum is a major cause of maternal, fetal and infant mortality, but the mechanisms of pathogenesis and protective immunity are relatively well-understood for this condition, providing a path for vaccine development. P. falciparum parasites bind to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) to sequester in the placenta, and women become resistant over 1-2 pregnancies as they acquire antibodies that block adhesion to CSA. The protein VAR2CSA, a member of the PfEMP1 variant surface antigen family, mediates parasite adhesion to CSA, and is the leading target for a vaccine to prevent PM. Obstacles to PM vaccine development include the large size (∼ 350 kD), high cysteine content, and sequence variation of VAR2CSA. A number of approaches have been taken to identify the combination of VAR2CSA domains and alleles that can induce broadly active antibodies that block adhesion of heterologous parasite isolates to CSA. This review summarizes these approaches, which have examined VAR2CSA fragments for binding activity, antigenicity with naturally acquired antibodies, and immunogenicity in animals for inducing anti-adhesion or surface-reactive antibodies. Two products are expected to enter human clinical studies in the near future based on N-terminal VAR2CSA fragments that have high binding affinity for CSA, and additional proteins preferentially expressed by placental parasites are also being examined for their potential contribution to a PM vaccine. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Complete mitochondrial genome of Xingguo red carp (Cyprinus carpio var. singuonensis) and purse red carp (Cyprinus carpio var. wuyuanensis).

PubMed

Hu, Guang-Fu; Liu, Xiang-Jiang; Li, Zhong; Liang, Hong-Wei; Hu, Shao-Na; Zou, Gui-Wei

2016-01-01

The complete mitochondrial genomes of Xingguo red carp (Cyprinus carpio var. singuonensis) and purse red carp (Cyprinus carpio var. wuyuanensis) were sequenced. Comparison of these two mitochondrial genomes revealed that the mtDNAs of these two common carp varieties were remarkably similar in genome length, gene order and content, and AT content. However, size variation between these two mitochondrial genomes presented here showed 39 site differences in overall length. About 2 site differences were located in rRNAs, 3 in tRNAs, 3 in the control region, 31 in protein-coding genes. Thirty-one variable bases in the protein-coding regions between the two varieties mitochondrial sequences led to three variable amino acids, which were mainly located in the protein ND5 and ND4.

[Responses of boreal forest landscape in northern Great Xing'an Mountains of Northeast China to climate change].

PubMed

Li, Xiao-Na; He, Hong-Shi; Wu, Zhi-Wei; Liang, Yu

2012-12-01

With the combination of forest landscape model (LANDIS) and forest gap model (LINKAGES), this paper simulated the effects of climate change on the boreal forest landscape in the Great Xing'an Mountains, and compared the direct effects of climate change and the effects of climate warming-induced fires on the forest landscape. The results showed that under the current climate conditions and fire disturbances, the forest landscape in the study area could maintain its dynamic balance, and Larix gmelinii was still the dominant tree species. Under the future climate and fire disturbances scenario, the distribution area of L. gmelinii and Pinus pumila would be decreased, while that of Betula platyphylla, Populus davidiana, Populus suaveolens, Chosenia arbutifolia, and Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica would be increased, and the forest fragmentation and forest diversity would have an increase. The changes of the forest landscape lagged behind climate change. Climate warming would increase the growth of most tree species except L. gmelinii, while the increased fires would increase the distribution area of P. davidiana, P. suaveolens, and C. arbutifolia and decrease the distribution area of L. gmelinii, P. sylvestris var. mongolica, and P. pumila. The effects of climate warming-induced fires on the forest landscape were almost equal to the direct effects of climate change, and aggravated the direct effects of climate change on forest composition, forest landscape fragmentation, and forest landscape diversity.

Intra-annual height increment of Pinus sylvestris at high latitudes in Finland.

PubMed

Salminen, Hannu; Jalkanen, Risto

2007-09-01

Intra-annual height growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in four stands was followed for up to four growing seasons (2000-2003) in the northern boreal zone in Lapland. Elongation of the leader shoot correlated with temperature sum expressed as degree-days. Total length of the leader shoot correlated with growth rate but not with duration of the height-growth period. The longer the annual shoot at the end of the season, the greater the height increment per degree- and growing day. Height-growth cessation was defined as the date when 95% of the total shoot length was achieved. In all stands and all years, height growth ceased when, on average, 41% of the relative temperature sum of the site was achieved (range of variation 38-43%). The relative temperature sum was calculated by dividing the actual temperature sum by the long-term mean for the site. Our results suggest that annual height growth is finished when a location-specific temperature sum threshold is attained.

In vitro antioxidant and anticancer effects of solvent fractions from Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina.

PubMed

Hwang, Yu-Jin; Lee, Eun-Ju; Kim, Haeng-Ran; Hwang, Kyung-A

2013-11-09

Recently, considerable attention has been focused on exploring the potential antioxidant properties of plant extracts or isolated products of plant origin. Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina is widely distributed in Korea, Japan, China, and Europe, and it continues to be used to treat inflammation, eye pain, headache, and dizziness. However, reports on the antioxidant activities of P. vulgaris var. lilacina are limited, particularly concerning the relationship between its phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant and anticancer activities of an ethanol extract from P. vulgaris var. lilacina and its fractions. Dried powder of P. vulgaris var. lilacina was extracted with ethanol, and the extract was fractionated to produce the hexane fraction, butanol fraction, chloroform fraction and residual water fraction. The phenolic content was assayed using the Folin-Ciocalteu colorimetric method. Subsequently, the antioxidant activities of the ethanol extract and its fractions were analyzed employing various antioxidant assay methods including DPPH, FRAP, ABTS, SOD activity and production of reactive oxygen species. Additionally, the extract and fractions were assayed for their ability to exert cytotoxic activities on various cancer cells using the MTT assay. We also investigated the expression of genes associated with apoptotic cell death by RT-PCR. The total phenolic contents of the ethanol extract and water fraction of P. vulgaris var. lilacina were 303.66 and 322.80 mg GAE/g dry weight (or fractions), respectively. The results showed that the ethanol extract and the water fraction of P. vulgaris var. lilacina had higher antioxidant content than other solvent fractions, similar to their total phenolic content. Anticancer activity was also tested using the HepG2, HT29, A549, MKN45 and HeLa cancer cell lines. The results clearly demonstrated that the P. vulgaris var. lilacina ethanol extract induced significant cytotoxic effects

Ozone fumigation under dark/light conditions of Norway Spruce (Picea Abies) and Scots Pine (Pinus Sylvestris)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canaval, Eva; Jud, Werner; Hansel, Armin

2015-04-01

Norway Spruce (Picea abies) and Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) represent dominating tree species in the northern hemisphere. Thus, the understanding of their ozone sensitivity in the light of the expected increasing ozone levels in the future is of great importance. In our experiments we investigated the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of 3-4 year old Norway Spruce and Scots Pine seedlings under ozone fumigation (50-150 ppbv) and dark/light conditions. For the experiments the plants were placed in a setup with inert materials including a glass cuvette equipped with a turbulent air inlet and sensors for monitoring a large range of meteorological parameters. Typical conditions were 20-25°C and a relative humidity of 70-90 % for both plant species. A fast gas exchange rate was used to minimize reactions of ozone in the gas phase. A Switchable-Reagent-Ion-Time-of-Flight-MS (SRI-ToF-MS) was used to analyze the VOCs at the cuvette outlet in real-time during changing ozone and light levels. The use of H3O+ and NO+ as reagent ions allows the separation of certain isomers (e.g. aldehydes and ketones) due to different reaction pathways depending on the functional groups of the molecules. Within the Picea abies experiments the ozone loss, defined as the difference of the ozone concentration between cuvette inlet and outlet, remained nearly constant at the transition from dark to light. This indicates that a major part of the supplied ozone is depleted non-stomatally. In contrast the ozone loss increased by 50 % at the transition from dark to light conditions within Pinus sylvestris experiments. In this case the stomata represent the dominant loss channel. Since maximally 0.1% of the ozone loss could be explained by gas phase reactions with monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, we suggest that ozone reactions on the surface of Picea abies represent the major sink in this case and lead to an light-independent ozone loss. This is supported by the fact that we detected

Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii: Separate Varietal Status for Cryptococcus neoformans Serotype A Isolates

PubMed Central

Franzot, Sarah P.; Salkin, Ira F.; Casadevall, Arturo

1999-01-01

Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans presently includes isolates which have been determined by the immunologic reactivity of their capsular polysaccharides to be serotype A and those which have been determined to be serotype D. However, recent analyses of the URA5 sequences and DNA fingerprinting patterns suggest significant genetic differences between the two serotypes. Therefore, we propose to recognize these genotypic distinctions, as well as previously reported phenotypic differences, by restricting C. neoformans var. neoformans to isolates which are serotype D and describing a new variety, C. neoformans var. grubii, for serotype A isolates. PMID:9986871

Silence, Metaperformance, and Communication in Pedro Almodóvar's "Hable con ella"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fellie, Maria C.

2016-01-01

Many scenes in Pedro Almodóvar's "Hable con ella" (2002) include shots of metaperformances such as silent films, dances, television shows, concerts, and bullfights. Spectators often observe passive characters who are in turn observing. By presenting these performances within cinematic performance, Almodóvar highlights our role as viewers…

Chemopreventive and Anticancer Activities of Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum Extracts

PubMed Central

Kim, Hyun-Jeong; Park, Min Jeong; Park, Hee-Juhn; Chung, Won-Yoon; Kim, Ki-Rim; Park, Kwang-Kyun

2014-01-01

Background: Allium victorialis var. platyphyllum is an edible perennial herb and has been used as a vegetable or as a Korean traditional medicine. Allium species have received much attention owing to their diverse pharmacological properties, including antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activities. However, A. victorialis var. platyphyllum needs more study. Methods: The chemopreventive potential of A. victorialis var. platyphyllum methanol extracts was examined by measuring 12-O-tetra-decanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA)-induced superoxide anion production in the differentiated HL-60 cells, TPA-induced mouse ear edema, and Ames/Salmonella mutagenicity. The apoptosis-inducing capabilities of the extracts were evaluated by the 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide assay, 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining, and the DNA fragmentation assay in human colon cancer HT-29 cells. Antimetastatic activities of the extracts were also investigated in an experimental mouse lung metastasis model. Results: The methanol extracts of A. victorialis var. platyphyllum rhizome (AVP-R) and A. victorialis var. platyphyllum stem (AVP-S) dose-dependently inhibited the TPA-induced generation of superoxide anion in HL-60 cells and TPA-induced ear edema in mice, as well as 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BOOH) -induced bacterial mutagenesis. AVP-R and AVP-S reduced cell viability in a dose-related manner and induced apoptotic morphological changes and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation in HT-29 cells. In the experimental mouse lung metastasis model, the formation of tumor nodules in lung tissue was significantly inhibited by the treatment of the extracts. Conclusions: AVP-R and AVP-S possess antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, antimutagenic, proapoptotic, and antimetastatic activities. Therefore, these extracts can serve as a beneficial supplement for the prevention and treatment of cancer. PMID:25337587

The fate of recently fixed carbon after drought release: towards unravelling C storage regulation in Tilia platyphyllos and Pinus sylvestris.

PubMed

Galiano, Lucía; Timofeeva, Galina; Saurer, Matthias; Siegwolf, Rolf; Martínez-Vilalta, Jordi; Hommel, Robert; Gessler, Arthur

2017-09-01

Carbon reserves are important for maintaining tree function during and after stress. Increasing tree mortality driven by drought globally has renewed the interest in how plants regulate allocation of recently fixed C to reserve formation. Three-year-old seedlings of two species (Tilia platyphyllos and Pinus sylvestris) were exposed to two intensities of experimental drought during ~10 weeks, and 13 C pulse labelling was subsequently applied with rewetting. Tracking the 13 C label across different organs and C compounds (soluble sugars, starch, myo-inositol, lipids and cellulose), together with the monitoring of gas exchange and C mass balances over time, allowed for the identification of variations in C allocation priorities and tree C balances that are associated with drought effects and subsequent drought release. The results demonstrate that soluble sugars accumulated in P. sylvestris under drought conditions independently of growth trends; thus, non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) formation cannot be simply considered a passive overflow process in this species. Once drought ceased, C allocation to storage was still prioritized at the expense of growth, which suggested the presence of 'drought memory effects', possibly to ensure future growth and survival. On the contrary, NSC and growth dynamics in T. platyphyllos were consistent with a passive (overflow) view of NSC formation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Taxonomic study on Japanese Salvia (Lamiaceae): Phylogenetic position of S. akiensis, and polyphyletic nature of S. lutescens var. intermedia.

PubMed

Takano, Atsuko

2017-01-01

Both Salvia akiensis and S. lutescens (Lamiaceae) are endemic to Japan. Salvia akiensis was recently described in 2014 in the Chugoku (= SW Honshu) region, and each four varieties of S. lutescens distributed allopatrically. Among varieties in S. lutescens , var. intermedia show a disjunctive distribution in the Kanto (=E Honshu) and Kinki (= W Honshu) regions. Recent field studies of S. lutescens var. intermedia revealed several morphological differences between the Kanto and Kinki populations. Here, I evaluated these differences among Salvia lutescens var. intermedia and its allies with morphological analysis and molecular phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ribosomal DNA (internal and external transcribed spacer regions) and plastid DNA ( ycf1-rps15 spacer, rbcL , and trnL-F ) sequences. Both morphological analysis and molecular phylogenetic analyses showed that S. lutescens var. intermedia from the Kinki region and var. lutescens were closely related to each other. However, var. intermedia from the Kanto region exhibited an association with S. lutescens var. crenata and var. stolonifera, which also grew in eastern Japan, rather than var. intermedia in the Kinki region. These results indicated that S. lutescens var. intermedia is not a taxon with a disjunctive distribution, but a combination of two or more allopatric taxa. Present study also suggested that S. akiensis was most closely related to S. omerocalyx .

A Novel Virus-Like Particle Based Vaccine Platform Displaying the Placental Malaria Antigen VAR2CSA.

PubMed

Thrane, Susan; Janitzek, Christoph M; Agerbæk, Mette Ø; Ditlev, Sisse B; Resende, Mafalda; Nielsen, Morten A; Theander, Thor G; Salanti, Ali; Sander, Adam F

2015-01-01

Placental malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum is a major cause of mortality and severe morbidity. Clinical testing of a soluble protein-based vaccine containing the parasite ligand, VAR2CSA, has been initiated. VAR2CSA binds to the human receptor chondroitin sulphate A (CSA) and is responsible for sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes in the placenta. It is imperative that a vaccine against malaria in pregnancy, if administered to women before they become pregnant, can induce a strong and long lasting immune response. While most soluble protein-based vaccines have failed during clinical testing, virus-like particle (VLP) based vaccines (e.g., the licensed human papillomavirus vaccines) have demonstrated high efficacy, suggesting that the spatial assembly of the vaccine antigen is a critical parameter for inducing an optimal long-lasting protective immune response. We have developed a VLP vaccine display platform by identifying regions of the HPV16 L1 coat protein where a biotin acceptor site (AviTagTM) can be inserted without compromising VLP-assembly. Subsequent biotinylation of Avi-L1 VLPs allow us to anchor monovalent streptavidin (mSA)-fused proteins to the biotin, thereby obtaining a dense and repetitive VLP-display of the vaccine antigen. The mSA-VAR2CSA antigen was delivered on the Avi-L1 VLP platform and tested in C57BL/6 mice in comparison to two soluble protein-based vaccines consisting of naked VAR2CSA and mSA-VAR2CSA. The mSA-VAR2CSA Avi-L1 VLP and soluble mSA-VAR2CSA vaccines induced higher antibody titers than the soluble naked VAR2CSA vaccine after three immunizations. The VAR2CSA Avi-L1 VLP vaccine induced statistically significantly higher endpoint titres compared to the soluble mSA-VAR2CSA vaccine, after 1st and 2nd immunization; however, this difference was not statistically significant after 3rd immunization. Importantly, the VLP-VAR2CSA induced antibodies were functional in inhibiting the binding of parasites to CSA

13C-isotopic fingerprint of Pinus pinaster Ait. and Pinus sylvestris L. wood related to the quality of standing tree mass in forests from NW Spain.

PubMed

Fernandez, Irene; González-Prieto, Serafin J; Cabaneiro, Ana

2005-01-01

Pine forest plantations of Pinus pinaster Ait. and P. sylvestris L. located in Galicia, NW Spain, were selected to study the 13C/12C-isotopic fingerprint in wood core samples in order to find possible relationships between the delta(13)C at natural abundance levels and the quality of the standing tree mass. For each pine species, 24 forests growing on acidic soils were studied: half developed over granite and half over schists. Two dominant trees from each plot, corresponding to all possible combinations of forest stands with high or low site index and with adults or young trees, were drilled at the basal part of trunks using a Pressler drill to obtain tree ring samples. The C-isotopic compositions of the litter and the soil organic matter from different soil depths were also determined and statistically significant correlations between these values and the 13C content of the wood were observed. Despite internal variations due to the influence of site index, tree age and parent material, the isotopic fingerprint of P. pinaster wood (mean value delta13C=-26.2+/-0.8 per thousand) significantly differed (P<0.001) from that of P. sylvestris (mean value delta13C=-24.6+/-0.7 per thousand). Relationships between the quality of the stand and the C-isotopic composition of the wood were observed, high quality stands having trees more 13C-depleted than low quality ones. A high correlation between wood delta13C and site index values for P. pinaster stands (r=-0.667, P<0.001) was found, this correlation being even clearer when only P. pinaster growing over schists (r=-0.833, P<0.001) are considered. Again, the correlation between the site index and the wood delta13C of young P. pinaster trees is higher when plots over granite or schists are separately considered. A similar fact occurs for adult P. sylvestris trees from schists stands, high quality specimens being 13C-depleted compared with low quality ones. On the other hand, 13C natural abundance of wood from P. sylvestris

Impact of drought on the temporal dynamics of wood formation in Pinus sylvestris

PubMed Central

GRUBER, ANDREAS; STROBL, STEFAN; VEIT, BARBARA; OBERHUBER, WALTER

2011-01-01

Summary We determined the temporal dynamics of cambial activity and xylem cell differentiation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) within a dry inner Alpine valley (750 m asl, Tyrol, Austria), where radial growth is strongly limited by drought in spring. Repeated micro-sampling of the developing tree ring of mature trees was carried out during 2 contrasting years at two study plots that differ in soil water availability (xeric and dry-mesic site). In 2007, when air temperature at the beginning of the growing season in April exceeded the long-term mean by 6.4 °C, cambial cell division started in early April at both study plots. A delayed onset of cambial activity of c. 2 wk was found in 2008, when average climate conditions prevailed in spring, indicating that resumption of cambial cell division after winter dormancy is temperature-controlled. Cambial cell division consistently ended about the end of June/early July in both study years. Radial enlargement of tracheids started almost 3 wk earlier in 2007 compared with 2008 at both study plots. At the xeric site, the maximum rate of tracheid production in 2007 and 2008 was reached in early and mid-May, respectively, and c. 2 wk later, at the dry-mesic site. Since in both study years, more favorable growing conditions (i.e., an increase in soil water content) were recorded during summer, we suggest a strong sink competition for carbohydrates to mycorrhizal root and shoot growth. Wood formation stopped c. 4 wk earlier at the xeric compared with the dry-mesic site in both years, indicating a strong influence of drought stress on cell differentiation. This is supported by radial widths of earlywood cells, which were found to be significantly narrower at the xeric than at the dry-mesic site (P < 0.05). Repeated cellular analyses during the two growing seasons revealed that, although spatial variability in the dynamics and duration of cell differentiation processes in Pinus sylvestris exposed to drought is strongly

Impact of drought on the temporal dynamics of wood formation in Pinus sylvestris.

PubMed

Gruber, Andreas; Strobl, Stefan; Veit, Barbara; Oberhuber, Walter

2010-04-01

We determined the temporal dynamics of cambial activity and xylem cell differentiation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) within a dry inner Alpine valley (750 m a.s.l., Tyrol, Austria), where radial growth is strongly limited by drought in spring. Repeated micro-sampling of the developing tree ring of mature trees was carried out during two contrasting years at two study plots that differ in soil water availability (xeric and dry-mesic sites). In 2007, when air temperature at the beginning of the growing season in April exceeded the long-term mean by 6.4 degrees C, cambial cell division started in early April at both study plots. A delayed onset of cambial activity of c. 2 weeks was found in 2008, when average climate conditions prevailed in spring, indicating that resumption of cambial cell division after winter dormancy is temperature controlled. Cambial cell division consistently ended about the end of June/early July in both study years. Radial enlargement of tracheids started almost 3 weeks earlier in 2007 compared with 2008 at both study plots. At the xeric site, the maximum rate of tracheid production in 2007 and 2008 was reached in early and mid-May, respectively, and c. 2 weeks later at the dry-mesic site. Since in both study years more favorable growing conditions (i.e., an increase in soil water content) were recorded during summer, we suggest a strong sink competition for carbohydrates to mycorrhizal root and shoot growth. Wood formation stopped c. 4 weeks earlier at the xeric compared with the dry-mesic site in both years, indicating a strong influence of drought stress on cell differentiation. This is supported by radial widths of earlywood cells, which were found to be significantly narrower at the xeric than at the dry-mesic site (P < 0.05). Repeated cellular analyses during the two growing seasons revealed that, although spatial variability in the dynamics and duration of cell differentiation processes in P. sylvestris exposed to drought is

Network-Cognizant Design of Decentralized Volt/VAR Controllers

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

Baker, Kyri A; Bernstein, Andrey; Zhao, Changhong

This paper considers the problem of designing decentralized Volt/VAR controllers for distributed energy resources (DERs). The voltage-reactive power characteristics of individual DERs are obtained by solving a convex optimization problem, where given performance objectives (e.g., minimization of the voltage deviations from a given profile) are specified and stability constraints are enforced. The resultant Volt/VAR characteristics are network-cognizant, in the sense that they embed information on the location of the DERs and, consequently, on the effect of reactive-power adjustments on the voltages throughout the feeder. Bounds on the maximum voltage deviation incurred by the controllers are analytically established. Numerical results aremore » reported to corroborate the technical findings.« less

Protective effect of Malva sylvestris L. extract in ischemia-reperfusion induced acute kidney and remote liver injury

PubMed Central

Najafi, Houshang; Mohamadi Yarijani, Zeynab; Changizi-Ashtiyani, Saeed; Mansouri, Kamran; Modarresi, Masoud; Madani, Seyed Hamid

2017-01-01

Mallow (Malva sylvestris L.) has had medicinal and therapeutic uses in addition to its oral consumption. The present study was conducted to examine the protective effect of Malva sylvestris L. extract on ischemia-reperfusion-induced kidney injury and remote organ injuries in the liver. Before ischemia-reperfusion, rats in the different groups received intraperitoneal normal saline or mallow extract at the doses of 200, 400 or 600 mg/kg of body weight. After 30-minutes of bilateral renal ischemia followed by 24-hours of reperfusion, tissue damage in the kidney and liver samples were determined through studying H&E-stained slides under a light microscope. The degree of leukocyte infiltration and tissue mRNA expressions of TNF- and ICAM-1 were then measured to examine the degree of renal inflammation. The renal tissue MDA and FRAP levels were measured for determining the amount of oxidative stress. Plasma concentrations of creatinine, urea, ALT and ALP were also measured. Ischemia-reperfusion led to a significant increase in plasma concentrations of creatinine, urea, ALT and ALP, and renal tissue MDA, and a significant decrease in renal tissue FRAP. The expression of pro-inflammatory factors in the kidney tissue, the level of leukocyte infiltration and the amount of tissue damage in the kidney and liver also increased. Pretreatment by mallow extract led to a significant improvement in all the variables measured. The 200- and 400-mg doses yielded better results in most parameters compared to the 600-mg dose. The findings showed that mallow extract protects the kidney against ischemia-reperfusion and reduces remote organ injury in the liver. PMID:29155898

Utilizing nanobody technology to target non-immunodominant domains of VAR2CSA.

PubMed

Ditlev, Sisse B; Florea, Raluca; Nielsen, Morten A; Theander, Thor G; Magez, Stefan; Boeuf, Philippe; Salanti, Ali

2014-01-01

Placental malaria is a major health problem for both pregnant women and their fetuses in malaria endemic regions. It is triggered by the accumulation of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IE) in the intervillous spaces of the placenta and is associated with foetal growth restriction and maternal anemia. IE accumulation is supported by the binding of the parasite-expressed protein VAR2CSA to placental chondroitin sulfate A (CSA). Defining specific CSA-binding epitopes of VAR2CSA, against which to target the immune response, is essential for the development of a vaccine aimed at blocking IE adhesion. However, the development of a VAR2CSA adhesion-blocking vaccine remains challenging due to (i) the large size of VAR2CSA and (ii) the extensive immune selection for polymorphisms and thereby non-neutralizing B-cell epitopes. Camelid heavy-chain-only antibodies (HcAbs) are known to target epitopes that are less immunogenic to classical IgG and, due to their small size and protruding antigen-binding loop, able to reach and recognize cryptic, conformational epitopes which are inaccessible to conventional antibodies. The variable heavy chain (VHH) domain is the antigen-binding site of camelid HcAbs, the so called Nanobody, which represents the smallest known (15 kDa) intact, native antigen-binding fragment. In this study, we have used the Nanobody technology, an approach new to malaria research, to generate small and functional antibody fragments recognizing unique epitopes broadly distributed on VAR2CSA.

Working alliance inventory applied to virtual and augmented reality (WAI-VAR): psychometrics and therapeutic outcomes

PubMed Central

Miragall, Marta; Baños, Rosa M.; Cebolla, Ausiàs; Botella, Cristina

2015-01-01

This study examines the psychometric properties of the Working Alliance Inventory-Short (WAI-S) adaptation to Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) therapies (WAI-VAR). The relationship between the therapeutic alliance (TA) with VR and AR and clinically significant change (CSC) is also explored. Seventy-five patients took part in this study (74.7% women, Mage = 34.41). Fear of flying and adjustment disorder patients received VR therapy, and cockroach phobia patients received AR therapy. Psychometric properties, CSC, one-way ANOVA, Spearman’s Correlations and Multiple Regression were calculated. The WAI-VAR showed a unidimensional structure, high internal consistency and adequate convergent validity. “Not changed” patients scored lower on the WAI-VAR than “improved” and “recovered” patients. Correlation between the WAI-VAR and CSC was moderate. The best fitting model for predicting CSC was a linear combination of the TA with therapist (WAI-S) and the TA with VR and AR (WAI-VAR), due to the latter variable slightly increased the percentage of variability accounted for in CSC. The WAI-VAR is the first validated instrument to measure the TA with VR and AR in research and clinical practice. This study reveals the importance of the quality of the TA with technologies in achieving positive outcomes in the therapy. PMID:26500589

Working alliance inventory applied to virtual and augmented reality (WAI-VAR): psychometrics and therapeutic outcomes.

PubMed

Miragall, Marta; Baños, Rosa M; Cebolla, Ausiàs; Botella, Cristina

2015-01-01

This study examines the psychometric properties of the Working Alliance Inventory-Short (WAI-S) adaptation to Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) therapies (WAI-VAR). The relationship between the therapeutic alliance (TA) with VR and AR and clinically significant change (CSC) is also explored. Seventy-five patients took part in this study (74.7% women, M age = 34.41). Fear of flying and adjustment disorder patients received VR therapy, and cockroach phobia patients received AR therapy. Psychometric properties, CSC, one-way ANOVA, Spearman's Correlations and Multiple Regression were calculated. The WAI-VAR showed a unidimensional structure, high internal consistency and adequate convergent validity. "Not changed" patients scored lower on the WAI-VAR than "improved" and "recovered" patients. Correlation between the WAI-VAR and CSC was moderate. The best fitting model for predicting CSC was a linear combination of the TA with therapist (WAI-S) and the TA with VR and AR (WAI-VAR), due to the latter variable slightly increased the percentage of variability accounted for in CSC. The WAI-VAR is the first validated instrument to measure the TA with VR and AR in research and clinical practice. This study reveals the importance of the quality of the TA with technologies in achieving positive outcomes in the therapy.

Volt-VAR Optimization on American Electric Power Feeders in Northeast Columbus

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

Schneider, Kevin P.; Weaver, T. F.

2012-05-10

In 2007 American Electric Power launched the gridSMART® initiative with the goals of increasing efficiency of the electricity delivery system and improving service to the end-use customers. As part of the initiative, a coordinated Volt-VAR system was deployed on eleven distribution feeders at five substations in the Northeast Columbus Ohio Area. The goal of the coordinated Volt-VAR system was to decrease the amount of energy necessary to provide end-use customers with the same quality of service. The evaluation of the Volt-VAR system performance was conducted in two stages. The first stage was composed of simulation, analysis, and estimation, while themore » second stage was composed of analyzing collected field data. This panel paper will examine the analysis conducted in both stages and present the estimated improvements in system efficiency.« less

Association of FLOWERING LOCUS T/TERMINAL FLOWER 1-like gene FTL2 expression with growth rhythm in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris).

PubMed

Avia, Komlan; Kärkkäinen, Katri; Lagercrantz, Ulf; Savolainen, Outi

2014-10-01

Understanding the genetic basis of the timing of bud set, an important trait in conifers, is relevant for adaptation and forestry practice. In common garden experiments, both Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Norway spruce (Picea abies) show a latitudinal cline in the trait. We compared the regulation of their bud set biology by examining the expression of PsFTL2, a Pinus sylvestris homolog to PaFTL2, a FLOWERING LOCUS T/TERMINAL FLOWER 1 (FT/TFL1)-like gene, the expression levels of which have been found previously to be associated with the timing of bud set in Norway spruce. In a common garden study, we analyzed the relationship of bud phenology under natural and artificial photoperiods and the expression of PsFTL2 in a set of Scots pine populations from different latitudes. The expression of PsFTL2 increased in the needles preceding bud set and decreased during bud burst. In the northernmost population, even short night periods were efficient to trigger this expression, which also increased earlier under all photoperiodic regimes compared with the southern populations. Despite the different biology, with few limitations, the two conifers that diverged 140 million yr ago probably share an association of FTL2 with bud set, pointing to a common mechanism for the timing of growth cessation in conifers. © 2014 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Thermal Inactivation of Aerosolized Bacillus subtilis var. niger Spores

PubMed Central

Mullican, Charles L.; Buchanan, Lee M.; Hoffman, Robert K.

1971-01-01

A hot-air sterilizer capable of exposing airborne microorganisms to elevated temperatures with an almost instantaneous heating time was developed and evaluated. With this apparatus, aerosolized Bacillus subtilis var. niger spores were killed in about 0.02 sec when exposed to temperatures above 260 C. This is about 500 times faster than killing times reported by others. Extrapolation and comparison of data on the time and temperature required to klll B. subtilis var. niger spores on surfaces show that approximately the same killing time is required as is necessary for spores in air, if corrections are made for the heating time of the surface. PMID:5002138

Ecological adaptations in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) populations. III. Central Idaho

Treesearch

Gerald E. Rehfeldt

1983-01-01

Rehfeldt, Gerald E. 1983. Ecological adaptations in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) populations. III. Central Idaho. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 13: 626-632. Growth, phenology, and cold hardiness of seedlings from 74 populations of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) from central Idaho were compared in four...

[Isolation and diversity analyses of endophytic fungi from Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis].

PubMed

Wang, Qian; Shen, Shi-Kang; Zhang, Ai-Li; Wu, Chun-Yan; Wu, Fu-Qin; Zhang, Xin-Jun; Wang, Yue-Hua

2013-11-01

The paper is aimed at studying the diversity of endophytic fungi community from Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis, and to provide a scientific basis for the utilization value of the endophytic fungi as bioactive material resources. In the present study, endophytic fungi were isolated from roots, rhizomes and leaves of wild P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis collected from Baoshan, Heqing county and Songming city of Yunnan province, and identified and classified by morphological methods together with its ITS sequence analysis. Seven and forty-nine strains of endophytic fungi were isolated from P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis. They were identified belonging to 41 genus. In these 41 genus, 3 genus exist in root only, 12 genus only exist in rhizome and 8 genus only exist in leaf. There was difference in endophytic fungi isolated from different sample sites. Endophytic fungi diversity from rhizomes of Heqing site was the highest. Endophytic fungi similarity coefficient was low among different sites and tissues. Based on these results, it is reasonable to propose that endophytic fungi of P. polyphylla var. yannanensis from different tissue and different sample sites has a certain difference which is possibly relate to their different habitats, different structure and composition of each tissue.

[Diversity and community structure of endophytic fungi from Taxus chinensis var. mairei].

PubMed

2014-07-01

A total of 628 endophytic fungi were isolated from 480 tissue segments of needles and branches of Taxus chinensis var. mairei. According to morphological characteristics and ITS sequences, they represented 43 taxa in 28 genera, of which 10 Hyphomycetes, 20 Coelomycetes, 12 Ascomycetes and 1 unknown fungus. Phomopsis mali was confirmed as the dominant species. In accordance with relative frequency, Alternaria alternata, Aureobasidium pullulans, Colletotrichum boninense, C. gloeosporioides, Epicoccum nigrum , Fungal sp., Fusarium lateritium, Glomerella cingulata, Magnaporthales sp. , Nigrospora oryzae, Pestalotiopsis maculiformans, P. microspora, Peyronellaea glomerata and Xylaria sp. 1 were more common in T. chinensis var. mairei. T. chinensis var. mairei were severely infected by endophytic fungi. Endophytic fungi were found in 81 percent of plant tissues with a high diversity. Distribution ranges of endophytic fungi were influenced by tissue properties. The colonization rate, richness, diversity of endophytic fungi in needles were obviously lower than in branches, and kinds of endophytic fungi between branches were more similar than those in needles, thus endophytic fungi had tissue preference. In addition, tissue age influenced the community structure of endophytic fungi. The elder branch tissues were, the higher colonization rate, richness, diversity of endophytic fungi were. Systematic studying the diversity and community structure of endophytic fungi in T. chinensis var. mairei and clarifying their distribution regularity in plant tissues would offer basic data and scientific basis for their development and utilization. Discussing the presence of fungal pathogens in healthy plant tissues would be of positive significance for source protection of T. chinensis var. mairei.

Photosynthetic refixation varies along the stem and reduces CO2 efflux in mature boreal Pinus sylvestris trees.

PubMed

Tarvainen, Lasse; Wallin, Göran; Lim, Hyungwoo; Linder, Sune; Oren, Ram; Ottosson Löfvenius, Mikaell; Räntfors, Mats; Tor-Ngern, Pantana; Marshall, John

2018-04-01

Trees are able to reduce their carbon (C) losses by refixing some of the CO2 diffusing out of their stems through corticular photosynthesis. Previous studies have shown that under ideal conditions the outflowing CO2 can be completely assimilated in metabolically active, young stem and branch tissues. Fewer studies have, however, been carried out on the older stem sections of large trees and, accordingly, the importance of refixation is still unclear under natural environmental conditions. We investigated the spatial and temporal variation in refixation in ~90-year-old boreal Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees by utilizing month-long continuous measurements of stem CO2 efflux (Ec) made at four heights along the bole. Refixation rates were found to vary considerably along the bole, leading to a 28% reduction in long-term Ec in the upper stem compared with a negligible reduction at breast height. This vertical pattern correlated with variation in light availability, bark chlorophyll content and bark type. Analysis of the vertical and diurnal patterns in Ec further suggested that the influence of sap flow on the observed daytime reduction in Ec was small. The areal rates of corticular photosynthesis were much lower than previous estimates of photosynthetic rates per unit leaf area from the same trees, implying that the impact of refixation on tree-scale C uptake was small. However, upscaling of refixation indicated that 23-27% of the potential Ec was refixed by the bole and the branches, thereby significantly reducing the woody tissue C losses. Thus, our results suggest that refixation needs to be considered when evaluating the aboveground C cycling of mature P. sylvestris stands and that breast-height estimates should not be extrapolated to the whole tree.

Potential for wind extraction from 4D-Var assimilation of aerosols and moisture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaplotnik, Žiga; Žagar, Nedjeljka

2017-04-01

We discuss the potential of the four-dimensional variational data assimilation (4D-Var) to retrieve the unobserved wind field from observations of atmospheric tracers and the mass field through internal model dynamics and the multivariate relationships in the background-error term for 4D-Var. The presence of non-linear moist dynamics makes the wind retrieval from tracers very difficult. On the other hand, it has been shown that moisture observations strongly influence both tropical and mid-latitude wind field in 4D-Var. We present an intermediate complexity model that describes nonlinear interactions between the wind, temperature, aerosols and moisture including their sinks and sources in the framework of the so-called first baroclinic mode atmosphere envisaged by A. Gill. Aerosol physical processes, which are included in the model, are the non-linear advection, diffusion and sources and sinks that exist as dry and wet deposition and diffusion. Precipitation is parametrized according to the Betts-Miller scheme. The control vector for 4D-Var includes aerosols, moisture and the three dynamical variables. The former is analysed univariately whereas wind field and mass field are analysed in a multivariate fashion taking into account quasi-geostrophic and unbalanced dynamics. The OSSE type of studies are performed for the tropical region to assess the ability of 4D-Var to extract wind-field information from the time series of observations of tracers as a function of the flow nonlinearity, the observations density and the length of the assimilation window (12 hours and 24 hours), in dry and moist environment. Results show that the 4D-Var assimilation of aerosols and temperature data is beneficial for the wind analysis with analysis errors strongly dependent on the moist processes and reliable background-error covariances.

VAR2CSA domains expressed in Escherichia coli induce cross-reactive antibodies to native protein.

PubMed

Oleinikov, Andrew V; Francis, Susan E; Dorfman, Jeffrey R; Rossnagle, Eddie; Balcaitis, Stephanie; Getz, Tony; Avril, Marion; Gose, Severin; Smith, Joseph D; Fried, Michal; Duffy, Patrick E

2008-04-15

The variant surface antigen VAR2CSA is a pregnancy malaria vaccine candidate, but its size and polymorphism are obstacles to development. We expressed 3D7-type VAR2CSA domains in Escherichia coli as insoluble His-tagged proteins (Duffy binding-like [DBL] domains DBL1, DBL3, DBL4, and DBL5) that were denatured and refolded or as soluble glutathione S-transferase-tagged protein (DBL6). Anti-DBL5 antiserum cross-reacted with surface proteins of chondroitin sulfate A (CSA)-binding laboratory strains (3D7-CSA and FCR3-CSA) and a clinical pregnancy malaria isolate, whereas anti-DBL6 antiserum reacted only to 3D7 surface protein. This is the first report that E. coli-expressed VAR2CSA domains induce antibody to native VAR2CSA.

Forecasting VaR and ES of stock index portfolio: A Vine copula method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bangzheng; Wei, Yu; Yu, Jiang; Lai, Xiaodong; Peng, Zhenfeng

2014-12-01

Risk measurement has both theoretical and practical significance in risk management. Using daily sample of 10 international stock indices, firstly this paper models the internal structures among different stock markets with C-Vine, D-Vine and R-Vine copula models. Secondly, the Value-at-Risk (VaR) and Expected Shortfall (ES) of the international stock markets portfolio are forecasted using Monte Carlo method based on the estimated dependence of different Vine copulas. Finally, the accuracy of VaR and ES measurements obtained from different statistical models are evaluated by UC, IND, CC and Posterior analysis. The empirical results show that the VaR forecasts at the quantile levels of 0.9, 0.95, 0.975 and 0.99 with three kinds of Vine copula models are sufficiently accurate. Several traditional methods, such as historical simulation, mean-variance and DCC-GARCH models, fail to pass the CC backtesting. The Vine copula methods can accurately forecast the ES of the portfolio on the base of VaR measurement, and D-Vine copula model is superior to other Vine copulas.

[Study on quality standard of Mucuna pruriens var. utilis].

PubMed

Wu, Shi-Hong; Jiang, Wei-Zhe; Lv, Li; Wu, Ling-Ling; Lv, Cong; Shi, Xiao-Xia; Su, Gui-Liang

2009-03-01

To provide scientific basis for the utilization and development of Mucuna pruriens var. utilis by establishing its quality control standard. The bioactive constituents were analyzed by TLC and HPLC. Moisture, ash and the extracts of Mucuna pruriens var. utilis were all determined. The TLC spots of levodopa had similar color with the control group at the same position. The results of HPLC quantitative analysis showed that the linear range of levodopa was 26.45 to approximately 132.25 microg/mL, r = 0.9992, and the average recovery rate was 103.8%, RSD = 1.85%. This method is convenient, accurate, reliable with good reproducibility, so it can be used to establish quality standard for the medicinal material.

[Iridoid glycosides from buds of Jasminum officinale L. var. grandiflorum].

PubMed

Zhao, Gui-qin; Yin, Zhi-feng; Liu, Yu-cui; Li, Hong-bo

2011-10-01

The study on the buds of Jasminum officinale L. var. grandiflorum was carried out to look for anti-HBV constituents. The isolation and purification were performed by HPLC and chromatography on silica gel, polyamide and Sephadex LH-20 column. The structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral analysis. Six iridoid glycosides were identified as jasgranoside B (1), 6-O-methy-catalpol (2), deacetyl asperulosidic acid (3), aucubin (4), 8-dehydroxy shanzhiside (5), and loganin (6). Jasgranoside B (1) is a new compound. Compounds 2-6 were isolated from Jasminum officinale L. var. grandiflorum for the first time.

Movement analyses of wood cricket ( Nemobius sylvestris) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae).

PubMed

Brouwers, N C; Newton, A C

2010-12-01

Information on the dispersal ability of invertebrate species associated with woodland habitats is severely lacking. Therefore, a study was conducted examining the movement patterns of wood cricket (Nemobius sylvestris) (Orthoptera: Gryllidae) on the Isle of Wight, UK. Juvenile (i.e. nymphs) and adult wood crickets were released and observed over time within different ground surface substrates. Their movement paths were recorded and subsequently analysed using random walk models. Nymphs were found to move more slowly than adults did; and, when given a choice, both nymphs and adults showed a preference for moving through or over leaf litter compared to bare soil or grass. A correlated random walk (CRW) model accurately described the movement pattern of adult wood crickets through leaf litter, indicating a level of directional persistence in their movements. The estimated population spread through leaf litter for adults was 17.9 cm min-1. Movements of nymphs through leaf litter could not accurately be described by a random walk model, showing a change in their movement pattern over time from directed to more random movements. The estimated population spread through leaf litter for nymphs was 10.1 cm min-1. The results indicate that wood cricket adults can be considered as more powerful dispersers than nymphs; however, further analysis of how the insects move through natural heterogeneous environments at a range of spatio-temporal scales needs to be performed to provide a complete understanding of the dispersal ability of the species.

New phenylpropanoid glycosides from Juniperus communis var. depressa.

PubMed

Iida, Naoki; Inatomi, Yuka; Murata, Hiroko; Murata, Jin; Lang, Frank A; Tanaka, Toshiyuki; Nakanishi, Tsutomu; Inada, Akira

2010-05-01

Two new phenylpropanoid glycosides were isolated from the leaves and stems of Juniperus communis var. depressa (Cupressaceae) along with 14 known compounds. Their structures were determined by spectral analyses, in particular by 2D-NMR spectral evidence.

[Effect of Water Extracts from Rhizosphere Soil of Cultivated Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus on It's Seed Germination and Physiological Characteristics].

PubMed

Lang, Duo-yong; Fu, Xue-yan; Rong, Jia-wang; Zhang, Xin-hui

2015-01-01

To explore the relationship between continuous cropping obstacle and autotoxicity of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus. Distilled water(CK), water extracts of rhizosphere soil(50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/mL) were applied to test their effect on early growth and physiological characteristics of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus. The water extracts from rhizospher soil of cultivated Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus significantly increased seedling emergence rate, root length and vigor index of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus seedling when at the concentration of 100 mg/mL or below, however,there was no significant effect at 200 mg/mL or higher. The water extracts from rhizosphere soil of cultivated Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus significantly reduced the SOD activity in Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus seedling at 400 mg/mL and POD activity at 200 mg/mL and 400 mg/mL,while significantly increased the MDA content. Water extracts from Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus rhizosphere soil significantly affected Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus germination and seedling growth in a concentration-dependent manner, generally, low concentrations increased the SOD and POD activity which improved seed germination and seedling growth, while high concentrations caused cell membrane damage of the seedling.

Comparative Analysis of VaR Estimation of Double Long-Memory GARCH Models: Empirical Analysis of China's Stock Market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Guangxi; Guo, Jianping; Xu, Lin

GARCH models are widely used to model the volatility of financial assets and measure VaR. Based on the characteristics of long-memory and lepkurtosis and fat tail of stock market return series, we compared the ability of double long-memory GARCH models with skewed student-t-distribution to compute VaR, through the empirical analysis of Shanghai Composite Index (SHCI) and Shenzhen Component Index (SZCI). The results show that the ARFIMA-HYGARCH model performance better than others, and at less than or equal to 2.5 percent of the level of VaR, double long-memory GARCH models have stronger ability to evaluate in-sample VaRs in long position than in short position while there is a diametrically opposite conclusion for ability of out-of-sample VaR forecast.

Antidepressant-like Effect of Kaempferol and Quercitirin, Isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten

PubMed Central

Park, Soo-Hyun; Sim, Yun-Beom; Han, Pyung-Lim; Lee, Jin-Koo

2010-01-01

Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten. is widely cultivated in Jeju Island (South Korea) for use in manufacture of health foods. This study described antidepressant effect of two flavonoids (kaempferol and quercitrin) isolated from the Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten. The expression of the hypothalamic POMC mRNA or plasma β-endorphin levels were increased by extract of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten or its flavoniods administered orally. In addition, antidepressant activity was studied using tail suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST) and rota-rod test in chronically restraint immobilization stress group in mice. After restraint stress (2 hrs/day for 14 days), animals were kept in cage for 14 days without any further stress, bet with drugs. Mice were fed with a diet supplemented for 14 days and during the behavioral test period with kaempferol or quercitrin (30 mg/kg/day). POMC mRNA or plasma β-endorphin level was increased by extract of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten and its flavoniods. In addition, immobility time in TST and FST was significantly reduced by kaempferol or quercitrin. In rota-rod test, the time of permanence was maintained to the semblance of control group in turning at 15 rpm. Our results suggest that two flavonoids (kaempferol and quercitrin) isolated from the Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten. show a potent antidepressant effect. PMID:22110339

Antidepressant-like Effect of Kaempferol and Quercitirin, Isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten.

PubMed

Park, Soo-Hyun; Sim, Yun-Beom; Han, Pyung-Lim; Lee, Jin-Koo; Suh, Hong-Won

2010-06-01

Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten. is widely cultivated in Jeju Island (South Korea) for use in manufacture of health foods. This study described antidepressant effect of two flavonoids (kaempferol and quercitrin) isolated from the Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten. The expression of the hypothalamic POMC mRNA or plasma β-endorphin levels were increased by extract of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten or its flavoniods administered orally. In addition, antidepressant activity was studied using tail suspension test (TST), forced swimming test (FST) and rota-rod test in chronically restraint immobilization stress group in mice. After restraint stress (2 hrs/day for 14 days), animals were kept in cage for 14 days without any further stress, bet with drugs. Mice were fed with a diet supplemented for 14 days and during the behavioral test period with kaempferol or quercitrin (30 mg/kg/day). POMC mRNA or plasma β-endorphin level was increased by extract of Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten and its flavoniods. In addition, immobility time in TST and FST was significantly reduced by kaempferol or quercitrin. In rota-rod test, the time of permanence was maintained to the semblance of control group in turning at 15 rpm. Our results suggest that two flavonoids (kaempferol and quercitrin) isolated from the Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten. show a potent antidepressant effect.

Withanolides from Jaborosa caulescens var. bipinnatifida

PubMed Central

Zhang, Huaping; Cao, Cong-Mei; Gallagher, Robert J.; Day, Victor W.; Montenegro, Gloria; Timmermann, Barbara N.

2013-01-01

Two new withanolides 2,3-dihydrotrechonolide A (1) and 2,3-dihydro-21-hydroxytrechonolide A (2) were isolated along with two known withanolides trechonolide A (3) and jaborosalactone 39 (4) from Jaborosa caulescens var. bipinnatifida (Solanaceae). The structures of 1-2 were elucidated through 2D NMR and other spectroscopic techniques. In addition, the structure of withanolide 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. PMID:24314746

The effects of heat treatment on some technological properties of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) wood.

PubMed

Korkut, Süleyman; Akgül, Mehmet; Dündar, Turker

2008-04-01

Heat treatment is often applied to wood species to improve their dimensional stability. This study examined the effect of heat treatment on certain mechanical properties of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), which has industrially high usage potential and large plantations in Turkey. Wood specimens obtained from Bolu, Turkey, were subjected to heat treatment under atmospheric pressure at varying temperatures (120, 150 and 180 degrees C) for varying durations (2, 6 and 10h). The test results of heat-treated Scots pine and control samples showed that technological properties including compression strength, bending strength, modulus of elasticity in bending, janka-hardness, impact bending strength and tension strength perpendicular to grain suffered with heat treatment, and increase in temperature and duration further diminished technological strength values of the wood specimens.

Antigenic variation in malaria: in situ switching, relaxed and mutually exclusive transcription of var genes during intra-erythrocytic development in Plasmodium falciparum.

PubMed Central

Scherf, A; Hernandez-Rivas, R; Buffet, P; Bottius, E; Benatar, C; Pouvelle, B; Gysin, J; Lanzer, M

1998-01-01

Members of the Plasmodium falciparum var gene family encode clonally variant adhesins, which play an important role in the pathogenicity of tropical malaria. Here we employ a selective panning protocol to generate isogenic P.falciparum populations with defined adhesive phenotypes for CD36, ICAM-1 and CSA, expressing single and distinct var gene variants. This technique has established the framework for examining var gene expression, its regulation and switching. It was found that var gene switching occurs in situ. Ubiquitous transcription of all var gene variants appears to occur in early ring stages. However, var gene expression is tightly regulated in trophozoites and is exerted through a silencing mechanism. Transcriptional control is mutually exclusive in parasites that express defined adhesive phenotypes. In situ var gene switching is apparently mediated at the level of transcriptional initiation, as demonstrated by nuclear run-on analyses. Our results suggest that an epigenetic mechanism(s) is involved in var gene regulation. PMID:9736619

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Dianthus superbus var. longicalycinus.

PubMed

Gurusamy, Raman; Lee, Do-Hyung; Park, SeonJoo

2016-05-01

The complete chloroplast genome (cpDNA) sequence of Dianthus superbus var. longicalycinus is an economically important traditional Chinese medicine was reported and characterized. The cpDNA of Dianthus superbus var. longicalycinus is 149,539 bp, with 36.3% GC content. A pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 24,803 bp is separated by a large single-copy region (LSC, 82,805 bp) and a small single-copy region (SSC, 17,128 bp). It encodes 85 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes and 8 rRNA genes. Of 129 individual genes, 13 genes encoded one intron and three genes have two introns.

Rapid identification of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii, C. neoformans var. neoformans, and C. gattii by use of rapid biochemical tests, differential media, and DNA sequencing.

PubMed

McTaggart, Lisa; Richardson, Susan E; Seah, Christine; Hoang, Linda; Fothergill, Annette; Zhang, Sean X

2011-07-01

Rapid identification of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii, Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans, and Cryptococcus gattii is imperative for facilitation of prompt treatment of cryptococcosis and for understanding the epidemiology of the disease. Our purpose was to evaluate a test algorithm incorporating commercial rapid biochemical tests, differential media, and DNA sequence analysis that will allow us to differentiate these taxa rapidly and accurately. We assessed 147 type, reference, and clinical isolates, including 6 other Cryptococcus spp. (10 isolates) and 14 other yeast species (24 isolates), using a 4-hour urea broth test (Remel), a 24-hour urea broth test (Becton Dickinson), a 4-hour caffeic acid disk test (Hardy Diagnostics and Remel), 40- to 44-hour growth assessment on l-canavanine glycine bromothymol blue (CGB) agar, and intergenic spacer (IGS) sequence analysis. All 123 Cryptococcus isolates hydrolyzed urea, along with 7 isolates of Rhodotorula and Trichosporon. Eighty-five of 86 C. neoformans (99%) and 26 of 27 C. gattii (96%) isolates had positive caffeic acid results, unlike the other cryptococci (0/10) and yeast species (0/24). Together, these two tests positively identified virtually all C. neoformans/C. gattii isolates (98%) within 4 h. CGB agar or IGS sequencing further differentiated these isolates within 48 h. On CGB, 25 of 27 (93%) C. gattii strains induced a blue color change, in contrast to 0 of 86 C. neoformans isolates. Neighbor-joining cluster analysis of IGS sequences differentiated C. neoformans var. grubii, C. neoformans var. neoformans, and C. gattii. Based on these results, we describe a rapid identification algorithm for use in a microbiology laboratory to distinguish clinically relevant Cryptococcus spp.

Withanolides from Jaborosa caulescens var. bipinnatifida.

PubMed

Zhang, Huaping; Cao, Cong-Mei; Gallagher, Robert J; Day, Victor W; Montenegro, Gloria; Timmermann, Barbara N

2014-02-01

Withanolides 2,3-dihydrotrechonolide A (1) and 2,3-dihydro-21-hydroxytrechonolide A (2) were isolated along with two known withanolides trechonolide A (3) and jaborosalactone 39 (4) from Jaborosa caulescens var. bipinnatifida (Solanaceae). The structures of 1-2 were elucidated through 2D NMR and other spectroscopic techniques. In addition, the structure of withanolide 1 was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LitVar: a semantic search engine for linking genomic variant data in PubMed and PMC.

PubMed

Allot, Alexis; Peng, Yifan; Wei, Chih-Hsuan; Lee, Kyubum; Phan, Lon; Lu, Zhiyong

2018-05-14

The identification and interpretation of genomic variants play a key role in the diagnosis of genetic diseases and related research. These tasks increasingly rely on accessing relevant manually curated information from domain databases (e.g. SwissProt or ClinVar). However, due to the sheer volume of medical literature and high cost of expert curation, curated variant information in existing databases are often incomplete and out-of-date. In addition, the same genetic variant can be mentioned in publications with various names (e.g. 'A146T' versus 'c.436G>A' versus 'rs121913527'). A search in PubMed using only one name usually cannot retrieve all relevant articles for the variant of interest. Hence, to help scientists, healthcare professionals, and database curators find the most up-to-date published variant research, we have developed LitVar for the search and retrieval of standardized variant information. In addition, LitVar uses advanced text mining techniques to compute and extract relationships between variants and other associated entities such as diseases and chemicals/drugs. LitVar is publicly available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Lu/Demo/LitVar.

[Glycosides from flowers of Jasminum officinale L. var. grandiflorum].

PubMed

Zhao, Gui-qin; Xia, Jing-jing; Dong, Jun-xing

2007-10-01

To study the chemical constituents of the flower of Jasminum officinale L. var. grandiflorum. The compounds were isolated and purified by re-crystallization and chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column. Their structures were elucidated on the physicochemical properties and spectral analysis. Seven glycosides were identified as kaempferol-3-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->3)-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->6)]-beta-D-galactopyranoside (I), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (II), 7-ketologanin (III), oleoside-11-methyl ester (IV), 7-glucosyl-l1-methyl oleoside (V), ligstroside (VI), oleuropein (VII). Compound I is a new compound. Compounds III and V were isolated from the family of Jasminum for the first time and compounds II, IV and VI were isolated from Jasminum officinale L. var. grandiflorum for the first time.

Removal of methylene blue by invasive marine seaweed: Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea.

PubMed

Cengiz, Sevilay; Cavas, Levent

2008-05-01

Caulerpa racemosa var. cylindracea is one of the well-known invasive species in the Mediterranean Sea. In the present study, dried biomass of C. racemosa var. cylindracea was shown to have adsorption capacity for methylene blue. The adsorption reached equilibrium at 90 min for all studied concentrations (5-100mg/L). The pseudo-second-order model is well in line with our experimental results. There was a sharp increase in the adsorbed dye amount per adsorbent amount from 3.3 to 16.7 g/L, then a slight increase up to 66.7 g/L was observed. Langmuir and Freundlich's models were applied to the data related to adsorption isotherm. According to Langmuir's model data, the observed maximum adsorption capacity (qm) was 5.23 mg/g at 18 degrees C. The enthalpy of adsorption was found to be 33 kJ/mol, which indicated a chemical adsorption between dye molecules and C. racemosa var. cylindracea functional groups.

Further elucidation of the taxonomic relationships and geographic distribution of Escobaria sneedii var. sneedii, E. sneedii var. leei, and E. guadalupensis (Cactaceae)

Treesearch

Marc A. Baker

2007-01-01

Individuals of E. sneedii var. sneedii were found to occur in greater abundance within the Guadalupe Mountains than was previously recorded. No additional populations morphologically intermediate between E. guadalupensis and E. sneedii were found. Taxonomic affiliation and geographic...

Comparative recruitment success of pine provenances (Pinus sylvestris, Pinus nigra) under simulated climate change in the Swiss Rhone valley

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richter, Sarah; Moser, Barbara; Ghazoul, Jaboury; Wohlgemuth, Thomas

2010-05-01

Low elevation Scots pine forests of European inner-alpine dry valleys may potentially disappear under continued climate warming, largely in response to increased warming and drought effects. In the upper Rhone valley, the driest region in Switzerland, increased Scots pine mortality in mature forest stands and sparse tree establishment after a large-scale forest fire already give evidence for ongoing climate change. Furthermore, vegetation models predict a decline of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and Pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens) even under a moderate temperature increase of 2-3°C. A decline of tree species in the region may lead to a transition from forest to a steppe-like vegetation. Such a change is of considerable concern for both biodiversity and natural hazard protection. Although changing climate conditions affect all life stages of a tree, its most vulnerable stage is recruitment. We tested P. sylvestris and P. nigra seedlings to simulated temperature increase and water stress, using seeds from the upper Rhone valley, Switzerland (CH), and from Peñyagolosa, Spain (ES). The experiment was located outdoors at the bottom of the Rhone Valley. Treatments consisted of factorial combinations of 3 precipitation regimes (‘wet spring-wet summer', ‘dry spring-dry summer' and ‘wet spring-dry summer') and 3 soil heating levels (+0 °C, +2.5 °C, +5 °C). Automatically operated shelters intercepted natural rainfall and different precipitation regimes were simulated by manual irrigation. We found significantly lower germination rates under dry conditions compared to wet conditions, whereas soil temperature affected germination rates only for P. nigra and when elevated by 5°C. Contrastingly, an increase of soil temperatures by 2.5 °C already caused a substantial decrease of survival rates under both ‘dry spring-dry summer' and ‘wet spring-dry summer' conditions. Precipitation regime was more important for survival than temperature increase. Seasonality of

Rapid Identification of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii, C. neoformans var. neoformans, and C. gattii by Use of Rapid Biochemical Tests, Differential Media, and DNA Sequencing ▿

PubMed Central

McTaggart, Lisa; Richardson, Susan E.; Seah, Christine; Hoang, Linda; Fothergill, Annette; Zhang, Sean X.

2011-01-01

Rapid identification of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii, Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans, and Cryptococcus gattii is imperative for facilitation of prompt treatment of cryptococcosis and for understanding the epidemiology of the disease. Our purpose was to evaluate a test algorithm incorporating commercial rapid biochemical tests, differential media, and DNA sequence analysis that will allow us to differentiate these taxa rapidly and accurately. We assessed 147 type, reference, and clinical isolates, including 6 other Cryptococcus spp. (10 isolates) and 14 other yeast species (24 isolates), using a 4-hour urea broth test (Remel), a 24-hour urea broth test (Becton Dickinson), a 4-hour caffeic acid disk test (Hardy Diagnostics and Remel), 40- to 44-hour growth assessment on l-canavanine glycine bromothymol blue (CGB) agar, and intergenic spacer (IGS) sequence analysis. All 123 Cryptococcus isolates hydrolyzed urea, along with 7 isolates of Rhodotorula and Trichosporon. Eighty-five of 86 C. neoformans (99%) and 26 of 27 C. gattii (96%) isolates had positive caffeic acid results, unlike the other cryptococci (0/10) and yeast species (0/24). Together, these two tests positively identified virtually all C. neoformans/C. gattii isolates (98%) within 4 h. CGB agar or IGS sequencing further differentiated these isolates within 48 h. On CGB, 25 of 27 (93%) C. gattii strains induced a blue color change, in contrast to 0 of 86 C. neoformans isolates. Neighbor-joining cluster analysis of IGS sequences differentiated C. neoformans var. grubii, C. neoformans var. neoformans, and C. gattii. Based on these results, we describe a rapid identification algorithm for use in a microbiology laboratory to distinguish clinically relevant Cryptococcus spp. PMID:21593254

[Leishmaniasis transmission focus in El Hobo, Carmen de Bolívar, Bolívar, Colombia].

PubMed

Cortés, Luis Alberto

2006-10-01

The epidemiological characteristics and the importance of the Lutzomyia species present in a leishmaniasis focus in the village El Hobo, Carmen de Bolívar, Department of Bolivar, Colombia, are described. To obtain a preliminary assessment of leishmaniasis transmission in the village of El Hobo, Carmen de Bolívar. Epidemiological data were analyzed and sandflies were collected with CDC traps and on protected human volunteers in the village of El Hobo. Sero prevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis in dogs was evaluated using indirect inmunofluorescence (IFAT). Nine Lutzomyia species were collected: L. trinidadensis, L. evansi, L. cayennensis, L. venezuelensis, L. gomezi, L. dubitans, L. ylephiletor, L. yuilli, and L. walkeri. The species of greater importance based on their implication in the transmission of cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis were L. gomezi, and L. evansi respectively. Specimens of L. venezuelensis, L. dubitans, L. ylephiletor, L. yuilli, and L. walkeri are reported for the first time for the Department of Bolivar. The sero prevalence of visceral leishmaniasis in dogs was 36%. According to the epidemiological records, in 2002 the municipality of Carmen de Bolivar presented a 40% increase in cases of cutaneous leishmaniasis and an 80% increase in canine visceral leishmaniasis as compared to 2001, due to the outbreak in the village of El Hobo. The results indicate that the village of El Hobo is an area of potential risk for transmission of both cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis.

Chemical composition and cytotoxicity evaluation of essential oil from leaves of Casearia sylvestris, its main compound α-zingiberene and derivatives.

PubMed

Bou, Diego Dinis; Lago, João Henrique G; Figueiredo, Carlos R; Matsuo, Alisson L; Guadagnin, Rafael C; Soares, Marisi G; Sartorelli, Patricia

2013-08-08

Casearia sylvestris (Salicaceae), popularly known as "guaçatonga", is a plant widely used in folk medicine to treat various diseases, including cancer. The present work deals with the chemical composition as well as the cytotoxic evaluation of its essential oil, its main constituent and derivatives. Thus, the crude essential oil from leaves of C. sylvestris was obtained using a Clevenger type apparatus and analyzed by GC/MS. This analysis afforded the identification of 23 substances, 13 of which corresponded to 98.73% of the total oil composition, with sesquiterpene a-zingiberene accounting for 50% of the oil. The essential oil was evaluated for cytotoxic activity against several tumor cell lines, giving IC50 values ranging from 12 to 153 mg/mL. Pure a-zingiberene, isolated from essential oil, was also evaluated against the tumor cell lines showing activity for HeLa, U-87, Siha and HL60 cell lines, but with IC50 values higher than those determined for the crude essential oil. Aiming to evaluate the effect of the double bonds of a-zingiberene on the cytotoxic activity, partially hydrogenated a-zingiberene (PHZ) and fully hydrogenated a-zingiberene (THZ) derivatives were obtained. For the partially hydrogenated derivative only cytotoxic activity to the B16F10-Nex2 cell line (IC50 65 mg/mL) was detected, while totally hydrogenated derivative showed cytotoxic activity for almost all cell lines, with B16F10-Nex2 and MCF-7 as exceptions and with IC50 values ranging from 34 to 65 mg/mL. These results indicate that cytotoxic activity is related with the state of oxidation of compound.

Antioxidant Properties of Seeds from Lines of Artichoke, Cultivated Cardoon and Wild Cardoon

PubMed Central

Durazzo, Alessandra; Foddai, Maria Stella; Temperini, Andrea; Azzini, Elena; Venneria, Eugenia; Lucarini, Massimo; Finotti, Enrico; Maiani, Gianluca; Crinò, Paola; Saccardo, Francesco; Maiani, Giuseppe

2013-01-01

The artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L. subsp. scolymus L.), the cultivated cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. altilis DC.) and the wild cardoon (Cynara cardunculus var. sylvestris L.) are species widely distributed in the Mediterranean area. The aim of this research was to evaluate the antioxidant properties of seeds from lines of artichoke and cultivated and wild cardoon in both aqueous-organic extracts and their residues by FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) and TEAC (Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity) evaluations. Both artichoke and cardoon seeds are a good source of antioxidants. Among artichoke seeds, hydrolysable polyphenols contribution to antioxidant properties ranged from 41% to 78% for FRAP values and from 17% to 37% for TEAC values. No difference between cultivated and wild cardoon in antioxidant properties are reported. Our results could provide information about the potential industrial use and application of artichoke and/or cardoon seeds. PMID:26787623

Immunomodulatory Activity of Xanthones from Calophyllum teysmannii var. inuphylloide.

PubMed

Gonzalez, M J; Nascimento, M S; Cidade, H M; Pinto, M M; Kijjoa, A; Anantachoke, C; Silva, A M; Herz, W

1999-05-01

Nine xanthones, including 3-(4-hydroxy-3-metnylbutyl)-4,8-dihydroxyxanthone, were isolated from the wood of a Thai collection of CALOPHYLLUM TEYSMANNII Miq. var. INUPHYLLOIDE (King) P. Stephen. Immunomodulatory activities of eight of these have been investigated.

[Chemical constituents of Pileostegia viburnoides var. glabrescens].

PubMed

Zou, Ju-ying; Chen, Sheng-huang; Li, Qin-wen; Ou, Yang-wen; Chen, Han-jun; Wang, Wei

2012-05-01

To study the chemical constituents of Pileostegia viburnoides var. glabrescens. The compounds were isolated and purified by various techniques. Their structures were determined by physicochemical properties and spectral analysis. Five compounds were isolated and identified as friedelin (1), beta-sitosterol (2), umbelliferone (3), daucosterol (4) and skimmin (5). All the compounds were isolated from this genus for the first time.

Assimilation of Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) Profiles using WRF-Var

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zavodsky, Brad; Jedlovec, Gary J.; Lapenta, William

2008-01-01

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model contains a three-dimensional variational (3DVAR) assimilation system (WRF-Var), which allows a user to join data from multiple sources into one coherent analysis. WRF-Var combines observations with a background field traditionally generated using a previous model forecast through minimization of a cost function. In data sparse regions, remotely-sensed observations may be able to improve analyses and produce improved forecasts. One such source comes from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), which together with the Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU), represents one of the most advanced space-based atmospheric sounding systems. The combined AIRS/AMSU system provides radiance measurements used as input to a sophisticated retrieval scheme which has been shown to produce temperature profiles with an accuracy of 1 K over 1 km layers and humidity profiles with accuracy of 15% in 2 km layers in both clear and partly cloudy conditions. The retrieval algorithm also provides estimates of the accuracy of the retrieved values at each pressure level, allowing the user to select profiles based on the required error tolerances of the application. The purpose of this paper is to describe a procedure to optimally assimilate high-resolution AIRS profile data into a regional configuration of the Advanced Research WRF (ARW) version 2.2 using WRF-Var. The paper focuses on development of background error covariances for the regional domain and background field type using gen_be and an optimal methodology for ingesting AIRS temperature and moisture profiles as separate overland and overwater retrievals with different error characteristics in the WRF-Var. The AIRS thermodynamic profiles are obtained from the version 5.0 Earth Observing System (EOS) science team retrieval algorithm and contain information about the quality of each temperature layer. The quality indicators are used to select the highest quality temperature and moisture

Influence of drought on radial stem growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in an inner Alpine environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oberhuber, Walter; Gruber, Andreas

2010-05-01

Radial stem growth indices of trees are known to be valuable long-term measures of overall tree vigor and are frequently applied to identify the climatic factors limiting tree growth. Based on several tree-ring studies conducted within inner-Alpine dry valleys, it is well established that growth of Pinus sylvestris is primarily limited by spring precipitation (April through June) and severe drought results in abrupt growth reductions and increased tree mortality. However, the record breaking heat-wave in summer 2003 had only minor impact on growth of drought exposed coniferous trees within the dry inner-Alpine valley of the Inn river (750 m a.s.l., Tyrol, Austria), where mean annual precipitation and temperature amount to 716 mm and 7.3 °C, respectively. To examine short-term influences of drought stress on growth processes more closely, we determined the influence of meteorological factors (air temperature, precipitation) and soil moisture on intra-annual dynamics of tree ring development and stem radial growth in Pinus sylvestris at two sites differing in soil moisture characteristics (xeric and dry-mesic). Radial stem development was continuously followed during 2007 and 2008 by band dendrometers and repeated micro-sampling of the developing tree ring of mature trees. In 2007, when air temperature at the beginning of the growing season in April exceeded long-term mean by 6.4 °C, cambial cell division started in early April at both study plots. A delayed onset of cambial activity of c. 2 wk was found in 2008, when average climate conditions prevailed in spring, suggesting that resumption of cambial cell division after winter dormancy is temperature-controlled. Wood formation stopped c. 4 wk earlier at the xeric compared to dry-mesic site in both study years, which indicates a strong influence of drought stress on cell differentiation processes. This is supported by radial widths of earlywood cells, which were found to be significantly narrower at the xeric

Optimal Placement of Dynamic Var Sources by Using Empirical Controllability Covariance

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

Qi, Junjian; Huang, Weihong; Sun, Kai

In this paper, the empirical controllability covariance (ECC), which is calculated around the considered operating condition of a power system, is applied to quantify the degree of controllability of system voltages under specific dynamic var source locations. An optimal dynamic var source placement method addressing fault-induced delayed voltage recovery (FIDVR) issues is further formulated as an optimization problem that maximizes the determinant of ECC. The optimization problem is effectively solved by the NOMAD solver, which implements the mesh adaptive direct search algorithm. The proposed method is tested on an NPCC 140-bus system and the results show that the proposed methodmore » with fault specified ECC can solve the FIDVR issue caused by the most severe contingency with fewer dynamic var sources than the voltage sensitivity index (VSI)-based method. The proposed method with fault unspecified ECC does not depend on the settings of the contingency and can address more FIDVR issues than the VSI method when placing the same number of SVCs under different fault durations. It is also shown that the proposed method can help mitigate voltage collapse.« less

RBF neural network prediction on weak electrical signals in Aloe vera var. chinensis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Lanzhou; Zhao, Jiayin; Wang, Miao

2008-10-01

A Gaussian radial base function (RBF) neural network forecast on signals in the Aloe vera var. chinensis by the wavelet soft-threshold denoised as the time series and using the delayed input window chosen at 50, is set up to forecast backward. There was the maximum amplitude at 310.45μV, minimum -75.15μV, average value -2.69μV and <1.5Hz at frequency in Aloe vera var. chinensis respectively. The electrical signal in Aloe vera var. chinensis is a sort of weak, unstable and low frequency signals. A result showed that it is feasible to forecast plant electrical signals for the timing by the RBF. The forecast data can be used as the preferences for the intelligent autocontrol system based on the adaptive characteristic of plants to achieve the energy saving on the agricultural production in the plastic lookum or greenhouse.

CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing Reveals That the Intron Is Not Essential for var2csa Gene Activation or Silencing in Plasmodium falciparum.

PubMed

Bryant, Jessica M; Regnault, Clément; Scheidig-Benatar, Christine; Baumgarten, Sebastian; Guizetti, Julien; Scherf, Artur

2017-07-11

Plasmodium falciparum relies on monoallelic expression of 1 of 60 var virulence genes for antigenic variation and host immune evasion. Each var gene contains a conserved intron which has been implicated in previous studies in both activation and repression of transcription via several epigenetic mechanisms, including interaction with the var promoter, production of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and localization to repressive perinuclear sites. However, functional studies have relied primarily on artificial expression constructs. Using the recently developed P. falciparum clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system, we directly deleted the var2csa P. falciparum 3D7_1200600 (Pf3D7_1200600) endogenous intron, resulting in an intronless var gene in a natural, marker-free chromosomal context. Deletion of the var2csa intron resulted in an upregulation of transcription of the var2csa gene in ring-stage parasites and subsequent expression of the PfEMP1 protein in late-stage parasites. Intron deletion did not affect the normal temporal regulation and subsequent transcriptional silencing of the var gene in trophozoites but did result in increased rates of var gene switching in some mutant clones. Transcriptional repression of the intronless var2csa gene could be achieved via long-term culture or panning with the CD36 receptor, after which reactivation was possible with chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) panning. These data suggest that the var2csa intron is not required for silencing or activation in ring-stage parasites but point to a subtle role in regulation of switching within the var gene family. IMPORTANCE Plasmodium falciparum is the most virulent species of malaria parasite, causing high rates of morbidity and mortality in those infected. Chronic infection depends on an immune evasion mechanism termed antigenic variation, which in turn relies on monoallelic expression of 1 of ~60 var genes. Understanding antigenic variation and the

Phylogenetics and evolution of Su(var)3-9 SET genes in land plants: rapid diversification in structure and function.

PubMed

Zhu, Xinyu; Ma, Hong; Chen, Zhiduan

2011-03-09

Plants contain numerous Su(var)3-9 homologues (SUVH) and related (SUVR) genes, some of which await functional characterization. Although there have been studies on the evolution of plant Su(var)3-9 SET genes, a systematic evolutionary study including major land plant groups has not been reported. Large-scale phylogenetic and evolutionary analyses can help to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms and contribute to improve genome annotation. Putative orthologs of plant Su(var)3-9 SET protein sequences were retrieved from major representatives of land plants. A novel clustering that included most members analyzed, henceforth referred to as core Su(var)3-9 homologues and related (cSUVHR) gene clade, was identified as well as all orthologous groups previously identified. Our analysis showed that plant Su(var)3-9 SET proteins possessed a variety of domain organizations, and can be classified into five types and ten subtypes. Plant Su(var)3-9 SET genes also exhibit a wide range of gene structures among different paralogs within a family, even in the regions encoding conserved PreSET and SET domains. We also found that the majority of SUVH members were intronless and formed three subclades within the SUVH clade. A detailed phylogenetic analysis of the plant Su(var)3-9 SET genes was performed. A novel deep phylogenetic relationship including most plant Su(var)3-9 SET genes was identified. Additional domains such as SAR, ZnF_C2H2 and WIYLD were early integrated into primordial PreSET/SET/PostSET domain organization. At least three classes of gene structures had been formed before the divergence of Physcomitrella patens (moss) from other land plants. One or multiple retroposition events might have occurred among SUVH genes with the donor genes leading to the V-2 orthologous group. The structural differences among evolutionary groups of plant Su(var)3-9 SET genes with different functions were described, contributing to the design of further experimental studies.

Clinical laboratories collaborate to resolve differences in variant interpretations submitted to ClinVar.

PubMed

Harrison, Steven M; Dolinsky, Jill S; Knight Johnson, Amy E; Pesaran, Tina; Azzariti, Danielle R; Bale, Sherri; Chao, Elizabeth C; Das, Soma; Vincent, Lisa; Rehm, Heidi L

2017-10-01

Data sharing through ClinVar offers a unique opportunity to identify interpretation differences between laboratories. As part of a ClinGen initiative, four clinical laboratories (Ambry, GeneDx, Partners Healthcare Laboratory for Molecular Medicine, and University of Chicago Genetic Services Laboratory) collaborated to identify the basis of interpretation differences and to investigate if data sharing and reassessment resolve interpretation differences by analyzing a subset of variants. ClinVar variants with submissions from at least two of the four participating laboratories were compared. For a subset of identified differences, laboratories documented the basis for discordance, shared internal data, independently reassessed with the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics-Association for Molecular Pathology (ACMG-AMP) guidelines, and then compared interpretations. At least two of the participating laboratories interpreted 6,169 variants in ClinVar, of which 88.3% were initially concordant. Laboratories reassessed 242/724 initially discordant variants, of which 87.2% (211) were resolved by reassessment with current criteria and/or internal data sharing; 12.8% (31) of reassessed variants remained discordant owing to differences in the application of the ACMG-AMP guidelines. Participating laboratories increased their overall concordance from 88.3 to 91.7%, indicating that sharing variant interpretations in ClinVar-thereby allowing identification of differences and motivation to resolve those differences-is critical to moving toward more consistent variant interpretations.Genet Med advance online publication 09 March 2017.

Genetic diversity of the DBLalpha region in Plasmodium falciparum var genes among Asia-Pacific isolates.

PubMed

Fowler, Elizabeth V; Peters, Jennifer M; Gatton, Michelle L; Chen, Nanhua; Cheng, Qin

2002-03-01

In Plasmodium falciparum a highly polymorphic multi-copy gene family, var, encodes the variant surface antigen P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), which has an important role in cytoadherence and immune evasion. Using previously described universal PCR primers for the first Duffy binding-like domain (DBLalpha) of var we analysed the DBLalpha repertoires of Dd2 (originally from Thailand) and eight isolates from the Solomon Islands (n=4), Philippines (n=2), Papua New Guinea (n=1) and Africa (n=1). We found 15-32 unique DBLalpha sequence types among these isolates and estimated detectable DBLalpha repertoire sizes ranging from 33-38 to 52-57 copies per genome. Our data suggest that var gene repertoires generally consist of 40-50 copies per genome. Eighteen DBLalpha sequences appeared in more than one Asia-Pacific isolate with the number of sequences shared between any two isolates ranging from 0 to 6 (mean=2.0 +/-1.6). At the amino acid level DBLalpha sequence similarity within isolates ranged from 45.2 +/- 7.1 to 50.2 +/- 6.9%, and was not significantly different from the DBLalpha amino acid sequence similarity among isolates (P>0.1). Comparisons with published sequences also revealed little overlap among DBLalpha sequences from different regions. High DBLalpha sequence diversity and minimal overlap among these isolates suggest that the global var gene repertoire is immense, and may potentially be selected for by the host's protective immune response to the var gene products, PfEMP1.

Diversity, virulence and 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol sensitivity of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici isolates from Washington State

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We determined whether isolates of the take-all pathogen Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici become less sensitive to 2,4-DAPG during wheat monoculture as a result of exposure to the antibiotic over multiple growing seasons. Over 177 isolates of G. graminis var. tritici were baited from roots of nat...

JIL-1 and Su(var)3-7 Interact Genetically and Counteract Each Other's Effect on Position-Effect Variegation in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Deng, Huai; Cai, Weili; Wang, Chao; Lerach, Stephanie; Delattre, Marion; Girton, Jack; Johansen, Jørgen; Johansen, Kristen M.

2010-01-01

The essential JIL-1 histone H3S10 kinase is a key regulator of chromatin structure that functions to maintain euchromatic domains while counteracting heterochromatization and gene silencing. In the absence of the JIL-1 kinase, two of the major heterochromatin markers H3K9me2 and HP1a spread in tandem to ectopic locations on the chromosome arms. Here we address the role of the third major heterochromatin component, the zinc-finger protein Su(var)3-7. We show that the lethality but not the chromosome morphology defects associated with the null JIL-1 phenotype to a large degree can be rescued by reducing the dose of the Su(var)3-7 gene and that Su(var)3-7 and JIL-1 loss-of-function mutations have an antagonistic and counterbalancing effect on position-effect variegation (PEV). Furthermore, we show that in the absence of JIL-1 kinase activity, Su(var)3-7 gets redistributed and upregulated on the chromosome arms. Reducing the dose of the Su(var)3-7 gene dramatically decreases this redistribution; however, the spreading of H3K9me2 to the chromosome arms was unaffected, strongly indicating that ectopic Su(var)3-9 activity is not a direct cause of lethality. These observations suggest a model where Su(var)3-7 functions as an effector downstream of Su(var)3-9 and H3K9 dimethylation in heterochromatic spreading and gene silencing that is normally counteracted by JIL-1 kinase activity. PMID:20457875

Ultrastructural Effects of Bacillus thuringiensis var. san diego on Midgut Cells of the Cottonwood Leaf Beetle1

Treesearch

Leah S. Bauer; Stuart H. Pankratz

1992-01-01

Sequential observations of the ultrastructural effects of Bacillus thuringiensis var. san diego were made on midgut epithelial cells of the cottonwood leaf beetle, Chrysomela scripta F. Larvae imbibed a droplet of B. thuringiensis var. san diego containing endotoxin and live...

Identification of a Major Dimorphic Region in the Functionally Critical N-Terminal ID1 Domain of VAR2CSA

PubMed Central

Doritchamou, Justin; Sabbagh, Audrey; Jespersen, Jakob S.; Renard, Emmanuelle; Salanti, Ali; Nielsen, Morten A.; Deloron, Philippe; Tuikue Ndam, Nicaise

2015-01-01

The VAR2CSA protein of Plasmodium falciparum is transported to and expressed on the infected erythrocyte surface where it plays a key role in placental malaria (PM). It is the current leading candidate for a vaccine to prevent PM. However, the antigenic polymorphism integral to VAR2CSA poses a challenge for vaccine development. Based on detailed analysis of polymorphisms in the sequence of its ligand-binding N-terminal region, currently the main focus for vaccine development, we assessed var2csa from parasite isolates infecting pregnant women. The results reveal for the first time the presence of a major dimorphic region in the functionally critical N-terminal ID1 domain. Parasite isolates expressing VAR2CSA with particular motifs present within this domain are associated with gravidity- and parasite density-related effects. These observations are of particular interest in guiding efforts with respect to optimization of the VAR2CSA-based vaccines currently under development. PMID:26393516

Antioxidant properties and global metabolite screening of the probiotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii.

PubMed

Datta, Suprama; Timson, David J; Annapure, Uday S

2017-07-01

Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii is the only yeast species with probiotic properties. It is considered to have therapeutic significance in gastrointestinal disorders. In the present study, a comparative physiological study between this yeast and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (BY4742) was performed by evaluating two prominent traits of probiotic species, responses to different stress conditions and antioxidant capacity. A global metabolite profile was also developed aiming to identify which therapeutically important secondary metabolites are produced. Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii showed no significant difference in growth patterns but greater stress tolerance compared to S. cerevisiae. It also demonstrated a six- to 10-fold greater antioxidant potential (judged by the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay), with a 70-fold higher total phenolic content and a 20-fold higher total flavonoid content in the extracellular fraction. These features were clearly differentiated by principal component analysis and further indicated by metabolite profiling. The extracellular fraction of the S. cerevisiae var. boulardii cultures was found to be rich in polyphenolic metabolites: vanillic acid, cinnamic acid, phenyl ethyl alcohol (rose oil), erythromycin, amphetamine and vitamin B 6 , which results in the antioxidant capacity of this strain. The present study presents a new perspective for differentiating the two genetically related strains of yeast, S. cerevisiae and S. cerevisiae var. boulardii by assessing their metabolome fingerprints. In addition to the correlation of the phenotypic properties with the secretory metabolites of these two yeasts, the present study also emphasizes the potential to exploit S. cerevisiae var. boulardii in the industrial production of these metabolites. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

[Study on chemical constituents of volatile oil from rhizomes and leaves of Pileostegia viburnoides var. glabrescens by GC-MS].

PubMed

Zou, Ju-Ying; Chen, Sheng-Huang; Li, Qin-Wen; Chen, Han-Jun; Liu, Bei-Bei; Du, Fan

2012-04-01

To analyze the chemical constituents of volatile oil from the rhizomes and leaves of Pileostegia viburnoides var. glabrescens by GC-MS. The volatile oil was extracted from the rhizomes and leaves of Pileostegia viburnoides var. glabrescens by steam distillation. The constituents of volatile oil were identified by GC-MS technology. 37 compounds were identified from the oil of rhizomes. 36 compounds were identified from the oil of leaves. The rhizomes and leaves volatile oil had 18 compounds in common. This study is the first one to report the volatile components of Pileostegia viburnoides var. glabrescens. It can provide a scientific basis for rational use of the rhizomes and leaves of Pileostegia viburnoides var. glabrescens.

[A new secoiridoid from the flowers of Jasminum officinale L. var. grandiflorum].

PubMed

Zhao, Gui-Qin; Yin, Zhi-Feng; Dong, Jun-Xing

2008-05-01

To study the chemical constituents of the flowers of Jasminum officinale L. var. grandiflorum, the compounds were isolated and purified by HPLC, recrystallization and chromatography on silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of physicochemical properties and spectral analysis. Six secoiridoids were identified as jasgranoside (I), jaspolyoside (II), 8-epi-kingiside (III), 10-hydroxy-oleuropein (IV), 10-hydroxy-ligstroside (V), oleoside-7, 11-dimethyl ester (VI). Compound I is a new compound. Compounds II, III, IV, V and VI were isolated from Jasminum officinale L. var. grandiflorum for the first time.

Differential recognition of terminal extracellular Plasmodium falciparum VAR2CSA domains by sera from multigravid, malaria-exposed Malian women.

PubMed

Travassos, Mark A; Coulibaly, Drissa; Bailey, Jason A; Niangaly, Amadou; Adams, Matthew; Nyunt, Myaing M; Ouattara, Amed; Lyke, Kirsten E; Laurens, Matthew B; Pablo, Jozelyn; Jasinskas, Algis; Nakajima, Rie; Berry, Andrea A; Takala-Harrison, Shannon; Kone, Abdoulaye K; Kouriba, Bourema; Rowe, J Alexandra; Doumbo, Ogobara K; Thera, Mahamadou A; Laufer, Miriam K; Felgner, Philip L; Plowe, Christopher V

2015-06-01

The Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family mediates parasite sequestration in small capillaries through tissue-specific cytoadherence. The best characterized of these proteins is VAR2CSA, which is expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes that bind to chondroitin sulfate in the placental matrix. Antibodies to VAR2CSA prevent placental cytoadherence and protect against placental malaria. The size and complexity of the VAR2CSA protein pose challenges for vaccine development, but smaller constitutive domains may be suitable for subunit vaccine development. A protein microarray was printed to include five overlapping fragments of the 3D7 VAR2CSA extracellular region. Malian women with a history of at least one pregnancy had antibody recognition of four of these fragments and had stronger reactivity against the two distal fragments than did nulliparous women, children, and men from Mali, suggesting that the C-terminal extracellular VAR2CSA domains are a potential focus of protective immunity. With carefully chosen sera from longitudinal studies of pregnant women, this approach has the potential to identify seroreactive VAR2CSA domains associated with protective immunity against pregnancy-associated malaria. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

A var gene promoter implicated in severe malaria nucleates silencing and is regulated by 3’ untranslated region and intronic cis-elements

PubMed Central

Muhle, Rebecca A.; Adjalley, Sophie; Falkard, Brie; Nkrumah, Louis J.; Muhle, Michael E.; Fidock, David A.

2009-01-01

Questions surround the mechanism of mutually exclusive expression by which Plasmodium falciparum mediates activation and silencing of var genes. These encode PfEMP1 proteins, which function as cytoadherent and immunomodulatory molecules at the surface of parasitized erythrocytes. Current evidence suggests that promoter silencing by var introns might play a key role in var gene regulation. To evaluate the impact of cis-acting regulatory regions on var silencing, we generated P. falciparum lines in which luciferase was placed under the control of an UpsA var promoter. By utilizing the Bxb1 integrase system, these reporter cassettes were targeted to a genomic region that was not in apposition to var sub-telomeric domains. This eliminated possible effects from surrounding telomeric elements and removed the variability inherent in episomal systems. Studies with highly synchronized parasites revealed that the UpsA element possessed minimal activity in comparison with a heterologous (hrp3) promoter. This may well result from the integrated UpsA promoter being largely silenced by the neighboring cg6 promoter. Our analyses also revealed that the DownsA 3’ untranslated region further decreased the luciferase activity from both cassettes, whereas the var A intron repressed the UpsA promoter specifically. By applying multivariate analysis over the entire cell cycle, we confirmed the significance of these cis-elements and found the parasite stage to be the major factor regulating UpsA promoter activity. Additionally, we observed that the UpsA promoter was capable of nucleating reversible silencing that spread to a downstream promoter. We believe these studies are the first to analyze promoter activity of Group A var genes which have been implicated in severe malaria, and support the model that var introns can further suppress var expression. These data also suggest an important suppressive role for the DownsA terminator. Our findings imply the existence of multiple levels of

Evidence that the Human Pathogenic Fungus Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii May Have Evolved in Africa

PubMed Central

Litvintseva, Anastasia P.; Carbone, Ignazio; Rossouw, Jenny; Thakur, Rameshwari; Govender, Nelesh P.; Mitchell, Thomas G.

2011-01-01

Most of the species of fungi that cause disease in mammals, including Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii (serotype A), are exogenous and non-contagious. Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii is associated worldwide with avian and arboreal habitats. This airborne, opportunistic pathogen is profoundly neurotropic and the leading cause of fungal meningitis. Patients with HIV/AIDS have been ravaged by cryptococcosis – an estimated one million new cases occur each year, and mortality approaches 50%. Using phylogenetic and population genetic analyses, we present evidence that C. neoformans var. grubii may have evolved from a diverse population in southern Africa. Our ecological studies support the hypothesis that a few of these strains acquired a new environmental reservoir, the excreta of feral pigeons (Columba livia), and were globally dispersed by the migration of birds and humans. This investigation also discovered a novel arboreal reservoir for highly diverse strains of C. neoformans var. grubii that are restricted to southern Africa, the mopane tree (Colophospermum mopane). This finding may have significant public health implications because these primal strains have optimal potential for evolution and because mopane trees contribute to the local economy as a source of timber, folkloric remedies and the edible mopane worm. PMID:21589919

40 CFR 180.1243 - Bacillus subtilis var. amyloliquefaciens strain FZB24; exemption from the requirement of a...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 23 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Bacillus subtilis var... EXEMPTIONS FOR PESTICIDE CHEMICAL RESIDUES IN FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1243 Bacillus subtilis... the requirement of a tolerance for residues of the Bacillus subtilis var. amyloliquefaciens strain...

Qualitative and quantitative determination of extractives in heartwood of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) by gas chromatography.

PubMed

Ekeberg, Dag; Flaete, Per-Otto; Eikenes, Morten; Fongen, Monica; Naess-Andresen, Carl Fredrik

2006-03-24

A method for quantitative determination of extractives from heartwood of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) using gas chromatography (GC) with flame ionization detection (FID) was developed. The limit of detection (LOD) was 0.03 mg/g wood and the linear range (r = 0.9994) was up to 10 mg/g with accuracy within +/- 10% and precision of 18% relative standard deviation. The identification of the extractives was performed using gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The yields of extraction by Soxhlet were tested for solid wood, small particles and fine powder. Small particles were chosen for further analysis. This treatment gave good yields of the most important extractives: pinosylvin, pinosylvin monomethyl ether, resin acids and free fatty acids. The method is used to demonstrate the variation of these extractives across stems and differences in north-south direction.

Molecular dissection of placental malaria protein VAR2CSA interaction with a chemo-enzymatically synthesized chondroitin sulfate library.

PubMed

Sugiura, Nobuo; Clausen, Thomas Mandel; Shioiri, Tatsumasa; Gustavsson, Tobias; Watanabe, Hideto; Salanti, Ali

2016-12-01

Placental malaria, a serious infection caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, is characterized by the selective accumulation of infected erythrocytes (IEs) in the placentas of the pregnant women. Placental adherence is mediated by the malarial VAR2CSA protein, which interacts with chondroitin sulfate (CS) proteoglycans present in the placental tissue. CS is a linear acidic polysaccharide composed of repeating disaccharide units of D-glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-D-galactosamine that are modified by sulfate groups at different positions. Previous reports have shown that placental-adhering IEs were associated with an unusually low sulfated form of chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) and that a partially sulfated dodecasaccharide is the minimal motif for the interaction. However, the fine molecular structure of this CS chain remains unclear. In this study, we have characterized the CS chain that interacts with a recombinant minimal CS-binding region of VAR2CSA (rVAR2) using a CS library of various defined lengths and sulfate compositions. The CS library was chemo-enzymatically synthesized with bacterial chondroitin polymerase and recombinant CS sulfotransferases. We found that C-4 sulfation of the N-acetyl-D-galactosamine residue is critical for supporting rVAR2 binding, whereas no other sulfate modifications showed effects. Interaction of rVAR2 with CS is highly correlated with the degree of C-4 sulfation and CS chain length. We confirmed that the minimum structure binding to rVAR2 is a tri-sulfated CSA dodecasaccharide, and found that a highly sulfated CSA eicosasaccharide is a more potent inhibitor of rVAR2 binding than the dodecasaccharides. These results suggest that CSA derivatives may potentially serve as targets in therapeutic strategies against placental malaria.

Antibody levels to recombinant VAR2CSA domains vary with Plasmodium falciparum parasitaemia, gestational age, and gravidity, but do not predict pregnancy outcomes.

PubMed

Fried, Michal; Kurtis, Jonathan D; Swihart, Bruce; Morrison, Robert; Pond-Tor, Sunthorn; Barry, Amadou; Sidibe, Youssoufa; Keita, Sekouba; Mahamar, Almahamoudou; Andemel, Naissem; Attaher, Oumar; Dembele, Adama B; Cisse, Kadidia B; Diarra, Bacary S; Kanoute, Moussa B; Narum, David L; Dicko, Alassane; Duffy, Patrick E

2018-03-09

Maternal malaria is a tropical scourge associated with poor pregnancy outcomes. Women become resistant to Plasmodium falciparum pregnancy malaria as they acquire antibodies to the variant surface antigen VAR2CSA, a leading vaccine candidate. Because malaria infection may increase VAR2CSA antibody levels and thereby confound analyses of immune protection, gravidity-dependent changes in antibody levels during and after infection, and the effect of VAR2CSA antibodies on pregnancy outcomes were evaluated. Pregnant women enrolled in a longitudinal cohort study of mother-infant pairs in Ouelessebougou, Mali provided plasma samples at enrollment, gestational week 30-32, and delivery. Antibody levels to VAR2CSA domains were measured using a multiplex bead-based assay. Antibody levels to VAR2CSA were higher in multigravidae than primigravidae. Malaria infection was associated with increased antibody levels to VAR2CSA domains. In primigravidae but not in secundigravidae or multigravidae, antibodies levels sharply declined after an infection. A relationship between any VAR2CSA antibody specificity and protection from adverse pregnancy outcomes was not detected. During malaria infection, primigravidae acquire short-lived antibodies. The lack of an association between VAR2CSA domain antibody reactivity and improved pregnancy outcomes suggests that the recombinant proteins may not present native epitopes targeted by protective antibodies.

Evidence for Globally Shared, Cross-Reacting Polymorphic Epitopes in the Pregnancy-Associated Malaria Vaccine Candidate VAR2CSA▿

PubMed Central

Avril, Marion; Kulasekara, Bridget R.; Gose, Severin O.; Rowe, Chris; Dahlbäck, Madeleine; Duffy, Patrick E.; Fried, Michal; Salanti, Ali; Misher, Lynda; Narum, David L.; Smith, Joseph D.

2008-01-01

Pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM) is characterized by the placental sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IEs) with the ability to bind to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA). VAR2CSA is a leading candidate for a pregnancy malaria vaccine, but its large size (∼350 kDa) and extensive polymorphism may pose a challenge to vaccine development. In this study, rabbits were immunized with individual VAR2CSA Duffy binding-like (DBL) domains expressed in Pichia pastoris or var2csa plasmid DNA and sera were screened on different CSA-binding parasite lines. Rabbit antibodies to three recombinant proteins (DBL1, DBL3, and DBL6) and four plasmid DNAs (DBL1, DBL3, DBL5, and DBL6) reacted with homologous FCR3-CSA IEs. By comparison, antibodies to the DBL4 domain were unable to react with native VAR2CSA protein unless it was first partially proteolyzed with trypsin or chymotrypsin. To investigate the antigenic relationship of geographically diverse CSA-binding isolates, rabbit immune sera were screened on four heterologous CSA-binding lines from different continental origins. Antibodies did not target conserved epitopes exposed in all VAR2CSA alleles; however, antisera to several DBL domains cross-reacted on parasite isolates that had polymorphic loops in common with the homologous immunogen. This study demonstrates that VAR2CSA contains common polymorphic epitopes that are shared between geographically diverse CSA-binding lines. PMID:18250177

Evidence for globally shared, cross-reacting polymorphic epitopes in the pregnancy-associated malaria vaccine candidate VAR2CSA.

PubMed

Avril, Marion; Kulasekara, Bridget R; Gose, Severin O; Rowe, Chris; Dahlbäck, Madeleine; Duffy, Patrick E; Fried, Michal; Salanti, Ali; Misher, Lynda; Narum, David L; Smith, Joseph D

2008-04-01

Pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM) is characterized by the placental sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IEs) with the ability to bind to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA). VAR2CSA is a leading candidate for a pregnancy malaria vaccine, but its large size ( approximately 350 kDa) and extensive polymorphism may pose a challenge to vaccine development. In this study, rabbits were immunized with individual VAR2CSA Duffy binding-like (DBL) domains expressed in Pichia pastoris or var2csa plasmid DNA and sera were screened on different CSA-binding parasite lines. Rabbit antibodies to three recombinant proteins (DBL1, DBL3, and DBL6) and four plasmid DNAs (DBL1, DBL3, DBL5, and DBL6) reacted with homologous FCR3-CSA IEs. By comparison, antibodies to the DBL4 domain were unable to react with native VAR2CSA protein unless it was first partially proteolyzed with trypsin or chymotrypsin. To investigate the antigenic relationship of geographically diverse CSA-binding isolates, rabbit immune sera were screened on four heterologous CSA-binding lines from different continental origins. Antibodies did not target conserved epitopes exposed in all VAR2CSA alleles; however, antisera to several DBL domains cross-reacted on parasite isolates that had polymorphic loops in common with the homologous immunogen. This study demonstrates that VAR2CSA contains common polymorphic epitopes that are shared between geographically diverse CSA-binding lines.

Development of the WRF-CO2 4D-Var assimilation system v1.0

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Tao; French, Nancy H. F.; Baxter, Martin

2018-05-01

Regional atmospheric CO2 inversions commonly use Lagrangian particle trajectory model simulations to calculate the required influence function, which quantifies the sensitivity of a receptor to flux sources. In this paper, an adjoint-based four-dimensional variational (4D-Var) assimilation system, WRF-CO2 4D-Var, is developed to provide an alternative approach. This system is developed based on the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) modeling system, including the system coupled to chemistry (WRF-Chem), with tangent linear and adjoint codes (WRFPLUS), and with data assimilation (WRFDA), all in version 3.6. In WRF-CO2 4D-Var, CO2 is modeled as a tracer and its feedback to meteorology is ignored. This configuration allows most WRF physical parameterizations to be used in the assimilation system without incurring a large amount of code development. WRF-CO2 4D-Var solves for the optimized CO2 flux scaling factors in a Bayesian framework. Two variational optimization schemes are implemented for the system: the first uses the limited memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) minimization algorithm (L-BFGS-B) and the second uses the Lanczos conjugate gradient (CG) in an incremental approach. WRFPLUS forward, tangent linear, and adjoint models are modified to include the physical and dynamical processes involved in the atmospheric transport of CO2. The system is tested by simulations over a domain covering the continental United States at 48 km × 48 km grid spacing. The accuracy of the tangent linear and adjoint models is assessed by comparing against finite difference sensitivity. The system's effectiveness for CO2 inverse modeling is tested using pseudo-observation data. The results of the sensitivity and inverse modeling tests demonstrate the potential usefulness of WRF-CO2 4D-Var for regional CO2 inversions.

Positive Selection of Plasmodium falciparum Parasites With Multiple var2csa-Type PfEMP1 Genes During the Course of Infection in Pregnant Women

PubMed Central

Salanti, Ali; Lavstsen, Thomas; Nielsen, Morten A.; Theander, Thor G.; Leke, Rose G. F.; Lo, Yeung Y.; Bobbili, Naveen; Arnot, David E.; Taylor, Diane W.

2011-01-01

Placental malaria infections are caused by Plasmodium falciparum–infected red blood cells sequestering in the placenta by binding to chondroitin sulfate A, mediated by VAR2CSA, a variant of the PfEMP1 family of adhesion antigens. Recent studies have shown that many P. falciparum genomes have multiple genes coding for different VAR2CSA proteins, and parasites with >1 var2csa gene appear to be more common in pregnant women with placental malaria than in nonpregnant individuals. We present evidence that, in pregnant women, parasites containing multiple var2csa-type genes possess a selective advantage over parasites with a single var2csa gene. Accumulation of parasites with multiple copies of the var2csa gene during the course of pregnancy was also correlated with the development of antibodies involved in blocking VAR2CSA adhesion. The data suggest that multiplicity of var2csa-type genes enables P. falciparum parasites to persist for a longer period of time during placental infections, probably because of their greater capacity for antigenic variation and evasion of variant-specific immune responses. PMID:21592998

[Susceptibility of Aedes aegypti (L.) strains from Havana to a Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis].

PubMed

Menéndez Díaz, Zulema; Rodríguez Rodríguez, Jinnay; Gato Armas, René; Companioni Ibañez, Ariamys; Díaz Pérez, Manuel; Bruzón Aguila, Rosa Yirian

2012-01-01

the integration of chemical and biological methods is one of the strategies for the vector control, due to the existing environmental problems and the concerns of the community as a result of the synthetic organic insecticide actions. The bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis in liquid formulation has been widely used in the vector control programs in several countries and has shown high efficacy at lab in Cuba. to determine the susceptibility of Aedes aegypti collected in the municipalities of La Habana province to Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis. fifteen Aedes aegypti strains, one from each municipality, were used including larvae and pupas collected in 2010 and one reference strain known as Rockefeller. The aqueous formulation of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bactivec, Labiofam, Cuba) was used. The bioassays complied with the World Health Organization guidelines for use of bacterial larvicides in the public health sector. The larval mortality was read after 24 hours and the results were processed by the statistical system SPSS (11.0) through Probit analysis. the evaluated mosquito strains showed high susceptibility to biolarvicide, there were no significant differences in LC50 values of Ae. aegypti strains, neither in the comparison of these values with those of the reference strain. the presented results indicate that the use of Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis continues to be a choice for the control of Aedes aegypti larval populations in La Habana province.

PURIFICATION AND ACTIVITY OF PROTEINASE OF STREPTOCOCCUS FAECALIS VAR. LIQUEFACIENS

PubMed Central

Shugart, Lee R.; Beck, Raymond W.

1964-01-01

Shugart, Lee R. (University of Tennessee, Knoxville) and Raymond W. Beck. Purification and activity of proteinase of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens. J. Bacteriol. 88:586–590. 1964.—A proteolytic enzyme from Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens was purified 480-fold by ammonium sulfate fractionation and treatment with calcium phosphate gel. Approximately 20% of the original enzyme activity was recovered in the purified fraction. Optimal enzyme activity was found to be at pH 7.6 and 35 C. The enzyme is apparently more susceptible to heat denaturation when complexed with substrate than when heated in the absence of substrate. Michaelis-Menten constants were found to be 0.655% for hemoglobin and 0.133% for casein. Apparent energies of activation on these substrates were calculated to be 9,060 and 12,020 cal, respectively. PMID:14208492

Essential oil compositions and anticholinesterase activities of two edible plants Tragopogon latifolius var. angustifolius and Lycopsis orientalis.

PubMed

Ertaş, Abdulselam; Gören, Ahmet C; Boğa, Mehmet; Yeşil, Yeter; Kolak, Ufuk

2014-01-01

This is the first report in the literature on essential oil compositions of Tragopogon latifolius var. angustifolius and Lycopsis orientalis which were analysed by using GC-FID and GC-MS techniques. The main constituents of T. latifolius var. angustifolius were identified as α-selinene (10.5%), 2,5-di-tert octyl-p-benzoquinone (9.5%) and valencene (7.0%); however, the main components of L. orientalis were identified as heptacosane (10.5%), τ-muurolene (9.6%) and tetratetracontane (9.4%). The essential oils of T. latifolius var. angustifolius and L. orientalis species exhibited moderate inhibitory activity against acetyl- and butyryl-cholinesterase enzymes at 200 μg/mL.

Genetic and phenological variation of tocochromanol (vitamin E) content in wild (Daucus carota L. var. carota) and domesticated carrot (D. carota L. var. sativa)

PubMed Central

Luby, Claire H; Maeda, Hiroshi A; Goldman, Irwin L

2014-01-01

Carrot roots (Daucus carota L. var. sativa) produce tocochromanol compounds, collectively known as vitamin E. However, little is known about their types and amounts. Here we determined the range and variation in types and amounts of tocochromanols in a variety of cultivated carrot accessions throughout carrot postharvest storage and reproductive stages and in wild-type roots (Daucus carota L. var. carota). Of eight possible tocochromanol compounds, we detected and quantified α-, and the combined peak for β- and γ- forms of tocopherols and tocotrienols. Significant variation in amounts of tocochromanol compounds was observed across accessions and over time. Large increases in α-tocopherol were noted during both reproductive growth and the postharvest stages. The variation of tocochromanols in carrot root tissue provides useful information for future research seeking to understand the role of these compounds in carrot root tissue or to breed varieties with increased levels of these compounds. PMID:26504534

Severely reduced gravitropism in dark-grown hypocotyls of a starch-deficient mutant of Nicotiana sylvestris

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kiss, J. Z.; Sack, F. D.

1990-01-01

Gravitropism in dark-grown hypocotyls of the wild type was compared with a starch-deficient Nicotiana sylvestris mutant (NS 458) to test the effects of starch deficiency on gravity sensing. In a time course of curvature measured using infrared video, the response of the mutant was greatly reduced compared to the wild type; 72 hours after reorientation, curvature was about 10 degrees for NS 458 and about 70 degrees for wild type. In dishes maintained in a vertical orientation, wild-type hypocotyls were predominantly vertical, whereas NS 458 hypocotyls were severely disoriented with about 5 times more orientational variability than wild type. Since the growth rates were equal for both genotypes and phototropic curvature was only slightly inhibited in NS 458, the mutation probably affects gravity perception rather than differential growth. Our data suggest that starch deficiency reduces gravitropic sensitivity more in dark-grown hypocotyls than in dark- or light-grown roots in this mutant and support the hypothesis that amyloplasts function as statoliths in shoots as well as roots.

Variogram Analysis of Response surfaces (VARS): A New Framework for Global Sensitivity Analysis of Earth and Environmental Systems Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razavi, S.; Gupta, H. V.

2015-12-01

Earth and environmental systems models (EESMs) are continually growing in complexity and dimensionality with continuous advances in understanding and computing power. Complexity and dimensionality are manifested by introducing many different factors in EESMs (i.e., model parameters, forcings, boundary conditions, etc.) to be identified. Sensitivity Analysis (SA) provides an essential means for characterizing the role and importance of such factors in producing the model responses. However, conventional approaches to SA suffer from (1) an ambiguous characterization of sensitivity, and (2) poor computational efficiency, particularly as the problem dimension grows. Here, we present a new and general sensitivity analysis framework (called VARS), based on an analogy to 'variogram analysis', that provides an intuitive and comprehensive characterization of sensitivity across the full spectrum of scales in the factor space. We prove, theoretically, that Morris (derivative-based) and Sobol (variance-based) methods and their extensions are limiting cases of VARS, and that their SA indices can be computed as by-products of the VARS framework. We also present a practical strategy for the application of VARS to real-world problems, called STAR-VARS, including a new sampling strategy, called "star-based sampling". Our results across several case studies show the STAR-VARS approach to provide reliable and stable assessments of "global" sensitivity across the full range of scales in the factor space, while being at least 1-2 orders of magnitude more efficient than the benchmark Morris and Sobol approaches.

Anti-Inflammatory, Anti-Osteoclastogenic and Antioxidant Effects of Malva sylvestris Extract and Fractions: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

PubMed Central

Franchin, Marcelo; Massarioli, Adna Prado; Paschoal, Jonas Augusto Rizzato; Alencar, Severino Matias; Franco, Gilson Cesar Nobre; Rosalen, Pedro Luiz

2016-01-01

Given their medical importance, natural products represent a tremendous source of drug discovery. The aim of this study was to investigate Malva sylvestris L. extract and fractions and their pharmacological activities followed by chemical identification. The aqueous fraction (AF) was identified as the bioactive fraction in the in vitro and in vivo assays. The AF controlled the neutrophil migration to the peritoneal cavity by 66%, inhibited the antiedematogenic activity by 58.8%, and controlled IL-1β cytokine expression by 54%. The in vitro viability tests showed a concentration-dependent effect, where the MSE and fractions at concentrations under 10 μg/mL were non-toxic to cells. Transcriptional factors of carbonic anhydrase II (CAII), cathepsin K (Ctsk) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) were analyzed by qPCR in RAW 264.7 cell lines. The gene expression analysis showed that the AF was the only treatment that could downregulate all the study genes: CAII, Ctsk and TRAP (p<0.05). TRAP staining was used to evaluate osteoclast formation. AF treatments reduced the number of osteoclastogenesis 2.6-fold compared to the vehicle control group. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) activity decreased 75% with the AF treatment. Moreover, the bioactive fraction had the ability to regulate the oxidation pathway in the ABTS (2,2-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) assay with an activity equivalent to 1.30 μmol Trolox/g and DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radicals 1.01 g/L. Positive ion ESI-mass spectrometry for molecular ions at m/z 611 and 633 confirmed rutin as the major compound in the AF. The AF of M. sylvestris presented anti-inflammatory, controlled osteoclastogenic mechanisms and antioxidant abilities in different in vitro and in vivo methods. In addition, we suggest that given its multi-target activity the bioactive fraction may be a good candidate in the therapy of chronic inflammatory diseases. PMID:27643502

The role of the mussel Mytilus spp. in the transmission of ostreid herpesvirus-1 microVar.

PubMed

O' Reilly, A J; Laide, C; Maloy, A; Hutton, S; Bookelaar, B; O' Sullivan, K; Lynch, S A; Culloty, S C

2017-12-21

The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas contributes significantly to global aquaculture; however, C. gigas culture has been affected by ostreid herpesvirus-1 (OsHV-1) and variants. The dynamics of how the virus maintains itself at culture sites is unclear and the role of carriers, reservoirs or hosts is unknown. Both wild and cultured mussels Mytilus spp. (Mytilus edulis, Mytilus galloprovincialis and hybrids) are commonly found at C. gigas culture sites. The objective of this study was to investigate if Mytilus spp. can harbour the virus and if viral transmission can occur between mussels and oysters. Mytilus spp. living at oyster trestles, 400-500 m higher up the shore from the trestles and up to 26 km at non-culture sites were screened for OsHV-1 and variants by all the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) recommended diagnostic methods including polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative PCR (qPCR), histology, in situ hybridization and confirmation using direct sequencing. The particular primers that target OsHV-1 and variants, including OsHV-1 microVar (μVar), were used in the PCR and qPCR. OsHV-1 μVar was detected in wild Mytilus spp. at C. gigas culture sites and more significantly the virus was detected in mussels at non-culture sites. Cohabitation of exposed wild mussels and naïve C. gigas resulted in viral transmission after 14 days, under an elevated temperature regime. These results indicate that mussels can harbour OsHV-1 μVar; however, the impact of OsHV-1 μVar on Mytilus spp. requires further investigation.

Transcriptome sequence analysis of an ornamental plant, Ananas comosus var. bracteatus, revealed the potential unigenes involved in terpenoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis.

PubMed

Ma, Jun; Kanakala, S; He, Yehua; Zhang, Junli; Zhong, Xiaolan

2015-01-01

Ananas comosus var. bracteatus (Red Pineapple) is an important ornamental plant for its colorful leaves and decorative red fruits. Because of its complex genome, it is difficult to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the growth and development. Thus high-throughput transcriptome sequencing of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus is necessary to generate large quantities of transcript sequences for the purpose of gene discovery and functional genomic studies. The Ananas comosus var. bracteatus transcriptome was sequenced by the Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. We obtained a total of 23.5 million high quality sequencing reads, 1,555,808 contigs and 41,052 unigenes. In total 41,052 unigenes of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus, 23,275 unigenes were annotated in the NCBI non-redundant protein database and 23,134 unigenes were annotated in the Swiss-Port database. Out of these, 17,748 and 8,505 unigenes were assigned to gene ontology categories and clusters of orthologous groups, respectively. Functional annotation against Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database identified 5,825 unigenes which were mapped to 117 pathways. The assembly predicted many unigenes that were previously unknown. The annotated unigenes were compared against pineapple, rice, maize, Arabidopsis, and sorghum. Unigenes that did not match any of those five sequence datasets are considered to be Ananas comosus var. bracteatus unique. We predicted unigenes encoding enzymes involved in terpenoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. The sequence data provide the most comprehensive transcriptomic resource currently available for Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. To our knowledge; this is the first report on the de novo transcriptome sequencing of the Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. Unigenes obtained in this study, may help improve future gene expression, genetic and genomics studies in Ananas comosus var. bracteatus.

Transcriptome Sequence Analysis of an Ornamental Plant, Ananas comosus var. bracteatus, Revealed the Potential Unigenes Involved in Terpenoid and Phenylpropanoid Biosynthesis

PubMed Central

Ma, Jun; Kanakala, S.; He, Yehua; Zhang, Junli; Zhong, Xiaolan

2015-01-01

Background Ananas comosus var. bracteatus (Red Pineapple) is an important ornamental plant for its colorful leaves and decorative red fruits. Because of its complex genome, it is difficult to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in the growth and development. Thus high-throughput transcriptome sequencing of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus is necessary to generate large quantities of transcript sequences for the purpose of gene discovery and functional genomic studies. Results The Ananas comosus var. bracteatus transcriptome was sequenced by the Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. We obtained a total of 23.5 million high quality sequencing reads, 1,555,808 contigs and 41,052 unigenes. In total 41,052 unigenes of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus, 23,275 unigenes were annotated in the NCBI non-redundant protein database and 23,134 unigenes were annotated in the Swiss-Port database. Out of these, 17,748 and 8,505 unigenes were assigned to gene ontology categories and clusters of orthologous groups, respectively. Functional annotation against Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database identified 5,825 unigenes which were mapped to 117 pathways. The assembly predicted many unigenes that were previously unknown. The annotated unigenes were compared against pineapple, rice, maize, Arabidopsis, and sorghum. Unigenes that did not match any of those five sequence datasets are considered to be Ananas comosus var. bracteatus unique. We predicted unigenes encoding enzymes involved in terpenoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Conclusion The sequence data provide the most comprehensive transcriptomic resource currently available for Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. To our knowledge; this is the first report on the de novo transcriptome sequencing of the Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. Unigenes obtained in this study, may help improve future gene expression, genetic and genomics studies in Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. PMID:25769053

Cellulase-assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Malva sylvestris: Process optimization and potential functionalities.

PubMed

Rostami, Hosein; Gharibzahedi, Seyed Mohammad Taghi

2017-08-01

Enzyme-assisted extraction process of the water-soluble Malva sylvestris polysaccharides (MSPs) was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The highest yield (10.40%) of MSPs was achieved at 5.64% cellulase, 55.65°C temperature, 3.4h time, and 5.22 pH. Three homogeneous polysaccharide fractions (MSP-1, MSP-2, MSP-3) were purified by DEAE-cellulose and Sephadex G-100 chromatography, which were composed of galactose, glucuronic acid, arabinose, rhamnose and mannose in different molar ratios with molecular weight range of 2.6×10 5 -8.8×10 5 Da. The fractions could significantly increase antioxidant, antitumor and antimicrobial activities in a dose-dependent pattern. MSP-2 revealed stronger antioxidant activities than MSP-1 and MSP-3, including reducing power and scavenging activity of DPPH and OH radicals. The antiproliferative activity of MSP-2 (1.0mg/mL) on the growth of A549 and HepG2 cells was 45.1% and 53.2%, respectively. The Gram-positive bacteria (Bacillus cereus PTCC 1015 and Staphylococcus aureus PTCC 1112) compared with Gram-negative ones (Escherichia coli PTCC 1763 and Salmonella typhimurium PTCC 1709) showed less sensitivity against the various MSPs (3-15mg/mL). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Complete Genome Sequences of Salmonella enterica Serovars Anatum and Anatum var. 15+, Isolated from Retail Ground Turkey

PubMed Central

Marasini, Daya; Abo-Shama, Usama H.

2016-01-01

The complete genome sequences of two isolates of Salmonella enterica serovars Anatum and Anatum var. 15+ revealed the presence of two plasmids of 112 kb and 3 kb in size in each. The chromosome of Salmonella Anatum (4.83 Mb) was slightly smaller than that of Salmonella Anatum var. 15+ (4.88 Mb). PMID:26798111

Water-soluble polysaccharides from Pleurotus ostreatus var. florida mycelial biomass.

PubMed

Komura, Dirce L; Ruthes, Andrea C; Carbonero, Elaine R; Gorin, Philip A J; Iacomini, Marcello

2014-09-01

Pleurotus ostreatus var. florida known as Hiratake has a high nutritional value, presents medicinal and nutraceutical properties and it is one of the consumed mushrooms in Brazil. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize the chemical structure of polysaccharides found in mycelial biomass produced by submerged culture of P. ostreatus var. florida in order to compare with those found in P. ostreatus var. florida fruit bodies. Aqueous and alkali extracts obtained from mycelial biomass were purified, 13C NMR, GC-MS and chemical techniques were used to characterize three polysaccharide structures: a mannogalactan (MG-PfM) with α-D-Galp and 3-O-Me-α-D-Galp units, both (1→6)-linked, highly substituted at O-2 by D-Manp, a glycogen-like polymer (GLY-PfM) with α-D-Glp (1→4)-linked main chain, partially substituted at O-6 by α-D-Glcp side chains and a (1→3), (1→6) β-D-glucan (βGLC-PfM) with a main chain of β-D-Glcp (1→3)-linked units, partially substituted at O-6 by side chains of 6-O-substituted β-D-glucopyranosyl units, on an average of one to every two residues of the backbone. These results show the possibility to obtain similar and also different molecules from those found in the fruiting body of the same mushroom species, therefore the submerged culture of mushroom is a promising way to give raise molecules of interest. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

ClinVar miner: Demonstrating utility of a web-based tool for viewing and filtering clinvar data.

PubMed

Henrie, Alex; Hemphill, Sarah E; Ruiz-Schultz, Nicole; Cushman, Brandon; DiStefano, Marina T; Azzariti, Danielle; Harrison, Steven M; Rehm, Heidi L; Eilbeck, Karen

2018-05-23

ClinVar Miner is a web-based suite that utilizes the data held in the National Center for Biotechnology Information's ClinVar archive. The goal is to render the data more accessible to processes pertaining to conflict resolution of variant interpretation as well as tracking details of data submission and data management for detailed variant curation. Here we establish the use of these tools to address three separate use-cases and to perform analyses across submissions. We demonstrate that the ClinVar Miner tools are an effective means to browse and consolidate data for variant submitters, curation groups, and general oversight. These tools are also relevant to the variant interpretation community in general. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Molecular and morphological evidence for Penstemon luculentus (Plantaginaceae): a replacement name for Penstemon fremontii var. glabrescens

PubMed Central

Johnson, Robert L.; Stevens, Mikel R.; Johnson, Leigh A.; Robbins, Matthew D.; Anderson, Chris D.; Ricks, Nathan J.; Farley, Kevin M.

2016-01-01

Abstract Penstemon luculentus R.L.Johnson & M.R.Stevens, nom. nov. replaces Penstemon fremontii var. glabrescens Dorn & Lichvar. The varietal name glabrescens was not elevated because it was already occupied by Penstemon glabrescens Pennell, a different species. This new arrangement is supported by molecular and morphological evidence. An analysis of genetic diversity in populations of both varieties of Penstemon fremontii Torr. & A. Gray (glabrescens and fremontii) from the Piceance Basin, Colorado, using SSR (simple sequences repeats) or microsatellites markers, revealed significant genetic differentiation between the two. Penstemon fremontii var. glabrescens was also genetically different from Penstemon gibbensii Dorn and Penstemon scariosus var. garrettii (Pennell) N.H. Holmgren. The combination of hirtellous stems, glabrous leaves, non-glandular inflorescence, and long anther hairs distinguish Penstemon luculentus from other morphologically similar species. PMID:27489478

A Unique Chromosomal Rearrangement in the Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii Type Strain Enhances Key Phenotypes Associated with Virulence

PubMed Central

Morrow, Carl A.; Lee, I. Russel; Chow, Eve W. L.; Ormerod, Kate L.; Goldinger, Anita; Byrnes, Edmond J.; Nielsen, Kirsten; Heitman, Joseph; Schirra, Horst Joachim; Fraser, James A.

2012-01-01

ABSTRACT The accumulation of genomic structural variation between closely related populations over time can lead to reproductive isolation and speciation. The fungal pathogen Cryptococcus is thought to have recently diversified, forming a species complex containing members with distinct morphologies, distributions, and pathologies of infection. We have investigated structural changes in genomic architecture such as inversions and translocations that distinguish the most pathogenic variety, Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii, from the less clinically prevalent Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. Synteny analysis between the genomes of the three Cryptococcus species/varieties (strains H99, JEC21, and R265) reveals that C. neoformans var. grubii possesses surprisingly few unique genomic rearrangements. All but one are relatively small and are shared by all molecular subtypes of C. neoformans var. grubii. In contrast, the large translocation peculiar to the C. neoformans var. grubii type strain is found in all tested subcultures from multiple laboratories, suggesting that it has possessed this rearrangement since its isolation from a human clinical sample. Furthermore, we find that the translocation directly disrupts two genes. The first of these encodes a novel protein involved in metabolism of glucose at human body temperature and affects intracellular levels of trehalose. The second encodes a homeodomain-containing transcription factor that modulates melanin production. Both mutations would be predicted to increase pathogenicity; however, when recreated in an alternate genetic background, these mutations do not affect virulence in animal models. The type strain of C. neoformans var. grubii in which the majority of molecular studies have been performed is therefore atypical for carbon metabolism and key virulence attributes. PMID:22375073

Functional Antibodies against VAR2CSA in Nonpregnant Populations from Colombia Exposed to Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax

PubMed Central

Doritchamou, Justin; Arango, Eliana M.; Cabrera, Ana; Arroyo, Maria Isabel; Kain, Kevin C.; Ndam, Nicaise Tuikue; Maestre, Amanda

2014-01-01

In pregnancy, parity-dependent immunity is observed in response to placental infection with Plasmodium falciparum. Antibodies recognize the surface antigen, VAR2CSA, expressed on infected red blood cells and inhibit cytoadherence to the placental tissue. In most settings of malaria endemicity, antibodies against VAR2CSA are predominantly observed in multigravid women and infrequently in men, children, and nulligravid women. However, in Colombia, we detected antibodies against multiple constructs of VAR2CSA among men and children with acute P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax infection. The majority of men and children (>60%) had high levels of IgGs against three recombinant domains of VAR2CSA: DBL5ε, DBL3X, and ID1-ID2. Surprisingly, these antibodies were observed only in pregnant women, men, and children exposed either to P. falciparum or to P. vivax. Moreover, the anti-VAR2CSA antibodies are of high avidity and efficiently inhibit adherence of infected red blood cells to chondroitin sulfate A in vitro, suggesting that they are specific and functional. These unexpected results suggest that there may be genotypic or phenotypic differences in the parasites of this region or in the host response to either P. falciparum or P. vivax infection outside pregnancy. These findings may hold significant clinical relevance to the pathophysiology and outcome of malaria infections in this region. PMID:24686068

Understanding mechanisms of rarity in pteridophytes: competition and climate change threaten the rare fern Asplenium scolopendrium var. americanum (Aspleniaceae).

PubMed

Testo, Weston L; Watkins, James E

2013-11-01

Understanding the ecology of rare species can inform aspects of conservation strategies; however, the mechanisms of rarity remain elusive for most pteridophytes, which possess independent and ecologically distinct gametophyte and sporophyte generations. To elucidate factors contributing to recent declines of the rare fern Asplenium scolopendrium var. americanum, we studied the ecology and ecophysiology of its gametophyte generation, focusing on responses to competition, temperature, and water stress. Gametophytes of A. scolopendrium var. americanum, its widespread European relative A. scolopendrium var. scolopendrium, and five co-occurring fern species were grown from spores. Gametophytes were grown at 20°C and 25°C, and germination rates, intra- and interspecific competition, desiccation tolerance, and sporophyte production were determined for all species. Gametophytes of A. scolopendrium var. americanum had the lowest rates of germination and sporophyte production among all species studied and exhibited the greatest sensitivity to interspecific competition, temperature increases, and desiccation. Mature gametophytes of A. scolopendrium var. americanum grown at 25°C were 84.6% smaller than those grown at 20°C, and only 1.5% produced sporophytes after 200 d in culture. Similar responses were not observed in other species studied. The recent declines and current status of populations of A. scolopendrium var. americanum are linked to its gametophyte's limited capacity to tolerate competition and physiological stress linked to climate change. This is the first study to develop a mechanistic understanding of rarity and decline in a fern and demonstrates the importance of considering the ecology of the gametophyte in plants with independent sporophyte and gametophyte generations.

Analysis of the relationship between Chalcone Isomerase gene expression level and rutin production in Ficus deltoidea var. deltoidea and F. deltoidea var. angustifolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najid, Najihah Mohd; Zain, Che Radziah Che Mohd; Zainal, Zamri

2016-11-01

Ficus deltoidea (moraceae) is a herbal plant with medicinal values. Previous studies reported that the F. deltoidea contains a high level of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids. A cDNA encodes for chalcone isomerase was identified from F. deltoidea, designated as FdCHI, which involved in the isomerization of naringenin chalcone to naringenin. Naringenin is a key branch point for the synthesis of rutin, which is believed involved in defense mechanism in the plant. Therefore, we hypothesized that there might be a direct relationship between FdCHI expression level and rutin production in leaves of F. deltoidea var. deltoidea (FDD) and F. deltoidea var. angustifolia (FDA). Our result showed that expression level of FdCHI in leaves FDD was greater than FDA. Analysis of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) revealed that rutin was only detected in FDA leaves. Based on the results between FdCHI expression and rutin production, this study concluded that there is no relationship between FdCHI expression and rutin production in leaves of FDA and FDD.

Phytoremediation potential of Pityrogramma calomelanos var. austroamericana and Pteris vittata L. grown at a highly variable arsenic contaminated site.

PubMed

Niazi, Nabeel Khan; Singh, Balwant; Van Zwieten, Lukas; Kachenko, Anthony George

2011-10-01

This study examined the phytoextraction potential of two arsenic (As) hyperaccumulators, Pteris vittata L. and Pityrogramma calomelanos var. austroamericana at a historical As-contaminated cattle dip site in northern New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Total As concentration in the surface soil (0-20 cm) showed a better spatial structure than phosphate-extractable As in the surface and sub-surface soil at this site. P. calomelanos var. austroamericana produced greater frond dry biomass (mean = 130 g plant(-1)) than P. vittata (mean = 81 g plant(-1)) after 10 months of growth. Arsenic concentration and uptake in fronds were also significantly higher in P. calomelanos var. austroamericana (means = 887 mg kg(-1) and 124 mg plant(-1)) than in P. vittata (means = 674 mg kg(-1) and 57 mg plant(-1)). Our results showed that under the field conditions and highly variable soil As at the site, P. calomelanos var. austroamericana performed better than P. vittata. We predict that P. calomelanos var. austroamericana would take approximately 100 years to reduce the total As to below 20 mg kg(-1) at the site compared to > or =200 years estimated for P. vittata. However, long-term data are required to confirm these observations under field conditions.

AFLP analysis of Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. var. dactylon genetic variation.

PubMed

Wu, Y Q; Taliaferro, C M; Bai, G H; Anderson, M P

2004-08-01

Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. var. dactylon (common bermudagrass) is geographically widely distributed between about lat 45 degrees N and lat 45 degrees S, penetrating to about lat 53 degrees N in Europe. The extensive variation of morphological and adaptive characteristics of the taxon is substantially documented, but information is lacking on DNA molecular variation in geographically disparate forms. Accordingly, this study was conducted to assess molecular genetic variation and genetic relatedness among 28 C. dactylon var. dactylon accessions originating from 11 countries on 4 continents (Africa, Asia, Australia, and Europe). A fluorescence-labeled amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) DNA profiling method was used to detect the genetic diversity and relatedness. On the basis of 443 polymorphic AFLP fragments from 8 primer combinations, the accessions were grouped into clusters and subclusters associating with their geographic origins. Genetic similarity coefficients (SC) for the 28 accessions ranged from 0.53 to 0.98. Accessions originating from Africa, Australia, Asia, and Europe formed major groupings as indicated by cluster and principal coordinate analysis. Accessions from Australia and Asia, though separately clustered, were relatively closely related and most distantly related to accessions of European origin. African accessions formed two distant clusters and had the greatest variation in genetic relatedness relative to accessions from other geographic regions. Sampling the full extent of genetic variation in C. dactylon var. dactylon would require extensive germplasm collection in the major geographic regions of its distributional range.

Occurrence and Distribution of Proteinase of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens1

PubMed Central

Shugart, Lee R.; Beck, Raymond W.

1966-01-01

Shugart, Lee R. (University of Tennessee, Knoxville), and Raymond W. Beck. Occurrence and distribution of proteinase of Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens. J. Bacteriol. 92:338–341. 1966.—The proteolytic enzyme produced by Streptococcus faecalis var. liquefaciens (ATCC 13398) was shown to be an exoenzyme. The production of the proteinase was followed in growing cultures, and its distribution was compared with that of the intracellular enzymes reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH2) peroxidase and lactate dehydrogenase. The proteinase appeared in the culture medium prior to the stationary phase of growth, whereas the other enzymes could be found only in whole cells. Fractionation of whole cells by sonic treatment and by treatment with lysozyme showed the proteinase to be associated primarily with the cell wall and cell membrane, and NADH2 peroxidase to be associated only with the cytoplasmic fractions. PMID:16562116

Reclassification of the Candida haemulonii complex as Candida haemulonii (C. haemulonii group I), C. duobushaemulonii sp. nov. (C. haemulonii group II), and C. haemulonii var. vulnera var. nov.: three multiresistant human pathogenic yeasts.

PubMed

Cendejas-Bueno, E; Kolecka, A; Alastruey-Izquierdo, A; Theelen, B; Groenewald, M; Kostrzewa, M; Cuenca-Estrella, M; Gómez-López, A; Boekhout, T

2012-11-01

The Candida haemulonii species complex is currently known as C. haemulonii groups I and II. Here we describe C. haemulonii group II as a new species, Candida duobushaemulonii sp. nov., and C. haemulonii var. vulnera as new a variety of C. haemulonii group I using phenotypic and molecular methods. These taxa and other relatives of C. haemulonii (i.e., Candida auris and Candida pseudohaemulonii) cannot be differentiated by the commercial methods now used for yeast identification. Four isolates (C. haemulonii var. vulnera) differed from the other isolates of C. haemulonii in the sequence of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the nuclear rRNA gene operon. The new species and the new variety have a multiresistant antifungal profile, which includes high MICs of amphotericin B (geometric mean MIC, 1.18 mg/liter for C. haemulonii var. vulnera and 2 mg/liter for C. duobushaemulonii sp. nov) and cross-resistance to azole compounds. Identification of these species should be based on molecular methods, such as sequence analysis of ITS regions and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry.

Interspecific hybridization, polyploidization, and backcross of Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra with B. rapa var. purpurea morphologically recapitulate the evolution of Brassica vegetables

PubMed Central

Zhang, Xiaohui; Liu, Tongjin; Li, Xixiang; Duan, Mengmeng; Wang, Jinglei; Qiu, Yang; Wang, Haiping; Song, Jiangping; Shen, Di

2016-01-01

Brassica oleracea and B. rapa are two important vegetable crops. Both are composed of dozens of subspecies encompassing hundreds of varieties and cultivars. Synthetic B. napus with these two plants has been used extensively as a research model for the investigation of allopolyploid evolution. However, the mechanism underlying the explosive evolution of hundreds of varieties of B. oleracea and B. rapa within a short period is poorly understood. In the present study, interspecific hybridization between B. oleracea var. alboglabra and B. rapa var. purpurea was performed. The backcross progeny displayed extensive morphological variation, including some individuals that phenocopied subspecies other than their progenitors. Numerous interesting novel phenotypes and mutants were identified among the backcross progeny. The chromosomal recombination between the A and C genomes and the chromosomal asymmetric segregation were revealed using Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) markers. These findings provide direct evidence in support of the hypothesis that interspecific hybridization and backcrossing have played roles in the evolution of the vast variety of vegetables among these species and suggest that combination of interspecific hybridization and backcrossing may facilitate the development of new mutants and novel phenotypes for both basic research and the breeding of new vegetable crops. PMID:26727246

Interspecific hybridization, polyploidization, and backcross of Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra with B. rapa var. purpurea morphologically recapitulate the evolution of Brassica vegetables.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaohui; Liu, Tongjin; Li, Xixiang; Duan, Mengmeng; Wang, Jinglei; Qiu, Yang; Wang, Haiping; Song, Jiangping; Shen, Di

2016-01-04

Brassica oleracea and B. rapa are two important vegetable crops. Both are composed of dozens of subspecies encompassing hundreds of varieties and cultivars. Synthetic B. napus with these two plants has been used extensively as a research model for the investigation of allopolyploid evolution. However, the mechanism underlying the explosive evolution of hundreds of varieties of B. oleracea and B. rapa within a short period is poorly understood. In the present study, interspecific hybridization between B. oleracea var. alboglabra and B. rapa var. purpurea was performed. The backcross progeny displayed extensive morphological variation, including some individuals that phenocopied subspecies other than their progenitors. Numerous interesting novel phenotypes and mutants were identified among the backcross progeny. The chromosomal recombination between the A and C genomes and the chromosomal asymmetric segregation were revealed using Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) markers. These findings provide direct evidence in support of the hypothesis that interspecific hybridization and backcrossing have played roles in the evolution of the vast variety of vegetables among these species and suggest that combination of interspecific hybridization and backcrossing may facilitate the development of new mutants and novel phenotypes for both basic research and the breeding of new vegetable crops.

The Advantages of Hybrid 4DEnVar in the Context of the Forecast Sensitivity to Initial Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Hyo-Jong; Shin, Seoleun; Ha, Ji-Hyun; Lim, Sujeong

2017-11-01

Hybrid four-dimensional ensemble variational data assimilation (hybrid 4DEnVar) is a prospective successor to three-dimensional variational data assimilation (3DVar) in operational weather prediction centers currently developing a new weather prediction model and those that do not operate adjoint models. In experiments using real observations, hybrid 4DEnVar improved Northern Hemisphere (NH; 20°N-90°N) 500 hPa geopotential height forecasts up to 5 days in a NH summer month compared to 3DVar, with statistical significance. This result is verified against ERA-Interim through a Monte Carlo test. By a regression analysis, the sensitivity of 5 day forecast is associated with the quality of the initial condition. The increased analysis skill for midtropospheric midlatitude temperature and subtropical moisture has the most apparent effect on forecast skill in the NH including a typhoon prediction case. Through attributing the analysis improvements by hybrid 4DEnVar separately to the ensemble background error covariance (BEC), its four-dimensional (4-D) extension, and climatological BEC, it is revealed that the ensemble BEC contributes to the subtropical moisture analysis, whereas the 4-D extension does to the midtropospheric midlatitude temperature. This result implies that hourly wind-mass correlation in 6 h analysis window is required to extract the potential of hybrid 4DEnVar for the midlatitude temperature analysis to the maximum. However, the temporal ensemble correlation, in hourly time scale, between moisture and another variable is invalid so that it could not work for improving the hybrid 4DEnVar analysis.

The Drosophila Su(var)3-7 gene is required for oogenesis and female fertility, genetically interacts with piwi and aubergine, but impacts only weakly transposon silencing.

PubMed

Basquin, Denis; Spierer, Anne; Begeot, Flora; Koryakov, Dmitry E; Todeschini, Anne-Laure; Ronsseray, Stéphane; Vieira, Cristina; Spierer, Pierre; Delattre, Marion

2014-01-01

Heterochromatin is made of repetitive sequences, mainly transposable elements (TEs), the regulation of which is critical for genome stability. We have analyzed the role of the heterochromatin-associated Su(var)3-7 protein in Drosophila ovaries. We present evidences that Su(var)3-7 is required for correct oogenesis and female fertility. It accumulates in heterochromatic domains of ovarian germline and somatic cells nuclei, where it co-localizes with HP1. Homozygous mutant females display ovaries with frequent degenerating egg-chambers. Absence of Su(var)3-7 in embryos leads to defects in meiosis and first mitotic divisions due to chromatin fragmentation or chromosome loss, showing that Su(var)3-7 is required for genome integrity. Females homozygous for Su(var)3-7 mutations strongly impair repression of P-transposable element induced gonadal dysgenesis but have minor effects on other TEs. Su(var)3-7 mutations reduce piRNA cluster transcription and slightly impact ovarian piRNA production. However, this modest piRNA reduction does not correlate with transposon de-silencing, suggesting that the moderate effect of Su(var)3-7 on some TE repression is not linked to piRNA production. Strikingly, Su(var)3-7 genetically interacts with the piwi and aubergine genes, key components of the piRNA pathway, by strongly impacting female fertility without impairing transposon silencing. These results lead us to propose that the interaction between Su(var)3-7 and piwi or aubergine controls important developmental processes independently of transposon silencing.

Phenyl ethers from cultured lichen mycobionts of Graphis scripta var. serpentina and G. rikuzensis.

PubMed

Takenaka, Yukiko; Tanahashi, Takao; Nagakura, Naotaka; Hamada, Nobuo

2003-07-01

Spore-derived mycobionts of the lichen Graphis scripta var. serpentina and G. rikuzensis were cultivated on a malt-yeast extract medium supplemented with 10% sucrose and their metabolites were investigated. 3,3'-Dihydroxy-5,5'-dimethyldiphenyl ether was isolated from the cultures of the mycobionts of G. scripta var. serpentina, while a new phenyl ether, rikuzenol, along with two known diphenyl ethers, violaceol-I and violaceol-II, were isolated from those of G. rikuzensis. The structure of the new compound was determined by spectroscopic methods. Violaceol-I was chemically synthesized and interconversion between violaceol-I and violaceol-II was proven.

Anti-U-like as an alloantibody in S-s-U- and S-s-U+(var) black people.

PubMed

Peyrard, Thierry; Lam, Yin; Saison, Carole; Arnaud, Lionel; Babinet, Jérôme; Rouger, Philippe; Bierling, Philippe; Janvier, Daniel

2012-03-01

S, s, and U antigens belong to the MNS system. They are carried by glycophorin B (GPB), encoded by GYPB. Black people with the low-prevalence S-s- phenotype, either U- or U+(var), can make a clinically significant anti-U. Anti-U-like, a cold immunoglobulin G autoantibody quite commonly observed in S-s+U+ black persons, was previously described to be nonreactive with ficin-, α-chymotrypsin-, and pronase-treated red blood cells (RBCs); nonreactive or weakly reactive with papain-treated RBCs; and reactive with trypsin-treated RBCs. Here we describe, in S-s- people from different molecular backgrounds, an alloantibody to a high-prevalence GPB antigen, which presents the same pattern of reactivity with proteases as autoanti-U-like. Four S-s- patients with an alloantibody to a high-prevalence GPB antigen were investigated by serologic and molecular methods. An alloantibody was observed in two S-s-U-/Del GYPB, one S-s-U+(var)/GYPB(P2), and one S-s-U+(var)/GYPB(NY) patients. As this alloantibody showed the same pattern of reactivity with proteases as autoanti-U-like, we decided to name it "anti-U-like." Anti-U-like made by the two S-s-U- patients was reactive with the S-s-U+(var) RBCs of the two other patients. S-s-U-/Del GYPB, S-s-U+(var)/GYPB(P2), and S-s-U+(var)/GYPB(NY) patients can make an alloanti-U-like. Anti-U-like made by S-s-U- people appears reactive with GYPB(P2) and GYPB(NY) RBCs, which both express a weak and partial U-like reactivity. We recommend transfusing S-s-U- RBCs in S-s-U- patients showing alloanti-U-like. Our study contributes to a better understanding of alloimmunization to GPB in black people and confirms importance of genotyping in S-s- patients, especially those with sickle cell disease to be frequently transfused. © 2011 American Association of Blood Banks.

Cambial history of Scots pine trees (Pinus Sylvestris) prior and after the Chernobyl accident as encoded in the xylem.

PubMed

Tulik, M

2001-08-01

Studies were carried out on wood samples collected in October 1997 from breast height of Scots pine trees (Pinus sylvestris) from site located 5 km south from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. The radioactive contamination at the site was 3.7x10(5) kBq m(-2). These samples of secondary wood were used as an archive of information about the dynamics of a meristematic tissue cambium affected by ionising radiation from the Chernobyl reactor accident. The results show that frequency of the cambial cells events like anticlinal divisions, intrusive growth and cells elimination, was after the Chernobyl accident, about three times higher in comparison to preceding years. The most interesting finding was that after irradiation the length of tracheids increased. This increase is interpreted as an effect of intracambial competition among cells in the initial layer.

Neolignan and flavonoid glycosides in Juniperus communis var. depressa.

PubMed

Nakanishi, Tsutomu; Iida, Naoki; Inatomi, Yuka; Murata, Hiroko; Inada, Akira; Murata, Jin; Lang, Frank A; Iinuma, Munekazu; Tanaka, Toshiyuki

2004-01-01

Two neolignan glycosides (junipercomnosides A and B) were isolated from aerial parts of Juniperus communis var. depressa along with two known neolignan glycosides and seven flavonoid glycosides. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by spectral analysis, in particular by 2D-NMR analysis. The significance of distribution of flavonoids in the chemotaxonomy of genus Juniperus was also discussed.

Severely Reduced Gravitropism in Dark-Grown Hypocotyls of a Starch-Deficient Mutant of Nicotiana sylvestris1

PubMed Central

Kiss, John Z.; Sack, Fred D.

1990-01-01

Gravitropism in dark-grown hypocotyls of the wild type was compared with a starch-deficient Nicotiana sylvestris mutant (NS 458) to test the effects of starch deficiency on gravity sensing. In a time course of curvature measured using infrared video, the response of the mutant was greatly reduced compared to the wild type; 72 hours after reorientation, curvature was about 10° for NS 458 and about 70° for wild type. In dishes maintained in a vertical orientation, wild-type hypocotyls were predominantly vertical, whereas NS 458 hypocotyls were severely disoriented with about 5 times more orientational variability than wild type. Since the growth rates were equal for both genotypes and phototropic curvature was only slightly inhibited in NS 458, the mutation probably affects gravity perception rather than differential growth. Our data suggest that starch deficiency reduces gravitropic sensitivity more in dark-grown hypocotyls than in dark- or light-grown roots in this mutant and support the hypothesis that amyloplasts function as statoliths in shoots as well as roots. Images Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 PMID:11537476

VarWalker: Personalized Mutation Network Analysis of Putative Cancer Genes from Next-Generation Sequencing Data

PubMed Central

Jia, Peilin; Zhao, Zhongming

2014-01-01

A major challenge in interpreting the large volume of mutation data identified by next-generation sequencing (NGS) is to distinguish driver mutations from neutral passenger mutations to facilitate the identification of targetable genes and new drugs. Current approaches are primarily based on mutation frequencies of single-genes, which lack the power to detect infrequently mutated driver genes and ignore functional interconnection and regulation among cancer genes. We propose a novel mutation network method, VarWalker, to prioritize driver genes in large scale cancer mutation data. VarWalker fits generalized additive models for each sample based on sample-specific mutation profiles and builds on the joint frequency of both mutation genes and their close interactors. These interactors are selected and optimized using the Random Walk with Restart algorithm in a protein-protein interaction network. We applied the method in >300 tumor genomes in two large-scale NGS benchmark datasets: 183 lung adenocarcinoma samples and 121 melanoma samples. In each cancer, we derived a consensus mutation subnetwork containing significantly enriched consensus cancer genes and cancer-related functional pathways. These cancer-specific mutation networks were then validated using independent datasets for each cancer. Importantly, VarWalker prioritizes well-known, infrequently mutated genes, which are shown to interact with highly recurrently mutated genes yet have been ignored by conventional single-gene-based approaches. Utilizing VarWalker, we demonstrated that network-assisted approaches can be effectively adapted to facilitate the detection of cancer driver genes in NGS data. PMID:24516372

VarWalker: personalized mutation network analysis of putative cancer genes from next-generation sequencing data.

PubMed

Jia, Peilin; Zhao, Zhongming

2014-02-01

A major challenge in interpreting the large volume of mutation data identified by next-generation sequencing (NGS) is to distinguish driver mutations from neutral passenger mutations to facilitate the identification of targetable genes and new drugs. Current approaches are primarily based on mutation frequencies of single-genes, which lack the power to detect infrequently mutated driver genes and ignore functional interconnection and regulation among cancer genes. We propose a novel mutation network method, VarWalker, to prioritize driver genes in large scale cancer mutation data. VarWalker fits generalized additive models for each sample based on sample-specific mutation profiles and builds on the joint frequency of both mutation genes and their close interactors. These interactors are selected and optimized using the Random Walk with Restart algorithm in a protein-protein interaction network. We applied the method in >300 tumor genomes in two large-scale NGS benchmark datasets: 183 lung adenocarcinoma samples and 121 melanoma samples. In each cancer, we derived a consensus mutation subnetwork containing significantly enriched consensus cancer genes and cancer-related functional pathways. These cancer-specific mutation networks were then validated using independent datasets for each cancer. Importantly, VarWalker prioritizes well-known, infrequently mutated genes, which are shown to interact with highly recurrently mutated genes yet have been ignored by conventional single-gene-based approaches. Utilizing VarWalker, we demonstrated that network-assisted approaches can be effectively adapted to facilitate the detection of cancer driver genes in NGS data.

Neutral lipids and phospholipids in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) sapwood and heartwood.

PubMed

Piispanen, R; Saranpää, P

2002-06-01

Variations in the concentration and composition of triacylglycerols, free fatty acids and phospholipids were analyzed in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees at five sites. Disks were taken at breast height or at a height of 4 m from the stems of 81 trees differing in diameter and growth rate. The mean concentration of triacylglycerols in sapwood was 26 mg g(-1) dry mass; however, variation among trees was large (16-51 mg g(dm)(-1)). The concentration of triacylglycerols was slightly larger at 4 m height in the stem than at breast height. Concentrations of triacylglycerols did not differ between the sapwood of young and small-diameter stems (DBH < 12 cm) and the sapwood of old stems (DBH > 36 cm). Concentrations of free fatty acids were negligible in the outer sapwood, but ranged between 5 and 18 mg g(dm)(-1) in the heartwood. The most abundant fatty acids of triacylglycerols were oleic (18:1), linoleic (18:2omega6, 18:2Delta5,9), linolenic (pinolenic, 18:3Delta5,9,12 and 18:3omega3) and eicosatrienoic acid (20:3Delta5,11,14 and 20:3omega6). The concentration of linoleic acid comprised 39-46% of the triacylglycerol fatty acids and the concentration was higher in the slow-growing stem from northern Finland than in the stems from southern Finland. Major phospholipids were detected only in sapwood, and only traces of lipid phosphorus were detected in heartwood.

New family of pectinase genes PGU1b-PGU3b of the pectinolytic yeast Saccharomyces bayanus var. uvarum.

PubMed

Naumov, G I; Shalamitskiy, M Yu; Naumova, E S

2016-03-01

Using yeast genome databases and literature data, we have conducted a phylogenetic analysis of pectinase PGU genes from Saccharomyces strains assigned to the biological species S. arboricola, S. bayanus (var. uvarum), S. cariocanus, S. cerevisiae, S. kudriavzevii, S. mikatae, S. paradoxus, and hybrid taxon S. pastorianus (syn. S. carlsbergensis). Single PGU genes were observed in all Saccharomyces species, except S. bayanus. The superfamily of divergent PGU genes has been documented in S. bayanus var. uvarum for the first time. Chromosomal localization of new PGU1b, PGU2b, and PGU3b genes in the yeast S. bayanus var. uvarum has been determined by molecular karyotyping and Southern hybridization.

Variability of chemical composition and antioxidant activity of essential oils between Myrtus communis var. Leucocarpa DC and var. Melanocarpa DC.

PubMed

Petretto, Giacomo Luigi; Maldini, Mariateresa; Addis, Roberta; Chessa, Mario; Foddai, Marzia; Rourke, Jonathan P; Pintore, Giorgio

2016-04-15

Essential oils (EOs) from several individuals of Myrtus communis L. (M. communis) growing in different habitats in Sardinia have been studied. The analyses were focused on four groups of samples, namely cultivated and wild M. communis var. melanocarpa DC, characterized by red/purple berries, and cultivated and wild M. communis var. leucocarpa DC, characterized by white berries. Qualitative and quantitative analyses demonstrated different EO fingerprints among the studied samples: cultivated and wild leucocarpa variety differs mainly from the melanocarpa variety by a high amount of myrtenyl acetate (>200 mg/mL and 0.4 mg/mL in leucocarpa and melanocarpa varieties respectively). Conversely, the wild group is characterized by a higher amount, compared with the cultivated species, of linalool (about 110 mg/mL and 20 mg/mL respectively), linalyl acetate (about 24 mg/mL and about 6 mg/mL respectively) whereas EOs of the cultivated plants were rich in pinocarveol-cis compared with wild plants (about 2 mg/mL and about 0.5 mg/mL respectively). Principal component analysis applied to the chromatographic data confirm a differentiation and classification of EOs from the four groups of M. communis plants. Finally, antioxidant activity of the studied EOs shows differences between the various categories of samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Monitoring environmental pollution in Poland by chemical analysis of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles.

PubMed

Dmuchowski, W; Bytnerowicz, A

1995-01-01

Maps of the distribution of environmental pollution by sulfur (S), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and arsenic (As) for the territory of Poland and the Warsaw (Warszawa) district were developed on the basis of chemical analysis of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles collected from randomly selected sampling points during 1983-1985. The maps show deposition zones for the studied elements and can help in identification of sources and directions of air pollution dispersion. This study indicated that vegetation in Poland is greatly endangered by sulfur dioxide (SO(2)) and other sulfurous air pollutants, whereas Zn, Cd, Pb, and As do not pose an immediate threat to vegetation in most of the country's territory. However, in the urban-industrial agglomeration of Katowice-Cracow, very high pollution with Z, Cd, Pb and As could limit growth and development of some sensitive plant species. Higher than normal levels of As in some areas of Poland (Upper Silesia, Glogow-Lubin Copper Region, and areas close to the Russian border near Braniewo) might affect the health of humans and animals. Results of this study indicated that Poland's environment was not contaminated with Cu.

Wild European apple (Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill.) population dynamics: insight from genetics and ecology in the Rhine Valley. Priorities for a future conservation programme.

PubMed

Schnitzler, Annik; Arnold, Claire; Cornille, Amandine; Bachmann, Olivier; Schnitzler, Christophe

2014-01-01

The increasing fragmentation of forest habitats and the omnipresence of cultivars potentially threaten the genetic integrity of the European wild apple (Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill). However, the conservation status of this species remains unclear in Europe, other than in Belgium and the Czech Republic, where it has been declared an endangered species. The population density of M. sylvestris is higher in the forests of the upper Rhine Valley (France) than in most European forests, with an unbalanced age-structure, an overrepresentation of adults and a tendency to clump. We characterize here the ecology, age-structure and genetic diversity of wild apple populations in the Rhine Valley. We use these data to highlight links to the history of this species and to propose guidelines for future conservation strategies. In total, 255 individual wild apple trees from six forest stands (five floodplain forests and one forest growing in drier conditions) were analysed in the field, collected and genotyped on the basis of data for 15 microsatellite markers. Genetic analyses showed no escaped cultivars and few hybrids with the cultivated apple. Excluding the hybrids, the genetically "pure" populations displayed high levels of genetic diversity and a weak population structure. Age-structure and ecology studies of wild apple populations identified four categories that were not randomly distributed across the forests, reflecting the history of the Rhine forest over the last century. The Rhine wild apple populations, with their ecological strategies, high genetic diversity, and weak traces of crop-to-wild gene flow associated with the history of these floodplain forests, constitute candidate populations for inclusion in future conservation programmes for European wild apple.

Wild European Apple (Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill.) Population Dynamics: Insight from Genetics and Ecology in the Rhine Valley. Priorities for a Future Conservation Programme

PubMed Central

Schnitzler, Annik; Arnold, Claire; Cornille, Amandine; Bachmann, Olivier; Schnitzler, Christophe

2014-01-01

The increasing fragmentation of forest habitats and the omnipresence of cultivars potentially threaten the genetic integrity of the European wild apple (Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill). However, the conservation status of this species remains unclear in Europe, other than in Belgium and the Czech Republic, where it has been declared an endangered species. The population density of M. sylvestris is higher in the forests of the upper Rhine Valley (France) than in most European forests, with an unbalanced age-structure, an overrepresentation of adults and a tendency to clump. We characterize here the ecology, age-structure and genetic diversity of wild apple populations in the Rhine Valley. We use these data to highlight links to the history of this species and to propose guidelines for future conservation strategies. In total, 255 individual wild apple trees from six forest stands (five floodplain forests and one forest growing in drier conditions) were analysed in the field, collected and genotyped on the basis of data for 15 microsatellite markers. Genetic analyses showed no escaped cultivars and few hybrids with the cultivated apple. Excluding the hybrids, the genetically “pure” populations displayed high levels of genetic diversity and a weak population structure. Age-structure and ecology studies of wild apple populations identified four categories that were not randomly distributed across the forests, reflecting the history of the Rhine forest over the last century. The Rhine wild apple populations, with their ecological strategies, high genetic diversity, and weak traces of crop-to-wild gene flow associated with the history of these floodplain forests, constitute candidate populations for inclusion in future conservation programmes for European wild apple. PMID:24827575

Pinus sylvestris as a missing source of nitrous oxide and methane in boreal forest.

PubMed

Machacova, Katerina; Bäck, Jaana; Vanhatalo, Anni; Halmeenmäki, Elisa; Kolari, Pasi; Mammarella, Ivan; Pumpanen, Jukka; Acosta, Manuel; Urban, Otmar; Pihlatie, Mari

2016-03-21

Boreal forests comprise 73% of the world's coniferous forests. Based on forest floor measurements, they have been considered a significant natural sink of methane (CH4) and a natural source of nitrous oxide (N2O), both of which are important greenhouse gases. However, the role of trees, especially conifers, in ecosystem N2O and CH4 exchange is only poorly understood. We show for the first time that mature Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees consistently emit N2O and CH4 from both stems and shoots. The shoot fluxes of N2O and CH4 exceeded the stem flux rates by 16 and 41 times, respectively. Moreover, higher stem N2O and CH4 fluxes were observed from wet than from dry areas of the forest. The N2O release from boreal pine forests may thus be underestimated and the uptake of CH4 may be overestimated when ecosystem flux calculations are based solely on forest floor measurements. The contribution of pine trees to the N2O and CH4 exchange of the boreal pine forest seems to increase considerably under high soil water content, thus highlighting the urgent need to include tree-emissions in greenhouse gas emission inventories.

Organic anion exudation by ectomycorrhizal fungi and Pinus sylvestris in response to nutrient deficiencies.

PubMed

van Schöll, Laura; Hoffland, Ellis; van Breemen, Nico

2006-01-01

Low molecular weight organic anions (LMWOA) can enhance weathering of mineral grains. We tested the hypothesis that ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi and tree seedlings increase their exudation of LMWOA when supply of magnesium, potassium and phosphorus is low to enhance the mobilization of Mg, K and P from mineral grains. Ectomycorrhizal fungi and Pinus sylvestris seedlings were cultured in symbiosis and in isolation on glass beads with nutrient solution or with sand as a rooting medium, with a complete nutrient supply or with Mg, K, P or N in low supply. Concentrations of all dicarboxylic LMWOA in the rooting medium were measured. Nonmycorrhizal seedlings released predominantly malonate. Colonization with Hebeloma longicaudum decreased the amount of organic anions exuded, whereas Paxillus involutus and Piloderma croceum increased the concentration of oxalate but not the total amount of LMWOA. Phosphorus deficiency increased the concentration of LMWOA by nonmycorrhizal and EcM seedlings. Magnesium deficiency increased the concentration of oxalate by nonmycorrhizal and EcM seedlings, but not the concentration of total LMWOA. Paxillus involutus grown in pure culture responded differently to low nutrient supply compared with symbiotic growth. Ectomycorrhizal fungi did not increase the total concentration of LMWOA compared with nonmycorrhizal seedlings but, depending on the fungal species, they affected the type of LMWOA found.

Three new germacrane-type sesquiterpenes with NGF-potentiating activity from Valeriana officinalis var. latiofolia.

PubMed

Chen, Heng-Wen; Chen, Li; Li, Bin; Yin, Hai-Long; Tian, Ying; Wang, Qiong; Xiao, Yan-Hua; Dong, Jun-Xing

2013-11-14

Three new germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids, volvalerenal F (1), volvalerenal G (2) and volvalerenic acid D (3), along with five known compounds 4-8, were isolated from the CHCl₃ soluble partition of the ethanol extract of Valeriana officinalis var. latiofolia. The structures of the new compounds were determined on the basis of spectroscopic evidence, including their 1D- and 2D-NMR spectra, as well as mass spectrometry. The eight germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids showed nerve growth factor (NGF) potentiating activity, which mediates the neurite outgrowth in PC 12D cells. This study intends to reveal the chemical basis of the use of V. officinalis var. latiofolia as a dietary supplement.

Trypsin inhibitors from Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum leaves involved in Pepper yellow mosaic virus resistance.

PubMed

Moulin, M M; Rodrigues, R; Ribeiro, S F F; Gonçalves, L S A; Bento, C S; Sudré, C P; Vasconcelos, I M; Gomes, V M

2014-11-07

Several plant organs contain proteinase inhibitors, which are produced during normal plant development or are induced upon pathogen attack to suppress the enzymatic activity of phytopathogenic microorganisms. In this study, we examined the presence of proteinase inhibitors, specifically trypsin inhibitors, in the leaf extract of Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum inoculated with PepYMV (Pepper yellow mosaic virus). Leaf extract from plants with the accession number UENF 1624, which is resistant to PepYMV, was collected at 7 different times (0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 h). Seedlings inoculated with PepYMV and control seedlings were grown in a growth chamber. Protein extract from leaf samples was partially purified by reversed-phase chromatography using a C2/C18 column. Residual trypsin activity was assayed to detect inhibitors followed by Tricine-SDS-PAGE analysis to determine the N-terminal peptide sequence. Based on trypsin inhibitor assays, trypsin inhibitors are likely constitutively synthesized in C. baccatum var. pendulum leaf tissue. These inhibitors are likely a defense mechanism for the C. baccatum var. pendulum- PepYMV pathosystem.

Needle and stem wood production in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) trees of different age, size and competitive status.

PubMed

Vanninen, Petteri; Mäkelä, Annikki

2000-04-01

We studied effects of tree age, size and competitive status on foliage and stem production of 43 Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees in southern Finland. The tree attributes related to competition included foliage density, crown ratio and height/diameter ratio. Needle mass was considered to be the primary cause of growth through photosynthesis. Both stem growth and foliage growth were strongly correlated with foliage mass. Consequently, differences in growth allocation between needles and stem wood in trees of different age, size, or position were small. However, increasing relative height increased the sum of stem growth and foliage growth per unit foliage mass, indicating an effect of available light. Suppressed trees seemed to allocate more growth to stem wood than dominant trees, and their stem growth per unit foliage mass was larger. Similarly, trees in dense stands allocated more growth to stem wood than trees in sparse stands. The results conformed to the pipe model theory but seemed to contradict the priority principle of allocation.

Identification and Characterization of the Spodoptera Su(var) 3-9 Histone H3K9 trimethyltransferase and Its Effect in AcMNPV Infection

PubMed Central

Li, Binbin; Li, Sisi; Yin, Juan; Zhong, Jiang

2013-01-01

Histone H3-lysine9 (H3K9) trimethyltransferase gene Su(var) 3-9 was cloned and identified in three Spodoptera insects, Spodoptera frugiperda ( S . frugiperda ), S . exigua and S . litura . Sequence analysis showed that Spodoptera Su(var) 3-9 is highly conserved evolutionarily. Su(var) 3-9 protein was found to be localized in the nucleus in Sf9 cells, and interact with histone H3, and the heterochromatin protein 1a (HP1a) and HP1b. A dose-dependent enzymatic activity was found at both 27 °C and 37 °C in vitro, with higher activity at 27 °C. Addition of specific inhibitor chaetocin resulted in decreased histone methylation level and host chromatin relaxation. In contrast, overexpression of Su(var) 3-9 caused increased histone methylation level and cellular genome compaction. In AcMNV-infected Sf9 cells, the transcription of Su(var) 3-9 increased at late time of infection, although the mRNA levels of most cellular genes decreased. Pre-treatment of Sf9 cells with chaetocin speeded up viral DNA replication, and increased the transcription level of a variety of virus genes, whereas in Sf9 cells pre-transformed with Su(var) 3-9 expression vector, viral DNA replication slow down slightly. These findings suggest that Su(var) 3-9 might participate in the viral genes expression an genome replication repression during AcMNPV infection. It provided a new insight for the understanding virus–host interaction mechanism. PMID:23894480

Tracing Genetic Exchange and Biogeography of Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii at the Global Population Level.

PubMed

Rhodes, Johanna; Desjardins, Christopher A; Sykes, Sean M; Beale, Mathew A; Vanhove, Mathieu; Sakthikumar, Sharadha; Chen, Yuan; Gujja, Sharvari; Saif, Sakina; Chowdhary, Anuradha; Lawson, Daniel John; Ponzio, Vinicius; Colombo, Arnaldo Lopes; Meyer, Wieland; Engelthaler, David M; Hagen, Ferry; Illnait-Zaragozi, Maria Teresa; Alanio, Alexandre; Vreulink, Jo-Marie; Heitman, Joseph; Perfect, John R; Litvintseva, Anastasia P; Bicanic, Tihana; Harrison, Thomas S; Fisher, Matthew C; Cuomo, Christina A

2017-09-01

Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii is the causative agent of cryptococcal meningitis, a significant source of mortality in immunocompromised individuals, typically human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS patients from developing countries. Despite the worldwide emergence of this ubiquitous infection, little is known about the global molecular epidemiology of this fungal pathogen. Here we sequence the genomes of 188 diverse isolates and characterize the major subdivisions, their relative diversity, and the level of genetic exchange between them. While most isolates of C. neoformans var. grubii belong to one of three major lineages (VNI, VNII, and VNB), some haploid isolates show hybrid ancestry including some that appear to have recently interbred, based on the detection of large blocks of each ancestry across each chromosome. Many isolates display evidence of aneuploidy, which was detected for all chromosomes. In diploid isolates of C. neoformans var. grubii ( serotype AA) and of hybrids with C. neoformans var. neoformans (serotype AD) such aneuploidies have resulted in loss of heterozygosity, where a chromosomal region is represented by the genotype of only one parental isolate. Phylogenetic and population genomic analyses of isolates from Brazil reveal that the previously "African" VNB lineage occurs naturally in the South American environment. This suggests migration of the VNB lineage between Africa and South America prior to its diversification, supported by finding ancestral recombination events between isolates from different lineages and regions. The results provide evidence of substantial population structure, with all lineages showing multi-continental distributions; demonstrating the highly dispersive nature of this pathogen. Copyright © 2017 Rhodes et al.

Lead and vanadium removal from a real industrial wastewater by gravitational settling/sedimentation and sorption onto Pinus sylvestris sawdust.

PubMed

Kaczala, F; Marques, M; Hogland, W

2009-01-01

Batch sorption with untreated Pinus sylvestris sawdust after settling/sedimentation phase to remove vanadium and lead from a real industrial wastewater was investigated using different adsorbent doses, initial pH, and contact time. The development of pH along the sorption test and a parallel investigation of metals release from sawdust in distilled water were carried out. In order to evaluate kinetic parameters and equilibrium isotherms, Lagergren first-order, pseudo-second-order, intra-particle diffusion and Freundlich models were explored. When the initial pH was reduced from 7.4 to 4.0, the sorption efficiency increased from 32% to 99% for Pb and from 43% to 95% for V. Whereas, V removal was positively correlated with the adsorbent dose, Pb removal was not. The sorption process was best described by pseudo-second-order kinetics. According to Freundlich parameters (K(f) and n) sawdust presented unfavourable intensity for sorption of V.

Medicinal activities of the leaves of Musa sapientum var. sylvesteris in vitro

PubMed Central

Sahaa, Repon Kumer; Acharyaa, Srijan; Shovon, Syed Sohidul Haque; Royb, Priyanka

2013-01-01

Objective This study is to investigate the medicinal value of methanolic extract of the leaves of Musa sapientum var. sylvesteris in Bangladesh. Methods Several biochemical assays, thin layer chormatogarphy and ultra-violet spectroscopy were used to detect the presence of various types of compounds in this extract. Antioxidant effects were measured by DPPH scavenging assay, total reducing assay and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assay. Receptor binding activities and hydrogen peroxide induced hemolysis assay were performed by hemagglutination assay and hemolysis assay using erythrocytes. Disk diffusion assay was performed to show the antibacterial effect of the extract. Results Methanolic extract of the leaves showed antioxidant and antibacterial activity in vitro. The extract showed hemaglutination inhibition activities and hydrogen peroxide induced hemolysis inhibition activity of human red blood cells. Conclusion Musa sapientum var. sylvesteris can be an useful medicinal plant. PMID:23730561

An efficient assisted history matching and uncertainty quantification workflow using Gaussian processes proxy models and variogram based sensitivity analysis: GP-VARS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rana, Sachin; Ertekin, Turgay; King, Gregory R.

2018-05-01

Reservoir history matching is frequently viewed as an optimization problem which involves minimizing misfit between simulated and observed data. Many gradient and evolutionary strategy based optimization algorithms have been proposed to solve this problem which typically require a large number of numerical simulations to find feasible solutions. Therefore, a new methodology referred to as GP-VARS is proposed in this study which uses forward and inverse Gaussian processes (GP) based proxy models combined with a novel application of variogram analysis of response surface (VARS) based sensitivity analysis to efficiently solve high dimensional history matching problems. Empirical Bayes approach is proposed to optimally train GP proxy models for any given data. The history matching solutions are found via Bayesian optimization (BO) on forward GP models and via predictions of inverse GP model in an iterative manner. An uncertainty quantification method using MCMC sampling in conjunction with GP model is also presented to obtain a probabilistic estimate of reservoir properties and estimated ultimate recovery (EUR). An application of the proposed GP-VARS methodology on PUNQ-S3 reservoir is presented in which it is shown that GP-VARS provides history match solutions in approximately four times less numerical simulations as compared to the differential evolution (DE) algorithm. Furthermore, a comparison of uncertainty quantification results obtained by GP-VARS, EnKF and other previously published methods shows that the P50 estimate of oil EUR obtained by GP-VARS is in close agreement to the true values for the PUNQ-S3 reservoir.

Selection and characterization of Euglena anabaena var. minor as a new candidate Euglena species for industrial application.

PubMed

Suzuki, Kengo; Mitra, Sharbanee; Iwata, Osamu; Ishikawa, Takahiro; Kato, Sueo; Yamada, Koji

2015-01-01

Euglena gracilis is a microalgae used as a model organism. Recently, mass cultivation of this species has been achieved for industrial applications. The genus Euglena includes more than 200 species that share common useful features, but the potential industrial applications of other Euglena species have not been evaluated. Thus, we conducted a pilot screening study to identify other species that proliferate at a sufficiently rapid rate to be used for mass cultivation; we found that Euglena anabaena var. minor had a rapid growth rate. In addition, its cells accumulated more than 40% weight of carbohydrate, most of which is considered to be a euglenoid specific type of beta-1-3-glucan, paramylon. Carbohydrate is stored in E. anabaena var. minor cells during normal culture, whereas E. gracilis requires nitrogen limitation to facilitate paramylon accumulation. These results suggest the potential industrial application of E. anabaena var. minor.

[Effects of mixed decomposition of Populus simonii and other tree species leaf litters on soil properties in Loess Plateau].

PubMed

Li, Qian; Liu, Zeng-Wen; Du, Liang-Zhen

2012-03-01

In this study, the leaf litters of Populus simonii and other 11 tree species were put into soil separately or in mixture after grinding, and incubated in laboratory to analyze the effects of their decomposition on soil properties and the interactions between the litters decomposition. The decomposition of each kind of the leaf litters in soil increased the soil urease, dehydrogenase, and phosphatase activities and the soil organic matter and available N contents markedly, but had greater differences in the effects on the soil available P content and CEC. The decomposition of the leaf litters of Caragana microphylla and of Amorpha fruticosa showed obvious effects in improving soil properties. The decomposition of the mixed leaf litters of P. simonii and Pinus tabulaeformis, Platycladus orientalis, Robinia pseudoacacia, or Ulmus pumila showed interactive promotion effects on the abundance of soil microbes, and that of the mixed leaf litters of P. simonii and P. orientalis or C. microphylla showed interactive promotion effects on the soil organic matter, available P, and available K contents and soil CEC but interactive inhibition effects on the activities of most of the soil enzymes tested. The decomposition of the mixed leaf litters of P. simonii and Larix principis-rupprechtii showed interactive promotion effects on the activities of most of the soil enzymes and soil nutrient contents, while that of the mixed leaf litters of P. simonii and P. sylvestris var. mongolica showed interactive inhibition effects. Overall, the decomposition of the mixed leaf litters of P. simo- nii and U. pumila, P. tabulaeformis, L. principis-rupprechtii, or R. pseudoacacia could improve soil quality, but the mixed leaf litters of P. simonii and P. orientalis, C. microphylla, P. sylvestris var. mongolica, Hippophae rhamnoides, or A. fruticosa showed an interactive inhibition effect during their decomposition.

Direct and indirect effects of climate on demography and early growth of Pinus sylvestris at the rear edge: changing roles of biotic and abiotic factors.

PubMed

Benavides, Raquel; Rabasa, Sonia G; Granda, Elena; Escudero, Adrián; Hódar, José A; Martínez-Vilalta, Jordi; Rincón, Ana M; Zamora, Regino; Valladares, Fernando

2013-01-01

Global change triggers shifts in forest composition, with warming and aridification being particularly threatening for the populations located at the rear edge of the species distributions. This is the case of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in the Mediterranean Basin where uncertainties in relation to its dynamics under these changing scenarios are still high. We analysed the relative effect of climate on the recruitment patterns of Scots pine and its interactions with local biotic and abiotic variables at different spatial scales. Number of seedlings and saplings was surveyed, and their annual shoot growth measured in 96 plots located across altitudinal gradients in three different regions in the Iberian Peninsula. We found a significant influence of climate on demography and performance of recruits, with a non-linear effect of temperature on the presence of juveniles, and a positive effect of precipitation on their survival. Abundance of juveniles of P. sylvestris that underwent their first summer drought was skewed towards higher altitudes than the altitudinal mean range of the conspecific adults and the optimum elevation for seedlings' emergence. At local level, light availability did not influence juveniles' density, but it enhanced their growth. Biotic interactions were found between juveniles and the herb cover (competition) and between the number of newly emerged seedlings and shrubs (facilitation). Results also highlighted the indirect effect that climate exerts over the local factors, modulating the interactions with the pre-existing vegetation that were more evident at more stressful sites. This multiscale approach improves our understanding of the dynamics of these marginal populations and some management criteria can be inferred to boost their conservation under the current global warming.

21 CFR 173.145 - Alpha-Galactosidase derived from Mortierella vinaceae var. raffinoseutilizer.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... HUMAN CONSUMPTION Enzyme Preparations and Microorganisms § 173.145 Alpha-Galactosidase derived from... following conditions: (a) The food additive is the enzyme alpha-galactosidase and the mycelia of the microorganism Mortierella vinaceae var. raffinoseutilizer which produces the enzyme. (b) The nonpathogenic...

AmeriFlux US-Var Vaira Ranch- Ione

DOE Data Explorer

Baldocchi, Dennis [University of California, Berkeley

2016-01-01

This is the AmeriFlux version of the carbon flux data for the site US-Var Vaira Ranch- Ione. Site Description - Located in the lower foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains on privately owned land, the Vaira Ranch site is classified as a grassland dominated by C3 annual grasses. Managed by local rancher, Fran Vaira, brush has been periodically removed for cattle grazing. Species include a variety of grasses and herbs, including purple false brome, smooth cat's ear, and rose clover. Growing season is confined to the wet season only, typically from October to early May.

Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using flower extract of Malva sylvestris and investigation of their antibacterial activity.

PubMed

Mahmoodi Esfanddarani, Hassan; Abbasi Kajani, Abolghasem; Bordbar, Abdol-Khalegh

2018-06-01

High-quality colloidal silver nanoparticles (AgNP) were synthesised via a green approach by using hydroalcoholic extracts of Malva sylvestris . Silver nitrate was used as a substrate ion while the plant extract successfully played the role of reducing and stabilising agents. The synthesised nanoparticles were carefully characterised by using transmission electron microscopy, atomic-force microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy. The maximum absorption wavelengths of the colloidal solutions synthesised using 70 and 96% ethanol and 100% methanol, as extraction solvents, were 430, 485 and 504 nm, respectively. Interestingly, the size distribution of nanoparticles depended on the used solvent. The best particle size distribution belonged to the nanoparticles synthesised by 70% ethanol extract, which was 20-40 nm. The antibacterial activity of the synthesised nanoparticles was studied on Escherichia coli , Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes using disk diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentrations and minimum bactericidal concentrations assays. The best antibacterial activity obtained for the AgNPs produced by using 96% ethanolic extract.

Comparing Bayesian estimates of genetic differentiation of molecular markers and quantitative traits: an application to Pinus sylvestris.

PubMed

Waldmann, P; García-Gil, M R; Sillanpää, M J

2005-06-01

Comparison of the level of differentiation at neutral molecular markers (estimated as F(ST) or G(ST)) with the level of differentiation at quantitative traits (estimated as Q(ST)) has become a standard tool for inferring that there is differential selection between populations. We estimated Q(ST) of timing of bud set from a latitudinal cline of Pinus sylvestris with a Bayesian hierarchical variance component method utilizing the information on the pre-estimated population structure from neutral molecular markers. Unfortunately, the between-family variances differed substantially between populations that resulted in a bimodal posterior of Q(ST) that could not be compared in any sensible way with the unimodal posterior of the microsatellite F(ST). In order to avoid publishing studies with flawed Q(ST) estimates, we recommend that future studies should present heritability estimates for each trait and population. Moreover, to detect variance heterogeneity in frequentist methods (ANOVA and REML), it is of essential importance to check also that the residuals are normally distributed and do not follow any systematically deviating trends.

Data assimilation and prognostic whole ice sheet modelling with the variationally derived, higher order, open source, and fully parallel ice sheet model VarGlaS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinkerhoff, D. J.; Johnson, J. V.

2013-07-01

We introduce a novel, higher order, finite element ice sheet model called VarGlaS (Variational Glacier Simulator), which is built on the finite element framework FEniCS. Contrary to standard procedure in ice sheet modelling, VarGlaS formulates ice sheet motion as the minimization of an energy functional, conferring advantages such as a consistent platform for making numerical approximations, a coherent relationship between motion and heat generation, and implicit boundary treatment. VarGlaS also solves the equations of enthalpy rather than temperature, avoiding the solution of a contact problem. Rather than include a lengthy model spin-up procedure, VarGlaS possesses an automated framework for model inversion. These capabilities are brought to bear on several benchmark problems in ice sheet modelling, as well as a 500 yr simulation of the Greenland ice sheet at high resolution. VarGlaS performs well in benchmarking experiments and, given a constant climate and a 100 yr relaxation period, predicts a mass evolution of the Greenland ice sheet that matches present-day observations of mass loss. VarGlaS predicts a thinning in the interior and thickening of the margins of the ice sheet.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Differential Responses of Pinus massoniana and Taxus wallichiana var. mairei to Simulated Acid Rain

PubMed Central

Hu, Wen-Jun; Chen, Juan; Liu, Ting-Wu; Simon, Martin; Wang, Wen-Hua; Chen, Juan; Wu, Fei-Hua; Liu, Xiang; Shen, Zhi-Jun; Zheng, Hai-Lei

2014-01-01

Acid rain (AR), a serious environmental issue, severely affects plant growth and development. As the gymnosperms of conifer woody plants, Pinus massoniana (AR-sensitive) and Taxus wallichiana var. mairei (AR-resistant) are widely distributed in southern China. Under AR stress, significant necrosis and collapsed lesions were found in P. massoniana needles with remarkable yellowing and wilting tips, whereas T. wallichiana var. mairei did not exhibit chlorosis and visible damage. Due to the activation of a large number of stress-related genes and the synthesis of various functional proteins to counteract AR stress, it is important to study the differences in AR-tolerance mechanisms by comparative proteomic analysis of tolerant and sensitive species. This study revealed a total of 65 and 26 differentially expressed proteins that were identified in P. massoniana and T. wallichiana var. mairei, respectively. Among them, proteins involved in metabolism, photosynthesis, signal transduction and transcription were drastically down-regulated in P. massoniana, whereas most of the proteins participating in metabolism, cell structure, photosynthesis and transcription were increased in T. wallichiana var. mairei. These results suggest the distinct patterns of protein expression in the two woody species in response to AR, allowing a deeper understanding of diversity on AR tolerance in forest tree species. PMID:24625662

Larvicidal activity of some Cerrado plant extracts against Aedes aegypti.

PubMed

Rodrigues, A M S; De Paula, J E; Degallier, N; Molez, J E; Espindola, L S

2006-06-01

One hundred ninety hexanic and ethanolic extract from 27 plant species from the Cerrado biome of Brazil were tested for larvicidal activity against 3rd-stage Aedes aegypti larvae at 500 microg/ml. Fourteen extracts from 7 species showed activity (>65% mortality) against the larvae. Of these Dugeutia furfuracea, Piptocarpha rotundifolia, Casearia sylvestris var. lingua, Serjania lethalis, and Xylopia aromatica were active at 56.6, 162.31, 232.4, 285.76, and 384.37 microg/ml, respectively. Annona crassiflora and Cybistax antisyphilitica showed activity at 23.06 and 27.61 microg/ml. The larvicidal properties of these species are described for the first time, and may prove to be promising in active chemical compound isolation.

Development and characterization of EST-SSR markers for Ottelia acuminata var. jingxiensis (Hydrocharitaceae).

PubMed

Li, Zhi-Zhong; Lu, Meng-Xue; Saina, Josphat K; Gichira, Andrew W; Wang, Qing-Feng; Chen, Jin-Ming

2017-11-01

Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were derived from transcriptomic data for Ottelia acuminata (Hydrocharitaceae), a species comprising five endemic and highly endangered varieties in China. Sixteen novel SSR markers were developed for O. acuminata var. jingxiensis . One to eight alleles per locus were found, with a mean of 2.896. The observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.000 to 1.000 and 0.000 to 0.793, respectively. Interestingly, in cross-varietal amplification, 13 out of the 16 loci were successfully amplified in O. acuminata var. acuminata , and 12 amplified in each of the other three varieties of O. acuminata . These newly developed SSR markers will facilitate further study of genetic variation and provide important genetic data needed for appropriate conservation of natural populations of all varieties of O. acuminata .

VarBin, a novel method for classifying true and false positive variants in NGS data

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Variant discovery for rare genetic diseases using Illumina genome or exome sequencing involves screening of up to millions of variants to find only the one or few causative variant(s). Sequencing or alignment errors create "false positive" variants, which are often retained in the variant screening process. Methods to remove false positive variants often retain many false positive variants. This report presents VarBin, a method to prioritize variants based on a false positive variant likelihood prediction. Methods VarBin uses the Genome Analysis Toolkit variant calling software to calculate the variant-to-wild type genotype likelihood ratio at each variant change and position divided by read depth. The resulting Phred-scaled, likelihood-ratio by depth (PLRD) was used to segregate variants into 4 Bins with Bin 1 variants most likely true and Bin 4 most likely false positive. PLRD values were calculated for a proband of interest and 41 additional Illumina HiSeq, exome and whole genome samples (proband's family or unrelated samples). At variant sites without apparent sequencing or alignment error, wild type/non-variant calls cluster near -3 PLRD and variant calls typically cluster above 10 PLRD. Sites with systematic variant calling problems (evident by variant quality scores and biases as well as displayed on the iGV viewer) tend to have higher and more variable wild type/non-variant PLRD values. Depending on the separation of a proband's variant PLRD value from the cluster of wild type/non-variant PLRD values for background samples at the same variant change and position, the VarBin method's classification is assigned to each proband variant (Bin 1 to Bin 4). Results To assess VarBin performance, Sanger sequencing was performed on 98 variants in the proband and background samples. True variants were confirmed in 97% of Bin 1 variants, 30% of Bin 2, and 0% of Bin 3/Bin 4. Conclusions These data indicate that VarBin correctly classifies the majority of true

PhenoVar: a phenotype-driven approach in clinical genomics for the diagnosis of polymalformative syndromes

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background We propose a phenotype-driven analysis of encrypted exome data to facilitate the widespread implementation of exome sequencing as a clinical genetic screening test. Twenty test-patients with varied syndromes were selected from the literature. For each patient, the mutation, phenotypic data, and genetic diagnosis were available. Next, control exome-files, each modified to include one of these twenty mutations, were assigned to the corresponding test-patients. These data were used by a geneticist blinded to the diagnoses to test the efficiency of our software, PhenoVar. The score assigned by PhenoVar to any genetic diagnosis listed in OMIM (Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man) took into consideration both the patient’s phenotype and all variations present in the corresponding exome. The physician did not have access to the individual mutations. PhenoVar filtered the search using a cut-off phenotypic match threshold to prevent undesired discovery of incidental findings and ranked the OMIM entries according to diagnostic score. Results When assigning the same weight to all variants in the exome, PhenoVar predicted the correct diagnosis in 10/20 patients, while in 15/20 the correct diagnosis was among the 4 highest ranked diagnoses. When assigning a higher weight to variants known, or bioinformatically predicted, to cause disease, PhenoVar’s yield increased to 14/20 (18/20 in top 4). No incidental findings were identified using our cut-off phenotypic threshold. Conclusion The phenotype-driven approach described could render widespread use of ES more practical, ethical and clinically useful. The implications about novel disease identification, advancement of complex diseases and personalized medicine are discussed. PMID:24884844

[Effect of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus seed extracts on seed germination and seedling growth of different Codonopsis pilosula caltiver].

PubMed

Guo, Feng-Xia; Wu, Zhi-Jiang; Chen, Yuan; Xi, Zhuo-Xia; Zhang, Xiao-Hu; Yao, Li-Rong; Chen, Xiang

2012-11-01

To reveal the allelopathy effect of Astragalus membranaceus var. mongholicus seeds and provide information for the intercrop production. The A. membranaceus. var. mongholicus seeds were soaked in distilled water for different time (12, 24, 36, 48, 60 h) , and then the seed extracts were used to study their effects on the seed germination, seedling growth and development of two Codonopsis pilosula. The A. membranaceus var. mongholicus seeds contained some allelopathy compounds. Their soaked liquid had significantly influence on the seed germination and seedling growth of C. pilosula. The seed germination rate, germination power, germination index and vigor index of two C. pilosula calrivar were improved and then inhabited with soaking time elongation. The extract soaking for 24 h significantly improved the germination traits but the extract for 60 h appeared different degrees of inhibiting vigor. The seed extracts soaking ranging between 12 and 60 h all significantly improved the above plant growth of C. pilosula but significant inhibited their radicle growth in length. And with the soaking time elongation the facilitation effect weakened and the inhibiting effect enhanced, especially more significant in the C. pilosula caltivar (Baitiaodangshen). The A. membranaceus var. mongholicus seeds have allelopathic compounds and the endogenous inhibitor can be extracted when soaked for more than 24 h in water with intact seeds, resulting in improvement of seed germination rate. The C. pilosula could be intercropped in A. membranaceus var. mongholicus field, however, when intercroped it should notice that the intercrop proportion should vary with the caltivar.

Nucleotide diversity at two phytochrome loci along a latitudinal cline in Pinus sylvestris.

PubMed

García-Gil, M R; Mikkonen, M; Savolainen, O

2003-05-01

Forest tree species provide many examples of well-studied adaptive differentiation, where the search for the underlying genes might be possible. In earlier studies and in our common conditions in a greenhouse, northern populations set bud earlier than southern ones. A difference in latitude of origin of one degree corresponded to a change of 1.4 days in number of days to terminal bud set of seedlings. Earlier physiological and ecological genetics work in conifers and other plants have suggested that such variation could be governed by phytochromes. Nucleotide variation was examined at two phytochrome loci (PHYP and PHYO, homologues of the Arabidopsis thaliana PHYB and PHYA, respectively) in three populations: northern Finland, southern Finland and northern Spain. In our samples of 12-15 sequences (2980 and 1156 base pairs at the two loci) we found very low nonsynonymous variation; pi was 0.0003 and 0.0002 at PHYP and PHYO loci, respectively. There was no functional differentiation between populations at the photosensory domains of either locus. The overall silent variation was also low, only 0.0024 for the PHYP locus. The low estimates of silent variation are consistent with the estimated low synonymous substitution rates between Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies at the PHYO locus. Despite the low level of nucleotide variation, haplotypic diversity was relatively high (0.42 and 0.41 for fragments of 1156 nucleotides) at the two loci.

Dynamic simulation of Static Var Compensators in distribution systems

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

Koessler, R.J.

1992-08-01

This paper is a system study guide for the correction of voltage dips due to large motor startups with Static Var Compensators (SVCs). The method utilizes time simulations, which are an important aid in the equipment design and specification. The paper illustrates the process of setting-up a computer model and performing time simulations. The study process is demonstrated through an example, the Shawnee feeder in the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation service area.

Data Assimilation of Lightning using 1D+3D/4D WRF Var Assimilation Schemes with Non-Linear Observation Operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navon, M. I.; Stefanescu, R.; Fuelberg, H. E.; Marchand, M.

2012-12-01

NASA's launch of the GOES-R Lightning Mapper (GLM) in 2015 will provide continuous, full disc, high resolution total lightning (IC + CG) data. The data will be available at a horizontal resolution of approximately 9 km. Compared to other types of data, the assimilation of lightning data into operational numerical models has received relatively little attention. Previous efforts of lightning assimilation mostly have employed nudging. This paper will describe the implementation of 1D+3D/4D Var assimilation schemes of existing ground-based WTLN (Worldwide Total Lightning Network) lightning observations using non-linear observation operators in the incremental WRFDA system. To mimic the expected output of GLM, the WTLN data were used to generate lightning super-observations characterized by flash rates/81 km2/20 min. A major difficulty associated with variational approaches is the complexity of the observation operator that defines the model equivalent of lightning. We use Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) as a proxy between lightning data and model variables. This operator is highly nonlinear. Marecal and Mahfouf (2003) have shown that nonlinearities can prevent direct assimilation of rainfall rates in the ECMWF 4D-VAR (using the incremental formulation proposed by Courtier et al. (1994)) from being successful. Using data from the 2011 Tuscaloosa, AL tornado outbreak, we have proved that the direct assimilation of lightning data into the WRF 3D/4D - Var systems is limited due to this incremental approach. Severe threshold limits must be imposed on the innovation vectors to obtain an improved analysis. We have implemented 1D+3D/4D Var schemes to assimilate lightning observations into the WRF model. Their use avoids innovation vector constrains from preventing the inclusion of a greater number of lightning observations Their use also minimizes the problem that nonlinearities in the moist convective scheme can introduce discontinuities in the cost function

Baccharis megapotamica var. weirii poisoning in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

PubMed

Oliveira-Filho, José C; Carmo, Priscila M S; Lucena, Ricardo B; Pierezan, Felipe; Barros, Claudio S L

2011-05-01

An outbreak of an acute disease in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) caused by the ingestion of Baccharis megapotamica var. weirii occurred in the southern region of Brazil. Ten out of 50 buffalo died 24-48 hr after being introduced into a pasture containing abundant amounts of the plant. Factors influencing the ingestion of the plant and consequent toxicosis included hunger, stress caused by shipment, and unfamiliarity with the plant. Clinical signs included serous ocular discharge, incoordination, mild bloat, and muscle trembling. One buffalo was necropsied. Gross findings included dehydration, abundant liquid in the rumen, reddening of the mucosa of forestomachs, abomasum, and intestine, and edema of the wall of the rumen. The main histologic lesions were superficial to full thickness degeneration and necrosis of the stratified epithelium lining the forestomachs, necrosis of the intestinal mucosa, and widespread lymphoid necrosis. A calf (Bos taurus) was fed a single dose of 5 g/kg/body weight of B. megapotamica var. weirii harvested from the same site where the buffalo died. Twenty hours after the administration of the plant this calf died with clinical signs and lesions similar to those observed in the naturally poisoned buffalo. © 2011 The Author(s)

Development and characterization of 16 polymorphic microsatellite markers from Taiwan cow-tail fir, Keteleeria davidiana var. formosana (Pinaceae) and cross-species amplification in other Keteleeria taxa

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Keteleeria davidiana var. formosana (Pinaceae), Taiwan cow-tail fir, is an endangered species listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and only two populations remain, both on the Taiwan Island. Sixteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed in an endangered and endemic gymnosperm species, Keteleeria davidiana var. formosana, and were tested in an additional 6 taxa, K. davidiana var. calcarea, K. davidiana var. chienpeii, K. evelyniana, K. fortunei, K. fortunei var. cyclolepis, and K. pubescens, to evaluate the genetic variation available for conservation management and to reconstruct the phylogeographic patterns of this ancient lineage. Findings Polymorphic primer sets were developed from K. davidiana var. formosana using the modified AFLP and magnetic bead enrichment method. The number of alleles ranged from 3 to 16, with the observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.28 to 1.00. All of the loci were found to be interspecifically amplifiable. Conclusions These polymorphic and transferable loci will be potentially useful for future studies that will focus on identifying distinct evolutionary units within species and establishing the phylogeographic patterns and the process of speciation among closely related species. PMID:24755442

Stem compression reversibly reduces phloem transport in Pinus sylvestris trees.

PubMed

Henriksson, Nils; Tarvainen, Lasse; Lim, Hyungwoo; Tor-Ngern, Pantana; Palmroth, Sari; Oren, Ram; Marshall, John; Näsholm, Torgny

2015-10-01

Manipulating tree belowground carbon (C) transport enables investigation of the ecological and physiological roles of tree roots and their associated mycorrhizal fungi, as well as a range of other soil organisms and processes. Girdling remains the most reliable method for manipulating this flux and it has been used in numerous studies. However, girdling is destructive and irreversible. Belowground C transport is mediated by phloem tissue, pressurized through the high osmotic potential resulting from its high content of soluble sugars. We speculated that phloem transport may be reversibly blocked through the application of an external pressure on tree stems. Thus, we here introduce a technique based on compression of the phloem, which interrupts belowground flow of assimilates, but allows trees to recover when the external pressure is removed. Metal clamps were wrapped around the stems and tightened to achieve a pressure theoretically sufficient to collapse the phloem tissue, thereby aiming to block transport. The compression's performance was tested in two field experiments: a (13)C canopy labelling study conducted on small Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees [2-3 m tall, 3-7 cm diameter at breast height (DBH)] and a larger study involving mature pines (∼15 m tall, 15-25 cm DBH) where stem respiration, phloem and root carbohydrate contents, and soil CO2 efflux were measured. The compression's effectiveness was demonstrated by the successful blockage of (13)C transport. Stem compression doubled stem respiration above treatment, reduced soil CO2 efflux by 34% and reduced phloem sucrose content by 50% compared with control trees. Stem respiration and soil CO2 efflux returned to normal within 3 weeks after pressure release, and (13)C labelling revealed recovery of phloem function the following year. Thus, we show that belowground phloem C transport can be reduced by compression, and we also demonstrate that trees recover after treatment, resuming C

[Chemical constituents of Cocculus orbiculatus var. mollis root].

PubMed

Liao, Jing; Lei, Yu; Wang, Jian-Zhong

2014-02-01

To study the chemical constituents in the root of Cocculus orbiculatus var. mollis. The compounds were isolated by silica gel chromatography, their structures were established by spectroscopic methods. Eleven compounds were isolated and identified as wattisine A (I), O-methylcocsoline (II), (+) cocsoline (III), (+) cocsuline (IV), magnoflorine (V), sino-coculine (VI), isosinococuline (VII), (-) coclaurine (VIII), daucosterol (IX), beta-sitosterol (X) and 1-oleioyl-3-(9Z, 12Z-arachoyl) glycerol (XI). Compound I is isolated from this genus for the first time,and compound II - XI are isolated from this plant for the first time.

An unusual variant of Trichophyton tonsurans var. sulfureum.

PubMed

Padhye, A A; Weitzman, I; Domenech, E

1994-01-01

A fungus, recovered from a skin lesion of a patient, produced velvety to powdery, white to deep yellow colonies on Sabouraud glucose agar. Microscopically, it produced a large number of cylindric, smooth-walled, three- to eight-celled macroconidia but failed to produce microconidia on a variety of nutritional media such as rice grains, cornmeal dextrose, potato dextrose, Sabouraud glucose, oatmeal and lactrimel agars. It hydrolysed urea in 7 days, perforated hair in vitro and required thiamine for growth. This isolate represents an atypical variant of Trichophyton tonsurans var. sufureum subvar. perforans.

Pectic polysaccharides extracted from Rauvolfia verticillata (Lour.) Baill. var. hainanensis Tsiang increase LκB-α expression and ameliorate ulcerative colitis.

PubMed

Miao, X P; Sun, X N; Wei, H; Liu, Z J; Cui, L J; Deng, T Z

2015-02-01

The therapeutic potential of pectic polysaccharides extracted from Rauvolfia verticillata (Lour.) Baill. var. hainanensis Tsiang in ulcerative colitis were investigated. This study showed that pectic polysaccharides extracted from Rauvolfia verticillata (Lour.) Baill. var. hainanensis Tsiang ameliorated ulcerative colitis and were proposed to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects via increased expression of IκB-α proteins and suppressing NF-αB translocation.

A three-level advanced static VAr compensator

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

Ekanayake, J.B.; Jenkins, N.

1996-01-01

An Advanced Static VAr Compensator (ASVC) employing a three level inverter has been investigated for three phase applications. The paper describes the operating principles of the ASVC using an elementary single phase ASVC circuit. The construction of a hardware model of the three phase, three level ASVC is then presented. The performance of the ASVC is obtained from an experimental study carried out on this laboratory model. The use of the selective harmonic elimination modulation (SHEM) technique to minimize harmonics is explored. Experimental studies have been carried out to determine the speed of response of the scheme by controlling itmore » in a closed loop.« less

Cardenolide glycosides from Elaeodendron australe var. integrifolium.

PubMed

Butler, Mark S; Towerzey, Leanne; Pham, Ngoc B; Hyde, Edward; Wadi, Sao Khemar; Guymer, Gordon P; Quinn, Ronald J

2014-02-01

Extracts from dried leaf and stems of Elaeodendron australe var. integrifolium (Celastraceae) collected in South East Queensland, Australia, were active in an assay that measured Ca(2+) driven expression of IL-2/luciferase designed to identify inhibitors of the ICRAC channel. Bioassay-guided isolation using C18 and polyamide column chromatography, HPLC (Phenyl and C18) and centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) led to the isolation of digitoxigenin (1) and three cardenolide glycosides, glucoside 2, quinovoside 3 and the new natural product xyloside 4, as the active components with low nM activity in the reporter assay. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The phenolic extractives in southern red oak (Quercus falcata Michx. var. falcata)

Treesearch

Seiji Ohara; Richard W. Hemingway

1989-01-01

The bark of southern red oak (Quercus falcala Michx. var. falcala) is a rich source of quercitrin (quercetin-3-rhamnoside). It contains only low concentrations of (+)-catechin and no significant amounts of epicatechin or gallocatechin. The three major dimeric proanthocyanidins present are epicatechin-(4β→8)-...

Differential recognition of P. falciparum VAR2CSA domains by naturally acquired antibodies in pregnant women from a malaria endemic area.

PubMed

Brolin, Kim J M; Persson, Kristina E M; Wahlgren, Mats; Rogerson, Stephen J; Chen, Qijun

2010-02-16

Plasmodium falciparum infected red blood cells (iRBC) express variant surface antigens (VSA) of which VAR2CSA is involved in placental sequestration and causes pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM). Primigravidae are most susceptible to PAM whereas antibodies associated with protection are often present at higher levels in multigravid women. However, HIV co-infection with malaria has been shown to alter this parity-dependent acquisition of immunity, with more severe symptoms as well as more malaria episodes in HIV positive women versus HIV negative women of a similar parity. Using VAR2CSA DBL-domains expressed on the surface of CHO-745 cells we quantified levels of DBL-domain specific IgG in sera from pregnant Malawian women by flow cytometry. Dissociations constants of DBL5epsilon specific antibodies were determined using a surface plasmon resonance technique, as an indication of antibody affinities. VAR2CSA DBL5epsilon was recognized in a gender and parity-dependent manner with anti-DBL5epsilon IgG correlating significantly with IgG levels to VSA-PAM on the iRBC surface. HIV positive women had lower levels of anti-DBL5epsilon IgG than HIV negative women of similar parity. In primigravidae, antibodies in HIV positive women also showed significantly lower affinity to VAR2CSA DBL5epsilon. Pregnant women from a malaria-endemic area had increased levels of anti-DBL5epsilon IgG by parity, indicating this domain of VAR2CSA to be a promising vaccine candidate against PAM. However, it is important to consider co-infection with HIV, as this seems to change the properties of antibody response against malaria. Understanding the characteristics of antibody response against VAR2CSA is undoubtedly imperative in order to design a functional and efficient vaccine against PAM.

Loss of function mutations in VARS encoding cytoplasmic valyl-tRNA synthetase cause microcephaly, seizures, and progressive cerebral atrophy.

PubMed

Stephen, Joshi; Nampoothiri, Sheela; Banerjee, Aditi; Tolman, Nathanial J; Penninger, Josef Martin; Elling, Ullrich; Agu, Chukwuma A; Burke, John D; Devadathan, Kalpana; Kannan, Rajesh; Huang, Yan; Steinbach, Peter J; Martinis, Susan A; Gahl, William A; Malicdan, May Christine V

2018-04-01

Progressive microcephaly and neurodegeneration are genetically heterogenous conditions, largely associated with genes that are essential for the survival of neurons. In this study, we interrogate the genetic etiology of two siblings from a non-consanguineous family with severe early onset of neurological manifestations. Whole exome sequencing identified novel compound heterozygous mutations in VARS that segregated with the proband: a missense (c.3192G>A; p.Met1064Ile) and a splice site mutation (c.1577-2A>G). The VARS gene encodes cytoplasmic valyl-tRNA synthetase (ValRS), an enzyme that is essential during eukaryotic translation. cDNA analysis on patient derived fibroblasts revealed that the splice site acceptor variant allele led to nonsense mediated decay, thus resulting in a null allele. Three-dimensional modeling of ValRS predicts that the missense mutation lies in a highly conserved region and could alter side chain packing, thus affecting tRNA binding or destabilizing the interface between the catalytic and tRNA binding domains. Further quantitation of the expression of VARS showed remarkably reduced levels of mRNA and protein in skin derived fibroblasts. Aminoacylation experiments on patient derived cells showed markedly reduced enzyme activity of ValRS suggesting the mutations to be loss of function. Bi-allelic mutations in cytoplasmic amino acyl tRNA synthetases are well-known for their role in neurodegenerative disorders, yet human disorders associated with VARS mutations have not yet been clinically well characterized. Our study describes the phenotype associated with recessive VARS mutations and further functional delineation of the pathogenicity of novel variants identified, which widens the clinical and genetic spectrum of patients with progressive microcephaly.

Argania spinosa var. mutica and var. apiculata: variation of fatty-acid composition, phenolic content, and antioxidant and α-amylase-inhibitory activities among varieties, organs, and development stages.

PubMed

El Adib, Saifeddine; Aissi, Oumayma; Charrouf, Zoubida; Ben Jeddi, Fayçal; Messaoud, Chokri

2015-09-01

Argania spinosa includes two varieties, var. apiculata and var. mutica. These argan varieties were introduced into Tunisia in ancient times and are actually cultivated in some botanic gardens. Little is known about the chemical differentiation among these argan varieties. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the fatty-acid composition, the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, and the antioxidant and α-amylase-inhibitory activities of leaf, seed, and pulp extracts of both argan varieties harvested during the months of January to April. The fatty-acid distribution was found to depend on the argan variety, the plant organ, and the harvest time. Significant variations in the phenolic contents were observed between the investigated varieties as well as between leaves, pulps, and seeds of each variety. As expected, phenolic compounds were found to be contributors to the antioxidant and α-amylase-inhibitory activities of both argan varieties. The chemical differentiation observed among the two argan varieties, based mainly on the fatty-acid composition, might have some chemotaxonomic value. Copyright © 2015 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

Detecting the influence of ornamental Berberis thunbergii var. atropurpurea in invasive populations of Berberis thunbergii (Berberidaceae) using AFLP1.

PubMed

Lubell, Jessica D; Brand, Mark H; Lehrer, Jonathan M; Holsinger, Kent E

2008-06-01

Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC.) is a widespread invasive plant that remains an important landscape shrub represented by ornamental, purple-leaved forms of the botanical variety atropurpurea. These forms differ greatly in appearance from feral plants, bringing into question whether they contribute to invasive populations or whether the invasions represent self-sustaining populations derived from the initial introduction of the species in the late 19th century. In this study we used amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers to determine whether genetic contributions from B. t. var. atropurpurea are found within naturalized Japanese barberry populations in southern New England. Bayesian clustering of AFLP genotypes and principal coordinate analysis distinguished B. t. var. atropurpurea genotypes from 85 plants representing five invasive populations. While a single feral plant resembled B. t. var. atropurpurea phenotypically and fell within the same genetic cluster, all other naturalized plants sampled were genetically distinct from the purple-leaved genotypes. Seven plants from two different sites possessed morphology consistent with Berberis vulgaris (common barberry) or B. ×ottawensis (B. thunbergii × B. vulgaris). Genetic analysis placed these plants in two clusters separate from B. thunbergii. Although the Bayesian analysis indicated some introgression of B. t. var. atropurpurea and B. vulgaris, these genotypes have had limited influence on extant feral populations of B. thunbergii.

Construction of a reference molecular linkage map of globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus).

PubMed

Portis, E; Mauromicale, G; Mauro, R; Acquadro, A; Scaglione, D; Lanteri, S

2009-12-01

The genome organization of globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus), unlike other species belonging to Asteraceae (=Compositae) family (i.e. sunflower, lettuce and chicory), remains largely unexplored. The species is highly heterozygous and suffers marked inbreeding depression when forced to self-fertilize. Thus a two-way pseudo-testcross represents the optimal strategy for linkage analysis. Here, we report linkage maps based on the progeny of a cross between globe artichoke (C. cardunculus var. scolymus) and cultivated cardoon (C. cardunculus var. altilis). The population was genotyped using a variety of PCR-based marker platforms, resulting in the identification of 708 testcross markers suitable for map construction. The male map consisted of 177 loci arranged in 17 major linkage groups, spanning 1,015.5 cM, while female map was built with 326 loci arranged into 20 major linkage groups, spanning 1,486.8 cM. The presence of 84 loci shared between these maps and those previously developed from a cross within globe artichoke allowed for map alignment and the definition of 17 homologous linkage groups, corresponding to the haploid number of the species. This will provide a favourable property for QTL scanning; furthermore, as 25 mapped markers (8%) correspond to coding regions, it has an additional value as functional map and might represent an important genetic tool for candidate gene studies in globe artichoke.

Isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans from bird droppings, fruits and vegetables in Mexico City.

PubMed

López-Martínez, R; Castañón-Olivares, L R

1995-01-01

The presence of Cryptococcus neoformans in various natural sources, such as bird droppings, fruits and vegetables, was investigated. A total of 711 samples were analyzed; C. neoformans var. neoformans was isolated from seven out of 74 bird droppings (9.5%), with parrots as one of the most significant sources. Fruits were positive in 9.5% of the 169 samples studied, specially citrus fruits, particularly grapefruit, in which the highest frequency was found. From the 468 vegetable samples, only 20 were positive (4.2%). It is emphasized that five of the positive vegetables species are autochthonous to Mexico: avocado (Nectandra salicifolia), beet (Beta vulgaris var. quinopodiace), chayote (Sechium edule), stringbean (Cassia sp), and nopal (Opuntia ficus-indica).

The essential oil qualitative and quantitative composition in the needles of Pinus sylvestris L. growing along industrial transects.

PubMed

Kupcinskiene, Eugenija; Stikliene, Aida; Judzentiene, Asta

2008-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate composition of the essential oils in the needles of Pinus sylvestris growing in the areas affected by a cement factory (CF), and an oil refinery (OR). Volatile components of the needles were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The most heavily polluted CF stand had significantly higher concentration of gamma-Terpinene, Caryophyllene oxide in the current-year needles, while higher concentration of delta-3-Carene, alpha-Terpinene, gamma-Terpinene and Terpinolene was documented for 1-year-old needles. The most heavily polluted OR stand had a significantly higher concentration of Sabinene+beta-Pinene, 1-epi-Cubenol in the current-year needles and a significantly higher concentration of Camphene, Sabinene+beta-Pinene, Myrcene, alpha-Cadinene, 1-epi-Cubenol in the 1-year-old needles than the least polluted site. Along transects an increase in the amount of some diterpenes and a decrease in the components of the shorter chain essential oils was observed. These effects could be at least partially attributed to SO(2).

Toxicity of "Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki" to the Painted Lady Butterfly, Vanessa cardui.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stalter, Richard; Nadal, Gerard; Kincaid, Dwight

2000-01-01

Reports the effects of Bacillus thuringiensis var. Kurstaki (BT), which is highly toxic, to a non-target lepidopteran, the Painted Lady butterfly. Indicates that BT kills some Painted Lady butterfly larvae at the lowest dilution tested after 48 hours. (ASK)

VAR2CSA signatures of high Plasmodium falciparum parasitemia in the placenta.

PubMed

Rovira-Vallbona, Eduard; Monteiro, Isadora; Bardají, Azucena; Serra-Casas, Elisa; Neafsey, Daniel E; Quelhas, Diana; Valim, Clarissa; Alonso, Pedro; Dobaño, Carlota; Ordi, Jaume; Menéndez, Clara; Mayor, Alfredo

2013-01-01

Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes (IE) accumulate in the placenta through the interaction between Duffy-binding like (DBL) domains of parasite-encoded ligand VAR2CSA and chondroitin sulphate-A (CSA) receptor. Polymorphisms in these domains, including DBL2X and DBL3X, may affect their antigenicity or CSA-binding affinity, eventually increasing parasitemia and its adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes. A total of 373 DBL2X and 328 DBL3X sequences were obtained from transcripts of 20 placental isolates infecting Mozambican women, resulting in 176 DBL2X and 191 DBL3X unique sequences at the protein level. Sequence alignments were divided in segments containing combinations of correlated polymorphisms and the association of segment sequences with placental parasite density was tested using Bonferroni corrected regression models, taking into consideration the weight of each sequence in the infection. Three DBL2X and three DBL3X segments contained signatures of high parasite density (P<0.003) that were highly prevalent in the parasite population (49-91%). Identified regions included a flexible loop that contributes to DBL3X-CSA interaction and two DBL3X motifs with evidence of positive natural selection. Limited antibody responses against signatures of high parasite density among malaria-exposed pregnant women could not explain the increased placental parasitemia. These results suggest that a higher binding efficiency to CSA rather than reduced antigenicity might provide a biological advantage to parasites with high parasite density signatures in VAR2CSA. Sequences contributing to high parasitemia may be critical for the functional characterization of VAR2CSA and the development of tools against placental malaria.

Germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids from the roots of Valeriana officinalis var. latifolia.

PubMed

Wang, Peng-Cheng; Ran, Xin-Hui; Chen, Rui; Luo, Huai-Rong; Liu, Yu-Qing; Zhou, Jun; Zhao, You-Xing

2010-09-24

Eight new germacrane-type sesquiterpenoids, volvalerenals A-E (2-6) and volvalerenic acids A-C (7-9), along with four known compounds, were isolated from a chloroform extract of the roots of Valeriana officinalis var. latifolia. The structures and relative configurations of 2-9 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation. The effects of all compounds isolated on acetylcholinesterase were evaluated.

Adaptive Genetic Divergence Despite Significant Isolation-by-Distance in Populations of Taiwan Cow-Tail Fir (Keteleeria davidiana var. formosana)

PubMed Central

Shih, Kai-Ming; Chang, Chung-Te; Chung, Jeng-Der; Chiang, Yu-Chung; Hwang, Shih-Ying

2018-01-01

Double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) is a tool for delivering genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for non-model organisms useful in resolving fine-scale population structure and detecting signatures of selection. This study performs population genetic analysis, based on ddRADseq data, of a coniferous species, Keteleeria davidiana var. formosana, disjunctly distributed in northern and southern Taiwan, for investigation of population adaptive divergence in response to environmental heterogeneity. A total of 13,914 SNPs were detected and used to assess genetic diversity, FST outlier detection, population genetic structure, and individual assignments of five populations (62 individuals) of K. davidiana var. formosana. Principal component analysis (PCA), individual assignments, and the neighbor-joining tree were successful in differentiating individuals between northern and southern populations of K. davidiana var. formosana, but apparent gene flow between the southern DW30 population and northern populations was also revealed. Fifteen of 23 highly differentiated SNPs identified were found to be strongly associated with environmental variables, suggesting isolation-by-environment (IBE). However, multiple matrix regression with randomization analysis revealed strong IBE as well as significant isolation-by-distance. Environmental impacts on divergence were found between populations of the North and South regions and also between the two southern neighboring populations. BLASTN annotation of the sequences flanking outlier SNPs gave significant hits for three of 23 markers that might have biological relevance to mitochondrial homeostasis involved in the survival of locally adapted lineages. Species delimitation between K. davidiana var. formosana and its ancestor, K. davidiana, was also examined (72 individuals). This study has produced highly informative population genomic data for the understanding of population

Disseminated Nosocomial Fungal Infection by Aureobasidium pullulans var. melanigenum: a Case Report

PubMed Central

Bolignano, Giuseppe; Criseo, Giuseppe

2003-01-01

We report on a rare case of disseminated nosocomial fungal infection due to Aureobasidium pullulans var. melanigenum in a severely traumatized patient. Repeated blood and urine cultures yielded multicellular filamentous hyphal structures of varying size accompanied by budding yeast-like-cells of ellipsoidal morphology. The patient became asymptomatic after fluconazole therapy. PMID:12958301

Differences in volatile profiles between populations of Ceratoides lanata var. subspinosa (Rydb.)

Treesearch

J.T. Howell; Mary Lucero; Rick Estell; Dean Anderson; Ed Fredrickson; Marta Remmenga

2007-01-01

Ceratoides lanata (Rydb.) J.T. Howell, common winterfat, is valued for its nutrient content and palatability to livestock; however, the subspecies Ceratoides lanata var. subspinosa (Rydb.) J.T. Howell, (‘subspinosa’) is considered unpalatable. Curiously, observations of ‘subspinosa’ revealed several populations...

Resolving the smell of wood - identification of odour-active compounds in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.).

PubMed

Schreiner, Linda; Bauer, Patrick; Buettner, Andrea

2018-05-29

Being one of the most common trees in forests, Pinus sylvestris L. is a frequently used raw material for wood products. Its specific odour is, however, mostly unresolved to date. Accordingly, we investigated Scots pine wood samples grown in Germany for their main odorant composition. We employed dedicated odorant analysis techniques such as gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) and successfully detected 44 odour-active compounds; of these, 39 substances were successfully identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/olfactometry (GC-MS/O) and two-dimensional gas chromatography-mass spectrometry/olfactometry (2D-GC-MS/O). Among the main odorants found were (E,E)-nona-2,4-dienal, vanillin, phenylacetic acid, 3-phenylpropanoic acid, δ-octalactone and α-pinene, all of them having been detected with high flavour dilution factors during GC-O analyses. The majority of the identified odorants were fatty acid degradation products, plus some terpenoic substances and odorous substances resulting from the degradation of lignin. Although some of the detected substances have previously been reported as constituents of wood, 11 substances are reported here for the first time as odour-active compounds in wood, amongst them heptanoic acid, γ-octalactone, δ-nonalactone and (E,Z,Z)-trideca-2,4,7-trienal.

Radioactive contamination of pine (Pinus sylvestris) in Krasnoyarsk (Russia) following fallout from the Fukushima accident.

PubMed

Bolsunovsky, A; Dementyev, D

2014-12-01

Following the Fukushima accident in March 2011, samples of pine trees (Pinus sylvestris) were collected from three sites near the city of Krasnoyarsk (Siberia, Russia) during 2011-2012 and analyzed for artificial radionuclides. Concentrations of Fukushima-derived radionuclides in the samples of pine needles in April 2011 reached 5.51 ± 0.52 Bq kg(-1)(131)I, 0.92 ± 0.04 Bq kg(-1)(134)Cs, and 1.51 ± 0.07 Bq kg(-1)(137)Cs. An important finding was the detection of (134)Cs from the Fukushima accident not only in the pine needles and branches but also in the new shoots in 2012, which suggested a transfer of Fukushima cesium isotopes from branches to shoots. In 2011 and 2012, the (137)Cs/(134)Cs ratio for pine needles and branches collected in sampling areas Krasnoyarsk-1 and Krasnoyarsk-2 was greater than 1 (varying within a range of 1.2-2.6), suggesting the presence of "older", pre-Fukushima accident (137)Cs. Calculations showed that for pine samples growing in areas of the Krasnoyarskii Krai unaffected by contamination from the nuclear facility, the activity of the Fukushima-derived cesium isotopes was two-three times higher than the activity of the pre-accident (137)Cs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Soil type affects Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum (Pinaceae) seedling growth in simulated drought experiments.

PubMed

Lindsey, Alexander J; Kilgore, Jason S

2013-08-01

Effects of drought stress and media type interactions on growth of Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum germinants were investigated. • Soil properties and growth responses under drought were compared across four growth media types: two native soils (dolomitic limestone and granite), a soil-less industry standard conifer medium, and a custom-mixed conifer medium. After 35 d of growth, the seedlings under drought stress (reduced watering) produced less shoot and root biomass than watered control seedlings. Organic media led to decreased root biomass, but increased root length and shoot biomass relative to the mineral soils. • Media type affected root-to-shoot biomass partitioning of P. ponderosa var. scopulorum, which may influence net photosynthetic rates, growth, and long-term seedling survival. Further work should examine how specific soil properties like bulk density and organic matter influence biomass allocation in greenhouse studies.

Genome Sequence of the Thermotolerant Yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus KCTC 17555

PubMed Central

Jeong, Haeyoung; Lee, Dae-Hee; Kim, Sun Hong; Kim, Hyun-Jin; Lee, Kyusang; Song, Ju Yeon; Kim, Byung Kwon; Sung, Bong Hyun; Sohn, Jung Hoon; Koo, Hyun Min

2012-01-01

Kluyveromyces marxianus is a thermotolerant yeast that has been explored for potential use in biotechnological applications, such as production of biofuels, single-cell proteins, enzymes, and other heterologous proteins. Here, we present the high-quality draft of the 10.9-Mb genome of K. marxianus var. marxianus KCTC 17555 (= CBS 6556 = ATCC 26548). PMID:23193140

Development and characterization of 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci for pityopsis graminifolia var. latifolia

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pityopsis graminifolia var. latifolia (narrowleaf silkplant), is an herbaceous perennial indigenous to northern Alabama and east Tennessee. Pityopsis graminifolia is a tetraploid (2n=4x=36) and is a sympatric species of the federally endangered plant P. ruthii, which grows along the Hiwassee and Oco...

Physicochemical traits of Dekoko (Pisum sativum var. abyssinicum) seeds.

PubMed

Yemane, Asgedom; Skjelvåg, Arne O

2003-01-01

Dekoko (Pisum sativum var. abyssinicum) has high appreciation for its taste and obtains a premium price in local markets compared to Ater (Pisum sativum var. sativum). However, data on the physicochemical traits of Dekoko seeds were lacking. This paper reports on the physicochemical features of Dekoko and compares the results with that of Ater. Seed weight and seed volume were 36 and 30%, respectively, higher in Ater, while water absorption, percent seed swelling, and percent husk were higher in Dekoko. Cooking time was shorter for Dekoko than Ater seeds. Decortication reduced cooking time on average by 39 and 45 min in Dekoko and Ater, respectively. Cotyledon flour of Dekoko contained 251 g crude protein, 19 g fat, 31.7 g total sugars, 370 g starch, and 130 g neutral detergent fiber per kilogram DM. These traits were significantly higher in Dekoko than in Ater, except for starch, which was higher in the latter. Arginine, asparagine, and glutamine occurred in larger proportions, and collectively contributed about 39% to the total amino acids in both varieties. Lysine contributed about 7%, while sulfur containing amino acids constituted about 3.0 and 2.3% of the total amino acids in Dekoko and Ater, respectively. Ca and Mg were higher in Ater, while P was higher in Dekoko. Based on the observations it was concluded that Dekoko is a suitable supplementary protein source for a cereal-based diet.

Tree rings of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) as a source of information about past climate in northern Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koprowski, Marcin; Przybylak, Rajmund; Zielski, Andrzej; Pospieszyńska, Aleksandra

2012-01-01

Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) is a very common tree in Polish forests, and therefore was widely used as timber. A relatively large amount of available wood allowed a long-term chronology to be built up and used as a source of information about past climate. The analysis of reconstructed indexed values of mean temperature in 51-year moving intervals allowed the recognition of the coldest periods in the years 1207-1346, 1383-1425, 1455-1482, 1533-1574, 1627-1646, and 1694-1785. The analysis of extreme wide and narrow rings forms a complementary method of examining climatic data within tree rings. The tree ring widths, early wood and late wood widths of 16 samples were assessed during the period 1581-1676. The most apparent effect is noted in the dry summer of 1616. According to previous research and our findings, temperature from February to March seems to be one of the most stable climatic factors which influenced pine growth in Poland. Correlation coefficients in the calibration and validation procedure gave promising results for temperature reconstruction from the pine chronology.

Tree rings of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) as a source of information about past climate in northern Poland.

PubMed

Koprowski, Marcin; Przybylak, Rajmund; Zielski, Andrzej; Pospieszyńska, Aleksandra

2012-01-01

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is a very common tree in Polish forests, and therefore was widely used as timber. A relatively large amount of available wood allowed a long-term chronology to be built up and used as a source of information about past climate. The analysis of reconstructed indexed values of mean temperature in 51-year moving intervals allowed the recognition of the coldest periods in the years 1207-1346, 1383-1425, 1455-1482, 1533-1574, 1627-1646, and 1694-1785. The analysis of extreme wide and narrow rings forms a complementary method of examining climatic data within tree rings. The tree ring widths, early wood and late wood widths of 16 samples were assessed during the period 1581-1676. The most apparent effect is noted in the dry summer of 1616. According to previous research and our findings, temperature from February to March seems to be one of the most stable climatic factors which influenced pine growth in Poland. Correlation coefficients in the calibration and validation procedure gave promising results for temperature reconstruction from the pine chronology.

Part I. Metabolites of Penicillium verrucosum var. cyclopium; Part II. Regioselective deuteriations of deoxyribose and incorporation into deoxynucleosides

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

Hodge, R.P.

1988-01-01

Penicillium verrucosum var. cyclopium is the fungus responsible for several outbreaks of neurotoxicoses among cattle in Tennessee beginning in 1979. Verrucosidin isolated from samples of P. verrucosum var. cyclopium was later shown to be a powerful neurotoxin capable of paralyzing its victims and was also said to cause tremoring in some cases. Part I of this dissertation describes the re-investigation of metabolites of P. verrucosum var. cyclopium and tremorgenicity of verrucosidin. Verrucosidin has been shown in this study to be non-tremorgenic. This research also describes development of efficient synthetic methods for incorporation of deuterium into the deoxyribose moiety of deoxyribonucleosides.more » Deuteriated deoxynucleosides are presently being considered for synthesis of deuteriated sequences of DNA to be utilized in {sup 1}H NMR studies of solution conformation and dynamics, as well as interactions with proteins, drugs, metals and carcinogens. A route for synthesizing 2-deoxy-D-ribose from D-ribonic-acid-{gamma}-lactone incorporating deuterium at the C-1, C-2 or C-5 positions is presented.« less

[Simultaneous determination of 4 diterpenoids in Rabdosia japonica var.glaucocalyx by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and cluster analysis].

PubMed

Tian, Ting-Ting; Ma, Ying-Hua; Xie, Wei-Wei; Jin, Yi-Ran; Xu, Hui-Jun; Zhang, Lan-Tong; Du, Ying-Feng

2016-01-01

A quick HPLC-ESI-MS/MS method was established for simultaneous determination of four major diterpenoids in Rabdosia japonica var.glaucocalyx, including glaucocalyxin A, oridonin, hebeirubesensin and enmenol. Analysis was performed on an Agilent ZORBAX SB-C18(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm ) column eluted in a gradient program with methanol and water. The flow rate was 0.8 mL•min⁻¹. Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) scanning mode was performed in negative ion switching mode to apply for the quantitative determination. The calibration curves for the above four compounds were linear in corresponding injection amount. The average recoveries of the compounds ranged from 92.40% to 105.9%, with RSDs of 1.7%-6.5%. The method is simple, rapid, accurate with good repeatability, which can provide a reference for overcalling evaluation the quality of R. japonica var.glaucocalyx. The result of cluster analysis- showed that the quality of R. japonica glaucocalyx var. greatly varied between areas and parts. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Composition of Pteryxia terebinthina var. californica (Coult. and Rose) Mathias essential oils

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beauchamp, Philip E.; Dev, Vasu; Munevar-Mendoza, Elsa; Moore, Peggy E.

2000-01-01

β-Pinene (35.0%, 53.8%) was the major component of both the aerial parts and the root oils of Pteryxia terebinthina var. californica, respectively. β-Phellandrene (12.2%) was the other most abundant component of the oil from aeial parts while δ-3-carene (14.2%) was the second abundant component of the root oil.

β-Galactomannan and Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii modulate the immune response against Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium in porcine intestinal epithelial and dendritic cells.

PubMed

Badia, Roger; Brufau, M Teresa; Guerrero-Zamora, Ana Maria; Lizardo, Rosil; Dobrescu, Irina; Martin-Venegas, Raquel; Ferrer, Ruth; Salmon, Henri; Martínez, Paz; Brufau, Joaquim

2012-03-01

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes inflammation, necrosis, and diarrhea in pigs, as well as being an important source of food-borne diseases in humans. Probiotics and prebiotics are promising alternatives to antibiotics to control and prevent intestinal infections. The present work investigated a recently developed β-galactomannan (βGM) prebiotic compared to the proven probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii on porcine ileum intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) of the IPI-2I line and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) cocultured in vitro with Salmonella. We observed that both S. cerevisiae var. boulardii and βGM inhibited the association of Salmonella with IECs in vitro. Our data indicated that βGM has a higher ability than S. cerevisiae var. boulardii to inhibit Salmonella-induced proinflammatory mRNA (cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], interleukin-1α [IL-1α], IL-6, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF] and chemokines CCL2, CCL20, and CXCL8) and at protein levels (IL-6 and CXCL8). Additionally, βGM and S. cerevisiae var. boulardii induced some effects on DCs that were not observed on IECs: βGM and S. cerevisiae var. boulardii showed slight upregulation of mRNA for TNF-α, GM-CSF, and CCR7 receptor on porcine monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). Indeed, the addition of βGM or S. cerevisiae var. boulardii on DCs cocultured with Salmonella showed higher gene expression (mRNA) for TNF-α, GM-CSF, and CXCL8 compared to that of the control with Salmonella. In conclusion, the addition of βGM inhibits Salmonella-induced proinflammatory profiles in IECs but may promote DC activation, although associated molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated.

β-Galactomannan and Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii Modulate the Immune Response against Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium in Porcine Intestinal Epithelial and Dendritic Cells

PubMed Central

Brufau, M. Teresa; Guerrero-Zamora, Ana Maria; Lizardo, Rosil; Dobrescu, Irina; Martin-Venegas, Raquel; Ferrer, Ruth; Salmon, Henri; Martínez, Paz

2012-01-01

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium is a facultative intracellular pathogen that causes inflammation, necrosis, and diarrhea in pigs, as well as being an important source of food-borne diseases in humans. Probiotics and prebiotics are promising alternatives to antibiotics to control and prevent intestinal infections. The present work investigated a recently developed β-galactomannan (βGM) prebiotic compared to the proven probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii on porcine ileum intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) of the IPI-2I line and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) cocultured in vitro with Salmonella. We observed that both S. cerevisiae var. boulardii and βGM inhibited the association of Salmonella with IECs in vitro. Our data indicated that βGM has a higher ability than S. cerevisiae var. boulardii to inhibit Salmonella-induced proinflammatory mRNA (cytokines tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], interleukin-1α [IL-1α], IL-6, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF] and chemokines CCL2, CCL20, and CXCL8) and at protein levels (IL-6 and CXCL8). Additionally, βGM and S. cerevisiae var. boulardii induced some effects on DCs that were not observed on IECs: βGM and S. cerevisiae var. boulardii showed slight upregulation of mRNA for TNF-α, GM-CSF, and CCR7 receptor on porcine monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). Indeed, the addition of βGM or S. cerevisiae var. boulardii on DCs cocultured with Salmonella showed higher gene expression (mRNA) for TNF-α, GM-CSF, and CXCL8 compared to that of the control with Salmonella. In conclusion, the addition of βGM inhibits Salmonella-induced proinflammatory profiles in IECs but may promote DC activation, although associated molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated. PMID:22301691

Chromosome Doubling of Microspore-Derived Plants from Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) and Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica L.)

PubMed Central

Yuan, Suxia; Su, Yanbin; Liu, Yumei; Li, Zhansheng; Fang, Zhiyuan; Yang, Limei; Zhuang, Mu; Zhang, Yangyong; Lv, Honghao; Sun, Peitian

2015-01-01

Chromosome doubling of microspore-derived plants is an important factor in the practical application of microspore culture technology because breeding programs require a large number of genetically stable, homozygous doubled haploid plants with a high level of fertility. In the present paper, 29 populations of microspore-derived plantlets from cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) and broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) were used to study the ploidy level and spontaneous chromosome doubling of these populations, the artificial chromosome doubling induced by colchicine, and the influence of tissue culture duration on the chromosomal ploidy of the microspore-derived regenerants. Spontaneous chromosome doubling occurred randomly and was genotype dependent. In the plant populations derived from microspores, there were haploids, diploids, and even a low frequency of polyploids and mixed-ploidy plantlets. The total spontaneous doubling in the 14 cabbage populations ranged from 0 to 76.9%, compared with 52.2 to 100% in the 15 broccoli populations. To improve the rate of chromosome doubling, an efficient and reliable artificial chromosome doubling protocol (i.e., the immersion of haploid plantlet roots in a colchicine solution) was developed for cabbage and broccoli microspore-derived haploids. The optimal chromosome doubling of the haploids was obtained with a solution of 0.2% colchicine for 9–12 h or 0.4% colchicine for 3–9 h for cabbage and 0.05% colchicine for 6–12 h for broccoli. This protocol produced chromosome doubling in over 50% of the haploid genotypes for most of the populations derived from cabbage and broccoli. Notably, after 1 or more years in tissue culture, the chromosomes of the haploids were doubled, and most of the haploids turned into doubled haploid or mixed-ploidy plants. This is the first report indicating that tissue culture duration can change the chromosomal ploidy of microspore-derived regenerants. PMID:26734028

Chromosome Doubling of Microspore-Derived Plants from Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) and Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica L.).

PubMed

Yuan, Suxia; Su, Yanbin; Liu, Yumei; Li, Zhansheng; Fang, Zhiyuan; Yang, Limei; Zhuang, Mu; Zhang, Yangyong; Lv, Honghao; Sun, Peitian

2015-01-01

Chromosome doubling of microspore-derived plants is an important factor in the practical application of microspore culture technology because breeding programs require a large number of genetically stable, homozygous doubled haploid plants with a high level of fertility. In the present paper, 29 populations of microspore-derived plantlets from cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) and broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) were used to study the ploidy level and spontaneous chromosome doubling of these populations, the artificial chromosome doubling induced by colchicine, and the influence of tissue culture duration on the chromosomal ploidy of the microspore-derived regenerants. Spontaneous chromosome doubling occurred randomly and was genotype dependent. In the plant populations derived from microspores, there were haploids, diploids, and even a low frequency of polyploids and mixed-ploidy plantlets. The total spontaneous doubling in the 14 cabbage populations ranged from 0 to 76.9%, compared with 52.2 to 100% in the 15 broccoli populations. To improve the rate of chromosome doubling, an efficient and reliable artificial chromosome doubling protocol (i.e., the immersion of haploid plantlet roots in a colchicine solution) was developed for cabbage and broccoli microspore-derived haploids. The optimal chromosome doubling of the haploids was obtained with a solution of 0.2% colchicine for 9-12 h or 0.4% colchicine for 3-9 h for cabbage and 0.05% colchicine for 6-12 h for broccoli. This protocol produced chromosome doubling in over 50% of the haploid genotypes for most of the populations derived from cabbage and broccoli. Notably, after 1 or more years in tissue culture, the chromosomes of the haploids were doubled, and most of the haploids turned into doubled haploid or mixed-ploidy plants. This is the first report indicating that tissue culture duration can change the chromosomal ploidy of microspore-derived regenerants.

Mycorrhizal colonization and plant growth affected by aqueous extract of Artemisia princeps var. orientalis and two phenolic compounds.

PubMed

Yun, K W; Choi, S K

2002-02-01

The effects of an aqueous extract of Artemisia princeps var. orientalis and two phenolic compounds on mycorrhizal colonization and plant growth have been investigated. Greenhouse studies showed that the inhibitory effect of the extract on mycorrhizal colonization and plant growth increased in proportion to the concentration of the extract. When the mycorrhizal test plants were treated with an increasing concentration of phenolic compounds, the mycorrhizal colonization in roots of the test plant and the plant growth were decreased. There were strong indications that mycorrhizal fungi mitigated the inhibitory influence of shoot extract of A. princeps var. orientalis and phenolic compounds.

Microfibril angle in wood of Scots pine trees (Pinus sylvestris) after irradiation from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident.

PubMed

Tulik, Mirela; Rusin, Aleksandra

2005-03-01

The secondary cell wall structure of tracheids of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), especially the angle of microfibrils in the S(2) layer, was examined in wood deposited prior to and after the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Microscopic analysis was carried out on wood samples collected in October 1997 from breast height of three pine trees 16, 30 and 42 years old. The polluted site was located in a distance of 5 km south from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant where radioactive contamination in 1997 was 3.7 x 10(5) kBq m(-2). Anatomical analysis showed that the structure of the secondary cell wall in tracheids formed after the Chernobyl accident was changed. Changes occurred both in S(2) and S(3) layers. The angle of microfibrils in S(2) layer in wood deposited after the Chernobyl accident was different in comparison to this measured in wood formed prior to the disaster. The intensity of the changes, i.e. alteration of the microfibrils angle in S(2) layer and unusual pattern of the S(3) layer, depended on the age of the tree and was most intensive in a young tree.

Structure of the DBL3X-DBL4ε region of the VAR2CSA placental malaria vaccine candidate: insight into DBL domain interactions

PubMed Central

Gangnard, Stéphane; Lewit-Bentley, Anita; Dechavanne, Sébastien; Srivastava, Anand; Amirat, Faroudja; Bentley, Graham A.; Gamain, Benoît

2015-01-01

The human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is able to evade spleen-mediated clearing from blood stream by sequestering in peripheral organs. This is due to the adhesive properties conferred by the P. falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 (PfEMP1) family exported by the parasite to the surface of infected erythrocytes. Expression of the VAR2CSA variant of PfEMP1 leads to pregnancy-associated malaria, which occurs when infected erythrocytes massively sequester in the placenta by binding to low-sulfated Chondroitin Sulfate A (CSA) present in the intervillous spaces. VAR2CSA is a 350 kDa protein that carries six Duffy-Binding Like (DBL) domains, one Cysteine-rich Inter-Domain Regions (CIDR) and several inter-domain regions. In the present paper, we report for the first time the crystal structure at 2.9 Å of a VAR2CSA double domain, DBL3X-DBL4ε, from the FCR3 strain. DBL3X and DBL4ε share a large contact interface formed by residues that are invariant or highly conserved in VAR2CSA variants, which suggests that these two central DBL domains (DBL3X-DBL4ε) contribute significantly to the structuring of the functional VAR2CSA extracellular region. We have also examined the antigenicity of peptides corresponding to exposed loop regions of the DBL4ε structure. PMID:26450557

Placental Sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Parasites Is Mediated by the Interaction Between VAR2CSA and Chondroitin Sulfate A on Syndecan-1

PubMed Central

Mao, Yang; Resende, Mafalda; Daugaard, Mads; Riis Kristensen, Anders; Damm, Peter; G. Theander, Thor; R. Hansson, Stefan; Salanti, Ali

2016-01-01

During placental malaria, Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes sequester in the placenta, causing health problems for both the mother and fetus. The specific adherence is mediated by the VAR2CSA protein, which binds to placental chondroitin sulfate (CS) on chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPGs) in the placental syncytium. However, the identity of the CSPG core protein and the cellular impact of the interaction have remain elusive. In this study we identified the specific CSPG core protein to which the CS is attached, and characterized its exact placental location. VAR2CSA pull-down experiments using placental extracts from whole placenta or syncytiotrophoblast microvillous cell membranes showed three distinct CSPGs available for VAR2CSA adherence. Further examination of these three CSPGs by immunofluorescence and proximity ligation assays showed that syndecan-1 is the main receptor for VAR2CSA mediated placental adherence. We further show that the commonly used placental choriocarcinoma cell line, BeWo, express a different set of proteoglycans than those present on placental syncytiotrophoblast and may not be the most biologically relevant model to study placental malaria. Syncytial fusion of the BeWo cells, triggered by forskolin treatment, caused an increased expression of placental CS-modified syndecan-1. In line with this, we show that rVAR2 binding to placental CS impairs syndecan-1-related Src signaling in forskolin treated BeWo cells, but not in untreated cells. PMID:27556547

Simulating Macrosegregation in Var Ingots of Titanium Alloy During Solidification

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

spacings in Ti- 6Al - 4V were estimated. A summary-status of the use of software by VAR titanium -ingot producers in the USA is also given. In its...Ti- 6Al - 4V with a melting condition provided by RMI Titanium Company (Proposed Case 11). Two ingots are simulated; one is simulated assuming a...revealed a more intense band. Since primary arm spacings in titanium alloys are not available, primary dendrite arm spacings in Ti-6A1- 4V were

1D-VAR Retrieval Using Superchannels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Xu; Zhou, Daniel; Larar, Allen; Smith, William L.; Schluessel, Peter; Mango, Stephen; SaintGermain, Karen

2008-01-01

Since modern ultra-spectral remote sensors have thousands of channels, it is difficult to include all of them in a 1D-var retrieval system. We will describe a physical inversion algorithm, which includes all available channels for the atmospheric temperature, moisture, cloud, and surface parameter retrievals. Both the forward model and the inversion algorithm compress the channel radiances into super channels. These super channels are obtained by projecting the radiance spectra onto a set of pre-calculated eigenvectors. The forward model provides both super channel properties and jacobian in EOF space directly. For ultra-spectral sensors such as Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) and the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed Interferometer (NAST), a compression ratio of more than 80 can be achieved, leading to a significant reduction in computations involved in an inversion process. Results will be shown applying the algorithm to real IASI and NAST data.

Response of the Cottonwood Leaf Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to Bacillus thuringiensis var. san diego

Treesearch

Leah S. Bauer

1990-01-01

A standardized laboratory bioassay was used to quantify the lethal and sub-lethal responses of larval and adult cottonwood leaf beetles, Chrysomela scripta F., to Bacillus thuringiensis var. san diego, formulated as M-One standard powder (Mycogen Corporation, San Diego). The median lethal concentration (LC

Oil biosynthesis and transcriptome profiles in developing endosperm and oil characteristic analyses in Paeonia ostii var. lishizhenii.

PubMed

Xiu, Yu; Wu, Guodong; Tang, Wensi; Peng, Zhengfeng; Bu, Xiangpan; Chao, Longjun; Yin, Xue; Xiong, Jiannan; Zhang, Haiwu; Zhao, Xiaoqing; Ding, Jing; Ma, Lvyi; Wang, Huafang; van Staden, Johannes

2018-06-04

Paeonia ostii var. lishizhenii, a well-known medicinal and horticultural plant, is indigenous to China. Recent studies have shown that its seed has a high oil content, and it was approved as a novel resource of edible oil with a high level of α-linolenic acid by the Chinese Government. This study measured the seed oil contents and fatty acid components of P. ostii var. lishizhenii and six other peonies, P. suffruticosa, P. ludlowii, P. decomposita, P. rockii, and P. lactiflora Pall. 'Heze' and 'Gansu'. The results show that P. ostii var. lishizhenii exhibits the average oil characteristics of tested peonies, with an oil content of 21.3%, α-linolenic acid 43.8%, and unsaturated fatty acids around 92.1%. Hygiene indicators for the seven peony seed oils met the Chinese national food standards. P. ostii var. lishizhenii seeds were used to analyze transcriptome gene regulation networks on endosperm development and oil biosynthesis. In total, 124,117 transcripts were obtained from six endosperm developing stages (S0-S5). The significant changes in differential expression genes (DEGs) clarify three peony endosperm developmental phases: the endosperm cell mitotic phase (S0-S1), the TAG biosynthesis phase (S1-S4), and the mature phase (S5). The DEGs in plant hormone signal transduction, DNA replication, cell division, differentiation, transcription factors, and seed dormancy pathways regulate the endosperm development process. Another 199 functional DEGs participate in glycolysis, pentose phosphate pathway, citrate cycle, FA biosynthesis, TAG assembly, and other pathways. A key transcription factor (WRI1) and some important target genes (ACCase, FATA, LPCAT, FADs, and DGAT etc.) were found in the comprehensive genetic networks of oil biosynthesis. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

[1st environmental isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans var. gattii in Argentina].

PubMed

Davel, G; Abrantes, R; Brudny, M; Córdoba, S; Rodero, L; Canteros, C E; Perrotta, D

2003-01-01

Two strains of C. neoformans var. gattii serotype B were isolated from a park in Buenos Aires city, Argentina. Samples were collected in spring, rubbing with swabs on the inner hollow of Eucalyptus spp. and other trees, which were not identified at the collection moment. Samples were swabbed directly onto cafeic acid with antibiotic agar, then incubated at 28 degrees C and observed daily for a week. Isolates were recovered from cafeic acid medium showing characteristic colonies of the species that allowed differentiation from other microorganisms of the sample. Identification was performed using carbohydrate fermentation, assimilation of nitrogen and carbon sources, and urease and phenoloxidase detection. Strain variety was determined with canavanine-glicine-bromotimol blue agar medium (CGB). Genotypic characterization using AP-PCR with (GACA)4 aleatory primer showed that both band profiles could be differentiated by only one band. These two strains were isolated from tree species different from Eucalyptus spp. These isolates from natural sources demonstrate that C. neoformans var. gattii efosts in Buenos Aires city environment and that it is not necessarily associated with Eucalyptus spp. The presence of C. neoformansvar. gattii in the environment, detected for the first time in Argentina, may explain its sporadic association with human infections in the local population.

Aberrant meiotic behavior in Agave tequilana Weber var. azul

PubMed Central

Ruvalcaba-Ruiz, Domingo; Rodríguez-Garay, Benjamin

2002-01-01

Background Agave tequilana Weber var. azul, is the only one variety permitted by federal law in México to be used for tequila production which is the most popular contemporary alcoholic beverage made from agave and recognized worldwide. Despite the economic, genetic, and ornamental value of the plant, it has not been subjected to detailed cytogenetic research, which could lead to a better understanding of its reproduction for future genetic improvement. The objective of this work was to study the meiotic behavior in pollen mother cells and its implications on the pollen viability in Agave tequilana Weber var. azul. Results The analysis of Pollen Mother Cells in anaphase I (A-I) showed 82.56% of cells with a normal anaphase and, 17.44% with an irregular anaphase. In which 5.28% corresponded to cells with side arm bridges (SAB); 3.68% cells with one bridge and one fragment; 2.58% of irregular anaphase showed cells with one or two lagging chromosomes and 2.95% showed one acentric fragment; cells with two bridges and cells with two bridges and one acentric fragment were observed in frequencies of 1.60% and 1.35% respectively. In anaphase II some cells showed bridges and fragments too. Aberrant A-I cells had many shrunken or empty pollen grains (42.00%) and 58.00 % viable pollen. Conclusion The observed meiotic irregularities suggest that structural chromosome aberrations have occurred, such as heterozygous inversions, sister chromatid exchanges, deletions and duplications which in turn are reflected in a low pollen viability. PMID:12396234

Aberrant meiotic behavior in Agave tequilana Weber var. azul.

PubMed

Ruvalcaba-Ruiz, Domingo; Rodríguez-Garay, Benjamin

2002-10-23

Agave tequilana Weber var. azul, is the only one variety permitted by federal law in México to be used for tequila production which is the most popular contemporary alcoholic beverage made from agave and recognized worldwide. Despite the economic, genetic, and ornamental value of the plant, it has not been subjected to detailed cytogenetic research, which could lead to a better understanding of its reproduction for future genetic improvement. The objective of this work was to study the meiotic behavior in pollen mother cells and its implications on the pollen viability in Agave tequilana Weber var. azul. The analysis of Pollen Mother Cells in anaphase I (A-I) showed 82.56% of cells with a normal anaphase and, 17.44% with an irregular anaphase. In which 5.28% corresponded to cells with side arm bridges (SAB); 3.68% cells with one bridge and one fragment; 2.58% of irregular anaphase showed cells with one or two lagging chromosomes and 2.95% showed one acentric fragment; cells with two bridges and cells with two bridges and one acentric fragment were observed in frequencies of 1.60% and 1.35% respectively. In anaphase II some cells showed bridges and fragments too. Aberrant A-I cells had many shrunken or empty pollen grains (42.00%) and 58.00 % viable pollen. The observed meiotic irregularities suggest that structural chromosome aberrations have occurred, such as heterozygous inversions, sister chromatid exchanges, deletions and duplications which in turn are reflected in a low pollen viability.

Comparative assessment of the Euglena gracilis var. saccharophila variant strain as a producer of the β-1,3-glucan paramylon under varying light conditions.

PubMed

Sun, Angela; Hasan, Mafruha Tasnin; Hobba, Graham; Nevalainen, Helena; Te'o, Junior

2018-06-11

Euglena gracilis Z and a 'sugar loving' variant strain Euglena gracilis var. saccharophila, were investigated as producers of paramylon, a β-1,3-glucan polysaccharide with potential medicinal and industrial applications. The strains were grown under diurnal or dark growth conditions on a glucose-yeast extract medium supporting high-level paramylon production. Both strains produced the highest paramylon yields (7.4 to 8 g · L -1 , respectively) while grown in the dark, but the maximum yield was achieved faster by E. gracilis var. saccharophila (48 h vs 72 h). The glucose-to-paramylon yield coefficient Y par/glu = 0.46±0.03 in the Euglena gracilis var. saccharophila cultivation, obtained in this study, is the highest reported to date. Proteomic analysis of the metabolic pathways provided molecular clues for the strain behavior observed during cultivation. For example, overexpression of enzymes in the gluconeogenesis/glycolysis pathways including fructokinase-1 and chloroplastic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase may have contributed to the faster rate of paramylon accumulation in E. gracilis var. saccharophila. Differentially expressed proteins in the early steps of chloroplastogenesis pathway including plastid uroporphyrinogen decarboxylases, photoreceptors, and a highly abundant (68 fold increase) plastid transketolase may have provided the E. gracilis var. saccharophila strain an advantage in paramylon production during diurnal cultivations. In conclusion, the variant strain E. gracilis var. saccharophila seems to be well suited for producing large amounts of paramylon. This work has also resulted in the identification of molecular targets for future improvement of paramylon production in E. gracilis, including the chloroplastic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBP) and phosophofructokinase 1 (PFK-1), the latter being a key regulator of glycolysis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Wood properties of Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris) grown at elevated temperature and carbon dioxide concentration.

PubMed

Kilpeläinen, Antti; Peltola, Heli; Ryyppö, Aija; Sauvala, Kari; Laitinen, Kaisa; Kellomäki, Seppo

2003-09-01

Impacts of elevated temperature and carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) on wood properties of 15-year-old Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) grown under conditions of low nitrogen supply were investigated in open-top chambers. The treatments consisted of (i) ambient temperature and ambient [CO2] (AT+AC), (ii) ambient temperature and elevated [CO2] (AT+EC), (iii) elevated temperature and ambient [CO2] (ET+AC) and (iv) elevated temperature and elevated [CO2] (ET+EC). Wood properties analyzed for the years 1992-1994 included ring width, early- and latewood width and their proportions, intra-ring wood density (minimum, maximum and mean, as well as early- and latewood densities), mean fiber length and chemical composition of the wood (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and acetone extractive concentration). Absolute radial growth over the 3-year period was 54% greater in AT+EC trees and 30 and 25% greater in ET+AC and ET+EC trees, respectively, than in AT+AC trees. Neither elevated temperature nor elevated [CO2] had a statistically significant effect on ring width, early- and latewood widths or their proportions. Both latewood density and maximum intra-ring density were increased by elevated [CO2], whereas fiber length was increased by elevated temperature. Hemicellulose concentration decreased and lignin concentration increased significantly in response to elevated temperature. There were no statistically significant interaction effects of elevated temperature and elevated [CO2] on the wood properties, except on earlywood density.

[Comparison of Chemical Components of Essential Oil from Ocimum basilicum var. pilosum Extracted by Supercritical CO2 Fluid and Steam Distillation].

PubMed

Wang, Zhao-yu; Zheng, Jia-huan; Shi, Sheng-ying; Luo, Zhi-xiong; Ni, Shun-yu; Lin, Jing-ming

2015-11-01

To compare the chemical components of essential oil prepared by steam distillation extraction (SD) and supercritical CO2 fluid extraction (SFE-CO2) from Ocimum basilicum var. pilosum whole plant. The essential oil of Ocimum basilicum var. pilosum were extracted by SD and SFE-CO2. The chemical components of essential oil were separated and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry( GC-MS). Their relative contents were determined by normalization of peak area. 40 and 42 compounds were detected in the essential oil prepared by SD and SFE-CO2 respectively. 25 compounds were common. Thereare significant differences of the chemical components between the Ocimum basilicum var. pilosum essential oil prepared by SD and thatby SFE-CO2. Different methods showed different extraction efficiency with a special compound. It might be a good idea to unite several methods in the modern traditional Chinese medicine industry.

The complete chloroplast genome of Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum using Illumina sequencing.

PubMed

Raveendar, Sebastin; Na, Young-Wang; Lee, Jung-Ro; Shim, Donghwan; Ma, Kyung-Ho; Lee, Sok-Young; Chung, Jong-Wook

2015-07-20

Chloroplast (cp) genome sequences provide a valuable source for DNA barcoding. Molecular phylogenetic studies have concentrated on DNA sequencing of conserved gene loci. However, this approach is time consuming and more difficult to implement when gene organization differs among species. Here we report the complete re-sequencing of the cp genome of Capsicum pepper (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum) using the Illumina platform. The total length of the cp genome is 156,817 bp with a 37.7% overall GC content. A pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 50,284 bp were separated by a small single copy (SSC; 18,948 bp) and a large single copy (LSC; 87,446 bp). The number of cp genes in C. annuum var. glabriusculum is the same as that in other Capsicum species. Variations in the lengths of LSC; SSC and IR regions were the main contributors to the size variation in the cp genome of this species. A total of 125 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and 48 insertions or deletions variants were found by sequence alignment of Capsicum cp genome. These findings provide a foundation for further investigation of cp genome evolution in Capsicum and other higher plants.

Inheritance of the complete mitochondrial genomes Cyprinus capio furong(♀) × Cyprinus carpio var.singguonensis(♂).

PubMed

Peng, Huizhen; Liu, Qiaolin; Xiao, Tiaoyi

2016-09-01

In this study, 15 sets of primers were used to amplify contiguous, overlapping segments of the complete mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of C. capio furong(♀) × C. carpio var.singguonensis(♂) in order to characterize and compare their mitochondrial genomes. The total length of the mitochondrial genome was 16,581 bp and deposited in the GenBank with the accession number KP210473. The organization of the mitochondrial genomes contained 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA and 22 transfer RNAs) and a major non-coding control region which was similar to those reported mitochondrial genomes. Most genes were encoded on the H-strand, except for the ND6 and 8 tRNA genes, encoding on the L-strand. The nucleotide skewness for the coding strands of C. capio furong(♀) × C. carpio var.singguonensis(♂) (AT-skew = 0.12, GC-skew = -0.27) were biased toward T and G. The complete mitogenome may provide important date for the study of genetic mechanism of C. capio furong(♀) × C. carpio var.singguonensis(♂).

Effects of Fermentation Temperature and Aeration on Production of Natural Isoamyl Acetate by Williopsis saturnus var. saturnus

PubMed Central

Yilmaztekin, Murat; Cabaroglu, Turgut; Erten, Huseyin

2013-01-01

Isoamyl acetate is a natural flavour ester, widely used as a source of banana flavour by the food industry. Williopsis saturnus var. saturnus is a yeast which can produce isoamyl acetate by esterification of amyl alcohols with acetyl coenzyme A via fermentation. The evaluation of this kind of production as an alternative way to obtain natural banana flavour could be possible, if the levels produced were high enough to make a commercial product. In this study, the effects of temperature (15°C and 25°C) and aeration (aerobic, semiaerobic, and anaerobic) on the production of isoamyl acetate by Williopsis saturnus var. saturnus from sugar beet molasses were examined. According to the results obtained, isoamyl acetate production rate and specific productivity were higher at 25°C than at 15°C and at semiaerobic condition than aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Williopsis saturnus var. saturnus showed a production rate of 0.703 mg L−1 h−1 and a specific productivity of 0.0297 mg L−1 cell−1 h−1 isoamyl acetate with semiaerobic condition at 25°C. The maximum amount of isoamyl acetate reached with these conditions was 118 mg/L. PMID:23862159

Variation in phenology and monoterpene patterns of defoliated and nondefoliated Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca).

Treesearch

Rose-Marie Muzika; Judith Engle; Catherine Parks; Boyd Wickman

1993-01-01

Foliage was collected from paired Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) trees characterized as either "resistant" or "susceptible" western spruce budworm (Choristoneura occidentalis Freeman (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) attack. Resistant trees produced more...

Actinobacteria possessing antimicrobial and antioxidant activities isolated from the pollen of scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) grown on the Baikal shore.

PubMed

Axenov-Gribanov, Denis V; Voytsekhovskaya, Irina V; Rebets, Yuriy V; Tokovenko, Bogdan T; Penzina, Tatyana A; Gornostay, Tatyana G; Adelshin, Renat V; Protasov, Eugenii S; Luzhetskyy, Andriy N; Timofeyev, Maxim A

2016-10-01

Isolated ecosystems existing under specific environmental conditions have been shown to be promising sources of new strains of actinobacteria. The taiga forest of Baikal Siberia has not been well studied, and its actinobacterial population remains uncharacterized. The proximity between the huge water mass of Lake Baikal and high mountain ranges influences the structure and diversity of the plant world in Siberia. Here, we report the isolation of eighteen actinobacterial strains from male cones of Scots pine trees (Pinus sylvestris) growing on the shore of the ancient Lake Baikal in Siberia. In addition to more common representative strains of Streptomyces, several species belonging to the genera Rhodococcus, Amycolatopsis, and Micromonospora were isolated. All isolated strains exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activities. We identified several strains that inhibited the growth of the pathogen Candida albicans but did not hinder the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Several isolates were active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The high proportion of biologically active strains producing antibacterial and specific antifungal compounds may reflect their role in protecting pollen against phytopathogens.

Bioinformatics analysis of the ς-carotene desaturase gene in cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Bo; Zheng, Aihong; Jiang, Min; Xue, Shengling; Zhang, Fen; Tang, Haoru

2018-04-01

ς-carotene desaturase (ZDS) is an important enzyme in carotenoid biosynthesis. Here, the Brassica oleracea var. capitata ZDS (BocZDS) gene sequences were obtained from Brassica database (BRAD), and preformed for bioinformatics analysis. The BocZDS gene mapped to Scaffold000363, and contains an open reading frame of 1,686 bp that encodes a 561-amino acid protein with a calculated molecular mass of 62.00 kD and an isoelectric point (pI) of 8.2. Subcellular localization predicted the BocZDS gene was in the chloroplast. The conserved domain of the BocZDS protein is PLN02487, indicating that it belongs the member of zeta-carotene desaturase. Homology analysis indicates that the ZDS protein is apparently conserved during plant evolution and is most closely related to B. oleracea var. oleracea, B. napus, and B. rapa. The findings of the present study provide a molecular basis for the elucidation of ZDS gene function in cabbage.

Phenolic acids in the flowers of Althaea rosea var. nigra.

PubMed

Dudek, Marlena; Matławska, Irena; Szkudlarek, Maurycy

2006-01-01

Distribution of phenolic acids in the flowers of Althaea rosea var. nigra has been studied by 2D-TLC and HPLC methods. The phenolic acids occurring in these fractions have been identified as ferulic, vanillic, syringic, p-coumaric, p-hydroxybenzoic, p-hydroxyphenylacetic and caffeic acids. By means of the HPLC methods the contents of major phenolic acids were estimated. From among the phenolic acids analyzed the syringic, p-hydroxybenzoic and p-coumaric acids are dominant. Total content of phenolic acids was determined by the Arnov's method.

Antibacterial effects of ellagitannins from Acalypha wilkesiana var. macafeana hort.: surface morphology analysis with environmental scanning electron microscopy and synergy with antibiotics.

PubMed

Din, Wardah Mustafa; Jin, Khoo Teng; Ramli, Ramliza; Khaithir, Tzar Mohd Nizam; Wiart, Christophe

2013-09-01

The present study served to gain further insight into the bactericidal effects of ellagitannins from Acalypha wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. against pathogenic bacteria. Ellagitannins from the aerial parts of A. wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. (EAW) inhibited the growth of Bacillus cereus (ATCC 11778), Bacillus subtilis (ATCC 6633), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 11632) and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) clinical strain with inhibition zones equal to 11.01 ± 1.53 mm, 16.63 ± 0.11 mm, 11.40 ± 1.10 mm and 8.22 ± 0.19 mm, respectively. The minimal inhibition concentration and the minimal bactericidal concentration of ellagitannins from A. wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. (EAW) against MRSA were 750 µg/mL and 3000 µg/mL, respectively. We then examined the synergistic effect of EAW with three antibiotics, i.e. ampicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline, via the checkerboard assay and time-kill assay and observed that EAW is synergistic with ampicillin against S. aureus (ATCC 11632). Environmental electron scanning microscopy analysis showed cell lysis against S. aureus (ATCC 11632) upon treatment with the ellagitannin fraction. The ellagitannin fraction from A. wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. is bactericidal against gram-positive bacteria tested and works synergistically with ampicillin against S. aureus. Morphology analysis of the cell suggests that the bactericidal property of the ellagitannin fraction mechanism involves lysis of the cell wall. In summary, our studies demonstrate that A. wilkesiana var. macafeana hort. produces bactericidal ellagitannins of clinical and/or cosmetological value. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Var C: Long-term photometric and spectral variability of a luminous blue variable in M 33

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burggraf, B.; Weis, K.; Bomans, D. J.; Henze, M.; Meusinger, H.; Sholukhova, O.; Zharova, A.; Pellerin, A.; Becker, A.

2015-09-01

Aims: So far the highly unstable phase of luminous blue variables (LBVs) has not been understood well. It is still uncertain why and which massive stars enter this phase. Investigating the variabilities by looking for a possible regular or even (semi-)periodic behaviour could give a hint at the underlying mechanism for these variations and might answer the question of where these variabilities originate. Finding out more about the LBV phase also means understanding massive stars better in general, which have (e.g. by enriching the ISM with heavy elements, providing ionising radiation and kinetic energy) a strong and significant influence on the ISM, hence also on their host galaxy. Methods: Photometric and spectroscopic data were taken for the LBV Var C in M 33 to investigate its recent status. In addition, scanned historic plates, archival data, and data from the literature were gathered to trace Var C's behaviour in the past. Its long-term variability and periodicity was investigated. Results: Our investigation of the variability indicates possible (semi-)periodic behaviour with a period of 42.3 years for Var C. That Var C's light curve covers a time span of more than 100 years means that more than two full periods of the cycle are visible. The critical historic maximum around 1905 is less strong but discernible even with the currently rare historic data. The semi-periodic and secular structure of the light curve is similar to the one of LMC R71. Both light curves hint at a new aspect in the evolution of LBVs. Based on observations collected at the Thüringer Landessternwarte (TLS) Tautenburg.Based on observations collected at the Centro Astronómico Hispano Alemán (CAHA) at Calar Alto, operated jointly by the Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).Tables 2-4, and 6 are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Effect of wheat roots infected with the pathogenic fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici on gene expression of the biocontrol bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf29Arp.

PubMed

Barret, Matthieu; Frey-Klett, Pascale; Guillerm-Erckelboudt, Anne-Yvonne; Boutin, Morgane; Guernec, Gregory; Sarniguet, Alain

2009-12-01

Traits contributing to the competence of biocontrol bacteria to colonize plant roots are often induced in the rhizosphere in response to plant components. These interactions have been studied using the two partners in gnotobiotic systems. However, in nature, beneficial or pathogenic fungi often colonize roots. Influence of these plant-fungus interactions on bacterial behavior remains to be investigated. Here, we have examined the influence of colonization of wheat roots by the take-all fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici on gene expression of the biocontrol bacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens Pf29Arp. Bacteria were inoculated onto healthy, early G. graminis var. tritici-colonized and necrotic roots and transcriptomes were compared by shotgun DNA microarray. Pf29Arp decreased disease severity when inoculated before the onset of necrosis. Necrotic roots exerted a broader effect on gene expression compared with early G. graminis var. tritici-colonized and healthy roots. A gene encoding a putative type VI secretion system effector was only induced in necrotic conditions. A common pool of Pf29Arp genes differentially expressed on G. graminis var. tritici-colonized roots was related to carbon metabolism and oxidative stress, with a highest fold-change with necrosis. Overall, the data showed that the association of the pathogenic fungus with the roots strongly altered Pf29Arp adaptation with differences between early and late G. graminis var. tritici infection steps.

A monoterpene glucoside and three megastigmane glycosides from Juniperus communis var. depressa.

PubMed

Nakanishi, Tsutomu; Iida, Naoki; Inatomi, Yuka; Murata, Hiroko; Inada, Akira; Murata, Jin; Lang, Frank A; Iinuma, Munekazu; Tanaka, Toshiyuki; Sakagami, Yoshikazu

2005-07-01

A new monoterpene glucoside (1) and three new natural megastigmane glycosides (2-4) were isolated along with a known megastigmane glucoside (5) from twigs with leaves of Juniperus communis var. depressa (Cupressaceae) collected in Oregon, U.S.A., and their structures were determined on the basis of spectral and chemical evidence. In addition, the antibacterial activities of the isolated components against Helicobacter pylori were also investigated.

Genetic variation of naturally growing olive trees in Israel: from abandoned groves to feral and wild?

PubMed

Barazani, Oz; Keren-Keiserman, Alexandra; Westberg, Erik; Hanin, Nir; Dag, Arnon; Ben-Ari, Giora; Fragman-Sapir, Ori; Tugendhaft, Yizhar; Kerem, Zohar; Kadereit, Joachim W

2016-12-13

Naturally growing populations of olive trees are found in the Mediterranean garrigue and maquis in Israel. Here, we used the Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) genetic marker technique to investigate whether these represent wild var. sylvestris. Leaf samples were collected from a total of 205 trees at six sites of naturally growing olive populations in Israel. The genetic analysis included a multi-locus lineage (MLL) analysis, Rousset's genetic distances, Fst values, private alleles, other diversity values and a Structure analysis. The analyses also included scions and suckers of old cultivated olive trees, for which the dominance of one clone in scions (MLL1) and a second in suckers (MLL7) had been shown earlier. The majority of trees from a Judean Mts. population and from one population from the Galilee showed close genetic similarity to scions of old cultivated trees. Different from that, site-specific and a high number of single occurrence MLLs were found in four olive populations from the Galilee and Carmel which also were genetically more distant from old cultivated trees, had relatively high genetic diversity values and higher numbers of private alleles. Whereas in two of these populations MLL7 (and partly MLL1) were found in low frequency, the two other populations did not contain these MLLs and were very similar in their genetic structure to suckers of old cultivated olive trees that originated from sexual reproduction. The genetic distinctness from old cultivated olive trees, particularly of one population from Galilee and one from Carmel, suggests that trees at these sites might represent wild var. sylvestris. The similarity in genetic structure of these two populations with the suckers of old cultivated trees implies that wild trees were used as rootstocks. Alternatively, trees at these two sites may be remnants of old cultivated trees in which the scion-derived trunk died and was replaced by suckers. However, considering landscape and topographic environment

Isoprene derivatives from the leaves and callus cultures of Vaccinium corymbosum var. bluecrop.

PubMed

Migas, Piotr; Cisowski, Wojciech; Dembińska-Migas, Wanda

2005-01-01

The phytochemical analysis of Vaccinium corymbosum var bluecrop leaves and callus biomass revealed ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, alpha-amyrin and beta-amyrin in both plant materials. Beta-sitosterol was determined only in callus biomass. The structure of isolated compounds was elucidated by TLC co-chromatography with standards and with spectroscopic methods (1H NMR, 13C NMR, EI-MS).

Molecular structures of fructans from Agave tequilana Weber var. azul.

PubMed

Lopez, Mercedes G; Mancilla-Margalli, Norma A; Mendoza-Diaz, Guillermo

2003-12-31

Agave plants utilize crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) for CO(2) fixation. Fructans are the principal photosynthetic products generated by agave plants. These carbohydrates are fructose-bound polymers frequently with a single glucose moiety. Agave tequilana Weber var. azul is an economically important CAM species not only because it is the sole plant allowed for tequila production but because it is a potential source of prebiotics. Because of the large amounts of carbohydrates in A. tequilana, in this study the molecular structures of its fructans were determined by fructan derivatization for linkage analysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS). Fructans were extracted from 8-year-old A. tequilana plants. The linkage types present in fructans from A. tequilana were determined by permethylation followed by reductive cleavage, acetylation, and finally GC-MS analysis. Analysis of the degree of polymerization (DP) estimated by (1)H NMR integration and (13)C NMR and confirmed by MALDI-TOF-MS showed a wide DP ranging from 3 to 29 units. All of the analyses performed demonstrated that fructans from A. tequilana consist of a complex mixture of fructooligosaccharides containing principally beta(2 --> 1) linkages, but also beta(2 --> 6) and branch moieties were observed. Finally, it can be stated that fructans from A. tequilana Weber var. azul are not an inulin type as previously thought.

SEVIRI 4D-var assimilation analysing the April 2010 Eyjafjallajökull ash dispersion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lange, Anne Caroline; Elbern, Hendrik

2016-04-01

We present first results of four dimensional variational (4D-var) data assimilation analysis applying SEVIRI observations to the Eulerian regional chemistry and aerosol transport model EURAD-IM (European Air Pollution Dispersion - Inverse Model). Optimising atmospheric dispersion models in terms of volcanic ash transport predictions by observations is especially essential for the aviation industry and associated interests. Remote sensing satellite observations are instrumental for ash detection and monitoring. We choose volcanic ash column retrievals of the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) because as infrared instrument on the geostationary satellite Meteosat Second Generation it delivers measurements with high temporal resolution during day and night. The retrieval method relies on the reverse absorption effect. In the framework of the national initiative ESKP (Earth System Knowledge Platform) and the European ACTRIS-2 (Aerosol, Clouds, and Trace gases Research InfraStructure) project, we developed new modules (forward and adjoint) within the EURAD-IM, which are able to process SEVIRI ash column data as observational input to the 4D-var system. The focus of the 4D-var analysis is on initial value optimisation of the volcanic ash clouds that were emitted during the explosive Eyjafjallajökull eruption in April 2010. This eruption caused high public interest because of air traffic closures and it was particularly well observed from many different observation systems all over Europe. Considering multiple observation periods simultaneously in one assimilation window generates a continuous trajectory in the phase space and ensures that past observations are considered within their uncertainties. Results are validated mainly by lidar (LIght Detection And Ranging) observations, both ground and satellite based.

Soil type affects Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum (Pinaceae) seedling growth in simulated drought experiments1

PubMed Central

Lindsey, Alexander J.; Kilgore, Jason S.

2013-01-01

• Premise of the study: Effects of drought stress and media type interactions on growth of Pinus ponderosa var. scopulorum germinants were investigated. • Methods and Results: Soil properties and growth responses under drought were compared across four growth media types: two native soils (dolomitic limestone and granite), a soil-less industry standard conifer medium, and a custom-mixed conifer medium. After 35 d of growth, the seedlings under drought stress (reduced watering) produced less shoot and root biomass than watered control seedlings. Organic media led to decreased root biomass, but increased root length and shoot biomass relative to the mineral soils. • Conclusions: Media type affected root-to-shoot biomass partitioning of P. ponderosa var. scopulorum, which may influence net photosynthetic rates, growth, and long-term seedling survival. Further work should examine how specific soil properties like bulk density and organic matter influence biomass allocation in greenhouse studies. PMID:25202578

Genetic and morphological contrasts between wild and anthropogenic populations of Agave parryi var. huachucensis in south-eastern Arizona.

PubMed

Parker, Kathleen C; Trapnell, Dorset W; Hamrick, J L; Hodgson, Wendy C

2014-05-01

At least seven species of Agave, including A. parryi, were cultivated prehistorically in Arizona, serving as important sources of food and fibre. Many relict populations from ancient cultivation remain in the modern landscape, offering a unique opportunity to study pre-Columbian plant manipulation practices. This study examined genetic and morphological variation in six A. p. var. huachucensis populations of unknown origin to compare them with previous work on A. parryi populations of known origin, to infer their cultivation history and to determine whether artificial selection is evident in populations potentially managed by early agriculturalists. Six A. p. var. huachucensis and 17 A. parryi populations were sampled, and morphometric, allozyme and microsatellite data were used to compare morphology and genetic structure in purportedly anthropogenic and wild populations, as well as in the two taxa. Analysis of molecular variance and Bayesian clustering were performed to partition variation associated with taxonomic identity and hypothesized evolutionary history, to highlight patterns of similarity among populations and to identify potential wild sources for the planting stock. A p. var. huachucensis and A. parryi populations differed significantly both morphologically and genetically. Like A. parryi, wild A. p. var. huachucensis populations were more genetically diverse than the inferred anthropogenic populations, with greater expected heterozygosity, percentage of polymorphic loci and number of alleles. Inferred anthropogenic populations exhibited many traits indicative of past active cultivation: greater morphological uniformity, fixed heterozygosity for several loci (non-existent in wild populations), fewer multilocus genotypes and strong differentiation among populations. Where archaeological information is lacking, the genetic signature of many Agave populations in Arizona can be used to infer their evolutionary history and to identify potentially fruitful

Genetic and morphological contrasts between wild and anthropogenic populations of Agave parryi var. huachucensis in south-eastern Arizona

PubMed Central

Parker, Kathleen C.; Trapnell, Dorset W.; Hamrick, J. L.; Hodgson, Wendy C.

2014-01-01

Background and Aims At least seven species of Agave, including A. parryi, were cultivated prehistorically in Arizona, serving as important sources of food and fibre. Many relict populations from ancient cultivation remain in the modern landscape, offering a unique opportunity to study pre-Columbian plant manipulation practices. This study examined genetic and morphological variation in six A. p. var. huachucensis populations of unknown origin to compare them with previous work on A. parryi populations of known origin, to infer their cultivation history and to determine whether artificial selection is evident in populations potentially managed by early agriculturalists. Methods Six A. p. var. huachucensis and 17 A. parryi populations were sampled, and morphometric, allozyme and microsatellite data were used to compare morphology and genetic structure in purportedly anthropogenic and wild populations, as well as in the two taxa. Analysis of molecular variance and Bayesian clustering were performed to partition variation associated with taxonomic identity and hypothesized evolutionary history, to highlight patterns of similarity among populations and to identify potential wild sources for the planting stock. Key Results A p. var. huachucensis and A. parryi populations differed significantly both morphologically and genetically. Like A. parryi, wild A. p. var. huachucensis populations were more genetically diverse than the inferred anthropogenic populations, with greater expected heterozygosity, percentage of polymorphic loci and number of alleles. Inferred anthropogenic populations exhibited many traits indicative of past active cultivation: greater morphological uniformity, fixed heterozygosity for several loci (non-existent in wild populations), fewer multilocus genotypes and strong differentiation among populations. Conclusions Where archaeological information is lacking, the genetic signature of many Agave populations in Arizona can be used to infer their

LenVarDB: database of length-variant protein domains.

PubMed

Mutt, Eshita; Mathew, Oommen K; Sowdhamini, Ramanathan

2014-01-01

Protein domains are functionally and structurally independent modules, which add to the functional variety of proteins. This array of functional diversity has been enabled by evolutionary changes, such as amino acid substitutions or insertions or deletions, occurring in these protein domains. Length variations (indels) can introduce changes at structural, functional and interaction levels. LenVarDB (freely available at http://caps.ncbs.res.in/lenvardb/) traces these length variations, starting from structure-based sequence alignments in our Protein Alignments organized as Structural Superfamilies (PASS2) database, across 731 structural classification of proteins (SCOP)-based protein domain superfamilies connected to 2 730 625 sequence homologues. Alignment of sequence homologues corresponding to a structural domain is available, starting from a structure-based sequence alignment of the superfamily. Orientation of the length-variant (indel) regions in protein domains can be visualized by mapping them on the structure and on the alignment. Knowledge about location of length variations within protein domains and their visual representation will be useful in predicting changes within structurally or functionally relevant sites, which may ultimately regulate protein function. Non-technical summary: Evolutionary changes bring about natural changes to proteins that may be found in many organisms. Such changes could be reflected as amino acid substitutions or insertions-deletions (indels) in protein sequences. LenVarDB is a database that provides an early overview of observed length variations that were set among 731 protein families and after examining >2 million sequences. Indels are followed up to observe if they are close to the active site such that they can affect the activity of proteins. Inclusion of such information can aid the design of bioengineering experiments.

Assay of phenolic compounds from four species of Ber (Ziziphus mauritiana L.) Fruits: Comparision of three base hydrolysis procedure for quantification of total phenolic acids

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The present study was undertaken to investigate the flavonoids profile in four species of ber (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk) fruit and to compare various techniques for the analysis of total phenolic acids. The 12 flavonoids identified were quercetin 3-O-robinobioside, quercetin 3-O-rutinoside, querceti...

The influence of auxins on the biosynthesis of isoprene derivatives in callus cultures of Vaccinium corymbosum var. bluecrop.

PubMed

Migas, Piotr; Luczkiewicz, Maria; Cisowski, Wojciech

2006-01-01

Callus cultures of Vaccinium corymbosum var. bluecrop were optimized for their isoprene derivatives production by supplementing Schenk-Hildebrandt (SH) medium with constant concentration of kinetin (2.32 microM) and two different amounts of selected auxins. Every auxin, except for IBA, used in 10-time higher concentration (2,4D, NAA, IAA, NOA) stimulated biosynthesis of beta-sitosterol and inhibited triterpene synthesis. Quantitative analysis of isoprene derivatives in callus biomass collected on the 25th day of the experiment proved that the analyzed callus of Vaccinium corymbosum var. bluecrop synthesized the highest amount of isoprene derivatives after subculturing on SH medium modified with 22.6 microM of 2,4D and 2.32 microM of kinetin.

Physiological Characterization and Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of White and Green Leaves of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus

PubMed Central

Li, Xia; Kanakala, Surapathrudu; He, Yehua; Zhong, Xiaolan; Yu, Sanmiao; Li, Ruixue; Sun, Lingxia; Ma, Jun

2017-01-01

Leaf coloration is one of the most important and attractive characteristics of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. The chimeric character is not stable during the in vitro tissue culturing. Many regenerated plants lost economic values for the loss of the chimeric character of leaves. In order to reveal the molecular mechanisms involved in the albino phenotype of the leaf cells, the physiological and transcriptional differences between complete white (CWh) and green (CGr) leaf cells of A. comosus var. bracteatus were analyzed. A total of 1,431 differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) in CGr and CWh leaves were identified using RNA-seq. A comparison to the COG, GO and KEGG annotations revealed DEGs involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis, chloroplast development and photosynthesis. Furthermore, the measurement of main precursors of chlorophyll in the CWh leaves confirmed that the rate-limiting step in chlorophyll biosynthesis, and thus the cause of the albino phenotype of the white cells, was the conversion of pyrrole porphobilinogen (PBG) to uroporphyrinogen III (Uro III). The enzyme activity of porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD) and uroporporphyrinogn III synthase (UROS), which catalyze the transition of PBG to Uro III, was significantly decreased in the CWh leaves. Our data showed the transcriptional differences between the CWh and CGr plants and characterized key steps in chlorophyll biosynthesis of the CWh leaves. These results contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms and regulation of pigment biosynthesis in the CWh leaf cells of A. comosus var. bracteatus. PMID:28095462

Physiological Characterization and Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of White and Green Leaves of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus.

PubMed

Li, Xia; Kanakala, Surapathrudu; He, Yehua; Zhong, Xiaolan; Yu, Sanmiao; Li, Ruixue; Sun, Lingxia; Ma, Jun

2017-01-01

Leaf coloration is one of the most important and attractive characteristics of Ananas comosus var. bracteatus. The chimeric character is not stable during the in vitro tissue culturing. Many regenerated plants lost economic values for the loss of the chimeric character of leaves. In order to reveal the molecular mechanisms involved in the albino phenotype of the leaf cells, the physiological and transcriptional differences between complete white (CWh) and green (CGr) leaf cells of A. comosus var. bracteatus were analyzed. A total of 1,431 differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) in CGr and CWh leaves were identified using RNA-seq. A comparison to the COG, GO and KEGG annotations revealed DEGs involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis, chloroplast development and photosynthesis. Furthermore, the measurement of main precursors of chlorophyll in the CWh leaves confirmed that the rate-limiting step in chlorophyll biosynthesis, and thus the cause of the albino phenotype of the white cells, was the conversion of pyrrole porphobilinogen (PBG) to uroporphyrinogen III (Uro III). The enzyme activity of porphobilinogen deaminase (PBGD) and uroporporphyrinogn III synthase (UROS), which catalyze the transition of PBG to Uro III, was significantly decreased in the CWh leaves. Our data showed the transcriptional differences between the CWh and CGr plants and characterized key steps in chlorophyll biosynthesis of the CWh leaves. These results contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms and regulation of pigment biosynthesis in the CWh leaf cells of A. comosus var. bracteatus.

Complete plastid genome of Astragalus mongholicus var. nakaianus (Fabaceae).

PubMed

Choi, In-Su; Kim, Joo-Hwan; Choi, Byoung-Hee

2016-07-01

The first complete plastid genome (plastome) of the largest angiosperm genus, Astragalus, was sequenced for the Korean endangered endemic species A. mongholicus var. nakaianus. Its genome is relatively short (123,633 bp) because it lacks an Inverted Repeat (IR) region. It comprises 110 genes, including four unique rRNAs, 30 tRNAs, and 76 protein-coding genes. Similar to other closely related plastomes, rpl22 and rps16 are absent. The putative pseudogene with abnormal stop codons is atpE. This plastome has no additional inversions when compared with highly variable plastomes from IRLC tribes Fabeae and Trifolieae. Our phylogenetic analysis confirms the non-monophyly of Galegeae.

Evaluation of volatiles from Ampelopsis brevipedunculata var. heterophylla using GC-olfactometry, GC-MS and GC-pulsed flame photometric detector.

PubMed

Nakamura, Atsuhiko; Miyazawa, Mitsuo

2013-01-01

Ampelopsis brevipedunculata var. heterophylla is extensively cultivated in Asia, and the dried leaves and branches have a characteristic odor and have been used as a tea. To investigate the odorants contributing to the characteristic odor of A. brevipedunculata var. heterophylla, the aroma extraction dilution analysis method was performed through gas chromatography olfactometry. In addition, volatile sulfur compounds were evaluated using pulsed flame photometric detector. As a result, 86 compounds were identified in the oils of leaves and 78 in branches, accounting for 80.0% and 68.3%, respectively, of the compounds identified. The main compounds in the essential oil of leaves were palmitic acid (12.5%), phenylacetaldehyde (4.1%) and hexahydrofarnesyl acetone (3.9%). On the other hand, the essential oil of branches contained palmitic acid (12.7%), terpinen-4-ol (4.4%) and α-cadinol (3.7%). The total number of odor-active compounds identified in the leaf and branch oils was 39. The most odorous compounds of leaves and branches of A. brevipedunculata var. heterophylla were (E, Z)-2,6-nonadienal (melon, green odor), (E)-2-nonenal (grassy odor), phenylacetaldehyde (honey-like) and (E)-linalool oxide (woody odor).

Recurrent prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Aspergillus delacroxii (formerly Aspergillus nidulans var. echinulatus)

PubMed Central

Uhrin, Gábor Balázs; Jensen, Rasmus Hare; Korup, Eva; Grønlund, Jens; Hjort, Ulla; Moser, Claus; Arendrup, Maiken Cavling; Schønheyder, Henrik Carl

2015-01-01

We report Aspergillus delacroxii (formerly Aspergillus nidulans var. echinulatus) causing recurrent prosthetic valve endocarditis. The fungus was the sole agent detected during replacement of a mechanical aortic valve conduit due to abscess formation. Despite extensive surgery and anti-fungal treatment, the patient had a cerebral hemorrhage 4 months post-surgery prompting a diagnosis of recurrent prosthetic valve endocarditis and fungemia. PMID:26909244

In vitro screening of probiotic properties of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii and food-borne Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains.

PubMed

van der Aa Kühle, Alis; Skovgaard, Kerstin; Jespersen, Lene

2005-05-01

The probiotic potential of 18 Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains used for production of foods or beverages or isolated from such, and eight strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii, was investigated. All strains included were able to withstand pH 2.5 and 0.3% Oxgall. Adhesion to the nontumorigenic porcine jejunal epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2) was investigated by incorporation of 3H-methionine into the yeast cells and use of liquid scintillation counting. Only few of the food-borne S. cerevisiae strains exhibited noteworthy adhesiveness with the strongest levels of adhesion (13.6-16.8%) recorded for two isolates from blue veined cheeses. Merely 25% of the S. cerevisiae var. boulardii strains displayed good adhesive properties (16.2-28.0%). The expression of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-1alpha decreased strikingly in IPEC-J2 cells exposed to a Shiga-like toxin 2e producing Escherichia coli strain when the cells were pre- and coincubated with S. cerevisiae var. boulardii even though this yeast strain was low adhesive (5.4%), suggesting that adhesion is not a mandatory prerequisite for such a probiotic effect. A strain of S. cerevisiae isolated from West African sorghum beer exerted similar effects hence indicating that food-borne strains of S. cerevisiae may possess probiotic properties in spite of low adhesiveness.

Heavy and frequent thinning promotes drought adaptation in Pinus sylvestris forests.

PubMed

Sohn, Julia A; Hartig, Florian; Kohler, Martin; Huss, Jürgen; Bauhus, Jürgen

2016-10-01

Droughts and their negative effects on forest ecosystems are projected to increase under climate change for many regions. It has been suggested that intensive thinning could reduce drought impacts on established forests in the short-term. Most previous studies on the effect of thinning on drought impacts, however, have been confined to single forest sites. It is therefore still unclear how general and persisting the benefits of thinning are. This study assesses the potential of thinning to increase drought tolerance of the wide spread Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in Central Europe. We hypothesized (1) that increasing thinning intensity benefits the maintenance of radial growth of crop trees during drought (resistance) and its recovery following drought, (2) that those benefits to growth decrease with time elapsed since the last thinning and with stand age, and (3) that they may depend on drought severity as well as water limitations in pre- and post-drought periods. To test these hypotheses, we assessed the effects of thinning regime, stand age, and drought severity on radial growth of 129 Scots pine trees during and after drought events in four long-term thinning experiments in Germany. We found that thinning improved the recovery of radial growth following drought and to a lesser extent the growth resistance during a drought event. Growth recovery following drought was highest after the first thinning intervention and in recently and heavily thinned stands. With time since the last thinning, however, this effect decreased and could even become negative when compared to unthinned stands. Further, thinning helped to avoid an age-related decline in growth resistance (and recovery) following drought. The recovery following drought, but not the resistance during drought, was related to water limitations in the drought period. This is the first study that analyzed drought-related radial growth in trees of one species across several stands of different age. The

Production and Characterization of a Monoclonal Antibody Raised Against Surface Antigens from Mycelium of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici: Evidence for an Extracellular Polyphenol Oxidase.

PubMed

Thornton, C R; Dewey, F M; Gilligan, C A

1997-01-01

ABSTRACT A murine monoclonal antibody (MAb) of immunoglobulin class M (IgM) was raised against surface antigens from Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici and, by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, recognized isolates of G. graminis var. tritici, G. graminis var. avenae and G. graminis var. graminis. Characterization of the antigen by heat and protease treatments showed that the epitope recognized by the MAb was a protein. Antigen production was detected only in live mycelia. Immunofluorescence studies showed that the antigen was associated with both the broad melanized macrohyphae and hyaline mycelia of G. graminis var. tritici. Secretion of antigen into an aqueous minimal medium was promoted only by exposure of live mycelia to certain phenolic substrates, including monophenols ortho-, para-, and meta-cresol; 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid (gallic acid); and phenolic amino acid L-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) alanine (L-DOPA). Antigen secretion was not promoted by 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) alanine (L-tyrosine). The MAb reacted strongly with purified enzyme laccase (polyphenol oxidase, EC 1.10.3.2) but did not recognize purified tyrosinase (monophenol oxidase, EC 1.14.18.1). Moreover, chemicals that bind to copper and inhibit copper-containing enzymes such as laccase completely inhibited antigen secretion in response to L-DOPA. The MAb was tested for specificity against a wide range of fungi, common yeast species, and gram positive and negative bacteria. It did not recognize antigens from a broad range of unrelated fungi, including Gliocladium roseum, Fusarium sp., Phoma exigua, Phialophora fastigiata, Penicillium crustosum, Pythium ultimum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Rhizoctonia carotae, R. oryzae, R. tuliparum, and Trichoderma viride, nor did it recognize surface antigens from yeasts or bacteria. The MAb cross-reacted with antigens from Botrytis spp., Chaetomium globosum, R. cerealis, and R. solani. However, secretion of antigen by R. solani and R. cerealis was not promoted by L

Growth and mycorrhizal community structure of Pinus sylvestris seedlings following the addition of forest litter.

PubMed

Aucina, Algis; Rudawska, Maria; Leski, Tomasz; Skridaila, Audrius; Riepsas, Edvardas; Iwanski, Michal

2007-08-01

We report the effects of pine and oak litter on species composition and diversity of mycorrhizal fungi colonizing 2-year-old Pinus sylvestris L. seedlings grown in a bare-root nursery in Lithuania. A layer of pine or oak litter was placed on the surface of the nursery bed soil to mimic natural litter cover. Oak litter amendment appeared to be most favorable for seedling survival, with a 73% survival rate, in contrast to the untreated mineral bed soil (44%). The concentrations of total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg were higher in oak growth medium than in pine growth medium. Relative to the control (pH 6.1), the pH was lower in pine growth medium (5.8) and higher in oak growth medium (6.3). There were also twofold and threefold increases in the C content of growth medium with the addition of pine and oak litter, respectively. Among seven mycorrhizal morphotypes, eight different mycorrhizal taxa were identified: Suillus luteus, Suillus variegatus, Wilcoxina mikolae, a Tuber sp., a Tomentella sp., Cenococcum geophilum, Amphinema byssoides, and one unidentified ectomycorrhizal symbiont. Forest litter addition affected the relative abundance of mycorrhizal symbionts more than their overall representation. This was more pronounced for pine litter than for oak litter, with 40% and 25% increases in the abundance of suilloid mycorrhizae, respectively. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that changes in the supply of organic matter through litter manipulation may have far-reaching effects on the chemistry of soil, thus influencing the growth and survival of Scots pine seedlings and their mycorrhizal communities.

[Fitness of sexual reproduction of Toona ciliata var. pubescens natural populations and their sexual reproduction and regeneration].

PubMed

Huang, Hong Lan; Zhang, Lu; Jia, Li Ming; Liang, Yue-Long; Cai, Jun Huo

2018-04-01

To examine the reproduction fitness coefficients and individual-level fitness of Toona ciliata var. pubescens, their sexual reproduction and natural regeneration were investigated during 2006-2016, with four natural populations in Jiulianshan National Reserve as test objects. The results showed that there were only 2-10 trees for the natural populations of T. ciliata var. pubescens with a small initial number of fruiting plants (3-9 trees), which were from the initial fruiting plants or their first/second generation. The sexual reproduction of these isolated populations were significantly different, and their seed production capacities tended to decline over time. With the maturing of communities, soil seed banks and seed germinations were extremely poor, and the number of trees that could be growing to mature stage was nearly zero. The optimum maturity age of T. ciliata var. pubescens was about 40 a, and the fitness coefficients (2.0-2.8) rapidly increased in early development stage, but then was sharply reduced (0.3-0.5), and then gradually dropped to almost 0. There were significant differences in the fitness at individual level (0-14 tree·cm -2 ) among different populations, but their values were low (close to zero). Based on the existing reproduction rate, the actual values of sexual reproduction and regeneration fitness were much lower than the predicted ones. Due to the low level of genetic fitness, the sexual reproductive ability of different populations all showed decreasing trends. The natural sexual regeneration ability tended to decline, while the fitness of T. ciliata var. pubescens further decreased. All those factors suggested higher investment risks. Therefore, the systems of sexual reproduction became unbalanced and deteriorating. We proposed that more studies, including breeding mating, pollination, seed setting, and genetic diversity evaluation, are needed. Moreover, we should provide suitable forest environment through cleaning up litter in the

Adaptive potential of northernmost tree populations to climate change, with emphasis on Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.).

PubMed

Savolainen, Outi; Kujala, Sonja T; Sokol, Catherina; Pyhäjärvi, Tanja; Avia, Komlan; Knürr, Timo; Kärkkäinen, Katri; Hicks, Sheila

2011-01-01

The adaptive potential of the northernmost Pinus sylvestris L. (and other northern tree) populations is considered by examining first the current patterns of quantitative genetic adaptive traits, which show high population differentiation and clines. We then consider the postglacial history of the populations using both paleobiological and genetic data. The current patterns of diversity at nuclear genes suggest that the traces of admixture are mostly visible in mitochondrial DNA variation patterns. There is little evidence of increased diversity due to admixture between an eastern and western colonization lineage, but no signal of reduced diversity (due to sequential bottlenecks) either. Quantitative trait variation in the north is not associated with the colonizing lineages. The current clines arose rapidly and may be based on standing genetic variation. The initial phenotypic response of Scots pine in the north is predicted to be increased survival and growth. The genetic responses are examined based on quantitative genetic predictions of sustained selection response and compared with earlier simulation results that have aimed at more ecological realism. The phenotypic responses of increased growth and survival reduce the opportunity for selection and delay the evolutionary responses. The lengthening of the thermal growing period also causes selection on the critical photoperiod in the different populations. Future studies should aim at including multiple ecological and genetic factors in evaluating potential responses.

Effect of irrigation on needle morphology, shoot and stem growth in a drought-exposed Pinus sylvestris forest.

PubMed

Dobbertin, Matthias; Eilmann, Britta; Bleuler, Peter; Giuggiola, Arnaud; Graf Pannatier, Elisabeth; Landolt, Werner; Schleppi, Patrick; Rigling, Andreas

2010-03-01

In Valais, Switzerland, Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) are declining, mainly following drought. To assess the impact of drought on tree growth and survival, an irrigation experiment was initiated in 2003 in a mature pine forest, approximately doubling the annual precipitation. Tree crown transparency (lack of foliage) and leaf area index (LAI) were annually assessed. Seven irrigated and six control trees were felled in 2006, and needles, stem discs and branches were taken for growth analysis. Irrigation in 2004 and 2005, both with below-average precipitation, increased needle size, area and mass, stem growth and, with a 1-year delay, shoot length. This led to a relative decrease in tree crown transparency (-14%) and to an increase in stand LAI (+20%). Irrigation increased needle length by 70%, shoot length by 100% and ring width by 120%, regardless of crown transparency. Crown transparency correlated positively with mean needle size, shoot length and ring width and negatively with specific leaf area. Trees with high crown transparency (low growth, short needles) experienced similar increases in needle mass and growth with irrigation than trees with low transparency (high growth, long needles), indicating that seemingly declining trees were able to 'recover' when water supply became sufficient. A simple drought index before and during the irrigation explained most of the variation found in the parameters for both irrigated and control trees.

Changes in turnover rather than production regulate biomass of ectomycorrhizal fungal mycelium across a Pinus sylvestris chronosequence.

PubMed

Hagenbo, Andreas; Clemmensen, Karina E; Finlay, Roger D; Kyaschenko, Julia; Lindahl, Björn D; Fransson, Petra; Ekblad, Alf

2017-04-01

In boreal forest soils, ectomycorrhizal fungi are fundamentally important for carbon (C) dynamics and nutrient cycling. Although their extraradical mycelium (ERM) is pivotal for processes such as soil organic matter build-up and nitrogen cycling, very little is known about its dynamics and regulation. In this study, we quantified ERM production and turnover, and examined how these two processes together regulated standing ERM biomass in seven sites forming a chronosequence of 12- to 100-yr-old managed Pinus sylvestris forests. This was done by determining ERM biomass, using ergosterol as a proxy, in sequentially harvested in-growth mesh bags and by applying mathematical models. Although ERM production declined with increasing forest age from 1.2 to 0.5 kg ha -1  d -1 , the standing biomass increased from 50 to 112 kg ha -1 . This was explained by a drastic decline in mycelial turnover from seven times to one time per year with increasing forest age, corresponding to mean residence times from 25 d up to 1 yr. Our results demonstrate that ERM turnover is the main factor regulating biomass across differently aged forest stands. Explicit inclusion of ERM parameters in forest ecosystem C models may significantly improve their capacity to predict responses of mycorrhiza-mediated processes to management and environmental changes. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

No evidence for depletion of carbohydrate pools in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) under drought stress

PubMed Central

Gruber, A.; Pirkebner, D.; Florian, C.; Oberhuber, W.

2012-01-01

The physiological mechanisms leading to Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) decline in the dry inner Alpine valleys are still unknown. Testing the carbon starvation hypothesis, we analysed the seasonal course of mobile carbohydrate pools (NSC) of Scots pine growing at a xeric and a dry-mesic site within an inner Alpine dry valley (750 m a.s.l., Tyrol, Austria) during the year 2009, which was characterized by exceptional soil dryness. Although, soil moisture content dropped to c. 10% at both sites during the growing season, NSC concentrations were rising in all tissues (branch, stem, root) till end of July, except in needles where maxima were reached around bud break. NSC concentrations were not significantly different in the analysed tissues at the xeric and the dry-mesic site. At the dry-mesic site NSC concentrations in the above ground tree biomass were significantly higher during the period of radial growth. An accumulation of NSC in roots at the end of July indicates a change in carbon allocation after an early cessation in above ground growth, possibly due to elevated below ground carbon demand. In conclusion our results revealed that extensive soil dryness during the growing season did not lead to carbon depletion. However, even though C-reserves were not exhausted, a sequestration of carbohydrate pools during drought periods might lead to deficits in carbon supply that weaken tree vigour and drive tree mortality. PMID:21974742

No evidence for depletion of carbohydrate pools in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) under drought stress.

PubMed

Gruber, A; Pirkebner, D; Florian, C; Oberhuber, W

2012-01-01

The physiological mechanisms leading to Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) decline in the dry inner alpine valleys are still unknown. Testing the carbon starvation hypothesis, we analysed the seasonal course of mobile carbohydrate pools (NSC) of Scots pine growing at a xeric and a dry-mesic site within an inner alpine dry valley (750 m a.s.l., Tyrol, Austria) during 2009, which was characterised by exceptional soil dryness. Although, soil moisture content dropped to ca. 10% at both sites during the growing season, NSC concentrations rose in all tissues (branch, stem, root) until the end of July, except in needles, where maxima were reached around bud break. NSC concentrations were not significantly different in the analysed tissues at the xeric and the dry-mesic site. At the dry-mesic site, NSC concentrations in the aboveground tree biomass were significantly higher during the period of radial growth. An accumulation of NSC in roots at the end of July indicates a change in carbon allocation after an early cessation in aboveground growth, possibly due to elevated belowground carbon demand. In conclusion, our results revealed that extensive soil dryness during the growing season did not lead to carbon depletion. However, even though carbon reserves were not exhausted, sequestration of carbohydrate pools during drought periods might lead to deficits in carbon supply that weaken tree vigour and drive tree mortality. © 2011 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Phytoremediation of an arsenic-contaminated site using Pteris vittata L. and Pityrogramma calomelanos var. austroamericana: a long-term study.

PubMed

Niazi, Nabeel Khan; Singh, Balwant; Van Zwieten, Lukas; Kachenko, Anthony George

2012-09-01

This field study investigated the phytoremediation potential of two arsenic (As) hyperaccumulating fern species, Pityrogramma calomelanos var. austroamericana and Pteris vittata over 27-month duration at a disused As-contaminated cattle-dip site located at Wollongbar, NSW, Australia. Ferns planted in January 2009 were harvested following 10, 22 and 27 months of growth. A detailed soil sampling was undertaken in June 2009 (initial, n = 42 per plot) and limited sampling in April 2011 (after 27 months, n = 15 per plot) to measure total and phosphate-extractable As concentrations in soil at 0 - 20-, 20 - 40- and 40 - 60-cm depths. The choice of the limited number of samples was considered sufficient to estimate the changes in soil As concentration following phytoremediation based on a geostatistical model. The average frond dry biomass, As concentration and As uptake were significantly (P < 0.001 - 0.05) greater in P. calomelanos var. austroamericana than P. vittata, at all three harvests (1.6 - 4.3, 1.3 - 1.5 and 2.2 - 5.7 times, respectively). After 27-months of growth, P. calomelanos var. austroamericana removed 8,053 mg As (i.e. cumulative over three harvests) in plot B (25.4 kg As ha(-1)) that was 2.65 times higher than that depleted by P. vittata (3,042 mg As in plot A (9.7 kg As ha(-1))). The cumulative frond As uptake data of the two fern species revealed that P. calomelanos var. austroamericana extracted 1.7 - 3.9 % and P. vittata removed 0.53 - 1.5 % of total As from soil at three depths. However, for the surface (0 - 20 cm) and subsurface (40 - 60 cm) layers, the (post-experiment) soil As data indicated that total As concentration in soil was reduced by 49 and 63 % (P < 0.05), respectively, using P. calomelanos var. austroamericana; and 17 and 15 % (P > 0.05), respectively, by P. vittata. Our results show that phytoremediation time based on observed changes in soil As based on limited sampling

Data assimilation of non-conventional observations using GEOS-R flash lightning: 1D+4D-VAR approach vs. assimilation of images (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navon, M. I.; Stefanescu, R.

2013-12-01

Previous assimilation of lightning used nudging approaches. We develop three approaches namely, 3D-VAR WRFDA and1D+nD-VAR (n=3,4) WRFDA . The present research uses Convective Available Potential Energy (CAPE) as a proxy between lightning data and model variables. To test performance of aforementioned schemes, we assess quality of resulting analysis and forecasts of precipitation compared to those from a control experiment and verify them against NCEP stage IV precipitation. Results demonstrate that assimilating lightning observations improves precipitation statistics during the assimilation window and for 3-7 h thereafter. The 1D+4D-VAR approach yielded the best performance significantly improving precipitation rmse errors by 25% and 27.5%,compared to control during the assimilation window for two tornadic test cases. Finally we propose a new approach to assimilate 2-D images of lightning flashes based on pixel intensity, mitigating dimensionality by a reduced order method.

Advanced Micro Grid Energy Management Coupled with Integrated Volt/VAR Control for Improved Energy Efficiency, Energy Security, and Power Quality at DoD Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-28

assumptions. List of Assumptions: Price of electrical energy : $0.07/kWh flat rate for energy at the base Price of peak power: $15/MW peak power...EW-201147) Advanced Micro-Grid Energy Management Coupled with Integrated Volt/VAR Control for Improved Energy Efficiency, Energy Security, and...12-C-0002 5b. GRANT NUMBER Advanced Micro-Grid Energy Management Coupled with Integrated Volt/VAR Control for Improved Energy Efficiency, Energy

Chromosome behaviour in Rhoeo spathacea var. variegata.

PubMed

Lin, Y J

1980-01-01

Rhoeo spathacea var. variegata is unusual in that its twelve chromosomes are arranged in a ring at meiosis. The order of the chromosomes has been established, and each chromosome arm has been designated a letter in accordance with the segmental interchange theory. Chromosomes are often irregularly orientated at metaphase I. Chromosomes at anaphase I are generally distributed equally (6-6, 58.75%) although not necessarily balanced. Due to adjacent distribution, 7-5 distribution at anaphase I was frequently observed (24.17%), and due to lagging, 6-1-5 and 5-2-5 distributions were also observed (10.83% and 3.33% respectively). Three types of abnormal distribution, 8-4, 7-1-4 and 6-2-4 were observed very infrequently (2.92% total), and their possible origins are discussed. Irregularities, such as adjacent distribution and lagging, undoubtedly reduce the fertility of the plant because of the resulting unbalanced gametes.

GC-MS analysis and antimicrobial activity determination of Citrus medica L. var proper leaf essential oil from South Sulawesi against skin pathogen microorganism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aliyah; Himawan, A.; Rante, H.; Mufidah; Ningsih, D. R.

2017-11-01

A research about Citrus medica L. var sarcodactylis had been conducted and it showed a significant antimicrobial activity, thus drive our curiosity to investigate the other variety from the same species, Citrus medica L. var proper. This research focuses in chemical compound study and antimicrobial activity screening against Staphylococcus aureus, Propionibacterium acne, and Candida albicans of Citrus medica L. var Proper leaves’ essential oil. The essential oil is distillated from fresh leaves by hydrodestillation. The chemical compound was analysed using GC-MS instrument while the antimicrobial activity was tested using disk diffusion method. The results showed that the major component of the essential oil was Z-citral, citral and limonene compounds. The antimicrobial activity test results against the test microorganism are 9.15±0.15 mm, 11.15±1.3 mm and 8.02±0.48 mm, consecutively, for Staphylococcus aureus, Propionibacterium acne and Candida albicans.

Larvicidal activity of extracts from Quercus lusitania var. infectoria galls (Oliv.).

PubMed

Redwane, A; Lazrek, H B; Bouallam, S; Markouk, M; Amarouch, H; Jana, M

2002-02-01

The present study indicates the efficacy of extracts and fractions of Quercus lusitania var. infectoria galls (Oliv.) as larvicidal agents and their possible use in biological control of Culex pipiens, the urban nuisance mosquito. Extracts and fractions were tested against second and fourth instar larvae. The LC(50) values of gallotannins were 335 and 373 ppm, respectively for the 2nd and 4th instar period. The most interesting value of LC(50) (24 h) is obtained with the fraction F(2) (60 ppm).

Diversity, virulence and 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol sensitivity of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici isolates from Washington State.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Populations of 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG)-producing Pseudomonas fluorescens buildup in soils that have undergone continuous wheat or barley monoculture, resulting in take-all decline (TAD). We tested whether Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici (Ggt) isolates (causal agent of take-all) in mon...

Experimental infection of European flat oyster Ostrea edulis with ostreid herpesvirus 1 microvar (OsHV-1μvar): Mortality, viral load and detection of viral transcripts by in situ hybridization.

PubMed

López Sanmartín, Monserrat; Power, Deborah M; de la Herrán, Roberto; Navas, José I; Batista, Frederico M

2016-06-02

Ostreid herpesvirus 1 (OsHV-1) infections have been reported in several bivalve species. Mortality of Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas spat has increased considerably in Europe since 2008 linked to the spread of a variant of OsHV-1 called μvar. In the present study we demonstrated that O. edulis juveniles can be infected by OsHV-1μvar when administered as an intramuscular injection. Mortality in the oysters injected with OsHV-1μvar was first detected 4 days after injection and reached 25% mortality at day 10. Moreover, the high viral load observed and the detection of viral transcripts by in situ hybridization in several tissues of dying oysters suggested that OsHV-1μvar was the cause of mortality in the O. edulis juveniles. This is therefore the first study to provide evidence about the pathogenicity of OsHV-1μvar in a species that does not belong to the Crassostrea genus. Additionally, we present a novel method to detect OsHV-1 transcripts in infected individuals' using in situ hybridization. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thalli Growth, Propagule Survival, and Integrated Physiological Response to Nitrogen Stress of Ramalina calicaris var. japonica in Shennongjia Mountain (China).

PubMed

Wang, Chuan-Hua; Wang, Ming; Jia, Rao-Zhen; Guo, Hua

2018-01-01

In this study, effects of nitrogen (N) availability on growth, survival of Ramalina calicaris var. japonica , and whether it respond nitrogen stress in an integrated physiological way was evaluated. Thalli growth and propagule survival, thalli N and phosphorus (P) content, and activity of phosphomonoesterase (PME) of R. calicaris var. japonica were determined in a field experiment. Its differentiate adsorption in ammonia and nitrate, the activity of glutamine synthetase (GSA) and nitrate reductase (NRA) also were investigated in a series of indoor experiments. The results showed that N deposition significantly decreased the growth and survival of this lichen, and the N sensitivity threshold was suggested at 6.0 kg N⋅ha -1 ⋅y -1 . When the N deposition increased from 8.59 kg N⋅ha -1 ⋅y -1 to 14.24, 20.49, 32.99 and 57.99 kg N⋅ha -1 ⋅y -1 , the growth rates of lichen thalli decreased by 26.47, 39.01, 52.18 and 60.3%, respectively; Whereas the survival rate of the lichen propagules decreased from 92.8% of control (0.0 kg N⋅ha -1 ⋅y -1 ) to 10.7% of 50.0 kg N⋅ha -1 ⋅y -1 , when they were treated with 0.00, 6.25, 12.5, 25.0, and 50.0 kg N⋅ha -1 ⋅y -1 deposition. Compared with an adequate adsorption of ammonium N, no nitrate adsorption occurred when thalli was submerged in solution lower than 0.4 mM. Our results also suggested that thalli total nitrogen, N:P ratio increased with N availability, and the activity of PME was significantly correlated with thalli total nitrogen. These all indicated that phosphorus limitation occurred when R. calicaris var. japonica treated with higher nitrogen deposition. Compared with slightly effects of NRA, GSA of R. calicaris var. japonica responded nitrogen availability significantly; In addition, GSA and NRA negatively correlated with thalli growth rate and propagule survival significantly. These results indicated that nitrogen stress do decrease growth and survival of R. calicaris var. japonica , and lichen

An Interaction between RRP6 and SU(VAR)3-9 Targets RRP6 to Heterochromatin and Contributes to Heterochromatin Maintenance in Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Eberle, Andrea B; Jordán-Pla, Antonio; Gañez-Zapater, Antoni; Hessle, Viktoria; Silberberg, Gilad; von Euler, Anne; Silverstein, Rebecca A; Visa, Neus

2015-09-01

RNA surveillance factors are involved in heterochromatin regulation in yeast and plants, but less is known about the possible roles of ribonucleases in the heterochromatin of animal cells. Here we show that RRP6, one of the catalytic subunits of the exosome, is necessary for silencing heterochromatic repeats in the genome of Drosophila melanogaster. We show that a fraction of RRP6 is associated with heterochromatin, and the analysis of the RRP6 interaction network revealed physical links between RRP6 and the heterochromatin factors HP1a, SU(VAR)3-9 and RPD3. Moreover, genome-wide studies of RRP6 occupancy in cells depleted of SU(VAR)3-9 demonstrated that SU(VAR)3-9 contributes to the tethering of RRP6 to a subset of heterochromatic loci. Depletion of the exosome ribonucleases RRP6 and DIS3 stabilizes heterochromatic transcripts derived from transposons and repetitive sequences, and renders the heterochromatin less compact, as shown by micrococcal nuclease and proximity-ligation assays. Such depletion also increases the amount of HP1a bound to heterochromatic transcripts. Taken together, our results suggest that SU(VAR)3-9 targets RRP6 to a subset of heterochromatic loci where RRP6 degrades chromatin-associated non-coding RNAs in a process that is necessary to maintain the packaging of the heterochromatin.

An Interaction between RRP6 and SU(VAR)3-9 Targets RRP6 to Heterochromatin and Contributes to Heterochromatin Maintenance in Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

Eberle, Andrea B.; Jordán-Pla, Antonio; Gañez-Zapater, Antoni; Hessle, Viktoria; Silberberg, Gilad; von Euler, Anne; Silverstein, Rebecca A.; Visa, Neus

2015-01-01

RNA surveillance factors are involved in heterochromatin regulation in yeast and plants, but less is known about the possible roles of ribonucleases in the heterochromatin of animal cells. Here we show that RRP6, one of the catalytic subunits of the exosome, is necessary for silencing heterochromatic repeats in the genome of Drosophila melanogaster. We show that a fraction of RRP6 is associated with heterochromatin, and the analysis of the RRP6 interaction network revealed physical links between RRP6 and the heterochromatin factors HP1a, SU(VAR)3-9 and RPD3. Moreover, genome-wide studies of RRP6 occupancy in cells depleted of SU(VAR)3-9 demonstrated that SU(VAR)3-9 contributes to the tethering of RRP6 to a subset of heterochromatic loci. Depletion of the exosome ribonucleases RRP6 and DIS3 stabilizes heterochromatic transcripts derived from transposons and repetitive sequences, and renders the heterochromatin less compact, as shown by micrococcal nuclease and proximity-ligation assays. Such depletion also increases the amount of HP1a bound to heterochromatic transcripts. Taken together, our results suggest that SU(VAR)3-9 targets RRP6 to a subset of heterochromatic loci where RRP6 degrades chromatin-associated non-coding RNAs in a process that is necessary to maintain the packaging of the heterochromatin. PMID:26389589

Morphology and accumulation of epicuticular wax on needles of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii)

Treesearch

Constance A. Harrington; William C. Carlson

2015-01-01

Past studies have documented differences in epicuticular wax among several tree species but little attention has been paid to changes in accumulation of foliar wax that can occur during the year. We sampled current-year needles from the terminal shoots of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii) in late June/early...

An arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and Epichloë festucae var. lolii reduce Bipolaris sorokiniana disease incidence and improve perennial ryegrass growth.

PubMed

Li, Fang; Guo, Yan'e; Christensen, Michael J; Gao, Ping; Li, Yanzhong; Duan, Tingyu

2018-02-01

Leaf spot of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) caused by Bipolaris sorokiniana is an important disease in temperate regions of the world. We designed this experiment to test for the combined effects of the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Claroideoglomus etunicatum and the grass endophyte fungus Epichloë festucae var. lolii on growth and disease occurrence in perennial ryegrass. The results show that C. etunicatum increased plant P uptake and total dry weight and that this beneficial effect was slightly enhanced when in association with the grass endophyte. The presence in plants of both the endophyte and B. sorokiniana decreased AM fungal colonization. Plants inoculated with B. sorokiniana showed the typical leaf spot symptoms 2 weeks after inoculation and the lowest disease incidence was with plants that were host to both C. etunicatum and E. festucae var. lolii. Plants with these two fungi had much higher activity of peroxidases (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) and lower values of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). The AM fungus C. etunicatum and the grass endophyte fungus E. festucae var. lolii have the potential to promote perennial ryegrass growth and resistance to B. sorokiniana leaf spot.

Spatial genetic structure in wild cardoon, the ancestor of cultivated globe artichoke: Limited gene flow, fragmentation and population history.

PubMed

Rau, D; Rodriguez, M; Rapposelli, E; Murgia, M L; Papa, R; Brown, A H D; Attene, G

2016-12-01

Nuclear and chloroplast markers and phenotypic characters were integrated to analyse the population genetic structure of wild cardoon, Cynara cardunculus var. sylvestris, the ancestor of cultivated globe artichoke, Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus on the island of Sardinia, Italy. The spatial scale ranged from a few metres to ∼200km. Wild cardoon appears to be genetically fragmented, with significant genetic divergence at various scales, indicating that gene flow is insufficient to counterbalance the effects of genetic drift or founder effects. Divergence between populations was higher for chloroplast (40%) than for nuclear markers (15%), suggesting that gene flow via seed was lower than via pollen. Two main genetic groups were detected; these correlated with differences in flowering time, capitula size, glossiness, and anthocyanin pigmentation. A complex population structure of wild cardoon emerged over small spatial scales, likely resulting from the interplay between gene dispersal, colonisation history and selective forces. Indeed, Sardinia appears to be a 'hybrid zone' of different gene pools. The island has unique diverse germplasm that has originated from hybridisation among different gene pools. The sampling of seeds from a few plants but from many sites is suggested as the best strategy to harvest the genetic diversity of wild cardoon. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Short delay in timing of emergence determines establishment success in Pinus sylvestris across microhabitats.

PubMed

Castro, Jorge

2006-12-01

The date of emergence may have far-reaching implications for seedling performance. Seedlings emerging early in the growing season often have a greater rate of survival or grow better if early emergence provides advantages with respect to an environmental cue. As a result, the benefits of early emergence may be lost if the environmental stress creating the differences among cohorts disappears. The experimental manipulation under field conditions of the factors that constitute the main sources of stress for seedling establishment is thus a straightforward method to evaluate the impact of date of emergence on seedling establishment under realistic conditions. Two field experiments were performed to analyse the effect of emergence date on survival and first-year growth of Scots pine seedlings in natural mountain forests in south-east Spain. Two main environmental factors that determine seedling success in these mountains were considered: (1) microhabitat type (monitoring the effect of date of emergence in the three most common microhabitats where seedlings recruit); (2) summer drought (monitored by an irrigation treatment with control and watered sampling points). Overall, early emergence resulted in a higher probability of survival and better growth in the two experiments and across microhabitats. However, the reduction in summer drought did not diminish the differences observed among cohorts: all cohorts increased their survival and growth, but early cohorts still had a clear advantage. Date of emergence determines establishment success of Pinus sylvestris seedlings, even if cohorts are separated by only a few days, irrespective of the intensity of summer drought. The experimental design, covering a gradient of light intensity and soil moisture that simulates conditions of the regeneration niche of Scots pine across its geographical range, allows the results to be extrapolated to other areas of the species. Date of emergence is thus likely to have a large impact on

An antifungal protein from the pea Pisum sativum var. arvense Poir.

PubMed

Wang, H X; Ng, T B

2006-07-01

An antifungal protein with a molecular mass of 11 kDa and a lysine-rich N-terminal sequence was isolated from the seeds of the pea Pisum sativum var. arvense Poir. The antifungal protein was unadsorbed on DEAE-cellulose but adsorbed on Affi-gel blue gel and CM-cellulose. It exerted antifungal activity against Physalospora piricola with an IC50 of 0.62 microM, and also antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum and Mycosphaerella arachidicola. It inhibited human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase with an IC50 of 4.7 microM.

A new C20-diterpenoid alkaloid from Aconitum soongaricum var. pubescens.

PubMed

Chen, Lin; Shan, Lianhai; Xu, Wenliang; Zhang, Jifa; Huang, Shuai; Zhou, Xianli

2017-03-01

A new denudatine-type C 20 -diterpenoid alkaloid, pubesine (1), along with seven known diterpenoid alkaloids, altaconitine (2), 14-benzoylaconine (3), spicatine A (4), 14-benzoylaconine-8-palmitate (5), 14-O-acetylsenbusine A (6), senbusine A (7) and 14-acetylneoline (8) were isolated from the whole plant of Aconitum soongaricum var. pubescens. Their structures were elucidated by means of extensive spectroscopic analyses (NMR and HR-ESI-MS) and comparison with data reported in the literature. All compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against H460, MCF-7 and Hep G2 human cancer cell lines.

Dry Heat Inactivation of Bacillus subtilis var. niger Spores as a Function of Relative Humidity

PubMed Central

Brannen, J. P.; Garst, D. M.

1972-01-01

Dry heat sterilization of Bacillus subtilis var. niger spores at 105 C is enhanced in the relative humidity range 0.03 to 0.2%. D-values of 115 and 125 C are predicted by a kinetic model with parameters set from 105 C data. These predictions are compared to observations. Images PMID:4625341

Effects of fire and restoration seeding on establishment of squarrose knapweed (Centaurea virgata var. squarrosa)

Treesearch

Alison Whittaker; Scott L. Jensen

2008-01-01

Squarrose knapweed (Centaurea virgata var. squarrosa), herein referred to simply as knapweed, is a noxious weed that invades both disturbed and healthy sagebrush communities. Fire, grazing, mining, recreation, and farming have all played a large part in the establishment of knapweed in Tintic Valley, Utah. This study was designed to look at the...

A Comparative Study on Macro- and Microelement Bioaccumulation Properties of Leaves and Bark of Quercus petraea and Pinus sylvestris.

PubMed

Klink, Agnieszka; Polechońska, Ludmiła; Dambiec, Małgorzata; Białas, Kamila

2018-01-01

Trees are widely used for biomonitoring and filtering air in industrial, urban, and rural areas. This research was undertaken to examine accumulation capacities of macroelements (Ca, K, Mg, Na) and trace metals (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) in needles and bark of Pinus sylvestris and leaves and bark of Quercus petraea growing in the vicinity of the chlor-alkali plant PCC Rokita in Brzeg Dolny (Lower Silesia, SW Poland). Because Scots pine is well studied and considered a useful bioindicator, we have used this species as a base for comparison of the accumulation ability of sessile oak that shows some features of good bioindicator, but whose biogeochemistry was scarcely studied. Results showed that for both species leaves contained more macroelements (Ca, K, Mg), whereas the bark was richer in most trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, and Pb). However, trees studied differed with respect to element content. Oak bark and leaves were more effective in accumulating macro- and trace elements (bark Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb and leaves Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Ni) than Scots pine tissues. Nevertheless, foliar metal accumulation index of these species was similar, suggesting that their overall ability to accumulate trace metals was similar.

Bacterial microbiomes of individual ectomycorrhizal Pinus sylvestris roots are shaped by soil horizon and differentially sensitive to nitrogen addition.

PubMed

Marupakula, Srisailam; Mahmood, Shahid; Jernberg, Johanna; Nallanchakravarthula, Srivathsa; Fahad, Zaenab A; Finlay, Roger D

2017-11-01

Plant roots select non-random communities of fungi and bacteria from the surrounding soil that have effects on their health and growth, but we know little about the factors influencing their composition. We profiled bacterial microbiomes associated with individual ectomycorrhizal Pinus sylvestris roots colonized by different fungi and analyzed differences in microbiome structure related to soils from distinct podzol horizons and effects of short-term additions of N, a growth-limiting nutrient commonly applied as a fertilizer, but known to influence patterns of carbon allocation to roots. Ectomycorrhizal roots growing in soil from different horizons harboured distinct bacterial communities. The fungi colonizing individual roots had a strong effect on the associated bacterial communities. Even closely related species within the same ectomycorrhizal genus had distinct bacterial microbiomes in unfertilized soil, but fertilization removed this specificity. Effects of N were rapid and context dependent, being influenced by both soil type and the particular ectomycorrhizal fungi involved. Fungal community composition changed in soil from all horizons, but bacteria only responded strongly to N in soil from the B horizon where community structure was different and bacterial diversity was significantly reduced, possibly reflecting changed carbon allocation patterns. © 2017 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The COOH-terminal peptide of platelet factor-4 variant (CXCL4L1/PF-4var47-70) strongly inhibits angiogenesis and suppresses B16 melanoma growth in vivo.

PubMed

Vandercappellen, Jo; Liekens, Sandra; Bronckaers, Annelies; Noppen, Samuel; Ronsse, Isabelle; Dillen, Chris; Belleri, Mirella; Mitola, Stefania; Proost, Paul; Presta, Marco; Struyf, Sofie; Van Damme, Jo

2010-03-01

Chemokines influence tumor growth directly or indirectly via both angiogenesis and tumor-leukocyte interactions. Platelet factor-4 (CXCL4/PF-4), which is released from alpha-granules of activated platelets, is the first described angiostatic chemokine. Recently, it was found that the variant of CXCL4/PF-4 (CXCL4L1/PF-4var) could exert a more pronounced angiostatic and antitumoral effect than CXCL4/PF-4. However, the molecular mechanisms of the angiostatic activities of the PF-4 forms remain partially elusive. Here, we studied the biological properties of the chemically synthesized COOH-terminal peptides of CXCL4/PF-4 (CXCL4/PF-4(47-70)) and CXCL4L1/PF-4var (CXCL4L1/PF-4var(47-70)). Both PF-4 peptides lacked monocyte and lymphocyte chemotactic activity but equally well inhibited (25 nmol/L) endothelial cell motility and proliferation in the presence of a single stimulus (i.e., exogenous recombinant fibroblast growth factor-2). In contrast, when assayed in more complex angiogenesis test systems characterized by the presence of multiple mediators, including in vitro wound-healing (2.5 nmol/L versus 12.5 nmol/L), Matrigel (60 nmol/L versus 300 nmol/L), and chorioallantoic membrane assays, CXCL4L1/PF-4var(47-70) was found to be significantly (5-fold) more angiostatic than CXCL4/PF-4(47-70). In addition, low (7 microg total) doses of intratumoral CXCL4L1/PF-4var(47-70) inhibited B16 melanoma growth in mice more extensively than CXCL4/PF-4(47-70). This antitumoral activity was predominantly mediated through inhibition of angiogenesis (without affecting blood vessel stability) and induction of apoptosis, as evidenced by immunohistochemical and fluorescent staining of B16 tumor tissue. In conclusion, CXCL4L1/PF-4var(47-70) is a potent antitumoral and antiangiogenic peptide. These results may represent the basis for the design of CXCL4L1/PF-4var COOH-terminal-derived peptidomimetic anticancer drugs.

Detection of Papaya ringspot virus type W infecting the cucurbit weed Cucumis melo var. dudaim in Florida

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This is the first report of Papaya ringspot virus type W infecting Cucumis melo var. dudaim, a cucurbit weed, in Florida. It provides an overview of this virus reservoir for growers, extension workers, crop consultants and research and regulatory scientists....

Allelopathy of the invasive plant Bidens frondosa on the seed germination of Geum japonicum var. chinense.

PubMed

Wang, X F; Hassani, D; Cheng, Z W; Wang, C Y; Wu, J

2014-12-12

Five gradient concentrations (0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08, and 0.10 g/mL) of leaching liquors from the roots, stems, and leaves of the invasive plant Bidens frondosa were used as conditioning fluid to examine its influence on seed germination conditions of the native plant Geum japonicum var. chinense in Huangshan. All leaching liquors of organs suppressed the seed germination of Geum japonicum var. chinense and reduced the final germination percentage and rate, and increased the germination inhibition rate, with a bimodal dependence on concentration. The leaching liquor inhibited the seed germination significantly at the concentration of 0.02 g/mL respectively. The seed germination was also inhibited as the concentration reached to 0.04 g/mL and beyond. Hence the allelopathic effects of the organs were significantly enhanced respectively. This phenomenon represented the presence of allelopathy substances in the root, stem and leaf of Bidens frondosa.

Micropropagation of Araucaria excelsa R. Br. var. glauca Carrière from orthotropic stem explants.

PubMed

Sarmast, Mostafa Khoshhal; Salehi, Hassan; Khosh-Khui, Morteza

2012-07-01

The objectives of the present work were in vitro propagation of Araucaria excelsa R. Br. var. glauca Carrière (Norfolk Island pine) with focus on the evaluation of the mean number of shoots per explant (MNS/E) and mean length of shoots per explants (MLS/E) produced by different parts of the orthotropic stem of A. excelsa R. Br. var. glauca in response to plant growth regulators. Norfolk Island pine axillary meristems responded very well to the 2-iso-pentenyl adenine (2iP) and thidiazuron (TDZ) levels. Explants taken from stem upper segments in the media containing 2iP had a higher MNS/E (3.47) and MLS/E (6.27 mm) in comparison to those taken from stem lower segments, which were 0.71 and 0.51 mm, respectively. Using 0.045 μM TDZ in the MS medium not only resulted in 4.60 MNS/E with 7.08 mm MLS/E but proliferated shoots showed a good performance as well. Investigating the best position of stem explant on mother plant as well as the best concentrations of growth regulators were performed which were useful for efficient micropropagation of this plant. Thirty three percent of explants were rooted in the MS medium containing 3 % sucrose, supplemented with 7.5 μM of both NAA and IBA for 2 weeks before transferring to a half strength MS medium without any growth regulator. Plantlets obtained were acclimatized and transferred to the greenhouse with less than 20 % mortality. This procedure considered the first successful report for regeneration and acclimatization of A. excelsa R. Br. var. glauca plantlet through main stem explants.

Nutritional and anti-nutritional potential of three accessions of itching bean (Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC var. pruriens): an under-utilized tribal pulse.

PubMed

Kala, Balasubiramanian Kamatchi; Mohan, Veerabahu Ramasamy

2010-08-01

Three accessions of the under-utilized legume itching bean (Mucuna pruriens var. pruriens) were analysed for proximate composition, mineral profiles, vitamins (niacin and ascorbic acid), fatty acid profiles, amino acid profiles of total seed protein, in vitro protein digestibility and certain anti-nutritional factors. All three accessions of M. pruriens var. pruriens contained higher amounts of crude protein and crude lipid when compared with most of the commonly consumed pulses. The fatty acid profiles revealed that the seed lipids contained a higher concentration of palmitic acid and linoleic acids. Amino acid profiles of M. pruriens var. pruriens revealed that the seed protein contained relatively higher levels of certain essential amino acids compared with the FAO/WHO requirement pattern. The investigated seeds are rich in minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and manganese. Anti nutritional substances such as total free phenolics, tannins, 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, phytic acid, hydrogen cyanide, trypsin inhibitor activity, oligosaccharides and phytohaemagglutinating activity were investigated. The anti-nutritional fatty acid, behenic acid, also was detected in the present study.

[Dynamic changes of surface soil organic carbon and light-fraction organic carbon after mobile dune afforestation with Mongolian pine in Horqin Sandy Land].

PubMed

Shang, Wen; Li, Yu-qiang; Wang, Shao-kun; Feng, Jing; Su, Na

2011-08-01

This paper studied the dynamic changes of surface (0-15 cm) soil organic carbon (SOC) and light-fraction organic carbon (LFOC) in 25- and 35-year-old sand-fixing Mongolian pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica) plantations in Horqin Sandy Land, with a mobile dune as a comparison site. After the afforestation on mobile dune, the content of coarse sand in soil decreased, while that of fine sand and clay-silt increased significantly. The SOC and LFOC contents also increased significantly, but tended to decrease with increasing soil depth. Afforestation increased the storages of SOC and LFOC in surface soil, and the increment increased with plantation age. In the two plantations, the increment of surface soil LFOC storage was much higher than that of SOC storage, suggesting that mobile dune afforestation had a larger effect on surface soil LFOC than on SOC.

High-level pullulan production by Aureobasidium pullulans var. melanogenium P16 isolated from mangrove system.

PubMed

Ma, Zai-Chao; Fu, Wen-Juan; Liu, Guang-Lei; Wang, Zhi-Peng; Chi, Zhen-Ming

2014-06-01

After over 100 strains of Aureobasidium spp. isolated from mangrove system were screened for their ability to produce exopolysaccharide (EPS), it was found that Aureobasidium pullulans var. melanogenium P16 strain among them could produce high level of EPS. Under the optimal conditions, 65.3 g/L EPS was produced by the P16 strain within 120 h at flask level. During 10-L batch fermentation, when the medium contained 120.0 g/L sucrose, 67.4 g/L of EPS and 23.1 g/L of cell dry weight in the culture were obtained within 120 h, leaving 0.78 g/L of reducing sugar and 11.4 g/L of total sugar in the fermented medium. It should be stressed that during the fermentation, no melanin was observed. After purification, the purified EPS was confirmed to be pullulan. This is the first time to report that A. pullulans var. melanogenium P16 strain isolated from the mangrove system can produce high level of pullulan.

[Studies on the phenolic acids from Sarcopyramis bodinieri var. delicata].

PubMed

Yang, Jia-Yong; Wan, Chun-Peng; Qiu, Yan

2010-04-01

To study the chemical constituents from Sarcopyramis bodinieri var. delicata. These compounds were isolated and purified by chromatography with silica gel column combined with Sephadex LH-20 column from high polar extracts. The structures were identified on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analysis, and by comparison of their spectral data with those reported. Seven compounds were isolated as 3, 3'-di-O-methylellagic acid-4'-O-alpha-L-rhamnopyranoside (I), ellagic acid (II), ferulic acid (III), isoferulic acid (IV), caffeic acid (V), 3, 4-di-hydroxybenzoic acid (VI), p-hydroxycinnamic acid (VII). Compound I, III, VI, VII are isolated from the genus for the first time.

Dominance of an alien shrub Rhus typhina over a native shrub Vitex negundo var. heterophylla under variable water supply patterns

PubMed Central

Du, Ning; Tan, Xiangfeng; Li, Qiang; Liu, Xiao; Zhang, Wenxin; Wang, Renqing; Liu, Jian; Guo, Weihua

2017-01-01

Temporal heterogeneity of a resource supply can have a profound effect on the interactions between alien and native plant species and their potential invasiveness. Precipitation patterns may be variable and result in a higher heterogeneity of water supply with global climate change. In this study, an alien shrub species, Rhus typhina, introduced to China from North America and a native shrub species, Vitex negundo var. heterophylla, were grown in monoculture and mixed culture under different water supply regimes, with four levels of water supply frequencies but with a constant level of total supplied water. After 60 days of treatments, the alien species was found to be the superior competitor in the mixed culture and was unaffected by changes in the water supply pattern. The dominance of R. typhina was mainly owing to its greater biomass and effective modulation of leaf physiology. However, in the mixed culture, V. negundo var. heterophylla exhibited both leaf- and whole-plant-level acclimations, including higher leaf length to petiole length and root to shoot biomass ratios, and lower specific leaf weight and leaf length to leaf width ratio. Plant height of V. negundo var. heterophylla was comparable to that of R. typhina in the mixed culture, which is a strategy to escape shading. Although water treatments had little effect on most traits in both species, the possible influence of water regimes should not be neglected. Compared with high-frequency water supply treatments, more individuals of V. negundo var. heterophylla died in low-water-frequency treatments when in competition with R. typhina, which may lead to species turnover in the field. The authors recommended that caution should be exercised when introducing R. typhina to non-native areas in the context of global climate change. PMID:28445505

Dominance of an alien shrub Rhus typhina over a native shrub Vitex negundo var. heterophylla under variable water supply patterns.

PubMed

Du, Ning; Tan, Xiangfeng; Li, Qiang; Liu, Xiao; Zhang, Wenxin; Wang, Renqing; Liu, Jian; Guo, Weihua

2017-01-01

Temporal heterogeneity of a resource supply can have a profound effect on the interactions between alien and native plant species and their potential invasiveness. Precipitation patterns may be variable and result in a higher heterogeneity of water supply with global climate change. In this study, an alien shrub species, Rhus typhina, introduced to China from North America and a native shrub species, Vitex negundo var. heterophylla, were grown in monoculture and mixed culture under different water supply regimes, with four levels of water supply frequencies but with a constant level of total supplied water. After 60 days of treatments, the alien species was found to be the superior competitor in the mixed culture and was unaffected by changes in the water supply pattern. The dominance of R. typhina was mainly owing to its greater biomass and effective modulation of leaf physiology. However, in the mixed culture, V. negundo var. heterophylla exhibited both leaf- and whole-plant-level acclimations, including higher leaf length to petiole length and root to shoot biomass ratios, and lower specific leaf weight and leaf length to leaf width ratio. Plant height of V. negundo var. heterophylla was comparable to that of R. typhina in the mixed culture, which is a strategy to escape shading. Although water treatments had little effect on most traits in both species, the possible influence of water regimes should not be neglected. Compared with high-frequency water supply treatments, more individuals of V. negundo var. heterophylla died in low-water-frequency treatments when in competition with R. typhina, which may lead to species turnover in the field. The authors recommended that caution should be exercised when introducing R. typhina to non-native areas in the context of global climate change.

Comparison of vector autoregressive (VAR) and vector error correction models (VECM) for index of ASEAN stock price

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suharsono, Agus; Aziza, Auliya; Pramesti, Wara

2017-12-01

Capital markets can be an indicator of the development of a country's economy. The presence of capital markets also encourages investors to trade; therefore investors need information and knowledge of which shares are better. One way of making decisions for short-term investments is the need for modeling to forecast stock prices in the period to come. Issue of stock market-stock integration ASEAN is very important. The problem is that ASEAN does not have much time to implement one market in the economy, so it would be very interesting if there is evidence whether the capital market in the ASEAN region, especially the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand deserve to be integrated or still segmented. Furthermore, it should also be known and proven What kind of integration is happening: what A capital market affects only the market Other capital, or a capital market only Influenced by other capital markets, or a Capital market as well as affecting as well Influenced by other capital markets in one ASEAN region. In this study, it will compare forecasting of Indonesian share price (IHSG) with neighboring countries (ASEAN) including developed and developing countries such as Malaysia (KLSE), Singapore (SGE), Thailand (SETI), Philippines (PSE) to find out which stock country the most superior and influential. These countries are the founders of ASEAN and share price index owners who have close relations with Indonesia in terms of trade, especially exports and imports. Stock price modeling in this research is using multivariate time series analysis that is VAR (Vector Autoregressive) and VECM (Vector Error Correction Modeling). VAR and VECM models not only predict more than one variable but also can see the interrelations between variables with each other. If the assumption of white noise is not met in the VAR modeling, then the cause can be assumed that there is an outlier. With this modeling will be able to know the pattern of relationship

Antiparasitic and antimicrobial indolizidines from the leaves of Prosopis glandulosa var glandulosa from Nevada and Texas USA

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A new indolizidine alkaloid, named (Delta) 1,6-juliprosopine (1), together with previously known indolizidine analogs (2-6), was isolated from the leaves of Prosopis glandulosa var. glandulosa, collected from Nevada, USA; while two other known indolizidines juliprosopine (6) and juliprosine (7) were...

Lack of gender-specific antibody recognition of products from domains of a var gene implicated in pregnancy-associated Plasmodium falciparum malaria.

PubMed

Jensen, Anja T R; Zornig, Hanne D; Buhmann, Caecilie; Salanti, Ali; Koram, Kwadwo A; Riley, Eleanor M; Theander, Thor G; Hviid, Lars; Staalsoe, Trine

2003-07-01

Gender-specific and parity-dependent acquired antibody recognition is characteristic of variant surface antigens (VSA) expressed by chondroitin sulfate A (CSA)-adherent Plasmodium falciparum involved in pregnancy-associated malaria (PAM). However, antibody recognition of recombinant products of a specific VSA gene (2O2var1) implicated in PAM and transcribed by a CSA-adhering parasite line did not have these characteristics. Furthermore, we could not demonstrate preferential transcription of 2O2var1 in the CSA-adhering line versus the unselected, parental isolate. Our data call for circumspection regarding the molecular identity of the parasite ligand mediating adhesion to CSA in PAM.

Application of Autonomous Smart Inverter Volt-VAR Function for Voltage Reduction Energy Savings and Power Quality in Electric Distribution Systems: Preprint

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

Ding, Fei; Nagarajan, Adarsh; Baggu, Murali

This paper evaluated the impact of smart inverter Volt-VAR function on voltage reduction energy saving and power quality in electric power distribution systems. A methodology to implement the voltage reduction optimization was developed by controlling the substation LTC and capacitor banks, and having smart inverters participate through their autonomous Volt-VAR control. In addition, a power quality scoring methodology was proposed and utilized to quantify the effect on power distribution system power quality. All of these methodologies were applied to a utility distribution system model to evaluate the voltage reduction energy saving and power quality under various PV penetrations and smartmore » inverter densities.« less

Rational confederation of genes and diseases: NGS interpretation via GeneCards, MalaCards and VarElect.

PubMed

Rappaport, Noa; Fishilevich, Simon; Nudel, Ron; Twik, Michal; Belinky, Frida; Plaschkes, Inbar; Stein, Tsippi Iny; Cohen, Dana; Oz-Levi, Danit; Safran, Marilyn; Lancet, Doron

2017-08-18

A key challenge in the realm of human disease research is next generation sequencing (NGS) interpretation, whereby identified filtered variant-harboring genes are associated with a patient's disease phenotypes. This necessitates bioinformatics tools linked to comprehensive knowledgebases. The GeneCards suite databases, which include GeneCards (human genes), MalaCards (human diseases) and PathCards (human pathways) together with additional tools, are presented with the focus on MalaCards utility for NGS interpretation as well as for large scale bioinformatic analyses. VarElect, our NGS interpretation tool, leverages the broad information in the GeneCards suite databases. MalaCards algorithms unify disease-related terms and annotations from 69 sources. Further, MalaCards defines hierarchical relatedness-aliases, disease families, a related diseases network, categories and ontological classifications. GeneCards and MalaCards delineate and share a multi-tiered, scored gene-disease network, with stringency levels, including the definition of elite status-high quality gene-disease pairs, coming from manually curated trustworthy sources, that includes 4500 genes for 8000 diseases. This unique resource is key to NGS interpretation by VarElect. VarElect, a comprehensive search tool that helps infer both direct and indirect links between genes and user-supplied disease/phenotype terms, is robustly strengthened by the information found in MalaCards. The indirect mode benefits from GeneCards' diverse gene-to-gene relationships, including SuperPaths-integrated biological pathways from 12 information sources. We are currently adding an important information layer in the form of "disease SuperPaths", generated from the gene-disease matrix by an algorithm similar to that previously employed for biological pathway unification. This allows the discovery of novel gene-disease and disease-disease relationships. The advent of whole genome sequencing necessitates capacities to go beyond

Chemical composition, leishmanicidal and cytotoxic activities of the essential oils from Mangifera indica L. var. Rosa and Espada.

PubMed

Ramos, Eduardo H S; Moraes, Marcílio M; Nerys, Laís L de A; Nascimento, Silene C; Militão, Gardênia C G; de Figueiredo, Regina C B Q; da Câmara, Cláudio A G; Silva, Teresinha Gonçalves

2014-01-01

The essential oils from Mangifera indica var. Rosa and Espada latex were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed using GC-FID and GC-MS. Twenty-seven components were identified. The main compound in the essential oil from M. indica var. Espada (EOMiE) was terpinolene (73.6%). The essential oil of M. indica var. Rosa (EOMiR) was characterized by high amounts of β-pinene (40.7%) and terpinolene (28.3%). In the test for leishmanicidal activity against promastigotes forms of L. amazonensis, EOMiR and EOMiE showed IC50 (72 h) of 39.1 and 23.0 μg/mL, respectively. In macrophages, EOMiR and EOMiE showed CC50 of 142.84 and 158.65 μg/mL, respectively. However, both were more specific to the parasite than macrophages, with values of selectivity index of 6.91 for EOMiE and 3.66 for EOMiR. The essential oils were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against the human tumor cells HEp-2, HT-29, NCI-H292, and HL-60. The EOMiR and EOMiE were most effective against the HL-60, with IC50 values of 12.3 and 3.6 μg/mL, respectively. The results demonstrated that the essential oils of M. indica can destroy L. amazonensis and inhibit tumor cell growth. These findings contribute to the knowledge of the Brazilian biodiversity as a source of potential therapeutic agents.

Chemical Composition, Leishmanicidal and Cytotoxic Activities of the Essential Oils from Mangifera indica L. var. Rosa and Espada

PubMed Central

Ramos, Eduardo H. S.; Moraes, Marcílio M.; Nerys, Laís L. de A.; Nascimento, Silene C.; Militão, Gardênia C. G.; de Figueiredo, Regina C. B. Q.; da Câmara, Cláudio A. G.; Silva, Teresinha Gonçalves

2014-01-01

The essential oils from Mangifera indica var. Rosa and Espada latex were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed using GC-FID and GC-MS. Twenty-seven components were identified. The main compound in the essential oil from M. indica var. Espada (EOMiE) was terpinolene (73.6%). The essential oil of M. indica var. Rosa (EOMiR) was characterized by high amounts of β-pinene (40.7%) and terpinolene (28.3%). In the test for leishmanicidal activity against promastigotes forms of L. amazonensis, EOMiR and EOMiE showed IC50 (72 h) of 39.1 and 23.0 μg/mL, respectively. In macrophages, EOMiR and EOMiE showed CC50 of 142.84 and 158.65 μg/mL, respectively. However, both were more specific to the parasite than macrophages, with values of selectivity index of 6.91 for EOMiE and 3.66 for EOMiR. The essential oils were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against the human tumor cells HEp-2, HT-29, NCI-H292, and HL-60. The EOMiR and EOMiE were most effective against the HL-60, with IC50 values of 12.3 and 3.6 μg/mL, respectively. The results demonstrated that the essential oils of M. indica can destroy L. amazonensis and inhibit tumor cell growth. These findings contribute to the knowledge of the Brazilian biodiversity as a source of potential therapeutic agents. PMID:25136617

Consequences of subchronic exposure to ethanolic extract from fruits and leaves of Schinus molle var. areira L. in mice.

PubMed

Bras, Cristina; Domínguez, Sergio; Codón, Stella; Minetti, Alejandra; Ferrero, Adriana

2010-10-28

Several extracts of Schinus molle var. areira L. plant proved to be useful for the treatment of different pathologies and for the control of insect pest. Due to these potential uses, it is necessary to study their safety. In this work, we evaluated the effects of subchronic exposure to ethanolic extracts from leaves and fruits of Schinus molle var. areira in mice. The plant extract was added to the diet at 1 g/kg body weight/day for 90 days. At the end of the exposure, behavioral and functional parameters in a functional observational battery and motor activity in an open field were assessed. Finally, several biochemical and histopathological studies were realized. The exposure to extract from leaves produced an increase in the number of rearings in the open field and of urine pools in the functional observational battery. On the other hand, the exposure to extract from fruits produced an increase in the neutrophil count and a decrease in the lymphocyte count and in the total cholesterol levels. None of the exposures affected the different organs evaluated. Our results suggest that subchronic exposure to ethanolic extracts from leaves and fruits of Schinus molle var. areira should be potentially useful in the treatment of lipid pathologies and safe to use. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and Evaluation of a Molecular Diagnostic Method for Rapid Detection of Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum, the Causative Agent of Epizootic Lymphangitis, in Equine Clinical Samples

PubMed Central

Pinchbeck, G. L.; Loughnane, P.; Aklilu, N.; Ashine, T.; Stringer, A. P.; Gordon, L.; Marshall, M.; Christley, R. M.

2016-01-01

Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum, the causative agent of epizootic lymphangitis (EZL), is endemic in parts of Africa. Diagnosis based on clinical signs and microscopy lacks specificity and is a barrier to further understanding this neglected disease. Here, a nested PCR method targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rRNA operon was validated for application to equine clinical samples. Twenty-nine horses with signs of EZL from different climatic regions of Ethiopia were clinically examined. Blood samples and aspirates of pus from cutaneous nodules were taken, along with blood from a further 20 horses with no cutaneous EZL lesions. Among the 29 horses with suspected cases of EZL, H. capsulatum var. farciminosum was confirmed by extraction of DNA from pus and blood samples from 25 and 17 horses, respectively. Positive PCR results were also obtained with heat-inactivated pus (24 horses) and blood (23 horses) spotted onto Whatman FTA cards. Two positive results were obtained among blood samples from 20 horses that did not exhibit clinical signs of EZL. These are the first reports of the direct detection of H. capsulatum var. farciminosum in equine blood and at high frequency among horses exhibiting cutaneous lesions. The nested PCR outperformed conventional microscopic diagnosis, as characteristic yeast cells could be observed only in 14 pus samples. The presence of H. capsulatum var. farciminosum DNA was confirmed by sequencing the cloned PCR products, and while alignment of the ITS amplicons showed very little sequence variation, there was preliminary single nucleotide polymorphism-based evidence for the existence of two subgroups of H. capsulatum var. farciminosum. This molecular diagnostic method now permits investigation of the epidemiology of EZL. PMID:27707938

7a-hydroxfriedelan-3one-26-OL-29-OIC acid and other constituents from Pileostegia Viburnoids VAR. Glabrescens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The preliminary phytotoxic evaluations of a n-BuOH extract from traditional Chinese medicinal plant Pileostegia viburnoides var. glabrescens showed herbicidal activity against dicot Lactuca sativa (lettuce) and monocot Agrostis stolonifera (bentgrass). In order to identify the phytotoxic constituent...

Bruguiera Species in Hawai'i: Systematic Considerations and Ecological Implications

Treesearch

James A. Allen; Ken W. Krauss; Norman C. Duke; Derral R. Herbst; Olle Bjorkman; Connie Shih

2000-01-01

At least two mangrove tree species in the genus (Bruguiera) were introduced into Hawai'i from the Philippines in 1922. The two are described in the most current manual on the flora of Hawai'i as (B. gymnorrhiza) (L.) Lamk. and (B. parviflora) (Roxb.) W. & A. ex. Griff. There has, however, been...

Quantitative trait loci mapping of heat tolerance in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) using genotyping-by-sequencing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Predicted rising global temperatures due to climate change have generated a demand for crops that are resistant to yield and quality losses from heat stress. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is a cool weather crop with high temperatures during production decreasing both head quality and yie...

Volvalerine A, an unprecedented N-containing sesquiterpenoid dimer derivative from Valeriana officinalis var. latifolia.

PubMed

Wang, Peng-Cheng; Ran, Xin-Hui; Luo, Huai-Rong; Ma, Qing-Yun; Zhou, Jun; Hu, Jiang-Miao; Zhao, You-Xing

2016-03-01

Volvalerine A (1), a novel N-containing bisesquiterpenoid derivative with a dihydroisoxazole ring, and its possible biosynthetic precursor, 1-hydroxy-1,11,11-trimethyldecahydrocyclopropane azulene-10-one (2), were isolated from the roots of Valeriana officinalis var. latifolia. Their structures and relative configurations were identified using spectroscopic data and X-ray crystallography. A plausible biosynthetic pathway for 1 is also presented. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antibodies among men and children to placental-binding Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes that express var2csa.

PubMed

Beeson, James G; Ndungu, Francis; Persson, Kristina E M; Chesson, Joanne M; Kelly, Greg L; Uyoga, Sophie; Hallamore, Sandra L; Williams, Thomas N; Reeder, John C; Brown, Graham V; Marsh, Kevin

2007-07-01

During pregnancy, specific variants of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IEs) can accumulate in the placenta through adhesion to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) mediated by expression of PfEMP1 encoded by var2csa-type genes. Antibodies against these variants are associated with protection from maternal malaria. We evaluated antibodies among Kenyan, Papua New Guinean, and Malawian men and Kenyan children against two different CSA-binding P. falciparum isolates expressing var2csa variants. Specific IgG was present at significant levels among some men and children from each population, suggesting exposure to these variants is not exclusive to pregnancy. However, the level and prevalence of antibodies was substantially lower overall than exposed multigravidas. IgG-binding was specific and did not represent antibodies to subpopulations of non-CSA-binding IEs, and some sera inhibited IE adhesion to CSA. These findings have significant implications for understanding malaria pathogenesis and immunity and may be significant for understanding the acquisition of immunity to maternal malaria.

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Malus hupehensis var. pinyiensis.

PubMed

Duan, Naibin; Sun, Honghe; Wang, Nan; Fei, Zhangjun; Chen, Xuesen

2016-07-01

The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Malus hupehensis var. pinyiensis, a widely used apple rootstock, was determined using the Illumina high-throughput sequencing approach. The genome is 422,555 bp in length and has a GC content of 45.21%. It is separated by a pair of inverted repeats of 32,504 bp, to form a large single copy region of 213,055 bp and a small single copy region of 144,492 bp. The genome contains 38 protein-coding genes, four pseudogenes, 25 tRNA genes, and three rRNA genes. The genome is 25,608 bp longer than that of M. domestica, and several structural variations between these two mitogenomes were detected.

Dry-heat Resistance of Bacillus Subtilis Var. Niger Spores on Mated Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simko, G. J.; Devlin, J. D.; Wardle, M. D.

1971-01-01

Bacillus subtilis var. niger spores were placed on the surfaces of test coupons manufactured from typical spacecraft materials including stainless steel, magnesium, titanium, and aluminum. These coupons were then juxtaposed at the inoculated surfaces and subjected to test pressures of 0, 1000, 5000, and 10,000 psi. Tests were conducted in ambient, nitrogen, and helium atmospheres. While under the test pressure condition, the spores were exposed to 125 C for intervals of 5, 10, 20, 50, or 80 min. Survivor data were subjected to a linear regression analysis that calculated decimal reduction times.

Genetic and environmental control of seasonal carbohydrate dynamics in trees of diverse Pinus sylvestris populations.

PubMed

Oleksyn, J.; Zytkowiak, R.; Karolewski, P.; Reich, P. B.; Tjoelker, M. G.

2000-06-01

We explored environmental and genetic factors affecting seasonal dynamics of starch and soluble nonstructural carbohydrates in needle and twig cohorts and roots of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees of six populations originating between 49 degrees and 60 degrees N, and grown under common garden conditions in western Poland. Trees of each population were sampled once or twice per month over a 3-year period from age 15 to 17 years. Based on similarity in starch concentration patterns in needles, two distinct groups of populations were identified; one comprised northern populations from Sweden and Russia (59-60 degrees N), and another comprised central European populations from Latvia, Poland, Germany and France (49-56 degrees N). Needle starch concentrations of northern populations started to decline in late spring and reached minimum values earlier than those of central populations. For all populations, starch accumulation in spring started when minimum air temperature permanently exceeded 0 degrees C. Starch accumulation peaked before bud break and was highest in 1-year-old needles, averaging 9-13% of dry mass. Soluble carbohydrate concentrations were lowest in spring and summer and highest in autumn and winter. There were no differences among populations in seasonal pattern of soluble carbohydrate concentrations. Averaged across all populations, needle soluble carbohydrate concentrations increased from about 4% of needle dry mass in developing current-year needles, to about 9% in 1- and 2-year-old needles. Root carbohydrate concentration exhibited a bimodal pattern with peaks in spring and autumn. Northern populations had higher concentrations of fine-root starch in spring and autumn than central populations. Late-summer carbohydrate accumulation in roots started only after depletion of starch in needles and woody shoots. We conclude that Scots pine carbohydrate dynamics depend partially on inherited properties that are probably related to phenology of root

A NEW SPECIES OF Bolivar Zaldívar-Riverón et Rodríguez-Jiménez (BRACONIDAE, DORYCTINAE) FROM BRAZIL, WITH NEW RECORDS OF THE AMAZONIAN B. ecuadorensis Zaldívar-Riverón et López-Estrada.

PubMed

Nunes, Juliano Fiorelini; Penteado-Dias, Angelica Maria; Souza-Gadelha, Sian De; Zaldívar-Riverón, Alejandro

2016-05-06

A new species of the doryctine genus Bolivar (Braconidae), B. brasiliensis sp. nov., is described from the Atlantic coastal region in Brazil. New records and taxonomic notes of the Amazonian B. ecuadorensis Zaldívar-Riverón et López-Estrada are also provided.

HYDROLOGICAL AND CLIMATIC RESPONSES OF OLD-GROWTH PINUS ELLIOTTII VAR. DENSA IN MESIC PINE FLATWOODS FLORIDA, USA

EPA Science Inventory

Pinus elliottii Englem. var. densa Little & Dorman (Southern Slash Pine) is unique in that it is the only native sub-tropical pine in the USA. Once occupying much of the south Florida landscape, it is now restricted to an estimated 3% of its pre human settlement area. Land manag...

Family differences in equations for predicting biomass and leaf area in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii).

Treesearch

J.B. St. Clair

1993-01-01

Logarithmic regression equations were developed to predict component biomass and leaf area for an 18-yr-old genetic test of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco var. menziesii) based on stem diameter or cross-sectional sapwood area. Equations did not differ among open-pollinated families in slope, but intercepts...

First Report of Soybean Rust, Caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, on Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) in Illinois

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soybean rust, caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, was first observed on soybean (Glycine max) in the continental United States in Louisiana in 2004, and on kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) in the United States in 2005. Kudzu is a leguminous weed that is prevalent in the southern United States with ...

Characterization of the pH-Mediated solubility of Bacillus thuringiensis var. san diego native δ-endotoxin crystals

Treesearch

C. N. Koller; L. S. Bauer; R. M. Hollingworth

1992-01-01

Native crystals of Bacillus thuringiensis var. san diego, a coleopteran-specific δ-endotoxin, were metabolically labeled with [35S]methionine. Specific activity was 82,000 CPM/μg (2.44 Ci/mmol). Using a universal buffer formulated with the same ionic strength at every pH, we determined that...

The memory-ameliorating effects of Artemisia princeps var. orientalis against cholinergic dysfunction in mice.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaotong; Kim, Dong Hyun; Kim, Jong Min; Park, Se Jin; Cai, Mudan; Jang, Dae Sik; Ryu, Jong Hoon

2012-01-01

Artemisia princeps var. orientalis (Compositae) is widely distributed in China, Japan and Korea and is known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative activities. The ethyl acetate fraction of ethanolic extract of A. princeps var. orientalis (AEA) was found to inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity in a dose-dependent manner in vitro (IC(50) value: 541.4 ± 67.5 μg/ml). Therefore, we investigated the effects of AEA on scopolamine-induced learning and memory impairment using the passive avoidance, the Y-maze, and the Morris water maze tasks in mice. AEA (100 or 200 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly ameliorated scopolamine-induced cognitive impairments in the passive avoidance and Y-maze tasks (p < 0.05). In the Morris water maze task, AEA (200 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly shortened escape latencies in training trials and increased both swimming time spent in the target zone and probe crossing numbers during the probe trial as compared with scopolamine-treated mice (p < 0.05). Additionally, the ameliorating effect of AEA on scopolamine-induced memory impairment was antagonized by a subeffective dose of MK-801. These results suggest that AEA could be an effective treatment against cholinergic dysfunction and its effect is mediated by the enhancement of the cholinergic neurotransmitter system via NMDA receptor signaling or acetylcholinesterase inhibition.

Power Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing of Multiple Photovoltaic Inverters' Volt-Var Control with Real-Time Grid Model

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

Chakraborty, Sudipta; Nelson, Austin; Hoke, Anderson

2016-12-12

Traditional testing methods fall short in evaluating interactions between multiple smart inverters providing advanced grid support functions due to the fact that such interactions largely depend on their placements on the electric distribution systems with impedances between them. Even though significant concerns have been raised by the utilities on the effects of such interactions, little effort has been made to evaluate them. In this paper, power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) based testing was utilized to evaluate autonomous volt-var operations of multiple smart photovoltaic (PV) inverters connected to a simple distribution feeder model. The results provided in this paper show that depending onmore » volt-var control (VVC) parameters and grid parameters, interaction between inverters and between the inverter and the grid is possible in some extreme cases with very high VVC slopes, fast response times and large VVC response delays.« less

Biogeographic variation of foliar n-alkanes of Juniperus communis var. saxatilis Pallas from the Balkans.

PubMed

Rajčević, Nemanja; Janaćković, Pedja; Dodoš, Tanja; Tešević, Vele; Marin, Petar D

2014-12-01

The composition of the epicuticular n-alkanes isolated from the leaves of ten populations of Juniperus communis L. var. saxatilis Pallas from central (continental) and western (coastal) areas of the Balkan Peninsula was characterized by GC-FID and GC/MS analyses. In the leaf waxes, 14 n-alkane homologues with chain-lengths ranging from C22 to C35 were identified. All samples were dominated by n-tritriacontane (C33 ), but differences in two other dominant n-alkanes allowed separating the coastal from the continental populations. Several statistical methods (ANOVA, principal component, discriminant, and cluster analyses as well as the Mantel test) were deployed to analyze the diversity and variability of the epicuticular-leaf-n-alkane patterns of the ten natural populations of J. communis var. saxatilis and their relation to different geographic and bioclimatic parameters. Cluster analysis showed a high correlation of the leaf-n-alkane patterns with the geographical distribution of the investigated samples, differentiating the coastal from the continental populations of this taxon. Several bioclimatic parameters related to aridity were highly correlated with this differentiation. Copyright © 2014 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

Development and Evaluation of a Molecular Diagnostic Method for Rapid Detection of Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum, the Causative Agent of Epizootic Lymphangitis, in Equine Clinical Samples.

PubMed

Scantlebury, C E; Pinchbeck, G L; Loughnane, P; Aklilu, N; Ashine, T; Stringer, A P; Gordon, L; Marshall, M; Christley, R M; McCarthy, A J

2016-12-01

Histoplasma capsulatum var. farciminosum, the causative agent of epizootic lymphangitis (EZL), is endemic in parts of Africa. Diagnosis based on clinical signs and microscopy lacks specificity and is a barrier to further understanding this neglected disease. Here, a nested PCR method targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the rRNA operon was validated for application to equine clinical samples. Twenty-nine horses with signs of EZL from different climatic regions of Ethiopia were clinically examined. Blood samples and aspirates of pus from cutaneous nodules were taken, along with blood from a further 20 horses with no cutaneous EZL lesions. Among the 29 horses with suspected cases of EZL, H. capsulatum var. farciminosum was confirmed by extraction of DNA from pus and blood samples from 25 and 17 horses, respectively. Positive PCR results were also obtained with heat-inactivated pus (24 horses) and blood (23 horses) spotted onto Whatman FTA cards. Two positive results were obtained among blood samples from 20 horses that did not exhibit clinical signs of EZL. These are the first reports of the direct detection of H. capsulatum var. farciminosum in equine blood and at high frequency among horses exhibiting cutaneous lesions. The nested PCR outperformed conventional microscopic diagnosis, as characteristic yeast cells could be observed only in 14 pus samples. The presence of H. capsulatum var. farciminosum DNA was confirmed by sequencing the cloned PCR products, and while alignment of the ITS amplicons showed very little sequence variation, there was preliminary single nucleotide polymorphism-based evidence for the existence of two subgroups of H. capsulatum var. farciminosum This molecular diagnostic method now permits investigation of the epidemiology of EZL. Copyright © 2016 Scantlebury et al.

Actual evapotranspiration estimation in a Mediterranean mountain region by means of Landsat-5 TM and TERRA/AQUA MODIS imagery and Sap Flow measurements in Pinus sylvestris forest stands.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cristóbal, J.; Poyatos, R.; Ninyerola, M.; Pons, X.; Llorens, P.

2009-04-01

Evapotranspiration monitoring has important implications on global and regional climate modelling, as well as in the knowledge of the hydrological cycle and in the assessment of environmental stress that affects forest and agricultural ecosystems. An increase of evapotranspiration while precipitation remains constant, or is reduced, could decrease water availability for natural and agricultural systems and human needs. Consequently, water balance methods, as the evapotranspiration modelling, have been widely used to estimate crop and forest water needs, as well as the global change effects. Nowadays, radiometric measurements provided by Remote Sensing and GIS analysis are the technologies used to compute evapotranspiration at regional scales in a feasible way. Currently, the 38% of Catalonia (NE of the Iberian Peninsula) is covered by forests, and one of the most important forest species is Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) which represents the 18.4% of the area occupied by forests. The aim of this work is to model actual evapotranspiration in Pinus sylvestris forest stands, in a Mediterranean mountain region, using remote sensing data, and compare it with stand-scale sap flow measurements measured in the Vallcebre research area (42° 12' N, 1° 49' E), in the Eastern Pyrenees. To perform this study a set of 30 cloud-free TERRA-MODIS images and 10 Landsat-5 TM images of path 198 and rows 31 and 32 from June 2003 to January 2005 have been selected to perform evapotranspiration modelling in Pinus sylvestris forest stands. TERRA/AQUA MODIS images have been downloaded by means of the EOS Gateway. We have selected two different types of products which contain the remote sensing data we have used to model daily evapotranspiration, daily LST product and daily calibrated reflectances product. Landsat-5 TM images have been corrected by means of conventional techniques based on first order polynomials taking into account the effect of land surface relief using a Digital

Genotoxicity of dill (Anethum graveolens L.), peppermint (Menthaxpiperita L.) and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) essential oils in human lymphocytes and Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Lazutka, J R; Mierauskiene, J; Slapsyte, G; Dedonyte, V

2001-05-01

Genotoxic properties of the essential oils extracted from dill (Anethum graveolens L.) herb and seeds, peppermint (Menthaxpiperita L.) herb and pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) needles were studied using chromosome aberration (CA) and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) tests in human lymphocytes in vitro, and Drosophila melanogaster somatic mutation and recombination test (SMART) in vivo. In the CA test, the most active essential oil was from dill seeds, then followed essential oils from dill herb, peppermint herb and pine needles, respectively. In the SCE test, the most active essential oils were from dill herb and seeds followed by essential oils from pine needles and peppermint herb. Essential oils from dill herb and seeds and pine needles induced CA and SCE in a clear dose-dependent manner, while peppermint essential oil induced SCE in a dose-independent manner. All essential oils were cytotoxic for human lymphocytes. In the SMART test, a dose-dependent increase in mutation frequency was observed for essential oils from pine and dill herb. Peppermint essential oil induced mutations in a dose-independent manner. Essential oil from dill seeds was almost inactive in the SMART test.

Airborne-pollen pool and mating pattern in a hybrid zone between Pinus pumila and P. parviflora var. pentaphylla.

PubMed

Ito, Megumi; Suyama, Yoshihisa; Ohsawa, Takeshi A; Watano, Yasuyuki

2008-12-01

The reproductive isolation barriers and the mating patterns among Pinus pumila, P. parviflora var. pentaphylla and their hybrids were examined by flowering phenology and genetic assays of three life stages: airborne-pollen grains, adults and seeds, in a hybrid zone on Mount Apoi, Hokkaido, Japan. Chloroplast DNA composition of the airborne-pollen was determined by single-pollen polymerase chain reaction. Mating patterns were analysed by estimating the molecular hybrid index of the seed parent, their seed embryos and pollen parents. The observation of flowering phenology showed that the flowering of P. pumila precedes that of P. parviflora var. pentaphylla by about 6 to 10 days within the same altitudinal ranges. Although this prezygotic isolation barrier is effective, the genetic assay of airborne-pollen showed that the two pine species, particularly P. pumila, still have chances to form F(1) hybrid seeds. Both parental species showed a strong assortative mating pattern; F(1) seeds were found in only 1.4% of seeds from P. pumila mother trees and not at all in P. parviflora var. pentaphylla. The assortative mating was concluded as the combined result of flowering time differentiation and cross-incompatibility. In contrast to the parental species, hybrids were fertilized evenly by the two parental species and themselves. The breakdown of prezygotic barriers (intermediate flowering phenology) and cross-incompatibility may account for the unselective mating. It is suggested that introgression is ongoing on Mount Apoi through backcrossing between hybrids and parental species, despite strong isolation barriers between the parental species.

A redox-mediated modulation of stem bolting in transgenic Nicotiana sylvestris differentially expressing the external mitochondrial NADPH dehydrogenase.

PubMed

Liu, Yun-Jun; Nunes-Nesi, Adriano; Wallström, Sabá V; Lager, Ida; Michalecka, Agnieszka M; Norberg, Fredrik E B; Widell, Susanne; Fredlund, Kenneth M; Fernie, Alisdair R; Rasmusson, Allan G

2009-07-01

Cytosolic NADPH can be directly oxidized by a calcium-dependent NADPH dehydrogenase, NDB1, present in the plant mitochondrial electron transport chain. However, little is known regarding the impact of modified cytosolic NADPH reduction levels on growth and metabolism. Nicotiana sylvestris plants overexpressing potato (Solanum tuberosum) NDB1 displayed early bolting, whereas sense suppression of the same gene led to delayed bolting, with consequential changes in flowering time. The phenotype was dependent on light irradiance but not linked to any change in biomass accumulation. Whereas the leaf NADPH/NADP(+) ratio was unaffected, the stem NADPH/NADP(+) ratio was altered following the genetic modification and strongly correlated with the bolting phenotype. Metabolic profiling of the stem showed that the NADP(H) change affected relatively few, albeit central, metabolites, including 2-oxoglutarate, glutamate, ascorbate, sugars, and hexose-phosphates. Consistent with the phenotype, the modified NDB1 level also affected the expression of putative floral meristem identity genes of the SQUAMOSA and LEAFY types. Further evidence for involvement of the NADPH redox in stem development was seen in the distinct decrease in the stem apex NADPH/NADP(+) ratio during bolting. Additionally, the potato NDB1 protein was specifically detected in mitochondria, and a survey of its abundance in major organs revealed that the highest levels are found in green stems. These results thus strongly suggest that NDB1 in the mitochondrial electron transport chain can, by modifying cell redox levels, specifically affect developmental processes.

[Comparative study on specific chromatograms and main active components of wild and cultivated rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis].

PubMed

Zan, Ke; Gao, Yu-Ming; Cui, Gan; Liu, Jie; Guo, Li-Nong; Zheng, Jian; Ma, Shuang-Cheng

2017-08-01

The present study is to compare specific chromatograms and main acitive components between wild and cultivated rhizomes of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis by HPLC. HPLC analysis was performed on a Waters XSelect HSS T3 C₁₈ clumn (4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm), with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile (A)-water (B) at a flow rate of 1 mL•min⁻¹ (0-50 min,30%-50%A;50-80 min,50% A,80-85 min,50%-30%A;85-100 min,30% A). The detection wavelength was 203 nm and the column temperature was controlled at 30 ℃, and the injection volume was 10 μL. HPLC specific chromatograms of wild and cultivated rhizomes of P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis were established and nine steroidal saponins were simultaneously determined by the above method. The mean contents of paris saponin Ⅶ, paris saponin H and total average contents of four pennogenyl saponins in Rhizomes of wild samples were significantly higher than those of cultivated ones. However, this result is opposite from the average content of paris saponin Ⅰ and total average contents of five dioscins in the wild and cultivated samples. Because the significant differences occurred for the specific chromatograms and main active components between the wild and cultivated P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis, much more pharmacological and clinical researches are therefore necessary. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Soil bacterial community responses to revegetation of moving sand dune in semi-arid grassland.

PubMed

Cao, Chengyou; Zhang, Ying; Cui, Zhenbo; Feng, Shuwei; Wang, Tingting; Ren, Qing

2017-08-01

Grasslands in semi-arid Northern China are widely desertified, thus inducing the formation of a large area of moving sand lands. Revegetation of the sandy land is commonly adopted to restore degraded grasslands. The structure of the soil microbial community might dramatically change during degradation and recovery because microorganisms are one of the major drivers of ecological process through their interactions with plants and soil. Assuming that soil properties are the key determinants of the structure of soil bacterial community within the same soil type, whether the vegetation type causes the significant difference in the structure of soil bacterial community during revegetation and restoration of the degraded grasslands remains poorly understood. Our study aimed to (1) investigate the response of soil bacterial communities to the changes during vegetation degradation and recovery and (2) evaluate whether the soil bacterial communities under plantations return to their native state. We detected the shifts in diversities and compositions of the soil bacterial communities and the relative abundance of dominant bacterial taxa by using the high-throughput Illumina MiSeq sequencing technique in an area covered by 32-year-old Caragana microphylla, Artemisia halodendron, Hedysarum fruticosum, Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, Populus simonii, and Salix gordejevii sand-fixing plantations and in the native community (NC) dominated by elm, and moving sandy dune (MS). We found that the obtained operational taxonomic units by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and diversity index in MS were all significantly lower than those in NC, and the number and composition of dominant genera were significantly different between NC and MS. Interestingly, the compositions of bacterial communities and the dominant genera in different sand-fixation plantations (C. microphylla, A. halodendron, H. fruticosum, P. sylvestris var. mongolica, P. simonii, and S. gordejevii) were all similar to those of

Ecological adaptations in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca). IV. Montana and Idaho near the Continental Divide

Treesearch

Gerald Rehfeldt

1988-01-01

Seventy-seven seedling populations of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) sampled from near the Continental Divide in Idaho and Montana exhibited pronounced genetic differences when compared in three common environments. Differentiation involved several traits that are components of an annual developmental cycle that must be completed within a growing...

Stomatal behavior of ozone-sensitive and -insensitive coneflowers ( Rudbeckia laciniata var. digitata ) in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Treesearch

Nancy Grulke; H. S. Neufeld; A. W. Davison; M. Roberts; A. H. Chappelka

2006-01-01

• Morphological and physiological attributes were assessed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of ozone (O3) sensitivity in a highly sensitive species, cutleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata var. digitata). • Foliage at the same height in the canopy on paired O3-...

Pollination of pima pineapple cactus (Coryphantha sheeri var. robustispina): does pollen flow limit abundance of this endangered species?

Treesearch

Christopher J. McDonald; Guy R. McPherson

2005-01-01

Pima pineapple cactus (PPC) (Coryphantha sheeri var. robustispina), a federally listed endangered species, occurs throughout southeastern Arizona and has relatively low population densities. To determine whether pollination limits reproduction of PPC we used florescent dye to quantify pollen flow between individuals in a PPC...

The histological lesions of Trichophyton mentagrophytes var erinacei infection in dogs.

PubMed

Fairley, R A

2001-04-01

A retrospective study of the histological features of four cases of canine Trichophyton mentagrophytes var erinacei infection is reported. In all four dogs the initial lesions affected the dorsal muzzle and in two dogs the lesions spread to more distant sites on the body. Clinically, the lesions were characterized by scaling, crusting and hair loss. Histologically, the main lesions were characterized by acanthosis, epidermal, ostial and infundibular hyperkeratosis, serocellular crusting, mural folliculitis and furunculosis. Fungal hyphae were usually sparse and often difficult to see in haematoxylin and eosin stained sections. When visible they were seen in the epidermal, ostial and infundibular scale and, less frequently, within hair shafts.

Flavonoids from the stems of Croton caudatus Geisel. var. tomentosus Hook.

PubMed

Zou, Guo-An; Su, Zhi-Heng; Zhang, Hong-Wu; Wang, Yuan; Yang, Jun-Shan; Zou, Zhong-Mei

2010-02-26

A new flavone, named crotoncaudatin (1), was isolated from the stems of Croton caudatus Geisel. var. tomentosus Hook., together with nine known analogues: 3,5,6,7,8,3',4'-heptamethoxyflavone (2), tangeretin (3), nobiletin (4), 5,6,7,4'-tetramethoxy-flavone (5), sinensetin (6), kaempferol (7), tiliroside (8), kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside (9) and rutin (10). The structures of the above compounds were established by a combination of spectroscopic methods, including HR-ESI-MS, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, HMQC and HMBC spectra. All compounds were isolated from and identified in this species for the first time and compounds 1-6 are new for the genus Croton.

Comparative analysis of flavonoid profile, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the berries of Juniperus communis L. var. communis and Juniperus communis L. var. saxatilis Pall. from Turkey.

PubMed

Miceli, Natalizia; Trovato, Ada; Dugo, Paola; Cacciola, Francesco; Donato, Paola; Marino, Andreana; Bellinghieri, Valentina; La Barbera, Tommaso M; Güvenç, Ayşegül; Taviano, Maria F

2009-08-12

The present study was designed to define and compare the flavonoid composition and the biological potential of berries methanol extracts of Juniperus communis L. var. communis (Jcc) and Juniperus communis L. var. saxatilis. Pall. (Jcs) from Turkey. Total polyphenols (Folin-Ciocalteau method) were 3-fold higher in Jcc (59.17 +/- 1.65 mg GAE/g extract) than in Jcs (17.64 +/- 0.09 mg GAE/g extract). Flavonoid and biflavonoid content, evaluated by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MS analysis, was higher in Jcc (25947 +/- 0.86 and 4346 +/- 3.95 microg/g extract) than in Jcs (5387 +/- 34.88 and 1944 +/- 26.88 microg/g extract). The HPLC analysis of Jcc allowed the separation of 16 flavonoids; hypolaetin-7-pentoside and quercetin-hexoside are the main compounds. Moreover, gossypetin-hexoside-pentoside and gossypetin-hexoside were identified for the first time in Jcc berries. In Jcs eight flavonoids were identified: quercetin-hexoside and isoscutellarein-8-O-hexoside are the most abundant compounds. The in vitro antioxidant activity was determined using different methods; Jcc was found to be more active than Jcs in the DPPH test (IC(50) of 0.63 +/- 0.09 mg/mL and 1.84 +/- 0.10 mg/mL) in reducing power assay (12.82 +/- 0.10 ASE/mL and 64.14 +/- 1.20 ASE/mL), and in TBA assay (IC(50) of 4.44 +/- 0.70 microg/mL and 120.07 +/- 3.60 microg/mL). By contrast, Jcs exhibited more elevated Fe(2+) chelating ability than Jcc. The extracts were also studied for their antimicrobial potential, displaying antimicrobial capacity only against Gram-positive bacteria.

Morpho-anatomy, imbibition, viability and germination of the seed of Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil (Fabaceae).

PubMed

Varela, Rodolfo Omar; Albornoz, Patricia Liliana

2013-09-01

Seed biology is a relevant aspect of tropical forests because it is central to the understanding of processes of plant establishment, succession and natural regeneration. Anadenanthera colubrina var. cebil is a timber tree from South America that produces large seeds with thin weak teguments, which is uncommon among legumes. This study describes the morphology and anatomy of the seed coat, the viability, imbibition, and germination in this species. Seeds used during the essays came from 10 trees that grow naturally in Horco Molle, province of Tucumán, Argentina. Seed morphology was described from a sample of 20 units. The seed coat surface was examined with a scanning electron microscope. Transverse sections of hydrated and non-hydrated seeds were employed to describe the histological structure of the seed coat. Hydration, viability and germination experiments were performed under laboratory controlled conditions; and the experimental design consisted of 10 replicas of 10 seeds each. Viability and germination tests were conducted using freshly fallen seeds and seeds stored for five months. Morphologically the seeds of A. colubrina var. cebil are circular to subcircular, laterally compressed, smooth, bright brown and have a horseshoe fissure line (= pleurogram) on both sides. The seed coat comprises five tissue layers and a double (external and internal) cuticle. The outer cuticle (on the epidermis) is smooth and interrupted by microcracks and pores of variable depth. The epidermis consists of macroesclereids with non-lignified secondary walls. This layer is separated from the underlying ones during seed hydration. The other layers of internal tissues are comprised of osteosclereids, parenchyma, osteosclereids, and macrosclereids. The percentage of viable seeds was 93%, decreasing to 75% in seeds with five months old. Seed mass increased 76% after the first eight hours of hydration. Germination percentage was 75% after 76 hours. Germination of seeds stored for five

Callus induction of leaf explant Piper betle L. Var Nigra with combination of plant growth regulators indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), benzyl amino purin (BAP) and kinetin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Junairiah, Zuraidassanaaz, Nabilah Istighfari; Izdihar, Fairuz Nabil; Manuhara, Yosephine Sri Wulan

2017-09-01

The purpose of this research was to determine the combination of plant growth regulators IAA, BAP and kinetin towards callus induction and growth of leaf explants Piper betle L. VarNigra. Explants from leaf of Piper betle L. VarNigra was cultured on MS medium with 24 treatment combinations of plant growth regulators IAA and BAP and 24 treatment combinations of plant growth regulators IAA and kinetin with 0.0;0.5;1.0;1.5;2.0 mg/L concentration respectively, the observed variable were the length of time the formation of callus, callus morphology, fresh and dry weight of callus. The results of this research showed that the combination of growth regulators IAA with BAP and kinetin had effects on leaf growth of Piper betle L. VarNigra. During 8 weeks observation, it indicated that the combination of concentration IAA 0.5 mg/L and BAP 2.0 mg/L showed fastest callus formation at 8.5 days. Combination of concentration IAA 1.0 mg/L and BAP 1.5 mg/L showed the highest of fresh weight at 0.6596 grams, and the highest dry weight was obtained from the combination of concentration IAA 0.5 mg/L and BAP 0.5 mg/L at 0.0727 grams. Combination of concentration IAA 1.0 mg/L and kinetin 1.5 mg/L had the highest of fresh weight at 0.2972 grams and the highest dry weight at 0.1660 grams. Callus of Piper betle L. VarNigra had two textures, that were compact and friable, and also showed various kind of colors, like white, greenish white, yellowish white, tanned white, brown and black. Based on this research, that concentration IAA 1.0 mg/L and 1.5 mg/L kinetin was the best combination for induction of callus from leaf of Piper betle L. Var Nigra.

Improvement of foreign-protein production in Aspergillus niger var. awamori by constitutive induction of the unfolded-protein response.

PubMed

Valkonen, Mari; Ward, Michael; Wang, Huaming; Penttilä, Merja; Saloheimo, Markku

2003-12-01

Unfolded-protein response (UPR) denotes the upregulation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident chaperone and foldase genes and numerous other genes involved in secretory functions during the accumulation of unfolded proteins into the ER. Overexpression of individual foldases and chaperones has been used in attempts to improve protein production in different production systems. We describe here a novel strategy to improve foreign-protein production. We show that the constitutive induction of the UPR pathway in Aspergillus niger var. awamori can be achieved by expressing the activated form of the transcription factor hacA. This induction enhances the production of Trametes versicolor laccase by up to sevenfold and of bovine preprochymosin by up to 2.8-fold in this biotechnically important fungus. The regulatory range of UPR was studied by analyzing the mRNA levels of novel A. niger var. awamori genes involved in different secretory functions. This revealed both similarities and differences to corresponding studies in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

A UV resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopic study on the extractable compounds of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) wood . Part I: Lipophilic compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuopponen, M.; Willför, S.; Jääskeläinen, A.-S.; Sundberg, A.; Vuorinen, T.

2004-11-01

The wood resin in Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) stemwood and branch wood were studied using UV resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy. UVRR spectra of the sapwood and heartwood hexane extracts, solid wood samples and model compounds (six resin acids, three fatty acids, a fatty acid ester, sitosterol and sitosterol acetate) were collected using excitation wavelengths of 229, 244 and 257 nm. In addition, visible Raman spectra of the fatty and resin acids were recorded. Resin compositions of heartwood and sapwood hexane extracts were determined using gas chromatography. Raman signals of both conjugated and isolated double bonds of all the model compounds were resonance enhanced by UV excitation. The oleophilic structures showed strong bands in the region of 1660-1630 cm -1. Distinct structures were enhanced depending on the excitation wavelength. The UVRR spectra of the hexane extracts showed characteristic bands for resin and fatty acids. It was possible to identify certain resin acids from the spectra. UV Raman spectra collected from the solid wood samples containing wood resin showed a band at ˜1650 cm -1 due to unsaturated resin components. The Raman signals from extractives in the resin rich branch wood sample gave even more strongly enhanced signals than the aromatic lignin.

A UV resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopic study on the extractable compounds of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) wood. Part I: lipophilic compounds.

PubMed

Nuopponen, M; Willför, S; Jääskeläinen, A-S; Sundberg, A; Vuorinen, T

2004-11-01

The wood resin in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) stemwood and branch wood were studied using UV resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy. UVRR spectra of the sapwood and heartwood hexane extracts, solid wood samples and model compounds (six resin acids, three fatty acids, a fatty acid ester, sitosterol and sitosterol acetate) were collected using excitation wavelengths of 229, 244 and 257 nm. In addition, visible Raman spectra of the fatty and resin acids were recorded. Resin compositions of heartwood and sapwood hexane extracts were determined using gas chromatography. Raman signals of both conjugated and isolated double bonds of all the model compounds were resonance enhanced by UV excitation. The oleophilic structures showed strong bands in the region of 1660-1630 cm(-1). Distinct structures were enhanced depending on the excitation wavelength. The UVRR spectra of the hexane extracts showed characteristic bands for resin and fatty acids. It was possible to identify certain resin acids from the spectra. UV Raman spectra collected from the solid wood samples containing wood resin showed a band at approximately 1650 cm(-1) due to unsaturated resin components. The Raman signals from extractives in the resin rich branch wood sample gave even more strongly enhanced signals than the aromatic lignin.

Chemodiversity Associated with Cytotoxicity and Antimicrobial Activity of Piper aduncum var. ossanum.

PubMed

Gutiérrez, Yamilet; Montes, Rodny; Scull, Ramón; Sánchez, Arturo; Cos, Paul; Monzote, Lianet; Setzer, William N

2016-12-01

Chemical analysis, antimicrobial activity and cytotoxic effects of essential oils (EOs) from leaves of Piper aduncum var. ossanum from two localities Bauta (EO-B) and Ceiba (EO-C), Artemisa Province, Cuba, were determined. EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. EO-B demonstrated higher activity against S. aureus and L. amazonensis; while a lower cytotoxicity on mammalian cells was observed. Both EOs displayed the same activity against Plasmodium falciparum, Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma brucei, and Leishmania infantum. Both EOs were inactive against Escherichia coli and Candida albicans. © 2016 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

[Exploration of influencing factors of price of herbal based on VAR model].

PubMed

Wang, Nuo; Liu, Shu-Zhen; Yang, Guang

2014-10-01

Based on vector auto-regression (VAR) model, this paper takes advantage of Granger causality test, variance decomposition and impulse response analysis techniques to carry out a comprehensive study of the factors influencing the price of Chinese herbal, including herbal cultivation costs, acreage, natural disasters, the residents' needs and inflation. The study found that there is Granger causality relationship between inflation and herbal prices, cultivation costs and herbal prices. And in the total variance analysis of Chinese herbal and medicine price index, the largest contribution to it is from its own fluctuations, followed by the cultivation costs and inflation.

Hepatoprotective effects of Auricularia cornea var. Li. polysaccharides against the alcoholic liver diseases through different metabolic pathways.

PubMed

Wang, Xiuxiu; Lan, Yufei; Zhu, Yongfa; Li, Shangshang; Liu, Min; Song, Xinling; Zhao, Huajie; Liu, Weiru; Zhang, Jianjun; Wang, Shouxian; Jia, Le

2018-05-15

The present work was designed to evaluate the antioxidation and hepatoprotective effects of Auricularia cornea var. Li. polysaccharides (APS) and enzymatic-extractable APS (EAPS) on the acute alcohol-induced alcoholic liver diseases (ALD). The in vitro antioxidant activities demonstrated that both APS and EAPS had strong reducing power and potential effects on scavenging reactive oxygen species. The in vivo mice experiments showed that the pretreatment with APS or EAPS showed potential hepatoprotective effects on the ALD possibly by increasing the antioxidant activities, reducing the lipid peroxidation, improving the alcohol metabolism, inhibiting the expression levels of inflammatory mediators and preventing the alcohol-induced histopathological alterations. In addition, the fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), 1 H and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) and gas chromatography (GC) had been analyzed to obtained the primarily characteristics. The results indicated that abundant xylose and glucose contents probably had potential effects on possessing the bioactivities. The findings suggested that the A. cornea var. Li. might be considered as promising natural resource on exploring clinical drugs for the prevention and treatment with ALD and its complications.

Approaches for monitoring the release of Pochonia chlamydosporia var. catenulata, a biocontrol agent of root-knot nematodes.

PubMed

Atkins, Simon D; Hidalgo-Diaz, Leopoldo; Clark, Ian M; Morton, C Oliver; de Oca, Nivian Montes; Gray, Paul A; Kerry, Brian R

2003-02-01

Pochonia chlamydosporia var. catenulata is a potential biocontrol agent against root-knot nematodes. Diagnosis of isolates has relied on morphological identification, and is both time-consuming and difficult. beta-tubulin primers have been developed for the identification of this fungus that were specific enough to distinguish between varieties of the fungus within the same species. Separate primers have been developed for the specific detection of P. chlamydosporia var. catenulata based on ITS sequences, which were able to detect the fungus in soil from various sites in Cuba where the biocontrol agent had been added. When the PCR diagnosis was combined with serial dilution of soil samples on selective medium, colonies were rapidly identified. The fungus was still present, albeit at low densities, in soils inoculated five years previously. The development of a baiting method allowed quick in situ screening of the isolates' ability to infect nematode eggs, and when combined with PCR diagnosis both varieties of the fungus could be detected in infected eggs. RFLP analysis of ITS sequences from P. chlamydosporia provided an extra level of discrimination between isolates.

[Research of the essential oil of Plumeria rubra var. actifolia from Laos by supercritical carbon dioxide extraction].

PubMed

Xiao, Xin-Yu; Cui, Long-Hai; Zhou, Xin-Xin; Wu, Yan; Ge, Fa-Huan

2011-05-01

The orthogonal test and the supercritical carbon dioxide fluid extraction were used for optimizing the extraction of the essential oil from Plumeria rubra var. actifolia for the first time. Compared with the steam distillation, the optimal operation parameter of extraction was as follows: extraction pressure 25 MPa, extraction temperature 45 degrees C; separator I pressure 12 MPa, separator I temperature 55 degrees C; separator II pressure 6 MPa, separator II temperature 30 degrees C. Under this condition the yield of the essential oil was 5.8927%. The components were separated and identified by GC-MS. 53 components of Plumeria rubra var. actifolia measured by SFE method were identified and determined by normalization method. The main components were 1, 6, 10-dodecatrien-3-ol, 3, 7, 11-trimethyl, benzoic acid, 2-hydroxy-, phenylmethyl ester, 1, 2-benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis(2-methylpropyl) ester,etc.. 1, 2-Benzenedicarboxylic acid, bis (2-methylpropyl) este. took up 66.11% of the total amount, and there was much difference of the results from SD method.

Assessment of the cytokine profile in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of naturally Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis infested dogs.

PubMed

Singh, Shanker K; Dimri, Umesh; Sharma, Bhaskar; Saxena, Meeta; Kumari, Priyambada

2014-12-15

The mechanism of cytokine secretion from T lymphocytes plays an important role in the immune response of dogs and parasitic skin infestations. Assessment of the cytokine profile of naturally S. scabiei var. canis infested dogs could augment understanding of the pathobiology of canine sarcoptic mange. Therefore, the present study examined the cytokines in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of dogs suffering from sarcoptic mange. Thirteen dogs naturally infected with sarcoptic mange participated in the study. The dogs were found positive for S. scabiei var. canis mites in skin scraping examinations and revealed at least three clinical inclusion criteria. Another five clinically healthy dogs were kept as healthy controls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from heparinized blood samples and used for extraction of mRNA. Further, cDNA was synthesized by using 1 mg of mRNA by reverse transcription using oligonucleotide primers. Relative levels of cytokine expression were compared with normalized glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) transcripts. The levels of interleukin-4, interleukin-5 and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) mRNA expression in dogs with sarcoptic mange were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.01), whereas the level of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) was significantly lower (P ≤ 0.01) in comparison with the healthy dogs. No remarkable difference was seen for interleukin-2 mRNA expression between these animals. An overproduction IL-4 and IL-5 might be involved in immuno-pathogenesis of canine sarcoptic mange. S. scabiei var. canis mites possibly induce an overproduction of TGF-β and reduced expression of TNF-α and thus could be conferring the immune suppression of infested dogs. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developmental transcriptome analysis of floral transition in Rosa odorata var. gigantea.

PubMed

Guo, Xuelian; Yu, Chao; Luo, Le; Wan, Huihua; Zhen, Ni; Li, Yushu; Cheng, Tangren; Wang, Jia; Pan, Huitang; Zhang, Qixiang

2018-05-07

Expression analyses revealed that floral transition of Rosa odorata var. gigantea is mainly regulated by VRN1, COLs, DELLA and KSN, with contributions by the effects of phytohormone and starch metabolism. Seasonal plants utilize changing environmental and developmental cues to control the transition from vegetative growth to flowering at the correct time of year. This study investigated global gene expression profiles at different developmental stages of Rosa odorata var. gigantea by RNA-sequencing, combined with phenotypic characterization and physiological changes. Gene ontology enrichment analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between four different developmental stages (vegetative meristem, pre-floral meristem, floral meristem and secondary axillary buds) indicated that DNA methylation and the light reaction played a large role in inducing the rose floral transition. The expression of SUF and FLC, which are known to play a role in delaying flowering until vernalization, was down-regulated from the vegetative to the pre-floral meristem stage. In contrast, the expression of VRN1, which promotes flowering by repressing FLC expression, increased. The expression of DELLA proteins, which function as central nodes in hormone signaling pathways, and probably involve interactions between GA, auxin, and ABA to promote the floral transition, was well correlated with the expression of floral integrators, such as AGL24, COL4. We also identified DEGs associated with starch metabolism correlated with SOC1, AGL15, SPL3, AGL24, respectively. Taken together, our results suggest that vernalization and photoperiod are prominent cues to induce the rose floral transition, and that DELLA proteins also act as key regulators. The results summarized in the study on the floral transition of the seasonal rose lay a foundation for further functional demonstration, and have profound economic and ornamental values.

Limited prevalence of gaffkaemia (Aerococcus viridans var. homari) isolated from wild-caught European lobsters Homarus gammarus in England and Wales.

PubMed

Stebbing, P D; Pond, M J; Peeler, E; Small, H J; Greenwood, S J; Verner-Jeffreys, D

2012-08-27

Gaffkaemia, caused by Aerococcus viridans var. homari, causes fatal infections in Homarus spp. (clawed lobsters). Despite its high economic significance to the lobster fisheries in the USA and northern Europe, data on its prevalence in captured and wild populations, particularly in Europe, is scarce. Following an outbreak of gaffkaemia in a European lobster holding facility in South Wales (UK), a base-line survey was conducted for gaffkaemia in wild populations of European lobster Homarus gammarus around the coast of England and Wales. In addition, isolates recovered from the original outbreak and the survey were typed using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and compared with previously characterised isolates from the USA, UK and Canada. Locally caught H. gammarus were sampled at 30 sites from around the coast of England and Wales between March 2006 and October 2008. Results confirmed that the prevalence of gaffkaemia in populations of H. gammarus was low, with only 9 positive isolates recovered from 952 samples examined. PFGE analysis showed that the isolates from the outbreak investigation shared the same pulsotype as A. viridans var. homari isolates from the USA, Norway and Canada, as well as an isolate (NCIMB 1119) reportedly recovered from an outbreak of European lobsters in England in the 1960s. This confirms earlier studies that suggest virulent strains of A. viridans var. homari show very limited geographical or temporal genetic variation and were introduced into the UK with American lobsters H. americanus.

Origin Discrimination of Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii Flowers using GC-MS and UPLC-PDA Combined with Multivariable Analysis Methods.

PubMed

Zhou, Fei; Zhao, Yajing; Peng, Jiyu; Jiang, Yirong; Li, Maiquan; Jiang, Yuan; Lu, Baiyi

2017-07-01

Osmanthus fragrans flowers are used as folk medicine and additives for teas, beverages and foods. The metabolites of O. fragrans flowers from different geographical origins were inconsistent in some extent. Chromatography and mass spectrometry combined with multivariable analysis methods provides an approach for discriminating the origin of O. fragrans flowers. To discriminate the Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii flowers from different origins with the identified metabolites. GC-MS and UPLC-PDA were conducted to analyse the metabolites in O. fragrans var. thunbergii flowers (in total 150 samples). Principal component analysis (PCA), soft independent modelling of class analogy analysis (SIMCA) and random forest (RF) analysis were applied to group the GC-MS and UPLC-PDA data. GC-MS identified 32 compounds common to all samples while UPLC-PDA/QTOF-MS identified 16 common compounds. PCA of the UPLC-PDA data generated a better clustering than PCA of the GC-MS data. Ten metabolites (six from GC-MS and four from UPLC-PDA) were selected as effective compounds for discrimination by PCA loadings. SIMCA and RF analysis were used to build classification models, and the RF model, based on the four effective compounds (caffeic acid derivative, acteoside, ligustroside and compound 15), yielded better results with the classification rate of 100% in the calibration set and 97.8% in the prediction set. GC-MS and UPLC-PDA combined with multivariable analysis methods can discriminate the origin of Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii flowers. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Variation and inheritance pattern in cone and seed characteristics of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) for evaluation of genetic diversity.

PubMed

Sevik, Hakan; Topaçoğlu, Osman

2015-09-01

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) is one of the most common and important forest tree species in Turkey due to usefulness of its wood to many commercial uses. This species is classified as one of the economically important tree species for Turkish Forestry in the "National Tree Breeding and Seed Production Program". The objective of the present study was to investigate variation and inheritance pattern in cone and seed characteristics of Scots pine and to evaluate variation in cone and seed characters within and among clones and grafts. The results showed that maximum CV among the clones was found for SWe (21.95), FS (16.99) and CWe (16.88). According to the results of SAS, variation between the clones is averaged at 19.2% and variation within the clones is averaged at 24.4 %. Variation between the clones ranged from 3.6% (SW) to 34.5% (TC) and variation within the clones ranged from 12.3% (SW) to 38.1% (WL). For CW, AL, AW, WW and TC, genetic variation among clones was higher than within clones. When the results of study like compared with results obtained from natural populations, it was seen that genetic variability in seed orchard which was subjected to study was quite low. This case may have dangerous results for the future of forests.

Analysis of the main active ingredients and bioactivities of essential oil from Osmanthus fragrans Var. thunbergii using a complex network approach.

PubMed

Wang, Le; Tan, Nana; Hu, Jiayao; Wang, Huan; Duan, Dongzhu; Ma, Lin; Xiao, Jian; Wang, Xiaoling

2017-12-28

Osmanthus fragrans has been used as folk medicine for thousands of years. The extracts of Osmanthus fragrans flowers were reported to have various bioactivities including free radical scavenging, anti-inflammation, neuroprotection and antitumor effects. However, there is still lack of knowledge about its essential oil. In this work, we analyzed the chemical composition of the essential oil from Osmanthus fragrans var. thunbergii by GC-MS. A complex network approach was applied to investigate the interrelationships between the ingredients, target proteins, and related pathways for the essential oil. Statistical characteristics of the networks were further studied to explore the main active ingredients and potential bioactivities of O. fragrans var. thunbergii essential oil. A total of 44 ingredients were selected from the chemical composition of O. fragrans var. thunbergii essential oil, and that 191 potential target proteins together with 70 pathways were collected for these compounds. An ingredient-target-pathway network was constructed based on these data and showed scale-free property as well as power-law degree distribution. Eugenol and geraniol were screened as main active ingredients with much higher degree values. Potential neuroprotective and anti-tumor effect of the essential oil were also found. A core subnetwork was extracted from the ingredient-target-pathway network, and indicated that eugenol and geraniol contributed most to the neuroprotection of this essential oil. Furthermore, a pathway-based protein association network was built and exhibited small-world property. MAPK1 and MAPK3 were considered as key proteins with highest scores of centrality indices, which might play an important role in the anti-tumor effect of the essential oil. This work predicted the main active ingredients and bioactivities of O. fragrans var. thunbergii essential oil, which would benefit the development and utilization of Osmanthus fragrans flowers. The application of

Efficacy of fluralaner administered either orally or topically for the treatment of naturally acquired Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis infestation in dogs.

PubMed

Taenzler, Janina; Liebenberg, Julian; Roepke, Rainer K A; Frénais, Régis; Heckeroth, Anja R

2016-07-07

The efficacy of fluralaner, formulated as a chewable tablet (Bravecto™) or topical solution (Bravecto™ Spot-on Solution), was evaluated against naturally acquired Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis infestation in dogs. The study was performed in privately-owned dogs naturally infested with S. scabiei var. canis. All dogs living in the same household as the infested dog were enrolled into one of 3 groups (2 fluralaner treated and 1 negative control). All dogs within one household were administered the same treatment, with one dog per household included in further observations and assessments. In total, 29 dogs confirmed positive for sarcoptic mange were included. On Day 0, all dogs in group 1 (n = 9) were treated once orally with fluralaner at a minimum dose of 25 mg/kg body weight; all dogs in group 2 (n = 11) were treated once topically with fluralaner at a dose of 25 mg/kg body weight; and dogs in group 3 (n = 9) were treated once topically with saline solution. Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis mites on each dog were counted before treatment and at 4 weeks after treatment in deep skin scrapings (~4 cm(2)) from 5 different body areas. Clinical signs of infestation (i.e. erythematous papules; casts, scales and crusts; body areas with hair loss) and pruritus were recorded at the same time points. Single oral or topical treatment with fluralaner resulted in a 100 % reduction in mite counts post-treatment (group 1: P = 0.0009 and group 2: P = 0.0011). Resolution of clinical signs at four weeks post-treatment was variable, with improvement observed for erythematous papules, casts and crusts, and pruritus. All fluralaner treated dogs showed an improvement in overall hair re-growth compared with pre-treatment observations. Fluralaner administered either orally or topically to naturally infested dogs eliminates Sarcoptes scabiei var. canis mites and improves clinical signs over a 4-week observation period.

A novel indole-diterpenoid, JBIR-03 with anti-MRSA activity from Dichotomomyces cejpii var. cejpii NBRC 103559.

PubMed

Ogata, Masahiro; Ueda, Jun-ya; Hoshi, Midori; Hashimoto, Junko; Nakashima, Takuji; Anzai, Kozue; Takagi, Motoki; Shin-ya, Kazuo

2007-10-01

A new indole-diterpene, JBIR-03 (1), was isolated from the fungus Dichotomomyces cejpii var. cejpii NBRC 103559 and its structure was determined based on the spectroscopic data. 1 exhibited anti-MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) activity and antifungal activity against apple Valsa canker-causing fungus, Valsa ceratosperma, while it exhibited no toxicity towards human cancer cells.

Ecological adaptations in Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) populations: I. North Idaho and North-East Washington

Treesearch

Gerald E. Rehfeldt

1979-01-01

Growth, phenology and frost tolerance of seedlings from 50 populations of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) were compared in 12 environments. Statistical analyses of six variables (bud burst, bud set, 3-year height, spring and fall frost injuries, and deviation from regression of 3-year height on 2-year height) showed that populations not only differed in...

Organic acids on the growth, anatomical structure, biochemical parameters and heavy metal accumulation of Iris lactea var. chinensis seedling growing in Pb mine tailings.

PubMed

Han, Yu-Lin; Huang, Su-Zhen; Yuan, Hai-Yan; Zhao, Jiu-Zhou; Gu, Ji-Guang

2013-08-01

The effect of citric acid (CA) and ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) on the growth, anatomical structure, physiological responses and lead (Pb) accumulation of Iris lactea var. chinensis seedling growing in Pb mine tailings for 30 days were studied. Results showed that the dry weights (DW) of roots decreased significantly under both levels of CA. The DWs of leaves and roots treated with 2 mmol/kg EDTA decreased significantly and were 23 and 54 %, respectively, lower than those of the control. The tolerant indexes of I. lactea var. chinensis under all treatments of organic acids were lower than control. The root tip anatomical structure was little affected under the treatments of 2 mmol/kg CA and 2 mmol/kg EDTA compared with control. However, the formation of photosynthesizing cells was inhibited by the treatment of 2 mmol/kg EDTA. The concentrations of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and total carotenoids in the leaves treated with 2 mmol/kg EDTA significantly decreased. Higher CA level and lower EDTA level could trigger the synthesis of ascorbic acid and higher level of EDTA could trigger the synthesis of glutathione. CA and EDTA could promote Pb accumulation of I. lactea var. chinensis and Pb concentration in the leaves and roots at 2 mmol/kg EDTA treatment increased significantly and reached to 160.44 and 936.08 μg/g DW, respectively, and 1.8 and 1.6 times higher than those of the control. The results indicated that I. lactea var. chinensis could be used to remediate Pb tailing and the role of EDTA in promoting Pb accumulation was better than CA did.

Faster methods for estimating arc centre position during VAR and results from Ti-6Al-4V and INCONEL 718 alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nair, B. G.; Winter, N.; Daniel, B.; Ward, R. M.

2016-07-01

Direct measurement of the flow of electric current during VAR is extremely difficult due to the aggressive environment as the arc process itself controls the distribution of current. In previous studies the technique of “magnetic source tomography” was presented; this was shown to be effective but it used a computationally intensive iterative method to analyse the distribution of arc centre position. In this paper we present faster computational methods requiring less numerical optimisation to determine the centre position of a single distributed arc both numerically and experimentally. Numerical validation of the algorithms were done on models and experimental validation on measurements based on titanium and nickel alloys (Ti6Al4V and INCONEL 718). The results are used to comment on the effects of process parameters on arc behaviour during VAR.

Genetic heterogeneity underlying variation in a locally adaptive clinal trait in Pinus sylvestris revealed by a Bayesian multipopulation analysis.

PubMed

Kujala, S T; Knürr, T; Kärkkäinen, K; Neale, D B; Sillanpää, M J; Savolainen, O

2017-05-01

Local adaptation is a common feature of plant and animal populations. Adaptive phenotypic traits are genetically differentiated along environmental gradients, but the genetic basis of such adaptation is still poorly known. Genetic association studies of local adaptation combine data over populations. Correcting for population structure in these studies can be problematic since both selection and neutral demographic events can create similar allele frequency differences between populations. Correcting for demography with traditional methods may lead to eliminating some true associations. We developed a new Bayesian approach for identifying the loci underlying an adaptive trait in a multipopulation situation in the presence of possible double confounding due to population stratification and adaptation. With this method we studied the genetic basis of timing of bud set, a surrogate trait for timing of yearly growth cessation that confers local adaptation to the populations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). Population means of timing of bud set were highly correlated with latitude. Most effects at individual loci were small. Interestingly, we found genetic heterogeneity (that is, different sets of loci associated with the trait) between the northern and central European parts of the cline. We also found indications of stronger stabilizing selection toward the northern part of the range. The harsh northern conditions may impose greater selective pressure on timing of growth cessation, and the relative importance of different environmental cues used for tracking the seasons might differ depending on latitude of origin.

Antiparasitic activity and effect of casearins isolated from Casearia sylvestris on Leishmania and Trypanosoma cruzi plasma membrane.

PubMed

Bou, Diego Dinis; Tempone, André G; Pinto, Érika G; Lago, João Henrique G; Sartorelli, Patricia

2014-04-15

Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease are infectious diseases caused by parasite Leishmania sp. and Trypanosoma cruzi, respectively, and are included among the most neglected diseases in several underdeveloped and developing countries, with an urgent demand for new drugs. Considering the antiparasitic potential of MeOH extract from leaves of Casearia sylvestris Sw. (Salicaceae), a bioguided fractionation was conducted and afforded four active clerodane diterpenes (casearins A, B, G, and J). The obtained results indicated a superior efficacy of tested casearins against trypomastigotes of T. cruzi, with IC50 values ranging from 0.53 to 2.77 μg/ml. Leishmania infantum promastigotes were also susceptible to casearins, with IC50 values in a range between 4.45 and 9.48 μg/ml. These substances were also evaluated for mammalian cytotoxicity against NCTC cells resulting in 50% cytotoxic concentrations (CC50) ranging from 1.46 to 13.76 μg/ml. Additionally, the action of casearins on parasite membranes was investigated using the fluorescent probe SYTOX Green. The obtained results demonstrated a strong interaction of casearins A and B to the plasma membrane of T. cruzi parasites, corroborating their higher efficacy against these parasites. In contrast, the tested casearins induced no alteration in the permeability of plasma membrane of Leishmania parasites, suggesting that biochemical differences between Leishmania and T. cruzi plasma membrane might have contributed to the target effect of casearins on trypomastigotes. Thus, considering the importance of studying novel and selective drug candidates against protozoans, casearins A, B, G, and J could be used as tools to future drug design studies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

First report of downy mildew disease caused by Plasmopara halstedii on the native Rudbeckia fulgida Aiton var. speciosa (Wender.)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The showy black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia fulgida Aiton var. speciosa (Wender.) is an important perennial wildflower native to the Northeast and Midwest regions of the United States. Besides its aesthetic value in the landscape, this native plant attracts pollinators and provides seeds for birds during t...

Transcriptome analysis and identification of genes associated with omega-3 fatty acid biosynthesis in Perilla frutescens (L.) var. frutescens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Perilla (Perilla frutescens (L.) var frutescens) produces high levels of a-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid important to health and development. To uncover key genes involved in fatty acid (FA) and triacylglycerol (TAG) synthesis in perilla, we conducted deep sequencing of cD...

Assessing the anticancer compounds Se-methylselenocysteine and glucosinolates in Se-biofortified broccoli (brassica oleracea L. var. italica) sprouts and florets

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) is a rich source of chemopreventive compounds. Here, we evaluated and compared the effect of selenium (Se) treatment on the accumulation of anticancer compound Se-methylselenocysteine (SeMSCys) and glucosinolates in broccoli sprouts and florets. Total Se ...

Photovoltaic Impact Assessment of Smart Inverter Volt-VAR Control on Distribution System Conservation Voltage Reduction and Power Quality

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

Ding, Fei; Nagarajan, Adarsh; Chakraborty, Sudipta

This report presents an impact assessment study of distributed photovoltaic (PV) with smart inverter Volt-VAR control on conservation voltage reduction (CVR) energy savings and distribution system power quality. CVR is a methodology of flattening and lowering a distribution system voltage profile in order to conserve energy. Traditional CVR relies on operating utility voltage regulators and switched capacitors. However, with the increased penetration of distributed PV systems, smart inverters provide the new opportunity to control local voltage and power factor by regulating the reactive power output, leading to a potential increase in CVR energy savings. This report proposes a methodology tomore » implement CVR scheme by operating voltage regulators, capacitors, and autonomous smart inverter Volt-VAR control in order to achieve increased CVR benefit. Power quality is an important consideration when operating a distribution system, especially when implementing CVR. It is easy to measure the individual components that make up power quality, but a comprehensive method to incorporate all of these values into a single score has yet to be undertaken. As a result, this report proposes a power quality scoring mechanism to measure the relative power quality of distribution systems using a single number, which is aptly named the 'power quality score' (PQS). Both the CVR and PQS methodologies were applied to two distribution system models, one obtained from the Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) and another obtained from Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E). These two models were converted to the OpenDSS platform using previous model conversion tools that were developed by NREL. Multiple scenarios including various PV penetration levels and smart inverter densities were simulated to analyze the impact of smart inverter Volt-VAR support on CVR energy savings and feeder power quality. In order to analyze the CVR benefit and PQS, an annual simulation was conducted for each scenario.« less

A Computational Framework for Quantifying and Optimizing the Performance of Observational Networks in 4D-Var Data Assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cioaca, Alexandru

A deep scientific understanding of complex physical systems, such as the atmosphere, can be achieved neither by direct measurements nor by numerical simulations alone. Data assimila- tion is a rigorous procedure to fuse information from a priori knowledge of the system state, the physical laws governing the evolution of the system, and real measurements, all with associated error statistics. Data assimilation produces best (a posteriori) estimates of model states and parameter values, and results in considerably improved computer simulations. The acquisition and use of observations in data assimilation raises several important scientific questions related to optimal sensor network design, quantification of data impact, pruning redundant data, and identifying the most beneficial additional observations. These questions originate in operational data assimilation practice, and have started to attract considerable interest in the recent past. This dissertation advances the state of knowledge in four dimensional variational (4D-Var) data assimilation by developing, implementing, and validating a novel computational framework for estimating observation impact and for optimizing sensor networks. The framework builds on the powerful methodologies of second-order adjoint modeling and the 4D-Var sensitivity equations. Efficient computational approaches for quantifying the observation impact include matrix free linear algebra algorithms and low-rank approximations of the sensitivities to observations. The sensor network configuration problem is formulated as a meta-optimization problem. Best values for parameters such as sensor location are obtained by optimizing a performance criterion, subject to the constraint posed by the 4D-Var optimization. Tractable computational solutions to this "optimization-constrained" optimization problem are provided. The results of this work can be directly applied to the deployment of intelligent sensors and adaptive observations, as well as

40 CFR 180.1154 - CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki encapsulated...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki encapsulated in killed Pseudomonas fluorescens, and the... RESIDUES IN FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1154 CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of... plasmid and cloning vector genetic constructs. CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of Bacillus...

40 CFR 180.1154 - CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki encapsulated...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki encapsulated in killed Pseudomonas fluorescens, and the... RESIDUES IN FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1154 CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of... plasmid and cloning vector genetic constructs. CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of Bacillus...

40 CFR 180.1154 - CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki encapsulated...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki encapsulated in killed Pseudomonas fluorescens, and the... RESIDUES IN FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1154 CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of... plasmid and cloning vector genetic constructs. CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of Bacillus...

40 CFR 180.1154 - CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki encapsulated...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki encapsulated in killed Pseudomonas fluorescens, and the... RESIDUES IN FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1154 CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of... plasmid and cloning vector genetic constructs. CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of Bacillus...

40 CFR 180.1154 - CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki encapsulated...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...-endotoxins of Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki encapsulated in killed Pseudomonas fluorescens, and the... RESIDUES IN FOOD Exemptions From Tolerances § 180.1154 CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of... plasmid and cloning vector genetic constructs. CryIA(c) and CryIC derived delta-endotoxins of Bacillus...

Genetic variability and heritability of chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.).

PubMed

Čepl, Jaroslav; Holá, Dana; Stejskal, Jan; Korecký, Jiří; Kočová, Marie; Lhotáková, Zuzana; Tomášková, Ivana; Palovská, Markéta; Rothová, Olga; Whetten, Ross W; Kaňák, Jan; Albrechtová, Jana; Lstibůrek, Milan

2016-07-01

Current knowledge of the genetic mechanisms underlying the inheritance of photosynthetic activity in forest trees is generally limited, yet it is essential both for various practical forestry purposes and for better understanding of broader evolutionary mechanisms. In this study, we investigated genetic variation underlying selected chlorophyll a fluorescence (ChlF) parameters in structured populations of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) grown on two sites under non-stress conditions. These parameters were derived from the OJIP part of the ChlF kinetics curve and characterize individual parts of primary photosynthetic processes associated, for example, with the exciton trapping by light-harvesting antennae, energy utilization in photosystem II (PSII) reaction centers (RCs) and its transfer further down the photosynthetic electron-transport chain. An additive relationship matrix was estimated based on pedigree reconstruction, utilizing a set of highly polymorphic single sequence repeat markers. Variance decomposition was conducted using the animal genetic evaluation mixed-linear model. The majority of ChlF parameters in the analyzed pine populations showed significant additive genetic variation. Statistically significant heritability estimates were obtained for most ChlF indices, with the exception of DI0/RC, φD0 and φP0 (Fv/Fm) parameters. Estimated heritabilities varied around the value of 0.15 with the maximal value of 0.23 in the ET0/RC parameter, which indicates electron-transport flux from QA to QB per PSII RC. No significant correlation was found between these indices and selected growth traits. Moreover, no genotype × environment interaction (G × E) was detected, i.e., no differences in genotypes' performance between sites. The absence of significant G × E in our study is interesting, given the relatively low heritability found for the majority of parameters analyzed. Therefore, we infer that polygenic variability of these indices is

Chronic granulomatous disease of childhood. An unusual case of infection with Aspergillus nidulans var. echinulatus.

PubMed

White, C J; Kwon-Chung, K J; Gallin, J I

1988-09-01

Aspergillus nidulans var. echinulatus was the sole agent cultured from the left lung, a paraspinal abscess, left ribs, and thoracic vertebral bodies from a patient with chronic granulomatous disease. Hyphal elements were present in histologic sections of lung, vertebral bodies, and infected ribs along with granuloma formation. The patient was treated with two debridement procedures and insertion of a Harrington rod followed by a long course of amphotericin B, flucytosine, and daily white blood cell transfusions.

Safety of Pochonia chlamydosporia var catenulata in acute oral and dermal toxicity/pathogenicity evaluations in rats and rabbits.

PubMed

García, Liseth; Bulnes, Carlos; Melchor, Gleiby; Vega, Ernesto; Ileana, Miranda; de Oca, Nivian Montes; Hidalgo, Leopoldo; Marrero, Eva

2004-10-01

The nematophagous fungus, Pochonia chlamydosporia var. catenulata (Kamyschlco ex Barron & Onions) Zare & W-Gams, was investigated as a potential biocontrol agent in integrated pest management strategy for Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood in vegetable crops in Cuba. An acute oral and dermal toxicity/patogenicity study was performed to determine the safety of this fungus in non-target organisms. In the first study, a 1-dose level of 5 x 10(8) units of the microbial pest control agent/treated rat was used. Mortality or clinical signs were not evident and no adverse effects on body weight, hematology, microbiology and gross or microscopic pathology were observed. Food and water consumption was not significantly different between control and treated groups. In the acute dermal toxicity study, there was neither mortality nor clinical signs of toxicity, and no toxic effects in gross and microscopic pathology were detected. Thus, Pochonia chlamydosporia var. catenulate (Vcc-108, IMI SD 187), administered oral and dermally to rats and rabbits respectively, was safe in toxicity/pathogenicity studies.

The Antibody Response of Pregnant Cameroonian Women to VAR2CSA ID1-ID2a, a Small Recombinant Protein Containing the CSA-Binding Site

PubMed Central

Babakhanyan, Anna; Leke, Rose G. F.; Salanti, Ali; Bobbili, Naveen; Gwanmesia, Philomina; Leke, Robert J. I.; Quakyi, Isabella A.; Chen, John J.; Taylor, Diane Wallace

2014-01-01

In pregnant women, Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes expressing the VAR2CSA antigen bind to chondroitin sulfate A in the placenta causing placental malaria. The binding site of VAR2CSA is present in the ID1-ID2a region. This study sought to determine if pregnant Cameroonian women naturally acquire antibodies to ID1-ID2a and if antibodies to ID1-ID2a correlate with absence of placental malaria at delivery. Antibody levels to full-length VAR2CSA and ID1-ID2a were measured in plasma samples from 745 pregnant Cameroonian women, 144 Cameroonian men, and 66 US subjects. IgM levels and IgG avidity to ID1-ID2a were also determined. As expected, antibodies to ID1-ID2a were absent in US controls. Although pregnant Cameroonian women developed increasing levels of antibodies to full-length VAR2CSA during pregnancy, no increase in either IgM or IgG to ID1-ID2a was observed. Surprisingly, no differences in antibody levels to ID1-ID2a were detected between Cameroonian men and pregnant women. For example, in rural settings only 8–9% of males had antibodies to full-length VAR2CSA, but 90–96% had antibodies to ID1-ID2a. In addition, no significant difference in the avidity of IgG to ID1-ID2a was found between pregnant women and Cameroonian men, and no correlation between antibody levels at delivery and absence of placental malaria was found. Thus, the response to ID1-ID2a was not pregnancy specific, but predominantly against cross-reactivity epitopes, which may have been induced by other PfEMP1 antigens, malarial antigens, or microbes. Currently, ID1-ID2a is a leading vaccine candidate, since it binds to the CSA with the same affinity as the full-length molecule and elicits binding-inhibitory antibodies in animals. Further studies are needed to determine if the presence of naturally acquired cross-reactive antibodies in women living in malaria endemic countries will alter the response to ID1-ID2a following vaccination with ID1-ID2a. PMID:24505415

Chemical characteristics of saponins from Paris fargesii var. brevipetala and cytotoxic activity of its main ingredient, paris saponin H.

PubMed

Wen, Feiyan; Yin, Hongxiang; Chen, Chu; Liu, Xianbo; Xue, Dan; Chen, Tiezhu; He, Jun; Zhang, Hao

2012-06-01

More attention was paid to the anti-tumor activity of Rhizoma Paridis (RP) recently, of which the wild resource was decreased significantly. This study was aimed to elucidate the chemical characteristics of Paris fargesii var. brevipetala (PFB) that may be administrated as alternate resource of legal RP. A HPLC-ELSD method was established to characterize the steroid saponins in rhizomes of PFB and two legal Paris species [Paris polyphylla var. chinensis (PPC) and P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis (PPY)] in Chinese Pharmacopoeia (CP). Ten saponins (paris saponins I, II, V, VI, VII, H, gracillin and other three paris saponins) were involved as standards. The results indicated that PFB contained pennogenyl saponins as the main components with small amounts of diosgenin saponins. The total contents of the detected saponins in PFB ranged from 9.12mg/g to 85.33mg/g. Nine of the twelve PFB samples own a total content of paris saponins I, II, VI, and VII more than 6.0mg/g (meeting the standard of CP 2010 edition). Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares-Discriminate Analysis (PLS-DA) both confirmed the fact that saponin profiles of PFB, PPC and PPY were different from each other. In addition, paris saponin H (Ps H), the predominant saponin of PFB (>50%), was tested in vitro to evaluate its cytotoxic activities on HepG2, A549, RPE and L929 cells with a positive control of Cisplatin. Ps H showed a remarkable cytotoxic activity on A549 cells with an IC(50) value of 1.53±0.08μg/mL. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A biologically active fructan from the roots of Arctium lappa L., var. Herkules.

PubMed

Kardosová, A; Ebringerová, A; Alföldi, J; Nosál'ová, G; Franová, S; Hríbalová, V

2003-11-01

From the roots of Arctium lappa L., var. Herkules a low-molecular-weight fructofuranan of the inulin-type has been isolated by water extraction and ethanol precipitation, followed by ion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration of the crude precipitate. The methods employed in structural determination were methylation analysis and 1H and 13C NMR spectral measurements. In tests for antitussive activity in cats the fructan was found to be equally active as some non-narcotic, synthetic preparations used in clinical practice to treat coughing, and in mitogenic and comitogenic tests its biological response was comparable to that of the commercial Zymosan immunomodulator.

[Onychomycosis for Curvularia lunata var. aeria: presentation of a clinical case].

PubMed

Fraenza, Laura B; Druetta, Silvina Del V; Raga, Ariel J; Luque Aguada, Lizet; Zalazar, Viviana; Farfalli, Luciana

2015-01-01

We here report a clinical case of a female patient presenting with a three-month history of a white onychodystrophic lesion of both hallux. The infection was due to a mold, identified as Curvularia lunata var aeria. The Curvularia gender is related to the production of phaeohyphomycosis, Curvularia lunata cause onychomycosis occasionally. The patient was treated with itraconazole 200mg/day, during six month with complete remission of the lesions. In conclusion, it is important to consider these fungi as causative agent of nail mycosis since the initial site of infection may be a pathway for systemic dissemination in inmunocompromised patients. Copyright © 2014 Asociación Argentina de Microbiología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Susceptibility of the endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) to Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki used for gypsy moth suppression in Michigan

Treesearch

Catherine Papp Herms; Deborah G. McCullough; Leah S. Bauer; Robert A. Haack; Norman R. Dubois

1997-01-01

We investigated the phenological and physiological susceptibility of the endangered Karner blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa samuelis) to Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Bt), a product widely used for gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar) suppression in Michigan and other infested states. We...

Intraspecific Variation in Carotenoids of Brassica oleracea var. sabellica.

PubMed

Mageney, Vera; Baldermann, Susanne; Albach, Dirk C

2016-04-27

Carotenoids are best known as a source of natural antioxidants. Physiologically, carotenoids are part of the photoprotection in plants as they act as scavengers of reactive oxygen species (ROS). An important source of carotenoids in European food is Brassica oleracea. Focusing on the most abundant carotenoids, we estimated the contents of ß-carotene, (9Z)-neoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and lutein as well as those of chlorophylls a and b to assess their variability in Brassica oleracea var. sabellica. Our analyses included more than 30 cultivars categorized in five distinct sets grouped according to morphological characteristics or geographical origin. Our results demonstrated specific carotenoid patterns characteristic for American, Italian, and red-colored kale cultivars. Moreover, we demonstrated a tendency of high zeaxanthin proportions under traditional harvest conditions, which accord to low-temperature regimes. We also compared the carotenoid patterns of self-generated hybrid lines. Corresponding findings indicated that crossbreeding has a high potential for carotenoid content optimization in kale.

A UV resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopic study on the extractable compounds in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) wood. Part II. Hydrophilic compounds.

PubMed

Nuopponen, M; Willför, S; Jääskeläinen, A-S; Vuorinen, T

2004-11-01

Hydrophilic extracts of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) heartwood and sapwood and a solid Scots pine knotwood sample were studied by UV resonance Raman spectroscopy (UVRRS). In addition, UVRR spectra of two hydrophilic model compounds (pinosylvin and chrysin) were analysed. UV Raman spectra were collected using 244 and 257 nm excitation wavelengths. The chemical composition of the acetone:water (95:5 v/v) extracts were also determined by gas chromatography. The aromatic and oleophilic structures of pinosylvin and chrysin showed three intense resonance enhanced bands in the spectral region of 1649-1548 cm(-1). Pinosylvin showed also a relatively intense band in the aromatic substitution region at 996 cm(-1). The spectra of the heartwood acetone:water extract showed many bands typical of pinosylvin. In addition, the extract included bands distinctive for resin and fatty acids. The sapwood acetone:water extract showed bands due to oleophilic structures at 1655-1650 cm(-1). The extract probably also contained oligomeric lignans because the UVRR spectra were in parts similar to that of guaiacyl lignin. The characteristic band of pinosylvin (996 cm(-1)) was detected in the UVRR spectrum of the resin rich knotwood. In addition, several other bands typical for wood resin were observed, which indicated that the wood resin in the knotwood was resonance enhanced even more than lignin.

A UV resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopic study on the extractable compounds in Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) wood . Part II. Hydrophilic compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuopponen, M.; Willför, S.; Jääskeläinen, A.-S.; Vuorinen, T.

2004-11-01

Hydrophilic extracts of Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris) heartwood and sapwood and a solid Scots pine knotwood sample were studied by UV resonance Raman spectroscopy (UVRRS). In addition, UVRR spectra of two hydrophilic model compounds (pinosylvin and chrysin) were analysed. UV Raman spectra were collected using 244 and 257 nm excitation wavelengths. The chemical composition of the acetone:water (95:5 v/v) extracts were also determined by gas chromatography. The aromatic and oleophilic structures of pinosylvin and chrysin showed three intense resonance enhanced bands in the spectral region of 1649-1548 cm -1. Pinosylvin showed also a relatively intense band in the aromatic substitution region at 996 cm -1. The spectra of the heartwood acetone:water extract showed many bands typical of pinosylvin. In addition, the extract included bands distinctive for resin and fatty acids. The sapwood acetone:water extract showed bands due to oleophilic structures at 1655-1650 cm -1. The extract probably also contained oligomeric lignans because the UVRR spectra were in parts similar to that of guaiacyl lignin. The characteristic band of pinosylvin (996 cm -1) was detected in the UVRR spectrum of the resin rich knotwood. In addition, several other bands typical for wood resin were observed, which indicated that the wood resin in the knotwood was resonance enhanced even more than lignin.

Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia ficus indica var. saboten) Protects Against Stress-Induced Acute Gastric Lesions in Rats

PubMed Central

Kim, Seung Hyun; Jeon, Byung Ju; Kim, Dae Hyun; Kim, Tae Il; Lee, Hee Kyoung; Han, Dae Seob; Lee, Jong-Hwan; Kim, Tae Bum; Kim, Jung Wha

2012-01-01

Abstract The protective activity of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus indica var. saboten) fruit juice and its main constituent, betanin, were evaluated against stress-induced acute gastric lesions in rats. After 6 h of water immersion restraint stress (WIRS), gastric mucosal lesions with bleeding were induced in Sprague–Dawley rats. Pretreatment of a lyophilized powder containing O. ficus indica var. saboten fruit juice and maltodextrin (OFSM) and betanin significantly reduced stress lesions (800–1600 mg/kg). Both OFSM and betanin effectively prevented the decrease in gastric mucus content as detected by alcian blue staining. In addition, OFSM significantly suppressed WIRS-induced increases in the level of gastric mucosal tumor necrosis factor-α and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Betanin alone was only effective in decreasing MPO. These results revealed the protective activity of OFSM against stress-induced acute gastric lesions and that betanin may contribute to OFSM's gastric protective activity, at least in part. When OFSM and betanin were taken together, OFSM exerted gastroprotective activity against stress-induced gastric lesions by maintaining gastric mucus, which might be related to the attenuation of MPO-mediated damage and proinflammatory cytokine production. PMID:23062184

Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus indica var. saboten) protects against stress-induced acute gastric lesions in rats.

PubMed

Kim, Seung Hyun; Jeon, Byung Ju; Kim, Dae Hyun; Kim, Tae Il; Lee, Hee Kyoung; Han, Dae Seob; Lee, Jong-Hwan; Kim, Tae Bum; Kim, Jung Wha; Sung, Sang Hyun

2012-11-01

The protective activity of prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficus indica var. saboten) fruit juice and its main constituent, betanin, were evaluated against stress-induced acute gastric lesions in rats. After 6 h of water immersion restraint stress (WIRS), gastric mucosal lesions with bleeding were induced in Sprague-Dawley rats. Pretreatment of a lyophilized powder containing O. ficus indica var. saboten fruit juice and maltodextrin (OFSM) and betanin significantly reduced stress lesions (800-1600 mg/kg). Both OFSM and betanin effectively prevented the decrease in gastric mucus content as detected by alcian blue staining. In addition, OFSM significantly suppressed WIRS-induced increases in the level of gastric mucosal tumor necrosis factor-α and myeloperoxidase (MPO). Betanin alone was only effective in decreasing MPO. These results revealed the protective activity of OFSM against stress-induced acute gastric lesions and that betanin may contribute to OFSM's gastric protective activity, at least in part. When OFSM and betanin were taken together, OFSM exerted gastroprotective activity against stress-induced gastric lesions by maintaining gastric mucus, which might be related to the attenuation of MPO-mediated damage and proinflammatory cytokine production.

Rhizomucor variabilis var. regularior and Hormographiella aspergillata infections in a leukemic bone marrow transplant recipient with refractory neutropenia.

PubMed

Abuali, Mayssa M; Posada, Roberto; Del Toro, Gustavo; Roman, Elizabeth; Ramani, Rama; Chaturvedi, Sudha; Chaturvedi, Vishnu; LaBombardi, Vincent J

2009-12-01

Rhizomucor variabilis and Hormographiella aspergillata rarely cause human infections. This report details a fatal case of a 14-year-old female with leukemia posthematopoietic cell transplant and relapse with refractory pancytopenia. The patient first developed an R. variabilis var. regularior palate infection and later developed a cutaneous H. aspergillata infection while on posaconazole and caspofungin therapy.

Generation of Maillard compounds from inulin during the thermal processing of Agave tequilana Weber Var. azul.

PubMed

Mancilla-Margalli, Norma A; López, Mercedes G

2002-02-13

During the cooking process of Agave tequilana Weber var. azul to produce tequila, besides the hydrolysis of inulin to generate fermentable sugars, many volatiles, mainly Maillard compounds, are produced, most of which may have a significant impact on the overall flavor of tequila. Exudates (agave juice) from a tequila company were collected periodically, and color, Brix, fructose concentration, and reducing sugars were determined as inulin breakdown took place. Maillard compounds were obtained by extraction with CH(2)Cl(2), and the extracts were analyzed by GC-MS. Increments in color, Brix, and reducing sugars were observed as a function of time, but a decrease in fructose concentration was found. Many Maillard compounds were identified in the exudates, including furans, pyrans, aldehydes, and nitrogen and sulfur compounds. The most abundant Maillard compounds were methyl-2-furoate, 2,3-dihydroxy-3,5-dihydro-6-methyl-4(H)-pyran-4-one, and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural. In addition, a series of short- and long-chain fatty acids was also found. A large number of the volatiles in A. tequilana Weber var. azul were also detected in tequila extracts, and most of these have been reported as a powerful odorants, responsible for the unique tequila flavor.

Identification of Insecticidal Constituents from the Essential Oil from the Aerial Parts Stachys riederi var. japonica.

PubMed

Quan, Meirong; Liu, Qi Zhi; Liu, Zhi Long

2018-05-17

The essential oil of Stachys riederi var. japonica (Family: Lamiaceae) was extracted by hydrodistillation and determined by GC and GC-MS. A total of 40 components were identified, representing 96.01% of the total oil composition. The major compounds in the essential oil were acetanisole (15.43%), anisole (9.43%), 1,8-cineole (8.07%), geraniol (7.89%), eugenol (4.54%), caryophyllene oxide (4.47%), caryophyllene (4.21%) and linalool (4.07%). Five active constituents (acetanisole, anisole, 1,8-cineole, eugenol and geraniol) were identified by bioactivity-directed fractionation. The essential oil possessed fumigant toxicity against maize weevils ( Sitophilus zeamais ) and booklice ( Liposcelis bostrychophila ), with LC 50 values of 15.0 mg/L and 0.7 mg/L, respectively. Eugenol and anisole exhibited stronger fumigant toxicity than the oil against booklice. 1,8-Cineole showed stronger toxicity, and anisole as well as eugenol exhibited the same level of fumigant toxicity as the essential oil against maize weevils. The essential oil also exhibited contact toxicity against S. zeamais adults and L. bostrychophila , with LC 50 values of 21.8 µg/adult and 287.0 µg/cm², respectively. The results indicated that the essential oil of S. riederi var. japonica and its isolates show potential as fumigants, and for their contact toxicity against grain storage insects.

Evaluation of microbiological accumulation capability of the commercial sponge Spongia officinalis var. adriatica (Schmidt) (Porifera, Demospongiae).

PubMed

Stabili, Loredana; Licciano, Margherita; Longo, Caterina; Corriero, Giuseppe; Mercurio, Maria

2008-05-01

This study was carried out to evaluate the microbiological accumulation capability of the demosponge Spongia officinalis var. adriatica. Six microbiological parameters were researched in two sampling periods in the water and in reared sponge samples coming from sites with different degrees of microbial contamination: an off-shore fish farm displaced off the Apulian coast (Southern Adriatic Sea) and a no-impacted area displaced into the Marine Protected Area of Porto Cesareo (Apulian coast-Ionian Sea). We detected the density of culturable heterotrophic bacteria by spread plate on marine agar, total culturable bacteria at 37 degrees C on Plate Count Agar and vibrios on thiosulphate-citrate-bile-sucrose-salt (TCBS) agar. Total and fecal coliforms as well as fecal streptococci concentrations were detected by the MPN method. Bacterial densities were always higher in the sponge homogenates compared with the corresponding seawater in the sampling points and in both sampling periods. As regard vibrios, total culturable bacteria at 37 degrees C and fecal streptococci concentrations, the highest values were observed in the sponge samples coming from the off-shore fish farm during the summer period. The ability of Spongia officinalis var. adriatica to accumulate the microbial pollution indicators suggests that this species can be employed as a bioindicator for monitoring water quality.

Aliphatic Chains of Esterified Lipids in Isolated Eyespots of Euglena gracilis var. bacillaris1

PubMed Central

Hilenski, Lula L.; Walne, Patricia L.; Snyder, Fred

1976-01-01

Isolated eyespot granules of Euglena gracilis Klebs var. bacillaris Pringsheim contained approximately 6% lipids (based on protein). Separation of the lipid extracts by thin layer chromatography revealed four major fractions: wax esters, triacylglycerols, free fatty acids, and phospholipids. Methanolysis of each fraction yielded between 27 and 29 different fatty acids ranging from 12:0 to 22:6. Acetates of the fatty alcohols of the wax fraction consisted of 11:0 to 18:0 carbon chains, with 14:0 being the major component; unsaturated alcohols were not detected. PMID:16659543

Longicalycinin A, a new cytotoxic cyclic peptide from Dianthus superbus var. longicalycinus (MAXIM.) WILL.

PubMed

Hsieh, Pei-Wen; Chang, Fang-Rong; Wu, Ching-Chung; Li, Chien-Ming; Wu, Kuen-Yuh; Chen, Su-Li; Yen, Hsin-Fu; Wu, Yang-Chang

2005-03-01

A new cyclic peptide, longicalycinin A (1), and six known compounds, vaccaroside A, dianoside A, dianoside G, 3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-phenyl)propionic acid methyl ester, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, and p-hydroxybenzaldehyde were isolated from the MeOH extract of Dianthus superbus var. longicalycinus. The amino acid sequences of 1 was elucidated as cyclo(Gly(1)-Phe(2)-Tyr(3)-Pro(4)-Phe(5)-) on the basis of ESI tandem mass fragmentation analysis, chemical evidence, and extensive 2D NMR methods. Furthermore, compound 1 showed cytotoxicity to Hep G2 cancer cell line.

Trypanocidal and leishmanicidal activities of flavonoids isolated from Stevia satureiifolia var. satureiifolia.

PubMed

Beer, María Florencia; Frank, Fernanda Maria; Germán Elso, Orlando; Ernesto Bivona, Augusto; Cerny, Natacha; Giberti, Gustavo; Luis Malchiodi, Emilio; Susana Martino, Virginia; Alonso, María Rosario; Patricia Sülsen, Valeria; Cazorla, Silvia Ines

2016-10-01

Context Chagas' disease and leishmaniasis produce significant disability and mortality with great social and economic impact. The genus Stevia (Asteraceae) is a potential source of antiprotozoal compounds. Objective Aerial parts of four Stevia species were screened on Trypanosoma cruzi. Stevia satureiifolia (Lam.) Sch. Bip. var. satureiifolia (Asteraceae) dichloromethane extract was selected for a bioassay-guided fractionation in order to isolate its active compounds. Additionally, the antileishmanial activity and the cytotoxicity of these compounds on mammalian cells were assessed. Materials and methods The dichloromethane extract was fractionated by column chromatography. The isolated compounds were evaluated using concentrations of 0-100 μg/mL on T. cruzi epimastigotes and on Leishmania braziliensis promastigotes for 72 h, on trypomastigotes and amastigotes of T. cruzi for 24 h and 120 h, respectively. The compounds' cytotoxicity (12.5-500 μg/mL) was assessed on Vero cells by the MTT assay. The structure elucidation of each compound was performed by spectroscopic methods and HPLC analysis. Results The dichloromethane extracts of Stevia species showed significant activity on T. cruzi epimastigotes. The flavonoids eupatorin (1.3%), cirsimaritin (1.9%) and 5-desmethylsinensetin (1.5%) were isolated from S. satureiifolia var. satureiifolia extract. Eupatorin and 5-desmethylsinensetin showed IC50 values of 0.2 and 0.4 μg/mL on T. cruzi epimastigotes and 61.8 and 75.1 μg/mL on trypomastigotes, respectively. The flavonoid 5-desmethylsinensetin showed moderate activity against T. cruzi amastigotes (IC50  value = 78.7 μg/mL) and was the most active compound on L. braziliensis promastigotes (IC50  value = 37.0 μg/mL). Neither of the flavonoids showed cytotoxicity on Vero cells, up to a concentration of 500 μg/mL.

Triterpene glycosides from the whole plant of Anemone hupehensis var. japonica and their cytotoxic activity.

PubMed

Yokosuka, Akihito; Sano, Tomoe; Hashimoto, Ken; Sakagami, Hiroshi; Mimaki, Yoshihiro

2009-12-01

Three new triterpene glycosides (1-3), together with eight known triterpene glycosides (4-11), were isolated from the whole plant of Anemone hupehensis var. japonica (Ranunculaceae). The structures of the new compounds were determined on the basis of spectroscopic analysis and the results of hydrolytic cleavage experiments. The isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxic activities against HL-60 human leukemia cells, HSC-2 human oral squamous carcinoma cells, HSC-4 human oral squamous carcinoma cells, and A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells.

In vitro Antioxidant of a Water-Soluble Polysaccharide from Dendrobium fimhriatum Hook.var.oculatum Hook

PubMed Central

Luo, Aoxue; Fan, Yijun

2011-01-01

A water-soluble crude polysaccharide (DFHP) obtained from the aqueous extracts of the stem of Dendrobium fimhriatum Hook.var.oculatum Hook through hot water extraction followed by ethanol precipitation, was found to have an average molecular weight (Mw) of about 209.3 kDa. Monosaccharide analysis revealed that DFHP was composed of mannose, glucose and galactose in a content ratio of 37.52%; 43.16%; 19.32%. The investigation of antioxidant activity in vitro showed that DFHP is a potential antioxidant. PMID:21747725

Effects of exogenous glutathione and cysteine on growth, lead accumulation, and tolerance of Iris lactea var. chinensis.

PubMed

Yuan, Haiyan; Zhang, Yongxia; Huang, Suzhen; Yang, Yongheng; Gu, Chunsun

2015-02-01

Effects of exogenous reduced glutathione (GSH) and cysteine (Cys) on growth, lead (Pb) accumulation, and nonprotein thiol (NPT) contents of Iris lactea var. chinensis under 100 and 500 mg L(-1) Pb stress were studied. Our results showed that 500 mg L(-1) Pb stress caused a dramatical decline in fresh weights, while the reduction of aboveground biomass was alleviated by exogenous GSH and Cys even though keeping higher Pb contents in roots and shoots. Exogenous GSH and Cys could enhance Pb accumulation in the shoots and roots compared with single Pb treatment. The promoting effect of GSH to Pb accumulation was larger than the effect of Cys, and the Pb contents in the shoots and roots treated with 500 mg L(-1) Pb + GSH reached 1,712 and 14,603 mg kg(-1), about 4.19 and 2.78 times of single 500 mg L(-1) Pb treatment, respectively. Microscopic imaging of Pb in roots and leaves showed that higher intensive fluorescence was observed in cell wall of root epidermis, stele, vascular tissues of the roots, and sclerenchyma cells of leaves treated with 500 mg L(-1) Pb + GSH and treated with 500 mg L(-1) Pb + Cys. Exogenous GSH had an apparent promoting effect on root and shoot GSH synthesis, while exogenous Cys reduced the synthesis of cellular GSH in shoot and increased Cys contents. Pb only induced the synthesis of phytochelatin (PC)2 in roots, and the PC2 content declined in GSH- and Cys-treated plant roots. These results suggested that GSH synthesis was a more effective approach to improve Pb accumulation and translocation of I. lactea var. chinensis. Further analysis of protein expression in plants by exogenous GSH and buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) application showed that the proteins regulated by GSH and BSO may constitute various enzymes involved in GSH biosynthesis and play certain roles in Pb accumulation and tolerance of I. lactea var. chinensis.

Composite coating of alginate-olive oil enriched with antioxidants enhances postharvest quality and shelf life of Ber fruit (Ziziphus mauritiana Lamk. Var. Gola).

PubMed

Ramana Rao, T V; Baraiya, Nilanjana S; Vyas, Pinal B; Patel, Dhara M

2016-01-01

The present study has been carried out to evaluate the effect of a composite edible coating of 2 % Sodium alginate and 0.2 % Olive oil with combination of 1 % ascorbic acid and 1 % citric acid on the post harvest nutritional quality and shelf life of Ber fruit stored at 25 ± 2 °C and 65 % R.H. The coatings reduced the decay occurrence, weight loss, accumulation of total soluble solids (TSS) and total sugars in Ber fruit and enhanced the level of antioxidants. The delayed activity of polygalacturonase (PG), Pectate lyase (PL) and Pectin methyl esterase (PME) was noticed in coated fruits than that of the control fruit indicating the reduced softening and ripening process. These findings suggest that the composite edible coating tested under the current study has the potential to control decaying incidence of Ber fruit, extends its storage life and also improves its valuable nutritional characteristics.

Structure of the DBL3x domain of pregnancy-associated malaria protein VAR2CSA complexed with chondroitin sulfate A

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

Singh, K.; Gittis, A.G.; Nguyen, P.

Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes bind to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) in the placenta via the VAR2CSA protein, a member of the P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein-1 family, leading to life-threatening malaria in pregnant women with severe effects on their fetuses and newborns. Here we describe the structure of the CSA binding DBL3x domain, a Duffy binding-like (DBL) domain of VAR2CSA. By forming a complex of DBL3x with CSA oligosaccharides and determining its structure, we have identified the CSA binding site to be a cluster of conserved positively charged residues on subdomain 2 and subdomain 3. Mutation or chemical modification of lysinemore » residues at the site markedly diminished CSA binding to DBL3x. The location of the CSA binding site is an important step forward in the molecular understanding of pregnancy-associated malaria and offers a new target for vaccine development.« less

Persisting soil drought reduces leaf specific conductivity in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens).

PubMed

Sterck, Frank J; Zweifel, Roman; Sass-Klaassen, Ute; Chowdhury, Qumruzzaman

2008-04-01

Leaf specific conductivity (LSC; the ratio of stem conductivity (K(P)) to leaf area (A(L))), a measure of the hydraulic capacity of the stem to supply leaves with water, varies with soil water content. Empirical evidence for LSC responses to drought is ambiguous, because previously published results were subject to many confounding factors. We tested how LSC of similar-sized trees of the same population, under similar climatic conditions, responds to persistently wet or dry soil. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens Willd.) trees were compared between a dry site and a wet site in the Valais, an inner alpine valley in Switzerland. Soil water strongly influenced A(L) and K(P) and the plant components affecting K(P), such as conduit radius, conduit density and functional sapwood area. Trees at the dry site had lower LSC than trees with the same stem diameter at the wet site. Low LSC in trees at the dry site was associated with a smaller functional sapwood area and narrower conduits, resulting in a stronger reduction in K(P) than in A(L). These observations support the hypothesis that trees maintain a homeostatic water pressure gradient. An alternative hypothesis is that relatively high investments in leaves compared with sapwood contribute to carbon gain over an entire season by enabling rapid whole-plant photosynthesis during periods of high water availability (e.g., in spring, after rain events and during morning hours when leaf-to-air vapor pressure deficit is small). Dynamic data and a hydraulic plant growth model are needed to test how investments in leaves versus sapwood and roots contribute to transpiration and to maximizing carbon gain throughout entire growth seasons.

Ostreid herpesvirus OsHV-1 μVar in Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg 1793) of the Wadden Sea, a UNESCO world heritage site.

PubMed

Gittenberger, A; Voorbergen-Laarman, M A; Engelsma, M Y

2016-01-01

The Wadden Sea is an extensive wetland area, recognized as UNESCO world heritage site of international importance. Since the mid-1990s, the invasive Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg 1793) population in the area has grown exponentially, having a distinct impact on the ecosystem. The recent spread of the emerging oyster pathogen Ostreid herpesvirus OsHV-1 μVar worldwide and specifically in the oyster culture areas in the south of the Netherlands raised the question whether the virus may also be present in the Wadden Sea. In the summer of 2012 juvenile Pacific oysters were collected from five locations in the Dutch Wadden Sea. The virus was shown to be present in three of the five locations by real-time PCR and sequencing. It was concluded that OsHV-1 μVar has settled itself in Pacific oyster reefs in the Wadden Sea. These results and the recent discoveries of OsHV-1 microvariants in Australia and Korea indicate that OsHV-1 μVar and related variants might be more widespread than can be deduced from current literature. In particular in regions with no commercial oyster culture, similar to the Wadden Sea, the virus may go undetected as wild beds with mixed age classes hamper the detection of mortality among juvenile oysters. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Temperature responses of photosynthetic capacity parameters were not affected by foliar nitrogen content in mature Pinus sylvestris.

PubMed

Tarvainen, Lasse; Lutz, Martina; Räntfors, Mats; Näsholm, Torgny; Wallin, Göran

2018-03-01

A key weakness in current Earth System Models is the representation of thermal acclimation of photosynthesis in response to changes in growth temperatures. Previous studies in boreal and temperate ecosystems have shown leaf-scale photosynthetic capacity parameters, the maximum rates of carboxylation (V cmax ) and electron transport (J max ), to be positively correlated with foliar nitrogen (N) content at a given reference temperature. It is also known that V cmax and J max exhibit temperature optima that are affected by various environmental factors and, further, that N partitioning among the foliar photosynthetic pools is affected by N availability. However, despite the strong recent anthropogenic influence on atmospheric temperatures and N deposition to forests, little is known about the role of foliar N contents in controlling the photosynthetic temperature responses. In this study, we investigated the temperature dependencies of V cmax and J max in 1-year-old needles of mature boreal Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) trees growing under low and high N availabilities in northern Sweden. We found that needle N status did not significantly affect the temperature responses of V cmax or J max when the responses were fitted to a peaked function. If such N insensitivity is a common tree trait it will simplify the interpretation of the results from gradient and multi-species studies, which commonly use sites with differing N availabilities, on temperature acclimation of photosynthetic capacity. Moreover, it will simplify modeling efforts aimed at understanding future carbon uptake by precluding the need to adjust the shape of the temperature response curves to variation in N availability. © 2017 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

Genomic diversity is similar between Atlantic Forest restorations and natural remnants for the native tree Casearia sylvestris Sw.

PubMed

Gomes Viana, João Paulo; Bohrer Monteiro Siqueira, Marcos Vinícius; Araujo, Fabiano Lucas; Grando, Carolina; Sanae Sujii, Patricia; Silvestre, Ellida de Aguiar; Novello, Mariana; Pinheiro, José Baldin; Cavallari, Marcelo Mattos; Brancalion, Pedro H S; Rodrigues, Ricardo Ribeiro; Pereira de Souza, Anete; Catchen, Julian; Zucchi, Maria I

2018-01-01

The primary focus of tropical forest restoration has been the recovery of forest structure and tree taxonomic diversity, with limited attention given to genetic conservation. Populations reintroduced through restoration plantings may have low genetic diversity and be genetically structured due to founder effects and genetic drift, which limit the potential of restoration to recover ecologically resilient plant communities. Here, we studied the genetic diversity, genetic structure and differentiation using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) markers between restored and natural populations of the native tree Casearia sylvestris in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil. We sampled leaves from approximately 24 adult individuals in each of the study sites: two restoration plantations (27 and 62 years old) and two forest remnants. We prepared and sequenced a genotyping-by-sequencing library, SNP markers were identified de novo using Stacks pipeline, and genetic parameters and structure analyses were then estimated for populations. The sequencing step was successful for 80 sampled individuals. Neutral genetic diversity was similar among restored and natural populations (AR = 1.72 ± 0.005; HO = 0.135 ± 0.005; HE = 0.167 ± 0.005; FIS = 0.16 ± 0.022), which were not genetically structured by population subdivision. In spite of this absence of genetic structure by population we found genetic structure within populations but even so there is not spatial genetic structure in any population studied. Less than 1% of the neutral alleles were exclusive to a population. In general, contrary to our expectations, restoration plantations were then effective for conserving tree genetic diversity in human-modified tropical landscapes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that genotyping-by-sequencing can be a useful tool in restoration genetics.

Vector Autoregressive (VAR) Models and Granger Causality in Time Series Analysis in Nursing Research: Dynamic Changes Among Vital Signs Prior to Cardiorespiratory Instability Events as an Example

PubMed Central

Bose, Eliezer; Hravnak, Marilyn; Sereika, Susan M.

2016-01-01

Background Patients undergoing continuous vital sign monitoring (heart rate [HR], respiratory rate [RR], pulse oximetry [SpO2]) in real time display inter-related vital sign changes during situations of physiologic stress. Patterns in this physiological cross-talk could portend impending cardiorespiratory instability (CRI). Vector autoregressive (VAR) modeling with Granger causality tests is one of the most flexible ways to elucidate underlying causal mechanisms in time series data. Purpose The purpose of this article is to illustrate development of patient-specific VAR models using vital sign time series (VSTS) data in a sample of acutely ill, monitored, step-down unit (SDU) patients, and determine their Granger causal dynamics prior to onset of an incident CRI. Approach CRI was defined as vital signs beyond stipulated normality thresholds (HR = 40–140/minute, RR = 8–36/minute, SpO2 < 85%) and persisting for 3 minutes within a 5-minute moving window (60% of the duration of the window). A 6-hour time segment prior to onset of first CRI was chosen for time series modeling in 20 patients using a six-step procedure: (a) the uniform time series for each vital sign was assessed for stationarity; (b) appropriate lag was determined using a lag-length selection criteria; (c) the VAR model was constructed; (d) residual autocorrelation was assessed with the Lagrange Multiplier test; (e) stability of the VAR system was checked; and (f) Granger causality was evaluated in the final stable model. Results The primary cause of incident CRI was low SpO2 (60% of cases), followed by out-of-range RR (30%) and HR (10%). Granger causality testing revealed that change in RR caused change in HR (21%) (i.e., RR changed before HR changed) more often than change in HR causing change in RR (15%). Similarly, changes in RR caused changes in SpO2 (15%) more often than changes in SpO2 caused changes in RR (9%). For HR and SpO2, changes in HR causing changes in SpO2 and changes in SpO2 causing

[Development of cysticercoid larva of Hymenolepis nana var. fraterna in Tenebrio molitor and Leucophaea maderae haemoceles (author's transl)].

PubMed

Pesson, B; Leger, N; Bouchet, P

1978-01-01

When embryos of Hymenolepis nana var. fraterna are injected abdominally, they are able to reach the cysticercoid stage in the haemocele of Leucophaea maderae which naturally resist to infection by ingestion of the eggs. The haemocytic defence reaction of the cockroach and the structure of the surface of larvae are examined and compared with development in a natural host Tenebrio molitor.

Transcriptome analysis of Brassica juncea var. tumida Tsen responses to Plasmodiophora brassicae primed by the biocontrol strain Zhihengliuella aestuarii.

PubMed

Luo, Yuanli; Dong, Daiwen; Su, Yu; Wang, Xuyi; Peng, Yumei; Peng, Jiang; Zhou, Changyong

2018-05-01

Mustard clubroot, caused by Plasmodiophora brassicae, is a serious disease that affects Brassica juncea var. tumida Tsen, a mustard plant that is the raw material for a traditional fermented food manufactured in Chongqing, China. In our laboratory, we screened the antagonistic bacteria Zhihengliuella aestuarii against P. brassicae. To better understand the biocontrol mechanism, three transcriptome analyses of B. juncea var. tumida Tsen were conducted using Illumina HiSeq 4000, one from B. juncea only inoculated with P. brassicae (P), one inoculated with P. brassica and the biocontrol agent Z. aestuarii at the same time (P + B), and the other was the control (H), in which P. brassicae was replaced by sterile water. A total of 19.94 Gb was generated by Illumina HiSeq sequencing. The sequence data were de novo assembled, and 107,617 unigenes were obtained. In total, 5629 differentially expressed genes between biocontrol-treated (P + B) and infected (P) samples were assigned to 126 KEGG pathways. Using multiple testing corrections, 20 pathways were significantly enriched with Qvalue ≤ 0.05. The resistance-related genes, involved in the production of pathogenesis-related proteins, pathogen-associated molecular pattern-triggered immunity, and effector-triggered immunity signaling pathways, calcium influx, salicylic acid pathway, reactive oxygen intermediates, and mitogen-activated protein kinase cascades, and cell wall modification, were obtained. The various defense responses induced by the biocontrol strain combatted the P. brassicae infection. The genes and pathways involved in plant resistance were induced by a biocontrol strain. The transcriptome data explained the molecular mechanism of the potential biocontrol strain against P. brassicae. The data will also serve as an important public information platform to study B. juncea var. tumida Tsen and will be useful for breeding mustard plants resistant to P. brassicae.

Molecular and agronomic analysis of intraspecific variability in Capsicum baccatum var. pendulum accessions.

PubMed

Leite, P S S; Rodrigues, R; Silva, R N O; Pimenta, S; Medeiros, A M; Bento, C S; Gonçalves, L S A

2016-10-05

Capsicum baccatum is one of the most important chili peppers in South America, since this region is considered to be the center of origin and diversity of this species. In Brazil, C. baccatum has been widely explored by family farmers and there are different local names for each fruit phenotype, such as cambuci and dedo-de-moça (lady's finger). Although very popular among farmers and consumers, C. baccatum has been less extensively studied than other Capsicum species. This study describes the phenotypic and genotypic variability in C. baccatum var. pendulum accessions. Twenty-nine accessions from the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro gene bank, and one commercial genotype ('BRS-Mari') were evaluated for 53 morphoagronomic descriptors (31 qualitative and 22 quantitative traits). In addition, accessions were genotyped using 30 microsatellite primers. Three accessions from the C. annuum complex were included in the molecular characterization. Nine of 31 qualitative descriptors were monomorphic, while all quantitative descriptors were highly significant different between accessions (P < 0.01). Using the unweighted pair group method using arithmetic averages, four groups were obtained based on multicategoric variables and five groups were obtained based on quantitative variables. In the genotyping analysis, 12 polymorphic simple sequence repeat primers amplified in C. baccatum with dissimilarity between accessions ranging from 0.13 to 0.91, permitting the formation of two distinct groups for Bayesian analysis. These results indicate wide variability among the accessions comparing phenotypic and genotypic data and revealed distinct patterns of dissimilarity between matrices, indicating that both steps are valuable for the characterization of C. baccatum var. pendulum accessions.

Antidepressant-like effect of essential oil isolated from Toona ciliata Roem. var. yunnanensis.

PubMed

Duan, Dongmei; Chen, Liping; Yang, Xiuyan; Tu, Ya; Jiao, Shuang

2015-04-01

Depressive order is one of the most common psychiatric diseases, and Toona ciliata Roem. var. yunnanensis has shown many bioactivities in folk medicine. This study was designed to investigate the antidepressant-like effect of essential oil isolated from T. ciliata Roem. var. yunnanensis. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to analyze the compositions of essential oil. The immobility time in the forced swimming test (FST), tail suspending test (TST), and open field test (OFT) were used to evaluate the antidepressive effects of essential oil. Furthermore, chronic mild stress (CMS) rats were established, and contents of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in the brain were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography-electron capture detector (HPLC-ECD). Western blotting was performed to investigate the effects of essential oil on the expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein in rats' brain. The GC-MS analysis showed that the main components of essential oil were estragole (6.16 %), β-elemene (24.91 %), β-cubebene (14.29 %), and γ-elemene (8.05 %). The results from the FST and TST demonstrated that the immobility time could be significantly reduced by essential oil (10, 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg), without accompanying changes in ambulation when assessed in the OFT. Additionally, the contents of DA, NE, 5-HT, and BDNF in the hippocampus of CMS rats could be increased by treatment with essential oil at doses of 20, 40, and 80 mg/kg. All these results suggested that essential oil could be considered as a new candidate for curing depressive disorders.

A new ferulic acid ester from Rhodiola wallichiana var. cholaensis (Crassulaceae).

PubMed

Song, Yaling; Zhou, Jianming; Wang, Xuejing; Xie, Xue; Zhao, Yiwu; Ni, Fuyong; Huang, Wenzhe; Wang, Zhenzhong; Xiao, Wei

2018-01-01

A new ferulic acid ester, 6-feruloyloxyhexanoic acid (1), was isolated along with 10 known ones (2-11), from the concentrated water extract of Rhodiola wallichiana var. cholaensis. Their chemical structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic methods including Two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (2D NMR) experiments. Compound 3 was isolated from this plant for the first time. The protective effects against H 2 O 2 -induced myocardial cell injury in cultured H9c2 cells were also evaluated. Compounds 1, 5 and 7-11 provided significant protective effects on H 2 O 2 -induced H9c2 cells injury at the concentration of 25 μg/mL. And the protective effects of compound 1 was also investigated by the oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) tests.

[Demography of Caulerpa paspaloides var. wudermanni (Bryopsidales: Caulerpaceae) in the coastal zone of Campeche, México].

PubMed

Fuentes, Sergio Armando; Gallegos, Margarita E; Mandujano, María C

2014-06-01

Demography of Caulerpa paspaloides var. wudermanni (Bryopsidales: Caulerpaceae) in the coastal zone of Campeche, México. The subaquatic vegetation of Los Petenes, Campeche, Mexico, stands out due to its considerable floristic diversity, composed of a great variety of sea grasses and several species of the genus Caulerpa sp. This is a genus of ecological relevance, with the invasive species in the Mediterranean, with negative impact on several native sub-aquatic plants; nevertheless, little is known about the demography and population dynamics of Caulerpa species and their contribution to food webs. Thus the main objective of this study was to describe the demographics of Caulerpa paspaloides var. wudermanni, using the number of stolons, complete and incomplete fronds, the diameter of the stolons and the biomass. The information was used to determine the growth rate (lambda) of this species. The study was conducted in the Biosphere Reserve of Los Petenes, which is located in the Northwest of the state of Campeche. The submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the Petenes Biosphere consists of monospecific and mixed populations of seagrass species (Thalassia testudinum, Halodule wrightii and Syringodium filiforme). Although chlorophytes, brown algae and red algae, are fundamental elements in the specific composition of the SAV in Petenes, several species of Caulerpa are prominent because of their coverage and abundance. In May and June of 2010, significant differences in the quantity of stolons, their diameter, incomplete and complete fronds, and the size of the stolons and rhizomes, were observed. In 2010, the finite population growth rate (lambda) was 2.38 +/- 0.1571 for individuals and 1.20 +/- 0.1356 for the population, and in 2011 the values of lambda were 1.80 +/- 0.3608 and 1.35 +/- 0.1571, respectively. From these results it can be concluded that the population is growing; however, growth is controlled by biotic and abiotic factors. Despite there was no apparent

[The benthic red alga Ceramium ciliatum var. robustum (J.Ag.) G. Mazoyer is a remarkable biological indicator of littoral mercury pollution].

PubMed

Augier, H; Gilles, G; Ramonda, G

1977-02-07

The study of mercury composition of red Algae Ceranium ciliatum var. robustum, comparatively with other marine organisms and considering its growth and the extent of pollution at various harvesting points: reveals that this seaweed constitutes a conspicuous biological indicator for the littoral mercury pollution.

Tolerance of subzero winter cold in kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) and its implications for northward migration in a warming climate

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) is an important invasive species that was planted throughout southeastern North America until the mid-20th century. Winter survival is commonly assumed to control its distribution; however, its cold tolerance thresholds have not been determined. Here, we used bio...

Four New Flavonoids with α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities from Morus alba var. tatarica.

PubMed

Zhang, Ya-Long; Luo, Jian-Guang; Wan, Chuan-Xing; Zhou, Zhong-Bo; Kong, Ling-Yi

2015-11-01

Four new flavonoids, mortatarins A-D (1-4, resp.), along with eight known flavonoids (5-12) were isolated from the root bark of Morus alba var. tatarica. Their structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic data analysis, and the absolute configuration of 4 was determined by analysis of its CD spectrum. All isolates were tested for inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase. Compounds 4, 7, and 8 exhibited a significant degree of inhibition with IC50 values of 5.0 ± 0.3, 7.5 ± 0.5, and 5.9 ± 0.2 μM, respectively. Copyright © 2015 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Zürich.

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of American bird pepper (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum).

PubMed

Zeng, Fan-chun; Gao, Cheng-wen; Gao, Li-zhi

2016-01-01

The complete chloroplast genome sequence of American bird pepper (Capsicum annuum var. glabriusculum) is reported and characterized in this study. The genome size is 156,612 bp, containing a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 25,776 bp separated by a large single-copy region of 87,213 bp and a small single-copy region of 17,851 bp. The chloroplast genome harbors 130 known genes, including 89 protein-coding genes, 8 ribosomal RNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes. A total of 18 of these genes are duplicated in the inverted repeat regions, 16 genes contain 1 intron, and 2 genes and one ycf have 2 introns.

Rhizomucor variabilis var. regularior and Hormographiella aspergillata Infections in a Leukemic Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient with Refractory Neutropenia ▿

PubMed Central

Abuali, Mayssa M.; Posada, Roberto; Del Toro, Gustavo; Roman, Elizabeth; Ramani, Rama; Chaturvedi, Sudha; Chaturvedi, Vishnu; LaBombardi, Vincent J.

2009-01-01

Rhizomucor variabilis and Hormographiella aspergillata rarely cause human infections. This report details a fatal case of a 14-year-old female with leukemia posthematopoietic cell transplant and relapse with refractory pancytopenia. The patient first developed an R. variabilis var. regularior palate infection and later developed a cutaneous H. aspergillata infection while on posaconazole and caspofungin therapy. PMID:19846651

Genetic variation of the endangered Gentiana lutea L. var. aurantiaca (Gentianaceae) in populations from the Northwest Iberian Peninsula.

PubMed

González-López, Oscar; Polanco, Carlos; György, Zsuzsanna; Pedryc, Andrzej; Casquero, Pedro A

2014-06-05

Gentiana lutea L. (G. lutea L.) is an endangered plant, patchily distributed along the mountains of Central and Southern Europe. In this study, inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to investigate the genetic variation in this species within and among populations of G. lutea L. var. aurantiaca of the Cantabrian Mountains (Northwest Iberian Peninsula). Samples of G. lutea L. collected at different locations of the Pyrenees and samples of G. lutea L. subsp. vardjanii of the Dolomites Alps were also analyzed for comparison. Using nine ISSR primers, 106 bands were generated, and 89.6% of those were polymorphic. The populations from the Northwest Iberian Peninsula were clustered in three different groups, with a significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances. Gentiana lutea L. var. aurantiaca showed 19.8% private loci and demonstrated a remarkable level of genetic variation, both among populations and within populations; those populations with the highest level of isolation show the lowest genetic variation within populations. The low number of individuals, as well as the observed genetic structure of the analyzed populations makes it necessary to protect them to ensure their survival before they are too small to persist naturally.

Genetic Variation of the Endangered Gentiana lutea L. var. aurantiaca (Gentianaceae) in Populations from the Northwest Iberian Peninsula

PubMed Central

González-López, Oscar; Polanco, Carlos; György, Zsuzsanna; Pedryc, Andrzej; Casquero, Pedro A.

2014-01-01

Gentiana lutea L. (G. lutea L.) is an endangered plant, patchily distributed along the mountains of Central and Southern Europe. In this study, inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to investigate the genetic variation in this species within and among populations of G. lutea L. var. aurantiaca of the Cantabrian Mountains (Northwest Iberian Peninsula). Samples of G. lutea L. collected at different locations of the Pyrenees and samples of G. lutea L. subsp. vardjanii of the Dolomites Alps were also analyzed for comparison. Using nine ISSR primers, 106 bands were generated, and 89.6% of those were polymorphic. The populations from the Northwest Iberian Peninsula were clustered in three different groups, with a significant correlation between genetic and geographic distances. Gentiana lutea L. var. aurantiaca showed 19.8% private loci and demonstrated a remarkable level of genetic variation, both among populations and within populations; those populations with the highest level of isolation show the lowest genetic variation within populations. The low number of individuals, as well as the observed genetic structure of the analyzed populations makes it necessary to protect them to ensure their survival before they are too small to persist naturally. PMID:24905405

Assessment of surface runoff depth changes in S\\varǎţel River basin, Romania using GIS techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romulus, Costache; Iulia, Fontanine; Ema, Corodescu

2014-09-01

S\\varǎţel River basin, which is located in Curvature Subcarpahian area, has been facing an obvious increase in frequency of hydrological risk phenomena, associated with torrential events, during the last years. This trend is highly related to the increase in frequency of the extreme climatic phenomena and to the land use changes. The present study is aimed to highlight the spatial and quantitative changes occurred in surface runoff depth in S\\varǎţel catchment, between 1990-2006. This purpose was reached by estimating the surface runoff depth assignable to the average annual rainfall, by means of SCS-CN method, which was integrated into the GIS environment through the ArcCN-Runoff extension, for ArcGIS 10.1. In order to compute the surface runoff depth, by CN method, the land cover and the hydrological soil classes were introduced as vector (polygon data), while the curve number and the average annual rainfall were introduced as tables. After spatially modeling the surface runoff depth for the two years, the 1990 raster dataset was subtracted from the 2006 raster dataset, in order to highlight the changes in surface runoff depth.

Two Lactarius species associated with a relict Fagus grandifolia var. mexicana population in a Mexican montane cloud forest.

PubMed

Montoya, L; Haug, I; Bandala, V M

2010-01-01

Ectomycorrhizal (EM) fleshy fungi are being monitored in a population of Fagus grandifolia var. mexicana persisting in a montane cloud forest refuge on a volcano in a subtropical region of central Veracruz (eastern Mexico). The population of Fagus studied represents one of the 10 recognized forest fragments still housing this tree genus in Mexico. This is the first attempt to document EM fungi associated with this tree species in Mexico. We present evidence of the ectomycorrhizal symbiosis for Lactarius badiopallescens and L. cinereus with this endemic tree. Species identification of Lactarius on Fagus grandifolia var. mexicana was based on the comparison of DNAsequences (ITS rDNA) of spatiotemporally co-occurring basidiomes and EM root tips. The host of the EM tips was identified by comparison of the large subunit of the ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase gene (rbcL). The occurrence of Lactarius badiopallescens and L. cinereus populations in the area of study represent the southernmost record known to date of these two species in North America and are new for the Neotropical Lactarius mycota. Descriptions coupled with illustrations of macro- and micromorphological features of basidiomes as well as photographs of ectomycorrhizas are presented.