Selection of Eucalypt Plus Trees with Regard to Splitting in the Sawn Timber / SELEKSIE VAN EUCALYPTUS-PLUSBOME MET BETREKKING TOT SPLITSING IN DIE GESAAGDE HOUT

A practical method in use in South Africa for quantifying the extent of splitting in the timber of the genus Eucalyptus in order to determine minimum standards for selection purposes, is explained. The standards are used to assist in the choice of phenotypes, the progeny of which it is hoped will produce timber which splits less.     

Treatment of Softwoods with CCA at High Moisture Levels

A literature study on the feasibility of treating wood with aqueous solutions at high moisture levels revealed a positive indication. The objective of the present study was to determine treatability of Pinus radiata and P. pinaster lumber at high moisture levels with commercial CCA in controlled experiments. The wood samples were treated at levels of moisture content ranging from 20 to 100%.

A statistical analysis of the data showed that specific gravity and moisture content influence solution-absorption, the effect being different for different species. Chemical analyses showed a screening out of copper- and arsenic compounds. The effect of higher moisture contents on screening out was negligible. The results indicated that certain wood species can be treated satisfactorily with CCA at moisture levels higher than 25%.     

Calculation of E-Moduli of Beams under Third- or Centre-Point Loading: Program for HP-25 Calculator

A method for precision sowing Eucalyptus seeds was needed at the Florida Division of Forestry's nursery. A way to do this is to coat cleaned seeds to form uniform pellets, which are easy to handle with mechanical equipment. The small volume of the seed lots to be pelleted in Florida restricted choice of commercial companies that could do the pelleting. Small volumes (50 to 125 ml) of Eucalyptus robusta Sm. seeds were successfully pelleted in-house with a coating of fine silica sand filler and two polyvinyl alcohol (P.V.A.) binders, and by two commercial companies—Germain's, Inc. and Hilleshog Seed Co., Ltd. Nursery performance of sand-P.V.A. and Hilleshog pellets was similar to that of uncoated seeds, although germination speed was slowed. The binder Gelvatol®,¹ a coldwater soluble P.V.A., had advantages over Elvanol®, a cold-water insoluble binder. Plant yield of Germain's Filcoat® pellets was appreciably less than that of uncoated seeds, but the toughness of the Filcoat® pellets might be an advantage in some sowing situations. The Florida Division of Forestry routinely pellets seeds of several Eucalyptus species in a reciprocating-rotating pan using fine sand and Gelvatol®.     

Cytosolic streaming in vegetative mycelium and aerial structures of Aspergillus niger

Aspergillus niger forms aerial hyphae and conidiophores after a period of vegetative growth. The hyphae within the mycelium of A. niger are divided by septa. The central pore in these septa allows for cytoplasmic streaming. Here, we studied inter- and intra-compartmental streaming of the reporter protein GFP in A. niger. Expression of the gene encoding nuclear targeted GFP from the gpdA or glaA promoter resulted in strong fluorescence of nuclei within the vegetative hyphae and weak fluorescence in nuclei within the aerial structures. These data and nuclear run on experiments showed that gpdA and glaA are higher expressed in the vegetative mycelium when compared to aerial hyphae, conidiophores and conidia. Notably, gpdA or glaA driven expression of the gene encoding cytosolic GFP resulted in strongly fluorescent vegetative hyphae and aerial structures. Apparently, GFP streams from vegetative hyphae into aerial structures. This was confirmed by monitoring fluorescence of photo-activatable GFP (PA-GFP). In contrast, PA-GFP did not stream from aerial structures to vegetative hyphae. Streaming of PA-GFP within vegetative hyphae or within aerial structures of A. niger occurred at a rate of 10–15 μm s^-1. Taken together, these results not only show that GFP streams from the vegetative mycelium to aerial structures but it also indicates that its encoding RNA is not streaming. Absence of RNA streaming would explain why distinct RNA profiles were found in aerial structures and the vegetative mycelium by nuclear run on analysis and micro-array analysis.Key words: aerial hypha, Aspergillus, conidia, conidiophore, cytoplasmic streaming, development, fungus, vegetative mycelium     

Influence of high solid concentrations on enzymatic wheat gluten hydrolysis and resulting functional properties

Enzymatic hydrolysis at increased solid concentrations is beneficial with regard to energy and water consumption. This study examines the influence of the solid concentration on the enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat gluten and the resulting functional properties of the hydrolysate. Wheat gluten was mildly hydrolyzed at a solid concentration varying from 10% to 60% to degrees of hydrolysis (DH%) ranging from 3.2% to 10.2%. The gluten was susceptible to hydrolysis at all solid concentrations but the hydrolysis rate was influenced by increasing solid concentrations. Size-exclusion high-performance liquid chromatography revealed an increase in the ratio of peptides with a molecular mass >25 kDa for solid concentrations of 40% and 60%. The water solubility increased on hydrolysis and was independent of the solid concentration during proteolysis. The foam stability was not influenced by the solid concentration at low DH%. At DH% higher than 8%, high solid concentrations increased the foam stability, which might be related to the presence of more peptides with a molecular mass >25 kDa. In addition, we found increased reactor productivity. The results show the potential of hydrolyzing wheat gluten at high solid concentrations, which could lead to large savings for water and energy when applied industrially.