Fungistatic activity of bicyclo[4.3.0]-γ-lactones

Five optically active and sixteen racemic lactones (nine of them new) of bicyclo[4.3.0]nonane structure were synthesized. IC(50) values for the following phytopathogens were determined: Aspergillus ochraceus AM 456, Fusarium culmorum AM 282, Fusarium oxysporum AM 13, Fusarium tricinctum AM 16. Effect of compound structures, especially stereogenic centers, on fungistatic activity has been discussed. The highest fungistatic activity was observed for trans-7,8-dibromo-cis-3-oxabicyclo[4.3.0]nonan-2-one (3c), IC(50) = 30.1 μg/mL (0.10 μM/mL), and cis-7,8-epoxy-cis-3-oxabicyclo[4.3.0]nonan-2-one (3b), IC(50) = 72.2 μg/mL (0.47 μM/mL), toward F. oxysporum AM 13.     

Reconstruction of Climate,Soils, and Vegetation in the Turan–Uyuk Basin of South Siberia at the Beginning of the Subatlantic Period of the Holocene

Four Scythian kurgans of the burial site Beloe Lake-3 were studied in the Turan–Uyuk Depression in the Republic of Tyva. They were constructed about 2565–2390 calendar years ago (calibrated with deviation 1 σ). Soil formation after 2500 yrs of the construction of the kurgans was examined in the interkurgan area. The properties of the background surface and ancient buried soils have much in common, and the difference between the soils of the four kurgans is small. This attests to the fact that the paleoclimatic conditions in the period of the necropolis construction remained stable and were similar to the modern climatic conditions. According to palynological data, the climate at the stage of the construction of the first two kurgans was a little more humid in comparison with the modern climate; it became somewhat drier after 95 years, during the construction of the third kurgan (2425 cal. BP) and again tended to humidification at the final stage of the necropolis creation. These changes in the paleoclimatic conditions are indicated by variations in the structure and composition of associations of xerophytes, mesophytes, hydrophytes, and ruderal plants. At the Uyuk stage, the area was mainly occupied by steppe phytocenoses with a predominance of xerophytes over mesophytes, and hydrophilous vegetation was allocated to moistened habitats near water reservoirs. Larch forests grew near water bodies. The variable anthropogenic impact on the landscape was stronger at the initial and final stages of the construction of the Uyuk culture necropolis.     

Dynamics of benzo[α]pyrene accumulation in soils under the influence of aerotechnogenic emissions

The regularities of benzo[α]pyrene (BaP) accumulation and distribution in chernozems (Haplic Chernozems), meadow-chernozemic soils (Haplic Chernozems (Stagnic)), and alluvial soils (Fluvisols) affected by the aerotechnogenic emissions from the Novocherkasskaya Electric Power Station (NEPS) were studied on the basis of long-term (2002–2011) monitoring data. A 5-km-wide zone stretching to the northwest from the electric power station and coinciding with the predominant wind direction was found to be most contaminated, with the maximum accumulation of BaP at about 1.6 km from the source. The coefficients of vertical BaP distribution between the layers of 0–5 and 5–20 cm closely correlated with the contents of physical clay, clay, and humus, and with the cation exchange capacity. The content of BaP in soils was shown to be indicative of the level of technogenic loads related to the combustion products of hydrocarbon fuels.     

‘Kalhar’ [Blumea lacera (Burm.f.) DC. Asteraceae]: a wild species used in preparation of traditional cuisine “Umbadiyu” in Dungri (Valsad), South Gujarat,India

Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution - A plant species locally called ‘Kalhar’ [Blumea lacera (Burm.f.) DC.] was identified for plant genetic resources value during exploration and...     

What's the Beef in South Korea Protests?: The Technical,Psychometric, and Sociocultural Dimensions of News Coverage of Risk

Millions of South Koreans took to the streets for more than 2 months in 2008 ostensibly in protest over their government's handling of beef imports from the United States. This study examines the technical, psychometric, and sociocultural dimensions of these public protests by conducting a content analysis of the coverage of the English language daily newspaper The Korea Herald. The results suggest that the scarcity of technical risk assessment information and the preponderance of normative or outrage factors in the newspaper's coverage (lack of trust in government, perceptions of inequity, and unequal benefits accruing to both nations) may have fueled public anxiety and anger. The findings also point to social, cultural, and historical factors that may explain why allowing U.S. beef into the Korean market elicited strong public reactions.     

Cyanogenic glycoside content of Manihot esculenta subsp. flabellifolia in south-central Rondônia,Brazil, in the center of domestication of M. esculenta subsp. esculenta

Manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz subsp. esculenta) is a tropical staple crop that was domesticated from M. esculenta Crantz subsp. flabellifolia in southwestern Amazonia. After domestication, different selective pressures created two large groups of varieties based on cyanogenic glycoside (HCN) content: sweet and bitter manioc. The characterization of HCN content in subsp. flabellifolia will help understand the original selection pressures that either reduced or increased the concentration of HCN in the edible root. We collected leaves, fruits and roots of five mature plants of subsp. flabellifolia chosen at random from each of six populations located in central Rondônia, Brazil. Analyses of HCN were performed by the enzymatic method with some modifications. All parts of the plant contained moderate to high (84–717 mg HCN kg^?1 fresh weight) concentrations of HCN, especially in the fruits. Both the bark and the starchy flesh of roots had moderate to high concentrations of HCN (198 ± 103 and 244 ± 105 mg HCN kg^?1 fresh weight, respectively), which classifies these populations as bitter.     

Single‐Hole Soil Sampling for Nitrogen in the Potato Hill

Abstract

The nitrate distribution in the soil profile varies with fertilization and tillage practices in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production. Band‐applied fertilizers localized near the seed at planting must diffuse through the bulk soil during the growing season. The hilling operation transforms soil surface into an undulating field landscape and redistributes the split‐applied nitrogen fertilizers between the hill and the interrow. The soil sampling procedure during the growing season thus becomes extremely tedious when searching to quantify nitrate accumulation in the entire soil volume. The objective of this study was to assess seasonal nitrate accumulation in a soil volume from a single boring in the potato hill. An intensive sampling was conducted at four places in the 0‐ to 50‐cm profile in potato fields receiving three rates of split-applied nitrogen (N) before hilling. Treatment and time effects provided a large range of nitrate concentrations throughout the soil profile. Nitrate content increased with N fertilization and organic‐matter mineralization and decreased as a result of plant uptake and nitrate leaching. Averaged across the season, nitrate accumulation in the 0‐ to 50‐cm profile represented 78% of that accumulated in the center of the hill on a per ha basis (r²=0.90). A single boring in the center of the hill considerably reduced sampling time and cost and provided a fair estimate of seasonal nitrate accumulation in the 0‐ to 50‐cm soil profile.     

Slope–channel decoupling in Wolumla catchment,New South Wales,Australia: the changing nature of sediment sources following European settlement

Within a few decades of European settlement, channel incision transformed discontinuous river courses throughout Wolumla catchment, on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. The development of continuous channels greatly increased sediment delivery from the catchment. This paper documents the character, timing and proportion of sediment sourced from upland valley fills, channel expansion sites, and gully networks. Volumes of material transferred from these sources are compared with estimates of sediment eroded from hillslopes, and the movement of sediment off the slopes to the valley floor is assessed. Although disturbance of slopes resulted in significant movement of materials, most of this material has been stored on-slope, in trapped tributary fills and along lower order drainage lines. The slopes are effectively decoupled from the channel. Sediment accumulation in farm dams over the past few decades has been negligible. Around 75% of the total volume of material released from creeks in Wolumla catchment since 1865, i.e., 5500×10³ m³, has been derived from channel incision into valley fills at the base of the escarpment. Sediment flushing occurred within a few decades of catchment disturbance. Bedrock confinement in the middle and lower catchment resulted in very efficient downstream transfer of materials. Although gully networks and channel expansion sites have released a relatively small volume of material, these sources are the greatest contemporary source of sediment in Wolumla catchment.     

The influence of paleofloods on archaeological settlement patterns during A.D. 1050–1170 along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon,Arizona, USA

Excavations at four archaeological sites consisting of the material remains of A.D. 1050–1170 era farmers along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, yield geomorphic information used to address questions related to settlement patterns. Archaeological excavation units, test pits, feature fill, and natural exposures contain sediments used to interpret geomorphic history that can, in turn, shed light on archaeological site selection in a challenging environment. The Grand Canyon experiences dramatic geomorphic events such as catastrophic floods and destructive debris flows that are preserved in the stratigraphic record, and can be used to understand cultural/landscape interactions. By combining new geomorphic, stratigraphic, and archaeological data collected during recent excavations with results from previous geomorphic and sediment transport studies, observed trends can be interpreted regarding the possible influence of paleofloods on past settlement patterns. For example, at each of the four sites, reconstructed paleoflood elevations (from existing HEC-RAS virtual shorelines), flood recurrence intervals, site layout, and site stratigraphy/geomorphic setting suggests a temporal trend in site location. The two early sites (Early Pueblo II period: A.D. 1050–1080) contain habitation features located above the approximately 6–8 year high flood (3500 cubic meters per second [cms]) recurrence interval; larger floods (4800 to 5900 cms) of a longer recurrence interval between 40 and 80 years inundate these features. The two later sites in the sample (Late Pueblo II; A.D. 1080–1170) contain habitation features located well above the 40–80 year recurrence high flows. We suggest that early farmers (Early Pueblo II period: A.D. 1050–1080) may not have had adequate experience with flood magnitudes and frequencies and therefore their habitation structures were located in risk-prone areas relatively close to the river. Later habitations (Late Pueblo II; A.D. 1080–1170) were positioned in more protected areas further from the river, perhaps reflecting an acquired knowledge of river dynamics. These trends, although currently based on a limited data set, provide insights into site selection decisions and settlement patterns of early farmers along the Colorado River through Grand Canyon.     

Growth and mineral nutrition of cattails inhabiting a thermally‐graded South Carolina reservoir: I. Growth and the macronutrients 1

Growth and macronutrient uptake in two species of cattail, Typha latifolia and T. domingensis, were determined during an annual growth cycle in Par Pond, a thermally‐graded nuclear reactor cooling reservoir in South Carolina. Shoots of the same age class were sampled periodically from the initiation of growth in early spring to senescence in late autumn. Although differences between thermal regimes were mostly statistically non‐significant, growth and macronutrient uptake, especially of N, P, and K, tended to be enhanced by elevated water temperatures. The pattern for growth and N, P, and K uptake in decreasing order were: “Warm”; > “Intermediate”; > “Ambient”; regimes. The non‐significant statistics were attributed to large between‐stand and between‐temperature regime variations. Both Typha species exhibited sharp declines in N, P, and K concentrations in the shoots, and some decline in the rhizomes, early in the growing season, followed by either a more gradual decline or leveling off of concentrations until senescence. Calcium in shoots of both species increased with season, whereas Mg remained fairly constant. Thermal effluents can alter the growth form of Typha, as confirmed by the elimination of T. domingensis in the “Warm”; regime, and can affect their mineral nutrition.     

Hu Xin, Hong Baoning, Du Qiang, et al. Influence of water contents on shear strength of coal-bearing soil[J]. Rock and Soil Mechanics, 2009, 38(8): 2291－2294. (in Chinese with English abstract)[30]

土的抗剪强度是工程设计中重要的依据指标,同时也是土壤精准耕作,大型农业器具设计的一个基本参数。紫色水稻土长期处于淹水状态,为研究其抗剪强度的水敏感性特征,该文以重庆市合川区钱塘镇大柱村国土整治项目区内紫色水稻土为试样,采用调控含水率变化,通过三轴不固结不排水试验研究其抗剪强度的水敏感性特征,并为实际工程中处理紫色水稻土提出建议。结果表明：1）同一围压下,紫色水稻土的最大主应力差随着含水率的增加而减小;相同含水率下,随着围压的升高最大主应力差增加,但这种增加趋势随土壤含水率的增加而减小。2）当含水率处于界限含水率附近时,抗剪强度随含水率的增减变化较为缓慢;含水率大于某一值后紫色水稻土抗剪强度随含水率增加而减小。3）紫色水稻土的粘聚力随含水率的变化具有明显的峰值,呈先增大后减小的趋势。4）紫色水稻土内摩擦角与含水率之间具有明显的线性负相关性。该研究可为地区农业基础工程的设计到施工,以及工后更好地控制路基路堑的稳定性等提供参考。