A comparison of the autecology of Quercus robur L. and Q. pyrenaica Wild.: present habitat in Galicia, NW Spain

The biotopes occupied by pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.)and rebollo oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) in Galicia were characterizedusing different parameters, enabling a comparative analysisof its habitats. Thirty-nine plots of pedunculate oak and 40of rebollo oak were inventoried and 25 ecological parameters(physiographic, climatic and edaphic) were measured to describethe biotopes, along with 14 stand parameters to characterizethe structure and the silviculture of these forests; some ofthem were used in previous works about the autecology of bothspecies. Quercus robur was found to occupy a wider range ofecological habitats and their distribution is oceanic; Q. pyrenaicapresents a more Mediterranean phytoclimatic position. The resultsindicated that the distribution of oak forests in Galicia ismore closely related to physiographic and climatic featuresthan to edaphic, because the nature of the substrates that theyoccupy is similar. Analysis of fragility/aggressiveness betweenboth species and chestnut shows that the aggressiveness of bothoaks, mainly pedunculate, was much higher, except at high altitudes,and in areas with a high mean temperature, where rebollo ismore aggressiveness. Comparison of the two Quercus shows formost of the parameters that Q. robur is the more aggressivespecies.     

Synthesis and characterization of canola oil-stearic acid-based trans-free structured lipids for possible margarine application

Incorporation of stearic acid into canola oil to produce trans-free structured lipid (SL) as a healthy alternative to partially hydrogenated fats for margarine formulation was investigated. Response surface methodology was used to study the effects of lipozyme RM IM from Rhizomucor miehei and Candida rugosa lipase isoform 1 (LIP1) and two acyl donors, stearic acid and ethyl stearate, on the incorporation. Lipozyme RM IM and ethyl stearate gave the best result. Gram quantities of SLs were synthesized using lipozyme RM IM, and the products were compared to SL made by chemical catalysis and fat from commercial margarines. After short-path distillation, the products were characterized by GC and RPHPLC-MS to obtain fatty acid and triacylglycerol profiles, 13C NMR spectrometry for regiospecific analysis, X-ray diffraction for crystal forms, and DSC for melting profile. Stearic acid was incorporated into canola oil, mainly at the sn-1,3 positions, for the lipase reaction, and no new trans fatty acids formed. Most SL products did not have adequate solid fat content or beta' crystal forms for tub margarine, although these may be suitable for light margarine formulation.     

Microbial origin of the abdominal swelling affecting farmed larvae of gilt-head seabream, Sparus aurata L.

The aetiological agents of the abdominal swelling affecting farmed larvae of gilt-head seabream, Sparus aurata L., were studied. Four Vibrio strains were isolated from larvae of S. aurata affected by this disease, and all strains reproduced the disease in healthy larvae under controlled infection experiments, producing a significant increase of the mortality rates compared to the control (non-inoculated larvae). Several enzymatic properties, which can act as .virulence factors, were demonstrated both in the extracellular products (ECPs) and In live cells of the strains tested. Histopathological examinations of the infected fish larvae revealed important changes of the anterior intestine and liver characterized by a marked hyperthrophy of the intestinal epithelium and hepatocytes, and by a separation of the mucosal and submucosal layers in the digestive tube. These histological alterations were associated with the constant presence of cocobacillar bacteria in the anterior intestine and in the liver. However, the precise pathogenic mechanisms of the strains tested have not been completely elucidated yet.     

A male-fertile Lycopersicon esculentum × Solanum lycopersicoides hybrid enables direct backcrossing to tomato at the diploid level

Solanum lycopersicoides Dun. is a wild nightshade native to Chile and Peru that possesses many traits of potential interest to tomato breeders, including environmental stress tolerance, resistances to disease and insect pests, and certain fruit quality characteristics. Sexual and somatic hybrids with the cultivated tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) are readily obtained, yet have a strong tendency towards male-sterility combined with unilateral incompatibility, barriers that have deterred breeding efforts in the past. We report herein the synthesis of a partially male-fertile F₁ hybrid by sexual crosses between tomato and a recently collected population of S. lycopersicoides. Over 280 BC₁ plants were obtained by directed backcrossing to tomato at the diploid level, of which 58 were sufficiently fertile to permit selfing or additional backcrosses. The transmission of S. lycopersicoides genetic markers into a uniform L. esculentum background was confirmed with 24 isozyme or morphological loci on 11 of the 12 alien chromosomes. Potentially useful tolerance to gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) was demonstrated by inoculation of stem cuttings with mycelial plugs: at 6 days post-inoculation, the intergeneric hybrid showed little evidence of disease progression and the length of stem lesions averaged only one third that of susceptible controls. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Influences of life history, environmental gradients, and disturbance on riparian tree regeneration in Western Oregon

In two related field studies: (1) a multiscale riparian forest inventory and (2) a comparative study of natural forest gap and nongap environments, we explored regeneration patterns of native riparian trees in relation to large- and small-scale ecological drivers in four western Oregon watersheds spanning a climatic gradient from dry to wet. Twenty-three tree species were classified by life history traits into five functional groups that differed in shade and drought tolerance; distribution and abundance of tree regeneration were analyzed by group. For most groups, seedling abundance varied substantially across the large scale climate gradient. In particular, drought tolerant species decreased sharply in abundance from the drier to wetter watersheds. Overall seedling frequency and diversity also decreased from the driest to wettest watersheds, while nurse log use increased. Regeneration of most, but not all, species was greater in gaps.Principal conclusions are that life history information was useful for categorizing species and quite predictive of regeneration behavior overall, yet for many species contextual factors such as climate, forest structure, and adjoining species were also very important. Species appeared to regenerate opportunistically wherever local conditions fell within their environmental tolerances and competitive abilities. Management or restoration of riparian forests, therefore, requires knowledge of site conditions, the life history of the riparian trees present, and in particular an understanding of the species’ environmental tolerances, disturbance responses, and competitive abilities relative to one another.     

Sampling and monitoring of biogenic emissions by eucalyptus leaves using membrane extraction with sorbent interface (MESI)

Membrane extraction with sorbent interface (MESI) has been applied to monitor plant fragrance volatiles emitted into indoor air. The main components of the MESI system are a membrane module and a trap, which can be connected directly to a GC or GC-MS for simultaneous multicomponent extraction and monitoring. A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membrane and two different traps, PDMS and Tenax, as well as a DC current supply for trap desorption have been applied in this research. After the membrane module is placed in contact with the plant, the MESI/GC-MS provides semicontinuous characterization of volatile compounds emitted. The MESI device has been applied to monitor the biogenic volatile organic compounds released during the first 8 h after a branch was cut from a Eucalyptus dunnii tree. The study demonstrates that the MESI system is a simple and useful tool for monitoring changes in emission processes as a function of time.     

Soil Phosphorus and Potassium Mapping Using a Spatial Correlation Model Incorporating Terrain Slope Gradient

Variable-rate fertilizer application requires knowledge of the spatial distribution of soil nutrients within fields. Grid soil sampling might be used for acquiring this information, but is often too expensive for resolving spatial patterns in soil nutrients at the scale of precision fertilizer application. The objective of this study was to determine whether grid sampling efficiency can be improved using cokriging estimates with slope gradient as a secondary variable, which is easily obtained from high-resolution digital elevation models. Soils in two northern Montana wheat fields were sampled at the nodes of a 100-m diagonal grid. Soil test phosphorus and potassium maps were constructed with kriging and cokriging. Co-kriging uses the spatial correlation between two variables to predict for the less intensively sampled variable of interest, often with less estimation error than a univariate method such as kriging. The average estimation variance for cokriging compared to kriging was reduced for all values of the correlation considered. The additional complexity of cokriging might be justified provided a secondary variable exists that is spatially cross correlated with the primary variable of interest.     

Paleoindian seafaring, maritime technologies, and coastal foraging on California's Channel Islands

Three archaeological sites on California's Channel Islands show that Paleoindians relied heavily on marine resources. The Paleocoastal sites, dated between ~12,200 and 11,200 years ago, contain numerous stemmed projectile points and crescents associated with a variety of marine and aquatic faunal remains. At site CA-SRI-512 on Santa Rosa Island, Paleocoastal peoples used such tools to capture geese, cormorants, and other birds, along with marine mammals and finfish. At Cardwell Bluffs on San Miguel Island, Paleocoastal peoples collected local chert cobbles, worked them into bifaces and projectile points, and discarded thousands of marine shells. With bifacial technologies similar to those seen in Western Pluvial Lakes Tradition assemblages of western North America, the sites provide evidence for seafaring and island colonization by Paleoindians with a diversified maritime economy.     

Extended Boltzmann kinetic equation for turbulent flows

Complex fluid physics can be modeled using an extended kinetic (Boltzmann) equation in a more efficient way than using the continuum Navier-Stokes equations. Here, we explain this method for modeling fluid turbulence and show its effectiveness with the use of a computationally efficient implementation in terms of a discrete or "lattice" Boltzmann equation.